#Thenamesh...themed?

[softquietsteadylove]

For the Maleficent AU:

Gil sneaks away to learn more about the humans who harmed Thena! And after he learns what happened and what kind of tradition is going on he decides to teach them a lesson 👀

"Why, thank you, dearie," the older woman smiled as Thena drifted down from the apple tree with a full bucket. The shorter, grey haired woman patted Thena's arm as she accepted the bounty picked for her. "So helpful."

Thena smiled at the woman as well, walking to her now-filled produce cart with her. "I am happy to lend my service."

She helped the woman push forward what was already in it, baskets of oranges and pears and grapes already picked. "You lot have all been very kind since you started showing up here."

Thena would be lying to say she wasn't relieved that the presence of fae like herself had been declared positive for the humans in the area. "I hope you'll let me continue to come and help."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be counting on it," the old woman laughed and batted at Thena's wings the way she might slap someone's arm. "You and that strong fella you bring with you are most welcome!"

Thena clasped her hands together, smiling at the ground. Gil had obliged her at every turn in her desire to spend more time with humans, often 'escorting' her further and further inland to do it.

"Where is that handsome specimen of yours?"

Thena frowned, looking around the field. A few other fae and humans were mulling about, but she was right; Gil was nowhere to be found. Thena adjusted her wings on her back, "hm."

"Oh, I'm sure it's fine, dearie," she offered as she moved towards the front of the cart. "My husband wanders off all the time, but he always finds his way home to me."

Thena smiled, helping the delicate woman ascend to the cart's front seat. "Thank you; I shall see you on our next flight from the nest."

"You fly safe, now!"

Thena laughed faintly, waving at the woman until she was turned around and guiding the horses pulling her into the city paths leading to the market. Once she was turned, Thena stretched her wings out.

It wasn't like Gilgamesh to drift away from his flock, even under the most peaceful of circumstances. In all the times they had flown to the mainland, he rarely strayed from her side at all.

She kept her eyes on the ground as she flew in wide circles, trying to survey the area through the treetops of the forest. It wasn't nearly as thick as the mystical Moors with their thorn walls, but it still wasn't easy to navigate.

She swerved towards a fairly solitary little house on the outskirts of the village nearest the city walls. She listened past the sound of the wind bending around her, her feathers rustling and the woods below.

The house was clattering from within.

She startled as two humans tumbled out of it, the door coming clean off as someone inside kicked it down. They scrambled in the dirt to escape but two massive wings with black feathers walked out behind them.

Thena dove.

"Please!" the older human - barely a man of twenty, by the looks of it - held out his hand. "Please, I'm sorry!" We didn't-"

Thena skidded in the dirt to land between the pathetic little humans and their predator. "Gilgamesh!"

"Thena," he frowned, not looking all that surprised to have been caught terrorising a couple measly mortals. "What are you doing here?"

"The farmers noticed you had slipped off," she clarified, still standing in front of the humans on the ground. She looked over her shoulder, "what in all spirits' name are you-"

The older one had a length of cord around his neck, holding a pendant of sorts. It was paler than ivory and larger than the fang of any beast. It was curved and pointed, although clearly aged.

Thena blinked, "is that-?"

Gil nodded, walking past her and leaning down to the snivelling boys. He pulled the cord right off the older one, "I asked around. A few pixies told me that they knew of some humans who told stories of their grandfather fighting in a great war in the Southern Isles."

Thena accepted the tip of her horn from him, shaved down and bound in the leather cord to be worn like a good luck charm.

Gil glared down at them, "maybe I should fashion something similar out of your teeth--see how you like it."

"Gil, stop it."

All three of them looked at her as she rolled her eyes as if they were young boys tousling for fun. Gilgamesh balked at her, "they were wearing your horn as a trinket, Thena."

"After their grandfather broke it," Thena finished, no latent trauma surrounding such an old injury. She met Gilgamesh's eyes, "more than a century ago."

"Y-Yes!--yes, exactly!" the younger one attempted to speak now that his brother's words had left him. "I-It was passed down to us, but we didn't-"

"I was told you parade it around proudly," Gil leaned down to glare at the younger boy in all his intimidating might. His wings bristled, "you stand in the town square and regale the people about how your grandfather felled a faerie and made off with this as his prize."

Thena sighed, pulling the boy back and away from Gil's snarling. She picked him up by the back of his tunic, although he wasn't entirely ready to stand on his own legs again. "Boys are showoffs when they're young. Ikaris used to ask people to dare him to see how far down he could swim before his wings became too heavy to resurface."

"Thena," Gilgamesh crossed his - massive - arms at her.

"Gilgamesh," she said much more gently, nudging the older one behind her as well. She tipped her chin up faintly, "I know they're wrong for it. I'm not saying I'm happy to know what they've done. But the crime isn't theirs."

Gil eyed the piece of horn in her hand. He shuddered, "it's detestable."

"That, it is," she sighed, looking down at it as if it were just some trinket and hadn't once been a part of her. "But it won't do anyone any good if you hold them responsible for the crimes of someone else's past."

Gilgamesh wilted, and she smiled at the resurfacing of that gentle heart he had. He was a strict guard and a valiant fighter, but she had come to learn that he was very sweet in nature. He stepped closer to her, "are you sure about this?"

"Quite," she promised, not moving in the slightest as he bent his face close to hers. Her eyes flicked up to his to prove her resolve. He had nice eyes.

Gil just barely moved his eyes from hers to the humans behind her, huddled down behind the protective veil of her wings. Gil took the liberty of moving them so he could glare at the boys unobstructed. "You're lucky. If she weren't here I'd be flying you out over the cliffs and dropping you in the sea."

The humans didn't need any more reason to turn and flee, their family heirloom all but forgotten.

Thena resettled her wings, giving him a reproachful smile, "you'll undo all of our hard work to improve our reputation in the area."

Gil sniffed, still watching the human boys run for their lives. He rolled his shoulders and his wings before chuckling, "that's not true. The humans here love you. If they need to think me a beast, then let them."

Thena shook her head with a smile. She moved behind him, finding his wings ruffled from the tussle of earlier. Her hands moved delicately, righting his feathers for him. "You are not a beast."

"No?" he asked over his shoulder as he let her preen his wings for him. He sounded humoured. "You don't find me scary?--even a little?"

"Please," she let out a tiny laugh as she moved her fingers over his shimmering black feathers with their earthy undertones. They were beautiful. "You are no more frightening than Druig thinks he is."

He hissed as if she had struck him, and her hands flinched back for a second, worried she had plucked something the wrong way. He laughed again, though, "comparing me to your brother? And the younger one, at that?"

Her laughter joined his, "only in that you might think yourself frightening, but I know for a fact that your heart is quite magnanimous."

With her hands done their work on his wings, he turned to face her again. His wings flexed behind him, refreshed. They really were beautiful; Thena clasped her hands behind her. He grinned at her, "know my heart well, do you?"

Thena gulped as he stepped closer. Her wings reflexively twitched, but she had them pinned against her back for exactly this reason. Their eyes danced around each other's faces. "I think I know it better than most."

It seemed her answer had succeeded in charming him--humouring him, at the very least. He reached out, and for a moment she thought he was going to touch her cheek. But his hand continued to the bone of her wing, smoothing out some of the small, downy feathers he had touched when he moved her wing before.

She shivered; no one had ever touched her wings like this before. Was this what it felt like when she had preened him?

He pulled his hand back and looked as if nothing had happened at all, "ready?"

"Hm?" she blinked, having lost all previous trains of thought.

"Ready to head back?" he asked with a nod of his head, and another smirk threatening to spread over his face.

Thena just nodded, offering a smile she hoped didn't look ruffled. He took off first, his wings spreading and lifting him into the air in one strong motion. They were really were beautiful wings.

[delphiniumblooms]

eternals ramblings from my rewatch today:

EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. ikaris makes an entrance he is accompanied by a huge swell of music, often the eternals theme, to the point where it almost feels like his theme. something to be said here about how he believes himself to be more Eternal than the rest

our first sight of sprite in modern era being her clearly trying to hook up with a guy but the moment he touches her the illusion breaks and she has to go - i cannot believe the pain of living for MILLENNIA in a child’s body she never got to do human things like romance or puberty or whatever

when they first go to earth sersi looks to ajak AND THEN IKARIS for reassurance/permission before going to make contact with the human kid 

watching sprite’s London convo with sersi knowing that she’s in love w ikaris and jealous of sersi hits different. she told sersi to move in with dane. it could be sweet, it could be a ploy to push sersi and ikaris further apart, it could be both bc family relationships are difficult like that and sprite clearly loves sersi even though she’s ‘always envied’ her

sersi TURNED THE GROUND INTO QUICKSAND to fight a deviant this is a big deal to me because i wrote a ton of speculation fic based on the trailers before the movie came out and i had her do exactly the same thing in a fight scene - not to toot my own horn but im impressed at how much i managed to extrapolate correctly just from the teasers

i CAN ACTUALLY TELL WHAT MAKKARI IS SAYING OH MY GOD I COULDN’T TELL THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE I WAS WATCHING A SHITTY PIRATED VERSION THAT DIDN’T SUBTITLE HER SIGNING

makkari’s last line is ‘the truth will set them free’. this is a bible verse. i don’t know if it’s intentional but they’re quoting jesus

sersi is such a jesus character to me. treats sprite and ikaris with love even though they hurt her massively

sprite is one of the most storytellers actually (gilgamesh did all these epic things. one day you and your people will sail around the world and make your own legends!)

how does ikaris know how to woo. did he watch the humans and learn from them? 

related: i think it’s super cute how he just. makes his regard for sersi clear by following her around everywhere like a puppy

thenamesh are just clintasha 2.0 (though to be fair it is fanon clintasha. but the him trying to stop her from attacking everyone and loving and protecting her even though she’s clearly unstable? screams clintasha)

i was so touched by sprite helping thena break out of the flashback by showing her illusions of her past like it works SO well

they should all have just stayed together. kingo was right. they should all have stayed together. they hurt each other but they also know how to help each other

touched by kingo’s loyalty to ikaris. man respected and loved his leader so much

also ‘i like watching him too’??? kingo darling sprite’s not the only one in love w ikaris

why is everyone in love with ikaris really if he betrayed them in the end

‘are you going to charm me or threaten me’? that’s probably why. he’s a leader. he’s the strongest one. he knows how to be charismatic and how to be firm, keep the peace, et cetera. half of them love him and the other half are wary of, even maybe jealous of him

it’s really interesting to me how druig listens to and respects sersi even though he hates ikaris’ guts. he obviously doesn’t see them as a unit. 

in fact everyone’s feelings towards each other are really intriguing i should chart a family tree but instead of ‘birthed’ and ‘married’ lines its ‘loves’ ‘hates’ ‘envies’ etc

the way sersi whisper shouts at ikaris and tries to pull him away they were both staring at jack and phastos but she knows it’s rude he doesn’t he’s just staring openly until she reminds him 

the way he SNATCHES THE BOOK FROM HER

phastos’ husband speaking arabic to him. karun speaking in hindi to the eternals. whenever anyone speaks in babylonian. i love the usage of foreign languages in english media and eternals does it so much and so well

the way makkari smiles at everyone and signs ‘ready to go home?’ when they come back to the domo hit me like a TON of BRICKS. she was the last one to find out. goddamn. i can’t imagine the existential crises they were all collectively going through no WONDER tempers were high no WONDER they fought

related: i’m sure they said a lot of things they didn’t mean especially phastos. ‘i’ve always wanted to clip your wings, ikaris’ doesn’t mean he actively hated ikaris the entire time. it’s just like you know when you find out someone did something shitty and your reflex response is to go ‘i ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE THAT KIND OF PERSON! YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THIS KIND OF PERSON!’ because memory bias you remember the shitty things more than the good things. same with ‘you did always underestimate [sersi]’. did ikaris really?? or did he live and fight with and watch and love her for five thousand years and conclude, like the rest of the others, like sersi herself, that sersi’s powers only go so far? her powers didn’t begin changing until she was selected as prime eternal. if ikaris underestimated sersi so did everyone including sersi herself.

my take on why ikaris did what he did - he wanted to believe that his previous actions were justified/had a purpose. he lied to everyone, he left his wife, he told no one the truth for years because ajak had him convinced that his life’s purpose was to serve the mission. and then ajak calls off the mission at the last moment. he didn’t want to believe that he had hurt other people, had hurt himself, for no reason. he couldn’t accept that his suffering was for nothing. he had to go through with the emergence because otherwise none of it mattered. and he couldn’t deal with that. ikaris i can tell isn’t good at dealing with the fact that he makes mistakes. he told sersi he was sorry and then flew headfirst into the sun. he smacks of eldest child syndrome AND gifted kid depression. 

ok for real this is the last bullet point. the writing was questionable. the editing was bad. the characters weren’t given enough establishing time - it was a bad idea to do such a huge story in movie format (it should have been a tv show). that said the actors put their whole actussy into this and you can tell chloe zhao tried her utmost best. it’s not a great movie but i still love it because i love this huge unconventional, complex family 

[softquietsteadylove]

Hey! Did you know that Don Lee actually released a song for an advertisement? It’s called B.D.T and his voice ist super nice in this song :D

You know it would be funny if Gil has actually a nice singing voice that he is not aware of and Thena discovers it coincidentally.

For Thenamesh Bodyguard AU:

he is softly singing for himself while preparing for work when Thena hears him and stands at the door without him noticing him and is suprised!

Thena inhaled as she woke gently. She was tangled up in her sheets, as she always was. Her limbs were spread out and she was looking up at the ceiling. Memories of last night's awards - and then after party debacle - came back to her.

Gil had taken her home.

She was always exhausted after awards or show nights, and something about Gil always lulled her into a state of sleep when she was alone with him. He just made her feel more at ease than anyone else.

Thena dragged herself out of bed, finding herself still dressed from last night, because of course she was. Kingo would kill her for sleeping in her beautiful and expensive piece of couture (especially since she slept like a bird fallen from the sky). But also of course Gil wouldn't have undressed her. He was probably embarrassed just to take her shoes off for her.

She dropped the dress to the floor, leaving it where it fell and moving to pull on a much more comfortable set of pyjamas and fluffy robe. The dress was already in a sorry state, it couldn't suffer any more on her floor than it could being slept in. She would pay for it in full and apologise to its maker.

"Gil?" Thena poked her head out of her bedroom, hearing humming and the gentle sounds of cooking coming from her kitchen. She tiptoed out into her flat.

Gil was at the stove, moving around a few different pots and pans at once. He was a gifted cook, which she only learned recently in their time together. She had mentioned she was craving good jjajangmyeon and asked if he had any recommendations. He didn't--he had simply made some at home and brought it over.

It was the best food she'd ever eaten.

Thena leaned against the doorway separating the foyer/living room/kitchen from the depths of the flat. Gil was in his own little world, stirring miso soup and frying eggs and fluffing rice and plenty else. He was humming, breaking into full - but still gentle - singing every few seconds.

He had a surprisingly lovely voice, soft, right in his speaking register. It was smooth, although the lower he went the more roughness his voice attained. He had good breath support, even a healthy vibrato just at the end of some of his notes.

Thena didn't recognise the tune, but she didn't want to interrupt to ask.

Gil was halfway through plating when he jumped, catching a ghost hovering by the far wall. "Jesus, Thena--how long have you been there?"

"Sorry," she smiled, drifting over with her robe swaying around her legs. "I didn't want to stop you."

"Oh," he sufficed to say, blushing faintly at being caught.

"How did I not know you could sing?" she shook her head at him with a bit of a squint in her eyes.

"I don't know if I'd say that," he chuckled, setting out breakfast for them both (knowing Thena didn't like being watched while she was trying to eat). "Especially to a famous singer."

"It's nice," she corrected gently, watching as he set out their side dishes for them. The scent of jasmine rice and barley tea washed over her, settling her typically unruly stomach.

"My grandmother used to listen to old radio songs while she cooked," Gil shrugged as he pulled up a seat next to her at the kitchen counter elevation. "Guess it was in my head."

Thena inhaled all the intermingling smells deeply before picking up her chopsticks. "This looks amazing, Gil."

He kept his eyes on her, measuring how much of an appetite she had based on the size of her bites. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she smiled at him before shovelling in a massive bite of rice. "Honestly--I know it'll be a messy affair to deal with. But I'm not traumatised."

Gil frowned, obviously ready to argue that she had every right to feel shaken by what he had witnessed last night. Perhaps it was how he felt about it personally--as a man with strength to spare, Gil was always nervous about people feeling unnecessarily intimidated by him. Even as her security, he was careful about being gentle with her.

He would never invade someone's space the way he had watched Eros do with her last night.

Thena set down her bowl and looked over at Gil, setting her hand on his. "I'm okay, Gil."

He stared at her hand, smaller and thinner than his, but with long, elegant fingers made for the world of music. He turned his hand over to clasp her fingers in his. "I was worried--looking over, seeing him...on you, like that."

Thena just nodded. She was taking things lightly because she had the luxury of knowing she had Gil's protection. But she couldn't imagine the stress it put on him.

Gil pulled his eyes up to her, finding her looking at him with a curious expression on her face. He didn't know exactly what it was, and he was pretty damn familiar with every expression Thena had. "What?"

"Hm?"

"What?" he chuckled, his hand still holding hers.

"I didn't say anything," Thena laughed gently as well, the sound of it and the city outside and fridge's ice maker filling her flat around them.

Gil shook his head. He could ask her about it later. He left his left hand around hers, using his right to cut his egg in half and scoop up it along with some rice. "Here."

"I have my own," Thena laughed as he moved the bite atop his chopsticks closer and closer.

"Thena," he grinned at her as her fluster increased. She accepted the bite, leaning forward for it and scraping her teeth down his chopsticks. "Good."

She raised a brow at him, and he knew she was about to start talking with her mouth full. "You're lucky your food's so good."

"Very," he agreed for the sake of it, cutting up a piece of flaky mackerel for her next. She shook her head. "Yes, Thena."

She pouted at him; fish wasn't her favourite, no matter how much her personal trainer tried to convince her to try it.

Gil gave her hand in his a squeeze, pulling it up and just hovering his lips around it, "one bite."

Thena blinked, accepting the bite as Gil touched his lips just above her manicured nails. She didn't even taste the pan fried fish, took focused on the more pleasant sensation. "Not bad."

"Want another?" Gil asked, although she shook her head immediately. "Fine, have some omelette."

Gil continued feeding her through the morning, ignoring Kingo's texts, ignoring that it was his day off and he technically was under no obligation to be by Thena's side. He ignored the fact that he literally had no food at all in his fridge at his own apartment.

He continued to feed Thena, one bite at a time, both of them talking and laughing lightly as he did. She fed him the occasional bite off her plate. Their hands remained linked between them, no matter how impractical.

[softquietsteadylove]

We need a little humor fic on Thenamesh Pokémon au! A Pokémon kidnapping Gil because she thinks he is so cute and hast to be hers. Would be funny!

Love your prompts btw keep going! You are doing amazing ❤️

Thena's jaw dropped--it dropped like a baby Skarmory plummeting from its nest for the first time. "G-Gil?!"

"Thena!" he choked out from within the grips of his captors. "Help!"

But he was in the middle of a nest of Bewear--physically, probably one of the strongest pokemon breeds in the world. The only reason he hadn't been crushed was because they were obviously fond of him.

Thena was already on her way over when she felt Gallade's hand(?) on her shoulder. She looked up at her battle partner, "but-"

"Gallade," it shook its head, expressing his need to protect her. Even with its fighting/psychic typing, it just wasn't wise to barge in on a pack of Bewear. And frankly, it knew that if it came between its trainer and Ranger Gil, it would be picking Thena.

"We can't just leave him like this," Thena waved her hands at Gil, being held rather tightly by one Bewear in particular, hugging and petting him like a stray it had found and taken in.

She had actually been called specifically because Gil hadn't reported after his last area check, and the ranger station had called her to investigate his last known location. They had every faith that she could take on the very friendly - but also very dangerous - breed of pokemon. And she had every faith in her ability to do so.

Although she had left Teddiursa at home with Ninetales, just in case.

"Gallade?" he leaned down to ask her what the plan was. They were still at enough of a distance that the adorable/terrifying pokmeon weren't considering them a threat...yet.

"I'm thinking you and Froslass," Thena whispered back, pulling up the other luxury ball attached to her belt. Her long shirt-dress billowed around her, unbuttoned over her white shorts underneath.

"Gal?" it asked, looking around at the sheer number of pokemon around them, even those not interested in keeping Gil like a pet.

"You're right, it's way too many," Thena agreed, letting Froslass out of her luxury ball as quietly as possible.

"Fross?" it tilted its head at her, not used to being confined to the pokeball, even outside of the house.

"I need you to start some snow for us," Thena whispered, pointing to the pack of Beware. "Boost your defense, give Gallade some cover for a sneak attack."

"Froslass," she nodded. The ghost/ice type was already fond of Gil (and had even met him under circumstances similar to these).

"We're only here to get Gil out safely," Thena instructed her pokemon before unleashing them. "We're not here to finish this fight. As soon as we can run, we're going to."

They nodded.

"Go!"

Gil looked around him, trying not to panic from within the arms of the Bewear. Thena was always telling him that if he kept wandering right up to wild pokemon he was going to get himself into trouble one day.

Powdered snow started falling in the immediate area. The Bewear all looked around them, most of them unfamiliar with the climate given their borderline tropical preference in forest territory.

Thena crept from tree to tree, watching as Gallade used its speed to get in close and hypnotise all the Bewear it could in as short a time as possible. She knew that he had assumed she would hang back and let them handle things, but she never said expressly that she would. She crept around the tree and whispered, "Gil!"

Gil's voice was muffled as the female Bewear hugged him closer.

"No, no, please!" Thena held out her hands, watching as Gil started to gasp for breath. "Just...gentle...with him."

"Bee?" the pink pokemon looked at Thena curiously. At the very least, it didn't seem to have a particularly aggressive nature.

"I'm his friend," Thena placed a hand on her chest, trying to offer some humility to the frighteningly strong pokemon in front of her. She crept closer as subtly as possible. "I'm here to take him home--please."

"Bewear," the pokemon pouted, cuddling Gil against its fur again. She was very determined that her claim on Gil was inarguable. After all, she was the one who had found him wandering around on his own. And he was awfully cute. "Be-Bewear."

"I know he's cute," Thena said before she could really stop to think about it. Her eyes caught Gil's for just a second before she looked at Bewear again, feeling warmth rush to her cheeks. "But he has to go back to the ranger centre."

"Bewear?" it turned to her, still holding Gil (but slowly and surely loosening her grip).

Gil gasped for breath as if he'd been underwater.

"Yes," Thena nodded, still trying to reach for him, "he's very important to me."

Bewear loosened its grip on Gil. It looked down at him, holding him out between its paws the way a child would examine a pokedoll. It looked at him, and then at Thena. "Be...wear?"

Thena groaned in the back of her throat. This was a serious--in many ways, it could escalate to a life or death situation. But to be humiliated by a wild pokemon; "yes, he's...mine."

The Strong Arm pokemon looked between them again before her ears drooped, accepting that she couldn't very well keep a pet that already belonged to someone else. "Bewear."

"Thank you," Thena brightened, accepting Gil with open arms as he stumbled against her. "It's very sweet of you to let him go."

"Wear," the pokemon waved her paw at them, telling them to leave before her bad mood got the better of her.

"Gil, can you walk?" Thena whispered, although Gil was swaying on his feet and looking a little light headed. Probably not, "Gallade?"

Her partner appeared, ever faithful and trusty. He didn't look particularly pleased, but he was there, "Gal?"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," she apologised for the worry she knew she had caused him, "but please. Gil can't walk home like this."

"Gallade," he sighed, picking Gil up on his back and nudging Thena along.

"Froslass?" Thena called out, assured when her mischievous ghost appeared next to her, only for the blink of an eye. But it was enough, "let's get home."

"Thena?" Gil groaned from Gallade's back, head swimming and only further confused by finding a pack of Bewear asleep on the ground with snow falling around them. "What happened?"

Thena smiled up at him, patting his arm as they made their way back to clearer pastures. "Don't worry, we've got you. A young Bewear took a liking to you, but we got you out."

Gil sighed, "of course you did."

Thena kept an eye on him, settling against Gallade's back again (much to her partner's chagrin). "H-How much do you remember?"

"Mm," Gil hummed with his eyes still closed. "I lost it a little bit in the middle there. I remember you negotiating with Bewear like a pro. How'd you convince her to let me go?"

Thena, despite Gil's closed eyes, still looked around the other side of the path as she blushed, "just...told her it wasn't nice to keep people who already have a home."

"Hm," Gil nodded, only half absorbing what she was saying.

Gallade rolled his eyes. How much was one pokemon expected to endure of his own trainer flirting (not well, but flirting all the same).

[softquietsteadylove]

What do you think it would have happened if Thena didn't get Madh Wy'ry? Someone else would have gotten it?

This is actually a fascinating concept.

Because here's the thing: in the movie, Thena developing Mahd Wy'ry is set up as this big thing and the reason the Eternals really went their separate ways. But I've touched on it a few times, in which they were hurtling towards an end where they would split up anyway. Their mission was done, it was highly likely they would split up eventually, if not immediately.

But I think it's the way it happened that's really interesting.

Essentially, it inserts this urgency to it that makes it a plot point in the movie. Druig is at his breaking point, they can no longer live as gods in a world among humans, they have to find a way to exist without the mission driving them. This is the beginning of Ikaris' unravelling, in my opinion--even though he's known the truth of the mission since Babylon, he's the one who suggests they stay together. Conversely, Kingo is the one who suggests Mahd Wy'ry is simply too dangerous to be left unchecked. He's the one who most believes in the little family they have, and that means protecting them even from themselves.

And then there's Gil. It was never even a question for him. From the line "Thena, please" until "I'll watch over Thena", there is not a word from him. It's not a debate, it's not up for discussion. Even when Ajak tells him he might have to kill Thena one day, he doesn't argue. He looks at Thena, who is reeling from all that's happening, and he says that risk is worth it to him.

Now, do I think someone else would have developed Mahd Wy'ry? I honestly think my answer is no.

I think Mahd Wy'ry works the best with Thena because it really makes choice a strong theme in the story. The Eternals are kind of inactive protagonists--they get plopped onto Earth with this mission and go "okay". They remain neutral in countless global events because it's not their place to interfere. Mahd Wy'ry makes a very clear choice have to be made: are you more than your mission?

Gil chooses to stay with Thena, just like Thena chooses to keep her memories at the cost of her health. And this smaller choice affects them for almost a thousand years going forward. They choose to stay together, and they also choose to go back to the fight. And I really think it encourages the other choices made in the movie. Kingo chooses to not be a part of a selective good that technically does more harm, even if hypothetical. Sprite desperately wants the choice to experience age, even if that comes with suffering and death. The Eternals all chose to separate, except for Thenamesh, but they also choose to come back together despite their annoyance with each other. And Sersi chooses to protect Earth, and humanity. She is prepared to pay an incredible cost, but she decides that human life is worth it.

I think that's what makes Eternals such a beautifully human experience. The beauty of life and love and getting things wrong and coming back anyway--the choice to love something flawed, and protect something even at a cost.

[softquietsteadylove]

It’s mistlefoe season… we need some spicy Thenamesh holiday content

"Wow."

Sersi smiled at Gil admiring the snow falling with his nose practically pressing his nose to her window. "It's been a while since you've seen it, I suppose."

"Don't know how many years," he murmured as he admired the gentle snowfall beginning to blanket London. "And it definitely wasn't with all the lights and stuff."

Sersi laughed faintly, "it actually is quite lovely. Dane loves the holiday season."

Gil turned away from the window and nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets, "does he have family traditions and stuff?"

"Dane has," Sersi paused smiling faintly, "interesting family lineage. But he does enjoy the usual human things--making cookies, gingerbread houses, themed films."

"Have fun," Gil waved to his sister as she waved to him on her way out. She had left him and Thena her flat while they were visiting, stating that it was no trouble since she stayed with Dane most nights these days anyway.

Dane had made the mistake of asking if they would like to use his flat's guestroom, to which Thena had told him directly that she preferred her own space should they wish to 'exercise physical intimacy'. Dane had gone rather red while Sersi had admonished Thena for deliberately embarrassing for her own amusement.

But having their own space was what they were used to, after all. Gil stepped away from Sersi's window and slowly moved towards her bedroom. Thena had immediately said her goodbye to Sersi and headed right to the bedroom.

She needed to prepare something, she said.

Gil drifted to the door and knocked gently, "you okay, hon? Can I come in?"

"Indeed."

Gilgamesh opened the door, ready to jump on the nice big bed and cuddle his wife after a nice day of visiting. He stopped short at the door, his hand dropping off the handle and his jaw opening. "Holy shit."

"It is customary to give gifts," Thena declared completely seriously from her place on the bed, sitting up with her legs curled in front of her and her hair twisted over her shoulder. "But we require nothing."

"Uh," Gil swallowed dryly, eyeing the long legs on the green duvet. "Y-Yeah."

"But when Sersi was in a cosmetics store," Thena continued in her borderline scientific explanation as he practically floated over to her. "They were saying that a man would appreciate most something...physical."

Gil just nodded, eyeing his wife's naked body with a ribbon tied around it. It was a wide, red thing, long and wound around her several times.

"This was what I purchased," she concluded, gesturing to the ribbon, and where it was attempting to bind and support her breasts like a mummy wrapping.

"I love it," Gil murmured completely dumbstruck, crawling onto the bed. "I love you."

Thena finally smiled, leaning forward only slightly to kiss him, letting him clamber over her in the centre of the bed and its many, many pillows. She laughed as they landed backwards, Gilgamesh kissing her loudly and hungrily. "Does this gift satisfy you?"

He pulled away to grin at her, touching the tip of his nose to hers before reaching for the end of the bow under her ribs. "Satisfies me every time, hon."

Thena received more of his kissing, as well as his tongue seeking out hers. "Eager."

"For you?" he grinned at her again, finally undoing the fine, silky ribbon and replacing its touch on her skin with his hands. "For this?--always."

Thena purred as he ran his hands down her waist and to her hips, helping her shimmy out of the remainder of the ribbon until she was completely exposed.

Gil nearly howled as he pulled it away, catching some evidence of her own eagerness sticking to the ribbon. He brought it to his lips, "I should unwrap it properly."

Thena leaned back against their many pillows, her hair tumbling around her as he parted her knees around his shoulder and licked up her thigh. "Gil."

He listened to her sighs become moans as he latched onto her, letting his tongue explore her as if for the first time, and not one of thousands upon thousands. He always liked to explore her body like it was a gift--he was well practised for this 'gifting season'.

"Gil," Thena panted, her back arching and her hips squirming as he pushed his tongue into her. She moved her hips against him as well, but his strength helped him keep her from bucking him away. "Gil, yes!"

He always liked to have a taste of her before the main course. She thought it was ridiculous that he would apply flavour analogies to their lovemaking. But it was his nature, and it was what he loved! And surely using his perfect palette on what he loved most in the world - her - was the best way to utilise it.

"Gil!" Thena arched her back up higher, lifting her hips to meet him more aggressively. "There, right there!"

He repeated exactly what she asked. His Warrior Eternal knew what she desired, and he liked that she took exactly that. He pushed his lips harder against her clit.

"Fuck!"

He liked it when she cursed, too. They sounded sexier when she did it.

Thena purred, shimmying around on top of the cotton sheets, her thighs trembling as he helped her lie more comfortably, her knees folding passively.

Gil leaned over her, kissing her again. "You good?"

"Hm," she responded in the affirmative. He pulled her into his embrace, letting her feel the weight of his chest against hers. She went to the trouble of rolling her head forward again to look at him. "Satisfied?"

"Very," he chuckled, kissing her again. "And I can't wait for us both to have the finisher."

Thena rolled her eyes at him calling the act of physical intercourse a 'finisher' to a 'tasting menu' again.

He kissed her again instead. He had torn his clothes off while she was recovering from her orgasm, not needing much time to throw them all away and leave him as bare as her.

Thena moaned against his lips, the sound travelling through them both as he pushed into her in the same breath. Her legs made room for him, her foot dragging up the back of his leg. She dragged her hands up his back, digging into the meat of his shoulders briefly before sinking into his hair.

Gil pushed his elbows into some of the many pillows around them to change his angle. Thena whined, changing the angle of her hips as well. "How long?"

"Hm?" she blinked, having had her eyes closed in bliss (which he always considered him doing a good job).

"How long?" he repeated, thrusting into her. He grasped the ribbon that was still stuck under them, pressing it between his thumb and knuckle. "When did you buy this? Were you really carrying it around all day?"

Thena merely nodded, not feeling the need to explain herself. Especially not her plan to seduce him with her naked body using ribbon from a craft store. "Hours."

He buried his face in her neck, nipping and then licking down to the dip of her clavicle. "Maybe it's good you didn't tell me. I'd have taken you into some changing room or something."

Thena grinned like a devil, "again."

Sersi had been so mortified that she had refused to exit the mall at the same time as them lest she be associated by witnesses. Thena had stated that the door was locked, so they were technically not indecent had they not 'called the authorities'.

"It was fun, though," he also smirked as he started moving faster. "Hey, we're on vacation."

"Honeymoon number...?" Thena prompted before letting her head fall back again, her hands linked behind his neck.

"Can't remember," he chuckled, picking up speed again. He bent his legs, helping him lean up so he could grasp her hips and really thrust hard and fast. "I'm thinking of other things--fuck!"

"Yes, almost, almost," she panted and gasped, digging her nails into him again. "Fuck me."

He loved it when she said that. "You comin' with me, sweetheart?"

Thena arched her back all the way off the bad, her toes spreading out and then curling. "Gil!"

She loved it when he called her sweetheart.

Gil followed her swiftly, needing only a few more moves to fall over the edge with her. He leaned over her again, letting their bodies writhe together, all the softness, all the hardness, all parts knocking into each other beautiful and ungracefully. "Fuck!"

Thena was happy to grind their hips together as they both rode out their highs. She undulated around him lazily, her hands drifting over him as she luxuriated in the sheer warmth of him.

He panted into the side of her cheek, her hair pillowing his head. He lifted his head to kiss under her jaw, "you good?"

"Entirely."

Then he had accomplished his mission. He nuzzled her again before leaning up. Thena wasn't going to bother moving at all unless he moved her himself.

She did whine faintly as he pulled away from her, bringing her legs together as he slipped out of her. "And where are you going?"

"We're not at home, Thena," he chuckled, retrieving a towel to dab at her sheening skin.

"And?" she sighed with a smile, letting him run it over her skin the way a cat would allow itself to be petted.

"And I'll make us something to eat too," he promised as a reward for enduring the bore that was aftercare. He wrapped her up in the duvet and pulled her up into his arms. "Sersi stocked the kitchen for me. I should make use of it, shouldn't I?"

"Very well," she sighed, letting him carry her with him for sustenance. "Shall we be returning after our meal break, then?"

If she wanted to, they could go all night. He kissed her forehead, "the gift that keeps on giving, right?"

[softquietsteadylove]

We need more Thena and jack stories!

Let’s say thenamesh and jacks family go to a big amusement park when suddenly 4 giant deviants attack.

Let there be action and a little drama!

"Do you want some ice cream, Aunt Thena?"

She smiled, prying her eyes open and looking down at the kindest hearted human in all the galaxy. "You should be enjoying it, no?"

Jack twisted his little lips and turned the heaping dish of ice cream around in his hand a few times. "Hm, I think it'll be too much for me to eat by myself."

Thena smiled. She had heard loud and clear the urging by Jack to get the three scoop cup, despite his father's insistence that it would be too much for young Jack. He had asked for the three scoops with the intent on sharing. She leaned and pressed her lips to his hair, "thank you, Jack."

The boy blushed, offering the dish to her.

Thena picked up the spoon and took a delicate bite of the strawberry scoop. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, lots of fun," he mused idly, swinging his feet off the edge of the bench upon which she had been seated for the last hour. He squinted as the light filtering through the tree over them shifted and changed. "Are you?"

This amusement park was a nightmare designed specifically to be her own personal hell.

Jack had insisted she and Gil come with them, though. Jack always wanted them to be included when they went on family outings, and it was endearing to no end. So Thena endured car rides and school functions and the general crowding of city life for her nephew.

He had let her decline to actually go on rides, though. She had found this bench for herself in the shade, close enough to see them but far enough that she wasn't in the depths of the crowds.

"I am," she smiled, and he pursed his lips at her (in the way that she often did). It made her laugh, ruffling his hair again, "so long as you are."

"Well, okay," Jack accepted, taking a scoop of chocolate for himself while she had more strawberry. "I'm glad Uncle Gil is having fun."

Uncle Gil was currently on a ride with Ben which consisted of going through a completely dark section of tunnel on a rickety metal boat at unacceptable speeds.

"I believe he is quite enjoying the experience," Thena smiled even more. She wasn't sure how else poor Gilgamesh was supposed to experience the thrill of a theme park, so she was happy to be part of that for him as well.

"I've tried going on that ride before," Jack said quietly, looking at his black and purple sneakers. "Baba loves it, but it's too dark for me, and I think it makes Dad carsick."

Phastos was better than Thena when it came to automobiles, but it seemed that the accelerated speed and jerky turns of the rides also reduced him to a motionsick mess.

"Then we can enjoy our ice cream together," she suggested gently. If Jack was going to be melancholy for even a moment of his day of fun, she would not have it.

"'Kay!" he beamed up at her, with his teeth becoming less gappy as time went on. According to Phastos, he was in the process of losing all his small teeth and growing new ones.

What amazing processes the human body could endure.

Thena looked around the park. People were mulling around along the concrete pathways. The sun was beaming, but there was at least a breeze to rustle the trees and people's hair. For as little as she had experienced major metropolitan areas, this was by far the most bustling. There were people everywhere, several children crying as loud as they could, the sounds of machinery, of people screaming in joy. It was a lot to process.

She looked around. Something didn't seem right. It was just something at the edge of her mind, but it didn't feel like the beginning of an episode. Although, even then, she needed to have eyes on Gilgamesh. "Where are your fathers?"

Jack watched her looking around, swivelling her head like a bird of prey. "Uh, Dad said he was gonna look up places to eat after we leave. And the ride Baba went on with Uncle Gil is that way."

Thena followed the point of jack's finger to a line of people no more than a kilometre away. She stood sharply, holding their cup of ice cream, "they should be done by now."

Jack scrambled to his feet to join her. He was no longer so young that he was willing to hold hands just for the sake of it. But he was used to the nervousness that existed in her at times. He reached up, tugging at the sleeve of her white dress. "Aunt Thena, are you okay?"

She inhaled. She could feel something in the air. Something familiar, but also distant in her mind. And her Cosmic Energy was crackling inside of her. "Jack, I think something is coming."

"Like," he huddled somewhat closer to her, "bad guys?"

"Possibly," she murmured. She was thinking more along the lines of a horrific creature designed to look like a beast and a nightmare rolled into one. But she gave Jack's hand a gentle squeeze, "nothing will happen to you, Jack."

He looked up at her with wide eyes, "are you gonna fight them?"

"If I must." She would do what was necessary to protect the humans here, most of all, this human child.

"W-What about Uncle Gil, and Dad?" Jack continued, tugging at her sleeve more to dissuade her from seeking them out. "They'll fight whatever it is. You could let them handle it."

Thena stopped in her hurried steps, looking down at the worrisome boy beside her. "Jack?"

His little lip tightened, both of his hands attempting to anchor her wrist where she stood. "Don't go."

Thena's heart ached. In all her years on the planet, she had no experience to compare with this one. She had never felt the desire to turn away from the fight like she did now, just because Jack asked it of her.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut as she knelt down in front of him, kissing his forehead on the way.

She collected his tiny hands between hers. He would grow up so fast, his hands probably becoming larger than her own in no time. He would become a fine young man, then a grown man, just like his fathers. But that could only happen if she used every breath in her lungs to protect him. "I do not wish to leave you, Jack. But I will let the planet split apart at the seams before any harm shall come to you."

Before he could dissuade her further with his big teary eyes and wobbly lip, she turned away, looking through the crowds. A human would have no hope of seeing from their distance, but she picked out the head of her husband in an instant.

He looked their way, already frowning. He knew as well.

Thena scooped Jack up under her arm and jumped. If she moved fast enough she could probably remain undetected. It was a mere matter of dropping Jack at the feet of his father so she and Gil could deal with the danger at hand. "Do not leave your father's side!"

They were gone in a flash. If there were people recording their surroundings, they would look like blurs of motion. And the world was growing increasingly used to happenings like this.

"I thought they were gone," Gil voiced beside her as they ran towards the outer edge of the park.

"I cannot say I'm surprised by anything, at this point in time," she lamented as they skidded to a halt before leaping over the outer fence. The threat was still far enough away that those inside weren't panicked yet. They may be yet able to stop them within the parking lot.

"You two are show offs."

Thena offered no comment to her snarky brother, already summoning her blades to her hands. The bracelets around her wrists tightened around her skin. "You should be with Ben and Jack."

Phastos huffed at her, his rings floating around them with a gentle tinkling of metal. "They're fine. And I am not leaving you two to handle these things alone."

"How many are there?" Gil asked him, needing no further preparation than clenching his fists.

"Looks like four," Phastos looked at the palm of his hand. "And they're big."

"Then we will have to stop them here," Thena declared. She looked at her hands, reminding herself why she was holding weapons in the first place. No matter what, she could not leave this post. What was behind them was far too precious to risk.

"Hey," Gil whispered to her, touching the back of his fist to hers. Their Cosmic Energy sparked and fizzled at the contact. "You're not alone here, okay? Just stay close to me."

She looked at her husband, trying not to think of the last time they had been in combat. She nodded.

"You two take those ones!"

Phastos faced down the two larger ones prowling closer. They looked crocodillian, massive maws of teeth and scuttling legs at their sides. He thrust his fists forward, leashing them together with lassos of energy.

"Gil!"

He didn't need to be asked, grasping her by the waist and launching her up into the air. The flying ones were always the most troublesome. And this one would be capable of flying over the fences and walls and plucking those inside like ripened berries.

Thena grabbed onto its foot, already enough to shifts its balance. She reached up, climbing up its form until she could strike out, driving her blade through the membrane of its wing.

The winged beast roared as they plummeted, crashing to the ground again. Its body was met with the frame of several cars below. Thena tumbled off and away, rolling a few times before scraping her feet against the pavement. She wished she had the durable boots of her armour, but she was in sandals and a light sundress.

"Y'okay, T?!" Phastos called out from holding the other two at bay, with Gil grasping the tusks of the third one.

She didn't bother answering. They would know she was fine by that. It was if she called out them that would mark cause for alarm. She pulled up her blades again, sticking one straight through the underside of the Deviant's 'beak' and through its head. "One down."

Phastos did what he did best - one of several things, to his credit - sending an electrical current through the creatures tethered to him. They writhed in agony. "Finish 'em off!"

Gil tossed away the tusked one's positively mammoth body just to turn around and deliver a bone shattering punch to one of them. It was easy to tell it was effective when the Deviant's eyes exited the cranial cavity.

Thena leapt over the other one, easily landing with her blade pointed down, driving it in similar to how she had taken down the winged one. She was not going to waste time on these things. They were interfering with Jack's fun day. "That one."

Gil shook out his fist after killing one of the reptilian ones, only to look at the tusked one again, which was dragging its front feet to signal being ready to charge. "You ready, baby?"

Thena grinned. She had almost forgotten what a thrill the hunt could be. The battle thrummed through her veins as she took her stance beside her lover. "Always."

Gil focused his energy into his feet, driving them into the concrete and refusing to budge as he caught the elephantine Deviant by the tusks again. "All yours!"

Thena jumped onto one of the tusks as her launching point, twisting and leaping over its head to the back of it. There was quite a hump there, and clearly it was built to b e durable. But she wasn't going to hack at it blindly (who was she, Ikaris?).

The Deviant bellowed as she found the softness where its neck and head connected, and pierced. The creature reared up on its hind legs in one last ditch effort to rid itself of her.

Thena leapt off, flipping over a few times before landing. She'd had her feet out to land, but she found herself in her husband's arms. She blinked at him.

He smiled at her, "one of your sandals is torn, hon. Don't wanna ruin them before we get home."

She laughed; what a sweet Eternal her husband was. She nuzzled and then kissed his cheek as dust and wind rushed around them, signalling the fall of the largest Deviant.

"Seriously?" Phastos rolled his eyes at them, cleaning off his glasses with his shirt collar. "Can we go?"

Indeed, they had to go. New castors were arriving, crowds building. If they wanted even a semblance of a chance of escaping, it had to be now.

Thena sighed, "where is Sprite when you need her."

"C'mon," Phastos motioned to them to follow him, taking a roundabout route closest to the emerging crowds. They could blend in and pretend to be early spectators.

Gil laid his light jacket over her shoulders, "you feel okay?"

Thena looked down at the bracelets around her wrists. Her powers were in check and her mind was clear. She nodded, letting him kiss her cheek as they melded back into the human masses.

"Aunt Thena!"

She blinked, receiving a bundle of human youth hurtling at her. She patted his shoulders, "you should not have run off from your father, Jack."

"Are you okay?!"

She melted; how could she not, in the face of those big puppy eyes? She sighed, letting him cling to her after she had disappeared from his side so suddenly. They continued back into the depths of the park, Ben mere steps behind his son. "I am."

Ben put his hands on his hips as his husband also rejoined them. "Should I expect alligators if we ever go to Six Flags?"

Phastos rubbed his husband's back as they walked towards the other end of the park. "You know we can't go there, babe."

"Why not?" Thena asked with Jack still clinging to her as Gil patted his head to reassure him.

"It's all water," Phastos sufficed to say, and she had to agree. They all sank like stones (them and their semi-inorganic bodies, and all).

"Aunt Thena, will you come to Six Flags if we go?"

This boy--her one weakness! She sighed, "of course."