( ๐ฆ ) : does your muse stop moving when they're hurt? do they push harder?
( ๐ ) : how does your muse announce themselves in a room?
( ๐ฆ ) : what spooks your muse easily, even if they won't admit it?
( ๐
) : when your muse wants something, how subtle are they about it?
โ
* ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ย ย /ย requested by @gildstar.
( ๐ฆ ) : ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐? ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?
Nowadays, Pantalone is seldom confronted to a situation where significant harm could befall him โ apart from rarely leaving Snezhnaya and the comfortable confines of his office, he is extremely cautious when meeting with clients and always takes precautions, consistently ensuring that several of his most trusted agents remain hidden nearby, watching his every move from the shadows. In the past, however, ( and to this day, still, which is foremostly noticeable in the way he interacts with some of his fellow Harbingers ), Pantalone could be quite recklessย ; he is prone to sarcastically taunt others and bite back instead of yield, and he is not at all the type to meekly submit at the hand of another, unless said submission profits him, [ through, say, a mutually beneficial bargain that persuades the perpetrator to spare his life โ or by deliberately wounding himself and staging the attack to make himself appear the victim, thereby blackmailing the perpetrator into letting him liveย ; while Pantalone prefers not to stain his hands with the blood of others and is no longer prone to meaningless violence, he shows a particular disregard for his own body and remains especially indifferent to his well-being whenever left to his own devices. Ultimately, what matters to him is survival, no matter what form it takes. ]ย ย
During his time on the streets, he largely kept to himself. Nevertheless, he was consistently singled out by others, who mistook his meekness for vulnerability. Throughout that period, he fought tooth and nail to protect what little he had, pushing himself to such extremes that he frequently ended up seriously harming himself, hence he was often abandoned where he fell, left to bleed into the cold pavement until blood loss and exhaustion finally dragged him into unconsciousness. Thankfully, โโโโโ had always been exceptionally resourceful ; he made it a point to tend to his own injuries whenever he could, relying on his basic first-aid knowledge and refusing to ask anyone for help. On the rare occasions his wounds were beyond his ability to treat, he was silver-tongued enough, ( and a convincing enough actor, ) to talk his way into local back-alley clinics where he could usually barter for treatment with conversation, favors, and whatever other services he could offer โ his ingenuity and intellect were his strongest assets, and when those weren't enough, his looks usually were.
That reckless, daredevil nature of his is what frequently placed him in harmโs way in the pastโ ( at this point in time, he believed he had nothing left to lose, and cared very little about the dead weight that was himself, ) now it is carefully concealed behind a controlled, meticulous mask of restrained elegance he presents to the world. Nonetheless, this behavior left him with quite a few scarsย ; they are all exhaustively hidden beneath multiple layers of clothing, [ another reason he never bares his skin, beyond his desire to mask his own corporeality, ] and together, they weave a tapestry through which the tragedies of his life can be deciphered. If asked about them, however, there is little chance of getting a truthful account. Instead, Pantalone will almost invariably answer with lies and stories concocted on the spot, and enjoys the way his appraiserโs features contort in a mix of confusion, horror and wonder.
( ๐ ) : ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐?
His attire and charisma naturally draw the eye of any crowd. Pantalone always dresses to perfection ; the luxurious silk of his clothes, always exquisitely tailored to him, the gleaming jewelry, and the multitude of expensive accessories are the first things to capture people's attention. The second is his demeanor: the way he moves through a crowded room with his chin held high, every gesture measured and graceful, every step deliberate and taken with an effortless, subtle confidence. Even in a room full of other notable characters, he stands out with an extremely strong presence and gives off an indescribable impression. I often make reference in my writing that, in the midst of others, Pantalone is like a particularly desirable piece of meat laid out for consumption โ others are naturally drawn to him because he presents himself as everything they lack, and performs the role of everything they wish they could be: among his peers, he is the most agreeable, seemingly rational, and palatable Harbinger, a rich benefactor who has the power and influence to give anyone whatever they desire. What they want, however, is not truly him, but the fragments he allows them to see, the pieces of himself he reshapes and presents for their approval. What they hunger for is naught more than what he can readily serve themย ; they see the image of a self-made manโs success โ the assurance, the wealth, the triumph, and they want to consume it as though swallowing a slice of his fame might make it their own.
( ๐ฆ ) : ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐?
Tales of spirits and ghosts are a particular weakness of his, largely stemming from his upbringing. He was raised in a religious household, in a small village, under the influence of a deeply superstitious father figure. His brother, finding his unease amusing, would often deliberately frighten him with stories of hauntings and the supernatural during their youth.
Although he grew up to become a rational adult, ( and now possesses enough emotional control not to lose his temper at the mere mention of the vindicative spirits of the dead, ) he still has no desire to place himself in a situation where he might have to interact with them โ nobody knows of this shortcoming of his except, unfortunately, Dottore, who does not fail to tease him about it. As a matter of principle, you will never see Pantalone shake another person's hand or pass anything across a doorwayโs threshold, no matter the circumstance.
( ๐
) : ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐?
It depends on what he wants and who he is dealing with. Generally speaking, Pantalone is quite upfront about his demands and expectations in business, ( provided no one looks too closely at the meanings concealed between the clauses of a contract. ) When it comes to people with whom he is personally involved, however, he becomes far more subtle and far less forthcoming with his emotions. Pantalone is a man of contradictions and calculated misdirectionย ; it is part of the performance he carefully maintains. He will almost never speak honestly about his true feelings unless they are disguised as a lie or delivered with such deliberate irony that they sound untrue. With him, the truth is found between the lines rather than in any straightforward answer. The reason is simple: to him, honesty is inseparable from vulnerability. He would never willingly hand someone an easy means of understanding him โ or worse, of using that understanding to blackmail him.
Consequently, dealing with him on a regular basis can be particularly exhausting. Forming any kind of relationship with him is an exercise in navigating constant push and pull, of swings between warmth and coldness that are as much dictated by his mood as by his inscrutable logic. On some days, he might seem attentive and almost genuinely sincere, whereas on others, he retreats behind sarcasm, ambiguity, cynicism or calculated indifference. His lack of consistency is never accidentalย ; it is another layer of control, keeping others uncertain of where they stand and ensuring that he is never the one left exposed. Another reason lies in his own inner confusion ; being a vessel of constant self-reimagination, he is never entirely certain of what he truly wants and, at times, the extent of his cravings can seem akin to an abyss, over which he teeters on a tightrope, perpetually concerned that a single slip will expose more of himself than he dares to reveal โ he aches for companionship, for the comfort of touch, for acknowledgement and approval. He yearns to be seen and to be understood, to be cherished beyond the superficial image demanded by his station. Yet, he would sooner cut out his own tongue than voice any of it out loud. Rather than risk the vulnerability of placing his heart in anotherโs hands, he would preferably subject himself to isolation, thwarting each potentially fruitful connection before it has a chance to bloom and to reveal the weakness in his own feelings.
