#muse;; better get paid at the end of this (wilhelm)

[general-kalani]

{ @starvingtongue liked for a starter from Wilhelm the enforcer! }

Being alive was not a foreign feeling to Wilhelm. What was foreign was the imminent stench of betrayal. The abandonment.

His mind failed to cooperate for a few minutes but system warnings flashed.

Heavy damage sustained. Disconnection from lower legs.

It was hard for his memory to cooperate. To recognise that he wanted to access what happened before this. Then it clicked.

The fight with the Vault Hunters. They took him down. Nearly killed him if it wasn't for the fact he was... Meant to be a badass robot!

But here he was, staring at the sky as snow drifted down and touched what remained of his face.

He might as well-

[ UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONNECTION TO HYPERION COMMUNICATIONS ]

Oh it was just his luck...

That was probably why there was no rescue for him. It was time for him to get repaired, then continue the fight with those Vault Hunters.

Though the question lingered in the back of his mind. Why were they able to destroy part of his body, but before they weren't able to scratch him?

It was something he didn't want to think about. Something he didn't want to entertain the idea of. Something he was somehow terrified of hearing the answer to.

[adventures-written]

;; Headcanon ;; Borderlands + Trigun

I feel like these things can kinda go hand in hand? None of my Borderlands muses have Trigun verses because I see these places being “similar” enough to happen in the same verse, so to speak. They both have space travel to some degree and something could be said about how the people of Borderlands came to be VS Noman’s Land.

But for all intensive purposes, they exist together for my muses. It’s how Jack’s been able to torment Nick for so long. He found out about his orphanage and he’s taking full advantage of it.

So Plants in the Borderlands verse? Yes, but none of them know of/possess Plants or their tech. It’s something to be discovered by them and tapped into.

Which is why Handsome Jack knowing of Plants/Independents is a HORRIBLE idea. But I love it and I want it.

[almost-jack]

Sex, Drugs,&Space Chaos Ch. 2 (A Smutty Handsome Jack Adventure)

FInd more chapters on my AO3! https://archiveofourown.org/works/27921886/chapters/68380147

P.S. I friggen love comments, indulge me y’all

Chapter 2: A Push, a Pull, and a Twist

Rei arrived at Jack’s office promptly at 5. The room was enormous, with Jack’s desk at the far end on a raised platform in front of three massive windows overlooking a vast expanse of black space speckled with shimmering stars. Rei couldn’t help but smile to herself upon seeing the room; of course Jack would rule Hyperion from a stage.

Jack was lounging, feet up on his desk and a cigarette dangling between his fingers. A pair of unfamiliar people, clearly not Hyperion employees, were seated in front of him, drinks in hand. Jack was talking animatedly to a tall, lanky young man with slicked back hair and a cybernetic arm who was hovering at his side. This looked like less of a company meeting and more of small soiree, but Rei wasn’t complaining. Jack called out to her as she approached.

“Ah, good!  Tiny cartel boss, meet the vault hunters. Vault hunters, tiny cartel boss,” he said cheerfully.

Rei decided to ignore the jab about her height and flashed him a crooked smile, relieved that he seemed to be in a very good mood.

“Is that my new title? I dig it,” she mused. Jack winked at her appreciatively.

“Have a seat. Rhys, pour our friend here a drink. What are you drinking, sweetheart?”

“Uhh whiskey neat, I guess,” she said, lowering herself into a chair. The tall man nodded and descended the steps of the platform to rummage around in Jack’s mini bar.

“This is your ace-in-the-hole, Jack? Really? She’s gonna get killed real quick down on Pandora,” growled a huge, muscular, bearded man with excessive cybernetics seated next to her. A tall, regal looking black woman dressed in a white fur lined coat leaned against his chair, eyeing Rei with equal skepticism.

“That’s why, Wilhelm, my dear, she’s not going down there to clean up that bandit filth. You are. You’re the brawn, she’s the brains. You clear the way and Rei will do the rest,” said Jack.

“You know, uh, I grew up on Pandora. I’ve held my own in more than a few fights,” Rei said with a hint of indignation in her voice. Her hand subconsciously drifted under her lab coat to the holster on her hip. She had decided not to take any chances and come armed with a pistol.

Jack’s eyebrows shot up.

“Hmm, is that so? There was nothing in your file about Pandora…”

“I’m sure you realize there’s a lot about me that’s not in Hyperion’s database. Besides, it’s not exactly something I advertise around Helios. People seem to have a lot of… misconceptions about Pandora. Thanks,” she said, taking the drink that Rhys handed her. “So what exactly is it that you want me to do for you?”

Jack grinned and took a drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out in a crystal ashtray.

“So-ho-ho much, cupcake,” he said with a chuckle. “Let’s start with mining the hell out of that shithole planet Pandora. We’re going to gut it and pull out all the Eridium until it collapses in on it’s stupid little self, and you’re going to oversee it. Then you’re going to take all that sweet, sweet Eridium and figure out a way to charge me a vault key. And all those little bandits your lab buddies drugged and tortured until they became psychos? I want some of those, too. But obedient. I swear I’ll shoot them right between the friggin’ eyes if any of those little monsters so much as looks at me wrong. But that comes later.”

“And what about the moral implications of, you know, torture and destroying a planet and all that…?” asked Rei, peering at him over rim of her glass.

Jack looked at her blankly for a moment, then broke into peels of laughter.

“Really? Really? The ex-Pandoran drug lord is questioning my moral integrity? Or are you getting cold feet, here?” he said, cackling.

Rei wasn’t questioning Jack’s moral compass so much as trying to discern if he actually had one. She concluded that…well she still had no idea, not that it mattered much. Over the years Rei had learnt and re-learnt the same lesson; survival first, power second, morality…whenever it was convenient. It was how the Borderlands worked.

“So I’ll take that as permission to do whatever I need to do.”

“You’ve got a free pass, run wild! And kitten, I really can’t wait to what happens when I set you loose. All you have to do is sign-” he motioned towards Rhys, who pulled a piece of paper from a folder under his arm.  “Here,” said Jack, pointing to a blank line at the bottom of the page.

She liked the sound of that…complete freedom to do whatever questionable project her heart desired was all she had ever wanted. She took a sip of her drink feeling more at ease with Jack, optimistic that this situation might actually turn out well for her. Rei picked up the contract and began to skim it.

“Don’t bother reading it, cupcake. You either sign, or I give you a ten second head start before I start shooting,” said Jack, reaching for his own drink.

“Jack, darling, are you quite sure she’s trustworthy? Wilhelm and I have already proved our merit. Don’t you feel compelled to test our new comrade?” asked the expensive looking woman.

“Aurelia, your concern is adorable, really, it is,” Jack said, flashing her a charming, well-practiced smile. “But you don’t need to concern yourself with anything other than getting paid.”

“I don’t know about that,” she said, frowning.

“Speak for yourself,” grunted Wilhelm.

“So,” said Jack, pushing a pen towards Rei, “what’s it gonna be, darlin’? Are we going to be buddies, or do I need to blow your brains out?”

Rei couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Oh wow, thanks for the ultimatum. I’ll need a minute to think about that one,” she said sarcastically, picking up the pen.

“Ooh, mouthy. Very, cute, kitten,” he said, sneering down at Rei as she signed the contract. “Ok kiddos, now that you’re all acquainted, you’ve got work to do. Off you go,” said Jack, waving a hand towards the door.  

Aurelia reached out and straightened Jack’s collar before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Do be careful, dear. I would hate for anything else to happen to that handsome face,” she cooed. She turned and followed Wilhelm out. Rei put her glass down and turned to leave as well.

“Ah-ah-ah. Not you, Rei. We’ve got a couple more things to discuss,” Jack said, eyeing her with a wolfish, almost hungry expression.

“Yes sir,” she said, taking a seat in Wilhelm’s recently vacated chair. She noticed that Rhys remained quietly behind Jack, watching her with a hint of concern.

“Rhysie, go get me a sandwich,” Jack said, without turning to look at him.

Rhys paused a moment, looking at Jack wonderingly, then shrugged and left.

As soon as the metal doors slid shut behind Rhys, Jack stood and rounded the desk. He perched on the edge directly in front of Rei, legs spread wide and arms folded over his puffed out chest, obviously trying to intimidate her.

“Aurelia’s got a point, kitten. How do I know you’re trustworthy?”

“Well I did just sign a binding contract under threat of death, so there’s that.”

“Is it really enough, though? Don’t think I didn’t notice that you showed up armed, today.”

“But sir, you’re always armed. Can you really blame me?”

Jack leaned in, his face less than a foot from her own.

“So what, you were going to shoot me if I scared ya? Nah. You wouldn’t dare,” he said, reaching out to cup her chin. He tilted her head up, exposing her neck to him. Rei didn’t resist, partially out of fear…but more so because something hot and dangerous was brewing deep in her stomach.

“No, sir. I wouldn’t shoot you. I don’t think that would be in my best interest,” she said softly.

“Good,” he said with a chuckle. Jack grabbed her by the lapels of her lab coat and pulled her out of her chair, forcing her to stand between his legs. He lowered his head to her neck and brushed his lips against her jaw, making her shiver slightly. Rei could have sworn he was inhaling her scent like some sort of animal.

“I like you, Rei. I don’t want to have to get rid of you. Don’t make me do that, ok?” he murmured in her ear.

“You like what I can do for you. You barely know me,” corrected Rei, putting a hand on his chest and trying to push gently away from his grasp, but Jack didn’t yield.

“Do you always get so hands-on with your employees, or am I just lucky?” she quipped sharply, pushing against his chest in earnest. Jack let go and sat back, leaning on his hands.

“Sorry pumpkin, did I misread the situation? I thought we had a fun little thing going. I’m attractive…you’re attractive…You seem kinda into me. Your little neck would fit so perfectly in my hand,” Jack extended a large hand towards her neck, but paused, letting it fall back onto the desk. He began to drum his fingers impatiently against the dark, polished wood, clearly displeased with being forced to practice some self control.

“But we can keep this strictly professional if you want,” he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.

“Hmm. Not sure, boss. First you don’t trust me, then you want to fuck me…I think you need to make up your mind,” Rei said, dropping her hand from Jack’s chest to his thigh. She slid her hand slowly up his leg, inching closer to the subtle bulge growing under his zipper.

“Since when are those two things mutually exclusive?” Jack purred, tucking her long, chestnut hair behind her ear to reveal a thick, silver cuff in her cartilage. He grinned and tugged gently on the loop of metal, leaning in so his face was inches from hers.

There was a sudden thunder of gunshots outside Jack’s door, followed by screams. Jack jerked back, looking around wildly, then reached for the intercom next to his computer, slamming his fist down on the call button.

“RHYS! What the goddamn hell was that?!” he growled.

“Jack, you better get out here…we’ve got a situation,” Rhys’ panicked voice crackled over the intercom.

“Wait here, kitten,” he said, standing and attempting to adjust himself to hide his growing erection. Rei took a step back to let him pass, snickering to herself.

“I promise this is going to be far less funny to you later,” Jack said menacingly, towering over her, nearly a foot taller.

“Sure. Go get ‘em tiger.”

Jack glared at her for a moment, then turned on his heel, sprinting across the enormous room and through the great metal doors. Rei waited a moment, then quietly followed, stopping at the doorframe to peer at the commotion outside. There, in the middle of the hallway, stood a burly man in a Hyperion guard uniform, an enormous machine gun in one hand and Rhys’ neck in the other.

Rei’s stomach sank; the shooter was one of her plugs, specifically Ian Lynch, who she had instructed to watch her back since discovering Jack’s intense interest in her. But what the hell had happened? Some of her distributers were thugs, sure, but they knew better than to get violent inside Hyperion headquarters.

Jack advanced on the man slowly, gun drawn, face twisted with rage.

“Don’t do anything stupid, asshole… That’s Hyperion property you’re screwing with.” he snarled.

“Hah! You’re not as ruthless as they say, Jackie boy, otherwise you would have just shot me already and let this twerp take a bullet to the head. You’re all talk, ain’t ya?” said the assailant.

Jack looked like he was seriously considering doing just that, gun aimed at the man’s head, but his finger was absent from the trigger.

Rei stepped out of the office, striding quickly down the hall.

“LYNCH. Drop him. Now,” she commanded, drawing her own gun from it’s holster.

“There you are, Barrett, you fucking weasel. I’ve been waiting for you,” he hissed.

“You know this guy? And Jesus fucking Christ kid, didn’t I say to wait in my office? You’re gonna get sh-“

“If it’s me you’re after, then what the fuck are you doing, Lynch?” asked Rei, cutting Jack off.

“I caught him eavesdropping, he was recording near your door” choked Rhys. Lynch gave him a hard shake.

“Shut up. Yeah, I was listening in on your little meeting. Sorry to interrupt just as you were about to let Handsome Jack bend you over his desk, bitch, but this little shit came along and blew my cover. Wasn’t gonna shoot anyone today, but he kinda gave me no choice. Little shit came at me with a stun baton.”

“So let him go and tell me what you fucking want already,” huffed Rei.

“I want the two of you,” he said, jerking his head toward Jack and Rei, “to stay the fuck away from Pandora. I don’t give a fuck what you do to your Hyperion lackeys- drug ‘em, torture ‘em, I don’t care- but you’re not getting anywhere near my people and you sure as hell aren’t taking over my planet. So I guess what I’m really saying is that I want you both dead.”

“A small time drug pusher with a hero complex. Cute,” said Rei smarmily. Jack stared at her, eyes wide with surprise.

“He’s one of yours?”

“Not my best and definitely not my brightest, but yeah. He seems to be forgetting that he agreed to sell some pretty dangerous shit to people on Helios just so I would get him off Pandora. Ease up on Rhys’ neck, or you’re gonna kill your only bargaining chip, Lynch,” Rei said, noticing Rhys squirming and struggling for breath as Lynch’s grip tightened in irritation.

“Alright, enough of this,” said Jack impatiently. He flipped on his cloaking device and vanished.

“STAY BACK! I’M FUCKING WARNING YOU, JACK!” Lynch shouted, looking around wildly. Rei took advantage of the distraction and hurled herself at Lynch, knocking both him and Rhys to the floor, just barely keeping her own footing by landing in a cat-like crouch. There was a sickening crack as an invisible force came smashing down on Lynch’s wrist, forcing him to release the gun. He howled in pain as Jack reappeared above him, kicking his gun across the hall. Jack aimed his own weapon at Lynch’s groin, a manic gleam in his eye.

“That’s better. Now let Rhysie go or I’ll shoot your fucking dick off.”

Lynch stared venomously at Jack for a moment, then loosened his grip on Rhys, allowing him to pull away and scramble to his feet.

“Good. Hand over that recording and I won’t torture you to death. I don’t really care if your little bandit friends know we’re coming for them, but I’m not ready to make that announcement just yet. I wanted it to be special,” Jack said with a mock pout.

“Why the fuck would I do that? Let’s be honest, Jack, you’re just going to kill me anyway,” spat Lynch, attempting to sit up on his elbows.

“You’re wrong,” said Rei, planting a boot on either side of his hips and crouching down so their faces were level. She placed the muzzle of her pistol gently between his eyes and leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

“I am going to kill you.” Rei pulled the trigger. The crack of gunfire resonated through the empty hall and a spray of crimson droplets spattered Rei’s face and lab coat. Lynch slumped back in a pool of his own blood and brain matter.

Jack stood motionless, mouth slightly agape, staring at Rei.

“That was…oh my god…so fuckin’ hot, I mean, I can’t even-“

“He’s wearing a wire. It’s still transmitting to somewhere…somewhere nearby,” interrupted Rhys.

He had pressed himself as flat as possible against a nearby wall, as if trying to make his lanky form disappear into the metal. He took a shaky step forward, gingerly rubbing a blossoming bruise around his neck.

“I picked it up with my Echo eye. Couldn’t figure out why that guy was lurking around Jack’s door, so I gave him a scan. Where are you going?” Rhys said, noticing Rei slowly backing away.

His Echo eye sparked to life and raked over her, his mouth falling open in surprise. The receiver for the wire was nestled in Rei’s pocket.

“Oh. Oh shit. You? Why?”

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” snarled Jack, stomping over to her so he could make the vast difference in their sizes all the more evident as he loomed over her. She looked up at him wearily, realizing the jig was up.

“I…gave it to him. I told him to tail you and try to get something… to blackmail you with… in case I didn’t like the terms of your deal,” she mumbled sheepishly.

“So why was he here now? Couldn’t you just record me yourself?” asked Jack in a low, dangerous hiss, his eyes narrowed to slits.

“I asked him to watch my back. Like I said before, it really wouldn’t be in my best interest to shoot you. But…Lynch could have easily done it and left Helios for a while, if need be.”

“You really are a fuckin’ weasel, you know that? Give me one good reason not to shoot you right now.”

“Jack, she just helped you save my life…” muttered Rhys.

“She’s also the one who almost got you killed.”

“Look, I’m not sorry for protecting myself, but I honestly didn’t mean for Lynch to do a damn thing at all unless- SHIT, OW!”

Rei cried out as he roughly grabbed both of her wrists with one large hand, hoisting her arms above her head, forcing her to drop her gun. He pulled her up until the steel toes of her boots barely brushed the floor and gently placed the barrel of his gun under her chin, tipping her head up to look at him, all the while crushing her wrists in his powerful grip.

“JACK! Knock it off! Come on, you need her, remember?” Rhys protested, loudly and firmly this time.

“Yeah, you need me,” Rei hissed.

Jack glared at her furiously as he gave her wrists a twist that made her whimper, then lowered her slowly.

“Congrats, sweetheart, that’s strike three. First you use my company to run your little drug ring, then you try to blackmail me, then you try to kill me? Looks like you just earned yourself an early ticket to Pandora. Normally I’d toss you in a holding cell and let you rot there until I need ya, but I don’t trust that you’ll be a good girl if I let you out of my sight. So you’re taking Rhysie’s place and coming with me to help take care of some business. So glad you’re not shy about murder. Hopefully you don’t have to kill anyone you know, but… I wouldn’t count on it,” he purred, his voice dripping with honey and poison as he gave her wrists another twist.

Rei shoved a knee into his groin, not hard enough to hurt him, but with enough force to serve as a warning. Much to her surprise, she felt him half hard inside his jeans. He was clearly enjoying menacing her. Rei pressed a little harder and his cock gave an interested twitch under her knee, sparking a twisted pang of lust in her stomach.

“You want a mountain of dead bandits? You got it boss. Nice rage boner, by the way,” she snickered. Jack released her and stepped back, adjusting himself once again to hide the bulge in his pants.

“Don’t push me, cupcake, I think it’s evident how much I want to break you right now. You’re on the next shuttle with me to Pandora, pack your shit and be at the departure terminal in two hours. Rhys, you keep an eye on her, I’ve got shit to do. Oh, and give me that,” he snarled, thrusting a large hand roughly into the pocket of her lab coat and rifling through it. He pulled out the receiver and a small joint, inspecting them both, then dropped the receiver and smashed it under the heel of his shoe.

“What’s this?” he said, waving the joint in Rei’s face.

“Just plain old weed. Take it, on the house. I can’t think of anyone who needs to chill the fuck out more than you, right now,” she said brazenly.

“So help me god, I am going to…”  Jack mimed strangling the air in front of him.

“My point exactly.”

He made an aggravated noise in the back of his throat and stomped back down the hall, leaving Rei eyeing Rhys suspiciously while he uncomfortably shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“Sorry about him. It’s really hard to calm him down when he gets like that,” Rhys said with a weary sigh.

“Nah, I would be pissed, too, if I were him. I would have kept monitoring him if I hadn’t been caught, and maybe not entirely for safety’s sake. If I have to destroy my home planet, I want to make sure I’m getting my fair share of the reward,” she said shrewdly.

“Well he shouldn’t have put his hands on you, at least. He can really do some damage if he’s not careful.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” said Rei, examining the angry red fingerprints around her wrists. “You seem to know him pretty well. What exactly are you to Jack? Personal assistant? Babysitter?”

Rhys laughed weakly. “Technically I was a middle management coder, but Jack took a special interest in me because…well, not to brag, but I’m a pretty great hacker,” he said with a hint of smugness. “So now I’m kind of…his protégé, I guess? But lately he’s been using me as an assistant because he freaking killed so many that no one wants the job anymore. He’s such a big, murderous baby sometimes.”

“Volatile psychopath is more like it.”

“Hah, yeah. You know…and don’t quote me on this because he’s pretty hard to read… but I think Jack was really disappointed about the whole blackmail thing. He seemed to really like you, kept talking about plans for his promising new “lab nerd”, and uh… something about bending you over his desk and uh…Well he was pretty excited that you weren’t a dude. And that you’re one of us,” Rhys said with a wink.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, attractive. In the 8 and up club. Grade A, Hyperion made.”

“God, you really are his protégé,” Rei said, picking up her gun and returning it to her holster.

“Hey, those are his words, not mine. You got a little something right here,” Rhys said, pointing to his cheek. Rei dragged her already bloodstained sleeve across her face, adding more crimson to it.

“Better?”

“You kinda just smeared it around…here.” Rhys wiped her cheek with the back of his hand, pausing just a moment too long before breaking contact. Rei raised an eyebrow and he blushed slightly.

“So, uh, we better get going,” he said, avoiding her gaze.

“Yep. Clearly I need a shower. Come on, Jack junior, let’s roll,” she said, taking off down the hall, Rhys hurrying after her.

[askmarcustheeldritchdiplomat]

Thoughts on ANZAC Day and the Great War.

I guess this is just another one of those sombre, sentimental posts about how we will never forget what happened on the beaches of Gallipoli a good 102 years ago. But this is also another time to look at how this conflict has shaped the wider world and how us Aussies and Kiwis are seen by the rest of this sordid hellhole that we call Earth. Despite the Gallipoli Campaign being a short and brutal one, - having been one of Winston Churchill's less successful plans - it has certainly shaped the identity of both Australia and New Zealand. The ideas of mateship, standing up to authority and laughing in the face of danger among many other traits that differentiate us from the Brits and Seppos (read, Yanks) were formed in the face of danger. My own family history is mostly that of immigrants and farmers with no real war experience, barring a Great-great Uncle who fought during Great War in an unknown campaign and my often-mentioned great-grandfather who served a minimal role with the Danish Resistance during the Second World War while my Ma grew up in the occupied suburbs of Copenhagen. I ought to get around to doing more research on my family so I can learn about what front my Great-great Uncle served in. I can only imagine the hell that they and many others like him faced. The war was also hell for those on the other side. The Gallipoli Campaign was arguably one of the many crowning moments of one Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -  the founder of the modern Turkish state. The less that is said about what remains of his legacy today the better, but I do fear that he is now a mere footnote in the history of the various Islamist dictatorships of the Near East. He was a man that could've brought lasting change to the region and made a new legacy for an ideology that has seen a huge resurgence as of late. The German Empire's legacy also remains tainted by that of the Second World War as the legacies of the German veterans were used for propaganda value. As were the Italians and probably the various other Central Powers or Allied states that fell to fascism. The history of Austria-Hungary remains a mere footnote in history as well, the last hurrah of the great Hapsburg dynasty is only remembered by those that paid attention in history class or are die-hard monarchists like yours truly. The idea of a restored Archduchy died with Otto von Hapsburg as did the idea of a German restoration with Kaiser Wilhelm II all those years ago. Europe will continue on a slide into irrelevance as the ideas that they once cherished are pushed to the wayside by a new generation of revolutionaries of both the left and  right that are just as nasty and ideologically driven as their forefathers who dragged the Russian, German and many other nation states into chaos a century ago. The Russian Revolution is something to be remembered as a cautionary tale, not to be celebrated as the birth of a century of torment and near destruction. I personally believe that a return to both the Enlightenment values of liberalism that are meshed with the traditionalist, monarchical conservative values of yesteryear are to be the only way forward if we are to survive - a united front of both left and right in a maelstrom of political and social chaos. What our forefathers did to keep us safe must be treated with the utmost reverence and respect, as to disrespect their memories is just one small step to repeating history. Be proud of what your families did, be proud of what your nation did during the four years of hell that descended over Europe. Be proud that because of their sacrifice, you are here today and can read the impassioned nationalistic musings of some teenager in a far-flung nation who just loves the Kaiser a bit too much. We might be repeating history once more, a repetition that may lead us to a more permanent destruction. Do not give up in such trying times, for we have neither lost or won the battle of wit and ideas as of yet. There is merely a calm before the storm. "I see that we must strike a balance. We have nearly reached the limit of our powers of resistance. The war must be ended." Spoken by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to his Generals at the Advanced General Headquarters at Avesnes. 11 August 1918.

[general-kalani]

{ @starvingtongue sent in; ❝ Open your eyes, and see the truth around you. ❞ (from the watcher to wilhelm)

Prompt from here! }

Oh he didn't want to. Oh how he didn't want to recognise the fact he was abandoned and betrayed.

"HE WOULDN'T DO THAT. YOU HAVEN'T WORKED ALONGSIDE HIM LIKE I HAVE."

And yet.

Where was Jack? Where was the backup? The guards?!

Each day that passed without this backup and guards gave him more despair.

And then there was that damn ECHO recording.

He didn't want to recognise it was real! He didn't want to believe it was real.

Why.

Why would Jack try to throw him away like this?!

Did everything before mean nothing? Was he really that much of a pawn to be used and then cast aside? He was more than that how could he be sacrificed like that?!

"... LEAVE ME TO DIE."

[adventures-written]

[FLOWERS | 🌸] - Wilhelm

Soulmates [FLOWERS | 🌸] Flowers bloom on your skin whenever your soulmate is nearby. This stops when you touch your soulmate for the first time.

Wilhelm had never believed in soulmates. He had no reason to, especially with the way that seemed to work. Flowers growing on your skin? It was the most ridiculous sounding thing he'd ever heard of. Even if he had witnessed it happen to countless people around him, he firmly believed that his degenerative disease broke him, leaving him unable to have this feature. That he would never have a soulmate.

He was getting up there in years, which made it even less likely to be a thing that would happen. So, with this idea in mind, he was honestly surprised when he was introduced to Jack's body double. The man looked like Jack, but his real name was Timothy Lawrence.

Nisha laughed when the white flowers started to grow from his exposed skin. Soft and delicate petals, something unfitting to the harsh man they were attached to.

He didn't say a word. He just walked out of the room, Nisha's laughter still echoing behind him.

[adventures-written]

Tag dump 4/?

(Ignore this, my tags got deleted)

[adventures-written]

“I-I’m fine.  Just a flesh wound or okay a few flesh wounds” - Wilhelm

The Injured and The Healer

Wilhelm ignored Tim and his assertions that he was fine. He clearly was not fine. He was bleeding and that was something that annoyed the bigger man. He was quite fond of Tim. There was nothing he wouldn't do for him, and that was saying a lot since Wilhelm was very self-centric a lot of the time.

"Hold still," he grunted, trying to push up Tim's shirt so he could get a good look at the injuries. He could do a quick patch job, but Tim would need a doctor. He'd have to head to Atlas HQ for that....

"Can you move?" Or maybe he should carry him anyway...

[adventures-written]

;; I woke up at stupid o’clock. It’s still early. But guess who has newish muses. Someone stop me.

I’ve been meaning to add these for a while now. All muses I’ve played at some point in the past.

Wilhelm

muse;; better get paid at the end of this (wilhelm)

v;; cyborg making (main; wilhelm)

v;; the dead soldier (side; wilhelm)

Timothy Lawrence

muse;; i am not jack (timothy lawrence)

v;; hyperion slaved (main; timothy lawrence)

v;; i’ve got student loans (side; timothy lawrence)

v;; freedom at last (side; timothy lawrence)

Handsome Jack

muse;; the hero of the story (handsome jack)

v;; hyperion ruled (main; handsome jack)

v;; programming dreams (side; handsome jack)

[adventures-written]

@atlascompanymanrs ;; Continued from here.

Wilhelm had entered the office to report to Rhys about an incident in the center of the city earlier that day. The one he had been sent to, to take care of. It was some left over COV crazed people. Despite everything, they still seemed to be around. Didn’t surprise Wilhelm though. Even after Jack was dead, there were still a lot of people who practically worshiped the man. Why should the COV be any different? Buncha idiots.

He hadn’t been in the office for long. Not sure when the CEO fell asleep, but clearly he wasn’t listening to those reports that were still playing. He had come around the desk and hit the pause button. Rhys would have to figure out what he last heard since Wilhelm had no clue. Looking at his face he could see the exhaustion. He had seen that look once more. Of a person being overworked, whether it was by their own doing or a certain boss. But Rhys was no Timothy Lawrence.

A metal hand gently brushed over his face as he slept, Wilhelm’s harsh features remaining that way. But there was a spark of softness behind his eyes. His action must have been too harsh though since Rhys had woken up. He hadn’t meant to startle him. “...” he shrugged at his question, “Just got here. You were drooling though..” He motioned to the corner of his mouth that was wet and then the part of the desk that had drool over it. “You should go to bed.”

[adventures-written]

✘ (for Wilhelm)

Frighten, Disturb, or Disgust

“People who eat pizza without pineapple on it. It’s utterly disturbing and anyone who eats it without pineapple is dead to me.” He said it with the most serious of tones. He was not joking when it came to this. He legitimately found it disturbing when people ate pizza without pineapple. How could they live with themselves?

[adventures-written]

“If you even THINK about touching him, I’ll kill you.” [because he'd protect Wilhelm qwq]

Protective Starters

They had been out in the city, perusing Promethea for a place they could call home. Rhys had offered them a place in the Atlas HQ, but Timothy wanted to try to find a place of his own. And as much as Wilhelm didn’t care where he lived, a man of simplicity when it came to where he laid his head, he wasn’t about to let the double wander off on his own. The kid had the face of Handsome Jack, and although people had started to move on, his crimes and wrath were not forgotten.

Unfortunately, neither were Wilhelm’s. A pair of bounty hunters must have caught wind that he was sighted on Promethea, now the newest body guard to Rhys Strongfork. That didn’t matter that he was now associated with Atlas or anyone else. He was a wanted man and therefor an easy target when his guard was down.

Normally he was ready for anything, but today he had gone out without his gear or his drones, Wolf and Saint. He was trying to fit in, for Tim’s sake. That was to be his own downfall however. A few quick blasts of a toxic gun exploded onto him, burning his skin and corroding his robotic limbs. He growled in pain, falling to one knee before trying to swing around, only to be hit hard by a blast of electricity. It wasn’t something he hadn’t dealt with before, but it still shut down half of his systems and caused what was still flesh to twitch and convulse.

“R…R..u..n…” he grunted out to Tim, but the double either didn’t hear him or he was trying to be heroic because he now stood between him and the bastards attacking him. “And what do we have here?” one of the hunters grinned, hand on her hip, “Looks like we have a Handsome Jack wannabe!” “Oh no, I think that’s the real deal. A double,” laughed the other, a man grinning behind a long cloak, “Looks like it’s our lucky day. Pay checks gunna be big with a double and the robotic asshole…” Shots were fired from his gun, electrical bullets shooting towards Timothy. 

“Fu..ck…ing R..UN!”

[adventures-written]

@atlascompanymanrs ;; Continued from here.

Wilhelm had no idea who Rhys was. He had never met the kid before. Honestly, when he heard Helios had crashed, he hadn’t looked into it either. One last hit to Handsome Jack’s legacy. Whatever legacy that was anymore. Everyone seemed to forget about him after his death. Wilhelm too. He didn’t really try to hide who he was. Good thing about going around the galaxy was that it meant that not many knew his story either.

And no one asked questions in his line of work.

But this one was different. Excitable and very much aware of who he was. Not the reaction he expected. Anyone who knew who he was had tried to kill him. They were dead now. 

Looking at the offered hand, he just stared at it for a moment before looking back up at Rhys. “Guard duty is fine,” he replied, “I don’t do paperwork. As long as the pay is good, I’ll stay around. Personal guard or whatever..” He shrugged, now dismissing any claim to try and find him. He was right, he hand’t wanted to be found before.

One thing Rhys would learn about Wilhelm was that he was a man of few words, and to him, money talked louder. Rhys had money and had a job that needed doing, and it would be nice to sit somewhere, at least for a little while. 

[adventures-written]

“what happened?” (for Wilhelm)

Hiding Injuries

Normally Wilhelm was fine. Rarely got injured on a job. No one could really hit him despite him being so big. But the most recent wave of assholes on Promethea seemed to have a weapon that just completely drained his shields, easily deactivating Wolf and Saint too. And they had a lucky shot. Managed to hit him in one of the few pieces of his body that was still flesh, his shoulder.

Wilhelm was sitting on a bench in a relatively empty area of Atlas HQ, tending to his own injury. A sack was beside him, one of parts and pieces of metal. His drones. Applying an old rag to his injury, trying to stop the flow of blood that soaked down his right side. He would be fine. He had, had worse injuries. If anything, you should see the other guy.

He thought he was out of the way enough that he wouldn’t be bothered. Evidently not as the CEO himself was wandering over with concern. Instead of addressing the question as being about his injury, he directed it towards work instead. “Took care of those bandits for you. I’ll expect my pay by the end of the day.”

[adventures-written]

⚠️ a text meant for someone else. (for Wilhelm)

Texts

Maybe he was thinking about the past, and maybe he was thinking about a certain body double. He tried to keep in touch with the double, but after Jack died, well, Tim’s contact vanished. He had no idea the double was on a casino in the middle of nowhere.

[text; boss] I know you’re not dead. I know you’re out there. If you just message me I can help. I know I became something else. I don’t expect forgiveness. I’m an asshole. Sorry.

[adventures-written]

🚫what is one thing my muse wouldn’t want someone else to know about them? (For Wilhelm)

Character Flaws

That he has a soft side. Nine times out of ten he would be watching the backs of those who were on his team. When he was Vault Hunting for Jack, the group got close and he was there to watch everyone’s backs. Even some less qualified individuals who were just thrown into it (Tim). If someone tells him he shows compassion or any sort of caring emotion, he will deny it or act like he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.