#duringarcane

[independentzaun]

Drinks surprising.

Continued from here with @exiledheiress

Gazing down at Mel there was a faint confident smirk on Sevika’s face the kind that some might find charming, and some others irritating although in Sevika’s experience those were normally men. “I’m not so sure I am out of my element.” As far as she was concerned this wasn’t about Zaun meeting with Piltover, or even her visiting Piltover for that matter. This was her doing what she’d done a hundred times before. Showing up at an interesting, and lovely woman’s place and seeing what happened. Not that she ever truly expected one thing or another, but she enjoyed even just talking and relaxing.

“Of course there’s a reason. I wouldn’t come all the way up here merely on a whim.” Strolling into Mel’s house she glanced around even as she reached into her sarape cloak, and effortlessly pulled out a bottle of mushroom wine from Zaun as well as a bottle of good quality (by Zaun standards) rum in one large hand. “As I recall I promised you a drink together one evening.” Looking down to the other woman she smiled warmly. “Unless of course you’re busy? In which case consider these a gift, and we can share a drink another night.”

[independentzaun]

Burned Warnings

Continued from here with @hxundsprxdigy

“This isn’t a prison, and if you use the same attitude out here as you did in there Zaun will eat you alive. Which believe it or not is not something I wish to see if only because it would hurt Jinx. You are young, and you still have a lot to learn. I am trying to give you the opportunity to learn.” How was it Jinx for all her ferocity and stubbornness, and unique way of looking at the world seemed more capable of listening and learning than Vi? He had to withhold a sigh as he took a drag off of his cigar.

Listening to Vi he reminded himself to be patient, but that didn’t mean he was going to sugar coat things. “I don’t trust you to get to him silently Vi. I would trust Jinx to do that, but than if I sent Jinx he would end up dead. Leaving that alone for as much as I dislike Finn he is still a Chem-Baron, and still a stubborn young man. You get to him “silently” and break a few fingers he is going to feel as though he has to retaliate. If you strike at him personally, and directly he’s going to take it personally enough to strike back. So you need to go at him from a different direction.”

Cigar placed into the ashtray, and than his hands against each other on his desk he leaned forward a bit. “Do you really expect me to tell you? I’m not at all convinced you won’t just go and shove yourself into the middle of what I have planned.” Shaking his head Silco frowned slightly for a second than decided to placate her just a bit. “There’s going to be a couple of fires. A couple of places that get burned down. Spots Finn believes to be safe. He won’t be able to publicly admit what happened so he won’t really be able to strike back, but everyone will know all the same. A warning, but it’s business not personal. Big enough to get his attention, but not so big he has to strike back. This is the big leagues Vi, and if you miscalculate it’s not just getting a beating or stabbed. It’s getting a lot of people killed for no good reason.” Watching her for a moment his eyes narrow just a touch.

“You understand?”

[independentzaun]

For Jinx: you're the only one that matters.

In Jinx’s opinion sometimes Silco got too caught up in his work. Of course it was important, and needed to be done and the sons and daughters deserved better and blah blah blah but what was the point if he worked himself into an early grave? So really her showing up around noon, and spending a good half an hour asking him to go outside with her in progressively cuter ways completely with those big blue eyes offering a pleading puppy dog look was a favor to him. She was helping! The fact that it also meant she was going to get attention from him was just a happy side effect of the whole situation, and made it a win on both sides.

The excuse reason given for them going out was that she’d “heard of a new scrap pile” that was supposedly nearly untouched and wanted to go through it. However she needed him there just in case. Just in case what? Who could say. Maybe to pick something out Jinx would use to build him a gift with. Perhaps to keep her from taking too much all at once, or on the other side to help her take even more because with him around she wouldn't have to worry as much about defending herself. Jinx could come up with any number of reasons all of which sounded reasonable so long as you didn’t look too closely, and at some point she’d even mentioned it could be like a lunch break and they could get food at some point. Regardless eventually they found themselves on the streets of Zaun going for a walk together which was the really important thing in Jinx’s opinion.

Regardless of if Silco talked much or not Jinx was just happy to spend time together, and that of course meant he had to deal with her little touches and gentle shoulder bumps and chatter as she spotted one thing or another that interested her. Eventually they reached the spot she’d claimed had fresh scrap to scavenge, and blinking in surprise Jinx found that she had actually been correct.

“Oh! There is fresh… I mean, of course there’s scrap here! I knew that, that’s why we’re here, heh.” Before long Jinx was nudging bits, and pieces around and asking for Silco’s thought on one new shiny piece or another. At some point however she heard his comment.

You’re the only one that matters.

Looking up Jinx blinked before getting a soft, warm smile on her face. “I know that, silly.” Voice surprisingly gentle she dropped the scrap in her hand before moving back over towards him. Glancing down for a second Jinx leaned a bit looking up at him. “But, it’s… it’s still nice to hear you say it.” Hands behind her for a second she bit at her bottom lip before suddenly moving forward, and hugging him with one of her full body tight hugs pressing herself against him as her head turned so her cheek could rest against him. “And you’re the only one that matters to me. The only one.” Staying like that for a long moment Jinx suddenly was struck by a sudden curiosity, and leaned her head back enough to look up at him while still hugging him close.

“Are you okay though Silco? You know if you need anything taken care of all you have to do is tell me, right?”

[independentzaun]

Felt safe. Feel safe.

Continued from here with @coruscis

Head hanging over one arm of the sofa Jinx had been coloring a chomper, and lost in thought. It wasn’t exactly a bad day, and she wasn’t spiraling thankfully however there was something oddly contemplative in the air so she went with it. Blue eyes concentrating more on her explosive than anything else and a boot hanging off of the sofa Jinx’s mind had been drifting through things. Fire, explosions, the dead. Silco, inventions, home. Her own growing ability to do whatever he needed done, and the delight she got from doing so. She’d even been quiet, largely, except for an off again on again hum of one song or another she’d heard lately until as one particularly memory grazed past her mind like a shark sliding barely inches away from someone in the water a comment came from her.

“I felt safe with you.” A completely innocent sentence, and one she hadn’t really meant anything by. However as Silco repeated that one word ‘felt’ she blinked, and tilted her head to look back at him. “What? No! No no no no.” Shaking her head Jinx casually tossed the grenade in her hand onto a pillow before rolling off of the sofa, and a moment later was on Silco’s desk reaching out to touch his hand or forearm. “I didn’t mean it like that! I was just thinking about the past is all. Of course I feel safe with you! How could I not silly?” A soft little laugh came from her before she smiled.

“I feel safe with you, and now I feel safe by your side which is where I should be instead of behind you. Helping you, and helping The Cause right?” His cause more than hers really not that it mattered to her, or that she’d ever say that. She was devoted to him, and through him The Cause. A Free Nation of Zaun. Just as he’d always told her about.

[independentzaun]

Continued from here with @saviourofzaun

As he met her eyes Jinx half sat on his desk letting a leg dangle off looking down to him. Nothing except curiosity, and of course that never ending affection that always rested behind whatever else she might be feeling when with him. Taking a breath her eyes watched the smoke from his cigarette for a second privately enjoying the smell simply because of it’s association with Silco in her head. It was part of the scent of his office, and him. How could she possibly be put off by it? Her attention quickly returned to him as he started to speak.

“That seems strange to me, but than people can be weird. Compliment should be a compliment. Guess it depends on the person though. I’ve heard Sevika get called handsome by some women and she seemed to enjoy it, but than I’m pretty sure some of those women like the ones that are all done up in dresses and heels and makeup and stuff would get upset to be called handsome.” Silco’s explanation made sense more or less, but it still seemed odd to her not that that was anything new. People were difficult, and complicated. Still interesting in a way though at least from a distance. Most people when you got close to them turned out to be boring at best, and irritating at worst.

“I was just wondering.” That smile on his face made her smile in return, and suddenly realizing what he said Jinx immediately made a decision. Without any hesitation she moved from his desk onto his chair leaning in close to him resting her head against his. “Well I think you are beautiful, and pretty. All of you.” Reaching up she trailed a fingertip along his cheek. His scars had never put her off, and if anything they were a sign of what he had endured and emerged from stronger than ever. Perhaps most of her scars were on the inside, and many of his on the outside but they were both broken and monstrous creatures. That’s why they belonged together, and she would never leave him and he would never leave her. They were all they had. Everyone else always left. She knew that. Softly her voice murmured as she rested against him with nothing in it other than sincerity, and that particular obsessive love she held for him.

“Beautiful Silco.”

[independentzaun]

Howl knocked gently on the sturdy good of Silco's office, stepping inside once he was allowed to do so and offered the older man a smile. "I bring news from Topside, sir..." He said in a low voice, closing the door behind himself. "There's a newcomer at the port.... Councilor Medarda's mother, apparently she's here to to see her daughter but from what I've heard, they don't have a good relationship so there must be something else..." He said.

"I have met her, she seemed rather.... interested in me, should I make use of it?" Howl knew Silco was aware of what he meant, he also knew being close to Mrs Medarda meant being closer to Mel and Jayce, which could become quite useful in the future.

The knock got a quick response to enter, and seeing the younger man Silco closed a folder giving Howl his attention. Raising his eyebrows inviting the other to speak his eyes narrowed a moment later as he let out a little ‘hrmmm’ considering the information offered. “Medarda’s mother. I don’t know a lot about them, but as I recall it’s a Noxian family. Always seemed a bit odd a random Noxian on the Council.” For a second there was a slightly irritated note in his voice. It had less to do with any grievances against Noxians as in truth Silco didn’t care about that, and far more with the fact that for all the Council’s vaunted “fairness” and “opportunity” they’d never allow someone from Zaun to sit on it. The Councilor Medarda was in a way a slap in the face albeit an unwilling, and quite likely unknowing one.

“Yes. Make use of it, but be careful. You’ve spent long enough establishing yourself there.” The fact that neither Mel nor Jayce were fools went unsaid as was the assumption that Mrs Medarda was likely quite accomplished in her own right. Silco doubted that Mel would have risen to be a Councilor of Piltover without a sufficient upbringing, and backing. “I wonder what it is her mother wishes. To show up now…” Reaching over Silco grabbed a cigar, and waved at Howl to sit somewhere.

“Tell me more. About her, and whatever else you’ve made note of recently.”

[independentzaun]

Magical curiosity

Continued from Here with @legendscried

The hazard of giving Jinx something new was two fold. First was the possibility of taking it, and examining as fully as possible. The second was the chance she’d simply not give it back be it on purpose, or because she got too distracted. To be sure she was just as capable of shrugging, and declaring something boring and tossing it back however those hazards were never completely gone. Taking the journal there was a glint of surprise in her eyes that he’d simply given to her, but Jinx certainly wasn’t going to complain.

Flipping it open Jinx tilted her head a bit. “On magic?…” Going through one page, and than the next and the next she shrugged. “I don’t know anything about magic. One of two of these... Symbols? Runes? Look familiar though.” Turning another page Jinx idly traced a rune with her finger before looking over to the redhead. “I think it’s interesting. I wish I knew more about magic!” leaning in a bit she offered a friendly smile. “I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me about it? Healing magic, or whatever else.”

[independentzaun]

Purple eyes, golden eyes

Continued from here with @legendscried

For a moment Jinx was actually distracted by those golden eyes. It wasn’t something she’d seen often before if at all, and it made her think of some old story she’d heard about…something. A dragon maybe? Some big magic cat thing? She wasn’t sure. It was a distant half memory at best, but all the same those eyes caught her attention. That hand on her arm made her eyes narrow for just a second as though trying to tell if he was going to try something, or not. With him just being gentle though, and not yelling or demanding she leave or anything else Jinx relaxed.

Maybe she’d try being nice for once. Even if he was on the wrong side of the river and practically a traitor… maybe he’d not had much of a choice, and maybe he could be brought back to the right side of the bridge.

“Well of course you do. I enjoy my work too!” Casually she pulled out a chomper albeit one filled with paint and tossed it onto the table. The pin was still in and it wasn’t moving or anything. “I make my own stuff. It’s fun. Made those little flying firelights that went boom too. That doesn't mean you don't still deserve some appreciation though. We all do.”

His comment about trouble actually made her start to giggle and she shook her head. “Oh you’re funny! Ohhh that’s grreat Vik.” Casually she hugged him with that arm around his shoulders. “Not like you all don’t want me in a cage, or dead already… or, is it them that want me caged?” Purple eyes studying Viktor there was a particular intensity to them, and curiosity.

Which was it? Would he agree and say “we” or something similar or… just how close to the pilties was he really?