#oc firelight

[xenomorphicdna]

WooooOOOO YYEAHHH LOOK WHOS DONE!!!

FireLight! Augh so happy with the sprite, asymmetry is hell as always tho aaa

The nose is supposed to be orange umm I changed it now but it's not in the screenshots. I am devastated over the fact the fire covers the tail vents,, well I guess if they're spewing fire yeah you would see em hm,, ok you know what I feel better about it now

Real time thoughts, chat

[arcanetoymakerau]

Heck yeah, more Ekko content from this AU!

Ekko has a Griffon in this AU, that he rescued from a chembaron when it was just a... chick? Puppy? Well, originally, she was called "Mochi", but I recently changed it to "Sunny", because she's now inspired by my cat who passed away last year.

Just like my Sunny was for me, Ekko's Sunny helps him keep his sanity in check and brings more comforting moments. Despite having that grumpy face, she's full of love to give.

Photo of my Sunny under the cut:

She was the first cat I had in my life... I still miss her so much. She was named "Sunny" because it was a very sunny day when I adopted her (Ekko uses the same logic to name his Sunny).

[firelight222]

It doesn't take very long for a very pissed off Remy to come find them, absolutely ready for a fight. Thank goodness for location tracking, even if he only uses it in an emergency

@card-charger-gambit

@ ing the right account this time-

*unfortunately some of those reinforcements came and surrounded the tree, Shane would wave at them all and Solana would growl*

[bellybuttonbooks]

THE SIXTH | Ekko x Fem!OC

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Rest of the fanfic can be found here.

SUMMARY:

Shimmer is back. Two years after the war with Noxus has ended, a new gangster emerges within the undercity, now known as 'Zaun'.

Daunter is a ruthless chem-baron who has reformed the city's drug empire. He refloods the streets with shimmer and gains the title 'Silco's Heir'.

The Firelights are back in commission after two years of lax, taking down exports just like the days when Silco was still alive.

When the group arrives at an export and finds it already taken down with the barrels drained of shimmer, it becomes apparent that Daunter and his gang aren't the only ones they need to look out for. They had competition. Or... did they?

Ekko finds himself involved in a seemingly endless cat-and-mouse chase with another gang leader-a woman who moves like the wind. He wants to know what her motives are, but he has to catch her first.

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CHAPTER ONE:

- Zaun, two years after the conclusion of Arcane

"Fuck—"

It happened again. Their mission had been sabotaged, just like before. Someone had arrived before he and the Firelights had gotten there, Daunter's goons paralyzed and tied up, the barrels drained of shimmer.

Daunter was Zaun's newest chem baron—and currently it's biggest. He reintroduced shimmer to the Lanes, reflooding the streets with the purple drug.

After Silco had died and the undercity got caught up in a battle with Piltover and Noxus, shimmer had been mostly exterminated by Caitlyn and her enforcers. It still lingered in the black market, but mass exports ceased to exist. Until a few months ago, that is. Daunter crept in like slow-forming shadows caused by a rising moon. In increments so small that no one noticed until everything was drenched in its darkness.

This forced the Firelights back into action. But now, there seemed to be someone else who was intent on interrupting Daunter's operations. Ekko would have accepted the help if it wasn't for the fact that they'd taken the shimmer. He couldn't help but suspect that the culprit had ill intentions, and that put them at odds with the Firelights.

"Looks like we got competition," a distorted voice said from beside him.

Ekko turned his head to look at the masked face of Scar, a tall chirean who served as his Lieutenant and second in command. Chireans held bat-like appearances (minus the wings), with large ears, grey-toned skin, bat-like noses, and neon green eyes.

Both men stood atop a nearby roof, out of hearing distance of the restrained goons on the cargo airship.

"More like another enemy," Ekko responded.

Scar processed his leader's remark before speaking again. "You think they got bad intentions?"

"They're up to no good if they're stealing shimmer. Probably selling it themselves to make bank," he said pointedly.

Scar took in Ekko's words. It made sense and sounded like the most likely scenario. Though, one thing stood out to him.

"Why would they tie em' up? They already have em' paralyzed somehow. It's like they're leaving 'em here for someone to arrest or something."

Ekko considered this but had already thought up a reason. "The paralysis might not last long. Could be a precaution."

Scar nodded, agreeing that his reasoning seemed plausible.

"What should we do? Seems we keep missing 'em. Should we put out scouters across the city?"

Ekko exhaled through his nose, mulling over Scar's suggestion. It did sound like a good idea, but he had to also consider the risks. He didn't want to put his people in danger. This wouldn't be like their typical 'element of surprise' mission. This would involve spying, waiting, and watching—usually from the shadows to avoid detection. Despite this, Ekko had faith in the Firelights.

"Yeah. Could assign shifts. But we still need to keep most of our numbers back at the hideout in case of any surprise missions."

Scar agreed. Daunter was becoming more and more unpredictable, and there were times when they had to act quickly, creating plans with only hours to spare.

The conversation between the men ended there and Ekko mounted his aeroglider. He flew over to the transport ship and hopped off the board, sliding it behind his back to attach to the magnetic piece on his coat. He neared Daz, one of the newer Firelights.

Daz was a little on the shorter side, his body mass nothing impressive. But he was quick, and that made up for his size.

"You find anything useful? Anything they might've left behind?"

Daz stood from his crouching position. "Nothing. But this guy says that it was a bunch of people dressed in black wearing cloaks," he said.

The younger male nudged the oversized goon who was laying on the boarded floors of the airship with his booted foot.

Ekko's eyes narrowed in thought from the goon's revelation. He crouched down, deciding to take questioning the brute into his own hands.

"Did you see any faces? Anything?"

Daunter's ruffian shook his head, his double chin jigging as he did so.

"I was lucky to even see 'em in the first place. Bastards were quick as shit, bouncin' all over the place like a bunch 'a damn shimmer addicts."

Ekko stared down at the overweight man for a few moments before standing.

'Was it possible that whoever had done this was also consuming the drug to give themselves a physical advantage?'

Authoritative voices sounded from the distance, pulling him from his thoughts and signaling him and the other firelights that enforcers were nearby. Ekko yanked his aeroglider from behind his back once again, hopping onto it before instructing the other Firelights to follow him out of there.

The group flew to their hideout, flickers of green trails decorating the air behind them as they moved.

The Firelight hideout was impressive—only accessible through a labyrinth of abandoned sewer pipes. He and his people had the pipes memorized by now, knowing exactly where to go to reach the entrance. The entrance was covered by a heavy, circular piece of metal—resembling that of a manhole cover. It rolled to the side, allowing them access.

Each time Ekko walked through the gate, he was struck with amazement at what he had accomplished so far. He had created a community in the last ten years, having found a large tree growing from the deep, dark depths of Zaun—a miracle, but also a symbol of hope. He had built himself a home, a sanctuary, and shared it with the people of the undercity that had been affected by the shimmer epidemic and the victims of the battle. He was proud of himself, and the people who had joined him in forming the Firelights. They had done well.

During the war, they'd almost lost the tree. Well, they had lost the tree. The corruption from the hexcore had bled into the roots of their tree, causing the leaves to become tainted in wild rune markings before ultimately falling off. But using the knowledge he had learned in the other timeline he'd been teleported to, Ekko was able to form a time bubble around the hideout, reversing time in sphere they'd created but no where else. After ensuring no one was in the bubble, Ekko was able to bring the tree back to its former condition—before his mural had been painted on it.

Before the war, he'd vanished for months, leaving the Firelight no choice but to assume his death. They painted his face on the mural. It was a chilling thing to see once he'd returned; a symbol of his own death that hadn't occurred. A bad omen.

He had lost people throughout his twenty-three years of life—too many people. He carried the memories of his fallen friends with him and honored their memory by having a mural painted on the tall walls of the sewer, colourful portraits of the people who had passed on. It added to the surrealness of their hideout, while also ensuring who they've lost remained with them in, watching over them as they worked, lived, and thrived underneath their still gaze.

His eyes skimmed over the mural; Vi, Powder, Claggor, Mylo, Momo, Chip, Kurt, Jal, Eve, Radar, Heimerdinger, Jinx, and the most recent addition—Ajuna.

He lowered his gaze and walked to his room. It was located in one of the higher structures of the tree. Usually, he would use his hoverboard to fly there, but he decided to take the long way so that he could think on the way there. Plus, the exercise wouldn't hurt. He began his venture up the lengthy stairs, his mind occupied as he did so.

He soon reached his destination, pushing open the door before closing it behind him again after stepping inside.

His room was clean, but also messy. His bed was made, which was something he forced himself to do every morning. It was a twin bed that lined the back right corner of the room. Opposite the bed was his workbench, where the mess began. It was a disorganized madness, but it was his madness, and it worked for him. He was an inventor, a prodigy and a genius, as his parents called him. The workbench was evidence of his success and failures. His tools scattered across the wooden surface, grooves beginning to form in the shape of his fingers from how often he used them. Pieces of scrap lined the walls next to the desk, things he refused to throw out because he was determined to find a use for them some day.

The wall behind his desk was littered with plans, blueprints, diagrams—either of inventions he had already made, planned to make, or things he still hadn't finished planning yet. Next to the bed was his desk. It was situated underneath a curtained window. That was where some of the mission planning took place. He was the leader, and he was the one who created intricate plans for his team to embark on (with some help from Scar at times).

Ekko yanked his aeroglider from his back and rested it against the leg of his workbench before shedding his graffitied coat and folding it over his work chair. He removed his mask and placed it on his desk before sitting in his chair.

His mind was tossing and turning, thinking back to their wrecked mission. It was clear that the Firelights had another enemy to deal with now, as if Daunter and his gang weren't enough. He worried about what this might mean for their future undertakings, what confronting the group would be like, what their leader was like—if they even had one. They most likely did. They wouldn't have been able to pull off such swift heists if they didn't.

Ekko exhaled and willed his troubled thoughts to leave with his breath. He needed to focus. Make a schedule. Make a plan. He pulled out some parchment and leaned over his desk, getting to work.

Weeks passed, and the Firelights had no luck with spotting the culprits. Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing. That and any physical altercations made using shimmer made them dangerously fast foes.

Ekko stood atop a roof, his mask adorning his face and the hood pulled over his head. He held his hoverboard to his side, having just landed. The building he was situated on was positioned along one of the main routes for Daunter's shimmer exports.

At this hour, the city was dark but also illuminated by the lights within its buildings. It was pretty, no one could deny that. Pink and green light outlined its contents, adding to its nighttime radiance. It was a contrast to the dank stench that polluted their air.

He lingered on the roof for a while, hoping to spot some movement.

His scouting shift was ending. His body was tense with anticipation and eagerness that didn't seem to dissipate as the time ticked well beyond when he should have gone home. This mystery had been bothering him since the first time they came across an empty transport about a month ago. He couldn't understand how he and the Firelights kept missing them. How this mysterious group of people in black seemed to be getting away with it. Right now, all he knew was that he would not rest until he figured it out, and then took care of it by taking them down.

A flicker of movement occurred from the top right of his peripheral. In a flash his head wagged in the direction, his focus zooming in on it. There. He could see a very faint outline of what looked like the side of someone, the rest of them drenched in inky shadows. They stood upon a roof in the near distance. When Ekko moved onto the other side of the roof he was standing on, he noticed that there were other figures standing with the initial one he had noticed. It had to be them.

He knew that he'd have to stay hidden and quiet. He was outnumbered by people who had unknown capabilities. Instead of confronting them, he would follow them. Watch them and their moves, learn their techniques, inspect them for any weaknesses, and figure out who was leading them.

He put his aeroglider on his back, knowing that the green lights on it would immediately reveal his location—especially in the darkness of the night. He would have to move on foot. He wasn't exactly skilled in moving stealthily. His boots always felt too heavy, his breathing too loud—especially behind his mask. Despite this, he was determined to pursue the group. He'd been chasing nothing but possibilities for weeks. The possibility that he might spot them. The possibility of learning more about them. The possibility of the Firelights having the capability to take them down. He was sick of unanswered questions, and if slinking into the shadows like some kind of damn ninja was what he had to do to get them, then so be it.

When they moved, he moved, trying to mask any footsteps or sounds he made with theirs. So far, it seemed they were moving aimlessly. They headed in every which direction, making quick yet precise movements. Ekko was almost in awe. This group moved with grace and excellence. They used acrobatics and parkour together, the combination of the two giving the group a unique advantage in means of travel and stealth.

Ekko was able to see that the group consisted of about 6 people, with one of them leading the lot. He could see that they were indeed adorned in black attire, which included black cloaks. Any other physical details remained a blur due to their continuous motion.

The leader seemed to lead the group to some sort of abandoned warehouse. It had long since been cleared out of its storage—Ekko and the Firelights having raided it once after Squirt, one of the older members of the gang, spotted it during a mission.

Ekko kept himself tucked away in a nearby alley, sparing only a few glances as he saw the group circle on the concrete clearing in front of the warehouse. As he glanced over the corner, he noticed there was one fewer than before. Before he could even begin wondering what happened to them, he felt an abrupt poke on the back of his neck, directly in the center. In seconds he was crumbling to the ground, his own body refusing to listen to his brain signals that demanded he move. He lay there helplessly, now at the complete mercy of this group that he knew nothing about. He tested his eyes, seeing if he could glance around and blink. He could. He tried opening his mouth. He could. But that was it.

His eyes caught sight of the person who had managed to take him down in mere seconds without him even knowing they were there. They were small—a small female. She was dressed in all black besides a crimson scarf wrapped around her neck. He couldn't see her face because she was wearing a black half mask that covered her nose and mouth, and tinted goggles that covered her eyes. One of the most prominent things he noticed was how long and bushy her hair was. She had it tied in a low ponytail and the ends of it reached all the way to her ankles.

'There's no way that was the ideal way to keep her hair during outings like these,' Ekko thought. It reminded him of Pow—Jinx. Long hair. Always getting in the way when she fought. He felt his heart clench, but he banished the impending memories that threatened to come forth. He didn't have time to think about that now.

"You've been following us," the woman said, her voice firm and yet soft at the same time.

She began circling him, sizing him up before coming to a stop near his head. She squatted down beside him, her head tilting to the side as she looked over his masked face.

"And you've been stealing shimmer to do who knows what with."

Her head tilted to the other side as she listened to him respond in the distorted voice caused by his mask. "What of it? You want some?" Her voice was muffled by the material of her mask.

He scoffed, disgust filling him and lacing his voice with venom as he spoke. "So, you do make profit off it."

She didn't respond to that. Instead, she gripped the edges of his mask and began to tug it off. When she felt a resistance, she reached into his hood and unsnapped the fastens and then tried again.

Ekko could do nothing to stop her as she revealed his face to the night air.

She gave him a good stare down, as if memorizing every facial feature he had. She reached a hand down to him, her fingers making gentle contact with the hourglass marking on his forehead and nose.

Ekko would have jolted away from her touch if he wasn't paralyzed.

She traced along the edges of the marking with two of her fingers, her movements slow and deliberate. After pulling her hand away, she stared down at him some more, almost like she was contemplating something. "What does it mean?"

Ekko's mouth parted, confusion and bewilderment striking him from her abrupt question. He couldn't even think of forming an answer to that question, too caught off guard by it.

"Nothing? Just thought the shape was cool, huh?" She stood, his mask still pinched between her fingers.

"This thing is neat. Did you make it yourself?" She turned the mask over in her hands and held it up, getting a closer look at the neon pink 'x' painting on the front of it and then looking at the mechanics on the inside that made the wearer's voice distorted.

"What did you do to me? I can't move."

She looked from his mask and down at him again as she ignored her question. She seemed to pause, as if stunned by the sound of his actual voice that was no longer disguised by his mask.

"It's temporary. It'll wear off in an hour or so."

Ekko's eyes widened. "An hour? Stuck like this? With you?"

She snickered. "Hey, you're the one who was following us. I had to make sure you weren't a threat." She bent forward and gazed down at him; her eyes still hidden behind the goggles she wore. "So, are you? A threat, I mean."

Ekko swallowed. "Depends. I don't know you, or what your intentions are. I'm only a threat to those who are a threat to me," he said.

"Well, that's quite the predicament. We don't know your intentions, and you don't know ours." She stood up straight before continuing. "But you were the one following us. That's not very nice, y'know."

Ekko could feel her words ignite annoyance within him like a flame touching gas.

"I had my reasons," he retorted matter-of-factly.

The girl turned around, hiding her face from view before pulling down her mask and removing her goggles from her eyes, leaving them resting on her head like a headband. Then she put on his mask. It was too big for her, but she kept it on, nonetheless.

Ekko became enraged. "Take it off, now." His voice was angered and demanding.

She snickered again, this time teasingly as she turned around to show him her face now covered by his own mask.

"No, I don't think I will." Her voice came out distorted now, and it only added to Ekko's fury.

Before Ekko could make a response, she moved quickly out of his peripheral. And suddenly, she was atop the roof of one of the buildings lining the alleyway. She gave him a taunting wave before dashing away.

Ekko could hear her voice in the distance as she ordered the group to head back.

'So, she's their leader.'

Ekko mulled over that fact for a few seconds until he realized that he was now left in the alleyway, defenseless. She had left him there paralyzed and alone, completely vulnerable to any possible thugs in the area.

"Shit—"

Just as the word left his mouth, she returned to her spot on the roof. He watched her plop down, her short legs dangling over the ledge. He could hear her muffled, distorted snicker.

'Bitch.'

"Don't worry, I'll babysit you until you can move again."

Ekko blinked, confusion dousing him from her odd intentions.

"Why?"

"To make sure no one hurts you silly," she replied, her oddly cheerful voice making the distortion effects of the mask glitch out. He heard her giggle.

He stared up at her in disbelief. "You wouldn't have to do that if you hadn't paralyzed me in the first place."

"And I wouldn't have had to paralyze you if you hadn't been following us in the first place."

She had a point, and he knew it, But he also knew he was justified for following them. He needed to know what their intentions were.

"What are you doing with the shimmer that you've been stealing?" He knew his question was a long shot, but at this point he didn't have anything to lose.

"That's for me to know, and for you... To not know."

This woman was infuriating.

"Then I have no choice but to assume that you're selling it for profit. You're just continuing to add to the problems of the undercity. How do you live with yourself? Contributing to the pain and suffering of other people for the sake of coins."

She seemed to pause at his words, like she was thinking carefully before responding. "You're quick to assume things, huh?"

Ekko watched as she crossed her arms over her chest, her head still tilted downwards as she stared at him through his mask from her perch on the roof ledge.

"What choice do I have when you won't give me anything."

She hummed. "Touche."

Ekko could feel pins and needles erupt in the tips of his fingers and toes. The paralysis was starting to wear off. He decided to keep this information to himself. Maybe he could try and get her to come down here and strike after the paralysis had completely worn off without her knowledge.

"How'd you do this? You poked me and suddenly I'm all paralyzed and helpless."

He heard her make a noise of amusement, hinting that she was probably smirking behind his mask.

"More questions?

He rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna answer this one?"

She shook her head in amusement, and Ekko watched in astonishment as she stood and flipped into the air, landing on the ground right beside his head with absolute grace.

'She just flipped off a god damn building.'

He had to admit, that was impressive as hell. He'd lived in the undercity his whole life, and many kids grew up learning how to do parkour, but nothing like this. Sure, he could do his own mid-air flip, but his landings were far from as graceful and quiet as hers. It was like she was a dancer or something.

She squatted next to his head again, peering down at him like before but this time behind his mask.

"How about we swap secrets, yeah? You tell me what this means—" She paused and then poked the white marking on his forehead and nose. "—And I tell you how I made you 'all paralyzed and helpless'."

Ekko was taken aback. She would really reveal something so valuable in exchange for something that was merely personal to him?

"It means a lot of things. It's shaped like an hourglass. I've always had a thing for time."

She made another amused sound—probably smirking again.

"That's it? You have a thing for time? No deep, mysterious meaning for painting a freaking hourglass on your face?"

"Guess so."

She stood and crossed her arms over her chest.

He was starting to get more feeling in his face now, and he didn't even notice when he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Who are you?" he asked her, not really expecting an answer.

She shook her head disapprovingly again before replying. "Another question? But I haven't even answered the other one yet," she pointed out jeeringly.

He grit his teeth. This teeny tiny woman had started a raging anger within him. She dodged questions, was sassy as shit, and she'd stolen his mask and was now wearing it just to piss him off.

She noticed when his eyebrows furrowed, hinting that he was regaining use of his muscles now. She took a step back but didn't fully retreat just yet, lingering behind for a moment to say something else.

"I thought you would've found another fascination by now. But nope, still obsessed with time, aren't you, Ekko?"

Ekko felt like he'd been abruptly drenched in ice-cold water. She spoke to him as if she knew him.

'Who the fuck is this person?'

His shock was evident on his face, and she immediately picked up on it.

In a blur of movements, he was suddenly standing, the paralysis having worn off by now. Despite his quickness, she had maneuvered out of the way and was now standing on the same ledge she had been sitting on minutes before.

"Who the fuck are you?! Tell me, God dammit!"

She was quiet and unmoving for a few moments, as if she was contemplating something.

"Toodaloo." She waved at him and laughed before disappearing.

He growled and pulled his aeroglider from his back, immediately mounting it and taking to the air. She couldn't have gotten too far. It took him only a few moments to spot her in the distance. She was fast—real fast. But he had his hoverboard, which made him faster. He flew his board in her direction, gaining momentum on her quickly.

He watched as she turned a corner abruptly. He quickly made the sharp turn, about to catch up to her when he was forced to come to a stop. She was gone.

He gained altitude, moving up higher to get a better map of the place. He looked around, but still couldn't find anything. She had quite literally vanished into thin air.

"Fuck!"

Rest of the fanfic can be found here.

[altcissor]

Arcane oc yall :33

To also make a pfp to celebrate the second season

[dreamdragoness]

@sketchquill got me inspired again. This time, it's with their Welcome Home Nutcracker AU. I have Stacy in a similar role to Clara from the original ballet and Y/N from the AU. However, she is a grown adult who works at an orphanage. After Howdy (Drosselmyer) delivers the toys he created for the children, Stacy notices a nutcracker (Wally) amongst the toys that didn't get chosen. Charmed by its uniqueness, Stacy picks up the doll after everyone has gone to bed. She felt sorry for the poor nutcracker (after hearing the story and how the children thought it was weird,) Stacy went downstairs and danced with the nutcracker in the dying firelight. She would tell the Nutcracker it was once her dream to be a ballerina and perform in the most beautiful shows for everyone but then had to give up on her dream when times got hard on her and her family. Still, whenever she could, Stacy would dance to her daydreams. This Christmas night, however, she managed to find a partner in the form of the nutcracker doll, unaware of what was to come that night. ----------------------------------------------- @sketchquill - Nutcracker AU

Party Coffin: Welcome Home Stacy: Me

[nylilcosmos]

with arcane s2 around the corner it was time to redraw my firelights oc 🙂‍↕️

[tired-in-tree]

How to appologixe for being yourself? I keep messing ups and I don’t know how to change…. I should sleeps … but… food… mmm… grill myself a cheese…

[importantdestinydefendor]

What kind of love do you embody?

love as being known

[ love is knowing all of someone and loving them anyway ] when tim kreider said "if we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known" and when joe wright said "The idea that these two people know each other, knew each other when they first saw each other. That they recognized each other from their future" and when micah nemerever said "it was a relief and a horror to be known so perfectly"

I took this quiz as Azar to see what kind of love she would be since she is completely different from me in many ways. And this fits her so well. Azars biggest fear is revealing too much of herself and thus having the wrong people hold too much power over her. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and Azar hates nothing more then loosing that power over herself. Because even though outside she shows herself as this in control, collected and cold general deep deep deep down she is a mess. In shambles like a pottery that was smashed into tiny pieces and no glue to put it back together in sight. She also has severe survivers guilt about the incident that killed not only her mother but three other people (or at least two directly and one indirectly but shhh- that will be revealed later) by the hands of her mother's sister Farah out of jelousy. As she later learned (from the pos herself) it only happend because Farah wanted to erease everything that could be her sisters legacy to swoop in to take her place by Azar's fathers side. But as it didn't work out as Farah had hoped for, she continued with tormenting and torturing her niece for the past 25 years, not caring if innocent bystanders would be caught in the crossfire. Azar feels guilty and shame for this and believes that nothing would have happend if she was never born.

So, to keep her control over herself thus making knowing her a wall impossible to overcome, she fabricated herself a new identity - the violent White General/White Death. Spreading missinformation by simply never correcting the people around her and keeping her distance as well as wearing not only her metaphorical but also her physical mask to hide her face. But there isn't much that is keeping this fraud facade together and only a little bit of gental prodding would cause the entier wall to crumble and reveal the shards of missery underneath. But there is only one who has every managed to have come this far and that is only because he is the son of the man who saved Azars life.

So yeah... this was something. Made my dissect Azar like she was in a lab. So very very fun!

Tagging @tired-reader-writer @innerchorus and @marchdancer and anybody who wants to join :)

[clarityroses2]

IF U SEE ME AND ARE LIKE “hey that name sounds familiar lol” IT PROBABLY FUCKING IS BC MY OTHER ACC MIGHT BE GONE AND IM SO SCARED ANYWAYS HII ITS CLARITY HIIIII REMEMBER ME YES YES ART LOOK WOWIEEE YESSSS ART!!!!

[bluerasbunny]

new ref sheet everyone look at my OC. i say to an audience that is not here for my OCs at all

[apthepotat]

Ever hyper fixated on a fandom so bad you wanna make an oc of said fandom?

…

no? Just me?

…

COUGH COUGH COUGH

[firelight222]

"Hey kiddos what ya guys..... Up.. ta.."

@card-charger-gambit

*Exreamly slow head turns*

[redhappend]

Progress on the sky and Raze art!! I really struggle with natural lighting/ sunlight if you couldn't tell

[bellybuttonbooks]

The Sixth | Ekko x Fem!OC

Chapter Four

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Full fanfiction is posted on Wattpad and currently has 36 chapters and a read time of 13 hours.

Full fanfic can be found here:

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When Ekko opened his eyes again, they immediately slammed shut once more. The light in the room he was currently in was ungodly and stabbed daggers into his pupils. A groan escaped his mouth, and he raised his arm to rest his forearm over his eyes in order block the light from them.

"Ekko?" he heard Scar's voice ask from somewhere else in the room.

"What happened?" he rasped out, throat scratchy and dry.

"What do you remember?"

Ekko slowed his thoughts and started sorting through what he last remembered. He'd led the Firelights on a mission to try and capture the leader of the shimmer stealers. The all-female group had been trying to sell shimmer to some guy in an alley, and they interrupted the deal.

He abruptly dropped his arm from his face and shot up when he recalled the details of pinning the leader underneath him. He'd almost succeeded in revealing her identity, but he'd been stopped last minute.

"Shit," he said, throwing his face into his hand before swiping it downwards. The action caused his skin to tug downwards until his fingers met the sides of his mouth. He wiped along the edges as if he were deep in thought. "They got away again."

"Yeah," Scar said, leaning against Ekko's workbench. He peered down at his leader and watched his face change expressions with each memory that resurfaced.

"I was so close—" he said, eyebrows furrowing marginally "—I almost had her, but then..." His eyes widened. "Holy shit—" He dropped his hand from his mouth and turned to look at his friend. "They've got someone with powers."

Scar's eyebrows twitched upwards at the revelation, forehead wrinkling slightly. "What kind of powers?"

Ekko thought back to how he'd been attacked. "Electricity. This girl with crazy bright hair shot me with it using her fingers like—like a gun." There was a brief pause before he spoke again, realizing that the Firelights had been missing during the ordeal. "Where were you guys anyway?"

Scar's stance stiffened at the question before he released a snipped breath. "They're slippery man. The others flew after them, but they got away." Scar looked away, finding it difficult to maintain eye contact as he continued. "As for me—well—uh..." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "They have a vistaya and... she's quite the character."

Ekko stared up at him in confusion. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know."

Ekko raised an eyebrow and was about to question him further when he remembered something else. His posture straightened as he realized he'd forgotten to reveal the most vital thing that he'd discovered during the scuffle.

"They have someone who looks exactly like Sevika," he said, causing Scar to look at him again, but this time in surprise.

"Sevika? Working for them? I thought she was a counsellor now?"

"No, no, I said someone who looks like her. This person still has both arms."

Scar's gaze moved astray as he thought over what Ekko had said, but returned to him seconds later. "So, like... her twin or something?"

Ekko shrugged. "I guess. Didn't realize she had any family."

Scar crossed his arms over his chest. "We should go talk to her, see if she has any information."

Ekko's lips pressed into a straight line at the thought of conversing with 'the left arm of Zaun', but he held back any complaints he might've had. They needed answers, and this was their best bet at getting some.

Despite Sevika being on the counsel now and spending a lot of time in Piltover, she still lived in the undercity. She swore never to forget her roots. She was a zaunite, and it swirled in her blood—literally. With her metal arm running on shimmer, the drug often made its way into her system. Shimmer used to be hard to come by after the war, the Enforcers nearly making it go extinct. But now that Daunter had taken over Silco's work, it wasn't hard to find a dealer.

Once the war concluded, she returned to her apartment in Zaun to find it now inhabitable. The place was a wreck—more so than usual. She wasn't an overly tidy woman, nor was she close to being a hoarder. She sat somewhere in the middle, her surroundings cluttered but at least manageable. But when she made it back, she spotted a gorging hole in the side of the apartment building. She could see her wallpaper, now torn and flapping in the breeze, while the concrete of the walls continued to crumble, revealing its wooden skeleton.

Afterwards, she snagged an apartment closer to the promenade level of the city. It was a tad bit larger in scale, and the wallpaper was far less dated than her old one. She tried to tame her messiness after joining the counsel, but only partially succeeded. Her apartment still had her belongings scattered around the place, the book shelves hosting nicknacks instead of books and her kitchen counter having yesterday's unchosen outfit sprawled across it.

She walked down the hall and kicked a dirty pair of socks out of the way while fastening the button on her shawl at the same time. She had a meeting soon and was running around trying to do things last minute before heading to topside.

She came to a stop in the doorway of her bedroom when she heard a knock.

When she opened the door, her expression morphed into one of surprise.

"Firelights?"

Ekko had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat, his bat-like lieutenant standing beside him.

"We need to talk."

Sevika eyed them for a moment before stepping to the side to allow them entry, afterwards leading them into her apartment and to her study. Despite the rest of her apartment being cluttered with her belongings, she made sure to keep her study clean. It was where she did most of her work, and sometimes even met with civilians of the undercity so they could discuss their concerns with her.

She offered them both a seat in the dark blue sofa situated in front of her desk. They both sat down, clouds of dust being released from the cushions on impact.

Sevika took a seat on her chair behind the desk and leaned forward, forearm resting on the surface in front of her.

"What do you need to talk about?"

Ekko was waving a gloved hand in the air, trying to fan away the dust from his face. "What does the name Derora mean to you?"

Sevika went taut, her fist clenching and her eyes fitting into a glare.

"Where'd you hear it from?" she demanded.

Ekko hesitated, trying to form the proper words to describe what had happened.

"We had a confrontation with her. And y'know, she looks an awfully lot like you."

Sevika leaned back in her chair, arms crossing over her chest. "What kind of confrontation?"

Ekko huffed a breath through his nose, knowing they wouldn't be able to keep things as vague as he initially hoped.

"She's a part of some group in the undercity. You know anything about it?"

She unclenched her fist and raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "She's supposed to be in Stillwater."

Ekko's mouth parted incredulously, and he looked up at Scar to gauge his reaction.

The chirean gave him a quick glance before returning his attention to Sevika.

"What for?" Scar asked her, hoping to wring out as much information from her as possible.

She shook her head ever so slightly. "That doesn't matter." She closed her eyes and pondered how Derora was somehow out of prison, but then remembered the prison break she and Jinx had pulled off years ago. The giant wolf—who turned out to be Vander—had destroyed multiple cell blocks. She probably escaped during the ordeal.

When she dropped her hand from her face and opened her eyes again, she saw both men staring at her questioningly.

She sighed, realizing she'd have to reveal more to them.

"She's my sister, if that much wasn't obvious."

"Twins?" Ekko asked.

She nodded in confirmation.

"Why was she locked up?"

She looked away at the question, the topic not an easy one for her to delve into.

"Happened during the day of ash," she revealed solemnly. "We both fought that day on the bridge. But she ended up being one of the ones arrested."

Ekko leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. He couldn't help but think that there was more to it than that. "Anything else?"

"Like I said, it doesn't matter. Enforcers were arresting anyone they could get their hands on, and she was one of them."

He eyed her skeptically. "And after getting out of prison she decides to run with a bunch of drug dealers?" He scoffed. "Almost as bad as what you did."

Sevika furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Drug dealers? What're you talking about?"

Ekko spared another glance at Scar, wondering if he should reveal any more to her. When all he received was a shrug, he sighed and decided to tell her.

"There's this group of women running around stealing shimmer from Daunter's exports and reselling it for profit," he explained, "You know anything about that?"

Her gaze flickered downwards to rest upon the surface of her desk, recalling a conversation she had with someone a few days ago.

"Not much. Just enough to know that Daunter has his hands full with them and the Firelights fucking with his exports."

Ekko let out a sound that resembled both a scoff and a sarcastic laugh.

"Remind you of old times?"

Sevika looked at him sternly, an unspoken warning.

"You guys should get going, I have a meeting to get to," she said before standing up and adjusting her shawl.

"Woah—wait, what are you gonna do about the group your sister's in?" Ekko said, also standing with Scar moving to do the same beside him.

"Me? There's nothing I can do," she replied. "The Enforcers are already dealing with Daunter, and I got more important things to bring to the counsel than some sissy group that's making things tough for the big guy of the undercity."

Ekko took a step forward, face set in a scowl.

"They aren't just some 'sissy' group. They're reselling the shimmer they're stealing to make profit," he said defensively. "We don't even know what they're doing with the money. Could be funding human trafficking for all we know."

Sevika's gaze fell astray at the mention of human trafficking. It was an industry that unfortunately lurked in the background of the undercity. No one knew where their main set up was, but she recalled counsellor Shoola mention an auction bust a few months back.

"Look, fine, I'll mention it to the counsel. But there's no guarantee they'll do anything for us." She paused, an idea forging in her head. "Why don't you talk to Vi or something?"

Ekko gritted his teeth, mouth twitching in distaste at the mention of his former childhood idol. "We aren't exactly on good terms."

"Pissed she joined the Enforcers?" she asked him, already having a sense of that being why they had a falling out.

"She helped them poison our air back before the war, and I didn't even know anything about it until after it ended," he explained.

"Yeah, was a lousy trick, wasn't it?"

Ekko scoffed. "Trick? More like a war crime. It made our people sick. Innocent people. Kids."

"Hmph, and she called me the traitor," she said before walking around the desk and towards the door. She opened it and gestured for them to leave. "Time to go boys. I gotta run."

After leaving Sevika's place, Scar suggested stopping by Jericho's to get something to eat. It was late evening by now, and he knew Ekko hadn't eaten yet.

They walked past a tall aquarium filled with dead sea life and plopped down on two stools in front of the stand built next to it.

Ekko gave Jericho a nod as a form of greeting, one that the aqua coloured, fish-like vastaya returned before waiting expectantly for their orders.

"The usual," Ekko said.

"Same here."

Jericho turned around to prepare their meals, his large, spotted back now facing the two.

"Maybe she's right. Maybe we should get Vi involved," Scar suggested while clicking his metallic claw pieces attached to the tips of his fingers on the stand absentmindedly.

"I don't know man. Getting the counsel involved already makes me feel uneasy," he reasoned. "They might just get Enforcers to deal with it anyways."

While they conversed, Ekko paused mid sentence when he noticed someone wearing an oversized, yellow jacket sit on the stool the other side of him. They had their hood up, so he was unable to see their face. He watched as Jericho turned around to take their order, and they lifted two thin gloved fingers to order Jericho's #2.

His attention was drawn away by the sound of fish being tossed onto the grill in front of them, the meat sizzling atop the searing metal. Losing interest, he turned back to Scar again.

"Maybe we shouldn't've talked to Sevika and tried handling it on our own."

Scar paused his finger tapping and shook his head.

"We've been handling this on our own for months now and we haven't been able to do much," he said, "We've only run into em' twice now—well, three times for you—and they got away each time. Maybe we should just accept any help that's offered to us."

Jericho pushed a bowl full of sauce covered fish in front of both them and Ekko felt his mouth salivate at the smell billowing in the steam coming from it.

"Thanks pal."

Jericho nodded and was about to turn around again to work on yellow jacket's order when Ekko's voice stopped him.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have any information on an all-girl gang in the undercity, would you?" He asked.

Jericho paused to think, prompting Ekko to continue.

"They dress in all black and wear cloaks, do a bunch of dancey tricks when they move, and mess with Daunter's exports. Ring any bells?"

Jericho turned around wordlessly, leaving Ekko to face his back. Ekko looked over at Scar in confusion before the massive vastaya turned to face them again and slid a piece of paper towards him.

Ekko picked it up and raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly to look at what was drawn on it in a different angle. It was a 'v' with a line drawn through it, like an emblem of some sort.

"The hell is this?" he asked, eyes never straying from the symbol.

Jericho came back with a gurgled, incoherent response and then pried a knife from his wooden shoulder pad and turning around again to chop up some food.

Scar plucked the paper from Ekko's fingers, his eyes squinting at the symbol before widening in recognition.

"I've seen this before on one of Daunter's shimmer barrels."

Ekko raised an eyebrow and took the paper from him again.

"You have? When?"

"That first time we showed up to an export with drained barrels. It was painted in yellow."

Ekko glanced back at the symbol once more, studying it intently before a memory flooded his mind. He'd seen it before too, but under far different circumstances.

Jericho slid a bowl in front of the other customer, who then started to stuff their face, which was still hidden from sight due to their hood.

Ekko turned back to his own meal and pocketed the paper before peeling off his gloves, knowing that he was about to get his hands messy from the golden sauce coating the fish.

He started eating, suppressing a groan from the flavours that tickled his taste buds.

He glanced over at Scar, who'd also started eating but had paused abruptly, something catching his attention from behind Ekko. Ekko turned his head, trying to see what he was looking at. It took him a moment, but his eyes soon landed on the crimson scarf that the person sitting next to him was wearing. His eyes widened, recognizing it as the same scarf the leader of the female gang wore. He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it before.

By now, the person in the yellow jacket had finished their meal. They tossed some coins onto the stand as payment and stood, revealing a long sliver of dark brown hair that slipped out from the side of their hood.

'It's her.'

Ekko hopped to his feet and hurriedly pounced towards the woman, trying to tackle her. But she was too quick, maneuvering out of the way before he'd get the chance.

Ekko stumbled, nearly falling to the ground but catching himself last minute.

"Stop—"

As the words left his mouth, the woman scaled the nearest building and started hopping roofs.

Ekko made a noise of frustration and pried his aeroglider from his back before mounting it and taking off, not bothering to turn to see if Scar was following. His focus was set solely on her, the need to capture her and get answers an all-consuming thing.

The woman free fell onto a lower roof, bending her knees to break her fall. She took off and slid down the tiled slant facing the other side of the building, temporarily out of his range of sight until he increased his altitude.

He heightened his speed and did a nosedive, desperate to gain momentum and catch her. Once low enough, he leveled his board and swerved towards her. He readied his bat, having already unsheathed it from his back moments before. He waited, now seconds away from his chance to strike. And when the moment was right, he swung, but instead of it making contact with her head, it got a whip of hair.

She stepped backwards off the roof like it was the most casual thing to do and grabbed the ledge of it last minute. She flung herself into an opened window, disappearing into the darkness of the abandoned building.

Ekko dismounted his board and did the same, darting through the window and giving chase.

She was about to flee through the other window on the opposite side of the room but came to an abrupt stop when Scar's form came into view, blocking the exit as he stepped off his board and onto the ledge.

The woman's body wagged back around to face Ekko.

His eyes zeroed in on her face. It was hidden again due to her goggles covering her eyes and cloth mask covering her mouth and nose.

"Looks like I got myself into quite the pickle," she said, slowly raising her hands in surrender.

Ekko's eyes narrowed, not trusting her to give up that easily.

Scar stepped in through the window, his size making the action awkward. The chirean towered over her from behind, his height and muscular build easily dwarfing her. He reached out, about to grab her shoulders when she abruptly ducked, dark hair flicking up and getting in his face.

Scar reacted quickly, already expecting her to make this as difficult for them as possible. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged her backwards, sending her tumbling.

She let out a pained cry and began flailing in panic.

Ekko felt his heart thump erratically against his rib cage, the momentum of the chase mixing with the thrill of finally catching her making quite the combination.

Ekko smirked.

"Maybe it's time for a haircut."

Scar reached around her, about to lift her goggles to finally reveal her face to them when he was poked in the bends on his wrists. She'd reached behind her, her movements swift. His hold on her hair loosened and she was able to tug it free from his grasp. His hands started to tingle, and seconds later flopped uselessly from his wrists.

"Shit—" Ekko cursed. They weren't wearing the suits he'd made, having left the Firelight hideout with the intention of returning an hour or so later after speaking to Sevika.

Scar tried kicking her, but she flipped over his leg and poked underneath his knee while midair.

Ekko swung his bat at her, but she hopped onto it and used it to push herself into the air and flip over his head. Before he could even turn around, her fingers pressed into the nape of his neck. He wasn't wearing his mask, meaning the attachment wasn't there to protect it from her paralyzing pokes.

His hold on his bat slackened and the heavy weapon hit the floor seconds before his body did.

The woman panted and leaned against the wall, pieces of flacked gyprock getting stuck in the strands of her hair. She bent forward, resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"Phew, that was quite the dance." She looked up, seeing both men sprawled out onto the floor and couldn't resist laughing.

Her words caused a memory to come forth. Something he'd said years ago to...

'Always a dance with you.'

Her laughter broke him out of his thoughts and his eyes narrowed into a glare. He wanted to say something—anything—but he was overcome with embarrassment and couldn't seem to find the words.

She pushed herself from the wall and combed her fingers through her hair, trying to get the debris out of it.

"So, you think I need a haircut huh?" she said, carefully stepping around him and towards the window. "Guess I'll keep it long then." She dropped her hands from her hair and hopped up onto the window ledge, turning her head one last time to look at them before jumping down and out of their view.

Ekko was flustered and enraged all at once. She was too quick—too smart. He was about to admit that Scar was right, that they did need help. But then remembered that both of them weren't wearing their protective suits, which made the scale that weighed their odds of success dip downwards.

He silently vowed to himself that this wouldn't happen again. That next time they'd capture her and find out who she was and how she knew him.

While his mind raced, he was unaware that the woman had climbed the building once more, now sitting on the roof to ensure no harm came to them while they lay helpless on the floor. Once she heard movement and knew it would be about time they start regaining feeling again, she silently climbed down the building and ran off.

After they'd made it back to the treehouse, Ekko parted ways with Scar and went straight to his room. Closing the door behind him, he fished the paper Jericho had given him earlier out of his coat pocket and stared down at it.

In the past few months, his diagrams and sketches of the inventions he'd built and been building had been covered by various items pertaining to the mysterious female gang.

That being said, he didn't have much to add to it, so the most he'd managed to pin were sketches he made of the leader. He also noted the dates and times of his encounters with them.

He plucked a pin from the wall and used it to hang up the gang sign. He'd seen it only one time before, and he found himself recalling the memory and analyzing every detail he could remember.

[alternative-morenita]

1.4 - The Dread

EP. 4 [AND 5] - THE DREAD contents: prologue | 1.1 | 1.1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 |

7 YEARS LATER

An airship, tattered and ragged, pulls into the docks. Hidden within the tunnels of the structure, figures strapped onto hoverboards slowly levitate into the light.

Stories above the docks, they come to a standstill before tipping downwards. The flock surrounds the ship, infiltrating from all sides of the aircraft. 

"Ah, shit," the bribed shipment coordinator curses. "It's the Firelights." The scavengers toss bombs that explode on impact, golden crystals attaching themselves onto individuals.

The figure with an owl mask soars amongst the chaos with ease, bouncing their feet upside the head of one thug before slamming the tip of the hoverboard into another while swerving. Slowing down, they hop off and slide the board onto their back, meeting with two other figures. 

"We have five minutes till they're out of there," a robotic voice vibrates from behind the owl mask. They pull out a stop watch, obviously self-made, setting it for the allotted time. 

The woman beside him leans over eyeing the barrel of purple liquid. "You ever seen this much Shimmer before?" 

The leader looks between the two. "They're expanding. Check for more below. Burn it all!" Two other Firelights open the hatch for the lower deck. 

The man leading the lower deck investigation, pulls out his club. As he goes to step forward, something pulls at his ankle causing him to pause. The hatch shuts on its own, a neon purple squiggly drawing glows above the Firelights' heads. They gasp in horror.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," one panics. "Open up!" Realizing the door won't open, he jumps down as the man with the mohawk releases a shaky breath.

"Oh no, she's here," he continues forward with a lit flare. 

The two flinch, believing to have heard rushed footsteps. The mohawk man throws the flare ahead of them, watching as it lands underneath a lone swing.

The word: 'Boom!' was written in neon purple underneath the seat. The sound of sparks scratch through the air as a breeze pasts between the two. Before they could see her, they felt the slightest brush of fingers touch their bodies. 

Metal clatters, dropping to the floor. Confused, they look down to see numerous bombs attached to their chests, bright pink - magenta - lights flickering along their dark clothes.

Their bodies explode, the aftermath enough to rock the aircraft. The Firelights on the upper deck, immediately look towards the hatch as it clanks and hisses open. 

Puffs of smoke flood the air, the visibility of their environment decreasing. The sound of heavy boots thump against the wooden floor as a scrawny figure gradually makes its way closer.

A pale skin girl with long blue hair parted into braided pigtails that brushed against her heels and wide eyes the reflection of ice appears. Her gaze flitters between the Firelights, posture seemingly relaxed and innocent. 

"Hi," she greets softly.

She then scrunches her eyebrows, flinging her arms to her sides to reveal two bombs of her own. She brings them to her mouth with a growl and snatches the pins with her teeth. She tosses them, each one slamming into the faces of a Firelight that stood at the leader's sides. 

They fall overboard, two explosions following their descent. The leader throws two stick bombs at the girl, but she dodges each one. She cocks her pistol, aimed at the man when a large humanoid creature drops from the ceiling with his staff.

She evades him by a step, brandishing the gun at his head. As the bullet's released from its chamber, he backhands her arm. Alternating, the girl kicks him forward, leaving his body to skid across the wood.

As he slowly begins to stand, she leaps forward and smashes his head down feet first with her body weight. Taking advantage of the distraction, the leader rids the barrels of shimmer. He turns around, noticing that the blue haired girl was coming. Sending a whistle, a Firelight lights a match when the girl grabs their hand. 

The girl sends a firm punch to the Firelight's head, the figure's mask flies off to reveal a woman with fair skin and pink hair. As the woman goes to look at the girl, the blue haired girl could only see the face of her estranged -- assumed to be dead -- older sister.

The girl gasps, the innocent look from before takes over. "Vi?" She breathes. 

I can't lose you, the older sister's voice echoes in her mind. Why did you leave me? Because you're a jinx.

The match falls from the woman's hand, igniting the shimmer that surrounded their feet; however, the blue haired girl didn't bother to flinch. It was as if she was stuck. 

I want to fight, a younger nasal version of her voice rings. You're not ready.

Finally, the woman was able to free herself, going to run away when the girl sends a quick shot at her back. The fleeing woman falls, dying on impact. The leader reaches his hand out, the deep robotic voice echoes. "No!"

 He falls to the floor, carefully shaking her in hopes she'd move, to no avail. He glares up at the blue haired girl, a raged breath echoes from behind his mask. He pulls out his stopwatch, noting that they were now counting down the seconds before the crystals were to soften.

With an enraged roar, he shoves it away and begins charging at the girl with his club in hand. The girl pulls out her machine gun, manically spraying wherever she could aim. 

The leader was cut off, carried on the shoulder of the Vastayan Firelight. Skillfully, he evades all of her shots and flies out of a window before flipping his leader in the sky.

Having came to his senses, the leader pulls out his hoverboard mid-flip and together, the two retreat with a successful yet remorseful mission. 

ZAUN

The fish Vastayan roars, the massive beast looks down with its beady red eyes and begins charging forward. Its spiked mace swings behind him, excited to stamp itself into its opponent. Across from the creature was a tall, dark skin woman coated with a messy collage of tattoos.

Etched with bulging veins that started under her ears and trailed underneath the waistline of her sewed two toned pants. Wrappings, tattered and bloody, cover her hands and her breast. Her hair was swirled into a messy bun, showcasing her industrial based undercut. 

The gray, silver, tresses shine under the greenish lights of the arena. Feeling the fish come close, she opens her eyes to reveal a pair of purple eyes. She bends down, slamming both fists into the dirt of the floor.

The soil engulfs her hands with the vigor of a black hole. Behind her, a pillar of stone pulses upwards and sends the fishman into the air. Standing up, she runs forward only to disappear. 

Scratches of green flicker above the Vastayan and in a blink of an eye, the woman appears before him. Her body was in the middle of a spin when the metal heel of her boot, slams into his temple.

With preternatural strength, the force of her kick sends him soaring downwards, creating a crater as the stands tremble under the impact. Groaning, the fish opens his eyes only for them to widen as the last thing he sees is the woman's flying knees. 

"Little Hound," a raspy voice calls happily amongst the overstimulating chatter of the marketplace.

"It's always a joy to see you," the scrawny tradesman smiles his tainted teeth at her. 

The woman smirks from under her hood, looking over him. "I'm still not marrying your daughter, Mr. Jaskiar." His jaw dramatically drops, eyes widen with shock.

"Do you think so low of me that I'd still ask for you to take my daughter's hand? What if I was to ask what you were buying for the kiddos, eh?"

"Then that would be a lie," she chuckles. "And I could never think low of you, I'm just not in the market for romance. I'll take 50 of the persimmons and the sweetbread."

The old man chuckles, bagging her order with pleasure. He hands the bag over with one hand and covering her coin filled hand with the other.

Jaskiar shakes his head, "it's yours. It's the least I can do. You keep these streets safe for our businesses; they'd be proud of you, ya know." Her once confused face softens, carefully grabbing the bag of goods.

She shakes her head, "there's not much to be proud of, sir." With that, she flips their conjoined hands and releases the money into his wrinkled palm before walking off from the crowd. 

Carelessly, she walks through the streets. Every time she collided with someone or nearly crashed into a delivery, she pushed forward without an apology. 

They'd be proud of you, the old man's voice rings throughout her mind. She nearly snorts out loud.

Proud of what? What could they possibly be proud of? She scoffs to herself, her mental voice condescending and exhausted. 

A walking fucking zombie for a daughter? A wannabe hero? A former shimmer addict? Where can anyone find pride in that?

The once cold air turns warm, the sounds of children laughing creeps into her ears. Coming to a stop, she carefully lays a hand on the ground and feels the astonishingly soft dewy coat of flooring -- or as topside would call it, grass.

Through its roots, she sees the Zaunian youth explore the nature wonderland. She stands up, "home sweet home."

She steps further into the new scenery, a little girl points at the woman whose arms were filled with treats. "Hound is here!" She calls, rushing up the rusted staircase.

The woman clenches her jaw, flinching at the name when small hands wrap themselves a quarter around her thigh. The woman, Hound, gently lays her hand on the crown of the girl's silver mess of curls.

Her digits curl into the strands, the soft pads massaging into the girl's scalp. "My little helper," she chuckles. "Thank you, love." 

Her small voice blurts, happily, "always, mommy." 

Good night y'all... more like good morning but its whatever lol