Gilda didn't remember what her parents looked like.

That fact didn't particularly bother her. Not like it did some of the other kids. The older ones kicked up a fuss and tried to run away. The younger ones constantly begged for "mommy, mommy" or "daddy, daddy". These problems never plagued her, and for that, she considered herself mildly lucky.

But just because she didn't remember or care about her parents didn't mean she was content with being alone.

The orphanage always left her with a nearly hopeless feeling of wanting. Sometimes a kid would get adopted, and she would feel a small yearning for someone, or something, to take her far away. Most of the time, life felt like one long waiting game. Gilda tried to get along with the other kids, but she always seemed a little off. She was at an awkward age of being too big to play with the toddlers but not big enough for the bigger kids, who liked to shove her or scare her off whenever she tried to get involved. The caretakers there were nice, but more often than not indifferent against violence amongst the children, too preoccupied with getting the younger ones adopted or making sure everyone ate something each day. Eventually, she gave up on seeking any sort of companionship amongst the children or the adults and grew used to being the odd one out. She figured either she would be adopted one day, or leave once she got big enough. Her life had no goals, no direction, and no one to guide her down any certain path. But to a child not even in the double digits, just surviving in such a place was challenge enough. The days bled into each other, with no change except for the coming and going of the various orphanage children.

Then, one day, the orphanage got a dog.

It wasn't really a dog. It was too wild to be one; too big, too mean. It snapped ferociously as one of the oldest kids dragged it with a rope tied around its neck. Unfortunately with a muzzle around its neck and hands over the scruff of its neck, neither its claws nor fangs were of any use. The older kids teased it and mocked it, although they all nervously stepped back when it thrashed too hard. Eventually, the novelty wore off and after the wolf was tied up by a crude kennel the rest of the kids went about their separate playtimes. Everyone except Gilda.

She couldn't help but marvel at the animal. She'd never seen in all her years such raw rage in such a tiny body. Even though it was still so easily overpowered it never stopped trying to break free. It was like it didn't know when it give up. Even now, she saw the creature attempting to push against its restraints, even as it ended up nearly choking itself. She was sure it wouldn't stop until it passed out from exhaustion. Gilda was fascinated by it. The idea of fighting back had crossed her mind so many times and so many times she'd pushed it down when she remembered the fact that nothing would really change even if she did win. It wasn't even that she couldn't win fights, but that she saw no point in it. Then this tiny thing came along, and suddenly it was fighting for its life, with no regard for the size or strength of its enemies, only the fact that it would not be tamed. It didn't see the futility in its actions, and it wouldn't quit until it was free or dead.

Gilda's numbed emotions suddenly sprung to life at the sight of it. It was a strange feeling, one she'd never experienced before, one she would only think to describe later as "envy".

Later that night she snuck out of the orphanage and ran to the creature, the wolf. It growled and barked so she growled and barked back. The creature quieted, startled by her own ferocity. Slowly, with great care to make no sudden movements, she untied the knot that kept it there and undid the one around its neck. Then she carefully reached out and took the muzzle of its face. The wolf looked her in the eyes, the moon's glow making its yellow hue reflect into her own dull gray. Then it shook itself and gave a short, much happier yip. She couldn't help but smile. Then it took off.

It was a decision she didn't know she'd made until she was already deep into the woods, the small wolf pup yipping just ahead of her. She never looked back.

Years passed, and Gilda grew with them. The wolf pup found what may have been distant family and reconnected with them. And after a bit of communication, he (for it was a male wolf) let his new family know she was not a threat. They accepted and welcomed her just like any other part of their community, and Gilda was nothing short of grateful. They taught her to track, how to hunt, how to walk and talk and think like a wolf. She relished in it. It felt so natural somehow, so much less complicated than humans. It felt like the part of her that wanted more was being filled up by their presence.

The things she couldn't learn from them she gleaned from others living by the woods. Occasionally she'd even stumble upon someone friendly enough to teach her. That's how she learned of magic. Unsurprisingly, she was adept at turning into the very creatures that nurtured her. It gave her an edge in battle, helping earn her take out tough opponents and keep her newfound family safe. Although her developed muscles from years of living in the woods never hurt her ability to do so either.

Eventually, she nearly stopped talking with people altogether. She knew where to go to do business with people the few times it was necessary, and wolves didn't communicate in human speech. There was never a reason to leave them, either. Even as the wolves she once knew died, there were always more being born, and more and more came to immediately recognize her as family.

The wolf she'd rescued became her brother, or as close to one as she'd imagined. He was the reason she felt free, felt loved. How she'd learned of true strength and how to harness it for herself. All of those things should have been enough, and maybe they would have been, if not for one fateful day…

Gilda scowled as she sensed a person nearby. She didn't like dealing with people even on good days, and recently it seemed like there were more and more of them showing up. The woods they stayed in occasionally held trappers or campers or the like, but the almost steady stream of people lately had her scratching her head at the reason. It would have to be something she'd think about later, however. At the moment, she needed to get the latest guy out.

She signaled to her brother, who was patrolling with her. The two caught up with the man, making sure his back was to them and not the other way around. Stealthily, they moved to tail him for now.

Unlike some of the other people she'd seen recently, the man was not what one would call…a robust type. Although she could sense that he was a mage, his magic power didn't feel particularly strong, and he didn't appear to be using any as he traversed the woods. His stature was shorter than average, his skinny physique and plain-looking outfit making for an odd sight out in the middle of the woods. By the looks of it, and his posture, Gilda immediately assumed he was lost. She almost snorted at the sight. Occasionally she found herself rescuing people she found crying somewhere in the middle of the woods, totally lost and completely convinced that they'd spend the rest of their lives there. Bunch of babies, the ones who lived in towns.

Suddenly, he paused. She froze. He looked up and tilted his head, glancing from side to side. Then, without any warning, he turned around and stared right at her.

Even though Gilda had survived numerous life or death scenarios out in the woods, nothing triggered quite the same panic as when that man looked her in the eyes. Keeping her eyes locked on him and her guard up, she stood up to her full height and stepped out into view, attempting to use her form to intimidate him. Her every nerve tensed. Preparing for a showdown, she flexed her fingers. The man didn't do anything threatening, however, merely putting his hand to his face in question, looking at her with a curious expression.

"Interesting. I was looking for a person I heard lived in the woods, but I never imagined it'd be a young lady." His gaze shifted slightly to land on the spot where her brother was. She felt her hackles rising. But to her surprise, a small smile graced his lips. "Ah, I see now. You must live here because these creatures are your family, no? In that case, it would make sense."

Gilda felt her mouth drop in surprise. No one had ever assumed that the wolves were her family, at least not initially. And when they did discover that fact they mentioned it with disdain. Not only did the man not show any sign of disgust, but he seemed actively impressed. It was so unexpected she spoke out for the first time in what must have been a year. "You know?"

The man gave her a full smile. "My dear, I know many things…such as the fact that you and your family are currently in danger."

Her breath stopped and she grew guarded again. Was he referring to himself? But the lean man shook his head. "I'm no threat to you by myself and don't wish to become one. I had been hoping you were in these woods, and now that I've seen you for myself I've decided I rather want to talk to you." He frowned. "Unfortunately, I'll have to take care of something first. The danger that I mentioned is escalating quickly. Best to nip his plans in the bud before they fully sprout."

"What? What are you talking 'bout?" She struggled to form the words she wanted; afraid her voice was too raspy to be taken seriously.

"Someone who very well may make your life a living hell." He smiled again, and she gave a shiver at the sight. Even though she was fairly confident that, physically, he seemed no match for her, that smile was enough to make anyone wince. "But don't worry. I can help put him in his place so that he'll never bother you or your family again. My name is Percy, and in exchange for my help, all I ask is one indulgent conversation."

Her intuition had been correct that he was lost. For a moment he asked if she knew of anyone else who lived or was around the woods recently, but when she shook her head he gave a disappointed sigh and muttered something about finding their way to wherever he was going "the hard way". Gilda didn't really understand, but he perked up when she communicated with her brother to track the scents of the next nearest humans.

Once they settled on a direction, Percy began explaining more about the danger he mentioned. Gilda found herself asking more questions. It helped that most of what Percy was talking about confused her.

"So…some guy is here to…own us?"

"More precisely, he's trying to establish a company here, and in order to do that he's saying that he has legal ownership of these woods."

"How does that work? Never even seen or heard this guy before. How do you own a forest?"

Percy smiled. "Well, that has a lot to do with land management and the like. There are people who 'own' pieces of woodland like this, but fortunately for you and your family, this man isn't one of them."

That only made Gilda more confused. "You just said he did own them."

"No, I said he was saying he did. It's ok, even I find this sort of thing needlessly complicated. Don't worry too much about it. With how I'll handle it, we'll be in and out in no time." Gilda gave a half-hearted nod. Percy made it sound so easy, but she couldn't see how that was possible. If it were really that easy, wouldn't scaring them away solve the problem initially? Percy's added thoughts pierced her own. "And if it gets confusing, just remember what I said. Just go with your gut feelings. I trust your reactions." As he finished speaking, the building which he spoke about entered into view.

The building was old as far as Gilda could tell. It was clear from the rust and the decaying smell that it had been around for a while. She vaguely remembered staying in it once or twice as a child, when the rain or snow had been especially bad. Compared to those times spent alone, or with a few of her wolf brethren, the building now teemed with life. Numerous people ran about, shouting orders and hauling various supplies to and fro. Gilda frowned. She hadn't been over to this side of the woods in a while, but now that she was inside, she could see clearly that the people in there were similar, if not outright the same, people she'd been driving out the last few months. The fact that there were more than she thought put a scowl on her face. The workers who saw her froze in terror and quickly parted for the three of them.

Percy made his way to the opposite end of the building, where a sweaty, balding man greeted him tersely. "So you really did show up. You've got some nerve boy."

"And good day to you as well Mr. Kiply! Don't worry, I was able to find the place just fine!" Percy's reply rang out amongst the cramped building, granting him weird looks from the workers who stopped at the sound. Kiply frowned.

"I don't have all day. Make your case and then leave." He gestured inside a smaller building within the one they were already in. Inside were two men who were as large as Gilda. Percy hurried in. Gilda moved slower, making sure to give Kiply a good stare as she went inside. He shrank a bit in her sight and outright scowled at the wolf. "No pets in my office!"

"He's not a pet," she growled. He shrank further, and her brother bared his teeth. The men inside tensed. Just as it seemed like the tension would snap, Percy called out.

"Oh, those two are also with me. I said I would be bringing representatives of the woods here. Don't worry, they're on their best behavior." Kiply's face twisted into disgust before reluctantly waving the both of them in. Gilda looked at Percy questioningly as the two of them sat down in crude chairs and her brother took to lying down on the floor. The men stood on either side of Kiply as he sat down across from them. Their gaze flickered between her and her brother warily. Percy only smiled, which somehow made her want to take one of his cheeks and pinch it. The very thought caused her to shake her head.

Kiply wasted no time, "I've said it to you once and I'll say it a thousand more times if necessary; I have legal sanction over these woods, and whatever I do is on my own terms. If I want to establish a subsidiary site and build upon it, then I'm free to do so. The only reason I'm even entertaining you right now is so that there isn't a scene later on."

"Hmm, some may argue that we've passed the point of making scenes." Percy's smile shifted just a bit, and Gilda recognized the look in his eyes; it was just like her siblings looked before rushing towards their prey. "But I digress. The reason I am here hasn't changed. Stop pursuing business within these woods and go back to your normal company. For the good of your business so far."

Kiply laughed. To Gilda it sounded a bit like a dying animal's wheeze. "There you go again, thinking you can order me around like a king. Didn't I already say that I have legal sway here? We could take it to court, but I'm not sure what you would be propositioning that could possibly change all that." His guards on either side flexed their fingers. Gilda stopped herself from doing the same, still not entirely sure what moves would be wise to make in such a place.

"Ah, but that is where you are fundamentally mistaken. Your company–and to that extent, you–claim to legally own this place, but that is not the case, is it?"

Kiply's face froze, but a scowl reanimated it. "That is something I can prove. I could try you for slander over this!"

Percy didn't reply immediately, letting Kiply wheeze a few more times from his outburst. Then he gestured towards Gilda. "And if I were to say that she is the one who deserves such legality instead?"

Gilda thought her expression couldn't have been more bewildered as Percy launched into a speech about her, what she'd been through, and about her sway over the wolves. He almost made it seem as if her connection to them granted her ownership of the woods, but any technical terms failed to take root in her mind. All she could do was sit in dumbfounded, much the same as Kiply. She'd only just met him, but already he talked about her life as if they'd been attached at the hip. Almost none of it was true, save for the fact that she'd lived most of her life in the woods, yet he spoke with such determined elegance that she was sure almost anyone would believe him. She didn't know what he was trying to prove with her story, but it apparently Kiply did, as his face grew redder and redder as Percy continued.

"Garbage, all of it! You'd dare bring mutts into my place of work and then demand them their rights! They have no rights! They're simply poor creatures who will either be run out or exterminated!" At the rising tension, her wolf brother stood up and set a hard look to the balding man. To his credit, he tried not to look at him, keeping his eyes squarely on Percy, who didn't appear fazed at all. Both his guards tensed and trained their eyes on him. "Besides, anyone who believes that load of croak you just pulled can't possibly be trusted in the legal system! Things are never that convenient!"

"…Once again you fail to see the point in all this." Kiply sneered at him. Percy crossed his legs in utter indifference. "I know people will see through this. Even a man like yourself does. I am not trying to win you over with sympathy, but instead trying to give you a way out that makes you look good."

"A way out?"

"Correct. You see, Kiply, how many employees do you think harbor ill will towards you over this?" He glanced at both the guards, whose lips twitched in unison. Kiply glared one until he bowed his head.

"I…that is wholly irrelevant to this!"

"Not at all…in fact, it is more relevant than ever before." He gestured towards the door, which held on the other side dozens of Kiply's employees. The realization made Kiply gulp. "It appears more and more that your employees grow tired of your schemes. They suffer you, yes, but for how long? It will be resignation and then revolt if nothing changes. But the real question may be this; why drive them into the ground when before they appeared perfectly amicable towards you? It's not as if circumstances for yourself have changed suddenly, or…" A devilish grin appeared on his face, "Oh, that's right. They have changed for you, haven't they? Namely that your own employer is now holding out unless you get him the resources he wants? Is it really that simple?"

Kiply's eyes widened at the declaration, his guards similarly appeared shocked. Just as before, Percy said this with confidence that seemed to defy logic. Kiply gnashed his teeth together. "Just what are you? I've only seen you around twice, and both times for less than an hour! Are you a spy? A mercenary? One of those insane magic guild members? No one knows of my business with the upper management, no one! You couldn't possibly know what you know!"

"But I do. I am a far better reader of people than you think. It happened about a month and a half ago, correct? The second time we met. I can still see your face clearly." Gilda's own instincts grew more cautious as Percy kept his calm demeanor. The way he said how he knew things he shouldn't…it wasn't that he wasn't telling the truth like he was with her, but something still didn't sit right with her about it. One thing was for certain, and that was the anger in Kiply's face.

The same anger that hit her when he gave her a fresh look. "This one's in on it too, isn't she! You have an accomplice in your crimes, a dirty woods person!"

Percy didn't respond, didn't even look at her as Kiply flung accusations. She wondered what he was waiting for, then she realized. Her. Words from just before the meeting bubbled up in her mind. After taking a moment, she struggled together a sentence. "Yes, I'm helping him. And I won't let you stay here. Or hurt them," she glanced at the wolf brother. He barked in agreement.

Percy shrugged. "There you have it. And before you try and call out or silence us, other people are aware of this and will be informing the employees if anything were to befall us in the next few days."

With that closing remark, Kiply's anger seemed to dissolve as he slumped in his chair. Percy still didn't look at her, but out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a tiny grin on his face. Gilda found herself marveling at another human being for the first time in her life. She hardly understood half of the things the two men discussed, but one thing was for certain. Even though Percy should have had no chance against all of these people all on his own, for some reason she felt as if he would have been just fine even without her and her brother. In a way, he was the wolf pup who escaped via his own strength, barring a different kind of teeth than what was used to bite.

So for the second time in her life, and the first towards another of her own species, she felt the pull of envy.

"It appears that we've reached an agreement. It's unfortunate that it had to be done this way, but if you are willing to keep your word I know of a few associates who run a similar business as your current boss. It isn't too late to repair your relationships with your employ-" Percy never got to finish that sentence, as a flying fist lunged from the seat Kiply sat in and hit him square in the face. The sheer unexpectedness left her dazed; ordinarily, she would've felt the tension and reacted properly. Instead, all she could do was dumbly watch as it happened. Similarly, Kiply's guards reactions proved they never would have dreamed their boss of such a sudden or violent feat. For Gilda, that blow would have been a mere child's punch, and she expected that Percy would lift up his arms to defend himself or retaliate.

What actually happened was the man crumpled to the floor, completely incapacitated by the single punch. Gilda stood, dumfounded once more.

What followed was a bit of a scuffle in securing the now cursing and screaming man. Gilda was able to reach him and hold him steady before he could continue pummeling Percy, and shortly afterward Kiply's own guards begrudgingly took over and held down their boss. Kiply continued his threats and insults to the point of nearly foaming at the mouth, all the while kicking and even attempting to bite his own guards. For one who appeared so refined at first glance with his business suit and way of standing, he now more resembled the very animals he wanted so desperately gone. Her brother kept a close eye on him, occasionally growling, and his guards didn't so much as speak up about him. Gilda couldn't tell if they appreciated his presence or were simply too preoccupied to care.

The employees outside may have felt the same way, as they immediately forgot her presence as they stared at their boss gone raving mad. Given the looks they gave him, even the ones afraid of her seemed more disgusted by the way their head was acting. Percy's confident assumption that Kiply's workers were growing weary of him proved once again correct, as an air of distaste settled into the room upon seeing their employer in such a pitiful state. Kiply was properly restrained and the employees apologized profusely after hearing the story from the guards. One of them tended to Percy's head wound while the others milled about lazily, many heaving sighs of relief after realizing that this was the end of their business here.

Gilda sat with Percy until he woke up, nearly an hour later. The worker tending to him worried about a concussion, but Percy brushed him off and encouraged him to go join the others.

They continued sitting together as they watched a mild celebration form over the possibility of them leaving. Her wolf brother left at the festivities, his tolerance for loud groups reaching its limits. Normally, would have left too, but she needed to ask some things of the man who helped her.

She steeled herself before asking, "you really did all that just to talk to me?"

"Of course!" he smiled. Gilda looked disgruntled.

"Why? There's nothin' I have to say to someone like you."

"On the contrary! There are so many things I'd be interested in hearing from you! Like, how did you come to know the wolves? Were you born in the woods? Have they always treated you like this? Which one's your favorite? How many of the wolves are you familiar with-" A hand suddenly clamped down over his mouth. His eyes widened as she glared at him, her lips curling into a sneer. Gilda considered squeezing a little, as a joke, but he probably wouldn't take it as one. After a moment, he put his arms up in surrender, and she hesitantly removed her hand. He took a deep breath.

The two of them sat silently. Gilda could tell Percy itched to speak but didn't respond again. She chewed her lip.

Finally, she spoke, "You just think I'm a freak show, just like everyone else."

They continued in silence for a moment longer, then he replied. "It must be a great thing, to be loved by so many, even if they are not human." His voice rang flat, and she turned sharply to stare at him.

For the first time since they met, his eyes appeared empty of the spark he'd shared before. He looked at her and smiled, a cold, mocking smile. Somehow, deep within her, she could tell that the mocking part was not directed at her. "They do care for you, very deeply. I can see that quite plainly."

"…What else can you see?"

His face returned to blankness and he gestured to the group as a whole. "Everything, and yet, nothing." He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. When he opened them again, the spark had returned, but Gilda couldn't help but have the image of him seconds before seared into her mind.

"What exactly do you even do?" she asked.

"Hmm, well…" he stretched out his legs and continued looking towards the crowd. "I suppose I do whatever I want, really. But what I love doing, what I try to do is improve relationships."

"Like…love?"

"Sometimes love, but that is not the only one I help with, nor is it the one I most prevalently work with. Look at the people here for example. Their relationship between their boss and themselves had soured where it was once quite strong. I aimed to fix that, if I could, and if all parties are willing."

"But, why?"

He didn't answer for what felt like a long, long time. Then, when he did speak, it was no more force than a whisper. "When you don't have something, sometimes, you can't stand the idea of someone else throwing it away."

Gilda's jaw clenched at his words. For a moment, it was almost like looking at herself, if envy had taken on a different form. And in doing so she realized a key difference in the two of them. Percy took another deep breath and regained his smile. It was a little brighter. "Anyways. All I ask for my troubles is one interview. Then I'll be gone. You'll never see me again, so that should put your mind at ease. I'll even get some dinner if you'd like."

She put her face up close to his. Percy shrank back at her directness. "Ah…miss? Perhaps you misread something, I don't–"

"You have anyone else helping you out there?"

"Ah…well, they all live in the city, so they won't be going with me, no–"

"Then don't ask me things just yet. Ask me them while you go."

Percy stared at her, slack-jawed. Then he let out a chuckle, grinning at her wryly. But her expression remained steadfast, and the longer she held it, the more his grin slipped off. Finally, he asked, "You don't really mean that, do you?"

Gilda merely shrugged, as if it were no big deal. But a grin took over her whole face as she replied. "Sure I do. Never met someone as weird as me out here. Plus, you're real weak, and I'm not, so you can use me all you'd like. It'll be fun." She turned her back to him as she walked away, looking to see if she could join the small celebration. They hesitantly welcomed her, which soon turned to boisterously welcoming her once the stored drinks were found and distributed. Occasionally, she could tell he was watching her out of the corner of her eye, his stare just as uncertain as his face when she left.

Once night settled in the workers left one by one, Percy and herself some of the last to go. Gilda walked with him, ignoring the cold shoulder she received. She said goodbye to her wolf brother who walked with them until they left the woods, trusting him to relay what she was about to do to the others. He expressed sorrow at her leaving but didn't try and stop her. It wasn't the way of the wolves, even if she could tell it pained him. Percy, however, did attempt to discourage her from following, but as the days wore on with her presence, soon his innate curiosity took over and he was back to hounding her with questions. She made sure to only answer a couple at a time until he stopped subtly asking her to leave.

That was three years ago. She'd been looking out for him ever since.

Gilda unlocked the back door and stepped inside. Her footsteps were near silent as she moved her body in a way that eliminated needless sound. It wasn't as if she didn't trust the house's location or the people inside; habits were just hard to break. She did a quick check around the back entryway but didn't note anything out of place. It was just as silent as when she left mid-morning.

Her encounter with the strange one-eyed man from earlier still had her scratching her head. He'd seemed so contemplative, a little how Percy sometimes looked, as he was starting up at the sign. Then he'd whipped his head around smoothly, also just like Percy so long ago. But instead of mild surprise, he was clearly shocked. That, and ready to fight. She could tell he was a magic-user, and something about him smelled wrong, like something rotten. From his stare to his body posture to the way he curled his lips it was clear he lived a life that was accustomed to battle. The fact that such a man was just wandering around town made her hackles rise.

At least he hadn't caused a scene. Maybe his fascination with the building was due to something else? The thing he was staring at was the sign, which would be gone soon anyway. She'd patrolled around for longer than usual, trying to see if he would eventually circle back, but her investigation yielded nothing. The strange man must have left. Perhaps he too had the ability to sense where she was. A snarl curled up her lips at the thought. She shook her head; Percy would probably have a field day with this.

Heaving a deep sigh, she turned a corner to go up the stairs only to run right into the man himself. Gilda grunted and reached out to catch Percy before he tumbled over. "Woah, my bad. Didn't hear ya there. Bo-" her sentence died as she held one of his arms and looked him over.

A smile graced his lips, one that reached his eyes as well. But something about the whole expression felt so utterly wrong that it took all of Gilda's human brain not to rely on her animal instincts and flee. She controlled her breathing and tightened her grip on his arm. "Actually, where ya been? You never came down for dinner. Perse worried and paced but didn't let me go up and check. Said you were probably busy. Then you snuck downstairs, grabbed something, and left before we said a word." She tilted her head, trying to tell what look his eyes reflected. "It's going well, right? If it ain't, you can always just ask."

"Hmm?" Percy replied as if he wasn't quite yet awake. "Oh…yes, everything is going quite alright. It's quite alright, Gilda." Another smile. "Please, don't worry about me. It's all going so wonderfully, so so wonderfully."

"…Huh." But Gilda's arm didn't let go. Instead, it sank deeper in. "Someone's been around the building. Smelled weird. I don't like it."

"Hmm, well that won't do now…unless…" The smile quirked but didn't falter, and Gilda grew more agitated.

"Isn't this enough? Those people Perse is friends with, they won't stay there forever. Maybe we outta pack up and go." At this, Percy squirmed, but for once Gilda felt increasingly talkative. "I told Perse this, and it's not like I don't trust ya, but it's like when you get too into something and can't see the forest for the trees. Everyone's got limits, I learned, and yours are awfully low, so maybe we really outta just…"

Percy's eyes started watered over. "Gilda…that…hurts."

"?!" Gilda finally released her grip on his arm when she saw blood staining her nails. She'd unconsciously used a beast form as her iron grip increased until it was enough to pierce his skin. Percy cradled his arm as Gilda's non bloodied hand went to her mouth. "What…oh no. Boss…that wasn't, I wasn't trying to…" The shock caused her to sink to the floor, even as she knew she should be running to the first aid kit they kept to get help.

"It's ok, Gilda. It's not that bad. It doesn't hurt anymore." She looked up at him, hoping that he was telling the truth. Instead, she froze as she watched tears silently make their way down his face.

But his smile remained. And his eyes looked on the cusp of joy. A chill unlike any before–even when she saw him go completely blank–coursed through her veins.

"I've just never felt this way before. Compared to that, this is nothing. Nothing. It was never anything to begin with. Not yet." Percy's mumbles suddenly cut short and he blinked rapidly. Finally, the smile dropped as he winced and chuckled. "I'll get this looked at, don't worry. If that were enough to get me I'd be dead a hundred times over." He dropped his non-bleeding hand on her shoulder, and it took all her willpower not to flinch as he looked at her, eyes still wet. "We all lose sight of things sometimes, Gilda. I don't fault you for that."

Then he turned and walked towards the kitchen, blood dripping like thin strings from his arm. Gilda stayed rooted to the floor. Even as the water ran, even as she heard grunts of him applying antiseptic, putting on bandages. Her head was murky with confusion and apprehension, enough to keep her away from her suffering friend.

Because she finally realized why the look in his eyes wasn't just unnatural. It wasn't him. And if Percy wasn't the one looking back at her with such delight, she wasn't sure she wanted to know who was.

A/N: Gilda's having quite the night! But not as much as Percy it seems. What will become of their relationship now? That reveal may take longer than expected...

I really didn't want to put this on hold. My original plan was to publish daily until it was finished. I even had plans in place to finish the second half of this fic in about a month. Then the back half of December kicked me in the face and I ended up not being able to put said plan into motion. So, instead of trying to keep up and stressing myself out on updates, I'll be taking a break from this for a bit to finish up another project (one that is actually career-related!) and then jump back into this and write the rest of it out in one go. The second half is when all of these moving parts are going to start colliding with each other violently, and I want to make sure it's done right and reads well. Plus since it'll be already done, I'll be able to do two updates a day. I can't say an exact date because while I have an idea of how long it will take to write, I'm not sure when that writing will start. It'll depend a lot on when I finish other, more important things. All I know for sure is that it will start up again and finish updating before this year is out. I already have too many things that I've left hanging for too long, and I want this year to be the one I finish them.

TL;DR: Haitus time starts now, will finish writing fic first to have two guaranteed parts a day, can't say exactly when only that it will be before 2022 is over.

Thanks again for all your support up until now. A friendly comment or favorite really goes a long way to helping me be excited about this work and finishing it up. Let me know who your favorite love doctor guest has been so far, or theorize what will become of our three slightly odd antagonists! I'll see y'all again real soon.