Chapter Text
For all of her life, Seraphine had longed to see the other side of the river. Every day she would look out the window of her room to gaze out at the buildings poking out of the fissure, watching the plumes of smoke spew out of the factories and other plants. She wondered what the people there were like, hoping one day that she could see it for herself despite what everyone else said about the place.
While she’d lived in Piltover all her life, she knew that her parents had been born and raised in the undercity. They had scraped and scrounged up as much money as they could working in the factories and the mines, until they finally had enough money to leave and moved to the lower district in Piltover, where they had opened up an acoustic shop. She had been born not long after they had moved. She didn’t know much about what the undercity was like, or her parents’ history. All she had of their legacy as fissure folk was her talent with tinkering and her skill at parkour, the latter of which was strongly discouraged by her father.
“You can’t be seen running around like that,” he’d said one day, “Topsider’s don’t take too kindly to trenchers, especially the enforcers. If they see you jumping from roof to roof they won’t hesitate to bring you in.”
She had told her dad she would not do it anymore, but continued in secret at night. It was easier that way as well, as the songs were much softer once most people were asleep. During the day she would help her father by working in the shop, often either putting together or repairing different music boxes and other machinery.
Tonight she had decided to run closer to the river. She knew that things had been getting tenser between topside and bottom ever since the bombing at progress day about a week ago. While she was running, she saw a massive green flash and heard multiple explosions. Looking up, her gaze drifted towards the bridge. She could hear several songs coming from that direction, and she ran to investigate.
When she was about one minute away, she heard another explosion, and she picked up her pace. Dropping down to street level, she quickly ran out onto the bridge. As she arrived at the barricade she slowed, horrified at the sight of several enforcers lying on the ground, their armor blackened from explosions. Summoning a faint light, she began to check the bodies, but found that they were all dead.
Just as she was finishing checking Sheriff Marcus’, she heard a faint groan a little ways away. She looked up, and caught sight of another person lying on the ground. She rushed over, and found that it was a girl who looked to be a couple years younger than her. She had pale skin and light blue hair that was even longer than her own. What worried her was the fact that she was bloody and soot covered her skin. Seraphine could still hear her song, but it was very faint. Then she caught sight of a faint glow coming from the girl’s clenched fist. Reaching down, she realized that it was a glowing blue gemstone.
She stiffened as she recognized the stone as a hextech crystal, before gently prying it free from the girl's grasp. She examined it for a moment, before turning back to the girl. She was severely injured, and would probably die soon if she didn’t get immediate medical aid. Unfortunately, she doubted anyone topside would be willing to help her.
Pursing her lips, she came to a decision. Holding her hands out and pressing them against the girl’s side, she began to hum as she called upon her magic. She knew she could heal, but she had only done so with small cuts and burns up until now. A faint glow appeared, but she immediately knew that it wouldn’t be enough. Gritting her teeth, she pushed harder, trying to call upon more magic even as the girl’s song grew even fainter. That’s when she heard it. Another song began to fill the air. Looking around, she couldn’t find the source, until her gaze settled on the stone.
It was then she realized that the stone was the source of the song. Listening, she could just barely feel something in the song, a desire to help. After a moment, she brought the stone over to the girl and pressed it against the wounds. She once again began to channel her magic into healing the girl, this time doing her best to harmonize the stone as she did so. As she poured magic into the girl, the stone flared brighter, and she felt a rush of power flow through her. Before her eyes, she saw as the injuries began to knit themselves back together. After a few seconds however, she felt the stone’s energy flag, and she let up on the magic. Looking the girl over, she saw that while she was still injured, the worst of them had been healed.
She then heard new songs approaching them, and looking up she saw the faint outline of people in the darkness. A spike of fear shot through her heart, and she got up to run, only to pause as she looked down at the girl. Not wanting to leave the girl alone and at the mercy of whoever was coming, she bent down and gently lifted them up, surprised at how light they were. Turning around, she ran back the way she came, heading towards her home.
Jinx groaned and winced as sunlight hit her face. Grumbling, she tried to raise an arm to block out the light, only to hiss as pain shot through her side. Blinking slowly, she began to look around. She saw that she was in a small but very clean bedroom, certainly cleaner than anything she’d seen down in the undercity. She was lying in the softest bed she’d ever been in, with a blanket gently tucked over her. In one corner of the room was a large desk with several gears and cogs scattered across its surface. The walls were painted a faint yellow, and a few simple clothes were scattered throughout the room.
The door to the room rattled, and Jinx stiffened. After a moment, it swung open to reveal a girl with voluptuous pink hair that was nearly as long as her own, along with a gentle face and light blue eyes. She was wearing baggy brown pants, a long sleeved white shirt, and had a satchel slung over one shoulder. The girl froze when she caught sight of Jinx. The two stared at each other, not sure how to react. Jinx then tried to sit up, only to grunt and fall back down as her side howled in protest. The girl immediately rushed over, setting her satchel down and pulling up a chair as she gently pushed Jinx back down onto the bed.
“Easy,” She said, “You’re still badly hurt. Your body needs a lot of rest if you’re going to heal properly.”
Jinx tried to push them off, but was unable to even budge the girl’s arm, a testament to how weak she was. After a few seconds of struggling, she relented, scowling up at the girl.
“What do you want, Piltie,” She growled. The girl just smiled softly in response, something that irritated Jinx to no end.
“I’m Seraphine,” the girl replied, “I was out on a walk when I heard several explosions. I found you lying injured on the bridge. I tended to the worst of your injuries and brought you back to my apartment where you’d be safe.”
Weakling, Mylo hissed in her ear, Look at you, a piltie pet. How pathetic.
“Shut up,” Jinx growled, and Seraphine blinked.
“I didn’t say any-” She started, only for Jinx to silence her with a glare.
“I can take care of myself,” Jinx told her, “I don’t need charity, especially if it’s from a fucking piltie.”
“I don’t doubt that you can take care of yourself,” Seraphine replied, her voice never rising from its gentle tone, “But even the strongest of people need time to rest and recover, otherwise they’ll push themselves too far and they’ll break.”
Hahahaha, Mylo cackled, She thinks you're broken. She’s going to call the enforcers, and they’ll lock you up in a madhouse.
No she doesn’t, Violet countered, her voice soft, She just wants to give you a chance to recover. She believes that you are strong, Pow-Pow, just like I know you are.
If you’re strong why are you unable to get out of bed, Mylo countered, You’re weak, helpless, incapable, can’t do anything right. That’s why everyone leaves you, and now Silco will too.
Jinx scowled and turned away from the girl, not wanting to look her in the eyes. Seraphine leaned back in her chair.
“Do you want anything,” She asked gently.
“I want to leave this shitty house,” Jinx grumbled.
“I won’t stop you if that’s what you really want,” She told her, “But will you at least wait until tomorrow? It’s already pretty late, and the enforcers are increasing their patrols. It wouldn’t be safe for you.”
“Why do you care, Piltie,” Jinx snarled, “All topsiders care about is how much gold they have in their pockets. Never mind that gold is bought with the blood of the undercity.”
“I may be from topside,” Seraphine replied, still not angry, despite how much Jinx wants her to be, “But my parents are from the fissures. They moved here about a year before I was born.”
“And that means we have so much in common, huh,” Jinx sneered, “That we are the same just because your mommy and daddy come from the sumps, that you understand everything. Well guess what Pinkie, it doesn’t. You will never understand, because while your parents abandoned the undercity so they could live a life of luxury, my people have been dying from the pollution and bullets of topsiders. While you’ve been living up top with clean air and all the food and stuff you could ever want, I’ve been diving into trash heaps looking for your runoff just to survive. You’ll never understand what we’ve been through because you haven’t lived through it.”
“You’re right,” She agreed, much to Jinx’s annoyance, “I don’t understand, and I probably never will. But that doesn’t mean I’m not ignorant of what you have to face down there.”
“Really,” Jinx growled, “And how would you know?”
“My mother died of the Bloodcough when I was nine,” She answered, and Jinx froze, before looking away. She knew what the Bloodcough was, everyone in the fissures did. Working in the factories or in the mines was dangerous, not just because of the possibilities of an accident, but because of the toxic fumes that were abundant in those areas. They would build up in your body, until one day it couldn’t handle it anymore. Once someone started coughing up blood, it wouldn’t be long before they died as their body started to shut down. She’d seen one of Silco’s men die that way, it wasn’t pretty.
“I won’t pretend to know what you’ve been through,” She continued, “But I do know how it affected you. I can feel it in your song.”
“What’s that supposed to mean,” Jinx grumbled.
“I can hear the songs written in people’s souls,” Seraphine told her, “And right now your song sounds very sad.”
“Bullshit,” Jinx retorted, “How can you hear the song of my soul?”
“I’m a mage,” She replied, and Jinx whipped around to face her again, “It’s a part of my magic, the same magic that I used to heal you, with a little help.”
“Help from what,” She asked with a frown.
“This,” Seraphine answered, pulling something out of her pocket and holding it up for Jinx to see. Jinx felt her breath catch in her throat as she caught sight of the hextech gemstone.
“Give it back,” She barked, reaching for the stone as best she could. Seraphine complied without hesitation, and Jinx clutched the stone against her chest. The two sat there, neither sure of what to do. Suddenly, Jinx’s stomach growled, and Seraphine giggled as Jinx blushed.
“Would you like me to get you some food?” She asked. Jinx grumbled, but nodded her head, ignoring Mylo as he screamed at her. Seraphine smiled and got up, leaving the room. After a minute, she returned with a bowl of soup. Jinx tried to sit up again, only to wince in pain as her side burned.
“Let me help,” She said, setting the bowl down on the desktop. Walking over to the bed, she gently lifted Jinx and propped her up against some pillows. She then scooted the chair closer to the top of the bed before retrieving the soup and sitting down. She gently got a spoonful ready and held it out to her.
Can’t even eat your own food without help , Mylo growled, You really are pathetic.
No you’re not Powder , Violet replied, Remember that time I fell into the river during the winter and got so sick that I couldn’t get out of bed? You fed me just like she’s doing for you now. It’s okay to lean on others when you’re sick or hurt. It doesn’t mean you’re weak.
Jinx pursed her lips, before opening them slightly. Seraphine then gently placed the spoon on her tongue. Jinx closed her mouth and swallowed, and Seraphine slowly pulled the spoon out. Jinx was surprised to find that the soup tasted familiar.
“You like it,” Seraphine asked, “It’s an old recipe of my mom’s from the undercity. She would always make it for me when I got sick.”
Jinx glanced downward, unable to look the girl in the eyes. Silco had made a soup similar to this one when she got sick about a year after she lost her second family. He’d fed her just like this girl was doing, assuring her that it was alright and that he didn’t think she was weak. And with that another memory rose to the surface, of a woman with dark purple hair gently singing to her as she held out a spoon. With those memories firmly at the front of her mind, she leaned forward slightly and opened her mouth again, wider this time. Seraphine smiled brightly, and Jinx felt her cheeks heat up slightly as she fed her a larger spoonful. Seraphine patiently helped her eat until all the soup was gone. Jinx yawned, feeling a pleasant warmth seep through her.
“Get some rest,” Seraphine whispered as she helped Jinx get settled in the bed. Once she tucked her in Seraphine got up and closed the blinds before leaving the room. Jinx slowly drifted off to sleep, feeling better than she had in a long time.