Same eyes, same hair, posture, and accent. Even her voice can be adjusted for her inevitable maturity. This is the same Kiramman from that future. This girl is going to be the...no...she won't...I won't allow it. This is going to be tricky. There are options I could take, but I have no idea how Piltover moves. It's a different beast to master. Since she has a last name, that means she's a noble. As it will be more difficult than anything, I can't do it the quick and tragic way with Kiramman.
I meet her hand with mine. "Call me Owen." I point behind me. "The grumpy girl behind me is Powder."
She glared daggers at me more than Kiramman. Turning to Kiramman, I'm glad to see that she's getting the glaring hint.
"I'm sorry, it's just." She looked at Powder and back at me. "I've seen you with Professor Hal. He's a brilliant Yordle. Is he your mentor?
"You know, I'll be his apprentice officially tomorrow, now that I think about it." I informed. Caitlyn's eyes seem to express a familiar curiosity, and that worries me.
"That's great!" She looks at Powder again, then back at me. "I hope we can study together someday."
Kiramman seems to be insisting that we be friends, I guess I don't have to try too hard after all.
"Looking forward to it. But." I lean forward a bit. "I'm in trouble."
She smiles bashfully, understanding my situation. "I see. Apologies, I'll let you return to your date."
She departed with a toothy smile and brushed the hair out of her face when the wind blew. I can only imagine the look on Powder's face. But I can only see the back of her head. My legs fly to save the moment. But just as my hands were about to touch her arm, she turned around. Her face is burning, and she is on the verge of crying.
"Done talking to her?" she asked me. This can go either one of three or more ways. I give the right answer, whatever that might be, and things go back to feeling good, the butterflies-in-the-stomach good. I give the wrong answer, and she'll follow through on her promise to kick my ass, somehow. Or three, she'll give no reaction at all but will hunt Kiramman down, which is something that can't happen. If Powder still wants to be like me, the me that I don't want to be anymore, she'll do something drastic.
"Of course, it's our day." I replied while keeping a calm disposition. Gradually it helped Powder relax.
"I want to go home." Powder requested. It calmed her enough to want to ruin our date. Time to do what I do best to get anyone to do what I want them to do.
"Are you going to let some other blue-haired girl ruin your day?" I asked.
Powder looks at me with her hurt eyes.
"I'm only allowing one blue-haired girl to make me feel special." I stated as I reached my hand out, palm up.
Powder looked at it and slowly grabbed it.
"Now I'm asking you, don't lose yourself." I requested.
A frown flashed on her forehead but was replaced with a smile.
"You're." She shakes her head and hides her face with her other hand. "You're."
"I'm wanting to keep having a good day with you. Can I have that?" I asked as I rubbed her hand.
Powder locks eyes with me and finally breaks into a small laugh.
"You're right." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry."
"Great." I turned around, grinning like a fool, and returned to the spot we were before that unfortunate interruption. Expressing my eagerness, I swung my arm in an exaggerated fashion.
"What has gotten into you?" Powder asks as she struggles between confusion and amusement.
We made it back to our original spot. I sat down and smoothed out a spot of grass for her to sit on. When Powder gave me a look of, what are you doing? I pat the grass, emphasizing for her to plop down. Rolling her eyes, she sits down, then throws her head against my arm, nearly knocking me over. I fall over dramatically anyways.
"When will you have mercy on me?" I asked in a defeated tone.
Powder lies beside me. "Never."
We laced our fingers together and enjoyed the sunrays that peeked through the leaves.
"This beats dirt any day." I judged.
"Hmm, yeah. But I kind of like Zaun." Powder disclosed.
"Besides loyalty and all that, why?" I asked.
"I'm not loyal to Zaun, I'm loyal to my family, I'm loyal to you," she said as she turned her head to look at me.
She's not loyal to Zaun. By looking into her eyes, I can tell that she means every word. The Jinx in that future was clearly not loyal to either city. She tried to bring both down, brick by brick. Thankfully, I have most of those memories. I know exactly what to do to avoid that future from happening. The only problem is that I have not a clue what Fate has in store for my countermeasures.
"I want Zaun to be like this park." I stated.
Powder huffed in my face. "Sorry, but seriously?"
"I need an impossible goal to make me care enough to try." I said as I shrugged.
"You just want me to work harder." Powder complained as she lifted our laced hands from side to side.
"I like watching you work." I absolutely love watching her focus. Watching the process flow from such a brilliant mind is a mixture of art and applied science, with a touch of magic.
"You've told me that before." She lifted our hands and brought them to her mouth. "Why?"
Seeing her eyes peek over our laced hands made my heart beat harder than necessary.
"That's when you are at your happiest." I said as I tried to steady my breath.
"Really?" Powder's face scrunched up in speculation, my favorite expression she makes.
"If only you could see yourself the way I do." I said breathlessly.
She threw my hand down and covered her face. "You can't keep doing that!"
"Doing what exactly?" This day is getting interesting.
"Making me blush! Those words. Just stop for a minute," she said as she fanned her face.
"Sooo, truthful compliments fluster you?" I asked.
She sat up. "Are you playing dumb?"
I bump my boots together a few times. "Maybe."
She began assaulting my ribs with her bony fingers. In retaliation for this unwarranted act, I began rolling away from her.
"Powder! Just accept the compliment!" I pleaded as I continued rolling until I rolled over a rock. It didn't hurt at all, it was, however, quite uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, that I stopped a few inches away from it. Powder reacted a bit too late to avoid the rock. Her boot slipped on half of it, and she began falling. I reached my hands out, and she did the same. When our hands met, she collapsed on top of me. Her arms buckled immediately upon contact, for she fell with such force, since she was running, that she wasn't strong enough to support all that force. Her shoulder crashed into my sternum, then her giant blueberry head slammed into my chest. This day just keeps getting better and better, with a hint of pain to boot.
"Ah!" Powder said out of surprise more than anything. "Are you okay?"
"Love hurts." I said as I lay still, waiting to feel the real pain when the adrenaline wears off.
Powder moves off me and pulls my head into her lap. "Are you hurt?"
"Just the wind knocked out of me." I answered honestly.
"I didn't mean to, I really didn't. It was an accident," she confessed as she rubbed my face. "I always mess up."
"Oh no. Come on, we're playing, and we got a bit bruised. I'm having fun, Powder." I held her hand. "You aren't messing anything up."
She looks at me in disbelief, then blinks. "Sorry, it's just...the voices..."
"You tell those voices to kick rocks." I sit up, spin, and then lean in close to get my mouth to her ear. "You inspire me."
She froze, then her gaze fell to her fidgeting fingers. "You don't mean that."
"I absolutely do." I confessed. "You inspired me to change. For the better...mostly."
She snickered. "You said love hurts."
"Yeah," better now than never. I was dreading this topic for a few days. I shouldn't have these feelings for anyone at this age. It's dangerous to feel such a strong emotion like love. I'm no fool, just too impatient and ambitious for my own good. Eventually, it will get me into trouble, more trouble than it already has. I don't know what to do about it, except to face it head-on. Either it will crush me, mold me, or pass me by.
"Does my loving you hurt?" Powder asks as she tries to maintain her smile.
It wouldn't sit right with me to lie to her. To avoid that future, I need to commit, choose a direction, and allow it to guide me into the future that I create. It will hurt regardless, as I deeply care for Powder and my family. And that deep love has hurt me every day. It's the compassion that I've been yearning for this entire time. The warmth that was completely alien to my being. It petrifies me, even now, every word I speak and step I take is a moment of bravery for me. I would rather have a mutated abomination beating the life out of me than confront acts of compassion.
"Love will always hurt me, that's why I embrace it." That's it, then. Whatever happens next is the result of my high tolerance for affection.
"But, uh..." Her voice trails off as her gaze shifts from me to her increasingly fidgeting hands. "...Uh, do you..." Her voice is becoming more shallow with every attempt that she makes. Taking a deep breath, she asks. "Do you...love...me?"
"Oh, you? Yes, of course." I answered simply.
Powder bent over and planted her face in her hands. I then began drumming her back. It didn't take long before I found a melody that pleased my ears, and I began to drum with passion. It would have been a work of art if Powder hadn't sprung my way and hugged me. It almost sent us to the ground. Thankfully, I have experience with falling and saved us this time from crashing into the ground. I hug her back, then continue my drumming.
"Owen," she warned.
"Sorry." I stopped drumming immediately. Then I began humming the drumming melody.
"Owen!" she warned again along with a scratch at my back.
"Sorry." I stopped humming immediately. "You have to admit, it was a good rhythm."
"Owen." Powder pulled back and tilted her head slightly.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Stop being afraid of this," she reasonably requested.
This is pain. Since the moment I've entered their lives, this has been nothing but pain. Because it doesn't make sense. In any sensible society, I would have been executed. If I had done all that I've done in Zaun in Piltover, I would have been rightfully filled with bullets. I wouldn't blame them either.
I lowered my head, Powder's honest gaze is too much. "I don't know how. I just don't."
"I love you too, even if it hurts you." Powder confessed with watery eyes.
"That's it then. I don't know what to do next." I admitted with a dry mouth.
"And that's okay. I don't know what to do either." She rubs my arm, then holds my hands. "We just have to stay together and we'll be fine, right?"
If only it were that simple. Slowly I begin to nod, wanting to agree with her, but with my pessimism, I can't foolishly trust that life is going to play nice and let me be happy for a change.
"Stop it." She raises her hands to hold my head up. "Stop trying to think your way out of this for once."
My heart is racing faster than my mind, that's a problem. To allow it to win the race will have consequences that will bring ruin. I open my mouth to speak, but I have nothing to say for once, that's a bad sign. Powder leans in and rests her lips on mine. Even this brings a fresh wave of agony that I can't describe. A burning hole opens when my heart is, and it's growing in intensity. I said what I had to say, there is nothing left. I won't complain, she's doing her best. The only two options are to allow the pain to become a daily ritual whenever my family shows me kindness. Or find the herbalist so I can buy a possible cure for this condition. Letting out a breath when our lips parted, she landed another kiss on my forehead.
"I'll help you build Zaun to be better than this," she promised.
That set my mind at ease.
"Thank you." I take her hands and kiss them. "Thank you so much."
With her talented mind, Zaun's prosperity is secured.
"You want to stay a bit longer?" she asked.
I sit up straight. "Yeah. I don't trust my legs right now."
"Oh, okay then." She pointed at my leg. "You don't mind if I lie down?"
Straightening my leg, I brushed it clean with my hand. "Ready for your brilliant mind."
"Oh, stop." She turned around and laid her head on my leg. "You either need to get fat or force Claggor to train you."
"A healthy bit of both won't hurt." I imagine seeing myself as getting as built as Claggor. He always struck me as a wonder of a person. Carrying all that mass around, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, without losing much air. Such potential, and he's too nervous to express it, he can be so much more. Looking down at Powder, she has her eyes closed, with a small smile on her face. So much potential. Jinx's head appeared on my lap, dark eyes closed, shimmer chemicals glowing behind her eyelids. Pulsing a glimmering purple hue from the veins leading to her eyes to the irises.
"Stay with me." Powder spoke as she brought my hand to her cheek. My fingers brush her ear as I make my way to her braid.
"I'm here." I consciously forced my mind to focus on what's in front of me. What we have now probably shouldn't have happened. Every trained instinct in my body is screaming at me that this is dangerous. That I'm ignoring the incoming storm. The professors know. They must know about the dream by now. Or have had the dream themselves and are waiting for me to confirm their worries. The blackboard, the formulas—it all made sense. Believing in good intentions, I could imagine them trying to prevent that world from becoming our future.
Powder grabbed my wrist, and her eyes shot wide open. "No, you're not."
How did she know?
We peer into each other's eyes for an uncomfortably long time.
"We have to keep each other grounded, don't we?" she surmised as she released my wrist.
I smiled. "I guess so. Is that so bad?"
She shrugs. "It feels like we shouldn't have to do this."
"I get what you mean." I brushed her hair from her forehead and lowered my lips to her burning skin. "But here we are, doing the best we can."
She closed her eyes again. "A little longer?"
The wind blew a gentle breeze, scattering Powder's hair all over her face.
"A little longer." I agreed.
We allowed the surrounding atmosphere to express itself. People came to and fro along the mirror wall that stretched to the connecting tower. Beyond the mirror is the vast sea that meets the land that trails off into the mountains. I picked a yellow flower up and gave it a look over. It would be nice to have some flowers in our smog-filled Zaun. Thinking it over further, why not? Tearing the head off, I threw the stem aside and placed the flower head in my pocket. As long as I can harvest the seeds, I could care less about the rest of it.
"Okay, we really have to go back now." Powder determined as she parted her eyes open and smirked.
She's a terrible liar.
"You want to stay out till dark." I exposed her as soon as she spoke.
Her eyes grew wide. "Wha-what!?" She shot up and brushed her clothes. "No, seriously, we need to go now."
She still has that grin on her face. So, I kicked my legs out and put my hands behind my head, relaxing in the setting sun.
"Owen!" She giggled as she knelt and pulled gently at my suspenders. "I'm not joking! We have to go!"
"Joking? You can't stop smiling." That made her pause and put on a serious face. "That's right, get serious, and hold that face."
Her serious mask began to twitch.
"Ah. Ah. Ah." I swayed my index finger from side to side. "Hold that face."
Powder reinforced her serious persona, then snorted as she cupped her face and turned away from me. Laughter echoes across the park, turning heads and infecting others with smiles as well.
"See? You want to stay until the sky is black with white freckles." I expressed as I closed my eyes.
Powder growled, stood over me, grabbed my hands, and then pulled until I entertained her desire to go home.
"Fine, I guess we'll go." I reached my hand out with a pout on my face.
"I ought to...you know what..." She snatched my hand and led the march towards Zaun.
When we exited the park, the atmosphere changed immediately. The glow of nature and air purity dulled. The air in Piltover is better than in Zaun, but there is something about that park. Piltover air is stale and metallic compared to park air, it's the purest I've ever smelled. We approached the bridge before I brought that up to Powder.
"Yeah, I smelled the difference, but what about it?" She looks over at me. "You want to bring that air over here?"
"If possible. What do you think it is? The trees or the flowers?" I asked as we reached the end of the bridge without getting stabbed.
"Flowers sound easier to bring over. Trees are a bit too...big." Powder explained.
"There are these things called seeds—"
"There are these things called jokes—"
I pulled out the yellow flowerhead and handed it to Powder.
"Seriously?" She took it and turned it over in her hand. "It's pretty. And if it can clean the air..."
"Do you have anyone in mind?" I asked as I took her hand.
"Claggor can take a look at it. I've heard him talk about his studies in flowers and pollen in the air," she replied as she held the flower in her hands.
"Instead of studying the universe, he studies..."
"Botany," she answered.
"Plant life, right?" I guessed.
"Yeah, plant life is pretty important." Powder injected, her sarcasm skills are improving, slightly.
We now stand a few feet away from the Last Drop. I released her hand.
"Ready for the nonsense that's going to come our way?" I asked as we ready ourselves to embrace inevitable scrutiny.
Powder took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. "We weren't gone for that long anyway."
"Great, you stick with that story. I'm going for, Powder held me at gunpoint and"
She lunged at me, and I ran inside to save myself from her unjust wrath.
"-the chamber compress. Hey, where have you two been?" Claggor asked us as he recoiled from our entrance.
Apparently, we interrupted an important conversation.
Vander is leaning against the counter, directly across from Claggor and Mylo, who are seated in a booth. On the table, they have papers and books in front of them.
"Spending quality time with." I point to Powder. "Yours truly, we—"
"Owen, stay here. The rest of you, downstairs." Vander ordered in a calm voice.
"And I'm dead." I muttered under my breath as I rubbed my nose.
Mylo whistled in a relieved tone, Claggor cleared his throat, and Powder brushed her hand against mine, slyly pressing a flower into my hand as she passed me. As they opened the door, sounds of Vi destroying the bag echoed off the walls. Then footsteps overpowered the sounds of boxing combinations until the door slammed shut.
"Have a seat, Owen," he said as he pointed at the stool. As I did so, he took his time walking to the back and retrieved a tall bottle of something. "You've been quite busy today."
"It doesn't help to be lazy, doing nothing." I pointed out as he placed two small glass cups in front of me.
"You're taking on the responsibilities of a man, so..." he began filling the cups. "We are going to drink like men."
"Ready? Juice is more up my alley." I said as my eyes locked on the glass.
"I'll be straight with you, Owen." He finished filling the glasses and placed the bottle aside. "You are...unusual."
"You didn't have to tell me that. Ask anyone around, and they'll tell you how unusual I am." I played with the glass rim.
"Go ahead and drink." Vander took the other glass and drank the entire thing in one gulp. "It's not that strong, you'll live."
"Wouldn't be my first time." I muttered as I took a sip. The familiar feeling burned my throat. Not wanting to appear weak, I drank the entire thing, then tried not to slam it down.
"Hm...you're about as stubborn as Vi, and that's a problem." Vander stood up straight and walked over to me. "An ambitious daughter like Vi is a problem all on her own, and you just make things more exciting."
I didn't say anything, just letting his words swim in my head as he sat next to me.
"Honestly, I wouldn't have bothered taking you in if you weren't worth the trouble," he admitted what I had speculated.
"Well then, I'm planning on putting you all in a lot more trouble." I bluntly admitted.
His good-natured face sharpened into a scowl.
"And it will be worth it." I look Vander in his eyes, and for once, I'm holding nothing back.
He gave me his best bone-chilling stare as he laced his massive fingers and placed them on the counter with a thump. "Explain."
This is when I began to tell Vander everything. The future that I saw, not the nightmare that I had. Then, as foolish as it was, I told him about the professors and how I plan to use them to help avoid that dreaded future. I also threw in the plan to utilize Sevika in an attempt to fund construction to make Zaun a thriving and healthy place to live.
"Am I forgetting anything?" I asked myself as I scratched my neck.
"You mean you have more to tell me?" Vander asked in a daze from the information that he's absorbing.
"Well." I swivel on the stool. "I hope not."
Then I remembered the oxygen problem. Pulling out the yellow flower, I told him that this might be the way to purify the air.
"I'm going to need this," he said as he poured himself another glass.
"Oh yeah. I'm working on a project that can store any form of energy." I proclaimed.
Vander's brows lift at the mention of energy storage. "Any form? Is that even possible?"
"Judging by the math, it's possible." I said in full confidence.
He consumed more of the alcohol until he finally asked. "You and Powder—"
"Are great partners in crime and in health." I blurted out.
Vander held a hand up. "Owen, please, interrupting is rude."
"Sorry," I replied.
"You love Powder," he directed.
"Vander, please." I held my hand up. "A word like that hurts."
"Excuse me?" Vander paused as silence filled the air.
I took in a deep breath and rubbed my eyes. "Vander. Thank you."
He shrugs. "Hey, come on."
"You gave me so much, and I've given mostly chaos in return." I admitted.
Vander raised his hand to the bottle, mentally debating whether or not to go through with his original idea.
"All I'm saying is, I appreciate everything you've done for me. These plans are my way of saying thank you." I said with as much sincerity as I could manage.
In a surprising moment of compassion, the thing that hurts me, Vander, used his bone-crushing strength to lift me from my stool and hug me to his chest. This degree of emotional expression and brutal strength would have been enough to destroy me. Unfortunately, Vander got a hold of himself and released me back to the world of the living.
'You've always made me proud, Owen." Vander patted my arm. "You are a brave boy. So brave. I can't remember doing half of the things you've done at my age."
"Probably because your parents liked you." I speculated.
"You think so?" Vander tilts his head.
"You can remember their faces, I assume? I can't remember mine. Well, there's you, but." I shrug.
Vander nods, then chuckles as he shakes his head. "You are a great bullshitter."
My eyes widen as those words are spoken. "What?"
"Your devotion and gratitude are not in question," he informed.
"I'm guessing—"
"You avoided my mention of you and Powder," he brought it up again.
"Okay. You got me." I confessed as I covered my mouth with my hand.
"Do you?" Vander asked again.
I nod. "I do. And it hurts me like a twisting knife."
"Well, that's all I need to know." He stands up and cleans the counter.
Standing there, I watched him. Thinking back on our conversation, I divulged too much information.
"I'm going to go downstairs now." But I didn't move, the situation that unfolded just hit me. Thinking it over again, maybe this is for the best. Hopefully, I have earned his trust.
"And before you go." Vander said, and I felt him embrace me one more time. "I'm proud of you, son, and so is Zaun."
He releases me and then returns to close down the bar. I took my time going down the stairs. I never would have thought that I would hear those words. Vander being proud of me? Anyone being proud of me? It's difficult to grasp. I hope I remember what he said. My mind tends to forget what seems to be impossible to conceive. But that is real. Vander being proud of me is real. Nearly falling down the stairs for not paying attention is also real. Thankfully, no one was focused enough to see that. Making my way to the bed, I plop down and kick my boots off. Pulling out the two journals, I begin reviewing the material. By doing so, new ideas formulate in my mind. I'm going to have to talk with Ekko and Powder so they can catch my errors. The future of Zaun will be destroyed by an arrogant mind. Looking up, I see Vi instructing Powder on timing with the pads. Claggor is training Mylo on how to lift weights correctly. It's nice to see, however, I'm feeling creative. Getting to my feet again, I put my boots back on, grabbed my goggles and gloves, and stood in front of the workbench.
"One energy container, coming up." I muttered with full confidence that I'm going in blind, with nothing but the best of guesses.
When I placed the tools and materials needed to make it, frustration set in immediately. I had to remove and equip the glove repeatedly due to the amount of writing I had to do. I saw Ekko smash inventions and innovations together without writing down a thing. That guy is something special. Then there is Powder, she's smart for no reason. Regardless, it's coming together nicely. The clamps are remaining clamped, and metals are remaining tight when wielded. The skeleton of the chamber is completed. Upon testing for the durability, it is as it should be. Can't work with indestructible materials, not yet anyways. Now, it's time to cheat physics. Looking over the notes, I use the formulas explained within the pages on how to manipulate glass by drawing formulas on them. The process of running upstairs, negotiating with Vander, and gathering spare alcohol glasses was a chore but a small sacrifice.
"Now, work with me." I said to myself.
The instructions never specified how and what I am supposed to write with, so I just chose good old-fashioned ink. Using careful strokes of the pen, I wrote the necessary formula on the bottle. The aftereffects made me a bit sick to my stomach, as the matter liquefied in front of me. The effect from the formula itself is imprinted within my mind, wherever my mind went, the liquid followed. I visualized the desired location and the desired shape. Before my eyes formed exactly what I had in mind. A thick layer of glass will withstand the power of raw energy. Now I have to do that about 5 more times. After I was done repeating the process to its conclusion, I was beyond nauseous. Finally, it's done. The Energy Chamber is finished. The entry way for the energy is at one end, and the exit is on the opposite side of it. Hopefully, this thing won't blow up in my face when I test it, that would suck.
"Is that it?" Powder's voice tickled my left ear.
Looking to my left, I see her peering over my shoulder.
"Yes." I hand it to her. "Think you can tweak it a bit?"