"I wonder when the little flower will send me a letter." Braum, The Heart of The Freljord
Yo! If I miss out on chapters..... you have to understand.... I got Uni and a part time and SILKSONG.
I tried to make a nice character in the previous chapters. The blimp operator. He is just a dude who lives in the world. Has his dreams. His past. And his own family. Just something that keeps the place feeling a little more alive. Targon didn't have much of it simply because it was a mini arc. But Demacia and Freljord did. And originally, the couple that got married weren't supposed to last that long. Basically, Joraal and Gregori's fight would have ended up killing them and Gregori would recognize them in the rubble later. But with the location and everything it just seemed impossible for that to happen. So they got a happy ending. An idea I had at the start the spiraled into its own thing.
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"This place is pretty relaxing." Daani spoke as he relaxed on the white stone bench. He held a sandwich in his hands.
Gregori nodded. "The flowers are..... a nice touch."
"Nice touch?" Briar couldn't hold herself back, "They are beautiful. Look at how purple the flowers are. And the air wooshing past? Perfect. I could sleep here."
Rell didn't seem impressed, "You could sleep anywhere."
"But.." Briar raised an eyebrow at Rell.
Rell shrugged, "But it is really nice."
Daisy finished her sandwich, "What's this place called again?"
"Innovation Park." Annie replied with her attention fully on the sandwich.
Faye spoke while turning the pages in her book, "It is an arboretum. The part under those spiral windchimes are for ventilation. They bring clean air to and from the Undercity."
"Arboretum?" Daisy looked confused.
"Place for a collection of trees and shrubs." Faye answered.
Daisy eyed her with a level of disgust, "So a garden then?"
Faye stilled for a moment contemplation her words and the nodded reluctantly. "Yeah you could consider it that."
"How do you know this?" Briar asked.
"It was written outside on a big board." Sydell answered for her while keeping his eyes on the ventilation systems. "Those go all the way down to Zaun then?"
Gregori nodded, "Yes."
"That is where we are going then right?" Sydell asked eyes still focused on the system.
WHOOOOOSH
CLING
CLING
CLING
CLING
Wind erupted from the system, sending the chimes spinning and making a pleasant sound.
"Then lets go." Sydell stood up patting his pants to knock off any crumbs of the sandwich he had just eaten.
"Five minutes!" Briar whined as she spread herself onto the bench.
"Miss." A voice disturbed the group.
Briar looked up and stopped an enforcer. "Hello!" She said enthusiastically.
"You have to maintain decorum at the park miss. Otherwise the nobles will have it closed for the public." The enforcer said calmly. His skin was a pale shade of brown with a sort of scale like skin.
Some Ionian heritage there. Gregori noted. There didn't seem to be a discrimination problem in the Twin Cities at least. His eyes flickered toward Daani as he too realized the same. Daani had chosen his more human looking form as he often did while travelling. Only when he was comfortable did he switch back. Though he did often complain to Gregori about how his tail felt cramped if he didn't let it free for some time.
"I apologize for my daughter." Gregori said as he stepped in, "She sometimes lets herself go." He turned to her, "Briar. Sit up straight." He said sternly."
She groaned, pushing herself up and then frowned, "How do you know that's where we are going anyway?" She asked Sydell, frustrated that she wasn't allowed to lay herself out on the bench.
Sydell pointed to Caalyx who lay flat on Gregori's backpack.
"Is that a sword?" The enforcer asked as he spotted Daisy's belongings.
Daisy perked up, "Yes!"
The enforcer turned to Gregori, "Sir we might need to check your belongings."
Gregori nodded before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the insignia and handing it over.
The enforcer looked over it and then closed his eyes as he slowly nodded. "I apologize. I did not know you were guests of the Medarda. Please enjoy your stay." The man said before stepping back, giving them a curt bow and then continuing on his way.
Rell looked on as Gregori pocketed the coin once more, "That has gotten so through so much. Without even a question. You should send your friend a small gift for this extremely useful one."
"As you wish." Gregori said as he collected his belongings. "But I suggest we get going."
Annie and Daisy joined him without a word, immediately standing to his side. Faye closed her book and got up as well.
"Lets go hunt a Darkin." Rell said as she stood up.
Sydell gave her an odd look before shaking his head slowly.
Daani nodded as he clenched his fists in anticipation.
Gregori just sighed before beginning to walk. On their way out, they ran into the enforcer again.
The man nodded as they began to walk past but Gregori halted.
"Would you mind pointing us in the direction of Zaun?" He asked. "The fastest route would be acceptable."
The man blinked for a moment.
"Zaun?" Faye spoke up, "Also called the Undercity? You know, the other half of the Old Piltover? Before it sunk downward."
The man shook himself out of it as he asked, "Why would you want to go there?"
"We have business there." Sydell answered coldly.
Gregori looked at his son, impressed with how he tried to replicate the way Gregori used to talk. Cold. Unfeeling. Harsh. Giving a hard to approach feel.
But that wouldn't be enough. He needed to be flexible. Information did not come if one forced it to. It needed to be coerced.
"And we would appreciate it if you could point us in the general direction." Gregori cut in trying to calmly control the conversation.
"Um.. alright." The enforcer nodded, "There are multiple ways. The bridge. Bridge of Progress in the south. You could take it to Zaun. But I would tell you to avoid using it even though it is closer because of it being blockaded off due to all the attacks. Your insignia would allow you to pass but there is still some danger there. Instead you could take the winch system."
Looking at the confused looks he was getting, he explained, "It is carriages pulled by a cable that moves from Zaun to Piltover and vice versa." He moved his arm diagonally as he explained. "You get it on one end and wait. And ten or so minutes later you step out in Zaun."
"I want to go on that." Briar spoke up.
Gregori did not need to look at the others to know that they were thinking the same. Only they were more reserved and did not go out of their way to make it known. Though he supposed Faye was close to saying it. Her thirst for knowledge was getting uncontrollable.
"We will take that then." Gregori told the man.
"Then you go along this street all the way to the south walls and then go west till you see the system." The man informed them.
Gregori nodded, "Thank you..."
"Jaime."
"Thank you Jaime." Gregori thanked the man. "Is there anything we should know before we head down that way? Any sights we have to see?"
Jaime shrugged, "Well there are a couple places you could visit. The Opera House. Run by the Medarda. And the Sun Gates."
"Sun Gates?" Faye asked as she moved to pull out her notebook.
The man nodded, "Big gates connecting the river to the sea. Keeps the Shuriman border in check. And used to be a place for security checks before the alliance with Noxus. It is a little ways away though."
Gregori nodded, "Thank you once again Jaime. We will be on our way now."
"Hope you enjoy your stay." Jaime called after them, "Please don't let your experiences with Zaun spoil those of Piltover for you."
"We will not let that happen Jaime. You can be assured of that."
The group began following the man's directions while looking around the impressive skyline and the people moving about.
"Is this the innovation we keep hearing about?" Rell asked as she saw a full metal man walk past them.
"He is fully metal." Annie commented as she looked at Rell. "Can you?....."
Rell nodded. "Easily."
"Don't." Gregori said sternly. "It is a living person. Just different from us. And they are not fully metal. They need it to survive."
"Did you really think I would do that just to prove that I could?" Rell looked at her father in disappointment.
"Rather not take the chance." He answered.
Rell did not back down, "I'm the only adult here."
"Hey!" Briar took offense to that, "Don't forget me."
Everyone turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised.