A/N: I decided to torture you guys with one more chapter of waiting before I write naughty stuff.
Please tell me what you guys think, it helps me improve my writing or pacing of story.
I really appreciate all the support so far, and you will be rewarded by chapter 8!
Quinn was discharged from the hospital several days after the incident, but the plastic tubes remained close to her heart, ready to have medication administered should any problems arise. Otherwise, the Demacian woman was able to stroll around casually, of course, still in proper hospital attire.
It mattered not, she was secluded within the forest, and Valor accompanied her. She would know, miles away, if anyone was going to disturb her from peace and quiet. She would also find the nearest shrubbery to hide behind for the embarrassingly revealing outfit that made her medically ready wasn't exactly the best outfit she would like to be seen with.
Originally she intended to only stroll about in the outskirts of the forest, but ended up at the river that ran north of the Institute, heading towards the east. Quinn hadn't realized that her legs took her this far, and was surprised that her constitution allowed it at all. There was also another presence at the ever-flowing river. She could barely make out who it was, or what it was at first, but as the shadow got closer, she finally saw that it was Nidalee, except as a cougar.
"Well hello there." The Demacian ranger greeted and knelt down, watching the cat-like beast strut forward casually and sit down in front of the raven-haired woman. Quinn reached, but hesitated a little, before she placed her hand on the cougar's rugged hair, brushing it back smoothly. The large cat purred and decided to lie down and enjoy being spoiled. It wasn't every day that people wanted to pet her as if she were a house cat. Well, excluding the beginner summoners; they were always on her tail.
Quinn eventually sat down and invited Nidalee to relax on her lap, which she did with her head, purring as she felt the soothing human hands stroke her head some more. Except for the purrs and occasional shifts of weight, it was quiet. The river continued its flow, and there was a mild breeze, brushing past the ranger's poor excuse for a head of hair. It was beyond messy. If she were to be still for a few days, birds would definitely use Quinn's head as a nest, if given the chance.
She wished all days were like this, peaceful and simple. Though this would conflict with her adventurous trait, Quinn knew the dangers of exploration all too well.
The Demacian ranger bit her lips, for the oddest reasons, she has been constantly thinking about her dead brother for the past two weeks. He's been dead for over 15 years now, and Valor helped her move on from him. Yet these dreadful memories continued to haunt her after all these years, stabbing at her back when she least expected it.
It was unfair.
The golden pair of eyes looked up at the sun, catching Valor's silhouette as he soared in a circle, signaling someone's approach with a loud screech. Nidalee herself sat up, ears perked up to listen for signs of danger.
The cougar snarled viciously at a particular direction, finally standing up on all fours in an aggressive stance. The human ears also caught the rustles of movement from beyond the horizon. Quinn narrowed her vision, focusing on the approaching figure. They had wings as well, and the closer the person got, the darker the atmosphere felt.
"Oh look, a petting zoo." Morgana spat in her vile sense of humor, keeping her distance from the large cat as Nidalee growled some more.
"Good morning, Morgana." Quinn spoke, wanting to remain on the fallen angel's good side.
"Save your pleasantries for my sister, I'm not that soft-hearted bitch." The dark feathers on Morgana's wings fell almost constantly, and where ever they touched, life seemed to drain away, melting into eternal darkness.
Quinn was speechless for a moment, but mustered some courage to speak again, "What are you doing out here? It doesn't seem like you to come out into the sunlight."
"What do you take me for, the weak sausage that is Vlad? I do not melt away at the sight of light, petty mortal fool." Morgana scowled, and even snapped back at Nidalee when she grew tired of her constant growling.
The cougar took a step back, but still kept her defensive stance. She then decided to circle around the human's back, pushing her head against Quinn's leg as if she wanted to leave this place, and desired to take the Demacian along.
"I… Apologize if it came off that way, but you didn't answer my question."
"I have no obligation to answer your foolishly pointless questions, mortal." Morgana hissed, "Now be off with your house cat, I've no wish to chat with you any longer."
Quinn wanted to argue, but Nidalee's notion of leaving seemed much more appealing at this time, so they slowly walked away. Valor, however, did not want to settle with such a score, and swooped down to harass the fallen angel with his talons. He squawked in discontent and flew away before Morgana could get hold of him. The ranger, observing the situation, snickered a little as Valor flew over. Kayle's sister yelled something like 'If it weren't for the league's rules, I would have plucked the life out of you both!' after their backs.
After walking some distance, they arrived back at the outskirts of the Institute of War once more. The building was visible beyond all the vegetation, and Nidalee stopped in her tracks to look back up at the ranger, wagging her tail slowly.
"Ah, I suppose you were escorting me back, then?" Quinn asked.
The cougar nodded and purred when she received some petting.
"Well, I'll let you get back to being in nature, then."
Nidalee growled and dashed off, seemingly pouncing invisible things on her way as she ran, disappearing into the forest. Quinn smiled and looked over at Valor, who was perched on his favorite spot on the ranger's shoulder, where he was able to nuzzle his beak against her face.
"You know I need to go back in now for my morning checkup." The Demacian ranger spoke, scratching her dear eagle companion's neck.
He let out a disappointed sound, pecking at his partner's slender fingers lightly. Valor accompanied Quinn to the door, and he leaped off of her shoulder, landing on the hospital's steps. They both held a sorrowful expression as they parted. The eagle would sit at the front door, watching the ranger enter the rather enormous building and disappear into the crowd of people.
"…are healthy as can be." Quinn heard the last part of the statement, and finally started paying attention. She looked at her doctor's face, studied it a little, before she proceeded to question: "When do you think I can take these out?" she grasped the tubes that lead to her chest, which penetrated her skin slightly, but not enough to be considered an open wound.
"Don't play with them." The doctor warned, taking the ranger's hand off of the plastic tubes, "I personally cannot answer that question, because I'm not the one that did this. But if it were up to me, I think at least one more week of observation and check-up should be enough to confirm that you are poison-free."
"Mmm." Quinn looked down at the foreign equipment in deep thought. "Okay then."
"You are free to go for the day, but I recommend going back to your room and rest some more. Remember to come back tomorrow." He warned, signing off some papers and handed it to the woman, who didn't pay any mind to the man's last statement.
"See ya." Quinn waved goodbye and left the extremely sterilized room. She can't stand the smell or feeling that oozed out of this place; it constantly assailed her senses. It's almost like sending a message that contained a peace treaty and a war declaration at the same time. The Demacian sped out of the ward as fast as her legs could manage, and finally broke out the front door, where Valor was still sitting. Except, he was sleeping, all cuddled up on one of the pillars in a ball of blue feathers.
"Val~" Quinn chimed as she approached the said pillar, looking up to watch the eagle's movements. Valor, hearing his cherished companion's voice, immediately lifted his head and peeked down the side. He let out a cheerful squawk and jumped down, landing in the ranger's embrace.
"Ahaha, that tickles Valor!" Quinn laughed, "I missed you too, silly boy."
Valor let out another heartening squawk, then took his place on her shoulder, ever vigilant for his owner. The eagle was smart enough to recognize that someone had done harm to her, and he would not allow the same thing to happen again (though it is odd that he didn't catch the criminal the first time).
The Institute of war was fairly empty at this time, save for the champions that have no home to return to, or they simply did not wish to. There were many of those said champions, and she could list quite a few off the top of her head: Nami, Vayne, Orianna… Come to think of it, most of these 'homless' people were females. Quinn tilted her head, her expression bearing realization, 'Kayle and Morgana don't exactly have a 'home' either… Or at least they can't return.' This thought made her realize that the sisters abandoned their homes in order to save or destroy it, depending on which she's thinking about. Though Morgana is a little bit more vicious, if she read her statement of joining correctly, it consisted mostly of: Kill Kayle over, and over, and over again. That sort of hatred must run deep within the fallen angel's vein to have kept it on for eons upon eons. It's hard to imagine them being close at all, but there must have been a time when it would happen.
"Can you imagine Kayle and Morgana not at each other's throat, Valor?" Quinn turned her head to look at her trusty companion.
Squawk!
"Yeah, I can't either." The Demacian found it hard to picture the two, sitting together, reading a story book.
Maybe it would be easier if she knew what Morgana looked like before she plunged into darkness.
Speak of the devil.
Kayle's sister just came out of the forest, and Quinn found a very strong impulse to hide from the fallen angel's view, which she did. She watched as Morgana brushed a couple of dead leaves off of her dress, scowling and muttering bitterly about nature and its fruits. Zyra probably wouldn't have appreciated that comment, nor would Maokai probably, if either of them were here. Still, Morgana dragged her not-so-awe-inspiring dress along, and then up the steps of the back entrance of the Institute, which is close to the hospital. The fallen angel then looked around cautiously, as if she was checking for any prying eyes, before she pushed open the double doors angrily, still cursing the world under her breath. This entire scene itself proved very suspicious, but Quinn can't exactly say if it was bias on her part or not. She's always suspected people outside of Demacia, and if she dared to say, she was even suspicious of her own leaders at one point. Part of her heart still holds some room for future occurrences of betrayal, should it even arise. She hopes not.
It was night time, and Quinn had woken up from her slumber. She remembers taking a nap at noon, but never expected it to be a full-on sleep. The ranger grumbled in frustration at her irregular sleeping schedule, but decided she might as well take a walk since she's up anyway.
The moon held its glory up high in the skies, illuminating everything as if it were the sun itself. Everything was cast in a mysterious, blue glow. Even Quinn herself basked in the moonlight, enjoying the view and calmness that was provided. It must be midnight, or even later for it to be so bright. The Demacian chuckled to herself and danced off into the woods. Since there were no eyes to be set on her this late, there was no reason to act like an adult, or care about her responsibilities.
Quinn ran through the forest, giggling as if she were a child again, and even went as far as picking up a branch to swing at nearby trees. "And the mighty chivalry, that is Quinn, strikes again at the heart of her foes! But fear not, the fearsome warrior possesses infinite capacity for kindness and mercy, and all the innocent shall be spared!" She recited one of the quotes from her adventurous childhood with her brother. The ranger found herself at a clearing; her legs must have taken her here, because she simply took off at random directions. It was the same forest clearing she met Kayle last time, and the makeshift dummy in the middle was still there. It felt more naked and vulnerable without the angel's armor strapped upon it, but she supposes something as precious as the Judicator's armors will not be left out here to be taken by random scum.
Quinn smirked to herself and raised her branch, holding it parallel to her face in front of her. "On guard!" She mimicked Fiora and struck the dummy, though with much less elegance than the duelist. She could only dream of becoming even slightly as good as the rapier-wielding fiend. If one has battled with Fiora, they would know the true meaning of fighting a blur. It's a shame that she's ALWAYS had to fight the female duelist every time they were sent into the arena. Maybe the summoners just liked to watch her suffer against a vicious opponent.
"Good evening, Chevalier Quinn."
The ranger turned around in full alert, her branch following through to ready position for assault. Though she doubts a branch would help very much if she was in actual danger. "Oh, haha… You heard that?" she sighed, running her free hand through her raven hair, slightly embarrassed. Quinn's golden eyes fell on the figure that was speaking, who emerged from the forest, revealing it to be Kayle.
"T's a fitting title… But there definitely has to be more practice in order to achieve it." The Judicator folded her arms, almost smirking.
"Well, you know, I didn't always want to use a repeating crossbow." Quinn shrugged, "But it happened to be the only thing I was good at when I joined Demacia's training academy. "
"Ah." Kayle seemed troubled by something, the ranger could tell by her constant shifting of weight, though it's subtle.
"Is there… Anything I can do for you?" Quinn lowered her branch and poked the ground, drawing small circles.
"I… Find it hard to bring it up." The angel lowered her voice, and still stood at the outskirts of the clearing, unwilling to move from the spot.
"Bring what up?" The Demacian questioned innocently, tilting her head.
Kayle froze for a good three seconds before her eyes lowered to the ground, her lips moving, but no sounds dared slip off her tongue. "Err... Nevermind, it's nothing to trouble you with." She then stated, turning around slightly with the notion of leaving. That was stopped, yet again, when Quinn caught the angel by her hand. What caught her off guard the most was when the ranger mustered a large amount of strength and pulled the Judicator back, causing their bodies to collide.
"Now you really have to tell me." The Demacian teased, observing the never-seen panicked expression on Kayle's face, who turned away.
The angel has never felt so powerless in her life. It almost seems like Quinn had it all figured out.
"I've been trying to… Solve a mystery within myself, and I cannot seem to find a proper conclusion, or at least one that I'm willing to accept."
"The Judicator is struggling with a case, that's unheard of." Quinn teased, chuckling as she gave the other woman some space, though she did not let go of her grip on Kayle's arm. However, if the angel wanted to, she could always break the grip; Quinn isn't exactly strong, especially at her current state.
For a moment, Kayle did not speak, seemingly to be pondering to herself. She then sighed, bearing a frustrated tone as she did. "I…" The blue eyes then made contact with the gold ones in front of her, "I'm having troubles with my feelings."
"And what feelings are those?" Quinn proceeded to smile smugly.
The Judicator could tell that this woman already knew, and is very much enjoying watching her disorganized, flustered self. "I think they are feelings for a person."
"And who is this said person, is it someone I know?"
"I never knew you could be such an ass." Kayle stated, almost glaring at Quinn if it weren't for the sudden smile that tugged on her lips.
"Whoa, I only asked if it was someone I know." The ranger giggled, "So is it?"
"Yes." Kayle took a deep breath and decided to confess straight-forwardly, "Her name is Quinn, and I think she has a despicable pet named Valor."
"Hey, don't talk about Val like that!" The ranger pouted, and then proceeded to laugh again.
Kayle laughed along, though a little more awkwardly than she would like.
"So what are you going to do about that feeling of yours?" Quinn continued her trolling; she can tell that if she weren't friends with the Judicator, she would have been sent to hell by now.
"I'm… Not accustomed to having these feelings and thoughts." Kayle admitted, her other hand balled into a tight fist, "I-I… I was hoping you would be kind enough to s-solve it for me." The unwilling stutters drove the angel to the brink of madness.
"Hmmm… So the famous immortal detective Kayle needs help." Quinn smiled and mimicked Caitlyn's accent and spoke, "I'm on the case!" She then proceeded to stroke her chin in thought, "Perhaps a kiss should be sufficient to ease your problems. Maybe a cupcake. How about a cupcake kiss?"
"You are an incredibly imprudent buffoon." Kayle glared; her visage serious for a moment before the corner of her lips lifted again.
"Only for you, I shall be the most imprudent buffoon you will ever see."
"Foolish mortal." The Judicator lowered her head, a red hue flushing her face as she tried to suppress the strong urge to smile some more. Quinn partook in the joyous feeling as well, sharing a small moment of the warm feeling.
"So, how about that kiss?" The ranger charmed, causing the blonde in front of her to lock her gaze upon Quinn's face.
"I…" Just as Kayle began speaking, her lips were seized suddenly, stealing the words right out of the angel's mouth. The sheer passion that they shared within that moment was overwhelming, and the kiss they shared only intensified as time passed. The angel's hands found themselves settled upon Quinn's slender body, who is much less physically built compared to the Judicator. Perhaps the idea of her vulnerability really attracted Kayle, who has always been the protector of her people; and at this point of her life, she may want to extend this protection to someone special.
The ranger, however, was much more aggressive about these things, and has already unclasped part of Kayle's upper armor, snaking her hands under the heavy metal. "I never suspected you would have anything underneath all this armor." Quinn snickered as their lips parted briefly, allowing the blond angel to catch her breath.
"I… Am a woman, after all," Kayle's breathing was fairly uneven, causing her speech to be shaky.
"I know." Quinn listened; hearing soft moans slip through the blonde's mouth almost unchallenged.
However, Kayle's hands reached and gripped the ranger's hand, pulling them away from her breasts as she locked onto Quinn's gaze again. "I don't think this is the time… Or place."
"Mmm. I almost forgot we were in a forest." The Demacian whined in disappointment, backing away slightly.
"Not only that… I was on patrol duty, and the other person on duty…" She glanced over at a certain branch. Upon it perched a beautiful white bird, observing their movements.
"Ohh…" Quinn's eyes followed the other woman's gaze until she saw the same creature, which she recognizes as Ashe's little hawk. "…Shit?"
"But, maybe another time? When I'm not armed to the teeth, I guess." Kayle looked at her own attire, "Does… The day after tomorrow sound, uh, good?"
"Oh? Where does the Judicator wish me to meet her?" Quinn raised an eyebrow curiously.
"My… Room…" she muttered, "…Nine, don't be late…" The shy angel went to clasp her armor back on, and adjusted it.
"Don't worry." The ranger grinned and watched Kayle turn around nervously, then squatted down slightly in anticipation, stretching her wings fully, and simply took off to the skies; disappearing from Quinn's sight. She then turned to look at the snow-white hawk, grinning slightly, and watched it leave the clearing as well.
"Mmmm, this should be interesting." Quinn bit her lips in excitement.
