[ which adds on more to her frustration and sorrows, it's like the council is trying to limit all of her escapism, or at least that's how it feels like to her.
she can tinker, sure, but what good is that if she can't aim her firearms on people? at her father's instructions, she frowns for the first time and snaps the loaf of bread into miniature pieces with her hands. ]
What's the point? The big wigs will know what I did anyway. And I don't want to be quiet.
A temporary problem. Find others to fit the same purpose for you until they return to you.
[There were other ways to find connection to fill those voids if and when they existed in her. He had to wonder if it would be smart to remain home tonight in case this situation was bombastic enough to require his immediate intervention with bribery and clean up.
He raised his eyebrow, giving himself time to consider his answer to her reply as he sat back further into his chair.]
I don't want you to invite Chosen intervention to your activities. Remove them from town then if you want noise. [He lifted his tumbler to his lips for a sip of whiskey.] Or I will cover your activities with something grander.
[Perhaps make up for the fact that he had put her in this position to act out like this in the first place. He had only been sentenced once, and the punishment of being dragged across the desert had been far worse than the pitiful community service.]
[ it is a temporary problem, but she is in no mood to try and find replacements, either. to find another ethan, abigail, william, and tabitha among the thieves just to spend time with her sounds too much of a chore, and they're the best in burglary besides herself. so to that suggestion, she makes no comment, but to the other his daughter flashes him a light flat expression before popping the bread into her mouth. ]
I'm hitting a lot of houses, Silco. Dragging every couple outside of town, then go back in again, takes too much time. It's easier to just do it in their houses and hop to the next. Who's gonna miss these losers anyway? They don't mean anything.
[ she takes a break to chew more, then starts: ]
You don't have to cover for me. Your plate's already full of so many things, don't let what I'm doing stop you.
[It seemed that this was going to be an all night torture and murder frenzy then, was it? He preferred to focus those tendencies towards work and missions, but for now, he was still building their little empire and didn't need anyone to guard cargo. Aside from Jinx herself, moving goods was laughably easy to do. Perhaps he would have to make more efforts to focus her outbursts of violence.]
Depends if this place is determined to try to pull on the heartstrings of other Chosen to interfere. Hence why I am saying keep it tight and quiet.
[He swirled his whiskey and watched her for a quiet moment, sensing some teenage rebellion in her words.]
Are you pushing me away, Jinx? I don't care to be at arm's length, if that's the case.
So what? Let them try and interfere. I'll give them a little present, too, so they won't feel left out.
[ her nostrils does flare a little at the question, but she breathes out for a second before speaking. she isn't going to do the same mistake twice and let her emotions get the better of her (even though it's prodding her already). jinx straightens her spine and lifts her chin, so her words can flow through her tongue easily. ]
I'm not pushing you away. I already told you that I'm not going to walk away from you ever again. And I meant that. I'm just [...] preparing. That's all.
[So caution was going to the wind... Well, he would prepare his own resources to provide her the necessary protections that he could.]
It would not serve us well to start a war between the Chosen at this time.
[He measured her response, but there was a definitely disparity between her stance, her words and the emotions he surmised that she was experiencing. He set down his drink and leaned forward so he could rest a forearm on the table as he turned to face her, drawing his legs towards himself again.]
Preparing for what exactly? Do you not believe that I will continue to make you my priority?
[ keeping her posture the way it is, she scoots her meal aside from now and grants her father a little staredown while maintaining her tone as cool as she can. ]
Oh, I believe you, I just know people. And people change and do crazy things when it comes to sex. Especially if it's not a hit it or quit it sort of thing. So I'm just prepping.
[He maintained eye contact with her steadily. His own meal and now drink was abandoned as he focused the full weight of his attention on her. His mind was following along her words and dissecting what she might mean by then.
He wondered if she claimed to know the change in behaviour as she was basing what he might do on her sister or even herself. He sighed from his nose.]
You perhaps have lost faith in me then to compare me to the way your sister treats you over her enforcer. Have I made you question my loyalty so much in the past?
[ she scoots herself away from their table and gathers to her feet, pacing slowly to move around with her bandaged fingertips dragging along the surface. soon, her slender fingers meet his sleeve, and they climb steadily to the curve of his shoulder until she is fully behind him.
his daughter hunches forward, her arms draping over each of his shoulders as she lowers her head to press her cheek to his. and when she speaks again, it's barely above a whisper -- like she is sharing a dark secret that's so sinister that not even the walls should listen in. ]
Your pet will force their way between us. They will use their body or whatever power they have to warp your mind when you least expect it... whether you want it to happen or not. They'll make you give into their every temptation, bend into their will, and it'll be so big that you can't fight it off. And if I try to break you from their spell, it'll mean what we have together will crumble forever.
[ her tone weakens and she moves her head ever so slightly so he can feel her lips part with each syllable. ]
You'll be lost... and I won't be able to reach you. ... And what will I do then?
Edited (Tagging with work phone is pain) Date: 2024-07-16 01:21 am (UTC)
[He remained seating as she rose, yet he was poised and tense as she came around to touch his arm then up to his shoulder. He lost sight of her as she moved behind him, yet he turned his head to the right as he felt her arms slide over his shoulders. It was then that he relaxed into her loose embrace, the trepidation fading as his daughter whispered her concerns into his ear.
While he had complete confidence in his ability to not lose focus on his priorities, he couldn't deny her points either. It hadn't been his lover's body at first to hold his attention beyond the scarring, but instead, he had been deeply curious of the tortured soul that was a fish out of water. When he had been at the bottom most point of his loneliness, it had been Richard he had gone to expecting nothing and receiving more than he ever bargained for.
He leaned back in his chair, into his daughter's draped arms and reached back with a hand until he could cup the back of her head. He was, perhaps, more free with some of his affection.] I won't let that happen, Jinx. We have found comfort in sharing some intimacy, nothing more, nothing less.
[He closed his eye, considering her question seriously.]
What I do here, I do for us, for you. Taking someone to my bed will not change that fact. I will not allow this addition whether it is short term or long term addle my mind so that I am neglectful of you.
[He was so determined on his own point of view of the world and himself that he didn't believe his foundation could be shaken.]
[ once she feels his hand resting on the back of her head, jinx nuzzles in deeper -- her nose caressing against the skin of his cheek but not without the light sniffling. she was doing so well without the tears or runny nose, but it looks like those two things will finally betray her. ]
... I know you won't. But they'll make you...
[ she hates that her tone is becoming unbalance and her vulnerability is showing, but she has to say this and warn him before any serpents make their way through before she gets her chance. ]
I've seen how they brainwash people. They won't care if I had you first, they won't care that you're mine and my home. They'll rip me away because they're selfish, wicked, and cruel. They'll want me out of the way, and they'll blind you so you won't see their intentions. Then I'll have no choice but to hurt or kill them.
... And then I'll lose in the end. That's what I'm preparing for. Losing.
[For his part, Silco surrendered into the role of patient father and the tension completely left his body as he stretched his legs back out under the table. There was no need to rise, not when Jinx nestling her face so close against his skin where he was aware of her breath against his skin and the noises of her being upset easily reached his ear.]
You believe so?
[It was an interesting concept to consider. When had anyone actually made him do anything against his own will in these last years? There were compromises of course, and there was altering his opinion and his intentions, but the goals had always seemed so clear. Yet, he didn't deny her fear or how she may know something he had locked away a very long time ago.
His fingers stroked her hair lightly in a comforting gesture. He hummed softly, acknowledging her feelings and her concerns.]
Is that what you experienced with those boys you allowed into your bed? They brainwashed you and tried to take you away from me, to cut me out?
[He was mainly considering that arrogant idiot, Quentin, but there had been the Firelight boy to start the ball rolling. Then there was the natives she dabbled with on occasion. With the Firelight boy's return though, he had to consider if what she saw as a threat to him was something he was now going to have to concern himself with in her.]
[ her lips feel so dry suddenly, and maybe she should have considered that drink after all because her throat is growing tight, too. the stroke over her hair feels so lovely and soothing, and it eggs her tears to trickle faster and become more obvious (if not that, then his cheek now becoming damp will be his first clue).
and it's this exact moment, this exact love between them is what she is afraid of losing. and while the love between her and her sister is strong, it could be unbreakable if it weren't for caitlyn's meddling, and the two sisters are still slightly rocky to this day. when was the last time jinx had seen vi's face or heard her voice? since the whole the last drop fiasco?
when her father brings up those questions, her heart aches and her sniffling increases, but not without a tiny blush brusing across her cheeks. in spite of this conversation, it's still a little embarrassing to talk about her previous sex life with a parent. ]
Q...- Quentin was the only one I let in...in that way. The nobodies are just ones and zeros. The council are making them up, so it's no real different than doing it to yourself.
[ and since they are discussing about this and essentially her ex-boyfriend, jinx... might as well fess up about something. ]
When Quentin and I first met, he wanted me to leave you behind. I told him that you and I were going to make Aldrip all ours some day, and he wanted me to rule it all without you and have it be just him and me instead.
[ nervously, she wets her lips and continues to croak through her words. ]
A-And I knew he could be dangerous, but I let him in anyway, because he felt too good. He made me feel...so pretty and I liked him in my head. But when I started to fall in love with him, he just....
[ she stops there, her silent sobs tangling with her tongue and forbidding her to speak further. ]
[She didn't remember the insect who started it all, and he would leave it that way. She had suffered enough traumas outside and inside of this place that he would prefer to protect her from more suffering if it was possible to do so. He was not willing to put his relationship with her at risk any more than he already had with his admittance, not when he had recently had her return to him.
He kept his face where it was so she could remain nestled there against his neck, and he was keenly aware of the moisture on his cheek. His fingers continued to stroke the back of her hair as he listened to her discuss that idiot who had always rubbed him the wrong way.
Yet, his fingers paused when she admitted to Quentin's meddling, he felt a flare of anger that burned hot in his throat. He had to take a deep breath and hold it, pushing his own emotions down because he now recognized this as potentially the source of her unease when it came to his own intimate association.]
And because that idiot pulled that with you against me, you have been lead to believe that my own experience may be the same? That I would even entertain cutting you out after all we have been through, you and I?
[Love was a dangerous emotion, and when it went sour, it was like poison in one's veins.]
It is a boon to us all that he is gone otherwise I would have ended his existence over and over.
[ she admits quietly, pulling her face away from his, but only briefly so she can wipe away her tears with her forearm. and once she's done doing so, jinx returns to nuzzle back to him -- this time, her nose underneath his jawline and neck than his cheek. ]
Bad things always happen to me or whoever is around me... Nothing ever goes right or the way I really wanted.
[ because there's also her curse she has to consider in all of this, too. in her prospective, if silco isn't going to ditch her on his own, or his new lover isn't going to manipulate him into doing it, then her "jinx" will take control of the situation and make it a reality.
short-lived or long, at the end of the day, she still needs to prepare herself for the worst and if she's lucky, these premonitions may not come true at all. although given her eighteen years of existing, she doesn't have high expectations. and his daughter thought being in this new world or simulation would have cancelled out of her curse, but it followed her here — if not powerful than ever before. ]
[He lifted his chin and turned his head to watch her, but it wasn't long before her face returned to nuzzling into his throat. He let his chin come to rest on the top of her head, and his fingers stroked the back of her head to soothe her. He knew that she was upset, but it was just sex, not like that twisted excuse for a relationship she had had with that idiot.]
You need to stop blaming yourself, Jinx. Things happen because they happen, and you are exactly as you are meant to be.
[He had no plans on abandoning her, of leaving her behind for a warm body in his bed. Perhaps in future there may have to be coexisting, but with the way that things turned out for him, he doubted it very much. No one bedded a monster for more than a small amount of time before heading for the hills... or pushing his head under water as it were.
Jinx remained his priority. He was building an empire here for her, for them but mostly for her.]
They are not a threat to you or what we have. You have my word.
[ she knows she should believe him, and she should trust him, and quite frankly, she does. it's the chosen she holds no confidence over, and after quentin wounded her in the worst possible way (nearly in line with how vi left her that night), jinx had become suspicious towards everyone, excluding ragna.
sure, she has her little circle and friends, but humans are flighty, and one can never tell what they're thinking. it's one of the lovely qualities of quentin, because they spent the majority of their days in each other's minds; thinking to one another. she'd be a liar if she voiced she hadn't been missing him in that way, because she does. and that might be the reason why she clung to ekko so pathetically back at the treehouse.
her screw-up on that is churning within her stomach, and jinx will need to make a mental note to delete the boy savior's number off her device (if it's possible) later. their transaction has been fulfilled anyway, so there's no need for either of them to continue contact. he vowed he wouldn't spill the beans about her vulnerability, but... along with the rest of the chosen, she holds no confidence.
with another sniff, she nods and finally breaks away from her embrace on him. she should really return to her dinner before she grows ill or faint, because the amount she had wasn't nearly enough for her shimmer levels to be balanced. but the conversation dulled her appetite, so maybe she can try again as a midnight snack. ]
[Despite his comforting her, he knew that there was nothing that he could say or do right now to assure her of his commitment to keeping their relationship as it was. That would have to come with time and constant reinforcement that he was, as usual, better than Jinx's sister. His sense of loyalty remained constant up to and including his death prior to arriving here and it hadn't changed since he had arrived either.
Silco was also very aware of her jealous nature related to her abandonment issues. It was the reason that he didn't divulge the identity of the individual who had caught his eye for the time being. He would wait until she settled into the idea for a bit and until he had provided evidence that she could continue to trust him.
Besides, he had his own concerns that she would become distracted by the Zaun boy. Perhaps for the best, but their brief association had not ended well with his leaving, reinforcing the issues Silco would have to clean up the pieces to. Memory alteration here had been a boon in that case only, but he was alert to the fact that it could happen all over again, and it was difficult to nip the bud of future trouble when there was no permanent solution to such problems.
He eased his hand away from her so that she could rise from where she had been nestled close. He tipped his head to watch her from the corner of his blue eye.] You should eat something more, Jinx, especially if you are having a night on the town.
[ the chilly silence lingers in the air as she quietly contemplates about her dinner, but she shakes her head to dismiss it. jinx knew her father is right, and so is the voice of reason that's somewhere hidden in her dark clouds of worry, jealousy, and anger. still and all, she links her arms around her thin frame and her stubbornness reared forward. ]
I'm not... really hungry.
[ the confession almost died in her throat, but it somehow managed its way past her lips -- probably through the gap between her two front teeth. his daughter finally moves after being behind her father for so long, and collects her meal to be placed inside their fridge. ]
[He nodded his head, accepting that any will to eat had left them both. The topic of discussion still hung cool and heavy between them, and he understood it would take time to prove that he could handle the situation appropriately and that Richard had no interest stealing him away from his only child. Though, it had not been a topic of discussion, he still considered their association sexual in nature only even when he found other comforts.]
Agreed. We will eat later then.
[He pulled his legs under him so that he could set them on the floor to stand and grab his own plate in order to take it to the kitchen. He followed Jinx to putting his own barely touched sandwich into the fridge, unwilling to waste her hard work and meal prep.
He stepped up to her to take a moment to rest his temple against hers for a few seconds.]
[ with her thoughts still thick and possessing her, she almost jolts in surprised when silco approaches to press their temples together. but jinx relaxes into it and remains motionless until those seconds pass. his daughter gets to work when their closeness breaks, crouching down to a cabinet to open and shuffle around for a duffle bag that's been stored away.
she unzips it when it's placed on the counter, then moves to a drawer where the knives are kept. one by one, she selects the tools from all different shapes and sizes, from a chef's knife, a steak, universal, cutting, and carving. his daughter shuts the tray door and opens another, with this one having capped oil crayons of all colors. and with these, jinx doesn't pick and choose but collects them all to stuff in the bag. ]
[ his daughter squints over her items she gathered so far, and her face twists in dissatisfaction — like there's something amiss. so she paces off to the opposite side of the kitchen, and rummages through other drawers with her fingers shooing away various objects around. a few seconds of searching until she finds what she's looking for, three capped disposable syringes that contain some dark lemony-colored components. ]
[He withdrew after those seconds, and he didn't move far away either. Instead, he found a point in the kitchen where he could lean on the counter and watch her prepare her tools for the night. He said nothing about the activity that she was about to participate in, and he frankly didn't care that she was going to hurt people that didn't even exist. Perhaps it was pushing this simulation they endured towards ruin, but he had always allowed her leash to be loose.
After all, he had provided his instructions on how he expected the night to go. He was already meantally forming plans on how to mitigate any blow back. He would have Levi follow at a safe distance then but instruct the boy to not interfere.
With her leaving, his expected plans of a quiet night began to shift. This event would take most of the night, so he could drop in on Richard. They would have some solid hours in one another's company; he could complete the intended work tomorrow. It was tempting, knowing Jinx would be preoccupied and unlikely to return here until the early morning hours, if at all.]
[ now that everything is tucked away, she slings the strap over her shoulder and hums to confirm his answer. the only thing missing is a disguise, but keeping her identity confidential is not on the for front of her mind. quite frankly, jinx doesn't care at this point if the locals spread rumors of tonight's terror (that is, if she feels merciful tonight to let them live) nor if the council discovers her evil doings.
if anything, this will be her way of speaking to silco's mystery whoever. cross her and you'll become her finger painting canvas. and who knows, maybe by doing this will keep everyone who is involved on script. if her father is insisting on having a pet, fine, but she's going to orchestrate how this play will go from start to finish. what's that saying again? curiosity kills the cat? and whoever this cat is will respect its manners and her domain, or she'll have to give them a private lesson about following and obeying the hierarchy. ]
[ jinx shuffles out of the kitchen, ignoring her boots resting in the corner, and her way to the front door. she swipes her set of keys to stuff in her pocket, then glances over her shoulder to her father. the words, "i'm leaving" doesn't sit right for her to say given what happened between them last month. in fact, she half wonders if her father seeking out for a lover was a result of her being such a rotten daughter, just like how vi got pushed to caitlyn because she was an awful sister. she tenses over that thought, but forces the two words to pass her lips: ]
[Silco sighed as she ignored his question and simply packed up and moved to leave. This situationship was not a topic that was over, he knew, but he had hoped that Jinx would let him have a small bright spot just beyond their circle for as long as it lasted. He gave it a few months, and then he could settle right back into seclusion from intimate partners as he had for decades before coming here.
He couldn't lie to her; he had run afoul with regards to withholding information from her too long while he verified it. He knew withholding the information was result in far worse, yet he couldn't help but realize his social circle was so small and he trusted so little that this was something he would sit on alone. It was his decision, his momentary weakness to enjoy being desired.
Perhaps he would pay dearly for it.]
Yes, see you, Jinx. Call if you need anything.
[He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers once she had left, shaking his head as he stood in silence in the vacant house. Maybe this was some form of empty nest syndrome or some other bullshit. Either way, he remained alone cleaning up after her meal prep and tidying the house before the weight of their discussion and its impeding iterations of the future had him forcing his feet into shoes and leaving the house to check in on Richard. If unavailable, he would simply check on his businesses.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
action;
Date: 2024-07-15 09:41 pm (UTC)[ which adds on more to her frustration and sorrows, it's like the council is trying to limit all of her escapism, or at least that's how it feels like to her.
she can tinker, sure, but what good is that if she can't aim her firearms on people? at her father's instructions, she frowns for the first time and snaps the loaf of bread into miniature pieces with her hands. ]
What's the point? The big wigs will know what I did anyway. And I don't want to be quiet.
action;
Date: 2024-07-15 09:50 pm (UTC)[There were other ways to find connection to fill those voids if and when they existed in her. He had to wonder if it would be smart to remain home tonight in case this situation was bombastic enough to require his immediate intervention with bribery and clean up.
He raised his eyebrow, giving himself time to consider his answer to her reply as he sat back further into his chair.]
I don't want you to invite Chosen intervention to your activities. Remove them from town then if you want noise. [He lifted his tumbler to his lips for a sip of whiskey.] Or I will cover your activities with something grander.
[Perhaps make up for the fact that he had put her in this position to act out like this in the first place. He had only been sentenced once, and the punishment of being dragged across the desert had been far worse than the pitiful community service.]
action;
Date: 2024-07-15 11:23 pm (UTC)I'm hitting a lot of houses, Silco. Dragging every couple outside of town, then go back in again, takes too much time. It's easier to just do it in their houses and hop to the next. Who's gonna miss these losers anyway? They don't mean anything.
[ she takes a break to chew more, then starts: ]
You don't have to cover for me. Your plate's already full of so many things, don't let what I'm doing stop you.
[ ah, there it is. finally a little crack. ]
action;
Date: 2024-07-15 11:33 pm (UTC)Depends if this place is determined to try to pull on the heartstrings of other Chosen to interfere. Hence why I am saying keep it tight and quiet.
[He swirled his whiskey and watched her for a quiet moment, sensing some teenage rebellion in her words.]
Are you pushing me away, Jinx? I don't care to be at arm's length, if that's the case.
action;
Date: 2024-07-15 11:46 pm (UTC)[ her nostrils does flare a little at the question, but she breathes out for a second before speaking. she isn't going to do the same mistake twice and let her emotions get the better of her (even though it's prodding her already). jinx straightens her spine and lifts her chin, so her words can flow through her tongue easily. ]
I'm not pushing you away. I already told you that I'm not going to walk away from you ever again. And I meant that. I'm just [...] preparing. That's all.
action;
Date: 2024-07-15 11:56 pm (UTC)It would not serve us well to start a war between the Chosen at this time.
[He measured her response, but there was a definitely disparity between her stance, her words and the emotions he surmised that she was experiencing. He set down his drink and leaned forward so he could rest a forearm on the table as he turned to face her, drawing his legs towards himself again.]
Preparing for what exactly? Do you not believe that I will continue to make you my priority?
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 12:07 am (UTC)Oh, I believe you, I just know people. And people change and do crazy things when it comes to sex. Especially if it's not a hit it or quit it sort of thing. So I'm just prepping.
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 12:16 am (UTC)He wondered if she claimed to know the change in behaviour as she was basing what he might do on her sister or even herself. He sighed from his nose.]
You perhaps have lost faith in me then to compare me to the way your sister treats you over her enforcer. Have I made you question my loyalty so much in the past?
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 01:00 am (UTC)[ she scoots herself away from their table and gathers to her feet, pacing slowly to move around with her bandaged fingertips dragging along the surface. soon, her slender fingers meet his sleeve, and they climb steadily to the curve of his shoulder until she is fully behind him.
his daughter hunches forward, her arms draping over each of his shoulders as she lowers her head to press her cheek to his. and when she speaks again, it's barely above a whisper -- like she is sharing a dark secret that's so sinister that not even the walls should listen in. ]
Your pet will force their way between us. They will use their body or whatever power they have to warp your mind when you least expect it... whether you want it to happen or not. They'll make you give into their every temptation, bend into their will, and it'll be so big that you can't fight it off. And if I try to break you from their spell, it'll mean what we have together will crumble forever.
[ her tone weakens and she moves her head ever so slightly so he can feel her lips part with each syllable. ]
You'll be lost... and I won't be able to reach you. ... And what will I do then?
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 01:25 am (UTC)While he had complete confidence in his ability to not lose focus on his priorities, he couldn't deny her points either. It hadn't been his lover's body at first to hold his attention beyond the scarring, but instead, he had been deeply curious of the tortured soul that was a fish out of water. When he had been at the bottom most point of his loneliness, it had been Richard he had gone to expecting nothing and receiving more than he ever bargained for.
He leaned back in his chair, into his daughter's draped arms and reached back with a hand until he could cup the back of her head. He was, perhaps, more free with some of his affection.] I won't let that happen, Jinx. We have found comfort in sharing some intimacy, nothing more, nothing less.
[He closed his eye, considering her question seriously.]
What I do here, I do for us, for you. Taking someone to my bed will not change that fact. I will not allow this addition whether it is short term or long term addle my mind so that I am neglectful of you.
[He was so determined on his own point of view of the world and himself that he didn't believe his foundation could be shaken.]
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 01:47 am (UTC)... I know you won't. But they'll make you...
[ she hates that her tone is becoming unbalance and her vulnerability is showing, but she has to say this and warn him before any serpents make their way through before she gets her chance. ]
I've seen how they brainwash people. They won't care if I had you first, they won't care that you're mine and my home. They'll rip me away because they're selfish, wicked, and cruel. They'll want me out of the way, and they'll blind you so you won't see their intentions. Then I'll have no choice but to hurt or kill them.
... And then I'll lose in the end. That's what I'm preparing for. Losing.
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 02:06 am (UTC)You believe so?
[It was an interesting concept to consider. When had anyone actually made him do anything against his own will in these last years? There were compromises of course, and there was altering his opinion and his intentions, but the goals had always seemed so clear. Yet, he didn't deny her fear or how she may know something he had locked away a very long time ago.
His fingers stroked her hair lightly in a comforting gesture. He hummed softly, acknowledging her feelings and her concerns.]
Is that what you experienced with those boys you allowed into your bed? They brainwashed you and tried to take you away from me, to cut me out?
[He was mainly considering that arrogant idiot, Quentin, but there had been the Firelight boy to start the ball rolling. Then there was the natives she dabbled with on occasion. With the Firelight boy's return though, he had to consider if what she saw as a threat to him was something he was now going to have to concern himself with in her.]
action; cw: ptsd
Date: 2024-07-16 03:05 am (UTC)and it's this exact moment, this exact love between them is what she is afraid of losing. and while the love between her and her sister is strong, it could be unbreakable if it weren't for caitlyn's meddling, and the two sisters are still slightly rocky to this day. when was the last time jinx had seen vi's face or heard her voice? since the whole the last drop fiasco?
when her father brings up those questions, her heart aches and her sniffling increases, but not without a tiny blush brusing across her cheeks. in spite of this conversation, it's still a little embarrassing to talk about her previous sex life with a parent. ]
Q...- Quentin was the only one I let in...in that way. The nobodies are just ones and zeros. The council are making them up, so it's no real different than doing it to yourself.
[ and since they are discussing about this and essentially her ex-boyfriend, jinx... might as well fess up about something. ]
When Quentin and I first met, he wanted me to leave you behind. I told him that you and I were going to make Aldrip all ours some day, and he wanted me to rule it all without you and have it be just him and me instead.
[ nervously, she wets her lips and continues to croak through her words. ]
A-And I knew he could be dangerous, but I let him in anyway, because he felt too good. He made me feel...so pretty and I liked him in my head. But when I started to fall in love with him, he just....
[ she stops there, her silent sobs tangling with her tongue and forbidding her to speak further. ]
action; cw: discussion of murder
Date: 2024-07-16 03:52 am (UTC)He kept his face where it was so she could remain nestled there against his neck, and he was keenly aware of the moisture on his cheek. His fingers continued to stroke the back of her hair as he listened to her discuss that idiot who had always rubbed him the wrong way.
Yet, his fingers paused when she admitted to Quentin's meddling, he felt a flare of anger that burned hot in his throat. He had to take a deep breath and hold it, pushing his own emotions down because he now recognized this as potentially the source of her unease when it came to his own intimate association.]
And because that idiot pulled that with you against me, you have been lead to believe that my own experience may be the same? That I would even entertain cutting you out after all we have been through, you and I?
[Love was a dangerous emotion, and when it went sour, it was like poison in one's veins.]
It is a boon to us all that he is gone otherwise I would have ended his existence over and over.
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 04:26 am (UTC)[ she admits quietly, pulling her face away from his, but only briefly so she can wipe away her tears with her forearm. and once she's done doing so, jinx returns to nuzzle back to him -- this time, her nose underneath his jawline and neck than his cheek. ]
Bad things always happen to me or whoever is around me... Nothing ever goes right or the way I really wanted.
[ because there's also her curse she has to consider in all of this, too. in her prospective, if silco isn't going to ditch her on his own, or his new lover isn't going to manipulate him into doing it, then her "jinx" will take control of the situation and make it a reality.
short-lived or long, at the end of the day, she still needs to prepare herself for the worst and if she's lucky, these premonitions may not come true at all. although given her eighteen years of existing, she doesn't have high expectations. and his daughter thought being in this new world or simulation would have cancelled out of her curse, but it followed her here — if not powerful than ever before. ]
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 05:09 am (UTC)You need to stop blaming yourself, Jinx. Things happen because they happen, and you are exactly as you are meant to be.
[He had no plans on abandoning her, of leaving her behind for a warm body in his bed. Perhaps in future there may have to be coexisting, but with the way that things turned out for him, he doubted it very much. No one bedded a monster for more than a small amount of time before heading for the hills... or pushing his head under water as it were.
Jinx remained his priority. He was building an empire here for her, for them but mostly for her.]
They are not a threat to you or what we have. You have my word.
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 05:36 am (UTC)sure, she has her little circle and friends, but humans are flighty, and one can never tell what they're thinking. it's one of the lovely qualities of quentin, because they spent the majority of their days in each other's minds; thinking to one another. she'd be a liar if she voiced she hadn't been missing him in that way, because she does. and that might be the reason why she clung to ekko so pathetically back at the treehouse.
her screw-up on that is churning within her stomach, and jinx will need to make a mental note to delete the boy savior's number off her device (if it's possible) later. their transaction has been fulfilled anyway, so there's no need for either of them to continue contact. he vowed he wouldn't spill the beans about her vulnerability, but... along with the rest of the chosen, she holds no confidence.
with another sniff, she nods and finally breaks away from her embrace on him. she should really return to her dinner before she grows ill or faint, because the amount she had wasn't nearly enough for her shimmer levels to be balanced. but the conversation dulled her appetite, so maybe she can try again as a midnight snack. ]
... Okay.
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 02:23 pm (UTC)Silco was also very aware of her jealous nature related to her abandonment issues. It was the reason that he didn't divulge the identity of the individual who had caught his eye for the time being. He would wait until she settled into the idea for a bit and until he had provided evidence that she could continue to trust him.
Besides, he had his own concerns that she would become distracted by the Zaun boy. Perhaps for the best, but their brief association had not ended well with his leaving, reinforcing the issues Silco would have to clean up the pieces to. Memory alteration here had been a boon in that case only, but he was alert to the fact that it could happen all over again, and it was difficult to nip the bud of future trouble when there was no permanent solution to such problems.
He eased his hand away from her so that she could rise from where she had been nestled close. He tipped his head to watch her from the corner of his blue eye.] You should eat something more, Jinx, especially if you are having a night on the town.
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 03:23 pm (UTC)I'm not... really hungry.
[ the confession almost died in her throat, but it somehow managed its way past her lips -- probably through the gap between her two front teeth. his daughter finally moves after being behind her father for so long, and collects her meal to be placed inside their fridge. ]
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 03:30 pm (UTC)Agreed. We will eat later then.
[He pulled his legs under him so that he could set them on the floor to stand and grab his own plate in order to take it to the kitchen. He followed Jinx to putting his own barely touched sandwich into the fridge, unwilling to waste her hard work and meal prep.
He stepped up to her to take a moment to rest his temple against hers for a few seconds.]
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 04:03 pm (UTC)she unzips it when it's placed on the counter, then moves to a drawer where the knives are kept. one by one, she selects the tools from all different shapes and sizes, from a chef's knife, a steak, universal, cutting, and carving. his daughter shuts the tray door and opens another, with this one having capped oil crayons of all colors. and with these, jinx doesn't pick and choose but collects them all to stuff in the bag. ]
[ his daughter squints over her items she gathered so far, and her face twists in dissatisfaction — like there's something amiss. so she paces off to the opposite side of the kitchen, and rummages through other drawers with her fingers shooing away various objects around. a few seconds of searching until she finds what she's looking for, three capped disposable syringes that contain some dark lemony-colored components. ]
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 04:12 pm (UTC)After all, he had provided his instructions on how he expected the night to go. He was already meantally forming plans on how to mitigate any blow back. He would have Levi follow at a safe distance then but instruct the boy to not interfere.
With her leaving, his expected plans of a quiet night began to shift. This event would take most of the night, so he could drop in on Richard. They would have some solid hours in one another's company; he could complete the intended work tomorrow. It was tempting, knowing Jinx would be preoccupied and unlikely to return here until the early morning hours, if at all.]
You have everything that you need?
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 05:10 pm (UTC)if anything, this will be her way of speaking to silco's mystery whoever. cross her and you'll become her finger painting canvas. and who knows, maybe by doing this will keep everyone who is involved on script. if her father is insisting on having a pet, fine, but she's going to orchestrate how this play will go from start to finish. what's that saying again? curiosity kills the cat? and whoever this cat is will respect its manners and her domain, or she'll have to give them a private lesson about following and obeying the hierarchy. ]
[ jinx shuffles out of the kitchen, ignoring her boots resting in the corner, and her way to the front door. she swipes her set of keys to stuff in her pocket, then glances over her shoulder to her father. the words, "i'm leaving" doesn't sit right for her to say given what happened between them last month. in fact, she half wonders if her father seeking out for a lover was a result of her being such a rotten daughter, just like how vi got pushed to caitlyn because she was an awful sister. she tenses over that thought, but forces the two words to pass her lips: ]
... See you.
action;
Date: 2024-07-16 05:26 pm (UTC)He couldn't lie to her; he had run afoul with regards to withholding information from her too long while he verified it. He knew withholding the information was result in far worse, yet he couldn't help but realize his social circle was so small and he trusted so little that this was something he would sit on alone. It was his decision, his momentary weakness to enjoy being desired.
Perhaps he would pay dearly for it.]
Yes, see you, Jinx. Call if you need anything.
[He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers once she had left, shaking his head as he stood in silence in the vacant house. Maybe this was some form of empty nest syndrome or some other bullshit. Either way, he remained alone cleaning up after her meal prep and tidying the house before the weight of their discussion and its impeding iterations of the future had him forcing his feet into shoes and leaving the house to check in on Richard. If unavailable, he would simply check on his businesses.]