"Do you want me to?"
She paused, "Do I want you to what?"
He inhaled sharply, "Do you want me to propose to you?"
"Mister Badger?"
Badger's eyes snapped open, knocked out of the trance. Looking down, he saw a tiny hand patting against his knee.
"Are you there?" Annie, the Dark Child asked, an innocent look on her face.
Badger smiled and nodded, "My apologies Miss Annie, I was daydreaming."
"Don't say sorry to me, say sorry to Tibbers! He was talking to you!"
Badger's smile never wavered as he turned to the teddy bear on the chair that was beside him.
"Forgive me, 'Sir' Tibbers, I'm afraid my mind elsewhere today, you were saying about your trip to Demacia?"
The lifeless doll gave no response, Badger raised an eyebrow, and sipped again at the plastic cup at his spot.
He always ended up playing with Annie and Tibbers when they came to visit him. He was always sure to have a neatly set tea table for them.
He feared the day that they wouldn't be playing tea time, that the game would switch to something like Rock Paper Scissors... or manhunt...
"So, Miss Annie, so you said that you had a little fight with Lulu yesterday?"
Annie noded, and cracked a devious smile.
"She got mad at me, so I burned her."
"Where did you burn her?"
The child's eyes gleamed "Everywhere."
Badger gulped as Annie laughed. It was adorable, and absolutely terrifying.
"Did burning her solve the problem?"
The laughter stopped, and she took a sip at her empty tea cup. Crossing her arms, she frowned.
"No. She just came back and yelled at me to stop setting pix on fire."
"And did you?"
The smile returned again, "No! I set them both on fire again! It was funny!"
Badger twitched, but grinned. Even Syndra wasn't like this.
Or maybe she had been when she was a child? He didn't know, they never talked about their pasts except for when they were in sessions.
"Oh no! Look at the time!"
Badger's eyes turned to his clock, it was a little after one thirty.
"I do believe you have a play date with Amumu, no?"
Annie\ shook her head, "It's not a play date! Tibbers and I are his bodyguards!"
"Bodyguards?"
"Yeah! Some summoner apparently said Amumu took his ice cream. He's been kicking him in the shin every day!"
"Xaniss, you crazy bastard" Badger muttered.
He tensed for a moment as Annie picked up Tibbers, her little face grinning.
"Bye Mister Badger!" She said, and walked out of his office.
"Do I want you to what?"
"Do you want me to propose to you?"
"No!"
Badger shook himself out of his trance again, "Sorry, Lissandra, what was that?"
The Ice Witch blew her nose again and wept, "Why doesn't anyone use me in matches? Do they not see the amount of crowd control and power I bring to the table?! No! They see a scary witch! I'm not scary! I am beautiful!"
Lissandra covered her face as she cried, little ice droplets bounced against the floor of the office.
"There, there, Lissandra. Perhaps no one wishes to risk seeing your fair form harmed? Perhaps they believe you are frail? I personally would hate for you to be injured" Badger said, soothingly.
"Then why not say that?! I was once feared, Summoner! I was once a revered warrior and sorceress, now, I am likened to a story told to scare children! I could live with the fact that no one summons me, but no one wants to spend time with me! Do you know how hard it is to be immortal and to be alone?!"
Badger frowned, Lissandra had been complaining for an hour. Wasn't she supposed to be incredibly evil and manipulative?
Then again... What Sejuani and Ashe say about how their rivals act are different from how they actually do...
Lissandra took another tissue, her icy hands freezing it instantly.
"I'll show them, though! I'll bury the world in ice! They'll see! They'll all see!" She proclaimed.
Badger sighed, "Would you like another cookie, Lissandra?"
"I will take the whole box."
Badger placed a box of Sinful Succulence cookies in her hand, and watched as Lissandra took her leave.
He twitched as she accidentally walked right into his wall.
"Ahem, Summoner."
"Oh, right."
Badger got up and look Lissandra by the arm. He carefully led her through the door, and placed her back on the ice crystals that had been forced to be left outside.
"Thank you, Summoner Badger, same time next month?"
Badger twitched, but nodded.
Lissandra then made her exit down the hallway.
"Still can't believe she's blind" Badger muttered.
"Do you want me to propose to you?"
"Yes!"
Badger smiled as he watched Nami hug Ezreal.
"Yes! Ezreal and I are dating one another" The Marai said, smiling widely.
Ezreal blushed and grinned.
The Tidecaller nodded and turned to Badger. He winked at her, she turned scarlet.
"Thank you very much for helping break the barrier that was separating us." Ezreal said, graciously.
"It was my pleasure, I think you two look cute together" Badger laughed.
The couple smiled, Nami rubbed her head against Ezreal's cheek.
The two whispered to one another for a moment, causing Ezreal to yell "Wow!" and Nami to blush again.
Badger was about to reply, before he heard a knock on the door.
Answering it, he was surprised to see Kayle.
"Oh, you're here" She said, looking surprised.
"Uh, yes, Lady Kayle, I am in my office" He replied.
She glanced over to Nami and Ezreal, "I hate to interrupt, but I am in need of your services. I request your presence, alone."
Badger blinked in surprise, but nodded. Turning to the couple on his couch, he quickly asked if they were done.
"I believe so, C'mon Nami, I'm taking you to see a show in Piltover tonight!" Ezreal proclaimed, taking her hand.
The Tidecaller merely giggled as he led her out the door. Both said a quick hello and goodbye to Kayle, and disappeared down the hallway.
As soon as they were gone, Kayle shoved Badger in his office, and closed the door.
"Lady Kayle, may I ask what the meaning of this is?!" Badger asked, moving to get off the floor he had landed on.
She was on him instantly, "Since our event with Morgana, I've been insatiable! I need you to touch me again!"
Badger growled, and tried to pry her off him.
It was useless, though, the angel was far stronger.
"Listen, Kayle, I know the issue. Morgana uses corrupted magic and it's probably been messing with you since that day. You need to fight off its influence long enough for me to get you some assistance."
Kayle smiled, "You fool, do you really think I haven't already purged myself of her disgusting energies? No, I am here completely of my free will. I am past surges of lust, and wish for you to give yourself to me."
Badger blinked, "Respect me as another being with free will, and please get off me. I'm seeing someone right now. You're very beautiful, Lady Kayle, but my heart belongs to someone else."
Kayle giggled a little bit, "How cute, a mortal wants a mortal. Come now, Summoner, think of it this way. I am eternal, I will remain beautiful forever. Any mortal girl you have will wither and grow old."
Badger narrowed his eyes, "I look forward to growing old with her."
Kayle raised an eyebrow, but also smiled.
"Fair enough, summoner Badger, I will concede to your wishes."
Kayle got off him, and helped him up. Badger couldn't help but feel bad for her, he couldn't begin to think how lonely immortality could be. Kayle certainly seemed sad...
Badger's eyes widened as an idea popped into his head.
Kayle turned to leave, but was stopped when Badger put his hand on her shoulder.
"Kayle, tell me, have you ever met Lissandra?"
"Summoner, take deep look into mind, go where you please."
Badger closed his eyes and concentrated. Dr. Mundo had insisted on doing a meditation session. Unfortunately, it always seemed like he became the patient when the Madman of Zaun came to see him.
"As the wind goes where it pleases, so do we. We are the wind, we are the world. Go where you please."
"Do you say that after every sentence?"
Badger yelped as Mundo smacked him on the top of the head.
"You're ruining Mundo's concentration, Summoner! Now we start over again! This therapy for Mundo, not you!"
"I... Uh... Okay... Sorry?" The Summoner replied, rubbing his head.
"Mundo forgives you."
The two sat in silence, Badger awkwardly staring at the colossal man before him, Dr. Mundo with his eyes closed and his hands wrested on his knees.
As they sat there, Badger felt the urge to sneeze. Trying to stifle it, he let out a quiet "Chnk" noise.
The Madman of Zaun's eyes snapped open, rage within "Summoner ruin Mundo's concentration again! Mundo leave! Stupid Summoner unworthy of degree in psychology!"
Badger could only sigh as Mundo got up and stomped down the hallway. Before he disappeared from sight, however, he stopped.
"Mundo come same time next week."
Syndra walked quietly through the abandoned streets, the tiny face of her pet poro smiled at her from within the ball that held it.
It constantly floated by her side, allowing her to take her pet with her wherever she went.
She smiled, it had been such a cute present. If only it hadn't resulted in that awkward moment.
I still can't believe he actually asked me that question. "Do you want me to propose to you?" what kind of question is that?
She had told him that she wanted some charming young man to propose to her someday, as she hadn't wanted to put any pressure on him.
To her utter shock, he had indeed asked her to be betrothed, summoning a silver ring adorned with rubies from out of the blue.
She felt so bad about what had happened next. So unable to comprehend the situation, she had fled. Flying back to her temple as fast as possible, she had locked herself well within it. She had meditated, thought deeply, and even destroyed several walls in anger. She was so frustrated with her feelings.
She had known the summoner for 8 months, during which she had never had more fun or social experience with others. He had taught her how to live and shown her an alternative to causing people to fear her.
He was certainly special, and he clearly thought so of her as well, so why hadn't she replied? Why had she flown away? Why had she ran?
She closed her hands into balls and tightened her fists.
"No, I'm not going to hide behind how I feel anymore, he needs to know the truth of our relationship."
She concentrated on her mental link with him, focusing her energies on their bond to communicate with him.
Syndra?
Summoner, I request you meet me at your home, we have... things, to discuss.
Look, about last night...
Just meet me here as soon as possible.
Alright, I'll head over now.
Syndra sighed, and repeated her statement to herself.
"He needs to know the truth of our relationship. He needs-"
Her poro let out a cry of terror as a dart landed itself in Syndra's neck. The Dark Sovereign let out a loud yelp of pain, and collapsed to the ground.
From the shadows, a hooded man in a cloak appeared. Syndra's vision went hazy as she looked up at the man.
He glared at her, and placed his fingers against the side of his head.
"I've got the woman. Mission accomplished" he grunted.
Syndra tried to access her magic, but found her body was going numb. She could only breathe out deeply as she lost consciousness.