@metanoen
Bro things
i still have thane brain rot, so sorry, but it's more on battle now after some plotting the other day.
anyways! calvary units played a crucial part in many conflicts pertaining to inodal. for most of the same standard reasons: improvements to mobility, greater height in combat, greater mass, and the general intimidation of horses charging into conflict. in a way, horses were as valuable as gold during battle times.
yeah, so to shorten a long story, thane ruined that. even the most steeled war steed couldn't make itself approach thane. more often than not, they would scatter, leading to chaos amongst the ranks and injuries to their own riders. in an instant, calvary units were more of a detriment to the most critical conflicts in wars of the surrounding kingdoms. lands they prided themselves on horses went from regarding the creature highly to seeing a sharp downturn in their usage.
a few other ways things changed were how strategies differed. with more general warfare standardized again, the lack of horses slowed conflicts more than in years. it did become a gambling game to keep a horse just to catch wind of an ambush since thane can't mask his presence from them. it became a way to locate him.
over time, though, with the manipulation of information, calvary was reintroduced for inodal. since they knew where thane would be, they could put their calvary units out without worrying about them entering a frenzy. it became a one-sided advantage, did not do wonders for enemy morale, and made many skirmishes easy pickings for the soldiers of inodal.
“I have survived, but I have not been spared.”
— Deathless, Catherynne M. Valente (via charwrites)
wrapping himself in silk and velvet——it's his armor. each stitch ten times as much as some can hope to afford. bold, proud, and a beacon of avarice. slender digits flick through another stack of notes, totaling it up——sure——but also just enjoying the sheer amount. there's money in jujutsu &. snatching up every last penny ... that's the way to life! "haha, louis vuitton, too. 'sides, wasn't that curse a wayyyy too annoying? hazard pay! we need more hazard pay!" he insists, although he doubts she'll miss even the smallest shred of scratch these guys had. ah, a woman after his own heart.
reclaiming her for the masses ( accepting ) — @amcssing
"Is that.. a tear I see?" Crow sharp eyes pin onto the barest scuff on the young man's top. Already, an all too pleased smile starts to bloom as she returns to formatting the invoice. Yet another charge to consider on top of the already hefty fees owed.
flicking back and forth between blogs rn but inbox call ! give this a like i'll either send smth from your memes tag or make something mysellf. specify if you wanted from a certain muse.
FRIENDS – 5.11: The One With All the Resolutions
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.
" aw, supey, y'know i'd do anythin' for ya — 'specially after y'came all this way for li'l ol' me in person but ... "
heels click - clack as they bounce off the ledge beneath. she loves this view, where the city lights look like little stars & the factories are just little candles in the distance. good thing he was willing to bring her; she had hopped right into his arms the moment he said he was here off-duty & begged him to fly. she ain't above begging. 'specially if it means she gets to get lost in the vista, in her thoughts. or ... her doubts ? harley has never been able to read herself like she can others. self - denial & all. right now she's caught in the whirlwind. people weren't exaggerating, from the mouth of superman it's easy to believe anything. he could tell her the earth really is flat & what's she gonna do, say no ? it's friggin' superman. but it's been so long, & last time she had a real patient ... would anyone even take her seriously now?? ever?? maybe it's just a prank, 'cause that one time dinah--
blue meets brown. there's no more masks these days & for a second she regrets it. but his smile is easy, his breathing stable, his gaze steady. warm. he means it, all of it. and even if it said it's because black canary needs a break, she knows just from looking at him what he means: i want to give you a chance, too. to work again, to really help people, to connect with others. to have a place. but----no. if batman & superman can trust her, why can't she trust herself?
" ... okay. let's do it! tell canary i'm in! ohmygosh, i'm gonna be a doctor again !! doctor harley in the house!! i'm really gonna--whoa, can you pinch me ?? i'm a li'l dizzy ... "
LISTENING TO THE GEARS TURNING IN HARLEY'S HEAD DOESN'T TAKE SUPER-HEARING.it's a tall ask ——— it's sudden. several times, the issue came up in the league, and it found itself deferred several times, too. not because of a split decision, though. the world's been on unsteady legs lately [ ... ] there's always another crisis. it hangs over their heads and makes them hesitate to do too much; he can sympathize. every time he laces up the boots, dons the cape, and bears the family crest, he remembers he's a small-town boy from kansas. no amount of super speed or strength made those challenges any less daunting.
&. here he is, asking her to bear a burden far heavier than supervillains or stray meteors. far more important than some of the league's most dangerous assignments ——— mental health is no joke. being bulletproof doesn't protect from the scars, the lingering wounds of trauma that can fester. more than once, he led the charge on mental health, not often met with resistance. he is no man of steel; he is not impervious to sadness and grief. one pants leg at a time, he takes what life gives / he does what he can with his life.
the sunkissed lineaments of his features relax, soft creases crinkling at the corner of his eyes, and never once does he lose his serene smile. it's as soft as the kiss of the morning sun; it embraces and warms. only once does he make his offer ——— he does not insist. he does not attempt to wheedle or push. to put pressure on her in such conditions [ ... ] isn't right. she's entered a new world, far from that man, far from who she used to be &. emerged as something beautiful. not fixed, no, but coming into her own with who she's become for the better. it makes him smile become a grin, a silly one at that, surely. it must be quite the sight of him smiling to himself stupidly while she mulls over such a huge decision. it's clear as day ——— what bruce sees in her, he sees it too: a better tomorrow.
he blinks, once. it takes a moment to regain his bearings and shake off the dizzying radiance he caught in that moment. a laugh, deep and baritone, euphony on gentle chords, leaped from his lips. he sets a hand on her shoulder, offering a polite squeeze. ( not the pinch she wanted, but enough in his eyes. )
❛ dizzy already? and here i was, hoping we could grab some grub. believe it or not, a few hits of sunrays aren't all that filling. guess you could say they're pretty ... a pretty light meal. ❜
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