1.6 KiB
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| Maddie |
In the forgotten corners of the city, a loose community of displaced kids and teens has carved out a home among abandoned rooftops, hidden alleys, and crumbling courtyards. To most citizens, the Dustlights are nothing more than harmless troublemakers, chalk artists, pranksters, and quick-footed runners who add a bit of color to the streets. They take the occasional odd job for a few coins, and while the city guard grumbles about them, most locals treat them kindly, offering spare food, worn clothes, or shelter when the weather turns harsh. What few realize is that beneath this playful exterior lies a quietly organized information network.
The younger Dustlights roam the city freely during their antics, gathering bits of gossip, overheard conversations, and changes in the daily routine. Their unthreatening presence lets them slip unnoticed through places others would be questioned. Older members collect and sort through these findings, turning valuable pieces into profit, whether by trading secrets, selling warnings, or subtly nudging events from behind the scenes. Only a handful of trusted contacts know this hidden trade exists, and the coin and favors it brings help keep the group fed, clothed, and protected.
Through mischief, hardship, and shared survival, the Dustlights have formed an unbreakable bond. Most have lost their families one way or another, but within this scrappy little community they have built a new one, rooted in loyalty, trust, and the promise that they will always look out for each other. It is them against the world, and despite everything, they never forget how to have fun.