Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Vi's POV
The girl had reassured me that everything was fine, but I wasn't about to leave her in that situation regardless of her words. I made my decision clear by cutting her off, saying firmly, "It wasn't an option." With that, I turned and made my way out of the room. She appeared to be around my age—slightly shorter, though not by much. I was relieved to see she was spending time with Powder. Normally, Powder isolates herself, retreating to her bed in frustration over her failed explosives. While I've made attempts to help, I must admit that I'm not particularly helpful at offering the support she needs, which makes me feel somewhat ineffective.
It struck me that while I couldn't fully understand the nature of her frustration or her struggles with her work, I still felt a sense of responsibility to be there. Sometimes, the best support isn't about fixing the problem, but simply ensuring that someone isn't left to face it alone.
"Hey, where are we going?" She asked, catching up to us.
"Where we stay at," I replied nonchalantly, slipping my hands into my pockets as I kept my pace steady.
"And where is that?"
"Literally a minute away from here. Stop asking questions," I said, glancing at her with a sharp side eye.
We made our way through the undercity, the surroundings hardly requiring attention as we walked. The path wasn't particularly long, but Powder was easily distracted, her gaze fitting from one detail to another, absorbing the sights in her usual way. Meanwhile, y/n—who clearly wasn't a fan of the undercity—seemed more observant, her eyes scanning the place like it was a completely new environment, as if she had never been here before.
It was a strange feeling, watching her look around, almost with a mixture of curiosity and caution. While the undercity had become second nature to me, for her, it was clearly an unfamiliar landscape, and I'm not sure why. She seemed more aware of her surroundings, picking up on every detail, every shadow cast by the broken streetlights, the echoes of distant voices, and the smell of something faintly metallic in the air.
I kept moving forward, ensuring that y/n wasn't left behind. Powder may have been distracted, but she was no stranger to the path. The one we couldn't escape even if we wanted to.
"What, do you not live here?" I remarked with a hint of amusement, a chuckle escaping me as I looked over at her.
"I do," she blurted out quickly, her voice a little more defensive than I expected. "I'm just not the type of person to go out a lot."
I couldn't help but smirk. "How boring," I muttered under my breath, not entirely hiding my amusement at her confession.
"It is boring," she whispered in return, her voice softer now.
