Chapter Text
Before you can truly savor it, the summer passes you by. Now, with less than a week till you start your first term at Piltover Academy, you are faced with the arduous task of moving all your belongings to your new dorm. Despite offers to help from your parents, you decided to do it on your own. While you love your family dearly, an unfortunate side effect of wealth is that it gives people leeway to be stubborn and opinionated without consequence. You’re in no place to judge, as you inherited both traits, but you couldn’t handle another conversation on how you “didn’t fold your socks right” or “weren’t supposed to keep unlabeled dangerous chemicals in the fridge.” Besides, if it ended up being too much to handle, Caitlyn’s apartment was only twenty minutes away from the Academy dorms. She would most definitely be annoyed, but you’re sure she’d help if you asked.
Your dorm was on the third floor of one of the residential buildings on campus. Though you haven’t seen it in person yet, from the brochure that came with your acceptance letter, it seemed to be a much more cramped living space than what you were accustomed to. There would be two beds and two desks packed into a twelve foot by twelve foot room, and a small, connected bathroom.
You opted for a double dorm despite being able to afford a single. You didn’t know anyone else going into the Academy, so it seemed like a good opportunity to make friends. However, the decision to take a randomly assigned roommate had been weighing on you ever since you turned in your commitment forms. The academy accepted people of all ages, and while you were open to new experiences, sharing a dorm with a 50-year-old man was hardly an inviting prospect.
Many people waited till the day before school to move in, and since there was still three days before the official start of the term, it was possible you wouldn’t even see your roommate today. Still, your mind seldom strayed from the matter for the entirety of the bus ride to the Academy.
You arrive at the base floor of your building with your suitcase in one hand and two cardboard boxes balanced in the other. The boxes block your vision, leaving you walking in a strange waddle as you angle yourself to navigate through your peripheral vision. You meet your RA, and she gives you your keys after confirming your identity. You take the elevator to your floor and continue your waddle till you reach your door. You let go of your suitcase and unlock the door, pushing it open and stepping into the room.
“Woah there, Piltie. Did you bring the whole Progress Museum with you?” The statement is said with palpable amusement.
Startled, you take a step back, bumping into the doorframe and sending your boxes to the floor with a thud. With your vision no longer obscured, you can now see the owner of the voice lounging on one of the beds, reading. It’s the blue haired girl from the Innovators Competition. Powder.
Powder seems to have had a similar realization. “Hey, I remember you! Your sand batteries were really cool. I tried to replicate them, but I couldn’t find the materials for the cooling component. What’s your name again?”
“Uh...I-” You try to come up with a response, but your mind is empty. Powder stares at you patiently. “I have to go.”
Powder’s face fills with disappointment as you high tail out of the room; freaking out internally. Admittedly, you were looking forward to seeing the blue-haired genius again. You had spent more than a few hours over the summer staring out your bedroom window idly picturing her vibrant blue eyes and charming smile. However, seeing her in person seemed to set your mind blank.
You take a bus to Caitlyn’s apartment and knock on her door, praying that she was home. She opens the door a few seconds after your fourth knock. Before she can say anything, you push past her and flop on her couch, face down.
“Well, hello to you too,” she says with an eyeroll completely undermined by her warm grin.
You roll over to face the ceiling and place your hands on your stomach. “I think I made a terrible first impression on my roommate.”
Caityln chuckles and moves to sit on the armrest of the couch nearest to your head. “It can’t be that bad. What happened?”
You tell her, and she lets out a snort. You hit her on the leg in response. “It’s not funny! She probably thinks I’m a horrible person. What do I do?”
Caitlyn considers for a moment before her eyes widen and she smiles. “While I can’t cure your unfortunate lack of tact in the presence of a pretty girl, I may have a solution to your conundrum. Why don’t you invite her to my party tomorrow night? As a show of good faith?”
You sit up and look at her, the gears turning in your head. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
“You don’t have to sound so surprised.”
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After catching up with Caitlyn for a bit, you steel your nerves and return to your dorm. It’s ten o’ clock by the time you return, and you feel the weight of the day’s events in your muscles. Opening the door to your room, you see Powder working at the desk, listening to something through her seemingly homemade headphones. Your boxes and suitcase, which you had forsaken in your rush to leave, were placed neatly on your bed.
You approach the desk and tap Powder on the shoulder. She spins the chair and stares at you with wide eyes for a brief moment before recognition calms her features. The softness lasts only a second before her gaze hardens again. She pauses her music, and raises one of her eyebrows, looking at you reproachfully with the corners of her lips downturned.
“What is it?” Her voice isn’t hostile, but it’s not friendly either. She speaks with an air of detachment.
“I just...wanted to say I’m sorry.”
Powder rolls her eyes and huffs. She picks up a screwdriver from her desk and gesticulates with it wildly. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. You saw a bottom sider and got freaked out. Worried I’d get you into drugs? Stab you in your sleep? Ruin your perfect life with my inescapable Zaunite evil?” Her tone is harsh, but her eyes convey nothing but sadness.
“No, no, it’s nothing like that! I was just a bit overwhelmed. I’m genuinely sorry for the way I treated you. I know I set a really bad precedent, but I hope we can move past this. Can we please just...start over?”
She assesses you for a moment, staring into your eyes as if searching for any hint of dishonesty, before nodding reluctantly. You let out a breath.
“Thank you.” You move to lie down on your bed before remembering Caitlyn’s suggestion and turning to Powder again. She was still watching you. “I don’t suppose now’s a good time to invite you to a party my sister’s having tomorrow? It starts at nine and you can bring friends if you want.”
She blinks, caught off guard, and breathes out a laugh. “Sure, Piltie. Why not.”