#ask Kytes

[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.

[winchesticles67]

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

[avagiftexchange]

AvA Gift Exchange (2024) UPDATE!

Alrighty!

All Giftees have been assigned a Gifter!

Over the course of the next 3 days (from Dec. 1st to Dec. 3rd) I will be messaging everyone with their Giftee's requests! Although I will also say that I am unfortunately working both Dec. 1st and Dec. 2nd, so sending out the prompts might extend into Dec. 4th. I will make a post if that ends up happening but I'm hoping I'll have enough time to do it in 3 days

-

Regardless, if you asked me to message you through email, make sure the keep your eyes peeled for a message from avagiftexchange@gmail.com

If you requested to message through Discord, expect a friend request from a discord account called AvAGiftExchange

Otherwise, if I've had previous dms with you on Discord using my Sammy account, then I'll just send you your prompts in there! 8D

-

As soon as you get your Secret person, you are allowed to start working on their gift!

You have until the week of Dec. 26th - Dec. 31th to work on your gift!

If you complete your gift early, please wait until the 26th, to post it!

That way we can have a big celebration and gift giving week!

If you are unable to complete your gift, please let me know before Dec. 15th

Note! If you do dropout, I can not guarantee you will be receiving a gift as it will be up to your Gifter to decide if they want to finish. Your dropped requests will then given to one of our backup artists to fulfill!

-

Now for something fun since someone suggested it

Here's the entire current list of participants for this gift exchange!

(In no particular order)

@mary-games-and-arts @itslilacokay @shamythelazypotato @berryicet @thevalleyoftriumph

@impulsive-fantasylander @stormbreaker101 @demontamerarts367 @catalystnick @fp-am

@donnietheterrapin @xxtinterxx @doomed-stickfigure-yuri @4swordsforthewin

@compressedrage @sticktopia @coulrozzgrub

@kikoqueenofrats @ginumo @hazardsk8r

@ghostrified @that-one-oddity @spacewasnotagoodidea @reptilia0freptiles @stiwnty

@kiaerinnn @indigovortex @ghost-cricket @rubtix-a-betz @amagicalmoonlight

@idkwhattoputheresooumm @manyminded @azzyiyay

@lunaautumnofficial @wowieeitsisa @kyte-tsc

@dexi-art @p1ctur3 @cyanvalour @hitbangs64 @r0tting-raspb3rry

@theslasher136 @st4rl1ghts0d4 @segafan13 @ailis-art @bonxy-theskechy02

@jetsartdump @guesspls @real-ink-demon @skyshadowo @nexusloaf

@tertium-of-chaos @tagetesxd @leafeyrune @echostarz123 @bee-natural8

@celestialaviva @oxceen @toon-melody @randomnesseva @ellathebirb

@running2reanimation @maechery @sticky-elie @echo-is-super-cool

@ninjagirlstar5 @asidecharecter @nolabuddy

@crystalartsandanimation @fireflyflarenight @three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat

@lakedo @zkylearnstherope @ornziy @theofficalrocketcorp @cindersnows

@alinnamaco @touhize @violetthunderstorm @thoughtsofjess @therealfunnystuffslol

@storgicdealer @ohhhsosleepy @jadeactuallysucks @apricity-2 @murderandjambalaya

@sticks-without-stones @just-an-average-fan @water-lemon-alex @dumbassfromhell @art-yeet

@wingittart @rainthesomething @ciromuffins @mogbomybb @eclipsefates

@ishika-star @rainbowfreakteen @silverflares @bittersweetbeet @bamboo9lordserf

@dollettodraws @boundlessjoy777 @sagafiery @goodjobyellowstickerstar

@f4n-im4t0r @sofoklesk @x-ke1kel-0 @centigreen

@gundilias @shinfiatvlol @sammy8d257 @zishu-arts

@octdl-lee @tamgerinee @crescynnt @natty-drawn12

The blogs listed below didn't work but were listed, if you are the persons who submitted an application and put these blogs down, can you please message me ASAP with a working Tumblr?

Otherwise, I will have to remove you from the gift exchange if I don't get an answer by Dec. 4th

87problems -> @pats-extra-problems

[slaymitchabernathy]

Doctor’s Orders

| this drabble contains sexual content ;) |

Some things are just unavoidable in life.

A breakup, a spilt coffee on a brand new shirt, or in Soarynn’s case, a visit to the doctor.

She has nothing against the medical world, nor the professionals who work in it. On the contrary, she’s glad for the Capitol’s doctors who keep her happy and healthy. It’s their big, pointy needles that she hates.

But one cannot exist without the other it seems.

This visit, however, will not require any poking or prodding, she was assured by the receptionist that it was strictly a routine checkup. And besides, Dr. Kyte is a phenomenal doctor, always making Soarynn feel more than comfortable while taking a glance at her most intimate places.

She bounces her knee up and down while sitting on the counter with a small cushion and paper that crinkles every time she moves. It shouldn’t take more than an hour, not that she has anywhere important to be but once again, she’s not the biggest fan of the doctor’s office.

She’s been having some nausea, back pain, and tender breasts. But she hasn’t gotten to that time of the month yet which worries her. She’s two weeks late.

Still a virgin but it doesn’t hurt to check!

There’s a knock at the door and she straightens up, “Come in.”

Soarynn is fully expecting Dr. Kyte to walk in with her light brown hair pulled back into a bun and glasses to be on the bridge of her nose. So when a man, a very handsome man walks in, she’s surprised, to say the least.

He’s got a clipboard in one hand and is wearing the standard white coat so he must be a doctor. Perhaps he’s in the wrong room. He looks at her with a polite smile, “Hello, I’m Dr. Snow.”

When he extends his hand, Soarynn does not take it. “Oh, um, I think you might have the wrong room,” she tells him with a hushed voice, “I’m here to see Dr. Kyte.”

Dr. Snow nods, shutting the door behind her, “Yes, well Dr. Kyte left about an hour ago unfortunately, there was a small family emergency so I’m filling in for her.”

Oh.

Soarynn is still like a statue while he scans over her file that’s on the clipboard, if she knew she’d be seeing a male doctor, she would have rescheduled. While he’s scanning her file, she does some scanning of her own.

Dr. Snow is very handsome. He has blonde hair, curls from the looks of it but they’re slicked back with gel. He had a sharp jawline and a prominent nose, with full lips. He’s very tall, even perched on the counter she’s shorter than him.

His blue eyes meet hers and she’s suddenly so embarrassed. He caught her staring.

“It says here that you’ve been experiencing a number of symptoms over the past few weeks.”

Soarynn manages to squeak out a response, “Mhm.”

Dr. Snow frowns, making his way over to her right where he pulls open a drawer, grabbing a pair of latex gloves to snap on. “These symptoms seem very common for women experiencing early stages of pregnancy. Are you sexually active?”

Soarynn blushes, dropping her gaze. With Dr. Kyte, she’s so honest and open. With Dr. Snow, she feels…nervous.

“No,” she says, barely a whisper.

He takes a step closer to her and she can smell the distinct scent of roses which is odd coming from a man but not unpleasant. “Ms. Nightingale, if you were the victim of sexual assault, I can assure you that this is a safe space to talk about it.”

OH!

Soarynn is more than quick to shut down any idea of being assaulted, "Oh goodness no! I swear nothing has happened to me. I simply wanted to see what the issue was, I assure you, I am not pregnant." That seems to make him feel a little bit better as he visibly relaxes, "Ah, good. When was your last cycle?"

Soarynn really doesn't remember Dr. Kyte asking all of these questions, even though they seem to be the standard procedure. It's not standard for a man who looks like a model to be asking them though. "About a month and a half ago," she answers, "that's why I'm a bit confused. I'm never late."

He eyes her curiously, she wonders how old he is. Is he married? Does he have a beautiful wife and children at home? She ever so casually glances down at his left hand, more specifically, his ring finger, and almost cheers when she sees that it's empty.

"I see, it could be a number of things, stress, diet, lack of sleep. I suggest we do the full routine checkup to ensure that nothing is amiss." Soarynn finds herself mindlessly nodding to his words, he could say anything and she'd go along with it, "Of course, I think that's more than reasonable."

Dr. Snow gives her a small smile, "Perfect, I'll have you get undressed then.”

What?

Soarynn blinks once, twice, three times before opening her mouth, “Pardon me?”

“I’d like to do a full body checkup,” he explains, “the nurse has provided you with a gown I see.” Soarynn had barely glanced at the pink gown the nurse left for her to change in. And it’s not like what she’s wearing is very practical for a checkup right now.

With her heels and tights, her skirt and blouse. No, this won’t do, changing is the best option but also the most nerve-wracking.

Dr. Snow must notice how nervous she is, “Why don’t I step out for a moment?”

She nods eagerly, grateful for the privacy, “That would be wonderful, thank you, doctor.” After offering her a polite smile, Dr. Snow steps out momentarily so that Soarynn can change and gather her thoughts at the same time.

Soarynn undresses in a methodical fashion, first her blouse, then her skirt, then her tights. Her hands slightly shake as she neatly folds them and places them on the end of the counter.

She's so nervous, why is she nervous?

Soarynn has never felt at home when visiting the doctor's office, it's so sterile, so strict. And now, so sexy.

There's a knock at the door and she almost jumps out of her skin, "Just one minute," she calls, fumbling to slip on the paper dress. Considering how much she pays for healthcare, you'd think they'd come up with some cuter clothes.

With the dress on, she feels better, safer, calmer.

"Ms. Nightingale?"

"I'm ready."

He walks back in, looking more handsome if that's even possible, "Have a seat on the counter and we'll do the full body examination." Soarynn does as she's told, careful not to tear her dress, at least she kept her bralette and panties on, wouldn't want to flash the man.

"We'll start with the eyes, nose, and throat."

Soarynn holds perfectly still while he checks her ears with one of the many instruments she knows nothing about. Soarynn tries to ignore how close he is, how if she turned her head, they'd be face-to-face, almost nose-to-nose.

Then he checks her nose, hopefully no bats are in the cave.

"I'm going to turn off the lights so I can check your eyes," he explains, going to turn off the overhead lights. Soarynn stares up at him while he shines a light into her eyes, trying not to blink. "Your eyes are a fascinating color," he tells her, going to turn the lights back on, "normally I just see blue, but you have quite a bit of gray as well."

Soarynn blushes at his words, "Thank you, my mother had the same color."

"She's no longer with you?"

"No," she says quietly, Soarynn never got to meet her mother, she died giving birth to her. Dr. Snow clears his throat, "Neither is mine, makes you want to do right by them, doesn't it?"

She nods, although she never met her mother, she still feels as if she met her in another life. According to many people who knew her mother, she could be her twin.

"Alright, now I'm going to listen to your lungs," he says, grabbing at the end of his stethoscope, "this might be a little cold" he warns. Soarynn braces herself for the cold but still jumps when the cold metal touches her skin, "Sorry," he mumbles, pulling it away, "let me try to warm it up for you."

Soarynn watches Dr. Snow rub the stethoscope between his hands in an attempt to warm it up for her. Is this what good healthcare looks like? "Here, this should be much better," he tells her, pressing it to her skin again. And it is much better.

"Thank you," she says. He simply nods, "Now take a deep breath for me." Soarynn does as she's told, taking in several deep breaths while he moves the instrument around her chest, pressing it onto the paper dress.

"I'm going to have you turn around so I can listen from the back." Soarynn awkwardly turns on the counter so he can listen to her lungs more, "Good," he says quietly, "just breathe in and out, you're doing great."

Soarynn didn't think she had a praise kink, but she might have just formed one. With this man exclusively.

"Well, your lungs are in perfect condition," he announces, making Soarynn sigh in relief, "now I'm going to have you lie on your back so I can complete the exam."

Soarynn knows about this part of the exam, where she gets undressed and Dr. Kyte momentarily pulls her panties to the side just to make sure nothing is amiss.

The hesitance in her eyes tells him about her apprehension, "If you'd like I could have one of the nurses conduct this part of the exam." Soarynn thinks about the cute lace panties she chose to wear this morning, completely oblivious to who would be seeing them right now.

"There's no need," she decides, going to lie down on her back.

He looks surprised by her boldness but it's about time she started acting more confident. "I'm going to untie your dress," he tells her, fingers methodically undoing the three ties in the front of her dress.

It only takes a moment for the cold air to fully hit her almost naked body. Soarynn stares up at the ceiling while his fingers ghost over the soft skin of her stomach, "I'm just going to press down on your stomach," he explains, pressing his fingers into her soft skin. Soarynn squirms a the touch, a giggle escapes her lips and she clamps her mouth shut.

"Sorry, I'm a bit ticklish."

He smiles down at her, "Me too."

Oh, well, in that case, they should just get married.

"I'm going to have you unbutton your brassier for just a moment so I can examine you for any foreign bumps that might be harmful to your health." Soarynn's hands slip under her back, skillfully undoing her clasp.

His fingers are cold as they gently slide her bralette down, baring her breasts to him. And it's cold, which means...they're cold. Standing at high alert in fact. Her nipples might be the death of her.

His hands are large and he gently grabs her right breast, dutifully feeling for lumps before he moves to the left one, "Everything feels good," he informs her, "we can go ahead and put this back on."

A wave of confidence washes over her and she's speaking before she can even process it, "Or we could leave it off."

He looks down at her, blinking once, twice.

"Okay."

Soarynn's hands tremble when he moves down her body, stopping right next to her hipbone, "The last part of this exam might feel a bit intrusive, but it's only for a minute," he assures her, "I'll simply have you pull down your underwear, I'll do a quick inspection and you'll be able to get dressed again."

"Okay, Dr. Snow." Soaryn doesn't miss the way his throat bobs when she calls him that. "You needn't pull them down too far, I just need a quick look." Soarynn peels her lace panties down to about mid-thigh, farther than necessary but that's okay with her.

She doesn't mind.

His fingers brush against her folds and an involuntary moan comes out of her mouth. Fuck. Soarynn bites her lip to prevent any further noises from leaving her mouth, praying that she can get through the rest of this. His long fingers drag along her soft skin, not even touching her folds anymore but she's still so sensitive down there.

He presses against a pulse point, causing goosebumps to form all over her skin.

His hands are so cold.

"Alright, we're all done with the checkup."

Soarynn let out a sigh of relief, she didn't even know she was holding it in. "I'll step out again so you can get dressed, leave the gown on though," he says, already opening the door.

Soarynn nods and watches from her position on the cushion, waiting for the door to shut before she sits up. First, she pulls her panties back on, ignoring how there is now a wet spot forming between her thighs. Next, she puts her bralette back on, clipping it back into place before she begins tying the dress once more.

Another knock comes, but this time, she's ready.

"Come in."

Dr. Snow steps into the room with a smile on his face, polite and easygoing, calming her nerves instantly even though he's part of the reason she has any, to begin with.

"I reviewed your file mixed with the results from the full body checkup and everything seems to be in order. What I would like to recommend is a shot to help boost your hormones, it's possible that your levels have dropped."

Soarynn visibly pales at the thought of getting a shot, getting poked, a needle piercing her skin. And he seems to pick up on that rather quickly, "If you're not sure if the shot is necessary, we can always take a blood sample to see further into the issue."

Even worse!

"No," she shakes her head, quickly putting an end to getting her blood drawn, "that um, that won't be necessary. I trust you." Perhaps those aren't the most professional words to use with this man, but he does seem trustworthy, and if he just saw her hard nipples, there's not much else to hide.

"I'm just scared of needles," she explains, resting her hands on her thighs, "I usually need someone to hold my hand." Dr. Kyte always has a nurse come in to hold Soarynn's hand while she administers the shot, but she's not here.

He nods, looking down at the floor, he's wearing shiny black shoes. He looks very important right now.

"I see. Well, I don't think we have any available nurses at the moment, unless you'd like to wait for one."

Soarynn worries her bottom lip between her teeth, she doesn't want to seem like a baby, even though she definitely is one when it comes to shots. But maybe this can be a learning experience for her.

"It's fine," she decides, "I can handle it."

Dr. Snow grins, "Atta girl, it'll be quick, I'll have to inject the vaccine into your neck though."

Oh.

He needs to work on mentioning everything before she agrees to it.

Her voice cracks, "Okay."

Soarynn watches Dr. Snow pull open several drawers, pulling out a syringe, a vial, a wipe to clean her skin, and a bandaid.

At least the bandaid is pink.

"Which side of the neck?" He asks, looking left to right. Soarynn shrugs, it's going to hurt either way, "Right."

He nods, stepping forward but then he pauses, it's a bit of an awkward position that they're in. "Maybe I could just spread my legs," she suggests, batting her lashes up at him, "so you can get closer." Dr. Snow bites the inside of his cheek, gripping the syringe tighter, "Sure."

Soarynn does exactly that, spreading her legs so he can stand between them. The paper dress rides up on her thighs, baring her lace panties to him. His breath trembles for a moment, "Alright, is it okay if I rest my hand on your thigh?"

It's suddenly very hot in here.

"Of course, Dr. Snow."

He places his right hand on her left thigh, his fingers are still cold but she welcomes the sensation. They're also very close to her cunt. She chooses to ignore that part.

Soarynn watches from the corner of her eye as he brings the syringe up, their faces are inches apart now. She tilts her head to the side, baring her neck, "Is it alright if I push your dress down off your shoulders?"

"Mhm."

He gently tugs her paper dress down, exposing her chest once again and Soarynn closes her eyes, tensing and preparing for the piercing needle to penetrate her skin.

Instead, it's his fingers penetrating her cunt.

Soarynn moans, throwing her head back and arching her back at two of his long digits plunging deep into her cunt, pressing right against her sweet spot. "Oh," she gasps, her chest pressing against his, "oh please."

His breaths are on her neck instead of the needle, then his lips, sucking hard on her tender skin. His fingers thrust into her at a rapid pace, making it known how wet she was for Dr. Snow. It almost feels like a dream, a terrible, nasty, forbidden dream she should not be having.

"You like that?"

Soarynn whimpers, her eyes rolling back, "Yes," she whines, latching a hand onto his forearm, "yes Dr. Snow, I like it."

"I knew you needed something to distract you, to take your little mind off of the bigger things in life." Soarynn is at a loss for words, his fingers feel so fucking good. Her toes are curling and she can barely hold herself up so he removes his hand from her thigh to wrap his arm around her waist.

His lips travel from her neck to her jawline, then, to her lips.

It's a lustful, passionate kiss shared between them, a forbidden desire.

"So wet," he says against her lips, "so needy, so willing to take it, aren't you? Bet you'd spread your legs for anyone huh? A doctor, a lawyer, a President, anything and anyone to fill your greedy little cunt."

Soarynn tries to shake her head but it's pointless. He's right.

His fingers slam into her so fast, hitting that sweet spot every single time without fail. Soarynn shrieks when his thumb finds her clit, rubbing it in tight circles to bring her to a delicious orgasm.

"That's right," he says, panting, "gonna cum all over my fingers like a good girl huh? Can't take a shot but you can take other things right?"

Soarynn moans, her walls flutter around his fingers, and his words cause that wire inside of her to snap.

Dr. Snow doesn't let up one bit though, in fact, he starts going harder. "I can't," she whines, trying to push away from him but he's so much stronger than she is, bigger, taller, larger. His cock is probably huge.

"You can," he tells her, his voice laced with authority, "and you will. Be my good little slut and cum for me again Soarynn, I want this entire building to know what a slut you are for me."

His saying that reminds her of what a shameful, scandalous position she's currently in right now. Getting finger-fucked by her doctor at the doctor's office.

People are in the next room getting a prescription, she's in this room getting fucking pounded.

"Please," she mumbles, "please, please, please."

Her brain has been turned into mush, she can't think straight, talk straight, even look straight.

All she wants is another orgasm.

"Already dumbed down huh? Can't think about anything else but my fingers huh? That's all you want, all you need, isn't it baby? Just need to be filled all the time, keep your pretty little mind filled with pleasure and sex."

His lips are on hers again, this time more aggressively as he bites at her bottom lip. Soarynn gives him full control, letting him lead so she can mindlessly follow.

Her next orgasm is riding up on her and his fingers are going faster than before, her cunt is slick, making the most obscene noises right now in front of her doctor, a man who went to school for years. All for her to fall apart on his fingers.

"Cum for me Soarynn," he orders, his voice harsh, "cum all over my fingers like the little fuckdoll you are."

That's all it takes.

Soarynn sees white when her second orgasm hits her, her body goes limp in his arms, hoping he'll keep her upright while she moans loudly.

Soarynn's eyes begin to drift shut, growing heavier and heavier before they close and all she can think about is how he never gave her that shot.

꧁ ꧂

When Soarynn's eyes open, she's in her bedroom.

She looks to her right and finds a glass of water on her nightstand, along with a bowl of fruits. When she looks to her left, her boyfriend is staring down at her, a proud smirk on his lips.

"You really got into it this time," she mumbles, snuggling up to his side. Coriolanus has since removed his white doctor's coat, and the rest of his clothes for that matter from what she can feel, most likely just in his boxers.

Coriolanus chuckles, smoothing down her blonde hair, "You were much more confident this time," he replies, "telling me to leave your breasts exposed really threw me for a loop." Soarynn grins up at him, usually when they do these roleplay things, she's a shaking, timid, shy little thing. She's been a client for a lawyer, a secretary for the President, and now a virgin patient for a doctor.

It's a rush.

The first time he ever mentioned it, she hadn't been so sure about it. Pretending to be someone else? It was strange.

But then she learned to love it, getting to play around like she was someone else. And it was just extremely hot, the whole "forbidden romance" genre has always been a favorite in her books. Soarynn has read countless books about these types of relationships and now, she gets to live out her fantasy.

And Coriolanus gets to pretend to be powerful in every situation, holding power over those below him and thriving in his new role while fucking her senseless.

It's a win-win situation.

"I had to catch you off guard," she says nonchalantly, "and I thought you were going to fuck me, not finger me." He laughs, "Is there a difference?"

"There's a very big difference."

Coriolanus yawns, they always do these things late at night, and this time, they were in one of their spare closets, using spare counter space and floor space to create a believable doctor's office.

"Well that's because I plan on fucking you all night long darling, I'm still not done with you so I hope you're ready for an all-night affair."

Soarynn's eyes light up at the prospect of sex all night long, a weary concept to some people, but not to her. Sex with Coriolanus is amazing, whether they're playing pretend or being themselves.

It's always good.

"Is that so?" She murmurs, slowly pushing herself to sit up next to him, "I have to stay in bed with you all night?"

Even though they aren't pretending anymore, his throat still bobs. It's rare that she catches him off guard so she cherishes every moment she has of it.

But he recovers smoothly, pressing a kiss to her pulse point.

"Mhm," he responds, slipping a hand between her thighs. Soarynn sighs at the touch, always welcomed, always wanted.

"Is that an order?"

Perhaps next time he could be a Peacekeeper who arrests her.

The next words he whispers send a shiver down her spine.

"Doctor's orders."

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

| taglist: @lovelylove268 @kickmybark @iswearicanfixhim @wonderlandbound111 @melodyoflovee @thevoicesinmyprettylittlehead @erensrealgf @evilmenarehot @cervvsq @snowgirl12 @matcha-muses @anisangeldust @snowsgames |

[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

Edit: Someone said Kyte works well bc actual kites were used in science experiments concerning the weather and when you put it like that? Wonderful. Will be calling tyler/kate "Kyte" from now on thank youuu

[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

[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

[techpsa]

The Power of Looking Inward in Leading Projects Effectively

In the world of project management, conversations often revolve around external factors — tools, processes, stakeholders, and timelines. But truly effective project leadership begins not with what’s outside, but with what’s within.

Looking inward — reflecting on one’s mindset, behaviour, and beliefs — is one of the most powerful practices a project leader can adopt. It’s the difference between reacting to project chaos and responding with clarity. Between forcing outcomes and fostering ownership. Between managing people and truly leading them.

Why Self-Reflection Matters in Project Leadership

Projects, by nature, are unpredictable. Scope creeps, deadlines shift, stakeholders change. Amidst all this, the only constant a project manager can truly control is themselves.

Introspective leaders are more equipped to stay calm in uncertainty. They know when to step back, reassess, and respond thoughtfully. They’re aware of their biases and triggers — and work actively to ensure those don’t cloud team dynamics or decision-making.

Self-awareness fosters emotional intelligence — the ability to empathise, communicate, and motivate. And in project environments where collaboration and trust are everything, these “soft” skills turn out to be mission-critical.

Creating a Culture of Ownership and Trust

Leaders who look inward tend to lead by example. Their self-reflection leads to humility, accountability, and openness. And this sets the tone for the entire team.

For instance, when a project manager owns up to a misstep, it creates space for team members to do the same. When they ask for feedback or admit they don’t have all the answers, it builds a culture of transparency. This kind of environment — where people feel safe, seen, and supported — leads to stronger ownership, faster issue resolution, and better outcomes.

Looking inward also helps project managers identify when they’re being too controlling, too hands-off, or too task-focused. By recognising and adjusting these tendencies, they can empower their teams more effectively — enabling autonomy without losing alignment.

Strategic Thinking Rooted in Clarity

Effective project leadership isn’t just about managing schedules and deliverables. It’s about seeing the bigger picture, making decisions with confidence, and knowing when to pivot. Leaders who regularly reflect can cut through noise and complexity — because they’re anchored in purpose and clear on their values.

They’re not driven by ego, but by impact. They’re not swayed by pressure, but guided by principles. And in doing so, they help their teams move from chaos to clarity.

Empowering Inner Growth with the Right Tools

At Kytes, we believe that great project outcomes come from a strong mix of technology and leadership. While our PSA and PPM software brings structure, visibility, and automation to your projects, it’s the human side — the introspective leadership — that unlocks true value.

Our solutions are designed to give project leaders the space to focus on what matters: strategic thinking, team connection, and meaningful delivery.

[frost-eyed-autumn]

Has writing a fic ever changed your opinion of a character?

yet another list of fic writer asks

{--Off the top of my head, I don't think how I personally wrote a character myself for a fic changed much about how I viewed them.

I don't tend to write characters I don't enjoy or don't want to write for and I don't like to write characters that I don't know a lot about either.

I like to actually do my research and try to do them justice from the hop. Obviously I might get better over time with solidifying their muse "identity" with practice but I don't think doing so has ever explicitly changed how I view the character, especially how I view their canon material specifically.

I know fandom space has a lot of people who are like "I don't like this aspect of this character so I'm going to change it so I like the character more" for instance (you and I have ranted endlessly about this, like people erasing James Ironwood's war crimes to make him more "palatable" because they want him to be an "uwu good guy who's never done a thing wrong in his life" and not the cutthroat military guy who tried to nuke half his own kingdom to defeat Salem lol) but I've never really been for that.

I like to keep characters as close to their source material as I can manage to squeeze out. I think you learn to be a better writer that way in terms of having better character range by stepping into writing something that maybe you wouldn't if you just changed around or removed key aspects of a character to fit an idealized or woobified image of that character.

Like Chuuya for instance is very different from most of my other muses (like Alekt, Kytes, and Lavi), and having that variety and the challenge of writing him in a way that other people can look and say "That's definitely how Chuuya should be" is fun and rewarding for me. I could change things about his character that are canon to be more flexible or loose and easy to interact with or get along with but I don't really like to because I think that waters him down in other areas and I'm just not super happy with that. It'd feel like I'm more writing an OC than a canon, and like I'm writing him just to appeal to other people instead of writing him for myself and what feels the best and most accurate.

All that said, how other people have written characters I've interacted with in roleplay has sometimes changed my opinion of the character, for good or ill. Most of the time its a change to a good opinion though. There are characters who I don't like and can't really stand in their canon material or whom I just don't find a lot of interest in paying attention to who I love to interact with in RP because of the life someone else brings to them!--}

[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

[weirdstrangeandawful]

"🍽️ How long does it typically take them to eat a meal?" and "🖍️ Most efficient way to clean up chalk dust according to them?" for your favorite character... and gush about your favorite character. If you want. No pressure!

Oof! I have to pick a favourite??????

Okay, going with Carroll because I can relate to him a lot right now with my surgery complications.

🍽️ How long does it typically take them to eat a meal? I'd say Carroll still has his Navy bullying trauma and also his childhood trauma so he probably eats his food fairly quickly. But he absolutely does get distracted by chatting with Kyte when they're together.

🖍️ Most efficient way to clean up chalk dust according to them? Ask Rowan to do it (he's the boatswain after all).

[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

[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."

[firewolf-pyro]

First years:

Tank was taken in by the church of Bahamut, of the pantheon of Dragons. The draconic pantheon also consists of Tiamat making Tank’s drop off here at a good aligned dragon a blessing in disguise for his own life. For his first few years under the watchful eyes of the priests, Tank was lovingly named Pearl due to the brilliant pinkish purple sheen to his scales. He was reared by the church’s inhabitants, the Coboldes. They took him in until he was about 7, learning how to read and write as well as how to be responsible.

{When Tank was first brought into the church they weren’t sure whether or not he was a she or not. So a good portion of his life Tank was known for awhile as Pearl.}

By the age of seven, Tank had outgrown the coboldes by height. They had shunted a lot of their chores into him, washing dishes and helping with the cleaning chores in the church building. When he wasn’t playing stick swords with the other young children of the village he was working along side the coboldes to keep the space of worship clean. This did not dissuade his young childish self however from finding play in just about any chore he was given. Often, making a mess of soup bubbles in the washing basin or using fresh linens as capes or kytes.

{Once they finally realized Tank was a little boy rather than a little girl they started calling him Tank or Tank’s Pearl or another combination of those names. They called him this because of how much of a rough and tumble boy he had turned into. Able to take a hit from the other boys rather well in play. He started out much darker than he is currently to the point one could mistake him as a silver dragon. As he began to shed out his scales however the church would find little’s Tank’s appetite to be unmeasurable. They would often go down to the riverside with him to let him fish up meals for himself or to the shoreline where he would devour shells of mussels and clams. These helped his own scales develop their natural pearlescent sheen. Once during a royally hot summer Tank even discovered his breath weapon, using the chilly blast of air to turn cream into iced cream- to which he would add berries and other sweet bits into when he could get away with it. }

As he aged out of childhood the church helped him introduce himself to the kingdom’s army. He was not bookish enough to go further in the church they believed, and with how routy he had become with the other kids they believed it was time for some sterner hands to guide him into adulthood. The idea of a dragon born entering and training under the supervision of the kingdom was gawkable sure. But it wasn't a challenge that went unclaimed.

{Both the care for his hooves and his horns were a work around the church had to bring up their live stock guardians for. Farmers who raised cattle especially were asked to stop by twice a month to see to Tank’s hooves and make sure his horns weren’t growing abnormally. Once, Tank had to have them saw off a chunk of his horn because it was starting to grow right into his head. That is when someone had the brilliant idea for metallic splints to help the horns grow away from his head.}

A knight by the name of Siegfierd took the boy as his page. With how strange Tank was, horses were certainly a bit wary about him. It was frustrating for the young boy and dealing with their antics, catching them from the pasture, grooming them and reading them taught him some much needed patience. Siegfierd also began teaching Tank how to properly use his stick sword- giving him instead a wooden sword to care for. Then came the metal cleaning and learning how to care for leather armors. All the way up until he turned 14 he trained with Siegfierd, day in and day out.

{having wings is an odd but not unheard of trait for a dragon born. Though some wings tend to be vestigial- useless, Tank’s were fully formed and large enough that he could use them for short flights. His first few flights were barely that, hopping from tree limb to tree limb then soaring out into the open waters of a lake or river. He can’t carry much more than himself in flight, making them pretty much useless when armored.}

At 15 he began training as a squire. Those first couple of years were hard on Tank, the wooden sword being switched out for a metal short sword. One of the basic weapons he would be trained to use, earning him cuts and slashes across his beautiful scales. This is also around the time when Tank’s barbarian nature began to show through. The young man began raging during training sessions - turning them hard and sometimes into brutal fights ending with bloodshed. It was a lot of work for Siegfierd to train Tank to use his rage strategically in battles.

In order to be knighted Tank was required by his trainer, Siegfierd, to go out in the world and experience everything he could. Siegfierd helped him- at the later age of his 19th year, find an adventuring party to travel and train with. With them he experienced his first few times on sea bound ships, air bound ships and other strange machines. With them he felled great beasts, dragons like himself and monsters from other realms. With them he learned just what his body could and could not withstand and learned magical artifacts and how to use them. By the time Tank returned to the kingdom he had traveled away from he was just turning 25. Sure, a bit late to be knighted, but he had done as Siegfierd had ordered him to do. Live, love and loss.

Tank never knew either of his parents. His mother, Opal, was a large powerful horse-taur from the nomadic barbarian tribes of the tundras. Her coat was white as the snow around her, the hooves or hers shimmered as gold did. Her tribe - nomadic as any barbarian tribe tended to be, still held myths and legends. Their religion, strange to some - worshipped dragons as gods.

Tanks father, a giant ancient white dragon known only as the great white blizzard to the local tribes, was well known and well feared by the local peoples there. Though this ancient white dragon stayed well within the frozen tundras when he did come across travelers it often ended in tragedy. Great losses to trade and life were caused by his hands.

It is told that his mother, Opal, was out on a hunt near the great ice cliffs their tribe had been camping by when she had first met the god, The Great White Blizzard. She had followed a wooly rhino from the snowy open field - chased it with a spear in its side far into the jagged ice shards that jutted up from the grounds around the cliffs. When the animal was finally cornered, and she was ready to end its life- the both of them found themselves plummeting through a thin patch of ice down into a dark deep ice cave.

Her target had slain itself having landed hard on one of the ice shards at the bottom of the cavern. Opal had been lucky, her handing was hard yes but she had landed on bedding material - bedding material of a great ancient dragon. As she turned around, Tank’s father, The Great White Blizzard, had just woken to the intrusion of Opal and her kill. As Opal’s people regarded dragons as gods, she immediately gave the creature space and fell to her knees offering her kill to the giant white dragon. She apologized for hunting on his land and for intruding on his sleeping space and offered herself up as a sacrifice for her grave mistakes.

It was a miracle this giant white dragon felt merciful that day. They had turned their head to snatch up the offered rhino, then once the meal had been consumed- he turned. A magic only seen used a few times by white dragons, The Great White Blizzard shifted into a humanoid form. He led the fallen nomad to his bed and helped her bind her wounds before the two of them got to know each other - much, much closer. It wasn’t unusual for hunts to go on for days at a time so it wasn’t unusual that Opal had been gone for so long. When she returned, she was not alone despite being empty handed at the time. No, when she returned she was with child.

By the time Opal’s infidelity started showing, her people had moved a great distance away from the ancient white dragon’s lands. They had followed the elk out of the tundras as their giant herd fled to better pastures. They found themselves walking along roadways that led into a grand kingdom of a king and queen they did not recognize. Because Opal did not have a partner in her tribe- the birth of her son, Tank, was a painful and lonely one. It only took her a couple of weeks with him sling across her chest to realize she couldn’t keep him on her own. Instead, she chose to abandon the fresh hatchling on the steps of a religious figure they recognized but had no name for. It was a dragon, but they didn’t know the platinum’s name.