Victory Road IC Contact

[fuelthefire]

You have reached the voicemail inbox of Krieg the Psycho.

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[fuelthefire]

[It's a strange and uncomfortable dichotomy, talking about his least favorite person to his favorite. He hates it, hates it, that even after all of these months, and after how many years before that, Jack still has this power over her. The fact that he can still make her question, still make her hope, when there's nothing left to question and no hope left to be had, has Krieg seeing red. He wants to rant and rage - she doesn't deserve this, she deserves better than this. How can she move forward when Jack refuses to stop dragging her back?

He focuses on the slight weight of her slender form, pressed snug and close against him, and on the pressure of her two small, delicate hands holding carefully to his large, calloused one. Screaming and shouting won't do any good, here; there's no one to scream and shout at. He takes a long, deep breath and lets it out slowly, letting his gaze drift downward to their joined hands.]

No.

[It's natural to want your family, isn't it? He's pretty sure it is. That doesn't make anyone bad, it just makes them human.

He curls his fingers - carefully - around hers, applying the lightest pressure in response to her tight squeeze.]

...But you deserve better.

[Better than slavery and abuse, gaslighting and manipulation and imprisonment and slag and starvation.]

[brokencode]

I know.

[Her doubts often seemed all-encompassing, but never once did she believe she didn't deserve better than what she had been given. Yes, those thoughts drifted often to wishing her father was better, but at least the sentiment was there. She may have gotten caught up in believing a great many of Jack's lies, but the one she couldn't swallow as the one that insisted that her pain was a necessary one.]

I have better.

[The rough skin against her own, the warmth against her side... Even if Athena and Janey hadn't shown up and rescued them, even if she hadn't met Anders, Angel would automatically have better. The favoritism in their relationship was not one-sided, of everyone she had met in Johto, Krieg was her most beloved. She had a great number of doubts about what had happened to her over the years, but the one thing she didn't question was the psychos devotion to her.]

[Nor did she question her own devotion to him.]

[Adding in the women and friends she had come across? There was no question that this was what she needed. Perhaps she longed for a time when Jack was part of her life, but if she had to choose between the two, she would pick the family that she had made.]

You are better.

[fuelthefire]

[He's quiet for several moments as he allows himself time to process her words, though even before he's fully taken their meaning one corner of his mouth is edging upward in a crooked smile. Then there's a warmth in his belly and a tightness in his chest, and it feels so good it actually hurts just a little...which only makes it all the better.

There had been a time in his life, back on Pandora, when he'd known himself to be incapable of anything approaching normal human emotions - his past was gone, and in the present there had only been anger and violence and bloodlust.

But then he had met Maya, and her beauty, and strength, and kindness, had broken the rage machine, had cracked the wall in his mind and let the voice of reason through just enough so that he began to feel other things - worry, humor, happiness, sadness, hope, regret. Whenever he'd begun to feel overwhelmed by those emotions, there had always been a nearby bandit clan or some Hyperion toadies to slaughter, and so he'd managed to keep everything on a more or less even keel.

But then, inexplicably, he had been pulled here, away from his comrades into a strange land where very little made sense. The presence of the small chicken had been a blessing, had provided him somewhere to focus his easily distracted attention, and had allowed him to keep his feet on the ground even if he wasn't sure where to go. Before Angel had followed him, there had been far too many stretches of quiet where the voice in his head was far too loud. Once she'd arrived, however, and offered her friendship, her voice had been louder than the one in his head, and had immediately been the one one he preferred to listen to.

And when her voice says things like that...well.

He pulls his hand gently from hers so that he can turn toward her to wrap both his arms around her again. Maskless as he is, he presses his cheek to the top of her head, and wrinkles his nose very slightly at the gentle tickling sensation caused by her hair.]

Love you.

[It's not the first time he's uttered that phrase, although it is the first time he's said it to Angel. He's crooned the words before, jokingly, to all of the other Vault Hunters, but this is the first time he's said them with the conviction and intent they normally inspire. It's likely Angel knows already, but there's no reason not to say it aloud anyway, especially in the face of their preceding discussion.

It never hurts to be sure, after all.]

[brokencode]

[The embrace was a welcome one, though certainly all she expected out of him. It was one of the many charming quirks in their relationship -- she could talk for hours and he would listen patiently, while he would say little and Angel could interpret volumes. Words were virtually unnecessary between the two of them.]

[It was why when he spoke, what he said came as no surprise. They'd never said as much aloud to one another, but you simply didn't travel across foreign lands with someone you didn't feel strongly toward. Likewise, didn't trust someone you felt lukewarm about with your life. Their feelings, their mutual feelings were obvious enough.]

I love you. [She nestled her cheek against his chest, feeling the heavy pounding of the bass drum therein against her skin. This was safe. This was home, more than Pandora, more than the Inn itself. Whether they were beneath a strong roof or towering, dripping trees, she knew she would be safe.

[It was the kind of friendship she'd spent hours dreaming of.]

Thank you. [It was hard to choke out the words, between the wad of emotions gathering in her throat. She sniffed, hoping that the warmth in her eyes wouldn't spread down to her cheeks, and potentially onto Krieg's chest.]