settleintoash

[settleintoash]

[An entry in a journal, written in Sarkaz, although made readable by the island's universal translator.]

9th of May, Spirale Island Calendar

It's still strange to get used to an entirely different system of keeping time. I haven't been dating much of anything, although I've been more concerned in noting down what exactly this place is, and what the place of the Sarkaz is, here.

The place of the Sarkaz largely seems to be simply existing - which is largely different from fighting to exist in its stability. Myself, Ines, and W are here - coexisting as we used to except not quite. I think this kind of life makes us all a bit restless. We've spent so much of our lives on the battlefield, that something this domestic just isn't something any of us are used to anymore. Maybe never.

Food on the table. Easy, accessible. Whatever we want, really. I could go get a job at the local school, except most of the people here are more educated than me. It feels like a stretch, thinking that I could teach anyone anything in a place like this. Not like my dreams about Kazdel, where I know I'd be needed.

And maybe that's the issue, being needed. Whittling away my days as I try and figure out what's next. Twice now I've woken up with new scars, new memories. New aches.

I know Ines and W know. They can read me well enough to know I didn't just go and cut my hair, or gain these new scars out of nowhere. It's easier, since none of us have to pretend, even if it's exhausting to experience even more battles, only to wake up here.

What a strange place. What an odd experience.

The knowledge that just anyone can show up doesn't sit well with me. I'm glad the three of us are together so we can face whatever else may come.

There are Rhodes Island Operators here, faces I know better now due to our cooperation. But I trust them as much as they trust me - namely, not much.

#; journal entry

[settleintoash]

"I knew someone who cared a bit more about this sort of thing." He chuckles, "Personally, I'm more comfortable in much more casual clothing, but it didn't really suit the mission I was on." She seemed pleasant, although based on her more fancy clothing, he found it curious that she didn't quite seem to care.

"Oh, yes, actually I've been to..." He trails off, remembering how unbelievable that was. That he'd been to the place where Wriothesley was from, where people with those same gemstones were.

"I know a man named Wriothesley, he's," what was the title again? Ah, right, "The Warden of Meropide?" It was odd to think of him as something any more formal than a man who he'd brawled with and gone fishing with.

"I don't know if you were here when those portals appeared, but I went to a place called Fontaine during that time." Watching her for any recognition, he does wonder if she's at all familiar, or if he's simply talking nonsense.

Navia watches with great interest as he unfastens his gauntlets so that he can properly enjoy the cheese cubes that had been giving him trouble moments prior. He seemed a little self-conscious that they weren't fully finished, but she didn't pay it any mind. She's familiar with armor, but not so much that she'd be able to tell the difference, and so she cheerily responds, "It's a good thing I wouldn't be able to even if I tried." And she laughs after saying so, clearly trying to make him feel a little better about it.

What makes her stop mid-cheese cube in mouth however, is that he seems to be familiar with what visions are. "Really? Huh, how curious! Maybe you're just drawn to us sorts of people then. Wouldn't that be funny?" Light blue…that's an oddly specific color. But she'd be lying if she told herself that she wasn't curious as to who it was. "Are you friends with this person? I wonder if I'm familiar with him as well…"

#multirose #isola garden party

[settleintoash]

"Well, I have a habit of being a spy, I guess." He chuckles, looking at the fingers, which shift back to looking normal. Interesting, but not anything that disturbs him.

"You mentioned you had another form in the water. You don't need to hide it, if you don't want to." With a grunt he sits down, looking at the water.

"Though I still don't have an answer to 'what kind of Sarkaz I am'. Most of us are a mix of different kinds."

@settleintoash

Constantine sits by the river of the forest. Fingers dip in, shifting his digits into clawed discolored ones. he's playing with the fish in the river and in his own little world.

He pulls his fingers out from the water and wipes the liquid onto his pant leg. his fingers shift back to looking normal.

"You got a habit of just spying on people?"

#uwps001

[settleintoash]

heyhey! ive updated Hoederer from Arknight's canon point, which includes a new weapon and new abilities. He'll need a starter ability since he had none before. I have also changed his url to settleintoash. thank you!

Hey there! Your URL change will be noted on the masterlist!

For your starter ability, Hoederer will now be able to create small amounts of ash to rain in a contained area for five times per day up to five minutes each use.

#; isola stuff #heres to the most annoying ability ever

[settleintoash]

canon update incoming

#; ooc #dont mind me as i update this blog

[settleintoash]

"Well, my entire upbringing is a tad morbid, but I am trying to keep this on the lighter side." As though it wasn't obvious enough, given the scars across his body, his Infected status, his now missing eye that hardly seems to bother him. But he can't help the smile creeping across his face when Wriothesley shares his opinion on the matter.

"Seems prophecies impact societies across worlds, huh?" He jots something down in his notebook before closing it again. "We've got plenty of those ourselves, and an entire..." Hoederer pauses, waving a hand, "Shared...Memory situation. Morbid indeed."

Turning on his side to face Wriothesley, he continues: "But your people seemed to have turned things around, right? That's what I'm hoping for too. I hope your Archon gets to be with her people for as long as she likes." At the very least, if she's weeping, then their leadership situation is likely a bit better than the Sarkaz.

But once he's done processing that last sentence. 'Things like this' - which would separate their current situation - which was intimate, he could admit, but they had already gone fishing together and that was relatively intimate-

His face turns almost the same shade as his hair as he sits up suddenly.

"Oh-"

"This is, a, uh..." He trails off, his notebook and pen falling by the wayside. "I didn't realize - not that it's your fault, I've just never really been on a proper date - always on the road or at war or some such." Was that time in the cafe a date, too!? Were they dating!?

"Not that I don't want this to be a date - I do. I certainly do - you're very attractive and I enjoy our time together. I feel at ease with you in a way I rarely do-" He almost slaps his forehead, what was he saying?!

"...Ignore all of that. Let's go back to the part where I said yes to you asking me on a date, and was absolutely very aware we were going on a date, because I want to be on a date with you."

NOT THE BEST, HE SAYS, and yet, even so, it was enough that he could appreciate it, much as he would want anyone when indulging in a drink like this. were it anything, it was merely the whims of a tea connoisseur that the sarkaz was made to be in the company with, nothing more. still, the warden seems rather pleased that the other has taken a liking to it, and especially so when the other talks of the book in hand. he had been curious enough about it for some time, always keeping a polite distance than outright asking -- everyone had their secrets, some more kept closely than others.

so for him to speak on it when asked, it was something he allowed himself to listen to more intently, finding a subtle appreciation to what it is hoederer says.

❝ Apologizing, are we? No need for that. I did ask, after all. And it hardly brought the mood down. It isn't like you told some morbid story about someone's upbringing, ❞ he comments, arms now crossing themselves. ❝ Joking, of course. I doubt you'd do that without the proper setting for it. ❞

whether or not he was joking, well... he would leave that one up to his companion, given his sense of dry wit and, further still, intertwining some of reality into them. ❝ It sounds more like a story of hope, from that perspective. Fontaine, that city you got a chance to see, the future there was pretty bleak until recent. We had a prophecy that a flood would come to take its people, our Archon alone on her throne, left weeping as her people were submerged. What I'm getting at is it's nice to want a future that's better for people. ❞ in turn, his eyes return back to the book a little. ❝ Besides, sharing a little of this and that, that's what things like this are for, right? ❞ maybe then he would get the hint, again, if he hadn't already.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀somehow, he feels like he might have just missed the mark prior—

#cerberice #hoederer machine broke call back later

[settleintoash]

"Actually I don't. Maybe here a bit, but back home it's more like 'get outta here devil' or 'we don't serve Sarkaz here'." It's said in some sort of good humor, but there's a tinge of exhaustion under it.

"But on that note - I'm a Sarkaz. A pretty varied race of people back home. Honestly, sometimes it feels more like a culture, given how wide of a variety of Sarkaz there are." It's clear he doesn't mind fielding the question, almost seeming happy to teach.

"Do you have anything specific you'd like to ask me? Or, you can tell me about yourself. It's actually rare to see somebody without horns or ears on top of their head, but I'm getting used to it here."

@treacheryflag ♥ this starter call

Has he met anyone else like this guy here? He can't recall. They all looked human, himself included, for the most part at least. Except for that robot guy and perhaps even his boss, Dark'hol. If he had to think back, he has yet to meet anyone with big ass horns!

"M'Sure you get asked the question what the fuck are you a lot, hm?" Maybe not like that, but it's close enough.

#uwps001 #its okay hoederer thrives in the bad at socializing crew #constantine just got one of his special interests going

[settleintoash]

Darknights Trio is coming back

[settleintoash]

"I'm getting less and less inclined to invite him over." Still, he's smiling like an idiot, with his closest friends here and an exploding cake.

"Luckily he's pretty used to whatever kind of chaos you two are already planning." He eats some of the cake himself, not like old age has made him picky about eating around shrapnel or bomb residue.

"Let's go get something to eat. We can let W clean this up, since it's the yard in her house."

that didn't go unnoticed by the caprinae. flecks of cake on her be damned this once. (she's going to make him pay for her clothes if they stain. at least her hair avoided the sticky mess.) " Yeah, yeah, save the names for later, W."

" A friend?" she didn't need to see his shadow to know something was up. " What sort of 'friend' are we talking about here? Don't tell me you got a writing buddy stashed away somewhere, hiding them from us."

#definedeath #sarkazmercenary

[settleintoash]

From Gleams And Smoke I Emerge

#blood cw #happy birthday my specialest guy #canon point update soon heehee

[settleintoash]

"I was going to invite a friend over, but thankfully Ines did give that warning." The way he says a friend implies more, but we'll leave that topic on the table for now.

"I did get some of it in my mouth, it was pretty good. Despite the explosion." He takes some of the exploded cake and flicks it at both W and Ines - matching, for good measure.

"Thanks."

she's not going to laugh. even if the sight of the stalwart, annoyingly literature loving mercenary covered in bits of cake and frosting from the waist up was hilarious, she was not going to laugh. that'd be giving W ammo she absolutely did not need.

".....I told you 'good luck'. "

#definedeath #sarkazmercenary

[settleintoash]

There is a distant explosion in the Land of Burnt Umber. Anyone who would come to see the source of it would see a one-eyed, horned man in a backyard, the remains of cake splattered all over him.

In response to questioning, he'd simply turn to whoever approached and respond:

"It's my birthday."

#isola mini

[settleintoash]

left outside his place of stay, a particular package is delivered. there was no reason for her to hand it over in person, especially in regards to the fact she plans on inviting both him and ines out later for a proper celebration. still, what's left behind is none other than a cake when opened, decorated to the nines and, in turn, with a bunch of candles awaiting to be lit.

the tag is simplistic, reading from Ines and W, not needing to say anymore as to why it was left. beneath the cake itself was another note, however, addressed from none other than ines, reading as follows:

Good luck. She changed the candles when I wasn't looking. Ines.

"....Shit."

He closes his eyes, holding the package as looks around. Luckily, nobody else was around.

"The cake is going to explode."

"Still...Heh."

"It feels nostalgic. The first birthday we've gotten to spend together in a while."

#sarkazmercenary #definedeath #DARKNIIGHTS TRIOOO AAAAAAA #happy bappy hoederer

[settleintoash]

hoederer's biggest appeal to me is that he's incredibly mid looking tbh

[settleintoash]

"Hm?" He closes the journal he had been writing in, turning to Wriothesley. At this point, he was hardly surprised when the other man invited him out, as they'd become close companions over the winter.

(Although he was dressed rather nice today. The grey button-down complimented him well, even if the tears in his pants were distracting.)

Bringing his own cup to his lips to disperse thoughts of the other's muscular thigh, he inhales before taking a sip, remembering some of the customs he saw. Eyebrows shooting up, he looks over at his companion, nodding in approval. "It's delicious. Really - I'm not best at telling this kind of thing, but this tastes perfect for a day out."

Looking at the sky, he closes his eye, feeling the sun on his face. His eyepatch was off, hair pulled back, and without any armor.

He was comfortable. Mellow. Definitely due to the tea.

A smile crosses his face before he chuckles, opening his eye and holding the book up, "It's a few different things, but mostly continuing to write the history of the Sarkaz. People make a bit of fun, and maybe it is a bit dorky, but it's important." He closes the book, patting the bound cover as he turns back to Wriothesley.

"It's important - if we want to go into the future, we need to understand the past. A lot of books written in Sarkaz were lost over time, but I was lucky enough that my mother taught me to read and write in Sarkaz." Sheepishly, he scratches his the back of his head.

"Didn't mean to bring the mood down, just thought..." It's not like they didn't know each other, or this was supposed to be a date where they got to know each other more deeply. It almost feels like a date. But it's definitely not.

...Right?

"I felt like sharing that. It's part of this." He pats the notebook again.

WINTER IS BUT A LONG AGO MEMORY, leaving spring in its wake amidst sunshine and gentle breezes. being confined to a stronghold with only that of dampness and artificial light, it was always refreshing to feel the sun's rays warm your skin. and even here, where the warden was free to walk among daylight as he pleases, no fortress to keep watch over, much to his concern of their wellbeing in his absence, it has never changed that sentiment.

especially now with a company sat to his side that he had specifically invited out, steaming hot tea nearly finished from his cup, his other hand freely scribbling alongside the picnic basket of what had been their lunch. ❝ Here. Take the last of it. It's a good brew, right? Something about the spices that go well with its more mellowed aftertaste that feels just right. ❞ maybe he was a little too pleased in sharing one of his favored brews he had found on the island, something native to spirale itself from the star trail, pouring the last bits into the man's cup.

❝ You've been writing in that book for a while now, too. What, feeling inspired to get out an auto-biography while you're here? ❞ a partial joke, though in truth, he wonders how long it might take the other to realize exactly why he had asked him out in the first place... well, if he hadn't already, leaving him politely refused.

@treacheryflag

#cerberice

[settleintoash]

"Fighting as a first date, huh...?"

#isola dash commentary

[settleintoash]

hoederer soon approaches. he is Inevitable