I CRASH INTO 'EM LIKE THUNDER!

gatrie, at your service! contracting with the knights of seiros at the officer's academy!

[dazzling-thunderclap]

pin 'em to the ground!

gatrie's bio

gatrie's statries

mun intro

[notsoscarlet]

a million things i can say — but baby, i'll wait some longer

[notsoscarlet]

...Mmh. It's cute when they try to be coy, definitely, but something feels like it's shifted, somewhere in Samto's heart. Guys like this, who fall for his blustering hook, line and sinker... It's fun, but it makes him want for something else.

Someone else — A man who he let slip through his fingers, all because he's... Himself, Samto supposes. And Gatrie is not that man. He probably never will be, and that's fine: What this guy doesn't know about his past won't hurt him in the slightest. For now, anyway. Would he be feeling like this, if he hadn't bother with Gatrie at all?

...Well, guess he'll never know!

"'Course I do. What else would I have meant, eh?" He says, leaning just a bit closer like he's telling Gatrie something truly extraordinary. It's normal for guys to feel that sorta way for each other, where I'm from..."

He's cute. Samto hopes, sincerely, that he can find someone who'll make him truly happy after this. He can't do that, he's certain of that much, but maybe he can at least give him an idea of what he wants? It's hard to say, in the end. And, wherever you go, the only way out...

"Chin up. You'll meet plenty of guys like me, if you keep your eyes open! Though, no one as handsome as me, I'd dare to say..."

Is through.

[dazzling-thunderclap]

N-Normal? Really?

Is that--is that even possible?

Something twists inside of Gatrie--like a young girl twists an apple-stem, singing the alphabet to find her one true love's initial.

In the next breath, his eyes are welling with fresh tears. They burn him, all that soft tissue, and his breath is hitching in his throat--!

"Heh," he forces out a half-laugh, "y-you must be teasing."

But Samto is... handsome. Even if that's not something Gatrie would have ever said, even if it's not something he'd ever let himself think...

It's true. And there are--there have been plenty of true things that Gatrie never really understood. That he's just figured out how to live with.

Can a man like Samto... can men like Samto's plenty of comrades... can they be something Gatrie can just live with?

He doesn't know. He sniffles. He crams all manner of acrid memories back down his throat.

Gatrie lifts his beer and swallows it all in one shot. He wipes away a tear.

"I... don't think I want to be at the tavern anymore," he says, wretchedly.

"Will you walk me home?"

[rpmemesupreme-blog]

send me a ♡ and i’ll describe what i think our muses’ child would be like

[ can be in terms of appearance, personality, or both! ]

[notsoscarlet]

a million things i can say — but baby, i'll wait some longer

[dazzling-thunderclap]

And then the strange man is touching him, stoutly on the shoulder... Gatrie almost quivers with the feel of it, the certainty. Nothing like the way Theophania had touched him, always a little reticent, never quite sure it was a good idea...

Fuck, he'd tried to convince her, really gave it his all...

He sniffles. It's just the slightest bit simpler to bear, when someone's touching him like they actually want to.

Even if it is a man. Even this man, laced as he is with roguishness...

What would people think? It's not as though the tavern's empty.

But Gatrie hasn't got the heart to care. Any port in a storm, that's something people say. Right?

He's so busy tripping himself up like this, tangling his threads, that he almost misses what the roguish stranger says. Sweet things, honeyed things. Things that swirl and coil inside Gatrie's embattled chest.

Nice name. Handsome. Pretty guy like you...

The people in this pub... they can't see what's happening, the light that's flickering inside of Gatrie's body. The stranger can't see it, either. So it's okay.

Right?

Gatrie sniffles once more, shakes his head as though to clear away the storm-clouds. Half-smiles, wet and faint like the tiniest rainbow.

"You're sweet," he mumbles. "Really, I... I bet the girls go crazy for you..."

[notsoscarlet]

Samto can see the diamond-lights flickering behind Gatrie's eyes, as clear as day. It's always a special treat when someone like this falls into his hands, just like it was special when it was... Mmh. Never mind that thought, actually.

"Oh, for sure." He practically sneers. "Everybody goes crazy for me once they get a good look at my handsome face."

(...all except for the one whose attention he wants the most, even now. ah, well: he fucked that one right up, and the ship's long since sailed. and it's sort of a pain he's here too, but...)

...Well, whatever. He's got a sweet catch right in front of him right now, doesn't he? He won't let it go to waste because of the past, he can't. It's... Disrespectful to the ones who didn't make it, Samto thinks, to get lost in the past, in things that can't ever happen again.

(never mind then, that the past does often feel much closer than it is in times like these.)

"The name's Samto, by the way. Probably should've told you sooner, huh? Sorry about that."

[dazzling-thunderclap]

Samto. Gatrie will remember that—it’s a dashing sort of name, well-suited to such a colorful rogue. The kind of man who mends stranger’s hearts in taverns, who lays his strong warm hand over their shoulders…

The kind of man who commands the gaze of—of everyone?

Wetly, Gatrie blinks—but even through his red eyes, their tearful ache—even now, bereaved as he is, Samto is handsome. And bold—bold eyebrows, bold jawline, bold enough to say something like that? Here, out in public?

In the pub?

Gatrie colors, though it can scarcely be seen against his ruddy, tear-stained face. He giggles, anxiously, “you mean…?”

You mean men?

His throat works. He can’t swallow, can’t go on speaking. Nothing but soft, fluttering laughter, for far too long a moment.

His heart is thrumming, sprinting, doing little flips. To think…

“Hah,” he murmurs, exhilarated, catching at the coattails of his voice. “I-I’ve never met that sort of man before…”

It’s a lie. He has. But—but here, in the world washed clean with tears, it feels new.

No, Gatrie’s never met a man like Samto. Not like this.

[dazzling-thunderclap]

🌌+ what if au where gatrie gets to be prince(ss) fr

if gatrie found out he was Secret Royalty, as youth of a certain age often do in tellius... i think initially he'd be really excited? he can stop doing strenuous work, he gets to wear nice clothes, he can receive fame and glory for just being born the way he was! i think he'd be all about it.

but he's definitely going to be a figurehead, with, like, scheming evil advisors puppeteering the kingdom behind his back, and he is Never gonna figure that shit out. he is just a little bit too dumb and too self-centered and too vain to be an effective ruler right off the bat (though i imagine he could learn if he had a good support network).

also, like, gatrie's first thought when he discovers that he's Secret Royalty is going to be 'chicks dig my prince swag' but this is definitely a double-edged sword as well... being expected to marry a woman of proper social standing and produce heirs is going to be SO bad for his comphet.

generally yeah i think... if gatrie was royalty, he'd become so much more pathologically concerned with his self-image, and the image that he projects to others, and very little work is actually going to get done. and you can't be that kind of ruler in a place like tellius. someone is going to dethrone you.

it would not be good, but he would slay in a velvet suit.

[dazzling-thunderclap]

∗ 79﹕ sender  creeps  up  behind  receiver  to  scare  them .

As though carried by the wind; suddenly and without a sound Zelkov manifests behind the azure-clad knight. He has but one purpose in this approach - one reason for speaking to the blond at all.

It is a pink handkerchief that had fallen out of the knight's pocket some twenty-paces back.

"You have misplaced this," he says, in his characteristic way. He is close enough that his voice is close to the ear, and he reaches an arm over the knight's shoulder, to dangle the object plainly in his face.

Is that a T embroidered in the corner? Perhaps this man is a fan of needlework too...

Gatrie starts, goes up like a thunderbolt, because there is a ghost behind him.

And Garreg Mach is super haunted, right? So haunted. Gatrie yelps with it, like some kind of girl.

Humiliating.

And then--then there's lace and cotton in his face, pink...

Oh no.

It's Tiffy's handkerchief, Gatrie's one token of her... as her scent has faded from his clothes, and there was never time to get a lock of her flaxen hair...

Gatrie's last memento, and not even one that she gave him. She'd just left it, forgotten when her brother whisked her back home on his white horse.

Gatrie hasn't even got a dun horse, and for a moment--he didn't even have her handkerchief.

What a fool, what a disaster of a man.

To consummate his shame, Gatrie turns. Glum-faced, he accepts the handkerchief, he holds it to his face.

It smells like the dust of the road. Not even--not even like Theophania anymore.

He sniffles, lays his shining eyes upon his savior (who is no ghost).

"T-thank you," he warbles, through burgeoning tears, "you, you don't know what this means!!"

[lunememes]

Send ' 🌌 + a universe / au ' and I’ll make an AU verse based off of it.

multimuses, please specify a muse.

[notsoscarlet]

a million things i can say — but baby, i'll wait some longer

[notsoscarlet]

Wooooof. This guy, Gatrie? He's spilling his guts right here on the floor! Honestly, this is even easier than Samto ever could have hoped! Easy enough, in fact, that he almost feels bad about what he wants to do next...

Almost.

"Gatrie?" It clings nicely to his tongue, Samto thinks, as his trap is set. "That's a nice name. Handsome. Fits ya' well."

And, as the first of those hooks sink into Gatrie's skin, Samto thinks that, well, he is quite handsome. A bit dumb too, maybe, but that's not a bad thing at all — It's been far too long since he's been able to let loose like this, or even able to entertain the thought.

"It's too bad, really... That she decided to go on and leave you in the dust." He purrs, letting his hand grip Gatrie's shoulder just securely enough to not unsettle. "'Cause I would've thought all sorts of girls would go just wild for a pretty guy like you!"

[dazzling-thunderclap]

And then the strange man is touching him, stoutly on the shoulder... Gatrie almost quivers with the feel of it, the certainty. Nothing like the way Theophania had touched him, always a little reticent, never quite sure it was a good idea...

Fuck, he'd tried to convince her, really gave it his all...

He sniffles. It's just the slightest bit simpler to bear, when someone's touching him like they actually want to.

Even if it is a man. Even this man, laced as he is with roguishness...

What would people think? It's not as though the tavern's empty.

But Gatrie hasn't got the heart to care. Any port in a storm, that's something people say. Right?

He's so busy tripping himself up like this, tangling his threads, that he almost misses what the roguish stranger says. Sweet things, honeyed things. Things that swirl and coil inside Gatrie's embattled chest.

Nice name. Handsome. Pretty guy like you...

The people in this pub... they can't see what's happening, the light that's flickering inside of Gatrie's body. The stranger can't see it, either. So it's okay.

Right?

Gatrie sniffles once more, shakes his head as though to clear away the storm-clouds. Half-smiles, wet and faint like the tiniest rainbow.

"You're sweet," he mumbles. "Really, I... I bet the girls go crazy for you..."

[ohisms]

𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑩𝑨𝑳 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺 .    (  a  collection  of  100  nonverbal  action  prompts .   mature  and  potentially  triggering  themes  are  present .   add  “ + reverse ”  to  swap  assigned  roles . )

∗ o1﹕ sender  tucks  hair  out  of  receiver’s  face . ∗ o2﹕ sender  offers  receiver  a  bite  from  their  fork . ∗ o3﹕ sender  places  their  feet / legs  in  receiver's  lap . ∗ o4﹕ sender  offers  receiver  an  earbud  to  share  their  music . ∗ o5﹕ sender  comforts  receiver  in  the  aftermath  of  a  nightmare . ∗ o6﹕ sender  gives  receiver  company  in  the  hospital . ∗ o7﹕ sender  wraps  their  arms  around  a  hysterical  receiver  to  calm  them . ∗ o8﹕ sender  shows  up  at  receiver’s  home  late  at  night . ∗ o9﹕ sender  falls  asleep  leaning  against  receiver . ∗ 1o﹕ sender  wields  a  [ gun / knife ]  at  receiver . ∗ 11﹕ sender  runs  their  fingers  through  receiver’s  hair . ∗ 12﹕ sender  invites  receiver  to  dance . ∗ 13﹕ sender  takes  a  [ picture / video ]  of  receiver . ∗ 14﹕ sender  places  their  head  in  receiver’s  lap . ∗ 15﹕ sender  and  receiver  make  eye  contact  across  a  busy  room . ∗ 16﹕ sender  pushes  receiver  against  a  wall  to  kiss  them . ∗ 17﹕ sender  and  receiver  cook  together . ∗ 18﹕ sender  comes  to  receiver  after  being  injured . ∗ 19﹕ sender  sits  in  receiver’s  lap . ∗ 2o﹕ sender  lifts  receiver's  chin ,  invoking  eye  contact . ∗ 21﹕ sender  overtakes  receiver  in  combat . ∗ 22﹕ sender  finds  receiver  [ injured / bloodied ] . ∗ 23﹕ sender  straightens  an  article  of  receiver’s  clothes . ∗ 24﹕ sender  crawls  into  bed  with  receiver . ∗ 25﹕ sender  rolls  their  eyes  at  receiver . ∗ 26﹕ sender  lights  receiver’s  [ cigarette / joint ] . ∗ 27﹕ sender  is  caught  wearing  receiver's  clothes . ∗ 28﹕ sender  strikes  receiver  with  a  pillow . ∗ 29﹕ sender  writes  a  note  on  receiver’s  skin :  [ note ] . ∗ 3o﹕ sender  wraps  a  blanket  around  receiver’s  shoulders . ∗ 31﹕ sender  runs  and  jumps  into  receiver’s  arms . ∗ 32﹕ sender  shoves  receiver  out  of  anger . ∗ 33﹕ sender  hovers  over  receiver’s  shoulder  as  they  complete  a  task . ∗ 34﹕ sender  is  found  by  receiver  somewhere  they  shouldn’t  be . ∗ 35﹕ sender  curls  up  against  receiver  in  their  sleep . ∗ 36﹕ sender  is  found  drunk  by  receiver . ∗ 37﹕ sender  throws  an  item  of  sentiment  bitterly  at  receiver . ∗ 38﹕ sender  joins  receiver  in  the  shower . ∗ 39﹕ sender  is  caught  following  receiver . ∗ 4o﹕ sender  traces  one  of  receiver’s  [ scars / bruises ] . ∗ 41﹕ sender  twines  their  fingers  with  receiver’s . ∗ 42﹕ sender  barges  into  receiver’s  home  unannounced . ∗ 43﹕ sender  kicks  receiver’s  shin  beneath  a  table . ∗ 44﹕ sender  aggressively  shoves  past  receiver . ∗ 45﹕ sender  kisses  receiver’s  [ forehead / cheek ] . ∗ 46﹕ sender  pulls  receiver  out  of  harm’s  way . ∗ 47﹕ sender  is  found  sobbing  by  receiver . ∗ 48﹕ sender  locks  receiver  out  of  their  room . ∗ 49﹕ sender  brings  receiver  [ coffee / tea ]  in  the  morning . ∗ 5o﹕ sender  rests  their  forehead  against  receiver’s . ∗ 51﹕ sender  plays  a  song  for  receiver  that  reminds  them  of  them :  [ song ] . ∗ 52﹕ sender  takes  a  [ punch / stab / bullet ]  meant  for  receiver . ∗ 53﹕ sender  buys  receiver  a  drink  at  a  bar . ∗ 54﹕ sender  needs  receiver’s  help  getting  in  the  bath . ∗ 55﹕ sender  and  receiver  cross  paths  in  the  kitchen  late  at  night . ∗ 56﹕ sender  twists  receiver’s  arm  behind  their  back . ∗ 57﹕ sender  winks  at  receiver . ∗ 58﹕ sender  is  found  collapsed  by  receiver . ∗ 59﹕ sender  prevents  an  injured  receiver  from  getting  up . ∗ 6o﹕ sender  claps  a  hand  over  receiver’s  mouth  to  silence  them . ∗ 61﹕ sender  cages  receiver  against  a  [ wall / the floor ]  with  their  arms . ∗ 62﹕ sender  storms  away  from  receiver  during  an  argument . ∗ 63﹕ sender  is  found  by  receiver  sleeping  in  receiver’s  bed . ∗ 64﹕ sender  [ applies / touches up ]  receiver’s  makeup . ∗ 65﹕ sender  throws  receiver  into  a  wall  during  combat . ∗ 66﹕ sender  dances  sensually  with  receiver . ∗ 67﹕ sender  strikes  receiver  across  the  face . ∗ 68﹕ sender  places  their  hand  on  receiver’s  leg  while  driving . ∗ 69﹕ sender  pulls  a  chair  out  from  under  receiver . ∗ 7o﹕ sender  catches  receiver’s  wrist  when  they  turn  to  leave . ∗ 71﹕ sender  leaves  an  intimate  mark  on  receiver . ∗ 72﹕ sender  beats  receiver  in  a  video  game . ∗ 73﹕ sender  and  receiver  stand  in  stunned  silence  after  a  fight . ∗ 74﹕ sender  cares  for  receiver  while  they’re  sick . ∗ 75﹕ sender  and  receiver  go  on  a  hike . ∗ 76﹕ sender  is  caught  snooping  in  receiver’s  things . ∗ 77﹕ sender  and  receiver  cuddle  while  watching  television . ∗ 78﹕ sender  throws  something  aggressively  at  receiver . ∗ 79﹕ sender  creeps  up  behind  receiver  to  scare  them . ∗ 8o﹕ sender  and  receiver  go  shopping  together . ∗ 81﹕ sender  helps  receiver  [ dye / style ]  their  hair . ∗ 82﹕ sender  draws  receiver  into  a  kiss  by  the  back  of  their  neck . ∗ 83﹕ sender  is  discovered  having  a  panic  attack  by  receiver . ∗ 84﹕ sender  accidentally  injures  receiver  during  sparring . ∗ 85﹕ sender  grabs  receiver  roughly  by  the  hair . ∗ 86﹕ sender  brings  receiver  to  their  knees  during  combat . ∗ 87﹕ sender  shows  receiver  evidence  of  a  lie  they  told . ∗ 88﹕ sender  winks  [ seductively / mockingly ]  at  receiver . ∗ 89﹕ sender  yells  at  receiver  to  put  their  hands  in  the  air . ∗ 9o﹕ sender  helps  receiver  patch  up  a  wound . ∗ 91﹕ sender  holds  receiver  as  they  cry . ∗ 92﹕ sender  silently  and  angrily  points  receiver  towards  the  door . ∗ 93﹕ sender  gestures  for  receiver  to  sit  down . ∗ 94﹕ sender  pulls  receiver  into  their  lap . ∗ 95﹕ sender  cradles  receiver’s  face . ∗ 96﹕ sender  tackles  receiver  out  of  the  way  of  danger . ∗ 97﹕ sender  has  hidden  an  injury  from  receiver ,  and  receiver  finds  out . ∗ 98﹕ sender  confronts  receiver  about  their  unhealthy  behavior . ∗ 99﹕ sender  proposes  to  receiver . ∗ 1oo﹕ sender  has  just  died ,  receiver  finds  out .

[dazzling-thunderclap]

"Oh wow, hey Gatrie!"

No sooner does she peak her head around the courtyard does she see a familiar large figure.

"Glad to see you kicking around!"

Gatrie whips around—near-stumbles—at the chirping of a long-beloved voice. His face goes bright and star-struck, he drops whatever insignificant thing he was holding. Hastens to her, and wraps his arms around, he clutches her against his chest!

Oh, he has missed her. Her impish smile, her alacrity for things. He’s missed being the butt of her jokes.

He calls her name, and lifts her—she weighs almost nothing, to him—and whirls her around, leaves her undoubtledly dizzy.

Is he too much? He does not care.

The only thing that matters is that Mist is here, and the world’s a little righter once again.

[notsoscarlet]

a million things i can say — but baby, i'll wait some longer

[dazzling-thunderclap]

Gatrie lifts his head slowly, like the stem of a flower as it comes un-wilted. Like he's been watered after a long, long time--only he doesn't stop sniffling. His eyes are red like roses, like the wildflowers that he once picked for her--!

Again, Gatrie sobs; whimpers right into his savior's handsome face. But--isn't it thrilling, to have someone care what's wrong with you?

People say Gatrie is prone to hysterics. But this time, this time his world is really, honestly ending.

And someone actually cares why, which is...

"Hi," sniffs Gatrie. "Thank you... You're sweet, I just..."

The words are acrid in his throat. There's nothing but to cough them up, right here in the stranger's lap.

"My wife," he croaks, "my Theophania, she--she left me."

And he dissolves into his weeping once again.

[notsoscarlet]

...Wait, so he was right? Damn, why isn't his intuition ever this sharp for the things he's actually got a stake in? All the money to be made, if only that were the case... Sigh. That's just life for you. Anyway, to deal with the more pressing issues here...

"Wife? That's rough, isn't it?" He slinks ever closer to the stranger, like a snake tempted by the sight of juicy prey. "But I guess that's how it is, sometimes... You meet a sweet belle, and everything's swell until you find her sittin' real pretty with someone who isn't you."

...Honestly, behind all the tears and swelling and general nastiness, his stranger's got a handsome face — The sort of cute, wounded-doe look that would make him go crazy if he weren't trying to worm his way into him first, sinking the hooks in before he starts taking risks.

"But there's plenty other girls around here, y'now. So it's not like you're completely ruined..." That understanding smile a moment ago sharpens, twists into something a bit more dangerous. "You wanna tell me your name, stranger?"

[dazzling-thunderclap]

A sniffle. His name feels rotten in his mouth. Can barely spit it out, what a desperate failure of a man he is. Can’t keep a woman happy. Can scarcely keep himself from cleaving to the sweet lilt of the stranger’s—the strange man’s voice.

“‘M Gatrie,” he mumbles. There’s a surname, too, but the last time he heard it was when—was when Theophania renounced it. So he doesn’t say.

Just sniffles. His hands are hot with spilt emotion—he clutches at his mug of beer to cool them.

He lifts it, and takes a sip, and grimaces. Hiccoughs—it tastes terrible, but this is what men drink when they are full of sorrow. Gatrie heaves a ponderous wet sigh.

“Only… I don’t want other girls… I want my Tiffy, my Theophania…”

Only Theophania doesn’t want me.

Gatrie stifles a sob, and shakes his head. Takes another pull at this awful, awful beer.

“She’s not even—she’s not even with some other man. It was her brother, who came and brought her home…!”

There is nothing, then, but to hunch over his beer and wail.

“She’d rather have nobody than me!”

[dazzling-thunderclap]

♡

●●○○○ | ATTRACTION ●●●●● | AFFECTION ●●●●● | INTEREST ●●●●○ | LOYALTY ●●●●● | TRUST

LOW | ●●●●● | HIGH

Rhys is a trusted comrade and a treasured friend. Gatrie cannot thank him enough for all the times he's put Gatrie back together after some ill-advised thunder & lightning maneuvers. <3

[dazzling-thunderclap]

♡ (sudden pokemon encounter)

●●●●● | ATTRACTION ○○○○○ | AFFECTION ●●●●● | INTEREST ○○○○○ | LOYALTY ○○○○○ | TRUST

LOW | ●●●●● | HIGH

Um. Uh. Huh???

He's, uh. That's a. Hm. That's a.... really.... strong man with... a heroic face? Gatrie must... really admire him, or something...

Not in a gay way, though. Not like that at all. Haha.

[dazzling-thunderclap]

♡

●●○○○ | ATTRACTION ●●●●● | AFFECTION ●●●●● | INTEREST ●●●●○ | LOYALTY ●●●●● | TRUST

LOW | ●●●●● | HIGH

Soren's expertise has saved Gatrie's life on the battlefield more times than Gatrie can count. A trusted comrade and a beloved member of the family, even if they don't always understand each other.

[dazzling-thunderclap]

♡

●●○○○ | ATTRACTION ●○○○○ | AFFECTION ●●●●● | INTEREST ○○○○○ | LOYALTY ○○○○○ | TRUST

LOW | ●●●●● | HIGH

Gatrie has decided that scary, serious girls are not his type. This is a conscious decision that he has made--but... maybe...? He does like unpretentious girls...

He's afraid of heights, so all wyvern riders intimidate and fascinate him. She's cool, but also kind of terrifying.

[lyricsxmusings]

Send ♡ to see what my muse thinks of yours

○○○○○ | ATTRACTION ○○○○○ | AFFECTION ○○○○○ | INTEREST ○○○○○ | LOYALTY ○○○○○ | TRUST

LOW | ●●●●● | HIGH

[notsoscarlet]

a million things i can say — but baby, i'll wait some longer

[notsoscarlet]

Sometimes, Samto is tempted to think: I don't think nights in Archanea ever got this cold...

But that's okay, because the alehouses that crowd up when the sun sets are warm and full of people. Now, Samto would very much like to think of himself as a changed man from his days back home, no longer prone to pulling the sorts of dangerous-but-really-well-paying stunts he did there; he contents himself with the bone die he keeps tucked away in his pockets, so far as risk goes.

And that'd be all well and good, except for the fact that, tonight, there's some guy blubbering his eyes out at the counter... And, when Samto thinks blubbering, he really means it. Poor guy is sobbing into his drink like he just lost his wife, or something like that. And honestly? He might have, hell if he knows!

Samto just sighs to himself. Okay, this is... Pretty bad: How's he supposed to get anything done if this guy's crying like the world's gonna end tomorrow? Normally he doesn't get involved in things like this, it's too much risk to get into matters of the heart like that, but... Well, everyone else needs their peace too, y'know?

"Hey, now," he croons, putting on his best smile for the impression he ought to make. "What's got you so beat up, huh?"

@dazzling-thunderclap

[dazzling-thunderclap]

Gatrie lifts his head slowly, like the stem of a flower as it comes un-wilted. Like he's been watered after a long, long time--only he doesn't stop sniffling. His eyes are red like roses, like the wildflowers that he once picked for her--!

Again, Gatrie sobs; whimpers right into his savior's handsome face. But--isn't it thrilling, to have someone care what's wrong with you?

People say Gatrie is prone to hysterics. But this time, this time his world is really, honestly ending.

And someone actually cares why, which is...

"Hi," sniffs Gatrie. "Thank you... You're sweet, I just..."

The words are acrid in his throat. There's nothing but to cough them up, right here in the stranger's lap.

"My wife," he croaks, "my Theophania, she--she left me."

And he dissolves into his weeping once again.