[audio]

[the_prodigal_son]

One of the security guards is a dickhead and I hate him.

[And that... seems to be all he has to say on the matter. Though this will be the first time anyone has heard such earnest hostility from the local oversized puppy.]

Comments

[the_prodigal_son]

[!!!!]

Don't go near him. Don't talk to him. No.

[....Did that sound out of place? Maybe. But as far as he's concerned he's not afraid of anything, and anything he is afraid of should be avoided at all costs. He takes a deep breath and relaxes a bit.]

...Can you come hug me instead?

[tofudog]

[His scowl fades. He'd been too caught up in being mad, he forgot what Jack would actually need after that. He's still going to have a talk with this guy if he can find him, but Jack doesn't need to know about it.]

Yeah, dude. I'll be right there.

[Jack can get hugs from all the coolest animals he can think of, too, if it helps.]

[-->Action]

[the_prodigal_son]

[Beast Boy gets a grateful smile, and then gets to open Jack's door on his own for once because aside from unlocking/unbarricading it Jack just wants to lay on his bed and hug his wrench like a teddy bear.

And as soon as BB's in range Jack will just grab him and tug him on the bed to hug him. He looks like he might cry.]

[tofudog]

[As ever, Jack's strength catches Beast Boy off guard. He manages not to squeak this time when Jack grabs him, at least. He returns the hug. Beast Boy doesn't think of himself as a comforting person, but he can do this much.

Is it enough? Beast Boy doesn't have any experience helping others feel better in person. With his adoptive family, he was always the kid of the group, much more vulnerable than any of the others. He wants to step up for his new family the same way that one had stepped up for him, and that means going the extra mile for Jack.]

Hey, check this out.

[If his overexposure to media has taught him anything, it's that all boys like dogs. Beast Boy's body shifts into man's best friend, right there in front of Jack. He pokes his friend with his nose, and moves to nuzzle up to him. He did good, right?]

[the_prodigal_son]

[Jack loves Beast Boy's transformations, and if it had been anything else it would've worked out great. But this is a dog. And it gets him shoved across the room while Jack makes a very high-pitched squeak and scrambles back to hit his head against the wall.

Well, that worked out well.

Jack looks back after a moment to make sure BB is okay, but the possibility alone of having hurt him already made this ten times worse because Adachi was teasing him about that, about hurting someone close to him because of his panicking. So he's started rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to not cry, but it doesn't really work... and he's a little too upset to speak and explain.]

[tofudog]

[Beast Boy yelps in surprise and pain. He hits the floor and skids, flipping back into human form, practically upside down. Does rug burn on his back count as hurting someone close to Jack?]

Dude!

[That came out sounding a little mad, but it's just because getting thrown across the room was the last thing he expected to happen. He rights himself quickly when he sees Jack. What did he do??]

Uh, Jack? Haha, you got me!

[Crap crap crap, he is so not equipped to handle very sad people.]

[the_prodigal_son]

[Oh no! He's mad. Beast Boy is mad at him, he fucked up. Jack shakes his head and curls up against the wall with his hands clutching his head, and his shaky breaths quickly turn into sobs. He's a horrible person, this is his fault...

Break that sweet puppy's neck for me... would you kindly.

Jack is pretty quiet while crying - it's a skill he gained in Suchong's lab. But that just makes the sight of him rocking slightly, clutching his head and shaking just a bit more jarring.]

[tofudog]

Jack! Jack?

[ :( ]

C'mon, buddy, snap out of it! It's okay! Dude, you're freaking me out!

[He's panicking a little, and his mouth is spitting out whatever comes to mind. As far as he knows he's making things worse, but Beast Boy isn't giving up until he undoes some of the damage! He approaches Jack cautiously, and reaches out to touch his arm.]

You're okay, right...?

[the_prodigal_son]

[He tenses up when touched, but at least he doesn't lash out. He can't speak anymore, though, so he just curls up tighter and continues to sob.

But then, a minute later, he starts calming down. He doesn't look at Beast Boy, but.. he owes him an explanation. That Accu-Vox has got to be in here somewhere... Jack suddenly shifts off of the bed and searches through his dresser until he pulls out what looks like an old-timey tape recorder. He fishes a tape out of his sweater and puts it in before handing it to Beast Boy, still not making eye contact. The tape is labeled "Mind Control Test".]

Don't listen to it near me. I think the words still work on me. But... uh... [He sniffs.] I- I hate dogs. [More like they make him miserable. There's no heat in the statement, and he barely speaks above a whisper.]

[tofudog]

[Well, Jack didn't break his arm clean off. He takes that as a good sign. Beast Boy accepts the tape recorder curiously. He guesses he better listen to it, since that's what his friend wants. He's not sure leaving Jack alone is a great idea, though.]

I'll be right back, okay? Don't like, go anywhere. Or do anything. Um. Okay.

[Beast Boy slips out the door and, since Kanji's in their shared room, transforms into a spider monkey and climbs to the roof for privacy before playing the tape. It takes him a minute to figure out which button to press, but when he does he goes from concern to shock to rage.

He's still breathing heavily when he reappears at Jack's door. He doesn't say anything, just puts down the tape recorder, walks across the room, and gives him a hug.

Is that shredded pieces of shingles clinging to his uniform? Jack missed a hell of a tantrum.]

[the_prodigal_son]

[Jack doesn't question the debris, he's too busy hugging Beast Boy right back and melting in the embrace. There it is, this is proof that Beast Boy can be trusted. No doubt anyone else would have gladly used the words against him if they knew them, but Beast Boy is a saint.

Of course, Jack likes dogs. He is a glorified puppy. So the fact that he'll no longer get to see BB turn into any is sad, but it's better than the abstract fear and misery that Suchong imprinted on the species for him.]

I don't like remembering Rapture. I hated it. I like it here. [He stares at the Accu-Vox as he speaks.] That asshole security guard reminds me of Rapture.

[tofudog]

[Jack's protests and the puppy's death are still echoing in his ears, making his eyes water and his nose run. When stuff gets personal like this, he's always been a secret rage-crier.]

I'm glad those guys are dead.

[Which is easy to say while he's still mad, but he'll feel bad about it later. That's not what the hero he's trying to be would think. Beast Boy wipes his nose on his own sleeve.]

[the_prodigal_son]

Me too. [He curls up around Beast Boy, laying his head on top of BB's and holding him like a teddy bear.

Jack has never had a problem wanting people dead. He's never known anything else. His parents used to tell him that killing was okay as long as it was in self-defense, and even though he knows they aren't real he doesn't know what real parents are like anyway. Tenenbaum is the closest he ever knew, all he learned from her is that hurting children is not acceptable.]