▃▃▃▃▃ ‧₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚⊹ ▃▃▃▃▃
ARCANE

TIME'S ARROW ₊˚.༄𖥸 ── 
𑁍₊𓄹 -- ❪ arcane ❫. 𓄹
╭ ‧₊˚⊹    你好，欢迎光临           
╰ ✦ failed job╭ ᘒ ✦

NIBBLING ON HER FRESHLY SPLIT LIP,
Marilla tried her best to wipe the ash off of her cheeks with the sleeve of her crimson jacket.

Their job to Piltover failed. The building had blown up, but the five had managed to quickly escape the wrath of Piltover and the Enforcers.

But, unfortunately for the group, they ran into a group of kids that wanted the stuff they had collected from Piltover.

And that's when fists were thrown. Marilla tried her best to avoid any of the fighting, sticking beside Powder.

But when one of the kids tried to go for Powder, Marilla fought back, telling Powder to take the bag and run.

And the young girl did.

But, Powder had been cornered by one of the kids, and to save herself, she threw the bag into the water, escaping the boy.

Now, the five walked through the Lanes, their heads held low in shame and defeat. Marilla kept close to Powder, who was avoiding Mylo's glares.

Marilla did not resent Powder for throwing the bag into the water. Powder didn't want to get hurt.

So whenever Mylo threw a dig at Powder, Marilla was swift to throw one back at the older boy, as did Vi.

As the group walked towards The Last Drop, Marilla pulled her hood over her head, putting her hands in her pockets.

She knew her mother would be inside the pub, and Marilla knew she'd ask questions once she saw the state she was in. So, Marilla moved to hide behind Claggor, which made Powder giggle to herself.

Vi opened the doors to The Last drop, wearily looking around for Vander. Marilla also looked around, listening to the people talk.

Just when Marilla thought she was off the hook, her arm was grabbed, making her turn around with a sheepish look on her face.

"Hey momma." Marilla innocently smiled up at her mother, but soon sighed as her hood was pulled down.

Marilla then pursed her lips as her mother held onto her chin, analysing her split lip and bruises decorating her face.

"Where have you been?" Sevika's firm tone made Marilla tilt her head to the side, the innocent look still on her face.

"Oh, y'know..." Marilla let out an awkward chuckle, shrugging her shoulders. "Just wandering through the Lanes."

But, the look on her mother's face made Marilla let out a heavy sigh, pursing her lips. "We, uh, just went up to Topside." She uttered, hands in her pockets.

Taking Marilla by surprise, Sevika let out an amused chuckle, making Marilla's pout turn into a grin. "I had a feeling that it was you and Vander's lot that were causing mayhem on Topside."

Marilla chuckled, shaking her head as she scrunched her nose up. "Well, the explosion wasn't our fault. Little man told us about a job, we got the stuff and then the whole building just..." Marilla imitated an explosion, grin still on her face as her chipped front tooth was on show. "Exploded."

"What did ya get?" Her mother asked, eyebrow raised in interest as she dropped her hand from Marilla's chin.

Marilla pursed her lips as she pulled an awkward look. "We kinda, maybe, got followed by these kids who tried to fight us, and Pow threw the bag into the river to protect herself." Marilla quietly rambled, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"Is that where you got the busted lip from?" Marilla nodded at Sevika's words, grin making its way back onto her face. "But, I got a few licks in." She titled her head to the side with a proud look. "Little Man's gonna be so jealous."

Once more, Sevika chuckled at the child's enthusiasm, reaching to ruffle Marilla's dark waves. "Go clean up, your face is a mess." A groan left Marilla's lips as Sevika tried to clean her face with her thumb.

"Ma." Marilla puffed out, gently wafting away her mother's hand, smile evident on her young features. "I'll see you at home, yeah?"

"Don't be out late." Marilla just grinned at her mother's words, leaning up on her tippie-toes to press a kiss to her mother's cheek with a chuckle before running through The Last Drop.

She made her way through, smiling at the local costumers as she made her way towards the steps. Marilla also noticed Vander wrap up his meeting, making her footsteps quicken to the room her friends were in.

When she opened the door, the four in the room jumped, making Marilla raise her hands. "Friendly, but I'm pretty sure Vander is on his way here." Marilla told them, making her way to sit beside Powder.

"Vander leans nothing about this." Vi warned the group, sitting down in the chair as she looked at the four with pointed looks.

"No worries there." Mylo scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, gesturing to Powder, who reached forward for Marilla's sketch pad. "Powder took care of the evidence."

Marilla lifted her head to look over at Mylo with pinched brows, leaning closer to Powder. "I tried, okay?" Powder sighed, glaring at Mylo. "You don't get it. You're older, you're bigger." She pouted, dropping her arms to her sides. "It...it isn't fair."

"So stick with us!" Mylo groaned, shaking his head in annoyance. "Take a punch or two like Marilla did—"

A hiss then left Mylo's lips as Marilla lobbed her drawing pad at him, glare on her face. "Leave her alone, dummy." She said, sticking up for her friend. "She did nothing wrong." She added, sparing Claggor a smile as he passed her the sketchpad back.

The group all turned to the door when it opened, watching as Vander walked in, analysing all of them. "Everything alright?"

Marilla lowered her head, focusing on her drawing using the broken pencil Powder had given her. "Never better." Mylo responded, his tone sarcastic.

Vander hummed, slowly nodding his head as he walked towards them. "Good." He then turned to them, raising his brow. "I don't suppose you can explain why it is that I'm hearing an explosion and a foot chase topside." He added, making Marilla lower herself in the couch, pursing her lips as she shared a look with Powder.

Marilla had practically grown up with Vander being there, and he sure has given her many telling-offs. She did not want to be on his bad side.

"Five children fleeing the scene." Vander continued, glancing over to Vi, who turned to look away from him. "What the hell were you thinking?" He directed his words to Vi.

"That we can handle a real job!" Vi turned to look up at him with pinched brows. Marilla glanced up at her words, subtly handing Powder the pencil so the girl could doodle.

"A real job?" Vander scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared down at Vi.

"We got our own tip, planned a rout, nobody even saw." Vi let out a deep sigh, dropping her hands onto her lap.

Vander tilted his head to the side with a raised brow. "You blew up a building." He simply stated.

"That wasn't-"

"Did you even stop to think about
what could have happened to you?" Vander quickly cut Vi off, his word firm. "Eh? To them?" He gestured to the rest of them, making Marilla lower her head once more. He then sighed, turning back to Vi. "Where did you even get this tip?" He asked, his voice more calm.

"We just heard it at Benzo's shop." Powder uttered, looking over at Vander with pursed lips.

"From?"

Everyone shared looks for a moment, until Powder spoke up, pausing her doddles. "Little man." She looked over to Vander with a sheepish look.

Vander sighed, shaking his head slightly at Powders words. "I took us there.
If you wanna be mad, be mad at me." Vi exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and moving to stand in front of Vander. "But you're the one who always says we have to earn our place in this world."

"I also told you time and time again, the Northside's off-limits!" Vander's firm tone made Marilla look up with a weary expression. "We stay out of Piltover's business!"

"Why?" Vi groaned, moving her hand around in a quick motion. "They've got plenty, while we're down here scraping together coins!" She then raised her brow, looking up at Vander. "When did you get so comfortable living in someone else's shadow?"

Marilla's eyes widened slightly as she looked over at Vander and Vi, an awkward look on her face.

There was silence for a moment, Vander just staring down at Vi, who wasn't standing down. "Everyone out." Vander said, not looking away from Vi.

The four didn't hesitate to stand up from their seats, Marilla leaving the sketching pad on the couch as she quickly followed Claggor and Mylo out, Powder sticking to her side.

Powder closed the door behind her, the four standing outside the door awkwardly. Marilla pursed her lips, looking over at Powder.

Powder simply smiled, reaching out to grasp onto Marilla's arm and pulling her out of the back door of The Last drop, leaving Claggor and Mylo to earwig.

Marilla followed Powder out, watching as she jogged towards one of the vents. "Help me up, Ri-Ri." Powder groaned, trying to pull herself up.

Marilla rolled her eyes, grin on her face as she pulled her hands out of her pockets, to help Powder.

She held out her hands, letting Powder place her foot on them, before pulling herself onto the vent. "What you trying to find?" Marilla questioned, tilting her head to the side as she watched Powder search through the vent.

"I don't know." Powder shrugged her shoulders, her hand searching for something. "Some scraps."

"Ah." Marilla slowly nodded her head, pushing her hands into her pockets as she watched Powder with an amused look.

Marilla then looked over her shoulder when the door opened, watching as Vander and Claggor walked out.

"All right, give me the details of exactly what happened up there." Vander sighed, looking over his shoulder at Claggor, who was carrying around a bag over his shoulder.

Marilla pulled her hands out of her pockets as she watched them walk. She then looked over her shoulder at Powder, grin on her face. "Pow, I'll see you later, okay?"

Powder lifted her head, looking over at Marilla before nodding her head with a smile, waving her free hand as she continued to search for whatever she wanted to find.

Marilla smiled back, quickly turning around to catch up with the other two. She moved to fall in line beside Claggor, flashing him a smile when Vander looked over his shoulder at the second pair of footsteps. "Are we going to Benzo's shop?" Marilla asked, looking up at the two.

"We?" Vander chuckled at the younger girl, watching as she nodded her head with a grin. "Does your mother know about your little adventure to Topside?"

Marilla nodded her head with a hum, hands back in her pocket as she walked. "Yep. She wasn't mad." She tilted her head to the side. "So, are we going to Benzo's shop? I need to tell Little man about everything!"

Vander smiled at the younger girls antics, nodding his head as he turned back around. "Yes we are."

"Great!" The grin remained on Marilla's face as she walked beside Claggor, looking between him and Vander.

— madeleines notes.

Let's not talk about how it took me FOREVER to publish this chapter... LMAO!!

College has been BITING me in the ARSE. So I apologise 🥲

BUT!! IM HERE NOW LADIES AND GENTS. NO NEED TO FEAR!!!

I should be asleep rn, seen as though it's 3 am. But I needed to finish this chapter first so!

BUT EKKO NECT CHAPTER WHOOOOOO!!

Also. My visual for Marilla is gonna be Rachel Zegler so picture her when you think of Marilla. OKAY?!? OKAY!!

But I hoped you like this chapter. Lots of love MWAH.

9th December 2024
2025 words