[Tim's statement was enough to soften Maya's expression just a touch, his apparent self-awareness being just enough to give her pause. She was far from cherubic picture of mirth, but at least she wasn't looking at him as if she were imagining popping his head off with a few bursts of her gun.]
Guess we're on the same page then.
[She crossed her arms over her chest, now loosening up just a hair. With the outright threat been alleviated for the time being, she could switch from being defensive to being curious.]
How does something like that happen then? [She motioned to his face] That's too alike to be natural.
[He sighs. She's looking calmer, at least, which is a good thing, because a calm blue haired lady is a lady that's less likely to shoot at him.]
Okay, so here's the deal with the whole-- [He gestures at face height, just indicating everything that he's got going on up there.] --douchey mess here.
I had a lot of student loans and made some really poor life decisions, and now I'm one of Jack's body doubles. I have the face of an asshole and it's about as awful as you'd expect.
I'd really appreciate it if you didn't, like, try to shoot me for it or something.
[There was a lot she didn't understand about the man's ramblings. Student loans were completely unknown to her -- one of the few perks of being a scion was not having to pay for a top-tier education. And selling his body for "loans," rather than taking on a few bounties or working a normal job (whatever that was) seemed a bit odd.
But he hadn't tried to shoot her, and he seemed more skittish than anything. If he were Jack, none of those things would be true. The same could be said if he were one of his mindless devotees.]
If I wanted to shoot you, I would have done it already. [Particularly right after he admitted to working for Jack, in a roundabout way.]
Kind of a big leap though, going from... "student loans--" [She spoke the phrase as if they tasted like a skag urine pizza.] -- to selling your face and body.
[Thanks for that prostitution parallel, there. Selling his body, god, he was working for Jack, not fucking him. There would literally be no amount of money that anyone could ever promise him that would make him consider giving up the goods to Jack.]
Not as big as you'd think.
[Especially because he didn't really agree to be Jack's double. He came in for an interview and ended up with another man's face with no memory of what happened in between.]
But, hey, I'm just gonna be over here not judging you for whatever motivated you to become a murderous bandit. Because I'm a nice person.
[Maya scoffed, then snorted, then began to laugh. At ease as she was around this wisp of a man, she even allowed herself to bend over a little, easing the ache as her laugh shook through her body.]
Bandit. [Another snort.] You really are one of Jack's, aren't you?
[A few more tittering laughs escaped her, before she finally straightened up. Whatever amusement had settled into her features was quickly chased away by a dark and furious look.]
For someone who claims to be above his influence, you really don't know much about him. [She shook her head, anger still burning in her eyes.]
Problems? [The disdain was clear on her face. Problems sounded like a handful of engineers, maybe even basic Loaders. Problems didn't come anywhere attempted murder on several occasions or the shelling of a safe haven.
And it certainly didn't compare to a dead siren or commander.]
I assume this is the part where I fall to my knees apologizing because you had 'problems' during your adventures? [She scoffed] I think I'll skip that.
Wow, okay. No one said anything about falling to any knees. You're the one who asked for my help, remember? Guy with the camera in his skull? [ Rhys crosses his arms a lot!! ]
I can go somewhere else at anytime and take my awesome brain with me!
[At once, the sour look on her face shifted to one of blazing anger. Arguing with her was one thing, they both could still work while trading barbs. Threatening to take away one of the vehicles for her research, however, was treading on dangerous ground.
There were two options -- pulling out her gun and forcing him to continue, or playing nice. On Pandora, the answer would have been simple. The rules in this world seemed to be different, though, and she wasn't about to take an even bigger risk in order to compromise for a smaller one.
The anger faded, giving way to a thin-lipped, but otherwise neutral, expression.]
Fine. You deserve credit for finding a vault. Congratulations.
[Oh yes he's absolutely nodding at that first bit. Good plan best plan.]
If you haven't heard, / Angel is here too. Somehow. / ...I don't question it.
[He doesn't get exactly how or why there are people here now that were kind of not alive at all back home. It sucks in Jack's case? But it's not really all bad. Just really weird and sometimes really awkward.]
There's someone else from Pandora as well. Don't think you know him, though.
[Maya's flinch was immediate. She had known, of course, but it felt so much more real when Zer0 said it aloud. All along, she had hoped that somehow, the little siren had found a way out. They could be friends real friends.
Instead, everything felt wrong.]
Was she afraid of you, too?
[Maya caught her hand shifting, as if she were attempting to hold herself, and quickly thrust it down to her side. Not here, not in front of her friend.]
You mean the one who dresses like he's from Aquator and thinks he's a vault hunter?
[Yes, please, let's focus on him instead of Angel.]
It was more awkward. / I don't think she was afraid, / She just seemed unsure.
[Honestly, Zer0 sort of had been unsure too. It was just a weird situation all around, but now that some time had passed, things seemed to be working out.
But yes, let's talk about that one weenier guy. Good times.]
[Maya offered only a nod. Awkward didn't seem like the right phrase either, but she wasn't going to split hairs with Zer0 over a subject she hardly wanted to think about.
Instead, she cracked a devious grin that didn't qite reach her eyes, and shoved her doubts to the back of her mind.]
He told me that Jack harassed him on the way to find a traveling vault. Sounded pretty unbelievable to me. Got very upset when I insinuated as much.
[And then she had shut up in order to protect her research. You know, as you do.]
[That was enough to give her pause. She lifted a brow, clearly surprised at her friend's apparent involvement.]
You killed a vault monster and didn't tell me? [She huffed in a poor attempt at being playful.] I'm hurt.
[Jack's involvement was interesting, though. Even if it had been before they'd managed to kill him, surely he wouldn't have been able to keep his mouth shut about a second Vault.
Then again, he'd managed to trick them a number of times.]
Maybe it's one of Nakayama's clones? Though... those were far from Jack-like, weren't they?
[Maya gave the passing man a look of disdain. Roaming about, arm in arm with a stranger and looking disheveled was the furthest thing from her idea of a good time.]
We have little in common then. [The only liquor she'd ever particularly enjoyed was a world away, and she wasn't about to taste around trying to find an alternative. It sounded like an easy way to end up having a bad day.]
That's the problem though -- I don't have any coin.
[Thus far, she hadn't found very many ways of making money. Not that she'd spent that much time looking -- the runes had kept her distracted enough.]
[Takasugi clicks his tongue, faux disappointment that the woman isn't interested in the warmth of alcohol. He'll just have to find another way to connect.
And it seems like money is the best route.]
I do. [He lets the implicit offer linger between a brag and an extended hand - because in small part it is both - before continuing.] I'll lend you some.
[Her laugh came out in a short puff, held back by incredulity. Certainly, she'd heard some illicit come-ons from the various bandits on Pandora, but those were the ramblings of mad men ready to be put out of her misery.
Not a rational man like this.
Not that she was sure that was what he was getting at. Perhaps he was like any other person on Pandora -- just interested in self-gain, maybe even a bit of revenge. That she could work with.
[Perhaps, had the woman offered a favor of such a quality, Takasugi might have considered it.
But he's closer to the breed of ruffian she's familiar with - interested in nothing beyond what benefits him.
And more than a bit of revenge.
Takasugi regards her caution stoically,] Ah.
I'm not in the market for firepower like that. [He answers her misunderstanding with his own - deliberate.] What I'm interested in is quite a bit bigger.
[Idly, his hand delves into his yukata to procure a small coin purse.]
[The bag of coins caught her attention, but she didn't let it deter her. Her eyes remained locked on the man, brows knitted together as she tried to figure out what he was getting at. Surely he wasn't so stupid as to think she was willing to give up what little firepower she had.
So what kind of game was he playing?]
You going to tell me what it is, or keep me guessing? [Whatever advantage his money might have given her, she was starting to think it wasn't worth the effort.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
branchandroot
Introlog, December
Date: 2017-12-13 05:09 am (UTC)Tim - Borderlands
Date: 2017-12-13 05:21 am (UTC)[Tim's statement was enough to soften Maya's expression just a touch, his apparent self-awareness being just enough to give her pause. She was far from cherubic picture of mirth, but at least she wasn't looking at him as if she were imagining popping his head off with a few bursts of her gun.]
Guess we're on the same page then.
[She crossed her arms over her chest, now loosening up just a hair. With the outright threat been alleviated for the time being, she could switch from being defensive to being curious.]
How does something like that happen then? [She motioned to his face] That's too alike to be natural.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-13 08:00 am (UTC)Okay, so here's the deal with the whole-- [He gestures at face height, just indicating everything that he's got going on up there.] --douchey mess here.
I had a lot of student loans and made some really poor life decisions, and now I'm one of Jack's body doubles. I have the face of an asshole and it's about as awful as you'd expect.
I'd really appreciate it if you didn't, like, try to shoot me for it or something.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-19 09:57 pm (UTC)But he hadn't tried to shoot her, and he seemed more skittish than anything. If he were Jack, none of those things would be true. The same could be said if he were one of his mindless devotees.]
If I wanted to shoot you, I would have done it already. [Particularly right after he admitted to working for Jack, in a roundabout way.]
Kind of a big leap though, going from... "student loans--" [She spoke the phrase as if they tasted like a skag urine pizza.] -- to selling your face and body.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-21 01:10 am (UTC)Not as big as you'd think.
[Especially because he didn't really agree to be Jack's double. He came in for an interview and ended up with another man's face with no memory of what happened in between.]
But, hey, I'm just gonna be over here not judging you for whatever motivated you to become a murderous bandit. Because I'm a nice person.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-24 05:47 am (UTC)Bandit. [Another snort.] You really are one of Jack's, aren't you?
[A few more tittering laughs escaped her, before she finally straightened up. Whatever amusement had settled into her features was quickly chased away by a dark and furious look.]
For someone who claims to be above his influence, you really don't know much about him. [She shook her head, anger still burning in her eyes.]
So. What did he tell you?
Rhys
Date: 2017-12-14 02:03 am (UTC)Problems? [The disdain was clear on her face. Problems sounded like a handful of engineers, maybe even basic Loaders. Problems didn't come anywhere attempted murder on several occasions or the shelling of a safe haven.
And it certainly didn't compare to a dead siren or commander.]
I assume this is the part where I fall to my knees apologizing because you had 'problems' during your adventures? [She scoffed] I think I'll skip that.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-15 05:31 am (UTC)I can go somewhere else at anytime and take my awesome brain with me!
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-19 10:03 pm (UTC)There were two options -- pulling out her gun and forcing him to continue, or playing nice. On Pandora, the answer would have been simple. The rules in this world seemed to be different, though, and she wasn't about to take an even bigger risk in order to compromise for a smaller one.
The anger faded, giving way to a thin-lipped, but otherwise neutral, expression.]
Fine. You deserve credit for finding a vault. Congratulations.
Zer0
Date: 2017-12-14 02:21 am (UTC)I met him. [An impish smile spread over her lips, one that was only slightly subdued and didn't quite reach her eyes.]
I told him he had the face of an asshole. [A snort.] You are correct though, he seems decent enough.
Re: Zer0
Date: 2017-12-14 11:11 pm (UTC)[Normally Zer0 likes a good challenge, but when it involves not stabbing someone with Jack's face? That's asking a lot.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-19 09:58 pm (UTC)[Don't worry, Zer0, she understands your pain.]
Anyone else I should be aware of?
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-20 03:46 am (UTC)If you haven't heard, / Angel is here too. Somehow. / ...I don't question it.
[He doesn't get exactly how or why there are people here now that were kind of not alive at all back home. It sucks in Jack's case? But it's not really all bad. Just really weird and sometimes really awkward.]
There's someone else from Pandora as well. Don't think you know him, though.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-24 05:40 am (UTC)Instead, everything felt wrong.]
Was she afraid of you, too?
[Maya caught her hand shifting, as if she were attempting to hold herself, and quickly thrust it down to her side. Not here, not in front of her friend.]
You mean the one who dresses like he's from Aquator and thinks he's a vault hunter?
[Yes, please, let's focus on him instead of Angel.]
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-24 07:29 pm (UTC)[Honestly, Zer0 sort of had been unsure too. It was just a weird situation all around, but now that some time had passed, things seemed to be working out.
But yes, let's talk about that one weenier guy. Good times.]
Ahh, yeah. That's Rhys. Sounds like you've met.
[Is there a story PLEASE TELL IT]
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-25 05:39 am (UTC)Instead, she cracked a devious grin that didn't qite reach her eyes, and shoved her doubts to the back of her mind.]
He told me that Jack harassed him on the way to find a traveling vault. Sounded pretty unbelievable to me. Got very upset when I insinuated as much.
[And then she had shut up in order to protect her research. You know, as you do.]
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-25 09:01 pm (UTC)I can vouch for him. / The Vault of the Traveler, / That monster was huge.
...The Jack part doesn't add up, though. This was after we took him down.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-25 11:25 pm (UTC)You killed a vault monster and didn't tell me? [She huffed in a poor attempt at being playful.] I'm hurt.
[Jack's involvement was interesting, though. Even if it had been before they'd managed to kill him, surely he wouldn't have been able to keep his mouth shut about a second Vault.
Then again, he'd managed to trick them a number of times.]
Maybe it's one of Nakayama's clones? Though... those were far from Jack-like, weren't they?
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-26 10:50 pm (UTC)Sorry. It was kind of spur of the moment.
[He totally would have invited the squad if there'd been time, shit would have been so tight.]
If there were Jack clones, / I think we'd have heard of it. / I'll have to ask him.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-28 07:14 am (UTC)[The threat in her voice was betrayed by the upturned corner of her lips. Like hell she would go into a fight without Zer0.]
Better you than me. I think I might have scared him. Or at least made him jealous.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-29 12:12 am (UTC)Interesting. He's never seemed afraid of me.
[Then again, Zer0's not a badass siren, maybe it's that. Yeah it's totally that.]
Takasugi - Gintama
Date: 2017-12-14 02:35 am (UTC)We have little in common then. [The only liquor she'd ever particularly enjoyed was a world away, and she wasn't about to taste around trying to find an alternative. It sounded like an easy way to end up having a bad day.]
That's the problem though -- I don't have any coin.
[Thus far, she hadn't found very many ways of making money. Not that she'd spent that much time looking -- the runes had kept her distracted enough.]
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-20 03:39 am (UTC)And it seems like money is the best route.]
I do. [He lets the implicit offer linger between a brag and an extended hand - because in small part it is both - before continuing.] I'll lend you some.
You can pay me back with a favor.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-24 05:36 am (UTC)Not a rational man like this.
Not that she was sure that was what he was getting at. Perhaps he was like any other person on Pandora -- just interested in self-gain, maybe even a bit of revenge. That she could work with.
Even so, she slid back a step, eyes narrowing.]
I do have a gun, you know.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-28 01:38 am (UTC)But he's closer to the breed of ruffian she's familiar with - interested in nothing beyond what benefits him.
And more than a bit of revenge.
Takasugi regards her caution stoically,] Ah.
I'm not in the market for firepower like that. [He answers her misunderstanding with his own - deliberate.] What I'm interested in is quite a bit bigger.
[Idly, his hand delves into his yukata to procure a small coin purse.]
(no subject)
Date: 2017-12-29 05:56 am (UTC)So what kind of game was he playing?]
You going to tell me what it is, or keep me guessing? [Whatever advantage his money might have given her, she was starting to think it wasn't worth the effort.]