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Who: Athena (

kissmyaspis) & Timothy Lawrence (

secondhandsome)
Where: Ecruteak City
When: 8/20
Summary: When two people who are really bad at coping with bad shit confront the ghosts of their past, what happens?
Rating: PG-13 just in case, alcohol and talks of violence and stuff

[Athena wasn't really a drinker. Sure, she'd let the other vault hunters drag her to Moxxi's place in Concordia, in those rare instances they had nothing to do during their mission on Elpis. But she never indulged in the booze - especially not to the levels that Nisha and Wilhelm would. She hated the way alcohol dulled her senses, made her less sharp and her limbs heavy. It was a dangerous feeling for her, a feeling that could get her killed so she avoided it as often as she could.

After recent events, though...

Seeing the image of her sister again had ripped that still-bleeding wound inside of her wide open, leaving her angry and shaken like she was back in the aftermath of Atlas's betrayal. And of course she couldn't even go to her usual method of dealing with these feelings by going out and slaughtering bandits and psychos, thanks to the lack of such people on this planet. Not even the next best thing - going into the forest just outside of town and laying into a tree like a punching bag - didn't help with anything other than giving her a set of bloody and bruised knuckles. So when her doppelganger companion approached her and told her he was heading to the nearest hole in the wall bar... well. She just said screw it. For once, she needed the numbing effect of alcohol to help her out in the aftermath of this mess.

So here she was, in one of the corner booths, waiting for her companion to return from the bar with their drinks. She'd left Xiphos and her newly-acquired Growlithe back at the inn, instructing them to guard Rhys. She may be a bit out of sorts thanks to this ghost thing, but she's not too out of it to risk him getting dragged off by Jack again. Hell no.

She's caught up in her sulking again, so she almost doesn't notice when Tim finally returns with their drinks. When he sets them down, Athena raises an eyebrow.]

Think this can stand up to Pandoran booze at all?

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[Drinking with Athena is not where Tim expected to find himself, but... Expectations had all gone right out the window the second he ended up on this weird-ass planet. And after the last several days, they could clearly both use this. He gets the feeling the bars everywhere will probably get a lot more business after all that ghost crap.

As he sets the drinks down and takes his seat, he smiles slightly at the question.]

That depends entirely on what you're judging it on. Though something tells me it's probably difficult to match Pandoran anything when it comes to, ah... intensity?

[Sure, intensity, let's put it like that. That kinda makes it sound positive.]

Still, only one way to find out.

Honestly, it probably all tastes the same unless it's being brewed at one of Moxxi's places.

[It probably should feel weird, so casually mentioning the name of a woman who tried to kill you years ago. But honestly? Athena didn't care about that anymore. She'd told Tina that it's because battlefield loyalties shift so much that it's hard to take those things personally, and yeah, that's true. But in the end, Moxxi, Lilith, and Roland had been trying to kill Jack. Then it had been annoying because she'd nearly died and her mission was almost sabotaged. Now? If she'd known the kind of man Jack would become, she probably would've helped.

So yeah. No hard feelings.]

At least in a place like this, you're more likely to know what's going into your drink. And the chances of rat crap in it are low.

[So hey, bottom's up! She's not one for toasts, and after their little ordeal the past few days, it's probably not a good idea... so she just grabs her drink, takes a swig.... and doesn't really react at all. Maybe it doesn't have that much of a kick...?]

[The mention of Moxxi gets... a slight reaction out of Tim. Not a negative one, really. Feelings just get confusing when you're seriously smitten with someone and you're not really sure whether or not they want you dead.

At least she's not here, so he won't get all stupidly flustered. He just hesitates for a moment and that's about it.]

Yeah, I'll bet. The stuff there was uh... something else.

[More like the person running the place was something else, am I right?]

A ringing endorsement. They should put that in a commercial.

[Huh, well... Athena seems to handle it well. And if she can do it, yeah, he can totally take it too. He just takes a drink and-- oh man, right, okay, stronger than he expected from that reaction.]

Ooh, welp... That's alcohol alright.

Yeah, that'll do.

I don't know about here, but anyone from Pandora or Elpis would be flocking to a bar with that kind of endorsement.

[Luckily for Tim, despite being three years into a relationship and engaged, Athena isn't exactly any good at picking up romantic cues. So he's safe from any taunting over how flustered he's getting at the mention of Moxxi!

But her eyebrow does raise again, and she takes another sip of her drink.]

Really? Seems pretty tame to me.

[.... athena judging it by your standards kind of isn't fair.]

True enough.

[Yeah thank goodness she didn't pick up on that one, because wow if she brought that up... Well, talk about conversations he'd rather not have.]

That's because it's you. No offense or anything, but uh... wouldn't surprise me if you could intimidate alcohol.

Anyway, just means you need more of it in your system than me. Though even then, I am... gonna need a lot. After the last few days.

[He takes another sip and as he sets his drink down, he pauses, glancing over at Athena. Mainly, her hands. Are those bandages...?]

...Hey, uh. Did you get hurt or something?

... I punched a tree.

[You know it's a good thing Athena isn't subtle or ashamed of her coping methods. Even if they aren't... exactly good coping methods. But man, that sure kills any positive mood this outing may have been able to coax out of her.]

You punched...

[Two and two, Tim. It's not that hard.]

...Oh.

[There it is. How does he even respond to that one? She must've punched a tree a whole lot, by the looks of it. Well... As awkward as the mood is now, it does make him think he made the right call inviting her.]

Alcohol's probably, uh... a better option than that. Yeah.

For some, maybe. Anything that dulls the senses isn't something I care to partake in.

[One hand is still clutching her drink, the other is picking idly at the bandages. At the very least, they're pretty well-wrapped, so there's no worries there.]

Besides, drinking doesn't give you anything to focus your anger on.

Yeah, maybe if you're gonna do something important it's not the best option. But sometimes dull senses can be a good thing. And hell, with luck you end up not even having much anger left to focus with anyway.

I mean, the point is kinda to distract from that.

[And boy, there sure are two people right here who can use a good distraction.]

Anyway, uh... Sorry, didn't mean to bring the mood down or anything, I was just kinda worried.

You don't have to be. This is something I've been dealing with for a long time now.

[Almost as soon as she says that, she nearly bites her tongue. Because... honestly, yeah, she's used to the feeling of this emotional scar being opened again and again. Every time she looked at Fiona and Sasha together, hell, even after a bad nightmare, all of this would come flooding back full force... she's used to that sort of pain by now. It only shook her up because it was so real this time.

But... he was worried. And she shouldn't just brush aside his feeling like that. That's gotten her into too much trouble with Janey already, so she really needs to start learning to cut that shit out.]

Even so... I appreciate the thought. And I understand that you must need this too.

Well, yeah, I'm your friend, obviously I'm gonna worry.

[He gets that it's different for Athena, though. She's not really used to the more... regular social stuff. Janey's probably a good influence on her for that, at least.]

And uh... yeah. Kinda.

It's been kinda rough for everyone. And then there was the festival itself...

[...Which he hasn't actually talked about yet. Man. Should he...?]

Friend...

[It's... weird, hearing confirmation that this is indeed what they are. Sure, she liked him. Enough that she wasn't opposed to him hanging around, or for them to act on a more casual level. But she never really had friends until relatively recently, so she's just. Not really sure when to apply it.

But it's good. That she now knows how to define their relationship.]

... What. Did something happen?

[God, if Jack got to him as well as Rhys....!]

Yeah. I mean, if that's cool with you.

[He doesn't wanna assume anything, but he sure likes to see her as a friend. Ideally he'd like to say everyone in the team was a friend, but Nisha and Wilhelm were just a tad too bloodthirsty, Claptrap was obnoxious, and Aurelia was... well... Aurelia.]

Uh. Ran into Jack. Things got... weird.

I mean... Really weird.

... Yeah. It is.

[She's not sure what it would feel like, accepting this ~friendship~ thing. Of course, it's nothing like how she felt with Janey - nothing will ever compare to that - but instead of the dread she's sure she'd feel, at having another vulnerability, another way for her enemies to get at her... she feels at ease? It's not a weight lifting off her shoulder, but it's more like that quiet, relaxed feeling when she has a rare full night of sleep without any nightmares.

Of course, that feeling doesn't last long before she's snapped back out of her head, the hand around her glass clenching so tightly she's surprised she hasn't smashed the glass yet.]

What did he do?

He kept... like... touching my face? I really don't know what was up with that. I mean, he's always kinda weird and uncomfortable, I'm used to that, but damn, this was something else.

[Ugh, even thinking about it... Nope. Nuh-uh. He takes another drink.]

Also he almost kissed me and I am working very hard on blocking that out.

[... Wow okay. Yeah that is creepy. And... worrying, considering who it is they're talking about.

Did he say anything when he was doing that? The... uh... face thing. Before the other thing happened.

[gross gross gross...]

I-I don't know, he... talked a bunch about how long it's been since he's seen his face. And how, oh, it was totally fine for him to keep touching me because it's his face and...

...Kinda tried not to, uh, dwell too much on the stuff he said.

[If only he could erase that whole experience from his memory.]

He seemed... upset.

[Okay, that's.... not good. It's creepy, yeah, but there's something about that that sets off an alarm in Athena's head.]

If we pass through the city he's currently holed up in... be cautious. I've got a bad feeling about that.

Yeah, you and me both.

Not exactly a great feeling being treated like I'm his property instead of a freaking employee.

[Even if technically he's not exactly the latter right now anyway, but that's... complicated.]

I swear, every time I almost forget he's the worst, he helpfully reminds me. Ugh, what an asshole...

[...Damn, that feels good to say.]

... It's not a good feeling, being treated as nothing but a tool.

[When she was still deep into the conditioning done by Atlas... yeah. She thought of herself as nothing but. And at first, that didn't bother her. She took pride in being one of the deadliest weapons in Atlas's arsenal. But when she began searching for Jess, when she began breaking away, and when Atlas betrayed her... she began to realize just how bad it was.

So for Jack to treat a guy as nice as Tim like that.... ugh.]

You would think on a planet full of pacifists like this, Jack wouldn't be able to one-up how awful he can be, but I guess I was wrong.

...No. It's really not.

[It's the absolute worst feeling in the world, if you ask him.]

I don't think it's really holding him back so much as making him get creative. I dunno. Seems like he's only gotten worse over time...

[He's certainly gotten better at being intimidating, that's for sure. Whatever happens in those three years Tim's missing, it can't be anything good.]

At least he hasn't killed anyone yet, but that's setting the bar pretty frigging low-- fri-- damn it. Fucking low. [Tim shakes his head and just slams down the rest of his drink. Nothing makes him feel as gross as when he accidentally imitates Jack in any way, even if it's just in word choice.] Hate it when that happens...

It will be difficult, shaking that label. [...] Or maybe you'll have an easier time with it. You've had to live with it for far less time than I.

[Pause. She isn't stupid enough to believe Jack wouldn't try to kill someone on this planet, but the idea is just. Not pleasant at all.]

It's bound to happen sooner or later. Possibly the former, with how shaken up everyone is after this mess.

[Ugh, and there she goes, reminding herself of why they're really here. She throws back another drink, and has to grit her teeth, because this time the alcohol leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Great.]

Yeah, maybe. Then again, might also be tricky seeing as I do kinda... well... look the part. And... sound it. Not to mention, uh...

[He lets that sentence just sort of hang there, unfinished. The general point is clear enough, though. It's hard to remember you're your own person when you don't even look like your own person.]

Oh, sure, eventually. I get the feeling he's playing it safe for now and this planet's attitude towards violence is very different, but... Well, it's Jack.

...What happened with him during all this, anyway? Can't say I was really paying attention to him with everything going on.

You can't change your face, but you can change other things. Grow your hair out. Shave it off. Grow a beard or get rid of that ridiculous patch. You can't change everything, but there's still some things you can work with.

[She's not sure if it'll look good or not, but honestly, Athena isn't exactly the right person to talk to about that kind of thing. The closest she's ever gotten to fashion was when she was captured by those weirdos way back when she first met Lilith and her original crew.]

... He had a little girl with him. The same girl in the picture he has on his desk up on Helios.

God, you have no idea how badly I wanna get rid of that stupid thing. [Seriously, the freaking patch is just... Really, Jack?] But then Jack will really want to kill me, so I... I don't know.

[It's difficult, being torn between wanting to change and being terrified of it. There's a lot of going back and forth involved.]

A girl... [He remembers that picture. No one really talked about the picture, no, but...] So, wait... is... was she...

[There's one pretty reasonable assumption when it comes to having the picture of a young girl on your desk. It's weird, that despite being paid to be Jack, there's so much he doesn't know about the guy.]

Does Jack have a kid?

It's difficult to completely shed the things that tied you to a life you no longer want. [The fact that she still wears bits and pieces of her Crimson Lance armor certainly seems to support that.] But you need to take that step if you want to be your own person again.

[Another sip of her drink. All this is going into... weird territory, and as much as she hates the numbing effect of alcohol on most days, she's actually glad that it seems to be working right now.]

That seems to be the most logical conclusion. The picture, the way he talked to that thing like it was actually a little girl... [There aren't many things that can make Athena uncomfortable, but that... god. That came close.] I feel bad for whoever that girl is, to have such a monster as a father.

I... I guess. Easier said than done, huh?

[It would be great being his own person again, but he's not sure that's possible as long as Jack's around. Making any step towards that change is terrifying, knowing how he'll respond. There's... There's little ways he can be himself without going all the way, maybe?

Even if it means that every time he introduces himself to someone he feels sick.]

...Hey, uh. Can I tell you something? Kinda... personal, I guess. But, uh, nothing weird or anything, promise.

[Better just clarify that immediately, before any assumptions happen.]

Christ... I never really thought about that picture much, but... Yeah, I doubt Jack's really dad of the year material. [To put it very lightly.] ...So she must be dead, right? If she showed up for him. I mean, they weren't actual ghosts, but it was still only dead people that showed up...

It is. And I know how that feels. Being unable to let go of the life I led before is what nearly screwed over the life I have now.

[And if she can stop doing the only thing she ever knew how to do before breaking away from Atlas for the sake of her new life... she's sure Tim can too. After all, it's not like he gets a huge kick out of what he does. The only thing stopping him is fear, and that's something that can be worked past.]

After everything that's happened, I'm starting to think anything we consider personal might be forced out into the open sooner or later.

[It... might have been a joke, but Athena sure sounds bitter about that.]

... So she's dead. Makes sense why Jack never mentioned her before.

...I'm glad it didn't.

[Nearly is still bad, but things got resolved. She's way ahead of him, that's for sure.

There's a moment of hesitation before he speaks up again. This is, technically speaking, a secret, even if it's not by choice. But fuck it, right? If there's anyone he trusts with this, it's Athena.]

My name's Timothy. My real name. Timothy Lawrence... [He pauses again. It's... weird, saying it out loud.] Figure someone should know.

[Man, that girl... He really has to wonder what's going on with her, but like hell he's gonna ask Jack about it.]

Yeah, I wouldn't really want to talk about my dead kid either, I don't think. I mean, Jack's the worst, but that still has to hurt... right?

[Or maybe he's expecting too much from Jack here. That's possible too.]

[... You know, maybe it's the alcohol kicking in, but Athena almost laughs at that. Because wow, Timothy Lawrence...]

That name almost sounds too normal for someone in our line of work.

[That hint of amusement is quick to die, sadly.]

I honestly don't know. It's not impossible, but... this is Jack we're talking about.

[He smiles slightly at that.]

Yeaaaah, not exactly a vault hunter kinda name, huh? Then again, well, I didn't ever really see myself ending up like this... Always figured the most exciting thing I'd ever do was act, so uh. Well, that sure went kinda differently than expected.

[Kinda. Boy, if he'd known where his acting skills would lead him, he never would've started.]

True... I don't know, maybe I'm just giving him too much credit.

There's nothing stopping you from pursuing that goal here. You just need to find the right people.

[Too bad for Tim that all the production studios are in Goldenrod, whoops.]

... Do you want me to keep your true identity a secret?

Ah, well, I actually... am? Sorta? I mean, just a radio thing, but that's still something. Writing for it too, actually.

Maybe actually use my degree for once...

[So far he hasn't gotten much use out of it yet. Unsurprisingly.]

...Please. Switching back to my real name wouldn't uh... really go well, I think.

[Even if being called Jack makes him physically ill sometimes, but HA HA HE'LL JUST DEAL WITH IT.]

Wow, you're getting ambitious there, aren't you?

[Athena doesn't really know the first thing about writing outside of what she's heard Janey talk about, but she knows that's kind of a big deal.]

Right. Your secret is safe with me.

Ha, well, there was this woman asking for help with those things and I figured... hey, I'm actually good at that, so I might as well help.

And she's... you know, uh... [...Wait, is he going slightly red in the face?] She seems really great.

...Great to... work with, I mean. Yeah.

[Smooth, Tim.]

Thanks... Still. Kinda nice at least one person knows what my name really is.

I'm not sure Jack even remembers it. Kiiiinda doubt he cares.

[Maybe it's a good thing for Tim, but the whole stuttering thing goes kind of over Athena's head - she does raise an eyebrow, but that's about it. You'd think a woman who's been through that song and dance long enough that marriage is on the table would pick up on it, but... nah. That's Athena for you.]

That's a good thing, then. Just remember that even if you and I are the only ones that know it, you still have your name. Jack hasn't been able to completely take that away from you.

Yeah... Yeah, I guess that's true. Hadn't thought of it that way, but uh... That's a better way of thinking about it than I've been doing so far.

I mean, it's sorta hidden, but... it's still there. It's something, anyway.

It's hidden, but it's something that belongs to you. Only you.

[There's a pause, as Athena stares down into her drink.]

I once thought the same way. About what little memories I had of Jess.

[And as Athena looks down, Tim looks up.]

Yeah? But... not anymore?

[Athena has to let go of her drink now, because she realizes if she keeps holding it, she'll very likely crush the glass in her hand. So instead she just lets it curl into a fist, the bandages pulling tight over her knuckles as her nails dig into her palm.]

Every time I try and think of those memories now, I just see her face. The pain, the horror... the recognition. [Jess knew. In that brief moment between when she took her helmet off and her sister died, Jess had recognized her. And that just made her sick.] All I can feel is that, and the feeling of her blood on my hands.

[Athena is probably one of the least squeamish people out there, but that feeling... god.]

Don't let Jack corrupt something that is entirely yours like that.

Edited 2016-09-01 04:11 (UTC)

...I'm sorry. That's... It shouldn't have to be like that. It shouldn't...

[He trails off. Regardless of how that had happened, Athena... Athena was a good person. A good person who bad shit had happened to. There was a lot of that out there. And a lot of people who became not so good people because of the bad shit. Which just made Athena even more admirable, if you asked him.

She deserves better.]

...Right. Yeah. I'll... I'll try.

It shouldn't. But that's how things are when you give corrupt megacorporations too much power. That's what happens when the people with that power think you're too valuable to kill.

[Athena would disagree with him there. She's not a good person at all; she can try to be, and below the fire for revenge, she does want some kind of redemption, but she knows she doesn't deserve it. She's killed thousands - the bandits and psychos aren't enough to trip her guilt, but she's killed families, children. SHe lied and hurt the one person that loves her most in the world to the point where their relationship nearly fell apart, all because she can't stop killing bandits and chasing treasure. That's not really the mark of a good person.]

It's fucked up, is what it is... I really am sorry, just... all of that.

[It's all he can really say, which he hates. But it's not like he can do anything to make it better, he can only just... listen, really. It sucks, but it's all he's got.]

Fucking corporations, I swear...

Makes you wonder what the smaller companies are like. Do you think Maliwan and Tediore aren't as massive as Hyperion and Atlas because they're decent to their employees?

[God, it's sad that that concept seems laughable...]

I dunno, sure would be nice if that was the case. Kinda doubt it, but hey, it could happen. Maybe... Possibly.

...Probably not.

I wouldn't get my hopes up.

[Yeah, she'll drink to that.]

It's a nice thought, though. If likely impossible.

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