feeling things sentence meme { accepting }

     ❛  my , my ; you have quite the poetics there , even for a bard’s standards.  ❜

the statement is delivered with a chuckle , velvet voice unusually calm despite the rowdy atmosphere of the tavern this evening. by the way kaeya acts , it’s almost as if they were the only two people in the room , his gaze fixated on the other. with a lean of his shoulders the knight shifts forward in his seat , a hand lifting to habitually gesture as he adds on , 

oh he’d show him a strong reaction all right… but, fortunately or unfortunately depending on the viewer, he refrained from the unneeded bout of violence for the time being.  unprompted turmoil for the sake of pettiness wouldn’t bode well for the delicate matters he was in mondstadt for.

so instead, he simply retracts his hand from the firm shake, only to raise it to deliver a rougher than necessary prod to the man’s forehead with his finger ( and, no, there was no shame in having to… slightly get on his tippy toes ).

❝  never asked for any advice, so don’t tell me you expect a reward for it ?  ❞  head tilts.  friends now ?  the suspicion that had never faded doubles in its quantity, but he does play along to whatever ruse this might be.  ❝  oh ?  give me an example then, I’m curious !  ❞  a clap of his hands as he leans in forward, smile sharp and expectant.  ❝  you know you don’t really have to sell yourself to me, right ?  we just met-  or are you really that desperate for friends ?  must be for a reason for it, huh ?  ❞  

such an aggressive person ! and on a first-base conversation , no less ; it had been a while since kaeya spoke with someone this confrontational though he doesn’t seem offended. in fact , he barely bats an eye , long lashes resting on half-lids , lips curled in a smile as he tries to hold back another chuckle. it would be incredibly impolite to do so - master jean always preached about how important it was to treat everyone with respect even if they were from a different walk of life. however , it had been a while since kaeya read the knights of favonius’ handbook , so naturally , he slips up every once in a while. although his smile doesn’t match the other males’ , it seems quite genuine despite the discussion at hand. cocking his head to the slight , kaeya raises a hand and rests it apologetically on his chest.  

Ungrateful. That unsightly baring of Kaeya’s teeth is almost as insulting as his insistence that Diluc has overstepped his bounds. As if this sorry excuse of a knight hadn’t almost drowned in front of his very eyes. They may not be brothers, but he’s still a citizen of Mondstadt.

“Was I just supposed to avert my eyes and walk the other way? Like perhaps you would have?” Diluc speaks over him heatedly, his own temper pouncing on the opportunity to vent itself, verbal claws digging for a soft spot to sink into. For a moment, the abrupt silence makes him think he’s actually hit a nerve.

Then Kaeya scoffs, anger twisting into sardonic amusement. His nail clicks against his mask with a resounding vibration. Diluc rears back from his hand with a low sound of offense, blinking furiously.

“That’s what you’re focused on?” he says, too exasperated to even care that his supposed ‘secret identity’ has been compromised. He already knew the moment Kaeya took his first breath that there was no way he wouldn’t be recognized. A price paid willingly for a life. The certainty that this sacrifice wouldn’t even be treated with its due respect leaves a bitterness on his tongue, makes his words come out even more curt. “Yes. It’s me. Is it really so amusing?”

His own anger is beginning to drain from him, leaving behind only a sense of blanketing exhaustion, stitched into him with the pins and needles throbbing from his wound. He exhales harshly, shoulders dropping as he loosens his mask to remove it. He stares at it in his hand for a moment, before holding it out to Kaeya, looking out into the night rather than matching his gaze.

“…Congratulations, Sir Kaeya. You cracked the case.” Through no effort of his own. Diluc had been so careful up until now. “I suppose I’ll be taken to task by the Knights of Favonius now?”

No good deed went unpunished, after all.

while brief , the spark of anger from the redhead is nearly comical to the knight - even after all these years they seemed to draw a reaction out of each other , more-so than from even their enemies. perhaps neither of them have changed all that much in that regard. diluc was the flame but kaeya was the gasoline ; oil and water mixed better than these two. if kaeya believed in fate , it would be written in the stars that they would remain sworn enemies until either of their untimely demise.

that was not entirely the point , even if the thought lingers.

       ❛   well of course it’s amusing. after disappearing , returning and completely disregarding your previous title as a knight , i find it curious that you’re trying to play hero. It’s precious , really -    ❜

there’s a subtle inhale , the draw of breath as he derails from his initial criticisms. the visual of seeing diluc remove the mask and turn away didn’t feel like reality ; it instead feels ominous , like one of the many dreams that rested in kaeya’s unsettled mind. gaze flickers briefly down to the mask , then back up. his throat feels tight.  

        ❛   that’s a joke ... right ?    ❜

he scoffs , a pointed narrow of his brows ; the smile falters ever so slightly though it’s not recognized by his audience. part of him is hoping for diluc to look at him ( he knew how the knight hated to be ignored ) so when the attention is not given , kaeya finds himself blurting out , 

the sky was clear on this calm day as the group of knights worked on the outskirts of the city , a cool breeze sweeping through the collective. kaeya at the lead was unusually serious in this time ; gone was the alberich charm and was instead replaced by the stone cold expression of a soldier , diamond hue distilled. he paces for a bit , arms behind his back as he stares down each knight , their forms and footwork , only piping up when any slip-up was detected.  it was never personal , even if some of the newer knights seem bitter at the way he handles things , but it was how he was trained as a child. old habits died hard. 

it comes as a surprise when he feels the abrupt force of another person next to him and kaeya freezes , just for a moment , before he hears the familiar voice of the young woman. the rabbit heart settles. what was happening takes some time to settle in ; he holds his breath before he shifts ever-so slightly and gingerly wraps his arms around yanfei in return. hands tighten their grip and the captain stands there , absolutely still , as if he was frozen in time. his eye flutters shut. when kaeya speaks it’s unusual quiet , even for his standards. 

@lcyblade sent: listen, you don’t trust people here because you can. you do it because you don’t have anybody else.

❝  wow, say you have trauma without saying you have trauma.  ❞  but he offers him a hand in spite of those cruel and dismissive words, mild curiosity vividly shining in his azure eyes.  you have piqued my interest.  ❝  a truce then ?  ❞  what a sight it was to see, had he no idea he was fatui ?  my, and he had been under the impression word of his appearance and intentions must have crossed the ears of the knights of favonius by now...

oh well, this could also be a trick.    ❝  betray me and you’ll be wishing you were dead, are we understood ?  ❞

there’s a tight laugh which bubbles from his chest , elevates briefly ; slender digits lift up and brush against his own lips , a habitual guise to the gleeful grin that rests on his features. 

     ❛  what a strong reaction ! no need to get riled up just yet , i was simply offering a bit of ... advice.  ❜

a clear dismiss of the initial insult as a rhinestone eye is locked on the other , observing through half-lid lashes. the knight hums , airy and light to match his smile , before he shifts his weight and lowers his hand , extends it out and clasps it with the other , gloved digits intertwining. a purposeful squeeze is given to the other.