Striding through the air conditioned halls of the Institute towards the much closer and convenient bathes provided for Champions, Ahri approaches the open entrance. The double doors were already wide open. They separated her and the change room with two curtains of red, adding an Ionion hot springs theme and feel to it.

The gentle sound of running water catches her ears' attention as she closes her eyes to enjoy the wonderful sounds making up the ironic peace within the Institute of War. Gracefully walking up towards the curtained entrance of the baths, Ahri gently moves aside the scarlet sheets with two of her fluffy tails and proceeds inside, greeted by a cool and abandoned changing room.

Searching around for whoever left the trail of dust and dirt towards a seat from the hall, she detects no other obvious traces of the elusive female champion who had decided to intrude upon her relaxation time. Whoever it was, Ahri deduced, judging by the dragging trail of dirt and shorter spacing between the footprints, she was quite exhausted.

"Which means she'll be annoyed if anyone else walked in on her…" Ahri thought to herself, tapping her lower lip gently before grinning playfully, her tails swaying, "and that would mean there's someone else who could possibly entertain me…"

Maybe coming to the baths wasn't such a bad idea after all, considering the possibilities. Besides, the Institute did tell her one of the best ways to learn about human life would be through interaction with others. Aside from restricting her from tasting the essences of another being's spirit, the Institute had not set many other rules out for her, something Ahri thought of as a way of telling her to experiment. It was going very well so far; her playful and curious attitude had not caused the Institute to detain her or bore her to sleep with another lecture.

"Besides," she asked herself, "no harm comes from a little bit of fun to make things more exciting right?"

From what she had seen, many humans she had spied upon while she was not on the Fields of Justice acted rather rashly when it came to having fun. Heading over towards a bench, Ahri sat down upon it gracefully as she lost herself in thought, her orb up to eye level as she gazed into it, images of men and women flickering across the translucent surface.

Despite her curiosity, Ahri is aware she's painfully shy at times when it comes to interacting with humans. Maybe it's from her original nature. Her memories as a fox are hazy and distant memories, but she remembers certain things.

Things such as gazing out from Ionia's thick and colorful foliage at parties where plenty of people gathered, laughing, eating, drinking. They danced without care, enhanced the air with the smell of spices, and kept it all lit with the constant glow of colorful hanging lanterns. The noises and images both attracted her and repelled her. When someone looked over she would escape from their gaze, darting back into the darkness as her instincts ordered her to. But with each night her curiosity only grew.

Her strange behaviour isolated her from other foxes, but she never felt at home with them anyway, leading to a solitary and lonely life. Her isolation kept her from feeling fully at home within the wilderness itself even though it had sheltered her throughout her life. With each passing night she approached the parties, her daring grew.

Then, one particular starry and moonlit night, she dared to venture out of the protective wilderness, towards the lights. A group of men and women were laughing and conversing loudly, sitting on mats surrounding a round table. At first, she was below their notice, out of sight and ears, but as she approached ever closer, her sleek and slender form finally caught the attention of one of the partygoers. Maybe they were all drunk beyond reasoning that night, or maybe they were just in a happy mood, whatever the reason, they welcomed her warmly like any other guest coming to join the table.

Of course, it wasn't enough to make Ahri approach them and sit down; she stopped after traversing a certain distance, lying down on the soft grass lawn. The strong aromatic smells of spice and wine intensified as she had approached, and what had started as a pleasant experience had made her lightheaded and woozy. Apparently the partygoers didn't seem to notice as they continued to beckon and wave her towards them. In return she gazed back at them with her golden eyes, completely intoxicated by the beautiful and alluring sight in front of her. In her heart, she yearned to join them, to be like one of them, but in her mind, Ahri knew she was much too different. She could not laugh, only purr, she could not drink from a cup, only lap up its contents placed in front of her. However, that night, her differences did not seem to matter much to the humans who invited her.

One of them, a large and burly man stared at her for a long time with a massive smile on his face. He eventually got up from his seat and stumbled towards her drunkenly, a bottle in one hand, a cup in the other. His back was towards those colorful and beautiful lanterns, frontal features hidden from Ahri, making him seem like a large shadowy monster stumbling towards her. Of course, she was spooked. Her instincts commanded her to bolt back into the shadows, back into obscurity, away from the colors, the smells, the laughter, back into the sheltering darkness of the wild.

But that night, her heart forced her to stay, her mind unable to send messages to her lithe legs and order them to stand and flee. That night, all she could do was stare, terrified at the large approaching shadow, which seemed intent on engulfing her. As he approached her, she felt her sleek and silvery fur stand on end, her vocals unable to produce anything else other than a whimper as the figure closed in upon her. Looming above her like a predator looking down upon its meal, the man crouched down; the only feature Ahri could see on his face was a large disturbing smile.

Everything seemed to have gone distant, almost silent as her sensitive ears pick up distorted laughter from far off, the lights behind the shadow melding and shifting erratically. The only thing she can hear clearly is the shadow's breathing and the sound of her own heart pounding fiercely in her chest. She felt as if she dared to blink her wide and golden orbs, the monster would devour her instantly. But she had to blink, her eyes were watering, it was unpleasant. Against her own mind and heart, against all warnings, she blinked.

The loud splashing of water brought her back into reality. The sudden sound caused Ahri to gasp and jump slightly, her long and furry tails standing on end. Breathing heavily, her eyes broke contact with her orb and the memories it held. Looking around at the quiet changing room, her mind continues to ring with the ghosts of her past as she slowly calms down. With a deft flick of her right wrist, she sends her orb towards a nearby bench.

"Those were…just…memories…" she thought, shaking her head a few times as if to clear her mind, her beautiful jet black hair swaying, "things that are in the past stay in the past."

By now she feels quite confined in her clothing which had become moist with her perspiration. She seemed to have broken into cold sweat while she had lost herself within her orb. Frowning slightly Ahri began undressing swiftly and methodically, sliding off her slippers first and setting them aside neatly on the bench she sat on. Bending one of her lovely and long legs, she smoothly took hold of the tip of her knee high sock and slowly pulled it off, the cloth sliding against her silky skin. Folding it and placing it next to her slippers, she repeated the same swift action with her other sock before stretching out her pale legs and wriggling her toes in the refreshing air.

Next came her top, it was made to bring out her slender body by hugging against her tightly, but occasionally it proved uncomfortable, especially when wet as it clung against her beautiful figure with a restricting squeeze. Pulling her top below her breasts, Ahri let out a light and audible exhale as her soft breasts and tender pink nipples came in contact with the cool changing room air, bouncing a bit. Her generous bust prevents her from pulling the top portion of her clothes over her head, much to her annoyance.

Her normal clothes were always such a hassle when it came to undressing. They required her to slip her multitude of long tails under her clothing first before she was able pull her top below her waist and finally step out of them. It was complicated, but necessary. This time, however, Ahri had something new, a gift from one of the many men who constantly left gifts in front of her room within the Institute.

It was a new set of clothes made to a perfect fit for her slender frame, and unlike most gifts, it was something she could put to good use. She did think it was strange whoever the gift-giver was knew her body's proportions perfectly well. The thought quickly left her mind when she brushed her sensitive fingers across the comfortable and stretchy material of the garments; they were unlike anything she had felt. From the looks of it at first, the clothes were an exact match to the usual clothes she wore; however, it included two new additions.

The first, instead of being two pieces, a top portion and a bottom portion, the clothes were divided into three separate garments. The second, after a quick examination from Ahri's inquisitive golden eyes, was something she had not seen before. Cleverly hidden by the tailor, it held the top portion together seamlessly and made a "zip" sound when the top metal clasp was pulled down. The center and bottom portions of the clothes also included the same seamless "zipper" as well. It made things much more convenient for her when it came to undressing, and the expandable silky material was very comfortable against her soft and pale skin.

Reaching her left arm over her shoulder while her right arm goes around her back, she turns her head around, silken hair trailing with the movement. Ahri bites down gently on her luscious lower lip as her slender fingers trace across the materials, hunting for the elusive clasp of the zipper, cleverly hidden by design. Moments later, her sensitive skin brushes across a small ridge on the back of her scarlet top. Pinching two fingers down on the small metal clasp, she quickly unzips the top garment. With a sigh of relief the fabric hugging tightly against her frame comes loose as Ahri's slender arms return to their original position. Now she's permitted to slide her arms out of the crimson sleeves of her top.

"Ahhhnnn…mmm, that's much better…" Ahri breathes softly, folding up her red top neatly and setting it aside.

While she bathed she could have her clothes washed in one of the provided hextech washing machines the Institute had recently brought in from Piltover. For her, such conveniences always perked her interests. Human creativity intrigued her, how they would create and apply ideas to something inconvenient to make it easier to handle. Even for the simple things, such as a chime at the door. Instead of having to knock, a simple pull of a string would produce a louder and more pleasant sound. All the conveniences overlooked by others would always cause a small and excited smile to form on her face as she examined them thoroughly.

Ahri giggled melodically as she remembered her first months wandering around the Institute, brushing her fingers across the architecture, the levers and switches, her inquisitive golden eyes scanning anything and everything. She recalled the first time she strode into the men's bathing area nonchalantly, greeted by silence and shocked stares as she looked around the baths curiously. Many of the men, mainly summoners, had their backs to her, and at first, she did not understand why many were such a crimson red all over. Finally, the silence was broken with the many loud bellows and yells of bewilderment from the bathers.

The ensuing barrage of bathing objects aimed at her direction combined with the ruckus told Ahri it was time for her to retreat. For her part, she giggled playfully and easily dodged the hastily thrown objects as if it were a game. She was later lectured by a senior administrator of the Institute about separate baths. The words "privacy" and "embarrassment" were taught to her and she committed the meanings to her mind, intertwining "fun" with the two words she learned.

She never did stop sneaking inside the men's changing room on occasion to have a bit of fun soliciting entertaining reactions from embarrassed and shy men. And besides, it was something she was told to do, somewhat indirectly. The Institute told her to spend time searching for activities, or as they called them, "hobbies". The goal, apparently, was to distract her from the incessant cravings she felt from deep within her heart.

Lost in her thoughts, Ahri had unconsciously finished undressing herself. Her hands held the bottom portion of her clothes while she stood there giggling softly, her fluffy tails swaying side to side. She's brought back from her thoughts by a slightly cooler breeze from the spinning fans on the room's ceiling circulating the air back and forth. The cold air causes a small and surprised gasp to escape Ahri's lips as her pale and bare body shivers slightly. It was getting a bit too cold for her now.

Swiftly folding the bottom portion of her garments and setting it atop the folded pile of clothes, Ahri lifted up her folded clothes and headed towards a set of crimson curtains leading deeper into the baths. Brushing aside one scarlet curtain with one of her white tails while another beckoned for her orb to follow behind her at a set distance, she stepped inside the washing room.

There, the bronze hextech washing machines stood, four in total, two on each side of the room, one of them to the left humming away silently, already in use. They're quite large, easily taller than her, and considerably bulky. Ahri approaches one with an open hatch, indicating its vacancy, and casually dumps everything she carried into the machine before turning around and proceeding towards the showers. Of course, she remembers to slam the hatch of the machine behind her shut with two of her tails, causing it to start rumbling and humming.

Another set of curtains hanging over the entrance of the showers awaits her as she approaches them, a warm and visible steam slowly drifting out from behind them. Fanning aside the curtains grandly with her elegant tails, Ahri enters the steamier and warmer shower room. The room had a sophisticated shower system designed by the clever engineers of Piltover. Spaciously separated, each shower is in its own little stall, walled off by artistic stained glass barriers.

Striding towards the closest and most convenient shower to her right, Ahri proceeds under the large silvery showerhead and brushes her hand ever so lightly against the single tap controlling the flow of water. Pulling back the shower tap lightly begins a slow and gradual flow of water out of the showerhead above her, the lukewarm dew gathering to the center of the showerhead and trickling down onto her luxurious black hair. One of Ahri's soft ears twitches in response to the sudden cool water contacting her sensitive scalp.

Gradually and surely, the water temperature rises steadily as Ahri's left hand inches the tap outwards, increasing the flow of warm water. By the time she pulls back the shower tap fully, the water is already at a comfortably hot temperature. As the warm water rolls down Ahri's smooth skin soothingly, washing away the sweat and dirt she had picked up from Summoner's Rift, she intertwines her nimble fingers together and stretches her arms straight up, loosening up and relaxing her tense body. Closing her honey golden eyes and letting out a dulcet sigh of contentment, she gently tilted her head upwards slightly, allowing the hot water to splash against her beautiful face in a refreshing manner.

"Mmmm…I should remember not to get carried away here…as nice as it is…" Ahri reminds herself, "Just a quick little rinse and then the bath…that's where we'll have some real fun…"

Spinning around playfully, she allows her silky tails to get slightly wet in the shower as well. Sure she's rinsed herself quite well by now, one of her tails skillfully pushes the tap back slowly, reducing the flow of hot water until it comes to a complete stop. Stepping out from under the showerhead and ruffling her dampened tails lightly, she sets her sights on the large single door leading to the actual soothing bathes themselves.

The door has a silver frame and large glass pane fitted in the center. However, the glass offers no vision of what's within the baths, having been fogged up by the warm steamy air inside. Softly pushing the door with her right hand, she steps inside the vastly different atmosphere that makes up the baths.

Hot air immediately surrounds her slender body as she closes her eyes, grinning at the sudden but pleasant change. The door swings shut behind her silently as she takes a moment to immerse herself in the warm environment, mischievous golden eyes opening once more, scanning for the other bather.

The main bath is a large rectangular pool of steaming hot water in the middle of the room, entirely lined with colorful ceramic tiles arranged in no particular order. Across from the entrance where Ahri stands are two other rooms she hasn't bothered to use before. If memory serves her correctly, one is a "sauna" while the other is a "steam room". Thinking to herself for a moment, she gives a small nod and smile. There isn't any harm in trying out new things. And then, she spots her. Shrouded in a light cover of steam and seated at the far corner of the large bath, hidden in plain sight.

She seems to be undisturbed by Ahri's presence, or completely unaware of it. Seated up to her pale and athletic shoulders in steaming water, her head slightly bowed, is one of the champions Ahri frequently encountered: Akali, the Fist of Shadow. It takes a moment for Ahri to recognize her with her usually tied silky raven hair let down, those serious and cold eyes closed and relaxed for the time being.

Grinning playfully, she strolls over to the opposite corner of the hot bath silently. Now, the real amusement begins…

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Yes I am still alive in case you're all wondering. Though I wonder who really constitutes "you all". I'm quite sure at this point the amount of hormone driven teenage players are now functional adults who don't play League anymore. That isn't to say there are those who are still fanatically loyal to the game and the newcomers who enjoy it. Well, enough prattle, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I've been sidetracked for far too long. I'll give thanks to WaddleBuff, he's the one who really convinced me to publish this bit, so I hope you all check him out or stay loyal to him, great writer and great friend. Ciao for now!