#bolte

Happy very belated birthday, Katie!!!! It’s been ages since I drew Bolte, but I wanted to illustrate him again. I hope your work treats you kindly this week.

it’s either kill or be killed...and red made sure the latter was never an option for bolte

the kindness was crushed out of him when he was just a kid, killed at the root like a weed. he grew up exactly as mean as the world needed him to be.

there are a lot of scars under that armor, and sometimes he comes home dripping blood and mana, his face set into a rigor mortis of a scowl but - bleeding just means you’re still alive, right?

“bolte, huh? you really think you’ve got what it takes to be a royal guard?”

“yes.”

there’s no hesitation.

failure is not an option.

tag list - let me know if you want on or off the list

always coming to me with such quality asks, thank you friend!

zeffer

1. What was your OC’s first kiss like?

   they were kids in the mine when they shouldn’t have been, because Zeffer thought exploring would be fun and Yolenda never quite figured out how to say no to her. it was dirty and wet and dark. Yolenda missed and they bonked foreheads together, laughed until their sides ached. when she tried again, Zeffer wasn’t paying attention and nearly gave Yolenda a bloody nose via enthusiastic elbow to the face. the third time ended up being the charmer.

4. How does your OC hug others?

   with her whole body. just throws herself into the hug, big arms a comfort. when you picture “bear hug” you’re picturing a hug from Zeffer

10. Does your OC like telling stories to kids? How do they go about telling a story?

    yes! Zeffer loves telling stories, to anyone that will listen, really, but also to kids! kids make the best audience, you know? she’s a verbal talker, so she makes grand gestures with her hands and exaggerated facial expressions. sometimes she even does voices, though she’s not particularly good at that.

11. Speaking of kids, what is your OC like around children in general?

   Zeffer says that she doesn’t, but the truth is that she really likes kids. it’s the only reason she stuck around and joined the Army of Orphel, you know? someone’s got to look out for Finneus, and it sure isn’t gonna be himself or Alexandra.   she wants them to be happy and healthy. a very supportive woman who believes that children should get to act like children; not like martyr’s meant to kill themselves for the “greater good”

12. How does your OC sleep? 

   like a log. when Zeffer is out, that’s it, she’s out for the night. it’s like a complete stop. she has a very heavy wolf-hide blanket that she bought a while before joining up with the Army, and drapes it around her shoulders like a cape before face-planting into her bear companions side.   yes, you can cuddle with her. 

18. How does your OC talk about their love, if any? 

   with all the devotion in the world. her love might not be perfect but, oh, she’s close to it. and her imperfections are still beautiful, if you ask Zeffer, because they’re part of what’s made her SO so strong! loves to compliment that - so strong, what an amazing warrior!

Bolte

1.  What was your OC’s first kiss like?

easiest question of the bunch! he hasn’t had one. affection of any sort will get you killed in Fara Falls. living with someone is already a weak point; making deals on Red’s behalf is already a danger. so yeah, Bolte hasn’t had a first kiss before, has never had a relationship.

4. How does your OC hug others?

awkwardly, for start. it doesn’t happen often. but - one day he comes home from a really bad patrol, dripping blood and mana, sinks down onto his knees and just sort of falls against Red. hugs like he doesn’t know what to do with it, like it’s something that he wants but knows that he can’t have.

10. Does your OC like telling stories to kids? How do they go about telling a story?

Bolte isn’t much of a story teller, unfortunately, and kids in his world aren’t much of listeners. but later on, when he gets the chance to sit down and talk with Blue? he tells stories about battles with vivid detail, paints Captain like the hero no one wants to admit she is; recites broken bones and the stories behind old scars like it’s normal and - sometimes talks about being a kid himself with so much disdain that it burns.   he was a stupid kid. almost got Red killed more times than he’s comfortable with.

11. Speaking of kids, what is your OC like around children in general?

surprisingly soft! Bolte knows what it’s like to be a kid out on your own. and as a member of the Royal Guard, he knows how often kids turn up dead - easy EXP, you know, when you’re too young to know how to fight proper and there’s no parent to fight on your behalf.   so, yeah, Bolte has the bag (good, he’s a good guy even if he won’t admit it) habit of keeping an eye out for them. will slip them gold if he finds some while he’s out on patrol, sometimes bits of hardtack, always has their side if a fight has broken out and, no, Bolte doesn’t care how much bread the kid stole, hands off or he’ll kill you where you stand.   the threat is always serious.   kids need all the help they can get - and Bolte will always give it if he’s able.

12. How does your OC sleep?

   Bolte sleeps like a knife that doesn’t have a hilt. at least, that’s how it’s described in the story at one point! to be less prose-y about it, he, ah, doesn’t sleep often and doesn’t sleep well. thin sheets on the bed, mattress on the floor, one eye open at all times.

18. How does your OC talk about their love, if any? 

*doesn’t drink at all

*will smoke sometimes but only if he’s in a lot of pain or really exhausted

*only comfortable sleeping around Red or Captain

*literally has no idea what Captain’s actual name is but they’re as close to “besties” as you’ll find in Fara Falls

*severely dyslexic

*when they were younger, Red used to make up stories to tell Bolte at night

*has a soft spot for kids; will give them extra gold if he finds them while on patrol

*has had most every bone in his body broken at least once

*is night blind in the eye with the scars

*those scars make him so proud though! look! look what he did! he Graduated!

*genuinely likes cooking

*eats a lot of oatmeal because it’s cheap and quick to throw together

*doesn’t like talking about what he does at work but you can tell it’s not fun

*frequently charged with helping crush rebellions and riots

*grew up too fast, in a world that was too harsh

*sometimes Red or Blue will say something and it makes Bolte’s whole face light up becuase he wants that so badly but he can’t have it

*nearly lost all his hearts intervening in a fight that Red started while he was drunk once; the end result is a very nasty scar on his chest

*owes Captain a lot for things he refuses to talk about

*has an extreme amount of control over his magic

*is actually a very strong character; he’s not second in command for nothing, you know

*when he smiles, he looks twenty years younger

*the first time Blue sees him smile is something hoo boy

*tried doing his own teeth once and nearly cut off his own tongue

*trusts Red with his life

here

have some random bullet points about him

*tall and very scarred up, with teeth cut into fangs. literally cut, like, red does it for him with a knife

*uses bone and fire magic

*the second-in-command for the Royal Guard

*has done a lot of really bad things in his life. he doesn’t regret them. 

*(that’s a lie)

*would burn the world if he thought it would keep Red safe

*has literally no control over his temper

*frequently puts his fist through the wall

*has broken Red’s nose at least five times

*has the world’s literal most complicated relationship with Red

*scars over one eye from his Graduation Exam

*let’s be real this boy is covered in scars

*wears bone armor into battle

*only ever relaxes around Red; otherwise his spine is rigor mortis stiff

*family what family it’s just been him and Red since forever

*attributes his survival as a kid directly to Red, and as such would do anything for Red

*this is directly countered by the fact that he will beat the shit out of Red if he loses his temper

*there is literally nothing more frustrating than the fact that he can’t control himself

*was originally coded to be a Villain in the game

*hurts a lot in cold weather

*a big plot point focuses on learning to be a better person but also how the circumstances behind one’s actions can alter the action itself

*practice explaining bad behavior without justifying bad behavior

*will rip his own hands open scratching and biting them if he’s frustrated or upset enough

*has an ongoing and illegal deal with the local barkeep; Red always gets home safe even when he’s drunk, and Bolte will be attack dog for anyone causing trouble at the bar

*hey buddy look what i can do *proceeds to make awful cracking sounds with his joints*

Key Highlights Henry Bolte is set to be promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas to the big leagues. Bolte recorded 12 straight hits in Minors last week, showcasing exceptional hitting prowess. The A’s Minor League hitting coordinator praised Bolte as a future star with plus makeup and work ethic. Bolte is a former second-round pick with a .348/.418/.658 slash line and 12 home runs in 37 games at…