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nesiacha · 29 days ago

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The Dark Side of Victor Hugo: His Fervent Support for Colonization

Warning: at one point there are shocking writings about the atrocities of colonization. Sensitive souls should refrain.

Here is the greatest shadow in Victor Hugo's legacy: Algerian colonization. I'll share some of his writings with you. Here's what he said in 1830 (he was a royalist at the time and had not yet become the leftist man, the fierce opponent of Napoleon, and one of the few writers to defend the cause of the 1870 Communards):

"Algeria. Military colonization must cover and envelop civilian colonization as a wall covers and envelops a city. Military colonization is a living wall. What better continuous barrier than a French camp? Put the soldier in front of the settler as you put iron at the tip of a spear." (Ocean, note dated by René Joumet between 1835-1840 in Victor Hugo, Complete Works, Robert Laffont, Bouquins collection, Paris, 1985, vol. Ocean).

He continues to advocate for colonization during this period, saying: "I believe that our new conquest is something fortunate and grand. It is civilization marching over barbarism. It is an enlightened people going to meet a people in darkness. We are the Greeks of the world, it is our duty to illuminate the world."

Of course, he strongly disapproved of Louis-Philippe I's decision to imprison Emir Abdelkader. But he remained a fervent supporter of colonization. Sure, there is a brief note expressing his outrage at the treatment of the colonized, but he did not make it a public stance, unlike the other causes he held so dear (such as opposing Napoleon III's authoritarian drift, the death penalty, and supporting the Communards). So, it does not seem that he considered this issue very important compared to his other causes, and he refused to see the core issue: colonization. However, I will share this excerpt with you: "The army made ferocious by Algeria. General Le Flô told me last night, October 16, 1852: 'During assaults and raids, it was not uncommon to see soldiers throwing children out of windows, which other soldiers below would catch on their bayonets. They tore earrings from women’s ears along with their ears, and cut off their fingers and toes to take their rings. When an Arab was captured, all the soldiers he passed on his way to execution would laugh and shout: cortar cabeza! The brother of General Marolles, a cavalry officer, speared a child on the tip of his sword. He at least has this reputation in the army and failed to adequately justify himself.' Atrocities of General Négrier. Colonel Pélissier: Arabs smoked alive." (Victor Hugo, Choses vues, op. cit., vol. History).

In 1862, he said in Les Misérables, if I’m not mistaken: "Algeria, too harshly conquered, like India by the English, with more barbarity than civilization, the betrayal of Abd-el-Kader." A condemnation that, in my opinion, remains discreet and especially inconsistent with what he would say later. For example, on May 18, 1879 (by which time he had become the left-wing figure remembered by history), he stated: "Asia has its history, America has its history, even Australia has its history, which dates from the beginning of human memory; Africa has no history; it is shrouded in a vast and obscure legend […]. The two colonizing nations, which are two great free nations, France and England, have seized Africa; France holds it from the west and the north, England holds it from the east and the south. Italy now accepts its share of this colossal work. […] In the nineteenth century, the White man made the Black man a human being; in the twentieth century, Europe will make Africa a world." He then willingly lies, claiming that colonization is peaceful: "Peoples! Take possession of this land. Take it. From whom? From no one. Take this land from God. […] Where kings would bring war, bring harmony. Take it, not for the cannon, but for the plow; not for the sword, but for commerce; not for battle, but for industry; not for conquest, but for fraternity."

And let's not forget that he once referred to the colonized as "Bedouins" in one of his speeches. No comment needed for this racist remark.

Now, don’t think I’m saying this to bash Victor Hugo. He should be seen with both his qualities, such as his fight against the death penalty, poverty, his opposition to Napoleon III and Thiers, and his rare support for the Communards, and his flaws, like his colonialism tinged with racist overtones, his bad faith, and his lies about colonization — especially when other figures, such as Eugène Mourot, Louise Michel, Jean Allemane, and others, publicly defended the Algerians.

It’s similar to George Sand, whom I mentioned in my post here. Although she called herself a socialist, she fully supported the repression of the Paris Commune and displayed absurd bad faith. Nevertheless, she cannot be judged solely through that lens; she must be viewed in her entirety, such as her public support for the 1848 revolt or her confrontation with Napoleon III over his authoritarianism.

#france #algeria #colonisation #racism #history #revolution #1830s #1848 #1870s #victor hugo #louise michel #george sand

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erik-even-wordier · 2 years ago

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I really don’t owe my Trump-supporting friends an apology. I’ve been critical of Trump these last several years, and am still exhausted from the experience.

But to be fair, Trump wasn’t that bad…………..other than when:

1. he incited an insurrection against the government,

2. mismanaged a pandemic that killed a million Americans,

3. separated children from their families, lost those children in the bureaucracy,

4. tear-gassed peaceful protesters on Lafayette Square so he could hold a photo op holding a Bible in front of a church,

5. tried to block all Muslims from entering the country,

6. got impeached,

7. got impeached again,

8. had the worst jobs record of any president in modern history,

9. pressured Ukraine to dig dirt on Joe Biden,

10. fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia,

11. bragged about firing the FBI director on TV,

12. took Vladimir Putin’s word over the US intelligence community,

13. diverted military funding to build his wall,

14. caused the longest government shutdown in US history,

15. called Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate,”

16. lied nearly 30,000 times,

17. banned transgender people from serving in the military,

18. ejected reporters from the White House briefing room who asked tough questions,

19. vetoed the defense funding bill because it renamed military bases named for Confederate soldiers,

20. refused to release his tax returns,

21. increased the national debt by nearly $8 trillion,

22. had three of the highest annual trade deficits in U.S. history,

23. called veterans and soldiers who died in combat losers and suckers,

24. coddled the leader of Saudi Arabia after he ordered the execution and dismembering of a US-based journalist,

25. refused to concede the 2020 election,

26. hired his unqualified daughter and son-in-law to work in the White House,

27. walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl,

28. called neo-Nazis “very fine people,”

29. suggested that people should inject bleach into their bodies to fight COVID,

30. abandoned our allies the Kurds to Turkey,

31. pushed through massive tax cuts for the wealthiest but balked at helping working Americans,

32. incited anti-lockdown protestors in several states at the height of the pandemic,

33. withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords,

34. withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal,

35. withdrew the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership which was designed to block China’s advances,

36. insulted his own Cabinet members on Twitter,

37. pushed the leader of Montenegro out of the way during a photo op,

38. failed to reiterate US commitment to defending NATO allies,

39. called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries,

40. called the city of Baltimore the “worst in the nation,”

41. claimed that he single handedly brought back the phrase “Merry Christmas” even though it hadn’t gone anywhere,

42. forced his Cabinet members to praise him publicly like some cult leader,

43. believed he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,

44. berated and belittled his hand-picked Attorney General when he recused himself from the Russia probe,

45. suggested the US should buy Greenland,

46. colluded with Mitch McConnell to push through federal judges and two Supreme Court justices after supporting efforts to prevent his predecessor from appointing judges,

47. repeatedly called the media “enemies of the people,”

48. claimed that if we tested fewer people for COVID we’d have fewer cases,

49. violated the emoluments clause,

50. thought that Nambia was a country,

51. told Bob Woodward in private that the coronavirus was a big deal but then downplayed it in public,

52. called his exceedingly faithful vice president a “p---y” for following the Constitution,

53. nearly got us into a war with Iran after threatening them by tweet,

54. nominated a corrupt head of the EPA,

55. nominated a corrupt head of HHS,

56. nominated a corrupt head of the Interior Department,

57. nominated a corrupt head of the USDA,

58. praised dictators and authoritarians around the world while criticizing allies,

59. refused to allow the presidential transition to begin,

60. insulted war hero John McCain – even after his death,

61. spent an obscene amount of time playing golf after criticizing Barack Obama for playing (far less) golf while president,

62. falsely claimed that he won the 2016 popular vote,

63. called the Muslim mayor of London a “stone cold loser,”

64. falsely claimed that he turned down being Time’s Man of the Year,

65. considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller on several occasions,

66. mocked wearing face masks to guard against transmitting COVID,

67. locked Congress out of its constitutional duty to confirm Cabinet officials by hiring acting ones,

68. used a racist dog whistle by calling COVID the “China virus,”

69. hired and associated with numerous shady figures that were eventually convicted of federal offenses including his campaign manager and national security adviser,

70. pardoned several of his shady associates,

71. gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two congressmen who amplified his batshit crazy conspiracy theories,

72. got into telephone fight with the leader of Australia(!),

73. had a Secretary of State who called him a moron,

74. forced his press secretary to claim without merit that his was the largest inauguration crowd in history,

75. botched the COVID vaccine rollout,

76. tweeted so much dangerous propaganda that Twitter eventually banned him,

77. charged the Secret Service jacked-up rates at his properties,

78. constantly interrupted Joe Biden in their first presidential debate,

79. claimed that COVID would “magically” disappear,

80. called a U.S. Senator “Pocahontas,”

81. used his Twitter account to blast Nordstrom when it stopped selling Ivanka’s merchandise,

82. opened up millions of pristine federal lands to development and drilling,

83. got into a losing tariff war with China that forced US taxpayers to bail out farmers,

84. claimed that his losing tariff war was a win for the US,

85. ignored or didn’t even take part in daily intelligence briefings,

86. blew off honoring American war dead in France because it was raining,

87. redesigned Air Force One to look like the Trump Shuttle,

88. got played by Kim Jung Un and his “love letters,”

89. threatened to go after social media companies in clear violation of the Constitution,

90. botched the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico,

91. threw paper towels at Puerto Ricans when he finally visited them,

92. pressured the governor and secretary of state of Georgia to “find” him votes,

93. thought that the Virgin islands had a President,

94. drew on a map with a Sharpie to justify his inaccurate tweet that Alabama was threatened by a hurricane,

95. allowed White House staff to use personal email accounts for official businesses after blasting Hillary Clinton for doing the same thing,

96. rolled back regulations that protected the public from mercury and asbestos,

97. pushed regulators to waste time studying snake-oil remedies for COVID,

98. rolled back regulations that stopped coal companies from dumping waste into rivers,

99. held blatant campaign rallies at the White House,

100. tried to take away millions of Americans’ health insurance because the law was named for a Black man,

101. refused to attend his successors’ inauguration,

102. nominated the worst Education Secretary in history,

103. threatened judges who didn’t do what he wanted,

104. attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci,

105. promised that Mexico would pay for the wall (it didn’t),

106. allowed political hacks to overrule government scientists on major reports on climate change and other issues,

107. struggled navigating a ramp after claiming his opponent was feeble,

108. called an African-American Congresswoman “low IQ,”

109. threatened to withhold federal aid from states and cities with Democratic leaders,

110. went ahead with rallies filled with maskless supporters in the middle of a pandemic,

111. claimed that legitimate investigations of his wrongdoing were “witch hunts,”

112. seemed to demonstrate a belief that there were airports during the American Revolution,

113. demanded “total loyalty” from the FBI director,

114. praised a conspiracy theory that Democrats are Satanic pedophiles,

115. completely gutted the Voice of America,

116. placed a political hack in charge of the Postal Service,

117. claimed without evidence that the Obama administration bugged Trump Tower,

118. suggested that the US should allow more people from places like Norway into the country,

119. suggested that COVID wasn’t that bad because he recovered with the help of top government doctors and treatments not available to the public,

120. overturned energy conservation standards that even industry supported,

121. reduced the number of refugees the US accepts,

122. insulted various members of Congress and the media with infantile nicknames,

123. gave Rush Limbaugh a Presidential medal of Freedom at the State of the Union address,

124. named as head of federal personnel a 29-year old who’d previously been fired from the White House for allegations of financial improprieties,

125. eliminated the White House office of pandemic response,

126. used soldiers as campaign props,

127. fired any advisor who made the mistake of disagreeing with him,

128. demanded the Pentagon throw him a Soviet-style military parade,

129. hired a shit ton of white nationalists,

130. politicized the civil service,

131. did absolutely nothing after Russia hacked the U.S. government,

132. falsely said the Boy Scouts called him to say his bizarre Jamboree speech was the best speech ever given to the Scouts,

133. claimed that Black people would overrun the suburbs if Biden won,

134. insulted reporters of color,

135. insulted women reporters,

136. insulted women reporters of color,

137. suggested he was fine with China’s oppression of the Uighurs,

138. attacked the Supreme Court when it ruled against him,

139. summoned Pennsylvania state legislative leaders to the White House to pressure them to overturn the election,

140. spent countless hours every day watching Fox News,

141. refused to allow his administration to comply with Congressional subpoenas,

142. hired Rudy Giuliani as his lawyer,

143. tried to punish Amazon because the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post wrote negative stories about him,

144. acted as if the Attorney General of the United States was his personal attorney,

145. attempted to get the federal government to defend him in a libel lawsuit from a prominent lady who accused him of sexual assault,

146. held private meetings with Vladimir Putin without staff present,

147. didn’t disclose his private meetings with Vladimir Putin so that the US had to find out via Russian media,

148. stopped holding press briefings for months at a time,

149. “ordered” US companies to leave China even though he has no such power,

150. led a political party that couldn’t even be bothered to draft a policy platform,

151. claimed preposterously that Article II of the Constitution gave him absolute powers,

152. tried to pressure the U.K. to hold the British Open at his golf course,

153. suggested that the government nuke hurricanes,

154. suggested that wind turbines cause cancer,

155. said that he had a special aptitude for science,

156. fired the head of election cyber security after he said that the 2020 election was secure,

157. blurted out classified information to Russian officials,

158. tried to force the G7 to hold their meeting at his failing golf resort in Florida,

159. fired the acting attorney general when she refused to go along with his unconstitutional Muslim travel ban,

160. hired notorious racist Stephen Miller,

161. openly discussed national security issues in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago where everyone could hear them,

162. interfered with plans to relocate the FBI because a new development there might compete with his hotel,

163. abandoned Iraqi refugees who’d helped the U.S. during the war,

164. tried to get Russia back into the G7,

165. held a COVID super spreader event in the Rose Garden,

166. seemed to believe that Frederick Douglass is still alive,

167. lost 60 election fraud cases in court including before judges he had nominated,

168. falsely claimed that factories were reopening when they weren’t,

169. shamelessly exploited terror attacks in Europe to justify his anti-immigrant policies,

170. still hasn’t come up with a healthcare plan,

171. still hasn’t come up with an infrastructure plan despite repeated “Infrastructure Weeks,”

172. forced Secret Service agents to drive him around Walter Reed while contagious with COVID,

173. told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,”

174. fucked up the Census,

175. withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic,

176. did so few of his duties that his press staff were forced to state on his daily schedule “President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings,”

177. allowed his staff to repeatedly violate the Hatch Act,

178. seemed not to know that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican,

179. stood before sacred CIA wall of heroes and bragged about his election win,

180. constantly claimed he was treated worse than any president which presumably includes four that were assassinated and his predecessor whose legitimacy and birthplace were challenged by a racist reality TV show star named Donald Trump,

181. claimed Andrew Jackson could’ve stopped the Civil War even though he died 16 years before it happened,

182. said that any opinion poll showing him behind was fake,

183. claimed that other countries laughed at us before he became president when several world leaders were literally laughing at him,

184. claimed that the military was out of ammunition before he became President,

185. created a commission to whitewash American history,

186. retweeted anti-Islam videos from one of the most racist people in Britain,

187. claimed ludicrously that the Pulse nightclub shooting wouldn’t have happened if someone there had a gun even though there was an armed security guard there,

188. hired a senior staffer who cited the non-existent Bowling Green Massacre as a reason to ban Muslims,

189. had a press secretary who claimed that Nazi Germany never used chemical weapons even though every sane human being knows they used gas to kill millions of Jews and others,

190. bilked the Secret Service for higher than market rates when they had to stay at Trump properties,

191. apparently sold pardons on his way out of the White House,

192. stripped protective status from 59,000 Haitians,

193. falsely claimed Biden wanted to defund the police,

194. said that the head of the CDC didn’t know what he was talking about,

195. tried to rescind protection from DREAMers,

196. gave himself an A+ for his handling of the pandemic,

197. tried to start a boycott of Goodyear tires due to an Internet hoax,

198. said U.S. rates of COVID would be lower if you didn’t count blue states,

199. deported U.S. veterans who served their country but were undocumented,

200. claimed he did more for African Americans than any president since Lincoln,

201. touted a “super-duper” secret “hydrosonic” missile which may or may not be a new “hypersonic” missile or may not exist at all,

202. retweeted a gif calling Biden a pedophile,

203. forced through security clearances for his family,

204. suggested that police officers should rough up suspects,

205. suggested that Biden was on performance-enhancing drugs,

206. tried to stop transgender students from being able to use school bathrooms in line with their gender,

207. suggested the US not accept COVID patients from a cruise ship because it would make US numbers look higher,

208. nominated a climate change sceptic to chair the committee advising the White House on environmental policy,

209. retweeted a video doctored to look like Biden

210. had played a song called “Fuck tha Police” at a campaign event,

211. hugged a disturbingly large number of U.S. flags,

212. accused Democrats of “treason” for not applauding his State of the Union address,

213. claimed that the FBI failed to capture the Parkland school shooter because they were “spending too much time” on Russia,

214. mocked the testimony of Dr Christine Blasey Ford when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault,

215. obsessed over low-flow toilets,

216. ordered the rerelease of more COVID vaccines when there weren’t any to release,

217. called for the construction of a bizarre garden of heroes with statutes of famous dead Americans as well as at least one Canadian (Alex Trebek),

218. hijacked Washington’s July 4th celebrations to give a partisan speech,

219. took advice from the MyPillow guy,

220. claimed that migrants seeking a better life in the US were dangerous caravans of drug dealers and rapists,

221. said nothing when Vladimir Putin poisoned a leading opposition figure,

222. never seemed to heed the advice of his wife’s “Be Best” campaign,

223. falsely claimed that mail-in voting is fraudulent,

224. announced a precipitous withdrawal of troops from Syria which not only handed Russia and ISIS a win but also prompted his defense secretary to resign in protest,

225. insulted the leader of Canada,

226. insulted the leader of France,

227. insulted the leader of Britain,

228. insulted the leader of Germany,

229. insulted the leader of Sweden (Sweden!!),

230. falsely claimed credit for getting NATO members to increase their share of dues,

231. blew off two Asia summits even though they were held virtually,

232. continued lying about spending lots of time at Ground Zero with 9/11 responders,

233. said that the Japanese would sit back and watch their “Sony televisions” if the US were ever attacked,

234. left a NATO summit early in a huff,

235. stared directly into an eclipse even though everyone over the age of 5 knows not to do that,

236. called himself a very stable genius despite significant evidence to the contrary,

237. refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and kept his promise.

238. Don’t forget that he took many classified & top secret documents with him when he left the White House, many of which have not been recovered & may have been compromised.

I’m sure there are a whole bunch of other things I can’t remember at the moment.

Plz copy and paste. Whoever wrote this deserves credit but I don't know who it is.

#donald trump #popular #long post

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mankillercalledbunny · 5 months ago

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Hey gang can I get some Fantasy For Grown-ups recommendations (especially if they're available in audiobook format but NOT audible exclusives bc I use Libby)? I've been listening to a lot of T Kingfisher's fantasy lately all of which centers around grown ass adults but keeps a lot of the things I loved about fantasy growing up: fun and creative worldbuilding, competent protagonists, humour and clever dialogue, and intriguing narrative. I also like Pratchett, especially the Watch set and the Witches. I like stories that feel like they could conceivably have been a Dungeons and Dragons campain, or are subversions of a traditional fairytale. I don't mind romance subplots (as long as they're established well and don't feel tacked on because the author felt obligated) but I'm not one for Romance Novels specifically, which is why I don't use the term Adult Fantasy because for some reason people take that to mean porn with some dragons thrown in. I'm definitely up for some Sci-Fi in my fantasy, too!

Books I loved:

T Kingfisher

Nettle & Bone

Swordheart

Bryony and Roses

Thornhedge

Paladin's Grace (currently reading)

Other authors/works

The Watch Cycle (Terry Pratchett) and other Discworld

The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner

Lamb by Christopher Moore

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

16 Ways To Defend A Walled City by K J Parker (and sequels)

The Abhorsen series by Garth Nix

Books I liked as a kid that are in the same vein

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Lockwood & co by Jonathan Stroud

Everything by Rick Riordon

The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull

Please don't recommend anything by Sarah J Maas, Brandon Sanderson, or Leigh Bardugo, I've already got the big names on the list.

#am i insufficiently kinglike?#booklr #book recommendations #book reccs

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ezri261 · 1 year ago

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Sinful Constellation

genre: angst

Everybody knew that their soulmates' constellations were imprinted into their bodies once they turned 16, but why did Diluc dread getting his constellation? Why did he not want to know his soulmate? He, himself never knew. Maybe it was because of the possibility of the person being someone he hated. Loathed? Maybe.

But he couldn’t focus on that now since he still had duties to attend to; being one of the knights of Favonius, that is. He was focused on his work, dedicated, and simply loyal. He enjoyed his time with his friends and brother, it truly felt like his second home.

Although, everything in his life changed when he turned 18. His birthday. The day his father died due to a delusion and how his brother was a traitor. Did the world resent him? Did he do something to deserve this? Was the Anemo Archon punishing him? Nothing mattered anyway, he left the knights at the end, his trust being broken by the only people he truly cared for.

He couldn’t trust the knights to protect Mondstadt after that incident; so he took in the role of the ‘Dark Knight Hero’ to protect the Mondstadt citizens from lurking abyss mages at night. He’s done this every night in Mondstadt, successfully protecting Mondstadt and its people from harm.

Diluc planned to go out on a mission at night. A fatui harbinger was spotted inside the city walls of Mondstadt and he couldn’t let that side– He’ll catch whoever that is and bring justice.

He’s hated– no, loathed the fatui ever since his father died, vowing to never associate himself with the fatui in any way possible.

At night, he finally set out his plan, tying his hair back into a high ponytail as he tucked his vision inside his shirt so that the enemy thought he had no vision. He clenched and unclenched his fists as the chains around his fingers fit perfectly onto his hand, giving him more stability in his grip.

“Adeline, don’t wait for me.”

He curtly said before leaving the winery, already heading towards the base near the city, given that he had already found every clue leading to where the harbinger was residing in.

The domain was filled with traps, which he skillfully avoided.

‘Were the traps made by a five-year-old…?’

He thought, raising his eyebrow as his red eyes scanned the room, noting every nook and cranny there was, even going as far as to count the number of barrels and crates there were.

The enemies he’s encountered weren’t difficult for him to kill; just a bunch of cicin mages and hydro gunslingers. He almost scoffed at how easy the domain was, with no sight of the harbinger. He almost thought of the possibility that the harbinger had already fled, but he was quickly proven wrong when two hydro blades ambushed him from the back.

He was quick to barely block it with his claymore, having been caught off-guard by the sudden attack. Diluc put some distance between him and the perpetrator, and he noted that the man had freckles, ginger hair, eyes devoid of emotion, and a look of… Shock? Why?

He shook his head as he charged forward, wanting to apprehend the man, but the harbinger just defended himself, not making any moves on fighting the angered Ragnvindr.

Diluc could feel himself get tired with each hit he blew toward the ginger, fury clouded his mind as his anger fueled him to keep going, but he was still human, so after a while, his attacks became disoriented.

The ginger on the other hand, just kept defending himself, looking at Diluc with pleading eyes to stop. He couldn’t help but notice his constellation glowing on Diluc’s back, he just hoped that he would stop his barrage of attacks.

Once Diluc hit the final blow, he created some distance between them, wondering why the freckled man wasn’t attacking. The room was filled with a thick tension, heavy panting was the only sound filling the silence-filled space.

The once clean and put-together look of Diluc, was now a mess, his ponytail falling down as his clothes were wrinkled and dirtied. Once he finally got the strength to look up; the first thing he noticed was the open shirt of the ginger– and his constellation being imprinted onto his chest.

“No.. no, no, no, no–”

He recited like a mantra, his weapon being discarded onto the ground as he rushed forward to look at Childe’s constellation better. He couldn’t believe it, he was overwhelmed, a sob threatening to escape his lips as he looked at his constellation being imprinted onto Childe’s chest.

Once, twice, thrice– he was his soulmate, whether he liked it or not. The sudden realization finally dawned on him, looking directly into Childe’s devoid eyes in disbelief, he couldn’t help but shake and hunch down, his hands gripping onto Childe’s shirt tightly, not wanting to believe that he was his soulmate.

And Childe couldn’t do anything but look down at him, holding Diluc’s waist with comfort. He quickly realized that Diluc didn’t want to be his soulmate, and that crushed him. He was looking forward to finally meeting his soulmate too.

#diluc x childe #childe x diluc #chiluc #genshin impact #genshinimpact #rarepair #unrequited love #unrequited #angst

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hoe4sports · 8 months ago

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Baller

Katie Mccabe x reader

A/N: No trigger warnings issued. Can be read as a prequel to “In the enemy’s locker”.

The little girl on the video was wearing cleats some sizes too big for her. Her messy hair in to pigtails, and way too big shorts on her short body. She had the proudest look on her face even thought her jersey was probably 4 sizes too big. The girl was waving as she laughed. “Where are we going, Y/N?” an older woman’s voice asked carefully. The little girl was beaming, practically jumping up and down. “To the tournament!” the little girl screamed out as she giggled. “Yes, your first tournament! Are you gonna get a goal today?” the woman asked again as the little girl had a sassy look on her face while she demonstrated by tapping her chin making a thinking expression. “Duuh, grandma! I’m gonna score loads of goals!!” the little girl proudly announced as she giggled again and the video was cut. You sat in the warderobe thinking about that tournament. That was your first tournament as a happy 5 year old living in a Northern town called Tromsø. That was 15 year’s ago. Just a little girl with dreams bigger than herself. Now, its serious. You still felt like a little girl, but now you are the little girl that got signed by Manchester City at 16. They signed you because your strength as an attacker is that you are undetectable. You move towards the box without getting noticed which often got you in situations where you would smash the ball in. You were also a decent defender, which made you an attractive player.

One of the things you have to do in order to have a good game is to put your shoes and socks on in the right order. You do left sock, left shoe, right sock and right shoe. Mary is always on your ass about this. She and Alanna will sometimes stand there crying laughing when you are getting ready whike strapping your shoes on. Honestly, it dosent bother you one bit. The teasing is all in good spirit and it helps the team feel energised before a match. “A quick word, Y/N.” a voice above me stated. For a second, you thought you were loosing it but you looked up and there he was. The man, the myth, the legend; Coach Gareth. You obeyed and fallowed him outside of the warderobe as you were eyeing the walls plastered with women of Arsenal. Speaking of Arsenal, that was the challenge for today. “There are scouts here, and i know that your name is on their list. Command their attention on the field, we need a good sale.” he stated and you nodded. You had been in Manchester City for 4 years, and the coach was wanting to sell you. The economics wasnt the best, and you would be happy to be challenged with a new team for a good price.

You hopped back into the warderobe just in time for the assisting managers to start their pep talk. “Y/N, Mary, don’t let their defense get to you. One of them has a reputation of being carded, so make sure that your ankles are taped and warm.” You and Mary shot eachother a look, and nodded slowly. «Lana, Laia, Steph. You three make sure to play the ball upwards on the wing as much as possible. They are strongest in the middle, so we need to use that to our advantage. Y/N, you will have to go all out, and support on the left wing.” You all nodded, feeling the seriousness of the situation. “Laura, Jill. For the love of god, do not let them break the ankles of our golden duo up front.” he pleaded as you playfully shoved your shoulder into Mary’s. “Everyone else, stop them. Break their ankles if needed. If they play hard, we play harder.” he finished. He took his hand inward to do the teamchant “1-2-3, CITY!!!” You yelled as you got back to the last finishing touches before the game. You grabbed some extra tape and taped your right ankle a second time. You tore your acl at 18, and you were not letting that happen again.

You stood in the tunnel lined up as the 4th judge did a quick control of what you were wearing. You were in your own world, when she tapped your socks. You weren’t a fan of long socks and would cut yours. “They are short” she said, and I winked “but not too shirt.” The ref shook her head and moved on. You looked forwards and got eyed down by one of their defenders. You send her an attitude and she rolled her eyes. The little mascot next to you reminded you of yourself as a little girl. She was beaming with excitement. “Ready?” You asked her, and she looked up at you as she nodded. Her hand gripped your hand tighter as the crew signaled for you to walk onto the mat.

You stood on a line as the camera crew walked passed. You smiled to the camera and made eye contact before you winked. Mary gave you a nudge, and you smiled as you shrugged. You did the good all friendly handshakes as the teams crossed over at each other. Everyone seemed pretty friendly, except Katie McCabe. She sent you an annoyed look and you just winked back at her. She nudged her shoulder into yours, and you did the same. She was not getting to your head. Arsenal got the advantage of starting the ball, and you stood in position. As the judge whistled, the girls of Arsenal quickly got to work. You were standing on the outside mid as you could do most positions except goalkeeper. The defenders pushed the pressure higher, and you were right behind of McCabe.

One mistake was made on their behalf, and the ball got passed towards McCabe. You were on the alert and tunnelled the ball from behind her legs, as you went full sprint upwards. The crowd was screaming and you could hear my coach screaming on the sideline. “SHOOT!!” but you refused. You knew that McCabe was gonna tackle you and just as you had predicted; she came with her leg out at full force. But you were prepared, and jumped over her while still keeping the ball, before sending it in the net just above the keeper. Alana and the rest of the girls came sprinting as we celebrated. It took you roughly 1.5 mins to get the first goal in and as you walked back into position, you walked past McCabe who was standing with her hands on her hips in annoyance. You nudged her as you walked past her and mumbled “maybe you should try playing by the book next time” as you laughed.

The rest of the first half was quiet. They were closing in on you, but you cleared it every time. You were however really struggling with keeping the pressure higher on the field with resulted in a lot of tiki taka from Arsenal. You looked at the time, and it was 2 mins left when your keeper cleared the ball. You got into position fast, and you signaled Alanna and Jill that you were gonna try out a formation you did in practice the other day. Alanna got into position as Jill did the same. Alanna got the ball immediately, and passed it to Jill who started sprinting. You could see McCabe pacing Jill on full speed as she got ready to tackle. Just when she tried to tackle her, she did the sharp turn we had practiced and lifted the ball over to you. You was fetched the ball, and you were clearing up towards their goal. Mary was right beside you, and she was no stranger to reading the room. You positioned yourself as another Arsenal defender chased on you before you shot the ball towards Mary. Next thing you knew, you were lying flat down on the ground, your face planted in the field. An ugly tackle. You lifted your heat to look around you, and who stood there with a grin on her face. Katie fucking McCabe. You jumped up as you could feel you ankle burning, and you lunged at her as you pushed her on to the ground. You sat on her and screamed at her. “What the fuck is wrong with you??” as you squeezed her shoulders. The referee came running whistling and the Arsenal team lifted you off of her. You were lunging towards her again, and she came back at me. You pushed her with my chest feeling fed up. Then your captain came and literally lifted you up, as she walked you away. “Stop, stay cool. Don’t let her win. Get yourself together.” The referee called you both in and you both were given warnings. “Cut it off. One more time, and it’s red. That goes for either of you.” She wasn’t kidding and you just lifted your hands in frustration as you walked away. Mary took the penalty kick, and sent it straight into the cross. A classic Mary shot. The whistle went off, and you all walked towards the warderobe. You knew what you had coming for you.

“Y/N. What the HELL was that??” Your coach yelled, infront of everyone. You gulped and looked up at him. “Do you know what you just risked??” He shouted as he stormed out of the warderobe. You sat down and has some water while one of the assistants came to tape my leg right back up since McCabe had decided to try and cut it off. Gareth came back, slightly pink in his face. He moved towards you and said quietly “You are lucky, they are still interested. Perhaps, even more than before. Sorry for losing my cool.” He said as he patted your back lightly. “Alright, ladies. I see a lot of good technique, but I see that we are struggling with pressure. I believe in us. Just stay patient. Don’t let them knock you off your good streak.” and with that you were walking back on the field. You walked past McCabe and looked sharply on her as you spat out “You messed with the wrong bitch in the wrong era.” as you walked to your spot. The game started and you had jumped a few tackles from McCabe. As you got closer to the end of the game, you were comfortably high attacking them. You could see McCabe try to knock Mary of her mojo, and she did. Mary was rolling on the ground. Katie stole the ball out of the talented girls legs and pushed forward. That was enough to tip you over. So you sprinted like you never had before, and you cough up with the midfield. You threw myself forward and tackled her, but you hit the ball so it was no fault. She looked up with a gasp. You winked at her. “How does it feel to taste your own medicine?” Katie looked furious, and that made you feel so good about yourself. You had tamed THE Katie McCabe. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn ya babe” you winked as you pushed yourself off the ground. Minutes later, the match was over and you won with a solid 3-0.

As the referee called the game off, you broke out in celebration. You jumped, laughed and shouted together. It felt amazing beating arsenal knowing this was the last win you needed to finish on top of the league. You still had a few games left but even if you had lost all games and everyone else would’ve take points: you were still in the clear for being announced as the winners. You loved the team, it was like your family. “Mary!! You were amazing!” You shouted as you hugged Mary . “Me? You TACKLED McCabe for me!! It was probably the best feeling in the world except from my foot feeling like it was gonna fall off.” she stated as she laughed. You and Mary had come to City around the same time. You made the starting roster together and had our first injuries together. You were close, just like sisters. As you both had left our families young to go play far away from home, it felt good having each other. When you and Leah trued dating for a while, it was good to have Mary as a sense of security. When you and Leah decided to call it off as you grew apart, it was even better to have her.

You and Leah was still close as ever. Your paths crossed when she came to us on a loan after an injury. You had a good relationship, but it just wasn’t working for the pair of of you and you were better off as friends. There was no hard feelings and she was still one of your very closest friends. The pictures were still on your accounts and the media loved to speculate about it. You had a new rumour planted about us everyday from having babies to running away to get secretly married in Bali. You still loved her, and she still loved you. You used to say that you were soulmates from another lifetime that met too soon as you both needed to grow. This was your last few weeks together before the season was ending, and you took advantage of it. You had hooked up a few times, and sometimes spent the night together. All in good fun, as you both were consenting adults. She came running towards me “Y/N! Baby!! You did so good!” She yelled as you jumped up and she held you around her waist. You laughed together as she spun, and you could hear the cameras flashing like crazy. She leaned in and whispered in you ear, “McCabe is looking, has been checking you out since cut off.” She then proceeded to kiss your nose as she put you down. She and Katie were still teammates, as she was returning to her mother club, Arsenal, in a few weeks. The cameras once again, going wild as her lips touched your nose. You loved playing the media together, hell, you even made bets about who could create the wildest front page. You just knew one thing; Leah was incredibly hot and you all knew.

You got off the field and walked into the warderobe. Once again, you celebrated. Gareth was pleased with the team, and had ordered pizza to the warderobe as a prize. After eating pizza, celebrating and showering, it was all done. You had grabbed your bag, your blonde long hair still soaked as you didn’t bother. Gareth stopped you on the way out, and mentioned that there had been an offer from one of the teams that were scouting. You thanked him for letting you know, as you headed towards the bus. When you walked outside, there were these young girls wanting signatures and pictures. You loved fans, so you always made sure to stop for them. You took pictures, you signed shirts, cleats, books and what not. As you waved goodbye to them, you saw Katie McCabe staring at you from the door that you had walked out of a few minutes earlier. She looked mad; but you didn’t give a flying fuck. She got what she deserved, and you didn’t care.

#katie mccabe imagine #katie mccabe #leah williamson #mary fowler #woso imagine #woso x reader

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the-daily-tizzy · 2 years ago

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JEFF FOXWORTHY (Allegedly...)

If plastic water bottles are okay, but plastic bags are banned, — you might live in a nation (state) that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots...

If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for entering and remaining in the country illegally — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you have to get your parents' permission to go on a field trip or to take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you MUST show your identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book and rent a video, but not to vote for who runs the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If the government wants to prevent stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds, but gives twenty F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If, in the nation's largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not one 24-ounce soda, because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If an 80-year-old woman who is confined to a wheelchair or a three-year-old girl can be strip-searched by the TSA at the airport, but a woman in a burka or a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If a seven-year-old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is "cute", but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government regulation and intrusion while not working is rewarded with Food Stamps, WIC checks, Medicaid benefits, subsidized housing, and free cell phones — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big-screen TV, while your neighbor buys iPhones, time shares, a wall-sized do-it-all plasma screen TV and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If being stripped of your Constitutional right to defend yourself makes you more "safe" according to the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

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sankta-starkova · 7 months ago

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THE OUTSIDERS;

004 | going home

previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

summary: the one where daisy returns to camp from college and is blinded by her love for him, even as the world ends

wordcount: 2k

The news spread quickly like it always did in Camp Half Blood. Although everyone had seen Luke and Daisy making out by the lake which definitely substantiated the rumours, the rumours still spread like wildfire.

They were the talk of the camp. For years they had been joined at the hip, best friends, partners in crime and now they were more.

Dating whilst at Camp was a hard thing to do because there weren't many romantic spots.

Luke wanted to take her kayaking and strawberry picking and he wanted to do all these things but it was Winter and impossible.

The three weeks went by fast though and sooner than later, she was going to have to head back to the Big city.

Luke and Daisy sat in the armoury together and she just watched as he strapped on the armour on her back just like he always did.

This time, it felt more intimate, more domestic. She turned her head and watched him.

He had hus tongue poking out between his lips as he focused on tying the piece of armour to the breastplate.

When he was finished, he stood up and admired his handiwork, "Good job Castellan," she said, patting him on the cheek.

She went to leave when she felt his hand grasp onto her wrist and pull her back into his chest so she was looking up at him, hands pressed against his chest.

"Hi gorgeous," he muttered, leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

When he pulled away, she moved her hand up, wiping away a little bit of lipstick from her lips.

"What are you gonna do without me?" She asked teasingly.

He hummed in response, "We can always send iris messages,"

She looked up at him, a smile on her face. She had never thought that way about a guy before, so in love it makes you crazy.

"That's very true, and I'll be back before you know it. We can have the whole summer to ourselves," she said.

He leaned down, nose nudging hers, "Perfect,"

He leaned in, a hand on the small of her back as he pulled her as close as he could.

She would never get over the feeling of him against her and she was completely out of it, so out of it that she didn't realise that she was pressed up against a wall of knives.

He moved his hand down to her leg, hitching it up over his hip when she knocked into a collection of spears.

They clattered onto the floor and both Luke and Daisy jumped back at the loud noise.

"This doesn't seem like the best place for kissing," Daisy remarked, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before grabbing her sword and leaving.

He watched her leave, a smile on his face. He had never loved someone like he loved her.

"So, this is where I leave you," Luke said, parking the car outside of her apartment building that she was sharing with her friend Holly.

He had learnt to drive since their quest when they were 16 and 17 and now they were waiting to say goodbye.

"Be safe out here, if you have any monsters you think are there, you send me the pager message," he said.

She laughed. He knew that she didn't need help but was always ready to defend her.

Daisy leaned over the console and he pulled her into his lap and she yelped in shock.

"You're crazy Castellan," she said, shaking her head as she kissed him.

"I'm gonna miss you," he muttered against her lips.

She nodded, "I'll miss you too,"

They were silent for a moment, just relishing in a moment of just them two before they had to seperate again.

It would be 5 months and then she would be back at camp. Of course she would visit him and he'd visit her, but it wasn't the same.

"We should get going," she said, leaning her forehead against his.

He nodded, opening the car door and helping her out. When he got out and closed the door, her walke round to the trunk to grab her luggage.

"You want me to help you bring this up?" He asked and she shook her head.

"If Holly sees you, you will be grilled to death," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before grabbing her two bags.

That silence fell over them again. She had never had this much trouble leaving him before.

Maybe it was because they were dating now or maybe it was because she was concerned about whatever was going on with him.

She didn't want him to be without her at camp, alone with his thoughts, alone with the man who haunted his dreams.

"I wish I didn't have to go," she said, finally breaking the silence.

He chuckled, leaning forward and brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. He let his hand stay on her cheek after that.

"Then don't," He said.

"This is all my mother wanted. She wanted me to get degree and that's what I'm doing," She said, "I can't let her down,"

He understood. Although Luke didn't have a very good relationship with his mother or father, he knew how much her mother meant to her.

"You iris message me whenever you can," he said and she nodded.

"Of course," she promised, feeling the tears brimming on her waterline, "And I'll visit,"

He pulled her in for a hug then. She had never seen him so emotional before, not even when they went on that quest and had to stop off at his mother's house.

"I'll miss you," he muttered into her shoulder, the boys walls crumbling down.

He had never loved someone like he loved Daisy Valance and he knew he never would again.

He also knew that when the time came and the Summer Solstice hit, he would have to make a choice.

They pulled away and she kissed him softly on the lips, "I have to go,"

"I love you," he called out as she walked towards the doors.

She froze where she stood. Sure, she had imagined thus moment a million times over. Of him admitting his love for her and now it was happening.

Daisy didn't hesitate and dropped the bags at her feet and ran over to him, jumping into his arms.

She held onto him tight, not wanting to let go. "I love you too," she mumbled into his shoulder.

Luke could never think of a moment where he had been happier than this.

He kissed the top of her head, holding her face in his hands, "You have to go now,"

She chuckled at his words and so did he, "How do I leave after you said that to me?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he just smiled.

"That's life sweetheart, call me later," he said, pressing a kiss to her lips before pulling away.

She walked over and grabbed her bags before taking one last look at him.

He blew her a kiss and she laughed at how corny the gesture was. With a heavy heart, she turned around and walked into the building.

She said hi to the man at the desk, asking Colin how his family was over Christmas, a giddy grin on her face.

Luke watched her walk into the elevator, the doors closing on her. He closed his eyes, the voice coming back as soon as she left him.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to keep them away but he could hear the deep voice echoing in his mind as he drove back to camp.

Holly ran into her arms as soon as she saw Daisy walk into the apartment. Daisy yelped at her mortal best friends affection.

"How was your Christmas girl?" She asked.

Holly was a New York native and had always dreamed of going to NYU amd that's why the two became such close friends.

They were assigned to the same dorm room and had been sharing it since September. They'd become close since then and Daisy didnt know how she'd survive the mortal world without her.

"It was good, actually it was the beat Christmas ever," she said, a smile on her face.

She couldn't hide the giddy smile that seemed to be plastered over her face.

Holly could see it instantly and she cocked her head to the side when she saw that tell tale smile.

"So, tell me all about this boyfriend of yours," she said, folding her arms over her chest as she lookd at her best friend.

Daisy's face went red. She didn't know how Holly had already figured it out.

"What do you mean?" Her eyes were wide and she was trying to work out how Holly knew.

"The guy you were kissing outside. I saw it through the window. Who is he?" She asked.

Daisy sighed, it was just Holly's curiosity and not some malicious force trying to ruin her life

"His name is Luke. He's a year older, we met at this summer camp and he works there now year round to help uh, underprivileged kids," she explained.

It was hard to explain camp when people didn't understand but this made the most sense.

Holly grinned, happy to see her friend so happy, "He sounds amazing, you have to show me a picture,"

Daisy picked up her bag from the door and closed the door. She placed her bags on her bed before she began to dig through it.

She pulled out a couple of Polaroids that had been taken over the winter break and threw them onto the bed haphazardly.

"It's a non-technological place so this is all we got," she explained.

Holly picked them up and started looking at a few of the pictures. Some were new and some were old, dating back nearly five years.

"Who are these other kids?" She asked, showing a picture of some people at a campfire

"That's his sister Annabeth, that one there is my camp bunk leader Lee. Those are some friends, Selena, Nina and Lily,"

Holly looked at a photo of her and Luke wrapped in coats as they stood outside of the big house and then another one where they were kayaking about three summers ago.

"Seems like a fun place," she said, handing the photos back to her friend.

Daisy's face lit up at the fond memories of camp. She missed it so much already.

"It is. Its a second home," she said, a sombre tone to her voice.

She looked at the front picture in silence. It was the most recent one, Luke kissing her on the cheek and Annabeth standing in front of them, almost like their child, with the happiest look on her face.

"You know, I grew up quite poor and this place saved my life. It really saved me," she explained, putting the pictures in her pocket.

Holly heard her phone ring, the sound of Conan Gray echoing through their dorm room.

"God, I gotta go, Calculus is calling," She said as she looked at the alarm on her phone.

She gave her friend a kiss on the cheek before rushing out of the room, her bag slung over her shoulder.

Daisy turned and looked at herself in the mirror, noticing the slight smudge of her lipstick from where Luke had kissed her.

She smiled to herself as she looked down at her camp beads, all five of them, matching with Lukes. She missed it all already.

If you would like to be added to the taglist, just comment or send me an ask :)

Taglist;

@b3bybunny

#the outsiders; luke castellan #luke castellan #charlie bushnell #luke castellan fanfiction #luke castellan x oc #percy jackson #percy jackson series #pjo #luke castellan fanfic #percy jackson luke #percy jackson show #percy series #percy jackson fanfiction

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zyrafowe-sny · 1 year ago

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Gonna go nuts with this (sideblog just fyi is goldenheart-supremacy)

Ask game - 16, 17, 20

Thanks so much for the ask!

General note about headcanons: I very much enjoy hearing other people's takes (and sometimes entertain incompatible ideas of my own). There are so many potential backstories, so many ways the story could continue, and so many ways to develop worldbuilding.

16 - Do you have any headcanons about how Ballister and Ambrosius met?

I like to think Ambrosius witnessed Ballister defending someone (possibly Ambrosius himself - have not yet decided) from a bully or a thief. Ambrosius then told Ballister that he was brave and strong enough to be a knight, and that encouraged Ballister to break into the training grounds. After Ballister was caught, Ambrosius absolutely begged all the influential adults in his life - and he knows quite a few - to let him become a knight. ND Stevenson pointed out that Ballister's sword is an old repurposed Goldenloin sword, so at some point when the queen/the Institute were still deciding what to do with Ballister, Ambrosius was searching his family's armory for the perfect sword for him. Of course, when Ballister officially starts knight training, they become fast friends.

17 - Do you have any headcanons about how Ballister and Ambrosius started dating?

I think Ballister became aware of his romantic feelings first, but didn't want to say anything. Not everyone at the Institute approved of their friendship, and of course he was also well aware of the expectations Ambrosius faced as Gloreth's descendant. He valued their friendship, and didn't want to risk that for an impossible romantic relationship.

I am not immune to the fandom idea that one day Ambrosius became flustered after Ballister knocked him down in training. Maybe Ballister gave him a hand up and they accidentally got a little close. Maybe something subtle in Ballister's body language gave something away about his own feelings. Ambrosius already was Ballister's biggest fan, so he fell hard and fast. He also had to be the one to make the first move and convince Ballister that they could make it work.

I do think that they kept the romantic side of their relationship private before the knighting ceremony. They'd already been best friends for years, so them spending a lot of time together wasn't that suspicious.

20 - What do you think happened to the Institute?

Hah - if I ever manage to finish a WIP I'm working on, I might go into this in more depth. (EDIT: Whoops, I typed more than I expected.)

Generally, I think there'll be a period of debate over whether to try to keep the Institute mostly as-is (with a new Director), reform it, or eliminate it. At first, some people might still be afraid of what's outside the wall. Some people might be afraid of what would happen to public safety inside the wall if the Institute were eliminated. Noble families might not want to lose some of their status/influence, which was highly tied to the Institute.

On the other hand, the Institute was burning through so many resources for a threat that by all appearances wasn't actually real - it might be better to use that money for a better cause (schools, libraries, social programs, etc). Video footage would also show that most of the damage to the city was caused by the Institute, not Nimona. People might not be aware of just how much surveillance is going on - they might not be happy if that comes out. There may already have been some commoners who were critical of the Institute/the political system.

(All of this is also so closely tied to the need for police reform/the defund-the-police movement, at least in the United States.)

I lean towards dissolving the Institute and transforming its pieces into new organizations with better oversight. For instance - former Institute knights could form sports leagues if they want to keep duels/tourneys/etc (and start letting commoners participate). A new organization responsible for public safety would absolutely need to train new commoner recruits (and vet and retrain any interested knights) to deescalate instead of going straight to shooting. It's not actually clear that anyone at the Institute was all that good at crime solving (real police often aren't either). There might be coordinated exploration of what's beyond the wall, which may benefit from some former Institute resources/personnel. Academics could investigate old Institute records.

Peaceful handover of power is generally better than an all-out revolution, so while I definitely expect at least some pushback from the First Families, I think they would eventually concede to changes to the political system and the elimination of the Institute.

Here's the link to the Nimona ask game if anyone wants to send or receive asks!

#thanks for the ask!#ask game #Nimona ask game #nimona #happy to take more questions or send people questions

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clonerightsagenda · 9 months ago

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#recently read 1/24

Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by KJ Parker. Saevus ran from his past but is dragged into a series of political schemes as he tries to wriggle out of the consequences and maybe stop a war. *I've read one other book by Parker (16 Ways to Defend a Walled City) and I feel like if you've read one you've read them all.

American Mermaid by Julia Langbein. An out of her depth author in Hollywood for her book's unfaithful adaptation begins to suspect her character has come alive to take vengeance over her betrayal. *Loved the concept, iffy on execution.

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark. Maryse and other Black women battle Klan members who are actually demonic entities from another world feeding on hatred.

The Actual Star by Monica Byrne. 3 intertwined narratives influenced by Maya cosmology following a group of royal siblings in 1212, a tourist and her two Belizean guides in 2012, and two people in religious conflict in 3012. *Odd, but an interesting take on a potential post-climate crisis culture.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey. A literary description of one day in the life of six ISS astronauts/cosmonauts.

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell. Prince Kiem is forced into an arranged marriage after his cousin's death and into a political maelstrom of schemes and murder. *Not my typical fare but helped me envision this new 'I could fix him the empire' microgenre. Got jumpscared by learning it started on ao3.

Penance by Eliza Clark. An unreliable reporter crafts a narrative about bullying and murder committed by teen girls in a commentary on the pitfalls of true crime. *Similar vibes to What Happens Next in terms of awful tumblr culture.

#experimenting with putting additional takes in with the blurbs #recently read

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ukrainenews · 2 years ago

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Daily Wrap Up April 13-17, 2023

Under the cut:

Poland has reached an agreement on restarting transit of Ukrainian grains through its territory as of Friday, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said on Tuesday, adding transits would be monitored and sealed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops in the small eastern city of Avdiivka on Tuesday, thanked them for their service and was briefed by commanders on the battlefield situation, his office said.

Germany has delivered a Patriot air defense system and missiles for it to Ukraine, according to the German government’s weekly update. In addition, Berlin has reportedly handed over 16 Zetros trucks and two border protection vehicles.

Russia shelled the village of Richky in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast on April 18, killing an 83-year-old woman, Prosecutor General’s Office reported.

Poland's Development Minister Waldemar Buda added a ban on imports of Ukrainian food products to Poland would remain in place.

Pressure has been mounting on Brussels to work out a European Union-wide solution after Warsaw and Budapest announced bans on some imports from Ukraine at the weekend, with other countries in eastern Europe saying they are also considering action.

Farmers say cheap imports from Ukraine, which has faced difficulties exporting by sea due to Russia's invasion, have lowered prices and reduced their sales.

In Poland, the issue has created a problem in an election year for the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party that relies on rural areas for much of its support.

Ukraine had said its priority was to reopen transit through Poland.

"We managed to create such mechanisms that will ensure that not a single ton of grain will remain in Poland," Telus told journalists after two days of talks in Warsaw.

-via Reuters

~ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops in the small eastern city of Avdiivka on Tuesday, thanked them for their service and was briefed by commanders on the battlefield situation, his office said.

Avdiivka has been one of the main targets of a Russian winter offensive which was intended to reinvigorate Moscow's full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, but has made only small territorial advances in the east.

Video footage released by Zelenskiy's office showed him addressing troops in combat gear and handing them awards in what appeared to be a large industrial warehouse with sandbags packed against at least one of the high walls.

"I have the honour to be here today, to thank you for your service, for defending our land, Ukraine, our families," he said. "I wish you only victory - this is what I wish for every Ukrainian, this is what is very important to all of us."

Zelenskiy also visited a hospital where he met wounded soldiers and handed out awards.

The video footage also showed heavily damaged high-rise residential buildings in Avdiivka, where officials say about 1,800 civilians remain.

Zelenskiy has visited troops several times in recent weeks before what is widely expected to be a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin also met troops this week, during visits on Monday to Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson and Luhansk regions.

Zelenskiy was accompanied in Avdiivka by Andriy Yermak, the head of his office, who said Ukrainian troops were preventing Russia encircling the city.

He said fierce battles were under way elsewhere in the region, and that "successful defence" was key in these places.

"Our army has already broken the enemy's plans to break through the (Ukrainian) defences and advance in the east," Yermak said on the Telegram messaging app.

-via Reuters

Germany has delivered a Patriot air defense system and missiles for it to Ukraine, according to the German government’s weekly update.

In addition, Berlin has reportedly handed over 16 Zetros trucks and two border protection vehicles.

Germany promised to provide Ukraine with a Patriot battery in January following Washington’s commitment to send the American-made system. The Netherlands later joined the efforts.

The Patriot system is the most advanced air defense weapon in the U.S. arsenal that Kyiv has been long pleading for. One Patriot battery has four to eight launchers designed for four missiles each.

Patriots aim to significantly improve the defense of Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure against regular Russian missile attacks.

Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said on March 30 that 65 Ukrainian soldiers had completed training on Patriot systems at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and returned to Europe.

-via Kyiv Independent

Russia shelled the village of Richky in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast on April 18, killing an 83-year-old woman, Prosecutor General’s Office reported.

The Russian artillery troops fired at the village from Russia’s territory, hitting the woman’s house, according to the report.

Sumy Oblast is located at Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia. It has been the target of daily Russian attacks across the border since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian control in early April 2022.

On the same day, Russian forces also struck Donetsk Oblast’s town of Ukrainsk, injuring at least eight civilians, said Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

The Russian shelling of Ukrainsk damaged three high-rises and 18 pavilions of a local market, according to the oblast governor.

“Not a day goes by without Russian war crimes in the Donetsk region,” added Kyrylenko.

-via Kyiv Independent

#Daily Update #Ukraine #Russia #War in Ukraine #Sumy #Germany #avdiivka #poland #black sea

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diamondangelkitten · 7 months ago

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Vierapril Day 16: Defend

Annabeth takes a look around the battered city, with its high peaks and stone walls, and sighs. Ishgard is beautiful in its own way, but its people are ugly. She shakes her head as she watches how poorly those in the Brume are treated and she understands why Alira remains in Fortemps Manor to not lose her cool. She meanders the streets, slowly making her way back to the Pillars, and shortly upon entering the Manor and sitting by Ali, there’s a commotion at the front door. The girls share a glance and make their way to join Count Edmont and his sons. “Warriors of Light,” a knight of House Fortemps says, “Master Alphinaud and Mistress Tataru have been arrested on accusations of spreading heresy.” Alira can’t stop herself facepalming, while Alinea and Aurora act far more outraged at the accusations. Annabeth is saddened at this turn of events, but after seeing how everything has thus played out, she is not fully surprised. “Is there nothing we can do?,” Alinea asks. The Ishgardian men tell them to seek out Ser Aymeric, so the girls leave the house, dressed for war, weapons in hand.

Along the way they encounter Haurchefant, a bright light within a dreary day. He accompanies them to a meeting with Ser Aymeric, where it is discussed that one of them can stand in for Mistress Tataru. “But what about Alphinaud?” Aurora is quite distressed, as even though they are near in age, she knows she’s the far better fighter between the two. Aymeric sighs and shakes his head, “Unfortunately the boy will have to fight. Now, which one of you will fight for Miss Tataru?” The girls glance among themselves. Alinea starts to step forward, but before she can, Alira slams a fist down on the table. “I can do whatever damage I can to them?” The men look between each other, “It is not meant that the other parties are killed,” Aymeric begins. Haurchefant intercedes, rather excitedly, “But you are more than welcome to wound or maim in whatever desire you wish, Mistress Alira. It would be an honor to see your skill at play.” Alira smirks, “I accept.” “Are you sure Alira?” Alinea looks at her, “I don’t doubt your skill whatsoever, but nor do I want your anger to cloud your judgement.” Annabeth steps between them, “No, let Alira do this. We’ve all been upset at the way Ishgard treats her people, but Alinea, you are too calm for this. Let Alira give them hell.” Aymeric casts a worried glance to Haurchefant, who can’t help but look enthralled at the rather fiery Viera. As the girls leave Ser Aymeric’s office, they can hear, “This is certain to be a spectacle for the ages.”

And what a show Alira puts on, Annabeth thinks. Her friend is a force of nature, and what else to bring against of heart of ice, than scorching flame and heat. Her friend unleashes wave upon wave of destruction, all the while keeping Alphinaud as far from harm as possible. It is a resounding defeat for the Heavens’ Ward, and Alira can’t help but turn to the crowd. “We are the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. We who defend those who cannot defend themselves.” There are cheers around the arena, though more likely for Alira’s battle skills than her words. Annabeth follows their cheering party through the crowd until they meet Alira, Alphinaud, and Tataru. Tataru runs to Alinea, hugging the Elezen who’s bent down to catch her. “Oh, I’m so glad you are all alright.” Annabeth sighs, “Us, Tataru? We can take care of ourselves. You have to be more careful.” The Lalafell pulls back, tears running down her eyes, “I know! I just wanted to help you.” Aurora gently pats Tataru. “It’s alright! We all made it out! And Alira done it in style too.” Alira’s leaning against the railing, and it’s becoming apparent that she had slightly over done it. “Aye, and it was great fun doing it.” Alphinaud shakes his head, “You did not need to provoke them more with your words though.” Alira glares at the boy, “I meant it. While you may not, the four of us will always make sure that the weak are defended. That everyone gets a fair chance to be heard. We are not just your weapon to be wielded.” Alphinaud jumps back at the venom in Alira’s words, and even Aymeric pales a bit at her fire, but Haurchefant just raises his fist in the air, “Hear hear! A knight lives to serve. To protect. There is no greater calling.” Alira’s eyes soften and she smiles at Haurchefant before she turns to Alinea, “You really got lucky with him.” Alinea smiles as Haurchefant wraps his hand around hers, “I know.”

#vierapril #ffxiv #annabeth rose #alira thorne #alinea skylark #aurora calypso #haurchefant greystone #had to do a throwback at some point

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clay-cuttlefish · 1 year ago

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Gotham Central 1-24 and the stories in between, splitting it where The Question 2005 starts. I feel so incredibly normal about this era. Definitely not putting off my school readings for this. (In my defense Plato is a long-winded bitch.)

In the Line of Duty (GC #1-2)

This is a really strong start. Gotham Central works because it makes dealing with supervillains feel meaningful to the average person in Gotham - sure, Batman shows up and gets them eventually, but that doesn't mean everything just goes back to normal.

Freeze is barely in this and he's unsettling as hell. The cold gun is creepy!

Dead Reckoning (Ted #777-782)

Immediately derailed by a Tec story. It's a good one, at least.

I like that Gordon became a teacher, even if he's not qualified at all.

Why does Arkham have an isolation cage.

I'm with Two-Face here, if he can drive an Arkham employee to a nervous breakdown it's probably better that he do it instead of Scarecrow or whoever.

Harvey ignoring his coin for Gordon's sake... they are friends...

As a guy who loves the imposter Two-Faces and the pile of miscellanous Clayfaces I love this story.

All the side villains are very fun here. Scrungly gossip Riddler, wacky self-sabotaging Joker, no-nonsense Penguin, mad scientist Scarecrow... I like these guys a lot.

Harvey's out. That's probably fine.

Motive (GC #3-5)

Mostly Reneeless. A good episode of a cop show. Idk what to say about it.

The Queen is Dead (Gotham Knights #38-39)

Helena's been kidnapped by Checkmate, and Vic shows up to tell Nightwing about it and beat up a goon. I miss them.

Half a Life (GC #6-10)

Screaming, crying, throwing up, etc.

Renee's talk with Maggie about their different experiences being out is a really good moment.

God I don't have coherent thoughts about this it just kills me.

Crispus. Dude. She's been framed for murder and you're annoyed she didn't come out to you?

At least Josie's here.

HARVEY YOU SON OF A BITCH. You don't get to blame Two-Face for this one! This is on you for being a creepy possessive fuck to the point you were flipping on it!

"You've been living two lives, and I've broken down the wall between them" we're still a few years out from that one and she'll do it of her own volition with some help actually but thanks

"I don't see what that has to do with us." I am going to put my head through the drywall. What are you talking about! What am I supposed to do with this!

"You're welcome." Bruce I will actually kill you.

Soft Targets (GC #12-15)

Renee's back! Nothing too major for her here, but she's... levelled out, I guess.

Hub City mentioned! As the one police department more corrupt than Gotham. Sounds about right.

I'm not generally a fan of the Joker but this is a pretty good story. it's an elaborate scheme to mess with Batman that hurts a lot of people along the way.

Maggie should've killed him. I am not on the "Batman should just kill the Joker" train but she shot him like five times and at that point him surviving is just overkill.

Life is Full of Disappointments (GC #16-18)

No Renee but Helena's here! Just for a moment to ask Mafia questions.

Unresolved (GC #19-22)

There's a Previously On segment now, this really is Law and Order: Gotham.

I don't have it in me to feel bad for Bullock. He's been an awful bastard this entire time and trying to pretend he was a "good cop" just makes me like him less.

Thank you, Josie, for being the voice of reason.

Ohhh my god girl why are you immediately willing to defend him.

Corrigan (GC #23-24)

Crispus bringing his wife and kids to Renee and Daria's for brunch... this is the one real friendship Renee has.

Unfortunately Renee getting a nice thing means her life immediately gets worse.

This guy being named Jim Corrigan is. A choice? I get it when there's last name overlap between characters, or when it's minor characters overlapping, but the Spectre's not niche. Maybe it's intentional foreshadowing of Crispus' time as the Spectre but I seriously doubt that was on the table at this point.

Her and Daria's relationship makes me implode.

#clayposts #clayreads #the question #renee montoya

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anticomedygarden · 2 years ago

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until we came to leningrad

title taken from billy joel's 'leningrad'

The second time in her life Piper McLean saw Percy Jackson was at Camp Jupiter when he was 16 and she was 15 after months of work trying to find him.

There was something to be said in him running to Annabeth immediately, something that she adored immensely, but there was also something to be said in the look on his face when he realized who Piper was.

“Piper McLean?!” he exclaimed, face slack.

She spread her arms. “In the flesh!” She smiled.

“Wow!” He ran the fingers of the hand not holding on to Annabeth’s through his hair. “I was starting to think I’d never see you again.” Next to him, Annabeth smiled. Piper knew she was nearly as excited to see her boyfriend’s reunion with Piper as she was to experience her and Percy’s own reunion. “So, you’re a demigod?”

She nodded. “And one of the seven, apparently.”

Jason and Leo looked at her oddly. So maybe she had neglected to mention her connection to Percy, but why was it any of their business? It had been a stressful time; she could tell them whatever the hell she wanted to tell them. Besides, they could have easily found out if they had ever taken her and Annabeth up on the offer to go to Sally’s.

Besides, the rest of their reunion would have to wait until after the battle discussion and lunch.

----

Later, when Jason’s head was healed and the ship had been repaired, Piper and Percy finally had time to catch up with each other at dinner.

Predictably, Percy, who she had to admit, had done a great job growing up, (cause damn those cheek bones! And muscles - for a very brief second, she was jealous of Annabeth), spent a while staring wistfully at the holograms of Camp Half-Blood. She couldn’t imagine how much he must be missing home.

Finally, he managed to tear his eyes away from the wall to look over at her. “So, how have you been?” he asked.

She was pleased to hear excitement in his voice. After nearly 5 years of no contact, she had been afraid Percy would no longer care about their letters, or worse, hate her for allowing them to peter out in the first place, but after hearing Annabeth describe him so many times, she really should have had more faith.

She rubbed the back of her neck and turned to face him. “Oh, you know…not great,” she answered, about as honestly as she could. “You heard the story.”

“Yep,” he chuckled. “That I did.” He grinned and stuck out his hand. “Welcome to your new life as a demigod. It fucking sucks, but on the bright side, you also get to be completely ignored by the parent you never knew you had!”

Piper laughed and shook his offered hand, also getting into it. “Yeah, you also get these cool powers that come in real handy when your godly parent finally decides you’re worth their time.” They were both laughing at this point.

“Hang on,” Leo said suddenly, making a T with his hands in the timeout symbol. “You two know each other, how?” At the other end of the table, Hazel, Frank, and Annabeth turned to look toward their side as if sensing the change in topic.

Jason spoke up. “I would also like to know.”

Percy and Piper both grinned, and she knew he was remembering the exact same thing she was. “Okay, so it all happened 12 years ago when Piper was being a problem child at the New York City Aquarium-”

Piper broke in. “I was not being a problem child! That could have happened to anyone,” she defended herself.

“Yeah, but it happened to you,” Percy responded and poked her in the side. “Anyway, and we were both toddlers by the way, my mom and I were at the aquarium when I happened to find Piper crying in a corner looking for her dad, so-”

“He fucking introduced himself and asked me what my name was like it was a preschool socialization lesson!” she finished for him. “Then he saw Dad and I on TV a few years later and convinced his mom to let him send me a letter.”

Percy laughed. “Yeah, and we kept up with each other for a few years. We only stopped around the time I found out I was a demigod.”

“That was also around the time I started stealing and went to boarding school,” Piper informed them matter-of-factly.

The others barring Annabeth stared at them rather blankly. She supposed Frank and Hazel were pretty straight laced to be hearing this kind of story, but Jason and Leo should know her well enough to not be surprised.

Thankfully, Annabeth started laughing. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised. This isn’t even one of the weirder things they’ve done.”

Percy laughed. “You got that right.”

Leo gaped at him. “What is your life?”

“You don’t want to know,” Percy answered.

Pretty soon, everyone went back to their previous conservations, allowing Percy and Piper to return to theirs.

Percy was the first to start. “You know, those letters really meant a lot to me. Those were some of the hardest years of my life, and I was really lucky to have a friend like you.”

Piper smiled. “Same here. And I’m really glad we got to see each other again!”

“Yeah,” Percy agreed. “Hopefully, this time, it sticks.”

----

A few months after that pseudo-initial meeting, Piper found herself on the steps of the Poseidon cabin, hand poised above the door.

Am I really about to do this? she thought. Once she told Percy, there was no going back.

She knocked.

Right away, she heard footsteps from inside, and then the door was being opened, and she was walking through, and -

“I’m gonna break up with Jason,” she blurted, then slapped a hand over her mouth.

Percy’s eyes grew wide, and he shut the door. “Maybe we should sit down,” he said weakly.

She nodded vigorously. “That’d be good.”

Once they were seated facing each other on his bed (that he had to slide a pile of dirty clothes off of, though in Piper’s opinion, it looked no better on the floor than it had on the bed), he said, “I’m not gonna lie, this isn’t exactly surprising.”

She raised her eyebrows and motioned for him to explain.

“I just mean, with how you started, I kinda thought you guys would’ve ended things a long time ago, what with the memory manipulation and all,” he hurried to explain.

“Yeah,” she nodded. Piper was not at all surprised that Percy hadn’t just taken her relationship with Jason at face value; he was far smarter than people gave him credit for. “Lately, I’ve been finding it harder and harder to get past that.” She picked at his blue comforter.

“That’s understandable. I love Annabeth more than anything, but if we’d gotten together because Hera had implanted memories in one of our minds, I don’t think we would’ve lasted very long. Plus, we probably would’ve chewed Hera out and gotten ourselves killed.” He grinned as did Piper. That sounded exactly like something her friends would do.

She cleared her throat. This was the hard part. “There’s one more reason I wanna break up with him.” She took a deep breath, and Percy looked at her worriedly. “I think I might be-,” she hesitated, “-not straight.”

He looked at her, stunned. “When did-how did you-what-?” he paused, gathering his thoughts. “How long have you been questioning?” he finally asked.

It was Piper’s turn to be surprised. While Percy was smarter than he seemed, she certainly never would’ve pegged him as a guy up to date on LGBTQ+ terms.

“A while now,” she answered truthfully. “I guess it started after I put Gaia to sleep. I felt really powerful, you know? It made me think about why I was actually with Jason if we didn’t even start out truthfully. Then that kinda made me feel like maybe I didn’t need a man at all, and the only reason I thought I was supposed to be with him was because of Hera, who would’ve assumed we were both straight. Then I did a bit of a deep dive into queer media and sexuality, and now I think I’m either a lesbian or bi.” She took another deep breath, heart pounding. “And that’s it.”

Percy just looked at her, smiling. “I’m really glad you told me.” Then, he held up a finger in a wait a minute gesture. She watched him walk over to a desk in the corner stacked with books, papers, and pens and pencils. That must be new, she thought. She didn’t remember that being there the last time she was in the Poseidon cabin. A gift from his father, maybe, for saving the universe again? An answered prayer for a smooth and uninterrupted senior year from a certain goddess of wisdom? Whatever it was, she was glad Percy had it.

Then, he shifted a stack of books to the floor, and she stared, for tacked to the wall was a small bisexual flag over a demiromantic flag as well as a demisexual flag.

She pointed, stunned. “Y-you-”

“Yep,” he chuckled. “Me, too.”

----

Another few months after that eye opening conversation found the two of them and Annabeth at Percy’s apartment in Manhattan, Annabeth working on school work at the kitchen table and Piper on the living room floor while Percy carefully sectioned her hair into two Dutch braids.

“You know,” Piper was saying, “I’m starting to think there are no more decent single people.”

Percy laughed. “In the whole world?”

“In the whole world,” she confirmed. They had just finished telling Percy all about the last date she had been on in which the girl had shown up sweaty, 20 minutes late, and still in her gym clothes. The girl had then proceeded to spend the entire date gushing about Piper’s dad and how cool was it to have a movie star as a parent? despite Tristan having been blacklisted and bankrupted several weeks prior. She’d also flat out refused to refer to Piper as anything but ‘she’ even though Piper had mentioned several times that their pronouns were she/they. To top it all off, the girl had sent her food back five times and made Piper pay because there was, “No way a few little lawsuits could have taken all of the great Tristan McLean’s money.” All in all, not the best date she had been on, but definitely not the worst, either. That award went to the blind date with the guy who spent the whole date complaining about how the gays were ruining America.

“She’s right,” Annabeth called from the kitchen. “I’ve got the only good one in the entire universe.”

If Piper could’ve seen Percy’s face, she knew they’d be seeing a deep blush gracing his cheeks. “I know, right?” Piper added. “If only we were living in a world of Percys, life would be so much easier.”

The fingers in her hair stilled. “I don’t think I’m that great,” Percy said sheepishly. “I just love her and take her on dates.”

Annabeth snorted derisively. “You also rearrange your day to make sure we have time to actually talk to each other, you comfort me after nightmares, you bring me things when they remind you of me, you let me talk to you about architecture, you don’t get mad when I beat you at stuff, you don’t step in and try to fix things for me when I’m having trouble or when I’m fighting, you’re incredibly romantic, you’re a feminist without even realizing it, need I go on?” she finished smugly.

Percy huffed. “But that’s just basic stuff. Doesn’t everyone do that?”

Piper laughed at him, no longer trying to hide it. “And he doesn’t even think he’s special! You’re right, Annabeth, he’s the last true good one.”

Annabeth made a noise of agreement and turned back to her homework now that she’d won the discussion.

Piper returned her attention to Percy. “Seriously, dude, that stuff isn’t normal. You’re like, the number one boyfriend,” they informed him. “Just accept it.”

He laughed nervously. “No way.”

She shook her head. “I’m serious! Jason and Leo are convinced that Calypso and I broke up with them because they couldn’t compete with you,” they said, smiling.

“We’ll agree to disagree,” he said, tieing off her hair.

She turned to him. “Fine, but mark my words. You’re gonna realize one day that you’re the best boyfriend in the world.”

Annabeth snorted again. “Sure he will.”

----

“All right, I admit it. I was wrong,” Piper said a few months later. “There was one more good single person left, but now she’s mine!”

Percy smiled. “Is that right? Tell me again how amazing Reyna Remirez-Arellano is, cause I haven’t heard it 30 times already.”

“Gladly,” she smirked. “But maybe later. It looks like they’ve found the place.” Up ahead, Annabeth and Reyna had stopped in front of a Mexican Restaurant that Annabeth had heard about from one of her classmates at NRU, one that Reyna had somehow not heard of despite her several years as praetor. It hadn’t taken long for Piper to suggest a double date, both for the two couples to catch up as well as for Reyna to ensure that she knew about all of New Rome’s establishments.

That was another thing Piper was eternally grateful for. Reyna had come out of nowhere. Months of first dates, helping their dad, hanging out with her family in Oklahoma, and frantically catching up on school, and one trip to Camp Jupiter had completely unraveled all of it.

Piper had been there to help Jason and Annabeth start the minor gods temple project, but her part was very brief, mostly just negotiating with the various New Rome leaders. She had ended up spending almost the entire time hanging out with Reyna, allowing them to show each other previously hidden facets of themselves. They had both done some soul searching, Reyna more so than Piper, and, after an impulsive decision on Reyna’s part, the two had ended up together, and they couldn’t be happier.

That had also ended with Piper deciding to move on to the next phase in their life where they would do hybrid classes in Oklahoma, partly online and partly in person, allowing her to spend part of the month with their family and the other part with Reyna (and Percy and Annabeth) in New Rome. It was really the best of both worlds.

Percy turned back to them. “You coming?”

She smiled. “Always.”

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