#inkshroud

“I had a vision.” Zed paces around her, his boots sifting through the reeds as he steps in and out of the foliage. “That was more important than a home. Than a family.”

It was a vision that he could not accomplish, hindered as he was under that roof. He had suffered years of dwelling in the shadows, overlooked, unrecognized. Toiling away, day and night, trying to be the best student he could be, hadn’t resulted in anything. Kusho never acknowledged him apart from the rest. He could never stand apart from everyone else. Especially Shen.

And what did that lead to, when they came across the most dangerous criminal in Ionian history?

They didn’t listen to him. Zed told him to slit his throat, and end the Golden Demon’s life there. Instead, the man was placed behind bars and left to languish in Zhyun. Or so Master Kusho thought.

Kusho was wrong. The Kinkou were wrong. And Zed was determined to burn those bridges, start over, and do things the right way. His way. If turning his back on them was the cost, then it was a small price to pay.

UNPROMPTED | accepting!

important question: is xayah a tsundere.

❛   okay . what do you want , liefling ? just don’t say noodles , we’ve had that for four days in a row now .   ❜   

       “ Hey! I am not a baby! ”

There was something about being called a baby that makes EVERYTHING that she does seem… childish, only proving Kai’Sa’s point correct.

Should she get mad then she would be throwing a tantrum, if she kept the annoyance to herself and stay quiet then they would say she was sulking —– there was simply no winning against how others perceived her, and really, Akali felt close to surrendering. Even their fans were beginning to believe that she was just that: Childish and stupid and utterly clueless at everything that she does.

Thankfully, she does not relent to them so easily. After all, Akali Jhomen Tethi shall always be known for being undeniably stubborn, and she swears under her breath she’ll prove to them that she is more than just the group’s trophy youngest.

“ Listen here, Bokkie… If you only wanted to kiss me you could have just asked instead of waiting until I lost my footing. ” She smiles a cocky smile, sneakers squeaking against the practice room’s wooden floor as she moves to sit where she stood, eyeing her knees and the well-earned bruises on her skin —– some of which she had received from practice, others from the few times she would sneak out of K/DA’s shared home to participate in underground rap tournaments and, well, flaunt off her skills while flipping about.

Huh. Akali pauses. Maybe she is quite childish for always disobeying the agency’s wishes after all.

      “ Aww, shit. I’m bleeding. ”

As she watches the youngest member from her perch upon the boombox towards the side of the room , Kai’sa couldn’t help but smile fondly at the rapper’s antics . Having grown up as an only child , the experience of having a younger sibling is entirely foreign to the dancer . While others may have had close friends who filled up the role of a sibling , she never had that opportunity herself . Kai’sa appreciates how close she has grown with Akali . 

That being said ... she enjoys poking some fun at the younger woman . Sometimes she’ll use her height to her advantage , ruffling Akali’s hair or perhaps dangling some object just out of reach   —   it really depends on her mood . Today , she felt like teasing using her words .   ❛   Oh , but that whine tells me otherwise , ‘ kali .   ❜   Even to her own ears , her voice sounds quite smug as she replies . 

Her gaze is drawn to where the Akali is looking at && she immediately winces , dropping from her makeshift seat to inspect the wounds . It looks worse up close , but nothing worse than what she’s seen . ( or endured herself ) Still , worry pools in her stomach as the rapper points out the obvious . Kai’sa heaves a gentle sigh , using a hand to gently extend the younger woman’s injured leg . 

     It’s Akali, looking to get underneath her skin again, but her words are staggered, wobbly, like a rap in development that doesn’t quite have the right flow.

     “Sorry,” Irelia says, stirring out of a brief reverie. She finds Akali latching onto the lapel of her jacket, her face within a bottle of whiskey’s length from Irelia’s. And Irelia could guess that her composure was definitely flattened by a bottle of whiskey, too. “I was just… thinking.”

     About the two of them, huddled in the corner of some neon light bar in Seoul, the lights dim and their only company a large group of businessmen occupying two tables at the other end of the room. For that, Irelia was grateful, but for pop stars, ‘empty’ was never quite empty.

    Akali trusts her to keep her incognito - she trusts Irelia as much as any member of K/DA, but Irelia hasn’t been thinking about herself for the past five minutes. It keeps wandering from Akali’s reputation, to the future that she knows will demand so much of her, to the hundreds of thousands of fans willing to jump to their dear rapper’s defense, to the way her eyes light up when she’s come up with the perfect line or hook…

     On top of that, Irelia realizes that she shouldn’t be thinking about her. She should be making the most of their time together, concerning herself about the Akali in front of her right now. It’s warm in the narrow space between their faces, and Akali’s not the only one energized by their drinks.

     “I do want to give you my attention. I’m just scared it might be too much.”

     Akali gives her a stupefying look. It’s the kind of look that fangirls constantly rave about, the one that fancams zoom in on, the one that swells with the confidence of a woman that has the world between her fingers. It’s enough for Irelia to lean forward, grabbing her face, and press her lips to hers. She pulls Akali close to her, settling backwards into the shadows, where they can share a secret like this and throw away the lock and key.

     She pulls back to see Akali beaming, surprise scrawled over her face like a flowing signature on an autograph. Irelia knows enough about her to know she’s done a good job.

     Xayah did not like randomness the way that Rakan did. When she went on solo missions, she did not appreciate it when sudden, abrupt things changed her carefully thought out plans. Thus, when she found herself in the middle of a scattered ring of dead shadow acolytes, face to face with another woman — she didn’t know what to do.

     They were not too different in size. Clearly a human, at the very least, though the windowless temple was dark enough to obscure them both. Xayah held two bright feather-daggers in one hand, ready to throw at the slightest sign of movement. Her ears were pinned back, and her cloak flared out behind her in surprise. 

     Options. Xayah weighed the facts in her head — had fought the shadow acolytes, so clearly not a friend of the order. A stranger, though. An armed stranger, and a human too — so, dangerous, at least in her eyes. Potentially an ally, but maybe not one that she could or should trust, given her own reputation among humankind in Ionia. 

     She lowered her daggers very slightly. Yellow eyes burned in the dark. Keeping her voice low so as not to draw reinforcements, Xayah spoke: 

       It would have been better if she had avoided social media after they’d debuted. Their agency suggested as much, knowing how negative some people can be when it came to new groups, but Akali was a fool —– so new to the industry and still so naive, and with such naiveté she looked up what people thought of her. A number praised her work. Her rapping. Her skills.

A number also pointed out her faults. Made clips of their live performances where her dancing would be a touch late from the other’s, calling her lazy, calling her untalented. She truly was just a girl picked up from the streets, they’d say in the comments, because she looked like a mess, much like a homeless, and a homeless she should remain, not an idol. She wasn’t pretty like Ahri or Evelynn, she wasn’t good at dancing like Kai’Sa and anyone, if they could do so much as talk, can rap. K/DA doesn’t need her. She was just holding them back.

Her hand slightly trembles from exhaustion as she reaches out for the collar of her shirt, tugging it up so she could wipe away the sweat trickling down from her forehead. She’s out of breath now, her legs aching from the much needed rest and her lungs screaming for air, but Akali greets the choreographer’s concern with a smile nonetheless. Confident and vain, even, as she shook her head and stared at her reflection on the vast mirror before her.

       “ Let’s practice more. I want to do better. I will become better. ”

At first she reacted to the cruel comments with childish anger, but now they only serve as a fuel for her fiery appetite to win. And she will win. She’ll prove to them that she can do anything. That K/DA’s lucky to have her, just as how she is lucky to have them. 

       “ Please? I’m not tired just yet. ” A lie, but if it’s what it takes to convince Irelia, Akali thinks she doesn’t mind the light pounding in her head. “ Just one more. ”

truthfully , the choreographer knows little of the pains of stardom . but she’s been in the industry for enough time to see the effects of fame , all the side effects . it’s especially evident within younger performers whose wings had barely unfurled before they were being shot down by unflinching fingers tapping away upon devices which grants them anonymity .  

they’re cowards , the whole lot of them . anybody who does not have the mental & physical fortitude to become an idol who then turns around and speaks ill of these performers who pour endless hours into molding themselves into the perfect performer for an audience .

but then again , there are moments which makes it all worth it . seeing the brilliant grin upon the youngest member’s features as she steps backstage , even as she’s covered in sweat ... irelia is thankful for it . passion burns within all of the members , one would be blind if they cannot see the fire with which they shine . 

and yet , her own soft spot for akali stems from seeing the rapper’s lowest moments rather than her highest . it’s nothing short of an honor to see how she strives to achieve the very best , pushing herself forward everyday . this hunger ( this desperation ) to prove herself looks at the dancer through the reflection . 

such a blazing fire can so easily burn out , especially as a result of overworking . irelia sees it all in akali & she cannot help but crease her brows in worry . one’s passion can so easily become a chore . her concerns are not alleviated but rather deepened by the rapper’s decision . should she intervene ? it’s technically not in her job description . but she’s long stepped past what’s required of her position as a choreographer .    ❛    with practice , i have no doubt that you’ll improve . especially considering your progress so far .    ❜    she speaks decisively , affirming the younger as best as she can .