☞ like nobody's won and we're safe at the end.

[stomped]

who jack + isaac
what now with 70% more fourth-walling
rating pg-13
warnings video game trauma.

[ It's a new thing every day, Isaac finds as he walks past the television. Gaming systems have come along way (at least what he's seen), but ultimately, it's all the same. He glances around the apartment briefly, a slight prickle of paranoia riding the rise of his spine. These definitely weren't there before, but then again--the television didn't plug in, the goddamn house ran off of embarrassment, and well. Just well. Leaning down, Isaac grabs the controller and sees the pair of cases that are laid out next to it on the low coffee table.

Haha. No.

You can't be. This is not serious. This isn't even real life right now.

Isaac picks up the top one and hums, popping in the disk. Oh hey. There's the remote (where the fuck were you when we needed you the most, asshole?) Slumping down on the couch with the controller in both hands, he passes through the introduction without much of a qualm aside from the fact that he ends up tilting his head a bit. Oh hey, Jack--Great things. Definitely great things. Except then the plane's going down and Isaac is cocked forward in his seat, clearly concerned that they just went down in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The game is pretty interesting (not every day you get to play as someone you know).

"Now, would you kindly find a crowbar or something?" the game says.

There are those words. ]

( BIOSHOCK | DEAD SPACE | THAT NIGHT )

Comments

[unkindly]

[Jack hears the television starting up and doesn't give a second thought to it... until he hears what sounds astonishingly like his own voice.

And then the voice of Andrew Ryan. There's no way he could forget that voice.

Disturbed and more than a little curious, he makes his way to the living room to see Isaac on the couch and an incredibly familiar scene on the screen, albeit pixellated.

He stands frozen in place, staring at the screen.

How...?

And then Atlas speaks.

"Would you kindly..."

His hand clench into fists and he takes a sharp breath. He's not talking to you he's not talking to you but he's not forced to go find a crowbar or... the wrench he's so familiar with even. He's fine. Apparently there's enough difference between himself as a person and himself as... a video game character? That it doesn't affect him.

Breathe deep, Jack. It's okay.

He moves around and sits down on the couch next to Isaac, a little stiffly.]

What... [He has to swallow and clear his throat a bit, it's gone a little dry.] ...what are you doing?

[stomped]

[ He hadn't expected Jack to show up at such an appropriate (or inappropriate) time. All the same, he nods to the screen. ]

I found it just sitting there and decided to have a look. Didn't think it'd be... well... this.

[ Isaac's gone and found himself a weapon anyways and is now beating some lost soul in the face with it...

Interesting blood effects, he surmises. A bit grotesque. He loots the body (simple really, obvious no doubt), and continues on. ]

Is this... this is how it was, right? It's you.

[ Because he knows. He can tell, especially that voice, those tattoos. ]

[unkindly]

[It's incredibly strange to see his life depicted this way, from this perspective, almost like he's living it again but... not. He sits back in the couch and scratches his head.]

Yeah. That's... pretty much exactly it.

[He'll find the first plasmid any minute now.]

[stomped]

[ It doesn't take too long for that to happen, and afterwards Isaac has a very concerned look on his face. ]

Shit--

[ Because video game Jack is falling off the railing and blacking out in between flashes of various characters that move on by and Isaac is absolutely sure that he's done something wrong because holy hell, he should be dead by now? These people look like bad news.

But not a single one touches him, only crouches, peers, observes, scuttles away.

"Nothing like a fistful of lightening--" ]

Huh... he's got that right.

[unkindly]

Yeah.

[God the first plasmid hurt. They all did, really, but the first one was killer. Still, he wouldn't have gotten very far without it.

He's torn between a mesmerized kind of silence and the desire to talk about what's going on, to tell Isaac just why he's frowning every time Atlas says something, or Ryan interrupts, or whatever.

So he sits in silence, watching as Isaac plays his life. It's a very strange feeling.]

[stomped]

[ It's an awkward thing--to play as someone who's sitting next to you. Going through their life in a way conveyed with health bars and a kept inventory. Real, but very much not.

The game takes an odd turn when Isaac is introduced to the odd combination of Big Daddies and Little Sisters. She's a strange-looking little girl who is corned rather abruptly by a Splicer. With nothing to really do save listen, Isaac watches, but soon enough he is reeling back a bit. Atlas calls it a "Big Daddy" which sort of had a feeling about. The thing goes on a rampage, killing the Splicer and stalking off with heavy steps, the girl behind him skipping along at ease.

He lets out a long breath.

Is it over?

It's over... okay. Moving on... Big Daddies. Little Sisters. Don't mess with them. Got it. ]

[unkindly]

So... those are Big Daddies...

[He says it casually. At the beginning, he had been frightened of them. But he quickly got used to them, got used to killing them. Later, he felt sorry for them. Seeing them again, along with the Little Sisters... well. He's not entirely sure how he feels about it.

He sits up, shoulder to shoulder with Isaac, watching him play. He's starting to get used to this, and he'll start to give out occasional tips. Check all the drawers, eat all the food, that sort of thing.]

[stomped]

[ Check all the drawers. Eat all the food. Good tips to be honest. Isaac is used to survival, this is no different--just underwater. The opposite direction from the stars. He's doing a fairly good job.

Isaac isn't startled by most things, but there are a few scares here and there. Things he doesn't expect. ]

These Vita Chamber things are helpful.

[ It's a solid remark. Because he's only got one chance. This gives you... a lot...

He comes across Steinman a few times, in the Lobby, chasing the goddamn fool around, finally... in the surgery.

"What's this, goddess? An intruder! He's ugly! Ugly, ugly, UGLY!"

Isaac laughs, like a gunshot, loud and clear. Jack's not ugly :| he is a fairly attractive man............... ok. Boss battle. That's right. Focus. ]

[unkindly]

Yeah. A little... hard to get used to, but helpful.

[You have no idea how weird it is to die and then come back.

Over.

And over.

And then Isaac's up to Steinman, and he laughs, and Jack turns his head to look at him.]

...what's so funny?

[Also.]

Try electrocuting the water. And hack the health machine otherwise he'll use it to heal.

[stomped]

'Cause you're not ugly.

[ Isaac nods a bit at the advice, though, and it's clear that he takes it.

Hacking machines is probably one of the many familiar things in this game to him. ]

[unkindly]

[Jack raises his eyebrows, a little confounded by the compliment.]

...thanks.

[Isaac's doing a good job, though. It's weird that he has to think that way, that Isaac is the one doing it, not him.]

Good work, by the way.

[stomped]

Huh? Thanks.

[ Isaac settles in for a while now, legs drawn up on the couch and focusing on the game, taking Jack's hints here and there, exploring, listening to small audiographs and such.

And then he is put up to a choice.

Atlas murmurs in his ear from the right. Tenenbaum from the left.

Harvest them. Save them.

They're small girls and yeah they give Isaac the heebies, but hey. The choice is pretty obvious isn't it? Still. He pauses. Kind of waits for Jack's reaction... just to see out of curiosity. ]

[unkindly]

[Jack has gone very still, very quiet. Slowly, he looks over at Isaac, watching him. Isaac may be watching for his reaction, but Jack's reaction is to watch for Isaac's reaction.

Yes, to Jack, the choice is fairly obvious. And it would make him very upset if Isaac chose differently.]

[stomped]

[ Isaac's just going to lean in a bit theatrically. ]

So, uh.

[ A pause. ]

Is there... a right answer to this?

[unkindly]

[For a moment, Jack is very concerned. Then he just... slowly brings his arm up behind Isaac and smacks him upside the head.]

Don't be a dick.

[stomped]

[ FUCK--HEY!!!

He was just--

Okay no. That was pretty dickish. So he'll ease back down a bit. So he's feeling a little playful. Probably because there's oftentimes no other time for this. So there.

He saves the little sister.

And she's kind of still creepy looking.

Tiny children are creepy.

Isaac purses his lips. But hey, there's ADAM, so that's a good thing. Shut up, Atlas, he did a good thing. ]

[unkindly]

[It was, but Jack's smiling now because okay this... isn't so bad. It's weird but it's... kind of fun?

And yeah. Shut up Atlas.

Shut the fuck up.

Anyway. Moving on to Arcadia, huh?]

...oh you'll like the Houdinis.

[stomped]

[ Isaac moves through Arcadia with caution. It's almost a nice change, but a somewhat deadly one too. He doesn't like the amount of cover there is surrounding him. Still, he makes it through the level alright, and through another until he hits up Fort Frolic and is sent on some extravagant mission to make a handful of corpses and take pictures.

This doesn't sit well with him, but would it really with anyone?

Still, there's something to be gleaned out of all of it--ammo, cash, a pretty nice new weapon, the crossbow. It's worth it... for the most part.

Until, you know, Sander Cohen sends out the goddamn Splicers and Isaac curses under his breath. ]

What in the ever-loving fuck--

[unkindly]

Yeah, he... was really crazy.

[Like really fucking crazy. But Jack put up with it, and it's kind of fun to see Isaac have to put up with it now.]

You got it.

[He's being encouraging!]

[stomped]

[ Sure. That's encouraging enough. As Sander Cohen reveals himself, obviously sated enough that Isaac no longer has to fend off the strange Splicers dancing to Waltz of the Flowers, he notes that...

There is a very small element of choice here. On the one hand, Sander Cohen is available to attack (as are most things in this game)... on the other, as he walks himself over to the glass case that has opened up... Cohen isn't doing a thing. ]

Should I be doing something here?

[ Like killing him? ]

[unkindly]

[Jack shrugs.]

I guess it's up to you. I just left at this point, I figured he was happy enough with his "art," but I guess you can kill him if you want.

I really don't care.

[He considers this.]

Might be interesting to see what happens though. And I was curious about what was in the box.

[stomped]

Then I'll do it--

[ BAM consider him dead. You know, after he houdinis like a fucker around the room and throws fireballs and shit--

But.

Look at that. The guy's dead. Annnnnd we've got a key to that box you were curious about... some money and a few other little things. ]

Huh... could have been better, I think.

[unkindly]

[Yeah, for his special chest or whatever it really wasn't that interesting.]

Huh. Good to know, I guess.

[stomped]

[ So Isaac is moving on. The next levels are interesting, various puzzle-esque floors, new plasmids... things unravel regarding Rapture--and at some points become more convoluted and difficult to understand. There is a room here, one with pictures of various people--familiar people he's heard from, listened to...

If the audiograph from Suchong wasn't enough (Break that sweet puppy's neck, would you kindly? / No--no no no), Jack within the confines of the game comes face to face with Andrew Ryan and Isaac is a bit startled as he listens because there it is. Those words.

Sit--would you kindly?

Stand--would you kindly?

Run--stop--

And all he wants to do is tell him to stop, or better, shoot him in the face. But still, all of this is enlightening, brings light to everything that would have otherwise left Jack still fumbling in the dark. For a while during this moment, watching as Jack moves without his direction, Isaac listens. Over and over. Would you kindly--would you kindly--would you kindly?

"A man chooses. A slave obeys--obey!"

And Isaac is left with that. Frowning deeply, weathery eyes searching the screen for something beyond this. Those words. Goddamn those fucking words.




We're putting the controller down. We're done for now. ]

[unkindly]

[...it's even harder the second time.

Because this time he knows it's coming.

He's leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, face in his hands as he watches through his fingers.

That room.

That room which was a mystery when he entered it but... he knows what it means now. And those diaries.

He flinches when his young self breaks the dog's neck, and when Isaac brings them into Ryan's office he starts to breathe unevenly, struggling not to hyperventilate as Ryan says it over and over and over and over and Jack twitches, flinching, and he buries his face in his hands, as if it will block it out.

It doesn't.

But then it's over. But he still won't look up.]