Audio

[thedifferencebetween]

[Jack has been uncharacteristically quiet over the network for the last week and some days. No announcements of his own, no responses to public broadcasts save the one where his shredded mask was so blasphemously displayed.]

[Which is what's brought him to finally broadcasting again, audio only.]

[It's no secret now. That friggin' bastard of a Psycho had ruined all Jack's hopes to keep his state quiet. Fine. Since everybody knows what happened anyway....]

[Jack's voice is low and rough. He's not a happy man. The message is simple and to the point.]

A very large sum of money to whoever brings me back my face.

Comments

audio;

[crimsonchin]

So I'm guessing that weirdo going on about "Bloody Harvest" was a joke at your expense, then?

[ It was sort of hard to miss. But the offer sounded like it was probably easy enough? It was just a simple retrieval operation, unless he wanted it to be more than that. That, though, would cost extra, naturally.

Typically she did shit like this in her Eva. She, unfortunately, doesn't have access to that here, and it's been a while since she's taken on a job like this. She's not interested in the personal details of it, but the idea of the whole thing reminds her of home, sort of. Not Germany or Tokyo, either; her bright red mess.

She's thankful he made the request in audio, at least. Makes it less weird when she answers back in audio. He might be hesitant to make an offer to someone who looks so young, but if nothing else, her voice sounds like she's grizzled enough for the task, even if her face betrays her age.

Let's keep it brief, then. She has no objections to short and simple. ]

I'm interested.

audio;

[thedifferencebetween]

There's no joke. That asshole has my prosthetic. Which was literally beaten off of me by one of his buddies.

I need it back.

You bring it back, I pay you.

Re: audio;

[crimsonchin]

I'd ask if you deserved it, but I don't really give enough of a damn. It's just a mask, right? Doesn't sound hard.

That said, it would help if I had a location. I could probably track it down myself, but, it sounds like you'd rather get it rush delivery.

audio;

[thedifferencebetween]

Smart girl.

Try Ecruteak. Guy's name's Krieg, he's impossible to miss. He's friggin huge and yells a lot. Also violent as hell and he eats babies, so...

You know. Know what you're getting into.

[crimsonchin]

He...eats babies.

[ What the fuck. ]

Why do I always get the odd jobs...

[brokencode]

[Angel wasn't a fool-- she had seen Krieg's video, heard his loud ramblings. When Jack made his post, it took only a few seconds to figure out who he was talking about, and a few more for her to find her nerve.]

Leave him alone.

[thedifferencebetween]

[Jack doesn't respond immediately. He can't. Because this is the first thing she's said to him since Athena's attack, and he knows she knows. She has to.]

[And this is what she has to say to him.]

Don't you dare.

Did I offer money for anyone to hurt him? For anyone to make his life miserable? For anyone to do anything to him?

No.

I offered money for anyone to return my stolen property to me.

I should do way more, considering what he's doing with my face, but somebody has got to be the one who says 'enough'. And it's clearly not going to be the people you've picked.

[brokencode]

Do you really think he will give it up willingly?

[There was more she wanted to say, but she held her tongue. This wasn't the time to get into a fight with him. Much as she wanted to tell him that he deserved what he got and so much more, she stayed quiet. He'd only argue with her, and it'd only make things worse.]

I am going to say it again. Leave him alone.

[thedifferencebetween]

He shouldn't have it in the first place. Eye for an eye is one thing. Even if killing me was a hell of an escalated retaliation. [For something that didn't involve Athena in the first place.] This? This isn't about revenge, this isn't about anyone's idea of 'justice', this is just petty and cruel for the sake of it.

I didn't think you were down with that kinda stuff, but...if there's one thing I've learned here, it's that you are absolutely my daughter.

You know...I'm glad you said something. I'm glad you made things clear. Cause ya see, here I was starting to think....maybe it is me. Maybe Angel's really just scared and trying to protect herself and she's not trying to hurt me or anything and I gotta really figure this out....

But no, this...this clears things up nicely.

I'm out of the hospital, by the way. Thanks for asking.

audio;

[placide]

I thought I had―[ Rosa stops quickly enough, having realized she's thumbed to accept the call and therefore must push ahead with speaking with someone who she hasn't been there for enough in the past few weeks. ]

Is there aught I can do to aid you in your current situation? [ She feels bad, at the least.

Confident as well, knowing that he's likely secured an individual or two with promises of money. ] The local law enforcement won't provide aid, correct?

audio;

[thedifferencebetween]

Nah, thanks babe. I'm not really fit company right now. What with my face being stolen.

[No anger is directed at Rosa herself, he's just angry in general.]

Nope. What the hell are they gonna do anyway, sentence the bastard to a week of community service? That's not even a punishment.

The nurse did give me some pretty stellar pain pills, though.

audio;

[placide]

[ Anger, in her mind, isn't a bad thing to have right now. He has had something precious of his stolen from him and paraded around by another as though it were a toy. If he wasn't heated about it in some form, she would have worried then. ]

Agreed, it isn't what one would call a punishment. [ Plus she suspects a crass individual like the one being spoken about wouldn't commit to community service. ] It isn't fair... seeing mistreatment of this nature and feeling completely helpless in resolving it.

[ Rosa's been warned a number of times to not get involved with violence though so the best she can do is offer a complaint in regards to the overall helplessness and move on. ]

Times like this, I long for my magic. Your pain would be diminished with ease if I could call upon it.

audio;

[thedifferencebetween]

Lots of things aren't fair, here's not really that different. Sure, on the surface, but that' just the paint job.

Yeah, I wish you had that, too. Hell, maybe you could actually fix the damn thing...

Audio;

[schachmeister]

Someone took your face?

[What an odd accusation to make. Armin had seen Krieg's post, but not knowing Jack, (or really even Krieg) he doesn't lay the link.]

Audio;

[thedifferencebetween]

Yeah.

I mean...it's a prosthetic synthskin mask. But it's still my friggin' face.

Audio;

[schachmeister]

[OH. A mask. Yes, that makes more sense. And makes the whole situation click in his mind.]

Ah, the Bloody Harvest guy?

It is a theft, of course, but it sounds like a distasteful prank. Maybe it would be best to let the police handle this?

Audio;

[thedifferencebetween]

Yeah, that's him.

Cops are no help, this is not a prank. This man murdered my family back home. And now he's mocking me and depriving me of a necessary medical aide.

[Is there any greater master of hyperbole and carefully presenting the truth than Handsome Jack? Probably not.]

If you consider that a 'distasteful prank', you're one cruel and heartless dude.

private audio because

[atlasrising]

[ He's not bringing up the face thing because if he tries to take it people will probably be suspicious! Which isn't good for Rhys. ]

Do you need help? With anything?

private audio

[thedifferencebetween]

Obviously not with anything you can help with, pumpkin.

I still don't get why you hang around those assholes. You...you do realize they're assholes, right? Look at what they're doing. Crissakes, Rhys, that bastard Psycho is making a public mockery of me! And they all think it's just peachy keen and funny!

You're better than that, Rhys. Don't degrade yourself with barbaric company.

private audio

[atlasrising]

Alright. I just...wanted to be sure.

I haven't been around them in a while. Yeah that's not cool though. I want to say something but I'm afraid if I do they'll catch on.

Sorry for what they're doing to you, Jack. It's...it's not right.

private audio

[thedifferencebetween]

I do appreciate it, kiddo. I know I give ya a lot of shit, but...eh, that's me! I do appreciate you.

So what? Screw them. What...what are you getting from them, that you're so worried about what they think of you? Are you sleeping with one of'em? I...god, I really hope not, considering the options there... you could do way, way better.

[But what the hell is keeping Rhys from just...cutting ties and knocking off the sneaking around and everything?]

This is what they do, buttercup. Everything they can to piss me off, to get under my skin, to rub salt in the wounds. Shit, the stories I could tell you about what the Crimson Raiders and their pet Vault Hunters did...

[action]

[beastofasister]

[Manaka had seen Krieg's post, but opted not to respond. She doubted she would be able to convince him to return the mask any more than Jack could, and frankly, any points it would have won her with Jack were superfluous by now. Better to avoid making any enemies of her own.

It had obviously gotten under Jack's skin, though, so after the broadcast he makes in reply, she winds up asking him about it.]

Um... Your face. Can't it be covered up with make-up?

[thedifferencebetween]

[It's a fair question. But it still makes Jack rankle and grumble.]

No, it can't. It...it doesn't work, y'see, it just comes through. It's not a normal scar, sweetheart. I've got an ancient alien artifact embedded in my face.

[Manaka's been taking care of him, she's been helping and looking after him. They've gotten close. He can tell her.]

Surgery won't fix it, makeup won't do anything, tried tattooing over it...nothing works. Plus, my mask helps me see. With both eyes. It's a medical device.

[beastofasister]

—Ah.

[It's obvious that his scar isn't a normal one. This is the first Manaka has heard of its source, though, and his explanation far more extraordinary than anything she had expected. Her eyes widen, anything else she had planned to say immediately forgotten.]

An..."artifact"? What kind of artifact?

[thedifferencebetween]

Uuugh, it's complicated. It's Vault stuff. I dunno much about it, it got punched into my face before I could do much with it. But it...yeah, it's got power. Or had. I think that stupid bitch broke it.

[He sure hasn't had any more visions. And that seems to be the artifact's main function, showing the future. He'd been awash in visions of his own destiny when Lilith had so freaking rudely interrupted him with her phase fist.]

It gave me visions, when I first...I dunno, bonded with it, or whatever. I...I didn't even have to touch it, it came to me. Made a throne out of the ground under me and showed me...the most amazing things....

[But he hadn't been able to see it all, he hadn't understood. And that...oh boy. That had been a real bitch, come time to open the Vault of the Warrior...]