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

[manufactured]

Does it seem to...?

["Upset" is kind of a weird word to attach to it; is it accurate? He isn't sure.]

[scythegun]

Well... To be honest, I can't really tell.

[He doesn't like admitting that. He'd be able to tell with his boyfriend, but...]

It seems like most things don't bother you at all, but I don't really know if that's the case.

[manufactured]

Most things don't.

[It's mildly arrogant maybe, but that doesn't make It any less true.]

There are some things I don't care for, but usually it's at least acceptable.

[And then there was last night.]

[scythegun]

[He wants to ask about last night. He really does. But he probably shouldn't...]

And when it's not acceptable...?

[manufactured]

[...]

I don't know what you want me to say, Jaeger.

[scythegun]

...I'm not looking for a specific answer or anything of the sort. I'm just curious.

[manufactured]

Some things are harder to handle than others, that's all.

[scythegun]

That's understandable.

[He's not really sure how to follow that up, so he goes quiet instead.]

[manufactured]

It tends to be obvious when I'm displeased with something, at any rate.

[Just saying.]

[scythegun]

Like last night.

[...]

Are you okay after what happened there?

[Wesker seems to be, but... well, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?]

[manufactured]

I am, yes. It isn't as though you did anything wrong in the first place.

[Which is true enough, really.]

[scythegun]

Really?

[The word's out of his mouth before he can think to stop it.]

I mean... That's good to hear. I just... I wasn't sure...

[manufactured]

[...Jaeger...]

I asked you a question and you answered it. That's all.

[scythegun]

Well, yes, but... you were upset over something, so I assumed it was what I had to say.

[manufactured]

It's nothing important.

[The assertion is agitated; he's been cold but forthcoming about several difficult topics, but this is...different, for some reason.]

[scythegun]

[That's strange. Wesker's been surprisingly honest with him about everything, so he was sort of expecting an answer to why Wesker was acting like that...]

...Are you sure? I don't want you to be upset like that again.

[manufactured]

I wasn't upset.

[That's likewise agitated; he knows he should lie, that there's no point in being honest about these things, but...

But he's been honest so far, and nothing terrible has come.of it. Even if he's finding himself becoming almost annoyingly attached to this entire stupid scenario- ]

...I hate thinking about the life I lead here. Because I'm entirely too weak to fully grasp my life's work without being horrified and disgusted with it, of course - that troubled me more than I care to try to describe.

But mostly I hate how I've had so many opportunities that were never open to me before - I have a normal life now, I have people that are important to me, people who...love me and I can afford to them, and while I've never wanted any of those things for myself, I also never got a choice in whether I was allowed to have them at all in the first place.

It's experiencing the life I might have had if Umbrella hasn't stolen it from me. Only it isn't mine. None of these sentiments and experiences are for me - they only exist for the sake of someone I don't even remember. And it's blatantly childish but I hate him, because he gets to have all of this while I took all the suffering you're so partial to pointing out. He complains about and fears my pain, while getting to have everything I had taken from me.

[scythegun]

[On the one hand, at least Wesker's being honest with him.

On the other hand, oh.

It makes sense that Wesker would be upset with all of this, with the life his other self has gotten to lead here. It hasn't been completely free of worry, but things have overall been much better for him. He's gotten to have a normal job, a normal life, with friends and loved ones who would do just about anything for him, and none of it has involved Umbrella or viruses or the repeated risk of being stabbed in the back.

It isn't fair that he gets to have all this while this Wesker never had a chance at happiness like this. It isn't fair that he had to suffer so much, and for what? He went crazy (crazier?) because of it, and at the end of it all he died alone. Of course he's angry, of course he's hurt.

Jaeger's hand is on the blastia again and he forces himself to look back up at Wesker.]

I'm so sorry. I should have realized... Of course you'd be upset with all of this, of course you'd be angry. I... I can't even begin to imagine what it's like.

[He hesitates, unsure of what to say. There isn't anything that can make this any easier.]

Is there... anything I can do to help? Would it be easier for you if I'm not around?

[manufactured]

[For what it's worth, he doesn't seem to know what to do with any of that now that it's out there, either; he doesn't like it, he hates feeling exposed like this, and Jaeger's words aren't particularly helping.]

It hardly matters. Do what you will.

[scythegun]

It does matter. I don't want to make this any harder on you than it already is.

[He doesn't want to leave, but his presence here might just be making things worse. He's already hurt Wesker unintentionally, and even if it wasn't really his fault, he does feel some guilt for that.]

[manufactured]

Then stay. Leaving won't accomplish anything, and your presence doesn't trouble me.

[He doesn't seem any calmer, though; he's incredibly tense, and doesn't seem like he'll be relaxing properly anytime soon.]

[scythegun]

[Wesker's still very tense, but he's probably not lying, right? Jaeger wants to believe he's not, anyway.]

...As long as you're sure. I... I would like to stay here.

[manufactured]

I'm not turning you away.

[He shifts a bit, though, like he's considering getting up.]

As I've said, I'm acutely aware that none of this is for me. You don't have to continue lying for my sake. But if you want to stay, I'm not going to force you to do otherwise.

[scythegun]

[That earns a small frustrated sigh.]

I'm not lying. It's difficult to explain and I know I'm not managing it very well, but I do like you.

[Wesker's never going to believe him, is he?]

[manufactured]

Stop it.

[It's sharp, harsh in a way that he usually isn't; there's genuine anger beneath the coldness.]

I don't want this from you. It isn't real, and even if it is in some capacity it's something else that I'm going to have taken from me as soon as I have all of my memories back. Don't do this.