Twas the afternoon of Snowdown Eve and all the children and parents hastily buzzed around the market. Toys and cakes were being purchased. Cookies in the shape of Snowdown icons being sold to patrons by vendors located within the large market place within the Summoner's Rift. It was a yearly event where the League happily allowed vendors of all type to enter within the field of justice and sell their hand-crafted goods to anyone who was willing to pay.
Of course, this came as no surprise that the ones called to maintain this marketplace were the champions themselves. Each of the males took shifts to dress up as the main attraction of the children. The majority of them were all merry, happy to deliver cheer and joy to the many kids that ran around the temporarily disabled field of justice.
However, this one particular Santa was not merry, nor was he happy to be spreading joy. He wore the costume of Father Snowdown, but only over his typical blue attire, including his mask, which was visible beneath the fake beard adorned on his face. In fact, he was sort of bored. His time was precious and each second ticked away at the clock. "This is a waste of time," he whispered under his breath as he sat in the giant chair, a line of children forming in front of him.
A woman dressed in a green outfit was at the gate. Her clothing was a bit too…revealing to be considered appropriate for children, but she had refused to wear anything else. She had brown hair pulled into a ponytail with a pointy green hat sitting atop her head. Obvious fake pointed ears were visible on her. A face mask covered the majority of her facial features, leaving only everything above her nose able to be seen. Her eyes mimicked the same boredom as the Santa that sat on the giant chair.
Only one of the three kindred spirits was jolly with the holiday spirit. He was the size of a child himself, but with a much more hairy exterior. A band with reindeer horns was planted on his head. A giant, red nose was stuck onto his face, and his outfit was made to look as though he was a deer since having him run around naked would not be appropriate. The tiny yordle zoomed around the small designated area, happy to make the children laugh.
"I LOVE SNOWDOWN!" Kennen exclaimed. His two comrades didn't mimic the expression. They merely sighed as Akali opened up the gate for the line of children. The first one that approached was a slightly chubby little girl with brown hair pulled into a pony tail. She walked up to Shen and sat on his lap. Her parents followed behind, ready with a camera.
"And what would you like for Snowdown, little girl?" Kennen asked as he looked up towards Shen, who had his stoic expression still.
"I want a karaoke machine! I've been a good girl all year!" the little girl squealed, making Kennen and the little girl's parent's laugh. Shen and Akali, not so much.
"Just remember, Shenta can see whether you're good or bad. So you better not be lying little girl," Kennen playfully said before lightly touching her nose. The little girl squealed in laughter as did her parents and the yordle. A quick picture from the parents and they were off with their little girl.
A second child walked into the gates. He was a yordle child, just shorter than Kennen. His fur was a much brighter shade of brown though, looking almost blonde. His tiny feet carried the tiny yordle towards Shen. He hopped up onto the man's leg as if it had been nothing.
"What would you like for Snowdown, little one?" Kennen asked as the yordle cheerily sat on Shen's lap.
"I want a blowgun and darts! I wanna be just like Cpt. Teemo!" The tiny yordle's smile was large. Kennen nervously laughed before patting the small yordle on the head.
"Maybe if you're good, Shenta will give you one," Kennen said nervously. A picture from the yordle's parent's and they were soon gone. Shen realized just how slow his shift as Father Snowdown was going to be. Inwardly, he sighed to himself.
A little girl in a purple dress with magenta hair stepped into the small designated area. She had a pink hair band with two tiny horns poking out of it. In her hand she held a very worn bear. She skipped merrily up towards Shen. Upon seeing him, she laughed lightly.
"Hi Shen! You look silly," Annie said as she jumped up into his lap.
"Child, I do not take insult well," Shen said in his monotone voice. Kennen nervously coughed and scooted away from The Dark Child. "Now, what would like for Snowdown?"
Annie pouted as she shoved the tiny bear she held into Shen's face. "Tibbers needs fixing! He's oooold!" Annie whined as she kept shaking Tibbers in front of Shen despite the protest coming from the bear.
"I don't fix toys, child," Shen said un-annoyed by the constant rubbing of the bear on his facial features. "Also, you haven't been a very good little girl."
"BUT SHEEEEEE-EEEEEEN!" Annie continued her whining until she realized it wasn't getting to Shen in the slightest. She stopped abruptly, pouting and just stared at him with a deadly gaze. Shen returned her stare with an apathetic look of his own.
The two sat looking at one another until Shen's hat busted into flames. Annie giggled as the decorations around the entire area began to catch fire and spread quickly. Shen threw the hat off of himself. Parents and their children began to run in fear as the fire began to consume anything flammable it touched. Kennen and Akali rushed out of the fire-engulfed area. Annie skipped merrily from the burning hut.
The fire soon consumed the entire marketplace. Luckily, no one was hurt or seriously injured. The only one who had sustained any sort of injury had been Shen in his attempts to save the patrons and vendors.
The summoners that ran the marketplace cried in anger as their precious yearly event was burning before their eyes. However, secretly, Shen and Akali were glad to not have to put on their Snowdown charade. Kennen, though, was slightly disheartened by it.
"Well I guess that seals our shifts," Shen said, removing the costume. Akali removed the hat and ears off of her.
"Since there is no more marketplace, I assume we can all head home," Akali said, looking over at Shen. He merely shrugged.
"Clearly," he said before turning and walking off. Akali stared at Shen as he continued to walk away. It didn't take her long to remember that Shen spent every Snowdown alone. He had no family to spend it with. Kennen had friends, and Akali had her mother at the very least. Shen never knew his mother and his father was slain by his own brother. It was then that she got an idea.
Shen sat down on the couch, a cup of hot tea in his hands. He sipped it gingerly as he sat in the dimly light place he called home. He wasn't particularly hurt by being alone on Snowdown. He just secretly wished he could enjoy the company of others during a time of family and friends. Inwardly, he sighed before hearing a knock on the door. Confused at who would be at his doorway at the late hour, he walked over to it, opening it.
Akali stood at his doorway, wrapped in warm clothing and covered in snow. She was visibly shivering. Strapped to her back was a long, rectangular gift. "Akali?" Shen asked in a mildly confused tone, "Aren't you going to spend Snowdown with your mother?" He noticed how cold she was and stepped aside, allowing her inside his home and shutting the door behind her. Almost instantly, her shivering had slowed.
"I told her a friend was in need, she understood," Akali explained. She took off the present and leaned it against the wall. "I figured since you didn't have anyone to spend Snowdown with, I'd come by." She took off of most of the warm clothes, including her mask, leaving her in casual clothing.
"What about Kennen?" Shen asked.
"Last time I saw him, he was with his friends. Probably having a better Snowdown than you," she said before giving a light laugh. Shen's expression didn't change.
"I made some warm tea, you're welcome to it," he said before heading out of the living room of his home. Akali strolled over to the kitchen, finding a steaming pot of tea. Grabbing a mug, she poured herself a cup and sat down at the table.
Shen soon joined her and the two sat at the table of Shen's home. In silence they sat for a few minutes before Akali broke the ice.
"I brought you a gift," she said quietly. Shen's eyes looked up towards her.
"You didn't have to do such a thing," He replied.
"It's something you'll appreciate," she stood up from her seat and began to head towards Shen's living room.
"I doubt that…" Shen said to himself, but followed her anyway.
Akali reached for the tall gift she had brought strapped to her back and lifted it. When Shen entered the living room, she handed to him. "Merry Snowdown," she said with a light smile. Shen cocked an eyebrow at her before taking the gift in his arms. He tore the paper apart in long chunks until all that he held, was a tall wooden box. Placing the box down, he took a knee. Confused, he opened it to reveal two swords, similar to his, inside the box.
"They're your father's…I stole them myself from Zed. Since you had nothing to remember him by, I figured it would make a good gift."
Shen had nothing to say. He merely stared down at the two swords that sat inside the box on top of a long velvet pillow. They closely resembled his, but instead, they were red. It took a few moments before he reached down and gripped one of the scabbards of the pair of swords. He lifted it from the box and pressed his thumb against the guard, pressing it upward and revealing a slither of the blade. Shen grabbed the handle of the sword and pulled the entire blade free. The blade shined even in the dim light of Shen's home.
"They're beautiful…" Shen commented as he slowly inserted the blade back into its scabbard. His expression still held its stoic figure, but his voice was laced with a type of sadness, but relief. "Just as the day I first saw them held in my father's hands."
Akali's smile widened just a bit as she saw his reaction to her gift. She watched as Shen slowly placed the sword into the wooden box and closed it. He looked up at her, and she could see that Shen's eyes had taken a very light gloss to them.
"I appreciate the gesture," he said, standing up from his kneeling position, "I wish I had prepared a gift for you as well, but sadly, I didn't."
"It's no problem really, I wasn't expecting anything in retu-"she was interrupted by Shen approaching and taking her in an embrace. Surprised, it took her a few moments before she hugged back. She was mentally relieved that he didn't see the light blush appearing on her cheeks.