[It wasn't supposed to be like this; there was always some Shimmer in the body that gradually subsided and provided that little itch. The itch drove the user to seek more and the cycle would continue. Slow and gradual absence was necessary to allow the body to adjust, and it was never an easy proceed, but having Shimmer returned at a quick and high dose was equally as dangerous. He wasn't so removed from the effects of Shimmer to not learn intimately what it did and how it worked.
He knew. For the first time in several months, he experienced a wave of helplessness to watch Jinx suffer. There was no need to see to understand the sounds that came from above. He could close his eye and imagine what she was doing.]
Jinx, I need you to concentrate on my voice. It will be over soon as your body is flooded with Shimmer again. Once it does, I need you to come down from your perch. I can't come up there to be with you, but I am here.
[If he absolutely needed to, he could scramble up to her. It would be ungraceful, but he remained committed to being a fissure-folk and those skills did not atrophy completely. He shifted to walk around under where her hammock was, letting her hear the gentleness of his footfalls.]
( this isn't forever, she tells herself. this is just temporary, just like the other time. and silco is very knowledgeable when it comes to shimmer, so he would know... and she should believe him, right? he wouldn't lie to her about something as serious as this. so jinx swallows down the lump in her throat and focuses on his voice and his footsteps. )
Do... Do you know any short stories?
( it might be an odd time to ask for a story that could lead into a lesson of some kind, but it could be enough to distract her from her prickly and burning skin. )
[He watched Jinx and continued to move around so that his footfalls remained a constant beat on the floor below. This was not his first situation dealing with those experiencing Shimmer to this level; after all, he was present for all the variations to determine how best to utilize it.
Did he know short stories? Of course he did, but most of those weren't grounded in a kind of reality that he liked to live in. They were wild and pathetic now that he was the age that he was.]
Of course. [He thought for a moment before deciding on one.] Some time ago, there was a boy who grew up in darkness where his only thoughts were of the Kindred and when they would come. One day, the boy was exploring the noxious mines of Zaun because that was his home and everyone explores their home. The boy found himself lost the deeper he went and the air grew thick and difficult to breathe like some fogs. In the dark with only touch and sound, he struggled to find his way in the stagnant air. The boy thought in that darkness, may Kindred embrace me.
[He paused in his walking, folding his hands behind his back. It was a tale many Fissurefolk endured from his time. The mines were unforgiving and surely no place to raise a family, but for generations, that's exactly how it was to live... and die.]
The boy continued to struggle and prayed for a clean breath of air as he faltered choking on his own weakness. Then there was a faint soft breeze, stirring the air, bringing a single fresh breath. The breeze rose from a tinkle across the skin to a push of wind that lead the way. The boy followed that push and danced through the dark poisonous tunnel with the wind that showed him the way. Up, up, up he went and it wasn't Kindred that found him in the dark but Janna who pointed the way towards a better life.
[Silco turned his mismatched gaze up to the rafters again, fingers twitching behind his back as he considered the tale. A lesson.]
Janna cautioned him that all hope comes with a cost. That is what it is to be of the Fissures, of the nation of Zaun. Freedom and imprisonment intersecting. With a churn of the wind, she left the boy safe with a lungful of fresh air, the breath of a renewed life.
(jinx shuts her eyes as he tells the story, focusing on the details of how the boy in the legend may look like. she imagines zaun and the mines, and can picture them both perfectly, as if she was there just yesterday. the city of iron and glass had its downside... a lot of downsides. but she can't help but to feel nostalgic for her former home. and although their people were rough and rugged, some of them did care for one another -- whether they were related by blood or not. the tale itself she had heard a few times in her youth, and each time the narrator put their own little spin on how it went. but jinx never really questioned just which part of it were true, because as erratic as she is, she enjoys stories.
the shimmer within her bloodstream settles, and jinx carefully unravels herself. her vision, while still a bit hazy, is returning, and she is able to move around with the discomfort being mild. as promised, jinx leaps down from her perch and lands rather clumsily on his desk -- some of his papers spilling or crumbling underneath her weight. the teenager blinks rapidly while trying to center her eyesight, seeing a somewhat blurry version of her father just a few feet away. )
[By the time his story had come to an end, he had a feeling that she was in a better place. Shimmer was effective that way, which was good in this case especially. He wanted her to be safe and secure again, and he was certain of giving into her request had been the necessary distraction.
Once she came down from the rafters to his desk, he moved closer to her to be certain that she wasn't going to pitch off of the furniture. He ignored the papers and instead set his hands on either side of her legs and put himself right into her radar in hopes that her vision would clear.]
( blinking slowly now and able to see silco more transparently given the short distance, she nods soundlessly to his ask. but all the while, her body is telling a different story entirely. physically, her forearms and limbs are glowing with freshly bloodstained scratch marks, with the case of the bouncy legs too.
she feels as if she can just leap to her feet and do laps around their home about fifty times, and her body is screaming for her to stop resting and burn off all of this adrenaline that's festering. however the contrast is her expression, she looks a little emotionally drained from the intense ache she had to endure. and to think there's still so much day left to go through. steadily, she leans forward and a little side way -- letting her head rest against his arm as her foot rub against her other ankle to soothe yet another itch. )
[The nod was all the confirmation that he needed as he looked down to examine the self-sustained injuries. He had to tip his head around her own as he reached out to lightly grasp her wrists so that he could look at the blood on her finger nails and her forearms, earning a small sigh from his nose. He felt mostly assured that her energy was contained and he didn't yet have to concern himself with her running off for the moment.
He reached down and pulled open one of his desk drawers, pulling out some cotton material and a small canteen of water which he wet the cotton with. Then he grasped one wrist to extend her arm and began to wash the blood from her wounds with a gentleness he only showed to her.]
I'm going to bandage these to give you something else to pick at. These will heal quickly once the Shimmer fully takes hold, but until then, they are a distraction.
( while she is experiencing no stings or pain from the tender tapping, the itch continued to tingle and taunt her with each motion of his care. and jinx frowns over it, wishing she could just yank her arm away very quickly to soothe the urge one last time. all in all, however, her sight is becoming in focus and her chest lowers in relief.
with how long it took this time, she had a scary predication her vision would delay for another hour or two. but thankfully, this wasn't the case. so jinx remain to sit obediently as she witnesses her father work with such delicate and kindness. )
This doesn't hurt.
( if it wasn't obvious enough with the fact she isn't jerking away with every brush of the silk. but she figured she should make it clear verbally too. )
[He wasn't interested in argument on the matter. He knew that rags and bandages and whatnot could be used as a distraction to the picking, scratching or twitching of fingers with the effects of Shimmer in certain forms. It was a short-lived tactic, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be relevant here. Anything to make her feel better as far as he was concerned.
He continued to wash her self-inflected wounds gently, as if they did hurt her. That completed, he began to wrap her forearms with strips of cloth. He left them slightly messy on purpose that would entice picking here and there if she decided to have another go at her arms.]
The effects should be short-lived, maybe an hour at most.
( as he dresses her wounds, her eyes dart up to his face -- observing the scars she had seen over a million times. she tries to imagine how he would look without them, wondering if his skin used to be obnoxiously soft or if he ever worried about skin care before the toxins became a part of his life. but as he told her many times, if he was nitpicking or had smooth skin -- that man has long deceased. silco is a brand-new man now, a male with a strong and powerful aura who can make people feel unnerving within their bones.
jinx hopes her own voice will gain that much strength some day, she likes to believe it expanded somewhat ... but with the council on the throne, her voice feels nothing but a squeak. her gaze slants to his hands and the bandages, patiently waiting for him to finish, with her feet rocking back and forth like a child would. )
... I've been thinkin' about getting another couch in here.
( she idly mentions, now looking off at a space in his office where the furniture should be able to fit nicely in. )
[Silco was used to being observed, and he had long ago lost the urge to feel self-conscious about anyone looking at his scars. Normally, he would be wearing some foundation and concealer, but it seemed worthless to ask for it as a gift of the gods. He wasn't ashamed even if he grew tired of certain types of staring. He expected that Jinx was doing it because his focus was elsewhere, and he had nothing to hide from her.
His fingers worked at the wrapping of her forearms, and he nodded his head to the sudden change of subject. He turned his head to observe the room and estimated the space that could be allotted for a couch.]
Are you planning on inviting guests over where we will need another spot to sit?
[He didn't particularly care one way or another. Furniture made a room, but it also set a scene and provided a power dynamic when one was needed.]
( her face burns at the question, and she continues to keep her eyes at the vacant spot than on her father. truthfully, it was something she had been rattling her brain over lately. jinx is highly convinced both her and quentin are done for good, which now leaves her completely available. and even with her very conflicted feelings about her newly relationship status, the nights for her have gotten lonelier and colder by the day.
she misses having another human body lying next to her during the night, and although quentin wasn't exactly the cuddle type (except after sex), just being near someone was enough for her. it helped with her nightmares. and while they never vanished entirely, but it did diminish to every once in a while than every night. ... except now, they're on a rampage again. his daughter wants that intimacy again, but who will she get it from? she tried with silco and that led into a dead end. and vi is too busy with romancing the stupid enforcer to even notice her sister these days.
so the possible solution she came up with is to pay someone to spend their time with her. it won't be exactly like how madam babette ran her brothel, but... maybe something similar? exclude the sexual stuff and just have someone to keep her company in bed until the next morning. but would that make her look pathetic?
....
ugh. if only she can go back to feeling emotionless. )
Y-Yeeah... I... I don't.
( she answers finally, stammering over her words as she tiptoes over his previous question. maybe her father won't notice it was left without a reply. )
[He sighed from his nose at her stammering, and he shook his head as he sat back to observe her. He liked to think that he knew her well enough to understand what her issues were, but this world had definitely injected a certain discord that he didn't enjoy having to navigate. Jinx had always been close with him, and he preferred it that way.
However, this place was not the Undercity, and people didn't know or understand either of their history. They were all a bit odd, so thus people seemed to far more welcoming to many of Jinx's normal antics. She had friends her own age, not people who gave ground to her because they all worked for him. She had connected with (argh) boys, and that was trouble.
Still, she had always been an affectionate person with those who had earned her trust. It was how she wormed into his heart, of course. He had limitations to his own physical affection, but she also was the only person to regularly shove him out of his comfort zone. He disliked seeing her in pain, especially if it was something he could help her with.
The fact that that sister was here was a constant threat in the back of his mind. It forced him to reassess how he operated sometimes.]
If you aren't planning on an open invitation for friends, we can forego the couch. The other one is big enough for the both of us if we move the back cushions off.
( her ears perk at the suggestion, and her head swirling around to him with her eyes almost bulging out of her skull. is he... implying what she thinks he's implying? jinx can't recall any time that silco rested on a couch, let alone lying down for anything. she understood why, of course -- the undercity wasn't necessarily the safest place in runeterra, and a powerful man like him needed to be on his toes and always be one step ahead. but is he really willing to lower his defenses for her? for a night or two so she would feel secure? jinx opens her mouth to speak, but then shuts it again. her entire body still and rooted to his desk as he collects the medical items without a hitch. )
( but whenever he shifts to move away, her trance breaks and her hand dives off on its own to clutch onto his wrist. the heat over her cheeks brightens just a touch over the sudden reaction, because not even she knows why her hand did what it did. it just... felt like the right thing to do for whatever reason.
but jinx swallows down the brief embarrassment and steadily guides his hand to rest on her right cheek. still keeping her silence, she holds her gaze to him -- eyes large and doe-like as ever, then shutting them close. jinx takes the moment to feel the familiarity of his palm, and the temperature against her slight chilled skin. he really does love her, even though he never says it with words. )
[Sleeping seated but upright had become a routine for almost two decades, the ability to wake and rise quickly should the situation call for it. It was the most comfortable way to sleep after Vander had tried to kill him in the river with the pain and pressure of his face sinking by gravity. He had once believe he could save the eye by changing the method of sleep, but that had been youthful naivete. Now he slept that way because it was safest.
Also not having an actual bedroom with a bed in it tended to throw a lot of people off when it came to looking for easy ways to kill him. Bodyguards or no, the undercity was not one to suffer fools long. That was that.
He rose, stopping when he felt Jinx's hand grasping his wrist. He turned back to regard her, raising his eyebrow at the look on her face. She should know that there were many situations that he would give up his own comforts for her, and if she didn't know that willingness yet, he clearly had to explain it better in future. He didn't resist when she pressed his palm to her cheek, and he even went so far as to use his thumb to stroke the soft cooler skin under it.]
You're going to be alright, child. I will never forsake you. We're in this mess together.
( she wets her chapped lips quickly and shifts her gaze away from him again. her demeanor becomes passive as her hands reach for a braid to swing over her shoulder. )
I know, I know.
( she mumbles with her fingers toying and picking through her messy bedhead locks. jinx says nothing for a few seconds, learning now that there's no point in denying her struggles and what's been eating at her. especially when silco had been by her side all the way... even if some of his advice or suggestions are things she doesn't agree on. like letting him handle quentin, or she should ditch her sister for good. those thoughts had passed her mind and she entertained them every now and again, but... her heart would interfere each time and she'd pull back. )
It's just... — I don't know how to deal with things that I can't... shoot away or blow up. Not when they can just come back.
[With his hand released, he made an active effort to keep it there against her cheek for a good half minute before withdrawing so that he could put away the medical supplies back in the drawer. That technically freed up his hands, and he did return to take a seat in front of her again.
He waited patiently for her to come out with whatever was bothering her; she usually needed time and a gentle prodding now and again. The way that she was moving indicated to him that she would speak without him having to prompt her for her reasons.
He made a noise of understanding in his throat. Since she had been young and discovered how to make chem-tech work with her bombs, she had gain confidence and began a path of inventions of various levels of destruction. She had seemed so pleased with herself, even if parts of it haunted her from the past. He had encouraged her building and her destructive nature as it seemed those times when she was happy.]
Perhaps we haven't found the right place to put your explosives. Consider this an experimentation to having the most effect, though you will have to endure the paltry punishments by the Council. I can't protect you as I could in the Undercity at the moment.
( 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. )
[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.
( to feel his gentle touch against her cheek never cease to soothe the aggravation bubbling within. and his daughter blows out a sigh through her nostrils as she fastens her eyes again. jinx can sit like this for hours, maybe even sleep this way, if it were possible. these subtle affections feed into her desperation of needing to be loved and to belong to someone. and although she has her father, her sister, and a handful of friends, somehow that itch continues to prickle all over her skin -- screaming for more people to scratch it away. it's infuriating, but at least right now it's being contained by him, her favorite man in the whole world. )
Mmmhmm...
( whether her humming is a cue that she understood and agreed with his words or she's expressing how she is enjoying this intimacy is pretty debatable, but either way, the teen nuzzles her cheek against his palm like a kitten. jinx forgets about the fidgeting with her messy locks and frees her grip little by little, her hands soon to rest on her lap. )
What do you want for breakfast?
( her voice relaxed and in slight murmurs, like she's back in her drowsy nature from when she woke up. )
[That was good enough, and her shift in tone indicated that there was a high chance that the Shimmer in her bloodstream had stabilized. Good, that reduced the risk of more self-harm, and even more importantly, she could hopefully return to her normal energetic and chaotic self. It at least comforted him that the worst of the Council's punishment would be over for her, even if he remained committed to the idea that he would take any action on her behalf to spare the Council being able to act against her in such a way again.]
( she reopens her eyes, but only to make a scrunch up face in slight disapproval. silco never tend to eat much and while she is aware of that, it's still not necessarily healthy. in his age, it's important to have a good balance meal at least sometime during his days, and she feels without her around, he might have wasted away the week of being here in aldrip. )
Sausage, toast, and eggs. The same thing you're getting.
( and she puts a lot of emphasis on the "you're" to make it perfectly clear he is getting more than just a snack. )
[He frowned at the idea that his choice of breakfast was not satisfactory. He wasn't even hungry, so this seemed the best method of approach. Her current description of a meal seemed rather over the top in his point of view. After all, he ate dinner. That meal was relatively guaranteed.]
That seems excessive. Toast has suited me fine since coming here.
[That was his claim, and he was sticking with it.]
[ she doesn't seem all too convinced by his claim, and she shimmies herself off his office desk finally to stretch out her fatigued legs. ]
Toast isn't going to keep the storm brewing in your brain for too long, you know. There's a reason why it's an important part of the day. — And don't say you'll make up for it during lunch or dinner, 'cause I've seen what you eat during those meals, too.
[ with that, she skips off to pass him to head for the door. but before leaving the room completely, jinx calls out to him: ]
So you're getting a balanced breakfast, no whining!!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
action;
Date: 2024-03-14 04:50 am (UTC)He knew. For the first time in several months, he experienced a wave of helplessness to watch Jinx suffer. There was no need to see to understand the sounds that came from above. He could close his eye and imagine what she was doing.]
Jinx, I need you to concentrate on my voice. It will be over soon as your body is flooded with Shimmer again. Once it does, I need you to come down from your perch. I can't come up there to be with you, but I am here.
[If he absolutely needed to, he could scramble up to her. It would be ungraceful, but he remained committed to being a fissure-folk and those skills did not atrophy completely. He shifted to walk around under where her hammock was, letting her hear the gentleness of his footfalls.]
action;
Date: 2024-03-14 05:43 am (UTC)Do... Do you know any short stories?
( it might be an odd time to ask for a story that could lead into a lesson of some kind, but it could be enough to distract her from her prickly and burning skin. )
action;
Date: 2024-03-17 04:53 pm (UTC)Did he know short stories? Of course he did, but most of those weren't grounded in a kind of reality that he liked to live in. They were wild and pathetic now that he was the age that he was.]
Of course. [He thought for a moment before deciding on one.] Some time ago, there was a boy who grew up in darkness where his only thoughts were of the Kindred and when they would come. One day, the boy was exploring the noxious mines of Zaun because that was his home and everyone explores their home. The boy found himself lost the deeper he went and the air grew thick and difficult to breathe like some fogs. In the dark with only touch and sound, he struggled to find his way in the stagnant air. The boy thought in that darkness, may Kindred embrace me.
[He paused in his walking, folding his hands behind his back. It was a tale many Fissurefolk endured from his time. The mines were unforgiving and surely no place to raise a family, but for generations, that's exactly how it was to live... and die.]
The boy continued to struggle and prayed for a clean breath of air as he faltered choking on his own weakness. Then there was a faint soft breeze, stirring the air, bringing a single fresh breath. The breeze rose from a tinkle across the skin to a push of wind that lead the way. The boy followed that push and danced through the dark poisonous tunnel with the wind that showed him the way. Up, up, up he went and it wasn't Kindred that found him in the dark but Janna who pointed the way towards a better life.
[Silco turned his mismatched gaze up to the rafters again, fingers twitching behind his back as he considered the tale. A lesson.]
Janna cautioned him that all hope comes with a cost. That is what it is to be of the Fissures, of the nation of Zaun. Freedom and imprisonment intersecting. With a churn of the wind, she left the boy safe with a lungful of fresh air, the breath of a renewed life.
[He then hummed and began to walk again.]
...or so the old Fissure tale goes.
action;
Date: 2024-03-18 04:16 am (UTC)the shimmer within her bloodstream settles, and jinx carefully unravels herself. her vision, while still a bit hazy, is returning, and she is able to move around with the discomfort being mild. as promised, jinx leaps down from her perch and lands rather clumsily on his desk -- some of his papers spilling or crumbling underneath her weight. the teenager blinks rapidly while trying to center her eyesight, seeing a somewhat blurry version of her father just a few feet away. )
action;
Date: 2024-03-18 05:23 am (UTC)Once she came down from the rafters to his desk, he moved closer to her to be certain that she wasn't going to pitch off of the furniture. He ignored the papers and instead set his hands on either side of her legs and put himself right into her radar in hopes that her vision would clear.]
Are you alright, Jinx?
action;
Date: 2024-03-18 05:43 am (UTC)she feels as if she can just leap to her feet and do laps around their home about fifty times, and her body is screaming for her to stop resting and burn off all of this adrenaline that's festering. however the contrast is her expression, she looks a little emotionally drained from the intense ache she had to endure. and to think there's still so much day left to go through. steadily, she leans forward and a little side way -- letting her head rest against his arm as her foot rub against her other ankle to soothe yet another itch. )
action;
Date: 2024-03-18 01:25 pm (UTC)He reached down and pulled open one of his desk drawers, pulling out some cotton material and a small canteen of water which he wet the cotton with. Then he grasped one wrist to extend her arm and began to wash the blood from her wounds with a gentleness he only showed to her.]
I'm going to bandage these to give you something else to pick at. These will heal quickly once the Shimmer fully takes hold, but until then, they are a distraction.
action;
Date: 2024-03-21 05:23 am (UTC)with how long it took this time, she had a scary predication her vision would delay for another hour or two. but thankfully, this wasn't the case. so jinx remain to sit obediently as she witnesses her father work with such delicate and kindness. )
This doesn't hurt.
( if it wasn't obvious enough with the fact she isn't jerking away with every brush of the silk. but she figured she should make it clear verbally too. )
action;
Date: 2024-03-23 06:19 pm (UTC)[He wasn't interested in argument on the matter. He knew that rags and bandages and whatnot could be used as a distraction to the picking, scratching or twitching of fingers with the effects of Shimmer in certain forms. It was a short-lived tactic, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be relevant here. Anything to make her feel better as far as he was concerned.
He continued to wash her self-inflected wounds gently, as if they did hurt her. That completed, he began to wrap her forearms with strips of cloth. He left them slightly messy on purpose that would entice picking here and there if she decided to have another go at her arms.]
The effects should be short-lived, maybe an hour at most.
action;
Date: 2024-03-25 04:26 am (UTC)jinx hopes her own voice will gain that much strength some day, she likes to believe it expanded somewhat ... but with the council on the throne, her voice feels nothing but a squeak. her gaze slants to his hands and the bandages, patiently waiting for him to finish, with her feet rocking back and forth like a child would. )
... I've been thinkin' about getting another couch in here.
( she idly mentions, now looking off at a space in his office where the furniture should be able to fit nicely in. )
So sometimes I can sleep down here than up there.
action;
Date: 2024-03-26 02:12 am (UTC)His fingers worked at the wrapping of her forearms, and he nodded his head to the sudden change of subject. He turned his head to observe the room and estimated the space that could be allotted for a couch.]
Are you planning on inviting guests over where we will need another spot to sit?
[He didn't particularly care one way or another. Furniture made a room, but it also set a scene and provided a power dynamic when one was needed.]
You don't like to sleep down low, though.
action; nsfw: sex briefly mentioned in narrative
Date: 2024-03-26 04:25 am (UTC)she misses having another human body lying next to her during the night, and although quentin wasn't exactly the cuddle type (except after sex), just being near someone was enough for her. it helped with her nightmares. and while they never vanished entirely, but it did diminish to every once in a while than every night. ... except now, they're on a rampage again. his daughter wants that intimacy again, but who will she get it from? she tried with silco and that led into a dead end. and vi is too busy with romancing the stupid enforcer to even notice her sister these days.
so the possible solution she came up with is to pay someone to spend their time with her. it won't be exactly like how madam babette ran her brothel, but... maybe something similar? exclude the sexual stuff and just have someone to keep her company in bed until the next morning. but would that make her look pathetic?
....
ugh. if only she can go back to feeling emotionless. )
Y-Yeeah... I... I don't.
( she answers finally, stammering over her words as she tiptoes over his previous question. maybe her father won't notice it was left without a reply. )
But you'll be nearby, so... it's no sweat.
action;
Date: 2024-04-02 03:59 am (UTC)However, this place was not the Undercity, and people didn't know or understand either of their history. They were all a bit odd, so thus people seemed to far more welcoming to many of Jinx's normal antics. She had friends her own age, not people who gave ground to her because they all worked for him. She had connected with (argh) boys, and that was trouble.
Still, she had always been an affectionate person with those who had earned her trust. It was how she wormed into his heart, of course. He had limitations to his own physical affection, but she also was the only person to regularly shove him out of his comfort zone. He disliked seeing her in pain, especially if it was something he could help her with.
The fact that that sister was here was a constant threat in the back of his mind. It forced him to reassess how he operated sometimes.]
If you aren't planning on an open invitation for friends, we can forego the couch. The other one is big enough for the both of us if we move the back cushions off.
[He began to put away the medical supplies.]
More blankets may be necessary though.
action; 1/2
Date: 2024-04-02 04:50 am (UTC)...
action; 2/2
Date: 2024-04-02 05:03 am (UTC)but jinx swallows down the brief embarrassment and steadily guides his hand to rest on her right cheek. still keeping her silence, she holds her gaze to him -- eyes large and doe-like as ever, then shutting them close. jinx takes the moment to feel the familiarity of his palm, and the temperature against her slight chilled skin. he really does love her, even though he never says it with words. )
... Okay.
action;
Date: 2024-04-02 01:18 pm (UTC)Also not having an actual bedroom with a bed in it tended to throw a lot of people off when it came to looking for easy ways to kill him. Bodyguards or no, the undercity was not one to suffer fools long. That was that.
He rose, stopping when he felt Jinx's hand grasping his wrist. He turned back to regard her, raising his eyebrow at the look on her face. She should know that there were many situations that he would give up his own comforts for her, and if she didn't know that willingness yet, he clearly had to explain it better in future. He didn't resist when she pressed his palm to her cheek, and he even went so far as to use his thumb to stroke the soft cooler skin under it.]
You're going to be alright, child. I will never forsake you. We're in this mess together.
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Date: 2024-04-02 05:09 pm (UTC)I know, I know.
( she mumbles with her fingers toying and picking through her messy bedhead locks. jinx says nothing for a few seconds, learning now that there's no point in denying her struggles and what's been eating at her. especially when silco had been by her side all the way... even if some of his advice or suggestions are things she doesn't agree on. like letting him handle quentin, or she should ditch her sister for good. those thoughts had passed her mind and she entertained them every now and again, but... her heart would interfere each time and she'd pull back. )
It's just... — I don't know how to deal with things that I can't... shoot away or blow up. Not when they can just come back.
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Date: 2024-04-04 03:02 am (UTC)He waited patiently for her to come out with whatever was bothering her; she usually needed time and a gentle prodding now and again. The way that she was moving indicated to him that she would speak without him having to prompt her for her reasons.
He made a noise of understanding in his throat. Since she had been young and discovered how to make chem-tech work with her bombs, she had gain confidence and began a path of inventions of various levels of destruction. She had seemed so pleased with herself, even if parts of it haunted her from the past. He had encouraged her building and her destructive nature as it seemed those times when she was happy.]
Perhaps we haven't found the right place to put your explosives. Consider this an experimentation to having the most effect, though you will have to endure the paltry punishments by the Council. I can't protect you as I could in the Undercity at the moment.
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Date: 2024-04-11 01:07 am (UTC)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. )
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Date: 2024-04-12 03:16 am (UTC)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.
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Date: 2024-04-14 12:28 am (UTC)Mmmhmm...
( whether her humming is a cue that she understood and agreed with his words or she's expressing how she is enjoying this intimacy is pretty debatable, but either way, the teen nuzzles her cheek against his palm like a kitten. jinx forgets about the fidgeting with her messy locks and frees her grip little by little, her hands soon to rest on her lap. )
What do you want for breakfast?
( her voice relaxed and in slight murmurs, like she's back in her drowsy nature from when she woke up. )
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Date: 2024-04-14 01:25 am (UTC)Probably just toast. What will you have?
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Date: 2024-04-15 02:48 pm (UTC)Sausage, toast, and eggs. The same thing you're getting.
( and she puts a lot of emphasis on the "you're" to make it perfectly clear he is getting more than just a snack. )
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Date: 2024-04-20 01:27 pm (UTC)That seems excessive. Toast has suited me fine since coming here.
[That was his claim, and he was sticking with it.]
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Date: 2024-04-20 11:14 pm (UTC)[ she doesn't seem all too convinced by his claim, and she shimmies herself off his office desk finally to stretch out her fatigued legs. ]
Toast isn't going to keep the storm brewing in your brain for too long, you know. There's a reason why it's an important part of the day. — And don't say you'll make up for it during lunch or dinner, 'cause I've seen what you eat during those meals, too.
[ with that, she skips off to pass him to head for the door. but before leaving the room completely, jinx calls out to him: ]
So you're getting a balanced breakfast, no whining!!
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