[color=E0D6C0] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wFqApY1.png[/img][/center][color=E0D6C0][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fXzi00H.gif[/img][h1][b][color=30A4D9]Bastion[/color][/b][/h1][/center][center][/center]
[center]
[color=30A4D9][b]Race:[/b][/color] Warforged  
[color=30A4D9][b]Class:[/b][/color] Warrior  
[color=30A4D9][b]Location:[/b][/color] Airship; Top Deck - Bar
[color=30A4D9][b]Interactions/Mentions:[/b][/color] [@FunnyGuy] Wendel, [@Potter] Arya & Stella  
[color=30A4D9][b]Equipment:[/b][/color]  
[hider=equipment][color=F9D972]☼[/color] Tower Shield  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Greatsword made of Glacium (A material as hard as steel, yet formed from eternally frozen ice.)
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Titan Chain – A reinforced tow chain housed in his left palm, functioning as a powerful grappling hook.  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Aged Leather Satchel   
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Worn but cherished scarf
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Maintenance Kit .
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Heavy-duty rations (for companions, not himself).  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] A delicate glass figurine of a bird—an old keepsake.  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] A locked, timeworn journal—contents unknown.  [/hider]
[color=30A4D9][b]Attire:[/b][/color]  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Etched and weathered plating with bronze accents.  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Fitted harness for carrying supplies.  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] Worn scarf 
[color=30A4D9][b]Gold Balance:[/b][/color] 44 gold
[color=30A4D9][b]Injuries:[/b][/color]  
[color=F9D972]☼[/color] None, but signs of past battle damage remain.  
 [/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wFqApY1.png[/img][/center][/color]
The glass of water had not moved, and neither had Bastion. He remained by the stool where Talis had been, one hand resting gently on the edge of the counter, the other idle at his side…as if waiting for instructions that would never come. When Wendel spoke, Bastion turned toward him, quiet and steady, his optics focusing with a subtle shift.

[color=silver]“Don’t hang up on it too much, Bastion. The lass might have spilled it with how fast she was moving.”[/color]

A slow nod was his reply, small and thoughtful, before his gaze returned once more to the glass. The light behind his eys drew in faintly, not dimming exactly, but concentrating, as if trying to see something beneath the surface of the water that wasn’t truly there. Something lingered behind the glass, something unsaid, something only he could feel, and even then, only barely.

Then a gentle voice reached him.

[color=77ADFF]“That’s a lovely scarf, Mr. Warforged. Are you all right?”[/color]

He turned again, this time more carefully. Arya sat nearby, her voice kind, her eyes kind too. The sort of kindness that resonated with him. Her skin shimmered like the stars he sometimes watched when the world felt too full, and she had noticed something in him that most did not.

[color=30A4D9]“Yes,”[/color] he said, softly, [color=30A4D9]“Thank you. I am operational.”[/color]

He reached up then, fingers brushing over the fabric wrapped around his neck. It had been given to him, years ago, and he wore it not for function but for meaning, which was strange for someone who had been built without the need for either warmth or sentiment. But it mattered to him, and that was enough.

Wendel spoke again, his voice steady and familiar.

[color=silver]“… Bastion… You can always… watch them. Just like you do with the birds. A friend of mine calls it people watching.”[/color]

The phrase struck something deep. Bastion’s head tilted, just slightly, as if to better hear the weight of the words. [i]People watching[/i]. He had no term for it before now, no proper classification, but he knew the behavior well. On the docks, in gardens, on rooftops and railings, in the corners of rooms while others danced or played or simply lived. He had watched them all, curious, quiet, studying the way their hands moved when they were happy, the way their voices lifted in laughter, the ways they leaned toward one another when they were safe. All to be more like them, more like the other biologicals. 

People watching. That’s what it was. The word felt right. He would keep it.

[color=silver]“Or you can… make new friends. And she even has a bird.”[/color]

Bastion’s gaze flicked toward Arya again, then toward Stella, perched and proud. He studied the two of them, something soft flickering in the center of his chest. He gave a nod, slow but certain, and spoke gently.

[color=30A4D9]“Thank you. Both of you.”[/color]

He adjusted the scarf at his neck, almost like a reflex, and then lowered his hand to the sun painted on his chest once more. His fingers found the golden lines, tracing them slowly, thoughtfully, the way someone might retrace the path of a memory. But his eyes never left Arya.
[color=30A4D9]“You have a bird. Just as Wendel said. Just as I see there with you. Is it…fun having a bird?”[/color]
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