Embrace Progress

"A fair way to look at it, Viktor." Torn from your individual activities, used as a pawn after having your amazing gifts toned down.. She sighs to herself. At least back on the Rift there was a sense of accomplishment from winning. Here, there was nothing. No strive to move forward, no talk of an uprising as far as she had heard… Did no one else want to return to the warmth of their bed? To see their friend’s faces. Of course they did… Lux was just looking in the wrong spot it seemed.

The wrong spot indeed-- if anything, the only thing Viktor had to return to was the League. No friends or warmth of a bed, no accomplishment anywhere else but on the fields-- and even then, it was rare for him to be summoned. So rare it was hardly enough to make a living; or at least a living so income dependent as that of an inventor who aims to replace limbs with metal.

An answer she expected, but did not want to accept. An impatient tapping was heard as the mage bounced the tip of her crude baton on the hip pieces of her armor. “Viktor…" Luxanna said at length, a sigh breaching her lips. “In times like these.. where we only have our hearts and our minds.. we need to be positive. If we don’t believe in ourselves, than.. well, who will? It’s obvious we’re being viewed as pawns. Doesn’t.. doesn’t that bother you, Viktor? You’re too strong and proud a creator to ever let anyone treat you less." Silence, and Lux reaches forward and places her hand on the other’s steel chest. “I still believe you have a good heart, steel or not. We’ll get through this. Together!"

"Perhaps it does bother me, but at the same time it's no different than when we are summoned," he shrugs his shoulders, turning away from the mage. It was strange just how quickly her mindset went in what little time they've spoken on a personal level-- going from 'IN THE NAME OF DEMACIA, I SHALL PUNISH YOU,' to 'Stay positive, Viktor! We're in this together!' Not that it was a bad thing at all; unlike most, she treated him as an equal. She treated him just as any other; rather than the fiend most others chose to refer to him as. Because of that, he felt more inclined to think positively. Just a little bit.

Jayce looked at his hammer. Indeed, he was none the better off in this place. He looked like some city thug with this primitive piece of weaponry. Dropping it like Viktor said because realized a hero like him shouldn’t fight with a stick hammered onto another stick to begin with. 

"I never did want a fight to the death," he sneered, "but I suppose an eye for an eye. I did steal from you; I should have expected you'd have something up your sleeve." Not that it made the inventor feel any better; he still hated Jayce-- how dare he do what he thinks is right. How dare he.

Ezreal leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples. He pulled the hand down his face, cocking his head to the side. 

No, of course not, speaking with Jayce wouldn't be so easy. Why had he expected anything other than this? He sighs, holding his staff up defensively in response to the other's fighting stance. "While I can't say I'm too pleased to see you; I'm not here to fight, Defender," he snipped, finding it odd that he'd be the first one to attempt being civil. The inventor dropped his staff, letting it fall the the ground with a less than satisfying clatter; and he left his hands up, open to show he wasn't interested in a fight.

Speak of the devil, just the man Viktor had wanted to avoid the most. He kept his gaze a constant on his adversary as he backed away. Avoid conflict, avoid the defender-- the last thing he wanted to see was this asshole's man's cocky smile. The inventor shook his head, no.

"You say somethin’…" 

"No," the inventor turned his attention to the explorer, nearly having forgotten about that one. He crossed his arms, feeling less inclined to point out that the explorer wasn't really one he often associated with the blundering heroes of the city of progress (large weapons and large egos, you know how it is). "We were all champions within the Institute of War, and even that did could unite us any more than this place will." The inventor watched the explorer carefully as he approached, thankful that his mask could hid the ever growing scowl. This place was far more taxing on his mood than Valoran ever was, and it was clear despite his lack of physical expression. 

"A brilliant inventor, of machines, weapons.. and excuses, huh? Who would have thought~" Her reply is as quick to come as his is, though it’s spoken with a grin. She was kind and good-mannered, she figured the other wouldn’t exactly be offended.. though she wasn’t sure where she stood with the inventor. 

Right? Yes, of course. Yes. No.

An unlikely friend [Viktor/Lux]

As he expected the same four letter word was uttered from her lips. Silence fell between the two, the only noise being the occasional clink of metal from him, and the shifting of cloth from her. It was a welcomed and familiar quiet, shared by those truly didn’t need the noise of words to fill the void. However, before long both summoner and champion where called off for one thing or another, their goodbyes short and to the point before splitting off for their own destinations. 

Viktor hadn't heard the knock at first, as the sounds of his usual productivity drowned out a lot of background noise-- in fact he just barely heard the summoner speak either. The muffled sound of her voice caused him to stop just long enough to remember that he had made previous arrangements. He carefully set his tools aside, moving swiftly down the stairs and towards the door to let his guest in. Pulling the door open he greeted the summoner quietly, stepping aside so she could come in.