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For the first time, Jinx found herself grappling with a strange, unfamiliar responsibility: taking care of someone else—specifically, a scrawny little girl named Isha, who looked like a strong breeze could knock her over. Worse still, the kid hadn’t said a word since they’d met. Jinx was left to decipher her needs through cryptic gestures and expressions.
"What do you want to eat, kid?" Jinx asked, a little sharper than she meant to. She wasn’t used to looking after someone else and her shimmer-enhanced body didn’t need much sustenance— but one glance at Isha’s bony arms and hollow cheeks told her the kid hadn’t eaten and was probably suffering from some level of malnutrition. Food was a priority if she didn't want to be looking after corpse.
After a moment of fidgeting, Jinx snapped her fingers, struck by a “brilliant” idea. Digging into a battered box from her childhood, she unearthed an old picture book filled with animals. She plopped it down in front of Isha with a grin saying "Okay, here’s the deal. I’m gonna flip through this, and you stop me on the animal you wanna eat."
Isha blinked at her but seemed to understand, watching intently as Jinx began flipping through the pages. It wasn’t long before a tiny finger jabbed out, stopping on a picture of a fish.
"Fish, huh?" Jinx muttered, raising an eyebrow. “Vi’s favorite. . . ” as she was momentarily lost in her head before remembering that she needed to be present, for Isha.
Her grin widened as she grabbed her tattered cloak, tossing another one to Isha. "C’mon, kid. Let’s get you some real food—before you keel over. Cloaks on, though. The last thing we need is to get noticed and thrown in prison.”
The streets were unusually quiet as they slipped past clueless enforcers, who didn’t even glance their way during their patrol routes. Jinx giggled to herself, imagining their faces if they realized their prime target was strolling by without a care in the world. Eventually, they reached their destination: Jericho’s, one of Jinx’s favorite childhood restaurants. She plopped down upon the chairs with a flourish grinning at Jericho. "Yo, Jericho! One juicy fish special, please and…” she hesitated, glancing at the menu as she added, “a side of brussels sprouts."
Isha’s eyes narrowed, her scowl making Jinx laugh. "Don’t give me that look, shrimp. You need veggies if you wanna get big and strong like me," she teased, flexing dramatically. But Isha looked skeptical gesturing at Jinx's apparent lack of height, while she pointed at Jinx, then at her own mouth, making her intentions clear. "You want me to eat them too?" Jinx groaned, throwing up her hands. "Fine, fine! Jericho, make that two orders of sprouts!"
When the food arrived, the savory aroma of the fish filled their nostrils, steam curled off of the dead fish which was brimming with juice. The brussels sprouts… less so. Isha eagerly tore into her fish, ignoring the green offenders sitting forlornly on the side of the plate. Jinx sighed, spearing one of her own sprouts with dramatic flair. "Look, kid. If I can stomach these slimy little nightmares, so can you," she said, popping it into her mouth and pulling a face. To her surprise satisfaction it worked. Slowly but surely, Isha began nibbling on her sprouts, though her pace was far less enthusiastic than it had been with the fish. Jinx allowed herself a small smile as maybe she wasn't always a jinx to those around her.
By the time they were done, Jinx felt something unfamiliar—a strange warmth settling in her chest. Contentment. She tossed a handful of golden coins Jericho’s way, along with a wink. "Thanks for the grub. And, uh, maybe keep this little visit between us, yeah?"
As they made their way back to the lair, Jinx glanced at Isha, who was tugging at her sleeve to keep up. For the first time, it hit her: she actually cared about this kid. “Guess I’m gonna have to figure out how to adult,” Jinx muttered to herself with a chuckle. “Great. Just great.” As afterall, she wasn't made of money and using Silco's fortune which while vast was being jealously watched by the enforcers.
But as Isha slipped her tiny hand into Jinx's, she figured that she didn't mind it, as some of her best plans had come from chaos, and there is nothing more chaotic than a watching after a young child.