Chapter Text
…
…
…
WEEKS BEFORE LUX’S DISAPPEARANCE
VALORAN UNIVERSITY, AROUND THE PEAK HEAT OF AFTERNOON
Sarah leans back and elbows perched on the window, faces pass by on the main door under her watchful eyes. Sharing a same sigh with the blonde beside her, who is inspecting each of her nail.
Neither have the bare effort to look, because they knew they’d cause a few heads to turn.
“Is it her?” with not much a whisper from the one girl in front of them.
“Uh, girl? Are you blind? She’s literally right there!” Her friend shakes her shoulders.
Snickers and murmurs round from corners. “She’s kinda my type”
“She low-key pretty, not gonna lie.” Another interjects.
“HIGH-key and an icon!” Hearing this, she delicately pose as more gush and gasps rises. She continues complaining her nail. The motive? She's gobbling praises like a treat.
Sarah, on the other hand, cocked her brow unimpressed. “What kind of selective hearing is that? No wonder, that’s your ego came from.”
“Hm.“ Throwing a glance back to the broody woman. “Sarah, don’t you think this nail a bit crooked?”
“The heck you doing here?” Sarah muttered her reply. Repositioning on the window facing her bored captain.
She states. “Vacant.”
She points at the empty black board and students wandering aimlessly inside. “And besides, your prof. Never really shows up in class.”
“Been sneaking around the faculty?” She squints, tilting her side pointing at the direction of the faculty.
“Um. noo. I go by instinct.” She sneaks a stupid grin and regaining her poised or whatever majestic in her face.
“Instinct my ass.” Sarah grumbles.
The fox drawls, “Sarah sweetie! Slot a coin in the swear jar. Swearing is not good for your frowning face!” with a smirk.
Sarah clicks her tongue as the fox chuckles, grumbling “I would’ve vanished long ago if weren't of that pres or whatever.”
“You…still have a president in this class?” she scoffs. “What are you, kids? Waiting for mama's rules? Pity.”
She shrugs, “Pretty much the same as you are as the ‘President‘ of our group. Except in every subjects with her, she's worst combination”
“I see that—care giving a hint?”
“She’s the pink checklist” Sarah twist, facing away from her. Ahri, from inspecting her nails, coincidentally, locked her gaze on a woman with a polished vest, seems uptight almost like—
"A prefect?”
“Great guess, absentee.”
She let out a scoff, slipping back to studying her nails.
"As expected, I guessed it perfectly.” She giggles.
Sarah clicked her tongue, disapprovingly. “Guess the puppy got it finally right."
Ahri magically pulls out a round compact mirror from her skirt.
She mirrors her lips smacking. Corner of the mirror, a student is giving his textbook to the prefect, The student sneaks a dollar bill from her pocket.
Heightening her hearing sense, she scoots a bit closer. “Thanks for the ba— YIPPEE!” As someone screams over joy. Ahri flinches and soothes her ear.
Ba-what?
Now she reads the pinked haired lips, “As long as you wouldn't spread the word.”
Ahri once again gazes at the student, Huh, the one who opted out of most of his classes. That Dunderhead- Sett.
Humming, followed by after a twitch of the corner of her lips. A “prefect”, Really?
“Not my shade after all.” She smacks her pink glossy lips.
“What shade?” Sarah sidesteps in Ahri’s view. “ Eavesdropping doesn't help you forget that you share one subject with her and the team?”
She turns away and flicks her hand. “Uh, noo? Of course not, I wouldn't notice her with people bombarding my way.”
She slips her pocket and brought out a balm and applies it on her lips.
Sarah narrowed her eyes, “Why of course Ahri, your little people fainting on your way.”
The blonde shuts her compact, making herself comfortable in the window still, ignoring the comment.
Sarah glares as a student strutting his way, head held high with a signature smirk, shining, making the red head rolling her eye, muttering.
“Huh, speaking of.”
She whistles internally, 15 bucks on this guy flailing on your feet. Giving a snarky side eye at Ahri. As Ahri returns her smirks with glinting eyes.
Sarah turns away rubbing her fingers as if brushing off some dust. Ahri clears her thought as she brushes off her uniform.
Fine, 30.
“Uh-um, you’re kin- kinda disturbing the class. We have activity going on? Can you please get out?”
Sarah cursed internally. Can’t believe I played a bet with this witch.
Ahri shifted her gaze towards Sarah.
As if she were a clean student, she raised her eyebrows and said, “You're done with the activity though?”
Sarah, already gazing outside. Her jaw tightens and shakes her head.
The blonde's phone vibrates in her pocket and smirks, “Oh, I see. This will be brief. I've got some errands to run before I head out. You’re good with that, aren't you?”
His eyes widen and covers with a chortle nodding. The girls behind him open their mouths and gossip about her. Sarah glances just to see that knowing look.
From Ahri’s lips lined warmed into a victory smile. Her palm opens out to the grumbling Sarah who fishes her pocket.
“Sadly, given our time is already short.” Ahri happily swings her legs while Sarah handing out a few dollars to the winner. “Fun chat.”
“The shorter the better. You’re giving me more than a migraine.” Sarah retorts.
She leaps out of the window gracefully, and makes her way towards the door.
Sarah leans on the window with a frown and yells “And where the stars are you going?”
She raised her pinky and took a sip out of thin air. “Afternoon tea time in this lovely vacant time! Buh byee~”
Sarah exaggerated the eye roll, walking away and grabs a nearby chair. "On a Tuesday, really?" Asking herself and shrugs.
Kai’sa, who packed her things, now interrupted by a wailing student, radiant and lovely Lux. “PREESSSSS!”
Ahri’s ears twitch, she sneaks a peak, directing where the tall girl is patting the shoulder of Lux with a smile.
Pres?
Interesting.
CAMP TARGON (+ A WEEK PASSED).
At a cabin, Sarah and Ahri stationed at the patio.
Fangs flash while Ahri roars, "What project!?"
“I knew you’d forget.” After rolling her eyes, Sarah fishes the phone out of her pocket.
She flashes the phone in front of Ahri, almost shoving her face. There, in the bed, of a rare sight Ahri burrito-wrapped duvet.
The vastayan sickness is a one-of-a-kind, a running snot slides down her nose, puffy cheeks, and an almost bloodshot look on her eyes.
“Its almost like you're fighting death, bedridden.” Sarah comments with glinting eyes of a potential black mailer. Clearing her throat to cough away her laughter.
The majestic beauty of the fox drains as if she is watching some crime documentary. “When was this? You sick roommate, I didn't give a consent on that!” Ahri glares at the redhead who fails to notice, eyes glued on the screen, enjoying this bit. Ahri tilts her head to the side and peeks at her.
This kid.
The feint whining plays from the video, Sarah took a glimpse of the video, snorting a breath.
Amused, the redhead slides her eyes to the fox. “Is this your version of hangover?”
“The hell I know? Don’t you dare avoid my question. And excuse me? I just got sick for the first time. And also—” hands on her hips, with an accusatory point at Sarah.
Sarah quickly pressed the volume button. Ahri interjects, slapping her hand away. “Hello? I can hear loud and decibels clear, tone that down.” Sarah’s signature snark returns and followed her Captain's order.
In the video, the audio quality is low. But Sarah’s sarcasm is loud as a clear day. “Say that again? Dear captain?” Ahri rolling herself into a burrito. “Look, Sarah! I can do tumbling as a burrito, watch!”
With grunts of effort, the fluff ball rolling around the bed, like the typical 5 year old impressing their parents. Sarah just cracked her throat out, reflecting herself standing beside the dreadful face of her leader.
The horrifying face of sick Ahri displays when Sarah pauses the video, laughing and pointing the picture. “Now that’s a face I’ll never see in aeons!”
Ahri’s voice vibrates almost to the sound of an animal growling, “Next! next!” her finger slides for the next 10 seconds.
“PFFT!—"
Sarah snatched her phone away, making Ahri frowning while the red head cracking her brains out.
"You look like—HAH—”
The blonde watching Sarah wheezing the laugh, and breathes out a small scoff when she finally wipes her tear.
Sarah sighs when Ahri slaps her shoulder, causing her to snicker and have an aftermath.
Ahri covered her ears instinctively. The ringing laughter, stings her leftover headache.
Sarah’s mood tones down after noticing the tiny pout on her leader, she clears her throat, and straightens her back. “We’re forgetting the important one.”
The redhead readjusts her phone then hit play. Ahri’s hands falls on her lap and nods, “Yeah. The important part.” Then swipes back at to where they trailed off.
Sarah shrugs, not questioning the laughter she caused.
The video continues— Sarah in the midst of explaining.
‘—has combined our midterm project and exam and has asked us to take care of some flowers. If we can ensure their good condition by the end of the month, we’ll have a perfect score.’
Ahri with a sloppy nod of zero understanding is an all-time-comedy for past Sarah to resist the urge to laugh back.
The video ends. Ahri blinks, “That's all?”
Sarah shakes her head and dropping her smile, "No, there's more." Ahri’s brows pinched looking back at the phone as Sarah swipes another video.
“All the kids are present in the group. You, me, Ez, Soraka, and Syndra-” A loud yawn interrupts the video. Ahri cringed as she hears it from her voice.
“What kind of yawn is that? I made that shi-?” Scrunching her face, she leans her head away from the phone. Wishing that video does not exist.
The video continues where Ahri shift away from Sarah and then burying herself in the bedsheets, concealing her face as she muffled. ”5 minutes over, hoe away.”
Sarah grunts in the video. “And the problem, we have the president with us, you alright with that?”
Ahri merely hums and says “Yea, yea, go awayyy.”
Sarah exits the room and says, “You'd better remember this.” as the video continues.
“Sure, sure. My memory neve…” Ahri’s agreement trails off and the video ends with cutoff of Sarah’s groans of exhaustion.
Sarah shuts her phone off and stares at the wide eyed Ahri. The blonde, eyes Sarah, anticipating for more bills.
“Oh yeah, Soraka mentioned there were roses that needs care in here, we’ll be gathering riiiight exactly here, maybe around afternoon.” Sarah inspects her nails.
Ahri brushes the dust off Sarah’s shoulders, “You really came prepared did you?” forcing a thin smile
“Ohh noo, Its just a coincidence.” She teases with a tongue out.
Ahri pinches both her cheeks and stretches them out “Oh you sneaky rat, I’ll absolutely take your training a good time in hell.”
The red head slaps off her fingers “Your homework on me remember? I'm just paying back my great O gratitude.”
Ahri just rolled her eyes and digs her nails on her shoulders and shakes her co-captain’s roughly, Sarah relaxes letting the shake get into her muscles.
“You punk! Didn't you heard? We can’t have outsiders here, it’s off limits!” The captain whispers, showing her fangs.
Sarah grabs her wrists and stays still “I know that damn well and then what? Do you know other places where we keep a plant alive?”
The moment when Ahri looked up for answers in her mind before admitting it, Sarah folds her arms “Exactly.”
Ahri pouts, “You didn't made me even think.”
Sarah repeats “Exactly, there’s only but one place.” She points the patio where they stood at. “Here.”
Ah, I thought she’s telling me I'm dumb.
Sarah smiles, looking at the little smirk of Ahri “And yes, you're dumb.”
Ahri was about to make a snarky comeback, but Sarah interupts “Well, Soraka went a bit excited, suggesting it here. Surprisingly the pres, being chill and all, she agreed.”
Ahri with her shoulders slump, “And you didn’t stop her?”
Sarah shows her palms, surrendering “Hey, it’s our only lead for this project. And pres is our leader, with this being our exam and project? I didn't really have the guts to stop the girl grinding for grades.”
Ahri spew gibberish then eventually sighs, she finger combs her hair and leans on the fences, “Do the others know about this?”
Sarah nods, “Probably, since you’re sick that whole week, you're the last to know.”
The blonde taps her humming lips “Alright. We might give up the training for 3 days or we do it secretly, depends on how long she would stay.”
Sarah types away the announcement and sent it to their group chat. Her fingers busy swiping between contacts. As Ahri discusses.
“Whole week. I think.” Sarah scrolls swipes her finger downward on the screen, “Yea, she said for a week.” and Ahri snaps her fingers. “A week it is.”
“What time is she coming? Did she say something?” She stares at a frowning Sarah.
“She didn’t say anything in the chat...yet. Honestly, she could be actually be coming here earlier.” Sarah shuts her phone looking at the serious captain.
“I was also expecting she would be arriving at least a hour ago, or earlier. Prefects like her—never like being late. What time is it?"
"Its—hm.” Sarah narrow her eyes.
Behind the blonde, coming from a distance, a pink pig-tail haired girl runs toward this direction, catching their attention.
“Lux.” The vice captain announced as Ahri watched with curiosity at the incoming girl.
The young leader halts before the patio, she hunches, hand cupped on her knee, the other hand clutching the phone, catching her breath.
“What’s wrong?” Sarah approached, while her hand finds the back of a hunching pink haired guardian.
Ahri sees a red haired jogging behind the trail behind Lux. With not so amused face and disheveled hair, gripping a half emptied plastic water bottle.
“You really gotta burn those fatties, flashlight. We’re just nearby then you bolted, and for what?” She hands out the bottle to the sweat dripping pink haired.
Lux raised her other hand and weakly slaps the naked arm of Jinx, but the slap was visibly loud.
The brows of the red haired pinched, and her lips twisted. “What was that for?!” She rubs the growing red on her arm.
Lux manages tilts her head up to the red haired, giving out her last gasp.”You’re overreacting! and I’m not easily—” Her nostrils widens for air, and at a point it stops then she let the air out through her mouth.
Jinx with the rubbing, leans forward to get a clear view of the face of Lux, the shorter raised her brow. But when their eyes meet, her teeth shows,cracking a smile.
Sarah smiles at the crime scene (youth crush), stepping back when Lux starts to breathe slow.
Jinx only winces, looking away from the suspect, with red hue forming her cheeks and ears.
Ahri crossed her arms, smiling at the silliness and whatever is happening between the two young leaders, and secretly at Sarah’s third wheeling.
Sarah rolls her eyes out of instinct, sneaking a flip to Ahri from her crossed arms and mouths “You too, wheelie.”
Ahri only shrugs, dragging her eyes to spotlight “You’ll say something?” she leans on the wooden fence, the roof giving shade on her naturally smiling face.
Lux noticed her reaction, she straighten herself up. Lightly taping the red mark on the taller guardian’s arm, mouthing an apology. Jinx nods and hand out the bottle, her face cooling off. Lux nods with a small smile taking the offer.
“Cute.” her arms snakes tighter around her chest. The more tight it gets, the more she felt comfortable.
“I think pres…” she bites her inner cheeks. “Um, is missing?” She placed her phone on her chest.
Her shoulders raised, wrinkle forms on her brows. Ahri’s ear twitched, with the mention of missing.
Ahri bit her tongue. She strips away from the shadows, staring intently at Lux. “The pres? Missing?” Lux only nods slowly assuming the growing anger of the blonde, her fingers wrapped around the phone tightens.
The red haired glanced at Lux, she crossed her arms and their shoulders bump gently.
The brows of the pinked haired raised in surprise, she eyes the red haired looking away from her, she watches her foot of the taller guardian plays a steady rhythm.
The shorter guardian fingers loosen and sneaks a small exhale and find her eyes to the vertical pupil of her fellow captain.
Maybe a little cheer could help her out? Ahri taps on the fence as the little brat spew her story.
“I have been texting her foreverr and my calls are on voicemail, ever since we arrived here.” She pockets the phone. All this happening making her fingers jitter.
As others wait for the Ahri’s action, she ponders. Just as I thought, hmm… How did they exchange contact? Lux said she’s a member of the council, From what I remember, Lux is the vice and who's the pres again?
“Since when did you guys arrived?” Ahri pulls herself away from the fence, walking her way from the porch to the ground were Lux stands.
“Morning? Was it? Right Jinx?” She pulls the hem of the back shirt of her friend, the red haired turn her head to the shorter captain. “Yea, I guess?”
She looked to where Ahri’s staring at them. “I think morning, maybe around 7?” staring at the sky looking for answers.
Jinx placed her chin on her finger, “No wonder, I didn’t remember anything.” she hides a grin behind her finger facing away from Lux.
Ahri watches, staring blankly at Jinx, Lux only eye rolls, “You were...” She murmurs, not reaching to the red head’s ears. Ahri couldn’t catch the last line.
Lux moves slightly away from Jinx, she cups her arm. Jinx only stares nowhere.
Ahri smiles, she sides eye the busy Sarah on her phone, without looking at her captain. Again, she rolls her eyes.
“You both look awfully close nowadays.” Ahri fixates her eyes to the polished nails, making Lux thins her lips, her jaw locks in tight.
Lux cups her neck, looking else where, she glanced at Jinx. “Close? We have always been this way.”
“Oh?” The blonde raised her brow, her tail swings playfully. She smirks “Did a mosquito bit you earlier?”
Lux eyes wide, her hand unintentionally cups her neck. Ahri glances at the two her mouth forming with a “o“ then nods. Putting aside on her reaction on whatever-happening-between these two
Lux hears the heels of Jinx shift suddenly. Clashing with the dirt. When she turns her head to Ahri, Ahri stares down on her legs, the blonde points an actual red mark on her shin.
Lux raised her leg, getting a closer look of the insect bite. “You’re right.” Jinx awfully quiet, also took a closer of the bite. They accidentally looked at each other, they turn their heads away.
Satisfied, the blonde only smirks even higher, her tail sweeping the ground.
She heard Sarah saying “Jerk.”
The two young guardians distance themselves a little further. Only making the blonde’s tail move livelier.
Oh? Ohohoh~ Ahri snickers at the back of her head
“I’m just fooling around~~ anywayy, how did you guys- Lux stutters as if she has been keeping it a long time.
“We all went here including pres, since pres doesn't really know where we heading at. We used the van, Janna borrowed it.” She scratches the back of her pink hair, she sighs a relief after holding her breath. The red hue from her cheeks cooling down.
Awe— playtime’s over and pres. somehow an empty brain. Ugh, why would she even wonder like a child?
“Then she might be around here, at least.” Ahri looks around the tall trees, and the carved rocky road, next to where they stand. “If she didn’t receive any of your calls, she might have misplaced her phone?”
Lux not realizing she has been raising her shoulders, she relaxes. “Oh.” she lowers her head at starts humming. Not a tune, but a long thoughtful one.
“Thinking about it, I don't think she would that. She’s not usually forgetful with-”
She turns her head to Lux Oh? A miss perfect? the blonde held the urge to say it boldly.
Jinx blows a raspberry, “Let’s get this over with.” Lux eyes Jinx in every detail she moves, which she does in a wacky way. Lux only squints her eyes.
Jinx comes forward handing out something, a thin black rectangle presented to Ahri.
“Oh?! Someone seems to be forGETful nowadays.” The red haired shows a full blown smile. She turns her heels as if she planned of what happens next.
Lux manage to take a peak of what she gave to Ahri. “Wait?! That’s Kai’sa’s phone!”
Kai’sa?
When did I heard that name before? Her headache stings trying to dig her memories, nevermind.
Jinx tossed the phone to her, “See ya cap! And good luck finding pres!” The red haired disappears from her in a flash, Ahri fumbles at catching the phone, by the end she manages to save it with her hands.
“WHEN DID YOU HAD THAT?!” She runs when Jinx already sprinted her way out from her.
“YOU DIDN’T ASK, DUMMY!” Jinx shouts, echoing her question back.
“GET BACK HERE!” Lux shouts and sprints as fast as she can.
“DOING THAT IS BORINGGG, FLASHLIGHT!” The red hair’s voice fades
Ahri watched them disappear from the distance. She gently shakes her head “Kids.”
“Oh, by the way who's dealing with the train-” Ahri turns around facing Sarah.
“Ill do it, finding person is-” she looks at the dissociating Ahri and close her eyes, her lips squints. And Sarah continues “Yeaaaa, after all its your call.”
“Fine, I'll do it.” she opens her eyes making the tiniest voice.
She stares the phone in hand, Sarah yawns then swipes several videos. Then trails off when she the screen goes black.
“Huh, unfortunate.” She place her hand on the waist leaning on the side.
“Ha, ha.” Sarah stares giving an effortful laugh when Ahri turned smiling, “ Was that good?”
“Impressive.” She stares back to the phone, Ahri’s tail slightly wiggly but somehow stops. “For your ears anyway.”
Ahri continues to stare, rubbing her chest “Hoe.” Then faced away from Sarah. The screen came back to life.
She was about to turn but Sarah responds fast as lightning, “Don’t.”
“Hmph! It's better if I say it." She raised the phone close to her face, showing opening icons. Was the only thing she can be entertained off.
"Whatever.” the red haired murmurs, the ear of the vastayan twitched when Sarah’s crunching steps grew louder, she pats her shoulder.
“I’m clocking out.” She yawns, tears forming in her eyes.
Ahri spills a soft chuckle, “Driving beat out of you huh?”
Sarah blinks rapidly, erasing off the tears. “Yeah, I'll do that short training in your place.” Sarah turns away, as the phone glows open and Ahri stares at it.
Sarah walks towards to the cabin, she slouches shoving her hands to the tiny pockets to only her cropped shorts can afford. “Come back when you found her. Okay?”
A couple of silence and wind talking, she detached her hands from the shorts.
And paused, hand held the rail of the stair, and drag her shoulder around facing at her slouching exaggeratedly looking at the perfectly still fox.
Ahri only raised a thump up, squinting her mouth in a straight line. Sarah flips her off 15 minutes.”
“Wha-?! What are you taking about?” Ahri crossed her arms, staring at the lazy Sarah dragging herself from the patio.
“Those kids are hella energetic, they only listen to you.” the patio creeks when she picked up a rock, and inspects it a little longer.
“Come on Sarah, don't sell yourself short. I’m sure those kids listen to you. Despite your uh, grump-” Sarah threw a tiny pebble on her feet, which Ahri overreacts with a yelp. Knowing she dodge that well.
“Stop slouching cap, that's final.” She pushed the doorknob, and lazily flips her off heading inside.
“More like she’s the cap and I'm the co.” She stares at the door completely locked, with no Sarah comeback she smiles.
BZZT BZZT
Ahri reached her phone from her back pocket, swipe her phone open and appears on Sarah’s message.
From Sarah,
Hoe
heard that
Careful there
No.
more like you, dumb ass
Make gud choices
bye
Ahri shuts her phone, sighing and resits the urge to roll her eyes. “Okay super co-cap.” she swiped her phone down and slides it into her back pocket.
15 minutes? Fine.
She looked to where the wind goes, she looked down of the human’s phone. The white notification bubbles almost fills the screen, all missed calls and texts of a worried Lux.
Then her eyes focused on the lock screen.
Huh, interesting.
She cleared all of the notifications, until her lock screen survives.
On her tiny face, she eyes the bloated cheeks.
It looks like a bunch of mature peaches.
It was a child or more like, the smaller version of Kai’sa, loose pink hair and mouth is stuffed with rice or whatever is stuffed in there, and her mouth is close keeping the insides together, looking intensely at her nose.
Guess this cheeky thing must be Kai’sa, pfft! She almost looks like a hamster
The blonde whips out her phone, and takes a snap of phone.
Huh.
Her thumb paused midway on the shutter button.
Unbelievable.
She huffs out of laughter
Her fangs flashed, and placed her phone on her nose trill, and suddenly afternoon was suddenly hot.
Cute. She can be fun to poke her cheek.
Her eyes closed and raised her brows with a sigh.
“Oh, well, where do I start? If Lux finds her literally everywhere then I'm out of options.”
Who would be invested with flowers? She vaguely recalls list of her professor names.
An electric shock meets her thoughts. She grabbed a handful of her hair, and pulls it out.
Ugh, stop this hangoverrrr
She then smoothed her hair out and pulled her back in straight to poised. She stares at the trees waving side by side. “Maybe…she didn't searched everywhere.”
“Flowers?” The wind only howls. She only thought of the option left.
“That would make sense.”
She marches off the trail from the carved rocky road.
...
SOMEWHERE IN THE CAMP
Pine needles falls on the floor. Ahri finds herself surrounded with trees providing good amount of shades, cooling off her perspiration.
“Well, isn't it far was it?” She stares at the tiny cabins to where she came from, then she stares at the greenhouse filled with vines and scoffs amusingly. “How did this girl trailed off this much?”
I did even forgot how much hectare is this. Whatever. If she’s here, fortune could consider this a luck.
She plants her foot forward a few miles close to the greenhouse, she huddles with the tree hiding her half body.
“Hmm~~” her pitch goes higher.
“What if?” The weight her chest becomes lighter, she let out a breath.
A little greeting wouldn’t hurt.