I really don’t understand Cpoms strategy with programs. I like them so much and think they’re great skaters but putting themselves in a position to be compared to VM over and over does them no favors. VM were lightning in a bottle and no one has come along with that mix of chemistry and charisma before or after. I want them to figure out their own identity and stick to it. They were on the right track with perfume. Carve your own path, kids.
Carmen i can understand, it's eternal for good reason, and CPom made it their own. this choice, though, i'm confused - of all the songs, they picked another VM-related one, from kind of an infamous exh
Anthony went through all of juniors into early seniors being asked about his OGM parents in literally every interview, then they started working with Scott and established themselves enough that Anthony no longer gets those questions. but instead, they get asked about Scott all the time - why pick something that brings VM up even more? every exhibition program is a chance to make a splash and be memorable. this one's getting noticed but not for the right reasons, as enjoyable as it may be
I think Thena needs a pet, like a 4 meter long the Nile Crocodile, who follows her around like a puppy and completely adores her. And it also growls and pesters Gilgamesh, because only one of them can have Thena's attention.
Thena was hiding something. She was sneaking around corners and slipping out silently. Which was maybe not so bizarre for the Warrior Eternal, but not with him! She told him everything! She never slipped away without him knowing about it.
Gilgamesh squinted, watching Thena disappear down the embankment and towards the river. He could just ask her, he knew. But he followed behind her silently. He wanted to know what it was that she felt she couldn't tell him. What could possibly be so important that she wouldn't let him know about it?!
Maybe he was overreacting.
They had just settled in Egypt recently. Makkari was thriving already, Phastos was primarily concerned with the construction of some positively massive pyramids, and an obelisk or two. They were getting used to things.
Gil lowered himself, peeking down at the riverbank in a way he thought Thena would be proud of. He was no Warrior Eternal, of course, but he could exercise some stealth if he wanted to.
She crouched down, sweeping her robes under her legs as she did. It was no wonder she was revered as a goddess everywhere they went. Every human culture they saw take shape named her a goddess of war. Ishtar, Bishamonten, Athena, it didn't matter--she was The Goddess of War in no uncertain terms.
Gil frowned as he saw some movement in the river as she splashed her hand around in the reeds. Was she cooling off? It was pretty mercilessly hot here, especially with no structures to really thwart the sun for them as of yet.
The Nile splashed more the more Thena moved her fingers through the water. Gil rose slowly, ready to act if he needed to. Thena wasn't averse to the occasional iguana or gecko that showed an infatuation with her. But this seemed a little different.
The water swelled as a massive crocodile shot out of the water. The long reptilian devils could really move when they wanted to. Its legs on either side of its body propelled it forward in a startling and violent entrance. And it dashed right for Thena.
Gil slid down the hill, fists already charging. "Thena!"
"There you are!"
Gil skidded to a halt once he got to flat soil again. His fists lowered as he watched the massive, slobbering creature slither right up to Thena and lay its snout on her thigh. "What?"
Thena beamed at the creature, its tail practically wagging in delight. She petted its long nose without even a drop of hesitation. "I was waiting for you, Saghir."
Little One--that was an ironic name, considering the beast was more than three times the size of her lithe body, meaning it was probably even older than some of the Deviants they fought. But the beast's eyes were closed in delight, double-eyelids and all. Its mouth hung open as she rubbed the spiky ridges along its back.
"Ahem!"
Thena looked over her shoulder at him, unsurprised by his appearance. "Ah, Gilgamesh."
He thought that was a bit of a lackluster response given the attention that thing was getting. He put his hands on his hips as he walked over to her and her little friend. "I was wondering where you kept running off to."
She managed a smile for him, but he couldn't help but feel put out by how much more toned down it was compared to the one the overgrown lizard had received. "Forgive me. I feared that Ajak would tell me to banish him from the area since the humans live so close. Or Phastos would shoot him out of fearful reaction."
Well, both of those were somewhat likely. Gil had reacted in a similar way, after all. But he would react like that to anything charging at Thena in such a way. And it wasn't as if it was a harmless little jungle cat or something. This was a massive - truly gargantuan - crocodile with daggers for teeth and a jaw capable of snapping even an Eternal's bones.
Except for his, Gil liked to think.
"I found him lazing on the riverbank weeks ago," Thena sighed, even tilting the beast's nose up to nuzzle it, the way Sersi might do to a cute little kitten. "He, too, is weary from his battles. We can understand that."
Gil eyed the animal, which eyed him back in equal distaste. He could understand being tired after a fight, sure. But he didn't slither around on his belly so he could rest his head in Thena's lap. "I guess."
"He is still young, if he goes uncontested for territory," Thena remarked, still petting him like a stray dog.
Sure, these things were around before the dinosaurs of all things, and they would be long after, too. But Gil didn't think that warranted her doting on it like a baby. "Weren't you the one who told me not to feed strays 'cause they'll follow us around?"
Thena laughed faintly, and the reptile fully rested its head in her embrace at the sound. Gil could understand the feeling, but come on... "I suppose I am guilty. Forgive my hypocrisy?"
Gil huffed. She didn't have to ask when she had those massive green eyes on him. "You need to ask? But tell him to stop looking at me like that."
The croc was glaring at him, resentful of all the attention he was getting from Thena.
Gil smacked its tail away. Its sheer weight could seriously hurt a human, but he took it for the annoyance that it was. "Hey, I knew her first, pal."
The croc growled at him through its teeth.
"Oh, stop," Thena shushed him, tracing delicate little circles between his flaring nostrils. "Gil is nice."
The cold blooded creature disagreed, leaning in her embrace to latch onto Gil's arm. Even as just a nibble, a human would be completely without their appendage after that.
Gil made a face at the slobbering stray gnawing on him.
"Saghir," Thena chided the thing and actually reached into his mouth to open it off of Gil's flesh for herself. Her slender fingers slid between its many, many teeth easily. "You are never so poorly behaved with me."
Gil ignored the idea that this thing somehow had great manners when it was just Thena here to visit. He shook out his arm faintly, not that the creature's teeth had even broken the skin. He couldn't tell if the animal was surprised or not that he hadn't managed to bite his forearm clean off. Either way, he restrained himself from flicking it in a way that could do some serious damage.
Thena wouldn't be happy with him for it.
"Imagine that," Gil glared down at the thing, which let its inner eyelid slide across its iris in response. "He's just jealous that I'm here taking your attention away from him."
"See?" she asked, as if that was going to convince him that the 500 kilogram lapdog she was coddling was just as innocent as she thought it looked. "He's young."
Gil sighed. Why Thena only ever showed this cute, doting side of herself for monstrosities with thick scales and bizarre eyelids was beyond him. And yet he showed one stray cat a little affection in Babylon and she was ready to threaten keeping him out of her room. 'Get cat fur everywhere' his ass--the croc wasn't the only one with a jealous side.
The 'little one' in question continued to give him the side eye.
Gil glared right back at it. "Careful, pal, or I'll turn you into jerky."
Thena let out a gasp that sounded more like Ajak. She cuddled the snout of her beloved little - four meter long - friend. "Gil!"
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it," he relented. He was such an invertebrate when it came to her it was sad. But he leaned back on the palms of his hands and looked up at the searing Egyptian sun. "Tell him to stop glaring at me, then. He doesn't get you all to himself."
Thena tipped Saghir's nose to her again, although she tilted it in just such a way that she could look at one of his eyes properly. "Gil would never. And you should be nicer to him, young one."
This thing was probably older than every single living human in the area. But sure, young--a baby, in Thena's eyes.
The croc actually puffed through its tiny nostrils, like a teenager being asked something bothersome by a parent.
Gil rolled his eyes. So much attitude from this thing half his size. Now he knew how Ajak felt when she asked Sprite...anything. Well, he was nowhere near the height that this thing possessed as length. But he was stronger than even these jaws which were uncontested among animals as of yet. "I'm surprised you haven't tried to sneak him onto the Domo."
"I would if I could." Of course she would. "But I was unsuccessful in even keeping Barid onboard."
There were several lizards Thena had attempted to keep aboard their mothership, only for Ajak or Phastos to have found her out and forbidden the pet just like any other pest. Of course, none of them were allowed to have such a burden unto them when their mission was top priority. Even Ajak's golden child Sersi wasn't allowed to keep the stray dog she had taken a liking to back in China.
Barid, Gil had offered to keep in his room for her, but Phastos had too great a knowledge of what happened on his ship at all times. The poor lizard was exiled, just like the others.
"I'm sure Phastos would lose his mind if he saw this guy slinking around in the kitchen," Gil chuckled just at the idea of it. He patted the reptile's lower back, which got him smacked in the thigh with its heavy tail again. "Ugh."
Thena ran her hand down its neck between its eyes, once again assuaging its temper. "I don't want him to end up caught in the crossfire of things. Many Deviants have been attracted to the humans using this river as their epicenter."
That was true, Deviants were drawn to humans, and humans were drawn to water. Gil looked at her, "I'm sure he'll be fine."
She just sighed, resting her head on the cold scales of her quadruped companion.
Gil kept his face calm, but on the inside he was scolding himself. He wasn't the Strongest Eternal, he was the weakest. But only when it came to her. "I'll come and check on him."
She lifted her head to look at him in question.
"If you're on watch or anything," he clarified, especially because that thing was glaring at him again. "I'll make sure he's okay if you're not around."
"Truly?"
Gil looked at the sparkling water of the lush river, feeling his ears grow warm. "Sure, if you're that worried about him. Can't say he'll be glad to see me, but hey--if it'll make you feel better."
Thena moved aside the creature's muzzle, which it did not appreciate. But she leaned over, stretching so she could press her lips to Gil's cheek.
She didn't have to thank him--this was more than any words she could have mustered. Gil couldn't exactly pretend he wasn't blushing, but he leaned into her so he could return the favor, kissing just below her ear, shielded from prying eyes by her mane of blonde.
Saghir hissed at him.
Gil smiled against Thena's skin. Let the thing be jealous, he resolved. Thena was his first, anyway.
Thena covered the one eye angled enough to watch them. She leaned into his affection in a rare moment. "He shouldn't be witnessing such lascivious behaviour, Gilgamesh."
"So tell him to come back in five," he chuckled before tilting her head to access her lips better.
Before it was: Mike can't say ily bc he's too afraid of losing El that he feels like if he verbalises his love, it will make the day that he inevitably loses her hurt more
Then it was: if he says ily in the void scene he would be "accepting her choice" to sacrifice herself
We're all safe here after Hurricane Helene. The winds broke my back door, so we have some water damage, but nothing major and nothing life-changing. We're very, very lucky that's all it was.
