#okuni

Previews for the spot art I did for @pkmn30annivzine! Drew for two different fics, one by @/davyjoneslockr (tumblr) and the other by @/crumbshark (bsky)

“Now, the stars of the show have arrived!”

He had long ago given up on seeing Priarch fuse itself into a singular, coherent, functioning unit. They were mercenaries, a diverse crowd with an equally varied skillset and moral code. Most of them had never been soldiers. He was used to the arguments, at the meeting table and away from it. Was used to having to raise his voice into the middle of it, and to being astounded that a point that seemed obvious and concrete to him generated such a myriad of opinions he could scarce keep track of them all.

If they had been soldiers he would have disciplined them. Tried his best to hammer them into a shape sharp and precise as a sword. But they were not, so instead he simply watched them, tried to learn the shape of them, the things they did best and the things that they needed.

He might have written it all down in notes easily enough:

Edarien:

-Strong magic. Strange magic if the way the others react means anything.

-Lonely. Needs a friend and sometimes a voice of reason. 

Inwa:

-Healer. Trustworthy. Kind and merciful.

-Too merciful sometimes. Needs someone to make sure his own kindness doesn’t kill him.

Louvel:

-Strong fighter. Cares deeply for those he loves.

-Uncontrolled temper. Does not like or trust me. What he needs must come from someone else.

Lyrin’a:

-Steady. Good healer, and calm and reliable in crisis.

-Dislikes conflict. Needs someone to hear him and help him be heard.

Okuni:

-Clever. Quick. Determined. Variety of skills. Magic? Knives.

-Needs to be reminded not to rush into things alone or tackle more than she can manage.

Talia:

-Sniper. Very good. Several other magical talents I probably don’t even know.

-Needs reminders of morality sometimes. Friends. Doesn’t need most of it from me.

Idristan: 

-Magic. Very strong.

-Soft heart he doesn’t want anybody to know about. Fragile pride. What he needs isn’t for me to provide.

Elias:

-Good-hearted. Means best for everybody. Hard to read.

-Clumsy, but usually manages. Not always sure what he needs. Perhaps nothing from me. 

Teagan:

-Fights with her fists. Surprisingly capable. Battle rages.

-May need someone to help her out of rages sometime. May not need it from me.

Latika’a: 

-Hiding several capabilities under several acts. Good when he settles down to heal.

-Needs? Inwa will sort it out.

Sui:

-Healer. Sound insights. Voice of mercy.

-Needs someone to guard his back and temper his mercy. That is me.

But he did not. He kept his private assessments in his thoughts, and tried his best to remember them when they were needed. He might have liked to pretend they would all come together when the moment demanded like the pieces of a puzzle or the many links that together made a shirt of mail. They did not usually. They scattered, they argued, they raged.  He wasn’t certain what held them together at all sometimes. But something did. 

That same something carried them to victory as often as not. He frequently thought that their enemies would truly find something to fear if they ever managed to put themselves together. Sometimes, though, he wondered if they were not more fearsome just as they were.