conflictresolution

learned how weeks ago. he... taught me. sorta.

Ah. Clearly he developed a soft spot for you as soon as he arrived.

[Judging.]

( reading over that has her heart fluttering and jumping slightly out of her chest. it definitely shouldn't because it makes this whole situation even worse. )

u think so?

( and clearly just by her replying to his message that way is giving her some weird twisted hopefulness of the boy savior's true feelings. )

Edited 2023-09-23 15:31 (UTC)

Boys have only a few thoughts on their minds at that age. Perhaps he feels remorse for the bridge.

[Good thing to boy is gone. Silco's knife hadn't tasted blood lately, and it felt like it might be itchy right about now.]

oh. maybe.

( and because she is doing this the text-to-speech way, the charm is picking up her sentences then her redirecting. )

i miss... i mean. it sucks hes gone ha ha! cant mess with him anymore for fun. and steal his stuff. yep. oh well. who cares!!

You miss...?

what?

You know exactly what you started typing.

i also know the human stomach can dissolve razor blades. but whose really keeping up w anything im saying? scrambled egg brain over here!

I am. And I have no issue calling your motivations to question. Razorblades also have a habit of cutting up a person's insides long before they are dissolved.

( reading his words has her wincing, as if she can pull fast one on her father -- especially when her father is silco of all people. there's at least a few seconds to a minute of silence when another text arrives. )

if u want to question my motivations, can we... do that when we're home? not while im out here.

Edited 2023-09-27 22:26 (UTC)

As you wish. I am nearly to your location.

[He had been walking the whole time, of course. He was someone who multitasked when he needed to, and Jinx often was the kind of person that required him to have many irons in the fire all at once. Walking and texting was hardly strenuous.]

( since her father is nearby, she didn't think she needed to say anything further. so the girl quietly sits on the step, a finger brushing along the hoverboard which could be mistaken maybe she is inspecting it -- and it might be half truth. when silco finally sees her in his viewing, her appearance is... well, terrible.

her hair while in braids like usual, strands are sticking out everywhere and some loops are coming undone. her complexion is horrid too, way paler than she normally is and glistening from her sweat. jinx wasn't kidding when she said she felt death is knocking on her door because she definitely looks the part. lifting up her head when she hears her father's footsteps, jinx forces herself to stand -- wincing over the soreness of her muscles and the claw marks she put upon herself. )

[He moved better than he should, mostly because his wounds were at a point that he could generally ignore the itch of them. He no longer had to wear as much bulk to the bandages, which allowed him to move far more smoothly and slip through the shadows. Of course, when he was seeking out Jinx, he walked with confidence as if daring someone to make an issue with him or his daughter.

And Jinx was... well, expected. She appeared paler than usual and her hair was a mess. Those were all signs that she had been through a significant experience that had not been kind to her mental state. The maze had not been kind to any of them, but he made certain to hide his own ill-feelings about it in order to approach his daughter instead.

He walked over to where Jinx was standing and examined her disheveled appearance with a keen eye before he touched the raised welts of her nails.]

You need treatment. Careful and measured.

[He meant Shimmer, but there was something soft to his tone. If she wanted to talk about what happened, he would listen. However, his priority was to whisk her back to their home.]

Gather your things. We're leaving.

( it's strange really. the closer silco is to her, the more her body has the urge to just collapse in front of him. jinx had been behaving tough and brave which felt like weeks now. and what she would give to just to be home, lie on the couch to either cry everything out or just sleep even more from exhaustion. but she can't do that now -- the locals are still lingering where they are and she needs to continue to appear strong. if the two of them were to either rule this city or the next over, she can't express any weakness. and while her stance is showing strength, the look on her face is the opposite. she's tired, she feels broken, ripped apart, and... small.

blinking away the tears that's forming suddenly at her eyes, she nods to him and collects both pow-pow and ekko's hoverboard. his daughter once again whimpers quietly in pain, but she fights through it -- somewhat waddling when she walks. her legs are damaged the most when it comes to markings, stumbling in her footing here and there due to the numbness she's getting. but... look tough, she tells herself. pretend the waddle and the stumbling is just... part of how she moves. after all, people already think she's a loon or an oddball. so why not play up the part? )

[Once they shifted into motion to head back to the house, he noted her stumbling stance, and when it seemed to him that she might collapse, he stopped walking. He was well aware that Jinx was the type that prioritize protecting him and maintaining a strong appearance while in public, which was admirable. Yet, it would do neither of them any good if she did collapse in the streets.

He held out a hand towards her.]

Let me carry the glider. That will free up your hands to utilize your firearms should a threat make itself present.

[It had little to do with any potential threat. He wanted to relieve her of weight, and if he had a handle of the glider, he could either hide or abandon it should she actually collapse and he had to carry her the rest of the way.]

( there is a slight hesitation with giving up the glider to her father. knowing his thoughts on ekko, he might simply break the board in two and toss it in a garbage can somewhere. regardless though, she hands it over to him then readjusts her machine gun's strap.

this is definitely a lot better all considered. she just needs to make it home and then she can fall apart privately... somehow. because jinx doesn't want to seem weak to silco either (despite the fact he's seen her in that state countless times) and she wants to prove that she can handle anything -- the maze, the withdrawals, and the "break up".

tightening the grip of her strap with both hands, the prodigy forces her body to push on. maybe if she preoccupies her mind with thoughts of a soft cozy bed and maybe something to eat, the walk will end faster. )

Edited 2023-09-29 05:12 (UTC)

[He continued to hold his hand out expectantly despite her hesitation. He knew that she would be hard-pressed to refuse him, and he liked to think himself not unreasonable when it came to his demands. The glider would be safe with him unless they came upon an enemy in which case he might utilize the length and weight of it as a good weapon.

Once it was handed over, he tucked the glider under his arm and held it there. She was moving better without the added weight, and he kept his pace the same as hers as they moved through the streets. It was almost a leisurely walk given the pace that they had to take, and despite the fact that she didn't have her usual manic energy, he didn't encourage a faster pace either.]

You should have a warm bath when we get home. I'll make you something to eat.

( a bath does sound great right about now. although the downside of the bath is her hair. luckily, they have enough products for her to maintain it the way she wanted but the energy to deal with it after the bath is nonexistent. maybe it would be better if she chopped it all off and then throw the pair of scissors to a mirror -- it'll give her some pleasure to watch something shatter and crumble knowing she's the cause of it.

...

jinx isn't going to do any of that, obviously. well not the hair cutting part anyway. it's just her exhaustion and her mental state talking. his daughter nods to his proposal nevertheless and keeps close -- not too close because onlookers but enough in case she trips over herself or something. )

[While he made no mention of it or even felt the need to fill the air with words, Silco was keenly aware of her exhaustion next to him. He held himself up as he normally would, unconcerned about moving through the streets and putting aside his own swirling thoughts to consider how Jinx was doing. Badly, obviously.

He wasn't about to inquire at this time, not with the potential for listening ears. People in the streets did look their way but only acknowledged them with a curious or suspicious look. Any real conversation would have to wait until they had completed the journey home.

So as long as she kept to her feet and consistently moved without looking like she was going to collapse or require assistance, he held his peace for now. They made good enough progress and within a few blocks, their residence came into sight.]

( if she had the energy, she would sprint the rest of the way there, kiss the floorboards, and scream in pure joy. but instead, jinx will keep the happiness within her than letting it all out. when the two of them are finally in the home with the door shut tight behind them, the teen toes off her boots and immediately drops her weapon onto the floor -- it thuds when it lands with a possible dent or scratch to the weapon now. but she'll buff it out later, pow-pow is probably too exhausted to care about being damaged up anyway.

her eyes stare straight on to the couch and wastes no time to head for it, despite that she did agree to bathe just moments before. she'll get to that.... eventually. but for her right now, nothing is calling to her more than this cushion. so she flops onto the sofa, head first in a muffled long groan with one arm and leg dangling off the furniture. )

Edited 2023-09-29 16:25 (UTC)

[Once inside the relative safety and security of their home, Silco eased the glider from under his arm and leaned it against the wall next to the door. He cared little for it, but he was hopeful that Jinx would either use it or break it down for parts so that she could build more of her bombs and other knick-knacks.

He stooped and collected the strap of her gun and put it on a hook so that it was less likely anyone was going to trip on it. He approached where she tossed herself on the couch, resting his hands on the back as he leaned over to examine her. He issued a low hum to announcement himself before standing again.]

You'll have a new boy soon, I expect. [She was at that age, wasn't she? He knew it was coming, but he had hoped her stunted maturity would delay her interest in boys.

At least he could enjoy the 'meet the dad' moments that were in his future.]

I don't care about him.

( she mumbles this onto the cushion of the sofa. and if the funhouse expose anything about herself, it's definitely her feelings regarding towards ekko. there's obvious interest there mixed in with their rivalry -- which makes things complicated to say the least. )

He's no one...

( even with that statement, she sniffles to hold back the reality of him... no longer being here. and although jinx knows deep down he didn't leave aldrip on his own, she's still so ticked off he left her after they kissed and cozed up together. she was so dumb to think good things would come to her like that so easily. )

Is that so?

[There were plenty of evidence to contradict her claim, mostly her reactions to the boy leaving. Jinx was quick to grow attached after all, and it was a rare person that welcomed her in without the usual fear or suspicion. That she had bore the clear signs of some physical intimacy only made his teeth grit and on some level be thankful the boy was gone.

Jinx was easier to parent with when she was moping.]

One of the few who can put the pressure on you on who is the smartest in the room. Your constant clashes over the years have lead the ground work for varied interactions. It's not unusual to dislike losing that.

[He leaned his hip against the side of the couch and crossed his arms over his chest.]

After all, the Enforcer isn't the same level of interesting for you. [Maybe for him.]

( she says nothing to his statements because there is such a thing called "pleading the fifth". but that doesn't stop her from shifting her head to peer up at her father, eyes narrowing slightly. it's not in a threatening manner by any means. it's just... a look she wants to give to him, because she can get away with doing it sometimes. )

...

( and why would he bring up the enforcer? ugh. what a disgusting thought of snuggling up to her of all people. she would much rather jump off a bridge than be caught dead in bed with her. it's already painful enough she was semi-nice to her during the maze. but that was only because her presence wasn't priority at the time -- getting out was. still... it makes her want to shudder. )

Edited 2023-09-30 01:48 (UTC)

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action; cw: drugs + self-inflecting wounds mention

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