Thinking so SO hard rn about Aileth and Darien both struggling with their feelings for each other and still dealing with Gabi's sacrifice. (Self indulgent rambling under cut) Very long ramble sorry 😔
While obviously i have had ail and him confess to each other directly after the last quest in part one of Solstice, they're both still getting their thoughts and feelings together. They're a couple but still working everything out (Darien needs to figure himself out and get his thoughts together after coming back, while ail still has to deal with all of their own problems on top of gabrielle being gone and mannimarco returning especially considering they stupidly released him in Coldharbour).
They definitely still need to communicate more and it's just the start of a relationship. And they both need to deal with their feelings about Gabrielle. Ail still is in denial Gabi is gone and Darien still needs to process it happening to begin with. And he has to deal with now knowing it's been seven years since he had last been around in Summerset.
Darien and Aileth still are learning to be vulnerable, especially Ail finally opening up despite their (near-paralyzing) fear of losing the people they care about (Gabrielle and Darien are the two they have always been the most afraid of losing). Ail is so used to others opening up and then dying or getting hurt, they think they're a sort of curse to others and is worried that by being with Darien that he'll be hurt or die again.
Despite this fear, they still admit their feelings for him bc they chickened out in Summerset and then Darien "died" and they couldnt confess to Gabrielle then she died. Ail didnt want to risk it again and told him while still in a very sorry state after Gabi's sacrifice (which they feel horrible about bc he just came back to Gabi giving her life up for him and they dropped a confession onto him)
Aileth and Darien both still want a chance for Gabi to know how they feel too. And im rlly banking on anything to help me in p2 about Gabrielle. Darien probably wouldn't have his hopes up that there's a way to get her back but Ail wholeheartedly would not accept Gabi's death and obsess over trying to find a way. The same way they obsessed over trying to get Darien back.
I just. Love my ot3 sm and cant stop thinking about them on top of all of this shit. They are a complete mess but trying to figure things out together. All the time. They way they'd probably have to reassure each other during this augh..
I rlly want to explore Ail's attachment to Darien and Gabi even more. She has such an anxious attachment to them both and those caring about those two are probably her only major weakness. Augh this is already too long and i have so many more thoughts and i cant get them all out without rambling, sorry 😔 i want gabi to have a happy ending with my vestige and darien 😭😭💔🥺
