Jinx [Logan]

[Shelby Crescent]

"Mom slow down. We're not in a hurry, we have all day." "Jenny leave me be. I'm fine." I mutter before nearly tripping over my own not injured foot, well it might be injured by the end of the day though. "See I told you. Your self-pride is bigger than your as--" "Serenity Crescent shut your mouth or I will jinx it off!"

I sigh a little before seeing a couple people on the streets were laughing at us. Jenny just shrugs and picks up the bags I was carrying as I check on my foot. It was Liese's birthday in a week and I had to get birthday presents, supplies, order a cake everything still. Normally this would have all been done by now if it wasn't for Logan Andrews.

In the past few days, I broke up with my boyfriend in hopes that someone who I didn't know if they were in love with me or not did in fact love me. My luck, Fitzy didn't... go figure. Like usual I'm always second best in the romance department. Maybe I'm just supposed to have millions of children with men who love others more than me. Talk about being a whore. I really don't care if women now glare at me as I pass by. That's their own problem if they don't like me. I really don't care.

"Mum, look they have a sale on cloaks. Weren't you going to buy Liese a new yellow one or did she want a different color?" I smile over at the eldest of my bunch before nodding. "Yes she wanted a purple one. Thanks love." I say softly before watching her go into the shop and start looking for Liese's size and the right color.

It was quite funny now, seeing Jenny be a mother figure for the kids, especially with everything that has happened to me in the past couple of years. Jay's passing, many boyfriends and girlfriends, job switching, almost losing the house. When she lived at home, she never lifted a finger to help with the younger ones and now she took on my responsibility it seems. I always feel guilty about it, but she knows I appreciate her help.

[Logan Andrews]

I don't know when I'm going to go home.
Well, it's not really home, is it? It never was. It's Arden's house, the place where I've been hiding out for the past few weeks, the place I'm staying on a non-permanent basis that sort of stretched out for a while until it got to the point where it almost seemed like it might be indefinite.
I don't really have a home, I suppose. I've lived in a lot of places in my time, but I don't know.
Home is a strange thing though. Hard to define properly. A place or a concept or a state of mind, I suppose.
If it's the state of mind, then I really don't have a home at all. If it's the place, then I suppose I could always go back there now.

But I won't.
I didn't go to all this trouble leaving and wandering around trying to sort my head out, turning up at Riley's in the middle of the night, and then finally stumbling my way up here and wondering how the hell it got to be the next day already when it doesn't feel like it's been all that long at all.
And all I keep coming round to is that love is absolutely ridiculous and pointless and that, yes, I still am angry and that yes, I refuse to go back to Arden's until I am not angry anymore.
Who knows when that will be? But...I think that it's fair.
My temper can be highly a dangerous thing and I don't want to lose it and hit her or something. Because really, I think I sort of want to. Or at least do something to convey just how pissed off at her I genuinely am.

I think that it's time to stop thinking about it though.
The sooner I stop thinking about it, it stands to reason the sooner I will be calm. Although nothing really stands to reason because I got no sleep last night, because I hadn't slept properly for days beforehand anyway under the combined pressure of a torture, murder and Arden's suicide attempt to dwell on. So reason may be just a bit beyond my grasp as it is.

I shove my hands into my pockets, looking up from the ground I've been studying belatedly and end up clipping my shoulder against some woman's by accident.
"Sorry," I mutter, with too much aggression behind the word to make it sound even halfway sincere, and then I look at her and realise just who it is and roll my eyes.
Brilliant.
Just what I need.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Fucking Broomsticks..." I mutter before dropping my purse now as well. I wince slightly before bending down and grabbing the strap, tossing it back onto my shoulder before looking at who bumped into me. "What are you doing here?" I mumble before I attempt to cross my arms slightly but my bandaged left arm isn't letting me. I still have a wrap around my right leg, ribcage and left arm with a few stitches on my right cheek and near my eyebrow.

I wait for his answer before seeing Jenny run out of the store, her brunette curls bouncing around with a grin on her face once reaching me and not noticing Logan yet. "Look! It's the prettiest purple hue. And just her size too. It was only four sickles so I figured I could buy it as a birthday present for her mum." she says as she pulls her bright yellow one around her more. "What's wrong... You!" she mutters before already trying to stand in front of me like a mother protecting her children. "Haven't you done enough already?" she starts to lecture him before I pull on her arm and push her back. "Jenny, shush. Stay out of this."

[Logan Andrews]

"It's a free country," I answer after a heartbeats pause.
Not quick enough to be considered wit really, and it was a bit of a stupid answer anyway. But she can't ask me what I'm doing here like that when I have every right to be.
And I really do need to just...stop being so tired and angry and then I'd probably make more sense and have more logical responses, but until then...I don't care.

I glance over her quickly, taking in the damage.
Hm...whoops.
No, I don't suppose I really regret it that much. It's what I wanted and needed at the time, and she shouldn't have been wandering around Knockturn Alley. It also was the lesser of two evil things I did in that space of time.
She got off lucky that I had a temporary pocket of sanity, helped her up and sent her on her way, because it could have only been half an hour after that when I cornered and killed a muggle woman instead.

"No," I answer with a sort of weary sarcasm as someone else gets involved, "I've just come back for another crack at her, in broad daylight, in a crowded street."
I can only assume that whoever this is, is one of the many offspring. One of the ones I threatened to kill, maybe even. An adult though, so it's sort of okay to talk to her like I would talk to an adult. If she was any younger I probably would have just ignored her.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Not for those who are supposed to be in prison Logan." I mutter before glaring at him faintly. "Don't you dare talk to her."

"It's a free country mum he can I can. Knowing you, you would attack a woman in the middle of a street in broad daylight. You no good son of a..." she mutters again before reaching her hand up to slap him, but I grab her hand and cut her off. "Serenity Amarial Crescent. You are not to fight my battles even if you are eighteen now and live on your own." I say sternly before seeing her cross her arms. "Don't you dare touch or use that wand on my mother again." Jenny scowls before stepping behind me and watching him closely.

"Obviously Jenny has my temper..." I say to him before hearing a faint sigh behind me. "So how did Arden take your little news in the papers. Natasha right?" I ask him before tilting my head to the side. "I don't think you should be out looking for more victims Logan."

[Logan Andrews]

Damn. Point set and match to you.
I think for a moment there, with everything else going on, I actually forgot I was supposed to be in prison and as a result the reminder immediately sort of sets me on edge.
Fuck. Hey, maybe it'd actually be easier right now. I've had enough people and freedom and all the rest to last me a lifetime.

"Huh," I mutter in response to whatever her name is, Serenity, "I'd watch your mouth if I were you. Someone'll end up teaching you a lesson at some point, if you don't."
Not quite a threat, not a personal one. Not I'm going to teach you a lesson. Although maybe I will. At some point.

"Obviously," I reply gratuitously, glancing back at Rubalyn boredly.
I've instantly started shaking my head, wrinkling my nose in vague disgust as if she's the one who did something wrong when she mentions that. As if she's the one who should be ashamed.
I don't need her talking to me about Natasha. I don't need her bloody talking to me about Arden either, mind. And I'm fairly indignant about that as well, because I'm not looking for victims, I'm really not this time. I'm trying to calm down.
"Don't talk to me like you know anything about it. Mind your own fucking business."

[Shelby Crescent]

I smirk a little, nodding at his thoughts before laughing faintly to myself. I could have went to the prison, told them the whereabouts of where Logan has been hiding, who tortured me as proof and who killed Natasha. I still have that over him if he dares to attack me again sometime later or threaten my children. I really think I like that power way too much.

"Really now? I can't really watch my mouth Logan. I might just go talk to the Ministry about your whereabouts." she says with a smirk that's quite similar to my own.

I look at him raising my eyebrows faintly. "Oh but I do know something about it. I heard about it at the ministry, the muggle world, papers. Everyone knows about it and I just so happen who did the crime so it is my business. How's Arden holding up with all this?"

[Logan Andrews]

"Like mother, like daughter," I observe irritably under my breath after a moment spent judging the sincerity of the threat, "Couple of bitches, aren't you?"
It appears that the deterent of the fact that we are in the middle of a crowded wizarding street in broad daylight isn't quite enough for a moment, because my hand twitches briefly towards my wand, before I remember exactly where I am and how stupid that would be.
I guess it's just instinctual when threatened. And that was quite a threat.

"You are terribly intrusive," I comment with forced calm, shaking my head, "Why don't you go and ask her if you're so curious?"
Of course, it's also instinctual to snap at her to mind her own fucking business again, but that didn't really work last time I said it, so maybe it's best to try a different tactic there.
I'm not telling her anything so she can go burn in hell for all I care. It would have been satisfying if I could have said that out loud.

[Shelby Crescent]

Jenny glares at him before crossing her arms. She was definitely my daughter, temper, looks, smarts everything. "Watch your mouth Andrews, or I'll jinx it off." I just glance at her, surprised she's even standing up to him now. After all, he did just murder a woman.

"I would but if I do that, I might slip what you've done to me. It's sort of obvious what happened to me. Have you told her what you've done to me or is the murder enough to make her come to her senses and leave you already?"

[Logan Andrews]

"Yeah, well fuck you," I respond.
That wasn't exactly intelligent of course, but it was vaguely satisfying. I don't even know her, I've not spoken to her before, so it's like being threatened by a complete stranger.
Not to mention I could probably kill her with very little fuss so she has no right to even bother trying to threaten me.

"She knows what I did," I mutter.
There, the truth but very non-specific. As in I'm not mentioning that I told her, because I didn't, because she caught me washing off the blood. As in I'm not mentioning that she knows it was Rubalyn I tortured in the first place and probably just assumed it was some random generic stranger I happened across, just like the murder victim.
Then I just clench my jaw slightly, glancing down at the floor instead of at her, because she just hit a nerve. Lovely. No, she hasn't come to her senses and left me yet, she just cheated on me and I'm not sure if I left her or not. Just that I left the house where she was and haven't gone back yet. So...I really wish that she hadn't of said that, because I was trying not to think about it and now I just hate her even more.

[Shelby Crescent]

Jenny shakes her head lightly at him. "No thanks. Maybe you should try your next victim like an innocent woman that's trying to go home. Maybe someone like Natasha." Jenny smirks again before taking a steady stance. She was never one to let down her guard or back down even when threatened.

"Oh really? You came out and told her that it was me you tortured?" I ask with an amused look as I notice that I seemed to have hit a nerve or a soft spot. "What's wrong did she come to or leave you for someone better and not a murderer like Riley or someone like Travis?" I ask again laughing a little as Jenny just laughs to herself as well. For some reason this was my way of payback now, not torturing like in the past. I'm not Rubalyn, I refuse to be like her.

[Logan Andrews]

"Maybe it should be a smart little bitch who can't keep her fucking mouth shut," I raise an eyebrow, slipping my hand into my pocket and making it clear that I'm gripping my wand, "How would you like that?"
Huh. Maybe I will kill her. Just because I feel like I've got nothing to lose at the moment.
But no, I don't think I could. I couldn't even hurt Riley earlier and I have every reason to really want to cause him a lot of pain, so I really doubt that I could kill whoever the hell she is just because she's got a smart mouth.

"Well, not that it was you," I shrug casually, glancing back up at her again and shrugging again, "What do you care about any of that? None of your business, Rubalyn."
And now I'm going to pretend that I don't give a damn either, but it doesn't really help that I half-flinched at Riley's name. Still...stoic and impassive, I can manage that.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Ooooh, I'm so scared that you can grip your wand. I can too see?" she says reaching into her jean pocket and gripping her wand as well, rolling her eyes at him.

"Ah, maybe I should have a talk with her. Set the record straight to keep her from being even more harmed than she already is." I say before smiling a little at him. The Rubalyn thing really doesn't matter to me anymore. He's not going to effect me with what my name really says on my birth records or what most people think of when they hear it. "Well I believe it is my business seeing as it involves my cousin afterall. I actually care about people Logan but it seems that you're jealous of my cousin Riley for some reason. Did Arden leave you for him finally?"

[Logan Andrews]

I ignore her this time, forcing my hand off my wand...just in case.
Someone needs to knock her down a peg or two, but I suppose that someone doesn't actually have to me. And I don't want to go to Azkaban...really, I don't, even though it might be somewhat easier.

"I really don't care what you tell her," I lie with a shrug, "Go ahead and do it, Ruby."
Of course I bloody care, but I'm a pretty good liar and as long as she doesn't go poking around in my head she shouldn't know any different.
"Huh," I mutter, and I'm actually vaguely amused by that. I didn't know they were cousins. "I should have known you were related. 'Stupid whore' is a family trait, is it?"

[Shelby Crescent]

Jenny rolls her eyes briefly before taking her hand off her wand too but keeps her smirk on her face as she continued to make sure he wasn't going to touch Shelby.

"Fine, I will after my shopping." I say with a nod before tilting my head to the side a bit. Jenny gasps slightly before I clench my fists. Now that struck a nerve. So much for anger control. Next thing I know, I punch him right in the face with my good arm already getting prepared to hit him again. "Don't you dare talk about me or anyone in my family that way." I mutter sternly, feeling Jenny pulling my arm to stop but I pull myself loose.

[Logan Andrews]

"What the fuck?" I think I actually speak on instinct because I really don't remember making the decision to say anything out loud. It's also instinct to take a precautionary step back and out of her reach, also instinct to put my hand to my face where it hurts.
It could have hurt more, actually. A lot more. It really was not that painful, all things considered, but the mild physical irritation coupled with the surprise is certainly enough to stun me for a few seconds.
And now would usually be the point where I'd probably draw my wand on any normal day, but it's not a normal day and I just leave my wand where it is and look at her incredulously for a few seconds more.
I can honestly say I was not expecting that.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Don't you act all surprised. Don't call my family whores Andrews, unless you want to be punched again." I mutter before glaring at him. I may only be five feet tall and a couple inches and not really on the strong side but I can fight without a wand still. All those of quidditch did pay off after all.
"What's wrong Logan? Scared of a woman that's a foot shorter than you?"

[Logan Andrews]

"Well, you all seem to be whores to me," I reply snappishly, "Your idiot cousin wants to go behind my back with my girlfriend, fine. And don't even get me started on you, Rubalyn. So fuck him, and fuck you, you're both idiot whores."
I realise belatedly that this is the first time I've referred to Arden as 'my girlfriend' and I don't even want to think about whether or not she is anymore.
It was surprisingly good to say that as well, because I've been angry since yesterday and I haven't really snapped at anyone so it's a relief to finally do it. Even if I might get hit for it again.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Girlfriend huh? Never thought any girl would be accept being your girlfriend, well besides my alter ego." I mutter before rolling my eyes at him slightly. "Obviously she's unaware of this girlfriend thing if she kissed him back. Did she? I bet she enjoyed it so much that she had to rub it in your face."
I grin at him before feeling it disappear once it registered he called us whores again. That was getting old extremely fast, but it still made me mad. This time though, Jenny lets me go and I punch him in the stomach. "What did I say? Don't talk about my family."

[Logan Andrews]

What is it with everyone hitting below the belt lately? Because honestly, I'm getting pretty sick of it. It's a wonder I even try to be sane, when all I seem to get is insulted for it. I get more respect - or respect because of fear at least - as a psychopath.
I only wince briefly, because I was sort of prepared for being hit that time but it did hurt more than the first shot, grabbing her wrist hurriedly so she can't do it again. Her other arm is still in that bandage or whatever and I'm very glad that whatever I did to her in that torture session means she can't use it now.
"Will you keep your hands to yourself, Ruby? You're making a scene."

[Shelby Crescent]

"Then stop insulting me and my family Logan. It's not my fault that you can't handle being second best. I think you should get used to it." I say in a fake sympathetic voice as I laugh a little bit. "Now let go of me before I do something worse."

[Logan Andrews]

"Because you would know all about being second best, wouldn't you Rubalyn?" I mutter, rolling my eyes as I flex my hand around her wrist without letting go. Which is not quite an outright challenge to do worse, because I think she's definitely gotten the better of me so far.
"But can I trust you not to hit me again if I let you go?" I ask condescendingly.

[Shelby Crescent]

"Actually I would. Especially in your circumstance of love." I say with a shrug before trying to pull my fist away from him. "I'm not promising you anything. If you deserve it again, I have my rights to punch you again."

[Logan Andrews]

I roll my eyes, because actually...yeah, that was sort of my point, sort of exactly what I was getting at. So either she couldn't think of a comeback or she's being a bit slow.
I yank hard on her wrist, pulling her to within the range of personal space where it's uncomfortable, "And if you do, then I think I'll be within my rights to draw my wand. And we know how that turned out for you last time, don't we?"
I'm bluffing, of course. I don't think I could torture anyone right now. Not in the right frame of mind, not insane enough and not quite angry enough...but there's no way she would know that.
So I just push her back and away from me again, relinquishing my hold on her wrist.

[Shelby Crescent]

I whine a little bit before glaring up at him, no liking how close I am to him now but for some reason my cheeks turn a light pink at this. "You wouldn't dare do that to me again." I mutter as I feel Jenny protest his grip on me. I grab hold of my wrist once he lets go and rub it lightly seeing Jenny wanting to draw her wand now. "Don't. Go get some candy for Liese's party. I'll be fine." Again she protests but sighs after nodding but throws one last glare to Logan once she leaves.

[Logan Andrews]

I frown bemusedly down at her for a split second...because I'm not sure if she's actually blushing a little at the close proximity and that's very strange.
"Don't tell me what I will and will not do, Ruby," I warn idly.
I shoot a brief half-hearted glare back at her daughter, because it's only fair as she glared at me first.

[Shelby Crescent]

I glance back up at him once I make sure my wrist is okay, still having a faint blush overcast on my cheeks and I hate it.
"I can if I want seeing as you tortured me almost to my death." I warn him back, this time managing to cross my arms a little bit. "And stop glaring at her, she doesn't know any better."

[Logan Andrews]

"No...you really can't," I shake my head, rolling my eyes again, "And almost being the key word. I can glare at her if she glares at me and-..." I stop and shake my head and ask when it becomes so distracting I lose my train of thought, "Why the hell are you blushing? What's wrong with you?"

[Shelby Crescent]

I continue to stare up at him before sighing a little, feeling my cheeks grow warmer now that he's mentioned it. "Yes I can just because of that fact." I say knowing that it didn't really make any logical sense. "I. I don't know! Do you think I really want to be blushing right now? Especially due to you?" I add quickly before averting my eyes down to the ground.

[Logan Andrews]

"I think you're clearly derranged," I shake my head.
I also think that maybe I should just leave and cut this short because I can't be bothered, but it is a distraction and maybe I need a distraction. Maybe.