if there's any canon divergence on this blog it's that Martin tore Christopher Plover apart piece by piece. the end.
seldom does he offer genuine concern 'pon others. it's equal parts his nature — equal parts resisting attachment. still, the other looks beaten to shit, whether physically or mentally; he's yet to prod. there's a cadence in his voice expertly honed, a mellifluous and compassionate patchwork of sympathy. ❛ that so... ❜ his eyes drag themselves over their stained coat and linger on the two-tone coloring of their hair. if he notices anything out of place, he graciously doesn't insist on questioning them. it's better to puzzle over things like this. ( at least there's fun to be had in trying to solve them. )
❛ a couple bloodstains usually ain't enough to get people to make faces like that. ❜ at least, not in his experience. no, no, countless days of wandering gave him a deadly instinct for probing the truth. sometimes, he can't help himself. truth can cut deeper than any blade, whether the sting of denial or bitter acceptance. assuming he had been unerring in his questioning, he quietly gauges their reaction. noting the softness in the features and wondering if that gentleness he sees could merely be false. those marks didn't appear defensive — not to him. ❛ but, you've got tired eyes. fishy ones. ❜
yeah, that's what he decides. there's a deeper melancholy to them that the surface permits. all bundled up in that coat, something is twisting and writhing; whatever feelings haise's nursing were tricky indeed. some of his tact fails him as he stares. for a moment, he thinks about himself and whether he's ever felt such things. if the sting in their eyes matches the one that greets him sometimes in the mirror. was their pain similar? or was he so desperate to see himself in others that he clings to the tiniest modicum of recognition?
flashing a smile, he gingerly picks some dirt from beneath his nail — his troubles quickly forgotten. ❛ ain't always gotta be the tough guy, y'know? older i get, and the more good-looking, mind you, that's what i've learned. ❜ with preening done, he inspects his fingers, framing haise with them. ❛ ... lemme see if i can get some of those stains outta that coat. you're a bit of a mess, my friend. damn near a fashion travesty. now, before you answer, think about what i said — then answer. there is a wrong answer. ❜
જ⁀➴ @amcssing ( Bradley ) finds Haise after he has been in a fight.
The sting of humilation lingered like a bitter aftertaste — the fact that he, the squad mentor, the one tasked with guiding and protecting the Quinx, had been the one roughed up like this during their latest investigation had Haise reeling. How could he possibly command respect, lead effectively, when he had so demonstrably lost control?
It haunted him — their expressions as he had come to his senses again, each of his subordinates' eyes filled with a mixture of incredulity and unspoken judgment. He suspected harsh words lingering in the minds of even those who had never outwardly criticized him, silent doubts harbored by those who had come to trust him — and he didn’t even want to start thinking about those who questioned his authority, the ones who already bordered on outright insubordination.
This incident would undoubtedly worsen the already tense atmosphere within his barely held-together squad and further shake the fragile foundation of his team. His stomach churned at the thought of distrust and disrespect taking further root within those he so desperately tried to hold together — a sharp, unpleasant feeling, it mirrored the throbbing pain radiating from his battered body.
And fate, it seemed, was determined to deny him even a moment's respite. The sound of approaching footsteps caused Haise to stiffen, to pull himself a little straighter, despite the protest of his aching muscles. The thought that someone was about to walk in on him while he was feeling sorry for himself — wallowing in self-pity with his coat stained in half-dried blood — only increased his burning shame, fueling its already stoking flames. His cheeks flushed with heat as he prepared himself to wave off the inevitable gaze of concern and confusion.
❛ I’m okay. Just a rough mission. ❜ It was the kind of line he had perfected by now — light, casual, deflecting any kind of concern that could be directed at him. He hated this; the idea of causing anyone worry. Deeply rooted was his desperate desire to not be a burden to those around him, to prove his worth.
With trembling fingers hidden in the folds of his stained coat, Haise looked up to give Bradley a smile — subtle, yet reassuring, the kind that was designed to convey a silent ‘Really, I’m okay’, despite it not quite reaching his eyes.
concerned roleplay starters, accepting !
i got this amazing commission from HeloiseArt_ and would highly recommend them!
art of thane done by my twin @noatherics ! finally giving it a proper home.
i need to start moving thane's lore over here for sure he's one of my most developed ocs to me tbh. greek epic coded fun times.
also, this is wish list style but someone getting sent isekai style to inodal?? just, you're here now. high odds thane would try to orchestrate for them to die but like... the slow realizing they need them for this prophecy and realizing its out of their control which is a big thing for him. then def running into each other in the modern day and hitting a spider man point meme 'you??' 'me.'
Are you charging for this sage advice, or is sticking your nose into my business just a hobby? / what if we did give ekko and jinx a try
party banter / accepting !
a biting remark sits on his tongue——it sits, it pauses much like her finger on the trigger. the firelights were nearby, exploring their own alleys, trying to tidy up the streets as best they can. maybe it's ... foolish, but he figures she'll be here. guarding silco's goods——carving a deep scar into the undercity again and again. he wants to try again, to stop this ... all of this even if only for a moment. if only he could turn back time——! that'd be the day. the day he saves the world. pocketwatch clicks, sealed within his pocket like a tiny heartbeat made of gears and seconds. could he have done more if noticed those mere seconds in the past?
"it's free ... long as you're willing to listen." & return. he pauses, hesitant. "powder."
at a certain point i think all brad's relationships are doomed to fail because you're never probably gonna be as important as his next adventure. it's just... not likely. there's always some distance, always some lack of presence on his part, he's never gonna be able to give the attention some need. he's wild. a puff of smoke and gone.
no thoughts, just... thinking about the way Ekko looks at Powder...