Chapter Text
Sunday, October 17 (pt. 2)
A grin attaches itself to your face like a parasite on your way up the stairs to Jinx’s room. If you told yourself October 1st that in two and half weeks you’d be free to come into your bosses house and flirt with him any time you wanted, you’d have thought you were crazy.
Yet here you are.
And this is only the beginning.
It's a truly thrilling thought, and you're possessed with with a strange sense of boldness as you stride into Jinx’s room unannounced. You have to call her name more than once to get her attention, and she spins around in her desk chair to ogle you with eyes covered in strange looking goggles.
“Finally!" She says, swiping her long black leather coat (and what appears to be metal shavings) off her legs. "What took you so long?"
You note that today she appears to be dressed for the matrix.
"I took a short detour."
"I was beginning to think – wait, detour?” She raises the goggles to her forehead, then points accusingly when she catches sight of the purse over your shoulder. “Where’d you get that?”
“Your dad. He told me yesterday he had something for me,” You wiggle the purse. “Thanks for this, by the way.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sure toots, sure….” She slumps back into the chair and bites her lip.
You watch her for several seconds, bemused.
“Something wrong?”
“No!” Her voice is a little manic, but she sounds completely normal again when she continues. “Everything’s hunky dory! Except for that fit. Oof.”
She puts up her fingers like a frame and runs it up and down your body. “Your choice of couture could definitely use some work. Especially those shoes.”
“Funny, your dad said the same thing.”
“Yeah well he’s really into making statements, and those shoes say, ‘I’m literally one step away from orthopedics’.”
“They’re comfortable though.”
“Yeah, and ugly.” She narrows her eyes in concentration. “I’m thinking…. Docs. Jadons, the white ones. Yeah, that’s the vibe.”
“Well, unless you’ve got an extra pair of those lying around that happen to be my size, the orthopedics are the shoes for me.”
“Ugh, fine. But you and me are gonna have to go shopping soon. I could totally be your personal stylist, free of charge.”
“Sounds nice," You say cautiously. "but designer clothes aren’t really in my price range.”
“It’s not the brand that matters, it’s the statement you’re trying to make, and right now you’re saying, ‘help me Jinx, I’m stuck in fashion purgatory!’”
“Wow. Well now I’m offended.”
She grins at your wry expression. “Hey, I’m just saying that you’ve got plenty of room for growth! And I know just where to take you first. There’s this amazing second hand shop on the edge of Piltover, which it’s where I get all my good stuff. Anyway, you have to level up your game if you want to keep up with Silco. He’s like, super into aesthetics. In case you ever wondered, he’s where I got my flair for the dramatic.”
She flips one braid over her shoulder.
Your lip twitches. “I’d never have guessed.”
“I know, we’re both super subtle.”
“Well, I get paid on Friday, and I open, so anytime after work is good for me.”
“Perfect! We can buy you a super gorgeous dress while we’re there, and make sure you’re sexy for Saturday.”
“What’s so special about Saturday?”
“Oh nothing really, just Silco’s birthday.”
You freeze as you fight shock, surprise, and panic (in that order and all at once).
“I’m sorry, what?”
“October 24th, 44 years ago, is the first day Silco Spisak emerged from his mother’s womb, a complete mystery to himself and the world. I’m so excited you’re finally dating and stuff, because that means I have an excuse to plan a party for him. I mean, it’ll just be you, me, Sevika, and probably Thomas, but that’ll be totally cool and chill.”
“Yeah, totally.”
You’ve been dating Silco for less than 24 hours, and now you have to think about getting him a birthday present (which is, coincidentally, the first present you’re ever going to give him). This one is really going to matter, but what on earth would a business tycoon possibly want that he doesn’t already have? And could you even afford to buy him what he wants? Should you play it safe and ask Sevika and Jinx what he’d like for a gift, or go out on a limb and buy him something you think he’ll like?
“Well now that I’ve blown your brain it’s probably time to go downstairs. Sevika will have our necks if we make her late for the gun show.”
She suddenly strikes off into the hall without you, and you have to jog to catch up.
“Wasn’t there something you wanted to talk to me about?” You pant.
“Hm? Oh, yeah, that.” She shrugs, attempting nonchalance but failing. “I did, but it’s too late now. I had a diabolical plan that involved you sweet talking dad for me, but that’s a bust so I guess we’ll just have to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.”
Okay, that sounds bad.
“Are you trying to get me in trouble with Silco?” You ask, only half joking.
“Naw, Silco could never be mad at you. Well, not permanently mad at you. You’re basically a reverse uno card.”
“What does that even mean?”
“You’ll see Toots, you’ll see.”
You feel like you’re missing some crucial and important pieces of information. Unfortunately, before you can begin to figure out how to coax it out of her, you’re distracted by Silco’s office door.
Your feet hesitate almost without permission, and you take another few surreptitious looks around for the hidden camera. The portrait across the way is a good candidate, considering it’s a very cheeky painting of Jinx, her eye twinkling.
You give the portrait a little wave – just in case Silco happens to be looking – before hurrying after Jinx.
“Finally,” Sevika grunts, heaving her boots off the kitchen table as you walk in. “Let’s roll.”
“Milk first!” Jinx sings.
She skips towards the fridge. After removing a chocolate milk (and chugging it in five seconds flat, to your great alarm), she tosses the carton into the sink with a flourish.
“Alright, let’s blow this popsicle stand!”
The car ride has way more conversation than you expect, especially considering Sevika's at the wheel. You’d thought she’d be done with Jinx’s chatter within the first five minutes, but instead of telling the girl to shut up, she adds to Jinx’s chaotic, utterly random and confusing tips about gun etiquette with helpful input of her own.
“Don’t think you won’t hit yourself in the face with the gun at least once today, because I promise you will, and that it hurts like a motha.”
“Okay cool, good to know.”
“I broke my nose the first time I used a shotgun,” Sevika adds fondly. “But Tom won’t let you touch one of those until you can prove you’re not a menace to society, like this one.”
She jerks her head towards Jinx, who’s humming and drumming her leg in time with a song only she can hear.
“I, for one, actually think Toots is a menace. Or a witch. Or a hypnotist.”
Sevika scoffs.
“No, think about it! She can influence the all powerful Eye of Zaun, and the Eye of Zaun is the one who controls our society. She's like, the woman behind the man behind the curtain.”
The girl wiggles her fingers at you until you bat them away with a laugh.
“Not even.”
“Okay maybe not completely, but what Sevika can’t convince him to do, I can, and what I can’t get him to do, you definitely can! Between the three of us, we’ve got Silco Spisak covered 300%.”
Sevika snorts. “That’s not real math, snowflake.”
“It is if you account for inflation, boomer. We’re living in a silent depression, so you have to make room for these things.”
“I'm not a boomer zoomer, and we’re not in a depression.”
“Well yeah, Zaun isn’t, but the rest of the world is, and they don’t have dad to keep business booming. They’re in a deep depression. ”
“I'm gonna make a deep depression in your face if I have to continue this conversation.”
“Fine, let’s get back to the question at hand, then. Is Toots a witch or not?”
Sevika hums. “She’s got the boss’ number down better than most, I’ll give her that.”
“In my defense," You say, feeling it necessary to cut in. "he gave me his business card without my asking.”
She smirks at you through the rear view mirror. “So you say. I’d be suspicious if I hadn’t already run a background check on you this month.”
“And?”
“And nothing, you’re a fucking square, just like I always suspected. I’m usually disgusted by the goody-two-shoes type, but you’re alright.”
“You’re just saying that because I made your life easier when I took over The Last Drip.”
“Hell yeah! Since I’ve been rid of that place, I’ve been living the high life.”
“Come on, the coffee shop isn’t all that bad.”
“Speak for yourself. I don’t have the temperament for good vibes and shit."
"That's definitely true."
"If there’s one thing I hate more than demanding customers," Sevika continues, ignoring Jinx's snicker. "it’s snowflake college students. Always messing with the schedule, asking for mental health days, claiming we’re out of this or that when they would have found the fucking cups if they’d just fucking checked!”
Her hands tighten visibly on the steering wheel.
You have to work hard to stifle a laugh. “Yeah, I think we’re all happier where we are now.”
“And you want to know the best part? Since you and the boss are officially in business, he’ll be too busy breathing down your neck or kissing it to micromanage my day-to-day business decisions.”
The blush is involuntary, when you think about Silco and breathing and necks. Thankfully, you’ve already reached your destination and Jinx is too busy chattering about the health benefits of hickies for much else to be said on the subject.
The range is in what appears to be a run of the mill, cement commercial building. Thomas is waiting outside the front door, with his back turned to the parking lot. Next to him is a police officer, hands perched on his hips. The two appear to be in a furious conversation with someone you can’t see.
Jinx practically bounces out of the car, and her conversation errs on manic as you make your way towards Thomas. Sevika isn’t rolling her eyes at the girl so much as narrowing them, and immediately swivels her head to look around. Your look between the both of them, suddenly uneasy, though you’re not sure why.
Then Sevika comes to a full stop and swears, loudly. You follow her angry scowl towards Thomas and the officer, whose head turned as soon as he heard your group approach.
“Marcus?”
He looks just as surprised to see you.
“What are you doing here?” He demands.
“I’m spending the day with these guys,” You indicate everyone. “What are you doing here?”
“This is the range where my squad comes to get re-certified. But today I’m here to fix a problem.”
“The problem being…?”
“My son,” Thomas says. “He was not invited to be here. In fact, he’s been banned from the premises.”
It’s then that you see the third figure, the one that had drawn such unladylike words from Sevika.
“Oh. Hello, Ekko.”
He gives you a weak salute, his mouth curled up in a sardonic smile.
Anger has transformed his father's usually calm demeanor in something vaguely terrifying.
Oh dear.
You sneak a look at Jinx, who’s completely beside herself.
“Someone’s got to tell him,” Sevika bites.
Who? Silco? Why?
You try your hardest to read the group, but there are too many emotions to keep track of.
“But he didn’t do anything wrong!” Jinx says defensively.
“Actually," Marcus frowns. "he tried to sneak into a secured facility when he’s been previously banned from the premises.”
“I wasn’t sneaking, I walked in through the front door.”
Sevika and Thomas both scowl at the boy.
Marcus folds his arms. “It’s a punishable offense.”
“That’s bullshit!” Ekko explodes. “Silco doesn’t have the right to keep me out of this place. Zaun’s still a part of a free republic, in case he forgot that.”
“You can keep your mouth shut,” Thomas snaps. “You’ve caused enough problems today.”
“Silco banned you?” You ask Ekko. “Why?”
“Because he’s got all balls and no brain,” Sevika snarls. “Just like all the other arrogant little shits who underestimate the consequences of threatening the most powerful man in town.”
“I never threatened to shoot anybody!” Ekko replies, restrained but for the fire burning in his eyes. “I wasn’t talking about an actual fight when I wrote that letter, I was talking about legal action.”
Marcus eyes the boy sternly. “Funny how you say that now, but the letter was phrased a little more strongly to be misinterpreted.”
“Come on man, you know I didn’t mean –”
“You know the rules Ekko,” Thomas cuts him off. “and the consequences. I cannot and will not shield you from those.”
“But dad…!”
“No! You’ve always talked about wanting to be treated seriously, and now you are. I thought I taught you better than to use your words like loose cannons boy.”
Ekko has the good graces to appear ashamed of himself, though the mutinous look still smolders in his eyes.
Jinx is wringing her hands, looking at no one else but you.
“You can do something about this, can’t you?”
“Me?” You ask with an incredulous laugh. “Sorry, but I don’t think I’m going to have any sway on this one. It sounds like your dad has already made up his mind.”
“But you’re a reverse uno card.”
You look at Sevika for support.
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Sevika replies.
You scoff. “You know Silco won’t thank me for sticking my nose into this situation. I don’t know anything about it.”
“You don’t have to plead anybody’s case. All we need is someone to tell him what’s going on so he stays in the loop. All of us are too close to the situation to keep a cool head about it.”
She holds your gaze until you glance at Marcus. He refuses to meet your eyes (no surprise there), and Thomas is too busy looking at his son with bitter disappointment. But even without their input, Jinx’s sudden expression of hopeful expectation lends a heavy sense of responsibility to your involvement.
Frustration filters in.
Why does the solution to every problem involve me calling Silco?
Although maybe the Spisak women do have a point. Every time you’ve been involved, Silco comes around to a different point of view.
Are you a reverse uno card?
You don’t bother to mask a heavy sigh. “Fine, but somebody owes me lunch or something after this.”
“Done.” Sevika says, without hesitation.
You take out your phone, and relief spreads around the circle in a visible wave. Thomas gives you a quick, grateful nod, which is almost enough to lift the edge of annoyance as you step away for some privacy.
Jinx catches you after a few steps, grabbing your hand and whispering fervently, “Thank you!”
“So this is your idea of asking for forgiveness instead of permission.”
She looks suitably distraught. “There was no other way! You know how dad is, and all Ekko wanted to do was spend more time with me. We thought that since his dad was here he’d be okay.”
It’s hard to resent someone when they can look at you with such large, pleading eyes.
“Ekko isn’t a bad guy, you have to believe me.”
“I do believe you,” You reply at last. “But Thomas is right. He’s paying the consequences for his actions, whether he meant anything dangerous by them or not.”
“Please. You can do anything, I know you can! Just work your magic on dad and I’ll do absolutely anything! If you would just convince him to let Ekko have a break. He knows he didn’t do anything wrong, he’s just being stubborn to make a point.”
“You know I can’t make any promises, but I’ll do my best.”
“That’s more than enough!” She plants a quick kiss on your knuckles before releasing them and hurrying away.
You wait until you’re back at the car before pulling up Silco’s number. You stare at the blurry photo of his college pamphlet portrait for a few moments, wondering.
Is this a preview of what life with Silco is going to be like? Jinx causing problems and you calling home to clean up the mess?
This is what the people at church must have meant when they said adoption was something you should embark on with much prayer and meditation. The older the child, the deeper the trauma. The more trauma, the more work you’ll have to put in to love and care for the child.
And the more stress it puts on the couple trying to raise the child.
Well Jinx is no child, but she certainly has enough trauma to fill 10 industrial sized dumpsters.
You look back to watch Jinx pace across the parking lot, fingers caressing her braids, distress written across her pinched, childlike face.
So much pain for someone so young.
She catches you watching, and sends you a nervous, heartbreaking smile.
And that’s when you realize that you don't have a choice. You consciously chose Jinx before you even chose Silco, and she chose you. You knew going in that they were both difficult, and that one didn't come without the other.
I knew what I was getting into. I chose to be here, and I can't back out just because it's become mildly inconvenient.
You straighten your spine and hit dial.
Time to be that reverse uno card.