Hello some gargoyles sketches based on my Patreon Poll.
Goliath, Garg!Elisa, Griff, Brooklyn, Katana, Angela, and Puck!
Always want to sketch some more gargoyles.
Here's a totally Gaxlay brained scenario-Elisa gets hit on constantly by other male gargoyles, but is totally oblivious to the flirting. And Goliath tries very hard to let his jealousy show.
PREVIEW!
"I'll fly too close to the sun and know that i will burn"
Summary: Goliath promised himself that he'd never get too close to another human ever again. Betrayal had torn his soul, the dead now laid at his wake, wailed in his ear. Never again, he vowed, never again will he trust another human, never again will he call one friend. Then he met Elisa. And despite all his vows and promises, she had wormed her way into his heart, determined to stay there. Determined to stay at his side and he was powerless to stop her.
Perhaps, Demona was right about one thing-he is a fool. He's like Icarus flying far too close to the sun for his own good. He can't count how many times he's been burned and crashed into the sea; over and over again he finds himself at the mercy of her thrashing, unforgiving waves threatening to hurl him into the sharp rocks.
-To paint her precious aquamarine crimson with his blood.
-
"Would you change it?"
He thought about it. It's not like he had to. But-
"No," he answers "I know what the humans meant when they gave me my name. But, it's become a part of me, something I cannot change, even if I wanted to. I can't imagine being called anything other than Goliath. It is who I am. Besides it's not as if the name wasn't partially warranted" Elisa looks at him again, longer this time. Her brows knot at the center of her forehead.
"What do you mean?" Goliath briefly curses himself. Of course she'd ask. Of course she noticed. He did not know why he brought it to light to begin with. It was neither the place nor the time, it isn't even something he wished to discuss with her. At least not now. Not here. Not any sooner if he was to be honest with himself.
"I-" words failed him "I was a troubled adolescent back then. I often let my temper get the best of me in the worst possible ways. I wasn't exactly a very nice person during those years"
She eyed him with doubt "I find that hard to believe"
"People feared me, Elisa."
"I know-"
"And with good reason" he watches her lips fall shut "but that's a story for another time. I don't know why I brought it up to begin with. It's neither here nor now" there's an edge in his voice, he knows damn well Elisa could hear it. If he could kick himself he would. He did a nice job souring the mood between them. This isn't what he wanted or intended.
"I-I see" she moves some hair behind her ear, her teeth brush over her bottom lip. The action brings his attention to them "I-I'm gonna get some punch"
"Elisa-"
"I'll be back" she waves him off. Her smile is a little force and Goliath is fully aware that he skewered his chance. Shot himself in the foot, screwed himself over by shoving his foot not just in his mouth but down his very throat. He was choking, but did not know how to free himself.
Her back retreated into the crowd, a colorful wash of white and ebony, he wanted nothing more than to chase after her, but saw no good coming out of that. Instead he ran a hand down his face as he growled at himself. He really is a fool, a damn good one.
-
"And a Hunting We Will Go"
Summary: Elisa gets a rude awakening
Words: 433
2/3
Warnings! Animal Death, mentions of gore
Unfortunately-
It didn't stop there.
Before the tendrils of light crossed her face and the coolness of the early, early morning breeze forced her awake, an odd, rancid smell did.
Sluggishly she willed her eyes opened-then screamed. In her rush she nearly toppled off the bed to scramble away from the dead rat placed on the pillow next to hers.
"Mama! You're awake!" It was Adair, all bright eyed and bushy tailed "look! Look! What I caught! It was in the kitchen, so I got it! You like it! It's a present for you!"
He nudged it closer to her, hopping on his toes, his long, dark curls bouncing as he did, glee written all over his cherubic face. He was the picture-perfect aura of childlike innocence. Which only awakened her suspicions because her son was a devious little trickster.
And what was he doing in the-
Never mind, it's way too early and she's had no coffee yet to rejuvenate her system.
Honestly, he put Puck to shame sometimes.
"Mama!"
"Oh! Uh…." she eyed the dead rat with not much enthusiasm, that she tried to hide, not sure why she felt so squeamish. It's a rat, she's seen plenty-both dead and alive.
I mean she just spent the previous night haggling an under covered body. With part of their head missing and brain bits blown all over the floor. Which had long mingled into the matted rug they found the poor bastard on.
The stench of a four-week-old body left to rot and cook in a stuffy, rundown New York apartment just did not compare to the smell of a freshly killed sewer rat. They both stunk, but unfortunately the rat body was in her bed, on her sheets soaking them in rancid, diseased blood and bodily fluids.
"Thank you, baby" Adair's bright smile only widened as he picked it up and plopped it right in her hands. Elisa did her best not to cringe away from the smell, or the spongy, mush of dead rat carcass between her fingers.
"Did I do a good job, mama!?"
"Of course, a very good one-" she moved the gory mush to one hand to pat his head full of dark curls "look at you, my little hunter"
He grinned wider, teeth, and fangs and all. She couldn't help, but feel a swell of pride, despite the morbidity of everything.
Elisa could only sigh and shook her head. This is what you signed up for, better get used to it. But she's definitely going to have a long chat with Xanatos about his pest control.
"And a Hunting We Will Go"
Summary: Someone does some fishing. Some very expensive fishing.
Words: 1,191
3/4
Warnings! Animal Death
~Beep!~
~Beep!~
God, someone please shoot me!
~Your call may be put on hold~
Elisa couldn't help but roll her eyes.
The disembodied, dial up music on the other end of the line almost made her see red. Two hours, two damn hours! She's been on hold since four in the afternoon!
‘Come on, come on, dammit, let's go already!’
~Beep!~
~We're currently busy at the moment, but a representative will speak to you shortly~
~Beep!~
‘Shortly my ass!’
The music played again, like a hellish melody.
'I hate tax season. Hate it!' Bored, Elisa snagged her pen tapping it harshly against the kitchen table. 'Next time I'm hiring some smuck to do this shit'
'If I can afford'
The tapping stopped for a minute.
~Beep!~
~We're currently busy at the moment, but a representative will speak to you shortly~
'I'll make it fit'
Somehow.
Another twenty minutes past before someone finally, finally picked up the damn phone. But, despite the blessing the call just added to her frustrations.
"....how many dependents did you say you have again…...?"
Her lips tightened, doing her best to not snap- "Three. Three kids" she can't remember how many times she had to repeat that now.
This was stupid, beyond stupid. She just wanted the call to end for god's sake, the man over the phone kept droning on and on, in a hush wispy, barely audible voice about tax deductions or something, it was very obvious that he hated his job and sounded like he wanted to be anywhere, but on the phone with her.
It was like pulling teeth.
One by one by one.
Sitting on the couch watching Teletubbies with the kids was starting to sound like heaven right about now.
After a while, her mind drifted. ‘Whoever wrote tax laws ought to be shot.’
She heard something squeak in between the irritated tapping and clicking of her pen. Ignoring it, she leaned against the kitchen chair before switching the phone to her other ear.
Another squeak. Sounded like wet shoes sliding against a tile floor.
She ignored it again, clicking her pen.
'I need a drink after this. Maybe I can raid Xanatos stash without him noticing'
~Squeak~
'Ugh, what is that?!' but she didn't feel inclined to worry about it. The castle was riddled with strange noises. It used to freak her out, but she had gotten used to it over the years. And besides, she wasn't the only resident lurking around.
~Squeak~
"Maza, a word if you may" Elisa rolled her eyes again.
"I'm busy Xanatos, bother me some other time"
“I believe it may interest you”
“You can’t hide from Fox forever Xanatos”
“I’m not, but this isn’t about her”
~Squeak~
'Okay! That was getting annoying!' she snapped around her chair to level Xanatos with a glare and find the source of that ungodly sound only to stop and freeze.
Xanatos was drenched head to toe. His characteristic ponytail was undone. Hair was in his eyes, slopped around his shoulders and he smelled like fish and algae.
He looked completely disgruntled. Which was also rather uncharacteristic. And the jacket of his suit was missing.
"Wha-?"
"Hi, Auntie Lisa!"
Then she looked down.
Two giddy kids were tucked under his arms. Alex's eyes gleamed, shined really, his long dark, red curls stuck to his face. And there was Aodh, wrapped in Xanatos' jacket, not giddy, or mischievous, but unperturbed as she munched on a half-eaten koi fish.
They were a wet mess.
The crunch of bone and flesh invaded the quiet for a second.
"They raided the koi pond"
As if the half-eaten koi fish didn't give her a clue. Elisa didn't know whether to laugh at the spectacle before her or sigh. Wasn't Owen watching them?
"You didn't say we couldn't play in it, dad!"
"Please tell me that wasn't expensive"
"The pond's fine. The fish on the other hand-" Xanatos glanced at her daughter, he seemed almost amused despite his obvious veil of exasperation "well I'll leave that to your imagination"
'Well, isn't that just peachy' Everything in this building was outstandingly expensive to suit Xanatos opulent tastes. He's right on that matter, she didn't want to imagine what that fish might cost her, if he were a pettier man.
"Why do you have a Koi Pond just laying around anyway? Inside a building. Where anybody can just trip and fall in it"
"I like the aesthetic."
"Sure." Right. Of course.
"It's not like I expected two troublesome kids to try and make it into their personal fishing spot."
"Ah-huh"
"Nor was I prepared for one of them to actually eat the koi fish"
Elisa smirked a little "Oh really, and here I thought you were always prepared for the impossible"
He looked disgruntled again. The shock faded, but damn did he look miserable.
That suit had to be worth more than anything she's made in the past five years. She can't help but snicker-
-who would've thought that all it took for him to lose his cool was a bunch of unruly kids.
Karma was beautiful in its own way.
"Can I have my own Koi fishpond then, dad?"
Xanatos refined from a sigh.
"I'll think about it"
"Yes!" It definitely wasn’t a yes, but Alex interpreted it as one.
“David!”
There was something akin to fear in his eyes “Ah,” he cleared his throat “In the kitchen, dear.”
Fox walked-waddled into the room; they saw her belly before they saw her “Are you hiding up here again-” Xanatos turned around on instinct.
“Hi, mom!” Alex waved.
Fox blinked a few times before she broke down into hysterical fits of laugher.
“Fox, please” she had to hold onto the threshold to hold herself up.
“He fell into the pond trying to fish the kids out” Elisa supplied as flatly as possible. Fox snorted.
“I did not fall.”
“Had a nice swim, David!?”
“I guess you now know what it feels like to swim with the fishes, huh, Xanatos?” Elisa couldn’t help herself. Fox had a conniption fit.
“The children could’ve drowned”
Now both women were laughing.
“I can swim, dad, Aodh too, you know that, and Puck was with us.” Corrected by a child.
“Speaking of Puck-Owen, where is he?” she asked in between fits of laughter.
“He scampered off, after I-collected the children”
“Left you for dry, huh?” Elisa got the impression that he wanted to roll his eyes at her. But forced himself not to for whatever reason. Instead of saying anything he placed Aodh gently on the floor. The sudden jostle of movement hardly interrupted her eating.
“We’re still playing, dad!” Alex protested.
“Both of you need a bath” he squirmed out of his father’s grasp “Alex.”
“We can take a bath together! Come one, Aodh!” he grabbed her fingers, and dragged her along. Aodh simply followed without much fuss towards the baths. Alex knew the castle like the back of his hand, as he led them away.
She was still eating the fish.
Elisa shook her head; hopefully, that was the extent of today’s excitement-
~Beep!~
‘You’re call has been disconnected’
Dammit.
"Milk"
Summary: Milk is a symbol of fertility, once thought of as the food of the gods and a nurturer, the lifeblood and lifeline that connects mother to child. And child to mother.
Warnings!: References to Miscarriage/Stillbirth/Unplanned Pregnancy/References to Birth
Chapter One: The First Nights
Canon-Divergence/Canon-Complaint/Post-Canon/Non-linear Narrative
Reality is stranger than fiction, they say, and he was inclined to agree. Life was indeed filled with one oddity after another.
He remembers a story from his youth.
A story, that was ancient he was told, passed from the old to young about a Clan Leader of their own who had taken a human as a mate.
They had a child-who they called, the meaning of an end in the old language. Someone who should never have been-
An abomination-
The child was cursed. And because of it, she cursed the land. Cursed her clan that lamented her existence, cursed the humans who condemned her, and cursed her parents who had birthed her into a world that knew only hate and fear.
They called her- Hillevi.
Goliath never took the story seriously; he knew the ploy by then. The line drawn in the sand, humans stayed on one side and they stayed on the other, they were never supposed to cross it.
Well, he had never been one for superstitions.
{}
No words describe a mother’s tears, no words can heal a broken heart. A dream is gone, but then there’s hope, somewhere something is calling for you. Two worlds, one family.