Chapter Text
The thing Vi loved most about Zaun was the loud hustle and bustle of the city. People coming and going, doing who knows what shady business in the Lanes. The roaring chatter of the Undercity’s citizens reaches her ears, nothing but distant television static looming under Vi’s ears as she walks through the hazily lit streets, her boots clopping against the cracked and cobbled streets that so desperately needed a repavement (though the thought of that happening actually made Vi smile and chuckle amusedly as she knew that was never going to happen).
Her pink hood is up, her pale face scattered with freckles enshrouded by the thin fabric as Vi keeps her head down, her hands slung in the pockets of her leather jacket.
There is only one thing on Vi’s mind: getting home. She had gone out earlier to train - alone - which she didn’t do much without other people these days- primarily her siblings and Ekko. She didn’t mean to be out this long, but time had caught up with her, as it always seemed to do.
The aftereffects of Vi’s training have now caught up to her, though, as she strolled with some ounce of purpose back to The Last Drop just in time before the sun set completely. The sky was barely visible in this part of town, with all of the lofty buildings towering above Vi like giants and the thick smog of the Grey clinging in the air. Vi could now tolerate the heavy pollution, up to a certain extent, though sometimes she could still feel it clogging her throat and making her gray eyes tear up.
The familiar building of The Last Drop comes into view, and Vi lets out a quiet sigh of relief. The bright neon sign illuminates her sallow face, highlighting her cloudy gray eyes and the few stray strands of unruly electric pink hair that have framed around her ears and forehead. She brings up her gloved hands, letting her hood fall back onto her back before shifting herself off the spot on the ground she had plastered her feet on, pushing the door open. Vi treads inside, her eyes scanning for any sign of Vander or her siblings. The bar is not quite busy, as it’s almost 10 pm, but a few groups still linger around the booths and tables, lively, playful gossip of the patrons coming into earshot.
Vander is currently cleaning a glass behind the bar, humming a quiet tune to himself that Vi was sure she’d heard before, though she wasn’t quite sure where. She carefully walks over to her adoptive father, plopping down on a barstool, the stiff mechanics creaking under her weight as she shifts to get comfortable.
The man looks up, his expression brightening. He puts the cup down, leaning his weight against the counter. One of his bushy eyebrows raises in what seems to be a mix of amusement and concern.
“There you are,” he mutters, his gruff voice taking on a more lighthearted tone. “Thought I’d have to send out a search party.” A small, concerned chuckle escapes his lips, and it’s clear he’s trying to downplay how worried he was about his daughter.
The corners of Vi’s mouth twitch into a frown, riddled with guilt, as she fiddles with her fingers. “Sorry…”
Vander opens his mouth to say something before his eyebrows shoot up, recognition coloring his expression. “Oh- Powder was looking for you.”
This makes something in Vi’s stomach churn, though she doesn’t know why. Her sister had always been a more clingy child, but she never had a problem with Vi leaving for a few hours at a time.
She tries to keep the worry out of her tone as she nods. “Yeah… yeah okay. Know where she is?” Vi is already standing up off the stool, her eyes darting around the bar as if she was hiding in a corner, waiting for her elder sister to come home.
Vander bobs his head toward the basement, picking up the glass again. “Basement. In her room, I think. Mylo and Claggor are with her too.”
Vi nods, swallowing the rising lump in her throat. “Okay.. thanks, Vander.” she murmurs, turning on her heels to head down to the basement.
*•.~
“Powder?” The pink-haired girl calls to the silence, shutting the creaky door behind her as she descends the wooden stairs. Her eyes scour the dimly lit basement, candles and lanterns sparingly placed around the cluttered space, creating a homey environment- and one that Vi knew very well.
Two familiar faces peek out of the doorway to the kitchen, light footsteps treading on the rigid hardwood floors.
“Vi?”
“You’re back,” The two voices say in unison, and Vi’s eyebrows perk up in recognition as she strolls over toward Mylo and Claggor, who have now fully walked into the living room themselves.
“Where’s Powder?” She says, her gray eyes flashing over both of them, a sense of unidentified worry curling in the pit of her stomach.
“She’s sleeping,” Claggor responds, a soft cadence taking on his usually gruff voice at the mention of his little sister.
Vi nods slowly. “Okay,” She turns to head towards their shared bedroom. Mylo and Claggor resume whatever antics they had been doing earlier, Vi not caring enough to tell them off for their recklessness; she would do that later. Something was wrong- she knew it and she knew it well as she walked into the bedroom that the four siblings shared-
Vi’s train of thought immediately goes off the rails as her eyes narrow in on a small, huddled lump under the patchwork blanket of Powder’s small bed.
There is a thick beat of silence that seems to drag on forever, Vi’s heart pounding away in her throat.
“Powder?”