two birds | arcane viktor ♡

the water's polluted

I returned his smile with my most genuine yet. Slowly reaching for his hand, it twitched the moment our fingers touched. I hesitated, pulling my hand away, it took him a second to understand what my intention was, then he grabbed my hand. 

"My name's Viktor." Golden eyes made direct contact with my own, looking at me with a softness I have never encountered before.

"I'm Ica, it's really nice to meet you."  We shook each other's hands, he replied with the same phrase.

We smiled at each other for a few seconds before his face dropped, "The boat." He let go of my hand as he faced the cave. I followed suit,  I could feel the cool air come out from it and embrace my skin, the rocky path on the opening faded in the darkness as it goes deep inside. "Oh, I almost forgot about it. It fell in there, I think."

"Let's go get it." He walked inside, the sound of wood hitting the stones echoed through the cave.

"Uh, I don't think we should be going inside." I whispered as I reached for him with my index finger, I let it stay mid-air as I looked around the cave once more, taking note of how the shadows obscured the insides, an uneasy feeling took over me, "This cave is super creepy...Are you sure this is safe?"

"Of course not." He did not seem to be concerned of what could be waiting within the shadows, picking his way down with the help of his cane, relaxed as he can be. Maybe because he's been living in Zaun for his whole life he's gotten used to walking straight into scary places, or it might be because he's been in here before? 

"Then why are you going in?" I whisper shouted, he didn't respond as he reached the bottom of the rocky entrance, the darkness hugged his figure, making it harder for me to see him clearly. 

"I hope the boat didn't break. Are you coming?" He halted his steps, noticing how I never took a single step forward. He looked over his shoulders, I opened my mouth to talk but was interrupted by a shout. 

"HEEEY, MONVENER!" They called my last name, I turned around. It was a classmate of mine, one of the group of kids I followed earlier. "WE'RE GOING BACK HOME NOW, ARE YOU COMING?"

The sky was now orange, the sun no longer shining above us and is already making its way down, leaving the surroundings less bright. Viktor stood there, his eyes glowing within the cave's darkness.

"Well, it seems like I have to go. Uhm, are you really going in there? You should take care, you don't know what could be inside."

Although I couldn't see his face anymore, the slight nodding of his head was still noticeable. "I will try. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Ica." His accent laced his boyish voice. 

I beamed, feeling my cheeks warm up, I never thought I would be hearing those words be told to me. He might just be saying it to be polite, but for a while I thought anyone I talked to would always find me annoying, it's been said to me countless times that I've come to terms with it, but one simple, polite, phrase was enough to make me feel better about it.

My chest feels like it was about to burst from pure joy. "Thank you...Uh, uhm, likewise! It was a pleasure talking to you too, okay, bye!" I waved at the darkness, where he was. "Goodbye."

"COME ON!!" 

I took a few steps back before running back to where I came from. I climbed up the same path I took a while ago, two of my classmates waited as the rest already went ahead. They helped me climb by pulling on my arms. 

"Thank you." One of them patted my clothes to get rid of the dust. "No worries! You know, I didn't expect you'd be able to befriend that boy down there, he's always on the same spot every time we come here but he'd be too preoccupied with his little machines to even try to play with us." 

I walked between the two, adjusting the straps of my school bag that I've been carrying on my back for the whole time, my back and shoulders already aching. Aelith, the one that just spoke, I've only interacted with in school before (until now), she would constantly ask me for answers during classes because she knew I was generous with it.

"Uh-huh, I would watch him sometimes, he really puts a lot of effort with what he does." The other boy, Nelle, scratched the tar-tar from his teeth using the nail of his pinky. We've never talked before this but he always followed Aelith everywhere she goes.

"Yeah, I agree." I nodded my head rapidly, the smile never leaving my face. "Just earlier, he showed me the boat that he just made, it was reaaally well-made, can you believe he only made it from scraps?! Even I, who has a lot of materials in home, can't even create a single thing. It was only a short while that we talked but I admire how he's already able to invent things at a young age. Anyways, he told me his name's Viktor and he have this really weird way of talking--"

The two listened to me talk until Nelle interrupted me with a scoff, "Weird way of talking? You mean an accent?" He changed his voice to emphasize the word.

"Yeah! That!" 

Nelle let out a sharp exhale, "Oooooh no no no, don't tell me you called his accent weird right in front of his face?" He pointed to his face, eyes widened and eyebags out.

"Uh, yeah I did. How did you know?"

I watched as he slapped his forehead with his hand, Aelith made a crooked smile. "You really shouldn't be saying that, Ica. It's...rude."

"I am honestly not surprised anymore, you always have to say what comes into your mind right away, don't you? You don't even think before saying it."

The smaller girl stretched her arm behind me to hit Nelle on the back of his head. "You're saying that while doing the exact same thing, dummy." 

"Yeah, dummy!" I crossed my arms, frowning at him.

"Oh, right, haha." He stopped walking to do a fake little bow at me. "My apologies."

I rolled my eyes at him. "He was still really friendly after I said it, so I don't think he minded it when I pointed it out."

"Well that's what you think, you don't know, he could be crying on his way home now just because of you."

"Nelle!" She gave him a look to shut him up, so he did. I made a face to him, he returned with an uglier one.

"Why were you guys swimming in there, anyway? You guys know it's polluted, right?" I adjusted my bag once again, stretching my back on the process.

"Oh I don't swim in there, Nelle does though. I only go there because it's really peaceful."

"I see, now I know where this smell is coming from." I pinched my nose. Aelith bursted out laughing.

"Hey!" I swear I could see smoke coming out of Nelle's ears out of anger.

While walking home, Aelith let me ramble about different topics, while Nelle distracts himself with picking his nose. I only stopped talking when Nelle pointed out that I was getting too excited 'again', which Aelith scolded him for. The sun was already setting when we parted ways.