🍉Bohemian Deer Witch 🍉

There was a silence that was almost suffocating in the room as they both looked at it, staring at the smooth, perfectly round blue spheres in the box Jayce had laid open what felt like an hour ago, even if it had only been minutes. They were beautiful, like pearls, some of the most magnificent that could be found on this side of the Piltover Harbor, but pearls they were not. The young men knew what the crystals were capable of. How volatile they were, though the pair hoped that their attempt at refining them from their raw form. But, even then Viktor knew, the chances of these still blowing up on them, literally, was still half at best. A probability no doubt hypothesised by his partner too as he looked over at Jayce for a vote of confidence, only to see Jayce suck air in through his teeth and half close the lid of the box.

“Alright.”

He uttered in uncertainty, his face on Viktor now as he chuckled among knitted eyebrows as if slowly but surely questioning what on earth they got themselves into. Though even then, there was a confidence to him, whether it was blind or not, that was still reassuring enough it seemed. Even when Viktor knew that if it wasn’t Jayce’s sheer full blown confidence in this project and making it work out as intended that ensured it’d see the world, it no doubt would’ve been Viktor’s stubbornness. He clapped a gloved hand on the lid of the box, even if not without a quick snap of a glance to make sure he didn’t shut the lid by accident and cause them to react unpleasantly in the box. To which Viktor couldn't help but hold back a laugh in Jayce’s startlement, even if that didn’t particularly help, it wasn’t long until the dam broke and he burst out laughing anyhow, and Jayce along with him.

“Well, the crystals look a lot better now that’s for sure, I guess the refinement process worked out in that regard but, now comes the big question.”

Viktor remarked, going from an almost joking demeanour to one with a mild yet pensive uncertainty to it. For a short moment, the silence was the only answer, until, as if reading his mind about as good as a well worn book, Jayce stood up straight and crossed his arms as he filled in the rest of his friend’s train of thought without prompting.

“Will it explode again?”

Once again, silence, as Viktor moved closer to open the lid back up carefully to take a closer look before leaning on his cane. His face deep in thought as he mulled over his thoughts in his head before with a shrug and a tilt of a head he answered the hanging inquiry out of the side of his mouth.

“Eh, that among other things. Let’s just pray there’s a little less property damage involved this time. Preferably none.”

They broke out chuckling again as Jayce grinned and had his turn at holding back a soft laughter, though as he stopped the grin still remained as he gazed into the box again.

“Well I believe it’ll work out better this time.”

He quipped back a little with the remainders of a chuckle, even if his grin fell a little. But still, Viktor was unsure, at least in regards to if this time, it indeed would. But then again, it had worked out great the first time they did it, right? Even with the resulting structure of Professor Heimerdinger’s lab. And the two young men breaking the law in the name of science on top of it all too. But still, they were still alive and it still got good results in the end. What could be much different this time? Assuming that night wasn’t just, a fluke? But still Viktor hummed and regarded Jayce in the corner of his eye with a bit of confidence, genuinely curious in how exactly, Jayce knew the circumstances would be different.

“How so?”

“I mean, with the raw crystal by itself it’s laden with jagged edges and an overall uneven surface area right? So, likely, what caused both mishaps was the application of tension on an uneven surface. Like, when you hit a nail on a glass pane is the best way I can think of it. No- wait, probably not the right comparison since this is a completely different thing in its entirety.”

Jayce answered as he gestured around with a hand, about as talkative with his hands as he was his voice, even if it was to mask his disconcern over whether or not he communicated his theory correctly. His hazel eyes scanned Viktor’s for feedback, hoping that Viktor did indeed get the general idea, but all Viktor could do is tuck his cane in his elbow to curiously pluck out a vivid blue gem out of the box and hold it to his face, rotating it in his fingers as he gave it a closer look. Jayce wondered if Viktor was even listening until he saw Viktor’s eyes widen slightly as he held out a hand and turned to focus on him instead.

“Wait- hold that thought. So, what you’re saying is when force is applied to an uneven surface, it causes the force to focus most prominently in the smaller areas which, when subjected to pressure, causes it to essentially, fracture?”

Jayce went quiet for a moment before clapping his hands together and pointing them in a gesture, pursing his lips as he tipped his eyes up at him.

“Something along the lines of that, but yes.”

“Ah.”

Viktor nodded as he held back but broke out into a slight smile before pensively turning to regard the crystal again, nestling it in his hand as he gingerly rolled it along his palm with a fingernail.

“So smoothing out the surface and giving it a more even surface would-”

“Theoretically even out the energy applied onto the object, yes.”

Jayce finished with a nod and a lopsided grin. Uncertainty over the whole situation very much present, even if Viktor’s presence eased things a little around the lab. But, his presence only did so much in that department. Even if Viktor didn’t acknowledge the thick apprehensive atmosphere about them at all as he just put the crystal back and turned to Jayce again to regard him, treating the whole conversation as one among students discussing a lecture summary.

“Honestly, that makes sense. Though, we’ll probably never know if it applies to this about as well as something more conventional in the Physics department.”

Jayce gave in reply as he shrugged and leaned against the table. The pair hung up in the silent air of the lab as it grew tense before Viktor scoffed and let his cane down from the nook of his elbow, making his way to the desk as he threw up his free hand in the impending impatience over the whole thing.

“Then let’s find out shall we? I mean surely, that crystal isn’t going to initiate the experiment itself.”

“Alright, alright! Just, wait. I still have to finish setting it up again.”

His partner chided back in huffed reply as he took a crystal out of the box and helped Viktor set up their apparatus again. Luckily if there was one thing that didn’t get damaged in the midst of their last stint, it was their contraption, even if it was made intricately yet haphazardly out of parts cobbled together by the minds of a pair of partially sleep deprived students. Viktor wondered if it would hold again this time as they finished fixing it up and set the crystal in place, giving Jayce one last discerning glance as they twisted the dial and pressed it in again. The whir of it was gradual, like before, gentle even, like they were standing underwater yet breathing perfectly, until it came to wind up again. At first it nearly sucked the breath out of both of them, knocking the wind of Viktor as he coughed slightly at the sudden pang of energy smacked into his chest yet holding onto the desk firmly as he remained calm, even amidst the raising panic in Jayce’s eyes as the sparks started flying and things started to whirl around them like a dust devil. But yet, even as the scene around them whirred with an intensity, the apparatus stood still, completely static safe for the bolts of brilliant blue light and the spinning pearl of energy at the heart of it. As Viktor came to think of it in his carefully maintained calm to hide the rising feeling in his chest, it wasn’t as- turbulent as before.

The sun was almost ruthless as it was beating down on the pair as they took to the street on their way back to the lab. The young men had known it was going to be a hot afternoon unobscured by the thick quilt of clouds that threaten to wring its contents out onto the earth any moment now but, Viktor knew it wouldn't be long until they were back. If anything, the heat and slight bout of humidity was nothing but an indicator really that they were building up to release their rain just before the evening. But still, at least if it was raining, there was still a small probability that someone would at least remember to organise transportation for them. Quite literally almost anything to replace the long, uncomfortable walk from the Academy to the new lab Ms. Medarda had arranged for them to further their research. At least on the days he had to wear the dreaded cage around his affected leg as per doctor's orders. 

Bloody hell, why can't you just be normal and behave for one day? 

His femoral anteversion has been acting up again, slowly growing worse as it became increasingly painful to walk around like he once had before. He knew it wouldn't be long until it started getting to his spine too and in addition to the new and ever so irritating leg brace he had to wear now to correct it, surely, a new, suffocating spine brace were to follow. The question was when, as he looked down at his feet to watch his steps as he tried to keep up with Jayce, not just in pace but in chatter. His golden eyes all but scrunched up in a glare as he watched the metal flex as he walked. 

Viktor didn't legitimately know what was worse. The mild, throbbing, ever present pain, the bloody cage in itself, or the stares the now visible leg brace brought. He hated it, ever since he had to wear his new brace it was as if almost all eyes were on him now, whether it be pity, curiosity or some semblance of distaste and unease. It was bad enough that almost every Piltovan and their mother, or child it feels like, would stare if they bothered to look at him long enough, it was even worse however that it was with lingering gazes. 

Even as they were walking now, he could catch a few looks, even a curious child pointing him out, looking up at their mother to ask questions as she chided and slapped the little hand away from pointing. The scene, even if innocuous enough, was in itself enough for Viktor to go silent almost entirely. It was obvious Jayce had come to pick up on his discomfort. He saw it in not just in how Viktor was slowing down from the dull, ever growing pain of a exhausted limb being forced to twist into place, but also the way Viktor went from bantering to sparse responses to his enthusiastic prattling that slowly went from matching Jayce's enthusiasm to exasperation. 

It was then they both fell into a silence as Jayce slowed in pace and wrapped Viktor up carefully in an arm, hand on the small of his back like where he usually put it when he helped Viktor stand up these days. 

“Viktor? Are you okay?”

For the first time that entire walk, Viktor looked up into his partner's eyes as he quietly asked the question. Even if a part of him didn't want to, and wanted instead to remain glued with venom onto his feet and the steel tipped contraption that adorned one of them. He didn't know what was even worse than his body’s failings, the stares and lingering gazes of the occasional stranger or the way Jayce's eyebrows would knit in concern as he’d look at him. Even if it came from someone who understood him and his predicament. Jayce knew already about Viktor's condition, from snippets of benevolent curiosity and timid inquiries spoken out loud in caution out of fear of treading lines he didn't want to tread if it meant causing hurt or offence to his friend. He already knew that, sometimes, Viktor would wear a leg brace, even if it was the thin yet sturdy structure he could easily hide under his clothes. 

He was there for Viktor the whole way through, even on the first day Viktor fell and the string of appointments that followed. Yet still, he did not want to concern his friend, not even more than he already has. 

“Oh. I-I’m fine.”

He uttered out pensively with a slight strained smile as he leaned a little on his cane, trying to give his right leg a bit of reprieve. If Jayce wasn’t concerned enough already, VIktor’s words really did not to seem to help matters with how his partner’s brow furrowed so thoroughly that they made as well have part of one unit.  

“Are you sure? You look like you’re in-”

Was all Viktor heard in a voice that had not even a few minutes previously used to be so enthusiastic and full of life as he caught Jayce catching a glance at his brace before he took to looking away. It was small but something that made Viktor want to curl up into himself and hide in that moment. Yet, outside of a quiet sigh, and the sensation of a supportive hand letting go to rather wrap him up almost protectively into an arm as Jayce ushered him to a bench, there was nothing more that followed that. Other than warm words as Jayce gave him a soft slight smile and a gentle pace as he tried to be as careful as possible yet vigilant over maintaining his friend’s boundaries.

“Come on. Let's sit down for a bit.”

Was all Jayce said, suggesting it as if was on the same caliber as offering to take him to lunch in his gentle casualty over it all. In that moment Viktor looked up again to see him smile, his furrowed brows giving way rather to little creases that reached Jayce’s eyes as he regarded him back and made the tension Viktor held within body and soul gradually fall away. He could rest at ease now for the first time that afternoon as they sat down together, not just due to the relief from taking off his weight off his leg but also in how everything else around them fade to just a scene of two friends, prattling about how to utilize their newest discovery on a bench. All the while Viktor relieved his discomfort by placing his leg on the bench and working at the joints with a pocket wrench he had since taken to carrying. It eased the ache of the entire walk off, even if he could still feel it in his leg, there was simply something about it that made things feel- easier. But then again, that was one of the many reasons they were partners to begin with wasn’t it? With Jayce by his side there was a innate strength and understanding between them. He only wished he wasn’t such a burden on him at times even when he knew he wasn’t.