[ now settling back at the table, she picks the ketchup first and pours a small pool of it on the corner of her plate, then sprinkles it over her scrambled eggs (ew?). his daughter does the same with the mustard and mixed the two sauces into one big weird mess before finally returning to her poor neglected sausages. ]
What makes you think that?
[ she asks, attempting to keep the conversation light, mature, and civil. how long it'll stay that way is up to debate as she takes a bite of her meal again. ]
[If he thought that it would be worthwhile to hold the silence, he would have. Such tactics didn't work on Jinx though, and he knew better than to circumvent what he had to say with her either. After all, he had made a point to come clean to her and not withhold information since they had come here, willing to take that step to preserve their relationship and build trust.
But trenchers were still products of their own upbringing and the generations before them. Weakness was not tolerated.]
Because looking in on your empty bed upstairs tells me you aren't sleeping here. Nor in your hammock. Nor in the rafters. Let's be candid, shall we? You're with the boy.
[ jinx is rather grateful that there's still so much leftover in her plate to consume, because she is definitely using it to her advantage to stretch out her quiet. but of course, that can only work but for so long, so when her mouth is no longer full, she says slowly with her gaze fixating on her grapes. ]
... I've been trying to find someone who can help me with my nightmares. You like sleeping in your chair. Or used to, I guess. And Fishbones tried finding me a "cuddle buddy" or whatever he called it through the network, and... got no bites.
[ a beat, picking up her toast to combine it with her eggs — similar to what her father did earlier. ]
[He understood her nightmares, what they did to her. It wasn't as if he wasn't supportive in finding solutions, but she had outgrown where he slept in the chair and it hit a point of no longer being comfortable for either of them years ago. He hadn't had intentions of switching back to a bed where he was more vulnerable and the vastness of it reminded him of an emptiness filled to the brim with purpose instead.
He steepled his fingers together, watching her over them.]
[He wouldn't deny that he hadn't enjoyed it; he was willing to make sacrifices for Jinx's sake. That didn't matter here and now as she had found another to fill the void that she desired and that assisted her with the nightmare issue. That was one thing, but given his confrontation with the boy - and his business being meddled in now and again - this was becoming very personal.
That was dangerous. He had kept himself in check without the usual brutal tactics he had used in the Undercity, but if the boy wanted a war, Silco would bring him one.]
That's all, is it? Unfortunately for you, I wasn't born yesterday.
[He pushed his seat back from the table so that he could more comfortably cross one leg over the other.]
It's hypocrisy that I have made efforts to extend the courtesy of divulging information to you readily so as to make you more comfortable given the accusations of being a liar in Zaun before I died and yet I don't receive similar in return.
[ and suddenly, her appetite plummets, and she scoots her meal and cup so far away from her that it's almost clanking with his own dish. jinx frowns intensely over his words, and her eyes narrow only slightly with her voice raising, but not enough to show real anger yet. ]
It's not hypocritical. I've told you that we've kissed, I've told you I feel... something with him, and I meant when I said that I don't want to be more with him.
[ his daughter sags in her chair too with her arms folding over her chest. ]
I've been honest this whole time with you. — You're the one who isn't telling me who your secret lover is, and you don't see me making a big stink about it. But I'm PRETTY sure I know who it is, anyway. Or maybe I don't. Maybe I'm way off mark. But I got my own suspicions.
[ she sighs a little, then tries again. ]
Is there something you want to know more about? Just ask, and I'll tell you.
Then why do I continually have to drag information out of you? Since the incident between your sister and I, there feels like a rift between us.
[Perhaps it had been before that, but the rift was definitely present when she had walked away from him to the point where he had come to understand she might have abandoned their connection entirely. They had returned to a sort of status quo, but there was an undercurrent of tension.]
I suppose that makes two of us in that regard. [He remained calm and his voice even; this might be the discussion they had been needing for some time as much as he didn't want to have it.] Long sleeves and pants? Plus the boy made it very clear to me in his little speech had he had every intention of taking you away and burn everything I have built down. I have let that slight go for you because you weren't certain of your feelings.
[The threat seemed to grow greater each day now. What was he to do? In his own warped world view, he would do what he thought was best for her, for him, for their world. That's what he had done in the past, and that's what he would do. He would be the monster they wanted him to be.]
It's just sex between myself and them. We have no emotional investment in this tryst. [Not entirely true, but he was more lying to himself than to anyone else.]
[ so it appears the two of them suddenly got thrown into an early morning game of chess. something she wasn't mentally prepared for, but her father already made his first chess piece move. the bluenette sinks further in her chair to really give off the bratty teenager energy, and the urge to kick the table leg to emphasize her tantrum is surfacing. but instead, she throws her arms up in the air to animate her claim. ]
I'm trying to fix that, okay?! Anyway, you should be freaking thrilled that I haven't really seen Vi since the whole infection thing. I can't even remember the last time she and I did anything together. That's winning for you, isn't it?
[ she takes a second to breathe and keep her mind clear and emotions leveled before she continues. ]
I want to tell you things, Silco, but you get so quick to... wanting to stab people or get "rid" of them, when I don't want you to. Sometimes, I just want you to listen and not always take care of things in that way.
And besides, Ekko is a fucking idiot if he thinks I'm going to let him burn all you've done, because that means burning the INX's cause too.
[ okay, that's two moves and she still has one more to make. ]
And by the way, if it's not — [ cue an immature and mocking tone: ] — emmotioonallll, and if it's who I'm suspecting, then why are you helping him in his cause when he's just copying mine? If it's purely just sex, he wouldn't have such a deep understanding with you.
Vi already believes what I'm doing is stupid and I can't do it. And seeing you helping him out hurts, too, you know.
[Silco was always prepared to have a verbal sparring match as it were, and he had hoped that it wouldn't come to this. He had been waiting for Jinx to divulge relevant and necessary information to him willingly, but it seemed that wouldn't be the case. Here they were now with the kitchen table between them as both of them readily abandoned their meals to focus on the opportunity before them.]
I don't care what you do and don't do with your sister. There is no winning when she is involved.
[They were maintaining the uneasy truce with one another, though it was becoming increasingly difficult with her little squeeze and the boy doing what they could to make themselves nuisances. They were so far passive, and he had no reason to burn down what benefitted him far more than it would ever benefit any of them. Silco was used to operating behind the scenes and taking over; it's what he was good at, and all their posturing didn't change the facts of his operations.
Her criticism wasn't entirely unfair. He had operated in such a way for so long that it was second nature, especially when he was trying to protect her.]
It isn't my fault that your choice in... company are the types that seek to challenge me directly. I am perfectly willing to let them live if they didn't immediately consider me the greatest threat. I am only responding in kind, and compared to home, I'm being rather generous.
[He would agree that Ekko was an idiot. A dangerous one and one that she was increasingly associating with and growing deeper emotional attachment to.]
Do you honestly believe he is going to give you a choice or provide intel when he moves? He's spent many years trying to burn my empire down around me, and I can't see that stopping now. If anything, you at his side will make him bolder.
[He wasn't going to entertain her childishness when it came to his tryst. He would neither confirm nor deny who she seemed to believe was the one he happened to spend time with. They may have been careful, but they were invisible and could be seen spending time together. It did help she seemed distracted to not look too deeply into it, though she wasn't a prodigy for nothing as she had put the pieces together.]
There has been a request for services of my businesses, nothing more, nothing less. I will always support you and your endeavors.
[ she can't tell if she is making the right calls here or if she is causing any critical hits in this debate, but all she knows is right now is her emotions are burning behind her rib cage, and her voice is quivering as she struggles to keep it all neatly stacked in a bottle. ]
Ekko is crazy about me. I-I can make him stop, or quit if I make some sort of ultimatum. He's all about second chances, and not letting the past haunt us and crap. If he's threatening you, then that goes against what he's preaching about. So just... let me handle him, okay?
[ she can only hope coming up with something like that will prevent any more bloodshed between all the people in her circle. but regardless of voicing that option, it still doesn't settle her trembling tone. in fact, she forces out a chuckle that's coated with bitterness and no humor. ]
Eh, heh heh. Of course, business! [ she throws her arms up again in such a dramatic way. ] It's always about business. Who cares if he calls your daughter weak as long as business is involved!
You know, everything I've learned was from you. For him to say that is practically saying you didn't raise me strong. He's insulting you and you're doing business with him and have an understanding with him.
Why aren't you pissed? Is your connection with him that close? — Just freaking admit it already that it's him, Silco.
Indeed, he has made his feelings on the matter of you very clear. Restraint is not one of his strong suits thus far, but if he continues as he is, he will not enjoy where it goes.
[It wasn't even that he cared what the others of their world were up to aside from Jinx, and he followed her progress rather closely while still letting her make her own decisions and learn from mistakes. That's what he couldn't do in Zaun nearly as much because the Chem-Barons and even many of his own people would find a way to end her for any weakness. In that place, he had to give her opportunities while being still being her defender.
Here? She could make her Inx group and stumble in her rebellion but also learn. People here were weak compared to Zaun, and they were all too forgiving. They hadn't suffered as their people had and the exploitation seemed far less overall. Yet no matter the assurances, there was the unspoken deep pit of uncertainty that he would be second or third choice in her world.]
Apparently second chances don't apply to me. I don't want them either. I make my own way, and however you deal with him is your choice.
[He wasn't above certain types of relationship sabotage of course.
He regarded her without showing his hand despite her push to force him to admit that Richard was his lover on the side. It was true that she had learned a lot from him, but Richard was also someone well out of their depth in this world yet had valid political experience that could be a threat. He had given Richard a verbal warning of course, and he would again if the two came into conflict.]
Which is it, Jinx? On one hand, you accuse me of being over the top and willing to stab everyone who you speak to, and on the other, now I don't do enough over a paltry insult?
Well, he's not going to continue. I'll talk with him the next time I see him.
[ which may be later today or later tonight. in which, she still hasn't fully addressed why her current attire. although she hadn't admitted it yet, she is thankful that everything else they're discussing hadn't made it back around that topic. but she isn't counting herself out of the woods yet. growing tired of slouching in her seat, his daughter shifts and sits more up right, arms folding on the counter top. ]
Ugh, it's SUPER simple. If it's someone that I like or my things, don't mess with them. If it's someone who is against me, kill them. Stab them, rip their guts out, torture them, feed them to the wolves, keep their eyes as souvenirs, whatever!
Look, it's either him or Miller. But I don't think it's the Chief, 'cause he would have told me by now even if you wouldn't. — 'Sides, I like Miller, so I wouldn't care if the two of you are boning. But whatever, fine. Don't tell me then, even if it's sooooo obvious and the probability is pointing more towards him than anyone else here I can think of.
[ she scoffs as she reaches forward to yank her platter brutally back her way to resume eating. ]
And don't worry, I won't — [ again, mockingly in a baby voice: ] — rip hish thongue outh and feed ith bacw tho him.
Nothing stays dead here, so it'll just be a waste of my freaking time.
[ jinx shoves the toast in her mouth and aggressively chews, her eyes down to her dish now as she grumbles. ]
Screw him, love him, marry him, let him take all your money, do whatever you want. Just know he will never be anything to me, and I'll never accept him as my family. So you can just forget it.
Of that, I have no doubt given the amount of time you two spend together thus far. Will it be wearing complete clothing? Not particularly your style.
[Silco noticed the change of attire, and if he was going to have to face off her going on the offensive about his choices and his sex partner on the side, he wasn't above pointing out her own obvious tells that she was also enjoying the physical company of another. It didn't seem to be a debate worth having despite the fact that they definitely would have it.
This was what it was like having a teenage girl. He'd experienced it before, but this was the first time in awhile that a reenactment had occurred. He hadn't missed those exhausting days.]
I see that my reactions to others are bound by your willingness to like someone or claim them as your own. I've been trying to let you make your own choices in that regard, but if we wish for me to return to form cutting the tongues out of those that insult, by all means. A lack of death means that mutilation is the preferred option anyway these days.
[He remained mute in the face of her parsing out who warmed his bed - actually the other way around - and he went so far as to push his plate to the middle of the table so he could rest a hand there and tap a finger on the surface as she pinned him to two potential people. She might not want to know, but she definitely wanted to know the identity, the confirmation from him.
He watched her, keeping his facial expression almost aggressively neutral.]
And this right here is the reason I don't feel I can tell you. This and your concerns that no matter what I will be stolen away from you in time by this seductress in my bed.
[He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He almost wondered if he could bargain with her, if it was worth doing so. He'd leave Richard if she would leave Ekko. It wasn't worth the misery of course, not for either of them.] I am your family. No one else needs to be in that circle as far as I'm concerned.
[ his daughter bites on the inside of her cheek as he speaks, halting in her eating once more as she soaks all of his words in like a sponge. this game of chess is really being weighed more on his side than hers, or at least, that's how this is feeling, and she continues to keep her head hanging low as she listens.
but after a little while, her shoulders seem to tremble, almost appearing maybe she could be either so enraged that she's shaking or so upset that she's sobbing. except it's neither of those. actually, jinx finds herself chuckling, and her laughter seems to grow louder by the millisecond. this is a highly inappropriate time to laugh, but jinx tends to cackle at very odd times. she could get kicked and stomped on by many, and she'll still somehow laugh through it all. ]
[ when she lifts her head to meet her father's gaze, there's a wild look in her eyes — her pinks glistening in exhilaration with a wide smile that could split her face into two. ]
Fine, I'll come clean. I slept with him, and I marked him. He is one of my pets, but he's the only one out of the bunch I'm fooling around with. But that's not all what it means...
[ nudging the plate aside, his daughter mounts onto the table and steadily crawls closer to her father so she can really lock heavily into his mix-match ones, with her deranged smile not once faltering. ]
It also means that he is mine to hurt, and the way he wears fear still looks so beautiful to me. And now that I know he threatened you, I can see it again. I can peck at his wings and claw him until he squirms. And I can tell him if he ever does anything to you, I'll rip his shell into so many pieces that his light will go out.
[ biting her lower lip to keep herself from daydreaming over it, she cocks her head to one side. ]
What about you, hmm? Would you hurt them for insulting me? If they threatened me? Teach them a lesson? — Or would you let them get away with it, because they have a hold of you?
[He knew that sound, the laughter that had a slight tinny undertone to it; the conversation was officially derailed when she entered such a state. He was unbothered by it as he had handled these in the past, and it was a little up in the air in the direction that she was going to go.
He nodded his head when she decided to 'come clean' as it were, which did perhaps put him in the position where he too needed to face the pressure of divulging who he was sleeping with. The topic of Ekko seemed to be one that she wanted to focus on, and he listened and watched her, reminded of all the times she did pull the wings off of the firelights if she could catch them.
He watched her cross the table towards him, turning his face to meet her pink eyes. Perhaps she had the right idea of it, though time would tell if this manic mood persisted to an engagement with the boy. From his reports, she was far more vulnerable with a pet than she was letting on, but he didn't doubt her idea of sincerity on this subject at this single point in time. Her whimsy simply had a history of changing with her moods.
He snorted a soft sound of amusement.] Do you think his proclamations of love for you and the 'destinies' of being together will override his pure hatred of me? [His hand lifted from the table to cup the side of her face as uncrossed his legs.] How long will that love of his last if you terrorize him, hmm?
[His hand slid away so he could grip under one arm and tried to pull her forward right off the table and into his lap. Of course, she had Shimmer strength so it was entirely up to her if she came with the pull, and he wouldn't fight her if she decided crawling on the table was more to her liking at this point.]
I would hurt them, yes. I would burn this place to ashes with everyone in it. However, we must tread carefully, Jinx. A spurned lover is a dangerous entity to leave alive.
[ it feels like her heart is about to implode within her chest, and she should feel anxious about it, but there's something so titillating at the thought of her center pulsing so fast that she could perish at any second. because in her eyes, the heart is practically a human bomb, how it will forever beep and tick through its countdown until either something unexpected happens or the body grows too old to keep it going. and the boy savior gives her that stimulation whether he is aware of it or not.
he may spit out all of that romance nonsense on her, but with her being a raven and him an insect, it's pure nature to sink into their instincts. and whether to pin him to the wall to ravish him or to annihilate him had been a real turmoil for her since his arrival, so she had decided to intertwine the two wants recently. sure, things have been sweet, but now that she taught ekko the ropes, she can really sink her beak and claws into him. something she couldn't do with quentin because the history of cat and mouse wasn't there between them. ]
[ the madness steadily roars within her and with his hand cupping at the side of her cheek, she nuzzles more to it like a kitten wanting all the affection from its owner. jinx doesn't answer to any of his questions right away, however, she permits herself to get tow off the table with great ease and into his lap. with them now close, her eyes glow like a naive dreamer, and her smile becomes more unbalanced. ]
It'll last for as long as I say so. He's Jinxed now, and there's no cure unless I make it go away. So it's okay if I hurt him now and then. That's our bond since forever!
[ his daughter place her palm flat on his chest, growing excited over the fact that he will hurt his lover just like she would. that he is still a monster just like her, that hadn't changed. ]
Will you do it now? Will you hurt them? Even if it's not him, will you hurt him just a little anyway?
[Silco remained calm and collected in the face of her manic episode, and such events had become more common as the stress of the gemstone had wore on them both but particularly her. He had had a considerable amount of expectations of her to learn about the hextech stone and weaponize it for their own purposes. That was then and Aldrip was a different, almost calm compared to their city.
He shifted his arm to be around her back as she was drawn into his lap, letting her choose the position of her limbs. Yet, he made certain to support her weight depending on if she might tip forwards or backwards. She had not turned her attention to bringing him minor harm, and he was prepared to focus that part of her attention on the boy. It would be a significant pleasure to him if Jinx were the one to destroy him. One less thorn in their sides, even temporarily.]
Is that so? He too says nonsense like such as this being forever. As if any relationship could last that long without some other element to it....
[He tipped his head back so he could observe the wild look on her face, corner of his lip tugging at her question. Of course she would nudge him in that direction.]
[ regardless of her father's view on the matter between her and ekko, jinx is too lost in the fog to really dispute it. at least, not severely. her hand still presses smoothly against his chest, while her pinks persist to burn along with the ashes raining from the blood orange sky. ]
But you and I are forever. ...You're "Jinxed" too, you know? — And you're SUPER special. With you, if I can't have you, then no one can.
[ the unrestrained expression finally melts somewhat, and she squeezes the fabric of his clothing in desperation to keep her father right where he is, and for him to not move a single muscle. her gaze dips down away from his, becoming visually in distress as she attempts to calm her breathing while her eyes frantically looks over his attire. ]
I-I... I'm supposed to make sure everyone around you is okay... a-and good for you. And for me. Good for the both of us.
[ his daughter chuckles weakly, and she tries to bring her smile back, but it's not as strong, and it's dreadfully teetering in all sorts of ways. and when she speaks again, it's in mutters, like a director going over the script they've written, but somehow something went horribly wrong during the production. ]
When someone is bad for you, they're not supposed to be around you or... here. They have to leave. They have to go away. T-That—That's how ALL of this is supposed to go.
[ but the subject of inflecting pain on others does keep her from spiking to the extreme level of anxiety, and she instantly glances over her shoulder when he questions what kind of pain would fulfill her. his daughter stretches over to the table the best way she can, and without removing herself from his lap, straining herself until her fingers finally touches a certain silverware from her forgotten meal.
when she settles and faces her father again, in her hand is a knife, and she takes a hold of silco's hand to force him to hold it along with her. the craze yet eerily devoted smile plasters across her freckled face again, and she caresses her cheek against his knuckles, her own, and the sterling silver. ]
The kind of pain you're best at. ... Use your silver friend.
[ she coos sweetly as she screws her eyes shut to soak in her pipe dream again. ]
— I can't hurt him on my own, my flock will get mad. But you can. You can hurt him... for what he said to me. I'll hurt Ekko for threatening you, if you hurt him for calling me...
[ jinx pauses, tightening her grip over silco's. ]
I'm not fake. And I'm not vulnerable or replaceable.
[granted, richard didn't say that, but sevika's words do haunt her from time to time. especially if she were here to witness all of this, she would have a field day over the fact silco has a lover, and possibly hoping her boss will finally toss jinx out of his and her life. and it's a blessing she isn't here. ]
[It had been awhile since she had been so overtly possessive of him, and while he recognized the unhealthy nature of it, he still appreciated the gesture after the growing uncertainty of her long-term loyalty after he had died and then ended up here. He reached up and patted the back of her hand with his own.]
We are forever, you and I. [He didn't deny it. Even the looming threat of her distraction by a new boy toy didn't change that on his end.] You never have to be concerned about my loyalty to you, Jinx. No matter the people in our lives, the activities we do separate from one another, or how this place may try to tear us apart. I'm your family.
[He made a low hum of understanding of her obligation to vet the people that he happened to hang around with. There would always be a risk with strangers and allies alike. People had agendas and those could come into conflict at any time, but if they were fortunate, the larger drives would keep them united. Those with conflicting agendas had to be put in their place and eliminated, he did agree; that game was more difficult as it required outsmarting them.]
We will always be at risk of associating with those with conflicting agendas, but it's how we manage that situation these days. We mustn't give them reason or an excuse to interfere with us. And if they do, I trust you to issue consequences for that, and I would do that same on your behalf.
[His hands lifted to hover over her body when she moved and stretched out, waiting to have to catch or support her if she slipped off of his lap or the table moved in her attempt to retrieve a knife. Otherwise, he remained exactly where he was, a solid weight under her own, supporting her as he always tried to.
He took the knife at her insistence, feeling its weight even as she shared it with him. His fingers flexed around the hilt as he turned the tip of the blade away from her face as she nuzzled his knuckles. She was still leaning into her euphoria, and he made no effort to snap her out of it, aware she would come out of it on her own in time.]
No, you are not fake nor replaceable. [He knew Richard had never said those things, having followed the conversation in the background.] Why do you believe your flock will be angry if you hurt him?
[ she opens her eyes again, but only half-lidded, and she delicately releases her clasp on her father's grip as she drops her head against his chest. his daughter knows his words are true, and she should really have more faith that his lover won't just elbow her in the stomach and have her on the background.
but the green-eyed monster and her anxiety continues to cloud her vision, and it's hard to contain it when she feels she lost this exact battle with her sister. ]
... Because we made an alliance. It was two against one at the voting. — And I want to make my people happy and give them what they want. They deserve it, ya know? ... I want to give them everything.
[An alliance, hmm? Silco considered that for a moment as Jinx settled in against his chest, mind working over the possibilities. A vote could be of value in certain circumstances, and if the boy was involved, there would need to be a sense of fairness. Order within the chaos as it were.
Perhaps her revolution would go places. Perhaps not. It depended on the Chosen and their own perceptions of loyalty and agendas.
And yet...]
Who is your third? [She hadn't spoken of another in the mix of the revolution.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 10:26 pm (UTC)What makes you think that?
[ she asks, attempting to keep the conversation light, mature, and civil. how long it'll stay that way is up to debate as she takes a bite of her meal again. ]
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 10:36 pm (UTC)But trenchers were still products of their own upbringing and the generations before them. Weakness was not tolerated.]
Because looking in on your empty bed upstairs tells me you aren't sleeping here. Nor in your hammock. Nor in the rafters. Let's be candid, shall we? You're with the boy.
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 10:45 pm (UTC)... I've been trying to find someone who can help me with my nightmares. You like sleeping in your chair. Or used to, I guess. And Fishbones tried finding me a "cuddle buddy" or whatever he called it through the network, and... got no bites.
[ a beat, picking up her toast to combine it with her eggs — similar to what her father did earlier. ]
He offered.
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 11:01 pm (UTC)He steepled his fingers together, watching her over them.]
You could have told me.
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 11:18 pm (UTC)[ she works her lips again, trying to shrug the whole thing off as if it's a no big deal, but her tone makes her words sound the opposite. ]
... He's just helping me get more sleep, that's all.
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 11:29 pm (UTC)That was dangerous. He had kept himself in check without the usual brutal tactics he had used in the Undercity, but if the boy wanted a war, Silco would bring him one.]
That's all, is it? Unfortunately for you, I wasn't born yesterday.
[He pushed his seat back from the table so that he could more comfortably cross one leg over the other.]
It's hypocrisy that I have made efforts to extend the courtesy of divulging information to you readily so as to make you more comfortable given the accusations of being a liar in Zaun before I died and yet I don't receive similar in return.
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 11:40 pm (UTC)It's not hypocritical. I've told you that we've kissed, I've told you I feel... something with him, and I meant when I said that I don't want to be more with him.
[ his daughter sags in her chair too with her arms folding over her chest. ]
I've been honest this whole time with you. — You're the one who isn't telling me who your secret lover is, and you don't see me making a big stink about it. But I'm PRETTY sure I know who it is, anyway. Or maybe I don't. Maybe I'm way off mark. But I got my own suspicions.
[ she sighs a little, then tries again. ]
Is there something you want to know more about? Just ask, and I'll tell you.
action;
Date: 2024-08-25 11:50 pm (UTC)[Perhaps it had been before that, but the rift was definitely present when she had walked away from him to the point where he had come to understand she might have abandoned their connection entirely. They had returned to a sort of status quo, but there was an undercurrent of tension.]
I suppose that makes two of us in that regard. [He remained calm and his voice even; this might be the discussion they had been needing for some time as much as he didn't want to have it.] Long sleeves and pants? Plus the boy made it very clear to me in his little speech had he had every intention of taking you away and burn everything I have built down. I have let that slight go for you because you weren't certain of your feelings.
[The threat seemed to grow greater each day now. What was he to do? In his own warped world view, he would do what he thought was best for her, for him, for their world. That's what he had done in the past, and that's what he would do. He would be the monster they wanted him to be.]
It's just sex between myself and them. We have no emotional investment in this tryst. [Not entirely true, but he was more lying to himself than to anyone else.]
action;
Date: 2024-08-26 01:01 am (UTC)I'm trying to fix that, okay?! Anyway, you should be freaking thrilled that I haven't really seen Vi since the whole infection thing. I can't even remember the last time she and I did anything together. That's winning for you, isn't it?
[ she takes a second to breathe and keep her mind clear and emotions leveled before she continues. ]
I want to tell you things, Silco, but you get so quick to... wanting to stab people or get "rid" of them, when I don't want you to. Sometimes, I just want you to listen and not always take care of things in that way.
And besides, Ekko is a fucking idiot if he thinks I'm going to let him burn all you've done, because that means burning the INX's cause too.
[ okay, that's two moves and she still has one more to make. ]
And by the way, if it's not — [ cue an immature and mocking tone: ] — emmotioonallll, and if it's who I'm suspecting, then why are you helping him in his cause when he's just copying mine? If it's purely just sex, he wouldn't have such a deep understanding with you.
Vi already believes what I'm doing is stupid and I can't do it. And seeing you helping him out hurts, too, you know.
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Date: 2024-08-26 01:25 am (UTC)I don't care what you do and don't do with your sister. There is no winning when she is involved.
[They were maintaining the uneasy truce with one another, though it was becoming increasingly difficult with her little squeeze and the boy doing what they could to make themselves nuisances. They were so far passive, and he had no reason to burn down what benefitted him far more than it would ever benefit any of them. Silco was used to operating behind the scenes and taking over; it's what he was good at, and all their posturing didn't change the facts of his operations.
Her criticism wasn't entirely unfair. He had operated in such a way for so long that it was second nature, especially when he was trying to protect her.]
It isn't my fault that your choice in... company are the types that seek to challenge me directly. I am perfectly willing to let them live if they didn't immediately consider me the greatest threat. I am only responding in kind, and compared to home, I'm being rather generous.
[He would agree that Ekko was an idiot. A dangerous one and one that she was increasingly associating with and growing deeper emotional attachment to.]
Do you honestly believe he is going to give you a choice or provide intel when he moves? He's spent many years trying to burn my empire down around me, and I can't see that stopping now. If anything, you at his side will make him bolder.
[He wasn't going to entertain her childishness when it came to his tryst. He would neither confirm nor deny who she seemed to believe was the one he happened to spend time with. They may have been careful, but they were invisible and could be seen spending time together. It did help she seemed distracted to not look too deeply into it, though she wasn't a prodigy for nothing as she had put the pieces together.]
There has been a request for services of my businesses, nothing more, nothing less. I will always support you and your endeavors.
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Date: 2024-08-26 02:27 am (UTC)Ekko is crazy about me. I-I can make him stop, or quit if I make some sort of ultimatum. He's all about second chances, and not letting the past haunt us and crap. If he's threatening you, then that goes against what he's preaching about. So just... let me handle him, okay?
[ she can only hope coming up with something like that will prevent any more bloodshed between all the people in her circle. but regardless of voicing that option, it still doesn't settle her trembling tone. in fact, she forces out a chuckle that's coated with bitterness and no humor. ]
Eh, heh heh. Of course, business! [ she throws her arms up again in such a dramatic way. ] It's always about business. Who cares if he calls your daughter weak as long as business is involved!
You know, everything I've learned was from you. For him to say that is practically saying you didn't raise me strong. He's insulting you and you're doing business with him and have an understanding with him.
Why aren't you pissed? Is your connection with him that close? — Just freaking admit it already that it's him, Silco.
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Date: 2024-08-26 02:49 am (UTC)[It wasn't even that he cared what the others of their world were up to aside from Jinx, and he followed her progress rather closely while still letting her make her own decisions and learn from mistakes. That's what he couldn't do in Zaun nearly as much because the Chem-Barons and even many of his own people would find a way to end her for any weakness. In that place, he had to give her opportunities while being still being her defender.
Here? She could make her Inx group and stumble in her rebellion but also learn. People here were weak compared to Zaun, and they were all too forgiving. They hadn't suffered as their people had and the exploitation seemed far less overall. Yet no matter the assurances, there was the unspoken deep pit of uncertainty that he would be second or third choice in her world.]
Apparently second chances don't apply to me. I don't want them either. I make my own way, and however you deal with him is your choice.
[He wasn't above certain types of relationship sabotage of course.
He regarded her without showing his hand despite her push to force him to admit that Richard was his lover on the side. It was true that she had learned a lot from him, but Richard was also someone well out of their depth in this world yet had valid political experience that could be a threat. He had given Richard
a verbal warning of course, and he would again if the two came into conflict.]
Which is it, Jinx? On one hand, you accuse me of being over the top and willing to stab everyone who you speak to, and on the other, now I don't do enough over a paltry insult?
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Date: 2024-08-26 04:05 am (UTC)[ which may be later today or later tonight. in which, she still hasn't fully addressed why her current attire. although she hadn't admitted it yet, she is thankful that everything else they're discussing hadn't made it back around that topic. but she isn't counting herself out of the woods yet. growing tired of slouching in her seat, his daughter shifts and sits more up right, arms folding on the counter top. ]
Ugh, it's SUPER simple. If it's someone that I like or my things, don't mess with them. If it's someone who is against me, kill them. Stab them, rip their guts out, torture them, feed them to the wolves, keep their eyes as souvenirs, whatever!
Look, it's either him or Miller. But I don't think it's the Chief, 'cause he would have told me by now even if you wouldn't. — 'Sides, I like Miller, so I wouldn't care if the two of you are boning. But whatever, fine. Don't tell me then, even if it's sooooo obvious and the probability is pointing more towards him than anyone else here I can think of.
[ she scoffs as she reaches forward to yank her platter brutally back her way to resume eating. ]
And don't worry, I won't — [ again, mockingly in a baby voice: ] — rip hish thongue outh and feed ith bacw tho him.
Nothing stays dead here, so it'll just be a waste of my freaking time.
[ jinx shoves the toast in her mouth and aggressively chews, her eyes down to her dish now as she grumbles. ]
Screw him, love him, marry him, let him take all your money, do whatever you want. Just know he will never be anything to me, and I'll never accept him as my family. So you can just forget it.
action; cw: discussion of mutilation
Date: 2024-08-26 04:25 am (UTC)[Silco noticed the change of attire, and if he was going to have to face off her going on the offensive about his choices and his sex partner on the side, he wasn't above pointing out her own obvious tells that she was also enjoying the physical company of another. It didn't seem to be a debate worth having despite the fact that they definitely would have it.
This was what it was like having a teenage girl. He'd experienced it before, but this was the first time in awhile that a reenactment had occurred. He hadn't missed those exhausting days.]
I see that my reactions to others are bound by your willingness to like someone or claim them as your own. I've been trying to let you make your own choices in that regard, but if we wish for me to return to form cutting the tongues out of those that insult, by all means. A lack of death means that mutilation is the preferred option anyway these days.
[He remained mute in the face of her parsing out who warmed his bed - actually the other way around - and he went so far as to push his plate to the middle of the table so he could rest a hand there and tap a finger on the surface as she pinned him to two potential people. She might not want to know, but she definitely wanted to know the identity, the confirmation from him.
He watched her, keeping his facial expression almost aggressively neutral.]
And this right here is the reason I don't feel I can tell you. This and your concerns that no matter what I will be stolen away from you in time by this seductress in my bed.
[He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He almost wondered if he could bargain with her, if it was worth doing so. He'd leave Richard if she would leave Ekko. It wasn't worth the misery of course, not for either of them.] I am your family. No one else needs to be in that circle as far as I'm concerned.
action; 1/2
Date: 2024-08-26 04:59 am (UTC)but after a little while, her shoulders seem to tremble, almost appearing maybe she could be either so enraged that she's shaking or so upset that she's sobbing. except it's neither of those. actually, jinx finds herself chuckling, and her laughter seems to grow louder by the millisecond. this is a highly inappropriate time to laugh, but jinx tends to cackle at very odd times. she could get kicked and stomped on by many, and she'll still somehow laugh through it all. ]
action; 2/2
Date: 2024-08-26 05:33 am (UTC)[ when she lifts her head to meet her father's gaze, there's a wild look in her eyes — her pinks glistening in exhilaration with a wide smile that could split her face into two. ]
Fine, I'll come clean. I slept with him, and I marked him. He is one of my pets, but he's the only one out of the bunch I'm fooling around with. But that's not all what it means...
[ nudging the plate aside, his daughter mounts onto the table and steadily crawls closer to her father so she can really lock heavily into his mix-match ones, with her deranged smile not once faltering. ]
It also means that he is mine to hurt, and the way he wears fear still looks so beautiful to me. And now that I know he threatened you, I can see it again. I can peck at his wings and claw him until he squirms. And I can tell him if he ever does anything to you, I'll rip his shell into so many pieces that his light will go out.
[ biting her lower lip to keep herself from daydreaming over it, she cocks her head to one side. ]
What about you, hmm? Would you hurt them for insulting me? If they threatened me? Teach them a lesson? — Or would you let them get away with it, because they have a hold of you?
action; cw: i don't know, weirdness?
Date: 2024-08-26 12:58 pm (UTC)He nodded his head when she decided to 'come clean' as it were, which did perhaps put him in the position where he too needed to face the pressure of divulging who he was sleeping with. The topic of Ekko seemed to be one that she wanted to focus on, and he listened and watched her, reminded of all the times she did pull the wings off of the firelights if she could catch them.
He watched her cross the table towards him, turning his face to meet her pink eyes. Perhaps she had the right idea of it, though time would tell if this manic mood persisted to an engagement with the boy. From his reports, she was far more vulnerable with a pet than she was letting on, but he didn't doubt her idea of sincerity on this subject at this single point in time. Her whimsy simply had a history of changing with her moods.
He snorted a soft sound of amusement.] Do you think his proclamations of love for you and the 'destinies' of being together will override his pure hatred of me? [His hand lifted from the table to cup the side of her face as uncrossed his legs.] How long will that love of his last if you terrorize him, hmm?
[His hand slid away so he could grip under one arm and tried to pull her forward right off the table and into his lap. Of course, she had Shimmer strength so it was entirely up to her if she came with the pull, and he wouldn't fight her if she decided crawling on the table was more to her liking at this point.]
I would hurt them, yes. I would burn this place to ashes with everyone in it. However, we must tread carefully, Jinx. A spurned lover is a dangerous entity to leave alive.
action; cw: weirdness is always great
Date: 2024-08-26 05:13 pm (UTC)he may spit out all of that romance nonsense on her, but with her being a raven and him an insect, it's pure nature to sink into their instincts. and whether to pin him to the wall to ravish him or to annihilate him had been a real turmoil for her since his arrival, so she had decided to intertwine the two wants recently. sure, things have been sweet, but now that she taught ekko the ropes, she can really sink her beak and claws into him. something she couldn't do with quentin because the history of cat and mouse wasn't there between them. ]
[ the madness steadily roars within her and with his hand cupping at the side of her cheek, she nuzzles more to it like a kitten wanting all the affection from its owner. jinx doesn't answer to any of his questions right away, however, she permits herself to get tow off the table with great ease and into his lap. with them now close, her eyes glow like a naive dreamer, and her smile becomes more unbalanced. ]
It'll last for as long as I say so. He's Jinxed now, and there's no cure unless I make it go away. So it's okay if I hurt him now and then. That's our bond since forever!
[ his daughter place her palm flat on his chest, growing excited over the fact that he will hurt his lover just like she would. that he is still a monster just like her, that hadn't changed. ]
Will you do it now? Will you hurt them? Even if it's not him, will you hurt him just a little anyway?
action; cw: weirdness continues
Date: 2024-08-27 04:36 am (UTC)He shifted his arm to be around her back as she was drawn into his lap, letting her choose the position of her limbs. Yet, he made certain to support her weight depending on if she might tip forwards or backwards. She had not turned her attention to bringing him minor harm, and he was prepared to focus that part of her attention on the boy. It would be a significant pleasure to him if Jinx were the one to destroy him. One less thorn in their sides, even temporarily.]
Is that so? He too says nonsense like such as this being forever. As if any relationship could last that long without some other element to it....
[He tipped his head back so he could observe the wild look on her face, corner of his lip tugging at her question. Of course she would nudge him in that direction.]
And what sort of pain would satisfy you, hmm?
action; cw: wee is for weird 1/2
Date: 2024-08-27 08:04 pm (UTC)But you and I are forever. ...You're "Jinxed" too, you know? — And you're SUPER special. With you, if I can't have you, then no one can.
[ the unrestrained expression finally melts somewhat, and she squeezes the fabric of his clothing in desperation to keep her father right where he is, and for him to not move a single muscle. her gaze dips down away from his, becoming visually in distress as she attempts to calm her breathing while her eyes frantically looks over his attire. ]
I-I... I'm supposed to make sure everyone around you is okay... a-and good for you. And for me. Good for the both of us.
[ his daughter chuckles weakly, and she tries to bring her smile back, but it's not as strong, and it's dreadfully teetering in all sorts of ways. and when she speaks again, it's in mutters, like a director going over the script they've written, but somehow something went horribly wrong during the production. ]
When someone is bad for you, they're not supposed to be around you or... here. They have to leave. They have to go away. T-That—That's how ALL of this is supposed to go.
action; cw: lalalala 2/2
Date: 2024-08-27 08:36 pm (UTC)when she settles and faces her father again, in her hand is a knife, and she takes a hold of silco's hand to force him to hold it along with her. the craze yet eerily devoted smile plasters across her freckled face again, and she caresses her cheek against his knuckles, her own, and the sterling silver. ]
The kind of pain you're best at. ... Use your silver friend.
[ she coos sweetly as she screws her eyes shut to soak in her pipe dream again. ]
— I can't hurt him on my own, my flock will get mad. But you can. You can hurt him... for what he said to me. I'll hurt Ekko for threatening you, if you hurt him for calling me...
[ jinx pauses, tightening her grip over silco's. ]
I'm not fake. And I'm not vulnerable or replaceable.
[granted, richard didn't say that, but sevika's words do haunt her from time to time. especially if she were here to witness all of this, she would have a field day over the fact silco has a lover, and possibly hoping her boss will finally toss jinx out of his and her life. and it's a blessing she isn't here. ]
action; cw: he's still somehow clinging to being reasonable despite all this
Date: 2024-08-28 01:08 pm (UTC)We are forever, you and I. [He didn't deny it. Even the looming threat of her distraction by a new boy toy didn't change that on his end.] You never have to be concerned about my loyalty to you, Jinx. No matter the people in our lives, the activities we do separate from one another, or how this place may try to tear us apart. I'm your family.
[He made a low hum of understanding of her obligation to vet the people that he happened to hang around with. There would always be a risk with strangers and allies alike. People had agendas and those could come into conflict at any time, but if they were fortunate, the larger drives would keep them united. Those with conflicting agendas had to be put in their place and eliminated, he did agree; that game was more difficult as it required outsmarting them.]
We will always be at risk of associating with those with conflicting agendas, but it's how we manage that situation these days. We mustn't give them reason or an excuse to interfere with us. And if they do, I trust you to issue consequences for that, and I would do that same on your behalf.
[His hands lifted to hover over her body when she moved and stretched out, waiting to have to catch or support her if she slipped off of his lap or the table moved in her attempt to retrieve a knife. Otherwise, he remained exactly where he was, a solid weight under her own, supporting her as he always tried to.
He took the knife at her insistence, feeling its weight even as she shared it with him. His fingers flexed around the hilt as he turned the tip of the blade away from her face as she nuzzled his knuckles. She was still leaning into her euphoria, and he made no effort to snap her out of it, aware she would come out of it on her own in time.]
No, you are not fake nor replaceable. [He knew Richard had never said those things, having followed the conversation in the background.] Why do you believe your flock will be angry if you hurt him?
action;
Date: 2024-09-03 10:30 pm (UTC)but the green-eyed monster and her anxiety continues to cloud her vision, and it's hard to contain it when she feels she lost this exact battle with her sister. ]
... Because we made an alliance. It was two against one at the voting. — And I want to make my people happy and give them what they want. They deserve it, ya know? ... I want to give them everything.
action;
Date: 2024-09-03 11:22 pm (UTC)Perhaps her revolution would go places. Perhaps not. It depended on the Chosen and their own perceptions of loyalty and agendas.
And yet...]
Who is your third? [She hadn't spoken of another in the mix of the revolution.]
action;
Date: 2024-09-04 06:29 pm (UTC)[ — although, the moment the nickname slips pass her lips, jinx realizes that it probably won't be of any help to silco on who she is referring to. ]
Er, Fandaniel. You met him yet? He talks super funny, and I don't get what he says half of the time. Fancy babbling makes my ears bleed.
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