Lux's hand shook with nerves. The electro-gun in her right hand firm against her temple. The electricity hummed and danced along the barrel producing brilliant teal light. Come on! Just end it already! Lux mentally yelled at herself. It'll be better once it's over, but what if it hurts a lot? What if I survive? She worried, but ended up gritting her teeth and forcing herself to not think of anything before tightening her grip. aaaAAAHHH! Lux screamed as her finger slowly pressed on the trigger.
*clang*
Lux's breathing was heavy and her hand rested on the hardwood, gun a few feet further on the ground. I'm so weak. Leeching off of everyone and not even having the decency to put an end to it. Why are you so weak arm, why couldn't you just pull the trigger? Lux thought angrily "AAhhhh!"She hit her hand on her leg causing tears slid down the blonde's cheek as she sat propped up against the wall.
That's what you deserve, pain, because you couldn't do it! Lux mentally screamed at her arm before laughing at her own absurdity. I'm getting as bad as Jinx, acting like it's my arms fault, like it's a person...It's my fault, I'm the useless one, and I am alone here. The pain seeped through her leg and buzzed lightly in her hand, giving her a small tether to the "real" world. Rolling over and crawling she picked up the zap pistol and pulling herself up on the table she set it back in its place.
Sighing Lux supposed she should hobble back to bed to appear as if she had been resting the whole time, Jinx would probably be home soon. Lately she had been supremely nice to her, caring for her like...it stung to admit but only the butlers and maids had cared for her this much. Her mother was too busy with the image of Lux to care about the actual Lux, and her constant spotlight as a prodigy made other kids her age jealous. Her brother was taken away before she could remember, and even upon being reunited seemed to find Demacia and his duty to it more important than her, barely giving her the time of day it seemed. This only left the butlers and maids and that was only for the visits to the castle! Sure they might drop in when they had the time or heard that she was sick but the only one who seemed to really care for her ...for who she was , was...Jinx. A voice in the back of her told her not to forget about Ezreal, but that seemed like a lifetime away ago now.
How long had she been stuck in this house in the slums now?
"Spaarrrkksss, I'm baacckk!" Jinx exclaimed from the other room, letting whatever she was carrying drop to the ground in a thud before entering their room.
"There's my Sparks, how's she doin?" Jinx asked in concern, although it seemed that her tone would be better suited for an avid car collector and his favorite hexmobile. The tone still unnerved Lux to a point, but not like it did when she first talked to her like that.
"I'm...better." Lux responded in her best attempt to keep the depression out of her voice. Unfortunately it came out broken and scratchy from the amount of sobbing and screaming she had done the past few days.
"Now now sparks, I told you. I need ya to be honest with me so I can help. I Am responsible for you now" Jinx replied sitting down on the edge of the bed and talking in a voice laced with something dark. "I mean... you were in the other room, you saw what happens when my things don't let me help them... They...break" She continued referencing the many gun parts and shells hanging from the ceiling in the other room.
"Then let me go, then I don't have to be your responsibility." Lux said, asking again, couldn't hurt right?
Sighing Jinx answered "We've been over this Sparks, no one else will treat you right." After waiting a moment Jinx started talking again "Now, how's that leg?"
Suppressing tears at her situation Lux replied "It's better, if I had some help I think I could walk soon." Lux lied, the pain was too much to bear if she put any weight on it.
"Good!, and how did Zap do? Made sure no one hurt my property?" Jinx asked, more towards the gun on the table than Lux herself.
"What's with that tone mister? You pouting?"
*gasp* "You're jealous aren't you!"
The whole argument and exchange was so strange as usual that Lux couldn't help but smirk and eventually giggle as Jinx portrayed Zap's feelings being hurt for assuming such things. The sound of her voice seemed to stop the exchange as Jinx looked over to Lux and cock a half smile. Which honestly looked ridiculous on Jinx's face and caused Lux to laugh a bit more. Sometimes the crazy she saw was enough to make Lux forget about her troubles...sometimes.
Later that day Lux was carried and put in her first bed in the house, to 'help' with cooking as well as waiting for a 'surprise'. Although Lux swore it might have been more because Jinx seemed lonely at times... Then again it was amusing to watch the tealette cook so she wasn't going to dissect this too much.
"Pow-Pow I told you only a half a teaspoon!" Jinx yelled at her mini-gun after using it to measure spices before pouring it into the bowl that was perched upon Fishbones mouth.
"Oh don't even start, now. Fishbones, remember only a moderate heat" The tealette instructed her hextech launcher as she opened up the paneling to mess with a few dials and switches.
"No no you don't have a nose, therefore you can't sneeze from pepper. Therefore! that all your fault." Jinx chastised her gun before slapping the paneling back on. "How's the water coming Zap?"
...
Jumping around Jinx suddenly unlocked the trigger of the electro-pistol and pointed it away from the seemingly, only pot in the house. Which was boiling over.
"Dammit Zap I told you to tell me when it was done!"
Fortunately nothing was...too burnt, and the parts that were saved had that charming quality of home-made food.
"Say aaahhh" Jinx repeated again... after a few bites fed to her by Jinx, Lux complained that she could eat herself, only to find that Jinx only had a single plate and fork as well. Admitting there were worse things in life than being fed while injured Lux decided to 'suffer' through it. The ...what looked like ravioli's were stuffed with mystery and topped with a drizzle of...whatever was in Fishbones mouth was not the worst thing Lux had tasted...Although it didn't compare with the cooks of the upper class, it still had something special about it.
Afterwards Jinx seemed to be a bit excited about something, but was apparently having just as fun of a time teasing Lux than actually giving her the 'surprise'. Talking to her guns, whom each were propped up against the table in the kitchen, as if they had just had a family dinner.
"What do you think Pow-Pow, you think'll she'll like it? Mhmm, me too."
"No no Fishbones, that was much too expensive. You know we don't have that kinda gold."
Rolling her eyes Lux interrupted their conversation "Are you going to give me this 'surprise' or not?"
Nodding Jinx opened the trunk that was on the floor at the far end of the room, broken guns sat piled around it. After opening it Jinx retrieved... a gun. The gun did not however seem to be rusted or broken, and the material it was made out of seemed familiar.
"We made it out of pieces of your armor, I thought you might like to have your own gun." Jinx said almost shyly.
The gun was metallic silver, with yellow accents and seemed to resemble a revolver. Although there was no cartridge and no electro-barrel. Taking it in her hands it seemed to come to life. The yellow accents that ran along the barrel and started at the grip seemed to crackle and light up.
"You just channel your magic through it and pull the trigger to fire" Jinx explained as if the gun was as normal and mundane as the a rat in the sewers.
"This is... How did you do this?" Lux questioned, marveling at the technology behind it.
"hmmm, I'd tell ya but then I'd have to kill you" Jinx giggled pointing her hand at Lux in a fake gun causing Lux to nervously laugh along. She wasn't entirely sure if Jinx was joking about things like this half the time.
"Alright! Bedtime everyone!" Jinx announced gathering up her guns and setting them on her workbench in the bedroom. Lastly lifting Lux up and carrying her to the only actual bed in the small slum. After setting her down the tealette leaned in, psychotic red-violet eyes wide open. "Listen Sparks, I need to take care of some... business so you just stay here alright?" She asked cocking her head. Lux simply nodded in response. "Good. I'll be back later" Jinx stood back up before picking up and holstering Zap and strapping Pow-Pow over her shoulder. Slamming the door upon her exit, Lux couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy as she heard it creak open from not being shut properly.
Jinx walked into the cool night air, alleys illuminated by the full moon. Taking a deep breath before exhaling Jinx contemplated her current position. The gold from the hit on the bar was running low and without a reliable... She shuddered... job, food was going to become a problem soon.
I never thought having to provide for her was going to be so...expensive... and time consuming.
Well, that's what happens when you let a leech move in and show it the shallowest parts of your heart. I mean come on! We should have ended this back at the event! Then we would still have all the free time and gold to ourselves! Zap complained as usual.
"Zap...This is the last time I'm warning you. She. Is. One. Of . You. Now, if you continue to complain! So help me I will open you up and change your opinion manually!" Jinx commanded, earning a chuckle from Pow-Pow.
Oh shut up bunny ears. Zap pouted.
"Guys! Stop bickering, We still need to figure out what to do. At this rate I'm going to end up running out of gold for bullets!" Jinx said whilst pacing through the alleys.
What about that Graves guy?, He said he would give you work if you returned. Zap suggested.
I don't know Zap, He seemed pretty shifty to me. I mean, did you see the way he looked at our mistress! And just after she finds herself a real princess with that Lux too. Pow-Pow commented in a concerned tone.
"Oh shut up Pow-pow , she's just, my Sparks, okay." Jinx told her mini-gun slightly embarrassed.
Sorry, It's just... I don't think you should go alone to this guy. You know how men are around here, can't be trusted. She continued, pointing out the general populace of the slums.
The tealette had to agree with that. It would probably be better to show up with someone who had her back...Just in case. Which meant another trip to the sewers. Why does Twitch live down there? It's such a pain...and a stink. The walk through the slums was marked by the usual sounds of the lowest class. Disease, filth, crime, and the occasional scream for help echoed through the streets. As if anyone down here is good-hearted enough to answer. Jinx thought before continuing to one of the entrances to the sewers. Nearly slipping into the cesspool while climbing down one of the open manholes in the slums she briefly wondered exactly how much destruction she would have to wreak to feel better if she had landed in something so vile.
"Hey Twitch!, You down here?" Jinx yelled down the sewers, her voice echoing down the long tunnels. The light even poorer than usual with only the moon above to filter through the various cracks and occasional open manhole, illuminating just enough to see the grime on the walls and the uneven texture of the water. "Come on! I know you're not asleep yet!"
"Jinx?, What are you doing here so soon, you usually don't pick on me after a hit like that for a few weeks." Twitch questioned as he came out of the shadows to her left.
"Yeah well... This new toy takes up a bit of gold so I need something a little more..." Jinx gritted her teeth "Stable." I know Fishbones is laughing at me for not following his stupid financial advice right now.
"A new one already?" Twitch chuckled, preparing hopping the small river.
The tealette laughed a little before her chuckle died "Ehm, no...The same one actually." The tealette replied, uncharacteristically, and almost as if embarrassed or ashamed. Apparently this came to Twitch as a great shock as he nearly slipped into the flowing waters while hopping across.
"Still?! It's been over a over a week! You never keep any that long, no matter how fun they are to play with." Twitch blurted out scampering over to the taller woman.
"I didn't come here to talk about my things alright, I came too ... ask if you wanted to... take up that offer." Jinx replied, dodging the subject of Lux and prodding the conversation forwards. "Well, what's it gonna be?" She asked again with folded arms after a short pause.
"I don't like him but... Working with him would probably mean I wouldn't have to live here." Twitch answered weighing the options. Surprisingly rationale for a giant mutated rat.
"Oh just make a decision already, I remember when you would jump to go shoot stuff!" Jinx exclaimed.
"Hey! Some people actually change!" Twitch replied, seemingly a bit offended and earning a roll of the eyes from the teal haired girl. "Fine, I'll come along...but first sign of real trouble and I'm flushing myself straight back to the sewers."
"Riiiiight, Cause peoples toilets are totally big enough for that Twitch"
The duo arrived at the deli as an older man left with a cling of the bell above the door. The turned up trench coat covered most of his face, however Jinx was able to catch the mans' eyes. Dark and tired, but not drug addled or despairing. He didn't belong here. A nudge from Twitch brought Jinx back from her thoughts.
Upon entering the store, the two found that the only person inside was the red haired woman from their last visit.
"Uhm...Hello, Twitch, Jinx." Serah started, examining the duo. "What are you two doing here?" She asked, obviously referring to the time.
"Well-" Twitch started but was interrupted by Jinx.
"We're here to see the boss about that...job" The psycho said. "Y'know shoot stuff, get paid, those sorta things." Jinx elaborated upon receiving no immediate responce.
"Oh...well he's already retired to his personal residence..." Serah told the duo, and upon receiving blank stares, obviously they didn't get the hint, sighed and continued. "I can escort you there, I doubt he's asleep anyways"
"Yay!" Jinx exclaimed childishly.
Sorry about the late update everyone, I had to finish assignments over the weekend instead of proofreading this. Anyways I'll try to write more before any new assignments come up! thank you for your support everyone!
