The dread and panic that sat heavy in his chest dulled the feeling of excitement.
Night settled around the city of Piltover, bringing with it flurries of snow and icy winds. With the cab pulling to a stop in front of the illustrious Belmont Hotel, Jayce Talis took a deep, steadying breath and pushed open the door. The shift between the toasty insides of the car and the frigid snowflakes made his head spin. Just push through. Just keep moving, the door is right, there it's right there. Don't let these silly little snowflakes get to you. They're small! Inconsequential. Just frozen water.
Winter had always been exceptionally hard for him, ever since the blizzard that almost took his mother away.
In his rush to enter the hotel, Jayce didn't have time to take in the brickwork of the oldest building on the block. He didn't have time to stare in awe at the architecture, at the foundation that cracked with age, or the metalwork that rounded the wide-open windows. There was only time for the panic that swelled in his gut, fingers fumbling with his long coat to yank it closed. Feet pounding against the snow, almost slipping in his rush to get in, get in, get in, desperation clawing and gripping as his chest tightened. An absent, internal thank you silently said to the doorman who pushed the door open for him, the warmth of the fire in the lobby immediately healing the ache in his already chilling bones. Even after he stepped through the doors, he could feel the rushing wind of that day, feel the biting cold stinging his cheeks, nose red and running, tears icing his face, his mother—
Jayce took a moment to breathe, to compose himself. He was fine. He was fine, he was fine, it was only a bit of snow. Not even enough to accumulate on the ground, just enough to be annoying. He was just being ridiculous. This was ridiculous!
He was fine.
Pulling his heavy coat tighter around himself and making sure his backpack was securely in place, Jayce stepped through into the gilded lobby. The Belmont was one of the most expensive hotels in Piltover, and it showed. Flecks of gold highlighted the extravagant, dazzling white marble floor. That same gold was running up the walls in accent lines, reaching up to the domed glass ceiling. Plush red couches and chairs circled around mahogany tables, providing space for quiet discussions should the guests decide their rooms were too stuffy. The chandeliers that hung to provide an overwhelming amount of light looked to be littered with diamonds, but Jayce wasn't entirely sure with how fleeting of a glance had had given to them. No, instead, he focused his amber eyes on the front desk, where a man in a finely pressed suit stood reviewing some papers.
Distance was closed quickly as he made his way over, clearing his throat to gain the man's attention. A dark eyebrow lifted upward, but no smile greeted him; Only a quick scan of Jayce, full of judgment. “Hi. I'm–”
“It is to the right, down the hall. Follow the signs,” the Piltovian cut him off, gaze immediately falling back to the papers he had been shuffling. Jayce froze, surprised.
“Excuse me?”
“You are obviously here for the Engineering convention held by the Piltover Academy,” eyes never raised to Jayce again, too busy with his own work to pay him any more attention. “It is being held in a meeting suite, down the hall to the right. Follow the signs.”
Jayce, dumbfounded, cleared his throat and his nerves. “Right. Uh, thank you!” How incredibly rude! Shifting the weight of his backpack again, he turned on his heel and did as instructed. Following the signs that read Piltover Academy's Engineering Conference. A cacophony of voices filtered through the slightly ajar door. A nervousness washed over him as he pushed the door open further, slipping inside the room.
No longer were the floors adorned with marble. Instead, a ruby-red carpet completely covered the tiles, filling the expanse of the room with its color, drawing out the radiance of the white walls. A long table sat in the middle of the room, filled to the brim with snacks, bottled drinks, and chilled alcoholic beverages.
A mass of people filled the room, mingling together awkwardly. They were all dressed similarly to himself, in casual attire that seemed to miss the entire mood that Hotel Belmont tried to cultivate. Except for one man.
Jayce’s gaze swept toward him almost immediately, his thin, wiry frame standing alone against the far wall. One hand of slender, pale fingers held the stem of a champagne glass with care, while the other curled around the handle of a cane. His hair was chestnut brown, cut short with wild strands; For a moment, Jayce wondered how hard it was for him to control, or if he used product to gain the wispy effect. He looked like he could be a model cut straight from a fashion magazine, with his perfectly pressed button-up shirt, black slacks, and shined dress shoes.
“Welcome, welcome!” A chirpy voice pulled the man from his mind, exhaling as amber eyes whirled to see who had spoken. Scanning the area in front of him, his gaze quickly fell downward as he found the voice. “Ah, Jayce Talis! I've been expecting you!” Immediately recognizing the Yordle as Professor Cecil B. Heimerdinger, Jayce gave him one of his patented golden smiles. Heimerdinger's tiny hand stretched out and up, and Jayce had to bend to shake it. His smile grew overshadowed by Heimerdinger’s own massive grin.
For such a tiny man, he had a firm grip.
“This way, if you’d please!” Their hands released from each other's grip, and Heimerdinger motioned for Jayce to follow him. Straightening himself, Jayce glanced around again, his eyes darting back toward the figure from before. The man’s head had turned from the window to the door, and golden eyes shimmered in the light as they met his own. Jayce’s breath caught in his throat, and even though he faltered for a moment, tried to keep his eyes moving along the wall. Taking in more faces, absent of any thoughts about them, he refused to let his eyes slip back toward that man. “Miss Young will get you situated!”
Heimerdinger had led Jayce to a separate, smaller table off to the side. A girl with glasses stood behind it, giving Jayce a pleasant, warm smile as she pushed large, round frames up her nose. “Hi there,” her tone was light and cheery, with a note of hesitant shyness. “Welcome to the Engineering Program. My name’s Sky,” her hand stretched out, and Jayce gave her a large, toothy smile as he shook it.
“Thanks Sky. I’m Jayce,” introductions made quickly and efficiently; It was nice to know someone already outside of the smattering of people who lingered in the room.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jayce!” Shuffling a few things around, Sky pushed a clipboard forward. “If you would be kind enough to write your full name here, your school email here, and ID number here,” there were sections on the paper for each item. “And if you want, you can leave your bag with me and hang up your coat by the door while you go enjoy the snacks and drinks! We’re still waiting on a few more people to show up, and then Professor Heimerdinger will begin introductions.”
Slugging his backpack off his shoulder, Jayce happily reached around the table to place it next to Sky. It only held some extra clothes for the night and the journal he always kept on him, so he wasn’t overly worried about anyone taking anything from it. Filling out the rest of the paper, he slid it back toward Sky for her inspection before drifting toward the coat rack. “Oh!” She gazed at his name, her face exposing her surprise. “You’re Jayce Talis?!”
Giving her a sheepish look, he only smiled and nodded. Hand moving up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly, a forced laugh left him. “Yep. That’s me!” Her giggle was natural; unforced.
“I didn’t realize that we had a celebrity here!”
“Oh, come on, I’m not a celebrity,” his laugh was a little more real this time, her demeanor relaxing him. His family had done so much for the city of Piltover, but it wasn't as if the general population knew the Talis name. Tools were their gift to the world, but few appreciated it, unlike the engineers who used them. Sure, he made it into the academy from his own merit and hard work, but that wouldn't stop rumors from surfacing about his family name or receiving special treatment. “Just a normal guy, here to become an engineer.”
Nodding, Sky still wore that amiable smile. “I’m sure you’ll do amazing things in this program,” and she meant those words. Jayce knew she meant those words. “Now, you’re free to relax until we get things started,” another person stepped into the room, and Sky turned from Jayce to give them her time.
Stepping around the table, Jayce made his way toward the refreshments. The food looked more or less untouched, while the drinks, in comparison, seemed diminished. Staring down at the choices, it was an internal struggle whether alcohol would be best, or if he should stick to soda. Alcohol would help allay any anxiety that floated around, a thought he was sure he shared with many of the people here. Nervousness hung in the air, almost palpable, and he couldn’t blame anyone; They were going to be spending an entire year together, and first impressions meant a lot.
Deciding a beer would be nice, to both liven his spirits and warm his chilled body, he grabbed a bottle. With the aid of a conveniently placed bottle opener, it hissed open and warmed him pleasantly as it burned down his throat with the first sip.
Turning, amber eyes swept around the room, trying to find anyone that he might have recognized from the last four years he had spent earning his bachelor's degree. There were a few stray people here and there that he noticed but couldn’t recall the names of. It wasn’t like he had had time to make friends; Too focused on his studies and capturing his own ideas and projects had left him with little time for making friends. The rest of the time was for a trip to the gym or his father’s forge, to keep himself active. Or, for wooing Mel Medarda…
Slowly, his gaze shifted over the room, finally meandering toward the part of the room that had drawn his gaze before. The one where he lingered moments ago, next to the frost-covered window. No longer there, Jayce shifted his view, his eyes hunting now as he began a search he felt compelled to perform.
“Are you looking for someone?” A heavily accented voice spoke so close to him, directly to his right. Jayce jumped, not having heard anyone approach, barely even registering a presence. Whirling, his heart leapt into his throat as he was face to face with that pale-skinned man, those golden eyes full of amusement. A light smirk pressed onto his thin lips as he watched the man taking a few heavy breaths.
“What? No-no I’m not…” The hand that wasn’t holding the beer swept up, pushing into stray strands of hair that framed his forehead, brushing them back. Perfect. Always perfect. “Do you always sneak up on people like that?”
“Eh, only when I think I can,” finally his eyes broke away, and the man busied himself with filling his empty glass with more chilled champagne. “I will not lie, you were an easy target. Maybe do not leave yourself as open to being startled next time.”
“Oh, haha, yeah, I’ll try that,” Jayce rolled his eyes, and the man turned back to him, the smirk having shifted. A smile rested on his face, light, almost non-existent. Two moles stood out against porcelain skin, one under the man’s eye, the other above his lip. His fingers were long and slender, delicately holding the stem of the champagne flute as it drifted to his lips. He looked vaguely familiar, Jayce thought. Obviously, they both went to the Academy, but Jayce was certain that they never shared any classes, so where…?
“Are you going to introduce yourself?” Surprised, Jayce’s eyes widened.
“Excuse me?”
“It is only polite to introduce yourself if you insist on staring.”
“U-uh, I didn’t mean to–” Cheeks flushing, Jayce held out his hand. “I’m Jayce Talis,” there was a wave of recognition in those golden eyes, if only for a fleeting second. He took in how the man moved, how cold his hand was when he shook his own, and the way his cane pressed against his side to shake his hand. He took in the name as it flowed freely from the other’s tongue, reverberating against every inch of Jayce’s brain, as if he had always known it. Viktor. Just Viktor. “It’s nice to meet you, Viktor!” His hand squeezed lightly against Viktor’s before both pulled away from each other.
An uneasy silence filled the space between them, neither stepping away from the table first. Jayce shifted, turning his gaze toward the wall, feeling the desperate urge to say something, but nothing was coming to mind. Nothing smart, anyway. All he could think to ask was what Viktor was doing here, if he came here often, how cold it was outside. Stupid, minute things that would probably lead to no productive conversation. Small talk was a pain, something irrelevant and annoying, and Jayce didn’t want to make a worse first impression than he already had.
“What is your major?” Viktor was the one to break the silence, his gaze resting easily on Jayce. There was no anxiety, no unease surrounding him. Viktor seemed as comfortable as if he were speaking to someone he had known forever. Confident. Snapping his own eyes away from the wall, Jayce earned himself a snort as he looked like a deer in headlights, staring back at the other. “Did I scare you again, Jayce Talis?” Amusement danced, light and free, all over his face. That smirk was back.
Shaking his head, Jayce took a breath, another sip of liquid courage racing down his throat. “Nope!” A quick glance away, he reset, moving his gaze slowly back to Viktor. “I’m in Mechanical Engineering. You?”
“Bio-mechanical Engineering.”
It hit Jayce then that the question was odd. Very odd. “I thought this program was only for Mechanical Engineers,” Jayce's head tilted to the side as he spoke of his confusion. Viktor nodded, fully turning his body to give Jayce his undivided attention.
“It is,” the silent question hung in the air. “I am Professor Heimerdinger's assistant. Due to that, I will be taking part in the program, as well as focusing on my personal work.”
“Wow. Isn't that going to be…a lot?”
“Certainly, but it came with the promise that I could graduate a year early, so,” he gave a nonchalant shrug, face scrunching up in dismissal. Jayce continued to stare, surprise plastered all over his face. Viktor was acting like it was nothing; The workload he was going to have to contend with would be massive, with his own classes plus that of the Engineering Program. Would he even have any free time? Jayce could feel his own anxiety rising in his chest, feeling for this man. Not being able to do anything fun to wind down, or relax and hang out with his own friends, because of the overwhelming amount of work he’d have to do.
Before Jayce could offer any advice, or help, or anything, there was a squeaky little voice calling out to everyone in the room from the podium. Heimerdinger had to stand on a stool just to see over the thing, a twinkle in his brilliant blue eyes as they scanned the space, waiting for everyone’s attention to be on him. “Thank you all for coming! I do apologize that you all had to put your New Year's plans aside to be here, but, well, progress is worth it!”
The Yordle immediately started into the nitty-gritty of the project. Every person in this room had been hand-picked by him and the other engineering professors because of their academic brilliance. It was a fast-track program, something to test their abilities and their drive, and get them on the path that they most desired to travel.
Groups of three and room assignments already drafted, along with their laboratory assignments, the students would be ready to start at their earliest convenience. They had one year to harness their knowledge to create something truly revolutionary. Considered the best of the best in the department, the professor expected great things from them. The program was a pseudo-competition, Heimerdinger explained, and the winners would gain a coveted prize of a paid internship with the most prestigious company in Piltover. A company owned and operated by the Kiramman household.
All they had to do was prove they were worth the time and money for the company to invest in.
Jayce swallowed hard, a firm yet excited look on his face. This was everything he had hoped for; What he had dreamt of! If he won, he could lift the name of House Talis up even higher, be a pioneer for a better tomorrow. Him. The amount of things he could do with that status, and whatever wealth it brought. The amount of people he could help. It made butterflies flutter in his stomach, made a lump form in his throat. To make something of himself, to not just be part of the Talis name, but another reason for it to soar higher.
Movement to his side, barely seen out of his peripherals, made his head drift to look toward Viktor. The man stood casually, cane leaning against the table full of refreshments, as he pulled his sleeve up to reveal a simple analog watch that ticked away on his milky wrist. Jayce couldn't help but notice that there were a few moles that popped out as his sleeve lifted, a brief question of how many moles Viktor had that littered his body. The idea dislodged from his brain quickly, thrown out and shattered, an invisible wave of embarrassment washing over him. There was another slight movement, a nod of Viktor's head, that drew Jayce's eye.
As Heimerdinger had been talking, Sky had been walking around the room, either delivering glasses of champagne or filling up ones that were already held. At the brief nod that Viktor gave, though, Heimerdinger cleared his throat. Jayce's gaze shot back toward him as the small man in front of him raised his own bubbly drink.
“And with that concluded–” his smile was pure, full of excitement and happiness. “Welcome to the Piltover Academy's Engineering Excellence Program! Happy New Year!”
If you made it here, thank you so much for reading!
January's Prompt List
The prompt for this chapter is Happy New Year!