FFM6: Skyscrapers
The question of the day: why was he standing at the very top of the Empire State Building replica to begin with?
Jinx was an idiot, that's why. Granted, the daemon had had some less than stellar ideas in the past, but this one definitely took the cake in his opinion.
He had stupidly agreed to a bet with Deceit. He had agreed to a bet with a telepath, of all things. It was a stupid, rash decision that was definitely influenced by the liquor he was drinking. Liquor that tasted like fruit punch and knocked him on his ass hours later, because he was too stupid to think to add pixie dust to the mix, since pixie dust prevented hangovers- among other things.
But he had lost, as most do when they bet over the likelihood of something happening to the redhead they were betting over, who was a constant companion with this particular telepath. Like he said, it was a stupid bet, over the protective aspect both Xavier and Tyrant had on the particular redhead. It had been a stupid bet with the winner choosing the favor owed. Jinx had thought that she would choose something simple, like a kiss or allowing the familiars to dress him up like a fruit. But no, she had to go and read his mind and get a wicked look on her face. It didn't help that Merci was working on physics homework involving the particular building he was standing on.
So, in an attempt to help her sister with a particular problem, and not have another magical seal on her arm to keep track of who owed what bets, Jinx was demoted to a lab rat.
A lab rat that got to jump from the top of a life size Empire State Building replica, in the middle of an open field in a more deserted sector of the Hell District. Jinx didn't even know this was legal, but Deciet had magic-ed the keys from somewhere. Not that he should have expected anything less from the jack of all trades on the High Council, now that he thought about it. Why didn't he think about that before? Oh, right. Alcohol. He wished, and not for the first time, that he was a vampire of some sort in a past life. Then he wouldn't be having these issues with hangovers. Not that he was particularly fond of heights to begin with- but anyone would be getting a little woozy while standing this high off the very solid ground with a questionable parachute strapped to their back. Deceit had assured him it was fine, but she was particularly vindictive today and knew very well that all daemons- both actual Fallen and demi-gods, had shadow wings in correspondence with their patron god. Or, rather, it was a theory and she was known for testing theories without warning, among other things.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Jinx? A push?" Deceit's voice came through the contraption around his neck, and he could have sworn she was laughing at him. He'd show her... somehow.
"Just enjoying the view, darling. Perhaps you want to come join me?"
"I'm quite happy on the ground. Just remember that we're kind of short on time." He rolled his eyes. Sure, they were on a schedule, and they wanted him to jump from a godforsaken tower.
Tonight just wasn't his night.
Jinx set his jaw and jumped. And fell.
And fell.
And fell.
And shouldn't he have been closer to the ground by now?
He should have been at least half way down. He was... bored? No, not quite the word. Disappointed? Yes, he was very disappointed. This was supposed to be scarier, faster- wasn't that why people committed suicide this way on shorter buildings? He didn't know, but he pulled the string as Deceit instructed, and sure enough, a kitten shaped parachute made his landing... well, Deceit would assure him it was easier, but Jinx could only decide that the ground was still very solid to land on, and that he was pretty sure he twisted his ankle at the very least.
But his ankle became the least of his problems when he saw the blue eyed girl that had gotten him into this mess stowing a camera in her bag before helping him out of the parachute harness.
"Why did you have a camera." His tone was accusing, and Deceit only gave him an innocent look that added weight to his assumption. She had taken a picture of him attached to a kitten shaped parachute. That son of a bitch.
"Is there something against it?"
"You didn't." Please, please, please. Jinx sent a quick prayer to Lamia to smile upon his luck, but he didn't have much hope.
"Of course not." Her tone said the complete opposite, and he cursed.
"What are you-"
"If I did take a picture, I'd lock it in a box in my safe of fun things for a rainy day when I needed a favor and something to bargain with." She smiled sweetly at him, and he could only wonder what kind of rainy day she was planning for.
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