youre_smashing | (no subject)

"Of course my presence would break you out of whatever monotonous and boring task you were taking part of Lux~"

Draven of course was grinning from ear to ear as per usual. His smug expression paired with the pose of a conqueror as he walked a few more steps towards Lux.

"When not in books, it's scrolls, when not in that it's some other egghead task. Don't you want to live a little babe?"

Her knee-jerk reaction was to blast Draven point-blank in his stupid, arrogant face and her body agreed with the decision with the way her fingers suddenly sparked with energy. A half second of rational thought reminded her that setting someone ablaze in the middle of a city in peacetime would probably have annoying repercussions.

"You're right, your presence did break my concentration," she began, placing a cap on her marker. "Imagine my surprise when I suddenly felt an aura of insufferable pretentiousness so suffocating I could hardly breathe. Imagine how unsurprised I am to see it's you. Unsurprised and full of disdain."

Sparks he knew all too well Lux, but come one, aching for a fight with someone who lives for the thrill of it?! It's like gifting him a present! Then again, visions of grandeur would require a crowd and that is something that is currently lacking. The joy of fighting would be a waste with no one to bask in the greatness that is Draven.

"Ah don't mention it babe, I already knew I take your breath away, so tell me something I don't know." he began, Lux's comment flying right over his ~~overly inflated~~ head. "And it's clear that my mere presence requires no introduction, why should you be surprised? The masses clamor for my name day and night. The echo of the arena is loudest when Draven enters the match." Cue shiny grin.

"That aside though, wana tag along with?"

She wasn't sure why she was bothering--the art of verbal wit was clearly lost in Draven's sea of conceit. Still, when it concerned a Noxian it was very nearly her duty to fight them when appropriate. Oh, she was already missing the Fields of Justice!

Lux began folding her map into the teeny, tiny rectangle that it originally came in. "I could probably say just about anything and it would be something you don't know, you dolt. That aside," she said, repeating his comment very matter-of-fact and pairing it with an incredulous look "What makes you think I want to tag along anywhere with you?"

"Is there anyone who'd me more worthy of being company other than me? Cause I haven't found anyone who'd fit that category in my very extensive experience. Besides, no one else around here knows what it's like to live it up in the Rift!" Big grins all around!

"And besides, c'mon, I know you better than that. For someone that was brought up in the holier than thou's upstuck halls of Demacia, you're one who's more interested in excitement, fun, danger and wild." Here it comes...

"Who's the only person in ALL of Runeterra with all those qualifications?" He puts his hand by his ear as if trying to listen to a closely guarded secret. "Draaaaaven."

Oh. Oh gods. She nearly lost it. Who knew he was as ridiculous off the field as he was on? Though that hairstyle should have been a clue.

Lux doubled over into a ball of high-pitched laughter, her legs kicking back and forth as she squealed. It took great, heaving breaths for the mage to snatch her composure back and when she did her posture was noticeably more relaxed.

"I'm fairly certain everything about you is terrible, Draven. And even IF what you say is close...close-ish to the truth, you've still failed to convince me!" She sported a grin wry as she stared at the Noxian from her high spot on the pillar. "You're not the only person in Runeterra who meets those qualifications, as much as you'd love to think you're unique!"

"What? C'mon now Lux, you don't have to be humble for me! Bwahahahaha! Silly babe." Draven laughed hard, the smug grin never fading from his face.

"From Ionia to Zaun, the crowds call the name of the Executioner. The favored son of the show, the man who pulls no stops, the crowd pleaser, the babe teaser! I put the Vi in Victory after a night with me! I am the one and only champion of the arena, Draaaaaven!" And somehow, you could make out the crowds chanting his name. But more than likely it was his over inflated ego altering your perception.

"Humble? Silly Noxian, I'm not humble for your benefit," she sniffed, feigning indifference. "In comparison to how you drone on, I suppose it would seem like humbleness, but I assure you, if I could get a word in between your rants of grandeur you'd know different." Two could play at this game.

"Besides, do you even know who YOU are talking to?" she asked, pushing herself up to a standing position on the ledge. Reaching to grab her baton with one hand and placing the other on her hip, Lux stared down at Draven with an unmistakable sense of pride.

"I'm Luxanna Crownguard, daughter of the prestigious Crownguard family, friends and trusted allies to the King of Demacia. I'm the Lady of Luminosity," she continued, spinning her baton. "The arcane prodigy, the Heart of Demacia! Mages and sorcerers across Runeterra know my name as an illusionist and mistress of Light magic, and even your people know me as an arcane engineer and...spellthief!" she finished, her voice thick with smugness...and maybe a bit of silliness. It was fun to show off sometimes, okay?

"Don't think you're the only one who can go around spouting titles and accolades. If I were half as self-important as you, I could go on."

"Uh, Lux something something, light beams and shit. Demacia?!" He teased back.

"Right, right, same group of people who you keep running from, forsaking your duties in search of more adventurous paths. Come off it babe, you and I both know you hate the boring and uptight life of the city of 'justice'." he makes overexagerated air quotations.

"Besides, like I said, sure you got those high and pompous mages knowing you and all that junk, but me? The entire WORLD knows who Draven, the GLORIOUS executioner is! Let's cut the showmanship, we both know where this will end at." Nowhere Draven, it'll end nowhere if you were left to your rants.

"But like I said, why waste time thinking the deed, when you could be living the deed! Adventure, excitement and the thrill of life live inside your veins as much as mine. It's only fitting that like-minded individuals live it up y'know?"

"I don't need to forsake my duties," she responded, all the lightheartedness drained from her tone and swiftly replaced by derision. He'd hit a sore spot. "My dutes are on the Fields of Justice, you boneheaded half-wit! You speak about me like you know me so well, but I wonder how that could be?" Her upbringing kept her from cursing him in a variety of other manners.

"The longer you keep running your mouth, the less likely I am to fly off this ledge and into your arms for some...some trip of action and adventure to who knows where, that's most certainly a ploy to stick an axe into my back."

"If I wanted you dead..." He started in a more sinister tone. "You wouldn't have had time ta save yerself babe. And I'm sure you're very well of that..." Considering he had gotten the jump on her, there were very very few who could escape his barrage of axes.

He then simply stood straight and laughed. "Sore spot eh? C'mon now, even I know how to read and pick up the dailies from each nation. How else am I going to plan out my amazing exhibitions? There's plenty of talk about you shirking your duties, nothing to get yer panties in a bunch about eh? 'Sides, if you really are looking for a better life free of all the chains that place generally puts on everyone, then good for you! Keep the hell at it and grab the world by the balls."

"Wait...you can read?" came her immediate reply. It seemed to be the only thing she initially took from the entire exchange. Then a moment later:

"Yes, yes, I'm very aware of what you could do if you did want me dead outside of the League. But honestly, do you really think barraging your intended companion with insults will endear you to them? It has not, Draven." With that said, she took her seat on the pillar once again, sighing heavily as she sat and laying her baton over her lap.

"Don't misunderstand--I have pride and undying loyalty to my fair Demacia and wouldn't hear you tarnish her name so, especially as a Noxian. I fight in the League on behalf of Demacia. It's only that subterfuge and skulking are not what I prefer to do, though I'm exceptionally skilled at it."

"Right, pride." Draven shrugged. "If you wanna keep wastin' away following the ways of people too blind to realize they aren't right a hundred percent of the time, the fine by you. Just thought you were above the blind following of the rest that make their home there." He never did quite understand that place. You couldn't take a shit without having to worry whether you were doing it the lawful way. Fuck. That. Shit.

Draven pointed an axe at her, not menacingly yet just for show. It was kind of his thing. "Suit yourself then. Stay here and continue doing whatever it was you were doing. Sure as hell looked boring. But hey, if you want to chill, toss back some drinks and let loose around the city? You know my name."

After all, who didn't?! HAHAHA!

Lux rolled her eyes. "I could say plenty about your dear, beloved Noxus as well, but I'm usually much more civil than to voice my distaste." Swiping the books from beside her, the sorceress pushed herself off the ledge. She fell swiftly but stopped just short of hitting the ground and instead, levitated. After a moment, she dropped harmlessly to the grass and stepped forward and away from the gate.

"If it would stop you from trying to read me, dissect my personality, or tell me exactly who I am, I'll gladly join you, Executioner." Tucking the folded map between a book flap and dropping the marker into her satchel, she looked up (and up--why were all men of the League so annoyingly tall?) at Draven. "Just what adventure did you have planned, anyways?" After all the inane chatter between the two, adventure was starting to sound like a fantastic idea.

"Knew you'd come around babe." Why wouldn't she, he wasDraven afterall.

"And hey, talk about Noxus all you want. They just pay my check. I'm in it for the glory and recognition, not loyalty." Which was technically true, all Draven cared about was fame and glory. One of the things his brother Darius disliked the most.

"I was thinking, like I said, toss back some drinks, get some grub and go check out this place. Might as well see what field we ended up in, cause this sure as hell doesn't feel like Valoran."

With a mock huff, she averted her eyes and made a face. "Lux. My name is Lux, or Luxanna if you want to be formal, but let's be real, here."

Turning on her heel and onto the sidewalk, she tucked her trademark baton in her satchel, though the long thing's body was still protruding halfway out. She didn't remark on his confession--some things were better left unsaid, though one had to wonder on his sibling's take on the matter.

"It really doesn't feel like Valoran," she began, stopping herself there. Lux had to bite her tongue to prevent any further witty nastiness, and simply reminded herself that they were in the same proverbial boat. Her expression noticeably relaxed.

"Unless you're hungry, I'm incredibly eager to explore what this land has to offer. So, let's be off?"

"Yeah, I know babe. Lux is a pretty hard name to forget." Lost on him Lux, just lost.

"I mean, there's parts that kind of look like it? Remind me of maybe Piltover. Or a much cleaner Zaun. Either way, if you say you're not hungry, then I don't mind getting some checkin' out going."

Lux pursed her thin lips in bland annoyance. There were only so many times she would acquiesce to being called 'babe'.

"Brilliant! Then lead the way, oh slayer of countless men, and layer of their widowed wives~" There was some playful sarcasm there, but she doubted he would catch it.

Edited 2014-05-31 00:37 (UTC)

Of course he wouldn't catch it! It sounded perfectly accurate!

With a big grin and a nod, Draven began to make his way towards the city.

"So, have you found out anything about this place yet? I've heard hearsay, but I haven't really gone around much other than a few miles here and there."

"That 'boring and monotonous task' you interrupted me in the middle of? Yes, that would have been my research of this land. From what I've gathered it's peaceful with amicable citizens, if the handful of locals I met are any example. There seems to be quite a lot--almost too much to get your hands into, though. I was already fairly certain that I might find myself in a spot of trouble with authoritative types before I was able to look into everything I wanted." She paused and her face lit up with one of the bright smiles she was known for.

"If they can catch me."

"Right, well, it's better to explore first hand than reading it in a book, or map or whatever! It keeps it exciting and excitement is all there is to it!" No Draven you just don't care for planning.

"Friendly locals huh? I wonder if they've seen fighting around these parts then." Cause if they haven't, he'd show them the wonders of an arena.

Her last comment did bring a smile to his face. "See, I knew there was plenty of bad girl in you! I bet you'd love to get your hands on some of the knowledge around here. Especially items of interest, which reminds me, I'm going to have to look around for new artifact. I could only bring so many with me."

She really wasn't going to argue with him on this front--there were very few times when she found something 'less exciting' simply because she knew about it beforehand. But Draven did like to skirt death, didn't he?

"I'd like to think most locals are friendly. Unless they live in a desolate area ruled by insufferable twits," like Noxus, she mentally added.

"Anyways," she continued, taking a moment to straighten her hairband. "I really wouldn't consider myself a 'bad girl' for being incredibly stealthy--when you've secrets to pilfer, it pays to know how to hide in plain sight! Besides, it's not like I'll steal any of the knowledge or artifacts, here. They're not my enemies."

Edited 2014-06-01 22:37 (UTC)

Draven grinned, walking backwards as he looked at Lux, hands behind his head. "C'mon now. You're gonna tell me that if you find some precious tome with untold secrets, or some artifact of great value in the magical and mystic or whatever arts you're gonna just leave it? Especially if you can't get yer precious hands on it due to them not allowing you too?" Of course he was teasing, but that was the fun part!

"It sounds like you didn't understand the first time around, Executioner. I wouldn't--as much as you're going to go on a mini-rant about it, I'm a woman of with a particular moral compass garnered from being raised in the most upright city of Runeterra. I know how to ask for things and ask nicely. If I can't get what I ask for?"

Lux shrugged her shoulders and hummed dismissively. "Oh well. Not all secrets are held in tomes or magical rods." She smiled suddenly in the overly cheery, excitable, optimistic manner she was known by her peers for. "If there's a will then there's a way to find what one seeks! It only takes time and effort, and aren't those components in any real adventure, anyways?"

Yeah right, Demacia would do just about anything if they felt they were justified in their cause. Which, ninety-nine percent of the time, they believed they were even if they weren't. But adventure did sounds nice right about now so he decided not to continue that particular banter. If Lux wanted to continue in denial, that was cool with him! It isn't like he doesn't do it himself.

"Sure, I guess! I just thought adventure was what you made of it. Which is why I'm always on an adventure one way or another, haha!" He pointed one of his axes to the horizon. "Off we go then babe, to adventure!"

She pressed her lips together to muffle a laugh. If anything, she could say he was surprisingly cheery.

"Right, off to adventure~" she repeated, albeit in a sing-song voice. "Let's try to keep the 'terrorizing the citizens' portion of this 'adventure' on a minimum, mmkay?"

"Aww man, really? And here I was sharpening my axes... Well, sharpening them more I guess!" He teases with a grin from ear to ear. Everyone knew his blades couldn't get sharper!

With all of that out of the way and with his usual confident glide to his step, Draven got to stepping.FDC, here we come!

"You're not lost, are you?"

A lanky bearded man, wearing a laboat and sneakers, amicably meets her gaze from the ground. Either he does't notice she's perched up there several feet off the ground where she couldn't have climbed or jumped, or it doesn't strike him as particularly odd.

"That's all I can guess, with a map that size."

Lux smiled cordially at the man below and lowered the map even further. "Not lost, no. Well...," she dragged the word out, eyes briefly flicking towards the map. "Not really, anyways. I was attempting to find the most efficient path in which to see all the points of interests in this area. And...beyond," she added with a giggle, folding down a large corner of the paper.

"You wouldn't happen to be a local, would you?"

"I've been here long enough that I can call myself one without hesitation." He admits, pushing up his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "If you're looking for something on campus, I can certainly point you in the right direction."

She began folding the map up after snapping together the marker and its top. "I'm not looking for anything in particular, I'm just looking," she clarified, as if that explained everything. "But since you're a local, I could certainly use a tour guide!"

"A tour guide...?"

He wasn't expecting that, but at least it gives him an excuse to skip out on office hours.

"Well, I, ah, I suppose. If that's the case, I'm Dr. Freeman, the physics instructor here. You are...?"

Lux grabbed her stack of books and pushed herself off the ledge. A sudden gust of air slowed her descent as she neared the grass, and she harmlessly walked towards the instructor. With all the grace of a queen, she dipped into a curtsey.

"I'm Luxanna Crownguard; pleased to make your acquaintance, Dr. Freeman."

"The pleasure is all mine..." He adds, blinking, then looks out to the large buildings surrounding them.

"Ah, so what you see around you are the student and teacher dorms. No mystery as to their purpose: this is where most of us here at Smash Academy live. Out in that direction--" He points. "Is the courtyard and the library."

Lux's gaze followed the Doctor's first to the dormitory where she acknowledged his words with a nod, then to the courtyard. The word 'library' piqued her interest and her grip on the stack of books tightened. Knowledge was always a profitable endeavor, but even more-so was--

"Physical Education," she suddenly said. "I read that this is some sort of fighting academy. Would you expound on that, Doctor?"

Huh. He expected her to jump at the mention of the library... He does a second take of her, and then waves out towards the arena, which is over the edge of the buildings.

"Actually it is! Smash bouts are between two or more combatants, with the objective being to knock your opponents away and remain the last one standing. The arena is outfitted with holographic arrays that can simulate any environment we choose."

The teenager clapped her hands together with glee and made a little sound of approval. "Oh, that does sound thrilling!" Lux rarely thought of the life or death situation that usually awaited the Fields of Justice, but the fact that this was merely for sport did allow one to relax without worries. She would just need to make sure she didn't grow content.

"I assume there are tournaments and the like that occur from time to time, then?"

"From time to time." Although not as often as you'd think. "I take it you like the idea of tournament fighting?"

"I like the idea, yes." The better portion of her waking days were spent doing nearly that. "Proving oneself through skilled combat is as noble a pursuit as any, I like to think."