January catch-all for Jackie

[jinzhong]

Characters: Jackie Ma and YOU!
Date: Throughout January
Location: Throughout Keeliai
Situation: Jackie's beginning to wish he'd stayed in the Dreaming.
Warnings/Rating: Depression, probably?

Returning to Keeliai and finding out that a year had gone by in their absence had been a shock, and not a good one. Jackie was already mourning the loss of his powers - and the fact that he'd just been used as a puppet by Malicant hadn't done him any favors. He still feels the sting of realizing he'd only been a pawn, and that sting had turned into heartbreak when he found out that the hatchlings had left.

So Raine had convinced him to return, but now he was back where he'd started. No home, no job, no hatchling, and no powers. Plus the addition of the guilt from being used as Malicant's puppet had worn heavily on him.

So he had nothing to do but to fall back in with the gangs. And the biggest, baddest gang around was the Snakes.

He didn't want to be a part of the Foreigners anymore, but he didn't really have a choice. Now he's straddling the line between Foreigner and Snake, not enough of either to fit in anywhere.

Which is where you come in. (Ask if you need a specific starter!)

starter one;
Jackie's been wandering around with the Snakes, and occasionally getting into skirmishes with the other, smaller gangs. If you want to ask the Foreigner why he's wearing Snake insignia and probably looking like he's been on the wrong end of a fight, here's your chance.

starter two;
Jackie probably needs to swing round the clinic to get the worst of his scrapes treated. He's in and out reasonably often, avoiding Raine, because she probably won't approve of his new profession.

starter three;
Jackie's sitting in the lobby of the Hotel, slumped over in his chair and doing his level best to ignore everyone. He may or may not be mildly drunk, depending on the day and how badly he's been doing.

Comments

[gathersnomoss]

Zel had been freelancing for magic, including healing. So if Jackie was looking for help, including no questions asked, he could do it. Though... "I thought the Snakes treated their own."

[jinzhong]

Jackie shrugged, wiping a bit of blood from his split lip. "They don't really like me that much." Not that he blames them, being a Foreigner and all.

[gathersnomoss]

"They don't like anyone much," Zelgadis said. "Are you springing for magical healing or just the normal first aid. Unless you've broken something, or need to be top of your game now, you probably don't need magic."

[jinzhong]

"Uh...no, I don't need magic." Magic still wigs him out, now that he knows his powers were derived from Malicant.

[gathersnomoss]

Zel would sympathize, if he knew: he was another one under Malicant's control. "Is it just the lip or are you hurt elsewhere?"

[jinzhong]

"Got a couple bruises. Nothing I can't handle," he said, shrugging once more. He'd gotten used to getting in fights back home.

[gathersnomoss]

"But no blood? breaks in the skin?"

Zelgadis is already looking for gauze and antiseptic.

[jinzhong]

Jackie shakes his head. "No, nothing." He's at least a little tougher than that.

[gathersnomoss]

Zel doesn't know how bad a fight it was, though the Snakes' control of weapons means that anything bigger than a knife wound will be rare.

Though knives can kill. "Good. This is going to sting a bit, but it'll heal faster if it's clean."

[jinzhong]

Jackie frowns. "Yeah, okay." As much as he hates to admit it, he's gotten used to magical healing. So going back to conventional methods is going to be...interesting.

[gathersnomoss]

It is a bit painful to clean it, and it's obviously bandaged, but hey, proper wound care. "Try not to take any punches to the face in the next few days. Lips open up pretty easily."

[jinzhong]

"Yeah...I'm not intending to," Jackie says with an uneasy smile. Or at least as much of one as he can manage, with his lip all bandaged up. He winces. It hurts.

[gathersnomoss]

"Can you lay low for a couple days?" Zelgadis asked.

[jinzhong]

Jackie nods, casting his gaze downward. "I guess so." He wants to be useful, and he knows the Snakes won't take kindly to a Foreigner who wimps out at the first sign of trouble. So he probably won't keep a low profile.

[gathersnomoss]

"Can you do so safely?"

[jinzhong]

"I dunno. Probably."

Probably not.

[gathersnomoss]

"If you need other services, let someone know. Like an excuse to call out sick."

[jinzhong]

Jackie laughs uneasily. "Yeah, I don't think they let you do that."

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis gave a dry chuckle before becoming serious again. "See if you can find some lighter jobs that are suddenly urgent then."

[jinzhong]

Jackie shrugs again. "Yeah, okay. I'll see if I can get kicked back to easier stuff."

[gathersnomoss]

"It's a risk, but everything is."

[jinzhong]

"Yeah, well. I'm pretty good at taking risks," Jackie says with a reckless grin...which immediately begins to split his lip again, and he winces and ducks his head.

[gathersnomoss]

You're getting a look. "Pick the ones you take."

[jinzhong]

You're not his supervisor.

Jackie frowns. "Yeah, I will. I'll do my best."

[gathersnomoss]

"All I can ask. Though, if you do take risks, I do get paid more."