first impressions are important, or so the story always goes--with mordant, nothing much looks quite lit upstairs. he looks, actually, about like what's expected from an ignorant roughneck; he's ugly, he's scarred up, he's huge; he's full of teeth and claws and big horns, with bigger fists and the muscle to back it all up.the fact he never seems to speak, either, or look anyone in the eye, or listen to what they have to say, does him no favours.and yet,and yet.

first impressions are important--yet no one ever seems to remember just how much first impressions tend to reflect both ways.the question one must ask then,what's the first impression he's got of you, if that's all you're seeing?

GENERAL INFO
> duskwight-xaela
> young adult
> orphaned as a kid
> retrograde amnesia a whole new world
> he/him
> deaf
> has a pair of heavily-modified linkpearls for hearing aids
> retainer on permanent loan to scions
> "retired" syndicate muscle
> big & tall; cryptid beef
> lawful good

NOTEABLE FEATURES
> bright blue mullet
> bright blue sclera & orange-gold limbal rings
> mostly-permanent squint & frown
> scarred to hell & back; biggest is a rough patch blasted across most of his face
> scales/skin varies in hue & range by lighting
> two large horns below jaw + crown of shorter, fused horns that overlap at temple and forehead
> bonus ears that don't work right
> prehensile tail with a grabbin' end
> lizard feet with "raptor" claws
> blue teeth/tusks, & blue lizard tongue

+ Wanderer's Ballad (series)
= NONE-LIGHT IX-DOWN, SUPPOSE GROWS?
= rolanberry fields
= with-ORANGES, I-LOVE-YOU
+ tba

wads of crumpled paper, stained heavy with charcoal scribbles, litter the ground around a very odd, dented recording device that's been left propped against a vaguely lute-like instrument.upon pressing one of the recorder's shiny buttons, a rush of aether displaces. wheels turn. sound clicks on from a speaker embedded in the outer plastek shell & tinny, breathy static rushes forth. a soft, low voice joins in, late. this is muffled like it's just a little too far from the recorder.the first several minutes are filled with aimless tune-ups. rustles of paper. scratch-scratch-rasps of writing and the occasional unintelligible grunt.another button press, another rush of aether:the recorder's secondary function kicks in & the likeness of-- something toothy --shows their blurred face in a dazzling, electronic array of synthetic light. slowly, they're more in focus. there's a lot more of them to see as they lean back. if an au ra had big ears and terrible fashion sense, maybe they'd be that.whatever they are, they hold in clawed hands a match to the instrument sat next to the activated recorder & its projection displayed from an inset panel on top.& they, this recording, this stranger--they start to play.there's stretches with no words, just music. the dance of hands & shifts of body to sing for them. actual song--either a cappella or together with the rhapsodic twangs of their instrument, is sparse but there, too. a few times, it's a haunting, vibrant mix of everything.mostly, thoughthe person recorded is raw & untrained. & though the rough, scarred face lacks a noticeable smile, there is clear passion behind all the music and motion. they are doing this just for the simple joy of self-expression,and they arehappy.

WANDERER'S BALLAD - side B

OOC NOTES
glossed lyrics aren't 1:1; E-S-L has grammar & syntax distinct from english/eorzean/common/etc but i chose to go with the more symplified "translations" here for several reasons. that does unfortunately mean that a lot of the more detailed context cues are missing--but i figure that's fine when english lyrics often have the exact same problem (or do for me, anyway).regardless: this is an ongoing self-indulgent project for me & i'm just a little dude making fridge art for me. please be kind if you have corrections & may my grammatical sins be forgiven their poetic license(p.s. esl in this context is eorzean sign language, but it's sourced from asl, american sign language, since that's what i've learned)thanks for reading!