maskormenace | 004 ☄ VIDEO

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004 ☄ VIDEO

I—had everything. Right at my fingertips—

[Rhys' hands are being held up roundabouts the center of his chest, palms to the heavens, fingers curled halfway in. He clutches at air, unable to hold onto what he really wants, because now it's at least light years away. Again. That chair. That view. All of it, lost. And he's back in this place he once saw as a source of solace, but it's more like a fucking hellhole that should be obliterated off the face of the universe.

He's a little upset. The fear is back. The pain in his head from when he knocked it at the Swear-In 'last month.' Who understands time, anyway?]

And it's gone. Whoosh. All of it. Every last drop of success—all of it.

[Never has a man been more distraught. He sucks in a deep breath, smoothes one hand over the back of his head, and gives his comm a deadly sullen look.]

I'm back.

[The weakest, least excited fingergun pointing at you, kid. Bang bang.

A heavy sigh.]

Yaaaaay.

[So. Very dry.]

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The fall's the hardest part, kiddo.

[A lengthy pause.]

You...

[Not him. Other him.]

I feel like I should thank you, but you would have no idea why.

No, but I can guess.

[Chin resting in his hand, he taps at his temple, a gesture at Rhys' port.]

It's so cute that you can still have humility after sitting in the big chair. You're such a well rounded little sunnuvabitch, aren't cha?

[Hand reaches up to smack at the side of his own forehead, like he's sure there's still the chair's 'arm' plugged in, but no. Nothing. Jack made a good guess is all. He can't even be (very) annoyed.]

You're... taking this better than I expected.

[He didn't expect anything until Jack was the first one to strike up a conversation, and then it hit him that brag-a-complaining could've waited.]

[There's a small chuckle, something between solemn and sinister.]

Possessiveness is corrosive like acid, and I can feel it bubbling - but there are so few ways you could possibly sit in that throne, and I know well enough that whatever happened?

Was because I needed it to.

[A moment where he stares at something off camera, considering.]

I know I've said this before, but maybe you need to hear it again-- where I come from? You're a hologram. You--

[Someone? Has a little backbone after everything he's been through.]

--need me. So, yeah, Jack. It's all coming up us. You.

And.

Me.

[Also he's in Florida and he's pretty sure Jack isn't so that's a fair buffer.]

[There is a moment, where instead of respect, all Rhys triggers is all the selfishness and the gross monstrosity that is the core of his being that longs to scream out and destroy. But Jack is veeeery good at coping and translating this into something that he perceives as healthier.

And the look of murder in his eyes lingers as the glower gives way to sickeningly boisterous laughter.]

Did you forget?! [And across the wireless stream, touching just the code on Rhys' comm where no one else can see, he corrupts the image of the video, flashing scan lines, yellow, blue, and error messages. Just visual tricks right now to intimidate.]

I can step inside your brain and play games any time I want.

[That assumption is so wrong and Jack knows just where to look for Rhys. GPS is a wonderful thing, pumpkin.]

[Holy overreaction, non-trademarked Ferretman. Rhys leans away from his screen as it glitches and jitters. He wouldn't be so spooked if it wasn't Handsome Jack causing the disturbance; Rhys knows how to fix broken code and machinery alike. What he can't do is help it if Jack is becoming aggravated with him for all the wrong reasons.

They're partners now-- or, they will be. Some version of Jack and this Rhys. He doesn't have to be so--]

You don't have to get defensive with me!

[Slightly shrill. Also, does Jack realize none of this is encrypted right now?]

[For once, Jack is all reaction and no foresight. He thought he could be calm about this but the reality is that it burned enough to lose everything he had but to hear that someone else had that view, could graze their fingers over his desk, could gaze upon... that picture...

For someone else to have his power rested on their shoulders and then to DARE group them together into a like being... There's more of that laugh, holding back a barely contained roar.]

I! Am Handsome Jack, and I don't NEED ANYONE! Hologram? Sure, I might remember something about a project like that, but guess what, buddy? Not all roads lead down the same path, and you can bet that one wrong step and your ass would have been just another pile of meat sliding down a wide hole, ripping and gnashing at your bones and flesh until every pulpy sinew was indecipherable from all the other fools who thought they could rest their heads upon the pillow of my throne.

So be careful when you say us, Rhys. Because I'm not convinced that you and I are two-of-a-kind yet. [Anyone can play with a computer, Rhys, and who knows? Maybe you played games with that hologram - but even if. Even if you're that good with code, be aware that Jack is better.]

[Rhys says nothing for a time. He swelters in the slurry of the words, at one point raising a hand with one finger slightly raised above the others, less sure of themselves, but Jack carries on. He paints a gruesome image that tugs at the threads of memory Rhys yet carries of the hallucinations the fear toxin had him bear witness to. A Jack that would love to see him swallowed up in machinery and would laugh at each bite of the gears.]

If that's how you really see it, Jack... there's one thing you should know.

[His eye glows blue as he downloads a recording of their conversation. ECHO gear's coo' like that.]

You didn't encrypt this.

[ fuck

The rage fades into sober desperation. He's screwed, he knows it. In one swift moment, anyone that could be watching, that would be watching, would know about the deeper parts of his nature, all because of one stupid little rookie mistake that he made. Because he let his temper get the better of him.

Because his possessiveness and jealousy got in the way of his clarity.]

Look - [Insert apology he'll never say] I get it. I had no reason to say those things.

It's just hard for me sometimes, coming from the place that I come from. Me, before all the badass shit that people worship me for happened? It wasn't a good place to be in. It did things to me as a person.

And I know that doesn't give me a right to be shitty, but c'mon. Rhys. Rhysie. Buddy. Throw a guy a bone here. [He knows what you did with that. He's got his little hack in there, working behind the scenes. But he doesn't want to have to take action on this. He wants Rhys to see his side.]

I don't need you to like me.

[Quiet voice, and Rhys can't-- nor does he see a reason to-- hide that the truth of it disappoints him. He spent far too long wanting Handsome Jack's positive attention to feel all that swell about the negative. But if this is how it's gonna be, he has to face it directly.]

And I can stop bragging about finally bagging my dream job. But I'm saying this for you-- take a yoga class. Do some meditation. Because Hyperion doesn't mean anything to anyone out here. Which blows.

Hard.

[Especially now that he's prez.]

And I'll... get out of your hair.

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004 ☄ VIDEO

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slams into private so freaking fast, 80% encryption

so very private