—

"... Hey. Jinx... You wanna.. I don't know... go somewhere? Anywhere? Just you, me, and some spray cans? And maybe.. you can try talking about what you're thinking this time. I feel like you got a lot swimmin' in that head of yours.."

— that's ever happened between them. But from that small glint in the corner of his eyes, he could see it. Her soulless, husk eyes, glancing into the nothingness as if she had just inhaled a lung full of the gray.

A minor glance away would be made, and he'd furrow his brows. Then, it'd hit him.

—

"I— ... Okay.. I got it." Hed confirm, turning a semi-disheartened gaze away from the entire situation.

He'd lean back against his work bench now, a bit at a loss for words. He wanted to speak to her, wanted to tell her everything he's been through and seen. He wanted to talk about everything —

⧖ behind them and right into Ekko's upheld hand. He'd place it down by his planning desk, the same desk he'd lean back against shortly after.

"So.. Look, Jinx. Before anything, I just wanna tell you that this ain't an intervention or anything. It's me.. apologizing. Correctly, this time."

⧖ Firelights treehouse. At the top would be central command, the essential base for the Firelights, but as of right now.. it'd be empty.

Trudging along further inside, Ekko would snap his fingers and the hoverboard he was working on just moments before she arrived would come flying in the door ⧗

".. Really?" He'd question. He was so used to her disappearing trucks by now that the sudden confirmation to speak would make his eyes gleam bright. His lips would part into a grin, and he'd reach out for her hand—

However, he'd stop short of her wrist and instead wave her along to the top of the ⧗

⧖ waterworks that were flooding his eyes.

After a brief moment of wiping away the tears with his scarf, Ekko would clear his throat nonchalantly and turn back to her.

".. So. Po— .. No. Jinx. Let's chat. About everything... if that's cool with you."

⧖ dead, I'm gonna be expectin' you to drop by every now and then so we can make sure it stays that way." He'd request, slowly detaching himself from her with a meager smile. However he'd turn his view from her to avoid letting her see this smile, and even more so to avoid letting her see the ⧗

("Vander..?") He'd think to himself. Yet the thought of it only made his hug tighten around her. Vi sort of neglected to tell Ekko that part. Not that it'd make him any less angry about her jumping to her death.

"Well.. You're not dead. So you don't get to say that just yet. And since you're not ⧗

⧖ .. 'Course.. After a few moments of breathing routines, he'd eventually calm back down and face her once more.

"... You don't ever do something so stupid or crazy like that again." He'd sigh, throwing his arm around her to drag her into a hug.

".. Serious, alright..? Don't."

⧖ fight! You.. You..!" He'd throw his hands in front of him, as if assembling a device made of air with his fingers as he sought out the words to yell into the air.

However, after a few moments of stumbling, he'd settle with a simple shouted "GRAH!" before kicking a nearby trashcan over.

⧗

⧖ frustrations. Eventually, he'd even push her right shoulder with one of his hands.

"And you know what the worst part is, Blue? Not the fact that I thought you died. Not the fact that I wouldn't ever see you again.

But the fact that I could only blame myself for convincing you to join the ⧗

⧖ front of him, afterall.

"Crazy?" He'd begin, his tone clearly irate from the get-go.

"No, you're crazy alright, Powder. Crazy as.. as I don't even know! You.. Vi said you were dead! That you jumped to your death with that.. thing." He'd huff, throwing his arms about furiously to express his ⧗

He'd pull his shoulder away from her just as quickly as she had made contact with it. He was still startled by this actual ghost in front of him, but more than that, he was furious.

He wanted to spin the timewinder over and over again until this nightmare ended. But the truth was right there in ⧗

—acknowledge Jinx.

"You aren't real..." He'd sigh before then spinning the dial on his timewinder.

Four seconds would go by again, and he'd turn once more to look at her.

"..?!"

.. Another spin of the dial.

"...?!?!"

... Then another.

"... Jinx?"

—at the sight of Jinx in front of him.

But rather than play into the hallucinations ploy, Ekko would simply shake his head and sigh before checking his parallel converter device strapped to his back.

He was either tripping, or somehow got thrown into another timeline. Either way, he refused to—

"Oh, you know.. since—"

.. A suspended expression of surprise sat on Ekko's face as he turned around and looked about haphazardly. He could have sworn he had just heard someone...

A passive shrug would be made, and he'd turn back around to face his hoverboard, only to be startled backwards—