League of Legends Series

Taliyah x Ekko

Love is fickle, and friendships even more so. Taliyah knew this, but it still hurt to watch her friend slowly stray off on a different path. She thought they had come to a mutual understanding, but obviously, she had been wrong. Their time at the institute had changed Ekko; he was no longer the shy boy who was easily flustered and spent his days working away on a new invention. Now, he was boisterous and never missed an opportunity to woo a woman, much to Taliyah's dismay. 

Taliyah knew she had more important things to worry about than a potential lover, but she couldn't help herself. Young love, Nami had called it. The stoneweaver had nothing against Jinx, but her influence was slowly corrupting her friend. Was it even her place to take action? Ekko seemed happier than he had ever been, even when he was with her.

The thought hurt, so she chased it away. 

Entering the Great Hall, the girl shuffled through the tables, avoiding eye contact as she eventually took a seat beside Twisted Fate. The older man slid a card her way, challenging her to a friendly game, and though she was hesitant, she agreed. Winter was here, and while she loved nature, she'd prefer to remain indoors wrapped in warmth with a drink to ease her inner turmoil.

Taliyah observed the scene over Twisted Fate's shoulder. Ekko was getting chummy with Jinx, again. The two were nearly inseparable, and Taliyah wondered what the blue-haired maniac had that she didn't. But to be honest, she could count on two hands all the things she lacked, and she glanced back to her cards, knowing she would lose this game, like all the others. Despite being quite literally crazy, Jinx was wild, and she had...well, a body. Jinx was a woman. Taliyah was none of those things; she didn't have curves or a refined charm like most women. She was stubborn and bland, her personality the equivalent of watered-down rabbit soup.

Before she could place down her next card—the one she hadn't bothered to look at—Yasuo took a seat beside his distressed friend and selected another card for her to play. Twisted Fate was not against this turn of event. If anything, he approved of the additional competition. Anything to cheer up the little lady. Unfortunately, their efforts went to waste as Taliyah looked up at the wrong time. Ekko had kissed Jinx, or was it the other way around? Did it even matter? 

No, it did not. 

"I'm sorry. I don't feel like playing anymore." The stoneweaver handed her hand to Yasuo and left the Great Hall, avoiding eye contact along the way. After finding the comfort of her bed, she bundled up and stared at the icy window leading to the frozen landscape outside. At least the view was pretty. 

When she awoke, the endless pit of inadequacy was no longer there, and she praised her newly found resolve to not give up without a fight, much like everything else in her life. Taliyah found she didn't mind the atrocious weather, unlike yesterday, and despite the warmth, she didn't want to remain cooped up. And so she put on her winter boots and set off into the white unknown. 

Even with the frozen vegetation surrounding her, it felt good to be out and about. A breath of fresh air here, the brush of a leaf there, it wasn't the same as the blistering sands of the desert, but it was close enough to home. Most of all, though, she had somewhere quiet to mull over her endless thoughts.

Wandering the white abyss at her feet, Taliyah wanted to become lost in its embrace. 

However, all thoughts came to a halt when she stumbled upon a rose. The likelihood of one growing on such harsh terrain seemed impossible, especially considering how picky they were. And even though it was winter, the rose had fully bloomed and looked radiant in her eyes. The snow melted upon its petals, and Taliyah could not help herself as she plucked the rose from its stem. It had called out to her.