#Dude ten years… training… alone?

[toastandjamie]

Thinking about Mat’s first meeting with Olver. Just this twenty year old who’s so frustrated with responsibility that despite hating fighting goes into this situation looking for an excuse to hit someone. Then he sees that a kids involved, and he tries to diffuse the situation, he’s tired and just wants to solve this quickly so he can go back to the inn and get some sleep- then this full grown man threatens to kill a child, for the crime of roughing his horse. And Mat, Mat KNOWS what it’s like to be that kid, too curious for his own good and getting into trouble, but never NEVER has anyone threatened to hurt him over it. And Mat without any thought for potential repercussions breaks a dudes wrist and hits the other right between the legs. And then he threatens to have the lot of them run out of town by the Band because they had the audacity to say that Olver was “just a peasant child” as of that changed the situation for Mat, a horse traders son in fancy clothes. Because to Mat that’s all he is, a peasant in nice clothes. Then he’s trying to figure out what to do with Olver, since his parents are no where to he found, and Olver tells him not to talk about him like he isn’t there. And Mat ACKNOWLEDGES that, he apologizes and kneels down so they can be eye level. He doesn’t talk down to Olver, because he knows what it’s like to have other people make decisions for him. He is so keenly aware of his Olver feels, the frustration and rebelliousness that comes from being a child because he isn’t that far removed from it. Just three years ago he was still just a kid, older and a bit more mature than Olver perhaps, but still just a kid and one who hadn’t seen the horrors that ten year old Olver had seen. He acknowledges Olver’s feelings and talks to him like he’s anyone else, and redirects Olver’s stubbornness so skillfully. He’s just so good with kids in a way that not even just having two younger sisters can account for. He Gets It, the parts of him that others consider immature are what make him so good at communicating with Olver.

Then think about this from Olver’s perspective. He’s been alone for who knows how long, forced to flee his home, to bury his mother, and now all alone in some strange place. He was likely sleeping in the stables, and that was how he ended up trying to make friends with the Hunter of the Horns horse. Then this Hunter drags him out to the middle of the street, threatening to Jill him. Olver was brave about it but it must’ve been terrifying. Especially upon realizing that none of the other refugees would help. Then suddenly a man in nobles clothes, a strange hat and the coolest looking spear he’s probably ever seen intercedes on his behalf. A man Olver has never seen before, a foreigner no less, but here he is coming to rescue Olver like some gleemans hero. Then Olver sees Mat fight, while to Mat this was hardly even a struggle, a few cracks with the blunt of his spear and the ‘fight’ is over, but to Olver, Mat probably looked like a warder with how easily he handled two armed men presumably trained in using those swords they carry. We as an audience see Mat mainly through the eyes of people who don’t take him seriously, Mat himself included, so it’s easy to overlook just how badass Mat must seem to anyone else looking from the outside, especially a young angry boy who wants to fight the aiel who killed his father. We don’t know how Olver found out, or when, but imagine being Olver and hearing the most certainly exaggerated story of Mat “dueling” Couladin. Is it any wonder that Olver hero worships Mat? That inspite of what Olver perceived as Mat being hypocritical and foolish(or as Mat sees it trying to properly care for a child and be a good influence) he still considers Mat to be someone to emulate. Whether Olver sees Mat as more a mentor, brother or father figure he very clearly idolizes him. He wants to be like Mat, he wants Mat’s attention and praise because despite Mat being “no bloody hero” to this little boy he IS a hero, one worthy of any gleemans story

[nrilliree]

https://www.tumblr.com/dreaming-of-the-reality/746890557891198976/rhaenyra-my-only-child?source=share

Hope you enjoy reading this...

Well anyways, I'm not defending Viserys, but you can't just expect him to not have kids or to marry a woman close to his age, I think you can count with one hand the amount of women from that century who married someone close to their age

Is the (probably) 12th century my love, at 21 women were considered dry and unmarriable

And also again, he had dementia???? And the comments just "well he didn't have enough dementia to forget about Rhaenyra" and it's like dude that's the point of dementia, they forget the newest memories and remember the oldest ones and guess what? Rhaenyra is like 18 years older than her younger siblings

Okay…Viserys was a bad father to EACH of his children and a lousy husband. Everyone knows that. We established this a long time ago. But if you're going to complain about him, people, do it with sense and truth…

Okay, I'll have some fun and detect the untruth and hypocrisy in @dreaming-of-the-reality's post

1) Viserys was not an "old creep of a man" when he married Aemma. He was five years older than her and he married her because he was ordered to do so. Just like Alicent ordered Aegon to marry 13-year-old Helaena when he was 15. Does that make him an "old creep of a man"? Viserys didn't beg his father to let him marry an 11-year-old. The king ordered, the father ordered - Viserys did it. However, his mistake, for which he is responsible, was that he listened and consummated the marriage when Aemma was 13… Right when Aegon consummated his marriage with Helaena. Where's the "fuck Aegon and Alicent" post?

2) "willing to sacrifice his wife for him" Another untruth. Yes, Viserys is a piece of shit because he ordered Aemma to be cut open without even the slightest thought of asking her opinion, giving her poppy milk - whatever. But he didn't sacrifice Aemma's life. She was dying. She and the baby would die. However, the maester said that the child has a chance to survive, Aemma does not. No matter what Viserys would do.

3) "nor paid attention to any of them while growing up" Another untruth! In the series, we see Viserys interacting with young Aegon several times (during his birthday, we see him with him three times in three different scenes), and later we see that he watched their training, knew that Aegon had tricked his nephews into bullying Aegon, and knows that Aemond believed the untruth again and was too gullible for his age. The fact that Viserys at that time no longer had fingers or an arm, was coughing up blood, could barely walk and had memory loss shows that he had little ability to take care of his children… And guess what? Alicent didn't raise her children alone. She had nannies, wet nurses and servants for this. She was a queen, not a washerwoman.

4) “Rhaenyra… my ONLY child” You know what? I really hope that people who write posts like this don't have sick people around them. Neither sick parents nor sick grandparents. Because they would probably get offended and leave, slamming the door at the first mistake of a name or forgetting a fact. My grandmother was terminally ill (it wasn't even Alzheimer's) and for a long time she thought my sister-in-law was me, and when she looked at me she had no idea who I was. And she had much better care than Viserys, who was high on poppy milk.

5) "Don't have more than one child if your not capable of loving more than one. Even better: don't force two woman to carry your children if your only going to love one…" A great plan for a king. That no one thought of it! Oh no, wait… Do you know why? Viserys had one child. Rhaenyra. In ten years, Rhaenyra dies - falls off a horse, gives birth, is poisoned… Whatever. And now the end of House Targaryen has come, because Viserys is too old and too sick to father a child, and his only heir has died.

[singswan-springswan]

Reasons to watch Justice League: War (2014)

free on tubi

absolute banger start with Dry Humor Hal

"Batman is real????"

once again we bring you speculation of Batman Turned Villain?/Is He Abducting Random Civilians Or Is That Just Parademons?

We have Green Lantern thinking Batman's a cryptid right out of the gate then going "wait you're not just some guy in a bat costume, right?" while Batman gives him a deadpan stare and Green Lantern weeps and also they are in the sewers

Bruce "I make it my business to know" Wayne, for your consideration

Billy Batson conning his way into a football game

Billy Batson being a fan of Victor Stone??? and stealing his jersey

Victor is a nice young gentlemen to everyone except his father, with whom he devolves into Indignant Gremlin and will Break Things watch out

Flash and Victor's dad being friends

poor Barry went and got burritos for EVERYONE and SOMEONE STOLE HIS

Green Lantern and Batman already hate each other's guts

Bruce stole Green Lantern's ring just to be feral and made fun of him for it

✨Utility Belt✨

space cop Green Lantern

Superman's costume is so sexy

testosterone overdose with Green Lantern, Batman, and Superman all in the same scene: 368 dead, 1,590 injured. Obligatory catfight between those three while also there are hostile parademon soldiers flying around everywhere

Bruce stopping Superman in his tracks by saying his name quietly

Clark just staring at Batman for a second, then: "Bruce Wayne??"

"who's Bruce Wayne?" help

Diana publicly coerces a man into admitting that he cross-dresses as her and it makes him feel powerful while standing in the middle of a hostile mob on her way to meet the american president

3 seconds later she decides to ditch the president and go get ice cream

Diana thinks ice cream is The Best

Diana makes friends with Hannah and adopts her on the spot

🚨Flash and Green Lantern bromance!!🚨

"Batman is real????"

Diana is Bloodthirsty.

oops victor got yeeted. maybe he shouldn't have touched that glowing alien space box in his dad's lab

Billy's gonna fight demons in his backyard alone at night with a baseball bat which in no way seems saf--⚡SHAZAM⚡

squad is so lit my dudes

actually they are so cool together

the writers were clearly Clark/Diana shippers because man there was SO MUCH chemistry between those two

Diana gets to stab Darkseid in the eyeball with her sword :3

Barry gets to stab the other eyeball with a crowbar :3

Batman tells Green Lantern he's normal and then disguises himself as a civilian in .002 seconds and promptly hitches a ride on a parademon like he's hailing a fricking taxi and gets carried off into the night, leaving the rest of the heroes to hold the line while he tries to rescue Superman from wherever he got portal-ed off to single-handedly BRUCE SHUT UP

Green Lantern is really bad at giving speeches. but like. it's funny

Everyone kicks alien butt

Bruce does, in fact, end up saving Superman single-handedly

Victor is soooo OP

Diana punches Captain Marvel through a wall and shoves her sword in his face and says "you are a warrior, not a child! act like it!" LIKE NO MA'AM HE'S LITERALLY TEN YEARS OLD

Captain Marvel does not stop flirting with Diana throughout the time they work together

Green Lantern said "I like trains"

lads I am not joking about how cool the squad is

Victor has bad reception so he flies into the clouds. pray

Victor finds out Captain Marvel is actually an infant and lets him keep the jersey. Billy cracks jokes about his arm being a cannon

Diana calls them all gods. she said Batman is Hades. send help.

Sean Astin voices Captain Marvel

I'm not the biggest fan of the way they drew Superman's face. it's too shaped. BUT the rest of the animation is so spirited and vibrant. storyboard and choreography is phenomenal, not to mention the cinematography! amazing animation

Batman, to Green Lantern: let them think we're friends so the cops don't get me

dialogue is so much fun and so rich. no lines wasted. full to bursting with wit and humor

exposition is breathtaking, considering the time frame they were working with. I'm honestly floored. they took an hour of screen time and made it feel more than twice as long. holy kriff, that's some masterful storytelling right there

this film had more character development for a cast of seven than most modern movies--and some shows--have for one character

excellent voice acting

completely stand-alone; can be watched and thoroughly enjoyed without any prior knowledge

[saturnskyline]

#maybe even with the inherent homoeroticism in there depending on who you ask

me, me, me, ask me!

~*~*~

Kim is sixteen when he wants to move out. His father doesn't say no, but he might as well. He tells Kim that nowhere is as safe as their house and that Kim can move out when he can defend himself properly, and by properly, he means Kim has to win whatever fight his father organizes. Kim is a good fighter, a natural one, he gets praise from Chan, and nobody except Pete gets praise from Chan. But his father is a cunning man, and when Kim gets attacked by Big, Chan and some burly dude he has never seen before, it only takes them a few minutes to win.

"Who was that?" he asks later when Pete ices his sore jaw and tells Kim what mistakes he made during the fight and what he needs to work on next. 

"Game," Pete says because Pete knows everything. "I've seen him with Khun Vegas."

Ah.

~*~*~

"What do I get out of it?" Vegas asks because Vegas doesn't do favours, not even for his family. 

"You can pretend I am Kinn and beat the shit out of me?"

Vegas snorts and ends the call.

~*~*~

Kim trains harder than ever and still loses. Fucking Game pulls a knife on him, slaps him, and fights like he has no honour. This time Pete is silent as he holds an ice pack to Kim's bloody nose.

~*~*~

"No," Vegas says instead of hello. 

"What would it take?" Kim asks because he hates the house he lives in, hates the chain on his neck, and hates not following his dream.

There is a long silence. 

"Why?" Vegas asks in English.

"I want to get out, and he won't let me leave otherwise." 

Vegas laughs, but it sounds hollow. "Sucks to be you."

He ends the call but messages Kim two days later. The message contains nothing but a time, date and address. Kim has three days to figure out how he can sneak away; he has a feeling Vegas does not want witnesses. 

~*~*~

Vegas is two years older, taller and stronger. He fights to win, and he fights dirty. He enters the abandoned apartment with a scowl and wastes no time with pleasantries, dropping a bag and going after Kim like his life depends on it. He pushes Kim into the broken coffee table with a kick in his stomach, and it's on. Twenty minutes later, Kim is on his back, bleeding from at least ten different places, and he isn't sure that a few of his ribs are not broken. His head hurts, and his wrists are firmly pinned above his head. Vegas grins with bloody teeth, and something in his eyes makes Kim realize that maybe it was not a good idea to show up alone, with nobody to protect him.

"See you in two weeks," Vegas finally says, disappearing before Kim gets enough strength to sit up. He stays like that for a while, wrists still above his head, and if he closes his eyes, he can still feel Vegas's hands around them.

~*~*~

It takes a while to unlearn some of the things Big and Pete have taught him, but Kim is a quick learner. Where Vegas might be stronger, Kim is faster, and where Vegas is more aggressive, Kim can use that momentum against him. That and he learns to use anything and everything around him to fight Vegas. The first time he throws an old vase, Vegas actually stops and laughs, looking at the broken pieces around him. Kim punches him in the jaw to shut him up. Later he yields to Vegas when they roll, and the ceramic pieces cut up Kim's back badly enough that he needs stitches.

~*~*~

Five months in Vegas shows up with a bruise on his face, his lip swollen and bloody. 

"Cheating on me?" Kim asks, pushing Vegas against the wall with a strength he didn't have months ago. Vegas growls like an actual animal and swaps them around so viciously that Kim almost loses his balance. His head hits the wall with a loud thud. Kim's so used to the pain, he ignores it. Vegas goes for his stomach, and Kim risks leaving it unprotected. He punches Vegas in the mouth, splits the lip open again, and Vegas stumbles backwards. 

Kim wastes no time, aims for legs and kicks hard enough that Vegas falls, and the adrenaline rush from knowing that this might be the first time he wins is so heady that Kim almost falls himself. He knows he is not strong enough to make Vegas yield just by pinning down his arms, so he uses his body to pin Vegas down, punches Vegas in the mouth once and then twice and then the third time, enough to make Vegas dizzy, to make him forget who is stronger. 

"Yield," he orders, looking down at the blood smeared all over Vegas's mouth. 

Vegas looks at him. It's a strange look, like he's calculating something, and Kim pushes his knee deeper into Vegas's stomach. "Yield."

Vegas surges up and bites Kim's lips with such strength that the blood that Kim tastes is his own. He yelps in pain and surprise, and the next thing he knows, Vegas flips them around, grinning like he always does when he knows he's won.

"What the fuck," Kim turns his head, breathless still, and spits blood on the floor. He should have aimed for Vegas's face.

Vegas, the crazy motherfucker, leans down and licks Kim's jaw like Kim is some prey to be eaten. 

"See you in two weeks," he says, leaving Kim on the floor, covered in their blood.

~*~*~

Kim disarms Chan, Game and Big four months later and gets his apartment keys. If Vegas is surprised to see him a week after, he doesn't let it show. He pushes Kim against the kitchen counter, and Kim breaks a dish against Vegas's cheek. It's on.

first of all, before i go any further, this is in reference to my tags on a previous post about kim and vegas bonding through violence:

second of all.... TUMSA????? TUMSA. YOU'RE LITERALLY INSANE FOR DUMPING THIS MASTERPIECE IN MY INBOX 😭😭😭

well idk what i'm even supposed to say gdhfsdjfhsdf. i'm glad you volunteered for the sake of "inherent homoeroticism" bc you are going to be the reason i put the vegaskim? kimvegas? (probably both. they're fighting for dominance after all) tag on my blog for the first time 🥲 thank you for your service bestie <3333

[pigeonwhumps]

A look at what a BBU Tumblr dashboard might look like!

@bbu-on-the-side

CWs: BBU, pet whump, dehumanisation, everything that comes with that

🐢 turtleonhigh

As you start contemplating gifts for your loved ones, remember guys, a pet is for life, not just for Christmas! If you've never had a pet before, Domestics or Platonics are the best starter pets, but make sure to do your research thoroughly to keep your pet happy and healthy. Additionally, adopt, don't shop! There are so many pets desperately in need of loving homes. If you're insistent on purchasing from a supplier such as WRU rather than a shelter, choose refurbished. Give a pet the second chance they deserve!

🌟 thetruthinourstars

In Liberation this month: The shocking truth of WRU training away from prying eyes

🥸 bookworm420

https://www.liberation.com/20240423457899

(again. A year and a half after the first article and they're still having to expose it because no-one will listen...)

Oh come on, OP, everyone knows that's bullshit, spread by pet lib manipulators. Everyone: this is what bad actors look like!

🦀 just-a-crab

Sources?

#and before anyone leaps on me #i mean both of you #a reminder to always check where informations coming from

🍵 tea-and-pets

If prev was a pet, what would you give them as a little treat?

🐳 awhaleofatime

You guys are sick and perverted fuckers, I hope you know that

🌵 prickle

You're in the minority there mate

https://www.yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/explore/HumanPets

🐳 awhaleofatime

🌞 sunshinestarlight

Stfu and let people have their fun, dude

#if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all #pet love #srsly dude leave us alone #polls

🐭 mouseandsammy

Sammy just adores his new outfit! Look at him go!

🌞 sunshinestarlight

❤️

🪶 fansofafeather

Ew, why am I getting WRU adverts on my dash constantly? Do I look like someone who would buy a pet to you?

🦴

Yes

🪶 fansofafeather

This was originally just a vent, but since you asked so nicely...

Does it help? Does it really?

Sources:

Stats show that 42% of vulnerable young people surveyed are scared of being picked up by WRU. Furthermore, spending on welfare in the UK has decreased by 26% over the past ten years, with ministers even saying that those who need help should become pets and go where they're wanted, where their "place" is. Vulnerable people need help, not encouragement to sign their lives away, and the pet industry isn't helping with that (even if you say that it isn't WRU's fault for merely existing, their adverts aren't glowing examples of a non-manipulative company).

I could go into way more detail, about the manipulation and propaganda, and what's been associated with them over the years, the politicians in their pockets holding up legislation that would hinder sign-ups, not to mention that this is actual, literal slavery, but I'll leave it here for now. If you're actually bothered you can ask, but I get the feeling you're not anyway.

How do you see your future? | YouGov

How do you feel about the alleged forced sign-ups by WRU and similar companies? | Liberation

Fact-check: Has welfare spending increased? | BBC Verify

Secretary for Work and Pensions overheard suggesting that welfare recipients "go where they're wanted" and become pets | The Guardian

WRU adverts 2000-2024 | National Archives

👯 pet-love

Callout post

Be aware. User @/sam-the-multifandom is an active member of the pet lib community, who has engaged in targeted harassment of pet owners and supporters. Evidence is in their top posts. Block and report, and spread the word to other members of the community so we can stamp out this disgusting behaviour.

👁️ eyesonthewall

Oh ffs OP. This is your evidence? Seriously? Stop lying and go back to the hole you crawled out of.

💗 nolongeracult

Proving OP's point right there. I'm former pet lib, and I can honestly say it's the most toxic community I've ever been a part of.

🍰 twopets-twocakes

Even more than the Star Wars fandom? 😝

💗 nolongeracult

YES

#pet love #their choice #petlib is toxic #love your pet #pet for life

[apomaro-mellow]

Rock and Rule 4

Inside the club, music was blaring loud enough to pound Steve's ears. He hoped it was enough to get Creel's goons off his tail. And maybe he'd have enough time to get a drink. He kept his head low and the minions passed right over him. He let out a breath and ordered something at the bar. Just a quick drink and then he was finding the next bus, train, or plane to Hawkins.

"Hey, is that Eve!?", a voice shouted above the music. Then Steve felt someone grab his arm and make him turn.

"Holy shit! I've seen you on the posters! You're gonna be in Vecna's next concert, yeah?"

When Steve imagined getting noticed in public, it was usually due to his or the band's talents. Not from having his face all over town on someone else's posters.

"Um, well, don't hold me to that. Plans change", Steve said, trying to turn away, lest he garner anymore attention.

"Dude, lemme buy you a drink. I'd love to talk shop. You gotta know Lord Vecna himself, right? God, I've listened to him for years..."

Steve rubbed at one of his temples as this guy kept talking. He got up to go. Forget quenching his thirst, he had to get out of here right this second.

"Hey, I wasn't done talking. You're gonna introduce me to Vecna, aren't ya? Come on, you owe me after the drink."

Steve felt his arm being grabbed again and was just about to swing at this man when he was suddenly released. Then he heard a familiar voice.

"Learn to take a hint, chump."

Steve turned so fast, he might've broke his back. Eddie! The guy bothering him looked ready to talk back but then he saw the rest of the band behind Eddie and thought better of it.

"Whatever", he said while sulking off.

"Eddie!", Steve didn't give him a moment to think before embracing and kissing him.

Eddie's hard expression instantly melted as he fell into the kiss as easy as breathing. It took about ten seconds for him remember what he was doing here and why. He pulled off from the kiss but didn't take his hands off of Steve's waist that had mysteriously appeared there.

"You've got some answers to question."

"Huh?"

"I think he means you're got some questions to answer", Jeff clarified.

"We can talk, we just gotta go first", Steve said.

"Right behind ya", Gareth agreed.

The moment they said so though, large hands grabbed them from all around. Steve tried to shout for his boyfriend as they were ripped apart but a hand covered his mouth. He fought and he saw Eddie, Crash, Gareth, and Jeff struggle as well but the hands on him were like iron. He couldn't let this happen. Not again. Steve headbutted his captor and that loosened the hold just enough for him to lunge forward.

That was all he was able to do before something hard cracked against his skull and the world went black again. "It's time for your curtain call, Eve."

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

Eddie felt like he was seeing red as Steve was taken again. He and the rest of the band were thrown into the alley next to the club. And there, Henry Creel was waiting.

"You four are quite persistent. But Steve belongs to me now. Or rather, Eve does."

Crash's face scrunched. "Eve?"

"What's your deal, man?", Jeff questioned.

"'Eve is very appropriate, considering he will bring the downfall of man." Henry had his hands behind his back like he was talking about the weather.

"You're insane", Eddie said. "And a hack and a total sellout and I can't believe I ever listened to you!"

"I think you all just need a little trip", Henry said.

"I'm not smoking whatever messed with your head!" Eddie geared up and tossed a punch only for Henry to disappear like smoke. When he looked around he saw that he was no longer in the alley, but a void, completely alone.

"You misunderstand. But soon everyone will realize", Henry's voice floated through the air.

The gong of a clock sounded and Eddie felt his stomach drop.

"I'm going to send you all back to that town you all love so much."

"Fuck Hawkins and fuck you!", Eddie shouted.

"Oh no, you love Hawkins. You would never wanted to leave it. It's your home after all." Three more gongs went off and the world went completely dark for Eddie.

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

Steve was in fact awake in time for the concert, finding himself dressed in a flowy, white loincloth that just barely kept his modesty. His arms were tied above his head and he was strapped to a beam that kept him upright. His immediate thought brought him back to the screaming blonde woman in King Kong. Steve didn't want to know what sort of creature he was being sacrificed for as the crew did sound checks.

He thought he could fight against Vecna's wishes but right before the show started, a collar was locked around his throat. He heard the crowd getting antsy from behind the curtain and tried biting his tongue but the lights on the collar lit up and notes were forced from his throat.

"Aah ah aah", he vocalized like he was warming up as the band behind him got into place. Vecna was at the ready as well but Steve couldn't see him from behind.

It was his voice but it wasn't him. It was like he was being possessed. Steve wanted to cry. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Just as the show was about to begin, all of the lights when out. He could even feel the collar power down. Steve waited there, tied up, as the techs tried to figure out the problem.

A storm had knocked out the power and there was no hope of it ever coming back on for the evening. Steve felt relief for only a moment. A storm wasn't enough to stop this monster. Henry was already making moves to take the next leg of the concert to Hawkins.

Part 6

[pixeldistractions]

That evening, Jordan got a little campfire going, which was peaceful and quiet and he didn’t look unhappy. He did look like if she talked too much he might throw her into the river. But he spoke first, which she was grateful for.

“So I guess we’ll be in California tomorrow,” he said.

“Yeah. Can you believe I’ve never seen the Pacific Ocean?”

“Actually, no, I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

“You’ve been there before?” she asked

“Yeah, I came out west back in the day, after the boys were born.”

“You didn’t like it?”

“No, I really did,” he said.

“Then why’d you come back to Wisconsin?”

He paused for a good minute before deciding whether he wanted to elaborate or else shut it down. “My dad died,” he said. “I guess I kind of changed my mind about some things.”

“Damn,” she said. “That’s a bummer. I can’t imagine. So, you learned the secret of life then? Care to share?”

“I was just more alone than I cared to be.”

“I hate being alone,” Ingrid said. “What about your Mom? Siblings?”

“Nope, it was just me and my dad. Then, when he was gone, and all I had on the whole planet were those two little dudes. And now, this isn’t the same. What I’m doing now, it’s not like that. I would have them with me if she wasn’t being such a fucking —”

“Do it,” Ingrid goaded with a mischievous grin. “Go on, call her a bitch. You know you want to.”

He took a sobering deep breath and let out a single chuckle. He shook his head. “She’s the mother of my children. Unfortunately.”

“Okay,” she said. “Have it your way.”

Weird, Ingrid thought, being struck by such a weighty personal truth. In that instant, she felt what budding crush she had on Jordan dissipate. He just seemed so real, like a whole human being, all that flesh and bone and sadness.

And she thought about Clayton and his wild neurotic ambitions, and she thought about the five months she spent with Kevin when they bared their souls and hurts to each other. And it made her wonder, what did she really know about Charlie Roseland? Besides that he couldn’t get over Natty? Besides his irresistible punkish smirk, besides his bad attitude and sharp wit, besides his deep brown eyes, besides that kiss. Well, she pretty much knew nothing about Charlie Roseland at all. They only spent three weeks together.

Sigh.

“I don’t want to fuck you anymore, by the way,” she told Jordan.

“Okay. Um, thanks?” He laughed awkwardly.

“I mean, I totally did want to. But I don’t want to anymore.”

“That’s, um, good to know,” he said. “Is that something you have to announce to people often?”

“Yeah, well, so I guess you could say I have a type,” she said. “Usually, they have girlfriends. Or just finished having a girlfriend. Ha, one of them had a wife. And well, you’ve got two women hounding you, so maybe that makes you double appealing. What is that about?”

“Sounds like something you should talk to a therapist about.”

He said it in a funny way, not like he wanted to drop her off at the train station. She appreciated that.

“There was this one boy, Charlie Roseland. He and his girlfriend were on a break, all summer, the chemistry was so intense you could bite it. Ugh, I wanted a bite.”

“Did you get one?” he asked.

“Yeah, I got a bite. One tragic, beautiful kiss. I’ll never forget it for as long as I live. But, I guess I lose most of the time, so maybe I need a new game.”

“You should try dating a single guy next time.”

“What about you?”

He took that the wrong way, which she hoped for, and he made that shocked and panicked face that she found totally amusing.

“I mean,” she said, “shouldn’t you try not dating anyone? You’ve got your ex calling ten times a minute and a new girlfriend already. Isn’t it a little soon for a serious girlfriend?”

“Oh, it probably looks that way, huh? But no, that’s been brewing for years. It should have been sooner.”

“But everybody knows you need a rebound first,” she said. “You gotta work out the kinks of the last thing.”

“I don’t think I’m the rebound type of guy.”

“I had a beautiful rebound once,” she said. “It lasted about five months, after Charlie. His name was Kevin. He was sweet, I wonder what happened to him.”

They were both quiet for a moment, thinking about things past, things yet to come. That serene smile crept across Jordan’s face, the same look he had whenever he thought of Maria.

“If I wasn’t such a fool, maybe this all could have happened differently. I feel like I’m doing it all wrong, making so many mistakes already.”

“There are no mistakes,” Ingrid said. “We’re just meat sacks wandering around, stepping in shit. Some of it is literal shit and some of it’s sublime. Who knows what comes next? There are no rules.”

“Ha, not according to Colette,” he said. “There are definitely rules, and her lawyer has them in writing for me.”

They sat a little longer beside the fire. He listened to her woes, and she listened back. The listening was something she’d grown into in the past few years, learning to listen. To really listen. To hear. To see. There were times before when she wasn’t very good at that. She listened like a girl who took a couple of psychology electives in university, throwing around words and diagnoses, thinking she had him all figured out. A lot of the time she was right. It didn’t serve her well, most of the time, but maybe her art would be better for it, at least.

— from “boxes and squares #2: this is not that story again” (9/10)

Next ->

[theloveinc]

Helloooo! Kind of new anon here - been obsessed with your headcanons and writing as it is soooo good ahhhhh *flails in fangirl*

I am not sure what rules you have for asks (so feel free to ignore) but just needed to let out the thoughts of Bakugo running around in my head!!

So my impression is that Bakugo would very much be a ride-or-die type of guy. Like the in it for the long game type dude who doesn’t date unless he’s sure he can see himself being with this person for the full ride.

Which makes me cackle to think about how this can tie with a rivals to lovers type trope where the person who stands out just initially annoys the hell out of him - can kick his ass in training, is always ready with a quick retort, doesn’t shy from his grumpiness or outbursts. Both just hating each other’s guts. But also because of that, you understand each other better than anyone else. You see when he’s at a low and he sees when something is bothering you. After seeing each other at your lowest but finding the beauty in that to stick with each other through thick and thin - ughh my heart!!

Then it hits Bakugo when he catches himself daydreaming and wondering what it would be like to have a life with you. And he’s like “oh shit” but little does he know you’re also thinking the same thing lol

hi hi hi!!! thank you so much for enjoying my stuff so much that u wanted to send me an idea of ur own! i appreciate both the follow and the kindness (and trust hehe) A LOT!

can i be honest tho? stories that present two characters at odds w/ one another who are actually the only ones who understand each other.... make. me. BONKERSSSS CRAZY, truly one of my favorite tropes that has me crying and screaming on the floor every single time...

sooooo uh... YES!!! to this idea, and i hope u don't mind me continuing on a lil bit. just thinking about all the moments you have together that u and bakugo just absolutely refuse to talk about.... but mean so much.

the time you land on your wrist wrong after he knocked you out of the air during training, and he immediately stopped the fight to bandage you up. the time he gets off the phone after finding out he didn't make the top ten this year and deku did.... and you let him cry into your shoulder and keep him company and make him tea so he doesn’t have to be alone.

obvs, hardly anyone is aware of u two so no teasing takes place about your crushes... but it's sooooo, so obvious when either of u really think about it, esp when the thoughts u have become less about wanting to beat the other in a fight... and more domestic and sweet. bakugo having a rough night and just wanting to see your face, even if you snap at him (which you wouldn't)... or you just wishing he was there to tell you that you did a good job after patrol.

despite everything, all the fighting and mean words, it's like you're searching for each other every single second!!!

and maybe this is cliche... but i feel like neither of you would confess until... something bad happens. Like another hero is bullying you, or you get caught up with some villain... and bakugo is just going bananas because HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TEASE U. HE'S THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO FIGHT W/ YOU. BARK BARK WOOF WOOF he gets so defensive! and maybe you do too when the same thing happens to him.

And then you're both finally able to admit... yeah. this is love(and it will be forever).

[reconstructwriter]

Had Another Breakdown and Watched Attack of the Clones

And wow, what a B-Movie title but I’m already committed to this terrible life decision so I might as well continue. Got through the Phantom Menace so how much worse can this be?

Warning! Another long post! Also tw for Attack of the Clones shit including genocide and slavery.

The Watto scene: Not only does it double down on Watto as a Jewish stereotype – seriously, WHY?!? – but a scene where a former slave meets their enslaver after ten years of growing up and mystic training with a laser sword? I expected a lot more. Watto should’ve voided his bowels because this has to be Worst Case Scenario for a slaver! At best he was a little ‘nervous friendly’. And Anakin is already well-established as ‘man-child who Loses His Shit at the drop of a hat’. Like dude, where’s your angst and teenage fits now cause boy does this situation fit the bill! But nope, NPC fulfills their NPC duty and off they go.

Fanon Anakin vs Canon Anakin: I was introduced to the former and slowly learned what he’s really like and oh wow is he such a terrible mess of a human being no wonder Mace Windu noped his training. His Fascist statement is extra YIKES for Padme since she’s one of those Senators who’d be forced to agree. The first temper tantrum alone sounded way out of line given the relatively professional setting, let alone the creepy boundary-breaking stare. The ‘I’ve been dreaming about you for ten years’, the ‘my feelings are suffering’ speech – also taking place with him in shadow for extra broody effect. And his first genocide (I can’t believe we’re already keeping track here!) And he KNOWS BETTER is the worst thing. He admits, out loud, that he knows better and still does the thing Padme why did you say yes to this mess?

Padme being mind controlled: a fairly common fan theory to answer the above question, but in-movie Padme straight up asks Anakin if he will use a mind-trick on her (in the context of a 20 questions game so not serious). Anakin’s response is ‘mind tricks only work on the weak minded’. On the one hand, implies Padme is too strong-willed for Anakin to influence through the Force – but on the other hand this also suggests to me that he would if he could!?!?

Though Anakin was the one to suggest keeping the relationship a secret, which did surprise me so no guilting Padme about ‘wanting a marriage like a free man’ like I thought. Padme is the one who says she won’t live a lie. Good to know for future reference.

Are droids sentient or not? Dex outright says droids can’t think but I honestly don’t know if this is in-universe how droids work or if Dex is having a Cleigg-on-Tusken-People moment.

Jedi are Arrogant? Lots of people have cited Madame Nu’s confidence in her archive’s integrity as evidence the Jedi are arrogant and horrible justification of Sith crimes follows. But Obi Wan thinks there’s something more going on and Yoda encourages everyone to help find his lost planet in one of the only nods to ‘funny trickster teacher Yoda’ we get in the movie. To me this seems a hint that the Jedi are unprepared for betrayal from within. Which Dooku’s, Anakin’s and the Clones’ mind-controlled betrayals all blindside the Jedi Order.

Jango: I’ve been torn about him since I learned about him. On the one hand, understandable vengeance motive (per legends anyway), on the other hand selling his own kids into slavery and probably knowing something about the chips and genocide order because I can’t otherwise imagine the legends version assisting the Jedi.

Jango does state in-movie ‘they’ll do their job well’ in a way that sounds just a bit ominous but I don’t know if he’s being accidentally vague or deliberately giving a subtle hint he knows about the Jedi betrayal plan. If this version is just in it for Boba and the money and doesn’t have the motive of his Legends counterpart, why would the Sith ever need to tell him? Dunno, but I was surprised to not hear him say anything derogatory about his clones. I mean he’s still selling his children into slavery in a way George Lucas doesn’t grok but he doesn’t actively deride them like I’ve read in fanfic. It’s a low bar but not as low as Anakin’s.

Made for the Jedi? So the Kaminoians confirm the clone army is specifically made for the Republic but commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Glad the movies cleared that up.

Scene Contrast: Kamino is Dark and Stormy with creepy sterile whiteness everywhere in complete contrast to Naboo’s sunny and lush green paradise. The clone army is grown and trained in creepy white lab while the robotic army built in a dark but organic underground hive. Obi Wan sneaks onto Geonosis through the light of day to investigate galactic concerns. Anakin on Tattooine stalks the Tusken people in the dark of night for personal stakes.

The (Other) Horribly Racist Cliché: Speaking of which, I get we’re supposed to assume Shmi was abducted but, um, Cleigg isn’t even a witness – like I initially thought – but is guessing abduction based on tracks in the desert sand and his incredibly racist bias. Are we supposed to doubt every word out of his mouth? If Shmi had been in a bed (even tied) I’d have assumed patient before prisoner.

Anakin’s Genocide: He goes off to save Shmi as ominous music plays and the suns go down, at which point he doesn’t just walk the fascist talk and do baby-Vader’s first genocide but also foreshadows his betrayal and genocide of the Jedi! Which really reinforces the Sith/Nazi and Jedi/Jewish parallel here – Hitler and the Nazis got their Holocaust ideas from White America’s treatment of our native and PoC counterparts. So too does Anakin the future Sith start his genocidal tendencies with the Native people of Tattooine.

But nobody in-universe seems to get that?!? Blorbo!Anakin authors recognize that thar was some FUCKED UP SHIT!!! (Usually by pretending it didn’t happen or re-writing the scene into something less Moral Event Horizon.) Padme’s response would fit better Anakin murdering the literally disarmed Dooku – morally wrong, against the Jedi Code but somewhat understandable but genocide? Cleigg is narratively supposed to be kind and sympathetic but he practically sent a demon after people who’s land and water he’s stealing! The person acting most realistically is the perpetrator and all Anakin admits (again) is he’s a Jedi and therefore should be better. But this still feels like he should have come back to Padme yellow-eyed and Dark Sided!

Once again, George Lucas’ racism screws up the story he’s trying to tell. Ugh. Okay, enough movie time for now. Sorry I’m a hopeless binger despite my friends and kitties’ best efforts.

[blazehedgehog]

what's the most out-of-place game you own, something that you have no idea why you have it? like for some reason i have xmen on game gear

I don't know that this applies to physical games, honestly. I got so few games growing up that each one is a clear memory. Like, let's take these photos I tweeted of my SNES game collection in 2017. Some of these games are nearly 30 years old and I remember where almost all of them came from.

Most of them were Christmas, obviously. I have distinct Christmas Morning memories of games like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, and Zelda.

Donkey Kong Country was one of last Christmas presents I ever spoiled for myself, since I knew where my Mom kept them before wrapping them and putting them under the tree. I was so excited for the game and I felt bad that I ruined the surprise (there were other factors that contributed to this, but that's another post).

My copy of Super Turrican was from my Cousins. I will never forget my aunt proudly reading the back of the box to me. "The sound alone is enough to turn your brain in to a crispy critter."

A lot of these were used. You can tell -- some of them have stickers on them for King Sooper's (a Kroger grocery chain store), others have stickers for Game Force (the local game trader before Gamestop moved in).

Super Mario RPG was the first game I ever bought with my own money. Final Fantasy II was a game I got because I was jonesin' hard for Final Fantasy VII but didn't have a Playstation. I saw Gradius III at a friend's house, knew I'd hate it, but ended up with a copy any way because it was cheap at a flea market. Wheel of Fortune was technically something my mom bought for herself. Star Fox was an unfortunate scenario where I went over to a friend's house, borrowed the game, and then found out he quietly moved away before I could give it back. I got Chrono Trigger because a friend wanted my copy of Sonic & Knuckles and we traded for it (I think I came out on top, because by this point I already had Sonic Jam for the Saturn). Killer Instinct was one of the first games I ever bought off of Ebay.

If you want to get to the REAL obscure games, Steam is the best place for that. My Steam account is 18 years old and thanks to Humble Bundle I have TONS of games I don't remember buying. That, and, for a time, an indie publisher was just sending me dozens and dozens of keys for random games and in the back of my mind I always had this thought of "I'll do something with these some day."

Every time I scroll through my game list, I hit on at least five or ten "I forgot I had this" games, like:

The Ascent, Atomicrops, Bee Simulator, Calico, Carcassonne, Cook Serve Delicious 3, CrossCode, D: The Game, Deathloop, Dirt Rally 2, Dustforce, Gas Station Simulator, Ghostrunner, Hob, Houseflipper, Minoria, Monster Train, Panzer Paladin, Resident Evil VII

And that's not even a full list of "every game I don't remember buying or being gifted."

The fact that so many games can just show up in my Steam account as if appearing out of thin air should be kind of a problem. And it sucks, too, because despite owning almost 1500 games on Steam, there's still a ton more that I want. My wishlist has over 450 games on it, and I cull it semi-regularly. But at some point its throwing them in to an impossible-to-comprehend pile where I just have too many PC games.

Games are weird, dude.

[skylersolomonofficial]

Wave Crasher

Secret identity: Joshua Smith

He has the Gift to control water, breathe underwater, and can turn into a watery mist to travel quickly. His Gift leaves him smelling like the ocean all of the time

His father, Mikey, founded The Hero Crew twenty years ago, shortly after Joshua was born. Mikey moved bases after thirteen years to live in Washington for his wife's new job, but still had an established base in California

When Joshua was thirteen, his parents died in a staged accident from one of Mikey's enemies. He then took over The Hero Crew with Doctor Shoelace at side as his second in command. She is much like an aunt to him as she was close to both of his parents

Joshua has a very stereotypical "Surfer Dudetm" personality. He says dude and like a lot. When he was younger, Joshua wanted to be a painter. He still enjoys painting, but he understands that being a hero comes first. He became a hero because he looked up to Mikey, becoming one at ten

Joshua has blond hair with blue tips, blue eyes, and tan skin with freckles all over. He is 6'3 and generally wears tank tops with stripes, faded blue shorts, and sandals any time of the year

He is twenty years old, born on June 21st, 2000. He is not one of the younger people in The Hero Crew, but was when he first joined. His father taught him for the first two months of his hero career, but Doctor Shoelace took over his training after Mikey died

Fears: failing everyone, dying, and being alone

Likes: painting, music, blue, purple, and seafood

Allergies: Pineapple and cotton

Joshua is a cisgender and heterosexual man, but he did experiment with his gender and his sexuality. Occasionally, Joshua likes to wear dresses and often paints his nails. He's very supportive of the queer, black, POC, disabled (physically and mentally) and homeless communities. He'll offer a safe space for anyone if they need it and proudly claims people as family when they're rejected by their own families

He has an adoptive sister named Tivona Blum, who happens to be Mother Nature, the third in command in The Hero Crew. He adores her very much and would do almost anything to save her

Joshua has killed people by accident for and hates the feeling that it made, hates that it felt freeing. He killed the person who killed his parents in a rage and has regretted it since. He doesn't regret that the villain is gone and can't hurt anyone ever again, but he does regret killing. He believes there was a better way to handle it and he never wants to kill ever again, knowing that if he did, he might not stop and he doesn't want to go down that road. Joshua doesn't shame anti-heroes that kill bad people, but does wish they had found a better way to do so

Like many heroes, Joshua has to deal with the pain of not being able to save everyone. But he tries. He tries to help the homeless by opening homeless shelters in The Hero Crew's name that offers a safe place for anyone who needs it with warm food and clean clothes that helps people find jobs and permanent homes. He visits the elderly and helps cheer them up. He talks to teens about safe sex and how to raise children if they have some or where to find abortions. He fights for rights for everyone and tries to help get free health care for all Americans

While being a hero doesn't pay much, Joshua gets the money he needs from donations and other members who make a large sum of money. He doesn't ask for it, but he doesn't turn it away when someone offers it

[knowlessman]

bungo no hogs macedonia (jk it's FINALLY bnha bc I googled "when does sasuke show up again" and it turns out he kinda doesn't, it's kinda like if the soul eater anime actually tried to make you care about the 100 witch souls thing but also was eleventy billion hundred years long and every arc went out of its way to remind you about it without actually progressing it) ep1-4 -- (literally looking at a splash screen bc I haven't hit go yet) I'm sure we learn why this boy has grenades for hands at some point

how unamerican or something

oh yeah this is basically if saitama wasn't OP and was Rock Lee instead right

I love that one of the bystanders here either has a quirk or just wandered in from Jojo part 6

they changed the rules so you could get into Sky High without powers? so the Cyclist from One-Punch could get in. (…googles character, skims wiki page …Mumen Rider is good character it turns out. Wish Netflix had more of - …wait a minute… okay, ngl if this loses my attention at some point there is a nonzero chance I drift over to one-punch man)

huh. didn't think we'd know that about All Might so early

…jeezus.

weirdest damn santa clause I ever seen. he doesn't even have a beard

…the fuck is any of this

"walk home, deku. I work alone." okay I do actually wanna know what he says tho, goddammit

anime stop spoiling the next episode after the credits challenge 2023 goddammit I don't wanna know this shit yet have you never heard of a binge watch

anyway next one -- with the mha spoilers that I do know… this should be one helluva convo for all might

wait whaaat, I thought this only came out later in the show :O not sure why I thought that, but this being in, like, literally the second episode is a surprise

…I guess "invisibility cloak" is just a really weird translation for something that should probably be "host" or "disguise," then?

'XD that half-assed analogy. "guys at the pool" -- hm. okay well that's HALF the spoiler that I think I know from this show -- also, well, he did make an effort to let him down easy while being honest, and it technically wasn't a "no." (also obv don't tell him to be a cop, that's for antagonists not protagonists)

some "invisibility cloak"

deku you owe that asshole a punch in the face, not this -- what ARRRR ya doin, tho (sorry my brain auto-associated to Pirates… 3, I think?)

yup. "toughness" and a balsa-wood ego

'XDDD dude. literally anyone could have seen you, shouting at the top of your lungs in a sleepy-ass neighborhood. also are you really not able to turn that off at-will? you have to wait until your body remembers it has organ damage and turns it off for you? -- I think I love this design of all might tbh. he looks like a fucking bionicle. and the hair and the outfit, it's all just perfect. and it gives context to why his face always has shadows all over it, in some way I dunno how to explain

next, I guess, fuck it, it's only half past two in the morning -- …and that's the other half of the spoiler I knew (is dabi also a spoiler? idk, probably), in the third episode

(watching OP) huh. for some reason I thought hand-face-man was from tokyo ghoul

american… good name for it, maybe? bootstrap bullshit that can only fly in shonen

think you're a rooster? you're training to be all might, kid, not goku

I thought Napoleon was, like, a bad guy? googles briefly huh. lot of things, that guy.

buhhh. fourth then. fuck but this show is good at cliffhangers.

Best Jeanist 'XD tf does that even mean

aye, I think I can see the thread from here, the intent of this "obstacle"

…good shit. I was starting to worry she, y'know, wasn't gonna get to do shit.

I wanna like mr stereotypical glasses guy, the pedant. do I get to like him? is he okay?

and here come the ten billion points for griffinpuff, aye?

oh fuck my life I forgot this was about high school 'XD I'mma go to bed

[halt-kun]

Hunter x Hunter Chapter 160 - Face-off (3)

I’ve bought the volumes up to volume 20 and I’ll try to finish volume 16 today

We were left off at Hisoka tricking Killua on meeting the PT in the game

Off to Tsezguerra !

Nice to bargain for a part of the prize money of Tsezguerra ever wins the game. He has a nice headstart. It’s too bad it wasn’t in the anime

Patch of Forest seems like another group event lead by a game master. I wonder how this event can be triggered. Imagine waiting for ten years for someone to challenge you and in the end nobody does and they manage to reach the end of the game anyway.

Let’s go ! ! ! 

Just some nice panels

Tsezguerra is on board because he isn’t dumb

They have good odds, you can try again and choose a sport that advantages you, your skills and your nen

I love Killua power moves !

JUMP

I like how they notice they can do that just now when the troupe used this back in Yorknew. When Nobunaga reached the third floor, Killua was shocked. Gyo is useful. It’s definitely not Tsezguerra ability but just to showcase his leg strength and aura control. 

BOOM SHOCK

to be honest this Tsezguerra is rusty he hasn’t trained in a while and his cautious nature didn’t allow for improvement in a while.

Killua still overall better than Gon at skills that involve enhancement, mostly because he’s also very strong but his aura control is also better since he was better at ryu than Gon.

His proximity to enhancement that was revealed lately is also likely to be involved in there. We know that like Machi he’s a transmuter in the middle of enhancement and transmutation. 

Tsezguerra is a liar 

Gon is such a kid

Tsezguerra did beach volley, NICE

Goreinu did wrestling, my gaydar is triggered

Killua wants to destroy Bobopo

Barry will do Boxing (i think Barry is cute)

Rodriot must be a manipulator or aware that’s what his opponent will use.

Hisoka soccer juggling is a cheat, like it helps juggling and it’s not like the ball can be pushed by nen too.

Tse and Gon team ! nice

FUCK

Biscuit looks good, did Killua and Gon grow past her height in this arc ? I remember them being all three about the same height

I think Kess is going to do Baseball

2011 Animators were cowards not putting chest hair on this character

Yep he’s fast my dude too bad for you

What will you do ? Teleport a few centimeters to the right ?

Divine script hasn’t been used in a while too, it’s most likely similar to Wing’s script and what’s used on GI ring and inside the game. 

Barry is HOT

sorry I need to go the horny jail

Nice for Rodriot and Kess !

Razor knows how to find strong people, he wants a piece of them

Threatening to kill Killua is a bad move

Burns hurt as hell though, understandable but you burnt someone else Bobopo

Killua is a brat and I love it

OOF Breach of contract in GI isn’t fun

OUCH OUCH OUCH 

way less damage than in the anime but more gory. At least I can better envision the strength of the ball this way.

Everyone is on edge now 

And the fodders are terrified now

1 & 2 - I wonder if the first two are nen spaces if you use gain ? 

3- Third could solve water shortages in a small village

4- Fourth is really useful for skin caring, I’d love to try it

5 - Spirited away is just when you want to be alone and at peace, nice too

6 - Liquor spring is for alcoholic

7 - Pregnancy STONE or Gon’s mother, to be honest the theory is perfect Gon was 2 when GI was created so it could have been used during the beta test phase. Only Ging would try it for the fun of it anyway. Does it mean it makes a kid through parthogenesis, Gon isn’t a clone so that seems logical or does it use random genes for the second part or from someone you like ? or at random around you ?

Also since we will never have info on Gon’s mom, it’s the best thing we’ll ever have

8 - Mystery pond could save species, too bad it only works on fish, I wonder how it defines fish, technically terrestrial vertebrates are fish so you could duplicate humans in there too.

9 - Tree of Plenty could also deal with food shortages in one place

I’ll continue later tonight. I know with the latest chapters I haven’t continued the GI arc in a while but in two weeks with the return of hiatus x hiatus, I’ll be back to a more consistent liveblog

[zaphiregz]

It was time to draw my precious King again and I have to because… NEW FORM. YEEES. THIS IS WHAT I WANTED.

DUDE HE IS LIKE A GOD RIGHT NOW. LOVE HIM. I CAN’T. SUCH A GOOD YEAR TO BE ALIVE. I just hope he gets a “happy ending” like being the new GoD or even something more. I don’t know, he really deserves something better than just being defeated after showing how fucking powerful he is right now.

ALSO… BACKSTORY OF THE ICEJINS WHEN?. GIVE US MORE LORE ABOUT HIS RACE, HIS PAST, I NEED MORE.

[bigskydreaming]

Okay, so you know “Justice League meets Batman’s kids, who they’d previously been unaware existed” AUs?

So picture that.....but this time, instead of them just having no knowledge of any of these other Gotham vigilantes at all....the Batkids all migrate to various cities as they get older and become known as their protectors - Dick in Bludhaven, Tim in San Francisco, Cass in Hong Kong, etc....

Meaning they’re all established figures, the Justice League are aware of them as solo local heroes who stick to their cities and so they just don’t interact with them much if at all, or else some are members of team lineups but are particularly vague about their histories or life outside of the team’s adventures....

So the big reveal isn’t that they become aware of all these other Gotham vigilantes all at once....its that some big conflict or whatever requires a huge team up of all available heroes, and in the aftermath, they figure out that like.....despite being known as solo heroes who work alone or loners outside of their team settings, 80% of these heroes all not only seem to already know each other, they seem to be related.

And so naturally they all turn to Batman, who has profiles on every known hero and they thus figure had researched these individuals too and just never mentioned this little detail, and they’re like, “Did you know about this?”

And then Nightwing turns to him too, arms crossed and is like, “Yeah Dad, did you know about this?”

And the infamous Red Hood is all: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have never met any of these people before in my life. Lives? Whatever.”

And then Red Robin moodily grates out “I have no siblings.” Since he’s nursing a grudge since Dick and Jason broke into his apartment the night before and replaced all his custom Red Robin gear with Darkwing Duck merchandise and his vengeance will be swift and also totally disproportionate because things escalate quickly in this family, that’s true in every universe.

Cass meanwhile has deftly skewered Jason’s lie by walking over to him and brazenly patting down the man with many many guns with no fear whatsoever. He squawks and futilely attempts to bat her hands away as she riffles through his many pockets, but he doesn’t seem shocked, just annoyed. Eventually, she pulls away and triumphantly reveals a box of Hello Kitty themed band-aids.

“So these are yours then? Just for you?” Black Bat asks smugly. Red Hood squints at the box.

“What the fuck? How long have those been in my jacket? Why are those in my jacket? Did you freaking plant them in my jacket just on the offchance you could at some point in the distant future use them at my expense?”

Black Bat frowns, puzzled. “Yes?”

“Oh come on, Dead Hood,” Spoiler says with an exaggerated toss of her head meant to convey she’s rolling her eyes beneath her own mask. She skips her way across the room to Black Bat and then drapes herself languidly all over the smaller woman. Who in turn doesn’t so much as twitch beneath the sudden added mass as Spoiler holds out her hand towards the box of band-aids. 

“One please. I have a boo-boo,” she says with easy familiarity straight into the intimidating cowl of Black Bat. Only then does she deign to finish her train of thought with Red Hood.

“I mean seriously, are you saying you don’t have potential blackmail set-ups, pre-rigged releases of incriminating material, and a random assortment of traps, pratfalls and mortifying scenarios in place for the express purpose of being able to humiliate any and all of your siblings at any given moment, without any need for additional prep time?”

“Is this true, Little Wing?” Nightwing whirls on the larger Red Hood with a faux-scandalized gasp. The founder and leader of the Titans, formerly the Teen Titans, renowned for his stratagems and calm competence when directing squads of supers in the heat of battle while he keeps pace with nothing more than naturally acquired acrobatics and a utility belt that apparently uses the same technology as Wonder Woman’s invisible jet....now appears to be....staggering with the back of his hand pressed to his forehead, moaning about how he felt....faint? 

What is happening right now, several dozen superheroes want to know. Is this a drill? Are they supposed to be checking for signs of a mental ambush from undetected psychic saboteurs? Did they all hit their heads at the exact same time and are now experiencing some kind of shared mass concussion?

Look, that wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to ever happen on the Watchtower. 

“Have I failed you so utterly?” The veteran child hero bemoans with a dramatic twirl - that when contrasted with his stern demeanor of a mere ten minutes ago - makes the fears of telepathic infiltration seem less paranoia and more....concerningly probable. “Did you learn nothing from me? Did you learn nothing from B?”

He stops and jabs a finger up at the sky. “Quick, everyone! What is the very first rule of Living While Batty?”

As if by rote, over a half a dozen voices chime in from all over the room, causing various heroes to jump. Spooked by yet more and more vigilantes joining in some kind of mass recitation like they and they alone have some kind of clue what the hell is going on and everyone else just hadn’t been invited to the party. Which is just rude, honestly. Nobody likes feeling like they weren’t invited to the party. Not even superheroes. 

“If you’re not going to bother preparing for every possible contingency and at least six impossible ones, you might as well just stay in bed.”

Even the Red Hood joins in the Illuminati chant or Cub Scout pledge or demonic ritual or whatever the fuck that just was, though his slumped and exasperated posture gives away every hint of sulkiness his headgear otherwise would have kept safely hidden. He’s surprisingly more...expressive, than most who’d only known of him by reputation had expected him to be. The day continues to yield surprises.

“Of fucking course I do,” he growls out, snatching the box from Black Bat. She doesn’t even fight to hold onto it, just lets it go with a knowing smirk. “I wasn’t surprised by the idea of it, I was just surprised she bothered with such a weak effort. Like yeah whatever, actually those could be mine. I use those all the time at home. So what?”

He aggressively yanks one of the band-aids out of the box, fumbles with the peel-off strips with one hand and he roughly rolls up the sleeve of his jacket with the other. Then just slaps it on his forearm and raises said appendage high, showing it off this way and that. “See?”

“Oh yeah, for sure,” Signal drawls from the other side of the room, nodding his head approvingly. “Totally convincing. Nice job walking that one back, you really showed them.”

Red Hood’s head snaps in his direction with ominous intent. “Watch it, Day-Glo.”

Signal just snorts.

“Yeah, like I’m gonna take constructive criticism on my name and costume from a dude who’s spent the last several years calling himself Red HOOD while running around in a freaking HELMET.”

“Its not meant to be literal, you fucking pedant.”

“So wait, its not literally a helmet? Huh, does it at least protect your head literally, or just like...symbolically? Like if Bane were to clock you across the head, would your concussion just be a metaphor? What’s the treatment protocol for a metaphorical concussion? Fluids, bedrest and a philosophical prescription of two chapters of Chicken Soup for the Soul as needed?”

“Laugh it up, KC and the Sunshine Band,” Red Hood bats back. “You just got yourself disinvited from Thursday night’s poker game.”

Signal just grins and folds his arms over his chest cockily. “Please. You’ve been looking for an excuse to ban me for weeks, cuz you know until you can prove I’m using my ghost vision to cheat, you can’t actually bring suit against me for it in Family Court.”

“That, and also Family Court isn’t a real thing, you toddler. Stop validating Wing-a-ding-ding’s obsession with Shitty TV Nostalgia and just call it that thing where Oracle traps us all in a room until we settle our latest fight without anyone getting stabbed.”

“Yeah, but like, say that five times fast,” Spoiler pipes up. “Its just not practical. Family Court’s way easier.”

“Says the one who’s not even in our fucking family.”

“And yet I grace you all with my sublime presence anyway,” she blows a kiss at him, beatifically unbothered. “You’re welcome.”

The Red Hood scoffs and rounds on his heel, zeroing in on Batwoman in the far corner.

“Hey Auntie B, my siblings are all dead to me and I just helped stop an alien invasion so I deserve nice things like a fun Saturday night. Can you get me into Dad’s fundraiser so I can crash it? He won’t put me back on the list until I promise not to bring any C-4 with me and I won’t promise not to bring any C-4 because he should just trust me that I won’t when I say I’m not gonna and he won’t trust me that I won’t until I admit I shouldn’t have brought any to that sting last month where three tiny little yachts blew up through barely any fault of my own, and I’m just not gonna do that ever because I have convictions and I feel I shouldn’t have to be punished for that. Y’know?”

Batwoman blinks at him. “Kid, I’m not gonna lie to you. You’re my nephew and I love you, but I stopped listening three seconds into all that.”

“Ugh, fine. Can you help me crash Dad’s event tonight so I can teach him a lesson about why he should just trust me not to make a scene so I don’t have to always make a scene to make a point.”

“Tempting as you make that sound,” she says wryly, “I have a strict policy for dealing with you lot and your......everything. I only worry about tolerating one of you at a time, and there’s seven of you, and seven days in the week. You each get your own. You know perfectly well its Robin’s day today. You get me on Tuesday, just like always.”

“Auntie B, we’re not like other families, are we?” Red Robin’s delivery is sarcastically childish and his question clearly rhetorical. Most of his attention is fixated on whatever it is he’s doing with his wrist-mounted computer. 

“No sweetie, we’re all severely fucked in the head and a little bit too comfortable with that.”

“Just checking. Oh hey, Hood, I just emailed you a patch for the hole in your firewall I exploited when replacing all my shit using your accounts just now.”

“You did what?”

“Used your accounts to pay to replace all my stuff that you fucked with last night?” Red Robin says slowly. “Did you not realize that I’ve been sticking within ten feet of you for the past five minutes just so I could clone your devices and do all that while BB and Spoiler kept you distracted? I gotta say, bro, I feel like that’s on you then.”

Red Hood swivels his helmeted head in the direction of the aforementioned two. Black Bat waves. Spoiler shoots him an utterly unrepentant thumbs up.

“You’d side with your ex over me? That’s what its come to?”

“My only allegiance is to chaos,” Spoiler says brightly. Black Bat shrugs.

“Plus he bribes better.”

“Hateful,” Red Hood points at Black Bat, moving on to level the same finger at Spoiler, who curtsies in acknowledgment: “Hateful-er.”

Then the finger rounds the bases to aim judgmentally at Red Robin. “Hateful-est. And that was all Nightwing’s idea anyway, not mine.”

“Oh, I assumed as much,” he says casually. “Your idea of a prank tends to have more of a Carrie vibe. Or be a literal literary reenactment.”

“Its called an homage, 4chan.”

“Whatever, plagiarist. And anyway, I couldn’t go after ‘Wing for payback on this one. He used an Immunity card. If you didn’t want me getting back at you, you should have used one too."

Red Hood looms aggressively. Red Robin ignores willfully. Round and round they go. Superheroes who can survive excessive G-Forces are getting dizzy just watching them have a largely motionless stand-off. That shouldn’t be how that works, but whatever. All the most infamously reclusive and isolated heroes in all hero-dom are apparently part of the same one big reclusive and isolated family of fucked up weirdos and they’re all officially bonkers. Nothing makes sense anymore. Reality broke. Try another stall.

“Okay, but see, in order to have an Immunity card, I would have to participate in one of you losers’ stupid Immunity challenges,” the Red Hood drags out with exaggerated patience. “And I’m just not going to do that, on account of those all being fucking stupid. You see the problem there?”

Red Robin just shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you, bro. You can have principles or you can have an Immunity card. You can’t have both.”

Meanwhile, on another side of....the same room.....look, its like, an octagonal room, probably. It has a lot of sides. Robin fends off questions from an aggrieved looking Superboy.

“You never told me you had a bajillion brothers and sisters!”

“Yes but I never said I didn’t either.”

Superboy rolls his eyes. “Oh yeah, so I should just assume everyone I meet has a bajillion secret brothers and sisters?”

“Well clearly it would have worked out in your favor in this instance if you had, now wouldn’t it?”

“Assuming of course that you can trust what has been said or implied here today and I am actually related to any of those numbskulls. Which I am not actually admitting to,” Robin tacks on hastily.

Superboy eyes him dubiously. “You joined in the same creepy chant all the others did and then got super self-conscious and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Which uh. I did.”

“First off, your interpretation of body language is abyssmal. I do not get self-conscious,” Robin says with a delivery that probably could have benefited from being a little less self-conscious. “And second....that proves nothing. I guessed what they were going to say.”

“Word for word,” Superboy says super-skeptically.

“I’m very good at guessing things. You know this.”

“Okay. Guess how much I believe you right now then.”

Robin glares and folds his arms grumpily across his chest. 

“And what was that anyway? Was that like....you guys’ family motto or something like that?”

“Oh no,” Spoiler pipes up. “That’s much shorter.”

Superboy balks at that. “Wait, you guys actually have one of those for real?”

“Yup,” Steph says, counting out the words with her fingers. “He who laughs last....probably works for the Joker. So tranq him just to be safe. See? Only sixteen words. The first rule of Living While Batty is way longer, and what we said was just the abridged version. You should hear the original, before Black Bat put her foot down and refused to memorize it unless sizable edits were made.”

Superboy hovers between her and Robin now, both in mid-air and on the verge of taking Spoiler’s words as an invitation to hear just that. A low growl arises from Robin’s direction.

“Must you?” He asks the older vigilante, with a most put upon expression.

She looks at him pityingly. “Do you actually need me to answer that? Like, we’ve met, right? Hi, I’m Spoiler.”

“Wait, so Robin said that I just never specifically asked him if he had a bajillion brothers and sisters, and that’s why he didn’t tell me, so that means he wouldn’t have just lied and there’s not some code of secrecy that flat out forbids telling other people stuff, right?” Superboy realizes excitedly.

“Yes, excellent direction. Go on,” Spoiler says, steepling her fingers. Robin buries his face in the palm of one hand.

“Soooo, what other stuff could you tell me about Robin’s super top secret family that I wouldn’t think to ask about but that he would tell me about if I knew what questions to ask?”

She claps once, lightly but with emphasis. “Well done. You’ve passed the first barrier. Untold secrets await you behind just a few more.”

“I’ll get you for this,” Robin vows calmly. She waves a hand at him.

“Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you do it before January 1st, remember? You’ve promised retribution like ten times already this year and those don’t roll over, y’know. Rules are rules.”

“Enough!” Thunders a voice then, from the front of the room. Well one of the fronts anyway. Like sides, it has a lot of them, but this is the one where Batman’s standing. All eyes snap to him. Which is kinda just what eyes do when Batman says stuff like that. Its like his superpower, except he doesn’t actually have superpowers, which is what makes it scary. But where the snapping of the eyes (directional) is usually followed by Batman saying something else besides just “hey look at me,” here he pauses in the wake of his own call to attention’s waning reverberations. Uncharacteristically silent.

Not that, y’know, he’s normally Mr. Talkity Talk, but usually his silences feel like he has the words to fill them, he’s just withholding them. This though, this feels more like he doesn’t have any words at all. And he’s as confused by it as any of them, and most everyone else is confused by Batman being confused, and its this whole trickle down economy of confusion and its wrecking havoc on the value of the golden silence standard.

Of course, not everyone present is rendered spellbound with confusion.

“C’mon B,” Nightwing cajoles, leaning forward and practically radiating delight. “I think you know what you have to do now. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Its not likely to come around again.”

Red Hood snickers beneath his helmet and chimes in. “Yeah Pops, go ahead. You do this and you’ll actually have my respect for a whole twenty four hours. No, wait. Sixteen. No! Eight. Yeah, eight. Still a good deal.”

“Carpe diem, B,” Red Robin grins, leaning back as if to enjoy the show.

“Hey! Infringe on my trademark one more time, dude,” Signal throws a faux-glare at the former. Red Robin just quirks an eyebrow.

“And what, you’ll start saying Yum every time you eat a burger? Oh no. I’m hoist by my own petard.���

Signal flips him off with a grin and then redirects his attention back to Batman. “Yeah seriously though B, you kinda gotta do it now. Because if you don’t do it, then you’ll forever be the guy who didn’t do it, and you don’t want to be that guy, do you?”

“Yeah you really don’t want to be that guy,” Spoiler shouts out. “Nobody likes that guy. He’s the worst.”

“Do it, do it,” Black Bat starts chanting beside her, steadily picking up speed and volume. Several others start joining in. Even Robin appears to be slightly anticipatory, albeit trying very hard to hide it.

Batman sighs, and somehow everyone manages to hear it. Stills. Waits for....something? Nobody but them seems to have any clue what, but the air is thick and heavy with portentiousness. Something is about to happen, and all most of the heroes present could say for sure is it was something they never would have in a million years seen coming.

Finally, Batman straightens with the resigned air of a man about to have oh so many regrets. He crosses his arms, shakes his head, and in an absolute deadpan monotone, says:

“You are awful children. You know you’re killing me. You’re killing your father.”

[bookworlders]

and the armor falls

He parried, wincing as Annabeth’s blade dragged across Riptide.

“Don’t go easy on me, Percy,” Annabeth muttered through gritted teeth, pressing forward.

An afternoon sparring at camp with Percy and Annabeth. Set in between titan's curse and battle of the labyrinth.

wc: 1,809 rated: T

~

You come around and the armor falls

Pierce the room like a cannonball

Now all we know is don't let go

We are alone, just you and me

Up in your room and our slates are clean

~

Travis’s sword clattered to the ground with a clang that rang through the sparring arena.

Beckendorf blew his whistle, signaling the end of the round. “Another point to Jackson,” he drawled in a bored voice. 

Percy grinned, wiping sweat off his brow and extending a hand to Travis, currently sprawled on the ground, “Good game, Stoll.”

Travis grumbled, taking Percy’s outstretched hand and tugging himself to his feet, “Really, dude? You had to kick my ass in front of Katie?”

“Sorry, buddy.” Percy wiped the edge of Riptide’s blade on the hem of his camp shirt, “Who’s next?” He looked around the pick-up spar group that had gathered on the lazy weekend afternoon at camp. 

He was met with averted eyes and mutters of “Yeah, no I’m good.” A new Hermes camper, a scrawny boy no more than ten, squeaked and hid behind his sibling when Percy met his eye. 

Beckendorf clapped Percy on the back, “Think we’re done watching you annihilate everyone—”

“I’m up, Jackson.”

Percy turned to see his best friend, Annabeth Chase, storming into the arena, her bronze knife glinting in its holster. 

The group of campers that had begun to disperse was abruptly brought to attention once more. 

Percy grinned, uncapping Riptide, “Sure thing, Chase. Ready to kick your butt any day.

Annabeth’s mouth was set in a hard line as she unsheathed her weapon, “Rules, Beckendorf.”

Charles eyed her cautiously, “Uh, not to the death?” He cleared his throat, “We’ll do first to disarm wins.”

Percy stepped into the ring, twirling Riptide, “You good, Annabeth? I thought you were busy packing today—”

“Enough talking, just get ready to fight,” she cut him off, tightening her ponytail and sinking into a fighting stance.

His eyebrow furrowed as he stared at his best friend, frowning and her shoulders tense, and mirrored her defensive stance. Percy took a deep breath, feeling Riptide’s familiar weight in his palm.

Beckendorf blew the whistle, “Begin!”

Annabeth lunged first.

Clang!

Percy faltered back, instinctively blocking her attack, “Whoa.” Annabeth never initiated the first strike. Like a cobra, Annabeth struck again, her blade slicing through the air before Percy even got his footing.

He parried, wincing as Annabeth’s blade dragged across Riptide.

“Don’t go easy on me, Percy,” Annabeth muttered through gritted teeth, pressing forward.

Annabeth was all strategy, always two steps ahead of her opponent. Training alongside her summer after summer, Percy knew her moves. He knew which arm she favored (her left), how she preferred to fight close to her opponent, how she exhaled right before she struck…

He’d been her battle partner for almost three years now. They fought together effortlessly, like a well rehearsed dance. Their kind of harmony when they were fighting on the same side led to a thrilling challenge when they were opposed. 

That’s why Percy loved sparring with her. He had been going easy with Travis, Michael Yew, and Miranda, who he’d beaten earlier. His best friend gave him a real fight with her quick, precise strikes, the way her nose scrunches up when she’s strategizing, how her curls start to slip out of her ponytail when they get into it…

Percy felt sweat drip down his back. He was breathing hard through his nose now, as Riptide arced through the air straight for Annabeth’s crown. He expected the clash of their blades as she blocked his sword.

It became a game of outwitting and instinct. Percy stopped thinking, knowing Annabeth would know what his next moves would be and let his primal side take over. 

The spectators ooh-ed and gasped when Annabeth’s knife sliced the sleeve of his shirt.

“Watch it, Percy!” Connor stoll yelled from the sidelines. 

“Almost got me there, Wise Girl,” Percy panted, circling Annabeth. 

She scoffed, but didn’t reply, instead lunging toward him again. 

“Let’s go, Annabeth!” Malcolm, her brother, cheered from the group. 

Percy noticed the sheen on her face and how hard she was breathing. For a stakeless game, Annabeth looked too serious. Nothing like their typical sparring sessions, full of banter and witty remarks. In Percy’s opinion, he and Annabeth had their best conversations while sword-fighting. When they trained, it was more for a chance for them to try new moves, have fun, release some pent up tension. 

He’d been disappointed when she turned down his offer to spar earlier that day because she still needed to pack. Spring break was coming to an end and the non-year rounders would return to their mortal parents’ homes or boarding schools.

The air left Percy’s lungs as Annabeth elbowed him in the ribs, taking advantage of his stumble to twist her arm around his and disarm him. Riptide clattered to the ground. 

Beckendorf blew his whistle, and the campers cheered, “Annabeth wins!”

Percy rubbed his rib, turning to shake Annabeth’s hand, but she was already stalking out of the arena.

-

Percy pushed open the screen door to Cabin 6. He appreciated how airy and bright the Athena cabin was, although he always felt slightly unwelcome and awkward there (he figured the goddess didn’t want Posideon’s spawn in her cabin.) The late afternoon rays cast long beams of gold across the rows of bunks and shelves of books.

He found Annabeth hidden in her bunk, back against the wall and knees to her chest. 

“Hey.”

Annabeth said nothing, instead gently patting the spot next to her. 

Percy’s face reddened as he sat on her bed, scooting beside her.

It was a big camp no-no for boys and girls to be alone in other cabins, Percy couldn’t imagine the amount of stables Chiron would make them clean if they were caught alone together on her bed. The thought alone made Percy blush even harder.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said, cheek resting against the arm hugging her knees.

“For?” 

“Kicking your butt.”

“It’s fine,” he shrugged, “Something going on?”

Percy noticed her duffle bag at the foot of her bunk, empty, and the camp t-shirts and clothes still in her full trunk. “I thought you were packing this afternoon?” he said after a moment of no response. 

Annabeth sighed, a really sad, defeated sigh that made Percy want to reach over and hug her (if he could get his arms to move, which was unlikely). 

“I finished packing. And then I unpacked.”

Percy shot her a confused look.

“I got a letter from my step-mom this morning,” Annabeth said, not meeting his eye. She fidgeted with the corner of bedspread. “I didn’t exactly tell you everything that happened before I left.”

Percy had arrived at camp a week prior. Over an Iris message, he’d learned that Annabeth’s spring break lined up perfectly with his at Goode High School. He squashed down the butterflies and nervously agreed when Annabeth suggested they spend spring break at camp together. 

Percy hinted at a couple's getaway to his mother and Paul, and they dropped him off at camp on their way to a bed-and-breakfast upstate. Annabeth flew in from San Francisco the next day.

Percy always got butterflies whenever he saw Annabeth after a long time. She made him so nervous sometimes. But of course, they melted right back into their easy friendship right away during their week of sing-a-longs, training, and catching up with the year-rounders. Break flew by — Sally and Paul were picking up Percy in the morning and Annabeth was supposed to fly back to California. 

“What happened?” Percy nudged her leg with his knee.

“My dad and I were spending the day together — got lunch, went to a museum, we were actually bonding. We decided to go watch Matthew and Bobby’s soccer game, and their coach was a manticore,” Annabeth grumbled. “He attacked during half-time where my step-mom had set up snacks and stuff for the players, but of course with the mist, it just looked like I wrecked it all.”

Percy nodded, he’d been in that position many times, blamed and deemed a troublemaker for the havoc monsters left behind. 

“My dad tried to explain to her that I didn’t smash the table with her plate of orange slices on purpose,” Annabeth continued, “But she was still so angry that I embarrassed her in front of the other soccer moms.” She looked at him, that sad look in her eye, “It was her idea for me to spend the break here. We were supposed to go on a family road trip to Yosemite. They just went without me.”

“I-I’m really sorry, Annabeth.” Percy remembered what it felt like when his mom would send him away before he knew it was only to protect him. It was awful. “What did the letter say?”

Annabeth’s lip quivered, “She said she’d think it’d be best if I just spend the rest of the semester here, and she’ll have my dad ship me whatever I left in San Francisco.”

Percy’s chest felt tight. He hated hated seeing her like this. Without thinking, he put his arm around her shoulder. And to his surprise, Annabeth leaned her head on his shoulder. His heart raced, he hoped she couldn’t hear it. 

“Well, hey, at least you don’t have to do finals anymore,” Percy said, nudging her arm. She shot him a look. “Oh, that’s right. You like finals, you big nerd.”

Annabeth actually cracked a smile. Percy rolled with it, “There were only a few weeks left in the semester anyway. So you just get a head start on summer, I’m jealous. And-and, since you’ll be here in New York we can hang out on the weekends now.”

“You want to hang out on the weekends?”

“Well, uh, duh,” Percy’s blushed, “You can come into the city and we can go see a movie or I could show you the skate park.”

“I’d like that. The people at my school were snobby anyway.”

“Come on,” Percy said, standing up from the bed, “They’re going to ring the dinner bell soon. And we have a sing-a-long tonight.” He held his hand out.

Annabeth took his hand, pulling herself up, “How about a solo tonight, Seaweed Brain? To cheer me up.”

“In your dreams, Wise Girl.” Percy could’ve sworn she was blushing. 

Annabeth let go of his hand, “Come on, that’s the dinner bell.” She pushed open the screen door, stepping outside. Percy followed her. He’d follow her anywhere.