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What Does Your Character's Hands Say About Them?


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Pretty much what the title says. 

 

We use our hands for pretty much everything we do, we rely on our hands far more than I think we realize. We use them to comb our hair, when we work, when we cook, etc. So what blemishes, scars, scabs, and callouses does your character's hands have and what do they mean for your character?

 

For example, a character with scars on his hand may be a warrior. A swordsman especially if there is a scar between his thumb and forefinger on his dominant hand.

 

A character who loves to cook may have old scars on her fingers as well as burn marks. 

 

No hands are going to be perfect, and that includes on your own character. Scars, cuts, bruises... they're signs your character has lived life. So what kind of life story can you tell us through the hands of your character?

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Aghurlal's hands are relatively slender, but they're far from dainty.

 

He has bands of what used to be burns and is now deep, ugly scars. I have this headcanon that sometimes under some circumstances Au Ra injuries will become covered with scales during the healing process, but these burns were deep enough that none of that happened.

 

Maybe they could be from something mundane, like a cooking oil accident... except they're all over the rest of his body, too.

 

He has a few smaller scars from fishing-hooks, using daggers for not-strictly-recommended applications, and miscellaneous wear and tear, too; but that's the main feature.

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Ohh, what a neat idea for a thread!

 

Theronault's hands are just as spindly as the rest of him; his fingers are just a little too long and a little too thin.

 

He has, on closer examination, multiple very small, shallow scars around his fingers (thumbs and index-fingers particularly) from accidents with working knives, most likely while cutting herbs.

 

On his right index finger, he almost always wears a silver ring with a small piece of jade in it. On his left middle-finger, a slightly more crude-looking metal ring with a piece of amber. Other rings are switched out as he finds he needs them for various magical/superstitious purposes, but those two remain at almost all times.

 

His nails are either squeaky clean or completely full of dirt. There is no in-between. They're cut short, practicality obviously chosen above vanity here.

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Though her hands are small and soft looking like any Lala's at a distance, it isn't particularly difficult to tell that Virara's hands are weathered and worn from constant training. It is enough to give her arthritic pains that have led her to meticulous care of her hands, soaking them in medicine and hot water, frequently taking baths and making sure to soak and massage her joints. In particular, the knuckles and palms are tough and calloused, and her hands and forearms are a bit lighter than the rest of her skin because of the plethora of scratches striking hard objects has left behind.

 

It's kinda obvious, but given that her young age means she is healthy, for her to have so many scars shows how intensely she has taken to the martial arts, even to her own detriment. It is a mark of how intense, even obsessed, her focus can make her.

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As I wrote on my wiki back in the day...

 

Suen's sleek, delicate features are often hidden behind dust, dirt or soot

 

[...]

 

Her skin is generally pretty flawless, when clean, but a few cuts and marks hard to define can be found all around her hands and limbs, which are probably the product of her inability to deal with manual labor without hurting herself in the process.

 

So, she constantly has her hands (or more than her hands) plunged in random pieces of equipment and magitek stuff, which tends to take a heavy toll on them, rendering them callous, often dirty or covered in various stinky/sticky shit like oil, soot, etc. It tends to give a certain contrast between the few spots that are usually spared and the rest (meaning, the back of the hands versus the palms).

 

Added to that she is extremely clumsy. Before she took an obsession for engineering magitek and machinistry she was raised as a botanist/herbalist. Her hands already showed a lot of cuts and marks due to cutting tools used to that purpose, even if she tended more to slack than being serious at it. Now, with way more dangerous and lethal tools, you bet that she tends to hurt herself quite a lot on a regular basis. And it's not just about cuts and marks, but burns or bruises too.

 

She was too poor to do anything about it before, but now that she earns a bit more than the bare survival it is possible for her to grab a few potions at times to limit the damage over time.

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Chachan has hands befitting his craft, to describe them in the most succinct sense. He has stout, thick fingers that provide a strong grip for both holding a hammer and giving a hardy handshake - both things he takes to readily enough, likely startling a few folks with the strength of the latter should he deign to. He usually wears gloves of some form or another - oftentimes even wearing simple finger-less ones around casually - which help protect his livelihood and also hide the thick, calloused hide that comes from the work he does. While I've never had him do it in RP, if he were to crack his knuckles, they're probably give some pretty loud pops. Like the snap of firewood burning in a forge fire or something equally poetic.

 

... Still, unless the situation causes for it - his touch and his grip are usually pretty gentle. As mentioned, he could give a pretty firm handshake, but he usually doesn't. He is one for more soft pokes and prods and pats, even though he could easily be a lot rougher or harsh with his actions. I suppose the best comparison for Chachan's hands would be a block of rough, weathered stone... that has a layer of moss on it with some flowers growing . But that's me again waxing poetic. :blush:

 

Gogon, on the other hand, I see having more appropriately Lalafellan fingers. Perhaps a bit longer and narrower. He still has some faded callouses from his time as the heir to the Gegenji family, but any remnant roughness is probably at his fingertips due to his avid reading and penchant for writing. He also takes rather good care of them - both due the need for dexterous movements in spellcasting and his fronting as a nobleman - so he both keeps them regularly manicured and often decorated with jewelry. I might even go so far as to describe his hands as spidery, to befit his "true self" of a manipulative information broker.

 

Finally, Judge's hands usually aren't seen beneath his gauntlets, but they are even more weathered than Chachan's. Covered in rough skin and scars, it's a sign the man has been through quite a lot. The skin is drawn pretty taut on his bony fingers - a sign of his age - and his nails are almost claw-like. Despite how beaten up and aged they are, though, his grip is still as strong as iron - and, unlike Chachan, he makes solid use of it. After all a firm handshake is a proper handshake - plus he can still break a nose or two with his punches.

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Aaron's hands are pretty average, but he does have one prominent scar across the palm of his left hand (which is why he always wears gloves) that he got from a fight where he at the last second diverted the thrust of his sword by grabbing the blade before it killed his opponent.

 

Other than that his hands are pretty well off.

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