MAKE IT GO BOOM | JINX

O N E

HALF A YEAR PRIOR TO THE EVENTS OF ARCANE

C H A P T E R   #01   //   J U S T   P R A C T I C E

        The lousy air of the Undercity hit Sage's nose when she stepped out into the busy streets with her friends in tow. It was the early morning hours, and they had decided to go out.

"Where are we going?" asked Powder curiously from behind her. Sage turned and glanced towards her friend, who seemed in good spirits. A smile snuck onto Sage's lips while looking at Powder. She noted that the blue-haired girl looked stunning as ever.

"I'm not sure," answered Vi, while she ran a hand through her short hair. The group of friends had begun their walk down the street when Vi spoke up again, "I was thinking some practice maybe? You still haven't shown me your new moves, Sage."

The girl in question looked up at Vi whilst fiddling with her fingers. She spoke up in a voice laced with uncertainty and admitted, "Uh... Yeah, about that. I haven't really gotten any better."

Vi chuckled lightly and nudged the girl's shoulder. She enthusiastically said, "Sure you have. All that practice couldn't have been for nothing." Sage's face scrunched up in doubt while she thought about Vi's words, but she dismissed them. She truthfully had not gotten better.

"You still owe me a fair fight, Vi," Mylo joined the conversation. Sage humorously scoffed. She knew that he was referencing the time when he and Vi were sparring, and it had gotten rather intense. Vi had won without a doubt, but Mylo called her a cheater nonetheless. He has brought up a rematch every chance he gets.

"For the last time, Mylo, I didn't cheat," Vi defended herself, sounding desperate to get him to drop the incident. She smirked lightly and spoke up in a cocky voice, "But okay, let's do it. Just you and me, a fair fight."

"To be fair, Mylo, Vi did not cheat last time. I watched you two, in case you forgot," Claggor spoke up, siding with Vi.

"You don't know what you're talking about," dismissed Mylo with an eye roll. Mylo picked up his pace, and Claggor followed suit behind. They could be heard from a distance as they bantered back and forth about whether or not it had been a fair fight.

Sage shook her head in amusement at her two friends before she looked around to spot Powder. She was nowhere to be seen, so Sage glanced over her shoulder and saw Powder trailing behind them. Sage slowed her pace and left Vi to walk alone.

Once she was next to Powder, she spoke up with a smile, "Hey." Sage kept her eyes on her friend and inspected her features. "You look pretty today," the girl complimented whilst tapping her fingers on her outer leg. She quickly looked down and stared at the ground beneath her when she felt heat creep up her cheeks.

"Thanks, uh... you also look pretty today," replied Powder timidly. The smile on Sage's lips intensified, making her eyes squint slightly. The girl looked back at her friend and saw Powder had turned a shade of red as well, which made her feel better about her blush.

"Thank you," Sage replied light-heartedly. Her stomach was twisting with emotions, but she enjoyed the feeling. Interactions between her and Powder always made her feel on top of the world.

The two girls walked side by side. Sage looked at Powder, and upon catching her eyes, a smile solidified itself on her lips again. Long moments of silence passed, during which the girls gazed at one another with scarlet cheeks. A thought crossed Sage's mind, but she felt unsure whether to actually do it.