#shuilong

[saltyb0ba]

i dont know what they're talking about but i hope it's interesting ft. me and my friend's LMK ocs! i own the gal on the left and they own the guy on the right :3

[flipperworld]

Chapter 293 - Good Girl, Shuilong!

[ronekos]

❛ 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 … is there something wrong with my outfit ? You've been awfully distracted and staring at my chest for a good while now. ❜

𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫. / @shui--long

[roku-mtg]

More old artworks! Just buncha lesbians ig… who play volleyball… who are rivals…

[hollow-burst]

Vacation in summer, I guessing.

[flipperworld]

Chapter 202 - Shuilong's Dinner

[ronekos]

❛  can you go take care of this, please?  ❜

𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 , leaning against his desk ; an eyebrow raises & head tips ever so slightly to the side when he sees Neuvillette enter his office holding … a box. the questions that assault Wriothesley's mind aren't few : first, why would he visit him in the vault within the Fortress of Meropide without any sort of warning ? the fortress is known for its illicit dealings … & while Neuvillette is welcome by the warden, some inmates might not be as kind & hospitable as he is. ( that reason being why Neuvillette doesn't visit so often, let alone assign tasks here ⸻ which is what he assumes is about to happen ) .

𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 … a demand from the Chief Justice is something that can't conceivably be ignored. / eventually, from the hands of the Iudex, he receives a small, ornate, & well-sealed box ; intricately designed with sigils of Fontaine. the quest becomes clear as the judge opens the box to reveal a pendant ⸻ something important, is all he hears. ❛ What is it that you want me to do with this ? Put it around my neck and parade the thing ? ❜ / but he meets the intensity of Neuvillette's gaze. The weight of the situation unfolding in the judge's eyes, & the calling of his name, spoken with a subtle gravitas, sending a shiver down his spine.

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲 & 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 to the Iudex surge within him, & he knows he must accept this mission. that's why, without any trace of hesitation, he carefully closes the box & takes it into his gloved hands ; taking in a short moment to feel the weight of the pendant within. with lips pursed, he nods in understanding, a solemn promise of discretion & security for the artefact. ❛ Fine, fine … got it. I'll keep it safe. No one will ever know this thing even exists. ❜ ( & that's a task that most certainly won't be easy. ) but the journey from the depths of the fortress to the location within Fontaine that he had been requested to go to is doable. it's as Wriothesley accepts the mission that he comprehends that the pendant represents a critical piece of Fontaine's history. its' safe delivery is essential.

& 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 , & taps the side of his arm before turning on his heels to contain the small box in one of the drawers on his desk before he starts the task at hand. even with the shadows of the fortress seemingly pressing in on him, Wriothesley remains determined & happy to carry out his mission, for the sake of Neuvillette & Fontaine. but first : ❛ Say ... are you in a rush or would you like to have a seat and a cup of tea before you go back to the surface ? ❜

―  𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑻𝒀 𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑶𝑴 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺. no longer accepting. / @shui--long

[ronekos]

" Wriothesey. -- Those Gauntlets of yours. Their functionality is rather impressive. Is it all mechanical or do you have some emancipated manipulation to it? "

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲 arrives from none other than Fontaine's mighty Chief Justice ; the question being one that makes the duke contemplate the intricate devices strapped to his very hands. somehow : it feels as though Neuvillette has unveiled a long-hidden tale, prompting an unforeseen wave of nostalgia & a rare moment of vulnerability that crosses Wriothesley's semblance before he offers a bemused smile.

❛ 𝐀𝐡 , 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 … ? yeeeeah … they've witnessed quite the evolution over the years, ❜ he commences, the tone lingering at the tip of his tongue, tinged with an unusual sentimentality. a faint chuckle of embarrassment follows as he reminisces on his lowborn beginnings : ❛ You see … they actually trace back to the days when I was still struggling on the streets, taking on odd jobs and learning the tricks of the trade. ❜ with a subdued grin, Wriothesley proceeds to remove & offer one of the gauntlets in question to Neuvillette ; holding it out ( the weapon nearly sparkling with an almost obsessive cleanliness, the dented metal gleaming ) for the judge to observe for himself if that's what he does desire.

& 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 : ❛ It all began with a wrist-mounted device, rather primitive, really ! It was merely a contraption for launching iron nails — simple but effective, ❜ sharing all of this information brings along both pride & torment, a thoughtful shadow briefly crossing his features. ❛ However … it had its limitations. More often than not : it would last one battle and then lose full functionality. ❜

𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 ; he momentarily transports himself back to the first couple of months he's spent in the gritty world of the fortress of Meropide. ❛ Back when I joined the pankration fights, to succeed, I had to constantly modify these gauntlets, adapting them to every condition, and every opponent. And even when they didn't meet their end in battle, they could be stolen, damaged, or lost. I had to start from scratch countless times, and that : was a real pain in the ass. ❜ with the memories become more vibrant, laced with determination, he adds : ❛ Fortunately, as I gained access to better resources and received support from the Fontaine Research Institute, things began to change ! ❜

𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 ; there's an evident glint of satisfaction in ice-blue eyes. ❛ Today, they no longer take life but instead earn me respect and acclaim. So ... I can't complain. ❜ the unspoken weight of his past bears down on him , ⸻ like a shadow he can never fully escape. / paired with a soft, benevolent smile , ❛ Not many within the Fortress know the extent of the crimes I once committed. I'm the sole keeper of those memories … and these gauntlets are the closest thing I have to … well, who I used to be. ❜ a deep breath escapes him, laden with unspoken emotion ; as he opens this window into his complex history, closely intertwined with the mechanical gauntlets. ( he's changed his name. left an entirely different life behind. earned a vision in the process of kissing his old life goodbye. asides from the crimes & blood on his hands : these gauntlets are the closest thing he has to his truth. )

𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞-𝐡𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐱 , the moment's vulnerability stays hidden behind a gentler smile. ❛ My apologies. I just said too much, didn't I ? I got carried away, ❜ he concedes, reaching for his now-cooled cup of tea. / & then, a brief pause follows, his reflective mood transforming into a burst of almost bashful laughter. what an unusual moment it has been for him, sharing such insights with Fontaine's esteemed Chief Justice. ( in the silent rhythm of the fortress, their exchange serves as a unique interlude, a fleeting connection beyond the usual titles & prestige … something Wriothesley deeply treasures. )

𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝. / @shui--long