III
Their First Call
Spring afternoon at the Fortress:
"Ok, press number two this time."
"..Done. What's next?"
"Number six."
"Here.."
"Oh it's the last now. Press seven."
A ring that was a sign that a call was being held can be heard with a loud speaker, Syndra got nervous because the number was connected to Irelia's office, she doesn't know what to say if ever Irelia answers it.
The tension was getting high right now as Syndra was shaking and nervous while Ahri was so excited that she wagged her tails endlessly which it also some of it slapped Syndra's face.
"Your FREAKING tails are SLAPPING ME!" Syndra barked.
"Aww.. this is so exciting! I can't wait to hear Irelia on the phone!" Ahri ranted while grinning with some sort of happiness with her.
"What's exciting about her?! She is just like them! " Syndra thought about how Irelia was untrustworthy within her perspective.
And now, the ring ended and a low, cold voice reached on the phone's stereo, Ahri quickly jumped because on how Irelia's voice excites her.
"Hello?" Irelia answered the phone's call.
"Irelia! Hi~!" Ahri quickly snatched the phone and she was the one who answered instead of the mage.
"What the hell?! I am the one who is trying to call!" Syndra fights for the phone while Ahri gripped her phone tight.
"Hello, Ahri. It seems this was..Syndra's number? "
"Yes! And I love your voice behind the phone!" Ahri praised while her tails shoved Syndra's face to prevent her on taking the phone away from her.
" T-Thank you. I guess.. So, have you been working the phone well? "
"Uhuh.. Syndra is struggling to press numbers this time. What a shame! She loves popping air buttons but her number presses are sloppy!" Ahri snickered slyly.
"Don't EMBARRASS ME!" Syndra stomped the ground with anger.
" Really? Air..buttons? " Behind the line was a soft chuckle from Irelia that made Syndra felt the shame.
"Now SHE IS LAUGHING AT ME! YOU MUTT!" Her voice was so loud from her fury.
" I am sorry but, I find it adorable when someone plays those plastic things like a child. It's hilarious. "
Upon hearing Irelia's answer, she blushed intently because of a word that could bring her to shame or a compliment from sarcasm.
"Wait." Syndra pondered.
" Did she..just called me. " Again, she wondered for herself.
"Adorable?" Now, she gasps on that part, Ahri just laughed and enjoys Irelia's call a little bit of second.
She snatched the phone and took the line instead, giving Ahri a big shock that someone stole something she enjoys with.
"Hey! How rude! I am still talking to her!" Ahri pouted, her tails shrilled and ready for an attack.
"Are you hitting up on me?" Syndra playfully said as she smirked while she used her power to keep the dog away from her.
" Oh. Well, it's up to you whether you see it as if I am hitting you or not. Maybe I am too honest. " Irelia straightforwardly answered.
"Hmm~ Hitting? Oh, I think I know where this will lead to.." Ahri mischievously mumbled.
"Shut!" Syndra ordered. "Sit!"
"I am NOT A DOG!"
"But YOU are! So behave! I am so going to buy you a leash!" Syndra threatened.
"Aww.." Ahri gasps with tears, she snatched the phone before Syndra could talk more to Irelia.
"The HELL?! I AM TALKING TO HER!"
"Irelia! Syndra thinks of me as a DOG! She will buy me a leash!" Ahri reported Syndra from being too violent.
" You are a dog to begin with. I can't lie. " Irelia flatly replied.
"I am a FOX! F-O-X!" Ahri screamed.
".. You even spelled it out for me. " She chuckled on how Ahri was so quirky behind the line.
"Hehe~ I really love your laugh, Irie.." Ahri teased, she blushes on how she admitted it for Irelia.
Syndra was so infuriated on how Ahri stole the time where Irelia was free to call. It feels like Ahri was the one who talks to her the most though she just called Irelia to test the phone itself.
" U-Um.. It's..embarrassing, Syndra might hear. " Irelia stuttered a little.
"I CAN hear YOU here! Fool CAPTAIN. The phone was in loud speaker all the FREAKING time!" Syndra snarled, she struggled the phone away from Ahri's hand.
"Your FLIRTING stops right now! MUTT! It's my TURN!" Syndra took the phone and tried to take it off from Ahri.
"Wait, you are going to FLIRT with her?!" Ahri gasps, even her tails.
"F-Flirt?! IDIOT! IT'S MY TURN TO USE THE PHONE! YOU. STRAY MUTT!" Syndra screamed as her blush shows so much red to her face.
"I am not done yet! Let me talk to Irie for more!" Ahri fights for the phone, she pulls it towards her.
" Ahri.. please don't call me..that. " Irelia murmurs.
"Why, not?"Ahri tightened her grip to the phone.
" Nothing. I am just.. I can't get used of someone calling my nickname aside from my family. " Irelia admitted.
"Aww.. then think of me as your family!" Ahri happily chirps.
"Thank you. You brightened my day, Ahri." Irelia's voice softened though it came from the phone's sound, Ahri could tell that Irelia was smiling that was literally hiding behind that voice.
However, Syndra was in lost of words that Ahri was the MOST who spends talking with Irelia. She now was impatient to talk with her, using her powers that snatched the phone away from Ahri's grasp, but Ahri's tails fight for the phone.
"You. I am so going to throw you OUT. You TALKED TO HER THE MOST, IDIOT!" Syndra got infuriated to the fox.
"I am not done yet! Let me talk to her more!"
"Shut up! It's my turn, so be it!"
"What will you say to her? Hm!?"
"Well-!.. T-Things!"
"Things? Like what? On how you loved her from saying that you are adorable?"
"W-W-WHAT?!"
"I KNEW IT!"
"YOU! I AM SO..GOING.. TO THROW YOU OUT!"
"E-Excuse me?" Irelia suddenly got nervous on how the two fights for the phone.
"Oh..I apologize, Fool Captain." Syndra fixed her composure as she finally taken the phone away from Ahri.
"Hmmph.." Ahri pouted and waited for her turn.
"Call her later, Mutt. It's MY turn."
"I will wait."
"Hmph. Suit yourself."
Anticipating for escape just for her to talk to the captain all by herself, she hovers hastily, flying above towards a hill that resides to the landmass, her own fortress has nature that were so serene as the forests of Ionia. She laughed sinisterly as she left the grounds to escape.
"Oh really.." Ahri disdained as she watches Syndra floats above the hill, with the phone. "She really took the phone all by herself. How greedy."
At the edge of her eyes caught something that could make herself occupied, the box that holds the phone was left behind, and there is a plastic sticking out on the opening of the box; it was that plastic that she enjoyed the most lately, the air buttons were still left untouched which it made Ahri excited again. She took the plastic and start popping, giggling on how fun it was.
Now, Syndra thought words for her to start a topic for Irelia, she was quite nervous that she was literally talking to her rival that she somehow hated in terms of talents and potential.
"Hello?" Irelia called for her to know if the line was still ongoing.
"I can hear you." Syndra replied.
"I see.." There was a brief pause after. "Is everything alright? I could hear the wind intercepting the line."
"I am above from the ground." The mage answered. "Why do you care?"
"I find it odd that I can't hear Ahri's voice anymore. "
Syndra cringed a little that the topic was still about the fox woman that she sees as a mutt. She gripped the phone and spat angrily.
"You still thought about that mutt while I am the one who talks to you now?"
"Well, it's just a consideration. You two are acting like innocent children that was most likely seeing the world from birth."
"What?! How dare you.. Like I KNOW things that humans make from here!"
"True. You isolated yourself away from the others. And that is obvious why you have no idea on what's happening." Irelia's voice hoarsed.
"Hmph. Ask your foolish leaders that you follow." Syndra crosses her legs while she floated on the very tip of the hill as privacy.
"I have no choice but to follow them. I have my own reasons only to protect Ionia."
"Protect Ionia? Pity. This country was ran by those fools and they only sought protection from whom they believe it could save them." Syndra urged to scream that her anger towards the leaders who were the cause.
" I have no objections. You are certainly correct. "
"Tell me. Why you serve them?"
"I serve them because I took this path for my own, I have no purpose for this world but to do something that'll help to bring change, the Balance I sought was still one of the goals I have to attain..yet." Irelia explained thoroughly. By telling from her voice, she was literally serious.
"Oh." Syndra hummed. "Interesting."
The voice went off in a second as they made a silence, it felt so awkward that Syndra thought that the line was already out already.
"I can't hear her. Is it over?" Syndra wondered. "What? I hear nothing, where is she?" Glancing at the phone, she scratched her head and thought that the phone might be broken. She went back to the ground and looked for Ahri, whom she thought of loafing around with the plastic again.
Ahri was laying on her stomach at the porch of her fortress while giggling because of the air buttons, she kept popping them and totally occupied.
"What the hell.. YOU ARE STILL TOUCHING THAT THING?!" Syndra cried.
"Oh! Syndra! Can you buy more phone? I want more of these!" Ahri answered while popping the air buttons.
"Buy for YOURSELF!" Syndra snatched the plastic and throws it back on the fox's face.
"Hey!"
Then, Syndra shoved the phone to Ahri.
"What? Are you done? Yay!" Ahri jumped for joy.
"Fool! I didn't even said YES!" Syndra pointed the phone. "I can't hear her anymore. It's broken!"
"Broken? Are you sure?" Ahri analyzes the phone. "Hello? Irelia?" She called for the voice from the captain.
"Irie?"
"Relia?"
"Ire..lie?" Ahri chuckled.
"What the hell are you blabbering?" Syndra got impatient.
"I am trying to call her names. It's cute."
"She has names?"
"Nicknames."
"I see.." By thinking about it, she sees it as stupid yet annoying, but somehow, as she hears those names, she can't say that it was really cute.
"Irelia~?" Ahri still calls for the captain. "Come on..answer me!" Then, Ahri made a sharp, dangerous glare at the mage.
"What."
"You said something, don't you?"
"What?!"
"Probably you made her feel bad! She must have dropped the phone and left it!"
Syndra remembered their conversation, it was not that serious, Irelia was up to straight to the point of answering her questions but, is this the reason why Irelia was not answering? She felt guilty because of it, fair enough that Irelia was trying her best to serve the country even though it was her choice for her to protect it.
"I-I.." Syndra stuttered.
"I knew it." Ahri spats. "I am going. I must see Irelia."
But before Ahri puts down the phone, a voice immediately sprang up.
"Hello? I am sorry, Syndra. I just recieved a notice from my officers about the reports for today. I must've left the call behind."
The mages glances each other by the moment before they snatched the phone by themselves, and now they commenced a some pullings like a tug-of-war.
"I am the one who touched it first!" Ahri cried.
"Excuse me?! This is MY phone! So I am in charge!" Syndra struggled the phone.
"Pardon me, Syndra but I helped you made the call in the first place." Ahri pulls the phone towards her.
"But whose phone is this?!" Syndra pulls the phone to her.
"I don't care!" Then, Ahri did the same.
"Shut up! Go away! Shoo! This is my call!" Now, Syndra shoves Ahri away from the phone while dragging it to her.
"Irelia was more comfortable talking with me than YOU!"
"WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU!"
"Um.. "
"See?! Your face admits defeat!"
" Excuse..me. "
"SHUT UP! YOU JUST WANTED TO BE CLOSE WITH HER!"
"Well..um."
"Why yes! She was one of those humans I've laid my eyes on!"
"Wait..what?"
"Do you THINK I care?! Go and find humans other than her!"
Irelia just felt so awkward because on how the mages fight for the phone while she was on the line.
"What. You are interested with her now?!"
"WHAT?! NO!"
"No? Seriously?"
"Of COURSE NOT! WH-WHY WOULD I BE INTERESTED..WITH HER?!"
"So all of those things that I have snuck inside of Irelia's home was nothing?!"
"What..are you-?"
"Sh-SHUT UP! YOU LITTLE.."
"Why don't you two stop it!?" Irelia finally shouted behind the line, leaving the mages speechless.
"I am not going to let this get away easily, so you two must answer my questions." Irelia spoke after few seconds.
"Ahri." She called.
"Yes? Sweetie~" Ahri smiled and playfully called Irelia, Syndra was there facepalming as she cringe on the fox's ridiculous talking.
"D-Did Syndra was the one who ordered you to visit me? " She coughed a little to ease the embarrassment.
"Yes." Ahri stated directly.
"Why?"
"Because, she wanted to see what are you doing. I told her that you are having a day-off so that was the cause."
"Really?"
"Hm..I see her blushing Syndra." Ahri whispered to the mage.
"WHAT?!" Yes, Syndra blushed too. "H-How did you know?"
"Hmm.. I sense it from her energy. Don't underestimate me, I can locate humans with my magic." Ahri explains. "Oh..Are you blushing too? Amazing!"
"SHUT UP! SHE MIGHT HEAR YOU!" Syndra angrily whispered.
"Now..what are you two mumbling about?" Irelia finally spoke.
"Oh nothing. Irelia? You know what? Syndra has this attitude where she hates everyone but deep inside, she could care a little." Ahri stated.
"What?" Syndra said, flatly.
"What? What attitude?" Irelia asks.
"Hmm.. I think I have heard humans talking about a show called.. ani..mei? Ani..may.. What?" Ahri wondered.
"What the hell is THAT?!" Syndra cringed.
"I don't know okay!?"
"Then how does that relevant to me?!"
"It is called animé. I have seen it as I made my visit last year from Piltover. It was amazing, it was created by making hand drawn characters move. I never knew that such thing existed. Technology of Piltover was indeed amazing." Irelia explains in detail.
"Why yes! How come you are so smart? Ire?" Ahri praised the captain.
"Well..it's just a slip by for knowledge." Behind the line, Irelia smiles warmly as a sign she enjoys the conversation. "Anyway, how does that relevant to Syndra?"
"You know. I don't know what is it called. It is when a person was so caustic and rude? But deep inside, she could desire to someone she interested on?"
"Hmm..wait. Oh! That.."
"You know it?!" Syndra gasps. "Tell me!"
"A tsundere. Yes, I heard it from one of my accounts last time as they talked about that show even though I am not familiar with it. "
"Aha! Perfect for Syndra!" Ahri chirped.
"For the sake of GODS I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT SUCH WORD EXISTED." Syndra gave up. "You know WHAT? GIVE ME BACK MY PHONE!"
"Aw.." Ahri pouted, thinking that the call was in its closure.
"So.. Yes. I think that's it. If you have problems with your phone, don't hesitate to ask me."
"Fine." Before Syndra puts down the phone, Irelia halted her.
"I am about to remind you that my work tomorrow will end at the afternoon, so expect no answers when you call me. This phone was for my office, not for my home."
"What? Does that mean.. You will not-" Syndra hears nothing but buzzing from the phone as a sign that the call was dropped. "Hello? HELLO?!"
"Aw.. she put down the call.. What a shame!" Ahri teased Syndra a little.
"Shut up. Now her day-off was tomorrow afternoon, and she may not receive calls!"
"What of it? Why don't you continue your lovely talk with Irelia in the morning?"
"THE HELL? LOVELY?! SHUT UP!"
"Why?! It's the truth!"
"Hmph." She blushes from the tease, she glances the phone and made light touches on the number pads.
"Aw.. You missed her already? That's new.."
"SHUT UP!" Her voice boomed as it echoed throughout her fortress, with a deep blush spreads across her cheek.
She thought things on how she may contact Irelia if ever she wanted to call her, since her office was not available at the afternoon, she remembered that Irelia has a phone landline inside her home.
"Her number. HER FREAKING NUMBER!" She cried, taking Ahri and faces her. "I need it!"
"Her number?" Ahri ponders.
"Not her office but HERS! I want you to look for it!"
"Hey! Why don't you GET it?! I have done many things now."
"How about we make a deal? Why don't we share using this? I will DECIDE for the schedule of USAGE since it was my own property now." Syndra gestures her hand to make an agreement.
"Hm.. Amazing! I could play with Irelia for more." Ahri snickered. "Make sure I have more time."
"Tsk. Fine." Then the mages shaked their hands as an agreement.
The day ended of them fighting over the schedule of the phone's usage, in terms of charging, following the right handling of the phone, which made Syndra annoyed but, her hopes for the task she have given to Ahri was so tense, and she looks forward for her to have the captain's personal home number.