Commander Sanson Smyth

>> trying to self soothe.

The tavern is dead silent except for his occasional, pathetic sniffling.

Just one ale to settle himself a little, and then back to work.

That had been what he told himself. Instead, Buscarron had to unofficially close the bar down early and leave Sanson alone, face down on the bar, clutching his tenth ale in one hand and frantically stroking his horns with the other, >>

Just as Thancred reported.

Sanson pauses to put his face in his hand.

How. Many.

How many people have been lost, because he allowed pity to stay his hand?

There's no excuse...it is on his hands. He cannot allow it to happen again.

They have to die.

He briefly looks over it, and then begins searching the debris.

It's with grim determination that he sets out for the Crystal Tower yet again, intent on reaching @allagachia.bsky.social 's location.

He does not expect it to be easy. But he expects the source of any Allagan nonsense has originated here.

Mercy was clearly a mistake.

Thought I was dead, didn’t you?

"...sorry."

I don't know what you're talking about. Goodbye.

"No! Just-" Nervous babbling engaged. "You should know the lack of activity here has caused me to gain a bit of weight-"

[purring quietly]

[curled around her, a box of donuts nearby]

[immediately] No.

............

[suddenly STARING hard at her]

[there's No Way that she knows]

Yes.

Very well.

He fights. That was as it had always been. He was a weapon waiting to be picked up. To defend. To attack. To be used.

She's a TEENAGE GIRL. How threatening is that even supposed to be-

[Takes the linkpearl. Instant-]

Mmmhm..

"Ah..."

His face flushes, tail briefly swinging wildly before he steadies it by grabbing hold of it.

//to be honest so many of my friends have body image issues so it's nice to see the opposite and know I don't need to worry about you in that regard 😂

A soft snort as he finally lays down. "You'll handle all the paperwork that's definitely built up, will you?"

...alright. I'll do my best.

What.

I'd also happily cede...Panne has much better photography skills and would likely be a better judge next week.

Now that he's back in Eorzea...he's indulging in the hot springs of Western Coerthas again.

He closes his eyes. "Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do...but it was necessary. I'll return eventually. When I feel I can stand under the weight of it all again."

>> hair out of his face.

"This makes it clearer to me why you avoided Tataru and Krile so ardently."

"I don't know if I'll get 'used to it'. I still miss home. I miss my bard contingent. I worry about the Shroud. But...I can't argue that this rest was necessary. I was more tired than I let myself realize."

He finishes stripping to his smalls and then sits on the bed, carefully moving Estinien's>>

>> living since you left Ishgard?"

Sanson hums thoughtfully, looking out the window as he starts undressing.

"It's been...nice. The nights here. No emergency calls at midnight. I'm not obligated to wake up before dawn. The only person I have to worry about getting ready is myself."

He looks at Estinien. "...is this how you've been>