expiationlogs | 💥 OPEN; "I buried the unseemly urges"

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💥 OPEN; "I buried the unseemly urges"

Who: jinx + YOU
Where: outside of pessiria forest for prompt 1, in aldrip for prompt 2.
What: meanwhile while the event has been going on, jinx was in rumpitur this entire time so she... missed everything. but now she is back in town and trying to do an errand but... there are some difficulties.
Warnings: mention of drugs, spoilers of arcane, and aggression side-effect.

❝

All thieves & lovers are faithful admirers of sin. By that design, I'm a player of your violin.

❞

A. ❝ I cast on your heartstrings a spell. ❞ (cw: mention of drugs + spoilers of arcane)

( when she makes it out of the PESSIRIA FOREST, her knees buckle and she sinks down into the grass; dead weight. her long pool of her azure locks shields her from the sunlight above her as her forehead plops against the earth. her calves are burning and her feet ache of pins and needles from the non-stop sprinting between here and RUMPITUR. jinx didn't think about stopping the entire way through, because it's a way for her to really see just what this new shimmer body of hers is really made of. they say it takes a full day to travel from one village to the next, but the teen enjoys a challenge and with her inhuman speed, she believed she could half that -- maybe less. and well, it didn't take her the whole day. but who truly knows when she doesn't have a sense of time at all with no watch or clock on her person.

swallowing up air to fill her lungs, jinx tosses herself back to lie on the grass -- holding onto a brown sack of goods. during her time in RUMPITUR, she got talked into doing an errand for a local who stated if she completed this delivery to ALDRIP for him, he will pay her handsomely. jinx was never the one who cared for money, but what got her interested was the scrap he was prepared to give up. and to her, that's worth way more than anything. the poor girl hadn't built a thing since she got here, and she's becoming rather restless about it. tinkering is one of the many things that can calm her thinking (besides causing destruction). and if she is going to make new sunglasses for scott, she's going to need materials. )

( but now that she's out of the woods, maybe she should take this time to freshen up somewhere. jinx's been living rather... poorly to say the least. her hair no longer in those twin braids but now wild and free with knots, twigs, and leaves. her attire is completely different too; a complete contrast of what she came here when she arrived. and not to mention, she's been starving all month and jinx can't seem to figure out why that is. she's been eating the same amount as everyone else in the world, but... it never seems enough for her. nothing is filling and it makes no sense to her. could it be the shimmer's doing? no. no that can't be it. there are no side-effects with the serum... that she's aware of. it's not like she stopped and had a lovely chat with singed after the surgery. but maybe her constant hunger isn't anything worth concerning and hey, as long as there's food in her belly, it's whatever! )

( she should get a move on, she reminds herself but instead, jinx continues to lie peacefully as the sun kisses against her pale complexion; eyes shut. it's not every day that a zaunite had such luxury to feel the green grass tickling one's skin and get any rays of sunshine. the air is still something she is getting use to, sometimes finding herself breathing a bit too hard than she should. )

'It's nice getting above it all, huh?'

( her sister in a much younger age rings in her ears, in which she can't help but to scuff up a tiny chuckle. )

Yeah...

B. ❝ & all you must do now is swear... ❞ (cw: minor side-effect of drug including: aggression)

( she is getting side-track, jinx is very much aware of this. but her hunger is really getting the best of her and she can't seem to focus on anything with her stomach screeching. and this is the second fruit she stole and scoffed down -- and yet... it's still not fucking enough. the frustration is boiling, and with the sack over her shoulder, the teen stomps through the town while purposely bumping shoulders with whoever is in her path. the thought of wanting to shoot the first person she sees for no good reason is lingering more than it should, and she very well might do it if she doesn't get a damn meal in her in the next ten minutes. the teen throws a death threatening glare at every person she sees, gritting her teeth at the sight of locals looking rather content with themselves. how dare they look so fucking jolly and fine when she's here practically starving to death?!

unable to keep her temper at a minimum, jinx turns on her heel behind a building -- throwing the sack of goods as far as she can (thank goodness it didn't bust). the teen yells out her tantrum as she kicks and punches the establishment nearest to her. what the hell is wrong with her? this shouldn't be such a big deal, but somehow it is. and all she can think about now is to tear the entire world apart because what else is she suppose to do with this feeling? how else is she suppose to get rid of it besides being violent right now? then before jinx realizes it, a pink tear drips down her cheek with her nose stuffing up that she needs to sniffle through to breathe. why is she being like this? feeling suddenly defeated, the girl presses her forehead against the structure with her eyes closed.... with her stomach still growling. )

C. ❝ That you'll fall right into my arms. ❞ ( WILD CARD )

these two prompts aren't doing it for you but you want to do something with jinx? this is the place to do it. feel free to PM me, hit me up @ discord (bunchew), or @ plurk buttlet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ There's only so long one can sit around doing nothing and waiting for something to happen, and while the desert escapade did provide some change (it was awful and he doesn't want to talk about it), the reality that he'll be stuck in this world for the foreseeable future finally sets in, forcing Ragna to try and figure out how he's going to go about his daily life here. Finding some way to make money would be a great start, and thankfully, there are people who are willing to pay him for getting rid of various beasts that wander out of the nearby forest (the name of which he never bothered to learn) and get a bit too close to the town's settlements. It's simple enough, and killing things is something of Ragna's specialty anyway, so he sets out to do exactly that.

But what he finds near the entrance to the forest is no monster at all. The sight of the girl sprawled across the ground stirs up a memory in Ragna ─ a memory from the before times, back when everything was simple and safe and he could spend his days the way she is right now, lying in the sun and enjoying its warmth without a care in the world. At the time, he thought, no, genuinely believed his whole life would be like that, filled with the rustle of leaves in the wind and slosh of water in the nearby river.

He had been a fool back then, thinking that could last, but he doesn't hate the memory. No, what he hates is that tiny, naive part of himself that still wishes he could go back to the way things used to be.

Ragna shakes his head, as though that could rid him of the hollow feeling in his chest that appears every time he stops to reminiscence about his past. None of that matters right now, and thinking about it won't change anything. Might as well focus on the reality in front of him instead. He walks across the meadow towards Jinx, letting the rustle of the grass beneath his boots announce his presence. ]

You're a mess, Smurfette.

[ Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious. ]

( she really feels she could just lie here for the rest of the day or maybe forever. and perhaps she should look into that in a later day when she isn't on the job.... that she should get up and do. ragna is right on the money that the crunch of the grass alerts her someone is coming.

but even if a stupidly rare case he could approach her in silence, the voices of the dead would be screeching at her to watch out. they're not always helpful, sometimes they cause more harm but good. but if jinx dies, they die -- and they certainly don't want to be shushed forever. so without opening her eyes or taking the slightest peek, jinx grins idiotically that only a parent could love. )

And you're still ugly, Raggie.

Edited 2023-07-28 04:47 (UTC)

[ He doesn't particularly care what people think or say about his looks, mind you, but an insult, no matter how juvenile, is still an insult and there's no way Ragna will take it lying down without responding in kind. You know, like a real adult. ]

Says the chick who looks like she got run over by a lawnmower.

[ There. With that settled, he plops himself down on the ground next to her, taking a look around the area. At least she picked a really nice spot to take a break at... or whatever it is that she's doing. He glances down at the girl, wondering what the hell she's been doing to end up like this─ actually, scratch that. There sure were times when his siblings would wander off into the forest and come back looking kind of similar to how she is right now, so he knows better than anyone it doesn't take much other than letting an irresponsible kid do their own thing. And to think she was trying to lecture him on survival... ]

So, what are you up to? Dancing with the wolves like a feral child that you are?

[ Given who it's aimed at, it's probably not even an insult in this case? More like an observation. ]

Edited 2023-07-28 19:53 (UTC)

( while she has no clue what a lawnmower is, jinx can piece it together on what it could be. lawn being the grass and mower with cutting. therefore, it must be something that would trim lands and what not. she wonders if piltover had something like that for their little claim of grasses. both cities were mostly nothing but buildings, but topside had a few greens than hers. anyhow at the question, jinx tilts her head over to peer up to him while lifting up her hand with the brown sack. )

Makin' a delivery for a guy in Rumpitur.

( which again, she should really get a move on and head to aldrip if she wants to collect the scrap items that's waiting for her. )

[ Hey, he should be doing his job, too, but... eh, there's no rush; sitting here in the sun is definitely more appealing than hunting for monsters. That's why Ragna has no intention to criticize her for taking a break. Commenting on the fact she's doing it at all, however, is a completely separate matter. ]

Huh... Gotta be honest, I didn't peg you as the responsible kind.

[ Not that it would be a bad thing, but it's in stark difference with what little he knows about her. He assumes there's just something she wants out of that deal, but it doesn't stop the corner of his lips curling up in a tiny smile. ]

You're telling me you've actually been a good kid all this time?

[ He's mostly just teasing her, but to be perfectly honest, he doesn't think she's that bad of a person. ]

Are you kidding? I wouldn't be caught dead doing something good if I didn't get anything outta of it.

( she lets the bag flop back down by her side, her feet swaying from side to side. the last thing she wants to be labeled around here is the "goody-two shoes". after all, this place is meant to be a prison and if the lesson "be what they fear, jinx" isn't more relevant than it is now, nothing will. )

— I get a big jackpot if I do this lil' dumb errand for the guy and I'd be a whack job to not say, "yes".

[ Somehow, he figured she might find that more offensive than anything else he said. If asked, he'd have a hard time putting it into words, but strangely enough, he doesn't find her attitude off-putting? Maybe it's the fact that she's at least being honest about it, which is more than can be said about most people. ]

That so? Damn, maybe I should become a mailman, too.

[ He leans back, joining her in lying on the ground and putting the "pro" in "procrastination". ]

Might wanna make sure he doesn't mistake you for a wendigo or some shit.

[ It would suck if he was called on to get rid of a "monster" and it turned out to be just her. ]

"Wendigo"? ( she repeats, puzzled. if she were to guess it might be some sort of monster. because it sounds pretty deadly just by saying it out loud just now. )

Do they exist where you're from? These... "Wendigoes".

( possibly an idiotic question since he was the one who brought them up in the first place. but he could had came across one here or something else. jinx is still in the mix of exploring this region so... )

[ Ragna opens one eye lazily to glance at her. Not one for scary fantasy stories? That's kind of a surprise; he's figured she's exactly the type who'd be all over those. Or hell, maybe her world has an entirely different set of imaginary monsters; fuck if he knows how that's supposed to work. ]

A kinda monster. Eats people or some shit.

[ He explains, although it's not exactly that great of a definition. But hey, he's not exactly invested in his own world's bestiary to know more details anyway. ]

Never seen any myself, but if werewolves and vampires are real, then I don't see why that one wouldn't be.

[ He says it completely casually, like it's just an everyday fact of life. Even in his world, most people would assume those things are just fairy tales, but he's had enough experience with supernatural crap that he wouldn't rule anything out. ]

Sheesh, I dunno any of these monsters you're yammerin' about. I get "wolves", but not a "were". I'm guessin' werewolves are way bigger than normal ones?

( she starts kicking her feet back and forth again, folding her arms behind her head in replace of a pillow. despite wanting to really look at the sky, she doesn't. the sun is way too blinding for her to even look at any clouds, let alone admire the way they drift on by. so instead, jinx turns to gaze over to him too -- oddly enjoying this little calming moment with him. )

The only monster I've seen are the ones who couldn't handle Shimmer.

[ Ragna gives her a questioning look, but quickly decides little culture shocks like this must be common when you toss people from various worlds into one place, so he turns back to glance at the sky before closing his eyes again with a small shrug. ]

Humans that can turn into wolves, basically. [ There might be more to it, if the stories are to be believed, but he's never been on particularly good terms with Valkenhayn to learn more about it. ] ... You guys don't have a lot of folk tales back where you're from, huh?

[ Not that he's an expert on folklore and whatnot, but it's the kind of thing you absorb naturally (and in his case, get to confront in person sometimes). Predictably, the confusion is mutual, as he can only guess what she means with her comment. ]

No idea what this "shimmer" thing is, other than light.

I just know about Janna.

( a story that may or may not be a myth. and whether jinx believes that janna truly existed in zaun she goes back and forth with. as a child, she was convinced that the wind spirit watched over her city and her people long ago when the world was young. but now? well, if janna was real as the tale had said, why hasn't she helped them in their time of need? holding her head high (that is somehow possible with her lying down like this), she grins as she relishes: )

Shimmer is me. I am Shimmer.

( clearly that will need some explaining. and well since he is her partner throughout all of this, maybe it would be wise for her to let him in all about the wonderous things she can do. )

Never heard of that one either.

[ It shouldn't come as a surprise, with various worlds and all, but it does feel weird that even the things he'd always assumed to be common knowledge can be so different. Ragna briefly considers asking for more details, but decides against it. Would there really be a point to him finding out more about places he'd never be able to go to?

Instead, he opens his eyes to watch the clouds moving across the sky lazily. That sight is something that isn't any different from his own world, at least. ]

You might wanna elaborate, unless you're trying to say you just drive people crazy.

[ Which is also an acceptable explanation, but he has a feeling that's not what she's going for. ]

Well, you better listen up 'cuz I'm only gonna explain it once. I really hate repeating myself.

( jinx will even dramatically clear her throat for extra juicy effect over what she's about to say. )

Shimmer is this drug my Pops and the doctor was workin' on. It does all sorts of nifty stuff. It can heal ya and make you feel better, it's a fuel, and can give ya inhuman abilities. I got jammed with the stuff when I was dying. It's why my eyes are like this, y'know. They use to be blue. A side-effect, but hey...! I'm a super solider now so it's whatever.

[ He listens to her explanation without any strong reactions ─ at least until she gets to the part about being injected with some experimental drug, that is. Ragna turns to look at her, his expression betraying a hint of concern he wouldn't even admit to himself he's feeling. She makes it sound like a pretty sweet deal overall, but he knows better than anyone that with great power comes a whole lot of bullshit, and in his experience the change of one's eye color is the least problematic thing that can happen as a result of something like that. ]

So you're a superhuman on top of everything else, huh? Impressive.

[ He says, but his tone remains flat, like he thinks it's too good to be true. He goes silent for a brief moment, trying to convince himself it's not something he should even care about in the first place and failing miserably, so he follows it with a question. ]

... You sure you're okay with it? I mean, it sure as hell beats being dead, but...

[ Having something that doubles as a fuel and turns people who "can't handle it" into monsters can't possibly be good for health. ]

Why wouldn't I be okay with it? ( she quirks an eyebrow his direction, not fully understanding his train of thought in this. ) — Definitely wouldn't recommend gettin' it done, 'less you can't handle it but...

( a light pause before looking up to watch the clouds again. )

I'm stronger than I've ever been. And who doesn't want that?

( who in their right mind would want to become a weakling or be one all their lives? and with the two of them being partners, they both need to be in tip top shape in case any of the chosen decide to show their true colors to knife the other in the back. )

[ Ragna gets is, perhaps better than anyone, what it feels like to be on the verge of death, only to be offered a way to turn it all around; not just to survive, but to become something more, to gain power beyond what you could possibly imagine and become strong enough to take control over your own life. Only a fool wouldn't agree to that, no matter the consequences. And hell, even if he had known all the drawbacks of reaching for the Azure Grimoire back then... that still wouldn't have changed a thing; he would've taken it, side effects be damned. ]

... Yeah, you're right. Forget it.

[ He of all the people has no room to question any of that anyway. Though it also makes him wonder... what is that power for in her case? It took him an embarrassingly long time to realize that strength for the sake of strength alone is no strength at all. And as much as he hates to admit it, he wouldn't be surprised if other people could figure it out far easier than he did. ]

So what are you planning to do with all this strength now? Take over the world?

[ His tone is as sarcastic and disinterested as usual, but the truth is he's actually a little curious about her answer. ]

If I'm bored enough, sure. ( is she being serious or playful? the answer and the way she says this can titter-totter either way. )

I've already caused a war back home and whose to say I can't do it here?

( jinx wiggles her legs again while letting out one big exaggerating yawn. relaxing like this sure can make a girl insanely lazy. and she wonders if the chickens are dead by now since the bag is filled with their feed. if so, then there will be no real loss -- it just means the owner will have delicious meat for dinner. )

You wanna help me with that?

[ There's no doubt in Ragna's mind she would, in fact, try and do that if she felt like it. ]

Pass. That sounds like a massive pain in the ass.

[ He doesn't even bother thinking about the morality of it, because that's none of his concern. What's far more important is the fact he's simply too lazy for warfare. There's nothing for him to gain from it, either. ]

Call me if you've got something that requires less effort.

[ It may sound like he's dismissing the idea of helping her out, but the very fact that he considers joining her to do anything is more than he usually has to offer. The whole relaxing in the sun thing must have put him in a good mood. ]

Then how about I'll call ya when I do my giant surprise?

( now that doesn't sound cryptic at all or worrisome. and this is the first she had ever mentioned a "surprise" too. so what could she possibly be cooking up? something light-hearted, dangerous? a little of both? although, there is a possibility she could be blabbering out of her ass right now just for the sake of keeping their conversation going. not that she enjoys his company or anything. totally not. )

[ Ragna turns his head to look at her once again, eyebrows raised in a questioning expression. He doesn't know her well enough to make an educated guess what that "surprise" might be, and judging from the way she says it, it could be anything from a sleepover party involving baking cookies, or setting up explosives to blow up the whole town sky-high.

And the worst part is, he's not exactly sure which one of those would feel more weird to be invited to join. ]

... Dare I ask what that entails...?

[ As skeptical as he is about this whole "surprise" thing, he has to admit (even if only to himself) that he's a little curious to hear more. ]

This place isn't colorful enough. It seems some greens, pinks, purples splattered all over the walls.

( dramatically, she lifts her arms up in the sky -- letting out the GRAND reveal of her surprise. )

Paint bombs!! How about it? We wait 'till nightfall and just toss 'em all over everyone and everything. The local folks will thank us for helping 'em out with their remodeling.

[ For a brief moment, Ragna stares at her in silence, completely dumbfounded. And then, he lets out something between an amused snort and a laugh, something that's pretty rare of him to do. But the whole idea is so silly, so simple and so unapologetically pointless he just can't help it. ]

Sure, sounds like a plan.

[ He's not exactly into meaningless vandalism, but the whole thing doesn't seem too harmful... and really, his main role in this would probably be making sure she doesn't get into too much trouble for it, so. What the hell, it sounds like fun. ]

Great! — I knew pickin' ya for my partner in crime was such a blastin' idea!!

( now filled with the sudden adrenaline, jinx sits up then bounces straight up to her feet -- the sack swinging over her shoulder again. )

Now we just gotta find some paint around here. You know a place we can borrow a bucket or two?

[ Still on that "partners in crime" thing, eh? Whatever, he's in an uncharacteristically good mood, so he'll let her run with it. At least she's enthusiastic? It's somewhat endearing, even if he won't allow himself to consciously acknowledge that. ]

No clue, but I can ask around? I've seen some construction sites in town, so they've gotta have it. It's not like they could refuse one of their precious "Chosen" or whatever.

[ How lucky for them that the latest events have made the locals more interested in arts of all kinds...! They probably won't have trouble finding the stuff they need. ]

💥 OPEN; "I buried the unseemly urges"

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wrapped! 🎀