#XIII / v4. what a curse to be born with such thirst ; even death couldn't quite quell the doom

[ly-kos]

@thenextchapterbegins said ; -

"You know, I always should have known your end goal was getting Hextech. It must have been so upsetting when we almost made peace with Zaun, even more so that even when I did make weapons, it still wasn't for you. It must be absolutely crushing as well that since your time here, your gains have been so slim that it must feel like a pity trophy."

// this is an unusually long rant coming from jayce, the man of progress. ambessa is almost surprised, raises an eyebrow. but she gives him the room to speak, as if the room was suddenly devoid of time. perhaps it was something he needed to get off of his mind. she listens, with care that others usually would have to fight for.

she does this out of respect, maybe. more likely, it's done out of curiousity. when he's finished, she gives him a good 20 seconds of silence, as if giving him the choice to continue, or back track, or show any kinds of retaliation. after he's proven he's done, she shrugs, settles herself down into the couch behind her, as if she owned the place. " brave. are you attempting to make a mockery of me, child? "

there's a deep hum in her voice, arms stretched out along the back of the couch, further empathizing her confidence and pride.

" what do you hope to achieve from irritating me? I thought I'd made it quite obvious that I wanted hextech. "

[ly-kos]

Jayce watches her carefully. Not sure whether to believe her words to be genuine. Mel never spoke much about her mother or Noxus, and never positively. When they saw each other before, in Piltover's bathhouse, her advice had felt like a verbal battle. It seems like a lifetime ago now, it might as well be. He would question her how she managed to sneak past Piltover's defenses, how she knew where to find him alone, but he knows that would be futile. None of their guards have even half the experience she does in war. Could they really avoid an all out battle? Even if they succeed in stopping the future he was shown, the casualties will be devastating. Avoiding this is worth the risk. " I trust you realise killing me wouldn't stop our resistance . " He says. Not delusional enough to believe he could beat her in combat, even without weapons. " You should know nothing you say will convince me to let you at the hexgates . You can't begin to conceive the cost . " The visions still haunt him, he doubts they ever won't.

// she's almost surprised he's willing to talk to her. seeing how the battle is panning out, it's not that ambessa is worried about her chances, but the casualties that she would like to avoid. piltover isn't quite as incapable as she'd first assumed it to be, she'd hate to have to run it into the ground.

ambessa is a woman who knows war. she may not be small and agile, but she knows her way around guards and she knows how to avoid their watchful gazes. it was not difficult to find jayce on his own.

her hand slowly raises to rest on her own chest, giving him an almost bow of respect. " no. but I think you are a much more reasonable man. I believe we could figure something out that benefits both of us. "

the noxian woman laughs, at the mentioned resistance. " you don't truly believe you've got a chance against a real, noxian army, do you, future boy? "

[ly-kos]

@gaevaer said ; x

‘ am i supposed to be grateful that i survived this? ’

// what ambessa had aimed for in her last moments was exactly what would be the way of truly killing a noxian. not death, but disabling them, taking away their spirit, their fight.

aiming for her eye was supposed to be foul. she'd gone for it knowing exactly this would kill her. she watches caitlyn, her gaze cold, sitting on the just as cold, empty floor of the cell.

" I'm surprised that you did. " , is her response. because, had she been in her position, she is almost certain, that before she'd have to suffer the humiliation of returning home in such a wounded state, just barely clinging onto life, she'd have killed herself first.

caitlyn surviving is disappointing.

ambessa surviving is even more.

" you weren't supposed to. " , she adds, bitter. " how do you live with yourself? "

how do you live, knowing that you will never shoot and hit a target again? how do you live, knowing you can barely aim for a mug and actually pick it up? how do you live, knowing you will never fight a fair fight again?

she doesn't think she could, had she gotten out of that fight with worse than bruises, cuts and more scars. she doesn't think she could live with herself, had that been the case.

[ly-kos]

@gaevaer said ; x

" what are you going to do if I let you out of here? "

// nothing is more humiliating than survival for a noxian. where any other person would've been glad to wake up, even if in a cell, at least they're waking up, after all, all ambessa could feel was disappointment.

this isn't the first night she's spent, locked up. she knows she's suffered such humiliation before, but it hadn't lasted long then, and she convinces herself, it won't last long now, either.

when she would bang on the walls with her fists until they bled, or rattle on the bars till you'd think they should bend, she probably isn't helping her case, though.

caitlyn. caitlyn acts so smug about her survival that for a moment, all she could feel for someone who was previously family, was hatred. not even her betrayal made her feel this disappointed. because at least there, she was following ideals, she was fighting for her side, there is honor in being genuinely tricked.

there is no honor in mercy.

ambessa huffs a breath through barely parted lips. it's sharp. " kill you, obviously. " , the noxian claims, with a coldness she believes the other hadn't even gotten to know. even when caitlyn betrayed her, she'd respected her enough to not even be capable of watching a dishonorable fate such as an execution.

a hand wraps around the bars, forehead pressed against them. " when are you going to finish the job? I expected better of you. "

[ly-kos]

tag drop 2.

IX / q. for the first time since I drew breath ; I'm undesirable again X / v1. so don't call for me when you drown XI / v2. the smoke is returning ; I thought you'd be smarter than that XII / v3. you have the fire in your eyes ; the opportunity to arise XIII / v4. what a curse to be born with such thirst ; even death couldn't quite quell the doom XIV / v5. I could burn your village to the ground ; I do not roll over like a hound XV / v6. teeth on my tongue ; what a thing to be young

[ly-kos]

"Its a good thing we arent in noxus then arent we?" He was silent for a moment as he looked to her. "No, I just wanted to say that I've noted you trying to grip your talons into my friend, and I cant wait till it explodes in your face. shes stronger than you give her credit, but it doesn't surprise me to see a noxian to only see the chess piece in front of them instead of the whole board."

// she raises an eyebrow. her arms unfold, as if she is holding them out in an offering of peace. " oh, is this about the kiramman? " , ambessa speaks, with a laugh.

" a formidable girl. I would never want her any harm. " , is quickly added, with a nod. she's a little bit like her own child, even if she would not want to admit to that in the face of jayce. maybe, to caitlyn she wouldn't mind saying it.

" you can rest assured, I know of her strength. she is full of potential. "

[ly-kos]

"Oh i knew that, but i always wondered WHY. Could never understand why noxus would need more power." He says crossing his arms behind his back, his voice and tone was firm, almost...a hint of excitement? but there was something in his eyes an almost mania or manic state to them.... "I suppose I should have been even more confused when you began to shift gears, leveraging yourself even further into piltover or even the notion that you had come at all." "It makes a man wonder what exactly you need hextech for...are you losing your position in noxus...or is someone hunting you down?" There was an almost...intensity to his eyes when he says the last words a deep vile insidious joy at the implication. He chuckles slightly turning to the side. "Well whatever your reasons for needing it. i do so hope you find a way of finding it soon. things are getting ever so chaotic as of late."

"oh, and before wasnt mockery. that was though."

// ambessa embodies, used to embody a powerful woman in noxus. but she didn't, doesn't have the full might all of noxus might posess. she's desperate, has lost so much that she is now desperately grasping at piltover, trying to somehow regain some kind of power that will get her back up there.

there is a frown on the noxian's face. jayce's audacity is uncharacteristic, but she guesses what crawled out of whatever he had disappeared to is a man that is different from the man she got to know, back then.

but she lets him. this is bravery. " brave words. others would've already been hung for less. " , she comments eventually, drawing little attention to what he's said specifically. she desires not to discuss his mockery, or whatever he's been implying.

the noxian may be a cornered woman, but she is not about to let a person who is so clearly out of their mind know of that.

" is this all you came to say? "