@sydscharacterlore for Delia
Jonny was running errands all day today, and had stopped at a truck stop he loved for lunch. Taking the purchase to his little hideaway of nature along the highway back to Gotham he sat down on his porch and sipped the drink as he looked around at the vibrant nature. Unwrapping the burrito he took a big bite and watched the nature around him exist. On his days off he stayed here, to get a break from Gotham. He was three bites in when he noticed a body laying behind some thinning bushes. Rising he puts his burrito down.
"Hello?" He calls out.
"He will be okay." Ripley assures them. "Come inside, both of you. The bugs are bad here." He says, opening the door.
Delia was able to get up fairly easily with Syd’s help but was fading again.
“Ok, maybe I shouldn’t have done this?” She mumbled leaning heavily against Syd.
“Probably not but I really wouldn’t expect anything else from you.” Syd replied.
"Oh! Okay, let's work together, then." Ripley says, helping the two by holding the IV chords out of foot space. Hooking the needles back into the bags, he checks Delia's BP and then offers her a sealed juice box. "If you need help just honk the chicken, okay?" He laughs, handing her a joker chicken.
Delia snorts, rolling her eyes in amusement. She would laugh if she wasn’t in so much pain. She really shouldn’t have gotten up but Syd needed her. “Thank you.” She did take a sip of the juice. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything.
Syd clung close to Delia. Though carefully to not hurt her worse.
“I hope everyone else is safe.” She said. “Jem and Luc are in this world too. I’ll text them what’s happening in a bit.”
"Jonny put jambalya in the pressure cooker. He's got good timing and should be back from his walk soon." Ripley says, offering Syd her own blanket. "I'll be in the living room." He says, leaving the door slightly cracked open.
Delia had already fallen back to sleep. She pushed herself way too hard. And Syd will definitely yell at her when she heard the full story. The doc and other guy may as well.
Syd was cuddling against Delia for both their comfort and texting Jem and Luc. Filling them in but asking them to keep it to themselves. “Thank you!”
Jonny walked two miles out and then screamed, throwing some rocks and sticks and kicking grass and shit. Raging out he panted for a moment when he was done and then went for a swim to cool off. Walking back dripping wet he was only damp by the time he returned.
"Foods done." He says, stopping the beeping pressure cooker.
Delia woke slowly. Even when uninjured she loved her sleep. “Smells good.” She mumbled.
Syd laughed. “I said the same thing earlier.” She helped Delia sit up more.
Jonny brings two bowls to the gals, then comes back with two cups of milk for them and some cornbread. Grabbing some for himself after Ripley he eats a bit then messages Joe.
> will be home with you soon
He needed to see and talk to Joe, especially since he felt alone and he was sure Joe was bored.
“Thank you.” Delia said softly. She was eating slowly not sure how much she could handle at the moment but her enjoyment was obvious.
Syd gave Delia her cornbread. “I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you I have Celiacs so can’t have anything with gluten in it.” But she happily dug into the rest of her food.
“Oh, I did tell Jem and Luc what’s going on.”
“They’re in this world also? I’m glad to hear that. I can’t wait to see them again.” Delia had finished her food and snuggled deeper under the covers.
Jonny just nods to the fact about Cilaic, and waits for a message back from Joe. Eating more of his food he frowns at the text that came in.
> don't bother, stsy wkth the girls. I have ollie.
He noticed the careless spelling and the nonchalant demeanor. He was offended by the denial of food delivery earlier. Rolling his eyes he stood up and dumped his unfinished food in the sink and walked out. Heading to bring Joe a home-cooked feast a king like himself would appreciate. But first...he needed some meat.
Delia and Syd shared a bewildered glance as Jonny left.
Delia was just plain clueless while Syd has so far been spared the Joker’s more unpredictable temper.
But Delia was fading again and Syd was more worried about her.
Ripley got up for seconds on the food shortly after Jonny left. Messaging the crew that tonight was going to be bloody, knowing Jonny and Joker's antics. After he was through eating Ripley checked on the girls.
"Do you want to come to the living room for shows?" He asks them, standing in the doorway holding the door. His eyes look over the pair as he realized he was alone with them and chewed his lip. Clearing his throat he released the door, lingering there for a moment uncomfortable in his mind. "I'll be out there," he says gruffly, walking off with a lingering saunter.
Delia was already asleep again.
Syd ran a hand through Delia’s hair as a comfort to both girls but was also worried about her soulmates at the moment.
Then decided she needed to talk to Ripley a bit and it was better to do so now while Delia seems to be peacefully sleeping.
Quickly following Ripley out.
“How bad are things likely to get? Now I’m also worried about Jem and Luc.” Syd admitted.
"Jem and Luc will probably be toyed with a bit. Probably catch criminal charges a few times, but once Joker knows they're family of yours they'll be employed. And he pays me to keep you all ticking." Ripley tells her truthfully. Pouring himself some ice tea he sips it. "Besides, unless you're clean up and disposal I think you'll be having a relaxing night." He tells her, heading to the couch.
“I know Jem joined before I did but not how much earlier. Luc I think only a week or so earlier. Luc did come to the Joker after the three of us all reconnected. They were born on Kaldria same as I was. Jem and his brother Jax were sent to this earth long before my family was. They were actually reborn on this Earth while my family wasn’t. I don’t know about Luc though. But we are soulmates and that means we do have a mental and emotional bond connecting the three of us.” Sydney explained.
"Oh, Jem and Jax? Yeah, they'll probably be busy tonight with Joe and Jonny." Ripley says, finding an Avengers movie. He was pretty sure Joe had those two as his trick dogs currently, still exploring their powers and seeing how corrupt he could get them.
◇◆◇
Back at Joe's home he was treating Ollie to some physical therapy. A booted foot kicks Ollie's hip hard enough to roll the thing over, dragging it closer by its ankle Joe pulls its shorts down. Ollie's struggling and laughing in a drugged haze.
"Jem! Jax!" Joe barks for his new trick dogs. "You think this is funny?!" He growls to Ollie, mad that his meal wasn't ordered right.
Syd ended up lost in thought. “Because of our bond, I’ll feel it if Jem and Luc are injured and vise versa. The only way to block it is to sedate all of us.”
She was scared for everyone right now.
But also very torn.
Jem and Luc shared a quick glance and quickly joined Joker. This was the angriest they’ve seen him since they started working with him.
Joe tears his burger open, revealing the pickles, mayo, ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, and lettuce. A large snarl on his face he rubs the bun in Ollie's face, smashing the mustard, pickle, lettuce, and ketchup all over its face and destroying the bun. Ollie stops laughing and coughs. Trying to remove the food from its eyes as Joe's next assault was to punch its exposed genitals.
"Extra onions, extra pickles AND barbeque sauce!!" He roars. "Add bacon!" He says, the last phrase he grabs Ollie's dicklet harshly. Making it yelp.
Jem was able to stay passive during this. He could be a little selfish sometimes. The only people he cares about are the Joker, Jax and Sydney and Luc.
The rest of the world could burn as far as he was concerned.
Though he was in front of Luc. He was the protector of the other two.
While they could handle themselves in a fight Syd and Luc are more sensitive than he is.
"Ridiculous!" Joe snarls, throwing the rest of the meal at Ollie. "Jax, did you hear how I like my burgers?" He asks him, sipping the drink Ollie brought him which was the only correct item besides the fries. "This time, I want jalapeños, too." He adds, putting the cup down to hand Jax 25 dollars. "Jem, I'm bored." Joe sighs, sitting down.
“ I think so, extra pickles, mayo, ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, lettuce, Extra onions, AND barbeque sauce, bacon, jalapeños”. Jax said. He’d rather be called an idiot for writing it down over forgetting something.
“What would you have me do?” Jem asked. He didn’t quite have the creatively Sydney or the Joker has.
"I want to see how your powers can harm others. Use the mouseboi." Joe smirks, making a kissing face at Ollie. Ollie giggles and kisses back at him, food out of its eyes now. It pulls its shorts back up.
"Can I wash off my face, forst?" It asks with an accent. Joe waves it the go ahead and smiles adoringly as it rushed off.
Jem made a face.
“Unfortunately they don’t seem to work on living matter or organic molecules. I’ve tried before and it always seems to fizzle out. Except for knocking people out cold. I can do that if you want. I just can’t explode people with my abilities.”
"Not explode, ya dim wit!" Joe scoffs. "Use the mouseboi to hone your abilities for interrogation skills." Joker explains.
“Fair enough.” Jem agreed quietly. Torture never appealed to him.
However he was good at charming people into giving him information he wanted.
Ollie skipped back in cheerfully, seemingly glad to help with anything Joker desired. And it had good enough hearing to hear that it was helping hone a new recruits talents. Linking arms with Jem it sang out:
"All ready to play!" And then sat down in a chair.
Jem laughed shaking his head. The poor mouse didn’t know what he was in for.
The charm came easily but he was also finding a way to turn charm to fear when needed.
But he still wasn’t sure what was wanted.
Joker texted Jem.
< Ollie took something of mine earlier this week and pawned it against my will. Get it to admit it.>
Jem glanced at his phone long enough to read the message before turning his attention back to Ollie.
Turning on the charm since for him violence wasn’t the first choice.
Start with the easy stuff and maybe find out why? He was just as curious as his girlfriend.
Letting the charm loose. Knowing Luc wouldn’t be affected and neither would Joker, they were both too strong willed.
“What has been going on lately? Has anything changed?”
(((Hypnotic Charm: Subliminal psionic talent channeled through his voice that allows a subtle influence over any sentient mind. This power allows Jem to compel others to believe what he says and agree with anything he suggests. More powerful minds have proven immune to Jem's charm, and people who are consciously aware of what he's doing can shake off the effects.)))
"I been seeing someone." Ollie giggles. "Joker said if I ever need love on the outside to go get some. So I have been. And she's kinky." Ollie says with a naughty laugh and biting the air.
Jem and Luc laughed at that.
“Kinky’s fun.” Jem said. That gave him an idea. “But is she sweet outside the bedroom or is she using you?”
Truth
“Before I found Syd and Luc again I’ve made the mistake of letting people take advantage of me. Can you be sure she’s not trying to do that to you?”
"She has been asking for a lot...and I don't have much," Ollie says, biting its lip. Looking down troden like it was disappointed that the girl-fling was just using it. "She has a house, why is she asking for money?" It frowns.
“Exactly. Unless she’s trying to live beyond her means? How much has she asked you for? How often?”
Maybe this would get the girl into trouble and a bit less trouble for Ollie?
Jem would rather not harm his allies.
"At first 1k, then she found out I could sling it. And she kept asking for more and more. Thats why I been pawning stuff." Ollie covered its mouth. "I mean what? Not Joker's stuff...uh...just stuff." It laughs nervously and looks at Joker.
Joker lit a smoke and stared at Ollie silently.
Jem frowned. Turning up the fear now but subtly.
“What’s her name? What exactly have you pawned?”
"Uhh, Miss Mizz." Ollie stutters out, shrinking into the seat.
