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Malika approached Tsuna, just as the elevator was approaching the end of their descent. Around them the buildings below were finally coming to their height. Malika stared at Tsuna, looking into her docile eyes, tilting her head slightly. "Poor girl" she whispered to herself, cheaply exhaling as she tapped Tsuna on the nose. "Visit Emmerlita whenever you like - she can give you a fantasy - her price will be what you no longer want - its a win win. Anyway-" Malika spun just as the cage came to a sudden stop. The green light beneath them flickered out and the purple haze faded away.

Micha'el's eyes fluttered as he took in a deep breath, Lottie sneezed. "I never want to feel that again" she said, holding onto Micha'el for balance, then leaning into Tsuna by accident. "Was there music?" she asked, "I heard music, I definitely still hear music". Malika stepped out and into the bustling street, gesturing over her shoulder towards a nearby building where music could be heard echoing out into the streets. "The club" she said simply. Together Team Sun stepped out of their transportation. The Playground was like a giant network of several streets. Sunlight barely fit through the opening between tall buildings around them. Sheets covering much of the alleyus blocked out any remaining light that escaped, and locked in the glowing lights below. People weaved around them, heading from A to B like a well greased machine. A few passer-by's acknowledged Malika, whom she nodded back to. "It's a bit larger than when my father controlled the place - but I'm sure you'll still know your way around, Micha'el" Malika looked around proudly, not really giving the team any focus. They were on the largest street, with various tents, open buildings and rickety balcony-based shops. Steps led down to deeper sections of the district, whilst steps and ladders going up vanished into the taller buildings. Luminescent lights of green, purple and blue held within large tubes outlined various areas. Pipes from the surface funnelled fresh air down, and if one looked high enough a grey haze could be seen. Micha'el noted the girls noticing it too. "Its the magic that cloaks most Greymarkets. Rumour has it Grey Witches are paid to create the curse"
"That's no rumour, we pay them good money" Malika chimed in. "So what does Team Sun want to a portal to the southlands? It won't be cheap - for that money you could portal to Greehde. The Southmarch Greymarket is puny, and the City of Crows Greymarket is... well " Malika half rolled her eyes, seemingly frustrated and trying to think of the right words to describe it. "You're not running from anyone I should be aware of, are you?"

"Stuck with you?" Malika asked rhetorically, raising a dark brow over her pale pink iris. But before she could reply, Tsuna went on to explain that Lottie had loads of Octen spare to spend. The small girl was about to retaliate and plea bankruptcy however Tsuna wouldn't allow her. Lottie almost walked into Tsuna's hand in doing so. Malika noted something odd, narrowing her eyebrows as she began to try and suss them out. Tsuna gave her an interesting counter offer. "Smart girl, now you're talking like us too. Anything has a price, all you have to do is name it." Her eyes followed Tsuna as she came to step around her, attempting to position herself in a way that showed her as superior. Whatever tactic this was, Malika didn't seem to budge. This was her Playground, and no one was going to change that. "You're not my problem" Malika then went on, suddenly circling back to Tsuna's initial statement, "do what you want, I don't care." Malika then began to walk away without them, saying "there's a dusty Daywalker down Crescent Tents. He'll get you to where you want to go. Have a good trip, Micha'el." With that Malika vanished into the crowd of merchants and buyers.

Lottie turned to Tsuna, stomping, and said "I am not rich... but my sister is?" Lottie's eyes gleamed at the idea. Lily wouldn't mind if her little baby sister used her card for a super top secret mission to potentially save the world, right? She then realised that the Greymarket won't be able to take Syndicate cash... hard cash only. Attention then turned to Micha'el, who was staring blankly at the ground, clenching his jaw, shoulders slumped. "Micha'el?" Lottie asked as the two girls tried to speak to him. "Let's go, I know the way" he said, lifting his face to give them a small smile, "and don't worry, I've got Octen."

Micha'el, Lottie, and Tsuna made their way together through the bustling street. No one seemed to pay them any attention, everyone knew where they needed to go, and paid little attention to anyone else. The occasional tent seller would attempt to attract their attention. First was a Fae, selling questionable potions, promising to give them glory. The next merchant had walked in front of them to try and give them Valiant gear. Micha'el threatened that seller that he would tell the Occult - a statement which quickly made the merchant leave them be. A third seller was a Therian, in werewolf form, who had attempted to get Tsuna's attention by offering battle-ready fabrics and enchanted garments that would withstand Therian transformation. Micha'el gave Tsuna the heads-up that the gear was likely taken from the fallen and was of no moral right to sell.

"Tsuna!" Micha'el scolded Tsuna in a hushed voice as she flashed Malika's wallet. At Tsuna's mention of Malika knowing where to look, Micha'el said "she most definitely will."

Tsuna fended off the last of the sellers that attempted to sell them goods. Micha'el was thankful that she took his warning. "Yes" Micha'el said begrudgingly, shoulders tensing, "it has. But its not much different to any other Greymarket. This place is just a little more up-front. Most other Greymarkets are a street wide, or the size of a a town square. The Playground is an entire district. Anyway. We're nearly there, the sooner we get out of here the better."

After only another minute or two, Team Sun arrived at their destination. Crescent Tents was a bit less literally than Lottie had imagined, but it was quite similar to how Micha'el had remembered it. It was a curved alleyway, in the shape of a crescent, where all the shops were contained with tents of purple sheets and died leather. Rugs covered the ground to give it a slightly more welcoming feel, though they were scattered around randomly to cover the floor. The street was still open up above, where Micha'el could see the hazy light of the sun attempted to break through into the crevasse these people worked in. Lottie looked around, astonished to see variously magical items or adverts. Words were scorched into tents, describing what the seller specialised in. Some runes hovered above the open entryways, inviting guests in. Others leaked smoke that smelled of incense and sometimes burnt flesh. Lottie's eyes then rested on one tent in particular that had bones hanging from rope all around it. Inside was a pale man with white hair, he had horns and a devilish grin on his face when he clocked her. Micha'el put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her slightly as he said "don't give them an excuse to speak to you."
"Was he... Scarred?" she asked earnestly, turning to Tsuna with a worried expression. "Yes" he said, "a necromancer." That was enough information for both Tsuna and Lottie to understand what kind of operations took places in these markets. The Scarred were a race born of mortal and demon, a horrific, immoral union of two bloodlines. They were in constant war with mortals on Bloodholme. Necromancy was also outlawed by the Guildeam, with many other realms sharing the same stance. But it would seem someone of both backgrounds could still slip into a place like this.

"Here" Micha'el said, coming to a stop in front of a larger tent at the centre of the crescent. It the sheets of the tent were tightly held together using silver and gold robe. Micha'el led them inside. Lottie was amazed to find that the interior was larger than the exterior, only slightly, but it made all the different. There were several alcoves around them that contained portals, glowing a dull blue with a blackened centre. Micha'el recognised the shape of the portals, however the blackness was like peering into a a pool of black water. He then noticed at the back centre of the room was a small well made of stone. But it appeared to be upside down, with an unfathomly deep hold at the bottom, a small layer of brick around it, and then thin pillars around it the extended to the roof, where they came together to hold a pool of black, semi-transparent liquid that had the fainted violet hue at its edge. A thin trail of water fell upwards into it, before spilling over delicately. The dark water was then drawn towards the other portals, where it was pulled into the spiral of magic that held the portals around them open.

"Never seen an Inkwell before, kids?" a gruff voice said from the other end of the tent. There was a gentleman in fine clothes, typical of Victorian era but with a sort of gothic flair. The man had a black messy ponytail and pale, lilac skin. He had strong facial features, and an esteemed aura about him. He looked to be later in his life, but carried himself with gravitas as he stepped around his counter to eye them more closely. "I'm sorry" Micha'el said, "I've never seen one in person."
"Yes... a marvellous gift from our vampire enslavers" the man droned, "what do you want, a portal back home?"

"Ha!" the gentleman said, crossing his arms to stare the group down, narrowing his eyes on Tsuna as he stepped closer, towering over her. He was tall even for Daywalker standards. "Coming to my shop and making demands of me, is it not you who need my service?" he almost grinned, baring a vampiric fang, before raising a brow and straightening his face. "Respect your elders" he then continued, "especially when they're almost 100 years older than you."
"We're so sorry Mr..." Lottie stepped forwards, unsure of what to refer to him as. He rolled his eyes and turned around, heading back to his counter. "Accart, Adélard Accart." His pronunciation of his name had a heavy French accent, but otherwise he spoke like any other Daywalker. He turned again on the other side and faced them, placing his fingers neatly together on the counter. "And where exactly would Madame like to go in the Land of Crows?" Accart leaned his head down inquisitively to Tsuna, "it's the largest realm in all of Occulas aftercall."

Lottie took a step back, letting Tsuna take the reigns in attempting to barter a deal. Micha'el on the other hand saw this as more of an interrogation and somehow Tsuna was turning the whole thing on its head. "Very well" he said, "in the middle of the Notchwood it is then"
"That's not fair!Tsuna!" Micha'el exclaimed, suddenly controlling his outburst. He couldn't help himself though, the Notchwood was as far east as you could go in the Land of Crows before ending up back in Southern Occulas.

In that moment one of the portals groaned and gave birth to a tall Therian, stomping passed the team as Accart regarded the gentleman. "Welcome to The Playground!" He nodded, but the Therian paid him little notice. He returned to Tsuna and said "best offer, 2000 octen for a shortcut to the puny Southmarch Greymarket?"

Micha'el's eyes widened as Tsuna pulled out a cigarette, and Lottie's face darted between her two teammates. Tsuna put on a show like some misbehaving daughter and Micha'el couldn't tell whether to go along with it or try to stop her immediately. Accart narrowed his brows and cared not for someone smoking in his premises, but Tsuna's sudden change made him suspicious. "Tsuna..." Micha'el hissed, but she continued. All they had to do was barter a deal and get a good portal, instead Tsuna was putting on some charade to get them all chased out of here. Lottie noticed the smoke as it lit, and gasped quietly as she covered her face to prevent breathing in the smoke. Micha'el began to breath heavily as he clenched his fists but before anyone could do anything else Tsuna finally let out a puff of the smoke towards the Daywalker. He was quickly taken by the drug, seeing illusions cast around him, the Therian too. Lottie was suddenly scooped up and Micha'el was forcibly dragged along by Tsuna towards the portal the Therian had come from - assuming it was leading to Southmarch. "You better be right!" Micha'el exclaimed as he jumped through.

The world turned black, sound dulled - then just as quickly Micha'el's foot touched solid ground.