Luxurious Anarchy (Lux/Jinx)

Chapter 5: Bury Me Face Down

Jinx had elected to stay in the old ruined warehouse, rather than endlessly run back and forth along the western edge of Zaun. The few short jaunts she made were scavenging runs, grabbing food, Hextech batteries, and scrap metal, all under the cover of darkness, natch.

Sleep had been elusive ever since she'd briefly died on that operating table. The bubbling concoction that was her blood now filled her with frenetic energy at all hours, making her thoughts race and heart hammer. It's not like she wanted to use the nights for sleep anyway. So much horror, so many bodies, so many mistakes behind her eyelids. She didn't want to send her soulmate more suffering, not now, not ever.

The sun should always be shiny and bright, even if it only shined on a living curse. If Jinx felt her sunset, felt the grip of night in her soul, as it had only twice before, she wasn't sure if her Shimmer-soaked mind would hold together.

So she used the time to fuss with her guns, sneak through Zaun to steal supplies, work on a few projects to cope with the boredom, and fix up her home away from home. Jinx was no stranger to theft and improvisation and weird sleeping arrangements, but it still stung. So many of her tools, her notes were back at her old workshop, which was now deep in enemy territory.

"And if Sevika touches a single bloody bolt, I'll paint the Last Drop with her entrails," Jinx snarled, even as she gingerly threaded a liberated scrap iron nail into a Chomper casing.

As the sun approaching from the west grew brighter, Jinx felt like the scribbles were getting more and more... well, not respectful, but...

present?

"I mean, no, you guys are always here... Oh, unless you meant that you, like, are reacting to what's going on, not just harping over and over again about how I killed you and how no one loves me. So, yeah you guys are just, like, a bit more present these days."

thanks

Jinx shrugged, clipping the newest Chomper to her belt, "Sure, not a compliment really, but you're welcome."

you don't think it had anything to do with you burying us?

"Look, I had the shovel out already guys, don't make this into more than it is."

still, it was nice of you

Jinx ground one knuckle against her temple, growling, "Look, I appreciate the kind words, but can you guys just, chill? Crap, shouldn't even bother, you guys never go far."

well, better the darkin you know...

Jinx's spine tingled with the sensation of dozens of eyes on her back, and in a Shimmer boosted flash Zapper was in one hand and Jinx was standing on her impromptu workbench, eyes wide and chest heaving.

So, so, so many faces looked back at her with X's for eyes. Bodies of all different shapes and sizes, hair of all spectrums of light and length, Piltie clothes, Zaunite gutter garb, even a few styles Jinx struggled to place, though fighting through the growing panic was making it hard to think at all.

Something about the crowd of scribbles caught her eye, and as she looked down, panic faded in place of confusion. Jinx lowered Zapper, even going so far as thumbing her safety back into place. Of course, Jinx's modifications meant the safety snapped back into the 'fire' position, but wasn't it the thought that counts?

"Wait, focus, why are there just some arms and legs? That's not fair, I'm gonna hallucinate the maimings too? Claggor, Mylo, I take it back, can I get a little crowd control here?"

Just the static burr of all the new scribbles settling between her ears answered, and Jinx heaved a heavy sigh as she dropped off the table. "Oh cripes, this is gonna be a lot of digging. Fine, I at least kinda remember you, so you're up first, Pinkie," she grumbled, pointing to a short-haired girl in Firelight leathers.