#ask Kytes

[zooliminology]

all your guys are so silly :] when are their birthdays because it should be everyday

Since we do not know how extraplanar entity life cycles work there is no telling when they were created or if they have a 'birth' date. However, I can release information on when each entity type was discovered.

Striders- February 23

Longlegs- August 14

Night Skies- May 1

Ghosts- September 2

Golbo- September 20

Fogwalkers- January 13

Spumes- April 28

Kytes- March 2

Maax- February 21

Sockwyrms- July 6

Light mimics- December 21

Princes- September 15

Queens- May 5

Miish- May 27

Sailors- November 19

[winchesticles67]

my friend just told me that whenever they see x files stuff its just "that one guy being girlypop"

[sophiphi]

Yall we need to come up with a proper ship name for tyler and kate because im getting tired of just going tyler x kate and vice versa or whatever. So here’s some ideas (and my takes lmao)

Tykate (kinda bland n boring tho)

Tate (?? no)

Kayler (ugh pls dont vote for this guys)

Tyter (like tighter. mix of tyler and carter. mmmm not my best idea but its better that the first three imo)

Kyte (like kite? gahh idk)

The ship name also doesnt HAVE to be a mix of their names. it could also just be related to their stories + common ground or smth. but tornado tamers is a pretty long ship name if u ask me lol

Share yall’s thoughts!! Lets get a ship name up n running so it can sail lol

[cupcakeslushie]

That has me so relieved lol. I feel like I’m the worst at fashion 😅. I spend so much time on Google and Pinterest, trying to find cute things to put our boys and April in that would match their personalities.

Leo likes jean material and anything with dark colors (obvi) and also really likes athleisure wear. Raph has pretty similar taste, but with brighter colors. Though it’s hard for him to find jean material that can stand up to his shell, so he also has a love for stretchy stuff that wont tear. Mikey and Donnie like oversized and cute styles! Really soft or fluffy stuff, but also Donnie will throw in some edgy rave outfits when he’s feeling fun. He’s also got the same three outfits for when he’s working and he’ll wear them until they’re covered in paint and oil and totally worn down. Mikey is probably the one that has the biggest and most versatile closet. He has a big problem with online, impulse shopping.

@kitty-kyte This ask has me so curious now about the undercity’s weather! Aw, and now that makes me think the Snow Day episode would go from them fighting, to them just having a good wholesome time showing Donnie how much fun snow could be. And maybe they do have a snowball fight, Leo and Mikey being way too competitive, and Raph and April and Donnie just enjoying some hot cocoa and building a snowman. OR OR OR Donnie, April and Leo make a Jupiter Jim snowman and Raph and Mikey and Cass make a Lou Jitsu snowman and they argue over which one is better and Donnie keeps switching sides because he can’t decide!

@blossomsofopossums

As for your first question! Leo witnessed some small fits during their first few encounters. He was as unnerved as he could be, but sadly chose to ignore the strange behavior in favor of letting Three struggle through them on his own 😔. Then the first time Raph, Mikey, Leo, and April run into Donnie, they can clearly see Three struggling with something they can’t. They’re really confused and don’t know what to do, but with Leo recently revealing to them that Three might be their long lost brother Donnie, Raph has already resolved himself that, Donnie would be coming home with them. Unfortunately he doesn’t really know how to handle Three in that first meeting, and so he’s a bit rough with him, making those first few days of Donnie getting used to being in the lair a manic mess. Later once they learn more, Raph and Mikey will try to talk Donnie through them and Leo will use contact. But they also kind of have to adapt their reactions depending on how bad each one is, and what they think Donnie needs to feel safe.

Question #2! Raph calls him Dad, Pop, or Old Man when he’s feeling cheeky. Mikey calls him Dad and Papa. Leo probably goes through the most names: Master Splinter, Splinter, Father, Dad. Donnie will call him Father or PApA~

Question #3 Donnie had thought he’d already been introduced to so much good food after a few weeks in the lair, but pizza was on a whole new level. Sweets might be his new weakness. But pizza is his favorite savory meal. And you just know that the boys took Donnie to Run of the Mill for his first pizza experience. They couldn’t wait to introduce him to Hueso.

Hueso on the other hand is starting to get slightly annoyed with all these traumatized boys that Raph keeps bringing in. Like he was perfectly happy adopting this huge, but well-mannered teenage turtle and his human friend. Then they come in with the small, infamous battle nexus champion and he’s a little hyper thing sometimes, but he’s pleasant enough, so okay. But THEN, they have some nerve to bring some poor, tired, stone-faced kid, who’s eyes hold much too old of a look in them. It tugs on Hueso’s heartstrings…that is it would, if he actually had them.

NOW what’s he supposed to do with this new one? He can’t just adopt them all can he?

Hueso in the kitchens, to his chefs as they cook the boys’ pizzas:

[celestialaviva]

🍃 FALLING LEAF - do they enjoy being in nature? what is their favourite outdoor activity?

Dunno who'd this refer to so picking a random group of OCs

Very much so

Hanging out with friends, doing whatever other activity you'd do in a picnic Im guessing while frolicking in the flowers.

There are many of them fhhsdi

Left to right: Miah, Mirai, Vivo, Nyx, Cyles, Veth, wnd Kyte.

Miah likes the outdoors but doesn't get out much (other than for mission work). Veth would pretty much drag her and Mirai out to get some fresh air. Kyte and Cyles tag along sometimes mostly to spend time with Mirai. This group likes camping, and loves to stargaze.

Nyx and Vivo often hang out together outdoors with a couple of other friends. Their fav activity to do is having a picnic after a school day.

Ask game

[johannestevans]

an aspect i adore of final fantasy xii when moving through the streets of rabanastre and speaking with NPCs and also through characters like Migelo and Old Dalan is the sense of how many of these characters KNOW and LOVE Vaan and Penelo and the other street orphans

like people don't just greet him by name or say vague, unspecific things - it's an open secret that Vaan fights rats in the sewers, even though Migelo worries about his safety

Tomaj laughs about it; Dalan teases about it; Migelo scolds him for it

and the reason that any of them know about it - except maybe Migelo catching him before - is that Vaan tells people he wants to hunt and fight, and Kytes is a kid who helps him and also gossips and tells other people

just how much little Johm looks up to him too and is like, wink wink nudge nudge because Vaan taught him to pickpocket like

all the peasants of Rabanastre KNOW the street orphans. they work to make sure these kids are fed and that they know where to ask for help

notice how none of the peasants yell at Vaan or tell him to go away, when they do know him? several of them talk about him pickpocketing Imperials, often teasing or just making reference to it, but no one ever implies Vaan would steal from THEM, because he wouldn't

and that's a lot of trust to put in a 17yo street kid who survives on his wits and is honestly arrogant and annoying and more than a bit stupid - but as much as people often paint Penelo as the only responsible one, he DOES do a lot of self-sacrifice

like. it takes almost no time at all to convince him to hand things back to their rightful owners or give charity, as soon as any pressure is put on him. he WANTS to be selfish and uncaring, but he truly isn't - he's just poor and wants peace for himself

and esp bc Penelo like... Penelo CRAVES adventure and the excitement of life JUST AS MUCH as Vaan does, if not more! she's the one that gets excited over the specifics of the airship and their adventures - Vaan wants the big picture, the title, but she wants the LIFE

and yet Penelo holds so much of that back bc she's thinking of Vaan, she's thinking of the other street kids, she's thinking of her reputation and how much work she HAS to do to get them all safe, keep them on track

but she CRAVES adventure, and she's just a kid too!

[coffeebanana]

I was driving home from a long road trip yesterday and had a song come on I had heard but not really closely listened to before. I almost had to pull over on the interstate because of how much it reminded me of a period in my own life and of Adrien in Maybe This Life. Then I put the whole album on because I realized I only knew a few of the songs off the whole album on and realized all of it fits for Adrien so well. So I listened to it on repeat and thought about Maybe This Life for a few hours, which was actually a great way to finish the drive home.

The album- Talking Pictures from Tyler Kyte. The specific song that got me thinking about Adrien and Maybe This Life is Happiness. I could just see it being him as he tries to get better and because I spent a couple years basically doing what the song describes when I was younger. Wish I had the album then.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5z0U4k4jLeP1thfrp2fTxe?si=vlppBZTkTUKNB58qydk5iQ

🥺thank you for sharing this with me!! i haven't heard that song/album (or artist i don't think?) before, but i'm definitely going to check it out!

also you have such good timing--chapter 2 is going up later today!!

thanks for the ask!! 💜🩷

[jukeboxindie]

Wait a minute??? Are you Kytes??? I followed you for your horizon art oh my god what a small world. I didn’t even know you were you. Your old warriors and city cat(?) art helped me start my digital art journey in ‘08

This is the wildest ask I've ever gotten.

But yes, that's me! I'm Kytes! From DeviantArt lmao. I'm still around, just under a different moniker! I've never advertised my old art or accounts so I wouldn't expect people to know who I am. I'm amazed that you were able to remember my old username just from a cropped warrior cats fanart adlfjsldjkfasdj

AND YOU REMEMBER CITY LIGHTS???!! DAMN. Every art teen's first comic that they draw the first 3 pages of and never continue it. I still think about it, though!! And I can't believe someone still remembers it?? in 2023??? WHAT. Truly flattered, speechless even.

This is kind of unbelievable. My mind is racing?? I don't really know what to say? Thank you so much for leaving those tags, I'm crying??? This is so sweet. You just made my year. This is a core memory moment. I'm so honored that I was able to be a part of your art journey and I'm so happy to see you're still making art <3

[weirdstrangeandawful]

Part I – The Wreck

TW: shipwreck, implied mass drowning

Word count: 1340

Table of contents

Part II – A Night to Remember ->

It is nearing sundown. The Sun’s yellow rays finally pierce the storm clouds as the seas calm after what had been an intense storm. The HBMS Resolute, a rather lacklustre cutter with a noticeably shorthanded crew, heads toward a mass of debris. Quinn stands toward the bow, looking out. Even without saying a word, they appear slightly standoffish.

“Careful! Don’t get too close to the rocks,” they call out, “I recommend we stop advancing here, sir.”

Carroll, easily picked out as captain despite their contemporary lack of uniform, responds. “Agreed. Full stop! Get out the boat.” He turns to the rest of his ship’s command – Quinn, Helen, Ethel, and Rowan – and points out the obvious, “It’s definitely a shipwreck. And a bad one at that.” He turns to his surgeon of a second mate, “Looks like you’ll have work, O'Friel.”

Helen, a powerful-looking woman held together by sarcasm and wit, turns to Carroll and points out dryly, “If there’s anyone alive.” Her eyes scan the wreckage in vain.

Under Carroll’s direction, a selection of their crew row out among the debris. The tiny rowboat makes the wreckage seem even larger as they navigate between torn canvas and driftwood that was once a ship. The Resolute’s crew seems to collectively hold its breath as the rowboat manoeuvres gently back and forth, scanning. They ready themselves to turn back.

A commotion over what looks like the remains of a mast. Somehow, it had kept two people afloat. The rowboat team helps them out of the water gently but efficiently. They check further along the mast, finding a third person. He is slender, barely holding his head up in the frigid water, and tangled in several ropes. After a brief struggle, the exhausted rescue is free and slowly helped into the rowboat before they head back to the Resolute.

The rescues receive a subdued but warm welcome when they arrive, shivering, drenched, and exhausted, on board the Resolute. The first two find a quasi-sheltered place to sit nearby. The third, now appearing even skinnier as his sodden clothes cling to his frame, lies coughing up saltwater on the floor of the deck. Helen moves swiftly to make sure he’s all right, kneeling without hesitation on the damp wood of the deck next to him.

Carroll, ever the captain, reluctantly presses, “What flag do you sail under?”

The first rescue, sitting a little ways away with his companion, replies, “The Union Jack, sir…” He trails off, glancing up at the bizarre flag the Resolute is flying – a White Ensign sporting a deranged Union Jack with rather less white and prominently displaying the Cross of St. Patrick. He shakes his head, confused, before looking again to Carroll. “As do you,” he finishes the sentence.

Carroll acknowledges with a sharp nod and presses on, “Rank?”

“Don’t quiz them,” Helen interrupts, soft but firm.

The first rescue responds, “Midshipman, sir.”

As does the second, “Able seaman, sir.”

Carroll acknowledges each with an efficient nod. He turns to the third rescue who is now sitting braced against the rail, dazed but recovered slightly at Helen’s hand. He is shivering violently.

“And you?” Carroll asks. “Rank?” he tacks on when the rescue looks confused, having misplaced the thread of the conversation.

He responds timidly through chattering teeth, “Name’s Kyte, sir. I haven’t got a rank. I’m not a sailor and I’m certainly not Navy.”

Helen interrupts once again, this time through her teeth, “Stop quizzing them!” She punctuates her order by turning on her heel and ushering the midshipman and able seaman below deck and out of the wind.

Carroll takes off his jacket and drapes the thick dark blue fabric over Kyte’s shoulders, hoping to quell his shivering slightly until he gains the confidence to move. “If you’re not a sailor, how did you wind up in the wreckage?”

Kyte wraps his arms around himself, sitting up slightly straighter and drawing Carroll’s jacket closer. “Got pressed, sir. I work as a sailmaker ‘round the port.”

Carroll, noting Kyte’s returning confidence, calls out to his crew, “Get us back to port, our escort was over half an hour ago.” His eyes soften as he turns to Kyte, “Let’s get you below deck.”

They head below deck, Kyte slowly, shyly, following Carroll, struggling to stay upright with the ship’s motion. Carroll guides him patiently, sending him down the hatchway before he struggles down himself with practised inefficiency. The first two rescues are sitting on a bench, wrapped in a blanket together to warm up quicker. The way they lean into each other suggests they are closer than the law permits. Not, however, closer than Carroll encourages.

Helen pipes up, her concern now beginning to fade. “How long were you in the water?” she asks, directed at no rescue in particular.

The midshipman, who understandably seems the most comfortable, responds, “Corsairs got us just before the storm rolled in, ma’am.”

“That’s a good half hour.” The concern returns to Helen’s face along with shock. “Let’s get you all back to port and warmed up.” She tosses a blanket to Carroll, noticing Kyte swaying slightly next to him, independent of the ship’s motion. “Get him warm,” she instructs.

Carroll nods, unfolds the blanket and drapes it over Kyte’s sodden clothes, giving the shaken sailmaker a quick hug. Kyte presses himself into Carroll at the opportunity, trembling. His arms move around Carroll’s sides and he seems unable to command them to let go. The young captain, feeling Kyte’s clearly-mostly-subconscious resistance, holds him more firmly despite his wet clothes.

“Ethel,” he calls to his first mate, “Get us back to port safe for me?” Carroll glances subtly but pointedly at the shivering sailmaker gathered in his arms.

“Yes sir,” Ethel responds, efficiently. She heads to the upper deck where the rest of the crew remains.

Quinn, now astern but with an entirely unchanged demeanour, stares at the mass of wreckage receding slowly behind them as they make their way back to port. Their fingers rest on the open page of their weather logbook, unmoving over the neat columns of numbers. Their experience as sailing master shows in the decisive scrawl, the way “Master’s Log” presides over the page with unimpeachable authority, the slight pause before the last two digits of 1763 as they reflect on the few but long years that have ticked by.

“Three people…” they whisper to themself. Three people are all we pulled out of the wreck of what had been a massive ship, they think, What if we left someone behind, they continue, unable to free themself of the quicksand of ‘what-ifs.’

Rowan shows up behind them, over six feet tall and towering above Quinn who isn’t slight themself. Despite his size and tank-like build, he has an ever-present kind look in his eye and a slight fragility about him. Only the slight creaking of the deckboards alerts Quinn to his delicate presence.

“You all right?” he inquires softly, concerned in his heavy Scottish accent.

Quinn, in sharp contrast, grows prickly, “Yes. Fine.”

Rowan matches their tone but warmly, “No. Not fine.”

“Go away.” Quinn takes a breath. Rowan is just concerned. Wrongfully so, but concerned nonetheless. How is he to know? “I’m tired. Sorry,” they explain gruffly, hoping this is enough to shake Rowan off for the time being.

“Not all wrecks end badly, eh?” Rowan pushes, “It’s how we ended up with you.”

Quinn withdraws into themself. This isn’t what they need to hear. This isn’t what they ever need to hear. No one wants to be reminded of a wreck, let alone one like…

They respond softly, almost in a whisper, “Yeah…” and walk off to yell orders at someone. They’re heading back to port after all. How dare the gunner get in their way? There’s no discipline here – not like a Navy ship anyway. Carroll could really do to bring some around.

Rowan shakes his head, equal parts exasperated and worried as he takes Quinn’s place in watching the receding wreckage float lifelessly into the rocks.

Edit: fixed the soft-return that was bothering me, changed a first name to surname in dialogue, historical accuracy

[themomsandthecity]

What the Kyte Baby Drama Reveals About Paid Leave For Adoptive Parents

Last month, the popular baby clothing brand Kyte Baby came under fire for denying a new mom's request to work remotely while her adopted son was in a neonatal intensive care unit hours from her home. Marissa Hughes, who qualified for two weeks of paid leave, was initially fired for not being able to do her job on site, per a since-deleted TikTok her sister posted - until an online uproar led the CEO, Ying Liu, to reverse her decision. Parents everywhere were incensed, and the debacle ignited a larger conversation about adequate leave and reasonable accommodations for new parents. Adoptive parents in particular related to the mom's frustration: many know all too well how easy it can be for employers to ignore the importance of adoption leave. On a national level, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires companies to offer 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave to birth parents and adoptive parents alike. But it's estimated that only 56 percent of US workers actually qualify for FMLA, according to a 2018 US Department of Labor survey (the most recent statistics available). Others work for small companies, are part-time employees, or - as was the case with Hughes - joined their company less than a year ago, all factors that can prevent them from qualifying. Paid family leave is even more rare; it was available to just 23 percent of unionized and 27 percent of non-unionized, private-sector workers in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The United States is the only wealthy country in the world without a national paid leave policy (the others included in this group are small island nations like Papua New Guinea and Tonga). Thirteen states and the District of Columbia mandate some form of paid leave for qualifying employees, and any company can choose to offer it as a benefit for their employees. Natalie Shaak, who last year led a team from Drexel University's Center for Hunger-Free Communities on a brief that made the case for paid family leave, points out that many of those plans don't cover quite as many weeks for adoptive parents. "The reason why is because most paid family leave is done through disability-related insurances," Shaak says. "So it's more about the physical side of it. Even the amount of time that you can take is based on, 'Oh, did you have a vaginal birth or did you have a C-section?'" Related: How Much It Costs to Adopt a Child, According to Experts Sometimes, companies simply haven't considered adoption. But while it's not explicitly written in many benefits packages, employees can request it, says adoption and family-building attorney Elizabeth Vaysman, Esq. That said, adoptive parents may encounter hurdles like being asked to show a birth certificate, which can take months to get in adoption cases, Vaysman warns. "The need for it is on steroids." The good news: a 2023 survey from the Society of Human Resources Management found that 34 percent of employers now offer some form of paid adoption leave, up six percentage points from the previous year. That's an important acknowledgment of why this time is crucial for parents to spend with their kids. Although adoptive parents aren't recovering from labor and delivery, many argue that the time off may be even more critical. "The need for it is on steroids because of that original separation that is inherent in adoption," says adoption educator Lori Holden, coauthor of "Adoption Unfiltered." No matter their age, a newly adopted child has just "had a ginormous transition in their lives," says Samuel, cohost of "My Two Dads: The Adoption Podcast." (Samuel is being identified by his first name out of concern for privacy of his son's birth family.) "Imagine if someone [turned] up at your door and said, 'OK, you're coming to live with us now and we're in charge of you.' And then they just disappeared off again and you had no idea what was going on," Samuel explains. Holden, an adoptive mom… https://www.popsugar.com/family/kyte-baby-paid-leave-controversy-49335084?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[zooliminology]

do entities like the Golbo or Sockwyrms come in other colors? Or, alternatively, another question I have is if entities can suffer mutations while traveling from their home?

The following entities are known to have color variations:

Maax Maax come in three different colors: Pink, green, or yellow.

Miish Miish seem to come in yellow, pink, blue or magenta.

Sockwyrms Sockwyrms can be blue, pink or green.

Striders Striders' spots can be seemingly any color, so long as it is bright and saturated. The most common recorded colors are blue, pink, green and purple.

Kytes Kytes have the most individual variation of any entity type. Their known colors include red, yellow, blue and green. Their bodies can be one solid color or be divided between colors in each of their kite-like quadrants. Additionally, their tail fins can be any individual color in any order, or one solid color.

Night Skies Night skies are yellow, blue, pink or green.

There are no known adverse effects to entities being brought out of the Far Plane, so long as their needs are met.

[th-ramblr]

[Baldur's Gate 3] - Squidhawk #13

[Cross-posted on AO3]

[Alone again, I see.]

Kytes' eyes cracked partway open, staring off at his surroundings. Between all the chaos with Karlach and then the gnolls, he was exhausted, taking shelter under the shadow of some cliffs and trees along the edge of a side-road. The sun hadn't yet fully set, but for all intents and purposes, night had fallen. All that remained of day was a sliver of the sun's glow on the far horizon.

Kytes shifted from where he sat with his back against the stone wall, arms crossed over his chest, lifting his head from his own shoulder.

"Wha'si' ma'er?"

[It doesn't, I suppose,] his tag-along commentator hummed. [But it wouldn't be a bad idea to make more allies. I'm a bit surprised. It seemed like you might've actually found someone you liked a little.]

A scowl etched Kytes' face. He had no idea what led the other to believe he actually liked Karlach. Or anyone for that matter.

[Perhaps 'liked' is too strong a word... but you seemed less averse to her than others. Its a start.]

"Don' need anyone," he scoffed, sitting forward and taking a stray stick, poking at the fire he'd made with the end of it. "No one."

[Everyone needs someone,] the voice argued. [No one gets very far in this world alone, and certainly not with the things we have to face now. I know that I need you, and you I. But as I've already told you, the help I can offer is limited. It would be wise to seek others out who can be trusted.]

His frown deepened.

[You don't have to be friends with them,] he added. [You just need to be able to get along well enough to get things done.]

"So you li'e me?" He wasn't sure what made him ask. It wasn't like it mattered. It wasn't like the man was likely to care beyond how useful he was.

[I do happen to like you, actually,] the man mused. For some reason that surprised him, and scared him. [You're resourceful, and more clever than others give you credit for, and stubborn in a way that's useful, most of the time...] A thoughtful pause. [Sometimes that stubbornness gets the better of you though, when it comes to dealing with more civilized people... or people who would be useful to you. You have your reasons, I'm sure. All the same, we can't afford to be blindly obstinate.]

Kytes squinted, rolling that last word over in his head, trying to recall if he'd heard it before.

The voice huffed. [It means being unreasonable difficult.]

A disagreeing huff. "No' unreasonable..."

[Perhaps not...] He felt like that was only because the other wasn't willing to argue. The voice came again, softer and alluring. [Come. Close your eyes. We can talk, while your body rests...]

For whatever reason, he obeyed easily enough where he normally wouldn't, making himself comfortable again and closing his eyes. Sleep came swiftly, fading into blackness, before reality seemed to shift to a space that was slowly becoming more familiar to him.

And a face framed in red hair, that likewise smiled at him in warm welcome, extending a hand out in invitation.

"Sit with me for a while. You wanted to talk more, didn't you? I can spare some time now."

Kytes squinted at him, remembering that the other could more or less read his thoughts, before stepping somewhat closer. He didn't accept or reach out for the extended hand, taking a seat out of reach, but the redhead seemed neither surprised nor perturbed by it.

He drew his legs up to his chest, resting his head on them and watching the redhead, inspecting him and trying to gather his thoughts. Once again, he found that the moment he had room to speak, all the words fled his mind and his head went blank.

"You're not used to this, are you?" the man observed, watching him in turn. "Being invited to conversation?"

Kytes' gaze finally averted, turning his head away, but never quite letting the redhead slip out of his peripheral vision. "Yeah, well... no one cares what an idiot who can't string a sentence together has to say." Delivered with venom in his voice.

His gaze flicked back without moving his head in time to see the man's expression darken a bit. Pity. He'd seen that look before. He hated it. It made him quietly bristle with agitation.

"You're not an idiot," he argued, tipping his head, his brows furrowing a bit as he thought of the right words to say. "Limited in some abilities people expect you to have, yes. Young and rash, most certainly, but I've met a fair few people far less intelligent and with no excuses for it, and you are like none of those people."

Kytes' eyes rolled, swinging his head back towards him. "Well that's all the rest of the world sees, so maybe they're right." And maybe they were. He had plenty enough scars, seen and unseen, to attest to all the trouble he'd managed to get himself into. Troubles few others seemed unlucky or stupid enough to find. "Doesn't matter. None of them like me, and I don't like them. That's just fine by me."

Several beats of silence tailed after his words, and neither of them were fooled by the declaration. Not really.

"I think those are the things you tell yourself, to lessen the sting of loneliness, and to justify in your own mind why things are the way they are, but all those are is excuses. I don't condemn you for it, of course. We all have to tell ourselves certain things to get by, sometimes, but there are people who see your worth. Halsin, for one."

"He's only using me," Kytes scoffed, not letting him get much further as he swung his head around the other way, this time not caring to keep the other in the corner of his vision. "Just because I make a good tool for some doesn't mean they give a damn." He could sense the words just itching on the man's tongue, looking back again with accusation in his eyes. "You're the same. You said it yourself. I can go places and do things you can't, and if it wasn't for that, you wouldn't care."

Silence dragged again, and he could see the calculation in the other's blue eyes, thinking.

"This is what I meant by being blindly obstinate." He shook his head a bit. "But it doesn't matter. We could argue back and forth all day, but I don't think you want to hear my persuasions. Let's try and make this talk more productive, for the time I have. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

Kytes stare was unforgivingly scalding, even if the other man seemed to ignore it in favor of an easygoing smile. "Why should I tell you anything?"

He shrugged. "Because getting to know people usually leads to trust. Or so I find."

"And what about you?" He pushed himself to his feet, feeling his agitation grow. "I still don't know a damn thing about you, but you want to know all about me. So what? So you have things you can use against me, while you sit cozy and try to pretend to be my friend?" He watched as the man continued to smile through his tirade, but the warmth drained from his eyes despite the mask. "Who are you?"

Once again, a stretch of silence, the man looking away, down, into the distance, thinking. He finally looked back.

"I've gone by many names over the years, but you can call me Rune. I was a brash, hotheaded young man, just like you, once. I found trouble wherever I went, getting into fights, falling in and out with all different kinds of people, some who were good for me and others who weren't." His eyes fixed on Kytes carefully, watching him deflate a bit as the blond listened. "Naturally, my escapades eventually landed me into the kind of trouble I couldn't get myself out of. Like you, I was infected, and like you, I looked for a way to fix my situation, but I was unsuccessful. For a time, I'd lost all hope of ever getting free... and then two things happened. The first was that I managed to steal a power that allowed me to... become myself again, and the second thing that happened was you. Without one or the other, I wouldn't have even a chance of doing things right this time."

"Why am I so important in all this though?" Kytes jerked his shoulders up in a hostile impression of a shrug. "Why did you choose me?"

"Chance." The answer was immediate. "That's all. It was by chance you, out of thousands, managed to get plucked out of Baldur's Gate into the Illithid ship, and it was by chance you managed to escape captivity and survive. With a little help at the end, of course."

Kytes paused, brows knitting in consideration. "But you were on the ship too," he thought aloud, pointing uncertainly. "Weren't you?" No answer, only a thin smile. "I saw you... in your memory. You were there, after I got out of the pod. You got out too."

But why had he not noticed him on the ship itself? Never once had their paths crossed. Suddenly the gears in his mind were turning. Something wasn't adding up.

"So the ship crashed, and you saved me. But then where were you? Where did you go after that?" He couldn't have gone that far away, right? None of the others from the crash had managed to make much distance. "Where could you have gone that looks like-" he swiveled and gestured. "This?"

"I'm afraid that's something I can't tell you. Not yet."

Kytes frowned and turned back towards him.

"Its safer for you if you don't know. If you'll trust me on nothing else, trust me on this."

"You're afraid," Kytes spat. "That's why you won't tell me. Why?"

"I told you," Rune repeated slowly, an edge of warning to his voice. "It - isn't - safe. Not only that, but you need to focus on Moonrise Towers. On taking down the Absolute. Once we destroy that, we'll be free to find each other... and I can tell you everything you want to know."

"Why can't you just tell me now?"

Rune watched him for a moment, then huffed softly. "I could do that. But there seems to be a bit of a problem with our relationship now. You see, I've answered many of your questions, told you quite a lot of things, including told you about myself. You accuse me of asking too much and answering too little, but it seems to me that now the shoe is on the other foot. I've answered your questions. Now its your turn."

Kytes stared him down for a long while, their eyes silently battling for who would give in first, before Kytes ultimately looked away and scoffed with reluctance.

"What is there even to know about me that could possibly be of interest to you?"

Rune beckoned another invitation with his hand to sit. "Just tell me about yourself. Let me get to know you, your origins, the things about you that you want to share... there's no barriers between us here. You can talk freely and I can listen and understand."

Kytes grumbled, once again taking a seat. "Not exactly anything special about me to share."

"It doesn't have to be special or unique," Rune insisted gently, pity once again entering his expression as Kytes looked down at nothing in front of him, picking at a blade of grass. "Tell me anything. The exciting, the mundane..." When Kytes didn't speak up, he tried, "How about you tell me how you lost your voice?"

A huff. "I fell, when I was a kid. Playing some stupid kid's game, and I hit my head. When I woke up again, I couldn't talk right, no matter how hard I tried. The priests said either I'd get better or I'd be dumb like that for the rest of my life. I guess I was just lucky enough to get stuck with 'dumb'."

"But your thoughts are clear enough," Rune pointed out. "So I'd say not very dumb at all." A few beats of pause. "It was cruel of them to tell you that."

"Yeah, well what would they care? Didn't have any parents, and I was born with a weak heart, so I'm going to die young anyway. My life was never worth anything to anyone."

"Well its worth something to me."

Kytes glanced up, still suspicious.

"Your life could very well be the key to saving mine, so I'm grateful, for the very fact that you exist at all. I can't do this without you." Kytes looked at him as though he'd sprouted a second head which then sprouted a third head. Rune only smiled. "Tell me more."

"Like what?"

"Your accomplishments, your struggles... anything that would help me understand you better really. I imagine with all of those things stacked against you, things must have been hard."

Kytes shrugged noncommittally. "I guess..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

Rune hummed, pushing to his feet after a moment and extending an upward palm. "Take my hand."

Kytes looked at it as though it would burn him. "Why?"

"Just trust me." The look he gave Rune was the exact opposite of trust. "And if I do anything to break it, then never trust me again. It would be within your rights."

Taking a deep breath out, Kytes rested his hand over Rune's delicately, afraid of the contact and ready to yank back at the slightest discomfort. Closing around his, Rune's hand pulled him to his feet with care, free arm slipping behind Rune's own back.

"Do you dance?"

"Never." And he was more than just apprehensive about it.

"That's quite alright. Just take it slow, follow my lead. I won't do anything too complicated, or touchy." He began to take slow, deliberate steps, humming a quiet rhythm in his throat to help set the pace.

Goosebumps raised all across Kytes' skin, tingling with anxiety, but Rune didn't draw attention to it or put on any pressure to keep up, slowing his pace to whatever Kytes could match, moving in small, calm sweeps and twirls that were easy to mimic. Even so, occasionally his steps would stumble, and his breathing came flighty, a subtle panic building in the back of his mind.

"Don't think about anything," Rune urged him quietly. "Just focus on here and now. Listen to the sound of my humming."

Kytes swallowed thickly, nodding. The movements were the same, but the pace quickened slightly, forcing him to pay more attention. Through the turns and swivels, Rune stepped backwards, just far enough that it forced Kytes to step forward and follow, led along by the single hand holding his. Occasionally, Rune would change direction when he wasn't expecting it, and once he even yelped slightly as the redhead tugged him a little too fast.

"Sorry, sorry..." Rune apologized, seemingly sincerely, slowing his pace just a touch.

It was... almost nice. Something he could almost enjoy.

But the moment was poisoned by memories of a different time and place, leaking through little lapses of attention. Most of it, he could ignore, but something in that trickle of recollections stopped him in his tracks.

That one little piece was the lever to a floodgate of bad memories;

...of people dressed finely, with glittering jewelry and fancy attire specially imported and tailored for some of the Gate's elites. Of expensive wines and other drinks that flowed as freely as water, and entertainers paid to privately keep all of the party's important attendees elated. It was somewhere that someone like him would never have been, except to service the powerful, and serve he did.

At first, nothing he hadn't agreed to, bringing refills of food and alcohol and cleaning up soiled dishes and garbage, so the important people could keep partying.

But then he'd caught the eye of a rich, fat merchant that liked the look of him, and wasn't shy about pulling him closer and slipping fingers beneath his clothing to feel his body, even with so many others watching.

Retribution was swift, when he resisted and struck out at him, one of the guards in attendance beating him down, and everyone else watching simply let it happen.

What did it matter? He was a servant of no background and no importance, causing 'problems' for the people he was supposed to be working for.

But the worst of it wasn't there, at that party. It was where he went, dragged along by the merchant lord's workers to a private room, where they-

He wrenched himself free with a vicious tug, seeming to startle Rune as he suddenly put up distance, wrapping his arms around himself and shaking.

"Are you alright?" When Rune tried to step towards him, he immediately jumped back, his eyes wide and wild.

"No!" It came as an animal snarl, baring his teeth and turning his back to him, but still with Rune in the corner of his eye. More softly, he repeated. "No."

Stay away from me.

Rune seemed to catch the hint, retreating the single step he'd taken, outstretched hand falling to his side, but he looked disappointed.

"Okay... I won't come near you."

Kytes was done dancing.

Done talking.

He'd had enough.

Rune sighed. "Get some rest. I should as well." He tried to uplift his voice a little more, to keep the tone light. "We'll talk again soon. When you're ready."

[crowtongued]

💚 SHIPPING INFO 💚

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR MUSES SO PEOPLE KNOW HOW SHIPPING WORKS ON YOUR BLOG.

Tagged by: @vastayan--vigilante

Tagging: @legendscried if you haven’t already been tagged and want to, I am too lazy to look. Anyone else who wants to.

1. WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER(S)?

I mean Alekt and Spy are obvious since they’re canonically married to each other otl. Best power couple.

If we’re talking about my other blogs though,

@th-ramblr: Again, Kytes and Reno are obvious because they’re also married and mates (*jazz hands @ them being wolf shifters*).

And for my canon muse blog, @49th-rabbitch, Lavi x Lenalee. They’re basically canon and I like to try and stick to being faithful to his canon material. I also have a rarepair of Lavi x Road as more of a tense/toxic thing. I just find them kinda neat.

2. HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

I guess it depends. I’m not so much fussed about age gaps as I am about the people writing them and/or the content and how its portrayed, which I think matters more. As an example, if someone is basically titillating themselves off of adult x minor ships and finds that personally “hot” for instance, that’s different than someone who is willing to write it but is sensitive OOCly to how awful it actually is.

Think: The difference between “Lolita” and “The Suicide of Rachel Foster”. One is an exploration of bad events while being sensitive to the reality of the subject matter and still OOCly condemning the offender, the other is a blatant pro-pedophile narrative spun as “entertainment” that doesn’t even bother trying to hide how pro-pedophile it is, to the point of openly mocking the pedophile’s victim for committing suicide from the trauma.

That said, I will outright refuse to write anything involving a muse under 15 and usually for teen muses they have to be with someone of their own general age range (15 to 20 at most). Reason being that some of the universes I write in either have different societal standards (think medieval universes where people were expected to marry by 16, if not earlier), involve realistic criminal elements that I don’t feel like sugar-coating and pretending don’t exist (like human trafficking), or have characters that are that age range where I first got into those series and started shipping stuff when I myself was that age (Lavi being canonically 18-19 and Lenalee being 16) and I think its kind of dumb to pretend like 16 year olds don’t get together with other 16 year olds.

If I don’t know you well enough to make a judgment call about whether you’re actually capable of writing certain things without being weird about it though, my default for muses is 18+ at minimum. 20+ preferred. I will not make exceptions to this even if you ask me really, really nicely.

Also while this blog is not strictly 18+ for general interactions (Kytes’ blog is strictly 18+ though), I will not do any shipping or NSFW with actual real life minors. If you ask and you’re not at LEAST 18 years old, I will hardblock you. “I’ll be 18 in a few days/weeks/months” is NOT “close enough”. And there again, I prefer you to be OOCly at least 20+.

There probably won’t be shipping on this blog at all anyway though, so I don’t see it being an issue here.

3. HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFW?

I’d say probably anything intimate that’s beyond kisses, cuddles, innocent touches, and “puppy love” things.

4. ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

Extremely. I don’t trust a lot of people, and I generally don’t heavily involve myself with people whose main focus is NSFW/shipping ahead of any other proper development, even when it comes to canon characters lol

Unpopular opinion but my experience with people who are too ship-focused is that they’re fickle and only want to use other people to get off, but as soon as the shipping and NSFW stops they lose interest in the person behind the screen. Not here for that. I’m a ride-or-die bitch when I get involved with people. Sorry not sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

5. WHO ARE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?

None for my OCs. Alekt and Spy are married. Kytes is married to Reno (@legendscried).

Lavi is a bit of a hoe and very Bi and he doesn’t do “committed relationship” so he’d just as easily ship with most anyone as long as they don’t do the whole “feelings” game or try to make him only be with them.

6. DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?

Yes. Communication is everything and I don’t do spontaneous or forced ships. I’m also not here to just serve as peoples’ shipping fix for them to masturbate to and then leave. None of you are paying me enough lol

7. ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?

I honestly don’t care for NSFW ships. If they happen, they happen. If they don’t, just as well. Brotp type ships are awesome though. Give me all of them.

Basically I like characters who have chemistry and can work well together, but not really that into romantic or sexual ships. Friendships, family, found-family, rivals, enemies, frienemies, business partners. Give me all of those, yes.

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?

Out of my OCs, Kytes and Reno (@legendscried). They just have a ton of history and chemistry. Funnily enough, they were never supposed to get together and were planned to be more of a found-family dynamic but, welp, here we are.

9. FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?

Talk to me and communicate, most of all. Write with me. Plot with me. Generally just be a decent person and a friend who hangs around more than just to use me to get their thrills and then go.

I’m really not fussed to ship, particularly romantically or sexually. And I’m certainly not looking for people who want to hook up and be friendly and jump to NSFW a week after meeting. If you’re thirsty for NSFW, look elsewhere, cuz I ain’t your guy.

[zukusuku]

🇺🇸 Explosions In The Sky - The Moon Is Down2. 🇮🇸 Sigur Rós - Sæglópur3. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Mogwai - Punk Rock4. 🇨🇦 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Mladic5. 🇨🇦 A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Angels Standing Guard 'round the Side of Your Bed6. 🇺🇸 This Will Destroy You - Thread7. 🇬🇧 65daysofstatic - Taipei8. 🇬🇧 Maybeshewill - He Films The Clouds Pt. 29. 🇯🇵 Mono - Pure As Snow (Trails Of The Winter Storm)10. 🇯🇵 Toe - Two Moons11. 🇸🇪 Lights & Motion - Anomaly12. 🇸🇪 Immanu El - Under Your Wings I'll Hide13. 🇪🇸 Exxasens - Science Will Save Us14. 🇮🇪 God Is An Astronaut - Forever Lost15. 🇬🇧 Slowdive - Crazy For You (Demo Version)16. 🇬🇧 Kyte - Boundaries17. 🇮🇸🇺🇸 Jónsi & Alex - Indian Summer18. 🇺🇸 Deafheaven - Dream House19. 🇫🇷 Alcest - Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde20. 🇸🇪 Jeniferever - From Across The Sea21. 🇺🇸 American Football - The Summer Ends22. 🇺🇸 La Dispute - Such Small Hands23. 🇺🇸 The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - January 10th, 201424. 🇺🇸 Prawn - Why You Always Leave A Note25. 🇺🇸 The Appleseed Cast - As The Little Things Go26. 🇯🇵 Envy - Further Ahead Of Warp27. 🇺🇸 If These Trees Could Talk - If These Trees Could Talk28. 🇺🇸 The Album Leaf - Twentytwofourteen29. 🇺🇸 Lowercase Noises - Silence In Siberia30. 🇬🇧 Jesu - Homesick31. 🇺🇸 Moving Mountains - Swing Set32. 🇺🇸 Sunnn O))) - It Took The Night To Believe33. 🇫🇷 M83 - Wait34. 🇩🇪 Frames - Don't Stay Here35. 🇯🇵 Boris - Farewell36. 🇺🇸 A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Autumn Again37. 🇬🇧 Clem Leek - Bless Those Tired Eyes38. 🇬🇧 Yndi Halda - Illuminate My Heart, Darling!39. 🇮🇸 Amiina - Perth40. 🇮🇸 Múm - We Have A Map Of The Piano41. 🇺🇸 Pianos Became The Teeth - Hiding42. 🇺🇸 Owel - Snowglobe43. 🇯🇵 Heaven In Her Arms - 光芒の明時44. 🇺🇸 Gates - The Thing That Would Save You45. 🇬🇧 The 1975 - Sex46. 🇺🇸 Cigarettes After Sex - Apocalypse47. 🇰🇷 Jambinai - Time Of Extinction48. 🇺🇸 Red Sparrowes - In An Illusion Of Order49. 🇺🇸 Russian Blood - Youngblood50. 🇦🇺 Sleepmakeswave - It's Dark, It's Cold, It's Winter51. 🇳🇿 Jakob - Blind Them With Science52. 🇩🇪 Daturah - Ghost Track53. 🇵🇱 Tides From Nebula - Dopamine54. 🇮🇹 Port-royal - Nights In Kiev55. 🇺🇸 Hammock - I Can Almost See You56. 🇺🇸 Lights Out Asia - They Disappear Into The Palms57. 🇬🇧🇫🇷 Stereolab - Diagonals58. 🇩🇰 Mew - Comforting Sounds59. 🇩🇰 Efterklang - Dreams - Today60. 🇺🇸 Inventions - Echo Tropism61. 🇺🇸 Unwed Sailor - Moon Coin62. 🇷🇺 Mooncake - Novorossiysk 196863. 🇺🇸 Joy Wants Eternity - Dark Heart of the King64. 🇬🇧 Epic45 - The Stars In Autumn65. 🇬🇧 July Skies - Festival Of Britain66. 🇺🇸 The American Dollar - Anything You Synthesize67. 🇸🇪 PG.Lost - Crystaline68. 🇸🇪 EF - Delusions of Grandeur69. 🇸🇪 September Malevolence - I Shut Doors and Windows70. 🇸🇪 Oh Hiroshima - Mirage71. 🇺🇸 Windsor Airlift - Something Lost72. 🇺🇸 Carinthia - Leaving73. 🇬🇧 Good Weather For An Airstrike - Good Night, Boogaloo74. 🇬🇧 The Echelon Effect - As the Lights Fade Away75. 🇸🇪 U137 - Adam Forever76. 🇳🇴 The Samuel Jackson Five - Never Ending Now77. 🇨🇦 Do Make Say Thing - Horripilation78. 🇺🇸 El Ten Eleven - Sorry About Your Irony79. 🇬🇧 And So I Watch You From Afar - Dying Giants80. 🇯🇵 Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs - Oneday81. 🇯🇵 Miaou - Hello World82. World's End Girlfriend - Smile83. 🇯🇵3nd - 夏終わる84. 🇮🇩 Under The Big Bright Yellow Sun - A Life In A Day85. 🇮🇩 TheMilo - Romantic Purple86. 🇮🇩 My Violainé Morning - Lost87. 🇮🇩 Autumn Ode - They Asked Me to Run, Follow the Sun88. 🇮🇩 L'AlphaAlpha - A Lot of Fireworks But I Still Have A Reason to Smile89. 🇮🇩 The Trees and The Wild - Empati Tamako90. 🇮🇩 Heals - Void91. 🇮🇩 Marché La Void - Serenity92. 🇮🇩 Tuan Tanah - A Farewell to Arms93. 🇮🇩 Echolight - Lethal Impression94. 🇮🇩 Senja Dalam Prosa - Niskala95. 🇮🇩 Elemental Gaze - Unperfect Sky96. 🇮🇩 Qibe - Adaptasi Diri97. 🇮🇩 Ghaust - At Sea (We Are Nothing)98. 🇸🇬 Paint the Sky Red - Amber99. 🇵🇭 As the City Sleeps - Goodbye100. 🇬🇧 Radiohead - Pyramid Song

[m4wc3]

yooo thanks for tagging mee :)

relationship status: uwu

favourite colour: idk I love beige/brown tones but also black ofc and I think lavender is neat

song in my head: 64 little white things

favourite food: oh man there is so much good food out there?? I have been craving paneer makhani and lasagna recently tho. oh oh and my friend makes succhhh good fried noodles.

last song played: probably scratches by kyte

dream trip: hmmm if you'd asked me a few years ago i probably woudl have said vienna but these days I don't have a dream destination

last thing I googled: guides to solve a genshin impact puzzle

I am tagging the @fripplerats gang

Thanks for the tag @spiced-wine-fic!

Rules: Tag 10 or more people you want to get to know better

Relationship status: the Silmarillion. the rock operas.

Favourite colour: it's a tie between blue, purple and turquoise, and it has been a tie for many years

Song stuck in your head: Now and for Always, from the LotR musical

Favourite food: a homemade traditional pasta-like dish (it's local and very specific, hard to explain)

Last song played: Lothlorien, from the LotR musical

Dream trip: to Beleriand to New Zealand, to see the locations of the LotR movies

Last thing I googled: the weather

Tagging @curiouselleth, @violecov, @solarcola, @general-illyrin, @emeraldskulblaka, @tvoyakrisa, @curufan, @quixoticanarchy, @dreamingthroughthenoise, @totally-not-one-of-the-fae