𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐨𝐧𝐞: 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺

    ╰┈➤ 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: ooc characters

𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

from being raised by two (mentally ill) teenagers in the underbelly of Zaun. From Jinx, she absorbed the art of chaos—quick hands, quicker feet, and the nerve to grab what wasn't hers, though Aviva suspected thievery was already etched into her bones long before they found her. From Aviva, she learned a steady patience, a measured determination that came with nurturing life—both in the plants Aviva cared for and the fragile spaces between people. She had even begun to pick up things from another couple. Sevika taught her practical skills, like how to spot a rigged deal or throw a punch that would actually hurt, while Celeste, ever the charmer, showed her how to tilt her head just right, how to wield a wide-eyed innocence to bend others to her will.

Which is why, in the golden haze of early afternoon—prime nap time in their makeshift family—Isha planted herself squarely on Aviva's chest, her little frame somehow managing to feel as heavy as the guilt Jinx often carried. Nestled snugly beside Jinx, Aviva stirred faintly but didn't wake, her white hair splayed out like moonlight across their shared cot. Isha, unimpressed with her guardian's lack of response, leaned forward, her bunny-ear hoodie slightly askew, and poked Aviva's cheek with a blue-painted finger.

Once. Twice. Again.

Each jab carried a little more determination than the last, as if she could prod her way into waking the girl from her deep slumber. The small furrow of her brow spoke volumes—a quiet persistence born of survival, of always getting what she needed, one way or another. Isha's gaze darted to Jinx, who was sprawled out in the messiest sleep imaginable, her blue hair tangled and one arm flung possessively over Aviva's waist. No help there.

Satisfied that this was a solo mission, Isha resumed her poking, her lips pursed with a silent reprimand.

Isha poked Aviva again, this time harder, her blue-painted finger sinking slightly into the girl's cheek. The older girl groaned softly, her body shifting as if trying to retreat deeper into the thin mattress. Isha sat back, determined, her small face scrunched with concentration.

One more poke. This one landed right on Aviva's nose.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," Aviva muttered groggily, swatting lazily at the air. Her gold eyes cracked open to find Isha's big brown ones staring down at her, unblinking. "What is it?" she asked, voice still thick with sleep.

Isha didn't answer, not with words. Instead, she gestured animatedly, her hands miming pouring something into a cup, then raising it to her lips in a dainty sip. Her eyebrows lifted with an earnest expression, as if to say, Well? You get it, don't you?

Aviva blinked, her brain still catching up. "...No. Absolutely not. I am not having a tea party with you."

Isha's shoulders slumped dramatically, but her face remained stoic as if considering her next move. Then, she tilted her head slightly, her lips pressing into a faint pout, her wide eyes shimmering with just the right amount of innocence.

"Oh, no," Aviva said flatly, immediately catching on. "Don't even try it."

Isha didn't relent. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, the perfect picture of an angelic little street rat, her oversized bunny ears flopping just slightly as she leaned forward with a practiced sweetness.

"You've been spending too much time with Celeste," Aviva groaned, but she could already feel herself cracking under the weight of those impossibly big eyes. "Jinx!" she called, her voice rising. "This is your kid. Get up and deal with her!"

Jinx didn't stir, snoring softly against Aviva's side.

Isha, sensing victory, leaned in closer, her little pout growing even more pronounced.

"For the love of..." Aviva sighed, sitting up fully and running a hand through her hair. "Fine. You win. Tea party it is. But you better not make me wear one of those ridiculous hats this time."

Isha lit up, her silent triumph radiating through the room as she grabbed Aviva's hand and tugged her toward the corner where an old, mismatched set of chipped teacups and saucers waited. Aviva shot a glare at Jinx, who remained blissfully asleep, clearly having dodged the tea-party bullet.

"You're lucky you're cute, bunny," Aviva muttered, letting herself be dragged along.

𝐉𝐈𝐍𝐗 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍
surprised at the scene in front of her—but she was.

Bleary-eyed and still half-asleep, she stumbled out of the bedroom, her pout deepening when her hand reached out for Aviva and found nothing but an empty mattress. The weight of her absence felt heavier than it should've, tugging at her chest. Muttering to herself about how early it was for this nonsense, she rubbed at her eyes and trudged toward the main room, expecting to find Aviva buried in her plants or Isha off causing mayhem.

Instead, she froze at the sight before her.

There, in the middle of Isha's sprawling pillow-and-blanket fort, sat Aviva. Her beautiful, mysterious, stoic Aviva. But not the Aviva Jinx knew.

This Aviva wore a lopsided, hand-crafted blue paper tiara in her white hair, the kind of crown that glinted faintly with glitter glue in the dim light. She was seated on the floor, cross-legged, holding a teacup no bigger than her palm with the sort of elegance Jinx never imagined could extend to cheap plastic.

Her back was to Jinx, but even so, her poise was betrayed by her slouched shoulders. And beside her, in an equally surreal contrast, was Sevika.

Jinx blinked hard, wondering if she was still dreaming.

The towering, broad-shouldered figure was somehow crammed into the corner of Isha's fort, a tiny, delicate teacup balanced awkwardly in her oversized hand. The pastel blue paper crown nestled crookedly on her head almost sent Jinx over the edge. It looked comically out of place against her scarred, rough-hewn face, but Sevika just sat there, as stoic as ever, sipping "tea" like it was business as usual.

Across from Sevika was Celeste, who was the least surprising presence of the group but still a spectacle all her own. She looked entirely in her element, draped in an almost blindingly pink dress with a hot pink tiara that matched her tea set. She had her legs crossed gracefully, her movements fluid as she lifted her teacup, pinky out, a faint smirk tugging at her glossy lips.

Isha, the mastermind of this absurd gathering, looked radiant in her bunny ears and makeshift gown of patched-up blankets, clinking her plastic teacup against Aviva's with silent enthusiasm.

Jinx's jaw hung open, her sleepy brain struggling to piece this together.

"What the hell is going on here?" she finally blurted.

Aviva whipped her head around, her glittering paper tiara slipping slightly, gold eyes narrowing at the intrusion. "You weren't invited," she said dryly, taking a sip from her tiny cup as if this were all perfectly normal.

Sevika groaned, running a hand over her face and dislodging her crown slightly. "This isn't my fault. The kid insisted."

Celeste chuckled, blowing softly on her tea. "Oh, lighten up, Jinx. It's called class. You wouldn't understand."

"I—class?" Jinx spluttered, still trying to comprehend. Her eyes darted between Aviva's tiara, Sevika's oversized frame hunched in the child-sized fort, and Celeste looking like a royal in exile. "You're all out of your damn minds."

"Isha wanted a tea party," Aviva said simply, shrugging as if that explained everything.

"And Sevika agreed to this?" Jinx asked, gesturing wildly at the scene.

Sevika scowled, tipping back the last of her tea like it was a shot of whiskey. "Stop letting her spend time with Celeste," she grumbled. "Used her big old eyes to get me all wrapped up in ...this." She flicked the edge of her crown distastefully.

"Isha has a way of getting what she wants," Aviva added, her lips quirking into a faint smirk as she glanced at the girl, who was busy pouring more tea with a gleeful concentration.

Jinx shook her head, finally stepping fully into the room. "This is so weird," she said, crouching down beside Aviva. "But you—" she pointed at her girlfriend—"look ridiculous. That tiara? It's killing me."

Aviva raised an eyebrow, completely unbothered. "Ridiculous? Or regal?" she countered, lifting her cup daintily to her lips.

Jinx couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, the absurdity of the whole situation cracking through her usual snark. Isha beamed up at her, clearly proud of herself for orchestrating this.

"Alright, alright," Jinx said, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "Pass me a tiara or whatever. I'm in."

Isha immediately scampered over with another crown, this one a mishmash of colors and glitter, placing it on Jinx's head with utmost care. Jinx gave a mock bow.

"Well," Celeste said, raising her cup, her smirk firmly in place. "Welcome to the party, darling."

Jinx sat back, leaning against Aviva's shoulder, still chuckling. She wasn't sure how she'd gotten here, tangled up in this chaos of stolen moments and glittery paper crowns, but she wouldn't trade it for anything.

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒!

Last filler chapter was not well received so like, no more romantic/suggestive chapters and also this is the last filler chapter. The tea is literally just water. Ooc characters honestly isn't a warning this whole book is ooc. Also Headlock did win an award! Thank you for your support.