#i do not discuss vortalis enough in spite of how integral he is to the life of a certain antari

[starsailores]

*sees this several days late* If you're in the mood, Vor: 16, 20 (can definitely take "weird" either as intended or as interesting or just off-the-top-of-your-head, for the record) and 24?

i am always in the mood to discuss shades of magic characters, and vor is a fun one to ponder. here we go:

16 - a childhood headcanon: he used to slip away from home and climb the city walls, old buildings, anywhere high enough to give a decent view of the city, and imagine he was looking out from the castle windows. like holland, he always wanted more for his city, but unlike holland, he always knew that the only way to do so would be to rule (and what child hasn't dreamed of being king?). the habit stuck with him as he got older, going from a place to fantasise to a place to think and strategise, and even in adulthood he could be found sitting on rooftops with his antari night by his side.

20 - a (weird) headcanon: since vor spent a lot of time travelling prior to meeting holland and claiming the throne, and he used a translation rune rather than learning other languages, he has adopted a lot of idioms and turns of phrase that he grew used to hearing in maktahn, but that make no sense to anybody else when he is at home. it is something that holland finds both intriguing and endearing, especially when vor pulls out an incomprehensible metaphor in the middle of a heated debate that only he understands. it also gives him a greater appreciation for other societies and their cultures, leading to him being intrigued by kell and arnes, though this is not something he would admit to. he had bigger problems to worry about.

24 - a secret you think they've never told anyone: despite all of his pride and bluster, he always worried that he was not good enough. he built a name for himself for being a ruthless revolutionary, and dubbed himself the winter king as a representation of his desire to be the turning point in makt's growth and recovery, but he was just a man. not to slip into lord huron brainrot, but the balancer's eye has the line 'now i know that i can't lift an old curse, tell me, how does a man change the universe?', and i think that summarises his insecurity in his ability to enact real change. it eats at him at night when he sees his people starving and asking for new blood. but he has to maintain that image of strength, and he still believes fervently in his cause, so he pushes it down and only voices these fears to holland in the form of tired anger.