CH 7: Playground

"This day's turning out alright after all." Mylo said as he kicked a guy groaning on the ground. But they were stopped by Deckard :"Wait!" Looking over, they saw that he had taken out a knife. Trying to act cool while barely being able to stand and with his hand on his aching chest.

Vi simply walked over to him nonchalantly, and looked him dead in the eye after getting on his eye level :"Wanna see how that ends?" His hand began to shake as he glanced at the others, growing even more nervous when he saw Slathilia's excited smile. But in the end, he simply walked back before running away. Leaving his henchmen behind. Wow, great leadership, buddy.

Slathilia :"Aww, man. Fun's over before even getting started?! Sigh, we only ever get pussies coming after us."

Mylo :"Well, it makes it easier to beat them up. So I see that as a win."

Slathilia :"And I see that as boring. I want a challenge. Not a bunch of idiots who come, throw useless punches, then run with their tails between their legs after getting hit a few times."

Mylo :"Well, guess what? Nobody cares about what you think."

Slathilia :"And what? You think anybody cares about your opinions? I'll inform you when I personally start giving a fuck."

Mylo :"What, you wanna go, bitch?"

Slathilia :"Huuuh? You think I'm afraid, pussy? Fuck you."

Mylo :"In your dreams."

Slathilia :"I'm staying awake."

"Guys, guys, calm down." Finally, Vi interrupted as they glared at each other. Honestly, sometimes, Slathilia had the urge to bring his date of meeting with grim reaper earlier than scheduled. Him in the cartoon was bad? Good lord, wait till you meet his bitch ass in person. Slathilia honestly wanted an award for how patient he was with his bitch ass.

"It's over, and that's all that matters. Good job, and let's go already." She smirked before grabbing the bag that Powder handed and walking away.

Slathilia :"I guess it was fun at least."

Claggor :"You're the only one who likes and wants to fight, Thilia."

Slathilia :"And Vi's a scarecrow, I assume?"

Vi :"Hey, I don't LIKE to fight. I just do it when it's needed."

Slathilia :"Or when you're mad."

Vi :"... Or when I'm mad."

Slathilia :"Or when you're annoyed."

Vi :"... Grr... Or when I'm annoyed..."

Slathilia :"Which aren't exactly rare things. They happen pretty commonly."

Vi, glaring :"... You wanna go, Thilia?"

Slathilia, smirking :"Is your face ready to block some more hits, Vi?"

Powder, quickly interrupting :"Guys, guys, c'mon, calm down! There's no need to fight, Vi, Thilia."

Vi :"Hmph, only because Powder said so."

Slathilia, smirking :"Hehehehe, you sure it's not because you're scared?"

Vi :"Boy, I will-"

Powder, interrupting with puppy dog eyes and grabbing Slathilia's hand gently, whispering :"Thilia! Come on."

Slathilia, rolling eyes and sighing :"Alright, alright. Fine, I'll stop."

Vi, not actually mad :"Hmph."

Powder, smiling at him :"Thanks. But still, that was a really awesome fight!"

Claggor :"Haha, I guess it was. Thilia was pummeling those guys despite it being a two v one."

Slathilia :"You're one to talk. The second guy came at me because you were kicking their asses too hard."

Claggor :"And I bet he regretted that."

Slathilia :"Heh, of course he did. Bet he wouldn't have if he went after Mylo's sorry ass."

Mylo :"Hey, I was kicking ass back there!"

Claggor :"You mean getting your ass kicked back there."

Slathilia :"Yeah, I saw how Vi had to save your ass."

Mylo :"Oh, fuck off. At least I was better than Powder. It's a miracle she didn't jinx this job."

Vi, glaring :"Mylo-"

Slathilia, interrupting her :"And at least she wasn't getting her ass beat. She was doing something useful, like holding our valuables that we worked so hard to get. While the most useful thing you did was blocking hits with your face."

Vi, sighing :"Alright, just drop it, both of you."

Powder :"Yeah, she's right. Mylo's an ass even if you argue with him anyway."

Mylo, scoffing :"Whatever."

Powder, excited :"By the way, Thilia, you said you had written a new song, right? Wanna sing it for us?!"

Slathilia, smiling :"Well, I don't really think it would be that enjoyable without the music."

Powder :"Oh, come on! We could at least listen to the lyrics!"

Vi, smiling :"Pow's right, Thilia. Listening to some good song after a job well done would be awesome. Also, it will do some good to ease our mood since it looks like word of our "job" got around already."

Claggor :"Shit, Vander's gonna kill us..."

As they entered a building and into a secret elevator, it began to take them down. Down to the Lanes. Listening to them, Slathilia couldn't help but chuckle in amusement :"Alright, sure. I'll use my chains to make some of the music I had in my too."

Claggor :"You can do that?"

Slathilia :"I'm beginning to find out that I can do a lot of useful shit somehow."

Vi :"Well, that's convenient as hell for you, isn't it? You basically have all the needed musical instruments with you at all times."

Slathilia :"Yup, and that's why I love me. Anyway, ahem ahem, shut up and listen." And so, he began to sing one of his favorite songs of Arcane, and produce its music through his chains by special means, Playground by Bae Miller. Needless to say, they immediately started to vibe gently. Even Mylo's grumpy ass.

Slathilia :"Who told you what was down here?

Come along if you wanted a peek

I've seen your face around here

Come alone, tell me under the table

What do you seek?

Welcome to the playground, follow me

Tell me your nightmares and fantasies

Sink into the wasteland underneath

Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream

Oh-oh, whoa

Welcome to the playground

What brings you to the lost and found, dear?

Won't you pull up a seat?

Everybody got a price 'round here to play

Make me an offer, what will it be?

Oh-oh, what will it be?

Welcome to the playground, follow me

Tell me your nightmares and fantasies

Sink into the wasteland underneath

Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream

Oh-oh, whoa

Welcome to the playground

Oh-oh, whoa

Welcome to the playground

Oh, it died

Ah, mm

Welcome to the playground

Ooh, whoa

Ooh, whoa

Welcome to the playground

Welcome to the playground, follow me

Tell me your nightmares and fantasies (tell me your nightmares)

Sink into the wasteland underneath

Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream"

As they passed through the streets, immersing themselves mostly in the song, music and Slathilia's beautiful and gentle voice, they used it to ignore the world around them. A chaotic land where there was only one rule, no rules. The one with the biggest fist was the rule, the one who made the rules, and the one who held up the rules. And that person, was Vander.

Walking into the bar, Vi tried to hide her face with her hood as she walked towards their "living room" without even greeting Vander. But despite her sneakiness, Vander, who seemed to be solving a situation between a few customers, still spotted them. And frankly, even if he hadn't already heard of the situation, they already looked quite suspicious.

But Slathilia, not really nervous or giving a shit, didn't bother hiding or anything. He simply waved with a smile at the old man, who flashed a small smile before getting up. Walking into the room, they slumped on the chairs, letting reality sink in despite having done an awesome job.

Sure, they had completed one hell of a job and got an awesome haul. But they also knew very clearly that Vander had warned them countless times to not mess with the Topside. Which was exactly what they had done. And a big mess, at that. Quite sure there were only a few things worse than blowing up a building in broad daylight.

As he sat down, he dropped his head on the back of the couch. Glancing at Powder who was hugging her knees, he couldn't help but gently rub her head, making her glance at him in question, but still smile. A confused smile that made him chuckle lightly.

Vi :"Vander learns none of this. We can only hope that he hasn't yet heard of what happened."

Slathilia :"Which is really unlikely. The knees spread like wildfire in bars and taverns. He probably knows as much as there was to know without seeing it himself."

Vi :"Sigh, yeah, but we can only hope. Hopefully, he won't do anything about the stuff we got."

Mylo :"Why don't we hide them? Heh, I bet Powder will get rid of them pretty easily. Permanently, in fact."

Powder :"I try, alright?! You don't get it. You're older, you're bigger. It-it isn't fair."

Mylo :"So stick with us! Take a punch or two."

The sound of the door opening silenced them as they looked to see Vander coming in.

Slathilia, smiling :"Hey, Vander."

Vander, smiling :"Hey, Thilia. Everyone alright?"

Mylo :"Sigh, never better."

Vander :"Good. I don't suppose you can explain why it is that I'm hearing about an explosion and a foot chase Topside? Five children fleeing the scene. *Looking at Vi* What the hell were you thinking?"

Vi :"That we can handle a real job."

Vander :"A real job?"

Vi :"We got our own tip, planned a route, nobody even saw."

Slathilia :'Except about half of the city.'

Vander :"You blew up a building."

Vi :"That wasn't-"

Vander :"Did you even stop to think about what could have happened to you? Eh? To them?"

Looking at the others, they couldn't help but look away. The situation was too awkward for even Slathilia to interfere in.

Vander :"Sigh, where did you even get this tip?"

Powder :"... We just heard it at Benzo's shop."

Vander :"From?"

Powder :"... Little Man."

Vi, getting up :"I took us there! If you wanna be mad, be mad at me. But you're the one who always says we have to earn our place in this world."

Vander :"I also told you time and time again, the Northside's off-limits. We stay out of Piltover's business!"

Vi :"Why?! They've got plenty, while we're down here scraping together coins. When did you get so comfortable living in someone else's shadow?"

Slathilia, mumbling :"Oops."

Hearing her words, everybody was shocked. They all looked at the two in surprise before Vander spoke without looking away from Vi :"Everyone out." And well, they didn't need to be told twice. They all got up and left, including Slathilia who sighed, knowing that it had already begun to rain, and it was just about to pour.

And he wasn't thinking about rain.

While Mylo stayed back to eavesdrop and Claggor stayed with him, the hybrid boy followed Powder out of the building. As he sat down somewhere, she began to go through some stuff inside of a container or something alike.

After a little while, Vander came out with Claggor following behind him and holding the bag they had brought. After finding whatever she was looking for, she jumped down and placed it in her pouch. But she noticed something else already in her bag. Taking one out, she saw the same blue crystal in the building from a little while ago.

Powder :"Whoa. Thilia, check these out!"

Slathilia :"Right, you did take those, huh?"

Powder, excited :"What should we do with them?"

Slathilia :"Well, I'd rather we split it between us first, huh? I don't think showing these to Vander would really make him happy. But feel free to show them to Vi."

Powder :"Oh, yeah, you're right. Alright then! Since there are five of them, one of us takes three and the other takes two, right?"

Slathilia :"Yup, that's right."

Powder nodded before placing his share in his hand. But when he looked, he saw only two. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Powder, who's pursed lips had a smile pulling at the ends, with amusement :"I'm the one taking two?"

"Well, they're pretty..." She mumbled with pursed lips, looking at him with puppy dog eyes and causing him to chuckle :"Fine, fine. Whatever. But you owe me a meal at Jericho's instead, deal?"

"Deal!" The blue-haired girl immediately nodded in excitement, and then ran towards the building to show the goods she had gotten to her older sister. Looking at her, Slathilia couldn't help but shake his head in amusement.