#lightbcund

“Everyone, in position!”

THE YOUNG FACES turned away at the order barked at them by their leader, each knowing their role and place. Zed blinked slowly, eyes following the humanoid shadows disperse within the woods of the forest, both behind the trees and high within the branches.

THIS WAS SIMPLE as it was time consuming, that contract he’s taken upon himself. An aristocrat that took a liking in playing as a “tour guide” to foreigners was rumored to leave the bodies of many unsuspecting travelers in these woods.

IF IT WERE anything close to the truth; Zed was requested to put an end to this bastard’s sick games. And if there was anything the Master of Shadow loathed... it was the suffering of the innocent.

ZED BREATHED IN, then out, his rugged fingers grasp upon the hood resting around his neck like a scarf and pulled it up on his head.

TO ZED, THE HOOD WAS A VEIL.

RUNNING HIS PALM across his face, Zed closed his eyes and allowed the smokey shadow envelop his face with the mask which distorted his voice. When opening his eyes they were glowing red, the light bouncing off the shiny metal and to the tree trunk in front of him.

AND THEN, THE WAITING HAS BEGUN.

HIS MEN WERE trained for these scenarios. They were all in positions, silent, tense, ready to launch and charge at a moment’s notice. All eyes were set on the path for what felt like forever before the sound of chatter and horseshoes could be heard in the distance, getting closer and closer.

ZED NARROWED HIS eyes behind the mask, looking at the two figures on horseback. He was listening to them talk, waiting for them to pass...

BUT THEN THEY STOPPED DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS.

ALL HE NEEDED is to see the man’s fake smile on his lips and a hand reaching to hip before Zed gave the order. What felt for the young woman like a peaceful tour turned into a traumatic morning, witnessing a band of assassins launch at her guide from the trees and throw him off the back of his horse.

“You’re improving, love.”

“I still haven’t beaten you yet, Sona. At least you win properly now, instead of forcing a tie.” That had been embarrassing. The few months where Sona only parried until Lux collapsed from exhaustion and couldn’t hold her sword anymore... If the mage did not know better, she would assume that Sona had a really sadistic streak.

“You will win, sooner than you think. Not today, however.” Hadn’t she realized? Forcing Sona out of a tie was an accomplishment in and of itself, a clear mark of improvement. It had taken a while to explain that while Sona was a high wall to clear, it was not insurmountable - it was merely the years of experience difference between them. Comparing a young talent only now approaching their mid 20′s to a perfectionist at ‘thirty young’ simply wasn’t fair. When Lux toppled Sona ( and she would, at least once ), Sona had to wonder if the Crownguard would realize her own talent - just how far she’d come.

For now, however, Sona’s job was to physically beat temperance and experience into her sometimes far too reckless partner. To keep things fair ( and to avoid her own arrogance from causing trouble ), they had set simple rules that limited the kinds of magic allowed. They both knew that, if pushed, either one of them could completely decimate any one person... But part of this exercise was learning temperance and restraint. For both of them, really.

And Sona wanted Lux to feel a ‘fair but disadvantageous fight’. A difference in skill, not raw physicality or magical power - so when she won, she could feel she had won on even terms. There was nothing more disappointing than, ‘Of course I wouldn’t take the fight seriously,’

Sona sighs and tilts her head left and right, lifting her sword twice. For her, who couldn’t speak during bouts, it was their signal that the time to sign at each other was over and the match was restarting. The musician, for her part, had come to appreciate their spars. It was a refreshing change of pace and... If she was being completely honest, it was a little hard not to stare.

But you have the right to stare. You’re dating her. Sona wrinkles her nose and pushes that argument away for later, as well as any thoughts about admiring Lux’s calves. Bad. Bad, bad, bad, focus on the fight.

Their swords clash again a few moments later, a rhythmic progression of back and forths. Sona’s stern expression remains as she carries the melody of sword slices forward, then cuts into the harmony - only to be deftly countered. Oh... See, you’re improving. Why don’t you realize by just how much? Most people can’t respond to a change of tempo like that.

Still, an experience gap is an experience gap. Sona repeats the same trick, watching Lux parry her strike... and lets go of her sword entirely. Her hand slips forward and she quickly pries Lux’s hand off her own blade, kicking it to the side, then pushes the blonde down onto the floor.

Sona’s eyes twinkle as she pins Lux to the floor, straddling her hips and keeping her in place. Her hair curtains down around them both as both of their panting breaths fill the room. The musician smiles softly. As promised, Lux wasn’t going to win ‘today’. But soon.

“Um... Sona, are... you going to let go now?” Sona blinks, wondering why Lux is radiating ‘embarrassment’, only to realize far too late just what this looks like. It’s a spar! It’s a spar, this is normal- Her cheeks give her away and she pouts hard, harder as Lux begins to giggle underneath her. Doubling down, Sona slides down and rests all her weight on Lux, smothering the smaller woman. Hmph!

“Sona.... You’re smothering me! Come on, get off.” Sona shakes her head, grinning into Lux’s neck. 

“You smile a lot more than you used to. You seem so much more expressive around me. I’m glad.” Unfair. That’s totally unfair, Lux. Sona’s cheeks go deep red as she rolls to the side, pulling Lux into a proper embrace. Cuddling on the floor was a bit stiff, but it was no less stiff than Sona’s mortified expression. Turning her head away, she vaguely signs something affectionate with her one free hand, the other keeping Lux tucked in close.

“Mhmm...” Lux hums in agreement and for a few moments, they sit there on the floor - damp with sweat, exhausted, and strangely comfortable. Finally, Sona feels Lux shifting by her side. They were rather sweaty, so a change of clothes and a shower would do wonders. Preparing to get up as well, Sona shifts her hips... and feels herself pushed back down onto the mat.

She blinks, then glances curiously at Lux, only to see a coy and satisfied grin. Finding her hips straddled and her wrists pinned, she shirks slightly. That mischievous, sly look meant nothing good - it was a look Sona had mastered for herself. I’m a bad influence, aren’t I?

He’s been enjoying the class so far, learning plenty of techniques to improve his photography, framing a photo and changing the colour balance. Alune has been praising his work, but Aphelios rather suspects she would praise him regardless of how good his work actually is. Even if that’s the case, it’s still nice to have her comment on all his work. He hasn’t been too friendly with anyone in his class for obvious reasons, but Alune has been encouraging him to be a little bit more outgoing. Next class, he tells himself. Next class he’ll figure out something to say.

Bby I’m not accepting anymore but I’m gonna give you 5 reasons Why I love Ezlux just because I love you:

I think the potential for growth in both of them is so??? good? I’ve talked about this many times already, but I just love it. I feel like the way to go with their relationship is to have Ez have a superficial crush on her, get rejected and called out on why, and he’s like ‘okay, I understand. Doesn’t mean I won’t try to change your mind, I mean some of that stuff? totally wrong.’ Like in Pride and Prejudice after Elizabeth rejects Darcy. So Ezreal tries to prove Lux he’s better than she thinks, making concious desicions to change how he presents himself to her and his attitude/actions, which end up helping him grow for real. Kind of like ‘fake it until you make it but don’t know you are making it’ lmao. I think her rejection would allow Ez to mature into someone she could love, because he ends up going from wanting to show her better to wanting to be better for her as his feelings deepen. Ezreal falls first, but he doesn’t rush Lux into the feeling. He wants to be closer to her, and while she’s a trusting person, I don’t think she trusts her heart as easily after Sylas. I feel Ezreal giving the first hints of vulnerability would help them both. It’d make Lux trust him and Ez would step out a bit out of his comfort zone, even if he’s still under Jarro’s name. For Lux, I feel that Ezreal brings a sense of freedom and carelessness that’s lacking in her high stakes life. When does Lux get to stop being a Crownguard and just be a young girl? When does she get to have fun and not have the weight of the revolution and her aunt looming over her? Ezreal offers a window, an excape from that. Maybe a few stories from his travels and his crossings to show her not everyone’s deserving of trust.

They are adorable, they would be so sweet together! They both love adventuring and are eternally curious, it feels like they’d just feed off one another and never get bored.

There’s a lot of angst potential with the whole Jarro thing. It’s imperative for him to exist, Ezreal himself is probably banned from Demacia or something. Plus, that layer of distance is what gives him the confidence to open up a bit more. But it is still a lie, and relationships built in lies are always tricky if not doomed.

I also feel like they are so impossible, at the same time. Ezreal would never let go of his dream of travelling the world and filling every blank space in the map, since it’s not only his calling but also the way he copes with his parent’s disappearing. While Lux would never abandon Demacia until she sees it truly transformed into the kingdom she knows it can be, she could never leave her people behind. Which makes them giving into what little middle ground they can find so much more meaningful to me. They can’t have it all, but they can have this. And while they have this, the rest is bearable.

I also love the trope of Confident Character Turns Into A Mess In Front Of Love Interest. Plus Lux is very sassy and a good tease, their dynamic would be so fun, it’d make her seem not so hairheaded as she appears in her VO.

WELCOME BACK OMG

hands the dagger that you were stabbed with… “hi.”

Adventurer/Explorers Sentence Starters

     ‘haha- runes huh. all we have to do is to translate them.’ glowing runes being engraved on the surface of this wall. the risk of activating the defense mechanism in this ruin was high, it would be dangerous for two people to stay here. perhaaaaps he shouldn’t have brought her here with him, her safety was his priority after all. lives were short and precious, especially when it was related to a person that’s important to him. 

I really like this take on Zed - idk why people are mad. It shows so much more about him as a person and gives him more depth than just someone who killed for a shadow box to prove a point. Like ofc, he’s still going to be ruthless and scary, but at least we see WHY he is like this. People always gotta complain about something smh

Thank you.

There’s only so much content you can give to a 2D character that revolves all around hatred and rage. If people want content, they better not expect the character to remain “a single personality trait in human form” for long.

Like I said, too, Issues 1 to 3 already showed signs of what’s about to come when Shen finally catches up to Zed. I don’t know why NOW everyone decided to act so surprised that it went down this way.

And after Shen told him he’ll kill him the next time he sees him? Zed leaves and that’s his face.

The face of a guy that knows what’s coming. It’s contemp, it’s sadness, it’s pain. And a few panels later he appoints Kayn his successor because he’s figuring out that he might not come out of this ordeal alive and is slowly coming to accept it.

It doesn’t mean he’s going to just let Shen outright kill him without a fight.

But he’s not oblivious. He’s not stupid. And he’s sure as Hell no coward. He’s a person and people aren’t black and white.