endless masquerade -- colt

[LI-SANG.]

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there was something to be said for lying and liars.  they could get away with quite a bit (if they played their cards right) and could hide away the worst parts of themselves without anyone knowing.  on principle, pyrrhic detested liars.  he had been raised to be an honest man, to always speak the truth and do good to those he came across.  but the world was harsh and had no place for good samaritans and weakling boys who just wanted to live up to their family's name. 

he'd had to become what he hated in order to survive, and he couldn't seem to shake off the mask he'd built up for himself no matter how hard he tried.  pyrrhic had lied for so long that he often questioned his own memory, his own history.  but his elder brother was always a prominent figure, never wavering, the only thing that solidified his bloody and cowardly past.  he assumed he was far enough away from danger now, having managed to slip onto a precarious boat bound for unknown lands.  the voyage had been like something out of the history books, the lack of fully functional equipment and machinery tossing the passengers into the past.

yet it had survived the journey, though he couldn't say the same about all the occupants.  they'd scattered like leaves in the wind, no one keen on sticking around.  tensions had already been high enough, and it was only natural a bloodbath would follow if they tried to make friends.  pyrrhic had followed their lead, grabbing all his equipment, uttering his given name one last time, and letting it die on the winter wind.  the lodge had welcomed him, and he had welcomed the stability it gave him, the safety and protection from home.  here, he could be someone new.  and that someone he chose to be was rather...unimpressive.

he'd always been below the expectations of his brother and the family's little gang, but he really must've let himself go since coming here if this was how he was going to spend his afternoon.  currently, the man was backed a corner of one of the lesser used hallways in the lodge, the kind of hallway that really only was there for symmetry and decoration and connect the building to a row of high windows.  a rather miffed npc stood before him, far into his personal space, which set off pyrrhic more than he'd like to admit.  "you really think you can just be a fucking freeloader here?" the npc spat, the biting tone enough to make the slightly shorter male flinch.

"no-" he started, intent on explaining himself and making excuses and weaving his way out of this little predicament, but the npc had other ideas.  a large hand grabs at his right wrist, the one that had slowly been making it's way into the folds of his jacket.  fuck, there goes my chance.  the bitter thought makes him grimace more than the pain of the vice-like grip does, and he feels the blade fall back against his body.  "really, i hunt.  if you just give me a bit, i can return with-"

the grip tightens, and he knows something will dislocate if the npc decides to pull at the limb.  "yeah yeah, we can all hunt.  you never do anything else, just sulk about and take up resources.  i didn't see you planning out attacks." ah, a reference to the political climate that he'd entered far too late to truly understand, not that the npc seemed to care for logistics.  the npc decides to pull on his arm, forcing pyrrhic against their chest before using their other hand to slam him backwards.  it wasn't a move with the intent to injure, the goal here was apparently to intimidate him enough into leaving, but he certainly knew that bruises would litter his back and shoulders in just a few minutes.  he'd felt the slip of a joint, too, and he curses his disposition beneath his breath.  "speak up," the npc commands.  "did i hear you asking for an escort out of the territory?  i'd be delighted to assist."

cosmyn

[COLT MADISON.]

[align=center][div style="width: 370px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.4; color: black;"]— If Colt and Pyrrhic ever chose to discuss their former lives before the Lodge in great detail - something that would never happen, given the nature of the pair and the burdens that they each carried - then they would find that their lives and ideals were almost mirror images. Whereas Pyrrhic had been brought up to be honest, Colt had been taught from day one to lie, steal, and cheat. After eighteen years of living for no one but himself, he wound up at the Lodge, meeting people who actually cared about him for the very first time. Here, unlike Pyrrhic, he could finally live his truth and be honest - with himself, and with those around him - about who he really was. At least, that was what he told himself. In reality, he was hiding everything from the Lodge - his true identity, his motive for joining. But he'd convinced himself that the lie was a necessary one, that it would be more harmful to tell the truth. Was it a selfish lie? Maybe. He didn't know anymore.

Then there was the subject of family. Pyrrhic had deep personal connections from his past, people that he felt he let down. On the contrary, Colt held no meaningful relationship with the people that had raised him his entire life. They had always been awful to him - beating him, insulting him, working him to the bone. While he didn't give two shits about disappointing them, as it happened, he'd always managed to exceed their expectations. He was consistently top of his class in both combat and strategy. Maybe it was a natural gift, maybe he'd simply pushed his own limits out of pure spite. Either way, he had been one of the most skilled mercs in the Ring, even at such a young age. But he'd left that all behind, anyway.

It was raining outside - a cold, freezing rain. Colt could hear it thrumming on the Lodge's roof as he traversed some of the empty back halls, a canvas tucked under his arm. He had been scouring every corner of the building for some paint, eager to get back into his old hobby. He passed by Pyrrhic and the NPC during his search, not realizing what was happening at first. He figured that it was just two people having a conversation. Then he heard the venom packed into the NPC's words from over his shoulder, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

From what he was hearing, it sounded like the littler guy had no interest in putting up a fight. The blood in Colt's veins started to boil; he hated people who picked on those they considered weaker than themselves. It reminded him all too much of the poor treatment that he received all throughout his childhood. When the NPC threatened to escort Pyrrhic out of the territory and shoved him, that was the final straw. The mercenary pivoted on his heels, a heavyset frown on his face, hazel eyes alight with an angry fire. "Alright, asshat. I think that's enough," he spat, approaching the NPC. He shoved him on the shoulder, putting himself between the guy and Pyrrhic.

The NPC gave a curt laugh. "Oh really? Why are you so quick to defend this snivelling little-" Colt grit his teeth, pitching forward and shoving the guy back into the far wall. "Seriously, pal, shut your mouth before I shut off whatever light is still flickering in that empty-ass head of yours!" he snarled.

"Alright - you're asking for it now, runt!" The NPC swung at Colt, clipping him in the nose. Colt snickered, falling into a fighting stance before planting a lightning-fast uppercut right in the enemy's gut. The guy groaned, stumbling back - but Colt was on top of him again, socking him right in the eye. The NPC hit him once more in the jaw, which allowed Colt to stick a leg out and then shove him again, causing him to fall to the ground.

The NPC scowled, struggling to his feet. His face was already swelling and turning purple; he definitely had a pretty bad black eye. "Sh-Shit!" he gasped before running off, averting his gaze from both Colt and Pyrrhic.

"Your sorry ass tries to mess with either of us again, and I'll make you regret it even more!" Colt yelled after him, grinning, using a hand to wipe away the crimon blood that was slowly trickling from his nose. He turned towards Pyrrhic then, finally looking over the other man. He offered a hand to help him stand up straight. "You ok? That guy was an idiot, don't worry about him."

[LI-SANG.]

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family was a finicky thing, and pyrrhic didn't think much of it outside of his late brother.  he had hardly developed a connection with any outside of the one close attendant that often hung around the duo.  though, that was family enough.  as tumultuous as the relationship was, pyrrhic never thought about asking for anything more.  hell, he hadn't expected to come across a place such at this, and the npc that had been holding him up against the wall was only proof that he shouldn't get his hopes up.

he'd become a lone wolf through the need to survive, and being so suddenly relieved of his predicament left him in a stupor.  he looks down the corridor that the npc had retreated down, only just beginning to register the pain in his shoulder.  it was dull and familiar, and he can only absently nod in response to colt's question.  pyrrhic scrunches up his nose, a delicate movement that mimics a slightly started rabbit.  his mind conjures up the past teachings of his brother, because 'you need to know how to fix yourself, i won't always be around to patch you up' and he uses the wall and his own leverage to pop the limb back into place.

it makes his head spin and his vision darken briefly.  he sways ever so slightly before offering a pinched smile to the man before him.  "ah, yes, fine," he finally answers with a quick nod of his head, voice tight with a hint of a waver..  though the npc is long gone, he still latches on to the hilt of the knife as he folds the coat tighter around himself.  pyrrhic lets out a nervous chuckle after a moment, attempting to dissipate his own unease.  "thanks for that."  there's a gentler tone to his words now, almost as if embarrassed by everything.

eyes narrow slightly as they track the blood that falls from colt's nose and is effectively smeared across his face with the swipe of his hand.  lips quirk downwards and before he can stop himself, he unfurls from the hunched stance he'd adopted and darts a hand out towards his rescuer.  his fingers are folded into the gently worn fabric of his coat, and he attempts to clean up a little more of the blood.  "'s not broken, no?" he queries, letting his hand drop back to his side.  "you should, ah," his brows furrow and he briefly mimics pinching the bridge of his own nose before continuing, "and lean forward."

cosmyn

[COLT MADISON.]

[align=center][div style="width: 370px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.4; color: black;"]— Family. Like many things involving happiness and stability, family was a completely foreign concept to Colt. He'd been abandoned by his mom and dad - or whoever had been in possession of him during his early infancy - just weeks after his birth. All that he knew of the circumstances of his own birth was that someone had left him in a bundle on the Ring's doorstep with his name written messily on an old fast food receipt - Colton Thomas Madison. He couldn't even claim to have an adoptive family, or a group of people he was extremely close to; no, everyone in the Ring had always been horrible to him - always cold and aloof. He'd been alone his entire life.

Colt watched with raised brows as Pyrrhic readjusted his shoulder, grimacing as it cracked back into place. Dislocation - he was quite familiar with the pain. He'd had limbs pop from their sockets more times than he might've liked during combat training back in the day, and he'd always been told to pop it back and keep moving. He tipped his head to one side, nodding when Pyrrhic said that he was ok. The guy didn't exactly look ok - it seemed like he might pass out, or fall over - but Colt decided not to press on the matter. At the other's gratitude, a smile twitched at his lips. "Ah, don't worry about it. Beating up assholes happens to be a hobby of mine."

Colt went to wipe away more of the blood as it trickled from his nose, but before he could, Pyrrhic had reached out and was softly cleaning his face with the sleeve of his coat. The young man blinked, his eyes widening slightly; no one had really cared when he'd been injured before. This... was certainly a first. He swallowed hard. "O-Oh, uh, thanks," he blurted out with a sheepish chuckle, unable to keep a stutter out of his usually cool and confident voice.

He took a breath. "I don't think it's broken, no. I've broken it a few times before, it usually swells up more. Might be a little fracture." He perked up when Pyrrhic mimed out the nose-pinch. "Right, right. Good idea." He mimicked the other's actions, taking his nose between two fingers and leaning forward with a slight wince. There was a brief second of silence. "I'm Colt, by the way," the merc mentioned casually, sounding nasally because of his pinched nose. "And you're...?"

[LI-SANG.]

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// WOW OKAY i'm finally back! sorry this took so long, did not anticipate everything life threw at me weats:

the adrenaline was quickly evacuating his body, leaving him feeling wearier than most days.  oh, if his brother were here, he'd definitely be whining and begging to be carried off back to his room.  but this was colt, a mere acquaintance who he definitely didn't have much of a relationship with, especially not one that would have him acting so lax.  still, his mind fired off quicker than his fatigued state could handle, allowing the next words to slip past his lips with far too much ease.  "hm, could i pay you to be my bodyguard?" a snort followed, only to be swallowed up by a forced cough.  dark eyes skitter across colt's face, a nervous smile tugging at his lips.  "joking, of course."

rolling his shoulder, pyrrhic took a step further from the wall, letting out a soft sigh of relief as he managed to hold his own.  he watches the other bend forward at his advice, taking note of the sudden shift in his attitude.  curious, but not something he was going to point out.  he glanced up and down the hall, not quite sure what he was checking for but glad that he found nothing of note.  the npc hadn't made a return, not that he really expected it after the beat down they received.  he was drawn back by the introduction, slightly muffled from the nose pinch and the hunched stance colt had taken on.

"oh," he says dumbly in response, features blanking as he gazes at the top of colt's head.  he really hadn't had to introduce himself to many people before, and his birth name instinctually jumped to his tongue.  it rested behind his teeth, scratching and clawing and begging to be let out.  the only ties he has left to the corpse he left behind.  but he'd sworn to hide, promised that he would do whatever he could to stay alive.  the interaction waters his eyes and he swipes at them as he runs a hand through his hair.  "call me pyrrhic."  it's almost a command, a detached plea to not bother questioning the oddity of what it is.  he'd won his peace, but at what cost?  "pleasure to meet you," he quickly tacks on, allowing a small, yet genuine, smile to grace his countenance.

cosmyn