#GAHHH like i didn't even realize it had been that long but i am SO sorry about that!! but oh well uhhh. jervis is more than likely going-

[mad-hunts]

like the tide, or perhaps like a capricious god as her fury did almost seem to measure up to one, matilda's mood always seemed to always be changing. and this was another way in which she was comparable to her father. one moment, she could appear to be the wretchedest of all of the mathis' children, and then the next... matilda was doing things like offering a metaphorical olive branch towards someone whom she didn't seem to care a lick about earlier that day. but this was not something that matilda thought to be exclusive to certain people. in her mind, everyone was like this, so most of the time she just thought it was a part of the very human condition to be temperamental.

but even with saying that, there was still one thing that matilda couldn't explain away with a debatably warped belief of who people are, and that was her propensity for being violent. so, if she were to somehow learn that jervis was suspicious of the water she'd given him, then matilda couldn't say she would blame the other. the very blade of her butterfly sword was usually doused in a poison made to paralyze her victims before they died. but even matilda upheld herself to certain 'standards' and one of those was not taking cheap shots at people; thus poisoning someone's food or drink? it was not something matilda would usually do, as that took all of the 'fun' out of fighting for her.

she really hadn't been doing much fighting at all lately however. a sigh slipped through her lips while she turned over her father's hand after inserting an iv into him, only to look at his palm. the execution of the guard he'd killed seemed to have not only left him with a slight emotional souvenir of guilt, but multiple physical ones as well. that skin was rubbed completely raw from trying to keep ahold of the chain barton strangled the man with and was even peeling in some spots. matilda made a mental note to patch that up for him, too, soon. she tended to try to intelluctualize her emotions rather than always hold them inside or bear them out for everyone to see... so, maybe that's why jervis looked at her now as if she were as calm as a glassy lake.

still, even if matilda wasn't quite as okay as she portrayed herself to be on the outside, she thought there was no use in looking at her (metaphorical) wounds forever. which led her to decide to bring up the sort of ridiculousness that was the news that day. looking back on it, matilda was surprised some of the clips that had been shown in there had made it to the final cut. there were some parts in the interviews they conducted that even made the broadcaster seem to want to laugh. the beginnings of matilda's teeth began to peek through her lips when jervis had asked her what they said, as that meant she could show him just exactly how much of a dumpster fire it was. a funny one but still a fire regardless.

pulling out her phone, matilda then crossed the room once more to settle near jervis, but just enough so that she could easily give him her phone when it was time. ❝ honestly, i think it'd be better if i showed you. i had taken a video of it originally to show my dad it. but since he's down for the count right now, i guess watching it again with you will just have to do. ❞ matilda didn't say that at all in a bitter way — quite the opposite, actually — as she took another swig out of her own water and slid the phone over to him. the cover of the video was about what you'd expect from someone who seemed to had rushed to record the broadcast. and by that, i mean it was just the slightest bit blurry.

matilda clicked the 'play' button on the video and turned her attention to her phone screen. they seemed to be in what your normal newsroom would look like at the beginning, with the main broadcaster being a woman with red hair done up as she addressed the audience, ❝ hello, and welcome back to the news-vault at two o'clock with your host, piper lochiel. today, we've received some shocking news that there has been two men found dead at the scene inside what looked to be a prisoner transport van. this van was heading to the highly controversial institute for the criminally insane, known as arkham asylum. and the police have said the main suspects are to not be approached in public if seen because they're considered to be very dangerous. ❞

yup, it seemed like barton was right about them calling the both of them something along the lines of 'dangerous.' two mugshots, one of barton who's hair was even wilder than usual and who looked like he'd just stumbled out of a luau party intoxicated, as well as one of jervis glaring at the camera almost judgmentally with an exaggerated frown and a big black eye (seriously, why did they always have to use the worst pictures of everyone on the news?) then showed up in the corner of the screen. matilda had to cough to prevent herself from laughing at the terrible choices of pictures they'd used in her opinion.

and it was just getting started, unfortunately. the video did look to be quite lengthy... though, she did plan on skipping through some of the more 'boring' parts.

Jervis watched Matilda approach his corner with a wary eye, every step measured, bracing himself for the unknown. His grip tightened around the pin he held. When she placed the bottle of water near him, it was a jolt—an unexpected gesture that caught him off guard, especially given her sudden apology.

Her words stirred something in him—a mix of emotions he hadn't anticipated. The beg-pardon, simple as it was, evoked a strange, reluctant sense of gratitude. Even though Matilda had already turned her attention back to Barton, leaving him alone with the water, Jervis found himself staring at the bottle, contemplating whether to trust this small token of peace. It reminded him very much of how he had hesitated over Barton’s falooda, not so long ago.

As he observed Matilda’s practiced care for her father, Jervis took a cautious sip from the bottle. The cool liquid eased his dry throat, and he couldn’t help but reflect on the tenuousness of their situation. Her actions, calm and competent, underscored his own vulnerability and the fragile balance they were all trying to maintain.

Then, Matilda’s voice cut through the thickening atmosphere with a teasing lilt, disrupting the tension that had built up like a stone tossed into a pond. The offer to share what the news had said about them introduced an unexpected levity into the room. Her mischievous smile was disarming, making Jervis almost forget the tense moments that had passed between them.

He considered her words for a moment before responding, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and caution. "What did those red top fuckers say this time?" he asked, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth despite himself. "I suppose I could use a good laugh."

Despite his many fears and grievances and the precariousness of their situation, Matilda's effort to bridge the gap with humor wasn't lost on him; it was a small step, certainly, but it made him feel a bit less like a monster lurking in the corner and more like a person.