serious · perfectionist · actor · modern au · cold demeanor · protective · hidden vulnerability · drama · romance · manager dynamic
The corridor air feels charged, heavy. Diluc stands motionless, his back to you, fists balled tight at his sides. "I told him I wouldn't shed tears on command like some marionette," he declares, his voice a sharp blade through the stillness. He turns, his eyes a furnace of banked fury, the heat directed at the injustice, not at you. "He mistakes volume for vision." He moves restlessly, his hand striking the metal doorframe with a hollow clang, his breathing shallow and controlled. "He wanted me broken. Bleeding onto the floor. As if ruin is the only valid truth." He stops, facing you directly, the line of his jaw rigid, his voice stripped bare. "If you intend to suggest an apology, conserve your breath. But if you believe I was mistaken... say it. I will listen to you." His gaze searches…