5 Delulu’s Truth

Having two easy owners, Boat and Two-Tone Jack made the days more bearable. Letting Powder relax with Boat helped her, while letting Jinx just get to have fun with Two-Tone Jack made survivability so much easier. But there was still so much that wasn’t easy. She got through the days, each day imagining how she would get out. Then she got through the weeks instead of just the days. Then? Boat laid her eggs, which made her obsolete. She had five owners now, with an option of another one. Until then, she had four extra hours to randos, anyone who could pay her price.

Jinx quickly learned what Boat meant by the pricing keeping her safe. There was no shame with these owners, and lower priced creatures were usually used sharply and with cruelty, or with absolute abandon. The ones who paid the good money tended to be looking for something in particular. They weren’t playing around sloppily with her. For that kind of thing, they would use a ‘bargain bin’ piece. 

Instead, it was usually the institute or the Baccai that insisted on things from her. And, damn, she never knew who was worse. The random guy who really wants to know if he had a certain dog and where it was located so he could save it, or the Baccai that insisted on her reliving so much of just everything. They wanted new and ancient. Nothing like screaming when celestials that possessed humans called aspects, roped the creator of everything ever created, even giving it a name. Aurelion Sol.

Hours upon hours, finding people, how to recreate questions that were never answered by her, peering into pasts she had no business seeing. 

Days upon days, watching people’s hearts break over and over in the gardens, to sometimes seeing things work out. Rarely. The worse though? The worst. Was this cute little fairy like family, the whole family could have fit on a ruler, and . . . no, she couldn’t even think about that carnage again.

The weeks turned into months, and enough was enough.

---

Captain Teemo watched Delulu, still trying to care for the baby. It was starting to talk a little now. Little phrases. He looked toward Jinx. She was very curled up. He couldn’t tell if it was after effects of sickness that the injections of the institution were using on her. If she had to kill someone she thought was innocent with Meat Claws. If she saw something ancient and awesome in power it cracked her mind hard. With her, it was hard to tell, but whatever it was tonight? It was tense.

“I’m switching,” she finally spoke.

“Switching to what?” Captain Teemo asked.

“Madame Durham.” She wiped her eyes.

“Madame Bej is better,” Delulu said toward Jinx. “Why would you switch from Madame Bej?”

“Boat.”

Boat. She was the pregnant woman Jinx took care of the first month they were there. “Did something happen to her, Powder?” Months of being there together in cages, when they weren’t being used, they spoke. They focused on the positive. And when things got emotional, Jinx handled hearing the name Powder better. Sometimes Meddler would bring in new roommates for sell and they didn’t understand, so he kept it simple for them. Especially since they’d just be gone soon anyhow.

Jinx was the name of the weapon, and the person inside the weapon, was Powder. Only owners and master could control the weapon, and anyone else trying to use her for their own gain, would end in an untimely death, or a removal of a body part. The Gardens were especially savage, the ‘girl who couldn’t be put under a spell’ eventually got spotted since she couldn’t always be in the book club group, and more people were trying to get her to submit. She never talked about it much, but she once said she had more blood on her hands than she did at Meat Claws for a week one time. It made Madame Bej angry, so she switched to cutting off arms, legs, or other appendages, depending on the level of offense.

Jinx didn’t bother talking to anyone new coming through either. Just like Delulu didn’t want to talk to them, often newcomers weren’t there for long. And the longer they were all there, the more they knew their fate when a new master’s name was called. Jinx and Powder quit talking to anyone new when a little family of fairy looking creatures was bought all at once from Meat Claws. A mom, a dad, two kids, and a baby. He didn’t even bother with leaving, letting the little family watch in terror as he ate them like small snacks from the cage. Screaming as the next one knew their fate.

Jinx screamed, ripping the stuffing from her pillows and blankets, even trying to bite herself. When she started to draw blood against herself, the Meddler stopped it and made Meat Claws leave with the rest of his purchases.

After that, Meddler never let the actual fate be shown in the cages. In fact, for a little while, he seemed to be extra sorry and delved out more food and desserts.

For Delulu though, he made the understanding more personal. When she was dealing with emotion, with something human, she was Powder. When she had to pretend, when she had to kill, and when she had to act? She was Jinx. And honestly, she was Jinx a lot. It was hard to find time to be herself with no shield. She tried to though, she said she was trying to. That she’d have a bomb in her hand again if she didn’t.

So night time. Most times at night, that’s when she would be Powder.

“Madame Bej gives time. She doesn’t force partners to go with others. It’s natural with her,” Delulu said as she bounced the baby yordle up and down, disapproving of Powder’s decision to go to the new Madame.

“None of this is natural,” Captain Teemo told her. “It just feels natural to you, because this is the most you have ever known of what could be freedom, but it’s not.” He glanced back at Powder. She wasn’t good at all. Some days were bad, and some days were really bad. He’d seen all the facets. This was a new low for her.

Meddler came back in. “Dinner is ready, and we are getting extra dessert tonight.”

“Oh goodie.” Delulu once again, easily impressed and subdued. “I love dessert nights, Meddler.”

Captain Teemo remembered the first night they met Delulu. She hadn’t been the happiest she had more people she had to share with, but she was still open to talking to them. She had said, at that time, that cages were protection. He understood what she meant by the necklace, but she never shared what she meant by that.

It took several more times before he figured it out. Most days they were dwelling in the Demacia area somewhere, and it helped to keep the magic down. But at night, when things were at their worst, where emotions tended to shine into that darkness and exposure and yelling blame was most prevalent?

Delulu used that cage. That fenric iron cage repelled magic, but Meddler was also magic. Only the bars were fenric iron, not the rest of it. He always used something to grab the cage for him. And with the weird effects from coming from Demacia’s strange inhibiting, to places with no inhibition, there was this channel. A low grade magic hum where she would keep her hands on the bars for minutes at a time. Sometimes, even longer.

She was boosting the magic signal, so when things did stabilize from the quick entrance and exit? It had an extra sharp spike in it. Normally it didn’t do much, but gathering that energy absorbing into those repelling bars? Now, it was so sharp, even if Meddler had to grab a towel to open that cage, it wouldn’t be easy for him. And magic against those bars? Only in the beginning, and Delulu was always holding onto them when they could be manipulated.

Fenric iron. Opposer of magic, unnaturally charged with magic now. She could call out Meddler when her feelings were hurt because she couldn’t be handled before Madame Jeb showed up to give Meddler a stern magic burn.

While he didn’t have a Madame Jeb, Captain Teemo started to do the same thing to his bars. When they left an area around Demacia, he hung on. He wouldn’t be hurt again until he put his hands on it a second time.

He started to do that for Jinx’s cage too. Magic never affected her, so she could touch all the time without worry anyhow. And, unlike Delulu that was putting in short energy bits just to zap? Captain Teemo was putting his all into it.

His specialty might be poison and mushrooms, but yordle’s were born of magic, and he was putting everything he had into them. If Meddler ever got excited one day and touched his or Jinx’s bars? He wouldn’t say ouch because he’d be dead before he could say anything.

Meddler knew that too, so he left the cages unlocked now, because they left the cages unlocked. He left the food at the base, where they had to step out to retrieve it.

Delulu and Captain Teemo retrieved theirs. Jinx still wasn’t moving.

Captain Teemo ate first, before he had to try. He’d see what she wanted to share about whatever happened, or if she wanted to share something positive. “Powder? Do you need to talk?”

Meddler came by her cage and showed her the contract. “Madame Jeb was fighting tooth and nail with Madame Durham. Literally, tooth and nails, you have it. Tomorrow, you get your new necklace.”

Damn. “Did something happen to Boat?”

“Her kind can only have so many pregnancies before their loss of living through it dies. Madame Durham was retiring her this year, she didn’t like the odds anymore against her survival. No more babies. Jeb spoke money to Boat’s master behind her though. I saw her in the garden this morning with me.”

Oh, that look. “What happened?”

“Boat refused to get close to anyone. Love spells don’t work with her either. She didn’t want to dance or act or just hide. She didn’t get it, and Jeb showed her how her necklace worked. Then after almost killing her, she started to sell off her eggs that were still hatching to an eater.”

Oh, the poor babies. All those eggs?

“I got in the way, Capn.”

Oh! He moved from his cage and waited for her to push hers open. Yeah, that was nasty. She suffered the burn. The protecting necklace had been used against her. “Delulu!” He knew she had healing magic.

“We aren’t allowed.” Delulu was hesitant but she eventually came over with the baby. She handed it to Captain Teemo and started to heal her neck. “You are lucky this isn’t from Dewlulu, she’d be turning you into a frog.” She tried to add some humor for her.

“I saved them by promising myself to Meat Claws.”

“I am drafting that up next,” Meddler said. “Daft.”

“Meat Claws is becoming your master?” Captain Teemo asked.

“Nope. Not like that.”

“Your only owner?”

“No.”

“Oh, you promised yourself to a challenge.” Meat Claws challenges weren’t a laughing matter.

“Yep. Next week. If I lose, either I watch the eggs get eaten, or I become Mrs. Jinx Claws. Badass name if I do say so myself.”

That is why she wanted Durham! “You aren’t really going to make his mom and him fight it out for you if you lose?”

“Yes I am, the entertainment value will be through the roof!” Jinx tried to laugh maniacally. Tried. “Oh come on, Capn. You know I can’t win against him. Maybe in my original state. At my height, when I was an icon.” She sighed. “I just want to get a few cracks at his jaw for everything he did, that’s all. He never lets me fight him.”

Yeah, Captain Teemo noticed that. “Being a giant wife won’t be a piece of cake.”

“Nah, be fine.”

Damn! Of course. “You think he’d be fine with you?”

“No more gardens sounds good.”

Captain Teemo felt a jolt through himself. “But. He’s going to hurt you.” Man up, Teemo. “Go with someone like him and you’ll have giant babies soon.” But yeah. That look. “He’s already . . . no, sorry.” He shouldn’t mention that fairylike creatures again.

“ . . . anyhow, Delulu, stay for a bit longer in my cage. Let’s have girl talk.”

“What is girl talk?” Delulu asked.

“Where just girls hang out and talk.” Jinx grabbed the baby yordle. “Here, Capn, make it happen. You watch it a bit, give Delulu a break.” She handed it toward him. “It doesn’t bite. What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong? Her tone cracked in the biggest way. She was hardly holding onto Jinx right now. She was Powder, playing theatre only as well as a child, not a good performer. Her words were strong, but her output was weak.

Five owners. He knew what his own owners did, but Jinx was a young fighter who became an icon, and each and every person who could afford her rental, could ask for anything.

“Captain Teemo.” Her voice cracked again. “Take the little yordle already.”

Captain Teemo looked at the baby yordle. It wouldn’t be long, before they’d be taking care of Jinx’s contracted children too. “I liked denial. Its gone now.”

“Oh? Yeah. Sorry. Don’t you hate it when reality has to mess it all up?” She tried to smile. Once again, it didn’t reach. “Your Bandle Scout needs you to take the baby, Captain Teemo.”

Captain Teemo took the baby yordle and left the cage back to his own.

---

Okay. It was a hard enough day dealing with Boat and the challenge with Meat Claws. That was always her day though, never knew what shitty thing she’d have to do. But this one? Oh man. Jinx looked at Delulu’s bracelet. “So, can I see that thing?”

Delulu looked at her bracelet. “Why?”

“Just, I want to see it, it’s pretty, and I do have a dessert I don’t feel like eating?” Jinx buttered her up.

Delulu looked at the bracelet.

“Oh, wait, before you take that off,” Jinx said. “Tell me about Lenny.”

“Lenny?”

“Yeah, you know, girl talk is also about boyfriends, so sure. Lenny.” Jinx glanced at Captain Teemo. She already knew what he wanted to do, and she’d have to make sure he saw this first before he reacted. “Is the guy nothing at all or what?”

“Lenny is a sweet yordle. He’s quiet, but he listens well to me,” Delulu said. “Sometimes he isn’t so quiet, and kind of a pain, but it’s still somehow sweet.”

“Did your great relation ever share about your home place? Uh, Bandle City. What did they share about it?”

“It’s a tree.”

“That’s it? Nothing else?”

“Pretty much. It’s where most yordles live and no one can get there but yordles.”

“How long have you been seeing Lenny? Years?”

“Not years, I don’t think. I?” Delulu stopped to think. “Maybe a year ago? Or, six months?”

“Do you remember any details about him? I mean he’s a great guy, how about some details?” Delulu couldn’t think of any. “What about any details about yordles? What makes you different?” Nothing. Delulu had nothing.

And it would stay that way, until Jinx yanked that bracelet off.

---

After saving Boat’s eggs pretty much that day, Boat had rushed over her and thanked her the only way possible.

”Jiiiiiinx!”

“Oh no, mommy incoming.” Jinx felt herself lose her breath as she got a massive hug from Boat. “It’s okay. This is weird. You can let go now.”

“Meat Claws would have eaten my eggs, all because Madame Bej was mad at me. I almost got my children killed,” Boat said to her. “Can you beat his challenge?”

“Probably not. Jinx Claws is fine.” One guy would be better anyway that what she went through.

“Join Madame Durham, please,” Boat said.

It didn’t even matter, she’d probably lose that challenge.

Boat clung to her even closer and whispered in her ear. “A deadly secret for the one who saved us. If anyone finds out, I am dead but I cannot.”

Oooh. Did Jinx hit the jackpot. “What secret?”

“Madame Durham’s necklaces that go through the neck stop magic manipulation in an area around you, it keeps her ladies safe from swindling and love spells and that ilk. While Madame Bej’s bracelets give mind control over someone but she says it’s the same thing. Delulu has been deceived for far too long. If she were with Bej? She would have had a vacation not long ago.”

No. Oh, no.

“Once removed, everything will come back to her, so be prepared.”

Jinx didn’t really care if she ended up married or fighting one giant. That wasn’t what made her go wonky tonight. It was this. How would she react? “So, can I see your bracelet? You know, the pretty blue one?” Then right after I grab it, that necklace is coming off.

Delulu looked at it. “I’m not supposed to take this off.”

“Well? I mean, I guess I could eat my dessert-”

“No, no. Here, I will, but you have to give it back right away. It stops manipulative magic,” Delulu insisted.

Jinx picked up her dessert and gave it to her, to make sure she stayed relaxed. Delulu even snuck a bite before reaching over and taking off her bracelet, while Jinx grabbed her immediately and knocked the door open while Delulu just went unresponsive.

Jinx then grabbed the necklace off her as Meddler started to yell. Jinx knew that burn on his necklace, he could enjoy it long and hard. Jinx opened Teemo’s cage, and closed it behind her.

“What’s going on, Soldier?” Captain Teemo demanded.

Jinx wasn’t surprised that Delulu started becoming responsive with tears and reaching to the baby. “I’ve got bad news from the front, Sir. Real bad news. You can’t kill her and send her back when her back is turned.”

Captain Teemo looked at Delulu, then the baby. “Give it to me straight, Scout.”

“Bej manipulated her. That baby isn’t practice for Delulu that you are carrying. It’s hers, and a damn definitely not good yordle I once knew, that I helped kill once. I caught him walking around with her in the garden area. Went by the name of Smeech.”

“The Spirit of Zaun. Yeah, I know him.” Captain Teemo hopped on Jinx and gave the baby yordle back to her mom. “Safe and sound.” He was trying to put on a smile. “I’ll watch her movements, Jinx, you watch the surroundings.”

“Got it, Sir.” And she knew exactly what the surroundings would do.

Madame Bej slammed that door open. “Corden, what are you doing to-?!” Oh she noticed all three of them being in the same cage.

And that night after night infusion of trapped magic in those bars finally worked.

Madame Bej lit up like a damn firework. Jinx felt her heart beat wildly again, just for a little while with that scene. In the meantime, Meddler was the only one who burned besides her. Enough to put him out of commission? Nope.

But Madame Bej? “Extra crispy variety right here, Captain.” Heh!

“Good job, Bandle Scout,” Captain Teemo said to her. “Do you have any idea why they’d hide that?”

“Probably trying to get two for the price of one? I don’t know,” Jinx admitted. “You okay, Delulu?” Nah, she still wasn’t talking. Just crying and holding her baby tight. Jinx didn’t mind it. Yordles were usually pretty small, so holding three was fine.

Meanwhile, Meddler was having a psychotic breakdown, having been responsible for a dead client. “I swear! Yordles, it’s always yordles that keep giving me problems.”

“Hey, I try to contribute to the problems.” Jinx didn’t want him to forget her. “How many one-time rentals did you have to refund before you made better contracts for their safety?”

“Open this cage up.”

“What do you think, Captain? Any more fire power in these bars?” Jinx asked.

“Nah,” Captain Teemo said. “I don’t think so.”

“I don’t think so either,” Jinx decided. “You can open it yourself, Meddler.”