[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/0CZnHYX/Orion-removebg-preview.webp[/img][/center][sub]Interactions/Mentions:[@The Muse] Kira [/sub][hr]
[indent][color=#ffffff]Orion held his ground as the nobleman prattled on, voice drenched in theatrical indignation that seemed entirely lost on everyone but himself. Ayel’s dismissive tone and exaggerated gestures would’ve been amusing any other day, but now they only added to the strain in the air. The blightborn’s gaze narrowed slightly as he watched Ayel chuckle behind his hand, seemingly indulging in some private, imagined [/color][color=#ffffff]humour[/color][color=#ffffff]. The nobleman’s clothes were soaked through, his fine boots ruined, water dripping from the hem of his once-pristine coat. Orion felt the briefest satisfaction at seeing him so thoroughly humbled by the springs; perhaps a small dose of reality would cling to him as stubbornly as the dampness.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Ayel muttered to himself, waving his hands as though batting away invisible criticisms, only to halt abruptly at the sight of Ranni. His gaze lingered a beat too long, discomfort and irritation flickering across his face before he stiffened, attempting to recover his dignity. Orion noted the arrogant tilt of the nobleman’s chin as he turned away, the squelch of wet fabric punctuating each step. In Ayel’s world, it seemed, there was little room for humility—or for admitting that he might be anything less than untouchable. Orion held back a sigh, wondering if the man even noticed how absurd he looked as he attempted to compose himself.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Then Ayel sidled awkwardly toward a thin tree, attempting to hide behind it as though the bare trunk could shield his entire figure. Orion’s composure wavered, and he felt an unexpected surge of mirth rise within him, bubbling up in a way he hadn’t felt in… longer than he cared to admit. Watching the nobleman stumble about, soaked and flustered, brought a warmth to his chest, a raw and almost painful urge to laugh that he hadn’t experienced since before his death. He bit the inside of his cheek, holding back the laughter that clawed at him, though the corners of his mouth fought to rise, betraying the slightest sparkle of amusement in his otherwise serious expression.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]A memory surfaced then, faint and distant, a small flicker of a time before he became blightborn, when laughter had come as easily as breathing. That kind of joy felt foreign now, buried beneath layers of purpose and stoic duty. Yet here it was, insistent, cracking through the walls he’d carefully built. 

Watching Ayel peer around the tree, blissfully unaware of how exposed he was, Orion felt a lightness fill him, a strange and unnamed sensation that reminded him—if only for a moment—of his own [b]humanity[/b]. The rare spark of laughter was there, tugging at him like an old friend long forgotten.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]After a steadying breath, Orion pushed down the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth, forcing his expression back into its usual calm. The amusement ebbed but didn’t vanish entirely, leaving a faint warmth in his gaze as he turned his attention to Kira, whose irritation still pulsed in the air. Her intensity was unmistakable, like a coiled spring ready to snap, and he could almost feel her frustration simmering beneath the surface. He knew well the kind of patience it took to temper such impulses—and when to give in to them. But today, he intended to keep things from boiling over.[/color]

[color=#0054a6]“He wouldn’t have been worth it anyway,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Orion remarked, his tone calm but tinged with a touch of dry humour. His gaze shifted to Ayel again, who still lingered behind the flimsy cover of the tree, as if unaware of how ridiculous he looked. The nobleman’s thinly veiled attempts at dignity were unravelling, and Orion let the sight remain in his mind, knowing Kira would appreciate the absurdity just the same. [/color][color=#0054a6]“Better to save your energy for [/color][i][color=#0054a6]prey [/color][/i][color=#0054a6]who might actually put up a fight.”[/color][color=#ffffff] 

His words were quiet, meant for her alone, as though sharing an inside joke. [/color]


[/indent]