overjoyed_logs | another set of issues (closed)

Entry tags:

another set of issues (closed)

Who: Handsome Jack + Angel
Where: Angel's Bunker (Westerley)
When: W3D6
Summary: Dear old dad is paying a visit
Restrictions/Warnings: May contain themes of (emotional) abuse since Jack isn't winning any father of the year awards

[ The best kept secret on Westerley was the one that no one would ever expect.

Out in the badlands, strange things happen. They're the kind of strange that tends to go relatively unnoticed, since the badlands are where things simply don't exist. Even the Company doesn't care much to tread their and enforce their rule, because it's hardly worth it. But strangest among them was the rare, occasional rumor of seeing a notorious face. If it were anyone else, it might be dismissed as a case of mistaken identity, but no one really mistook Handsome Jack. But when those rumors appeared, they were always quickly quieted. Considering his reputation, it was easy to assume he was out to hunt someone down, go digging for information, something. As such, when those rumors appeared, they tended to disappear just as quickly under assumptions of what he was doing.

It suited Jack well.

There was a secret here, and it was his most precious and valuable one. It was the secret to his success and to his future, and it was also heavily guarded. It'd taken years to do it properly, since he'd taken some old husk of some structure left behind and forgotten, and he'd used every bit of Joy and every piece of expertise he had to build nothing short of a bunker. Most people didn't know that Handsome Jack was extremely skilled with engineering and tech, and he'd absolutely keep it that way. He places his hand on a scanner, then leans close to a microphone to murmur a few, soft words: ]

"I love you."

[ The system makes a tone to indicate accepting the password, and Jack pulls his hand away from the scanner to slip inside. It's still a short walk down to where Angel lives and works, but as he always tends to, Jack announces himself. Loudly. He doesn't really do 'quiet.' ]

Angel, baby? You here? Hah, who am I kidding, of course you are! Whatever, look, I brought you some stuff.

[ He takes the last few steps down the stairs, smiling warmly once he sees Angel. He doesn't get to come visit her as often as he'd like, but he'd at least like ot think that makes these visits more precious and important. Considering the rumors that that friggin' virus is about to hit Westerley with a vengeance, he wants to come see his daughter face to face before he might not be able to for a while. ]

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[These are the days that Angel both dreads and looks forward to the most, the ones where Jack comes to see her in person.
Its easier dealing with Jack --dealing with everything-- when he's just a voice and a screen. It offers a level of detachment that angel can accept, one that's impossible to ignore when he's here in the flesh. A reminder of what they've both become.
But... he's also her dad. And that alone brings comfort to a deep longing that she pushed down and out of mind a long time ago. When he visits, that small sliver of hope for the father he once was is always rekindled for a moment, and she hangs on to it with everything she's got.]

[Today she smiles back.]

Hello, Jack.

Edited 2017-01-24 01:56 (UTC)

[ As soon as Jack sees her smile, it's so sappy, and he knows it, but it's like his world is a little brighter. He doesn't come to see Angel in person as much as he wants to, but in his mind, it's because he can't. The more he comes out here, the stranger it would be. He doesn't want anyone to go digging, because even though he's making a target of himself, he'd never forgive anyone trying to involve Angel in it. Naturally, he's blind to the fact that she's already a part of all his activities because she's helping further his own goals.

He starts to take off the rucksack that he always brings, because in the badlands, it looks like something needed to survive out here, but it's really just stuffed to the brim with whatever he decides to bring Angel. It's part of her leash, in that way, because there are very, very few people that even know that Angel is here, and even then, Jack would only let his body double take care of this duty, and only in an emergency. To Jack, it's protection, but there's a control and reliance that he refuses to acknowledge if he sees it at all. ]

Hey, sweetheart— How're you feeling?

[ He tosses the bag onto a sleek, stainless steel table with an oof of effort, but before he unpacks it, he'll come the rest of the way to come meet her first. As soon as he's close enough, he places a hand on her shoulder and gives it a little squeeze that's fond, but also... distant. He's always this way, with any further affection tending to be the exception rather than the rule. ]

Wanted to come out and see you, since, uh, well, kinda thinkin' that quarantine is about to come park itself right on Westerley. Whiiich you probably know, but, hey, means I brought you extra. And my back is killing me. [ He laughs at his own joke and draws his hand away, and he looks at her in a way that's nothing short of a proud father ] But, hey. Totally worth it, right?

[If you take Angels general state of being out of the equation...]

No worse than yesterday...

[Angel eyes the rucksack as Jack shrugs it off, following its movement all the way to the table.

Angel's days are incredibly routine based: wake up from a short and dreamless sleep (if she slept at all), check in on all her current uplinks and hacked cameras, drink a nutrition smoothie, organize information and contact those who've been assigned to her watch, sleep for an hour and start all over again. Jack being here breaks that cycle, him bringing something with him doubly so. So naturally her curiosity is peaked by it, to the point where she forgets formalities to ask outright, gesturing to the bag.]

What'd you bring?

Edited 2017-01-25 08:11 (UTC)

[ There's open sympathy in his gaze for a moment, since he'd definitely like a better answer than that, but he's at least quickly distracted. When she asks, Jack smiles and pulls away to head over to the bag. ]

I am glad you asked!

[ There's already a showiness in how he says that, and it follows through with the animated way he starts to unpack. With each item, he shows it off to her like he was an assistant on a game show giving her some kind of luxurious prize instead of the basic necessities. ]

Weeee have all the basics here, which are less exciting, toiletries, food—though that one's actually pretty good, your medicine, and some sweet stuff I found for you since the last time I came and visited. So. Food or cool surprises first? But here's a spoiler: one of the surprises is actually related to the food part.

[Angel takes a moment to consider. A surprise could mean...anything, and and even though Jack always phrased them as something she'd like, that wasn't always the case. Sometimes they were genuinely good, an unexpected trinket from the world outside, an upgrade to her augments to make things more comfortable, and so on, but just s often they were something unpleasant. After all, the situation she found herself in now had been one of his surprises.]

[She guesses she's getting it either way, so better to get it over with and hope for the best.]

Uhm...the surprise first.

[ It's what he would have picked, personally, so he's pretty glad to reach into his bag and start to pull out... Quite a few things, actually. There are tools, screws, pieces of plastic and metal, and all together, it's nothing that really looks like anything.

At least, not now, which is the point. This one isn't quite an immediate surprise, since he wasn't able to bring it fully constructed. ]

This, sweetheart, is gonna be your new best friend! Kinda- Okay, kiiiinda borrowed it without any intention of returning it from an R&D guy, but, hey, he owed me a favor, so. Whatever. Also, do you know how hard it is to keep secrets from you, baby? I had to go super offline to make sure it'd be a surprise!

[ He pulls out something that looks like a small motor, then gestures to it with a flourish. ]

So! When I'm done building it, this is gonna let you have any food you want! With, uh, within reason, anyways. I'll still have to bring you the basic material for it, but you're gonna be surprised at how well it works. It's a 3D printer, but for food. And they taste pretty good! I made some pretzels with it, and hell, you couldn't tell the difference at all. So! No more having to make a grocery list for me! Since I never get the right things anyways.

[ Probably because he rushes through it last minute and doesn't really pay attention, but. ]

[Well that's...not at all what she was expecting, so good job being surprising. She's also relieved that it's something fairly innocuous, thoughtful even.]

Thank you, Jack. How does it work?

[And then she realizes]

Can I interface with it?

[ He seems pleased by her gratitude, and it's easy to see how he almost puffs up proudly at having stolen something that (he thinks) she likes. Or it's at least helpful, which is close enough. He continues unpacking everything else, which is much more mundane, but still necessary. ]

Oh, y'know, same was as your standard printer, but this baby has some high tech stuff goin' on! We're talking synthesis of all the stuff that makes up food. There's some things it can't really do that well, like, uh, don't go crazy with making dishes or anything, but individual stuff? No problem. I'll just have to bring you the raw materials, but that's easy. Got blackmail on a supplier for days!

[ He's so proud of himself and casual about it all at once, largely because this doesn't come with any sacrifices of his own. ]

And I dunno, probably? Like- What can't you interface with? That's the better question at this point, right? But, nah, yeah, I'm pretty sure you can. If not I'll just mod it for you, but I'll have to do that next time I come visit.

[Of course the "thoughtful" part only went so far...Angel is used to this though, that nothing is given without Jack's gain. At least she can admit that this gift is pretty neat, nutritional smoothies don't taste particularly great after all.]

[As she watches him unpack she doubles back to the formalities she skipped in her curiosity.]

How has your health been? This illness going around isn't just some common cold and some of my contacts have already fallen to it

[ There is a brief moment where his movements pause and falter, but he's quick to look at her with a wide, warm smile. It's not quite fake, but this is definitely more Jack refusing to show any weakness in front of his daughter. He wants to be her hero without fault, and that pride extends even to sickness. ]

Great! I've even been working out more and not eating, uh, crap. Like you suggested. That sickness is pretty bad, sounds like, buuuut no problem on Westerley.

[ Though it's a danger and he knows it. In fact, it's probably only a matter of time before someone comes through Intake with it, but he tries not to think of that. ]

Fallen meaning dead or just out of commission for the time being?

[Angel considers him thoughtfully. Jack is probably the most resilient person she knows of, and from an immediate perspective seems invincible in a lot of ways, but she knows this can't be true, not fully. Once she thought differently, but these days she knows a man is just a man, human like the rest of them, and no amount of pride or bravado will make someone immune to incapacitation or...death.

What would she do if--- no, Jack isn't sick, not yet, she doesn't have to worry yet, everything will be fine.]

Please, take extra care of yourself right now. I'm still working on finding you an appropriate assistant for health needs, but in the meantime I'll keep a close eye on how quickly this seems to be spreading.

No one has died, my contacts or otherwise, but all symptoms so far seem pretty...unpleasant, with no reports of them getting any better.

Yeah, yeah, I will...

[ His tone shifts to be almost petulant, and he waves a hand dismissively in response to her concerns. Angel has a right to be worried, because Jack's bravado is for show, but the problem is, he also believes it. He's mildly concerned about the spread of the illness, but not truly concerned enough to do anything about it. He could get sick, sure, but it's not like he'd die or anything. Like, how lame of a way would that be to die? Not for him. When he dies, it's going to be way more badass than that. ]

Yeah, you hearing anything about just what the hell this is, by the way? I know it's got the rich assholes super concerned, which ehhhhhh my sympathy is pretty low lately, but... Whatever. How're they doing on a cure? Probably have a fire under 'em to get that done ASAP.

[Angel furrows her brows, but turns back to her screen to pull up some of the data she's collected on the matter.]

Nothing concrete... solid information is being lost within the panic. Though from what I've seen by its spread and timing it's most likely a planned attack. No word on a cure yet, but considering who the target victims are I'm sure something is well under way.

Had a hunch that it was something like that. We, uh, we don't really get natural epidemics in the Quad.

[ With the bag empty, Jack starts to carry some of the essentials over to their desginated spots. That's something he's chosen, naturally, because despite his chaotic personality, he values order enough to insist on things like this. Though it does also help him do something while he thinks this through, which is always better for him. He doesn't exactly like resting, even while holding a conversation... ]

Well, anything comes through your channels about that cure, lemme know. I'll see about calling in a few favors to grab a few. [ He pauses, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand, but it rolls into a casual, dismissive shrug. ] Y'know. Just in case, or whatever.

[ He's still dismissive, but maybe he's taking her words to heart? Or maybe he's just thinking it through in terms of how having a few cures laying around wouldn't be a bad thing. He could always send it to the relatively well-to-do of Westerley. And of course, there is the chance Tim could get sick, which would honestly suck. So, you know. Totally not for him. ]

[Jack's made it pretty clear that he's not going to budge much further on this, despite her insistence. once Jack has made up his mind it generally stays that way, she'll just have to hope for the best.

As Jack makes his way around the room Angel taps her fingers against the armrest of her chair, channeling her nervous energy as she tries to think of what to change the subject to, to get away from thoughts of Jack dying on her--]

I have some good news, at least, the Operation has been put into motion.

[ The change of topic works perfectly, because Jack immediately perks up. He's still putting things away, but he looks back over his shoulder at her with an excited grin. ]

Oh, man, seriously? That's- That's awesome, baby!

[ His praise is quite genuine there, though as with so many things with Jack, it's not quite for Angel herself. It's for him, because it's his plan and his operation, and Angel is just a part of it helping do the legwork. But, still. It puts him back in a good mood, which is always the better place to be with Jack. ]

What's next on the agenda, then? I— Okay, well, no, I've got like no time, but I will make time.

[Angel brings up the file for The Big Plan, scrolling through information as she relays it off to Jack]

First is gaining their trust to let me into one, or multiple systems they have access to but the company lacks full clearance on. For now, Kate Bishop seems to be the most willing to help, John Steinbeck and Damian Wayne seem much more wary of me, though Damian has asked less questions then John.

Once I'm installed onto their private networks, I can get a better idea on what both the RAC and with any luck, what the resistance is planning. Even if I can't get the latter directly, Kate seems like she will be easy enough to gain information fr-

[Before she can finish her sentence she's hit by a wave of sharp pain, running up her spine and into her head. This isn't a new sensation for her, the headaches have been a plague ever since her first operation, but some are worse then others. This one causes her whole body to stiffen, screwing her eyes shut as she bares through it.]

Edited 2017-02-01 21:03 (UTC)

[ Jack listens as she explains quietly, but there's a clear, easily seen delight. This is exactly the kind of thing he needs, and this is exactly why he'd figuring giving Angel those cybernetic implants would be a great idea. It saved her life, but it was also a win-win of letting him look into things he'd never been able to before. He's not a bad hacker himself, but he knows he's nothing compared to Angel. He feels incredibly proud of that, though the line between whether he's proud of Angel or proud of himself is a very thin one.

Though as soon as Angel cuts herself off, he turns from his organization to look her way. He's curious at first why she stopped, but seeing how her eyes close and her posture stiffens, he quickly abandons the work at hand to rush over to her side. He knows this well by now, and so there's a familiarity here. He places both of his hands on her shoulders as he stands behind her, and he gives them a light squeeze to let her know he's here. ]

Woah, woah, take it easy, sweetheart...

[ He leans over her shoulder to look at her as if that'll help him judge how bad this headache is. ]

It's, uh- A little early, but d'you wanna take your meds now?

[She tenses further at the touch, since Jack's immediate presence stopped being a comfort to her a long time ago, but nods sharply.]

[ Someone more perceptive might make that connection, but Jack? Jack absolutely doesn't. He feels that tension under his hands and assumes it's from pain, so he barely waits for her nod. He jogs back to what he's brought, grabbing her medicine first. He turns the eridium over in his hands almost nervously as he returns to her, but it's just because he doesn't like seeing Angel in pain. The reason why is... Perhaps not what it should be. But he never meditates on that, even now. ]

Here you go, sweetheart.

[ Did. Did we ever decide how she takes this?? whatever jack will help and hover regardless ]

[Angel turns over her arm, skin on the underside so pale from lack of sunlight that it's practically translucent, so that Jack can properly administer the pen shaped syringe he currently holds. Sure, the drip feed she receives in his absence sustains her in the interim, but the full dose is always withheld until visits.

As the pain states to subside, she's grateful enough to be able to relax again that despite everything there's not hesitance when she says]

Thank you.

Yeah, you're welcome.

[ The way he says it is borderline dismissive, but largely just hurried as if he's trying to cut through niceties to get to his point. Still, it's probably not the best tone to use. ]

That happening any more often than usual? I- Uh, I mean, not like I'm a doctor or anything, but if it's getting worse I'll fix it.

[ Though that's an empty promise, as it usually is. Jack easily speaks in absolutes, but whenever he offers something like this, it always runs into the same wall. He would have to bring someone more knowledgeable to her, and those more knowledgeable people he can't kill without someone noticing and caring. ]

[When Jack's concern for her became more perfunctory than earnest Angel doesn't know, it's just another bullet point in a long list of things Angel can't afford to dwell on, what's in front of her now is what she has.]

It's happening more than at the start, but not by a large margin. I'll be okay.

Maybe you could leave a couple of extra doses with me, just in case.

[ His frown stays in place, but it deepens slightly at her suggestion. Jack takes a step back and rubs at the back of his neck uncertainly, and it also comes with a reluctant "ehhhh" kind of noise. From that alone, it's not hard to guess what his general feelings on the matter are, but it's at least not a hard "no." ]

Well— I dunno, baby. Y'know I don't like leaving too much with ya.

[ He doesn't elaborate on why, and he won't. He never has, but the easy assumption is that it's a way to control her, and maybe that he doesn't trust her with it. Being the only source means he has an excuse to visit frequently. ]

Maybe- Maybe it's time to up the dosage instead? I can look into it.

[She doesn't know what she'd been hoping for- well she does, but she doesn't know why she had even bothered to broach the question. She knows even the smallest amount of independence when it comes to Jack tends to be given, not asked for.

The headaches are getting bad, but the solution is cyclical: take medication for the pain, be denied a proper amount of sleep by side effect (not that Jack lets her get much sleep in the first place), become stressed and get headaches, take medication for the pain, and so on.

What would be the byproduct of a higher dose be? It scares her, so she gives a small non-committal shrug. She's not getting what she initially wanted anyways.]

Maybe.

[ He gives her a small pat on the shoulder as she seems to let it go. It's a mild encouragement for doing so, because even if Jack isn't intentionally hurting her (or at least not in this particular way), he's still glad for one less headache of his own. He's eternally selfish, even when it comes to his own daughter. ]

Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll figure something out. Always have, right?

[ And naturally, he'll also use her to bolster his own ego... But he does at least offer: ]

Tell you what, though— Leaving multiple, ehhhhh, that worries me, but one? We can do one. I'll get an extra for an emergency kinda thing.

[ It's more then she was hoping for so naturally she'll take it, because it's still something, it's still some control. She makes sure to smile at him when she nods and says]

I really appreciate it.

Edited 2017-03-17 06:11 (UTC)

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another set of issues (closed)

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