Ill Omen's Light (Lux/Jinx)

Chapter 12: Melody and Harmony

The mug of cocoa steamed on Jayce Talis' desk.

Not a workbench, Caitlyn numbly observed, cluttered with notes and sketches and research books and half-finished clockwork whatsits and smeared with chalk and coffee-stains and ink spills. No, this was a desk, sweeping and immaculate save for a small stack of paperwork in one corner and an inkwell.

A politician's desk, not a scientist's.

"Cait, I'm really mad at you," he sighed, slinging a blanket his secretary had brought in around her shoulders and clapping one big, warm hand there as he moved around the desk to sit at it.

Her dulled eyes lifted past the steaming mug and across the yawning marble gulf between them.

Jayce looked tired, too. His eyes did hold anger, but mostly exhaustion. She wanted to hug him terribly.

"Your desk is too big," she said.

"So I keep telling them," Jayce gave a little half-assed attempt at a smile, but it fell away quickly. He broke his eyes from hers and stared out the tall window of the office to the smoke still streaming in the distance.

Jayce blew out a breath and ran a hand through his Aspects-damned perfect hair, "Take a deep breath. Sip the cocoa. And then tell me what the hell happened out there."

Cait was just so tired. She wasn't sure if getting the dressing down from a superior who was also a childhood friend made it all better or worse.

"Jinx happened."

"Yeah, I think I can tell that," his brow darkened, "And when were you going to tell me she was back?"

"I had barely more warning than you did, Jayce," she mumbled, "It went from 'some chem-addicts in Zaun say they saw her' to 'something happened at the Last Drop, but no-one will talk' to 'she's really back, she's in Piltover and she's hit the Menagerie' in a matter of hours..."

She tugged the cup closer and sipped. It helped. It brought out the bitter laugh she'd been too tired to give.

"...What did you want me to do? We barely had time to pull together the contingency plans before they were now plans."

"Some plans," Jayce scoffed, "The property damage, the legal compensation, the hospital bills, not to mention recapturing all the damn animals..."

Caitlyn looked at him.

"You should hear Count Mei whining at the Council," Jayce snorted and shook his head, "How he's misplaced about sixty birds, nineteen monkeys and a herd of mountain goats, and somehow lost a rhinoceros..."

She was so tired, and nothing mattered because Vi...

"Put it on her tab," she whispered, "I'm sure I'll get the numbers eventually."

"Progress Day's destroyed this year."

"Have another one next year," she sipped again.

Jayce curled his fingers into a fist but rested it against his lips when Cait knew he wanted to slam it on the table.

"This isn't a joke, Cait-"

"How many casualties?" she asked, unable to keep the brittle edge from her voice.

Jayce fell silent a moment, eyes searching the reflection on his desk.

"Three, in the Promenade riots. Third one died in the med ward an hour ago."

The cocoa mug squeaked on the polished surface as she put it down and glared at him.

"That isn't what I'm asking, and you know it. How many people did Jinx murder tonight?"