Chapter Text
All of the Vault Hunters were hanging out at Moxxi's, either drinking or telling each other stories, made-up or otherwise. The only two that were quiet were Krieg - which was surprising considering how he loved shouting the first things on his mind; he didn't seem to like alcohol but enjoyed being around everyone - and Zer0 - no one knew if he ate or drank, and he only flashed an emoticon or made a quick haiku if he had to respond. Maya was sitting near them, Lilith on her other side, taking shots like they were nothing. She fiddled with her glass, staring into its depths like it held all the answers. Despite finally killing Handsome Jack, Maya still didn't receive those answers she had been looking for all along. What were Sirens, what were their connections to Vaults, Vault Keys, Eridium, and the ancient aliens known as Eridians...? Why was it all leading to the forsaken bandit planet of Pandora? Why was she here, who were her parents, why did they believe she was safer in the hands of the Order - if that story was even to be believed at all?
She must have zoned out for quite a while because Zer0 spoke up, "Are you okay there? / You did drink a lot of shots, / Perhaps you should stop." The haiku held a tone of light teasing but with a heavy undertone that said he was actually worried. He was probably considering asking Moxxi to cut Maya off for the night. Krieg looked up with some concern as well, with a slight twitch in his neck, his one eye focused on her.
Maya sighed but gave them a reassuring smile. "I've drank more than this and not been even mildly buzzed. Your concern is touching," she teased back, a light smile crossing her lips. The smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "I was just thinking."
"Whoa there, careful. Thinking too much can be dangerous," said Lilith, who had overheard, laughing and none too gently elbowing Maya in the ribcage. Lilith was obviously drunk, leaning heavily on Mordecai, the latter of which was surprisingly not skag-piss drunk. Something about having to quit drinking to take care of his new baby or something. Probably a new bird. Maya chuckled when Mordecai gave her a pleading expression, turning back to Zer0 while Lilith went back to rambling on about adventures.
Zer0 flashed a ? on his helmet, wondering what she was thinking. "Just the usual existential stuff one thinks about when drinking. You know? Or... Maybe you don't. Do you drink?" Maya was obviously trying to change the subject and he knew it as well, his only response a quick ;) projected on his helmet. "Is that a yes?"
"No, I do not drink, / an inebriated state / clouds my ninja skills." Zer0 replied, a soft chuckle following after. Maya gave a short, snorting laugh, downing another shot. "Lilith is correct, / thinking in excess can be / very dangerous." He quipped, getting the conversation back on track. Maya wasn't sure if she had ever heard him say this many words in one conversation before.
“You seem awfully invested in what I have to say. What gives?” Maya teased lightly as she received another shot from Moxxi, who she thanked.
“So is it a crime / to ask what is on your mind / as one of your friends?” Zer0 asked, tilting his head. Krieg mimicked the gesture which made her giggle a little - okay, so maybe the alcohol was starting to get to her, just a little.
“Alright, well,” she shifted in her seat a little, putting an elbow up on the bar and leaning her head in one hand, “I still haven’t gotten any answers on what being a Siren really means - outside having kickass dimensional and elemental powers.” Maya admitted, tracing the edge of her glass with one finger. “It’s really the one reason I came to Pandora, but then I got caught up with getting back at Handsome Jack and helping everyone…” She laughed, realizing what she must sound like. “Not that I’m complaining about that, I’m so glad I’ve found something I can do to help people…” Maya trailed off a bit, spacing out a little, staring at Zer0 before snapping out of her trance. “Hah, sorry. I sound like I’m in a confessional.”
“Hee hee.” Zer0 said in a slightly gleeful tone, a :) emoticon lighting up on his helmet. “The answers to that / may lie in another Vault, / do not give up hope.” The emoticon switched to ;) and then quickly vanished, making Maya unsure if the wink happened in the first place. She had never heard kinder words spoken by the assassin. It was always difficult to get a read on Zer0’s emotions but there were times where she could see them, just a little.
“SCREAM INTO THE ABYSS UNTIL THE ABYSsssss whispers baaaack….” Krieg added in a loud voice which lowered to a growling whisper mid-sentence. Though all of Krieg’s responses were odd and cryptic, it showed he was listening to the conversation and wanted to add in his two cents. It was actually a bit inspiring. Maya gave a small smile to both of them.
“I did read some interesting mythology on why we’re called Sirens, though.” Maya said, a little excited to share some of her knowledge of the old worlds. “There were stories where beautiful women with enchanting singing voices, called sirens, that would lure male sailors towards their island, which was surrounded by rocky outcropping. Basically leading them to their deaths.”
Krieg cackled like a hyena to that, obviously tickled pink at the idea, while Zer0’s face plate lit up with :o. “How fitting.” The assassin responded, obviously adding that to his databanks. “To think that they are / just as beautiful as you? / That’s impossible.”
Maya gave a snorting laugh. “Was that flirting? Did you just - did you just flirt with me?” Krieg’s cackling had stopped and he was now focused on what the two of them were saying. “I don’t have any idea what to make of that. Makes one wonder who’s the drunk one out of this conversation…!” She downed the shot in her hands, gesturing to Moxxi that she didn’t want anymore.
“Just complimenting, / make what you will out of it… / ” He stood suddenly, a few lines of horizontal slashes across his helmet - she wondered what it could mean. “I am going now.”
“Al… right…?” Maya responded, bemused as Zer0 quickly vanished from the bar, perhaps even cloaking. She sat there for who knows how long, trying to figure out what just happened through the light haze of alcohol. “... the hell was that?”
“The hunter howls to a lone moon…!” Krieg grumbled, his fingers fidgeting with the bar on the table, as if he was contemplating ripping it off.
She wondered just how much of Krieg’s statement was actually true.