Piltover: Jayce's Old Penthouse
"Okay," Vi complained as she continued to stand guard. "Are you almost done yet? What are you even doing?" She looked behind her at Ekko. "Little Man?"
"Does it matter? It's my name day, and you said you'd do this for me." he told her. "Just keep guarding. It won't take much longer."
Vi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Ekko? I know I am an enforcer, but this is a little ridiculous."
"It is ridiculous, it's harder to find it. It wasn't the same kind."
Ugh! "What are you looking for?"
"Just something."
"That what?"
"Might make something cool again." He finally came over. "Done. Thanks for using your powers for good."
"Uh huh. Next year, I'm buying you some sweet bread instead."
Outside Kumangra (Laurent's Village)
It was quite an adjustment with the whole acting thing. This part was definitely new to Jinx. She was a terrible actress, always had been. She 'wore herself on her sleeve' is what Silco would say. No need to act anyhow, with the right kind of guns. As long as no one bothered her a lot about herself, she'd probably be fine though.
Especially with her two new guards, Moe and Joe.
The living situation was weird too. She had her own room but lived in a section where she would see four other people all of the time, and no one else without permission. Not unless she went to the connecting room, and she wasn't really ready to meet other mercenaries yet.
Jo Jo and Montague were the assigned personal guards for her. She just called them Moe and Joe. They interacted sometimes but stood around a lot. It would suck if as a mercenary she would have to guard someone, they tended to have the most boring jobs. Standing around. Unless she got into trouble, that was their day.
She also had a Sword and Shield. Shields was something called a mind healer or practical sorceress and she forgot her medicine doctor's name so she just called him her Sword. He seemed to like the name too, so it stuck.
Of everyone there, she was against Doctor Shields the most. She was supposed to 'inspect her brain' or whatever. Apparently she was crazy enough she had to live with a brain checker. Jinx didn't want anybody digging into her brain, there was a big sign that said 'not allowed' in it. Especially when that woman also had Cake, that she already saved once.
But? Her Shield was really good. First day she just smiled and stayed polite. Apologized for not being more polite the first time they met each other. Didn't try much. Shield's was one of those nice people that mainly left her alone and spent time with her own daughter. It was Jinx's curiosity about how the heck she ended up there that actually opened the dialogue first.
Shields was from a small place she wouldn't talk about. It was different is all she said. Explaining her problem would be tough, so she said she had the equivalent of a soon to be husband who was a medical healer, and she had just had her baby, when he decided to exchange her for the owner's daughter where she had worked making people better. Yeah, her job was toast, new baby, and desperation. She was at the end of her rope, and somehow Anatoly Sr. found it in his heart to let her move in and stay with her baby, and run her talking practice at the village. She had been there with Charlotte Kay (Cake for short).
After that conversation, they were on better terms, and she was her favorite of the three.
Then, Jinx had what her Shield and Sword called a 'break'. She eventually had another one. Sometimes her Sword was there, but it was absolutely guaranteed Shields was there.
Through thick or thin. Inside. Outside. Jinx even broke one time in the shower, Shields heard her and barreled in to help her. After that, she started to open up more. And?
Shields was unlike anyone she ever thought. She knew a lot about verbal and non-verbal stuff. She was like a sorceress with the things she could pick up, just by speaking with her. That's why she had a nickname of the 'practical sorceress' but she never actually used magic.
Her official position was called a mind healer, and she got whatever she thought Jinx needed.
She even convinced Anatoly to leave her name Jinx for now (He had wanted her to take on the fake name 'Aisha' until 'he worked legal things out'.) The name Jinx didn't seem like a lucky name, but she promised she would work with it.
Then she came home with a monkey named Jinx, and 'Hijinx' just came out of Jinx's mouth as she started to play with the monkey.
Shields slowly whittled away on Jinx and Hijinx though, she assigned different people to call her different things in different weeks. Just a few at first, and gradually all of them. She said she wanted to 'soften triggers' to a point they hardly bothered her. A combination of everything she ever had been, along with ridiculous combinations, while she had Jinx learn to call herself Powder-Jinx.
Powder-Jinx dealt with it by calling herself PJ. Shields seemed fine with the nickname.
So instead of just hearing Jinx or Powder, she heard Powder, Jinx, Powder-Jinx, Hijinx, Hi-Pow, PJ, Pow-Pow, Pow-jinx all day long until it did soften a distinctness between the two principal names.
Because she'd always be the two. Powder would never die, even though she said she killed it. Jinx would never die either, even though she swore she killed it. Eventually, Shields had everyone settle on a name for her.
Most ended up calling her either PJ, Jinks, or Powder-Jinx. Swords stuck with Hijinx. Shields called her PJ or Jinx, and Cake called her Hijinx, Jinx, or Pow-Pow.
And that was just one crazy thing she did, but PJ tolerated it because Shields was on her side for everything. She really did try on all levels for PJ, even asking about letting her create again.
Which she needed. Not just for her sanity, but to make things to figure out the power pull.
Shields just kept coming back with Anatoly had some private issues himself that wouldn't allow him to be around dirty and unorganized things. Metal and gears were ugly to him, the disorganisation of the creative spirit, so she wouldn't be allowed those things unless she was away from the house and on a mission.
The best she could ever get was a clock building kit. Made of cardboard. The clock didn't even work, it was just supposed to look like it did. PJ had to get creative in a different way. While she built the non-working clock, she would make note of the so-called parts she had, and draw next to it with blue prints she was able to get. The game of 'I could make this' saved what was left of her sanity.
Shields was just a little shorter with a little tuft at the end of her tail like Cake. She was a joyous thing that always had on one of three broaches. One was Bee Happy, with a bee on it. One just said 'Meh.' One said 'Let's not bother with me today.' She mainly wore her Bee Happy, but the 'Meh.' was PJ's favorite. If she was wearing that, she usually had an interesting thing or two to talk about herself.
They tackled the big things as they came up, but also tackled the tiniest of things sometimes. Strange things, like Ekko.
"Oh! PJ, look what I found today," Shields said as she came toward her. "I thought you might like your own set since you appreciate mine. Also, for watching Cake while I was gone with Swords."
PJ looked at the buttons. Standard buttons. "Love the Meh." Cake took the button that said 'Let's not bother with me today' before PJ took it back. "Gotta be quicker than that, Cake."
"Yes. Oh, and I was thinking about your friend Ekko today." She set her bag down. "Have you thought of writing him a letter?"
Uhhh. "Not a bit. Why would I?"
"Well, he is a key to your past. Writing down and explaining things, maybe why you loved Silco and Vander, and about what you have been going through here. It could really help."
What? "It could help me die." She'd never write a letter to Ekko.
"Why?" Cake asked. "Is he a boy you like?"
"He's a friend. Sort of." Yeah. "Beyond good friend. Sort of."
"But you two did make up before you faked your death," Shields pointed out.
"Sort of."
"Did you ever explain anything in detail?"
"Do I ever go over things like that in detail?" PJ said.
"A letter gives you a chance to express your feelings," Shield said. "You are alive simply because of him."
"Ekko saved your life, Pow-Pow?" Cake asked her. "How come you don't talk about him?"
"It's not good to dwell on the past, that's what your mom says, so blame her," PJ answered.
"She doesn't mean completely, PJ," Cake explained.
"A letter would be a good chance to express yourself," Shields continued.
"Even if I did, do you have any idea how hard it would be to send it?" Ekko's base was hidden. It wasn't going to be an easy thing.
"Oh." Shields looked a little embarrased. "I meant that you write the letter, but you don't actually send it."
PJ rolled her eyes with a big groan. "Big difference there, Shields."
"Mom messed up," Cake said, "but we all mess up."
"Yep. Queen of messes here," PJ answered, seeing both of them look at her annoyed. "Princess then."
"So would you like to try?" Shields asked again.
Even though he wouldn't get them? "No." It was still a no. "I left on good terms with Ekko, that was a miracle only some other Powder could give. Writing a letter would feel like opening up a can of worms."
The image of him there, right on top of her, about to kill her. To end her entered into her mind a split second again. It was war. She was doing everything she could for Silco. If that meant killing Firelights, it meant killing Firelights. Same applied from the other side, they killed those that were loyal to Silco.
But, she always missed him when she could have killed him. And, he always missed her when he could have killed her. He was ready to kill her that day. Any vestige of anything for her was missing in that entire look. There was nothing but pain and hatred for her. "Only a good Powder could change that look."
"There is no telling what he was actually feeling in the moment," Shields told her. "And? There is no good or bad Powder, just a good or bad evolution of that person," Shields said, catching her speaking out loud. "You are chaotic good, bad, and neutral. You are everything. You are you."
Yep. "PJ holds control."
"PJ will fight when necessary, but she can also give the warmest hugs," Shields told her. "I love PJ, Powder-Jinx, or anyone else you want to call yourself."
PJ went over and hugged her. "I just want to have a thousand copies of different small you's riding around with me at all times, Shields."
Shields just laughed as she wagged her tufted tail from side to side. "PJ is also funny. Sweet. Sensitive. PJ is a wonderful person."
"Snack time!" Cake walked over to join the hug too.
PJ had tried not to get too attached to Cake at least. She didn't want to get close to her like Isha. But. She had been there with her over half a year, and when Cake and Shield hugged her? It was nice. It was funny, they both always wagged their little tufted tails back and forth in hugs.
Cake was also . . . safe. That little ten year old felt safe. Like, everyone felt safe.
So, yeah, she eventually got close to her too. "I love my Cake, yummy." She hugged her deeply.
They weren't in Zaun's uneasy streets. Their food was free every day. Their clothes were free. Their work was supposed to give them access to trinkets which were just unique things by the artists before being sold in different areas.
No one ever starved. No one was poor. They were living in a steady home, with food and people who cared. No one ever attacked, the Laurent's never would have stood for it. It only happened one time in history, and it was a bloodbath the opposite way.
Everyone just got jacked up fast with the reserves to protect themselves. Reserve stations were everywhere in the village, on every corner. No matter how weak anyone became, they would always be able to get their fix in the vial reserve stations.
So getting the magic to study was super easy. Just making anything to study it was impossible.
Everyone knew each other's name. Appreciated each other. Helped when problems came up, no matter what it had been.
But there were always heavy reminders of what was wrong with the whole place. The biggest?
Shields. She would never say anything bad against the Laurents, especially their son. Even when it was just them. Clearly this guy was bad news, but she was just harping on the good. The better side of him.
Everything from 'he put extra strength in Cake's arms, so she was never in danger, it was just a test' to 'he has helped build a utopia where no one struggles or goes hungry. He funds the whole village, he cares for the whole village', yada yada yada.
Clearly, PJ could tell it was probably a direct order never to say anything bad about Anatoly, so she tried not to blame her for that.
"Hug over, more hugs later," Cake said to PJ. "Make appointment for more snacking, Pow-Pow."
"I got you some more pad and paper for your creations too." Shields let PJ go and showed her. "Maybe later today, we can go out."
"I'll take that," PJ agreed. She fixed her dress again, but clipped the 'Meh.' onto it. "How's it look?"
"Stunning," Shields said. "What do you think Swords?"
"Wonderful, wonderful," he said as he held Cake. "I can watch Cake for you this time if you'd like a little time off with Hijinx."
"Yes, thank you, Swords. That'd be nice."
PJ noticed how often Swords was helping out with Cake. He was the one practically watching her while Shields was gone. She definitely couldn't miss the look Shields gave to him. "Alright then let's go before there's a Scabbard around here."
"Scabbard?" Swords didn't get it, but Shields glowed up.
"Yes, sorry, we will be back," Shields said quickly leaving the room.
Jinx expected it to be just a shopping trip for trinkets, but when they got home, she had one more surprise.
"PJ. How are you feeling about your names?"
"Fine. Don't care." Just don't make her go through it all again. "Jinx is great. Powder is great." Blah, blah, blah.
"I want to try something to help combine them more. Sit down."
She sat down and felt Shields mess with her hair. "What are you doing?"
"It's a surprise. If you don't like it, we can undo it."
Huh. Strange. Braiding. Jinx felt something like two braids. Her hair has grown again. Not nearly as long but a decent length. Then those braids were moving on her head. Bobby pins.
"Stand by the mirror."
She did. Oh. "That's." That was pretty. She had a crown on her head with her braids. Impossible to do with her last length. "All pinned up somehow." Weird. She had never seen that before on herself.
"Yes, or."
They tumbled downward, and she saw her long bangs hanging out again, with odd double braids.
But. Double braids. Like. "Jinx."
"No. Try another word."
Hmmm. "Beautiful Chaos."
Shields smiled. "That will work. You just have to put in bobby pins right here and here." She pinned it up in the mirror. "A name for this?"
"I don't ever." What? "Piltovan. Rich. Impossible. Pretty. I don't know. Nice. Professional."
"Professional, yes. You are going to be meeting clients soon. We want to have a look that says 'you can trust me. I am gentle, sweet, and wouldn't hurt a fly'. While at the same time, you still hold the control. It's just another look."
"It's beautiful destruction hiding in that aristocratic look to lure them in." Yep, she could see it now. "Powder with Jinx. Aah." She better fix that with actual words or Shields would do something again. "I have control but I can dish out chaos and destruction at a moment's notice."
"Good, yes. If you like it, I can show you how to do it."
"Can you show me other nice hairstyles?" she asked. "Can you show me hairstyles that I can release and have my chaos back quickly?"
She felt Shields take out the braids. "Let's swap your bang in the side with the rest of your hair, turn it like this, and you could put it up like that."
Ooh. Simple yet effective. "Bobby pins are a girls best friend."
"Yes. Always remember. There is nothing wrong with looking pretty."
"As long as there's chaos within it," she smirked.