Tour of Terror
Jayce stood there for a solid while, a big, dumbstruck sort of look in his idiotic expression. How had he gotten himself in this awkward- oddly tied with a string situation? Oh yeah- NOT LOOKING AHEAD. IN A HALLWAY.
There was no way- there was no way he was this unlucky. The professor's TA, the Zaun Tech prodigy- was theguy he had run into not even days before- but hours? Who, uh oh maybe Jayce could have forgotten-! Was the professor's assistant.
Jayce’s luck was seriously screwed today. Some higher being was against him- he had truly tested someone. That was it- that had to be it. If he could have the scratched tile floors of this place open a trapdoor to hell vs. being here right now? He would choose the trapdoor before the sentence even ended.
Viktor gave Jayce an odd look after a considerably odd amount of time of Jayce just standing there with a dumb face. Jayce shook his thoughts away from his head; he just had to accept it and face it head on for once- right?
He attempted to stand upright, do what his mom had always taught him to do as a kid and ‘stand up straighter and push on’, something he found himself using a lot as of recently. His hand propped against the desk, leaning in an attempt to look cool rather than a nervous wreck.
“Ah- uh- Hello! I was… I wasn’t snooping just-” His hand slipped from his own sweat, nerves growing thick as he attempted to make up a story. He knows he shouldn’t go through a professors file of himself, but he had always been curious to what others knew or thought about him so he just- looked. Without thinking. Another trait that leads him into sticky situations. “Ha- well… um- you wouldn’t believe it but I was actually just-!”
“Looking through the professor's private background files? The files I constructed myself?” The assistant's eyebrows furrowed, that sharp jaw twitching in irritation as he eyes the orange folder in Jayce’s hands. “Quite the unfortunate list of predicaments you find yourself in recently- it seems?”
He asks it like a question, sharp and rhetorical. And at that, Jayce doubled in on himself internally. He hadn’t noticed it before but even the man's words were angled like knives like in accusation- sharp and to the point, not to mention his cunning sounding accent adding to the mix of “I’m smarter than you.”
The worst part is Jayce hadn’t lost that starstruck feeling he had noticed he’d felt before. His jaw was just as sharp, like his words. Eyes still mind-blowingly auburn gold in the light. Jayce had to push aside his admiration at the moment- he was meant (and was supposed to be) livid.
The TA leans on his cane, passing a knowing look to the other. The TA shifted those same glasses he had sketched this morning on his nose up, then pushed his hand in the space between them, facing it palm up and motioning for it back.
Something then clicks in Jayce’s nerve-ridden brain. Like the final piece in a 1000 piece puzzle set, recollecting the pages of his journal that were stapled into the documents of necessary construction. The notes however- weren’t something they had access to from him personally.
“The files you-”He looks down, forgetting his own anxieties for a moment to look at the notes once more, seeing the smudge marks of pen on the left side of his paper, the same paper that he had been working on as of recently. That means-
“You stole my notes! From when… from when I fell! You can’t just do that!”
“Ah,” He looked caught, guilty and red-handed. “,well yes- hm.” Viktor paused, he supposed he had found himself cornered by that comment. Well deserved, in Jayce’s opinion, though he leaned onto his cane coolly and unbothered, still eying the folder with purpose. “-Well I suppose that is what that is called.”
“That is exactly what that’s called!” Jayce’s voice nearly raises louder in frustration, but he holds himself back after an internal scolding. Viktor seemed, irritatingly- unfazed.
Jayce seethes silently at the man in front of him for a moment, then abruptly turns to put down the file, giving Viktor a half-hearted glare. Jayce sighs to himself, eying the man in reverence. “I suppose we are even. I trip you up and you steal some of my notes, so now can we call it even?” He offers a small smile, attempting to soothe his mistake with the others. A tie, a draw.
Viktor for a split second actually smiles a little at that to himself, tilting his head slightly in amusement rather than in kindness. “I suppose it can suffice-” Viktor shifts his weight on his cane, walking toward the desk that Jayce stood in front of. His thin hands pick up the file smoothly, opening it and looking at Jayce’s old high school photo with a sense of curiosity. “-Though the rest of ‘calling it even’ will show in your time here, Mr. Talis. Your mind is enough to drag the eyes of your peers and the professor- but it is not enough to persuade just anyone. This is why you are here.”
“You can call me Jayce if you’d like.” He mutters, but it is as if he had said it to himself. The other just moves silently, placing down the folder, Jayce hopping out of the way as the assistant begins to move toward the previous door.
His hand lays limp on the handle of the door, a pause before heading in. He turns his head to Jayce, who isn’t able to read his expression- outside of the common fact that he just can’t read him.
“I would not.” He says as thin hands, fragile looking and yet scuffed with work, grasp the handle- turning it as Jayce stares at the moles that litter the back of the TA’s exposed neck. Jayces own neck burned red.
–
The room is large, more of a forging room/welding unit than an actual classroom, a large desk with welding supplies and abandoned circuit boards and wires- littering the surface so much that you can't even tell the color of the table. On the other side of the room is a large kennel like structure, a furnace for forging metal. Jayce’s specialty- especially in his background.
Information on the room spills from Viktor’s lips fervently, but smooth- never a word faltering or uncertain. Jayce attempts to pay attention, but his eyes are on the large classroom, admiring it like someone may do at a painting in a famous museum.
After a moment too long of Viktor not getting a response back after a supposed question, Jayce feels a sharp whack on his calf- metal pipe meeting with the tough muscle of his leg hard enough to bruise. He yelps in shock as he cradles his leg, “What did you do that for??”
“I have heard great things about you, Mr. Talis, I expect a witty or even sharp response when a question is asked- unless of course it’s rhetorical. They discussed this at your previous college? Or was that under your skill level too-” He smiled, the tone sarcastic but not with as much annoyance as before, even odd to himself for his playful nature.
Jayce shakes his head however, stupidly playing with the stubble on his chin in thought for a moment. “No, I took some psychology and- man… that's a lot of rhetorical questions!” He smiled reminiscing, scoffing at even the memory.
Viktor just furrows his brows for a moment, the glasses that adorn his features slipping a little down his nose. He then begins to walk off again- leaning on his cane in front of Jayce, turning his head to side-glance to him.
“Rhetorical.” Was all he said, as Jayce mentally slapped himself, following Viktor for the rest of this amazing tour.
–
Around 30 minutes later, they stopped their tour, and Jayce couldn’t be more confused of what he thought of it all.
On one hand, he loved the building. Everything was beyond his expectation of perfection. He didn’t feel so sure about his decision to move before… but this maze of a building was more than enough to convince him that this was where he was meant to be.
He loved the professor, even if he only got to know him for around an hour. He was still amazingly brilliant and a big figure in Jayce’s mind. He was talented- obviously, yet also extremely personable. Oddly kooky but just the right amount of insane. Jayce had studied his findings before, and each time did he gape at where he was now. His pupil, a star student.
On the other hand,
His only gripes were small. Petty. Not even complaints but rather things he was just confused about.
For instance, the professor’s TA.
Skilled, smart. As they sat at their desks now, Jayce already found himself peeking small glances at the other, their desks faced and pressed against each other so that they had to look at eachother, unless using the other corner of the ‘c-shaped’ desks that faced a wall- the same wall that had the door to their office and the world's biggest chalkboard.
The room their two desks inhabited was quite nice, Jayce having seen it earlier with Heimerdinger- yet it isn't any less interesting as he had found it about an hour ago. But his mind couldn’t peel away from his classmate- eyes always falling back to that statue like sharpness and the pale complexion, glasses that never failed to slip to the tip of his nose- especially when reading.
He had plenty of time to look at Viktor, peeking curious glances across their desks to him reading some kind of textbook. The giant chalkboard was covered in chalked equations, Viktor had insisted that Jayce get a head start on their new project (vaguely explained)- regardless of the late time.
Of course it wasn’t an issue for Jayce, He actually preferred just getting straight into things. Once when he was a kid he had stayed up all night finishing a science model the first night it was assigned. It was meant to be a two week project, but he had one ‘best model’, and ever since he had always been quick to start, quick to fix and quick to make the best version of everything he made. As if in competition with himself.
The room wasn’t completely quiet. By the end of the tour they cracked small jokes to tease the other, attempting awkward conversation. Turns out Jayce wasn’t the only one not knowing what to say out of anxiety. Viktor as the night grew on seemed to get fidgety, even starting some conversations with small talk or peace making conversation starters when it got too quiet.
Now the room was filled with the sounds of pen on paper, chalk on a board, pages turning. It wasn’t by any means uncomfortable. He actually rather liked it, the peace and the comforting familiarity of the sounds, even when he was sharing those sounds with someone else.
Viktor hadn’t explained to them their next project, but rather explained that he could take now to get comfortable, study his personal works and do as he pleases- within reason of course. He had already unpacked the box he had brought to the building the day prior. Pictures of his family, Cait, his mom, Mrs. Kiraman, all lay out in little frames on one of the shelfs on Jayce’s side of the room. He set up his organization compartments, pens and ink- chalk and pliers, tools galore. He even unpacked his prized crystal, his favorite keepsake that could further push his successes someday, on the desk next to his laptop.
He had already laid out his plans on the bulletin board behind him, hanging his own scholarship and diploma’s on the wall, yet not close enough to Viktors to outshine him. In respect. The board though, was insanely sporadic. Pages littered every part of it already, and only half of the papers of study were distributed- red string and blue pen- doodles and sketches of diagrams and small little drabbles that he had done in between sleep and study littering the space. One could think Jayce had gone mad- stuck in his own mind. Though he knew the teacher assistant would understand, his own bulletin board had the same amount of insanity.
He had already laid out his mothers quilt against the arm of the couch from before that was on his side of the room, a lucky token of sorts from home that she had insisted be in his office. “For all those stay-up nights I won’t be able to pull you from.” she had said in between her teary, happy goodbyes at the train station. He missed her, his eyes grazing over the reds and maroons- the family sigil and color decorating it like lace to cloth. A comforting- warm adding feeling to the atmosphere. The space he had made for himself began to actually feel quite cozy, yet still productive.
Though no matter how productive he had felt, after placing his things down, he found himself a little stumped on what to start. He could do some more research, but his studies are paused at a good place at the moment- and he didn’t want to add something to it that could cause a spiral- this late at night at least.
He leaned into the back of the chair, pausing his doodling of that same sharp face as he glanced at the ticking clock at the front of the room. 10:22 pm- jesus.
“Research is key, Mr. Talis- you should know. I am one to study and test as much as possible, no amount of personal exchange in our personal life should get in the way of our discoveries when in projects. This space is yours just as much as it is mine- yes, but we are here to make breakthroughs and test them- not for just time wasting fun.” Viktor lectured during their tour, it wasn't unfair though. It actually made a lot of sense, but to Jayce, the near silence was killing him.
He peeked back to that same man, whose eyes remained peeled to his studies, now moving from the textbook to a journal. The wall next to him stood a standing whiteboard, equations littering the surface like a mad puzzle to solve- handwriting like a neater chicken scratch opposed to his own loopy looking letters.
Suddenly and without warning, auburn orange meeting with hazel, their eyes meet. Viktor’s eyes slant toward him, head still turned to his own journal. Jayce turns back to his paper, like a middle school girl getting caught looking at her crush. But this wasn't a crush- so why was he sweating bullets, worrying he got figured out? For what?
After another awkward beat of silence and a thick- weird tension builds, Jayce clears his throat. “Heading out anytime soon?” he questioned, praying his embarrassment wasn’t visible in his tone.
“Ah- no, my apartment is across campus.” Viktor states, yet not quite answering Jayce’s question. It made Jayce wonder if he slept here. Well- he supposed that was a stupid question… but he wondered how often?
Not wanting to push the tension more, he nods, not questioning the open answer. But- one more question that tightened in his head turned his mind in knots, needing to be answered. “Won’t you get caught?... by the guards- I mean.”
“Unlikely, that’s why doors have locks.” He smiled to himself in a cocky fashion, but it was subtle, you could miss it if you even blinked. “There have been times I have had an escort pull me out- last time it happened was ages ago- I will be fine… no need to fret.”
He nods again, closing his laptop and finding his satchel, a lot lighter now that the journals of study were now settled outside of just his dorm. He didn’t bother moving the pages on his desk, leaving the mess to prove his spot was here, and he would be back tomorrow. He stood from the seat, as Viktor finally brought his head up to look at him.
Jayce startled a little, making complete awkward eye contact as he stood up, pushing his desk chair in.
“Well, I’ve got some finance homework to get started on…” He started, bringing his arm up to play with the stay hair on the back of his neck out of nervous habit. His mom had always hated how he couldn’t ever stop fidgeting- but it was just a habit at this point. “-See you tomorrow- uh… Mr-?”
Jayce was confused to ask for Viktor’s last name- glancing up at his diploma to not find any.
Odd, everyone had a last name- especially on their diploma’s…
“Just Viktor is fine.” He said, closing his book and nodding in remark to Jayce’s confusion, startling him from his thoughts for a second. Viktor reached for his cane, grabbing it and using it as leverage as he got up from his chair. “Don’t trip anyone on the way there.”
He swore he saw the faintest sight of a smile, as the other walked to the whiteboard, clearing it for the rest of Viktor’s long night of work that was yet to come. His head turned to the other, “A joke. But please- do watch where you are going from now on.”
One more visible smile later, and Jayce somehow snaps back to reality, smiling in return as he walks to the door. “Of course, see you.”
And with that, he found himself half way to his dorm in the dark lit sidewalks of the university, reflecting on the day- bizarre day- that he has had, needing to call his friend more than ever to tell her what all had happened. Who he had met- acquaintances he had already seemed to make. Or enemies? He wasn’t too sure.
__
“You are an idiot!”
Jayce had to remove his cell further from his ear as the mic on Caitlyn’s end peaked, screaming at him from the other end of the phone. Her European accent always made him laugh, even her absurdly named insults sounding funny- but this was just humiliating… her judging him over his own mistakes.
“You tripped the prodigy- for God sakes- your own professor’s TA- and all you can muster out at the end of the day is see you? No apology? No nothing?” he could hear the irritation in her voice, but he couldn’t really understand her babbling about his own issues. He laid on his dorm bed- a dorm he had gotten to himself due to his scholarship add-ons, attempting to complete his homework that was due three days from now out of habit. But not a whole lot can get done when gossiping with the hotheaded Kiraman.
“Since when have you cared so much about my drama?? Plus, the TA is still my classmate. He didn’t even seem like he wanted to talk about it.” Jayce scoffed to himself, adjusting his notebook, needing the right angle for his doodle- rather than his actual homework. “I don’t know Cait- I feel terrible- but it wasn’t even about the hallway… he just seemed blocked off.”
“Yeah- maybe because some brain-dead himbo just plummeted him in the hall- took his spot in scientific golden-boy, and failed to actually make decent progress in conversation or work.” The roll of her eyes was palpable in just her tone, causing Jayce to do the same in return.
“I’m not a golden-boy.”
“Like hell you are.” Caitlyn laughed. She was supposed to be studying for a late mid-term, but put all things aside when Jayce mentioned a guy. Why did she drop everything? He wouldn’t know- she’s not even into them. But he also assumed it was because she had some new girl she wanted to yap on about to him regardless of her own important studies.
Chemistry, her least favorite it seemed. She was meant to be studying the gas properties, asking for Jayce’s help with the electron mathematical equations- but she had given up the second he mentioned Viktor. Apparently she had known the name not only because of his successes for the uni, but he had also been someone her mom had her eyes on for a while. But after making it up from rags to riches (in education) on his own, she moved on to Jayce. Just another string attached to the two of them- oddly enough.
Caitlyn is beyond smart though. Back when Jayce met her when he was in his old Technical college, she had been in highschool- a junior. She was the top of her class- best in her rifle team, and the smartest kid Jayce had ever seen in strategics and political education.
“I just want to make nice for now- play it safe I guess. He made it pretty crystal clear that he didn’t want our personal life’s entangled together outside of lab hours.” he sighed, Viktor’s earlier words resurfacing in his mind. “What do I do? The annual distinguished innovator’s competition is coming up for us to start working on- I’ll be in there for hours… I just don’t want it to be weird.”
The other end is silent for a moment as Jayce erases a couple lines. The eyes were wrong- not hard enough. A beat of silence again, and he hears her sigh, “Just- ask some icebreakers, but don’t push him. If he is already seeming stand-offish, then just play it at his pace. That way you don’t make it worse.”
That actually made a lot of sense. He smiled, though she couldn’t see it, and nodded to himself. “Thank you Caitlyn, don’t really know what I would do without you, Sprout.” A nickname he gave her in the years of their friendship, always having been a sister-like figure to him.
She scoffed on her end of the line, and laughed heartily. “Knowing you, you would probably be in a social hole right now, but please- no flash photography.”
He rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. “So how’s that supposed chemistry study session going?”
“Er-” A pause on her end, the sound of papers being flipped going on across the line. “I finished most of it, all I have is the definition of the Hund Theory left to go, and then I can wrap it up.”
Wow, she got a lot more work done than he would’ve originally thought. “Ah- alright.” He teased, his voice doing that thing he does when he teases her smarts and he is wrong. “So- do I ask about this new one or not?”
They ramble and gossip for a couple more hours, hanging up early in the morning after successfully wearing each others jaws out on blabbing. Jayce asked for some more advice on Viktor, while all Cait could ask was if the girl she was assigned to tutor was giving her ‘mixed signals.’ Jayce just swore she was the only one mixing it up.
They agreed to go out to some new coffee joint down the campus road soon as a group, her and this girl and Jayce- but Jayce insisted that only after he became more vacant when it came to time. She agreed after some petty IOU’s, and gave it a rest- passing out not only 30 minutes later. Her snoring loud even through the other side of the phone.
Jayce went to bed that night thinking, arms crossed over his chest as he stared into space, his mind trying to guess how the next lab would go.
And how he would make up with an overly stubborn lab partner.