"Ey', Orion!" the food-stall owner greeted Orion warmly and with a tone of familiarity as he approached.
"Hey..." Orion smiled. A tingling familiarity ran through him. 'I know this dude...? Skippy.'
Just a bubbling, ordinary shopkeeper with brown hair, wearing a bandana. One of the cheaper places with decent food.
"Where yah been?! Haven't seen you since yesterday! I was startin' to get worried about yah."
"I've been sick. It's been rough."
"I can tell. You look as pasty as uncooked dough."
"Thanks," Orion said dryly. His hand moved to his inner jacket and unconsciously pulled out three holed-bronzes, sliding them across the table. "Always nice to know how I look."
"Better knowin' than not. Aren't you late for your shift?"
Orion paused, a slow frown forming on his face. "I don't really..."
"Ah, sulkin' again are you! Don't worry, yeh got plenty of support. You got me 'nd it sounds like the foreman likes yah too. He wouldn't put up with yer behavior otherwise."
As he said this, he tore a chunk of stale bread in half and placed it on the plate. Then, from a large pot, he took two ladles of thick stew and slopped it into a bowl on the plate before sliding it across to Orion. It didn't smell particularly good or bad—rather tasteless too, as far as he could remember. But it kept him alive.
"What? The sulking? My parents died-"
"As does everyone around here. Time to toughen up, kid, and get yer head fixed back on straight. Don't worry, things get better if yeh keep on trying!"
"Alright, well, I might've had a gig." Orion's frown never left his face as he began to eat, mopping up the thick stew before taking a bite.
'A gig... Purple vial- it could be far-fetched to call it Shimmer, considering all of the alchemy in the Undercity, but you never know. It's the last thing I remember before coming here- outside of...'
He shuddered as flashes of painful spasming and wrenching movements flowed into his mind. That purple vial, if it wasn't Shimmer, was dangerous. But like the kid thought, it was one of the few ways to break out of one's circumstances without money, without turning to Piltover, also known as Topsiders.
"I know that look and sayin', Orion. Don't go doin' stupid dangerous jobs for coin. You'll sooner end up dead than with silver in your pocket."
Oh, how right he was.
"What else can I do?" Orion asked. "Work for Topside, stay in the mines, clean the sewers or ventilation shafts...?"
"It's not the life anyone ever dreams of, but it's better than dyin' or torture. Also, if I find out you've been workin' for topsider bastards I'll pour this whole damned pot over your head!" Skippy shook his head, sighing.
"You'll do great, kid- if you keep workin' hard. A few years of saving and you'll be able to purchase a tool kit to start makin' a name for yourself! Just keep at it!"
"Or I can get a gig..."
"Don't. Do. It." Skippy waved the ladle at him pointedly with every word. "I'm tellin' yah kid it never ends well. And for those for whom it does, they have shit followin' them for the rest of their lives."
'This geezer makes too much damned sense,' Orion sighed internally, continuing to eat in silence. 'I completely agree with him, but my other half wants to argue and start a fight. Hell, why am I even calling him a geezer? He looks my age.'
Orion's eyebrow twitched as he observed the man, who looked to be around his mid-twenties. 'I'm not that old. Or... not anymore. Never was!'
Burping, Orion slid the empty bowl and plate across the table. Skippy stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.
"Just in case you ignore my warning, at the very least get your gig from the Last Drop. The Hound tries to keep the worst of it out."
"The Hound... Vander?"
Skippy's eyebrow arched.
"Yes. For cryin' out loud- don't get hurt."
"Sorry Skippy, I just don't plan on spending the rest of my youth in the mines for a small shot at life," Orion firmly responded, standing up. "I'm too old for that shit."
"Too old...? One's never too old for an honest life. You just haven't seen the ugly side of life yet. But you will, going down this path and then- never mind. Orion, I hope for the best for you. I really do."
Expressionless, Skippy started cleaning the bowl and plate.
"Don't forget to stop in every day for a chit-chat and a bite. Lets me know you're doin' well and keeps my business open."
'He's completely in the right. He just doesn't know the bullshit I've been through already. I have to admit even if it was shitty in the military, everyone's goals were aligned. It was a series of shit-shows all pointed in the same direction, working together.'
Walking away, still lost in thought, Orion recalled his past life.
'I was a support role. Most fighting I've done is martial arts or some street fights. I don't know a damned thing about life-or-death situations. Well, not until now.'
--------------
"YER WHAT?!"
Crumpy bellowed, slamming his desk as he stood up abruptly.
"Yer fuckin' stupid, aren't yah! I just didn't realize HOW STUPID until you opened yer damned mouth! Janna, please forgive this stupid fuckin' kid and let me beat his ass!"
"Is it really that crazy? Plenty of kids go missing here as it is! Chembarons come around recruiting kids all the time- and you let them!"
"Aye, but not because I want to," Crumpy said, not really taking much heed of the accusation. "I thought you were dead! Instead, you come back to me ready to throw away your life to them!"
"I'm not goin' to the Chembarons! I'm going to the Last Drop to find fixers and jobs!"
"The Last Drop," Crumpy scoffed. "Lookin' for work under that fuckin' nob who didn't have the balls to finish what he started?"
Arms going wide, Orion's reply came in an exasperated tone. "What do you want from me? I'm doing what you said! I'm getting my shit together and aimin' a little higher! Isn't that what you said?"
At this point, Orion was just letting his Runeterra self take hold of the conversation. It was weird. It felt like he was both in control, able to steer the exchange, but also observing it like a third party. But it matched his youth, without jarring shifts, at least around people he was familiar with.
'Let's keep myself in check. Best not throw around accusations and keep it to overly optimistic youth. Next time we meet I can act more normal but I need to get out of this dead-feeling situation.'
'I'm not letting myself enter another after escaping it in my previous world!'
"I did. Through honest and hard work. And honestly this ain't nothin' against Vander. The moment you step into that world though yer honest life is gone!"
"Do you think I'm going to fail?"
"Ah never said that. I just said yeh ain't comin' back. Yeh might, but few do."
Snorting, Orion waved at him and turned. "Then save a spot for me! Or I'll save a spot for you after I make it big."
Shaking his head, Crumpy sighed. "Come back any time yeh need a break and want to chip some rock. Trust me, it's a lot easier than the life you're aiming at."
"Thanks, Crumpy the Grump!"
"Idiot."
All the while, as Orion left to start walking toward Vander's bar, an innocent pair of eyes watched him depart before quietly depositing her own ores for the day.