Burp. One down. The legs had quite a bit of meat on them, on par with ser chi legs. "Mutations from the Chemtech runoff, I guess," Orion thought appreciatively, despite the potential harmful side-effects.

  Orion was about to take a bite into the sed toad-leg when another voiterrupted his meal.

  "Did you have fun?"

  "Damn it..." A low grumble escaped him. Shifting slightly, he was caught off guard to see Vi standing there now with here arms folded. She eyes gred at him, her tone demanding answers.

  "What was that?"

  "Nothing," Orion gave a tired sigh. "What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?" he joked, feigning ignorance of her love of Jericho's food as he turned back to his toad leg.

  "Keep telling yourself that." She replied ftly, sliding into the seat o him. Jericho let out a series of happy, loud noises upon seeing her. Vi immediately slid five half-bronzes across the ter with a small chuckle.

  "Fish bowl, please."

  Between bites, Orion asked curiously, "How you uand him?" She shrugged as if it were normal.

  "You just pick up on it," she said, her tone voice softening as her eyes drifted back at Orion's injuries. A tinge of sympathy crept into her voice, yered with curiosity and teasing. "Like a lot of things around here. Getting involved with the wrong people?"

  From her ahe hairline on the back Orion's skull revealed a slight gap, the skih distorted skin and scar-like. She couldn't see his other injuries, except for the bruise on his which suggested he'd taken a hard hit, and his slightly pale, haggard plexion.

  "Do you want to tell me what's going on? Is- Vander help hahings if you're in trouble."

  Orion's face twitched with slight irritatio out a sharp sigh before replying, "I'm not in trouble. An... opportunity appeared."

  "Did the pretty smile get you?" Her tone dripped with sarcasm as she tinued mercilessly. "From my view, being a pung bag isn't a very good 'opportunity.' Should I ask who's winning?"

  "Wha- oh," His first word carried a glimpse of anger before realization struck him, and his tone softened. "No, this was from the m. I got jumped."

  Vi's gaze shifted slightly, a flicker ret crossing her soft blue eyes. She gnced down for a moment, shifting unfortably before meeting his gaze again. "Sorry." she muttered, her voice quieter this time.

  Just like with C, a bowl slide noisily to Vi. "Aw, shucks! Extra? Your amazing Jericho!" Befitting her age, her tone shifted to an upbeat cheer in respoo the food, praising Jericho, who bubbled happily. Outside of the buzz of the market and sizzling of the grill, there was only silence as they ate their meals.

  Vi broke it, askiween bites of blue fish, "When will you be back?" Her words came as an obvious defle, her eyes fixed on her food bowl. "Powder's wanting to show you a new sketylo already." She e with a faint smile, her focus still on the food.

  "Soon enough- tell Powder to hold onto it for me for a day." Botered oe as he finished, his reply casual. With a full stomach, his tone lightened, carrying a hint of amusement. Leaning in slightly, he teased, "Don't worry, I'll be back."

  "I'm not worried," Vi shot back quickly, though her tensed shoulders raised slightly. She gnces down, pausing as if debating what to say , before looking back with a faint smile, "Just... e ba one piece, okay?"

  Orion leaned baodding. His reply was genuine, "No problem, just keep my jobs between us, miss leader," he teased at the very end.

  Vi smirked, chug softly as her shoulders rexed. "Sure thing."

  -------------------------

  Residents from the uy entering topside wasn't unusual. Citizens travel bad forth for work, delivering produaterials, though it was usually one way in that regard. The jealousy felt by many uy residents- wishing they could have the same air and streets, wishing they could have more like the topsiders- resonated deeply within Orion.

  Orion aowledged it wasn't just the boy's lingering memories of jealousy but his own too, now experieng it first-hand as he crossed the main Piltover bridge, the Bridge ress, under high noon of the following day.

  He felt the disparagement, the disgust cast down by topsiders. Enforcers alternated, despite him being just a teeween suspi stares and warning gres. The first time it happened, he gnced down at his clothing. pared to the , pristiire of topsiders, he truly did look like a rat.

  "Everything here is double, but it looks er," he muttered, passing rows of food stalls.

  Orion unfolded the part again. It gave him a path to t Mei's Menagerie and described the details of the pnt he was meant to retrieve, which troubled him.

  "Red Blossoms- red as the name suggests. Pedals are toxic if ed. Thorns cause mild paralysis..." The list of toxic attributes went on, describing every part of the pnt: sap, seeds, stem, roots...

  "How the hell am I supposed to collect it? Let aloeal it?" Orion grumbled, his thoughts swirling over the potential challenges of this assig.

  Grimag, he spent the st of his money on a used dirty brown cloth sack from the uy. He had folded and tucked it into the back of his pants. Hidden by his jacket and shirt, the rough texture was just mildly unfortable and itchy.

  As he drew closer to the menagerie, the surrounding buildings shifted dramatically, refleg the wealthier elites and Houses of Piltilded mansions behind ores, pristine workshops, luxurious shops, grand banks, and high-flyiertai houses.

  "I bet shoes here are wold," Orion remarked dryly, paring the se to some city spots in his previous world.

  These thoughts trailed him before the path opened up to his final destination: t Mei's Menagerie.

  //AI Art Exterior in the ents.//