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Silco didn’t know what part of him was so incredibly invested in the little girl he had found all those years ago. Small, chubby, and scared. Wailing out, all alone in the fissures. What kind of monster abandons a newborn infant to starve to death? Let alone in the most dangerous part of the undercity.
He wasn't entirely sure, but he had a running theory that the abandoned babe reminded him too much of himself. The moment he had picked her up, he felt attached to the little one, deciding then and there that he wouldn’t let her die all alone .
Sevika tried to talk him out of it. Of course she would, caring for a baby was a lot of work…work that would distract him from gaining Zaun’s independence.
“She’s just a jinx!” Sevika had told him not long after he had brought her home.
At the time, Silco had his office tucked away in his underwater lab, a large window of water placed directly behind him, bathing him, Sevika, and the babe in aqua blue light.
“Well then,” Silco had spoken, holding the sleeping child wrapped in blue to his chest. “She’s my little Jinx.”
Sevika had just scoffed, electing to leave his office.
Now, Jinx is about 5 years old.
The two currently still live in the underwater lab, yet to take over The Last Drop.
Silco had been through a lot trying to raise her on his own, trying to correctly care for her, and interact with her in a way that would further her emotional development.
She’d proven to him her intelligence. Although she couldn’t read yet, she was mastering her numbers, even being able to do small addition problems. Creative, and science minded. Silco’s heart had melted the first time she drew him a picture. It was crude, neon crayon colors flying all over the paper. In the middle were two sheakley drawn stick figures, one much smaller than the other, locking hands with the much taller one. Despite what he expected, the smaller one was not little Jinx, it was him. The taller one had bright blue hair and a smiling little face, while the smaller one had dark hair, and a scarred eye. When 4 year old Jinx had shown him the picture she had made to him with pride, he had pointed this out to her. She looked shocked- no, devastated, looking back at him and the picture in disbelief. “I’s messed up!” She said in a childish, distressed tone. Silco chuckled as he put his hand on her shoulder, trying to put her at ease. “No worries dove, I think this suits us far better.” Jinx’s smile lit up the room as she jumped up and down, very impressed with her work, along with her father’s approval.
Despite his love for his young daughter, he couldn’t always expect how she’d react.
When Silco had instructed Singed to get him animal test subjects, he hadn’t expected to introduce them to Jinx at all out of fear she’d grow attached to them. Silco couldn’t bear the thought of his little girl forming a bond with a little animal friend, only for said animal to be killed in an experiment. Silco also couldn’t bear the thought of having to keep said animal to prevent this emotional heartbreak from happening. So, he decided that she simply couldn’t know about it.
Although he tried his best, Jinx had heard the word “cat” in a passing conversation between him and Singed, and was all over the idea.
“Kitty! There’s gonna be a kitty!” She had looked up at Silco with huge blue eyes, her toothy smile as wide as it can be.
Welp. Silco thought, letting out a defeated sigh. So much for keeping it a secret.
The next couple of days, all Jinx could talk about was the cat.
“When is the kitty coming? What do they look like? How old are they? Are they a boy or a girl?”
Silco had tried to discourage her behavior, telling her that this kitty was “A mean kitty” and would scratch her up if she got close. Somehow, this only intrigued her more.
“Aw! That means they’re scared!” Jinx piped out, looking empathetic to the cat. “When I’m scared, I like to be held, and told I’m ok!” She smiled, hugging herself in an attempt to mimic being held close.
“How do you know that they are scared? They could just not like people.” Silco questioned her, foolishly thinking he was going to win.
“I just know it!” She pumped up her fist with a wide, determined smile.
“That’s how you get hurt dear.”
“I won’t get hurt Daddy! You told me you wouldn’t let anybody hurt me!”
Well shit.
“Jinx, that's not how it works.” Silco was truly trying to use this as a learning experience.
“I’m trying to prevent you from getting hurt, sweetheart.” He said tenderly, putting his hand on her shoulder.
“Well, I don't care!” She crossed her arms, pushing his arm off of her shoulder and sticking her head up to the side, facing away from him. Her bottom lip was pushed out, and her eyes were screwed shut.
The next time Silco met up with Singed, he asked him a specific question. “Bring in the most ugly cat you can find.”
The day of the experiment, Silco had thought he had won. In front of him, sat a lengthy, hairless cat. Skin and bones. He was a gross gray color, small scars lining his body. He wasn’t a kitten, but he wasn’t exactly full grown. More like a juvenile.the perfect cat to scare Jinx away.
He never thought he could be so wrong.
The moment that little Jinx saw that cat, she audibly gasped.
Silco knew with a sinkling feeling that she loved this stupid pet.
She ran up to the cat, giggling all the way. This obviously scared the feline, which dashed in the opposite direction, hiding underneath a cabinet. Jinx came to a halt, leaning down to look underneath the furniture at the terrified cat.
Puzzled, Jinx stood up, and turned to Silco.
“Does the kitty not like me? ” She spoke, her tone mixed in confusion that started to bleed into sadness. Getting a good look at her face revealed watery eyes, her lip started poking out.
Time for damage control.
“No no Jinx. You just uh…scared him.” Silco spoke as he approached his daughter, kneeling down to get to her level, placing his hand on his knees. (Causing his back to crack, but he isn’t entirely sure if he wants to think about that right now)
“How’d I do that?” Jinx turned to him, placing her hands on his knees, causing him to instinctively wrap one of his arms around her shoulders.
“Cats are small, like you-”
“I’m not small!” Jinx cut him off with a yell, still clinging to his knees.
“Jinx, keep your voice down. Don’t you think that your loud voice is scaring him?”
Jinx stayed silent, staring up at him.
“Well, you’re not small. But, there are tons of people that are bigger than you. How would you feel if one of those people came running at you, making loud noises? Wouldn’t that At least startle you?”
After a rather awkward pause, Jinx sighed, mumbling back “I guess…”
“Jinx, I’ll teach you how to approach him if you want.”
“Really?” Jinx sounded impatient.
“Of course dear.” Silco sighed. Whatever happened with this cat was all up to Jinx now.
Silco stood up, letting out a sigh as his back twisted and ached. Turning to Jinx, he said “Stay right here.”
Sticking his fingers underneath the wooden beam, sandwiching them between the floor and the wood. The cat was directly against the wall, sitting/laying with his legs underneath his body. Getting a good look at the cat required Sico placing his entire head on the ground, his free hand against the floor to insure he wouldn’t fall.
“Here kitty-kitty” He sang, voice as high as he could get it to go. As he cooed to the cat, he flipped two of his fingers back and forth, getting the feline's attention. The cat’s large yellow eyes started at his fingers, as he slowly started to stand up. After a few minutes of this routine, the cat had started walking forward, forcing Silco to back his fingers away from the cabinet, guiding him out.
“Jinx” Silco’s voice caught the young girl’s attention. “Get out of eyesight. If he sees you, he probably won’t want to come out.” Wordlessly, she followed his command.
It took about 5 minutes to get the cautious cat out from its hiding spot. After glancing around for a few moments and not seeing Jinx, he calmed. The feline showed clear and utter trust in Silco, brushing his head up against Silco’s arm which now sat up on his knees, cracking his neck.
Silco spent a few minutes petting the cat, it’s tiny little mouth opening to put in an occasional “meow”.
“Jinx. Come here slowly.” He motioned towards him with his arm.
The cat tensed the moment he saw Jinx, walking up to him slowly, waiting for her father’s instructions.
Silco looked back at her, still petting the cat with his right hand, trying to keep him calm. “Sit down Jinx.” The little girl slowly plopped her bottom on the floor, crossing her tiny legs in a little nest.
“Now.” Silco removed his hand from the cat, raising it up with a weak fist. “Make your hand look like this.” He motioned his head to his hand. He placed his hand on it’s side half fist, releasing his index finger very slightly, placing his thumb on top of the slightly extended finger. He scooted closer, putting his hand next to hers in a demonstration.
Jinx’s much smaller hand examined her father’s, wheels spinning in her head. She quickly replicated his hand, looking up at him, very impatiently waiting.
“Let him sniff you. Don’t shove your fist in his face, just kinda place- here.” Deciding against the explanation, he gently grabbed her forearm, guiding it to the cat’s muzzle, which had no problem placing his wet nose against Jinx’s little fingers. Jinx giggled, her cheeks clenched up in a smile.
The cat rubbed the side of his mouth on her hand, inviting her to pet him. “He wants you to pet him.” Silco said, guiding her hand to his head. “ You can open your hand now dear.” He chuckled out. Jinx’s hand immediately went flat, hovering above the tom’s head. “No matter what you do, do not pull or pinch his skin. Remember that he has feelings…along with sharp teeth and claws.”
Silco let go of her hand, causing her to hesitate.
“It’s alright, you aren’t gonna break him.”
As soon as she touched that cat’s head, it was over
“Hi there kitty-kitty!” Jinx’s high pitched call received an equally annoying and high pitched “meow” in return.
Before he knew it, Jinx and this cat were all over each other.
She pet his hairless skin, enjoying his little peeps of trust. Laughing all the way.
Around 10 minutes of this continued, Silco never taking his eyes off of his little girl, a small smile placed on his face.
Then came the dreaded question:
“Can I keep him Daddy?”
Silco sighed, knowing damn well that he should have expected this.
The ‘No’ on his tongue barely had the chance to escape his mouth. One more good look at Jinx’s smiling face and he was done for. There was no way in hell he could just tell her no now, it would break her heart.
Singed was going to be pissed, furious. But honestly, Silco could care less. This girl’s happiness meant far more to him than some angry nutcase, or shimmer.
He smiled, wordlessly accepting defeat. “Of course you can Jinx.”
Her excited gasp was beyond heartwarming, taking the cat and holding it close, very obviously irritating him.
“What are you gonna name him dove?” Silco had asked her not long after.
“Hmmmm I think…Fishbones!” Jinx patted the cat on the head again, causing him to scream back in a meow.
“Fishbones?” Silco had heard some weird pet names in his life, but what the hell was “Fishbones” even referring to?
“Cats like fish and uh...he’s thin! You can see his bones!” Her tongue wrapped around the inside of her mouth, causing her to trip over her own words.
“That’s very creative.” Silco chuckled.
With Jinx, he’d learned to expect the unexpected.