Chapter Text
The bracing air of the ocean washed over him like a wave; thick, briny, and crisp. It filled his lungs with every breath, a faint fishy smell tingling just slightly in his nose. He could feel its salt seeping into his body, flooding through his veins and invigorating his spirit. The cab ride hadn’t been that long, and yet he could not help slightly dozing off during the 25-minute journey. The cry of seagulls could be heard from every angle; some perched idly on the tall streetlights dotting the parking lot, others seeming suspended several yards overhead.
It was all so familiar, and yet, also incredibly foreign.
It had been over 20 years since Silco had willingly made his way to the harbors of the City of Progress. Usually reserved for the sea-faring men and women of the region, it felt odd to return as a civilian rather than a worker. Instead of the thick-soled boots and heavy raincoat that had been the standard dress code, now he was in a light blazer; a pair of faux-leather sandals strapped to his socked feet. The legs of his dress pants brushed against his ankles as he exited the vehicle, briefcase in hand and suitcase rolling loudly after him.
It felt wrong.
Not just his attire but the whole thing! Instead of a dark morning sky, set ablaze by the countless spotlights lining the area, there was sunlight. Bright, glaring sunlight. Instead of the sickening stench of fossil fuels being spewed from rusted exhaust pipes, there was only the clean, brisk sea air. There were almost no shipping containers to be seen; old metallic things constantly being loaded and unloaded by cranes taller than a 3-story building. No foghorns blaring loudly announcing the arrival of another cargo ship. No harbormaster shouting out commands before taking yet another smoke break behind the break room. There was not a thing in place now that would normally remind him of the ocean.
Except for the smell. That pure, untainted smell that somehow always seemed to seep into every area of the docks, be it inside or out.
The dissonance of the situation rang loudly in his mind as his good eye scanned the sky. It was a relatively nice day; the weatherman predicting moderate temperatures and gentle winds for the rest of the week. Not that it would matter to him; after all in a few hours he wouldn’t even be here. Reaching into the inner pocket of his blazer he carefully retrieved the slip of paper he’d printed out the night before. Arrive by 9am the instructions had said, launch is at 11am and does not wait for late arrivals. Honestly he wouldn’t have minded if it left without him, but unfortunately that was not an option. Well, at least there would be some peace and quiet. Hopefully.
The cereal in his stomach churned uneasily as he made his way down the pier, discomfort only growing as he took in the sight of his new (temporary) home.
The S.S. Resplendent.
It was…impressive, to say the least.
Sporting 16 guest decks and over 6000 rooms, this was a ship to beat all ships. Or at least it was marketed online as such anyway. With 10 swimming pools, over 20 restaurants and bars, 4 nightclubs, an amphitheater with functioning IMAX screen, and an on-board casino, Silco had been having a hard time imagining anything being as grand. And that was even with him excluding the 3 spas, 6 gymnasiums, and advertised art gallery on deck 12.
But here it was, in all its garish glory.
It was a gargantuan thing; its long, tall chimney looking perched like a crown at the very top of the vessel. Its girth dwarfed any and all remaining boats in the area, its large sides not even appearing to sway in the waters below. Along its bow ran lines and lines of lifeboats; each painted a bright yellow to contrast the pearl coloring of the thick, steel hull. How the thing even managed to stay afloat was almost a mystery.
The grip on his leather strap tightened as another wave of uncertainty washed over him.
He shouldn’t be here; bags packed with his cab driving away. He should be at home; laptop open on his countertop preparing for next semester. Maybe brewing a cup of instant coffee or two while reading through the new textbook to decide on course material. Not getting ready to board a 6 week long cruise on one of the highest rated ships in the world. It was completely unheard of for a Zaunite!
But, his doctor had insisted. His best friend had insisted. Gods even SEVIKA had insisted! All of them, earnestly contending that he needed this. It had been YEARS since he’d actually let himself take a vacation; not that he minded that fact of course. The life of a community college instructor was not a rich one, especially when that college was located in the City of Progress’s poorest neighborhood. Zaunite teachers could afford to just leisurely take time off, less they wanted to battle possible homelessness and starvation. And just because the school year had ended, it didn’t mean rent and living expenses magically disappeared as well. By now he had grown comfortable with denying himself the holiday most would gladly enjoy; instead choosing to offer summer classes or taking temp jobs around town to supplement his income. But after his last doctor’s visit reported yet another blood pressure reading over 130, it had become apparent he needed a work break.
Originally he’d planned on spending his time off secluded at home, but of course that plan went out the window the second Vander had caught wind of his diagnosis. And so reluctantly, Silco had allowed his best friend to book him a vacation location. He had hoped the man would at least choose somewhere calm and quiet; a place where he could work on his book or do something quietly in his room. Maybe go to a local restaurant with cheap prices to avoid racking up a large food bill. But when Vander had knocked on his door a few days later, a triumphant grin plastered on his stupid, bearded face, holding a receipt for a one and a half month long international cruise, Silco had nearly had a heart attack.
He'd tried to return the ticket; even highjacked Vander’s credit card from his wallet to try to get a refund from Wanderlust but to no avail. It was a nonrefundable trip his friend had said, and that was that.
So now here he was, trudging down to the docks with a ticket that probably cost his friend a good chunk of his yearly salary in his back pocket. Ready to board a boat that looked like it was about to house the entire population of a small town.
Janna it was crowded! Way too crowded.
He’d barely made it to the edge of the drop off zone before he found himself swept into a strong undertow; body being pushed rudely forward by others all vying for a spot in the impossible swell of humans. There must have been hundreds of people. Hundreds of friends and families all mixed up and tangled into one large, hominid wave. And these were just the individuals assigned the 9am boarding time! Vaguely, Silco remembered reading the max capacity being somewhere around 7.5k people, and as he felt the constant force of pressure against his back, he feared this may indeed, be a “full boat.” Men in bright blue and gold uniforms ushered them all down the pier, their loud, boisterous voices just barely audible even with the added megaphones.
“Ladies and gentlemen please keep moving forwards towards the front of the terminal. Our porters are ready to assist with baggage as soon as you check in and can provide sea-bands to those who request it. We leave port in 2 hours so please, make sure you have everything you need before that time.”
Behind him he felt the presence of a large man biting at his ankles, obviously oblivious to the person standing in front of him. Irritated, he turned himself sideways, allowing for the family of five to usher past him before pulling out the required paperwork.
He was at the head of the queue before he even realized it. A lady with thick blonde hair checked his passport before giving a nod of approval, her colleague taking his larger bag from him before fitting his left wrist with a thin, waterproof band.
“Congratulations!” She said with false cheer, grabbing something from a laminating printer and handing it to him. “You are in the Abyssal district. Room 1453 on Deck 4.” She pointed to a red dot on the sheet. “This marks your quarters. If you lose your map or room band you can get another on Deck 3 with provided ID. We are also offering a complimentary meal at Fathoms, redeemable at any time during your travels.” She handed him another piece of paper, this one containing receipt and a small barcode at the bottom of the page. “Your baggage will be in your room by this afternoon. If you have any more questions, the help line is available 24/7.” A wave of her hand signaled for his dismissal, already turning to help the next person in line.
1453 he thought, tucking the paper into the front pocket of his coat. The start of the New Age Renaissance.
The sudden small nudge on his left side was unexpected. Looking down, Silco saw a pair of small children pushing past him, their mouths open in loud screams of delight as they made their way through the current of people. Behind him, he could hear a mother calling out for the two kids, followed by a stern scolding for running ahead without their father. Silco groaned inwardly turning around. He hoped Vander had at least gotten him on one of the "age restricted" floors.
It took Silco close to 20 minutes to get to his destination, thanks in part to a few wrong turns and spilled slushy in one of the main elevators (thanks for that, mystery kid). However, he’d breathed a sigh of relief when exiting and noticing the “21+ and older” script carved delicately under the “Abyssal Zone” sign hanging from the ceiling. Being closer to the bottom of the ship, it made sense most families would prefer to stay above the 6th deck, where they could get a better view of the arrivals and departures. Most of the people on this floor looked to be around his age, if not older. Middle aged couples or empty nesters finally allowing themselves to enjoy their well-earned retirements. There were a few single people like himself, along with one group of youngers who looked to be in their late 20’s. Watching their rambunctious behavior Silco felt glad his room was several yards down from theirs.
Pressing his wrist against the door sensor he heard a small click as the privacy lock disengaged. Well, if he was going to be here for 4 weeks, he’d better get settled in. The ship left port in a couple of hours, which should give him plenty of time to-
He felt the briefcase in his hand fall to the floor as the door swung open, eyes widening slightly in surprise.
This room was much nicer than he expected it to be! Set before him was a small living area, complete with a loveseat, coffee table, clear port window and flatscreen TV. To his left, a cute kitchenette was nestled in the corner, a small refrigerator and microwave sitting next to a low sink and counterspace. Past the small breakfast table, he could see a large open doorframe; leading to what he could only assume was the bedroom. A large, queen-sized bed awaited him there, its kelp-green comforter illuminated by another round port window looking out at the rest of the city, this one propped open slightly to allow a fresh sea breeze to blow into the cabin. A modest bathroom could be seen in the reflections of the mirrored closet doors; a full-sized shower and tub evident in its glass.
“Vander you insufferable oaf you overdid it again,” said Silco quietly, pinching his brow in mild frustration. He wasn’t sure how his friend could afford this. Sure Vander made a significantly larger amount of money than he did as the Fire Chief of Piltover, but surely even his salary would have trouble paying for something this luxurious. Not only had the man graciously paid for most of his lodging, but he’d even had the gall to get him an oceanside room. “Consider it payback for all the missed birthdays” he’d said when Silco had noticed and tried to protest.
He felt his ID band chafe against his wrist slightly as he closed the door behind him, quelling the voices of the other passengers in the hallway. Focus, he thought to himself, taking a deep, steadying breath. This is a gift. Use it to get some work done.
Striding across the room he closed the bedroom window with a quiet click. He would have well over a month to do whatever he pleased. 6 weeks to sit back, and maybe finally, make some headway on his book. He’d made sure to pack all of his reference material; pages and pages of peer-reviewed articles exploring the latest discoveries in archeology. Hopefully, this period abroad would give him the time he needed to cross-reference his sources, to ensure his notes were accurate and not skewed by outside influences. Setting his briefcase on the breakfast table he stretched, feeling his bones crack back into place, before pulling out his laptop, and getting to work.
~_~_~_~
The hustle and bustle around the Portside Pub was strangely absent for this time of day. Instead of lines being split into 5 sections now there was only one; mainly made up of older guests, hair still wet from Pilates classes in the pools. But that was to be expected. After all, after 3 days of constant travel through mostly calm waters, the ship had finally made its first dock of the trip, Ixtal.
It was an absolutely beautiful place; full of life, wonder, and intrigue. After having been closed for many centuries, the mysterious nation had only begun to welcome visitors within the last several decades. A country mainly comprised of deep, lush jungles and fierce, exotic creatures, it was any adventure enthusiast’s dream. Sadly its capital, Ixaocan, was still not open to outsiders, but tours down the Serpentine River were still allowed.
It had almost been humorous watching the others get off the ship. Since it was the first official stop, almost everyone on board had raced to disembark as fast as humanly possible; crushed sunglasses and dropped single-use cameras being the main casualties of the fiasco. Like Embarkment Day it had been incredibly populous, and was the exact reason Silco had decided to remain ON the boat for the first day. He had nothing against Ixtal, in fact he was looking forward to exploring the bookstores at port in search of older texts, but trying to fight against 90% of the entire boat’s population did not sound like a “relaxing time” to him.
And so he’d chosen to stay onboard for today. There would be plenty of time to sightsee over the next 3 days to see the famous buildings and monuments he’d read so much about in his history books, but for now, he could enjoy the peace and tranquility brought on by a mostly empty vessel. While his room had definitely been quiet (thank Janna for sound proofing), actually leaving his quarters was a different story entirely. While most families tended to stay on the more family friendly levels (for obvious reasons), many of the cruise ship events were hosted on the lower levels of the boat. Game night last night had been particularly loud, with several drunks nearly tripping over their own feet while trying to make their way back to their own quarters, only to realize they were on the wrong deck. But now with almost everyone on land, he could spare a few peaceful hours, just listening to the calm quiet of the ship.
Clutching the plastic handles of the bag now containing his lunch Silco arrived back at his room, taking a moment to place the “do not disturb” sign back in place. His cabin was still relatively clean; meaning housekeeping could stand to skip it one more day. His computer already sat open on the makeshift desk he’d created out of the breakfast table; the word cursor blinking at the end of the paragraph he’d recently finished typing. He was happy for the lower noise levels today. It was giving him a chance to really get into his work. Already he’d finished the first section of Chapter 1; a spot that had been giving him a rough time for the last month and a half. At this rate, he was confident that he’d be able to finish at least a good quarter of the book before he-
“GET HER!”
A boisterous shout quickly broke him from his burgeoning sense of concentration. He felt his body hesitate; right hand pausing in its task of pushing open the front door as he turned to locate the source of the sound. It was coming from his left, around the corner of the hall just a few yards from him. He could already hear the dull thumping of footsteps approaching from down the way, their heavy soles getting louder and louder as they got closer and closer to the turn. Then suddenly, a brash thud as a body abruptly slammed itself against the back wall.
Silco felt his eyes widen as he looked at the body in question.
A thin figure was doubled over at the end of the hallway; one hand on the wall, the other on their knee as their back rose and fell with deep, labored breaths. Down the corridor, the roar of footstep drew ever closer, their pace never letting up. He felt his grip on his doorhandle tighten, the metal feeling cool against his palm. He should probably stay out of this. Whoever it was being chased was of no consequence to him. He should just slip back into his room, lock the door, and then-
And then the figure looked up at him, and all other thoughts fell to the wayside.
It was a young girl.
She was…strikingly beautiful. Long blue hair woven into two thick braids that tumbled down her back, ending in two small scrunchies (one blue, one pink) that hung just above the clasps of her woven wedges. Her skin was light, almost pale-ish in color; marred only by the vibrant, blue cloud tattoos that rolled down her right arm and side. A large wide-brim hat hung behind her, its adjustable clasp pulled taut against her thin neck. She was scantly dressed; a small bikini top with an equally small bikini bottom being the only articles of clothing she had on, save for the transparent white and blue sarong tied around her waist. Bug-eye sunglasses were held tightly in the hand on her knee, the straps of a canvas backpack still wrapped around her wrist.
For a moment, the two of them just stared at one another; bright, pink eyes boring into his two mismatched ones. He watched as her gaze shuffled over him, bottom lip being pulled between her teeth, as the gears turned in her head. She seemed to be analyzing something, weighing invisible options only known to her.
Then her head snapped to look behind her, and before he even had a chance to register what was happening, she was racing down the hallway. Like a bullet from the barrel of a gun she launched herself at him with an almost inhuman speed. Her head collided with the center of his chest in with the force of a semi-truck, the breath being instantly knocked from his lungs. He gasped, feeling gravity take hold of them both as they crashed to the floor inside his cabin. His tailbone let out a howl of agony as it collided with the ground, the impact sending a strong jolt of pain all the way up the center of his spine. The girl was now laying on top of him, her small body pressed flush against his bony one as he struggled to get out from underneath.
“W-what in the world-” A skinny hand suddenly clamped itself over his mouth, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Painted nails flashed in front of his vision as they came up to the stained lips just inches from his own, making the universal “shhhhh!” motion as he felt (more than heard) the girl kick the door shut behind them with her foot.
“Be quiet!” She hissed in a low voice, her chest rumbling deeply with her words. At that, Silco felt a fire light in his own.
How dare she assault him! In his own quarters no less!
He wanted to protest. Wanted to get angry. Wanted to shove her off and tell her to get the hell out of his room before slamming the door in her face and calling security. She didn’t belong here. Children were not allowed on this deck, and he was damn well determined to keep it that way come hell or high water. But as he looked up at the pale, skinny figure above him he felt something odd. Something that seemed to pause his desire to berate and punish. He wasn’t sure if it was some sort of sixth sense or an unspoken tell, but something about the situation told him he best do as she instructed. For both their sakes.
And so he stayed put, body lying motionless under hers as he heard the footsteps finally come to a stop a few paces from his door.
“Damn it! Where did she go?” Said the voice of a young man, his breath sounding slightly strained. “She was right there and then she-”
“Ah shit she must’ve ducked into one of the rooms.” Said another voice, this one of a much older gentleman. “Sneaky little bastard.”
“But how? They’re all key-coded!”
“The fuck would I know?”
“Maybe this is her floor?”
“Are you an idiot?” The older man’s tone sounded irritated; its gruffness exacerbated by his labored breathing. “This floor is a 21+ deck. Girl shouldn’t even be down here.”
“Maybe we should get security involved then. Tell them-”
“Tell them what? That a 16-year-old girl managed to sneak into another guest’s cabin?” Silco heard the man let out a loud cough, followed by a unintelligible curse. “Look. This shit is bad I’m not gonna lie. But I’m also not gonna go down to housekeeping to get the master key and search every single one of these damn rooms. If guests were to hear unrelated employees were going through their personals while they were off ship…” The man let out another ragged breath. “Sorry, but I’m not gonna lose my job just because you couldn’t do yours.”
“But uncle-”
“Don’t “but uncle” me kid! Do you have any idea how many strings I had to pull to get your ass on this trip? Your mother should be kissing the soles of my boots for getting her “precious son” a job on this ship.” The anger in his voice was quite evident. “It was your job to monitor the pool. Not mine, yours. Now, get back to your post, and make sure not to screw it up this time.”
“B-but the girl-”
“If you see that girl again then call security. It’s their job to handle shit like this, not ours.”
“Maybe we should let her off this time. I mean, there was no one around-” Silco felt the girl above him flinch as they heard a loud smack followed by a yelp come from the other side of the door.
“You are thinking with your dick rather than your head. Rules are rules and there are no exceptions, no matter how “cute” they look. So you are gonna get your ass back to your deck, finish your shift, then write up an incident report and hand it over to the security guards on D12.”
“Aw no come on man Theriam’s off early tonight and we were gonna-”
“Gonna what? Try to get him fired as well for sneaking your underaged ass alcohol? Yeah don’t pretend I didn’t see that little sideshow go down earlier. If you value your life and your job you are gonna cancel your plans and follow my orders. Or would you prefer to spend the evening calling your mother to explain why you are suddenly on the first plane back to the Pilt?”
“N-no uncle.” Said Deckard, his voice now gone meek. The pair were silent for a moment before a loud, exasperated sigh cut through the air.
“Ugh, look. I get it. I know you wanna have fun. I did my fair share of stupid shit too back when I was your age. But if you’re gonna pull that kind of crap don’t pull it on board.” The younger man said nothing, prompting another groan from the older man’s throat. “Look, I’m going to let this one slide for now. You can keep that one bottle of light beer but I swear if I see you try to do something that stupid again I’m gonna have a talk with the Captain. Got it?”
“Yes uncle.”
“Good. Now get!”
It was a few minutes before the shuffling of footsteps subsided, leaving the empty hall quiet once again.
“Oh thank Janna I thought they had me there.”
Scrambling to his feet he pushed the girl off him, hearing a slight “oof!” as her bottom collided with the hardwood floor.
“What just happened there?” He said, voice loud even to his ears. “Who are you? Why are you in my room? What are you doing here?!”
“Ugh calm down old man they’re gonna come back if you don’t.” Said the girl, eyes rolling in clear annoyance as she settled into a cross-legged position on the ground.
“Well they should!” He said angrily, hand already on the door handle. “You are breaking and entering and I want you out!”
“No! Wait! Please!” His intruder clamored upright, thin fingers grabbing at his hold on the door. “Please just, hold on a minute, ok?”
Silco looked down at the girl, discontent clearly etched on his face. He didn’t want to listen to what she had to say. She had basically just assaulted him, and now wanted to stop him from reporting her? He should be calling security right now and having them escort her away! But there was something…different about the way she was looking at him now. Her magenta gaze was not the same as it had been a few minutes ago; fiery and burning with a ferocity unmatched by any object. No now, it was tame, almost docile in fact; as if someone had poured cold water over a flame, dulling its fervor to a more muted, more subdued feeling. Its color still burned brightly, but now from within the safety of its core ember.
He realized with surprise that the emotions he was seeing reflected in her eyes were not just fear and panic, but also…helplessness? An emotion he’d only seen a few times in a person of the Pilt, given their birth-given privileged disposition.
The gaze acted as a silent plea, gouging into his own soul with an unexpected effectiveness. Asking for a chance at self-explanation rather than clemency, which surprised him even more (given the circumstances).
He took in a deep, silent breath, before releasing the handle and folding his arms in front of his chest, eyes narrowed as they glowered down at her.
“I am waiting.”
He watched as her small body let out a rather large sigh of relief, shoulders finally relaxing back into place before speaking.
“So, yeah. Sorry about all that. Those guys were chasing me and I really didn’t want to get caught.”
“Obviously.” He said pointedly, eyebrow arching in false amusement. “However, that still doesn’t give me a reason to not report you. Quite the opposite in fact.” The girl let out a distressed groan.
“Oh come on old man can’t you be a little sympathetic? Ugh Janna it wasn’t my fault! They should’ve been clearer with their freaking signs!” He watched as the girl began to pace, hands throwing themselves along her sides repeatedly in frustration. “Look. I did what they asked me to do. Stayed out of trouble all year and kept up that precious 4.2 GPA. Now it’s summer and they promised to do something fun and I am not going to let some dumbass employees jeopardize all my hard work because one of their stupid signs wasn’t clear enough about what’s not allowed at the pool.” She slammed her fist against the wall, muffled thud just barely audible.
“And what is it exactly, that you did?” A temper tantrum at 16. Not surprising for a privileged Piltie. He thought judgmentally. Her pacing seemed to stop abruptly at his words, blue braids swinging behind her softly as she turned to look at him with the most curious gaze he’d ever seen on a person. He watched as she cocked her head to one side, plucked eyebrows furrowing together as if she was legitimately confused by his question.
“I was sunbathing.”
“Sunbathing?”
“Yeah sunbathing. European style.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“You did what?” Her attitude was shockingly, almost brutally, cavalier, as if her casual admission didn’t bother her in the absolute slightest. She’d just shrugged and went back to pacing, flipping a stray piece of hair behind her ear before pulling out a cellphone and beginning to type. His mind fumbled as he tried to get some words out, all the while the girl continued to focus on her screen.
“You heard me.” She said, fingers flying over the buttons. “Honestly, I don’t see the big deal. The sun’s out, ship’s basically empty, there was no one around; perfect timing if you ask me. Not my fault the sign didn’t say anything about that.”
“That’s because it is common sense for a family cruise you underaged 16 year old CHILD.”
“HEY!” Her mood shifted faster than the rolling tides of the sea. Within milliseconds she was back in front of him, staring up at him with a sneer so intimidating it could scare several grown men and then some. He felt himself back up against the wall, a bead of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. A long, pink nail held itself just centimeters from his face, magenta eyes flashing with searing anger.
“I am 19 you old rat I am NOT a child!” He watched her, his own eyes still blown wide with surprise, before finally narrowing and looking down at her.
“Really now?” He said, tone gone suddenly cool, and mocking. “I hardly believe that.”
“Oh fuck you I am 19 and I can prove it!” With an almost inhuman speed, the girl retrieved the dropped canvas backpack on the floor. She rummaged through it briefly, before whipping something out from an inside pocket and thrusting it in front of him.
“See? 19!” She said, voice sounding oddly proud. “Check. Mate.” Silco took the card in his hands, reading the small text printed on the laminated driver’s license.
“Jinx? That is an…interesting name.” Jinx snatched the ID back from his hand, stuffing it back in her bag with a frustrated scowl.
“Yeah well it’s my name and I like it. If you don’t you can go fuck yourself.”
“Crude word choice, coming from a girl who has yet to convince me why I should not report her to security.”
“Ugh FINE! I’m sorry just, please don’t tell anyone about any of this. If they so much hear a whisper about this I’ll be on a plane back home faster than a divebombing falcon and be stuck working retail for the rest of the summer.”
“Sounds like that’s the kind of discipline you could use, if you are getting into this much trouble already.”
“Oh come on old man not you too!” Jinx groaned, head rolling back with an exasperated sound. “Look. I’m sorry. I’ve learned my lesson. What I did was stupid and I won’t do it again.”
“And?”
“And I’m sorry for tackling you to the ground and talking you hostage. Janna you sound like my-”
“-Father?” He finished for her. Jinx paused, looking him up and down one more time before snorting.
“Yeah. Sure. We’ll go with that. Anyway please don’t report me. I’m already gonna have a hard time keeping those two bums from informing my folks and it would be a real solid for me if you didn’t add more to my plate.”
“And why should I do you this “solid” as you put it?” Janna he hated the youth slang. That’s why he chose to teach at the college level rather than the high school one.
“Because you were also young at one point?”
“That is irrelevant.”
“Your daughter then. Surely she did some weird shit when she was my age?”
“I don’t have any children.”
“Janna you are killing me here!” He watched her run her fingers through her bangs in frustration, a few strands coming loose to fall on the ground below her.
“And if I did, they certainly wouldn’t be old enough to be your senior.” Jinx’s hand paused as she turned to look at him, a sly grin on her face.
“Well would you look at that. Here you thought I was 3 years younger, and I thought you were 10 years older.” His eyes rolled at the lazy insult. “Guess we can call each other even then old man.”
“I am not that old.”
“Yeah. Sure. And I’m a baby teenager just like you said I was.” Silco’s eyes narrowed slightly, feeling his irritation return. He watched as Jinx noticed his change in mood, her eyes running lines over his face as she studied it, pondering.
Out of all the choices she could’ve made, humility, was definitely not the expression he was expecting.
“Please,” she said, a quiet plead just audible in her voice. “Please. Just, don’t report me. Ok? It would really help me out. I already feel like I don’t belong here, and it would be nice to just catch a break for once, alright?”
Silco studied her, his mind a mixture of thoughts and emotions as he weighed her words. Not belonging. He could understand that. Sure, it was clear from the girls expensive clothing, that she was definitely not a Zaunite. But there was something more based here. Something that told him her brazen behavior had gotten her into multiple problems despite her privileged upbringing. Or maybe it was because of it. Her essence as Sevika’s wife would put it, did not mesh with the gifted life Janna had given her. And that probably caused her more problems than one, even if some of it was indeed, not her fault. After all he could hear the woman’s elegant voice echo in his head we do not choose the life we are born into.
He felt his hand absentmindedly reach up to rub against the left side of his face at these thoughts, nails catching on the old scars and discolored skin hidden beneath thick layers of makeup.
“Alright” he said softly, closing his eyes before turning to look at her again. “I will not report you.”
The loud shout of “WHOOP!” in triumph was unexpected, to say the least.
“YES! Thank you thank you thank you!” And then suddenly he felt himself being pressed against her again, but instead of a tackle it was a…
…hug??
“Thank you old man! I really, really appreciate it!”
“…If you want to show gratitude, then please do so by leaving me in peace.” He said awkwardly, trying to pull her away from him while gesturing to the door.
“Oh come on what’s a small hug between friends?”
Friends?
“Anyway I gotta get going.” She said cheerily, finally releasing her hold on him. He felt her chest brush up against him slightly once more as she shimmied past him and through the now open door. “Mom and Pop should be getting back in a few hours and I promised to get some work done.” Silco raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“You aren’t joining them on land today?”
“Uh, no? I’ve got summer reading to do before next term starts?” She said, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. “I’ll go tomorrow. People will be worn out a bit from today anyway so it might be less hectic then. Actually hey why aren’t you on land with the rest of the old folks?” Silco sighed, ignoring the clear jab.
“Because like you, I also have work to do. Though mine is much more strenuous than yours.”
“As if! Do you have any idea how boring it is to read the Iliad AND the Odyssey?? Shit’s like pulling teeth from an Ironback.”
“Ironback’s don’t really have teeth.”
“Exactly!” A small ding interrupted them; Jinx reaching in between her hip and the side of her sarong to pick up her cell phone. “Shit that’s them. Well, you should go out at least once before we leave port. Dad says Ixtal is “amazing” and “you have to see it Jinx” so yeah don’t miss out.”
The fact that she expressed interest in what he was doing surprised him, and he could not help the ghost of a smile begin to form in the back of his mind. He watched as she turned back into the hall, braids swaying behind her, before she suddenly stopped, turning to face him again.
“Seriously though. Thank you.” She said, tone sounding genuine. “I owe you one.”
And with that, the girl was bounding back down the length of the hall, canvas bag thrown over her shoulder, and her sunglasses clutched tightly in her hand.
He watched her until she rounded the corner again, and disappeared from his sight.
Don’t miss out. Those words seemed to echo in his mind as he made his way back inside, clicking the door shut quietly behind him.
Well that had been an…interesting experience to say the least. The hardwood grain of his chair felt cool under his palm as he pulled it out, the feet squeaking against the floor. He pushed it to the side, making his way over to the window that was still propped open. A light breeze had begun to blow outside, stirring up the piles of research papers he’d so neatly organized. Striding across the room he closed the bedroom window with a quiet click. He needed to stay focused. This vacation was the perfect time to get some work done, and he was determined to do so. No matter how interesting a guest he’d just had was.
Janna please let me be able to focus on this work this trip, he prayed silently, pulling out the chair and taking a seat once more, computer keys clicking quietly in the silence of the now-vacant room.
Had he left the window open, he might have caught the faint sounds of a mirthful laugh, carried along by the soft winds still billowing away from the ports of his youth.