(no subject)

[just_cant_lose]

 
Jim's perched in an armchair by the Window this evening, but he's not watching things explode. Well, sort of. He's got the laptop Sherlock bought him, and one of the movies on it is Terminator 2. Stuff is definitely blowing up on screen! He is alternating between shoving popcorn into his mouth, bouncing up and down on his heels and shouting stuff at the characters. Who are all stupid, but it's hilarious so why not?

(His door came back. He's happy. But he wants to watch the end of the movie before going home, and also sort out what to do when he gets back there, and also also needs his passport fixed, and also also also wants one of the things Sherlock has that lets him talk to his older self. This place is brilliant. He can't understand why he thought it was weird when he came in.)

But for now, ooooh, motorbike chase! Boooooom. Shit blowing up. Awesome!

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

From over the top of the armchair comes a voice --

"I have brought my camera."

At least X is not perching there? Just leaning over the chair back, gaze seemingly fixed on Jim's laptop screen.

[just_cant_lose]

'Jesus, Mary an- -'

For God's sake, X! Don't do that. He's spilled his popcorn and everything.

'What?'

He was fine with having a heart attack this afternoon, totally fine, everything's fine.

[cutting_edgex23]

"For your passport."

She watching him, solemn and unblinking.

Then she hands him a fresh bag of popcorn.

"I told you I would make one. For you."

[just_cant_lose]

He takes the popcorn. It better be the sugar kind, X. He doesn't like toffee, or butter. He expects you to know these things.

'Yeah, you did.'

Ooooh, a giant flaming tyre emerging from an exploded truck. Because that's not a cliche or anything. Jim eyes it, then her.

'Didn't think that meant you'd actually do it.'

[cutting_edgex23]

As if she could not smell the kind he was eating from across the room.

Please.

"I do not lie."

Her response is matter-of-fact.

"Unless I am working."

What?

[just_cant_lose]

'You could be working now. You were working then. You said you're in charge of Security.'

Which reminds him.

'I'm going home in a bit. You said you'd give me my knife back.'

[cutting_edgex23]

X does not roll her eyes.

"It is not that kind of working."

Beat.

"I will. Before you go out the door."

[just_cant_lose]

'I should probably ask you what you do then.'

And he might, in a bit. There are more pressing concerns, as far as he's concerned. He pauses the movie, wipes his hand on his jeans and stands up.

'Okay. Take my picture. There has to be a blank background.'

He'll just be here fixing his hair.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I brought a weighted sheet. Too."

And thumbtacks. Shockingly.

"Here."

She'll get the small area set up while he primps.

And then --

"You can ask. If you want."

[just_cant_lose]

He can primp for a long time, X. Help yourself to popcorn while you wait.

'It feels like I already did.'

But this is the way the game is played apparently, so he tugs at one of his short sideburns with a look of concentration, and then adds, 'what do you do?'

[cutting_edgex23]

"I protect people. Now. As an X-man. And I am a weapon."

A pause, and she studies Jim a little more closely.

"I was an assassin. Before."

[just_cant_lose]

Again with the studying. He gives her a Look in return.

'What's an X-man?'

Assassin he understands, and is unbothered by.

(At some point he's going to regret never having been into comic books. It would save explanations like this.)

[cutting_edgex23]

"We are mutants. That defend other mutants. From people who want to kill us."

A pause.

"We defend humans, too. When they are threatened. And sometimes there are alien invasions."

[crabbycustomer]

Oh look, it's this guy. Karkat would rather deal with sassy teen versions of everyone, frankly. Although--

"OKAY, SO ARE YOU A TIME-DISPLACED VERSION OF THE GUY, OR A DE-AGED VERSION OF THE GUY, OR IS IT JUST A WACKY FACE COINCIDENCE?"

The interlocutor looks about Jim's age, as far as Jim can read aliens, and, uh, an alien. With an aggressively monochrome style, but red Cancer signs stitched on the sleeves of his corduroy jacket. And a scowl that looks not only long-term but positively tattooed in place.

[just_cant_lose]

Jim drags his eyes away from the total idiot that is John Connor, and-

- - what the actual hell is he looking at?

He takes a breath, frowns, and then the question kicks in and he grins.

'Oh, no, I'm him. I suppose 'time-displaced' is the best explanation. He's off somewhere else, and I'm here.'

He puts popcorn in his mouth, looking this other kid up and down. Jim's fifteen but looks younger, if you discount the way his eyes are exactly as old as his older self's. And sharper, probably. He's not as good at hiding himself.

'Who're you then?'

[crabbycustomer]

In that--if nothing else--perhaps Jim can see something familiar; there's neither youth nor innocence behind Karkat's bagged yellow eyes.

"KARKAT VANTAS. AND WE JUST CREATED A PARADOX, SO HERE'S HOPING EVERYBODY'S THEORY OF MILLIWAYS BEING LIBERAL ABOUT THOSE IS ACCURATE." He shrugs it off; it's not his doomed timeline.

[just_cant_lose]

The frown deepens to a scowl, just for a second.

'What do you mean? What paradox?'

[crabbycustomer]

"I'VE MET THE OLD VERSION, AND HE DIDN'T KNOW MY NAME."

A moment's thought.

"...UNLESS YOU WERE JUST BEING A REALLY GOOD LIAR, WHICH I ALREADY KNOW YOU ARE. SO ONCE AGAIN WE ENCOUNTER ANOTHER MYSTERY NO ONE THOUGHT WAS A MYSTERY AND DIDN'T EVEN REALLY NEED SOLVING THAT NONETHELESS GETS SOLVED WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE."

[just_cant_lose]

Hmm. But this seems simple to him.

'It's not a paradox.'

His eyes go back to the screen for a second, then flit to the Window. Then he sighs, and pauses the movie, bouncing on his heels a bit.

'How would he know your name? I only just learned it. He met you first, and now he probably has a different memory of the first time he met you, but they're still two separate events.'

A pause. That makes sense to him, but he doesn't know if he's explained it right.

'I know his memories are being changed by my being here. I spoke to him, sort of.'

[crabbycustomer]

"OKAY, WELL, IN MY EXPERIENCE THAT'S NOT HOW TIME TRAVEL CONVENTIONALLY WORKS, BUT IT *IS* IN LINE WITH A MUCH MORE MYSTERIOUS AND BULLSHIT PHENOMENON KNOWN AS THE 'RETCON.'"

"SO *THAT*'S AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE PIECE OF MYTHOLOGY ABOUT HOW MILLIWAYS TIME SHENANIGANS WORK THAT JUST GOT CONFIRMED AS BEING 'FOR REAL.' GOOD TO KNOW. MAYBE THAT TAINTCHAFING WINDY ASSHOLE REALLY *IS* RESPONSIBLE."

It wouldn't be the first time a sarcastic joke turned out to be infuriatingly correct.

[just_cant_lose]

Jim blinks at him.

'What are you talking about?'

Like, seriously. What?

[crabbycustomer]

"IS THIS IS A SERIOUS QUESTION INVITING ME TO RELIEVE YOU OF THE STAGGERING BURDEN OF IGNORANCE VIS-A-VIS TIME SHENANIGANS, OR A SMARTASS REMARK EXPRESSING DISDAIN AND A LACK OF INTEREST IN THE THE SAME OH WHOOPS WHO GIVES A SHIT."

"CONVENTIONAL TIME TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE AN UNCHECKED CIRCUMSTANTIAL PARADOX IS LIKE A TOURNIQUET ON REALITY, ONE OF THE TWO INCOMPATIBLE TIMELINES DOES NOT RECEIVE THE EXISTENTIAL NOURISHMENT IT NEEDS FOR SURVIVAL AND EVERYONE INSIDE IS DOOMED. OF COURSE ALL OF THE SAME PEOPLE ARE IN THE OTHER TIMELINE AND NOT DOOMED SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'LL MISS THEM, UNLESS YOU ARE THE SCHMUCK IN THE WRONG TIMELINE."

"THE NORMAL WAY TO PREVENT THIS IS THROUGH ENGINEERING CLOSED LOOPS, WHICH ARE LOGISTICALLY COHERENT BUT KIND OF DEPRESSING FROM AN AGENCY STANDPOINT. OR YOU CAN ADOPT A GUESS-AND-CHECK METHODOLOGY WHERE YOU LET THINGS GO WRONG AND THEN GO BACK TO FIX THEM, IF YOU DON'T MIND THE BODY COUNT."

[just_cant_lose]

It's okay, it was a serious question. Jim stops frowning and actually looks interested.

'But who says they have to be incompatible? I'm not planning on doing anything different because I've come here. And even if things I do change stuff, who's even going to know? If I kill him and everything around him, it'll just be like he never existed at all.'

Jim doesn't care about killing actual people who's deaths have actual emotional consequence for others, he's not going to care about winking hypothetical future people - even himself - out of existence.

[crabbycustomer]

"RIGHT, EXACTLY! YOU WOULD EITHER BE LOCKED INTO REPRODUCING ALL OF HIS EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING BEING INTRODUCED TO ME AGAIN FOR THE SUPPOSED FIRST TIME, OR HAVE TO MAKE AN EXECUTIVE DECISION TO MURDER HIM AND HIS TIMELINE. AND THOSE TWO POSSIBILITIES ENCOMPASS TIME TRAVEL AS I HAVE TRADITIONALLY EXPERIENCED IT."

"BUT THERE IS A THIRD KIND OF THING THAT I HAVE ONLY HEARD OF ONE GUY BEING ABLE TO DO, AND HE BUMBLED INTO IT COMPLETELY THROUGH OPPORTUNISTIC STUPIDITY. HE CALLED IT A 'RETCON,' AND IT WORKED ABOUT LIKE YOU ARE DESCRIBING--CHANGES TO THE PAST THAT RIPPLE FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE, WHICH THE SUFFICIENTLY DETERMINED CAN RETAIN AS DISCORDANT MEMORIES. AND IF THERE IS ONE TWO WORD PHRASE TO DESCRIBE YOUR FUTURE SELF, IT IS 'SUFFICIENTLY DETERMINED.'"

"I'VE HEARD RUMORS THAT MILLIWAYS OPERATED THIS WAY, BUT AS YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY FIGURED OUT, MOST PEOPLE ARE TAINTCHAFING MORONS, SO THIS IS THE FIRST ACTUAL RELIABLE CONFIRMATION I'VE GOTTEN." He should tell Dave.

[just_cant_lose]

Huh.

And also - ha. 'Sufficiently determined'. Sounds about right.

'I suppose you won't know until you see him again, and see if he remembers both events. I didn't think to ask him. If he only has this memory of meeting you, you'll know which it is.'

It's a little disquieting though. He didn't ask to come here, and he didn't mean to ruin any version of himself's life.

'I don't mind reproducing his experiences, probably. Because they'd still be new to me, and I'd still make the choice to have them. All I've got to do is act how I think I should anyway, and it should be the same as what he did fifteen years ago, or whatever it is.'

He hasn't figured out the actual age of his counterpart, but knows it's somewhere around thirty.