[hider=Fenrir, He Who Dwells in the Marshes][center] [sup][h1] [color=black]F E N R I R , M O N S T E R O F T H E V ร N [/color] [color=C3B091]F E N R I R , M O N S T E R O F T H E V ร N[/color] [/h1][/sup] [/center] [table][row][cell][color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fWZr0r0.png[/img] [hider=HUMAN][sub][color=C3B091][u] ๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—”๐—ฆ [/u][/color] [color=gray]Samson Beck[/color] [color=C3B091][u] ๐—”๐—š๐—˜ ๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ก๐—–๐—˜ [/u][/color] [color=gray]30[/color] [color=C3B091][u] ๐—–๐—”๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—˜๐—ฅ [/u][/color] [color=gray]Orderly at [b][color=C3B091]St. Fiacreโ€™s Hospice[/color][/b], Volunteer at [b][color=C3B091]Critter Cove Animal Shelter & Rescue[/color][/b][/color][/sub][/hider][/center][/cell][cell][center][color=C3B091][u] ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฌ [/u][/color] [table][row][/row][row][cell][color=black]๐‘ฎ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ซ [list][*] Forthright [*] Loyal [*] Protective[/list][/color][/cell][cell][color=black]๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ซ [list][*] Apathetic [*] Coarse [*] Volatile[/list][/color][/cell][/row][/table] [color=C3B091][u] ๐—”๐— ๐—•๐—œ๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ [/u][/color][/center] [color=gray][sup]Fenrir does not care for the gods, least of all the ร†sir. In all his interactions with them, they have proven time and time again to be self-serving and duplicitous, concerned only with their own well-being; which is why he has taken care to distance himself from them as much as possible. This, however, has left him somewhat isolated, even from his father and siblings. And while he would never admit it to anyone, there have been times in which he has longed for companionship or something akin. It is not quite ambition, of course, but rather the part of him that yearns to be known and accepted.[/sup][/color] [center][color=C3B091][u] ๐—™๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฆ [/u][/color][/center] [color=gray][sup]Fenrir was born with one, single purpose: to kill Odin and augur the end of the Nine Realms. Heโ€™d always thought the whole thing inevitable โ€” Jรถrmungandr rising from the sea, the great battle between ร†sir and jรถtnar, his own death at the hands of Vรญรฐarr โ€” but no one could have foreseen the creation of the Colossus. Now, Fenrir finds himself adrift, his original purpose rendered obsolete. What spurs him on but the thought of Ragnarรถk? And is it what he truly desires? These are the questions he finds himself asking time and time again; and as the days go by, heโ€™s starting to think that the answer might not be as straightforward as it seems.[/sup][/color] [color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/cell][cell][color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/amA0xbE.png[/img] [hider=DEITY][sub][color=C3B091][u] ๐—œ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฌ [/u][/color] [color=gray]Fenrir[/color] [color=C3B091][u] ๐——๐—ข๐— ๐—”๐—œ๐—ก [/u][/color] [color=gray]Odinโ€™s Bane, Devourer of the Sun[/color] [color=C3B091][u] ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ก๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ข๐—ก [/u][/color] [color=gray]Norse[/color][/sub][/hider][/center][/cell][/row][/table] [center][color=C3B091][u] ๐— ๐—ฌ๐—ง๐—›๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—š๐—ฌ [/u][/color][/center] [indent][indent][quote]From birth, Lokiโ€™s children have always been seen as an ill omen, a portent of death and great disaster. [i]It is prophesied[/i], the ร†sir would cry, [i]these children will mark the end of the Nine Realms[/i]. And yet, despite their fates being set in stone, the ร†sir sought to defy it, searching for a way to prevent Ragnarรถk. But they could not simply kill them โ€”โ€“ to spill tainted blood on holy grounds would pollute them for all eternity. So, they had to come up with a different solution, one that would get them out of the way without the need for bloodshed. In the end, they chose to send each of them away to separate corners of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Jรถrmungandr was cast into the great sea encircling Midgard, Hel into the dark, frozen depths of Niflheim, while Fenrir remained on Asgard, although the ร†sir were not content to simply leave him be. They feared what he could do to them. Day by day, the ร†sir watched as Fenrir grew larger and stronger. Worried that he might some day grow beyond their control, they brought him to Amsvartnir, the pitch black lake where the island called Lyngvi resided. There, they presented him with three fetters. One made of bronze, the second made of iron, and the last made of silk. The ร†sir suggested to Fenrir that he test his strength by breaking each one. The first fetter โ€” the one made of bronze โ€” snapped easily between his jaws. The second fetter, made of iron, shattered with a mighty kick of his feet. The final fetter, Gleipnir, was soft and silken as a ribbon. The ร†sir told Fenrir that if he was unable to break such slender bindings, they would know that heโ€™s nothing to fear, and would thus be set free. Unbeknownst to him, however, Gleipnir had been crafted by the dwarves of Svartรกlfaheimr, and was much stronger than the two before it. Nonetheless, Fenrir did not fall for their ruse so easily, and refused to let them put the fetter on him unless one of them put their hand in his mouth as a show of good faith. None of the ร†sir moved until Tรฝr stepped forward, placing his hand into Fenrirโ€™s jaws. And so the fetter went on, only this time, it did not break when Fenrir kicked, but dug deeper into his flesh. Again and again, he struggled fruitlessly to break free, and in his efforts, bit off Tรฝrโ€™s hand. Once the ร†sir knew that he was fully bound, they fastened the fetter to a large stone slab buried deep in the ground, and drove a sword through his jaws when he tried to bite them in retaliation. The saliva and blood that ran from his mouth formed the river Vรกn, also known as [i]โ€œhopeโ€[/i] in Old Norse. This was where Fenrir would stay until Ragnarรถk, as is written in prophecy.[/quote][/indent][/indent] [center][color=C3B091][u] ๐—›๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ฌ [/u][/color][/center] [indent][indent][quote]For Fenrir, the creation of the Colossus was something of a double-edged sword. It may have freed him from his bonds, but it also imposed upon him restrictions of a different sort. Once possessing the form of a great wolf, he awoke to find himself walking on two legs, his lupine visage replaced by one resembling his enemyโ€™s. He loathed seeing the ร†sir whenever he caught a glimpse of his own reflection, whether it be in the rippling currents of a stream, or behind the eyes of Midgardโ€™s many inhabitants. For a long time, he strayed as far away from civilization as the Colossus would allow, living in the surrounding wilderness and hunting game for sustenance. Fenrirโ€™s existence was largely solitary, and he cherished this way of life, guarding the bounds of his territory with beastly vigor. Those who ventured too deep into the woods would scurry back home โ€” bruised, battered and altogether worse for wear โ€” speaking in hushed whispers about a monster with bloodied hands and teeth. Those were the lucky ones. The unlucky ones were never seen again โ€”โ€“ save for the occasional tooth or bone, picked clean of flesh. But even Fenrir knew that this could not last forever. As the humans grew more ambitious, his hunting grounds began to shrink. A sparse gathering of huts turned into a village, a village into a town, and a town into a city. Slowly but surely, Fenrir found himself drawn back into the comings and goings of the civilized world. Even then, he tried to distance himself, taking on jobs that others found undesirable or unsavory just so he could enjoy his solitude. In Rome, he took care of animals bred for [i]venatio[/i], state-sponsored battles between man and beast. Then, he was a butcher in Constantinople, quick with a blade and always elbow-deep in blood and viscera. In Victorian London, he was something called a [i]resurrectionist[/i], unearthing graves for freshly-interred dead to sell to medical schools. Not [i]once[/i] in those millennia did Fenrir attempt to seek out his family. Why should he when none of them did anything to help him during his imprisonment on Lyngvi? He still remembers the pain of Gleipnir slicing into him, of the ร†sir sword piercing his jaw. No matter how long he waited, no one ever came to save him, and so, he promised himself that he would never rely on anyone again. More recently, Fenrir has found new employment at a Seattle hospice. Itโ€™s menial work, mostly wheeling patients from one room to the other and cleaning up after them. He doesnโ€™t mind, though. It takes up enough of the day that he can head to his volunteer gig at the animal shelter immediately after a shift. He first caught wind of Critter Cove after a stray followed him home from work. She was a skinny, mangy thing โ€” a [i]mutt[/i], it seemed like โ€” her piebald fur matted and falling out in places. Truth be told, Fenrir didnโ€™t quite know what to make of it. Heโ€™d never considered getting a dog, but when she started pawing at his apartment door, still shivering from the winter chill, he let her in without a second thought. Like most strays, she was wary of him at first, curling up next to the radiator and snapping her teeth whenever he got too close; but bit by bit, they got used to each other. Fenrir started out by giving her food, then holding out a hand for her to sniff. And when she finally came up to him and let him comb his fingers through her fur, he felt something inside him catch and overflow. Fenrir decided then to name her Frida, an Old Norse word meaning [i]โ€œpeaceโ€[/i]. Still, heโ€™d seen enough strays in the past to know that she needed more than food and a bath. A cursory search online for animal shelters in the area turned up results about a place called [i]Critter Cove Animal Shelter & Rescue[/i], and he took Frida there to be vaccinated and microchipped. Heโ€™s not quite sure how he ended up a volunteer at Critter Cove after that. Thanks to an influx of abandoned pets over Christmas, the staff there found themselves woefully short-handed, and he mustโ€™ve offered to drop by on his days off to help out. The work there was something he enjoyed, however. Unlike gods or humans, animals were simple creatures: they didnโ€™t lie, willfully hurt others or make false promises. Instead, they simply [i]were[/i]. To Fenrir, just being near them felt like basking in the sun, like [i]love[/i]. Pure, unadorned and without complication. He thinks itโ€™s something he could get used to.[/quote][/indent][/indent][/hider] [hider=Fenrirโ€™s Relations][color=gray][center] [sup][h1] [color=black]FENRIR RELATIONSHIPS [/color] [color=C3B091]FENRIR RELATIONSHIPS[/color] [/h1][/sup] [center][color=f0dc82]โ˜…[/color] ๐š™๐š‘๐šข๐šœ๐š’๐šŒ๐šŠ๐š• ๐šŠ๐š๐š๐š›๐šŠ๐šŒ๐š๐š’๐š˜๐š— โ€ข [color=e4717a]โœฟ[/color] ๐šŠ๐š๐š๐šŠ๐š‹๐š’๐š•๐š’๐š๐šข โ€ข [color=de3163]โค[/color] ๐š›๐š˜๐š–๐šŠ๐š—๐š๐š’๐šŒ ๐šŠ๐š๐š๐š›๐šŠ๐šŒ๐š๐š’๐š˜๐š— โ€ข [color=990000]โœ–[/color] ๐šŽ๐š—๐š–๐š’๐š๐šข[/center] [/center] [center][sup][color=#2e2c2c]_[/color][color=#323131]_[/color][color=#373536]_[/color][color=#3b3a3c]_[/color][color=#3f3e41]_[/color][color=#444346]_[/color][color=#48474b]_[/color][color=#4c4c50]_[/color][color=#515155]_[/color][color=#55555b]_[/color][color=#595a60]_[/color][color=#5e5e65]_[/color][color=#62636a]_[/color][color=#66686f]_[/color][color=#6b6c75]_[/color][color=#6f717a]_[/color][color=#73757f]_[/color][color=#787a84]_[/color][color=#7c7e89]_[/color][color=#80838f]_[/color][color=#858894]_[/color][color=#898c99]_[/color][color=#8e919e]_[/color][color=#9295a3]_[/color][color=#969aa8]_[/color][color=#9b9eae]_[/color][color=#9fa3b3]_[/color][color=#a3a8b8]_[/color][color=#a8acbd]_[/color][color=#acb1c2]_[/color][color=#b0b5c8]_[/color][color=#b5bacd]_[/color][color=#b9bfd2]_[/color][color=#bdc3d7]_[/color][color=#c2c8dc]_[/color][color=#c6cce1]_[/color][color=#cad1e7]_[/color][color=#cfd5ec]_[/color][color=#d3daf1]_[/color][/sup][color=#d3daf1] [i]๐™ฝ ๐™พ ๐š ๐š‚ ๐™ด ๐™ฟ ๐™ฐ ๐™ฝ ๐šƒ ๐™ท ๐™ด ๐™พ ๐™ฝ[/i] [/color][sup][color=#d3daf1]_[/color][color=#cfd5ec]_[/color][color=#cad1e7]_[/color][color=#c6cce1]_[/color][color=#c2c8dc]_[/color][color=#bdc3d7]_[/color][color=#b9bfd2]_[/color][color=#b5bacd]_[/color][color=#b0b5c8]_[/color][color=#acb1c2]_[/color][color=#a8acbd]_[/color][color=#a3a8b8]_[/color][color=#9fa3b3]_[/color][color=#9b9eae]_[/color][color=#969aa8]_[/color][color=#9295a3]_[/color][color=#8e919e]_[/color][color=#898c99]_[/color][color=#858894]_[/color][color=#81838f]_[/color][color=#7c7e89]_[/color][color=#787a84]_[/color][color=#73757f]_[/color][color=#6f717a]_[/color][color=#6b6c75]_[/color][color=#66686f]_[/color][color=#62636a]_[/color][color=#5e5e65]_[/color][color=#595a60]_[/color][color=#55555b]_[/color][color=#515155]_[/color][color=#4c4c50]_[/color][color=#48474b]_[/color][color=#444346]_[/color][color=#3f3e41]_[/color][color=#3b3a3c]_[/color][color=#373536]_[/color][color=#323131]_[/color][color=#2e2c2c]_[/color][/sup][/center] [sup][h3][color=black]HEL[/color] [color=662D91]โ€ŠHEL[/color][/h3][/sup] [indent][indent][indent][quote][center]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€ข [color=E4717A]โœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟ[/color]โœฟโœฟ โ€ข โคโคโคโคโคโคโค โ€ข [color=990000]โœ–[/color]โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–[/center] [sub]More than anything, Fenrir misses Hel. Her calm, steady presence has always been a welcome respite from the roiling turbulence of the world, and part of him yearns for the day that they will finally reunite as brother and sister. But Fenrir remains hesitant. He knows that Hel fears Ragnarรถk, fears what might happen when all three of them finally come together. Her letters to him are often steeped in this sense of dread, and it is enough to make him ponder the surety of their fates. And so, he waits. Waits for the strings of providence to pull them closer rather than seek her out himself. Fenrir knows that there is no respite to be found in inaction, but at the very least, no further harm can come of it.[/sub][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent] [sup][h3][color=black]Jร–RMUNGANDR[/color] [color=93E9BE]Jร–RMUNGANDR[/color][/h3][/sup] [indent][indent][indent][quote][center]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€ข [color=E4717A]โœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟ[/color]โœฟโœฟ โ€ข โคโคโคโคโคโคโค โ€ข โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–[/center] [sub]For someone like Fenrir, opening up is a nigh impossible task. He finds it difficult to trust, to ever feel safe enough to let his guard down, but somehow, Jรถrmungandr has proven persistent enough to chisel through. Most of the time, Jรถrmungandr is the one initiating their interactions, showing up on his doorstep with an easy smile and a clap on the shoulder, although he hasnโ€™t been doing much to dissuade him, either. Fenrir has come to learn that with Jรถrmungandr, it is much easier to just go along with his demands rather than fight it. And part of him is almostโ€ฆ [i]relieved[/i] that Jรถrmungandr has managed to do what he did. It feels strange to have someone, anyone around โ€”โ€“ not even to confide in, but just be [i]there[/i]. [i]Present[/i].[/sub][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent] [sup][h3][color=black]LOKI[/color] [color=963437]LOKI[/color][/h3][/sup] [indent][indent][indent][quote][center]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€ข [color=E4717A]โœฟ[/color]โœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟ โ€ข โคโคโคโคโคโคโค โ€ข [color=990000]โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–[/color]โœ–[/center] [sub][i]Disappointment[/i]. Itโ€™s the first thing that comes to mind whenever he thinks of his father. Even after all these years, he has never forgotten how Loki simply stood by and watched when Hel, Jรถrmungandr and himself were cast into different corners of Yggdrasil to await Ragnarรถk. Maybe he had his reasons, maybe there wasnโ€™t anything he could do to help, but sometimes, Fenrir canโ€™t help but wonder if Loki ever truly cared about any of them at all. These days, though, he doesnโ€™t dwell on it too much. Itโ€™s all in the past, an old wound that has long since scabbed over. But all the same, he continues to shun his fatherโ€™s attempts at making amends. Loki had his chance, and no amount of shiny gifts or honeyed words would ever move Fenrir from his convictions.[/sub][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent] [sup][h3][color=black]ODIN[/color] [color=536878]ODIN[/color][/h3][/sup] [indent][indent][indent][quote][center][color=F0DC82]โ˜…โ˜…[/color]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€ข โœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟ โ€ข โคโคโคโคโคโคโค โ€ข [color=990000]โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–[/color]โœ–[/center] [sub]blah blah blah[/sub][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent] [sup][h3][color=black]THOR[/color] [color=349693]THOR[/color][/h3][/sup] [indent][indent][indent][quote][center]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€ข [color=E4717A]โœฟ[/color]โœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟ โ€ข โคโคโคโคโคโคโค โ€ข [color=990000]โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–[/color]โœ–โœ–[/center] [sub]blah blah blah[/sub][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent] [center][sup][color=#2e2c2c]_[/color][color=#312d2c]_[/color][color=#342e2d]_[/color][color=#372f2d]_[/color][color=#3b2f2d]_[/color][color=#3e302d]_[/color][color=#41312e]_[/color][color=#44322e]_[/color][color=#47332e]_[/color][color=#4a342e]_[/color][color=#4d342f]_[/color][color=#50352f]_[/color][color=#54362f]_[/color][color=#57372f]_[/color][color=#5a3830]_[/color][color=#5d3930]_[/color][color=#603930]_[/color][color=#633a30]_[/color][color=#663b31]_[/color][color=#6a3c31]_[/color][color=#6d3d31]_[/color][color=#703e32]_[/color][color=#733f32]_[/color][color=#763f32]_[/color][color=#794032]_[/color][color=#7c4133]_[/color][color=#7f4233]_[/color][color=#834333]_[/color][color=#864433]_[/color][color=#894434]_[/color][color=#8c4534]_[/color][color=#8f4634]_[/color][color=#924734]_[/color][color=#954835]_[/color][color=#984935]_[/color][color=#9c4935]_[/color][color=#9f4a35]_[/color][color=#a24b36]_[/color][color=#a54c36]_[/color][/sup] [color=#a54c36][I]๐š ๐™พ ๐™ผ ๐™ฐ ๐™ฝ ๐™ฟ ๐™ฐ ๐™ฝ ๐šƒ ๐™ท ๐™ด ๐™พ ๐™ฝ[/I][/color] [sup][color=#a54c36]_[/color][color=#a24b36]_[/color][color=#9f4a35]_[/color][color=#9c4935]_[/color][color=#984935]_[/color][color=#954835]_[/color][color=#924734]_[/color][color=#8f4634]_[/color][color=#8c4534]_[/color][color=#894434]_[/color][color=#864433]_[/color][color=#834333]_[/color][color=#7f4233]_[/color][color=#7c4133]_[/color][color=#794032]_[/color][color=#763f32]_[/color][color=#733f32]_[/color][color=#703e32]_[/color][color=#6d3d31]_[/color][color=#6a3c31]_[/color][color=#663b31]_[/color][color=#633a30]_[/color][color=#603930]_[/color][color=#5d3930]_[/color][color=#5a3830]_[/color][color=#57372f]_[/color][color=#54362f]_[/color][color=#50352f]_[/color][color=#4d342f]_[/color][color=#4a342e]_[/color][color=#47332e]_[/color][color=#44322e]_[/color][color=#41312e]_[/color][color=#3e302d]_[/color][color=#3b2f2d]_[/color][color=#372f2d]_[/color][color=#342e2d]_[/color][color=#312d2c]_[/color][color=#2e2c2c]_[/color][/sup][/center] [sup][h3][color=black]MARS[/color] [color=A62A2A]MARS[/color][/h3][/sup] [indent][indent][indent][quote][center][color=F0DC82]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…[/color]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€ข [color=E4717A]โœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟ[/color]โœฟโœฟโœฟ โ€ข [color=DE3163]โค[/color]โคโคโคโคโคโค โ€ข โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–[/center] [sub]blah blah blah[/sub][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent] [sup][h3][color=black]VENUS[/color] [color=2AA6A6]VENUS[/color][/h3][/sup] [indent][indent][indent][quote][center][color=F0DC82]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…[/color]โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€ข [color=E4717A]โœฟโœฟโœฟโœฟ[/color]โœฟโœฟโœฟ โ€ข [color=DE3163]โค[/color]โคโคโคโคโคโค โ€ข โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–โœ–[/center] [sub]blah blah blah[/sub][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent] [/color][/hider] [hr] [hider=Mercury, Messenger of the Gods][center] [sup][h1] [color=black]M E R C U R Y , G O D O F C O M M E R C E [/color] [color=81586E]M E R C U R Y , G O D O F C O M M E R C E[/color] [/h1][/sup] [/center] [table][row][cell][color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vnJPKbZ.png[/img] [hider=HUMAN][sub][color=81586E][u] ๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—”๐—ฆ [/u][/color] [color=gray]Roman Kopski[/color] [color=81586E][u] ๐—”๐—š๐—˜ ๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ก๐—–๐—˜ [/u][/color] [color=gray]Early to mid 30s[/color] [color=81586E][u] ๐—–๐—”๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—˜๐—ฅ [/u][/color] [color=gray]President of [color=81586E][b]Argentum[/b][/color], an auction house based in Seattle, New York City and London[/color][/sub][/hider][/center][/cell][cell][center][color=81586E][u] ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐—ก๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฌ [/u][/color] [table][row][/row][row][cell][color=black]๐‘ฎ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ซ [list][*] Cunning [*] Meticulous [*] Persuasive[/list][/color][/cell][cell][color=black]๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ซ [list][*] Disingenuous [*] Sardonic [*] Opportunistic[/list][/color][/cell][/row][/table] [color=81586E][u] ๐—”๐— ๐—•๐—œ๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ [/u][/color][/center] [color=gray][sup]Mercury doesnโ€™t want his godhood back, nor does he desire the resurgence of Rome like the others in his family seem to do. To return to how things were in the past would mean getting stuck playing messenger to the rest of the gods, and heโ€™s through with that. But of course, it goes without saying that this newfound [i]โ€˜freedomโ€™[/i] of his comes with its own set of grievances, like a beeping ankle bracelet, only ancient and occult. More and more often now, he has found himself wondering if thereโ€™s truly any way to break free of its influence.[/sup][/color] [center][color=81586E][u] ๐—™๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฆ [/u][/color][/center] [color=gray][sup]What does Mercury fear? Await in horror? What keeps him up at night with terrifying resolve? Heโ€™d like to say something poetic, something about the crushing despair of life itself, but the truth is, he doesnโ€™t [i]know[/i]. Itโ€™s hard to pin down any one specific thing. Mercury has long prided himself on always being a step ahead of everyone โ€” most of the time quite [i]literally[/i] โ€” and maybe thatโ€™s what frightens him the most: [i]not knowing[/i]. With curiosity comes a compulsion to understand everything, a hunger for control, and the thought of being kept in the dark is nothing short of anathema to him.[/sup][/color] [color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][/cell][cell][color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Raly7ms.png[/img] [hider=DEITY][sub][color=81586E][u] ๐—œ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฌ [/u][/color] [color=gray]Mercury[/color] [color=81586E][u] ๐——๐—ข๐— ๐—”๐—œ๐—ก [/u][/color] [color=gray]Commerce, eloquence, messages, divination, travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery, merchants, thieves[/color] [color=81586E][u] ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ก๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ข๐—ก [/u][/color] [color=gray]Roman[/color][/sub][/hider][/center][/cell][/row][/table] [center][color=81586E][u] ๐— ๐—ฌ๐—ง๐—›๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—š๐—ฌ [/u][/color][/center] [indent][indent][quote]As the youngest son of Jupiter and the Pleiad Maia, Mercury has long been renowned for his skill with negotiation, though to anyone who knows him, such a fact shouldnโ€™t come as a surprise. It has often been said that the first thing he did after being born was invent the lyre, using nothing more than the shell of a tortoise and a handful of reeds. But that wasnโ€™t the only deed he applied his ingenuity to โ€”โ€“ far from it, in fact. By that very evening, he had spotted a herd of oxen grazing in a nearby field when the bright idea came into his head to steal them. All the oxen were made to walk backwards to cover their tracks, but as it turns out, the herd had belonged to someone quite important. Even to this day, he still maintains that it was all just a simple misunderstanding. I mean, how could he have known that the oxen were Apolloโ€™s? And what was he planning on doing with them, anyway? But in the end, everything went surprisingly well. With the beautiful music created by the lyre, Mercury was able to mollify Apollo, and after returning to him his oxen, he even received his signature [i]Caduceus[/i] in exchange for the instrument. Mischief wasnโ€™t all he got up, though. Thanks to [i]Talaria[/i], his winged sandals, Mercury was blessed with divine haste, and his ability to travel across distant lands in the blink of an eye made him a valuable asset in the eyes of his fellow gods and goddesses. When Aeneas began straying from his path of greatness, Mercury was the one who appeared before him and reminded him of what he had to do. And when Pluto stole Proserpina from her home, he was the one who brokered a deal to appease everyone involved. The Maiden of Spring would be allowed to see her mother, to return to earth for six months every year, and for the rest, she would stay with Pluto and rule alongside him as Queen of the Underworld. Naturally, when Proserpina needed an escort to and from the Underworld, Mercury was the one Jupiter sent, a task that he dutifully undertook without complaint. [s]Not like he didnโ€™t already have enough to do.[/s][/quote][/indent][/indent] [center][color=81586E][u] ๐—›๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ฌ [/u][/color][/center] [indent][indent][quote]Mercuryโ€™s first brush with the Colossus was somewhatโ€ฆ [i]anticlimactic[/i], to say the least. He had already been on earth on some business or other โ€” no doubt following the orders of Jupiter or somebody else โ€” and by the time he realized what was happening, it had already been done. Far from the mighty shift of earth beneath his feet, however, it felt more to him like a [i]shudder[/i]; a brief, inconsequential [i]blip[/i] that was over before it began. Heโ€™d simply chalked it up as another one of Jupiter and Neptuneโ€™s rows until he tried to take to the skies and felt nothing, [i]heard[/i] nothing. Not even the whistle of wind through the reeds. He started running, then. He ran faster than any mortal ever could, until his legs hurt and every breath he drew into his lungs felt like it wasnโ€™t enough, but all the same, he kept running. He needed to know if the same thing had happened to all the others, if it wasnโ€™t just some [i]test[/i] set upon him by his father. Heโ€™s not sure which option he wouldโ€™ve preferred, but it wasnโ€™t long before he figured out the truth. All the gods and goddesses of the world, not a single one spared, were chained down to earth and stripped of their powers by a magical [i]rock[/i]. His first reaction was disbelief, an all-consuming [i]bewilderment[/i]. He couldnโ€™t quite bring himself to believe that a mere mortal could create something powerful enough to bind them all to earth. Then, it was justโ€ฆ [i]funny[/i]. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it all seemed. A mortal had done this. A [i]mortal[/i]! Somehow, even with their fleeting lives and petty squabbles, one mortal had risen above it all to create the Colossus. Even he had to admit it was impressive. Mercury remembers the first few centuries of his new existence on earth fondly, perhaps more so than he would like to admit. No longer did he have to answer to the whims and wishes of his pantheon. And for the first time in forever, he was free to do as he pleased, go where he wantedโ€ฆ but that wasnโ€™t all true, was it? As the god of travelers and boundaries, Mercury has always been acutely aware of the limitations the Colossus imposed upon them; and while he was able to whittle his time away chasing momentary pleasures, he knew it was all just a distraction from the elephant in the room. They were all trapped and powerless to do anything about it. So he adapted, a process he found surprisingly effortless thanks to his prior dealings with mortals. In most of Mercuryโ€™s lives, he was either a merchant or a thief, making a living off the ignorance of others. He had a way with words, an easy manner that most people found difficult to hold a grudge against, which made slipping their valuables free of their pockets and into his own that much easier. His savings never lasted long, however. Mercury quickly acquired a taste for the finer things in life โ€” clothes, shoes, liquor โ€” and was a consummate gambler. Of course, with liquid luck running through his veins, winning was a simple matter of willing the dice to fall the way he wanted them to, but that sort of spoiled the fun, didnโ€™t it? Chance was chance, and with each roll of the dice, he eagerly awaited that split second of breathless anticipation. By the mid-1700s, he was fresh off a hot streak, having recently broken off his acquaintance with a dissolute young heir after getting what he was after: a ring of burnished gold that had once belonged to Ivan the Terrible. Mercury, along with his partner Smythe, an antiques dealer and occasional black market fence, started up their own business, handling all manner of [i]objet dโ€™art[/i] โ€”โ€“ jewelry, wine, art, even suits of armor dating back to the Middle Ages. Some of it was contraband, acquired from thieves desperate to offload their ill-gotten gains, but both Mercury and his partner were skilled in keeping the constables off their trail. This business soon acquired a title: [i]Argentum[/i], the Latin term for silver. Over the years, it would go through many changes, both in personnel and premises, following Mercury wherever he went, and by the time he set foot in the New World, Argentum had grown to become a household name among the cognoscenti and wealthy elite. Lesser known is the organizationโ€™s dealings in stolen goods, secret auctions open only to people with the right information, contacts and inclinations. There are some things that havenโ€™t changed, though. Mercury is still an inveterate gambler with a fondness for cheap cigarettes and fast cars, and spends far too much time keeping tabs on the rest of his pantheon. He might not be interested in the plans they have for Rome 2.0, but he likes staying informed, keeping an ear out for any words on the wind. He guessed it was true what people said about old habits.[/quote][/indent][/indent][/hider]