>>5436802The attempts at a comedic tone in the first half kinda worked to contrast, if not compliment, the more melancholic ending.
It should come out of left field for the reader, just like Cold's realization at the end did for him.
None of that was actually intentional but I liked where it ended up. I also had a second half planned where Cold would pick up a beaten up data slate and fire up a holographic picture of his early days training under his father. However, the post was already dragging on and that ending felt a little too corny. 