𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

so do we all agree that HS ezreal had a toxic ex?

considering that he tried to k/// himself by jumping, has had many encounters with having to escape from high places in the first place and almost dying twice to it (ex. lynette's vision story, his own vision story.)

so what do we think he felt in this scene?

he executed it wonderfully and it was a success!

“sometimes i wish i could hear cesar's voice just one more time.”

lyney immediately regrets saying it. he feels like he has no right to pour his heart out to others: that he needs to keep everything inside, seal a pretty facade with a kiss and continue the show.

but venti doesn't look at him different. he has a gentle glimpse in his eye, even an understanding one.

“can you close your eyes?” venti asks.

lyney, though baffled, closes his eyes with a light laugh. “and what do you have in mind?”

there's no answer. lyney's brow tilts softly as he questions the silence, but he holds his eyes closed either way.

a gentle breeze of wind blows through his hair and tingles his skin. over his shoulder he feels a ghostly touch, and the wind tugs at his hat softly in a familiar motion.

“hey there, kiddo.”

lyney's bright eyes shoot wide open, hot tears struggling to not pour out of the corners of his eyes. venti still sits beside him, his lungs full of air before he slowly exhales. he turns his head to lyney, his calm smile resembling cesar's kind expression for a short moment in lyney's desperate eyes.

“h— how?” lyney finally chokes out. he lifts his hand to brush the embarrassing tear out of his eye, but venti places his warm hand on lyney's cheek before lyney can act.

“a human mind is fragile — it forgets things even precious to us.” venti uses his thumb to wipe the small tear away. “but the wind will always be here to give us a small reminder.”

“and nothing can deceive the wind — not even a cheerful grin,” venti adds.

venti knows that this time the fond smile grown on lyney's lips is no attempt of hiding his sorrow, but embracing it.

so it's now in our knowledge that lyney's survival tactic as an orphan was his flirtatious behavior, much like lynette's was her emotionless facade.

he tends to retreat to flirtatious behavior whenever he wants to show gratitude or feels himself to be a nuisance:

1. offering that one lady “i'd give you a bouquet of roses if i could” as soon as she stated she'd be watching his every move etc.

2. starting to show romantic/flirtatious behavior to traveler as they stated they can't trust him.

he feels guilty about not having told the truth, though he had an understandable reason to it. he also feels like he owes the traveler or is in debt to them because they helped him through his court case.

so what was his survival tactic again? flirting. romance. whatever that means — whatever he's had to done in the past to get by — it's clear that this behavior is a reaction.

maybe it's from rejection, fear of abandonment, guilt, or simply feeling like he has to prove his worth to the traveler. but it definitely is a reaction with sad origins.

to back up this claim, he even admits it himself that he isn't actually that social and outgoing, but it's rather just to get close to people:

he's had to grow himself into that, especially as lynette's big brother. as the brother of an autistic girl who was about to be sex trafficked and started to fear the world. she couldn't speak, so he had to.