#rsof

After an hour and a half of back and forth between you and Jayce as he tried to show the lab while also answering your slew of questions, you are presented to your lab station and left to settle in.

You open your bag and remove the lab items you managed to stuff into it earlier that day. You lay out three journals, two of which are already full of sloppy handwriting from your previous years of research. You also pull out a pencil bag and a fold-up set of tools that- compared to the collection you helped Jayce clean up earlier- look minuscule and boring.

Viktor and Jayce left the lab not long after you started working. Something about getting something to eat and being back soon. You said, "Whatever's fine.", and waved the boys off at one point to a question you're only like 90% sure was asking what you wanted to eat.

You stand and walk around the open floor of the lab, taking time to stop and look at some of the notes Viktor and Jayce have made on their most recent project. 

"Damn." You whisper to the air after looking at the blueprints and notes, the purpose of the project you only half-understood.

You return to your desk and sit in the swivel chair stationed at your workbench. Leaning back, you use your heels to spin yourself around. One of your leisurely circles ends with you facing the metallic stool your brown-haired colleague sat atop before.

Your eyes narrow, effectively locking onto the furniture from across the room. Your mind wanders to the memory of Viktor acting like you just weren't in the room when Heimer introduced you. The memory of his glances singeing a hole into the side of your skull.

You seriously wonder how that is. You wonder how someone wouldn't be excited to meet their perfect match. You reach into your bag and grab the black leather journal you use for your observations and thoughts on soulmates. You begin to thumb through the pages, skimming the ocean of words for any hint of anything other than complete ecstatics from the hundreds of people you interviewed after they met their soulmate.

You peer down at the red ribbon still fastened to your pinkie finger. Your brows stitch together on your forehead as you look at the string. The tie you've had forever, that you'd been desperate to discover the other end, seemed not to affect your counterpart. 

You reach the end of your entries somewhat past the middle of the journal. You snag a pencil from the surface next to you and jot down the date, time, and work-in-progress title at the top of the page before you begin writing your observations so far. Viktor's lack of reaction, his not-so-gentle glances toward you, and his overall "meh" attitude towards his soulmate walking in the door.

You then spend another half hour just reading and writing. And then reading and writing and then reading and writing. You fill another three pages just writing notes and theories about soulmates and why Viktor could be so apathetic about the whole ordeal.

"Whatcha writing?" Jayce's sing-songy voice rings out from behind you.

"Sweet Mother of Zaun!" You scream. You nearly fall out of your chair from how high you jump, in addition to how quickly you manage to close your journal. "God dammit, Jayce."

"Sorry!" He apologizes and pulls up a chair next to you. "...So, soulmates, huh?"

"What do you mean?" You ask, skeptical of what he's referring to.

"That's what the writing was about a second ago, correct? Something about how different people react to meeting their soulmates?" Jayce asks, pointing toward the now closed black-leather journal on your lap.

"Oh, yeah. Just personal research I've been working on for a while. I decided to write while you and Viktor were out because I've gotten some controversial opinions on researching this topic, but if anything, that makes it more intriguing. If that many people have qualms with me learning about it, there has to be a reason behind it." You explain to your associate. "Speaking of, where is Viktor?"

"Not 100% sure. Viktor said he was getting something from his dorm, so I'm not sure when he'll be back." Jayce shrugs. "So, while I wait for my lab partner to return, I'll ask you a question."

"Alright. Hit me." You reply.

"What made you want to research soulmates?" Jayce questions. "What was so interesting about it to you?"

"Well, generally, I guess the idea always caught my interest. The red string and what people are willing to do to see the other side fascinate me." You beam. "I mean, just my parents being my parents makes the whole idea so alluring. My mom is from Piltover, and my dad is a Zaunite. Isn't it insane that a fresh-out-of-school businesswoman and an ex-Chem-punk who somehow got hired to dispose of Piltover's garbage can be perfect for each other?"

Jayce wears an expression that says he's thinking about what was just said to him. You watch his face patiently, awaiting a response other than his thinking.

"What about...not generally?" He asks. 

"What?" You respond, eyebrows knitting together in a way you're sure your mother would comment on if she were in the room.

"Well, you said generally the idea caught your interest. What about not generally?" He elaborates like it's obvious what he's asking.

You facepalm mentally. Of course, the 'Man of Progress' would catch on to some stupid detail like that. "What, you want me to tell you what I was just writing or something?" You ask.

"That would work, yeah." Jayce curtly nods and then looks at you expectantly.

"Okay, but you cannot say anything about it to anyone else, and Jayce Talis, I swear if I hear you laugh, I will kick you down to Zaun myself." You stare at him with the same expectant look, waiting for confirmation he understands what you said.

Jayce nods again, and you continue. "I was researching reactions to soulmates because when I walked into the lab today, I realized Viktor's red string is attached to mine, and he acted like he didn't care about my existence at all, and I wanted to see if that was common." You spoke so quickly that you sounded like a Zaunite music artist or a Piltover auction host.

Jayce goes back to nodding for a few seconds, after which he looks at you and, in the most genuine tone, says. "He's much more excited than he seems."

"Okay, Jayce, if you keep saying things that fully make no sense, I'm gonna stop talking to you altogether." You kind of joke.

"Okay. Okay, fine. What I mean is that Viktor is very work-oriented. On top of that, he doesn't really...project his emotions. Especially around new people. So chances are, instead of getting all giddy or excited, he'll stare at you until it feels like you're going to keel over." Jayce explains in a way that makes puzzle pieces click together in your mind.

"So that's what that was?" You ask, going wide-eyed as you realize that was probably the most obvious conclusion you could've drawn.

"Yeah. When I asked Viktor about it a while ago, he said he'd sooner focus on work than soulmates because finding your soulmate doesn't help anyone but you and your soulmate." Jayce states.

"Okay, I guess that's understandable." You nod.

You turn your head to the side and peek at the clock sitting on your desk. You stand and begin to collect your things from your workbench. "It's almost 8. I have pre-class homework from Heimer and my first actual class tomorrow at 10 bells. I'm not wasting my scholarship because I wanted to stay in the lab an extra hour. See ya, Jayce, and tell Vik I said goodnight."