#she'll accept the fruit but everything else you can piss off

[softquietsteadylove]

I’m sure that Thena loves Gil’s feathers in the Maleficent AU. Maybe you can do soft moments where Thena observes his feathers and wings without Gil’s knowledge? <3

"Thena!"

"Hm?" she blinked, looking over at Ikaris who huffed through his teeth in annoyance. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you are sure about this," Ikaris nodded his head at their younger brother, very visibly, very publically, offering Makkari a little trinket upon her return to the nest.

"Sure about what?" Thena mumbled, her eyes on the head of the guard, walking further into the nest from the stormy weather outside and flapping his sodden wings with displeasure. "We have known from the beginning that Druig was taken with that sentry. I think they make a very sweet pair."

"We do not live here, Thena."

"Don't we?" she countered, finally giving her brother the benefit of seeing how serious her expression was. "We have already extended our stay, brother. Druig is very happy with Makkari, and I believe you too have found companionship in Ajak's ambassador."

Ikaris flushed, whether by guilt or anger at her needling him. Or perhaps it was a truly emotional response to the bringing up of Sersi. "She is...pleasant. But I never would have expected to ground you and Druig here because of it."

"Do you think he does?" Thena argued again, gesturing to how Druig, thorny and disagreeable in nature, offered sweet and gentle smiles to the quick winged flyer. Her scarlet red feathers complimented Druig's pitch black ones.

They were different from Gilgamesh's, whose feathers were iridescent and dark, with earthy brown undertones.

Ikaris looked at her, "you want to stay."

"I wish for Druig to be happy." It was far easier to say that than thinking about any particular reasons she had for delaying their departure again and again and again.

Gilgamesh flapped his wings a little before walking further into the nest.

"And I do wish the same for you," Thena gave Ikaris a look that made him roll his eyes. She flicked his wing, "against my better judgement."

With that, she took off, letting her wings guide her gently down from the loft of her observations to the floor of one of the many entrances. She walked quietly, keeping her feathers from dragging behind her as she followed the captain of the guard into the mothernest's twisting tunnels.

"Gil?"

He turned, surprised at first but then offering her one of his very warm smiles he had.

"How was your flight?" she asked, regarding his still dripping and somewhat bedraggled wings. "Is the storm coming in fast?"

He nodded with a sigh, his wings sitting heavy behind him. "I think so. It'll be on us by tonight, from what Kingo spotted."

"Let me see."

Gil blinked, not catching on at first that she meant his wings, and their current condition. He fussed, "n-no, it's okay, really, I'm just-"

"Gilgamesh," Thena pursed her lips at him. Was he really embarrassed of his ruffled wings, like a young fledgeling. "I'm sure you need help at least with your pinfeathers. Allow me."

Gil simply went quiet as she took the liberty of turning him by the shoulders and examining his wings. He cleared his throat, "I, uh, guess you saw Druig and Kari."

Thena smiled as she brushed some of the beading dew off his shimmering feathers. "Indeed I did. I was the one who advised him on presenting her with something upon her return."

"Oh really?" Gil moved his wing to try and peek at her over his shoulder.

She moved it back in place to continue her work. "I want Druig to be happy. And it seems my fledgeling brother has finally chosen a mate."

"You think it's that serious?"

She smiled at the centre of Gil's back as she plucked an errant feather barely clinging on. "I think he asked me if he should serenade her."

"Ah." Gil's shoulders moved as she continued to preen him. It was a very intimate activity by sheer merit of how sensitive one's wings were, and how vulnerable any fae's back was. "You're right, the gift is way better."

They both laughed, the gentle sound of it echoing down the corridor one way and then out the other. Thena cleared her throat, "so, if you have any advice on courting rituals here, then I'm sure I would like to know for Druig's sake."

Gilgamesh moved his wing to look at her again, "hm, nothing fancy I guess. We don't have a lot of ritual to it--you wanna court?--court. If no one objects, then fine."

How easy it sounded. Thena moved his wing between them again. "I suppose it is becoming less common to have such archaic tradition. In the Isles, the trinkets and serenading are rather standard practices of courting. Many have mellifluous voices for song."

"Do you?"

She laughed again and pulled a feather more harshly, "certainly not."

Gil's shoulders rolled again, although his wings certainly seemed relaxed with her work on them. He sighed, "me neither."

Thena raised an eyebrow, not that he could see her, "I suspect that is not true."

He looked over, now lifting up his entire wing over her head, "I guess I could serenade you to test it."

Thena blushed faintly, his feathers still in her hands. "I wasn't done!"

"Sorry, sorry," he acquiesced, turning and offering his wing to her again. "I guess I've never really tested it out."

Thena pursed her lips. "Ikaris and Druig have no voice for song either. Trinkets are a much better language for them."

"And you?"

Thena blinked, wondering if she had heard him right. It seemed impossible, given their hearing ability and the general quiet of the caverns. But even a whisper could travel through the corridors, and Gil had such a nice, gentle voice.

It was most definitely suited for song.

"Hm?" she asked in not so many words, trying to focus on plucking any loose downy feathers.

"Almost done?" he asked more firmly, his wing still between them.

"Almost," she muttered, running her fingers over the smoothed out feathers only as far as she dared. He seemed much more preened and presentable, at least. She snapped her hands away, his feather pressed between her palms. "There."

Gilgamesh turned, lifting his wing up and over her again in their tight proximity. They settled at his back, sitting higher after a nice refresher. He smiled, "thanks."

Thena looked down at the sandals on her feet. The straps were wearing from age. "Any time."

"I, uh," Gil nodded his head behind him, "should get outta these wet robes."

Thena nodded. Indeed he should. "I'll make sure there's a plate for you by the fire."

"Thanks," he repeated, with a slight change to his tone. He tilted his head at her, "I'll see you out there, I guess."

"Right," she smiled, taking a half a step back from him. Her wings trembled nervously behind her.

"See you soon, I guess," he said finally, turning and continuing down the tunnel with his drier, lighter wings.

Thena looked down at her hands and sputtered. She still had his feather in her hands. "Gil!"

"Keep it!" he shouted back to her before dropping down into the lower tunnels, "a trinket!"

#Thenamesh Maleficent AU #I do love this au #the wings the horns the magic #the pointy ears! #preening is a very intimate action of course #I guess it's like giving someone a massage or washing their hair #what's something that's not illegal but feels like it #nothing untoward but it's weird if a stranger offers #these two are fLIRTING #Gil is really flirting #poor Thena's more used to faes with tall hair crooning at her from the tops of palm trees #remember she's from the tropics #it means colourful wings and crooning love songs and bringing fruit as gifts #she'll accept the fruit but everything else you can piss off #don't let Ikaris know tho #he'll lose his damn mind #I'm sorry my sister is WHAT with WHOM??? #Druig's here like dude it's just preening relax you're not our father #meanwhile Ikaris is pacing around in their nest pod like WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN YOUNG FAERIE?!

[fuegito-de-eeuu]

Another Rant, One Piece-Related This Time

I find it difficult to like some of the characters in One Piece, mostly the Straw Hats. It's just. A struggle and it feels hard to interact with the media sometimes. It feels like the characters have wildly different personalities inside of them sometimes.

(Note : This is not a hate post. I feel neutral about this characters but some of the writing involved with them troubles me sometimes and annoys me at others.)

Luffy

I just. Can't with him sometimes. I know he's popular and I know he's the face of the series but. Some of his behaviors man.

One of his main features(?) is that he eats A LOT. I understand this is from the training with Garp and Ace does this too, but it feels like Luffy does it just way too much. Almost to the point it was detrimental to his crew way early on in the East Blue saga.

He has literally ruined food because he does not know how to cook and has thoughtlessly ruined all of the food aboard the Sunny during the Zoa - Whole Cake Island arc. And I know wasting food is more of Sanji's thing, but for someone who got pissed off when he saw the Beast Pirates not eating the red bean soup because they thought it was garbage, it doesn't feel like the same person.

I understand for the Beast Pirates it was after he had discovered that O-Tama and many other people of Wano were literally starving to death among other things. But why does he not share the same concern for his own crew when he eats everything? I'd like to think Sanji lectured him about food waste because he throws hands if someone wastes it. They're different situations, I know, but it seems like Luffy only cares when the suffering is now and not a possibility because of his actions in the future.

Luffy has expressed he wants everyone to be able to eat as much as they want. And while it's a nice dream, I won't say anything bad about it, it feels like he both believes in it and disregards it.

There's been so many times where he's literally just stolen food off the plates of his crew and others. Like??? I'm sorry? I know they're supposed to be funny scenes and show how goofy Luffy is, but his crew seems to just accept it, scolding him in the moment whenever it happens. It feels disrespectful to his crew and just plain rude to others.

And then with the portions he eats, again, I know it's mostly because of the training with Garp that he follows but. Even outside of fighting or even before at least an expected fight, why is he eating the same amount every time? He doesn't really train and seems to come up with new moves on the fly in battle (not criticizing this), so why does he eat so damn much all the time. It feels like he's just wasting food at that point because you never know how far the next island in the Grandline is going to be. Not every island will have food or welcoming people, we've seen it.

Not to mention almost eating Chopper? I know it's a gag that was used on occasion, but no one else in the crew gets that same treatment. So it feels kinda weird to me.

Nami

Overall, Nami seems fine as a character. Temperamental? Sure, but some people just have their moments.

Not everyone beats up others until they're black, blue, purple and green when they're mad though.

I know it's a gag, I know other's have issues with this too. But why does Nami do this? Does she do this because the people she hits should "know better"? Because she knows they can take it and be fine? It just doesn't make sense to me.

"It's a gag, don't worry about it" - NO ONE ON THAT BOAT INJURES EASILY BESIDES USSOP AND NAMI. It just. Feels inherently abusive that if you fuck up too much to Nami that she just fucking beats you up. Doesn't matter if you have a fruit that makes you immune to damage and she doesn't have haki, she'll smack you until your face is nothing but literally WELTS.

I don't care how she is at other times, I would not feel fucking safe on that ship if I was working with her.

Sanji

5 words : timeskip, Fishman Island, & Whole Cake.

I just hate the pervert trope so much which doesn't help me.

But for Kama Land, you're telling me that Sanji was seemingly afraid of... drag queens, trans women, and other queers to the point he... learned to walk on the fucking air? Are their other reasons? I don't fucking know man, the timeskip isn't really elaborated on a whole lot besides "this person went here and learned this".

Ffs we see Sanji in a dress and makeup as if he's trying to fit in. How the fuck did he even learn the recipes that Ivankov advertised to him?

Let alone the simple idea that all of the inhabitants looked unattractive??? My brother in christ have you seen drag queens and trans women??? Also the fucking idea that everyone on the queer island was unattractive doesn't sit well with me. Feels insulting at the very least. Also the fact that they all seemed to act like perverts and tried touching Sanji??? wtf man

Fishman Island. Ho-ly-FUCK. Flashback to fucking Kama Land. And then his behavior around the other mermaids??? Not to mention Shirahoshi WHO IS ALSO SIXTEEN. It's gross- and the amount of times he got nosebleeds from gals just. Living their fucking day???

Whole Cake. Aside from the fact that Sanji was in love with another 16 year old- It felt like he didn't want to leave. Like he was perfectly fine never going back to the crew. Especially when Pudding was starting to fawn over him to, it was just. All around weird.

Usopp

I've just never liked Usopp after Water 7. I don't mind a good scaredy cat and lying character, I liked how he fought in Thriller Bark. Lies, trickery, and unusual attacks are amazing!

But the thing with Merry is gnawing at me. He was told by Luffy that the Merry was essentially done for. I know he was going through denial and grief, but they helped make money to get the Merry professionally REPAIRED because everyone knew they were struggling to fix the Merry.

The fight was just. There.

And then when he went to get another opinion from their future shipwright, Franky literally told him "Your keel is shit, your boat is gonna sink" that Usopp STILL DENIED IT.

I understand insecurities and that Merry and Usopp technically joined the crew at the same time, so if Merry can be replaced, so can Usopp. ...but Merry is a very small wooden ship and Usopp is a person. It's just. Dumb to me. I don't know.

And then also the stuff where Usopp portrays himself as a great captain, it feels like he's not truly loyal to Luffy cause he always has Luffy and the others as his underlings in his lies. I get the other members of the crew being his crew members. But why is Luffy always great because of only Usopp? It's just. It makes Usopp's promises feel empty.

Rant done, thanks for anyone who listened.

Again, not a hate post but some of the behaviors the characters show feel troubling or just weird to me and I wanted to give reasons for it.

#rant post #monkey d. luffy #luffy #cat burglar nami #one piece nami #black leg sanji #vinsmoke sanji #usopp #god usopp #tw abuse #tw abuse mention