video ✭ new bark town ✭ january 27

[secondhandsome]

[Well, hey, here's a familiar face! ...Right? Well, it looks like Jack, mostly. Outfit's a little different, his hair's a mess, and, geez, is that a crack in his mask? Someone must've had a rough night or something.]

You know, I'm not super big on this weather, but compared to getting a cryo-blast in the face it's really not so bad! Guess that messes with your standards a little. It's also just better than space, in general? Let me tell you, I am... so tired of space! There's an actual natural atmosphere here, do-- do you know how amazing that is? To just stand outside and breathe and know the oxygen hasn't been filtered for god knows how long and...

...and I had an actual thing to talk about that I'm forgetting. Shit, I'm out of practice.

[Did he used to ramble so much before? Honestly, he can't even remember.]

Someone wanna do me a solid and get me back to Ecruteak, 'cause that's where I was and I was uh... in the middle of... something.

Kinda important, you know, so. That's be great.

Comments

[secondhandsome]

Uhhhh, no. No, nothing like that.

It was just 'cause of a rich asshole who decided to be a special level of dick when he designed the place.

[secondhandsome]

Yeah, it's... it's pretty nice here. It's a good place to be for people who don't really got anyplace better. Whiiiiich is a shocking amount of people.

[Like, yikes? Yikes.]

Pff, right? Dude loooooves the sound of his own voice so much, I'm surprised he didn't marry it! I mean. Not sure he didn't, that sounds like something he'd do. Like. Genuinely.

Now just... imagine all that ranting, but add in some pauses where you're supposed to agree with whatever he's saying. Seriously, it's frigging torture.

[a_sin_for_him]

If it were as cold as space we'd all have a very large problem.

[But it's cold enough. Of course she's always found something strangely romantic about the snow, much as she prefers the warmer months. But it doesn't matter, the apartment in Ecruteak is waiting and warm and with a mount it won't take them long.]

[Lust lifts her hand, reaching to press it against the side of Timothy's face as she'd done so many times before. This time there's a slight twitch of her fingers, a small instinctive recoiling at the slightly unnatural feel of his mask. She can't help it. Her hand draws back just a fraction before settling along the line of Timothy's jaw and cheek.]

[It was one thing to ignore and pretend didn't exist over the weekend, something to put up with in exchange for his visit, but now... it's going to take some time to adjust to how he looks, his mask, his hand...]

[starrypoint]

[Your space life is about as exciting as your name, Timothy.]

You make space sound like a real drag. Are there aliens? Can you talk to them?

[fuelthefire]

Hah! I hope you burned it to the ground!

Welcome back, Timothy Lawrence.

[insidescoop]

Oh.....that sounds unfortunate.... [That is literally the gentlest way to put it yep.] At least you're here now I guess?

[conniemaheswaran]

Yeah, I figured as much. What are you then? Clones? Stunt doubles?

I should probably explain why I'm contacting you probably. Due to circumstances beyond my control, Jack is my boss for my foreseeable future. He seems pretty nice so far, but...

Look, all I want to ask is what are the chances of him stabbing me in the back and tossing me to the wayside the moment I'm no longer convenient to him? He's acting very friendly, but I keep on getting the heebie jeebies from him.

[secondhandsome]

[He... notices that. He might not have, if he hadn't been very focused on her right now.]

...Everything okay?

[secondhandsome]

Body double. Not a great job, but, you know. Money.

Oh.

Ohhhhh okay goddamn that's not great. Yeah, alright, so. I worked for Jack for a few years. That friendliness? Don't trust it for a second. He'll act nice one second and throw a bunch of people out the airlock the next.

Backstabbing isn't your biggest concern here. What you gotta watch out for is him thinking you're against him. The alternative being he might actually like you. And that's not a good thing, either.

[secondhandsome]

God, I wish. I was stuck in that craphole for seven years. Would love to see it burn.

[maybe ember will get on that while he's gone]

...Thanks. It's nice to be back. [Like it is. So nice!] How have things been going on your end, anyway? Doing good?

[a_sin_for_him]

Just getting used to...the differences time has wrought.

[Which is the most polite way Lust can think to phrase that the mask bothers her. Not just the sight of it, but the feel of it - not quite actual skin, just slightly different enough to be noticeable. And of course there's what it stands for.]

[And the fact he no longer simply looks similar to another man, but the exact mirror image. Of course it's still Timothy, and he doesn't look different, exactly, only older...but it still isn't the face she thinks of when she thinks of the man she loves.]

[secondhandsome]

Oh.

[Oh.

Of course. Right, yeah, no, there it is. Obviously. He doesn't blame her, obviously, he's not... a fan. Doesn't mean it doesn't sting, a little, even if he knows it's not his fault and she doesn't mean it badly.]

'Cause I wasn't wearing the mask before.

...I wasn't, right? I-I'm not 100% sure, but I'm guessing no.

[a_sin_for_him]

No. You weren't. Here the mask has always been a facet tied only to your old master.

[She still - and forever will - equates Handsome Jack to Dante, as much Timothy's master as Dante had been hers. It had always been the quickest way to tell them apart, before Timothy's face was marked.]

It feels...funny. I'm just not used to it, that's all. Does it hurt?

[Her fingertips drift hesitantly to one of the clasps, the metal feeling far too cold. Is it forged directly to his flesh?]

[secondhandsome]

I mean, you know, not that I really notice... anymore. [hhhhahh his life is garbage sorry] It's a little uncomfortable in the cold, 'cause... the clasps, you know?

[Metal + skin contact + cold = bad.]

It's been a while, though, so I'm used to it.

[a_sin_for_him]

[Lust makes a small noise that's difficult to discern and drops her hand from his face.]

I think getting you someplace warm should be our first priority. We have to go by foot to Cherrygrove, there's no other option. I don't have a flight capable mount....

[It's the dead of winter, he's going to end up frostbitten on the trip to Cherrygrove. An idea occurs to her.]

One of those hats! The winter ones with the flaps that cover the ears and the side of the face. That should keep the cold off the metal parts.

[And they were bound to be available at the little shop right here in New Bark, at least this time of year!]

[secondhandsome]

Oh... Oh, yeah, I know the ones you mean, one of those could definitely work. That'll keep the metal warm enough, yeah.

[Lust, you're a genius.]

Really just an awful idea, implanting metal directly into the face, I mean... Jack's a dumbass, I swear.

I hope he's getting frostbite every winter.

[notyourgoddess]

And way too many kids on that list.

[So much yikes. If any adults from some of those worlds show up they are going to have a long line of people waiting to punch them.]

That sounds just egotistic and insane enough to be something he'd do.

And that sounds like incredible torture. He left small pauses where he felt we were supposed to agree with him over the echoes, because why wouldn't we agree that killing ourselves to save him some trouble was a great plan? But at least we never had to actually answer.

[a_sin_for_him]

[That answers one of Lust's questions. It is forged directly to him, like something out of a macabre tale from the gothic era. The Man in the Asshole Mask.]

We'll see what we can do to make it more comfortable.

[She knows the technology of this world isn't as advanced as his, there's nothing that could be done here to fix this.]

[But priorities. Lust heads to the little general store, focused and on a mission. There's a whole little rack of winter hats, and she paws through until she finds something that seems warm enough]

You're going to look like a lumberman, but I don't think you have any complaints about that.

[conniemaheswaran]

Yeah, I figured. He gives off crazy strong capitalist supervillain vibes.

So far, I seem to be on his good side. Or at least he thinks I'm useful. As long as I keep my head down and nose clean, I should be able to avoid whatever this world's equivalent of walking the airlock is.

[fuelthefire]

That's too many years!

[Like, seven too many. But, to answer Tim's question:]

Things are good! I still have too many monsters but now I have a house to keep them in, and the Pretty Lady is here now, too! The world almost ended before Christmas and I didn't get to punch god but it was fun anyway I guess, and Sugar just got married! And now you're back!

[That's...glossing over a lot of not-good stuff. The reason he has a house now, for example. But it's easier to think about the good things so that's what he focuses on.]

[secondhandsome]

Oh you've got NO IDEA.

[he's THE capitalist supervillain]

Yeah, that's what I did. Stayed on his good side, all that stuff.

Didn't work out great.

Just... watch yourself. Being on Jack's good side can be just as bad as being on his bad side. Just uh if you ever get a bad feeling, get out.

[secondhandsome]

Yep. Here now, which is great and that's what I'm gonna choose to focus on and who cares about anything else!

[secondhandsome]

...Yeah, it's all sorts of fucked.

[god tell him about it]

Asshole should just get a recording of himself to say what he wants to hear.

...

Wait, shit, I guess that was pretty much my job.

[secondhandsome]

Oh, yeah, no. No complaints. Warm's warm.

[Also Jack definitely wouldn't wear it and that's a maaaaajor plus.]

[secondhandsome]

Yeah. Yeah, it sure is.

[Way too many fucking years.]

That... sounds like a lot. But good. A lot of good, which is good, so that's-- seriously do you hear yourself talk, Timothy, fuck. [...He's out of practice.] The pretty lady-- do you mean that Siren that's here now? Maya?

[Stab in the dark but they seem acquainted, ssssoooooo...]