Late Night Curiosities
Lux’s emotions flipped, like someone had just whacked off a button. All the nausea and overwhelming acid that was bubbling within her stomach had just stilled, perhaps it was the shock, Lux wasn’t certain. Instead her shoulders flopped, her head hung low and she sighed.
“Are you making it your life’s goal to torment me?” She asked, looking her up and down. Jinx’s eyes never fell from their astounded, wide-eyed expression… until a few silent moments had passed, then she broke from her frozen stance and rolled her eyes.
“You know Blondie, I think you have a bit of a ‘world revolves around me’ problem.”
“Oh really? You’ve never mentioned...”
“Girl goes into a corridor and a blonde declares she’s prowling around after her. Obviously the only possibility.”
“Alright then, tell me a more normal reason for why you’re lurking around the Conil corridors at what… midnight?”
“You go first.”
Lux bit the inside of her mouth, she forgot that such was the exact same scene for the girl opposite her.
“I’m at a party.” She spat out eventually.
“And no one showed up, huh? Shame Blondie. Next time, maybe don’t have it in a random, dark corridor in the ass-end of nowhere which also happens to be colder than your bed.”
Lux just gave her a funny look.
“No, idiot. I just came from it.”
“Hm. Looks like it was great fun. Still doesn’t tell me why you’re here and not there.”
“That wasn’t the question. I’m here because I left the party… you’re here because you’re stalking me.”
“Always about you, huh.”
“You haven’t given me a different answer. And I will think that until you give me one.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“Yes, you’re right. And you won’t have to, but you’ll have to know that that’s what I think. Stalker.” Lux flashed her eyebrows. Jinx grunted and looked away, grinding her teeth.
“Fine, Blondie. Since you’re so obsessed with me, and I can’t let your ego pump any more. This whole apocalyptic section or whatever is full of broken things. Like instruments and computers and stuff. I sorta need parts like that, which are basically everywhere around here. And… so do you. For our… Physics thing.”
Jinx couldn’t bear to look at her, the words got stuck in her throat. Lux was also silent. Silently considering her. Watching her all over, thinking deeply. Then finally, to Jinx’s avail, she sighed and fell against the cool stone bricks, sliding her way down to sit against it, taking another chug of breath before speaking again.
“I’m sorry.” She mumbled, the words too got stuck in her dry throat, despite her genuinely feeling so. “I was rude. I had a bad evening. Sorry.”
Jinx, however, having whiplash, just stared wide-eyed at the girl, sitting vulnerably below her.
All the prejudice and hatred Jinx had vanished like her misty breath. All of a sudden Lux wasn’t a conceited, pompous wench, she was a girl who was clearly upset and who just apologised. A word that she could never have foreseen Lux would emit. Yet, she didn’t know what to say, never mind what to do. Her go to was always a snarky comment, but that didn’t feel entirely appropriate.
Lux, on the other hand, found a strange pleasure in seeing Jinx there. She had all these tribulations with the people who were downright obsessed with her, so upon sitting beside one who quite literally hated her… well it was a refreshing change. Still, Lux was upset, and couldn’t deny the few tears to leak from her eyes. She wouldn’t dare let Jinx see that, though, no matter how little she hated the girl in that moment.
“Well?” Lux couldn’t tolerate the silence any longer. Nor the awkward look and clearly uncomfortable position Jinx seemed to be lodged in. “What are you getting?”
Jinx flung around sounds instead of actual words.
“Do you think I won’t understand, then?”
Jinx was silent, then finally, slowly spoke.
“Not necessarily.” She only then noticed the wet sparkling in Lux’s eyes, and her stomach slowly fell. It was a very strange emotion seeing her like this. Very, very strange. Jinx felt soft, almost… tender gazing upon her then. She hated it. “I suppose you were the one that suggested these types of materials.” Contrary to cognition, moving solely on feeling, Jinx slid down the wall herself so that were side by side, carefully avoiding their shoulders any contact. “Uhh, so you were right, the tech store had a bunch of materials but I had an idea about finding some more reactive ones. For the experiments and stuff. Also, here.” Jinx ruffled through the box resting on her knee and showed around her scavenging goods, handing them to her partner. “These should be good for the diode, better even, less stable in practise but results’ll be more reliable. Those tech things are always coated in some glossy perseverance which are never neutralised. The results should be more accurate, more raw.”
Jinx tried to hold her breath, overcome with Lux’s smell. It was far too enticing.
It wasn’t flowery or overly sweet but instead a soft smell of rich fabric, a smell of wealth, conference rooms, suites or receptions. Those types of places in Piltover always had those types of smells. Clean and refined and delicate. She hated how she liked it. Hated how Blondie wouldn’t chose a typical perfume for a teenage girl. She hated how it was unpredictable and it made her all the more curious about the blonde sitting beside her.
Then only to make it worse, she was warm. Oddly warm. Jinx could feel the heat from her as easily as if she could see it. And in the freezing corridor, where Jinx always forgot to wear appropriate clothes in preparation, she unconsciously closened. And then became all the more reluctant to slide away, telling herself she was just concerned about the gadgets in Lux’s hands. Lux’s slender hands that moved whatever they held deftly and with complete accuracy. A wind blew in through the stone carvings of the corridor, snapping Jinx away from such odd thoughts, much to her thanks.
“These seem perfect.” Lux smiled. “Thanks.” She sniffed, and Jinx’s stomach lurched again.
“Who knew the Conil wing could actually be beneficial.”
Jinx knew she had to leave. She couldn’t be chummy with this girl, but she was warm, and the corridor so cold, and she felt… sorry? If that was the emotion she felt. She felt sorry for the girl in a bit of despair, even if the despair, Jinx surmised, would’ve been something banal like dropping her drink and being slightly embarrassed.
“So… Monday, er, we can have a look at arranging these things… I guess.”
“Monday. Yeah.” Lux answered – her tone sounding as though her mind was elsewhere – with a little more strength. “Do you have more to find. I’d help if you would like. I think I’d rather eat this box of nick-nacks than revisit that party.”
“Uh, I was just on my way back.”
“Hm. I never got those few textbooks back from you did I?” Lux turned to look at her. Jinx couldn’t tear her eyes away, her mind was quite literally lost, and so she bade no reply. “I was planning on revising those ones tomorrow, they’re just a bit of history, but don’t mind if I steal them back now, would you?”
Jinx knew what she was asking, and she couldn’t deny this sad girl a walk. And couldn’t deny how she wanted one with her too. Just because she’s warm.
“Afraid of the dark, huh, Blondie?” She had to mask her smile with such a comment as they set off.
“More afraid of whatever will go looking for me if I stayed there.”
“Hm. So you see monsters now, do ya? That’s what you were running from?”
“Worse.” Lux grinned. “Boys.”
Jinx rolled her eyes. Of course. Lover’s spat. Nothing actually problematic.
“So why’d you have to start rummaging around the Conil at midnight? It’s not like it’s out of bounds during the day.” Lux asked after a long silence endured.
Jinx chewed on her lip, contemplating whether if she should tell Lux why exactly.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Too nervous about Physics, huh?” She grinned.
“Got me there. Academic failure is the only thing in life that’s worth fear, of course.” Jinx snapped.
“Alright then.” Lux said with a bit of a bite. “Enlighten me. What was this horrific reason as to why couldn’t you sleep?”
“Like hell I’d tell you!”
“I might understand, Jinx.”
“Um no, you wouldn’t. It’s not about boys… well… never mind. It’s not about makeup or clothes or hillwalking or being rich or whatever the hell your life is full of.”
“You really think that’s all I concern myself with? Hm. You talk so much about how ignorant everyone here is… and you’re just as bad.” Lux mumbled. Jinx didn’t reply, she didn’t know how to, she knew Lux’s trivial problems must seem massive to her, she had nothing else to make her sweat. Jinx would just let Lux feel sorry for herself, she didn’t know any better.
They walked in silence for another while, until they came to the end of the Conil wing, the hallway past an archway became warm and light, Jinx was about to take a left and continue down the bright corridor, but Lux stopped outside a short wooden door beside one of the gaping holes of the Conil wing’s wall.
“Where are you going?” Lux hissed, shock tainting her voice.
“Back to the dorm...”
“Back to detention more like.”
“Huh?”
“The main hallways are always monitored at night. Well, more often than not you’ll get through without a scrape, still, no point chancing it. Come through the Sulliven garden, it has paths to bring you to the Cairn.”
“That’s outside!?” Jinx hissed, staring out the window of the wooden door.
“Afraid of the dark?”
“It’s freezing out.”
“Says the girl wearing… that.” Lux looked her up and down and suddenly every bit of Jinx’s skin felt exposed. Like it was being prickled. That was very odd. She had never felt that before. “Don’t worry. It’s not for long. We can run it if you want.”
“Think I’d rather freeze.”
“Than run a mere kilometre?”
“Causal jogging is the worst thing ever invented.”
“What happened to you being scrappy, missis? Didn’t you say you were ‘fast and agile’ or something.”
“Yeah, in a fight.”
“So basically you’re slow everywhere else.”
“No.” Jinx furrowed her eyebrows, a sense of rivalry lunging through her. “You’re slow.”
“I am quite literally not.”
“Tall and prissy is the equivalent of slow.”
“Oh you do just make sweeping statements don’t you. Ever heard of the term ‘prejudice’.”
“No.”
Lux scowled.
“I’m faster than you. Without a doubt.” Lux said, crossing her arms.
“Ever heard of the term ‘delusional’.”
“I’m taller, so-”
“Only just!”
“-so I have longer legs. Oh and I actually see sunlight. And move, on the daily. Sooooo, faster.”
“You just make weeping statements, don’t’cha.”
“Sweeping.”
“Who cares? See! You’re too fussy to be fast.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Fast people don’t think twice. They just go!”
“Oh that definitely makes sense.”
“Uh yeah. It does. You’d be too worried about gettin’ your shoes muddy and you’d slow down.”
“Ugh, stop arguing and just go through the Sulliven.”
“And you just get your way?”
“Yep. You know why? I’m prissy.”
Jinx scowled, and seemingly forgetting that she didn’t have to stay alongside Lux, she followed.
The night was cruel. The air was scathing despite being still, and with no cloud in sight the night was near freezing. The Sulliven garden was really a patch of grass with a hollowed out footpath that was lined with shrubs. Even in the dark dankness of the late hour, the moonlight gave sight to the scattered views of the highland hills, huge silhouettes of the rocky peaks and the sunken valleys were a different type of beautiful.
“Full moon.” Lux pointed. Jinx glanced up momentarily, a little busy holding her arms around herself in a vain effort to keep warm.
“Gonna turn into a werewolf, Blondie?” Jinx chattered.
“Fortunately for you, no. I just think it’s pretty.”
“What, a white circle? Hm, your tastes are as good as your intelligence.”
“Such a cynic. Is there anything you do find pretty, Jinx.”
“Hm. Yeah loadsa things. For a start… not you, but the sight a mere, harmless explosion can’t go unappreciated. Uhhh… sunrise ain’t too ugly. And rooftops aren’t either.”
“Rooftops.”
“Know what they are? Y’know, the things on top of buildings. Oh sorry. Buildings are the things you live in and-”
“I get it Jinx.” Lux was short with her, perhaps it was the cold.
They were silent for quite some time. The night was entirely dark, and Jinx couldn’t discern the path under her feet from the sky, but Lux walked as if it was day. Swaying between the path’s round abouts as if it was luminated, curving between the trees Jinx would’ve walked into if she was alone, Lux was entirely poised. Jinx didn’t like that. Didn’t like how she was vulnerable and had to rely on this evil girl’s silent guidance, and in the silence and dark, her mind would throttle itself, panic, overthink. It had a knack of doing that when empty of stimulation.
She thought back to table tennis, to Lux’s words against the Kiramman’s, to Lux’s words against her, to how everyone desired the attention and validation of this evil psycho bitch. And she soured. Suddenly the undeniably warmth Lux emitted was too hot, her smell intolerable and suddenly uncouth. Jinx began to grind her teeth and grumble to herself, regretting her choice of path.
“Are you not freezing?” Lux asked suddenly, Jinx could’ve jumped she was so deep into her mind.
“What do you care?!” She snapped back, but instantly, gathering the gravity of the situation, her tone felt acrid in her mouth, her words coarse in her throat and she actually regretted it. Lux said nothing, seemingly biting away a response, then began slowly.
“Well I did make you come this way. I would feel a teeny bit bad if my persistence was what gave you a cold. Perhaps we should run. Slowly, if you want.”
Jinx was silent, thinking.
“I’m not cold.” Her lie was shabbily dressed in the chattering of teeth.
“Right well… it’s not far.”
Again, another pang of… guilt. Was that the emotion? Either way she hated it. A weird emotion that had sprung up during the past year of her life.
She couldn’t deny how she enjoyed her life the past year, but all these strange feelings kept creeping up around her, and she hated them, they always made her do things she didn’t want to… like ask Lux a question she didn’t care about.
“So all your friends turn evil or something? That’s why you left your party in… eh that fashion.” Jinx cringed at her own statement and was glad Lux couldn’t see her face.
“I’m afraid I already told you why. Natures cruel deliverance… the male gender.”
“Geez. Quite the description, Blondie, the fuck they do to you?”
“Oh nothing really. Just… annoying.”
Jinx thought about Ekko. He wasn’t annoying. Well, until recently. Upon the reflection of his latest message, and without even thinking, she replied.
“Hm, true.”
Jinx could feel the shift in the air around Lux’s head, like she turned to face her. It was no use though, everything was pitch black.
Silence endured, and for the first time the silence brought a wave of awkwardness, as if it wasn’t normal for their conversation to be lacking.
“So how was your day?” Clearly Lux thought so to.
“Really Blondie? That’s the best you can do?”
“It was a question.”
“I know. Hell of a boring one.”
“Right then, master of probes. Do better.”
Jinx thought, pursing her lips as her mind ran rummaging. She liked this new task.
“What would you change your eye colour to? If you could.”
Lux pouted and thought.
“Green. Or a darker shade of mine. You?”
“Pink.”
“Pi-”
“Alright then, your name? If you were forced, what would you change it to?”
“Hm. That one’s harder. I like my name. Plus, one’s name is their identity. Hard to choose something so pivotal to a person.”
“Well it’s not really.” Jinx regretted her question. Severely. Lux’s words twisted in her stomach like they were carving it.
“Oh but it is. I bet you everyone and their mother would think differently of me if I was called something old, old like Margaret.”
“That suits you perfectly! No time wasted there. Change your name to Margaret!”
“Oh ha, ha.” Lux scoffed. “Hmm. I’m still stumped. Tell me yours whilst I think.”
“Cannonball.”
“That’s not a name.”
“Says who?”
“Everyone.”
“Well why does everyone shout it when jumping into water?”
“They’re mimicking the shape they’re making.”
“Nuh-uh. No, it’s a reference to Sir Cannonball. He was this guy in Noxis, who fell off this cliff into this river. His soldier guys really liked him so tried to help by jumping after him, calling his name in distress. People liked it so it stuck. Geez, and I thought you’d know your history Blondie.”
“You can’t just make things up, Jinx.”
“I am not. Prove me wrong.”
Lux pursed her lips and thought for a moment.
“I like the name Elin.”
“Right…”
“What does that mean.”
“Nothing.” Jinx tried to give her a little look of disgust, but it was too dark, still, the moonlight shone through the trees just enough for Lux to catch a glimpse of the grimace. And she burst out laughing.
“What it’s niceee?”
“Alrighty, Blondie. Whatever you say. Okay, favourite colour?”
“Dark blue. Easy.”
Jinx felt a little jab in her stomach.
“You?” Lux asked after a small silence.
Jinx had one. Didn’t want to say it though.
“Brown.”
“A fair colour.” Lux nodded. “Favourite time of the day?”
That took Jinx back a bit, but she replied nonetheless.
“Midnight. Yours?”
“9 am. When the morning’s crisp and everything looks pretty. I feel more productive and have a nicer outlook on life, I suppose. Favourite season?”
“None of them.”
“Which one do you hate the least.”
“No clue. Hate winter the most though.” Jinx said through chattered teeth, her breath turning to mist and her arms strangling her body.
“I like autumn.”
“Of course you do.”
“And winter. For the snow.”
Jinx rolled her eyes.
“Should I ask for your favourite flower too?” Jinx scoffed.
“I quite like Himalayan Poppies. And should I guess you don’t have one.”
“You guessed right. Don’t have the brain space for flowers.”
“Oh that I know. You don’t have much space in your brain, period.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“You know, Physics isn’t the only measure of intelligence. I admit, it’s not the most simplistic subject and I struggle with it. Still, I bet if you were thrown into any of my modules you would be just as bad. Even worse!”
“Nah politics is easy. Just tax ‘em and spend the money on yourself.”
“That what the Kiramman’s teach you, huh?” lux flashed her eyebrows before thinking. “The things I know about your dear new family could split your skin, Jinx.”
“You love to throw their name around, don’t’cha. Having really no clue what they’re like.”
“And do you? Living with them for a year does not unveil every grain of dust from the skeletons in their closet. And there! Does the fact that I know that, know your situation, know you and your sister and her relationship… does it prove nothing?!”
“Sounds like a stalker.”
“Or a person well versed in the Politics of Runeterra, Jinx. You have no idea what I know. What I’ve seen. What I have to do to keep my head in my own homeland. No, but sure, knowing that the laws of physics are not invariant under left-right reflection is what really determines intellect.”
Jinx sucked on her tooth, thinking of what to say. Not wanting to let Lux and her creepy facts that sent shivers down her spine be anything worth merit.
“It’s a different type of knowledge. And knowing something doesn’t make you smart. You could tell me all the gossip around the aristocratic walls of Demacia. Doesn’t make me a genius, just makes you a blabber.”
“You know nothing Jinx. Nothing about me, and you know what, nothing about yourself.”
There was another silence. One strung in the air by a heavy cloud of discomfort.
“Fine. What does prove intelligence then?” Jinx asked after a while.
Lux bit her lip and squinted.
“Creativity? Despite shooting myself in the foot with that, it’s what I’d deem it. But its subjective, of course. And natural intelligence. Like learning something brand new so quickly. Most people in Rhayn are as bright as ever, but they were born into intelligence, having Einstein as their tutor since they were three.”
“Who?”
“Some guy from the Mainland… you, a physics nerd doesn’t kno?- oh isn’t important. What I mean is that anyone could have a bag of nails for brains, but with the right influence, they get here. So I suppose someone without such affluence that is still able to get in off aptitude, is enough of a sign of intellect. That, and being good and table tennis, of course.” Lux looked over to wink at the silhouette of blue hair, only to notice it was quite literally pitch black.
“One game of Ping-Pong proves nothing.” Jinx grumbled. “Fine you beat me once. Doesn’t mean you’re better.”
“Then I’ll beat you again. And again. And however many times we play.”
“Harsh standard for someone so mediocre. Fine. When’s the next competition.”
“Not sure. But we don’t need a competition, Jinx.”
There was something in Lux’s tone that made Jinx’s stomach bubble a little.
“Alrighty, Blondie.”
Then fell another silence, but this one was different, it was hooded with warmth as both girls smiled to themselves, unbeknownst to the other. Why there lips moved so, well, neither of them knew themselves. They were both cold, tired, veritably hungry and being forced to walk through a thicket in the pitch black among the only person in the entire academy they hated. And yet they smiled.
Eventually, the outside forgave Jinx’s itching wishes and ceased by leading to a thin wooden door tucked in the corner of two walls. Sneaking through it, they opened out into a narrow corridor that burst with heat, light and a cosy smell of baked bread, why? well, no-one knew. Jinx relaxed, soaking in the tingling sensation of heat, whereas Lux fell the opposite way, tensing up as soon as they hit the carpet.
“Now, sometimes this hall is monitored, okay?” She hissed, turning Jinx around at the shoulders to look her dead in the eye. “So be dead silent, and slow.” Jinx rose one eyebrow and slowly nodded, then rolled her eyes. Lux shook her shoulders in response. “No Jinx. I’m wholly serious. One of Rhayn’s few absolutes is this curfew. They are not lenient about it. Anything but. You can’t treat this as a joke.”
“You know I come this way every time…” Jinx sounded, her voice a little too loud for Lux’s liking.
Lux glowered at her insolence, letting her eyes linger on the deep blue abyss that stared back at her, coated by the elegantly arched eyebrows, before she shook her head of such thoughts, internally scoffing at herself, and let the girl go.
Lux’s precaution was a tad on the dramatic side, as the hallways very soon turned to the brink of the second year girls dormitory wing. Jinx shuffled her way to the elevators, reaching out for the button until she was rudely stopped by a very snappish hand.
“Are you clinically insane?” It’s owner hissed, temper seeping from the tone.
“Uh… to some people, I suppose.” Jinx hummed, again, rather loudly considering the circumstances.
“We can’t use the lifts.”
“And… whys that. Scared of them? Don’t know how they work? I would be too, Blondie, if I thought I massive block of metal was magically flying. Your brain must be very afraid very often, huh.”
“You’re the right idiot if you think we can take these now. Take the stairs. The stairs are silent and draw no attention. Oh, but sorry, is walking that much of a strain?” Lux glared. On the opposite side of the corridor stood grand oak stairs shadowed by the late night. They were narrow and disappeared past the ceiling. Jinx never even noticed their existence.
“Race?” Jinx asked with a faux sweetness, tilting her head.
Lux stared back at her, teeth gritted tightly, for several moments before puffing and pulling back.
“You’re beyond help.” She sighed, then spun on her feet and darted to the stair well.
Jinx took that at as much of an answer could give, hurriedly spamming the button. The doors whistled open and she too darted inside, slamming the closing button and punching the number 5.
Five floors, there’s no way she wouldn’t win. Even if Lux betrayed her obsession of keeping quiet and barrelled up the stairs, there was nothing that–
The elevator doors whistled open, and there a tall, blonde stood, arms crossed. Her hair still perfect, a light rose tinting her cheeks, and her red lips pulled apart to reveal dazzling white teeth, grinning uncontrollably. Jinx betrayed her nonchalance, her lips parted and jaw drooped a little. Lux flashed her eyebrows, then bit down on her lip, her shoulders moving up and down a little more than usual. Jinx couldn’t force away the smile.
“Slow-poke.” Lux smirked as Jinx reluctantly stumbled out of the lift. Jinx didn’t want to tear her eyes away from her, not really knowing why. She supposed it was still out of bewilderment… well what else could it be?
“Yeah well it’s not my fault this dumb clunk of metal moves at half a mile a year.”
“It’s almost as if you chose that mode of transportation.”
“Oh yeah, of course. And guess what, Blondie. Look at me, perfectly intact. So they didn’t sever my head because I took the lift. What a shock.”
“There’s still time. It’s a long hallway.”
Jinx had a thought. Then threw it away. Then smiled about it. And brought it back.
She stopped dead in her tracks and Lux stopped with her, raising one eyebrow.
“You’re right there Blondie. It is long.” Jinx smiled, her tone full of mischief.
“Uh-huh…” Lux was suspicious.
“Wanna race?”
Lux couldn’t help but laugh.
“You really are crazy.”
“C’monnnn. Scared I’m gonna beat’cha?”
“Not at all.” Lux took a step closer.
“It won’t be quiet but who cares. We’ll disappear into our rooms and no one’ll know.”
Lux eyed her. Thought for a moment, then nodded her head.
“Fine. Any more incentive to beat you is always welcome.” She must’ve still had alcohol in her system to genuinely accept such an offer.
Jinx grinned and the two girls lined up alongside a glowing lamp hung outside the first door of the level. The first to the doors was the winner, and no shoving or whatnot was their rules. Jinx counted them in, and upon go they burst forth, flying down the hallway, barrelling along the red-carpet. The walls were short and close to together, it was a tight fit, they could both feel the heat radiating off the other.
Both were fast and agile, thus their noise was minimal, but still there all the same. They were pretty even, Lux was fast, far faster than Jinx would’ve guessed, still, Jinx was scrappier, in her words, and kept the pace. The hallway was long, but it felt short in that moment, and as soon their doors came they had a winner… marginally.
“Slow-poke.” Jinx panted, uncontrollably smiling despite her heaving breath.
She won, she was faster… but was far more out of breath. Lux’s shoulders barely rose any more than usual. Evidently Jinx was rather unfit.
“By a millisecond.”
“No one cares for milliseconds Blondie. Its win or lose. Pass or fail. First or second. And you lost.” Jinx couldn’t shake her smile. Not for anything.
“Don’t dwell on it, Mrs. This won’t keep up. I’ll make sure of it.” She warned. “A narrow hallway at 1 in the morning after a couple of drinks? A log could’ve beaten me.” She flashed her eyebrows. Jinx’s eyes narrowed. “Anyways. I’ll see you Monday, Jinx. Goodnight.”
And with that, Lux disappeared behind her door, closing it as quietly as ever as she snuck a last glance at Jinx, who had her hands on her knees and chest rapidly rising and falling.
Jinx then felt something very odd. There was a little pang of… disappointment? Maybe? When the heat of the blonde girl vanished behind the closed door, the hallway suddenly seemed dark and empty, almost lifeless. Jinx slightly wanted to knock on the door and bring it back. So much so that she almost forgot where they were, and that they were in fact back to their rooms, where they were trying to go the whole night.
And again, Lux forgot to get her books.
*
She didn’t know why she was doing it. She very much didn’t want to do it.
She forgot why she gave in. Forgot what possessed her to get changed and actively prepare for the situation, even if she liked the idea of wearing her massive robe. Forgot why she even liked Ronan at this point. He was just a vessel for making her do things she didn’t want to. He now owed her nine. Nine what exactly, well, neither of them knew. All that surpassed was ‘I’ll owe you.’ ‘You already owe me.’ ‘I’ll owe you 8 more times.’ Considering the pain staking experience of hiking Jinx was forced into, and this entire debacle, she felt like nine wasn’t enough. Still, she wasn’t yet sure as to what she’d need them for. Which was exactly why she regretted every step she took closer to the door.
The room was one of the many she never heard of… the Aureum Hall? Whatever it was, it made Ronan’s jaw drop when she revealed the Kloge club’s next dinner.
“I beg of you.”
“Is it really that serious?”
“YES!”
“I have better uses for my Sunday night.”
“Like what?”
“Plundering? Bombing Parliament?”
He just gave her a look.
“One dinner. That’s all I ask… it’ll be fun… pleeeeassseee, Jinx.”
She cursed the short brown-haired boy there an then, thinking back to his incessant whining. Every step closer to the door made her feet heavier and heavier.
Still, there was no denying the magnitude of the hallway that snaked its way before the hall. Lit grandly with chandeliers intricately detailed in silver drawings, and coated with a thin, dark blue rug, also detailed with silver linings. The exposed stone bricks carved into a beautiful arch only made Jinx roll her eyes at the extensiveness of being grand. The door to the Hall was nothing foreign, a massive arched double door, metal rigs detailed within it and a ringed door handle the size of her face. All so pretentious.
She heaved and pushed the door open with a certain grace and tentativeness that always seemed to elude her, and fell upon a quiet, cosily lit room. Students crowded by a rounded table, gently talking, no one was yet sat. The was quite obviously gorgeous, but not in a striking and almost jarring way, like the hallway was. It was subtle, subtle architecture and simple lighting but no less grand. It wasn’t very large either, not the grand hall Jinx predicted since it was named, well, a hall. Either way she preferred it from what she presumed.
“Miss Kiramman!” Professor Elias bellowed from the centre of the conclave, breaking Jinx from her glances of the room. Upon his interruption, the room silenced and stared at the blue-haired girl whose entrance was too quiet to gain any previous attention.
Jinx scanned over the faces. She reckoned there was about 30 of them, very few she recognised. Most seemed a good deal older, even if it was just by a year or so. One or two did she actually find familiar, one was a boy from her tech class, and that was no shock, his projects were always the last finished but by far the most striking, Jinx herself was a little envious of his creativity. Another was a girl in one of her maths classes. She was anything but conspicuous, so Jinx was a little surprised, a simple girl who never seemed wholly obsessed with her studies or outstandingly bright, then again, looks are frequently deceiving. Jinx was learning that more and more.
“Please, join us Miss Kiramman.” There it was again, the name, the bewitching name. It was blatant those who were from Runeterra and those from the Mainland. Some barely stifled at the name, and were overtly confused by the fascination of others, since many stirred upon the two times Elias revealed it.
Jinx cursed Ronan Vayne and his stupidly determined will, walking towards the huddle of students, half of which still gawked at her. She would have rather been in a fight to the death than whatever this was.
Shuffling to the circle, it soon dispatched as she reached it, everyone taking the seats of the table. She followed suit, tentatively grabbing the first seat next to her and drawing it out. The circular table was already brimmed with food. Dishes of various meats, vegetables and breads, then boats of gravy and many kinds of sauce, each with their own distinct colour, all looking a lot like food one would find in the Mainland. Runeterra food wasn’t terribly different, and Piltover’s was almost exactly the same, but Jinx still noted the slight changes. Either way, she’d have been very shocked to see the table empty by the end of the night.
“So, as I was discussing,” Elias began, after gesturing to eat and plating himself up. “Holten’s new paper invites a very curious distinction to conjunctive energy, one of which I severely doubt will be unhelpful for this semester’s plan of mine, not even to mention my Hural plan which only a few of you will remember, it has been long untouched, perhaps finally we can find another jolt to ignite our passion with it.”
The boy next to Jinx offered her a white dish of potatoes, she took it, they looks good, slathered in butter and some type of herb she guessed.
Another aspect of the dinner that she couldn’t ignore was the prominent presence of wine. Everyone had glasses next to them, brimmed with the blood-red colour of red wine, Jinx included. She found it strange, despite the legal age being 18 in the country she was in, which name she had long forgotten, a school of any sort encouraging drinking so casually was anything but typical to her.
She avoided it of course, Jinx didn’t like drinking. She never drank before him, he didn’t let her, and after… well, when she was offered…. having only one sip brought back his voice. It was loud, pounded in her ear and the words always hurt her. She didn’t want that again. To think of him again… like that. Memories came and went, but they were also worst when she had something to drink, always cruel. Everyone said alcohol dulled those types of senses, but for Jinx her emotions became overbearing. And alcohol was yucky.
“Holten’s opinion is subjective and most certainly far from academic. A mad scientist with construed results, his variables being anything but ceteris paribus. That’s what his paper is. Untrustworthy and merely stating facts which have no links to what he claims, presenting information people want to hear, dwelling on his proof suspiciously little.” Stated a boy, his mouth partially taken by some item of food.
“Quite the objective remark, Mr Sesteam.” Elias tilted his head.
“You want our opinions, our insight, sir. I gave you mine.”
“Yes and it is quite something, my boy. I revel in it. Still, you seem very opinionated and such heat is rarely free from bias.”
“Well the accusations of his lack of reliable truth is quite objective and stem throughout his career, sir. However, this paper got through the TDE Magistrate, thus we have no choice but to use his research as fact.” Replied a girl that sat quite close to Jinx.
“Insider trading.” Scoffed a boy heavily embellished in his food. “The TDE are as reliable as Klayer’s stomach.”
“Hey!” A boy, Jinx assumed was called Klayer cried.
“There have been more than a dozen reports of fraudulence, in the TDE.” Kept on the boy engorged in his plate.
“You’ll find that in any magistrate, you’ll find that anywhere at all.” Elias nodded. “Human nature, human greed and human desires cannot be trifled with.”
“The TDE are by far the most trustworthy science magistrate in Europe.” A girl next to Elias said, lifting up her nose.
“See! Cornur is the finest example of such bias. Defending Mummy are you?”
“My mother works for the TDE Courts! Nothing to do with the science magistrates!” The girl next to Elias yelled back.
“Perfect then, fraudulence spreads throughout the whole conglomerate. All the more reason to doubt their verdicts.”
The girl glared at him.
“Professor, my view is that Holten has many faults and is far from reliable. But, conjunction energy is very hard to fake whilst still having some proof. It’s too black and white. I say that his paper is as trustworthy as the likelihood of going outside and finding mountains right here right now.” Such came from the girl Jinx recognised, she seemed very different to how she was in her maths lectures.
“Now that is entirely correct.” Elias grinned and pointed to her. “One must grasp the whole of the context to understand validity. And that is exactly what Miss Marigold has presented us with.”
Miss Marigold, whose forename eluded Jinx, then snapped her head towards the blue-haired girl’s stare. Jinx couldn’t tear away from it, not entirely knowing why. Marigold, a girl with straight, thick brown hair and dark green eyes, smiled. It was a simple, toothless smile, not entirely full of heart but definitely not feigned either. Eventually Jinx tore her eyes away.
The girl’s validation silenced the group, Jinx didn’t know if it was out of jealousy or awe, she assumed the former among some, the latter others and the rest didn’t much care.
“Anyhow, my new project and Holten’s paper is not chat for dinner congress, but lab work, of which I welcome you all on Wednesday nights, don’t you forget. So, now I ask the youthful minds before me a question which has pricked at my ears since yesterday. Not a question of science, but my curiosity for your answers cannot be quelled. Now, before you are two options. One is to marry a spouse who was madly in love with you, and will always be madly in love with you, but one… well, you didn’t dislike, you tolerated them, but you didn’t love, and they knew so. The second option is to marry one in which you were madly in love with, and as you always will, whilst said spouse merely tolerated you, and that was all the relationship could ever have. Who would you chose?”
Jinx bit into an especially crusty piece of bread, chewed and thought. Until she didn’t like the question. She thought it was stupid. So she ignored it, and enjoyed the silence of the table and watched the thoughtful faces chewed too.
“The one I love.” Answered a boy. “I would assume the love I have for them surpasses the pain of knowing they do not feel the same way. Furthermore, I am secure enough in myself to not need the presence of one who loves me always.”
“But surely a relationship like that feels like a puppy and an owner. You want to feel like the puppy?” Asked a girl beside him.
“Actually, in the scenario and your hypothetical, Sesteam would be the owner. A puppy is forced to be welcomed into the home, domesticated, and is – more often than not – loved whilst the love it has for the owner is far more volatile.” Replied another.
“Either way, the relationship is sour. A dog and its owner is not the foundations for a healthy, suitable marriage.”
“Oh quite true.” Elias agreed. “This is most definitely a toxic marriage. My question is not one of morals but of desires. Do you wish to love more than you wish to be loved. Perhaps the answer scares you. Please, what are more people’s thoughts?”
“Is this question not really one of self-security and self-pride. Someone insecure is likely to choose who loved them and to find the paranoia and agony of being less loved overriding the love they have for them.”
“That is one understanding. But not necessarily a whole correlation. And such is a question you should invite to yourself. Although the most insecure person in the world could still choose the option of loving their spouse more, I believe the enquiry prompts a deeper contemplation of one’s own desires.”
It was silent for a good lot of time. Jinx just ate and watched, her own thoughts running wild and too quickly for her to pick up something logical, much to her relief, she wouldn’t want to know her answer.
“The guilt would affect me more than the satisfaction of being loved.” The blonde boy who offered Jinx potatoes said from beside her, breaking the quiet. “Having to live with the knowledge that they know how I really feel, how their emotions are not returned, well, it would be far too jarring to live with daily. I’d rather experience it than to know someone else is.”
“A valiant description, Mr Revia, and too a good point.”
“And you, sir?” Asked a girl. “What would your answer be? Who would you chose?”
“Ah, Miss Lennox, you burden me with what I have just burdened all of you. Such an answer I have been pondering since yesterday, and yet I am as stumped as the moment the question was proffered. But to refuse an answer to a question I pose would be terribly rude, despite my lack of finality concerning its last result. I would have to say, at this point in time, that I would chose who I loved more, for the sake of Mr Revia’s judgment. I would feel guilt, and perhaps a little frustration. Either way, such questions truly force us to appreciate the value of freedom of choice. Now, to move on, unless one wants to add anything to the matter?”
The dinner continued and so did the chat, paired politely with the delicate scrapes of crockery and gentle sips of sweet wine as people’s words were slurred with full mouths. Such elegant discourse mainly centred around the ‘hot topics’ of the science world, the current affairs of the arcane in Runeterra being what pricked the most interest, Jinx would have to agree to, she wasn’t really listening until then, just enjoying food that hadn’t been stuffed in her bag prior to being eaten. The conversation lingered on the arcane for enough time to Jinx to contemplate if hextech would ever be brought up, then wondered if any of the yahoos around her were actually Pilties, seeing as they would’ve been the type to bring it to the fore. She sure as hell wouldn’t though. No, but that was done for her, by the girl in her maths class.
“Fabricating the magic seen in Runeterra exceeds all the curiosity that the Mainland could possibly whet my interest with. How much I longed to be able to work there, and the news travels weakly, I hardly know the status of such things anymore. It’s as though the Mainland researchers wish to block out the success of Runeterra.”
“Maybe the Kiramman can provide some insight?” The Marigold girl said, smiling at Jinx. “To my understanding it was the Kiramman house who funded the lead scientist.” The girl looked proudly upon Jinx, with no hint of maliciousness, clearly she thought she was being kind or something, giving Jinx something to say, but to Jinx it was as though she had just stabbed her.
Everyone turned to gawk at her, and she stared back, eyes wide and mouth full of gammon.
She swallowed hard, grazing her throat with the thick chunk of barely chewed meat, and rummaged through her mind for something to bring up. Names, maths, physics, all types of equations, maybe even how she was able to crack it, a girl barely scraping the age of 18, in a city where the lack of resources and qualifications were far, far from what her peers could even comprehend. None of those stuck though, and the moment and burning stares heated with every ticking second until… Viktor!
“Uh. Yeah.” Jinx croaked, attempting to rid her throat of the lasting piece of meat. “It was. Actually your new Dean was his partner. Does he not mention it?” She had to whip out her best formalities for that one, the tone she would only submit to when she had pissed Cassandra off too much to test her patience with the guests.
“Ah, yes. That caused quite the hubbub upon his first arrival.” Elias stated, greatly pleased by his newest member’s input. “I’m afraid he discusses his past achievements very little, our great new Dean. Both humility and reclusion tends to run through him, I believe, but those are the characteristics of a great mind, my dear students, do not be ashamed of them.” He took another swig of wine, finishing his glass. “Anyhow, Miss Kiramman, did you know him well, him or his partner.”
“Uh, not really. Saw them around a bunch, hextech was sorta a cause for controversy though.”
“And whys that?” Elias asked. The room was dead silent, as if Jinx’s words were vital information.
“Well, the stuff’s powerful, I guess. I dunno, but people worried it would lead to some dramatic destruction…” Why would they think that…
She hated talking about it. Talking about what would’ve happened if he hadn’t… It had haunted her ever since.
She wished every day that he didn’t die, even if her life was worse then, but still, she had to grasp the fact that if he didn’t she would’ve killed… and it pricked at her heart horribly. It felt like picking between parents, between two people she loved, what she wanted would’ve harmed the other. Just the very thought of it made her stomach lurch, and her hand teleported to her forehead, not caring for the peering eyes.
“A sensible caution.” Elias nodded. “We have reports as such in the Mainland. The atomic bomb for example. Scientists have a heavy weight on their shoulders, and they aren’t politicians. The world is strange.” His tone sunk into thought, until he perked up suddenly. “Well! Delightful conversation this evening, my dear students, but we do not live in cities full of fun, we live at an academy, where work is endless, at least it should be. And mine is. ‘Till Wednesday for some of you, and the next dinner will be revealed promptly. Goodnight!” And with that the students rose from the table and disappeared out of the room.
Jinx didn’t even notice she was sitting alone, until she realised she wasn’t. There stood Miss Marigold, standing by Jinx’s chair, the rest of the room empty.
“Hello.” She started, her tone too light for Jinx’s stomach. Jinx looked up from low eyebrows, practically glaring at the girl. “My name is Alyssa Marigold.”
“Okay.” Jinx said from behind a curtain of apathy.
“You do maths, don’t you.”
“I think everyone here does some form of maths.”
The girl laughed.
“Fair enough. Still, you’re new, and here, and a Kiramman who speaks… well like you do.”
“And?”
“And what? Are those facts not proof enough that I’d want to talk to you.”
“I guess.”
“Jinx, isn’t it?”
“Yep.” Jinx felt weird that she still sat whilst the other stood, but just before she went to stand, hoping to shorten the conversation, Alyssa took the seat next to her.
“Well Jinx, how did you manage to find yourself in the Kloge club?”
Jinx licked her teeth, scanning the room as if that would help her find an answer.
“Uh, y’know, I really am clueless on that part. I just ran into a door and this guy said I was now a member.”
“‘This guy’? Being Professor Elias?”
“Yuh-huh.”
“I suppose he’s not the most conventional. He came up to me after a maths class in the second semester of last year. He was just talking to our Professor, came in to say a word or two and as he was leaving I was asked a question. I answered it, thinking nothing of it and he stopped dead in his tracks, then took a seat near the door. Scared the living daylights out of me for the next half hour. Then you can imagine how it felt when he approached me as I left. But it was fine in the end. He said he liked my answer and a few weeks later, into the club I go.”
“So is this all that happens. This is what’s got everyone’s panties twisted like a pretzel? A dinner? He talks, asks questions, you get a boujee dinner and the whole damn academy starts pining after it?”
“In simple terms, yes. Its more than that, though. The meeting of minds he determines great is something quite spectacular. He wants to hear from them, and watch them rub off each other, and so entices you with luxury and the pride of exclusivity. Not a bad exchange.”
“Uhhh I guess. But can’t say I see myself doing it again.”
“Not the social type huh? Even for the Kloge club?”
“Especially for this dumb club.”
“I see. Well I’m sorry I put you on the spot. You piqued my curiosity, new Kiramman, I just had to hear something out of you.” And with that Alyssa stood and offered a hand to Jinx. She took it, without thinking and was hoisted to meet her face. “I’ll see you in maths then, goodnight.” And she skipped out of the door in a very normal fashion.
So Jinx was then alone, and soon departed from the room after the echoes of the footsteps of her weird greeter had long died around the corner.
Such an odd weekend.