don't go wasting your devotion [homecoming, open]

[cygnus]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; line-height: 15px;"][font=calibri]the winter was a long one. naturally, it seemed to be the only way that wren knew, making things harder than they needed to be. there was no reason she felt it necessary to disappear into the forest for months, without a trace. she didn't even leave a note. guilt weighed on her like the burden of a thousand solar systems. most days, she couldn't breathe. but in her solitude, she found that she was still suffering. not at the hands of victor's death, not anymore, but in the realization that she was still holding onto everything toxic from her past. most notably, her own survival tactics. how victor would despise the way things have gone, how she had royally fucked up their,- her opportunities in flintlock lodge. the hardest lesson she had to learn while in hiatus was that she too, deserved a peaceful place to rest her heavy mind. she deserved love, another chance, and a path to redemption.

approaching flintlock lodge introduced a plethora of emotions, some old and some new. watching the smoke rise from the chimneys of dozens of fireplaces gave the welcoming aura that wren had such a love/hate relationship with. but she wasn't ready to turn it away so quickly. the winter had not been kind to her. the loneliness hadn't been kind to her, either. and so, the hermit returns to her home. she returns to eddie's service and the service of the residents of the lodge. wren took a sharp breath in and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. today was going to be a long, difficult day. many apologies to be made. many times would she be pleading her case. the life of exile was not one forged for wren seaborne.

starting towards the lodge, her surroundings became more and more familiar. the start of the faint path towards her brother's burial site, worn thin by her and eddie both. grief weighed on the two of them, sometimes it felt illegal to feel any other emotion or think about anything other than victor's godforsaken absence from this world. the world felt colorless and empty without her brother by her side, but wren was beginning to learn to pick up her own pieces. continuously lost in thought, wren entered the lodge and shuddered at the comfortable warmth it so selflessly offered. she cautiously peeled the coat off of her body and hung it near the door. she never thought she'd be so relieved to see that the lodge was next to empty at this hour. wanting to take advantage of the warm solitude, wren grabbed a throw blanket and cozied next to the grand fireplace, in a comfy armchair. the last thing she remembered before falling asleep was the crackling of the fire, and eddie's devastated face as he confessed the truth about what had happened to victor.

[member=9650]EDMUND.[/member]

[Gray]

[align=center]

Gray had decided two years ago when a blizzard trapped him in the Lodge that he hated Flintlock's winters. Before that point he hadn't minded them - he even somewhat enjoyed the cold weather and mountainous terrain. It made hunting difficult, but Gray wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

Despite being a notorious runner, feelings of guilt didn't tend to be associated with leaving whatever place behind. It always seemed necessary. He had to get out of his biological parents' bigoted house, he had to get away from his controlling uncle, he had to get away from Flintlock. It had been home once, but it wasn't anymore. It wouldn't be ever again. Home was the little cabin he shared with Torrin and Johannes. But Torrin wanted to see his little brother, and who was Gray to be anything but supportive of that?

This was his second time returning to Flintlock, and going back to a place was no less weird the second time. It felt wrong being here, so he focused on hunting and reading and Torrin. The things that were unchanged. Because even though Gray still knew this mountain and these halls, it wasn't the same place it had been in the past.

Which maybe he shouldn't be angry about. At its core it was still Flintlock, just like at his core he was still Gray. He wasn't the same, why should it be? He'd changed enough for such nuanced thoughts to cross his mind, yet his emotional reaction remained unchanged. Progress, even small, unseeable change, was still progress.

His emotional response to seeing Wren asleep by the fire was amused. His thoughts were you shouldn't have done that. "Rookie mistake." He muttered under his breath as he withdrew his bright pink highlighter, quietly uncapping it as he crept towards Wren. He'd be nice - nothing too obscene, just some sheep on her forehead. How people interpreted that would be up to them, though if asked he'd say it was because she'd been counting sheep in the lounge.

Unfortunately, as soon as the highlighter touched her forehead, her eyes flew open. Damn.

[spoiler=MY CHILDHOOD SPAT BACK OUT THE MONSTER THAT YOU SEE | 04/02]General — biograhpy
▪ Grayson Hanson | Gray | Formerly Aria Rivendare
▪ Masculine presenting | Identifies as male | He/Him | DFAB
[size=7pt]— Almost impossible to tell his birth gender (get Pyre's permission before having y/c know)
▪ 19 years, 1 months | 2/6/22 | Ages primarily real time
▪ Ex-Ranger of the Flintlock Lodge | Ex-Member of Moorland Riders | Member of Nowhere

Physical — reference
♦ HUMAN | Health: 100%
— Gray is about medium height at 5'6", and very thin and lanky. He has gray eyes, and off-black hair cropped into an undercut, which has recently been cut a bit closer to the scalp than normal. Under his left eye he has a beauty mark, and there are a few scars on his medium-brown skin, and there are more under the slate gray bandanna, hoodies and jeans the gangly teen tends to wear. There are three pierces in his right ear, two in his lobe and one in the cartilage.
— minor injuries: n/a
— major injuries: n/a

Important Info — roleplayer
▪ In no way shows that he was born female, does everything possible to hide it (such as binding) and wears clothes meant for men. Without him stripping, it's pretty much impossible to tell that he isn't biologically male.
▪ Low-key history nut.
▪ Nearsighted.
▪ Has a blue pit bull named Brianna.
▪ Opinions and motivations are Gray's and Gray's alone and are not shared by his roleplayer.

Personality — INTJ-T
— DETAILED IS STILL A BIG WIP
— Articulate; contemplative; efficient; driven; incisive; intelligent; meticulous; orderly; perceptive; practical; rational; self-sufficient; shrewd; vigilant; witty, enigmatic; frank; neutral; placid; private; stoic, abrupt; aloof; assertive; blunt; calculating; coarse; critical; cynical; distrusting; judgmental; opinionated; pedantic; sarcastic; self-serving; unreliable; vindictive

Relationships — heartchart
▪ Val x Summer Rivendare | Adopted by Diana Hanson
▪ Pansexual | Panromantic | Monogamous
▪ Dating Torrin | One crush
▪ ½ Graytor | ½ Graux
▪ Generally puts on a friendly front and cares for those around him, but still holds them at arms' length and is very hard to get close to. Very awkward when flirted with and doesn't really like it, but becomes quite flirty when drunk

Interaction — plotting thread
— Medium Physically | Hard mentally
— Still in training
— Prefers to fight with a machete, but can go hand-to-hand
— No kill/capture/maim without permission
— To attack, [member=2027]Gray[/member] and attack in underlined #708090
[/spoiler][/size]

[cygnus]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; line-height: 15px;"][font=calibri]wren slept peacefully, something much needed. her body found its path to recovery from months in the ragged cold. until gray came along. that seemed to be the theme for him, bringing with him humorous chaos everywhere he went. her sleep had been humorously interrupted when gray made his attempt to draw on her face. her eyes flew open and she jumped up. "what the hell are you doing?" she spat, looking around wildly for a mirror. her luck, she returns after all his time, and her grand re-entrance is met with becoming a childish art canvas. finally locating one, a wave of skeptical relief fell over her when she saw her face was clean. whipping around, her gaze fell on the giggling perpetrator. "do you think harassing people is funny?" she asked sharply, crossing her arms. she was a big supporter of practical jokes, but not usually when she was the subject of them.

[Gray]

[align=center]

The lodge had plenty of rooms, and those rooms had plenty of beds. Strictly speaking, no one needed to sleep out in the public areas. He didn't feel bad in considering anyone foolish enough to do so as free real estate, because again, it's not like there were no alternatives. Besides, a little offensive cartoon or word never hurt anyone. Anyone that could take a joke, anyway.

"Crafting my magnum opus. Hold still." But Wren was on the move, leaving to find a mirror and returning a minute later. "Only if they have funny reactions." And while hers wouldn't go in any hall of fame records, it was still amusing.

[spoiler=MY CHILDHOOD SPAT BACK OUT THE MONSTER THAT YOU SEE | 04/10]General — biograhpy
▪ Grayson Hanson | Gray | Formerly Aria Rivendare
▪ Masculine presenting | Identifies as male | He/Him | DFAB
[size=7pt]— Almost impossible to tell his birth gender (get Pyre's permission before having y/c know)
▪ 19 years, 2 months | 2/6/22 | Ages primarily real time
▪ Ex-Ranger of the Flintlock Lodge | Ex-Member of Moorland Riders | Forager of Flintlock Lodge

Physical — reference
♦ HUMAN | Health: 100%
— Gray is about medium height at 5'6", and very thin and lanky. He has gray eyes, and off-black hair cropped into an undercut, which has recently been cut a bit closer to the scalp than normal. Under his left eye he has a beauty mark, and there are a few scars on his medium-brown skin, and there are more under the slate gray bandanna, hoodies and jeans the gangly teen tends to wear. There are three pierces in his right ear, two in his lobe and one in the cartilage.
— minor injuries: n/a
— major injuries: n/a

Important Info — roleplayer
▪ In no way shows that he was born female, does everything possible to hide it (such as binding) and wears clothes meant for men. Without him stripping, it's pretty much impossible to tell that he isn't biologically male.
▪ Low-key history nut.
▪ Nearsighted.
▪ Has a blue pit bull named Brianna.
▪ Opinions and motivations are Gray's and Gray's alone and are not shared by his roleplayer.

Personality — INTJ-T
— DETAILED IS STILL A BIG WIP
— Articulate; contemplative; efficient; driven; incisive; intelligent; meticulous; orderly; perceptive; practical; rational; self-sufficient; shrewd; vigilant; witty, enigmatic; frank; neutral; placid; private; stoic, abrupt; aloof; assertive; blunt; calculating; coarse; critical; cynical; distrusting; judgmental; opinionated; pedantic; sarcastic; self-serving; unreliable; vindictive

Relationships — heartchart
▪ Val x Summer Rivendare | Adopted by Diana Hanson
▪ Pansexual | Panromantic | Monogamous
▪ Dating Torrin | One crush
▪ ½ Graytor | ½ Graux
▪ Generally puts on a friendly front and cares for those around him, but still holds them at arms' length and is very hard to get close to. Very awkward when flirted with and doesn't really like it, but becomes quite flirty when drunk

Interaction — plotting thread
— Medium Physically | Hard mentally
— Still in training
— Prefers to fight with a machete, but can go hand-to-hand
— No kill/capture/maim without permission
— To attack, [member=2027]Gray[/member] and attack in underlined #708090
[/spoiler][/size]