#break you or forge you into something greater: silco interaction

[shimmerbeasts]

@jynxd cont. from here. Jinx collected nicknames just as much as she picked up a body count. Had been doing so her entire life, either by those she was sent to take or those she'd killed. Her reputation, after all proceeded her, after all. Silco's volatile and unstable lapdog. It was what they all called her, alongside any other derogatory names. Even the people she worked with, the ones who worked so loyally at Silco's side would gossip about her. "Oh she's just his little pet." They said. "Someday he'll get bored of her and throw her out." They also said, knowing she could hear their whispers. Could see the way they looked at her. A small part of her was paranoid, though. That she would outgrow her usefulness and he would just leave her... like VI did. The very thought made her clench her fists. No, he wouldn't. Not after that. Not after she'd dedicated everything to him. She owed him her life. He loved her. Loved her enough to give her a nickname she was proud of. "My little predator." She smiled at that as she sat on his lap and rested her head against his chest. Tears rolling down her face and onto his vest. "Proudly your little predator...and will be again and again."

She had been feeling bad again. Over the many years, Silco had grown increasingly better at picking up his daughter's volatile mood swings. From a glance, he could tell if she was happy, excited or sulking about something. And even though she had always been a very touch-starved individual and a huge hugger, even when she was a little girl, there was a difference between her cuddling him when she was happy and her needing comfort when she was sad.

Today was a case of comfort cuddles. Silco had pushed his chair a bit backwards so that Jinx had all the space, she needed on his lap. Despite being a fully grown woman by now, she was remarkably light. Her body snuggled against his chest and tears soaked through his vest. Jinx had made herself small, even as his arms had wrapped around her. One of his hands rested between her shoulder blades, simply holding her, while the other one caressed her scalp before it went over one of her braids all the way to its end. That same hand would then return back to her scalp and the game would start again.

The Eye of Zaun had been whispering unintelligible words of comfort throughout it all. The only words, Jinx seemed to have chosen to clearly pick up on, was the term of endearment, he had given her back when her monster had only just discovered it had claws and fangs. "My little predator." Upon hearing that word, Jinx immediately calmed down, yet also cried that much harder from relief.

"I know", Silco said as Jinx reassured him that she would be his monster time and time again, "I have never doubted it." He halted in his caress of her braids and lifted her chin up. His thumb traced her cheek and wiped away one of her tears. "Has someone said something bad again? I told Sevika to tell the others to watch their mouths around you."

[shimmerbeasts]

Most Zaunites hardly looked Vastayan anymore. They lacked the fur, animal-like faces, the tails, and the moving ears. They might have sharper teeth and claws, however, like most animals, they had to grow into those at first. Natural selection and interbreeding with people had made Zaunites look more and more human on the outside. Nowadays, few people would even be able to tell that the inhabitants of the Undercity had emerged from a Vastayan gene pool.

Piltover certainly refused to acknowledge it in any meaningful capacity. If you were to ask an Enforcer why exactly animal comparisons were so rampant when it came to speaking of the Undercity, most would just mutter something demeaning about that Zaunites were just filthy animals, plain and simple. Piltover did not acknowledge the Vastayan heritage unless it happened to benefit them. Nothing benefitted the City of Progress more than painting the lower classes as filthy animals, below their notice and unworthy of any benefits or innovation.

One day, Silco would make them fear the very animals, which they chose to talk over and demean. That was why Shimmer existed. It didn't just give Zaun a fighting chance. It reintroduced them all to their forgotten heritage, to the way of the animals, slumbering deep inside of them. That was why Silco spoke of monsters and predators, whenever he met with the Chem-Barons or even just the sons and daughters of Zaun. The children on the streets were far more receptive to exploring their hidden nature, even without Shimmer wetting their lips.

Jinx was one such case. As his beloved daughter turned into a teen, she began to increasingly delve into more animalistic behaviour. From gnawing at his fingers with fangs, which were just growing into their own, to scratching over his arms and sides, ruining his suits and requiring the regular retailoring of his pieces. Silco had never chastised her for it and instead sometimes offered up his hands or arms for her to explore to her full content. The small crescent marks of her fangs were nothing compared to witnessing her monster crawl out of its shell with each passing day.

That monster had grown only more intense, now that his little predator was a Hound.

She had grown to be more than Silco had ever dared to imagine. Moments like this proved that his intuition in taking her in had been right. She wasn't just like him in the pain, Vi's betrayal and abandonment had given her. She was also like him in her fiery passion, her hunger for violence and her absolute ruthlessness. That sickening smile as Jinx spoke of how she would punish Eramis could have made most people ill. However, not Silco. He welcomed it with open arms.

It spoke of the strength of Jinx's mental will that she managed to reel her monster in, even though she had so clearly expressed excitement. Few people had the courage and mental fortitude to release their monster from its chains to let it roam free, however, it took a special kind of mental strength to reattach a harness to your beast and redirect it to where you wanted it to go, let alone, hold it back.

Silco reassured Jinx: "He does, Jinx. He deserves every ounce of pain, coming for him. But alas, my dear, an ambush hunt can only succeed if you sneak up close. Even cursorial hunters need to get in closer before they start chasing their prey to exhaustion. It conserves time and energy and ensures success. You do want success in this hunt, don't you?"

He added: "And of course, I will rile him up for you, Jinx."

As a child she had discovered how cruel the world truly was. Most importantly she discovered what its was like to truly be a zaunite. There were natural, predatorial instincts that those who born here inherited, it was ingrained in their very being. The signs of these instincts would always surface, however for some it showed the older they got, namely in their teens. Most didn’t know what to do about it, just simply let it be but kept it uncontained until they no longer could. However these signs had begun to develop on Jinx before she had even hit double digits.

Jinx was too young at the time to realize what they were or what they meant. It started with little things, such as developing a habit to nip at Silco’s fingers with not yet sharpened teeth. In times where Jinx sought comfort in his lap, she would do this often. Silco never responded, as if it were the most natural thing, like it was supposed to be. Never once did he tell her to stop, in fact he almost seemed to encourage it. Just as he had done when her claws began to surface, the result in which required him to tailor several new suits. Early signs of her monster, one Silco carefully and strategically nurtured, which became a core part of who she was now. This was only made stronger by becoming a hound.

So the idea that someone could not only deny that part of themselves, but turn away from it sickened her. By doing that you were no better than the filth of piltover, and as silco said, you became prey. “Oh you don’t have to worry about that papa, the little piggy will soon discover what it means to feel like prey.” A sickening grin spread across her face at the image of watching him panic and squeal as he was hunted down. “I can’t wait to tear him apart, show him what it’s really like to be a zaunite.”

The grin shrunk as Silco rose his hand, her expression taking a more serious form. Admittedly the excitement was too obvious, she realized. If they went in there now, they would have a warning that something was going to happen. They might even try to run and while she loved the idea of the building fear, it needed to contained. The hunger would have to wait for just the right time, to listen for the go ahead. Conditioning would help ease this but she didn’t want to disappoint Silco by letting her excitement get the better of her.

Jinx steeled her excitement the best she could by taking a deep breath. The effort was aided by the ruffling of her bangs, his encouragement. “Am I that obvious? I’m sorry, it’s just I want him to suffer and so does the monster. He deserves it.” Sapphire orbs glanced up at Silco with determination now as she nodded her head. “For you I can do anything, papa. I’ll hold my excitement for now until you’re ready to make him squeal.”

Very rarely did he reach out and touch her, a touch avqersion she’d only become aware of once she had reached her teens. So just the mere act of touching her, even if it was just her hair, spoke volumes. It had demanded her attention and focus. “I trust you’ll rile him up for me, won’t you papa?”

[shimmerbeasts]

@jynxd cont. from here. Jinx had that extra hop to her step that wasn't ordinarily there. Or rather she didn't ordinarily allow to be shown. However, she was bordering on a state of mania now. A state of mania that didn't hide the exhaustion that she didn't think was obvious. However, Silco was always observant, always quick to notice when something wasn't right. Was off. This wasn't something she wanted to own up to him. She didn't like acknowledging how she struggled to fight off the nightmares that plagued her since she that day. For a while it had stopped and she thought she'd finally gotten past it all. But the last few weeks had proven that it wasn't the case. She couldn't get herself to look at him, instead directing her eyes towards the floor. "I've... I've been having nightmares of that day again. They stopped for a while, but they've come back." Jinx's frown deepened as she turned her away. A feeling of a shame crossed her features and something else... pain.

"I keep seeing my parents dying, again and again and again. Like watching a tape stuck on repeat." Jinx clenched her fists. "They aren't the only ones either, after they die, I watch you die too. That big guy kills you on the bridge. That Vander guy and Vi is there. Laughing and celebrating like she's done something good." She wrapped her arms around him, digging through fabric and into skin. "I didn't want to tell you, you have enough on your plate being the head honcho of Zaun and all. You shouldn't have to worry about little inconvenient matters like nightmares."

Over the years, Silco had gotten exceptionally skilled at reading the different types of energetic behaviour, Jinx exhibited. Thus, he could tell that this energy right here was not a good type of energy. It was the mania, Jinx bore when she slept too little for an extended period of time. Even with the spring in her steps and the frantic glow in her sapphire-blue eyes, Silco could still make out the bags under her eyes and the strain on her face.

He stayed completely silent and still as she spoke of what had prevented her from sleeping. Nightmares about that day, which had changed so many things for them all. Silco could still hear Vander's devastating yell of panic and shock after he had thrown the Molotov cocktail, which had caused the Enforcers to open fire upon them all. Something, he still hadn't told Jinx. After all, how could he?

He wanted to step closer, maybe take her hand or even embrace her. However, he also didn't want to startle her. And so, instead, he stood there, his hetero-chromatic gaze fixed upon her as he listened to every word. His expression turned sad, concerned and soft. Even if he couldn't see Jinx's face, he could feel the pain emanating from her in waves.

As she embraced him, practically clawing herself into his sides and back, Silco didn't even flinch. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Jinx and cradled her head so she could stay close to his chest, listen to his heartbeat and reassure herself through his physical presence that he was alive and well. He stayed silent as he gave her a few minutes to catch her breath and calm down.

"Jinx, your well-being is not an inconvenience for me", Silco spoke, "It never will be. You are the most precious and perfect being, I know. I am concerned if you are not well. And as much as I always say that you must let Powder die, I know that you cannot always control when the past comes back to haunt you. That is not your fault and never will be."

His hand moved up and down her back as Silco sighed low and looked away for a couple of seconds before he spoke: "You know, sometimes I have bad dreams too. Sometimes, I fear I am back in that river and Vander is thrusting me underwater again. Sometimes, I feel like I cannot breathe anymore and no matter how much I struggle, this time, Vander is not letting up and I can feel myself die. And sometimes. on particularly bad nights, I see you die too."

"Vander is dead", Silco reiterated calmly as he caressed Jinx's cheek and lifted her chin up a nudge, making her meet his gaze, "And I am pretty sure if Vi even attempted to kill me, she would be met with a very angry Hound stepping in-between. Everybody dies eventually, Jinx, but I promise you I will not die anytime soon. And I may be the leader of the Lanes and by extension, Zaun, but I promise, I will always have time for you and whatever malady you may have."

[shimmerbeasts]

Ran gingerly shut the door behind themselves as they followed Dustin towards the desk. Silco had folded up the blueprints once more and stored them away. Instead, he sat there, the map of Zaun clearly visible on his desk. His nostril twitched at the smell of Sevika's cigarillo smoke, however, his focus remained solely on his escort and runner.

While Silco insisted that everybody in the gang could work together well, he knew certain combinations were more efficient and effective than others. Ran and Dustin had worked for him since they had been children, and apart from becoming capable resistance fighters, they had also become a formidable team.

Silco explained briskly: "Ran, Dustin, Sevika was able to locate a group of smugglers, stealing several barrels of semi-refined Shimmer directly from the factories." He showed them the factories on the map. "I need you two to go in there and search for more clues about how that contraband came to be. Interrogate the factory workers and keep hold of anybody, who might be hiding something. Do not kill anybody yet. You are after information, nothing more."

Ran looked at Dustin before they nodded towards Sevika and asked: "Is Sevika coming with us, Sir?"

"No, she is with me. You are doing this on your own."

Ran gave a courteous nod. "Understood, Sir. Dustin, come on. We got work to do." Grabbing her friend by his sleeve, Ran half pulled, half guided the other man out the door and downstairs.

Silco stood up. Straightening out his vest and sleeves, he walked over towards his coat hanger. As the Eye of Zaun slipped into the wide, black cloak with the beautiful red collar and golden lining, Silco explained: "Sevika, we are going to pay Renni a visit. We both suspect that she may be behind this. While Ran and Dustin figure out more for us, we are going to confront Renni directly. Even if we do not yet have the full details of her plan, we suspect enough. Just pretending that we have seen through her, should be enough to get her to crack. Renni may be physically strong, but she has weak nerves and a flimsy constitution. Which is exactly how we are going to break her."

A thing she could always appreciate about Silco was how consistent he was. She knew what to expect from him and his temperament She understood where it came from, too. The Cause was too important for anything less than the best to lead it. They wouldn't be able to overthrow Piltover with weaklings, and a leader reflected their people. It was also why the control of shimmer was so imperative to their success. It was a potent substance, one that could make or break a mind, with potent and sometimes permanent effects on the body. Silco had a right mind to hold the stuff close to his chest. Renni, if she was behind it, had no idea what or who she was fucking with.

As the blueprints were revealed atop the desk, Sevika stayed still, though her eyes shifted to look them over in a quick scan. Something to do with the chem tanks, she presumed, from the design of the tubing and armor plating. She didn't deal with them very often, preferring the company of more sentient and intelligent companions. Those husks were haunting reminders of what the true cost of the war would be.

Her head lifted back up from it's idling drift when she heard Silco's mumble. It was slightly vindicating to have her suspicions mirrored by his own, though it was clear to her that neither of them had enough evidence to make a move, yet. She would let him stew more on it while investigating more intensely.

When the order came, she tipped her head into a diligent nod before heading for the door. "Yes, sir."

Ran and Dustin were as reliable as it came. They had been a part of Silco's gang since the early days, sacrificing their youths to his cause. She took some pride in having been present to see their progress over the years, helping to shape them into strong and capable resistance fighters.

She rounded the corner and went down the stairs, passing Dustin by at the bar and whapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. The younger man jumped with a grunt, nearly spilling his drink. "Come on. We got work to do." She jutted her head in the direction of Ran once she'd spotted them. "You too. With me. Boss's orders." The boar turned her back toward them, fully expecting them to follow her back up the stairs.

Once she was back in the office, she moved to the couch and sat herself down, flicking out and lighting a match against her metallic arm. She lit a cigarillo hanging between her lips, embers glowing red with her inhale. "Close the door behind you," she sternly suggested to them through a plume of smoke.

[shimmerbeasts]

@moxxee liked for a Halloween-esque festival in Zaun starter.

"Careful, Yordle. It is still hot. Boss."

With these words, Sevika handed Silco and the small Yordle-esque creature a stick with roasted and sizzling meat each. The Undercity rarely splurged when it came to meat. In fact, most folks were used to eating fish, crabs, the occasional birds, and mussels daily. Sometimes, a Zaunite would manage to sneak in a rat or even a whump into their diet. However, mammalian meat was a rarity in Zaun. Unless you counted the cannibalism, its people practised, even though nobody talked about it.

The only time, where you might find beef or pig meat in Zaun, was during festivals such as this. However, even then, compared to its big sister Piltover, the Undercity had to settle for cheaper quality in its meat, often sinew or fatty and tough to chew. Still, given how rarely most of these men got to taste red or white meat, they welcomed it after their diet of seafood all the more.

"Thank you, Sevika."

Silco took the roasted skewer from her hands. The two Zaunites were donning the traditional elements of the festival: Nails and canine teeth painted scarlet while the remaining teeth donned a different colour. For Silco, it was black. Sevika had picked an unsavoury-looking yellow. His deputy's metal arm was covered in scribbles of blood. No doubt, Jinx had been allowed to decorate the arm, solely for the purpose of this festival. Silco himself had added some blood splatters to one of his sides, however, he had not gone as overboard as others did tonight.

The loud bangs of firecrackers and small rockets disrupted the chilly night once every while. Fires crackled in some of the bins. The thick smoke hounded the streets and once every while, a V coil hit some wet metal unexpectedly, setting a cascade of sparks up into the air. Swaying crowds trotted around in the dim light and little groups gathered around storytellers, who illustrated horrifying tales of monsters and men with broad sweeps of their hands. Some people queued up for a skewer or some punch. Children were running around between them, laughing loudly, and chasing each other with a dead fish head in hand.

Silco swallowed a mouthful of meat and looked down at Moxxie. "How are you holding up, Moxxie? Nothing too loud for you?", he inquired.

[shimmerbeasts]

@dcyseeker cont. from here. the hiss she makes sounds metallic as it leaves her mask , violet eyes glancing over the wound in the flesh arm . she feels mildly sorry for the poor fool stood next to her , sowing the sitches into her arm . one wrong move and her metal hand could end up around his next . part of her is somewhat impressed that someone had managed to sneak up on her , tried to kill her , but the other is convinced that they clearly don't fear her enough . that is a wrong that she would soone put to right .

the chem baroness looks up at the familiar voice , expression blank as not to give anything away . they were business partners , not friends , and so his concerned tone makes her scoff somewhat . in her opinion , anyone who made out they cared purely just wanted to be on her good side . she holds her tongue . her arm flinches as another sitch is made , a glare being thrown at the man at her side before her gaze returns to silco . " it is not the worse injury i have ever had , the fool that did it is in a much worse position ." she choose not to illaborate , the news of the mans condition would surely spread around zaun soon enough , a reminder not to mess with her . " besides , it didn't halt my plans like they hoped it would , everything is still moving as planned . "

Despite being business partners, Silco and Renata Glasc had two very different ideas on how to conduct themselves. While Silco tended to allow hints of an almost compassionate tone to slip into his voice, Renata stoically stayed strictly professional. There were merits to both of their ways. Silco preferred building a somewhat trusting relationship with his partners. Loyalty was a two-way street and trust was the asphalt, supporting that same street.

At the same time, Silco could understand that Renata didn't want to reveal any signs of weakness and he tactfully did not initiate such. Wounds were a part of life in the Undercity. Claiming someone wounded was automatically exposing weakness was a very stupid idea. The wound itself was already your weakness. There was little point in hiding pain when people could see the blood dripping down your body and seeping into your clothing.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Renata", Silco spoke as she remarked how she had immediately retaliated against her attacker. No doubt he would learn of his state in the coming days soon enough. "And of course, your plans are not stalled. Most of those attacks feel more like children lashing out than a cohesive plan. They believe that cutting down the leader of a gang automatically halts their entire progress."

A fundamental misunderstanding of gang structure as far as Silco was concerned. A part of him didn't fear death for he knew that even if he were to die, his deputy would simply take his place as the leader. Silco hadn't just made one of the most competent people his deputy, but also someone who was just as obsessed with the Cause as him. If Zaun didn't become liberated within his lifetime, Sevika would fight for his same goal until her last breath. Meanwhile, Jinx was becoming more and more like a living embodiment of Zaun itself. Just like Sevika, she would continue the fight. Silco knew it.

[shimmerbeasts]

           ❛       WELL   ,   i  am  sure  you  have  much  to  cater  to   ,      ❜       soraka  offers  sweetly  ,  GENTLY   ,   slender  purple  hand  to  go  to  reach  out  and  PRESS  the  stray  hair  out  of  silco's  face  ,             ❛       do   ,  please  ,  take  CARE  silco   .   i  know  you  have  much  on  your  MIND  ,   but  i  worry  about  you  as  well  .     ❜     celestial  cups  his  CHEEK  ,  gentle  ,  not  afraid  of  his  reaction  .             ❛       please  .  if  you  need  anything  ,  i  am  just  a  yell  away  .      ❜     [ for the flirty / teasing , from soraka -> silco ] !

He still hadn't fully grown accustomed to Jinx's new magical friend. Even for a Vastaya, she had looked a little bit out there. The flax hair, her thick fur-covered legs and the cloven hooves as well as the golden horn on her head made her look unlike any Vastaya, Silco had ever seen before. She claimed she was a celestial being. Not an Aspect, but almost a star herself. Silco had no trouble believing that. There was something magical about her very presence.

The one element about Soraka, which was a lot harder to adjust to, was her motherly nature. Silco was someone, who tended to keep other people, save for a select few, at an arm's length. Unfortunately, Soraka was making this much harder than he would have liked. Not only had she found her way into his office, but she was also touching him, caressing the strands away from his face much like a mother would.

Do not think of Mum, do not think of Mum, do not think of Mum!

He could still remember the heavy feeling of the kettle in his hands, the way the hot metal grew sticky and slick from... Well, from what was fairly obvious, wasn't it?

Silco pushed himself out of the hole, his mind was trying to drag him in. Feeling Soraka's hands on his cheeks, he caught her wrist in a similar fashion to how he might have handled Jinx. The gesture was almost instinctual nowadays on his part. However, unlike Jinx, whom he allowed remaining close to him even as he demanded her attention, he eased Soraka off him and created a handful of distance between them. It was not so much that it would be deemed demeaning or arrogant. In fact, it was probably barely visible. However, it still enforced the Eye of Zaun's authority on a subtle level.

Silco said: "Soraka, as appreciative as I am of your offered aid and support, was it really necessary to tell me all this in such a fashion? One might have thought, you are one of the girls at Babette's and I highly doubt that. Right now, I don't need anything." A suppressed grunt escaped him and his hand instinctively rubbed across his temple on the side of his infected eye. Feeling Soraka's concerned gaze on him, Silco added hastily: "I'm fine. Don't worry yourself about me. I have my medicine in my drawer."

[shimmerbeasts]

"Good. We need you back on your feet as soon as possible."

Silco's mismatched eyes drifted over Sevika as she sat there and shrugged her arms - both of them. Even though she was currently resting in her bed, with a blanket up her legs and a bandage around the stomp of her missing arm, she exuded raw confidence, driven determination and a willingness to get things done. She was not a leader by any means, but she was damn competent and confident in her abilities. People would listen to her.

His wandering made him halt before the window. Peering out into the Pilt, Silco could make out the sleek, massive bodies of Giant River Otters passing by underneath the waters. Their angular snouts opened wide, whiskers bristling, and they snapped for fish swimming by. One of the otters was missing one of its hindlegs, yet it slammed its tail sideways in the water, keeping up with the bevvy. Silco followed the mammals with his gaze for a few seconds.

"You did a very brave thing back there", Silco said, "There are few more ultimate proofs of true loyalty than risking your life for someone, you just met." He peered down at Sevika, briefly smiling. "I am not going to pretend you saved me because you somehow care for me as a person. I already have a wretched reputation. You didn't save me because I am the familicide killer. You saved me because you believe in the independence of the Nation of Zaun as much as I do. You are willing to risk everything for it. That's why you left Vander."

His hand placed itself on the railing of her bed. Nodding towards her stomp, Silco said: "Even paying for your prosthetic arm can hardly begin to encompass how much I owe you for the sacrifice, you made for me. Know that you have my gratitude for it, until the day I die. However, we also should not kid ourselves. The current hold, we have on The Last Drop is fragile. Very fragile. Vander still has some folk loyal to him and they will fight for this place. Furthermore, my gang is missing a pivotal element for me to be properly taken seriously and accepted as the new leader of the Lanes. Without it, my own men might turn on me at any given moment. Without it, I will always be second best in the eyes of the other Chem-Barons."

"My gang needs a deputy", Silco spoke, "I need someone, who is willing to share the burdens with me, sweat and bleed for the Cause. You have shown dedication in ways, that most of that ragtag bunch wouldn't even be able to understand. You seem to be a strong and scary lady, someone who not only can take a lot but whom others could follow. I want to reward you for your sacrifice, Sevika. It just so happens that my reward might also solve a problem for me. In a way, we would both win. I need a deputy and I would very much like to announce you as that role, if you permit me."

Sevika wasn't expecting Silco or anyone to get her a new arm. She had known there was a risk of injury when she agreed to work for him. Just like any other job, there was always a risk. She might not have the money for a new arm now but she had been prepared the the possibility that she might lose a limb for a long time now.

She wasn't happy about it but she would adjust and survive, just as she always had and always would. She felt a bit of worry that Silco wouldn't see it that way but even so. She knew she could earn her paycheck and her place at his side if given the chance.

She wasn't as passionate about Silco's ideals as he was but she knew a leader when she saw one and she had seen that he was willing to do whatever it took to achieve his ideals. She respected that, she respected him. So she would give him her loyalty and do her damnedest to do her job for him.

"Not at all sir." She replied calmly when he entered. She remained sitting up and watched him closely. She was trying to tell if he was about to kick her to the curb now that she was awake or if he was going to question her ability to do her job first. She thought he'd at least have a conversation with her first since he didn't seem the type to discard people without good reason.

"I'm as well as can be expected sir and better than I would have been if I'd been hurt working for someone else." Sevika replied with a sight shrug, not shying away from moving what was left of her damaged arm. It was sore but not nearly as bad as she was expecting so the drugs they were giving her must have been decent at least. "Shouldn't be too much longer before I can get back to work."

[shimmerbeasts]

@jynxd liked for a Halloween-esque festival in Zaun starter.

The low drumming of sticks, hitting the metal barrels, in which some people had lit a fire, reached their ears. The sparks flew and the thick smoke shrouded everything in mystery. Silco's shoes squashed in the mud, grime and blood, which never seemed to fully disappear from the streets. Faces, coloured in fluorescent paint, greeted him from the sidewalk as small groups, huddled together around one of them, who with broad gestures for illustration was telling a horror story.

Almost all Zaunites had painted their fangs and nails with some variation of red tonight. Even Silco, who normally only ever applied foundation to his face, donned a pair of crimson fangs, starkly contrasted by otherwise completely black teeth. He had allowed Jinx to use fluorescent and glitter paint in purple and orange to draw over the scars on his face, creating an intricate web around his eye. He wore older clothing tonight to be able to have blood-soaked sleeves and splatters on the back of his vest. They had been organised to look more like the patterns of a leopard seal.

Jinx had run ahead for a couple of minutes, disappearing in the swaying crowd, however, his beloved predator was now elbowing her way back to him, a spring in her step. Silco gave a low hum and inclined his head to the side as she finally came to a stop before him. He inquired:

"I presume, you found what you wanna have for dinner on this fine evening? Or is that another attempt to drag me into a crowd and make me the storyteller this time? I told you I don't tell horror stories."

[shimmerbeasts]

@knightfeared liked for a starter. [Silco & Vander]

"Drop."

The word and the snapping of his fingers almost overpowered one another. As soon as Silco had performed these actions, it was like someone had reverted a switch in Vander's head. The growls and grunts quietened and the pounding of knuckles against flesh lessened. His brother backed away from their target.

Silco stepped out of the shadows to inspect their work. His blue eyes shimmered in a mixture of shock, sick satisfaction and pleasure. Before their feet lay a gasping and wheezing Enforcer. He had been snooping around near what one day people would call the Lanes. However, now you would be hard-pressed to even call this man an Enforcer, let alone recognise that this pile of misery had once been a human being.

The man lay in a pool of his own blood. His formerly fanciful uniform had been ripped into shreds, tethers and threads, hanging from the body. The mask had been broken and blood crusted around it. That same blood was forming a sticky paste around his mouth and a broken nose. One of his eyes had been swollen shut from the blow. His temple was bleeding, blood smearing across his hair.

His body was plastered in larger and larger bruises. One of the swellings, covering the rips, looked particularly severe. It would not surprise Silco if some of the rips had been broken and the man was bleeding internally. However worst of all were the teeth mark, littering the Enforcer's throat and shoulders. They were imprecise and unfocussed, despite their brutality, almost as if Vander didn't have the right set of molars for what he had tried to do.

His gaze turned towards Vander and somehow, Silco felt like he had never seen something more beautiful. Vander's hands were dripping red and even his beard carried the coppery moisture of the blood. He seemed tense as if he still had to remember how to move his own body, now that Silco's conditioning had been turned off. It had worked again and better than the younger man had even dared to dream of.

Silco placed a hand upon Vander's upper arm, drawing his brother's gaze on him. His voice was soft, reverent and excited as icy blue eyes seemed to practically glow in excitement: "Brother, do you know what that means? It means that we can beat the Enforcers. That man threatened to shoot and yet, you moved forward anyway. And look what you did!" He gestured towards the dying figure. "If that happens to enough Enforcers, they will not dare to set foot in the Undercity ever again. We may finally have a chance to get Topside to listen to us!"

He grabbed Vander by his collar, leaned himself up as much as he could and pressed a feverish kiss upon the other's mouth, tasting the blood on his beard, unable to contain his excitement. Silco dropped back on his feet and said: "You were magnificent, Vander. How are you feeling, brother? Are you alright?"

[shimmerbeasts]

💿 for Silco?

Random Song Inspired Starter||Accepting.

He could see the fireworks from here.

Once every year, Piltover turned the day brighter than it had any right to be and prolonged its passing long into the night. Once every year, all those merchant clans and their overzealous, busy bees of inventors threw their gilded gates wide open and invited more foreigners into their City of Progress than grapes fit on a vein.

All for one purpose: To celebrate their glorious and shining future, which they kept reinventing every year because they were all like children: They all needed to have the flashiest, brightest and loudest, new invention, optionally adorned with glitter and gold and sparkles. They had such a flimsy understanding of the word future and their definition of progress was a joke. Silco had never seen more self-congratulatory, old men in powdered wigs and with stiff collars, shaking hands as they celebrated what amounted to tradition more than innovations.

And for that tradition, named Progress Day, they threw parades and banquets and lit fireworks and made so much noise, that it seemed to make the Undercity practically minuscule during this day. For they were all still choking on the Grey and toiled away in the dark. Their inventions were not flashy or sparkly, certainly not brilliant in the light of day. No, what a Zaunite built, was grungy, dirty, volatile and prone to malfunction. Chemicals bubbled and squirted out of holes in metal casings and the steam, coming out of ventilations, could singe your skin.

Still, Progress Day loomed over them all and the little sister had to watch, swallowing up its own envy until it choked on the bile. Silco had brought Elise outside, not in the mood to stay in The Last Drop and its stuffy air. Instead, he, Jinx and his trusted medic were sitting by the shoreline to watch the fireworks.

As much as Silco disliked the blatant display of wealth, prestige and power, his daughter seemed to delight more in the colours, Piltover shot up into the sky. Jinx was sitting on a barrel, filled with dried fish, banging her steel-toed boots against the wood. Her twin braids pooled around her as her body jerked back and forth as she pointed at whatever colour delighted her at that moment. Her sapphire eyes seemed to capture the glow of the fireworks and her fanged smile looked a touch brighter. It was a small solace for his bitter heart.

"It feels like they are laughing at us", Silco said, "Laughing at the whole world's more like it. Their innovations make them gods in their own private bubbles, uncaring to the hell they cause outside of it. Only a town, where one innovation chases the next, can have such a nebulous concept of the future. And yet, they can throw all that might and money around because they have it in abundance. It's disgusting."

He picked up the bottle of cheap wine, wrapped in an old paper bag, standing between his legs. Popping the cork, the Eye of Zaun took a sip. Silco moistened his lips with his tongue, feeling his throat convulse at the watery consistency of the wine and its sourness. He offered the bottle to Elise and said sardonically:

"Happy Progress Day, Elise."

Song used: Du Spielst Gott by Oomph

[shimmerbeasts]

Silco Tag Dump.

[shimmerbeasts]

He was going to kill him.

That was the only thought, which had preoccupied Silco's mind. When Tomo had returned alone and mumbled something about Viktor having forgotten his suit, grabbing it and then hurrying outside, Silco's suspicions had gnawed at his insides, prompting him to have Deckard trail after the boy while Ran found Viktor. When they had returned, it had taken Silco every single ounce of self-control to not immediately snap his fingers and have Lock track down Tomo and rip him to shreds.

His son was pale around the nose. He looked worse than Silco had ever seen him, and he had lost Viktor almost multiple times during the sickly months when he had been small. His deformed leg, already stiff and hard to manoeuvre, thanks to his birth defect, had been broken. The kneecap was located at an angle, it should not be. The skin around the broken area was red, hot and swollen.

Immediately, Silco had fetched Singed, who had put the kneecap back in its correct spot and placed the whole leg in a cast. He had brewed some chemical concoction, which was supposed to help the infection once Viktor woke up. Placing his son in his bed, Silco could do nothing but sit down in a chair, light his cigar, watch the fitful, strained expression on Viktor's sleeping face and wait.

He hadn't planned to have a child. Viktor had come to be from a one-night stand with a fisherwoman, who had not been scared of his still-healing face. Yet despite it all, Silco still took the responsibility of raising the boy and even grew to care for him. His disabilities filled his furious passion that things had to change for the Undercity. Why couldn't Vander see that? Why did he let them drift aimlessly through life, not even daring to dream of a brighter tomorrow?

Viktor's bright mind was something, Silco had discovered fairly early and immediately fostered. It had been his idea to see whether Viktor could get into the Academy of Piltover, particularly after he had brought his imaginary friend Blitzcrank to life to assist the Lanes in his own ways. Silco had sewn the Academy uniform specifically for his son to fox his way into the Academy. And now Tomo had stolen it and tried to kill Viktor!

Silco was not sure how long he had sat by Viktor's bedside. It was long past dusk when his son woke and darted up in bed rather violently. Seeing Viktor try to get up and move his injured leg, Silco rose, the cigar still in his mouth, and planted a hand upon a narrow, pointy shoulder - much like his own. The older man gingerly eased Viktor back into the mattress.

"Sit back down", he ordered with a softer cadenza to his voice, "You are still injured."

Another pull at his cigar. Silco placed his hand against his hips and flexed his fingers. They tapped against the sheeted knife. Taking the cigar out of his mouth, Silco exhaled a gust of smoke, mindful to not blow it in Viktor's face. His body glided over towards the nightstand where next to the glass of medicine stood an ashtray. His hand slammed the cigar's butt into the rock surface a bit more forcefully than was necessary.

Mismatched eyes, filled with a blend of worry, fury and barely suppressed bloodlust, looked at the golden ones, his son had inherited. Silco spoke: "I am alright. Furious about the state, Ran found you in, and even more furious about what Tomo did to you, but I am alright. I am afraid I do not know what happened to your lab. As for Blitzcrank, do not worry. He is right over there."

A pale hand gestured to the large, round, dirty golden Golem of metal and cables in the corner of the room. Blitzcrank sat a bit hunched over. There were dents on his belly and one of his arms had been ripped in parts, making sparks fly up at irregular intervals. His head rose, spotting Viktor, and he gave a small wave with his hand.

Silco said: "I think he sensed Tomo's bad intentions when he approached the lab and left. Not sure what made him look this busted. I reckon his travel back to my liar was not going as smoothly as he may have hoped. I am sure you can patch him up... Once you are healed yourself."

His expression softened as Viktor revealed Tomo's motivation. Silco sat down beside the boy on the bed. His long, fine fingers brushed away some of Viktor's hair and offered him his hand to take if he wanted to be held right now. He could feel the heartbreak flow from Viktor in waves. It made him think of Vander, but he didn't allow himself to let these emotions linger.

"I am sorry you had to find those things out the hard way", Silco said, "Some people will want to cross this river at any cost. They do not care if they do it on the backs of others. Sometimes, people think acting like Piltover gets them further in life than being true to their roots. It is a lie. They will always see you as an outsider, as from the Undercity. I am only letting you cross that river because I know it will be good for your mind. I want you to use Piltover's ways against them, but not assimilate to them.

"As for Tomo, do not worry about him, Viktor. My men are tracking him down as we speak. I even held back from sending Lock after him. I do not want to be forced to stitch your uniform. Even so, I am going to make sure that you get the killing blow against Tomo. He is your prey, not mine. I am merely assisting you."

Silco picked up the glass of purplish medicine from the nightstand and gave it to Viktor as he said: "Which also means that you need to rest and recover. Singed made you this medical cocktail. It should help with the infection."

shimmerbeasts asked:

✉ - push my muse back down when they try to get out of bed (perhaps involving illness, injury, or sleep deprivation) (Silco for Viktor, also just for emphasis he does that GENTLY!)

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗠-𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗡'𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗔𝗗 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗘𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗘𝗙𝗧 𝗛𝗜𝗠 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗, 𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗛𝗘'𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗. The tunnels that ran through the undercity were vast, almost like catacombs. And that was what Tomo had intended them to be for Viktor: a final resting place. He'd planned to steal the inventor's work, use his invention to apply for the Academy in Piltover, and had hoped to destroy his father's burgeoning hold on the undercity in the process.

"Of course I didn't love you," comes the harsh whisper, fingers tangled in Viktor's hair. The brown wisps are pulled so tight that all he can do is yelp against the hard floor as he's yanked. He is face down, nose almost pressed to a puddle.

"Who could? You're weak. The only good thing about your is your brain, but don't worry, I'll put all of your inventions to good use. Blitzcrank will get me into the Academy."

Sudden pressure hits his right knee, jolting and preventing him from a response. A foot, pressing against the soft underside of the joint. Something starts to give way.

"No, please, no - " Viktor cries, struggles, but his cane is out of reach, and his trusting heart had made him carry no weapons. He'd even forgone the augments he'd installed in his cane, because he was in love. He was a fool. Such a fool.

A loud sound, between a crunch and a pop, reaches his ears. The pain that follows makes him moan brokenly, sweat breaking out all over his thin form. The sounds that leave his lips are almost inhuman. That is how much he hurt.

"Poor Viktor. You'll never be anything. You're useless. Hope you like it down here. This is where you'll die. I mean, weren't you going to, anyway?"

Something wet and sticky, a glob of spit, hit the back of his head. Viktor couldn't focus on anything else but the pain, and soon enough, when he took what he thought was his agonizing last breath, he faded into a swirling ink sea, Rio happily running behind him.

It was the scent of cigar smoke that woke him. His head was pounding, and suddenly, the floor was rushing to meet him, all of reality crumbling underneath his feet, though he stayed still. Viktor's golden eyes tried to find purchase on anything to soothe the spinning. Before he knew it, he was attempting to get out of bed, hoping that would make him feel better, and instead of getting out of bed as he expected, he felt a firm hand gently push him down.

His focus became a pinpoint from the action, and the pounding of his head faded to a gentle thud.

Viktor stared up at his father with a look of surprise. Silco was here. How long had he been at his bedside? Though his features were pale, paler than usual, and the young inventor regarded his father with bewilderment, a tender concern laid within the expression.

"Father? Are you well?"

His voice shook. Viktor clutched at his father's arm; oh, how silly it was for the sickly sixteen year old to ask Silco when he was not the one in the bed. And then, as if remembering everything that occured, more panic flashed upon his features.

"My lab. Blitzcrank. Are they - are they safe? How long was I out?"

He moved too quickly, and the pain of his leg shocked him. Ah, Tomo had broken that. The reminder made him wince. His voice was gruff, gruffer than he'd ever allowed himself to get before.

"I want to kill him. He left me. It wasn't genuine. He. Father, he didn't love me. It was a trick. I want to make him bleed. He wants to steal my work, take my interview at the Academy. It was all a ploy to - to. To leave me for dead."

[shimmerbeasts]

There was the characteristic Rick Sanchez bravado. Janna forbid this man to show weakness for even a second. As much as Silco respected Rick for strutting around like he owned the place and throwing his weight around, he also had to admit that it wouldn't kill the man to appear a bit more malleable from time to time.

For as much as Rick liked to claim that he was the smartest man in the universe and that he had control over every situation in his life, his behaviour spoke of a different tale. The man, who was in control, did not need to announce that he was in control. You just felt it. It was how Silco had managed to dismantle Rick's lies and bravado the moment, the stranger had stepped into his dimension. Rick might have the abrasiveness of a honey badger, but that only impressed the other Chem-Barons. It was more a mild nuisance for as seasoned a killer as Silco.

He stayed almost deaf towards Rick's snark and sarcasm. By now, the Eye of Zaun was so used to this behaviour that even this life-or-death situation couldn't impact his responses towards his guest's snappy repertoire. Silco had made his feelings, concerning this behaviour, quite known prior. Outside of Jinx's habit, he had little respect for it. The only good thing, which came of this, was that Rick at least allowed him to get out and have his wound treated without making it more complicated than it needed to be.

And then the cranky old man actually did something, which surprised the Eye of Zaun. As they sat there in the rubble of the cave-in, Rick Sanchez started to speak of a war, he had never heard of, and drinking some alcohol out of a cheap flask. Silco gave a surprised rumble in response. His eyes locked onto the flask, the smell of alcohol penetrating his sharp nose. However, he then took the invitation and sipped some of the alcohol himself.

The liquor tasted terrible. It was strong and stale at the same time. Like it had been in that flask for only Janna knew how long. Yet at the same time, it at least, made him forget the bruising on his leg and even better it didn't make him think of the last time, he had been trapped underground with blood running down his leg.

Silco spoke: "There is nothing wrong with scarring. All it means is that whatever tried to kill you, failed. Only Piltover cares about the concealment of scars. They are terrified to seem blemished in any way." He handed the now much lighter flask back. "I could tell you were drinking to escape some kind of misery. I didn't know that you were a war survivor. You have my condolences. If we do not count gang wars, the only significant war, I ever fought in, was that first failed uprising. I was the one, who, for the lack of a better term, threw the first stone."

As Rick almost collapsed from his pain, Silco caught him underneath his lower arm. Shifting his weight, he slowly helped the scientist on his feet. Allowing Rick to lean himself on him with one arm over his shoulders, Silco began to shuffle towards the dark entrance, which led them deeper into the mountains. He tried to steady his breathing.

"Janna damn it", Silco cursed under his breath, "I cannot believe how much I wish Vander or Sevika were here right now." He fumbled out his lighter and clicked it, allowing the flame to grant them some meagre aid in their already obscured vision. "Let's hope we do not run into any gutter or plague rats. Not sure how large animals are on your planet, but our rats grow pretty big."

{ @shimmerbeasts - Continued from HERE }

If asked later, Rick would have denied it, but his shoulders relaxed a bit as Silco's voice answered from somewhere ahead of him. It seemed like the other man had landed further from the site of the collapse than he had, which hopefully meant that he was less injured than the scientist himself. Having at least one of them able to work properly would have been very helpful in their current circumstances.

"I-I wasn't worrying, just not looking forward t-to having to drag your ass all the way out of here," he shot back with a scoff, but the cockiness he had tried to convey was ruined by the slight slurring of his words.

Useless to say, it was pretty obvious that for once it wasn't due to him being intoxicated.

Rick scowled to himself, mentally cursing his body for openly giving away how bad his wound had to be. He was used to bullshitting his way through his injuries, as he did with everything else, acting like he was more in control of the situation than he actually was. However, Silco was usually too smart to fully buy his crap to start with and there was no way that the other man would have believed his act this time, with all the clues that pointed towards it being a lie.

The sounds of the other's approaching steps snapped him out of his thoughts, just in time for him to notice a hint of unevenness in them. Silco might not have had it as badly as him, but it looked like the Eye of Zaun wasn't unscathed either.

The feeling of those eyes burying into his form almost made the scientist want to squirm. He wasn't too fond of the other man's penetrating looks in general, but in that moment he couldn't even balance the uneasiness they gifted him with how they made Silco look pretty hot, as he usually did.

"Y-Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," he grumbled moodily in response to the statement. And to hell with the fact that his companion wouldn't get the reference. "B-But yeah, it would help if you could get me out. I-I know that I'm a looker, b-but you can stare at me plenty later."

Despite his defensive sarcasm, Rick was more than willing to let Silco remove the rocks that had been trapping him and then drag him away from the cave-in site. He didn't even complain or make a lewd joke when the Eye of Zaun carelessly slashed his shirt open, as one might have expected.

Blue eyes followed the flame as it heated up the blade of the knife, fully knowing what was coming next. Yet, he didn't even try to move away when the scorching metal was pressed into his wounded flesh and the only sound he let out was a soft hiss through clenched teeth. To an attentive eye, it would have been clear that this wasn't the first time he got a wound cauterised in a similar fashion.

"W-Well, shit, that's gonna leave a scar," he commented once it was over, voice slightly hoarse. He pulled out his flask and downed a generous gulp of hard liquor. "A-All this is giving me war flashbacks. Literally. J-Just here we have less lasers an-and bombs going around."

He wordlessly offered the flask to Silco, in case the other wanted a dose of makeshift painkiller, while his free hand reached out to tap his temple. Unfortunately, as it turned out, his cybernetic eye had been damaged when he had hit his head and all he got in response was a light electric shock and his vision on that side turning into static for a few seconds.

"A-Alright, no cheating with night vision," he muttered under his breath. Thankfully his human sight was still as perfect as he had been in his best years, thanks to the repairing agents he had been injecting in his eyes through the decades. "W-We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

With that, he tried to push himself on his feet, only to have to stop because of the burning shot of pain that spread through the whole left upper side of his body, starting from where his injury was. Apparently Silco wasn't the only one to be forced to admit that he needed assistance.

"...H-Help me up first, will you?"

[shimmerbeasts]

The moment, Silco spoke, he could see Jinx's mind stop swirling around like mad and fine-tune itself towards him. He could not recall when she had started hearing the voices as even before this predicament, her emotions were wild and untamed and so intense. Jinx felt everything with the depth and intensity of the dark water in a well. Drop a stone in and it drowns in waves, sloshing against the stone walls, threatening to flood the well.

Silco would never fault Jinx for feeling anger over what had happened. He would be very hypocritical towards himself, but especially towards the young man with the gash on his face if he tried to tell the little girl to be a bigger person and let go of her rage or that it was unbecoming of her. Thus the Eye of Zaun endured the discomfort as Jinx slashed at his sleeves and scratched at his arm. Her claws were already pointy enough to draw blood, though currently the pinch-like grip she was applying to his arms hurt more than her nails. Silco hissed under his breath, yet he said nothing to make her loosen her grip. Instead, he continued caressing her.

Even so, his words and caresses seemed to have some sort of calming effect upon Jinx. Her shaking subsided and she snuggled harder against him as if she meant to become one with him. Silco grunted softly, feeling her head burrow hard against his chest. However, all he did, was wrap his arms even tighter around her, cacoon himself around her and let her be that festering, simmering ball of rage under his protection. He let her speak, not interjecting, as Jinx digested every single thought she had, including the ones, unaware to her.

"There is nothing wrong with dreaming of a better life and drawing inspiration from the world around you", Silco said, "Your desire to see Topside is natural, child. You cannot know how bad your drawn lot is until you have seen the alternative. And Piltover is beautiful. Even I can admit to that, despite me hating its inhabitants for everything, they have taken from us."

His gaze dripped down on Jinx, and he caressed the back of her head. "There is nothing wrong with being curious and wanting to explore the world around you. Your sister is wrong. Your parents were ready to march in this revolution. They took a great risk, something they were keenly aware of. Your sister is wrong to place the blame on you. If you want to seek someone to blame, look no further than the Enforcers."

He gave a soft hushing noise when Jinx recounted what she had experienced, how she could still hear the gunshots, which had felled her parents. Silco stayed quiet and merely met her driven gaze with one of his own. Her nose was wrinkled up, and he could practically see the gears turn in that brilliant head of hers as she compared and contrasted what Silco had told her of his own experiences and how these matched up with her situation. Jinx had always been quick to pick up on his teachings. It was something, Silco was immensely proud of. Even if he never brought it up.

"You are livid, are you not?", Silco helped her connect the dots, "Maybe even a bit jealous? The Undercity has always been hard on all its denizens, but at the very least, the Lanes all have each other. We were cast out of our own community. We are struggling even more than they already are. The fact that Vi seems so oblivious to it all, much like Vander, it is enough to make anyone's blood boil. If your sister truly cared for you, she would have heard your scream and looked for you; she would have come after you, remembering, that she has as much responsibility towards you as to herself. But she hasn't. And one day, she will be sorry for it. They all will be."

The noise in her mind was always so loud and at the moment the voices were doing their best to drown out Silco's. However, the moment he so much as breathed a word, it drowned out the noise. This was the effect Silco had on Jinx, the man who was her precious father, who meant more to her than anyone would ever know. Only he knew how to comfort her in the way she needed it. He always had, even before she started hearing the voices.

Words of comfort sunk deep into her very being as she relaxed in his arms, her shoulders slouching at the sensation of his caresses. Yet still, she couldn't manage to calm her self down quite yet, with her body shaking from pure emotion; from the guilt to the sadness, as well something else, something different she couldn't quite recognize. Something darker that made her want to act out in a fit of violence. To personally find her sister and throw one of her bombs at her and see what it would do.

Whatever the emotion was, Jinx simply let it fester as she listened to every word Silco spoke, not daring to interrupt him. As she buried her head into his chest. Unbeknownst to her, her claws only dug deeper and deeper as Silco put a name to that emotion; Anger. It didn't it even occur to her that his blood was barely trickled around her finger tips. Her claws were only sharp enough to barely break skin at this time.

"I remember I wanted to see topside, I wanted to see if it was as pretty as I'd heard it had been. I don't remember much about then, just that Vi agreed to take me to look. My parents wanted us to see something outside of all this, I think." Jinx tried to collect more memory from her mind for that day, only for nothing else to come, save for what happened on the bridge. She tightened her grip in anger in frustration. "Vi has been punishing me for it since. Telling me that if I kept my mouth shut, kept my wanderlust at bay, our parents would have stayed with us."

Her papa was right, she realized, none of it had been her fault. "Vi left me when I needed her the most. Instead of coming back like she promised she left me with nothing. Nothing but the memory of watching those enforcers shoot mama and papa. Sometimes I still even hear it, the gunshots, the screams." Jinx pulled back then, looking back up at Silco's heterochromic eyes, the anger in which she felt clear as day. Though there seemed to be a bit of confusion as well.

Jinx crinkled her nose in thought, trying to process her answer to his question. The way Silco had described how he had felt, the thoughts and feelings he experienced, matched how she felt. From the way she questioned herself, to feeling like she was responsible for everything, and finally, to the rage she now recognized that she felt. Rage that she felt towards her sister for abandoning her and leaving her to cry out and pain. The tears that had stained her face that night had not been the result of not just death around her, but knowing that her sister left her to die.

"When I hear Vi, sometimes I think it's her fault, too. I remember waiting for her to come back, so when she didn't I tried to find her. Along the way I saw some big guy, he was so scary then, the way I saw him killing someone with his fists. After I saw my parents die, I saw Vi. I tried to scream out for her, but it was like she didn't hear me. And I watched her leave with him, she chose Vander over me." Jinx clinched her fists tightly once more, causing the nails to move slightly deeper. "Seeing her with a family now, she replaced me. Vi, the real Vi, is out there living a happy life with them, while we're here stuck to shadows. The Vi that talks to me, she tells me I was always a burden and that I should be glad I've been left behind. It makes me angry. More than angry..."

[shimmerbeasts]

What other people aimed to read as a weakness and humiliation, Silco swiftly turned into a weapon, so much so that he made the very concept of eyes and sight the foundation of his sigil and identity. The Eye of Zaun had not just survived his eye infection, but what would have impaired any lesser man, Silco had found strength in. What people could not bring themselves to look at for too long, Silco forced into their periphery and with it, his determination and drive became undeniable. The Pilt had not broken him. Vander had not won. He forbade a dog with rabies to think he held any power over him. In fact, Silco forbade the rabid animal to hold any power, period.

Back when he and the Hound of the Underground had been a unit, the Undercity had been led to believe that Vander was the one who called the shots because he was more approachable, he talked more to the people. All warm smiles and big hugs. But smiles and hugs did not win you independence. A sharp mind did. Silco had always called the shots around Vander - he told him how and when to fight, and he heeled his brother with swift commands and clear direction. Even before Vander had been conditioned into the first Hound, Silco had made sure that his brother-in-arms would not dare to ditch him for a better chance! They had to stand as a united front if they ever wanted to inspire the people.

It was why even nowadays, Silco demanded the utmost from Sevika. They understood each other in ways, Vander had never fully been able to grasp. They did not just share the vision of the Cause. They did not just dream of an independent Zaun. They were both completely in alignment that the only way to get to this point was by inciting war against Piltover. The base violence necessary for change was crude and yet, it would serve as the best fuel they could probably get. It definitely helped that so many Zaunites had predator Vastayas in their gene pool. Make them hungry enough - and they would tear Piltover apart by themselves.

As Sevika explained how the Shimmer was most likely semi-refined, Silco pulled out a thin key from his trouser pocket and unlocked a thin drawer on his desk. Pulling it open, paper rustled discreetly before Silco pulled out a large, blue sheet and put it on the desk, shutting and locking the drawer once more. Draping the blue paper on the desk, it revealed itself to be the blueprints for a pair of heavy, tanky armour with complex tubings on the back, going directly into a helmet. The Chem-Tanks' weapons had not yet fully been decided as right now, the tubing system had to work properly.

Silco stared at the blueprint and pursed his lips. He pushed the paper up so that he could reexamine the map of Zaun, which he had specifically requested the wood carver to be painted on his desk. Following Sevika's description of where they had found the contraband to the factory, she had spoken of, with a finger, Silco drew a little circle around it with a nail, tapping on the wood twice.

"Renni", Silco murmured under his breath, however, he chose to for now withhold his assumption and theory until they had more information available to them. Hearing Sevika remark how she had an idea, his gaze met hers again and he gave an encouraging nod to her to keep talking.

"Get Ran and Dustin upstairs", was all Silco said in response to the idea.

When Sevika first saw Silco's eye after the fight he and Vander had, she had a hard time not staring. Back then, he was so rarely seen that she hadn't had the chance to get used to it. Overtime, however, it just became a part of him, along with his intense and intimidating stare. At first, she thought that scarring, that eye, was a mark of his weakness - a sign that he had lost a fight, but as their relationship changed, so did her perception. It was no longer a marker of a loss, but a badge of survival - of rebirth. Soon enough, she had her own badge of survival running in blue glowing bands across her shoulder, breast, neck, and face.

Being told "well done" for her efforts made the hard news harder to deliver, but she did her duty. She hated disappointing him, not out of any emotion, but out of a shared dedication to efficiency. She knew shimmer was restricted on the market, and she knew exactly why. The shit was dangerous.

It could take even the scrawniest of geeks, like Huck, and turn them into imposing and violent brutes. It unlocked the inner beastly Vastaya within most Zaunites due to their heritage. For her, it dragged up the shred of boar Vastaya, even going as far as to speed up the rate at which her tusks grew. What had previously been barely noticeable points had grown to sharp fangs, ready to tear apart nearly anything, even bone.

Upon hearing the questions, Sevika's face tensed with stern recollection. "Seemed like semi-refined, to me. Sure the inventory counts at the south-side factory will prove it was from there."The closest factory was also their most recent addition, and closest to rival chem baron territory. It could have been Rennie, trying to make moves behind the scenes. She was always gutsy and opportunistic, but it wasn't something she was ready to risk suggesting. First priority was the leak, anyway.

"I got an idea," she started, her steel-grey eyes focused intently on his. "I think, after we search the factory, we should search the border territory for trade-off points."