Mercury Sanguinaire
| Mercury Sanguinaire | |
| |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Elezen |
| Clan | Duskwight |
| Citizenship | Wandering |
| Orientation | Aromantic, Asexual, Polyamorous |
| Skillset | Dancer, Swordsman |
| Nicknames | Mer |
THE SECTIONS ARE CURRENTLY HALF-WRITTEN, will be finishing them as I can before & after work. Please don't mind half-sentences and phrases that make no sense yet!
A cheerful soul with grim undercurrents, Mercury is a dancer who trained in the sword, an occasional companion enjoying the pampering and extra money of the business, and a once-killer seeking penance.
Contents
Playlist
- Who Are You Really? | Mikky Ekko
- Curbstomp | Meg Myers
- Everybody Wants To Rule The World | Lorde
- On Fire | Raleigh Ritchie
- Tabi Wo Suru Numa | Mushishi OST
OOC
Played by imayosh on the RPC.
New to FFXIV RPing and still learning the ropes, but a long-time RPer and player.
Not interested in ERP.
Mercury will be a PLD main OOC.
Rumors
in progress
Appearance
Thin and wiry, his upbringing shows in his soft muscles and softer skin. Soft and new as they may be, there's some promise in those muscles, blatant works-in-progress with a runner's build incoming. He's always humming with energy, ready to fight or dance with every interesting stranger that crosses his path, and the desire can be seen in his eyes even while he sits enjoying a drink.
Practical or not, Mer's hair fell to the small of his back less than a year ago, and he had every intention of keeping it there. When he practiced the sword he kept it up in a messy bun, but its new length at his neck makes that unnecessary. He's still not sold on the idea of hair so short (by his count, anyway), but it's not like he has a choice in the matter, so he makes the best of the feathered texture. Its color is a soft rose, which he's particularly fond of.
His eyes are as full of energy as the rest of his body, a deep russet brown in color and ever sharp and observing.
History
Mercury is a Duskwight Elezen originally from Ishgard, where he lived with his highborn father. He has a half-sibling who visited but never lived with them long-term, and they had little in hired help either, making their home a little too spacious for a family of two. [My details on this part are still slim, but it ends in well-deserved patricide.] Mercury's father died when their home went up in flame, and whether premeditated or a crime of opportunity, Mercury ended his life. The fire left a mark on himself as well, burns on his back along with his (previously quite long) hair being singed and having to cut a good bit of it off.
Due to the nature of the fire and how little the general public knew of their home life, the fire was deemed an unfortunate accident, and Mercury considered another victim. He waited an appropriate mourning period, and then departed, claiming that he had nothing left for him in Ishgard, and his wandering soul needs be sated -- neither claim was entirely wrong, and no one sought to stop him. Once he left, he took up a new surname in Sanguinaire (a bit kitschy, but he felt it appropriate penance), not going into hiding or trying to erase himself, just separating himself from his father's name. Back in Ishgard he's still known by his old name, but really, that's why he doesn't go back. There's nothing for him there, save a sibling that resents him their father's death while having no evidence or even surety that it might not have been an accident.
Mercury was professionally trained in dance, and then picked up the sword of his own will. He weaves his dance into his swordplay, giving him a fluid style that looks slower than it is, almost snake-like in its trance-inducing motion followed by quick strikes. It's been a little less than a year since the fire, and he's spent his time more or less a vagrant, wandering without a real purpose. He's made extra money working as a companion, enjoying the added perks of some pampering while he was at it, but overall it was just business. His aromantic and asexual leanings meant that he was never specifically attracted to any clients, but neither did he despise it. It was comfortable work, fun even, that he'd be willing to pick up again were it requested or his feet fell out from under him once more.
Personality
So far as Mercury is concerned, he has nothing left to lose. This gives him the strength to give his all in everything he does, he acts with certainty and no longer second-guesses himself. Where he used to run every action and word through a hundred filters of what someone would think or do, hide the parts of himself unwanted by those around him, he has utterly bloomed in the absence of his father. His swordplay in particular has flourished, and his general cheer is as genuine as its grim undercurrents. He does have the sense to keep that fiercest part of himself, the part that allowed him to become a murderer, tucked away most of the time -- or at least when he finds that rare passion and bares his teeth, he makes sure the ones to see it know why.
However, he has nothing left to lose, and frankly he didn't have much to begin with. His recklessness is a danger, when a stranger should give him pause he doesn't think it through, because he figures he'll get out of any unpleasant situations... or he won't. He doesn't think about it because thinking about it would be admitting he doesn't much care. Due to his long-term apathy in many regards, he has trouble sympathizing as well, particularly with people who are worried about an outcome. It wouldn't be surprising for him to lead someone into a dangerous situation, and be fairly unapologetic if they got hurt in the process. Sure, he'd do what he could to help the healing process, provide comfort as much as he could, but he wouldn't feel bad for it happening in the slightest.
On less serious notes, Mercury has a taste for the occasional drink or smoke, and while careful to not let it get out of hand he's always ready for a fun night, bringing out some of that old dance training with little prompting. Though he has no romantic or sexual interest in anyone, he still considers himself polyamorous in the ways of skinship -- soft touches, kisses, bathing together, washing each other's hair, massages, any kind of non-sexual intimacy he greatly enjoys, and would be delighted to have a wide array of 'partners' in this. His relationships are unique, but no less strong for it.
Plot Potential (Past)
The only people left of importance to Mercury are his sibling and, potentially, a childhood friend.
His sibling is the kind of character that would probably have to be created as a new character and thus I don't expect anything to come of it, but regardless, they resent him for living through what killed their father, and maybe even suspect him of being responsible. Mercury holds no ill will towards them and believes fully that he's done them a favor as well by ridding them of that man, but understands that they don't see eye-to-eye on that matter. He is avoiding them just by leaving Ishgard, but he wouldn't be quick to run if they saw each other again. He wants to believe they could understand why he did what he did, after a time, but if they choose to condemn him personally he'll accept it... so long as it doesn't come with trouble with the authorities, anyway.
Spot filled! As for a childhood friend, any male who had lived in Ishgard in his childhood, or visited fairly often, or something else feasible, would do for this role. He knew Mercury when they were children, and they lost touch for whatever reason, then reconnected outside of Ishgard. He's heard of Mercury's father's death and knows what the man was like in life, but more than anything he can read Mercury like a book. It's highly likely he either suspects or just knows by instinct what happened. Whether he chooses to act on his guess and how he feels about his old friend being a murderer is an unknown factor, and I would be happy with any way this kind of plot went.
Plot Potential (Current)
I am open to planning around characters already knowing each other, having met before and developed something previously, rather than starting every interaction from first contact!
Mercury has and on rare occasion still works as a companion, serving women, men, and all others. Anyone who was lonely and needed a date, or had told their parents they had a partner when they didn't, or just wanted to pay for a quick nightcap rather than woo someone into their bed, Mercury was happy to help for a pretty fee (and it didn't hurt when his clients chose to pamper him, either). Characters could have previously hired him, known someone who hired him and chatted him up, or otherwise know him through this channel. (Note: This is not an invitation for ERP, as I have no interest in that myself. In fact, Mercury is asexual, and is fairly neutral to the idea of sex if he's not being paid. He also won't appreciate anyone treating him as if this is his only notable trait.)
Oh, how the nightlife thrives! Of Mercury's friendly acquaintances, a majority of them have been made because he got a tad drunk and showed just how professional his dancing was, perhaps on a tabletop in the middle of a bar, or any surface that looked similarly capable of holding his weight. A tipsy Mercury is a charmingly unguarded, cheerfully energetic Mercury, ripe for friend-making.
Though he is quite fond of his own style of swordsmanship, Mercury does seek to improve himself, and he figures none would be able to help him so much as a swordsman. He's never had formal training in swordplay, much as he's figured out, so if he were to come across a particularly skilled swordsman he would gladly approach them for assistance or a spar (that Mercury would be very likely to lose).
