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Viktor supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised about his flight being delayed, and then delayed again, given the thick blanket of snow covering the tarmac outside. The airport staff still assured the waiting passengers that the flight was going to happen that day, but Viktor wasn’t feeling optimistic.
He adjusted himself in the uncomfortable seat, stretching out his bad leg to try and relieve some of the discomfort. His back was aching from being stuck in one position for two hours now, and he briefly considered trying to sleep, but he knew he would never get comfortable enough. The people around him were becoming increasingly restless, children were fidgeting and running around, someone was arguing with the staff, there was a baby crying somewhere—
Viktor was tired. He’d had to get to the airport at two in the morning for a five a.m. flight, and it was currently five-forty-five; he’d been looking forward to finally going home after the week-long Innovator’s Conference he’d just attended.
He considered getting up to retrieve a coffee, but given the amount of people milling about on their feet, he knew the second he moved he’d lose his seat. Waiting for an additional two or three hours sitting in the unforgiving seat was bad enough for his back and leg, he was not going to stand or sit on the ground.
The person sitting to his left was snoring. He was slouched in his seat with legs splayed, invading Viktor’s already cramped space. The person to his right was reading quietly, and had been for the last three hours.
Viktor hadn’t meant to glance over at what the man was reading, but he was bored, and he couldn’t help it.
Clearing the Air: Expanding on Zaunite Filtration Systems
By Viktor Reveck
“Have you read it?”
Viktor blinked and looked up, realising that the man was looking directly at him, smiling. Viktor straightened up and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s fine,” the man shrugged. “You look bored to tears.”
“Um, yes, I have read it,” Viktor replied. He glanced back down to the paper, noticing some handwritten notes in the margins. “I see you have thoughts about it.”
Viktor looked down at the suitcase resting at the man’s feet, thankful that the luggage tag was facing upward: Jayce Talis.
“I’ve read through it a few times,” Jayce chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s really fascinating stuff, but the author has all these ideas he doesn’t quite fully realise, so I’m just adding my own thoughts.”
“Piltover Academy’s thesis review board can be quite strict,” Viktor grimaced. “They go on about talking about progress but don’t let their own students push things too far. Can’t have the investors becoming uncomfortable, after all.”
“Did you attend the Academy?”
“Eh, not quite,” Viktor fiddled with a strand of his hair, trying not to stare too much at the other man’s ridiculously attractive face. “I am…an intern, of sorts. You?”
“I did,” Jayce replied. “I graduated two years ago. I’ve been doing some traveling since then, and…trying to make it home for the winter holidays.”
Both of them glanced out the window, seeing the snow still coming down and gathering on the planes.
“Can I see the annotations you’ve made?” Maybe he’d been alone for too long, or maybe he was just exhausted, but Gods, Jayce was disarmingly beautiful, and Viktor was trying to remain focused.
Jayce handed the report over. “Go ahead,” he smiled. “I’ve read most of this author’s works, but I know there’s some only available at the Academy’s library. I’m hoping to pick some up once we get to Piltover.”
“Mmh, whenever that will be,” Viktor mumbled.
Jayce’s notes and comments scribbled in the margins of the paper were in line with the sorts of things Viktor had wanted to delve into in this particular report; Jayce had been correct, he’d been directed to cut back on many topics before he had a chance to properly explore them.
There were a lot of notes alongside a diagram of a proposed self-sustaining, self-powered filtration system that Viktor had tried to propose to the Board of the Academy.
“What is this…HexTech you keep mentioning?” Viktor asked.
“Oh, uh, that’s sort of my own project,” Jayce chuckled, scratching at his beard. “A renewable, long-lasting energy source is my main goal. I think it would solve the energy requirement needs of this filtration system. I was sort of hoping to meet Mr. Reveck in Piltover, so I could discuss that with him.”
Viktor glanced up at Jayce. “How does HexTech work?”
“It’s a little complicated to explain,” Jayce replied. “But it uses motion to stabilize a crystal—I’m calling them Hexgems—and uses the kinetic energy to be self-sustaining. There’s some…issues I still need to figure out, but the Hexgems were a huge breakthrough for me. I just need to figure out how to contain it.”
“And you think Reveck will be able to help?”
“Don’t you?”
“Eh,” Viktor sniffed, flipping the page of the report. “I always found him to be a bit pretentious and unfocused. Too many ideas at once and nowhere to put them.”
“I think he’s brilliant,” Jayce actually sounded offended, even pouting when Viktor looked back up at him. “I’ve enjoyed all of his essays, and I mean, he’s Assistant to the Dean. That’s not an easy position to hold onto.”
“You really admire him,” Viktor commented. He’d never really spoken to anyone outside of the Academic review board about his works, it was…strange, to say the least.
“I admire his ideas,” the other man replied. “I mean, ultimately his goal is to help people. Piltover just doesn’t want to admit that they need to do something if Zaun is going to flourish again, which I’m sure is why Mr. Reveck was forced to hold back.”
The two of them fell into a comfortable silence, Viktor continuing to read through the annotations. Jayce picked up on every single unfinished thought and continued it exactly as Viktor had hoped to, sharing many of the same ideas and hypotheses.
“I tried to get tickets for the Innovator Conference, since Mr. Reveck was doing some presentations,” Jayce continued after a moment. “But the tickets sold out fast.”
“You have some fascinating ideas,” Viktor commented. “I hope you can find a way to make them a reality.”
There was an overhead announcement at that moment, a call for priority boarding. Viktor handed the paper back to Jayce and picked up his cane, pushing himself to his feet. “I suppose we’re finally moving.”
“It’s about time,” Jayce chuckled. “Where are you seated?”
“I’m up in First Class,” Viktor said. “I was, eh, sponsored.”
“Lucky,” he grinned. “Well, maybe I’ll see you once we land back in Piltover? I’d love to continue our conversation. Oh–-I’m Jayce, by the way. Jayce Talis.”
Viktor, in a moment of bravery or madness, took the research paper back from Jayce. Pulling out a pen, he quickly scribbled down his phone number and handed it back to Jayce.
“Viktor Reveck,” he couldn’t help his small, playful smile at the way Jayce’s expression shifted, his eyes widening.
Viktor turned and made his way to the gate.