I Decided To Make A Playlist For The Depressed And Lonely Man Himself! I Feel So Bad For Him...

I decided to make a playlist for the depressed and lonely man himself! I feel so bad for him...

I kinda whipped this up somewhat quickly, but I think it turned out alright. When creating the playlist, I tried to base the songs on his personal struggles. I'm aware that Human Sadness by The Voidz is about the complicated relationship between the lead singer, Julian, and his father. However, I couldn't help but be reminded of the relationship between Iron Eclipse Marco and his mother.

THE LONELIEST by Måneskin is a reference to the final moments that Iron Eclipse Marco shared with his father. I like to imagine it's in the perspective of his father rather than Marco's own view.

Updated: October 15, 2024

Torquil, Guilherme, and Ferdinand

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, suicide, verbal abuse, and neglect.

Torquil Aitken

Nickname: Torrie

Occupation: Private First Class and a vehicle driver of the Rebel Army and a volunteer for transportation services (formerly)

Hobbies: Performing his accordion and singing traditional Scottish songs at social gatherings, upgrading and fine-tuning cars and tanks, and fostering kittens and puppies

Likes: Guilherme (especially his calm and compassionate nature), his mom’s cooking, and archaeology

Dislikes: Being told to stop joking around, seeing his friends bummed out, and animal torture

Favourite food: Kedgeree and gummies (preferably gummy worms and sharks)

Sexuality: Heteroflexible asexual

Gender: Male

Age: 28 (in 2022), 34 (in 2028), 36 (in 2030), 38 (in 2032), 40 (in 2034), 47 (in 2041), 49 (in 2043), 50 (in 2044), and 53 (in 2047)

Design: He's a 5’ 3” (160.02 cm) Scottish-American mesomorph with robust musculature, a subtle roundness of his belly, and semi-broad shoulders. He sports medium-length coppery red hair with gentle curls, styled in a shaggy crop with sideburns, and often wears it tied back into a bun. He has tanned pale ivory skin, brown freckles, dull jade green eyes, a cleft chin, and a metallic gold prosthetic left arm. He sports a prominent scar that stretches from the right side of his forehead, organically zigzagging down to the middle of his left cheek. He dons a metal dog tag necklace with his name and the standard Rebel land troop uniform, which varies depending on his deployment location. Above his right breast pocket, is an embroidered badge featuring a scarlet horizontal stripe with a thin white stripe centred within it and a black X emblazoned across the middle.

He carries a maroon duffle bag containing his accordion (a family heirloom), a versatile toolkit for mechanics, and a rocket launcher equipped with homing missiles. Torquil wears a pink lavender waist pack on the left side of his rosy brown belt, containing a flare gun, 12 Gauge rounds, and two bags of gummy worms and sharks. He often shares these treats with his friend Guilherme, particularly when he's starting to feel anxious or overwhelmed. He would share some with Ferdinand, but he isn't a fan due to their chewy texture, which bothers his jaw.

Character summary: He's a cheerful, happy-go-lucky extrovert whose charisma stems from his fun-loving attitude and ability to make others laugh with jokes tailored to their sense of humour. His carefree and enthusiastic demeanour gives way to a more serious and concerned attitude only when he senses that something is deeply wrong. As a confident individual, he exudes swagger in his step and rarely shows fear in the face of adversity, but it can sometimes tip into recklessness and overconfidence. He'll stop at nothing to protect his comrades, but can't resist charming the ladies and indulging in the occasional bout of mischief. He’s naturally curious and gets excited by things he finds to be cool.

On the battlefield, Torquil's preferred war machine is the Type-4 Girida-O, his absolute favourite, but he occasionally switches to the T-2B Melty Honey when he's feeling particularly confident. The only vehicle he refuses to drive is the Type-5 Iron Iso, due to its rarity on the battlefield and the fear of destroying it too quickly. To alleviate his boredom on the battlefield, he periodically bursts into traditional Scottish songs, eliciting either amusement or annoyance from his comrades. He honestly fears Ferdinand due to his overly serious and ill-tempered nature, yet he admires his exceptional skills on the battlefield and values his wise mentorship. Guilherme is his reluctant partner-in-crime for whom he holds deep affection and secretly harbours romantic feelings.

Backstory: Torquil Aitken was born on November 15th, 1994 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. His father, Vernon Aitken, was a renowned archaeologist driven by a passion for adventure and a desire to share his discoveries with the world. His mother, Elspeth, is a veterinarian who also works part-time as a convenience store clerk. His parents loved him dearly and did everything to ensure he would lead a successful, resilient, and optimistic life, instilling in him the fearlessness to tackle any challenges that came his way.

Vernon would share with him his archaeological endeavours and contributions to the advancement of ethical archaeology. In contrast, Elspeth taught him the value of treating animals with kindness, while emphasising the importance of companionship, love, and living a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, he often assisted his mother with meal preparation, with dinner being his favourite meal to prep. Torquil was a mildly quiet and worrisome kid who was anxious around strangers, but once they had earned his trust, he would become a talkative jokester when he felt comfortable around them.

Sadly, just four months after he turned 13, Torquil's father met a tragic end. Vernon and his team of fellow archaeologists were attempting to escape a sudden mummy uprising in an ancient tomb within a previously unexplored pyramid in Ajirabia, as their careful probing inadvertently awakened the curse of Nephthys. In their frantic bid to contain the mummies, debris dislodged by dynamite fell and crushed him. This was devastating news for Torquil and his mother, plunging her into a state of melancholy. However, Elspeth knew she couldn't give up easily, so she did everything in her power to raise Torquil on her own.

After losing Vernon, Torquil adopted a more extroverted, carefree, and fun-loving demeanour reminiscent of his father. As he now lives with his mother, Elspeth, who is struggling financially, he took it upon himself to find a way to support both of them. Leveraging his interest in fine-tuning cars and tanks, he came up with a brilliant idea: volunteering for businesses that required transportation services. By making deliveries and carrying materials, he earned a steady income, allowing both him and Elspeth to stay afloat financially for a while.

At 33, Torquil's life took a dramatic turn when a friend informed him that the Rebel Army was recruiting new members. With minimal persuasion, Torquil saw this as a thrilling opportunity to witness tanks up close and eagerly volunteered. However, his mother was hesitant to let him go, fearing the dangers of warfare and the possibility of losing her son. She worried about his safety and whether he would return home alive. Torquil reassured her, confident that he would be fine.

Guilherme Carvalho

Nickname: Guil

Occupation: Private and a sniper of the Rebel Army and a fortune-teller (formerly)

Hobbies: Writing and sketching around in his journal, honing his cardistry skills, and crocheting

Likes: Lupine creatures, nu metal and post grunge music, and the unique meanings that each tarot card has

Dislikes: Panic attacks, incurable diseases, and people exploiting his kindness for their own selfish gain

Favourite food: Coxinha

Favourite drink: Limonada suíça with condensed milk

Sexuality: Homoromantic graysexual

Gender: Male

Age: 31 (in 2022), 37 (in 2028), 39 (in 2030), 41 (in 2032), 43 (in 2034), 50 (in 2041), 52 (in 2043), 53 (in 2044), and 56 (in 2047)

Design: He’s a 5’ 1” (154.94 cm) Brazilian ectomorph with a lean figure, a mediocre musculature, sloping shoulders, and left hand that has six fingers. He has wavy chocolate brown hair styled as a textured quiff, umber skin, and sunburst green-hazel eyes. His neck bears heavy scarring on the right side, and he has two distinctive facial moles: one located above his eyebrow and another near the centre of his chin. Like Torquil, he dons a metal dog tag necklace with his name and the standard Rebel land troop uniform, which varies depending on his deployment location. Above his left breast pocket, a circular silver badge trimmed in scarlet features a pair of outstretched black dragon wings extending from either side.

He carries a chestnut-hued satchel bag containing his crocheting tools, four yarn balls in different colours, a pencil, an eraser, a red ink pen, and a treasured family heirloom: a worn, handmade Spanish blue leather journal passed down from his great-grandmother. He uses it to record his thoughts, observations, and insights, often accompanied by sketches of the people and environments he encounters. Guilherme wears a navy blue waist pack at the back of his dark teal belt, holding a deck of tarot cards that he often shuffles through to calm his nerves when feeling anxious. A faded greyish-green bandolier is slung over his right shoulder, which securely holds his rifle's ammunition.

Character summary: Due to his compassionate and nurturing nature, he has a habit of prioritising the needs of others over his own, which can sometimes lead to self-neglect. He’s a shy, resourceful, melancholic individual that listens actively and shows genuine interest in others' concerns, but his patience wears thin when his paranoia takes hold. He strives to remain calm in high-pressure situations, but when overwhelmed, his composure can give way to ruthless and reckless behaviour. Guilherme is often taciturn, but will become a skittish loudmouth when impatient and extremely paranoid. He's an incredibly observant person who often notices details that others miss, and has a habit of fleeing from situations he deems particularly grim.

Despite being a down-to-earth sharpshooter, he's surprisingly prone to anger when his rifle jams, particularly in high-stakes situations. When feeling anxious or awkward, he exhibits one of two behaviours: rubbing his hands together or picking at his skin. He deeply admires Torquil's confidence and courage in battle, which inspires him to be more fearless and push through daunting situations. He regards Ferdinand as a wise mentor and strives to prevent him from lashing out at Torquil when he inadvertently provokes Ferdinand's frustration.

Backstory: Guilherme Carvalho was born on April 3rd, 1991 in Salvador, Brazil. Guilherme was deeply scarred at a young age when his father took his own life with a hunting rifle in front of him. Compounding this trauma, his mother was largely absent from his life, leaving behind a legacy of secrets and mysteries surrounding his family. His anxiety stems from his childhood experiences growing up in a violent and cruel environment, where he had to find ways to survive. Fortunately, his aunt and great-grandmother provided a safe haven for him to stay in until he was mature enough to venture out into the world on his own. He remembers his aunt as strict and grumpy at times, but deeply loving, while his great-grandmother was incredibly compassionate and would often regale him with stories of Spanish mythology and her own life experiences.

He was formerly a devout Catholic, often praying to God for hope in a better future and the strength to persevere. Additionally, he would pray to Menina Izildinha for good health, protection from harm, and deliverance from diseases for himself, his aunt, and his great-grandmother. To earn a living, he turned to fortune-telling, using tarot readings to predict the future, and also created handmade crochet items like scarves, ponchos, sweaters, and hats to sell on the side.

However, he lost his faith in Catholicism when his great-grandmother died from a hemorrhage after a devastating fall. Shortly after, his aunt passed away from a debilitating disease with no available cure. These losses left him consumed by sadness and loneliness. But then, he inherited his great-grandmother's journal and began using it to record his insights and observations, and sketch the people and environment around him. He would also adopt a lop-eared rabbit with a harlequin fur coat named Janaina. Journaling and the companionship of his newly adopted bunny brought him some solace, alleviating some of his sorrow and isolation.

As an adult, he continues to explore his surroundings, still haunted by questions about his family: What happened to his mother? Does he have any brothers and/or sisters? Driven by a desire for answers, he embarks on an odyssey to find more members of his family. After a long and arduous search, he finally finds his lost sister, Geovana. As they spend time together, he learns that she's a successful surgeon.

However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he stumbles upon a propaganda flyer promoting recruitment for the Rebel Army. Feeling unfulfilled and without direction, he makes the difficult decision to leave Janaina in his sister's care and joins the Rebel Army two months before the Great Morden War. Once he joined, he was frequently picked on by the others for being timid and a person of colour, which caught the attention of Torquil. Torquil offered to be Guilherme's friend, which he hesitantly accepted, and they have been on relatively good terms since then.

Ferdinand Hofbauer

Nickname: Ferdan

Occupation: Specialist and a Gatling soldier of the Rebel Army and a landscape architect (formerly)

Hobbies: Attending classical opera performances, rock balancing, and collecting taxidermy

Likes: His beloved house pets, fine art enthusiasts, and baroque architecture

Dislikes: Winter, being reminded of his wife’s death, and needlessly wasting functional technology and edible food

Favourite food: Homemade apple strudels and bosna

Favourite drink: Wiener Melange and grape soda

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Gender: Male

Age: 38 (in 2022), 44 (in 2028), 46 (in 2030), 48 (in 2032), 50 (in 2034), 57 (in 2041), 59 (in 2043), 60 (in 2044), and 63 (in 2047)

Design: He’s a 5’ 7” (170.18 cm) Austrian endomorph with a partial beer belly, decent muscles, and broad shoulders. He has straight jet black hair styled as a crew cut, warm beige skin, blue-grey eyes, and a finely chopped goatee. A cut scar crosses his left cheek, and he has a prosthetic right leg that almost seamlessly blends with his skin. He has a shimmering silver-grey glass eye in place of his right eye, marked by a scar from a severe stab wound. Like Torquil and Guilherme, he dons a metal dog tag necklace with his name and the standard Rebel land troop uniform, which varies depending on his deployment location. On his right breast pocket, a metallic black skull with a missing jaw and scarlet eyes hangs from a silver-white ribbon, secured by a golden clip.

Ferdinand always carries around two photographs: one with his deceased wife from before the Great Morden War and one with his two best friends from the Rebel Army. He wears a harvest gold waist pack on the right side of his brownish-black belt, equipped with his silver-plated night vision binoculars, a pack of cigarettes, an almond-hued lighter, and five cans of grape soda. He often shares a couple of these cans with his closest friends, Torquil and Guilherme. He's always armed to the teeth, carrying a heavy minigun with a back-mounted ammo supply and a machete sheathed at his left hip.

Character summary: He's quite serious and overprotective of his two best friends, Torquil and Guilherme, due to a deep-seated fear of losing them, stemming from the tragic loss of his pregnant wife. He’s a by-the-book individual who carefully follows protocols and expects the same from others, maintaining a stern expression while trying to avoid distractions. He’s a strategic thinker that rarely complains, preferring to keep his true emotions hidden behind a stoic mask. He has a fearsome temper, triggered only when people neglect their duties or stir up unnecessary trouble. He asserts himself confidently, especially when defending those he cares about, and doesn't back down easily, refusing to accept "no" as a final answer.

He harbours a deep contempt for the fanatic land troops, whose unstable behaviour and penchant for sabotaging vehicles he finds utterly reprehensible. Ferdinand is a wise and hard-boiled individual with a penchant for surveilling his surroundings due to his hypervigilance. He lives with chronic depression, but he prefers to keep it private due to concerns about the stigma surrounding mental health. He sometimes finds Torquil's overconfidence and playful nature grating, particularly when it leads to slacking off and distractions. In contrast, he’s deeply concerned about Guilherme's fragile mental state and makes a conscious effort to offer comfort and support him during his darkest moments.

Backstory: Ferdinand Hofbauer was born on August 26th, 1984 in Kufstein, Austria. His father, Herschel Hofbauer, was a distinguished police officer who had once aspired to be a therapist. However, he changed careers after noticing the alarming rise in crime rates. Tragedy struck when his wife died during childbirth, leaving him a widower. Recognizing the importance of both parents in a child's life, he remarried, hoping to provide a mother figure for his son. His stepmother, a public opinion analyst, presented herself as a charming and affectionate person, but beneath this façade, she was a hedonist who was verbally abusive and neglectful towards Ferdinand, viewing him as an obstacle to her husband's affection. In contrast, his father was a simple man who cherished the lives of the innocent and his family above his own, finding joy in the small things in life during his quiet moments.

At the age of 7, Ferdinand began exhibiting signs of child verbal abuse and neglect, which deeply concerned his father. When Ferdinand revealed that his stepmother was responsible for the mistreatment, Herschel was consumed by strong displeasure and even regretted remarrying. He made the difficult decision to divorce Ferdinand's stepmother and severed all ties with her, prioritising his son's safety and well-being above all else.

While attending university to study architecture, he met the love of his life, Franziska. They went on numerous dates and grew closer, and after completing their college education, Ferdinand proposed to Franziska. After getting engaged, they married a year later and spent their honeymoon in the Caribbean, where they began thinking about starting a family. Four years after landing their dream jobs–Ferdinand as a landscape architect and Franziska as a law clerk–they decided it was time to start a family. Franziska became pregnant, but tragically, her life was cut short. At just five months pregnant, she was brutally mugged and killed by an unknown assailant on a snowy day while out getting lunch. Ferdinand, who was at work, learned of his wife's passing via a phone call from his mother-in-law, leaving him utterly devastated and heartbroken.

After his wife's passing, he quit his job, feeling lost and aimless, as Franziska had been the source of his happiness. Struggling to move on, he became withdrawn and distant, and developed self-destructive habits: chain-smoking, frequenting bars, and getting into trouble with the law for public indecency and starting fights. Seeking comfort, he adopted two pets: a Russian Blue cat named Franziska, after his late wife, and a Styrian Coarse-haired Hound named Benedikt. This decision brought some solace to his sorrow.

Amidst the turmoil of the Great Modern War, Ferdinand stumbled upon an advertisement for the Rebel Army, recruiting new soldiers. Seeing an opportunity to find purpose, he decided to join the army and become a soldier, hoping to do something meaningful for once. Once he joined, he met Torquil fixing up his Type-4 Girida-O and Guilherme sketching in his journal at the campsite where he was staying. Not wanting to be potentially bullied for being a loner, he decided to approach them, and they quickly became best friends, remaining close ever since.

To Be Human Leitmotif (MS AU):

https://youtu.be/SG1HV7uIeXg?si=lfklnz4A2RBNoMuN

Trevor and Nadia Moodboard

I made a little playlist for the Iron Eclipse AU. I whipped it up fairly quickly, so don't expect it to be perfect. I often struggle with this sort of thing, but I wanted to give it a shot. I'll consider this to be an experiment of sorts. Selecting the right songs that might fit the vibes of Iron Eclipse was a challenge... I wasn't fully thinking about the themes of my AU for this one...

The cover art is a sketch of IE Marco by @kemasansachet! Please go check him out because his art is phenomenal! He's also a really nice and chill person!

Updated: October 11, 2024

Reworked Character #10: Gimlet

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, torture, neglect, SA, child abuse, substance abuse, necrophilia, cannibalism, and crime.

Real name: Vasser Gutenschiff-Wolstenholme

Esper title: Avatar of Theriomorphic Anima, Parasitism, and Aggression

Alias: Libertine of Animus

Nickname: Gimlet

Occupation: Chief Warrant Officer 3 of the P.F. Squad

Retirement plans: Doesn’t know what kind of purpose he’ll have after resigning from his military duties

Special skills: Foraging for food and edible plants in the wilderness, proficiency in dagger throwing and operating radio communication technology, orchestrating surprise attacks, mastery of escape, and quick drawing

Esper abilities: By focusing on the internal dynamics of his muscles and the rhythmic pulse of his blood, he can tap into the depths of his unbridled strength. When he does so, his veins bulge from his skin and his muscles spasm uncontrollably. However, this transformation enables him to deliver blows that cause the earth to tremble, crush his opponents' bones with a single grip, and lift and throw objects with ease, including those that weigh as much as a small mountain. By tapping into the irrational part of his soul, he can access a feral state of mind for 1 to 3 hours, amplifying his killing instincts and physical strength to nearly earth-shattering levels. However, the longer he remains in this primal state, the more his hostility levels intensify. Surrendering to this feral state of mind allows his id to gradually dominate his psyche, a process worsened by his cocaine addiction. Additionally, he can inherit the distinctive animalistic qualities and abilities of any animal he consumes, but this adaptation only lasts for 30 minutes.

He can unleash a loud, painful scream or cry of anger, generating paralysing vibrations that temporarily stun his enemies for three minutes. Additionally, he can teleport to targets within his line of sight, focusing intently on them. By superheating the water-rich waste materials in his intestines and blood, he can boil them to extreme temperatures and project the scalding, watery vomit at his opponents through regurgitation. He can create steel-hard weapons by drawing his own blood through minor skin incisions. Occasionally, he must consume the blood of others to replenish the nutrients used up by his powers. His body hosts a multitude of tiny parasites and viruses, which coexist harmlessly with his organs, blood circulation, and cellular structures. However, he can harness these microorganisms as a defence mechanism, releasing them to infect his enemies through physical contact and airborne respiratory droplets.

Gimlet has the ability to create worm-like creatures that are grotesque, breathing, and multi-eyed with additional mutations such as wings, serrated teeth, and elongated snouts. This can be achieved through impregnation or by introducing his bodily fluids into another person's body (e.g. through spitting in their mouth). As these two methods are a slow process, he turns to an expulsion mechanism involving a specialised, jade-coloured testicular sac situated centrally in the groin. Connected to the penis and digestive system by red-violet vascular appendages, he can expel a tar-like, seminal substance that rapidly transforms into a worm-like creature. When a host is impregnated, they experience rapid growth, severe stomach pains, and bodily soreness. However, this method often results in stillbirth. If a host is not impregnated but still has Gimlet's bodily fluids enter their body, they will eventually experience a debilitating stomach flu. This leads to vomiting, and the contents transform into a worm-like creature that inherits the host's eye colour and hair colour.

These creatures mature into bipedal worms, distinguished by sparse, wispy hair growth on their chests, armpits, scalps, and jawlines. They are also adorned with spiky, cartilaginous armour plating in dull silver or glossy black, which covers their faces, backs, and limbs. They serve as obedient soldiers and suicide bombers, possessing the same abilities as Gimlet. They can instantaneously self-destruct, releasing either a poisonous gas or a burning, gooey, glowing purple acid that engulfs their surroundings.

Hobbies: Treasure hunting, frequenting underground nightclubs, going to the beach, watching action-packed, splatterpunk, and pornographic films, and building scale models of military vehicles and historical war events

Likes: Intelligent women (such as Sagan, Eri, Fio, and Red Eye), trial and research weapons, abandoned radio towers, collecting rare pornography magazines and seashells, and the satisfaction he feels when killing a highly dangerous individual

Dislikes: Bees, necrophilia, becoming like his father, being underestimated and lectured, and opponents who aren’t willing to engage in a fair fight

Favourite food: Full English breakfast and grilled pineapple

Favourite drink: French gimlet (preferably if it has two parts sweetened lime juice)

Sexuality: Sex-favourable, grayromantic gynesexual

Gender: Male

Age: 27 (in 2022), 33 (in 2028), 35 (in 2030), 37 (in 2032), 39 (in 2034), 46 (in 2041), 48 (in 2043), 49 (in 2044), and 52 (in 2047)

Blood type: O-

Weight: 217 lbs. (98 kg)

Design: He’s a 6 ft (182.88 cm) British-German mesomorph with a perfectly chiselled musculature, a subtly rounded abdomen, semi-broad shoulders, and prominent thighs. He has rose beige skin, a black mole on the right side of his chin, and reddish-brown freckles scattered across his face, chest, and hands. He has sparkling rusty orange eyes and middle-parted maroon hair with subtle waves and neatly trimmed sideburns. His eyes were originally a light brown, and his hair was once a golden bronze colour with mutton chops and straight locks. His muscle fibres and intestines with a yellowish-green tint, and he possesses two forked tongues coated in a translucent, gelatinous slime mixed with his blood.

His forearms and shoulders are covered in healed minor incisions, and a massive scar extends from his left deltoid to his right hypochondriac region, organically zigzagging across his torso. His left hand and right leg have been augmented with cutting-edge prosthetics, featuring sleek, aerodynamic plates and agile, fibre-optic wires that blur the lines between human and machine. The prosthetics are infused with AI-driven neurosync technology, allowing for seamless integration and real-time synchronisation with his neural signals. His left-hand prosthetic features retractable blade claws made of razor-sharp adamantium, and they can extend and retract with a mere thought, thanks to the advanced neural interface.

Gimlet’s military gear consists of a mahogany headband, a metal dog tag necklace with his name, and a grimy meat brown sleeveless shirt with vertical Carolina blue stripes. He has a dark bluish-green belt with a bronze buckle, a sheath for his combat knife, and a gun holster for his Mauser C96 Broomhandle. He wears a dark goldenrod vest with four pockets, boasting the logo of the P.F. Squad on the back. Additionally, he wears persimmon-hued wristbands and dark green moss army cargo pants tucked into rose ebony combat boots. The pockets of his vest carry around iron knuckles given to him by Hyakutaro, a pornography magazine from his personal collection, a pontifical mitre shell, a flask of vodka gimlet, a bottle of Ritalin, a small plastic bag of crushed cocaine, a rolled-up piece of paper the size of a straw, and his motorcycle key.

Over sleeveless shirt, he dons a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) with a MultiCam pattern, which carries around his walkie-talkie and ammo for other firearms. His are wrapped worn and dirty gauze, and he wears a rust-coloured bandolier draped over his right shoulder, holding throwing daggers. Gimlet carries around a dark bluish-green load-bearing backpack that contains camping equipment, tactical explosives, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, two bottles of French gimlet, an APX P25 radio, a rocket launcher, a grenade gun, and a shotgun.

His backpack also holds four plushies from his childhood, which serve as trusty companions and help maintain his grip on sanity. This menagerie consists of four distinct plushies: Emmerich, a polar bear with a light coral bow tie; Theobald, an orange-eyed black tiger with Hunyadi yellow stripes; Philomena, an opalescent white dragon with lavender eyes and azure spines; and Linnaea, a bronze-horned husky with a white fur coat featuring blue-grey, citron, and fallow brown splotches. He wears golden huggie earrings, a silver ring featuring a square-cut fire opal on his left middle finger, and bronze-plated goggles with orange-tinted lenses.

He owns a state-of-the-art drop pack with a metallic blue finish, compact and aerodynamic, approximately half the size of his torso. This advanced pack features high-thrust mini-jet engines, each adorned with a light blue stripe at their entrance, and retractable, razor-sharp airplane wings that provide enhanced stability and maneuverability. Additionally, its integrated artificial intelligence ensures real-time weather analysis and automatic adjustments for a smoother, more stable flight and parachuting experience. Furthermore, it boasts rapid-deployment technology for quick and seamless wing extension, enabling swift response times in high-pressure situations. It has been built to withstand extreme weather conditions, including intense turbulence, heavy rainfall, and scorching temperatures.

Tequila built him a modified Ariel W/NG 350 with a bulkier, steadier design, boasting a camouflage pattern in fern green, golden brown, and taupe grey, and completed with a rusty orange leather seat.

Super Devil form: He's a 20' 11" (637.54 cm) reptilian kangaroo with bulging, viciously torn, infected muscular tissue that pulses with every heartbeat. His scaly taupe grey skin, which hosts a multitude of tiny parasites and viruses, is coated in a thin layer of translucent, gelatinous slime. Gimlet has a head shaped like a bear's, featuring three forked tongues smeared with bloody slime and four rows of dark goldenrod teeth that resemble those of a humpback anglerfish. His eight rusty orange eyes have flecks of moss that are dark green and metallic blue pupils that dilate in response to sunlight. His coarse, unruly middle-parted hair is strikingly two-toned with the left side silver-grey and the right side mahogany. The hair falls slightly over his broad shoulders, which are ridiculously wide and covered in jagged, cartilaginous spikes that stand straight up. He has persimmon-hued ram horns, twitching Apantesis phalerata antennae, and retractable, razor-sharp bronze claws and talons.

He has two pairs of arms: the first pair is elongated yet uncomfortably muscular, covered in shaggy coyote fur ravaged by mange; and the second pair resembles long puma-furred forelegs, but with uncannily slender toes. From his hip joints, he has notably large hind legs of a yellowish-green locust, complete with a deep red tibia and brownish-grey tiger-like stripes on the femurs. He has an exceptionally long, thin rose ebony rodent tail, twice the size of his torso, that splits halfway along its length. Additionally, Gimlet possesses wings similar to those of a migratory locust, but with a leathery texture and a subtle mahogany sheen.

His back is covered in writhing, sinuous tendrils that resemble dark bluish-green smooth-skinned serpents, each tipped with hook-like bronze claws. His neck features sixteen delicate, petal-shaped skin flaps that can open to reveal thirty-two small openings, which he can use to release his blood to create deadly weapons. Additionally, he possesses a pouch containing intestinal appendages with a yellowish-green tint, which he uses to spray scalding, watery vomit.

Character summary: He identifies as an agnostic Protestant Anglican that takes responsibility for his actions when it's convenient for him. He shows a willingness to take risks and face danger head-on, never backing down from a fight. He's resolute and unshakeable in his convictions to get the job done and to eliminate the weak and corrupt, even when advised against certain actions. He values his autonomy and privacy, preferring to work independently rather than as part of a team and keep his personal life and feelings closely guarded. While he thrives on constant action, excitement, and a desire for immediate gratification, he occasionally appreciates the quiet comfort of mundane routines and stillness. When he doesn't understand something, he exclusively seeks clarification from Tequila or Red Eye as he fears that asking anyone else might lead to ridicule or insults for his perceived lack of sophistication.

He's a mischievous, troublesome, highly opinionated, and forgetful prankster who enjoys poking fun at the cadets and has a passion for the thrill of combat and uncovering new horizons. He's a skilled conversationalist, but also a pathological liar who manipulates others through guilt-tripping and gaslighting. Occasionally, his grandiose sense of self-worth becomes apparent, particularly in situations that either threaten his ego or feed his overconfidence. When a military mission or chore lacks excitement, he becomes slothful and goes to great lengths to avoid it, much to Tequila's annoyance. When he’s drunk, he objectifies and harasses women, displays violent outbursts, engages in verbal altercations, and causes trouble with his rowdy behaviour.

He has a quick temper, which makes him prone to argumentative outbursts, physical and verbal aggression, and hostile behaviour. When extremely angry, he frequently resorts to shouting death and rape threats as well as making racially and sexually charged comments that are deeply hurtful and damaging. He becomes instantly offended and irritated when people compare him to his abusive, psychopathic father as he harbours a deep-seated fear of emulating him. He struggles to show remorse, particularly towards his enemies, people who get on his nerves, and those he's not emotionally invested in. He’s a street-smart, resourceful, attention-seeking thief with a yearning for physical and emotional intimacy and an aversion to being ignored. Notably, he quickly becomes emotionally attached to individuals who show him genuine kindness and tenderness.

He enjoys playfully teasing those he's familiar with as it's his way of alleviating tension. He isn't afraid to speak his mind and call out people when they do something that defies common sense, even if it means he sometimes comes across as a hypocrite. He has a dark, provocative, and irreverent sense of humour, which often leaves those around him feeling uneasy and uncomfortable. When he's deadly serious, he assumes a stoic and expressionless demeanour, exuding a menacing aura that commands attention. He's a bloodthirsty adrenaline junkie who derives sadistic pleasure from killing and torturing his enemies, taking his brutality to extremes by devouring their entrails and bathing in their blood. He strongly appreciates his friends and comrades and will go to great lengths to protect them from harm, but his anger issues and self-absorbed nature hinder his ability to fully care for them.

He's haunted by his emotionally scarred past, which he attempts to numb through substance abuse, alcohol, and sex. His ongoing search for purpose and moral direction contributes to his introspective and brooding demeanour. He's capable of being polite, tender, and compassionate, but his display of these qualities depend on his relationship with the person and his current emotional state. He's surprisingly gentle and nice with children, and, like Ralf, he enjoys playing with them whenever he has the time. He possesses a surprisingly adept talent for con artistry, which is most evident when he skillfully evades precarious situations or deceives his enemies with clever misdirection. He has a history of making unwanted flirtatious advances towards women, and his licentious behaviour in sexual relationships is often selfish and irresponsible. He’s known to rely on his glib and superficial charm to try to seduce women with the sole intention of gratifying his own sexual desires.

Despite viewing Red Eye as an older sister, he developed a troubling romantic and sexual obsession with her, which he attempts to conceal due to the immense shame it brings him. After undergoing human experimentation, he often mistakenly confuses her with Fio due to their similar appearance. He was once incredibly close to Sagan and Logan, considering them as his first true best friends. However, their friendship soured when he discovered they were secretly working as double agents for the Rebel Army. The betrayal was compounded when they fully defected to General Morden's side during the Great Morden War. Despite their falling out, he still finds himself sexually attracted to Sagan and hopes to rekindle a romantic connection with her. He admires her beauty, comparable to Red Eye, and is deeply impressed by her extraordinary intelligence, reminiscent of Tequila.

He deeply cares for Tequila, his adoptive father, and strongly fears losing him unexpectedly as Tequila was the only person willing to raise him as a son. However, he struggles with feelings of unworthiness to be considered the closest thing to a living son due to his frequent disappointments. He holds Hyakutaro and Margaret in high esteem, respecting them as his former drill instructors who played a significant role in shaping him into one of the Peregrine Falcons Squad's most exceptional soldiers. He frequently clashes with Marco because of his perceived intellectual superiority and willingness to confront Gimlet when he bullies their friends and comrades.

Backstory: Vasser Gutenschiff-Wolstenholme was born on October 8, 1995 in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. The Gutenschiff family of Germany originated as a mix of archaeological explorers and con artists in the field of historical documentation. However, they later made a name for themselves as formidable soldiers during various conflicts of the German Empire and Weimar Republic eras. Their reputation grew as a feared and ferocious family, revelling in the defeat of their enemies and thriving on the adrenaline rush of battle. In contrast, the British Wolstenholme family was known for their relatively peaceful pursuits, dedicating themselves to advancing the significance of radio communication and entertainment. Additionally, the Wolstenholmes were esteemed for their long lineage of historians, who uniquely shared their expertise by crafting intricate models of ancient civilizations and pivotal events that shaped the course of history.

Unlike the Wolstenholmes, the Gutenschiffs descended into darkness with rumours swirling that they embraced cult-like practices. It became a dark and sinister tradition among the descending families to have only one child, preferably male, to carry on their legacy. In cases where twins or multiple births occurred, the eldest child was forced into a horrific coming-of-age act: they were coerced into killing their sibling and then consuming their flesh.

Vasser's father, Kanan Gutenschiff, was a notorious commander in the European Garrison of the Regular Army. He treated all of his enemies mercilessly, taking sadistic glee in the carnage that surrounded him. After a few years of military service, Kanan was discharged by his superiors in the Regular Army. This decision was made after numerous complaints of workplace harassment were filed against him, and following an incident in which he fatally shot a comrade with a rifle during a heated argument. The discharge was likely intended to prevent damage to the organisation's reputation as a peacekeeping force.

Following his discharge, Kanan took up work at a pub in Birmingham, where he led a double life as a professional con artist. One quiet evening, he met Cerys Wolstenholme, a skilled radio and television service technician, and was immediately smitten. He shamelessly flirted with her, offering drinks and engaging her in conversation about their daily lives. As they spent more time together on several dates, Kanan's charm eventually won her over, and they became intimate, resulting in a surprise pregnancy with triplets: Vasser, Teresa, and Rugal.

Kanan was a controlling and strict father, who prioritised his own desires, using Cerys for his own sexual gratification while feigning concern for his children. However, he showed a marked preference for Vasser, who, as the firstborn of the triplets, received a disproportionate share of his attention. According to the Gutenschiff tradition, Vasser was designated as the chosen heir, prompting Kanan to mould him into a fearless and apathetic individual, adept in both combat and deception. Kanan occasionally resorted to physical discipline and emotional insults when Vasser misbehaved. Meanwhile, Teresa experienced sexual abuse at his hands every two weeks, being treated as an object rather than a person with only superficial displays of kindness. As for the autistic Rugal, Kanan neglected his emotional well-being, viewing him as a disappointment and an unwanted responsibility.

Cerys devoted herself to nurturing Vasser, Teresa, and Rugal, imparting valuable life lessons, homeschooling them, and sharing joyful moments with them. Vasser's most treasured memory of his mother is the gift of Philomena on his 6th birthday, a cherished keepsake he holds dear to this day. She introduced Protestant Anglicanism into the lives of Vasser and his siblings, a faith he still holds onto to this day. However, due to Kanan's abuse and her worsening depression and agoraphobia, she relocated to the basement, where she became increasingly emotionally withdrawn and absent. Kanan would seize this opportunity to fatally asphyxiate Cerys, and then repeatedly commit a horrific act of necrophilia with her lifeless body.

When Vasser turned 14, Kanan attempted to manipulate him into killing his siblings to solidify his position as the Gutenschiff heir. However, Vasser was horrified by the suggestion of slaughtering his family members in cold blood, which infuriated Kanan. Kanan taunted Vasser, branding him a coward and an embarrassment to the Gutenschiffs. In a twisted display of power, Kanan brutally murdered Teresa and Rugal in front of Vasser, forcing him to witness the atrocity while subjecting him to verbal abuse. Later, Kanan used the bodies of Teresa and Rugal to prepare a meal, coercing Vasser into consuming it and leaving no remains.

Kanan would continue to try to mould Vasser into a successful Gutenschiff heir through coercive behaviour and emotional mistreatment, but eventually gave up when Vasser became more defiant, anxious, and aggressive. As Vasser was labelled a failure in his eyes, he began to neglect and abandon Vasser's emotional and physical needs, focusing instead on his own desires, hedonistic lifestyle, and exploitative relationships with sex workers. After discovering his mother's lifeless body in the basement, Vasser packed his belongings and took his deceased sister's most treasured plushies (Emmerich, Theobald, and Linnaea). He fled his toxic household and took to the streets, where he honed his resourcefulness through cunning and stealth, mastering the arts of deception and thievery to survive against the odds.

He found refuge in an abandoned radio tower, using it as his shelter and an excuse to tinker with radio communication technology. Despite being practically homeless and living on the streets, he was faring well in this new lifestyle. However, everything changed when he inadvertently caught the attention of a group of bullies in his neighbourhood. They relentlessly harassed him, and the abandoned radio tower became an increasingly vital safe haven, while his plushies served as a source of emotional comfort. At 16, the bullies torched the radio tower, leaving Vasser feeling defenceless and vulnerable. Seeking vengeance, he attempted to fight back but was vastly outnumbered. They brutally beat him and quickly fled the scene, leaving him in an alleyway with a bruised and bloodied face.

It was then that Tequila found him and, in a surprising gesture of kindness, treated him to lunch at a local restaurant. This act of kindness led Vasser to form an instant emotional bond with Tequila, and he found himself opening up about his current situation, driven by a desire to further fuel his quest for vengeance. To his surprise, Tequila was deeply moved by Vasser's story and vowed to ensure Kanan would pay for the pain he had inflicted. After lunch, Vasser led Tequila to his father's house, deliberately drawing attention to himself as a distraction. Inside, a drunken Kanan violently dragged Vasser into the house, intent on using him to satisfy his twisted desires. Just in time, Tequila slipped inside unnoticed and silently ambushed Kanan, saving Vasser from harm.

With the deed done, Tequila took Vasser under his wing, providing him with a stable and nurturing environment, complete with nutritious food, proper education, and a sense of belonging. He was once a shy and curious child, but after forming a close bond with Margaret, who showed him motherly care and affection, he began to grow more confident and outgoing. After coming to regard Margaret as a mother figure, he thoroughly enjoyed her company from that point on. With Tequila's support and encouragement, he explored new interests and discovered a passion for treasure hunting, seashell collecting, and building scale models of military vehicles and historic battle scenes. He still remembers a trip to the beach where he found a rare hundred-eyed cowrie shell, which he gave to Tequila as a token of heartfelt gratitude.

Little is known about his life after being adopted by Tequila, but it is known that he went on to work as a radio technician apprentice after completing his education. He started visiting establishments with adult entertainment and underground social clubs as a way to unwind and have fun, but soon found himself developing a dependence on well drinks like margarita and gimlet, and substances including cocaine and amphetamines as a coping mechanism for his traumatic experiences. His friends began calling him “Gimlet” due to his fondness for the cocktail, a nickname he embraced because it sounded cool and served as a distraction from his past.

After completing his apprenticeship, he felt a sudden sense of purposelessness wash over him. He wondered if he was headed in the right direction and if emulating his mother's career was genuinely his own aspiration. Tequila noticed his struggle and persuaded him to join the Peregrine Falcons Squad, hoping it would give him direction. Initially, Gimlet was hesitant, opposing the idea of engaging in warfare and using violence against criminals and terrorists. However, after a night of contemplation over drinks, he decided to join the P.F. Squad, shortly after completing a stint in rehab, which Tequila had helped him seek out after discovering his struggles with substance abuse.

Once he joined the P.F. Squad, his true nature began to surface, leading to several issues, including making inappropriate advances towards women, taking a disturbing delight in the demise of his enemies, and taunting the cadets. He quickly formed strong bonds with Sagan and Logan during a treasure hunt in the Bahamas, which, although unsuccessful, allowed them to share their life stories, aspirations, and interests. He remembers having a one-night stand with Sagan, which subtly shifted the dynamics of their friendship and introduced a hint of sexual tension. A year before the Arms Deal Barrage, he met Red Eye and quickly came to regard her as an older sister, but soon found himself developing romantic and sexual feelings for her, which filled him with shame.

He played a crucial role in the Arms Deal Barrage as a fighter, during which he exposed the Regular Army's secret corruption. He would develop a deep-seated aversion to bees after accidentally disturbing a beehive with a stray bullet while navigating the jungle during the Arms Deal Barrage. Initially, he playfully taunted Tarma, Marco, Fio, and Eri when they joined the P.F. Squad and S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. special forces units. However, after Marco stood up to him for his excessive teasing of Tarma and crude behaviour towards Eri, and Tequila reprimanded him for bullying the cadets, he ceased his teasing and gradually formed friendships with them.

During a mission in Indonesia, where he was combating a rogue military organisation involved in illicit activities such as bioterrorism, murder, and weapon trafficking, he sustained severe injuries in battle, losing his left hand and right leg. These injuries were subsequently replaced with advanced cybernetic prosthetics, designed by Tarma, for which he remains deeply grateful.

Tragically, during the Great Morden War, he was brutally tortured and executed in front of Marco and Tarma. Unbeknownst to him, Morden had secretly promised Tequila to revive him in a new form, and his body was sent to Doctor Amadeus. Through Doctor Amadeus' expertise, Gimlet was successfully revived, but as a semi-clone of Tarma, drastically altering his existence.