#and Gil can socialise a little!

[softquietsteadylove]

Hi, it's me (i'm the problem, it's me). Here's a prompt for a new au that I think you can do it justice 💃 Thena is the best onmyoji/jujutsu sorceress in the family and Gilgamesh is the giant entity that serves her, between them there's a connection that runs deeper than the contract that binds them together ✨✨💖 pls i wanna see them being badass and then some soft moments 👉👈

"Uh, so..." Kingo started and then stopped again. He had never been paired with this particular sorcerer for a mission before, but he knew who she was.

Thena, eldest daughter of a very renowned jujutsu sorceress clan. They had cursed energy that was so pure and so concentrated it was called Cosmic energy to some--glowed gold and everything. But aside from her weapons expertise, not a lot was known about her.

"Yes?"

Kingo shifted on his feet. "Do you think it's a special grade, like the rumours say? Or just a level 2 causing trouble?"

"Hm," she let out plainly, and it almost sounded like a chuckle. "I believe even a level 2 is enough to spook the people living in this area. If there is, in fact, a special grade apparition in the area, then I'm certain you and I can handle it."

Kingo nodded; it was a very concise way to wrap things up. So, not the chatty type. He pulled his hands out of his pockets, pulling his own cursed energy into his fingertips.

Thena pulled out the hilt of a sword from the sleeve of her dress. But it took no effort at all for her to create a blade of pure golden light. "Ready."

Kingo raised his hand, pointing his 'finger guns' into the air where he expected the cursed spirit to appear. He just wanted to get this mission done so he could go home.

They waited.

"Where is it?" he voiced aloud, mostly to fill the tense silence.

"Indeed," she agreed, her sword shifting shape from a long blade to a knife she could hold closer to her body. "I believed a level 2 would be eager for a kill."

"Maybe it is a special grade," he murmured as they started backing up. Ajak's deep blue veil was still cast over the area to keep anyone from poking around. "Let's regroup."

"What is it?"

Kingo looked over at his temporary partner. She was whispering over her shoulder--talking to herself? "Uh, T?"

"Something isn't right," she looked back at Kingo, as if she hadn't been talking to some imaginary devil on her shoulder. "I can't sense anything at all."

Now that she said it, she had a point. There was no cursed energy lingering in the air. Even the most basic curses would leave some impression on the area. But this was suspiciously quiet.

"I don't like it either."

Kingo frowned; she was whispering to herself again. He thought her and her whole family were supposed to be super cool jujutsu sorcerers, not nut jobs!

"Kingo!"

He had quick reflexes--he prided himself on them. But he wasn't even fully turned around when the blade of a spear extended past him. He fell forward, cursed energy spilling out from behind him. Oh yeah, this was totally a special grade apparition.

Thena pulled the spear back to herself and changed the shape of it again, her fingers running along the blade of her sword. "It's eaten a lot of people."

"Yuck," Kingo muttered, regarded the writhing mass of cursed energy, a swirling ball of curses with evidence of their once physical bodies still in it. It moved fast though.

Kingo took shots at it as it moved, but it was like a rat king, scurrying around quickly in a completely disgusting way. It scuttle around, avoiding his shots of cursed energy expertly. Even those that hit, only shot off small sections of the main body. He aimed at the small little 'rats' scurrying off the main body as they split off. "Ew, ew, ew!--this is by far the grossest spirit I've ever fought."

"I am inclined to agree." She was a woman of few words, huh?

Kingo ducked and rolled as the ratking spirit shot a few more extremities at them. He took a few more shots in return, but this was getting nowhere fast. He looked at his partner, who was more close range combat than he was. "Thena!"

She turned, barely catching the wave of rats behind her. It loomed over her, but the shadow cast over her wasn't from that.

Kingo skittered back as a massive shadow rose from within Thena's. A cursed apparition like he had never seen before appeared, looming over her and using a single hand to keep the enemy curse at bay. "What the-"

"Gilgamesh!"

The massive spirit materialised more, becoming that of a man, with dark eyes. He had regular hands, but in the same golden glow of Thena's energy, a massive bear paw appeared around his hand. And that was what held the curse at bay.

The curse could use cursed energy? Kingo ran closer, "what the hell is that?!"

"How dare..." the monstrous spirit growled as he held the curses around them at bay. He threw them back, still glowing with cursed energy within his control. "How dare you hurt Thena!"

Kingo ducked as the spirit threw the limb of the cursed spirit and by extension the main body. He looked at Thena, "uh, you brought backup, I see."

She looked at him briefly. "This is Gilgamesh."

That was not the explanation Kingo would have expected to get. But he nodded at the apparition towering over Thena's shoulder, who nodded at him in return. "Uh, hey."

The spirit looked at Thena, bending closer to her. Her hand came up to his cheek, her mouth hovering close to his as she whispered, "friend."

The one word was enough for her guardian spirit, who looked at Kingo again before redirecting his attention to the curse at hand. Kingo also turned back to their current problem. "I guess we'll have to do introductions later."

"Gil!" Thena barked, and the spirit over her shoulder grasped her by the waist before throwing her up in the air. Kingo didn't have time to be stunned before she was on top of the ratking spirit and had both her blades driven into it.

"Holy shit!"

Gilgamesh stormed over, still in the shape of a man but with golden glowing lines like elephant feet around his own. He impacted the ground as he ran at the monster, fists swinging. "Thena!"

What was this thing? Kingo took up the job of shooting at the extremities before they could scurry off and reform into another cursed spirit. "Keep it up you two!"

"Crush it!" Thena ordered from above, hacking and sawing with her blades of cursed energy.

Kingo wouldn't believe it was possible, but he watched as her guardian did just that, bringing his arms around the other being of cursed energy until it was no more. Kingo held up both his hands, shooting at anything that so much as moved. "There are too many!"

"Gil!"

He caught her first, because of course he would. Then he put a hand on her shoulder. He had his own supply of cursed energy, of course. Thena held out her palms, golden needles emerging from them. They all shot out at once, with no end in sight. However much cursed energy she had on her own, Gilgamesh obviously added to it exponentially.

Kingo ended up shielding his eyes by the time the massacre was over. He could understand why they called her the weapons expert; it was hard to create objects out of pure cursed energy. He walked over cautiously, "uh, good work...team?"

Gilgamesh leaned over Thena, pushing some hair away from her face and asking if she was okay even quieter than a whisper.

She smiled and nodded, leaning into his touch. He drifted even closer and she lifted onto her toes to tilt her head up and touch her lips to his cheek.

Kingo averted his eyes. He wasn't embarrassed per se, but he didn't think it was something he was supposed to witness.

"He was my guard."

He looked over, undeniably curious. "Wassat?"

Thena smiled at him, more relaxed now that the imminent danger was out of the way. Her hand remained cradled in the massive palm of her guardian. "He was my guard, once upon a time. When he died protecting me, I...I bound his spirit to mine."

Ohhhhh, he was a cursed apparition in the way a shrine guardian was bound to a temple. She had tied his soul to hers, tethered by their shared cursed energy to keep him with her. It was romantic, in a way (tragic, in another).

"Thena," the spirit rumbled, leaning over shoulder again and pressing his cheek to hers.

She smiled, nuzzling against him just as lovingly. "Gil."

She had a nickname for it?--him. Kingo put his hands back in his pockets as she gave her guardian angel another kiss before beginning the walk back to the edge of the veil. "Were you two...?"

Her smile turned a little sad as the veil began to fall away, revealing the rising sun. "Not in life, no."

But now, in death, it seemed their love was more unbound. There was something beautiful about that, even Kingo could see. He looked over at her massive shadow, where Gilgamesh was happy to float along behind her. Despite literally living in her shadow, they were holding hands.

Kingo chuckled, squinting as dawn reached them. He waved to Ajak, waiting for them. "Well, if I ever ask for a boost like you did today, I think I should get at least one per fight."

Thena just stared at him like he'd spit up a cursed spirit orb. But she laughed, even throwing her head back a little. Her hair caught the sun, practically glowing in its own way.

Gilgamesh smiled down at her, although he held up a hand to keep the sun from getting directly in her eyes. "Love your laugh."

"You're free to ask him," she even swiped a tear of laughter from her eye, "but it's not up to me if he agrees."

#Thenamesh AU #Thenamesh Jujutsu AU #highly recommend jujutsu kaisen for the animation #it's a little intense but damn beautiful #you may know it from some of the thirstiest tiktoks I have ever seen #and listen same #anyway #Gil was her bodyguard #a la Akaza from Demon Slayer if you dabble in that one too #he died protecting her and professed his love with his dying breath #he asked to stay close to her if there was indeed a god listening #but even better: the Goddess of War #Thena put her hand to his chest and said this contract in indefinite #their cursed energy is braided together #like an ourabouros there is no beginning or end #and Gil can socialise a little! #he likes Kingo #thinks he's funny #and he doesn't make Thena uncomfortable even better #Kingo gets pretty used to them #although he does sometimes tell Thena 'stop kissing your boyfriend and make him into a giant crab or something!' #they become a great team! #and Kingo thinks it's hilarious to watch people 'meet' Gilgamesh #I thought a lot about how to write this one #at one point Ikaris is taunting/flirting #Gil emerges like yOu SpEaK tO mY wIfE?!?!??

[richardsphere]

Leverage Log:The Toy Job

And now for the series original run's second-to-last episode. Title-based prediction: Corporate Mandated Christmas special and/or beanie baby speculative market based episode. --- Amateur thief tries to steal from a research department. (company name seems to be poggio, which, im fairly certain based on the shows original runyears is a reference to the OG POG's. Not the later return of POG as a slang term.)

Christmas tree in the brewpub cause it is the christmas episode. Toy is a choking hazard, cant be allowed to get on the market.

mark is a former armsdealer (also his name is "hazlit" which I think is meant to be a sound-alike to HAS-bro). This means he knows how to set up competent security. The raports are on a drive thast in a safe in a double-walled room, and its a safe good enough that Parker says drill it rather then going for a finger-feel. (we need a distraction, and we need it loud enough to overcrowd the sound of a drill)

--- they're arguing christmas gift protocols. (must be hard deciding a reasonable limit when you're all billionaires). Sophie suggests limiting the spending budget, and Nate negotiates her down to $50 per person. (which probably means, per person per gift, everyone gifting everyone 1 gift. So $200 total) which would be more likely to work if you werent all thieves. Like we all understand the punchline here... None of you are gonna spend a cent on each others gifts.(and im shocked as hell that Hardison spent money on that motorcycle for Parker.) --- He forged the paperwork, but its nice to see an episode where we acknowledge that most of the times (off screen) their jobs end up with a simple "Parker gets in, gets out and the billionare cries in prison". Its kind of like the Anthropic principle. "the only realities humans can observe are those whose fundamental principles allow for observation by humans" also known in media as "Johny bravo gets laid all the time, those stories just dont make good episodes". But its always nice to have a show allude to the "boring" adventures that are its shows day-to-day. --- "we're gonna steal christmass" boo Chaos already pulled that line in season 3! --- Nate does not like the "whirly-glee-glee" as a name. And we're about to steal toys from children in underdeveloped countries.

Parker sees the whirly box, and a box labeled "Baby Joy Rage" and makes an executive decision. (i think she's right, kids need a toy with at least some edge or personality to get truly hyped about)

--- Sophie's on the radar, Hardison did some stats on neighbourhoods that have historic trend-setter influencer potential. Elliot is giving the dolls away for free (ultimate move in loss-leader strategies) Sophie puts it in the bag of a child-star, Hardison does a paparazzi photo, and I absolutely hate how simple yet plausible this entire endeavour is. --- Sophie's actors are being brought in to call-center mode. (I like Zachary) Cant con a 6 year old, but you can con the parents. (love the little joke about "get on the mommies")

Nate hates "baby feels a lot" more then he ever hated Whirly-glee-glee. He's also the episodes obligatory "christmas sceptic".

Hardison sees a picture of a bloggermom and is suddenly a lot more interested in operation "get on the moms". Like Elliot suddenly has a Sophie level of depth for his con-character prepared.

Dead mom, single father, slighlty outdated sense of childrens gender identity but clearly demonstrated potential for growth. Man Elliots Dad-sona is just putting on the schmaltz. --- Elliot trying to keep Hardisons stories realistic, Nate stuck between the two. Back to Sophie and this Gil is signing this deal memo without looking at it. He's too busy socialising to actually watch what he's signing. Around Sophie you might as welll be signing your own death-warrant. --- Oh most of the data is in online pre-sales nowadays? Reservations on the internet, that a hacker with a botnet could rig? Like taking candy from a baby. --- Sophie makes VP at Poggio Parker gloating about her executive decision. Fake a gas-warning to clear out the factory for Nate --- Nate putting a final stretch on the sale of the trojan horse make the mark feel FOMO. Sophie is absolutely repulsed by this man (unfortunately he does not feel mutual) --- Oh the mark has counterplayed them by making a knock-off product. Well this guy just went full on Narcissus --- Oh, thats funny. Not only does this Gil guy who owns the shelves not watch what he's signing, Look who also doesnt pay attention to that stuff. --- Client gets a new job, Nate owns a boat? (i mean its not a shock that he owns a boat, its not out of character just dont think it was ever properly established, i've never seen him on a boat and the only time he was near a boat was saying goodbye to his father in the Three Card Monte job).

Introducing the character who's spent the last season ominously leering at retirement as a boat-owner in the second to last episode feels like maybe he wont die, in that it introduces a prospect of retirement as a thing he's thought about. But also it introduces "one day to retirement" as well so i dont actually know if his survival chances went up or down just now. But the reminder of Sam's sickness itself (a sickness that is still ominously vague, nameless and nebulous) in the second-to-last episode... I know i was wrong when i said it seasons ago, but is Nate dying? Also peaking at the name of the next episode... (long goodbye), yeah thats ominous. Im gonna say, next episode features a health scare, Him and Sophie retire for his health and he passes the torch. (to the 3 collectively in general, Parker in specific) and I think he will die between series and sequel but not in the finale itself. His death between the series and sequel puts Sophie back in the game, which then opens up space for the "lawyer" to slot into the sequel series without bloating the cast to a rather unwieldy 6. --- Good episode and unintrusive as holiday specials are concerned.

#leverage #leverage season 5 #the toy job

[gil-notskajla]

Thank you for tagging my lovely @prettyboy-bigfoot. I think it’s my first time, oh boy! Let’s fucking go!

1. Name: Gabriela (don’t.)

2. Nickname: Gil, Gab, Gabrycha, Gabio, Gilsai

3. Zodiac sign: Pisces/Snake

4. Height: 5′1 (156cm) - I’m a bean! uwu

5. Languages: Polish, English and my handicapped German.

6. Nationality: Polish, Bóg Honor Ojczyzna! (nah, just jokin’, although nature is nice... where we haven’t murdered it yet...)

7. Favorite Season: Spring and Autumn 

8. Favorite Flower: Cornflower, Chryzantema Gałązkowa for the look, red Papaver somniferum for the taste and look, Geranium for the smell and Malva Sylvestris for the way it brews.

9. Favorite Scent: Vanilla (Sniffing the empty Vanilla sugar bag while making waffles? Best thing about making waffles!) and Earl Greys aromas.

10. Favorite Color: Yellow!

11. Favorite Animals: Birds, all of them! (expecially Strigiformes, Carduelinae and Corvus)

12. Favorite Fictional Character: Xerath, I think. He’s been in my life for soo long that he is just there, on the top, I guess? He is aesheticaly pleasing, I understand his motives and symphatize with him but not gonna lie, he is an asshole rn. Sometimes you just like villains and that’s OK! Even if sometimes some other characters surpass him, they land lower on the list sooner or later. Only Xerath is eternal!

13. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: Tea daily (with a lemon slice), Chocolate as dessert and for special occasions! <3

14. Average Amount of Sleep: 7 :D (Earlier I’ve had 4-5, but I was miserable, soo now im trying to sleep 9 hours every day but mostly manage to have 7. I’m still miserable but a bit less than when i’ve had 5. I need a lot of sleep to just function.)

15. Dogs or Cats: Cats (but I mean by this a well socialised one which was hugged a lot when it was a kitten, because only masochists like those bastard hissing and scrathing fuckers who werent shown their place in social hierarchy). I’m badly allergic to both, tho.

16. Number of Blankets you Sleep with: 1

17. Dream Trip: Peru! (And vacation somewhere with water which is not freezing cold. I’ve had enaugh of Baltic sea where you loose conciousness after 5 minutes because of hipothermia.)

18. Blog Established: This one - 2019, but overall, I’ve established my first one in 2011, to follow OC ask-blogs. 8 fucking years.... not gonna lie, this fucked me up a little.

19. Followers: 94 on my main shurima frenzy, that is here, and 24 on my gremlin dump where I exclusively reblog funni and shiny stuff.

20. Random Fact: I have my own little herbal and food garden and I like baking. If anyone has any noice receipts i will always accept the challange! >:3c

Let’s tag...:

- My fellow Xerath lover, @fattyaly ;3 

- @ichiro-artosaki senpai, If you don’t mind 🙏 (love your work, ‘ve seen you in my notifs, I’m honored) uwu

- @jonthegamerguru, my man! I summon you!

- @duxvitrum , you thought you’ve seen the last of me!

- @mar1066 I can see you in my notifications, you cant escape

- @aloe-vera-plant-woman you’ve spammed my notifs, this shall be your penance >:D

- @faity5 arise, you mess of a human!

- @hyunmold just do it!

#tag

[hitchell-mope]

I have three avatar au’s going on in my head

Au 1: they’re characters in the avatarverse set a full cycle after Korra

Ben’s the avatar from the northern water tribe. Evie’s stepbrother

Mal’s a firebender who’s mother is an army commander. Very very rich. Very powerful. First since Azula to have different coloured fire. This time bright emerald green. Doesn’t know who her father is.

Jay’s an earth bender from the upper ring of ba sing se. His fathers a relative of the earth king

Carlos is an airbender. Hasn’t got his arrows yet

Evie’s a waterbender from the northern tribe. The first princess who can bend. Betrothed to a private in the army (chad) but longs for adventure. Ben’s stepsister

Doug’s a non bender from the middle ring. His family makes up part of jay’s house staff. He and jay have been friends for years

Lonnie is a Kyoshi warrior

Jane is a non bending nomad air acolyte

Chad is a private in the northern water tribe army. Not very good. But his family is influential and that’s what Grimhilde cares about

Audrey is a wealthy non bending earth kingdom heiress. Who’s very happy where she is. Been forced to socialise with jay since birth. They hate each other. She despises dirt. He thinks she’s a prissy little know it all.

Dizzy. Mal’s lady in waiting in training.

Gil. Earthbender living in Republic City. Highly adept at metal bending. Hopes to be a police officer

Harry’s a blood bender from the southern tribe. Terrified of being seen as weak he uses his gift to terrorise those that anger him. Starting with his abusive father

Uma’s a healer from the northern tribe. Hates that she was forced into that pigeonhole. So she makes a name for herself by making anything that challenges her obsolete

Storyline: Ben’s father is power hungry maniac and aims to use Ben’s destiny to conquer the rest of the nations. Ben runs away with fire and air left to learn. He and Evie make it to the fire nation and seek the help of the greatest firebender alive. Mal. Then to the earth kingdom where they meet Jay and Doug and Lonnie. In Republic city they meet Jane Carlos and Gil. Grimhilde and Adam (married) sent chad after the runaways. Along the way he met Audrey. Huma meet when she arrives in the south to help after a flu epidemic.

Ships: Bal. Devie. Jaylos. Gilonnie. Huma. Chaudrey.

Au 2: bevie last airbender au.

Ben. Aang

Evie. Katara

Jay. Sokka

Carlos. Toph

Lonnie. Suki

Gil. Zuko

Mal. Azula

Harry. Mai

Jane. Ty Lee.

Gaston. Ozai

Lefou. Iroh

Storyline: same as the show

Ships: Bevie. Jaylonnie. Gilrry

Au 3: malonnie legend of Korra au

Mal. Korra

Lonnie. Asami

Jay. Mako

Ben. Bolin

Gil. Wu

Jane. Opal

Evie. Varrick

Doug. Zhu Li

Storyline: same as the show

Ships: Malonnie. Giljay. Benjane. Devie

#disney descendants #avatarverse #avatar the last airbender #legend of korra #bal #devie #jaylos #gilonnie #huma #chaudrey #bevie #jaylonnie #gilrry #malonnie #giljay #benjane #kataang #sukka #maiko #korrasami #bopal #wuko #zhurrick

[a-writing-bear]

[PruCan] Chapter 11: Soft-Spoken Calling, They Want Their Shyness Back

Ao3 Link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11159997/chapters/48552656

This Has been cross-posted onto FF & Ao3 under Aliases: BearBooper

You can read this Fic on Tumblr under ‘Keep Reading’ - Ao3 version is formatted, tumblr version is not. Ao3 is recommended.

Previous Chapter   Next Chapter

Fandom: Hetalia Axis Powers

Main Pairing: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Matthew Williams (Prussia & Canada)

AU:  College AU - Art Student Matthew and Media/Film Student Gilbert

Age Rating/Mature:  Teen And Up Audiences (12+ due to mentions of mature themes as well as swearing)

Trigger Warnings: Recreational Drugs & minor connotations of anxiety (Future addiction to mention themes such as addiction, rape etc.) WITHIN THIS CHAPTER - Mentions a lot of Weed. Unwanted touching (just mentions but slightly uncomfortable) 

10 pm was a good time to arrive at a party, they decided. Vanilla milkshakes always made Matthew feel better- however maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have one after that coffee from earlier, and especially considering he was about to jacked up. Oh well. That’s something I'll deal with tomorrow. The Dutchman and himself had been on their way to Matthias & Lukas’ house, music-making his head pound already and feeling antsy over the prospect of more socialising. They had made very little conversation as the Mattie drove- only vaguely keeping attention to Tim’s random commentary and occasional directions. The Nordic couple had been renting out some house in the suburbs with 3 other students- very obviously avoiding living anywhere near the student dorms or the student housing as they liked to prevent interaction with the rest of Himaruya Academy; when you were hosting smoke outs and various amounts of overzealous drinkers and gambling, you tend to want to avoid the loud crowds. These events were closed doors, invite-only per se. Nothing like Alfred’s big bash parties that turned the university dorms into the likes of open summer festivals. They had only just touched the gravel of the house pavement when Matthew was hit with the familiar whistle of a certain Cuban man who had recognised their red car.

“EYYY LUKAS, TIM AND MATTIE ARE HERE.” the Cuban accent used to make Matthew shiver but was meaningless once he learnt Carlos was very straight, and if evidence needed planting then Carlos already on the porch with some girls he didn’t recognise and was flagged to go in after a friendly wave as he was too busy flirting to give Matt and actual hello. Tim had followed behind, loosening his tie as they sauntered up the door, only to have it ripped open by an unimpressed looking face of the shorter man known by Lukas.

The Norwegian seemed to raise his eyebrows to see that they both arrived together, usually, it would always be Tim first before Matthew came coming in. “Hej. Earlier than usual. Matthias is already down in the den with Jack.”

Tim had disappeared into the kitchen, making haste to avoid the heavy drinkers that surrounded the living room and especially avoid that Russian dude that seems to be pouring what looked like half a bottle of vodka into his cup. Meanwhile, Lukas had offered to stash away Matthew’s precious hoodie in the closet as he made their way down to the basement. The hypnotising dragging voice of Tame Impala's Kevin Parker grew louder as Matthew's sneakers hit the staircase floorboards down into the dreary but comfortable den. Jack must have picked the music, but I can dig it. Already he could smell the stink of imported kush, the haziness of what seemed like a spiked stream flowing around- only placated and diluted due to the small basement hopper window that let the smoke out. Matthew kicked off his sneakers at the bottom, already enjoying the vibe- or perhaps already being affected by secondhand smoke. Matthias had opened the basement bathroom to double steam the first few sessions of weed but it proved worthless as there seems to be a continuous stream of smokers mingling in and out of the den. Matthias was a tall blonde mess, a big optimist who wore long shirts under brightly coloured tees- a stark contrast to the bland wardrobe that Lukas wore (Opposites do attract I suppose) and the Danish guy was laying belly up on some very tacky shag carpet, at the feet of Jack who was lazed around on some beanbag, bong in his lap haphazardly.

“Oi Mate- bout time you showed up, I was getting bored. Where’s Timtam?” Matthew shrugged and sat cross-legged right near the dazed Dane’s face.

“Don’t call him that, he’ll throw a fit. What’s this? Yours or Tim’s?”

Jack snickered, the Australian clearly buzzed on something, “Buddy if this was Tim’s hooch I wouldn’t be sharing with goldie over here” he pointed and laughed as he listened to Matthias whine in offence. To be fair, the guy did go through more weed than Jack and Matthew combined so it was a fair enough statement. Matthew leant back, arms behind him as he dug his hands into the soft and a bit scruffy faux fur of the carpet- Matthias was giggling high about something and had pushed his head into Matthew’s lap.

“Hold kæft! I’m not that shit! Fuck Mattttt where’s Tim?”

“Upstairs I think- please pass the bong Jack” Matthew carefully stroked the hair that weaselled its way into his lap, he didn’t mind touchy stoners, he was the same whenever he got a hit- he just wished the big couch wasn’t full of clothes so he wouldn't have to sit on the floor. Just as he had the glass bulb in his hand Tim had marched in from upstairs, throwing a bag of chips and lots of biscuits into the beanbag next to Jack. Matthew tutted as Matthias apologised about not having those maple cookies he liked, whereas the Australian was more pleased to see some recognisable red liquorice. The green-eyed man had pulled out a pipe and dragged the spare beanbag to be behind Matthew, and it was not long before all four of the boys had taken a few hits and became a bunch of giggling messes.

“So whattya been up to mate?”

“Maybe he finally went back to Canada or something right Mattttt?

“Ahaha yea seen any geese or something mate?? Shit, we should have gone- BC bud hol-y” the conversation seemed disjointed and Matthew was already too far gone to think about going back to Canada. He notes that yeah, it’s been a bit since he’d come for a smoke out, and he didn't answer as he was too preoccupied with the stem of his bong and the noise of shouting celebrations of poker players upstairs.

“Schatje has a new uh...gig” Tim snorted, he, however, was definitely less jacked than the 3 who seemed to light up at the sentence.

“Oooooooo who be it?? Who is it, Mattie?” Matthew let out a wail of disapproval at the conversation, Tim was supposed to be his friend yet he’s pushed him into a corner of answers.

“Some dude..guy...fucking cute- uh Gil..red eyes oof real red...shiny eyes.” his mind wandered as he let himself lean on the edge of Tim’s beanbag, Matthias had already stumbled off the floor, excited and eager to hear like some high school girl. Jack had his eyebrows raised and the singlet wearing man moved closer from his position to meet Matthew’s rosy expression.

“Wow, Matties got the giggles for someone huh? Hah Timtam good luck mate.” Tim avoided any eye contact and instead focused on his pipe and refilled it with some mary jane from the communal bag nearby. An indignant noise came out of Tim as he growled at the stupid nickname.

“Wait- Gil? Gilbert? The band shirt guy? Isn’t he the one who got wasted at Francis’ big blowout last time” Matthias mentioned, arms waving and dismissed as he continued to squirm along the floor.

“Oh Gilllly boy, mates with uh Antonio or something, that bitch?”

“Fuck I don’t know...he listens to uh...mom jeans too ya know- fuck me.” the two laughed at Matthew’s comment but didn’t push for more- it’s been too long since Matthew had shown interest in someone, who were they to question. Especially not while they were all getting smoked. Tim looked disinterested in the topic anyway and was more concerned with tangling his fingers in Matthew’s strawberry blonde hair as the Canadian had sat between his legs. God fuck cuddles were nice. Matthew's voice broke out into more wailing as he sung along to Snowy Dunes. The music was soothing. He hoped there was more.

The music melted out into something he didn't quite recognise: “Who the FUCK put Queens of stone age on the queue?” Jack complained. ah fuck. he agreed over the change in the artist. shame, he quite liked Snowy Dunes more than Queens of Stone age At some point, Lukas had dragged his very giggly boyfriend upstairs and Jack had been huddled in a corner snacking by himself. Matthew didn’t know what time it was but he’d wiggled his way from his scarf-wearing friend and clambered up the staircase, laughing at the terrible decor on the walls- he could paint better graffiti than the shitty art pieces the house owners had displayed. He didn’t realise how he’d find himself on the couch near Ivan and some other foreign sounding students. Ivan was cool. Weird. Haha, I V A N. fuck ‘ee van.’ who names their kid Ivan anyway? Doesn't get more Russian than that. Shit ice hockey. Russian players are always so grabby. Man, I’d kill for some Cheetos right now.  

There were about 10 people in the room- and some Matthew only recognised by name. Everyone here barely attempted to talk outside of this safe house. What happened on Saturday nights never got passed the lawn, it was an unspoken law. Matthew always wondered was that because of the copious amount of shagging that happened? The excessive card games or maybe the fact that all these people were just kids who can’t bear to go to the bigger parties. Matthew couldn’t decide. He couldn’t even figure out why he was here. Why was anyone here? Why are we still here? Just to suffer? He laughed at his inner joke.

The teen’s mind wandered in circles and had been offered a drink by some Finnish kid he recognised as Lukas’ housemate. The music up here was incessantly blasting rock- something that he’d love if it wasn’t so dizzy. He melted further into the couch, barely turning to watch the poker match of some guys a few meters away. Matthew liked this house. Even with people here, it wasn’t suffocating. He could feel someone touching his hair again. Hosers. Why always my hair. The fingers started roaming his shoulders...and his thigh. Suddenly Matthew felt more sobered as he shuffled away and tried to find a pillow to hide behind. He felt woozy and extremely giddy despite his anxiousness to escape anymore touching. He stood up throwing the pillow outside and went hunting for some water. He didn’t want to feel this light anymore. Not now. Matthew couldn’t remember feeling this light and heavy all at the same time. And suddenly, he just couldn’t remember a lot of things. There was a lot of loud singing. He laughed.

---

Alfred had been dropped off at his dorm building at around 9:20 pm, and by 9:30 he’d launched his discord chat and set up his microphone so that he could huddle on his bed without having to jostle his laptop so much later. The blue-eyed American had only one reason to not be out partying like he usually did with his cousin Francis, only one other reason why he was studying with his brother and one other reason why he hadn’t been chasing up local girls and guys

“Hey, Keeks!”

His voice rattled with poorly disguised joy as his Japanese friend had picked up. Alfred and Kiku had hit it off foundation year, and while it was upsetting that eventually, the black-haired beauty had to transfer back to the other campus, Alfred had made it his job to stay in contact. Kiku was a genius. On par if not smarter than Alfred and that was considered high praise. The two shared stories, For the Asian man it was only just the start of the day so Alfred accompanied him through his breakfast as they shared concepts for different additions to each other’s current project. Robotics has always intrigued Alfred but there was no secret that his wonder had not been merely just been present because of the technological prowess that his crush displayed.

“Alfred-kun. I thought you said you had something with your Brother tonight.” Kiku’s soft voice filtered through the screen, he knew all about Alfred’s personal life and was under the impression the call was cancelled for some family bonding.

“Nah, dude. He’s out with his not-boyfriend. I don’t know what he’s up to. Probably exchanging spit or reading together again.” Alfred Sighed. Knowing his boring brother, he was just watching some movie with Tim again. He’s probably just sleeping.

#prucan #HWS Canada #HWS Prussia #SoftSpokenCalling #prussia x canada #hetalia #hetalia axis powers #Axis Powers Hetalia #hetalia world stars #Hetalia Fanfiction #hetalia fandom #hetalia fanfic #hetalia fanfics #fanfiction #fanfic #APH Canada #APH Prussia #Multichapter

[iluviella-cuthallian-master101]

My URL for kids?

Gilgamesh’s and Iluvi’s kids would be spoiled but would be gentle and kind like their mother. Since both have blonde hair, they will inherit that gene and therefore have blonde hair. They will have their father’s lack of patience and will inherit the red eyes too.

I can imagine them being somewhat arrogant should they be talking about what they are good at and very confident and determined about their own abilities as a mage.

They would undoubtedly have the great looks from Gilgamesh and would also have their excellent leadership skills from him.

At school, the two would receive praise for their child(ren) academic success but the concerns would be that their child(ren) would be more selective with the friends they make and therefore wouldn’t socialise as much. They would rather be solitary than in a group.

I can imagine the pair having a boy and a girl. Their son would be first and would be doted on by Iluvi as well as Gil (since it would be a male heir), though Gil would undoubtedly soon have a soft spot for his little girl but he would be protective of her more than son.

Gil would be so much more protective over Iluvi though regardless and would love her more than anyone considering he had to work so hard to get her. However, he would make an excellent father to their offspring and Iluvi would be sure to make sure he knows it.

Whoever, hurts their son and/ or daughter, will NOT live to the see the following day. Gil would overreact causing Iluvi to intervene and find out what happened and why etc. etc. As soon as they find out it isn’t their children, all hell is unleashed and there is a competition to see who can murder this individual first and what way. Iluvi always loses. If it was their own children, however, they will not go unpunished and will be disciplined accordingly. Gilgamesh would most likely discipline them with Iluvi doing her best too as well.

@gilgglemesh

#InArmour #ask answered #rp #fate series #gil x iluvi #gil/femoc #gilgglemesh

[grey-lotus-ffxiv]

I’ve noticed that many of you follow one or two-  of my character tumblrs. This post is a little service to allow people to see who my characters are. Since I only use one account, I will follow back from @dd-ffxiv if you followed one of my alternative blogs.

All three of my Final Fantasy XIV characters are on Balmung (US) by the way, though I am one of those Europeans who are clinging on, lag and late hours be damned. ;) Shares appreciated, and always looking for plot hooks!

Dietrich Dracht (main)

Tumblr: @dd-ffxiv​

Bio:  Dietrich Dracht is the Almoner of Ul’dah and the second son from a family of wealthy Ul’dahn merchants. A patriot, he believes in the motto “For coin and country!”, never shying from an opportunity to earn some Gil. Like most of his family he is a moderate monetarist, considering the Sultanate to be an ineffectual institution. Fully biography here.

Plot hooks: Easy hooks exist for those who believe in the Twelve who would like to partake of his priestly services, those who need a thaumaturge and expert on occult matters, as well as high-class socialising fellow Ul’dahn citizens (especially monetarists).

Gilbert Viscart (secondary character)

Tumblr: @gilbert-ffxiv

Bio: Gilbert Viscart is an Ishgardian Knight with the ambition to become a Lord. Believing himself blessed by Halone, the Fury, he intends to smite the Godless Garleans whist finding himself a Docile Doman Damsel of noble extraction to start a dynasty with. He has this goal clearly on the forefront of his mind whenever he isn’t drinking, brawling, fornicating or doing penance for engaging in any of the aforementioned activities. Full biography here.

Plot hooks: Eager to meet fellow Ishgardians and believers in Halone, Damels in need of saving, drinking buddies, brave warriors!

J’sham Tia (Alt)

Tumblr: @sham-ffxiv

Bio: J’sham Tia is a Seeker of the Sun from Ala Ghiri. Born of the Jackal tribe, he grew up under the Garlean occupation, working as a bartender while also learning his tribal traditions. As his mother had been ‘close’ to a few Garleans, he left town after the liberation, which to him is bittersweet. He misses his home but wants to return with his head held high, as a famous artist and performer! This is a new character (formerly @adham-ffxiv ) and a full biography will be added later! 

Plot hooks: eager to chat with fellow Ala Mhigans, tribal Seeker Miqo’te and entertainers! J’sham is also available to do performance gigs at your venue! He sings, dances, and can tell jokes on request! 

#FFXIV #Dietrich Dracht #Gilbert Viscart #J'sham Tia #Character Overview #shares appreciated

[softquietsteadylove]

what do you think about an angelina jolie cinematic universe or more like a multiverse

what do you think it would look like or how would it work

Now that's a fascinating idea!

I would say that, for the projects of hers I have seen (because there are so, so many), I could see some of her characters getting along and some...not.

Maleficent, with every right, simply is not a people person. Even moreso than Thena, she has no desire to socialise. I could see her respecting some of the other characters but I don't imagine her as someone who makes friends. Although maybe with Salt.

I really did like Salt, and I think the persona of how her cover became more of her than her past life is very interesting. And by the end of the film as it's presented, she's totally revenge driven, and gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss, I'm in! But Evelyn is a 'my husband' girlie, so I could see her getting along with Thena in that regard.

Hannah from Those Who Want Me Dead is so cool, and so badass, and honestly I don't think she would fuck with any of the other Angies. She looks at Maleficent and Thena like they're aliens (well, I mean...), she can relate to Evelyn a little bit, but Hannah is all hard shell and pure PTSD underneath. Although maybe they could bond over drinks, how Hannah took in that kid and Evelyn had that little dog, Burt.

I didn't actually watch Girl Interrupted or Wanted, but I would say those two might be...exceptions.

Now, in terms of animated works, there are the two big ones, Shark Tale and Kung Fu Panda. And I did actually see a post including Tigress and Po in the structure of Angelina's badass character getting a male-wife, set alongside Gil/Thena and Maleficent/Diaval. And I never shipped Tigress and Po, but it does adhere to the structure, I concede.

I love that Angie still likes action movies even in voice over, and I love the idea that she liked the character of Tigress and the theme of found family in the movies.

And Mr. and Mrs. Smith goes all the way down here because I didn't like that movie. It reeks of the early 2000s and doesn't use Angie well and it's written poorly and doesn't make sense and that's before I even get to her co-star.

Jane is so underutilised it's criminal. I would love to have seen more of her as a character--the fact that she reads while walking around the house, or in bed, or while 'cooking'. The fact that she's hypercompetitive and that she maybe has some anger issues around her own feelings and how to express them. She's a jealous type who childishly started kicking her husband after finding out he got drunk married in vegas once!

Angie gave Jane a character, we just didn't get to see more of it.

#and that's all my thoughts on it so far #thank you for the ask! #what a fascinating concept

[softquietsteadylove]

My request is quite suspense and it has 3 parts. Can you write about Thena settling and adjusting to Gil's house, just them together at peace. Them going to the market, Thena doing unusual things like eating raw fish that made Gil startled and also the market lady. I could also imagine him bringing her to a library and she loved it there.

Just them being happy and at peace together going through adventures (you can write more). But...end it with Gil having to ask Thena to stay for a while, and then Thena saw a man giving a paper to every person he had passed, he gave her a piece of that mysterious paper too, and left. She tried to understand what was written into it but all she understood is the word 'Treasure'. When Gil cameback, he just saw Thena examining a paper. He gently took it away from her hand despite the panic he's feeling, he crumpled and thrown it away. He held her to rush home. The paper has announcement in it with a reward, Kro is haunting the person that stole the treasure he caught. (He calls the mermaid he caught which happens to be Thena as 'treasure').

Thena eyed the fresh fish laid out for sale. She had been tempted to take a bite of one earlier but Gil had quickly snatched it away from her before she could. She knew that humans would sometimes eat raw fish, but apparently that required more preparation.

He was jumpy about them being out of the house and on the mainland, but he needed supplies, and by his own reasoning, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to get her more used to humans.

She moved away from the fishmongering stall to another. Gil was talking with someone he had known for quite some time, and she didn't want to deny him the time to socialise. He was already cooped up on the island with her enough.

"Hello there, dear."

Thena smiled - remembering to keep her lips closed over her fangs - at the woman to her right. She had a stall of fruit, all vibrantly coloured and fragrant. "Hello."

"I haven't seen you here before," the older woman said gently from her seat of a few fish crates stacked up.

Thena looked back at Gil and clasped her hands together. "I'm...here with someone."

"Ah," the woman nodded her understanding, able to follow Thena's eyes back to Gil as if the line were drawn through the air. "There were rumours that Gil had found himself a lady. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Found a lady?" Thena asked, fidgeting with the shawl Gil had given her for 'sunburn', so he said. Why was skin averse to the very thing it needed to live?

"Oh, it's an expression, love," she waved off with a raspy chuckle. "I mean that Gil has never really seemed interested in finding a lady friend before. But I'm glad he's found someone nice for himself."

Ah, she was referring to mates. Humans had a plethora of names for a person who was some form of mate or another. There were varying degrees of matehood. She had heard the word 'girlfriend' applied multiple times, now. "Yes, I'm...a marine biologist. I work at a...remote outpost--usually. I know his sister."

"Oh, what a romantic story," the woman smiled, and Thena smiled again as well. "He is a handsome boy, isn't he?"

Thena wasn't entirely sure what handsome meant, but it seemed positive in this context, and if it was positive, then it applied to Gil. "Yes, I suppose he is."

"You feeling peckish, dear?" the woman finally stood, revealing her even shorter stature once she was on her feet. Thena peered over the stall containers down at her. "I saw you eyeing some of the other stalls."

"Oh," Thena mumbled out. That one in-between word could say quite a lot for humans. She examined the billowing white skirt of the dress she had worn (Gil had insisted she wear something Sersi had brought instead of one of his shirts).

"No, no, it's okay," the sweet little woman assured her. Despite her age and the slow way in which she moved, she was carving up a mango with frightening precision. "It makes you hungry, being here, right?"

"Right," Thena confirmed, watching with a certain amount of fascination as the woman worked. She had only really eaten what Gil made her, and she had never tried fruit before; she already knew she hated plenty of vegetables. But the way the woman was peeling and cutting the fruit so skilfully reminded her of watching Gil de-bone fish.

"Here," the sweet woman handed over the slices of mango in a bag. "A little snack for you."

"Um," Thena looked over at Gil. Things here required a trade, all exclusively done in little coins or paper--and he had them all.

"On the house," the woman laughed, even more so when Thena tilted her head a few times. "I mean it's free, dearie. Consider it a welcome gift to the market--and to get that handsome boyfriend of yours out of the house more often."

Thena blushed faintly; something about the woman's wink and her tone and the way she flicked her eyes over to Gil made Thena's chest feel funny. She nodded, "thank you."

"Thena!" Gil called out as he jogged over to them, his shining new toolbox fully stocked with all the specialty gear he would need for boats. "Sorry, I lost track of time. You find something?"

The woman waved her bony hand as Gil started clumsily fishing around in his pockets for change. "You stop it, I told her it was on me."

"A-Are you sure?"

"First timer's discount," the woman gave them a somewhat crooked thumbs up. Thena returned the gesture, having seen it on the box at home. The woman laughed. "Bring your girlfriend around more, Gil!"

Gil blushed much more brightly than Thena did. Well, his blood was a lot warmer than hers. He took her hand in his again, as he had been doing since getting to land, "y-yes, ma'am."

Thena waved to the new friend she had made before slurping back a slice of mango and swallowing it whole. "Hm!"

"Chew your food, Angelfish," Gil reminded her, once again anchored to her side and keeping a watch around them for anyone noticing a little too much about her.

"Gil, this is amazing," Thena beamed. "It goes down like a fish, but it's sweet, like candy!"

Gil chuckled; he had let her try just a few kinds of candy here and there, testing to see if she would even like it. Some she did, some she didn't, but he always remembered what she ended up liking. "Mango is pretty common around here. We can buy some to bring home."

Thena's eyes widened, and Gil nodded to assure her that he was serious. "She was right, I should get you out of the house more often."

"Maybe," he admitted, much to her delight.

"Really, Gil," Thena gave his hand a squeeze, her fingers meshed together with his like the loops of a net. "I think it's good for you to be here and not...what is it you say?"

He sighed, "cooped up?"

"That," Thena rested her head on his arm as they walked. "You seem quite happy here, and your friends have missed you."

"I don't have to come to the market all that often anyway," he argued, although Thena gave his arm a bop with her head (both of her hands otherwise occupied). "I guess you're right; it's nice to get out and see these guys."

Thena looked behind them at the woman getting further away. "I would like to come and visit her again."

Gil took advantage of her position and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "okay, Angelfish. We'll come back soon."

Thena sighed as she leaned against him again. The salty air of the water combined with the sun on her skin and Gil's warmth beside her made all the comforts of home. If she had her tail it would be wagging like a fool.

"Take one, take one!"

Thena tilted her head at the strange man walking through the market, making a ruckus. He was handing out paper to everyone he passed, including those who clearly didn't want it.

"Ma'am!"

Thena frowned at the paper shoved at her. She was going to let it fall, still holding onto her mango, but Gil picked it up, whisking it over to himself. She caught the word 'treasure' zooming by. "What does it say?"

"Hm," he grunted, balling it up and shoving it in his pocket, "just something about a treasure. Some nut job is looking for it."

"Oh," Thena said quietly, curious about Gil's resistance to even let her look at it. He didn't usually keep things from her, but he didn't seem very happy to be handed litter.

"We better get back," he said suddenly, stopping them dead in their tracks and starting to turn to walk them out of the market again. "Before the weather turns."

"O-Okay," Thena blinked, but followed as he more and more urgently started walking back the way they came. She didn't smell any changes in the wind off the water, though. Something had turned his mood on a dime, and it was that paper. Thena leaned over.

"Wh-Thena!" Gil attempted to stop her, but she reached around the back of him and snatched the paper out of his pocket.

She frowned at it; maybe she could see what had gotten him so panicked. It was a reward being offered for a lost 'treasure'; she hadn't quite mastered numbers yet, but it seemed to take up a lot of room, so it was probably of high value. And she recognised a few of the words in the description of such treasure, including 'pale' and 'blonde'. She looked at Gil.

"Come on, Thena," he tugged at her hand again, his worry all over his face, "please."

She tucked herself against him as they scurried out of the market. She was still holding the paper, "it's me, isn't it?"

"Must be." He sounded stressed.

Thena just barely managed to smile and wave at her new friend before they were almost at a jogging pace. She squeezed Gil's hand, "it'll be okay, Gil."

He sighed again, his face knotted up like bleached and broken coral, "will it?"

#Thenamesh Mermaid AU #pt 1 #the dRAMA #it's time #poor Gil #he takes his fish girlfriend out for a market date ONE (1) time #and finds a wanted poster for her #at least it doesn't have a picture or a sketch of her on it #and as much as the market crowd didn't pay it much attention #it's not very comforting to know that Kro is now inducting the general public in his witch hunt #the poster may sound insane #but anyone could be swayed to at least cast their line a few times for 500K #Gil rushes them right home #he forgets to buy more mangoes :(

[softquietsteadylove]

How about the 5+1 times thing? :D

5 times Gil protected Thena and one time She protected him

Up to you wich AU :)

It was his job to protect Thena. Technically speaking, it was his job to keep her safe and at an appropriate distance from anyone who could be a threat to her or any event tied to her or the label's reputation.

That was how his contract phrased it, at least. But his job was to protect Thena; that was how Gil phrased it.

And he took that job very seriously--always had. And there were different ways he protected her than just being her bodyguard, like most thought.

He could protect her image.

It was early on in his time working for her. They were at some awards show, and neither he nor Thena wanted to be there. But it was part of her job, which made it part of his, too. At least he didn't really have to talk to anyone, he could admit. Thena was forced to socialise with the odd interviewer or contact in the industry, much to her chagrin.

"Are you okay?" he frowned as Thena made the same pinched expression he'd seen a few times now. She kept rolling her shoulders in a way he'd never really seen her do before.

She scrunched up her mouth, obviously debating whether or not to tell him what she was thinking. They were still somewhat new to each other, after all. But she nodded him closer.

"I have to fix my dress, but these goddamn cameras are going to see every move I make."

Gil wasn't too proud to admit he blushed (just a little). He was...aware of how attractive Thena was--beautiful, really. That was part of her job, after all, and he wasn't breaching contract just by noticing that. But he didn't think of her in that way. She was a client, and also the boss of him, even if the label was technically in charge of them both.

Thena huffed quietly to herself, rolling her shoulders again.

"Here," Gil whispered, guiding her off to the side as a few other stars walked along the carpet ahead of them. He moved her in front of him, which was technically behind him, as far as the cameras were concerned. "Just hide behind me."

Thena gave him a questioning look for it, but he put his hands on his hips under his suit jacket, creating a curtain of sorts for her to fix the sparkly and skin tight dress she was wearing. He glanced over his shoulder too, just so she could have as much privacy as possible.

"Thanks," she whispered as she fidgeted with the bust of the dress. Or did whatever she had to do, because Gil was mortified at the thought of even looking at her in the moment.

He could protect her peace of mind.

"Thena, it'll be fine."

"Hey," Gil walked over to them, slipping his phone back in his pocket. Thena was on the defensive, arms crossed and angling herself somewhat away from the rest of the management team. "What's going on?"

Kingo held out a hand at her, "she just gets nervous about transportation sometimes."

Gil wondered what exactly was missing between the way Thena was acting and Kingo's vague statement. He looked at Thena, trusting that she would tell him more specifically what she needed and what had to happen to make it better. "What's wrong with what we've got?"

Thena shrugged, "nothing."

Kingo sighed, "Thena-"

Gil moved in front of her, which he could tell irked her manager/stylist greatly. But he focused on the singer folded in on herself. He nodded his head, asking her to speak in not so many words.

Thena squirmed and pursed her lips, like a kid who didn't want to go home yet. Or maybe wanted to go home right this minute. "The limo has to park on the main street. If we walk to it, there will be fans, and paparazzi, and-"

"And you can ignore them," Kingo suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

But Gil held a hand out to him, which irked him even further. But he wasn't Gil's client (his priority), Thena was. "She's had a long day, man. And you know how they can get after a performance."

"Well, what do you suggest?"

Gil tilted his head, looking at Thena, who was both being very stubborn and trying not to make a big deal out of it. But her battery was completely empty, that much was certain. She looked ready to drop, and she probably was going to ask if they could go get greasy burgers or cheap tacos or something anyway.

"I've got an idea."

"What?" Kingo asked, but continued to go ignored by the bodyguard. He huffed, leaning past his massive shoulders to peek at Thena. "Just get home safe, and text me when you do, okay?"

She nodded, waving him and the rest of the team away. She looked at Gil, on his phone. "What did you think of?"

"You're hungry, right?" he asked her with a smirk. It stretched into a full grin when she perked up like a flower in the sunlight. "Ubers will take you through the drive-thru if they don't have another ride waiting."

That was one of the first instances of what had since become a tradition for them.

He could protect her physically.

He had done so plenty of times, obviously. He would always remember the first time that not only was he on the job, but rather when Thena actively sought him out for protection.

She wasn't even out as Athena: Goddess of Song. She was just out as Thena, with Makkari and Sersi. They were also in the music industry, of course, so it wasn't as if they could go around completely anonymous. But at the very least, they weren't at a music event, they weren't at a concert--they were just three friends out for drinks.

Thena had asked if he could be on call for the night, for when they had to get to and from different locations. He had easily agreed, not just because it was part of the job, but also because it was Thena; she would be socially exhausted by the third bar anyway. If anything, he was prepared to pick them up and get them all drive-thru on the way back to Thena's penthouse.

But Thena called him from the bathroom of the second bar. Apparently someone in there had recognised her and was being pretty aggressive about getting a photo - and her number - and meeting her friends. Without a proper escape route, she had called him.

And Gil arrived ready for a fight. The nerve of some creeps in this part of town astounded him. He easily found the guy, leaning against the wall outside the bathrooms, just as Thena had assumed he would be. Didn't the club have any security of their own?!

"Hey brother, I'm just waiting for my girlfriend t-"

Gil gave him a swift crack in the jaw, his fist sending the guy to the floor in the blink of an eye. He shook out his fist afterward, although his knuckles were well conditioned for impact. "Prick."

He knocked on the door, leaning his ear close, "Thena? It's me. Are you-"

She pushed the door open, nearly pushing it right into him. But she rushed right to him, her forehead pressed to his chest at the earliest opportunity. "Thank you."

Gil heard her loud and clear despite the head-rattling music from the dance floor. He folded his arms around her, knowing that no matter how much she didn't want to show it, that it was one of her worst nightmares to find herself in a situation like that. He pressed his cheek to her hair, "it's okay. I've got you."

He could even protect her from herself--in a way.

"Thena," he called her name for the umpteenth time, watching her pace the floor of her dressing room so consistently he was worried the rug would go bald. "It will be fine."

She wasn't listening to him. She wasn't listening to anything but whatever her head was screaming at her. And it was never kind things, Gil had come to learn.

She was picking at the cuticles around her press-on manicure, since she couldn't chew the fake nails. If she were sitting her knee would be bouncing a mile a minute. In not time at all she would start muttering aloud to herself.

"Thena," he tried again. He had been trying since he got her in the car, though. There was almost no winding her down from this point before a performance. Almost.

Thena grumbled as he planted himself directly in the path of her pacing. She tried to move around him but he trapped her in his arms against him. She huffed. "This is a little over the line, no?"

"So file a complaint," he chuckled, still holding her to his chest. He took a few deep breaths, deliberately letting his chest expand and contract against her.

Despite her attempt to remain cranky, she slowly fell into the same rhythm, her heartbeat slowing and her breathing becoming more even and more in sync with his.

"That's it," he whispered, running a hand over her hair. There was nothing he could say to comfort her in these moments. They would be as good as empty words to her anyway. The only thing that mattered to Thena were results. But to get the results she wanted, she had to be in the right mindset to perform in the first place. "You'll be great."

Thena sighed, dropping her head to his chin with a slight bonk. She would be burying her face right in his shirt if not for her full face of makeup. "You don't know that."

"You've got a pretty good track record so far," Gil shrugged. He didn't have to argue with her with false promises; Thena believed in results, and her popularity spoke for itself. "I'll be here waiting."

But his favourite part of the job was actually the part that was taking care of her. It wasn't actively protecting her from anything--maybe protecting her from burnout.

But it was things like carrying her after a long day in ridiculously tall heels when she was exhausted. It was knowing exactly what her order was at every fast food place in town, or coming over to make her breakfast when he knew she was sleeping until two in the afternoon after a performance. It was buying her medicine when she was sick; it was even running regular old errands for her.

He had come to like tucking her in when she was asleep and already snoring by the time he got her in bed (he had never told her she snored, just a little). He liked running hot baths for her so she could have a soak while he made a nice nutritious dinner for them (fast food was only for after performances). He liked that he spent more time at her place than his, these days.

He liked protecting her from the job.

Gil frowned as Thena's phone buzzed on the coffee table. She was in the shower, losing track of time as she sang to herself with the help of the steam stretching out her vocal chords. "Hello?"

"Gil?--I called Thena."

"Yeah, and I'm answering," Gil set down his breakfast burrito and got up for his own phone, left by the stove. "It's her day off--what's going on?"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry."

If he were really sorry then why was he calling?

"The label got a call from Ikaris' management team. Remember that piece she recorded with him?"

"Yeah," Gil murmured. He knew the piece personally--he had helped Thena rehearse it in this very spot.

"They want her to make a guest appearance at one of his shows he's doing on his tour--over in the UK."

Usually artists would just contact each other personally and let management figure out the details for them once they were or weren't in agreement over it. But then again, Thena and Ikaris weren't exactly friends. Friends through Sersi, and perhaps frenemies with a playful rivalry between them. But it made sense that Ikaris knew better than to slide into Thena's DMs. Not that she would know what that meant.

"We can talk about it tomorrow."

"Gil, come on, I wouldn't be calling if they weren't expecting an answer today."

"So tell them she's sick, or she's on vocal rest or some shit," Gil argued. He could hear Kingo getting frustrated with him. It wasn't that they experienced friction that often, and they were both part of Thena's team, and her friends. Gil considered Kingo his friend.

But if it was between Kingo or Thena, obviously he chose Thena.

"Gil-"

"Kingo," Gil pressed, his voice softening as he heard the faint fluttering of Thena's voice. She had left the door cracked; her trust in him was incalculable. "She's exhausted from the show this weekend. She really needs today to just...chill, okay? I promise first thing tomorrow, I'll get her on a call with his label. But today is all hers."

Kingo sighed loudly - dramatically - into his end of the phone. "You're a little too good at your job, you know that?"

Gil smiled to himself, "I take that as a compliment."

"I'm sure you do, Gil. Fine, I'll tell them she's on doctor ordered silence. Just make sure to bring it up in the email so it doesn't sound like uncorroborated bullshit."

"Will do," Gil promised before the call ended. He swiped the notification of it away. It was still in the phone's logged calls, but Thena never looked at that anyway. He set her phone down again, resuming his task of finishing his burrito.

"Who was that?"

Gil smiled, licking his lips as he finished up his last bite. "Just Kingo--nothing that can't wait until tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" she tilted her head, but she hadn't knotted up at the mere mention of work.

She had come a long way since he had first started working for her. "I'm sure."

She could even protect him.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Gil was being visibly mauled by a horde of fans. They were mostly young, all significantly smaller than him, most of them appearing female. And of course Gil wasn't in the habit of fighting children.

"All of you!" Thena barked at them, storming over without a second thought to her initial desire to find their ride and go right home. "Get off him!"

Gil groaned as Thena pulled him from the grips of the crowd previously shaking and clawing at him. He even had a few scratches on his face.

"What the hell happened here?" she asked him, although the crowd around them was still rioting at them. She backed up with Gil tucked against her side.

"They're fans of Eros'," he sighed heavily, leaning against her. At least, he was until she moved him behind her. "Thena?"

"Get the hell away from him!" she bellowed, knowing exactly how to shout at them loudly and with a sustainable strength in her voice. "I cannot believe you would attack him like this!"

"He deserves it!"

"He punched Eros right in the face!"

"You should've had him fired!"

Thena's back raised, her shoulders tensing. She took a step forward, ready to get in a screaming match with a child.

"Thena, come on," Gil held her hand in his. He was spent from defending himself (which meant letting them tear a strip off of him and not fighting back at all). "Leave them be."

Thena all but growled at the gaggle of little monsters glaring at them. She had no concern what they thought of her. "You should be ashamed of yourselves for attacking an innocent man."

"He's the one who attacked an innocent man!"

"Come on," Gil urged Thena again, before she could argue that Eros was the instigator, which would be a pretty clear and direct breach of their agreement with his team to keep the whole thing quiet. "Just ignore them."

Thena did finally turn away from his assailants. She raised a hand to his face, brushing over a slightly swollen cheek, "what did they do to you?"

"Please," he chuckled, brushing off literally being mauled by a riot. "They're just a bunch of kids."

"If that's his most devoted fanbase, it does nothing to increase my confidence in Eros' character as a person," Thena scoffed.

"This will all blow over soon," Gil murmured, not that he was entirely sure that was true. He looked back at the crowd still booing him as they walked back to the car waiting for them. He walked closer to Thena, pulling her ahead of him--which was technically behind him to them.

Thena reached behind her, finding his hand naturally and slipping her fingers against his. "I'm sorry."

He gave her hand a squeeze in return, smiling despite the soreness of his swollen lip. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"Still," she whispered, pulling him to walk beside her properly. She squeezed his hand even harder, "are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," he promised her, smiling genuinely despite his little scratches and scrapes. She frowned at him, openly doubting him. But he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I'm sure."

#Thenamesh Bodyguard AU #so I got another ask #about Eros' fans getting to be too much for Gil #and I didn't know how to make it work at the time #so I hope it's okay I work it into this a little #Thena being protective of her bodyguard is cute #and of course she is #he's the most precious thing in the world to her #and obviously the feeling is mutual #also #when I mention Gil running errands for her #he is so the devoted boyfriend type #he has definitely run out to pick up tampons for her #and she's mortified at having to ask him #but he's a grown ass man he doesn't care #he comes back with one of those fuzzy pouches for a hot water bottle and chocolate and chamomile tea #because he's perfect like that