THE WORLD BELOW (VixCaitlyn) / a dive into season two

Jona [1.k reads bonus flashback]

Concealed by the dust and fumes of the fissures, a woman was walking swiftly through the backstreets of the Lanes, her head covered in a heavy linen hood. She was dragging a young child by the hand, no more than three years old.

"Hurry, Powder! It's going to rain!" she said, pulling the little girl by the arm. However, she knew well it was not weather she was worried about.

At the end of an alley she ducked behind a wall and picked up her child swiftly to carry her down a dark, steep flight of sandstone stairs to a narrow entryway. She looked over her shoulder, then knocked on the door four times.

Almost instantly the heavy door swung open and a long, slender arm pulled her in by the shoulder, adorned with bracelets chiming in the sudden motion.

"Jona... I was thinking the worst."

The young woman let go of Jona's arm and took a deep breath before spotting the little girl in her arms.

"Oh! And Powder! What a nice surprise!" she said in a more light-hearted tone.

Powder had started protesting against her mother's hold, who reluctantly released her onto her insecure little legs as she explained: "I don't feel safe leaving her home alone at the moment, Nema. The enforcers have my name, they might come knocking any day and..."

"Where's the baby?" Powder interrupted the conversation.

"He should be done with his nap by now, should we go get him?" Nema said, bending her legs to come closer to Powder's level. She took her by the hand and lead her through the dimly lit room to a small crib in the corner. It had been fashioned from a barrel, cut in half and upholstered with scraps. Nema reached her arms into the barrel and lifted a baby boy into her arms, holding him tight like a precious treasure.

"Why is he still so tiny?" Powder complained with a pout.

Nema laughed. "He's a baby. He will take some time to grow before you can play with him properly. He was born very early and so it takes him a bit longer to learn everything."

"Can I teach him?" Powder asked.

"I am sure Ekko would love that!" Nema said to her with her warmest smile. She sat the baby down on the carpet and gave Powder a kiss on her messy head of blue hair.

As the children started playing on the floor, Nema walked over to the kitchen where her friend was sitting by a narrow table, waiting for her.

"How's our little man doing?" she asked while pouring two drinks.

"Oh, he's just wonderful. He never cries, just a happy little guy."

"I miss those days... When they're still too small to get in trouble." Jona gave her friend a knowing look before she continued: "Not like we didn't do our fair share of nonsense as kids, huh?"

"Are you worried about Violet?"

"I am. She's smart but she has a temper. The other day she wanted to come with me to the mine protest, said she was 'big enough'... And Powder will turn out just like her in a couple of years, I am sure."

Nema chuckled as she sipped her cup: "Just like you, Jo. It's in their blood."

Jona rolled her eyes with feign annoyance before changing the topic: "Are you coming to the Last Drop tonight?", she asked.

Nema nodded. "I'm leaving Ekko at Benzo's for the night. That man is a lifesaver... If only his son was more like him and less of a scared little selfish twat." she growled, her large brown eyes squinted in frustration "Speaking of, how are you doing with your man?"