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gareleia · 4 months

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THE KNITTING SAGA BUT HERMES IS A DUMMY

update: my co-writer friend FINALLY got a tumblr account, so I can tag them now!!

previously: part 1 part 2 part 3

next: part 5

m'kay, so, we've talked about Athena & Telemachus' issues. now let's touch on Hermes, because a Diva™ like him deserves his own post. and also because this had been sitting in my notes for so long i've genuinely forgotten about it (i'd say that it's what translating a musical does to you, but honestly my attention span is just shit)

now, as much as I love Soft Boi!Hermes, I even more so love prankster Hermes who doesn't really recognize personal boundaries or the meaning of 'too far'. he's the guy who'll commit to the bit so far, he'll commit mass murder with a Tee-Hee and genuinely wonder what has got everyone so upset.

kid!Telemachus, holding a cup of poison: grandpa, are you sure it's a good idea? I'm scared… Hermes, laughing his ass off in the corner: of course I'm sure, champ! it'll be hilarious! good ol' game of Ithacean Roulette! now dump it into the wine, let's see who we'll get this time!

at the same time, he's not selfish. he's very keen on doing things for the people he likes, and he cares enough to know when someone is distressed. he, as a god, is just so removed from traditional human morality that casual acts of cruelty are perfectly acceptable to him, while, for example, breaking an oath is a horrible sin.

think blue and orange morality stuff.

telemachus, outraged: …murdered his own family, can you imagine? hermes, equally outraged: I know, right? he gave a blood oath and broke it! disgusting! telemachus: why is that your only concern?!

but don't worry, helping to raise Telemachus and hanging around the same people consistently makes a real boy outta him gives him enough time and insight into humanity to start understand mortals better, and, as consequence, adopt some of their values.

especially the concept of spousal loyalty. Hermes is a patron god of thieves, and at the time taking someone's wife was viewed as an act of theft (because women were property, yeeesh). which is why to him Penelope's situation was less of a tragedy and more of a "well, my dumbass great-grandson Odysseus should've seen it coming. snooze you lose! ¯_(ツ)_/¯"

that is, until he gets to know her better. and suddenly she's not a prize to be won or a challenge to conquer. she's a smart, capable person that commands respect from anyone who's got a shred of self-awareness. she's got gentle hands, and a radiant smile, and a spine of steel. Penelope looked Hermes dead in the eyes and told him serenely to keep being a good influence on her son, she does not deserve to be reduced to a token and given away to the highest bidder.

hermes, initially: well, penelope's a rich, gorgeous, basically single queen. I'd steal her too, if she was my type. hermes, 10 years later: she's the smartest, ballsiest human woman I've ever met and if she only wants her Ugly Ass Groom then she'll fucking stay single until he comes back.

unfortunately for everyone else, Hermes cannot step in to protect her, because Zeus and Poseidon are both pissed off at Odysseus already, and if either of them notices Hermes (and/or Athena) interfering with mortals on Ithaca, they might take it as an invitation to follow suit, and then it'll be Troy Story 2: Electric Boogaloo.

so he stays his hand, and hangs around Telemachus discreetly, mostly posing as a human. for a god of liars, he's surprisingly bad at blending in for long periods of time. Hermes thinks he's an awesome conspirator. meanwhile little Telemachus didn't even realise it was a secret.

the only people who don't know that [insert alias] is a god in disguise are the suitors, who are notoriously either too stupid, too overconfident or too busy drinking to connect the dots. the exception is Antinous who pretends to be oblivious and makes sure the gods don't see him as a threat to their beloved little pup (otherwise he'd have killed the prince long ago).

the suitors, however, unanimously agree that they hate this weird annoying stranger, and try to get rid of him in increasingly elaborate ways, from poison to stabbing to wild animals to dropping pots on his head.

spoiler alert: it doesn't work.

hermes, next day: *comes back every morning like nothing had happened, whistling cheerily* suitors: WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!

eventually Antinous convinces them to give up so they don't piss off Hermes.

years pass, Telemachus grows. Athena teaches him strategy and arts of war. Aeolus gradually comes out of the hiding and becomes the resident lovable comic relief side character. and Hermes? he teaches the kid all the good stuff.

and it's not just lying, okay? (though it's a significant part of it) music, diplomacy, geography, street smarts, some history. he's a worldly god, had observed and been a part of countless cultures. above all else, he knows people. he may not really understand them, but he knows how to get what he wants from them, how to find common ground and how to spin things to get along with practically anyone.

and girls. Hermes helps Telemachus with girls.

because he's the cool uncle figure that Telemachus admires, the kid trusts him enough to ask the god for advice when he starts growing older and gets his first crush in his early teens.

and, on one hand, Hermes is ecstatic. on the other one…

telemachus, blushing and stuttering: there's a girl I met, she's so pretty, and cool, and, and, and how do I talk to her, do I just come up and say hi, but what if sh- hermes: … hermes: *blue screen of death* hermes: MY BABY-

it's the first time he truly starts to grasp how short the kid's life will be. because in the blink of an eye he turned from a newborn to an adolescent, and soon enough he'll have his own family, and Odysseus was already a king himself at this age, and Hermes is not ready this can't be it he can't just grow old and die

so anyway, he pushes the thought aside and pretends it never came up at all (because that always works, and bottling shit up never blows up in anyone's face, right, Athena?)

he gives lots of advice, from useless macho stuff to golden nuggets like "be yourself" and "show her respect". and, of course, he cheers from the sidelines, hiding 'inconspicuously'.

and it goes surprisingly well. the girl appears to find Telemachus' awkward attempts at flirting sweet and charming, and the boy is on the cloud nine.

but Hermes isn't. because, unlike the prince, his judgment isn't clouded by a puppy crush and he can see that the girl is actually a lying bitch, who's playing Telemachus like a fiddle, hoping to become the next queen of Ithaca. and he won't stand for it.

except Telemachus, for some reason, doesn't seen thrilled when Hermes tells him to dump the girl?? he flat out refuses to believe that, because love is blind and so are sheltered insecure teenage boys.

so Hermes, in his infinite wisdom, decides to prove to his naive little charge once and for all that the girl is just using him and doesn't actually love him. now, what's the first example of true selfless love from a woman that comes to mind to the god who had spent the last few years hanging out with the royal family of Ithaca? right, Penelope. and the one thing that characterises Penelope is her unconditional loyalty, even into the face of countless threats and temptations.

hermes, to himself: so, if I show the kid that the bitch will leave him as soon as she finds a better prospect, he will definitely admit I was right all along! and dump her! it's a perfect, easy, foolproof plan! I am so smart! what could possibly go wrong!

another spoiler alert: everything goes wrong.

the girl does happily jump into his arms as soon as he hints that he's a god/demi-god/just a cooler prince or something. she does it right in front of Telemachus, in fact, so there's no way he'd be able to deny the obvious.

on the bright side, Hermes immediately outs her as a lying bitch and publicly shames her, embarrassing her family and ruining her prospects of marriage and causing her to suffer for the rest of her life ('disproportionate revenge'? what's that?).

on the down side, for some unfathomable reason, Telemachus doesn't seem very grateful??? what???????

hermes: and so, AS ALWAYS, I was right. telemachus: hermes: but please, hold your applause! telemachus: hermes: I did it all for you, out of the goodness of my heart! telemachus: hermes: and please, don't apologize! you were wrong, I get it! no need to- telemachus: *bitch slaps his smug face and runs away, hurt and betrayed* hermes: *shocked pikachu face*

thing is, Hermes doesn't understand what he did wrong. in his mind he did a rather good deed: showed the liar's true colors, and spared the kid a lot of heartache down the line. he doesn't understand the feelings of betrayal from having someone he trusts explicitly outing him as a naive fool in front of everyone he ever dreamed of earning respect from. doesn't get the pain of having been cast aside by someone he liked in favor of a god, with whom he could never compete. can't imagine living in the shadow of someone he had never even known and being constantly reminded of all the ways he's lacking.

telemachus: I'm not a stupid child, hermes. I could've handled it. hermes: but you didn't listen to me, maybe you'd have never seen it on your own- telemachus: and maybe I would've. maybe I would've had the opportunity to find out myself, and maybe I would've learned from it, but you never gave me that choice, did you?! did you think i'm that dumb?! hermes: oh, come on, kid, you're not dumb- telemachus: THEN WHY DO YOU TREAT ME LIKE I AM?! WHY DON'T YOU EVER TRUST ME?!

aaaaand there's the core issue. Telemachus had spent his whole life being babied at best and looked down upon at worst. constantly compared to Odysseus and his more vicious peers, always shielded from making tough decisions and proving himself. he feels like he will never amount to anything, because no one ever lets him really try. as soon as it looks like he's going to make a mistake, someone (usually Athena, Aeolus or Hermes) swoops in and 'fixes' everything for him, just like they used to do when he was an accident-prone toddler. which he isn't anymore.

and Hermes doesn't understand that. to him, ten years is basically nothing. the kid can't have changed that much in ten years. because if he did, then he'll change a lot in the next ten years, and the next, and very soon he won't change anymore, because ten years are nothing and so are human livespans.

ten years are nothing, because to admit otherwise would force Hermes to face the fact that Telemachus, no matter how precious, is just as mortal as any other human. which amounts to basically losing him already. and Hermes can't.

he held that boy as an infant. he fed him, helped to teach him walk and talk and make silly faces. he can't lose this child to time, the one thing even gods can't really protect humans from.

Penelope finds Hermes sitting on her balcony with the most human expression on his face she'd ever seem him wear. he's lost, and confused, and full of regrets, and kind of terrified. in that aspect, he reminds her painfully of her husband.

hermes, mumble: he's growing older penelope, sighing: I know hermes: he's not a baby anymore penelope: believe me, I know hermes: but... what do I do now??? penelope: you let it happen. not much else you can do.

she talks him through it.

hermes, rambling: but I will lose him. I'll lose him if he grows old and dies. this is why I don't get attached to mortals, you die too soon. he can't die now. penelope: he's not going to die now. he'll become the king first, he will find a good wife and have children and grandchildren. he will become great, greater that I and his father could ever dream of. and he'll be happy. don't you want to see that? hermes: I do, but- I don't want him to grow up! penelope: then you finally know the biggest joy and the deepest pain of parenthood.

it doesn't fix his fear. doesn't fix his pain, either. but it does help fix his attitude.

because she's right. Telemachus is growing old, and he can't shelter and protect the boy forever. soon he'll become a man, then an elder. and there's nothing Hermes can do about it, short of dragging the prince to Olympus and begging Zeus to grant him immortality, which will never work.

Hermes and Telemachus make up, of course. the latter knows, deep down, that the former is just trying to take care of him. they make up and forget the fight - at least, the boy does.

Hermes will always remember.

and he will count every day, every wrinkle, every grey hair.

the joy and pain of parenthood indeed.

#the knitting saga au #epic #epic the musical #greek gods #greek mythology #headcanon #hermes #telemachus #penelope #we only have one greek god of emotional intelligence and that is hestia #the rest are fucked lmao rip #there was supposed to be more eldricth horror grandpa hermes #but i'm way more into angst #empty nest syndrom is real and ruthless #“(s)he steals my mascara and all of my dates”#selena beauregard 🤝 telemachus of ithaca #penelope is a saint and a badass #but more onto that at a later date again #also #hurt/comfort #found family #in case someone finds this 8 years later and gets into the mood you're free to add whatever onto the headcanon train #cause even I don't know where i'm going with these and I rarely post anyway #translating epic is taking way too much time #not that i'm complaining #I love my work #two things to add that I forgot to tag before:#1: if you spot the reference - it's intentional #2: everyone but the suitors know hermes is a god; especially servants #and they all collectively choose to ignore that because they Are Not Paid Enough To Deal With That™

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some-pers0n · 3 months

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Every once in a while I think about the ship I've been obsessed over for close to two years now and feel like I'm ascending to another plane of reality. Like sometimes you just encounter a ship that hits every single mark and is perfect in every regard and you're left stunned how something like that can even exist

#Anyways I'mma put the actual inane ramblings in the tags #Medic and Engie make me so ill every time I think about them for a while I feel like tearing into things and biting people and throwing up #How something like that can exist completely defies me #I don't know how something that perfect can exist #I'm typically a multi-shipper and while I still kinda am I honest to god don't really care to write other ships #Not cause they ain't good (they are pretty damn good) but because Engiemedic is just on another level #Like dammnnn!! that's why I've spent so long writing a fic about them!#I can't fathom it honestly how characters like that can exist #They're like a slightly warped reflection of themselves #They're both intelligent mentally ill lunatics with no morals whatsoever #The only thing is that Engie is marginally better at hiding it #If you go into headcanon territory than WHOO!! OHH DAMNNN #Like what gets me the most about Engiemedic is how they're so similar #They think and exist on the same wavelength #In tune with each other. Their neurons braided like wires #If I start talking about how the machine and the flesh are not opposites but rather one in the same we gonna be here all day #I just can't...believe the ship exists #Like man how does this happen #You want humour? Goofy wacky experiments and silliness of them violating several conventions #You want angst? Hell yeah they've got plenty of it #Fluff? Buddy I start wailing and sobbing if they accidentally brush hands while working on stuff #I could write about them for ages and not get bored they can fit in every circumstance #They make me SICK they make me CRAZY I love them so so much #They would do anything for each other #I look at what they have and I can feel like I understand what love is #I need to write more oneshots and minifics about them they're so flexiable and fun #Can't wait to do parallels with them in these upcoming chapters #Either way GODDDDD I love these two so much I could go on for hours about them #especially if I'm allowed to talk about headcanons #sp-rambles

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lit-in-thy-heart · 1 year

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[ID: the train hitting a school bus meme. In the first panel, an empty school bus edges over train tracks and is labelled 'writing planned angst' with a train approaching. In the second panel, the train crashes into the bus and knocks it off the tracks. The train is labelled 'different angst suddenly writing itself'. End ID.]

#and you'll never guess who it's about!!!#(lancelot. it's lancelot again)#like #gwaine i set out to break #lancelot just leaks angst without me having to think too hard about it #like the main angst that was planned for this fic is a kind of fucked up dynamic but i'm 1.5k in and have not even scratched the surface #instead it's all been the implied trauma of the s3 finale #i think it's going to be another long fic lads #but i am getting quite excited to write this now #already have a substantial playlist a list of plot points to include and tags to put on ao3 #and i feel like one has quite succinctly summarised what i'm aiming for:#'what if you get into a relationship for the wrong reasons but you genuinely love the people you're with huh what then'#i don't often write actively doomed relationships mostly bc canon does it for me #mainly it's they're hoping they've got time and think that they do but it's canon compliant so the readers know they don't #but with this one they're actively making poor choices and things are just getting more fucked up #it's going to be SO much fun #lit talks #lit writes

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fuck-you-too-world · 1 year

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How come I couldn't find anything on Red Haired Danny?!

Okay, maybe I'm just bad at searching but really. IS THERE ANY RED HAIRED DANNY?!

I mean, we all have that Jazz having Jack's built and Danny got Maddie's HC and even the one that is opposite or that when it comes to gene you know? Danny being the bulky one like Jack or other HC.

So how come there's not much fics about Danny 'I'm half alive half ghost and short king twig' Fenton being Red head having either blue eyes or purple eyes like Maddie along side all other quality that make him the exact copy of Maddie but opposide gender.

Imagine what would Vlad do? How much his obsession would go crazier than it is in canon! But we all know canon is a nonexistence to this Phandom, so not important.

NOT TO MENTION! Jazz more like Jack except for her coloration, now imagine her having the exact same coloration as Jack and as reckless and having bad aim as Jack. These children are exactly the revert of their parents as far as I'm concerned.

So please answer me, WHERE IS RED HAIRED DANNY??!!??!?!?! I NEED TO SEE HIM AND I NEED A FANART!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

*sobbing in the corner* I blame my brain for even coming up wit the idea of DPxNaruto crossover where Danny given mission to help the chosen one of this world and also take it as a vacation when the shinigami saw the newborn and the misery awaits him and told the court of the Realm. Now I want a Red haired Danny aaaaaaaaaaaa QnQ

I'm rambling and I don't even know why and what I'm talking about :') Do help me tho, please...

#danny phantom #danny fenton #dpxdc #phandom help me?#i need to know #in case there is something on this one and i haven't stumble upon that #tell meeeeee #im begging you!!!!#red haired Danny Fenton #that HC would open up so much more messed up obsession by Vlad #and much more thing add to the angst #i need answers #please #like... imagine the potential a red haired Danny would open up #a younger brother of Barbara in dpxdc crossover #or maybe a clone of other heroes #just giving us more options???#I don't know why i'm like this but it is what it is #now i need something to stave off my hunger #feed me with information please #I just thought of something...#Danny being related to Wes 'not a canon character but an oc by phandom' Weston #now tell me that won't give you guys something more to tear and chew on!!!#new toys!!!#come one #psh psh psh

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cerise-on-top · 7 months

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Hiiii how are you?? Id like to request farah finds out reader is ticklish and uses it agenist them when reader is in a bad mood and being rude to everyone

(Sorry if this is really silly btw🫶🏻🫶🏻)

Hey! I'm doing well! Got a surge of motivation to write before therapy! This ask was just the right amount of silly actually! It was very fun to write!

Cheer Up Tickles with Farah

She’d likely find out when she wraps an arm around your waist and her fingers twitch a bit for a moment, making you react a little bit. Unfortunately, she’d pick up on that immediately, raise her eyebrow and give you a knowing smile. It’s a slightly cocky one as well, because she knows your weakness now, so if she ever felt like it, she could destroy you. Farah might poke you from time to time, but it usually won’t go farther than that. However, if you’re being especially grumpy for no reason whatsoever and you’re being rude to everyone, that might change.

At first she’d just poke your side, gauge your reaction. You can cuss her out all you want, she’s not going to let up just yet. It’s then that you can either cheer up and apologize to her, or feel her wrath and tickles. However, given your ask, you don’t cheer up, instead noticing, with horror in your eyes, that you messed up. Farah would wiggle her fingers at you before pouncing like a tiger that got its first prey in three days. Although she may go easy on you at first, letting you struggle so you feel as though you have a chance of getting away, there’s no way she’d just let you go like that. You can squirm all you want, you’re trapped underneath her since she’s a very strong fighter. You’re not going to escape her grasp, you’re going to get tickled and teased to oblivion and back. Once you’re calm, she’d start teasing you a bit before going in for the kill.

Farah wouldn’t even hesitate to be gentle in the beginning, she’s gonna get you good from the get go, straddling you and squeezing your sides. Try to throw her off all you want, you can’t. It’s fun to her if you struggle a bit as well, it makes it all the more challenging for her. While she may not know just yet where your weak spots are, she’ll find them quickly enough, staying in one spot for a few moments before switching to your armpits, for example. If you trap her fingers there she’s gonna have a field trip. No matter how much you’re laughing at that point, she’ll tease you about being less grumpy already and how you’re smiling like a goof. How adorable you are and how she should just tickle you more often when she has the time to do so.

Naturally, she’s a leader, so she needs to make sure all her loved ones are doing well, therefore she needs to check up on your ribs as well. Counts them, prods at them, vibrates her fingers between them to make sure you haven’t sustained any injuries. If you’re completely healthy, then she’ll say so, but she also needs to make sure your tummy is in good condition. Lifts up your shirt and starts scribbling away to make sure everything is in order. However, as time goes on, she’d grow a bit hungry and nibble at your sides and your ribs as well. Besides, while she may need to be sated, she also wants to share something delicious with you as well. So naturally, kind as she is, she gives you some raspberries.

However, once she notices your laughter having gone silent, or when there are a lot of tears streaming down your face, that’s when she’ll slow down a bit, before stopping entirely. Your dazed, cute face is just too adorable, though, so she’ll lean over to give you a kiss on your forehead and wipe away your tears with her thumb. Once she sees that you’ve been cheered up, she’ll get off of you, put your shirt over your tummy again and laugh a bit about how tired you seem all of a sudden. You weren’t this tired yet when you were cussing her out still. Pats your tummy one last time and helps you up, even if you don’t need her help. You seem out of it a bit, but not unhappy.

Farah doesn’t mind having tickle fights with you every once in a while. However, be warned, if you ever decide to tickle her first, then I can assure you that she’s going to get her revenge. Besides, she can hold her reactions in quite well. Much to your dismay, she’s also rather observant, so she’s going to figure out which spots make you scream fairly quickly. She’s always so serious anyway, so sometimes you just need to let loose and be a little goofy. Loves getting to be silly with you from time to time, even if it’s just through play fighting and tickling one another.

#cod #cod x reader #farah karim #farah karim x reader #tickling is such a fun concept to me. you get to make someone laugh just by touching them gently #you get to goof around with them and playfully fight them. it's absolutely adorable. but I know many people disagree with me on that one #still Farah as a ler would be a little menace as fun as it would be #I do think about the characters as lers more often than I would like to admit in all honesty. it's just so fun and sweet #besides just goofing around with Farah sounds like a dream to me #getting to be silly and stupid over essentially nothing is fun I wish she was real so I could fight her a bit #but alas #still I get to write about her having a good time and that's what's important! no angst in sight baby!!! just silly!!#I love writing silly and fluff! my favorite genres! I can vibe to that since it doesn't break my heart!#but now I'm off to therapy so I can't write too much in the tags!#thank you for the ask it was really fun! have a nice day anon!

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bardnuts · 11 months

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i spend a lot of time thinking about when exactly Astarion catches feelings For Real and I think the funniest answer to that question is literally the first time you have sex. He's got 200 years of experience in not catching feelings. "This is a good plan," he thinks. "A nice, simple plan. Make them fall for you, don't fall for them."

Then you ask him if he's ok or some shit during sex and it's DOA. Plan failed immediately upon its attempted execution. Defeated by the concept of a gentle lover. The rocket blows up on the launchpad

#this isn't my real answer fwiw #I think he catches feelings really slowly and doesn't really know what to do with them until they hit critical mass #like i think he realized what was going on literally 5 minutes before his confession scene #it definitely has a word-vomit quality that seems impulsive and unplanned #i'm much more interested in the way his TRUST develops over time #like the scene where you draw his scars? shockingly intimate to me #the way he slowly turns his back #also i think my favorite interaction so far #is one that actually gives you disapproval #where you yell at him to stop reading the necromancy of thay #and he yells back 'NO!#it's so indicative of astarion and your character having developed a genuine rapport #bg3 #astarion tag #bg3 meta #also underrated angst potential here #based on what he says in his confession scene he's been tormenting himself for a while over 'faking it' with you #but like #i don't think that's true lol #i wonder where the lines started to blur for him #again i think the pickup line scene is him testing his own feelings #just saying shit to see whether it feels real to HIM #'you deserve something real'#bby i dont know how to tell you this but it's been real basically from jump

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softquietsteadylove · 2 months

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Hi love!! How are you?

May i ask for another part of the human Thena/eternal Gil Au pretty please?, it's a very interesting concept. Thank you 🤍🩷

Thena froze. She completely froze. What the hell was that thing? It rose up out of the water like it was a demon, its skin and flesh crawling around on its wiry body. She squeaked, "G-Gil?"

The creature floated over to her, examining her curiously. It had a maw of teeth like she had never seen before. "Th...ee...na."

Why did it know her name? What kind of nightmare was this? She tried to run but her knees trembled as she scraped her boot back on the cobblestones. "G-Gil-"

The beast lurched closer, something like vines growing from its neck. "Gil...ga...mesh."

A new chill flooded through her. This thing--it couldn't possibly be the one Gil fought on the news, could it? Sure, they weren't going to parade around the corpse of a monster like that, but surely it would have been reported of something like this was still alive.

"Find," its breath puffed from its jaws like smoke, "Gilgamesh."

"Gil!" Thena got out before turning her face away from the beast. She didn't know why that was the only thing coming to mind, but she was prepared for his name to be her last breath.

"Don't move!"

Well, it wasn't Gil. But rather, Sersi leapt over the railing of the bridge above. She held out her hand--her completely empty, open palm. The thing took a swipe at her but she used her other hand to swipe back. As her finger left the stone cobbles below their feet, shards of glass left her fingertips.

The thing retreated, hissing at the glass in its eyes.

"Run!"

Now her legs worked. Thena followed Sersi down the canal, looking over her shoulder only once. "What is that thing?!"

"It's a long story!"

Maybe all Eternals were bad at communication. Thena followed up the ramp and back to the surface street, although she could barely hear over her heart in her ears. "Where's Gil?"

"He'll be here," Sersi breathed heavily, hands still held out. "He's on his way."

"Sersi," Thena pressed, moving closer to the woman who had her back to her (in an attempt to protect her). "Why did that thing know my name?"

"What?" the other woman fully turned around.

"It spoke, it knew my name, and Gil's," she scowled, more and more tired of being left in the dark.

"Thena," Sersi shook her head, "Deviants can't speak."

"This one can," she corrected, although it didn't last. Sersi took her hand, yanking her away again in a fell blown run. "What is it?"

"I don't know!" It was at least an honest answer. "Dane!"

Dane, undeniably human, was trying to direct the general populace away from the danger. He turned back to them, "Sersi, it's-!"

Thena stumbled as Sersi was picked up by that thing. Its body was already huge to begin with, but it was elevated up on its tentacle-like appendages. She picked herself up as Dane charged at it. "Wait!"

The beast opened its mouth. Just like its eyes, whatever comprised its insides had a sickly, ominous glow to it. It held Sersi by the neck, as if inhaling her air could rob her of her life.

"Let her go!"

Thena's ears popped as charging sound hit the air, followed by sheer impact. The thing went flying back into the water below. Gold particles floated in the air like dust. A second, lighter impact sounded, feet meeting concrete heavily. "Gil?"

"You okay?" he asked Sersi as they landed. She nodded, leaning on his shoulder as she rubbed her neck under her scarf.

"I'll be fine," Sersi assured him. If the powers weren't enough evidence, no human would be able to breathe, let alone speak after the way that thing had handled her. She gasped as Dane plowed into her, hugging her tight despite her brother's presence. She didn't mind it either, happily embracing him in return, "I'm okay, Dane."

Thena watched from a few paces away. Part of her imagined running to Gil the same way, but they hadn't actually spoken since their tense discussion at the museum two weeks ago. She had told him she needed time, and he had respected that, only checking on her well being after the attack, as he had asked to do.

Part of her was glad he had respected her boundary. The other part had been waiting for him to call or text all week.

Gil moved away from his sister and her boyfriend, happy not to watch their affections. He jogged over to her, his hands floating around but never actually landing. "Are you okay?"

She just nodded, her throat completely stiff and dry. That thing never emerged from the water, but she hardly thought that meant it was dead down there. "Gil, what-"

"I don't know," he answered immediately, also looking for the thing or any trace of it. But, not immediately seeing any signs, he focused on her again. And he did manage to bridge the gap and pull her into his arms. His hand rested on her hair, "I don't know, sweetheart."

She could just demand answer--real, proper answers. This was not only not the first time something like this had come up from his past life, but now it was involving her more directly. That thing had spoken her name like a walking nightmare.

Gil tightened his hold on her as she buried her face in his chest. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

She could remember how she had screamed his name as if it were synonymous with 'help'. All she had thought in that moment was that surely he would come to save her. As if she were some cliched damsel in a work of fiction. It was laughable.

But Gil buried his nose in her hair, pressed his lips to her temple. "Are you hurt?"

She pulled away from him, shaking her head. "It said my name."

Gil wasn't nearly as shocked or appalled as Sersi had been. His face was grim. "It's the same one I fought before. It's different from the other ones we've faced in the past. It learns differently. They've never been able to speak before."

That had all kinds of horrific implications for the biology and evolution of such a creature. "It's the same one?"

He sighed heavily, guiding her away from the damage of everything as crowds started reemerging. He wrapped his arm around her. "It got away from me that time. But it stuck one of those vines in me--I think it got in my head."

That would explain its learning pattern with speech, and unfortunately, why it had known her name. It even seemed to have hunted her down out of recognition. She shivered.

"It's okay," Gil whispered to her, even pulling off his jacket and putting it around her shoulders, despite her having her own. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Thena."

As strong and inhuman as he was, it still sounded somewhat empty as a promise. She let him pull her off the main streets and aside, in front of an old, dimly lit laundromat.

She took him in, watching as he checked that no one was lingering or looking, able to catch them saying something incriminating. "Gil."

He knew what she was asking. He gave her his full attention, taking her hands in his. "Anything you wanna know--go for it."

There was a myriad of things. She looked down at their joined hands. "Why didn't you tell me it wasn't dead?"

"I wasn't sure either," he professed, and she believed it was honesty. "Even if I had my suspicions, I thought it was just scare you if you knew."

She frowned, "I may be human, but I'm not going to cower at the idea of some story."

Maybe that was putting on a brave face of sorts, though. Looking that thing in the eye had been the single worst experience of her life.

"I know," Gil conceded, though. He ran his thumb against the outer edge of hers. "I should give you more credit than that. But I honestly didn't know how to tell you--or anyone. Not even Sersi knew."

That was clear, at least. Sersi had looked completely aghast at the idea that the thing had spoken.

"I don't know if the rest of us know either," he leapt into the next leg of his honesty. "We don't exactly talk much."

She supposed she could understand that. Humans didn't necessarily excel at keeping in touch with their families either. "Perhaps you should try to talk, at least now that you've seen it again?"

He sighed heavily, but nodded.

She huffed more impatiently; she wasn't his mother, or some nagging girlfriend. She wouldn't be the sidelined love interest urging him to go do what he needed to while she waited indefinitely for him. "Gil, whatever that thing is-"

"It's a Deviant, the things we killed--we thought! The last one I fought was in the 17th century," he grumbled, although as soon as he gave her hands a squeeze he relaxed himself again. Did it take practice for him to learn not to squeeze too hard with humans, she wondered. "But that thing...I think maybe it has something to do with Ikaris."

She frowned, "Sersi's ex-husband?"

He glanced around, as if Sersi would catch him talking about it and give him hell for it (they really were siblings). "We haven't heard anything from him or Ajak, not even after the blip."

So, they were aware of the blip! And by the sounds of it, none of them had blipped. Now, she shad even more questions (she had blipped, mercifully, it sounded like).

She gulped. "What does that mean for you?"

He shook his head. He didn't know either. But he was still holding her hands. "I-I don't know. But, Thena-"

She leaned in, tilting her head up to kiss him. It wasn't their first kiss, by any means, but it felt just as significant.

When she leaned back, Gil had the most grave look she had ever seen on his face. "Tell me that wasn't a goodbye kiss."

She wasn't entirely sure, in the moment. But it was not, at the very least, a petty breakup kiss. She gave his hands a squeeze of her own before stepping back. "It's a 'I-trust-you'll-tell-me-more-when-you-know-more' kiss."

That made him brighten considerably, and she was frustratingly happy to see his smile return.

"Gil?" Sersi's voice floated over to them from around the corner. "I guess we need to talk."

He made a face, as if his sister needing him was more trivial than the impending doom they had just faced. He looked away from the corner and back at her with those big brown eyes of his. But she gave him a look. He rolled his eyes, "fine."

Sersi was waiting with Dane, also hand in hand with her human. "You know what we have to do."

"Unfortunately," he grumbled. Thena nudged him; her hand was also still clasped in his. "Let's get home first, try to catch our breath, okay?"

"Not a bad idea, I think," Dane spoke up surprisingly firmly. Gil had described him as someone rather nervous, but perhaps he had an underlying confidence to him when needed.

Thena smiled at the way he kept Sersi close to him. It didn't bother him in the least that his partner was immeasurably strong and fast in comparison, perhaps not even that she was immortal. Watching them walk ahead, they were just a couple whose date had been ruined.

Her last date with Gil had been dinner after work, talking about her day, asking him about the food and what he thought. He had mentioned her meeting his sister, and his sister's new boyfriend he wasn't totally sure about. It was unfortunate that these were the circumstances under which they were actually doing so.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning close to her as they walked a few paces behind. He averted his eyes as Sersi laid her head on Dane's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she let out a breath. It looked inviting, although she wasn't sure if she and Gil were in that same place in their relationship. She wasn't sure what their relationship was anymore, entirely of her own doing.

Gil was the one to decide. He pulled his hand from hers, only so he could wrap his arm around her waist. She stumbled into him but he used the opportunity to press his lips to her forehead. "Whatever is about to come our way, I'm glad you're here with me, Thena."

She closed her eyes, relishing the small window of affection. She wasn't sure what was coming their way either. But she was here for it--she was probably a little too willing to face whatever was to come, all things considered. For someone who had told him she needed time, she had come very close to professing her love on what she had thought was her deathbed mere moments ago.

But she should probably decide if she was his girlfriend or not first. "I'm with you, Gil."

#Thenamesh Eternal/Human AU #thank you so much!!!#I'm so glad you liked it I aslo liked how this one came out #a little angst a little action y'know #Thena calls out Gil's name #and Sersi is like uh-oh I know that voice #only because Gil has shown her photos and even a video or two he's taken of them #she looks at Dane like...be right back #the two couples go back to Sersi's #Dane is hovering #being a good protective boyfriend #Gil is still like okay dude I'm watching you #Thena pulls him by the arm #stop it it's sweet #he asks her no less than a hundred times if she's okay if she's hurt at all #if she has so much as a scraped knee he wants to know about it #eventually Sersi and Dane have a good long talk #They're all snuggled up on Sersi's loveseat #Thena eventually succumbs to the adrenaline and exhaustion #Gil lays her down on Sersi's couch and drapes a blanket over her #Sersi who has been pretending to be asleep with her boyfriend #Sersi: are you going to tell her everything?#and he is #because he knows honesty is important to his human girlfriend #and he's going to make this relationship work goddammit #and if it doesn't then it's not going to be because he's not human #also he asks Sersi how she doesn't worry about Dane all the time #she says that she's just not as much as a worrywart as he is goodnight #such a brother and sister moment

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trashcanwithsprinkles · 2 months

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Do you have any Zhongli/Zhongchi fic recs? I haven’t found any that are nearly as good as yours 😔😔

funnily enough someone already asked this, but it was quite a while ago and tumblr is a mess to search old shit thru so here, this is the post this was asked during the ao3 crisis of- .......last year? i can't remember. either way, the post starts w me saying i don't have all the names and links but dw, after ao3 came back up i edited the post so you should see all authors and links in the recs.

i have to admit that for reasons unrelated to the fandom i haven't been reading many zhongchi fics as of late? so like- bear in mind i don't have an updated mental picture of any of the recs after the post was made. so if one went off the rails or if one of the WIPs finished, i'm not aware;; i also mention in the post that i'd add more recs if i had access to ao3 (which i didn't at the time bc it was down), and while that is true, it's been so long since i read any of them that i wouldn't be able to confidently reccomend them outside of 'i somewhat remember the plot and i remember liking it'. also i don't remember half of their names. so uh- yeah that's the list i think

#also there are plenty of fics that i'd have loved to recomend but that ended up either going off the rails towards the end or that just-#left me disappointed #complete tanget but what is it with people making holy angst and then completely missing the point of said angst #as in #the resolution they give to the angst is sometimes more infuriating than anything #like by that point i'm rooting to have no resolution LMAO #which is why angst resolution is always like my n°1 concern in my fics #last thing i want is for the angst to be super good and then for the resolution to leave y'all like-#that's it?#not in the sense of payoff for the angst #but in the way the issues brought up by the angst get handled #i don't want to point fingers obviously i'm not that much of an asshole #but i vividly remember a fic that set up childe being bullied horribly by a bunch of adults for something that was outside of his control #and that he couldn't have possibly known #and so he just flees bc i mean poor guy i'd flee as well. plus they backed him into a corner with no other way out #like- think public proposal except childe didn't even know he was dating zhongli. and when he was confused about it #all the onlookers started berating him for being stupid #which like- it's one thing being dense. and it's another thing being unable to communicate w eachother (this was zl's fault)#anyway. so he flees. the resolution to the angst is him getting dragged (against his will) back to liyue and zhongli just saying #sorry i forgot to say i loved you please never leave idk what i'd do without you #and like off-camera he did almost kill the 'onlookers' that bullied childe #but like #that's it #there's no further apologies from everyone; childe retains no issues from a highly traumatic event (it was portrayed that way);#everything is solved by zl saying actually i love you if you leave i'm gonna be depressed forever #like????????????????????????#obviously i'm being very vague about it #that's not exactly how it goes in the fic #don't want to throw hate at it the rest of it was really good #it just left me with a growing dread of 'this isn't going to be handled well by the author isn't it' as it went on

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velvetvexations · 4 months

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Granted I do have one thing I've told exactly two people because I'm beyond terrified of it being so cringe as to lower people's respect for me by a significant amount. Like, it's nothing illegal or even illegal adjacent, nothing sexual or anything like that, literally just cringe.

But like, I think if I told you (I'm not going to tell you) you'd be like "oh, yeah, yeah, it makes total sense to be scared of that, obviously, damn."

#I'm mostly just musing rn more than angsting #but getting a small following has been great but also made this specific thing worse #because I can't bear the thought of losing one single person who currently likes me #like if you come into my inbox like hey I'd be okay with you that's good sure it wouldn't mean nothing #but literally I feel like I need every one of my followers to sign a contract swearing it couldn't possibly make them see me any different #if I were to be open about it #and so much of my interaction with my followers being through anons makes that yet more difficult #because I'd have no way of knowing which of the lovely people who've told me such nice things I may have potentially lost #it fills me with indescribable horror to even think about

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sysig · 5 months

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I hope you blink before I do (Patreon)

#Doodles #SCII #Helix #ZEX #DAX #Blood #Fuck you *reinjects romance into your song about love-lost*#It's the ''I want to be the one to lay you to rest'' of it all #Or if not that then at least to be the last one suffering #See him off - make sure he goes knowing that he's not alone #I'm Fine just Don't Look at me and I'll Be Fine #Schrödinger's Fine lol - I am simultaneously Fine and Not Fine until I am observed #I simply subsist largely off of angst and then whatever small scrap of comfort that can be coaxed from there hehe #I am very mean to them considering how much I want them to be happy lol #Honestly I think what would be meaner is seeing ZEX off and then somehow DAX survives alone #Night ends just as he's about to blink out and oops you're still stuck here sorry about that <3 #But I wouldn't do that to them would I?#:3c #I also think it's interesting that I started doodling this before I actually read ZEX's death - I finished it after but still!#Does he just give off gutted vibes? Canonically he's eviscerated so #And not just in the eye way - in this case it's enucleation #Did you come here for eye removal surgery puns? I don't see why you'd expect anything different *b'dm tss*#I've done way more research on eye removal than I ever expected to but now those two terms will be forever seared into my mind haha #Hhh ZEX's death was very affecting to me ;; I'll talk about it more with its accompanying doodle but really 💔#I wanted an honourable death for him - and if not that then a death where he wasn't alone - and if not that then to rest #He got one of the three ;;

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fiepige · 1 year

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Venom!Hobie Cat-Symbiote AU!

Okay so I might have made an AU of my AU...

It's based on my Venom!Hobie au but with a slightly (?) lighter tone in the sense that Hobie actually gets along well with his symbiote. Though they initially mostly get along due to shared mutural trauma... (But more about that later)

This version of the symbiote is more animalistic and usually communicates with Hobie through emotions- sorta projecting its own emotions and feelings towards him to let him know how it feels about something, though it might also communicate via single words or short sentences but that's pretty rare.

So, I'll do like I did in my original Venom!Hobie post and focus on the Design first:

Since they get along the symbiote feels safe around Hobie and thus it'll often "extend" itself outside of him and take the shape of a (freaky looking) cat - Kinda like how VENOM is able to partially seperate itself from Eddie while still being tethered to him:

Like this but they actually get along and the symbiote looks kinda like this:

(Once again- I CANNOT draw but the brainrot is stronger so I need to share this)

(I didn't draw the symbiote goo that would extend from it to tether it to Hobie but it's there I swear!)

Since this is Spider-Punk's symbiote I wanted some of the spikes to carry over in this design

I haven't quite decided if it should have the "running-mascara" look (buttom drawing) for its eyes like Spider-Punk's mask has or not so lemme know what you guys think?

The spikes are used as a way for it to communicate to others as a way to make its body language more expressive (though it only shows itself around people it really trusts so it rarely uses them as it still just communicates its emotions directly to Hobie when it needs to)

And like with Venom!Hobie the spikes are reminiscent of symbiote teeth

When it's relaxed/happy the spikes will be pressed down towards its body - making it easy to pet- if somebody would dare approach it that is

Hobie pets it a lot as it usually sits on his shoulder when he walks around (when there's nobody around that is)

The symbiote is still made of the same goo as regular symbiotes so it does not feel like petting a cat at all- Hobie doesn't mind but most other people find it rather unpleasant to touch

The "fuzzy" look is just the symbiote goo trying to imitate cat fur

The reason the symbiote takes this form is partially because it's more animalistic and likes physical affection (from people it trusts, it will bite your hand off if it doesn't like/trust you and you try to pet it) and partially because Hobie is a cat person and it used it as a method to make Hobie like it more when they first "met" + petting it helped Hobie calm down and still does

It's gotten pretty good at mimicking cat noises including purring

It'll usually stay on Hobie's shoulder or sit in his lap like this, it's still tethered to him so it can't go that far without him - not that it really wants to anyways

If it likes someone it'll rub itself against their legs and mimic purring noises

Okay now we move on to the

Origin:

This is my current headcanon for this AU but as always feel free to share your thoughts/ideas/inputs if you have any <3

Hobie and the symbiote "met" at one of Oscorp's labs

Hobie was living as a homeless teen (13-14 years old having escaped an abusive household a few months prior) and was captured by Oscorp to be used for their symbiote experimentations

Hobie was an easy target as he had just been bitten by the radioactive spider a few hours prior and thus he was starting to suffer from the fever the bite gave him

Hobie was to be fused with a new kind of symbiote

The symbiote had been made to make people more susceptible to orders- making them less inclined to think for themselves

But in order to make that possible the symbiote had been put through some rather painful and extreme experiments- making it more "dead" than alive at this point

When it's fused with Hobie, who's still very sick at this point, the spider bite is still working its magic on Hobie's body and thus it also partially heals the symbiote

Both Hobie and the symbiote are terrified of their situation as they're put in holding cells made specifically for symbiotes.- Their only comfort is each other.

The symbiote takes on the cat like appearance to soothe Hobie after being subjects to a particularly bad experiment

Since Hobie's gotten powers from both the spider bite and the symbiote they quickly become the subjects for many inhumane and painful experiments as the scientists futilely try to figure out how to replicate the symbiote (as they're unaware of the spider bite, thinking the symbiote alone is behind Hobie's new powers)

Due to the symbiote Hobie develops a taste for human flesh

And he gets his first taste of it as he manages to escape the lab during one of their many tests- killing as many guards and scientists on their way out as possible. (This is also the first time they fully transform into Venom!Hobie)

He would later return and burn the lab down completely.

As a result of their treatment at the lab + Hobie's past with his abusive family, both him and the symbiote have developed a deep distrust to other people.

Which is also why Hobie isn't trying to get rid of the symbiote, he considers it his only friend for a long time.

Hobie still loves playing music (which is also how he eventually makes new friends) but has had to make some adjustments due to the symbiote, thus he usually uses both earplugs and noise cancelling earmuffs when he's playing and even then he still gets migraines if he plays for too long or too loud

He still craves human flesh and will usually target cops or anyone associated with Oscorp to sate his hunger.

He doesn't feel bad about killing but will still try not to harm civilians (emphasis on try- sometimes the hunger gets the best of him)

He still operates as Spider-Punk but for a long time he's mostly fueled by his hatred for Oscorp and how they treated him and the symbiote

But as he slowly learns to open up to people he starts to shift his focus onto figting to help people and make the city safer (which means he'll still target cops and Oscorp employees but that's not his only focus anymore) (he also makes an effort to actually save civilians at this point)

Though due to the symbiote and their past this version of Spider-Punk is more prone to just straight up killing his villains (+ he still gotta eat right?)

But I'd like to imagine that this version of Hobie also finds his own community who help him out and accept both him and the symbiote

Giving them kind of a "happy" ending despite this version of Hobie being more messed up and unhinged...

Once again this turned out way longer than I intended lol (I just can't shut up about Venom!Hobie, the brainrot is real!)

Thank you so much for reading!!! <3 <3 <3

(And please let me know if you have any thoughts/inputs/questions about anything I wrote! The brainrot is real and I'll never get tired of talking about this guy)

Also click here if you wanna read more about my Venom!Hobie concept <3

#I'm realising I basically wrote a small fic in the origins section lol #might turn it into a full fic one day? not sure since I kinda spoiled a lot of it here ^^'#will I ever be able to shut up about Venom!Hobie?#no.#I love this guy so much #I could talk about them forever #this was just supposed to just be a short post about the cat symbiote #but I love stuff like this #speculating and coming up with different stories like this is so much fun #especially if they have a lot of ANGST #and yes I know the lab experiment trope has been used a thousand times before but there's a reason behind that!#if it ain't broke don't fix it #also this was the only scenario I could come up with were Hobie would actually bond with his symbiote lol #cause shared trauma <3 #but I'd love to hear from you guys if you have other ideas!#please #I wanna talk about my boy <3 #also this isn't my official headcanon for Venom!Hobie #just a fun au of my au lol #cause I wanted hobie to have a symbiote cat #and that led to all this #also sorry if there's any spelling mistakes or erros but it's literally almost 2 am here lol #I am TIRED #but I wanted to finish this post before I went to bed so here you are <3 #venom!hobie #hobie brown #spider punk #venom hobie #cat symbiote #spider man across the spider verse

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