...In Characters

salem estiels

hardworking nearly to a fault, salem loves to see the fruits of his labor more than anything. the rush of adrenaline when thinking "oh shit, it's done," the pride and satisfaction in seeing the finished product, even meticulously looking it over for faults afterwards to see what you can learn from it and improve on next time and, and...! that's where salem would have to cut himself off in his rambling so that he doesn't seem like as much of an enthusiast, as he's been called dismissively so many times before. it's what gives his life meaning, really. always striving ever higher, always better, but never perfect - perfection leaves no room for improvement after all. but he really does get too absorbed in it sometimes. people around him think he's distant and obsessive sometimes, often giving up on reaching out to him because they think he won't reach back. but he would, he absolutely would... and the constant of being given up on wears him down.

but it's better now; he has a beautiful strong husband who is ever so kind and regal and - huh? a king? what do you mean he's a king? yes, that's right. salem married a king without knowing. from rags to riches, our little guy went! yes, that's right! salem, who was born in the slums of a faraway city and worked himself to the bone every single day just to get by, courted the king for such a long time just thinking "man, this guy is really nice, huh!" too wrapped up in things like how to afford him gifts or what to do on dates, he never thought to ask what this cute guy does for a living. it seems as though he is not only a handsome knight in shining armor - literally! - but also the king. good lord man, just look around for a second...

he doesn't talk about it much - if ever - but an incident in his past has left him with some form of trauma. the only people who know are his husband, who he tells everything, and aster, who he accidentally told while on the verge of an episode. something about faulty machinery, an explosion... ah, don't worry about it now. there's no need to bring it up, anyways.

i. personality

• stubborn - it's quite hard to get him to change his mind if he's set on something; he's kind and has good principles, but disagreements can get tough to navigate with him
• warm - he's rude, but his heart is in a good place for sure... he's very concerned about people younger than him, doing what's in his power to make sure that they have good lives, so that no one has a rough childhood like he does
• hot-headed - rude, warm-hearted, passionate... he is, in all aspects, a little ball of fire
• careful - since he struggles with instructions and learning new things, he has to be very cautious with his work, both to ensure it turns out and so that he doesn't get hurt... but it's not just his work; he's very careful when approaching anything new or unknown to him
• blunt - he doesn't give a rat's ass about social niceties or manners -- if it needs to be said, he'll say it

ii. design notes

• he is pale and freckled, and he sunburns very very easily
• his hair is ruddy red, fluffy and shaggy, always braided and covering his left eye -- his face has a big scar on that side, which he doesn't like
• he's a little skinny but has a bit of a belly and muscular arms
• he always wears very plain, practical clothes like jeans and a t-shirt with steel-toed boots
• he has lots of scars on his body too, from his hiking and from his work as a blacksmith

iii. motifs

• fire, ashes
• anvils, hammers
• turtles
• stone staircases
• wedding rings

iv. trivia

• he has adhd, dyslexia, and ptsd
• he is really good at abstract art, but doesn't like to show people very often
• he feels like if he were an animal, he would be a turtle
• he's a bit sensitive about his height, especially since his daughter seems to be catching up to him...
• he is minorly lactose intolerant... such is the fate of the short king

v. inventory

item	item info
	hammer ★★★
	salem's trusty hammer, treasured by him since early childhood. it's not the best for smithing, but it's great for household repairs.
	ring ★★★
	one of a matching pair, kept on a chain around his neck. it's simple and plain, salem's preferred style.
	hairties ★☆☆
	a pile of elastic hairties, held by a single knotted one chosen for the noble role of keeping them all in line. salem's hair is thick, so these break often.

vi. gallery

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