Powder was curled up on the sofa, fiddling with Vi's stuffed bunny, her eyes downcast in depression while Vi paced the room rapidly. She was stressed, thinking about how they should've stayed together as a group instead of splitting up, and dreading Vander's rea if they didn't return. Just then the door burst open, Cggor standing there with Orion behind him.
"We're back!" Cggor announced in an upbeat tone and a smile on his face, as if trying to downpy the earlier chaos. Relief spread across Vi's face, aensed posture rexed instantly.
"I knew you guys would make it." Vi said, gng at Powder with a touch of bravado, "See, what did I tell yah?"
Powder's sulking demeanor didn't ge. She gnced up at Cggor and said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I dropped fluffers and wasn't looking."
Cggor stepped over, ruffled her hair, reassuring her, "Don't worry about it. Things happen."
It wasn't enough to pletely lift her mood, but Orion noticed the slight uncurling of her body as she loosened up. Cggor turns his gaze back over to Vi and Orion, "Orion came bae after my foot got stuck running from the Enforcers."
"It was nothing, anyone would do it." Orion said, trying to brush it off. Vi giggled softly, gng at him with a hint of admiration. "Tell that to Mylo."
"I tried telling him, he wouldn't take it." Cggrinned as he begaelling the chase, and the walk back, to the sisters.
Powder's depression vanished as she became captivated by the story, her feet flip-flopping on the sofa as her eyes sparkled with awe. Vi, however, was a different story. By the end, her fists were ched, and gaze cast down as she shook her head, "I'm sorry... we should've stayed together. You could've been taken..."
"But he wasn't. You did good, Vi." Orion reassured her gently.
Cggor nodded in agreement, "Yeah, who would've thought the Enforcers would be roaming there!"
A voiterrupted them from behind, "You guys too?" The group turo see Mylo standing there, looking miserable. Red, crusted paint speckled his body and the bucket in his hand was coated same color on one side.
"What happeo you?" Cggor asked, clearly amused, with Vi and Pgling.
"Enforcers came around, that's what happehe job's dohough." Mylo replied ftly and stepped toward the sofa. His bright red ass caught Powder's eye, and she burst into ughter. The rest of the group struggled to restrain themselves.
"Pfft- monkey's ass." Orion quipped, uo help himself.
"Is that the best you've got?" Mylo retorted, unimpressed, as he flopped on the sofa and arched an eyebrow.
"I've got more." Orion started to say, but Vi cut him off. "Enough. Vander's going to be here any min-"
Like clockwork, Vander's imposing presened filled the doorway. His sharp gaze fixated on Vi, and the entire group stiffehe previously light atmosphere vanishing. Vander didn't seem to be trying to stiffen the mood, it was simply the effect of his presence.
In a surprisingly upbeat tone, he asked, "So? How did it go?"
Vi, bravado returning again, answered, "We did it-" She briefly expihe vandalism, with Mylo chiming in about his middle-finger artwork. This is the weirdest good-job feeling for criminal work, Orion thought, bemused.
"I'm gd everythi well." Vander said. "Yettier at this Vi! You all are."
Orion watched a visible smile appear on Vi's face, her happiness apparent. Uedly, he found himself with a simir smile too, just from watg her.
"I'll let you lot rest up now. Huck will be here tomorrow with the money after he sees your handiwork." Vander cluded in a business-like tone before adding, "Ah- Orion, I have a word?"
The gang was buzzing with excitement after heariion of pay. Vi, however, raised an eyebrow, with an expression reading, "Why him?" Her mood seemed to shift stantly; it wasn't displeasure, just annoyed curiosity perhaps? Orion couldn't figure her out as he nodded and followed up after Vander.
---------------------------------------------------
Orion wasly a fan of drinking straight juice as he stared down at the mug. Not wanting to show displeasure though he took it up for a sip. Vander wouldn't have noticed anyway, he had turned away briefly to pour himself an alcoholic beverage.
"How did it go?" Vander asked as he went to sit down.
"Huh? Vi just to-" Orion started but Vander interrupted abruptly. "To you."
Sile for a moment before he spoke, "She did fi was simple. I thought initially that splitting oor choice, but turned out for the better." He shrugged, adding to it, "She believes otherwise now."
Vander nodded, gng down at his drink, and affirmed, "For them, it is."
"Them?" Orion stiffened, prepared to hear being cast aside. What came, however, caught him pletely off-guard.
"I'm sorry about your parents..." Vander drank from his mug before saying this, and Orion's face stered with fusion. He expressed this openly, asking, "My parents? What about them?"
Slowly sug in air he spoke, revealing hidden knowledge. "The reason you're iresol, hooked up in Emberflit, is because of a deal I made with your parents."
Orion was stunned. His eyes dropped to his drink as he tried to process what he'd just heard. "The Hound of the Uy was involved in my parents disappearance? Wait, my-"
Anger crept in across Orion's face, fueled partly by the revetion, and partly because of his melding personalities. They aren't my real parents, he fought with himself, gritting his teeth. Vander saw only a young maing angry and he sighed, taking another drink.
"What deal?" Orion asked, his voice strained.
Vawirled his mug slowly before setting it down, his words carryi. "I asked them keep a look-out for an old friend who went missing. I suspected he might be found around the Chemtech Seams. Iurn, for just keeping a, I hooked your family up. A pretty generous deal, aye?"
Shaking his head, he tinued, "I don't know if your parents are dead, same as my friend, but your parents had a reason to make it back."
He stopped there, letting the words and their implications sink in. Orion's memories didn't recall him ever meeting Vander, so this was all o him. Silence gripped the closed bar, broken only by the faint flicker of electric lights.
"It wasn't your fault..." Orion muttered.
Vander responded evenly, "I never said it was. Your parents' job as miners never ged."
Their versation carried on for a while, Vander answering Orion's questions in ways that revealed very little. Whenever questions started to get personal, or too deep, his gaze would shift to his drink, his words being guarded . It left an impression that Vander's retionship with Orion's parents, whatever it was, wasn't personal, or at least so it seemed.
When discussing the job more, Vander's casual demeanor hi something more. A faint shrug here, a vague ent there. This is pity, Orion thought. Vander had other priorities and bigger fish to fry, and more important people to look after. Orion sidered himself lucky to be noticed, let alone receive a job or have a ake es with the gang.
"I'd like you to stick around," Vander said suddenly. "Not everyday, just enough to help keep the messes down."
"Why? That doesn't make sense?!" Orion blurted, his fusion clear. Vander responded with a shrug, his tone carrying mild amusement. "Sure it does. Not a bad deal to be arguing, aye? Occasional meals and fingers i."
It wasn't a bad idea, Orion aowledged, it just seemed too generous- or perhaps Orion was just being pessimistid overly skeptical? Vander wasn't much for eborating, simply taking another sip from his drink, as if the matter was already settled. Orion shook his head in disbelief.
"So- what? That's it? Where's the catch?"
"No catch. It's a simple offer, d." Vander replied, his gaze steady, the hint of challenge in his eyes as he awaits Orion's response.
This is definitely an easy way into the gang, Orion pondered with growing i. A nagging suspi in the back of his mind told him there was more but he decided to leave it be, this was enough for now.
"Alright, I'll help out." Vander smiled and nodded in approval at Orion's firm response. Reag for a jug, he gestures at Orion's mug with a smug look, "Another?"
Orion chuckles softly, "No thanks."
