#Gil: it doesn't matter just let me hold you

[softquietsteadylove]

Helloo, how are you?

So its halloween and i have a little request for something scary. Maybe the eternals somehow end up in this very old and problaby haunted house, and then the ghost in said house take a liking for Thena, so they start to hide her and make the others see her when she is not there. And poor Gil is more scared that he would like.

(Also thank you for answering to my asks🩷😭)

"This place really is massive," Gil commented mildly as he moved the flashlight around the walls. It was just the sound of their steps and their breathing. The halls of this old asylum were oppressively quiet.

"It's easily the largest space we've ever been in," Thena agreed as she too moved moved her light to examine their surroundings. "Its a good thing the others agreed to come with us to man the equipment."

Their friends were being good sports about it, whether or not they were present as true believers or because if half of their group was already in, they might as well all come.

"I hope they don't hate me for dragging them out here all Halloween night," he gulped as they turned a corner down - what a surprise - another pitch black hallway.

Thena scoffed at the idea, though, allowing him to walk even closer to her, all but clinging to her arm. "Please, all they would be doing is loitering at Phastos' anyway. He and Ben would be watching something, Makkari and Druig would be pretending not to make out in the corner and Ikaris would be trying - and failing - to hold Sersi's hand during the whole movie."

Gil snickered beside her. Thena's observations could seem cutting at times, but they were never all that inaccurate. And they could be pretty funny, in that way. "I'm sure he'd get there eventually."

"I have yet to see it," she drawled about their mutual friend, more frenemy when it came to her and Ikaris in particular. "Speaking of, when did they last check in?"

Gil pulled pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Ground floor, do you copy?"

"Ugh, Gil--aye, we're still 'ere. You don't have to go all air traffic control for it."

Well, if he was going to be such a stick in the mud. Gil huffed, "roger that, Party-Pooper."

"Oi!"

Thena took his hand and pulled the walkie closer to her. "Sersi, tell us if he holds onto you too tight and we'll switch floors."

"Watch it!"

The constant radio static of the channel clicked again and Sersi laughed. "He's really quite all right, you two. Anything up there?"

"Nothing, so far," Thena sighed before remembering to add, "over and out."

Gil smiled as he put the walkie back in his pocket. Thena probably thought it was silly too, but she would never actually say anything. It was one of the many ways in which she indulged him on these ghost hunts. "Hey."

She looked at him, wondering what had caught his attention. Once she saw him wiggling his hand at her, her smiled turned a little bit shy as she slipped her hand into his. "Do you think they'll know what to look for?"

"I told them about what all the equipment does, they should be able to tell if they get any activity," Gil murmured as they turned down a hall into a more residential looking area. "Whoa, this looks like an actual house."

"This must have been an area for those in a palliative sort of care, like a true hospice," she muttered, pressing closer to him. It was still old floors and concrete walls, but there were now rooms with more than nothing, some even still had an old metal bed frame in them. There was a dresser or two, even a mirror.

Gil winced as their flashlights both hit it head on. He lowered his, but he blinked and rubbed his eyes after the fact. "Can't believe something like that is still standing in a place like this in one piece."

Thena had no comment on it, apparently.

"Kinda freaky, right?" he sighed as he rubbed at his eyes again before shaking it off. "Thena?"

He looked around.

"Thena?" he called out with a little more urgency. He moved the flashlight around, plenty of the room doors were open, but he would have heard her. He would have felt her, wouldn't he? "Thena?!"

He rushed to check each of the rooms, forgetting how creepy everything was. His stomping feet were echoing all over the place, but that didn't matter. "Thena, where are you?!"

All that came back was his own voice bouncing around. He was starting to panic.

"Thena, please, answer me!" he panted, even moving the creaky, old doors to make sure she wasn't hiding somewhere. How could she have just vanished into this air?

He shouldn't have let go of her hand.

"Thena, please!" he shouted, retracing their steps, shining his flashlight down every hall he passed. He knew most of them led to dead ends. Where could she have gone? His hand pulled out the walkie-talkie again, fumbling with it a little. "G-Guys?!"

"Gil, what's wrong?"

"Th-Thena!" he gulped, knowing they needed more information than that. "She was right next to me and-and now-"

"Whoa, Gil, slow down. Nothing's happened to Thena, I'm sure she just went to look at something that caught her eye," Sersi attempted to diffuse his worry.

"Why the hell weren't you keeping an eye on her?" Ikaris snapped at him in sharp contrast.

"Oi," Druig chimed in on his set. "You all need to calm down, I just saw 'er."

"What?" Gil frowned. Druig and Makkari were on the second level, although most of it was sectioned off thanks to a fire from the last century. He rushed to the stairs, "you're sure?"

"Yeah, I saw her walk clear through that light grid you put up, actually," Druig narrated. He paused and then continued, "Kari saw'er goin' down the far stairwell."

"You mean the one to your left?" Gil asked, rushing down the main stairs so quickly he almost tripped at the very bottom. But he took off, full on sprinting.

"Yeah?"

Based on where they had set up, there was no way Thena could be on the stairwell to their left, because it led to absolutely nowhere, just a collapsed hallway downstairs and a boarded up room at the top. Whatever they had seen wasn't Thena.

"Keep your nightvision cam on, okay? And you two stay there--and stay close together!"

"Gil, man, you okay?" Ikaris asked a little more sympathetically, obviously hearing the urgency in his voice over the loud and static-y walkies. "Like Sersi said, I'm sure Thena's just fine."

"I'm on my way to you, just sit tight," Gil huffed. His chest felt tight, like it was on fire. He looked around, only now on the second floor. This place was such a massive hell hole, who knew what kind of malevolent spirits were in here. "Guys?!"

"Hold yer bloody horses, man, hell," Druig flashed his light at him from within the main hallway of the floor. As soon as Gil rounded the corner, though, Druig was already on his feet. Despite his words, his face was dead serious, "she really not with you?"

Gil gulped. Tears sprang to his eyes, although he knew this wasn't the time. He shook his head, trying to catch his breath. The light grid they had set up to pick up any kind of movement was still shining into the closed off areas ahead.

He jumped, but Makkari rubbed his back with a reassuring smile. Druig shone the light a little closer to them to illuminate her words. This place is like a maze, I'm sure she's looking for you too.

That was actually what worried him. He had screamed for her, at the very top of his lungs. And not only had he not heard anything back, but apparently none of their friends had heard him either, which seemed impossible.

And if he couldn't hear Thena, then how would he know if she needed his help?

"Where did you see her?" he asked, shining his own light closer to his face for Kari to read his lips.

She pointed. I swear I saw her walk through the grid. I thought she saw something in the window.

Thena would never walk through the light grid herself; it would compromise any evidence they got of a spectral figure. Still, Gil moved closer to it. He shone the flashlight into the corridor, through the propped open door. It was hard to tell with the light in the window reflection, but he was pretty sure it was just a boarded up, empty room through there.

Druig took the liberty of packing up the light grid and putting it back in his bag. "Take a look."

Gil slid closer to the darkened hallway. Despite never having been on one of these hunts before, all their friends were far less scared than he was. Maybe because they definitely didn't believe in ghosts. His heart hammered as he entered the suffocating dark of the hallway. He pressed his flashlight to the window of the door that was boarded closed. If something jumped up at him he might have a heart attack.

It was just a closed up room, full of evidence of fire damage. He angled the light around as best he could without giving himself nothing but reflection to look at. He jumped as some kind of movement caught his eye. He tried to follow it but it was gone as soon as he saw it. But he knew it moved towards the other door to the room.

And it looked blonde.

Druig and Makkari made room for him as he started running towards the main stairs again. "Come on!"

"If she's messin' with us she's makin' us go through a hell of a workout," Druig felt the need to chime in, following him down the stairs.

But Gil knew that wasn't the case. Maybe - maybe - she might mess with Ikaris a little, possibly Druig, all in good fun. But she would never make him worry about her like this, she just wouldn't. She would never scare him like this, not when it was always her calming him down on these hunts.

It really was like a labyrinth in this place. Gil leapt down the last two stairs and whipped open the doors to the main floor. "Did you see her?!"

Ikaris and Sersi both jumped off the bench of the entrance hallway. They looked at each other and then at him. They still had most of the equipment set up around them, and a floodlight pointed at the ceiling for a little more illumination of the area.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ikaris growled at him for storming in the way he did. "Didn't you see her on your level?"

Druig shrugged, "thought we did."

But Gil rushed past all of them, taking a right and pulling open the doors. This place was so massive, it was hard to keep track. But if the figure he had seen in the other room had been Thena, or worse, something else, it would have ended up in here. "Thena!"

Still, nothing but his own voice. It didn't echo like it did upstairs, though. He moved his flashlight around, seeing all the junk that was pushed into this empty but undamaged area of the building. He moved more slowly.

His heart was still hammering, but he made himself take each next step. He couldn't stop until Thena's hand was in his again. "Thena, are you in here?"

He could have sworn a voice whispered back to him. It would have been great potential evidence if he had any equipment or was recording anything. But for now, he took the potential whisper of 'she's mine' and scowled. "No, she's not."

Whatever whispered at him didn't have another reply to that.

Gil slid around a corner constructed of old office furniture, flashing his light in every nook and cranny. "She's my girlfriend! Whatever you are, find someone on your own plain of existence!"

Something rattled in a far corner. He really was going to have a heart attack in here. But he gulped, re-grasping his flashlight in his sweaty palm. No ghost was getting his precious Thena--not tonight.

He moved closer to the rattling. It was a doorknob turning. Okay, so he might die in here tonight. He hoped his friends would escape, at least. But if he did die, then maybe he could be with Thena. If she had died alone in here, he would never forgive himself.

There was a door, and the doorknob was turning.

Gil let out a breath and steeled his resolve again. He could do this. He would do this! He could do anything if it was for Thena. Thena, he repeated to himself as he reached for the doorknob, Thena, Thena, Thena.

As soon as he touched the doorknob, it was no longer locked, and flew open. Thena tumbled into the room, straight into his chest as he caught her. Both of their flashlights fell and rattled on the ground as they held onto each other.

"Gil!" Thena gasped into his shirt, burying her face in it as soon as she knew it was him. "I-I-I didn't--I-I thought-!"

"It's okay, it's okay," he gulped, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her. It was really Thena in his arms, small and warm, blonde hair under his chin. His tears came again, and he didn't force them away, "you're really here."

Thena held onto him just as tightly, clawing at the back of his shirt so she could hold fistfuls of it. "I-I turned around and you were gone--just gone! And I tried shouting for you but I couldn't hear anything around me but silence. And then I thought I saw this--th-this thing-!"

"It's okay, I'm here," he whispered. He couldn't process any of what she was saying right now. All he could think about was the comfort of having his Thena in his arms again.

Slowly, they released one another. Thena sniffled, laughing as she put her hands on his cheeks. "I'm supposed to be the one here for you."

He laughed as well, just as watery and tearful. He put his hands on her cheeks as well, "I can be here for you, just this once."

She leaned into him again as he kissed her.

"You two okay?!"

Thena pulled back and picked her flashlight up first. She shone it around the room, "where are we?"

Gil frowned as she handed him his flashlight as well. "We're on the ground floor, in that side room we checked out first thing tonight."

"The ground floor?" she repeated, looking completely baffled. "We were on the third floor. I-I felt something pull me and I thought it was you, then I was in this completely other room. I was trying to find my way back to you in the hall."

Nice try, ghost creep; Gil took her hand, weaving their fingers together. He could carry his flashlight in his mouth if he had to.

"Gil," Thena continued to frown as he guided them back towards the entrance, "I didn't go down any stairs. We can't possibly be downstairs again."

"It's okay, Thena," he reassured her blindly. It didn't matter. None of it mattered, now that his fear was lifting. He waved as a flashlight circled from where the door was. "I got her!"

Collective sighs of relief were had. Ikaris was the first to bark at them, "what the hell, Thena?! You nearly scared the big guy half to death--that's not funny!"

"Shush," Sersi soothed the beast beside her, as she always did. "We're just glad you're both okay."

Druig and Makkari gave them both more curious looks, "where the hell were did you go?"

"I-" Thena looked at each of them, seeming completely stunned. "I don't know."

"Doesn't matter," Gil spoke up, more sure of this now than he had been about anything all night. "We're getting out of here--now."

He pushed through them, pulling Thena to the door to the outside, hand in hand. He could hear their friends packing up all the equipment behind them.

"Yappin' orders at us now, is he?" he could hear Ikaris gripe behind them.

"Stop it, they've been through enough." How did Sersi put up with him?

Finally outside, Gil took a deep breath. He put his hands on Thena's cheek again, urging her to do the same. She did, but she looked up at him. "Really Gil, I thought I was making my way back to you. I didn't even see any stairs, there's no way I could have-"

"We'll figure it out later," he resolved. They could do that in a safe place, where there was overhead lighting, and a warm mug of her favourite tea. Maybe he'd even have a blanket around her shoulders and massage her feet. "All that matters is you're safe."

Thena's face shifted to something like guilt. She looked down at their joined hands. "I thought I saw you."

"What?"

"What lured me away," she admitted quietly, and maybe with the first bit of true fear he had heard her voice all night. "I thought I saw you in one of those other rooms. That was what made me follow...whatever it was in there."

It had lured him the same way. But, again, that could wait until they were in a brightly lit space with firmly locked doors.

Gil kissed her forehead and pulled her into his arms. "I found you again, so it doesn't really matter."

"Hm," she sighed, nuzzling her face into his chest again. "I knew I'd find you, I guess you finding me is okay, too."

Ah, his invincible Thena. She was the truly unshaken of the two of them. But he had to admit, he was assured by tonight that he had what it took to square up if he really needed to. If it was for the woman he loved, at least.

[aishangotome]

Gilbert von Obsidian: Even If You Were To Hate Me

From A Hidden Oath: King of the BEAST (2024 Election) - Collection Event

Thank you @dark-frosted-heart for providing the SE video!

—

On a quiet night, even the candle flames hesitated to flicker.

Upon returning to my room, Emma's face bloomed into a smile.

Emma: Gil...!

Gilbert: Heh, you look very happy. Did you miss me?

Emma: Yes, I always long for you–

Suddenly, Emma's face clouded over.

(Did she notice? I thought I had washed it all away.)

Gilbert: Little rabbit, what's wrong?

Emma: No... I always long for you, Gil.

She tried to hide her emotions with a smile as she prepared tea, but her trembling fingertips betrayed her.

(You're good at noticing things, but bad at hiding them, aren't you, little rabbit?)

(You were just told something like that, so you might catch a cold from the temperature difference.)

(... If I said that, Emma would worry even more.)

As Emma suspected, I had just executed a man.

The man seemed to have harbored a considerable grudge, glaring at me until the very end and declaring, "Don't think this is over. I'll tear you to pieces in hell."

(I've been hated many times before, but it's been a while since I've felt such sharp hatred.)

(He must have lived only to hate and kill me.)

(In that sense, he's the complete opposite of Emma.)

Emma: Gil? Is something wrong?

Gilbert: It's nothing. Could you wait a moment?

-

After changing out of my blood-soaked clothes and taking a seat, Emma gently offered me a cup of tea.

Her expression was still worried, but it seemed to have softened somewhat compared to before.

Gilbert: ...Little rabbit, you love me, don't you?

Emma: Of course.

Gilbert: How much?

Emma: I can't put it into words, but my love is enormous.

Emma: Much more than you can imagine, Gil.

Gilbert: Then what would happen if that love were to turn upside down?

Emma: Turn upside down?

Gilbert: Yes. If your incredibly large love were to completely reverse itself.

Gilbert: In other words, if you came to hate me... what would happen to you, little rabbit?

I grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her closer.

Emma's face drew near as well, and I could clearly see her eyes filled with confusion.

Gilbert: Imagine it. What if I were to take away everyone around you, Emma?

Emma: You are a jealous demon, but... you respect me.

Gilbert: What if I destroyed everything you hold dear?

Emma: I would be angry, but you wouldn't do such a thing without reason.

(She's tough.)

I pulled her hand closer and placed it on my heart.

Gilbert: Then... what if I killed someone you loved?

Emma: ...!

Emma's hand on his chest trembled for a moment.

Emma: I will never forgive you. That much... I will never forgive you, no matter what.

Her gaze pierced me with clear anger.

(What a scary face. But, the depths of your eyes still hold love, don't they?)

(I'm used to being hated and it doesn't bother me anymore.)

(But it's strange how much better it feels when it's just love.)

(No... it's not the difference between hate and love, it's probably because of your feelings.)

Gilbert: ... Heh, I made you angry.

I let go of her wrist.

Gilbert: As an apology, you can do whatever you want with me.

I spread my arms out as if offering my body, and Emma, blushing, snuggled up to me.

Emma: Then...

She gave me a quick kiss on the lips and pulled away.

Gilbert: That's all? You can be greedier, since it's a rare opportunity.

Emma: If you say that, I'll want to do something I shouldn't.

Gilbert: Go ahead.

This time, Emma pulled my hand towards her and lightly bit my finger.

Lightly, but with more force than usual.

(Huh...?)

(I thought she was angry because I said, 'What if I killed someone you loved.')

(Could it be that there's also this reason?)

Gilbert: Little rabbit, are you jealous?

Emma: Why do you think that?

Gilbert: Because you have the same look in your eyes as I do.

Emma looked down, as if accepting the truth.

Emma: If love and hate are two sides of the same coin, then the people who hate Gil must also have strong feelings.

Emma: I love Gil more than anyone else in the world.

Emma: My love is much, much bigger than all the hate directed at you.

Emma: So please, look only at me.

Gilbert: ...

Gilbert: Ahaha. More than all the hate, huh? That's really big. It might be bigger than a continent.

(If such a great love were to reverse, it would surely be a terrible thing.)

(Even if you were to hate me, I swear I would continue to love you.)

(So keep directing those feelings at me, so much that I might drown in them.)

Gilbert: My turn.

Emma: Nn...

I bit her neck, and a sound mixed with pain and sweetness escaped Emma's lips.

Emma: You said I could be greedy, right?

Gilbert: Yes.

Emma: Can I... bite you too?

Gilbert: Hehe, yes. For every mark you leave on me, I'll leave one on you too. As proof that you're mine forever.

And so, while carefully carving our love into each other, we drowned together in the deep darkness of the night, enveloped by each other's warmth.

FIN

[dxncingwithastrxnger]

1. uh oh, i'm falling in love

A/N: Hello!!! I said I was gonna write and post this story ages ago and I am so sorry for how long this took!! But now I've finally posted it!!! And chapter 2 is almost finished so look out for that one!! I super hope you enjoy this series and that it was worth the wait!!!!

Pairing(s): Lancelot x GN!Tristan's Twin!Reader (No pronouns specified and I never specify whether they're identical or not, that's completely up to you!)

Summary: The King of Liones throws a party and among all the socializing, Lancelot and (Y/N) decide to spend their time breaking a few rules.

Tags: Alcohol Consumption, Underage Drinking, Meliodas, Fluff, Drunkenness (Is that a word??)

Word Count: 3,088

Song Inspiration: Labyrinth By Taylor Swift

Not beta'd, all mistakes are my own.

~*~

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[Read on AO3]

~*~

You lean back against the cold stone wall behind you, sighing softly. You can feel the chill of it on your back through the thin fabric of your tunic, but you don't really care much. You’re a bit overheated from the partially crowded dining hall you had been in just a few minutes earlier and you really prefer it much more out here than back in there at the moment.

Nearly everyone you know is there. All four apocalypse knights as well as all their friends, Hendy and Dreyfus, mom and dad, Aunt Margaret and Uncle Gil. It’s a celebration of sorts. It’s someone’s birthday, one of the knights that isn’t Tris or Lance, though you’re not sure which one. Not that your father really needs much of a reason to throw a party anyways, but it is a nice sentiment at least.

It's not that you don't enjoy having fun with everyone, you do, but despite knowing every single person in that room, most of them aren't really your friends. Not including family, there’s only one person in there that you’re close to and by the time everyone had finished eating and scattered into different groups and conversations, you were the only person left by yourself, floundering to figure out what to do next. And so, you came outside to get some air.

"What are you doing now?" A voice says from beside you, the person sounding exasperated.

You turn to the right and crane your neck up towards the doorway leading from the dining hall to the balcony, your (Y/E/C) eyes locking with bright red ones. Your face flushes and you look away, bringing a hand up to rub at the back of your neck sheepishly.

"...sitting outside?" You ask uncertainly.

Lancelot sighs before he's sitting down next to you, so close that his shoulder is touching yours. You suppress a shiver at the warmth he radiates and loosen your hold on your knees, letting your legs stretch out in front of you. You mimic his sitting position, letting your leg touch his as well, and try your best not to think of your reason for doing so.

"(Y/N), you can be friends with them, too. Friendship isn't exclusive, you know." He points out for probably the millionth time in your guys' friendship.

"I know that, Lan, but you've never managed to succeed much in making friends in the past besides me and Tris, especially not an entire group of them, and I really don't wanna get in the way of that. You deserve to just have a group of friends without any interruptions." You tell him with confidence, even though you know it doesn't make much sense in the long run.

"And that wouldn't change just because you are a part of that group. You're my friend, too, my best friend, whether you're friends with the rest of them or not." He tells you, and you can feel his eyes on you, but you force yourself to keep looking away from him for just a little longer.

"Well, still. The five of you guys have a very unique bond and I'm not gonna take the chance of getting in the way of that." You say matter-of-factly.

Your best friend snorts. "Is that the same excuse you use with your brother? Cause I know you have this same argument with him just as much as you do with me."

You groan, throwing your head back and letting it hit the wall, causing a dull ache that you ignore. "Can we not talk about this right now, please?" You finally look at him, your eyes pleading for him to switch topics.

His expression softens as he looks at you and he nods. "Fine. Instead, let's drink." He gets a little grin on his face that's similar to an expression you'd seen on his father's face plenty of times, but at the same time, it's somehow still just all Lancelot. He holds up a dark green bottle and two chalices which had been on the other side of him, out of your line of sight.

You were glad for the conversation change and it was your turn to snort. "What did you sneak away this time?" You ask him knowingly.

He sits up a little straighter rather than slouching against the wall and places the chalices between his legs in front of him. "I have absolutely no idea but I snatched it from one of the castle guards. Heard him bragging about how good it was to one of his buddies, so you know, I thought you and I could test it out just to be sure he wasn't lying." He smirks as he opens up the bottle and starts pouring some for each of you.

You feel a slight flutter in your chest at the thought of him specifically wanting to share it with you and you stay quiet as you inspect the liquid in the chalice he hands you. The alcohol is a light pink color, almost translucent, and the first thing you can think of to compare it to, as random as it is, is Isolde's hair. Maybe a little darker, though. It's pretty. And not at all like any alcohol you'd ever seen or heard of before.

"You sure this is safe to drink?" You ask him sceptically as you turn your face towards him, though your eyes stay on your drink. "This isn't gonna turn out to actually be poison or anything, right?"

​​​​​​You bite your lip as you hear him let out that arrogant chuckle of his under his breath. "No, it's not poison, (Y/N). Now, c'mon, are we drinking or what?" He holds his chalice out and looks at you expectantly.

You shake your worry away and look at him with a small grin, tapping your chalice against his with a soft clink before you both take your first sip. Your eyes widen as the taste hits your tongue. It's sweet, with a slightly bitter undertone, and a deep burn as it slips down your throat that isn't unpleasant and definitely wouldn't be expected based on how sweet it is.

"Damn." Lancelot mutters appreciatively against the lip of his cup.

"Agreed." You mumble before taking a deeper gulp and enjoying it, closing your eyes and humming.

You pull your chalice away from your lips, intent on savoring what's left in it since it's your first time trying it, but Lancelot is gradually relaxing more against your side and the feel of his body still touching yours feels so much nicer than it should and you guys have an entire bottle to yourself and suddenly savoring your drink is the last thing on your mind as you shrug your shoulders and chug the rest of it down, sighing softly at the sweetness of it.

You relish in the taste for a few moments longer before grabbing the bottle from its spot in between Lance’s legs and refilling your chalice, though you misjudge and almost spill some of it over the rim of the cup. You giggle softly at yourself. You're quickly starting to realize that whatever this stuff is, it works fast, but you don't really mind.

"Hey, don't spill any of that, I only got one bottle this time and I don't wanna waste any of it." The boy beside you says sternly and at his words, you put every ounce of your focus into not spilling a single drop of alcohol until your chalice is filled and you hold the bottle out in his general direction.

He takes it from you and you take a long drink, sighing softly in content and slouching back against the wall, allowing your head to tip to the side and land on Lancelot's shoulder. He stiffens slightly beside you even as he leans his head against yours and you wonder if it’s the alcohol. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you have a fleeting thought that it’s strange for you to be so physically close with him, but it was gone as quick as it had come.

It seems that Lancelot's mind, however, lingers on it a little longer. "What are you doing?" He asks you softly, his voice almost a whisper and his words slightly slurring already.

"I'm relaxing." You state like it's obvious, noticing the same slur in your own voice. You take another drink as your eyes close before continuing. "Your shoulder is a really comfy pillow. And you're so warm." You find yourself leaning further into him as the cold wind blows against your mostly uncovered arms.

"(Y/N/N), people could walk right over here and see us like this." He says in that same soft tone, some emotion in his voice that you can't quite place in your current state of mind.

"So what?" You slur, finishing off your second drink. "'S not like we're doin' 'nything. Don' worry 'bout it, Lancey." The nickname you hadn't called him since you were nine slipped out without you asking it to, but thankfully, he doesn't acknowledge it.

You hear him sigh and you open your eyes to see him refilling his own drink and then yours, the bottle now empty. As you bring the chalice to your lips once more, you hear him speak so quietly that you're certain his words are only meant for his own ears, not yours.

"What am I going to do with you, huh?" The question is asked with a voice full of affection and you can't help but smile.

"Ya know, gettin' back to our rooms is gonna be a pain in the ass." You point out. "Next time, you gotta try an' find out how strong the stuff is before we drink it."

"Ah, shit." He curses and you snicker.

"Mmmm, maybe we can jus' sleep righ' here." You suggest, seriously considering it.

He lifts his head off of yours and you can't help but pout slightly as he starts shifting beside you. "We can't jus' sleep here, (Y/N/N). We gotta try and get to our actual beds." He reasons.

You groan as you sit up. "Ugh, why do you gotta be right?" You mumble.

He laughs softly as he sits up, leaning over your legs to nestle the empty bottle and now once again empty chalices into the corner of the balcony beside you. Seeing the action suddenly makes you wonder how he had even snuck any of it onto the balcony in the first place, but you're quickly distracted as Lancelot stands up.

He wobbles slightly as he does, reaching a hand out to steady himself with the wall, then he reaches a hand down to you. You grab it and allow him to help you stand, both of you taking a moment to gather your bearings and get used to standing. The world around you is wobbly and keeps going out of focus, but you have no choice but to force your vision to stay as clear as possible, as you will now have to walk quite a bit before you can get off of your feet again.

Simultaneously, you both step through the doorway and into the dining hall slowly and you squint at the brighter lighting, blinking quickly. "Here goes nothin'." Lancelot says quietly, and you both start making your way across the room as fast as your alcohol-infused brains will allow without either of you falling flat on your face. You manage to avoid catching the attention of anyone else in the room until about halfway to the doors leading to the hallway.

"Everything okay, (Y/N)?" Your dad calls from behind you and you freeze. Neither of you dare turn around, knowing that if you do, he'll immediately know what you and the blonde next to you have been doing. From your slow, uncertain steps to the bright flush that you just know is covering your face, your drunkenness would be completely obvious, and you know Lancelot is in a similar state.

You try to force your voice into some semblance of normal, trying to keep from slurring. "Yeah, F-Father, 'im fine." You tell him. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Lancelot nod his head in agreement with your statement.

Your dad gives a small hum as you blink and suddenly he's right beside you. Your eyes widen and you hear Lancelot choke before trying to cover it up with a cough. Your dad's expression is the same as always, just a casual, neutral expression that gives away none of his actual thoughts. However, in one of his hands is a bottle, and in his other is two empty chalices. None of the items ever had any special markings. Those could be any two chalices. That could be any old bottle of alcohol. But knowing your father, you know for a fact that they're the exact items that you and Lance had just left behind on the balcony.

You internally curse as you give your father an uncertain and sheepish grin. Your dad doesn't say anything else or react at all at first, but then he adjusts his hold on the chalices so that he can hold the bottle with the same hand as well, leaving one of his hands free. He suddenly gives his signature grin and his hand pats your back. It would've been a perfectly normal gesture except his hand comes down a little more forcefully than normal, causing you to stumble forward and almost fall on your face.

"Well, that's good! Go rest up, 'kay? We got a big day tomorrow!" He starts walking away but stops to do the same back patting move on Lancelot before he's moved across the room to do something else.

You and Lancelot turn to look at each other with wide eyes before you both turn forward and move as quickly as you can to get out of the room and into the hallway. Once the doors to the dining hall close behind you, you loop your arm with his without much thought to it, but you end up needing the support anyways as the two of you stumble through the halls.

Once you make it to your door, Lancelot starts to pull his arm away from yours, but you're quick to latch onto it again. "You gotta help me get to my bed." You whine softly, not caring much how you sound at this point.

He chuckles softly and the sound fills you up with a slight giddiness. "'Kay, fine." He says, pushing your doors open.

You both stumble into the room as the closing of the doors leave you in the very dim lighting of your bed chambers. You walk further into the room before your foot hits the corner of the long rug across the floor and you trip, falling forward. You yelp as you hit the ground and you hear a curse from beside you. You realize that you were still holding onto Lancelot's arm and had ended up dragging him down with you.

"'M sorry." You mumble quietly.

"'S fine." He reassures me.

You realize that you should probably get up now, but you're starting to get sleepy and your carpet is soft and you feel yourself sagging more into it. You look beside you to see Lancelot flipping over onto his back.

"Floor's comfy." He says softly.

You hum your agreement and after a moment of hesitation, you roll over and snuggle right up to him, your head going onto his shoulder and your arm throwing itself loosely over his chest and waist.

He gasps softly, freezing up, and you think for a moment that maybe you shouldn't have just done that. You're not really sure why you did it in the first place. Ever since laying your head on his shoulder earlier on, you had wondered what it would be like to snuggle all the way into his side, what it would be like to maybe even have his arms completely wrapped around you. You refuse to admit it right in this moment, but you’ve been wondering these types of things for awhile now, despite knowing you probably shouldn't. He’s your childhood best friend, you should see him as a brother, not as a potential romantic connection. But deep down you know that these feelings for him are inevitable considering you’ve had them for years. And so, when you saw him just laying there, you couldn't help yourself. It was like an instinct.

But now you’re wondering if he's been uncomfortable with you being all over him as you recall the way he stiffened earlier and the way he questioned your actions. You push away from him, opening your mouth and getting ready to apologize, when he suddenly beats you to it.

"No, wait-" His voice is suddenly filled with a strange sense of panic as his arm quickly curls around you and pulls you back against him, your head coming to rest on his chest this time, though neither of you voice any complaints. Your arm goes back around his torso as his stays curled around your waist. "Stay, please." He says in a tone of voice that even you very rarely hear from him. It’s pleading, vulnerable. Almost afraid, in a way. Of what, you aren't quite sure. But you aren't going to question him about it, not sure you'd even get an answer if you did.

"Okay." You try your best to pronounce the whole word, feeling it important to do so. "'M here." You say, trying your best to reassure whatever fears are currently nestled into that strange brain of his.

He suddenly turns onto his side and wraps his other arm around you as well, pulling you closer, your face in his chest and his face in your hair. The motion was quick, like he was in a hurry to do it. You relax completely, practically melting into him and the floor under you. You're completely surrounded by him and suddenly you want nothing more than to stay here for the rest of your life.

You nuzzle your face against his shirt as your eyelids start to droop. It's been a long day and the alcohol coursing through your system hasn't added to your energy at all. The last thing you hear before you fall asleep is Lancelot mumbling something that sounds like, "Smells nice." As he burrows his face further into your hair.

~*~

A/N: What do y'all think?? Please let me know!! I should have chapter 2 finished soon, there's going to be both a male!reader version of it and a female!reader version of it. Pronouns still aren't specified, but there's a certain part of the chapter that differs greatly depending on gender, tbh, so if you'd like to be tagged for the next chapter, let me know which version you'd like to be tagged for!! You can also ask to be tagged for both versions if you'd like to be!!! Thank you for reading!!!

~*~

Taglist:

@kalopsiakey

Let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist!!!

[queen-dahlia]

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲?

Note: Translation is not 100% accurate. Expect grammatical errors.

// : alternate translation | ⫘⫘ : flashback

I want to apologize for one thing to the rabbit who became a child.   //   There is one thing I would like to apologize to the little rabbit who has become a child.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Gilbert: "What are you doing here?"

Tough Guy: "Ah, I’m sure this has nothing to do with you, but stay back, you idiot!"

Gilbert: "What? It's creepy to stare at me."

Gilbert: "Can I crush your eyes?"

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

I thought I was being careful at the time, but I let out murderous intent.

The feeling of the baby rabbit trembling in my arms is still fresh in my mind.

Gilbert: "Emma, please."

Emma: "Wow, sparkles!"

Emma's little hands hold the suncatcher she just bought.

It was made from a collection of colorful gemstones, which scattered light around it through the sunlight.

Emma: "Are you sure?"

Gilbert: "Of course. I'm happy if the little rabbit is happy too.''

Emma: "Thank you. I will make it my treasure!"

Emma was so pleased with the "sparkles" that she wouldn't take her eyes off them.

It's not an uncommon commodity at ore festivals, but for Emma, it doesn't seem to matter.   //   It's not an uncommon item at an ore festival, but that doesn't seem to matter to Emma.

(You don't seem to be forcing yourself to be happy.)

(I hope that the scary memory from earlier will fade away soon...)

Gilbert: "Emma, there's a delicious sweet shop over there."

Emma: "Sweets!"

Gilbert: "Do you want some?"

Emma: "I want to eat!"

Gilbert: "Let's go, then."

I hold Emma's hand, still distracted by the suncatcher, and start walking away.

As I was about to head to the candy shop I wanted to visit, I felt a small resistance.

I stopped my steps and followed the gaze of those round eyes.

Before I knew it, she was staring at a small park in a corner of the city.

In a park that has only recently been developed using national funds,

Children about the same age as Emma are now playing happily.

(Is she… tempted to get in there?)

If it is an adult Emma, I would not let her get involved with people as much as possible because of jealousy, but I have no intention of tying her up as a child.

Perhaps it was because I had very different feelings about (little) Emma than I did about the adult Emma, but I was willing to be forgiving now.

Gilbert: "Go ahead."

Emma huffs as I let go of her hand.   //   When I let go of her hand, Emma gasped.

Emma: "What about Gil?"

Gilbert: "I'll wait here for you."

Emma: "Are you just waiting?"

Gilbert: "Then I'll watch the little rabbit play all day long."

Gilbert: "If you look like you’re having fun, I’m having fun too."

Emma: "…"

Emma's gaze keeps going back and forth between me and the park.

After making a pretense of hesitation, a small hand grasped my cold fingers.

Emma: "I knew it."   //   "As I thought."

Gilbert: "Why?"

Emma: "Because I wanted to be with Gil."

Gilbert: "It's written all over your face that you want to play with those kids."

Emma: "That's not true!"

Gilbert: "I know a liar when I see one."

Emma: "Then I'll play with Gil!"

Emma puffs out her cheeks and starts walking, pulling me by the hand.

The destination seemed to be in the park, and when I stopped in front of a swing, she asked me to sit down with her gaze.

Gilbert: "Maybe you'd have more fun playing with the other kids than me?"

Emma: "It's much more fun with Gil!"

(Did you care about me?)

(No, no matter how Emma is, she's still a child, so I can't believe that.)

When I give up and sit on the swing, Emma jumps onto my lap.

(... I can't help it.)

When I swung Emma slowly so she wouldn't fall, her innocent face blossomed. **

Emma: "Gil, more, more!"

Gilbert: "Emma has courage, doesn’t she?"

I kick the ground, thinking about my physical strength and trying to live up to expectations because I have been hoped for.   //   Since I was expected to, I tried to live up to her expectations and kicked the ground while thinking about my physical strength.

Although Emma was innocently enjoying herself, there was something smoldering in her chest.

══════════════════

Emma: "Sparkle... sparkle..."

Back at the Imperial Castle, Emma never gets tired of looking at the suncatchers.

I could even hear what sounded like singing and could tell what kind of mood she was in.

Gilbert: "Do you like it that much?"

When I sat down a little further away and asked, Emma turned around quickly.

Emma: "Yeah! It's so beautiful."

Emma: "And you know what, those sparkles... they're just like Gil's eyes!"

A small finger indicated a red gemstone that stood out among the suncatchers made of multiple gems.

(Speaking of...)

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: "But you know what sparkles the most?"

Gilbert: "Oh, isn't that a gem?"

Emma: "Nope!"

Emma: "Gil's red eye is the most sparkling and beautiful."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

I chuckle at the memory.

Gilbert: "I wonder if my eye sparkles that much."

Emma: "Yeah, it sparkles. But you know..."

Emma: "Sometimes the sparkle just disappears."

Gilbert: "Disappear?"

Emma nods, releases her hand from the suncatcher, and runs over on her little feet.

And then she tugged at my clothes and tilted my face as if listening to a secret conversation.

Emma: "You know, you know."

Emma: "When Gil isn't sparkling, he looks lonely."

little Emma is talking about Gil's eye here.

Gilbert: "…"

(... It's my first time hearing that.)

(Yeah, but... maybe it's the difference between keeping your eyes down or not.)

Adults and children alike always look up when Emma is around.

I can't take my eyes off Emma, and when the sunlight hits her, her eyes may seem to sparkle.

(But I don't really pay much attention to the others.)

Of course, it's not like I haven't seen it at all, but I'm not interested.

I've never been conscious of it, but I seem to spend more time with my eyes downcast.

(Emma, as a child, is really watching closely.)

As I admire her, Emma raises her hands up.

When I picked her up, she looked like she was in a "hold me" pose, but when I picked her up, her little hands grabbed the fluff (of the cape) firmly—

Emma: "See, it's still sparkling."

Emma: "Sparkling like jewels!"

Her innocent eyes peered into my face, and my cheeks unconsciously relaxed.

Gilbert: "... I see."

Gilbert: "Maybe the reason you didn't go to the other kids at the park is because I'm not sparkling anymore?"

Emma: "Yes. When Gil isn't sparkling, things get a little tight here.''

Emma indicated the chest by saying, 'here.'

(I didn't mean to restrict you, though.)

It is no different for child Emma and adult Emma to react to loneliness that has come out unconsciously.

Gilbert: "I'm sorry."

Emma: "…?"

Gilbert: "Hehe, it’s okay if you don’t understand."

Gilbert: "In return, gentle one, I'll tell you big brother's secret."   //   "In exchange, I will tell you big brother's secret, who is kind to you."

Emma's eyes light up in response to the word "secret."

(I think you're more sparkly than I am.)

Gilbert: "When big brother is sparkling, that's when he thinks, "I love you, little rabbit.""

Emma: "!"

Gilbert: "But don't tell anyone, because it's embarrassing."

Emma: "All right!"

Emma clings happily with a big smile on her face.

(You probably knew intuitively that I was a scary person in the back alley...)

(You still feel attached to me.)

Gilbert: "You're so cute… Please love me forever."   //   "You're so cute… You'll always love me."

Emma: "Yes! Gil, you'll always, always love me, too."

Gilbert: "Hmm, of course."

(I know my "likes" are not always good for you, but...)

That is not something I should say to the little baby rabbit.

Gilbert: "Don't forget your promise to big brother, okay?"

[dlatl98]

The ending is always awkward.

"Maedhros. I will be king." "Yes." "I will choose men."

Maedhros looked at his adopted son, who usually called him father. He fiercely refused to be called father, but unlike Elrond, who had considered Maedhros's suffering, Elros stubbornly insisted on being father, and surprisingly, he had Maedhros give up, and finally allowed Elrond to call Maedhros as he wished. So he called him Maedhros instead of father… "You speak as if they were the same." "They are the same."

Elros looked at him, frighteningly. Unlike Elrond, he loved his adoptive fathers, but did not pity them. But he understood them terribly. “I will do things I cannot bear and I will not look back. I will be terribly determined and terrible. I will burn the world with all my might and act as if there is no tomorrow, making plans for a thousand years that I will not see. I will make plans that will collapse. I will do things I dare not do. I will live with all my might and pay the price with my death.”

“As expected of you,” Maedhros smiled bitterly. “Noldor.”

“A men. And the elf who dared choose mortality was a Sinda.” Elros was silent, and then continued. “But you should never have gone there in the first place.”

"We had to go. I've changed my mind a bit now. The world is made up of several layers, so sometimes wrong things lead to right things, and sometimes doing things that you were told not to do leads to things that should have been done. In this labyrinthine world, who can easily gauge right and wrong, limits, and boundaries? In a world where good leads to evil, and evil decides to the end. But it seems like you chose to be men, which is the right thing for you."

"I don't care about what's right for me. I just make my own choices."

Elros said and handed him the sword. Maedros shook his head. "Fine. It doesn't have to be a good sword. This is the end. If durability isn't important, the difference between a good sword and a defective one isn't that big."

"Yes. But that's because you're Maedhros of the left hand."

Elros accepted the sword and put it back on his waist. Even so, he hesitated for a moment, which was unusual for him. Maedhros asked. "But I'm curious. Even if you were Gil-galad side, there probably weren't many men around you. Since there weren't any men around you, I thought you'd think about it and decide when you were older."

Maedhros was a little surprised. Elros looked at him as if he found it absurd and laughed in vain, and his expression gradually became desolate as he looked at him. He whispered. "I've thought about it a lot. Really a lot. I wish you were a men. You could have just kept your oath and lived, and thought, let's hold out until we die anyway. You wouldn't have had to endure all this. You could have said that life and death are one to me, so there's nothing to fear. You could have swung your sword and laughed that even the Void couldn't catch me. You could have burned me completely without looking back.

And at some point, I knew it. I, too, will eventually commit it. So I have to pay up front."

"men probably think about the future too." "The price was paid up front, so it's not as much as the elves. It's light because there's nothing to carry forever."

It was funny to see him already talking like a men, when he wasn't yet. Well, his mind was set, so it was only a matter of time. And that time depended on when he told Elrond. Maedhros opened his mouth slightly, considering apologizing but deciding not to. It wasn't Elros's taste. Elros awkwardly squeezed and released his hand. Now that it was over, he didn't really need anything, and since he didn't need anything, he had nothing to give. There was nothing to say. Maedhros waved his hand.

"Well then, I'll go now."

"Good Bye. see…."

Elros awkwardly closed his mouth. Maedhros shook his head to keep himself from laughing and left the tent gate.

[jai-lovely]

Withered Evelynn

____________________________________________

Warnings: Mentions of cigarette/ smoke, explosives, Merle, please tell me if I missed any

Father figure Daryl dixon x oc

—————————————————————————————————————

As she taps her fingers nervously against her thighs, Evelynn watches her brother rub his chin in frustration. "Gil?" her voice comes out quieter than she expected, but none of the less he turned his head to look at her.

"Hm?" He only looks at her for a second before quickly looking away back to the road, which is full of cars, of everyone that that's trying to leave the hectic city "what bout mama? Do ya think she got out?" Looking over to him only to see his face immediately fall, turning to a bitter look.

Gillian clenches the steering wheel before opening his mouth to speak only to cut himself off, "how bout you go play with those kids up there for a bit yeah? Let me think for a bit" he says his voice filled with stress. Evelynn looks at her older brother, before looking out the window to see the kids he was talking about.

With a sigh she opens the truck door and hops out making sure to grab her backpack. Closing the truck door she looks at her brother one more time, seeing him nod, and shrugging her backpack on before turning and walking over to the kids, with her bright Pink backpack shining from all the headlights.

There was two kids playing chess in the back of a vehicle, one was a girl, she looked a bit older than Evelynn, but that didn't matter to the younger girl, as long as she was nice. The older looking girl had short blonde hair to her ears, and was holding a fabric doll in her lap, she seemed to be a little nervous, can't blame her though. Across from her was a boy, he seemed to be the same age as Evelynn, just shorter. He had brown hair that was kinda overgrown onto his ears, and a bunch of freckles, he doesn't seem nervous though, more bored, can't blame him for that either.

Before Evelynn could realize she was staring, a woman with a buzz cut saw her and smiled, waving her over. The younger girls face flushed a light pink, realizing she had been caught , but put her head down a bit as she walked over.

The lady with a buzz cut was nice, Evelynn learned that her name was Carol, and the girl with the short blonde hair was her daughter, Sophia. While the younger boys name was Carl, and his mama is well, never asked about that so don't really know.

Carl was really talkative, known him for like five minutes and he already knows both of her favourite colours and her birthday. Sophia was quiet, it's nice actually, she just holds her doll in her arms, "do you like frogs?" The boy named Carl asked her, Evelynn screwed up her face a bit, 'what an odd question' she thought, "uhm, I guess but their real slimy, I don't like to touch'em" he frowns a bit at that but nods before letting out a quiet 'cool'.

Evelynn opens her mouth to ask if he likes frogs, but her voice suddenly gets cut off by really loud noises over head. Looking up to the sky Evelynn sees a bunch of planes flying just above the tress, heading towards the city. ' The city, ain't that where all the sick people are?' She asks herself, loud bangs bring her out of her thoughts. Evelynns eyes widen as the ground shakes a bit from the explosions "their bombing the city" a women with long brown hair says, as she jogs to where we are, a buff guy following right behind her.

The woman walks over to Carl bringing him into her arms, guessing that's his mama. The brown haired woman looks over to me, her eyes squinting in confusion.

Carol notices her expression "this is Evelynn" she gestures her hand to the young girl, "Evelynn this is Lori, Carls mom" with a quick nod towards the young girl, Lori turns to look at the man behind her, only for him to walk off, strange.

Evelynn feels someone's hand on her shoulder, and quickly whips her head around to see who was touching her. It turned out to be Gillian, his hand on her shoulder loosened a bit but still a firm grip.

"Yall the group that's going up to the quarry?" Gillian suddenly speaks, loud enough from just the group of people to hear. Lori looks at him, her brows furrowing, "how do ya know about that" she says sitting beside her son. Gillian looks back at his truck before looking at Lori, "your buddy, Shane? I think that's his name, but I guess he saw I was with Eve, and invited us" he shrugs.

Lori nods "there's a few others that are gonna be going, just follow the Rv, we're gonna be leaving in a minute". Gillian nods "Roger that", and before Evelynn could process what was happening, her and Gillian were walking back to the truck. On their way back, they pass another truck, with two guys with matching vests, 'kinda reminds me of friendship bracelets' she thought. Evelyn began to cough a little while walking past them, all cigarette smoke clouding around them. While she covers her nose with the collar of her shirt, she sees the older looking man chuckle, before putting the cancer stick back in between his lips.

The truck doors slam, as the pair gets into the vehicle. Evelynn takes off her backpack putting it on the floor of the truck, and before the young girl realized the truck was started, and the duo were trailing behind the big crème color Rv.

————————————————————————

Tell me if u would like to be added to a tag list!

AHHHHH first chapter!!! I hope you guys liked it, I've been procrastinating making a twd story lol

Feel free to give me feedback in the comments

Thank you for reading Withered Evelynn

[summercreolefanfictioner]

“i envy anyone who has the privilege of being loved by you.” for devyn and gil 😔💕

I believe this will be the perfect ending

contentment of dissatisfaction || gilbert x devyn (feat. karlheinz)

It was a surprise for Gilbert to discover his profound feelings towards Devyn, his precious friend, the right hand of the king. And it was a forbidden feeling too. He never dared tell anyone about it because he knew what they were going to say.

"You should never touch a king's possession lest you wanna be cursed."

But there was a time when Gilbert couldn't hold it in because Devyn was so pretty, laughing wholeheartedly at something like there wasn't any responsibility on her shoulders or paperwork she had to tend to. She was just her own woman, owning the moment and enjoying life in a few seconds.

And because of that admiration, he couldn't help but tell her, "I envy anyone who has the privilege to be loved by you."

Everything went south as she gave him a confused look, but there was something in her eyes that indicated she knew what he meant but simply wanted a confirmation.

"I have romantic feelings for you, Devyn Kang."

And that was it. He left her full of questions and anxiety, thoughts in her head as to how it all happened and how Gilbert endured it all this time. But because of his pride, he messed with her memories, traveling in the dream world to erase her memory of him confessing so she wouldn't know.

That was then because, above all things, there was Karlheinz, and Karlheinz wanted Devyn all to himself. So he didn't make a move. He enjoyed the undying feeling of hurting himself in this unrequited feeling until he couldn't any longer, especially when she gave him the same look of desperation.

I will fight for this. I will give up everything just for this love.

As he lay on the cold marble stone floor, all bruised and battered from all the damage Karlheinz inflicted on him. He only grinned, spitting out blood on his face, not caring if this person used to be his only friend in the demon world. They love the same woman, but given how Devyn was willing to lay down her life on the line for their affair, he supposed death right now is sweet.

"Gilbert, please," Karlheinz pointed his sword at his chest, dangerously threatening him, "let us end this pointless war. Give up Devyn and we can settle this matter."

Gilbert huffed with pride. "Pointless? You think my love for Devyn is nothing but a mere farce?" Everything he felt was real, raw emotions running down his veins. There is no way this affair was ridiculous.

"Devyn is mine to begin with," Karlheinz clarified, eyes filled with bloodlust because no one takes anything from him.

NO ONE.

"You really think that?" Gilbert knew there was no sense in talking this out with Karlheinz. After all, he mercilessly killed Aurora because of his desire to possess Devyn.

There was a moment of silence as Karlheinz lightly stabbed the skin on his chest, silently telling him to end this war and he'll withdraw the blade and pretend this was all for naught. However, Gilbert held the sword closer and said:

"My heart will never waver, Karlheinz, and you can't take that away from me even if I die."

And the next thing, Karlheinz stabbed him in the chest, witnessing how his old friend died with a triumphant smile. He was reeling from the curse all over again, with Devyn by his side, yet he was sleeping beside a stranger.

The mere thought of Devyn betraying him and eloping with someone else makes him sick. But what makes him feel disgusted is this whole act.

This is unbecoming of you, Karlheinz. Are you willing to risk Eden just for a woman who doesn't love you?

And for once, he has never felt alive.

Somewhere far away from the demon world is a vast ocean that knows no end. Devyn walked towards the ocean, the water reaching her waist as the wind blows away her tears. She was distraught, broken beyond repair, because she was remembering Gilbert and his last words.

"I will die today, and I just hope we can still see each other after that."

Devyn wanted to beat the shit out of him. She wanted Gilbert to use his full power, obliterate Karlheinz, and live happily with her somewhere far away. But then, she knew that he would still die even if Gilbert did what she wanted. After all, dreams are easily ruined by the cruel reality of their fate.

Now, Devyn was nearing her end, the water already reaching her neck. She was sobbing yet smiling at the fact that she'll die in this cold ocean but will meet the warm arms of her beloved.

Gilbert, please wait for me.

And then the water took her peace.

[sakuraswordly]

Music: Sad Cello Solo If you are my love

Peter: But that doesn't mean I will stop looking out for you! Not now, not ever!

Punch: Peter........

Gilgamesh: Why.......? Why can't you just leave me alone? You don't know the first thing about me?!

Peter: But I do. I know you more than anyone else in the world....I know you care about the pain of others.

Gilgamesh: ..............! *His voice inside sadness and hurt*

Peter: You care, Gil. That's the reason I still do not give up on you no matter how much you change.

Gilgamesh: Because I chose to have this curse..........I thought I had been doomed to a life of solitude. Until the day I vanished from this world, I knew I would be alone.......I will end up like Enkidu.

Peter: And now?

Gilgamesh: .....................

Peter grabs Gilgamesh's hand and grips him tight to let him know he's not alone. Gilgamesh tried to hold his sadness back.......in front of his group.

Music: Garden of Sinners 7: A Study in Murder – Part 2 - 22-M22

Peter: That's your misunderstanding. Punch. Remember what you said? One can bear the burden of only one person's death in their lifetime. You value this! And you know the pain of murder more than anyone else! I know you won't kill anyone without a reason! You've been lucky? Don't make a joke on me! Such luck wouldn't go on this long! You always used your own will to suppress that urge. People have different preferences. Yours happened to be murder. That's all! You told me that time that your urge to kill wasn't as strong as you thought. Seeing you say and smile. I was convinced you'd never kill anyone without a reason! Even if you will lose yourself one day, I know you'll be able to resist!

Gilgamesh: What do you mean by "I know for sure"? HOW DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW, PETER?!

Peter: Because you're kind.

Gilgamesh: You never change, do you? My other self......Punch once said I hate that part of you......

Peter: Gil......no.......! Wait!

Gilgamesh: What an optimistic person you are, both you and Syaoran..................

[leletha-jann]

Aw YES, I wondered if anyone else had the chimera kids headcanon.

Yes! This is one of my pet headcanons. This is not a silly thought, this is a great thought (says someone who's been thinking about it. A lot.)

Everyone's happy. SCIENCE has been done. The resulting children of a bonded triple have three biological parents. No further questions. No one's a half-sibling to be set against the others. (We have the Valois dynasty right here for comparison for when a bloodline gets divided. No thank you, Tarvek's not going back to that.) All children have equal inheritance rights (all of it).

And since there's definitely SCIENCE happening, it lets them plan for when (and how often) they're going to do this, instead of the randomness of biology or more planning of their sex lives than probably anyone is comfortable with.

Agatha doesn't have to put up with people asking her "so who's the father?" 9000 times a day. (In fact, probably at the same time she announces the first pregnancy, Agatha has Van ask what she'll henceforth call "the stupid question", answers "Both of them," very calmly...and she's holding a death ray. Hint taken. No one asks the stupid question again. Well, not twice again, anyway. Agatha's totally capable of building "I'm mad at you but I want you to survive to learn from it" ray guns too.)

Gil fields one (1) snarly comment from Klaus about "how can you even be sure that's your child" with "I have the lab notes. :D" and that's the end of that.

The wrath of absolute god comes down - from three directions, and that's before the Jagermonsters get involved - on any Valois cousins who think they should have access to these kids. Hell no.

"Chimera" actually does become the preferred term of art for the kids. They're made, but they're not constructs.

Not quite designer kids, but you look at them and you can see all three bloodlines in there. Like, you're going to get some kind of amazing red-gold hair color out of Agatha and Tarvek, but you can see Wulfenbach bone structure in the kid's face. They're Heterodynes until one of them wants to inherit something from one of their fathers, and if one of them particularly wants the Empire, someday in the future, it doesn't matter who their father was, because both.

Man, I've got more headcanons about this, including at least a couple of names. I'm just reeling from the knowledge that someone else has thought about it too.

...ask me about the bonus chimera kid headcanon that involves the timestopper, which is essentially fanfic by that point. Go on. Ask. Dare you.

I had a silly thought.

One day in the future, once everything has settled and been dealt with (or as settled and dealt with as it ever could be in Europa), Agatha will likely have children to continue the Heterodyne line.

But in order to ensure a sense of balance and equality between her paramours, she uses SCIENCE! to influence the child's genetics, so that it's a mix of hers, Gil's and Tarvek's, possibly in a distinct form of Chimerism or just some weird mix.

And then my thoughts got derailed on what the 'appropriate' mix of genetics would be - should it be equal? Should Agatha's take precedence and be a full 50% and the remainder split between Tarvek and Gil?

Also did any other Heterodynes ever do weird shit like that to their kids? It doesn't seem like it.

[tamariasykes-art]

17 and 18 for Rings of Power!

The Rings of Power themed asks. 🍃✨

17. What are your thoughts on the original characters? Do you like them? (For example: Nori, Bronwyn, Adar)

I absolutely adore all the original characters in the series and their arcs are usually the ones I am most invested in. The whole arcs with the Southlands (yeah I know they don't exist anymore) was such a joy to watch.

Someone on twitter refereed to Arondir as the "the elfest elf that ever elfed" and I think that is more than accurate. He is kind, noble, determined and just so good in every way. The interactions between him and Adar? This bond of both mutual respect and attempting to understand the other, but ultimately taking a different path in the end. I love his relationship with Bronwyn, they way they are so dedicated to each other but also willing to let the other go for a greater sake. They way they support and comfort each other throughout the series <3<3

Bronwyn is great too, probably my favorite female character from the series. She is also kind and very courageous and they way she is ready to take up a weapon to defend others and how she ends up taking the responsibility for coordinating resources and shelter for the people fleeing from the uruks. They way she unconditionally loves her son and Arondir <3<3

There are many more great original characters, but this is already getting so long

18. What are your thoughts on the portrayal of the canon characters? (For example: Galadriel and Elrond)

I am gonna preface this by saying that the only books of Tolkien I've read by now are the Hobbit and the Silmarillion so my knowledge on the lotr triology is mostly based on the movies. (Also I'm gonna stick with Miriel, Elrond and Galadriel here because I have the most thoughts about them)

I do like the changes the made to Miriel's character. I remember reading the Silm and wondering what Numenor might have been like under her reign and how sad it was that so much of her character is just a victim, a victim of Ar-Pharazôn and Sauron and later on a victim of Numenor being turned into Atlantis. Miriel in Trop just feels so refreshing compared to that. I wish the Numenor arc would have gotten a bit more attention, especially the relationship between Miriel and her father, but all the episodes with her

Elrond, is Elrond. He's fine The scenes with him in it always feel a bit odd tho. I recently started watching the series with my mother and she said about him: "He sounds like a politician" and I couldn't agree more. Now, I am aware that this is what the show is going for and the way he carries himself and his speech make sense for the position he holds at Gil-galads court. What makes scenes with feel so odd to me is that he seems to carry this behavior into these very personal scenes where he interacts with Disa and Durin and because of that they don't seem as heartfelt and intimate as they should. I mean, especially the scene where Durin voices his anger over the disagreement with his father and Elrond explains the relationship with his father, it sounds like he is reciting something and not offering insight on his friend. Although that part could also be a result of the German voice actors performance. I doesn't matter either way, this is a interpretation of Elronds character, a legitimate one and I don't hate it. It is fine. His haircut is always a joy to look at.

Galadriel is just like that. Idk I mean you have these really great aspects that you can base her story off. The death of her brother and husband, the survivors guilt, this feeling of restlessness and also this fear of going to the west and possibly thinking that she might not deserve it yet. And then they go ahead and show her to be this really cold, selfish and manipulative character and I am just asking myself where it went wrong.

And yes, those are flaws, every good character has those. But I feel with the way her story and character is written, she just comes of as utterly unlikable. I am not interested in seeing her evolve and change for the better, or face the consequences for her actions because her motivation seems so weird and her struggles seem to be non-existant. I mean Celeborns death for example has had such a big impact on her, I don't understand why they did not hint at that sooner in the show until her conversation with Halbrand (?) Why didn't they show her grieving, why do they never show her struggling with her values and believes, why is the majority of her arc her just try to find and destroy Sauron and not doing anything else? Also, the whole thing with taking the boat to the west. You could have done so much with that. But in the show you just see her conversation with Elrond about it where she makes it clear that she won't accept this gift from Gil-galad with the reason that he work isn't finished. And then the next scene is just her on the boat. I mean, this is literally a journey with no return why did they not show her trying to come terms with that or her fear of leaving her friends and Middle Earth behind, her feeling that she might not worthy of accepting something like that. (Maybe also her wondering if she will see her family again. I mean in Tolkiens work Finrod was allowed to leave the Halls of Mandos)

Like, I don't get it. I really don't. I am not a fan of her arc during the first season and neither is my mother (who hasn't seen all the episodes yet).

Thanks for asking!

[softquietsteadylove]

Hi! Newbie here🙈 it took me months to send my first request. Can I request something like witch Thena randomly seeing Gilgamesh in the forest and playing with her magic so she randomly turned him into a baby bear. And of course she had to face the consequences of taking care of him because bear Gil doesn't leave her alone, he always finds his way to Thena. So Thena finally gave up and took care of him, she hated it at first but bear Gilgamesh is just so cute and is all clingy to her and would also throw cute tantrums. She had to endure how messy bear Gil eats and how he needs to be cuddled up to sleep. And each night Thena tries to put a spell or a potion on him and at one point there's this last potion she has left and it didn't work. Bear Gil was just teary when it didn't work on him and Thena just had to apologize because she turned a random person into a bear forever, she could only cuddle him to sleep. But when she woke up, she wasn't expecting that the small bear she was cuddling last night was back into its original form and still cuddling with her.

And thank you! I hope this is not a lot, bye😭🙈

Thena huffed as a nose nudged her elbow. "What?"

The bear whined/growled at her, her cloak between his teeth.

She sighed. There was once a time she would have given it her coldest glare and yelled at it to get away from her. But she accepted the cloak before pulling it around her shoulders, "thank you."

The bear moaned before lumbering across the fire from her. He sat patiently, knowing how this worked by now.

It was far from their first attempt to change him back into a human.

If she knew how she had turned him in the first place, she would undo it. But it had been reactive--instinctive! She had felt a presence in the precious isolation of her northern forest and responded by sending out a burst of magic as a hand grasped her shoulder. Then, the next thing she knew, there was a small bear lying in the snow.

He was all paws, at first. Clumsy, unused to this body. She reasoned that time as a bear would do him some good! Humans were such terrible creatures, no magic at all, unconnected from the elements and the world around them.

But the bear toddled after her, whining and growling in its frustration. She had slammed her door in its face at first. But when the chill of the night set in, as did her guilt. She had only intended to let it in to warm by her fire for the night. Then she would find it a new home.

But the bear made itself at home. He got into her honey, pawed at her spell books, even made his way to her bed to snuggle up to her! She had half a mind to turn it into a mealyworm for that, but maybe its pitiful little face had gotten to her. She said just that night!

Now it was later, a number of new moons past. She couldn't undo it--she couldn't even figure out what exactly she had done to cause it! And the creature once a human trapped as a bear cub was now a midsize bear. He had acclimated to his new form, and cooperated as she tried to find ways to undo her magic.

It wasn't a spell, because spells wore off, or changed with the condition of the subject. It wasn't a hex, that couldn't be completed by reflex alone. And it wasn't a curse, because nothing had happened to her in the process. Nothing tethered her life to his.

But she had a duty to him, nonetheless. He had gotten too big for her bed, but he still slept by her hearth every night, she still shared her meals and they tried spells and potions every night together.

"This might be it," she dared to speak aloud as the steam from the potion receded. Its colour turned, and she could practically see her face in the surface of the viscous matter. She picked up a ladle of it and offered the bowl.

The bear sniffed it and recoiled, sticking out its tongue.

"Oh, stop," she chided him, still holding it out.

He puffed through his nose before accepting it in his paws. They were twice the size of her hands, now. He sniffed at it a little more before taking a lick.

She smiled as he flinched. "It's steaming hot, you."

He made a variety of sounds, and she wondered if she would ever know what he sounded like as a human. He set the bowl down and took a mouthful of snow before eating the potion with his grotesque teeth.

Thena held her breath, gripping the edges of her cloak as they waited for a reaction. The wind even this far up the mountain was chilly, but he was now to the size where they didn't really want to experiment with spells inside the cottage. The last one had doubled the volume of his fur, creating a mess that took her a week to clean in total.

He looked around him for a few moments, then at his paws, before slumping down in the snow again. It didn't work.

Thena looked down at her feet in the snow as well. Yet another failure. It wasn't just the potion, it was how truly saddened he seemed. Perhaps he was yearning for home. Perhaps it was nearing a time in his human life of significant importance. She hadn't exactly gotten around to asking if he had a family waiting for him.

The bear sat up again, although his ears had a heavy droop to them. He moaned faintly, his breath showing in the cold air from his muzzle.

Thena's throat clenched. For every time that didn't work, this was the worst. Their hopes had been high, and after more than half a year, she really did think she had found the right mix.

She had even gotten his hopes up about it. They had read the spell book together, gathered the ingredients. She had told him that perhaps this would do it--a potion to revert the development of cells. Technically it was for unpickling a vegetable, but she had done her research, and she was confident she could use it on a living subject.

She had practised on fish! All of which went to him as a meal to reward him for his help. But she had successfully used it.

"I'm so sorry."

The bear lifted its head, and even seated, he could see eye to eye with her. Even the breath from his wet black nose was visible in the air.

"I thought-" she pressed her lips shut as her throat squeezed again. She had no right to cry. It was his life which had been changed irreparably. She moved her hand to his head, rubbing the soft black fur there and around his much softer ears. When he would sneak into her bed for warmth, she would play with them while he slept. "I thought this would be the one."

The bear bellowed gently, moving his snout to brush his nose against her cheek before resting his head on her shoulder. His arm tucked her closer to him, his paw hanging loosely so he wouldn't claw her by accident. Bears had amazingly warm bodies.

Thena sighed against his neck. He smelled much better now than he did when he was small, always getting his food everywhere and needing to be brushed. She patted his shoulder, "come on."

He followed her silently, kicking snow up with his paws behind him to douse their fire. It was a sombre occasion; they could come back for her cauldron in the morning.

Thena tried to keep her tears at bay as they walked back into the cottage. She hung up her cloak while her companion lumbered right over to the fire. He dropped down on the rug she had woven for him more heavily than ever. Her heart twisted again.

He stirred as he felt her against his back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, pressing the tears she couldn't contain into his fur. He huffed and she nuzzled into him until it rustled her hair, "I'm sorry I have altered your life so. It was never my intention."

He didn't exactly have a reply for her.

"I won't stop," she promised, leaning more heavily against his shoulder. She was exhausted. "I won't stop until I change you back."

Even if he was a human. Even if he hated her. Even if he yelled and screamed at her as soon as he was back to being a man. She couldn't blame him for it, now could she? Even if he returned with a pitchfork to burn their cottage to the ground.

No: her cottage.

She had brought him into her home. But for him, this was just a shelter from the cold, after she had turned him into a beast. Surely he was yearning for his own home. Was he missing a wife who would say soft things to him at night? Did he have children who asked every night where their father had gone? Did their mother tell them stories of wicked witches who snapped away handsome men to be their familiar servants for all their lives?

She would try the potion again. She would test it more. She would test it on more species, larger and more varied. If a witch's life was devoted to magic and the pursuit of its endless knowledge, then she had a new mission. Her only reason for all her days forward was helping this bear become a man again. A man who would hate her and curse her name for generations to come.

She had no idea how she could sleep at all with thoughts like that in her head. But she had indeed slept, her face buried in the bear's soft fur, smelling of the smoke from the fire. But he was just so warm. She nuzzled her face against it again, even coming her fingers through it.

It didn't feel the same, though. And he wasn't as soft as he had felt the night before, either. She winced as she tried to drag herself awake. Potions still required magic, and creating a new potion or casting a new spell every night had her at her limit.

"You okay?"

"Hm," she sighed, blinking as the sun hit her eyes. She was still on the floor, she realised as she looked up at the hearth, eating up the smoke from the fire that had gone out in the night. She should have been freezing, though, if that were the case. Why wasn't she in her bed? She was on the floor. She was on...a chest.

Her head shot up. It wasn't her bear, with his massive black eyes and cold, wet nose. It was a human. A human man with a face, and a smile. It was a nice smile. He had a soft voice.

"Hey."

[descendants-headcanons]

Gil Headcanons

- Sunshine boy

- I love he

On The Isle

- OK yall let's get one thing straight despite what everyone thinks Gil isn't actually dumb

- He's a bit naive and has a tendency to speak before he thinks but he's not actually stupid

- He's just not very book-smart because Gaston has a vendetta against books

- Tw abuse I could see Gaston going either way in terms of parenting but I'm leaning more towards severe neglect rather than intensive beating

- Of course with the muscles this man has the few times he would get beat would be absolutely atrocious and frankly debilitating, but Gaston seems so full of himself that I can't see him bothering to waste the time and energy unless Gil really pissed him off

- And especially as he got older and spent more time with Uma and her crew Gaston probably just forgot he existed tbh

- But I reckon Gil was just severely neglected and that's why he speaks before he thinks - because he didn't grow up doing it because he didn't have anyone who would get offended if that makes any sense

- But one thing Gaston was a stickler for was that no books or academic material he brought into his house and home

- And that extended to his kids not being allowed to go to school

- His boys (Gil has several sisters too - Gaston is a notorious manwhore) are all expected to spend the days training to become half the man their father is and Gil was always a failure in that regard because he easily got distracted

- Like don't get me wrong, the boy is beefy, but also this golden retriever boy has a tendency to go 'ooh squirrel' and stop pumping weights and that pissed Gaston off no end

- When he grows up though, Gil manages to oversell his ditziness. He's not an actual fool, he lives on the Isle. Being ditzy doesn't let you survive, however, people underestimate you if they think they have something over you. Gil's very very good at playing innocent and naive before taking out whoever tries to mug or molest him.

- Again, just because he's not book-smart, doesn't mean he's a complete idiot.

- In fact, I actually headcanon that Gil loves learning! Once he's out of Gaston's Lodge, I like to imagine he'd collect anything with writing on it, and on quiet evenings would carefully ask Uma or Harry to help him learn to read it.

- It takes him a while to get the basics down, but once he gets it he's like a sponge. He's relentless when it comes to learning, and once he finds a topic he's interested in he hyperfixates on it until he's learned everything he can.

- Had he grown up in Auradon he would have been heralded as one of the great minds of the new generation

- Maybe not Carlos level, but definitely Doug level

- An absolute snugglebug

- He loves it so much

- It doesn't matter how tall or small you are, Gil will hold you in such a way that your head rests ever so nicely in the crook of his neck and he has one hand in your hair and the other gently stroking your back and honestly it is bliss

- Knows exactly how to make Harry and Uma melt when it comes to cuddles, even if they won't admit it

- Even on the Isle, his grin can light up a room

- Even though his parkour skills can give Jay a run for his money, he's not the biggest fan of it. He prefers to walk the streets - he finds the people and sellers fun to listen to

- Ironically enough has a very strong moral compass

- Also somehow has a 'Harry's about to be a dumbass I should probably save him' sense that Uma mysteriously lacks

- Gil has saved Harry's ass so many times just by somehow being in the right place

- He finds it a mystery that Harry is somehow still alive and has no qualms about voicing that to the first mate

- I really don't think he gives a damn about the super macho man bullshit his dad and some of the crew likes to spout

- Absolutely does his nails with Uma and Harry when nail polish comes over on the barges because it looks pretty and he likes it

- Gil will kick your ass and smile at you while he does it

- Nothing grows on the Isle. But one time, one time Gil found a seed on the floor. And he planted it. And it sprouted into a tiny red flower. And he took care of that flower. For a whole year. It still resides in an empty tin can in Uma's cabin. He loves that little flower. It would break his heart if it died.

Off The Isle

- GIL HAS A GREEN THUMB

- I'm sorry but gardener Gil is just such a lovely headcanon

- He took his little flower with him. If course he did. He loves that thing. And he planted it in the school gardens and the gardener helped him and now they're besties.

- Every time he's down in the gardens he'll say hello and offer to help, even if it's just helping carry the fertiliser. He really likes being useful, and he's so naturally talented with plants and nature in general that it would be stupid not to accept that help.

- He also has a natural talent for floral arrangements. He loves to learn about flower meanings and is constantly gifting Uma and Harry flowers in their colours that mean nice things. Harry tends to get red Ranunculuses (ranunculi?), Begonias, Carnations and Azaleas while Uma gets blue Asters, Orchids, Amsonias and Chicorys. Harry goes red enough to match the gifted flowers and scowls (and cusses at him sometimes) but still holds it carefully before slipping it into his pocket or glove so the flower remains intact. Uma lets Gil carefully wind the flowers into her braids with a gracious smile. Yes they know the meanings. Yes they do try to reciprocate on his birthday.

- He receives large yellow bouquets from both of them with sunflowers, pansies, dahlias, yarrow, orchids, calla lilies, hellebores, daffodils, gerbera daisies, primroses and goldenrods. Gil doesn't cry often, but he does cry when he receives this bouquet. And it quickly leads to a snugglefest.

- Due to his intimate knowledge of flower meanings he is the go-to guy for if you want help making a meaningful bouquet. He is more than happy to assist.

- Also because I just have to Gil adopts a dog. His name is Sunshine (nickname Sunny) and he is a golden retriever and everyone loves him.

- I actually like to imagine that Gil is very bashful. Like, he does get embarrassed easily and goes pink at the ears (not a full face and neck blush like Harry, which he teases the first mate about RELENTLESSLY) quite frequently, but he barely acknowledges any compliments because he simply does not know how to?? So it's just like 'aw shucks' and then it's on to the next topic lmao.

- Just like the rest of the sea three, Gil is also really good with kids! He really enjoys playing with them, and often gets requests from kids to throw and catch them. The best games are when they're in the pool, when Gil can throw them into the water without worrying about them getting hurt. He often gets climbed like a tree.

- Also, like Harry, he has a reputation for good hugs.

- Seriously if you thought he was a good snuggler he's somehow an even better hugger.

- He wraps his arms around you and squeezes, but not hard enough that it's not pleasant. Depending on the mood, sometimes he'll spin you, sometimes he'll just do a happy wriggle from side to side, and sometimes he'll drag you into a goofy little dance.

- HE HAPPY WRIGGLES A LOT

- Also drums his feet when he's happy and laughing

- Has a proper boyish giggle. And snorts a lot.

- God I'm so whipped

General Headcanons

- God he is just. So. Sweet.

- Absolutely Fairy Godmother's favourite VK. He asks questions all the time to make sure he understands, and comes to her when he doesn't. He has no reservations. She loves him so much she might adopt him.

- I don't think ex-King Beast would take kindly to Gil, but I love the idea of Belle taking him under her wing and teaching him how to read and stuff like that.

- Like the mental image of Belle reading aloud while Gil lays with his head in her lap, softly smiling as he imagines the story in his head... Am I crying?

- He and Ben get along like a house on fire and sometimes it's scary because individually they survive but if you put them together it's like puppy squared and they collectively loose their respective braincells and become absolute idiots

- ABSOLUTE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY. Has the uncanny ability to talk to you for 5 minutes and make you feel like you've known him your entire life.

- Also you're on hugs and friend status by the second time you speak. It just happens.

- Not a maths boy. Just goes straight over his head, he does not comprehend, who introduced the alphabet to these numbers and can we send them to the Isle??

- I actually headcanon him as being really good at picking up languages for some reason. Idk, just the idea of Gil being a polyglot is just really freaking cool to me idk.

[swapauanon]

Let me put it like this, though: What you are suggesting is that a man born with a frail body that leaves him dependent on his sister's Semblance for survival can ONLY ever be a parasitic abuser, even if he doesn't want to be. That rhetoric is used to demonize real disabled people who are often unable to leave their homes or even feed themselves and rely on the whims of their family and neighbors to survive. All further humiliating him would do at this point is REINFORCE those harmful ideas. On a meta level, I want to believe that CRWBY is better than that. Because I am ALSO fucking disabled, and I'm TIRED of people acting like the way my brain is wired makes me less human!

The fact that he needs a caretaker due to his fragile body is treated as an inherently abusive action by Theodore, even though it's something he never asked for.

The Volume 9 epilogue showed him and Gil looking DEEPLY uncomfortable with Tyrian and Mercury.

Plus, his Semblance requiring PHYSICAL CONTACT TO WORK, meaning he'd likely only be able to use it on Salem ONCE if he jumped ship.

And, as I already mentioned, he's a self-loathing wreck who ended Before the Dawn ATTEMPTING SUICIDE as a last ditch effort to at least have SOME agency in his final moments.

The fact of the matter is that they NEED to do something more interesting with him than "generic evil cripple who's too much of a parasitic weakling to be anything more than a drain on resources".

There's also the fact that Theodore uses ACTUAL ableist language when describing him (reminder: "parasite" is a SLUR when used to describe disabled people), and Theodore explicitly only hates Jax because he physically CAN'T take care of himself.

At the end of the day, he and Gillian are in a sustained misunderstanding of what they really want.

Jax attended Shade Academy because he wanted to prove he could be useful, and Gil was uninterested in becoming a Huntress, only attending so she could help him achieve his dream.

When Theodore expelled Jax for being disabled, Gillian dropped out so she could take care of her brother.

We don't know who's idea the Crown was, only that all of the WILLING members were more loyal to Gillian.

Because Gillian's Semblance (which manifested when she was about four or five years old) allows her to transfer Aura between different people, their father decided that her Semblance must be the reason Jax was born so weak. As her Semblance requires her to consciously KEEP any Aura she transfers from going back to its original owner, this lead to Jax believing that his sister was LYING about loving him the entire time and was holding his own SOUL hostage to keep him dependent on her.

In the book, he reluctantly goes along with whatever Gil wants, believing she'll let him die if he doesn't, until he stops caring about whether he lives or dies and just wants to go down in a blaze of glory.

And then he got a psychic lobotomy courtesy of Yatsuhashi, meaning it's unclear how much he even remembers, or if he's even able to mentally function on the same level as he could in Before the Dawn.

So we don't even know if he's WILLINGLY serving Salem or is just a confused shell of his former self going along with what Gillian THINKS he wants.

It would be EXTREMELY unsatisfying for the boy who was constantly rejected by his own people because of his own body to be written off as beyond redemption, because Jax believes HIMSELF to be an unlovable monster beyond hope of redemption, thanks to everyone except someone he thinks is LYING to him telling him that's all he can ever be.

After all, nobody in Vacuo ever saw him as HUMAN. The only hope he ever had for a brighter future was his father telling him he was descended from royalty. Why WOULDN'T that lead to him being resentful?

Seriously, Jax isn't like Adam or Ironwood. He's someone who genuinely TRIED and still WANTS to be good, but has been rejected every time he's tried. He chose cruelty because nobody would LET him be good. Nobody would LET him EXIST. I do not think tearing him down FURTHER is the solution here, when all constantly tearing him down for reasons beyond his control is what drove him to Salem in the first place.

Honestly, what I'm really hoping for is that someone will call Theodore out for his BLATANT bigotry that was NEVER challenged in Before the Dawn. Jax is only a threat because Theodore treated him like an inconvenience instead of a person.

If he's still like he is in Before the Dawn, then odds are he'll probably be EXTREMELY self sabotaging while "serving" Salem, hoping that either her enemies will kill him on the field of battle or that she will put him out of his misery if he disappoints her enough, all the while Gillian is running interference and helping Salem because she wants to protect her brother from her wrath AND thinks he wants Vacuo destroyed for driving him this far in the first place.

Thus why I would prefer to have him be SAVED rather than written off as subhuman trash. He's been humiliated, abused, and exploited enough by people professing themselves to be heroes. Why shouldn't one of the actual heroes just put their foot down and say "No, what you did to him was wrong, and what he's become as a result of how YOU treated him doesn't retroactively justify it! I'm going to clean up YOUR mess and make this world one ACTUALLY worth saving!"

Takeaways from the Volume 9 Epilogue:

--

One thing I really like about Oscar’s ‘If there was anything I wish I could borrow from you…’ monologue is that it laid out/confirmed something I’ve always felt was a major aspect of Oscar’s dynamic with Ruby that I nonetheless feel a lot of the fandom has missed: That Oscar very much sees Ruby as a mentor and an example to follow, and how their dynamic is specifically a foil to what we saw between Ruby and Ozpin. That Ruby acts as a mentor and example to Oscar in the same way Ozpin was to Ruby, and that Ruby is a far BETTER mentor and example to Oscar than Ozpin ever was to her. Which, as an aside, is a dynamic I can’t help but feel a lot of people have been misinterpreting as ‘ship-teasing’ and is one of the main reasons I’ve simply never been able to see Oscar as any kind of viable love-interest to Ruby. Frankly the dynamic of ‘Ruby is the mentor and example to Oscar that Ozpin couldn’t be for her’ is simply so much more INTERESTING than any kind of romance could ever hope to be.

--

Even in animatic form, Winter basically going overdrive on the maiden powers was a sight to behold. And her own monologue had all the self-deprecation we were expecting. Our girl is clearly holding on by a thread and it’s going to be REAL interesting seeing how she reacts and adjusts to her sister not actually being dead. As in, I can imagine a situation where Winter tries to throw herself into a heroic sacrifice with the belief that Weiss would make a better Maiden than her.

Also, Winter’s monologue giving major focus to how Penny is super-super-dead-dead-and-definitely-not-coming-back-for-really-realsies, as she is talking to the sister who she ALSO believes is DEFINITELY also dead? Specifically with the words that Penny is gone, when Penny’s last words to her were that she’d be ‘part of you’?

Yeah, there is no way in hell we’ve seen the last of Penny XD

--

The CROWN. Like it was only a few shots, but as someone who read the CFVY Books (which you totally should if you haven’t, they’re great), holy shit I was NOT expecting them to pop up here.

I mean, in hindsight it makes perfect sense that they’d be involved in Volume 10. They’re basically Vacuo’s equivalent to Vale’s criminal element and the White Fang splinter faction as Salem’s co-opted insurgency group, with Jax and Gillian joining Roman, Adam and Jacques as the latest of Salem’s unwitting patsies. It’s definitely going to be real interesting seeing the crew deal with them. Like it’s really fun to imagine Team RWBY in particular being kind of exasperated at seeing Jax’s probably doing a whole ‘With Salem’s help I shall be King!’ shtick after everything they’ve seen with Roman, Adam and Jacques.

Oh and if you don’t know, Jax has a mind-control semblance, so him trying to use that on Yang could actually lead to a sneaky callback to the Justice League crossover, ie; Yang doing a ‘Yeah, I’m not doing THAT shit again.’ XD

--

Qrow’s whole vibe through this is fascinating. Like his section may have been the one we already saw, but after seeing the abject depression and growing despair of all the other characters, Qrow actually being OPTIMISTIC hit so much harder.

--

Raven showing up at the end is… interesting.

I’ll admit that ever since we saw that specific clip a few months back, I’ve been rather conflicts about Raven showing up to deliver RWBY+J to Vacuo, particularly after Ruby’s tree vision. Like for one it felt a bit random and unnecessary. The tree already deposited the Ever After team outside of Vacuo so they didn’t exactly need help getting there. Not to mention that it kind of clotheslines the story-thread set up by Ruby’s vision; that she now has a reason to track Raven down to get the ANSWERS to what happened to Summer. Finally, it’s just kind of… random? Like where did Raven even come from to get the team?

But now having seen the clip with its intended context, I’m definitely more on board with it. Particularly hearing from Kerry and Eddy that the original ending for the penultimate episode had RWBY+J going through the portal to arrive at their memorial stone, and met by a ‘Mysterious Figure’, ie; Raven. Here it feels like were getting more set up to get answers later as to what Raven was doing at the memorial.

And really, now that I’ve thought about it more, this method kind of puts the thread of Ruby going to Raven for answers even MORE into focus. Like the story reintroduces Raven in the present right after Ruby got a vision basically saying ‘hey, Raven is important’. And now going into Volume 10, we’re pretty much perfectly positioned for Ruby to pull Raven aside for those all-important ‘Why were you fucking my mom? What happened to my mom?’ questions.

--

Finally… yeah that ending hit me a LOT harder than I was expecting. Like that ending was HOPE in its purest form and it was honestly beautiful to see. Particularly right now with the future of the show seeming so uncertain. I’ve personally been optimistic about RWBY’s future (in a manner not unlike Qrow’s vibes I suppose lol), but damn the hopefulness of that ending hit especially hard, and was something I’ll admit I needed. And I imagine the rest of us could use as well.

We'll be getting Volume 10. And 11, and 12, and however many more it takes it finish this story. At this point, I have no doubt of that.

[doodle-pops]

Okay okay, hear me out: I've been thinking about this for a while now. Not sure if it makes sense, also I'm sorry if you don't want to get stuff like this.

Imagine you are Maedhros's wife/husband in Beleriand. You had to stand by and wait while he was captured and held in Angband, and you saw him return, how broken he was, and you helped him recover. Inevitably, he changes as the oath aswell as all the suffering, which he partially caused himself. You don't always agree with his ways, but stay by his side nonetheless, out of love. Until Doriath, that is. Dior didn't want to give away the Silmaril, so the Feanorians and their followers prepared for battle - or more, yet another kinslaying. Shortly before they invade Doriath, you have a massive fallout with Maedhros. Telling him how another kinslaying can't be the solution and that you can't just let him do this, kill any more innocent people because of this Stones. He goes berserk and screams at you, you wouldn't understand hos situation, he can't just stop after sacrificing so much for the oath, and if you can't tolerate it, just leave and never come back to him. He doesn't want to see you ever again. So you do just that, leaving for the forests of Doriath, that is.

By coincidence, you see how Celegorms soliders leave Elúred and Elúrin in the forests to die. The both of them look so lost and scared that it hurts your heart and you get sad yourself. You show yourself and calm them, and hide in the brush with them whem you hear Maedhros calling out their names.

The twins are scared, obviously, and you are the person that saved them, this got them...attached to you and they don't want you to leave. So you do just what every normal person would do, and take them in. You watch them grow into strong adults and become Lords of the Eldar, mighty swordsmen and silver-tongued diplomats. They die in the battle of tha last alliance, at Gil-Galads side, and your grief is as if you were their mother yourself.

Eventually, you depart to Valinor, and at the shore, you meet your family. Maedhros has been reembodied and awaits you, tears streaking down his cheeks, and as soon as he holds you in his arms, he doesn't stop apologizing , or crying for that matter, but of course you forgive him. (Who wouldn't forgive Maebae?)

And then you hear two voices yelling your name and Elúred and Elúrin come running at you and tackle you in a hug, telling you how much they missed you. A few paces behind are Dior and Nimloth, who both look quite fond of you three, and thank you for caring for their boys, because they couldn't.

Your gaze turned to Maedhros another time, just as another tear rolls over his cheek. His blue eyes look glassy and he makes a sniffling little noise before saying: "You took care of them..."

I love to receive stories like this. If you hadn't known, I tag these under y/n imagines and you can find all the others like this I've received. You can send them in, it's welcomed.

I do love a happy ending and reader took care of the twins and saved them. It's sad that they died but that means they met their nephews Elrond and Elros at some point🥺 Maedhros imagines really do take me out

[coping-via-clint-eastwood]

CSI Characters as Ancient/Medieval Fantasy Warriors (title is tentative)

I WROTE THIS ALL IN ONE SITTING!!!!!  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???????

*ahem* This is speculation about what powers and skills the CSI characters would have if they were warriors in an ancient/medieval fantasy setting, amongst other things. This was probably inspired by my recent wallowing in medieval fantasy (specifically Songs of War {if you don't know what that is, it's okay}), and I thought, why not entertain the idea? And after writing it out, I can say that it was fun toying around with it. If this inspires anybody to add on anything, or write fanfiction, or whatever, by all means go ahead.

@addictedtostorytelling @bartramcat @buildinggsr @davesdude80 @dobbyofearth @fandomismymiddlename @originalpinkranger @panchostokes @space-helen @stokes-theorem

All the people written about here are humans with powers.

Gil:  He has enhanced eyesight, and is a sniper archer. If I may draw your attention to the ending scene of season 4 episode 2, All for Our Country:

Bonus shot because it reminds me of his Will Graham days:

He is canonically a deadeye. So, I am extending that to be a superhuman power. I'll put it this way: he can aim and shoot at the same target a contemporary sniper with a scope could; he does not require (or have, for that matter) a scope. Because he is not so able as his younger teammates, so he cannot be in the direct area of battle and fend off opponents. But he has excellent eyesight, so he hides up in a tree or on the edge of a cliff that overlooks the area or wherever is applicable, and shoots any targets he can.  He uses a crossbow, since not as much strength is needed to pull back the cord as compared to a bow.  He also has a light wooden staff which he uses to help him walk up inclinations. It's also his defensive staff; if an enemy manages to sneak up on him, he can point the staff at them and shoot a forcefield that will blast them back. But this is only effective at close range, hence why he has to use the crossbow for opponents further away. He wears a hooded cloak which is green on one side and a dusty brown on the other, so that he can camouflage himself, turning the cloak to whichever side he needs to match his surroundings.  He is not the only one to wear a cloak however; Catherine, Ecklie, Jim, DB and Finn wear cloaks (more details when I get to each) as well to show they are of higher ranking, but only Gil's is hooded for practical purposes.

Warrick: His power is that he can jump really high. He can jump over a small hill and land on the ground on the other side. He's the one who helps get Gil to his perches if needed; he puts him over his shoulder and jumps, holding him with one arm and his war hammer in his other hand. He is strong enough to carry Gil. And Gil trusts him and is comfortable enough to let himself be borne in such a way, never struggling or crying out in fear when he is suddenly brought off the ground at such a high rate. In tandem with being able to jump high, he can strike his hammer on the ground when he lands and cause a quake. His hammer's enchantment depends on how high he jumped. On the ground, he swings his hammer at an opponent and sends them flying back (at a much greater distance than Gil's forcefield).

Bobby Dawson: He's the archer who is in the direct area of battle. He uses a small hunting bow, and also has a gladius in case any opponents manage to get close to him. He has enhanced reflexes, so he is able to turn around, draw weapons, and load and shoot his bow faster than normal.

Catherine:  She is telekinetic.  She does not use weapons because she prefers to have her hands free to gesticulate and help her focus on moving the objects she is controlling.  Her cloak is a beautiful royal blue.

Heather:  Mind control + reading minds + telepathy.    And invisibility.  Aside from turning the team's opponents against each other, mind control is useful for helping friends escape from dangerous situations; sometimes, it's easier than telling them what to do.  She needs very strong concentration for her mind control, which is the ability she uses the most, so she makes herself invisible and keeps out of the way, but stays where she can see the person she is manipulating.  Like Gil, she has the defensive staff in case anyone finds her.

Nick and Sara: They are what I like to call the speedster twins. It is very satisfying to wash them nyoom about and quickly kill any opponent in the path of their run. Typically, they start out standing next to each other at the same point, and then run on one side of the battlefield each. So they take out the opponents on the skirting of the battlefield. Sara has a cutlass while Nick has twin daggers.

Greg: He can talk to nearby spirits and ask them to help his team in the fight. With the power of this necklace that he has, he can conjure a protective invisible dome-shaped barrier around himself, which is invulnerable to any and every form of attack. Except if somebody were to dig their way up from below him of course. However, he has to stay in the same spot when he is inside this barrier, and has to deactivate it if he wants to walk (or run or whatever) somewhere else. The spirit of the person who gave him the necklace follows him everywhere, and stays by his side on the battlefield to protect him from any opponents who manage to get close.  Greg has a curved cleaver in case he needs to fight.

Al:  Aside from being a healer, he can freeze time.  Sort of. He can freeze the movement of anybody who is coming at him, no matter how many there are. He does not wield weapons. He has wooden legs (which are enchanted to be completely painless for him) and a staff, but without the power that Gil's and Heather's have. To heal someone, he just has to touch them, for as long as it takes for the wounds to completely heal. **I was thinking about making him have something to do with necromancy, but I thought that that's too much like Greg's power.

David:  He is the other healer, and is the one who kills the people that Al freezes. He just makes them fade out of existence. It is completely painless, and that way they don't have any bodies lying around the healers' area. Also, while Al heals physical injuries, David actually cures illnesses. So he has to touch his patient for as long as it takes to eradicate the infection.

The two healers typically stay in one spot, ready to head out into the battlefield if any of their teammates are injured.

Archie: He is the cryokinetic guardian of Henry, Wendy, Mandy, and Hodges, who are not combatants. He does not use weapons.

Henry:  He is a blacksmith, in charge of repairing the people's weapons, and making new ones if necessary. He also makes the arrows for Gil and Bobby.

Wendy: She is an enchanter who imbues weapons with offensive powers, such as the quake and blast effect on Warrick's hammer, or the enhanced sharpness of the speedster twins' blades.

Mandy: She enchants weapons with defensive powers, such as Greg's necklace, or Gil's and Heather's staves. She is also the one who made Al's wooden legs painless.

Hodges: While Al and David are physical healers, and while Wendy enchants weapons, Hodges is the one who restores the powers of other people. He is not really drained when he does it, but it is better for him to stay still and rest while other people fight. It works exactly how Al's and David's healing does.

These five people typically stay near the healers.

Jim:  He can control the weather.  That also means he can summon lightning.  And hailstones.  And rain (creatures that are made of fire or lava are susceptible to rain).  Like Catherine, he has his hands free to focus whatever he's bringing down from the sky onto wherever his target is.  His cloak is pitch black in colour.

Conrad: He can clone himself; up to five clones of himself can exist at a time.  It's alright if they are hurt or killed; so long as he is still alive.  He wields a scythe.  His cloak is a really dark grey, almost black, but not really.

Morgan:  She can fly. This is not a power which requires restoration. Since she does not use wings, she can fly in rain. She uses twin swords.

Sofia:  She is a shapeshifter.  But she can not only turn into other creatures; she can turn into objects like a boulder or something. In such forms, she is invulnerable to like, say, a fist striking her, but if someone were to try and blow her up, she would have to turn into something else and run away. You know those fire creatures I mentioned? If she turns into one of them, she can harness their powers. Basically, she takes on the abilities of anything she turns into.

Riley: She can turn into any of her opponents, whether she has killed them herself of if they are standing right in front of her. Heather would be aware that this in fact Riley (telepathy yo), and Riley will work together with the person Heather is controlling. Unlike Sofia, while she becomes the mirror image of someone, she cannot have the skill level of the person she turns into. She herself is proficient with a club; if she turns into someone who was a swordsman, she would be wield a blade as well as them, and will continue to use her own weapon. If she turns into one of those fire creatures, she might be able to use their fire, but she doesn't have as fluent control over it as the original person. In fact, it is much safer for her to not turn into such creatures.

Ray:  He has enhanced strength, which enables him to rotate his huge double-headed battle axe about his wrist above his head.  And by "huge", I mean that the stick is almost as long as him, and the blades are bigger than his head. The stick is also quite thick; it has to withstand the weight of the blades, and the impact with which it is struck. By "rotate", I mean Ray is able to hold the handle at the very base, and pivot it perfectly around.

DB:  Teleportation.  This son of a bitch randomly popping up out of nowhere?  Yeah.  His weapon is a really small but especially sharp dagger, easy to conceal, and a quick and effective killer.  He appears, quickly pokes his opponent, and then teleports to the next one.  He can teleport anywhere within his viewing distance; he has to be able to see where he is teleporting to to go there. His cloak is silver in colour.

Finn:  She is pyrokinetic.  Her cloak is typically orange, yellow or red, but it can change colours to whatever fire she is wielding, which includes green, blue, purple, white, and even black fire.  She does not use weapons.

Additional idea: Gil and Sara are soulmates. But they were not fated from birth; rather, their soulmate bond formed when their connection deepened. Before they met, their soulmates could have been anyone else, or they could have gone without a soulmate for the rest of their lives. Even when they met and fell in love at first sight (I'm one of those who hc that they did; ymmv), they were not yet soulmates. It was when they really got to know and understand each other implicitly and became unbreakably steadfast in their connection, of their own accord, that their soulmate bond formed. The physical manifestation of it was when their soul marks appeared; Gil has a butterfly on the right side of his neck, close to the back of his neck, and Sara has a rhinoceros beetle on the underside of her left wrist. Being soulmates, they can heal each other and restore each other's powers. The most soothing times for them to do it is when they can lie down somewhere private and hold each other close.

When their marks first appeared, everyone kept congratulating them; there was a lot of friendly teasing from Warrick, Nick, Greg and Hodges. As for themselves, they remained passive until they were in the privacy of their bedroom.  They sat down on the edge of the bed, embracing and leaning their foreheads on each other's, uncontainable smiles on their faces as they had a little heart-to-heart.  They did not really have to vocalise much; they had always been able to understand each other with just a few words.  Then, they leant back from each other, but remained close.  Sara lowered her head and slowly, reverently kissed all over Gil's mark; he closed his eyes and let her do it, enjoying how it felt, moving his head to one side so that his skin on the right of his neck was stretched flat and easier to kiss.  When Sara was done, they leant back again.  Gil lifted Sara's wrist to his mouth and kissed all over her mark, with as much care and adoration as she had done his.

[queenbrightwhitly]

Ok so this is my first time requesting so please be patient with me. Could you please do a teen!reader where they are the youngest child of the Whitly family, and Malcolm is very protective over them because he doesn't want them to be hurt like he has? And when they meet Martin for the first time, Martin is asking personal questions towards the reader and Malcolm just cranks the over protectiveness to 100. Sorry if that didn't make much sense, but thank you for taking the time to read this :)

Haha, I feel like I should be asking you to be patient with me! Anyways I liked this idea and I hope it turned out okay...

Daddy’s Home

“Y/n, stop messing with your food!” Jessica said for the fourth time.

“This is so boring, why can’t we eat?” Slouching in her seat, Y/n moved her fork in between their fingers.

“We are still waiting on Malcolm.” Ainsley pipped in.

Rolling her eyes, she picked up her fork and started eating.

“Y/n!”

“What? It’s not like he’s going to be on time, he never is. I say we start eating now.”

“She’s got a point.” Ainsley shrugged, taking a bite from the plate herself.

Just then all three heard the door open and slam shut, Malcolm walked in the dinning room, quickly taking a seat next to Y/n. “Sorry, I got caught up with a case.” Malcolm loosen his tie.

“Big surprise.” Y/n mumbled under her breathe, making Ainsley crack a smiled from across the table.

“You’re here now, that’s all that matters.” Jessica smiled at her son. “Let’s eat shall we.”

Everyone started eating, leaving an awkward silence. Nobody seemed to have a topic of conversation.

“So, Y/n. How’s school going?” Malcolm started, not seeming to like the tension in the room.

“Fine.”

“Yeah, Y/n. How is school?” Ainsley dragged out, her voice was teasing.

“Don’t make me come across this table Ainsley, I said it was fine.” Y/n gritted their teeth, already annoyed by what she was trying to do.

Since Y/n never saw Malcolm as much as Ainsley, she knew more about what went on in her daily life. Although, according to Y/n it was more like being nosy then anything else.

This comment had sparked an interest in Malcolm, of course picking up on Y/n defensive behavior. “What’s happening here?” Malcolm asked.

“Nothing.”

“Y/n has a crush.”

Shooting a glare at Ainsley, Y/n tried kicking her knee from across the table. “Stop being nosy.”

“Is this true?”

Y/n turned to Malcolm, instantly recognizing the look on his face. His protective nature was coming out, looking rather annoyed at the lack of response.

“Whatever, even if I did. It’s not yours or Ainsley’s business.” Y/n shrugged, taking another bite of food, hoping someone would change the topic.

“Y/n, you know I could just find out, Dani is really good at-“

“Absolutely not, don’t even try to go there! You keep to your life and I’ll keep to mine.” Y/n got up from her chair, grabbing her plate she walked up to her room.

“Well, that wasn’t so surprising.” Jessica casually stated, taking another sip of her wine.

“Did you know?” Malcolm turned to his mother now.

“Of course I knew Malcolm.” Jessica proceeded to drink her wine. “It probably wasn’t a good idea to say your police friends would get involved though.”

Malcolm sighed. “They don’t tell me anything, I barely get to see them, and when I do it’s always one sided.”

“Malcolm, have you ever thought that maybe you being gone all the time is the reason you don’t get told anything in the first place?” Ainsley pipped in.

Malcolm leaned back, taking a bigger sip of his wine. “I’m not gone that much.”

Just then Malcolms phone started ringing. Gil. “I gotta go.” Getting up from his chair, he proceeded to make his way to the front door. His hand was on the handle when-

“I wanna meet dad.”

Malcolm stopped dead in his tracks. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“What- Why would you wanna meet Dr Whitly? Where is this coming from?”

Y/n shrugged. “You see dad all the time, Ainsley herself did a whole interview with him! But anytime I even try suggesting to mom about seeing him, she freaks out. I wanna meet him.”

Malcolm shook his head. “No, absolutely not, that is a horrible idea. You don’t need to meet him.”

“Look. I get it. You wanna be all protective older brother. But you fail to realize that I’m asking you to meet dad, I could’ve just waited and gone myself. Instead I’m asking you so you can come with me.” Y/n leaned against the wall, messing with the hem of their shirt. “I love you enough to tell you I wanna see him, but when the day comes and I’m aloud to see him myself, I will go alone.

Malcolm sighed, walking over he pulled her in for a hug. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. You got out lucky being so young when everything happened. I would hate to see that crumble.”

“You can’t protect me from him my whole life. I gotta face him at some point. Besides you’ve already done so much, even the whole change the last name.” Y/n teased.

“Alright fine. But you can’t tell mom. She would not only kill me but might lock you in your room forever.” Malcolm said.

“You got yourself a deal Bright!” Y/n took out their hand.

Malcolm smiled. “And a deal yourself, Bright.” Shaking on it, Malcolm left to go meet up with Gil.

A few hours later, Malcolm texted Y/n saying he was outside. When the car pulled up, Malcolm started his rules on things to say and things not to say. Meeting Mr. David was a treat, he was super nice and welcoming. However Malcolm kept going on and on, until they finally got to the front door of the room.

“Malcolm. It’s okay, I get it.” He nodded, but he couldn’t stop his hand from tremoring.

Taking a hold of his hand, Y/n smiled reassuring at Malcolm. “Don’t worry, you’ll be there. You always got my back.”

Taking a breath Malcolm nodded to Mr. David. Giving him the okay to open the door, they both walked in, hearing the loud clank of it shutting behind them.

Martin was looking though a couple of his medical books. He didn’t look up, but he knew they were there.

“Malcolm my boy! You know how I love unexpected visits! I saw the news, quite an interesting turn of events on the case. Please tell me how I can assist.” Martin swivel in his chair. When he turned around he stopped when he realized there were two individuals.

“Why hello there, who’s this?”

Y/n tried not to let that comment get to them. It would only make sense that Martin wouldn’t know who they were. The last time Martin saw them was when he got arrested, and that was years ago.

“This is-“

“I’m Y/n Whitly!” Jumping in before Malcolm could respond.

Martin looked shock, his eyes looking up and down until he settled on Malcolm. “This is little Y/n? My baby?” Martin asked.

Malcolm sighed. “Yes, this is Y/n. Y/n Bright. Not Whitly.”

Y/n rolled their eyes. “Hi, uh, sorry. It’s just- well I’ve never really thought of what I was going to say, I just thought I could make it up as I got here.”

“Oh my sweet child! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!” Martin walked closer to the line.

Malcolm still was holding Y/n hand, which then began to tighten. Instead of moving closer to Malcolm, Y/n walked closer to Martin, standing in front of Malcolm now.

“Really? I mean- it’s been so long, I just thought maybe you forgot about me?” Y/n shrugged.

“Oh, no!” Martin protest. “My sweet child, I never forgot about you! I’ve always kept you in my mind with your brother and sister, it’s just so overwhelming to see you all grown up. I’ve really missed a lot haven’t I?” Before Y/n could say anything he continued.

“I mean, there’s so much to catch up on! How’s school going? Do you have any interest? Oh! Let’s start off easy. What’s your favorite color? Favorite food? How about a boyfriend or girlfriend-“

“Enough!” Malcolm cut in. He pulled Y/n back by her hand to try and put distance between them and Martin. “This is their visit, they can take all the time in the world to catch up.”

“Malcolm-“ Y/n hissed.

“No, your brother is right. I’m sorry.” Martin smiled brightly. “Go ahead, you go first. What would you like to know? Or perhaps tell me?”

Y/n stood there for a moment, knowing there was so much to ask but not enough time for the whole day. They could start with a favorite color, or food, but that was just meaningless things. Instead wanting to ask something a bit more meaningful.

Looking back to Martin who was waiting patiently for something to be said. “Was there ever a moment when you thought you could stop?”

Both Martin and Malcolm taken back by this, but they continued anyway. “Like- did you ever think that you would get caught one day, end up in here, miss out on everything, and never see your family again.”

Martin sighed. “I’ve thought it once or twice, but I never thought I would get caught, or rather... ratted out.” He started to walk around his side of the room, his chains dragging. “I’m so sorry I missed out on your life Y/n, but who’s to say I can’t catch up now!”

“But you wouldn’t have stopped, would you... I mean Malcolm knew what you were doing, and you were going to kill Gil that night anyway.” Y/n stated.

“Maybe, but Y/n you have to realize, it wasn’t my plan to come here, your brother-“

“Did an amazing job.” Y/n cut him off. “My brother did everything that should’ve been your job, and he did it great.”

Martin looked a bit nervous now, fidgeting with his handcuffs. “Y/n, my sweet-“

“I’m not your child.” Y/n stated. “And, biologically speaking you are my father, but Malcolm is my dad, my brother, my best friend. He made sure I was okay... even when I ignore him.” Looking to Malcolm, Y/n smiled  apologetically. “I thought coming here to meet you would help fill this hole of not having a father, maybe see if there was a chance that we could have had something. I see now that I was wrong, and if you would have never got caught, I would most definitely been worse off.”

“I know you are going though a lot of mixed feelings right now, but I assure you, I could be there for you. Give me a call, come by and visit, and you’ll see there is still a chance for us! We can still make this work Y/n. I can still be your father!” Martin encouraged.

“Maybe, but you’ll never live up to what Malcolms already given me.” Turning around towards the door, Y/n tugged Malcolm gently with her. “It was really nice to meet you Dr. Whitly. Maybe one day, we can form some type of relationship. Perhaps I’ll be proud enough to call myself a Whitly again, but for now, I think Bright suits me better.”

Walking towards the door, Mr. David opened it, moving to let them both pass.

“Don’t you worry Y/n! You’ll be proud to call me dad one day! I promise! Can’t wait until next time! Call me anytime! I’m always here for you!” Martin shouted from behind. Y/n didn’t say anything until they heard the metal door close.

Taking a breathe, Y/n leaned against the hallway wall. Their hands on the knees, thinking over what just happened. Malcolm squatted down in front of Y/n, taking their hands in his, he started to move circles with his thumbs.

“Are you okay?” Malcolm asked.

Nodding, Y/n looked up to him smiling. “Thanks for letting me come. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing out on much.”

Even though it was supposed to be sarcastic, there was still truth to what Y/n said. Malcolm leaned forward, kissing the top of their head. He pulled back and stood up straight, taking their hand in his. “Come on, let’s get home.”

Walking toward the exit Malcolm wrapped his arm around Y/n shoulder. “Did you really mean what you said? About me being like your dad? Also me doing amazing? Because sometimes I feel like I’m failing.”

“I know I give you a hard time, but I’m really glad to have you as my brother. I wouldn’t trade you for anything. You made sure I was always okay, sometimes too much, but I knew the love was always there. Thank you Bright.” Y/n smirked.

Smiling, Malcolm ruffled their hair. “Anytime Bright.”