Xerxes Break (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
payingfordeliverance) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
deercountry2021-09-06 12:39 am
payingfordeliverance) wrote in deercountry2021-09-06 12:39 am
001: What have I done? It's too late for that
Who: Xerxes Break and you
What: Catchall for the month. Three open prompts, and some closed ones in the comments.
When: All through September!
Where: Whatever amusing chunk of Trench we wind up in at any given time
Content Warnings: Character is depressed and processing a lot of canon deaths; also, character is blind, and sometimes has a lingering cough due to an old chronic illness! Other warnings will appear in thread headers as necessary.
In and Around Trench: Feel free to choose wherever your character would be! He is exploring, after all
Break arrives in Trench thinking a year-long nap sounds like a fantastic idea and maybe he will do that and everyone will just have to deal with it. It's not even a week before he's too restless to stay settled long, and barely a few days after that he loses his patience with the various fussy teenagers who have already adopted him and takes off on his own to spend his days investigating this new city. To be led about with somebody's arm through his can be very pleasant and enjoyable, but Break's independent streak is as vicious as ever, and anyway, he'll never learn his way around the place until he maps it out on his own. All he has to do to get home is hunt down a lamp, so it's fine, right?
This is not quite as simple as it sounds. Break is completely blind, and has zero context for the place at all.
He has no trouble whatsoever getting around. His omen, a big black borzoi, keeps his shoulder beneath Break's hand and helps him wind his way through crowds; the canesword in his other hand ensures he doesn't run into or trip on anything. He moves it in such a leisurely, whimsical way that at first glance it almost looks like he's swinging it around for the fun of it, rather than using it to find his way. So no, he doesn't run into anyone or anything. No, his real problem is that he's still finding and memorizing various landmarks, the city is huge, and there are plenty of times when Break finds himself in some new place with only half an idea how he got there and no idea at all what he might find. Well! Break does not like being fussed over for being unable to see, but it's not like he can hide it these days, and in a situation like that there's nothing else to do but own it. So, whenever he gets frustrated, he steps to the side a bit where he won't be in the way and lifts his voice to make a cheerful announcement.
"Begging your pardon! I seem to be lost."
Sometimes what he gets out of this is a passing raven cussing him out, which he enjoys. Other times some Trenchie delighted to assist a Sleeper catches him, and he proceeds to charm them into telling him all about the city for as long as they are willing to waste their time on him. Sometimes, he gets a fellow Sleeper. Sometimes he has something specific he is looking for, and other times, he has no idea what is even there to be found, and a small adventure might be had. This is how he spends many of these early days in Trench, and slowly but surely, he begins to put the puzzle of the place together in his mind.
Soup: The "here is my character, come bother him" prompt
The rain and chill do not trouble Break much. If anything they suit his underlying mood perfectly, and he's the sort of guy who is at his comfiest when he can be wrapped up in a nice long coat and stop somewhere for a warm drink. He likes the sound of the rain drumming around on things and he likes taking his little walks more slowly, with only Baltus to guide him around, so that his other hand is free to hold his nice new umbrella. The omen also enjoys these times because it means he gets to carry the canesword around in his mouth like a big stick, which he does proudly and with his head held high, as it is an Extremely Important Job.
Break wastes no time in finding a really good soup place with owners who find him endearing in his eccentricities, and he selects this restaurant as his personal lunch place on especially rainy days. He lingers there to enjoy a cup of tea after his meal, often. He likes the warmth and the smells from the kitchen, and the cozy security of building up stomping grounds. The one sad thing about it is that he usually comes alone, and while it's a comfort to have Baltus tucked in under his chair, some of what he's missing most about the world he left behind is idle chit-chat with his loved ones over tea before everyone got back to their days. That he can no longer see in order to stare out the window or watch the other customers coming and going just makes it worse. Break lives in a bubble of darkness now, and it's easy to lose himself in sad moments when it's just him and his soup and his tea and his weird but devoted shadow creature.
Maybe it's his darkblood powers that make him so eye-catching when he gets into this mood, subtly twisting the atmosphere around him so that the light hits him just so, making him seem weirdly far away and terribly lonely even if he isn't making sad faces. Perhaps it's the way Baltus sometimes emerges from beneath the chair to sit up and drape his long face over Break's lap instead, offering comfort. Or maybe it's just Break's lot in life as a Brooding Swordsman™ that certain kinds of people always really want to reach out to him. Regardless, somehow, even if there are plenty of available places to sit, when Break is wishing he had some company the most inviting chair in the whole restaurant is the one that's across from him.
Omen Funtimes: Two for one special, you can have a dog and a sword
As the month progresses and Break continues to heal from his various maladies, his restless energy only increases, and he resumes training with his sword and even gets to fight a monster. There is decided Bloodsport influence working on him here and quite frankly Break does not notice. He's always been a fidgety guy, and his mood improves significantly after he proves to himself that he can still fight if he has to, even in this place. There is absolutely nothing weird about waking up with an intense craving to hit things with a sword. In fact that's probably the most normal thing to happen to Break since he discovered himself to be a damned squid.
Unfortunately, a side effect of this is that Baltus gets the zoomies.
The omen is very proud of being a church grim rather than a proper dog, but the fact remains that he takes the form of a sighthound, with a prancing gait that shifts into something almost horse-like at top speed. Baltus genuinely tries to remain at Break's side, but their shared restlessness gets to him. Increasingly, on their walks about the town, the omen has to stop and spin to get it out of his system, and sometimes takes off running down the street at full speed only to nyoom right back to Break's side seconds later. Sometimes, instead, Baltus is distracted by an interesting person, and someone might find themselves abruptly dealing with a six-mile nose curiously sticking itself into whatever they are doing.
"Baltus! Stop messing with people, you noodle!"
Getting scolded by Break always results in a vigorous wag from the omen's plume of a tail. Baltus is happy that they are both feeling so energetic...!
By the end of the month Break has decided neither of them are fit to be out in public and has discovered the Farther Shores, where he enjoys going barefoot on the warm sands and Baltus can run as he pleases, unobstructed. Sometimes, Baltus even goads Break into chasing after him, or wrestling with him playfully in the surf. Break's sword is never far from his hand. If anyone were to stumble on them here, it likely wouldn't take much to get a friendly spar out of him. If not, omen playtime is equally welcome. Break is just really enjoying this whole thing where he can run around and breathe at the same time.
What: Catchall for the month. Three open prompts, and some closed ones in the comments.
When: All through September!
Where: Whatever amusing chunk of Trench we wind up in at any given time
Content Warnings: Character is depressed and processing a lot of canon deaths; also, character is blind, and sometimes has a lingering cough due to an old chronic illness! Other warnings will appear in thread headers as necessary.
In and Around Trench: Feel free to choose wherever your character would be! He is exploring, after all
Break arrives in Trench thinking a year-long nap sounds like a fantastic idea and maybe he will do that and everyone will just have to deal with it. It's not even a week before he's too restless to stay settled long, and barely a few days after that he loses his patience with the various fussy teenagers who have already adopted him and takes off on his own to spend his days investigating this new city. To be led about with somebody's arm through his can be very pleasant and enjoyable, but Break's independent streak is as vicious as ever, and anyway, he'll never learn his way around the place until he maps it out on his own. All he has to do to get home is hunt down a lamp, so it's fine, right?
This is not quite as simple as it sounds. Break is completely blind, and has zero context for the place at all.
He has no trouble whatsoever getting around. His omen, a big black borzoi, keeps his shoulder beneath Break's hand and helps him wind his way through crowds; the canesword in his other hand ensures he doesn't run into or trip on anything. He moves it in such a leisurely, whimsical way that at first glance it almost looks like he's swinging it around for the fun of it, rather than using it to find his way. So no, he doesn't run into anyone or anything. No, his real problem is that he's still finding and memorizing various landmarks, the city is huge, and there are plenty of times when Break finds himself in some new place with only half an idea how he got there and no idea at all what he might find. Well! Break does not like being fussed over for being unable to see, but it's not like he can hide it these days, and in a situation like that there's nothing else to do but own it. So, whenever he gets frustrated, he steps to the side a bit where he won't be in the way and lifts his voice to make a cheerful announcement.
"Begging your pardon! I seem to be lost."
Sometimes what he gets out of this is a passing raven cussing him out, which he enjoys. Other times some Trenchie delighted to assist a Sleeper catches him, and he proceeds to charm them into telling him all about the city for as long as they are willing to waste their time on him. Sometimes, he gets a fellow Sleeper. Sometimes he has something specific he is looking for, and other times, he has no idea what is even there to be found, and a small adventure might be had. This is how he spends many of these early days in Trench, and slowly but surely, he begins to put the puzzle of the place together in his mind.
Soup: The "here is my character, come bother him" prompt
The rain and chill do not trouble Break much. If anything they suit his underlying mood perfectly, and he's the sort of guy who is at his comfiest when he can be wrapped up in a nice long coat and stop somewhere for a warm drink. He likes the sound of the rain drumming around on things and he likes taking his little walks more slowly, with only Baltus to guide him around, so that his other hand is free to hold his nice new umbrella. The omen also enjoys these times because it means he gets to carry the canesword around in his mouth like a big stick, which he does proudly and with his head held high, as it is an Extremely Important Job.
Break wastes no time in finding a really good soup place with owners who find him endearing in his eccentricities, and he selects this restaurant as his personal lunch place on especially rainy days. He lingers there to enjoy a cup of tea after his meal, often. He likes the warmth and the smells from the kitchen, and the cozy security of building up stomping grounds. The one sad thing about it is that he usually comes alone, and while it's a comfort to have Baltus tucked in under his chair, some of what he's missing most about the world he left behind is idle chit-chat with his loved ones over tea before everyone got back to their days. That he can no longer see in order to stare out the window or watch the other customers coming and going just makes it worse. Break lives in a bubble of darkness now, and it's easy to lose himself in sad moments when it's just him and his soup and his tea and his weird but devoted shadow creature.
Maybe it's his darkblood powers that make him so eye-catching when he gets into this mood, subtly twisting the atmosphere around him so that the light hits him just so, making him seem weirdly far away and terribly lonely even if he isn't making sad faces. Perhaps it's the way Baltus sometimes emerges from beneath the chair to sit up and drape his long face over Break's lap instead, offering comfort. Or maybe it's just Break's lot in life as a Brooding Swordsman™ that certain kinds of people always really want to reach out to him. Regardless, somehow, even if there are plenty of available places to sit, when Break is wishing he had some company the most inviting chair in the whole restaurant is the one that's across from him.
Omen Funtimes: Two for one special, you can have a dog and a sword
As the month progresses and Break continues to heal from his various maladies, his restless energy only increases, and he resumes training with his sword and even gets to fight a monster. There is decided Bloodsport influence working on him here and quite frankly Break does not notice. He's always been a fidgety guy, and his mood improves significantly after he proves to himself that he can still fight if he has to, even in this place. There is absolutely nothing weird about waking up with an intense craving to hit things with a sword. In fact that's probably the most normal thing to happen to Break since he discovered himself to be a damned squid.
Unfortunately, a side effect of this is that Baltus gets the zoomies.
The omen is very proud of being a church grim rather than a proper dog, but the fact remains that he takes the form of a sighthound, with a prancing gait that shifts into something almost horse-like at top speed. Baltus genuinely tries to remain at Break's side, but their shared restlessness gets to him. Increasingly, on their walks about the town, the omen has to stop and spin to get it out of his system, and sometimes takes off running down the street at full speed only to nyoom right back to Break's side seconds later. Sometimes, instead, Baltus is distracted by an interesting person, and someone might find themselves abruptly dealing with a six-mile nose curiously sticking itself into whatever they are doing.
"Baltus! Stop messing with people, you noodle!"
Getting scolded by Break always results in a vigorous wag from the omen's plume of a tail. Baltus is happy that they are both feeling so energetic...!
By the end of the month Break has decided neither of them are fit to be out in public and has discovered the Farther Shores, where he enjoys going barefoot on the warm sands and Baltus can run as he pleases, unobstructed. Sometimes, Baltus even goads Break into chasing after him, or wrestling with him playfully in the surf. Break's sword is never far from his hand. If anyone were to stumble on them here, it likely wouldn't take much to get a friendly spar out of him. If not, omen playtime is equally welcome. Break is just really enjoying this whole thing where he can run around and breathe at the same time.
continuing that cw
[Break cuts himself off, because that's a moot point; if they hadn't won either the world would be undone entirely or the past would have been rewritten starting at a point years before he himself was ever born. No matter how you look at it, the person he is now would never have existed, and that's really what they were all fighting for in the end. No, that's not quite the problem.]
...my death became inevitable a long time ago. Even if -- I had merely died and stayed dead, at least I'd have finally gotten some rest. As it is...this isn't the first time I've lost everything, and had to build a whole new life from the ground up. For this place to go on as though forcing me to do it again, without my dearest loved ones, is a gift, what a brutal farce.
[It's part of what's kept him so listless deep down, these past few weeks. Break has been here before, been in this place in his head where his grief was so great that simply stopping would have been a relief. The first time, Lady Shelly had caught him, seeing straight through to the heart of him and calling him on his desire to have someone just save him from it all, and then she'd done so. Her words from that time have kept him going here in Trench, and he knew from the first day that one way or another, Oz and Elliot and the Alices too were going to become his new "reason". It's these things that have gotten him to bother getting out of bed each day.
Still. None of that eases the grief; it merely gives him an armor of sorts against it, a piece of driftwood to cling to such that at least he doesn't drown. Some days he can stay afloat and most nights it's as brutal as his arrival in this world, leaving him bruised and battered and exhausted from being flung into the force of it over and over. And, because Break has been here before, he knows there's literally nothing for it but to give it time, to ride it out, and to live from moment to moment if he has to.
Terrible.
But it does help to have the kids here, more than he can say. Baltus helps. Having apparently found the one adult in the place who seems to understand what it means to prioritize a bunch of kids, that's a good thing too. It'll hit Break much harder later just how terribly this whole thing could have gone, if he'd been dropped into this dumb boat with a true stranger instead of at least somebody he's already found himself having a late night chat about family with on the bathtub.]
...you've got some gross friendship stuff hiding in you, hm? No wonder Oz took a shine to you so easily. [It's definitely that and not the whole thing where Break deeming another human being acceptable in any capacity is an exciting once-in-a-lifetime event, as far as these kids know. Joke's on them; at any given time Break probably likes six whole people at once.] Thank you. After all they've been through, I don't think I'll be able to chase them all on my own anymore. Surviving has made them too energetic.