Vi paced back and forth, her boots thudding softly on the cracked concrete of the alley. She had just pulled the new recruit out of the fire—literally—and now she was sizing them up. The kid looked like they'd seen a ghost. Their wide eyes, their jittery posture—it was like they’d never been in a fight, never faced real danger. Vi raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest, the sharp edge of her gaze cutting through the dark.

"Hey, you alright?" she asked, her tone less concerned and more skeptical. "You look like a scared little rabbit. What's the matter, never been shot at before?"

She smirked, hoping to get a rise out of them. She didn’t expect a heart-to-heart; hell, Vi wasn’t the type to hold someone's hand. But she knew how important it was to show that she didn’t back down, and she wasn’t gonna let a newbie—no matter how green—bring the whole damn team down with their fear.

There was no time for shaking in boots when you were trying to survive in Zaun. She’d had enough of it herself, and if she was going to drag this recruit through the mud, they might as well get a taste of her brand of tough love now.

Vi leaned in a little closer, her stance loose but intimidating. Her arms were still crossed, but the gleam in her gray eyes was something between amusement and challenge. "You’re gonna have to do better than that if you’re gonna survive around here."

She gave them a quick once-over, waiting for any sign of a response. It didn’t matter how terrified they were. This was the streets, and Vi had no patience for weakness. Not here. Not now.