¬Ც l a ძ e

// I have been sucked back into Genshin hell but also life has just been killing me lately between university stuff, work and my overall health 💀 will try to get to stuff here when/if I can

~eyeing the garments, then her as though he's looking for the punchline of some stupid joke be missed.

"...you want my opinion...on a dress." Again it's more of a statement that a question.

He gives it a moment, regarding carefully before he sighs and turns his head.

"...what's the banquet for?"

If she asked him, he'd simply say a weapon had no need to be anything but.

Blade's eyes are trained on her every movement, suspicion laced with a mild apprehension he doesn't quite let surface as he follows her to see what it is she needs him for.

...seeing the dresses, he pauses and grows tense,~

a person is flying through the air with a fireball coming out of their hand . ALT: a person is flying through the air with a fireball coming out of their hand .

(𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 “𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴”…)
(𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 ‘𝐄𝐌!}

"For a purpose, I assume."

It's more of a statement than a question, giving it a moment before he sighs and pushes off the wall, hands falling to his sides as he regards her in expectant silence.

"If you need me for something, then speak. Idle chatter isn't something I particularly enjoy..."

Imperceptible as it were, Blade's tension was quick to reach his eyes when he heard that damned nickname.

If it were anyone but her, he'd answer with his sword...

"....what is it, Kafka...?"

⠀⠀

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 ... 〉
𝙆𝖺𝗳𝙠𝖺 * ( 🎻 ) —— ᨒ
𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝑵͟𝑬͟𝑻 .
☆ ͡ heavily 𝐌𝐃𝐍𝐈 .

⠀

...

//
• New to verse and character
• As of this post, I am now caught up with most recent main story quests
• University student and full time worker so time may be limited or sporadic
• ADHD supreme so sometimes I lose track of things.

// Apparently I remembered to follow everyone from all my HSR accounts except my Blade, jfc

a cartoon character with purple arms and legs is floating in the air ALT: a cartoon character with purple arms and legs is floating in the air

° 「 Spiritheif 」 °
𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬!

° ───────↬❦↫─────── °
↠ Indie Canon/AU Portrayal
↠ Further Info in Thread
↠ One of the many #GhostsOfJohn

° 「 Phainon 」 °
𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘯.

° ───────↬❦↫─────── °
↠ Indie Canon/AU Portrayal
↠ Further Info in Thread
↠ One of the many #GhostsOfJohn

~Blade's stomach churn uncomfortably from hunger, cautiously relenting and reaching for the chopsticks he'd been left, unwilling to relax enough to sit down just yet.

".....you don't need to stand at my back while I eat. Watching me is uncomfortable enough."

~studying, waiting, almost like he were expecting this to be some sort of trap to make him lower his guard. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to take advantage of his momentary distraction, and Dan Heng has every reason to see him as his enemy even now.

The scent of the food makes~

He looked the part of a feral, stray cat being offered a meal for the first time in months; suspicious of every move Dan Heng made, unwilling to let the younger out of his sight even when he reached the bowl.

Slowly turning his head so he's angled towards the dish, his gaze remained on the guard,~

~growling out a simple reply as he eases away from the wall.

"....fine."

~walk away, find a quiet spot away from them all to recoup and pretend none of this is happening, he knows he's like an animal in a cage with a tight leash wrapped round his neck.

Perhaps even tighter than Kafka's...

Begrudgingly, Blade shifts, slow and careful as he keeps his gaze on Dan Heng,~

He's not sure what's irritating him more; the fact that Dan Heng is giving him that knowing look, the fact that he's being lectured or the fact that he's being monitored and reported among the Nameless.

Either way, he's more uncomfortable now than he was earlier.

As much as he wants to simply~

~on me? Is this some... strange form of taking a measure of control from me?"

He continues to stare him down, unwilling to budge.

The comment on the dish itself and its apparent inedible state to anyone else does make his gaze drift to the bowl, eyes narrowing in a mix of suspicion and curiosity now.

"...a mistake on your part then." He gruffs. "...why are you forcing this~

~room for the night and less likely to cross his path until the morning.

~He bites his tongue, rooting himself stubbornly in place as though he can outlast Dan Heng's unwavering patience.

"...I'm not... hungry. I don't know how to make myself any more clear."

What he WANTS to do is leave so he can come back for food LATER when Dan Heng is most likely secured in his~

The threat makes Blade's body go rigid, his head snapping sharply to face Dan Heng with a scowl, a frustrated growl rolling up his throat.

It's bad enough that he's in this situation to begin with, but to be so casually reminded that he has no freedom here by HIM of all people? It's infuriating.~

~goes as far as abiding by the rules laid out before me.

....as I recall, eating in your presence was not among those rules provided to me." He scoffs, looking off. "...I am not hungry. Your insistence will not change that."

"How unfortunate for you..."

Blade isn't budging, rooted in place as though he were welded there against the wall, unable to move even if he wanted to (which he did not).

"You waste time, resources and energy better spent elsewhere, 𝘋𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘨. I may be trapped on this vessel but my cooperation~

Petulant perhaps, but he feels trapped in this place, cornered like a wounded animal with no way out.

He's an enemy in his enemy's territory; how else is he meant to feel?

"...I'm not hungry. Why are you here? I don't recall Mr. Yang switching places with anyone this evening."

For `guard duty`.

"Then take it to someone else to eat it. I don't want it."

Last thing he needs is to feel more indebted to the Express, to HIM of all people.

"I've heeded your request and stayed away. What more do you want?"

He squints; first at the food, then at Dan Heng, the grip on his folded arms tightening a fraction.

Was that not the point of his earlier request? He's quiet, he's out of the way and he's not causing problems.

"...no."

Tensing.

"....what's with the look?"

.