[IC] Inbox for deercountry

[ekkoeffect]

You mistimed your call but that's okay. I'll still get back to you. Leave me a message.

[BEEEEEP]

VOICE | VIDEO | TEXT | OTHER

Comments

[ekkoeffect]

[Maybe he should have said nothing. Yeah, should have said nothing.]

Your comm called me. I was minding my own business. Ask your monkey if he did it.

[opheliac]

Mr. Bananas would never —

( then there's sudden silence on her end. did she get distracted out of nowhere? it wouldn't be the first but no, more so she is thinking over the possbility.

then peek-a-boo, jinx comes to view peering down on the camera with her long braids dangling. )

... Actually, yeah he would do that.

( her omen is a lot like her in a few ways. especially when it comes to pranks. )

Just forget what you heard and no one gets hurt, deal?

[ekkoeffect]

[At least she'll admit that much. Ekko rolls his eyes just a bit.]

As much as I don't believe you about that, it's none of my business anyway. Your time, your space, you do you.

Which usually involves someone getting hurt.

[opheliac]

Right, exactly! I do me and I ruin you. Just like always and how it's meant to be.

( the video wavers around as she picks it up from the ground and face more directly. )

So! — Where have you been hidin', huh? Avoiding someone like this can hurt a girl's feelings. You oughta be more considerate.

[ekkoeffect]

Sure, if that's how you think it works.

[He doesn't even try to hide his snark there. He knows that arguing with her won't do anything.]

I fixed up my place. It takes time to put a house together around here.

[Not that he's going to tell her where that is.]

[opheliac]

Y'know, I made my treehouse all by myself. ( a beat. ) With some help of my omen.

I could lend ya a hand if you're interested. I won't even ask anything back for it. No strings attached.

[ekkoeffect]

[He's still watching her, looking for shifts in her colors. Whether or not she's playing at something. It's always hard to tell with Jinx. Because she can't really think he'd tell her where he lives, does she? He can't trust her as much as part of him may always want to and who knows what would happen if they were face-to-face again.]

I'm used to this kind of work. Built my own place back home, too.

[With some help but mostly on his own. They had a lot of houses they were building at the time.]

[opheliac]

Yeahyeahyeah, I'm sure with all of your lil' bug group and all that.

( she waves her other hand dismissively as she takes her seat back on the floor. jinx tries to prompt the omni in a way where it's a bit hand free (which she manages somehow) and then picks up a firelight figurine for his viewing. )

Y'sure you don't need another genius? Two minds are better than one. I'll even throw in this lil' guy as a gift.

[ekkoeffect]

[He can't help but raise an eyebrow just a bit at how "helpful" she's trying to be.]

And it would be a total coincidence if that just happened to be a spydrone or explode on a timer?

[opheliac]

Eh, heh, heh. Only if you want it to be. ( because while she makes them regardless of naysayers, it's way more pleasing to have someone come to her asking to build an explosive or a spydrone. )

( mischievous grin aside, jinx winds up the bug's wings then it lightly hovers in the air. )

But, nope! It's just a bug that flies. I'm selling 'em later and you can be the first to get 'em. And since you and I are special buds, I'll give you this one for free. If you don't trust me, you can inspect it yourself. I'll even hold it while you do. So if it goes off, it'll go off on me, too.

( she says this as if THAT hadn't happened already. )

[ekkoeffect]

[He really doesn't want another broken leg. But if she's trying to sell them to make a profit, he at least hopes she wouldn't make them explosive. Jinx is smart enough to know not to hurt your client-base. Hopefully.]

...I appreciate the offer, but I like doing it on my own. You know how it is. If I need an extra pair of hands, I've got your number.

[Look at you being all diplomatic and tactful. Somehow the voice in his head sounds like Vi.]

[opheliac]

Mmhm, yeah, sure sure. I get it! Gotta learn how to make it out here in this whacky world we're livin' in now.

( as the bug slowly runs out of its steam, she places her hand underneath it in case it dies and fall. )

'Cuz you never know when timer stops and you maybe gotta to kill someone.

[ekkoeffect]

[And there it is. The warning, the blaring alarm in the back of his mind telling him that he can never trust Jinx the way he does Vi. Because all it takes is one flip of a switch.]

Great thing about timers is you can always restart them.

[opheliac]

Sounds nice in theory. Tell that to the person whose stabbing ya.

( the mechanical bug drops heavy onto her palm and grants a small smile. there's a tiny hint of wicked in it with a twist of friendly. then she sings a little diddy: )

♪ We all pretend to be the heroes on the good side,
But what if we are the villains on the other? ♪

[ekkoeffect]

[There's a lot being said in that motion, in those words, but Ekko isn't sure he's ready for them. As if he's ever been ready for anything that's happened between them in the last seven years.]

Not my kind of song. I write my own tunes.

[opheliac]

Oh, oh! Lemme guess the lyrics! Is it somethin' liiiiike... —

( to bring this disgusting song to life, she sings it cheerfully but obnoxiously, too. )

♪ You and me
Best friends forever
To a T, birds of a feather
We can do it if we just believe,
Friendship, love, and poro hearts galore! ♪

[ekkoeffect]

[He knows she's trying to be annoying. She lives for it. Everything is about the reaction. The attention. He's seen it enough to know. So he doesn't react. Because it's what she wants and giving Jinx what she wants usually ends up with people he cares about dead. No matter how calm she is now. He can't forget who she is. He won't let himself forget (again).

It shouldn't be so hard to remember.]

Does it matter if you're a hero or a villain
When countin' the bodies you left chillin'?
All of us killers left standing
Pools of blood for us to stand in
Whose blood are you stained with?
Whose lives you playing games with?
Damned with praise for taking knives
Stabbing backs to feel alive.
Sewing up wounds with lies already said
'Cause lies kill truth the more they spread.
Who pays the price to keep you fed?
Who fronts that cost in your stead?
Call yourself a hero or villain
Dead is dead and you did the killin'.

1/2

[opheliac]

( it's hard to read what she's thinking as he says his lyrics. she doesn't appear angry or disinterest as he speaks on. on the contrary, jinx seems rather attentive and who knows, maybe really listening to what he is telling her. with her legs bent and elbows prop on her knees, she is quiet with her palm resting on her left cheek. the gaze she has on him doesn't break nor there are signs of any glitter or shine in her eyes. and even after he is done, she doesn't move or say a word -- letting the verses linger and float up in the skies then to the unknown.

the silence may be awkward but not to jinx. long ago, the two of them would sometimes spend time together in silence and simply enjoying each other's company while they work on whatever inventions. it's almost similar here; so nostalgic. but... so very different. )

...

2/2

[opheliac]

( and then finally, there's movement. still mute, jinx reaches over for something off screen then comes back in view. in her hands, it seems to be a pack of cigarettes. with a casual swift, she takes out a stick to place between her lips then returns the packet back off screen somewhere.

one would think she might pull out a lighter next, but she simply lifts up an index close to the tip -- a very miniature electric spark for light. it appears she has some control of her blood magic since they've last spoken, but how much? answer? not very much. now lit, she inhales then steadily blows out the smoke -- hand returning underneath her cheek. a smile is on her face now; small but amused. )

Powerful words. I wouldn't expect any less from the Boy Savior.

( her tone soft and even sounding a bit impressed. jinx reaches for an empty glass from the table behind her so she could flick the ashes in. )

But how long 'till you get blood on your hands, hm? We won't be so different then.

[ekkoeffect]

[That little light is still a step up from how her magic reacted that first time they saw each other in Trench. He shakes his head.]

We're not so different now. Only in the ways you think matter.

[opheliac]

( a gentle hum rumbles in her throat as she sets her little figurines aside to give her space to now lie on the floor. one hand rests on her stomach as she takes another puff; eyes up to the ceiling. a brief silence between them and then:)

"Only in the ways you think matter..."

( jinx repeats his words slowly and to let it roll of her tongue for a moment.)

— Then what are your thoughts on the world? For me here or back there, it's all the same to me. Dark, selfish, and cruel.

[ekkoeffect]

[A serious conversation? When they aren't under the influence of spiked food? He's not sure he can trust it--no, don't ever ever trust--but can he reject the opportunity?

opportunity for what?]

The world is shit, always has been shit, and we lucked out being in the shittiest part of it. [Another pause.] Doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to make it shittier.

[opheliac]

Getting rid of people who done us wrong isn't making anythin' shittier. It's a step forward to a better living.

( jinx shifts to flick the cigarette ash into the glass. )

That is what we all want, right?

[ekkoeffect]

[Should he point out that means him wanting Silco dead for killing Benzo. Because for whatever beef Silco maybe had with Vander, he killed Benzo first. While Ekko watched.]

Better living or living better?

[opheliac]

( she tilts her head over to face the camera — to him. her expression is horribly flat. )

... It's the same damn thing. Better living, living better. You're still living happily. You're just swappin' the word around.