#she's still obviously beautiful

[softquietsteadylove]

I have an idea for a thenamesh au.

Both of them are spies and one day their mission is to take out each other without them knowing it. In one mission Thena follows Gil discreetly and when Gil takes the elevator first she quickly changes her appearances and takes the elevator next but when she goes out Gil is right in front of her, smiling slightly and pulling out a photo of him from her jacket pocket. Then he pulls out a photo from her out of his pocket. And both realized they are each others target but both are impressed with each other. Maybe you can do something with it

A woman walks into a cafe. She gets in line behind a man.

The man is tall, has a broad back, wide shoulders. It's impossible to hide. His hands are in the pockets of his silky black bomber jacket. He shuffles forward as the line moves, just like everyone else, completely inconspicuous.

The woman looks up at him and then down at her phone. She types as she moves. The heels of her loafers click on the tile floor and her long trench coat sways with her movements.

"Next!"

The man in front of her orders quietly. He asks for a large coffee, black. The barista makes a joke about grinding the beans fresh that morning. The man laughs--it's a nice laugh.

The joke about beans is code. The goods the man is here to receive are ready. He'll receive them here. He hands over cash and steps aside, very quiet, very normal.

The woman steps forward. She puts her hand to her chin as she looks at the board behind the counter. She purses her lips, making sure to show off the rouge lipstick she has on, which matches the gloves on her hands. "What would you recommend?"

"Can't go wrong with a latte! Any special milk request?"

"No," she smiles, also pulling out cash. "I'll take it as is."

She slides to the side, waiting for her drink. The man is behind her now. She makes sure to flick her red hair over her shoulder as she goes back to her phone.

"Gil!"

The man comes forward. He nods and smiles, thanking them for the coffee. And he walks out, plain and simple. Her coffee takes just a moment longer--47 seconds longer, exactly.

She walks out of the cafe. As she crosses the threshold, she pulls off her beret and slips it into her purse. She looks both ways before turning right. As she does, leaves the purse on the back of an outside chair, taking only the smaller purse which contains her phone. The woman sitting there doesn't notice a thing.

The man is walking at a relaxed pace. He's tall but his steps aren't long; he's in no rush. He's easy to pick out in a crowd, from his height to his general physique and stature. He raises the cup to his lips every few minutes.

The morning crowd is thick. Everyone has places to be. The woman weaves through the foot traffic. She pulls off her gloves; they get dropped into a trash bin. She pulls her coat off as she passes a shop--lays it over the railing of its patio. Now, with a white cardigan, she pulls out a handkerchief and wipes off her lipstick.

The man turns the corner.

In the 12 seconds between them being on the same street again, the woman has taken off her wig and disposed of that as well. She kneels to pet a stray cat, and while she does she steps out of her clacky shoes and steps into quieter ones.

A man walks with his coffee in hand. Approximately 11 seconds behind him is a woman. She's blonde, wearing all white and doesn't have the coffee that was in her hand a second ago. She slips a pair of sunglasses away from a tourist reading a map.

The man starts walking down the subway stairs. The woman follows a little closer. She keeps him in sight. If he does anything to throw her, she has to keep him in a certain range. And it's not as if he'll be able to hide the fact that he's a walking wall of muscle.

The woman walks down the stairs. The crowd gets tight, but because of that she's able to capture a scarf off someone passing by. It keeps her silhouette different. She follows the man to the main floor. The station is massive, and he's walking a little quicker now.

The man takes another sip of his coffee. But it catches the light, and there's likely no liquid in there, if there ever was to begin with. He takes the lid off and raises it one final time before disposing of the cup. He changes direction, starts heading towards the platforms.

The woman takes a turn. She takes more of an indirect route. She moves through the crowd, keeping an eye on him from behind someone else's sunglasses. She passes through one of many kiosk shops. She drops the sunglasses for a pair of reading glasses.

She passes another little coffee shop. She leaves the scarf on an empty table.

The man is headed for the departing trains. She has to intercept him. She picks up her pace. Many people are beginning to speed their way to their morning train.

The man looks at the crowded escalator and staircase and moves towards the elevator. He presses the button. Most don't consider it worth it to wait.

The woman watches him get on. He takes it down. She'll take the next one. She disposes of the glasses by easily slipping them into a passing pocket. When she steps on the elevator, she's just a woman on her morning commute.

The elevator is clear when she steps on. If she really has to engage, she does have a knife in her bag. But this is a simple surveillance mission, in the depths of a civilian populated area. It's quick to get from one floor to another. She gets ready to step out.

The man steps back on.

She looks up at him; if she were a petty thief she would say she's kissing the dog. But she frowns, "I need to get off."

But the man just smiles. He pulls his hand out of his jacket pocket. Her body coils but he turns around a picture. It's of her. "Thena, is it?"

The mission is compromised. She's an enclosed space with an enemy agent. But he gives her the picture he has. This is what was in the cup, folded. It's of her leaving a vehicle after her last mission.

"How did you get this?" she asks, since she can't make the cleanest of getaways. An agent must never leave evidence of themselves. If this photo was identifiable, then the entire agency could be compromised.

"I could ask you the same thing."

The target has jokes. But she pulls out the photo of him she has up her cardigan sleeve and flicks it. He catches it--easily. He's quick on top of being strong. He looks at the photo. "Aw, come on, this is your recon photo?"

She gives him a look. He is rather amusing for the enemy. "My photo isn't exactly a glamour shot."

"Yeah, but at least you're not stuffing your face," he grumbles - practically pouts - as he waves the picture of him mid-cheeseburger around.

"Don't eat in the open air," she offers as her only advice.

"You haven't had their burgers," he counters, slipping the picture into his jacket inside pocket. "They're worth being compromised."

She crumples the photo of her in her hand as she crosses her arms. "An agent can never be compromised."

"Guess I'm not very good," he shrugs. He thinks this is funny.

He's a damn good spy. So surprisingly - infuriatingly - good that they had to send her after him for close proximity surveillance. Because no matter how identifiable he is, the only trace of him they had ever been able to get was when he was at that burger place.

"I suppose I just have to go that shop to find you from now on?" she jabs at him.

But he just laughs. "Hey, don't ruin it for me! That's where I go on my days off."

"Days off?" she scoffs in his face. Her father would have her head for speaking those words in such an order.

"Everyone needs a day off sometimes," he shrugs, as if they're talking about office jobs and not espionage. "Even spies."

She glares at him. She hates that he's as good as the rumours said, because now she has to report back that she made contact, and after shedding all her disguises. "Don't you have a train to catch?"

"Would you rather share an uber?" he jests in return.

"I don't think your boss would appreciate that," she settles with an icy tone, bumping him with her shoulder on the way out of the lift. "Nor mine."

"Okay, so no carpooling," he brushes off as he continues to follow her. "You know where I'll be for lunch."

She purses her lips at the suggestion she come and find him again. "Should you be inviting me to surveil you again, at even closer range?"

"I'm not suggesting that at all," he says and lengthens his stride to overtake her. He smiles at her over his shoulder as he's turning, "I'm suggesting you try one of their cheeseburgers. You'll like it!"

The man pushes through the crowd, not aggressively, but his sheer size makes room for him. He continues on, head held high. Eventually he gets onto a departing train, but by the time she follows, he's nowhere to be found, having left through the door on the other side.

This is her train anyway. She unclenches her fist, letting the properly printed film photo relax its structure. She looks at the back of it. She knows him only by his code name: heavyweight.

To: Thena

From: Gil

He had given the coffee shop his real name, which his a cardinal rule in agencies. This must be his current cover alias. It's unknown how his people got a hold of her name. That will have to be addressed later.

She sees him out the window. He waves. She doesn't respond; unlike him, she has to report to her job. He waves his phone in the air and mouths words; he wants her to call him.

She does not pull out her phone, but the man - Gil, apparently - has air dropped something to her. She refuses to let herself be flirted with by a man from an opposing agency. But he continues to mime eating a cheeseburger--and enjoying it to a comical degree.

The woman catches herself smiling, just for a moment--for 47 seconds exactly.

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

gem’s among us pov is out and That Round is actually crazy??? omg. the whole time being sus and then acting like everyone else is crazy for accusing her??? her literally chasing down jimmy and forcing him to say she’s not the impostor (he knows she is) while giggling the ENTIRE time he’s begging for his life. and then when they run into pearl she just segues back into innocent laughter and says she’s “just walking” and “this man is freaking out”. pearl gets suspicious and she pretends pearl’s being ridiculous. and then her following false and false is like “why are you following me” and she’s like “because it’s fun” before immediately killing her. and scar the other impostor shutting the door from beyond the grave and she yells “pearl!” like she’s genuinely scared and accuses impulse of shutting the door so he could kill pearl and the WHOLE TIME jimmy is actually panicking because gem literally told him she was the impostor but no one believes him??? “jimmy you would be dead if you were the impostor because you’re chatting so much” chefs kiss her turning jimmy’s founded accusations into just him talking too much to make him sound crazy. THE JIMMY KILL with her giggling while jimmy and impulse are shifting around each other is TOP tier work. she literally from scratch created the exact environment in which pearl could plausibly believe that it was impulse. grian screaming “she can’t keep getting away with this!” when pearl votes for impulse. top tier manipulator at work. this is life series level stuff. i’m shaking. brilliant. a masterpiece

[bumblingbabooshka]

Incredibly funny option to me is that Janeway meets T'Pel but it's a mudbriar situation where she's literally almost exactly like Tuvok but somehow Janeway doesn't vibe with her at all.

[its-no-biggie]

hey guys who was gonna tell me that bocchi the rock contained the single most autistic scene in anime history

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

obsessed with their different reactions to being called starcrossed lovers

[flashhwing]

I love when I tell people I’m from Colorado and they’re like “oh Colorado’s gorgeous” oh buddy not where I grew up. I still think any area with non-planted trees feels exotic

[anghraine]

I was just thinking today about using direct quotations in essays or meta, as I sometimes do, and how on the one hand, I do think it's important to refer to what you're talking about, but on the other hand, tossing around decontextualized quotes to substantiate a sketchy reading is ... very common, also.

I don't have my copy of LOTR on me, but it's like, you can talk about the description of Faramir as "a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North" or something to that effect and how #problematic it is. But in context, that line is Éowyn half-joking about what their relationship might look like to racist Gondorian Dúnedain.

That is, she's asking if he's cool with people saying that their relationship = he tamed a wild (by Gondorian standards) woman of a racially inferior people when he might have chosen a more pure-blooded Númenórean. Faramir does not give a single fuck what those people think and kisses her in full sight of the city.

So if you take all that away and just extract the "tamed" quote, you're ... kind of misrepresenting its function in the dialogue and what they're actually talking about in the first place. Meh.

[deuce-t]

I love watching beauty and the beast like this spoiled 11 year old is a brat who also doesn’t let strangers into his house? Better turn him into a monster

[kareenvorbarra]

Even just reordering the songs in bway hadestown so that Eurydice is on stage during Why We Build The Wall and Our Lady of the Underground would improve things so much….you have the “step into my office” bit, you have Persephone react to that, then you have the song where Eurydice meets the other workers and sees what’s actually going on, then Why We Build the Wall is her having apparently given up and lost her identity like the others…..THEN at the end of Why We Build the Wall, Hades leaves the stage and the other workers turn to Eurydice and take her by the hands and smile, and they bring her to Persephone’s bar and they’re all in the chorus for Our Lady and Eurydice realizes that the people here ARE still people and they do have somewhere to talk where Hades isn’t listening (and all the lyrics to Our Lady actually make sense again lmao, ESPECIALLY “there’s a crack in the wall”)

Also I just really want to see Persephone and Eurydice interact on stage in this context….like Eurydice is a little wary bc she’s pretty sure Persephone is jealous of her, but Persephone knows what’s up and sees the new girl that Hades tricked and discarded and picks her out of the crowd during the musical interlude, and twirls her around while the rest of the cast cheers, and gives her a drink and sends her back to her seat…Eurydice stares at her like she’s entranced…idk. Just a little something that sets up how close they are in “I Raise My Cup to Him” as well as Persephone’s sympathy for Orpheus and Eurydice specifically

[softquietsteadylove]

The arranged marrige au looks very interesting 👀, may i ask for another part. Also i wanted to thank you so much for posting your work, without your work i'll be bored and sad they make my days better, also you write so good, you write Thena and Gil and their relationship so beautifully. 🤍

Thena sighed. There was just no way around this. She wished it hadn't come to this, but she didn't have another choice. With great reluctance, she cracked the door to the dressing room open. "Gil?"

Even with only one eye to peek at him, she could see him sitting on a chaise just outside her door. He was being reflected in the multiple mirrors lining the walls of the enclosed fitting area. She couldn't see his screen but she could tell he was doing something work related.

She cleared her throat and swallowed her pride, trying a little louder, "Gil!"

He blinked, immediately slipping his phone in his inside pocket. He put on the perfect smile as he looked up at her. "How's it feel, sweetheart?"

It was the finest material she'd ever put on her body, it felt like a dream. That wasn't the problem. "Gil, I can't wear this."

He looked appalled, basically pouting. "Why not?"

Thena rolled her eyes, opening the door just a little more. The dress was beautiful, and it fit her well. But that wasn't the point! "When I said I needed some things to wear, I meant something casual, for running errands, or seeing some friends."

"So?" he stood, grinning and oblivious. "This looks perfect on you!"

Thena huffed, pulling the door open completely and crossing her arms at him. "This dress is for formal events, and I think it costs more than a year of my old rent."

She could just tell he wanted to comment on the fact that she didn't have to worry about rent anymore, now did she? But he held his tongue in a rare moment of restraint. "Thena-"

"Gil," she relented. She knew he meant well--she meant for it to be a sweet gesture, and the fact that he was here instead of just sending a bodyguard with his wallet was testament enough that he was trying to sweet about it. "It's too much. I can't wear this."

He was still borderline pouting, holding her modest white peacoat under his arm with his hands in his pockets. "I got you other stuff like this and you didn't say anything."

She squirmed on the spot. "Well, I don't wear any of those things either."

Gil's jaw dropped.

She attempted to reason with him again, taking his hands in hers so he could really hear her (which he did better through the sensation of touch, for whatever reason). "Gil, I know it's just part of your lifestyle. But you've seen the clothes I brought with me--what I wear at home. I need...that. I need some normal clothes. I was just going to go myself when-"

"No." He was firm about that. He was very firm, actually; under no circumstances was she to go wandering around alone. Her first instinct was to act defensive about his need to keep an eye on her. But she couldn't act childish; his work was dangerous, and there was a reason he'd hired a car for them, had tinted windows, and never left her side this entire afternoon.

She gave his hands a squeeze, "please, Gil?"

He really did have a soft heart, and he wore it on his sleeve, completely out in the open. How did anyone take him seriously as a gangster when he was clearly just a big, soft teddy bear walking around in a pinstripe suit.

"Okay, sweetheart," he conceded to her, as he always did. He raised her hands to his lips. "Whatever you need--I promised that. You get changed and we'll find some things that suit your tastes."

"Sir, Madam, do you need any--oh!"

Thena drew her shoulders up. She had no reason to feel flustered, or embarrassed. Gil had thrown the doors open and asked that his 'wife' be assisted by their best and brightest. That was probably more embarrassing than them being seen by the staff holding hands in her changing room.

There was no need for her to blush.

"It's all right," Gil chuckled, letting her close the door to get changed again. She heard his shoes on the fancy marble floors as he walked back out into the store. "Everything's great, but I think we're going to try some other places."

"Very good, sir."

This was the most posh place she had ever come into. She did tell Gil she usually shopped off the rack sales for generic corporate casual clothes. If she weren't a mobster's wife, maybe she would even peruse the shops or malls like a normal person.

But she got changed and hung up the gown that was so expensive she was afraid to touch it. It was beautiful, and she had to admit that it had fit her like it was made for her. Gil had seen it on display and insisted she try it on.

He was right, it had been perfect for her, but that didn't make a good enough reason to buy a dress like that.

She exited the room, holding her purse and going to find Gil. This time last year, she never would have come into a store like this. She would sooner assume she would be laughed out of the shop all together.

"Yeah, someone will pick it up later."

"Gil?"

"Hey, princess," he turned, raising her hand and kissing it again. He released her coat and held it out for her to put on. "Ready to go?"

"I suppose so," she murmured, looking at the staff all waving goodbye to them. Maybe all fancy shops were like this, but she had a bad feeling about it. "What was that about?"

"Oh, I just told them that we'll definitely come again some time, we're just looking for a different vibe today."

He was lying. But Thena let him hold her hand as they exited the name brand store, massive and towering and shiny enough to reflect a blinding amount of sun this time of day. It was nice out, though. It was a large part of the reason she had proposed going shopping for herself.

And from the moment she mentioned it, everyone who worked with or for Gilgamesh in any way had panicked. Every time she wanted anything or wanted to go anywhere, it was a unanimous sentiment; the boss's wife could want for nothing. Either they had to handle it, or Gilgamesh would.

"You okay, Thena?"

She blinked, coming out of her thoughts. "Hm?"

Gil sighed; he almost looked contrite. "I know this probably isn't the kind of day out you're used to. But...I wish I didn't have to go this far. But if anything happened to you-"

A big, soft teddy bear, who liked to pretend he was all grizzly and growl-y. When, in actuality, he had the softest heart around. She slipped her hand into the bend of his elbow. "I know you're just trying to protect me, Gil. It's nice."

He wasn't entirely convinced. But they kept walking, taking their time moving away from the luxury branded buildings towards a more regular collection of shops. "I'll try to make arrangements so you can go out on your own--with security, obviously."

"Obviously," she humored him. She was walking arm and arm with her husband, but more than that, she had to admit it was nice to talk with someone like a friend.

"What else?"

"What?" she blinked, alarmed by the grave change in his tone.

"What else do you want to do?" he asked more gently, moving them off to the side. "I don't want to hold you back, Thena. If you want to explore this part of the city, see more of downtown, call up any old friends--anything."

She didn't have much in the way of 'old friends'. Dealing with her father was such a dominating and isolating aspect of her life. She was quite sure none of her old coworkers would even notice her absence. Even if that weren't the case, she wasn't exactly yearning to explore weekend markets or clubs, either.

"Unless it's an old flame," Gil added hastily, holding up his finger with a heavy gold ring on it. "Then maybe, but you have to say it's just as friends, because you're married now."

Oh, she certainly had no such thing. But she grinned at him, as he often did with her. "Oh, well, I didn't think my husband was the jealous type. What if I tell him we're married in name only? What if he offers to whisk me away from this life?"

She was laughing, but Gil had that look on his face whenever he was watching sports and the team he owned was losing. It wasn't murderous, but it was decidedly pissed off.

"He can offer." Maybe she had taken this joke too far. But Gil moved her hand so he could hold it again, locking their fingers together. "But I'm gonna introduce myself as your husband, so he knows what he's dealing with."

Even in this fictional, joke world, that would paint an intimidating picture. She leaned against him faintly--to calm his temper, she told herself. "Wasn't it part of my contract that I not be in any relationship?"

Gil looked away, pretending he was examining his suit. He could get somewhat sheepish from time to time, which she had to admit was quite adorable. "Our contract--and that doesn't mean you don't have some ex-boyfriend or something pining for you at this very moment."

She definitely had no such thing. And even if she did, it would be far from her mind as she leaned against her husband, their arms sealed together, his massive bicep against her slim one. She looked down at the strap of her purse, fiddling with its latch. "Well, I don't."

"Good."

"Good."

[the-physicality]

20 years later, the mercury have not changed lmao

[lilacerull0]

elena knows how to be alone wayyyy better than lila does

[the-way-astray]

i must be the only (kind of) unironic aldella shipper in this entire fandom.

(ranting in the tags)

[dykeogenes]

“it’s so sad you can’t save karlach” you absolutely CAN save karlach and i have a paper to write about why nobody thinks you can

[sysig]

It always seems like such a good idea in the moment (Patreon)

The first four are in reference to a great idea I had of - since I’ve finished my lower-limit page number testing for making books; shorter fics take up less page space, and just increasing the font size isn’t as handsome! - simply making a mini book! All it would take would be to halve the pages again, right? Just cut them right down the middle! Easy peasy!

As I’m sure you can tell by the second, no. Not easy peasy. Difficult painful un-fun >:(

Obviously I still did it tho! What do you take me for, someone who could have the idea of an even tinier book and then not do something about it?? No It’s also the only one so far to have a paper bookmark rather than a ribbon!

All told it’s a bit smaller than your average manga (I love the monochrome covers on these under their dust jackets haha <3) - you can see even with effectively doubling up the pages by halving their size, it was still very small-spined!

A quick shot while it was still being made hehe ♪ It’s Out! Paired here - and the earlier one, just without its dust jacket haha - with my Zarla SC2 collection (ft. Family, Negotiations are Going...Well, and With No Obligation) - I absolutely kicked myself after the fact for not including Out as the run-up to everything, I was really trying to make a full collection in probably-chronological order! Out would’ve been a perfect start! And it only would’ve taken like four pages!!

Ah well, it was still quite a learning experience - I probably wouldn’t make another standalone of under 4k-ish just for formatting reasons but I did get some good ideas of how to do so if I wanted to! Although, my next project is going to be even more of a formatting nightmare........I’ll get there when I get there! Lol

[waberblobble]