locked to manufactured

[scythegun]

[When Wesker didn't contact him a day ago he was worried, but worry has quickly turned to fear and Jaeger's never been good at dealing with fear. Repeated attempts to reach Wesker have failed, so Jaeger's taken it on himself to go looking for his boyfriend.

Thankfully Wesker cuts a distinctive figure and Jaeger's able to trace his location to the outskirts of the city. He's worried that he's going to find that something's happened to Wesker, that he'll be injured or dying, or maybe even already dead—

But that isn't the case, and when he finds Wesker the man looks perfectly fine.]

Albert!

[He'll approach immediately; the worry and concern is probably obvious just from that exclamation alone, but once he gets close he speaks up again.]

Are you okay? What are you doing out here?

[If Wesker will let him get close enough, he'll reach out to touch Wesker's arm, as he usually does.]

Comments

[scythegun]

[...]

I've thought the same thing before, honestly. I don't know if I could actually go through with it, but after everything they've done...

[Does thinking that mean he's crazy too?]

I'm glad you're not giving up. We don't know for sure that your memories won't return, after all. It's possible it just takes time.

[Longer than it took when he went to Bosuma, apparently.]

[manufactured]

[That's...]

...If you really want to be involved in something like that, I won't reject the help. But I need to know that you'll follow through.

[scythegun]

I don't know that I would.

[The answer is immediate. It's one thing to talk about it, but actually planning it out? He knows himself too well; he's more likely to cut and run than actually take part in anything like that.]

I can't stand what Retrospec has done to us and I'm furious at them for how they've treated us, but I can't say for sure that I'd be able to go through with something like that.

[manufactured]

The only way to have any sort of control in the face of corporations like these is to take it by force - they're certainly not going to relinquish it willingly.

If you're that furious, then that anger is worth acting on.

[scythegun]

...It's not something I'd want to act on right now, anyway.

[This sounds like the sort of thing he should absolutely not be involved in, but the idea is appealing. After everything Retrospec has done to them, it really does deserve to be taken down and dismantled entirely.]

[manufactured]

And why not?

[scythegun]

It isn't something I feel comfortable with right now. Maybe eventually I'd be willing to do it, but right now I'm not.

[manufactured]

That's fine, then.

[He is going to get himself killed.]

[scythegun]

...It isn't something you're seriously planning on doing now, is it?

[manufactured]

I'm not going to attempt without a plan; I'm a patient person.

But I am entirely serious about it.

[scythegun]

[...He really hopes Wesker gets his memories back soon...]

I thought so. Just... be careful, please.

[He doesn't think he can talk Wesker out of it right now. Maybe the idea will fall through, or maybe he'll remember and stop all of this. That's what Jaeger's hoping for, anyway. He doesn't think Retrospec would be able to kill Wesker, but who knows how that would actually go...]

[manufactured]

[...He tends to receive a lot of different reactions to his plans. Some are accepting or encouraging; some are dissenting. Some are an odd mixture of both.

He's only had one other person express concern for his well-being like that before, and he very suddenly seems to realize that he doesn't know what to do with that.]

...I'll be fine, I'm sure.

[scythegun]

I know you can live through almost anything, but...

[He trails off there, then shakes his head.]

I would hate to see something happen to you.

[manufactured]

...I handled Umbrella. I can handle this.

[What are you doing...?]

[scythegun]

[...]

Just... Please be careful.

[Don't die on me, he wants to say. Don't leave me.]

[manufactured]

[...]

Don't worry, I'll take care of your boyfriend for you. It's his memories you care about.

[That's what this is, isn't it?]

[scythegun]

I don't want to see anything happen to you either.

[It's absolutely true that he cares more about his boyfriend's memories, but seeing anything happen to this Wesker would break him too.]

[manufactured]

Yes, I'm sure.

[That's...agitated, almost annoyed in tone; it's clear that he doesn't believe it.]

[scythegun]

[He understands why Wesker doesn't believe him. He's honestly not sure there's any way to get Wesker to believe him either. He might just have to let this go.]

...I know you probably won't believe me, but I mean it. I would hate to see anything happen to you. It's not just because of my boyfriend's memories; I was very upset after leaving you, after all.

I'm not very good at explaining it, but the idea bothers me a lot.

[...He's not very good at letting things go.]

[manufactured]

If I die, he dies with me. I understand.

[He knows that Jaeger said that wasn't it, but he doesn't understand what else it might be; everyone who expresses concern for him in some way wants something, and he doesn't know what Jaeger could want from him that isn't this.

So he sounds agitated, yes, but it's from a place of genuine lack of understanding as well as annoyance; he makes himself stop for a moment. Breathe.]

[scythegun]

That's not...

[How does he explain this? He's not even fully sure he understands it himself, how is he supposed to explain it to Wesker?]

Well, that's part of it, yes. But even if you were a completely different person, I still wouldn't want to see anything happen to you. Even if you never regain his memories, I wouldn't want you to be hurt. You're the same person in some ways and that does make things complicated, but I don't want to see any harm come to you. And yes, I know that it's not likely that they'll be able to do anything to you that you can't recover from, but I'm nervous anyway.

[His voice is remaining calm at least, though he's pulling at the edge of his gloves anxiously as he speaks. He can't quite physically settle because he can't find a way to describe this in any sort of satisfying way.]

[manufactured]

[His gaze darts a bit at that; it's obvious that he's processing, that he's trying to think of something at least halfway comparable to this so that he can settle a bit, and when he mind finally settles on something he's not sure what to think of it. It's something he hasn't thought about in years, but...]

...I won't die.

[It's blunted, and it's likewise agitated, but this time it's clearly more frustration with trying to express this at all.]

I'm not going to die, you won't just...lose me, it's going to be fine.

[scythegun]

[Jaeger's breath catches and it takes him a moment longer than he'd really like for him to steady his breathing again.]

...Thank you. I... It's appreciated.

[Which is possibly the biggest understatement, but words are sort of difficult right now.]

[manufactured]

[Is that really all...? He just wanted him to- ]

Of course, Jaeger. I won't do anything that's willingly walking to my death; you aren't going to just lose me like that.

[scythegun]

No, I... I know. I can't imagine you doing something like that, it's just...

[...]

I don't want to lose you.

[He's gone very quiet with those words.]