#Awesome art Nico! This is incredible!

[goldendoodlerlockerlove]

Boblin Week Day 5: Old/Memory

We’ve already reached the last day of @boblinweek, and my, what a journey it has been!! I want to thank @babsvibes and @jimmypesto for making this week possible (again), and it was an absolute joy participating for the second year in a row!! :D

The idea for this piece came about because of the episode Mother Author Laser Pointer, and how Bob said when she’s older, Linda might be able to read Snail & Newt to her future grandchild. So, I decided to depict exactly that!! You can decide who’s adorable bean of a child this is, I purposefully tried to leave it up to interpretation.

[ID]: Digital fanart of an older Linda Belcher, Bob Belcher, and their future grandson. Linda is lying on a bed with a dark blue mattress with her future grandson, and now has completely gray hair and some wrinkles. She does, however, still have her large red glasses. She’s also wearing her usual red shirt. She’s reading a Snail & Newt book to him with a large grin on her face. Her grandson has similar blue eyes to her and is lying happily next to her with a pink shirt, yellow pants, and black socks. An older Bob is standing at the doorway with a small grin on his face, his hair and bushy mustache now completely gray. He’s wearing his usual gray shirt, black pants, and black shoes.

[akumanoken]

What Souji hears now is just Nico going off again on Nero about the broken arm again -- which of course after some uses and fighting some stronger ones it'll get damaged. "Souji, still, can you believe him." Now bringing him into it and an arm around him to pull him more over.

"Fuck off already with that and don't bring Sou into this. He doesn't need to deal with your shit also. We give you got shit also for your so called /masterpieces/."

@s1lxcs

Souji wasn't trying to get in the middle of all of this, but he did say he would try talking to Nico, so when he was pulled close he gave a soft laugh. "Now c'mon Nico... you've seen the guys we're fighting against here... your work helps so much, but they're still fragile in the face of demonic power... and that's coming from both sides, yeah??"

"Think of it this way, you have a constant customer in Nero... because he doesn't trust anyone else to give him what he needs to kick ass... so cut him some slack, yeah?? Besides, we found a bunch of new stuff for you to make some more awesome works of art!! Oh yeah, and that dart you made for me was incredible it worked so well I'm gonna need at least three more! Just name the price!" Souji the rich hunter.

[frozendeity17]

Aaallll fifty of them, in order, punk! :p

Alright, here we go:

Lumity and Percabeth. Yes, I know TOH just ended and TLT won't be coming out for a hot sec, no I do not care.

Never had one specific color, though I've definitely always preferred cooler colors. Used to love greens, but now indigoes, violets, and dark blues are more my style. Still love a good forest green though.

All of the quotes on that one doc abt unlikely posts. Also, "I think it's silly to be ashamed of your art because it's not in a museum and of your voice because it's not selling out stadiums. There will always be people who enjoy and appreciate what you can do." -Tumblr user venuskissed

Private. I'm not one to share my birthday.

Also private. Not today, fae fuck.

See #4.

Honestly, I don't know. I think I give them in all of their forms, but as for receiving, I think affirmation is what does it for me. Might be physical contact though, I do love hugs.

Probably a drama, I did like How to Get Away With Murder, even if I only got through the first season and a bit. Designated Survivor was awesome too.

Spain, for one. I don't know what it is about the place, but it has a charm about it for me. Maybe it's the weather. Aside from that, Greece and Italy would be awesome. I'm a little bit of a mythology nerd, so seeing all of the temples and wonders built for these ancient gods sounds like an awesome experience. If I could choose more, Norway and Iceland are both incredibly beautiful places, and I do kind of prefer the cold. Also, I've always wanted to see the aurora borealis in person.

Ooph, this one is difficult. There are a lot of great scents out there. Vanilla's a long-standing favorite, I remember once bringing a bottle of it to school once to show to my friends. Cinnamon rolls smell delicious, as does that smell from the candles we always used to buy. It might've been sandalwood, but I've never been quite sure. Also, there's this one perfume my mom's worn for as long as I can remember - it's a little too sharp to be entirely pleasant, but it's flowery, and nostalgic for me.

"City of Angels" by Em Beihold. She also wrote the trending songs "Numb Little Bug" - the "Do you ever get a little bit tired of life" one - and dueted "Until I Found You" with Stephen Sanchez. I think her songs "Too Precious" and "12345" are also really good.

Stalker. But seriously, probably one of the places listed in #9, or back home, as I have some stuff to do there.

Vanilla. Most pure chocolate ice creams have a bad aftertaste.

Donuts. I don't know what it is about cake, but I've never seemed to like it all that much, even the good ones. It is, honestly, my least favorite dessert that I'll actually eat - I even like eclairs, which are literally just pastry around messy whipped cream that gets everywhere, more than cake. I particularly hate it with that weird gel writing on it. Just...urgh. Donuts are chill tho, and I'll never turn down a solid frosted with sprinkles or Boston Creme.

Black. It's reliable, doesn't stain easily, works well in formal outfits, doesn't show sweat stains, and works on most complexions. Also, I never really wear much color regardless. I would miss that one blue dress shirt I really like - it's comfy as hell.

Haven't read one in ages, despite my massive TBR, but off the top of my head, probably "With great power comes great need to take a nap," by Nico di Angelo from PJO, if only because of how ridiculous yet true it is.

If I can't handle myself In a fight, I'm not subjecting any of y'all to that.

Ice cream. It's more reliable and easily accessible for me, and frankly, cotton candy is too dry as a dessert.

A famous engineer, hopefully. Being an author would be cool, too.

I do not have pet peeves, I am a pet peeve.

Basic Bitch. I suck at fashion and aesthetics and currently have neither the desire nor the capability to improve. My wardrobe is composed entirely of thin shorts, tracksuit pants, and t-shirts, with a singular formal suit. Might try to start painting my nails soon, see how that goes.

As prideful as it may sound, my intelligence. I don't have much street sense, to say the least, but I have a good factual memory, am good at logic puzzles, and am a quick reader, and I'm rather proud of that.

Saturday. Nothing to occupy that day, nor the day after. It's excellent. My favorite weekday? Probably Thursday. Dunno why, it just vibes the best.

I am SUCH a bad night owl. I don't even know why, I always regret it in the mornings too. I guess it's just kinda freeing, not having the expectations.

Neither, hot chocolate reigns supreme.

This is the first half, the second half to come, as Tumblr apparently has a character limit.

[frobinfandays]

I want to thank everyone once more for taking the survey. I especially want to thank the people who shared their reason for shipping FRobin. Sometimes it's good to remember! Have a great weekend!!!

Don't forget! #FRobinMonth2022 from 06. Feb - 09. Mar! Themes will be released next week!

Promotion Art (c) @beecher-arts

Manga edits by @frobin

"I just think they're SUPER cute! I really adore them 😭❤️."

"The scene when Franky says it's not a crime to live? Literal perfection"

"they’re just perfect for each other. their deep connection from the first time they met was incredible, and their dynamic too!! they’re amazing <3"

"Great dynamic between those two from day 1! I live for this ship!"

"I love their dynamic and the way both their pasts and personality compliment each other also idk they are both hot what can I say"

"Yes"

"One day it just hit me and I realised that they are perfect for each other, they complement each other, they bring the best out of each other and that is just so rare in fandom. They are just a perfect ship."

"theyre just so perfect for each other and they deserve each other 🥺"

"gosh, there are so many reasons, but i just really love the parents dynamic. like, older people finding love, building a steady loving relationship, looking out for their kids together.....it just really gets me."

"They're in love your honor"

"BC THEIR DYNAMIC IS SOOO CUTE and they work really well together theyre also like that parents of the strawhats"

"They look good together"

"They are funny, cute, awesome together... their interaction are amazing serious or comedy. And he doesn't think her life is a crime, taking bullets and something else on his body for her.!"

"because of enies lobby n'd water 7............ i think they r just a cute married couple who watch over the strawhats and play with chopper"

"they're the first ship i saw both of them together and immediately recognized they're married. they're made for each other."

"It just makes sense! I can't imagine them with anybody else."

"I love how Franky is, unapologetically, Him. That being said, I think his personality is a great positive "influence" on Robin, and that they both make each other grow."

"Their dynamic is perfect and they're pasts are so similar. Also the scene of Franky telling Robin it's not a sin to be alive 😭"

"One Piece Film Z Nico Robin riding on Battle Franky's hand like the queen that she is was the moment i started shipping it"

"Franky reminds me so much of my husband I can't help myself."

"The first time they met Franky said to her the words she needed to hear and was with her in the hardest time he even protected her and she calls him by his name like the adorable couple they're 💕"

"I love the chemistry between them as well as their introduction that helped build the connection and shared history they already have."

"they're just :))) they're married. they're in love. they're perfect for each other. they're parents of the found family. just watch water 7 and see their little interactions goddam. this is the greatest ship of all time"

"they make my brain happy"

they’re just perfect for each other. their deep connection from the first time they met was incredible, and their dynamic too!! they’re amazing <3

[onelastfic]

I posted 475 times in 2022

96 posts created (20%)

379 posts reblogged (80%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@laylaylamode

@kururu418

@princesscallyie

@thepaladincosplays

@stupid-lemon-eater

I tagged 410 of my posts in 2022

Only 14% of my posts had no tags

#callyieverse - 114 posts

#oc - 87 posts

#tales of mewni - 67 posts

#next gen - 56 posts

#future au - 56 posts

#nextgen - 49 posts

#one piece - 28 posts

#nenet - 17 posts

#encanto - 16 posts

#nenet long - 16 posts

Longest Tag: 114 characters

#one image depicts an emotionless thing that is so useless it can not even be used to clean the wax out of your ear

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Nico’s Eyes of Heka

With ‘Eyes of Heka’ ability that Nico got from his mom’s mummy ancestry, he can see the flow of magic. It gives him a near 360º field of vision that allows him to perceive the flow of magic, use telescopic vision that can see through solid objects to track a targets through magic, and read the flow of magic within people’s bodies. He can clearly see magic pathway, determine key weak points, and to some degree predict opponents moves by reading the fluctuations of magic/soul in a person’s body. Legends even say that masters of the ability can also see through invisible barriers that connect between dimensions. While an incredibly powerful ability, it can be pretty taxing on a person’s body and mind if overused or if the user isn’t physically fit.

——

Wanted some visuals for Nico’s Eyes of Heka ability which I think is one cool ability. The drawing turned out awesome! Mad props to the artist! 👏🏽

Artwork by the amazing @harchibudytgorichi

17 notes - Posted January 19, 2022

#4

Lunar New Year Cuties🧧🐯🎇

“Xin nian hao! Rawwwwr!” Rain said, wearing her tiger onesie and striking a pose.

Mei blinked her pink slitted cat eyes at what her best friend was wearing, unable to hold back her smile at how utterly adorable Rain looked. “Raindrop, love the look but I don’t think that’s what Auntie D meant when she said we should dress for the New Year.”

“It’s the Year of the Tiger, Mei-Mei. So I had to be a Tiger!” Rain said, hugging Mei. “Now we’re cat twins!”

“I suppose we are.” Mei snickered.

———

Little late but this is a pic commission done by the amazing @harchibudytgorichi!

Just a nice a little gift for me and my favorite Callyieverse pal, @laylaylamode! It’s Rain and Mei in their Lunar New Year outfits. Fluffy feels and feisty feline sass all year round! These two are a balanced mix of fierceness and cuteness.

Rain belongs to the lovely @laylaylamode

See the full post

22 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

#3

Ngl I’m actually looking forward to watching this. Might be interesting to watch a show where main characters are villains. Plus I like the costumes. Bet it’s going to be like League of Super Evil 🤔

26 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

#2

Callyieverse: Jun Long

——

Here’s the new Jake/Juniper next gen kid that’s made to replace Junji in the verse. Since he’s Junji’s replacement, I think that basically means everything that’s Junji’s done so far in verse has been Jun now. Anyway, he was fun to make and I hope you like his design! 😁

Art by the amazing @princesscallyie

See the full post

40 notes - Posted March 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

90 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[angieloveshua]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....

That's a tough question, actually. 🤣

For danmei novels, my two favourite characters are Mo Ran (from 2ha) and He Yu (from Bing An Ben). They're both characters which I relate to and they seem just too human to me —and they're the kings of making me cry.

When I was 12-14, my favourite character was Nico di Angelo from the PJO universe. He was my protégé. I remember every time I made a new friend, I told them about him. Nico set the standards from all my fictional boyfriends.

I like this musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda. My favourite character is Hamilton. He's full of ambition, and makes great mistakes because of this so called legacy he's pursuing. I love his lines in The World Was Wide Enough (spoiler alert: I cried).

VINCENZO. CASSANO. /fangirl screaming I just can't get over him. If I have a kid someday, I'll name him Vincenzo. HE'S JUST AWESOME. He's hot, smart, rich, A MAFIA'S LAWYER and an incredibly well-made character. Once I had an assignment where I was asked to make a presentation about my favourite Netflix show and, c'mon, I put it so much effort that my teacher must've ended up watching Vincenzo.

I've been playing Tears of Themis for a while, and my two favourite male leads are Mo Yi (Vyn) and Lu Jinghe (Marius). Mo Yi is romantic, and he has these melancholic aura around him and /sighs in love. And Lu Jinghe has the flavour I love: he's arrogant, flirty (although he gets really shy when you flirt back) and he knows a lot about art.

And I can't fulfil this question, sorry, kkkkkkk. I have media that I love, but it's not like I would give my life for the characters. I will still give a honorific mention to Abyss from Kiss The Abyss 'cause he's Abyss. ♡

[petekaos]

2020 creator wrap + a follow forever

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

hiii hello everyone! sorry it’s taken me so long to get on this BUT it’s all for good reason! i thought i would combine this post into me sharing some of the works i am most proud of this year as well as spreading more love in this wonderful little community because i truly love you all tons and being a part of such a lovely group of people has made me beyond happy this year. it’s been a difficult year for all of us and i’m just so glad that i can give back the love and care y’all can give to me 💛

onward to spreading love to people who tagged me, in no particular order! thank you all for tagging me, it means so much and know that i have read through your posts at least twice with a smile on my face.

@wjmild: kylie!! you constantly surprise me with how kind and insightful you are, as well as your dedication to watching absolutely every show with lee thanat in it. you are so smart and educated and every time you talk about your research and your studies i can’t help but feel so incredibly proud of you. i really hope life brings you the peace and fulfillment you deserve. i love you!

@gigiesarocha: cata - it is always such a pleasure to see you on my dash. i can rely on you losing your shit over ingredients every two weeks and every time i see jeff doing things it 100% reminds me of you! you possess such a kind soul and i’m so glad to have had the pleasure of following you this year :’)

@yihwas: sometimes i still can’t believe you know who i am and that we’re grouped together, soph! your blog is such a refuge to me, i adore scrolling through your replies and laughing at all the witty things you say. you are simply so kind and thoughtful in your responses and criticism and you have such talent in gifmaking! i am forever grateful to you for introducing me to new lakorns and to you and shannon for creating @lakornladies​. 

@morksuns: sumaya! my url twin! i absolutely love seeing you on the dash, it really is that trans desi solidarity, no? your moodboards are always so aesthetic and your blog is so soft and calm. i see you sending such lovely asks to people, including myself, and i truly admire your personality so much!

@gayvlad: nico, my sibling! i love you so much and seeing you on the dash always makes me smile. sometimes you’re too hard on yourself, but that’s okay, because i’m always here for you. i loved your reactions to dbk in live time, and that you’re now as attached to the show as i am. we love a lot of the same things, and i’ll forever be grateful to you for indulging my headcanons and developing them with me, like the ram and bohn friendship. the ram fic of him finding the gym as a home was developed through much of your influence, and i’ll never stop being astonished at how kind and supportive you are. i love you! 

@khaotungthanawat: saaaam! your gifs are always a beauty to behold. i admire you so much for making those bl compilation gifsets because that takes so much patience and dedication, especially to find all the moments. i can always count on you for underrated gifsets, too, and i smile every time you send me an ask!

@tanwirapong: roa! oh i adored getting to know you better this year through the gifted gays gc. i remember still when you made a post about there’s an art to honesty and it truly made my day - i sent it to my partner and best friend and they were so fond as well! i will always be so happy about the fact that we both lose it over petekao every now and again, it means the world to me :’)

@emisfritish: your wisdom and way of expressing your thoughts will never fail to amaze me, emma. i can always count on you for calling things like they are and writing out well-worded, thought-provoking posts that express everything i have ever thought about fandom but could never quite write down. it’s such a pleasure seeing you on my dash and honestly, whenever i see tay, he reminds me of you!

so that was everyone who tagged me, for which i am eternally grateful! (if i missed anyone... i am so sorry ily...) now onto me rambling about how much i love specific people in the fandom generally that i haven’t already mentioned.

@earthfluuke: maddie... where do i even start. getting to know you this year means the absolute world to me and i love how many thoughts we can share together and how many aus and ideas we can plot out to the finest detail, but i also love how we can talk about serious topics and irl issues affecting us both and know that the other person will be there. i admire you so much for going on and persevering despite the many difficult factors in your life right now. know that i will always be there - to listen to you, to support your gifs and fics, to develop characters with you, to weigh in on problems or ideas you have. i love you!

@asianmelodrama: faiza!! i can never address you without immediately adding ‘jaan’ after it honestly. you are a sister to me in all things and knowing you has been such an honour. your wise words, your calmness in dealing with things, your infectious excitement - they are all facets of your personality that i both admire and adore. whether it’s getting angry about shitty muslim rep or freaking out about a movie, i know that i can always count on you to be there for me if i ever need it. i hope light and love touches your life always, and you find peace in everything you do. if i ever happen to be in england, i am definitely coming over for your chai :’) i love you!

@yioh: yura my laddoo! i say this all the time, but i simply am so grateful that we met. i love seeing your tags on my posts and i just... adore seeing you doing your thing on your blog, your posts always make me smile. i know school is hard right now, but know that i’m always rooting for you and believe in you completely. words cannot express how happy i am to have found another tamil lgbt person who can understand the same experiences, it really does mean everything to me. and know that i will begin reading tyk soon, i promise, and i’ll tell you all about my thoughts! i love youuu!

@1akorn: shannon!! i still cannot believe people group us together because i’ve always admired you from a distance - imagine my absolute surprise when i found out that you followed me! i 100% rely on you for the good mek content and love your gifs so much. you’re so articulate and speak your thoughts incredibly well, which i truly admire.

@brightwin: jelly - you already know the amount of love and fondness i hold for you. you’re such a kind and bubbly person and your personality shines not only through your tags and responses to people, but also through your gorgeous gifsets that are just so warm and lovely. i can always rely on you to give me updates on all things related to brightwin and 2gether. you’re wonderful!

@yibobibo: aamna! i know i can always get my yibo content from you, and i adore it. i love seeing updates about your bunnies and your kind responses to your anons, you truly are a ray of light! you’re also one of the fairly concentrated cql blogs i follow - and for that i am always grateful.

@metawwin: ali! your gorgeous gifs are always such a light on my dash. i remember once you called me ‘rahulito’ and it made me so soft. your voice and songs are so lovely and i don’t even know where to begin thanking you for sharing your art with us. i know it means a lot to me, and it means the same to many others.

@taytawan: nuriaaa! i remember seeing you so often in the petekao tag and i gotta say that your sets of both petekao and sarawatine, especially the heart eyes series, always make me so soft. and of course, the fact that you gifted me this wonderful url! i will always be thankful for that and for your general kindness and warmth that you bestow upon everyone.

@piningbisexuals: axelle! although we don’t talk that much, i always love seeing your gifs and your thoughts on shows on the dash. i’m wishing you all the best with your thai classes and hope that everything goes well with you! also, you should know that i read that manboss fic you gifted to me at least once a week because it just means that much to me - and i’m so glad i got you into this little silly ship of mine. 

@sunsetchimyeon: nene, my pk anon! i love seeing your asks in my inbox and writing essays as replies. having conversations with you was one of my absolute highlights and i’ll always be blown away by how kind and calm and supportive and patient you are! i hope life is treating you well, my friend.

@toptaps: zey!! oh i love seeing your gifs and kindness on my dash and know that whenever i see toptap in anything, he always reminds me of you! also your gifs of sammy? absolutely gorgeous!

@giftedgays: i love you all SO much it is truly insane. being part of our tumblr gc that evolved into a discord server with a thousand channels has been one of my 2020 highlights. i loved yelling with you all about tgg every week and i must thank you all for sitting through my chanonpom breakdowns every second day. 

in particular: 

@pangwave - dawnie, i love you! i admire you and your no bullshit attitude so much. i know you’re going through a process of change right now, and i could not be prouder of you for persevering through it, regardless of the painful and strange circumstances we find ourselves in. i have full faith in you, and i know that you got this. we’re all here for you! 

@doctorbahnjit: - alexa! i still remember when you wrote the first manboss fic and an anon sent me a link regarding it. you are genuinely one of the funniest people i know and you deserve the absolute world. i read out of the blue every day, no kidding, because it means so much to me! thank you for being my fellow chanonpomer, my fellow manboss-er, and just being an all around ray of absolute sunshine.

@gunatps: vee! i have already embarrassed myself enough in my post to you but it’s worth repeating. i adore our eden chanonpom breakdown sessions, which we should have again soon when you have time, and i love us roasting modi in the chat, it truly cracks me up! we have so much in common and i just want to say that i am so proud of you for studying and taking your exams - i know how difficult they are. 

@wavelovespang: cass!! how i adore your analyses and breakdowns of scenes and relationships, you have so much insight and wisdom that you spread in such thoughtful ways! you’re so supportive and kind and such a great teacher, i know that. your writing is so wonderful and i’m truly so honoured that we all get to read it, it’s a gift!

@class2clown: angel! i cannot say this enough but i admire your art so much, it’s so so beautiful! you’ve always been so kind and lovely, and just like with cass, thank you so much for organising the gifted week events! although i couldn’t properly partake this year because of time constraints, i loved seeing everyone’s creations and it was super thoughtful.

@soulmatelines: i’ve said this before, jo, but it must be said again: i cannot believe you thought i was cool. i’ve always adored your gifs from afar and you’re such a sweet person! i love love love talking with you in the kpop channel (even if you personally hate 3racha smh), and you truly do bear the novel agenda! i’ve learned about so many more novels i must read and for that i am so grateful :’) 

@billkinpp: violet, i will never fail to crack up at a) your and kylie’s plans to run away and get married, and b) you having a thousand sideblogs and complimenting yourself on your own gifs in the tags, as you absolutely should! i hope the next year is kind to you and that your sleep schedule isn’t too fucked up :’)

@vihokratanas: mel, i will always be in complete awe of your gifs! they are always so clean and crisp. i remember still when you were fondestphan and my phannie days flashed in front of my eyes fhsnfg but either way, you’re so kind and sweet! 

@pvrrish: eleni!! i don’t think i’ve ever told you this before but i’ve always loved the 2gether poster that you made, i sometimes go on your blog to look at it for like 5 minutes, it’s truly so beautiful! i hope you’ve had an okay year, all things considered, and that life is kind to you!

@lee-thanat: another leesbian, ke! y’all always crack me up in the lesbians for lee thanat channel truly. your simping for ms ladda is so valid, i miss her so much honestly. i hope that the coming year is kind to you, and that you find the peace you deserve!

okay, so i think that’s everyone that i either talk to regularly or admire a lot! in case i didn’t mention you, please please feel free to reach out to me because i mean no offense at all - my brain is small haha. would also like to shout out all my anons who send me asks and bear with my late responses these days because of life, i adore you all and i love answering your asks.

if you’re still reading after this... whole monster of a post, i’m just gonna quickly mention some things i’ve been proud of either writing or making this year. in no particular order:

1. my weary heart has come to rest in yours. this is a fic i wrote in an... interesting headspace, and i was really going through my chanonpom feelings at the time. i’m really proud of how it came out and i adored writing chanon through pom’s pov. also i kinda love how i tied in p’bird’s song prip dtah in with the fic because i adore the song and it fits so well with them.

2. petekao week 2020. i guess this is sort of cheating, because these are technically 7 fics, BUT. i am actually proud of myself for writing seven, and i think they’re all of fairly good quality. i just really love this little universe i created for the dbk characters after the show and this whole week was just so warm and lovely to be a part of.

3. this set of num and prang from a gift for whom you hate. this moment really stuck with me from the finale and i actually am really proud of the colouring and how it came out! i think the blues really popped and i managed to lighten this dark ass scene without whitewashing mek or aye. the fireworks gif also is one of my favourites i’ve made! num and prang’s whole relationship was so pure throughout the entirety of this show, i adored them. 

4. but love is impossible and it goes on despite the impossible. this is the longest fic i’ve posted so far and i’m super proud of it - it’s also my most well-received fic. the yunmeng brothers mean the world to me and i just... wanted to write about jiang cheng and his love for his brother and give them a somewhat happy ending, in one future at least.

5. there’s an art to honesty. i think i really nailed my version of kao in this work! i just really loved writing this fic so much, especially because it was right after the whole ‘scandal’ with new happened. i was really just finding a way to separate kao from him, and i delved into my feelings with this fic as well, because i relate to kao in multiple ways. either way, i thought writing this fic was fun and a lot of people loved it too, which made me so soft!

if you’ve read this far, i personally adore you! while this has been a difficult year, i am blessed to have been part of this loving community, and i really hope that next year will be kinder to us all and give us good shows and discussions! i love you all. stay safe and stay kind, friends 💛

[thepermanentrainpress]

THE PERMANENT RAIN PRESS INTERVIEW WITH EDEN SUMMER GILMORE

The film scene in the Lower Mainland has never been brighter. Rising talent, including Burnaby’s own Eden Summer Gilmore, have begun to make a name for themselves, with a multitude of key roles over the past five years. Gilmore is currently starring as Sofia Bianchi in Global’s Family Law, a drama that follows “a group of flawed family members who reluctantly work together at their father’s law firm in downtown Vancouver.” Her on-screen mother is Jewel Staite, who as recovering alcoholic and lawyer Abigail, must find a way to balance (and repair!) her own career and family life. 

Growing up, who were some artists you looked up to? What specific films, series or characters did you watch and feel inspired by?

Growing up I was really inspired by artists such as Taylor Swift, Emma Watson, Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. They are all such strong women that really showed me at a young age I can do and be whatever I set my mind to. I was (and still am) obsessed with the Harry Potter series. I remember growing up and watching Hermione, Emma Watson’s character, and feeling inspired to be me. She never let what anyone said dictate her and always stood up for herself. I also loved the film, Enchanted with Amy Adams. I actually used to call it “princess in the hole” since Amy Adams' character comes up from a sewer grate. She also really inspired me to be myself and to see all her talents in this film was so much fun to watch and definitely inspiring. Enchanted brought together all my favourite elements of Disney Princesses, musicals, singing, dancing, fantasy, it was my favourite growing up and I can’t wait for the sequel.

As I got older and started watching the tv show Friends - Jennifer Aniston really showed me the power I have as a woman. Also, Gilmore Girls and the relationship with Lorelei and Rory was fascinating to watch. One of my favourite shows! And of course Reese Witherspoon, she is also a huge inspiration. She has portrayed such amazing strong women in her films that I find awe-inspiring. Her production company Hello Sunshine is also a huge inspiration to me and a platform for female led productions.

Were your family and friends supportive of your decision to pursue a career in the arts?

Yes, they were very supportive. My mom actually works in the industry behind the camera and she was the one who thought I might enjoy acting, which I very much did. My parents and my grandparents were the ones who always would drive me to my auditions or take me to set. I am very grateful to have my family's support. My friends are also very supportive. I am very lucky and grateful to have friends that I can share these milestones with.

A defining role in your young career was starring in It’s Christmas, Eve opposite LeAnn Rimes. What did you take away from working on that project, and with LeAnn?

That was such an amazing project to do. LeAnn is so incredibly kind, I loved getting to work with her. Since this was my first lead role and I was on set almost every day, what I really took away was observing the actions of others, cast and crew on set & behind the scenes. I learnt so much about professionalism, kindness, tone and how to set healthy boundaries for yourself. Kindness can go such a long way and a positive attitude can really change the tone of a set.

LeAnn taught me so much about spreading kindness and acting professional on a set. She really is such a role model and created such a positive energy on the set. Same with Tyler Hynes (who played Liam, my dad in the show) I learnt a lot from him too, he is so lovely.

You star as Sofia Bianchi in Global’s Family Law. What have you enjoyed about portraying Sofia so far, and do you have similarities with her?

I love playing Sofia, she is awesome. There are so many things I enjoy about portraying her. We are both teenagers so there is a lot I can relate to her with. She has made me feel not alone in some of the experiences we both have gone through. I am sure many teenagers watching the show will be able to relate to her as well, I am really grateful to be able to tell her story. She is very witty and smart so it’s really fun portraying that side of her too! Her short jabs to her mom are really fun to play with. She also has a really vulnerable side to her that we see more of throughout the series. It’s really fun exploring those deep emotions and opening her up throughout the series. We definitely have similarities. As mentioned we are both teenagers so I can relate a lot to the emotions she is feeling. We both are very caring people (though Sofia doesn’t show it as often) and we both aren’t afraid to stand up for ourselves or the people we love.

Tell me about your time on-set, and working with your on-screen family – Jewel Staite (Abigail), Luke Camilleri (Frank) and Brenden Sunderland (Nico)? What are a couple of your favourite memories?

I love my on-screen family, they are all so amazing! Working with them is so great and they are all kind and generous. I love sharing scenes with them. We talked a lot about food on set, favourite desserts or recipes. Jewel and Genelle [Williams] would often buy Honey Donuts whenever we were shooting in Deep Cove which is so incredibly nice of them. Honey’s Donuts were a favourite on set. Brendon was always telling us interesting facts or stories (much like Nico’s character), he’s really sweet. I learnt so much from Luke and Jewel about acting and the industry. I really enjoy our talks in the greenroom and on set. I am really grateful to be able to work alongside them, they are both incredibly lovely! Jewel and I also tend to have a lot in common fashion wise and interests in general.

What is it like working and interacting with legendary actors like Victor Garber and Lauren Holly?

Amazing! Victor and Lauren are both so incredibly kind. I was already huge fans of them before getting on the show so getting to work with them really is a dream come true. Lauren is so kind, funny, and so talented. I have learnt so much from her on set. Same with Victor, I have learnt so much from him too. They bring such a positive and warm energy to set. I am grateful to work with them. It’s still surreal to me that they are my tv grandparents.

A large part of Sofia’s storyline is her fractured relationship with her mother. Did you and Jewel talk about your characters ahead of time, and how their relationship will evolve during the course of Season 1?

Yes, definitely. We would sometimes rehearse lines or talk about the scene between takes. Or sometimes when getting a new script we would talk about Abby and Sofia’s relationship that episode. Lots of it just came on the day when we would film the scene. Playing off of each other or seeing what other layers we could bring in.

You handmade friendship bracelets as a Season 1 wrap gift, which is so sweet and creative! How’d you come up with the idea?

Yes! I already made bracelets in my free time, while watching a show or just as something to do. It was a little hobby of mine. I love having little mementos to remember events and thought the bracelets would be a great idea to remember season 1! Something we could all share and remember how special and fun filming season 1 was. I think they were a great hit with everyone.

Family Law is very much a family drama, but also has crime and comedy mixed in. For those who haven’t yet tuned in, how would you pitch the show to potential viewers?

I would pitch it as a dramedy that follows the story of Abigail Bianchi, a recovering alcoholic and lawyer slowly trying to put her life and family back together while also helping other families do the same. She’s forced to work with her estranged father and two half siblings she has never met while at the same time trying to patch things up with her husband and kids. The dysfunctional family at the law office is always helping other dysfunctional families and learning things along the way. Each character is so real and rooted with so much truth. Each person watching will be able to find themselves in the characters and the stories being told. You will laugh, you will cry, and learn that in the end we are all human.

Congratulations on the Season 2 renewal! You wrapped the second season in late August, while the first season has just premiered! Was it exciting to return to set, knowing you’d have an opportunity to further Sofia’s development?

Thank you so much! Yes, it was very exciting! I had gotten to know Sofia so much in season 1 that in season 2 I just got to dig so much deeper! I got to explore other sides of her and show the audience more of who Sofia is and her relationships.

You can also be seen as young Nancy Drew in the CW’s Nancy Drew. To play such an iconic character, what has that meant to you?

It meant a lot to me. I grew up reading the Nancy Drew books. Nancy Drew was another role model to me growing up, there was always a deep connection I had with her. So to be able to bring that to the screen means so much. I find myself so much in Nancy’s character and am really grateful to be able to be a part of her story. It also meant a lot to me because I know other young girls who look up to Nancy’s character and I hope they learn from her that they are powerful and can do whatever they set their mind to. I am really grateful that I was able to play Young Nancy Drew and it will forever hold such a special place in my heart.

You’ve also gotten to work with an older Nancy, lead actor Kennedy McMann. How special has it been to have her support and guidance?

Yes, she is amazing. It’s been so special to have her support and guidance. She is a large role model to me as well. She always looked out for me on set and I am really grateful for that. I learnt so much from her as well. She is a phenomenal actor so to work alongside her has been truly a blessing and she is so incredibly kind!

You’ve worked on numerous projects, including web series and independent short films (many being female-led). What do you enjoy about being a part of the vibrant B.C. film industry?

Yes! I love being a part of the B.C. film industry and working a lot on independent shorts because there is just so much joy, passion, and creativity. It’s amazing working with people who have a passion for storytelling, it’s therapeutic in a way and gives the storyteller an opportunity to tell their story their way. Working with such passionate people also allows my creative energy to flow and allows me to let so much go. I am also really grateful to have worked on so many female-led projects. Especially being young in the industry working with so many females has taught me about the power I have as a woman. But also it’s so important that female writers, directors, etc. are getting opportunities and their stories told.

How has it inspired you to pursue writing and directing in the future, and have you been able to shadow/ask questions on these projects?

It really inspired me. It showed me that I really can do whatever I set my mind to. It also showed me how much writing/directing our own stories can inspire so many other people. I was definitely able to ask questions on these projects and it’s inspiring to watch their passions come to life. 

The Directors/Writers/Storytellers on these independent projects, such as Andy Alvarez, Veronica Kurz, Meeshelle Neal, Leah Beaudry, Annette Reilly and Heather Perluzzo really taught me a lot and they welcomed my questions and curiosity. I honestly can’t wait to write and direct my own independent short in the very near future

Is there a dream role or character you would like to play in the future? If not character, are there any specific film/TV genres or franchises you would like to be in?

I would love to do a comedy or horror film. I really love those genres and haven’t explored them on screen as much. I would also love to do a period piece. The 70s or 80s would be awesome. I love exploring pop culture and trends of different time periods.

For other young actors like yourself, do you have any advice for how to be confident in front of the camera? What (or who) has helped you prepare for roles and work on your lines?

Totally. My main advice would be to have fun and trust yourself. Whenever we do anything our main goal should be joy. Of course preparing and such is important but joy should be our number one goal. Once we are working out of a place of fun, truth, and joy when we get to the camera we can trust ourselves and have that confidence. That also comes with working on mindset and mindfulness in our everyday lives. And also remember to be yourself! My acting coach and mentor Beatrice King really helped me prepare for roles. She taught me to make sure I am working from a place of joy and continues to inspire me. I also train year round by attending acting classes and private coaching, which I think is definitely an asset in growing your craft and confidence.

You also have a passion for music! How did this interest come about, and how long have you been singing and playing the guitar?

Singing really was always a part of my life but I formally started taking lessons about 4 years ago. I love singing, it’s such a beautiful form of expression. When I am having trouble expressing something through words I can turn to a song to help me release. I started playing the guitar during quarantine. I had played the ukulele for a few years and wanted to try something new and ended up loving it.

You performed “You and Me and Christmas” with LeAnn (Rimes) in your holiday film. You even joined LeAnn for a live performance that December! Tell us about that experience, what do you remember from that concert?

It was amazing. It was my first time singing live at a concert. The movie means so much to me so getting to share that experience with LeAnn on stage was wonderful. I remember being quite nervous, but LeAnn gave me some advice before going on stage. Singing live on the stage was truly magical, I will never forget the adrenaline and pure joy it was. I am really grateful to have that experience, especially with LeAnn.

As a poetry writer, are you writing your own music? If so, what can you share about your lyrics and what has inspired you?

I do love writing poetry, it’s such a beautiful form of expression. I have dabbled in songwriting but never have gone too deep into it. It’s definitely something I want to explore further.

We know Queen is your favourite band, but who are some other artists we can find on your playlist?

Yes! I love Queen, I grew up listening to a lot of 80s music so I think that’s one of the reasons I love Queen. I mean - Freddie Mercury is pretty awesome. On my playlist you will find artists such as Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and other 70s or 80s artists such as Abba, Billy Joel, Elton John, etc.

Your family has a wonderful pup, Finn, adopted from Fur Angels. What are some activities you enjoy doing with him? How would you encourage people to ‘adopt not shop’?

Finn loves swimming so often in the summer I love taking him to lakes to swim or in winter when it snows I love throwing snowballs for him. Like most dogs he loves belly rubs, walks or playing fetch. I always encourage people to look into adopting. There are lots of dogs who need forever homes and love. Lots of dogs in shelters who don’t get adopted sadly don’t end up making it. Finn is a rescue pup and I am really happy we were able to be his forever home.

What are some of your favourite places to visit or eat at in Vancouver?

Some favourite places to eat in Vancouver (which has been mostly take-out this past year and a half) are Agra Tandoori, Ragazzi Pizza, Neverland Tea Salon, Big Star Sandwich, or Casa Gelato! Highly recommend those places. I love to visit Lynn Valley for a nice hike. Downtown Vancouver is always fun. I also love Deep Cove and Granville Island.

Our signature question – if you could be any ice cream flavour, which would you be and why?

Love this question! If I could be any ice cream flavour it would be Raspberry Cheesecake. It’s one of my fav ice creams. It’s sweet with a tiny bit of tartness and combines the richness and softness of cream cheese, the sweetness of a raspberry, the nutty flavour and gritty texture of graham crackers to make a lovely combination that is both complicated, intriguing and delicious at the same time.

Thank you to Eden for taking the time to answer our questions about your projects and passions! Be sure to follow Eden on Twitter and Instagram for updates on her life and blossoming career! 

Family Law airs Fridays at 9 PM on Global TV. 

Photo credit (header and sixth image) to: Noah Asanias Special thanks to: M Public Relations

[beyond-the-mirror]

DMC x Pokemon AU - Which pokemon they would choose

So an idea appeared out of nowhere in my head: If Pokemon somehow existed in the DMC universe and pokemon training and battles were officially a thing too, which pokemon would the crew choose as their companions?

For these headcanons, I will give each character two kinds of pokemon: the first one will be a pokemon they would totally choose as a friend and partner for adventure as well as competitive battles, and the other will be one they would keep at their side mostly as a cute or silly companion, whether it’s a baby pokemon or a fully evolved one, it’s one they are really fond of and always look after.

So let’s get started! More bellow the cut because it’s a really long post.

Dante

Ideal partner: Houndoom

He considers Houndoom’s general appearance as cool and badass, of course he would love having a literal hellhound in his team.

If you think about it, they share lots of similarities: The same color palette, the devil motif, the fact that Dante has horns too when in DT or SDT form… it’s as if this pokemon was made with him in mind.

Dante found him when he was a little puppy Houndour. The poor thing was all alone in an alley near his shop and seeing him crying out made his heart ache.

So he brought the little one back home and nursed him. Now he’s a powerful Houndoom who loves nothing more than to fight alongside his trainer. There’s nothing that can stop those too when together.

Silly companion: Alcremie

Obviously.

One reason only: Infinite strawberry sundaes.

That’s it.

Would totally have an entire team made of Alcremies. He wouldn’t even battle or anything. He just wants to enjoy his lifetime supply of strawberry sundaes.

Vergil

Ideal partner: Aegislash

Vergil is a man of the sword, so it’s clear he would choose an Aegislash as his partner.

The first time he spotted this particular Honedge, he knew. He could see the great power dormant in them, so it was a matter of awakening said potential.

He trained them vigorously, making them evolve into a Doublade, and finally, into an Aegislash. To this day, not a single pokemon has managed to defeat them, the only exception being Dante and his Houndoom.

That won’t stop them though. They are both too prideful in their quest for strength and power.

Silly companion: Snom

Yeaaah, this is a weird one. Snom is such a cute baby, maybe this adorableness can melt Vergil’s heart?

It was Dante who gifted his twin a Snom. To quote him: “You’re too grumpy. Maybe this cute little guy can help you ease some of that grumpiness away.”

Wherever he goes, the little baby follows behind. Vergil will never admit this out loud but he does smile at the peaceful sensation his silly friend gives him.

Also imagine him trying to pronounce their name in that nasal voice of his. SHnom. 

V

Ideal partner: Corviknight, Umbreon and Dusknoir

It was a tie between these pokemon since they represent V’s three demon familiars: Griffon, Shadow and Nightmare respectively.

Corviknight may have a playful personality, but during battles he’s dead serious. He’s down right merciless and enjoys tearing apart his foes.

Umbreon is as calm as a housecat, but beware! She is a fierce one and won’t think twice to attack those who step out of line. Even more ruthless than Corviknight.

Dusknoir is as mysterious as the man himself, but V still trusts them and lets them do pretty much their own thing. Despite V never giving them orders, it almost looks as if Dusknoir can understand his thoughts telepathically. No one is sure how the hell he does it though. Quite a mystery indeed.

Silly companion: Mr Rime

Both wear a coat. Both carry a cane. Both love to tap dance. See what I’m getting at?

The first time V spotted a Mr Rime and witnessed their comical moves, he couldn’t help but laugh in endearment.

You will often find them enjoying a nice cup of tea together. They may speak different languages, but somehow they understand each other so perfectly.

When feeling in a dance mood, he and Mr Rime will dance together in perfect harmony and sync. Singin’ in the Rain is their favorite musical btw.

Nero

Ideal partner: Toxtricity

It only made sense to grant our punk boy Nero a punk pokemon like Toxtricity.

Both share an explosive and energetic personality, as well as an identical inclination towards rock and metal music. They especially love taunting their foes by doing an air guitar together.

The way these two fight is absolutely brutal. Do not anger them, you cannot defeat them.

However, despite their looks like they could kill you, they are actually sweet cinnamon rolls in front of the right ones. Pet them, they are good bois after all.

Silly companion: Mankey

Two grumpy bois grumpying around. Don’t talk to them, they are angy.

Kyrie often teases them with how identical they are. They literally share the exact same expression when angry.

Nero says it’s not funny. It is.

Little Mankey only calms down when given pets and cuddles. “Just like you Nero!” she teases again. 

Trish

Ideal partner: Luxray

Step aside everyone. Two bewitching and electrifying devils are coming through.

Trish was new to the world when one day she encountered a Shinx, except their fur was yellow? Wasn’t the fur supposed to be blue??

She took them to Dante and Lady for an explanation. Their eyes widened in complete awe. “Trish… it’s a shiny. You found a shiny!” “…Oh.”

Now the two are an inseparable and lethal duo. Many have made the mistake of challenging them, only to end up battered and humiliated.

Silly companion: Yamper

Just look at this good boi.

A cute pupper? AND with electrical powers?! Trish is so in!

You bet she spoils her Yamper rotten. She particularly adores baby-talking her lovely companion to no end.

“Have you seen my puppy? He’s not lost or anything, I just wanted to show you how awesome he is” Yep. She did this at one point or another. 

Lady

Ideal partner: Inteleon

A couple of ‘Walking Arsenals’ indeed. Ready to take on any challenge they may encounter.

Lady remembers how she met her partner when they were a tiny and shy Sobble. Now that they’ve become such a strong pokemon, Lady feels so proud of their growth.

Extremely resourceful, even in dire situations. Will use all the tools at their disposition to finish their job.

Their sniper skills are unparalleled so you’d better watch out. In a battle of wits, there’s no beating this duo.

Silly companion: Eevee

Lady is such an Eevee fan, her childhood dream was to befriend one and have numerous adventures together.

So when she finally got one many years later, she actually started crying happy tears. (It was a gift from Dante. He figured she deserved a companion after what happened in the Temen-ni-gru incident.)

She spends her free time playing with her adorable Eevee, there’s even a whole collection of toys for their playtime together.

If you happen to have an Evolution Stone with you, DO. NOT. COME. ANY. CLOSER. Lady adores her Eevee just how it is. You have been warned.

Kyrie

Ideal partner: Gardevoir

I personally consider Kyrie as a woman with a righteous heart and a strong sense of justice just like her brother Credo, so it’s no surprise her pokemon partner is actually a Gardevoir.

Mess with them and hoo boy. So you have chosen death.

She and Gardevoir are actually among the strongest teams in the region. In fact, to this day, Nero and his Toxtricity haven’t been able to defeat these two in a pokemon battle.

Do not underestimate these girls. They can and will drag you through the mud if you dare hurt them or their loved ones.

Silly companion: Wooloo

Kyrie melted at the sight of Wooloo. So soft, and adorable, and puffy!

She loves knitting, so they would be perfect to provide her with lots of top quality wool. 

Once during Christmas, she donated handmade sweaters to the children at the local orphanage. Wooloo and her were so happy to help the little ones, they made it a tradition for them to do every year.

The sweaters and scarfs she knits with the help of her friend are actually very fashionable and pretty. Everyone in the crew loves showing theirs off any chance they get.

Nico

Ideal partner: Arcanine

A fire pokemon with majestic fur, excellent speed and an extremely keen sense of smell. Nico knew Arcanine would be a perfect partner to have.

She can count on their powerful fire to melt the metals she needs to forge her weapons. Her works of art have been made possible thanks to them and she could not feel more thankful.

Using their olfactory sense, Arcanine can track and retrieve any demon parts or carcasses which can later be used to create Devil Arms.

Although they are not that interested in competitive battles, they’re still a very strong duo that should not be taken so lightly. 

Silly companion: Rotom

So one day a wild Rotom sneaked into Nico’s van, causing a ruckus everywhere. Despite the disaster, Nico was incredibly fascinated since Rotom sightings are extremely rare.

She befriended the poltergeist pokemon almost right away. She even built a device for them to inhabit (just like Ash’s Rotomdex in the anime).

Now they’re Nico’s very own pokemon assitant! Thanks to her device Rotom can communicate, take pictures and save files and notes, which is perfect for her work.

Also they’re really nice to have a chat with! Just beware the unflattering pics they may take during battles.

Lucia

Ideal partner: Absol

It’s easy to see the similarities between Lucia and her Absol.

With Absol being erroneously blamed for natural disasters and Lucia being an artificial demon her creator labelled as ‘defective’, you could say they both share similar backstories. They felt outcasted by everyone else.

These two are incredibly agile fighters, using graceful and precise moves that prove to be lethal to their foes.

Personality wise they both appear to be stoic and aloof, but they’re actually very kind. They do tend to worry a lot about their friends though.

Silly companion: Espurr

Espurrs are known to constantly try to control and contain their enormous psychic power with all their might. Lucia understands her cute little companion all too well.

Being with each other has helped them both a lot, their shared company feels therapeutic for them.

Also Lucia enjoys cuddling Espurr. They feel so soft like a plushie!

Often have staring contests with each other. They always end with a tie though.

[zer0pm]

Imagine that V rescues you and tends to you after you were captured by Urizen.

A/N: Part one of a two-part short story. Reason? Didn’t want one post to be too long plus there’s some sick pleasure in teasing 😏 I’m sure V doesn’t mind. Credit for the awesome and beautiful gif goes to @evilwvergil, slightly edited/cropped by me using Ezgif for this fic. Enjoy!~

Edit: tumble search doesn’t like links so you can also find my fics on Ao3. They have the links for the original post :3

.

.

.

When Dante was defeated, something you never thought possible while he was in his demon form, all hope was lost. The last thing you remembered was Urizen ensnaring you in his bloody vines and your world turning black. You don’t know how long you have been out but when you finally came to, you awaken to the sound of familiar music playing in the background.

Nico’s jukebox? Am I dead? If so, heaven is a hell of a weird place to choose this as my afterlife theme song.

Feeling your thoughts slowly coming together coherently, you open your heavy-lidded eyes. The blare of the sun was the first thing that caught your attention and you moved your hand to shield yourself from the blinding light. When you reached over to cover your eyes, you notice what felt like leather shift above you and look down to see a familiar long vest coat draped over you.

This is V’s. Why is this-

You lifted the coat.

Yeah, of course I’m naked. Why wouldn’t I be?

Questions and bells start to ring inside your head but for the life of you, you cannot comprehend what is going on.

“You’re awake.”

You turn your head towards the voice filled with that familiar silken drawl you’ve begrudgingly admitted recently to be tantalizing to your senses. If his voice wasn’t enough then-

The man was bare from the waist up and his jeans were hanging dangerously low around his hips. He wasn’t impressively built like Dante or Nero, but there was a seductive appeal to his slender frame exemplified by the intricate pattern of tattoos across his skin. V was beautiful and you couldn’t look away even as he approached you.

You: “I’m dead. I have to be.”

He smirks at you.

V: “I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m afraid Death will not claim you in his shadowy grasp today.”

He kneels before you and you from for lying position to greet him.

V: “For a moment, however, I truly thought you were a lost cause. It pleases me to know I was wrong.”

You: “What happened?”

V: “I was hoping you could fill those details. When I found you, you were buried in the husk of a Geryon.”

You: “A gary-what?”

V: “A hell steed that can control time. It appears Urizen may have either found one or most likely extracted the essence of one somewhere and used you as its core vessel.”

You: “I’m not sure I know how that works.”

V: “You do not need to know how demons operate, just know that they always have a use for humans and more often than not, it doesn’t end well for the latter.”

You shifted uncomfortably, not wishing to even dwell upon what would’ve happened if V didn’t find you in time.

You: “I’m guessing you were the one that beat the hell horse-thing?”

V: “Indeed.”

You: “I want to say “thanks”...”

V: “There’s going to be a “but”, I presume?”

You: ��But...that doesn’t explain why I’m naked.”

You hold his coat closer to you although consider it has no sleeves, it wasn’t doing so well for coverage. And yet, V’s eyes have not wandered off from your face. Something you were thankful for...and disappointed in at the same time.

V: “How would you feel if I said that demons do not believe in clothes?”

You: “So they stripped me?”

V: “Clearly.”

You: “And that’s why I have your coat.”

V: “So that’s where it went.”

You lightly smacked him for his cheek and in turn he gives a slight laugh, the sight of his face filled with boyish humor brightened up the van and you just had to smile back even when you tried to adopt a scolding tone.

You: “V-”

V: “Just kidding. I wanted to protect your modesty. It was the only alternative for the time being until Nero and his friends can procure proper attire for you.”

You: “Ha. My hero, the gentleman V.”

You didn’t mean to come off as sarcastic. In fact, you meant it. It was true. V has not once shown himself as a man of dishonorable intent-

V: “Oh, trust me. The thoughts I had while carrying your naked form to safety was anything but gentlemanly.”

Except for that! Where did that come from?!

He grabs the edge of his coat to bring that end to the top of your exposed shoulder. His hand lingered for a moment before he withdrew it back to his side. You had wished that V had kept his touch a little longer, he felt warm. You wanted to press onto what he said.

You: “Anything, but huh? Did I hear that right?”

V: “Hear what right?”

He was playing with you, it was plainly so when an infuriatingly devilish smile graces his face. You wanted to smack that arrogance right off of his pouty lips.

You: “V-”

V: “I should let you get some more rest.”

He rises to stand and steps to move back outside before you reach forward to grab his wrist. V halts in his movements to look back at you in faux curiosity. Your sudden shift caused the coat to fall from your body, exposing you to him. This time he didn’t bother running his eyes across your naked skin, his gaze lingering in areas that made you quiver inside before he finally met your eyes.

You: “What do you think of me?”

It was quiet for a moment before you see the tip of his tongue play with the fang of his teeth. Such a simple thing made him look incredibly irresistible and yet it looks like it is he who is struggling to resist whatever it is he is feeling towards you.

V: “Art...”

He twists his wrist from your grasp to grasp your wrist in his hand and run his long fingers across your forearm up to your bicep. As he pulls himself closer to you, he sits beside you atop the couch in one fluid motion, his fingers dancing across the top of your shoulder in a feather-like caress before resting above the skin where your heart beats. You think that V can most likely feel your its quickening pace.

V: “Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed. And you...”

He is leaning towards you now, tilting your chin up and guiding you to stretch your neck to meet him halfway and yet he stops right before your lips meet. The man smirks when he sees that your mouth was already hanging open in anticipation.

V: “...are the most exquisite piece I have ever seen. I would like to study...”

One hand rests on your hip and squeezes, setting off an electrical charge throughout your body.

V: “Every line.”

His other hand runs his thumb across the bottom part of your lip.

V: “Every color.”

He shifts until he moved you to press against him, chest to chest, heartbeat to heartbeat and you gasped. It was delightful to his ears and when he spoke next, it came out almost like an aching groan.

V: “Every note.”

His lips ghosting above yours now. You can feel them tease your wanting skin, each word brushing against your mouth and you found yourself opening and closing your mouth slightly to meet him but his hold on your face stops you from pushing further. Those green eyes pin you to him, reflecting intensity of the desire that was swelling between you both.

V: “Until there is nothing but the promise of...sweet delight born in an endless night.”

Finally, he claims your lips with his and you return the kiss in fervor. With the way he tasted against your tongue which struggled against his for passionate dominance, you were looking forward to something endless.

[pomodorinoblu]

Marevls runaways related question, do you think nico was a prodigy with magic? I wish the show used lyrica's martial arts skills more but the ones we got were awesome.

hm. in-text it’s unclear. people have pointed out the inconsistency in the show’s magical canon: in s1, the staff was a gift from jonah and tech-as-magic. in s3, it’s something else altogether, and suddenly tina’s been a witch from the beginning and can do staffless magic. not only does this impact the lore, it has symbolic ramifications as well. but we can find meaning in it either way.

so, with what we got: i’ll say yeah, sure. if tina was, so was nico--there seems to be at least partially an inherited component. and, as with other magic canon, there’s a strong emotional level to it as well. the user’s emotional balance seems to highly impact their casts. notably, right, when nico’s angry, her power is augmented (with anger, leading to the magic/morgan being able to take more control)

but there’s an emotional strength to nico that we see throughout the show that we could certainly argue correlates with magical prowess. three years did pass in the show, but it’s still just three years, and she’s achieved an incredible amount of expertise and versatility by the time we see her in the future timeline. 

the staff seems to almost be analogous to ‘impulse’ magic--that is, very baseline, reactive, for those who are still getting a handle on their emotions. you have a limited amount of spells (you can only do each spell once) and it requires saying a specific word.

contrast that with future!nico, who can do non-verbal spells, pretty much at a moment’s notice, with a lot more freedom. nico’s certainly a prodigy by any definition, in that way.

and YEAH, absolutely. i’m glad they weren’t overused, but a little more would’ve been nice. cool to see brittany and james fight too, that was such an excellent scene

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 15 May 2019

Quick Bits:

Age of X-Man: Next Gen #4 hurtles towards the end as Glob, Armor, and Rockslide attempt to track down Anole before he does something stupid. Everything’s really starting to fall together in these minis as the lie of the world starts to unravel. It’s also interesting how Ed Brisson portrays the cultists fighting back against the “no love” edict as just as deluded and indoctrinated by X-Man’s change of reality.

| Published by Marvel

Aquaman #48 begins Arthur’s quest to recover his past in the first part of “Mother Shark”, with one hell of a twist for an ending cliffhanger. The high level of the quality of art on this series continues as Viktor Bogdanovic and his Greg Capullo-inspired style (with Jonathan Glapion and Daniel Henriques providing additional inks) join Kelly Sue DeConnick, Sunny Gho, and Clayton Cowles.

| Published by DC Comics

Batman #71 is part two of “The Fall and the Fallen” from Tom King, Mikel Janín, Jorge Fornés, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles. With the heavy reliance on dream sequences and simulations lately, it certainly makes me wonder who’s gaslighting who, whether anything in the story is real or if King is just playing us. Great art, though.

| Published by DC Comics

Bloodborne #12 concludes “A Song of Crows” from Aleš Kot, Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson, and Aditya Bidikar. This arc has been even more surreal than the first, embracing that odd mix of depression and existentialism that seems to permeate the franchise. This is going to take a few more readings to really sink in.

| Published by Titan

Calamity Kate #3 gives us a look into the disastrous relationship between Kate and Sandra. Though the accuracy of events might be a bit nebulous, given some missing time and an appearance that not everything is happening as we see it, this paints Sandra as a particularly resentful, hateful person. Also, another clue in Kate’s rival. Great action art from Corin Howell and Valentina Pinto, with an interestingly designed tentacle monster.

| Published by Dark Horse

Daredevil #5 is the gut punch. As great as everything that Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Sunny Gho, and Clayton Cowles have delivered in the first four issues (and seriously it’s some of the best Daredevil since Miller and Mazzucchelli), this one tops it. A reckless, dangerous Daredevil, a hazard to himself and everyone around him, having it dawn on him what he’s been doing. And all of the Catholic guilt, shame, and judgement, not just on himself, but on the revelation that he’s seemingly oblivious that all of his friends have also been in his situation.

| Published by Marvel

Fairlady #2 is another great issue from Brian Schirmer, Claudia Balboni, Marissa Louise, and David Bowman. The blend of fantasy and police procedural is seamless, presenting a completely believable world, building up bits of supporting characters and elaborating on the setting as the story unfolds. Also a great shift into a kind of storybook art style from Balboni and Louise during one of the flashback sequences.

| Published by Image

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 sees the other shoe drop. Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, David Curiel, and Cory Petit deliver an excellent set-up for the finale of the “Final Gauntlet” here as Hela makes her move and we find out what the game actually was. Also, more hints about Rocket that don’t seem pleasant.

| Published by Marvel

Immortal Hulk #17 goes hard for thriller first before leaning back into horror as Bushwacker stalks Banner through the “abandoned” lab. Very interesting new “rules” that Al Ewing is laying out as what makes up a Hulk keeps consistently changing.

| Published by Marvel

Joe Golem: Occult Detective - The Conjurors #1 picks up with our dead hero being nibbled by fish, and it’s just downhill from there for Molly, Simon Church, and all of existence due to Dr. Cocteau’s meddling. Great art from Peter Bergting and Michelle Madsen.

| Published by Dark Horse

Justice League #24 is the penultimate chapter of “The Sixth Dimension” and amidst the dire situations, heroic sacrifices, and stunning betrayals, there’s a great opening sequence about the little disappointments that Superman feels when he lets someone down. It’s like Catholic guilt amplified immensely, but it raises some interesting questions about how superheroes deal with depression. Or not deal with it, as it were. Great work from Scott Snyder, Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Tom Napolitano.

| Published by DC Comics

Little Bird #3 is another incredible instalment in this story, with some interesting revelations about Little Bird and Gabriel, from Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram, Matt Hollingsworth, and Aditya Bidikar. The artwork from Bertram and Hollingsworth is mind-bendingly awesome.

| Published by Image

Livewire #6 continues the PSEP arc from Vita Ayala, Kano, and Saida Temofonte as Amanda discovers more about the organization and gets introduced firsthand to the academy bully enforcer. The art from Kano, from the characters through the layouts, is next level.

| Published by Valiant

Naomi #5 explains everything. Mostly. Sure, there are still questions, and there’s likely a huge battle coming for the final issue, but we get a full-fledged explanation as Naomi tells her newly-learned origin story to Annabelle. And it’s brilliant. Wonderful parallels to other tales and a hint at implications for the DC Universe as a whole. Also, drop dead gorgeous artwork. Seriously some of the best ever to grace the comics page. Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, Jamal Campbell, and Wes Abbott provide another excellent issue here. Highly, highly recommended.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Oblivion Song #15 is one hell of a page turner. Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici, Annalisa Leoni, and Rus Wooton barely give us a chance to breathe in this one as the Faceless Men attack, both those who’ve chosen to stay in Oblivion and the exploration teams jaunting back and forth from Earth. Great tension.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Pearl #9 is another visually stunning issue from Michael Gaydos. Seriously just look at this beauty.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #2 throws even more chaos Sabrina’s way as it seems like everything in Greendale is something supernatural or paranormal or straight out of weird science. Kelly Thompson is delivering some great humour, while the art from Veronica and Andy Fish remains perfect for anything and everything in Archie’s world.

| Published by Archie

Superman #11 swings back around to Zod after Superman unceremoniously left him being beaten by Rogol Zaar as this arm of “The Unity Saga” continues, delving further into the battle consuming Jor-El at the moment, but not really explaining anything. This is chaos, but it looks pretty.

| Published by DC Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell #3 is worth it just for the glorious artwork from Mateus Santolouco and Marcelo Costa. The monster designs are incredible and the red, surreal glow of the colours just give life to the strange and deadly nature of this hellscape. 

| Published by IDW

Transformers #5 suggests that there’s a whole lot more going on under the surface of Cybertron and the mystery of the death of Brainstorm that we thought. More interesting things going on with Rubble too, as he gets kind of lost while Bumblebee’s off doing other stuff.

| Published by IDW

Uncanny X-Men #18 adds again to the body count as things continue to fall apart. The nihilism, darkness, and depression in this series has really been getting to me these past few issues. With announcements for House of X and Powers of X, this is starting to feel like a “throw the X-Men down a hole before rebooting” type of story. I’m still not sure if I like it, since it’s putting me in a sour mood.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms #4 drills down on Freyja’s defence of the Black Bifrost, intent on taking away its use from Malekith. All of the art on this series has been phenomenal, but Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson somehow take it up another notch. This is epic.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms: Giant-Man #1 kicks off another front in the War as Freyja tasks Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath, and Atlas to infiltrate the Frost Giants’ bastion on Earth and get revenge, from Leah Williams, Marco Castiello, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Joe Sabino. Very nice bits of humour and wonderful artwork.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms: Spider-Man & The League of Realms #1 opens up another front as Spider-Man leads the members of the League of Realms into New Heven territory, from Sean Ryan, Nico Leon, Carlos Lopez, and Joe Caramagna. It’s great to see more Ryan-penned Spider-Man, even if he only ever seems to get to write the event tie-ins. He’s got a great handle on Spidey, effortlessly displaying that humour and humanity of the character every time.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms: Strikeforce - The War Avengers #1 is the second Strikeforce one-shot elaborating on encounters spinning out of War of the Realms #3. This one focuses on Captain Marvel’s motley crew of Avengers as they try to strike at the heart of Malekith in Britain from Dennis Hallum, Kim Jacinto, Ario Anindito, Java Tartaglia, Felipe Sobreiro, and Joe Sabino. Some nice Deadpool humour and art in what is one of the more bonkers tie-ins.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Age of X-Man: Marvelous X-Men #4, Amazing Spider-Man #21, American Carnage #7, Battlestar Galactica Classic #4, Bettie Page #5, Black Badge #10, Black Widow #5, Cinema Purgatorio #18, Farmhand #8, Firefly #6, Gideon Falls #13, Go Go Power Rangers #20, High Level #4, Infinity 8 #12, Ironheart #6, James Bond 007 #7, Kaijumax - Season 4 #6, Kick-Ass #14, KISS: The End #2, Last Stop on the Red Line #1, Life & Death of Toyo Harada #3, Low #22, Lucifer #8, Lumberjanes #62, Marvel Action: Spider-Man #4, Morning in America #3, Old Man Quill #5, Orphan Age #2, Planet of the Nerds #2, Port of Earth #10, Princeless - Book 8: Princesses #2, Spider-Man: Life Story #3, Star Wars #66, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Lando Calrissian #1, Star Wars: Tie Fighter #2, Teen Titans #30, Xena: Warrior Princess #2

Recommended Collections: Batgirl - Volume 5: Art of the Crime, Bitter Root - Volume 1: Family Business, GI Joe: A Real American Hero - Volume 22, The Horror of Collier County, Immortal Hulk - Volume 3: Hulk in Hell, Jeepers Creepers - Volume 1: Trail of the Beast, Justice League Odyssey - Volume 1: The Ghost Sector, MCMLXXV, Mister Miracle, Outer Darkness - Volume 1, Outpost Zero - Volume 2, RuinWorld: Eye for an Eye, Star Wars: Age of Republic - Heroes, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet, The Whispering Dark

d. emerson eddy wishes there were more hours in the day in order to write about everything.

[ineedaplacetotalkto]

I feel like when I talk im not listened too. Claire really makes me feel like shit whenever I open my mouth. she doesn't value what I have too say. is incredibly condescending to me and I honestly feel so undervalued by the one friend I have in boston right now. I want these stress hives to go away so bad but for that to happen I have to be less stressed: finish school and finish it well, work things out with Marissa and spend less time with Claire. find my own friends. but literally how in the fuck do I find my own friends. thank god im going back to New York next week boston is getting so fucking old at this point I literally hate it here. I’ll get to see rowan and my friends and hopefully get one fucking breather for once. I get to see rowan and his parents won't be home so its our own crib. not that I don't love his parents I do but at the same time im like mad nervous whenever I talk to them cuz I want them to like me. I want Marissa to like me too im really over the whole fueding roommates thing its fucking annoying and I hate feeling unwelcome in a place I pay rent for. I think its just as much my fault as hers that we don't get along because honestly I fueled the fire like crazy and she's genuinely been really good to me. it was a blessing to hear things from her perspective and im glad she wrote that letter. I hope we talk it out in person because I don't want to have a whole fight and resolution on paper that seems mad weird to me idk though. I really need someone to talk to but I don't have one. I just don't. I want to move back to Connecticut and I want to transfer to southern but its just really fucking unrealistic. I don't like mass art and I don't have friends inboston to keep me here. Covid ruined the show scene so I don't even have that. I like it here like the city itself but what's a good city when you don't have friends. New Haven is an awesome city and I miss it. its home, that's where I want to be. I want to live with Jahnise and learn to drive and get a job and go to southern. that's all I want. I want my friends I want my people that I fit in with. it just sucks cuz okay Rowan, jess, Caleb and Rosie are all in Brooklyn, Eland and Jahnise are both in New Haven and Ivana’s in Minneapolis and Georgia’s all the way in fucking LA so what the fuck am I supposed to do. at least if I was able to move to New Haven I would be home and I could see the people I care about. Nico’s in Milford!! I want to learn how to drive and move back to fucking Connecticut. Being able to drive is literally the only thing stopping me.

[rainagainstmywindow]

No Control

So here it finally is! My Big Bang fic for this year! I’m so happy to be finally posting and I really hope you like it cos I worked really hard! Huge shout out to all the admins of the @pjohoobigbang for being patient with me and organizing this whole thing! Also a massive thanks to my two awesome betas @strugglinginthedatabase and @poison-for-breakfast for not only getting me out of many slumps but also geeking out with me about the books! And of course to my artist @nightowlagainsttheworld ! Enjoy!

*****EDIT here’s the link to the art

Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of Artemis, made her way quietly towards the Big House of Camp Half-Blood where Chiron was waiting for her. The old centaur had chosen his human form for their meeting and was seating by the fire when she walked in, a blanket covering his fake human legs. His smile was warm but his eyes told her he was all business today. “So glad you could make it.” he told her, “Please, have a seat.” Thalia did as she was told, anxious to know what this whole meeting was about. “Were you surprised to get my Iris message?”

Thalia and Chiron had always kept good connection with each other, but it was mainly due to their links to the Hunters and the Campers respectively. “Yes.”

“It’s nothing bad,” he reassured her. After a pause he added, “Annabeth is fine.”

Thalia eased a little, but -as always- was uncomfortable by how easily Chiron could read her.

“I need a favor, one that might include you donating some of your time to the camp.” Chiron could tell that the idea didn’t particularly settle with Thalia. “I’m asking now because I know Artemis has given your hunters a bit of a break at the moment. Not that you’re not still busy.” He added the last part to appeal to her pride, which he knew resembled the one of another certain demigoddess, but it just made Thalia even more suspicious.

“What is it?”

“I want you to teach.”

Thalia allowed herself a small chuckle. She always felt like she had to be extra professional around the old centaur. “Teach what exactly? I know you have no shortage of great fighters. Unless something’s happened…”

“Nothing’s happened, my dear child, and you are right we have no shortage of great fighters that can teach how to throw a javelin or archery. But we both known that for some those are not their only weapons.”

Thalia started to get an idea of what Chiron was leading up to and couldn’t help but feel like he was over-estimating her. “Chiron, I…”

“You’re the eldest-”

“Well technically Hazel is.”

“You’ve been managing your powers for longer.”

She thought of Jason and how he flew through the skies. She thought of Percy’s surprise at her fear of heights and his promise to keep it a secret. “That doesn’t mean anything, not with us.”

Chiron leveled her with his dark eyes. She was once again reminded of just how old he actually was. With a jolt of surprise she realized that one day she might look like that, untouched by time but carrying the weight of it nonetheless. “You’ve grown more than you could think, Thalia. You understand things I don’t think they do yet. You can help them.”

Thalia suddenly felt very nervous and very small, which was embarrassing. She was the eldest. They listened to her, right? “I don’t know-”

“At least try it, Thalia. That’s all I ask. You won't be alone. I'll try to give you pointers every once in awhile.”

She took a long breath, not daring to meet his eyes again.  Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't think of any reason to deny him. “Okay.”

***********

I hate mornings. There’s no reason that any sane person should wake up before nine a.m. When my alarm blared fifteen minutes ago, at 6:45, I was in the middle of a perfect dream about picnics and Annabeth’s tan legs, a rare novelty nowadays. It'd probably been the first good night’s sleep I've had in weeks. I don’t see why I had to trade that for the painful trek to Zeus’ Fist. I especially don’t get why I wasn’t even told the details of this ridiculous meeting.

I’m still dwelling on self pity when Nico sulkily appears next to me. I’ve gotten more used to his silent walk and I’m barely fazed. He grunts an incoherent ‘good morning’ and I nod back. In many ways Nico and I are polar opposites, but we both agree in our hatred of mornings. He looks like he got out of bed and walked straight to the clearing without really stopping but to maybe brush his teeth, which is probably exactly what he did. It’s what I did, anyways. Which is why Hazel, fresh faced and cheery as ever, looks extremely out of place between us. “Morning!”

I force a smile for her because it's impossible not to. “Hi, how's Frank?” Hazel has stopped by often enough since the war ended, but I haven't seen Frank in a while.

“Busy. He says hi.”

“Do you know what all of this is about?” Asks Nico.

I tell him that I was just about to ask them the same question. I gathered it was probably a head counselor meeting but Annabeth didn't know anything about it when I told her last night and those are alway held in the rec room.

“Well it must be important because Chiron called Jason too.” Adds Hazel.

“What?”

“Yeah, Piper told us yesterday that Chiron called Jason late last night. Told him to come in as soon as possible. He should be here soon actually.”

I'm suddenly wide awake. Chiron called Jason, both Nico and Hazel, and me to a meeting in the woods? I exchange a glance with Nico. “Is Thalia here?”

“Jason’s sister?”

“I don't know,” answers Nico, “I hope not.”

We both know that if she is, it means a quest. Big Three children are not gathered all at the same time at random. Last time we were we had to follow a magical flower around the Underworld and I ended up wiping a Titan’s memory away. Long story.

We walk in silence the rest of the way. Hazel keeps looking at me and I can hear her whisper something to Nico but I don't pay attention to what they're saying. I'm trying to keep my temper in check, to convince myself that Chiron doesn't actually expect me to go on some ridiculous quest. Not now.

I walk without thinking, letting my feet lead me down the familiar path and subconsciously following the tug of the lake. When we finally get there, Chiron is talking with  none other than Thalia Grace, in all her punk glory. I dig my nails into my palm and curse.

“Nice to see you too, Percy.” I open my mouth to apologize but she waves it away. She understands. “Relax,” she tells me, “it's not what you think. We’ll explain once Jason gets here.”

She is in no hurry and there's a warm smile, or at least Thalia’s version of a warm smile, on her face as Nico officially introduces her to Hazel. Thalia wants to know everything about her experience with the Amazons and both girls start talking excitedly. I'm still not fully at ease, but at least it isn't a quest.

I wish Jason would hurry up already.

“There you are, Jason my boy!” Chiron finally calls ten minutes later as Jason jogs towards our small group. He looks as confused as I feel.

“Can you tell us what's going on now?” I ask. I add please after I realize how blunt I sounded. This is Chiron after all.

It's Thalia who answers, though. For the first time I notice that she actually seems a bit nervous. Only someone that knows her well could tell since her expression is as hard and as fierce as ever, but I notice how she fidgets with her bracelet. “Well, Chiron called me a few days ago to express his… concern towards a particular aspect of… us.”

“By ‘us’ you mean Big Three kids, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” says Nico, arms crossed, “what about us?”

Thalia looks really uncomfortable which half amuses me and half worries me. “Well…” She looks at Chiron for help.

“You're powerful.” He states.

Nico rolls his eyes. “Water is wet.”

I stifle a chuckle but elbow him anyways. “What Nico means is that you've always known this. What’s ‘concerning’ you now exactly?”

“What if you blow up another volcano?”

I'm immediately taken aback with Thalia’s comment. “That was one time!”

“What if Jason causes a tornado?”

“What are you talking about?” It seems like the thought never even occurred to her brother.

“What if Nico brings back a dead person he can't control?”

“What's happening?”

Jason looks from his sister to me, puzzled. Nico looks honestly offended. And Hazel seems to actually be considering what Thalia is saying. “Chiron,” this conversation is getting us nowhere, “what's going on?”

“I've asked Thalia to come and teach you control over your powers.” I don't bother hiding my snort of laughter, but Chiron ignores me. “She's the eldest of the current Big Three children as well as an experienced hero. I can think of no one better for the job.”

An old wave of jealousy comes flooding back, the exact same feeling I had all those years ago after I realized I wasn't going on the quest to save Annabeth from Atlas. I push it aside now though and process what Chiron is saying. Does he think we’re out of control? I look at Jason who is practically the poster boy for control, at Hazel who has shown incredible precision when we've needed it the most. Even Nico has managed to always pleasantly surprise with his power, each time they've randomly manifested they've pretty much saved my life.

Does he think I’m out of control?

What if you blow up another volcano?

“What exactly would we be doing?” Hazel is pretty much the only one that has accepted the idea right away.

Thalia has gone back to looking uncomfortable but I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for her. If I remember correctly, she was the one that lost control and hit me with lightning last time we were here. Granted, I almost dumped the lake on her, but that was a conscious decision.

“I haven't decided yet. I think we should learn what triggers each one of us first.”

Anger. Panic. Helplessness. We all know what makes our powers surface.

Jason, being Jason, back-tracks a little. We need to sort some things out before we get to that point, he tells Thalia. He is pretty busy in New Rome at the moment, what with  just barely being named Pontifex a few days ago, and Thalia has the Hunters. Not to mention the fact that I need to graduate high school and I'm already a semester behind. I was hoping to use my new free time to catch up on homework (Gross, school work over the summer. Thanks Hera).

“For now,” Thalia assures Jason, “we can meet for a couple of hours during the morning. I'm sure Reyna and Frank can handle the camp while we figure out the schedule. The Hunters will be staying here for a couple of days too.”

Thalia ignores the look I give her. Hunters and campers don't exactly hate each other but things get tense fast, and she knows it. Is Artemis okay with her hunters taking a break for the sake of Thalia teaching a class that's supposed to be recreational? It doesn't seem like her at all.

“Chiron suggest we should start straight away, so we’re meeting back here tomorrow at the same time.”

None of us say anything for a while. We’re all waiting to rush off and tell someone about this ordeal. It's Nico who breaks the silence by stating “It’s settled then” and proceeds to walk away. Hazel waves sheepishly at me and Jason, tells Thalia it was nice to meet her, and follows her brother out of the clearing.

I know Thalia and Jason haven't seen each other in a while and I'm itching to find Annabeth and Grover, so I quickly excuse myself too. “I'll see you tomorrow then.”

I'm walking away when I hear Thalia. “Wait!” She calls out. I turn on my heel, certain she’ll make fun of my hair or tell me my fly is down or something. “Just give it a shot, okay? Just… try.”

I don't know how to answer. Her face is barely guarded and, even though it hasn't aged in years and I've started to look older than her, for the first time I sense how much younger I am. “Okay.” Whatever is actually going on here, she's noticed it too.

By the time I leave the clearing most campers are probably done with breakfast and are heading to their daily activities. I myself have a sword-fighting class to teach in half an hour, according to my watch. Nevertheless I head to the Dining Pavilion and I’m not surprised to find Annabeth  waiting for me in the Poseidon table. She doesn’t say anything as I slide in beside her. I’m not going to fake enthusiasm with her.

“What was it about?” Annabeth finally asks.

I tell her, forcing any sort of resentment towards Thalia out of my voice since I know she’ll defend her (and I know she’ll be right). I’m acting childish by getting angry at Thalia, but I’m choosing to divert my anxiety towards our old jealous feuds. When I’m done explaining she tries, and fails, to look sheepish, not meeting my eyes. I know what she’s going to say.

“Honestly,” Annabeth starts, “I think it’s a great idea. And I know you think Thalia-”

“It’s not that.” I can’t stop thinking about the look in her eyes. I agree with Chiron. She is the best person for the job (of course I’ll never admit it out loud but I know it anyways), but Chiron had plenty of chances to do this in the past. It doesn't make sense to do it now. “It’s not about Thalia.” I know that if I think about it too hard I'll realize something I don't like. Suddenly, I don’t feel like talking about it anymore.

Annabeth notices my change of heart and drops any sort of argument about Thalia I know she’s tempted to start. “When’s the first meeting?”

“Tomorrow.”

**************

“-he was just acting really weird.” Hazel finishes. She couldn’t possibly imagine why a class like this might bother Percy so much, even I’m guessing. But I’ve got a pretty good idea.

“He’s got his reasons, Hazel.”

“Which are?” She is concerned for him, but prying is the last thing he probably wants. She stops and pulls me aside so that we're facing each other. “Should I know something? About… us?”

Maybe she’s not only concerned about Percy. “What do you mean?”

“…What happens to our powers as we get older?”

I haven’t forgotten how Hazel died. People tend to forget that she’s a powerful demigod, but I don’t. She doesn’t either apparently. “I don’t know.”

“Why would Chiron be so concerned about us learning control now then? Why not when Percy was younger? Or when he found out who our father was?”

The timing seems strange to me as well, but it could be a number of things or nothing but a coincidence. “I don’t know, Hazel.” I try to reassure her even though her questions have made me even more suspicious. “It’ll be fine.”

“Nico,” she pulls me to a full stop this time, just a few feet away from the dining pavilion, “tell me what you really think.”

I sigh. “I think this is definitely weird and I don't buy Chiron’s excuse for it. I also think that maybe we’re all overreacting because we’re still on edge from the war.”

She looks a little more relieved, grateful even that I'm being honest with her. “Okay.”

******

Piper greets me with a dazzling smile as she open the door to her cabin. “How was it?”

I walk towards her, aware that Lacy, along with another one of her sisters, is observing us from the corner of the room. “Fine,” I say, my voice clearly guarded. Piper casts a glance towards her sisters and a few seconds later I hear them shuffle out of her cabin. Only when I hear the door close behind them do I bend down to kiss her. “Thalia was there.” She raises an eyebrow at that. “And Nico and Hazel, and Percy.”

She completely pulls away now. “What?”

“Thalia is going to teach us how to ‘control our powers’ apparently.” I see her physically relax at the knowledge of this not being about a quest.“She didn’t seem too excited about it.”

“How come?”

“I don’t know she seemed… nervous.” Piper gives me a look. We’re both thinking the same thing: Thalia doesn’t get nervous. “And Percy wasn’t too happy about it either. Thalia told me it was just how they got along but…”

“But they’re friends right? She went looking for him when he disappeared.”

I haven’t forgotten the jealousy I felt towards Percy after seeing how worried my sister was over him. “It didn’t seem like they hated each other or anything. Plus it wasn’t just him. Nico wasn’t thrilled about the idea either.”

“They’re probably nervous. You guys are really… powerful.”

“So are you,” I argue, “you literally lulled a goddess to speak with you voice!” She looks like she wants to argue but I continue. “I mean, Katie Gardner can grow plants at will. Kayla con manipulate sunlight. Frank can turn into pretty much anything.”

Piper’s eyes are steady. “Yeah but not like you guys. I can’t cause a natural disaster.”

I asked Thalia about Percy making a volcano explode after everyone else left. Apparently he caused an earthquake underneath Mt. St. Helens when he was fifteen and ended up waking the giant that lived underneath it. I remember hearing about it on the news too. People were hurt, half a million had to be evacuated. That was almost two years ago. I know he’s only gotten more powerful since then. It makes sense Chiron would want us to know how to reign in our power better, but still...

We sit side by side on her bed. She grabs my hand. “I don’t think you guys have to worry about anything. Maybe Chiron had been thinking about it for a while and wanted to try it out with a smaller group first, the hardest group, before making an actual activity at camp.”

She doesn't sound too confident. “Why bring in Thalia then? She can't stay here and teach.”

“Maybe Chiron wants her to train you guys so eventually you teach-”

“Piper.”

She sighs. “I know. Something's definitely up.”

She starts chewing on her lip, finally giving up the look of fake enthusiasm she greeted me with. I immediately feel guilty about weighing her down with my own worries. She's got enough on her plate. She might not show it, but Leo’s death is more present than ever. It's only been a few weeks after all.

“Have you been talking with Nico again?” She immediately turns away and attempts to hide how her hands shake as she makes her bed, but I notice. She's been pestering Nico ever since the final fight with Gaea. She won't accept Leo is dead until he confirms it. I wish he just would, because without it it's hard to not hope he's still out there, but Nico downright refuses. A few days ago he admitted to me that it was because he simply couldn't find him. He seemed a little embarrassed, but I understood why he preferred not telling anyone else. I haven't even told Piper. “Pipes, I think you should-”

“I should what?!”

“Piper.”

“Forget about him?! Is that what you want?! Because no one else seems to mind-” Whatever she was going to say next gets caught in the sobs that suddenly rack her body. I rush forwards to her and wrap my arms around her. What was I going to say? I don't even know. I just wish she wasn't so miserable all the time now. I wish I had Leo back.

I kiss her forehead and try to soothe her by rubbing circles down her back, but her cries cut through me, and suddenly it's very hard to keep my own composure. I haven't really let myself fully embrace it all. Somehow I've managed to trick my mind into thinking that Leo is just away, that any day now he’ll descend onto camp atop Festus and apologize for taking so long. But every day he hasn't.

“I think about him every day too, Piper,” I whisper by her ear, embarrassed by how my voice cracks, “I don't know what to do. I just- I can't see you like this.”

She looks up from where she buried her face in my chest. I can't meet her gaze; I'm properly crying now. I curse myself for blubbering like a child. She wipes my tears away with the back of her hand and gently pulls my face to meet hers. When I look into her beautiful, puffy red eyes I lose it. I'm sobbing almost as bad as she was just a few seconds ago. She takes my glasses off and takes my face in her hands before hugging me tightly to her.

I think we're finally mourning Leo.

“I can't just accept he's gone, Jason.” I can't either, it's as if my whole being simply rejects the mere possibility.

I manage to get a grip on myself after a couple minutes. I pull away from Piper slightly to wipe away my tears. “Sorry. I'm ..sorry. I'm a mess.”

“Don't be,” she tells me, not bothering with her own tears, “we’re both a mess. We have a right to be.”

With a huff I pluck down on her bed. My thoughts return to the meeting this morning, but they're half-hearted. The significance of whatever might be going on there seems to have diminished. Piper sits beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. We stay like that for a while. I can still hear her crying beside me.

“Hey,” she calls in an attempt to lighten the mood, “I've been meaning to ask you. And I get if you don't want to, or want to stay at the camps. It makes more sense-”

“What's up, Pipes?”

Her eyes are still puffy from crying and her hair is sticking up at random places, clearly she was just getting ready when I walked in because she's also still in her pajamas. Being head counsellor she gets to be the last one up (or at least that's her interpretation of the title). She still looks amazing to me though. Somehow it seems very intimate to see someone like this, which is new for me but I love it anyways. I realize I probably look like a wreck too.

She plays with the peeling nail polish on her thumb before answering. “I want you to go to school with me in L.A.”

I wasn't expecting that at all. I hadn't really thought past this summer that much. I didn't know she wanted to go back to mortal school. “Actually,” a slightly guilty look crosses her face, “I kind of already registered both us.”

“Oh.”

“I know I should've definitely told you first! But I was on the phone and I dunno I just kind of blurted it out!”

“It's...yeah. I mean I just didn't know you wanted to go back to L.A is all.”

She runs a hand through her face. “Yeah. I figured I should probably spend some time with my Dad, y'know. Sit him down and explain everything.” She takes my hand. “But I really don't want to be away from you now.”

“Ok.” I just blurt it out.

“What? Really?”

“Yeah.” She smiles at me and I smile back until I realize something. “Wait! Does this mean I'll stay with you and your Dad? In the same house?!”

She laughs at me, the morning’s meeting completely forgotten.

********

Hazel convinced me to get to the clearing earlier. Thalia is already here. She greets us both with a smile. Hazel and I are armed with our swords but Thalia doesn’t have any weapons out. I know her bow and arrow will appear if she needs them and she has her Aegis bracelet on, but it doesn’t seem like we’ll be using any weapons today.

A few minutes later Jason walks in. He’s right on time, not a minute before and not a minute after, which I find annoying but I still wave back at him. He hugs Thalia and looks politely curious, but I can tell that some of our trepidation has made its way to him.

Percy is five minutes late. It doesn’t look like he overslept.

“Okay,” Thalia starts, throwing Percy the stink eye which he happily ignores, “I thought we’d do something fun.”

“Your version of fun usually isn’t that fun,” I point out. She waves me away but we all seem to agree.

“Normal training session, but no weapons allowed.”

“So a completely abnormal training session?” Percy mumbles.

She throws her bracelet to the ground along with about a dozen other weapons. I make a mental note to never sneak up on her. Once she’s done, she looks at the group expectantly. Jason throws his coin in, Hazel her spatha. I cave in and throw my own sword in. Only Percy is left.

“It reappears in my pocket”,  he explains.

“What about the watch?” Thalia asks, pointing at the shield Tyson disguised as a watch. He rolls his eyes but throws it into the pile anyways. She makes him promise not to use the sword. “Alright then.” There’s a scary grin on her face as she rubs her hands together, sparks crackling off her knuckles. “Let’s go.”

Thalia decides to pair us off like a “normal training session” but takes a different approach to what I would've personally done. Where I would've grouped her, Jason, and Percy together and paired Hazel with me, she decides to pair Hazel with Percy and me with Jason. “I'll take it easy on you today and observe,” she tells us. Percy raises an eyebrow at me as if to say Not what I expected, how about you? I shrug back and face Jason. We're both pretty stumped as to what we're supposed to do. If anything this is making me realize how much I rely on a sword. Percy and Hazel seem to be playing a weird game of tag where Hazel lunges towards him and Percy side steps her.

Jason, ever the good student, takes a page out of Hazel’s book and lunges. I'm not fast enough and he manages to catch my wrist. I'm about to swing at him with my free hand when I remember that the whole point of this is to use our powers. What the hell? I stomp the ground and a large crevice appears at Jason’s feet, not much unlike the one I called up all those years ago to save Percy and Annabeth from that skeleton warrior. They little souvenir still adorns the dining pavilion to this day.

Jason is forced to step back but doesn't let go of me. He's about to pull me down with him when I feel the wind pick up, making him regain his balance. This is starting to look more like hand-to-hand combat than anything else and I'm pretty sure Jason can beat me at that no sweat, but we're both trying to do what Thalia wants to see. I can tell he, like me, is going through his list of tricks.

I slowly call for the dead to rise out of the crevice I created, reaching out with my mind. Jason concentrates on picking up the wind so we only grapple a little, our focus elsewhere. I can start to see a skeletal hand make its way out when suddenly Thalia tells us to stop. We all immediately do. I realize that the strong breeze was not only due to Jason, but Percy had managed to create a smaller, weaker version of the hurricane that usually engulfs him in a fight. He's also bleeding from a cut above his eye. Hazel looks guilty and keeps apologizing. My guess is she chucked some sort of precious metal nugget at his head. I almost laugh but then I see Thalia’s face.

“That was hard to watch.” It was also hard on us. We, except maybe Hazel, are breathing hard. Usually I'm pumped with adrenaline when I use my powers, and only as a last resort. Summoning them with no real incentive took some effort. “You were distracted and awkward. You know that you won't be able to take your time like that in a real battle, right?” Real battle?

“In a real battle we’d be armed and scared out of our minds,” argues Percy.

“We're not always armed.”

“But we always start with a weapon!”

“That's your problem! You rely too heavily on your weapons!”

I don't know if she's addressing all of us or just Percy. I missed their back and forths. Either way, they both have a point.

Jason steps in. “Whoa guys, settle down.” Percy shoots Thalia one last angry look and walks towards the lake to take care of his cut. “C’mon Thalia. It's only our first practice.”

I feel that uneasiness again. Thalia is taking this too seriously. Maybe I'm just not fully acquainted with Lieutenant Thalia but this doesn't seem like some light-hearted idea from Chiron. I think she's starting to understand that too. I wonder what instructions the old centaur gave her.

I turn to Hazel, her eyes are trained on Thalia’s face. She's been skeptical all the way, but she's choosing not to show it to see where this is going. Smart plan. “Yeah, Jason's right. I mean we're not used to it yet,” she says

Thalia glances at Percy. “Fine. Let's go again.”

She doesn't change the partners and it doesn't get easier. By the end we're all soaked in sweat and I'm ready to take a long nap. Of course none of us can do that since the day’s barely started at camp. I wish we had Roman baths here. All of us that have been to Camp Jupiter have been campaigning for them but Annabeth still has us at maybe.

Afterwards Hazel asks “Why did you think she paired us up like that?”

“I don't know.” She can collapse underground tunnels and Poseidon is the Earthshaker but Jason and I made no sense. Pairs didn't make sense, period.

“Maybe she thinks frustration triggers our powers.”

I consider it. “Well it definitely works for her.”

She shrugs and we drop the conversation, heading to our respective activities, both still clearly weary about the whole situation.

************

“-I don't know that's what Jason said,” finishes Piper. She's only half paying attention to her sculpture. I haven't even tried to examine my blueprints as she tells me about the training session this morning. I won't get to see Percy until tonight so she got to hear about it from Jason first.

“Thalia does seem very on edge lately. I think she's avoiding me actually.” I don't mean to sound hurt but Piper notices anyways. “I mean I get it, she has a lot on her plate and she has to spend all the time she can with Jason.”

“No she doesn't. Even Jason thinks something is up. Not just between Thalia and Percy.”

“It is pretty weird timing.” I've tried not to think about how the whole thing actually does bother me slightly. I want things to not be complicated for once in my life. “But I trust Thalia and Chiron. They're just not used it.” I try to change the conversation. “So what did Jason think? About the whole high school idea?” After being away from her dad for so long Piper decided to go back to mortal school. She wasn't big on the idea of not getting to see Jason as often, so she told me she was going to ask him to start school with her.

“He's really on board with it actually!” She's smiling again which is nice. I haven't seen many of those from her since Leo. “He's kind of nervous about spending time with my Dad, though.”

“Oh please! There isn't a parent out there that wouldn't love him!”

“Which is what I told him.” She tries to go back to her sculpture but it's stopped looking like anything a long time ago. “What about your Dad? Does he approve of you dating a delinquent?”

“Hey, all charges against my delinquent have been dropped!”

She chuckles and I go back to my blueprints. I actually haven't seen my Dad in a while. I sent him an iris message before heading to New Rome and a text after the fight with Gaea to let him know I was alive, but I keep putting off going to San Francisco. After hearing about Piper’s plans to go back to L.A I make a mental note to schedule a visit with my mortal family.

I finally catch up with Percy at the stables; a mare is pregnant and Will has Percy check in on her a couple of times a week. “How is she?”

“She's about ready to not be pregnant anymore.” The grey Pegasus neighs irritably and he chuckles. “More than ready actually.”

“How was everything today?” He's probably guessed that Piper told me everything. He knows what I'm asking about. He chews on his lip. I can tell he's debating whether or not to tell me what he actually thinks. “That bad, huh?”

“No, I mean… something just feels off y’know? Like she's not telling us something.” I don't know what face I make but he drops the brush he's holding and takes my hand and tries and easy smile. “We're probably reading too much into it. Old habits. For all we know she's anxious to get to whatever project Artemis assigned the Hunters this time.”

“Yeah.” Old habits. “You're probably right.”

He kisses me so I don't start thinking too much about it. I will eventually, but not now. His lips actually manage to tug a smile out of me. “There she is.”

Idiot.

**********

We haven't been able to beat the Hunters at capture the flag for years. I no longer wonder why. Lieutenant Thalia is like every drill Sergeant I've seen on TV except she can call down lightning. She insists on her ‘no weapons’ policy and I suspect it's so we don't try to attack her because we're all about ready to do so. Even Jason shot her a wolf stare after his tornado flickered and she struck the spot right next to him. Needless to say she makes it really hard to hold back.

I haven't been able to control my powers quite as well as I used to. Probably because, ever since Tartarus, they've been easier to call. I used to have to reach so hard until I felt an aching pull. It was last resort, always in the heat of battle. I can see the same strain in the others. However they've been using their powers, it hasn't been for the reasons I did down there.

It's intoxicating. I'm afraid they'll realize that, how freeing it is. How so utterly in control you feel.

Hazel is currently wrapping what used to be a block of gold around my ankles. She summoned it a couple days ago and has been practicing at molting it. By now it's basically like play doh under her control, but it still takes a lot out of her. I can feel the beads of sweat running down her forehead just as easily as the icy mist of the hurricane I'm currently maintaining around me. I can sense the water in her tears as lose droplets sting her eyes. I could reach out and grasp the water in the plasma of her blood if I wanted to.

I have to concentrate on this hurricane or I'm going to lose the delicate hold I have on my restraint. I make it bigger and urge it to move towards her. I try to envelope her in it so that she completely loses focus and I can move my legs again. The force of it knocks me back, but my feet are still secured by the gold so I end up doing a very Matrix-like backbend and then springing upright again. The move is so ridiculous it makes Hazel crack up and her focus finally shatters. The gold melts away so I'm left standing in a very expensive puddle.

“Okay I guess that's enough for today.” Thalia calls out. She tries to sound irritated but I can tell she's also amused. “I want you guys to bring armor tomorrow to see what Hazel can do with that.”

“I can only control precious metals,” she reminds Thalia, “and I've only seen Celestial Bronze used in weapons here.”

“There's some in the armory and Cabin 9 always has some around.” I add, but it's true. We rarely use it for armor, opting to save it for weapons instead.

“I've just been thinking,” continues Thalia, “what exactly is considered precious? You've been able to summon different types of granite and stone right?”

“Yeah.”

“Like the schist.” Nico and Jason shoot me a look. “It's a rock!”

Thalia ignores me. “There's value to any metal, especially the one we use to protect ourselves from monsters. Gold and silver are only considered riches because we give them that value.”

“So you're saying that any metal is precious?” Asks Nico. “That Hazel could  possibly control any and all metals?”

“Pluto is supposed to control all the riches under the earth, right?” Jason adds. “Makes sense.”

We all let that sink in. Hazel is already insanely powerful, the fact that she could have Magneto-esque powers is pretty alarming. She tries to act normal even though I can tell the idea also makes her nervous. She gives us her cheeriest ‘see ya later!’ when Thalia finally dismisses us, but it comes out pretty shrill, and runs off with Nico close at her heels.

“And don't think I didn't see you today, Kelp Head.” For a second I think she's talking about my little stunt with the hurricane but then she nods to where I was  just standing. Huge cracks cut the ground exactly where my feet were a few seconds ago. “Earthshaker indeed.”

Later that day I'm walking back from a sword fighting class with Jason. He's been helping me out since it keeps him busy while he's at camp. We're just passing the Big House to head to the Amphitheater when we run into Annabeth storming out. She spots us and I'm about to ask what's wrong when Clarisse bursts out behind her and heads for the cabins. “What was it this time?” I ask after Annabeth greets me with a kiss.

“She insists that we start work with her cabin first! Which is ridiculous since we all agreed to finish the expansions to the Dining Pavilion and we still need to finish some of the newer cabins!”

Jason is vaguely alarmed by Annabeth which goes to show he's used to this kind of thing and actually knows her. Most run the other way at the sight of a pissed off Annabeth. I can't blame them, but after five years I only notice how her exasperation brings color to her cheeks, making her even hotter than usual. “She's starting to panic.” I tell her. She knows; it doesn't make dealing with her any easier, though.

“Clarisse doesn't seem like someone who panics over remodelations,” says Jason.

“She’s not. She's starting college in September.”

“She’ll be the first along with Travis in a while to do so,” Annabeth explains, “and it's especially hard to leave now y’know.”

Jason nods. I can tell he's still not used to the normal Greek life-span which is basically short and painful. “How long is a while?”

Annabeth goes silent beside me.

I know we’re both thinking of Beckendorf, who of course was all set for college until I left him to be blown up in the Andromeda. I take her hand and start walking. “C’mon, we're going to be late.” Jason gets the hint and doesn't press it.

It's bizarre to think that it's only actually been a little over a year. We celebrated the one year anniversary of the Battle of Manhattan a week ago. It was especially gruesome to hear Jake Mason talk about their fallen brother when they'd just lost Leo too. As I looked around, I realized that almost all the head counselors were different than last year. Most, like Will and Jake, had stepped up after their siblings had died fighting. Will was made head counselor mid-battle, after Michael disappeared in the bridge I collapsed. That would make it the second time the mantle had been passed on that way for Cabin 7, since Michael only became head counselor after Lee Fletcher died a year earlier in the Battle of the Labyrinth.

Clarisse nearly broke down when it was her turn to talk about Silena.

“You'd think they'd gotten used to it by now.” Neither me or Annabeth were paying much attention so Jason nods towards several groups of people who seem to be staring at us as we walk. “You guys have been dating long enough for it to be old news, right?”

Well considering I was only here for two months after we got together and then disappeared for the other ten… “Who says they're looking at us?”

Annabeth laughs. “Yeah. They better hope Piper doesn't catch them ogling her man.”

Jason blushes but chuckles along when I punch his arm. I wrap my arm around Annabeth so I can press a kiss to her temple. I’m here now.

**********

I'm exhausted. The point of controlling metal with your mind is supposed to be that it's easier than actually picking it up and hurling it yourself, right?

WRONG!

After two hours every single one of my muscles are screaming for me to stop. Thalia was right. It didn't matter that they boys’ armor wasn't Celestial Bronze or Imperial Gold; I could control it. It's much harder though. Even though I haven't stood up from this boulder in over an hour I feel like I've run a marathon.

Thalia's instructions were simple: get the boys to stop fighting by pulling them away from each other. Simple. Simple? Even though it's obvious they are going pretty easy on each other, it still feels like I’m physically pulling them away by the collar. And my tugging doesn't seem to be bothering them nearly as much as I hope. I'm concentrating on keeping Percy in place by willing his breastplate to keep still, but it only slows him down. I try the same with Jason and eventually Nico to no avail.

I'm so tired and so frustrated that with one final tug I bring my hands together, clapping so hard my palms sting. The second my hands come together the three boys fly towards each other -guided by their breastplates- and smack so hard against one another that I'm sure they hear the clang all the way to Half-Blood Hill.

“Yes! That's what I'm talking about Hazel! Well done!” No one really shares Thalia’s enthusiasm but Nico manages to shoot me a pained smile that ends up looking quite gruesome since his mouth is bloody from head butting the other two boys at maximum speed.

Strangely, I'm not feeling the effects of that last pull. I actually feel better. The knots that have been forming in my shoulders for the last two hours actually feel looser and my potential headache is gone.

I shrug it off. I've done way more damage than manipulating some rusty breastplates. I guess I just needed to get used to the metal.

I'm walking towards Jason and Percy who are still groaning on the floor when a rustling from the trees stops me. I'm not the only one that hears it because in a flash Percy springs off the ground and uncaps Riptide, the rest stand tense. We hear it again and this time I notice something (someone?) behind the trees. Percy immediately dives towards the thicker forest ignoring whatever it is Thalia tells him. A few seconds later we hear a loud bleat and an ominous oompf!

We all scramble to see what's happening. At first my brain is confused by what it's seeing. Whatever was rustling behind the trees Percy seems to have tackled it to the ground. Furry hindquarters stick up, goat legs ending in shiny hooves. For some reason an ill-fitting shoe dangles from one. Then I remember that Greek fauns, satyrs, are much different from the ones in New Rome. That's what it, he, appears to be. This one in particular accepts the hand that Percy offers to lift him off the ground with great gusto and proceeds to hug him like one would a brother. Behind me Thalia exclaims “Grover!” and rushes to join the embrace. A memory of the strange hours after the battle with Gaea surfaces; he fought alongside the Greeks, alongside Percy and Annabeth. I'm sure they introduced us but I don't remember much of the moments after the fighting stopped. Just Leo flying atop Festus. Leo exploding above me, all of us knowing we'd never reach him in time…

“Why didn't you tell us you were coming, G-man!” I'm brought back to the present by Thalia and Percy’s excited chatter. Jason and I stand awkwardly while the little reunion takes place. Nico leans casually against a tree but I detect a ghost of a smile. Finally Percy realizes we're still here. “Oh hey sorry. You remember Hazel, right? And-”

“Jason,” the satyr finishes, “of course, of course.”

He shakes Jason's hand and then takes mine. I wish I'd paid more attention the first time we got introduced because I immediately like him. He seems a bit shy, fiddling with his hands and playing with the reed pipes hanging from his neck, but he stands straight and smiles broadly. I wonder out loud why he and Jason never properly met all those months he was at camp.

“Oh I don't get to spend too much time at camp anymore I'm afraid.” He answers. “Lord of the Wild business never ends.” Lord of the Wild? I make a mental note to underestimate him. “Which is why my girlfriend is always mad at me which is why I should go meet her right about now.” Percy is visibly disappointed and looks like he's about to argue but Grover stops him. “Don't worry man I'll be here all week.”

Both boys clap each other on the back one again. I hear Grover whisper something to Percy making a fleeting dark look pass in his eyes, but the next second it's gone and they're all smiles again. Thalia hugs him again too. “I'll be at Camp for a little while too -long story- so we have to do something.”

The satyr agrees and tells both Jason and I it was nice to see us again. “You too, Nico!” This time my brother actually smiles and gives him a wave before Grover disappears into the forest.

Thalia finally let's us go after that. As we walk out of the forest Percy's in a better mood than I've seen him in weeks. “You're really close with him, aren't you?”

He smiles sheepishly. “I mean, yeah. He's my best friend. He brought me to camp, went with me and Annabeth on our first quest and a bunch of others after that.”

“He also brought Thalia and Annabeth in, right?” Asks Jason.

“Yeah, along with Luke. He seems to have pretty good instincts when it comes to Big Three kids. He found Nico too.”

“No wonder he's Lord of the Wild.”

Percy smiles proudly as we compliment his friend. I try to focus on his good mood but can't help but revert back to wondering what Grover told him that made his smile vanish for a brief second.

*******

Ever since my birthday, I haven't been big on picnics. But since a picnic on the beach for Grover -it was Annabeth’s idea- is the only day Thalia’s letting us have off from practice, I'm not complaining. Especially after yesterday's session.

My sister finally decided to zero in on me. She'd tortured Hazel and now it was my turn. I knew it was going to be bad when I arrived at Zeus’ Fist five minutes early and she was already there looking all excited. You can tell she's excited because little sparks of electricity bounce off her spiky hair.

“I've been wanting to teach you this trick for a while now,” she told me as I made my way towards where she was standing. She pulled out a hunting knife and told me to get closer. Then, she knitted her eyebrows in concentration. A few moments later I gaped as the long blade started to be encapsulated by tiny rivets of electricity. It was like watching those videos of spiders building their webs but a hundred times faster and with bluish, purple static. I watched as her grasp on the handle tightened making the tendrils thicken. She'd wrapped her blade in lightning.

Just then everyone else decided to arrive. Nico and Hazel were transfixed by the blade but Percy kept looking at Thalia. I guess she did look pretty crazy, grinning like a maniac and holding her mutated knife. Finally he said: “Is that supposed to be a cheap replica of the Master Bolt?”

“Ha ha, Jackson.” She rolled her eyes at Percy and with a flick of her wrist made the knife go back to normal. “It's what we’ll be working on today.” Percy arched an eyebrow and Nico did his best to look bored (which, given that that's his default expression, wasn't hard). Their mood significantly rose when she announced we could use our own weapons. “Don't get all excited, I just think Jason needs a little incentive to pull this trick out of him.”

I was grateful for the vote of confidence. I could tell that Thalia was less than impressed by my lightning-calling skills. In battle, Thalia called down thunder every few seconds and still managed to have enough strength to fight like a beast. For me it's always been last resort because it takes a lot out of me. She thinks it's lack of practice. I'm not sure I agree.

She made the others stand in a circle and joined them as well. I was to try to electrify my sword while they took turns lunging at me. Where does she come up with these drills? Which seemed unfair to me because 1) it would be impossible to properly concentrate, and 2) she hadn't really explained how to do it in the first place.

Hazel went first. Her cavalry sword gave her a wide berth and she almost got me but I side-stepped right into Nico’s attack. This time I used my sword to deflect the blow. All the while I thought about calling down lightning. By the time I got to Percy the hairs in my arms when standing upright because of the static, the sky rumbled above me. “Concentrate on the blade! Redirect the lightning!” Thalia shouted at me as I met her spear.

It was a blur for a while. I was stuck in between concentrating on sparring the attacks and willing the static to engulf my sword. At one point I saw a spark fly but it might've been from the force of meeting Nico’s sword. Thalia kept shouting out advice. It was pretty unhelpful but then I caught a piece that maybe had a point. “Use your own body to conduct it onto your sword! It has to pass through you!”

It was a scary thought, willing yourself to be struck by lightning, but I knew from experience that it wouldn't kill me and I'd done crazier (dumber) things.

I finally called down the strike I'd been feeling creep on and redirected it towards me.

The hard part was concentrating it in the sword. I'm pretty sure that if it hadn't been Imperial Gold it would've been shredded to pieces. And while Thalia laughed delighted, the rest backed away. Smart since I doubt they can sustain electricity the way Thalia and I can.

My sister electrified her own spear - easy, barely broke a sweat- and struck once again. What she didn't know was that it was taking all of my strength just to keep up the little “trick”. The same fatigue I get from calling down lightning the normal way attacked me but twice as hard. There was a tugging in my gut that was was getting so painful I almost doubled over. Her first blow brought me to my knees.

“I think that's enough, Thalia.” She completely ignored Percy, who seemed to have noticed I couldn't go on for much longer. I drew on a last reserve of strength, determined to keep going, and the tug lurched violently. “Thalia stop!”

Then I blacked out. Again.

I woke up in the infirmary to a Percy and Nico that could barely hold in their laughter because at this point me passing out is a cosmic joke designed to make me look like an idiot. Hazel at least bothered to look concerned. But no Thalia.

“She's off somewhere sulking and beating herself up about it. Don't worry.” Percy's words didn't make me stop worrying at all.  Nor did the worried glances Nico seemed to steal when Percy wasn't looking. I'll have to ask him what exactly happened after I passed out later.

I know I should've gone looking for Thalia then, I don't really enjoy making my sister feel guilty, she already did that long enough during all those years she thought I was dead, but I didn't.

She's been avoiding me ever since. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to her today since I knew she couldn't skip a picnic thrown by Annabeth for Grover, but so far she's been stalling by refereeing arm wrestling matches between her Hunters and the Ares Cabin.

“What I'd really pay to see is for her to go against Clarisse,” says Piper beside me.

“I thought you liked Clarisse.”

She chuckles. “Are you going to talk to her, or are both of you still avoiding each other?”

“She's avoiding me!”

Piper gives me a stare that says really? because maybe she's a little right. Thalia might be avoiding me but I haven't really tried to talk either. If I'm being honest I'm still pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. Plus, I was hoping these training sessions would be a way for us to bond more. I could tell she was excited to get to train with someone and not be worried about electrocuting them, to talk shop about the joys of having Jupiter/Zeus as a father and all the fun side-effects it comes with. I didn't want her to think I couldn't take it.

“You guys need to start getting used to talking to each other. Trust me, it's weird at first but then it's so easy.”

“It's different for me and Thalia, Pipes. You know that.”

She rolls her beautiful eyes which today decided to look a dark, hazely green. “How is it different? I met a whole cabin of siblings I didn't even know existed when I was sixteen and believe me it was pretty weird at first, especially with Drew. But, at the end of the day, they're family, y’know? They get it.” She takes my hand. “Just talk to her.”

I sigh but stand up from the blanket we spears out in the sand. Piper shoots me one last smile as I make my way towards my sister. It seems the arm wrestling has turned into just wrestling so she doesn't hear me coming. “C’mon, Sherman! You can take her!” I hear Clarisse roar somewhere behind the wall of Ares kids that have formed around two grappling figures on the floor. Thalia is a few feet away laughing along with a blonde huntress in silver cargo pants to match her own. They don't seem too worried about losing.

She turns around when she hears me come up behind her. “Oh hey, Jason!” Both their smiles melt away. Usually the hunters act fairly nicely around me but Thalia’s blonde friend doesn't seem too happy about having to stay at camp and, from the looks of it, she blames me. “Helen can you gives us a moment?” Helen gives me one more intimidating look and then walks away to join the angry mob around the wrestling match.

“Hey, I just wanted to-”

“Wait. Jason, before you say anything I just wanted to say, I'm sorry.” The apology seems to taste bitter in her mouth. I know she doesn't do this often. “I shouldn't have pushed you so hard.”

I don't want her to think she can't. I don't want her to go easy on me. “No, you're right. I need more practice and that trick could come in handy. And if you can do it, I should be able to too.”

Her face seems to soften. “Just because I can do it doesn't mean you'll be able to too. I don't think that's how it works.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, look at Nico and Hazel. Same parent but they both represent different aspects of their Dad. Greek and Roman.”

I think she's just trying to make me feel better. “Jupiter isn't that different from Zeus.” She raises her eyebrow at me as if saying wanna bet? “Plus, we don't have just one parent in common.”

I feel like a kid throwing a tantrum, but I don't care. So what if I want to be more like my big sister. Sue me.

“Hey, c’mon J look at me,” I peel my eyes away from the floor and look at hers. At least we have that in common. “When have you seen me fly? Or control the winds like you do?”

“I-”okay she's got a point there- “you probably could if you tried.”

“Oh I’ve tried!” She looks a little pale for some reason, making her freckles stand out. “Heights are just not my thing.”

Wait. “You're afraid of heights?”

“Yes, okay!” Her tone tells me to drop it, but a little warmth spreads across my chest nonetheless. I can tell it's something that really embarrasses her, but she chose to tell me anyways to make me feel better. She rolls her eyes at my smile. “Shut up.”

I follow her to where everyone else is sitting. When Annabeth sees us she slightly nods her head towards where Nico is sitting a slight blush on his place cheeks. She's keeping her boyfriend’s mouth shut by stuffing it with food.

A thought crosses my mind as I watch Percy try to avoid Annabeth's hand. Thalia and I, we divide our father’s power between each other. Nico and Hazel do the same. But not Percy. The full power of Poseidon, Percy represents it all by himself.

*******

“Gods Nico just talk to him.”

My cheeks go bright red as Hazel catches me staring at Will. He's just sprawled there basking in the sunlight, what am I supposed to do?! At least she's embarrassed as well, fanning her face in that old-fashioned way.

I'm actually quite surprised about how she's dealing with the whole situation. She lived most of her life in the 1930s-1940s, so I would've understood some trepidation, but she only gave me a wide smile and thanked me for trusting her. When she caught on about Will she was delighted. She loves the idea of me and a doctor or something. Or maybe it's the fact that literally no one hates Will. It's kind of creepy.

“I do talk to him.”

“You told him his fly was down two weeks ago. That doesn't count.”

As always, Percy has perfect timing. “What are we talking about? Why does Nico look like a tomato?”

“Nothing!” I make the mistake of glancing at Will when I notice him standing up and suddenly Percy's face breaks into a grin worthy of any Hermes kid. “Shut up!”

“Oh. My. Gods.”

“Percy I mean it!”

Annabeth doesn't look any more innocent than her boyfriend. “I might've heard a rumor or two about him”- she nodded her head towards Will- “having a crush on you.”

Hazel actually squeals.

“We are not talking about this.”

“Fine,” says Percy, laying down on Annabeth's lap, “I guess we’ll just have to wait for him to make the first move.”

“I hate you all.”

Grover, followed by Piper, takes the final spot on our picnic blanket and Hazel and Annabeth are kind enough to keep quiet. Annabeth stuffs her boyfriend’s mouth with grapes before he can say anything but she stills shares a look with Piper.

Piper’s probably known since she has the whole Aphrodite cabin at her disposal and Percy will eventually tell Grover. By some idiot move I told Jason myself.

Great, now everyone knows.

I would complain but it's such a normal, embarrassing problem to have that I end up having to suppress a smile. Normal. The concept seems so foreign to me, but here we are having a stupid picnic by the beach and hearing Grover play terrible versions of Hilary Duff classics on his reed pipes. It might not be a mortal’s version of normalcy, but it's as close as a demigod gets.

“Where’s Jason?” I ask Piper.

“Talking to Thalia. I finally convinced them to stop acting like children and actually communicate.”

“Ah yes,” exclaims Percy, “communication. One of Thalia’s fortes.” Annabeth slaps his arm. “Ow! What? She's great at death threats.”

“You'd know.”

Normal. Annabeth and Percy playfully arguing. Normal. Hazel gushing about Frank and what a good praetor he is. Normal. Jason and Thalia finally walking towards us, Jason looking awkward until she puts him in a headlock and musses his hair making him laugh. Normal.

Yet.

Piper keeps looking to her right, but Leo’s gone. I searched for his spirit, but I never felt him die. I didn't tell them this though; there are worse things than death. Loss is torture enough, I couldn't bear to add false hope to the list.

Thalia laughs along, but she's worried. Guilt plagues her nervous hands as they dig into the sand. I remember the panic in Percy's voice as he told her to stop, how he snapped at her for being blinded by her own power. I remember her silence as they both dragged Jason to the infirmary.

Grover shoots Percy and Annabeth concerned looks when he's sure they won't notice, because even though they've gained the weight they lost and no longer look like ghosts, they're exhausted. Everyone at camp has heard them scream themselves awake.

Then there's the issue of these training sessions. Training for what? What else could they possibly throw our way?

“Hey.” Everyone noticeably goes quiet as Will sits besides me. There's barely enough space so our knees are touching. I get the very distinct urge to run.

“Hi!” Hazel’s smile practically touches her ears.

I try to focus on a) not running away and b) not looking at him. I see him reach for the grapes in my peripheral and quickly focus on my hands. Suddenly I'm very aware just how crowded it is. I try to lean back as far as I can and catch a breeze to myself. Everyone else’s chatter fades to the background.

Will leans back too, this time I allow myself to look at him. I guess I've been avoiding him. The second Thalia arrived it was like a bubble burst. “What's up?” He asks. He seems concerned; this close I can admire how his long eyelashes frame his eyes gold in the sun.

I want to tell him about everything, but I don't want to corrupt him. He's light. And maybe I don't have to talk about, maybe I can just forget and pretend nothing strange is going on. “Nothing,” I answer, “I've just been a bit busy-” I nod towards Thalia- “ that's all.”

I don't think he buys it but he smiles at me anyways. “Okay.” He takes my hand and I don't even care that everyone notices, or that he doesn't let go.

*****

“Dionysus.” Chiron hadn't seen or heard from the god of wine in days. “Come to finally celebrate our victory?”

“Victory?” He huffs and tries to brush some of the lint from his grey and purple striped suit. “Maybe here. Olympus is tearing itself apart trying to allocate blame! Zeus isn't happy! Not happy at all!”

Chiron paused to take in the day. Beautiful. He could hear the laughter coming from the beach where his heroes now celebrated their friends, themselves, being alive. He hoped for his father’s power, to freeze them in this moment and spare them from the darkness that was to come. “Who will it be this time?”

“It seems they have narrowed down on Apollo.” Dionysius scoffed, as always irritated by his half-brother. “No wonder. Had we had the power of prophecy…” The god left the thought there. “What about you? How has your little task played out so far?”

Chiron clenched the railing of the Big House. To have to prep the children to be presented… as if there were lifeless weapons instead of feeling, thinking beings. To have to betray them for the sake of the gods… “When have they ever let down Olympus?”

“Good! At least I'll have some good news to bring to Zeus!” With a puff that left the scent of tangy grapes in the air, the god disappeared.

Chiron had actually thought he'd trained his last tragedy. Finally, heroes that would get to enjoy the riches of the world they'd help save.

Oh, how cruel the Fates were.

********

Thalia’s officially lost it. She's decided to zero in on me today. She has to repeat herself because my brain doesn't really process when she says it the first time.

“I-” she points at herself and jabs a finger at my chest as she continues- “want you to bring this-” she motions to the dead squirrel at her feet- “back to life.”

I understand that I've done things similar to this in the past. It wasn't until recently that I was able to deal with non-humans, though. At first I looked confused, did she want me to control its corpse or something? Get more practice with animals? (It sounds gruesome but it's quite doable for me) But she shook her hair as she saw the thought form. Alive. She wanted it to breathe again.

“You're insane.” Not even Jason pipes up to defend his sister. Percy and Hazel look at her as if she's grow a third eye. “That's impossible, way out of my reach.”

“I know you can do it.”

“I could get in trouble for even attempting to do it.” My warning comes out as a low hiss.

“Just try it, Nico.” She's been holding my gaze the whole time but suddenly a nerve jumps in her forehead. She doesn't actually want me to do this. This is Chiron speaking through her.

“No.” I feel everyone stiffen around me. We've all been pretty hesitant about this whole ordeal, but up until now no one’s downright refused to do it. I'm now certain these training sessions won't benefit us at all, though, and I refuse to cross that line. Tartarus itself didn't make me.

I must admit I tried it once, after Bianca died. People’s souls or spirits (whatever you want to call them), I’ve always been able to sense them. It's how I can summon ghost for brief periods of time, call on the skeletons of the Underworld to my service. If I reach hard enough with my mind, I can barely stroke their essence. I briefly give them some of my strength so they can materialize if they are ghost or move if they're a body. I figured that if I focused hard enough I could fully grasp an essence that had seized to exist in the mortal world, and give it enough of my strength to come back.

And so that's what I did. I guess Bianca knew me too well, because she hid away from me. Not many could, but she was a daughter of Hades even in death. I tried it on the first ghost that appeared to me instead.

I knew I'd made a mistake as soon as I closed a hand around Minos’s essence. I immediately felt my own seep out of me, but it wasn't restoring what had been lost during his death. I was just making a dead person have a physical form again. Alive but not living. It made me want to explode with how wrong it felt.

I thought I'd do anything to bring my sister back, and since then I've caved in and allowed myself to crack. But not that. Not ever.

“I won't do it, Thalia.”

She flashes her eyes at me but I see past it. Underneath it all, I see relief.

******

Chiron hears Thalia Grace stomp her way into his office before he actually sees her. He knows exactly what he'd see if he turned around. He hadn't fully processed himself what he'd last asked her to do.

She'd looked at him incredulous. After the incident with Jason she'd warned him not to push too far; it was clear to him that she was now fully distrusting of what he'd told her were his intentions initially, and was only sticking around to figure out what this was actually about. Her warnings, of course, were nothing new to the old centaur. He'd said the same thing to Dionysus when he was first ordered him to do this.

“He didn't do it.” She tells him.

Chiron’s aware that the gods expect him to convince her to go back out there and not come back until the boy has at least attempted to do what they want to see, but he just nods. Good, he thinks. Nico has enough to deal with already.

“I'm done. I'm taking my hunters and leaving right now.”

A vice-like grip seems to take hold of Chiron, reminding him that the gods have other, less friendly, methods to obtain the information they seek. “Thalia.”

“I mean it. If you don't want to tell me what's really going on here, fine! But I won't be a part of this!”

“Thalia. Don't you trust me?” He tightens his fists at his sides. If there was any other way… “Because Annabeth, does. Luke did.” At the mention of his name her anger seems to slightly melt away. “I know what I'm doing.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” He finally turns to look at her. He makes sure she listens to him, really listens. “I know exactly what I'm doing, Thalia. I know I'm asking a lot from you, from the others, but we’re almost done.” Then I'll give them the truth, Chiron thinks. He knows Zeus is listening.

She sighs. “Percy. He's next, isn't he?”

Something happened after Jason collapsed, but Thalia wouldn't tell him. He knew Thalia wasn't easily shaken, but somehow this had. Chiron suspected it had something to do with the special interest the gods had taken on Percy. With the rest of the children they seemed to be speculating, but with him they were sure.

“Yes.”

*********

“C’mon Jackson! I've seen you do it!”

“You've seen me make a few cracks on the floor!”

Thalia rolls her eyes at me. I should've known she'd come after me next with the way I snapped at her after the whole Jason incident and how badly her attempt with Nico went. “I'm not asking you to do anything you haven't done before. I took the necessary precautions and everything!”

“A change of venue hardly counts as necessary precautions!” I should've known something was up when Thalia suggested we go on a hike. This is the farthest into the woods I've ever walked -it took us hours- and I've been getting lost in here since I was twelve. We must be close to the Western Hills of the Camp. “Last time I almost tore a volcano apart and it almost killed me!”

“Details!”

“They had a funeral and everything!”

She makes a frustrated sound in the back of her throat. I'm uncomfortably aware of the others watching us, their eyes following us the way one would follow a very important ping pong match. Why does she care so much about this anyways?

“How would this help me have more control over my powers?” I ask, my voice lower. “What I did back then is the definition of losing control.” And you don't want to see me lose control now. She catches the look in my eyes and seems to read my mind. I can't believe she’d push me after the incident with Jason.

I hadn't allowed myself to touch that part of my powers since Tartarus. Most of my nightmares consist of re-living that moment. The moment I felt something inside me shatter irreparably. The moment I turned into everything I've been fighting for five years.

I don't even remember calling on my powers. I just saw the strain in Jason’s face, Thalia looked mad. I felt anger hitting me in waves and suddenly I was telling Thalia to stop. But I did more than that. Her eyes widened, but she wasn't looking at Jason, who had just collapsed. She was staring at me in horror because she couldn't move. I was holding her in place, willing all the water in her body to stay static. It was only for a second, the others didn't notice, but she’d felt herself lose control of her own body and probably felt my tightened fists even though they hung at my sides.

Much like they do now.

“You're suppressing them, building pressure,” she argues, answering my questions.

“Who made you the expert?”

“Chiron, dumbass, remember?”

We don't stare away from each other as Hazel steps in between us and starts telling us to calm down. Neither Jason nor Nico were bold enough to intervene, but Hazel only sounds slightly irritated.

Thalia just won't shut up though.

“I can't believe we're having the same argument as always! You just can't stand anyone but yourself being in charge!” She spits in my face. Hazel places a hand on my chest. I've gotten so close to Thalia that we're practically squishing her in between our taller frames. “You're not the hero, remember?!”

I'm only half aware of pushing Hazel aside and Nico’s cry of protest.

                          The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap

“Don't you dare throw those lines at me!”

“OR WHAT?!”

I don't get a chance to retaliate because just then Nico raises a solid, black wall of obsidian between us. “THAT’S ENOUGH!”

My adrenaline drains in a second. I turn in time to watch Jason help Hazel up. I pushed her aside. An apology dies on my lips when I catch Nico’s eyes. Dark, angry eyes.

What am I doing?

‘I won't tell on you, but you have to promise to keep my sister safe.’

‘Promise.’

‘Tell him...tell him I'm sorry.’ She ran off before I could stop her.

What am I doing?

It's like nothing's changed. I'm arguing with Thalia. I'm letting down Nico.

But what's my excuse now?

The wall of obsidian slowly melts back into the ground. Thalia and I stare at each other in shock. I know what she's thinking by the look of guilt that frames her eyes. We could've hurt someone. I was about to hurt her. I was so close to losing control; my temper rose in an instant. I look down at my feet and sure enough there are cracks there. Nico stopped us just in time...stopped me.

I turn to Hazel. There's an angry red scrape on her elbow. I want to melt right into the ground along with the obsidian. I want to melt all the way to Hell where I belong. “I'm...so sorry,” I choke out. I said the same thing to Bianca Di Angelo’s ghost.

*******

I'm worried about Percy. I'm worried about Annabeth. I'm worried about the real reasons behind this damn training sessions. I'm worried and I can't think. I can't think because I can't sleep. The calm from the picnic didn't last a goddamn second.

Thalia probably didn't know it, but she was pushing too hard, harder than she'd done with Jason. It isn't like before, when we were younger. Even back then our powers scared me. Watching Thalia and Percy fight by Zeus’s Fist all those years ago had been the most awesome display of power I'd ever seen. They were more intimidating than I'd ever imagined any of my Mythomagic figurines would be in real life. Now, I know that was only a fraction of what we can do.

I would've done anything to have powers like them when I was ten. I didn't understand what it meant, the pain you'd have to undergo to tap into that part of yourself. I didn't understand that something inside you had to break to reach them.

When Annabeth and Percy fell I hoped they'd come out untouched by that vile hellhole. They've always been stronger than me. No matter what happened, Percy had never lost hope. He was good. I hated him for it. I could look into his eyes and know they would never look as angry and as bitter as mine did, and I envied that. But it also made me want to be just as brave, made me trust him despite everything. I realize now it was unfair to put him on such a pedestal.

It makes me angrier than anything that I lived through down there. I never minded them taking hope from me, I didn't have much to begin with, but Percy...Annabeth...they are true heroes. They've earned hope.

After I broke up their fight, I was the one that suggested Thalia go talk with Annabeth. She looked like she needed it. No one really knew what to do. We’d been pretending everything was fine and in a second we dropped the front and it was impossible to get it back. For some reason I felt calmer than the rest. Pretending has always made me edgier.

“You need to find out why they’re training us,” I told Thalia. We weren't skirting past the obvious any longer. “I’m sure Annabeth will figure something out.”

She gave Percy a side glance as she dove back into the forest. He flashed one right back, Later. Whatever discussion they should have it wasn't going to be in front of us.

Jason followed his sister and Hazel looked down at her scraped elbow. My anger at seeing Percy push her aside had been painfully poignant, like a stab in the heart, but it was momentary. Percy tried to step towards her and apologize once again but she put her hand up. “Don't, Percy. It's fine.” It wasn't, you could hear it all over her tone. She simply meant she'd get over it, but right now she wanted to leave. So she did, and suddenly it was just me and Percy.

Only then did I notice that we were almost the same height now, that seventeen wasn't too far from fourteen. We'd never been too far apart. But he, unlike me, had shouldered two Great Prophecies.

He seemed to notice it too. “When did you grow up?” I don't know if he was asking me or himself.

It was very subtle: his shoulders drooped down so that he was properly hunching, he slid his hands through his face with a deep sigh. Suddenly, he wasn't The Percy Jackson. He was just Percy.

Bianca used to wake up hours before I did on Christmas Day and place presents under our tree. I caught her doing it at the hotel once. I didn't make a sound; for the first time she didn't look like my older sister, but like the eleven or twelve-year-old she was. She looked like she was playing at being an adult, and for once I noticed how childish it all seemed. I remember feeling sad and guilty because no one did it for her. The next morning I was set on telling her I knew, but she seemed so excited for me to open my presents that I never did.

Percy looked like she did placing those presents.

“Since when do you take care of me?”

I felt guilty all over again. “I'm sorry.”

“Nico, you don't-”

I'd forgotten about the argument. I could only hear the echo of Thalia and Percy's  voices getting louder and matching the ones inside my head. And watching Percy come undone in front of me then, the words just tumbled out of my mouth. “It was stupid of me to go looking for the doors! If I'd just thought it through or told someone…”

“Nico…” He looked a hundred years old. Exhausted, concerned. “Nico it wasn't your fault...any of it...you being there…it shouldn't have happened.”

I felt very small then. I like to remind people how old I truly am all the time. Truth is: I've never stopped feeling ten and petrified.

“You were there alone.”

I was and, even though I knew they were probably looking for me, they didn't find me. What's more darkness to someone who is already made out of shadows? “I'm always alone, Percy. That wasn't going to change in Tartarus.”

“I'm the one that's sorry. You didn't deserve that. I did.” I wanted to tell him it wasn't true but he didn't let me. “When I got there they were all waiting for me. I killed them all without thinking twice about it.”

“You had to, Percy! We all do-”

“I know it's what I am. But not you. Not Annabeth. You're different.”

“No we're not! What are you talking about?!”

He chuckled and it was so cold. “It's all I've ever been good at. They know it.” He pointed a trembling finger at the sky. “They know what I did down there. They crave that power...I crave that power.”

I looked at the cracks he'd made on the ground to avoid his eyes and allowed myself to wonder how far he'd gone if I didn't step in between him and Thalia. He'd been down there longer. I know that if I had, I would've crossed that line, the line I've been avoiding since Bianca died. What choice did he have down there but to let himself break.

What does that make him now?

“No.” He was right. I didn't deserve Tartarus. Neither did Annabeth. Neither did he. “You're scared of what you can do; you're aware of the hurt it can cause,” I told him. he wasn't consumed by it. He rejected it. “You're still the hero I met when I was ten. That's why I'll always fight beside you, Percy. It was never about the gods.”

Thunder rumbled above us, but he didn't jump.

***********

At first I think it's Percy who's entered my cabin, then I distinguish the lighter tread and decide it's Thalia. We haven't properly talked since she came to camp, not like I've wanted to anyways. She's been putting that off.

“Hey,” she peers over my shoulder to look at the plans I'm currently working on, “what you've got there?”

“Just some sketches for the cabin expansions.”

She doesn't seem that interested. “Nico wants us to talk,” she tells me. Thalia's always been terrible at small talk.

“What about?”

“What are we training for Annabeth?” I put my pencil down and turn to face her. Her eyes are nervously scanning my face for answers. “Chiron made up some bullshit about wanting us to learn to manage our powers better but it's the opposite of it! It's like he wants to see-”

“-exactly how powerful you really are?”

“Yeah.”

I knew better than to believe what Percy told me. He didn't buy it either. None of us did. I also know that if Chiron approved he would've told a better lie. “I don't think this was Chiron's idea.”

“I know. Artemis seemed too relaxed about it.”

“Have you talked to her recently?

“She never stopped communicating with us but not face to face, no.”

“I saw Dionysus a few days ago talking to Chiron...Chiron didn't look very happy.” I add.

“That'd be the first god to show up in a while.” She'd probably been thinking of this since her first meeting with Chiron. A million thoughts seem to be racing through her head. “Chiron didn't seem like himself at any of the meetings we've had. Like you said, he never looked quite happy about what he was asking me to do. I figured I could wait and see how it panned out in training before coming to any conclusions but today…” Her eyes widen. She's said too much.

Something happened, something she doesn't want me to know about. “Why did Nico send you to talk to me?” She opens her mouth but can't seem to articulate whatever excuse she was going to tell me. I hold her eyes. Everyone always tells me my stares can be pretty intimidating. I learned from the best. Thalia made a pretty intimidating twelve-year-old. “Thalia.”

“Percy and I-”

“Don't tell me you were fighting again?” Percy told me what's happened afte Jason passed out the other day.

She looks away. “I guess it got a little out of hand-”

“You two are so childish! Why can't you just-”

“Annabeth!” It's been awhile since she raised her voice to me. It's the twinge of panic that keeps my mouth shut. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “I...I pushed too far. He got so worked up and...I don't know why I fed into it.”

She doesn't have to say more. “Where is he?”

“I left him with Nico.” I immediately stand up but she catches my arm. “I think he's the best person he can talk to at the moment.” I try to shake her off but her grasp is like steel. “It's not him you should talk to right now, Beth.”

I want to go to Percy. I want to be alone with him and rub the space between his eyebrows because he scrunches it up so hard when he's worried. I want us to drift into our peaceful bubble where only the two of us exist and we can pretend we’ve stopped hurting. I don't want to find out the gods’ new scheme, the Fates’ new wretched turn to our already messed up life.

But I don't run to Percy like I want to. Instead I march towards the Big House, the remnants of Thalia’s steel grip still pressing against my arm.

Dionysus is here. He's sitting beside Chiron, who's in his wheelchair, out on the porch. Something like relief crosses Chiron’s face as I stomp up the steps. “Anniebell!” At this point Dionysus just does it to get under our skin. “So glad to see your cheerful face as always!”

“What are you playing at?!” I growl.

His ironic cheer melts off his face right away, the usual discontent replaces it.

“Perhaps it'd be best if we took this inside.” I want to tell Chiron that I don't care who hears me, but his eyes dart quickly to the right and I notice Harley. He's dragging parts for the beacon he's built for Leo back to his cabin but has stopped to check out what's going on. His eyes dart to Dionysus then to me.

I shoot Harley a quick smile then turn back to Chiron. “Fine.” They both follow me inside into the living room where the fireplace is already lit even though it's probably 8 AM and close to ninety degrees outside. I wait until I can't see Harley through the window to speak again. I meet Dionysus’ purplish eyes. “What have they sent you here for?”

“Typical of demigods! First they're begging us to talk to them and when we finally show up this is what we have to face?” He huffs indignantly. “You always thought so highly of yourself Annalyse-”

“You know that's not my name.” I want Chiron to speak up but he just stares sadly at the flames. “And I know Zeus sent you to check in on the training sessions.” He's listening to me now. I walk up to him so that our noses are almost touching. “What's. Your. Game?”

“I don't have to inform some mortal girl on the business of Lord Zeus.”

I grab him by the cuffs of his stupid grey suit. “Annabeth that's enough!” I whip my head towards Chiron, hot bile churning in my stomach. He's stepping in for him? “Annabeth.” I know what that tone means. I let go of Dionysus.

I stand fuming while the wine god pats the wrinkles out of his suit. I try to search Chiron’s face for an answer but it's like stone. For the first time since I've known Chiron, I can't read his expression. He's never shut me off, and it scares me more than anything Thalia told me earlier. Instead he turns to Dionysus and I have to stand there feeling how I assume everyone else always feels when Chiron and I have a silent conversation.

“They deserve to know,” he finally says.

To my surprise, Dionysus doesn't object. “He's gonna make me stay another millennia here, you do know that? Right?” Chiron stays silent, looking at him expectantly. “Look kid,” he finally starts, looking up at the ceiling with a pained expression, “Zeus really screwed up, okay?” He winces as the sky rumbles. Before, I would've worried about us being blown to bits. Now, I don't even look up. “With the Titans, and the Giants...he's let his ego get in the way-”

“I already know all of this. Get to the point.”

Annoyance etches his face but he doesn't stop. “Maybe the most recent war made him see things more clearly. Maybe he didn't like his Queen doing what she pleased with his heroes. Either way, he did some digging around of his own after the whole Gaea incident. The Titans AND the Giants rising so close to each other...it seemed almost-”

“-orchestrated.” A heavy stone of dread finally settles in my chest. I'm almost relieved. Of course the idea had entered my mind. I don't believe in coincidence and after defeating Gaea so easily I knew she couldn't have been behind it all. “Who-”

Dionysus shakes his head. I know he's already said too much but I want to press him for more. I need to know. But he holds his hand up before I can say anything. “Zeus wants to be prepared this time around. He's ah ‘sharpening his best weapons’, one could say.” There's a slight undertone of disgust as he says the last part, never looking away from me. “We can't know for certain what role each will have due to our lack of Oracle, I'm afraid, but surely that'll be fixed soon enough. In the meantime we can make sure no potential is being wasted.” I cling to his words, taking in the double-meaning behind them. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to be blast to bits.”

He vanishes before I can ask anything else.

Chiron reaches to touch my hand but I pull away. I can see the hurt in his eyes but I don't care. “Annabeth, you have to understand…”

“Understand what exactly? You could've warned us! Told us sooner!”

“You know I don't have much choice-”

“You couldn't stick up for us...for me?” I can tell my words are killing him, but I mean them too much to keep them quiet. It's barely been a couple of weeks. He knows, more than anyone, how much we need the time.

“I tried...Annabeth these are the gods we're talking about. What could've I've done?”

“Anything! Everything you could and then more because it's what we've have to do!”

His old, tired eyes are glassy with tears. He has always protected me, when everyone forgot he always remembered I was a kid. I can't count the times I've bawled into his chest or sought a comforting word and found it. I want to do that now, but we both know what he's trying to tell me. He lets me in just a crack and I finally understand.

We're going to war again.

“I'm sorry.”

********

I watch everyone’s face fall as Annabeth tells us what Dionysus revealed. We're all  seated inside cabin 13 except Annabeth who is standing up. Jason and Piper are seated on my bed, Thalia and Percy on Nico’s. Nico himself is sitting beside me on our small couch.

“He mentioned the Oracle. Something about restoring it somehow,” Annabeth continues. She seems to be talking more to herself than anyone of us in particular, too immersed in the millions of possibilities that are probably racing through her head. “If the gods are all meeting as we speak they're probably looking for someone to pin the blame on-”

“Wait,” Jason interrupts, “but didn't you say my dad admitted to messing up? Why pin it on someone else?”

“Zeus would never admit he made a mistake,” answers Percy. For someone who knows the power of names he sure doesn't mind throwing them around. “He’ll have to punish someone to cover up. It won't be a mortal. It was too big and too close to the Titan War. Didn't you see him in the Acropolis?” They all remembered the Lord of the Sky snapping at a couple of the Olympians after the fight.

“It all comes down to the prophecies,” Annabeth insists, beginning to pace now. “The biggest excuse for the gods not to intervene isn't their laws. They won't meddle with prophecies, especially ones that say hand picked heroes get to fight for them.”

“So what?” Thalia interjects. “They won't do anything to stop whoever set all of this in motion until they've got a prophecy?”

Annabeth shakes her head. “Only a god can restore The Oracle. They'll have to. Plus, we can't do it for them unless we have a prophecy! Which is how their messes are usually cleared up.”

“Gods don't meddle, you said so yourself,” argues Thalia. “If they supposedly did nothing wrong to begin with, why would they try to fix it?”

“Not them,” I can tell Percy has been following his own train of thought, “whoever they end up blaming, whoever they punish. They'll separate themselves that way and send whoever they decided messed up.”

Annabeth stops pacing and looks at Percy. They exchange a look, and suddenly I realize what Percy might be implying. They'll never fight alongside us as immortals...but immortality can be taken away.

I don't know if everyone thinks what I do, but we all go quiet. Before, we would've been jolted awake by such critical information, but we're all so palpably tired now. I turn to look at my brother, whose eye bags have become almost permanent under his eyes. Aboard the Argo II we all seemed so much more energized. I realize now that those were our ‘imminent danger, scared-out-of-our-minds’ selves. We were pushing so hard because we could see the finish line; we were tired then too, but we could handle it because we knew it was almost over. Now they're telling us it's barely even begun? None of us are eager to jump into action.

Before we would've gone to work, now we simply drift apart, a silent agreement passing between us all to do nothing until absolutely necessary. Piper tugs at Jason’s arm, whispering a quick bye to the others. She's barely had time to properly mourn her best friend. Thalia follows her brother out the door. Annabeth and Percy are the last to leave, their fingers loosely locked together. Nico and I watch them all go.

“I should probably send word to Frank,” I say after a while.

Nico doesn't take his eyes away from the door. “You leaving already? I could shadow travel you back to Camp Jupiter if you want.”

In light of recent events I'm not too keen on air travel. For the first time I allow myself to feel hatred towards Jupiter and all the Olympians, but force it right down almost immediately. It's not good for us to hold grudges, Nico once told me, it's our fatal flaw. “No, it's okay. I'll ask Frank to send a veteran.”

“It'll be okay.” Nico finally turns to look at me. Somehow that doesn't sound as reassuring coming from the boy that lies awake at night haunted by nightmares. “Whatever happens, we'll get through it. We've done it before.”

“Not all of us made it.” I think of Leo and it becomes much harder to keep my anger down. I wait for Nico to try to reassure me again, but he's always been too honest. He can't promise me that.

He stays silent and goes back to staring at the door. After a while I decide I can't put off calling Frank much longer and head towards the volleyball court where they keep a hose. I look back at my brother as I'm closing the door behind me. “Nico,” he stares up at me, “we’ll be fine.” He nods and tries to offer me a smile but it comes out more like a grimace. I turn around and close the door behind me.

It's not that sunny today. Hopefully it's enough to get a decent rainbow going. I could ask Chiron for one of the few cellphones but I doubt Frank is close to one at Camp and I want to see his face. I'm almost to the forge when I hear Will coming out of the pegasus stables. “Hey Hazel!” He catches up to me, all smiles. “Did your training session get extended or something? Percy was suppose to check on the mare-”

“Yeah,” I lie, “Thalia got a little excited.” I briefly remember Percy telling us about a pregnant pegasus he and Will have been taking care of. I've been dying to meet her since he mentioned it at the picnic. “Maybe I could help.”

Will’s face lights up, almost literally. Nico is right, he looks like the improved version of Octavian. I didn't really get sun god vibes from him, but Will almost embodies sunshine. “Yeah of course! After seeing you ride Arion I don't think she’ll be any trouble at all!”

I follow him to the stables and make a silent promise to get in touch with Frank later in the day. “How far along is she?”

“Oh she's almost there!”  He pulls out a giant glove as I enter a section that seems more spacious and my eyes widen. I didn't realize it was that kind of check up. “Don't panic on me now, Levesque. I just need you to calm her down. I have Percy help me since he can talk to her.” He pulls out a stool and sits behind the grey mare grazing in the corner. My nerves melt away the second I set eyes on her. Her wings are so silky that they almost look like silver, her big brown eyes scan me nervously.

“It's okay,” I reassure her, slowly walking towards her and softly placing my hand between her eyes. I try to not pay any attention to whatever Will’s doing and find myself chatting nonsensically with the mare. “What's her name?”

“Misty.”

I tell Misty about the strawberry fields, and babble about the unicorns back in Camp Jupiter until Will is finished. I don't know how much time passes but I'm grateful for the distraction. I pat Misty one last time and follow Will outside. I don't even realize I'm hungry until my stomach growls. I haven't really had time to eat anything, nor have I felt inclined to until now. “C’mon, I'll buy you something from the Camp store.” I try to decline but Will waves me away until I gratefully accept.

He buys me a muffin and gets a sandwich for himself, then we make our way to the Hearth where a small, mousy girl is tending to the flames. I smile at her and she looks at me curiously before smiling back and placing a small finger to her lips. “Thanks,” I tell Will as he sit beside me, “I needed that.”

“Don't mention it.”

We eat in silence. I watch as Will waves to everyone and how they all wave back, unable to not mirror Will’s smile. I stare at the door to my cabin and will Nico to come out. I imagine his gloomy, tired face breaking into a grin when he sees us, and him walking towards us and chatting away. But the door stays closed. “Hey,” I know I'll pay for this later but I go on anyways, “do you mind checking in on my brother?”

Will swallows the last of his sandwich before asking: “Is something wrong?” When I don't answer his gaze momentarily shifts to the angry scrape on my arm.

“He's just in a mood.”

He looks skeptical but nods anyways. I guess he has enough experience with us all and knows better than to push it. He calls a small later over his shoulder as he walks towards cabin 13 and I feel a little lighter. I'm glad Nico now has Will. He's good for him.

Now all I want to do is talk to Frank.

*******

Thalia sits beside me at the base of the Zeus statue inside cabin 1. Piper wanted to stay with me but a fire erupted inside the Aphrodite cabin (something about too many hair straighteners being plugged in) and she had to rush there before actual people were set on fire (again). Thalia's old things are still in the corner. I wonder if my father would get mad if I asked Annabeth to remodel the place, make it feel less like an ominous temple. I turn to ask Thalia what she thinks about it and realize she's crying.

“Gods, Thalia…” I awkwardly put my arm around her. “It'll be fine-” I stop abruptly when I notice that what I thought were sobs shaking her body, is actually a laugh she's failing to contain. Maybe she's finally losing it. She catches a glimpse of whatever face I'm making and properly starts laughing. It sounds insane and it's starting to make the corners of my mouth twitch. “Stop it, you sound crazy.”

She manages to tone it down to a few chuckles and wipes her eyes, smudging her mascara so she looks like a blue-eyed, tiara-wearing raccoon. “Aw man,” she exclaims, “Dad sure outdoes himself, doesn't he?” There isn't much humor left in her voice. “Although I must admit it did warm my heart to know he considers me one of his greatest weapons-”

“Thalia.”

“-every child's dream, truly.” I look up to the statue above us nervously. “Oh don't worry, J. Daddy knows better than to wreck his precious toys.”

“Thalia c’mon.”

“Sometimes I wish he'd let me die all those years ago, y'know. I would've had a hero's death and be done with it-”

“Don't say that.” I take her hand and she meets my eyes. I understand what she's feeling because I'm pretty angry myself. But, unlike her, our father has pretty much ignored me my whole life. I don't know him enough to feel the betrayal I know she probably feels. “It'll be okay.” It sounds lame even to me but she smiles anyways.

“I don't think it's ever been okay, but…” She shrugs. Just like that she's pulling herself together again. It scares me to see her so undone but I also realize how much she must trust me to lose control like that in front of me. “...we've never had much of a choice.”

“They don't control us, Thalia. As much as they want to, they can't.”

“That doesn't sound very Roman of you.”

I'm feeling pretty un-Roman, yes. “So we’re caught in a war again?! I won't fight because he-” I point at the statue- “needs saving! I don't really care much for making him proud at the moment.” Once again I glance nervously at the huge marble Zeus and adjust my glasses which, in my flurry, started to slide down my nose. I don't know where that came from. I guess I've finally hit my rebellious, teenage streak.

Thalia looks amused. She's smirking, so that can't be good. “You really are my brother, aren't you?” Maybe she wasn't amused, maybe she was...proud? “And yeah, you're right. I won't be fighting for him. I don't know what difference it'll make when the time comes, but I at least want him to know that.” She pulls me into a headlock and starts messing up my hair. She really liked doing that. “I love you, little brother.”

*******

I jump when the door creaks open. I'm surprised to find Will’s face poking in, “Can I come in?”

I don't really feel like talking but I find myself muttering sure anyways. He joins me on the floor (the couch was too comfortable for my liking), resting his weight on his elbows and spreading out his long legs in front of him. “So Hazel’s worried about you.”

“Did she send you?”

“Yep.”

“Figures.”

I can feel him searching my face for any hint as to what happened. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No!” I don't mean to raise my voice. I turn to apologize but he shakes his head.

“It's okay.”

I uncross my legs and mirror his pose so our arms are touching. I can feel his bare bicep against my shoulder. “Hazel helped me out with Misty,” he tells me, “she did a great job. I didn't get kicked once!” He shifts his weight to his left arm so he can bring his hand up to place a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I predict we’ll have a healthy, male baby pegasus this time next week.” He grabs my chin with his long archer’s fingers and tries to nudge my head towards him but I don't buck because...well because I'm stubborn, okay? Instead he places a kiss to my cheek and keeps on babbling. “I don't think Porkpie and Blackjack will be too happy about having another, cuter, smaller pegasus around. They're always fighting over Misty and now they'll always lose to him.”

The sides of my mouth twitch slightly and I can see a triumphant smile spread across his face. Still, he soldiers on. “But maybe once he's born we’ll finally figure out who the father actually is! I know Percy's got his money on Blackjack but that seems like favoritism to me, Porkpie can be quite charming-”

He stops abruptly as I let out a chuckle. “Okay,” I tell him, “you win! Just please stop.”

He laughs, and in a fit of bravery rushes in and kisses me. We both stare wide-eyed at the other as he pulls away. I brush my lips with my finger, convinced they can't possibly be the same after being pressed against Will Solace’s mouth. My first kiss.

“Oh Gods! Nico, I'm sorry.”

“It's okay,” I whisper, my fingers still on my lips.

“I'll leave!”

“No!” I'm shaken out of my daze as he stands up. I reach for him and catch his wrist, and gods I'm blushing so hard. “Stay,” I clear my throat which has suddenly gone very dry. “I mean, only if you want to.”

He looks petrified but eventually nods and sits back down next to me, both our backs against the foot of Hazel’s bed. I don't notice I'm still holding his wrist until I  realize that the loud thumping I feel beneath my fingers is his racing heartbeat. In my own moment of bravery I intertwine my fingers with his.

It's easy to forget what Annabeth told us when I'm willing my palms not to sweat and when my lips can't stop tingling.

**********

We should've left Percy's cabin a while ago. I'm pretty sure he just missed his sword fighting class and Malcolm must be waiting by the climbing wall for me, but neither one of us moves from his bed. It's only a couple degrees cooler inside the cabin and the combination of summer weather and the heat from Percy's body against mine is making me drowsy. I trace circles on his chest absentminded until he catches my hand. “If you keep doing that I'm definitely going to fall asleep.”

I stop. “Sorry.”

“S’okay.”

I sigh and will my entire body to disentangle itself from Percy. He catches my arm as my feet touch the floor. “We can't just stay here,” I tell him, “they're probably already looking for us.”

He groans and hugs me from behind, placing a small kiss on my neck then burrowing his face on my shoulder. “If they wanted to find us, they'd know where to look. Let's just stay here a little while.”

It's tempting, so tempting to just stay here inside our bubble and ignore everything else. “We can't. Percy…”

“What?”

“We can't just act like what just happened didn't happen.”

“Why not?”

I turn so I can properly glare at him. “Why?! This changes everything!”

“No, it doesn't.” I want to argue. I want him to be annoyed by me and roll his eyes at what I have to say. I want to yell and have him yell back. But all my anger melts away when he tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “We’re still graduating. We're still going to college. You're still going to design a whole city for our camp.” I only told him a few days ago about my ideas for New Athens. “Our plans are still there, Annabeth.”

“They won't ever leave us alone.”

He pulls me closer to him. I could almost count all the different shades of greens and blues in his eyes. “They don't matter.” He kisses me, first on the lips then down my jaw, all the way to my collarbone. It's hard to to focus on the bleak aspects of life when you can feel Percy Jackson’s warm breath against your chest. He pulls me back down into the bed so we're facing each other. After a while he says: “You're staring at me.” I am. He's taking this whole mess too well, his features look completely calm.“Stooop,” he whines.

“Are you blushing?”

“What? No,” he totally is, “it's just really hot in here.”

I laugh at the duality of Percy Jackson. One second he's peppering you with kisses, the next he's embarrassed if you stare too long at his face. I'm so happy in this moment it's scary. He probably notices the shift in my eyes and his smile melts away. Why is he so calm about this? We seemed to be on the same page as me a while ago in Nico’s cabin. Thalia even mentioned they fought earlier!

He presses him forehead against mine. “Stop thinking.”

But I can't. All I can think about are Chiron’s sad eyes as he said sorry and the million possible enemies we’ll have to face and how I just can't anymore. “I can't.”

His lips are against my ear now. “I know, Annabeth. I hate it too. But I'm not giving up now.”

I turn around and kiss him again. I kiss him because just now he sounded terrified, because he's probably been freaking out about this since Thalia showed up and he hasn't let it ruin a single moment with me. I kiss him because I wish I wasn't so powerless and actually had a say in my own life. And he kisses me back because he feels it too.

“Hey,” he says after a while, breaking away from the kiss, suddenly looking nervous, “I have to tell you something. It's not bad,” he adds quickly. Slowly his smile comes back and he looks straight at me and we're both twelve and jittery again. “My mom’s-” he lets out a shaky, embarrassed laugh as tears pool in his eyes- “she's pregnant Annabeth!”

All my drowsiness melts away immediately. I sit up and start saying something but falter and all that comes out is something between a shriek and a gasp. And I'm crying and so is he, but we're also laughing and if someone were to walk in on us now we’d probably look insane.

I look back at him once again, and it hits me. I rush forwards and take his face in my hands, searching. I search the bags beneath his eyes and the brand new sun freckles above his nose. I search in the one slightly crooked front tooth as he gapes at me in confusion through his tears, and in the spot on his left eyebrow that always looks messy.

I search and search, but I never find it. And maybe that darkness comes back when Thalia pushes too hard, or in the middle of the night when we realize our nightmares are actually memories. Or when we realize that the wars will never stop.

But right now Percy’s going to be an older brother again.

Right now, we're nothing but light.

*******

EPILOGUE

It took Percy Jackson two hours to convince the cops not to tow his car (with heavy help from a few tricks Hazel had taught him on how to control The Mist) and another hour to wedge the Prius out from the two trees he'd swerved into, all while being slowed down by his constant sneezing. He finally caught his breath as he rested his hands on his knees and admired his handy work. Both car doors were heavily scratched and the one on the driver’s side had a dent from where Percy banged it against the tree trunk as he tried to open it, he'd also busted a headlight and the mirror that'd been on Meg’s side lay pathetically on the floor. Yeah, he was definitely grounded. He checked his watch even though the dark sky already let him know he was very late indeed. With a sigh he opened the door and sat behind the wheel. His head had started to throb and he let out final sneeze before he put the keys in the ignition and attempted to start the car. “C’mon,” he grumbled, placing his forehead against the wheel as he turned the keys a second time. It took him another two tries but he finally managed to start the car.

As he drove back to his apartment, stuck in traffic and painfully congested, he tried to convince himself that he's denial to get involved in whatever trouble Apollo was going to cause was going to hold up. It wasn't working. For the first time in seven months he allowed himself to think about what Annabeth had told them inside Nico’s cabin. The Oracle. An enemy so strong they'd coordinated the last two wars.

He thought he'd have more time.

When he finally made it to the apartment it was almost midnight. The combination of his head cold and the guilt at making his extremely pregnant mother worry were enough to make him hesitate at the door, but he finally turned the key and pushed his way into the dimly lit apartment.

Sally Jackson was wearing the same tye-dye dress she'd wore earlier in the day when she prepared snacks for Apollo and Meg McCaffrey, Paul was sitting beside her in the kitchen.

“Mom, I'm so-” he was interrupted mid-way by a sneeze followed by a groan.

“Oh Percy! What happened now?” In a second she was right beside him guiding him into an armchair and heating up the kettle. Before he could explain further he was wrapped in a blanket, a warm mug of tea in his hands.

“It's fine, Mom. It's just a cold.” She didn't look any less worried, making Percy's guilt flash back. “I'm sorry. I was in a field and there wasn't any signal. Plus, I couldn't even get to my phone because these dumb cops-”

Paul raised a hand and stopped him right there. “What about the cops? Percy, did you get arrested?”

“What? No! They just wanted to tow the car.”

Sally brought her hand to her hip in a very motherly way. “Perseus Jackson you'd better not have crashed that car!”

Percy winced as he remembered the scratches on the door. He looked towards Paul but thankfully he seemed more concerned about his stepson and Sally getting worked up than whatever damage was done to his vehicle. “Cut him some slack, Sal. Clearly, it wasn't his fault.”

Sally sighed and slumped back down onto the chair she'd been sitting on before. “I know, I know. I'm sorry. I was just so worried, Percy!”

“I know. I'm sorry, Mom. Things just got out of control.” She went back to looking worried. Her son had inherited her habit of knitting her eyebrows together when they worried. “But I dropped them off now. It's okay.” Even though he didn't know for sure it wasn't true, Percy still felt like he was lying. And he hated lying to his Mom, but she'd already stayed up so long and she looked exhausted. “Let's just all go to bed, okay?”

She looked at her son and then at Paul, finally surrendering and nodding as she absentmindedly rubbed her swollen belly. Before she went to her room she kissed Percy on his temple and placed the back of her hand against his forehead. He rolled his eyes and once again reassured her he'd be fine. He didn't pull away when she hugged him tightly to her though, after being away from her for almost a year he didn't mind her fussing over him.

He said goodnight to Paul and his stepfather patted his shoulder, following his wife down the hall to their bedroom.

Once they were gone Percy stayed on the armchair and finished his tea, debating whether or not he should try to Iris Message Annabeth and if she'd even answer. He finally got up and rinsed his mug at the sink with one hand and held the blanket atop his shoulders in place with the other. He groggily made his way to his bedroom and practically fell face first onto his mattress, groaning as the pounding in his head increased. Maybe calling Annabeth could wait until the next morning.

He was just starting to fall asleep when his phone buzzed in his pocket (now it decided to work?). It was only for emergencies which meant very few people had his number and most of them could've easily Iris Messaged him. He reached into his jeans and pulled it out, squinting at the brightness. It was Annabeth. He propped himself on his elbow and picked up. “Hey. I almost Iris Messaged you just now. What's up?”

“Sorry! Did I wake you up?”

“No, I just got here actually.”

He could hear her pause at the other end of the line. “How come? Why do you sound weird?”

“I got a cold.” Another sneeze overtook him to further confirm his statement. “Oh and...Apollo came by.”

“The god Apollo? What? He hasn't been seen for months?” They both had had their suspicions as to why. Now, Apollo had confirmed it for Percy. Zeus had finally chosen who to blame.

“Yeah, well he's mortal now apparently. We're the same clothe size.” Percy could almost see her pinching the bridge of her nose and starting to pace inside whatever Boston hotel she was staying at. “Any luck with your cousin?”

She sighed and let out a stressed out little laugh. “Oh yeah he's fine. He died, but he's taking it rather well, all things considered.”

“What?!” Percy silently cursed and peered out his door to make sure he hadn't woken up his parents. “What do you mean died?” He shout-whispered into the phone.

“It's okay he was resurrected in Valhalla!” Annabeth sounded like she knew she was crazy and had made her peace with it.

“Man, crazy day huh?”

She laughed, properly now. “Yeah! What's new?”

They both stayed quiet for a little while, neither one eager to break the silence because they knew what came next. Percy was eager to get inside his bed and take a ten hour nap, but he knew he wouldn't sleep much that night. “When are you coming back?” They couldn't slack off on their training now. Percy almost missed his worry towards the SAT that morning.

“Tomorrow.”

She sounded quite crestfallen but he knew it wasn't about leaving Boston. “Hey,” he tried, his throat was getting sore, “we won't get involved until it's totally necessary, right? They might not even need us.”

One could still hope.

There was some static ruffling from her side of the line and then a deep sigh. “Right. Okay. See you soon.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you.”

[kingbrunnhilde]

Voted for roestico but I also love your current one! :) 🎉☁️

🎉- normal rate

url: don’t get it |nice |amazing |flawless | MOLLY HERNANDEZicon: don’t get it |cool | beautiful |wowow | NICO MINORUmobile theme: not my style | superb |awesome |gorgeous |CHASE STEINdesktop theme: not my style | pretty | incredible | a masterpiece | GERT YORKESposts: not my fandoms |lovely |excellent |perfection |ALEX WILDERoverall: meh |great|love it! |i wanna be you when i grow up |KAROLINA DEANfollowing: no but ily |i wasn’t before?? |yuppp |til the end of the line

☁️ - blog compliment

omg holli you’re one of my fave blogs and the first blog with a large following to be my mutual! your urls are always soo iconic and that icon is beautiful (rose means so much to me i cry). your theme and pages are simple but cute! idk what to say about your edits and gifs besides that they’re literal ART. and to top it all off, you’re incredibly kind (a whole year ago you made me feel so welcomed to tumblr by adding me to your rogue one net and i still can’t thank you enough) and talented and ughhhh i can go on foreverr  

want one?

[dylanreviewsthings]

Immortal Reviews' Top 50 Albums Of 2017

Music is a story. It captures a point in time where the artist's mind was in that space. True art can never be perfectly replicated, but it can be remembered with every listen. From heavy minds to memories of home, the music of 2017 captured a wide array of ideas, and the best of those albums really left lasting impacts. Music didn't do much to affect society, but the best of 2017 had us thinking about ourselves. Our minds, our interactions, and our memories. It may have not changed the world, but the music of 2017 changed us, and that's where it really matters.

Without further adieu, this is Immortal Reviews' Top 50 Albums of 2017. We wrote over 340 reviews this year, and whittled it down to this list. Click the links to check out our full reviews of each album.

50. Kacy Hill - Like A Woman

There's an ethereal darkness to Kacy Hill's Like A Woman. With a sweet, ghastly voice and minimalist but atmospheric, if not cavernous instrumentals to back her, Kacy Hill builds enchanting sounds in her debut. Her brooding anger in the quiet 'Lion' helps lead the album into an empowering call to arms as it ends with the powerful 'I Am,' but not before letting herself be vulnerable in the title track that opens the record. It's a powerful inside look on the nature and power of a woman, and a reminder that it should not be taken lightly.

49. Hurts - Desire

Combine bittersweet memories and optimism for the future of love, and you have the idea of Desire. Behind heartwrenching melodies, Hurts build an array of odes to everything about love, from pain to bliss. Feel the sweetness of 'Wherever You Go' or the tragedy of 'Hold On To Me;' every song has its own tale that clings to a memory. It's the perfect breakup album, yet also the perfect album for a couple. It's everything you need for love. 

48. Spoon - Hot Thoughts

Spoon is as diverse as they are smart, and Hot Thoughts makes it very apparent. From the funk rock 'Do I Have To Take You Into It' to the huge introduction 'Hot Thoughts' with its roaring vocals and epic instrumentation, Spoon don't leave any stones unturned as they challenge themselves and their listener to a very involved ad particular album.

47. The Chainsmokers - Memories...Do Not Open

The Chainsmokers are notoriously the most overplayed band out there, but their debut album shows that they aren't overplayed without reason. They have a strong grasp on how to make the catchiest hooks and really capture every aspect of millennial love there is. Whether it be the anecdotal 'Paris' or the anthemic, orchestrated 'Young,' The Chainsmokers are more than just the electronic duo that make the songs your girlfriend listens to; they are the essence of a generation.

46. Tigers Jaw - Spin

Angsty at heart but restrained on the outside, Tigers Jaw has a mission statement in Spin. It's a very sweet listen, the darker messages hidden underneath the beautiful melodies and great alternative sound. Tracks like 'Spin' have that strong, pained words behind them, while the duets in tracks like 'Follows' are anthemic and amplify some more personal thoughts. Spin is a very internal record, and it hits hard where it strikes.

45. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun

The queen of industrial returned in 2017, and with a vengeance. Chelsea Wolfe's Hiss Spun is a rockier record than she's released before, yet her darkness is only amplified. The crunchy guitars on songs like '16 Psyche' add a new viciousness to her sound, while the added schizophrenic sounds of a million voices in 'Scrape' bring the album to a paranoid close. No one understands insanity quite like Wolfe, and no one dares try.

44. Björk - Utopia

In weirdness, Björk finds clarity. The frantic nature of Utopia builds exactly that; a perfect fairytale world free of any problems. However, that's only where Utopia tries to transport you. Björk eerily sings of her love woes throughout the record, referencing her legal battle with her ex-husband in 'Sue Me' and the aftermath of that pain in 'Losss.' As pretty as the world Utopia builds is, it goes to show that even in perfection, pain and anger can reside. 

43. All Time Low - Last Young Renegade

Leave it to All Time Low to really capture what it means to be free. The art of being a punk is really dying out, but Last Young Renegade seeks to inspire that free feeling again. From the sweetness and risky nature of 'Drugs & Candy' to the reminiscent 'Good Times,' All Time Low channel the sound of feeling unstoppable, an idea we feel growing up but eventually lose sight of. It takes you back to a simpler time, and brings the good memories along, too.

42. Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister - Planetarium

These names all working together can only be destined for greatness. Planetarium sees some of music's most introverted yet spectacular minds take you on a trip through space in the concept album Planetarium. The echoing, mechanic nature of Sufjan Stevens' voice in 'Jupiter' to the innocence and curiosity of 'Mercury' transports you to new worlds, familiar yet unexplored and untapped by humanity. It's as much of a journey as it is a commentary on the places humanity has left to leave it's mark on, and whether that is for better or for worse is left for you to answer.

41. You Me At Six - Night People

You Me At Six are the kings of alternative rock anthems, and Night People only make it more evident. By returning to a darker, angrier sound, You Me At Six build a more aggressive yet still sparkling sound that spawns such awesome sounds like 'Heavy Soul' and 'Take On The World.' As any YMAS album, it's optimistic yet just confident enough to make it seem as if impossibility does not exist. It's the soundtrack for believing in yourself.

40. Brian Eno - Reflection

Not many can make a single, forty-minute track of various noises sound so powerful, but Brian Eno is a magical man. Reflection consists of a single track of forty minutes, very minimalist on the surface, though that's not where the true spectacle lies. Sitting down with Reflection and truly immersing yourself in the song takes you on an exploration of your own mind, venturing through the dark places and the light. There's no one way to interpret this song and no one way to experience it, but it's powerful and brilliant all the same.

39. Bebe Rexha - All Your Fault, Pt. 2

Pop is becoming more and more saturated, yet there are some voices that still bring hope to the genre. One such voice is Bebe Rexha, who really brought the best of pop music and pop culture in All Your Fault, Pt. 2. Pt. 1 was a solid enough album, but Rexha really made her mark with this second EP, which even managed to make good of trap, which is even more saturated. It's smart, catchy, and memorable all at once - it hits every nail on the head.

38. Sylvan Esso - Echo Mountain Sessions

Stripping down some of their more energetic takes from their eclectic What Now, Sylvan Esso reveal the true nature of some of their songs, including the endearing, longing 'Slack Jaw' and the brighter 'Rewind.' There's no escaping the trip down memory lane that the Echo Mountain Sessions versions of these songs provide. The new focus on the stories of the songs shifts their forward looking original iterations and takes a step back to reflect on the past moments that built them in the first place, hauntingly at times, but not without a certain warmth to back it.

37. Son Lux - Remedy

Son Lux is the master of making darkness sound sensual, and Remedy is no different. The jagged edges of 'Part Of This' and the haunting, abyssal sound of opening track 'Dangerous' makes you feel like you're being swallowed whole, but at the same time feeling an odd sense of euphoria at the same time. It's achieved such a perfect blend that it feels so very wrong and so very right at the same time, all in the right ways.

36. Lorde - Melodrama

Lorde has had a quiet couple of years, but made her big comeback this year with an important sophomore release. As daunting as the follow-up may feel, it was evident from lead single 'Green Light' that she has knocked it out of the park. The single alone has a dark, moody start that leads into an anthemic pre-chorus with a new-found sense of maturity. Melodrama is the result of experiencing life after fame, from the grit of a party night to the aftermath of heartbreak. There isn't a moment where Lorde falters, no matter how personal she gets, and that's all what makes Melodrama so powerful.

35. David Bowie - No Plan

David Bowie's loss last year was a blow for art, but his legacy is here to stay. No Plan features outtakes and extras from last year's Blackstar, No Plan exemplifies that Bowie's brilliance was going strong until his very last breaths. The dynamic of the rocker 'Killing A Little Time' and the juxtaposition with closing track 'When I Met You' shows that Bowie had a long and plentiful career where he was not afraid of embracing change and trying something new. That's where his brilliance lied, and where it'll always shine.

34. Frances - Things I've Never Said

Setting out into the world for the first time is a scary concept, one that Frances tackles head on in Things I've Never Said. It's incredibly intimate, Frances truly wearing her heart on her sleeve as she sings of her insecurities atop minimalist pop instrumentals. It has something everyone can relate to, as what she sings about are intrinsic parts of being human. It's a capturing of the most bracing moments of growing up and being who we are; that's where it finds its staying power.

33. Foo Fighters - Concrete and Gold

The Foo Fighters have always had an element of surprise to them, yet they truly exercise it all in Concrete and Gold. With producer Greg Kurstin at the helm, Concrete & Gold is the Foos' loudest and dynamic album yet, from the massive, crushing riffs of 'Run' to the alternative, melodic, and anthemic 'The Line,' it's a loud and epic new sound for the Foo Fighters, and they've never sounded better.

32. Sorority Noise - You're Not As _____ As You Think

Sorority Noise is traditionally not considered the band to make heartbreakingly real tracks, but they definitely vie for that title in You're Not As _____ As You Think. From the optimistic yet tragic 'No Halo' to the soulful farewell of 'First Letter To St. Sean,' Sorority Noise find themselves battling their own minds and learning how to let go of the past, whether it means saying goodbye to a loved one or forgetting the memories that formed their minds in the first place. It's hard to swallow for yourself, yet perhaps this record will help you find comfort in that uncertainty. 

31. Ryan Adams - Prisoner

Looking inwardly is often the key to some of music's best songs, and that's what Ryan Adams does throughout Prisoner. Wonderfully minimal and with just the right amount of lethargy, Prisoner dives into Adams' insecurities about love, life, and even fear itself. There's no wasted words on the record, every moment being plotted out just as is necessary. With the style of a rockstar but a reserved nature (most clearly seen in 'Do You Still Love Me?'), Adams shows both his character and his worries in his music. 

30. Death From Above - Outrage! Is Now

Perhaps poetically, Death From Above finally dropped the "1979" from their name and released a very charged up album in Outrage! Is Now. Epic riffs and their signature disco groove are still present in songs like 'NVR 4EVR,' and the band achieved their first commercial success with 'Freeze Me,' but don't be distracted from the anger of the record. It's a call to arms to rise up against the norm and to truly own who you are, not being afraid of change and rather, embracing it. 

29. Dillon - Kind

It takes a minute for the brilliance of Kind to sink in, but once it does, it opens a whole new world. The almost crooked sound of Dillon's innocent voice makes this album's growing industrial nature all the more powerful, as when it climaxes with the epic and thrilling '2. Kind,' you feel like there's something hiding behind the metallic synths that you can't quite fathom. It's haunting and it's brilliant, not afraid to make prolific statements but still reserved all the same.

28. Brockhampton - Saturation II

Brockhampton is one of hip-hop's last hopes. The self-proclaimed boy-band of the genre, this collective of producers and rappers are capable of incredible things, which includes creating three incredible albums in under a year. The second of these records, Saturation II, define the group's capabilities. From edgier, faster paced tracks like 'Queer' to the glorious ending in 'Summer,' Brockhampton can do everything and anything they want, even if it goes against the norms of the genre. There aren't many who are so gracefully fearless of being different than these guys.

27. Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark

Royal Blood didn't hit a sophomore slump; in fact, How Did We Get So Dark blew all expectations out of the park. The duo returned powerfully, loud bass guitars and thrilling drums ready, this year with one of rock's most epic records from 2017. The raucous sound of the epic 'Lights Out' shows that they haven't lost sight of who they are, but experimentation comes in the form of some added electronics in songs like 'Hole In Your Heart,' evidence enough that Royal Blood, too, are not afraid of change. They still ahve the riffs and style, and that'll keep them going a long way.

26. XXXTentacion - 17

Amongst rap's newcomers was XXXTentacion, a boy with a dark past and a present struggle. The conversation of mental health has never been more open than it has this year, and XXX's 17 delved straight into a personal account of it. Not abiding by any of the norms of hip-hop, XXXTentacion employs acoustic instrumentation and tells stories in his songs, showing the darkness behind depression and what it can do. It's an important addition to the conversation of mental health, and for a genre that is increasingly ignoring such social issues, it's important to see that there are still those speaking out against it.

We do not endorse XXXTentacion's actions, we are only looking at the message behind the music.

25. Nadia Reid - Preservation

The ambience of a country plays a big role in its music. New Zealand is a land of mystery, almost like another world. Nadia Reid's Preservation is a magically minimalist album, capturing with pristine imagery the same curiosity that surrounds her home country. With incredible reflection and lyrics, songs like 'Te Aro' bring the album to life with eerily slow movements and ghastly vocals. Preservation captures the essence of her home, and that sense of nature truly shines powerfully.

24. Zola Blood - Infinite Games

There is a lot of sensuality to be found in darkness, and that's exactly what Zola Blood explores throughout Infinite Games. From the glitchy, polygonal synths of opening track 'Infinite Games' to the smooth, haunting yet beautiful wails of 'The Only Thing,' Infinite Games is an enchanting record that will capture your attention in every way. It's the sound of an out-of-body experience, and you'll certainly be spiraling out while listening to it and getting lost in those amazing melodies and atmosphere. 

23. Declan McKenna - What Do You Think About The Car?

Amongst the young new prospects in music, Declan McKenna is one of the most promising. With indie warmth and a brilliant sense of catchiness, What Do You Think About The Car? features some of the year's best pop secrets, such as the anthemic 'Brazil' and 'The Kids Don't Want To Go Home.' It's warm, fresh, and an optimistic view on a new generation of musicians - he's definitely an artist you'll want to keep you eyes on.

22. Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine

Nothing But Thieves' debut album was so iconic, they had already massed a strong underground following that really let them takeoff. There was a lot of pressure building on them with their follow-up, but Broken Machine hits it out of the park. The band embraces electronica with the loud, groovy, and aggressive 'Live Like Animals' while the wild atmosphere of 'I Was Just A Kid' sees the band channeling their initial sound in its rawest form. Everything you love about Nothing But Thieves makes a return in Broken Machines, with new elements to keep their style moving forward.

21. Evanescence - Synthesis

Evanescence's orchestral element has always been what separated them from the rest, and Synthesis dives fully into that. From reimaginings of classics like 'Lacrymosa' and 'Bring Me To Life' to the anthemic, confident new songs like 'Imperfection,' Evanescence return powerfully in full form and with new life breathed into them. Perhaps not the album you'd expect from them, yet it's exactly the album they needed to show the world that they are back and more ready than ever to keep going strong. 

20. Meadowlark - Postcards

The indie sound is becoming more and more normalized, but the bright new prospects in the genre, like Meadowlark, promise its longevity a new breath of life. Infusing pop and electronica into the signature indie formula, Meadowlark explore fields and mountains, as well as space and everything else in between. The brilliance of the melodies and atmosphere of 'Paraffin' really captures you, while the warmth of tracks like 'Sunlight' and the somber reflections of 'Undercover' will keep you captivated and involved all the same.

19. Depeche Mode - Spirit

Depeche Mode is no stranger to being the voice of revolution, and that remains true in Spirit. From the epic single 'Where's The Revolution' to the angry instrumental 'Poorman,' Depeche Mode promises that the only thing that will propel society forward again is to not let religion and politics cloud our own spirit. In the age of technology, the line between losing our own sense of being human is a real worry - let's heed by Spirit and take a minute to remember who we are.

18. Brockhampton - Saturation III

Brockhampton isn't the only artist to make the list twice, but they've certainly earned their spot. The conclusion to the Saturation trilogy sees the band employ everything they've got and bring out some incredible production and lyrics. The warm atmosphere of closing track 'Team' and it's dark beat change is only one of the brilliant moments on the record, the diversity of it being another key point; the aggression of 'Sister/Nation' directly juxtaposes the chill song that transitions right out of it, 'Rental.' Brockhampton is undeniably brilliant and are the future of hip-hop; it's only a matter of time until the rest of the world catches on.

17. Coldplay - Kaleidoscope

Coming off of their incredibly poppy A Head Full Of Dreams, Coldplay decided it was time to make a statement. The Kaleidoscope features some of the band's most thrilling and challenging material in years. The address the refugee crisis throughout Europe in 'A L I E N S,' one of the most atmospheric and beautiful songs of the year, while showing off their live prowess with a live recording of their collaboration with The Chainsmokers, 'Something Just Like This.' Coldplay aren't just phoning it in anymore; they have a real voice to keep their music powerful and memorably all the same.

16. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Kendrick Lamar is the unquestioned and unchallenged king of hip-hop, and it's easy to understand why. He doesn't bother himself with petty beef (and when he does, he eviscerates anyone who tries to challenge him) and focuses on substance. 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly built his throne, and on DAMN. he sits comfortably on it. Scathing tracks like 'DNA.' and 'DUCKWORTH.' speak to his person and his past as he tells the story of his life and his family. Filled to the brim with unstoppable delivery and loaded with double-meanings, DAMN. is some of the strongest hip-hop released in the last decade and proves that no one can do it like Kendrick.

15. Mastodon - Emperor Of Sand

Mastodon is always as thrilling as they are intense, and that is shown time and time again in Emperor Of Sand. The band find themselves being crushingly anthemic in dark epics like 'Steambreather,' while at other times trying to crush and engulf you with the grandiose and wildly heavy riffs of 'Ancient Kingdom' and the urgency of 'Clandestiny.' It's dark, cathartic, and just plain heavy; it's the perfect blend for an anthemic metal record.

14. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me

There are few things harder than losing a loved one. A Crow Looked At Me is Mount Eerie's mind after losing his wife to cancer. To call it heartbreaking is an understatement, as numbers like 'Swims' quietly look ahead at the emptiness of the future, quoting their daughter, who so painfully innocently asks her father about her mother: "Today our daughter asked me if mama swims / I told her, "Yes, she does. And that's probably all she does now." There's nothing to feel except empty when listening to this album, and it makes us love those we have  little more.

13. Peter Silberman - Impermanence

There's a lot to be found in emptiness. Peter Silberman's Impermanence seeks out those emotions found in emptiness by creating it; you find more than just quietly upsetting sounds in the record. You find yourself and reflections of yourself in the music, whether you be at unnerving peace as the sun sets in paradise in 'Maya' or walking on a cold day in 'New York.' Impermanence creates a sense of just that: that time is fleeting. But in the moments we share listening to this album, it may feel like time is frozen while we come to that conclusion. 

12. Soen - Lykaia

Thrilling. Carnivorous. Visceral. These are all qualities that describe Soen's Lykaia, a sonic unwinding of the darkest places of the human mind. With heavy riffs and giant vocals, Soen's mission is clear: to bring out the rawest forms of human emotion in their most basic forms. Lykaia is almost primitive by nature, but in this thrilling sense of primordial emotion, we connect with a side of ourselves we may not have even known existed.

11. Starset - Vessels

Starset began their adventure into space with 2014's Transmissions, but in this year's Vessels, they found the battle. Vessels is the sound of spacial warfare, wrought by our own race. From the anthemic yet explosive 'Back To The Earth' with its grand and epic synths to the thrilling ending of 'Starlight,' Starset really bring their all and leave a lasting, powerful impact on whoever ventures into space with them in this epic journey.

10. Ed Sheeran - Divide

Only Ed Sheeran can make an album specifically for radio play but still make an incredibly powerful one. Divide is nostalgic, modern, and thankful. Whether he be singing of love in tracks like 'Shape Of You' or 'Perfect,' or warmly remembering his childhood in 'Castle On The Hill,' Divide is an album that truly delves into his person. There's a certain humbleness on the record that makes you forget that he's a worldwide star, and on the beautiful farewell to his grandmother in 'Supermarket Flowers,' where he so warmly prays, "You were an angel in the shape of my mum / You got to see the person I have become / Spread your wings and I know / That when God took you back / He said, "Hallelujah, you're home," where his true character shines bright and clear.

9. Brand New - Science Fiction

Perfectionism is more or less an impossibility, but for Brand New's Jesse Lacey, every detail matters. Brand New's cryptic final album Science Fiction is masterfully built, each chord and note picked carefully and tenderly to achieve the right blend of crystalline perfection and emotional distraught. Epic, loud jams come in the form of '451,' and real emotion seethes through in the build of 'Same Logic/Teeth' and 'Could Never Happen.' It's rock at its most plotted out form, raw and visceral at its core. That's the only way Brand New can exist, and if this truly is their final stand, then they went out with power.

We do not endorse Jesse Lacey's actions, we're only looking at the power behind the music.

8. Harry Styles - Harry Styles

As each member of One Direction one by one take their own step into a solo career, it's evident that they're all taking vastly different paths. Harry Styles's self-titled album is as surprisingly different from what you'd expect as it is good. From the punchy, raucous 'Kiwi' to the love ballad 'Sweet Creature,' there's a very genuine tone to Styles' music as he channels his 80s heroes, such as The Rolling Stones and David Bowie. There's some truly fantastic and fun songs on Harry Styles, and never a dull moment as he continues to excel, track after track. Lead single 'Sign Of The Times' even finds time to make a true-hearted reflection on society and the times past. If there's anyone to watch out for, it's Harry Styles.

7. Linkin Park - One More Light Live

Linkin Park's One More Light Tour was undoubtedly one of their best in ages, and it was set to keep rolling strong before Chester Bennington's passing. One More Light Live captures the essence of the band's shows this summer perfectly, from the energetic and electrifying 'Talking To Myself' and 'Battle Symphony' to the haunting piano version of 'Crawling' and the heartbreaking 'One More Light.' Above all, One More Light Live captures the power of Chester Bennington's live voice, showing both his talent as a musician and the rawness of that voice that saved the millions of fans the band played to on the tour. Whether you're crying along to the memories of Chester or joining the chorus of the thousands of fans in each song, Linkin Park captured the real essence of their musicianship and the legacy they've created.

6. 10 Years - (how to live) AS GHOSTS

10 Years have always been the band defiing alternative rock but not breaking through, yet the best of them truly comes out in (how to live) AS GHOSTS. Wrought with intense riffs ('Ghosts') and haunting lyrics ('Lucky You'), 10 Years defines their sound and brings it to its strongest point in years. There's not a dull moment throughout the entire record, and you'll be jamming from start to finish.

5. Paramore - After Laughter

No longer the same angst-ridden emo rock band from the mid-2000s, Paramore delves deep into themselves on After Laughter. Channeling the essence of The Cure, After Laughter tries to stay optimistic in the face of depression, and it's easy to miss out on the dark tones of the record's messaged underneath the sweet melodies and sweet electronica. From the knowing sorrow of 'Fake Happy' to the ode to the difficulties of life in 'Hard Times,' After Laughter promises one important message: it's okay to not be okay. Just dance your heart out and forget about everything for awhile, and for those brief moments you'll remember why we wake up every day.

4. Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights

Julien Baker is a tortured soul, and Turn Out The Lights reveals some of the reasons why. Heartbreaking stories are told about love and addiction throughout the record, from the haunting promises of 'Appointments' to the tale of fighting your own demons in 'Claws In Your Back,' Julien Baker wears more than just her heart on her sleeve. This beautifully tragic tale is an entire life of sorrow and pain put to sadly optimistic sounds.

3. Arcane Roots - Melancholia Hymns

Arcane Roots have the technical brilliance of Radiohead and the grandiose of Muse, and they take it a step further in Melancholia Hymns. Definitively one of the most wild, daring, and epic albums of 2017, Arcane Roots blaze confidently and powerfully ahead with each song. There's nothing more chaotic than the breakdown of 'Everything (All At Once)' and nothing quite as brooding as the slow, ominous build of 'Curtains.' Melancholia Hymns is chaos and integrity all at once; a brilliance that only Arcane Roots could bring together.

2. PVRIS - All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell

The darkness of PVRIS' music is one that can only truly be understood by those who felt it. Masked under beautiful electronic atmosphere and excellent melodies is the tragedy of All We Know Of Heaven, All we Need Of Hell. Having gone through a hard breakup myself around the time the album was released, the messages of songs like 'Heaven,' where Lynn Gunn painfully cries out "You took my heaven away" and the anthemic but heartbreaking 'What's Wrong' that challenges, "I don't need a metaphor for you to know I'm miserable" resonated through my mind. All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell is the reflections of a broken heart tired of its own regrets, and seeks to find freedom in releasing the memories once and for all. There is a power in this record that you may not initially understand, but in time, it will come.

1. Linkin Park - One More Light

Linkin Park has always been one of the most important bands in my life, and everyone has been affected by their music in some form. Losing Chester Bennington this year was a tragic loss not only for music, but for the world. The voice that had saved so many from themselves and gave people comfort in their pain had succumbed to his own, and that was tragically powerful. One More Light was Chester's final released music, and there was a lot of power hidden behind the poppier sound. Laced with brilliantly optimistic electronics and the signature Linkin Park brilliance, One More Light tackled depression on an incredibly personal scale. From dealing with loss in such a big world with 'One More Light' to leaving apologies to their kids in 'Invisible,' there isn't a moment on One More Light that isn't powerful in its execution. 'Sorry For Now' is a song that helped me some of the most painful moments I've ever experienced, and it's impossible to listen to the entire record without hurting for Chester. One More Light teaches us to remember that we're all a little broken on the inside, that not everything is okay. In the end, that's where the beauty of life is. Living through the bad experiences so that we know when we've found the good ones.