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Veigar would tell you he’s trying his best, always trying his best… “World Domination” doesn’t take minimal effort, it takes ALL effort. Veigar is always right when choosing his associates; People who can show that same effort as him.
Probably his best investment is in the enigmatic, energetic, “Rumble” .
There’s a lot to Rumble for Veigar to unpack: He’s someone who shares mixed ideologies, has peculiar interests, and has complex relationships with other Yordles. Veigar can’t really relate to that whatsoever. Sure maybe once in his long lifetime, hundreds of years ago or so (he’s forgotten really), he HAD friends, but that is definitely not now.
His motives are set, unlike Rumble; His ideals are as simple as “villainy”, something Rumble struggles with; And he has no relationships with any Yordle, aside from those he hires to work for him. Rumble’s got a lot of things, which makes Veigar more curious about his motives. Why would someone like Rumble want to even work for him anyways? According to Rumble’s acquaintances, “Veigar is a loser” .
It makes his blood boil just thinking that Rumble only stays because Veigar pays him to. It’s likely the case, but Veigar wants to refuse that belief. Something inside him just wants Rumble to be his friend, but just like Rumble naturally is, it’s complicated… Besides, Rumble accepted this job, even before the pay was discussed; Surely Rumble WANTS to be here. Right?
Rumble is nice to Veigar, something that most Yordles aren’t to him.
> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <
“Why do you have to make everything complicated?” Rumble sarcastically asks, chuckling at Veigar’s terrible drawing. Veigar wants something specific from Rumble, a mech to assist his warfare on Bandle City. Rumble, for reasons Veigar still fully doesn’t know, agreed to the job.
“I’m asking for a dragon that shoots fire! Just like your machine thing does! It shouldn’t be that hard-”
Rumble laughs, “Ok! And how am I supposed to get this thing to fly? You’re not really thinking this through.”
Veigar growls, “I DON’T KNOW! THAT’S YOUR JOB!”
Rumble just smiles at him, like a lot of his employees do. Veigar doesn’t know why, he’s not that funny; He doesn’t think he’s that funny. It just hammers it in that Veigar doesn’t realize these are actually his friends, the ones he claims to not have. Ironic?
After a playful sigh, Rumble just hands him a blueprint sheet. Upon its opening Veigar is faced with an already designed machine, just for him. It almost looked like him, and Veigar actually really liked that. It felt unique, really worth it.
“I want this actually-”
> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <
Recently Veigar has been exploring about, just a smidge. Discreetly he walks around Bandle City, hoping no one notices his shadow in the background, or the ever so often rearranged item here and there. The Yordles don’t like him; He wonders if they EVER liked him, even in the past he’s so sadly forgotten…
That’s what the Bastion did to him, sad but true. He’s embraced the outcome, and that alone scares the bones of Bandle City to its core. Yordles: Little wads of magic, beings who seemingly don’t age (and therefore don’t die). They are happy creatures, ones with talent, ones who help. Veigar is the living proof that you can break a Yordle, that they are more fickle than folks believe. Bandle City will try to bury him as long as it lives (which will be forever); But it can’t escape the fact that Veigar is real, and very, very much, A YORDLE.
You’d think this would garner some sympathy, but Runeterra never forgives, so Veigar, in return, never forgives.
He does forget though; A LOT! Which is why he’s lost right now!
“Which way was the woods again? Which forest even DO I live in?” He thinks. Lords, how embarrassing… How does Veigar, “The Master Of Evil” , forget where he lives?
“You’re still repairing that hunk of junk!? Rumble what’s the purpose at this point?” He hears a raspy Yordle exclaim. That name is so ingrained in Veigar’s head, he’d never forget it.
He turns to search for the voices, and after he finds it, he hides behind a corner.
He thinks it’s Rumble’s house. It’s got a huge garage that’s open, and Rumble is working on his signature mech, with a flamethrower that Veigar finds to be the coolest thing about it. There is a stranger there with him, another Yordle with a strange helmet hat and green goggles. He’s seen him before, he believes; The other Yordle from his knowledge is the one with the bombs. The bombs that always mess around with his stuff… Blowing up magic minions and sending him straight back to his castle in a quick button press. Ziggs is his name; Veigar HATES Ziggs!
Why is Rumble even friends with Ziggs? He knows for a fact from one of Rumble’s idle rambles while working that they argue sometimes. So why are Rumble and Ziggs even “friends” ? It makes no sense-
Rumble pats the vehicle lightly with his wrench, “Tristy is a champion, not a hunk of junk. She’s won championships, remember!”
Ziggs laughs, “I bet I could blow her up~”
“Please don’t-” Rumble quickly interjects.
“Weird though that you still call it Tristy; Will you EVER get over her” Ziggs comments.
Veigar laments the fact that Tristana and Rumble are ALSO still friends… Why is Rumble friends with all the people he hates? It’s worse that Rumble romantically likes Tristana too. Well, DID romantically like her anyways. She’s rejected him so much that Rumble’s essentially given up on it.
“I am over her… But it’s the name of my mech! It’s a good name, Ziggs.”
“Suit yourself!” Ziggs shrugs, turning to look around. Veigar shrinks more in his hiding spot, hoping Ziggs doesn’t notice him.
“You boys hungry? I’m on my way to the pub for dinner!” another voice appears. Veigar’s ears perk up slightly with this one. Poppy was someone that Veigar hated to admit he actually liked; Mostly because she was Rumble’s best friend, but also because she was the nicest to him.
Poppy doesn’t like Veigar though; Veigar wishes one day she maybe could, and they’d be friends (like him and Rumble).
Ziggs instantly nods, “I wanna come!”. He turns around to look at Rumble, but the other just kind of stands there, shoulders crossed. “Are you coming too?”
“No, I still got work… See yah!” Rumble smiles.
Poppy gives Rumble a wink for good luck, and heads off to the direction of the pub with Ziggs. Once they were out of sight, Veigar approaches Rumble without hesitation.
“Can I speak with you?” Veigar speaks, out of the blue.
It spooks Rumble, and he trips over himself with a yip. “Lords! YOU SCARED THE SCREWS OUT OF ME!”
“Sorry-” Veigar apologizes, and it’s genuine. His voice is soft, low, and depressing.
“Are you ok?” Rumble asks, “Wait-, why are you here?”. He sounded concerned, genuine too. They are both genuine with each other, and it’s something Veigar would never trade away.
“I wanted to see the city, but I got lost,” he admits honestly. “Can you help me?”
“Of course! I was actually going off to see you. Just let me screw in this last panel-”
> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <
Veigar wants to go back just so he can hang out with Rumble again…
He can’t help it! Rumble’s one of the only Yordles that he can just talk to, like what friends do. And that’s the thing, VEIGAR DOESN’T HAVE FRIENDS!
Three passes him in the hall of the castle, saluting as Veigar walks by. “Scheming lord Veigar?”
“As always Three! Villainy NEVER sleeps!”
“Waiting for orders!” Three states as they continue down the castle halls.
Veigar sighs; Maybe yes, he does somewhat have friends. But Rumble is his BEST friend. He hopes Rumble may also just agree-.
> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <
With the time they spend together, Veigar now wonders how the other Yordles could ignore Rumbles' obvious absence.
Veigar has idly offered many times that Rumble can just stay however long he wants at the castle. He’s surprised that Rumble DOES; Several days sometimes…
It makes him just, happy? Veigar is just glad that Rumble can call this place his home too (somewhat). He wishes sometimes that Rumble would just move in and stay. Then Veigar would have all his friends! His employees, his lackeys, his spellbooks, and his best friend! All in one place!
Veigar puts his book down, and stares out the window: It is obviously night time. The stars blink back at him, and crickets chirp nonchalantly despite the window being closed.
Veigar gets up and makes sure his hat is on before exiting his bed-chamber into the rest of his castle. He makes his way curiously to the large workroom that Rumble is building the machine in, and slowly and quietly he cracks open the door to peek inside. Rumble is STILL working on the project, silently focussed.
Veigar would go and talk to him, but he doesn’t want to keep Rumble up late any more than he probably is going to work, so Veigar leaves. Shuts the door behind him and just walks away.
He goes to the garden so he can just smell the fresh air, but he notes specifically that it’s been really cold lately…
> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <
“I want to show you something!” Veigar declares.
Rumble stares at him with amusement, “Go on?”
“You asked once about my appearance…” Veigar says, pausing oddly.
Silence fills the room comedically, and the two nervously laugh.
“Why are you so shadowy actually? You just look like a blob of dark mist-” Rumble comments.
“THAT!” Veigar exclaims, “That’s how you said it!”
Rumble gulps, he looks embarrassed. “I’m sorry if I offended you or something Vei; I had no other way to describe it really”. He chuckles nervously and looks away, ashamed.
Veigar doesn’t say anything, just swiftly takes off his hat. It’s as if a spell has been lifted, because the black misty figure that one sees, is a black fuzzy Yordle underneath, with locks of a deeper black shade and indescribably “cute” droopy ears. Rumble’s ears in comparison, are perched up like a rabbit’s, Veigar's stick behind him like a cow’s. Veigar still has his bright and glowing yellow eyes, something that always stood out in his other appearance. Normally his eyes were accompanied with a misty yellow trail, like an fiery afterglow, but that has seemingly vanished. Those eyes stare at Rumble, and await a reaction, of any kind…
“W-What?” Rumble ponders; He’s practically lost for words. Veigar was not how Rumble expected him, he almost appeared the exact opposite of that expectation. Rumble now wants to see what Veigar can do with Yordle Glamour, but that’s off the topic…
“I-”
“So this is what you actually look like?” Rumble fills in. “I never expected this; I’m sorry…”
Once again, Rumble is very genuine and honest with Veigar, and now Veigar needs to return that honestly too.
“No, actually-”
Rumble tilts his head in confusion, “Excuse me?”, he’s taken aback and Veigar hopes he didn’t offend him.
“I FORGOT OK!? I forgot!” he sobs out. “I was hoping maybe this would make you more comfortable around me or something!” Veigar can’t even begin to describe what’s going on in his head. “I thought that if I could just LOOK like I used to, then maybe-, I DON’T KNOW!”
“Veigar, you need to calm down-” Rumble starts, approaching the other slowly and cautiously.
“I’M TRYING TO BE HONEST!” Veigar screeches.
“I’m not mad” Rumble assures.
“You’re not?”
“No! Why would I be mad? That’s dumb-” Rumble scoffs. Veigar believes him though, they’re friends.
Veigar takes a few deep breaths, working to contain his sorrow for some time alone. He explains himself, “I don’t remember what I used to look like, I lost myself a long time ago, and my body left with it. I’m a barren Yordle Rumble, completely the wad of magic we’re told that we are.” Veigar sighs, “I was hoping maybe I could remember some bits so I could show you, but I honestly don’t remember. This is what I came up with?”
“I think it’s cool dude!” Rumble smiles. “You should wear this form more often.”
Veigar’s eyes light up, and he nods before returning his hat on his head. His form stays the same however, and he declares that he’ll “adopt it” -
> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <> — <
Veigar finds Rumble with the finished machine, polishing the mech up a little more with a rag and a bucket of water.
Veigar swiftly trots over to him. “Ahem!” He clears his throat, and Rumble gives him his full attention. “You probably want to be included in the festivities that come with being one of my crew-, I got you something…”
Veigar presents a wrapped item to Rumble, and Rumble unfolds the paper. Underneath is a purple poncho with black embroidered stars patterns and forest leaves, made by a professional of course, and Rumble notes that it was likely a pricey item. “Wow!”
“I got my personal designer to make it. I hope you’ll accept my gift; It’s been cold recently, I figured you’d maybe need it?”
“It’s a good gift Vei!” Rumble smiles.
Veigar likes the nickname, shortened version of his name, but it’s something only Rumble uses. They’re best friends!
“Oh!” Veigar realizes what else he was going to say. “Is the machine usable for tomorrow?”
“It’s all yours for your havoc and chaos dude-”
“Will you be there too? I think it would be great if you last minute switched sides with me during the GREAT BATTLE!” Veigar playfully cackles.
Rumble shakes his head, “I would Vei, but not tomorrow I’m afraid. Sorry-”
“Darn…”
“I will let you defeat me though, if you want!” Rumble snorts.
Veigar groans, “BUT THAT’S NOT A CHALLENGE!”
“Whatever dude!”
It’s hard to pretend that they are enemies when they’re not, but Veigar honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. They were still together, through thick and thin, always!
It’s funny how Rumble pretends, and Bandle City hardly notices that Rumble’s barely killed as many magic minions as they believe. Veigar gets his moment, gets blasted off to his castle again, and things repeat! And Rumble’s there to repair the mech again-
And Veigar’s thankful…