not even for a moment does he spare a glance that way. dealing with such a trifle, if anything, bored him. with a wave of his hand, he could've made them forget — sent them on their way with happier memories. hell, slowing time to a crawl tends to work out for him more often than not. plenty of time to piece together a clever story or chart a hasty escape. still, he smiles, an all too knowing one. just because he does things that way doesn't mean others do. so, he cedes to her warning with a loose nod. biting down whatever cleverness surges to flee his lips, it slips free as a sigh.
❛ was hoping coming here would've been the end of it. ❜ sure, he loves a quest as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's nice to rest. carve out a little slice of peace without going so far to attain it. chewing the inside of his cheek ruefully, a hue of distress coats his gaze, although it warms with a tinge of excitement. rambling on 'n on about, well, anything? his favorite. ❛ it's a star. might be a little small, sure, but it's a star some hotshot got the smart idea to turn into a ring. to make the heavens and his fingertips one and the same. ❜ he rolls the band between his fingers, feeling out its etchings and the sting of its warmth.
❛ this baby, though, happened to be forged in a pair. binary stars — ever seen one? they're fun. if you're willing to help, i'm willing to pay. it's important. ❜
𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘, 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐆𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐎 in the back, flicking a bit of light down from the overhead to get his attention on the girls in the store. He moves to distract them by flirting, and Io is left to lean over the counter to stare the mage in front of her down, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Can you be careful?" She hisses softly, waving him closer so she can inspect the ring more closely.
Keen though her eyes are, the symbols are tiny, and she'll probably need a magnifier to get a proper look, depending on how old it is. Even so, she shakes her head at the description, because anything with that kind of juice would have immediately been sent to the Vault or offered up to Manon to handle as she saw fit.
"Can't say we've gotten anything like that, but depending what it is, I might be able to hep you track it down."
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.
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.
tag dump ( 5/5 ) finally,
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 !
thane's love language is helping him maintain his dreads. thanks.
i was gonna say thane has a habit of taking in strays but then i remembered his presence alone makes animals run for dear life because all they feel is a predator hunting them. oddly enough, not fish though. he keeps a nice tropical fish tank which serves as a) stress relief and b) a way to vent his more controlling tendencies. talk to him about fish i guess
the older i get, i completely understand why some people go off the grid and live their lives in private