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[conflictresolution]

"Leave a missive, but be brief about it."

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[traumaticus]

[Huh... Richard has seen his own fair amount of troubled family life. Hell, his own had been rather stormy one between the three brothers. He also knew that there could be disagreements between sons and fathers, and sometimes even mother would shun her child -- like his had done. But to have disobedient daughter?

Yeah, no. That sounds just weird. It is daughter's role to be obedient and listen to their father -- at least until she's married off.]

You are her father. It is in your right to approach her despite her mood. [And as far as he knew, the same rules applied to even peasants. Daughters ought to respect the authority of their father.

Richard frowns at that explanation. Well, it would be too much to ask of sinners to redeem themselves that quickly. But yet, it did feel suspicious that people were to appear here on periodically like that and not when their sins out-weighted their good deeds.]

Hm. You must be pleased, then. It ought to bring you more customers and business opportunities.

cw: mention of child labour and child trafficking

[conflictresolution]

[It was his right, was it? The corner of his lips tugged in a sardonic smile, finding no humour in the misconstrued idea. The people of Zaun - men and women - were supposed to be equals, and it was as much his duty to protect his daughter as it was his daughter's duty to protect him. It was not a concept he had entertained until Jinx, despite having used, spent and traded children for many years through gangs and mining operations. She had wormed her way in so fast he hadn't considered the implications of initially pledging to take her in as he had.

Both of their worlds had irrecably changed that night, and even through the tough times, he had respected her needs for space, her tantrums, her crawling into his lap to cuddle or babble about this or that. He knew the time to approach and the time to give her space; her sense of betrayal stung more as he found himself alone sorting through the traumas of a second death in less than a year.]

My subordinate taught me an important lesson about fathers and their daughters. She will come when she is ready. [Assuming she came back at all. The sister would perhaps be first choice, and he struggled to respect that notion.] Until then, I will continue as I have. The long hours don't bother me. [It was a hollow claim. He was building this empire for Jinx, despite knowing her temperament might not allow her to be a structured leader when he was gone.

...and assuming she didn't consider handing it to the sister. Oh the irony that would be.

So deep in his own thoughts that Silco didn't realize he was staring at the ground, an act of unawareness that would have likely cost him blood in Zaun. He jerked his head back up to regard Richard, and he grunted softly.]

There will always be opportunities if one knows how to look for them. This place hardly puts up a fight.

[traumaticus]

[Richard allows Silco to have his moment, waiting for the man to reply in silence. He obviously did not know the depths of the issues that were poisoning the blood between his companion's family, nor was he one to pry. But whatever it was, it clearly affected the man's mood. He supposes he could understand that. Especially if his bond to his daughter was anything like Richard's own with his father.

He hums quietly and moves past Whitey, taking a few steps closer to Silco.]

We all want best for our children. [He says, trying to reach for a sense of solidarity. Maybe even camaraderie of sorts with the way he looks up at the man's mismatched eyes. All while he knew that he wasn't exactly the person to say that. Not when he barely knew the boy whom he had claimed to be his own. Satisfied with leaving him to Anne's care, only reaping the benefits of having a child. A heir.

But yet.. He could not stop himself thinking back to that stormy night after George's orphaned children were left to his care, when Edward had came to him all scared and teary-eyed after being tormented by a nightmare.

Children do come to you when they are ready, huh. Guess there was some truth to it.]

For now it doesn't.

[conflictresolution]

[Normally he would stew on his thoughts alone in his office, and he definitely had been doing that the last few weeks too since his death and revival. The idea of doing that alone in his office had become almost as painful as the isolation of home, and he supposed that was one of the reasons that he had immediately followed the pig out to the forest. He was not the type to seek much in the way of companionship; Silco was a man he prided himself on being able to function with or without others.

His eyes followed Richard's movements, watching the distance between them close. They were not as close as they had sometimes come to be, not like at the Last Drop and not like the dark cave system. Still, the closer proximity did loosen a bit of tension to his shoulders, and he expected that was enough.]

No, not everyone does. Children are a burden we bear for the sake of the future. Some bear that well and others do not. I do want the best for her even when she couldn't care one way or another for herself. [He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his blue eye momentarily. That was enough now, he told himself. He could not expose too much weakness; someone would be in line to take advantage of it.] Children are our legacy, hmm? A reflection of our best and worst traits made whole for another generation.

[He inclined his head, meeting Richard's gaze and then his expression twisted to being slightly annoyed. It wasn't a reasonable reaction either. He knew it wouldn't be this easy forever or even long-term.]

It will, I agree. We must be prepared for that switch. I'm preparing to fight for my place here, even if I must bring this falsity to its knees... or carry it to completion my way.

text

[grappler]

killing you didn't feel as good as I thought it would.

[that's it. that's the text.]

text

[conflictresolution]

Apologies you received a lack of gratification. Was it the lacerating of your liver which took you out of the moment or not breaking my neck in the end?

[He was not in the mood to deal with her gloating. Their little stunt had cost him his daughter for the time being, and beyond that, suffocation was a sensitive subject.]

Re: text

[grappler]

both kind of sucked, actually.

guess you didn't like killing me much, either.

text

[conflictresolution]

Considering the state of losing consciousness, I couldn't guarantee my success on that subject. The sheer amount of blood was a likely indicator, but alas, I usually stare into the dead eyes of the people I kill to confirm.

[grappler]

cute. at least I could take that from you.

how mad was Jinx when she found out?

[conflictresolution]

You still lost the game. And your temper. You should work on that.

No comment.

[grappler]

and you should work on not being a shithead.

so pretty mad. she's pissed off with me too.

[conflictresolution]

Born that way, so don't hold your breath. Or do.

Is there relevance to this information that we are both receiving the silent treatment?

Cw: mention of child death & abortion

[traumaticus]

[Your weakness is open and showing, Silco. However, it is not an unusual one. Parents are expected to love their children, and vice versa. It is rare when that condition isn't met and more of a sign of weakness in ones soul more than anything. Or a curse, like was the case with him and his mother. Bound by the curse of blood and flesh that was festering like an open wound in harsh heat of sun. The hatred and pain kept them tied together, despite both parties despairing over the damned bond.

But as far as Richard could tell Silco was opposite of that. Why else would he have called a child without a trace of his blood his own? He spoke truthfully about her darkness, but unlike Richard's mother there was no sign of condemn nor disgust. Just open understanding and....even pride? That's what a love must be like, Richard decided. A pure, unfiltered love.]

I do know of parent shunning their child. [His voice gains perhaps a little tighter tone when the words slip past his lips. Jane, the witch that had wrapped his King Brother around his brother, had told as much. That there were women who'd seek out to kill the baby inside their bodies. An ultimate crime against God.

Richard steps around Silco, moving back to take his position at the target practice. He draws the bow and with practiced carefulness, making the whole process look smooth and effortless.]

I wonder which traits your daughter is reflecting? [He takes aim, breathes in and releases. The arrow soars quickly through the air, landing right in middle of the painted target on tree.]

You have the work cut out for you. Tell me, how are you prepared to fight and defend your position here in case someone with similar interests and ambition arrives? A cunning devil with charisma and means to steal your goal.

cw: mention of confinement and torture

[conflictresolution]

[He knew it showed, and he was not currently in a state of mind to reign in his thoughts on the matter. It hadn't even been a full year since he had stood on the edge of great chasm of victory with the wings and means to fly of a lifelong dream. Instead of flying, he had fallen to the deepest, darkest parts of his life as the reality of what it would cost was too great.

His ultimate failure. The path he reviled, mocked, and dismissed as nothing more than weakness in Vander became the same path he had walked. Like Vander, it had cost him his life.

He looked at Richard, humming at the comment. He too knew of parents that shunned their children; it was more common the deeper one went in the Undercity; life was hard enough without adding another mewling burden to it.] As do I. [His own parentage had not been pleased with his inconvenient arrival.

He made a point of folding his hands behind his back, clasping one wrist in a hand as he watched Richard return to practice. He expected that their conversation was likely done, information as to where the younger man could acquire housing given. He should return to work.]

Fear of abandonment, anger at her idea that one's word was broken, and a need to punish those that hurt her. [He shrugged his shoulders. He knew her well enough to know why she was giving the cold shoulder and expanding herself on the docks.] And ambition.

[Silco stared at the arrow embedded into the tree.] Oh, the usual. Chain them in a dank basement, break some bones, perhaps remove the skin from them. I can't well kill them, so I'll make them wish they were dead instead. Otherwise, I have my ways.

action; a surprise

[opheliac]

[ding, dong. ding, dong. someone or something is at the door. more like a something, but still... ding dong! 🔔]

action;

[conflictresolution]

[For the first few minutes, Silco ignored the ringing. His pen scribbled on the paper, expecting whoever it was to simply go away. When it didn't stop, he slowly set down his pen and rose from his chair to approach the door, unlock and then open it.]

action;

[opheliac]

[ he won't be greeted by a person, unfortunately. in fact, there's not a soul in sight. but on the doorstep, there is a box with all sorts of delicious goodies to eat. with the meals, there's also a very tiny shark with a little note beside it. the note reads:

"this food is too much for me to eat by myself! will you help me?

- love, sharkbait.

p.s. let's stay healthy together!" ]

action;

[conflictresolution]

[Silco stared at the care package on the door step for a long quiet moment. His appetite had been absent for the last few weeks, and the idea of food now was not on his agenda for tonight. He pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

An olive branch. A peace offering.

Using a foot, he nudged the box inside. He reached down to pick up the note and the stuffed animal, reading one and then he simply shut the door again. The note and the little shark joined the box of food and he simply returned to his desk to continue working.]

action; 1/2

[opheliac]

[ after a few minutes, jinx comes out of her hiding spot and creeps to the house to peek through the nearest window. seeing him returning back to his work saddens her a bit -- of course, it's typical of him to work throughout his days and that is pretty normal... if the circumstances was normal.

carefully, she folds her arms over the windsill and rests her head on them to simply watch -- feeling more guilty about everything by the second. maybe this wasn't the right way to do things, but she doesn't know how to come back home just yet. ]

...

action; 2/2

[opheliac]

[ not paying attention, her leg bumps into their nearby trash can on accident. it makes a ding sound, and when she quickly spins her head to the bin -- it's on the process of tiping over. ]

Nonononono!

[ she says in a loud whisper while stretching her arms out to catch it from crashing onto the ground. but too late. it slams against the concrete with a long BANG, and her cheeks heat into a fluster as she panics. ]

Shit, shit!

[ now what? run? hide? approach him? she is not prepared yet! jinx tugs on her braids then... does a swim dive into a bush on the off chance her father decides to take a look outside. ..... at least the trash can is empty. ]

[conflictresolution]

[He pulled a folder full of receipts and flipped open a book that he kept all of The Last Drop's current numbers. He began to lip up the ledger with the receipts one by one, marking them off and making small notations where he was pushing applying a little extra to certain lines.

His pen paused at the sudden sound of a trash can falling beyond the house. It had been emptied just that day, and honestly, he hadn't been producing much garbage in the house. It was rare enough that he was even here these last weeks.

Slowly, he set his pen down, tilting his head so that could he listen for other sounds that someone might be trying to enter. He waited and when no further sound reached his ears, he expected whomever it was had left again and returned to sorting the receipts and entering them in the ledger and making them off. He then verified the coin on hand and supplemented more in as he could with miscellaneous costs associated with running such a business where tips were frequent.]

possibly fin. this was meant to be short so this can trigger another thread w/ caitlyn

[opheliac]

[ hearing not a single rustle from her clumsy incident, she sighs out a relief, but then decides to stay put within the bushes. she contemplates to maybe remain here for the rest of the night, it'll be... the closest to home she will get right now. that is, until she figures out how to make all of this right again.

fishbones been doing his best to keep her positive by telling her she is a smart cookie, and she'll sort it all out in time. but she's not unsure where to start with anything. apologizing will be the first step, but what will she say or do after that? this is more than her breaking a glass on accident or even shooting sevika with a paint gun when her back was turned. this is something... way bigger, and jinx doesn't know how to handle it. curling in a fetal position, she lies on her side and shuts her eyes. one night like this won't be the end of the world, at least she'll be a little closer to him this way. ]

oh okay

[conflictresolution]

[Silco remained at his desk, and if he was aware or suspected that his daughter was near, he made no move to acknowledge it. He continued to work through the busywork that he could do while at work rather than all of his evenings, but with his endeavors seeking to expand to capture more of the necessary infrastructure, he needed to think about his next moves.

He worked into the early hours of the morning before rising from his chair to shut off the lights, lock the doors and going to the bedroom.]

just cw for everything tbh...

[traumaticus]

[The wound left on his soul by his own complicated relationship to his parents was still fresh and painful, that Richard very much preferred to move away from the topic of unwanted parenthood and toxic bonds of family. Besides, he believes that Silco had already offered him more than enough information about himself and his daughter. Family, even when founded on love, did mean happiness. And it did seem to be partially true on the man's case.

Richard pulls out another arrow from the quiver strapped against his hip. He draws the bow again, takes an aim and releases the arrow, this time taking considerably less time than before.]

Hm. Quite fantasy you have there. [He says flatly and turns to look over his shoulder. The horrors of the torture Silco had just described did not really impress him that much, having grown up hearing the terrors happening inside the dark depths of London Tower. If anything, his people were rather creative when it came to coming up ways to inflict pain on convicts, prolonging their suffering before miserable death. But there is something almost funny in how Silco just jumped on the violence with his answer. It reminded Richard a little of himself during his youth. Hot headed, only interested in spilling the blood left and right in order to spread glory of York.]

But unfortunately, rather dangerous approach. At the end of War of Roses me and my brothers had captured Henry Sixth, the ruling Lancaster King. His existence was clear danger to my brother's claim on throne and we we're left with dilemma what to do? If we killed the man it would not inspire trust nor loyalty on the new king, painting him as nothing but a violent usurper. [And yet, the solution to their situation had been an assassination. Ugly and hushed business, one that would be fatal to their reputation if it ever became public knowledge.]

Peasants can fight. And they will rebel and look to replace the false king with one they deem worthy, given a chance. It would be unwise of you to make yourself one.

[conflictresolution]

[He was used to being disparaged for his ideas, fantasy or otherwise. History thus far had provided him the ego to know when he was right even if it didn't require the utmost of creativity. There was a point and a purpose, and while he had contingencies on what to do should someone with ambition arrive here - it was inevitable - his main concern was circumventing the Council and Jerry to expand his reach as far and wide as he could. They were the ones most at risk of interfering with him.

The Chosen were a mostly gamely lot that fought each other when push came to shove. They all had competing pathetic interests.

He was certain that no one in this place actually considered what he was capable of. Akechi actually might, but the hatred in the man blinded him from being too much of a real threat. Vi might have warned people about what he was capable of, but even she under-represented what he could do, what he had done, and what he was willing to do. Silco was being downright pleasant here, and sometimes it went against the grain of everything he was.]

Such a dilemma. Whatever to do with such a person... [Make them disappear. Create a narrative the people would accept or at least be too scared or indifferent to question.]

I wasn't seeking advice. [He replied coldly, his blue eye narrowing dangerously.] It may be unwise for you to look down your nose at the peasant. [Him.] I've told you what you need to know about finding accommodation.

[Anger stirred and while he had a firm grip of his temper so it would spill over, he lost the appeal of being out here. It was necessary for creating alliances, but in the end, it was best to keep things to business. Thankfully the bruises on his throat were little more than a dull yellowing, but he was still keenly aware of them. His collar and tie hide almost all of them. They reminded him that he had much work to do.]