hii, i love your writings !! i just got that idea, what about arcane characters (one-shots or anything/anyone to your liking) x counsellor reader?
[Finishes reading Impossible Colors by @iseutz for the XXXth time] ... yes.
Warnings: Shortly after Act 1, AU, power-dynamics, flirting as politics/politics as flirting, Reader-surname, pining, so much eye-fucking oh my god-
"It seems we have been caught in sight of the Eye, Councilor Kesare." Councilor Medarda mused, just as you brought the thin tube of sparkling champagne to your lips. "I venture we not be the first to look away. He might perceive that as weakness."
"Or as a declaration of war," You comment back after taking a sip, tilting your chin up as you stared across the garden courtyard. "Representative Silco seems to pounce at any sign of a challenge."
The Nation of Zaun was still a concept many in higher-power struggled to grasp, even with it's leader standing amongst them. Or rather, standing out. In inky blacks and blood reds, colors accented in gold, the representation for the ex-Undercity (now sovereign nation) made a severe impression in the line of Piltover's council.
Visually, and by the ferocity he exhibited just by looking at you.
Undaunted, you smile and lift your glass slightly in acknowledgment, his own remaining untouched as it's swirled in his hand. "Still debating if your act of provocation is wise," Mel murmured beneath her breath, also studying the man who wasn't even pretending to listen to Heimerdinger's attempts at conversation. "Because if we're going to discuss pouncing..."
"Mel."
The gold-freckled woman blinked, her eyes glinting. "On the opportunities, Councilor. You have to admit, he's been gunning to you for a conversation ever since you were the first to vote him into his position." A thoughtful hum, but that cheek and sharp calculating mind was glowing behind the façade of mirth. "Be wise to watch out. Cassandra seems ready to but a divider up between your two seats. Or, if you're feeling bold..."
A tilt of your head, and you glanced your eyes over. In a span of a minute, the Yordle professor had given up on his attempts to pry further into Zaun's well-kept secrets of chem-tech, leaving Representative Silco to slowly, languishing stride towards you.
"You could meet him halfway," Mel finished, an innocent look on her face, but you knew better.
The Council of Piltover, a united force, was divided into factions that were as clear as day.
Cassandra, Bolbok and Heimerdinger fancied themselves as the brilliant, and the wise, Salo had latched himself as discreetly as possible to the guiding hand of Shoola the moment of his elevation, and depending on the number of drinks he had, Hoskel could be friends with just about anyone.
Mel Medarda was a faction of her own, with her being it's sole-leader and member. Others in her single-party were merely guests - honored, and valued when she needed them, but guests.
That left you, and now Representative Silco, as lone parties.
And everyone, especially Medarda, was keeping a keen eye as to whether one of you would stay in place, move back a step into one of the better-known factions, or team up. As what kind of team, was uncertain, but no one forgot for a moment that the first hand to rise, after the motion of sovereignty for Zaun was introduced, had been yours.
Least of all Silco, who finally came to a stop before the two of you.
"Councilors."
"Representative."
Though one was technically a newly-designated king, no one in the trio bowed. Instead, Mel extended her hand and without skipping a beat, Silco gave her a chaste, charming brush on her knuckles, after raising it to mouth-level. The one he gave you burned, his lips as much as his eye when he refused to look away, pulling back only when Mel started speaking. "I trust that the Professor wasn't left too disgruntled. I know how terribly interested he is to dissect the technology of the Undercity."
"It's primitive to him, I believe he's simply more fascinated to see how we've managed to survive this long under such primitive mechanics," The scarred man said smoothly. "I'm sure he's also eager to get a hold of the sample you promised," The Noxian said, teeth flashing as she raised her glass to her lips again. "I believe we all are."
"I'll reach out to my lead scientist to see how that sample is coming along... though, we're not looking to rush it, Shimmer is rather uncontrollable if not carefully regulated, even for a simple sample." There was a glint of teeth as well from Silco, Zaunite imperfection and grit clearly visible underneath the façade in his chipped teeth. "We only want the best for Piltover, after all. I would so hate to give you a bad batch."
"Hm." It was technically polite, but Medarda narrowed her eyes, trying to pierce through the enigma that was Silco of Zaun, and finding yet another layer to work through. "Best of luck, Representative. I know we all look forward to seeing the relationship between Piltover and Zaun grow... Kesare." You took the farewell for what it was, and nodded as the Noxian took her leave in grace, and in thought.
Leaving you alone with Silco.
"I do believe she despises me," The man hummed casually as he slipped into the vacant space beside you, placing a palm on the railing so he could lean. It wasn't so much casual, as it was a position that made him look like it was all beneath him, the pomp and circumstance, cunning and politics...
But you saw the way he looked at you, and offered a smile in kind under his unyielding gaze. "Only your excuses, and by extension, making her wait. I don't think she appreciates having her premature plans derailed, when you give her such little material in the first place."
The Zaunite leader hummed, looking over over the balcony with gloved nails tapping on the polished marble. "She has my condolences... I personally know the pain of having your plan go awry."
"Oh?"
A simple nod in confirmation is all he offers, before, subtly, he tips his hand and jerks his hand out, dumping the trumpet of light liquor out over the balcony, not a drop of the offered Piltover-drink even tasted. He politely sets the now-empty glass on the balcony, before the King of Zaun offers his arm to you, and who are you to disregard such a polite offer of companionship with a man of such high station?
"Recent plans have been set off-kilter. Not that the result is unfavorable, but regardless, I ponder often about what could've been."
"Dare I ask what you ponder?"
Silco smiles, a disarming thing, as the two of you walk around a bubbling fountain. Not only out of earshot, but also out of immediate sight from others, with lower-tones muted in compared to the rush of artistically flowing water.
When one becomes a councilor, you start to notice these kind of things.
"I ponder how a war with Topside could have gone," He says, brushing away nonexistent dust off the marble ledge before sitting down, regally as befitting his station, but also casually, like it's an office chair. "Me and mine were fully equipped for it. I'd spent a large part of my life waiting for the opportunity, yet here I am. Everything I've worked for, without a drop shed."
Any other Councilor would be more than slightly alarmed; Cassandra would already be breaking the terms of the brand new Piltover-Zaun Accordance and calling for an arrest.
You are only curious though. "You expected a war. Did you truly expect to win?" It's not admonishing, but the black-red eye flicks to you in displeasure nonetheless, although his tone is simple.
"I expected to scare them."
Them?
You raise the glass to your lips, along with a brow, but you hold his gaze in the silence as you slowly took a delicate sip. You don't believe you see any of the three complete eyes blink, until the champagne smooths down your throat, and you lower the glass from your lips. "I don't know if you've forgotten, but I believe I officially consist as one of them, Representative."
"I would prefer hearing you use my name. Silco," It's smooth, and automatic, as the man leans back slightly. The gold accent of his vest, curiously freshly mended but still a faint, aged smell of smoke in the air when the breeze picks up, glints in the sunlight as he watches you study him. "And I think you've proven yourself to be something quite... other, than the rest of the members of your position, Councilor."
"I prefer hearing you say my first-name," You corrected him, only a bit coy when you see his teal-eye hood slightly as you offer it. "And I believe I know why you would think that. My first impression was rather unique to you, I can imagine."
"A Topsider giving everything I've ever worked for, all with a single raise of a hand... yes. A very unique, and quite memorable introduction to one another, I believe." A beat, then you see a smouldering flicker in both the hellfire eye, and the other. "Why?"
For a moment, you allow yourself to get scorched by his rawly searching gaze. Undercity citizens, now known as Zaunites, were not a breed of people that you had much interaction with, and the bluntness that Silco exhibited from his life underground was oddly refreshing. You wanted to lean forward to catch every sudden, sharp and defined word, drag your gaze to catch the loose, but prepared body-language that hinted he was ready for everything and anything.
And he still composed himself with grace, with regality. Things you'd dealt with before but, as ridiculous and juvenile as the thought was, you couldn't help but appreciate the stark difference Silco brought to it.
And you couldn't help but lean in, with your desire to experience more.
"Can we be honest with one another, Silco?" Your low murmur had him smoothly leaning closer to you, to the point where you could almost outline the faint, yellowing bruises of fingers on the exposed part of his neck the collar didn't cover. "I think I would enjoy having a Councilor be wholly, completely honest with me."
"Just as I would enjoy having a King be honest with me," You counter smoothly, and see a curl on thin lips when he accepts the offer, dipping his chin. "The council had no plans for the undercity. I doubt they ever would've found it in them to care to make some, or develop relations beyond what's already there," You shrug, and elegantly flick your eyes away from him to bring glass to your lips, murmuring over it. "Seems a bit of a waste, to claim ownership of a city you want no part with, besides the cheap labor it offers, scapegoats and entertainment for our officers."
"It wasn't called the Playground without reason," Silco coincides, eyes flicking down to watch you set the now empty-champange glass down. He's slow to return his eyes to his, observing you fold your hands atop your lap, the relaxed roll of your shoulders before finally reaffirming the heated eye-contact that could've sparked a fire between you. "So you raised your hand to rid Piltover of a toy they didn't want anymore?"
"I raised my hand to give the Undercity the opportunity to escape Piltover's shadow," You counter, and then smile. "And, in goodwill. For I can imagine relations between Zaun and Piltover will improve from this, greatly."
"Ah, cross-nation relations." He seems intrigued by the notion. "Yes, I do believe I will enjoy watching those improve. Perhaps with additional participation?"
"Careful," You muse under your breath, eyes going hooded. "You're still new to politics, Silco. Don't ask for too much without making any offers." He hums at that for a beat, giving a casual look around the luscious, beautiful courtyard, that he obviously thought little of. You also found it hard to admire the fountains and prized flora, when you saw his cheek poke out slightly from his tongue pressing within.
"Than allow me to offer you an opportunity of my own," He finally says, glancing back at you, eyes causing sparks within you. "Zaun has it's own brand of... beauty and elegance, when one knows where to look. I feel like I would be sufficient enough as a sort of guide."
A tour of a kingdom? Silco must've seen your brow quirk at that, and he smirked right back at you for your dubiousness. "A method of improving relations with Piltover and Zaun... a Councilor and a King spending time outside official cross-nation meetings, would be a worthy start to such a momentous venture, don't you think?"
"I thought we agreed to be honest with one another, Silco. You could just outright ask me," You muse. "Very well," The King of the Underground only grows his smirk, and you taste smoke on your tongue at the same time as his eyes burn right through you, and he leans close... too close.
The exposed, dark and jagged scars are nearly brushing your cheek as he leans past it, breathing past your ear as he whispers, "Shall we work together to improve cross-nations relations, Councilor Kesare?"
It appears, you and Silco were no longer lone parties, in this grand scheme of politics within this new era of seperate-nations.
"I think I would enjoy that development very much so, Representative Silco."
-
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