Gebura couldn't help the strange nostalgia that washed over her as she walked the streets of Zaun, a place truly unknown to her yet all too familiar as the unexpected memories of the City almost overwhelmed her mind. Without her immense experience, she might've mistaken the underground city for a Wing's District that she hadn't visited, although Zaun was missing the characteristic screams in the distance and the modified humans that had superhuman abilities. Ah, now that was a nostalgic memory.
…Not necessarily a good memory, but it was nostalgic to her all the same.
'This feels way too much like home. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought we were walking through the Backstreets…'
Though to Zaun's credit, it teemed with such reckless life, so chaotic and seemingly ready to explode with energy at any time that it was clear why her gremlin of a peer was the way she was: disorderly, frenetic, and almost damn unhinged. Almost? No, scratch that; left alone in a bakery, Powder would probably stuff her face with too many sugary pastries and then enter a sugar coma for weeks before waking up, ready and excited to go through the between-life-and-death experience again. Powder was the image that dictionaries used for unhinged, although given how Zaun looked like, the former Red Mist assumed that she might've had some rivals in that department.
The Backstreet by comparison was lifeless, at least where she lived and grew up in a lifetime ago, highly contrasting the bustling streets of the Undercity she was currently observing as the memories of her time there came flooding in: strangely empty and hollow outside of the various violent groups and individuals that littered the place. Though, to the City's credit, there were genuinely bustling Backstreets, it's just that Gebura lived in the ones where staying outside for too long meant that you were either a combatant who was worth your salt, or a potential meal for the law-abiding cannibals that roamed the streets. Good times.
"Ooooh, it looks like we got here at a good time! Doesn't look that busy!"
Powder's' giddy exclamation stirred Gebura's from her solemn thoughts, making her realize they had arrived at their destination without her having said one word out loud. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing; she did enjoy the quiet, as it allowed her moments to think to herself, although it made her wonder if her companions were ready for any potential confrontations in this new world they'd entered; the silence must've meant Tiphereth and Roland weren't full of the energy they needed for frustrated rants and wisecracks, respectively. She sent a single look ahead at the two in front of them as Powder merrily skipped over to the place called Jericho's Stall.
Leading the group to four empty chairs, Powder planted herself onto the seat Gebura had chosen to take before the taller woman could issue the slightest objection, with Roland and Tiphereth swiftly jumping onto the free seats beside them as Gebura took a look around the small shack.
'Mmm, looks much more put together up close and the food smells above average act-WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THAT?!'
Gebura nearly choked on her spit at the sight of a big blue fish man with an eyepatch receiving payment from a customer, casually counting the money in his big blue fish hands.
Alright, record scratch, cut the scene, whatever, she needed a moment to process this. To be fair, there were some absurd-looking people in the City. Which was fine, it was the bloody City, but she was fairly certain that fish people were only a recent peculiarity thanks to the Distortion and the shenanigans the Light had caused with (potentially Distorted?) Carmen inside of it. Gebura never liked the City, if one couldn't tell, but she still knew how much the City enforced 'humanity' upon its residents…or most of them, anyway. She could scarcely think of any non-humans in the City…maybe those in the Great Lake coasts that occasionally ended up on City shores? It was definitely a clash of civilizations, that was for sure.
Wait…was the fish man in front of her what was on the other side of the Great Lake? No, that couldn't have been it…she knew there were non-humans beyond the Outskirts, but seeing them was a whole different thing…Wait, it was probably inappropriate to think this way, right? She didn't even know who this Fish man (Did she have the be more precise with the fish species? Was it a man-fish and not a fish man?) even was. Maybe she was simply overreacting.
After opening and closing her mouth without making a sound for a few moments, Gebura leaned towards a cheery looking Powder, happily humming a tune to herself.
"Please don't tell me that's-"
"Yep! That's Jericho!" Powder interrupted and confirmed before leaning over the counter to yell, "Yo! Can I get an order for four overhear!"
Jericho, finally free from his previous customer, goes over with a smile at the calling of the Librarian of Psychology before stopping at the sight of the blue haired teen. Her eager waving at his stare snapped him out of his daze, getting him to finish his approach.
"Long time no see Jericho! Was back in town and couldn't miss the chance of eating at your stall again!" Powder's voice rang out with a nostalgic enthusiasm that lit up her face, her blue hair catching the flickering lights of the nearby stalls.
He gave a small nod as his grin widened, pointing up at the menu to which Powder smiled broadly at.
"The special please. For me and my colleagues!" She announced with the exuberance of a child coming home after a long journey.
Jericho laughed about getting to work on their orders, wth the Librarian of Languages taking the chance to whisper at Powder once more.
"...I'm not going to regret letting you choose for me, am I?"
"You ate worse looking things, don't worry."
"Alrigh- What's that supposed to mean?!" Before Powder could reply back, Gebura got the answer she was dreading:
Four bowls full of slimy tentacles were quickly slammed down in front of them. Powder immediately dug in, her movements almost a blur of excitement, while Gebura simply stared down blankly at her bowl, her face emotionless.
"Powder."
"Yesh?" Powder responded, her mouth full, gulping down her food as it were some 5-star gourmet meal and not a bunch of slimy tentacles that Gebura almost swore were still twitching. Gebura wasn't picky with what she ate; she couldn't be when it came to the Backstreets, but she still didn't prefer her food to be slimy and twitching. At least, not when she wasn't starving.
"If I die eating this, you aren't allowed at my funeral." Gebura's tone was deadpan, but there was a glimmer of preparation in her eyes as she reluctantly reached into her bowl to grab a tentacle, popping it into her mouth before she could regret the life choices she made to end up in such a position in life. Almost immediately, she let out a small gasp as a surprised and almost stupefied delight spread across her face and she reached for another tentacle.
Powder couldn't help but let out a mouth-filled giggle as she watched this, swallowing to respond properly…or as properly as she could, anyway; this was still Powder, after all. "Did I tell you or did I tell you?" she teased before stuffing another tentacle into her mouth. "C'mon, Tiphereth, don't be shy now! You should join in like Roland and Gebura!" In fact, Roland hadn't hesitated at all, though it wasn't really surprising considering that he ate whatever he could back in the City due to his situation with funds. If anything, Gebura had to admit that this tentacle soup felt sort of nostalgic, like it was being served in a small, run-down bar in the City. Maybe that's what it reminded the Black Silence of, too.
The red-haired librarian turned to see a light-green hue form over Tiphereth's face as she put a hand over her mouth, her reaction not at all helped by Roland's ungodly stuffing of the food right next to her, which he did far too giddily than anyone should've when it came to twitching, slimy green tentacles- Though Gebura couldn't blame him after having a taste herself. Roland, with his disheveled dark hair and perpetually casual demeanor, was clearly enjoying himself.
"I would rather—OOF! I would rather starve to death than eat whatever the hell this is!" Tiphereth hissed, managing to swallow down the bile that was trying its darnest to rise out of her digestive system. "Did we come down here to get information or to just watch you walk down memory lane?!"
Powder popped yet another tentacle into her mouth, chewed for a moment, and then swallowed. "...Why not both?" she stated with a shrug, causing Tiphereth to groan in disapproval. "Hey, hey now! It's been a long time since I've been home! Is it wrong for me to be reminded of better times at my old stomping grounds?"
Gebura wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and leaned back in her chair, feeling oddly satisfied by the meal. She glanced at Tiphereth, whose face was still scrunched up in disgust.
"I get it, Tiphereth. It looks weird. But you should try it. It's actually pretty good," Gebura said, surprising herself with her own words.
"...Later," Tiphereth replied finally, pushing away the bowl before leaning towards Powder, "Tell me you got a place in mind to actually get some work done, in case you forgot about our particular situation in that crazy brain of yours." She tapped the table, her frustration oozing with every word.
"Don't worry, I got just the place in mind." Powder's grin was wide and confident, her eyes filled with a mix of excitement and determination.
"And that is…?"
"The local whore house, of course!"
"...What?"
The Velvet Rose was more than just a brothel; it was her domain now, a place where she wielded power and commanded respect, albeit in the shadows of Zaun's darker alleys. Babette had risen from her former life as a prostitute, using her wit, charm, and strategic alliances to climb the ranks until she became Madame of the Velvet Rose. It hadn't been easy, navigating the treacherous waters of Zaun's underworld, but she had carved out a place for herself, earning loyalty from her girls and grudging acknowledgment from the city's less savory characters.
Tonight, however, her composure was tested. Well, it's been tested ever since that damn massive and alien building just appeared like magic on the bridge, sending everyone in Piltover and Zaun in a great tizzy. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing to see everyone just lost their collective shit the moment the unexpected came barging through. That boded well for any future surprises such as this one.
That included the bastard that owned Zaun and wasn't afraid to let any one of its citizens know it. As shown when a burly man in the distinct attire of Silco's meatheaded enforcers had barged in, demanding information and asserting Silco's authority in no uncertain terms.
His presence grated on Babette's nerves; she despised Silco and his heavy-handed tactics - which included stealing Zaun from Vander, but she knew better than to provoke a direct confrontation. Instead, she employed her sharp tongue and steely demeanor to keep the man at bay, refusing to yield to his demands.
"You think you can just waltz in here and demand answers, do you?" Babette's voice cut through the smoky air, her stance defiant as she faced down the enforcer. "I already paid my dues and told you all that happened around here when that building came out of nowhere. I have nothing else to say to you right now."
The meathead bristled, his hand inching towards his weapon, a silent threat hanging in the air. "Watch your tone, woman. You damn well know what happens when people like you don't know their place."
Before the situation could escalate further, the unexpected happened. A blur of movement caught Babette's eye. An all too familiar face from the past, intervened with surprising agility. With a swift kick, who couldn't be older than a teenager disarmed the enforcer and sent him stumbling backwards, the room falling silent in shock.
"Hey! Hands off!" The blue haired teen voice rang out, her stance protective as she stood between Babette and the brute. "No one messes with Babette or her girls!"
The meathead, recovering from the blow, shot Powder a venomous glare before storming out of the Velvet Rose, his threats echoing in the tense atmosphere. Babette let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her heart still racing with adrenaline.
As the commotion settled, Babette approached the teen with the startingly familiar blue eyes and blue hair, her expression a mix of gratitude and astonishment. "Powder… Is that really you?"
Powder grinned bashfully, a familiar sparkle in her eyes that confirmed Babette's observation. "Babette! It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Babette's eyes squinted as she scrutinized Powder's appearance from head to toe. "...Why are you dressed like a Piltie?"
The grin on Powder's face completely fell away. "...Fuck me, everyone is going to say that to me, aren't they?"
Marcus fidgeted nervously as he stood beside Heimerdinger outside the imposing presence of the Library, his anxiety having only slightly gone down from the previous hour. The Councilor's presence did little to ease his apprehension, despite Heimerdinger's attempt at reassurance.
"Are you sure negotiating with that... woman and whomever she brings along with her is the best way to go about this, Head Councilor?" Marcus's voice betrayed his unease, his eyes darting towards the entrance of the Library where Angela and her companions were expected to emerge at any moment.
Heimerdinger adjusted his suit with a calm demeanor, his expression thoughtful yet resolute. "Angela has shown herself to be reasonable and diplomatic in her dealings so far. It's in everyone's best interest to establish clear communication with the Library's representatives."
Marcus nodded, though the tension in his shoulders remained palpable. "I just hope this meeting goes smoothly. Things in the cities are delicate enough as it is."
Before Heimerdinger could respond, the heavy doors of the Library swung open, revealing Angela flanked by three of her fellow Librarians. As they climbed down from massive structure, Angela's posture was poised, her expression composed as ever as she approached Heimerdinger and Marcus.
"Head Councilor Heimerdinger, it's a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for waiting on us while me and my team were organizing some things." Angela greeted professionally, extending her hand.
Heimerdinger returned the gesture with a polite nod. "And you, Angela. I once again offer a warm welcome to Piltover."
Angela turned to her companions, gesturing towards Heimerdinger and Marcus. "Allow me to introduce Hokma, Binah, and Chesed, my trusted colleagues. They shall be my fellow negotiators for today." Though Marcus still wasn't 100% sure what they were negotiating on, the Head Enforcer knew that they certainly had some truly unique things to offer Piltover, if the strangeness of the so-called Library was any indication.
Each named Librarian nodded in greeting, their expressions varying from curiosity to cautious assessment of their surroundings.
Heimerdinger smiled warmly at the newcomers. "Welcome, Hokma, Binah, and Chesed. Please follow me. We have a lot to discuss."
With a nod from Angela, Heimerdinger led the way towards the Council chambers, Marcus falling into step beside him.
As they walked, Marcus muttered a silent prayer to whatever gods might be listening, hoping fervently that this meeting would unfold without incident and pave the way for a productive dialogue between Piltover and the enigmatic Library.
Yo! Been awhile, eh? Sorry about that, but circumstance between me and my partner has been going through real life stuff and you know how that is these days.
Still, how you all enjoyed the chapter and look forward to more interactions between the two setting and their characters!
Until Next Time!