[AI] One Step Closer

[beetlebutt]

Jaime's return to Defenders tower for the day consisted of him powering down the suit, walking into the loungey area where Paco was hanging out off-duty, and repeatedly kicking the couch about ten times while making abortive angry hand gestures, then diving face first onto it near Paco and screaming into the cushion.

Some days were good - great even.

Some days were okay.

This was a fairly standard bad day, probably a 4.5 on the Jaime's Temper Richter Scale. The only thing particularly notable about it was that he'd really had one too many of these lately. Definitely way more of them after the Merge than before.

Comments

[flunkingspanish]

"Dude, you are always in over your head," Paco pointed out. "You once almost single-handedly took out an alien invasion that could phase their mind control drugs halfway out of reality so they could put it in our water, remember? You are doing ridiculous bull@#%& all the time, of course it feels like you're drowning! But you've got people who've got your back, okay? We're not gonna let you sink."

[beetlebutt]

J/-\|/|\E = N()T /-\L()NE. FR|ENDS = L|FE R/-\FT. N() DR()WNING. Jaime's crying fit stopped abruptly as he chuckled. "So you're all a life raft now, huh?" he asked. YES. KH/-\J| D/-\ + J/-\|/|\E'S FR|ENDS DOUBLE /-\S SUPERHERO FL()T/-\T|()N DEV|CE. "Scarab says that he and you guys all double as a superhero flotation device." WE /-\RE VERY BU()Y/-\NT. "And that you're all very buoyant."

[flunkingspanish]

"And if you can't believe the alien technology that crawled into bed with you in the middle of the night to give your spine a special hug, who can you believe, right?"

Paco clapped Jaime on the back. "We are the best flotation device. Most flotation devices definitely don't offer to bring you snacks."

Beat.

"Also, I think we should all take a moment to appreciate how many boob jokes I'm not making right now, because the temptation is there, my friends. The temptation is there."

[beetlebutt]

EST|/|\/-\TING 43567 P()SS|BLE B()()B J()KES. Jaime chuckled again. "That many boob jokes don't even exist." Between the two of them joking around, he was feeling a lot better. He wiped at his face. "Thanks, guys. I keep...getting all overwhelmed. But it helps being reminded I'm not doing it all on my own." A pause. "Also the jokes help. Mostly the jokes."

[flunkingspanish]

"There are totally that many boob jokes."

Paco didn't know what number Khaji had pulled out of his buggy little butt, but he was sure that the number of boob jokes in two realities slammed together could absolutely exist.

"Don't worry about it man, that's what we're here for. Also to be taken hostage by hot chicks and/or robots, and to help you save the world." Paco smiled. "Try not to look at the whole picture, all right? Just deal with what's in front of you. I know you're a big picture kind of guy, but you can't worry about the big stuff until you get on top of the small stuff, yeah? Even if the small stuff is people you really shouldn't have to waste your energy on rescuing because wow, who the hell does that?"

[beetlebutt]

"Okay. Okay. One thing at a time. So. How about snacks? Brenda's due to be off monitor duty soon. When she's done maybe we can watch a movie while I do my superhero homework." One thing at a time, right? Just dealing with what was on front of him. He'd worry about the paparazzi thing when and if it became a bigger problem. "That's a good plan, right?" WE SH()ULD W/-\TCH M/-\N()S H/-\NDS ()F F/-\TE. "Scarab thinks we should watch Manos Hands of Fate since we haven't seen it in a while." "J/-\|/|\E, |'M SC/-\RED." L()L. That was always what made the scarab most amused, the woman in the movie constantly saying 'Mike, I'm scared.'