( his voice flowing through the phone speakers shake her out of her lonesome thinking. that's right, silco is going to be with her tonight, and it's not going to be like the night before. last night, it was similar to this, but she hadn't called anyone to keep her company. she drowned and searched for happiness at the bottom of several bottles, but came out with nothing.
and she watched and listened to the locals mingle with each other with soaring hearts and smiles. it angered jinx and jealousy fueled inside her veins, because why was she alone last night? how come some fake nobodies can experience joy and not her? what did she do to deserve heartache, the feeling of betrayal, and loneliness? however, whenever she asks herself these questions, the voices never fail to chime in with the same reply that's been clutching to her shoulders for years. 'because you're a jinx.')
Uhm...( her voice small, but she clears her throat to bring back its level. ) — There's another bar nearby... It's called "Dodo's". You can see the pool tables through the windows.
[Silco was moving briskly in her direction and he began to see more people moving around and the lighting increased and the sound of people enjoying themselves openly could be heard. He moved down alleys for short cuts, passing by some that had already had too much to drink and were in need of a quiet place to reflect on their location.]
Ah, I know where you are. I won't be much longer. Do you want to play pool tonight, or would you prefer to dance?
[As a rule, he didn't dance nor tried to make a fool of himself with body motions. He would be open to pool, which was a game of skill and could bring about the kind of onlookers that he could use. This was better than the old Aldrip, and he planned on thriving here as he once had in the Lanes. He would, however, never forget where they came from and what the end goal was.]
( just the thought of silco dancing brings a smirk on her face. like he would ever prance around with the type of music the nightclubs are currently blaring through their oversized speakers. unless it's some sort of fancy waltz she has heard politicians use as a tactic to get some one-on-one with their victims. but a game of pool sounds fun, and it'll be a lesser risk of embarrassment if she loses since it'll be her first time. )
Yeah, yeah, we can play pool. ... Will you teach me?
( she scoffs at the mention of the council, fingers still fiddling with her messy braid. it's so bizarre how her opinion of them changed over the months. when she arrived, she thought they were nothing but snobby honchos with their pinkies shoved up their noses. but now? now they've become more than some rulers behind a chair. they have power she had never witnessed in a day of her life, it angers and frightens her all the same. )
I dunno if I can deal with another punishment like that.
( jinx hates to confess to that, but her latest penalty was painful. it was difficult for her to function every minute of the day, and again, she can't just blow the place up to smithereens. who knows what kind of devious thing they have up their sleeves. for all they know, her next sentence might be a death one. )
my memories are so fucked up, still. other people seem to have put themselves together... but the only constant i have right now is you and Jinx and our family. that's right, isn't it?
[He'd be amused by her memories being messed up, except for the whole 'our family' words that were written. No. No. How dare this place include this one in his family.]
The twist in memories is problematic. You and your sister are still on good terms then?
[He was paying attention as he walked to the kinds of entertainment that this place had already, devising how best to carve out a niche for himself and his daughter. This was a place they could potentially slip away in far better than the old Aldrip. He frankly didn't care the reason for the change yet so long as he could make the most of it. Death meant his priorities were far more forward thinking.]
The rules aren't difficult, so yes, I can teach you. It's been awhile, so I will be rusty.
[He nodded his head in understanding; he had watched her suffer and endure the lately punishment. He expected that each one would only get worse, even with the idea that Ragna had completed the kind of mission he had hoped someone in these parts would. For now, his concern would always remain Jinx, and it was his job to cultivate an environment where she could be herself.
He put the medical supplies away and then he returned to stand in front of her again. He returned his hands to cupping her cheeks lightly in order to try to focus her on him.]
Then don't. Build them as you like, and I will do what is necessary for us.
So what I'm hearing is, I'm going to kick your butt.
( she giggles, her mood now beaming on the lighter side than gloom. jinx wonders if all parents have this sort of power -- to bring out a smile on their child's faces, no matter what the circumstances they're under. she would like to hope she did the same for him, but the man hardly smiles at anything unless it's over a devious victory.
although, her mind trickles back to several weeks ago when he planted a brief kiss on her cheek. the memory, still so vivid and glistening within her thoughts, quickly dominates all others, and the itch to rush towards the group of locals just to show them that she isn't alone and pathetic. because they don't have parents, not like hers. silco is one of a kind, and they should be the one who should feel envious over her life. not the other way around. )
You're going to try. We'll measure your success by how many objects you throw at a nearby wall or tables you overturn.
[With her mood lifting, he experienced less of a pressing need to find her immediately. However, he was getting closer to her location, so he had no reason to drop his pace. One never knew when her mood might change again, and it had always been easier to maintain her coming out of such moods if he was present. A constant source of calm, he liked to think of it. The voices didn't seem so loud when he was around anyway.
He was still holding up his phone of course, letting her see his progress if she wanted to keep track of him. He rounded a corner and spied her further down the street, partially blocked by a group of walking teenagers. It was only with her in sight that his pace eased to more casual.]
i should probably tell you. i got picked for sentencing, but i don't think it should interfere with my duties.
i did notice something weird, though. jerry kind of...changed for a moment. he looked like he was made of wires or beams or something. it didn't last for long and he didn't seem to notice, but i know i saw it.
I believe you. Given the sudden changes of this place, it stands to reason that Jerry is not what he appears. After all, he doesn't suffer injury nor can he be reasoned with against his morals. This information is valuable.
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