Arcane Anew (Rewrite)

Bang!

"Hey everyone! Meet the newest member of the team!"

Sarcasm dripped from Vi's voice after she barged in. She openly expressed her displeasure and frustration for others to see, gesturing widely at Orion with a strained smile before dramatically throwing herself into the armchair.

Orion leaned in, spotting Powder on one sofa. She perked up immediately with a curious, excited look. Leaning in further, Orion saw the two other members of the gang on a sofa opposite her with drawings and gimmicks scattered across the table between them.

Claggor, hunched over watching Powder draw, stiffly straightened upon seeing Orion. Mylo, lounged back with his legs crossed while practicing with his lockpicking kit, frowned.

Claggor had curly brown hair and a pudgy face. He wasn't fat- just a lot of baby fat on a heavy-set, wide, and sturdy frame. Mylo, on the other hand, was thinner than both of them with long, combed-back brown hair and bushy eyebrows.

"Charity case? Or did you screw up?" Mylo casually jabbed, not even bothering to sit up.

Powder giggled mischievously. "She messed up!"

"I didn't mess up!" Vi snapped, glaring at Mylo.

"What's your name?" Claggor's curious voice cut through the commotion.

'Ever the mediator,' Orion thought.

"Orion. Who are you guys?"

"I'm Claggor. This is Mylo," he said, roughly shoving Mylo's foot, knocking his lower body off the sofa.

"Hey!" Mylo complained, readjusting himself back into his lazy, lounged state.

"And that's Powder- Vi's sister," Claggor finished, gesturing at the bouncing little girl.

"Hi!" Powder squeaked excitedly. Blue hair, blue eyes, bubbly and innocent Powder.

"You mean Jinx."

"Not now, Mylo... Anyway, how did you and Vi meet?"

That sharp remark from Mylo, however, changed Powder's demeanor like a switch flipped. She tried to hide it with a glare, but Orion saw the corners of her mouth twitching downward. Vi glared at Mylo but he seemed oblivious while fidgeting with his locks.

"I was passing by when I saw her kicking some ass," Orion shrugged. "Four against one didn't seem fair so I tried to help."

"Oh, that's nice of you," Claggor nodded approvingly.

"Eugh."

"That is nice!" Powder chimed in, grinning while her wide, innocent eyes darted from Vi back to him. "Do you like her? Is that why you helped?"

"He just said why!" Mylo scowled.

"I'm just asking!"

"Sorry," Orion chuckled, her innocent curiosity making him smile unconsciously. "It was just chance, that's all."

A little twitch from Vi drew Claggor's gaze, frowning. Orion couldn't see her expression behind the armchair. Her elbow rested on the armrest, her head supported by her fingers.

"You should've seen her, though!"

Orion's voice rose with enthusiasm, noticing something was off. He threw out several mock jabs with exaggerated weaving.

"She took down thugs twice her size! The alley was a bloody mess by the time she was finished with them!"

Powder stopped drawing entirely, bouncing with excitement and sparkling eyes. Claggor and Mylo exchanged amused smirks. Vi, not even trying to contest it, stood up with a boastful smirk.

"Damn straight I did! Those bastards won't be messing with us anytime soon."

"That's our Vi- beating up half the Undercity!" Mylo quipped, twirling his lockpick before pausing to give Orion an inquisitive look.

"But what's a Sump Rat doing in Entresol? Aren't you supposed to be, I don't know, rolling down in the sewage?"

'He really doesn't know when to call it quits.'

Before the others could protest or Claggor knock his foot again, Orion calmly answered.

"Under normal circumstances. Aren't we all in that boat?"

Orion gestured at the soles of Mylo's shoes and the side of Claggor's goggles. Both bore the Hope House Orphanage insignia, a well-known institute from the Sump level. An institute notorious for selling children for profit or using them in cruel experiments.

Silence gripped the room. Everyone glared at Mylo, who finally, meekly and with a guilty expression, muttered, "Sorry..."

'This childish drama is exhausting,' Orion sighed internally before his gaze curiously wandered the rest of the room.

It was a mirror of the Arcane show: two sofas facing a table, an armchair closest to the door, and a barrel farthest in the room with a record player perched on top. Behind the sofa was the Last Drop's boiler. It had a major entry pipe with numerous smaller ones branching out.

On the far side of the room were Vi and Jinx's bunk beds.

The bottom was clearly Jinx's, decorated with wild, childish sketches and her signature non-functioning explosives. Each had its own face and colors.

Vi's bunk matched her full name, Violet.

It had purple bedding and a matching blanket, posters of fighters, and what looked like a seductive rock or punk-rock singer.

There was even a saxophone?

Orion hadn't taken her for much of a music enthusiast but maybe things would've unfolded differently if not for certain tragic events.

Powder suddenly stood, sticking her tongue out at Mylo, pulling Orion's attention back to them. Her bouncy energy resumed as she ran up and grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the couch.

"Hey, take a look at this!"

"Oh my god, nobody wants to see your stupid paintings," Mylo griped.

Vi stepped forward, scowling. "Shut up, Mylo! Not everything's about you!"

The mood lightened as Vi and Mylo continued their bickering.

Orion couldn't help but smile too. Powder's sketches, mixed with her enthusiastic explanation of each detail, left him feeling warm and fuzzy. Claggor drifted in and out of the argument, glancing over at Powder with endearment as she proudly showed off her work.

The room felt like a family gathering. And Orion was the newest member.

----------------------

"You lot seem to be getting along nicely!"

Vander smiled from the doorway with a bowl of hot stew in hand. It had several chunks of meat, a few vegetables, and fresh bread. If he had to buy it, this meal was easily worth every bronze coin he had because of the meat alone.

His eyes drifted to Orion and Powder sat side-by-side. Powder was drawing a sketch of Mylo when Orion, with a mischievous grin, added a pair of oversized fangs to it.

She laughed loudly and it quickly infected the others.

"The hell!" Mylo threw his hands up indignantly.

When Vander descended toward them, Orion's attention shifted. If his memories served him right, this was one of the few times he had the opportunity in this world to try meat. His mouth watered and stomach growled with anticipation before he dove in with his fingers.

Delicious, and with every bite savored, Orion devoured it like the starving teenager he was with a bemused audience. He finished it with a loud burp, leaning back with a satisfied sigh and licking his fingers clean.

'I need to wash my hands' Orion thought, realizing what he just did. But it didn't seem out of place, none of them looked outraged or disgusted.

"Now," Vander's gruff voice renewed his attention. "Time for business."

With a gentle gesture, he motioned Vi out of the seat. She quickly swapped to sit next to Orion but her determined focus remained on Vander. As were they all.

"Old Huck is trying to set up shop on Bridgewaltz street." Vander began, his serious tone feeding into the gang's intense atmosphere.

"It's just down the road. A rival merchant set up shop after departing from the last crossing vessel. He's stealing Huck's business and setting up fancy advertisements too. Normally I wouldn't get involved in this but Huck is a good friend. We go way back."

Vander leaned back for a moment, his eyes flickering with distant memories before concluding.

"If you kids do what you do best, Huck might throw a few silvers your way."

"We can do it." Vi declared, her expression serious.

The others nodded in determined unison. Powder, of course, was bouncing excitedly in place next to him. A little distracting.

"Great! You'll start tomorrow after some sleep and gathering supplies."

Vander smiled warmly at Vi's leadership unifying the group before shifting his attention.

"Orion, today's your lucky day! You can sleep on the floor with the other lads or return home. It's getting dark though."

'True,' Orion thought. 'It's more dangerous at night. Running home now would be extremely dumb.'

"I'll take you up on that offer." Orion replied gratefully.

Vander nodded, eyeing him up again before walking out and leaving the room to settle.

Instead the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as they basked in their odd sense of achievement!

"We did it guys!"

"We got out first job!"

"Woo-hoo!"

Orion grinned as he watched them celebrating. They embraced one another, jumping up and down like lunatics. His eyes widened when Vi suddenly marched over, grabbed the front of his jacket, and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on!" she said, excited. "We gotta prepare!"

There were no real preparations.

Just mischievous ideas, half-baked plans, and hopeful daydreams bouncing between them as they wandered and schemed- already imagining how they were going to make it big.

Tomorrow, the vandalism would begin.