#poor Gil can't get one good day

[softquietsteadylove]

Another drama for the runaway bride? Maybe Eros really comes over and tries to get Thena back? And it comes to the point where Gil has to intervene 😃

Gil cracked the reins on the horse again, forcing the poor creature onward. But he knew where he needed to go, and he needed to get there before Eros did. "Come on!"

The horse voiced its concern but sped through the trees and towards the higher roads. He was heading in almost the opposite direction really. But the road for horses spiralled down the mountain. He needed to get to the steepest part, where he could cut him off.

He had Thena.

Gil had been out on his usual day. He was meeting his quotas. He had actually been staying out a little longer than necessary. Everyday, after he had fulfilled the work he needed to do for payment, he would find some good trees and work on getting boards and beams from them.

He wanted to expand the cabin. He wanted it to feel like a home for Thena as much as him. And while she was quite at home, he wanted to make more of a house than his open bodied bachelor hut. He would add onto the cabin's end and make a real, proper bedchamber for them. Maybe he could even add a bath room, if the winter was late this year.

He was just heading home when he heard it--the sound of hooves. He had taken off in a sprint towards home. He didn't hear the loud rattling of a carriage on the road, and there wasn't a whole infantry this time either. But the running of a horse was unmistakable.

When he did get home, he had found the door open, Thena's berry basket on the porch and its contents spilled everywhere, as if she had been dragged away by the ankles. The tracks of the horse were fresh. He knew what he had to do. Her captor being on horse was a good thing. No one could navigate the woods well enough to run a creature through it. He had moved around the side of the house. The guard sent with the prince - and to apprehend Gil, no doubt - was waiting in the garden for him.

Gil didn't like violence. He was a peaceful man. But he picked up the shovel and struck the man with such force that the metal against his helmet sounded like canon fire. The man went down and Gil had taken his horse without a second thought.

He was no rider, but he knew what he had to do.

Now, he was barrelling towards a cliffside, waiting for their paths to align. He had to time it right. And he couldn't risk Thena getting seriously hurt in the process. His timing had to be perfect.

As he began to see the road laid out below, curving along with the shape of the mountain, he heard it. He craned his head backwards. A horse was speeding down the road, right in the middle of it. The prince was riding with one hand on his reins and another over his shoulder.

Thena was slung over it, bound like a wild boar he had captured (disgraceful treatment of a lady).

Either he couldn't hear her over the two horses unknowingly racing each other, or she was gagged as well as bound. For a prince, he had truly treated Thena the way a barbarian would.

Gil pulled back on his reins, only slightly. He had to get this right. He patted the horse's neck, muttering his apologies to it. Poor thing didn't deserve what was about to happen. But it was for a good cause.

Eros rounded the bend swiftly, Thena in hand. Of course, with such a sharp curve, and at the speed he was travelling, he had to take it as widely as possible. Gil watched until he was at the thinnest part of the road, closest to the edge.

He cracked the reins.

The horse brayed, screaming as it leapt over the edge of the elevation and plummeted over the edge, legs flailing. Gil reached out, plowing into the prince from behind and wrapping his arms around Thena. It was chaos, everything hurt and his eyes were barely open. But he wrapped his arms around her and kept rolling.

The two horses lay in the road, crying out in distress and probably pain. Gil dragged him and Thena both off the edge and below the road. Somehow, they managed to slither into the trunk of a tree. It was a very familiar tree, with a base large and hollow enough for someone to use as shelter. It was tight with both of them.

"Thena?!"

Gil held her head against his shoulder as Eros wailed for her. He had thought the prince a spoiled and perhaps delicate creature. But listening to him bellow her name with rage in his bones, perhaps he was a man of drive after all.

"Thena!!!"

Gil worked on the rope around Thena's wrists. He would let Eros tire himself out up there. If he didn't fully know what happened, all the better. He could scream his head right off his shoulders. He pulled the cloth from within her mouth like a horse's bridle. He whispered, "Thena?"

She winced, but her sparkling green eyes opened. Her mouth opened but he pressed it against his chest again.

"I know you're there, lumberjack!"

Thena's newly unbound hands clutched at him. He held her tightly. They could keep running as long as they needed, as far as he was concerned. He would sooner burn down the cabin - his life's work - and start anew somewhere than hand Thena over to that cretin.

"Your highness!"

It was harder to hear as the new voice joined them. The two men spoke amongst themselves, the guard no doubt explaining how he had been assailed and woken up to his horse missing. Eros knew he had something to do with it, but there was no substantial evidence that he had. Right now, it just seemed that a horse had gotten spooked and run right over the edge in its panic.

"Another day, Thena dear!" Eros promised in a menacing tone (at least Gil found it very menacing). He was hovering close to the edge, looking into the woods below for evidence of his escaped prey.

"Your highness, what of the horse?"

There was a long pause, and then Eros was yelling again. "Put it down! And next time you see the lumberjack, do exactly the same!"

Thena clutched at him again but he rubbed her back. He was quite sure Eros didn't have that kind of mettle to him. Even if he did, that would have to be addressed at a later date. He held her still, waiting until there no sounds of distressed horses, or the clatter of armour and swords. He waited much longer than that.

Eventually he shifted. His legs were all pins and needles. Even if they had laid a trap for them, he doubted they were going to wait all night. He shifted Thena in his arms, pressing his finger to her lips. Even if they were waiting, they couldn't know she was with him.

Gil crawled out of the tree, looking around furtively as a fawn with every movement. He peeked up the hill, trying to determine if their hunters were lying in wait. He crawled on his belly, through the pine needles and twigs. He made it to the road's edge.

The horse was gone. Perhaps Eros was more bluster than substance after all. Gil had to admit he hoped the horse would not be put down for what he had demanded of it. He slid back down to their tree shelter.

Thena looked at him, tears in her eyes.

He just nodded, holding out his hand for her. It was a long walk if they took the roads. Her feet were bare, proving that they had broken into the cabin and snatched her away.

She crawled out to join him, collapsing into his chest. He rubbed her back, letting her sob into his shirt. What a fright for his runaway bride to have. And he had failed to protect her, yet again.

They made it back to the road, at least. He looked at Thena, who seemed completely in a daze. Her feet were covered in mud from the road, probably scratched and wounded all over again. He would prepare one of her favourite foot baths when they got home.

Would it still feel like home to her? After having been taken from its very steps?

Gil moved deftly, sweeping her up into his arms so she wouldn't have to walk a single more step. She didn't say anything as he looped her arm around the back of his neck. He didn't say anything either, although he looked at her as her fingers touched his cheek.

"Are you hurt?"

He smiled faintly. Her voice was steady, if a little raw. "No, I'm not hurt. Are you?"

She shook her head, looking at him like she had never seen him before he had fallen from the sky. "I tried to call for you, but he put that cloth in my mouth. I scratched him."

Gil examined the mix of blood an dirt under her delicate fingernails. He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple, "that's my girl."

She let out something resembling a laugh as well, resting her head more comfortably on his shoulder. "What will we do, Gil? Will they keep coming after us?"

"I don't know, sweetheart." It was a pitiful offering. But it was his most honest one.

"I don't want to leave our home."

"I know." He didn't particularly want to either. But perhaps that would be best for his runaway bride.

"I'm surprised claiming we were married had no effect. I thought surely if Eros thought you'd already had me that he would no longer have any interest."

Gil blushed. He would also assume something like that, honestly. But clearly Eros either didn't believe her or didn't care even if it was true. But surely if they were married, there was nothing he nor her father could do.

They had to find a way to wed.

[ailendolin]

Live Reaction to TRoP 2x03

Spoilers for 2x03 under the cut

noooo not a flashback to Elendil and Berek. My heart breaks every time at the broken, "Please," because Berek is all Elendil has left of his son

Berek being a good horse and kicking that orc straight into a tree

Black Forest? Welcome to Germany, Berek. Seriously, though, that means spiders, right?

Fuck of course it does

But it also means Isildur so that's good. Berek proving to be the ultimate horse once more (sorry, Asfaloth and Shadowfax, I love you too)

come on, Isildur, time to get the hell out of there. I've seen Alien and I know how this ends

eating lunch while watching this was not one of my better ideas

ugh this is honestly making my skin crawl

this cave is my own personal nightmare and I hate it

kudos to the sound design, though, for making it even scarier than it already it

thank god they're getting out of there

I hope Isildur tells Elendil one day that him setting Berek free is what saved him from certain death by spider

aaaand we're back in Numenor. I've always been an elf girl but Numenor is beautiful and I love Elendil with my whole heart (also met Lloyd last year as well and he's such a lovely person)

Miriel! I love that Elendil is her eyes now. Those two are so great together

someone woke up and chose violence today. Literally

Miriel meeting anger and grief with kindness. My heart

I do not like Pharazon and I do not trust him

nooooo Earien did not take the Palantir, did she? Girl, why would you?

aw, Glüg going, "We are safe here. We have a home." That is so sweet. I like this guy. They all just want to lay down their weapons and live

omfg is that an Uruk family? Does Glüg have a partner and child? My heart! I can't. This is everything. I love this show so much

Damrod's in the house and the music slaps

yessss Disa went with Durin to Eregion. Now where is Elrond? I need my Elf-Dwarf Found Family back together again

i also want to punch Annatar in his pretty face just for existing

just saying but that one lock of hair falling into Celebrimbor's face is very distracting

Durin doesn't trust Annatar one bit and I'm loving it. He trusts one elf and that is Elrond

"Funny. He's never mentioned you." I'm cackling

Haha Durin knows very well that Elrond would never call him wise. This is so funny. Annatar is laying it on way too thick and Durin is looking right through him

noooo they cannot leave Eregion yet, not until Elrond gets there and they reunite

Celebrimbor, why are not all your alarm bells ringing when Annatar tells you Gil-galad forbid the making of more rings and doesn't know Annatar is with you? Again, where is Elrond? We need someone to talk some sense into all these stubborn elves

nooooo not Celebrimbor straight up lying to Gil-galad

ah okay, it is not lying. He is just granting him and Annatar the space to complete their work. That's okay, then

Brimby, I love you, but you are a rubbish judge of character and need new friends. Take Berek for example. He would take one look at Annatar and kick him across the room

ooooh that drinking seen gives me flashbacks to the Dead Marshes. Do not follow the little lights, Isildur

it's just a flesh wound lol

even I know not to pull out knives. Who is this girl?

okay, she's called Estrid

Pelargir is beautiful

Isildur's having a not good, very bad day, isn't he? Poor guy was just trying to be kind

I was just wondering when we'd see Arondir again and there he is! Finally!

but what about Berek?

oh no, not Bronwyn. I'm going to miss her. Where is Theo, though?

spoke too soon, he's there as well and not doing too well it seems - does he blame Arondir for Bronwyn's death?

Durin standing before his father is such a sombre scene. And he's actually apologising and telling him about his concerns - progress!

Arondir blames himself for Bronwyn's death - of course he does

I love that he stays with Theo even though Theo clearly does not want him there

doggo spotted in the background. Doggo spotted!

oh gods, Theo and Isildur teaming up the rescue Berek? That won't end well, will it?

I am sorry but I do not care about Estrid. I want Bronwyn back

fuck, I wrote that before the mark was revealed but good to know I'm a better judge of character than most people in this show (not you, Elrond and Durin)

okay she's burning it away but does she do it because he never wanted it or does she do it to better infiltrate? I'm sorry but I do not like her and I do not trust her

ah we're back to rescuing Berek. Let's see how disastrous that will go

yes, Theo, what the fuck are you doing out there in the dark?

"Lose your mum?" Ouch

the Ents are here, right? That tree chopping was focused on for a reason and we all know the Ents don't like that

btw someone is going to save the other horses, right? Right?

oh Miriel is looking gorgeous. The way her clothes look like a mosaic is so beautiful

Earien, what are you doing, girl?

okay, the way Elendil's, "Silence!" echoed? *shivers*

what the fuck does Earien think the Palantir is? A bowling ball?

Miriel, you're not doing yourself any favours here, sweetie

and neither are you, Elendil, by touching the magic bowling ball

the way Elendil is trying to reach Miriel - I can't

fuck yeah Eagle to the rescue

can he please eat Pharazon and his merry band of idiots? I swear that would be so funny

okay, that did not go as I wanted. Shit

the boyfriends are back at making rings and Durin is not happy

no no no do not let Annatar add the mithril. Celebrimbor, I swear to the Valar ...

fuck this is bad. On the chance of repeating myself: where is Elrond? None of these people should be allowed to do anything without him being there to talk sense into them

okay that little smile between Celebrimbor and Annator was cute. They're still in the honeymoon phase so I get it

and that's it for the first three episodes. I honestly need more Elrond in the next one. So many bad things wouldn't happen if someone would just listen to him

[queen-dahlia]

𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧

𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟴 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗢𝗩

reading this again makes my blood boil, that damn emperor. (＃｀д´)ﾉ

Gil my poor baby (இ﹏இ`｡)

CW: Characters deaths

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

// : alternate translation | ⫘⫘ : flashback

I remembered something I didn't like.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Albert: "Listen, Gil. I'm on your side no matter what."

Albert: "I promise. I won't leave you alone. So...?"

Gilbert: "Really...?"

Gilbert: "Are you sure you will say "welcome home" to me if I come back from Rhodolite?"

Albert: "Ah, naturally. When I say "see you later," then I must also greet you with a "welcome home."

There was a lot of blood in Obsidian Castle back then.

The fierce rivalry for succession between the brothers was so severe.

Everyone who has the right to the throne kills anyone who gets in their way in order to gain the absolute power of Obsidian.

Albert, my older brother by three years, and myself were irrelevant.

In the midst of this, our mother and Albert suddenly suggested medical treatment in Rhodolite.

Before the succession battle begins, the poor prince, who was sickly and on the verge of dying, is secretly sent out of the country––

It could have been the farewell of a lifetime in a court where deaths occur daily.

Albert: "Don't worry, Gil. By the time you get back to this castle, hell will be over."

Albert: "I will greet you with a smile, so hurry up and get well."

Mother: "I hope you make some friends along the way. Gil is often alone…"

Mother: "In Rhodolite, you might be able to make friends without worrying about your identity, right?"

Mother: "Friends are good. I know there will be a lot of hard times and a lot of fun times ahead."

Mother: "When you have someone to share them with, your heart shines every day."

Mother: "But you're a kind and smart child, and you're afraid to make friends... aren't you?"

Gilbert: "Yeah... because the kids I get along with might end up getting killed, right?"

Albert: "If you make friends, you just have to protect them, right? Gil is capable, you can do that."

Mother: "Besides, one cannot live alone. We definitely need someone to share our worries and our joys with."

Mother: "Isn't it?"

Gilbert: "… I'll do my best."

Albert: "Great job. And eat a lot of good food. Your health depends on the food you eat."

Albert: "You eat too little. Eat as much as you can when you can, like me."

Gilbert: "I wonder if that will make me strong like Albert."

Albert: "Ah, you can. You can run around every day. Okay?"

Both Albert and our mother laugh as warmly as the sun.

So I laughed, too.

Gilbert: "I'll come back stronger."

Gilbert: "See you later."

══════════════════

And when I returned after a period of medical treatment — Albert and Mother welcomed me back.

In headless, freshly severed heads.   //   Headless—just freshly decapitated.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Luke: "Hey, what are you doing!?"

Luke's angry voice pushes the memories of the past far away.

(—Oh, I just did it.)

The little rabbit, who had hit her back against the wall when she was thrown away, was coughing violently.

Even though it was a quick moment, I forgot to use the right amount of force.

(But it can't be helped.)

Gilbert: "What, Little Rabbit was in the way."

Luke: "There's got to be a better way to protect her!"

Gilbert: "Protect? Why should I protect the little rabbit that tried to drag me down by doing something unnecessary?"

Many of the people who gather at Clavis' secret soirée are people whose lives were changed on Blood-Stained Rose Day.

I assumed in advance that some of them would hate Obsidian so much that they would come and attack me.

(But I never thought that Little Rabbit would try to protect me.)

(… What is she trying to do as my prey?)   //   (… What kind of prey are you trying to be?)

Emma: "Ha…hah…"

Little Rabbit repeats her breathing in agony.   //   Little Rabbit repeats painful breathing.

I didn't hold back, as if I were throwing out unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings.

(Apparently, you need to be disciplined.)

Clank, clank.

As I approach, with my cane hitting the floor, Luke defends the little rabbit.

Luke: "Stop it, Gil!"

Gilbert: "… Stand down."

Luke: "I'll never back down!"

Even Luke, who should be more accustomed to killing than the little rabbit, could see the faintest trace of sweat.

Watching him embrace the trembling little rabbit reminded me once again that I am a big villain.

Luke: "You, why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

Gilbert: "I wasn't angry. I was just uncomfortable."   //   "I'm not angry. It was just unpleasant."

Gilbert: "How could I not have noticed that?"

The man and the knife lay on the floor.

For me, who's used to fighting, it's not a big deal, but for Little Rabbit, it's different.

Gilbert: "Do you have anything to say?"

(I hope you realize that you have done something stupid.)

I pointed the tip of the cane in front of her, and she stare at it.

The trampling beast is an existence that can steal words with its murderous intent alone.

Still, the little rabbit breathes in and out, taking in a chestful of air, as if in resistance.

(—… Maybe it’s the first time I’ve received such a cheeky reaction towards me with bloodlust.)

Emma: "… If you give up on having a conversation… this is what you get."

Emma: "I don't think violence is justice... for me…"

Emma: "Even if there is a gap... no matter how big it is... we should try to fill it."

Gilbert: ". . . . . ."

Emma: "To let violence alone... speak for itself..."

Emma: "It's what the beast... does."

(. . . . . .)

Gilbert: "…Hmm?"

(I see... that's what you're thinking now.)

(It's an obvious answer, and frankly, I don't care.)

The little rabbit shows no signs of remorse.

(I wanted to hear an excuse for the stupidity of "protecting me".)

In this state, I don't even know who or where I am aiming my murderous intent.

Luke: "Come on, Gil. You're on the side of the weak, aren't you?"

Luke: "What you are doing is threatening Emma."

Gilbert: ". . . . . ."

(Luke says that...)

(… But what if I didn't react earlier and the little rabbit had been stabbed by a knife?)

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Over and over and over and over again—I remember that scene that repeatedly appears in my dreams.

The crime of giving opinions to the emperor in order to stop the rivalry for the succession—that is the crime of Albert and Mother.

I don't need to ask why they tried to stop the conflict.

It was to protect the sickly prince.

They were lives that were lost to protect me.

It is the same as the earlier foolishness of the little rabbit, doing things without asking.   //   Just like Little Rabbit's stupidity earlier, she does things without asking.

(I can't forgive you.)

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Gilbert: "… Hmm… that's right."

Still, the murderous intent disappeared.

Any further pressure would cause breathing difficulties.

(… The villain doesn't need any intervention.)

Gilbert: "It certainly wasn't like me."

Gilbert: "I'm sorry, I just got upset because Little Rabbit did something so stupid."   //   "The little rabbit did something so stupid that I got upset, I'm sorry?"

(Don't you even betray me, my "friend.")

(I'm the only one allowed to kill my prey.)

Also "I'm the only one allowed to kill you", Gil is referring to Emma/You but they still used the 'my prey' here

Even after I stopped my murderous intent, the little rabbit remained trembling…

Eventually, Luke takes her away from the venue.

I never once made eye contact with the little rabbit during that time. 

[viatagrinner]

Gilbert's POV. Ch. 8: I want to tame/to discipline Miss Bunny.

TW: Description of the deaths of minor characters.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

I remembered something I didn't like.

Albert: Listen, Gil. I'm on your side no matter what .

Albert: I promise. I won't leave you alone. So...?

Gilbert: Really....?

Gilbert: Would you really say "Welcome home" to me if I came back from Rhodolite?

Albert: Oh, naturally. When you say, "Have a good day," you must always be greeted with a "welcome home".

There was a lot of blood in Obsidian Castle at that time.

The fierce struggle of the older brothers for the succession/emperor's throne was so cruel.

Everyone who is entitled to the throne kills everyone who gets in his way in order to gain absolute power in Obsidian.

Albert, who was three years older than me, was no stranger/unrelated to the story.

It was at this time that my mother and Albert unexpectedly suggested that I go to Rhodolite for treatment.

The poor prince, who was sickly and about to die before the succession battle, was sent out of the country in secret....

It could have been the farewell of a lifetime in a court where deaths occur every day.

Albert: It's all right, Gil. By the time you get back to this castle, hell will be over.

Albert: I will greet you with a smile, so get well soon.

Mother: I hope you make some friends along the way. Gil is often alone. //It would be nice if you could make some friends while you're at it. Gil is alone a lot.

Mother: In Rhodolite you can make friends without worrying about your status, right?

Mother: Friends are a good thing. I know there will be a lot of hard times and a lot of fun times ahead.

Mother: When you have someone to share with, your heart shines brighter every day.

Mother: But you're sweet/kind and smart, but you're afraid to make friends... Aren't you?

Gilbert: Because..... a kid who befriends me might get killed, no?

Albert: You make friends, you just have to protect them. Because Gil is talented, he can do that much.

Mother: Besides, one cannot live alone. We definitely need someone to share our worries and our joys with.

Mother: Right?

Gilbert: ....OK, I'll do my best.

Albert: This rule. Eat lots of good food. Your health depends on the food you eat.

Albert: You're too skinny. Eat more when you can eat, like I do.

Gilbert: If I do that, I wonder if I can become as strong as you, Albert.

Albert: Yes, you can. You can run every day.

Albert and my mother both smile as warmly as the sun.

So I, too, smiled.

Gilbert: I'll come back stronger.

Gilbert: See you later.

And when I returned after my recuperation period, Albert and my mother welcomed me back.

Headless, with their heads recently severed.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Luke: Hey, what are you doing!

Luke's angry shouts push the memories of the past into the distance.

(...Oh, I just did it.)

Miss Bunny hit her back against the wall as she lunged, and I threw her off with force.

Even though it happened suddenly, I had forgotten how to adjust the force.

(But it can't be helped, can it?)

Gilbert: What, Miss Bunny was in the way.

Luke: There is a better way to protect her.

Gilbert: Protect? Why should I protect Miss Bunny, who got in my way by doing unnecessary things?

The lives of many of the people gathered at Clavis' secret evening changed on Bloodstained Rose Day.

I assumed in advance that some of them would hate Obsidian so much that they would want to bite me.

(But I never thought Miss Bunny would try to cover for me.)

(...I wonder why you're trying to hurt my prey.)

MC: Ha…. hah…

Miss Bunny repeatedly breathes painfully.

She didn't give up, as if throwing away unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings.

(Seemed to need discipline/taming here.)

*The sound of a cane* I approach, Luke protects Miss Bunny.

Luke: Stop, Gil!

Gilbert: ...Stand back.

Luke: I'll never back down!

Even Luke, who should be more accustomed to killing than Miss Bunny, could see a faint trace of sweat.

As I watched him embrace the trembling Miss Bunny, I was reminded once again that I am a big bad guy.

Luke: Why are you suddenly so angry?

Gilbert: I'm not angry. It was just an unpleasant decision/completion.

Gilbert: Or maybe I didn't notice as much.

I threw a glance at the man and the knife lying on the floor. To me, accustomed to combat, this weapon is of little importance, but to Miss Bunny it is dangerous.

Gilbert: Do you have something to say?

(I hope you realize what a foolish thing you've done.)

I bring the tip of my cane to her eyes.

The beast of trampling/conquest is such that its killing power alone can rob you of your words.

In spite of this, Miss Bunny breathes in full-throated air as if she is trying to resist and trying to get up.

(━━....... I think this is the first time I've ever gotten such a cheeky response in return to bloodlust.)

MC: .....If you refuse to engage in dialogue... that's what's going to happen.

MC: I don't think violence ....is justice...

MC: An effort must be made..... to fill any gap.

Gilbert: ......

MC: Only violence.......is what you’re good at.

MC: And that’s what..the beast truly does.

(........)

Gilbert: .....Huh?

(I see, so that's what you're thinking now.)

(It's an obvious answer, and frankly, I don't care.)

Miss Bunny shows no signs of remorse.

(I was hoping to hear her defense of her stupidity in "covering for me".)

In this state, I don't even know where to direct my bloodlust.

Luke: That's enough, Gil. You're on the side of the weak, aren't you?

Luke: What are you doing threatening MC?

Gilbert: ......

(Luke says so, but .....)

(...What if I hadn't reacted sooner and Miss Bunny got stabbed?)

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Again and again, and again, and again, I remember that scene in my dreams.

Albert and my mother were accused of giving their opinion to the emperor in order to stop the dispute over the succession to the throne.

I don't need to ask now why they tried to stop the conflict.

It was to protect the sickly prince.

It was a life that was lost to protect.

As with Miss Bunny's stupidity earlier, she does everything without being asked.

(It is impossible to forgive/allow.)

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Gilbert: ….Hmm, that’s right.

Nevertheless, the bloodlust was gone.

Any further pressure would cause breathing difficulties.

(....The bad guys don't need intervention.)

Gilbert: Of course, that wasn't like me.

Gilbert: Sorry, I got upset when Miss Bunny did that stupid thing, right?

(Don't betray me, even you, my "friend".)

(I'm the only one allowed to kill my prey [you].)

Even after my bloodlust had passed, Miss Bunny kept shaking. Luke picks her up, and she disappears from the hall.

I never once made eye contact with Miss Bunny during that time.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Gilbert's Masterlist

[oldfritz]

erzsi for the character ask game?

@iron--and--blood

my girl!!!!

favorite thing about them: that she can and will dogwalk all these pathetic little men. an inspiration to maladjusted women everywhere

least favorite thing about them: canon erzsi how much she huffs austria's farts as if she wouldn't menace that man (especially in certain periods!!). my erzsi it's how her hypocrisy intermingles with her self-righteousness. the "fun to write but hellish to know" type of person

favorite line: none of her zingers stick in my mind BUT!! here's my favorite strip of her sweetly trying to murder gil <3 love wins!

brOTP: hunpol. i read feliks as such a gay man that i can't ship it romantically. that's her bestie!!! though i do have a hc that they lost their virginity to each other when hungary's king married poland's princess. and that was the moment feliks realized he had zero interest in women

OTP: this is a pruhun household

nOTP: her with romania/vladimir. he doesn't deserve that

random headcanon: in the modern day, she and gil want a dog but are unable to get one. why? well she wants to name the poor thing 'vladimir' and gil is only cool with that if they get another and name him 'feliks'

unpopular opinion: she's bisexual, of course, but not a good one. meaning she'll have sex with a woman and have a little fling. but a serious relationship? well as useless as they are, you can really only rely on a man for that. and i believe this for her because it makes me laugh <3

song i associate with them: oops forgot this originally. to make up for my sins, please take two. dream girl evil by florence + the machine and fast as you can by fiona apple

favorite picture of them: the real answer is somebody's fanart. but anyways, probably the most recent shit she looks really hot. please ignore the weird guy next to her idk who that man is

[atopearth]

Piofiore: Episodio 1926 Part 7 - Henri Lambert Route & Overall Review

Henri wearing glasses showing a gentle smile is so beautiful. I honestly wish for him to be happy so I'm looking forward to this route! Henri working as a translator is so nice! It's something I would love to do as well, so it makes me like him even more haha. Seeing them get to live peacefully is nice, and they're so silly but I can understand why they would think they shouldn't try to "change" their relationship but c'mon Henri!! No girl leaves her home and everyone she cares for, for a guy she doesn't love! The two of them holding hands and eating lunch together is cute~ I hope they get to live more openly without fear of being chased soon. The more excited Lili was to return home, the more obvious that the Phantom probably killed the children, but I still hoped that it wouldn't happen. They were such a happy little family. I know they need a reason to leave and face their problems, the Phantom and everything, but this is just so so cruel. I feel terrible for Liliana. I can't imagine how it must feel for her, she's the one who cared for the children the most and saw them the most, and she had to be the first to witness the bloodied house and see their bodies, I can't imagine the devastation. But I also feel bad for Henri knowing that their deaths were because of him.

Honestly, it's crazy to think that in the first game, I really felt nothing for Henri. But after seeing more of his story in 1926, his feelings and now seeing many more thoughts and emotions from him, I can't help but wish that Henri can be happy despite the things he has done. Otherwise, it's really sweet to see how happy the guys are to see her well. I always appreciate how kind Gil is in expressing how much he cares for Lili and how he's always willing to help her if she needs help. Even Yang's roundabout way of telling her he's happy to see her well was cute. I understand Henri's reasons for leaving Lili with the Falzone but I'm still hurt😭 He's too considerate for his own good, he doesn't care about himself enough. And I agree with Nicola, if I lived Henri's life where his family all died because of this Key Maiden thing and the Falzone, and then I was forced to live with distant relatives of the Falzone that hated me, yeah I don't think many people would not want revenge. Lmao at Lee being surprised at Yang saying he cares about needing to protect all the innocents dying in Burlone. You could feel Yang's sarcasm😂 Wow, Sebastiano actually killed every single former employee of the casino, all those poor people.. I actually really like how Lili isn't recklessly wanting to go look for Henri and instead just asked Orlok to give him a letter for her, I think that's very sweet since she understands everyone wants her to stay safe. I never knew I needed this, but a little Nicola and a little Henri playing together all the time back in the day is the cutest thing ever, I want to cry at the potential of how happy and sweet Henri's life could have been if he stayed at the Falzone manor with him. It just breaks my heart seeing them smile so happily.

I'm so glad Sister Sofia showed Lili the letters Henri sent to her. Lili always put Henri first and never sent any further letters back to Sister Sofia after the first one because she wanted to protect Henri and prevent any chances of people tracing his whereabouts, but Henri always put Lili first by constantly updating Sister Sofia of their lives and apologising for taking Lili away from her. He's such a thoughtful and silly guy😭 Dante, Nicola, Orlok and Sister Sofia planning a way to help Lili meet Henri without him running away was the sweetest thing ever. Everyone knows how hard she's been trying to fake being cheerful, so seeing them care so much for Lili is really heartwarming. I love how they all helped her meet Henri, and I'm so happy that he's realised how important it is for Lili to stay with him. Lmao when Nicola was making fun of how Sebastiano said Yang wasn't beautiful😂😂 It must have been difficult for Henri to go back to the Falzone manor, but I'm glad Giulia welcomed him so warmly and he can have some happy memories here. I'm glad Nicola helped Lili understand that she loves Henri, like lady, no one abandons their whole life for sympathy! It's so sad that Sebastiano dug up and stole Chloe's (Henri's sister) remains but Henri only thought about how it's good that Sebastiano is focused on him and not Lili. Honestly, I do enjoy how crazy Phantom is in this route. The fact that he killed beautiful women who looked like Chloe to gather parts of them to make the perfect Chloe is just so insane but very fascinatingly him.

I love how the guys encouraged Lili to give Henri a kiss to cheer him up lmao, but dang was she brave to actually do it! I felt so bad for Lili, Henri is really an idiot😭😭 I know he thinks nothing of himself and that's why he doesn't believe Lili could ever love someone like him, but that was sad. Nicola laughing at Henri for restraining himself was funny though, made me feel a bit better. I love seeing Henri interacting with all the guys, they're all so different and fun. Lmao at all the guys picking on Henri for having not done anything with Lili this whole time even though they eloped and lived together for so long. I died when Yang said he was a eunuch😂 I love how even Dante shyly joined in taunting Henri into doing the job of disqualifying Lili from being the Key Maiden haha. Henri is the best kind of partner for food outings! He'll notice when you can't decide between your options and just chooses both for you and he'll let you eat the best one while he eats the leftovers of the one you prefer least. Lili is so lucky🥹 I loved their date and I loved the confession. Henri expressing how much he loves her and how he thought he didn't deserve her but couldn't help but continue to want her was very sweet. Henri kissing Lili over and over again, and teasing her so gently was so nice to see, so happy for them🥹 Henri feeding her breakfast was the cutest thing ever! I didn't want to remember the pain of those poor children getting killed by someone as insane as Sebastiano, but it was also heartwarming to see Henri finally give Lili the handkerchief they sewed for both her and Henri.

Even though Sebastiano is a nut, I do recognise that his actions were probably the best way for him to force Henri to become the version of him that lived on hatred and vengeance again. And by doing all that, Sebastiano would be the focus of that hatred, so it would make him happy that Henri is so focused on him and constantly think about him. In his own twisted way, it must have made him so happy to see Henri think about him so much this whole route. It was obvious that by this point, there's no way Henri would still be super hung up over Chloe and her remains, but it was nice to see him actually say it to Sebastiano and make him die knowing that Henri will never be who he wanted him to be. It's sad that Chloe's remains will never be truly found since Sebastiano either hid it somewhere they can't find, destroyed it or locked it in that box that will explode if touched in the wrong way, but I think it's fine. The dead will remain dead and there is never any guarantee they are resting in peace as bones anyway. I loved the ending, it was so sweet seeing them smile so happily together freely in France continuing the peaceful life they had, the flower ring was beautiful! Honestly, definitely the best route and highlight of this game haha. The tragic ending was pretty cruel to have Henri go with her on such a happy date (that I enjoyed too!) and then have him end the night telling her she needs to sleep with someone and that he wouldn't recommend Yang and refuses to be the one even though she clearly expressed that she wants him. That ending was definitely much more devastating than I expected. I felt so terrible having to think of Dante's torture and Henri's mental breakdown. The only solace that could be found was that Gil died in a way that he would have liked and Orlok got to die with Rosberg, whereas everyone else was forced to die at the hands of things or people they hated the most and were forced to die with extreme regrets. But I guess I feel the worst for Lili because she will continue to live being imprisoned, shackled, raped and broken by the hollow shell of the man she loves and the crazy guy who will never let them go. Probably the most tragic ending in this game tbh and now I feel too down about this whole thing to go sleep lol! Lmao at the bad ending where Sebastiano uses a saw to cut Lili's head off, what a guy.

Overall, I kinda wish I did the tragic ending before the good ending because that shit was brutal LOL. Now my impression is that I finished this game with everyone dying haha! Anyway, it's all good, I'll live because even though it was a tough ending to swallow, I liked it because it truly was a tragic ending compared to some of the other ones. Basically, Henri's route was wonderful and exceeded expectations. I really didn't know what to think about him when I first started this route because I didn't like his route in the original game and felt it was too shallow in terms of story and just the whole running away with Henri thing. But dang did Henri's existence and personality change my mind not long after hahaha. Not only was the plot engaging with how Henri fended against Sebastiano along with getting to know a bit more of their history together and Sebastiano's obsession but the romance was so beautiful too. Innocent and filled with the desire to be together but feeling like it's better to not be together, but then in the end still choosing to be together, I love that shit hahahah. It was also really fun to see all the guys appear alot throughout the whole route because their interactions were just so fun and supportive! Sebastiano was also a much more compelling villain this time around and his insanity just went off the charts which I loved. I feel like the reason why I didn't like him in Alternativa is because Sebastiano's character was basically made for Henri, so without Henri, his character feels like "nothing" which is probably what he himself feels like too lol. Very satisfying in all aspects imo. I would totally read this route again.

Overall Review

All in all, I would give this game an 8/10 just for Henri's route itself haha, it was so good. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the romance in Nicola and Gil's routes. I will always be weak to Gil the gentleman haha. I would rate Nicola's route above Gil's just because Teo's struggles were nice to see and much more understandable compared to what he does in other routes, whereas I just wanted Gil's dad to disappear every time he appeared lol. Yang's route was nice and sweet but that wasn't what I signed up for with Yang, so even though it was nice, it felt kinda lacking. However, in terms of side character interactions, I probably loved the route the most just below Henri's because I actually really liked Rui and his story when it came to Yuan. I thought I would love Yuan more but I honestly fell for Rui instead haha. It's actually adorable how cute he was with the twins and how much of a good guy he was to admit his mistakes towards judging Lili and respecting her afterwards. I have to say though, I also like Lee much more in this game because his interactions with the twins in Alternativa was so fun haha. As usual, when it comes to Dante, even though I did enjoy the route much more this time around, I do think the story with Raul and the Falzone was pretty weak and bland, it doesn't help that other than being pretty, Raul is pretty much useless as a person with no personality lol. I also warmed up a bit more to the romance between Lili and Orlok but it's pretty outrageous that Orlok doesn't get any steamy scenes or just more romance focused CGs, but yeah as usual, Orlok isn't my type so I wasn't really into it anyway. So my favourite to least favourite route would be Henri, Nicola, Gilbert - Yang, Dante and then Orlok. Definitely recommend playing this game even if just for Henri's route tbh, it was so worth it haha. It's got pretty similar vibes to the original game and I'd say even though there are quite a few boring moments too, I still very much enjoyed it, 8/10.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #113

My laptop hinge is broken on the left side. This is somewhat alarming, since my laptop is how I write to you. So today I took it to a tech shop, and… as it turns out, they can't just fix the hinge. No, they'd have to send it to the manufacturer to get the whole screen replaced, to the tune of some $400-500. For reference, that represents almost 33 hours worth of work for most people where I live. Or, in other words, a little over 4 days, assuming an 8-hour workday. I'm not sure how similar gil in your world are to Japanese yen (at the time of writing this, it takes almost 153 yen to make one American dollar.), or if they're closer to American dollars, so I'm not really sure how to write about it with a frame of reference that you might understand. But I tried. I hope it worked.

Anyway, it seems a little silly to replace the whole screen just for a busted hinge, and I don't have the tools to fix my laptop hinge myself. So for the moment, it's being held together with duct tape. Suppose I'll run to the hardware store eventually to get some very strong glue to hold it together where it's cracked, but not today. I already went out and about today, and it's raining and a little chilly. So I'll worry about it some other time.

In any case, after that, I finally got around to sanding the epoxy sphere; this layer of epoxy produced an orb with very few inconsistencies, so I was pretty confident that the results of sanding it would be good. Check it out...

This ridge here is the natural result of epoxy curing in a mold. It is the result of physics and fluid dynamics - things with a meniscus, and such:

I evened out the meniscus from the second layer as well. It's not perfect, of course, but imperfection is to be expected:

The new sandpaper came in, and so I have all kinds now, between 60-grit and 15000-grit. To do it properly, we have to proceed smoothly, starting with the 60-grit to get rid of big inconsistencies (like a meniscus!), and then progress from there. Here it is immediately after the meniscus was removed:

...So from there, naturally, you have to progress through finer and finer grits of sandpaper in order to smooth it out again. I proceed with 60, 120, 180, 400, 800, 1500, 2000, 3000, and then with the new sandpaper I got, 7000, and finally, 15000. So it's a total of 10 rounds of sanding. I don't yet have tools with which to do this though, so I have to do it by hand. My poor grip flexors are probably going to be VERY sore tomorrow, hahaha!

...I think I'm going to need an even finer grit than 15000, though. Although the 15000 produces a MUCH less cloudy finish than the 3000 (which was my previous maximum), it's still relatively cloudy, and that's kind of a shame. So I'm going to get 20000-grit sandpaper soon and see how that does. In the meantime, this is how it looked after I finished sanding it:

...It's a foggy day in the little world of the amethyst tree, haha!

I have since applied a layer of UV-resistant gloss to the sphere. Here are the results of that:

...The gloss dried a little funny in places though, for some reason; maybe I put it on a little too thick this time. Oh well. At worst, all I gotta do is re-sand it a little and re-apply the UV gloss; no big deal, really. I hope its intended recipient will enjoy it.

I really dislike working with the UV gloss though. It comes in a spray can and it does the job when it works, but it's kinda finicky in certain ways, it smells REALLY bad (oh my good gravy, does it stink!!), and my head feels a little weird if I'm around the stuff for too long. So I might have to cave in and get the polishing tools, if I'm gonna be making these spheres with any kind of consistency. Even without all that, my grip flexors will thank me, for sure.

...You know, Sephiroth. You could make pretty stuff like this, too, if you wanted to. I think you'd like it, and with fine motor skills like yours, you'd probably be really good at this sort of thing. Or maybe you'd be good at drawing or painting. Either way, if you decided to make art, you'd probably do a WAAAAY better job of it than whatever my lame, dyspraxic ass can muster up. If you ever give it a try, please show us what you come up with, okay? I'll look forward to it.

...Speaking of art, today I saw a picture of you that produced a joy and an ache in me so intense that I broke down and wept - loudly, and in a random public space, at that. If you know me well, you'll understand that I typically only let the water leak from my face when I feel safe, and I only feel totally safe in my own home, in my therapist's office (seriously, that person is fucking GREAT!!), or in the good place with the wonderful leader. This picture was made by a lovely person who calls themself @sheylara-san. I hope I get to see more of their work in the coming days.

This public weeping was unexpected and VERY abnormal. I don't like doing it even when I'm alone. I like to fancy myself VERY skilled at dissociation; under ordinary circumstances, when I get The Feelz™ in public, I can simply make the feeling disappear from my conscious perception, albeit at a cost of mental energy that varies with the intensity of the emotion (this energy cost usually kicks me in the ass threefold at a later time). It's for this reason that if I begin to cry, I can simply make myself stop immediately with an effort of focus and willpower.

This skill (if you wanna call it that) was quite literally beaten into me as a youngling. It was one of the most important that I was forced to develop at the time, and it was something I had to be able to do even in the face of intense physical pain. Also for reference, I regularly hang with people who frequently speak to me about all the horrific things that happened to them as children and come to me for help and a listening ear; I have incredible endurance for this because my defenses are extremely high.

Even so, this image was enough to effortlessly shatter through my defenses, and if you understand how hard I had to work in order to build them up to the extent that I have, then you'll understand that this is an impressive feat. And maybe this sounds like an unpleasant thing to you, but actually, it's good medicine; I don't live in a place where I will be in immediate physical danger if I'm caught crying anymore, so hopefully to have my defenses break like this once in a while will help to teach my body that I really and truly don't need them anymore.

In any case, I'll show you the image. The one I responded to was the one of you, with a hot mug of tea in your hand, peacefully looking out a window with a beautiful outdoor view. But I think you'll enjoy the rest of these images, too:

With all the sincerity and joy I can muster, I truly hope that this artist can feel very proud of themself. 💖💖💖

Oh. Speaking of tea. If you wondered why I've not been posting up pictures of mine for you lately, it's because not too terribly long ago, one of the mason jars I was using ended up shattering as I poured hot water into it. It made a big huge dangerous mess, because of the hot water and because of the fragmented glass. But that's all right; we cleaned it up and no one got hurt. I'm kind of surprised that the mason jars can't withstand hot temperatures, given that they're used for canning, but it is what it is. We live and we learn.

I really like to take pictures of the milk swirling around in the tea for you, though. So I went and got some borosilicate glass mugs. J accidentally broke one of them, which was kinda sad, but that's okay; accidents happened. I cleaned it up without issue. So I only have one left, but one is all I need.

I used the vanilla-rose black tea today. I think you'd really like this one; it smells wonderful:

...I might have accidentally added just a touch too much honey this time, haha! But it was still good! We were out of milk, so after that, I improvised with a little heavy cream:

I like the way it swirls in the jar. The motion is mesmerizing. A picture is nice, but it would be even better if you could come see it for yourself.

After a while, the cold cream settles at the bottom of the mug, and this, too is nice. Here's how it looked right before I stirred it up:

...I wish I could make you a mug full of this stuff.

As you might guess from my writing, my attention is kind of all over the place today. In addition to the things above, I also made a simple fried rice out of lamb, sauteed red bell peppers, and minced roasted garlic:

It smells amazing. But I didn't have any, because I went out to lunch with M. I got some kind of angel hair pasta with fish, broccoli rabe, garlic, mushrooms, and carbonara sauce. It's certainly no pasta pescatore, but I thought it was really good, so maybe you'd like it anyway. I wish I could share some with you, but all I have is this picture:

I also got some empanadas to split with J when I returned home. One of them is guava and cheese, and the other one is Nutella banana. Nutella is a popular chocolate-hazelnut spread where I live. I wonder if you'd like it...

...These were really good. It took all my willpower to eat only half of each. I'm finding myself wishing I could have gotten you some. I suppose it would have been nice to be able to tell you something like, "These are molten hot on the inside; wait a minute so that you don't burn your tongue or the roof of your mouth, okay?", and then watch the expressions on your face as you wait a while before eating the thing that smells amazing. I wonder what that would have been like.

...A lot has happened today, and somehow it's not even 5pm. I'm not sure what more to do to help chase away this vague sense of emptiness I'm feeling. Suppose I'll stop writing here; I imagine I've prattled on and on long enough, haha...

As always, thanks for listening. Please understand that there are people out here who would love nothing more than to share with you wholesome and delightful things, for no reason other than the fact that you are you. And you, like any human being, deserve nice things. You deserve to be healthy and happy and safe. Your existence gave me the strength to keep going even when it felt impossible, and that is what allowed me to hang on (even when it was really difficult!) until I got a chance to really live.

...You also deserve a chance to really live. So please... make good, kind, and gentle choices. Please don't get yourself killed, okay?

I love you. I'll write again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

My Beloved (Minion)

Title: My Beloved (Minion) Word Count: 1,294 Warnings: Some very mild spoilers FFXIV Shadowbringers, some OOCness for the Minion (because I know they can't be this way in game), and EXTRA FLUFF!! Ship: Stories along the Stream (Thancred x Myself) Summary: After being separated for so long, Thancred and Rebecca have finally reunited! But rarely do such adventurers get a moment of respite, especially when they're on the run. But when a little follower tracks them down, it seems some unspoken feelings finally get aired out. Taglist: @disneymarina @floweringforgetfulness @hadesgoddess @canongf @jellyfish-ships @singingdeepinme @goldenworldsabound @nyandereneko @violetsandmilk

As the pounding of footsteps slowed to a stop, Rebecca could actually take note of her surroundings. Turning her head this way and that, her hickory gaze finally processed the faded blur of green amidst the ever-blinding sky of light. She was far out of the landscape of lavender and among towering trees and pastel green grass. The scene seemed out of one of the faerie tales which she had read so much as a child. Considering who she finally reunited with and the people who made up this little party, it almost seemed like one...

"It's good to see you again, my friends." The warm, hearty voice of Thancred spoke as his steps paused and turned to his party once more.

His ever-so-slight accent sent Rebecca's heart fluttering up into her throat. Finally being able to see his hazy golden eyes gaze upon her once more broke Rebecca's lips into a signature beaming smile that she couldn't help. It was a tender smile that Thancred seemed to match as he continued to speak.

"I don't know about you, but it feels like years since last we met. Five of them in my case."

Now it seemed everyone was wearing a smile, a sight which warmed Rebecca's heart. It had been a rare sight to see the twins, her self-adopted younger siblings, smile so earnestly without it being cut away by misfortune shortly after. But before the conversation continued, the faint sound of pitter-pattering footsteps made their way down the beaten trail.

Before Thancred could even reach for the hilt of his gunblade, his sights, which fell to the ground, were met with a much smaller version of himself. Albeit, this miniature version resembled Thancred in his younger days rather than how he presented himself now. Curiously cocking a brow at the small thing, he continued to watch as this mini version of himself did his best to hug Rebecca's leather boot. A gesture that he had never seen the wind-up automaton do when it was brought to his attention and was first being sold. Even with the most beautiful of Eorzean women, the little guy remained behind them like a stoic but loyal puppy.

Rebecca couldn't help but study Thancred's features even as his gaze fell from hers. Yet, when Rebecca felt the small squeeze on her right leg, she also looked down.

Upon seeing the situation at hand, Rebecca could feel her cheeks beginning to burn. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if the grass nearby was set alight from the mere heat she exuded. That golden gaze of the fully-sized man she adored seemed to bore right into her. Rebecca couldn't bare to meet it, even though she knew she'd only be met with that heart-stopping smirk.

With an embarrassed giggle, Rebecca bent down and scooped up the little figure. "A-Alisaie, I'm surprised you brought your wind-up Thancred into the last battle...! The poor little guy must've been running for so much longer than we have!"

Alisaie practically whipped her head towards Rebecca, her snowy locks nearly smacking her twin, Alphinaud, in the face. Her sapphire sights narrowed as if Rebecca had accused her of something unspeakable.

The lilt of her voice almost was inaudible as she spoke, "My wind-up Thancred, have you gone mad? As if I'd ever get a minion of Thancred with my own gil!"

Thancred's eyes widened in surprise, and Alphinaud could only shrug apologetically in response.

"I don't know who you think you're fooling, especially when the thing clings to you nearly as much as the real Thancred..."

Now, it was Thancred's turn to have his features set alight in a brilliant blaze. Even the young girl who had been his traveling companion for so long took a step back in surprise with a revelation of Thancred having a doting side.

Rebecca let out another nervous laugh as the breeze swayed her. She put the little Thancred upon her shoulder, melting internally when it hugged her neck.

"Okay, it's mine... I'd normally try to sell the story that someone was selling it dirt cheap at the market or I only got him to have an advantage in Lord of Verminion--"

"A game which you've never touched." Alphinaud chimes in.

Rebecca turns and shoots him a look of betrayal before continuing. "Yeah, so not only would that be insulting to you Thancred, and to all of your intellects, it'd be a straight-up lie. Yet, how can I say that this little fella has eased my... for lack of a better term, homesickness? It sounds super weird I know, but between the invasions, the wars, my duties back in my own kingdom, and just so much more that I don't even want to think about... It was a nice reminder that you were still with me, even when you couldn't be..."

Rebecca's head remained hung low, her face had to be a deep crimson from how it burnt and her eyes blinked back tears. It was silly, she knew this. But still, this little minion brought her so much comfort even before all of this tragedy and before the couple ever even thought of confessing their feelings and becoming official. Now, she couldn't help but worry that confession may have made her seem like one of the crazed fans that her partner had compared to an ally, friend, or loved one.

Yet before the smooth little hands of Thancred could pat her cheek in an attempt to console her, large calloused ones caressed them instead. Gently forcing Rebecca to look at him, Thancred could only greet her with a smile while he did his best to contain the raging beat within his chest.

"Hey," He began, running his hand down her cheek and under her chin, "...I missed you as well. But, you needn't worry. I won't ever leave you so easily. ...I'm just surprised that a woman such as yourself would ever find solace with me." With that confession of his own, spilling into the gentle seas of the light winds, his lips gently pressed against the faded locks splayed against Rebecca's forehead.

Rebecca could only smile and wrap her arms around his torso as tightly as he usually did for her.

--

It was only after a few moments that Alisaie cleared her throat. "As touching as this reunion is between such clear lovers, we really are making ourselves prime targets for any fae or sin eaters that may be out this far."

It was in this instance that the couple untangled themselves from the crushing embrace. Sputtering out apologies and excuses for getting lost in the moment while sharing flustered smiles with one another. But when the two had adorned their adventuring facade once more, it was Rebecca who approached Thancred's young companion who looked on with cautious curiosity. Sharing a gentle smile, she plucked the minion off her shoulder to present it to the girl with glowing blue eyes.

"Thancred probably means as much to you as he does to me, right?"

The smaller girl only cautiously nodded.

"Then how about once we reach a sanctuary, I can show you the little guy! He's charming like the real thing, but is better at keeping his mouth quiet."

This earned a small giggle from the girl and an objection of mock annoyance from Thancred himself. One that was quickly quieted when Rebecca turned and smiled his way again.

"Oh, real quick," Rebecca spoke jubilantly as she turned to the twins. "Don't think I've forgotten about you two selling out precious sibling secrets! Just know, vengeance shall come! ...eventually... Now come on!"

This admission of revenge had the twins sharing their own nervous look as they watched Thancred grip his love's hand and walk on towards their destination...

[fandom-frenzy]

nurr you have to tell me about all the costuming atrocities on ROP. (i have it all blocked on tumblr so i don't see anything.) SPILL. I MUST KNOW. ahahahahahaha.

So the most important thing to start with here, and the thing you must always keep in mind when discussing RoP costuming, is that the show had an enormous budget. This show was the most expensive show ever made. This show made the budgets of blockbuster Hollywood films look like community theatre budgets. It was hammered into every promotional piece, every marketing ad, every talking point - this show was so expensive.

Which makes the costuming all that more atrocious. Because I can look past some meh costumes. I can understand that there are a lot of different places to put the money. But when you have $60 mil an episode, you can't complain when people scrutinize the costuming.

Putting the rest under a cut since I'm going to post images too.

Wait wait hang on in the process of looking up screencaps to get good quality photos I came across this article and incredibly it is not satire.

Morfydd Clark, who portrays Galadriel in Amazon's epic fantasy series, recently spoke with Empire about her character's outfits, and about the fans who have taken on the daunting task of recreating them. Clark says that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's costume designer made a special effort to keep the series' costume designs complicated enough to challenge cosplayers: "Kate Hawley, the costume designer, was like, 'I want to make it really difficult for them. I want it to be a real challenge.'"

It is absolutely laughable that any of these costumes would challenge cosplayers. Anyway. Back to the discussion. (ID's in the images.)

The costumes look cheap.

The costumes don't look like they belong to distinct cultures.

The costumes don't look like people wear them on a daily basis - they aren't outfits, they're costumes.

The costumes look like they're made of cheap fabrics you can find at a craft store. They are all pretty thin and plain. There is very little layering to create a sense of "these are clothes people wear every day", there is very little texture with the use of different types of fabric or embroidery or other touches like that. Anytime texture is added, it feels like "texture=dirty and rough=poor" (see, harfoots and southlanders).

Typically when representing a variety of cultures, you should be able to look at a piece and basically tell which group it's from. If we look at the LotR movies, the difference between the elves and the hobbits and the Rohirrim and the dwarves are all different. Even Rohan and Gondor, while both cultures of men, have distinctions in color and motifs. The dwarves are harsh lines while the elves are curving, organic, leafy designs. The hobbits are like English gentlefolk with vests and the kingdoms of men have long tunics. In RoP, it's like the designers said, "Greco-Roman? Greco-Roman. Cool. Let's do that." FOR EVERYONE. Nearly every silhouette for all women is "one piece long dress gathered with a belt." Every man is "robes."

And costumes shouldn't be costumes - they should be outfits. They should be functional outfits that you would look at and say, "Yes, I can see that someone would wear that when doing the role they are in." Or recognizing that there is wear and tear because people don't buy new clothes every day. It should make sense when you see it, and not draw you out of the story.

Let's start with Gil-Galad because he was one of the first people I looked at and said "what???" This gold fabric looks basically like something I see at JoAnns anytime I walk through. The criss-cross vest pattern does have some embroidery to it (it looks like dwarven runes??) but the way it's set on his chest to me is reminiscent of straps on a backpack. The embroidery looks sharp and linear, while the embellishment is circular with pearl-like beading so the texture that is there is off. And then we have the "look it's Roman do you get the classical Roman background?" laurel crown.

Next to him is Elrond who, while really coming alive through a great actor, has a pretty humdrum costume. The cloak and the tunic look like they're made from the same material. It's lightweight with a printed swirly pattern on it - presumably this is to provide easy texture, but I don't think the elves had invented printed fabric yet. The only embellishment is the fringe/feather thing on the shoulder, which looks weird, I'll be honest. The feathers look like they're made of plastic, and the fringe isn't repeated anywhere else in the outfit.

Want to see some atrocious armor now? This armor is so confusing (and also ugly). On the left we have the Numenorians, and on the right we have the "special traveling to Valinor" armor (yes, that's a thing). Let's start with the elves. It looks like it's been made with a 3D printer. It doesn't look like metal, it looks like cheap plastic. It's super impractical for fighting, because those shoulder pieces would catch any swords and keep them close the body instead of letting them glance off. They wear skirts underneath so better hope no one tries to cut you below the waist.

The Numenorians have this whole scale motif going on throughout the costumes, presumably because they are an island nation. Okay, whatever. So why do they have horse hair helmets? They don't care about horses. They care about ships and the sea. And they've got the sun motif on their neck plate along with horses. So, all over the place. The matte white armor is an...interesting...choice. And the weird under scale shirt, with the addition of the white quilted shirt under that - it's confusing, it looks strange, and your eyes aren't really sure what's happening there. They also don't have any armor covering their lower half, and their helmets will fall off at any point.

Here we have the Romans Numenorians in their togas and printed fabrics. Like, seriously. Plain robe/tunic things that are functionally togas, with an actual printed fabric sash. I would not look at this still and think "fantasy" or "Middle-earth" or literally anything but "Roman drama."

Interestingly, here we can see with the dwarves a similar scale pattern to their armor. And in the wide shot, we see these draped garments that wouldn't look out of place in Numenor or the southlands. These background dwarves have a lot of circular motifs, while when we focus on Durin he has the more angular patterns we are used to from LotR.

Celebrimbor showed up early and had, to me, an outfit that was almost right. You see how it has different textures, different embroideries, it feels layered and real. But it's so not the right outfit for a guy who is known as a world reknowned craftsman. We do see him in his metalworking outfit, which is...different. It just has so many metal elements that I can't help but think will get too hot while you're at a forge! Also the stretchy shirt material is very similar to the material of Galadriel's dress in that scene and Elrond's tunic, so..there's that.

Honestly I saved a bunch more screencaps and had plans to go into more detail about Galadriel's various outfits and Miriel's various outfits (the only two people who got costume changes) but I just want to be done with this post so here we are.

I recommend checking out Lana Marie's youtube channel because she goes through a lot more of this from a more knowledgeable perspective.

[witchofthescions]

2 & 3 ?

Getting to Know Questions

2. What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

((She likes taking a nice long soak after a particularly trying day. She also likes to relax with a good book! But she doesn't usually combine the two activities because she doesn't have a good way to ensure her books don't end up getting soaked lmfao

Being able to have a private bath that she doesn't have to worry about rushing because hey someone else needs the bathroom too please and thank you is a luxury she didn't realize she needed until she finally had her own apartment. It's the one thing she doesn't like about going home, though she is willing to put up with it for the sake of seeing her family. Maybe someday they'll be able to afford to make the house a little bit bigger and install a second bathroom.))

3. What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

((Erna tends to prioritize spending her gil on practical things. She does have a few things she's willing to splurge on, like books and magical trinkets, or gifts for friends, but her first priority is always going to be stuff like food or clothes or replacement adventuring gear. Sometimes she'll splurge on crafting materials if she can't be bothered to go out gathering them herself lmao

But the biggest thing she usually spends on? Sending money home to her family in the Farreach. Because she grew up poor and she wants to make life a little easier for her family and the siblings still living at home. Her brother Hirskfedar did the same with his own adventuring money, until he suddenly stopped. And Erna actually makes a decent amount more than he ever did, so she's got a fair bit of cash to send home!))

[creamypudding]

New WIP

You know, I've been fermenting a new story idea for several months. It's going to have Zakkura elements but I think it will be mostly a Sefikura fic, with the high likelihood of it becoming a Sekizakkura fic.

Set in canon, but being canon divergent from the very start.

The basic premise is that Cloud gets on the mako and saves the world by sucking dick.

I actually started writing the first chapter and it's got me so highly amused that I want to share it with those of you who are into this kinda story/pairings.

If anyone is interested in being a beta reader or even an active reader and feedback provider as I go along with this story please reach out here or on twitter - creampudding_ or discord - creampudding and let me know.

This story feels like it's gonna be a bit of a crackfic with lots of sex and some falling in love. Should be fun. I'm excited.

Chapter 1 of Mako Slut (WIP title only)

Cloud tried and tried and tried everything he could to be considered for the SOLDIER program. He once was allowed to take the written test. It had been so easy. Then he'd been asked to pee in a cup and gotten a tongue swab. 24 hours later he'd received the message on his PHS  – APPLICATION DECLINED.

It took months of chasing down people before he'd gotten an answer to his burning question of WHY?

Apparently his biology is incompatible with mako. He carries the gene making him susceptible to mako poisoning and SHINRA don't care to take the risk and don't think him valuable enough to consider the long process of micro-dosing to achieve tolerance.

So that's why Cloud finds himself at the doorstep of a shady mako den in Wall Market on one of his rare days off duty.

If SHINRA isn't going to micro-dose him, he'll have to do it himself.

“That'll be six hundred gil,” says the dealer behind a bullet-proof window with a reinforced steel frame.

“Six hundred for five millilitres? You gotta be kidding!” That was triple his weekly wage and basically all his savings. “Do you have anything smaller?”

“That's as low as we go. Come back when you've got the gil.”

Dejected, Cloud leaves the poor-excuse of an establishment and stands in the crowded and noisy Wall Market. This den had been cited as the seediest, and hence cheapest. He's been to all the up market ones already; this one had truly been his last shot.

“Psst. Psst!”

Cloud looks around. He spots a shadowy figure beckoning to him from around the corner. Warily, Cloud makes his way over.

“Yeah?”

“I heard ya can't afford the wares. But I've got a deal for ya.”

Cloud leans in closer to the man reeking of poor hygiene and alcohol dependence. “What's that?”

“Fifty gil will get ya in the back here,” the man nods his head toward the alley, “where ya can suck off as much mako as ya want. How 'bout it?”

“Really? What's the catch?”

“Well, it ain't the purest stuff, if ya catch my drift. But there's plenty of it. Ya interested?”

Cloud hands over the gil and the man steps aside. 

“Just head on back there. If ya've never had mako use the stall with the 'one' on it. For the heaviest stuff go to stall four. Give a good hard thump to the wall and wait a bit. Enjoy.” The man gives Cloud a leery grin and shoves him into the alley which reeks of piss, rancid garbage, but also mako.

Trash litters the alleyway. A few unconscious and semi-unconscious people lay in various dishevelled states. Cloud ignores them all, making his way to the back where he sees some rickety partition stalls that could very well be lavatories hiding holes in the ground.

There are four of them. Two are unoccupied. Number 1 and 3. He knows what the man said. He knows getting on mako is fraught. But fuck it. He's no weakling. He'll prove that health report wrong, so heads into stall 3. 

As soon as he sets foot into the stall he pinches his nose. The stall is as grotty as he envisioned. Graffiti is everywhere. The floor is sticky. The place reeks of a mixture of sickly sweet and acrid. Something fermented impregnates the air. Mako is definitely about, along with piss and… Shive only knows what else.

Music thumps from somewhere, faint and bassy. Weird noises come from the stall next door. Gulping, and something wet sounding. 

Cloud grimaces. He paid the 50. He should get something for it, so takes the one step it takes to cross the tiny space. He's at the opposite wall, by a drainage hole, which he avoids standing on. This really is like a lavatory.

He bangs on the wall and waits.

There is a metallic scraping sound. A hole opens up in the wall.

Cloud jumps back and stares at… at… Oh Shiva! It's a penis!

Cloud leaves the stall pressing his back to the door. His heart's in his throat. What the fuck did he pay money to take part in?

Stall number 4 opens and out saunters what Cloud can only describe as an alley wench dressed in a clinging scarlet outfit, and her face caked in thick, and very smudged makeup. She's hiking panties up and her short dress down.

“Oh, hello there, darling. Watch where you're standing.” She hums with a giggle and pinches Cloud's cheek. “You're cute. Why're you wastin' your time here? You could go to the HoneyBee and get ten times what you can get from here.”

Cloud's left speechless.

Banging sounds from the stall Cloud's escaped from.

“Oi, anyone there? I need my cock sucked.”

The wench looks at the door. “You gonna take that?”

“Uh…” he shakes his head and steps aside. The woman slinks into the stall. The gruff annoyed shouting stops and gives way to a moan.

Cloud keeps walking backward, staring in horror, until he hits the opposite wall, where he stays, paralysed in body, while his mind races—

There are… This is… He got himself into a glory hole back alley. The building the alley flanks is the drug den he just left. Oh, Shiva! Oh, Ifrit! He's paid to suck cock. Mako users cocks.

Cloud swallows. Does that even… work? 

The stall door opens. The women comes out, touching her mouth and looking pleased. She walks—shamles more like it—toward the mouth of the alley.

“Hey,” Cloud dashes after her.

“Hmm? Oh, it's you again cutie. I've never seen you here before. Are you new to the scene?”

Cloud gives the slightest nod. 

“Ah, thought so. Good thing you didn't take that one. Stall three isn't where you should be, honey. Take it easy. No, no. That would have been too much mako for you. I've got the spins.” She wobbles.

Cloud helps to steady her. “Does that really work? Sucking mako out of… cocks? It's not just a scam?”

“It's not as good as getting the pure stuff straight in your veins, but on a budget it will help tide you over and stop the withdrawals. But—” She straightens and gives Cloud a sterner look than her affected body would let on being able to give “—Look at you, baby face.” She pinches his cheek. “Why are you here? Don't start. Don't let it ruin your life. You're so young. And pretty. Go home, stick to weed. You want some?” She fishes for something from her bra.

“No thanks.”

“Your loss.” She pulls out a spliff and shambles to a bum on the ground begging for a light.

Cloud turns back to the stalls. He swallows. The lady said it works. The lady also said not to do it. But Cloud can't start his life unless he does… something. Does it have to be this? His whole dream in life has been to be in Midgard. Become a SOLDIER. Protect the people he cares about. SHINRA has denied him. They have labelled him. But he fully intends to show them that he can handle mako. And the sooner he starts microdosing the sooner he will be ready for a full dose.

He takes a deep breath and head back to the stalls. They are all occupied. He grimaces. Number 1 becomes free as a haggard man leaves.

Cloud frowns. He doesn't want to start at the low end. But he wants to start. He spots someone coming for the stall—there are more people waiting in the shadows than he first realized. He can't wait for another one to open, so goes into the lame stall.

It's in much of the same level of distress as the other stall he was in.

He knocks loudly. A few moments later the same thing happens as previously: a little round hatch slides open and a penis is pushed through.

Cloud gulps. The grimace pulls firmly into place and he sinks to the ground, squatting, and his fingertips pressed against the grimey wall to anchor himself. The stench of mako is strong from caked cum on the ground and smeared on the walls.

He gingerly lifts the limp cock like it's a turd he's had to pick up with his bare hands and brings it to his mouth. He closes his eyes and puts his lips around the tip. He instantly recoils and receives a complaining grunt through the wall.

Is he seriously going to do this? He needs to, or he'll be a wash-up and stay an infantry grunt forever.

It's a bitter pill to swallow that he's fallen this far, but everyone who falls has the chance to rise, and this is how he will rise. Cloud opens wide and puts half of the shaft into his mouth. He gags and receives a pleased sound from behind the wall. 

Cloud pulls the cock out, composes himself, and puts his lips around only the tip. He's got to pace himself.

He imagines it's a lollipop. A dirty, urine-flavored lollipop. But he keeps sucking and using his hand to massage the part of the shaft not in his mouth.

He's never sucked cock before, but he knows how to pump one, so pump he does. The shaft grows rapidly stiff, allowing Cloud to let go and just use his mouth to slide on and off the protrusion from the wall.

He just needs to think positively. He's milking mako from this tube. That's all this is. 

Moans can be heard from his stall, but also the other stalls. How long does he need to do this until he gets something? Will it be worth it? He fucking hopes so.

The urine taste starts to change. Cloud sucks harder. Is it pre-cum? Pre-cum soaked in mako? He bobs faster, intermittently stopping to swirl his tongue around the head and give firm strokes to the underside of the shaft. 

The person on the other side is panting hard and coughing out expletives and dirty compliments about Cloud's mouth.

Cloud's insides tingle. His cock pulses. Shit… is this turning him on? Is bringing someone to their proverbial knees something he… might like?

The croaking cry is all the warning he gets before an explosion of thick, viscous fluid fills his mouth. Cloud almost spits it out, but the astringent taste on his tongue reminds him—he's gotta swallow. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, he sucks down the foul tasting liquid and pulls off when the spurting finishes. Cloud gags and repeatedly sticks his tongue out, but the taste of cum and mako on the air coats his tongue even worse.

The hatch slides shut and Cloud's left hunched over ready to throw up. Oh, Ranmu! His stomach churns. He will throw up. He races out of the stall, looking for a trash can to puke into. All he finds is the opposite alley wall to brace against as he pukes his guts up, spilling mako-laced cum all over his shoes and the hem of his trousers.

After the ordeal is over, he moves a couple feet to the right and slides down to the ground, catching his breath.

Something is held out to him. Cloud looks up and stares in wide-eyed shock at the well-kempt man standing in front of him.

“Here, drink this. It will help.”

Cloud takes the bottle and takes a sniff before he puts it to his lips, but still looks up expectantly before he dares to take a sip.

“It's an antacid. Very safe.” The man takes the bottle back and takes a sip. “See?”

Cloud accepts the bottle and drinks from it.

“Take it easy, or you risk throwing up again.”

Cloud takes the advice. His stomach settles.

“Is this your first time in Mako Canyon?” Cloud's look must say it all because the man laughs softly and says, “What is a gorgeous creature like you doing in the bowels of the mako dens?”

“I could say the same about you.”

The man gives him a wry smile. “What a charmer. I'm looking for a friend of mine. She has a nasty habit. Have you seen her? This tall, brunette, skinny as a rake.”

He's describing the alley wench. “She was looking for a light for her smoke and left.”

“Thank you…”

“Cloud,” he provides, instantly regretting it.

“Well, it's a pleasure. I'm Andrea. Do consider not coming back here. A pretty face like yours is wasted in the gutter. You belong somewhere where you can shine.”

“I need mako to shine.”

“You really don't.”

Cloud glares and sulks.

“Here.” Andrea hands Cloud the drink bottle. “If you continue you'll need to look after yourself. Stay hydrated. Mako, even in the tiny doses you get from places like this can be lethal.”

Cloud's left alone in the gutter feeling like a weakling for not being able to hold down mako-infused cum. If he's serious about joining SOLDIER he better make a serious start on building up his tolerance.

[softquietsteadylove]

For the Thenamesh Doctor AU:

Thena looses unexpectedly a patient! And the only one who she needs is our beloved Gil

"No."

"Thena."

"No!" she snarls, fighting as Kingo tries to pull her to her feet--off the patient she's been trying to get back for nearly ten minutes. "He was fine!"

"T, come on," he says gently, reaching for her again.

"Dammit," she hisses, watching the colour of her patient's skin just get worse and worse. Some hair slips into her field of vision. "Check his eyes."

Ajak obeys, kneeling down and pulling his eyelids up. Completely bloodshot and nonresponsive--it's hemorrhagic shock, for sure. Ajak gives her a look, "Thena."

"Fuck!" she leans back, arms burning, lungs ice cold. She looks at her patient, to Ajak and Kingo and a few others gathered around. She looks at the clock, "time of death, 12:37."

The crowd parts for her, in no rush to try and get in the way of her temper. She snaps her gloves off and bins them as she storms through the hallways.

He was just a man in for a scare--a little murmur in his pacemaker that made his wife worry. He was nice; they talked about how he met his wife and how to make the best grilled cheese. He was a sweet man.

Thena walks into the on-call room and throws the door closed behind her. She runs her hands over her hair, pushing back the piece that's escaped. "Out."

The door never was able to close, stopped by a foot and letting in one other person who closed it gently. "Hey."

"Out, Gil," she repeats, but it has no real bite to it. She's not very good at snapping at him for real.

He already knows, whether it's from passing it in the hallway or just by looking at her. But he walks over to her, already poised to take her into his arms, "c'mere."

Thena just barely lets him pull her against him. She's stiff, at first, still trying to hold it in. She's not exactly done her shift, and they're going to come and get her any minute, she's sure.

"I've got you," Gil whispers as he encircles her in his arms and presses his cheek to the top of her head.

Thena turns her head, letting herself bury her face in his chest. He's so warm, and so soft, and he smells more like home than her apartment ever could.

Gil whispers sweet nothings as she breaks down in his arms, pressing her sobs into his chest. He rubs her back as she trembles against him. She's been doing this for a long time, she's no stranger to what this work is like. But if she's taking it this hard, then she actually liked the guy. Poor thing.

Thena turns her head against him, just enough to breathe. Her eyes sting and she can't see shit. Her breathing is erratic and she feels like she's freezing cold. Gil wraps his hoodie around her with his hands in the pockets. "It's not fair."

"It's not."

"He came in to be cautious," she snivels, wrapping her arms around the back of him and clutching at his shirt. He's so warm. "He came in so his wife wouldn't worry--it's not fair."

"I know."

She's done trying to reason it out. It's never going to get less unfair. She sighs, letting out whatever she has left in the tank.

Gil kisses the top of her head, swaying them faintly on their feet, "I'm sorry, Thena."

She closes her eyes, trying to let Gil's heartbeat drown out reality. "I have to call his wife."

"I know." That part is always the hardest. Harder than even losing them, trying to resuscitate their poor hearts. "Let me go with you."

"No," she practically whines as she pulls away from him. Back into the cold waters of reality she goes, wrapping her arms around herself. Gil is so warm, and the usually ambient hospital feels like the tundra to her now. "I should do it alone."

"You don't have to, though."

Thena lifts her head just enough to look at him. Neither of them is a stranger to hard days. He's also had his days when he wonders what they could have done differently--a single step they could have taken that would have kept someone alive.

"Hey," he whispers, leaning down and pressing a kiss at the corner of her lips. "I'm here if you need me."

She nods. She can't say anything now--talking requires thinking, and she needs all her autopilot skills to get through the rest of the next five hours.

Gil gives her shoulder one last squeeze before heading out into the hall. "Uh... "

The chill she was feeling sinks even deeper into her bones. Thena walks to his side, having already guessed what he was seeing.

The patient's wife is here, holding a sandwich and a bottle of water and weeping. This couldn't get worse. Thena squeezes past Gil and walks toward the poor woman, refusing to perceive the tears in her eyes. "Missus Langford?"

"Wh-Where's-"

"Why don't we sit down?"

Thena looks up as Gil guides the woman towards the far corner of the waiting area. It's not ideal, but they don't want her on her feet when she gets the news. She should have known he wasn't going to let her do this alone.

"Is everything okay?" the poor woman looks between them desperately.

Thena tries to get it out--she really does. But the woman takes one look at her face and crumbles into tears. "I-I'm so sorry, Missus Langford. Y-Your husband...he suffered a blood clot. He-"

"No," the woman sobs, her face contorting as grief takes her in its arms. "No, please!"

Thena's throat clamps tight. The smell of the homemade grilled cheese reaches her nose and she wants to throw up.

Gil leans over from his seat on the other side of her, "I'm sorry, Missus Langford. We did all we could, but I'm afraid...your husband passed very quickly."

"No!"

Thena turns away as Gil rubs the poor woman's arm. He's the better person for the job, anyway. She's not that good at comforting people. He looks at her and she swipes her tears away. The families can never see you break--if you can get a single thing right, it's don't let them see you break. She sniffles, "he was a very sweet man, Missus Langford. He told me all about you."

"H-He did?"

Thena nods, blinking through more tears, letting them obscure her vision of the older woman. "I got to talk with him during his examination. He told me about how you met at the movies."

The woman just starts crying even harder. Thena flinches but when she looks at Gil he nods for her to keep going. She shakes her head abut he nods even harder. She sighs; he's the comforting expert.

"H-He, um, told me about using mayo for grilled cheeses," Thena mumbles, trying to ignore the wax wrapped sandwich in the woman's lap.

"They-" she sniffles and laughs all at once, "they were his favourite."

Thena manages a smile and nods at the woman.

"I, um," Missus Langford presses her palms to her eyes and collects her purse. "I-I have to call-"

"Take all the time you need," Gil assures the woman in one fell swoop, still holding her shoulder and placing his other hand on her wrist. "I can show you to him, and the hospital will help you make arrangements, okay?"

"O-Okay," she nods as Gil guides her gently to her feet. She holds up the sandwich and water, "um-"

"It's okay," Gil smiles, gently patting her hands to deposit them back in her purse. "You'll need your strength. You should hold onto them."

Thena walks behind them, happy to fall into the background of things. Her feet squeak and drag as they guide the woman to her husband. "Missus Langford, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

The sweet woman nods at her, fresh tears coming into her eyes. They rise in Thena's as well, but the woman shakes her head. "You go, dear. I know you did everything you could for him."

Thena really feels like she could throw up.

"Someone will come in to ask how you want to proceed, Missus Langford," Gil steps in again, with that soft voice of his. "No one will rush you."

She nods her thanks to them again before moving to her husband's side behind the curtain. It happened so suddenly they don't even have a private room for her to do her grieving.

Gil plants his hand on Thena's shoulder as they walk away. "Hey."

She nods, swiping at her tears yet again. She doesn't think she'll ever be able to eat a grilled cheese sandwich again. She looks up as Gil threads her arms through his hoodie. It's nice and warm, at least. "You'll need it."

"I'm warm enough." He certainly is. He zips it up and even rolls the sleeves up for her. It's not exactly professional, but no one is going to dare to tell her that. "This poor old thing--might be time for a new one."

Thena subconsciously clings to it at the thought.

Gil kisses her forehead. "This one's all yours, baby."

She sighs. They have work to do. Mister Langford is going to be one of many patients tonight. And it's her job to make sure there are no more Missus Langfords so long as she can help it. "Thanks."

He nuzzles her cheek and kisses her temple, "always."

"See you after?" she asks in a small voice, her hand trailing against his until their fingers are clinging to each other.

He gives her a smile that helps her fight the insufferable cold of the night, "I'll find you."

He always does.

[munsonlovers]

being his outlet - greg sanders

being a csi can be hard especially when children are involved. there are some cases that affect some more than others.

this case was a hard one for greg because he found the little boy shoved in a box down an alley while investigating another case. he couldn't believe why someone would treat a little boy like that. he was treated like trash and he was able to be thrown away and not be remembered.

it was a hard case but one he wouldn't forget. that poor kid had no one when he was being hurt by his people he was supposed to call his family. he didn't have anyone to remind him that it was going to be okay and that he wasn't going to be in pain anymore.

greg didn't know how to handle a case like this but all he did know was anger. he yelled at all his co-workers and at all the lab assistants. he wasn't normally like this but the case really got to him. gil tried to talk with him and even nick and sara but he just yelled and to them to leave him alone.

there was only one thing that nick and sara had to do, call you. you were the only thing that could calm greg down when he was struggling with a case.

"hey, what's going on?" you said softly.

nick pointed at greg in the lunch room, where he was pacing and throwing things.

"the case was a hard one, it involved a kid." sara said.

you walked over to the lunch room and knocked on the door frame. he looked up at you and he kept pacing.

"sweetheart, hey." you said softly. you walked up to him and stood in front of him to stop him from pacing.

he didn't look at anything but the ground. he didn't know what to say to you especially after he knew you saw how he was acting.

"what can i do to help you." you said softly rubbing his arm.

he didn't know what to say, all he did was hug you. you hugged him back so tight that all he did was break down. he was so upset from working the case with that little boy in his mind. he wanted to scream and kick but he just cried. you held him until he was ready to talk and be open with you.

"i-i just looked at him and wanted to hurt the people who hurt that little boy." he said still crying.

you put your hand on his face and rubbed your thumb on his cheek.

"love, you have such a big heart and i know you wanted to help that little boy. you did everything you could, you helped put the people who did this away." you smiled at him.

you could see that he was hurting and in his eyes you knew that whatever you said wasn't going to change how he was feeling.

"i-i know but just seeing him reminded me that i can't help every child that lives in a horrible house where they feel unwanted and not loved." he said wiping his tears.

"you helping this boy showed others that they aren't alone and that if they need help, they can come to someone they know they can trust. that boy is watching you help find who did this to him and you helped get justice for that little one." you said smiling at him.

you kissed him on the forehead and held his face in your hands and smiled at him.

"you did good my love, you helped someone today and he knows you will do the same thing for another little one. im so proud of you." you said pressing your lips to his.

"i love you darling, thank you." he said smiling.

"i love you too greg." you said smiling at him.

everyone looked at the two of you, they knew that only one person could make greg smile even after a hard case like today. calling you was one of the best decisions they made today and they felt happy to know that greg was happy and not angry or upset.

you were his outlet, his person and the only one that could keep him in line when his day went horrible.

[undercat-overdog]

Elwing and Celebrimbor for the for the character asks?

Did Elwing already, so Celebrimbor! @feanorianethicsdepartment asked for him too! 

How I feel about this character

Um, my favorite. No, I really love him. Like Elwing, it was the cinematics that originally made him stick out (the banner and St Sebastian imagery - interesting that he may be the only true martyr figure in Tolkien? I can't think of another one.)

He's fairly unusual as a Tolkien character in that he explicitly wants to make the world a better place; most of the heroes (and antiheroes) are people who fight against the darkness to try to keep the world from becoming worse. Some of that is likely just a function of the time period when he was an active character, but that curiosity and skill and ambition melded with a vision that is genuinely good is appealing. (Which is not to say that his vision is without its weaknesses and faults, but the love of the world, the desire to heal it, is absolutely there.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Celebrimbor/Sauron is my OTP. Shadows of Mordor opened me to the potential that is silvergifting, and I immediately opened up ao3 and here I am, writing porn about the Lord of the Rings and the guy he tortured to death.

(Quick review of that game: it is lorelol - no, like it would be difficult to make the lore worse - and the four fridgings are overmuch. But the game play is fun and it is astonishingly shippy - Sauron's one and only motivation is to get Celebrimbor to come back to him. Seriously.)

Fond of him with Celeborn/Galadriel too (unsolicited fic rec).

Some day I will manifest Annatar/Celebrimbor/Galadriel into existence.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Celebrían! I headcanon that it was her, not Celeborn, that stayed in Eregion when Galadriel left (and, uh, given her and Celebrimbor's diplomatic talents, they were damn lucky that Annatar was there...) and that they reconnected in Valinor.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Hmmm. I'm not sure I have any truly unpopular opinions? Though I am very definitely on the "Celebrimbor wasn't an idiot" side and I think that welcoming Sauron and making the Rings genuinely was the best timeline - it was Sauron's poor life choices that made everything go terribly wrong, not Celebrimbor's (well, ok, best timeline is Sauron not failing his repentance, but that's on him). (Also, fucking Sauron is not actually the worst life choice a Finwean has made and isn't that saying a lot.)

Otherwise, I don't go for the born in Valinor version and I most definitely do not go for one big happy Feanorian family. My personal backstory is that he didn't know his non-Celegorm and Huan uncles well - I'm not sure he even met Amras and Amrod - and that he and Maedhros did not get along and that there's no love lost on Celebrimbor's side. General backstory is that he renounced his Noldorin heritage, not just the Feanorian one, after Nargothrond (or Doriath) and went around calling himself a Sinda and Penadar. Reconciled with it over the first few centuries of the 2nd Age.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

As usual, I'm happy with the canon story. This is partly because I am very good at imagining post-canon happy endings and am writing one right now. I view it as very decidedly post-canon and not at all an AU.

I would like to know how and when he attached himself to Galadriel and Celeborn. He's associated strongly with them in all the different backstories and, at least before Annatar shows up, said to be a friend of theirs, though it seems to go south. I go with very early 2nd Age, and I think the politics of Gil-Galad/Círdan/Elrond on one pole and Galadriel/Celeborn/Celebrimbor on another are interesting.

I'd also be interested in explorations of Tolkien's different backgrounds. Like, how the heck does "descendent of Daeron" work. (Presumably even more of a dwarven connection, and I like the non-craft scholarship it brings to him.)

[artsyxloner]

Not just a Monster

Warning: violence, blood,

16: life or death

We were both shaking, even though if Eun-Yoo did open up the door for Ji-Su to use the restroom she still would have passed out. " come on help me lift her!" I pleaded to grab her one side while she got the other.

We both counted to three lifting her. Pulling her arms around our neck making our way out of the girl's restroom. I called for help,  not knowing if anyone knew what to do.

Seeing Eun-Hyuk and Jae-Heon they ran over to us. Jake-Heon took Ji-Soo first. " what happened?" Run-Hyuk questioned. I was about to answers until Eun-Yoo did. " she collapsed in the restroom."

There were tear stains on The girl's face, " she been acting like her side has been hurting her for a few days now haven't you all noticed?"

" we've asked but she just denied it." I bit my lip, " what are we going to do?" Eun-Hyuk shook his head " take her to a couch, she needs to lay down so we can figure out the problem."

And we did just that, laying her on the couch moving some of the pillows and blankets off them. She groaned while we were doing this. " how much does it hurt?" We have all gathered in behind.

" I'm fine." Ji-Soo Urged but Eun-Hyuk put his hand on her side and pressed down. She cried out in pain, " I'm going to lift my hand now." After he did she cried out more. " I think it's appendicitis?"

Ji-Soo repeated after him,

" Appendicitis?" She asked not knowing what he was talking about. " Your appendix." Everyone started whispering, " appendix, how does he know that?"

" you should know that we were poor but he still went to med school." Eun-Hyuk explained, " so what do we do?" Su-Yeong wonder, " she'll be okay." Mrs. Cha rubbed the little girl's head.

" the golden hour is running out on both sides." Hye-In implied I frowned, staring at her. I don't know if she was going to be alright? What if we ran out of time on the golden hour?

Soon Eun-Hyun, Jae-Heon, me, and Eun-Yoo were talking amongst ourselves while everyone was in the day-Care-Center.

" if her appendix burst it'll become Serious. In her peritoneum, she could get an infection and Bacteria can spread out through her entire body."

I leaned back on the hall, thinking this over, it wasn't good. " she'll need surgery?" Jae-Heon pronounced, " there's nothing we can do here," I heard Eun-Yoo grumble. " and I'm not sure if I know how?"

Well knowing some medical stuff is better than not knowing at all. " so you're saying you're not going to do anything about it!." Eun-Yoo got up fussing at her brother.

" We can't just let her suffer?" I butted in but I understood, that he was put in a difficult situation. Someone's life was in his hands with just a little experience. " do whatever you can do because I need to get even with her!" Eun-Yoo demanded.

I bit the inside of my lip my nerves her racking up as we got done talking about what was going to happen. Now here comes the hard part. " so there's a chance I might die?" Ji-Soo admitted.

Eun-Hyuk nodded, " yes." I felt bad for her and I don't know how she was taking the news. Probably not well. " there's a higher chance of dying than surviving... It's your call."

He told her, but it didn't take long for her answer because she murmured a yes. " if I don't, there's no chance of surviving at all." She was set with her answer that and Eun-Hyuk left the room.

Everyone was in here even Hyun-Su, " I'll perform surgery. I need antibiotics, anesthetics, saline, and surgical instruments." Eun-Hyuk informed, " I'll go," Jae-Heon Volunteered, it was nice of him but it would be trouble since she's only got one good arm.

" are you trying to die?" Sang-Wook walked up, " you'll just be a burden in that state." That was kinda harsh.

"Okay, I'll go too." I looked over towards Yu-Ri, " no you. won't." Gil-Seob declared, " there are dozens of surgical tools unless you're going to bring the whole hospital, You need someone who we will get the right equipment."

Gil-Seob stood up walking over towards Yu-R, she nodded her head as If saying I'll be okay. " please help us." It was Eun-Hyuk you couldn't tell by his face but he was serious.

So we all began working on getting ready for Ji-Soo surgery. Wiping down the table with hot water, disinfecting everything that was gonna be used. Like the Surgical tools. Hanging up plastic around the room.

Once I was done helping I grabbed my duffel bag, knowing I'll need it for the medical tools. And my machete Du-Silk fixed it to where a bat was Screwed into it.

It was pretty badass, going over to the back seat of the newly reinforced car I opened the door throwing in my bag about to get in when a hand grabbed my shoulder Stopping I look over to see who it was.

Eun-Hyuk stood in front of me, " if things go south just go to the hospital. Getting food is optional Saving Ji-Soo is the main goal." I nodded, " we'll be back soon." I got in and closed the door.

It was great to know he was thinking about others' now and not being so selfish. When everyone that was going got in the vehicle Sang-Wook who was driving started the Engine and we took off. Hyun-Su decided to come with us even I didn't want him to.

Thinking about going outside again, we're it all began. We're I survived with no one, because of what I didn't mean to do. I knew I was still responsible but Did I want to live with the Constant guilt?

That's what I use to think, not knowing when my time would be up if I went out on a run wondering if I might not come back alive. Dying from hunger or dehydration or anything else in this damn world that would do the job.

I didn't want to though at least not know or ever. Yes, I would have to live with it there death but keeping their Memory alive is what I want. To be able to never forget my loved ones.

Going down a dark tunnel I saw the exit and bright sunlight And clear blue sky's it gave me hope, knowing the group I was with is my new friends possibly family and for some reason, I couldn't leave them.

It's maybe because I found a connection with Hyun-Su that we both have held out for this long it's August 25 year twenty-twenty. I have passed the 15-day mark since the 8th of monsterization.

You could say I was holding out but I haven't been fainting having no nosebleeds, or Hallucinations. It's not that I was worried about not having those things I'm just worried when IT comes back I wouldn't be able to contain the monster and finally turn.

I was a ticking time bomb, to say the least. As we rolled out on the ground the ground began to rumble. Feeling the car shake I Gripped my weapon looking outside.

I didn't have time to react because are were rammed into. Feeling the impact of the hit on my side I felt the door close in as we were thrown through the air. Screaming could be heard as the glass was flying everywhere.

Crashing landed on an enormous pile of sand rolling down it the car flipped over a couple of times until it stopped. Blood was dripping from my face clouding my vision as if it was blurry enough from my head swinging back and forth.

I yelled out it see if the others were alive. But I didn't hear a response. Please God don't let them be dead I thought, trying to get out of my seat. But where the door was caved in on me and that my seatbelt was completely stuck I couldn't free myself to help anyone.

Yu-Ri was laying on the roof of the car that was upside down, blood was all over her face passed out so was Sang-Wook searching around I couldn't find Hyun-Su he was in the front passenger seat but he wasn't there.

Looking around Frantically I saw his body lying outside on the ground he wasn't moving. Tears began to fall from my face, I needed to get out and help them. I didn't see my machete bat anywhere to cut myself out.

But there was a large piece of glass stuck in my leg it was big than my hand. I had to pull it out, taking ahold of it I clenched my teeth jerking it out real fast. I cussed sucking in a breath, that fucking hurt.

Taking the seatbelt, I Started to saw on the thick material moving it back-and-forth. Then then the rumbling came back. My breathing quickened as I was trying to cut faster.

" come on you stupid piece of shit!" I mumbled Anxiously, I was finally able to cut myself free slowly I made my way down until I got on the ground. I took my hand shaking Yu-ri but she wouldn't get up. Signing Looking through the car's window I saw Hyun-Su waking.

I was afraid the giant monster get to him before he would have time to react. I screamed out his name to get his attention. " Hyun-Su!!! Get up!!!" I Cried seeing him glance over to me eyes wide when he saw the monster warning him about.

He got up staggering a little bit, grabbing his spear. He Launched at the monster trying to stop it in its thigh but it was no use it ended up flinging its hand hitting Hyun-Su sending him flying crashing into more sand construction equipment.

I screamed out, and the giant monster looked down at me and smiled with its bloody mouth. It picked a concrete cylinder and checked it at Hyun-Su. But he dodged it just in time.

I let out a shaky breath, there was a movement in the front seat it was Sang-Wook he pulled himself out of the car. I began to smell smoke inhaling the fumes, making me cough It was going to catch on fire soon.

I hurried to cut Yu-Ri's belt, hearing I banging noise. Sang-Wook jerked open the door. I soon was able to cut her free, heaving her up I dragged myself over to the opening Sang-Wook made.

It was a tight space so I laid Yu-Ri in front of me first so he could grab her. " here take her, I'm fine."  I stated not needing help. I was about to crawl out but then remembered my Field guide journal with my family picture in it. I found it near the front.

I was close enough to reach and unzip it, searching around my hand to touch the cover of the pages. Getting it out I held it close to me while dragging my Injured leg that was bleeding heavily out.

I clutched my leg adding pressure as I got up limping, to get away it was going to blow up any minute. But my leg was in too much pain, I fell to the ground, landing on my side.

I grunted cussing out,  " damn leg!" Trying to get up but then I smelled gas. My eyes widened trying to pull myself up again.  The smell was getting thicker and stronger.

I didn't know where Sang-Wook went with Yu-ri but I hope they were safe. Off in the distance, I heard someone calling out my name. Looking up it was Hyun-Su, he was running.

I hadn't noticed the big red fire truck that had come in all this ruckus. The person that was driving it was ramming the monster with it. Just then I began to feel the heat and something grabbing me yanking me out of the way when the car exploded.

Knowing it was Hyun-Su he wrapped his arm around me as we tumbled to the ground. Making a thud sound, I landed on him my face got shoved in his chest.

I stayed there for a minute taking short hard breathes, I could feel his arm tighten around when I started to move. " Are...you alright?" Hyun-Su breathed out.

Wondering if I was okay, I was quiet for a minute but then answered. " I gashed my leg open, but I'm fine." I wiggled out of his grasp sitting up, he did also.

Seeing the huge slash that was oozing a lot of blood by the minute. " can you try and stand?" He asked, but I shook my head. " no, I can walk." Hissed in pain when I moved it.

" Okay, " was all Hyun-Su said grabbing my arm he wrapped it around his shoulder. " I'm going to lift you, can you get on my back," he added, I nodded as he Crouched down.

Climbing on it, I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving the clear he stood up and walked back to the apartment building. Feeling tired I laid my head on his shoulder.

This is kinda long but I hope you enjoy it!! ☺️✨

[fuwafuwamedb]

If you're still doing this i would love to request gilkidu with 38 (but not the angsty way, more like we were at the mall and she ran away and now i can't find her) with baby gudako or hakuno (which one you prefer)

LET’S DO BOTH! 

_________

“Okay, so,” Gilgamesh wrinkled his nose a little, noting their coming closer. “I lost the baby.”

Enkidu gaped at him. “You… You lost Hakuno?”

Gilgamesh groaned, “the infernal imp crawled off on me when the woman at the jewelry counter was discussing their wares with me! If anything, she should be held accountable for doing this!”

“And Gudako… Gil,” Enkidu wheezed. “You lost them both!?”

“That pestilence disappeared near the next store, which Hakuno and I were heading over towards,” he replied dismissively. “They are mongrels-“

“Damn it, Gil!” Enkidu looked around, trying to think. The two were seven and four. They wouldn’t get up to too much trouble. They were old enough to speak and be understood. They’d know to go to a policeman to be taken back and an announcement to be made over the intercom. Gudako would probably only set one thing on fire…

Dear Ninsun, she’d probably set something on fire.

Again.

“Gil!” Enkidu glared at the man shuffling his bags around, dropping the garments he had purchased into his gates. “Gil! We’re not supposed to be doing that! Gudako and Hakuno will be pissed to learn of this when they return to normal!”

“They’re fine,” Gilgamesh replied. “They’ve been this way for a month. At the rate we are going, we shall be raising them until they reach their original age once more. In the meantime, I will enjoy their lack of supervision.”

They should never have agreed to this. Gilgamesh was as ornery as ever.

They hopped on their feet a bit, looking around and thinking. Where would the two girls go? Where would they have wanted to visit?

Enkidu dragged the king along, heading to the directory and perusing the listing.

Clothing was out of the question.

The king had taken the liberty of having his own field day with the two being young children once more. His adornments went over moderately with Hakuno and piss poor with Gudako. Gudako had fun flinging the jewelry back at the king and Hakuno made faces when he wanted to take pictures. What’s more, the two enjoyed pairing together to avoid his clothing sprees and gift times, often ducking under other servants.

Atalanta took great pride in protecting them.

The food court wasn’t high on the list.

Although they liked eating, neither felt overly inclined to splurge.

Well…

That wasn’t necessarily true.

“There’s a cinnamon roll shop down the escalator,” Enkidu told the king.

“Ah- Hakuno will be there.” Gilgamesh grinned. “Excellent thinking, Enkidu. What about Gudako?”

“We’ll find her after we collect Hakuno,” the being replied, sprinting for the escalator. The two of them took the stairs down two at a time, Enkidu’s gaze flickering to the small store. Sure enough, they could see the small child beaming for the sales person giving samples, earning another sample.

No doubt it was another, considering the sample toothpicks in her other hand.

“HAKUNO!”

Gilgamesh rushed ahead, wrapping his arms around the small girl and pulling her up into his arms.

She splattered the roll sample in his face.

“Damn it!”

“Enki!” Hakuno reached out for them, earning a smile from the being as Enkidu came and pulled the girl from the king’s arms. Leaning in, Enkidu licked some of the frosting and grinned.

“I see. They had samples, did they, Hakuno?”

“Gilly said I could come after he was done,” Hakuno told them, cuddling against them a little more. Her gaze went nervously to the king, who was accepting a napkin to wipe his cheek off and tossing it at the salesperson.

“You shouldn’t have left, Hakuno. This means I will have to punish you,” Gilgamesh told her simply.

“How long did you wait?” Enkidu asked the girl.

“The big hand went from up to down,” Hakuno told him.

A half hour.

Enkidu gave the king a droll look. “You lost Gudako and spent a half hour talking about jewelry and making this girl wait? Gil, she’s like four!”

“She should have been more-“

They took the man’s wallet, handing over the card to the counter lady and pointing to a small container of the smaller rolls for the child. “Two of those, please.”

“She’s been so good,” the lady told him. “She didn’t cry or anything. She just smiled to our helper and politely asked for samples. She helped encourage others to try them as well. You should be very proud.”

Enkidu smiled, nuzzling the little master to themselves. “She is a precious little one. I am quite pleased.”

The woman handed Hakuno a small cup of lemonade. “For the good work,” she told Hakuno. “Remember to keep being helpful.”

Enkidu mouthed a quick thank you before turning and pulling a now arguing with a salesperson Gilgamesh away.

“You got her a drink?!”

“She earned it,” Enkidu told the man. “Let her keep it.”

“This is pathetic. Where is that other brat?” Gilgamesh looked around, brushing off his cheetah print jacket and huffing. “She’s the cause of all of this, Enkidu. We should have left her with that useless cat woman and rider.”

“Atalanta and Achilles wanted a break from watching her. She can be a handful,” Enkidu replied evenly, looking down at Hakuno. The small girl was humming, eyes closed as she sipped at her drink.

At least one of them was happy.

The king glanced at her as well, his smile slowly returning before he moved in closer, poking her cheek.

“Do you understand, Hakuno? You are the only one who is worthwhile, despite your plain and now chubby little face. Your pseudo-sibling is nothing more than a pest. Stay with your king and uncle Enki.”

Those brown eyes glanced over at him.

“Gil, could you stop pinning the two women against one another? It’s hard enough when they’re grown up and trying to politely argue over what fights you will be involved in.”

The man shrugged, “I am informing her of her talents, few as they may be.”

There were talents that they were more than happy to point out with the king, few as they may be. Enkidu smacked the king on the back of the head.

“Just help me find the other kid and let’s go home.”

“Fine.” Gilgamesh looked around before motioning at one of the clothing stores. “Let’s check there.”

“Really, Gil?”

“I can shop while we’re at it.”

Enkidu groaned, but the girl in their arms was wiggling.

“Hakuno, please-“

“Enki! Enki!”

The two looked down at the girl in their arms. “What is it?”

“I know where Goo-dah-k-oh went!”

She rolled the name as she said it, bringing a smirk to the being’s face.

“Where did she go,” Gilgamesh asked.

“Water slide.”

They both paled.

Within the mall they had chosen to roam around in, there was a great slide, starting on the sixth floor and ending on the ground floor. This slide wove through many of the stores and flashed a variety of colors, fascinating guests and intriguing kids.

Upon their entering of the place, Gudako had noticed the slide immediately, tugging at their robes and asking to go there. Well, it was not something a child needed to be running around in- or sliding in this case. Enkidu had taken one look at the multi-story death trap and had turned the child down, telling her that they could go to a water park another time.

Gil glanced up towards the sixth floor and groaned. “Pest.”

“Gil- Just go press the button for the elevator.”

They’d find the girl and be done with this.

Enkidu returned Hakuno to her own feet as they entered the small space, trading her the drink for the cinnamon rolls, watching her move over to Gilgamesh’s side and offer the first choice to the king.

“I do not want one,” the king told her.

“You had no food,” Hakuno told him, pouting. “You gave me a nice necklace. Take one.”

He gave her a look for a moment before kneeling down and selecting one of the small rolls from her box. He plopped it into his mouth and wrinkled his nose. “They’re overly sweet.”

“That means they’re good.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek before coming over to them. Enkidu looked down and followed the king’s lead, kneeling down and accepting one of the rolls and a cheek kiss from the girl.

Gilgamesh didn’t even notice, smirking and looking out at the mall area.

So smug over a child’s attention.

Enkidu slipped over to the man, pressing their lips to the king’s other cheek.

“What are you doing?” He growled, glancing over at them.

“You gave me lots of nice things. You needed one,” Enkidu replied, smirking.

The man’s face tinted a light pink, his eyes rolling before he glanced over towards the mall again. “Insolent friend of mine.”

“You aren’t arguing,” Enkidu replied.

The doors opened and Enkidu looked down at Hakuno. “Take one of our hands, Hakuno. We’re going to go get Gudako.”

The girl looked between them before Gilgamesh rolled his eyes.

“Enkidu, she cannot hold both our hands. She’s going to cry like last time.” The man knelt down and pulled the girl into his arms. “Remain with me, little master. Enki is being unreasonable.”

“Thank you, Gilly.”

“Mhmm,” the man grunted a little, nodding them out.

“HAKU! GIL! ENKI!” Gudako waved from the line, a set of children crying around her. “I got closer to the front of the line!”

A selection of security guards were around the girl, one of them earning a kick in the shins from the girl as she looked up at them all.

“You’re in for it now! My servants are gonna kick your ass!”

“She said a bad word,” Hakuno murmured.

“She did,” Gilgamesh replied.

“Gudako is ours,” Enkidu declared, pulling the girl into their arms and sighing. “She’s recently adopted and having trouble fitting in. Thank you for finding her for us.”

“She should be kept under closer watch,” the guards told them.

“Yes, sirs.”

“She harassed the other kids. We will need to ask you to leave.”

“We are leaving now,” Enkidu replied.

“What?” Gudako squawked, gaping at them. Her fists pressed against their chest. “No! That’s stupid! We’re gonna fuck you up! We’re gonna bend you forward and stick-“

Enkidu covered her mouth, ignoring the bite as he smiled at the guards. “Excuse us while we leave.”

“See,” Gilgamesh pointed at Gudako as he looked at Hakuno. “Take note, Hakuno. You will not behave like that for me. You need to remain good and give sweets to myself and Enki.”

“Okay.” She leaned against the king and earned a cuddle from the king.

“Gil, we’re going to talk about babysitting when we get home,” Enkidu growled at the king.

“You know you’ll never get to that point.” Gilgamesh replied easily.

They’d try.

Maybe this time they wouldn’t get distracted.