Vi and Caitlyn have won the votes! That also means Vi and Caitlyn are no longer lesbians—they're bi now.
A couple of people suggested making them poly, so I might consider that.
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Adjusting his hair, Crane walked up to the food stall and sat down in the only available spot—right next to Claggor, who was sitting beside Mylo, who was deep in conversation with Vi.
"I'm telling you, let's go steal a gun from Topside. I'll be unstoppable," Mylo said to Vi.
Crane leaned on the counter, glancing at the menu hanging on a piece of wood.
He spotted fish on the menu.
"Hey, uh… big guy, can I get one fish?" Crane asked, placing money on the table.
"His name is Jericho," Claggor corrected, not looking at Crane, too focused on what Mylo was saying.
"Oh, okay. Jericho, can I have one fish? I can pay," Crane said, holding up his money.
Jericho nodded, picking up the money before placing the fish on the grill, the flames licking the sides as it began to sizzle.
While the fish grilled, Crane glanced at Claggor before speaking.
"Thanks for that, man," Crane said, giving a slight nod.
Claggor looked at him, surprised by his red skin.
"Yeah, uh, no problem," he replied, his gaze lingering a moment longer than usual, deciding not to ask about the red skin.
Mylo glanced over to see who Claggor was talking to, then noticed Crane.
"Why is your skin red?" he asked loudly.
Vi and Powder turned their heads to look at Crane, their attention now fully on him.
Powder's eyes widened as she stared at Crane's red skin, her nightmare resurfacing in her mind.
Vi looked Crane over, her eyes scanning his body for anything dangerous. Her gaze paused when she noticed his tail.
"Because red is the best color, duh," Crane replied to Mylo, giving a shrug.
"Well, I think you got your answer, Mylo," Claggor said to Mylo before turning to Crane.
"Sorry about him. He likes to say whatever's on his mind."
Crane looked around at the group of kids, his eyes passing over Powder, who looked uneasy, before glancing back at the others.
"So, you guys family?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
Vi shot him a look, her expression hard but curious. "Not by blood," she said, her voice steady but firm, "but we look out for each other."
Mylo chimed in with a grin. "Yeah, it's better than what we had before."
Powder seemed to shrink back slightly, fiddling with her hands as she glanced down at her plate, her unease still lingering.
Crane looked at Powder, his gaze softening before he turned to Vi. "Is she always like that?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Powder spoke up for herself, her voice quiet.
"No, you just look like someone from my dream."
Although it was a nightmare, she didn't say that part out loud—it felt too awkward to mention.
Vi's expression shifted as she pieced together the puzzle.
She remembered the conversation from last night when Powder had mentioned a nightmare about a person with red skin and a tail scaring her.
As she processed this, Jericho placed the grilled fish in front of Crane.
The scent of the fish made Crane's stomach growl, and he grinned.
"Unlike you, I dream of food," he said, taking a bite of the fish.
"Name's Jonathan Crane, by the way. Nice to meet you guys," he said, offering a small nod.
"My name's Mylo, and this is Claggor," Mylo said, quickly introducing Claggor before he could speak for himself.
"And her name is—"
"I'm Vi," Vi interjected before Mylo could finish, her tone firm and a bit sharp.
Powder looked at Crane, her eyes flickering with unease and curiosity, as if still unsure how to react to him.
Crane took another bite of his fish, casually observing the group. "Nice to meet all of you," he said.
Mylo sees Crane's tail.
"Whoa, you have a tail?" Mylo said, his eyes widening with surprise.
"Yeah, I was born with red skin and a tail," Crane replied casually, lying without missing a beat.
"Enough questions about me," he added. "I heard you wanted to go to Topside to steal a gun?"
"Yeah, we are. Wanna join?" Mylo asked, a grin spreading across his face.
Crane paused, considering the offer, but before he could answer, Vi shot Mylo a stern look.
"No, we aren't going to Topside," Vi said firmly, lightly pinching Mylo on the arm.
Mylo winced but shrugged, unfazed. "Just thought it'd be fun."
Crane finished his fish, wiped his mouth, and stood up. "Word of advice," he said, his tone serious, "don't fuck around in Piltover."
He gave them a brief glance, his expression unreadable, before turning and walking away, leaving the group to ponder his words.
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"Jeez, I wonder what happened to him," Mylo said, watching Crane walk away.
"Topside always causes us problems. I'd be surprised if he doesn't hate them," Claggor replied, his voice flat as he watched Crane disappear into the distance.
The two of them fell into a conversation, murmuring back and forth about what they thought might have made Crane so bitter toward Piltover.
Vi watched them for a moment, then turned her attention to Powder, who was still quiet and fidgeting with her hands.
She let out a sigh, unsure of what to make of the strange encounter.
"I'm sorry, Vi. It's just… he reminded me of my nightmare," Powder said, her voice small. "I know I shouldn't be scared of him since it wasn't real."
"It's okay, Powder. He was just someone who was hungry, and if anyone should be scared of him, it should be Topside," Vi said, trying to ease her mood.
She placed a reassuring hand on Powder's shoulder, giving her a soft smile.
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Hopefully, they don't fuck around in Piltover in the future, Crane thought before going into the plant shop, the bell above the door jingling softly as he entered.
He made his way to the counter and opened his notebook, flipping through the pages until he found the one he was looking for.
He pointed to a picture of a specific flower.
"Get me this," he said, his tone rushed.
The worker behind the counter glanced at the picture and nodded. "Six silvers," the worker replied.
Without hesitation, Crane reached into the sack of coins at his side and pulled out six silvers, handing them to the worker.
The worker took the coins, then reached behind the counter and handed Crane the flower.
Crane took it carefully, giving the worker a brief nod of thanks before turning to leave.
Crane starts running to the lab.
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Crane closed the metal door behind him with a soft clang, the dim light flickering as he made his way toward Singed, who was hunched over a workbench, carefully mixing and measuring vials of shimmer.
"I got the goods," Crane said, his voice cutting through the stillness of the lab.
He walked over to the workbench, pulled out a chair, and slid it across the floor, settling down with casual ease. He placed the flowers in front of Singed, their delicate petals in stark contrast to the grim surroundings.
"So, what are these flowers used for?" Crane asked, a slight frown on his face as he studied the flowers. "I don't know what's so special about them."
Singed didn't answer right away. Instead, he stood up, muttering under his breath as he reached for a nearby jar.
He grabbed the flower gently, inspecting it with the intensity of someone accustomed to working with volatile substances.
"They are for tea," Singed replied, before walking over to a small kettle to begin the process of boiling water.
"Huh?… Tea? Really? Is it special tea?" Crane asked, his eyebrows raised, clearly confused.
"No, just tea," Singed said flatly, his voice showing no sign of amusement as he set the flower into the kettle.
"Tea helps relax the mind, Crane. Sometimes that's all you need when working with more… dangerous substances."
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After the tea was done, Singed carefully poured the steaming liquid into two cups, placing one in front of himself and the other in front of Crane.
He sat down, picking up his cup with a deliberate slowness, as though savoring the moment of calm it provided.
"Tea has a way of clearing the mind," he said, taking a slow sip.
"When you're working with unstable compounds, the last thing you want is a distracted mind."
Crane picked up the cup, taking a slow sip before nodding.
"Yeah, that's good," he said, surprised by the smooth taste.
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I had trouble writing this chapter