Emancipated and Quite Capable

"I can't stay in that time no matter who wins what war," Jack said. "I've gotten too used to this one. There are people and telephones and -- things. So I will."

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"You already know I don't like what you're doing," Emma pointed out. "I think it's unnecessary, short-sighted, egotistical, and inappropriately dangerous. I could go on, but I'm rather sure you can guess the rest of the adjectives I plan on using."

Because you know it's stupid, Jack.

Edited Date: 2011-12-16 09:25 pm (UTC)

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"And I don't want to make you put on a corset just to find me and smack me," Jack said, trying for a light tone as well. "So I'll avoid that."

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chosehumanity

"Then I'll leave you to the next one in line to tell you how stupid this is," Mitchell supplied. "Don't get killed."

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vanillajello

"Good." A beat. "Though I would totally rock a corset."

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"You're welcome. Just make sure you let me know if you need any other help," Ronan insisted. "Seriously, anything."

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"I know," Jack said, a bit sing-song as he reminded himself to keep his temper under control. He couldn't actually jump through the phone line and shake her.

"I disagree, but I respect your right to feel that way -- and all of that therapy talk. You know, I suggested you leave your world, both because of your family and because of the way it treats mutants. When you didn't want to I said almost nothing else, as it's not my choice to make. You owe me that much basic fucking respect, whether you think you do or not."

Edited Date: 2011-12-16 09:49 pm (UTC)

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"I haven't yet," Jack said. "Bye."

And then he was gone.

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"Actually, I don't doubt that you would," Jack said. "Even with a dress over it."

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"Staying here and keeping my head down and mouth shut--" Mostly. Because while Emma tried, she wasn't always good at holding her temper in class. "--is a far cry from you deliberately throwing yourself into a war zone, Jack! For one, no one is trying to put me down using weapons!"

Well, no one wanted to kill her personally, but the number of students on the ESU campus who harbored nebulous ideas about 'killing muties' was, steadily, growing.

"As much as you dislike my choices, you at least understand why I'm making them. I don't understand why you feel like you have to do this, when it's already a done deal."

Edited Date: 2011-12-16 09:53 pm (UTC)

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"I can practically guarantee something will come up," Jack said.

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Ronan laughed, a short, sharp exhalation. "It usually does," he agreed. "Just give me- Well, don't give me a call, I guess. Unless you want me to see about rigging up something to get through? That one might be a little harder to swing, but I can look into it."

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"Yet," Jack muttered, at the comment about weapons. He didn't trust Emma's world to stay safe in that way in the least.

Still, her not understanding was something he could at least try to fix.

"First, the fighting's in America now," he said calmly. "I'll start out there, but it's likely I'd be far more useful in Europe, where I can put bugs in the ears of the powerful to get them on the rebel side. I stand out less here; people trust me more."

He drew a breath, kept talking. "The fact we succeeded in the world I live in now doesn't mean we succeeded in every version of my world; I don't know how exactly time travel works. And for all I know -- and you're going to call me egotistical again -- I might make the change that permits victory, or one that shortens the war by months or years. I don't think it's a foolish risk to take given how much is on the line. And, finally, I can portal home if this turns out to be the wrong choice. All right?"

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"I'm going to say no on that one," Jack said. "A bracelet with a few charms in it isn't much of a crime, but the kind of magic it would take to get a phone to work seems like it might draw more attention than it's worth. I can send telegrams, anyhow -- or could when I was in school."

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"Ah, yeah, I can see the problem there," Ronan agreed. Although he was also running his mind across ways he could work an SOS beacon into the bracelet.

He didn't want Jack out there without a quick way to get ahold of someone who could help in an emergency.

"When are you planning to head out?"

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"First thing tomorrow morning," Jack said apologetically. "Does that leave you enough time to do much of anything?"

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Ronan considered a moment. "I-- might be able to get it done. If not, is the mail-drop you mentioned secure enough for it? I can package it so that it's not suspiciously contemporary."

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"It should be. It's through some old friends," Jack nodded. (Very old, considering they were Sebastien's friends.) "It may take a few days for me to get something from there, but no more."

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"And if you need anything I'm getting you within the next week," Ronan suggested, "things are... probably worse than we're expecting."

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vanillajello

"Well duh, I look good in anything." Even bear dresses. True story. "But I don't want to test that theory, so take care of yourself, okay?"

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"You'll ask Ronan for a Gate home, because with our luck, you'll run into my handsome mariachi player, get shot at some more, and end up making out with him," Emma replied absently. "And then get shot at again."

She didn't want to see any logic in this. She wanted Jack to stop and agree she was right and stay in 2011 where he belonged. Where he was happiest. Where people were not actively trying to stop him from doing anything, possibly by lethal means.

"Why go into the thick of it at all?" she continued, trying to organize her thoughts into something rational. "You're clever, Jack. You could do amazing things for them while in 2011, decoding things or transferring money in untraceable ways, or whatever manner your tricksy mind could come up with."

"I understand about not knowing how things turn out in every version of a world, I do. I constantly have people watching me, expecting things out of me, and holding things against me that I haven't even done yet, or might not even do. I know how it feels if you're constantly wondering if you're going to live up to what they want out of you, knowing your now is their past, and sometimes I want to scream."

"But you can't live your life worrying about keeping things on track, Jack. Are you going to end up in every major conflict? How many times am I going to get this phone call from you?"

Yes, fine, she was scared. Both in Jack's prospects for coming back alive, and for what sort of precedent this was going to set. "Do you understand why I'm worried?"

Edited Date: 2011-12-16 11:10 pm (UTC)

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"We don't have phones," he reminded her. "Or Internet. I could hunch over a telegraph and a mail drop in 2011 all day, but I'm not so important that people would go out of their way to hunt me down and ask for my words of wisdom. And even if they wanted to, it would take way too bloody long to have a conversation. I have to go there; this isn't some Arab spring where I can fire people up on Twitter."

"And," he added, "for what it's worth, this will likely be the only time. The first world war was vicious and I'll be almost 40. I'd be older yet for the second one, and that one actually was specifically about killing people like me. I don't want to die of dysentery in some camp. My sense of duty isn't so great that I'd parachute in just to fight either of those wars, and I don't plan to become some time-traveling hero. This fight, though ... this is mine."

"But yes," he admitted. "I understand why you're worried."

Edited Date: 2011-12-17 12:36 am (UTC)

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"You don't have phones," Emma admitted, twisting a lock of hair between her fingers. "Which means you're on your own, Jack. Which means that unless you have a telegraph right there, then there's no way I could organize the Fandom cavalry if something goes wrong for you."

No back-up besides his vampire, and Sebastien had limited hours of operation.

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