victory_road | [Audio]

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[Jack's voice is very tight and very low. The clenching of his jaw is practically audible. He's struggling hard to keep control of himself, but it's not easy. Because he's been going through his daily routine, doing all those things Handsome Jack does, and today...something isn't quite right. Something important.]

[Something that has Jack focusing on one thing and one thing only.]

Why can't I get through to my daughter's 'gear?

[As if he doesn't know. As if he hasn't seen dozens of these updates himself. But still. This is him, this stuff doesn't happen to him. Things are always different for him!]

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[Yeah, Felix gets what's going on here pretty quick. And it's not great.]

Oh, hell.

[It's not, of course, that Felix really gives a shit about Angel being here. What does he care? Honestly, he's not invested in that.

What he is invested in is Jack's mood and this isn't gonna be good for that. Goddammit.]

No, no 'oh hell' yet.

She's...done this kinda thing before, when she gets pissed off at me. Won't answer. Just 'cause I can't get through....

I just friggin saw her at prom.

Right. It happens.

[That's his carefully impassive voice. That's his "the CO just told you to cut the crap and obey orders or else" voice. Felix is a master of that voice.

It hides the annoyed tone he'd otherwise have, hearing Jack be in denial like this.]

Need someone to go out and check what she's doing?

[Do you need distance, Jack? Distance would be great right now.]

No, I need one of the many people who claim to be her friend and love her to get on here and give me some friggin info!

What you can do is go out and pick up some stuff for me. Just in case.

How many bottles of liquor can you carry? Might wanna grab a baseball bat or a two by four or something else blunt and swingable, too.

And they're not talking, huh?

[Because there's nothing to say, but Jack won't listen to that.]

Get picked up for suspicious behavior, got it. [It's sarcasm, but it's his more agreeable sarcasm. He can do this much, whatever, it's fine.] Eh, I'll land on a couple of watchlists, but yeah. I can get that.

No, Felix, no they are not.

[Who would want to?]

We're probably already on watchlists, I don't give a shit.

Probably outta grab some painkillers, too.

Okay, well, I'm just saying, if this goes on too long and you need to just get the info without relying on those people, you know I'm available.

[Either getting the info himself or... well, probably not getting people to talk, fun as that would be. He wants to, but it'd be bad. But also, fun? Doesn't matter that there's nothing to discover since Angel's just gone.]

Ha, yeah, probably on a shitload. But we sure haven't been picked up so far. Stupid, really.

Gotcha, I'll get that. I'll, uh... be there.

[Attempt at... sympathetic boyfriend behavior. Sort of.]

....Yeah. Yeah, I get ya. Thanks.

We're too cool to get nabbed.

[It's sort of a rote response, not much of the usual bravado in it. But in some weird way, Jack gets that Felix is...trying. Sort of. In his way.]

And could ya get the fucking dogs out of here for a bit? I can't right now, I can't deal with them.

Oh, you know we are. I'd feel sorry for any poor cop who tried taking one of us in.

[Felix is! Trying! Not very hard, but the fact that an attempt is being made at all is a big deal.]

Sure, you got it. Better for things not to be crowded anyway.

[Jack just makes a snorting noise that's probably amusement.]

Yeah. Yeah.

...uh.

Thanks. And shit.

Yeah, well. Y'know. That's my job, right?

[Being a good boyfriend. That's definitely a job.

...Listen, this is how he deals with that.]

I got your back.

BECAUSE DEAD! SIRENS! CAN'T! TALK!!

[Krieg thought he'd been upset immediately following Angel's death, but that's nothing compared to what he's feeling now. Almost two years of incredibly close friendship has transformed the already painful memory of her death into something beyond excruciating. It's all he can think about, because there's nothing waiting for Angel on Pandora except her grave.

His best friend is dead, and he's having to face that reality all over again. ]

....

You get one warning.

Don't.

IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT YOU SHOULDN'T'VE ASKED!

YOU POISONED THE SUN AND THE STARS TO GET WHAT YOU WANTED! YOU NEVER CARED WHAT SHE WANTED, AND NOW SHE'S DEAD AND GONE!! THE LIGHT WAS SUFFOCATED BY SELFISH AMBITION AND ALL THAT'S LEFT IS SO MUCH MEAT AND SLAG BURIED UNDER A MOUNTAIN OF FESTERING, FETID, ROTTING CORPSES!

I am not going through this with you again. Not now.

[Jack's voice is a growl punctuated by harsh, nasal breathing.]

You wanna be pissed off? Be pissed off at the shitty, cruel space god that thinks it's okay to bring people here and then just rip'em away with no warning! But I am not doing this with you.

The llama didn't kill her!

YOU DID!

No.

Your bastard of a boss Roland did. When I was begging him not to. When I was offering him exactly what he wanted. He still killed her.

And you helped.

Then that freak of all freaks who controls shit here gave her a second chance, and took it away from her.

[For a moment, Krieg's entire attitude shifts, from one of heated, shouting rage to cold, gravelly fury.]

She was dead the second you locked her in the slag cage.

[And then back to manic passion that's really more a howl of absolute anguish. ~~Not that Jack's likely to recognize that.~~]

IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AND SMELL THE DAISIES, BECAUSE PUSHING THEM UP IS ALL SHE CAN DO NOW!

You still don't know what you're talking about, and I am not doing this again!

I am done. Do you understand? I am not responding to you anymore, because I am gonna go grieve with what's left of my family. But yeah, sure, keep on screaming at me, I'm sure that she would have wanted that.

PfmnahahahAHAHAHAHA! The Grieving Filicide! A comedy in two acts!

[Once again Krieg's mood appears to do a complete one-eighty as his manic mirth abruptly disappears, and he leans in good and close to the 'Gear to growl:]

Choke on your guilt, little meat man.

[And he hangs up.]

Given the..recent disappearance of a friend and a Pokemon I found myself with...are you referring to Angel, by any chance?

[Cissnei is not doing well. At all. After prom, after getting to spend time with Angel like she had, this was the last thing she had expected.

Yet here they were having this conversation.

She sounds tired and drained, having spent the past twenty-four hours locked in her hotel room.]

I..tried as well. I have been...I can't..it....I'm so sorry.

Yeah. Angel's my daughter.

Shit!

[He knew, of course he knew, but...it's the confirmation that starts snapping what tethers to sanity he usually maintains.]

This wasn't supposed to happen. This isn't how it goes. Not for us.

[Cissnei has to take a moment before she responds, fighting back tears as her usual collected exterior shatters.]

This world is rather unfair like that.

[It's said softly.]

I... [A weak laugh escapes her.] Sorry. I have no idea what to say. I hadn't..I didn't think she would be one of the people to disappear.

[She had hoped that Angel wouldn't be.]

But everybody says how great it is here, and what super great lives everybody can have....oh, sure, till it's just ripped away!

Kiddo, you have got no idea. She deserved to be here, to have a life here. She was doing good! I dunno how close you two were, but back home...Angel got the short end of the universal stick. Circumstances...not great. Shit, here was the first chance we ever had to have a normal family holiday. Hell, it was the first chance in friggin years we even hugged each other.

And now she's gone and there isn't even...nobody did it, nobody made this happen, I can't even go off on someone....

We..were quite close.

[And getting closer. Prom had brought them far closer than they had been before and Cissnei had been elated.

Then this happened.

She's quiet as the man rants, allowing him to vent his frustrations because he has every right to as Angel's father. Cissnei can't even imagine how hard it must be for him. How much of a blow it must be.]

That..honestly is the worst part about it. Not having a reason for it. This place doesn't make sense most of the time and that's the part that still bothers me the most. [Her voices cracks and she pauses, taking another breath.] There is always the chance she'll return though.

[Though the chances are slim and it's obvious in her tone that Cissnei knows that.]

Oh yeah?

No. No, there's worse parts. But that part sucks a whole friggin lot. But it's not like a reason makes it any better, trust me. Just means you got someone you can pummel and scream at and make pay. But that only makes ya feel better for a few minutes, then ya just feel like shit again. And nothing makes it any better, not really. See, I already lost Angel back home. That's the 'worse' bit.

Yeah, sure. I mean it's possible, my wife shows up like twice a year. Never for long, no, of course not, but... but most people never come back.

Angel not picking up? Maybe she blocked you.

[Of course Diana knows it won't be that, but Jack's tone indicates he knows the truth and would prefer a happy lie.]

You try, then. Or...don't, it doesn't really matter, does it?

Of course it friggin doesn't.

Er, okay.

[Diana pulls a face that indicates she would back up if this weren't a screen call.]

Maybe I should just leave you alone for a bit.

Look I'm not a fucking idiot.

[It's a clear sign of how lost in emotion Jack is, that he actually uses 'fuck' outside of the bedroom.]

Yeah, sure, 'cause that's clearly what I need right now.

I never said you were.

[She scowls and appears to settle herself in a seat.]

Well, shit, sorry for thinking you needed space. And for not really feeling like being your emotional punching bag but whatever, fuck me, right?

Alright, hit me. What do you need right now? Because I'm a dumbass who doesn't know shit.

[It's fine, she can be the one who takes the abuse. Be the stand in again.]

That isn't what I meant. I meant that we all know damn well what it means when someone's 'gear is offline. It doesn't matter if you try, or the psycho tries, or anybody else tries.

My daughter is gone. Which means my daughter is dead. So maybe, just maybe, I need some support and compassion from what's left of my family! I know your whole deal is edgy, cold badass but for fuck's sake, Diana, now's not the time.

Well, I'm sorry. I didn't feel like coming on here and telling you stuff you know and has you pissed when you're glaring daggers down the screen.

[She knows from a past threat it's not like she's exempt from any rampage he might go on.

Diana averts her gaze for a moment, jaw setting uncomfortably at the idea of dead daughters back home.]

... I'm sorry. I don't know what to do.

[The last time he lost someone she went over but she's not sure the face of some teenage surrogate 'daughter' would do anything but upset him further if she went to see him now.]

Obviously I'm pissed off, I'm hurting! A lot!

[Jack sighs, shoulders slumping.]

...yeah, who the hell does?

[Even Jack doesn't really know what to do. He didn't have too much time to deal with it. He'd ended up here within a week or so, and then Angel had shown up. This time... he's just angry and sad and without a target for it.]

It's just not fucking fair.

Yeah... I know... Nothing's fair.

[She begins to bite at her fingers, one of her bad habits.]

This place makes you forget for a bit. That's the worst part.

[She's still not sure what she could do, or even what she should do.]

... Should I... Is there something I can do?

It's that, what do they call it. False sense of security.

I really don't know, kiddo. Look, I get the context and all is probably weird for you for a bunch of reasons. Felix has got this one. I'm obviously worse off than I think, 'cause that asshole's actually making an effort on his own.

But I want to do something.

Ah, you're a good kid.

....you know what you can do for me? That isn't even gonna involve any uncomfortable emotion sharing shit or anything.

I want an electric sheep.

I know, I know, it sounds super weird right now. But...I got my reasons.

[Mainly, Angel had loved them.]

A sheep?

[She's seen a couple of those before. Not really something any of her friends seemed to have but she'd recognize it if she saw it.]

Alright. The one yellow one or the pink one?

Did I stutter?

Sheep. Electric. Baa baa zap.

Uh...yellow, I guess? They're...ya know. Sheep sized. Woolly. Little blue faces and black and yellow cones on the side of their head.

Edited 2018-05-20 23:04 (UTC)

[She doesn't rise to that. Just nods.]

Ok. I'll get one. I'll find it and send it over.

...Am I really sorry about Angel.

Thanks.

For both of it. It's...

Yeah.

Thanks.

[Jack realizes, painfully, that he can't remember anyone ever offering him condolences before. Not the first time it happened.]

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