#my silly guy my lad my child

[schelofthesea]

gin 🤲🏽

[mistydeyes]

hello!!! 🍄 This is a bit silly but I was wondering if you could do a headcanon about how 141 would react to a reader who is freaking scared of cockroach and one day there's a roach in the room or bathroom and reader is losing it 🧍.

OMFG anon this was such a funny request i swear! literally imagine such a badass reader being absolutely freaked over the smallest of bugs.

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summary: When you joined the 141, you made it very clear to Price you had one fear: bugs. Now the 141 just has to deal with your constant cries for help when an insect is nearby.

pairing: Taskforce 141 x platonic!reader

warnings: swearing

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Despite being one of the more skilled members of the team, you were absolutely terrified of bugs. It was a deep-seated fear since you were a child, stemming from an incident where you accidentally fell into a hoard of earthworms and centipedes. It could be the smallest spider crawling on the wall but every time, your fight or flight was immediately activated. The team had to have a few words with you when you almost attacked a stink bug with a blow torch. Now that you were on probation for using unnecessary force against the insects, you resided to ask whoever was around to kill it for you.

Ghost was summoned to your room in the middle of the night by your loud, petrified screams. He had picked up a quick pace as he breathlessly entered the doorway of your private quarters. "Cosmo, you alright?" he asked as he watched you hunched onto the bed. "I-I saw something," you said, fear emanating in your tone, "I think it crawled into my clothes drawer." Ghost's shoulders dropped as he realized the false alarm you had raised. "Jesus, Cosmo, you don't have to wake the entire fucking base for just one bug," he replied, almost like a scolding parent, "Now where is the little guy." As he opened the drawer and you covered your eyes, he couldn't help but let out a large, bellowing laugh. To this, both tired and bed-headed Sergeants entered to figure out what had made their Lieutenant laugh so happily in the dead of night.

"Everything alright here?" Gaz asked, walking over to a hysterical Ghost and the open drawer. "Cosmo found the newest threat to the 141," he teased and Soap joined to peer around his shoulder. There was a moment of silence before the group joined in Ghost's laughter. You decided the coast was clear and hopped off the bed. As you approached closer, you cringed at the sight of the brown roach with many twitching legs hiding amongst your socks. "That thing is fucking massive," you corrected as Ghost gently picked it up with his hands. "Why don't you give the lad a kiss," Soap then joined in and snatched it out of his hands. Your screams were deafening as Soap mockingly positioned it near your face and chased you around the base.

Later that night, you received a disappointed lecture from Price at your childish fear and the antics of both Soap and Ghost. Gaz sat there smirking as Price laid into you, reminding himself to put a fake cockroach under your bed before you left on another mission.

[renonm]

hiii! first time sending request to anybody ever so kinda nervous haha 🫣 can I request for relationship hcs for wirth madl? my boy needs some love fr >:"( have a good day!!

WIRTH MÁDL RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS

A/N: thank yuw for requesting, hope you guys enjoy this:3

NOTE: gn!reader

• As a child, Wirth was met with high standards from his, therefore ignoring all these “romantic” things back then, but when he met you, it’s safe to say that you were his first.

• Obviously at first, he was in denial, why does he have such a ridiculous(romantic) interest in you??? He has tried trying to get rid of these feelings, but it keep coming back!!

• Once Shuen found out about this, he’d tease the living daylight of Wirth whenever you walked by the hallway.

• Wirth will DEFINITELY show signs of interest though, such as staring at you in class(will look away if you catch him staring.), handing out notes(even if you didn’t ask.)

• “I’m only doing this because I wanna look good and nice to get credit.”

• After being convinced by Shuen and your ‘cute-ass’ personality, he makes the move.

• “I like you.”

• Thought he was like hesitating and kept going off track, but he eventually just said it quickly, like “You better accept or else I will burn in flames. If you want. Maybe…”

• During the relationship with Wirth, he’d tease you in private. But he knows his limits to your boundaries.

• Would scold you if you ever fail an exam or forgot to submit an assignment.

• (he’s a silly lad he’ll still teach you)

• Say ‘thank you’ to him while smiling and holding his hand and he will explode, socks knocked off…

• First date? Probably a study date. Too boring? Fine, he’ll do a walk to the market with you(tries to initiate holding hands)

• Literally bats an eye at Shuen who was coincidentally(he followed them) there at the market.

• Tries to brush it off and holds your hand!!

• Would die if COINCIDENTALLY Magia Lupus is there, worse if it was Orter… Yowch….

• Still would enjoy your company, just gets embarrassed because, he can’t mess this up!!!

• In the more deeper stages of a relationship, he’ll be more comfortable on opening up to you about his problems and vice versa.

• Wirth is also the type of person to hug from behind to startle you, he’s a sucker when you smile in bewilderment.

• Would even write letters to you with his neat ass handwriting(tsk)

• VERY flirty yet loving in private.

• “I hope you can be with me for eternity.”

[camelspit]

Dex Dizznee by @purplesoup-lad-le

Tiergan Alenefar by @xanadaus

Propaganda:

Dex Dizznee:

"he’s so smart and crafty and caring and UGH i just love him. my boy deserves SO much more love than he gets" (anonymous)

"DEX!! He’s the sweetest boy ever and he absolutely would ruin your life <3 He’s just a cutie that loves his friends and family (even when they don’t love him back smh) and just a silly little dude hehe. And also have you seen him?? He’s gorgeous <333" @imobsessed123

Tiergan Alenefar:

"mr transgenderism himself!!!!!!!! he dresses up as a rock he tries to deck alden hes even a dilf… idk guys hes just really been through it he deserves this one thing pleasey <3" (anonymous)

"would let him probe me" (anonymous)

"she's a man he's a woman they're a rock star. he's sad. he's gay. he spent (whatever number of books we're on now) completely ignoring heterosexual bullshit and sad gay monologuing about his lover. his introduction to the series was him yelling at alden vacker. he adopts every child in the vicinity. he lives in a house with five million stairs because he hates interacting with people. what more could you possibly want in a character." @gay-otlc

"please he's the gayest bitch here just let him sweep. biggest upset ever in history. he didn't get to have his boyfriend for nearly half the series please vote for tiergan and let him live in peace </3 better blond </3 </3" @xanadaus

"He's cool, he's goofy, he listens to the Beatles and is the reason that I can't sleep sometimes" @arcturus-ohala

Want to submit propaganda? Do so here and it will be added in the third round.

[clonedchaos]

GUYS GUYS GUYSSSS IM LOSING MY MINNNNDDDD TRANSFORMERS ONE WAS SO GOOODDDD THIS IS LEGIT ME RN:

Okay, but seriously though, I really enjoyed it and want to make plans to see it again. So if you haven’t already, I highly recommend the film. It’s criminally underrated in terms of the box office, so go show it the love it so rightfully deserves!!! 🥰

Anywho, if you want to hear nonsensical spoilers, feel free to read below the cut.

Childhood me would never think I’d be somewhat shipping Optimus and Megatron but like… yeah I understand what y’all are getting at in your tumblr posts. (Fr though, their friendship was so sweet. D-16’s betrayal really did hurt. And it’s been a while since I’ve seen such a well done relationship like that in the media. They’re just two silly lads who genuinely cared about one another and yet got driven apart by vengeance.)

Every single time Bee said “Badassatron” I’m sobbing— He’s such a goober. Bumblebee was always my favorite as a kid, so I have a soft spot for him (even if Orion and D16 were my favorites in this film). “KNIFE HANDS” he’s a safety hazard. (Also him being slightly insane and making inanimate objects his friends to talk to and being self-aware that they’re fake— I AM STEVE?!)

Sentinel essentially saying “Nu-uh” to D-16 when he was rambling about his plans.

Why did they keep saying miner? 😭

Starscream is such a neeerddd per usual. Dang he’s simping for Megatron (I’m kidding y’all, I miss poking fun at the silly plane man)

Trion basically adopted these tiny 4 robots and yes it is canon 💯 (Bro shouldn’t have died, I wanted silly dad shenanigans 😭)

Orion- “Hey Darkwing, my finger can transform”. Meanwhile D16: *knocks Orion the heck out and then proceeds to get punched by Darkwing* My favorite part of the movie ngl

I am very Bumblebee core tbh. He’s just a silly little guy. A silly guy with knife hands.

Bee saying his dream was to work for the government had the theater and I howling (this was a very fun theater experience actually, loved the vibes)

The boys are just casually scared of Elita. Girlboss 💅 (Also I love that her and Arachnid had a fight. I vaguely remember them having a fight/maybe rivalry? In Transformers Prime. Speaking of which, I need to rewatch that. Its been years and I never finished it)

I’m sorry but the whole “Starscream” namesake and then D-16 damaging his vocal cords is obvious irony but still. Nice touch.

”Why did you gag him?” “He wouldn’t stop talking.” “Even when he was unconscious?” “ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS!” Bee’s certified yapper moment

Orion’s whole arc and relationship with D-16 is sad when you pair it with how they are in other iterations. Like, the reason Orion/Optimus would’ve been a stickler for the rules and order was because he was afraid of losing someone again like he lost D-16. (I can’t remember if their backstory is the same all across the board, its been a while since I brushed up on transformers stuff)

The animation was genuinely very pretty. I love the little magic sand particles and the way Megatron’s eyes have a glow trail as specific examples.

The child in me kept kicking my legs and screaming at the references. The mask! Roll out! When D got his signature arm gun I internally lost it. And Chris Hemsworth’s voice at the end of the film was a really really good Optimus voice.

“Is it… getting closer?” Meanwhile Bee: *running away for his life* (both him and Orion running at the start of the film absolutely took me out)

Okay I might do a follow up to this tomorrow, it’s late and I have work in the morning. I’ll think on some more things I want to add as well as some headcanons! Stay tuned!

[mrsarnasdelicious]

The Adoption of Cynlaef (and Aethelstan)

Sihtric feels his heart race as Rumcofa comes into view. He tightens his hands on the reigns of his horse and makes sure the boy in front of him is still steady.

"Almost home." Finan says. He's noticed Sihtric's strange demeanor and has begun to wonder. Is it the boy? Finan thinks that unlikely, knowing full well Sihtric is a stellar dad to quite a few children.

You wait, with Ingrid and Aethelstan, for the men to come home. Osferth's said they won't be long now.

And indeed, you see Delling's familiar dapple fur, becoming more and more white with each passing year. The lads are home.

The Irishman gives a small shout when Sihtric shoves the kid into his arms.

Sihtric gives Delling his heel, wrapping one arm around the boy to keep him steady. The stallion galops forward. Finan speeds after him, afraid the Dane is going to do something rash and odd. He would not put it beyond Sihtric.

Sihtric pulls Delling to a halt almost right in front of you. Finan is very quick to catch up to him.

Sihtric swings out of the saddle and pulls you into his arms. "Thank the Gods." He whispers against your neck. You hold him close and stroke his hair.

"What is the matter, my love?" You whisper. Sihtric heaves a dry sob and clings to you. "You are alive." He rasps. "Of course I am, silly man." You cooe.

You both look at Sihtric.

Just as Sihtric takes a small step back, you hear the boy in Finan's arms shout. "Móðir!" The child trashes and wails. He kicks Finan in the guy. Finan cries out and drops him.

The boy runs to you, calling "móðir" and clinging to your skirts. You are at an utter loss. And so is Finan, which is a rarity.

"What happened?" You demand. Sihtric swallows thickly. He looks down to his boots and runs a hand over the boy's hair. The child squeals and tries to hide in your skirts.

You lift the boy up, not averting your eyes from Sihtric. The lad is crying and clings to you. He can't be older than Aethelstan.

Carefully you take your husband's hands, as good as you can while still holding the weeping boy.

Sihtric takes a shakey breath. "We happened upon a Dane village, which had been quite brutally attacked." He mutters. "The boy is the only survivor. An orphan." Finan adds. It is the only thing he knows for sure.

"His mother... Gods.. She lay dead at the door of a hovel, throat opened. Killed without a second thought." Sihtric's hands tremble, even though he does his best to keep them still.

Sihtric looks you in the eye. There are tears on his dirty cheeks. Your heart breaks for him. But you are also very curious whith the fate of this stranger.

"Husband." You whisper.

Sihtric gathers you in his arms, child and all. He inhales the scent of your hair. "She .. she looked just like you." He rasps. "It was like seeing you dead." His voice breaks and more tears streak down his face. "Oh, my love." You whisper soothingly, running your fingers into his hair.

"Just one more." Aethelstan mutters.

"Alright, you two get home. I'll take the boy." Says Finan. "No, we will keep him. Let him think I am his mother for a while." You reply. Finan makes a little noise, but you feel Sihtric nod.

"We'll keep him, for as long as he needs." Your husband says. He reluctantly lets you go. He looks at the boy and smiles a wain smile. "We can handle one more." He says.

Sihtric places his free hand on the small hand of your back. "Let's go home, with our sons." He purrs warmly.

The boy is clutching your skirts, looking up at the child Sihtric's brought you. Usually it is the other way around, you amusedly realise, you bring Sihtric new children every so often.

"You already have a place at our hearth and in our hearts." Sihtric murmurs, ruffling Aethelstan's hair. Aethlestan flusters and looks at his boots.

"Can I call you mom and dad, too?" He mutters. Sihtric stoops down to pick him up. "Of course you can." He murmurs. Aethelstan heaves a happy little sigh and leans into him.

[miintsprigz]

I decided to liveblog my thoughts on the new amazing digital circus episode!

Another long post incoming…

But uh SPOILERS!!!

•Oh this is a nightmare…just based on the weird movements…

•That’s such a terrifying nightmare legitimately. I know the “I don’t wanna play with you anymore” jokes will abound but…imagine if she DOES actually abstract at some point. And this was foreshadowing. Also, the fact that she’s so terrified of being forgotten… Oh honey… we could never forget you!

•I don’t ship them (PLEASE DONT KILL ME) but Ragatha and Pomni are so sweet. But goshdangit Ragatha your fEELINGS MATTER STOP FAWNING.

•THE GIANT BUBBLE BLEEP AHAHA

•”Zooby” PFFT.

•LARPING. SO POMNI’S CANONICALLY ONE OF US HUH, GIANT DWEEB (affectionately)

•Idk why but I really like that gummy elephant. It’s so cute!

•”They’ve even got little candy bugs here!” D’AWW.

•So…Caine’s God, huh.

•”I’m not a child you don’t have to hype me up.” Fair point. Still get icked out by r34 tho.

•”I call shotgun!” Ok I admit he’s fun at times.

•PLEASE LET GANGLE HAVE ONE NICE THING I BEG OF YOU

•The graphics did get a serious upgrade. I love it.

•Huh, so the AI have personalities even when they aren’t being watched, if the gummy bandits are AI.

•Ok never mind Jax is a pain again.

•YEAH YOU CUSS HIM OUT POMNI!

•Aw well at least Kinger is trying to help.

•”Now I have no bridge!” EAT IT RABBIT

•Gosh this really is so silly I like it.

•Jax makes me hate him more almost every time he opens his mouth.

•DID HE JUST SHOVE RAGATHA IN THE FACE?! AND BLACKMAIL POOR GANGLE?!

•Sorry I’ll stop talking about Jax, I just really don’t like him (love him as a character, pisses me off as a person).

•OH GOSH NOT THE GLITCHING VEHICLE

•Oh no that poor gummy dude! I love his Aussie accent too (I think he’s an Aussie)

•OH SHOOT HE GLITCHED THROUGH THOSE ARE MODELS!

•Yeah that must be unnerving. Poor guy.

•There’s our girl!

•”Under the map” makes me think she designed it. “What are you on about?” Makes me think he IS an AI. But he’s becoming self aware. “Where’s mum…” oh no this poor guy…

•Aw Pomni is being nice to him.

•Well I love this fella already. …but I already know…things…hhhhhhhhhh.

•Hah, Willy Wonks reference.

•OH SHOOT ITS A RAGGEDY ANN MOVIE REFERENCE. Fudge is silly, I kinda love him. But also YIKES HE ATE PEOPLE.

•”Is it really murder if it’s delicious?” FFFFFFF

•I STILL HATE JAX BY THE WAY, please don’t kill me for that. Really only cares about himself, I so badly want to see him get his just desserts. I’m sorry if you love him, I love to hate him, I promise it’s nothing personal

•Poor gummy havin a crisis. I wanna hug him.

•See Pomni is actually nice. Imo anyway. She wants to help she’s just nervous. Attagirl, Pomni. You’re trying your best.

•I’m seeing the I Have No Mouth references. And AW she’s inviting him to come with!!! Good lass.

•POMNI DEVELOPMENT!!! I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!! BEST GIRL!!!

•Gummigoo, good lad good lad

•Her knowledge on the programming. Her KNOWLEDGE. EEEEE.

•AWWW THEIR LITTLE SMILES

•This is an oddly pretty landscape here, with the teapots.

•Kinger with a bucket on his head HAHAHA

•”I don’t think she really likes me that much.” Honey if only you saw what ONE EPISODE spawned in regards to art of you two.

•KINGER IS THE TEAM DAD. I REPEAT, KINGER IS THE TEAM DAD! “I remember when you were new here too…” And just like that, he lost it.

•OWCH FUDGE GOT BONKED.

•PFFT ya know as a mildly emetophobic person, I normally hate vomit jokes, but these are kind of funny.

•”Good to see you lads.” AWWW.

•Aw the duplicate worked out.

•”I’m so unbelievably disappointed right now” GOOD, COPE SEETHE MALD

•Pomni is genuinely a sweetie. We can see it now. I love that.

•Also the Princess is lovely, I adore her, hope we see her again.

•Oh shoot. Big boom. OH NO FUDGE.

•NO!!!! GUMMIGOOOOOO!!!! I knew it was coming but STILL.

•It’s so sad that she got all this development and now it seems like she’s back at stage one

•Could gummi have been human after all? Is that why Caine looked horrified???

•BRING HIM BACK PLEASE!!!!

•Awww Zooble’s little comfort.

•Oh shoot, funeral for Kaufmo…that’s so sad… aw… that’s good though. It’s how they keep their humanity.

•LEMME HUG THEM PLEASE!!! AW RAGATHA HONEY ITS OK

•AWWW GANGLE’S DRAWING!! THEY WERE BUDDIES… AAAA

•Even Zooble seems sad. Zooble’s nice deep down too I think, they’re just apathetic. And who can really blame them? When you’re stuck in a digital reality, completely disconnected from your own humanity, sometimes that’s how you cope.

•Notice the only one NOT MOURNING is FRIGGIN JAX. What a dingus.

•I really love seeing a resolution to Pomni’s nightmare, where she realizes that people would miss her, and that they would mourn her if she was gone. I think that’s an important thing for her to realize. I guess she isn’t back at stage one after all.

•I WANT A PLUSHIIIIIIE

•But yeah, this episode was absolutely amazing, it made me feel so many emotions, and I can’t wait to obsess over the TV tropes page with all of its new details!

[moonferry]

fsioy chapter 16!! yipee!!

note to self: stop writing without checking the word count oh my lord. anyway this chapter is finally finished and i couldn't be happier!! ive been thinking about some ideas used in thsi for WEEKS. i love these silly guys so much

warnings: near car crashes, unrequited love, heavy rain/storms

word count: 8086

summary: kent and willy have another heart-to-heart on the drive towards zuzu city, then an unexpected rainstorm approaches and traps the two on the roadside. kent has an idea and eventually some tough decisions are made. kent finally makes it home and gets to see his loving wife once more.

other chapters: chapter master list

ao3 link: here

July 19XX, The Road To Zuzu City

Kent sat in the passenger's seat - quietly mulling over his thoughts. He didn't feel much like conversation and it seemed like Willy was just fine with that. In fact, the older man had begun - rather rancorously - singing along to whatever song was playing through the mounds of static on the radio. Kent thought it would be better to leave Willy to his own devices, so he  glanced out the window and tried to discern how far they were from the city. 

The lush greenery of the surrounding trees soon meshed into the same quaint town he'd notice before. Kent couldn't help but imagine a life there - with Jodi, maybe a child or two. It seemed peaceful and it would definitely be a nice break from everything he’d been through recently. 

A small sigh slipped past his lips as he thought about the events once again. Kent was grateful to be going home - he didn't know if he could handle being alone right now- but something kept eating at the back of his mind; a question. Why had Willy helped him? Wouldn't Willy get in trouble for helping Kent escape? Kent’s expression dropped. He didn't want the man to get in trouble - especially because of him. Kent reached out and turned the nob on the dash - turning the radio volume down - before turning to look at Willy. 

“Hey, Willy?” Kent asked, getting the man’s attention. 

“Aye?” Willy responded, glancing up to look at Kent in the rear view mirror. Though, he made sure his eyes stayed on the road (or the dirt path that would pass as one) in front of him. 

Kent pursed his lips together, debating. He looked at Willy and tried to coax the words out of his own mouth. It was just a simple question, why couldn't Kent bring himself to ask? Maybe he wasn't sure he'd like the answer. Kent didn't know. Eventually, however, he managed to speak once again, “Why.. why did you help me? Leave, I mean.” 

Willy shrugged and replied with a simple, “I wanted to. Besides, I know ye could use a break.. These past few days.. ah.. Well, they haven't been too easy for ye, have they?”

“No, not really,” Kent replied. A small bout of worry creeped into his voice. He frowned slightly before looking down at his lap. He knew Willy wanted to help - for his father's sake - but Kent didn't like doing things that would get others in trouble. He spoke again, though he didn't look up at Willy - too ashamed, “Won't you get in trouble, though? For helping me.” 

“Ah,” Willy started, his own sigh slipping past his lips. He glanced at Kent again and shook his head before adding, “Don't ya worry about me, lad.  It takes a lot more than ‘punishment’ to get to Ol’ Willy.” 

“Besides, what's the worst they can do to me?” Willy asked. He paused for a bit, thinking. Willy gave a slow, solemn nod before continuing, “This war has already taken everything that matters to me. Nothing they do to me will hurt me worse than what I've already been through.” 

“Willy..” Kent started, his frown deepening. His brows furrowed together. Was Willy really willing to risk everything? Just to help him? Kent didn't like that thought. He doesn't know what went on in Willy’s life, but - judging by the man’s response - it must've been something terrible. Kent looked back at Willy, a wave of concern covering his face. 

“You once told me you've never been married,” Kent spoke, hoping he didn't come off as rude. He added, curiously, “Why is that? I mean - you seem amazing. I just can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to marry you..” 

Willy went silent, a glum look crossing his face. He pursed his lips together. Kent felt the silence surround them - like a thick, uncomfortably warm blanket. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“Sorry,” Kent apologized, once again looking away from the other man. “Just.. forget I asked, okay?” 

“Listen, lad,” Willy started, a sigh slipping past his lips. He momentarily stopped the vehicle before turning to look at Kent. “I wanted to get married, I truly did, but.. things don't always work out the way you hope, ya know?” 

“Y’see.. There was someone, once,” Willy explained, reaching out and resting his hand on Kent’s shoulder. “He was the greatest person I've ever known. Any sane person woulda fallen fer him.. He was a great friend to me for many years. Then, he moved away from our hometown and we lost touch..  I was a bit crushed, but I understood. He needed to move onto greater things, I guess..” 

“So, to cope, I decided to join the military - well, more specifically the naval part, as I always loved water, even as a wee lad. I've been in this business roughly.. twenty-odd years now. But, back when I was just startin’, I bought a ship and docked it in the Zuzu City harbor. And, as I was roamin’ around - gettin’ used to being in a place that wasn't home - a familiar face walks up to me. Now, I hadn't seen him in a few years at this point and I was more than shocked that he remembered little ol’ me. He tells me how he met a pretty lass, fell in love and got married, and how he now had a baby on the way. I felt like my heart had been ripped from me chest - I mean, sure, I never had the courage to tell him how I felt so it wasn't like he knew how that would affect me, but it still hurt to hear..”

“I tried my best to be happy for him, even though it was killin’ me.. Eventually, we start chattin’ again and he becomes one of me best mates. The years pass by and - even though I'm still sulkin’ and mopin’ - I start to genuinely feel happy for him. Glad he found someone who makes him laugh, someone to look after him. Then, his kid is born, and he rushes to me all proud and tells me how excited he is to be a father. I’d never seen him so happy, Kent.”

“It made me realize that - even if I wanted it to - the two of us would've never worked out. He deserved someone like that lass. I couldn't bring myself to tell him how I felt, but I didn't want to let him go, either .So, when his boy was old enough, I offer to let them use my boat. Heh.. I remember the little tyke waddling around on the hull of the ship, excitedly babbling about how cool boats were. I almost thought of him as my own son. And then I remembered that he wasn't and that his Pappy wouldn't think of me the same.."

"Eventually, I threw myself deeper into my work. I couldn't bear to watch his happiness anymore. Then, the war started, and he.. being the brave fool he was, followed me into battle without a second thought - despite me beggin’ and pleadin’ for him not to. And.. then he died. I never told him how I felt.. I regret it every single day. I know it wouldn't have changed anythin’, but.. Ah.. never mind, I'm babblin’, aren't I?” 

Willy turned away from Kent and rested his calloused hands against the steering wheel. He looked out at the horizon, his expression turning glum as he thought about the past. 

“Who was he?” Kent asked curiously, tilting his head to look at Willy.

Willy let out a small, humorless chuckle. He turned back to Kent and his lips formed a thin line, though the corner of his mouth curved upwards slightly. He went silent, as if debating to reveal the name. Eventually, Willy sighed to himself, nodding, before saying, “He was your father.” 

Kent’s eyes widened in surprise. His father? That was certainly not the response he expected. It also made him quite curious. Kent thought back to Willy’s earlier statements - about how Willy cared “so much” for his father. Had this been what he meant the entire time? 

“You..? My father..?” He asked, the disbelief evident in his voice. His mouth was wide open, his jaw basically glued to the floor at that point. 

“Ah, it didn't amount to nothin’..” Willy replied, waving his hand to dismiss Kent’s question. He shook his head before adding, “Besides, Misty is a good lass. I’d never do anything to come between her and Chris. No, I'm grateful your dad found her, I am. If he hadn't, I wouldn't be talkin’ to you now, would I?” 

“I guess not,” Kent admitted, tilting his head to the side as he pondered Willy’s words. He still couldn't believe just how close this man was to his father. It seemed surreal that, after all this time, Willy cared enough about Kent's father to continue looking after Kent for him. 

“Enough about me an’ my love life,” he spoke, shaking his head. Willy smiled at Kent before giving him a gentle pat on his shoulder. He turned forward and placed his hands on the wheel once more. He called over his shoulder, “Let’s get you home.” 

With that, Willy started the vehicle once again and continued the drive into the city. Kent leaned against the window and watched dark clouds roll in from the horizon. It looked like a storm was approaching. It worried Kent slightly. His worry seemed to grow as the faint pitter-patter of raindrops began pelting the roof of the vehicle. Kent watched as a lone raindrop traveled down his window and silently hoped it would ease up before they entered the city. 

He couldn't be so lucky. The rain seemed to increase, making it hard for Willy to see the road ahead of them and making it harder for the vehicle to travel on the rough dirt beneath. It slowly turned into sludge and seemed to gunk up the wheels - sending them sliding back and forth. Kent’s eyes widened as the vehicle lurched to one side and seemed to aim directly for a tree. 

Luckily, Willy managed to jerk the wheel in the opposite direction - causing the vehicle to swerve out of the way before skidding to a stop completely. Unluckily, the vehicle spun around and landed itself in the center of a large circle of mud. 

“Are ye alright, lad?” Willy asked, his eyes wide. His first response was to check on Kent, who seemed completely uninjured - though he was slightly jostled. Kent gave a shaky nod in response. He glanced at Willy, who appeared just as shaken as he was. However, amidst the chaos and Willy’s attempts to steer Kent to safety, the man had slammed his own head against the steering wheel - a faint trickle of blood oozing out of his nose and matting in the hair of his mustache. 

“Willy, you're bleeding!” Kent exclaimed, a look of concern washing over his features. He frantically looked around and tried to find some sort of cotton or fabric to wipe away Willy's blood. 

“Ah, this ol’ thing?” Willy asked, reaching up and wiping away the substance with his thumb. He gave a slight chuckle before speaking once more, “That's nothin’. Me ol noggin has been through worse than a little nosebleed, Kenty boy.” 

“Are you okay?” Kent asked, the concern still evident in his voice. He frowned at Willy’s dismissive nature. This seemed rather serious to him. 

“I'm fine,” Willy spoke, reaching two fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose and stop any further bleeding. He continued, “Sailor’s honor. However, we have.. bigger problems.” Willy motioned to the windshield and what little was visible through the massive downpour. It appeared that the vehicle was now stuck in a large, muddy hole. It didn't help that the rain continued to pelt down against the roof and create a loud, almost rhythmic noise. 

“Oh Yoba,” Kent said as he glanced out at the scene before him. He turned back to Willy and asked, “How are we going to get out of this?”

“Hmm..” Willy started, his free hand resting against his chin in deep thought. He pursed his lips together before finally speaking, “We have two options; wait for someone to come find us - which could take hours - or try to push ‘er out of this hole ourselves.. Either way, I don't know if we’ll make it to the city before sunset..”

“What?” Kent asked. Horror flooded his face. He couldn't believe they had made it this far just to get stopped. He let out a groan of frustration, reaching a hand up to massage his forehead, “You've gotta be kidding me..” 

“'Fraid not, lad,” Willy confirmed, a small sigh slipping from his lips. He knew how much this meant to Kent - how desperately Kent wanted to get home. He sucked in a breath through his teeth before reaching towards the door handle. 

“C’mon. let's go push her,” Willy instructed, motioning for Kent to follow him before adding, “I doubt anyone would come here this late at night.” 

Kent sighed, though he exited the vehicle and followed Willy. He cringed as the mud squelched beneath his feet, the grimy substance soaking into his pants legs. 

The rain continued to pour down on them - making it quite hard to see what they were doing. They carefully approached the rear of the vehicle (trying their best not to go sliding or fall face first in the mud). 

Kent rested his hand against the cool metal of the vehicle’s rear - which was now slick with rain. He waited for Willy’s signal before pushing with all his might. With the exertion he was giving, Kent’s boots began sinking deeper into the mud. Panic began bubbling beneath the surface as Kent struggled to lift his leg. It didn't help that the rain seemed to rise in volume, drowning on Kent’s pleas for help.

“Willy?” Kent called out. Though the rain muffled his voice.Willy couldn’t hear him - the man was also nowhere to be seen.  

“Wil- Willy!” Kent tried again, looking around for the older man as he desperately clawed at the back of the vehicle – trying to hoist himself out of the deepening mud. It was now up to his ankles. The cool dampness of the mud soaked into his pants and chilled him. It was uncomfortable and clammy. It filled Kent’s mind with the feeling of Misha’s bloated corpse. He felt himself start to freeze as the images creeped out of the depths of his brain. 

“Lad?” Willy asked, peering around the corner of the vehicle. He glanced at Kent and noticed how the boy seemed rigid, his expression wide with panic. “Lad? You alright?” Willy called out again. Kent seemed unresponsive and Willy’s own worry began to grow. He waded towards Kent, the mud sloshing and churning as he walked out towards the boy. Kent still didn't respond upon Willy’s approach - he didn't even seem to notice Willy coming nearer or the sloshing of the mud beneath the man’s feet. 

“Kent?” Willy tried again as he approached the boy. He glanced down and noted Kent’s ankles were submerged in the grimy substance. He recoiled in surprise, though Willy sprang into action. He called out a warning as he got closer to Kent, “Hold on, lad. I’m comin’!” 

When he finally made it to Kent, Willy didn’t think twice before attempting to free him from the deepening gunk. He wrapped his arm around Kent’s back before giving him a few firm tugs. It seemed that Kent was slowly being freed from the viscous substance. Willy exhaled a breath of exertion, sweat beading on the edge of his forehead. He gave Kent one final tug before the boy was finally free. However, the force sent both of them sprawling backwards. They landed in a nearby puddle with a loud sploosh and their uniforms were completely coated in the grime. 

“Eugh,” Kent called out as the substance coated his arms. It seemed he finally shook out of his stupor, though it wouldn’t be much help, now would it? The two had already gotten drenched from the rain - the mud didn’t help. Neither did the fact that the rain had suddenly turned quite cold. In fact, Kent felt the rain seep through his uniform and chill him to the bone. He shivered. 

“Ah.. So much for that idea, heh,” Willy said, shaking his head with a hearty chuckle. He pushed himself into a standing position before extending his arm outwards in Kent’s direction. Kent grabbed a hold of it and Willy hoisted him upwards. They two carefully walked away from the mud. When they made it back to the vehicle, Kent slumped against the cool metal and sighed. So much for going home, He thought to himself, a glum look crossing his features. 

“Don’t look so sad, son,” Willy spoke before placing a gentle hand on Kent’s shoulder. He frowned at Kent’s expression and scrambled for something that might cheer Kent up. A small sigh slipped past Willy’s lips, though he spoke once more, “Look, Kent, I know it seems.. Well.. bad, and yer now soaked an’ covered in mud.. But, I’m goin’ to get you home - I promise. Even if I have to march myself into the city and find a car. I mean, there has to be someone willin’ to help, right? We just need a way to contact them..” 

“Wait a minute,” Kent spoke, cutting off Willy’s train of thought. An idea popped into Kent’s head: his mother was always willing to help, and he knew her number by heart, they just needed a way to contact her. He pushed himself off of the vehicle and began pacing around in a small circle. What could they use to contact his mother? Kent’s lips form a thin line and his brow furrowed in concentration. He glanced around the nearby area, squinting at a distant box near a dim light post. Bingo. A payphone. Kent patted his pants, turning his pockets inside out to check for some sort of currency. Nothing. He turned to Willy and asked, “Hey, Willy, do you have like.. 25g on you?” 

Willy raised an eyebrow, though he patted his own pockets. He pulled out a small, slightly tarnished 25g coin. He placed it in Kent’s palm, though he looked at him skeptically and added, “Kent, I don’t know how 25g is goin’ to help us in this scenario, son.. Can’t exactly go make a wish in a wishin’ well, can ye?” 

“Just trust me,” Kent started. He took the coin and placed it into his pocket. He turned to Willy and spoke once more, “I’ll be back.” With that, he turned and began walking away from the vehicle. However, he was soon stopped. 

“Hold on a second,” Willy protested, his face contorting in worry, “Where are ya going, lad? And what, exactly, do you plan to do with me coin? That’s my lucky 25g, I’ll have you know!” 

Kent sighed, though he stopped in his tracks and faced Willy once more. He motioned over his shoulder, pointing at the payphone, before explaining, “I’m going to call my mom. Maybe she can help us!” 

“Kent, those payphones haven’t worked in years,” Willy explained, his voice slightly dismissive. A frown creeped onto the older man’s lips and he added, “Yer waistin’ your time.” 

“It’s worth a shot, right?” Kent asked, a hopeful expression crossed his features. 

Willy shook his head, though gave no verbal protest. Instead, he motioned towards the payphone and gave a small, reluctant sigh before speaking, “Fine. Just don’t go gettin’ yerself hurt.” Kent smiled at him and turned around once more - though he swore he heard Willy grumbling to himself. Something like “Well, there goes me lucky coin.. You better answer, Misty.” 

Kent ignored Willy’s grumbling and began his trek towards the light post. He glanced around at his surroundings - making sure it was safe - and walked up to the phone. Kent closed his eyes and held the small coin in between his thumb and pointer finger. He mumbled a silent prayer to Yoba - hoping that his mother (or even Ruby) answered the phone. He knew the storms always made the telephone connection dodgy. Kent also knew that their small apartment didn’t have the best reception or radio signal on a clear day. Please, Yoba, He spoke in his mind, If you’re real, let my mother answer the phone.

Kent opened his eyes and slowly crept the coin towards the slot. He carefully inserted it and heard it fall into… wherever it is they go with a soft clink. Kent gulped before reaching a shaking finger upwards. The number easily came to mind and he put it in without a second thought. Kent grabbed the now ringing receiver and held it up to his ear. 

For a while, all Kent was met with was the faint brrring of the dial tone. His hope began to slowly diminish, though just as he was about to hang up, someone picked up on the other end.

“Neilson residence. Misty speaking,” A voice responded professionally.  

Kent couldn’t believe it. He looked towards the sky and mouthed a small “thank you”. 

“Mom?” Kent asked. A faint tear formed in the corner of his eye. It had been months since he heard his mother’s voice. He hadn’t realized just how much he missed it. 

“Kent?” Misty asked, letting out a gasp on the other end, “Is that you, sweetheart?” 

“Yeah,” He replied with a small sniffle, “Yeah, Mom. It’s me.” 

“Oh, sweetheart! I’m so glad to hear from you,” His mother replied, her own sniffle echoing through the speaker box. Then, as if the situation dawned on her, Misty spoke again - confusion in her voice -, “How are you calling me, honey?” 

“I.. uh, well, I found a payphone,” Kent explained. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“How on Earth did you manage that?” Misty asked, dumbfounded. As far as she knew, Kent was still on the secondary base (and as far away from civilization as possible). She added, “I thought they didn’t allow any phones on the base? For, you know, security reasons, I’m guessing..”

“Well, that’s the thing…” Kent started, anxiously twirling the phone wire around his finger. He let out a small breath before explaining, “I’m actually…not at the base. Not anymore, anyway. That’s why I called, to be honest.”

“Kent Neilson,” his mother started, the scold evident in her voice, “what in the world did you do?” She paused for a bit before adding, slightly panicked, “They didn’t….they didn’t kick you out, did they?” Misty’s voice went quiet as she said the last part. Everyone knew that being kicked out (or “discharged” for a more technical term) from the military was never a good sign. It meant you had done something so awful - so heinous - that you could no longer be associated with the Ferngill Republic military.

“No, Mom,” Kent denied, easing his mother’s mind and denying her fears, “They didn’t kick me out, don’t worry.” Though, they might after they find out I left, Kent grumbled to himself. He shook the thought from his mind. He spoke once again, “I sort of.. left?” His voice rose on the word “left” as he pursed his lips together. He knew his mother would likely scold him for acting so irrational and doing something so crazy. 

“Left?” She asked, her voice rising in disbelief. Kent grimaced. Misty went quiet for a moment, debating Kent’s words. Eventually, the caring nature seeped back into her voice and she spoke once more, “That’s not like you, sweetheart. Did something happen?” 

Kent’ sighed, though he gripped the receiver tighter. He spoke, his voice slightly shaky as emotions threatened to overtake him, “Yeah.. Yeah something happened.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Misty asked. Though she was quite surprised when Kent blurted out a loud “No!” 

“Sorry.. That’s not what I meant, Mom,” Kent tried to explain, a small sigh slipping past his lips. He grimaced and raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew his outburst likely hurt his mother’s feelings. He tried to reconcile the situation, “I’ll explain everything… as soon as I get home.” 

“When are you coming home, by the way?” Misty asked, a small ‘hmm’ slipping from her lips as she considered Kent’s words. She eventually gave in and nodded. She couldn’t stay mad at her son - the feeling of missing him far outweighed any anger she might’ve had. Misty spoke, “I miss you, dear. Jodi misses you. Ruby and I have been trying our best but, as of late, Jodi seems a bit more…worried than usual. She keeps mumbling about her brother? Something about unanswered letters..” 

Kent’s expression fell. Has the letter explaining Danny’s death not arrived yet? He knew the mail was quite slow, but it had been almost two days. Surely that was enough time to send a measly letter.. Kent frowned. He had hoped Jodi would have at least some form of an idea of what happened. He wasn’t too eager to be the one to break the news. Kent went silent. 

“Kent?” Misty asked, confused. “Are you still there, honey? This blasted thing I swear.. Always breaking at the worst of times!” She moved to hang up, assuming the signal had been lost. Kent’s eyes widened and he quickly spoke, shaking out of his stupor.

“Yeah, I’m still here..” He assured her. He paused for a minute as he remembered the reason he called in the first place. He and Willy were stuck, after all. “Um, listen, about that.. I had a question,” Kent spoke, chewing on his lower lip as he tried to keep his thoughts at bay. 

“Yes?” 

“Can you come and get me?” Kent asked. He looked around and tried to determine just how far they were from the city. He pursed his lips together. The rain was still quite dense and made it impossible to see. “The car got… sort of stuck in the mud. Willy and I are near the outskirts of the city. I can’t tell you exactly where because I.. don’t know, really.. But just look for the armored vehicle.” 

“Wait, Willy is with you?” She asked, knitting her brows together. She hadn’t heard or seen that name anywhere since the day Chris died. And, truth be told, all she had received was a small note of condolences from the man. 

“Yeah?” Kent asked, his own confusion seeping into his words. He spoke again, this time adding a bit more joking nature to ease his mother’s mind, “You didn’t think I was crazy enough to travel this way by myself, did you?” 

“Sweetheart, we both know how easily you get lost,” Misty responded, though there was no real malice in her voice. In fact, Kent swore he could see the smile on his mother’s lips now. She spoke once again, “Alright, dear. I’ll come find you. Stay with Willy until I get there, alright?” 

“Okay. You got it, Mom,” Kent spoke. He reached the phone outwards - attempting to place it back on the stand to hang up - but a small voice nagged at the back of his mind. He brought the receiver back to his mouth. Kent hesitated, unsure of what else to say. Eventually, he spoke, “Oh yeah, before you go… There’s one more thing I needed to tell you.” 

“What’s that, sweetheart?” Misty asked, tilting her head in confusion. 

“I love you.” 

“Aww, I love you too, dear,” Misty replied with a wide smile. 

She spoke again, “Okay, I’m going to hang up now. I’ll be there to get you in a few minutes!” And with that, Misty hung up the phone with a soft click. Kent stood there, holding the beeping receiver in his hands. His previous thoughts seemed to return. He couldn’t believe he had been too preoccupied with his own grief to ask if Jodi was alright. To make matters worse, the last letter he sent had been short and terse - as it was the day after Danny’s funeral. He silently hoped she wasn’t mad at him for that. He also hoped that he wouldn’t be the one to tell Jodi about her brother, that the letter would arrive before he did, but that didn’t seem to be the case. 

An beep sounded and the automated voice filled his ears with a shrill Please Deposit 25g To Make Another Call. Kent sighed and hung the phone back on the stand. He trudged back towards the vehicle and stood next to Willy, resuming his position of being leaned against the side. 

“Well?” Willy asked once Kent returned. He raised an eyebrow, trying to read the boy’s features and determine what had happened. He prodded for more information, “How’d it go?” 

Kent gave a small nod and explained the phone call with his mother - making sure to mention the fact that she would be there soon. The two waited and, sure enough, about fifteen minutes later a car pulled up. Kent raised a hand to shield his eyes as the headlights cut through his vision, momentarily blinding him until Misty realized and dimmed them. Kent approached his mother’s car and motioned for Willy to follow him. However, the man remained motionless. Kent turned back, confused.

“What’s wrong, Willy?” Kent asked. A small frown found its way onto his lips and his brows furrowed together. He was full of questions, so he spoke once more, “Are you coming?” 

Willy shook his head, “No, son. I’m not comin’.” 

“What?” Kent asked, dumbfounded. Willy had gone all this way and for what? Just to turn around once Kent entered the city? Kent didn’t like that thought one bit. “Why not?” 

“There’s nothin’ left for me there, Kent,” Willy explained, shrugging his shoulders slightly. A small sigh slipped from his lips and Willy looked at the ground - he couldn’t bear to see the hurt look on Kent’s face. Gazing at his muddy shoes, Willy spoke again, “That was always the plan, ’m afraid. I just needed to make sure ye got to the city safely, lad. Now, you don’t need me anymore, you’ve got yer Mammy.” 

“Willy, that’s not true!” Kent protested. He felt tears well up in his eyes. Kent felt like a child, pleading with someone who wouldn’t listen. He clenched his fist in anger, shaking as emotion overcame him. Kent spoke again, desperately trying to convince Willy to stay, “I need you. Please, Willy.” His voice spoke and cracked.

“Kent, just get in yer Ma’s car,” Willy replied, another sigh slipping past his lips. He finally looked up at Kent, his lips forming a thin line at Kent’s expression - which was raw with emotion and coated in hurt. “You aren’t making this any easier on me, son.” 

“So, what?” Kent spoke, his emotions churning and bubbling once again. He felt a mixture of anger, sadness, hurt… but most of all, he felt betrayed. Why would Willy make this great effort just to leave in the end? It didn’t make sense. He continued to protest, “You’re going back to that place? The place that took everything from you? And I’m supposed to be fine with that?”

“No, Kent,” Willy spoke, shaking his head. Willy bit his lower lip, taking in the boy’s words. “You aren’t supposed to be fine with anythin’. That’s how life is. Things happen outside of yer control.”

“Look, lad,” Willy continued. He looked at Kent and a remorseful expression covered his features. He looked at the car behind the boy -  seriously debating Kent’s offer before shaking his head. “I have to go back. It’s my duty. You’ll understand that some day, I know it,” Willy admitted sadly. 

“You’re just going to leave? After everything?” Kent asked, tears now pouring down his cheeks. He sniffled and closed his eyes to avoid any more tears. It didn’t help that they were still being soaked by the vicious rain. Kent slowly opened his eyes and watched Willy tentatively. Eventually, he added, “What if I never see you again?” 

To this, Willy responded with his usual heart chuckle and a shake of his head. He then stated, “I have a strange feelin’ you’ll see me again, lad. Just not in the way you’d expect.” Willy smiled at him - as if they were exchanging an inside joke. 

Kent sighed. Willy’s words did little to comfort him. Though, a part of him knew that Willy was right. They would see each other again. Kent gave a small nod and slowly edged closer to his mother’s car.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, lad,” Willy spoke, watching Kent walk away. Willy felt a small pang in his chest. He had only known Kent for a year but he had grown rather fond of the boy. Kent was like the son Willy never had. 

Before he realized it, Kent ran towards the man and wrapped him into a tight hug. Willy’s eyes widened as the sudden force nearly caused him to topple over. Though, he wrapped his own arms around Kent and gave him a tight squeeze in return. Kent held the man for as long as he could, but his mother beeped the horn to signal they needed to go. He looked up at Willy sadly before speaking, “Thank you, Willy. For everything.” 

Willy smiled before giving Kent a fatherly pat on his back. Eventually, he carefully pushed Kent off and motioned towards Misty’s car. Willy reached a hand up and playfully ruffled the top of Kent’s hair before adding, “Now, get outta here, lad. Your lass is waitin’ on ye back home.” 

A sad smile spread across Kent’s lips, but he turned and walked towards Misty’s car. He grabbed the handle and opened the door. Though, before he got in, Kent turned and glanced at Willy one final time. He beamed up at him before waving until his arm hurt. Then, Kent got into the car and closed the door. As Misty began driving off, Kent glanced out the window and watched Wily. Though, it seemed like Willy wasn’t alone. Kent swore he saw a familiar figure standing next to the man - a figure who was burly, gruff, and had wrinkles near his eyes from smiling. Kent reached a hand outward, pressing it against the window as the two figures faded in the distance. 

Willy glanced to his left, smiling up at the figure next to him. 

“Well, Chrissy,” He spoke, shaking his head as a smile spread across his lips, “I think I fulfilled my promise, don’t you?”  Willy watched as the figure nodded - his form shimmering and glinting as the rain passed through him. 

“That’s some boy you’ve got there, old friend,” Willy continued. A proud expression crossed his lips and he spoke again, “He’s goin’ places. I guess I should, too. After all, the universe waits for no one, huh?” 

Willy got into his vehicle and it immediately roared to life. He’d never tell Kent this, but it was an all-terrain vehicle. They were never actually stuck. He gave one final glance at Misty’s car speeding away in the distance before driving back to the base. 

In Misty’s car, Kent was recalling the events until he left that morning - though he made sure to leave out gruesome and painful parts (which was basically all of it). Essentially, he told his mother two of his closest friends had died, he was injured (which caused Misty to break out into a panic and Kent had to spend several minutes assuring her he was fine), and then explained how it was all too much and he needed to leave. Luckily, Misty - even though she knew it wasn’t the entire story - didn’t ask too many questions. She knew her son, which means she knew that he would talk about it when (or if ever) he was ready. 

The car pulled into the lot behind their apartment and the two got out before approaching the door. Kent hung back, anxiously fidgeting with the sleeves of his jacket. 

“Are you coming, honey?” Misty called back at her son, a look of concern covering her face. 

“Yeah.. I’ll.. I’ll be in a bit, Mom,” He assured his mother. Misty gave a nod and entered the building. Kent paced around - his nerves eating away at him. He was excited to be home and see Jodi, sure, but he was also quite worried. After all, he had - rather unfortunately - lost her favorite hair tie (and her brother) and now what? He had to break the news to her? He didn’t know if he could do it. While Kent was debating, the door slowly creaked open behind him. 

“Kent?” Jodi asked, stepping out onto the stairs and looking out. She squinted through the heavy rain and pulled her cardigan closed. 

Upon hearing her voice, Kent turned around and glanced up at his wife. He gave her a soft smile and approached her.

Jodi scrutinized Kent when he stopped in front of her. The first thing she noticed was his hair: while it was still spiky and pointed on top, the once fluffy sides had been buzzed - shaved close to the scalp. It was unusual and unlike anything Jodi had seen before. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it. The next thing she noticed was two large gashes across Kent’s face - one spanning from his left nostril and angled down to his chin, creating a thick scar near the corner of his mouth, and the other across the bridge of his nose. 

Jodi frowned and reached her hands up to gently cup Kent’s face. She carefully ran her thumb over the scar on Kent’s mouth, her brows furrowing together. Jodi looked up at her husband and felt tears well up in her eyes.

“Oh, Kent,” She pleaded, rubbing her thumb over his scar once again. Kent leaned into her palm before turning his head and placing a gentle kiss onto her wrist. A single tear fell from her eye and she spoke once more, “What did they do to you, Cactus?” 

 Kent gave a sad smile at the nickname. He reached his hand up and brushed away Jodi’s tears before resting his own hand against her cheek. His heart sank when she glanced at his wrist and noticed it suspiciously empty.

“I’m sorry, Starfruit,” Kent spoke sadly, looking at his own wrist with a forlorn expression. A small sigh slipped past his lips and he added, “I lost your hair tie.” 

“Oh, honey, it’s alright,” Jodi spoke, though there was some sadness in her voice. She hid the emotion by beaming up at Kent and speaking once more, “I’m just glad you’re alright. It’s just a.. silly hair tie, after all..” 

“No, Jo, it’s not alright,” Kent replied, shaking his head in dismissal, “It was.. It was important and it was yours… and I lost it. It’s gone and it’s all my fault.” Kent finally broke, tears began streaming down his cheeks once again. He felt Jodi’s thumb brush against his cheek once again, wiping away the tears tenderly. 

“I have a feeling we aren’t just talking about a hair tie,” Jodi started, a small, knowing look crossing her face. A small sigh slipped from her lips and she added, “Are we?” 

Kent shook his head, a look of utter despair crossing his face. He wrapped his arms around Jodi and buried his face in her neck. His body shook as sobs racked through him. Through his tears, he managed to squeak out a small, “I tried to save him. I tried so hard, Jodi.” 

Jodi reached her hand up and laced her fingers in the edges of Kent’s hair, holding him as close as humanly possible. She knew something like this would happen and she had pleaded with Danny not to leave the day he enlisted. Jodi felt fragile, as if someone had taken a hammer and smashed her porcelain heart to bits, laughing as it shattered. Her own sobs bubbled in her chest, threatening to spill over and consume her completely. The only thing that seemed to keep that from happening, however, was Kent. 

Kent tightened his grip on Jodi, reaching his own hand up to cradle the back of her head. He knew that, no matter how much he hurt right now, she would be hurting much worse. After all, Danny was her brother and she talked about him and their misadventures as children constantly. Kent had never imagined he’d meet the guy - especially not under the circumstances he did meet him - or that he’d ever become best friends with him. But, thinking back on how Jodi described him, it was impossible not to love Danny, Kent realized. 

He let Jodi cry onto his shoulder. Kent held her close and tightened his grip - afraid that if either of them let go they’d both shatter completely. When Jodi finally moved her head off of Kent’s shoulder, she glanced up at him sadly. 

“What happened to him?” Jodi asked, though she wasn’t sure she’d like the answer. She needed to know, regardless of how it made her feel. She had to know what happened to her brother.

Kent gave a small, solemn nod and began retelling the events - including the details about Lee and Lee’s death. Jodi listened intently, though a small frown formed on her lips.

“Lee? That name sounds familiar..” She spoke, tilting her head to the side as she tried to remember where she had heard it before. Then, recognition washed over her. She sprinted back into the house and dashed into Kent’s room - ruffling through her belongings and pulling out a stack of letters from her brother. Kent watched her walk away, slightly confused. He decided he didn’t want to get any more soaked than he already was and followed her inside. 

Jodi flipped through each letter, intently scanning the contents for the familiarity. Eventually, she found it in one of Danny’s more recent letters - one dated three days ago. She snatched it up and ran towards Kent. When she made it back to his side, she pointed at the letter excitedly. 

“Now I know why that name was so familiar!” She exclaimed, wildly waving the letter in front of Kent’s face. She handed it to him and pointed at one of the later paragraphs. “Danny mentioned a ‘Lee’ in this!” 

It read: “I had a nice talk with a friend this morning, he tells me he’s your husband. While I’m a bit upset you didn’t share this with me, I can’t be too mad, can I? After all, I haven’t shared the most exciting news of all. I think.. I think I may have a crush on someone. His name is Lee. Ah, I feel like a schoolgirl, Dumpling. Everytime I think about him and his nice smile I can’t help but turn into a tomato.. I spoke to your husband and asked for help - I mean, I think I seriously like this guy, Jodi. As in, I “want to confess to him” type of serious.. Anyway, Kent gave me some good advice and I might take it. Wish me luck. Always and forever, your love-struck older brother - D.” 

“I mean, when I read this I was shocked,” Jodi started. She read the words again and continued, “Danny, having a crush on someone? It was unheard of. I was so eager to hear how it went - maybe a little too eager.. I sent maybe five letters or so..”

“But, there was no response and I began to get worried,” Jodi explained, her brows furrowing together. A small sigh slipped past her lips and she brought the paper close to her chest, inhaling the faint woodsy scent of the parchment. Danny always smelled like that when he hugged her. She missed it. She missed him. Jodi spoke once more, “And, now, learning everything that’s happened? I just hope he can finally be.. I don’t know…himself, I guess.  I always hated how Danny had to hide who he was, you know? He should’ve been able to have a boyfriend - preferably one who I could tease him about. I mean it’s only a little sister’s right, you know!” 

Kent gave a small nod, though reading the words had caused his chest to tighten even further. He really couldn’t believe his friends were gone. It felt like he had only known them for a short time. He reached upwards and wrapped his fingers around the three I.D. tags on his necklace. He just wished he could see them again - wished he could see them happy, and safe. An idea popped into his head. 

“Hey, Jodi?” Kent spoke, calling out to try and get Jodi’s attention. 

“Mhm?” Jodi replied, turning to look at her husband. 

“Let’s go stargazing,” He suggested, already moving to grab a blanket and some jackets for the two of them before adding, “There’s something I want to show you.” 

“You know I’m not one to turn down a good stargazing session, Cactus,” Jodi started, skepticism ebbing into her voice. She motioned towards the window, towards the rain droplets that were still pounding against the thin glass, and raised an eyebrow. She added, “But it’s still raining.” 

“I know,” Kent confirmed with a small nod. He reached over and grabbed Jodi’s hand, intertwining their fingers together and giving her arm a gentle tug before speaking again, “Just trust me. You’re going to want to see this.” 

Jodi looked at him, still skeptical, though she nodded and allowed him to drag her back out into the rain. The two trudged to the patch of grass - their patch of grass. Kent unrolled the blanket and carefully spread it across the damp ground. 

He laid down and patted the spot next to him. Jodi quickly took her own spot, though she snuggled up against Kent - her head laying on the middle of his chest -  and draped her arms around his waist. He wrapped his own arms around her shoulders before explaining what Willy had told him previously. When he finished his shoddy attempt at explaining, he spoke.

“Just.. look at the sky,” Kent instructed, motioning towards the stars with one of his hands before returning it to it’s resting position on Jodi’s forearm. He added, “Tell me what you see.” 

Jodi did as she was told. She looked at the stars. They just looked like normal stars. She turned back to Kent and looked up at him skeptically. She made a small squeak of protest, though Kent shushed her and pointed back at the sky. Jodi raised an eyebrow but turned and glanced back at the sky. To her amazement, the stars had begun to shift and rearrange themselves before her very own eyes. 

She let out a small gasp of astonishment and watched intently - utterly transfixed by the phenomenon. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Soon, the stars were no longer stars at all. They swirled and morphed into the outline of two figures. Out of the two of them, only one looked familiar. Jodi squinted, looking up at the sky intently as the figures began to sharpen and come more into focus. She let out another gasp as recognition washed over her features.

“That’s Danny,” Jodi exclaimed, happiness washing over her. She reached a hand up and pointed at the figure of her brother. Her eyes shifted to the other - the figure she didn’t know - and she looked at Kent, puzzled, before asking. “If that’s Danny, then… that means.. That must be-”

“That’s Lee,” Kent confirmed with a small, solemn nod. He wrapped his arms around Jodi once again. He placed a gentle kiss onto the top of her hair before resting his chin on the top of her head. Kent moved and ran a caring hand up and down Jodi’s forearm before adding, “I like to think they’re happy, you know? They’re finally together.”

“And, they don’t have to hide or be ashamed of who they are,” Jodi added with a small nod. She completely understood Kent’s sentiment. 

Jodi leaned into Kent’s touch and closed her eyes, letting the image of her brother’s smiling face fill her mind. It made her heart ache less knowing that, wherever Danny was, he wasn’t alone. He had someone who cared about him. He had Lee.

[best-habsburg-monarch]

Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1556-1564

Charles V's right hand arm man

From @master-of-the-opera-house:

Good taste in armour: Madonna with child chestplate?? Fox helmet?? SLAY

Mostly uncredited in his role as Charles V's Silly Rabbit in the HRE. Helped his brother take the reigns waaaay before he officially became Emperor, first in 1522 ((lad was only 19!!)) and then in 1531. That's like over 20 years of Lack Of Credit.

Managed to band-aid the reformation situation: ultimately succeeded at reforms ((better than Joseph II did seeing he's up against him))

Ultimate Power didn't make him Act Out like Charles V or.... Joseph II.

Went from being loved in Spain to hated in central Europe to Respected again, how many people can win that back??

Slutty twink proportions like what do you need that small of a waist for for other men to grab it?? ((see armour))

Pretty hands

the HOT SIBLING according to contemporaries including Maximilian I yum

Had 13 kids which is an insane feat if you're a Habsburg who isn't Maria Theresia. Maybe the above had to do with it?

Looked like drag queen/the WINNER of Drag Race France Paloma if you're delusional enough

from @minetteskvareninova: he was completely faithful to his wife and a veritable wife guy? As a 16th century monarch??? The scandal. Are you even a Ferdinand I. girlie if you don't mention Anna Jagiellon?! Ferdinand himself would be PISSED.

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1765-1790

Reformer, Patron of the Arts, Archduke of Mommy issues

From anon: "I mean... Does this dude even NEED propaganda?! If this guy doesn't make you root for an absolute monarch, then noone will. Like with the caveat that enlightened absolutism is still absolutism and thus still not a GOOD way to run a state - well, Joseph II. was truly the most enlightened of absolutists. Just the fact that he abolished serfdom and instituted religious tolerance in Habsburg domains is enough to make him stand far above all of his predecessors and successors. Like, all of the other contestants can go home. None of them could ever top that (Franz Joseph I. had several opportunities, but wasn't keen on taking them). Even his other reforms were at worst misguided, but driven by genuine desire to better his country. Plus, you have to feel bad for him - the poor guy busted his ass for the country, just to have to take back a lot of his reforms simply because they were too ahead of their time, both of his marriages were unhappy (partially his own fault, but only partially) and, lest we forget, both of his kids died young. Voting for him is the least you can do for my poor baby!"

anti-Joseph II, from anon: Joseph II anti propaganda cheated like hell and treated his nephew Franz I (II) really mean by denying him company and food sometimes and also insulting him all the time. only good thing about him was that he was in Amadeus (1984) which was a banger film

from the tags:

[icekingofhope]

ok so

I got back into hellsing by rewatching it and my friend giving me an idea of a silly oc

but I have to come clean about something a unpopular opinion

I hate hellsing ultimate now I know there are people would defend this anime I mean hell I seen people say they like the 2001 verison better and every fan of ultimate under the fucking sun comes around

saying ultimate better and it’s better then 2001 but I happen to disagree I will admit there are likable characters in it I like pip and the villain rip van winkle

but the story and the rest wasn’t doing it for me the two main reasons I don’t like ultimate is that I don’t like the n*zi plot I just don’t like stories about them and finding out it was the nazis that are the villains it soured my taste

and I don’t really like how the story went (and another reason because i hated the implied interga x Alucard shit in the end it made me cringe cause he met her when she was a child and the master and servant relationship just was abit ehhhh…)

plus the animation and blood was abit to much for me and such

I like 2001 more cause I like how it tried to be its own thing and plus the music animation just feels amazing and it doesn’t feel like I’m just watching a film about war and plus Alucard to me is way more interesting I didn’t like his backstory or how the show had to show that he is powerful it felt like a Mary sue in a way but him in 2001 made me really like him how mysterious it is and such

now I am aware that ultimate is more true to the manga but I’m sorry but I just can’t like ultimate I had tried to like it I really did but 2001 just catches my attention a lot more

Now please don’t go fighting about it for my opinion I’m just a simple guy who just doesn’t like a verison of a anime I’m not saying “ohohoho you shouldn’t watch ultimate cause cause” you CAN still watch ultimate if you want to I have no control in your life and you don’t have control with mine

anyways I hope you all have a good day lads and lasses

[elyuzts-echo]

what about the bucci gang weak spots?! >:3

Team Bucciarati - Each Members' Worst Spots

Hcs under cut :3

Bruno Bucciarati

- Worst spot is most likely his ribs!!

- He is very VERY protective of his reputation, so knowing that he his deathly ticklish on his ribs is like knowing what else is in the ocean! (Something you only know)

- Poor guy can't handle tickles on his ribs, especially his lower ribs.

- 2nd most ticklish spot on Bucciarati is his armpits.. :33

Leone Abbachio

- Very similar to Bucciarati, he does not want anyone knowing he's ticklish!

- But if you somehow know about this goth's sensitivity, you'll know that he is deathly ticklish on his thighs, especially his inner thighs.

- Poke his thighs? A small chuckle. Squeeze his thighs? A loud unmanly squeal!

- 2nd worst spot is def his ears.

- Whenever someone whispers in his ear and it's breathy/airy... He would be trying so hard to not laugh or any reaction.

Giorno Giovanna

- He def acts like he isn't ticklish, but everyone knows you can get a squeal or a giggle out of him!

- Worst spot on Giorno? Stomach. Especially his belly button.

- Raspberries? He would be dead!

- He also cannot handle those "Here comes the Tickle Monster~" teases. HE CANNOT--

- Anyways 2nd spot is his knees..

Guido Mista

- Very much like Giorno, his worst spot is his stomach!!

- Whenever he gets tickled on his stomach, he'll kick, squirm, and sometimes even SCREAM when you get his best spot! (Lower stomach)

- 2nd worst spot on this guy is his hips!

- Sometimes he wonders why the hell he even wears the cropped sweater on a daily basis knowing that it exposes not only one but TWO of his worst spots.

Pannacotta Fugo

- ....Worst spot is his sides.

- I NEED YOU TO REALIZE THE POTENTIAL HE HAS TO BE TICKLED SILLY ON HIS SIDES-- HE COULD BE CHILLING AND YOU SLIP YOUR HANDS UNDER HIS COAT OR JACKET THINGY AND JUST SCRIBBLE AWAY AT HIS SIDES HOLY CRAP IM SO NORMAL ABOUT MY CHILD FUGO

- Anyways, *ahem*, he tries to not engage in tickles, but sometimes... Narancia exists and just makes Fugo rethink his clothing choices.

- 2nd worst spot is his neck,, a more common place for his friends to tickle him. :3

Narancia Ghirga

- This lad is probably the most ticklish in the gang... Poor guy :>

- So out of ALL his spots, his sides and ribs! (Yes theres TWO because guy is too ticklish for shit)

- Is unable to handle feathery tickles/touches. He WILL curl up like a little cat and giggle his ass off.

- 2nd worst spot? His stomach!

- Also cant handle raspberries or any type of nibbles.

(Add on:)

Trish Una

- She's not ticklish... BUT. There is one spot that always makes her crack.

- That beinggg... Her hips.

- For all her life she'd never really been tickled, but it was all until one day Fugo gave her a side hug after some arguement the two had (might make a fic about it soon!) And his hand just gripped her hip slightly and she SQUEALED.

- Soooo, yeah :3

---

END BECAUSE IM GONNA GO TO SLEEP AGAIN HELPNME

[calamitydarcy]

So, do you know of the arg connected to Inscryption? >;3

Also have you attempted "Kaycees Mod" (not actually a mod but a game mode where you are actually properly playing against Leshy rather than trying to escape the cabin)? The final boss is a bit... different than in the main game.

I wish I could have seen your reaction to when you cleared the games first act. If people are not spoiled to that its one heck of a reveal!

Also, also, you are now victim to my Inscytption ramblings: Leshy's probably my fave of the 4 DMs. Once again an AI Guy who is so happy to just Play With Humans, but not quite understanding them. I love that he's so into setting a dramatic atmosphere and getting deep into the roleplay XD

The Lonely Wizard is my cute little void child and i love them.

Magnificus acts awful and his theme is too good for him so I'm giving it to the wizardly void child now.

I HAVE. IM SO PROUD OF MY BOY. HE DID IT! HE SUCCEEDED HE WON HES NOT DEAD FUCK YOU LESHY-

yes i have been playing kaycee's mod,, my next challeng.... hard. im working on challenge level 5 rn. bashing my head against the wall. leshy's so silly in this one though. if i think about the lore too hard i think i might get really sad

i dont have my reaction. to the end of the first act. besides me laughing hysterically at one shotting the moon with my beloved touch of death grizzly. and laughing so hard that every single organ in my abdomen hurt and i thought i fucking killed myself somehow. leshy came through the screen to murder me for blowing up the moon.

i think everything from then on lore-wise was just me repeatedly going WOAHGh. woah. WOAH HOLY SHIT. luke she has a GUN waht are you DOING-

also i went through so many feelings about leshy. he is a beloved old man now but i went through being afraid of him, to disliking him, to thinking he was gonna be the Big Bad Antagonist Forever, to being neutral on him, to starting to like him, to hating his guts (how dare you try to kill my boy..), to sobbing violently during the finale. so uh. yeagh. i had a ride...

i hated p03 for the longest time. because he was so mean to me in act 1. which was NOT nice when i was TERRIFIED of this SHADOWY SUSPICIOUS MAN TRAPPING ME IN A DEATH CABIN IN AN INFINITE CYCLE who is RIGGING THIS CARD GAME. but of course i saw him. in act 2. and then in act 3. and yeagh. listen im a robot kisser above all.

I LIKE MAGNIFICUS,, the poor unfinished lad. i wonder how much of anything was even his choice. does he even know who he is? who he's supposed to be? who he WANTS to be? he didn't ask for this,, he didn't ask to be left unfinished. his words cut off, left unsaid. bound to a script that drops off as suddenly as it starts.

[francesthetraveller]

Since I'm feeling extra jolly lately, I've decided... THAT Y'ALL ARE GETTING A REALLY BIG ARTDUMP!!! YEAH I'M JUST GONNA TAKE A HUGE SHITPOST FOR THE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS!!!

[Even though it's satisfying to not get anymore orders during this time of night...with all the quietness...]

all of these were done because I was acting silly

so yeah if you ever wondered how the lad felt during the yellow streak, just so you know, lack of sleep, stress and also constant state of overwork is in fact, not a fun thing to experience

then we have some horse art because I really love turning my characters into magical horses and I really loved that horse show with magical horses but imagine if I made my favourite little guy into a horse, but not just any horse BUT ONE OF THOSE BIG BENDY HORSES THAT CAUSE CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION ! ! !

drew my roboblorbos as little chipbees,, (don't mind the fact I drew Eve's gun in the wrong hand-)

and finally we have a BRAND NEW GIJINKA??? OF ANOTHER ROBO CHARACTER??? Yes!! This over here is Ares From Next Gen, who is a little bastard <3 (who also kinda tried to kill a child-)

[arcadia-of-pluto]

☆ Rants & Rambles ☆

Hey guys! So I'm genuinely worrying that no one is going to like what I have planned with my story (I'm an overthinker–) so I wanted to do a few teensy, tiny polls to try and gauge a reaction!

So I already have a lot planned for this story (Twist of Fate) and I'm just worried that if people dislike it, that I'm already too far gone to rehash and rework it to fix it.

I didn't state it before since I completely forgot and wasn't aware that it was a big deal, but this story will eventually diverge from the natural canon of love and deepspace. I'm really worried that people are going to dislike that and are going to want the original lore, and not some dumb little story I come up with. I'm probably just heavily overthinking it, but it really has me worrying about it.

So;

Honestly, those options probably aren't enough, but I wanted to make sure they were worded correctly.

It's going to diverge from the canon, probably in a big way, but I felt like this was the only way I could give it a happy, and poly, ending. Because that's what I want. Sure, there will be some angst, but I just want everyone to be happy.

In the future, there will be more myth flashbacks, so I hope you're excited for those. They will stay true to the myths, so you won't have to worry there. I only change the dialogue in those when I feel like it could've been reworded to sound better.

Other than that, I've got a lot of ideas for the future and I've been struggling with the timeline, so I'll probably just wing it. It's a complicated, time-loopy timeline anyway so it's not going to matter if I change it up or swap which was the first myth in the timeline since nothing is confirmed in the first place.

The main thing that threw me for a loop is that Philos is canonically Earth, but in the future. I'm probably just a bit slow to the realization, but that really drove me nuts. But I'm trying to rework that into the story, since it is important and canon!

I wanted to include another poll, but it could just get confusing– though, I do wonder, do yall like it whenever people make their own lore for their stories or would you rather them using canon lore?

Because I have some of my own lore coming soon and, once again, I'm worried it's just going to crash and burn because it's too complicated or it's too "out there". In my eyes, it doesn't matter if it's not going to happen in the games. I just think it works, for me, and I like the idea of it. It seems fun, even if it'll never be canon. Since that's the fun in writing. You can just write whatever you want, even if it'll never happen in the original work.

But with all of that aside, I really do hope you all enjoy my writing. I look back and read other people's work and I'm like "damn, my writing is shit compared to this." I can't write fighting scenes, I'm bad at describing, I don't want to use the same word consecutively— but it can't be that bad if people are actively enjoying it, so I can't beat myself up too badly. After all, I've only just gotten back into writing and no one is ever good at something on their first attempt (unless they're like a prodigy or something).

That's all I was wondering! Sorry for my dumb little ramble, but I was just feeling a bit down and panicky. I feel a bit better after typing it all out though! Also, the banner up top is a slight sneak-peak for a future 'Twist of Fate' update! 🩷

Edit; the funniest part is I'm already thinking about the reader having children with the male leads 😭 (I want to be child free unless I have a surrogate, so I'm sorry if you all feel the same way!). Like I've already got an idea for the gender ratio from the four kids (I pray for your 🐱) and all I can say is, I love girl dads. I even have one name specifically chosen for Rafayel's and, while it's going to sound weird, I swear it works! Algie 🥺 (from his Sea God myth card). That's the only spoils I'll give for the future though! Just because I thought of that and it made me feel better about my story.

I'm just gonna write a silly, funky little story about existential crisis-ing, isekai, and love and it's going to be good whether I like it or not 😤

Edit pt 2; I changed my mind, I found an even better name than Algie + all of the children have names now! I can't believe I'm thinking this far ahead, to be honest. But I've decided that if new love interests are added, I will just make a separate story for them since this lore is complicated enough with four men, as is, and I can easily just write a separate story for the new guys– including the old ones as well!

Especially if Caleb is the one added– then I'd definitely have to write something separate for him

[pasharuu]

THIS IS THE SECOND PART.

so yeah, a lil technical issue, lets move on.

IX the hermit - waywardness, detachment, self-knowledge. i'll be honest, this is my favorite card of all. i firstly wanted to put Arana here since she fits here well, but she went on the lovers card so there is Arakunti. Arakunti is a literal troll, the man of charisma, using his detachment from people excellently, he is unfairly underrated among others. yet he is hiding in his grove of dreams for whatever reason (fr i dont know). this is where he is on the card btw, but this place doesnt have any red shiny stuff, i added these for the sake of catching the classic scene of this card. AND IT WORKED SO WELL, NONE OTHER BUT RED WOULD WORK THIS GOOD. really, i love how smoothy this card just works, and Arakunti's stare of course. 11/10 best card.

X wheel of fortune - destination, knowing of the higher powers. "the higher powers" is the source song in this case, and these guys are really willing to find out what it is. not even i know... forever a mystery. 7/10, looks appealing.

XI strength - taming the beast, fondness of life. once again, epic card that i dont have to explain, this dude is too popular with people. solid 8/10.

XII the hanged man - the dead end, uncertainty. i already made a tractate about Ararycan that explains much about why i chose him for this card, but for those who doesnt want to spend their time reading that tractate, heres it in a nutshell.

i hate Dottore clone theory. i personally think that once Ararycan used to be a strong lad like he says nowdays, but one day he forgot everything due to casting his powers for something important and since then he is kinda lost, since around that time he as well loses his good friend. that may be why he mentions us being his friends so often, simply because he worships it so much. i find this scenario cute in a way. 8/10, protect my child Ararycan.

XIII death - the end, tendancy to renovation. oops, a bad bad thingie. but in the whole picture, the Marana avatar might be just a symbol of that renovation, it had to be destroyed to create something beautiful after it. 7/10.

XIV temperance - the angel, guidance, reaching the perfect middle. this was the first card i ever drew btw, which is ironic cuz Aramuhukunda was the first aranara. this card kinda differs from other, showing some rather abstract scene, but i decided to just leave it as it is.

Aramuhukunda was sort of a guide for us in the quest, the one who blessed us by giving his memories to Arama and removing the last seal, which was closing the way to Marana avatar - the end of our journey. he also was some really epic dude in the past, giving him some cheers for that. 6/10, rest in peace, small ancient wise vegetable.

XV the devil - the enemy, overcoming internal contradictions. Arashakun because of the meaning, the hilichurl because of the devil. i recall Arashakun called it something like "masked furry demon" which is hilarious. i actually couldnt decide anything for this card for a long time cuz i placed Arashakun in the moon card already, but eventually i understood the potential of this card. 7/10, worked well.

XVI the tower - redemption, a phase of drastic changes. if "death" may be interpreted as a drastic change, then im not wrong with the choice. usually tower also has some defending motives, so shall Mawtiyima be their tower then. 8/10.

XVII the star - wisdom, desire for knowledge. we dont know who the hell is Arakarman, but this lad indeed knows a lot. maybe he is as well ancient, although he still refers to his knowledge as "stories", not "memories". but keeping in mind the fact that he is technically cinnamon, he still might be ass old. however, for now we know very little about him. 7/10, this card looks nice.

XVIII the moon - the rise, changing direction. since i removed Arashakun from here, i had a chance to put my little silly Arakanta somewhere in this deck. however, he is here just because he is lucky, but i dont know any alternative that fits well for this card. Nahida would do, but by the meaning she is not really connected to Aranyaka questline. so yeah i placed Arakanta here just because. 7/10.

AND THAT IS ALL. only three cards left... to the third post.

[tickly-trashcan]

hii hope your days been going well!! deadass been returing to re read your most recent fic its stuck in my thoughts you wrote them so good im crushing it in my palms

for the hc reqs!! what do you think about kai?? hes been stirring my brain mush like pancake batter and i would like to hear hcs you have >:]

A/N: JETT LITERALLY BLESS YOU FOR THIS i'm going to sob I love Kai so much i want to squeeze him so hard he melts in my hand!!! ur art has been feeding me and i hope i can return the favor by yelling about Kai because im INSANE and i hope u enjoy.... have a lovely day!!

OHMYGOD okay so he's tickly. HES TICKLY and he should absolutely get got because he's just a silly guy and he acts all tough but one poke and he folds like a fckn lawn chair and its so funny

like if you squeeze his hips and he's not paying attention he crumbles instantly. disintegrates

he is totally one of those people who doesn’t mind being tickled but will absolutely deny it because he’s so fckn stubborn LOL

he’s more used to being the one doing the tickling since he’s the oldest sibling, but that doesn’t mean that Nya hasn’t gotten him good over the years lol

one time at dinner Kai was bragging about how he had just tickled Jay to bits over a bet or something stupid LOL and Nya was like “oh that’s cool but remember when i tickled you so bad that you promised to do all my chores”

this almost immediately resulted in Kai getting tickled to try and pass off chores LOL

kai is super dramatic when he’s being tickled like he’ll flail and shriek even if he’s just getting poked

when Lloyd was still a wee lad he would sneak up behind Kai and tickle him and then run as fast as his little legs could take him LMFAOOO

Kai got him really good after that but Lloyd never stopped doing it until he got older and claimed he was “more mature”

Do not believe Lloyd this is a lie he is still a goofy kid at heart and definitely still tickles Kai just to mess with him

ALSO when Lloyd was younger Kai would always give him piggy back rides or shoulder rides

he would tickle Lloyd sometimes while he was up there because he thought it was funny that he had absolutely nowhere to go LOL so he’d just be wiggling around while Kai tickled his hips or his feet

Even after Lloyd got older HES STILL TEENY and so on occasion he still gets piggy back rides. Kai complains that he’s too old for shoulder back rides and that Lloyd will break his back LOL

Jay claims that since he’s short he should also get piggy back rides and one time Kai just wanted him to shut up so he let him have one and then Jay immediately started tickling Kai and it was so funny

IT WAS EVEN FUNNIER bc he had the dramatic slow fall to his knees and then Jay just pinned him down and tickled the snot out of him

Kai uses Nya as one of his primary excuses to tickle Jay like “price for trying to smooch my sister is tickles” and its funny because half the time he tickles Jay for this he wasn’t even doing anything LOL he probably just looked in her general direction

I would also like to think that since Kai and Nya are siblings they 100% are mean to each other in the most petty way

so like Jay will be saying something about Nya and Kai immediately is like “she snores btw. and she doesn’t always brush her teeth. and she thinks cantaloupe is the best fruit which is weird who likes cantaloupe”

Jay told Nya he said this and then she was like “well did you know Kai can’t spell Fahrenheit. and he does muscles at himself in the mirror. and he thinks cantaloupe sucks because he got food poisoning from it which is a skill issue on his end”

ITS FUNNY BECAUSE… EVERYONE ELSE IS AN ONLY CHILD IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY??? so they do Not understand why Kai and Nya do this shit and it’s so funny and then eventually they get into a tickle fight and they’re screaming at each other about CANTALOUPE

i should also note here that Nya almost always wins tickle fights with Kai. why? i do not know. it is just the way it works for them

Kai runs warm so i think he’s actually more sensitive to tickles from Zane especially bc. Zane’s hands are always a bit icy

like when Kai’s wearing a thick enough shirt he doesn’t notice but i think they had like. sleeveless outfits a few times?? yeah Zane stuck his hands under Kai’s arms when that happened and Kai actually screamed so loud

He also jumped and ended up falling back on top of Zane and knocking them both over LOL he’s so dramatic but also it did tickle pretty bad for him

GAAAAH i could go on for so long about Kai it's not even funny PLS i literally love him sm thank you again for the request and i hope you have a SPLENDID day and drink ur water bc its good for u!!!