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poorly-drawn-mdzs · 5 months

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Call that a Cave Story.

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#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #wen chao #wang lingjiao #mianmian #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #I had to cut the comic with JC 'holding WWX back from fighting the Wen Assholes' but it is with me in spirit.#It reads (to me) a little bit like JC is scared of Core Melting Hand and wants to have an excuse to hold on to WWX for comfort.#As far as I can recall they are around 15-17 in this arc.#And a guy who can rip out your golden core? The thing we know JC truly puts so much weight upon that he feels meaningless without it?#Yeah that's pretty terrifying. I hope WWX hugs back (he will not)#I have a lot more thoughts on Wang Lingjiao and Mianmian but I will keep them for later.#WLJ is a character I feel got done a little dirty because she has a ton of interesting potential that gets pushed aside for Mean Villainess #Let's be fully honest. Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao are *THE* characters the Protag of one of those 'Reincarnated as the villain!' stories #Set up to be assholes to the main character and meeting a horrible end in retribution.#Do you think MXTX thought about that? How Wen Chao is basically the original Shen QiugQiu?#Who's going to be the brave soul who writes A transmigrator in wen chao's body (accidently makes wwx fall in love with him) story?#Though If we are going with “any mxtx character sho dies transmigrates to another book” WHO is the transmigrator?#Hear me out. I think it should be Original Liu Qingge. I think he and wwx would make a funny duo and I want to see it so bad.#AND the contrast of womanizer Wen Chao VS 'What is a woman' LQG.

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urproblematicfav-arsonk · 7 months

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I have a new essay for everyone its called "OFMD S2 is an insult to Con O'Neill both as a person and his legacy in his acting career as a queer man"

Like, this man did not spend his ENTIRE FUCKING CAREER playing almost exclusively openly queer or heavily, heavily coded queer characters to be treated like this??? In fucking 2023??????? He got better, more queer happy endings in the 80s and 2000s, the fuck?

I think it's incredibly telling that David felt like he had to hide what he was doing with Iz' character arc from Con till it was too late in filming. Hey, hey David? What did you think he was gonna do if he knew beforehand what was happening?? David? David do you think he would've walked? Do you think he would've used his leverage both as the fan favorite and integral part of the story to demand BETTER from you and everyone else writing the show?

Con has been making queer art since the fucking 80s when he was in his 20s. He has openly talked about trans rights and the fight against homophobia that we have been fighting for years and decades. I can't imagine what kind of push back he had to deal with to get all the gay shit he was doing to come to fruition. I can guarantee that at least part of the reason he doesn't have as big of a career as he absolutely deserves is because of how openly queer he has been since the start. I think if Con had been allowed to have some input in the direction of Izzy's character that something like this wouldn't have happened, at least not this messily and uncompassionate.

I legit can't imagine how fucked he must've felt after being given the genuinely very beautiful Unicorn scene and then be casually taken aside and told "lolol anyway Izzy is gonna die now, without love and without the acceptance he had already been given". But at least he was given a cuddle????

Anyway watch Dancin' Thru The Dark. Its on YouTube and it's about an openly genderqueer/bi man who goes on a sad but fun music adventure and it's actually really really good. Con sings and its a fucking bop AND he doesn't die at the end or watch Bedrooms And Hallways, it's a fun romcom about a found family of all queer people doing stupid gay shit. Also you can see Hugo Weaving's entire dick and balls in one scene and if that's not better gay rep then ofmd s2 then idk what is

#i did not fall in love with a gay man who lives in another country from me and is 10 years older then my dad to be treated this way David #how dare #i think we should do what s4 of castlevania did which is act as if s3 just didn't happen in the first place #ofmd s2 isn't canon #idk what ur talking about isnt ofmd s2 just izzy gets wrecked on ao3??#poor Con #he was in a lot of pain dealing with that prosthetic and this is the end result of all that work?#i hope my husband is doing good now and gets better queer roles #ofmd spoilers #ofmd s2 spoilers #our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd season 2 #izzy hands #con o'neill

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transingthoseformers · 1 month

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#sg megatron is an outlier and we should acknowledge that #but i mean megatron in general— which do you prefer?#by fall from grace i mean ANY situation where good guy megatron -> bad guy Megatron #I'm trying to be incredibly vague so i can see people's responses #i_ personally_ have a love for redemption arc megatron_ regardless of if he was good pre-war or still a shithead #maccadam #transformers #Megatron #hope i worded this right

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sunshinediaz · 8 months

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wip wednesday 🫧

hi <3 i was tagged by @giddyupbuck, @fortheloveofbuddie, @wikiangela, and @daffi-990 mwah thank you all so much!

i've been working on the heart attack fic, so have a little something sweet before it all goes sour

Eventually, Eddie and Albert return from their search. Albert sidles up next to Buck and grabs hold of the hose, offering support, while Eddie jerks hard on Buck’s turnout to spin him around. Buck notices he’s not wearing his oxygen mask or air tank and immediately starts fussing. Eddie accepts Buck’s fretting with a dirty, crooked smile. “Gave my tank to one of the victims,” he says. “I’m going to triage for some oxygen.” Buck’s chest tightens and he squeezes Eddie’s shoulder. “You okay?” he asks, a half yell. Their radios aren’t needed; they’re close enough to read one another’s lips. “Yeah,” Eddie answers, frowning. Buck can see his tight lips and pinched forehead, a crinkle in the middle of his brow, and it’s equal parts endearing and worrisome. “Just—can’t take a deep breath. Air’s hot.” “Are you—” “Just out of air,” Eddie interrupts, smiling softly. He tugs on Buck’s turnout again, something he must’ve picked up from Chris, and Buck steps impossibly closer, knees knocking into Eddie’s. “I’m okay.” Buck nods, as placated as he’s going to be. “Be careful.” He squeezes Eddie’s shoulder once again before dropping his hand. “Follow the hose.” “I will.” Eddie’s smile grows, crooked and bright. He fists Buck’s turnout and pulls him close, butting his forehead against the visor of Buck’s mask like an affectionate dog. “See you out there, cowboy.” Dazed, a little mesmerized and a lot in love, Buck watches Eddie follow the hose carefully, quickly, until his figure’s concealed by smoke and he alerts over the radio he’s made it outside. He shakes his head, clears the warm fuzzy feeling Eddie always seems to cultivate when he’s sweet, and gets back to work. Albert nudges his shoulder. “What was that about?” Buck grins, cheeks hot. “I’ll tell you when you’re older,” he replies, chuckling at Albert and Hen’s twin bark of laughter.

no pressure tagging @eddiebabygirldiaz, @eddiediaztho, @callmenewbie, @wildlife4life, @watchyourbuck, @disasterbuckdiaz, @rogerzsteven, @thewolvesof1998, @folk-fae, @hippolotamus, @loserdiaz, @honestlydarkprincess, @made-ofmemories, and @mysteriouslyyounggalaxy, and anybody else!!

#if i put some work into this fic i might have it finished in a week #because it's kind of heavy? but also. buck gets to be mean and angry and i really REALLY like that so who knows #might even finish it by saturday but don't get your hopes up i am sore and achy and doing my best not to fall asleep right now #in other news it has a happy ending #and ALSO this is my first time writing from buck's pov???? he's different than eddie but not uncomfortable so we're on the right track #also ALSO i get to write chim and hen being a big brother and sister to buck and eddie and that's fun like why don't we take advantage more #something something eddie's the oldest child and grandchild so he's never been a younger brother but he is with hen and chim #they love him a lot :')#i'm gonna make myself mushy ugh #tag games

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boxwinebaddie · 13 days

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hi uncle nina! it's my birthday today and u don't have but will u pretty plz consider reposting that part of ch6 of rm where raven in on the phone with kenny b4 his hate with jers? i thought it was super cute and i really wanted to read it :3

awwww, happy birthday, darling! i hope it's as lovely as you are!

and i--sigh.

okay.

i hate complicated feelings surrounding chapter six ( aka the introduction to the iconique ravesey hate that i deleted from stress ) because i actually did love it...i just rushed the hell out of it, didn't plan it out very well and it was a mess. it could have been a lot better.

part of why i deleted it was actually because of that ravenstan/kenny phonecall because i felt worried that i revealed too much about how not cool and actually boy-failure-y stan was too early and could have kept the suspense going longer but aaaaaa i just wanted y'all to see how CUTE he was, like??? and how nervous! AAAA!!!

buuut considering the cat has been out of the bag, or rather, the raven has flown the nest for some time now...and it's the beauteous day you were born...i will humbly present you with this b-day present in the form of my incompetent idiot girl ramblings/writings, though, i fear it is not at all as grand the gift of your life is.

so, without further ado darlings, here is the endearing, embarrassing phone call ( it was over discord actually ) that ravenstan had with kenny prior to showing up to blondie's for his little hate-date with jerseykyle. it's a mess and unedited, but regardless, please know that from whatever hurts or harms you, i hope you heal, please rem(ember) to smile, pendejos,

and to now, as always, angels:

please enjoy the very, very...

worst part of your day. ;)

-uncle nina <333

#hlkshdlf i am self concious about this #but it is your birthday and rs was very cute in it #it's also your birthday and you deserve to celebrate #it is a momentous occasion my love! so heres some pre-hate #again idk what this really sounds like i have not read it since i wrote it and hit and run posted it on ao3 #but smh can u feel kens jealous rage thru the phone disguised as thinly veiled teasing i am crying fml sorry kenny #its ok i give them the gift of marjorine very soon i swear #but oh my god stan is so stinking cute!!! it was too early but all we had was mean scary jersey pov and only really saw raven #as a massive smarmy rockstar assholes with glimmers of his humanity coming through a rare awkward stammer #and hes actually gods sweet fucking angel shdlskd anyways this reveal was much more iconic when u didn't know that #but i hope u enjoy this sorry its not the best also everyone say we love u raven hes gonna throw up deadass the whole time #stans fkn catboy gamerboy headphones i love him so bad in his lil suit and his combat boots and his blonde ass hair #KENNY WAS BEING SO OUT OF POCKET AND NASTY also i was a little too nasty in this im sorry ew go to jail nina #mans was thinking abt jerseys lawyer voice TOO MUCH #the light cartman and chef reveal...very spicy to me xx #ravenstan is so hey baby i heard you like bad boys...well i'm bad at everything ;) *winks and leans seductively and falls over*#i love the stannish half mexican stan my beloved <333

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fisheito · 23 days

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If you want actually good BL reccs, I've been reading Cherry Magic recently and it's v sweet.

I also read this other one a while ago that was wholesome in a weird way: "My quiet best friend's just tongue-tied"

dude do u know what this ask feels like? like... me: *puts down the toxic high school BL midway through* *heavy sigh* *takes a swig of lavender lemonade* why tf all these yaois so damm .. i don't know. sigh. this is a young man's game. maybe i'm not fit for this no mores anon: hey so i heard u like wholesome and probably not teens *slides recs over* me: either i am unbelievably easy to read or you're just a seasoned BL sommelier. thank u dearly, anon

#not nu🦀#i am having a very good time with cherry magic rn #i read the tongue-tied one first bc i liked the look of the art more #and it was shorter. so. i figured i could finish it quick *rubs palms*#BUT DUDE i see what you mean by 'weird wholesome' for that one #because there were several times when i was side-eyeing severely. they about to make me walk away..#and even more times i wanted to slap protag upside the head #IDIOCY AND IGNORANCE HAVE THEIR LIMITS. YOU ARE BEYOND HOPE #but i still finished it which means that ur rec was COMPLETED and thus a SUCCESS #then i looked at cherry magic like. hm. idk bro. this art isn't really jamming with me #(2.6 minutes later) DUDE I LOVE THIS IT IS LIGHTING UP MY LIFE AND REINVIGORATING MY ANCIENT JOINTS #it is also much longer than i expected. which is GREAT bc then i get more silly 30 year olds falling in doki #me ringing the bell like um. excuse me. when do i get my wizard powers? or does (XYZ) count as *censored* and thus disqualify me? 😂#today i confirm that i should trust internet anon instead of my local library. er. at least regarding gay little love stories #i say CONFIRM because i done knew. but. well. we can learn the same thing over and over i guess #asks

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munamania · 5 months

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ok im a really chill and normal person and i get over things and am well adjusted but take a walk with me here. just give me my time to complain when im not in the absolute fucking trenches. and yes i believe i suffered more than those in trench warfare. it was literally a lesbian situationship with a bistraight girl come on. just. magenta choppy shag with the roots coming in. camo cargo pants black t shirt with red lettering and striped long sleeve (sign someone likes music. confirmed). lip ring big black stud earrings and nails. red docs. i think lesbians should be allowed to kill one dyke baiter in their lifetime idc

#and now we're gonna get into some quiet parts and youre just gonna let me have this #i. am so sick. first of all it was kinda funny how people ik ended up sorta surrounding her. felt good. but like we've shared a space #together since everything. i can like be in her presence it's seriously fine. that said. i do sometimes miss her #i say this after going through the really hating her guts period bc of her evil evil evil ways. and feeling like she's lame as hell bc she #s. but i mean it's me talking i have my problems too. i Hate the way we always so naturally act in sync. and i hate that we've both picked #each others' brains for hours so it's like. i knew you once and now we can't even look each other in the eye and that just really sucks #and i feel like. not that i strictly believe in these things. but we were sort of twin flames. i largely suffered for like. basically #falling in love w her. and i know i didn't leave as much of a mark. but i still hope it sucked a little for her #and i'll admit i think it'd be some sort of miracle if we could ever talk civilly. unfortunately we work in two ways #literally behaving in Ways and borderline fucking or not speaking. so. here we are #and i already humiliatingly tried to extend an olive branch this summer so im not gonna be fucking stupid. yk #but GOD how annoying. i did talk to situationship today and we were relatively normal so at least that's not deathly awkward #it's still. definitely um. stiff. but not terrible #i need to get to the club. pretend theres a cig emoji im on desktop rn #sorry for this.#film girl saga

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hollow-indigo · 6 months

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WHEN THE GASTER IS COZY

BOTTOM TEXT

fun facts as usual

His sweater is a poison-type themed pokémon sweater that Alphys got for him on giftmas. He just likes it because he thinks the pattern is neat. He does not know what pokémon is.

He’s better at working alone than with people, but won’t complain if he needs to, he’ll just not be the best at communication.

He supports his children as much as he physically can.

He used to have a bad habit of smoking, however he now instead blows bubbles when he’s stressed and needs a break. Sometimes he needs to be reminded that he’s trying to quit smoking.

He often checks on Chara and Frisk to make sure there’s no severe complications with each only having half a soul, and to make sure the flowers growing from Chara aren’t causing too much issue.

#hollow indigo #undertale #undertale au #undertale oc #indigo’s cozy!tale #indigo’s refs #Gaster undertale #undertale gaster #this is probably the first time i’ve drawn a gaster who cares about his children honestly #this gaster is just a dork tbh #big ol nerd #and we love him for it #he’s also the type to 100% fall for every “updog” “deez nuts” etc type joke #I only added the pokémon details on the sweater bc I thought his design looked too boring for a cozytale character #speaking of cozytale of course #guess who’s making another spotify playlist-#i’ve been meaning to make better art for the spotify playlist’s tbh #because I wanna do something similar to the thing Darkyxsoulzyxcaliber did (not sure if that’s what their username is spelled like-(#really cool artist btw #their “blue and the bad sanses” comic inspires a lot of my interpretations of characters and such #including dream #you’d know if you’ve read the comic #I hope this is enough tags to prompt the “see more/see all” tags thing…#secret spoiler-ish fact: … he doesn’t only have 2 children. there will be more.

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taeyungie · 8 months

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😺

#i haven't addressed yoongi's situation yet because i'm honestly still not hit by it i guess. like it didnt gwt to me yet #i dont think ill ever love anyone the same as i love him you know what i mean #he has been the first reason of my self development. like he literally raised me??? i learned from him how to be the person i am today #and its like im saying goodbye to a family member. the thing is i have never griefed anyone's absence like this #its like a part of my soul will be missing until he comes back #but at the same time i know what he would want for me. to move on and to become my own reason #he would want me to be kind to myself. to focus on myself and not miss him that much.#he would want that for all of us right #but i have a very hard time processing things. do you guys remeber the festa last year? when we found out theyll be going on hiatus #the reality of it snd the fact that it will be happening hit me onky after around 3 months.#thats when i first cried because i realized what it meant. ofc i knew but it didnt occur to the emotional part of my brain at that time #and i feel like im truly gonna fall apart when THIS hits me in 3 months lol #my life has never been worse and thats honestly the time when i need the reassurance the most #when i need the people i love and find comfort in the most.#but its just me and thats technically just my problem. but since i am talking about my view on this then thats okay i guess hahah anyway #i just hope he knows there are milions of ppl who love him as much as i do. and thats like extra love like forever & beyond type of shit #i honestly dont think other people ever truly fully understand how we feel towards them. especially when you really love somebody #because they have their own opinions about themselves. they debate whether they deserve some kind of treatment or not. we all do that right #and i just know he does that too. i just reslly want him to feel completely loved and cherished and appreciated.#i want him to see himself through our eyes. to surround himself with people who see him exactly the way we do.#to fall in love with somebody who will see him like we see him #nobody deserves better life than this man. and i hope that after our reunion he will live that life to the fullest 💓 i can't wait to see it #anyway. if somebody needs to talk about it or wants to get sadness out of your system - im here 💓#please keep your heads up and lets wait for him 💓#we have esch other and we will be okay 💓#sorry for typos i can barely see its 1am 🤓

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elles-home · 10 days

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during lockdown a girl three timezones away drew me a watercolour painting of the ocean because i wouldnt shut up about how much i missed the sea and i dont think i ever fell out of that love

#she was so mean to me but she drew me a watercolour painting #what choice did i have besides falling in love immediately #elle rambles #we are not in contact anymore and it makes me sad i hope she's living a wonderful life

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hassianlovebot · 8 months

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i wanted to say thank you for your nice comment on my tamala gifset.. i was legit scared i'd get nothing but negative comments since the majority of fans seem to hate her

oh no problem! your set was beautiful!!

and yeah i get what you mean. i mean,, i guess i kind of understand the hate but some of it seems so,, weird too? like hassian is my favorite character my special little blorbo even, and tamala leading him on and breaking his heart like that sucks no doubt!! but also like,,, i support women's rights and women's wrongs!!! she's hot!!!!!

ajkdhg but seriously even beyond her being really attractive, i think she's also really interesting and i'm hoping that the devs have more planned for her! her using magic is SO interesting and i can't believe some people are ignoring that just because of what happened between her and hassian! i mean don't get me wrong, people are allowed to dislike characters, it's all fiction it's whatever yknow? but i also kind of thought people got past that whole "if a character is evil or morally not the best, that means you can't like them or you're fucked up" like,,, what happened to liking hot lady villains 🤨

#i mean she's not Really a villain but you get what i mean #i really really hope the devs dont change their plans for her just because people dont like her though #whether that means making her an actual villain or getting rid of any future plot lines with her #like... isolated witch in the woods using illegal magic you can't convince me she's not important to the story???#also not to be That person but some of it seems so misogynistic too like ajdhg #was leading him on wrong? absolutely! but did she need to commit to a relationship with a guy she didn't love? no???#its so weird to me that some people think she shouldve just agreed to be with him like dude...#answered #but anyway try not to worry so much!! ive seen a lot of tamala likers on tumblr!!#ive def seen some haters too to be fair but i feel like Most people will just ignore her content and not leave mean comments #unlike some places (ahem reddit)#im not saying that every single tamala hater is misogynistic btw im just saying some of the hate definitely is #i think since so many fans like hassian and we were introduced to him first its natural that people would prefer him #but the hate she gets for literally just.. wanting a fling is so weird #like its not her fault hassian falls hard?? and its not his fault that she doesn't??#could she have let him down nicely oh yeah def but she did Not need to just agree that logic is Insane to me #oh god im rambling now oops #aldgh #Anyway always happy to see another tamala enjoyer!!

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masked-and-doomed · 24 hours

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Fucked up that most people's first time seeing the Conclave (in Sign rather than Vastedge) they're there. For some time. And then fucking die. Like yeah you're relevant to the whole fucking world of guilty gear. Skill issue tho, should've planned this better after nearly 200 years. Bye bye. Now let's move on !

At least Chronus has that one moment in Rev where he broke out Asuka... He did play a good background support role. Claps for Chronus. 👏

I wonder if Libraria would have done the same thing if she followed Chronus' words and took the Conclave's dream on her shoulders, being the one to live through it....

#nO FAIR. *slams fist into table* WHY DO I FALL IN LOVE WITH THE BITCHES THAT HAVE MINIMAL CHARACTER SHOWN. SAD.#i think they're so loser and so cool. my lambs. i need them.#like. ariels is unrestrained for most of her screen time. and that tends to show a lot a lot of her. and you're able to infer quite a bit.#the. the shadow wizard money gang? they're there going 'ahh yes the plan to help humanity' and yeah. but they're professional abt it.#we get to see their vulnerable selves for soo little. I wanna write a fic of them currently and-#honestly. really trying to figure out these bitches. *lays on the ground bleeding.* save me conclave.. who are you...#they are literally wearing masks and I'm peering through the window trying hard to see glimpses of who they are as people.#as much as baldias taunts to sol in vastedge he IS there in the conclave to help humanity. like. that is a thing.#maybe he doesn't actually fully believe in it like chronus did. but he's still present despite being such an asshole.#i mean. they're all assholes. considering the betrayal to humanity they pulled.#grips my hair. ohh these fucking guys.#running myself in circles. i have to expand upon them.#i hope i can make them as 'in character' as they cluld be with what little we've seen..#guilty gear #conclave guilty gear #ah rambling

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softquietsteadylove · 1 year

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This is so niche, but I just watched Water for Elephants and I can’t stop thinking about a thenamesh circus au! So here’s my prompt: Thena is the star of the show, married to the cruel ringmaster who thinks he owns her. Then lo and behold, a certain sweet handsome and strong stable hand shows up and OBVIOUSLY they fall in love!!! Do whatever you’d like to with that LOL but let the drama and angst ensue

"Thanks for the help, Gil," two of the stage hands waved to him as they continued breaking down the ring and its rigging.

"Any time, guys," Gil waved back. He was the newest addition to the crew of the travelling circus. He really got the impression that the ring leader didn't actually want to hire him, but that it was his wife - the star headliner - who actually wanted to.

The animals needed proper veterinary care, not just Kro looking at them and saying that they could do the show until they died. No one really argued with the boss, except Thena.

No one knew how the stunning trapeze artist ended up marrying such a monster of a man. His story was that they met young and fell in love and he whisked her away to pursue their dreams together. It didn't take a genius to know that it was clearly only half of the story. But she was his wife, and the shining star of their travelling circus. So what Thena said was top priority.

Gil had spoken with her a few times while taking care of the animals. She cared for them very deeply, which warmed his heart. Especially in comparison to how Kro viewed them as nothing but walking dollar signs.

"We can get a few more shows out of it!"

"He has a bad leg!"

"Y'know when it can rest? When it's dead!"

Gil frowned, moving away from the walkway back to his personal train car and off to the side of things. It was dark out, with only the glow of their work lamps lighting things. But he could see that head of sparkling blonde hair anywhere.

"Move," Kro snarled, whether she was his wife or not. The white horse was cowering behind her.

"No," she stood against him, although he had no problem grabbing her for it. She leaned her face away from his. His hands gripped her arms, easily encircling her lithe and delicate muscles. "Stop it."

"Are you choosing a horse over me," he kept his eyes on her as he leaned into her space, "dearest?"

Thena was tough--she never had any problem with Kro's temper whenever he had a fit during rehearsal or when they were setting up. But it would be a lie to say she didn't have a certain shiver in her when he called her that. "No."

"Hey!"

Gil only realised he had said anything when the arguing couple turned towards him. He gripped his satchel in his hand but walked closer. He told himself to stay the course as Kro at least let go of Thena and stepped away from her.

"You say something?" the ring leader glared at him. Gil was not a small man, but this beast was something else. Gil often caught himself wondering if he ever ended up accidentally hurting his incredibly delicate - incredibly beautiful - wife.

"S-Sorry," Gil cleared his throat, dipping his head slightly to look up at him more. The ring leader liked flattery and feeling like he was the king of them all. "I just...I saw Angus and wondered if you needed a hand with anything."

"Mind your own, Vet," Kro snapped at him, straightening out his red performing jacket.

"No, Gil, wait!" Thena rushed, reaching out and pulling him towards her and the horse. "Angus' leg--it will heal, won't it?"

Her eyes were so, so green.

"The beast is gettin' sold to the factories by the third stop this week," Kro argued immediately.

"Gil, please," Thena pleaded again, although Kro's eyes moved to how her hands had moved to grip his sleeve. She pulled them back to herself, still standing in front of the quivering horse.

"Uh," he gulped. Horse's were fragile in the legs, and he couldn't guarantee the healing would happen quickly. But he looked from Thena to Kro, who looked ready to aim between poor Angus' eyes here and now. Gil nodded, "y-yeah. Angus is pretty young. With what it would cost to get a new horse and teach it the routine, you might as well just let Angus rest for the next two shows, three--tops!"

Kro huffed, already plenty angered just for having to argue about it. He straightened up to his full height again, looking down at Gil, "three shows?"

Gil crossed his fingers behind his back, "three shows."

"Fine, the beast lives."

Thena reached behind her, patting Angus' mane between his ears.

"But if it's any more than that," Kro glared at Gil in particular, leaning his head closer as he began walking away, "you'll put him down yourself."

"Yes, sir," Gil nodded. He could do that much; if anything, it would be kinder than however Kro would do it, he was sure.

Kro looked over his shoulder after a second, eyeing Thena. "I'll be waiting...dearest."

There was that shiver, "yes, dear."

Gil waited until Kro was moving away again to go over to her, "are you okay?"

She rubbed her hands over her bare arms, still in her sparkly - and sparse - performing costume. "I'm fine."

Gil had his doubts about that, but there wasn't much of anything he could actually do about it. He nodded, moving to take Angus' bridle in hand gently. "Does...he wasn't hurting you, was he?--when I came out here?"

Thena smiled at him, although there was something awfully morose about it. It looked like a smile, but it felt like she was crying. "No, Gil. He wasn't hurting me."

Gil gripped the leather straps tighter. Whether he believed that or not, if there ever came a day when he could no longer take the words at face value...

Thena took a step forward, making him even more aware of how ghostly she was. She was such a shining star when she was up on the high wires. But she was just a little thing, up close and personal. "Don't let him catch you worrying about me. He'll throw you from the train without hesitation."

Gil believed that too. But he also believed that if he ever saw that beast being too rough with her, he wouldn't be holding himself responsible for his actions. "I'll be sure to hide it from him, Miss."

Thena smiled, maybe even laughed to herself, and his heart twisted even more in his chest. She had such a pretty smile. "Take care of Angus for me, Gilgamesh? He'll need his rest for the next few days."

"'Course, Miss," Gil responded automatically, although he didn't take a single breath as Thena's hand just barely brushed over his as she stepped away and made her way back to the luxury sleeper car she and the ring leader shared.

She and her husband.

Gil turned to the horse, who was exhausted after just barely completing the show on an injured leg. "C'mon, boy, let's get you some calcium and a brace. Miss Thena's counting on you."