𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑢𝑠.

[   an utterance all too familiar to jing yuan, one that provokes a clenched jaw.  never the target, always a bystander.  the phrase is enough to stir a conclusion to his answer of why the style was familiar— it was the patterned precision of trained knights, corrupted into its most primal form.  the blade, rather than extension of one’s self, was barely a weapon compared to the danger posed by the body itself.   ]
            
            “     however unexpected my arrival was,  you breached a regulation.  you don’t seem to have an excuse either, you move as a knight would.  i’d trust you’re familiar.     “
            [   cut and dry.  the general wonders, if the soldier found themselves struck by the branches of permanence.   ]

A glance down at the blood.  Her own doing, with such precise hands.  The rolling gets worse under their skin; a storm clamouring to burst free from the clouds, voiced only by thunder.  
            
            She looks away.
            
            “I am not after you.  Your presence here was unexpected,” a slow admittance, as if it sits sour & uncomfortable on her tongue, “but nonetheless you are not mine, which I will respect, and I am only temporarily sated.”
            
            !!  @generalstrike

[   a deepened crease between his eyebrows, his gaze remaining steadily on the bloodied figure even with the clang of metal as weapon tossed carelessly.   ]
            
            “     happened to pass the area.  but you’re not the one calling the shots here.  let you go free handed after causing trouble to the alliance, with direct interference involved, isn’t something to get a slap on the wrist over.     ”
            [   he crouches beside one of the knight’s bodies, relief sinking in his body once finding pulse.  just knocked out, then.  but the blood was unmistakably fresh.  and from what little jing yuan witnessed, the swordsmanship was distinguishable,  like he’d witnessed it before.  ]

well, you're on the astral express. if you were invited, then whatever. but if you're not, then you're an intruder.

“i doubt it is any of your concern.”
            
            !!  @coquere

dark eyes run over her face.  a guilty conscience?  genuine fear?  something primal that the subconscious bleats over?  or just typical nervousness?  the scrutiny is over,  he tries his best to appear approachable.
            
            “i am looking for this man,”  carefully,  so as not to tear it,  he brandishes a poster.  she peers expectantly down at the other.  
            
            !!  @theoceanae 

⠀[    STRICKEN:   LITCHENBERG.̲    ]
            ⠀⠀⠀             vi.̲⠀⤻┃ϟ      ˡⁱᵍʰᵗⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ
            
            ⠀
            "⠀⠀jealous?   nah.   she's cute but she ain't that cute.   i just saw your stiff posture,  didn't wanna interrupt incase you were gettin' some.⠀⠀"

“she was?  is that why you found me so quickly,”  his own eyes lift to follow anastasia’s,  arms settling against his chest.  “i didn’t take you as someone jealous.”
            
            !!  @killedshots

⠀[    STRICKEN:   LITCHENBERG.̲    ]
            ⠀⠀⠀             vi.̲⠀⤻┃ϟ      ˡⁱᵍʰᵗⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ
            
            ⠀
            "⠀⠀i even get a congratulations?   i've caught you in a good mood.⠀⠀"
            [    she crosses her arms,  humming while glancing down the direction the person had headed.    ]
            
            "⠀⠀she was totally hittin' on ya.⠀⠀"

⠀[    STRICKEN:   LITCHENBERG.̲    ]
            ⠀⠀⠀             vi.̲⠀⤻┃ϟ      ˡⁱᵍʰᵗⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ
            
            ⠀
            "⠀⠀did ya borrow... them... from someone...?⠀⠀"
            [    she asks warily,  continuing to wipe away at her face.   she does so without too much pressure to avoid irritating the skin.   ]
            
            "⠀⠀i don't have to but i don't have it in me to leave a pretty face dirty.⠀⠀"

“…they’re not mine,”  he simply repeats.  is there something against that?  he blinks down at her,  before the press of the tissue against his skin distracts her from her thoughts.  “you don’t have to,”  a weak protest with little to no conviction behind it.
            
            !!  @killedshots

⠀[    STRICKEN:   LITCHENBERG.̲    ]
            ⠀⠀⠀             vi.̲⠀⤻┃ϟ      ˡⁱᵍʰᵗⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ
            
            
            "⠀⠀...what do you mean they ain't yours.⠀⠀"⠀
            [    she blinks at laevatein,  pausing as she stares right back at the eyes that watched her.  she's dumbfounded for another second,  then clears her throat,  getting to dabbing gently at the remains of blood that stayed smeared on her face.    ]

⠀[    STRICKEN:   LITCHENBERG.̲    ]
            ⠀⠀⠀             vi.̲⠀⤻┃ϟ      ˡⁱᵍʰᵗⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ
            
            ⠀
            [    anastasia doesn't lift her hand when the arm is turned under her fingers,  following the ink from where it started to where it continued on the other side.   it's thoughtless,  a simple indulgence-  but persistently light as to not startle or abruptly end this curated moment they shared.   ]
            
            "⠀⠀mm.   looks like ya enjoy showin' off more than ya like admittin' too.⠀⠀"

it is a blessing and a curse,  to have someone want to touch you so gently.  he is not used to it  —-  he doubts he ever will be.  for now,  the golden roots are muted,  but there is still some sort of aching in her bones.  her own flesh feels too small.  
            
            …she will need to find a new contract soon.
            
            “enjoying yourself?”  some sort of masochism drives laevatein to turn her arm around,  palm up.  slowly,  slowly,  deliberate.  curls of ink wrap under her forearm.
            
            !!  @killedshots

⠀[    STRICKEN:   LITCHENBERG.̲    ]
            ⠀⠀⠀             vi.̲⠀⤻┃ϟ      ˡⁱᵍʰᵗⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ
            
            ⠀
            "⠀⠀whim?   like you followed an impulse?   then yes,  that'd be the right word.⠀⠀"
            [    she pauses then tests her luck a little, fingers creeping up from their hand to their wrist then a bit up their arm,  watching carefully for discomfort before glancing down to see more of the tattoos.    ]

**  idk who she’ll be affiliated with at the moment,  bear with me,  but he will definitely be some sort of mercenary.  targets are more things to  “devour”/obsess over!  

**  lae’s entire theme revolves around conflicts of identity.  the only similarity w/ blade is that she,  basically,  wants to die.  she is so obsessed with her past  &  now her drive in the present it is tearing her apart mentally.  

**  she can die,  but due to the power of voracity  (consuming,  devouring,  etc)  &  due to laevatein being so wholly consumed by her conflicts of past and present identity…  she will inevitably be revived.  in short,  as long as he is so obsessed with something he cannot die.  
            
            (again,  trying to avoid similarities to blade’s own mara.)