           đđđ .  RELATIONSHIPSÂ
* THE LOVERS, REVERSED ; disharmony, loss of balance â ZIA
  itâd be instinctive to think the chemistry between captain kick and babydoll would transcend into their real-life dynamic, will has had issues communicating with zia. none of it is her fault, of course; to in any way mislead her into thinking it is would pain him even more. the conflict began back during the teamâs first run, and fifteen years or so later it lingers. the feelings were there - will knew how zia felt, and he reciprocated the feelings since the very beginning. zia has always been the only person heâs ever pictured himself being in a relationship with ( reason why he never came close to establishing anything official with anyone else. he tried several times, but he kept coming back to the memory of zia and how unhappy he felt without it ). however, he always simultaneously feared and dislike the thought that forcing them together would drive them further apart. he didnât want their relationship to be a mere fabrication, a narrative crafted for the sake of toy sales and viewer ratings. in his stubbornness to keep it from happening, will distanced himself from zia, effectively damning the relationship from seeing the light of day. he regrets all the discomfort and suffering he may have caused her, but heâs yet to learn to make himself available to her and get over his worries to make their connection work. of course itâs easier said than done, but will doesnât want to think of what would happen if something were to go awry in one of the missions, and the two never got to experience the relationship theyâd wanted & deserved.
* THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE, UPRIGHT ; change, cycles â ALEC
  will never really knew how to feel about alec -- well, actually, he did, but it was too chaotic and ever-changing to put into words. the few constancies in his attitude toward the other man remain, however. it all stems from willâs own insecurities. heâs become convinced heâs not the best fit for the position of the team leader, namely because it should be filled by someone like alec rather than himself. he excels in every way in which will doesnât, and it scares will to his core. he constantly thinks of the many ways in which the team would benefit from having alec as the frontrunner, and heâll get so consumed by his own stream of thought that eventually the idea of stepping aside and giving his position up to alec will begin taunting him. but at the moment, all of this remains unvoiced. the one thing that makes will feel like his stay is worthwhile is being at the head. itâs become such a relevant influence on his self-confidence, his identity. without it, will doesnât know what would become of him, but still he canât say it doesnât feel unjust to deny the team the leader they deserve.Â
* STRENGTH, REVERSED ; insecurity, doubt â LAURA
  willâs aware that he wasnât particularly close to laura back in the 80s. he felt there were a couple barriers between them, namely the different ages and the nature of their positions ( captain kick would be seen mainly with babydoll, after all ). still, behind the scenes, he made sure for them to be on at least good terms. there was some contact throughout the years, but it was admittedly more sporadic than with other exemplars. now, however, willâs perception of laura has changed, if he were being honest. they are similar to those which he holds for alec, in the sense that it pains him to see someone clearly more qualified, skilled and deserving of a leadership position remain under âhisâ command. he carries a bit of guilt for this, and is often unsure as to whether or not to divulge this to her. again, this is mainly out of the fear that once the bureau and the exemplars discover that theyâd be better off following someone elseâs calls, then that makes him dispensable.Â
* THE EMPEROR, UPRIGHT ; authority, control â CESARE
 things with cesare have always been tricky. willâs opinion on him shifts from time to time. sometimes, heâll delight in some wishful thinking and hope the two could reap the benefits of a more balance partnership. itâd be for the better, after all. this whim, however, is often shot down in the face of an argument or a disagreement. will thinks it wrong to challenge cesareâs position ( surely the bureau granted him that degree of authority for a reason, and being born into a family who instilled in him an admiration toward hard workers, he simply cannot bring himself to disregard him on that basis ). however, that doesnât mean heâll stay quiet and agreeable all the time. the two have starkingly different views as to how approach certain parts of the missions -- will lets himself be lead by emotion, while cesareâs strategic thinking is unparallaled. so whenever it gets too much, thereâs bound to be a clash -- in times like these will doesnât mind being a bit more brazen than usual, since he very well knows the lives of so many are at stake.Â
  at the same time, will admires and envies cesare. he wishes he could be that collected when under pressure, or that he had his ease with words. he wouldnât want to be in his shoes, however, given the bureauâs undermining of his performance ( will doubts he would make it through that kind of pressure ). sadly, more often that not whichever positive feelings he has for him will be placed on the back burner as conflict between the two unfolds.Â
* TEMPERANCE, UPRIGHT ; finding meaning, patience â DAMIEN
  yet again, will wishes this relation, in particular, could be less complicated. then again, heâs to blame for it. back during their first run, will felt guilty damien would be forced out onto the sidelines. he wanted to make sure he felt welcome in the team. slowly, their conversations became more common, and nowadays will would say the two are good friends. they bonded during very personal moments, and many of his favorite memories are of times spent with damien. however, it is a bit more complex than that. naturally, there are so many aspects of damienâs life that will is not aware of, and out of a fear that heâd be overstepping any boundaries, will maintains his interactions with damien as formal, ever so nonchalant, but never entirely honest. he conceals most details of his own personal life to damien too. while he wishes he could bring himself to be honest, will cannot find it in him to own up to this helplessness and vulnerability. troubling damien with that burden has never been an option. so for the most part, will relies on small talk, and the moment it crosses that line, he feels exposed and bothersome. the last thing he wants is to bring damienâs mood down, or have him waste his time keeping watch over him. though, there are so many similarities between the two that surely neither of them have realized, and they could definitely become great sources of support for one another if will werenât so afraid to admit defeat.Â
* THE SUN, UPRIGHT ; joy, celebration â TANGO
  will likes tango. while he was initially startled by the sharpness of his fangs, it soon became clear that the ferocity and wildness that the media used to characterize him was far from the truth. tango was kind to will in a way some people werenât, but more importantly, he always treated him with dignity. this never failed at moving will, and heâs never managed to grow angry at the other. he admires how well-meaning and resilient tango has remained, especially considering the mediaâs scrutiny and the bureauâs treatment. that being said, there are so many things about tango that intrigue will, but he finds it impolite to ask and/or pry. he would also like to know more about what life with such heavy involvement from the bureau has been like, but again, will thinks it might be insensitive to ask such specific, obvious questions -- or worse, that more than just come off as nosy, that itâll bring more attention to his strict living conditions and somehow prompt him to feel downtrodden. truly, will thinks tango deserves the best. not only has he had to deal with having the reputation he did, to have the coverage bite into the narrative of âwild beastâ so frequently. he knows it is hard, but will wishes tango could enjoy a much freer life once the missions are over and done with.Â
* THE HIGH PRIESTESS, UPRIGHT ; inner voice, intuitive â BETH
  beth and will are very similar on so many levels. they are both natural caretakers and seek to ensure everyoneâs wellbeing. but much like with damien, the extent to which will voices his deeper, more emotion-heavy thoughts is very limited. he has a good relationship with beth, but he is not always honest with her. from what she has disclosed to him, and the few letters exchanged here and there, will got the feeling that she was doing fine. and if that is the case, will is happy. beth is someone who he felt also didnât get to thrive back when the team was first assembled, and being responsible for accounting so many civilians, he thinks it is about time she got more recognition.Â
  at the same time, will wishes there could be a more transparent channel of communication between them. her accident with the faulty wings wasnât a secret, but willâs thoughts and emotions in the aftermath were never extended over to her. ever since that happening, willâs become more apprehensive and protective toward the team since he has realized there are external factors at play that he canât control. he so deeply wishes he could bring it up in a discussion with her, but he doesnât want to go there fearing itâd be like pouring salt into a wound. Â
* THE MAGICIAN, REVERSED ; illusions, out of touch â ADDYÂ
will wishes he could be like addy. he has never had it in himself to be reckless, to be impulsive. the fact that addy manages to pull them off with such ease is admirable in his mind ( it even becomes an enviable skill in his eyes ). he understands that to be forced into such a one-dimensional character mustâve been rough, but he is mostly blinded by the awe and wonder which heâs always experienced when seeing addy out in the field. seeing her stunts used to make him feel like a kid, all full of excitement and a thirst for adventure. he lived vicariously through the unrestrained attitude of the character, because he felt like he was not allowed to act in such a way as a child. he always looked up to addy in a way, and how she balanced tallahasseeâs exuberance with her own aim to keep everyone safe. deep down, he wished he possessed that ability, that he would stop feeling so self-conscious and tied down by his inhibitions- since he canât, heâll just resort to watching addy continuously do it with that unparalleled facility.Â
* JUSTICE, UPRIGHT ; clarity, truth â BENJI
  will feels a lot of respect toward benji. he has always helped not only will, but the team as a whole. he could confidently call benji one of the pillars of each operation, and has no clue what would become of each mission were benji not involved. will has always watched benji do his job with a certain curiosity and intrigue, even though he didnât grasp most of the concepts benjiâs work oversaw. not a day goes by where will doesnât feel thankful for having druid on board, but sadly, the difference in their positioning and tasks during the missions felt like somewhat of a barrier between the two. now that the team is back together, will has been trying to gather some courage and voice the admiration he feels towards benji. he thinks of pendulum, and how much was left unsaid when she passed, so he doesnât want to make the same mistake again.
