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Well, that's not fantastic.
Were you getting anything meaningful out of the arrangement?
Were you getting anything meaningful out of the arrangement?
For what's it worth... You do seem to have a habit of underestimating just how important you are to people.
[It's quiet, gaze averted. It's... possibly the most forward he's been about how he feels. The most he's ever verbalized right to her.]
What I'm tryin' to say is...
[He finally brings his gaze back to her.]
We were just kids, you know? After everything I've heard... I don't think you were wrong. Delusional. Anything like that.
[He leans back in the chair, letting out a sigh as he looks at the ceiling.]
I don't think I ever wanted to admit it, not even to myself, but part of why it hurt was... because I was jealous.
I'd never be okay living with Silco. But somehow, after everything that happened, you found family again. You found a place to be.
[It's quiet, gaze averted. It's... possibly the most forward he's been about how he feels. The most he's ever verbalized right to her.]
What I'm tryin' to say is...
[He finally brings his gaze back to her.]
We were just kids, you know? After everything I've heard... I don't think you were wrong. Delusional. Anything like that.
[He leans back in the chair, letting out a sigh as he looks at the ceiling.]
I don't think I ever wanted to admit it, not even to myself, but part of why it hurt was... because I was jealous.
I'd never be okay living with Silco. But somehow, after everything that happened, you found family again. You found a place to be.
[She gives a lazy sort of smile, watching Ellie open it.]
Yeah, might as well. It should make the rest way easier, that way!
[Now Jinx works on spraying and wiping tools down with disinfectant. Things she wouldn't bother with if it was just involving herself.]
Yeah, might as well. It should make the rest way easier, that way!
[Now Jinx works on spraying and wiping tools down with disinfectant. Things she wouldn't bother with if it was just involving herself.]
[She looks up at him, clearly a little surprised by his words.
It's hard to accept most of them, but that last part has her expression straining a little. After an unsteady breath, she gently nudges him with her foot.]
And you didn't? [There's a wry smile.] Those people... clearly cared a lot about you. Something that seemed to go both ways.
It's hard to accept most of them, but that last part has her expression straining a little. After an unsteady breath, she gently nudges him with her foot.]
And you didn't? [There's a wry smile.] Those people... clearly cared a lot about you. Something that seemed to go both ways.
Thirty-eight minutes is a very long wait for someone like Jinx, and she doesn't hide how annoyed she is.
She's wearing a pretty blatant pout as she opens the door, and then doesn't bother waiting; turning on her heel, she sulkily moves over to sit on her bed, back against the wall. Without saying a word, she pulls her knees to her chest, arms tightly wrapped around them.
She's wearing a pretty blatant pout as she opens the door, and then doesn't bother waiting; turning on her heel, she sulkily moves over to sit on her bed, back against the wall. Without saying a word, she pulls her knees to her chest, arms tightly wrapped around them.
Of course?
[She offers one hand to Jinx, palm-down. Up this close it's easier to see that her nail beds have a blueish tinge; she is a walking corpse, after all.]
While under the Admiral's restrictions you do need to consent to any changes I make, but anything you could plausibly manage with a disguise kit I can probably do.
[She offers one hand to Jinx, palm-down. Up this close it's easier to see that her nail beds have a blueish tinge; she is a walking corpse, after all.]
While under the Admiral's restrictions you do need to consent to any changes I make, but anything you could plausibly manage with a disguise kit I can probably do.
[A long pause, before:]
They're hard to find, aren't they.
They're hard to find, aren't they.
"You don't need to look as though I'm here to escort you to your execution," Ash says teasingly as they step in and close the door behind them, their Dancer to their side, with the exact same tone they might have in any normal conversation. Like they didn't just threaten to stalk and ambush her explicitly against her will, with every indication they were serious about it.
(They were. Maybe not incredibly serious, because 'if John finds out about this, would he be displeased' is a meaningful level of cognition that's running interference here so that Ashton doesn't immediately default to the most asshole move possible, but Jinx? Jinx would make for a good project, if they really wanted to make her paranoid about it.)
"I do really just want to talk."
(They were. Maybe not incredibly serious, because 'if John finds out about this, would he be displeased' is a meaningful level of cognition that's running interference here so that Ashton doesn't immediately default to the most asshole move possible, but Jinx? Jinx would make for a good project, if they really wanted to make her paranoid about it.)
"I do really just want to talk."
[He looks back to her at the nudge.]
It eventually got to be something like that, yeah. It took... a lot of time.
Things were pretty rough for awhile, there.
[In between grieving, losing most if not all his close contacts, and then trying to just survive?
Well, Ekko grew up fast, that's for sure.
After a moment, he puts his hand on her shoulder.]
...for what it's worth? I'm glad we're both here... no matter what kind of twisted path we had to endure for it.
It eventually got to be something like that, yeah. It took... a lot of time.
Things were pretty rough for awhile, there.
[In between grieving, losing most if not all his close contacts, and then trying to just survive?
Well, Ekko grew up fast, that's for sure.
After a moment, he puts his hand on her shoulder.]
...for what it's worth? I'm glad we're both here... no matter what kind of twisted path we had to endure for it.
[She glances to the hand on her shoulder, and then gives him a tiny smile.]
Yeah? [Jinx can feel her stomach do something a little weird, from that touch being combined with the gesture.] I... feel the same way.
[There's a softening of her expression as she looks at him.]
Yeah? [Jinx can feel her stomach do something a little weird, from that touch being combined with the gesture.] I... feel the same way.
[There's a softening of her expression as she looks at him.]
Thank you for answering.
I am called Mitth'raw'nuruodo, but most here may use my shortened Basic name 'Thrawn'. I have been assigned to you as your temporary warden.
I wish to know you better. May we talk here, or a place in person you may feel comfortable?
I am called Mitth'raw'nuruodo, but most here may use my shortened Basic name 'Thrawn'. I have been assigned to you as your temporary warden.
I wish to know you better. May we talk here, or a place in person you may feel comfortable?
[She looks over when Ellie hisses. Hearing that, she can't help thinking back to when her leg got pretty fucked up that one time... One of the rare times she was in some real physical pain... before...
Jinx pushes that train of thought back, in favor of shifting and gesturing at just how far the tattoo stretches.]
I designed it, and then got help from an amazing artist. [She gives Ellie a smile before setting a pillow on her own lap, and then covering it with a towel.] Still wound up taking days to finish, because... y'know. Other clients, and all. But... it was worth every second. Every bit of money. Every sting...
[The smile on her lips doesn't reach her eyes, and there's a bit of longing in place of the smile. She quickly moves on.]
How're you feeling?
Jinx pushes that train of thought back, in favor of shifting and gesturing at just how far the tattoo stretches.]
I designed it, and then got help from an amazing artist. [She gives Ellie a smile before setting a pillow on her own lap, and then covering it with a towel.] Still wound up taking days to finish, because... y'know. Other clients, and all. But... it was worth every second. Every bit of money. Every sting...
[The smile on her lips doesn't reach her eyes, and there's a bit of longing in place of the smile. She quickly moves on.]
How're you feeling?
Occasionally. Less so, here.
Yes - the library will work. I will reserve a room for us after lunch hour. Thank you.
Yes - the library will work. I will reserve a room for us after lunch hour. Thank you.
You... do?
[Now it's Ekko's turn to be surprised and flustered. It wasn't that he doubted her or felt she'd lie about this, it was just...
She'd been through a lot. Arguably, far more than himself. So it's just -
It's a lot that she'd consider this... them? Worth all that.]
[Now it's Ekko's turn to be surprised and flustered. It wasn't that he doubted her or felt she'd lie about this, it was just...
She'd been through a lot. Arguably, far more than himself. So it's just -
It's a lot that she'd consider this... them? Worth all that.]
She makes a face at Ash... but there's no hostile retort, no pointing out the obvious, and no... signs of her responding, at all, for a moment. She stares down at her own feet, turning some thoughts over in her head. Trying to sort reality from cruel hallucination from warped opinions...
It's a lot, but she does finally find her voice. Or, well, more precisely? Her willpower. It'd be so much easier to just shut down, but part of her genuinely doesn't want to. Not now, not yet...
"Feels like I was gone for so long... Yet... there was that whole other life, on top of it all... Who..."
Jinx looks up at Ashton, something that's a strange mix of empty and desperate in her eyes.
"Who even am I...?"
It's a lot, but she does finally find her voice. Or, well, more precisely? Her willpower. It'd be so much easier to just shut down, but part of her genuinely doesn't want to. Not now, not yet...
"Feels like I was gone for so long... Yet... there was that whole other life, on top of it all... Who..."
Jinx looks up at Ashton, something that's a strange mix of empty and desperate in her eyes.
"Who even am I...?"
There's no sympathy in their gaze. No disdain, no cruelty or hatred, but still: no sympathy. She'll get that other places, won't she?
"We'll get to that. Before you get too far into your own head, though, I'd like to hear exactly what you wanted the results of your fun little experiment with arson to be."
"We'll get to that. Before you get too far into your own head, though, I'd like to hear exactly what you wanted the results of your fun little experiment with arson to be."
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