"Remember, don't put too much weight on that leg!" called Karma as Xin walked out the monastery's doors.

"Yes, thank you, Karma," replied Xin tiredly. He walked a couple of paces before meeting Irelia nearby and sighed.

"What's wrong?" asked Irelia.

"Nothing. I'm just tired," responded Xin.

"Was it Karma?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Everyone who gets healed by Karma comes out looking the way you do now."

"I'm not surprised. And I'm also starting to think you actually were good company."

Irelia laughed. "You prefer my silence over my words?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," said Xin, chuckling. "Anyway, I'm going to go get some beer. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, have a nice evening," responded Irelia.

Xin turned around and started to walk toward the lit-up alleys in the small town.

She watched Xin's figure disappear into the crowded alleys still full of people bustling up and down the street despite it being late in the night, before turning around and walking home to turn in for the night.


"OOF!"

"Get up, drunk ass."

"Wh-where am I?"

"Not where you're supposed to be."

"OOF!"

"GET UP!"

"GO TO HELL!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

"OOF! STOP THROWING MY FUCKING ARMOR AT ME!"

"OOF! WHAT THE FUCK?! GET OVER HERE YOU LITTLE SH-OOF!"

"I'm gonna ask you nicely, please don't interrupt my big boy nap."

"Or what?"

"Or big boy is gonna fucking pummel you."

"Bring it on, you fat ass."


"Back so soon?" asked Karma as she examined Xin. "It feels like it was only yesterday night I saw you two."

Xin and Garen shot each other deadly glares. Their fight was not over yet.

"You must be working out especially hard. Only those who train their hardest every day can possibly have soap in their ears," said Karma, barely holding her laugh in.

"Yes, you are quite correct, Karma," grunted Xin.

"Hold still," said Karma. "Okay, I've finished. You are free to go."

"Thanks again, Karma," said Xin.

"Thank you as well, Karma," said Garen.

"It's no problem. See you again tomorrow!" joked Karma.

Garen and Xin ignored Karma's remark and walked out the doors of the monastery.

"This was your fault," said Garen. "You didn't even return to the right place. Do you know how much trouble it caused me this morning?"

"My fault? The fight wouldn't have even happened if you didn't throw things at me," said Xin.

"Hmph. A wise man once said to never argue with an idiot."

Xin slowly turned his head to look at Garen, as if he was frozen in ice and trying to look around him. His face was expressionless as Xin debated which torture methods he should use before Garen's demise, fantasized about the big dumbass begging for his grace and mercy at his feet, groveling like the oaf he was. The gears in his head started to turn, and few things could stop them. There was a tap at his shoulder, and he turned around, grabbing the person's throat and choking them.

"X-Xin! It's just me!" exclaimed Irelia.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I got carried away," said Xin, with a pointed glance at Garen. Garen ignored him.

"That's okay, I'm alright," said Irelia. "But are you okay? I was calling your name, but you didn't seem to hear me."

"Sorry, I was a little preoccupied," said Xin. "I'm alright now."

Garen immediately stepped in. "Irelia, thank you for meeting us here. It turns out I have some things to take care of, so I will be off."

"Um—okay—bye?" said Irelia.

Garen walked off, wanting to get away from Xin and blow off his steam. He had no doubts in his mind that Xin was to blame, but he also did not want to escalate the fight any further. He would be much happier if only he could find any brothels in Ionia. But then again, he wouldn't dare cheat on HER. That ferocious woman with blood-red hair and a sharp tongue, with knives faster than the eye could see, with a long gash across her left eye. No, he wouldn't, couldn't cheat on her. Mostly because he loved her, but there would always be the fear of her temper inside him. She would surely do horrible things to him if he cheated on her. Sometimes he thought of it as a testament to her love for him; he knew she loved him, but sometimes, in the face of her wrath, you needed some supporting evidence.

Xin and Irelia were left standing in the middle of the road. Xin thought about what he should do. He didn't have breakfast yet, so he decided he might as well drop by a food stall. "Hey Irelia, have you had breakfast?"

"No, why? Are you going to ask me out?" teased Irelia.

"Mhm. I know a good place down the road," replied Xin, unimpressed.

"Okay, it's a date then!" said Irelia, happily.


Irelia was sitting in the forest clearing she had fought Xin in, eating some good food and drinking a good bowl of soup. She didn't know what it was called, as Xin had been the one to order for both of them, and he wouldn't tell her what it was.

"Why won't you tell me what it's called?" asked Irelia, between sips of her soup.

"Because then you won't want to go out with me," Xin smirked. "You'll take advantage of the knowledge and treat yourself to it without me."

"I have no such intentions," said Irelia, while suppressing a laugh. "Plus, delicious food would only be a side benefit. Who wouldn't want to go on a date with a clever, handsome man such as you?"

"Heh, you're good," grinned Xin.

"You learn a thing or two when you spend time with Ahri," replied Irelia.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"Interesting."

"Anyway, how long are you planning to stay in Ionia?" asked Irelia.

"Not too long. It's already been one day, so maybe a couple more days and then I'll have to head back. I don't want to be missing if something bad happens," replied Xin.

"I see. A second question, where does the magic in your blood come from?"

"Like I said, it's a long and complicated story."

"Well, there's no rush, right?"

Xin looked at Irelia, deciding whether or not to tell his story to her. In the end, he decided he didn't have much to lose and told her anyway. "I was born in Raikkon, a city on the southern coasts of Ionia. As a child, I worked on a little fishing boat called the Viscero. I would fix nets or scrub the floors until we were captured by Noxian ships." Xin continued to explain his story to Irelia, telling her about how he was taken to Noxus. "Some Noxians noticed my skills with a spear after a few years and offered to send me into the Noxian pits to fight. So, me, being a young and reckless teenager, agreed. I took up the name Viscero after my fishing boat, and started to fight against other Reckoners." He told her about how he won fight after fight and started to become famous, about how he was recruited to fight in a war against Demacia, about how he was captured and then freed by King Jarvan III. "I swore to protect him after I was freed, but I wasn't there when he was attacked and killed," said Xin, with an air of finality.

They were silent for a while, Irelia trying to take in what he said. "Wow, I—um—don't know what to say... I mean, I asked why there's magic in blood, not for your life's story," joked Irelia, trying to lighten up the mood.

"I guess you're right. You'll have to tell me your story someday," chuckled Xin. "Also, something else crossed my mind. How come you've gotten so comfortable around me? Aren't you supposed to hate me after our little... episode, if you want to call it that?" Xin asked, grinning.

"No, you're the one who has gotten comfortable around me. Can't blame you though, I always knew I was very sociable," said Irelia, grinning back.

"Maybe we've both gotten comfortable around each other," said Xin, smiling and standing up, taking his empty bowls.

Irelia finished up her breakfast and stood up as well, also grabbing her empty bowls. "You're going to take me to the food stall, so I can return these bowls and ask the cook what dishes they were." It was funny the way things were done here in Ionia, even to Irelia herself. One could so easily steal the bowls and never be caught, but then again there wasn't much use for another bowl in addition to the ones everyone had at home. Maybe because the food was so good, everyone felt happy and wanted to give the bowl back. Some people made their customers eat where they could see them, some used magic to make the bowl return to the food stall when it became empty, and some just went by the honor system.

Xin snorted. "Sure."