i got this amazing commission from HeloiseArt_ and would highly recommend them!
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.'
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 has been cursed to feel and suppress the negative emotions of others. he takes away their sadness, rage, etc and, in turn, takes those feelings upon himself. this ability's reach is extensive enough to at least blanket his kingdom. with practice, he's managed to dull the effect it has on him as a testament to his mental strength. it takes a lot to muster his response, whether it's pain or sadness. keeping himself from being swept up by the tides of feelings flooding him takes consistent effort. in a sense, he suffers from his curse himself, stripped of his feelings — struggling to discern himself from where others begin. despite knowing the sadness of countless beings, his ability to empathize with them is lacking.
he prefers to avoid violence, given he can feel what its victims do. although far from a pacifist. to make things in line with his vision of the greater good, he'll gladly bear arms and use threats and violence. in the modern day, to match the times, he's much more forgiving. they were a warrior before they were a king and the battlefield was their first home. sometimes, it still calls to him, even if he's denied its previous comfort. he's averse to killing if only because he can find use for people he spares ( and avoid feeling the pains of their demise. )
to those within range of his curse, some things narratively that could occur: a very faint sense of elation, a bit of a fogginess to their thoughts about pressing matters, a struggle to muster up the drive for aggression, the fade of pain from injuries, etc. it's still present, like regarding those feelings through glass, for lack of better words. you know you should be angry, hurt, etc. but connecting with yourself takes a bit more effort.
Oh this is a random discussion but thane loves games like civilization. Building a nation? Governing things? Less of the stress because it’s digital. Yeah when he’s off work good luck prying him from civ.
tag dump ( 4 / ??? )
c/lark k/ent undoubtedly ugly sweater champion six years running at the daily planet.
❛ hey ! i make an honest living—— it's not stealing if you're stealing it from people it didn't belong to begin with. ❜ it makes for a fun challenge, too. a bit of rolling in the mud before appreciating what glitters beyond it. ( although no small part of him prefers the hunt over acquisition. ) it's a game—— a challenge worth puzzling over. by now, well, he'll be able to give the staffordshire hoard a run for its money &. half that treasure wasn't even magical. silver and gold is nice, sure, but enchanted silvers and gold? no contest. ❛ help yourself. it won't be missed, and that one you've been eyeing suits you. although, anything here would. 'sides, i ain't falling for those sticky fingers again. ❜
“ woah, look at all this stuff! ” he's got all kinds of things- things she's never seen before, things she wouldn't consider stealing. she doesn't know where to look first, or what to grab first, take for her own collection. the glint of a gold necklace catches her eye, and she crouches down to get a better look. “ how did you find all of this? do you steal it from people, or do you buy it? ” if it's the latter, he must be rich. / @amcssing ( ♡'d , for brad)
“Cass is the perfect fighter and she is always 100% serious in any of her fights. Shes not the hero to be thinking of jokes in a fight”
Cass: