#<- approx translation?

[arnold-layne]

having been completely occupied with wedding preparation for the last week, i lay down, exhausted, on the bed. just one more day, and then it’s over, i think. then, a message appears on my screen.

“hey, please send me your 10k symbol translation by monday,” says my professor who is totally oblivious of the whole ordeal

i fold like a lawn chair

[objectivelyimpermanent]

How to Consume The Apothecary Diaries

TLDR

Web Novel: A Pharmacist's Monologue, 387 chapters. Free in Japanese; English Translate MTL is very easy on-site. HERE.

Light Novel: The Apothecary Diaries. Partially free with an account HERE. Also Google exists. Purchaseable in Kindle/Print. 15 Japanese volumes (approx. 363 WN chapters) and 13/14 English volumes on Kindle (approx. 323/347 WN chapters) or 4/5 English volumes in print (approx. 101/128 WN chapters). Available on Amazon, Ebay, Abebooks, Facebook Marketplace. Use Bookfinder to compare prices.

Manga: x The Apothecary Diaries, ill. by Nekokurage. This illustration style is very similar to the anime. 80 manga chapters have been released. 14 Japanese volumes (74 M1 chapters, approx. 89 WN chapters, approx. 3.75 LN volumes) and 13 English volumes (68 M1 chapters, approx. 83 WN chapters, approx. 3.5 LN volumes). Available on Amazon, Ebay, Abebooks, Facebook Marketplace. Use Bookfinder to compare prices. x Maomao's Notes from the Inner Palace, ill. by Minoji Kurata. This illustration style is similar to the light novel. 84 manga chapters have been released. 19 Japanese volumes (82 M2 chapters, approx. 101 WN chapters, 4 LN volumes). There is no official English release.

Anime: The Apothecary Diaries, 29 episodes and currently airing weekly. 1 full season (42 M1 chapters or 8 volumes, approx. 31 M2 chapters or 7 volumes, approx. 56 WN chapters, 2 LN volumes). Season has 5 aired episodes as of last week (43-49 M1 chapters or volume 9, approx. 32-39 M2 chapters or half volume 8 with full volume 9, approx. 57-68 WN chapters, half LN volume 3). Season 2 will have 24 total episodes totalling to 48 episodes (possibly passing the manga release of 80 M1 chapters or 14 volumes, approx. 82 M2 chapters or 19 volumes, approx. 101 WN chapters, approx. 4 LN volumes). Free with ads on Crunchyroll. Conditionally free without ads with a Crunchyroll subscription or free trial. HERE.

Here's a spreadsheet:

Link

The Specifics

The Web Novel The Apothecary Diaries (or, A Pharmacist's Monologue) is published in Japanese for free as a web novel by Natsuo Hyuuga in 2011 on Shōsetsuka ni Narō [Let's Become a Novelist]. It is still ongoing, and the 387th chapter was published as recently as 5th February 2025. You can access it for free here. The webpages are easy to Google Translate, so if you don't mind MTL, the English translation also is free and easily accessible. To do this, right click anywhere on the webpage and select 'Translate to English'. Additionally, the website has an option to download a PDF of the entire novel. However, this is only in Japanese vertical script, and it is less easy to Google Translate.

The Novel There was a print novel of The Apothecary Diaries illustrated by Megumi Matsuda published in Japanese in 2012. It comprises a single volume, which covers 66 chapters of the web novel (the only chapters that had been released at the time). I am not aware of the availability of any English translation of this novel.

The Light Novel The Apothecary Diaries is being adapted into a light novel written by the same Natsuo Hyuuga and illustrated by Touka Shino. Some chapters are available for free on J-Novel here, but the rest require purchase. There is no legal way to access the full light novel for free. However, I have heard that Googling is easy and very profitable. The Japanese volumes began releasing in 2014. As of February 2025, there are 15 volumes in print, covering approximately 363 chapters of the web novel. The official English language release began in 2024. The English print release is around 3 years behind the Kindle release. As of February 2025, 13 volumes are available on Kindle, covering approximately 323 chapters of the web novel. The 14th volume will be released in May, covering approximately 347 chapters of the web novel. You can find these on Amazon for £6.39 each. As of February 2025, 4 volumes are available in print, covering approximately 101 chapters of the web novel. The 5th volume will be released in May, covering approximately 128 chapters of the web novel. You can find these new on Amazon or Ebay for around £13-17. You can find them secondhand for as low as £9 on Amazon or Abebooks. You can use Bookfinder to compare the prices between book vendors. Additionally, Facebook Marketplace is an underused resource.

The Manga The Apothecary Diaries is being adapted as 2 separate manga series by Itsuki Nanao. I don't know why. There are differences between the adaptations, and there are differing opinions on which one is better; I won't get into that here. I will refer to them separately as The Apothecary Diaries and Maomao's Notes from the Inner Palace. x The Apothecary Diaries is the manga adaptation illustrated by Nekokurage that began releasing in Japanese in 2017. 80 manga chapters have been released as a monthly serial. The illustration style is extremely similar to the anime. There are currently 14 volumes in print in Japanese (up to manga chapter 74), covering approximately 89 chapters of the web novel or 3.75 volumes of the light novel. The official English language release began in 2020. There are currently 13 volumes in print in English (up to manga chapter 68), covering approximately 83 chapters of the web novel or 3.5 volumes of the light novel. The 14th volume will release in October. There are Kindle versions; you can find these on Amazon for £5.65 each. You can find print versions new on Amazon or Ebay for around £10-13. You can find them secondhand for a similar price on Amazon, Ebay, or Abebooks. You can use Bookfinder to compare the prices between book vendors. Additionally, Facebook Marketplace is an underused resource. x Maomao's Notes from the Inner Palace is the manga adaptation illustrated by Minoji Kurata that began releasing in Japanese in 2017. 84 manga chapters have been released as a monthly serial. The illustration style is more similar to the light novel than to the anime. There are currently 19 volumes in print in Japanese (up to manga chapter 82), covering approximately 101 chapters of the web novel or 4 volumes of the light novel. The 20th volume will release in September. There is no official English language release.

The Anime The Apothecary Diaries is being adapted as anime. It has one complete season of 24 episodes, and season 2 is currently airing weekly. Episode 5 was released last week. Season 1 covers approximately 56 chapters of the web novel or 2 volumes of the light novel or 8 volumes of The Apothecary Diaries manga or just over 7 volumes of Maomao's Notes from the Inner Palace. I expect season 2 wholly to cover approximately chapters 57-101 of the web novel or the 3rd and 4th volumes of the light novel, possibly exceeding the currently manga release with the 9th-14th volumes of The Apothecary Diaries manga or the latter half of the 8th volume through the 19th volumes of Maomao's Notes from the Inner Palace. You can access it in dub and sub on Crunchyroll here. It is free with ads. You can watch it without ads by subscribing to Crunchyroll for £4.99/mo. The first subscription on a Crunchyroll account includes a 7 day free trial. This requires you to enter your payment information before granting access. However, if you cancel the trial immediately after subscribing, you will retain access to the subscription services for the remainder of the trial period without worrying about the subscription charging your card at the end.

Edit 250215S: some corrections regarding the length of season 2 of the anime. Thanks to @blur0se for bringing that to my attention.

[winnie1emon]

✧.* what happens when theodore nott encounters a sweet girl in the forbidden forest?

chaser!theodore nott x fawn!reader (fem pov)

word count: approx. 2.7k

c/w: MDNI!!, smut, sexual language, piv, unprotected sex, outdoor sex, fingering, creampie, one line of google translated italian (IM SORRY), chaser!theo is mostly for the intro, doesn't have significant impact on the plot

a/n: hi this was supposed to be a two-part story, but heh... thank you + sorry to everyone who was patient with me!! this is not proof read i fear꒰(˶◞ ‸ ◟˶)꒱ also also!! ive stopped procrastinating and set up my obx blog @rafesdearest <3

A large breeze entered the pitch, and the crowd cheered as Slytherin's seeker finally caught the golden snitch. Descending off his broomstick, Theodore wasted no time rummaging through the oncoming crowd to find the pitch's exit.

No, he didn't need heaps of Slytherin girls running their hands up and down his arm; no, he didn't need the glory from scoring 70 points for Slytherin; and no, he didn't need to hear the complaints of the opposing team. All he needed was a good fucking cigarette.

"For fucks sake," Theodore huffed, pushing through the rowdy waves of people, scowling as he caught a glimpse of a girl with one of his teammate's names written sloppily on her forehead.

With a final shoulder bump through the crowd, he found himself in the broom shed, tossing his broomstick carelessly inside and opting out of heading to the locker room for a quick change and shower.

He let out a large exhale, beginning to take large strides towards Hagrid's hut, ultimately nearing the Forbidden Forest. Contrary to popular belief, the Forbidden Forest wasn't all that scary; the woodsy smell filled Theodore's nostrils, making him scrunch his nose as the rainwater scent from earlier that day lingered.

Allowing the soft crunch of the leaves to take his attention away momentarily, he hadn't noticed the figure standing at his usual smoke spot, deep in the forest.

Fumbling with his pocket, his carton of cigarettes flew out, landing on the dirt with a soft thud. A frustrated groan escaped his lips as he took a few steps forward, reaching for the fallen pack as he saw another hand pick it up.

Startled, Theodore looked up, only to be met by what seemed to him the most random girl ever. He had never seen her before, despite her appearance suggesting that she was in his year, much to his surprise; he knew most of the people in Hogwarts-- a testament to his popularity.

"Thank you," he said, his voice laced with skepticism.

“You’re welcome,” you replied. “You just win?”

He was somewhat surprised that you knew, or even asked. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

“You always come here after you have a game. When you lose you usually talk to yourself…” you trailed off, remembering the times you’d hear him cursing himself or his teammates under his breath whenever he lost. You idly gazed around the forest, eyes landing on a small flower by your feet. You crouched down to admire its pretty purple color.

As you did so, Theodore was still confused. “What? How do you know that?” he asked, his tone teetering over being curious and accusatory.

"Sorry, what?" you asked, missing his question as you were momentarily distracted.

Theodore rubbed his temple. Seriously? "I said, 'how do you know that?'"

"Oh! What- I'm always over there," you pointed out, your finger directing his eyes to a small pond about half a dozen yards away. "I come every day at the same time. Usually I start leaving once you arrive though." You stood back on your feet, taking his wrist as you airily led him there. "Here. The deer like to come usually, not anymore though."

You then realized you were just grabbing some guy's wrist without permission-- Theodore Nott's wrist. Letting go, you turned your head in the other direction as your face heated up.

Theodore raised a wry eyebrow as you dropped his wrists, averting your gaze from him before seeing the pretty area. "Why don't they come anymore?"

You had felt the color comfortably return to your face before saying, "There's just been a lot more litter lately. I don't think they like that."

He grimaced, unbeknownst to you, recalling all the cigarette butts he had casually dropped on the ground in the past few months. "Right..."

Unable to find anything else to talk about, you thought it was best to leave. "I'm going to head back."

You turned to leave, awkwardly stepping around a few of the stones on the ground before Theodore spoke. "So soon?" He looked at you teasingly, faint traces of arrogance on his face. "Thought we could get to know each other."

"Well I-- I told Hagrid I'd help him judge his new crop of pumpkins," you told him lamely.

"Mm. Sure."

His eyes followed you as you attempted to leave once more, weaving through the trees, eventually small enough to fade out of sight.

Cute.

--------------------------------------------------------

The following day, Theodore returned to the forest even though he didn't play a game that afternoon. He remembered you telling him that you would go there every day at the same time.

As he walked deeper into the woods, he spotted your form from afar, walking up to you as nonchalantly as possible.

"Hey."

You were currently tending to a few of the insects on the dirt, startled by his sudden greeting. Whipping your head around you saw him again-- Theodore and his gorgeous blue fucking eyes.

"Ah- Hi!" you exclaimed, giving him a large smile before quickly dropping it, subconsciously beating yourself up for being overenthusiastic. "There isn't a game today, what are you doing here?"

"Just you know, thought I'd come and get some fresh air. Didn't know you'd be here," he shrugged.

"I told you I come here at the same time every day," you told him, brows furrowed and lips quirking in a small smile.

"Forgot."

You were a bit suspicious at first, but he said it with such indifference that it simmered away.

This happened for the next few days; you'd constantly come to the forest, only to see Theodore already there, or him arriving shortly after. You both made conversation with each other and oddly enough, he was good company. Of course, you couldn't help but glance at his face for a moment too long from time to time, somewhat admiring his chiseled features or his captivating eyes. Sometimes you'd swear that his gaze would linger on you, tracing you from head to toe, but you swatted those thoughts away immediately.

The two of you grew much more comfortable with one another, even beginning to confide in one another about the teachers you didn’t particularly love or the embarrassing moments you guys had before locked away to never tell a soul.

About a week since your initial introductions, you went back to the pond as always, expecting Theodore to come soon after. Of course, what you weren't expecting, was to see a small herd of deer nearby. Your face melted into that of wonder, eyes glassy, having missed the deer during their disappearance.

Shortly after breaking out of your marveling trance, you noticed how most of the litter near the pond was gone. There were no cigarette butts, no chocolate frog boxes, and only one stray and empty bottle of butterbeer.

You heard someone approaching and by this point you knew it was Theodore. You scuttled over to him, interlocking your fingers before hastily dragging him over to the delightful sight.

“Look, look, look!”

He let you, allowing his body to be pulled by you, a quizzical smirk on his face. "Yes?"

“Theodore- look! The deer! They came back, the-“ you gabbed.

“I know,” he said gently.

“No, seriously! Theodore they’re back! There’s no more mess, so they came-,” you spoke incontinently before pausing. “You what?”

“I know.”

“Oh.” You were crestfallen for a moment, disappointed that you couldn’t have him share your excitement at the same time. “Did you already come here this morning?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then how do you know?”

“I came here last night,” he said. You eyed him curiously, releasing your fingers from his before he spoke again. “I cleaned it myself.”

He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, like it was something he got done in a second.

“Huh?” you questioned, almost unbelieving.

“Come on, do I have to repeat everything for you sweetheart?” he simpered.

You were a bit daunted by his use of a nickname. Sure you two have gotten close over the past few days, but you didn't know you guys were that close...

"No sorry-," you apologized quickly. "It just sounded like you said you cleaned the whole thing yourself. But you wouldn't. I know you," you tried to tease, but his face , just moments ago coy and smug, was now unamused. Of course, you started to prattle as a last resort to not make things weird.

"Not that you're like lazy or anything! I meant that you just don't seem the type, -- er, you probably have better things to do with your time than clean and stuff."

The expression on his face was unreadable, and you could feel your soul wilting away with each passing moment.

"But if it was you then great! That's really, really great and uhm, kind of you!" You forced yourself to bring a finger up to your mouth to shut yourself up, a bead of sweat forming on your head.

Theodore leaned a bit closer, and he looked off. You couldn't tell if he was bothered or annoyed with you, or if he was just pulling your leg.

"You really don't get it, do you?"

Were you supposed to laugh...?

You opened your mouth, prepared to let out another incoherent string of apologies and nonsense, before you were interrupted by the feel of his breath on your face, followed by the soft landing of his lips onto yours.

It felt gentle, patient, almost like he was giving you the chance to pull away. But you didn't. He noticed, beginning to bring his hands to cup your face, and your hands found his hair, his tongue beginning seek entryway into your mouth and you granted it to him.

He became a little sloppy, his breathing ragged and his hands bringing your face impossibly close to his own. He got rougher, like he was was a man trapped and you were his first ray of sunlight in years. Somewhat overwhelmed, you brought your hands up to his shoulders, and he took it as a sign to pull away.

His hair had become mussed, his chest heaving up and down as he gasped for air.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized sheepishly as he gave you a gap of space. "I got too... too," he huffed, catching his breath.

"No, you didn't do anything," you reassured him. "Just needed to- to soak it all in."

He gazed at you, face flushed and his embarrassment slowly fading. You granted yourself the ability to let your eyes travel down, stopping at the very obvious tent in his pants.

The sound of your heart beating filled your head, excitement and arousal about to pour out of you. You closed the gap between you both once more, pulling him into another kiss. You savored the small sound of surprise he made, your hand roving down to cup his erection that was straining against the denim of his jeans.

You heard him groan, pushing you a few steps back to place your back against a large tree, hands snaking down to flip your skirt up. He fondled your ass, lips detaching from yours to scoff a smile.

"Not chilly in this?" he asked you, fingers tracing the delicate lace of your underwear.

"Wanted to look cute," you defended.

"For me?"

You looked like you had been hit with a confundus charm, but that moment was short lived as you felt him lower your underwear, the air hitting your exposed cunt.

You ran a finger against the straining denim, making him twitch slightly. He lightly rubbed over your pussy, your arousal coating his fingers. He slipped a finger in, another one quickly following.

Your knees buckled for a moment as he pumped his fingers in and out of your cunt, finding a quick pace. You dropped your hand from his erection, now using it to hold onto the tree from behind for support as you let out a string of moans and whimpers in his ear.

He curled his fingers, finding the spot that made your eyes roll back, watching you with the most impish look ever. You were so close to orgasming quickly, and right as you were, he pulled his fingers out, releasing multiple incoherent mewls from you.

"Così dannatamente carina." (So damn cute).

Before you could complain about your lost orgasm, he had discarded of his zip up sweater, pulled down his pants, freeing his erection from his boxers, and lined up his cock with your cunt. Theodore lifted one of your legs up, supporting it with his hand to spread your legs. He pushed inside slowly, your pussy time to adjust to his thick cock.

"Shit, you feel so good," he whispered by your ear.

Each thrust of his hips would pressure your back harder into the tree, but the pain was unacknowledged as you could only focus on the pleasure currently pumping in and out of you.

"T-Theo," you mewled, looking at him with wide eyes, maintaining eye contact.

"Hm?" he asked, using his hand that wasn't supporting your leg brush a stray eyelash off your cheek.

You wanted to speak, but instead let out a strangled whine, the erotic noises of his cock entering in and out of your sopping cunt growing louder. You bit down hard on your lip, immensely stimulated because your cunt was getting the stuffing it needed, but because of how gorgeous he was.

He was otherworldly, the beautiful scenery visible past his face, no doubt only complimenting his features. You stared so hard, to the point that your brain had gone fuzzy and your moans and whimpers slipped out more frequently.

Theodore was clearly sharing the same feeling, beginning to bury himself deeper into you, his hips slapping against your clit each time.

He peppered kisses all over your neck, sucking on your skin until it left marks. Soon, his movements grew frantic-- much more than it already was, and his groans were shaky.

"Fuck, I'm- I'm going to come inside you," he panted.

Your cunt clenched against his cock, much like how you clung onto his shoulders, desperately wanting him to get impossibly closer to you.

"P-please," you begged. "I'm so close. M' gonna come."

He moved his head away from your neck, a string of saliva connecting his lips to the fresh hickey left on there. Gently putting down your leg, he used both hands to now cup your face, staring into the eyes, both of your irises dilated, pure lust on display.

You couldn't hold back any longer, your legs shook, your vision went blurry, and your walls tightened around his cock as you came. He followed shortly after, and with a final thrust, he shot warm, thick ropes of cum into your pussy.

He pulled out shortly after, breathing heavily. The remnants of his leaked out of you as you pulled your underwear back up, patting down your skirt.

Theodore returned his boxers to fit around his waist, zipping up his jeans quickly.

You both stood for a while, unsure if the silence was comfortable or not.

"That was," he spoke first, face flushed and hair disheveled.

"That was good," you said, hopeful that he would agree.

"Yeah. Yeah, it was."

The sun seemed to die down, grey clouds coming in, and you took it as a sign to go. "Should we go back into the castle?"

Theodore nodded in agreement and you pushed yourself off the tree trunk, taking wobbly steps back before he grabbed your wrist from behind.

"Wait." He retrieved his neglected zip up from off the leaf-filled ground, holding it near you, signaling you to outstretch your hands. You did, and he slowly helped you wear the sweater, zipping it up before flipping the hood back to it's intended state. "It's cold."

It was an unusual gesture-- not that it was out of character for him. Just because it was so kind and light, almost as if he didn't fuck the thoughts out of your head just moments before.

You gave him a small smile, allowing his arm to drape over your shoulder as you both started your trek back to the castle.

―――――――――ʚ♡ɞ―――――――――

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This wonderful c.1811 property Felin Brithdir, Rhydlewis, Ceredigion, Wales is a collection of dwellings making up most of the hamlet of Brithdir. The current owners have restored a house, adjacent mill, and neighboring crog lofft (translated as 'hanging loft') cottage, balancing their rustic character with contemporary living. 5bds, 4ba, 1,528.48sqft, $1,294,215 approx USD.

As soon as you enter, you can tell that the restoration is a good one, b/c it looks original. Love the floor tiles.

First, there's a cozy formal sitting room.

And, then there's a lovely family room with a deck, in the connecting part of the house.

Isn't this nice?

Back in the main house you'll find a small dining area.

And, a large, modern kitchen with skylights and a slate floor.

Upstairs there's the cutest landing.

And, the most comfortable bedrooms. This is so pretty.

Love the way they did the bathroom. Looks like everyone can have their own medicine chest.

A sweet child's bedroom.

Then across the pond via this footbridge there's the cottage.

Isn't this delightful? A nice front porch and a little rowboat.

It's small, but so cute.

Next is the wonderful stone mill.

Very modern kitchen & living room combination.

And 2 small bedrooms.

But there are several more buildings on the property.

This is beautiful, too. Look at the sleep loft.

They don't show the interior of this one. Maybe it's unfinished, but it sure is cute.

Also, look at the Quonset huts.

One is used as a barn workshop.

0.40 acre lot.

https://www.inigo.com/sales-list/felin-brithdir

[bronzieinthedas]

Cooking with Scout Harding: Älplermagronen

For HardingWeek25 day 5, prompt: "cooking"!

We all decided that according to the "recipes" given by Harding in game, she isn't really a big cook, but let me show you that pasta with cheese and apples can be absolutely delicious, as demonstrated by this traditional Swiss comfort food recipe that translates as "Alpine Herdsman's Maccaroni"

To feed 6-8 regular sized humans, elves or dwarves (or 4 big qunari), you need:

500g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3cm cubes

500g smooth tube-shaped pasta such as short ziti/macaroni, or if you can't find those, use penne

300ml heavy cream

300g shredded cheese ("gratin cheese mix" or similar is perfectly fine). Gruyère/Emmental is great, but please don't use Mozzarella or processed cheese: wrong taste!

2 large onions, sliced thinly into rings or half-moons

Pepper, salt, nutmeg to taste

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 veggie bouillon cubes (enough for 1L of water)

Applesauce, as much as desired. Store bought or homemade both work! Rule of thumb: About one 400g can for 4 humans/elves/dwarves or 2-3 qunari

Optional: 1-2 sour apples, cut into thin wedges or cubes

Preparation:

Toss sliced onions in flour to coat, then fry in butter on medium heat until golden (will take 5-10 mins), set aside

2. Boil 2L of water, add bouillon cubes, and cook the cubed potatoes for approx. 8 mins on med-high heat

3. Add pasta, stir well, then let simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10-ish mins until tender, drain

4. Add the heavy cream and 100ml water to the hot pan. Add pasta and potatoes and mix well to coat, then add pepper, salt and nutmeg to taste. Don't oversalt, as the cheese will be salty as well!

5. Preheat oven to 200C.

6. In an ovenproof casserole dish, add 1/2 of the potato-noodle-cream mixture, then top with 1/4 of the fried onion and 1/2 of the shredded cheese, then repeat, ending with the cheese.

OPTIONAL: You can add your sliced apple before topping with the cheese if you want it to roast a bit!

7. Bake for 15mins until top is bubbly and golden

8. Serve garnished with the remaining fried onions and a generous dollop of applesauce (and sliced apples if they haven't been added yet). Go ahead, mix everything, and enjoy!

This might not be 100% how Harding would make her Älplermagronen, but I'm sure she'd love it. Let me know if you try this recipe, and happy Harding Week :)

Addendum:

There is actually a shortcut if you don't feel like baking this dish in the oven. In this case, just dump all of the cheese into the pot after step 4 (make sure that both potatoes and pasta are well cooked) and mix everything until melted. Add more spices or salt if needed, then serve immediately with onion, apples and applesauce. That's actually the way the alpine herdsmen used to do it, straight from the cauldron*!

Optional:

You can add store-bought deep-fried onions as topping for added crunch, or add crispy bacon bits to make it non-Nevarran.

Älplermagronen goes well with a side salad such as lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette, and a cup of strong, unsweetened black tea to offset the heaviness of the dish.

*not that Cauldron, luckily!

As always, thank you so much @datvcompanionweeks for organising, it's been so much fun so far :)

[demigodpolls]

calling all PJO fanfic readers!

In the interest of acknowledging great works by fandom writers, DemigodPolls is going to share a big year-end collection of 2024 Percy Jackson fanfic recommendations! In the comment section below or on this AO3 post, leave recommendations for the best PJO fanfics you've read - but there is one major rule: they MUST have been published or last updated in 2024! No exceptions! Reblogs are turned on, but please do NOT leave your recommendations in the reblogs/tags! They will not be considered! Before commenting, make sure that you read the additional specifications below the cut first. If you have nothing to recommend, please do reblog to help support fandom writers and spread the word! Thank you!!!

What we want:

strong grammar

strong writing skills

accurate/interesting depictions of PJO characters

angst/romance/drama/adventure/friendship/character studies/etc

accurately tagged stories (i.e. stories that don't surprise you with untagged triggering content)

stories written with love for the percy jackson universe and its characters

What we DON'T want:

stories that were published/last updated before 2024

stories about ships that would be age-inappropriate in canon, unless the characters are CLEARLY aged up in the story (e.g. no olympians x teenage characters, unless the younger character is explicitly an ADULT when they first meet in the fanfic)

stories that contain non-c*n, inc*st, p*dophilia

stories under 1000 words

stories that fall under "character x everyone"

stories about original characters (stories that contain some OCs in non-protagonist roles are fine, character x reader/self-inserts are fine)

stories that bash other ships/characters (i.e., don't recommend percabeth fics that bash rachel/perachel)

stories that contain non-PJO crossovers (except for RRverse crossovers, i.e. pjo + tkc is fine, toa alone is fine, tkc alone is not, pjo + harry potter is not)

stories that contain gore/extreme violence/extreme bodily harm

stories that contain cheating/infidelity (I just don't want to read those, sorry)

dialogue-only fanfics/texting-only fanfics

stories that contain W*TTG sp0ilers

can I recommend multiple things?

yes! just make sure to categorize them correctly under the relevant prompts.

can I recommend my own story?

yes, but you are highly, highly encouraged to simultaneously recommend at least one other fanfic that you yourself did not write - let's spread the love! (not required)

is smut okay?

yes! but you must specify clearly that the story contains smut in your comment, and please don't use explicit/overly sexual language in your recommendation. I also reserve the right to refuse to consider stories that contain k*nks I don't want to engage with. (ab0, hardcore bd$m, parental name k*nk to name a few)

are non-english fanfics okay?

you are absolutely welcome to recommend non-english fanfics to others in the comments! but I will not be able to put them on the final recommendation list, because I only speak english and I cannot personally vet their contents, cannot observe their grammar, and could be terribly misled by a translator. I'm very sorry! however, if you would like to put together a similar recommendation collection of non-english stories, I'd be happy to promote it on this blog.

is percico okay?

someone asked about this specifically, so here's my stance: percico is a controversial pairing due to the debated inappropriateness of the canon age gap (approx. 3 years). I personally consider 3 years between minors to be juuust beyond my comfort zone (2 years), so please respect my decision to abide by my own comfortability and refuse to consider stories that feature age gaps of this size or larger involving minors. however, you can recommend percico fics where the age gap is explicitly made smaller, or fics where nico and percy are both explicitly adults! this same rule applies to any other ship in a similar circumstance - check the wiki for canon ages if you're unsure! (and to be clear, this is solely about ages, not about the individual merit of the pairing itself. respectfully - this is me drawing a boundary about what I am comfortable with, so do not argue with me on this topic).

is caleo okay?

this pair is even more controversial nowadays, so here's my stance when it comes to weird magical circumstances: within the logic of the pjo universe, some things that seem strange from a mortal perspective are standard within the books. i.e., it's not weird to date fellow demigods, even if the person you're dating is technically your aunt/uncle/cousin/etc. likewise, it's not "weird" for a teenager to date an immortalized or de-immortalized teenager, because... I genuinely don't know, that's just how the book logic works. for that reason, caleo works are accepted. we're going to apply this same logic to pairs like theyna, which could also potentially have murky circumstances (although I do consider thaluke to be especially iffy, because it heavily depends on the situation that people write them in - so if you're unsure, go ahead and submit it, and I'll use my best judgement from there). however, I cannot begin to express my extreme disinterest in discourse about immortal dating ethics - like, I would rather do anything else. not trying to be sassy here, but I'm going to ask you guys to not pick a fight about these topics, for the simple reason that I have zero interest in debating over situations that could never occur in real-life.

are incomplete/discontinued stories okay?

yes! I'd prefer stories that have at least three chapters, but this is not required. completed one-shots are also fine!

If someone already recommended a story that I like, should I vouch for it?

if you would like to, then absolutely!! you can respond to the appropriate prompt from this account in the comments, or you can reply to the person making the recommendation. just make sure to explicitly state which story you're advocating for.

Comments that do not follow these guidelines may be deleted!

How to make recommendations:

There are two places in which you can make your recs! You can click here to leave them on an AO3 mirror of this post, or do so in the comment section below. If the latter, continue reading. Please leave the story name, author username, story rating, main ship, and main characters in your comments - and if you'd like, definitely add some words about why you like it! AO3 direct links are not necessary, but super appreciated. But if it's not on AO3, please ensure that you make clear where exactly I can locate the story. In the comments below, you'll see comments that you can reply to, sorted by ships/lack thereof. Please sort your recommendations by replying to them accordingly (i.e. if you want to recommend 2 solangelo fics and 1 valgrace fic, leave the 2 solangelo recs under the solangelo prompt, then do the same in the valgrace prompt). You MUST explicitly state somewhere if the fanfic contains smut. If you're not sure where to put your recommendations, make your best guess - but absolutely do NOT intentionally mis-categorize your recommendations (i.e, if the pair is not canon, do not put it in the canon pairing section. Seriously. This makes things much more difficult for me while organizing fics, and I'll probably delete your comment anyway.) Lastly, please be mature about shipping. Nothing irritates me more than fighting about percy jackson ships in 2024. If you see fanfics recommended about pairings (or characters!) that you hate, do the mature thing and just scroll past it/do not engage. Character hate and ship hate is not tolerated on this blog. I am very serious about this - if you are starting a fuss about ships/characters, your comments will be deleted and your account will be permanently blocked. Respect your fellow fandom-mates! I will do my best to moderate this comment section, but before looking through them, please understand that I am not responsible for your individual well-being, and there may be fanfic recommendations that are not appropriate for minors/might contain triggering content/etc.

Here's a little form for those of you who find this easier to use, but you don't have to use it!! However, PLEASE do include the following information in your comment regardless:

story name: author: rating: ship: main characters: additional comments (what's it about? why do you like it? etc):

Don't forget, fanfics published/last updated in 2024 only!

Thank you so, so much for participating! The collection won't be published on this blog until late December, so until then, take your time, check those bookmarks, and read new PJO fanfics! Much love to all of you ♡

- demigodpolls

(art by @viria)

(dividers by @cafekitsune)

[idiotmf]

Alien scientists who just really want to study you

Another one of my most recent favorites is my alien boy Xyon. Can you tell I'm a whore for 'y' in names? It's a curse, really.

Also, in case it's not blatantly obvious... I'm introducing characters and beings that I wanna write some good ol' smut on later. (▰˘◡˘▰)

For good measure: Minors scram, for the rest: there's going to be NSFW themes but they are more biological in nature.

A/N: Please feel free to point out typos and grammar wrongdoings so I can obsessively fix them. I write these on my phone and chances are I'm fat-fingering this tiny keyboard, since I use my thumbs for typing. Also, English isn't my first language, so there's also that.

This post is pretty long and covers a more in-depth explanation of this Alien species because I wanna use this as a reference sheet later...

Anyways, here's some random lore dumping about Xyon, Xenians and Xen'jai, their native planet.

As you may have already noticed, I loooooove naming patterns. In the previous post it was my shadow demon boys Aryllus and Oryllion, here it's Xyon, his planet Xen'jai and as you'll come to find, most of the other things related to his planet also start with an X. Here is why:

1. Language:

In the native language of Xenians, the X represents a prefix referring to a life form. Xenians are the people, Xen'jai is their planet, and Xyon is a person. Linguistically speaking, especially for humans, the X doesn't translate as such, it is a complicated sound that a human cannot reproduce and the closest possible sound for an accurate translation. (Can you tell I spend way too much time world building?)

Speaking of their native language, Xenians do not speak the same way as humans do; rather, they communicate via a mixture of various noises, including clicking and verbal sounds that could only be described as waving sheet metal in the air. Imagine this but less goofy and with various pitches, echoes and clicks.

For storytelling convenience, they of course possess a translator that can both pick up foreign languages and translate their own. Although I have one story where they just fully cannot communicate for a long time and that one's wholesome as heck.

2. Appearance:

Xenians are in principle considered humanoid. They have two legs, two arms, a head and a torso. Their posture is slightly different, due to the differing gravity on their planet, so their spines are entirely straight, rather than curved like a human's, which gives them a rather uncanny look at first glance. Although if you do meet a Xenian, honestly that is probably the last thing you notice about them.

The first thing is most likely their height. Xyon himself is between 2.5 meters (approx. 8'2) and 2.8 meters (approx. 9'2), which is considered average for a male of his species, with females being slightly taller on average at 3 meters (10 feet). A male Xenian, if threatened or putting on a mating display, can stretch its spine and torso to appear larger and more threatening. Females are incapable of doing so, but as larger and more intimidating presences, they have no need for it.

The bodies of Xenians are covered in fine, dark blue fur, even if it appears as skin to the naked eye of a human. Like the fuzz you have on your face, but more prominent.

Their gray skin underneath is almost leathery to the touch, which can be examined on their long, almost reptilian tails that serve multiple purposes, such as balance, showing emotions and affection, or can be simply used as an extra arm to grab onto things.

Their faces aren't exactly faces. It resembles more the face of a cat, featuring a short snout and a flat nose, although there are no visible nostrils, as Xenians have millions of microscopic openings in their noses to absorb and filter air. Just like felines, Xenians have sharp teeth and retractable claws, paw pad like palms and soles and most importantly, slit pupils, making some humans speculate that perhaps they are a species of highly intelligent bipedal felines. Xenians do not have whiskers or any of the like, since their tail does most of the work for them.

Unlike humans, Xenians do not wear clothes. Despite being a highly advanced race of what used to be carnivorous hunters, Xenians have no sense of embarrassment from appearing naked. They do wear an exoskeleton which serves various protective functions, however their genitals are sheathed, making Xenians appear genderless to the unschooled human eye.

3. Social Constructs:

Xenians are social creatures. They live in large groups, much like humans, often with their families until they are old enough to train for their purpose.

Unlike humans, Xenians are born with a 'purpose', a path chosen for them that they must follow; Xyon's purpose lies within studying intergalactic life forms. Thanks to their technology, calculations for things such as possible base intelligence, strength and overall health are possible before a Xenian even hatches, promoting not only the growth and increasing intelligence of an already highly advanced race but also unethical practices, such as culling of unhatched eggs with undesired traits. This may appear highly disturbing to humans but is extremely common and even considered a relief amongst Xenians, as they lay between five and twenty fertilized eggs that may hatch, yet only ever one to three Xenians hatch and reach maturity due to culling, keeping their race from overpopulating their rather small planet.

Xenians, while not the sole creatures of their planets, are the most intelligent, much like humans on earth. They have moved past their need for food, instead consuming gel-like substances with all their needed nutrients and calories, yet they will occasionally initiate fake hunts with competing parties as entertainment, much like a human would play a game of soccer with a friend. However, they do not kill any animals, rather using their own version of AI to calculate intricate escape routes and keep the game interesting.

While Xenians have both male and female as a base sex, gender and gender roles do not exist to the same extent as with humans. Taking care of hatched eggs is usually done by either of the parents, sometimes a different party entirely, as some Xenians live in mating groups. It is usually the male-coded Xenians that try to impress female-coded mates with their displays of stretching their torsos, however, same sex relationships are common, since mating isn't about offspring but mainly about spirituality.

Which brings us to the point you probably came here for lol...

4. Mating:

Unlike humans, Xenians mate for life, using pheromones present in their sexual fluids to claim each other once a bond is established. Mating is considered highly spiritual, finding a mate is an extremely important part of a Xenian's life.

As mentioned before, some Xenians will live in mating groups, featuring various different partners, which is a fairly new occurrence and sometimes frowned upon by followers of traditional mating practices, which are still upheld on Xen'jai but due to their beliefs in equality, those who frown upon this practice are usually frowned upon themselves.

Xenians with male genitalia possess two sheathed and usually hidden phalluses, which are extremely close together, like fingers on your hand. Both can be slightly moved and serve different purposes. The upper, smaller one can be quite similar to that of a human in both size and shape, it serves to fertilize eggs present in a Xenian with female genitalia, which renew with a new cycle of their native moons. This smaller phallus is extremely sensitive, much like a clitoris and the only of the two that can ejaculate.

The larger one on the bottom is solely used for pleasure, as female-coded Xenians have a mechanism that only allows for impregnation during heightened pleasure, thanks to an additional opening inside their equivalent of a vagina, which only stretches during arousal to let sperm through. Being used for pleasure, their larger phallus has evolved to be able to bring just that. It is both thick and long, covered in small bumps that secrete lubricant for ease of mating but also serve to stimulate the insides of their partners.

As you may be wondering, does a Xenian of the female sex have two vaginas, then? The answer is no. During mating, eventually both phalluses may be inserted into the female, which is a lot easier than you likely imagine, since their insides aren't as tight as that of a human (which is a delightful discovery Xyon makes when he gets to fuck a human for the first time).

Unlike female humans, Xenians do not possess a clitoris, another delightful find for Xyon, all of their pleasure is derived from the nerves inside of their vagina, most of them connected to the muscle that controls whether sperm can be let through or not.

Just like humans, Xenians have contraceptives, since sex is occasionally rather casual. They work differently, however. It is a gel, that must be applied to the smaller phallus, killing sperm as it comes out and blocking the production of mating pheromones that initiate a bond, by triggering the partner to release their pheromones as well. In case of a relationship that is made of two males, both must apply this gel, in case of female only, it is neither but can be triggered with a pheromone dispenser to initiate a female-female pheromone bond.

This is considerably longer than I thought it would be and I still left a lot out to shorten it... Like I didn't even mention that you have to teach him what kissing is and Xyon gets obsessed with it, or that they subconsciously wrap their tail around things and people they like, which... I'm sorry but that is adorable to me... (╥﹏╥)

At first I tried doing the cool headcannon thing some people do with bullet points but I just cannot keep myself short enough to do that*. I also just have a preference for flowing sentences, rather than bullet points. But man...

Anyways, yes, this is a reference sheet once I get into writing some good ol' Xyon x reader smut. (≧◡≦)

I also have another Xenian boi, Xenon, who is a geologist, rather than a biologist but he is still very new and there isn't a lot established yet. Xyon is far more fleshed out and I'm going to introduce him a bit more too, maybe along with some smut.

* as evident from this ending note lmao

Dear gods, I have so many established fantasy worlds I wanna share, so my next lore dump is probably in sight, if I'm not already writing another one.

[yoongihan]

Services Rendered (Teaser) - BC

pairing: escort chan x femreader

genre: smut, with some plot, a lot of talking

teaser word count: 206

word count: approx 10k (who knows?)

warnings: sex work, smut (nothing in the teaser other than talking about it), older reader, chan goes by chris in this

rating: 18+/M

summary: seeking a solution to your lack of experience, you assume the process will be business-like. you're entirely wrong.

a/n: putting out a teaser so I finish this one. vaguely based on the film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. snippet below the cut

There is no natural segue into this, but you have to know. Even if he lies to you, you have to know. “Do you have a choice? I mean, do they assign you clients who fall under certain types, or do you have a quota?”

“You want to talk about my work?”

You take a breath, setting down the bottle on the table. “No? Yes? I hope this isn’t horribly unwanted. I know it’s work for you, but I hope you–”

He shakes his head, immediately straightening up from his relaxed position, hand falling to your knee, not bare because you couldn’t see meeting him in a dress, even if that was encouraged for ‘heightened romance’ and ‘efficient disrobing’. Despite that you’re wearing a blue jumpsuit, his hand is so warm through the fabric. 

“This okay?” He nods to his hand placement. 

“You have carte blanche to touch me, Chris. I’ll tell you if I’m not okay with it.” That’s something you feel sure about at least.

His eyes widen and his smile grows. “Okay then. Same, by the way.”

There goes your confidence running out the door; that you can touch him in any way you want. 

“Back to your question. I chose you.”

--

© yoongihan 2025. please do not steal, translate, repost, or whatever. stray kids belong to themselves and all idols used in this piece are just the inspiration for characters and do not in any way reflect the actual humans. 

[cabinyote]

I couldn't get my hands on the Delicious in Dungeon Manga (at least not for under 20-40€ PER VOLUME FROM 3RD PARTY SITES.), so I did what any sane person would do....

I downloaded each manga page individually, put them into a pdf file, imported the pdf file into a book-making website, created a cover for the book and ordered it to be made :))))))

And the trial and error-process only took approx. 12 hours!!!

Sane! Yippee!

-

I just wanna add to this:

•) This is self use only- And the translated version/pages was/were downloaded from a site where people translated the Manga themselves!! :> They had a Ko-fi. I bought them a Koffee. Sure I could've bound the book myself. But I didn't have the recourses, space, time nor mental capacity,,,

•) No I can't share the pdf files :( I wouldn't know how. I can barely even figure out how to use tumblr haha. Hah... hhh

•) I used a website called "Bookmundo"! There's lots of daughter-websites that do the same thing for different countries! (Please just make sure you set the book on PRIVATE so you're not selling it because... obviously that can get you in hella trouble)

•) "Canva" was used for the book cover! It's a site where they offer free templates for covers and you can modify them to an extent!

[antimony-medusa]

But Why Is Quackity Studios Selling Merch?

To do the sloppiest math possible: 11 Eggmins * French Minimum Wage (roughly 1,500 a month) is 16,500 a month. That’s assuming that the translator works for free, they are hosting the sever off a computer in Quackity’s closet and don’t pay for the electricity, their dev and building and writing and art costs are all nil, and no other RP admins need to be paid.

Quackity has approx 1k subs on Quackity and we can assume the same on QuackityToo, which does not make their stats public. Assuming Quackity is putting every penny of his income into the server, at a 70% split, that’s 7000 a month.

Which would be why they’re trying to make more money.

[onegirlatelier]

October, 2023 | Two-pieced skirt from Southern Song Dynasty (intro+tutorial)

Introduction

(Note: for now I’m not making a bibliography for this article, but if you are interested I’m more than happy to send the sources.)

The two-pieced skirt (liǎng piàn qún) is a type of skirt from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). It is also known as xuàn qún (literal translation: circle/swirl skirt). As far I know, there are two sets of surviving samples of these skirts, one from the tomb of Ms Huang Sheng (this was her full maiden name - she died at 17, one year after getting married, in 1243) and the other from the tomb of Ms Zhou (also her maiden name - she died possibly at 35 and was buried in 1274). The main stylistic difference between these two sets of two-pieced skirts is that those of Ms Zhou had a relatively large difference between the hem and waist measurements (the hem is 15~20cm wider than the waist circumference), whereas those of Miss Huang Sheng had a small difference (approx. 10cm).

Below is a diagram showing the construction. The skirt is composed of one upper piece and one under piece. Each piece consists of two panels which are trapezoids or (roughly) rectangles. For the sake of convenience, we shall call them the centre panel and the side panel. You can see that the centre panels of the two pieces overlap, and the whole thing is fixed onto a waist band. All surviving samples have relatively wide waist bands—about 10-14cm in width. One strip on each side of the waist band is used to tie the skirt.

Pattern details

The modern common agreement is that the panels are usually right trapezoids (trapezoids with two right angles). I don’t know whether this is historically accurate, as some people think they were pentagons, but I doubt we can ever find out from what is currently available, just because the fabrics had been damaged and distorted over time. Assuming that they are right trapezoids, there are two different ways to piece the panels: you can sew the edges with two right angles together, or you can sew together the opposite edge with two non-right angles together (see diagram). They yield different results. A skirt made with the first method would have more of an A-line and more flowy. One made with the second method would wrap more snugly around the torso and give an H-shape.

You might have noticed that the centre panel is a bit wider than the side panel. This is because the centre panel would be worn in the back and the side in the front. A good starting point is to make the centre panel 10cm wider, but this of course depends on one’s body shape.

Another modern agreement is that the skirt better compliments a flat body shape with gentle curves (as has been the mainstream high-class aesthetics for the female body for a very, very long time right up to now). The most prominent issue with a difference between waist and hip measurements is that the skirt will bunch up at the lower back. To alleviate this issue, darts are used on the sides. Another way is to wear a petticoat, some underpants, or just something around the waist to enlarge the waist measurement. The skirt is not designed to accommodate a large difference between waist and hip circumferences (>30cm probably, though it starts to get difficult at 25cm).

Applying your measurements

(Numbers, when applicable, are in centimetres.)

You need your waist and hip circumferences. The skirt is usually full length. I like to make it as long as possible without the danger of tripping. It could be made shorter for thicker stiffer fabrics or a more modern look. Keep in mind that the skirt has a very high waist.

The length of the waistband is usually 1.7-1.9*waist circumference. In any case, it cannot be shorter than 1.3*hip circumference or it won’t close properly.

Now that you have the length of the waistband, you can calculate the upper edges of the panels. Let a be the length of the waistband, b the finished upper edge of the side panel. Then the finished upper edge of the centre panel is roughly b+10. Using the information discussed in the previous section, we have an equation: a=2b+b+10. This is your starting point—adjust as needed.

Triangular darts. There are a few ways to make them and this is just one of them. Let c be the width on each side of one dart. c=(hip-waist)/4. This means each dart will eliminate half of the (hip-waist) difference, and there are two darts.

c+b= total width on the upper edge of the panel. The bottom edge (i.e. the hem) of the same panel would be about 5cm wider than the upper edge.  

The width of the waistband. If you would like to wear it without folding, 6-8cm is good. If wearing with a fold (which sometimes also helps reducing the bunching at the lower back), make it 10-14cm. Note that you need to cut the waistband doubling the width plus allowance.

The ties are usually 2-3cm wide. As for the length, try start from waist circumference+0.6*skirt length. I like to make it 20cm longer because I like long billowy ribbons. Like the waistband, you cut the ties doubling the width since you will fold it in sewing.

Then you would have something like this:

(measurements used: waist 65, hip 89)

Be careful that you need extra fabric because of the fold created at the dart. (You’d need less fabric if you cut away the excess fabric in the dart.)

Fabric suggestions

This is important. Very very important. Because only the right fabric is worth your time and produces the desired result.

In general, choose something soft, drapey and that conforms to your body. Two or three centimetres of difference in calculation hardly matters when you use a good silk.

Silk: a Chinese specialty called Luo is probably one of the best. Other types of soft drapey silks of medium weights are all fine. I don’t like the right side of silk charmeuse because it reflects the body curves a bit too much.

Viscose: use silk as a guide. I find that twill weave or crepe tends to be more drapey than plain weave.

Cotton/linen/wool: some of these are fine too. If using a thicker wool, only use it for the top piece and use a thin fabric for the under piece of the skirt.

An extra note on cutting out the pieces:

If you are making a skirt with contrasting colours/prints, pay attention to where you cut so that the best part of the pattern of the under piece can actually show through the slit.

Construction

Piece together the side panel and the centre panel, using French seams to make the side seam. Sew all the way from top to bottom.

Sew the dart and press it towards the back. (Alternatively, you can cut away excess fabric, or even make a pocket at the side seam.)

Do Steps 1 and 2 for both the upper and under pieces. Finish the allowances on the sides by folding twice and doing an invisible edge stitch. Leave the hem unfinished.

Lay the upper and under pieces together, baste and check fit. Sometimes the centre panel don’t overlap perfectly and that’s fine.

Finish the ties, including the shorter edge not attached to the waistband.

Sew the outer side of the waistband to the skirt panels by laying them right sides together. Press open.

Fold the waistband right sides together and sandwich the tie in between. If wearing the waistband unfolded, you need to attach the tie along the top of the waistband on the under wide and in the middle of the waistband on the upper side (see picture). Sew. Do this for both short edges of the waistband.

(You can interline the waistband if the fabric is too soft. I used a non-adhesive cotton interlining and cut it without allowance and stitched it onto the allowances of the skirt panels. Whatever method suits you should work.)

Turn the right side out and finish the inner side of the waistband by folding in the allowance and using an invisible stitch/felting stitch.

Finish the hem. For the corner, I prefer to do a three-fold corner so that I don't have to trim away the excess.

Wash and press. Et voilà!

[redlikerozez]

悪魔の巫女 | Akuma no Miko | The Devil's Shrine Maiden written by RedLikeRozes

Summary:

The King of Curses stumbles upon a peculiar shrine maiden in his conquest who holds a powerful technique he wants nothing more than to understand and decides to hold her captive in his temple until he decides she's of no more interest.

“If you find use in someone like me, my lord, then I will serve you,” she begins, “but if I will be a burden, then I will accept death.”

Set in the Heian period.

Chapter List (more will be added as I write)

Chapter 1: Lobelia - approx word count 6.6k

Chapter 2: Oleander - approx word count 6.8k

Chapter 3: Marigold - approx word count 4.5k

Chapter 4: Chamomile - approx word count 4k

Chapter 5: Hyacinth - approx word count 3k

Chapter 6: Daphne - approx word count 3k

Chapter 7: Tansy - approx word count 3k

Chapter 8: Gladiolus - approx word count 5k

Chapter 9: Primrose - approx word count 2k

Chapter 10: Plum - approx word count 3.5k

Character Art

Character Reference

Rough Sketch of Matsumae

Moodboard

I made a playlist on Spotify for this fic! Listen in order to follow along with the plot (kinda)! May also be periodically updated. (Be careful, the songs are not spoiler free for what’s gonna happen… You have been warned should you chose to listen.)

Cross-posted on Tumblr and AO3

All writing and art posted by this blog is original work by ©RedLikeRozez. Do not reupload, translate, copy, or claim as your own work.

[petermorwood]

Flammkuchen / Tarte Flambeé / "German pizza"

This evening I found a slab of Speck (strong-smoked bacon) in the freezer that I didn't know we had, there was half an onion and a tub of Lithuanian sour cream in the fridge, so @dduane decided to try Flammkuchen.

Originally, so the story goes, it was made by bakers as a pre-thermometer way to check the temperature of their wood-fired ovens (and provide a quick snack at the same time).

Tarte flambée is the French name, but "German Pizza" or indeed any sort of pizza it certainly isn't; there's neither tomato sauce nor cheese, and no yeast in the dough.

Whether it's German or French depends on who you ask, since it originates from the province of Alsace, an area which has changed hands a lot in the past couple of centuries and whose ownership has been A Source Of Friction Between Guess Who for almost as long.

To stay neutral, the recipe DD used is Swiss. ;->

Here's the translation:

*****

Alsatian tarte flambée

This delicious speciality from Alsace is also ideal for an aperitif. Thinly rolled bread dough with sour cream, onions and bacon cubes!

350g flour (12½ oz) 1.25 tsp salt 2 dl water (6.7 US fl oz / .42 US pt) 2 tbsp olive oil 200 g crème fraîche / sour cream (7 oz) 2 onions (we had less, so used less...) 120 g farmer's (thick, well-smoked) bacon in slices (4¼ oz) a small grind of pepper

And this is how it's done:

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in water and oil, mix and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Form the dough into a ball, cover and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 240 degrees (464 F). Halve the dough and roll it out into an oval shape about 3 mm thick (1/10 inch) on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough on two baking sheets lined with baking paper.

Spread the crème fraîche / sour cream over the dough, leaving a border of approx. 1 cm (½ inch) free all around. Peel the onions, cut them into fine rings, cut the bacon into strips, spread both over the crème fraîche / sour cream and season.

Baking per tray: approx. 12 minutes each on the bottom shelf of the oven.

*****

Since this was our first time making Flammkuchen, we baked them one at a time to check for errors. There were none (Swiss recipe!) and 12 minutes was exactly right to produce this result both times:

DD needs to be careful because of IBS so they were made with mostly bacon on one side, mostly onion on the other, and with a glass of cool white wine they made an excellent Sunday supper.

Next time, now we know how well this recipe works, we'll be more generous with the toppings. :->

Incidentally, rather than baking-trays or the pizza stone we need to replace (ceramic utensils, tile floors and gravity Do Not Mix Well) we used the cast-iron griddle which in summer often goes on the BBQ...

... and gave the oven a thorough pre-heating, then transferred the Flammkuchen in and out with a peel, all of which worked splendidly.

That tip about using baking paper is excellent, BTW: no sticking, no spillage, no washing up. I bet it'll work with other things as well.

Like, for instance, more Flammkuchen... ;->

[poppitron360]

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

But this fanfic was written in one! This is a continuation of this post that I made (suggest you read it first for context). Basically Jason and Leo had a baby through divine intervention and Piper is the surrogate. I literally started adding to it this time yesterday and now it’s over 3,000 words long. Whoops!

Credits to @xixovart for helping me with the Spanish, I also used google translate for some, so please forgive any mistakes that I made (there are probably loads).

Tagging also: @fictionalmenaremytype @lavenderfairiez @sleepyycapybara @puzzled-pegasus @im-always-lost-in-a-book @keefessketchbook @imnoturfriend-im-a-swiftie13 @hollow8007 @euryvices @ottpopfic @child-of-helios @ginnyluna

Summary: Lost Trio Baby is born, and it doesn’t go well.

Disclaimer: I get everything I know about childbirth from watching episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I have no idea if this is accurate or not.

CW: The Miracle Of Birth™, Potential Major Character Death (Or maybe not! No spoilers!!)

Word Count: Approx. 3,870

The Birth

(…Part 1?)

"FASTERRRR!!!!!!" Piper screamed, straining against the seatbelt in the back of the car.

"I'm already pushing the speed limit!" Leo screamed back, his voice just as panicked as Piper's.

"Stay calm, everyone!!" Jason shouted.

"AAAAAARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Piper roared. Jason and Leo joined in the yelling as they barrelled down the highway.

Then Piper caught fire.

"Piper!" Leo yelped. He began to turn to check on her.

"WATCH THE ROAD!" Jason yelled, pushing Leo towards the steering wheel.

"But-"

"I'll check on her," Jason assured him. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned into the back. Piper's whole body was aflame- luckily Leo had fireproofed the leather seats of the car- she was writhing in agony, but she seemed unharmed by the fire.

"Piper, just breathe, okay? We're gonna get through this."

"Is she okay?" Leo yelled.

"She's fine!" Jason called back.

"No I'm not!" Piper screamed, "I've got an angry demigod baby trying to destroy my uterus!"

Jason slipped on a dragon-hide glove and reached out, gripping Piper's flaming hand. He felt a jolt of electricity shoot from Piper's grasp. “PUTAIN ÇA FAIT MAL!!” Piper shouted in French.

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" Leo shouted. The tires screached down the road. Jason let go of Piper's hand and sat back down, throwing his seatbelt on before the car skidded to a halt on the country path. Leo threw open the driver-side door and walked over to Piper. Jason did the same, and together they unbuckled her from the back and heaved her out. She wrapped her still-flaming arm around Leo's body- which was also starting to smoke. The three of them stumbled up half-blood hill, where Will Solace waited for them, alongside Kayla, Austin, Nico, and Chiron. They rushed them into the infirmary.

Jason watched through the window of the delivery room. The fire was getting dangerous now, so only Piper, Leo, and Will were allowed to be present. Will was wearing a full-body dragon hide suit and a welder’s mask to protect him from the flames. Leo was half of the problem. Every time Piper yelped and he became more agitated, fire crackled and spit around him. The flames were up to the ceiling now. Jason couldn't see what was happening exactly through the inferno. He paced outside the door.

“I should be in there,” He muttered, “I should be with them.”

Nico put a hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay, Jason. Will’s got this, he’s delivered babies before.”

“No but-“ He gestured towards the blaze in the delivery room. He continued pacing, running his hands through his hair, “What if Piper doesn’t make it? What if the baby gets hurt? What if-“

“Look, just stay calm, Jason,” Kayla soothed.

“I’m not helping anyone worrying out here! I should be in there-“

“Jason…” Chiron chided.

“It’s not safe,” Nico urged, “Piper has some sort of magic protecting her and the baby. Leo’s… Leo. Will has these fireproof potions from Hecate cabin, but still, he shouldn’t be in there, he has to-“

Suddenly, Leo rushed out the door, still aflame, breathless and panicky. The fire outside the window was swirling wildly, and Jason could sense strong winds circling around Piper.

"A storm..." He gasped, "Piper..."

"Is she okay?" Jason asked.

“I… I hope so.”

"Is Will okay?" Nico asked.

Leo looked back at the door.

"It's getting too dangerous in there," Chiron said. He threw open the door and entered the burning room.

Leo put his back against the wall and sank to the floor. Jason sat down next to him.

"It's not looking good, Jason."

"What? Is she-"

“Sh-She might not make it,” Leo said, shakily, “There’s a chance… but that magic around her isn’t strong enough. It’s meant to protect the baby, not her.”

Jason rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes in despair. He heard the inferno whirling inside the room behind them.

Nico walked over and punched him in the arm, "If Will gets hurt in there, Valdez, I'm gonna..." He trailed off when he saw Leo crying.

"It's my fault..." Leo whimpered, "It's because of me..."

"No, cariño, no..." Jason soothed.

"It's my power, Jason. It's my power that's killing her."

“That’s not true, Leo. It’s mine as much as yours, for one thing. Also, it’s not your fault. You didn’t choose-“

"This is what I did to my mom," Leo continued, "She must’ve went through all this giving birth to me. And she was mortal. And she was on her own- she couldn’t tell anyone… oh, gods, what did I put her through? What am I putting Piper through? And what about this baby? Am I cursing them to have the same miserable life as I did?”

“Leo��”

“I don’t what this kid to turn out like me, Jason. If they’re anything like me we’ll be going to their funeral sixteen years from now. But with this fire… I don’t want Piper to suffer the same fate my mom did. If something’s wrong with the birth-“

“She’ll be fine,” Kayla cut in. She walked over and sat by Leo, “Chiron will help. Will knows what he’s doing. We’ve got ambrosia and nectar on stand-by. And Piper’s strong. She’ll get through this.”

Jason wrapped his arms around him, "Happiest day of our lives, remember? Focus on the positives. Let’s review baby names.”

“No dead people,” Leo recited, “At least no-one who died young. Names have power.”

“That’s right,” Jason agreed, “If it's a girl..."

"Isabella. Or Daniella.”

"And if it's a boy?"

"Either Antonio, Benjamin, or Leo Jr-"

"I said no to that one."

"I think we should keep our options open."

Jason laughed, and Leo’s mood brightened a little. Jason could tell he was still terrified- they all were- but their hope kept them going.

“How about Jason Jr?” Jason suggested.

“I don’t know… I just think “Leonidas Valdez the Second” sounds badass,” Leo said.

“That’s if it’s a boy, though.”

“Leonidas could be a girl’s name,” Kayla pointed out.

“Gender is relative,” Austin added, joining Kayla on the floor next to them.

“And what will the baby call us?” Jason asked.

“You’re Dada, I’m Papa,” Leo recalled.

The fire in the room behind them increased in rage. Nico sat to the side of Jason, and closed his eyes in silent prayer. The four of them sat in silence, listening to the burning room behind them.

Then, suddenly, the door to the infirmary swung open, and Percy, Annabeth, Frank and Hazel rushed in.

“Is the baby born yet? Did we miss it?” Hazel asked, excitedly.

Leo looked down and stifled a sob.

Percy saw the blaze outside the window and rushed to take a closer look.

“What’s going on?” Annabeth asked, “Is Piper-“

“She’s got magic protecting her and the baby,” Austin explained, “But the exhaustion might be too much for her to take. And Will’s still in there- he’s got protection, but he’s-“

Without a word, Leo stood up, walked over to the other end of the room, and burst into flames.

“Chiron’s helping, though,” Jason continued, “And he’s immortal.”

“I’m going in,” Percy said, “I’m a little fireproof.”

“And I’m a big fireproof, and I couldn’t even go in there, with the storm,” Leo retorted, “That’s not a little fire. Percy-“

“Do you think a huge water-pipe bursting above their heads would hurt the baby?”

“Let’s not risk it,” Jason warned.

Hazel had walked over to Leo and was trying to soothe him. Frank was standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room, looking back and forth between the fire that was Piper, and the fire that was Leo.

“Wait- what’s happening?” Frank asked.

“Leo and Jason’s powers,” Kayla explained, “The baby has both of them. It’s currently trying to burn its way into the world at 500 degrees Fahrenheit, complete with atmospheric thunderclouds. It’s a spectacle fit for the likes of my father.”

“So does that mean-“

Suddenly, the fire inside the room died. The windows were blackened with soot, so they couldn’t see through. Everything was quiet. They were all still. Leo stood up and rushed into the room before Jason could stop him. Jason followed.

Will, covered head to toe in fireproof gear, stood, looking very shaken. He was holding something sticky with blood and covered in soot. It was wailing at the top of its lungs. A shrill, high-pitched sound. Piper was unconscious on the bed, but breathing.

“Let her get some rest,” Will said, nodding towards Piper, “She’s exhausted.”

“Is she gonna be okay?” Leo asked.

“I th-think she’ll be fine.”

Chiron carefully took the child from Will’s arms. “You need rest too, young man,” He ordered, “I will get the baby cleaned up.”

Will nodded, sleepily. He walked over to the door, but before he left, he turned to Jason and Leo. “It’s a girl, by the way,” he told them.

Jason walked over to Leo, and gave him a massive hug.

“Holy Hephaestus, I just had a baby,” Leo muttered.

“We just had a baby,” Jason agreed.

“We are parents to an actual human child…”

A few moments later, Chiron trotted back to them, and handed them a freshly de-sootified newborn baby.

“I give you three some time to get aquatinted,” he whispered, then he left.

Leo sank into a chair, the child cradled in his arms. The world was so quiet.

“A girl,” Leo whispered, “Mi bebita.”

Jason pulled up another chair next to the bed where Piper was asleep.

"Hi!" Leo cooed, "Hello! Aw, you caused quite a blaze there, didn't you? You take after Tu Papá."

The man who had been so tense merely seconds before softened so much when he held the child.

“Hola, mi estrella,” Jason said to her.

Leo looked up at him and smiled. The most joyous smile Jason had ever seen. “Mi vida, mi alma, mi hermoso fuego,” He whispered.

He rocked her in silence for a few seconds.

“She looks like my mom,” Leo said, “Don’t you think?”

“I-I never met her,” Jason reminded him.

“She looks like Mom.” Leo decided, “Her Abuela. But she’s got your eyes.”

Jason looked at the child. She did have piercing, ice-blue eyes, just like his own.

Leo passed the baby over to him. She was warm to the touch, cooling down from the oven. He stared at the tiny thing. Her beautiful face, her slightly pointed nose, her winning smile, her dark skin, all like Leo’s. But those eyes were Jason’s. He held her in his arms, his daughter. She was his, and she was Leo’s. She was made from their love and their partnership. He looked at Piper, his best friend, snoring quietly in her bed. He looked at Leo. The three of them had made this, together. They would always be together.

The four of them stayed there, in that ash-covered room, peacefully. And for once in their lives, everything was as it should be.

[…]

They stepped out, Piper with the baby, Jason and Leo either side of her, onto the porch of the big house, where a sea of campers and friends were waiting.

“Guys,” Leo announced, “Meet Isabella!”

The campers around them gasped.

Suddenly, Chiron’s knees buckled into a bow. The others began to kneel too.

“All hail Isabella Valdez,” He boomed, “Legacy of Jupiter, king of the Cosmos, Lord of the Sky, Bringer of Lightning, Ruler of the Gods. Legacy of Hephaestus, Bringer of Fire, God of Creation, Master of the Forge, King of Volcanoes. Hail Isabella Valdez, daughter of Jason and Leo Valdez.”

As they watched, two floating symbols appeared over the newborn’s head. A still image of glowing gold eagle mid-flight- and a glowing red, fiery hammer. Jason smiled, recalling the same hammer floating over Leo’s head all those years ago, and then just about remembering the eagle above his own head, when he was barely a toddler. The symbols hovered next to each other for a few seconds, then vanished.

Percy, Annabeth, Frank, and Hazel approached.

“So you’re okay?” Annabeth asked.

“Yeah…” Piper said, “They wheeled me into recovery, gave me ambrosia and nectar. Still a little sore from being on fire and summoning storms. Leo, how do you do it?”

Leo grinned, “I’m a special boy.”

Suddenly Jason was attacked by a hug. He turned.

“Thalia!” He cried, and hugged her again. Then, she pushed him off, and turned to the child in Leo’s arms.

“Is that my niece?” She demanded.

“Yup,” Leo said, holding Isabella up. Thalia came in close, and the baby reached up and grabbed her pinky finger with her whole fist. Jason watched his sister melt with pure joy.

“She’s got her auntie’s strength, I see,” Thalia said. Jason could tell she was fighting back happy tears.

Chiron trotted over. He nodded to Jason, Leo with the baby, and Piper.

“I’d like to speak to the three of you. Privately.”

The others nodded and left.

Chiron led them into the Big House, and gestured for them to sit down on the couch facing the fireplace. Piper took the armchair and began to breastfeed the baby. Leo and Jason respectfully turned away from her. The Centaur’s back legs compacted into his wheelchair, and he wheeled it towards the furniture, so they were sitting in a semicircle around the hearth.

“Wh-what is it, Chiron?” Jason asked.

The Centaur’s expression turned dark.

“This child…” Chiron said to the three of them, “She has power never before seen in this century… storm and fire…”

“What are you saying?” Piper asked, looking up from her task, “Is she-“

“We can’t know anything yet,” Chiron said, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to worry you, but-“

“Is she…” Leo began. The fire began to crackle more. Jason squeezed his husband’s hand, “Is she dangerous?”

“We… we can’t be certain of anything right now,” Chiron said, “But, considering how rare it is to inherit the godly powers of both parents- particularly of powerful demigods such as yourselves- this clouds the future somewhat.”

“What do you mean?” Jason asked.

“Well, usually the most powerful demigods only appear when something big is about to happen,” He looked directly at Leo when he said this, which caused the fire to spit violently, a spark narrowly missing the carpet and fizzling out on the stone hearth, “And I haven’t seen a legacy this powerful since… well, not for a long time.”

“Something big, you say? Something… bad?” Piper asked, tentatively.

“Well, knowing our luck, then… it’s quite probable,” Chiron said, “Her power might be linked to the fact that she was birthed by a third very powerful demigod. It could just be that, or-“

“But even then, I barely survived that delivery,” Piper said, “Chiron’s right, I don’t think this is just a random occurrence, I think-“

One of the logs in the fireplace burst from the heat, splintering the wood.

“Look, however my daughter turns out, I’m gonna love her,” Jason said.

Chiron put a hand on his shoulder, “I’m not saying that at all, Jason. I just think the future-“

“Yeah? Well, the future’s not now, is it?” Jason didn’t mean to snap, but he could see Leo was getting agitated. If the conversation continued much longer, the fireplace would explode, “Right now, I’m gonna focus on looking after my baby. We can worry about the future- about paying for college, about demigod life- we can worry about it all another time. I’ve spent my whole life worrying about saving the world. Can I please, for once, live normally? Can I put my baby down for a nap and watch vine compilations with my husband and my best friend- who both seem to know all the words to them for some reason? Can you hound me with the future tomorrow? Please?”

Chiron’s eyes twinkled with understanding. He nodded, “Of course, of course, I shouldn’t have put this on you right now. You can go.”

But of course, the future couldn’t wait forever.

The next day, Nico, Will, Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, Thalia, and Reyna, who had arrived that morning, plus Nyssa and Harley from Hephaestus cabin all crowded around Jason, Leo, and Piper with the baby. Several more onlookers began to approach the gaggle, including Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

“Aww, is that Isabella?” She asked, joining the circle of people around them.

Suddenly, she shuddered, and swooned. She collapsed, and Annabeth caught her. Several campers rushed to her side.

“What’s happening?” Hazel asked.

“A prophecy!” Percy gasped.

Rachel’s eyes began to glow. Green smoke poured out of her mouth. Will found a stool, and lowered her onto it. She sat upright, swaying slightly, like some sort of freaky zombie. Then she raised an arm, and pointed.

Directly at the baby.

She opened her jaw, and began to recite.

“To three of the seven a child is born,

Crest and laurel wreaths adorn

Turn and face Olympus’ might

In sixteen years, her final night”

Pandemonium ensued. Campers hurried around, some running to tell Chiron, some bringing Rachel water, some turning to face them. The world erupted with the sound of a billion questions. Jason began to feel light-headed. He felt Percy’s hand on his shoulder, “Are you-“

He stopped. Amidst the chaos, Leo had crumpled to the floor. He was crouched down with his hands wrapped around his head, rocking backwards and forwards. Jason hurriedly knelt down beside him. Percy rushed off to help Annabeth, who was escorting Piper and the baby out of the crowd.

Several campers formed a circle around Jason and Leo, asking a barrage of questions.

“Give them some space!” A voice yelled. It was Rachel. She got up off her stool, and waved her hands to disperse the congregation. She knelt down, and put a hand on Leo’s shoulder.

“Shoot- I’m so, so, so sorry you guys,” She said to them, “I didn’t mean- I know you don’t- I just-“

“Wha-What did that mean, her f-final night?” Jason stammered.

“I don’t know…” Rachel said, “Prophecies are tricky, it doesn’t necessarily mean… Look, I know that was NOT what you wanted to hear. At all. But we don’t know it was definitely about her!”

“To three of seven a child is born,” Jason recited, “Me, Leo, Piper. Three of the seven half bloods from that other prophecy. You started glowing green as soon as you saw her. You pointed at Isabella.”

“But that doesn’t mean it has anything to do with the last line! A couple Great Prophecies ago, there was this line- “A Hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap”- we all thought Percy was gonna die, but turns out a totally different guy died instead, so it’s fine!”

Leo began to sob.

“No- it’s okay, the guy that died was totally evil. He killed loads of people,” Rachel explained.

Jason wrapped his arms around Leo and cradled him, “Shh, Leo, mi cielo, it’s gonna be okay.”

The thing was, Jason didn’t know if it was gonna be okay. But no matter how terrified he felt, his first instinct was to always comfort Leo.

“Sixteen years…” Leo muttered, “That’s what she said. Sixteen. Just like… Oh Gods…”

“Leo, no-“

“I was right!” Leo cried, “I was right, wasn’t I, Jason? I was cursing her. I told you. I said “If she’s anything like me, in sixteen years we’ll be going to her funeral.” I told you, didn’t I?”

“Leo…”

“It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, amorsito. I know that much. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that whatever happens, you’re not to blame.”

“Yeah, Leo, don’t think that,” Rachel agreed, “This isn’t because of you.”

“Except… I died at Sixteen. And if she’s like me… if she has my powers…”

“That doesn’t make it your fault,” Jason said.

“I don’t believe you,” Leo replied, simply.

“Leo-“

Suddenly, Piper came rushing over, breathless. “Annabeth is watching the baby,” She explained. She sat down next to Rachel. “What… happened? Was that really a prophecy?”

“Afraid so,” Rachel said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to land that on you guys like that. And Leo, it’s not your fault.”

Piper raised an eyebrow, “Is Leo blaming it all on himself, again?”

Jason nodded.

“What’s his excuse this time? “I should’ve preempted this and invented an anti-prophecy device!””

“No it’s “The baby has my powers and therefore will die at sixteen because I died at sixteen!” Which, I have to say, is less plausible than the machine thing,” He turned to Leo, “You don’t control genetics, hermoso. You couldn’t have had a say in what powers she got.”

“But still…”

Piper reached forward, and grabbed Leo’s hand, “This is not your fault, Leo. How many times do we have to tell you that before you start to listen?”

Leo sighed, and said “Okay.” But Jason could see in his eyes that he wasn’t buying it. He would still always believe it was his fault.

The seven of them, Nico, Reyna, Will, Thalia, and Rachel all gathered around the cot in Cabin One.

“So… what do we do?” Frank asked.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Rachel said, sadly, “Thwarting Prophecies is never a good idea.”

Leo glanced at Jason.

No, Jason said, with a glare, I know what you’re thinking, and no. It’s not your fault.

I thwarted a prophecy, Leo seemed to say back with his eyes, And now I’m facing the consequences.

Leo… Jason glanced back. Leo turned away, not wanting to have this conversation any more. Piper shot Jason a look, like she had read the discussion perfectly.

“We can wait, we can hope. And when the time arises…” Rachel trailed off.

“I will fight for my daughter,” Jason said, “Her fate is not set in stone, it never is. We still have choices to make. I don’t know what this prophecy means for my girl, but Gods help me if I don’t go to the ends of the earth to protect her.”

“Yeah!” Leo said, and Jason saw his face harden into a determined grin, “She may have a difficult future, but she has two dads who are both willing to do anything for her.”

“Not to mention her Auntie Piper,” Piper added, stepping forward.

“And me!” Frank said.

“Me too,” Hazel promised.

“We’re in,” Percy announced, his arm around Annabeth’s shoulder, “We’ll see to it that no harm comes to her.”

“Us too,” Nico spoke up, grabbing Will’s hand.

Reyna put a hand on Jason’s shoulder, “She has my full support, understand? I will lend her all of my strength if she needs it.”

“Aww, hell yeah, that’s my niece!” Thalia cried, punching her fist into her palm, “She’s got the most powerful demigods in the world protecting her. If some prophecy wants to hurt her, I’d like to see them try.”

“You guys…” Jason said, addressing the group, “This will be hard. There will be troubles ahead, things we’ve never had to face before…”

He looked around at his friends, all standing, ready to fight. He looked at Leo, the love of his life, who he’d do anything for. He looked at the little girl in the cot, staring up at the thunderclouds in the ceiling of the cabin.

“But with your support, we can make it through this. I can feel it. Things might arise that we might not be able to deal with, but Gods damn us if we don’t try.”

————

Guys...

Should I write a Part 2?

[sfstranslations]

A little bit of squee: thanks a lot for your translations! I sometimes read them on slow night shifts and I need a comfort read (and remember that I have approx a 150 unread chps of tscir lmao). I really appreciate the translation team for all their efforts!!

(Pls take lots of rest whenever needed!!💕💕)

Thank you for the kind words! We're glad you're enjoying 💕

[kuroshitsuji-wiki]

Cedric's birthday (March 25)

Cedric K. Ros[redacted] was born on March 25, [redacted] and died on January 28 in the year [redacted].

He was involved with Cloudia Phantomhive and had two children with her, Vincent and Francis. Though only Vincent is shown on the family tree in Ch103, he and Francis are full siblings; Francis was merely omitted from the family tree because it only shows Ciel's direct lineage.

Because Yana Toboso draws her characters with the typical image of "girls take after their father, boys after their mother" in her mind, Cedric must have starkly resembled his daughter Francis and his grandson Edward.

Like father, like daughter. Like grandfather, like grandson. ... or something

(translations for the above-linked tweets)

Etymologically, "Cedric" is an interesting name as it was invented by Scottish author Walter Scott for his novel Ivanhoe: A Romance (1819): It is the name of protagonist Wilfred of Ivanhoe's father, Cedric of Rotherwood. "Cedric" was based on the name "Cerdic"; Cerdic of Wessex was an Anglo-Saxon king who reigned from approx. 519 to 534. (Interestingly, amongst others, Cerdic's existence is disputed by scholars, so the invented name "Cedric" could have been based on the name of a person who might have never been real at all.)

Although Ivanhoe was released in December 1819, the name "Cedric" only became popular at the end of the 19th century with the release of Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's book Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885-1886).

Cedric K. Ros- shares his given name with Cedric Brandel, an anime-only character who appeared in the first episode of Book of Circus (Season 3). As Yana wrote that episode herself, the name overlap is her direct fault.

He shares his birthday with another character, Anne Drewanz.