Another Vladimir anecdote featuring Lulu and Shauna Vayne (introducing Talon)
First off, I have some explaining to do.
So I've probably said that I prefer (can only do) non-pairing fics, since I spectacular suck at any pairing. However at the point of writing this little episode (which was waaayy before the Zed one), I might have intended for some attraction between Vlad and Shauna Vayne. It was actually one of my favorite pairings at the time (now I'm like... meh). I did not know what I was going for when I wrote this, and since it's a long time ago I barely have any recollection of it. So, yeah, there might be some obvious hints here. And obviously, since I suck at any romantic relationships, it kinda sucks.
TL;DR: There might be hints of Vlad - Vayne pairing. If you're not into that sort of stuff, I'm sorry. If you're not into pairings like I am, I'm sorry too.
"Mr. Vlad!" Lulu called, gliding on her wand through the dark streets of Noxus. Her voice echoed through every corner, stirring the deadly quietness of night. As usual, the gloomy, eerie silence did not bother her high spirits in the slightest. The Fae Sorceress continued calling, unfazed.
"It should be somewhere around here, what do you think, Pix?"
The purple fae made some incomprehensible noises. Lulu nodded in agreement.
"That way? Noxus is such a dull place."
In the darkness, a shadow moved. Several knives charged towards Lulu's direction, only to be deflected by a magic shield.
With her smile wide, Lulu greeted.
"Salutations, the Blade's Shadow!"
The Blade's Shadow himself stepped out from the darkness, seeming quite literally shocked.
"Lulu?"
"Yes, Mr. Talon. Isn't this a beautiful night?"
The fae nodded in agreement.
"Talon is fine, thanks. What… are you doing here?"
"As you've heard, I'm looking for Mr. Vladimir, the Hemomancer. Do you happen to know where he is?"
"Yeah, precisely that," Talon almost face palmed "Why are you looking for him?"
The real question should be "Why the heck are you, a yordle girl with a fae, looking for one of the most dangerous mages in the world, in a city belonging to such a hostile and dangerous nation?", but he couldn't help see how casual Lulu seemed to be taking this.
"Oh, you see, I've been growing bored. I usually travel around while I'm bored. Mostly it's in the woods of Bandle. Occasionally Miss Janna will allow me to accompany her to Piltover. Poppy sometimes allows me to stay at her place in Demacia for a while, too. While I've not traveled to other places as much, I've visited at least once each. Zac let me come to Zaun under his "surveillance". Braum agreed to take me to Freljord once or twice. Mr. Zed brought me to Ionia…"
"Wait… what?"
"… and Thresh took me on a tour around Shadow Isles once. You see, the point is, I've traveled mostly around this world, except for Noxus. Hmm, I wonder why… so, I decided that I will visit Noxus at once! I will use the chance to visit Mr. Vlad, too; I've not seen him in quite a time. I've been trying to find him, you see, but it seems he has yet heard me."
Talon stood still with his mouth agape as Lulu enthusiastically accounted for her unlikely presence on the streets of Noxus. The girl was a chatter box. Surely nothing could hinder her. Talon found, deep down, that he was unlikely willing to do the same.
"Uh… are you Vladimir's friend?"
"Well, you could say so. I certainly consider him a friend – he's a funny individual," holy cow? "not sure if he thinks the same, but it must be!"
"You did not inform him you were coming?"
"No, I've not been able to contact him," Lulu replied.
"Lulu, you should have informed Vlad beforehandedly. Noxus is not a place you should wander alone. Currently Vladimir is… not present in Noxus. He's gone off somewhere dealing with some dark magic stuff… yeah I don't know the details."
"Well, that's too bad!" Lulu exclaimed "it's already late. I thought we could meet Mr. Vlad, Pix!"
The fae flapped its wings impatiently.
"Well, I'm sorry, Pix does not like this place as much," Lulu explained "though I think all places are interesting!"
The Blade's Shadow felt a small twinge of guilt in his chest. He crouched down so that their eye level was the same.
"I know where Vladimir lives," he offered "tomorrow morning he'll be back, I've heard. How about, I drop you off at his place, so that you'll wait for him there?"
"Can you? Thank you! You are so kind, Talon!"
Talon nodded, turning to hide a small blush on his face – out of shame and guilty joy – at Lulu's heartfelt remark.
"You're welcome, Lulu," he replied, and Lulu beamed him a wide smile.
Vladimir didn't have to enter his house to know it had been infiltrated. He heaved exasperatedly. What was it now? Could the Noxians do business without a break-in serving as a warning? Not that he was too critical, but sometimes a note in advance would be really nice.
Especially in the situation he was in then – carrying an unconscious, blood drenched Shauna Vayne in his hands.
Not that he was complaining much, no. But if it was those bureaucrats…, well, it would be pretty bad.
Examining the slightest signs of infiltration, he easily recognized Talon's work. Quick, efficient, unlike his lady aka surrogate sister Katarina's messy ways. Why Talon, he wondered. The Blade's Shadow only served the duCouteaus, so could this be an "offer" from everyone's favorite clan…
He really had no choice but to come in.
But how did they know he came back early?
Vladimir unlocked the door and stepped in. There was light in the living room, and voices, too.
"Is it true that you can persuade Thresh to give you a tour on the Shadow Isles?" said Talon.
The hell?
Out of curiosity, he strode up to the door and opened it swiftly.
"Oh, Thresh is actually a nice guy. You just have to ask nicely – you see, he really likes cupcakes, too, so…"
"Lulu?" Vladimir startled.
"Mr. Vlad!" she cried out in joy "you're back! I've missed you. You did not show up for a while, so I came looking. Talon got me to your place since you were away," Talon shrugged "but you're here now!"
You can always trust Lulu to tell you everything.
"Uh, Lulu, just give me a head start before you come, alright? Sorry I was not able to contact you. And, Talon, please, did you have to?"
The assassin smirked.
"If I'd known you were bringing your girlfriend I'd not have dropped by."
Vladimir groaned. He'd forgotten.
"Is that Miss Shauna Vayne? She seems injured," Lulu asked worriedly. See, the good thing about Lulu was that sometimes she never seemed to care if anything abnormal showed up.
"Shut it, Talon," Vladimir snapped "she's finished the job before I got there, at a pretty high cost. I've stopped the bleeding, but she was still weak."
"I thought you and her were sort of enemies."
"I certainly do not approve of all dark magic cults, there's a chance we can have the same target. At any rate, this "Kraken cult" is a complete bullshit. Illaoi would have done worse."
"Who?"
"The Kraken… oh never mind. The cult was a fake, but deceived quite a few. Their leader was exceptionally powerful at magic too – not exactly related to Kraken, though."
"I assume the Night Hunter had taken care of all smoothly?"
"She killed them all. What did you expect?" said Vladimir, as he laid Vayne down a sofa. Lulu approached her and began casting a spell.
"Hmm, efficient," Talon remarked "you set your eyes on quite a hard mark."
Vladimir cast him a glare.
"Few," Lulu sighed in relief "I think she's alright. She might need a little rest."
"I'd better get going," said Talon, standing up "It was good to talk, Lulu. Vlad, take heed."
"Get lost!"
"See ya!" Lulu laughed, waving her hand.
With one fluid movement Talon had disappeared.
"You're so reckless, you know?" Vladimir asked as he came back with tea and some biscuits.
Lulu picked up a biscuit and happily bit on it, tossing some pieces to Pix. She said while chewing
"Well, what's the worst that could happen?"
"There are so many I don't know where to begin."
"You don't have to worry about me. I'm very powerful, well at least Pix is."
Vladimir sighed. He reached over and patted the yordle gently on her head.
"So, my little devil, how've you been?"
Lulu smiled gleefully.
"Doing pretty well. I've become friends with Gnar. Could not reach Rek'sai though, but Bard is adorable. I should take up Xer'sai tongue some time. Gnar talks very strange…"
"You can understand him?"
"Yes, Pix helps if I can't. How about you? What were you doing with Miss Shauna Vayne? Was it some dangerous magic cult? I want to know."
Was dangerous even a word in your vocabulary?
"Slow down. We weren't doing anything together. I came when she already passed out."
"Poor thing. She exerted herself too much," said Lulu, sounding truly sorry "but I thought Miss Shauna Vayne didn't really like you."
"Well yeah, that's the thing."
"Do you like her?"
Vladimir rolled his eyes.
"Do you really have to ask, Lulu?"
"Of course!"
Oh well.
"Perhaps I'm a little bit interested."
"Hmm, you need help?"
"Uh… no," if it was really what he thought she meant, then definitely no.
Lulu looked over the sofa Vayne was in, and shrugged.
"You can definitely use some."
"Thank you, Lulu," he said quickly, avoiding the subject. He came to the window, where one could see the city trailing beneath "how are you enjoying Noxus so far?"
Lulu followed him. She took his hand and he brought her up his shoulder.
"You seem to have grown."
"Indeed," said Lulu, looking at her hands "that's weird. I did not age at all in the Glade. Noxus… is a strange place."
"Is anything strange to you, Lulu?"
"Noxus is! It is so quiet and dark and Pix does not like this place! Why are the lights not on in this city, Mr. Vlad?"
Vladimir gazed down the foggy streets of the city, where only small dots of light were visible.
"We don't have them."
"But in Bandle we light torches! It's always bright in Piltover, and Demacia's not bad. But here, it's just dark and heavy. Pix says he smells blood!"
Vladimir glanced at the small fae who nodded enthusiastically.
"The Noxians are long used to living in the shadows. Perhaps that is why we hone the best of assassins," he replied "Therefore, no one feels the need for lamp posts."
"Really? You all must have good night vision! You know, like yordles – some of us have excellent vision at night."
Night vision
Vladimir laughed.
"Are the Noxian people that depressed?"
"We… certainly have a different moral standing from other nations. The strongest deserves to rule."
"But how do you evaluate "strongest"? How strong is "strongest", Mr. Vlad, do the Noxians have an answer?"
"That, perhaps no one can ever do. But that is what people stand by."
Lulu frowned.
"Then what happens to those who are not strong?"
"Society abandons them."
"But… that's not right, is it?"
Perhaps had he never met Lulu, he would have rejected the idea.
"It could be. But in Noxus, it is the social norm. People expect to be strong and strive to be strong."
"But what is strong?" she persisted "are you strong? Am I strong? Is Miss Shauna Vayne strong? Give me something to work with."
"I… am regarded as kind of "strong", by Noxian standards. The strongest one now, as of Noxus, is the Grand General, Jericho Swain. As it is supposed to be,"
"So it is strength in power?"
"Not only combat power, but strategic and manipulation too. That is pretty much the case."
"That's still not right," said Lulu "something's not right."
Vladimir might have an idea or two.
"Now, now," Vladimir prodded at Lulu's face softly "aren't you a little depressing today? Cheer up. I'll bring you to Sinful Succulence tomorrow. You see, there's even an angel in the darkest of places."
"Really?" asked Lulu excitedly "will we go? Will we go?"
"Sure, but tomorrow. I'm not sure Morgana opens at night. Now, hmm, the night is still young. Are you hungry?"
"Well, I'm eating these amazing biscuits. They are not from Morg, aren't they?"
"No, I bake them myself. Have some tea, Lulu," said Vlad, settling the yordle down a couch "then after that, we can see my library. I'm sure there'll be books that you'd be interested in."
Shauna Vayne opened her eyes to a dim light.
The hunt, it'd really gone south. The ringleader was unexpectedly powerful, although he had nothing to do with the Kraken. The mystery of the Beast still eluded in the shadows, but at least it'd got nothing to do with black magic – yet.
Vayne could remember getting burned with several curses, all of which had mostly died down then. To be honest, she really thought at the time she had no chance. There were too many, and she'd lost a lot of blood. At the time, she thought letting it end like that was an insult to her reputation.
But this place, was not that battlefield.
She was in a house, lying on a sofa. Her wounds were mostly gone. Her hair was down – and where were her glasses?
The room was decorated in warm, yellow colors, with only a sofa, two couches, a coffee table and several shelves. The shelves were filled with bottles of all shapes and sizes and boxes of what she assumed to be paperwork. There was an abnormally large purple hat on one of the couch…
Wait, Lulu?
Vayne sat up, and reached for the hat, trying to ignore the stiffness in her body. It definitely belonged to Lulu. Maybe the Fae Sorceress had helped her. But what was Lulu doing there?
No, something was amiss.
Her glasses were on the coffee table, her weapons were laid on a wall. Vayne did not think about picking them up just yet – she knew she was still weak – and opted for the window instead.
She looked down and couldn't quite place what she was feeling.
It was Noxus. She was in the center of Noxus.
And so was Lulu?
What the hell was going on?
"You're late, Talon," Katarina stated "this is unlike you."
For once, Talon had no defenses. Not that he usually complained a lot. He just shrugged.
"You didn't even need me anyway," he stated, taking his seat at the window.
"Well, yeah, but you said you were only checking on whatever was calling for the bloodsucker…"
"It's Lulu."
Katarina's eyebrows shot up.
"The fuck?"
"Well, yeah. So I took her to his abode," said Talon "you'd not want to let a little girl like her having no place to stay at night."
"Ah, no wonder," said Katarina.
The Blade's Shadow couldn't help a smirk.
"Were you worried about me?"
"What? Of course I was! Don't just suddenly disappear like that! I…"
His smile dropped.
"Kat… I'm sorry,"
The Sinister Blade turned around.
"I could not fathom Vladimir would take up companions like Lulu, ever. There're some you just can't understand, I guess."
"I would not find it so difficult to understand, Kat."
At Katarina's puzzled expression, he smiled.
"You'll see."
"I hate it when you sound all wise and knowing," she complained.
Talon shrugged again.
"Well, since we're all done here, shall we take a rest? You're really lacking it recently."
"And you're not?"
"Well, I'm used to it. But I'll take a quick sleep tonight. You can't really avoid it if you'd been in Lulu's enthusiastic company."
"It's… not necessary a bad thing."
"I never said it was. I'll get going, good night, Kat."
Katarina duCouteau smiled softly.
"Night, Talon."
Lulu was reading a tome on transformation technique when a slight change in magic occurred to her.
Someone had touched her hat.
"What is it?" she heard Mr. Vlad ask.
The yordle instinctively raised her hand to lift her hat as usual, only to find it missing.
"Oh, your hat? You left it back in the living room."
"Ah… I think Miss Shauna Vayne has awakened," she retold honestly.
Vladimir frowned "How did you know?"
"I think she touched my hat. I can feel it if people touch my hat."
The Hemomancer shrugged.
"She sure recovered quickly."
Lulu looked at the door.
"Should we go see if she's okay?"
"If you want to, Lulu."
"Aren't you supposed to be the one to 'want to'?"
"Yeah, I can pretty much see what she's going to do," said Vladimir "Did you like the books?"
"Of course! Pix seems fixated on them, too. Hey Pix, is that Dark magic?"
The fae floated up and flown towards Lulu.
"Always good to know, but we wouldn't use it anytime you know? We should be efficient. See, I know how to turn people into cats now."
They left the library, with Lulu carrying her tome.
"Let me help you."
"Oh, thanks, Mr. Vlad." Lulu replied as they began walking back the living room.
The two things that Vladimir enjoyed in his life were, aside from bloodshed, books and wine. He prided himself on having quite the unique and diverse collection of books and magical tomes (as well as an arrange of wine), despite only reading them as a hobby. Thanks to that he developed quite an understanding of magic and society as a whole. Although Lulu's magic was quite a new thing for him…
"So, Lulu, your magic… is like the one written in that book?"
"Well, the principle is pretty much the same. Magic is universal, after all."
"Yes, and we only interpret it differently."
"You sure are well-versed in magic."
"A hobby. It comes in handy in battles against mages, too. But, I'm still wondering, what good does transforming people into cats do?"
"Well, cats are incredibly adorable! Don't you think?"
"Sadly, not after Rengar."
"Come on! Rengar's not bad. He actually took care of Gnar quite a while. Gnar likes him. Though I do admit he's quite grumpy."
They stopped at the door.
"Well, your pleasure, Lulu."
Lulu placed two knocks on the door then blasted it open with her cane, revealing a very surprised Shauna Vayne inside.
"Miss Shauna…"
Before the yordle could finish, Vayne had already leaped at the Hemomancer's throat, silver bolt in hand.
"What have you done to me?" she shouted, blade at his throat.
Ah, typical.
"Oh hey, Vayne, I think you're the one currently assaulting me here."
"Do not fuck around with me!"
"Hey, language! There's a child here!" he exclaimed indignantly.
"I said…"
"Adoribus!"
Vayne could feel herself shrinking and turning into a… cat? (Not a two tailed squirrel?).
She tried to protest, but what came out was a "Meow!"
Lulu's hands picked her up and the yordle snuggled her, voice filled with glee.
"Aw, so cute! See, Mr. Vlad, I told you cats were cute!" she giggled "but the color is not quite what I expected though." The yordle frowned, scrutinizing Cat-Vayne "Too dark!"
"Meow!"
At the sight, Vladimir couldn't help a small laugh, though he tried to stifle it for the love of his life.
"Ah, but you were hurting Mr. Vlad! I can't let you do that! So fuzzy!"
Why… what were you doing with him?!
"Oh, we were just at the library, you see, he has lots of books. Before that, I had tea with biscuits, and before that I met Mr. Vlad, and before that…"
The Hemomancer couldn't quite keep it so subtle anymore.
Under different circumstances Vayne should have been able to sympathize with him.
"Lulu, you should turn her back. I don't think she'd be thrilled to remain a cat any longer."
"But she was hurting you! Like this, she can't do that and is adorable! It's a double win! See, you can snuggle her."
"It is tempting," Vladimir admitted with a smirk "but do change her back, Lulu."
Lulu's purple ears fell a little, and she looked at Cat-Vayne with a very serious face.
"Will you promise me you won't hurt Mr. Vlad?"
The earnest in her voice surprised Vayne. She sighed.
Alright, Lulu, I promise. For now.
"You will no longer be cute, is that okay?" Lulu's face was of pity now.
Yes, of course. Do turn me back, please.
"Dis-Adoribus!"
As Vayne returned to her true form, Vladimir continued
"A pink color scheme would've been better."
"Right? That was what I intended! Maybe I did not master it that well, though."
"Vladimir," said Vayne difficultly, trying to keep her voice neutral "what happened?"
"Do you need help getting up?"
"I… I'm good," said she, struggling to stand up. Vladimir chose to respect her decision – it'd not do well to touch her "now what happened?"
"I heard rumors about a Kraken cult and wanted to confirm its existence, so I set out on a trip a day ago. I was interested, since from what I know Kraken has nothing to do with black magic."
"No?"
"No. Indeed I was correct, but you were there before me and took care of things… quite recklessly," he added "I only stopped your bleeding and, oh well, brought you to my abode in Noxus. You are welcome."
"You saved me… why?"
"I'd not want you to die then, that would really be a waste," said Vladimir "shall we head back to the living… Lulu, are you tired?"
"Uh, huh," Lulu yawned "tomorrow we go to Sinful Succulence, right…?"
"Sure," said Vladimir gently, picking her up "good night, Lulu."
Lulu waved at him then dozed off, breathing quietly.
"I did not really expect you'd pull that off," said Vayne.
"Vayne, I did not, and could not, do anything to her. Lulu's just like that – she's always earnest and enthusiastic. Deep down, she only wants everyone to be happy… a simple soul."
The Night Hunter watched Vladimir lay Lulu down in a couch and placed her hat in her hand.
"I did not know you had this side in you."
"Well, quite surprising, don't you say?" asked he "but if you understand her, you'll never want to disappoint her. She's very loyal... although she can be really inquisitive at times."
"How did you two even get used to each other?"
"Well, she complimented on my grand humor…"
"Oh, wow. Did not really expect that one. So… I'm in Noxus"
"Lovely place, isn't it?"
"Certainly more of my kind of a place than Demacia," said Vayne "how did she go from super excited to snoozing quietly in like, 30 seconds?"
"Because Lulu is magic. But I guess Noxus is a bit too heavy even for her high spirits. Lulu can see residues of magic and life, which was probably the reason this fae was interested in her. Oh hi Pix."
Pix was sitting on top of Lulu's hat.
"Hello, Vladimir."
"It talks?" Vayne asked incredulously.
"Sometimes. Are you not tired, Pix?"
"As Lulu said, the air is too heavy for my liking. But I'm fine," said Pix "do pretend I am not here and go on with your… speech."
"I thought you had something interesting to inform me."
"I want to know more about the Kraken. You see, I left the Glade to explore the world. Thanks to Lulu I've known much, but I've only heard tales of the Kraken."
"So you are a freak even by fae standards?"
Pix simulated glaring at him.
"No offense. Would I assume you'd have similar interests?" he asked Vayne.
"Is it really not a creature of magic?"
"The Bilgewater people call it by different names: Mother Serpent, Bearded Lady, and the native tongue Nagakabouros. So, yeah, it's a creature of pure biological existence, no magic involved. But there is a person capable of summoning its presence. A rough, grunt lady…"
"Who?"
"Her name is 'Illaoi', Priestess of the Kraken. Though, for the love of whatever divine, don't go find her… though you'd not listen anyway."
"Is she that dangerous?"
"Best if you avoid her. You two would not listen, would you?"
"Not if you would not tell me." Pix said.
"Hit first, ask questions after beating them to a pulp," he murmured "harsh lessons indeed."
"Alright, thank you. Now you can pretend I do not exist again."
Then the fae dove down into Lulu's hat.
"You sure have… odd companions," said Vayne. Why was she talking to him so easily?
"My fate, I guess. There's also Elise."
"You two know each other?"
Vladimir stood up. He came to the shelves and picked one of the bottles.
"Would you prefer wine or tea?"
At her lack of response, he sighed.
"You can at least say 'I'd not consume anything you provide'."
He took a bottle of black tea leaves and put some in his teapot, adding hot water and brought it to the table.
"You can try to kill me now, if you want."
"I promised Lulu I would not. I will honor my word."
Vladimir poured himself a cup of tea, humming thoughtfully.
"Hmm, indeed," he said "say, Shauna Vayne – why do you want to get me so badly?"
"Because you are a dark mage and a murderer and…"
"Please," said Vladimir "the other reason."
"Why would you assume otherwise?"
"Because the way you look at me is different."
"What… what?"
Vladimir shrugged.
"The way you look at me… it feels more personal. It is as if I embody the very reason of your vengeance."
"My… vengeance…"
"I'd think you'd understand this better than I do. All the evil purging you do, it is because of vengeance. All those Kraken frauds you just killed, it was only to sate your thirst for revenge. But they were only substitutes to the real one. However, you consider me somewhere closer to the vengeance you seek."
"It is not vengeance, it is only righting what was wrong."
Vladimir took a sip of his tea.
"Vengeance, all the same. You are an avenger, Shauna Vayne, it is what makes you so ruthless and cold. There are ideas that you're becoming the very thing you're trying to vanquish. Which is… true, to a certain degree."
Vayne stayed silent.
"What fascinated me about you is that despite your ruthless vengeance, you're keeping quite a good hold on yourself. Treading between death and life, dark and light, and you still honor the promise with a small girl. Do you know how incredible that is?"
"Are you… complimenting me?"
"Obviously I'm rather interested in you. You can choose to place honor before you vengeance, which is astounding."
"I only know who the enemy is and who I am supposed to protect. I don't want another little Shauna crying in a room between her parents' dead bodies again."
"So you honed your vengeance into something else. How honorable," he said with plain admiration.
"I never really thought you were the type to spend time debating morals."
"Of course you'd not do that. I am the subject of your vengeance – anything of me does not matter the slightest to you," he mused. "Though I really must ask – what did I really do against you?"
He looked up to see her blue eyes hardened.
"I did promise to find the witch who killed my parents."
"I swear I am not…"
"It wasn't you, of course. They were not killed by blood magic, that is for sure. They only died."
"Ah. And have you come closer to the identity of the target?"
Vayne stared at him for a while, and wondered how such an intelligent person fell into the path of endless bloodlust.
"I'm confident I have identified her."
"Oh?"
"Emilia LeBlanc, the Matron of the Black Rose,"
She swore Vladimir was quite unnaturally shocked.
"Am I correct?"
"…"
Vladimir leaned back on his chair, thinking. He tried to make the connection – house of Vayne, and the Black Rose. He did see them in the List, but whatever the Vaynes were doing that required the Matron to step up…
"Answer me, Vladimir!"
"Why do you think it was her?"
"Because my parents know of them, an organization with the Rose insignia. I've come across their log some time ago – the Prince did me a favor. They were trying to look into "the Matron", and they claimed that the "Matron" was not simply just a human being…" and right now that bit didn't make sense to her "… it may not be convincing, but it's the only lead I have."
Suddenly, all started to make sense to him. How close the Vaynes must have come, to the true nature of "Emilia LeBlanc". And how dearly they'd paid…
The Hemomancer looked at the Night Hunter again and wondered why LeBlanc did not end the child's life. Did she go too far, as to force a small child to know the pain of living?
"Vladimir?"
Was this what Emilia LeBlanc expected to see?
Maybe, maybe not…
"So all of this was to get more information on the Rose - on LeBlanc." He said absentmindedly.
"I know you are associated to this organization," said Vayne, "if I interrogated you…"
"Well, now you know you can just ask," said Vladimir with just a little salt.
"I never thought you were this… noble."
Noble?
"Probably why I suck at being Noxian," said Vladimir. She could see at him whatever she liked. "I don't know exactly who killed your parents…"
"Is the Black Rose responsible?"
"…yes. At least, the List suggests the same. We keep a list of all possible enemies of the Rose – dead and alive. Though I do wonder why LeBlanc even bothered listing your parents if she saw in necessary to do it herself…"
Wait.
Was that actually intentional?
He really wanted to simplify things and stop being a conspiracy theorist, but really… was paranoia a real thing?
"So it's true, then. LeBlanc killed them…"
"Hey, wait up. Let's not jump to conclusions…"
"Are there any other conclusions? LeBlanc is ultimately responsible, even if she did not directly do the thing. Or… do you know something?"
Yes. More than he'd feel comfortable with, as of now. Really, LeBlanc, manipulation much?
"Look who's giving who the cold shoulder now?" Vayne smirked.
Vladimir blinked. It was the first time he saw her do anything close to a smile.
"Is there something wrong?"
He sighed.
"Seriously, what I am afraid is that you will soon confront LeBlanc about this and…"
"Why? Are you worried about me?"
"I am positive that you are gonna attempt such a thing, and honestly? Don't do it. your vengeance and skill are not enough to defeat LeBlanc."
"But…"
"But she will kill you if you choose to face her," said Vladimir. Because you can see the truth, as your parents had.
"I've lived for this very purpose…"
"Vayne… do you honestly not see any other reason to live for? Your cause is lost."
"I will do what I want, Vladimir. Unless you give me a reason not to," said Vayne "you obviously know something, and I'm willing to hear you out."
Why did she trust him?
Vladimir put the empty cup on the coffee table, debating his reply.
"This is my hypothesis, the reason your parents, the Vaynes, were killed was that they'd come close to the nature of LeBlanc."
"Her… nature?"
"Do you believe that there's one ageless beauty who leads the Black Rose since its dawn?"
"Well, no. It can't be, right?"
"Yes and no. There exists an entity called "Emilia LeBlanc". She's the real leader of the Rose. But LeBlanc is not a human being – it's an existence. She exists in every of her successor, taking over their soul and personality…"
"…she's different people but actually one?"
"The Rose considers it a title, but in actuality it is one entity in different forms. See, she even deceives her own people."
"My parents… were killed because of that?"
"Perhaps they were able to identify who the original entity was. I have no idea. Perhaps that is why I'm sitting here talking to you."
"Well, damn," Vayne cursed "that… is really…"
"Only a few people know of this. Let's see: Elise, me, perhaps Swain… and Lulu. Oh, now there's you."
"Lulu?!"
"Lulu always sees the truth, passing all magic and deception. Thanks to her and Elise I've been informed. However recently I've started to fear her little by little."
"That… that's quite a lot to think about… thank you, nevertheless…"
"Why would you thank me? I've just placed a huge burden on you."
"Why do people always say that? This is on my terms. This is what I live for."
"It is not necessary a good thing, anyway."
"No, it might not…" she whispered "I've got to go."
"In the middle of the night?"
She was about to say "I'm the Night Hunter,", but held her tongue and scrutinized the Hemomancer. Vladimir never struck her as this type of person… he was supposed to be her enemy. Sort of. Perhaps she'd misjudged. Perhaps the world is not just black and white.
Perhaps the murderer of countless lives out of sheer bloodlust was a pleasant, yordle-loving man.
Perhaps the one who purged evil-doers and darkness was a murderer.
Perhaps she could never find the answer.
Vladimir was still looking at her, expressionless. She realized this was the first time she considered him a man.
Was he more of a man, or a monster?
"Vayne?"
"Perhaps that is not a good idea."
Perhaps everything was never a good idea.
She suddenly felt very tired, craving for a long sleep. It was just being humans, right?
Shauna Vayne looked at her once-an-enemy and wondered if he had ever felt the same.
Vladimir returned only to find Lulu already awake, staring at him. Luckily, he wasn't that surprised. Lulu's whimsical conduct affects even her sleeping routine. He only greeted her
"Welcome back, Lulu."
"Is it really okay, leaving things like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Miss Shauna Vayne and her hatred…"
The Hemomancer only shrugged
"Well, what can I do about it? Her hatred wasn't founded without a reason. Though I do believe she's a discrete person; she won't be seeing LeBlanc anytime soon."
"Why did you bring her back here, Mr. Vlad?"
Vladimir smirked. It was inquisition time. Sooner or later Lulu would catch on, and she's just too persistent to back down.
"Because I wanted to know, why she'd look at me like that. You heard everything, did you not?"
"Is that all?"
"The other reason does not matter as much at the moment."
Lulu only nodded, which did surprise him since he expected her to press on.
"Talon was right. She was a hard mark."
"Hey, Lulu, that's not what I intended…"
"Well, you could have avoided the trouble and leave her there after stopping her bleeding, but you just decided to bring her to the heart of Noxus. Does she mean personal to you?"
"Maybe…" said Vladimir "but Lulu, who really taught you?"
"Taught me what?"
"Never mind…"
"I don't think Miss Shauna Vayne hates you." Lulu continued "like, on a personal level, not the "black magic creatures should die" thing. So, you know, you can…"
She couldn't finish before Vladimir gently patted her on the head.
"I'm alright, Lulu. I truly am. So, you don't have to worry."
The yordle smiled. She took her place on the couch and began reading.
Vladimir watched her eyes moving on the pages before heading over to the window, feeling rather amused… and a little confused, too.
Did he bring her back here because he wanted to do something with her?
He hoped not.
He didn't even know what exactly was that he wanted.
He shouldn't have brought her here. Why did he… but he only wanted to ensure she was safe… alive. And yet, he'd revealed a secret that'd plague her forever.
She and he, they all lived to kill.
For the first time since forever, he did not marvel at the thought of blood and death.
He looked back and saw Lulu staring at him, smiling.
Maybe he'd never been alive at all.
He smiled back, and something in him knotted.
What was he becoming?
"Is it okay, Lulu?" he asked in a whisper.
Lulu's eyes were so deep and kind.
"Yes."
END.
Bonasu Shiin:
Morgana looked up from a magazine and greeted
"Vladimir. What a pleasant surprise. I always thought you do your own baking."
"I actually do. Good morning, Morgana."
A second head (exactly the hat) popped on the counter, and Morgana almost jumped.
"Huzzah, Morg! Are you happy to see me?"
"Lulu? What are you doing here?"
She immediately regretted the decision, as Lulu began a long account on how she arrived at Noxus.
"…and then we came here because you cakes are awesome!"
"Shauna Vayne, huh?" asked Morgana "very well. Do take whatever you like."
"Okay!"
As Lulu had run off to the chocolate shelf, Vladimir began
"You could try treating her a bit more kindly, you know. She means no ill will."
Morgana almost roll her eyes.
"She reminded me too much, of what I used to be, and how happy it was." The Fallen Angel sighed "it's not her fault, I guess. But the innocence…"
"I've never been like that. Perhaps that was why I took to her. I can marvel at the things I've never had."
They both looked at Lulu, who was now choosing between different flavors of cupcakes.
"You are too human, Vladimir."
"And you are?"
"We might just all have sentiments within us. But do you regret? What you've chosen."
"No… but I am now not the Vladimir a few years ago, or the young boy feeling blood on his hands for the first time. I don't know what I'm becoming. But she said it was okay."
Morgana only shrugged.
"You're biting quite a lot, aren't you? Lulu, and then the Night Hunter… Would you like to get anything? I'm sure I bake better than you do."
"How mean," said Vlad "but I guess change is good. Do you have almond tuiles?"
The bell rang once more and simultaneously all three occupants of the store stared at the newcomer.
"Miss Shauna Vayne," Lulu was the first to speak "lovely day! Are you here for a cupcake?"
Vayne stared warily at the other two who only shrugged.
"No. I like mousse better, though."
"Hmm," Lulu hummed "Mousse is good, too. I love all the desserts."
After making sure Lulu was no longer paying her any mind, Vayne approached Vladimir, who was studying a box of almond tuiles.
"Morning, my dear," he teased.
Vayne immediately went rigid, but her composure was quickly recovered as she spoke
"Thank you," she began "for saving me."
That was awkward.
"You don't have to do something you're not comfortable with," said Vladimir "but if you insist, then you are welcome, Shauna Vayne."
The Night Hunter glowered a little at him, but said no word.
"Are you coming back now?"
"Yes, I'm on my way."
"Hmm, for the record, I have to say I'm sorry. Now you have to sneak out of Noxus all by yourself."
"No, not at all! Meeting you was very… helpful." Vayne replied "…it's certainly helped me learned a lot. Plus the bed was nice. I've not had a soft bed for quite a while."
Obviously Vayne was trying to lighten the mood.
"I'm flattered," Vladimir decided to play along "it's the guest bedroom for Elise. She's really picky on that stuff."
"Oh, is that so?" Vayne's voice wavered just a little that Vladimir didn't notice.
Morgana, on the other hand, elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ouch! Morg, what was that for?"
"Is that really the best you can do?" she asked indignantly "dearest Vayne, I suggest you avoid this guy… for he is really dumb sometimes."
"Oh! No! That's not what I meant. No, honestly, it's not what you think."
"Sorry," Vladimir interrupted "what is going on?"
Morgana was so enjoying this.
"I told you, he's dumb. Now, I can help you with your trip back to Demacia. I can open you a portal so that you won't have to sneak through customs."
"That'd be really kind, but I wouldn't dare bothering you…"
Morgana produced a basket of baking products and smiled.
"Of course not, dear. You are going to have to take this for me. Eat well, young lady, you seem to have starved over."
Vayne looked at the treats hesitantly.
"Thank you, but I…"
"Come now, I doubt you ate anything at this guy's place."
Vladimir shot her a "not my fault" look.
"And if you don't like it, I'm sure you can share it with your Demacian friends. I heard I was quite an infamous baker."
Without any choice left, Vayne took the basket.
"Good," said Morgana "anytime now, dear."
"Right now, if possible."
Morgana began weaving several strands of magic into a singularity.
"Vladimir, it was good to talk. If… if you have any other information, would you mind inform me?"
She was looking at him expectantly – one that suddenly resembled Lulu's inquisitive looks, except that hers were stone-like stoic.
He felt his stomach quenched.
She only wanted revenge.
What did he want, then?
"If possible," he chose to answer.
The Night Hunter nodded one last time before disappearing into the purple portal.
"Hah, I'm done!" Lulu announced, placing her purchases on the counter.
But the Fallen Angel was feeling rather well that day.
"Vladimir, you and your yordle gets everything for free. In exchange for the good story,"
It took Vladimir a while to comprehend what she just said.
"Uh, isn't that…"
"Do we? Yes! I told you this was a good idea!" Lulu cheered "Mr. Vlad, do take some more of those almond cookies! It's free!"
As they exited Sinful Succulence, Lulu started to grin.
"I told you we would get them free."
Vladimir sighed
"Alright, little devil, you win this time."
Oh my lord it is roughly 7000 words!
And again, hemoglobin puns are severely lacking. I suck at them, actually. It takes talent to be like Vlad, man.
Illaoi was referenced because at the time I wrote this, Illaoi was teased. You can see where my inspirations come from.
