poly_chromatic | || one ☯ video / action

[Jack is standing in the square, looking up and around at the City and then back down at the Vortex Manipulator on his wrist.] Oh, come on. You had to malfunction now? I mean you've done it before, but...

[Another few brisk taps at the wristband.] Work! If you don't work, a lovely second in command named Bernard is going to be very disappointed when he's stood up. And seriously, of all the places...

[Another sigh as he looks around him again. No way had he wanted to come back to Earth yet. It had been a couple of months but all that guilt he carried still felt as if he'd only acquired it yesterday. He wasn't ready to be here on Earth again. At least it seemed Earth-like...]

Well isn't this nifty? And convenient... [He spots the device and eyes it for a few accessing moments before picking it up. It's rare that Jack shies away from alien technology so he he instantly begins to fiddle with it. The video comes on to a brightly smiling Jack.] Ah, there we go. Captain Jack Harkness here. [And since he knows his smile is impressive, he nods his agreement with what others obviously must be thinking at the sight of it.] I know.

Seems I'm a little bit off course from where I intended to materialize. Malfunctioning Vortex Manipulator. Anyone care to put me up for the night while I work on repairing it? [A glance to his left at the coffee shop and then an arched brow back into the video screen.] I'll be sure to con you a cup of coffee for your trouble.

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[Ianto frowns, studying Jack and his reactions, his own anger pushed to the side. The sudden flash of pain, to the smile that Ianto is so used to quickly replacing it.]

At the risk of inflating that ego anymore, I am glad to see you again as well.

Jack.. is everything alright?

Everything's fine! Great, even. [Except his heart is all twisted in knots at the moment with the sight of you alive and walking around, Ianto. And he still isn't a hundred percent sure about you. But he knows that you seem to know him. And Ianto is acting like Ianto. It's hard not to soften up to him.]

Things are always fine, you know. Even when the world's falling apart... just depends on how you look at it. [He's kind of talking to himself here. Convincing himself that this is okay, that Ianto is okay, and that maybe they would be okay. The thing is, on the inside, he doesn't feel okay.] So you've been in this place... how long?

[He knows better than to push Jack into talking about something he doesn't want to, and if he ever does in time - Ianto would be here. Still. Maybe he could ask Gwen or someone if they knew what this was about because he is still on the confused side.]

Of course. We get by. [this is accentuated with a half shrug.] Ah. Not long. Little more than a month now, maybe.

['We get by.' Such an Ianto thing to say. Jack has to work really, really hard not to let his emotions get the better of him, not to let the lump in his throat be anything more than a lump. He swallows hard, smirks and nods.]

Yeah, we always do.

[The math of course doesn't add up. It's been lots of months since Ianto died, thanks to him. But then he guesses that's the nature of a place like this, if others are to be believed.] Lucky for you there was another me here, from what I understand. So you didn't have to do without. Good to know that some things go right. [Even if he couldn't remember one thing about them. And he's just assuming that Ianto would be glad to have him here in whatever capacity, just because he's cocky enough to do so.]

I was only here about two, three weeks before we were all separated and the City went nuts. When I got back he -- you had been gone for about a week and a half.

But it is good to see you again.

Does it not seem to disturb anyone else that I have no memory of being in this place? It's like I've been retconned and everyone knows something I don't. Gotta say I don't like it, being on the outside.

[Cause honestly, that is what it feels like. Everyone talking about this other him as if it were actually him when it wasn't. Not a good feeling getting the backlash of another him. He'll just pile that on top of the rest of the not so great things he's feeling and pretend they don't exist.

Instead, he grins at Ianto and arches a brow.] You didn't let anyone retcon me, did you Ianto? [The question is half-joke, half-serious. Cause Jack definitely feels retconned.] Kidding. Gwen's staying all alone. Gonna go check on her. Make sure she's okay.

[Gwen was the only one who was alive when he left. It's more comfortable there at the moment.] I'm... sorry I thought you were an alien. And uh... it's good to see you too. [Alive.] You don't know how good.