You know something? I thought I was so clever. Am I the most intelligent person who was ever alive? Course not but I thought I had at least that going on, some brains encased in my thick skull. But no, I'm stupid. I am so fucking stupid as the obvious regularly presents itself, probably multiple times and I am the last person to realise the obvious has been stated so many times that everyone looks at me like an idiot for not keeping up.
If the man was a historical event or theoretical use or magic or some other arcane bullshit. I would have got it. Boom, right away and I could saunter away, self assured in my own abilities. But he's not. He's not a puzzle to be solved, he's not a collection of data points to be memorised and understood. He's a fucking man who likes men (well, more accurately, likes everyone like that which but whatever), a messy multidimesional Aundairan blonde creature. Part of me just wants to rip the plaster off and be done with it, ask him out and at least either be met with acceptance or rejection. Either way, it's the clarity instead of lurking in this will-I-won't-I limbo. If I still thought he was straight then I probably wouldn't even be debating it, I would bury that in my soul and just wait it out. It's not as if I haven't got eyes and I don't know what they're feeding the fucking Thranes but every one I meet seems to get more handsome by the second. It's ridiculous. Are the Aundairans going to be the same if Damien is any indication?! Is it something to do with the North? Some secret manifest zone to Beautiful Town that only these two countries know about and everyone else just has to make do with whatever face they have? It's making me dizzy! Gods, if I faint around any of them I will just lie down in the dirt and let Eberron herself consume my flesh than have to explain that.
Lukar was a smokeshow just by himself, just that ever so carefully hand combed brown hair and cold eyes that could send a shiver down a statue's spine. Must exercise and evidentally looks after himself. And in any other moment, isolated from the attempted murder scene I was standing in (oh yeah there's like a whole thing going on, naturally, but priorities!!), say in a dive bar in Sharn, I would have swooned, bought him a drink and shamelessly hit on him. But we weren't in Sharn and he was not alone. I had the feeling it bugged Lukar being next to him but I'll be honest, I did not mind a single bit. The guy introduced himself as Drego...something. Sharon? Sarhan? I really don't want to ask the others for confirmation of his last name as...well...there was incidents. Which I will get to. But Drego, Sovereigns and Six, flamboyant and confident and quietly smart. Maybe he wasn't quiet about it, I was a little distracted but you can feel the energy of a mage who knows what the fuck their doing. And he casually just showed it off, casting spells wordlessly like the world bent to whatever little idle thoughts sprung into his mind. That skill, that intellect on top of being hot? It's wild.
Damien didn't like him all that much. I thought they would end up scrapping. Normally when the idea of Damien fighting someone worries me, what if he gets hurt? But I don't know, the ideal of Drego and Damien fighting...both with those rapiers and... oh, stop getting distracted Charlie. But if someone else was more likely to start throwing hands honestly it would be Yash.
I am not sure why she hates him so much, they seem to have the same eye for detail and the like, both snappy dressers, both pretty intelligent. You would think it would be a shoe in for something to be there. She did say how aggrevating she found him (with much agreement from Damien and even Ruckus!), how to not give him an inch, not to let ourselves be upstaged by the pompous bastard. I am paraphrasing, obviously but it was odd to see such a simmering irritation on both their faces. She mentioned something about him sewing better than her which I really don't understand as both them seem to be excellent with a machine. I would say that maybe I don't understand women but Damien is acting much the same towards him. Ruckus also doesn't like him much but it seems less pronounced with him. Although it seems to have opened up a bit of a gossipy side to him which is fun. I will need to kepe that in mind when back in Sharn - who doesn't like to learn new gossip?
So, I should probably go back to the uh...entire reason I am here, right? I can't help it- my mind keeps wandering to eyes and hair and beards and other anatomy. Yash is going to kill me or worse, be disappointed in me. I know before I met Luca if I was similarly distracted, a cold shower helped but they don't really affect me. What in the name of Boranal's tits is wrong with me?! Someone nearly died, Thaliost is in uproar - the same Thaliost Mum and "Uncle" Alestair are staying at, and an artefact that could unleash furry hell onto the world has been nicked by some woman in a maroon cloak and I'm just thinking about men.
I can feel people start to think I'm in some horny fugue state or worse, just a fucking idiot. At least the absolute disgust Yash, Damien and Lukar have towards Drego is making up for it. Yash managed to ever so easily get that gnome Viliena to talk. It's fascinating to watch her work, to figure out people, how to push them and when to stop. It's like watching someone tune a violin - delicate work made to look devilshly simple. I mean, she had an assist fom Lukar, of course. Although she did call him Filthy Lucre due to his morals which I am sure my imagination just before I go to sleep tonight will fill in the blanks...she also picked up anti-baldness potion for a joke? Then Damien followed it up with the Orien heirs in some Aundairan bar. Watching him shine, talking to people, buttering them up...I may have felt a pang or two of jealousy.
But turns out that artefact I mentioned that was going to unless a lycanthropic apocalypse? Drego figured it out before we even got back and before all the cogs had turned in our heads. Yash was seething, especially with the failed joke thing. There's a lot of details missed unfortunately as everything is so fresh and emotions all over the place, I really should get by head out of the clouds. Essentially we need to get this incredibly powerful artefact that was just lying around in Thaliost are you fucking kidding me? back and quickly to avoid the aforementioned shitshow. And not only that but we need silver. Which means I'm holding a dagger as if I have any damned idea how to use it? Both Drego and Damien showed me how to use it (which part of my soul will never be the same, stars above) but it's one thing to thrust at air opposed to when some sort of werecreature rocks up to you. The only experience I've had with daggers is intentionally not training with one as a kid much to my Dad's chagrin and that time when I just got to Sharn and someone mugged me.
Oh...Dad was right. He was right, I would need to know it one day. Son of a bitch.
If that realisation hasn't brought me back to my senses, nothing will I suppose...