The Company Man (you)

[hyperionruler]

Who do I have to stab in the eye

[hyperionruler]

“On second thought, I changed my mind. Forget the sweets, cupcake.” He tugged on the reluctant man, the new victim of his ever changing fancy. Perhaps Jack perceived that Rhys wanted to go somewhere and wad merely fucking with him. Or maybe Jack found that lying to his face–badly even–was a far cry to be put in place. Either way it wasn’t good. Nothing good could come of this. “Listen, whatever your name is. I’m getting the strange feeling like you don’t want to be here. Now that would be ridiculous because everyone who works for me looooves it here. So explain to me, what’s got you so tense, hrm? Gotta take a shit? Girlfriend dumped you? Someone farted in your cubicle? What is it??”

[jacksnumber1fan]

He wasn’t letting go…shit.

Trying to sound relaxed around Jack was proving impossible, but he was pretty sure his voice would crack or something stupid if he wasn’t at least trying to stay calm.

“Cuz ah..I’m on hold,” he said, swallowing hard. “Workin out a deal with a mining company planetside, and they’re checking some numbers. I was gonna just grabs some coffee.” He fought back a nervous laugh. “And if I’m not there when they pick up the phone it might undo three months of work.” Not point not being honest, he decided. He didn’t try to move again, as much as he wanted to. His cybernetics were alerting him his blood pressure and heart rate were getting a little out of control, and all he could think was YEAH NO SHIT.

[hyperionruler]

“Is that what you do all day? Shit your pants and put clients on hold? Sounds rough. Maybe you need a new position. Maayybe I might just give it to you. C'mon pumpkin, show me to your desolate hole. I wanna see these contracts.” Jack wheeled Rhys right into the hallway, effectively leaving him no choice but to do as he said or fail as terribly as the intern before him. The megalomaniac had an ulterior motive to see what this stranger was doing. If he was handling the Eridium deals then perhaps he wasn’t entirely useless just yet.

He’d decide that once they got there. His mind no more forward thinking than a psycho on speed. He was spur of the moment, this was simply one poor morsel that got caught in his extravagance.

[jacksnumber1fan]

He wanted to correct him that no, they put HIM on hold, but that seemed like a good way to get beaten to death with his own cybernetic arm. His stomach did performance worthy flips that ended in a triple axle knot. Pretty impressive..he felt like vomiting.

He felt everyone in the room look up when they entered, and everything suddenly went tense. Rhys headed for his desk, knowing that half the room was staring while the rest cowered in fear. He keyed in his pass code to bring his computer up, turning it so Jack could see. It outlined the terms of a mine acquisition that, while not the largest out there, would give full ownership rights to Hyperion with the other company mining it out for an 80/20 split. He fit his earpiece in, his heart soaring when the hold music played in his ear.

“Still waiting on them to get back,” he said, trying to keep his voice even.

[jacksnumber1fan]

Gilded

(Oh gah plz don’t look at this.)

His name was Rhys.

It seemed like a small thing, but there were nights he laid awake and repeated his name over and over.

/My name is Rhys../

So many other details had dulled since he'd been brought here. The faces and names of people he'd once known, the feel of a sun on his skin, the smell of fresh air. He lived in the most luxurious place money could buy with a hell of a view of Pandora and her ruined moon. He had access to all of the knowledge Hyperion had to offer (on a closed system, of course). But it was a rope tether to an animal.

A siren in a gilded cage.

He'd tried to escape before. Once, he'd killed half of the guards on him before he was subdued. The next time he'd gotten almost as far. The third time the guards were stronger, and he barely made it a third of the way. By the fifth time he attempted escape, they blocked him just outside the door. Sometimes he wondered if those guards were still there...but he wasn't willing to find out. His powers were weakened, he could feel that much. Something Jack had done to him, no doubt.

Jack...Handsome Jack...His jailer, his keeper, the only person he'd seen in months.

At first he'd shied from the mad man, and had been shackled to the floor for it. A length of chain and heavy bars of an /actual/ cage secured him in place and kept him on the far side of the room from the door. There were times Jack still locked him in the cage to prove a point and remind him of “just how much I've done for you”, as Jack put it.

Though he hated to admit it, Rhys had started actively trying to please Jack. At least when he was happy, he was less violent, and he would talk to Rhys. Rhys had always been social, and being completely cut off made him desperate for any sort of contact.

So he stood when Jack entered, he pressed close to him when beckoned, and did anything Jack asked just for a simple touch. Deprivation was a vicious tool of control, and Jack had zeroed in on what to use against Rhys almost immediately. Part of Rhys knew he was being played, knew that even in his most tender moments, Jack was still as likely to choke him unconscious as he was to kiss him.

But Jack was good. He told Rhys he loved him, hollow words from a hollow smile. Somewhere in his mind, he knew he was just another trophy on Jack's shelf, a possession to crow about. But Rhys wanted to believe it so badly. Jack took care of him, brought him food, gave him a great place to live, and hardly ever locked him up anymore. That was something like love, wasn't it?

[mola-fish]

Had some free time in art class and I decided to waste my time on this

[shiirkyy]

Dear TellTale,

Stop hurting my son.

Sincerely, me.

[pachipachisakana]

Busy as hell but can always make time for Rhack

[jacksnumber1fan]

@hyperionruler

[hyperionruler]

Who do I have to stab in the eye

[hyperionruler]

“On second thought, I changed my mind. Forget the sweets, cupcake.” He tugged on the reluctant man, the new victim of his ever changing fancy. Perhaps Jack perceived that Rhys wanted to go somewhere and wad merely fucking with him. Or maybe Jack found that lying to his face–badly even–was a far cry to be put in place. Either way it wasn’t good. Nothing good could come of this. “Listen, whatever your name is. I’m getting the strange feeling like you don’t want to be here. Now that would be ridiculous because everyone who works for me looooves it here. So explain to me, what’s got you so tense, hrm? Gotta take a shit? Girlfriend dumped you? Someone farted in your cubicle? What is it??”

[jacksnumber1fan]

He wasn’t letting go...shit.

Trying to sound relaxed around Jack was proving impossible, but he was pretty sure his voice would crack or something stupid if he wasn’t at least trying to stay calm.

“Cuz ah..I’m on hold,” he said, swallowing hard. “Workin out a deal with a mining company planetside, and they’re checking some numbers. I was gonna just grabs some coffee.” He fought back a nervous laugh. “And if I’m not there when they pick up the phone it might undo three months of work.” Not point not being honest, he decided. He didn’t try to move again, as much as he wanted to. His cybernetics were alerting him his blood pressure and heart rate were getting a little out of control, and all he could think was YEAH NO SHIT.

[hyperionruler]

Who do I have to stab in the eye

[hyperionruler]

Jack shot his manic glare towards the crowd, which jumped and squealed to his satisfaction. A majority of the weaker hearted employees fled. Only a few people hovered around, curiosity perhaps gripping them much tighter than fear. He surveyed the group, looking for anyone ten times the competence of a limp shoelace and worth more to him than the intern stuffed in the trash. His eyes fell upon one particularly starstruck individual. Cybernetic enhancements and the look of a wet paper bag during a storm. Perfect guinea pig material.

“Hey. Yea you. C'mere for a sec. Don’t be shy.” He be joined with a crook of his fingers, the dead eye look of astonishment from the crowd lit back to life, only to stare directly at Rhys.

[jacksnumber1fan]

People almost jumped out of the way of him, parting to allow Jack an unobstructed view of Rhys…looking positively dumbfounded. He knew they were all staring, he could practically feel it. Yet none of their stares had the weight of Jack’s. Mismatched eyes like his own, and his impossibly perfect face.

He looked back and forth between the others in the crowd. They’d shrunk back further at this point, leaving him completely exposed. Curling his fingers against his palms, he made himself step forward.

“Yessir?” The tremble in his voice was almost as bad as if it had straight up cracked on him. Shit…Shit this was bad.

[hyperionruler]

Without missing a beat, Jack talked to Rhys with an air of command and just enough mocking niceties to fill a cup full. “How quick are ya on your feet? Because I’m thinking you’re pretty spry.” It was less a question, more observation of someone he’d never met. Hoping out of slim hope this would give him a better outcome than the waste of air behind him. “Now I’m getting reaally hungry, my sugar levels are just dropping so how about we cut a deal, yea?”

The pause was more for dramatics than the benefit of giving Rhys time to say no. He placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and squeezed it. He used his free hand to gesture at them both in a shady effort to get his point across. “You bring me something sweet to eat, and no one else has to get shoved in the trash composite. How’s that sound, pumpkin?” His smile was like liquid fire. All the wrong sort of heat, warmth and just a touch crazed. “You better hop to it.”

[jacksnumber1fan]

He wanted to argue. He wanted to point out he was on hold with a very important deal that would be back any second. But the blood from Jack’s hand was staining his vest, and the crowd had vanished completely. No one was there to help him, no one could save him....like they’d try any way.

He laughed nervously, doing his best to grin in the face of near certain death.

“H-hey sure no problem at all!” he lied, trying his damnedest to sound casual. “I’ll just go see what the cafeteria’s got.” Since he assumed the vending machine was out of the question. Most likely, the only way Jack would take anything from that is if he put someone THROUGH the plate glass first. Rhys started edging away, praying Jack would just let go.

[hyperionruler]

Who do I have to stab in the eye

[hyperionruler]

Jack shot his manic glare towards the crowd, which jumped and squealed to his satisfaction. A majority of the weaker hearted employees fled. Only a few people hovered around, curiosity perhaps gripping them much tighter than fear. He surveyed the group, looking for anyone ten times the competence of a limp shoelace and worth more to him than the intern stuffed in the trash. His eyes fell upon one particularly starstruck individual. Cybernetic enhancements and the look of a wet paper bag during a storm. Perfect guinea pig material.

“Hey. Yea you. C'mere for a sec. Don’t be shy.” He be joined with a crook of his fingers, the dead eye look of astonishment from the crowd lit back to life, only to stare directly at Rhys.

[jacksnumber1fan]

People almost jumped out of the way of him, parting to allow Jack an unobstructed view of Rhys...looking positively dumbfounded. He knew they were all staring, he could practically feel it. Yet none of their stares had the weight of Jack’s. Mismatched eyes like his own, and his impossibly perfect face.

He looked back and forth between the others in the crowd. They’d shrunk back further at this point, leaving him completely exposed. Curling his fingers against his palms, he made himself step forward.

“Yessir?” The tremble in his voice was almost as bad as if it had straight up cracked on him. Shit...Shit this was bad.

[somesketchysheep]

Helloooooo Handsome

[hyperionruler]

Who do I have to stab in the eye

“for some motherfucking donuts up in here?”

As was common in the hallway of the Hyperion Base, Jack’s voice traveled far and word got around to those smart enough that avoiding was one sure way to avoid getting sent to Pandora on an ‘errand’. It seemed to be in one of his less murderous moods, however it was still early in the day. “What in God’s Sam hell is taking that intern so looong!??”

He stood abruptly, allowing his chair to swing and slide backwards enough to give him space. Now it was less about the donuts and more he needed to give a lesson for the whole office. What better way than dragging them by their scalp into the garbage compactor?

[jacksnumber1fan]

Rhys was just trying to get some work done. He was in the middle of some fairly delicate negotiations, and he wanted to get them all worked out before someone else got to them. So his coworkers scattering to the wind made it that much harder.

But made the connection speed that much faster, so maybe it wasn’t all bad.

While he was on hold, he got up to stretch his legs a little. Coffee sounded great (when was the last time he slept….?), so he headed for the breakroom. He’d be back in time to pick up the ECHO call again, not like it would take that long.

[hyperionruler]

There was a bit of a crowd. Jack would never admit it but his best work was under the watchful eye of an audience. He did things that not even his brain could plan to do; it was like some insane awesome trigger that went off. Bam, greatest stunt ever done, all the recognition he’d need: ladies, booze, worship. Like clockwork those avoiding him found themselves also blocking partial entrance into the coffee room. They wanted a drink but in no way planned on getting in Jack’s way.

Poor intern though. Barely last a week.

With as much patience as a Skag with rabies, Jack pulled back a bloody fist from the twisted face that blossomed with bruises and cuts. He dragged the intern by his foot, trailing blood across the tiles of the floor that once he made it to the trash, it was just a long line of dark red. He slowly started shoving the man inside, listening to the bones break. In seconds his victim screamed mercy.

“Listen cupcake, when I ask for something I expect it to be on my desk immediately. Not, within the hour, or the week or a whole month! You had one job and you blew it. Honestly, does no one around here know what they’re doing?”

[jacksnumber1fan]

He’d later be embarrassed to admit he noticed the crowd first. In his defense, his mind was still on his work, so he was only half paying attention. Either way, he saw them clustered in the door, looking like a gaggle of scared creatures hiding from a predator.

Then he heard the predator’s voice..and it kind of made sense.

He’d never met Jack face to face, and people tended to move away from him when he mentioned wanting to. This was as close as he’d ever gotten, staring right along with the others as Jack brutally punished incompetence. Rhys gaped, his cybernetic eye feeding him Hyperion standard info on Jack, the trash can, and what was left of a person sticking out of it. The trash read malfunctioning; the body parts were labeled status unknown.

Part of him wanted to turn heel and run back to his office. Some instinct told him he needed to bail, and fast. Yet he stood there, rooted in place, watching Hyperion’s king with wide eyes. It was like watching a video of Pandora’s wildlife, beautiful and terrifying all at once.

[hyperionruler]

Who do I have to stab in the eye

“for some motherfucking donuts up in here?”

As was common in the hallway of the Hyperion Base, Jack’s voice traveled far and word got around to those smart enough that avoiding was one sure way to avoid getting sent to Pandora on an ‘errand’. It seemed to be in one of his less murderous moods, however it was still early in the day. “What in God’s Sam hell is taking that intern so looong!??”

He stood abruptly, allowing his chair to swing and slide backwards enough to give him space. Now it was less about the donuts and more he needed to give a lesson for the whole office. What better way than dragging them by their scalp into the garbage compactor?

[jacksnumber1fan]

Rhys was just trying to get some work done. He was in the middle of some fairly delicate negotiations, and he wanted to get them all worked out before someone else got to them. So his coworkers scattering to the wind made it that much harder.

But made the connection speed that much faster, so maybe it wasn’t all bad.

While he was on hold, he got up to stretch his legs a little. Coffee sounded great (when was the last time he slept....?), so he headed for the breakroom. He’d be back in time to pick up the ECHO call again, not like it would take that long.

[jacksnumber1fan]

Welp. Here I am.

Things to do when you’re supposed to be working: anything else.