“I Have Survived, But I Have Not Been Spared.”

late night Brad thoughts are the fact he, more often than not, molds himself into roles for the people around him. To him, someone’s who’s seen so much, it’s both a way to disassociate himself from things but a source of amusement too. It’s not too different than the switch in perspective of a story, just because you’ve read it one way, maybe there’s something to be found from a fresh perspective. He flows off vibes and that can make him a helping hand, an antagonist, a mentor and more. But, just like roles, he can easily discard these guises. He doesn’t connect to them - if he does, never for long. His story was supposed to be an endless journey but he found the end and that is why he drifts endlessly. An unknowable figure, aimless until a new story begins.

---

thane’s   hair   is   grey   but   it   wasn’t   always   that   color;   it’d   started   to   change   once   he’d   received   his   curse.   it   used   to   simply   be   black,   messy   and   rather   unkempt   before   they’d   started   to   mellow   out.   it’s   never   really   bothered   him,   not   that   it   would   have,   he   thinks   it   makes   him   look   a   wiser   beyond   his   years   which   isn’t   something   that   would   hurt   his   reputation.   a   few   dark   strands   of   his   original   hair   still   linger   but   most   are   tangled   within   the   presence   of   grey.

during   his   reign,   he   only   married   once   but   had   many   different   consorts   with   the   intentions   of   producing   an   heir   to   the   throne.   his   interest   in   performing   the   act   wasn’t   high   but   they’d   do   so   out   of   duty.   thane   treated   them   well,   as   equals,   with   the   privileges   a   queen   would   have.   granting   them   luxuries   as   if   they’d   been   crowned   themselves   despite   not   being   married   to   them.   some   of   his   lovers   had   greater   chemistry   with   him   than   others   which   meant   his   favorites   might’ve   been   apparent   from   time   to   time.   thane’s   interest   in   his   children's   lives   was   bare   minimum   until   they   were   old   enough   to   involve   themselves   in   politics   or   things   pertaining   to   the   kingdom.

his   gift   curse   numbs   away   pain   and   hostility,   those   lacking   food   would   not   suffer   nor   those   that   happened   to   succumb   from   a   disease.   in   a   sense,   as   a   king,   he   was   with   everyone   when   they   suffered   hardships   whether   they   were   aware   of   the   fact   or   otherwise.   however,   the   feelings   his   people   could   experience   ended   up   being   rather   limited   because   of   him   leaving   them   in   rather   dull   states   when   not   experience   happiness   or   excitement.   aware   of   this   fact,   they’d   make   sure   to   interact   with   them   in   the   form   of   parties   or   gatherings   which   would   happen   more   often   than   not   during   the   week.   something   to   make   sure   everyone   was   fed   or   taken   care   of   in   some   regard.

the   whole   reason   he   was   given   the   ability   to   numb   and   withhold   the   pain   of   others   was   to   change   him   from   being   a   savage.   fighting,   in   all   forms,   had   seemed   to   be   his   only   interest   from   birth   with   rather   lethal   results.   under   the   burden   of   those   around   him,   feeling   the   same   pain   he’d   sought   to   inflict   on   someone   in   some   form   changed   him   from   a   fighter   to   a   pacifist   since   killing   someone   would   be   akin   to   killing   himself.   thane   prefers   to   talk   things   out   and   avoid   conflicts.

inodal   is   a   kingdom   that   is   bordered   by   a   vast   sea,   finding   its   trade   in   fishing   and   other   seas   based   opportunities.   he   loves   the   ocean   and   tends   to   visit   places   that   are   bordered   by   water.   it   reminds   him   of   home,   allowing   him   a   chance   to   feel   connected   to   it.   oddly   enough   though,   thane   can’t   swim   to   save   his   life   and   almost   drowned   when   lost   at   sea   during   a   brief   skirmish. 

---

Given your own nature, are you really the one to judge? (To Rex! From the BG3 party meme)

party banter / accepting !

touché.  nanites  hum  as  if  responding  to  a  provocation;  his  body  is  an  interwoven  mix  of  machinery  and  humanity,  yet  all  himself.  he  raises  his  hands  as  if  to  ward  off  any  further  barbs  hurling  towards  him——features  slack  with  the  faintest  hint  of  sheepishness.  guess  what  goes  around  comes  around  when  it's  a  matter  of  judging  a  book  by  its  cover.  still  ...  compared  to  EVOs?  this  might  as  well  have  been  a  drop  in  the  bucket  ...  sort  of.  long  as  he  looks  past  the  moving  things  around  with  their  mind  parts.  he's  trying——okay!

"okay,  okay.  you're  right.  i  can  make  machines  from  my  hands  and  you're  a  talking  ...  i wanna say ... groundhog?  makes  us  both  a  little  bit  strange.  but,  really  though,  you're  sure  you're  not  an  EVO..?  never  had  any  run  ins  with  a  guy  named  van  kleiss?  about  this  tall,"  he  gestures,  "big  metal  arm?  talks  a  LOT  about  EVOs  being  the  next  step  in  his  big,  bad,  evil  empire?" no? no.  

---

Mary Oliver, from a poem titled "March," featured in New And Selected Poems: Volume Two

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At the far end of the street, on my side, was the silhouette of a man, dancing. It was a strange dance, similar to a waltz, but he finished each “box” with an odd forward stride. I guess you could say he was dance-walking, headed straight for me.

[…] He was very tall and lanky, and wearing an old suit. He danced closer still, until I could make out his face. His eyes were open wide and wild, head tilted back slightly, looking off at the sky. His mouth was formed in a painfully wide cartoon of a smile.

— The Smiling Man

---

a   bit   hesitant   to   swear   it,   words   linger   on   the   tongue,   an   unnatural   weight——   before   she   relents.   features   brighten,   unable   to   hold   back   wide   smile,   it   goes   from   lips   to   gaze.   verdant   irises   shimmer   like   windswept   leaves,   a   storm   rustling   trees   sending   critters   scurrying,   frolicking,   and   playing.   fist   pumps,   unable   to   contain   it   any   longer,   a   light   hop   carrying   him   a   few   inches   from   solid   ground.   still,   voice   stays   hushed,   ❛   woooo.   ❜   listening   intently,   browsing   features   for   hints   of   deceit   (   although   never   finding   any.   )   /   although   far   from   the   lie   detector   others   were.   ❛   for   real?   you   ain't   messing   with   you   me,   right?   we're   not   gonna   race   over   there,   and   you   make   me   into   your   fall   guy,   yeah ??   ❜   equal   parts   joking,   equal   parts   serious.   some   things   were   too   good   to   be   true,   wally   often   has   trouble   deciding   which   were   which.   ❛   if   you're   serious   ...   yeah,   man,   dude——   sock,   hook   me   up.   i'll   even   owe   you   one.   ❜

               " You gotta swear on it ! " A good thing can die quickly due to word of mouth. Not to mention kindness only going so far in this modern day. She sticks her pointer finger in his face for emphasis. Sakura puffed out her cheeks, frowning up at the other. " Alright- there's a lady who I have an in with at WcDonald's." she leans closer, holding a hand up shielding her mouth," As long I buy a meal she'll let me pick any toy I want. Maybe. Just Maybe ! " she furrows her gaze to the other. " I can pull some strings if you're interested " chocolate browns look up to reach his own.

---

love them dearly <3

---

green   hues   survey   their   expression,   ensuring   they're   being   honest——   &.   seem   satisfied.   hitting   the   mean   streets   of   las   vegas   along   wasn't   a   big   deal.   (   once   you've   walked   through   gotham,   could   anywhere   really   get   the   best   of   you?   )   no.   the   answers   no.   still,   solo   heroics   aside,   wally   prefers   someone   at   his   side.   someone   to   shoot   a   knowing   look,   share   a   good   laugh,   and   then   move   on   to   the   next   thing.   quipping   at   crooks   and   robbers   isn't   the   same   as   between   friends——   way   too   many   bullets   flying.   (   even   though   ONE   proves   too   many   to   most.   )

laughter   revs,   a   light   rumble   in   chest,   yet   stifles   itself   into   a   chuckle.   springing   to   his   feet,   wally   balls   up   what's   left   of   the   burger   wrapper,   it   sails   through   the   air——   nice   long   arc   and   just   barely   makes   it   into   the   trash.   hands   clap   together,   smile   growing   far   prouder.   ❛   score   one   for   the   red   team——   orange   team?   ...   team   vegas.   ❜   better   off   keeping   it   simple;   easier   on   both   of   them.

part   of   him   wants   to   ask   if   they're   really   sure   about   this,   if   they   really   want   to   lead   him   around.   (   without   witnesses,   wally   could   admit   he's   a   bit   pushy   ...   maybe.   )   although,   he   kept   his   concerns   to   himself.   no   point   treading   the   same   track   over   and   over.   (   right?   )   ❛   m'wally.   wally   west.   better   than   callin'   me   your   tourist   all   day,   yeah?   ❜   they   parrot   with   a   grin.   ❛   let's   do   something   fun——   oh   oh!   but   near   another   burger   stand.   never   know;   might   get   hungry   later.   ❜   (   he   would.   )

Mark's here for his own personal reasons, but there's no mistaking the way his eyes light up when the offer is extended. There's nothing he loves more than a chance to have some fun, after all—his siblings will still be here when he's done showing this guy around.

Probably. He's been looking for excuses to avoid actually talking to them, anyway.

"You might wanna consider hitting up some of the casinos, 'cause today's your lucky day!" Mark shoots an energetic wink, then laughs at his own little joke. "'Certified guide' is pushing it, but I know my way around well enough, I think. And I happen to be free. I mean, who comes to Vegas with a plan for what they're gonna do, right? Well—I guess responsible people. Anyway, I'll tag along. Beats doin' it all by myself!"

Not a lot of people would flag down a kind stranger for this sort of thing. Mark himself probably would, but he knows it's not really the way most people would go about it. That alone is enough of a reason to want to go along with things, if only for the sake of curiosity and entertainment.

He pushes himself out of his chair, enthusiastic as ever. "I'm Mark, by the way, so you don't hafta walk around all day callin' me your tour guide. You got anything you're especially down for? Somethin' fun, somethin' laid back? I guarantee you I can find whatever."

---

the prettiest<3

---

( * MIXED BAG PROMPTS !

mixed bag of sentence starters with a side of silly. likely taken from twitch streams / messages.

❛ what have you had for dinner today? ❜

❛ what does that do? ❜

❛ you promised me. ❜

❛ i haven't been here for a while, i have some questions. ❜

❛ i did mess up. ❜

❛ it was a setup. ❜

❛ i would have had no mercy. ❜

❛ is it good? ❜

❛ you're like a month early. ❜

❛ that's an odd take. ❜

❛ so mean. ❜

❛ worth a shot. ❜

❛ we are out of lobsters. ❜

❛ it will never happen. ❜

❛ thank you for everything you do. ❜

❛ what are the options? ❜

❛ don't know about that one, chief. ❜

❛ i agree with that. it's a good idea! ❜

❛ that is really unfortunate. ❜

❛ i don't remember, sorry. ❜

❛ i don't know about this. ❜

❛ that was honestly not bad at all. ❜

❛ if it works, why is it bad? ❜

❛ you said what you said, no take backs. ❜

❛ i think it's time to let go. ❜

❛ that could have been really good. ❜

❛ i swear i heard it. ❜

❛ i'll give the people what they want. ❜

❛ blood for the blood god! ❜

❛ great catch! ❜

❛ it's always this way now. ❜

❛ it's not as good as people say it is. ❜

❛ oh dear god, that sounds horrifying. ❜

❛ that hair cut is beautiful! ❜

❛ any words of wisdom? ❜

❛ you look great today. ❜

❛ if it takes you that long for a response, the answer is no. ❜

❛ you can't take it seriously. ❜

❛ how was your experience? ❜

❛ how's life, you beautiful bastard? ❜

❛ what's a movie that stuck with you? ❜

❛ with great power comes great responsibility. ❜

❛ friendship is magic. ❜

❛ i could've saved more. ❜

❛ corny or not, that is a very profound. ❜

❛ get out of here. ❜

❛ it's not all on you, you can only do what one person can. ❜

❛ we all need to do what we can. ❜

❛ the world's burdens aren't yours to bear alone. ❜

❛ you're so appreciated. ❜

❛ i think you've done a fine job. ❜

❛ i'm sorry, what the fuck is going on? ❜

❛ what a strange experience. ❜

❛ how lucky are you? ❜

❛ are you drunk? ❜

❛ part of recovery is understanding there's going to be real absence. ❜

❛ little progress is still way better than no progress. ❜

❛ this is going to go down as the fucking worst time ever. ❜

❛ i feel your pain. ❜

❛ can i get a cookie? i'm hungry. ❜

❛ that made me cackle. ❜

❛ well, hello there cutie! ❜

❛ you got this. ❜

❛ you better rest up today and treat yourself. ❜

❛ i was not aware of that. ❜

❛ well, well, well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions. ❜

❛ this part of life is hideous. ❜

❛ it's only been five minutes. ❜

❛ i have no clue, i'm sorry, i was being silly. ❜

❛ thank you for guiding me through my toughest days. ❜

❛ get well soon, we need you. ❜

❛ i hope the best for you. ❜

❛ why are you running? ❜

❛ this is the best thing ever. ❜

❛ what am i watching? ❜

❛ what a clown show. ❜

❛ you are great. ❜

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