#outwards

𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 — 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 (quiet storms, heavy hearts, and reaching out even when the hands shake)

“ ..i do? ” it's hard not to take kyouya's words to heart. he says them so earnestly, conveying what she realizes is integral to her, to them, in their arrangement as “ husband and wife ” . hinata delicately reaches to cup his jaw, allowing her thumb to graze softly against the small cut on his cheek. it's no chore to offer comfort; to ease him after dealing with this line of work ( this alliance to their yakuza clans). whatever their role, they were all in.

“ .. i'm glad, kyouya. if i can offer this much, ” hinata whispers with a smile, white eyes scanning, engraving his sharp features into memory, “ then .. i've done my job. ” of course, her job does not ask her to play up her warmth nor her empathy. hinata has never been one to pretend to be cold or cruel—if anything, she knows kyouya appreciates these parts of her more so. still, the lines between them blur. a small hiccup of the heart towards words of appreciation &praise feels real—but, in the end, are they?

in the empire and holy kingdom alike, the price of living is steep. yuri leclerc has sold everything from his morals to his body just to secure the precarious place he occupies in this world. serving as an errand boy for the archbishop may not be the most glamorous work, but answering to her demands will always be preferable to those of count rowe.

it started as a prayer for two, a shared promise between mother and child. sometimes, you'll find it hard to keep going, but you always will, says the cleverest woman he knows through a painted smile that takes him longer to emulate than he'd like to admit.

the failed assassination of house varley's only daughter is a permanent blemish on his resume and one of the first stains on his conscience. for years after the incident, he'd wondered if bernadetta von varley remained the same incurable crybaby whose tears could have watered every last rose bush in the gardens.

"now where have i heard that before?" yuri feigns consideration, tone nonchalant. "anyways, thanks for the advice. i'll keep it in mind."

a smile, when calculated, is just as much a weapon like his sword. he knows when to use it, and the how, so everyone in sight bows to his command. the delicate balance between explicit tyranny and spoiled young master is a honed art to him, and he rationalises his less desirable traits with all the injustice his family has suffered. it's easy, after all, to indulge in what one truly wants.

with twenty something years on his mind, there are few things that draw genuine delight out of kamisato ayato, and fewer still the ones who are in the know.

capricious as a summer storm, his leveled gaze falls on the yellow servant. they are like huge mochis, ayato recalls ayaka's comment on these mysterious creatures, and he wonders if their esteemed guests from mondstadt would like one as a souvenir.

" you made this for me? " he takes the cup with a grin, the kind that doesn't reach the eyes. despite their three-fingered grips, they exhibit marvelous talent in arts. he takes a sip. mashed fresh banana mixed with milk cap is exactly the recharge he needs.

" well done, well done... i might have to replace thoma with you at this rate. " he kids, or maybe not. he brushes a gloved hand over the minion's spiky hair and laughs as they start to chant.

“My... toes?” he intones verbatim. 

Just before him stands a little girl - no older than four, he suspects - with hair the blushing color of silk flowers waving her petite arms wildly about and shouting bizarre phrases. Zhongli affords himself a second to confirm that his toes are in fact in proper place, still attached to his feet which remain sheathed within high-quality leather.

narafran 100% correct quotes // @outwards​

alt. ver under the cut (just fran’s mask)

@outwards​ said:  ❛  if i were to die right now in a fiery explosion due to the carelessness of a friend …then it would just be alright.  ❜  kanna @ sou help im actually losing it Spongebob Starters || Accepting

"You're such an idiot, Kanna." He isn't even sure how to BEGIN deconstructing everything that's wrong with that sentence but his mind is frustrated with the lack of logic it presents. Hands reach for the beanie attempting to tame the unruly set of hair beneath it and pull with a sense of urgency as he loses control over the emotions he tried so hard to bottle up and throw away but they override his better judgement.

"Shut up, just shut up! You don't know anything, you don't know what you're saying and I'm not about to let you ruin everything with-" Nonsense, is what he wants to say but it loses itself when the lump in his throat swells. How could she think about throwing away her life so EASILY? How could she waste it when they were so close? They were so close to getting out of this hell hole and the only people she was concerned with were the very people that didn't fucking deserve it. It's infuriating, it's idiotic, it's not a decision she should even have to make.

His gritted teeth comes with panic that forces tears to roll down pale cheeks, only caught by the scarf that he sinks into. It's maddening to listen to everything unravel and his heart sinks at the very thought of Kanna's words becoming a reality. He isn't ready to lose. He isn't ready to lose her. "Shut up and let the adults handle this, this isn't for you to decide!" His words are sharp but they're carried by a pained, shaky voice that's on the brink of losing itself. This whole game has made him sick to his very stomach and his mind has never felt so rotten. If this is just a taste of what he remembered from the past, he isn't sure he should be proud. Sacrificing his humanity for the sake of beating the odds that were never in his favor to begin with now seemed stupid when just a week ago it was poetry. All of his logic crumbled at the very words of a little girl he swore to protect.

And what is he if he can't even manage that?

If he's going to die here, she may as well live for the both of them. Shin isn't completely at peace with the idea, he's aware of that but it's the lesser of the two evils he was presented with. He isn't like HIM, no matter how many times he tries to imitate him for the sake of surviving this hell.

"Just keep quiet, Kanna."

“I heard,” he squares his jaw in response to the memory alone, a phantom of the agitation he’d experienced first hearing that Tighnari of all people had become embroiled in senseless conflict. “You were injured, though I trust Collei has already seen to you.”

Cyno retreats to his thoughts, lapsing into the variety of silence he is well-known for when words fail him. Tighnari had been aware of the risks when he’d requested the investigation into Akademiya, but he - neither of them, in truth - could have conceived of the degrees of corruption in the upper echelon of Sumeru’s highest institutions. Long has the pursuit of knowledge bred arrogance and greed in scholars who do not temper their ambitions with an equally uncompromising sense of ethics. In the end, the Sages had proven to be no exception.

“Have you had the opportunity to submit a report? I will personally see it through the proper channels.”

There is a limit to the General Mahamatra’s - to Cyno’s own - reach. The role of weapon comes more easily to him. His justice leaves the sands red, mete through the use of razor-sharp claws that shred all in their path to ribbons. For this reason he keeps his distance, wields them only in service of righteous endeavors so as to not turn his fangs on the innocent.

“The Harbinger, Il Dottore. He was tampering with forces beyond him. I cannot abide those who make light of the value of life.”