#and Thena is like no it wasn't bye

[softquietsteadylove]

Hey! For the Actor AU:

In the last interview Eros was bitching around and tried to humiliate Gil. How about in the same interview the host decide to play a little game. Do you know these electronic boxing punch maschines to test out your strength? It’s a little fun game and Eros is trying extra hard because he is very sure Gil is too old or too weak to hit it very hard. So everybody hits and Eros gets pretty arrogant because in this moment he has the highest point hoping to impress Thena. until it’s time for Gil. He is a bit shy but Thena challenges him to use his full strength and he does because it’s Thena duh! Pretty sure Eros shut his mouth very quickly :D

"I hate these things," Thena murmured as they prepared to start airing again on the live talk show.

She rarely participated in silly little games like this.

"Me too," Gil sighed back to her, the two of them hovering in a little unit of their own during the commercial break. His hands were stuffed deep into his jeans pockets, "y'know, you don't have to participate if you don't want to. I'll take your turn for whatever stupid thing we're about to do."

Thena beamed at him, tilting her head and letting her hair drift over her shoulder as she did, "you're too sweet."

Gil blushed.

He shrugged his shoulders, still hunched in on himself as if trying to hide himself away, "just volunteer to judge for us. That'll get you out of whatever bullshit is about to happen."

Thena laughed lightly with Gil until the audience was seated again. She sighed as they were called back to their marks.

"So, it's no secret that this cast has no slouches in the stunt department!"

Thena tried to keep her wince off her face, although she was already imagining what they were about to be put up to.

"So why not test it?"

All heads turned as a carnival game was wheeled out on stage, already lit up, displaying the possible scores to be obtained while punching the lever controlled punching bag in its centre.

"We're all gonna line up, and see who's got the best swing! Who's up first?"

"I'll go!"

Both Thena and Gil breathed a faint sigh of relief as Eros proudly and too-eagerly strolled right up to the brightly lit machine.

"Okay, great!" the host beamed, carrying along the necessary energy to keep the segment entertaining. He held out a hand, "Thena, would you care to keep an eye on things--make sure he's not pulling a fast one or anything?"

"Gladly," she smiled graciously, stepping into the appropriate spot for camera. She met Gil's eyes, who gave her a little bounce of his eyebrows, congratulating her on being able to skip out organically.

"I've been getting pretty good at boxing, while I was training for this," Eros grinned, shrugging off his suit jacket, which got some screams from the audience in and off itself. By the time his sleeves were rolled up they were frothing at the mouth.

But he kept his eyes on Thena.

"Any time," she prompted him, hoping to hurry him along (and cut down on the amount of intense eye contact he was making).

"This is for you," he winked, giving his knuckle a kiss before taking his best swing at the fake punching bag. It was a decent score, certainly, and he celebrated it. "Yeah!"

The crowd cheered for him, and Thena clapped obligingly, wearing a perfectly polite smile on her face. "Seems decent."

"Not bad, not bad," the host nodded along.

Most of them took their turns, some giving it a light tap and some giving it a full swing. Surprisingly, Eros' score was still just barely at the top.

"It seems I have youth on my side," he teased his castmates, who took the joke in stride (mostly). He leaned forward to look at Thena down the line from him, "what's my prize, m'lady?"

"Is youth not enough?" Thena teased him right back, earning a laugh from the crowd (even his loyal fans). "Gil still hasn't gone."

The audience erupted into screams, possibly even loud enough to rival Eros' reaction.

"Oh, I-I don't have to," Gil waved his hand, trying to squirm out of it. He had continuously let people ahead of him in the line for this exact reason.

"Oh come on, old man," Eros grinned at him, just barely attempting to make it sound lighthearted. "Don't tell me that shoulder's still bothering you!"

Thena's glare was not well concealed, but at least the cameras weren't on her in that particular moment.

"Fine," Gil sighed, mostly as the host himself pushed him to it. He looked at Thena, somewhat asking what he should do.

She smiled at him, though, "give it your best shot. Don't let the young blood talk about you like you're retired."

Gil chuckled. What she meant was that she wanted to shut him up, and she was asking Gil to do it. He nodded.

Gil pulled off his bomber jacket, which Thena took from him, watching much more closely for his turn than she had for the others. Gil shook out his shoulders first before inhaling, "here we go."

It happened so fast! His fist raised, it made contact with the speedbag, and then it was up and lodged back into place, the machine beeping and flashing high score. The whole thing took about four seconds.

"Wh-" the host blinked, "I-I didn't even see that! Do we have playback?"

It took a second, but the screen behind them displayed the camera's recording slowed down, showing that Gil had indeed hit the punching bag so hard that it was immediately swung back into its locked position from the force of it.

"That is an indisputable win from the Tyrant King himself!" the host cheered, raising Gil's hand for the audience's applause.

Thena also clapped for him, although once he turned back to her she cupped his chin with her hand, leaning him down to kiss his cheek.

Gil blinked in surprise, but he grinned at her the next second, "now that's a hell of a prize. I would've gone first if I'd known."

[marksbear]

Hi I really like your writing! I was wondering if you could do druig x make reader. Maybe reader is very sunshine kinda person and when the eternals meet druig new boyfriend they are just shocked

Hey! Thank you for liking it! And have a good Christmas Anon!

DRUIG X MALE READER

"just don't mess this all up for me."

Druig says to his team while they all sit together at Phastos house to all spend time with each other for the holidays.

The Eternals all begged to meet Druig's significant other he was so smitten for. Even Ikrais showed a bit of interest in who this person is. So to get them off of Druig's back he invited them over to have dinner.

"You worry too much Druig!" Kingo says with a laugh. "Don't worry Druig we'll try to be on our best behavior." Gilgamesh adds trying to ease his friends worries.

The sound of the door bell rings makes the house all quiet. Druig gives his team one more spare glance before walking to the door.

Once he opens it he smiles brightly. "You came." Even though Druig's voice didn't sound he wasn't excited he was beyond ecstatic. His boyfriend wraps his arms around Druig as he does the same just standing in the middle of the doorway hugging and enjoying the others presence.

"Of course I came! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" His boyfriend was smiling ear to ear making Druig weak in the knees. Druig pulls Y/n inside taking his coat or jacket and hangs them up.

"Come on." Druig takes his boyfriend by the hand leading him in the dining room. The Eternals conversations got quiet and their attention all focused on Druig.

"Everyone..." Druig moves out of his boyfriend way while all the Eternals stare and study the boyfriend who has the brightest and gentle smile ever. "Meet my boyfriend. Y/n L/n the greatest man on earth." All of the Eternals stand up from their seats introducing themselves to Y/n and having small talk.

Everyone click with Y/n gentle and energetic personality. Kingo and Y/n ranted back and forth about movies, Phastos and him had a mutual agreement about liking building and kids being the best boyfriends ever, Makkair even taught him him some sign language.

Gilgamesh and him talked about cooking for a while, Y/n was complimenting Thena's beauty making her very blushy and smile hard, Him and Sprite were making playful remarks to each other.

Hell he even managed to make Ikaris break character and share some cool and funny stories with each other.

All of the Eternals were hooked for Y/n and his great personality loved him even more than. Kingo was first to think "How the hell did Dark Vader manage to pull a man like Y/n." Kingo eyes Druig up and down making sure he isn't using his powers to control Y/n.

After

Y/n spends hours talking and playing with his boyfriend. He decides it's time for he can go. "Bye everyone! It was a pleasure meeting you all and I hoped you liked me!" Y/n bows his head down a little before giving everyone a hug bye.

Lots of the Eternals try to convince and beg Y/n to stay but Y/n kindly declines the offers with a huge smile on his face. "Bye everyone have a Merry Christmas!" Druig pulls his boyfriend out and walks him to his car.

"What do you think of them?" Druig asks wrapping his arms around Y/n waist. "I think they're lovely. They are all one big happy family. I think they're good for you my love~" Y/n answers with fully honestly kissing Druig passionately before pulling away and opening his car taking out gifts.

"Can you give them these. I based off the gifts from your stories about them! And I got plenty for you at my house!" Y/n hands him the boxes of gifts. "You know you didn't have to." Druig says feeling himself smile.

"I know I know. It's just that I wanted to make a double good impression."

The two share one more kiss before departing in their own separate ways. But Druig stops in his tracks. And he turns around putting the gifts on the porch before jogging back to Y/n's car.

Y/n pokes his head out the window. "Yes?"

"I love ya sun." Druig says smiling to his boyfriend.

"I love you too moon~" Y/n says back.

THE END

[powerfulredheads]

i am writing my first ever fic and it's Eris Vanserra×Female OC.

here's a breakdown of well how this fic came about. so like any other readers, you tend to switch up of how the stories goes because like you can. it's reading, it's your own imagination. you add different universe plot to another universe plot. Therefore, it started when i was thinking about tamlin finally getting his shit together when 3 mysterious girls fell into his life. like literally fell and landed in the spring court and tamlin happened to witness it.

NOW HERE COMES THE PLOT FROM ANOTHER FICTIONAL UNIVERSE. i was thinking like MCU black widows escaping the red room. so these 3 girls are faeries who were somehow kidnapped by (tbh i was thinking humans but uk being kidnapped by a kingdom in the continent sounds more uhm realistic? whatever i was in social studies and it just came about) some crazy dude who wanted well assassins they can control and stuff.

these 3 girls are:

Ivy

- she's a (NOW HERE COMES THE MADE UP IMAGINATION PART) shifter. (giving very much lysandra from TOG)

- she's from the spring court

- hazel brown hair, green(left) blue(right) eyes

- her powers are animal shape shifting

Zaria

- she's from the summer court

- periwinkle blue box braids hair, amber eyes and her left leg is metal (giving very much bucky barnes but legs edition)

- Her powers are (HERE COMES THE TAKING ANOTHER UNIVERSE PLOT FROM ANOTHER FICTIONAL BOOK) heartrender and healer.

Althea

- her mother's from the dawn court and her father's from the night court

- black hair, dark brown eyes and she got scars at her back.

- now i wanted to make her interesting and because I can AHAHAHAHA i gave her the powers of some of the MCU eternals namely sersi, thena, ajak, druig, kingo (BYE- I WANTED SOMEONE TO RIVAL FEYRE AND RHYSAND)

- also because like eternals powers are like what cosmic energy? and i saw a tumblr post that said eris was a dreamer but there were no stars in his world. SO LIKE SHE CAN BE HIS STAR OR WHATEVAAAA.

: and because i can they all 3 can winnow LMAOOOO

so these 3 girls were running away after burning down the red room. althea and zaria were heavily injured so that left Ivy to winnow them and the first place she thought of was the spring court. okay also they jumped out of the building so that's why when ivy winnowed they fell from the sky.

after reading all this, i must say my imagination runs wild and i should really start focusing in school and thinking about career stuff LOL.

anyways Ivy wanted to rebuild the spring court because she's bloody loyal and believes for the greater good and like #imaproudfaeofspringcourt kinda person AHAHAHAHAH.

now obv tamlin would do some interrogation on them and stuff and their all suspicious with one another. also zaria and althea have nowhere to go since their family and homes were killed when they were taken.

so these 3 girls and tamlin developed a weird kind of friendship. they started healing the spring court and also healing together #bffs. 6 MONTHS LATER CAME LUCIEN VANSERRA.

now here comes the sad part because I wasn't thinking about development of elucien. so basically he came to the spring court after a terrible fight with elain and she basically told him stuff that cut DEEP. so lucien had enough because he was getting hurt for 1yr plus of pining. he didn't break the bond. he also quit being the night court emissary. he told feyre that "he need some time". so he came to the spring court to check up with tamlin.

IMAGINE HIS SURPRISE WHEN HE SAW TAMLIN AND 3 GIRLS.

Lucien helps out with rebuilding the spring court along with them and ALL OF 5 OF THEM BECOME SOME FOUND FAMILY.

and and they became the people tamlin trusts so their like inner circle 2.0 walmart edition (im really degrading my own story).

Tamlin- High Lord (obv)

Lucien- Second in command

Ivy- Third in command

Zaria- General of the spring court armies

Alrhea- Spymaster

then times later theres a high lord meeting... (btw by then they know spring court has been getting better) and tamlin pulls up with 3 badass looking women and sexy firefox lucien.

and FINALLY how the fic came about is when theres like a ball with high lords and like other important people held at the dawn court. Althea was talking with Nesta Archeron when she sees Lucien drunk (from getting in another fight w elain) (IM SO SORRY ELUCIENS) and making his way to none other than his brother.

[softquietsteadylove]

Vc poderia fazer uma história onde Thena e Gil tem um bebê? Obrigada.

(hello love! I asked a friend for help and she said that your ask is in Portuguese? I hope it's okay the reply is in English! @dalhia28 has a story about them actually having a baby on Ao3 which I always recommend to people looking for a biological child story)

"Gilgamesh, I have--oh."

Gil looked up at her with a sheepish little smile and whispered, "sorry."

The Warrior Eternal shook her head to dismiss his apology. She came into the gathering hall - one of many in Babylon Temple - and sat on one of the benches next to him. "Should I be concerned?"

He chuckled, bouncing the bundle in his arms lightly as it stirred. "Her mother is with Sersi and Ajak. She's the healer among the humans, and she pretty much jumped at the chance to learn a thing or two from them. They said they were taking her to look at some herbs that were maybe not the safest and next thing I know I'm-"

"With child," Thena murmured, eyeing the infantile human in Gil's arms.

"Babysitting," he clarified and corrected. He looked up at her, both of them still somewhat hovered over their tiny guest. "What were you saying?"

"Hm," Thena mused, tilting her head and examining the child. "Oh, just that my turn of watch is completed. I am free."

"Ah," Gil grinned and nudged her gently with his elbow, their armour meeting with a dull and metallic thud. "All mine now--is that it?"

Thena smiled, indulging him and his humour silently. She changed the angle of her head again, "it seems comfortable with you."

Gil shrugged, though, although he made sure that the slight movement that it was didn't disturb the baby. "Got me--maybe it thinks I'm like a big soft bed."

His arms were firm, but they did have a certain softness to them as well. Thena knew that very well, first hand. The baby was snuggled properly into the crook of his elbow, her head supported, her body enclosed in its soft cloth.

"Oh," Gil uttered completely softly. The baby stirred before blinking wide brown eyes at them. "Well hello."

Thena looked at the baby, who seemed caught off-guard at best (terrified at worst). She tensed to stand from her seat, "I am frightening it."

"You are not," he chuckled, catching the edge of the gauzy material attached to her armour and creating a 'skirt' of sorts between her legs. "Just look at her."

She was doing that. Thena was looking at the baby, who was looking at her in turn. Humans were already so soft and fragile; their young were infinitely more so.

"She's not gonna break from you looking at her," Gilgamesh advised her. He had possessed the very same fear she did when he had first encountered human children and their smallness.

But he had surmounted his fear. Children adored him--his playfulness, his humour, his eagerness to bend a rule or two. That and Sersi and Ajak had showed him personally how to handle human babies.

"I do not think her fondness for you extends to me," Thena muttered, although she had to admit that the baby's massive eyes had a certain transfixing quality to them.

"Mm," the baby pressed her little lips together, shimmying in her cocoon of blankets.

"Sh, little one."

Gil looked at her as Thena whispered and shushed the girl, even letting her capture her wiggling finger for comfort. Such small hands, they had. He smiled at her, "see?--you're a natural."

"I would not make any such claim," Thena discouraged, but didn't pull her finger away from the baby. If anything, she pursed her lips at her, encouraging the infant to do the same.

The baby giggled.

Thena smiled reflexively, as if the sound could physically stimulate her own muscles.

"Hard to resist, huh?" Gilgamesh asked gently as she entertained their new ally.

"Indeed," Thena lamented, although she couldn't claim to be too upset by it. The baby waved her arms - still grasping Thena's finger in her little hand - and earned another smile from the Warrior Eternal.

"It's a good look for you."

"Hm?" she looked at him, but he had that expression on that implied that he had been looking at nothing but her since she arrived.

"This," he nodded, still charmed by the exchange between her and the little human. "I daresay you could be fond of human kids."

Thena tilted her head at the young one, who almost mimicked it back to the best of her tiny abilities. "Perhaps...some."

"I think the feeling is mutual," he smiled, now even adjusting the baby to engage her more with their interaction.

"Do not speak for her, Gilgamesh."

He chuckled again, "yes, dear."

She looked at him, also making soft eyes at the young life in his hands. He was so soft at heart, despite having the toughest shell in this and probably any other galaxy. "And you."

He looked at her this time.

She eyed the young girl and then her partner next to her. She tried to articulate the thoughts she had with the words - usually not bountiful - she could muster. "This life--it suits you."

"What, this?" he blinked, bouncing the baby again. He made a face and shook his head, "it's not that--it's not for any of us."

Thena shook her head gently, letting the baby bring her hand closer to her chubby little cheeks. She was so, so soft--even softer than the typical human. "I think Ajak and Sersi would excel in the raising of young."

"Well, when you put it like that."

But she smiled. "Their caring, their nurturing, their gentle natures; I think if they could, they would desire it."

He raised his brow at her, "do you think I do?"

She paused. Perhaps she couldn't picture what Gilgamesh would be like fathering a young one. Something about those two concepts just didn't meet in her mind. But looking at him with the young one in his arms now did warm something within her heart. It was intangible and distant, but she desired to feel more of it. "I think you would make a wonderful father."

Gilgamesh blushed, as Gilgamesh was wont to do. He was sweet, like that.

Thena went back to admiring the guest of honour, whose eyes were drooping despite waking mere moments ago. "Sh, little thing. Rest and grow."

Gil gave her one of his more indecipherable looks, "maybe I could...with the right partner."

Thena looked up at him, their eyes meeting.

"Ada!"

Thena rose, her finger still entrapped by the baby's hand. "Excuse my intrusion."

The mother all but ignored Thena's attempt at formality, giving her a wide and warm smile. "Warrior, please, I would entrust you with this one here as much as I trust the Strong one."

Thena and Gil traded a look before Gil leaned to hand over the woman's child to her. Thena's finger left Ada's grasp, feeling colder for it. She drew her hand back slowly.

"I hope I have not burdened you too greatly, great Gilgamesh."

"No, no, really," he waved his hands in defense of her apology. "I don't mind at all. Thena doesn't either, right?"

The mother looked at her, and she caught a hint of Sersi and Ajak hovering just outside the room. Thena smiled down at the human woman, "she's beautiful."

The woman began to glow with pride, smiling at Thena with all of her teeth, "thank you, Warrior. I must agree."

[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."

[softquietsteadylove]

Hiii, I was just wondering if you can make another stories of zombie au for the Thenamesh I really miss it, I have some idea of them being trap with a horde of zombie all around them they think that there's no way out of the situation and they saying good bye to each other or something like that before rescue has arrived or something again hahaha, just a suggestion thank you.

Thena pressed her hands to her ears as the banging increased in volume. She should have double checked the perimeter. She should have banged on some of these shipping containers and made sure they weren't full of these things. She should have been more careful, and then she and Gil wouldn't be in this mess.

She opened her eyes, seeing the aged and dirty flannel Gil was wearing. His arms were around her, protecting her as best he could in this hopeless a situation.

Sweet, perfect Gil. The best thing she could have found in the end of the world. The best thing she had ever found at all, maybe.

"I'm sorry, Thena."

She pulled away, looking at him in the dim light - just barely more than pitch black - of what small holes were rusting the corners of the shipping containers away. She blinked and shook her head, as if she hadn't understood the words he was saying at all.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated, practically whimpering, his chest heaving with panic. He blinked and she caught the sparkle of tears in his eyes. "I-I should have checked better, h-helped y-"

"No," she shook her head. No, Gil was at fault for nothing, and she would throw herself to those things outside before she let him believe he was. "No, Gil, you-"

"I shouldn't have-" he choked, pulling her tight against him again as their doom pounded on the rickety outside of their haven. "We should have just gone around. You wouldn't-"

Thena tried to find the words to argue with him. He wasn't making any sense. "No, Gil!"

"You would've made it," he blinked at her, his tears slipping down the apples of his cheeks. She wished she could have heard him laugh more. "You could make it if you weren't dragging me around with you."

"No!" she barked at him, not that it mattered how much sound she made now. If they were going to die in here, then whatever had kept her from saying this before didn't matter, right?

"You," she gulped, looking at him for all she was worth. This was what she wanted to see when and if she died. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Gil."

His tears built up again, "but-"

"No buts," she shook her head, forcing him to look at her and pass the words from her lips directly to him. "I am so glad...I am so lucky you found me by accident in that old sports store. Because I have been more sane in this time with you than I ever was in the real world."

"You are so sweet, and so kind, and in a time when you don't have to be," she laughed. Because she was never sweet like him, end of the world or not. But then she found him, and he did things like pick wild berries for her, and stand guard when it was her turn to bathe, and hold up heavy doors while she looted supplies for them.

"Never think you are anything less," she urged--demanded of him. She leaned in, pressing her forehead to his, and then her lips to his lips. "You are the very best thing left in this awful world."

Gil kissed her back, desperate and heartfelt. "Th-Thena, I-I-"

She bit her lip. She was crying too, now. She nodded, but she wanted to say it. If she could never say anything else, she had to be able to say this, right?--in these last moments, this last chance to tell him just how much he meant to her?

How much she loved him?

"Gil, I lo-"

They both flinched. What sounded like a gunshot sounded outside the shipping container serving as their shelter. It wasn't though--it was the backfire from a motorcycle driving down the other side of the road.

Gil held her, their chests moving wildly in the stress of it all. They clung to each other, but the pounding on the outside of the metal decreased, slowly but surely ebbing away. Gil dared to look up from the top of her head. He whispered, "they're following it."

It would have only passed for a few seconds, but it was just enough to draw the attention of those things. With any luck, they would go dormant again once the stimulation was over.

Thena peeked out from his chest. It was true, the dull and lifeless palms slapping against metal was growing quieter. She looked up at him.

They would live.

Gil let out a faint gasp, pressing a laugh of pure relief and hysteria into her hair.

Thena pressed her tears into the t-shirt under his flannel. She liked how he smelled. Under any other smells that clung to him during their travels, he smelled like a house. He smelled like coming home after a long day.

They waited until it was completely silent outside. Opening the door to the thing would probably wake them again, but with any luck it would be a manageable number. Nothing like earlier, at least.

Thena pulled out her knives, walking in front of Gil, as she always did. "Ready?"

"Ready," he said more surely than he usually did, standing beside her with his trusty iron skillet in hand.

She smiled at him--her trusty partner in all this hell around them.

"Hey," he whispered, looking down at her, barely more than a silhouette in the faint light. "What were you going to say?"

"Hm?"

"Before," he glanced back at the far corner where they had pressed themselves in their earlier terror. "What were you going to tell me?"

Thena blinked, a different kind of terror flooding through her. She tightened her grip on her knives. Maybe she could use the adrenaline to move quicker. "I'll...tell you later."

Gil couldn't see the warmth burning in her cheeks.

"Okay," he accepted easily, because he was Gil. He raised his skillet in his hand like a baseball bat, "I'll tell you mine too."

Thena smiled. She wondered what he would tell her come the time. And what would she make up so she didn't have to tell him that she was in love with him? "Deal."

[softquietsteadylove]

I just read the little ballerina and boxer one and wanted to ask you if you can continue it. Maybe Gil showing up to one of her shows and invites her to dinner afterwards. And of course, he brought a single flower, because one flower says more than a thousand.

Hugs and much love! 🖤✨

"Bye Miss Thena!"

"Goodnight, girls," Thena bid her little goslings goodbye, the young women flitting out of the dressing room and already laughing about the cast party about to take place. Everyone was on their way for it, and as the newest troupe of performers making their debut, they would be the toast of things.

Thena was just looking forward to going home and getting some hard earned rest. Then, she could finally wake up to her normal life again. No more rehearsals, no more gruelling days of endless practise. She could go to the studio again.

She could see Gilgamesh again.

She hated to admit it, but she had missed even just seeing him in the hallway deeply over the past two weeks. The most intensive rehearsals required full commitment and attention, and that meant leaving classes to Sersi while she was chained up in the Eternal Theatre all day and most of the night.

She never used to think of it that way before.

But she missed the less pressured atmosphere of teaching classes with Sersi. She liked keeping a more normal schedule. She liked getting to see Gil's big, bright smile and his cute little wave in the mornings.

Thena groaned, running her fingers through her hair and throwing her scarf around her neck. She could torture herself more with those thoughts when she was home, preferably sinking into a hot bubble bath.

"Uh, sorry," he poked his head in with a sheepish smile, "door was open, so..."

Thena blinked as he walked in, one hand behind his back and the other in his brushed back hair. He looked rather dashing in a suit. "Gil?"

"Hey," he smiled at her, and the ache in her feet faded from her mind. "You were...wow."

Thena gulped, feeling her cheeks flood with warmth. She looked down, not-so-accidentally burying her nose in her scarf. "You're sweet."

"Well, you were, though," he shrugged, stepping in a little closer. He looked around him, seeing the many, many bouquets of flowers set around the counters. "But I guess you knew that."

Thena looked at the bundles of mostly red roses and arranged bouquets, shrugging at them. "It's a standard practise on the last night. Not all of them are for me, mind you."

"So a good number of them are?" he raised a brow, and she offered a more sheepish smile. He blushed, rocking back on his heels as he pulled out his hidden hand. "It's no bouquet, but-"

Thena gasped. It was a rose - singular - white in colour, clipped of thorns and leaves, bare stemmed save for a shimmering green ribbon tied in a bow around it.

Gil handed it over to her delicately accepting hands, his shyness showing through as he looked everywhere but at her. "I figured you'd get plenty, so maybe this would stand out...or something. And they offered me a white ribbon to match it. But I saw the green one and i-it matched the colour of your eyes, so I chose that one instead."

Thena's eyes were wide, bouncing between the flower in her hands and the beautiful man presenting it to her.

"I don't-"

"It's perfect!"

It wasn't the first time their words overlapped, and once again, Thena felt as if she was saying far too much within the two word sentence. But she pulled the flower as close to her as she dared, not wanting to rustle a single petal. It really was perfect, just like the gifter.

Gil flushed red to his ears, his laugh bubbling out of him. "O-Oh, good! I, well, uh-"

Thena looked up at him again from sniffing the rose gently. It was sweeter than any of the nameless, faceless bouquets around her from nameless, faceless people. "Gil?"

He tugged at his tie, clearly unused to it. "I was wondering...if - maybe - you'd, uh, wanna get dinner--sometime! Doesn't have to be tonight--you probably have a party, or something, with-"

"I'm free."

It was quieter than she thought it would be, but somehow she just couldn't get the air to stay in her lungs.

Gil looked surprised by her interruption, but he clearly didn't mind at all. He smiled, a sureness - a confidence - falling over him as he stepped closer still. He reached out, pulling her hair out of her scarf and fanning it out behind her. "I never get to see you with your hair loose."

Thena's eyes fluttered closed as he used the proximity as an excuse to kiss her forehead.

Then the flirtatious smirk faded against the brightness of his usual megawatt smile. "It's cute!"

Thena reached for her purse hung over the back of one of the chairs, hoping that maybe her blushing would subside a little (somehow, in the three seconds it took her to do it). "Well, where were you thinking of going?"

"I guess wherever you want to go," he shrugged, happily claiming her hand in his as they started to walk out of the dressing room. "I don't know if you want a big, huge meal or if something lighter would be better."

Thena laughed faintly, feeling his fingers squeezing tighter around hers. "If I had another show tomorrow I'd suggest something quite light. But I'm free as of tonight, so maybe something richer than usual wouldn't be the end of the world."

"If that's the case, I know this great Korean barbecue place."

"Sounds-" Thena startled as the backstage door slammed open.

"Miss Thena, are you coming to--oh!"

"Don't interrupt, didn't you see her boyfriend looking for her earlier?"

"Yeah, they probably have a date planned!"

The door closed again but the damage was done. Thena sighed; she was going to kill her little goslings for this.