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⸸ . Character

Having a lordly title is as unimportant to one Wriothesley as you’d expect. Of a relaxed disposition that would throw most people for a loop, more than once has his title been taken for something given out of formality rather than valor. Yet, His Grace is anything but careless: clever in his approach, there is no issue inside the fortress that he can’t solve with his silver tongue and astute mind. Of course, his brains aren't only utilized for official business, as it seems the duke has quite the penchant for witty comebacks and practical jokes. On a surface level, Wriothesley presents as a laid - back individual that is happy to comply with what is demanded of him so long as it gets him where he wants to be. He isn't one to fuss over the specific details of how he got there to begin with and if you won’t ask, he certainly won’t tell.In regards to combat, his style is about luring his opponents in by leaving himself open, only to strike back when the optimal opportunity presents itself. That same approach defines his thinking style and approach to problem – solving: by standing back and assessing the situation first, Wriothesley is capable of collecting all the necessary information to gauge his next course of action. He is also exceptionally adept at adapting to circumstances, rare being the instances in which Wriothesley finds himself at a loss.And in a similar fashion, the duke tends to overthink his more … emotional matters in the same manner. This way, he often finds himself thinking of his fondness of people instead of verbalizing it. Rougher with his words than one would expect from his practiced politeness, they lean much more towards action when it comes to self - expression. Still, he has a lot more heart than you’d expect one known as a ‘Warden’ to: he cares about his people immensely, and caring in such a way comes to him effortlessly.

Wriothesley isn't fond of acting, his attitude being packed with a blunt honesty that delivers words hitting about as hard as his gauntlets. As such, that chill nature of his is not one hundred percent accurate to his actual internal framework. His Grace is a lot more cautious than his expressions give way of, and beneath his unflappable exterior, the duke has quite a lot of strong beliefs that he is dedicated to upholding. How open he is with said convictions depends exclusively on the topic at hand, and sometimes the person inquiring about it.Finding that Fontaine’s law is a load of bullcrap? Depends. He certainly won’t talk about it with any of the folks over at Palais Mermonia. It is not worth losing a client just to speak his mind once. Now, something more sensible like, say, the treatment of reformed convicts in the Overworld? Sure. Most people don’t expect that from him given his position and the general lack of awareness of how he got it in the first place, but usually a topic like ‘Perhaps we should treat people as … people?’ is not entirely controversial. And if someone finds it in them to disagree for one reason or another, then, well … That gives Wriothesley a good hint on who to avoid.A defining characteristic of his would be self – worth. That is, Wriothesley knows his own. He does not underrepresent himself, for he already spent many years of his life being looked down upon and unfairly judged; the duke is not about to do the same to himself. Even then, he is far from cocky or overly self – assured. If anything, most people who have had sufficient exchanges with him would regard him as noticeably humble. In tandem with his blunt honesty, he doesn’t make himself out to be more skilled or remarkable than he actually is. However, it’s worth noting that in a general sense, people’s opinions of him hardly contribute towards his own self – worth. Usually, you will only find Wriothesley taking them into account when it comes to his job.

⸸ . STORY

For most, the past is a place for regret and grievances; a sore reminder of what has come and gone or perhaps accounts to be settled … Wriothesley can't say he remembers much of his by now. The only ways of remembrance he retains are the proof of his guilt and what he'd done for the sake of survival, if only in the form of pure muscle memory. That said, he has little desire to dwell on it; as a mortal in a world with gods and end – all prophecies, life is short & he doesn't intend on wasting it looking backwards.By default, it can be said that this former street rat turned murderer turned DUKE has his feet firmly planted on the present day. It all comes from the principle that once you are sent down to the Fortress, whatever you once were, be it good or bad, gets buried under a new label: the lack thereof. A nobody. Once he'd gotten there, Wriothesley was just another ripple on the constantly shifting tides of the fortress at the time, and with that, he found himself capable of putting who he once was behind him in more ways than one.              Now … How did we get here?During his early days, he found himself asking this question more times than he could count, but not out of a feeling of regret. Rather, he would wonder what turn was it his life took that got him to this point. He would find a different answer each time. The fact Wriothesley found even a moment of time to contemplate like that while working his ass off to get to the top of the food chain was a feat in itself, but it was those moments of stillness that prevented him from turning into a madman down there. It was a luxury to be able to think, after all. He did plenty of it nowadays.Back then, the environment had been no more forgiving than the streets of Fontaine. It was hardly an improvement from the life he led after running away from his foster family and certainly not better than jumping from one odd job to another, and Wriothesley felt he had just about double the amount of eyes on his back than he did in the Overworld … Except those eyes now held more mal intent than plain disgust.Still, he doesn’t regret. The duke tries to think himself above it, truly. His old name, and even his true birth date were left behind the day he entered the underwater fortress and then effectively buried under the waves when he finished his sentence and took on the seat at the heart of it.

⸸ . MODERN

coming from a difficult life that led him from bouncing around fontaine's foster care system to facing homelessness, wriothesley wound up bearing the weight of taking a— no, more than one life. after serving his sentence, he was left with little avenue but was set on not increasing his burden by falling further into crime. through a series of convoluted events, wriothesley would rise as a boxing champion, becoming known for his history as the ‘reformed criminal turning his life around.’ the newfound stability brought from his career gave him the leeway to take the next step on his own personal ambitions, which took shape in the form of a speakeasy that doubles as a coffee shop during the day and transitions into a bar during the night. the establishment is known for hiring former convicts as well as having multiple other functions aside from selling drinks yet it has garnered a rather favorable reputation among the city districts, in no short part thanks to wriothesley's name.

⸸ . SOUL EATER

ㅤthe orphaned offspring of a faded immortal clan, the earliest chapter of wriothesley's life commenced as a werewolf child fostered by a small coven of witches who sought to raise non - human children as weapons against the academy. however insidious, his childhood & his siblings' under their care was idyllic as could be, as they nurtured caring bonds with only a few cracks ― only for the sharp needles of betrayal to pierce through his skin once the organization fell through && was eradicated by the enemies they swore to destroy, the truth of his upbringing revealed to him.( at times, he wonders if that was simply the academy's way of interpreting things to ensure he'd side with them. )hardly into his early teens, he was brought into the academy and raised within it as a way of ‘redemption’ ― however, his past association with witches did not by any means grant him preferential treatment. in fact, much the opposite : wriothesley would have asinine limitations placed upon him '&& see himself looked down upon not only by the staff who allegedly saved his life, but other attendees as well. in spite of his growing passion for demon weapons, this combination of factors would find the hound at a loss when it came to finding compatibility with anybody within that wretched place. eventually, wriothesley would spitefully accept his status as he was held back from becoming a fully fledged meister, swiftly gathering his own group of students facing similar struggles.it wasn't until he happened upon one neuvillette that he would find himself understanding the reason behind all his strife― it was her, who understood the rejection he faced better than anybody & who was just as much of an outsider as him. he knows now ; he would raise hell and collapse heaven for her. the two would become a fearsome duo in battle, even with their shared agenda of sparing the most of their enemies as they can, due to the sheer strength in their bond.

⸸ . ALTERNATE MODERN

once part of a band that was quickly rising to stardom, wriothesley had most of his teen and early adult years stolen away by the tide of fame and media exploitation. backed up by their foster parents' names, their growth was sudden, unexpected & too good to be true ― still, wriothesley relished in it until it took away one akin to family to him. believing karma did not exist for powerful people, he sought justice for his brother on his own: an action that would land him imprisoned for several years. upon his release, he disconnected himself from all traces of his former identity & career, including his own birth name, leaving the media to wonder where the hell he disappeared to. while he has long grown tired of the spotlight & attention, his adoration for music never ceased; so, he resorts to working behind the scenes. simply known by the alias cerberus, wriothesley has become an anonymous producer & songwriter for many different figures― yet not a single one of them has met him in person.

⸸ . WESTERN

what does it take for an outlaw to be trusted by even the sheriff in charge of all of fontaine’s shiny splendor? a healthy dose of charm && charisma , that’s how! with a low baritone ready to dish out praise at a moment's notice to boot. at least— that’s what the word is on the street. the two are very much deeply tied to one another , and wriothesley’s presence is proof that even the most sordid of criminals in the court can find a chance at redemption. but, of course, it is up to them how they utilize said chance— and that is what his grace did. that is how he became irreversibly tied to the monsieur iudex. she granted him an opening, and he was ... ... tired and unprepared to take it.over a decade of running easily wears down one’s spirits. and for one noah, he has been running since he was a boy. the blood of the man and woman who took him under their wing permanently stains his hands ; but that is not what he regrets. he did what he must to keep his brothers and sisters safe, he served his time — yet guilt creeps up on him from time to time. forgiveness was never his strong suit , and he carries others’ grievances like his own, at times. it’s that propensity to taking on somebody else’s pain for himself that brought him and cerberus together. it's difficult to think that a group of four women could cause so much unrest && relief simultaneously, yet that quickly became their reputation.after finishing his first sentence, a struggle to settle back into society would catapult wriothesley into becoming one of the most notorious criminals of the continent, with him and his companions taking control of large stretches of land and playing by their own rules rather the inflexibility of the court. there were people on those places that they, especially wriothesley, sought to protect ... and the list of crimes they were responsible for in the effect of that is simply non-exhaustive. however, there is one line he refused to cross : he would not be met with death again to preserve life. and once again, that principle is ... what brought him down. at least, in the eyes of those who went down their respective path for power. there are multiple versions of the facts to be told— betrayal, disagreements, a simple ... fork on the road. in the end, a painful split would divide the cerberus territory into three pieces, and one by one ... down they went.wriothesley ... left, trusting the area to be in safer hands now with the appointment of a newer man in charge of the court, but his absence would be strongly felt — even when choosing to tread a lonelier path than he's ever had before, one could tell he’d left his heart back with the community he gave his all to protect. clearly so, with the fresh blood on his hands with a short living as a mercenary. abandoning his one principle may well have been the last drop ... with the way he allowed himself to be caught. and that should’ve told the men responsible for his capture enough, as nearly twenty-odd years of slipping through justice's lousy fingers were so easily sent down the drain.the details grow ever muddier from this point onward. as he fast approaches his forties, wriothesley has settled into many a variety of skills — his most valuable one being the ability to keep a low-profile. perhaps, to counteract the spotlight he put himself on as a young adult, the person he's become now is much of a conundrum. while he remains open about his past as a criminal to set an example, he does not detail a lot about his ... turning a new leaf. he strives to be a simpler man. a rancher, deeply caring towards the people living on his land and working for him, allowing others to find the redemption he couldn't immediately achieve, and every now and then ... he might reveal a surprising skill for your entertainment. though, nowadays he is far more fond of listening to another’s stories than creating them himself.

ㅤ  SUPERNATURAL AU  ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ NOTES ㅤ ——— ◞ ㅤ werewolf. leader of his own pack. distrusting of humans due to past experiences, stays in his wolf form often. the fortress of meropide is a place of refuge for nonhuman creatures etc. WORK IN PROGRESSㅤ  IDOL AU  ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ——— ㅤ ◞ former convict that was hired as the personal bodyguard to fontaine's one & only neuvillette. WORK IN PROGRESS

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ROLEPLAY SAMPLE

^❝ ㅤ... Alright. Looks good.” The warden hums, appraising the arrangement with a thoughtful gaze. The radiant blue of the cornflowers was the highlight of the … ‘Show’, surrounded by pink, violet & lilac blooms that only enhanced its vivid color, yet Wriothesley was incapable of perceiving in full.It’d taken at least three different pairs of eyes to ensure the flowers were of the right color, but he was sure that it would be worth the additional labor. If any of the people at the Fortress had the nerve to ask who exactly His Grace was doing all this drudgery for, they would definitely not be graced with an answer; and it wasn’t as though he was embarrassed about it, he just… wanted to keep it on the down - low for now, as he thought the Chief Justice would as well.Wriothesley liked to think himself capable of taking note of important things. To him, Neuvillette’s personal taste was one of such things. As was the Iudex’s routine & how she looked on that particular day. Especially how she’d looked… That had been what brought them here to begin with, sheepishly asking Sigewinne to help them pick out the best flowers & ensuring they were the right shade of blue so the Duke could then arrange them in a way he knew to be to Monsieur Neuvillette’s taste.Forget how he became skilled at arranging flowers to begin with. That was, yet again, an ability he picked up for the sake of someone else… Since when had he become so attentive to others? The thought makes him huff out a laugh. He supposes that had always been the case, it only became increasingly obvious with time and ever since he’d grown fond of that woman.The main question now would be how to take the blossoms to Neuvillette. He couldn’t do it himself, unable to leave his post… Or far too sheepish to; nor could he ask Sigewinne to do it on his behalf for she was his reliable partner.His only remaining option had been to ask one of the melusines, as they are helpful enough to be willing to execute the request, as well as the fact that the Iudex notoriously let her guard down around them… But there was one small, yet undeniable troublesome factor. The people talk. Were he to go, in person, deliver such a— Well, it wasn’t exactly massive, but it certainly wasn’t simple, either. The question was… If Wriothesley went there himself, it would most definitely catch people’s attention, regardless of whether or not they knew him as the Fortress Administrator. And worst case scenario… There would be rumors. He knew Neuvillette well enough to gauge that would be, at the very least, an uncomfortable thing to deal with.… And that left him to, once again, rely on Sigewinne to assist him, who convinced one peppy melusine of the name Aeife to do the deed. He would owe them both many, many sweet treats for this… possibly more than that, for being so ungodly helpful. Really, this may well have stayed as only an idea in Wriothesley's busy head if it weren't for Sigewinne's assistance. So he owed quite a lot to that little one now.Internally, his heart would begin to pound relentlessly the second those flowers left his office. Would Neuvillette enjoy them at all? Would it have any of the desired effects— that is, to alleviate her recent stress? Would it come across as too imposing? Too intimate? Overtly friendly? Wriothesley's ‘act first, question later’ mode of operation was often to his detriment, but not to this degree— Deep in his rough heart, he just hoped the fresh blossoms would bring out that gentle smile he'd started to think about so frequently.

Slumbering beneath the waves of Liffey lies the heart of the Fortress Administrator, caught in wistful longing for the one presiding over the Seat of Justice, not too distant yet never close enough to quell his yearning. .... And that would've been a very strong opening for a novel, he finds. Wriothesley certainly wasn't the type to grow poetic with his feelings; he preferred to keep things clear, concise & most important of all, open. However, when it came to Fontaine's one & only Iudex Neuvillette, that aspect was left to be desired; for the most part due to Wriothesley's complete loss of his ability to be upfront with his feelings when her name was involved.From praising her manners to commenting on her poise, pointing out her unshakable impartiality or conversational prowess, you could say Meropide's Warden had no words to spare when it came to complimenting the woman in question. Yet, none of it was what mattered the most to him. No amount of polite adulation could compare to how he adored the sheer gentleness in her behavior; or her unshakable willingness to see the best in all, even somebody as shrewd dishonest as himself, as well as the kindness reserved only for the melusines, and those she found a unique sense of kinship with. All of those features & a world more, never would the Duke be capable of composing an eulogy that could contain all of her best traits, because whenever he thought about it, Wriothesley found something new to love. He could only get by basking in her presence, sharing the same air, the same sea .... The same sky. It filled him with a yearning that was foreign and out of place in his chest; one that could only be remedied by seeing her again.How long had it been? Certainly an eternity. Down in the Fortress, one's perception of time dulls and everything is either gone too soon or overstaying its welcome. In a sense, Neuvillette was both. Gone too soon when she came and taking too long between her rare visits. Wriothesley knew his counterpart well - enough to be aware that if he'd shown up with no real purpose other than making his presence known to him, she would sooner cancel her own appointments than let him face rejection. Yet, his preference for doing things his way spoke louder & louder still.The Duke was fully prepared to face the judge's exasperated, yet undeniably fond gaze; ready to be gently chastised, yet still given the time of day. His heart thumped against his chest: matching the rhythm of his idle fingers, the turning gears in the ceiling & Argentum's own moving mechanical core. His clockwork rhythm would be promptly disturbed and thrown off balance by the addition of a new, unexpected component: once again, her. Wriothesley's sheer delight is so palpable that it stirs Argentum from standby mode, the mek promptly scanning the surrounding area only to realize it was none other than Neuvillette, in the flesh.Perhaps his plan had worked a little too well, Wriothesley thinks as he leans back on his chair and turns his gaze to meet the Iudex's lilac one. His hand purposefully lingers near hers as the tool for his 'crime' is returned to him, treated with as much gentleness as she extended to him.^❝ Monsieur Neuvillette! You never fail to surprise me, hmm? Here I thought you'd simply make some time for me, yet you decide to give me the honor of gracing me with your presence yourself. " The Duke's smile is unmatched. His plan of disguising his excitement soon falls through as he sets the proof of his scheming aside and leans forward over the desk, resting his chin on his left hand. " Heh, I'm just kidding. It worked, didn't it? Much better than I expected at that .... Who would've thought I'd get you here so soon? I'm afraid I'll have to prolong your stay for as long as I possibly can now, Neuvillette. "

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