"Well, gang, what have we learned today?" asked Graves.

"It is much harder to deflect bullets with a broken blade," answered Riven.

"The Purifier, Lucian has proven to be an exceptional champion," answered Taric.

"A helpful leash is alright important for the jungler, Ahri," complained Trundle.

"Talon is a jerk," complained Ahri.

"We all know that," said Riven sarcastically.

Of course, Ahri was too afraid to tell everyone what she'd really learned.

The Nine-tailed fox had just came back from the fields after a shameful defeat with her comrades. The blue team was clearly more organized and had the upper-hand, so the purple team was forced to surrender. Graves and Taric were for the most part, evenly matched by Lucian and Nami until Sejuani and Talon ambushed them. Riven did fairly well overall, especially against Gankplank but her efforts alone wasn't enough to win the match. Ahri had it the worse. Talon, the Blade's Shadow was refusing to hold back against the foxwoman and thus ultimately shut her down. Not only that, but it seems Ahri's powers are weakening. Her Charm ability didn't even work at all and it was looking like she was doing less damage than usual. The latter had just ordered to Ahri. Her attacks on the minions and champions seemed less effective than usual. Just what in the world was happening? Why is this happening? Ahri was slowly getting more worried by the minute. What if word get out by this? The summoners will stop using her all together. Not to mention the other champions' reactions. She doesn't even want to think about it.

But due to the care-free nature of the Nine-tailed foxwoman, Ahri remained calm. Even a little optimistic. "It's okay. Everything will be alright. As Lux always said, 'There's always light in the darkness,'" she thought. She would just get to the bottom of this quickly. There has to be a reason, and a way to reverse it.

Graves stretched his arms and let out a relaxed moan as if he was tired. "Well, it's been nice working with ya, fellas. Some more than others at least. I best be calling it an early day," he said. No one can blame him. 'Dying' over and over can be exhausting. "G'night."

"I should go too," Riven said. "I need to replenish my blade. Plus, I have to migrate to a new room so I have to prepare. Take care."

"My gems need reorganizing as well," said Taric. "I do hope the rest of your days are pleasant."

"Hmph!" Trundle groaned as he simply walked away.

Ahri was glad she was departing. She was tired as well, especially from the recent events that occurred. She wanted to take a shower before heading to bed. She wanted to start investigating the cause of her weakened powers tomorrow. Ahri was already planning to request the institute to not have her summoned until this was all fixed. The last thing she needed was to have anymore loses and mishaps due to her weakened powers. Yeah. It's probably for the best. The less people know about this, the better.

Before she can go back to her room though, Ahri needed a quick drink. She wanted to quench her thirst at the local institute bar where they sell all sorts of beverages and some food. She just hoped that she doesn't run into Talon though, in fear that he might ridicule her on her defeat. When she got there though, there was actually only a handful of random people. The only person she really recognize though was Emilia Leblanc, the Deceiver, and also the only other champion there. She was dressed in her usual, revealing get-up complete with her long cape and her staff. Ahri choose to sit by here at the bar table. She was one of the few people Ahri truly liked, let alone Noxians.

"Hey, Emilia," Ahri greeted. Most people were only allowed to call her by her surname, but Ahri was one of the very few exceptions. "One wine, please," she said to the bar tender.

"Hello, Ahri," said Leblanc, pleasantly as she drank the wine of her own. Ahri looked almost depressed. "What's wrong? It's not like you to be upset usually."

It was as if she knew there was something wrong with Ahri. Of course, this comes to no surprise, but it also worried her a little.

"N-nothing," she said. Normally, Ahri had no problem discussing her problems with her friends, but she wasn't ready to tell Leblanc exactly what happened yet. Not that Ahri distrust her or anything. It was just too embarrassing.

"Had a bad league match?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," she said honestly.

"Did Talon gave you any trouble?"

"Y-yeah..." The predictions were starting to scare Ahri. Could she have figured it out already?

"That's a shame," Leblanc said. "Then again, the Du Countau family had been known for their talents of death."

"But he's such a... Ugh, I hate him!" Ahri stopped herself from swearing, but was still somewhat frustrated with him.

"You can't blame him for wanting to win though. Everyone does." Leblanc was clearly showing a sign of comforting as she rubbed the foxwoman's shoulder.

"Yeah. People say he "counters" me, but I don't care. I'm not here to give him the upper-hand. He's not better than me."

"I don't particularly care for the man myself," Leblanc admits, "but you shouldn't let him get to you, no matter how much he aggravates you. You'll only give him the advantage if you do."

Ahri merely signed. She knew that Emilia was right as usual.

"It's not like this never occurred to me either. Teemo had the tendency of irritating me as well, even when he's on my team. He never seemed to take things seriously. Not to mention his childish behavior. My advice: just remain calm. Otherwise, it'll only hinder you in the long run."

"Sometimes, it's easier said than done," Ahri said.

"You'll have to try, honey. I always like it when you're more cheerful. I hate to see you upset."

Ahri smiled a little. She was slightly feeling better. "Thanks, Emilia. I can always count on you."

"I could never deceive you my dear." Leblanc smiled as well, rubbing her shoulder again. "By the way, have you heard about what they're doing with the room accommodations in the institute?"

"No," said Ahri. "Do tell."

"With all the new champions and summoners moving in, they plan to have shared rooms from now on in fear of eventually running out of room in the future. Zyra is already moving in with me and I've heard Vladimir and Rengar did as while. I don't think it's the case with all of us though."

"Is that so?" Ahri asked.

"Yes," confirmed Leblanc. "I do hope you'll room with someone good though. I don't think you're compatible with Kayle."

Ahri sighed. This wasn't all that good news to her either. "I really hope so too. I generally preferred not to share."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually," said Leblanc.

Ahri finally took a few sips of the wine she just ordered. It was refreshing to say the least, and it made her feel even better, but only by that much. The weight of her distress was simply too great.

"Oh, one other thing," Leblanc suddenly added. "Fiora is currently recruiting cast members for the play she's directing. It's called "The Empress and her Butler.""

"Oh?" Ahri asked, somewhat intrigued. "What kind of play is it?"

"Apparently, it's a classic Demacion flock-tail about an Empress and her Butler falling in love. Something like that. She also hired Karma to produce the show."

"Sounds like fun," said Ahri, clucking. "I've never done a play before."

"I heard they still need someone to play the Empress," Leblanc continued. "If you play your cards right, I'm sure you'll be a shoe-in for the role."

"Is that so?" The idea had currently sparked the interest of the cunning foxwoman. This was surely something new to her. Ahri had seen a few plays in her lifetime, but never before had she thought about staring in one until that point. "When's the audition?"

"Just ask Ms. Fiora and she'll schedule an appointment," answered Leblanc as she drank the last of her wine. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Ahri was finishing the rest of her wine as well before answering. "I'm good for now. Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, dear. It was nice talking with you as usual. Stay safe." Almost immediately, Leblanc vanished into thin air. Was she talking to her decoy? Oh well. It doesn't really matter to her.


The information that was giving to Ahri felt valuable. The former was somewhat unsettling to her though. Ahri wasn't too fond about the idea of sharing her room with someone else, or moving out from her own for that matter. She like her room the way it was. It was mostly decorated in Ionian fashion, mostly red with a bit of white and yellow, much like the dress she was wearing. It looked somewhat like it would belong in a palace, but not entirely. Her furniture looked pretty expensive though, especially since it had a bit of jewelry. Ahri was somewhat minimalistic. She'd truly hoped that she can at least get along with her new roommate, but would very much preferred if she'd continued to have her own room, as it would increase the chance of them finding out about her powers. If Ahri did had to have a roommate, Sona would be the best option for her, as she was also one of Ahri's true friends. Not only that, but she was also the only champion in the league that was mute, so even if Sona did find out somehow, she won't be able to tell anyone as easily.

Ahri can only hope she was that lucky.

As she approached her quarters, Ahri was noticing that her door was almost closed, but not quite. She could have sworn she had locked it before she left. Ahri immediately guessed that someone was in her room. Could it be an intruder? She wasn't entirely certain, but she remained cautious nonetheless. Ahri does not take kindly to intruders, no matter what their intentions might be. She certainly had no problem killing them if she had too, especially if they're thieves. Ahri was more than capable of doing this, but then she remembered that her powers were weakened. If the intruder was significantly more powerful, say, Mordecaizar for instance, she would be in trouble. Asking for help would seem like a better option. It would be less risky for Ahri, but it might also waste too much time, and also a little embarrassing. The foxwoman was used to take matters into her own hands. Plus, most league members don't trust her all that much anyway, so finding decent help in time would be tricky.

She decided that the best course of action was to confront the intruder with her Orb of Deception ready at hand. It may have lost some power, but Ahri was still confident in fighting this person or thing. She had to do this quickly, or risk having her valuables damaged or stolen. Ahri barraged in as if she was getting ready for a fight, only to what was inside just as quickly.

It appeared to be a woman with short, white hair. It was all too familiar for the Nine-tailed fox.

"Oh… Hello, Ahri," she said casually.

"R-Riven? What are you doing here?" she asked in utter shock.

"What does it look like?" she questioned.

"Wait… Don't tell me…"

The 'intruder' turned out to be Riven, the Exile, a noble swordswoman who wields a broken blade. There was no doubt in Ahri's mind that SHE will be living with her from now on. Ahri didn't know what to think of it. Riven was often considered, a quiet individual. Ahri really didn't know much about her. The only thing she does know is her "self-imposed" exile from Noxus and her involvement in its conflict against Ionia. In a way, she can't help but be somewhat wary about this. From what she has heard, Riven has fought and killed several Ionian soldiers in the past. Not to mention actually seeing her in combat. Riven has proven to be more than just a skilled warrior in the Fields of Justice. Ahri was always at least cautious when fighting against her. Riven's "Ki Blast" in particular practically made her vomit one time. Ahri generally does not care for most Noxians at all, beside Leblanc obviously, but has yet to form a true opinion on Riven.

"We're roommates now," Riven said bluntly. "Have you been informed?"

"I can see that," Ahri corrected. Ignoring the other woman's question.

"You don't seem very happy about this."

To some extent, Riven was right. Ahri doesn't know if she can fully trust her, but she was realizing that she can do a lot worse, like Sejuani for instance. Her boar might make a bit of a mess and the barbarian woman herself wasn't known for being delicate.

"Well, it could be worse," Ahri said honestly. "How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived," she answered. "They say it might be permanent. It depends on how many more people decide to show up before they can make more room."

"Oh joy," Ahri said sarcastically while sighing in grief. "Just make sure that oversize knife of yours doesn't scratched the walls or anything, okay?"

Riven crossed her arms and looked at her with her usual scowl. She seemed somewhat offended by Ahri's comments. "Look, I don't like it any more than you do. I know how it feels to have your solitude taking away, but we might as well get used to it. Personally, I don't really trust you. I know that you like to trick people, be it for you own personal gain or "just for fun." I generally don't like to play your games. I don't stand for them or your flirtatious habits." She then added, "And by the way, it's a sword. NOT a knife. There's a significant differences between the two. But you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"Well sorry," said Ahri. She rolled her eyes and countered, "Come to think of it, I don't trust you either, Ms. Exile. You Noxians aren't all that innocent yourselves, ya know." She was going to get into more detail about the incident in Ionia but decided not to.

"Don't you dare bring up the…" Riven paused. She was clearly somewhat angry based on her tone of voice but slowly calmed down, and instead made a sigh of relieve. "Nevermind. Clearly, that last match worked us up, huh?"

The foxwoman calmed down slowly as well. Riven was indeed right but that wasn't the only thing that bothered her. "Yeah. I swear, Talon takes pleasure in murdering people."

"Well so does Katarina," Riven grinned "Did he really give you a hard time?"

Of course there was more to it than that, but Ahri certainly doesn't want to tell Riven the full story. She was too embarrassed to even answer her truthfully, but would be unwise to straight up lie to her. Not this time at least. "Kind of," she answered simply.

"Well, that is to be expected," said Riven. "The Du Countau clan does not hold back."

"Neither do I," said Ahri. "Today just wasn't my day is all. Rest assured, I will have my revenge."

Riven grinned and crossed her arms again. "For your sake, I hope so. I don't particularly care for him myself."

Ahri watched as her new roommate started unpacking. It didn't look like Riven brought a lot from her old room. She hoped she didn't. Ahri didn't have a whole lot of room left. Plus, she was concerned that any Noxian decorations she may have had might not clinch well with her room design. Regardless, Ahri thought she might as well get used to the exile after all. It would be best to make sure she got along with her.

"Do you need some help?" she asked.

"I'm fine," replied Riven. "I didn't bring a lot with me. Just some clothes, some armor, some food... mostly the necessities, really. " She stopped briefly to look around for a bit. "You seem to have a lot of expensive stuff," she commented.

Ahri giggled. "A girl has to have her priorities, you know."

"They look nice, but all this seems a bit... much," said Riven. "I don't know. It's just me, I guess. I wonder how'd you afford all of this, anyway," she added, suspiciously.

It comes to no surprise to some that Ahri didn't obtain most of these things traditionally or even fairly, and Riven seems to be catching on. She realized the Exile is a bit smarter than she thought. Rather than try to deny it, Ahri said, "I have my ways."

"I'm sure you do," the swordswoman teased. "I'll just leave my clothes in my suitcase for now. There's still some stuff left from my old room, but I'll get the rest of them tomorrow."

Riven seemed to be had already gotten situated for the time being, and would likely be truly done by the end of tomorrow. So far, to Ahri's pleasant surprise, Riven doesn't seem to be all that bad. She currently doesn't share the ruthlessness some of the other Noxians have such as Darius or Draven, nor was she sadistic like Katarina or Cassiopeia. Come to think of it, during the last match she had with her, Riven was surprisingly pleasant compared to Graves or Trundle. The swordswoman could have easily leashed out on the fox just as both of them did, but instead, she seemed to looked out for her. She even sacrificed herself to save Ahri. Still, this was the merely the first day with Riven. Ahri wanted to wait to witness her true colors before she can even trust her completely.

"Good. I'm very tired now," she yawned. "I wanna go to bed." Ahri was originally going to take a shower beforehand, but due to Riven's sudden migration, she had to do it tomorrow.

"Fair enough. I'm tired too," she agreed. "Oh wait. We have to share your bed, don't we?"

Once again, the idea of sharing grieved her, but strangely enough, Ahri wasn't all that reluctant this time, of all things. Especially since Riven is also female. "I guess. It's quite alright though. We are roomies now after all."

"Actually, I'll just sleep on the floor for now," said Riven. "It'll be fine, really."

"Huh? Are you sure? It's really no bother," said Ahri. "I don't think the floor is as comfortable." Ahri then went behind her pink dressing screen and started changing into one of her night gowns as they discuss. The one she was putting on was less revealing than her usual get-up, but still showed a bit of her cleavage.

"I'm good, Ahri. I've been through much worse you know. Besides, your tails might get in my way."

"You sound like you actually want to sleep on the floor," Ahri grinned. "You Noxions are so weird."

"Well... I don't want this to be a burden," replied Riven. "especially on the first night."

When Ahri was done, she saw Riven with her shoulder guard and waist guard off, merely revealing her stomach. Her saddles were also off of course. She can only guess that this is how Riven sleeps. Ahri didn't even bother questioning it in her head.

Ahri shrugged. "If you say so."

Riven already started laying down under the blanket she brought and lay her head on her pillow. Both women seemed to be ready to go to sleep. Ahri in particular may need it. She had a bit of plans for the next day.

"Good night," said Riven.

"Night, night," said Ahri.

The foxwoman snap her fingers, and everything went to black.