y'all really liked this scene from step 6 huh i keep getting comments of people going 'THEY SAID THE THING' and giggling bc i think canon (and also hadestown) have definitely traumatised us all when we see this.
i made it cute now tho! i imagined this scene with the. you know the anime filter when the leaves blow and the pink bubbles and the sparkles all appear. this kind of vibe but add some sparkles and bubbles. also maybe leaves instead idk if [generic unnamed city] where they are has cherry blossoms
For the first time ask! First time Runa realized she had feelings for Heinrix?
She was out of her depth.
The Lord Captain was not ignorant to the fact that the confirmation of her ascension to the position of Rogue Trader required a degree of formality; but she had enormously underestimated just how much formality that would include.
Runa had almost resorted to pleading with the Dargonus palace tailors to allow her to attend her coronation wearing her usual leather breeches and synskin, but the talented couturiers had shut down her suggestions immediately.
How funny – that she had once detested noble-borns and all that they stood for. There was no shortage of rich and wealthy elites, lords and ladies who sought endless power and wealth beyond their means, building their endless palaces of marble atop the shattered bones of the underhive. She had thought herself honourable as she assumed the mantle of responsibility, striking terror into the hearts of those that considered themselves above even the God-Emperor himself.
But as she had learned rather quickly, it had all been for naught. Endless cycles of nobles would rise and thrive, and peasants born into slums would be destined to toil and die, all under the God-Emperor’s watchful gaze.
Now, as the ex-pirate leaned against the balcony wall of the palace she would learn to call her own, she acknowledged how entirely out of place she felt; clad in a beautiful gown of burgundy silk, standing in pearl-trimmed stilettos. She was a rotten hypocrite. Women like her were not deserving of such elegant luxury; especially not at the expense of another poor woman’s calloused fingers.
As the God-Emperor had intended.
The ceremony itself had been conducted without incident. Runa’s ascension to Rogue Trader had been confirmed before millions of her subjects, her trustworthy seneschal remaining by her side at all times, guiding her, silently pointing her in the right direction. For his guidance, she was endlessly grateful. For a woman so headstrong and confident in her control of the situation, Runa was enormously out of her depth here; lost and floundering in an endless ocean with no land in sight.
The hills and mountains of Dargonus were beautiful from the palace balcony, if not a little overwhelming; especially for a woman who had lived the majority of her life within the reassuring darkness of voidships. But the dusky expanse high above her was peppered with the light of billions of glittering stars, and that would be enough for Runa. Despite everything, the stars had remained a forever-comforting constant.
The new Rogue Trader had silently hoped that she would have been able to witness the sunset, although she had broken away from the crowds too late to catch it.
Now, for the first time in what seemed like days, she found herself alone. The balmy warmth of the summer afternoon had dissipated as soon as the sun sank below the horizon, and the slight chill that accompanied the evening had not been entirely unwelcome.
A quiet yet deliberate throat-clearing behind her brought her back abruptly into the present, and Runa turned to greet her visitor.
She was surprised to see Heinrix standing by the balcony door, unwilling to venture closer without her acknowledgement. His dress uniform wasn’t too dissimilar to his usual attire, although his boots had been shined, and his gloves were trimmed with gold.
“Lord Captain,” he greeted solemnly, bowing his head in deference.
The more she studied him, the more Runa recognised the gradual irritation beginning to build within her gut. Despite how much work they had put in to be more civil to each other, the appearance of the Interrogator out of the blue often meant a disagreement was on the horizon.
“Let me guess – is my presence required?”
“No.” He stepped over the balcony threshold carefully, averting his eyes and glancing out across Dargonus as he approached. “The buffet is progressing as well as could be expected, and the guests are enjoying the Rogue Trader’s hospitality.”
“Then why are you here?”
Her words sounded harsher than she had intended, but Heinrix did not seem to mind.
“You were missing from the festivities,” he spoke simply, joining her at the balcony wall and resting his elbows against the stone. “I wanted– I needed to ensure your wellbeing.”
Gloved hands clasped together loosely, the Interrogator gazed out across Dargonus, the gentle breeze catching the fabric of his mantle. The weight of the day rested heavily upon his shoulders and his drawn brow.
“Did Abelard put you up to this?” she pressed, and the Interrogator exhaled loudly, snapping his head to look at her.
“By the Throne, woman – I am simply making sure that you are well.”
Runa froze outright at his frustrated outburst, her eyes wide, her irritation suddenly all but forgotten. Their interactions may have still been fraught with distrust, but the Lord Captain had not been expecting to be on the receiving end of his concern.
“Oh.” She glanced away from him, feeling the unchecked heat begin rising to her cheeks. “Right. Of course.”
There was a moment of awkward silence that lingered between them before Heinrix seemingly mustered the courage to step closer, reaching into his inside pocket.
“Here.”
From his pocket, he produced a small, white box with golden detailing, immediately sparking Runa’s curiosity. She took it gently from him, sliding it open to reveal ten perfect cylindrical lho sticks.
She glanced up at him in mild surprise. “I didn’t realise you smoked.”
“I don’t.” A satisfied smirk threatened the corner of his mouth. “I confiscated these from an acolyte.”
Runa couldn’t help the grin that had begun to spread across her face as she used a long fingernail and thumb to pluck a lho stick from the box. A smoke would do her the world of good. Sliding the box closed, she noticed Heinrix reach into his inside pocket once more, producing a gold-capped lighter.
“I always carry one,” he offered, and Runa smiled genuinely at his words, balancing the lho stick between her lips and allowing the Interrogator to provide the flame. She leaned into his shadow, shielding the flame from the breeze with a hand as his mantle whipped about her silk-clad shins. Close enough now to smell the musk of his cologne, she felt an unnatural chill descend upon her shoulders, shivering against the barrier of thin silk that adorned her skin. After what seemed like far too long standing against the warmth of him, the rolled paper caught the flame, and Heinrix carefully stepped back as she pulled the first draw into her lungs.
Her face suddenly aflame with the heat, she turned to lean forward against the balcony wall, focusing on the smoky brume of the lho and trying not to think about just how fervently her heart had stuttered at the Interrogator’s proximity. It was if he knew that she would feel out of her depth here, and the entire purpose of him seeking her out was to help her feel more at ease.
She stole another glance towards him, watching as his dark hair was mussed by the unforgiving breeze, a darkness lingering within the hollows of his cheeks as he gazed out upon her protectorate.
as a bird app yapper, learning how tumblr works instead of just lurking on here is somehow harder than i thought it would be.
i do just dimension 20 yap though so shout out to my d20 friends and fans. i'm just gonna be super annoying, mainly about any siobhan thompson pc ever, so enjoy the occasional rambles whenever i remember to type on this site :))
(i am known for being much more interesting on instagram @kitterography. but also, i'm do d20 pilled that when i'm not being cool photographer and content creator, i'm just a little guy talking about their silly dnd blorbos)
I think I'm just in a mood and want to bicker and analyze a random topic but like in a way that's more akin to play fighting
Like am i serious about any irritation or emotion i feel and what i say? No not at all. Just kinda wanna spin a wheel to pick an arbitrary topic to be goofily to semi serious in a semi contrarian way.
Like debating if Grinch is simply a mutation of the usual whovian breeds or a different breed entirely (depends on which canon low-key)
Or
When birds court random creatures, Are birds being monsterfuckers or something different entirely?
Just random bullshit to argue and discuss about that ultimately can be walked away from when bored. Worldbuilding but make it goofy and random
Again i think I'm just in the mood to analyze something and get weirdly passionate about it or even unseriously argumentative about it before moving on
Idk what it is
Maybe I'm just bored
Or just in a mood
Feels like zoomies but mental, i want to pick at a topic, almost any topic if it clicks but i think i might just be in a mood and while i do want to, i think all my friends are currently busy 💔💔🥀
