ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ@relightsmartyr (wriothesley) submitted an inquiry ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ❛ anyone can betray anyone. ❜

❛ My, even I must admit that is a rather solid line of thinking. Quite the realist, if not an outright pessimist when it comes to the intentions of those around you. Though, that would be befitting the stone cold Wriothesley... ❜ Dramatic as always, your voice carries it's normal haughty nature. Even with an act over, that does not change your love for the dramatics... nor does it change a personality that you have crafted carefully for five hundred years. Exhausting as it may be, stopping is not as simple as turning a switch on and off. It's a carefully crafted mask that you have yet to remove.

It's a bit more comfortable to act as someone that was loved then to act as you who was frowned upon, isn't it?

❛ Yet, to be betrayed is still a rather human thing, is it not? The morals of such an act are always on the side of the villian, yet sometimes that is what makes it all the more exciting, wouldn't you say~? ❜ You chuckle to yourself as you clap your hands together, your duel colored eyes narrowing slightly as you cant your head to the side at a perfect angle. ❛ Is this perhaps your indirect confession to something, Wriothesley? Are you about to write a new chapter in the history of fontaine were the administrator of Meropide will betray the citizens? ❜

You know that isn't the case, he is simply a matter of fact man. It makes him easy to understand, yet it is easy to twist the words of someone to be what you need it to be when it comes to a play. Word play is your strong suite! To make a story out of nothing, to make something far bigger then it needs to be! There is not even an audience here anymore, yet you have to behave this way. Someone could almost frame it as you teasing him, but you are falling back on hold habits, instead.

❛ Gods forbid, really~ I think our dear Neuvilette would be at a loss at what to do if that were to happen. Please do try not to cause him any trouble, alright? ❜

♫

send me your favorite song and I’ll write a starter inspired by it ! Alternatively, send ♫ for me to choose a song. | accepting with enthusiasm teehee

THE SUDDEN ONSLAUGHT OF RAIN FEARS NO MAN AND GIVES WAY TO NO SURVIVORS. Her heart begins to pound against her chest, her body but a mere conduit for the growing sparks of electricity and static that seem to crackle as she pushes forward into the heart of Liyue Harbor. Panic floods the air just as the drops of rage meet the ground in swift, but thunderous waves. She continues to ignore the screams of terror that meet her ears; it only stirs her further in a blind rage to locate the source of the catastrophe as the Millelith and Adepti alike continue to escort the average civilian out through the mandated evacuation order. No one dared stop her - who in their right mind would? FEAR THE WRATH OF A WOMAN SCORNED, a woman whose home and very purpose of existing was being threatened in abyssal destruction. The impending fall comes without meeting the ground just yet, irrate rage at the prospect blinding her tunnel vision and ears deafening out anything and everything that was not the disturbed laughter of that wicked Harbinger. There were much more pressing matters to attend to; Keqing knows this better than anyone, loyalty and duty being one of her many core identity factors. Yet, it must wait for just a moment more. Childe strikes her as the type to lie in wait while basking in the horror of his success, watching from a safe, yet calculated distance away. In the millisecond she finally catches sight of scruffy orange locks does she immediately lunge forward at him, sword unsheathed and a primal look of insanity that aims to kill warping all sense of rationality that normally adorns her feature. Yet he is swift in his reaction time; naturally, she misses. So she swipes her sword at the air, failures being marked by the lack of blood on the metallic covering and only the downpour of rain fizzling and burning out into nothingness against sheer electricity. Again, and again, and again. Each swing is met with a side-step just out of reach, and for the one step forward she takes in an attempt to jab the length of it in his torso, he is already two steps back. Her eyes are shrouded over with a murky darkness that does not go unnoticed by her target.

'Wow. You even outburn the sun, my star, with the whole world in your sad eyes!' He jeers, grin in tow as one more fruitless attempt at a swing wounds up with his wrist curled around her own, sending the blade clattering down to the floor. She then is pulled back toward him as if the entire ordeal is some sort of laughable, pitiful dance. (He leads, so she must follow.) Goosebumps rise up on skin in formative disgust, the unearthing of Osial yet but a tragic backdrop for this one-sided pas de deux. She is unable to do anything but meet his glance; his eyes that match her own lack of light in the reflection of herself behind his jaded, aqua orbs. In this instant, her consciousness calls to her. The Yuheng snatches her arm away, stumbling back as she takes this time to regain her breath. With each inhale is a shaky exhale, shoulders rising and falling rapidly.

"You monster...! How could you treat this all as if it's a game?!"

Ruler Of My Heart🎶🎶// Keqing - Childe !!!! // @relightsmartyr

“ not so fast. ”  fingers are folded over the edge of a blade, halted dangerously close to his throat.  not that it would have killed him, but the process of regeneration can be a bit more cumbersome these days — he’s hungry. ink-like blood spills forth from his palm, and trickles from his fingers, but the phantom has nothing for his old friend besides a sordid smile. seeing him after all this time feels like some cruel trick of the fates, he can’t help but laugh; all this time and yet carver conner is exactly as he remembers. tired and angry, soul teetering on a precipice somewhere between life and death — wanting so desperately to die and yet … he lingers on.  “ you weren’t even going to say hello? ”

the man feigns offense, but eventually a smile returns to his face — the same crooked sneer. perhaps neither of them have changed. phantom moves his free hand, and in return the shadows rise up from the ground to curl around the material of the man’s cloak. allowing the blonde to simply sidestep his long lost companion.  “ perhaps all this time apart has robbed you of your manners, ”  fingers curl around the knight’s chin, “ don’t tell me you’re still upset. how very human of you. ” / @relightsmartyr.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ @relightsmartyr submitted an inquiry ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❝ words are wind. words cannot harm me. ❞ venti from

❛ To imply the wind can not bring harm is as if to imply water is the same. Both are necessities to life, yet both can end it just as easily, no? ❜ Perhaps because he is the wind archon, he think he's immune or perhaps he literally is, but what about others? It is his job to rule over such things, to keep a stable balance. In this same comparison... Wind can and will harm, so words can do just the same. You cross your arms over your chest, canting head to the side as you ponder his words a moment longer.

❛ Wind can tear up trees, blow down homes, and fuel flames to only burn even hotter, even higher. Words can do the same, as everything has a cause and an affect that comes with it. If words do not harm you, what of others? Have your words ever harmed someone... Have your winds ever harmed someone? ❜ Perhaps it is bold of you to ask such questions, but in the nation of justice and judgement, you are rather used to passing such judgements on people. You are used to posing questions that are hard to answer. ❛ People live and die by their words, so surely you would know, wouldn't you? ❜

❝ always falling into a hole, then saying, okay, this is not your grave, get out of this hole. ❞ wanderer @ lynette -relightsmartyr

unprompted. always accepting. | @relightsmartyr

Mild-mannered Lynette feels pricks of apprehension ebb at the surface of her skin, eyes closed in quiet contemplation as she sat on a bench outside of Hotel Debord. It was always so bothersome to think of things that caused her any level of distress, and with the person before her, it put little ease of mind when he chose to comment on some of her more recent covert dealings that dealt not with being a magician's assistance when he, himself was an ongoing mystery to her. Stoicness permeates her expression, unmoving as anemo tries to shake her from her position. Well, she supposed that her connections with the Fatui by now were something of common knowledge among the citizens of Fontaine following Lyney's trial- but was word spread so quickly to someone who was not local? Someone so entirely unaffiliated with her and the House of Hearth? His seemingly motivationally-driven words do not sit well with her, but at this time, she had no conclusive trail or lead to tie his surface-level concern with. Maybe she should consult with her brother about the matter? Perhaps Father, even?

"I'm not really equipped to process this level of lecturing when I'm in low-power mode." Lynette speaks after a considerable amount of time has passed, unsure what to make of his words. This is her temporary conclusion. She's already let her guard down far too much than she was comfortable with. This vulnerability poses a risk; a risk toward her family that she could not afford.

"If you have anything else to say, please do it with Lyney. He'll be sure to pass the message onto me."

❝ do not take the crimes of those who manipulated us and lay them at the feet of the world. ❞ yosano @ gin -relightsmartyr

this is technically unprompted but we were also attacking each other with random quotes. always accepting. | @relightsmartyr

What good did it serve to lecture a member of the Port Mafia on the concept of lofty and entirely unobtainable morals? Yosano Akiko ━ the valuable and valor-filled doctor of the Armed Detective Agency; yes, wasn't someone in her position entitled to such a privileged perspective? Gin knows their own upbringing well, one that was not afforded the ability to abandon the food chain they'd been indoctrinated in to turn a new leaf, lest they be shredded to pieces at the cost of their own betrayal while simultaneously forsaking the people who gave them a home. It's funny that the agency member thinks she has room to lecture them on a lesson of humanity when, despite their title, Gin did everything to avoid unnecessary carnage and bloodshed when not outright assigned a hit. They even made sure to pay it forward to the local orphanage on their days off! But Gin knew better than anyone that acts of good did not inherently equate to being a good person. The reminder was embedded in the stained red at the steel of their blade, fresh crimson rolling off the tip of their dagger confirming a successful assassination as cool hues stared down at the corpse that lay stagnant at their shoes.

They have long since accepted that this is the way things are supposed to be. Even despite their consciousness fighting them about the daily moral dilemmas that coast through their mind like a gentle breeze. It's noticeable and present, but not enough to stop them from their obligations and duties.

( If only it were that easy. If only they had been brought in toward the light from the beginning and not made a home in the darkness that crept beyond the shadows. )

Gin pockets the sullied weapon. The only sound that echoes in the decrepit alleyway is the shuffling of fabric, the billowing of their coat as they turn to face Yosano, seizing her up in quiet observation of deciphering her next move. This assassination was an assignment straight from the boss himself; the man before them wasn't necessarily a beacon of chivalry either. A local politician who did more harm than good with every breath that he stood to live. So, then, would Yosano rescind her stance from 'white' and take Gin in arms and meet in the middle in this muddied gray? Or does 'white' declare that there is an unforgivable shade of 'black' spilling from their hands?

The assassin stands patiently with a stoic expression of void while awaiting their judgment at the hands of a wrathful god. Only then would Gin be able to understand the perspective of someone who had the opportunity to bask in the brilliance of day.

❝ i said, is my red, red enough? i'm waiting for your teeth at my throat. it's only good manners. ❞ childe @ keqing -relightsmartyr

this is technically unprompted but we're also attacking each other with random quotes. always accepting. | @relightsmartyr

WHAT BENEFIT DOES GOOD INTENTION HOLD WHEN THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS LEAVES A MONUMENTAL, PROPHETIC WARNING FOR HER TO DECIPHER WITHOUT LEAVING A KEY TO PROPERLY DECODE ITS MEANING? Keqing has had her fair share of Fatui dealings to last her a lifetime. To where each harbinger stepped foot was followed briskly by ruinous damnation. Childe himself was practically the embodiment of a walking red flag - billowing red scarf hung off of shoulders akin to the hallmark wave of the Snezhnaya's higher order. Red earring - red mask, it all be the same in her eyes. A flagrant indication of the disruption to the peace; her peace as they are, much to her distaste, forced to inhabit the same space even after his mission to drown Liyue has failed. She tires of his menial wandering as the Fatui's errand boy in such an upset - tired of the way he greets her as if she didn't previously try to cause him serious bodily harm in compensation for not being able to slit his throat. But there comes a day when he brings about her attention a more cryptic warning without elaboration on the growing presence of Fatui members upon Liyue shores, one without prior diplomatic warning, as if it was a run-of-the-mill utterance of the day's newspaper article. Very quickly is Keqing ready to make amends with her prior lapse of judgment and draw her survival hairpin, sharp as a knife despite the wear, to the skin of his neck in an immediate dial switch of impatience at his words.

"Stop playing games with me, Childe," The Yuheng's voice raises several octaves as the hair accessory presses harder against his skin, a fire set ablaze under the furrow and wrinkles of her brows. Magenta is wide with a kindled, explosive sense of urgency. Surely he had more information to tell than what he chose to share with her, but much like one of the noted past-times she'd wished she had forgotten of his, he was more than adept in setting a proper bait in front of her to await her timely bite. Once everything was in order - once the scene and proper conditions were set, should the fisherman claim his prize.

'Is my red, red enough? I'm waiting for your teeth at my throat. It's only good manners.'

Keqing despised him.

Blood drips in trepidation onto the surface of her hairpin. She observes the cool flow of the liquid fall from metal onto the fabric of her gloves. Keqing groans, then, realizing the temporary permeation that Childe continued to have over her. It's only at that moment that she decides to draw her makeshift weapon back, wiping off the excess crimson onto the edge of her dress and placing it back upon her head.

"If I have to force a better explanation out of you, so be it. Even if it takes my teeth at your throat, I'm not beneath anything to maintain the peace of this nation. Am I making myself clear? So go on, tell me what you're dangling in front of my face for whatever reason before I rip it out of you."

"Lyney, that man ━ did you notice it too?"

Feline features perk up once afforded time alone to themselves backstage at the Opera Epiclese following yet another extravagant display of magic. Otherwise placid features mold into something a bit more easily interpreted, a tell showing in the face of comfort at Lyney's presence at her side. Violet appears just the slightest bit perturbed; otherwise unshaken gaze standard of those affiliated with the House of the Hearth to be watchful of all minds and manners. While her brother was free to bask in the spotlight, Lynette practiced people-watching in the shadows in order to discern any striking information that could come in handy down the line. But something about this individual in specific struck her as particularly odd. Her ears twitch.

"He's a regular attendee of our performances. For Father's sake, I think it would be necessary to call him up as a guest participant in one of our latest acts to scope him out in close proximity. Does this sound manageable enough to you?"

unprompted. (attacks that simply come with being my writing partner?) | @relightsmartyr

❝ it’s considered impolite not to give your all in a fight. ❞ childe @ keqing

tloz: twilight princess starters (accepting). | @relightsmartyr

REPOSE COMES UNORDINARILY. KEQING REVELS IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRAY AWAY FROM WORK-RELATED DUTIES AND FINDS HERSELF DINING AT THIRD-ROUND KNOCKOUT. Intent is nearly certain to spend the remainder of the day on her own to allow herself a moment to just sit and think. But things are never so simple. She finds herself captivated by the tale of heroic grandeur being conveyed to the restaurant guests as she waits for her meal to finish cooking; she is seated at a table for two, yet one seat remains unoccupied. It's during this time that a familiar shade of orange maneuvers itself into her vision and asks if he can join her. While there is a brief moment of hesitation, she doesn't have any reason to reject him.

(Not yet, not now.)

Due to his late arrival, she only finds it natural that she offers him the menu that she had already finished perusing. Their chats in between are surface-level at best - namely due to the pin-point focused attention she has on Iron Tongue Tian. Then, her plate arrives, much to her pleasure. A typical and expected order from Keqing: a platter of Golden Shrimp Balls. Without looking down, her chopsticks dip below to grab one only to be met with some sort of interference. She tries again with no luck. Confused blink coordinates with the creasing of her forehead. She then realizes that this is Childe's fault.

The Yuheng isn't quite sure if the Harbinger is deliberately trying to get on her nerves now to draw her attention away from the story being told in front of their food or if his child-like behavior merely stems from curiosity about how her dish tasted. Each time he'd tried to swipe at her food she would only pull her plate further off to the side and away from his grabbing reach. But that didn't seem to stop him as he managed to reach over her and grab one anyway.

"You're impossible." Punctuated by a look of ever-present judgment as she whips her head toward him, attention successfully being broken and dedicating itself toward Childe, not for any reason other than her displeasure. The Yuheng quirks a brow in exasperation before swiftly swatting the back of his hand with her chopsticks to deter him from grabbing another shrimp. Of course he'd even view something so trivial as this as a fight. "Aren't you the one being impolite trying to sneak bites of my food? If you'd just ask I would have been willing to share with you." So much for a peaceful meal. "Keep causing a commotion and I'll personally escort you out."

ILLUSIONARY SIGHTS LIE UNDERNEATH THE AMBER-ETCHED SKIES, SUN BEGINNING TO SET ACROSS THE HORIZON AND PAINT THE PATH TOWARD A NIGHT SWATHED IN THE GLOW OF STARS. It is in this transitionary period she finds the kin of Kaedehara basking in the leisure that only tranquil nature can provide amongst the grassy hilltop overseeing Wangshu Inn. Today's indulgence seemed to be a much too relaxed nap, an orange glow cast down upon his face from the remnant of light that remained from the sun as she all but halted in her tracks to cast a fond gaze down upon the wandering samurai. On one hand, she dared not wake him from his well-deserved slumber. On the other, she wished to swipe her gloved hand across his forehead, sweeping astray bangs to the side to further admire the true extent of his comfort. In the end, the admiration and enamor cultivating in her chest from finding him in such a state can't be helped as the Yuheng kneels down to observe closer, an utterly endeared smile pressing on her lips.

"You are included in my dreams, Kazuha. Don't you know that?" Keqing whispers gently, true intent one that is not to stir him from his sleep as a chaste kiss is pressed to his cheek as her eyes flutter to a close, musing aloud. (An unspoken confession, a recollection of their many bouts amongst the scenic routes of Liyue with soft-spoken chatter that has branded a place in her heart.) "To wherever you wind up calling home, I hope to fight for the peace that meets the land and allows you to nap comfortably as you are now. If you decide to wander, all I ask is that you eventually return to share your tales and give me the time of day."

unprompted. (attacks that simply come with being my writing partner?) | @relightsmartyr

from kazuha

"Not a word of this to Beidou. I won't hear the end of it! As for yourself... can you please stop looking at me so expectantly like that? I... don't know what to say."

Keqing Bingo lmfao yippie!!

#GRIMNOX: BOW BEFORE YOUR FATE!

this is a friends-only original character by kiwi / audra! I do ask that you do not follow first even if we have been mutuals in the past! created in 2013 and reborn as of 2024, this blog features: " phantom " — primordial god of the shadows, and the physical manifestation of the darkness that dwells in the hearts of all living things. tangentially related to venus spade (@/dvouer), phantom is a primordial, who manipulates others into committing acts of ill-nature ... then devours the accumulation of darkness in their heart and soul. please note: there will be various triggers present on this blog. do not follow if you are uncomfortable with depictions of gore, blood, violence, and other such topics.

exploring: the selfish nature of existence, the tragedy of being found, an unending hunger rotting within a withering shell, the nature of manipulation and the unyielding urge to do something you know you shouldn't.

forever intertwined with: @relightsmartyr.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤcarrd &. lore &. memes