video | 005

[magnets]

Sunuva- bitch.

[ The camera goes all screwy as Jesse pushes himself up, sits back on his knees and sweeps his hands off on each other. He doesn't seem to notice the camera's even on as he paws at himself and finally stands, swearing a few times under his breath as he does. Idly beats some gravel off his jeans. He sounds dumbfounded when he finally speaks again. ] I'm back here.

[ And the camera turns with him, a few confused steps before he throws his arms out to both sides, an irritated kind of shrug. ] I'm back- here. [ And his hand raises again, so he can first tap a finger against the screen, and then slap an angry palm against it a few times. He repeats, ] Sunuvabitch.

[ Then he finally fiddles with the buttons, intending to turn on the communicator, but, ] oh, [ it's already on. ] Ya wanna clue me in here? [ He glances around the area. ] Yo, anyone still out there?

Comments

[onteamdyson]

[Woah, no! She shakes her head. Don't get mad at Finch.] About you? Nope. I told you, dude, I know where you're coming from. It happened to me and you're acting like it's nothing. It's not nothing... and explaining it to someone that it hasn't happened to is frustrating as all hell. I'm just saying... I know it's fucked. And it's okay if you're messed up about it. And hypothetically, if you wanted to say stuff, I wouldn't spread it around.

[She shrugs, bumping him a little with her shoulder.] I'm just really good at reading people. It's hard to hide stuff from me, you'll figure that out uber soon.

[magnets]

[ He visibly relaxes a little that Finch hasn't been gossiping about him - not that he expects it, but, hell, you never know who's going to be talking about who anymore. He answers a little slowly, ] Alright.

[ Talking. Suddenly everyone wants to talk, and he doesn't know how to take it, doesn't even know where to begin with her offer. ]

[ He looks up at her again, scratching uncertainly under his chin. ] Gonna get your practice in with me, ya know. I'm like a fortress. Like, Great Wall'a China hard to read.

[onteamdyson]

Hey Hotshot, here's a freebie. Before I ended up here? I used to break into stuff for a living. You're totally doomed. [And she looks pretty pleased about that fact. Just TRY and be all broody and lame and keep stuff from her, Jesse, it's like a challenge now!]

Or whatevs. We can just sit and ... miss the hell out of TV.

[Just gonna flop over and lay down on the couch, stretching her legs out over his.] This place is so BORING.

[magnets]

[ He looks down at her feet first when they're in his lap, turns to Kenzi with a frozen kind of shrug holding up his shoulders - what the hell, just help yourself - but he doesn't seem to care very long. His arms just plop right down on top of her boots and he ashes his cigarette over the edge of the couch again. ]

I dunno. Ya think of some of the crap back home sometimes and boring ain't so bad. [ It's a little distractedly, but he takes a drag before he looks back at Kenzi again, eyebrows raised. ] You get anything real good? Or just some regular kinda B&E type stuff?

[onteamdyson]

[Doesn't take much for her to get comfortable with a person, just deal with it, dude.] Depends on your definition of good. I'm not like... a jewel thief or anything. Not museum-style anyway. Used to run car parts for my cousin. Wallets. Electronics. Fff-- that one time he had this brilliant idea to check the obits for rich peeps that died and the dumbass grabbed the freaking urn. God...


I brought it back. [Which tells you how cut out for this whole thievery thing she really is. She never had a choice. If she didn't steal, she didn't eat. If she didn't pick a lock, she slept on the street.

Kenzi rubs at her eyes with one hand stares up at the ceiling.] Cons are easier. If someone's stupid enough to fall for it, they don't deserve the cash.

[magnets]

[ He nods along as she tells her story, knows a few guys back home who used to run the same shit, used to know what streets they were keeping themselves off. It's not hard to jump to that inference, but, hey, she brought it back. ]

[ He sounds genuinely curious when he asks after a beat, plans on getting back to her cons later: ] How'd you get out?

[onteamdyson]

[That gets her to smile, even if it's a tiny bit sad around the edges.]

... Random act of kindness. Or a really, really, really lucky break. Met a super hero at a hotel bar one night, and she literally saved my life. [The smile gets a bit wider and she sits up so she can look right at Jesse.] And I saved her right back. Then she was stuck with me and we started a mildly-successful business and-- ... unhappily ever after in this place. The ending kind of ruins it. Wow.

[magnets]

Yeah? What's her name? You know what-?

[ He sits up a little straighter, flicks playfully at one of her boots. ] I betcha she turns right up here. Like, right here one day, just outta the blue. And it'll suck because, yeah, she's here, but you'll know where she is. Right? You don't gotta worry about someone who's back home when you're kickin' it here with 'em.

[onteamdyson]

[Okay, now the smile is just OUT OF CONTROL! She's even starting to get excited again! That right there, Jesse, what you're doing right now... is inspiring hope. Being hella positive. It's something Kenzi feeds off of and it really does make her feel so much better.]

Bo. Her name's Bo. [She scoots a little closer, sitting properly next to him now with her feet on the floor like a lady, and picks at his sleeve and his shirt.] What about you? Got anyone you wanna keep an eye on and not worry about?

[magnets]

[ He looks up at her a little guiltily first, briefly before he's looking back at his hands and nodding. He's playing it cool, but the look kind of says everything. ] Yeah, yeah, totally. [ Hell, most of the people he's got left can take care of themselves- ]

[ Actually, he sits up a little, taps a finger against his leg a couple times. ] There's this kid, Brock. Real good kid, behaves and everything, gotta real sweet smile. [ He gestures to Kenzi. ] Killer at video games. And, I mean, he ain't mine, belongs to this girl I used'ta be dating but- Man, I don't know, I miss him sometimes.

[onteamdyson]

[Oh, Jesse. Yeah, she sees the look. Also holy shit, a KID? A kid that isn't his. And he's speaking so damn fondly-- ... That gets him a very light punch to the shoulder.]

Why the hell didn't you tell me how good of a guy you were when I tackled the hell out of you during crazy-week, huh? Jerkwad. Also I bet I could still totally take the kid in the video games department.

[magnets]

Wh- [ He looks surprised by her reaction, leans back a bit and throws his hands up like 'what!' ] I don't know, man, little dude is pretty damn good. He's got all the magical, like, button-mashing goin' on.

[onteamdyson]

Takes more than button-mashing to get through Robot Hookers 4! Your boy better bring the serious skills. Just saying. Okay, I gotta know my competition now. How old? Super smart? Are we talkin' fridge-art age or setting stuff on fire age? Because... actually I still do both of those things? So it's not such a good indicator.

[But she wants to hear more stuff, Pinkman! Keep talking.]

[magnets]

Hold on, hold on, [ he holds up a hand, ] Robot Hookers 4? Not only is there a game about robot hookers, but there were three sequels?

[ SHAKING HIS HEAD remembering the good old halo days ]

Look, don't- set things on fire, okay, past the fridge-art age. We're talkin' A+ pro at Castlevania age. Soon as he graduates to FPS, dude's gonna be better than me. [ And he is pretty good. ]

[ Though it's the last bit that has him kind of looking down a little belatedly. Because he does really miss the kid. ]

[onteamdyson]

Dude, where have you been? It's my favourite series of all time. Come to Canada, we got the good shit.

[Shit. Her smile fades when he looks down. Don't make it worse. Do NOT make it worse.] ... Did you get to see him? When you went home? [You... probably just made it worse.]

[magnets]

It's- [ Jesse just swallows, gaze flickering off and down for a moment before he raises a hand to Kenzi again, abruptly changes the subject over. ] Yo, we oughta totally get some Xboxes here, huh? Could totally cream your ass, you'n your pirate hookers.

[onteamdyson]

[Hey, no. She grabs that hand and LOWERS IT and holds it down.] Robot hookers. There's a difference, you putz.

[magnets]

Uh, they could be, like, AIDS hookers for all I care. Waddya even do with 'em?

[onteamdyson]

You defeat them! [Obvi.] And save the world and take their money. Really, really mentally stimulating game. So many challenges, and-- puzzles, and it's just incredibly rewarding.

[Do you believe her? Come on? Not even a little? Yeah, don't.]

Basically, it's really loud and drowns out a lot of interesting sounds coming from upstairs.

[magnets]

Uh-huh. Sounds like GTA just started marketing what their game's really used for. [ Mowing down hookers, obvi. ] If I'd'a wanted puzzles, I'd'a bought Portal.

[ Wait. ] The hell kinda neighbors you got?

[onteamdyson]

[Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaasp!] You actually buy your games?!

[Heh. Heheheheh. So much smirking.] No neighbours, thank god. Pretty sure they couldn't handle the sweet, sweet, dulcet tones of the aforementioned roomie/bff combo that is Bo.

[magnets]

Uh. [ He sits a little more towards her, leans an elbow on the back of the couch. ] Yeah? [ Why, what else was there, like renting? ]

[ waaaaaait wait wait wait wait he knows that kind of smirk like that, that is a sex in the vicinity smirk! ] She gets busy, huh?

[onteamdyson]

But... they cost money. Money you could be spending on food or delicious coffee. Not here... obvi, but back home. Don't you know people? Five finger discount? [Okay, Kenz, not everyone is a flagrant stuff-stealer like you.]

More like bizzay, but yeah. My girl's got a magical vagina, and I, as her best friend in the entire world, am big enough to look past that and see her magical heart instead. Plus, it means I can tune out basically anyone now. I got skills. Girl gets crazy.

[magnets]

[ Oh. That. He shrugs. ] I got food and coffee too. Ain't like I don't got the money, I gotta job.

[ Of course, Jesse, not being used to all this magic and bullshit yet, when he hears 'magical vagina' he doesn't literally take it as 'actual magical vagina', he just furrows his eyebrows a little bit and smiles. Okayyyy. Why? You, like, tested it out? ] See, that's why ya don't live with anybody though. Headboards creakin' at two in the morning? Like, not unless I'm in charge of it.

[onteamdyson]

... Must be nice. [Kenzi, you get free drinks and don't pay rent. What more do you even need?

And then he's gotta go and say that causing Kenzi to just stare at him for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. Seriously, this mental image, hang on. Let her explain why this is so funny.] Wh-wait. Wait. In charge of the creaking? Like... that is your job to ensure that it's creaking. Because that is the most important thing when you're banging someone... and you have to be in charge of it. Oh my god.

[More giggles, trying to stifle this by covering her mouth with both hands, leaning away from the couch. Why is this so funny? Maybe because everything else sucks in comparison.]

Pinkman-- Pinkman, seriously. I hope you're smoother with the ladies than you're leading me to believe right now... I am greatly concerned.