evantheden

[evantheden]

gex

[evantheden]

" They say that the coming clouds mean rain that will wash away the blood in the sinner. I hope people who believe this are not wrong and this meeting will be our last. " A wide smile came over Blade's face when the hand outstretched in front of him in which the sword rested felt cold raindrops. He had waited for this moment for too long, he would not let go now. [ for dan heng! ]

ㅤ𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐆❜𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍, opting for silence instead of a response towards the ebony haired male. Instead, he turned his head up towards the darkening skies, letting his eyelids flicker shut, allowing the rain to slide down his cheeks in a mockery show of tears. His dampened bangs were swiftly swept to one side of his forehead, Cloud Piercer resting in his left hand, balanced like a switchblade upon a single steady fingertip. The rain was coming down heavy now, pitter-pattering against the ground and soaking into his clothing. Perhaps he'd allowed this to go on for too long.❝How poetic,❞ was all he offered at last, finally looking Blade in the eye, sounding just a bit sarcastic there.

ㅤOn normal occasions, Dan Heng quite enjoyed the rain. It was soothing. Calming. It was like pouring hot water over tired and overworked muscles, relaxing the body and easing the mind. He oftimes found himself listening intently to its unusual melody, in fact, it helped aid his thoughts to become more coherent and decipherable to his mind.

ㅤ❝It might just be me, but it seems like you're enjoying this a bit more than you should.❞ Dan Heng's frown deepened even further. ❝That's not to say of how you're taking this grudge a bit too seriously.❞ After he'd become a fugitive, after the events that had unfolded when he'd committed that transgression, the two have never gotten along afterwards. Perhaps in a past part of their life, they'd been acquaintances, friends even, but now? They were nothing but enemies. A foe, if one may. Finally he offered a wry smile, chuckling dryly under his breath as if found this whole ordeal amusing when truly, it was no laughing matter.

[evantheden]

Send "Would you rather ____" asks into the inbox and my muse will have to answer.

[evantheden]

in the process of procrastinating on replying to threads, i've been polishing up my art skills, and, well, let's just say the progress has been a bit rocky. ahem, that being said, i might drop some of my "art" (i put air quotes because i don't think you can consider these sloppy sketches to be actual art (┬┬﹏┬┬) ) on this blog later on! like this post if you wanna see lmfao- also ps, i'm working on the threads dw, just, writer's block....yech.

[evantheden]

♡ ݁ . ೀ danheng tumblr layouts. ᶻz ㆍㅤ.

anon ᘡ ⇄/♡ + credits if useㅤ♡

[evantheden]

length of my writings may vary, so i apologise in advance if i wrote too little for you, and a whole lot more for others...i haven't quite unlearned that habit of mine 〒▽〒. if you sent me an ask or if i replied to a thread that you didn't exactly find intriguing because of the shortness in length, or for any other reason at all, simply let me know and i'll fix it. please, (；′⌒`), just tell me!!

[evantheden]

i just realised how horrid i am at making icons and borders, so- heads up everyone, i'll be keeping it simple and only use a single icon and not add anymore flair to it because honestly...i'm terrible at it, and i really feel like being more laid-back with my posts. that being said, three threads down, i forgot how many left are more to go! (hopefully i'll get the chance to squeeze in replies to everyone's threads...)

[evantheden]

❝𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐀𝐒 one, but you certainly house a few feline-like mannerisms, if you ask me,❞ Andrei said nonchalantly, the smirk never leaving his face. It was a peculiar habit that he’d picked up from his fellow Fatui comrades, and something he couldn’t quite shake off. Occasionally the ginger was called a douchebag because of all the charisma he flaunted, and the air of flirtations surrounding him didn’t make it any better. Not that he cared much about that side of his reputation. So long as people fear him, fear the Fatui (or should he say the Tsaritsa?), he could care less about what the others said or thought of him. And it would seem the man in front of him, behind the guise of friendliness (not unlike the one that Andrei had set up for himself), was perhaps intentions deeper than his mind could fathom. It wasn’t often when somebody approached a Fatui member, unless they were asking for trouble, which, in Kaeya’s case, could or could not be true. Something about the eyepatched male threw Andrei off, causing his brain to spin wildly out of control. He hated finding a mystery he couldn’t solve, and the cavalry captain was the epitome of mystery and enigma, which irritated him. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it, but there was something about this man that just seemed…well, off.

❝Ah, so I take it, you know who I am then? How refreshing to hear. But,❞ Andrei’s eyes narrowed slightly, ❝that just leaves me wondering…why approach someone as dangerous as me? A member of the Fatui…Aren’t you knights valiant in your work? Wouldn’t this be…what is it…fraternizing with the enemy?❞ He offered another blinding smile the captain’s way. ❝I’ve heard some gossip claiming their travels have taken them to Sumeru. Perhaps I’ll pay them a visit. I’ve got a comrade (‘comrade’ was perhaps a stretch; Dottore certainly didn’t consider the ginger maniac to be a friend) who’s currently stationed there, so it’ll be convenient.❞ Andrei’s lips pulled down into a child(e)ish pout. ❝No wonder they never seem to respond. The letters will reach them eventually; I’ll keep them posted on my own adventures. I’m sure they’d like that very much, don’t you think?❞ Not that he necessarily cared what Kaeya thought. ❝Responsibilities are certainly cumbersome at times…that much I can agree.❞ Andrei nodded his head solemnly.

The disappointment was clear on the captain’s face. ❝I’m only a pawn in whatever elaborate game the Tsaritsa has in store for us. I could die protecting my Quen, or I could live and make it to the other side of enemy territory. Chess has quite the amount of fun analogies, hm?❞ No doubt he gathered that much from Pierro’s little chess matches with him. ❝He’s a lot more hostile in person, though, I’m sure you must know that. I heard he stayed in Mondstadt for quite some time a handful of years back. Of course, I can’t know for sure, he always keeps a strangle-hold on information like that. Not that it’s really any of my business, but…one can’t help but be curious, you know?❞

Andrei shook his head roughly, ruffles of carrot-orange curls bouncing this way and that. ❝You earn it, if the Tsaritsa, or the Fatui, deems you worthy of harboring a Delusion. Surely you understand the toll that it takes upon one’s body? That is why so few people possess Delusions, even my comrades among the Harbingers. I don’t know much about them, given, but I do know that quite a few of them were not able-bodied and strong enough to take on the price that the Delusion asked. It’s quite vexing to use it, if one is to be honest. I, myself, struggle with it on occasion. Not often, mind you, but still. It happens to everyone.❞ Was that him admitting he wasn’t strong enough to control his Delusion? Mayhaps, mayhaps… ❝If one is that desperate to receive a Delusion, they can prove themselves worthy of it by some trails that the Fatui set up for that person. I don’t know the mechanics behind it all, or whether they get a Delusion in the end at all, but I do know that they’re quite the challenge for certain people. Occasionally, though on very rare occasions, one might receive a Delusion as a gift. I’m sure you’ve heard the news about members of the Fatui handing out Delusions to members of the Resistance in Inazuma, correct? The toll varies from person to person, but in this case, it could take your life in an instant. I believe our dear comrade, the Traveler, experienced the results of using the Delusion first-hand. A friend of his perished due to the conditions. Tragic, I gather, but in the end, they managed to foil our plans yet again, and now the Balladeer is off to Archons’ knows where.❞ He huffed a sad little breath of air. Abandoned yet again by his friend.

❝Ah. I’ll take a shot of Firewater, if you have it available. If not, I’ll have what he’s having.” Andrei jabbed a thumb in Kaeya’s direction, before turning his gaze right back towards the male, interested piqued yet again. ❝What is your goal, here?” He asked, tone suddenly turning serious, pitch lowering as if he were sharing an intimate secret with the captain. ❝You Knights of Favonius sure are nosy. Or are you just the odd one out of the bunch?❞ Andrei raised an apprehensive brow the captain’s way before accepting the drink the bartender pushed towards him, taking a long swig from the glass, and slamming the glass down onto the bar, hard enough to cause the ice cubes within the jiggle, and a slosh of alcohol staining the counter top. 

❝You don’t have to tell me, but I wager you’re trying to gather information about a Delusion because you knew someone who had one, didn’t you? A friend, perhaps? Family…❞ He trailed off after that, cheeks already taking a pink hue. The boy had quite the loose tongue after consuming alcohol, which was a bad habit of his that his acquaintances oft times complained about. ❝Now you didn’t hear this from me, but I overheard a conversation that Dottore was exchanging with a friend of mine.” Even drunk, he wouldn’t exchange the names of his fellow Harbingers, not that they weren’t already famous enough as it is. ❝Apparently, during his stay in Mondstadt, when he was experimenting with…whatever it was he works with,❞ Andrei waved a hand dismissively, as if the details of the Doctor’s work was not of any worth, ❝he sent a subordinate of his, Krupp, was it?, out on a…little mission. According to his debriefing, Krupp supposedly gifted a Delusion to a citizen at Mondstadt, an unfortunate red-head, though I wasn’t quite able to catch onto the name.❞ Andrei took another swig from his glass, wiping at the corners of his mouth.

❝Evidently, it would seem as though the poor man couldn’t handle the conditions and ended up gravely injuring himself. A minor kink in his work, according to Dottore. Something he couldn’t fix, because, and I quote, ‘these people are to incompetent to truly understand the price of using such a powerful item’.❞ The ginger let out a laugh, running a hand through his hair, before settling his chin down onto the bar. ❝What a funny little man. Anyway,❞ he sat up straighter in his seat now, dull eyes shimmering with what one could call expectancy, ❝about the payment…❞

“Curious does not seem to cut it, in your case. Didn’t you know? Curiosity killed the cat.” 

Andrei offered a sly fox-like smile, quite similar to the one that he had learned from Pantalone in the face of diplomatic situations, or when he was ever involved in economics or businesses. “Anonymous, not anonymous…what does it matter, so long as I get to make new sparring buddies?” He raised a challenging brow Kaeya’s way, rolling his shoulders back and forth, easing the poor muscles. He’d recently stepped out of a sparring match with a fellow comrade he’d made in Natland on a diplomatic mission, and his body was screaming at him to take a damn seat somewhere, anywhere, so he didn’t pass out on the floor, looking like a fool (not that he necessarily cared about what he looked like in this situation). “A dear friend? I suppose you’re referring to the Traveler, no? How are they doing anyways? Good, I suppose? Do let me know when they decide to finally respond to my letters about sparring.” Letters were not a term that people would use to describe the scraps of paper the Harbinger had sent the blond Outlander’s way; it was mostly just ‘Come fight with me, comrade, I’m bored’ scrawled on there, or ‘Hey are you up for some sparring?’, and after being ignored for a couple of weeks, he’d given up on bugging them about battling, and focused more on his missions (and his family of course). 

“Delusions?” Now that piqued Andrei’s interest. Delusions were not as unfamiliar territory as some may believe, as he himself had gained a Delusion from the Tsaritsa, but if one were to question his knowledge of the bastardly little contraptions, he’d simply shrug and point them in the way of Dottore. He was the one who came up with the idea anyways, and pitched it properly to their Queen, so who else should get to explain their own inventions, than the inventor himself? “You’re asking the wrong person, comrade.What makes you think that I’ve got an idea of how they work? Simply because I myself own one?” His hand subconsciously went to the breast pocket of his jacket, gloved fingers seeking the comfort of the familiar weight of the Delusion’s casing, like a child(e) seeking the comfort of a favored toy.

“You don’t acquire a Delusion,” Andrei scoffed, “it’s gifted to you. Or I suppose if you wanted to gain one in illegal matters, you’d bargain for it, but a lot of people place bets on things they don’t know too much about simply for the hell of it. I’d warn you not to bite off more than you can chew.” The ginger’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, ocean-blue orbs focusing intently on Kaeya’s ice-blue gaze. “Don’t tell me-” he laughed in what sounded almost like disbelief, reaching a hand up to run through his hair, “you’re planning on ‘acquiring’ a Delusion? Have you any idea how difficult it is for one to master the Delusion’s deadly abilities? How much effort and work your body must endure to finally be able to tether it down to your liking? People truly believe that the Northland Bank’s true currency is blood and tears, but when it comes to things like this…things like Delusions, I’m not kidding. The price to pay is blood, and it will be more than happy to pay with yours.” Perhaps he was being more foreboding than was necessary, but that just seemed like another one of Andrei’s more chaotic traits. “It is indeed classified information, and if Dottore ever heard me utter a single word of this, he’d probably cut out my tongue and feed it to one of his monstrous experiments.” The Harbinger shuddered at the mere thought of it; he still wanted his tongue, thank you very much. There were useful things to be done with it, like eating, speaking,...kissing. 

The boy laughed almost bitterly. ‘This man…must be out of his mind. No money is ever going to be worth the sort of information he’s hoping for.’ When Kaeya’s expression stood unwavering, Andrei stopped laughing. “You’re serious? You want to know that bad?” Though many would have turned down Kaeya’s offer, Andrei felt something tug in the pit of his stomach, as though dragging him closer than he’d like to be to this absolute moron (affectionately used term of endearment). His eyes slid meaningfully past the Captain’s lips, before he put a hand to his own, murmuring to himself incoherently. “I suppose…if the payment’s…good, I could…” he half-forced the next few words of his mouth thickly, disregarding the way it stuck to his tongue like the thickest honey in all Teyvat, “tell a bit of what I know.” Andrei told himself repeatedly that this was not necessarily betraying his Tsaritsa. Besides, it wasn't a secret that the Fatui managed Delusions and the factory they came from, so why bother denying it?

[evantheden]

𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐈 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑 moments in his childhood, each detail granular and specific, as if permanently engraved within his brain. It’s hard not to remember these memories when they brought him so much joy looking back on. Oftentimes, Andrei’s own parents mistook him and Ajax to be one in the same, and they’d address them the wrong way. Occasionally, though, they’ll get it right, but the two used to mess with them and pretend as though they missed it once more.

Eventually their mother grew weary of their alikeness and eventually, she knitted Andrei a hat, slapped it on his lil’ noggin, and told him to wear it from then on. Of course, as the mischievous children as Andrei and Ajax both were, they would swap days wearing hats and would secretly giggle to each other whenever their mother called them by their wrong name yet again. And, of course, their father was a different story; for some reason, he was able to tell right off the bat who was who, even if they made themselves look as similar as possible. I suppose fathers have a more perceivable eye than mothers, even though they weren’t the ones to give birth to the twins.

There wasn’t a day in their life so far that they hadn’t spent together, and even if they were separated, it wouldn’t take too long for them to be glued to each other’s sides once more. Andrei may not have shared the bloodlust and grit in battle as much as Ajax did, but the level of protectiveness that his older brother held towards him and their other siblings and family members…that-that was unmatched by anyone else.

Crouched over his desk, Andrei was busy knotting and unknotting his fingers through the loops of his somewhat-frayed friendship bracelet that Ajax had gifted him on his (their) 7th birthday. It was Andrei’s idea, but they both ended up exchanging a bracelet, and they hadn’t taken it off once since putting it on. It was a nervous tic of his, a habit he’d gained after childhood, something he hadn’t quite shaken off yet. He normally only ever fidgeted like this when he was thinking about a mission, or feeling particularly anxious. Sometimes he felt perturbed for no reason whatsoever, and it would often eat on his insides. The door to their shared room opened with a quiet click, and Andrei looked up from his wrist, offering a somewhat weary smile his brother’s way. ❝𝐇𝐞𝐲. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.❞

Normally he’d get up and offer his brother a hug, but honestly, he was feeling a little too fretful to. He’d make up for it later, for he knew very well that Ajax would become extremely whiny and pouty for the rest of the night.

❝𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐈 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤.❞ That much was true; he’d witness the Traveller’s wits and skills first-hand before and it was only a matter of time that he saw through their little facade. ❝𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐚? 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞-𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭?❞ Ajax was only older by about 5 or 10 seconds, but occasionally, when he was feeling extra smug, Andrei would have to deal with him rubbing that fact in his face.

❝𝐈 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭…𝐞𝐫…𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭? 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬, 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲. 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐭?❞

Andrei was quite the stark opposite of Ajax when not placed upon the battlefield; though they shared similar traits and habits, it would seem that Ajax was the more violent out of the two. In fact, Andrei honestly would prefer to stay home with his brother rather than go out on missions, especially ones as daunting as his current one.

❝𝐄𝐡? 𝐉𝐚𝐱?❞ The use of the nickname seemed to ease whatever tension was rolling over his brother’s shoulders, though he figured it was more to it than that. ❝𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧. 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈’𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.❞

@abyssasoque - plotted starter.

The best time was when they were alone, in the privacy of rented rooms or their home. It was, where they could be themselves and where, Ajax didn't need to put on a mask and pretend that there were no tender feelings for his brother, for he would do anything for his brother, even take every blow for him, if it meant that Andrei would be happy. Before anyone else's eyes in the fatui, they were a fearsome & deadly duo, who were so in sync, that some believed them to be one person, it was also why they were viewed as one harbinger instead of two. They had always been joined at the hip ever since birth and all of this had changed naught of that. The only thing that differed from them, were their scars and at times, the look in their eyes. Also, because there was a fierce protectiveness in his chest, despite them only having been born one minute apart. Ajax didn't care, wouldn't care, for he had promised to always protect Andrei, just like Andrei had, when they had fallen into the abyss.

Watching his brother, Ajax remained quiet, thinking, observing as he thought about everything they had been through and that, one day, both of them might not be here. However, those thoughts were pushed away, because Ajax would do everything in his power, to make sure, that Andrei would be the one standing here. That way, there would also be someone, to take care of their younger siblings. Though, when that day came, Ajax would have to apologize to his brother.

❛ Did your meeting with the traveler go as planned? Did they pick anything up? ❜

Was it a little mean to not tell the traveler that they were two and not one person? Perhaps, but all Ajax cared about, was keeping Andrei safe and carrying out the mission that the Tsaritsa had given to them.

Getting closer, cobalt depths took in the appearance of his twin, looking for any injuries. There appeared to be none, which made satisfaction blossom in Ajax's chest.

[evantheden]

❝𝐎𝐇, 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆,❞𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 a cheeky grin, the sides of his eyes crinkling with the intensity of his smile. it would seem everytime he grinned, it was like a single ray of sunshine in the flesh. "there was something on your face, is all." a lie, but it wasn't as though thoma would question further than that, or would suspect anything else. he considered it quite entertaining, messing with thoma, that is. he just made it so interesting, and he can't help but indulge himself.

casper stuck the thumb he'd used to swipe over thoma's cheek into his mouth, suckling on it momentarily before letting it slip out. "got it for you, though." instintively, cas threw in a wink for good measure, clearly enjoying this. he couldn't say that he particularly knew thoma well enough to know what sort of reaction he'd get, but whatever it'd be, it would certainly be amusing. "nice to meet ya. the name's casper. casper castillo. i take it your thoma, correct?" though he hadn't personally met the housekeeper, casper was good friends with the traveller, and they'd go on about how kind and considerate the strawberry-blonde was.

*pokes thoma's cheek expirmentally* - from casper!

"Oh?" Pausing for but a moment, Thoma turned his attention to the one who was suddenly reaching for his face, a hand lifted to gently rub at the spot on his cheek where he'd been touched. Was there something on his face? Maybe that sticky sushi rice he'd been preparing for lunch earlier in the day..

"Hello there, can I help you?"

[evantheden]

❝𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔 took something of mine without my permission?❞ adrian did not seem appeased, nor satisfied with the blatant dodge of an answer she gave him. "you must have some reasoning for doing that. unless you only did it for the sake of doing it, which, in that case, is even worse than spiting me." adrian made an unpleased noise, clearly oblivious to her true intentions. and he wondered where his sister got her naiviety from...

"thank you," ria said, letting out a heavy huff of air, snatching it and placing it over his ears. ah, peace and quiet once again. "now if you'll excuse me." he took that as his cue to leave and swiveled on his heel, clearly eager to take his leave and scramble his way back home.

"good day," adrian said over his shoulder, shoving his hands into his pockets and weaving through the crowd expertly, head down and eyes averted from everyone else. 'though i can't really say it's been a good day so far.'

it was a bad habit of his to not look people in the eyes when talking to them, but really, it was unnerving, staring at someone while you were speaking directly to them, and adrian had enough frayed nerves to worry about being polite. he could care less what people thought about his mannerisms but it was a different case when it came to appeasing others and perfecting his studies. honestly, right now he should be at home, slaving away at textbooks and reading through boring old pieces of text to claw his way further up the rankings of the akademiya. clearly he wasn't working hard enough.

he couldn't wait to get home and relax and enjoy a nice hot cup of tea. inazumans sure knew how to brew their tea, though he did prefer the liyue brews over the traditional inazuma style. maybe he'd allow himself a few more moments of relaxation before he went back to studying.

@liecoris '♡' for an unprompted starter !

❝𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂 reason why you've decided to bother me?❞ adrian raises an apprehensive brow at the girl in front of him, crossing his arms across his chest sternly, giving off the air of a child who's favorite toy had just been taken away from him. to be fair, his headphones were his most treasured item he had to date, and if someone were to break them, well...he wouldn't be in a reasonable mood. "or are you just doing this to spite me?"

this was their first meeting, as far as ria knew, and already, she gave him a bad impression. taking off his headset was probably the worst way to interact with him, but if she handed it back over to him, maybe they would get along. not that he was actively on the hunt for some friends or new acquaintences; he simply wanted his belonging back. "you shouldn't take things that don't belong to you. it's bad manners," he said monotonously, extending an open palm mukoro's way expectantly, tapping his foot impatiently. inazuma wasn't particularly loud, but the people bustling about the streets of ritou were enough to cause a headache.

it was too much. either she handed it over, or he'd take it from her himself.

as a child, adrian had always been born with sensitive ears. in fact, he avoided any interactions with people most of the time to avoid getting blasted in the eardrums by their loud speech. not all of them spoke loudly or brashly, but he preferred to keep to himself nonetheless, as it was less stressful that way. his headset was given to him by his younger brother to help aid adrian's poor ears, and he was forever grateful for the gift. perhaps it was a little late, but it was accepted gratefully anyway, and he hadn't taken them off once in public after receiving them.

"i knew i should have stayed home today." he didn't live on any of the islands within the nation of eternity; in fact, his permanent abode was located near the akademiya back in sumeru. but he'd taken a trip to do some research on a topic for his studies, and had rented out a room nearby. it was unnervingly empty in the apartments, so he had decided to get some fresh air and take a short walk before heading back.

taking a deep breath to calm whatever frayed nerves he had left, adrian narrowed his eyes towards mukoro. "give it back," he said as placidly as possible.

[evantheden]

❝𝐈'𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 '𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆'❞ adrian's normally lilting voice turned a tad mocking and almost rancid at the title (he had nothing against the man in particular, but al-haitham's actions were quite vexsome if you asked him), "grand sage must be oh-so draining for a man such as yourself. but i'm also sure that you could take it out of the kindness of your heart to spare a few minutes of your precious time to consider something from a friend." many people considered the duo to be close buddies, compadres as a certain oni from inazuma would call them, but in truth, they were simply two people who happen to pass each other quite often in the streets of sumeru city. acquaintences at best, rivals at worst. at least it used to be before al-haitham became the (acting) grand sage.

"i'm not here to file for a complaint, at least, not explicitly. i'm simply inquiring about the fact that i can never seem to find the house keys. care to explain the reasoning behind this 'mystery'?" when adrian first got accepted into the prestigious akademiya, he hadn't thought of where he'd stay during his studies, and he ran into an archetict who was quite considerate and friendly towards the boy and offered to give him lodging during his stay in sumeru. now, adrian preferred soltiude most over anything (even over his peace and quiet time), but it was a good offer, and when such a tempting feast was laid out before someone, it was hard for one to resist. in simpler terms, he accepted the offer and has been dealing with these two (headaches) for the past six months. al-haitham, of course, being too busy with his studies and whatnot, wasn't home that much in the first place, but after being crowned grand sage, he became less and less frequent to even show up, at least not at normal hours. sometimes, during the bad nights where adrian would unfortunately have to pull an all-nighter, he'd hear the gray-haired male stumble into the house and lumber up the stairs to his room without even offering a wave or a nod of acknowledgement. 'it must be exhausting to be at the same caliber as this man,' adrian had thought before turning into bed himself a few minutes later.

another bad habit of al-haitham's was that he always had his mitts on the house keys, even when he had no intention of coming home that night. kaveh had had enough of it, but eventually, after a few nights of arguments and throwing things around in his room, he'd settled down and simply dealt with it, seeking out the traveller and his pixie friend to complain to, as adrian oftentimes avoided the blonde. he had enough stress on his plate, and was certainly not in the mood to deal with whatever whining and griping the architect had in store for him. it was always 'al-haitham this' and 'al-haitham that', and to be quite frank, adrian had had enough of it, both the grand sage and the architect.

"you really need to make a duplicate set of the keys if you plan on falling asleep on your desk instead of going to sleep in your own bed." adrian huffed, running a hand through his slightly disheveled locks. "we can't keep running to you whenever we want to go home and relax. not all of us are complete workaholics like you." how hypocritical for him to say; he was a workaholic himself, though not exactly on the same level as al-haitham. adrian sighed heavily. "just give me the keys and i'll come unlock the door for you when you decide to show up." with that, ria held out a hand for the keys, raising a brow in expectation at the male in front of him. it was a little irritating how he never once glanced up from his book; like was it that important to read while someone was trying to have a conversation with you? honestly, he was so bad-mannered...

"this is exactly why no one likes you." adrian let out a quiet hum when he finally elicited a reaction out of the usually-stoic al-haitham. "what, you didn't know? i'm terribly sorry to break this to you in this manner, but it's true. i'm sure you've noticed that by now, right?"

@evantheden liked for a starter !!

"If you're here to give a complaint, I only accept these in written form. I am far too busy to address these concerns directly at the moment." And, of course, by busy he means that he just simply doesn't want to deal with it. No, he's far too engrossed in the book he's reading for anything like that.

[evantheden]

"Are you one of the participants in the Akademiya Extravagance? If so, I'd get to your Darshan. It's supposed to be starting soon." for adrian!

“The Akademiya Extravagance?” This wasn’t the first time that Adrian had heard of the event, in fact, even through his headphones, he could hear the entire city chattering about it against his will. He wasn’t the type of person to participate in such large events, and he had better plans, such as catching up on his studies. He’d much rather be holed up in his comfy little apartment than go out and about and socialize. “I have no interest in it,” Adrian said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders upwards. “But if you wish to partake, then be my guest. I, unfortunately, have plans set and irreversible, so.” He turned on his heel, as if taking that as his cue to leave.The Lambad’s Tavern was particularly noisy that afternoon, and he wasn’t interested in staying any longer than he had to. Besides, it was about time to head back home anyways. He had a letter that was practically burning a hole through his pocket, as if reminding him.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Ria stood up abruptly from his chair and pushed it in, dipping his head in a polite bow before making his way to the doors leading to the tavern.

[evantheden]

Send  😳 if your muse thinks mine is pretty

[evantheden]

Make my muse blush!

Send your best flirt and make my muse flustered. Bonus points if you can make them unable to speak.

[evantheden]

@liecoris '♡' for an unprompted starter !

❝𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂 reason why you've decided to bother me?❞ adrian raises an apprehensive brow at the girl in front of him, crossing his arms across his chest sternly, giving off the air of a child who's favorite toy had just been taken away from him. to be fair, his headphones were his most treasured item he had to date, and if someone were to break them, well...he wouldn't be in a reasonable mood. "or are you just doing this to spite me?"

this was their first meeting, as far as ria knew, and already, she gave him a bad impression. taking off his headset was probably the worst way to interact with him, but if she handed it back over to him, maybe they would get along. not that he was actively on the hunt for some friends or new acquaintences; he simply wanted his belonging back. "you shouldn't take things that don't belong to you. it's bad manners," he said monotonously, extending an open palm mukoro's way expectantly, tapping his foot impatiently. inazuma wasn't particularly loud, but the people bustling about the streets of ritou were enough to cause a headache.

it was too much. either she handed it over, or he'd take it from her himself.

as a child, adrian had always been born with sensitive ears. in fact, he avoided any interactions with people most of the time to avoid getting blasted in the eardrums by their loud speech. not all of them spoke loudly or brashly, but he preferred to keep to himself nonetheless, as it was less stressful that way. his headset was given to him by his younger brother to help aid adrian's poor ears, and he was forever grateful for the gift. perhaps it was a little late, but it was accepted gratefully anyway, and he hadn't taken them off once in public after receiving them.

"i knew i should have stayed home today." he didn't live on any of the islands within the nation of eternity; in fact, his permanent abode was located near the akademiya back in sumeru. but he'd taken a trip to do some research on a topic for his studies, and had rented out a room nearby. it was unnervingly empty in the apartments, so he had decided to get some fresh air and take a short walk before heading back.

taking a deep breath to calm whatever frayed nerves he had left, adrian narrowed his eyes towards mukoro. "give it back," he said as placidly as possible.

[evantheden]

*scrutinizes you* (pov you took off his headset) '<3' this post for a starter ; please specify muses !