Right now, wine glass in hand and staring vacantly into the dark corners of the room in which he dwells - Barok can't help but think about his brother. To think about Klint during hard times, the man who he's always admired so much, has always come naturally to him - but it can't bring him any comfort now.
The truth is, Barok doesn't know what he should feel more betrayed about. The fact that the brother he'd wanted to emulate all his life was nothing but a killer, who's actions resulted in the ending and ruining of so many lives, including Barok's own? Or... is it that, until the very end, Klint was too afraid to share that horrible truth with him, even when that fear allowed him to be controlled into committing the most heinous acts imaginable?
It makes him want to laugh with a bitterness he hasn't felt in years. It makes him feel ill; desperate and angry and like a fraying rope about to snap. Perhaps it's sinful, and a sign of Barok's own weak character, that Klint's lack of trust in him might be what hurts the most. Had he thought Barok would break under the weight of the truth, and sought to protect him from that fate? What's worse is that Barok doesn't know how he would've reacted deep down. What's the scarier thought - that Barok would've turned away in despair and been unable to carry on just as his brother feared, or that he would stand with Klint, perhaps even turning a blind eye to his crimes...?
...There's no point in thinking about it now. But if he doesn't think about Klint, then there's no shortage of other things to take his place at the forefront of his mind. Such as the true identity of the Reaper, and how Barok had been complicit in his crimes for the longest time - allowing himself to be used and manipulated like a puppet on a string, even when he didn't see the full extent of it all.
His whole life, these past ten years in which he thought he'd endured so much, all for the sake of the people of London... what were they all for?
When he hears the knock on the door, it's tempting to ignore it entirely - he barely has the energy to stand, anyway. He doesn't know who it could possibly be, considering everything, but... in the end, he rises like a man possessed, and finds himself walking to open the door as if in a trance. What he sees when the door opens is the last thing he expects.
"Mr... Naruhodo...? You... pray tell, what are you doing here at this hour?"
@tenacquity ( starter! )
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HSR verse Kaeya ideas:
Path of Nihility, Element Ice
Fell in stride with that path due to his depression after his conflict with Diluc and belief his fate due to his family's ties to the Abyss Order may be to bring his new homeworld's doom ( in part because of his Father's final words to him ), maintained in growing to find amusement in the impossible and working towards it regardless of the fact
Has every intention to try and defy his so-called fate even still, even knowing all that effort may be for naught in the end. But at least he would like to say he tried
Tends to help people on a whim, without desiring credit for his actions or if it may help them in the long run
His abilities sap the vitality of his enemies, but consume his own when he uses his strongest ability
Due to his family's contract with the Abyss Order, his lifespan is longer than most humanoids, spanning centuries. Though not quite that of a Xianzhou native, like them, his people do still face a terrible curse to become monsters after a time, like many of the Abyss Order.
He is glad his loved ones will never live to see him succumb to it. One way or another.
Though he also secretly harbors the strongest desire to force the Abyss's immortality on them to ensure they can stay with him, and face the same fate. He has to wonder if the slumbering monster in him is to blame for that, or his own attachments
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"Brrr... it's so cold..."
With a gloomy voice, Rimbaud complains aloud as he shivers, holding his arms in his hands in a futile attempt to capture some kind of warmth - a warmth that's rapidly escaping him; having barely existed to begin with. It might be his imagination, but he's sure that it feels even colder than usual today... and that thought alone causes him to sigh heavily. Now he feels even more depressed...
Somehow, these sudden disheartening moods have been sneaking up on him more often, lately. He doesn't know what's been causing them, and he really does wish he could do something about it... It's just when he's thinking that, though, that he notices the young boy standing nearby.
He must be feeling just as cold as Arthur is, yet he doesn't seem to be particularly bothered at all. Ahh, how jealous Arthur feels of him... still, for whatever reason, it seems like the boy is giving him an odd look. Is he worried about Arthur's pitiable state?
"...You don't need to worry." he decides to address him, though perhaps that statement is likely to achieve the opposite effect from what he intended. "I'm, ah, used to these kinds of chills... although, I do feel like my hands are starting to go numb..."
@phasmascript ( starter for kawabata! )
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Seriously about to panic-buy a way-too-expensive portable AC unit and/or a million fucking fans because it's supposed to get up to 36°C here on Thursday, and all we have is one small little fan 😭
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❝ y’knoooow , ya have those big hands an’ for what ? it's an actual shame they haven't wrapped around me throat despite my BEST efforts. ❞
chin rests on his fist, the controlled yet lightly bubbling frustration that comes with his current condition, and the restrained irritability that he can’t even breath on his own for very long dissipates at a question that he finds most curious. he’s learned from an early age that hands are for tearing down, ripping out the throats of those who have always despised his existence, and taking from them what he could to survive. there are no such handouts as a helping hand, only lies but even so, his hands are a dichotomy: they can give and take, they can build or destroy, they can bleed or draw blood. all for one does require him to be quite tactile and it becomes personal, even intimate when he steals or takes. he does not know which one his associate is alluding to and why they would even want to be on the receiving end of either.
❛ and why would i want to do that? ❜ a monster he may be but not without cause. an amused rumble of laughter reverberates throughout the room. ❛ despite my reputation, i don’t kill my allies for no reason and you ( @villain-he ) have been most accommodating… unless you have a death wish... ❜ the last remark is light, reassuringly playful but also masterfully coated with a menacing darkness behind it. perhaps he’s alluding to betrayal which he finds unforgivable as it strikes a tender nerve of his. ❛ would you like to explain why that is ? ❜
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[𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 + reverse]
("Excuse me." Alcryst's steely voice cuts through the noblemen's conversations, their open criticisms of the young prince of Brodia even though he attends the meeting. "I'll be a minute."
He holds it together long enough to turn into a rarely-used hallway. "Ngh..." The worst part is that none of this is even new for Alcryst. Why today, of all days, do their words have to hurt so much...?)
morion always knows when his sons are upset. he's known it since the first time diamant threw a tantrum, so little yet so full of negative feelings. it's a hurt he only wishes to shoulder himself---if diamant and alcryst knew only happiness for the rest of their days, it would be satisfactory for morion indeed.
often he jokes about having a sense for it, these unfortunate feelings, but it isn't much of a joke when he still somehow knows exactly where to seek out alcryst, who had pushed past a crowd of nobles and disappeared into the halls a short while ago. or maybe morion is just familiar with the routine.
" oh, my boy, " morion sighs when he finds alcryst in a rarely-used hallway. he hates seeing his son cry, for whatever reason it may be, but he also knows that rushing to coddle him is not always what he wants. he approaches quietly, kneeling down to place a hand on alcryst's shoulder. if the boy wants a hug, morion, he'll give one on his own. don't squeeze him too much. he needs his space. " what happened? will you tell me about it? i'll listen for as long as you want me to. "
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@biskael said: " it's five in the morning. time to train. " ( to Emil, and that's the LATE hour, Emil )
Sparring Prompts // Accepting!
The teenager groaned a little, of course this was the new normal- he truly couldn't catch a break but he wasn't complaining. A comfy bed and food was nothing to complain about after all...
however.
This man, Quilge, was... intense. (he'd get used to it.) Never in Emil's life did he think he'd run into someone far more passionate about this empire of quincies than those he already ran into...
"'m up...." Spoken between yawns, Emil finally climbed out of bed and nodded to his superior, he took a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes as they started to focus.
A tiny thing, but he was at least willing to listen to the other in order to get stronger. He slipped past him after a moment to get his uniform and his spirit weapon hanging off the side of the door handle.
"So what's on the agenda today, sir?" He posed the question as he rushed to get dressed, on the other side of the door his axe had been hanging off of at least this was waking him up more- because as it stood Emil was 5 seconds away from crawling back into bed.
stupid fifteen year old self, wanting nothing more than to sleep...
He finished soon enough and came back out to salute him properly. A bit of a mess but he'd straighten it up as the day went on.
"Ready!"
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