#what have you done to gilgamesh????

[jathun]

I just read some parts of the newest novel of fate/strange fake (vol.9) and....

What the actual fuck Narita?!?!?!

I know my japanese is a bit rusty (actually a lot rusty) but jesus i understood enough to get the gist of it and??????

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Terry Pratchett about fantasy ❤

Terry Pratchett interview in The Onion, 1995 (x)

O: You’re quite a writer. You’ve a gift for language, you’re a deft hand at plotting, and your books seem to have an enormous amount of attention to detail put into them. You’re so good you could write anything. Why write fantasy?

Terry: I had a decent lunch, and I’m feeling quite amiable. That’s why you’re still alive. I think you’d have to explain to me why you’ve asked that question.

O: It’s a rather ghettoized genre.

Terry: This is true. I cannot speak for the US, where I merely sort of sell okay. But in the UK I think every book— I think I’ve done twenty in the series— since the fourth book, every one has been one the top ten national bestsellers, either as hardcover or paperback, and quite often as both. Twelve or thirteen have been number one. I’ve done six juveniles, all of those have nevertheless crossed over to the adult bestseller list. On one occasion I had the adult best seller, the paperback best-seller in a different title, and a third book on the juvenile bestseller list. Now tell me again that this is a ghettoized genre.

O: It’s certainly regarded as less than serious fiction.

Terry: (Sighs) Without a shadow of a doubt, the first fiction ever recounted was fantasy. Guys sitting around the campfire— Was it you who wrote the review? I thought I recognized it— Guys sitting around the campfire telling each other stories about the gods who made lightning, and stuff like that. They did not tell one another literary stories. They did not complain about difficulties of male menopause while being a junior lecturer on some midwestern college campus.

Fantasy is without a shadow of a doubt the ur-literature, the spring from which all other literature has flown. Up to a few hundred years ago no one would have disagreed with this, because most stories were, in some sense, fantasy. Back in the middle ages, people wouldn’t have thought twice about bringing in Death as a character who would have a role to play in the story. Echoes of this can be seen in Pilgrim’s Progress, for example, which hark back to a much earlier type of storytelling. The epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest works of literature, and by the standard we would apply now— a big muscular guys with swords and certain godlike connections— That’s fantasy. The national literature of Finland, the Kalevala. Beowulf in England. I cannot pronounce Bahaghvad-Gita but the Indian one, you know what I mean. The national literature, the one that underpins everything else, is by the standards that we apply now, a work of fantasy.

Now I don’t know what you’d consider the national literature of America, but if the words Moby Dick are inching their way towards this conversation, whatever else it was, it was also a work of fantasy. Fantasy is kind of a plasma in which other things can be carried. I don’t think this is a ghetto. This is, fantasy is, almost a sea in which other genres swim. Now it may be that there has developed in the last couple of hundred years a subset of fantasy which merely uses a different icongraphy, and that is, if you like, the serious literature, the Booker Prize contender. Fantasy can be serious literature. Fantasy has often been serious literature. You have to fairly dense to think that Gulliver’s Travels is only a story about a guy having a real fun time among big people and little people and horses and stuff like that. What the book was about was something else. Fantasy can carry quite a serious burden, and so can humor. So what you’re saying is, strip away the trolls and the dwarves and things and put everyone into modern dress, get them to agonize a bit, mention Virginia Woolf a few times, and there! Hey! I’ve got a serious novel. But you don’t actually have to do that.

(Pauses) That was a bloody good answer, though I say it myself.

[wolfythewitch]

Sorry if you've already answered a similar question before, but I was wondering how you go about making your ancient Greek (and now Mesopotamian) designs? I want to draw Iliad/Odyssey fanart but I know next to nothing about ancient Greece (clothes, hair, features, even what year/era the epics are meant to take place in). Do you have any advice about researching that/what type of sources you use? I've found the process very overwhelming lol

For the Gilgamesh one it's super based on these kinds of carvings!

For the Iliad and odyssey ones it's a bit trickier since they don't have physical descriptors (but that makes it so you can get a little more creative there haha). Clothing and armor wise I base it on antiquity paintings and some recreations people have done of the clothes and armor (though. Tbh I barely draw them in armor because I just. I don't like drawing armor)

Iirc they're around the bronze age! And maybe look up Minoan/Mycenaean clothing? A friend also recommended looking up hittite and drenda armor

[fishuus]

i guess this is a rec list of stuff i liked in 2024?? no particular order, i just wanted to yak about some things i had a good time with.

bang brave bang bravern: maybe this isn't a legit comparison but i keep thinking of it as "what if samurai flamenco had a significantly tighter story (tomokazu sugita is also there)". if you like giant robots, you might like this. if you like a completely straight-faced commitment to the extremely funny bit of contrasting hard military scifi with the absurdity of classic giant robots, you might like this. if you're interested in sugita playing a robot who's a bottom, and also there's a lot of gay shit and the earnest power of true love, you might like this!

digimon story cyber sleuth & hacker's memory: a really fun set of turn-based jrpgs. cyber sleuth took me a while to warm up to (the localization could be better, to put it generously), but i came to enjoy its slightly offbeat sense of humor. hacker's memory, otoh, i loved from the start. it does a great job showing how cyber sleuth's story beats happened in parallel while still keeping the focus on a fantastic new cast and their own plotlines. the first game is a more standard digimon story about saving the world, while hacker's memory widens the perspective and shows a bit of the systems at play in the background. just a super satisfying game on every level for me.

shin godzilla: personally i love logging off work and my many meetings and watching a movie about a guy who has to go to even more meetings. i'm kidding, this was really fun (on account of all the meetings). i'll get to his kamen rider and ultraman movies too at some point.

gilgamesh (gardner & maier, also the david ferry version): paying my respects to the original yaoi 🫡

judgment: i wanted to try a rgg game without committing to playing 8 of them in order. turns out this is a perfect standalone game. it's such a tightly written story and character study, and it's really fun to play. kimutaku is so good at playing yagami so low-key, so tamped down, that when he explodes you really feel how angry he's been all along. the english cast is also great -- i enjoyed greg chun's take on yagami as well. (i played lost judgment too but wasn't quite so high on it. alas)

siren: watched sgf's excellent lp and loved this horror stealth game. the motion-capture work for the faces is a pretty cool workaround for the rendering limitations at the time while adding to the off-kilter vibe. i'm also a huge sucker for when studios lean into mixed media and use photos of real props (magazines, IDs in wallets, letters, etc) in their games. the story is kinda obtuse – and literally requires you to read extra official content to get some of the answers – but for something with such vague, stilted cutscenes with equally vague and stilted dialogue, especially with the added layer of a classic ps2-era english dub, i became attached to the entire cast stuck in this extremely bleak and scary scenario. i guess the best way i can sum it up is that it's a game that knows exactly how to play you.

digital devil saga 2: finished right before the world is actually set to end in 2025 in the game lol. it's so good!! i'm grateful that even after all this time, i managed to go into this mostly blind, because the way the plot reveal recontexualizes so much about the first game and the absolute rank relationship dynamics between some of the characters just blew me away. probably has some of my favorite character designs of all time, and i also think it's sooo fun to play thanks to my having turn-based long jrpg brain sickness. such an all-timer of a duology.

nine sols: i'm still not done with it on account of it being a parry-focused metroidvania and me sucking shit at both platforming and parrying, but it's great! it feels so confidently produced, kinda wild considering how different it is from their previous two games, devotion and detention (both of which i also highly recommend). the art and design work are beautiful, and i'm really enjoying how bleak the plot is. you can tell they made two horror games before this lol. i also love story mode. thank you, story mode.

風林火山韻雷 -bring it back-: lmao. anyway, it's a super fun song and mv that packs in everything i like about akyr (mixing traditional with modern both in the song and the imagery, high energy, everyone's great ofc but takayuki kondo especially killing it with that bridge, akyr making aggro songs about murdering their enemies).

[sillygoblinantics]

Watched ant’s werewolf video.

(And the transcript)

I applaud the history and mythology section but there’s never mention of the other werewolves!

And to that

I have to grab the sources, More specifically this!

Welcome to my silly hyperfixation sperg!

I love me some mythology and history of these fantastical creatures. I do enjoy the movie approach and filmography of the werewolf history. (Even though you skipped shapeshifters from ❤️💀🤖) but I wanted to add to the cryptozoological side of it even if I’m a bit amateurish of the study.

Let’s dive in

Though early origins to the term of lycanthropy dating back to Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece via Latin language, humans that transform into dog like hybrids is a universal concept that can be found all over the world from Europe to South Asia!

As was our human way to explain what wasn’t yet known scientifically of modern times, for the civilizations who came before us, strangeness in people from neurological to physical abnormalities were thought to be otherworldly!

A rare mutation but oldest documented instance is when the hair on the body grow longer than what is “normal” leading to top to bottom fully covered in hair people: Hypertrichosis. Which is where the image of transformation came from or at least hypothesized to have been the origins of. Then there’s the actual clinically diagnosis of “clinical lycanthropy” which is when someone who has this believes they are in fact a werewolf.

So with the fun science out of the way! Allow me to list off every lycanthrope from around the world!

In alphabetical order of each name:

Airitech

Folklore of the Goidelic Celts.

Alp

Originating in Germany

Anjing Ajak

Indonesia

Azeman

Suriname folklore

Bal-bal

Philippines

Beast of Gevaudin

(Werehyena) France

Budas

Ancient Abyssinia

Buxenwolf

German folklore

Enkidu

Gilgamesh’s “best friend”

Headless mule

Iberian folklore - Portugal and Spain

Karkanxhol

Kolivilor

Albanian mythology

Kornwolf

Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Russia

Lobis-Homem

Ancient Portuguese folklore

Lobishomen

(Female vampire witch werewolf) Brazil

Lobison

Argentina

Loup Garou

French origin and Caribbean island folklore

Luison

Paraguayan folklore

Lupo Mannaro

Italian and ancient Roman folklore

Marrock (Marrok the good knight)

Arthurian folklore

Zmag Ognjeni Vuk

Bosnian folklore (fire breathing werewolf)

I need a minute to catch my breath!

Ok!

As you can tell there’s quite a lot but I feel the need to also mention a morally good lycanthrope

Hailing from the Shetland isles of Scotland: the Wulver

They’d watch over flocks and tend to chores and leave behind fish on the windowsills of homes once they’re done helping. It’s said they’d only act in violence if provoked but other than that they were mostly seen as good!

So that’s my lil sperging about werewolf mythology! Good video Anthony!

I’m shook that no one mentioned the werewolves from the Halloween anthology film “Trick or Treat” or “the wolf among us” which was about the big bad wolf being a detective in a modern setting with fairytales and murder! Or the other red riding hood movie! “Red Riding Hood” (2011); with really good color story of mostly black and white scenery and striking red from our leading lady!

Ohmygod I nearly forgot that Pokémon even has a werewolf pokemon!

But ye I don’t have any better way to end this… other than a silly animation >:3c

[hikarimiyanaga]

Healing A Broken Heart (Part 1)

Summary :

You and Wanda are in love. At least you thought so. During a particularly bad fight, she tells you that if she had a choice, she wouldn't be with you.

And that, in your thousands years of life, is the most painful thing you've ever heard that was said to you.

PS. This was inspired by that one reddit post and it snowballed from there.

-

You drink another shot. For the past few weeks and so, this is the only thing you've done during the nights. Drink.

As if it could make you forget. Forget the pain. Forget the memories. Forget Wanda.

But it couldn't, it was only for the night for you still remember everything the day after.

You really hated being a semi-eternal.

You were created to be with the other eternals but there was something wrong with you. You didn't have any powers.

Still, Arishem sent you along with Ajak and the others as a reporter.

You had the immortality and physique but nothing else.

Still, Sersei, Makkari, Sprite, Kingo, Phastos, Thena, Ajak, Druig and Gilgamesh were family.

So you did exactly what you were sent to do. Report. Until you and the others' rebellion years ago. Now THAT, that was a fun time.

But that? Being a hero? Something you're not? It was all in the past.

You just wanted peace. When the whole Westview happened. Ajak sent you, said something about knowledge in magic.

And so you helped. Both Wanda and Agatha.

Wanda stayed with you along with the darkhold and Agatha went with her coven.

You made sure that she made the first move. And if she never truly liked you then it was also fine. But she did. She kissed you that one night and you kissed her back.

You'd cook for her. Teach her more about her own magic. And she'd love you. She'd make you laugh. She'd make you feel peace.

It stayed like that. For Five years. You were both in love or so you thought.

She was getting impatient. You can tell. You knew that your method was slow. But it was also the safest. So that she can travel freely. Did you know that she would leave you for her boys? Of course, she will. And you'd understand. Those twins were her kids. Hers. And you-

Well, you didn't even know what you are to her.

And during the fight with her, you confirmed it. She was just with you because you knew the safest way. Because you had a way.

And so you left her. And left her notes, you weren't cruel as to leave her without knowledge on getting back with her kids.

And so here you were. In a random bar somewhere in the US. Where you stopped counting your drinks and stopped caring about yourself.

If anyone needed help then you would be there in a heartbeat, helping once again. But for now? You need to forget.

"Ah. Here you are. I knew it." You hear Sersei say as she sits besides you. She and Makkari have been trying to find you when they went to visit Wanda a week ago and you weren't there. Sersei quickly texted Makkari as you drink again.

"Why are you trying to find me, dear changer?" All of the eternals had nicknames from you.

"We were worried. What happened?" You chuckle at that.

"Just that-" You don't finish when someone hugs you from behind. You laugh as you turn and hug Makkari. "Hi, fast one. Sorry that you couldn't reach me."

"It's okay. Why are you here though?" Makkari asks and you sigh.

"Not here. Shall we go on a walk?" You pay for your tab and leave the bar with them.

You all get seated at a park and you look ahead.

"We got into a fight." Makkari raises an eyebrow at Sersei. A fight? That was it? "And she told me that if she had a choice then she wouldn't be with me." That made them both flinch. They knew your insecurities better than anyone else. The two of them were your closest confidants after all. "So I left. Don't worry about it, though, I made sure to leave her notes. And if she did become the Scarlet Witch and destroyed everything again then-" You inhale at that. "Then I'll help stop her."

"But Wanda was-" you shake your head at Sersei. Just hearing her name is enough to make you cry. You wipe away your tears.

"I need some time alone. Call me in the emergency phone if any of you need help." You stand then smile sadly at them. They both just watched as you leave.

-

6 months. It's been half a year since you saw Wanda. But by God did she get even more beautiful. You were helping Peter Parker's mess and making sure that Strange didn't do that fucking spell again. You really hated that spell, for fuck's sake.

You sigh in relief as everything ends and no one needed to forget him.

"This is why I don't mess with memories." Sersi, Druig and Makkari turns to you. "It's too messy."

"Really? I thought you of all people would want to do it." Druig says and you hum.

"It would make it easier, that's for sure." Wanda flinches at your statement. She was near enough to hear but far enough to not get spotted. Did you want to forget her? "But what the brain cannot remember, the heart and soul will surely do." Wanda was sure now. She approaches the eternals and you realize her presence, you quickly go to Makkari and tell her to take you home.

"But-" Makkari tries to argue but you shake her.

"Just this once! I swear, okay? Please, Makkari. I can't. My heart can't." You get teary eyed and Makkari turns to Sersei. They turn to Wanda who was going to call you.

"Just this once." You nod at her and Makkari quickly leaves the battlefield with you intact. She stops at your current house in New Zealand. You sigh in relief and hug her tight.

"Thank you." You kiss her forehead. "I owe you one." Makkari nods and leaves you alone. You get inside and start to pack. You just know that either Makkari or Sersei will snitch on you. You don't blame them, though, you know that Wanda has been persistent on seeing you and wanting to know where you are.

You didn't know why she wanted to see you.

You don't know want to know.

But if you had to take a guess then maybe she'll break it off for real. You wipe away your tears again. The partying and drinking for the past 6 months has done nothing good for you.

It just made you forget temporarily.

You look at your things. It was only one suitcase, the benefits of having too much money. You hum.

Time to go there then.

-

Another 6 months has passed by. This time, you knew it. You have peace.

Well, you did still have nightmares. Your insecurities are still there. But at least here, you were truly alone. No expectations. No betrayals. Just you.

Not even Sersei or Makkari knew where you were. You didn't want the risk. You just can't run into the source of your heartache.

Or so you thought. Because your phone rings. The emergency one.

"Hello?" You ask and it was Sersei who answers.

"We need help! Or rather your friend, Strange needs help!" You hum as you ready yourself.

-

"What do you mean?? She can travel the multiverse????? FREELY?????" You ask and Stephen nods. "Whoa. Holy shit. You do know this makes you like the singular only person in the multiverse that can do that. Like damn." Sersei raises an eyebrow at you.

"You're an eternal."

"Semi! But yeah, I might be the only one. Nice! The name's Y/N! We have no last names." America looks at Stephen who nods at her.

"I'm America. America Chavez."

"Nice to meet you! So why am I here?"

"She needs help."

"Some monsters have been chasing me all throughout the multiverse and-" You hum. You get your phone out and call Agatha. You stop America and they all look at you.

"Agatha. The darkhold is not being overused is it??"

"Nope. Wanda is learning it slowly. Just like you taught her. Why?"

"Just checking." You hang up and hum. "Has there been any portal sightings like the one from multiverses?" Stephen shakes his head at you.

"Through every universe, right?" America nods. "You don't need me. You need Wanda."

"You sure?"

"Yes. She can travel the multiverse too. Just not as freely as America. We should go to her."

"We? Are you ready to see her?" Sersei's question makes you flinch.

"Not really but-" you look at America. "A kid needs help so-"

"Got it. Let's go then." Stephen says and you nod.

-

'Oh. She hasn't moved. At all.' You thought to yourself as you look at the house you lived in a year ago. Stephen knocks on the door and you step back as Wanda opens the door.

"Oh. Strange. How unusual-"

"We need your help. Y/N says that you-"

"Y/N!? Have you been in contact with her?? Not even Makkari or Sers-"

"That's because they're snitches." You walk up the familiar steps and smile sadly at her. "Hi, Wanda."

"Y/N. Y-you're here." She says and becomes teary-eyed.

"Yeah. We need your help."

-

"I'll get us some teas." You nod absentmindedly as you look around, everything was the way you left it. It felt like you've never left at all. The books were in the arrangement you did. The pictures and decorations were never removed. You smile a little at the pictures.

There were five on display.

One with you and the eternals.

One with Wanda and her brother Pietro.

One with you, Wanda, and everyone, as many as the frame could fit.

One with you and Wanda just hugging and smiling at each other.

One with Wanda and Vision.

"Whoa! This is you, right, Y/N??" America asks as she looks closely at the pictures, you didn't even notice her standing from the couch.

"Yeah. It's her. She lived here before." Wanda answers for you as she serves the tea. You hum, agreeing with her as you get your cup.

"So you know magic??" America tilts her head at you as she sits besides you again.

"Know, yes. Use? No." America tilts her head again so you chuckle. "I only know spells, uses, and stuff like that. I couldn't do it even if my life depended on it. Ask Sersei sometime, she knows how many times I tried to see if I ever had some sort of power." America hums.

"And you never discovered any?" You shake your head.

"Nope." You smile at her as you sip your tea. Oh shit. Did she-? You look at Wanda and she smiles at you.

"It's your favorite." She confirms and you sigh. "So, what did you three come here for? What can I do to help?"

"First, of all are you halfway through the darkhold?" You ask and Stephen glares at you.

"Uh. Yes. I am. I think I am." You hum.

"Can you call it and I can check?" Wanda nods and calls the darkhold to her hand, Stephen scoffs at you and you glare at him.

"Look away, for fuck's sake. A child's safety is on the line!" He grumbles as he leaves the house and America was about to follow him when you stop her. "Stay here for a minute. I need to confirm-" You open the darkhold and hum. "Yep. Halfway through. You can travel with America now."

"What?" Wanda asks and you hum.

"So, the predicament is this. America is being chased around by monsters. Darkhold monsters and so I have reason to believe that one of your variations is chasing her. Possibly, to either get her power or use her. I am not sure. So I need you to travel with America. With Stephen too and solve this."

"What? How?"

"By defeating the other you."

"WHAT!? HOW!?" You hum at her question.

"Simply put, you'll need to introduce a variation of me."

"You?" You nod and grin at her.

"You know the phrase, 'every me loves every you'?" Wanda nods at you. "I have reason to believe that is happening between us. Not everyone gets their shit together or end up together or even meet but still. Every variation of me will love every variation of you."

"How are you so sure-"

"Phastos made a device. I used it like a thousand times. Trust me in this. I-" your phone rings, effectively cutting you off. You look at it and see Phastos's name. "Speak of the eternal." You answer it. "Wait. You caught one??????" You hum. "Okay. Okay. I got it." You nod. "Yeah. I still have it." You nod again. "Got it. We'll be there." You hang up and look at Wanda. "Change of plans. We're going somewhere." You hold out your hand to her and she accepts it. That makes you smile, at least she isn't allergic to your touch. "Come on, America. Time to meet my family." You grin then go outside where Stephen was waiting. "Stephen, open the portal to Wakanda!" Stephen nods and does as you say.

"It's a good thing that you have Thena, huh?" You grin at him, agreeing with him.

-

You look at the monster then at Phastos then at Thena and Gilgamesh.

"You guys are seriously amazing. Thank you." You took out a pair of glasses from your pocket and toss it to Phastos. "As I said."

"Have you used it at all for the past year?" Phastos asked and you blush.

"Only a thousand more times." You scratch your neck. "One of the reasons why I never get bored."

"I'm just relieved you haven't decided to get Phastos to make you a multiverse traveling machine." Ajak says and you smile sadly at her.

"I had what they had. Mine was just the saddest attempt." You look at the ground knowing that most of the people there are looking at you.

"Done!" Phastos exclaims and you smile, relieved that the attention is off you. "So, this will hopefully will let us know which universe this creature is from and the glasses will guide us there."

"You mean them?" You point to Stephen, America and Wanda.

"What? You're not coming??" America asks as she gets your hand.

"Sorry, kid. I'll only slow you guys down." You ruffle her hair. You look at Wanda then smile at her. "Try to keep this kid safe. She's pretty unique. And she'll be able to help you too."

"Got it! Universe 567. That's where the monsters are from."

"Good. Here's how the glasses work." You begin instructing the three of them and making sure they knew what to do.

Wanda is to make sure that the traveling of the group is safe and sound, she can fight off the multidimensional monsters.

Stephen is to make sure to locate your variant.

America is to make the group travel freely.

You wave them goodbye and smile as they leave. You collapse to the ground and Makkari is by your side immediately.

"I'm okay. Just really-" you let the tears out and sob.

The dam finally breaking through. You don't know if you'll ever get over Wanda.

-

It took them a week to find you.

Turns out you were a pretty badass Black Widow in Universe 567. You were trained alongside Natasha so the two of you were like siblings.

567 you tried to refuse first but when she saw the monster firsthand, she finally relented and agreed.

Meeting 567 Wanda was chaos. She tried and tried to resist both her variant, Stephen and 567 you but when the avengers arrived, it was a done deal. 567 Wanda was captured and stopped. 567 you fought for her rehabilitation though, stating that you won't ever forgive yourself if you let another one fall to that deep abyss. 567 You promised to help her, to take care of her and teach her how to be compassionate again. As they were leaving Universe 567, Wanda couldn't help but smile as 567 you helps 567 Wanda to her feet.

It looks like your and hers 567 variants will be okay.

-

You were back in your old tattered hut in the Philippines. The peaceful home you've been at for the past half a year.

You hear your phone rings and hum.

"Yeah?" You answer it.

"They're back! Should I tell Makkari to get you?" Phastos asks and you sigh.

"No need. I had my time here already. Do you think Sersei has room in her apartment? I'd rather just room with her and Sprite."

"I'll ask her. So you're done avoiding her?" You laugh at that.

"Never. I'll be there." You hang up and look around. "Goodbye, peace." You leave and never look back.

PS.

Posting this since it's sitting in my draft. Not finished yet but wanted to get it out.

[drconstellation]

Goats, Crows and The Flood

Or why Crowley turns the goats into crows in the Job minisode

If you're reading that and thinking "eh, what's the Flood got to do with it?" then read on. It wasn't done just so Crowley got to change his name. It's never as simple as that. C'mon now, this is the GOmens AU, I'm not going to write a meta about something like this and not give you at least three if not four layers as to why, now, am I? Certainly not, and this one won't be any different.

Recently I picked up a book that has been sitting for far too long on a pile near my kitchen that needs sorting through called Parallel Myths* and in it is a section on Flood myths. (It's got lots of other good bits as well, but the Flood myths are what I want to talk about here.) The Flood is a wide-spread myth, with stories all around the world from India, to the Greek myths, to the Incas and Aztecs and in North America as well.

There are four stories that include crows as messengers who are sent to look out for land. The first is our familiar bible story. Oh, did you miss that bit? Yeah, I know, you keep getting told about the dove that represents the holy spirit that came back with the olive branch. Why would they want to tell you about a dirty old crow? And why is that crow dirty anyway? Ah, hold that thought...we'll come back to that shortly.

Another very famous story that include a crow being sent out to look for land after a great Flood is in the epic story of Gilgamesh. While on a journey Gilgamesh meets an old man named Utnaptishtim who tells the hero how he survived a great flood by building a boat after being warned by the gods to do so, and then floating for several days before coming to rest on a mountain top. At first he sent out a dove, but the dove returned. Then he sent out a swallow, but the swallow returned also, so he knew there was no land yet. But the third bird he sent out was a crow, and it didn't come back, so Utnaptishtim knew it was finally safe to leave.

There are also crows mentioned in two North American Flood myths, with the Cree and the Algonquin, and in both stories they are also sent to look out for land.

So why am I telling you this? Because of this:

Which is, as we know, is a bit of a play on words, but it establishes the association between the ungulate offspring and the human offspring when we run into the next occurrence of the innocent being killed on the Almighty's fickle whim in the Job minisode in S2. And we know our favourite demon is just not going to take that lying down that without some kind of protest.

So after delivering his open monologue to the goats, which gives an insight into himself, then being confronted by Aziraphale, and revealing he has a permit, from the Almighty Herself, no less, he turns Job's goats into crows.

(And if you've missed the bit about why the goats, and not the sheep, which the archangels kept going on about, its because sheep were seen as more "Christian" as the rams were considered faithful to their ewes, as good followers should be, but goats were observed to just do it with any-nanny, with no sense of commitment, if you get what I mean, so they were considered more "demonic" in nature.)

The bible seems to have a bit of a love-hate relationship with birds. On hand they can be used for food or sacrifices, on the other hand they are metaphorical demons! There is an association made between "birds of the air" and demons, waiting to pick off the weak (of thought) and young before they can be enfolded into the "safety" of the church.

Even the noble eagle is frowned upon in a way, as it eats carrion, or rotting meat. And that is something ravens and crows are known to do as well. This eating of dead animals, and humans on the field on the ancient battlefield, led crows to be associated with death and the afterlife, and by extension, transformation from one form to another.

(I can't help thinking at this point about the Sandman's assistant crow helper that travels between worlds, but also I've written a couple of metas about both Crowley and the Bentley being facilitators for the crossing of thresholds between different worlds.)

If you've ever had a close association with a crow or two- and I have, over several years, they can be wily opponents! - you come to respect their intelligence and adaptability, no matter how they might be frustrating you! **

The raven is also mentioned in the Book of Job 38:41

Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

We didn't hear this line delivered to Job during the minisode, though we certainly heard some of the other lines from verses 38 and 39 that come before and after it. God is in the middle of telling Job about the universe, the earth and the creatures upon it, and how She looks after them. The line Jimbriel speaks about the morning stars all singing together is Job 38:7, for example. Just before mentioning this loathsome bird, She mentions that most noble of animals, the lion. But look, She also cares about ugly croaking raven fledglings that seem to get kicked out of the nest as soon as they can fly. How do they fend for themselves? It is seen as the mercy of God that she provides for each of the creatures of the Earth, both the lion and the raven. (Well, there's some interesting metaphorical links riiiight there...I hope I don't need to spell them out....)

So where are we? We've gone from a crow being a messenger for Noah, to kids/goats from the Flood scene in S1E3, to demon-associated goats being transformed into demon-associated crows in the Job minisode in S2E2, just before Job's human kids are saved from destruction by being transformed into geckos - which is also a significant symbolic creature for resurrection (which I explain in another meta.)

You know, I wouldn't be at all surprised if we loop back for a longer look at the Flood in S3. Kids, crows, a transformative experience...

Va-va-voom, here we come!

*Parallel Myths by J. F. Beirlein (1994) A Fascinating look at the common threads woven through the world's greatest myths - and the central role they have played through time. ISBN 0-345-38146-7

**I know there are corvids all around the world, and they can be shy, important birds in the ecosystem but here in Australia they can also be big bullies who know they are bigger than the other birds and throw their weight around accordingly and then do gross stuff like dirty up the backyard bird bath by finding discarded sandwiches and dog bones or even Lego blocks and drop them in to "soften" them for later consumption and just leave a filthy mess there for everybird else. yyyiikkk.

[trailblazethegalaxy]

Old Books ~ *Dan Heng*

Summary: You're looking for a new book to read, so you decide to see if Dan Heng has any. This leads to the two of you engaging in a debate about books and languages to learn...

Pairing: Dan Heng X G/N!Reader

Genre: Fluffy Drabble

Word Count: 582

Warning: Dan Heng is a bit OOC. This is an AU to the highest degree.

Masterlist

“All I’m saying is Don Quixote was not that great of a book.” You shrugged, perusing one of Dan Heng's many bookshelves.

“And I’m saying you’re absolutely wrong.” He shook his head. “Don Quixote is a charming novel I found on Terra. It was funny and thought provoking at the same time.”

"I never thought I'd live to see the day you call a novel funny, especially one from Terra." You shake your head with a teasing smile.

He shot you a glare. "Forgive me for not being textbooks and calculations all the time."

You held your hands up in mock surrender. "I never said that! But I’m sorry. I just found Don Quixote boring.”

Dan Heng scoffed. “Let me guess. You liked those Jane Austen and Brontë novels instead, didn’t you?”

You looked over at him, horrified. “Oh hell no! Wuthering Heights was worse than Don Quixote by a long shot! Heathcliff was the absolute worst!”

He smirked and shook his head. “You’re correct in that observation. I never understood how writers from that age thought those stories were romantic. Are there any classical novels from Terra you do like?”

You paused to think. “Good question. Well, I think the Count of Monte Cristo was really good, one of my favorites actually. A Tale of Two Cities is also pretty good. And I did enjoy reading Anna Karenina and War and Peace.”

One of his eyebrows perked up. “You read War and Peace?”

“More like I skimmed through it.” You mumbled, letting out an awkward giggle. 

Dan Heng shook his head again. “You should read it some time. I think you might enjoy it after you get past all the fluffy 19th century language.”

“I’ll be sure to look into it if I can find it. You never clean up around here. It makes it hard to find anything in this place.”

“Everything has a place and everything is in its place.” He reminded you, his voice sharp.

You rolled your eyes, before muttering under your breath. “Yeah well it seems the place for everything is all over the floor.”

“I heard that!”

All you could do was laugh and hope he didn’t kill you. However, after digging through the shelves some more, you were surprised when he handed you a large book with the words War and Peace printed on the front. You took it, surprised that it felt lightweight despite how big it was.

“Found it.”

“So you did.”

As Dan Heng went back to looking for a new book to read, which was easier said than done, he asked, “So, what’s the oldest book you’ve read?”

“Hmm, probably the Epic of Gilgamesh.”

He nodded. “Not a bad little epic. But I’ve read books older than that.”

You rolled your eyes again. “Of course you have. It's your thing. You love reading books from way back when and from all over the universe. You can probably read every language in the universe and understand it. Even dead languages!”

“Well, I could teach you some if you’d like.” He shrugged.

You perked up. “Please? There are so many cool languages I’d love to learn and use to both impress and scare people with.”

He laughed. “Alright. Pick a language and we’ll start learning when we both have time.”

Nodding, you added smoothly. “You better be prepared for all the love notes in multiple languages I’m going to send you when we're traveling through planets.”

He sighed. "I don't doubt it."

[dragstone-of-no-future]

We'll Make Home On a Battlefield

Okay, I ran my intro by some friends and they helped me clean it up.

First of all, it's good to meet you. My name's Marten Antheo, callsign Dragstone, and I'm the residential survival expert and assault lead of the free company Mud Wasps. We've operated throughout the Himalaya line and to a limited extent in the Long Rim; our focus is in jobs with significant environmental hurdles, particularly trans- and sub-terrestrial ops and clearing of hardened locations thereof.

Basically, I've fought in a lot of very deep caves. AMA.

That I'm still here today is a testament to my friends, Threadline, Square Head, Bluelack and Nestor, and especially to my best friend, SEKHMET-class NHP No Future, who helps me run my modified Gilgamesh chassis of the same name. Together we've done all we can to make and safeguard homes in even the worst of conditions.

It was all of them who insisted I make this account, now that I'm seeing a lot less action these days. I'm not exactly the best people person, and my memory's... It's not the best. So apologies if I sound a lot more brusque once I'm off the rehearsed bits, but I'm really excited to get to know some more people out in this galaxy. I think it'll be good for me.

Welcome all jarheads, grease monkeys, and fighters for a better world. DNI (am I doing this right) MCMC graylegals: if you need to split ethical hairs I think you know what you're doing is wrong.

{OC rp blog of @sureinsunlight , I made this on a whim after having an idea for a socially unsure caver who's trying to reach out after a long while of solitude. Not sure if this is gonna last or not, but while I'm here I'm really happy to meet n engage with everyone! Marten uses he/him pronous, I use it/its).

[blueshistorysims]

June 1923, London, England

It seemed as if Wilhelmina and Jack’s party had awoken some sort of hedonist spirit within him. Any previous attempts he’d tried to make with his duties as a peer were forgotten—not that it mattered anyway, most people in the House of Lords disliked him regardless. The Ritz became his home base, splitting his time between the hotel and the house of various friends, both old and new. 

Within three months, he was sure that he’d nearly tripled the number of people he’d had sex with, which Giselle and Francesca had mercilessly teased him about, but it had many advantages, and it seemed like with every new person he shared a bed, he received two invitations to social events, whether it be parties, dinners, soirees, etc. Being around people with similar tastes and interests also allowed him to find suggestions and people read the work he’d done in person, not just via letters, and by the middle of June, he felt that his translation and commentary of The Epic of Gilgamesh was good enough to be sent to the publishers and editors.

Giselle, on the other hand, after months of slaving day and night in her sewing room as Francesca handled sales and customers, it seemed that their little boutique was taking off, and most women living in Central London were seen wearing some of her designs. 

Shortly after opening one morning, a woman dressed finely walked into the shop, inquiring for a party dress. Francesca, who still setting up their latest model, looked surprised. No one came this early in the morning.

“Good morning, ma’am, how can I help you?”

“Um, is Miss Walsh in?”

“Oh, yes, she’ll be down in a moment or so.” She chuckled. “She likes to sleep in.”

The other woman smirked as she looked around. “A friend of a friend recommended this place, and I can see why now. These are lovely.”

Francesca beamed with pride. 

Giselle stepped out from her sewing studio, looking surprised that they already a had customer. “Oh, good morning, I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

“No, of course not. Miss Walsh?”

“That would be me.”

She sighed in relief. “Oh, thank you. I’m attending a party, and I was hoping to get a dress. I was told you do custom designs for customers.”

“Yes, um we can head back for measurements now if you wish, Ms…”

“Lady Lyton.”

Francesca’s eyes widened. The Countess of Lyton was their dress shop! Giselle looked less impressed, only giving Francesca a side glance. “Oh, I’m sorry, your ladyship, I wasn’t aware.” She turned to her partner. “There’s a countess in our dress shop.”

“We’ve had a duke.”

“Your brother doesn’t count.”

The Countess raised a brow. “Walsh… Your brother is the Duke of Feldsbury?”

“Yes. Have you met him?”

“I first met him at a party two months ago—we are mutual friends with Mrs. Jack Porter. He’s a bit of a Casanova, but he's handsome, very intelligent, and makes delightful conversation.” She smirked. “My husband, on the other hand, finds him impertinent.” 

Francesca snickered. 

“That sounds like my brother. …He was forced to accept the title and its responsibilities when not even being aware of it until after the war, so he cares very little of what society thinks of him and will likely do everything in his power to dredge the name of the late duke.”

The Countess nodded. “Well, I never liked the late duke.”

“Well, back to your request, your ladyship. When is the party?” Giselle asked, grabbing her notepad and pencil.

“Four days from now.”

Giselle frowned. “And you want a custom dress?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, but a custom design and pattern would at least take me two weeks, my lady.”

Lady Lyton sighed. “Oh. I see.”

“Well,” Francesca interrupted, gesturing to the dress she’d just set up, “I saw you admiring this, and Miss Walsh only finished it yesterday. There is no other dress like it, and tailoring at most only takes a few days if we do measurements now.”

Giselle nodded eagerly. “Yes, and if you wish, I could add some extra embellishments if desired, and it could be ready to be picked up the morning of your party.”

The Countess looked impressed. “You ladies know how to work a deal.” She glanced at the dress. “I will be telling everyone I know about the Duke of Feldbury’s sister and her delightfully modern dress shop.”

Giselle and Francesca couldn’t help but beam. 

[bigasswritingmagnet]

Helpful, in a Heterodyne Kind of Way Ch. 2

Summary: Gil wakes up chained to a chair in Castle Heterodyne.

That's bad.

But he's been brought there to have dinner with the Lady Heterodyne, who is smart and pretty and interesting.

That's good.

He's been brought there by Saturnus Heterodyne, because he's under the impression that Gil is the biological son of Petrus Teuful, and thus an excellent potential suitor for his beloved granddaughter.

That's bad.

But Agatha is wonderful, and Saturnus promises to keep Gil's "true parentage" a secret. If Gil is lucky, he might get out of this with a girlfriend, and without getting fed to one of the castle's deathtraps.

Klaus would just like people to not kidnap his son, thank you very much.

AO3 Link

Gil woke slowly, but not painfully. There was no aching body or throbbing temples, just a slow ascent from darkness. He was vaguely aware of the smell of cooking meat, the warmth of a nearby fire, the sound of soft music.

And shouting.

“—kidnap the son of Baron Wulfenbach, emperor of Europa!”

Well, that wasn’t a good start.

Gil forced his eyelids to open and found himself staring at…a table. It was covered in a gilt-embroidered tablecloth and set with the most over-the top table settings, every conceivable variety of forks, spoons and knives.  

His hands were chained to the chair with manacles just long enough to allow him to reach the silverware (which was gold, he realized). He also noticed what, exactly, the tablecloth’s embroidery depicted. It was not something most people would like to look at during a meal.

A sneaking suspicion began to develop.

“I don’t care how great-great-great-grandmother Thorazia would have done it!”

And that was when Gil noticed the guards, and suspicion became certainty.

There were two of them, standing side by side at the door on the far end of the room. One had horns that curled up over his head almost in a circle; the other had a snout and long, floppy ears. Both were grinning at him—grins filled with sharp, pointed teeth.

Jӓgers.

Gil tried to keep his expression one of mild interest, which the guards clearly found very funny. He drummed his fingers on the arms of the chair, humming softly and very carefully not checking to see how sturdy the restraints were.

They were very sturdy.

As casually as he could, Gil glanced over his shoulder.

Yep, two Jӓgermonster guards on that door, too.

One of them waved at him. Gil gave him a slightly strained smile, and turned back in his seat again.

Okay. Kidnapped, tied to a chair, in Castle Heterodyne. The important thing to do was to remain calm, at all costs.

“Grandfather, I don’t need your help! I am perfectly capable of finding a boyfriend on my own!”

The door flew open and in swept the most beautiful girl Gil had ever seen. She was dressed in filthy mechanic’s coveralls. Her face was smeared with grease. Her hair was beginning to fall free from the messy ponytail she’d put it in, framing her face with fine golden strands. Her eyes were bright green, illuminated behind her large glasses.

“I,” she began, “am so sorry—”

“Hi,” Gil blurted out. “I’m Gil. Uh. Gilgamesh Wulfenbach. Who are you?”

She pulled up short, startled by the interuption.

“Oh. I…I’m Agatha. Agatha Heterodyne.” She shook herself. “Wait, wait, I’m apologizing. My grandfather had you kidnapped, he’s…” She blushed even harder. “He uh. He’s been trying to…”

“Find you a boyfriend, I heard.”  

Agatha groaned and rubbed her face, pushing her glasses up.

“I’m so sorry.”

“That’s alright,” Gil said. “You know, it smells like dinner’s been made already, and since I’m already here…”

Agatha stared at him.

“You—really?”

He smiled at her and shrugged.

“I’d hate for it to go to waste.”

Agatha opened and closed her mouth a few times, pink rising to her cheeks.

“Oh. That’s. Very kind of you. I. Um. Should probably go get changed. I’m not exactly dressed for dinner.”

“If you’d like,” Gil said, amicably.  “I think you look great.”

Agatha went scarlet and ducked her head, not quite managing to hide her smile. She began to back up out the door she’d entered through, babbling a little.

“I’ll uh. Aheh. It’s not really hygenic, I’m all covered in…I’ll just…um…Nestor, if you could serve Gil some wine or, or something while I, um…”

She slammed the door shut. Gil heard frantic footsteps tearing up the hallway, a call of I told you! and shutupshutupshutup!

 A servant approached on silent feet and filled a goblet with wine, then scooched it a little closer to Gil so he could reach it without dragging the chains across the table cloth. Gil didn’t bother to ask if he could be released.

The door opened again and Gil looked up, but it wasn’t Agatha who entered.

At first, the only thing Gil could notice was the chair. From the seat up, it was, well. A chair. But instead of four sturdy legs, the seat rested on what had to be dozens of of spindly, shining, insectile legs. They were constantly moving, extending and retracting and shifting position to keep the occupant perfectly balanced as he crossed the room.

It took some effort to drag his gaze up and meet the sharp green eyes of a man who had Agatha’s nose and a wicked grin that pinned Gil in place.  

“Saturnus Heterodyne!” he said, by way of greeting. “And you must be Gilgamesh Wulfenbach!” His smile twisted slyly. “Or should I say…Gilgamesh Teuful?”

Gil stared blankly.

“Uh…should you?”

“No need to play dumb,” Saturnus said, drawing up to the table beside Gil. With a casual air, he picked up one of the decanters of wine and filled a spare glass. Taking the glass in hand, he settled back in his seat and gave Gil a sharp smile. “I heard all about your paternity from that Sturmvoraus fellow.”

“Sturmv—Tarvek?” Gil sat bolt up in the chair, sloshing his wine and yanking hard on the manacles. “Tarvek Sturmvoraus told you I was Petrus Teuful’s son?”

That weasel, that snake! Everyone knew the Lady Heterodyne was more like the Heterodyne boys than like her grandfather. If she thought he was the son of one of the deadliest Sparks in the world—

“No, no,” Saturnus said. “He told his sister. But there are no secrets in Castle Heterodyne, are there?” This last was directed to the ceiling.

‘No indeed,’ said a disembodied voice, sounding quite smug. ‘But I do know when to be…discreet.’

Saturnus chuckled and waved for Gil to relax.

“Calm down, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. I don’t blame Klaus for keeping it a secret—a man can only put up with so many assassination attempts before they begin to get tiresome.” He laughed the convivial laugh of two people bonding over a shared nuisence.   

“Um. I…appreciate that, but—”

“And I certainly won’t be the one to tell Agatha! Don’t want to sway her opinion of you just yet. She’s a little too much like her uncle to believe in the whole ‘change them with the power of love’ nonsense her father did…”

His voice trailed off, his expression suddenly sobering. Gil waited, but when the man stayed silent, he cleared his throat.

“Actually, I think there’s been—”

“Wait, wait, I’m not done.” Saturnus frowned disapprovingly. “Youth these days, no patience at all. What was I saying? Oh! I remember when Klaus finally brought Teuful down. Ha, and Teuful certainly made him work for it! But when he finally fell, what did his men do? Fought harder. Fought to the death. Every man jack was there of his own free will, because he believed in Teuful. That is loyalty.”  

Saturnus grinned and tilted his head back, indicating the Jӓger guards.

“And the Heterodynes know loyalty. We appreciate loyalty—and appreciate those Sparks who understand it as we do.”

“Well, of course,” Gil said. “Half of the armies we fight surrender outright because they know they’ll get a better deal with the Empire. But—”

“But indeed! A man who can inspire a soldier to fight for peace and stability, yes, all well and good, hoo-ray. But a man who can take a perfectly ordinary citizen of the world and inspire him to wanton chaos and destruction? Ah, that’s the kind of man I want for my granddaughter.”

He sat back in his chair and sighed heavily.

“I’m relieved to have found you, you know. The number of would-be suitors who have shown up here—why, the grinding machines can hardly keep up!”

“The grinding machines,” Gil repeated.

“Hmm? Oh, yes, unworthy men can be persistant, and I’ll not be having some moon-eyed, would-be-hero fluttering around her and wasting her time. So, on their way out I simply have the castle…” He made a sweeping motion with his hand. “Clean up.”

Gil felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.

“Castle Heterodyne had boyfriend grinding machines?”

“No, of course not! I had to build them. But don’t you worry,” Saturnus said, patting Gil genially on the shoulder. “I’d never snuff out a Spark like Teuful’s so easily.”

‘But perhaps mind where you put your hands.’

Saturnus burst out laughing; the Jӓger guards joined in. Gil forced his own laugh, clutching white knuckled at the arms of his chair. As subtly as he could, he glanced down, and saw that the way the floorboards were laid out, it was not impossible that the chair was positioned over a trap door.

The door opened and Gil’s heart leapt for entirely different reasons than terror.

Agatha stood in the doorway, slightly breathless, still damp from her frantic bath, and dressed in a white and gold dress trimmed with trilobite designs that Gil would say was extremely becoming. She’d missed a spot of engine grease on her cheek, and Gil had no intention of telling her.

“Well, I’ll leave you two at it,” Saturnus said, steering his chair away from the table and towards the door. His granddaughter squinted at him suspiciously.

“Yes, you will. And so will you four,” she said, sternly, to the Jӓgers. “I already have an all-seeing chaperone, who will be silent,” she added, very pointedly. “For the duration of the evening.” Her eyes landed on the glass of wine Saturnus was not quite managing to keep out of sight. “And the doctor said no alcohol!”

“The doctor said less alcohol!” Saturnus shot back, the door slamming shut behind him.

Agatha threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, and thumped down in her seat. Then she hurriedly stood up and swept her dress out so it wasn’t crumpled. Servants closed in, laying out the first course: a bright orange soup that, upon very careful tasting, turned out to be pumpkin.

“I hope he didn’t say anything too awful,” Agatha said.

“No!” Gil said, hurriedly, very aware that Castle Heterodyne could hear every word. “He was just telling me that he was a…fan of my father’s work.”

“Yes,” Agatha said. “I’m not entirely sure he actually understands what your father does.”

“I did get that impression,” Gil said, straight faced. The chain around his wrist clanked against the soup bowl, and Agatha’s eyes went wide.

“Castle! He’s still chained?”

Gil thought he heard something like a distant, mechanical sigh of disappointment, and the manacles popped open.

“I’m so sorry about that. Again.”

Gil smiled.

“Honestly, of all the times I’ve been kidnapped and chained to a chair, this is not the worst.”

Agatha paused, spoon halfway to her mouth.  

“Has that happened to you…often?”

“Once or twice!” Gil said. “But I don’t usually get wine.”

-

“—and even though he recognized that it wasn’t on purpose, or entirely my fault, the Master decided I’d just be a trouble magnet, and that was the end of Paris. I finished my degrees in Beetleburg, instead.” Agatha waved her fork vaguely. “But it worked out in the end. It was much easier to rule Mechanicsburg from there.”

Gil started.

“You were ruling Mechanicsburg long distance?”

Agatha gave him a wry smile.

“I couldn’t exactly leave Grandfather in charge unattended,” she said, dryly. “I had regular reports sent to me once a week, and I’d send my orders back same day.”

“That’s impressive,” Gil said. “Balancing your schoolwork, running Mechanicsburg, and still managing to have a social life? Most people can barely manage two of those.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that much more work,” Agatha demured, though she was blushing. “My seneschal took care of the day to day, and my generals managed the defences.”

“Well, I think it’s amazing.”

“What about you?” Agatha returned. “You’ve got two doctorates and Collette said you get into adventures every other week.”

‘My lady—’

“I asked for silence,” Agatha said. “And I specified for the duration—”

‘Yes, my lady, and no one wishes to interrupt your evening. That is why your grandfather asked me to inform you that he will handle the matter.’

“What mat—you know what, nevermind. I don’t want to know.” She rolled her eyes at Gil. “He’s probably gone to argue with the Monster’s Guild about whether the giant rats qualify for membership. I keep telling them, if they’re not sentient enough to pay union dues and attend the meetings, they belong with the Rodent Society.”  

The room they were in faced west, giving them a lovely view of the mountain sunset, and no view at all of Castle Wulfenbach descending on Mechanicsburg.

[fuzzy-oooze]

wait, they're adding civ switching to civ 7? what the fuck? why? why would they do that? I hated it in Humankind and I'd hate it there too, if I pick to play as Babylon, that's because I want to play as fucking Babylon, not switch to something else partway through. If I pick china but an era passes or whatever and I have to pick a new one you better have a fuckin' genus historian on your dev team who can list every central east Asian civilization or I'll be offered to switch to stupid shit like Greece, which I'd reject out of wanting to play as what I picked as in the beginning, but something tells me that a lot of civs won't have more "advanced" counterparts (such as, say, the celts or carthage) and I'd be FORCED to change civs, but I DON'T WANT THAT, I WANT TO BE PLAYING AS WHAT I CHOOSE TO PLAY IN THE BEGINNING, THAT'S WHY I PICKED IT

"Oh but no civilization lasts forever-" yeah yeah shut you're fuckin' mouth because

1)-they're keeping the immortal leaders and having them switch civs with you so Gilgamesh is going to become British and evil

2)-what you said is just plan Dead Wrong because, well, China's stayed itself forever, Japan's stayed itself forever, India, the Congo, Aboriginal Australia, fucking Greece, I get what you mean but No one has ever went to sleep and woke up as a FUCKING MONGOL. Civilizations change due to outside influence such as foreign invasion and not just time, time plays a part, yes, but not to nearly the extent I think people think.

why can't they just have it so that you're not playing as a real historical civilization and instead you pick and swap cultural traits as time passes so that by the end you've made your own storied culture and civilization? I feel like that's such a no-brainer but no one has done that and it feels like so much of an easier and more generally appealing idea to have than civ-switiching.

[derekscorner]

Fated Rantings: Ground Zero

I finished Fate Zero

And what a ride that was. I don't even know where to start with all of this which shocks me because I went in knowing things would go to hell.

I started my whole Fate journey due to lore videos, curiosity and FGO so (just like the 2006 Fate Stay Night) I had a full grasp of what would happen. To be shocked anyway just goes to show that the cast and their dialogues sell this story.

There's a stark difference between hearing plot points and watching Gilgamesh slowly poke at Kirei's mentality. There's a difference between knowing that Blue Beard is summoned by a serial killer and seeing them discuss the nature of God.

And there's one hell of a difference between seeing memes of Iskander & Waver and seeing what is possibly the best bromance within Type-Moon.

I went into this expecting Saber to be a bit too idealistic and for Kiritsugu to be a badass only to leave it finding Kiritsugu the least interesting compared to everyone else.

Magus Killer Indeed

Now, I do not say that to imply that he lacks depth himself. Kiritsugu is unique in how he operates within his magic world and you're not supposed to view him as idealistically as Irisviel or Shirou do, he's a flawed man with a very fucked up history.

This man, like Shirou, wanted to be a hero of justice as a child. An innocent enough desire but one that was both never tempered in realism and was shattered by realism.

What I mean by that is that Kiritsugu is plagued by a paradox. Yes, the village being turned into ghouls and murdered was bad. Yes, Kiritsugu killing his own father because he felt that "he had too" is a very dark sign of his mentality even as a child.

But these things haunt him, they do not drive him. What drives him is his desire to be that hero. When his world is shattered he takes a dark approach to kill the few to save the many.

It's that pursuit that eventually shatters his goal with the realism of humanity. You can never truly save everyone, other humans will always ruin it.

But the realism that pushes him to try anyway is the grail. In this world the wish granter is real, tangible, thus the paradox. He fully believes the goal shattered by realism can be salvaged by the realism of the grail's existence.

He's usually so pessimistic and realistic in his approaches to the war and battles that it's almost jarring to see his character break once he learns that the grail can't just do anything. You can see that last bit of idealism in his soul die.

Worse, the grail taunts him. It can only grant a wish that a human themselves can understand. As an example;

you can't ask for fire if you do not know how fire operates.

Thus the grail shows him a way to grant his wish but that wish grants nothing. This is very crucial to his breakdown because the grail showed him in the purest terms that;

This is your way of saving others but ultimately it saves no one

That's the point of the boat example. No matter how many you sacrifice for the whole, the survives will further fracture. There will always be a minority and a majority, Kiritsugu's life was essentially pointless in the larger picture.

Now, it'd be too cruel to say his life had no meaning at all. He was willing to sacrifice his mother figure and mentor to stop an undead outbreak. He killed his father because he felt responsible for his actions and Shirley's death.

He had to have done some good, it just wasn't in the way he had hoped. The greatest tragedy here is possibly that he's unable to see it.

We the audience see it in those rare moments of him being a father to his daughter, to Shirou, or a husband to Irisviel. People were drawn to him and loved him and if he had stopped his pursuits for them he may have found a happier ending.

True Emptiness

Then there's this true demon of a man. For all the talk, the praise of their battle, and Kiritsugu's own foreshadowing, I expected a deeper connection between the two.

It's strange, you can't just bring up Kiritsugu's flawed mentality without mentioning Kirei's yet the two only physically met one time. It's fascinating because I expected a bigger grudge or more plot relevance to their dynamic.

Yet, at the same time, their lack of interaction makes the eventual fight more interesting because of where Kirei starts and where he ends.

Intriguingly, Kiritsugu pegs Kirei near instantly. He only had a mug shot and some info on his life but he could instantly tell that there was something very wrong with Kirei. He sensed the lack of love and emptiness and feared him the most.

In contrast, Kirei didn't know Kiritsugu as well as he believed. Half of his emotional journey is realizing that they're not as alike as he thought.

This is best shown in his battle with Irisviel and Maya. He assumes Kiritsugu sent them there to battle him and he can't comprehend it when that's not the case. In his mind he is fully incapable of understanding why those two women would choose to face him.

He can't comprehend the illogical actions love will drive one too.

That said, the far more interesting dynamic in Kirei's life is Gilgamesh. While Kirei fails in his assumption of Kiritsugu and lacks a full understanding of himself it is Gilgamesh who sees through Kirei instantly.

Their talks are some of the most interesting parts in the story because you can tell Gilgamesh is trying to make him realize his own nature. Gilgamesh has no grand reason for doing so, he's just bored.

For all the dorky shit Gilgamesh does, for all the moments of him being oddly good with kids, or a good king (in FGO) you can't forget that Gilgamesh defies morality. He's not above it he just does not consider it.

He seeks entertainment and Kirei is the most interesting thing there. A full grown man unable to feel yet subconsciously seeking too. The answer is always on the tip of Kirei's tongue. (he's in self denial)

It's truly fascinating to watch it unfold. This ancient demigod taking a mentorship-like role just so he can see what Kirei will do.

It's due to these talks of introspection and Kirei's other actions that I find it hard to see the duality of he and Kiritsugu. What ultimately awakens Kirei's understanding is watching Kariya's suffering.

Gilgamesh may point it out but that's moot. It's Kariya's motives that catch Kirei's attention most, it's the drama with Tokiomi that fascinates him, it's saving Kariya and using him later that makes it click for Kirei internally.

You could possibly argue the whole thing is Tokiomi's fault. He gave his daughter to the Matous and even if he was unaware of the torture she'd endure for years that- no wait.

He possibly went wrong the moment he schemed with the church. Watching the Tohsaka's and Kariya play out their drama awoke the monster that is Kirei but it was Tokiomi's fault Kirei was there at all.

It was also Tokiomi that summoned Gilgamesh....hmm there's a lot more to ponder there I guess but let's move on.

I can only praise the depiction of Kirei's awakening so far before it seems like I like his character or adore it. It's fascinating to watch but he's still a monster that shouldn't be walking among men.

The Best Fate Bro to ever live

I wanted to use the last section of this to talk about the best fucking boy. I do not care what anyone tells you, Iskandar is the best bro in the Fate universe.

The very first thing this man does upon being summoned is find a map. With the enthusiasm of a child he admires it looking for where his kingdom is now and seeing the world mapped out in whole.

There's something that is just genuinely pure about Iskandar in Fate/Zero. No heroic spirit is without questionable actions in the modern lens but this story does a good job of blending that by explaining Iskandar's motives.

He has a genuine love of seeing new things. That joy is so pure that his wish for the grail is to be reincarnated so that he can begin his conqueroring anew. I have no earthly clue how he thinks he'll be able to do that in a normal mortal body but no matter because I doubt he's thought that far ahead himself.

His patience in dealing with a prideful child is also second to none. His words are often full of small wisdom to the point I did not keep count of them all nor could I explore it all. He's always pushing his master to try new things and it takes root overtime.

It is very easy to see how Waver could become the popular Lord El-Melloi II in other materials. It all began here, regardless of timelines, there's usually a Waver that fought in the 4th Grail War with Iskander.

I'm not even sure what to write about Waver himself because so much of what made the impression was seeing him slowly changing due to Iskandar's influence.

In a mage society that belittles him for being "new blood" it is Iskandar that continually tries to open his eyes. That's highlighted best when Waver tracks down Caster easily using simpler methods due to his magical limitations.

He views it as bad but Iskandar makes a good point. To do something in a simpler yet equally relevant way (perhaps even better) is a talent worthy of praise. Waver doesn't recognize his own ingenuity nor does he realize that there's merit in someone who can think around their limitations.

It's the core of their dynamic and that moment when Waver goes from being his master mage to his subject is beautiful. That strong loyalty born over the story even saves Waver's life.

Gilgamesh spares him based on that undying loyalty alone. A far cry from where Waver starts.

Kingly Mentality

Before I lose myself in the praise I should point out that Iskandar is no fool. Yes, he rarely plans in Fate Zero and his pure love for the new and patience shapes his bond with his mage.

However, do not mistake that pureness for a simpleton. Iskander is simply straightforward to a fault. His greatest characteristic is that friendly straightforward nature he has.

He's the one servant that repeatedly stops to talk to the others, he's able to get them to talk when they normally wouldn't, and even when he expresses desire to take them into his army those present do not get that offended.

Gilgamesh, the king of arrogance, even begins to shrug this off. On some level he respects Iskandar's nature because he is true to himself.

Still, some do think his attitude toward Saber is bad in regards to the banquet of kings. Now this is tumblr which is bad for seeing what isn't there to begin with or it's twitter which has lost it's critical thinking skills long ago.

What do I mean by this? Simple, while Iskandar and Gilgamesh disagree they at least respect each other as kings. Similarly they disrespect Artoria as king but for differing reasons.

To Iskandar a king is someone who stands above men as a symbol of their ideals. Something to follow, a larger than life person to show them the way.

What lost Iskandar's respect for Artoria's kingship was her wish. Her desire to undo it all, even if for good reasons, is an insult to Iskandar. No matter how tragic he would not change one moment of his life because that would affect everyone that fought for him and with him.

He sees Artoria as a slave of her people and the ideals she was raised on rather than a king that's truly led and valued her men. It is here that some have issues.

We'll argue King Arthur another time, what's relevant is why Iskandar views it. The tragic thing being that he is not entirely wrong.

Artoria was raised to be a king, she was conceived in convoluted magic ways to be England's king, so when he says that he only "sees a girl who could not chase butterflies or fall in love" he is entirely correct.

I do not say that dismissing her choices mind you but she did sacrifice that normalcy regardless. Iskandar, as we've covered, enjoys life at it's core.

So what he sees in Saber is a girl who was denied life. She could not truly enjoy it which disconnected her from her people. He views it as sad and states that one reason for recruiting her into his army is to show her otherwise.

Now as to whether he could have is another topic entirely. What's important is that he can't respect her as a king because he sees a martyr not a king.

The Fate Route of the FSN justifies his views to an extent because Saber eventually finds some things she denied herself in Shirou. She ultimately just needed a chance to be a person and Iskandar wanted to help her do so.

There are some faults in his thinking, yes, but his intentions aren't negative nor his his disrespect of her kingship based on sex. He fully respected Saber as a king until he learned her wish.

Even after he respected her as a warrior and wanted to see her enjoy life...and cut down his enemies BUT STILL.

Conclusion?

Already? So abruptly? Kinda. This got too big to fit into one post and there's a lot I can't find a way to organically work in.

Such as Tokiomi's dumb ass making Kirei Rin's guardian when his wife is perfectly healthy and alive when he writes that will.

Or how Gilgamesh views Saber just as objectively and disrespectfully as you'd expect. His take on her kingship and sex is completely negative and objectifying, a contrast to Iskandar.

Hell the whole mutual respect and differences between Gilgamesh and Iskandar.

I also didn't get to the odd but unnervingly deep take on God between two mass murderers. (Caster & Ryuunosuke)

I definitely don't have it in me to cover Kiritsugu's family. Illyasviel is more of a FSN topic and Irisviel is hard for me to quantify. Her love for her husband and of the small things he showed her was beautiful though.

Oh well, ONTO PART TWO: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/post/737301977761005569/fated-rantings-seiba-pt-2#notes

=======================

For my other experiences with Fate go here: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/tagged/fated-rantings

[somethingclevermahogony]

Askbox Suggestion Tag

Rules: send me a prompt for any characters featured on this blog, and I’ll write a short snippet for you

Thank you @illarian-rambling and @mk-writes-stuff!

Send whatever sort of prompt you want!

These are some characters from Testaments of the Green Sea. If there are other characters that you want to ask about, go ahead!

Narul is a big hunk of a man, a big big big hunk. Nine feet tall and who knows who many feet wide. Narul is a spiritblood, a demigod. Though he is supernaturally big and strong and has an immortal lifespan, his upbringing has not done wonders for his self-esteem. He once the slave of King Hutbari. He is the definition of a gentle giant; soft spoken, shy, and happy to follow. Picture Gilgamesh or Herakles with severe social anxiety and a love of flowers. He's bi, not that it really matters he's terrified of just about any sort of intimacy. He acts as Ninma's adoptive father. (A bit of a longer intro here)

Ninma is the polar opposite of Narul. The youngest of the many children of King Hutbari, Ninma is unusually short for her age (5). Despite this she is hot-headed and opinionated. She has little fear of danger and has a tendency to get herself into trouble. Despite this she is deeply caring and already has a well developed sense of justice. Despite only being five she is one of the few literate characters in the little found family that she shares with Narul. (Her intro here)

Otilia is a runaway noblewoman and lesbian from the lands of Korithia. She is clever and sly, her mind and tongue sharpened by years spent at her merchant father's side. She once married to a man in Korithia, however that relationship quickly turned sour and abusive. That is why she is in Kishetal, running from her terrible husband. While on the run in Kishetal she eventually ends up in the company of Narul and Ninma. (Here is her intro)

Shela was also once the daughter of a merchant, though her father was Kishite. A chain of events led to her being sold to the powerful oligarch Wadikir in order to cover a family debt. Now she works in the maze-like passages of the Hall of Oaths, keeping track of the single largest collection of Knowledge in the world. Shela is a short and squat woman though she moves with grace. Though she can't read, years among scholars and record-keepers has afforded her with a certain amount of knowledge. She enjoys a chat and is a warm and friendly person, who feels emotions quite intensely. Perhaps years spent in dark tunnels have made her hungry for human interaction (Her intro is here).

Suru is Narul's adoptive younger brother. Suru is nothing like Suru, small and sickly, almost skeletal. He looks like he could be blown over by a gust of wind. Despite this Suru is incredibly cocky and charismatic. Though he is currently enslaved he dreams of seeing the world.

Akard is the son of the deposed King of Labisa, Kurush. This also means that he is Ninma's cousin. Akard was born in exile in the desert kingdom of Apuna. He was raised from birth to help his father reclaim the throne of Labisa. He is cunning, brave, and noble. The picture of what a king should be, though his terminal illness flares his ambitions to an at times dangerous degree. (His intro is here)

Zenit is a seer, a person capable of using spirits in order to receive visions of possible futures and of distant places. But this gift has had a terrible effect on her body. Though young her hair is already silver, her cheeks hollow, and her skin pale. Though her abilities give her supernatural vision, her actual vision has been taken from her. She was once the servant of Hutbari until she was freed at the hands of Akard. She is intelligent and strategically minded, though quiet.

Zatar is tall, dark, and dangerous. The child of a mysterious giantess from the northern forests and minor noble, he was abandoned to the streets. He is a temperamental and violent person, with a particular proclivity for causing harm to others. He was once purposeless, stalking the streets of Labisa like a rabid wolf, that is until he met Akard. Now he serves him a fanatical loyalty. He is the Wrath of Akard, and none dare to stand before him. (His intro is here)

Istek is a pirate. He is a loud and excitable man, an amazing story-teller, and unfortunately he has next to no tact. In his early fifties he possess a luxurious beard and many strange tattoos. He is quite short, though you would never guess it by the amount of noise he makes. He is friendly and more than a bit of a flirt. Despite how much he talks he is also a good listener and will eagerly spend hours nodding along to your stories. His two partners are Sihunu and Dati.(His intro is here)

Dati is the last member of a race of ancient warriors, now he sails with his partner Istek, working either as a pirate or a mere merchant depending on what the situation entails. He is tall and handsome, the only hint to his forestfolk ancestry, is the tail that can occasionally be seen swishing behind his back. Where Istek is loud and friendly, Dati is tight-lipped and serious. However once you get to know him he is quite friendly and will gladly chat about this or that. (His intro is here)

Sihunu is the third member of the Pirate Polycule, though as of late she has been landlocked as she takes care of their child, Lat. She is a skilled craftsperson and was once the primary carpenter aboard their ship, The Westwind. Sihunu was once a dancer and though her dancing days are long behind her, she retains a certain grace and poise. Sihunu is a no nonsense type of person, straight faced and serious. Don't talk to her, if she wants to talk to you she will find you. Its somewhat surprising that a person like her would be partners with the ball of energy and sexuality that is Istek.

Penetinos was once a priest of a Korithian Temple. He is a sage and was once renowned for his skill and power in the ways of magic. That changed when he discovered his illness. Disillusioned and scared, he left the temple and chose to explore the world. He is a kindly old man and the perfect tutor for anyone that wants to know about the world. He is patient and kind, he loves to read and to learn new things, though his age and condition keep him from exploring quite as extensively as he wishes. He knows that one day his illness will kill him, but he doesn't know when and he tries not to let that concern him. He is close friends with Istek, though Penetinos's asexuality somewhat bamboozles the flirtatious pirate captain. (Here is his intro)

Bop, once the Ripper of Cedars, is a powerful wind spirit, the sort of entity that could once rip trees and houses off of the side of mountains, casting them down to valleys far below. That was until they were captured and trapped in a magical hammer. Now they have forgotten most of their past and instead they reside in the Hammer of Tamel, now in the possession of Narul. Bop is curious and kind, just as eager to learn how the world has changed and to comfort Narul in his time of need. (Here is their intro)

Tagging:

@drchenquill, @marlowethelibrarian, @winterandwords, @phoenixradiant, @pluttskutt

@dyrewrites, @unrepentantcheeseaddict, @roach-pizza, @rivenantiqnerd, @pluppsauthor

@paeliae-occasionally and @kaylinalexanderbooks

[redheadspark]

I am LOVING these prompts! Do you think you could do Druig with 9? The one where reader is reading and Druig’s being a clingy watcher?

A/N - Druig would definitely do this! Thanks for requesting this, anon!

Passage

Summary - After the Emergence, you and Druig have a moment to pause and have peace.

Warnings - Just fluff :)

It started with a simple bit of movement on the couch, you staying still as you flipped to another page.  Then it was the feeling of a shadow right behind you, yet you remained calm and read the passage in front of you.  Of course you knew this game far too well, it’s happened so many times you lost count.  Especially since it started long before technology had started. 

Centuries ago this started, and it hasn’t really lost its fire.

Finally, you felt arms wrapped around you from behind and a neck tucked on top of your shoulder.  You hummed, feeling those hands before on your lower waist with the right amount of pressure, the softness of the brown hair against your neck and ear, and the scent that he carried after being out in the sun for far too long.

“Whatcha readin’, lover?” You heard in your ear.

Druig.

“A book I found in Makkari’s personal treasure trove on the Domo,” You hummed as your eyes were still moving and following along, “This one is called Treasure Island, a pirate adventure,” 

“Ah, sounds like somethin’ you’d like,” He replied as he too was reading some of the words there, “Never took Makkari as one to like pirates.  Then again they stole gold.”

“Oh, and Makkari steals gold like a pirate?” You asked as you paused in your reading, looking over your shoulder barely to see Druig’s eyes on your thanks to your peripheral vision.  He said nothing but smirk as you clicked your tongue, “Fine, I’ll go tell her!”

“No!” Druig said suddenly, keeping you close on the couch as you were about to get up.  You laughed as he peppered kisses along your cheeks and neck to keep you in one place.  The mood was a bit lighter then in that moment, given the last few days and all that you had to deal with together.  Once you both were done laughter and simply holding each other, you looked around the room that you were in, sighing in both remorse and regret.

Ajak’s living room at her farmhouse.  

It’s been two days since the near Emergence, you all came to the Farmhouse to unwind and lay low since the news all over the world was talking about the marble being that was frozen in the ocean.  Sersi, Kingo and Sprite were already back in London, going back to reality themselves as the rest of you went to South Dakota.  There was no real mindset on what the future was going to hold, Thena wanted to hold a meeting later that day to see what we should do next.  Sersi was our new leader, yet she was waiting to go back to London to talk to Damon and perhaps but every that happened behind her.  You would have too, yet you and Druig were still deciding on what to do.

“I miss her,” You said as you drank in the small living room you two were in.  It all was Ajak, the paintings and decor on her walls, the rug along the worn floor, even the slightly peeling wallpaper against the wall. It had charm and life in its bones and walls, just like how Ajak was when she was alive.

“Me too,” Druig murmured as he took was looking at the walls and then out the windows, “She meant well with all of is….and with me,”

“Druig,” You said his name, “We talked about this.  You know she loved you, beyond loved you.  What happened is in the past, and all we can do is move forward,”

Druig was heartbroken when he heard about Ajak’s death through Sersi.  He kept it to himself while the Eternals were visiting your home in the Amazon.  Yet when the fight was done, and after you had the service for Gilgamesh, Druig finally collapsed in your arms as you two slept in your little shack. He mourned for not being able to talk to her again.  He mourned for not telling Ajak he was wrong in how he blew up against her.

He mourned for never apologizing.

“We did stop the world from ending, and I think Ajak would have been proud of us,” You explained as he was still searching your eyes to see that you were telling the truth.  You moved his brown hair from his eyes, tracing his nose slightly with the tip of your finger.

“Proud of me goin’ against Arishem even?” Druig had to ask, speaking about the very Celestial whom he butted his head against ever since you all came to Earth.

“No, Druig.  Proud of you protecting humans, the same species we were sworn to protect since we came here to this planet,” You answered him.  Druig finally gave a smaller smile and leaned into you to hug you.  You hugged him back, kissing the top of his head as you rubbed his arms, “Ajak would be proud of you and how far you have come, Druig.”

“Aye, the same for you, M’Lady,” he said your nickname with you as he hooked his chin on your shoulder again, “Now, read to me some of this pirate book that you think is amazin’.”

You opened the book again, finding the page where you left off and started to read aloud.  Druig hung onto your every word as the South Dakota wind was picking up outside the farmhouse. Now that the world as not going to end and life can move on and grow, you were optimistic about the future that you were going to have with Druig.

You both were going to find your peace again, one day at a time.  

The End.

June Summer Prompts

[softquietsteadylove]

You think you can make another marriage contract AU and show us how Gil is careful around her and such? It was such a sweet interaction from the last one I do wish to see it another time in another situation. Pretty please? 💚

"You're doing pretty good," Gilgamesh chuckled, leaving Thena to her chopping now that she seemed to be getting the hang of it. Very slowly, but still.

"You don't have to patronise me," she muttered as she sliced through the onion carefully. He had already done the cross chopping for her, all she had to do now was slice down straight.

"I'm not, I'm not, I really think you're doing great." He looked over his shoulder again but Thena was almost leaned down to be eye level with her task at hand. She really was terrible in the kitchen, but it was nothing short of charming.

Gil opened up the higher cabinets to retrieve some wine glasses for them. Thena didn't have a habit of drinking, but he had seen her enjoy a glass of wine with dinner here or there. And he'd brought home some nice champagne that he'd gotten out of a business deal. After he'd wiped the blood off the label, of course. "Y'know, I think-"

The glass slipped from his fingers on its way down, its large and crystal figure shattering on the kitchen floor. It was sharp against the serenity of the smooth music he'd selected for the quiet evening.

"Ay shi-" he cursed, stepping back in his house slippers. He looked over, the yelp that had hit the air registering in his mind. He frowned, "Thena?"

She had let out the sound of panic and ducked down. She was crouched on her knees, arms curled over her head. It was a reflex, based on pure instinct. And he hated to see it.

He left the glass on the floor. He could tend to it in a minute. He walked carefully, trying to approach her as gently as possible. "I'm sorry, Thena."

She was shaking. But she peeked out at him, shame written all over her face. "S-Sorry, I didn't-"

"Don't be sorry," he soothed, placing his hands on her shoulders. He helped her stand and lean on the counter. "It scared me, too. Are you okay?"

She nodded, but he could see the trembling in her fingers.

He took her hand in his, "come on, let's sit down."

She didn't argue with him, which was as good a sign as any that she wasn't feeling her best. She let him lead her to the couch, "I'm fine, Gil, really."

He liked it when she called him Gil. "You don't have to be. I'm sorry I startled you."

She shook her head, but a familiar look of annoyance came over her. "No, I...I would like nothing more than to say it's nothing."

He continued to hold her hand. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

She sighed. She really didn't, but she was going to anyway. She curled her legs up on the couch. He helped her sort out the blanket of his she liked to lay over them. "Would you be surprised if I brought up my father?"

He tried to keep his answers passive and neutral. This was her story, and it wouldn't do any good for him to start cursing about what a rat bastard piece of shit that guy was.

"He became more violent the older I became," Thena recited as if it were blase and not something horrifying. "By the time I was an adult, he realised that I was no longer so easy to intimidate. But throwing things was still effective."

Gil balled his fist up under the blanket. Her father would throw his drink glasses at her? Maybe letting him live wasn't the solution, no matter how much the drunk gambling addict owed him.

"It wasn't every night, but if he really needed something, he would throw anything we had on hand," she concluded. The way she met his eye was a sign that she was done telling the story, and moreover she was done with the vulnerability it took to tell it.

Gil pulled his hand out from the blanket and moved it slowly, making sure it was in her direct line of vision. It was one of those things he had learned was good for her when she had moved in. When she couldn't see all of him was when she was most on edge. So he moved slowly, talked gently.

And not just because of his vow to take care of her as his wife. They didn't have to be married for him to believe that she deserved to be cared for, especially after all she had endured on her own already.

Thena watched as he reached for her hand again. She gave it, and it seemed she was becoming more and more willing to share in those little kinds of affections.

He raised her hand to his lips equally slowly, and she allowed it. For all he had done already to acclimate her to her life being married to him, he was not a barbarian, and he wouldn't force her to accept anything she didn't want. That included the simplest, smallest of things, like a kiss on the hand.

She tilted her head.

"I'm sorry, Thena, I should have been more careful," he resolved, already thinking about having all the glassware moved to lower down, open shelves so there was less chance of a surprise like this.

"It was an accident, Gil, these things are bound to happen," she excused for him, and he thought perhaps too eagerly. She leaned forward in her seat on the couch, towards him. "If anything I wish my reaction could be different."

Why had he spared her father's life? Oh, because he worked for the police department and it always paid to have someone in there under his thumb. But he was seriously reconsidering it now.

"There was a time when I would have said he would never do such a thing."

It was a quiet confession, and she was even smiling. But he knew those words well; he had thought them plenty of times when he was young. But learning the business really beat that mentality away. And Thena didn't deserve to know that firsthand.

"Why don't you sit?" he suggested gently, giving both her hands a squeeze, "I'll finish dinner."

She pouted at him, and it was way (way) too cute. "But the onion isn't done. And I was doing quite well, all things considered."

He had to smile. She was proud of her progress, and it wasn't just the onion to be considered in that. He chuckled; he admired this part of Thena. This was the same woman who had been offered two options: marry him as a form of insurance, mutual destruction to keep her father in line and in business with them, or to let him kill her father, although it would leave her destitute with her father's bad name looming over her. And she had chosen the option that was arguably more daunting, and tougher.

And how could he not fall in love with a woman like that?

Thena stood, throwing her blanket off her legs herself, putting her hands on her hips. "And you told me you would show me what 'julienne' meant once I finished."

It was just slicing things lengthwise, on an angle to get technical. But he smiled up at his beautiful wife - reminded himself that she considered them married in name only - and stood with her. "Anything you want, sweetheart."

She pursed her lips at the familiar words. He knew she thought they were hollow and placating, but he really did mean them. If she ever wanted for anything while she was with him, all she had to do was ask.

"Hey."

She half turned, already partway down the three wide and curved stairs that separated the foyer and kitchen from the sitting area. Maybe this fancy architecture, artsy mansion was too much (like Thena said). "Hm?"

He walked to her, hands in his pockets. He leaned over slowly, and she didn't lean back and out of his reach. Eventually, his lips collided with her forehead, as intended.

When he looked at her again, her eyes fluttered a little bit, and he was pretty sure she was blushing. She really made it hard not to develop feelings for his own wife.

He retrieved the broom from the pantry and started sweeping up the glass.

Thena frowned, "Gil, I can-"

"Don't even think about it, hot stuff," he winked at her, just for the fun of it. She bristled. "Focus on getting that onion done by the time I'm finished. Then maybe I'll show you how to mandolin."

"The musical instrument?"

She really was terrible in the kitchen, and he couldn't have adored her more for it.