maskormenace | [001] Video

[ The video starts with Rick sitting there on the edge of his bed, staring at the camera with an uncertain intensity. His brows furrow, the corner of his lip turns downward, and after a minute or two he breaks his silence. ]

Don't know if this thing is recording. Supposed to put me in touch with everyone out there, ain't it?

[ He rubs at some unseen tension on his face. ]

'Cause I've been watchin' this network. Watchin' everyone talking. Making their posts. Goin' on like this ain't no big deal bein' in this world...

[ His eyes narrow. ]

You all act like you're friendly. You have your parties and celebrations. You pretend like things are okay... [ He thinks, for just a moment, of Verity. Verity in near tears at the Swear In after being bathed in so many untruths. ]

And you lie. Not just to the world, but to yourselves.

'Cause I've seen it. What it is you become. I seen it when you take away everything, the things you'll do just to survive.

And it ain't fancy parties or ice cream sundaes. It ain't even a whole bottle of whiskey.

[ Rick's jaw sets together for a moment. ]

But it don't have to be like that. We can fight it. This world -- they think they can control us. But we can take it from them. We can make it our own. We're the ones who got the power. They'll try to use us, manipulate us, lie to us. They'll even try to kill us. But they can't do none of that unless we let 'em. 'Cause if we don't fight, we die.

And I know I'm not the only one who sees it the way it is.

[ He holds up his wrist -- bearing the UNSETTLED tattoo. ]

Guess what I wanna know -- what 'm askin' is who else out there gets it? 'Cause so far all I seen are people who don't.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Only a matter of time before Rick breaks the communicator. ]

Seem more like you're tryin'a pry. What about your world? If you wanna talk about it, it's a two way street.

[Aw, but then they can't talk anymore. Also jokes on you, these things are indestructible.]

I don't mind, what about my world?

[ There's always in person. All the better to punch you in the face if needed, you beautifully bizarre creature you. ]

What's it like? Guessin' it ain't apocalyptic. Guessin' if it was, you wouldn't be talkin' to me the way you were talkin'.

[Do it, do it. Can he ask any more desperately? Though it's possible a meeting in person could make Hisoka uninterested completely, then hey, you don't have to deal with him anymore, so good, right?]

A guess it is.

No, it's not, quite hospitable, but with it's problems. Though we're only aware of a small part of the world, perhaps thew rest of it is something more your speed?

[ Such a fickle guy! ]

Then you probably fit right in to this place. Signed right up for the free government housing and aid, didn't you?

[Sure is.]

It took a little time, and a few months of rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation for what?

For not assimilating well of course. I was rather naughty when I first arrived.

[ Well, this sure sounds like the path Rick might be following....so a little less antagonistic than before: ]

What happened? What'd you do? And what was the punishment for it?

That's a little personal, we haven't even formally met.

[Aren't secrets fun?]

[Maybe Hisoka's just embarrassed by it, okay?]

[...PFFTTHAAAHAHAhA ha. Yeah. Embarrassed.]

[ What. An. Ass. ]

Bet I could find out if I looked hard enough. My son says you can look back on old stuff on this thing.

[ A gesture to the communicator. See. Rick knows about advanced technology.

...he totally won't be asking Carl how to do it later. ]

But you could go on now and confess. Save me the trouble.

[ Such a cop. ]

[That tends to be the general consensus, yes.]

I imagine you could, but you'd snoop to make friends? Do you normally bully people when you first meet them? How mean~

I'd snoop [ Finger quotes ] to find out what your deal is. An' if you're dangerous to me and my son.

...Your son?

-How lucky for you.