Work Text:
Everything feels like a dream.
You thought this was all a nightmare till you woke up after a fitful sleep,hoping you were back in your bed in Piltover. But instead you woke up on Jinxs couch again,nearly tripping and falling down into the pit below.
How does Jinx live here? Its so dangerous… you think to yourself while nervously glancing over the edge one time.
And to top all that off you dont have any proper clothes for your job today. You didnt plan on someone kidnapping you being a part of your day,and while you were all dressed up too. You were attending a party with your father,something for his business,which you found extremely boring as usual.
Currently you're standing in Jinxs bathroom,looking at your reflection in her mirror. Your hair was styled up in a fancy bun yesterday, now completely down and in your face. Youre so used to having your hair up,looking all tidy and neat. But it being down is kind of growing on you,finally something not perfect or pristine.
You sigh sadly as you see the wreck your dress is in now,this one being your favorite because your mother designed it. It was the last dress she made you.
“You doin ok in there?” Jinx calls from outside the bathroom door,making you jump from her voice popping up.
You open up the bathroom door hesitantly to reveal Jinx standing there with a small pile of clothes and a pair of shoes in her arms.
“Uh…yeah i'm doing ok,just still getting used to some things.” You admit to her,running a hand through your hair. A nervous habit you do when trying to calm your anxiety.
“I bet my bathroom is definitely a downgrade to your fancy smancy one upstairs,” she says with a small laugh. “Also here, I think you should probably get rid of your clothes,look more Zauny than Piltie with these.”
You take the clothes from her arms and feel relieved, especially with the pair of shoes on top of them. Somewhere during your kidnapping your shoes must've fallen off,leaving you barefoot this whole time.
“Thanks Jinx,I really appreciate all your help,” you say,smiling and wanting to hug her for her kindness. She feels like a little miracle during this horrific time.
She grins back. “No prob bob,dont want Silco getting more grumpy and trying to kick you out sooner! Now hurry and dress so I can help you settle in your job today.”
Silco….so thats his name,the man from yesterday… you think to yourself. You had wondered the whole time after he left who he was when he stood before you. You think his name sounds familiar,having heard it from your fathers “private” parties no doubt.
Your father is like many businessmen,working with many shady people to keep his wealth going. His business involves building weapons for enforcers from what you know,but his guests at those events definitely aren't there to talk about guns.
When will i ever be around people who arent shady or deals with illegal goods? You think to yourself,sighing as you put on your new clothes.
You decide to put your hair up in a ponytail,knowing full well you will break a sweat today while working. The shoes Jinx gave you shockingly fit too,except for maybe the shirt,it was a bit tight around the chest area.
“Definitely not a princess now,” you say as you smile at your reflection. “And not a Piltie either.”
“Ok so ya got the basics right?” Jinx asks you,sitting up on the bar and earning a small glare from the bartender whos trying to work.
“Grab drinks,serve them,dont make small chit chat and……wait what was the last one?” You ask,fidgeting with your waist apron for the tenth time.
“Dont draw attention, especially since youre the you know who,” Jinx says the last part in a low voice,as if anyone was listening around you both,when theyre all too busy working.
“Sounds easy enough,” you say with a nervous smile,trying to sound confident in yourself,that you wont screw up somehow.
Jinx assorts some peanuts on the counter,making a small design from them. “Im sure you'll do great,i on the other hand have to go grab something for the boss,so dont die while im gone ‘kay?”
“Ill try my best,” you say with a huff of a laugh,trying to ignore your anxiety buzzing through you by smiling and putting your brave face on.
The bartender places a tray on the counter in front of you, soon accompanied by a glass full of amber liquid.
“For the table in the corner,” the man gruffly says,nodding his head in the direction.
“O-oh ok,” you quickly grab the tray and start towards the customer.
The customer barely glances up at you as you place their drink in front of them. They seem to be too busy rolling up some kind of cigarette,you try not to grimace at the smell coming from it.
You quickly retreat back to the bar,smiling proud from serving your first drink. Jinx is no longer on the bar, probably far gone by now on her mission. Your smile slightly falters as you see the woman from yesterday walk up to the bar,asking for a bottle of liquor. She's just as tall and buff as you remember,and just as intimidating. Her giant robotic arm is clearer now than before when you were drugged,making you stare in awe at it.
“Ya done gawking?” You hear her snap at you,glaring as her resting hand on the bar turns into a fist.
“Oh go-god sorry its just,your arm is amazing and i love tinkering on machines so-.” You stutter,afraid shes going to punch you or her glare would burn a hole right through you.
“Are you just asking for trouble? Stop fucking babbling and do your job,” The woman spits,making you flinch at her words,feeling embarrassed.
You wanted to say something back but hold your tongue,not wanting her to cause you getting fired or anything. I just love seeing complex looking machines is all…. You think to yourself.
The bartender places some giant bottle on the bar,which she quickly grabs and stomps away with upstairs.
Safe to say that the woman,Sevika as she's called,does not like you.
The Last Drop soon picked up in customer's,big and small. Shady and not as shady people are either dancing or sitting. The music is blaring in the room, practically shaking you and hurting your ears almost. Thankfully you were too distracted with not tripping over beer bottles or even just air.
Youre exhausted,but miraculously standing. Only one problem though in all of this,which Jinx warned you about.
People have been looking at you,and specifically your hair too. But you follow Jinxs rules and dont linger long next to the customers,after all youre too busy serving drinks.
“Janna almighty, how many more?” You mutter to yourself as a few more people walk in. You rest for a minute against the counter,catching your breath and resting your feet.
You kind of feel good working this hard,having been pent up in your fathers house for so long. Maybe eventually when you pay off your debt to Silco you could even get a place of your own here. And maybe even-
“Hey,” the bartender says behind you,bringing you back out of your daydreaming.
He placed some kind of fancy bottle on the bar with care,unlike all the other beverages hes placed up there earlier. The bottle looks like the ones you see in Piltover, beautifully shaped and full of the familiar amber liquid. Your father has many of these back home,many of them emptied too.
“Take it to the boss upstairs,its his refill,” he says with a tilt of his head,then continues cleaning glasses.
As if serving these customers wasnt scary enough…
With careful hands you pick up the bottle and head towards the stairs,scared to death youll drop it any moment. Once you descend up the stairs you find two guards at Silcos door,blocking your way. They look like twin brothers,except one is bald while the other has hair.
“I was sent up here to give him his refill,” you say,trying to not sound so nervous from their intimidating selves.
They look at you skeptically,then look at the bottle thirstily. It feels like forever before they finally move for you with a disgruntled noise,and you rap on the door with your knuckle.
“Come in,” you hear Silcos voice call,an edge to his voice which makes your nerves more anxious.
Gently you open the door and see the boss himself sitting at his desk. A small stack of paper is piled on it,no doubt exhausting and frustrating to work on from his expression.
“What is it?” He asks impatiently,not even glancing up from his desk as he practically hunches over his papers.
“I brought your refill sir,” you say after taking a calming breath,stepping towards him.
He looks up at your voice,looking you up and down for a few seconds,lingering on your hair. His eyes notice the bottle and sighs a bit in relief.
“Its about damn time,” he says in a low tone,running a hand through his hair as he sits up more,reaching for a cigar. “Been questioning whether I should fire that mongrel or not for his delay.”
From where youre standing you finally get a better look at him now then before. He looks tall,very slender and quite older than you. His raven hair has streaks of silver in it,slicked back neatly. The left side of his face looks painful to you from the scars etched into it,and his eye especially. No eyelids, forever unblinking is his left eye,all black except the iris,which glows a pretty amber. The seafoam color of his right eye contrasts his other one,looking so pretty of a color for such a harsh man youve heard about downstairs. The whole right side of his face is intact and normal,unscathed,making you wonder how the left side happened.
He is far from ugly or hideous,you would admittedly say hes quite handsome. You just wish you didnt react so poorly seeing his face yesterday,feeling horrible about it now.
Oh god what am i doing…. You think to yourself,your cheeks reddening from the embarrassment of staring. You feel lucky that he was too busy lighting a cigar to notice you looking.
“Would you like me to pour you a glass sir?” You ask,placing the bottle on his desk,feeling dumb for asking the question. But you ask just in case its part of your job to also pour drinks for the boss too.
He takes a pull from his cigar,leans back in his chair,sighing as he exhales the smoke. “Why not,it makes you more useful after all.” He says dismissively, eyeing some of the paperwork on his desk again. “In this glass.” He gestures his cigar at a glass cup on his desk, resting next to his ashtray.
You dont waste any time and open the bottle, pouring the sharp alcohol into the glass,like you did a dozen times already downstairs. Silco sighs as he picks up the glass,looking back up at you.
“Jinx told me that Finn has quite a bounty on your head out there,” he says after taking a sip of his drink. “Consider yourself extremely lucky we let you stay here girl,dont take it for granted for a second,or we can just as easily throw you out on those streets.” His voice is low and threatening,making you tense up ,knowing full well hes telling you not to skrew up once. This is a rare thing for Silco to do then apparently,take people in.
“I wont disappoint sir,you have been more than generous given my situation,i will continue to be useful….i promise.” You say with a smile,nodding in agreement.
“Now go back to work,” he says with the wave of his hand, focusing back on his papers.
You quickly get out of there,not wanting to linger and have him change his mind. You have a place. A job even,and safety.
Janna thank you for this gift,praise be… thank you…..
Silco once again sighs,exhausted, as soon as you leave, rubbing his temple with his fingers.
“Youve taken quite the liking to her havent you Jinx?” He asks her,leaning back in his chair and closing his good eye.
Above him Jinx sits on a wooden beam, doodling on the wood with some chalk. “Maybe…that so bad?” She says quietly,almost hesitant.
“You know that once we deal with Finn, she'll have to go,thered be no reason for her to stay here.” He explains carefully,making her crack the chalk she was using. The cracked half falls down atop his desk,almost into his drink.
“Maybe she'll grow to like it here,I mean she's already fitting in so far,good worker too!” She quickly says,looking down at him, expectantly.
“Jinx…”
“Shes also nice to me,no one here is except you…” she whispers,pulling her legs close to her.
It isnt a secret that not many people like or be nice to Jinx here. Silco reprimands anyone who tries to hurt her in any way,and has many a time before she could defend herself. Jinx just wants another friend,someone to spend time with when Silco is too busy or too exhausted.
“I just…. dont want you getting hurt Jinx…” he whispers,looking up at her. “Like before.”
Jinx has memories flash before her,voices and scratched out faces making her flinch. A girl with pink hair yells at her,her eyes scratched out in pink. She shakes her head to clear the thoughts,focusing on her doodle in front of her.
“She wont be like her…..she can't.”
To Be Continued in Part 3!