Mutual Benefits Arc I: Maneater

Ezreal sat in the bar of the Reflecting Chamber, slowly sipping away at his liquor. He had been through quite a rough day. His hunched shoulders, disheveled hair and sagging countenance was proof of this.

Mellow music plucked off the strings of an Etwhal lazily drifted through the air, helping the various Champions and Summoners with their relaxation. Though for Ezreal, it merely added to his depression.

The overall mood of the Reflecting Chamber that particular night was melancholy, not very happy, not very sad. A perfect environment for trouble-ridden men like Ezreal to drink their troubles away. And also the perfect environment for foxy women to hunt their prey.

Such was the case for Ahri as she slinked inside of the Reflecting Chamber stealthily, careful not to attract too much attention. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy the prying eyes of onlookers; the prime reason her garments exposed so much skin was for catching the eyes of men. But tonight, she was on one of her special hunts. Ahri did this this every so often when her carnal desires needed to be slaked, the bar of the Reflecting Chamber her prime hunting grounds.

Making her way to the hazy, smoke-filled area at the rear end of the chamber, her eyes flicked about to search for any potential victims. Her essence orb playfully danced between her sleek white tails through subconscious habit. She eyed drunken Summoners, lounging Yordles, and a few Champions, some of whom gave her a wink and a grin, to which she replied with the rolling of her eyes.

Then her eyes were met with the lone, hunched form of Ezreal on the bar counter. Her eyebrows raise, her interest increasing. Her hand touches upon her chin as she slowly circles around him, walking in slow, deliberate steps. She looked past his gloomy aura; all of that was barely an obstacle for her and her seductive skills. Her eyes roam his body, taking in his built physique. After a few moments, she smiles a satisfactory grin. He would do.

However, Ahri still had one last precursory test.

She looked around nonchalantly, cautious for observing eyes. Most eyes were away from her, the stage alight with a lively number. Perfect. She proceeded, dimming the brightness of her essence orb before furtively casting it under the stool Ezreal sat in. With her hand, she slowly guided to sit in his lap, specifically his pelvic region...

After a few seconds of letting it sit idly, she quickly flicked her wrist back, essence orb flying back into her awaiting fingers.

With a grin, she peered inside for the results. Her eyes suddenly widened, her lips following suit. She turned her head at the blond-headed explorer before casting one last glance at the swirling blue of her little spy.

His size would do just fine.

Ahri licked her lips, tossing the orb over her shoulder to the awaiting tails.

"Intriguing..."

She giggled to herself as she slowly made her way over to her unsuspecting prey, a seductive saunter in her steps.

She had found the night's prey.

Ezreal raised the glass cup to his lips, only to have the mocking ice kiss them. He sighed, slightly annoyed that he had emptied yet another glass in the span of a minute.

"Bartender…hit me again."

A few mechanical steps later, Rumble appeared, manning (Yordling?) a petit version of his usual mechanical suit. This small contraption was dressed in the same attire the Yordle wore; a sharp black suit with a bowtie.

He enjoyed working as a bartender in the bar, his personality humbling itself considerably whenever he donned the dapper uniform.

"Comin' right up, sir."

Ezreal's glass is quickly filled with the orange liquid that he had been consuming for the past hour. Rumble set it down on the counter with a soft clink, the glass then gripped by Ezreal's hand in the blink of an eye.

"And what'd you be havin' miss?"

Ezreal looked up and turned head lazily, curious of the newcomer. His eyes met with Ahri's sultry gaze. She had her head supported by her hand as she gazed at him, a soft maliciousness behind the amber of her pupils.

"I'll have whatever he's having."

"One Dack Janiels, comin' right up."

Once again the Yordle placed a cup of liquor on the counter. Ahri's eyes break from Ezreal for only a moment as her hand picked up her glass with a delicate grasp. She took a sip, eyes looking over the glass' rim.

The two continued staring at each other, Ezreal's drink still waiting to be consumed. Ahri smiled confidently; this man was already captivated with her. Why else would he be gazing into her with such intensity? This was going to be easier than she thought.

The silence suddenly deflated with Ezreal's soft belch. As if the burp had awoken him from some sort of trance, Ezreal turned round in his stool again, continuing his bourbon binge.

Ahri was left a bit stunned at this, leaving her to stare at him blankly. Was he really just spaced out when he looked at her? Getting over her misjudgment of the situation, she regained her composure. After another reassuring sip of bourbon, Ahri, began her verbal offensive.

"So…you're the Prodigal Explorer I hear about?"

A grunt. Then Ezreal's raspy voice responded,

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Well, I'm Ahri, I'm sure you've heard of me."

Silence.

"Yeah."

"Judging by the look of things, you're alone for the night, aren't you?"

The sound of ice clinking against glass, silence.

"Yeah."

She clicked her tongue in slight annoyance, but still managed to maintain her seductive aura. She was almost tempted to move on, the sight of Twisted Fate beckoning for her over the explorer's shoulder. But her eyes caught his posture and his teasing grin. Peeking a little further and she caught his massaging hands on the shoulders of a certain exile...

She tsked, and pushed on. Ezreal would have to do.

"I'm guessing you had a rough day?"

Ezreal shifted his weight, sighing defeatedly. A glimmer of hope shone in her eye. His body language proved promising...

"I guess you can say that."

Ahri grinned. She had found an opening. As long as conversation was constant, her seduction couldn't fail. She had plenty of experience with men in this state. The more troubled, the more prone to her attack. She knew men with problems always needed someone to comfort them. And most of the time, someone meant a beautiful woman, comfort meant the venting of aggression underneath some white sheets.

"Oh? Would you mind telling me what's troubling you?"

Ezreal cast her a glare, trying to decide whether or not he should.

She raised her hands assuredly.

"I'm sorry for prying. I'm just a curious little fox..."

Ezreal sighed once more and took another sip of his liquor.

A silence ensued as Ezreal's mind churned, gaze focused on the multicolored bottles lining the shelves opposite.

"Well…I guess I have to get this off my chest. I haven't really told anyone about it..."

After another draught of liquor and an exhale of air. Ezreal finally began his story.

"So today…I found out that…"

He bit his tongue, desperately fighting back tears of angst.

Ahri placed a reassuring tail of comfort on his shoulders, coaxing him to continue. The explorer let it linger before shrugging it off. He continued.

"…Caitlyn...well…my girlfriend's been cheating on me."

Ahri nearly yelped out with joy. What a perfect situation. She had lost count of how many men she had seduced while they were suffetring from the collateral of infidelity. She tried her best to fight back the grin trying to plant itself on her face. Instead, she put on the sweetest, most sympathetic she could muster.

"Oh, that's terrible…"

Ezreal chuckled bitterly, another sip of bourbon.

"Yeah…I guess it is."

Ahri allowed the music to replace conversation for a few moments, allowing Ezreal's composure to settle

"My friend told me about it. He just suddenly came up to me and told me the rumors going around that Cait was sleeping with some bastard in Piltover. Apparently she was in charge of keeping him under protective custody. Can you fucking believe it?"

Another swig from his glass. Ahri looked on patiently.

"I definitely didn't want to believe it at first. But then I heard all the other people. All of them, just fucking whispering about it right in front of me, throwing me their sympathetic looks."

Ezreal's grip on his glass tightened, threatening to crack. His words, Ahri noted were laced with malice, spat out through clenched teeth. She put her hand on his shoulder, giving a soft squeeze.

"Hey, hey…you should just calm down, hun...all of this really is terrible, but you shouldn't let it torture you like this. You're a better man than that."

As her reassurances swirled around his ears, Ahri could feel the shoulder relax a bit, the tension slowly seeping away. She grinned. She was progressing through this at quite a rapid pace.

Ezreal's head bobbed as he nodded vigorously, the alcohol fogging his control.

"Yeah…yeah you're right. I should."

His hand began raising his glass to his lips once again before its progress is halted by Ahri's soft touch.

Ezreal squinted inquisitively at her, bloodshot eyes at half-mast.

Ahri grinned back at him, slowly lowering his hand to the counter.

"You know…alcohol won't really help you calm down."

He had to think on this for a moment, his hand still gripping tightly to his glass. Even though Ezreal had drunken more than two bottles worth of liquor, he wasn't completely intoxicated. Finally, he allowed her hand to push it all the way down into the counter, a certain level of trust blooming between them.

"Yeah…you're right."

The two stay in that position for a few minutes, Ahri's hands on his shoulder and on his hand, Ezreal musing over nothing.

Music in the Reflecting Chamber had changed from slow and mellow, to upbeat and peppy, completely altering the atmosphere. The Maven of the Strings shot a grin at the drummer behind her, cueing for a different tempo. After turning back towards the eyes of the evening, her countenance almost turned to worry when she saw Ahri consoling her friend.

Usually it was her who would share a drink or two with the explorer. He enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed his. She had heard what had happened to him that day, and with a heart full of regret the maven decided against having the usual drink, concluding that he needed to be left with his own thoughts.

But now, gazing upon that fox woman's form draped over his...an emotion akin to jealousy welled up within her.

She shook off the sensation as the next set began, rerouting the energy committed into her distraction through her fingers. Ezreal wasn't hers, and he probably never would be. The notion tolled within her head, and her nerves settled.

As Sona switched her resolve, Ahri deigned to do the same. It was time to take action. Standing up from her stool, one of her hands on his shoulder, a proposal suggestively slinked past her lips.

"What do you say we go and relax in one of the private lounges? I'm sure you can get your mind off things there…"

Ezreal handed her a blank expressiom, to which she replies with a small smile. Ahri almost had him. She was sure of it.

With her hand still on his shoulder, Ezreal stood up, wobbling slightly. Ahri's spirits rose.

Quickly ducking and catching him, she placed his arm around her shoulder for balance. Her expertise in catching drunken men was a whole story of its own.

"Alright, miss. Lead the way," Ezreal drolled. There was nothing to lose anymore, and company right now was anything but unhealthy. Little did he know what this friend of his had in store.

Ahri's grin didn't need to be hidden any longer. She had him in her grasp. There was no doubt about it. She led the way, Ezreal slinking along like a sheep to the slaughter.

"With pleasure."