Uppin' The Ante

Dealer says the decks stacked against me, and I'm going through this miserable hell hole known as the Wasteland. But I'm going to help make up for what I couldn't do... Though the one sure thing is that you're either the executioner or executed. DISCLAIMER: I did not create any of these characters or art. I merely portray the version of their personalities as I would of done. [Art by boiler3]

[blackjack-security]

Wake the fuck up, BlackJack. We've got a city to burn.

“Woke up from a number of shots to the head, probably the first one that resulted in a voice tho.”

[blackjack-security]

Nobody panic, I’m still going to be on later

[blackjack-security]

Cloud was sitting at the work bench in the garage of their little shack and working on a pair of cybernetic wings for GoFish. Tools laid out from use as he was about finished with the project. Leaning back he would let out a yawn, stretching his arms up over his head and looked himself over to see a mess. His dirty brownish shirt used to be white and his pants were covered in dust. He got up to take a break and went into the house to get a drink.

Blackjack has been sitting on the floor in front of the living room table. Taking apart and cleaning her shotgun parts while humming a tune. Looking up at him as he came in.

“Oh, hey! How goes the project?” The mare asked.

[blackjack-security]

Arloste: "Hey Blackjack, I did miss you.. thought you fucking died, you knooow, like, AGAIN? Don't do that to me again, or else! It's your fault I still live, thaaanks for that by the way, so you have to live to. Welcome back, Jack. Fair warning, I'm probably going to get real angsty with you, these ponies have me thinking of feelings and stuff, eugh.. *hugs hard, tears in her eyes* I missed you, so goddamn much! Oh Mom says 'hi'."

The security mare snorted at the mention of her previous deaths. Only really responding that with a “We’ve all seen me come back from death before, it ain’t really a surprise.”

But the next part really caught the attention of BJ, and she cocked an eyebrow appropriately before she was picked up in a hug by the much larger mare. “Hey, hey! I missed you too, and what do you mean ‘making you feel feelings?”

[ask-serving-spoon]

Arloste set BJ down and shifted nervously “It’s not making me feel, reeeally, more like, just making me aware of things I already feel. It’s a sensation that’s taken me what, 4, 5 years to get used to.”

She shifted her eyes back and fourth “Blackjack, are you, afraid of me? Do you think the others were? Do you think, the ponies I’m with now do?”

“I know, it’s a stupid question, of course you must have feared me once. I was a freak who liked killing things. You were a freak who didn’t like killing things but were just too damn good at it to stop, I guess.”

“Shit..”

[blackjack-security]

Blackjack spent a good couple moment trying to read if this was some type of joke she wasn’t picking up before. But when she was confident that this was real, she responded.

“Well yeah, at some point in our past I was and so were the others. You were an unstoppable killing machine that I didn’t know when you would turn around and attempt to turn me to ribbons.”

Blackjack paused for a second, mouth still open as she composed the words in her head. “But that’s not the case anymore, we’ve built up a level of trust that I know we wouldn’t end up coming to death blows. And if the others were here, they would agree.”

But than she blew out her cheeks for a second, thinking this final question was the answer she thought was most apparent. “Of course not, even though we come from different realities. They seemed to accept you for who you are, and in a world calm enough where you don’t need to do what we do should keep that fear at bay.”

[ask-serving-spoon]

Arloste smiled, she could always trust BJ to give her the truth, no matter how much it might hurt for Blackjack to say it, or how much it might hurt her to hear it.

“That’s fair enough.. at one time, I wanted that. I wanted the whole world to tremble at my passing, because that means.. nopony could REALLY hurt me. I mean, they could shoot me, blow me up, or feed me into a combine, but they could never hurt me like they once did.. like they ‘hurt you’ and P-21.”

She sighed, this was no time to get mopey or make Blackjack recall the worst parts of her life. “I just needed to hear that, from you. I love Silver and Diamond, and Twist is sweet, but she’s not ‘Mom’. You’re the only real family I have left. You, Scotch, Bonesaw, and Scalpel, who I have not heard of since the whole joining the Harbinger incident. Guess I followed in her hoofsteps in that regard, huh?” she smiled sheepishly “Sorry for like, betraying you and all that, that one time with Gog-nit-pick-ium. I don’t think I ever got the chance to apologize for that shit.” she sighed “I guess I just knew you had already forgiven me. You’re crazy and wonderful like that.” 

“My adopted parents might very well be dead. My Momma is.. mostly dead, dad is, what at the bottom of a river in a tank? You’re all I have left, Blackjack.”

“How pathetic is that?” She smirks.

[blackjack-security]

The mare looked a bit more uncomfortable as she shifted her weight as they began to talk the pain they’ve endured. Her eyes shifting away from Arloste and towards her legs below. The artificial limbs that had to replace the ones she lost so long ago. 

“Right...” But her own pain never amounted to as much as it did when others felt that pain. Like what happened with all their friends, all that this world put them through. Unable to save any of them, stop any of it. No matter how hard she tried, how hard she pushed. She couldn’t do it. And now, she was left with the ghosts. But when her mind shifted to one of her greatest losses... 

The security mare shook her head, zoning back into the conversation with her friend. Snorting slight as she caught the final bit of what she was saying. 

“I guess it is just a tad bit.” Bj smirked back.

[blackjack-security]

Arloste: "Hey Blackjack, I did miss you.. thought you fucking died, you knooow, like, AGAIN? Don't do that to me again, or else! It's your fault I still live, thaaanks for that by the way, so you have to live to. Welcome back, Jack. Fair warning, I'm probably going to get real angsty with you, these ponies have me thinking of feelings and stuff, eugh.. *hugs hard, tears in her eyes* I missed you, so goddamn much! Oh Mom says 'hi'."

The security mare snorted at the mention of her previous deaths. Only really responding that with a “We’ve all seen me come back from death before, it ain’t really a surprise.”

But the next part really caught the attention of BJ, and she cocked an eyebrow appropriately before she was picked up in a hug by the much larger mare. “Hey, hey! I missed you too, and what do you mean ‘making you feel feelings?”

[ask-serving-spoon]

Arloste set BJ down and shifted nervously “It’s not making me feel, reeeally, more like, just making me aware of things I already feel. It’s a sensation that’s taken me what, 4, 5 years to get used to.”

She shifted her eyes back and fourth “Blackjack, are you, afraid of me? Do you think the others were? Do you think, the ponies I’m with now do?”

“I know, it’s a stupid question, of course you must have feared me once. I was a freak who liked killing things. You were a freak who didn’t like killing things but were just too damn good at it to stop, I guess.”

“Shit..”

[blackjack-security]

Blackjack spent a good couple moment trying to read if this was some type of joke she wasn’t picking up before. But when she was confident that this was real, she responded.

“Well yeah, at some point in our past I was and so were the others. You were an unstoppable killing machine that I didn’t know when you would turn around and attempt to turn me to ribbons.”

Blackjack paused for a second, mouth still open as she composed the words in her head. “But that’s not the case anymore, we’ve built up a level of trust that I know we wouldn’t end up coming to death blows. And if the others were here, they would agree.”

But than she blew out her cheeks for a second, thinking this final question was the answer she thought was most apparent. “Of course not, even though we come from different realities. They seemed to accept you for who you are, and in a world calm enough where you don’t need to do what we do should keep that fear at bay.”

[blackjack-security]

Arloste: "Hey Blackjack, I did miss you.. thought you fucking died, you knooow, like, AGAIN? Don't do that to me again, or else! It's your fault I still live, thaaanks for that by the way, so you have to live to. Welcome back, Jack. Fair warning, I'm probably going to get real angsty with you, these ponies have me thinking of feelings and stuff, eugh.. *hugs hard, tears in her eyes* I missed you, so goddamn much! Oh Mom says 'hi'."

The security mare snorted at the mention of her previous deaths. Only really responding that with a “We’ve all seen me come back from death before, it ain’t really a surprise.”

But the next part really caught the attention of BJ, and she cocked an eyebrow appropriately before she was picked up in a hug by the much larger mare. “Hey, hey! I missed you too, and what do you mean ‘making you feel feelings?”

[blackjack-security]

I missed you, BJ! I finally finished Project Horizons in one month, two months ago. I also have since read Pink Eyes, Speak, and Homelands. I hope you have been well, Darling. I know your world and life are both harsh and unforgiving. But there's always hope. Arloste sends her regards as well. ((Welcome back, dude! Missed you!))

Missed you too, Spoon. Really doin’ a lot more reading that I’ve been. Any of those ones you recommend?

Oh and I’m sure Arloste missed me as well.

(Thanks, missed you too)

[ask-serving-spoon]

“Oh, Darling. A better question is which one to read first. ‘Pink Eyes’ is adorable, funny, and ultimately tragic, such is the way of the Waste Land for a Ghost filly out of time. ‘Speak’ is written by HeartShine with editing by Somber (so it may be official, maybe not,) but it details the attempt of a Heart Mender to counsel you after you return as a Blank I think 5years after the end of Horizons. And Homelands (Official sequel) shows little Scotch a year after your death following (reluctantly) in your hoofsteps as she travels with Pythia, Magena, and Precious to the Zebra lands. You’d be so proud of her, becoming a Shaman in training and the second one of your party to be haunted by The Dealer.”

“Do let me know which one you pick to read. I would love to get your opinion on the stories, BJ.”

[blackjack-security]

Well funnily enough I was planning to reread both the original FoE and PH, but I will definitely have to add those to the list.  Because I’ll be honest, after a long while, my memory is a bit hazy.

[blackjack-security]

So i found a Big Red unmarked button attached to a computer terminal? what should i do?

“Most of the time people say not to touch it... but I say do it.”

[blackjack-security]

I missed you, BJ! I finally finished Project Horizons in one month, two months ago. I also have since read Pink Eyes, Speak, and Homelands. I hope you have been well, Darling. I know your world and life are both harsh and unforgiving. But there's always hope. Arloste sends her regards as well. ((Welcome back, dude! Missed you!))

Missed you too, Spoon. Really doin’ a lot more reading that I’ve been. Any of those ones you recommend?

Oh and I’m sure Arloste missed me as well.

(Thanks, missed you too)

[blackjack-security]

Don’t worry guys, my finger is on the pulse.

[blackjack-security]

So blackjack, you enjoy some quiet time when you can? Any place you find... peaceful?

“I don’t think there is really a “peaceful” place in the wastes. Mostly just gotta find it where you can.”

[sat-v12-deactivated20231209]

[ask-serving-spoon]

“OML, THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!!!”

“RAMPAGE LOOKS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN MAD MAX AND HARLEY QUINN, WITH THE PENGUIN’S SHOTGUN UMBRELLA, I’M FAN SQUEEING SO HARD!”

“GO HOOFINGTON REAPERS!!!”

“ @blackjack-security you got to see this!”

[blackjack-security]

Ooo, I love that! It’s amazing! Always happy to see content like this when I return.

[blackjack-security]

// Oi! This means ya acceptin' rps, or are ya on Hiatus?

Always accepting them if you don’t mind the possible wait.

[blackjack-security]

//Ah, you're back! I don't know if you've been asked this, but--- what are your thoughts on Fallout 76?

I have not and I really shouldn’t be because I haven’t played it and will never play it. Not because of all the controversy surrounding it, but I just have to interest in it in general.

[blackjack-security]

//But the question is: Are ya REALLY back from your long, treacherous quest we all call "Life"?

Who really knows at this point.

[ask-serving-spoon]

@blackjack-security

[blackjack-security]

My favourite picture of Pip