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

[ruinsprofessor]

Just like that, the wind goes out of the figurative sails, and the volume escalation Raine was about to make never happens.

Oh.

She'd half expected this to just be Jackie going with the flow, doing what's easiest because it's comfortable, but this she should have predicted. "Yes, you do," she says finally, rallying after the initial unhappy silence. "The children may have left, but the bonds we have to them are still here." She taps heart rather than head, a little gesture of two fingers. "We'll see them again, someday. Even without them, though-- Jackie. You're not alone here."

She does regret it took her this long to track him down, but for that she isn't going to apologize yet if ever, since he almost certainly actually was avoiding her.

[jinzhong]

Jackie looks down, his heart hurting. He misses Rio'era so much. But Raine at least still has her powers, and people who care about her. He's got nothing. The Snakes are like a surrogate family to him, like the Sun On Yee had been. Both groups had taken him in when he'd had nothing.

"Yeah, I know. Got my brothers in the Snakes now." Jackie. That is absolutely not what she meant and you know it.

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine makes a flat, narrow line of her mouth, like she's holding back a few very displeased words. That is definitely not what she meant, and she's finding herself at an utter loss for how to help.

"And do they consider you their brother, as well?" she asks in a moment, and it's a bit pointed. Also possibly unfair. Raine sighs, and her shoulders drop a little. "You don't seem well, that's all. If you have a new family, they should be looking out for you."

She thought it was obvious that she was trying to do the same, but she may have to be really very explicit about that. What is it with the people in this city and thinking they have to do everything alone?

[jinzhong]

Well - to be fair - it's not too often in one's life that one comes across an utterly broken man who has turned to a life of crime because that's all he thinks he has left. You get that maybe two, three times, tops.

Jackie shrugs, a little forcefully, when she asks. "Enough of 'em to count." Sort of. They haze him, but that's just...expected. That's Just How Things Are in gangs. Always has been, always will be, probably. "They look out for me. It's the other ones you gotta watch out for. The little gangs." They found the Foreigner Snake an easy target. And sometimes...sometimes the other Snakes looked the other way.

[ruinsprofessor]

She's suspicious. Raine doesn't have really any grasp of the way it is with gangs, but she is pretty sure she's not getting the whole story from Jackie. But she nods anyway, taking that as what it is for the moment. "What has your work with them involved?" she asks, pushing. Tell her you haven't gotten anyone hurt who didn't choose to be involved, Jackie, please. "And how many times has it gotten you hurt, as well?" Because it's not actually a question that he has been.

[jinzhong]

"Nothin' much," he says, and elaborates when he realizes she's not going to take that for an answer. "Just...patrolling with the other Snakes, usually. Fighting with other gangs trying to move in. There's not a whole lot else they trust a Foreigner to do."

He shrugs when she asks about the frequency of his injuries, and bites his lip. "A few times," he says, waving his hand hazily. "It's just part of the life, you know? It's what I signed up for." Translation: He might think he deserves it.

[ruinsprofessor]

Her fingers are tapping on her knee, with increasing speed; when she notices, she stills her hand. "What I don't understand is why," she says finally. "They don't trust you much, the business is getting you hurt-- regardless of who 'runs the joint' now, you have other options."

A pause. That may be the wrong tack, but she doesn't know what to do with him. "Why haven't you come to me before?" Raine asks in a moment. "Regardless of how foolish you've been, I won't turn you away, especially if you're injured."

[jinzhong]

Jackie looks at her, and he looks haunted. "What other options?" He'd been talking to that Stark kid, but that was before they'd gone to fight, and now Zanru's running Stark Industries. He's well aware that the kid with the armor would have only given him the job out of pity. He has no skills that Zanru would want. He knows this. So he hasn't bothered trying.

He looks a little shamefaced at her question. "I thought you'd be disappointed in me or somethin'. And I...didn't wanna deal with that."

[ruinsprofessor]

Oblivious to this, Raine goes ahead and points it out anyway. "If you have any knowledge of technology, I'm given to understand the Metalworkers will at least try for lack of bias in hiring. If not, as much as the kedan aren't especially friendly, I know there are some odd jobs available, which at the least may contribute to goodwill, even if it's as simple as moving heavy objects. Further, you may wish to speak to Ryou, if you know him; Korra left her dojo in his care, and while I don't know the status of that project, you evidently have some knowledge of fighting. If self-defense classes are offered again, you may be able to help with that." She considers that a little, adds, "Especially as you have somewhat more practical experience than the typical class would offer." And she doesn't doubt there'd be interest such a class, if it was offered, given the unstable state of things. Maybe Akito would help, too...? She should put them in touch with each other.

--But that's immaterial at the moment. Raine sighs a little, glances briefly aside. "If I'm disappointed, it's only because I know you can do better, Jackie," she says. It sounds more sympathetic than actually judgmental. "But I can understand some of what you're going through. In the future, if you're hurt, please let me help."

She won't even make too many disapproving noises. Probably.

[jinzhong]

Jackie looks away. "I talked to him once. Dead spit of Bakura, isn't he? But, maybe. I dunno. I might ask him." If only to get Raine to stop trying to help him. Why isn't she just going to let him do what's comfortable for him, something he already knows how to do?

Well, there it is - the disappointment. He'd known it had been coming, but that doesn't make it sting any less. The sympathetic tone might even make him hurt worse. "Yeah. Okay. I promise I won't avoid you, or nothin'."

[ruinsprofessor]

'Might ask him' is better than nothing. "He is," Raine agrees. Sighs. "A good child. He has courage, but won't display it until he's pushed to his limits. I worry about him, as things are now."

She worries about everyone, frankly, but there are a few people at the top of her list right now. One of them is in front of her. Raine's pretty sure she's mishandled this, but at the very least she's impressed upon him that she's not going to give up on him, she hopes.

"Thank you," Raine says finally, for lack of anything else, because not avoiding her is progress. "Speaking of Bakura-- may I ask you a favor?"

WHAT THE HELL THIS DISAPPEARED FROM ME I AM SO SORRY

[jinzhong]

"You want me to keep an eye on him or something?" Because that, maybe, is something Jackie can do. Maybe.

He shrugs at her question. "Sure. Go ahead."

[ruinsprofessor]

"--both of them, if possible," Raine admits. "Though in Bakura's case, I'd simply ask that you talk to him in general. He seems to think of you somewhat positively, at least, and he's been not quite himself lately." The hint of a wry smile, too troubled to be really genuinely positive, and she adds, "I don't think he'll take kindly to anyone attempting to keep an eye on him, in any case."

[jinzhong]

"Yeah, he's seemed kinda off." Jackie frowns. He hasn't been keeping up with his friend like he should, and he feels kind of bad about that. "I should see if I can hang out with him, though. Just to like, say hi or something."

[ruinsprofessor]

"It may do him well," Raine says with a nod. She doesn't even bother asking Jackie not to mention she said something; if he's actively trying to hide it, chances are Bakura will just figure it out faster. As he does.

She's probably lectured enough for one day, so she holds off on anything more, just adds, "Thank you."

[jinzhong]

"Yeah," he says, shrugging. "Don't mention it."