To mug someone; such a strong phrase, one used to inspire fear, anger and hatred in the souls of society's various members. It defined which sort of method of thievery in particular the said criminal had used. It meant that the one who relieved their victim of their possessions was evil, cold-hearted, but most of all, it meant that they had not a whit of class.
Mugging was something that only the stupid, violent and desperate- not to mention the tasteless- resorted to. Finesse was required to be able to steal anything worth the trouble of it, anyway. Charm and guile were necessary to go undercover and escape without anyone being the wiser. Skill was the key ingredient in the formula for theft. And yet, those who mugged others continued their selfish, ignorant and self-destructive ways, beating meager rewards out of the weak while the professionals made careful, perfect moves that synchronized with all possible factors of the job and reaped immense bounties.
Jinx was most certainly not a mugger. She was a pickpocket, cutpurse, nicker, footpad, perhaps even a heart stealer, considering the attractiveness she had. She'd definitely gotten that Kid Flash's blood pumping, considering his attempts to woo her. Playing hard-to-get was a favorite pass-time of hers, and how she subtly stole things from those who fawned over her without them even realizing it was just so exhilarating and entertaining at the same time. The enjoyment Jinx could wring from her antics was almost disturbing with how sinister it was in nature. The sorceress was well aware of how sadistic it may have looked, but she didn't care; it was simply a part of who she was.
And so, her own pleasure in mind, Jinx slunk like some sort of black cat through the crowds of Jump City, mingling with the populace, somehow going unnoticed. Several were already victims of her dexterous hands and fingertips, their wallets and coin-purses having been slipped from their possession, oblivious to the thievery.
Swipe.
A man's fat wallet was now hers, and she slipped it into the rapidly filling pocket of her slate gray hoodie. As soon as Jinx had wandered far enough away from the crowd to safely examine her prize, she pulled out the wallet and dipped inside its folds. Counting the bills, she grinned at the two hundred and fourteen dollars she now had. A thought soon came to her as she pondered what to do next. Why not challenge herself, replacing the wallet in the man's pocket? Jinx had to put genuine effort into not stretching a Cheshire smile across her face as she slid back into the masses, following her most recent gudgeon.
The man had a swagger that advertised his unawareness that his money was missing. Jinx snaked between those who were in the way, and in a few mere moments, the metahuman thief followed him so closely she could smell the faint scent of the detergent he'd used regularly on his clothing. Her deft fingers working quickly, Jinx slipped the wallet into the man's back pocket, giving his rump a light tap as she twirled away. He stopped very suddenly, his eyes scouring the place for whoever had violated him... not that he minded, but still.
He saw Jinx stepping away, grinning widely and giving him a small wave as she retreated into a dark alleyway. Placing his hand where she touched him, he felt his wallet, and then gasped, for his wallet hadn't been in that pocket when he last checked. Turning back in her direction, he cursed aloud- Jinx was nowhere to be found.
Maniacal cackling could be heard as Jinx revelled with satisfaction in the success of her ploy. Her wicked laughter grew to be too much, and she doubled over, gripping her sides in pain while she choked on her crowing. Barely able to calm herself down, Jinx panted heavily in between the fading giggles, hardly able to stand properly. Her hand was pressed over her heart, still struggling to breathe while she strode onto the sidewalk once more.
!
An iced mocha sounded rather delicious at the moment. A pink tongue licked over plump, black lips while the customer in question considered what exactly she was to order from the coffee shop that she stood in. Perhaps a cappuccino, or a frappé fashioned with vanilla cream? She couldn't decide, they all sounded so good! After contemplating her situation thoroughly, the girl decided that she would take one of each. Caffeine did, after all, make her world go round.
Her order made, paid for and received, Argent stepped to the table she'd chosen and set down her three drinks. Picking up the cappuccino first, she gave it a sip, nodding her approval to the taste, before slurping down the entire drink in a few swallows. A smack of the lips and a sigh as she felt the warmth trail down into her belly, and Argent could already sense the sugar kicking in. Soon she was already sucking down the mocha, the contrasting in temperatures between it and the cappuccino producing a shockwave of sensations in her esophagus and stomach.
Moaning with pleasure as she experienced the jolt inside, Argent's moment of Nirvana was soon interrupted; two men wearing ski masks and wielding nine-millimeter pistols kicked in the glass door, one of them firing a bullet into the ceiling. "This here's a robbery! As long as you stay where you are and hand over all your cash, nobody gets hurt!" the trigger-happy criminal roared.
Argent, who was distinctly irritated by this intrusion, stood from the stool and barked at themn "Oi! What's a girl got t'do to enjoy her java 'round here?"
The other robber turned to her and fired a bullet, hitting her frappé and making it explode all over the table. At that her face reddened with genuine anger. "Blimey, you insufferable gits have no respect, do you?"
In answer to that, the first one yelled, "Shut up, bitch!" as he fired a shot directly at her- which flattened against a shield of silver energy.
This time, Argent's face was what showed off just how pissed she really was, contorting into an expression of fury. Without saying a word, the shield molded itself into a gigantic hand with an open palm, and whipped into both of the robbers. The four-foot hand knocked them ten feet through the air and out of the café, skidding another five along the asphalt. Argent steadily followed them outside, gazing at the two of them menacingly before her arms were covered in the same silver energy before turning into writhing tentacle-like ropes. Flinging her arms outward, they wrapped and bound the robbers, constricting them so tight that they dropped their guns while straining to breathe through the pain. Drawing them towards her, Argent said coldly, "Alright now, I'm leaving you 'ere for the coppers. You say a thing, and it's through a wall, understand?"
They nodded without a word between them, and were left on the sidewalk. Argent pulled her cell phone from her pocket and flipped it open. Dialing in for the police, she said, "'Ello? I'd like to report a robbery. Yes they're still 'ere- no, nobody's in danger, I gave 'em a real twat- no, that's not what I meant. Wot ever, they're goin' nowhere, just come here quick and nick 'em, alright?"
Argent rubbed the bridge of her nose as she tried to bear with the policeman on the phone. Sighing deeply from her nose she said, "We're at the Starbucks on Fifth and King. Hurry up, I'm not sittin' 'ere all day."
!
Casual steps through the streets, weaving about the paths of others, Jinx made her way down the road, looking for others to steal from. She'd already made a killing so far, and could have went home by then. However, something inside continued to nag the sorceress to keep up her antics. She didn't understand why, and it was making her nervous, but she kept her eyes peeled for any other sucker to make a few dollars off of.
It was only so far down the street that Jinx had encountered a scene that piqued her interests: the police parked around a coffee shop, two men tied up with bands of silver that glowed, and a rather gothic, yet fashionable girl talking with the officers. Pulling her hood further over her face to help obscure her identity, she passed by, catching a look at the girl; seeing who it was, it clicked just who was present. Argent. Now here was some real fun to be had. In a snap she'd already planned how she'd do it, and then she'd let circumstance and Fate take them wherever the wind blew. She smirked to herself as she walked towards Argent, using a friendly tone as she said, "Hey. Seems luck hasn't been with you lately. Wanna go get a cup of coffee? I'll pay."
Swinging around to the direction of the voice, Argent caught sight of one who looked to be a terribly scrawny girl, even moreso than herself. A gray hoodie was pulled over the girl's face, and she wore a pair of faded black jeans, ones that somehow were small enough to fit her form. "And who might you be, stranger?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip.
Although her eyes weren't visible, Argent could still see the mischievous sneer under the hood. She didn't like this girl one jot. "Call me Jay. Everyone does," she offered. Her tone reeked of both sophistication and ulterior motive. In spite of her inner gut telling her otherwise, Argent agreed out of her curiosity. "Alright, I'll take you up on that."
Heading into the shop, the pair stepped up to the counter, the employees still in shock and gibbering to each other. Jinx rapped the counter top smartly, and barked, "Hey, lazy slobs! What's with the freakin' wait? Stop pissing yourselves, we want some java."
Only one of them was able to stand and speak at the same time, and so he stepped up to the register. His face painted with confusion, he asked shakily, "Uh... u-ummm... w-what would you l-like?"
"I'll take a large iced mocha with five shots of espresso and lots of sugar. You?" she said, turning to Argent.
Argent was astounded that this girl could be so casual at the scene, as if nothing had happened, let alone order around people who'd just been traumatized. Of course, it was her fault, but Argent wasn't about to admit that, and the police had the criminals handled anyway. Now that she'd thought about it, Argent made a mental note to refrain from using her powers unless the situation really called for it; she was, after all, pretty well-trained when it came to defending herself without utilizing her supernatural abilities.
Suddenly, Argent was snapped from her train of thought by Jinx's snapping fingers. "Whaddaya wanna get, lady?" she said curtly, waiting to get the other girl's order.
Argent said to the cashier, "I'll have wotever she's having, but cool it a li'l on the sugar."
"Alright..."
Jinx then held up a credit card that it seemed she'd pulled from nowhere between her index and middle fingers, then placed it on the counter. The cashier swiped it, and told the hooded girl that she needed to sign the screen below. Grabbing the stylus, Jinx made a scrawl on the screen and was given the receipt for their order, being informed that their coffee would be done in just a minute or two. Argent was somewhat suspicious of just how quickly everything had zipped by, as if the girl had a plan for how the entire night was to go and executed it brilliantly.
As soon as they were given their mochas, Jinx gave a loud slurp as she sucked down the majority of her coffee in one breath. Her whole body lurched as if she were the Nesquik rabbit gulping down a swig of chocolate milk. Once she'd swallowed her drink, Jinx slipped the credit card into Argent's pocket and walked away silently, giving her a sign to 'peace-out' as she left.
For a moment, Argent was struck dumb as to why her hooded friend would have handed her a credit card. But, as she took a good look at it, she realized it was her own. Shock covered her face as it dawned on her what exactly had gone on. Stomping after the girl, she yelled, "Bloody 'ell, who d'you think you are? You don't just go and pinch somebody's dough like that!"
The thief twisted around in Argent's direction and lowered her hood, revealing Jinx's face and signature Cheshire grin, her smile stretching from ear to ear. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and her eyes sparkled like two coral stars in the night sky. Drinking the last of her mocha in one large swig, Jinx raised her empty cup in a mock-toast, snidely whispering, "Cheers," before tossing it over her shoulder and bolting around the corner.
The nerve! In a blind effort to catch up with the nimble thief, Argent leapt upward, a shimmering aura of silver light outlining her figure as she zoomed through the air in hot pursuit.
!
She couldn't help her insides cramping into knots as she crowed with villainous laughter. They hurt so much, and she hadn't even run more than thirty yards, yet she still felt like her stomach was going to turn itself inside out while her heart would implode, all at the same time. Continuing her sprint down the sidewalk, pushing unaware bystanders to the ground to make sure they could avoid the ball of piss, fashion and black pudding that sped behind her, Jinx thrust her hand to the side and unleashed a hex that sliced through a light post. It wouldn't have hit any of the now frightened populace, but it would certainly provide a distraction for Argent, who would almost certainly stop for a moment to 'save' anybody who might get hurt.
Her plan was a success; Argent halted in mid-air, frantically using her power to prevent the post from falling. Two silver hands grasped the pole at each end, and with a little bit of obvious strain, bent it in half before dropping it in the street. Jinx efficiently utilized those precious borrowed seconds to hurtle into the nearest alleyway, gaining distance and valuable time between them.
She wormed her way through the maze-like paths of the back alleys, which she knew like the back of her hand. Argent's cries of frustration could be heard, telling Jinx that she had enough time to catch some of her breath, or at least keep up with it. While slowing her panting, Jinx undid her ponytail and pulled her hair into two stiff, generally upright pigtails. They weren't the devil-horns she was accustomed to, but the style would suffice for the time being. At least she'd be more recognizable if and when Argent caught sight of her, which Jinx wanted- there was something that Jinx couldn't place about the situation, but whatever it was, it made the chase addictive.
Only a few moments later, Jinx saw Argent whip around the corner, her face twisted with rage as the silver-laced girl's eyes met the pink witch's own. Jinx's crooked smirk only irritated Argent further, and it was in a split second that they were both on the run again.
Jinx's feet pattered on the asphalt as she moved her legs as fast as she could. In spite of her efforts, Argent still closed the gap between them, steadily but surely getting closer and closer. Making a desperate move, Jinx jumped from the ground in mid-step and into the nearby wall. She kicked off of that, crossing the alley before repeating, and then knifed through the nearest window. The crash of shattering glass rang through Argent's ears, and she suddenly feared for the health of anyone who may have been in the way of the fierce and dangerous shards. Floating to said window, she growled at the sight: Jinx had broken into somebody's absent living room and bolted to the back of the house. She could see the thief dash for the main hall of the apartment building, and so she spiraled around the brick structure, watching Jinx's progress through the windows, until finally they both met at the top, on opposite sides of the roof. They made eye contact, Jinx's ever-irritating grin contrasting dramatically with Argent's snarling frown. After staring at each other for only a moment, Jinx dashed away, building up speed to leap across the alleyway and to the next building. Following just behind her, Argent roared as she began to fling fists of silver energy at Jinx, "Get back 'ere so I can kick your arse, y'twat!"
"Ha! You think I'm that stupid?"
Jinx sped up, almost dancing through the air it seemed to the next rooftop. Zooming behind her, Argent continued her futile attempts to knock Jinx to the ground, instead hitting the rooftops with crippling force. Each blow was either ducked or twirled out of the strike zone. The same pattern continued, a merrily laughing thief dancing across the city while another metahuman engaged in a chase that seemed it would never end.
However, Argent got a lucky break; Jinx had cornered herself on a building whose surrounding structures were out of reach for any sort of bounding. Jinx twisted herself around, catching sight of Argent landing on the rooftop, intentionally, purposefully strutting forward with an expression of frustration, irritability, and a slight amount of weariness at chasing Jinx throughout the city. Her right arm raised slightly from her side, poised to strike with her trademark silver energy. "So," Jinx sighed, "I guess it's a little late for apologies, huh?" to which Argent nodded silently.
"Guess I gotta do my last resort."
In a flash, Jinx made a slide low to fling a curse at Argent, which caught her by surprise. The hot pink energy struck her in the ankles, and made her fall to the ground as though her knees turned into jelly. Springing from her low stance, Jinx tackled Argent to her back. Pinning her by the wrists, a sudden thought came to mind; she didn't know whether or not to act on it, but she was more than certain that it would serve as an excellent distraction. Jinx leaned her head forward and planted a short kiss on Argent's lips. While Jinx's eyes were closed for that moment, Argent's went wide open. Her brain was in a state of shock, and Jinx took advantage of the moment it bought her, hopping to her feet and waving at Argent, teasing, "See ya later," blowing a kiss to the stunned heroine. Her escape was already imminent by the time Argent recovered, enough to let the witch get away. Seeing the pink-haired trickster make her way from the scene, Argent lightly touched her lips. They continued to tingle, and Argent's heartbeat was racing. What... what had just happened? 'You were just kissed by another girl, you git,' her conscience lashed out at her, 'and you liked it.'
Her fingertips lingered around her lipstick-glossed mouth for a few seconds longer before she dropped her hand to her side. "Wot a night... I think I'll hit the hay to think 'bout this for a spell..." she mumbled to herself before flying away, many thoughts plaguing her mind.
!
As soon as Jinx was certain that she was out of harm's way, she stopped to put a hand over her heart, thudding inside her chest like some sort of bass drum. She was aware that the chase was supposed to be enjoyed, but the kiss? Something that surprised her was how much she relished the oral contact, and she supposed that it was partly the reason her heart pounded under her ribs the way it did. It was rightly unnerving, because she also knew that she was never this weary after a good run.
Tired? More like the adrenaline was simply taking its leave, and her knees had been slathered with axle grease. Her body was shaking in its entirety, the shivers particularly abusive to her spine. A deep sigh and she stopped panting. although the head rush that accompanied it took a few moments longer to ebb away. Once she felt that she could actually step without falling over, Jinx steadily walked to the apartment she shared with Mammoth and Gizmo. Kyd Wykkyd was there as well, but it seemed that Seemore and Billy Numerous were elsewhere.
Looking up from the television, Mammoth raised a brow. "Where you been?" he grumbled.
"Oh... just pinching things here and there. Got enough to feed us for a week on pizza," she replied. Reaching into her pockets, she grabbed a fistful of dollars, many of them tens and twenties. "Alright, now we'll be able to pay off the rent with what I nabbed. Good thing we managed to get the place so cheap, eh?"
Jinx made a crooked smile with one side of her lips. "Yeah..."
Kyd Wykkyd's routine apathetic expression was replaced with a look that clearly displayed concern. Jinx read it, and said, "Nothing's wrong. All that happened was I landed us some dough," but it was obvious to him that she was lying. His scarlet eyes narrowed, but he let her go. For now.
As Jinx slapped the money on the dinner table, she watched the others dive for it hungrily, avariciously, like a pack of wild dogs on a fresh kill. She made a quiet huff as she strode into her room.
Flopping her tired self onto a soft, almost squishy bed, she heaved a lengthy breath that seemed to carry away all of her exasperation, towing it in its wake. So... why did she do that again? She expected it to shock Argent's wits right out of her, but didn't anticipate it biting her in the ass. The more she thought about it, it simply became clearer and clearer until it was like looking through a window made of crystal: she had a crush on Argent. Such an epiphany, to realize she was in love with another woman. Her heart skipped a beat, and the tingling that ran along every nerve in her body was back with a vengeance.
Rolling to her side, Jinx gripped her overstuffed pillow, wrapping all of her limbs around it in a fetal position, as though she was desperately clinging to a loved one. She held her position, the only thing signaling life being how her ribcage inflated and deflated until the next morning.
!
Dawn was intrusive, the warm rays of the rising sun bathing Argent with their warmth. Giving a yawn and a mumble of a few choice words, she turned away from the window and curled deeper into her sheets and blankets. The sunlight remained persistent, and assaulted her back. The blankets did nothing to help, simply making it uncomfortably hot underneath the quilts. Growling in frustration, Argent submitted and unceremoniously rolled from bed. Her eyes reluctantly gazed at the clock, slightly hesitant to know how much of the day she was about to waste not sleeping. Six forty-one in the morning.
Argent tossed her hands to the air, irritation only growing and giving no signs of slowing down, let alone stopping altogether. Now she was the one who had to make the coffee for the man and maid-servants. The head butler was especially particular about how he wanted his coffee; medium roast, two scoops of grounds with every seven cups, and precisely two lumps of sugar per teacup. With just how exact she did everything, one would think her part of the staff as well, but such was not the case. The rest of them were all so busy with the upkeep of the estate, among other goings-on that mostly included the outrageous credit card bills that Argent had racked up. Once, she swore that she'd caught ear of the head honcho mumbling to himself that the girl would be the death of all of them.
Well, the family's finances, at least. Just because they had a lot of money didn't mean that it was endless. As much as she hated to admit it, Argent did so begrudgingly, that she at least owed them some coffee in the morning for all of the bullshit they dealt with every day. Stretching in a manner not unlike a cat, Argent trudged downstairs once she felt that everything had popped back into place. Shed had to rub her eyes a little from the brightness of the golden sun pouring in just over the window sill and flooding the family kitchen with pale yellow light. Her eyes still having yet to adjust to the sunshine and glare of the morning, she had already started up the coffeepot when she swore that she'd caught glimpse of someone running through their yard. She knew that it wasn't just some kids playing around on the property- Mount Davidson was far too upper-class for such ruffians. The only other explanations she could possibly think of were either a guest had arrived too early for his own good, or...
Or...
Argent gasped. They were being robbed! No way was she going to let someone even think they could get away with such a crime. She was much too proud for something like that.
!
Jinx hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep since the nervousness wracked her with insomnia. Four thirty in the morning, and not a lick of slumber. She was well aware of what was keeping her from being able to get some shut-eye, and it was Argent. Her mind continued to ponder just how badly Argent had taken it, whether she would be angry, disgusted, pleased, or worst of all, confused. Anything else and it was easy enough to guess what would come of them meeting again, but being unsure of what happened and how she should feel about it was what scared Jinx the most. After all, many people were the most dangerous when they had no idea of what was the right thing to do in a situation.
In spite of these fears, and rightly so that she harbored them, Jinx could not control that insatiable urge welling up from deep inside and overpowering her caution and intuition in all of their forms. And so, at that, the metahuman thief gathered a dark hoodie and pants, hiding her features as she briskly snaked from one end of Jump City to the other, setting foot on the base of the land where the difference between 'rich' and 'wealthy' was made very distinct. Servants could have servants of their own; Hell, for all she knew, there was probably some sort of feudal system in each individual house, if you could even call it a house anymore. There was no way that one family of four could use that much living space, and what she knew about Argent led her to believe that Argent was an only child. Dear Lord, the place had to have about three personal servants per member of the family just to be able to utilize the extra room that would otherwise go to waste.
As she made her hike up the hill's roads, Jinx thought of what it would be like if she and the rest of the H.I.V.E. Five were to move into a place that big. Even with how much each of them would demand in terms of personal space, they wouldn't be able to use it all unless they had Mammoth and Gizmo plow out and reinforce most, if not all, of the lower floor to turn it into a practice area. She shook her head at the thought. There were some who simply weren't made for something so lavish and decadent, and she was among them. How Argent managed was beyond her comprehension. Sure, Jinx could appreciate big places, but that was only because inside, there was usually either money or something else that was highly valuable.
In the stretch of time that seemed only a short while, Jinx had found herself standing at the front gates of what was supposed to be Argent's place. A pause to take a look at her watch, and she was just past five thirty, five thirty-six to be exact. At least she had time to make a bit of a scouting about the property and come up with a plan to get to see Argent without being noticed by anybody else. With a flick of her wrist, an arc of cursed- or was it cursing? She didn't care anyway- energy leaped from her hand and to the security device at the gates, which then slowly opened. She didn't know whether or not to take how they creaked out of the unwanted guest's path as a good thing. It could be that they were simply inanimate objects that were doing their job until she came along. But with all of the cynicism that came to mind at what exactly they could be, the darker part of Jinx's mind warned her that the gates really had a spirit of their own, one that was enticing her to come in. Come, little one, come to meet your doom, she imagined. Shaking her head in an attempt to wipe the thoughts away, Jinx swore to herself at how paranoid she had become. All because she wanted to talk about something in private. What a life.
Taking note of the surrounding area, Jinx slunk through the shrubs and trees, unseen by the caretakers that were wandering about the place to do their jobs early in the morning. In fact, even getting up to what she assumed was Argent's window was easy. It took her exactly one leap and two swings to reach the trim and gutter that was under the window. Peering through the glass brought only disappointment, as she saw that Argent wasn't there. Looking at her watch, she saw how much time had passed: it was about six thirty, just a few minutes until six forty. How long had she been walking around the property? She had no idea, but she did know that they had an enormous estate. She winced at how inefficiently she was using her time, and dropped to hang off of the gutter before plummeting to the ground. She landed in a crouch, absorbing the impact, before darting into the neaest bunch of bushes.
Now came the time to wonder about how she would be able to find Argent. Would she be in the bathroom, taking a shower, or-
Jinx's mind wandered back to the shower. Argent, soaking herself and turning pink from the water's temperature, slathering the soapy suds of body wash all over. After rinsing off, she stepped out, and the only thing that provided any sort of censorship was the heavy steam that swirled about her. Then those eyes, those beautiful, dark eyes, looked straight in her direction...
And Jinx then realized that she'd stepped from her cover as her mind wandered into her fantasy. Looking at the French doors that led into the kitchen, she did see Argent's eyes, but they weren't exactly pleasant either. A tired, irritable gaze was locked onto what figure the sleepy one could catch through the panes of glass between herself and the intruder.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh HolylordJesusChristinheaven, shit! Jinx hauled ass through the yard, hearing a door slam behind her. Argent was hot on her tail, and she knew it as soon as she made the corner. This time, she'd gone too far, and was going to pay dearly for it.
Argent rounded the turn herself, shooting through the air like a silver bullet. She was going to beat this one into the ground, and then save them for the police. Argent imagined that she'd enjoy it very much.
Finally, Jinx found herself trapped. Again. The iron spike fence loomed in front of her, impeding her escape. Before she had the time to fling a hex at it, she felt Argent spear her in the back, tackling her to the ground. Winded, Jinx was rolled over by a very firm grip, and looked up to see Argent wearing a wildly furious expression. In one instant, Argent's eyes went from murder to shock, realization slapping her in the face at who she was about to beat to a pulp. Fearful, coral orbs met her own, and Argent released her hold over Jinx's shoulders, although she still sat over her torso, effectively pinning her to the ground. "Bloody Hell... Wot d'you think you're doing here?" Argent demanded, her face now reading more confusion than anything else.
Jinx's breathing was still heavy and shallow, and having Argent on top of her didn't help in the slightest. Propping herself up on her elbows, she panted, "I just wanna talk, is all."
"Talk?" Argent repeated, "Talk? At six thirty in the morning? Are you mad?"
Grinning sheepishly, Jinx answered, "Well, I got a diagnosis this one time-"
"Shut it. That was rhetorical."
The two stared at one another for a few awkward moments before Argent sighed tiredly. Putting a hand to her forehead, she asked with a voice that hinted at the sleepiness coming back in all its former glory, "Want t'come inside? I think I need to have a sit. I've got some coffee brewin' if you need a wake up call yourself," getting off of Jinx's hips. Although Argent remained standing over her, Jinx managed to slide out from under her and stood herself. "Yeah. Sounds nice."
!
Although the back of her jeans and her hoodie were a little damp from the dewey grass, Jinx had taken seat at a middle island in the kitchen that Argent had the coffee brewing. Getting a mug for the both of them, Argent asked, "how d'you like your brew? Cream 'n sugar, heavy on the second one?" Jinx nodded with a confirming grunt.
Fixing Jinx's first and then her own, Argent brought the drinks to the island and sat across from the girl with apparently a wide array of infiltration abilities. 'No wonder, really,' Argent thought to herself, "She is a thief, after all.' "So, wot did you think was so important that you had to wake me up so bloody early?"
Jinx's grip around the ceramic mug tightened considerably. It seemed she was reluctant to talk, but she managed to wrench the words from her mouth anyway. "Well... I wanted to talk about last night."
A "Hm," signalled for Jinx to continue. "First off, I wanna apologize about stealing your credit card and setting you off like that." Argent merely waved it off.
"No harm, really. I'm sure that you can see that something that small isn't goin to hurt anything. It was all on principle, the chasing. That, and the fact that you broke into some chap's house just to keep running. That really got my blood boiling somethin' fierce, it did."
Argent took a sip of her coffee while Jinx looked away a little shamefully, "Yeah, that's a bit much there." Turning back to Argent, she continued, "Then there's what... happened on the rooftop," her cheeks getting slightly pink before saying, "It was the first thing I could think of that would've let me get outta there. Wasn't the smartest thing I've done."
"I reckon that's already been established."
"Well, I think it's kinda affected us. I dunno if you got it too, but it got my heart beating a little to fast for the feeling to not mean something."
This time, it was Argent's turn to blush, although hers was much more pronounced. "Ah... well... wot I mean to say is..." She tried her damnedest, but couldn't spit it out.
Jinx cracked a rather small grin. "So you got a little excited yourself, huh?" she said, to which Argent could only nod. "At least the feeling's mutual," she finished before taking a swig of her own coffee.
The rest of their morning brew was silent for the most part. They'd each gotten down two and were working on their third when the head butler strode into the kitchen, only to find the coffeepot empty. Looking about the kitchen, he saw the two culprits, sipping away at their cups. He snorted, and turned to make it again on his own. It was when they heard the faucet running that he'd even caught their attention, and they turned towards him. "Morning," Jinx said in his direction.
He turned around as soon as he'd dumped the water into the machine's container. "Good day, madam," he replied courteously. "And who, may I ask you Madam Monetti, is our guest at such a peculiar hour?"
Argent coughed lightly before answering, "She's a friend of mine. I'd told her to visit at seven, but I think she's addled wot I meant." The butler nodded curtly before returning to the coffee, scooping in his preferred amount of grounds.
Jinx leaned forward and asked, "If your last name's Italian, what's with the accent?"
"Dad's a senator from New Jersey, mum's the English one."
"Ah. That explains a lot." Reclining in her seat, she took the last of her warm coffee in a couple swallows, and Argent followed suit. "Think we should head somewhere a little more private? I'm not a fan of people listening in on conversations," Jinx wondered aloud.
Argent took both of their cups and placed them gently into the sink before jerking her head to the stairs. "C'mon, I'll take you to my room."
Jinx followed, and after walking up three flights of stairs, Argent opened the door to her room and beckoned Jinx inside.
The room was magnificent; a bed that had to be a California king, complete with drapery about it. The blankets were a dark maroon, almost black cherry, and ebony silk hung lazily from the canopy. The carpet was a tad lighter than the blankets, and the walls were a cool, dark grey. In spite of how extravagant the room looked, there were still a few things that made it look more like home, such as the posters that took up nearly all of the wall space. They were decorated with all of Argent's favorite musicians, covering everything from metal to classic rock to pop and electronica. There were a few industrial bands as well, ones that Jinx recognized easily. Being a fan of the various genres herself made it much easier to know who was who. The wardrobe was open and displayed fashionable yet grim looking clothes. Studded belts hung next to bare midriff t-shirts, which in turn were next to many skirts and then jackets, some of them made of leather or gator skin. Jinx whistled, marvelling and envying at the majestic room.
"It's wot I get for having a rich father," Argent said, knowing that Jinx was gawking at the whole of the place, trying to take it all in.
Taking a seat at the end of the bed, Argent broke Jinx's hypnotised staring with, "Well, I'd say it's time to chat, eh?" Jinx snapped her head in Argent's direction before sitting next to her on the bed. It was quite comfortable.
Leaning back on her hands, Jinx said, "Um... I'm pretty sure that we... like each other. Y'know, like like."
"Mmhmm."
"Doesn't it bother you? I mean, I'm a freakin' ghetto thief, you're the rich type that chases guys like me down. You've got publicity, an image to keep up. I'm not against the idea of us bein' together, I kinda swing like that. But you, the paparazzi's gonna be all over your ass if anybody finds out." Her voice expressed genuine worry at the situation.
Argent sighed. "Yeah, I know." She looked into Jinx's beautiful, flamingo pink eyes for a moment, and Jinx gazed in return at her shimmering gray eyes. They were so light that they almost looked like mercury.
"But it'd be worth it. You're just about the only girl I've ever fancied like this. In spite of last night, I think something clicked, y'now?"
At that, Argent rolled over and pinned Jinx to the bed, their hands entwined together as Argent slung her legs over Jinx's hips. The black-haired heroine then planted a kiss on Jinx's lips, drawing it out over the next several seconds. As she opened her eyes again, Jinx could see that they were misty, and she bit her lip before they locked their mouths together, this time letting their tongues slither in each other's mouths like moist eels. She could feel Argent's slightly glossed lips sticking to her own, and after what felt like ages, the both of them finally came up for air. "How's about we get you all the way on the bed, hm?" Argent said suggestively, and then scooted Jinx all the way onto the pillowy mattress.
Jinx said nothing, as she was moved up to the pillows. She watched as Argent stepped down to the edge of the bed, and gently dropped her pajama bottoms, leaving her in nothing but panties and a fairly insubstantial night shirt. Jinx kicked her shoes to the other side of the room before sliding her jeans to her knees, where she also let them drop off. She unzipped her hoodie and flung it off the side of the bed, leaving her as undressed as Argent. They then proceeded to hold one another intimately kissing all over each other passionately and crossing their legs in an embrace of their own. Argent's slender hand found its way up Jinx's shirt and massaged her somewhat flat chest, rolling her thumb over Jinx's now perked nipples. Jinx gasped, and replied by letting her own bony fingers trail down Argent's back and into the seat of her panties, grasping a handful of Argent's buttock. Argent made a pleasurable moan, and they continued to grope each other ever fiercer as the morning began to pass.
!
It was high noon by the time either of the two had recovered enough to say anything, entangled in both the sheets and each other. It was Jinx. "You're so beautiful," she whispered, stroking Argent's face. Her own hair had been undone, and was a mess of frizz and wispiness.
Argent opened her eyes and smiled. "We can't let anybody find out about this, y'know," Jinx informed her partner softly.
Simply kissing Jinx's forehead, she put her hands over the witch's shoulders and held their naked bodies closer. "I know. That's why I'm not letting you leave."
Jinx expressed her confusion with a raised brow. "... What?"
Argent the sat up, keeping the blankets over her. "I love you, Jay. I'm not letting you go back to the streets, pinching other people's dough just to get by. I won't have it."
Jinx sat up in the same position as her lover. Was she understanding correctly? Did Argent actually want them to be together like that, living in her house? She shook her head at the thought. "I... I can't. I got friends who depend on me, who need me. I'm not gonna leave them behind like that. I can still love you, but I can't just ditch 'em," she explained.
Tears welled up in the eyes of them both, Argent's running down her face first. "Well," Argent's voice cracking as she attempted to hold back the sobs, "what's that mean? We can't be together?"
Jinx wrapped her arms around Argent's shoulders, choking up herself as she said, "No, we can still love each other like this, but I can't leave my friends in the dust. I'll visit every day, make sure that everything's fine, always tell you I love you. But I owe it to them to keep them together, they're not gonna go for long without tearing each other to pieces. I'm the one thing that keeps 'em in check, and can make sure that we don't get thrown in jail."
Argent hung her head as they broke the hug. "So... this isn't the end?"
"No, it's not. We can still love each other, I won't let this crap get in the way. I just can't live with you is all."
Their puffy eyes met, and they leaped into each others arms, giving one last kiss before Jinx got out of bed. Putting on her clothes and pulling her hair into pigtails, she looked at Argent as she wiped the tears away. "I guess I'll see you later then, huh?"
Argent silently nodded before lying back down. "Um... I'll show myself out. See ya."
Argent kissed the tips of her index and middle fingers and held them outward, Jinx doing the same and touching them together. "See ya," Argent said as Jinx walked out the door, pausing to nod as she closed the door.