Sometimes you need a monster.
continued from here with @astrxae
Despite being upset about the change in the disease Silco had not in anyway held it against the one “outsider” who had actually helped with the outbreak in Zaun. How could he? At this point even if Irisa was not a Zaunite he certainly owed her a debt of gratefulness, and she was also no longer quite an outsider. With her time in the clinics, and working just as hard as any others while not seeming to look down on them and getting along as well as she could with people… not to mention her association with Sevika and Silco she had been by and large as accepted as anyone from outside could be. It showed in small ways here and there one of which was when someone muttered that she “must be a piltie” they were quickly corrected “Not a Piltie, Ionian, she’s different” and besides from a few fanatical types with a hatred for anything they saw as related to the void no one argued.
Silco had lent her a book that he’d gotten a few years ago out of sheer curiosity, and bid her a good evening when their meeting had ended. He of course had stayed in his office, and continued working. His hours were as long as hers even if not quite as draining as he wasn’t healing and dealing with crowds of people, but they were still stressful as he managed supply shipments and moved people around as needed and tried to find food and continuously cursed the other chem-barons for being sun blighted parasites.
When Sevika had checked in on him he had talked with her for a bit about the changes, and what to do next than sent her home. There was no reason for both of them to spend half the night awake after all. By the time Irisa got back to Zaun the club still had patrons, but a rather small number and Silco was starting to consider just going home himself however that was not to be. The knock at his door made him let out a faint unheard sigh assuming it was just some random bit of business that really should be able to wait, but he let out a little hum for whoever it was to enter. As the door opened he glanced up to see Irisa and his eyes actually widened a bit in shock, and surprise.
It’d be easy to believe the Eye of Zaun with his easy acceptance of utterly merciless violence, and willingness to kill was heartless and would have no desire to comfort the woman obviously in need of aid. However that wasn’t quite the case. Some might assume it was purely a tactic of manipulation as the magic using healer was quite an asset. Others might think that his time raising Jinx had softened him a bit particularly after his “vacation” away. Still others would likely say it was a mix of both. Regardless the result was the same.
Smoothly, and carefully rising from his desk Silco stepped around it very deliberately not moving quickly and also doing his best to keep himself from looking threatening at all. Without realizing it Silco had slid smoothly into what one might consider his “reassuring dad” mode, and approaching her his voice was warm and gentle. “Oh my dear girl, whatever happened? Of course I’ll help you. Come here, let’s get you sat down.”
Glancing to the bouncer he nodded. “Get Sevika.” The bouncer gave a nod of respect, and a one word response. “Sir.” With that the bouncer gently closed the door behind Irisa, and then quickly left informing his coworker of where he was going and went to fetch Sevika.
Silco examining Irisa’s state with bruises fresh, and old along with the black eye and the bleeding lip felt a momentary wave of rage go through him. How dare someone do this to a woman who so far as he’d ever seen had done nothing other than try to help people? That rage however would help nothing at all right now, and so he stayed reassuring and careful. One arm carefully slid around Irisa not moving too fast with a look at her eyes silently asking if it was okay, and he guided her to the sofa sitting her down as he sat next to her for a moment. “Let’s get that lip cleaned up a bit, and you just take some breaths. It’s okay, you’re here with me and in my office in Zaun, and I’m going to help you. Whatever happened I’ll help, and I guarantee Sevika will want to do so as well.”
A gentle hug with the one arm around her before it slid away slowly. Standing Silco moved to grab a soft rag, and some water and came back settling down on the coffee table so he could face her. Water splashed on the rag, he offered a soft comforting smile. “Do you want to tell me what happened, or do you need a bit of time? Can you lift your head just a touch so I can clean your lip?” Voice still warm, and reassuring Irisa had likely never heard him like this before but Silco could be quite comforting when he wanted to be. If allowed he would so very gently clean off her lip, and face even as he wondered just exactly what had happened and why. Somehow Silco very much doubted she had been attacked in Zaun, and he knew the look of old bruises which made him think of one very disturbing possibility.
Abuse.
