expiationnet | 01 [Text]

( she's been quiet since she's been home which is dangerously abnormal for someone like her. jinx is always a chatterbox and causes a lot of noise, whether towards someone or towards "the others". but this evening, she is pretty silent with an casual creak of her shifting around.

her mind's been so full and the voices hadn't been too helpful, replaying her mother's voice in her head and attempting to recall her long buried younger years. jinx doesn't remember too much of her real parents, sometimes forgotten they existed in the first place. should she be ashamed of that? vi tried to get her to remember them during that horrible night and it just goes to show she thought of them more than her. jinx cranks her neck a little to peer down at silco briefly only to turn to her attention back to the ceiling. )

I'm not hungry.

( ... except her stomach growls pretty loudly in protest. slightly embarrassed, jinx sets her hand over her midriff to simmer it down and hoped he didn't hear it. )

Edited 2023-09-05 01:19 (UTC)

[He respected her need for time away from people; it was why her workshop was away from the Last Drop and he tried to keep its location away from others. This place and this small house didn't afford them much in the way of privacy, so he busied himself studying the network and putting together a small meal (fish fry).

Cooking was something he had persisted on a long time ago, but since he had gained power as a Chem-Baron and even a crime lord, others had performed such duties for him. Now he was forced to relearn - slowly - that old survival skill.

He peered up into the rafters still, raising his brow at the rumbling of her stomach.]

Your stomach says otherwise. You can either come down and eat, or I can pass you a plate to eat in the rafters.

( she peeks down to the man again, feeling slightly guilty suddenly for behaving maybe a little coldish. it's not like it's his fault the illusion screwed with her head and is now feeling so off.

and given what she had done to him, she should be nice enough to at least come down and eat what he prepared for them. it's the least she can do. so his daughter hops on down from the rafters, toeing off her boots too since she had decided she'll be staying in tonight. plucking up her boots, jinx scurries off quickly to set them by the door then back to him -- reminding herself she should put something more comfortable on after she eats dinner. )

[When it seemed that she had decided to come down, Silco moved away to allow her to slip to the floor at her own leisure. He returned to their small kitchen to put food on plates and set them on the small table. It was already set of course because he pre-planned more than he let on.

He seated himself, leaning back in the chair and waiting for Jinx. It was obvious she was upset, and she was normally fairly open with him so figured he would wait her out. Clearly, the encounter with her mother in the fog had bothered her. Perhaps...]

( jinx maneuvers her way over to their kitchen, pull out the chair and then taking her seat. her gaze is down at the fish fry before her -- now letting it sink in that she never had silco's cooking before. they always had their food brought to them or it had been made by others or the famous jericho. the meal itself doesn't look astonishing but it doesn't look poorly either.

it has the appearance of home. that could be her imagination, of course. for all she knows, silco just whipped something up with very little love and care being put into it. but... there's something about the dish that makes it seem homely to her. and that's when she realizes a second thing -- this is also the first time the two of them are really sitting together at a dinner table... about to eat dinner. her cheeks flush at the awareness of it, ducking her head a little to hide it (but her pink eyes gleaming is betraying her). slowly, she raises up her fork and knife and begins to cut -- for once not using her bare hands to rip it apart. for some reason, it feels inappropriate to do when this moment feels way more meaningful than it probably should. )

... Did it take you long to make this?

Edited 2023-09-05 04:11 (UTC)

[Their schedules didn't often allow for a sit-down meal. She was off and about with her own business, and he was constantly busy with expanding and solidifying his empire while also making moves against Piltover. The rare occasion they did have a meal together, it was a brief affair mostly due to the fact that neither of them was patient enough to eat a full meal.

Seafood was one of the few dishes he had worked with. Other protein groups not so much given their rarity in the Undercity as well as their expense. It wasn't pretty, but he considered it edible and at this point, that's all they could expect of him. He watched her settle in the seat across from him, and it was only when she took the lead on eating that he also picked up his utensils and began to cut.]

No. It's been some time since I cooked, but it isn't a complicated recipe. [Make sure it was cooked was the only notation from memory.]

For me, there's a large dog in the fog. It is fleeting, but I know it is stalking me.
[House of the Undercity.] This unusual weather is playing with our senses and our emotions.

( ah, so they're getting right into this topic, huh? she frowns over it, but she won't protest about the subject. jinx readjusts in her seating just a smidge to hunch a little over with both of her elbows onto the table -- getting ready to take the first bite.

and when she does, her taste buds dances in enjoyment of its lovely flavor. a small yet warm smile creeps on her face, chewing and already slicing another piece when she hadn't finished the first bite yet. gazing up to him finally, the smile is more noticeable which may look odd considering the conversation they're currently having. these two things definitely don't go together. but it's her way of showing she really enjoys this meal he prepared. )

What do ya think is gonna happened next? This gotta be leadin' up to something.

Edited 2023-09-05 15:47 (UTC)

[He had no expectation that she would reveal more than she already had about her experience in the fog, but he was hedging his bets that she would if he was open and honest with her about his. It was easier to ply her in the quiet moments if he gave first, and show of the trust that he had for her to keep his secrets.

Her enjoyment of the food was interesting, and it forced him to actually try it to confirm that it wasn't terrible. No, it was edible if a little on the soggy side. It would win no awards, but it would fill their bellies and the time between whatever subject they were talking about.]

I couldn't say. We will see if the fog continues to thicken over the next few days, and perhaps these apparitions will haunt us more tangibly.

[Was he prepared to face off against Vander? Yes. Though, his opinion on his old brother's weakness had changed over the years.]

We know there are always monsters in the fog. Often times those monsters are us.

( her mood soon twists somber, musing over her father's words and thoughts as she forks her next bite. )

I... I dunno if I can handle seeing her again. ( jinx quietly admits while anxiously wiggling her toes behind her socks underneath the table. )

It's just, I haven't thought of her in so long and it's... weird to now. ( ... ) She'd probably hate me if she was still around.

( chewing on her lower lip for a brief moment, she raises up the fork to take her bite -- trying her best to have her mind focus on the flavor of the food than thoughts of an alternate reality where her real parents would be disappointed in her. ... like vi was in the beginning. they'd probably love how wonderful vi turned out. strong, seem to have everything put together, a gross girlfriend, would probably take in mizuki as a replacement daughter too. )

You may not get a choice. However, your mother died on that bridge a long time ago. Whatever this apparition has to say is unlikely to be what your actual mother would.

[He made a point of eating slowly between the conversation now that it had turned to the subject that he expected she needed to talk about. He still regarded over from across their tiny little table, setting his fork down on the edge of his plate a moment later.]

If you don't remember much of her, why would you assume she would hate you? You survived; you thrived; you brought about the revolution she gave her life for.

I dunno. 'Cuz I didn't grow up like Vi? ( she throws up a hand with a slight eyeroll to follow. ) That I'm different and didn't turn out the way everyone wanted me to.

... Not that I care. ( jinx mumbles those words which holds some truth. she doesn't care if strangers, known as the chosen, think of her as a disgusting human being or a monster. a good chuck of them are just insects she has to walk over every day. but when it comes to her real parents, her former adopted family before silco, and even vi sometimes... those opinions jab at her heart in a way it shouldn't. )

You aren't your sister. [It seemed futile and childish to believe that the sister was the model that Jinx should adhere to.] Do you honestly think any of us turned out as our parents wanted us to?

[He sat back in his chair and observed Jinx for a long quiet moment, reading her body language. Then he sighed from his nose.] You are who you are, Jinx. You are who you were meant to be. If your sister, your parents, and anyone whose opinion you do value can't accept that then there is likely nothing you can do or say to change their mind. We can only be the people that we are, and denying yourself will only foster resentment and deeper unhappiness.

( chewing, she listens attentively while her eyes are glued to her plate. it's so annoying that she is somewhat back to battling with herself like this. she made it clear that night that she had chosen "jinx" and declared to her sister that "this is the new them". and everything felt very clear... until she got here. just because she's in a new area shouldn't make a difference to her.

but with vi calling her "jinx" and her times with ekko had been pretty enjoyable, that boiling anger inside her isn't as... vengeance like it was in runeterra. so in certain moments (without her acknowledgement sometimes), "powder" sneaks through before she gets vaporized again by "jinx" barging through to be front and center again. ugh, the teen really thought she solved this stupid thing once and for all. )

— Then I won't care. ( ... and also stay indoors for the rest of this month or however long this fog will hold. which will only have her go stir crazy eventually. jinx isn't the type to do well in closed walls. )

[Silco took another bite from the food on his plate, chewing slowly as he continued to observe her across the table. The fact that she wouldn't make eye contact with him or even crawl into his lap or sit on the table right in front of him told him a completely different story about her quiet little declaration.]

We both know that's not possible. Sometimes you care too much so it overwhelms you. [He paused to let that sink in as he took another bite and chewed.] And because you care, you overanalyze everything that you do in how it will be interpreted. You spent a childhood measuring yourself up to your sister. You're so much more than the girl you were, and if you think no one of that past will care for you as you are, then I will care for you my share and theirs.

(jeez, what a callout. and she finds herself wincing and shrinking over it too. she does hate that she cares too much over things and while she doesn't trust too easily, jinx still wears her heart on her sleeve sometimes. depending on who, really. his daughter peers up to him finally, her expression softens with light wide eyed. logically, she knew silco will always care for her no matter what, but... she never gets tired of hearing it from him despite the years. she is a girl who needs constant recongition, constant reassurance because actions and words mean almost life or death to her. )

... Always? Do you promise?

( she just... needs to make sure. double sure. triple sure. or else "the others" will plug in things that will question every notion. )

Edited 2023-09-05 20:46 (UTC)

[She should be used to him calling her out at this point. He did so with relatively good intentions, not wanting to to wallow too much in self-pity for things that she had no control over. He was first to point out where improvements needed to be made without accusation. It was the way he saw it. All part of keeping honesty between them.

He met her gaze with flinching, nodding his head even before she had fully spoken the request for confirmation. Her eyes told him everything that was about to come to him verbally.]

Always. Nothing will change that.

[If she required the words to include promise, he would.]

( he can practically see the relief settling in her small figure, a sigh of peace before doing a little shimmy in her seat to be more comfortable. and almost just like that, the mood in their little kitchen shifts -- still hunching over with elbows on the table, she takes another bite but with more enthusiasm and carefree. jinx even reaches over for her glass to wash it down for the first time then digs right back in.

will it be greedy of her for wanting seconds after this? probably not given she needs to eat a little more with shimmer coursing through her. but she'll hate to have a second helping and leave him with nothing. how much did he cook for them anyway? jinx glances briefly out their window, spotting a crow sitting at the windowsill and pecking at its wing. but something about the bird jogs her memory of something, and silco can see that when her body does a silly little jolt with her back more strengthen. )

Oh! — You wouldn't believe what I found by the water the other day! Y'know, like waaaaaaaay past the caves?

( and instead of letting him guess, she'll just blurt it out regardless. )

Honeyfruit! Who woulda thunk, huh?

( halfway done with her food now, she asks with her mouth full: )

Should I nab some?

[Knowing that she was enduring Shimmer, he had made extras and even had some bread from the market. He suspected that she would out eat him for a few weeks yet, so he was prepared for that, especially since food wasn't going to be ordered from a kitchen.

It seemed their little 'talk' - probably bridging close a lecture - had pepped her back up, which was pleasing. He preferred it when she was in a good mood; it made life in general a lot easier for everyone involved. Teenagers made life very exciting, even when he owned much of the Undercity.]

Honeyfruit, hmmm? Something familiar from our world. We should have some as they will be good to trade. [And eat. Fruit wasn't easy or inexpensive to find.]

There is more food if you're still hungry.

Yeah! And those Shark rat things are there, too. Guardin' the junk. — It's no big though.

( she pauses to take a minute to swallow her food before slicing up the very last bit of the fish. )

It'll give Pow-Pow something to sing to. And the bullets on my new outfit are Pow-Pow sized bullets, so that's lucky, eh?

( this "santa" who presented her the outfit really seems to know her taste all the way down to the letter. he even granted her favorite "GET JINXED" record the INX put together in their desperate need for jinx's acknowledgement. she despises that fan club to the core, but at least they did one thing right. and it's too bad she never gotten the chance to put them out of their misery with everything else going on at the time. and now getting confirmation there is more food for her waiting, jinx beams again before hopping out of her seat with her plate in hand -- making her way to the extras to slap more on her dish. )

And if we got that those here -- then who knows what else of Runeterra got washed up in this place. The tablets got a better map of this whole area and sheesh, have ya looked at it? Waaaay big! Gonna have to do a lotta runnin' around.

( OOC: you don't have to watch the whole youtube video. it's just to establish who i'm referring about. )

Edited 2023-09-06 21:40 (UTC)

Razorfins. They are entertaining and useful.

[He had a special interest in aquatic creatures, especially since his main hideout had been deep in the Undercity where he could watch the deep sea beasts go about their daily lives. It had been relaxing for him, so he was partial to things with big teeth and lurking in the water.]

That is fortunate given that you've been denied continual access to bullets at this time.

[He was still waiting to find out more about this 'santa' character. Was this someone that could be bribed for certain items? He and Jinx had acquired good funds thanks to the casino, and he was already considering how best to use it in order the further themselves and gather a better advantage to being here.

As she moved to help herself to more food, he continued to pick at his own meal. He was already slowing, expecting that he would allow himself dessert of half a cigar.]

I have noticed that there is a map with the tablets. Perhaps if we are fortunate, the flowers from the mines will begin to grow here. I have heard there are caves, and I plan on exploring those in search of them. Do you have a place on the map you plan on exploring?

( her enormous appetite and greed are starting to show as she piles up at least four fry fish on her plate before returning back to the table. jinx scoots and settles in, fork and knife in each hand and immediately slicing through the first one. )

OH, I've been in that cave...! Blew up some things and found some crystals. — Didn't go in super far though. Just like the outside of it. We oughta check it out again together.

( especially now since she feels a little more comfortable and has her bearings down of this place. jinx was still feeling iffy over her circumstances and had a lot on her mind when she visited the caves. at his question, his daughter waits no time to answer: )

I dunno what that place is called but there's this big tower on the map. It looks — ( she sets her utensils down for a minute to lift up her hands and wiggle her fingers at silco. ) — ♪ Spooo~oookkyy ♪.

( with that silly thing down, back to the fork and knife then sticking the meal in her mouth. )

I wanna go there!

Edited 2023-09-08 04:45 (UTC)

[He noted her gluttony, and it only reinforced how much Shimmer that Singed had to employ in order to save Jinx's life. Though, even now, he didn't believe a second the warning that death was sometimes a mercy. Not for her, not for his daughter, not for Jinx. She had to survive; he needed her.

He made a noise in his throat to acknowledge her adventures, tapping his fork against the rim of his plate.]

Agreed. If there is crystal - which might be useful for trade - then there are all manner of ores and minerals that we could mine.

[Zaun might be a city on the precipice of a new revolution, but at it's heart, it was a mining city. Everything was built to explore deeper and deeper, to drag out the precious minerals trapped in the rock. There were no limits there as there were no limits to what Zaunites could do.]

Have you heard any rumours about the tower? I assume there are folk tales and stories about it.

[He hadn't done a lot of exploring and traveling beyond Zaun and Piltover. He'd seen pictures and drawing, but without the weight of dragging Zaun to independency on his shoulders, he actually could consider exploration of this place. Jinx, he expected, would be his protector for any untoward creatures that wanted to eat them.]

( stuffing her face and now eating just a little more barbaric than before (can't force a germlin to have table manners for too long), she nods to him eagerly with mining the caves. as if they need more coins right now. all that she made during the casino, she shoved it to silco to maintain and deal with. because handling finances isn't in her territory and it'd be better to just let him toy with it and do what needs to be done with it. but maybe they can trade the gems for more scrap metal for her. at least, that's what she would do.

his daughter scrunches up her face in thought, trying to recall if there had been any rumors, stories, or warnings about the steeple. but she grants him a shrug of her shoulders when she comes up with nothing. )

Nope! I haven't heard anyone talk about any tower stuff. The locals been pretty weird about everythin' lately. They won't spill the beans to anyone.

( but there's a tiny pause suddenly, an idea hits her like an arrow hitting a bullseye straight on. with the devil dancing behind her smile, she lifts up a knife before twirling it between her fingers. )

... But I can make 'em cough up a lil' drop of information.

[Silco did consider himself far more responsible when it came to handling their combined funds, and he was already considering what ventures would be profitable. After all, if they were to rise in this place, they would require a constant stream of wealth to start to buy up resources: people or otherwise.

He expected that he had to move quickly and efficiently to understand this place so that he could capitalize on opportunities. He had already met more than a few Chosen who could be rivals, and he had to have something tangible in his back pocket to be able to keep them on leash than biting back.]

It might be as a simple as partaking in the usual traditions like sitting in taverns where information flows relatively freely with enough alcohol. We are intruders to the locals no matter how much some of them might pretend to like us.

[He set his fork down and push his plate away as he relaxed back in the chair. He offered Jinx a bemused expression, tapping a finger on the table as he considered.]

Don't hurt them too much, Jinx.

[He would never condone intimidation, torture and whatever methods needed to bring another to heel. Just no limb or digit loss to start, okay?]

They really worship us, huh? Especially if ya new to the place. And don't worry!! I promise when I shoot, I won't actually shoot 'em. Juuuuust enough to get the message across.

( and with that, she stabs the fish right in its center, but then pretends she has food etiquette as she delicately cuts her meal into pieces again. )

Oh! Speakin' of new, we might get some more of us next month. There's like a pattern to the "Whoevers" in charge. Every other month, we get fresh meat. I wonder who else from our realm will wash up here. If it's the ogre, we should just ditch her. After what happened with her, she'd be pretty useless.

( just... very casually mentioning something happened to sevika like she is talking about the weather. a hand comes up to her own shoulder, rubbing a sore muscle she didn't know she had until just now. strange. )

Edited (ooops i forgot to mention her symptom lol) 2023-09-09 17:43 (UTC)

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cw: very minor/subtle withdrawal symptom