Video

[lovernotafighter]

[This day had to come eventually, didn't it? Just another one of those damn Blood Gulch Sim Troops arriving here to crash the party, and predictability a little late like always. But hey, it wasn't like he hadn't been busy saving a planet or being blissfully retired or anything equally as important. Nope.

The video shifted a little as Tucker tried to set it upright, but it soon found itself quickly propped at an angle that said this wasn't his first time recording himself; the purpose of such skills would be left up to the viewer to guess at their own discretion. But hey, have Tucker with that beautiful aqua colored armor looking right back at you, even as he sat back down and tried to appear relaxed, cool, okay with ...well, all this. All this.

Ladies in hot tight superhero outfits definitely helped.]

So, yeah, Tucker here. [It felt like an interview with Dylan. Good thing talking about himself was one of his favorite things to do.] Please try to contain your applause, but ladies, feel free to toss your bras in my general direction.

[No shame, this one.]

You know, I was kind of busy back home. [With Church shit. It was always Church shit, and there wasn't a single damn regret for it; in a way, he hoped it kept being Church shit because that meant that bastard was still around. Tucker wanted to be back there, needed to be back there because--] Those idiots - my idiots - have no one to lead them now unless you count Sarge and no one counts Sarge. Shit, I don't even think the Reds count Sarge. Okay, so maybe Simmons does, but whatever.

[He sighed, rubbing his hand over his helmet before he just waved his hand.] But cool, superpowers, am I right? I mean, if I was getting chicks before, I'm getting triple chicks now.

[Let the record show that he was not, in fact, getting ladies before, and that the triple of "zero" is still "zero".]

Look, I just want to get this shit done and over with so I can get back to being a badass back home and get my shit done. So, you know, I'll do what I have to, I guess.

[There's a sigh, that burden of few choices and responsibility - ew - before he cocked is head up.]

Hey, important final question: where do all the hotties hang out around here? There's the title of wingman up for grabs if you tell me.

[At least the video ends there, and everyone was probably better for it.]

Comments

[short_changed]

You don't have one. Not here, anyway.

[Connie counters but there's a bit more amusement in her tone than before. Nice try, Tucker.]

She's messing with you, then. [Connie grins, shaking her head a little as she winces in memory.]

Yeah, once on shore leave. South got on the microphone at karaoke night in some bar and tried to make it into a competition and Carolina stepped up to the plate.

We're not allowed in there anymore. [Not that they'd really had the chance to go back lately.]

[lovernotafighter]

But if I did?

[Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying. And maybe someday he would get that awesome alien bike again and they could do badass ramp jumps and things would be cool. Maybe it wouldn't even have to be during a life or death fight, either.]

Messing with me? Are you serious? This entire time?!

[And sure, he could have been annoyed over it, but why? They had shared that shit as a team, had fond - if not screeching - memories of it, and it just showed that Carolina was different than the chick who shoved a gun to his head.

The person who she was when Connie knew her was still there, a little dinged, a little dusty, but there.]

So, did you sing?

[short_changed]

Depends on how cool it is.

[And whether or not Connie can get one for herself, too. The idea of space motorcyle races is pretty cool, okay?

Connie snickers a bit more at his incredulous tone.]

Carolina's jokes tend to evoke a physical reaction...usually it's pain in some form or another. [Ringing ears, bruises from a little too literal slapstick or on the rare occassions, aching stomachs from laughter. It's been a while since Connie really thought about who Carolina used to be as their team leader...and even under orders, when faced with a 'traitor' Carolina had showed her a little mercy before the end.

Tucker's question shakes her out of her memories. She shakes her head with a faint shrug.]

Once South's got centre stage it's hard to take it from her, but she might have pulled me in for a song or two before Carolina went up.

[lovernotafighter]

Um, pretty fucking cool. I wish I had a picture, but guess you'll just have to take my word about the badassery of it all.

[They could race each other, gunning it at a streetlight, seeing how fast they could go until Tucker totally overestimated things and wiped out. Healing factor would come in handy like that, and she would get that checkered flag.

He listened to her talk about Carolina and nodded with his own smile. Seemed about right.] One time she tried to slap my shoulder and accidentally dislocated it. She thought it was funny when she realized it was my "friendly" hand.

[Hell, everyone had laughed except him. ]

What song did you sing? Want to do a repeat performance?

[short_changed]

Hm... In that case I reserve my answer.

[She'll need more proof than words to take a ride on just anyone's bike, sir.

Ah yes, the 'love taps'. Usually York ended up getting the brunt of those during the project. And Wyoming. They were one way to counter his old 'knock knock' jokes.]

Damn, that must have been sore. [She snorts.] Have you ever tried messing with her back?

[Because Connie has a few stories to tell. All of them end in pain but oh, they had been so worth it for those few rare moments Carolina had been thrown off balance.]

South was a fan of oldies rock at the time so, you know, something you can scream to.
And...not really, no. [Wouldn't be the same, especially after South's already been and gone from Legion.]

[lovernotafighter]

[It's not a negative, so hey, he'll take it. He sure as shit wasn't beggar and he wasn't a chooser.]

If it was, will you kiss it and make it better?

[Come on, Connie, you had to know that was coming? But yeah, fuck yeah it had hurt; it had been two days before he could swish swish stab in the correct order.] Sometimes? I mean, not in ways she'd ever know because fuck that, I don't have a deathwish. But sometimes pieces of her armor got "mysteriously" misplaced, and once her shampoo was replaced with mayo. Blamed that one on Caboose because I knew no one would fuck with him on it.

[Sorry, Caboose.]

Aww, damn, and here I thought I was going to get serenaded. We could go sometime?

[short_changed]

[She snorts, shaking her head at his line and chooses to ignore answering it for now. The pranks earn him a good laugh though, and Connie's grin turns a little wicked in memory.]

One time before a training mission I stole her helmet. You know those little rumble packs in cellphones that make them vibrate? I patched one in to buzz every time she said, "Sync". She was furious.

[In the middle of the mission huddle before they all set out, after every step by step movement breakdown, her orders were punctuated with a cheery BZZZZ BZZZZ. It was a miracle they had passed the training session what with how often their teammates kept getting pegged by the other team while they were laughing.]

You gotta work for that. I don't sing for anybody who just asks. [Unless there's a lot of booze involved and you can convince York to play something on his guitar that she knows.] What, to karaoke?

[lovernotafighter]

[Holy shit, that sounded amazing. He could imagine Carolina's frustration, could imagine her wondering who the fuck did it, how it was happening, how to get it to stop without breaking training. He could imagine everyone else laughing their balls off over it.

Fuck, he would have paid money to see that.]

Did she ever find out it was you? [Is that how you died?] And if she did, how many things did she throw at you and what was the heaviest?

[You like to live dangerously, Connie. He likes that.]

Yeah, to karaoke! I mean, if I have to start the singing, I will. You like Queen?

[short_changed]

Oh yeah, she found out. She has a way of intimidating the truth out of people. [Connie winces in memory.] And I guess the heaviest thing would be....me. A couple times. Before the lockdown paint training session where she stuck me to the ceiling.

[And the training room ceiling is high. It had taken disabling the gravity in the training room and a new set of armour for her by the time she got down.

Connie considers Tucker for a moment before shaking her head with a chuckle. They've...surprisingly covered a lot in their talk so far, and Connie's interested to know more about him and the rest of the team that Wash and Carolina have joined. It's a good sign if they make them happy, right?]

Who doesn't like Queen? ...Sure, why not.

[lovernotafighter]

[Okay, that sounds hilarious, and something he could totally picture her doing. Ceiling? Totally ceiling. It made him laugh because it sounds like shit they also did back in Blood Gulch (they crap they put Church through was the stuff of legends), and it made him appreciate Carolina even more.]

Okay, but how the hell did you get down?

[Because he needed to know now. The question was in his head.] Did she fuck with anyone else on the team? How much crap did Wash get from everyone?

[He heard about the grappling hook to his junk; there had to be other stuff, dammit.

And was she saying yes? Really?]

Sweet. Karaoke date.

[Who said anything about a date? This guy, right here.]

[short_changed]

Grav boots, playing with the gravity controls, and a crowbar.

[Y'know, as you do.]

Everyone messed with Wash. Pretty sure North and South had a tally going for it, and Taylor could make him believe anything. But, you know. That's what we got for being the rookies.

[No specifics but that's as much as she'll give.

She raises a brow at the 'date' mention but...why the hell not? It's not like she's been on a date in a while, and she could use the fun. And if things got weird she could easily nope out of there.]

Don't suppose you know any places for it if you just got here, though.

[lovernotafighter]

You guys think of everything.

[Man, now he wanted to play with grav boots. ...what would zero gravity sex be lik--]

Wait, so Wash was gullible? [No, wait, he could see that. He could really see that. Not AS much anymore, but Tucker thought if he tried hard enough, he might be able to exploit that a bit.

There was a shake of his head, a no to a location; he barely knew where he was on any given day. All this shit would take some getting used to considering a large portion of his life included empty pieces of land with only two buildings on it.]

Nah, but I guess it's time I start the most important part of moving somewhere new: figuring out where the fun bars are, right? This seems like a pretty good incentive to me.

[short_changed]

Nah. If we did, more of us still would be around.

[Casual gallows humour also seems to be a Freelancer thing.]

"Was" is the main word there. It's hard to sneak anything by him now...I think he's learned a lot after dealing with so much of our shit.

[Connie tips her head thoughtfully.]

Well...booze is hard to come by on Legionworld unless you've got the right connections, otherwise you'd have to head planet side to find anything. I haven't been down much, but I know a guy who knows a guy...has a decent supply and access to a bar up here if you don't have any luck.