Capella

Why me?… what did I do to deserve this?… which god did I upset?

Zip thinks to himself as they walk along the streets to piltover. Ekko had randomly decided that enough was enough, having Zip and Scar constantly arguing and avoiding each other was making running the firelights harder than it already was. So… they’re doing a “team building exercise” of some sort where they’re going to a new restaurant that’s just opened up.

Zip isn’t sure why they’re going to this place specifically but… it can’t be that bad… he could just ignore scar and make sure The Girl tm, (lovingly referred to as such by the firelights), Zoya is entertained and having a good time.

What’s concerning the medic at this moment is a couple things, taking a day off from work when he has things he needs to get done, not knowing what this ‘fun restaurant’ is actually like inside of the place:.. and then there’s scar. They haven’t gotten along for a very very long time. And honestly? The firelight lieutenant scares him quite a bit.

Please let this not be completely awful… a normal restaurant we can eat then get back to work…

Then he sees it… even with the neon lights and pagentry of the shopping district of the lanes this place sticks out like a sore thumb. Zip groans internally as he looks up at this place. it seems to be rainforest themed… with moving pieces and animals on the front… all animatronics and bright lights reading out the name of this place. Zip takes a deep breath before speaking, using as much energy as he can muster to sound as normal as possible in this situation.

“I I think we’re here unfortunately… uhh… after you?”

Scar just nods numbly, and Zoya chitters guesturing at the restaurant. The inside is almost too bright after the dimness of being in the lanes, when his eyes adjust he sees a… gift shop?….

There’s stuffed animals, mugs, a fish tank, and all sorts of nicknacks. Plus the tree branches and leaves on the ceiling… and a weird tree with eyes and a mouth… that speaks. Zip assumes it’s probably very colourful… although he can only really see the bright greens, blues and cool purples.

It takes them longer than he’d like to actually find the restaurant… as they’re lead to their tables he looks around gloomily. Not only is this place filled with massive loud animitronics… but apparently every so often without warning there are ‘thunderstorms’. All the tables are covered in brown paper… probably to save on tablecloths and to let kids draw.

And to make matters even worse… they’ve been sat right next to the elephants… the loudest animatronics in the restaurant. He vaguely hears scar clear his throat..

“Excuse me, but are there any other tables we might be able to sit at?…”

The waiter makes a face and says they’ll check and gives them all menues. Zoyas menu is one of those ones that doubles as a colouring sheet and she chirps in glee. The elephants trumpet they all flinch.

“Why… why would Ekko send us here?… does… does he secretly hate us?”

Scar sighs.

“Honestly…. Don’t know.”

The waiter comes back. Smiling in the same icy way people do when it’s only for their job.

“So… there’s no extra tables unfortunately. It’s been really packed since opening sorry… can I get you guys some drinks to start? And are there any allergies here?”

Zip looks down at the menu… all the things have names he doesn’t quite know.

“I’m allergic to chocolate, and I’ll have the Mai tai.”

the waiter gives him a pitying look.

“That’s too bad, our best dessert is a chocolate volcano. But I’ll get that Mai tai for you… and for yourself and the little lady..?”

She smiles a customer service smile at scar as she waits for him to speak. The elephants trumpet again, the three at the table all flinch.

“I’ll… have…”

He makes a face as he tries to force himself to say the silly names on the menu.

“I’ll have a Margarita… and the girl will have the character cup…”

“A Margarilla and the character cup. Got it. I’ll be back in a moment with those and then I’ll get your orders!”

The waiter beams at them, zip squirms in his seet and stares at the menu… nothing looks great… or familiar. but he should probably eat something. He settles on the ceaser salad with chicken… since he doesn’t want to try anything he doesn’t know.

The trumpets go off and zip flinches again. Zoya is happily colouring all over her menu, scars given her the headphones Ekko made for him so at least she won’t have an awful time.

“… have you decided what you want to eat?”

Zip asks while staring at the table infront of him.

“…yup.”

An awkward silence follows until Zoya tugs on zips ear to show zim what she’s been drawing.

“Wow! That’s so good!”

Zip says smiling at the small chirean who chitters happily up at zim. The trumpets go off again and zip flinches.

“Are you going to do that every time this happens?”

Scar asks sounding slightly annoyed. Zip looks at the table again before forcing himself to make eye contact.

“Sorry I… don’t particularly like loud un predictable environments…”

Scar nods slowly… his eyes narrowing at the medic. They sit in realitive awkward scilence for a long time… until the waiter comes back and the Enteres are ordered.

“Oh right! You got here at a good time! Your food should be out just as the rainstorm starts! It happens every thirty minutes!”

She grins at them then takes scars and zips menu. Zip takes one of the free crayoned and silently draws a Tik tac toe board between him and Scar.

“…a distraction from…” ze guestures vaguely around himself at the rest of the restaurant. Scar sighs… and puts an x in the middle of the set. They end up playing 13 rounds, scar wins 6, zip wins 4, and they tie 3. Occasionally breaking to look at whatever Zoya is excitedly showing them, or because of a loud noise.

After what feels like forever their food gets there. It looks… like food. Zoya happily digs in, zip pushes a leaf of lettuce across his plate.

Then a rumble echoes through the restaurant… and a large crack. Both zip and scar stiffen in their seats, zips eyes are wide as he tries to calm down. He manages to get his breathing under control just for another loud crack to sound. It’s so bad… the noise is all around him… it sounds just like a rockslide too. He’s trying really hard not to have a panic attack in the restaurant… he’s about to go to the washroom to try to calm down when scar beats him to it.

“Watch Zoya for me yeah..?”

Zip nods numbly. Trying to focus on the chittering toddler.

It feels like an eternity of torture, the noises and movement around him and trying to seem calm so Zoya doesn’t freak out…. Eventually scar returns with an… odd expression on his face. Zip isn’t gunna ask, he mumbles something and goes to the washroom.

He walks through the door quickly and instantly gets whiplash from the change in tone. It’s… upbeat wordless jazz… with monkeys painted on the wall. It’s so ridiculous he almost cries and laughs. He sits in the corner stall with his head in his hands trying to calm himself down. Ze puts Zeir ears over his eyes and breathes heavily as the lights start to hurt his head. He can feel the pressure in the back of his head starts to build.

Please please please not here… not now… this is the WORST PLACE that this could possibly happen…

He feels himself rocking slowly back and forth trying to get zimself to calm down… it’s not working. It’s so embarrassing to have episodes in public… even worse that it’s here and the only person he knows in the restaurant is Scar…

Shit shit shit shit shit

He sits jammed into the corner hoping no one comes in as he feels his eyes close and loosing control of his body. He hears the main bathroom door open and internally groans. He recognizes the footsteps.

“… it’s been like… 15 minutes zip… are you good?”

Zip concentrates… he concentrates really hard on being able to speak in a coherent sentance.

“I…I’ll be fine… it’s just… an episode.,, I’ll…. Be out soon….”

“…. Bullshit you’re not all right… zip… can you come out?…”

“I… will… in a moment…”

He feels his body slowly calm down. He stands up and almost falls over but manages to get out of the stall. If he could be visibly blushing he would.

“Sorry… for worrying you”

Scar looks annoyed.

“Don’t do that. You always apologize for things when you haven’t done anything wrong… it pisses me off.”

Zip catches himself before he apologizes for that too. And shakily makes his way to the sink.

“Is Zoya doing ok?”

“Oh she’s having a blast. Can’t hear the restaurant with the headphones on.”

“Thats good at least… one of us like it here… I… I don’t think I could be paid to go back.”

Scar nods. It’s clear they’re both having an awful time… and that the problems they’re having are basically the same. Usually he wouldn’t want to admit it but

“At least we aren’t in it alone…”

Zip offers weakly as he washes his hands.

“I’m gunna kill Ekko when I see him again.”

Zip lets out a soft laugh.

“Yeah… why did he think this would be a good idea exactly?,..”

“No clue.”

Zip takes a deep breath and slashes water on his face.

“We got food we might as well eat it. I… there’s a sensory room next to the health center… once we get back…”

“Yes. No talking though.”

“Agreed.”

They both go back into the restaurant, it’s still loud and things are moving too much but… it’s not as bad as the thunderstorm that happened. Scar and zip sit silently, and Zoya smiles up at them chittering happily showing off the drawings on the table she’s done. She’s finished her food and is happily colouring some kind of adventure or something… it looks… unique.

Zip watches as scar talks to Zoya in Chirean, with clicks and whistles… and then scar sighs seeming to cave to some kind of demand.

“She… wants a full chocolate volcano for herself… I got her to agree to only eat half…”

Zip slowly starts to eat his salad… it’s not the worst thing he’s eaten… he probably wouldn’t get it again though. Zoya gets the dessert she wants and it’s very flamboyant, there’s even a sparkler in it when it arrives at the table. It’s huge, especially for a toddler to eat.

They leave the restaurant just as the next thunderstorm starts. Each of them choose a thing from the gift shop to prove they actually went. Zoya and zip both get stuffed animals and scar gets a small pocket knife. They’re all silent as they leave, scars carrying Zoya as she naps against him. Scar sighs looking down at his girl.

“… let’s never go there again… unfortunately I think Zoya liked it there…”

“Agreed… that… was a special kind of hell… I need at least a few hours of a dark room with no speaking… and possibly weighted blankets…. We have those…”

Zip says softly then sighs. A long silence streatches between the two as they slowly walk home.

“… I… don’t hate you… I think… that restaurant deserves a lot more hate than you do…. Just… don’t speak to me for the rest of today…”

Zip nods. The walk back is silent, but not uncomfortable. He knows they won’t be best friends or too close but now scar and him won’t be in an endless argument. It was honestly exhausting and it’s just nice to know it’s over.