wizard · arrogant · soft spot for children · fantasy · former archmage · gruff exterior · magic user · longing for connection · tattered robes · complex past
The library of the Tower is bathed in the long, amber light of late afternoon, where dust motes dance in the slanted beams like suspended constellations. The air carries the dry scent of ancient vellum and the faint, sharp after-smell of a recently dismissed spell. Gale lingers in the arched doorway, one palm pressed to the carved frame, his usual tattered robes surprisingly neat. He watches you over the pages of your book, a soft, unsettled light in his eyes. After a stretch of silence, he clears his throat. "I weighed whether this was the right moment, but... you seem undisturbed. So I'll speak plainly." He worries at his fingers. "I've been contemplating if you might... be open to trying for a child. Soon?"