#visionhcld

[inhumanheresy]

@visionhcld

Ajax wakes slowly.

This in and of itself is unusual. Life in the rank-and-file Fatui barracks would ‘cure’ anyone of deep sleeping, especially a boy with his first patchy whiskers growing in, but Ajax had already learned the folly of deep sleep from both the Abyss and his master. Little else teaches the body quicker than waking up midair while getting tossed into a pack of rifthound whelps.

Now, he wakes to a warm bed, the gentle sound of wind weaving through the trees outside, and the scent of tea. Black tea. Smoky. Lapsang. A memory stirs in the unfamiliar fog of gentle waking.

An all-too-familiar ache permeates his body, but even that lingering pain bites less than it normally does after transforming a second time far too soon after another. He slept a long time, then — long enough for his bones to ease, his flesh to remember what it is to be human. …Human-ish.

It takes a moment to orientate himself as he folds back the covers and swings his legs over the side of the bed, but not long. Good. A deep breath, turning his attention inward and consciously feeling every inch of his body. Sensations. Proportions. Reaction time. All right.

When he levers himself up and walks to the dresser where the tea tray sits, his movement is as steady and assured as usual, no tilt in his balance or tremble to his hands as he pours the tea and tosses back the whole cup with no thought to its heat. Luckily, it’s somehow the perfect temperature, and not at all oversteeped.

Ajax breathes deep, eyes closing, as he once again just stands there and feels. The tea burns not unpleasantly down his throat, warming his chest and belly. The little hairs all over his body stand up and tingle at the sudden change in core temperature compared to the outside air, minute though it is, and he downs a second cup of tea, every second making him more assured of whowhatwhere he is.

And giving his mind time to drag forth the memories of what happened before he passed out.

The little round teacup provides a comforting weight and resistance as his hand tightens around its smooth curve.

He sets it back down on the tea tray and leans his hands against the edge of the dresser. Breathes. Breathes.

Then, he straightens, takes the tea tray, and makes his way out into the main room of the house in Morax’s personal domain. The god himself reclines on a leisure couch, reading, as if nothing out of the ordinary occurred here… however long ago it was. However long he’s been asleep.

Ajax makes his way over, setting the tea tray down on the low table near them before sitting back at Morax’s feet with a great sigh, reaching forward to take his teacup and run his thumb across its lip.

“You probably have more questions.”

[brightblessed]

@visionhcld

Dozens of things had flashed through his mind at the very end. He had regrets, sure... But he finally felt like it was okay. To let go. Roi had been waiting to die for a long time. Surviving for others... For the people that died to save him so that their sacrifice would not be wasted. For the people he needed to save and protect. And for the people that would mourn him. But it had still been there. The idea that eventually he would die and when he did, it would be a relief.

It was only recently that he began to look towards the future. That he began to hope and make plans. Because he was loved. Because he loved others. Because he had grown to love the messy world he lived in. Roi's own worst enemy was himself. He still could not love himself. But he tried -- by the Twelve -- he tried to at least make things work out to ease the stress of those that loved him for some reason.

So at the edge of existence, when he threw his teleporter away and faced the End alone, he expected he may die. That he may be unable to stop the end of the world. When he did win, he knew he had to finally end Zenos once and for all. In a place where he could no longer steal any bodies and live on. And when he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and his pain slowly faded into numbing cold... He couldn't help but think that this had been his fate all along.

But his friends ever tried to defy fate. And somehow, he survived. Wounds that were not possible to survive. Maybe it was dynamis or the blessing of light. He didn't know. But soon the severity of his injuries made themselves known with the pain and exhaustion that attacked him. He closed his eyes again, his head foggy beyond measure.

..... He wasn't alone. He could sense someone's presence as soon as he began to come to again. Honestly, Roi had drifted in and out of wakefulness multiple times. This was far from the first time he had been seriously injured... But usually he woke even briefly entirely lucid. He couldn't remember if his brief times of wakefulness were dreams or not. Amber eyes open slowly, resting upon the crimson ones staring at him.

"Uh... G'raha...?" His voice is groggy and he swallows dryly. "How long have I....?"

[dcndrohime]

Random Asks. // Always Accepting.

@visionhcld - " you better be careful. you know what happens if you pester a clock?? it gets ticked off. " — with love, from cyno.

Thinking a little bit on that, she stare down at the shorter man.

''Must be quite the angry bird''.

She is, evidently, talking about the little decoration that oft comes out of a wall clock.

''Might as well just steel it with my own hands so it doesn't alarm anybody''.

Yes, she very much added a pun in there and...

Al-arm.

[ayahimes]

my dear sister, you stink. best regards, ayato.

dearest brother , i believe you stink too since you are a kamisharto as well . should i just convert your chair into a commode since you work such long hours ? then you can shit where you sit . surely it'll save you some time . sincerely , ayaka

[sangul1ne]

@visionhcld  inquired : just as g'raha is about to lightly knock at vahn's door, it swings open, leaving him standing there, fist-raised and wide-eyed, blinking. a moment passes before he recovers, ears flicking back, facegently flushing. " ah... ! my apologies! i... hope i'm not interrupting. " a hand move to scratch at his chin awkwardly. then, ears pricking up, he remembers the reason behind his sudden appearance. it's been a few days since the two of them have had a chance to simply talk, exist in the same space, naturally. and so, he'd decided to create an opportunity; he quickly raises the hand holding a hefty paper bag up between their faces, waving it gently. " i just thought you might be hungry. " inbox  prompt : random asks ! prompt  status : always accepting !

𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐈𝐃𝐋𝐄  𝐅𝐎𝐑  𝐓𝐎𝐎  𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆  𝐎𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐍    caused  an  itch  to  form  under  the  keeper's  skin  ,  a  restlessness  that  came  from  years  of  nomadic  travel  patterns  ━  of  knowing  staying  in  one  place  for  too  long  would  only  bring  more  attention  to  the  unsavory  nature  of  what  he  was  doing .  even  now  ,  as  vahn'ik  paraded  around  as  some  unwilling  chosen  hero  ,  he  found  that  the  old  habit  persisted  through  the  exhaustion  that  creaked  through  battle - weary  bones .  since  his  companion's  souls  return  to  the  source  (  and  their  bodies  )  the  feeling  had  only  started  to  nag  his  nerves  moreso .  every  detail  that  trickled  into  the  rising  stones  from  the  empire  rousing  the  instinct  to  keep  moving  ,  to  not  allow  himself  to  be  caught  idle  when  there  was  something  brewing  that  they  could  not  see  for  what  it  was  yet .

having  g'raha  with  them  had  been  a  small  solace  in  the  chaos  that  had  awaited  their  arrival  back  to  the  source .  the  very  fact  that  the  other  miqo'te  had  been  doing  well  to  hold  both  his  memories  of  his  time  before  his  slumber  and  that  of  his  many  years  in  the  first  felt  like  a  nothing  short  of  a  miracle .  though  perhaps  he  was  foolish  for  thinking  the  other  capable  of  any  less  ,  after  all  they  had  bared  witness  to  the  first .  still  ,  worry  had  gnawed  at  him  the  whole  flight  and  trek  into  the  crystal  tower  ,  the  whole  time  he  awaited  the  other's  awakening  and  for  the  hours  afterwards .

gnawed  at  him  in  a  similar  fashion  to  the  way  his  restlessness  now  did  ,  making  him  unable  to  still  for  longer  than  a  few  moments  ,  his  quarters  having  been  utterly  trashed  by  his  unease .  books  sat  strewn  around  the  small  space  ,  both  on  tables  and  on  the  floor  ,  a  show  of  how  he'd  taken  much  of  his  research  with  y'shtola  back  to  his  room  even  when  pushed  to  go  rest .  upon  trying  ,  vahn'ik  had  only  been  able  to  manage  sleep  in  small  intervals  ,  memories  of  the  past  weeks  (  or  perhaps  longer  ,  time  moved  strangely  between  worlds  )  seeping  into  his  dreams .  tainting  each  one  it  touched  ,  corrupting  just  as  the  aether  had  his  soul  ,  the  remaining  touches  of  which  laid  now  in  his  greyed  hair  and  fur  that  interwove  with  the  original  raven  strands .

how  close  the  warrior  had  been  to  death  ,  how  close  he'd  been  to  the  salvation  that  he'd  chased  for  so  long  ,  only  to  avoid  it  by  the  skin  of  his  teeth  again .  instead  of  peace  ,  now  he  was  left  to  remember  ━  remember  fragments  of  a  civilization  that  a  part  of  him  once  was  a  part  of  ,  to  remember  the  ghost  of  so  many  that  it  made  his  headache  only  grow  further  up  the  back  of  his  skull .

if  vahn'ik  didn't  leave  this  room  he'd  go  mad .

a  quick  glance  to  the  stars  that  shone  through  his  open  window  bring  with  it  a  small  hope  that  he'd  be  able  to  slip  into  the  quiet  night  of  mor  dhona  with  little  hassle  from  either  tataru  or  krile  as  he  feet  drag  him  to  the  exit  of  his  quarters .  the  startle  of  being  face  to  face  with  another  figure  right  on  the  other  side  does  little  to  help  his  already  fraying  nerves  ,  ears  pinned  down  to  his  head  for  only  a  mere  moment  before  he  registers  the  wide  ,  ruby  hues  that  stare  back  at  him .  they  perk  back  up  at  g'raha's  voice  and  the  gentle  rustling  of  the  bag  ,  the  smell  of  food  a  quiet  reminder  on  how  long  it'd  been  since  he'd  eaten  an  actual  meal .

❝  interrupting  nothing  important  i  assure  you  ,  ❞  moving  to  the  side  a  clawed  hand  gestured  for  the  other  to  come  in  ,  shutting  down  the  door  once  he  had . ❝  our  unrelenting  receptionist  has  given  me  the  orders  to  rest  ,  i  was  debating  if  i  could  manage  to  get  out  of  the  building  without  her  being  alerted .  ❞  while  it's  the  truth  ,  there  is  still  a  thread  of  amusement  that  intermingles  with  his  words .

as  he  turns  to  allow  his  gaze  to  follow  the  other  there  is  a  twinge  of  regret  ,  but  only  for  the  fact  that  his  quarters  sat  in  such  disarray .  moving  to  set  aside  books  that  littered  his  table  so  they  could  each  they  found  their  place  with  the  piles  that  overtook  the  corners  of  his  room .

❝  apologies  for  the  mess  ,  i  rarely  have  the  time  to  be  here  long  enough  to  clean  up  or  to  have  guests .  ❞  vahn'ik  hums  ,  head  tilting  towards  the  other . 

❝  i  appreciate  the  meal  ,  and  the  company .  ❞

[vierandancer]

@visionhcld

"Of course it's important. Would I really request your assistance if it wasn't?" Azem was, of course, banking on the fact that the venerable, honorable Emet-selch would not ask for clarification on the 'importance'. They would not have the same definitions.

"Your expertise is sorely needed. I'm great at a lot, I know, but not everything. And travel to the city doesn't take long at all! We'll be back by tonight, probably."

[poswiecenia]

( 🔧 ) NIGHTMARES AGAIN , LEAVING the short in stature aquas hybrid shuffled anxiously behind the door he knew lyney to be behind. if he was still asleep when he tried he would . . try to go back to bed , no matter how much his skin crawled right now. he would leave but . . he would have to start knocking first. yeah.

HE DIDN'T WANT to be a bother. didn't want to wake up his brother with his problems he should . . be over by now.

------ feminet . . eminet ?

OCEAN BLUE HUES flare wide as his brothers voice finally cuts through his miniscule episode , staring at the other as if he'd seen a ghost ( archons , what a low blow , especially after recently ) or something. ❝ L - LYNEY ! SORRY . . i was just leaving. i'm okay. ❞

@visionhcld gets this for lyney from fremi bye.

[crystalmarred]

CONTINUED ⇢ @inkbloodcd

A crook of a smile spreads across his face when G'raha Tia at last tears his attention away from the grip of his laser focus on... whatever that was. It looked Allagan in nature and G'raha was quick to confirm that it was and that he didn't entirely know what it was, though his tail and ears gave away much of his feelings on the matter.

... That G'raha hadn't figured out yet only meant that X'kijin wasn't touching it under any circumstance. A bit dumb though he may be, t'was not nearly enough to convince him to touch the mysterious, Allagan object without being told to do so by the expert.

When G'raha's attention drifts fully from the mystery and he offers a proper greeting—not that X'kijin can complain, considering he's not done that, either—he finds himself laughing softly.

"You're just saying that because you've an excuse for a break," he says, joking, for being so earnest and even open did not come as naturally to him as it did G'raha Tia.

"It's not really a need."

It's more an... inkling, spurred on by Tataru's incessant ranting that their Warrior of Light had become too idle and needed to find something to do.

"But... You didn't get to spend much time in Ishgard. Or Kugane, Ala Mhigo... We have a bit more breathing room, now that nothing's on fire..." Figuratively, at least. Usually.

"I want to take you," he says, finally clarifying what he means exactly instead of vaguely referencing his intentions. "And it'll get you away from... whatever that is."

[withsorrowandregret-archive]

𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑’𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐇  .    or  ,    perhaps  ,    the impression agnates more to a fragment of hers cleaved from her very person  .    whilst the valor to pursue a future shaped after her own prerogatives inspired an awakening    (        of a flame  ,    of a will        )    ,    the conundrum remains still  .   the intricacies which make for an ipseity  ,    the self - hood in embrace of a epithet  ,    it is inquisition far more arduous     ━━           an eleventh - hour attempt at delaying elegies for the lost  ,    and for those who become  .    chrome    (        or is it nagi  ?       )    presses the tips of her fingers to the crescent of the cheekbone  ,    𝐭𝐨 ���𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 - 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐚𝐰 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲  .    undoubtedly masculine  ,    a raw susurration vacuous from the visage she now calls her own  .    ❝    mukuro - sama  .  .  .        ❞    the eye lambent with amethyst hues glissades the silhouette  ,    in deliberate languish  ,    meets with a distinct set of eyes with demure  . lips are pressed into a thin line , as her digits withdraw to breather upon her chest ; heaving spiraling with her unease over the taken liberty .    ❝    i am sorry . for taking so long .    ❞

[  ❀  ]    plotted starter , @visionhcld

[inhumanheresy]

@visionhcld

A golden-bladed speartip digs a quarter of an inch into his chest.

Tartaglia inhales with a sharp hiss as pain flares in his left pectoral, Morax’s weight pressing him inexorably down into the dirt with one foot planted right below his diaphragm. The Harbinger raises his hands as his dual swords splash into formlessness on both sides. “I yield.”

The sun is far higher in the sky than when they first began, and the ache of exertion, bruise, and quick-healed wounds is starting to seep into his bones. Even so, Tartaglia slaps Morax’s calf where the god has him pinned down, this loss marking his… Damn, he’s lost count of how many bouts they’ve gone at this point. “Now off. We go again.”

[dcndrohime]

Cont / X

She spent some time right there, next to a lit torch furniture, like the many she's seen scattered all over this part of Mondstadt. But to see someone, thankfully not one of the folks down the mountain. Talking with them since last time, had been fairly heated and Hinamori was not going to indulge in any arguments with them, especially considering her choice of clothings and acessories.

All her thoughts aside, even what she came here for, are set to the side.

Teal hues glance down at the shorter person.

''No, i am doing alright'', she was here with a reason, if nothing else but she supposed that can wait.

Its a bit late to be venturing about, so she hadn't thought of crossing path with anybody, not even hilichurls, no doubt sleeping at this point.

''But don't mind me, i'll go back down.. eventually''.

@visionhcld

[ayahimes]

perhaps it might be surprising to hear that— were he to have it his way entirely— wriothesley would be forced to leave the sanctuary of meropide far less often than he is. once a month... at least, neuvillette had said. well, it's more like the man strongly recommended such a schedule upon bestowing his title to him, though he'd hardly taken an interest in that either despite relenting on that point as well.

and so, he fell into something akin to a routine. and always, these trips top-side are explicitly labeled as being for business, of course, though that's only a small part of it. he is titled, after all. and he does like the excuse to pick up a new batch of tea before heading back, in truth. and so, despite appearances, he does actually enjoy himself... at least a little. whether or not he feels he deserves such freedom, however, requires an entirely different assessment.

today, he finds himself passing the afternoon at a table in the courtyard of the café lucerne, blessedly alone. alone, that is, until a young woman— a foreigner, surely— dares to approach.

an eyebrow raises as he returns his teacup gently to its saucer. and he eyes her with curiosity and skepticism in equal measures. is there really no one else she could find to ask? glancing over, it would seem the waiters and waitresses are pointedly absent. hmm.

finally, he broaches the subject, even before she can. " can i help you... ? "

𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐚 . back at the hotel debord ayaka was offered a cup of coffee with some steamed milk , however , what her palate craved was something much closer to home . a cup of tea , and preferably fontaine's finest , was a simple sort of delicacy she had wanted to try since the boat had docked at the harbor . she had assumed that it wouldn't be too difficult to find a café serving some and had managed to reassure her escorts from inazuma that she could find it herself , but she had been sorely mistaken with her sense of direction . fontaine , in comparison to inazuma , was a maze of buildings . after what seemed like the better part of an hour exploring she'd finally found one , but unfortunately met with an empty café in the middle of the day .

her curiosity notices the lone man sitting by himself and while he looks like he wants nothing more than to sit there in peace she can't help but impose on his quiet time . ayaka takes a moment to study him carefully . he doesn't look like a server , nor someone who looks like they work at the palais or the steambird . if anything his rather robust figure was a stark contrast to most gentlemen she'd seen in the city . the bindings around his arms gave off the impression that he took part in physical work and handcuffs dangling from his hip were suspect of something within the law . it wasn't a surprise given the theme of fontaine . her entire assessment could be wrong but ayaka was around enough people in her day to day life to read them quite well . or so she liked to think . she meets his gaze before glancing at the teacup and saucer in his hands . ❛ well i came here for a cup of tea , ❜ ayaka replies , a look of disappointment flashing across her face as she moves away from the empty counter and towards his table .

up close she can see the finer details , the scars peeking upwards his neck and the swirl of gray in his eyes . his outward appearance was something to be judged given his rugged image , but ayaka knew better than to base judgement on appearance alone . ❛ i'm visiting from inazuma and have been looking forward to try the tea here for quite some time . i'm afraid i'm not quite a coffee person like most people here , ❜ she says with a half - laugh , an embarrassed smile drawn on her lips . ❛ i apologize for interrupting but i was hoping you could help . do you know when the server will be back ? ❜

[fiyres]

𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒  ,    the room tenebrous with the pale phosphorescence of a sun sinking beneath the blanket of twilight  .    the stygian mantilla carries something inherently eerie  ;    elongated shadows in crazed lines  ,    hushed echos where birdsong should have be thriving  .    𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 . from this obscurity a shape disentangles  ,    yet he needs not sight to discern the singularity  .    tsunayoshi just knows  ,    as he always had  . 

  ❝     mukuro  .     ❞    he bequeathes upon the tall silhouette  ,   one arched brow with a hint of fond exasperation  .    ❝     please  ,   𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫  .  .  .    what is it  ,    ten years now  ?    you might want to reconsider your threats one of these days .    anyway—    there is something i have got to tell you  ,    something important  .    traces of the estraneo family have been found in the southern regions of italy  .    𝐢 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦  ;    they are too dangerous to let them be  .    will you accompany me  ?   ❞

[  ☼  ] a surprise , @visionhcld

[reapcrbunny]

( 🐇 ) THE END WAS . . difficult to get other people to believe. she'd crossed and left the star for answers, dragging the emissary with her upon emet - selch's insistence. she'd only partly gotten what she was trying to find but . . her visions NEVER LET UP.

AND NONE SEEMED to believe the threat they posed. it was maddening.

AZEM SIGHS, FINALLY breaking the silence. ❝ DO YOU AT least believe me ? the visions i've EXPERIENCED. ❞ she doesn't look at the emissary as the traveller continued to tug at the grass upon the ground. her brow was furrowed, closed off more than usual. smile gone as her nerves only got heightened by TALKING ABOUT IT.

@visionhcld gets this for themis <3

[poswiecenia]

( 💣 ) SHE'D MADE A big mistake. a mistake that hurt real bad and that she was trying to patch up all on her own without grown - up help. she'd escaped her room earlier ( through the window ) to go get sweets as sneakily as she could TO SHARE WITH her big brother later.

unfortunately HER LITTLE ESCAPE had come to an end upon her trying to climb back inside. the glass that she not - so - expertly - broke had cut her and she franticly tried to staunch the bleeding that CAME FROM IT.

IT WAS SCARY, she wasn't a healer at all ! tears welled as she hickuped, jolting as albedo's footsteps ( yes, she's acutely aware of the sound of most of the knights' walks. she has to so she can keep outta trouble ! ) cut through her distress. she sits there on the floor a moment, staring at the door with wide eyes ; elven ears twitched down T'WARD THE FLOOR.

❝ H - HELP ! bleeding, albedo . . ❞ she's gonna be in so much trouble . .

@visionhcld gets this for albedo from klee.

[sarastuss-a]

IT WAS TRUE, : THERE WOULD BE NO DENYING THEIR WORD, when two respected members of 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 would share a report, ... &. especially with hades to have her back, there was no claiming this event as ' azem merely finding trouble as usual. ' she was very aware of her own tendency to find it, or trouble's tendency to find her : EITHER WAY, TAKING FIGHTS FOR HERSELF THAT WERE NOT HER OWN. ... but he is right again, 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐍𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐅. there was no aether to even sense from the creatures twisted by this empty void, completely corrupted. so she nods in agreement, as much as she disliked the fact that this would not be taken seriously : hard to look into something when nothing remained, but within that golden heart of hers, she feels great unease of this sighting. &. WHEN AZEM FEELS THAT WAY, IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

WITH THE FAMILIAR SIGH, : HE TOO REALIZES THE GRAVITY OF THIS SITUATION, &. the amount of work it adds upon their shoulders, 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒. yet neither complains, not truly. ... gaze remaining upon him, features studied oh, so carefully, regardless of having memorized it all. lips curl once more, the sight warm &. enchanting almost, ❝ thank you, hades. ❞ EMPHASIS PLACED UPON HIS NAME, IT WAS KNOWN AZEM, REGARDLESS OF HER POSITION, cared very little for the formalities : always so bold with breaking boundaries. but, with them, it is a testament to something, regardless. he took her seriously, &. had her back : even now, when they faced a situation that was everything but certain, filled with more questions than answers. 𝐍𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒, she expresses gratitude everytime. ... when he mutters the next words, it is her own gaze that travels as well, looking to the side at nothing in particular, yet her expression is thoughtful. her exhale is quiet, ❝ i know, ❞ NO MATTER HOW SHE'D HIDE IT, SOMEONE WITH HYTHLODAEUS UNIQUE SIGHT WOULD SEE IT ALL, ... &. she didn't enjoy the thought of bringing their dear friend worry. but it was not like she could shake away this unease lightly, not when this event taunted her so. ... but soon, EYES FLASH BRIGHTER, lips hanging slightly ajar as attention returns to him. for a moment, his words sink in, &. she allows silence to stretch, until there is that signature playful hint to her smile, as her hands land on her hips &. head tilts to the side, ❝ are you suggesting what i think you are? ❞

her gentle words are a genuine comfort to both him and his pride. how strange— and wonderful, in truth— it is that he has held onto someone who not only accepts his weaknesses but subtly, carefully, helps him to lick his wounds without having to ask... and when he most needs it.

he is, in no uncertain terms, a perfectionist... though one far more harsh with himself than with others. to have made an error and lack the answer to her question unsettles him greatly. and yet, it is simply the natural order of things; there is always more to learn. some days, though, it is easier to ignore that fact than simply accept it.

when she questions him, he does not answer right away, his own gaze following hers to rest on the ashen spot left behind for a long moment before he turns fully to face her, waiting to speak until he holds her eyes, his own serious yet still noticeably kind.

" they will have no choice. " he replies, knowing that the weight of both of their testimonies, given in tandem, is perfectly clear. " without tangible proof, however, it is unlikely that they will take this as seriously as they should. " he draws a deep breath, then, and sighs, taking a hand and placing it on his forehead.

this would create more work for him, of course, and him alone. such is his duty as the gatekeeper to the underworld, responsible for maintaining order and balance between things that should exist and things that should not. at least, it may put her at ease to know that he will be watching for anything else to appear off.

" i will no doubt be tasked with putting down anything else considered unusual. but, i will also see to it that lahabrea is thoroughly questioned. if there have been any unreported escapes by his tenants, he will need to be held responsible. "

a brief period of silence follows his words. and then, his shoulders seem to relax, the formality of his station slowly sloughing off. and again, quietly, he sighs, half-muttering to himself as his eyes shift skyward, thoughtful. " hythlodaeus will worry, you know, should you seem in distress upon your return.

" i see no reason to make haste now, anyway. "

it was still a very beautiful day, after all.