[ Jinx's silence continues as they trek further and further lower into the Below, maintaining her task of watching their backs and taking in their surroundings. Silco isn't wrong; the more deeply they slip into Kowloon... the more like she's at home she feels.
she's going to be spending a lot of time down in this place, isn't she.
as Silco slows his pace, she shoots him an impassive look. ]
What did Kathova send you for?
[ she's half-tempted to simply head off on her own and investigate as she will, but despite everything... there is still a part that doesn't want to leave her old man alone, even irritated and on edge as she is.
and it shouldn't be Kaeya's job to babysit. especially not after... well, does she really need to say it? ]
[ No, it really isn't Kaeya's job to babysit, but he's probably going to do it anyway.
He lingers close to the other two despite feeling the burning need to get out there and explore everything the Below has to offer. It can wait, he supposes, until he's sure that Silco and Jinx will be alright. Maybe both he and Jinx are more alike than anyone will ever realize.
He turns to Silco as soon as Jinx asks that question, eyebrow raised. He'd like to know why Kathova sent the man here too.
Supposedly... [ He broached, and considered his words.
Kathova had mentioned his task from Yima -- something that he'd not shared with either Kaeya or Jinx, the two people he'd in fact encouraged to do just that to, and apparently had failed -- before he'd pointed him in this direction. That it was related to this task...
Well. He drug his index down his lip, considering how to word it. ]
He thought having the directions to this place would help my... goals.
Apparently Yima knows me better than I thought, if they're sending me down here.
[ She can't decide if that answer is comforting or annoying. Jinx has to admit, being here feels as right as anything has felt since waking up in that stupid cocoon thing beneath the Tree's roots - and that the people they're all but forced to follow granted them safe passage here of their own accord can't be a coincidence.
She doesn't like people knowing her, knowing Silco. Is this some bid for favor? Loyalty? It doesn't work like that.
But she keeps her thoughts to herself, only the look of ire in her eyes betraying her growing restlessness. Like Kaeya, part of her definitely wants to tear off on her own and explore to her heart's content, but that's not why they're here. And that's not what she came to do - not yet, anyway. ]
Which goals? [ Because there's no Zaun to free down here. ] And don't give me some long-winded blah blah answer; you're already on thin ice.
[ Kaeya takes note of that pun and has to resist laughing. Now isn't the time to show amusement when Silco is on thin ice — and it isn't just Jinx who thinks that. Not that he'll say that out loud, because what's it like to freely talk about your issues? That's just something he doesn't do.
He does look a tiny bit more interested when Silco mentions that Yima must know him better than initially assumed. That's a curious thing to say. Yima didn't strike him as the type who would be interested in affairs related to the Below, but then again... he doesn't really know Yima, does he? It's always the kindest ones that tend to hold a darker secret.
Something to keep in mind for next time. ]
It does seem like the perfect place to accomplish said goals, no matter how questionable.
[ That's all he has to say... Silco has to answer Jinx first, anyway!! ]
[ Well, he certainly can't exactly say that Yima told him to make monsters -- definitely not to the very two people that he'd tried to push past their own hangups and limitations -- he can be mostly honest with Jinx. If it had just been her here, he would have gone into detail, but he doesn't know how much Kaeya knew about Yima, or how much he would be willing to sign on, if he knew.
Jinx, however, would have by now seen the vial of shimmer in his rooms, and that didn't come from nowhere, now did it? ]
It's simple. I want every world that isn't ours [ A significant look at Jinx, "ours", meaning Zaun. He didn't even care about Runeterra. If there was one thing Silco wanted, more than anything else, it was to destroy the rest of these worlds, because they had the audacity to not be Zaun. ] to suffer the same fate as ours. As...recompense, for Zaun. I can't fight, can't heal, so what can I do? [ eyes moved to gesture the city before them. ]
I could find a way to make a place like this useful, for starters.
[ maybe part of her should be concerned by that response (anyone rational surely would be). but instead, Jinx finds it at least somewhat satisfying; there is nothing quite as chaotic and perfect as untamed and wanton destruction, after all. taking entire worlds down - it was like a dream come true. infinite playgrounds, infinite places to let loose, infinite ways to inject a little fun into the status quo.
but the fact Silco hadn't deflected works in his favor, at least; some of the irritation has faded from her eyes as she watches his back. ]
What are we looking for, or are we looking around for something to look around for?
[ or is it a who? somewhere to start. something to chase, to pull at, to cause trouble for. that's what she's good at.
she doesn't know about Kaeya. she doesn't know if he shares Silco's ambitions, too, so her eyes slide to him next as she waits to see what he thinks. ]
[ What can Silco do? That's the question of the hour, isn't it?
Kaeya doesn't think he has to rely on his imagination in order to fill in the blanks himself. And perhaps Silco is right to be scarce with the details, because it's a toss-up whether or not Kaeya will buy into it if he knows the full picture. Then again, someone like him has rarely shied away from getting his hands dirty in order to get what he wants.
The only difference is that innocent people might get caught in the crossfire. That has always been his limit, the one boundary he would never cross— until oblivion took away everything (and everyone) he knew.
Nowadays, even he can't tell how far he's willing to go. ]
So you'd like to establish yourself around here and see where it takes you? Aiming for the stars, I see.
[ He huffs, a tiny bit amused. ]
It wouldn't hurt to map this place out first — both landmarks and noteworthy names. [ They might as well get to work... ] Unless you'd rather spend our time down here differently.
[ There's a very confident smile -- the first he's felt in a while since Jinx started pushing him to answer uncomfortable questions that he doesn't want to answer -- and he tipped his head toward the city with the same gesture. Obviously he felt a bit more confident now that he was down here, in a place that... while not quite...
Felt a lot more like home than the last few places that they'd been in. Between Highstorm's stuffiness and Springstar's bright revelry, finding something a little more... comfortable put Silco at least a bit more at ease. A little less hunch to his shoulders, a little more of that easy sarcasm into his voice. ]
A little of column a, a little of b. I want to find out who's in charge, and what they do, first. Figure out what they do here, and then we can... [ A spread of his hands. ] Make some waves.
[ She likes waves a lot more than she's liked anything else that's come up on their little... talk, downward into the Below, so hey! She's grasping onto that with both hands because who among them wants to deal with emotions?? Like, what are they, healthy people? lol lmao,
Jinx is already shaking out of the funk she'd been in as if it never happened at all (push it down and back and away, there's a good girl) and lifting her hands to her eyes as if they were magnifying glasses, leaning to peer beyond a railing leading to an overhang. (Disclaimer: her hands are not magnifying glasses, sadly.) ]
Can you smell it? Smells like... [ ... ] Dingy, musty, sewer rat-infested grossness.
[ She turns back around to them, clasping her hands together. ]
[ Waves, alright. That's easy enough to deal with. That's something Kaeya knows how to do — even if it's more on the subtle end of things. It seems he's also just as eager to shed away whatever funk he'd fallen into, shoving it into a far corner of his mind, to forget about it and never think of it again. No one's healthy around here. At least they have that in common.
He moves to stand beside Jinx, peering over the railing to take note of the underground city that's just waiting to be explored. ]
Perhaps you might be able to find enough rats to make your army of Squeakers.
[ He mentions Squeakers and gets a bright smile in response; yeah, exploding rats are always a good time. Man. Haha.
But sadly for Kaeya, Jinx is not the bubbling fount of empathy she could be; while she is happy to play off her irritation (who is she irritated at anymore?? mysteries the world may never answer) and sink into familiarity, it doesn't really help him with the situation he's found himself in. That's to say... she isn't making it easier for him.
She leans a bit further over the railing, which creaks ominously under pressure. It's fine; her gaze fixes on Kaeya pointedly. ]
So? Where you going?
[ Is she poking to see if he'll go his own way or stick with Silco? Maybe. ]
[ Kaeya can tell she's trying to figure out what he's planning to do next, but it's fine. It shouldn't be that surprising where he'd like to go or what he'd like to check out. ]
Me? I'd like to see what the bars around here have to offer. It wouldn't hurt to meet new drinking buddies while I'm at it.
[ If that happens to fall under establishments of ill repute, then he supposes he'll be sticking around Silco for a little while longer. If not, then he can always explain that they can cover more ground this way. Maybe he'll end up meeting a different power player, who knows. It's a win-win in his opinion.
(If it's the latter, at least it'll give him some time away from the two to figure out his next steps. On his own.) ]
Hm. [ Silco commented, but he's not really certain what the places of ill-repute are yet. Hard to do that, until they start digging into all of the locations, and figuring out what and where things are. Silco has plans, but to do that... One has to...
You know, actually get elbows-deep digging through the refuse of the place. Bars, of course, were one of the types of places one could get information, but Silco felt they were safer. He wanted the darker corners, and all of the places where the truly bedraggled and disenfranchised lurked.
Because that's where the anger and the monsters lie, after all. ]
Not a bad way to start, I suppose. If this place has any bars of note, they'll likely be popular information-gathering spots. Personally, I want to find something a little less... popular than a bar.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2022-12-01 09:22 pm (UTC)she's going to be spending a lot of time down in this place, isn't she.
as Silco slows his pace, she shoots him an impassive look. ]
What did Kathova send you for?
[ she's half-tempted to simply head off on her own and investigate as she will, but despite everything... there is still a part that doesn't want to leave her old man alone, even irritated and on edge as she is.
and it shouldn't be Kaeya's job to babysit. especially not after... well, does she really need to say it? ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-04 04:01 am (UTC)He lingers close to the other two despite feeling the burning need to get out there and explore everything the Below has to offer. It can wait, he supposes, until he's sure that Silco and Jinx will be alright. Maybe both he and Jinx are more alike than anyone will ever realize.
He turns to Silco as soon as Jinx asks that question, eyebrow raised. He'd like to know why Kathova sent the man here too.
He has nothing to add, anyway. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-04 04:57 am (UTC)Kathova had mentioned his task from Yima -- something that he'd not shared with either Kaeya or Jinx, the two people he'd in fact encouraged to do just that to, and apparently had failed -- before he'd pointed him in this direction. That it was related to this task...
Well. He drug his index down his lip, considering how to word it. ]
He thought having the directions to this place would help my... goals.
Apparently Yima knows me better than I thought, if they're sending me down here.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-05 09:07 am (UTC)She doesn't like people knowing her, knowing Silco. Is this some bid for favor? Loyalty? It doesn't work like that.
But she keeps her thoughts to herself, only the look of ire in her eyes betraying her growing restlessness. Like Kaeya, part of her definitely wants to tear off on her own and explore to her heart's content, but that's not why they're here. And that's not what she came to do - not yet, anyway. ]
Which goals? [ Because there's no Zaun to free down here. ] And don't give me some long-winded blah blah answer; you're already on thin ice.
[ She fixes him with a warning glance,
and yes, that was an ice pun for Frosty, ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-06 12:50 am (UTC)He does look a tiny bit more interested when Silco mentions that Yima must know him better than initially assumed. That's a curious thing to say. Yima didn't strike him as the type who would be interested in affairs related to the Below, but then again... he doesn't really know Yima, does he? It's always the kindest ones that tend to hold a darker secret.
Something to keep in mind for next time. ]
It does seem like the perfect place to accomplish said goals, no matter how questionable.
[ That's all he has to say... Silco has to answer Jinx first, anyway!! ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-06 04:45 am (UTC)Jinx, however, would have by now seen the vial of shimmer in his rooms, and that didn't come from nowhere, now did it? ]
It's simple. I want every world that isn't ours [ A significant look at Jinx, "ours", meaning Zaun. He didn't even care about Runeterra. If there was one thing Silco wanted, more than anything else, it was to destroy the rest of these worlds, because they had the audacity to not be Zaun. ] to suffer the same fate as ours. As...recompense, for Zaun. I can't fight, can't heal, so what can I do? [ eyes moved to gesture the city before them. ]
I could find a way to make a place like this useful, for starters.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-06 05:29 am (UTC)but the fact Silco hadn't deflected works in his favor, at least; some of the irritation has faded from her eyes as she watches his back. ]
What are we looking for, or are we looking around for something to look around for?
[ or is it a who? somewhere to start. something to chase, to pull at, to cause trouble for. that's what she's good at.
she doesn't know about Kaeya. she doesn't know if he shares Silco's ambitions, too, so her eyes slide to him next as she waits to see what he thinks. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-07 03:46 am (UTC)Kaeya doesn't think he has to rely on his imagination in order to fill in the blanks himself. And perhaps Silco is right to be scarce with the details, because it's a toss-up whether or not Kaeya will buy into it if he knows the full picture. Then again, someone like him has rarely shied away from getting his hands dirty in order to get what he wants.
The only difference is that innocent people might get caught in the crossfire. That has always been his limit, the one boundary he would never cross— until oblivion took away everything (and everyone) he knew.
Nowadays, even he can't tell how far he's willing to go. ]
So you'd like to establish yourself around here and see where it takes you? Aiming for the stars, I see.
[ He huffs, a tiny bit amused. ]
It wouldn't hurt to map this place out first — both landmarks and noteworthy names. [ They might as well get to work... ] Unless you'd rather spend our time down here differently.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-07 04:12 am (UTC)Felt a lot more like home than the last few places that they'd been in. Between Highstorm's stuffiness and Springstar's bright revelry, finding something a little more... comfortable put Silco at least a bit more at ease. A little less hunch to his shoulders, a little more of that easy sarcasm into his voice. ]
A little of column a, a little of b. I want to find out who's in charge, and what they do, first. Figure out what they do here, and then we can... [ A spread of his hands. ] Make some waves.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-07 05:20 am (UTC)[ She likes waves a lot more than she's liked anything else that's come up on their little... talk, downward into the Below, so hey! She's grasping onto that with both hands because who among them wants to deal with emotions?? Like, what are they, healthy people? lol lmao,
Jinx is already shaking out of the funk she'd been in as if it never happened at all (push it down and back and away, there's a good girl) and lifting her hands to her eyes as if they were magnifying glasses, leaning to peer beyond a railing leading to an overhang. (Disclaimer: her hands are not magnifying glasses, sadly.) ]
Can you smell it? Smells like... [ ... ] Dingy, musty, sewer rat-infested grossness.
[ She turns back around to them, clasping her hands together. ]
Love it already!
no subject
Date: 2022-12-08 03:20 am (UTC)He moves to stand beside Jinx, peering over the railing to take note of the underground city that's just waiting to be explored. ]
Perhaps you might be able to find enough rats to make your army of Squeakers.
[ You know... the exploding kind.
Anyway. Now, for the million mora question— ]
Shall we split up? Or [ haha ] stick together?
no subject
Date: 2022-12-08 04:24 am (UTC)[ He expected Kaeya would leave now that things had been... shaken up, as it were. The man wouldn't want to stay, would he? Not after --
Well. He breathed in, before he stood next to them, hands clasped behind his back. ]
Me? I'm going to start by digging into the establishments of ill repute. I bet we'll find a power player there, don't you think?
[ A bit like heading into the Last Drop, before and after Silco took over, perhaps. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-08 05:24 am (UTC)But sadly for Kaeya, Jinx is not the bubbling fount of empathy she could be; while she is happy to play off her irritation (who is she irritated at anymore?? mysteries the world may never answer) and sink into familiarity, it doesn't really help him with the situation he's found himself in. That's to say... she isn't making it easier for him.
She leans a bit further over the railing, which creaks ominously under pressure. It's fine; her gaze fixes on Kaeya pointedly. ]
So? Where you going?
[ Is she poking to see if he'll go his own way or stick with Silco? Maybe. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-09 03:40 am (UTC)Me? I'd like to see what the bars around here have to offer. It wouldn't hurt to meet new drinking buddies while I'm at it.
[ If that happens to fall under establishments of ill repute, then he supposes he'll be sticking around Silco for a little while longer. If not, then he can always explain that they can cover more ground this way. Maybe he'll end up meeting a different power player, who knows. It's a win-win in his opinion.
(If it's the latter, at least it'll give him some time away from the two to figure out his next steps. On his own.) ]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-11 09:02 pm (UTC)You know, actually get elbows-deep digging through the refuse of the place. Bars, of course, were one of the types of places one could get information, but Silco felt they were safer. He wanted the darker corners, and all of the places where the truly bedraggled and disenfranchised lurked.
Because that's where the anger and the monsters lie, after all. ]
Not a bad way to start, I suppose. If this place has any bars of note, they'll likely be popular information-gathering spots. Personally, I want to find something a little less... popular than a bar.