So Show Me Where You Fit

Things had been so very… very busy lately.

Perhaps that was of August’s own fault – he had been branching out the criminal syndicate he had all but found landed in his hands the moment of his mother’s demise, extending the power and influence that it could bring him. Of course it had likely led to far too many nights of next to no sleep, and more trials and errors than one man would ever necessarily like to actually admit, but things were looking up from how they had been only a couple years before.

Would she be proud of him for it, for all the work he had put into things? Somehow he didn’t think that Vallory had ever the capability for it, not towards him, but perhaps thankfully for the blond man his thoughts were reasonable far from her right now.

It thankfully wasn’t too impossible to ignore the touch of exhaustion that occasionally pervaded through the bartender’s senses as he worked, taking and filling orders at need be where necessary. He had a few helping out around the Purple Skag tonight, keeping most of the tables clear and the place in as reasonable shape as its current crowd allowed. Tector stood at the door – the man might be missing a few necessary chromosomes, being a Hodunk and all, but his loyalty in the past few years had proven invaluable and given his rather intimidating size he had almost assuredly scared off more than a share of unnecessary trouble. There were a couple more working for August within the current throng itself – one or two nestled comfortable around the bar, just keeping an eye on things.

You never did know when trouble did decide to pop up.

This one, a newcomer he didn’t recognize from the usual crowd of patrons he tended to have, didn’t immediately give off that sense of trouble. Although he’d caught them entering from the corner of his eye, noting where they had decided to settle themselves, he was in the process of filling a mug of rakk ale for one of the regulars who liked things cheap and couldn’t drop everything go investigate. Making his rounds around the bar would take him a few minutes, but it wouldn’t be long at all before he stood before them.

A blond brow rose a bit with an air of distinct consideration as he contemplated the newcomer for a second, another, before he finally spoke up. “Welcome to the Purple Skag. What would ya like to drink?” Although his gut instinct was to be somewhat wary, maybe even reasonably so given the sort of world that Pandora was, there lingered nothing of that within his voice - only polite professionalism. For now, at least.

If August’s instincts on this fella hadn’t been screaming at him before they were certainly sounding out to some degree right now. If he had to describe this one he would’ve said he seemed far far too twitchy for any true comfort, enough so that he pursed his lips together in a thin line, brow furrowed a bit. Why was he so nervous? He had only asked a relatively simple, and altogether plausible, question – after all the stranger had moseyed his way into a bar of all places, so it probably made since the he’d, you know, want a drink.

He didn’t know yet if he was necessarily a danger within his establishment, but something was almost assuredly not sitting right when it came to this.

That voice though… there was something about it something eerily familiar, that he didn’t like either. Of course most of Pandora was by far too familiar with Handsome Jack’s voice, and even if years had now passed by since the megalomaniacal bastard had been slain it was probably difficult to forget the voice of someone who wanted to genocide an entire planet. As it was he had managed to successfully hide it just enough that the bartender didn’t immediately recognize it for what it was, for who it actually belong to.. even if such a reached conclusion would be unbeknownst a wrong one in the first place.

“Must’ve been one helluva day if you’re already askin’ for something that could knock you flat on your ass sideways.” But August could only shrug with some vague bemusement as he finally half turned away, scooping out a chilled, clean mug in order to fill it up at one of the taps. That done he’d turn back, easily settling it on the bar counter in front of the fidgety patron. "That all you need for now?" For the moment no one else within the bar seemed to be signaling him down in need for anything or other, so he supposed he could take this spare time to try to figure out what the hell was off about this one.

Between there being a bar fight and things being worked out otherwise August definitely would find himself preferring the latter. Bar fights were expensive, shockingly enough, and while he had the money nowadays where he was able to take care of things with relative ease there was enough time and resources such events wasted that he’d honestly just prefer to avoid when he could. At least at his own establishment, please and thank you.

And that was… a little less falsified than prior. It was enough that he grimaced briefly at the memories it did jog – he had never had any personal experience with the monster who’d called himself Handsome Jack, but there was a lot of unpleasantness remaining towards Hyperion. Hell – he had been wholly willing to fuck over Hyperion years prior before that had blown up spectacularly in his face.

“You and quite a few other people, I’m sure. Good for business at least.” Just as he had suspected the alcohol was probably too damn strong for the poor fool, but before he had the chance to recommend something a little more soothing after such punishment he caught an eyeful more than what he had been expecting. He had been on the cusp of figuring things out, but while there were some distinct differences from the old photos and statues that still dotted across Pandora that face was pretty much undeniable.

For a moment August’s expression would be something unreadable before he leaned forward, seeking to reach out and try to plant a firm hand on the other man’s shoulder. If it proved successful the grip would neither be painful nor punishing, both of which he was entirely capable of doing. However he wasn’t trying to draw attention to them, and for the moment it didn’t seem as if anyone else in the bar had noticed anything was amiss.

“I would recommend you putting your hood back up and comin’ with me. Preferably without making a fuss.” Because yes he damn well had more than a few questions. He’d seen the pictures – they had been all over the ECHOnet, the vault hunters standing victoriously over the body of man who owned the same face that was staring back him in seemingly abject horror and panic.

This man before him really had some necessary explaining to do.

Should the newcomer have bolted August certainly would’ve been torn between letting him go and stopping him… though reasonably he would likely lean more towards the latter than the former in that case. Curiosity be damned he wanted answers now, and those would likely be most easily provided by the very person who had not so merrily brought them along into his bar.

Or… something like that.

If the situation had aspired for it, or if this man had gone out of his way to piss him off, the bartender likely wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot him. As it were neither of those seemed to be anything necessary right now – an option that he would not forget, without a doubt, however this face too eerily similar to a tyrant that had tried to end so many lives down here seemed willing enough to comply. Information was more valuable than his immediate death for right now.

Once he had pulled the hood back over his head August let him go however, glancing away from him to nod towards one of his floor help, who headed back over to the bar to take his place behind it. It was only then, when he knew that his customers were still going to be covered if they were in need of a drink while he was gone, that he headed for the back of the establishment – still dividing his attention where he could keep an eye as to what the newcomer was doing. It was a wariness perhaps valid… he didn’t know this person, and they could indeed very well try to attack him while he was supposedly not paying attention and exposing his back.

“I was going to say you don’t even know… but if you’re not who you damn well look like you probably do more than I suspect.” The blond’s words were dry, tone no longer containing that bemusement from moments before. “Hyperion… heh. I’ve had to deal with them before and I know exactly what they’re like.” Granted that had been his own doing of course, and the disaster that had followed he… had more of a hand in than he wanted to consider. Whoops. “So who are you? Tell me exactly why I shouldn’t turn you in to people who’ll probably pay me nicely for your capture.” Not Hyperion – they were long dead and gone to all intents and purposes, but surely it probably looked exceedingly poorly on Sanctuary and that lot if someone who looked a pretty damn close dead ringer for Handsome Jack was running around nilly willy.

Crossing his arms one brow rose a bit, head canting slightly to the right with what lingered an air of consideration towards the man, as he leaned a little back against the wall. It was all a feign however – a farce, the tension that lingered within his body was like a loaded spring, ready to send him after the other man should he decide to foolishly try to turn and book it out of the bar.