#Three Rivers Golf Course

[fiona-fififi]

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[loonylupinblack3]

Powerless

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: extremely toxic!rafe, violence, swearing, many threats issued

Summary: you hate being a Pogue. Hate how vulnerable and weak and powerless it makes you. Rafe reinforces this for you.

Word count: 2.1k

A/N: heavily based off of season 1 episode three of obx when pope is delivering groceries and Rafe jumps him. also the ferrari sf90 spider is actually my favourite car so i yapped about it a lil bit :)

You were helping Heyward load the grocery bags onto the boat alongside Pope and JJ, stacking the bags of food and other knick knacks in the middle of the vehicle. 

“You kids get these groceries over to Figure Eight,” Heyward instructed, grunting as he lifted a pair of heavy bags off the dock and moved over to the boat, Pope, waiting at the ready, taking them from his father. “Get straight back here when you’re done.” He gave you a pointed look. “No fishing.”

You grinned at him, saluting him as you grabbed a pair of bags from him and placed it on the boat. JJ was right next to you, with Pope behind, the three of you working in tandem.

“I promised delivery by this afternoon,” Heyward continued. “Rich folk don’t want to wait for you lazy sons-” Seeing JJ with his arms already outstretched waiting for another bag of groceries and a beaming smile on his face gave Heyward pause. “Oh, JJ, thank you.” As soon as JJ grabbed the groceries he continued. “-sons of bitches.”

He glanced at you. “Excusing you, of course, Y/n. You’re always a delight.”

You beamed at him and JJ gave a scoff. “How come you get all the praise and I get nothing?”

You sniffed, flipping your hair to the side. “‘Cause I’m better.”

“Are not.”

“Are too.”

“Are-”

Heyward interrupted the two of you. “Hey, alright enough. No bickering. Get your asses moving and deliver these groceries.”

You all gave the man a salute and entered the cabin part of the boat as Pope started it up. Heyward didn’t trust JJ enough to drive the boat and knew you’d end up going the wrong way with your poor sense of direction, so Pope was in charge of steering the vehicle.

You drove through the river, leaving the Pogue side behind and entering Figure Eight, the Kooks domain. You noted the large houses, clean and tidy, and the smooth way they all seemed to be running with enough electricity and clear running water to their heart's content.

“Doesn’t even look like the storm hit there,” Pope exclaimed in indignation. No doubt he was thinking about your own houses, all of them damaged in some way and not yet fixed.

JJ twirled a pocket knife in his hands. “That’s because they got generators, bro. Get used to it.”

You scowled, shaking your head. “And then they say the juice will be out all summer at the cut.”

Pope shook his head, jaw clenched. “Nice to be a Kook.”

You nodded your head in agreement as JJ said, “lucky bastards.”

“One day I’m gonna become a Kook,” you said. “Dunno how yet, but I’m gonna go full Kook, with a pool, mansion, Ferrari SF90 Spider.”

JJ and Pope both groaned as you mentioned your favourite car, again. Sometimes they found you just never shut up about it, going on about the horsepower, the V8 engine, the fact it was the very pinnacle of Ferrari technology, with the thrill and versatility of open top driving.

“Time for you to stop talking,” JJ said, commandeering the conversation. You didn’t mind, content to listen to him for the rest of the way to Figure Eight, where you docked the boat and divvied out the grocery bags between you.

You and Pope were gonna go together, with JJ taking the rest and heading in the other direction. You bid each other quick goodbyes and hurried with Pope, walking around the unfamiliar streets. Everything looked so much nicer here, from the pavement to the shops lining the streets, everything inside looking like it cost more than a week's worth of your pay.

You took a shortcut, walking through the golf course instead of around it. The employees let you through without a second glance. It was surprising what you could get away with as a Pogue working in Figure Eight. The two of you walked on the side of the golf course, talking under your breaths as you looked around cautiously.

“I’m also going to golf here every week,” you stated, watching a particularly fit woman swing a golf club, her muscles flexing with exertion. 

You could almost imagine it being you, the golf club, hat, skirt, everything. If you really thought about it, the girl almost looked like you, similar hair colour and figure.

Pope laughed. “You hate golfing.”

You shrugged, swinging the bags in your hands slightly as you walked. “Yeah, but it's what Kooks do isn’t it?”

“What is your obsession with being a Kook?” Pope asked. “I get being rich, everyone wants it, but you seem almost obsessed with it.”

You opened your mouth to defend yourself when movement caught your eye. You involuntarily recoiled when you recognised Topper and Rafe heading towards you. Pope noticed too, muttering swear words under his breath and advising you to just walk past and ignore them.

“Hey what’s up guys?” Rafe asked, putting up an innocent facade. He used his golf club to stop your walking, pressing it to the box of beers in Pope’s hand. “Hey how much for one of those beers?”

Pope turned to the side, trying to push past. “They’re not for sale.”

Rafe made a tutting sound. “Wait, wait, wait.” He stopped Pope as he tried to pass, forcing the two of you to stay there. Topper was standing directly in front of you, creating a barrier of sorts across the pathway. “You can just give us one, then, right?”

You wanted to snap at him. Wanted to ridicule him, ask him if he knew what not for sale meant. You were scared though, and you knew it wouldn’t help you or Pope standing up to him like that.

“Or you can order one like everybody else,” Pope replied, again trying to push past.

Rafe was rougher this time, ignoring Pope’s struggles and shoving him back. The coil of fear in your gut tightened. “Listen. Wait, wait, wait, you’re not listening to me. Um…” he gestured with his hands. “You’ve got so many bro, and we’ve got nothing.”

“Got nothing man,” Topper chimed in.

You scowled. “They’re not ours, they’re already paid for.”

Rafe looked at you, surprised you spoke, and then all of his attention was on you. You regretted even speaking, because his attention was like a guillotine, one wrong movement and the blade would fall.

“Oh, already paid for?” Rafe asked. “Knowing you Pogues, you probably stole them, right?”

Before you could stop him he was in front of you, his golf club snagging at the plastic bags in your hands as he pulled. Everything fell to the floor, and you heard the distinct sound of glass shattering.

“What the hell Rafe?!” You cried. “You owe us for that!”

He laughed, getting all up in your space. “Oh I owe you do I? I don’t owe you shit, Sweetheart.” He grabbed your chin, his fingers forcefully curling around your skin.

“Hey, get off her!” Pope yelled, grabbing Rafe’s shirt and yanking him back. You were grateful for the space, rubbing your jaw as the fear weighed you down, down, down.

Rafe spun around, “don’t fucking touch me you Pogue.”

“Come on man,” Topper said from his other side. They had him surrounded. “We just want a beer.” He made a lunge for it. “Just give us one of these.”

Topper and Pope were full on wrestling with the box now, and the fear was in your throat, especially when Rafe joined in, tripping Pope up and making him fall to the floor with a slam, rolling over a few times.

You gasped, going to him, but Rafe got there first. He had a bruise on his head, looking red and scratched. He scrambled upright, a hatred kindling in his eyes as he threw a punch. Rafe was ready though, avoiding it easily and using his golf club to slam into your friend's stomach. When he was bent over Rafe slammed it down again, Pope crumpling to the floor.

You couldn’t watch it anymore. As he raised his club again you moved forward, shoving him to the side. You only managed to move him because he wasn’t expecting it, and even Topper looked surprised, doing nothing to stop you because really, how much damage can a girl do?

You planted yourself in front of Pope, and when Rafe, laughing in disbelief, walked up to you, you were ready. You swung your fist but it was in poor form, Rafe catching your wrist mid-movement. His grip was tight enough to make you wince.

“Getting involved?” Rafe asked you, moving forward until you were chest to chest. “That’s cute.” His voice was low and mocking. “I thought you were smarter than that.”

You yanked your arm back. That was the second time he’d grabbed you and your skin felt dirty, his fingerprints crawling all over you. Rafe just seemed amused, a cruel delight in his eyes. There was no fear in his expression and why would there be? He was a Kook. He had his friend right behind him ready to defend him if needed. His real competitor was still on the floor, pain immobilising him. No, there was no fear in his expression, only a sick satisfaction of knowing exactly how much control he had over this situation.

Pope gave a groan, attempting to pull himself upright but Rafe didn’t even glance at him. His focus was zeroed on you, the intensity of his gaze making your stomach churn. “What’s it like, being a Pogue? Being powerless?”

You opened your mouth to snap at him, to say something humiliating and knock his ego down a few inches, anything to stand up against him. Rafe seemed to know you too well though, grabbing your jaw in a bruising grip, his fingers cold and rough. More threat than affection. “You’d be better off with me, y’know that?”

It wasn’t a flirtation he spoke to you – it was a threat. You could hear the danger in every word, the treacherous promise that he’d never leave you alone, that this sick game of his would only end on his terms. You could see the lines between desire and control blurring, and nauseatingly realised that Rafe’s affection for you might be even more dangerous than his fists. 

You tried to jerk away, revolution surfacing inside you but Rafe only tightened his grip. “Nah, don’t do that,” he warned almost lazily. “Don’t make me hurt you too.”

You wanted to cry. You could feel the tears welling up in your eyes, threatening to fall. You’d hate to give him the satisfaction of seeing them roll down your face. All of this was a game to him, a test to see how much fear he could wring out of you. The worst part was you knew he would do it, just because he could.

Your gaze darted to Pope, your friend just managing to sit upright. Topper was standing to the side, an uneasy expression on his face. You didn’t want Rafe to escalate things any further, because you knew he would, just to prove a point. He noticed your line of sight and forcibly pulled you closer to him so he could whisper in your ear.

“You’re lucky I like you,” his breath was hot against your ear, sending shivers down your spine. An edge of cruelty laced his tone, as did delight, the same one a kid would get from playing with their toys, which was what you were to Rafe. “Otherwise you’d be right there next to him.”

Before you could answer he shoved you back, hard enough to make you stumble. A sickeningly smug smirk was on his face as he picked up two cans of beer off the ground, chucking one to Topper.

“Catch you later Sweetheart,” he called to you, going as far as sending you a wink, acting like everything had just been harmless fun, which you guessed it was to him.

You watched him saunter away, leaving a mess in his wake that he seemed to do everywhere. Except this time it was worse, because with a sickening dread you realised the next thing he’d leave a mess would be you.

And you suddenly had an answer to Pope’s earlier question. Why did you want to be a Kook so badly? It was simple, really. This whole interaction had just reinforced the feeling that you were too vulnerable, too weak. And the answer appeared from the ashes of Rafe’s destruction, a truth you guarded with your heart.

You didn’t want to be powerless.

[iosandroidwindowsapps]

New Post has been published on https://publicgolfcourses.org/public-golf-courses/three-rivers-golf-country-club-public-golf-courses-in-england-united-kingdom

Three Rivers Golf & Country Club - Public Golf Courses in England, United Kingdom

Discover the best public golf course in England, United Kingdom at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club. the club offers brillant facilities, Putting green, Golf school, Club rental, Buggy, Bar, Restaurant, Pro shop, among others. Play public golf courses in United Kingdom at a very privileged location at pretty affordable prices, with green-fee pricing starting at £25 on weekdays and £28 on weekends. Locate and play your most-liked golf course with confidence at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club.

Contents

1 Where’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club located?

2 Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Information

3 What’s are the Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Facilities?

4 How many holes does Three Rivers Golf & Country Club public golf course have?

5 What’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club address?

5.1 Contact Three Rivers Golf & Country Club

6 How much does it cost this golf course at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club?

7 Book a public golf course today!

8 Best golf courses in Europe

8.1 Public golf courses in England, United Kingdom

8.2 Some ways to have more fun playing golf at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club!

Where’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club located?

Check this location to find where you can practice golf in United Kingdom. Three Rivers Golf & Country Club offers a wide range of accessories, apparel, and footwear for men, women, and kids… You can also find golf course information, including real-time availability, at the club.

Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Information

Who doesn’t like a good game of golf? Here at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club, you will enjoy playing golf in a superb ambient, which is what everyone wants in a golf course in United Kingdom.

The club has two superb 18 hole golf courses, the par 72 Kings Course and the par 64 Jubilee Course. We offer memberships to suit all ages and abilities. Alternatively you may want to visit us for superb day of golf .

What’s are the Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Facilities?

Putting green

Golf school

Club rental

Buggy

Bar

Restaurant

Pro shop

For more information, please contact the Club https://www.threeriversclub.com.

How many holes does Three Rivers Golf & Country Club public golf course have?

Course Name: Kings Course

Courses: 2

Holes: 36

What’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club address?

Address: Stow Road, Purleigh, Nr Chelmsford, Essex CM3 6RR

Airport: Southend

11.3km

Contact Three Rivers Golf & Country Club

How can I contact this club? See phone & mail details below:

[sociallocker id=”5402″]

By phone: +44 (0)1621 828631

By mail: info@threeriversclub.com

[/sociallocker]

How much does it cost this golf course at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club?

Green fee rates & variable rates subject to course occupation. Green-fee pricing for public golf courses starts at £25 on weekdays and £28 on weekends.

Book a public golf course today!

To make a booking at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club, simply fill in the form below.

Best golf courses in Europe

Find the best golf courses near you with affordable cost! These are the best public golf courses in your area. There are many golf courses in England, United Kingdom where you can book tee times and find directions to the course. List your course in United Kingdom for free:

Public golf courses in England, United Kingdom

There are approximately 50,000 golf courses in the world, with around 5,000 of them being public golf courses. If you’re planning a trip to another country and want to find a golf course to play at, it is safer to choose one of the public courses.

Some ways to have more fun playing golf at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club!

[fotovendo]

New Post has been published on https://publicgolfcourses.org/public-golf-courses/three-rivers-golf-country-club-public-golf-courses-in-england-united-kingdom

Three Rivers Golf & Country Club - Public Golf Courses in England, United Kingdom

Discover the best public golf course in England, United Kingdom at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club. the club offers brillant facilities, Putting green, Golf school, Club rental, Buggy, Bar, Restaurant, Pro shop, among others. Play public golf courses in United Kingdom at a very privileged location at pretty affordable prices, with green-fee pricing starting at £25 on weekdays and £28 on weekends. Locate and play your most-liked golf course with confidence at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club.

Contents

1 Where’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club located?

2 Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Information

3 What’s are the Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Facilities?

4 How many holes does Three Rivers Golf & Country Club public golf course have?

5 What’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club address?

5.1 Contact Three Rivers Golf & Country Club

6 How much does it cost this golf course at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club?

7 Book a public golf course today!

8 Best golf courses in Europe

8.1 Public golf courses in England, United Kingdom

8.2 Some ways to have more fun playing golf at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club!

Where’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club located?

Check this location to find where you can practice golf in United Kingdom. Three Rivers Golf & Country Club offers a wide range of accessories, apparel, and footwear for men, women, and kids… You can also find golf course information, including real-time availability, at the club.

Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Information

Who doesn’t like a good game of golf? Here at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club, you will enjoy playing golf in a superb ambient, which is what everyone wants in a golf course in United Kingdom.

The club has two superb 18 hole golf courses, the par 72 Kings Course and the par 64 Jubilee Course. We offer memberships to suit all ages and abilities. Alternatively you may want to visit us for superb day of golf .

What’s are the Three Rivers Golf & Country Club Facilities?

Putting green

Golf school

Club rental

Buggy

Bar

Restaurant

Pro shop

For more information, please contact the Club https://www.threeriversclub.com.

How many holes does Three Rivers Golf & Country Club public golf course have?

Course Name: Kings Course

Courses: 2

Holes: 36

What’s Three Rivers Golf & Country Club address?

Address: Stow Road, Purleigh, Nr Chelmsford, Essex CM3 6RR

Airport: Southend

11.3km

Contact Three Rivers Golf & Country Club

How can I contact this club? See phone & mail details below:

[sociallocker id=”5402″]

By phone: +44 (0)1621 828631

By mail: info@threeriversclub.com

[/sociallocker]

How much does it cost this golf course at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club?

Green fee rates & variable rates subject to course occupation. Green-fee pricing for public golf courses starts at £25 on weekdays and £28 on weekends.

Book a public golf course today!

To make a booking at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club, simply fill in the form below.

Best golf courses in Europe

Find the best golf courses near you with affordable cost! These are the best public golf courses in your area. There are many golf courses in England, United Kingdom where you can book tee times and find directions to the course. List your course in United Kingdom for free:

Public golf courses in England, United Kingdom

There are approximately 50,000 golf courses in the world, with around 5,000 of them being public golf courses. If you’re planning a trip to another country and want to find a golf course to play at, it is safer to choose one of the public courses.

Some ways to have more fun playing golf at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club!

[drewtober]

Hey! Sorry this has taken so long--had a lot of family things come up one after another after another, and lots of work on top of all of it. Been kinda one thing after another these past few months. 🤣

TAGGING AND SUBMISSIONS

I'll open up submissions on October 1st for any pieces if anyone wishes to submit, and I'll check the tags once a day for reblogging. The tag is #Drewtober2024.

LOCATIONS

This list is mainly for quick reference or to spark an idea, but if I’ve forgotten a location in a game that you wanna illustrate go for it! I’m doing this from memory.

SCK - Paso Del Mar High School, Maxine’s Diner, Aunt’s Eloise’s house

STFD - The studio, Dwayne’s apartment, Aunt Eloise’s apartment (this is the only game I've not played, so I'm unfamiliar with all the locations).

MHM - Nancy’s room, the basement, Abby’s room, the library, the parlor, the foyer

TRT - Nancy’s room, the foyer, the library, the locker room, Marie's tower

FIN - The Royal Paladium

SSH - The exhibits, the Henrik’s lab, Nancy’s hotel room, Henrik’s hospital room, Joanna’s office, Alejandro’s office, Taylor’s office

DOG - Sally's cabin, Mickie's speakeasy, the ranger station, the woods, Em’s Emporium

CAR - Nancy’s hotel room, Joy’s office, the security office, Ingrid’s workshop, the various rides in the amusement park, Rolfe Kessler’s workshop

DDI - Katie’s boat, Jenna’s cafe, Whale World, the lighthouse, the beach, the sea caves, the smuggling tunnels

SHA - The ranch house, the stable, the farm yard, Mary’s gift shop, Dry Creek, the cliff dwellings

CUR - Nancy’s room, Linda's room, Jane’s room, the conservatory, the library, the foyer, the alchemy lab

CLK - The Lilac Inn, the tunnels, Josiah's house and barn, the mini golf course, Jim's office, Bogart's pond

TRN - The dining car, the sleeping car, Camile’s car, Jake’s car, the map room car, the dancing studio car, Fatima’s shop, the crypts

DAN - Minette’s workshop, the reception office, Dieter’s studio, the park, the sewers, Cafe Kiki, Jay Jay’s house, Noisette's stained glass safe

CRE - Big Island Mike’s property, the beach, the Hilihili labs, the volcano, Three Finger Rock jungle, Dr. Kim’s base camp

ICE - Nancy’s room + all guest rooms, the fishing shack, the Trapper Dan's Needle, Julius's cabin, the basement

CRY - Renee’s room, Bruno’s room, the library, the miniature’s room, the foyer, the garden, the cemetery, Bernie’s log and swamp, Zeke’s

VEN- Nancy and Helena's room, the ca, the flower stand, the various plazas, Antonio's office, Casa dei Giochi

HAU - The foyer/downstairs, Brendan and Caitlyn’s room/tower, Fiona’s room, the library, the castle grounds, Fiona’s bog hut, The Screaming Banshee Inn, the laboratory

WAC - Nancy and Corine’s room, Mel’s room, Izzy and Leela's room, the basement, the library, the common area, the courtyard

TOT - The basement, the farm house, the barn, the wind mills, Pa’s shop, Pa's museum

SAW - Nancy’s room, the baths, the hidden bath’s, Yumi’s apartment, the gardens, the bento stand, the pachinko parlor, the ryokan foyer, Rentaro's workshop, Takae's classroom

CAP - Nancy’s room, Karl’s office, the gift shop, the security booth, the monster’s camp, the dungeons, the glass blowing studio, the dining hall, the courtyard

ASH - River Heights police department, Toni's ice cream shop, Alexei's antique shop, Brenda's van, Nancy's house, original town hall

TMB - The camp tent, the tomb

DED - Ryan's workshop, Mason and Ellie's offices, the break room, Gray's security room, Niko's office and secret lab, the main lab

GTH - The cemetery, the crypt, the dilapidated house, the mansion parlor, the kitchen, the basement, Charlotte’s room

SPY - Nancy’s hotel room, Bridget's hotel room, Cathedral HQ and server room, Moira’s house, the training grounds, the cookie stand, the train station

MED - Pacific Run camp, the puzzle palace, the Annunaki star cave

LIE - The museum, Melina's office, the stage, the sets, the Niobe's pottery workshop

SEA - The Missti Skip, the Heerlijkheid, Magnus's cabin, the caves, the gift shop

BONUS DAYS/ALTERNATIVE DAYS

MID - Mei and Jason's hideout, the Parry house, Lauren's shop, Olivia's shop, the museum, the courthouse, the Hathorne estate and grounds, the cemetery, the tunnels,

KEY - Hungerkünstler Cafe, Oskar's exhibit, Zlaty Custom Jewelry, Aparát, Radek's marionette theater, Prague castle courtyard, St. Vitus cathedral, the alchemy lab, the astronomical clock

[beardedmrbean]

A US hitwoman disguised in a hijab who was foiled when her gun jammed during an attempted murder in Britain is still at large after returning to the US, prosecutors say.

Aimee Betro, 44, was recruited by British father and son Mohammed Nazir, 30, and Mohammed Aslam, 56, to conduct a revenge killing against Aslat Mahamud and his relatives after a 2018 dispute at a jewellery store left the father and son duo injured.

Betro, who is from Milwaukee in Wisconsin, allegedly flew in from Chicago for the contract killing in Acocks Green in Birmingham, on September 7, 2019, after arranging to meet Mahamud’s son, shop owner Sikander Ali, to look at a Volkswagen Golf that the family was selling, Birmingham Crown Court was told, but the attempted shooting did not go to plan.

Dressed in a hijab, Betro “calmly” approached Ali, and pointed a gun at his head, the court heard. However, when she went to pull the trigger, the gun became jammed and Ali fled the scene.

The next morning, Betro allegedly went to Mahamud’s house and opened fire three times, before texting Mahamud: “Stop playing hide and seek” and “Where are you hiding?” the court was told. No one was injured.

Betro allegedly later sent Aslat Mahamud another text saying: “You want to rip me off, you want to be a drug kingpin go look at your house. I will show you. Watch your back. I will be shedding blood soon.”

The 44-year-old is said to have flown back to Chicago two days later and is still believed to be at large in the US, with an international manhunt underway.

If Betro is arrested in the US, it is not clear if she will be extradited to the UK to face possible charges.

Under the US’s extradition treaty with the UK, the UK must prove that a crime has been committed under both US and UK law and provide evidence that shows a “reasonable” demonstration of guilt in order for a US citizen to be extradited to the US.

Social media posts by Betro, reported by The Times, appear to show that she documented her trip to the UK from August to September 2019 in great detail.

In one Instagram post, she appears to talk about visiting her “partner in crime” in Manchester. In another post from the day before the first attempted shooting, Betro is seen posing in a picture with devil horns.

In other posts, she talks about attending the Tranzmission Festival in Crystal Palace, London, and going on a boat tour of the River Thames, it is reported.

During her time in London, she stayed at a number of hotels in Birmingham, Brighton, Derby and Manchester, in one case staying at a Raddison Blue hotel, the court heard.

Betro is not a professional hitwoman. She apparently works as a freelance graphic designer and studied early childhood education at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin, graduating in 2005 before going on to work as an administrator for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. In 2003, she wrote a letter to her local paper arguing in favour of free birth control for women.

Nazir and Aslam, of Derby, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder last week for their role in the attempted killing.

Nazir was also found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, perverting the course of justice and illegally importing firearms over a plot to bring guns into the country and then blame it on another person to frame them. Aslam was cleared of a firearms offense.

The guilty verdicts were handed down after the court heard that Nazir and Aslam held a grudge against Ali’s family following a violent dispute at his boutique clothing store in Birmingham, in central England, on July 21, 2018.

The violent incident had left Nazir and Aslam injured, with the windows of their shop left smashed and the interior “trashed”.

In order to seek revenge, the pair allegedly flew Betro over from the States to Birmingham to kill Ali and his family.

On September 6, Nazir and Aslam travelled from their home in Derby to Birmingham city centre, with Nazir spending more than two hours in a hotel with Betro–  who ordered a takeaway from Deliveroo – according to prosecutors.

Betro had apparently arranged to meet Ali the next day on the pretense of buying a car.

Birmingham Crown Court heard how Betro – disguised in a hijab – pulled up in a Mercedes before Ali pulled up in an Audi nearby.

Kevin Hegarty KC, prosecuting said: “As he did, the would-be assassin came from the driver’s side of the Mercedes.

“As she left the Mercedes she left the driver’s door open. She walked quite calmly towards Sikander Ali and was pointing a gun at him at head height.

“As she got closer to Sikander Ali he saw her and he saw the gun and she pulled the trigger to fire the gun at him. Mercifully and luckily for him the gun jammed.”

Hegarty said Ali rapidly reversed his car and drove off, while Betro reportedly abandoned her Mercedes nearby – where it was later found by police.

Nazir flew out to America a few days later, a couple of days after Betro, who he put down as his point of contact on travel documentation, but he was arrested after his return to the UK the following month. Aslam was also arrested.

Detective Inspector Matt Marston, from West Midlands Police, said the pair were “determined to take revenge.”

“The lengths they went to in trying to make sure they weren’t implicated in pulling the trigger are immense,” he added.

“However, thanks to some great police work and support from our Derbyshire colleagues we were able to place them firmly in the middle of the attempted murder plot.”

The Independent has contacted the US Department of Justice and the FBI for comment.

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

[borbi-edits]

I decided that after the end of 12 Dancing Princesses the girls were able to use magic and/or the magic flowers to create new magic worlds. My head canon was always that the pavilion was a little pocket universe their mother created just for them. The reason they only got three visits, is because they were meant to build their own. Their mom probably intended to teach them in the pavilion. But I'm sure they find a way to learn magic after she's gone. So, here's what I think each of the girls would create for themselves!

Ashlyn: she's the oldest of 12 siblings, so hers will be a simple, quiet place where she can go to relax. Somewhere comfy she can kick up her feet.

Blair: her world will be the biggest, filled with space to ride as well as some magical horses. I'm picturing dramatic cliffs and pine forests with winding trails.

Courtney: obviously, a beautiful library! With lots of places to read. She's selective about which sisters she shows it to add to not disturb the peace, but she does have books on hand she thinks those sisters would like.

Delia: I'm imagining something almost country cluby, with croquet, golf, and tennis courts with well manicured lawns and gardens.

Edeline: similar to Delia's. I think she would have statues she could play against, like the gold dancing men in the movie, but she instructs them to learn from her and always give her a real challenge.

Fallon: an island, on one side a beautiful beach with white sand and blooming tropical flowers, with one of those pavilion tent things with the gauzy white fabric flowing in the wind. On the other side of the island is dramatic white cliffs with waves crashing onto rocks below.

Genevieve: I imagine hers would be similar to the one in the movie. With the addition of a cat playground for twyla.

Hadley & Isla: yeah I'm lumping them together because I don’t think they're super distinctive. Their's would be a wild jungle full of huge trees to climb, vines to swing on, and maybe a rushing river so they can raft down the rapids.

Janessa: her paradise would be full of bugs, which I don't really want to think about. Uhh maybe a butterfly garden? I could handle that.

Kathleen: beautiful gardens with tons of colorful plants! And of course easels and art supplies.

Lacey: someplace cozy and safe. I'm thinking a peaceful meadow with swaying grass, bunnies, and wildflowers. In the middle is a little clubhouse where everything is lacey-sized.

[greatwyrmgold]

So, apparently there's been a standoff between the Texas National Guard and US Border Patrol for the past couple of weeks, a physical manifestation of political conflicts between President Biden and Governor Abbot that has disrupted local life and caused multiple deaths.

Shelby Park is a park in Eagle Pass, the town in question. It's a pretty significant component of civic life, hosting events that the town's residents enjoy (and the town's government uses to fund its activities).

Unfortunately, it's next to the Rio Grande, so Texas had the park surrounded with concertina wire (razor wire coils that can be expanded to quickly set up a "fence"). Needless to say, that's going to disrupt local activities. The Eagle Pass residents are not exactly happy about this state of affairs.

Things got worse when migrants started drowning in the river. Border Patrol wanted to access a boat ramp in Shelby Park so they could rescue migrants before they drowned, but the Texas National Guard wouldn't let Border Patrol in under any circumstances. Four people were alive in the river when the Border Patrol showed up; two were rescued by Mexican authorities, but the others drowned. They didn't have to.

I'm not going to argue that someone who fails to save a kid from getting hit by a bus should be held responsible for that kid's death. But if they instead stop a third party from saving the kid? Yeah, that's their fault. Saying that Texas caused the (preventable) deaths of those migrants seems pretty straightforward to me.

(Complicating matters are three other people who drowned about an hour before US Border Patrol was informed that people were drowning in the river. These three deaths are often reported as being connected to this dispute, possibly because talking about a mom and two kids who drowned is more evocative than talking about...I don't know anything about the other two dead guys, because hardly anyone reported anything except their deaths.)

Anyways, the Biden administration sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding that federal agents should be given free access to the park. Texas claims it's still open to the public, even though they're only allowing access for media personnel, golfers at the golf course within, and "a memorial".

Texas plans to ignore that sternly-worded letter. The attorney general defends the state's decision by saying that the feds weren't properly enforcing US immigration law, which apparently gives them the authority to...further impede Border Patrol activities...? He also invoked the state's right to self-defense, which is already absurd when we're talking about the general "threat" of people crossing borders, but becomes even sillier in the specific case of blocking Border Patrol from saving four people from drowning.

Biden told Abbot to remove the razor wire. Abbot ordered more razor wire. The Supreme Court agrees with Biden (despite being primarily composed of Republicans). Twenty-five Republican state governors side with Abbot.

Several sources describe the physical standoff between the Texas and Federal forces unprecedented. I'm not sure that's true, or at least not true in the way that's implied; remember the Little Rock Nine? But it's definitely unusual, and if Republican figureheads keep rallying their bases by insisting that “The feds are staging a civil war," it could grow into something worse.

But hopefully it doesn't. It's an ongoing story, and Abbot has two more days to decide whether he wants to pick a fight with the federal government.

Sources below the cut.

[theatrekidstatus]

Chapter 31

-emily is 9- Anthony ramos pov:"ok so maybe it did take a year but todays the day" "EMMY VEN ACA" "sí papa" "we're going out today" "for real" "yes get ready" "ok" -15 minutes later- "ok are you hungry" "very much so" "lets head to breakfeast" "ok daddy wheres mommy" "warming up the car" "ok" we head to the car and lock the doors turn on the security and called jazzy to house sit "hey baby you ready for today" "yes ma'am" "so are we getting breakfast" "can we get breakfast and brunch" "ok princess" "guys theres something ive meant to ask you" "yes sweet heart" "can i PLEASE social media" "sfffff i dont know sweetie" "PLEASE ILL DO ANY THING" "ok you can have social media but we will run and watch the account but you can have snapchat to your self" "OK THANK YOU SO MUCH" she started downloading the apps and following people "here log into the accounts on our phones" "ok" she did then we made it to breakfeast we step inside and sit down i look up shes making a tictok "let us see before you post" it was a lip sync to one more hour" "you do love us" "never didn't" "EMILY" a young voice called "oh no" "whats wrong is that he brothering you" "no no no no no dad" "ohhhh is that jose" "no no no no" "tell him to come over" "NO NO NO NO NO" she whispered screamed "does he speak spanish?" "mas o menos" "jose ven aquí" "hola emily" "hola" "como estas" "bien y tú" "biennnnnn" "so jose you into mixed girls" "PAPA" "oh y-yeah?" "oh my god" "im just asking a question mija" "ANYWAY jose donde esta tú familia" "esta aquí" "bien bien" "well this is my sisters birthday brunch so i gotta split bye m&m's" "bye" "that went well" "DAD!" "what" "why did you do that" "what" "ANY OF THAT" "i was getting to know him" "you embarrassed all three of us" "i did not" "DID TOO" "well i apologize for trying to meet my duaghter crush A family fun day is a special time for families to come together and enjoy each other's company while having a blast. It's a day filled with laughter, excitement, and unforgettable memories. Let me take you through a fun-filled day that you and your family can enjoy!

The day starts with everyone gathering in the morning, full of anticipation for the adventures ahead. You and your family decide to kick off the day with a visit to a local amusement park. As you enter the park, the sound of joyful screams and the smell of cotton candy fills the air. The rides are calling your name!

You start off with a thrilling roller coaster ride that leaves you breathless and exhilarated. The wind rushes through your hair as you twist and turn through loops and drops. The adrenaline rush is contagious, and you can't help but laugh and cheer alongside your family members.

After the roller coaster, you make your way to the water park section of the amusement park. Splashing and laughter fill the air as you slide down towering water slides and float lazily along the lazy river. The refreshing water cools you down on a hot summer's day, and you can't help but feel a sense of pure joy as you see the smiles on your family's faces.

As the day progresses, you and your family decide to take a break from the rides and head to a nearby picnic area. You spread out a cozy blanket and unpack a delicious spread of sandwiches, fruits, and snacks. The sun shines down, casting a warm glow on your family as you enjoy a leisurely lunch together. Laughter and conversation fill the air as you bond over shared stories and jokes.

After lunch, you and your family decide to try something new and exciting - a mini-golf adventure! The colorful and whimsical mini-golf course is filled with challenging obstacles and tricky holes. You cheer each other on, celebrating every hole-in-one and laughing at the near misses. It's a friendly competition that brings out the playful spirit in everyone.

As the sun begins to set, you and your family head to a nearby beach for some relaxation and fun. The sand feels warm between your toes as you build sandcastles and collect seashells. The sound of crashing waves and seagulls overhead creates a serene atmosphere, allowing you to unwind and appreciate the beauty of nature.

To end the day on a high note, you and your family gather around a cozy bon

[jaybarou]

I don't want to be negative on an utopia post so I started my own.

For reasons, I have lots of golf lore. And transforming golf courses is a good idea in teory, but I'm afraid these kind of posts paint this trasformation as a miracle that will solve the housing crisis and become the solution to climate change. It's not.

There is a lot, and I mean a LOT of nuance.

For example, there's a difference between a links golf course in Scotland (a kind of course more integrated in the native nature in an already humid country), and a regular golf course in a desertic area in Florida. Or a par-3 course? (the one least eco-damaging and the friendliest to kids, old people and people in general)

More nuance: is the golf course in the middle of the city or is it a 60 minute ride from anywhere livable? (Because transforming a green area in the middle if a cramped city into more housing will increase the summer heat in the area. And transforming an isolated area is a waste of resources.)

Even more nuance: is it a golf course in use or one of the 200 golf courses closed in the U.S. in 2017?

And a big big nuance: is it a PUBLIC golf course or a PRIVATE golf course? Those are incredibly different problems with incredibly different approaches.

Most golf courses in the USA are a privately owned business that rely on the kind of clients that make business on the club house. And like to bee seen spending 8 hours staight walking around It is lucrative! Look at all that water, and the land they can aford with the tiny number of people perusing it at a time. Because they are not selling in bulk, they are selling exclusivity snd selling an image of power and richness.

One way to close them down is to ruin golf's public image. But this year they survived being shamed for betraying an association of terroist victim's families. I'm not kidding. I wish I was, but the golf lovers are willing to shove a LOT under the rug.

The tipping point for golf gourse private owners is not going to be shame. It's going to be: "is more profitable to exploit people through rent indefinitely than to sell the image of richness?"

You may love direct action, but a few weeks ago a main event for senior players was trashed. Destroyed, the ground was unplayable, and all the golf superintendants of the region pitched in and in the morning it was perfect and they played.

However you choose to dismantle it you have to take into account that this is still owned by people who live off the image of affluence, it is their business model. So whatever they build instead of a golf course is not going to be affordable for you and me.

It is not going to solve the housing crisis. The neighborhoods surounding a golf course are of high value, so you are going to find a strong opposition of a small army of semi rich Karens and Kens of the area unless you find something that will keep the value of their property up.

And this is not a crazy "what if" story. I come with receips because this has already happened.

Successful story of repurposed golf course into a park. The land had to be clawed out of private hands.

“It always had been identified,” Moskos said. “It just took 100 years to secure the land.”

Metro Parks bought the property, which had been a golf course for more than 50 years, for $4 million in October 2016. The 200-acre property connects three parks — Cascade Valley, Gorge and Sand Run — and creates the district’s second-largest contiguous area, at just under 1,700 acres.

Another repurposed golf course in Kent, this time apartments. Public space in debt sold to private hands to build "luxury rental housing". You decide if that's a success.

Auburn-based Landmark Development Group and HAL Real Estate will construct the project on the former Riverbend par 3 golf course property along the Green River they bought from the city of Kent for $10.5 million. The City Council voted to sell the property to eliminate the Riverbend Golf Complex fund’s debt of about $4 million and spend about $6 million to improve the 18-hole course across the street from the former par 3 course.

[...]

Marquee on Meeker will provide Kent first-of-its-kind, luxury rental housing and retail via two new six-story, 120-unit buildings featuring 6,000 square feet of retail each, and 21, 12-unit, three-story walk-up residential buildings. Residential units will feature high-quality finishes.

The apartment complex will include lounges, decks, fitness centers and a large clubhouse including a modern kitchen, pool, spa, outdoor fireplace and barbecue areas.

Yet another story, this time in Palm Springs. Dead golf course turned into "exclusive neighborhoods".

Overseen by Freehold Communities, a national real estate developer, Miralon represents one of the country’s biggest bets on agriculture-oriented real estate. [...] Residents in these exclusive neighborhoods can tend community gardens, fill up baskets of fruits in orchards, and, in Kukui’ula in Hawaii, even harvest guava, papaya, and pineapple.Selling a more experiential and exclusive lifestyle—“whether it’s tranquil, artsy, eclectic or organic, more or less everything is right where you want it,” says Miralon’s website. [...]

Of course, maybe the most sustainable use of land may actually be dense high-rises, which support resource conservation, public transit, and more efficient land use. But that may be a bit too radical, not to mention expensive, for Palm Springs.[...]

Miralon actually had its start as a failed golf course development named Avalon that, like it’s partial owner, Lehman Brothers, was stopped short by the recession.

There have been other successful stories, like Japan turning a defunct golf course into a solar farm. And there have been faillure stories about HOAs refusing to let affordable housing be built.

What can you do?

I don't know, do you live near a defunct golf course? Is there a public golf course in your town that you could encourage to plant local flora? Are you involved in a HOA that's blocking the repurposing of a golf course? Can you educate someone making seed bombs into a more productive course of action? I don't know! Here is where you have to think for yourself, learn about your area of influence and influence it.

Just make sure when you rage against the machine that you are aimed at the right direction, make sure there is at least one possibility of realizing what you set yo do, and know what will happen later to save yourself the pikachu face.

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 2: I BATTLE THE CHEERLEADING SQUAD

Just because I'm taking the whole entire month of September and the majority of October off, here's the first chapter in honor of Will's birthday! I do still promise regular updates will resume on Halloween day and then proceed every Monday!

PJOPJOPJO

Alex came in the next day with a bright pink jacket tied around his shoulders in a very classic posh way, wearing a matching polo and green slacks with accompanying colors on his loafers, while sporting rose tinted sunglasses upon his head, at the bottom of the ocean. All of his green hair was swept to one side, and Magnus's heart skipped a beat, his toast falling into his lap jelly first to splat on his pants. Alex would be the most sophisticated guy on the golf course and still somehow make it look like the most useless sport in that getup.

"It's he/ him pronouns," Alex announced as he casually walked to his seat like he was ordering his plate of huevos rancheros for breakfast.

The book had been in the seat beside Magnus, like anybody was insane enough to think of taking that seat from Alex. The plain black somehow accentuated the look when he picked it up. He brushed his hand over the blue four on the spine with hunger to see what was so dark about this one.

"Um, it's my turn to read," Magnus said in a daze, and it was a good thing he'd managed that before Alex looked at him because then he lost the ability to speak. Hopefully it was temporary.

"Well hurry up and eat then," he dropped the book at his feat and dug into his own food, "or I'll happily read twice."

Magnus couldn't figure out why that was a bad thing for a moment, and yet his breakfast vanished faster than Percy's. He pretended the others were laughing at the chapter title and not his idiotic ass as things picked right back up as usual with these strange book descriptions.

Thalia sighed one last time and looked at Jason and the array of books that might contain his past. She really wanted to skip this one, ie delay it permanently by hearing of some of her little brother's times. She was obviously the only one though as everybody turned attention to Magnus for the next part. "I really hope that's not a euphemism for something Percy, or Annabeth's going to be very upset with you," Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I'm just hoping this isn't some elaborate pyramid scheme," Jason grinned, "Percy has enough trouble already."

"Boooo!" Percy called at him, even giving a thumbs down. "Man, that was the worst one yet!"

"Deadly pompoms! I knew those things were no good!" Alex nearly lost half his eggs he was laughing so hard.

Will made a deep noise of contentment, almost a purr to be hearing so much laughter first thing in the morning.

The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school.

"And here I thought that was number three on your list, at minimum," Jason snorted.

"Percy, there's not a world record for that, nobody's competing with you for this," Magnus agreed with a chuckle, but it was sort of depressing too. The school system was hard enough without this guy blowing literal budget holes in the teacher's planning.

"It has to happen though, remember?" Percy gave them a very sardonic brow. "If it doesn't happen, the world will end early! I still have another year of life!"

"And it won't be a pretty one," Thalia muttered. The Labyrinth was one of the quests Annabeth talked about least. Whatever had happened this summer, she was almost as ill prepared as Percy.

But there I was Monday morning, the first week of June, sitting in my mom's car in front of Goode High School on East 81st.

Goode was this big brownstone building overlooking the East River. A bunch of BMWs and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front.

"I still don't speak car," Nico finally spoke up, hesitantly. A part of him still expected everyone to turn and yell at the sight of him.

Percy gave him the strangest, most awkward smile yet, like he had no idea how to even look at him after yesterday.

Then Percy gave himself a sharp mental smack. Nico and his maybe, hopefully not crush that he'd said was gone was ten times less strange to deal with than Alex being...Alex. So he answered almost as casually as ever, "they're 'middle class' cars," he used air quotes and everything. "Not some swanky private school with Maserati's and Porsche's, and not broken windows and running on faith rather than fume cars."

"Ah," Nico nodded his thanks, and sat back in his seat. His arms were crossed low over his stomach, hands in each sleeve like a monk today like he was trying to be as invisible as possible.

But he wasn't hiding behind the couch today to listen in like he'd originally intended. He'd actually spoken at all, which was more than Will had thought he'd do. The only backfiring going on was he'd either missed breakfast or eaten alone, and Will filed that away for when lunch came up.

Thalia and Will exchanged a pitiful look and kind of hoped Percy pulling mad gymnastic abilities or something would kick in soon, for once. Adrenaline distracting Percy from killing them all would be better than this awkward stiltedness.

Staring up at the fancy stone archway, I wondered how long it would take me to get kicked out of this place.

"What's your record?" Magnus asked into the slightly awkward silence that he'd tried to keep reading through.

"Two weeks," Percy sighed. "In my defense, I really thought that teacher's cat was a demon, and the milk didn't hurt it!"

"Well now you get a chance to do one better, be expelled before you even attend," Alex said plenty cheerfully for all of them.

"Just relax." My mom didn't sound relaxed.

"Do as I say, not as I do," Thalia nodded sagely.

"Okay mom," Percy rolled his eyes so hard it looked like it hurt, "thanks I really needed that translation."

"Don't mock your mother Percy, she's a good woman," Jason laughed, but Magnus kept reading before that could escalate, these were not the kind of jokes he'd ever find funny.

"It's only an orientation tour. And remember, dear, this is Paul's school.

"Ah, nepotism used for good, that's a new one," Alex said in surprise.

"It was a public school, it's not like he bribed anyone to let me in," but Percy didn't sound that confident. If a Blowfish library wing popped up, he didn't think he could blame the Mist.

So try not to...you know."

"Destroy it?"

"Yes."

"All relationships go through their own trials," Thalia said with barely suppressed mirth. "This is just a very great, early indicator if Paul's going to last in this family." She knew he did, but that didn't mean she couldn't laugh about it.

"Better than the usual cheating and lying bullshit adults deal with I guess," Percy grudgingly agreed.

Paul Blofis, my mom's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and leather jacket, he reminded me of a TV actor, but he was just an English teacher. He'd managed to convince Goode High School to accept me for ninth grade, despite the fact that I'd gotten kicked out of every school I'd ever attended. I'd tried to warn him it wasn't a good idea, but he wouldn't listen.

"Not a great teacher then," Will looked very disappointed. "He should take his students observations into account, especially these budding adults."

"He actually loves to tell this story about his favorite essay that helped one guy into a great college he never would have applied for," Percy defended, and the ready response surprised him. He paused with a smile at all the memories over the winter and summer of how often Paul had been over, how easily his mom continued to laugh, how Paul never talked down to him like a delinquent from day one. "I think he was just trying to show off he could, though it wasn't nearly as impressive than if he'd gotten me a C in class," he finished with a chuckle Chiron still had the guy beat out on one point.

I looked at my mom. "You haven't told him the truth about me, have you?"

"How would that conversation even go?" The bitterness in Alex's voice could be missed by no one, clearly that wasn't a happy story.

"Historically, not well," Percy agreed in a quiet, gentle voice. He knew the others all envied him for his awesome mom, but that had come hand in hand with Gabe through the majority of his life. Gabe might not have known the truth, but he'd been a part of it.

She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel. She was dressed up for a job interview—her best blue dress and high-heeled shoes.

"For what?" Will asked. The general question still held a hint of intrigue coming from him, the way he always talked to everybody. Like it was a vitally important question he couldn't wait to know the answer of, Nico smiled.

Percy didn't seem to hear that part, he just glanced at Will with his own proud smile and said, "publishing company. She was done with the first draft of her book, but wanted to check out some of the footsteps before she, um, buffered it? Or maybe buffed it? I'll be honest, I'm not sure what she meant," he finished sheepishly, addressing everybody in general.

It didn't seem to bother Will, and Nico marked that for future reference, trying to scratch off a list in his head of defining what he might have a crush on Percy about, and what he just admired about him. In a group, it was probably weird to expect someone's soul attention.

"I thought we should wait," she admitted.

"So we don't scare him away."

"You should definitely build up to something like that," Magnus agreed as if totally off hand. "Try jumping out of the closet at him a few times, maybe a few toned down side quests like trying to get past a murderous dog with a rubber ball, just to see how he takes to it."

"I should start with the one about how Grover got his mango chutney recipe," Percy mock agreed. "Crashing a wedding and piranha sheep are surely the best way to explain, this," he finished with a vague wave around being trapped at the bottom of the ocean.

"I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy, It's only one morning."

"Great," I mumbled. "I can get expelled before I start the school year."

Alex laughed raucously Percy said the same thing he did, and he grinned along with him and even offered a high five which he happily air slapped.

"Think positive.

"The country ran out of schools and the universe can stop mocking me for this?" Percy sighed.

"There's the bright side," Thalia snorted.

Jason wasn't so convinced that every school would ban him for his record though. He started rubbing thoughtfully at his tattoo, but as always no real memory would connect to that random thought.

Tomorrow you're off to camp! After orientation, you've got your date—"

"It's not a date!" I protested. "It's just Annabeth, Mom. Jeez!"

Percy blushed the color of Rachel's hair, but Magnus readjusted the book to hide his slight hesitation over his continuing wasn't snickers like the others. He, stupidly, wanted to offer, something. Some dumb warning of a 'you better treat her like a lady,' when it was obvious Percy was head over heels in love with her from the beginning.

Uncle Fredrick was obviously kind of useless in that department though, and Chiron seemed the next closest thing and obviously had higher concerns. He just thought his cousin should have some family show support, but then, she probably forgot he'd existed already and this was just as dumb as it could be of him.

"She's coming all the way from camp to meet you."

"It didn't work out with Fredrick again?" The harshness in Magnus's voice was doubled from his own thoughts, and obvious by dropping the familial title.

"She stayed the rest of the school semester with him out there," Percy said cautiously. "She sent me an Iris message every few weeks about the goings on, they were being a lot more understanding when there was a monster attack, and it weirdly didn't happen as much as she thought it would. You know, she just missed Camp and came back earlier, she still called it her home." He finished with a carefree smile.

Will kept the comment to himself she'd showed up at Camp twice. One time had only been through word of mouth, Clarisse had made a passing comment about her being back while getting her ankle wrapped. Judging by her tone, she'd been expecting to find Annabeth in the medical cabin, though Will hadn't seen her. The second he'd only passed her leaving her cabin with a book bag and going up the hill to leave again. Her passing in and out of her home was not exactly his business to share.

Magnus gave a hesitant nod, but Jason wasn't so ready to let it go as he pondered over that. He'd originally balked at the idea of San Francisco being a dangerous place. Nico had said he found another camp in California he hadn't shared with anyone else. The obvious dots being connected only gave him the usual headache, but he still hoped that somehow, someway, he might have made Annabeth's time with her mortal family just the slightest bit easier no matter how foolish it probably was.

"Well, yeah."

"You're going to the movies."

"Yeah."

"Just the two of you."

"Mom!"

She held up her hands in surrender, but I could tell she was trying hard not to smile.

"She must be really nervous about that job interview," Thalia really was trying her hardest not to snicker. "You're lucky she didn't somehow slip into another baby story about you next." She was doing a terrible job by the end.

"Stories you still owe us by the way," Alex only teased, he knew Percy didn't owe them any of this and could leave to read these alone whenever he wanted.

He showed he wasn't going to be doing anything like that when he only groaned loudly and covered his ears to mock ignore them instead until Magnus kept going.

"You'd better get inside, dear. I'll see you tonight."

I was about to get out of the car when I looked over the steps of the school.

Paul Blofis was greeting a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon Tshirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. When she turned, I caught a glimpse of her face, and the hairs on my arms stood straight up.

"No," Alex began in awe.

"Way," Magnus barely finished since his mouth was hanging open quite a bit.

"I mean, we knew you'd have to run into her again eventually," Jason agreed. "Nearly killing her on the Hoover Dam couldn't have been the only time," she'd been perfectly comfortable in here beside Percy and still gave him the creeps with the way she'd watched him and pegged him an outsider. "I just expected her to pop up at Camp."

"Yeah, um, small world," Percy agreed with all the blurry confidence he could.

"Percy?" my mom asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," I stammered.

"Very believable," Alex snorted. "I think you need to start taking some acting lessons from Rachel."

"I'll get right on that when I'm done freaking out about her existing," Percy sighed.

"Does the school have a side entrance?"

"Down the block on the right. Why?"

"I'll see you later."

My mom started to say something, but I got out of the car and ran, hoping the redheaded girl wouldn't see me.

"And yet you're going into the exact same place she is," Jason pointed out in exasperation. "I don't get it, are you avoiding her or trying to get her alone to talk?"

"Avoidance, definitely," Percy was squirming in his seat like a burrito was about to be launched at his head. Annabeth and Grover were the only two who had ever overlapped with his normal life. Rachel just popping up like that set all of his instincts on edge like a monster was going to appear any second...wait. Gods, did he help defend Rachel from the cheerleading squad?! Agh, and there was the headache!

What was she doing here? Not even my luck could be this bad.

"Percy," Will said to him as if in fear he had a concussion for not remembering this. "Your luck is historically the worst."

"Exhibit A," Nico muttered, trapped at the bottom of the ocean with no memory.

Yeah, right. I was about to find out my luck could get a lot worse.

"I swear that should have just been the summary plastered on the back of these books," Percy groaned.

Sneaking into orientation didn't work out too well. Two cheerleaders in purple-and-white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush freshmen.

"Were they smoking?" Jason asked with weirdly serious concern.

"Didn't smell anything," Percy shrugged. "The blonde one was kind of cute, but way to intense, she had that fake smile that gave me the creeps," Percy shrugged.

Thalia smacked him upside the head, hard, and called him an idiot, while looking at Jason in concern. Beryl had been a chain smoker, but she hoped he wasn't trying to connect plastic girls with the smell of cigarettes in general and he was just being an idiot too.

"Hi!" They smiled, which I figured was the first and last time any cheerleaders would be that friendly to me. One was blond with icy blue eyes.

The other was African American with dark curly hair like Medusa's (and believe me, I know what I'm talking about).

"Hmm, yes I suppose, but does this girl also make a mean burger?" Alex asked.

"And is she going to have a weird obsession with turning you into a statue," Magnus added uneasily. They hadn't gotten any repeat monsters yet aside from the gorgon coming back, so maybe this was how Medusa looked now and found a way to hide her gaze?

Both girls had their names stitched in cursive on their uniforms, but with my dyslexia, the words looked like meaningless spaghetti.

"Welcome to Goode," the blond girl said. "You are so going to love it."

But as she looked me up and down, her expression said something more like, Eww, who is this loser?

The other girl stepped uncomfortably close to me. I studied the stitching on her uniform and made out Kelli. She smelled like roses and something else I recognized from riding lessons at camp—the scent of freshly washed horses. It was a weird smell for a cheerleader. Maybe she owned a horse or something.

"In New York?" Will couldn't imagine the miles of acres from camp and where he'd grown up cramped around all those buildings.

"We have suburbs you know, it's not all Times Square," Percy shrugged.

"Or maybe her dad owns one of those cop horses, or maybe she can turn into a horse," Alex nodded along. "There's really just no guessing here."

Anyway, she stood so close I got the feeling she was going to try to push me down the steps. "What's your name, fish?"

"Fish?"

"That's actually a very fair question with a really interesting answer," Magnus grinned like Percy's was a mistake anyone could make. "Classification of what a fish is is so broad most scientists don't-"

Percy used just a tiny bit of his power, but enough he splashed Magnus in the face with just a few twitches of his finger. "Smart ass," Percy's laugh had them all grinning along.

Magnus brushed his damp hair aside and kept going while Will admired how easily Percy could fit in anywhere he wanted. He was positive Percy's internal thoughts of how he never fit in couldn't be too accurate of his time in mortal schools, he just never wanted to fit in there, considering it was the opposite at camp.

"Freshman."

"Uh, Percy."

The girls exchanged looks.

"Oh, Percy Jackson," the blond one said. "We've been waiting for you."

That sent a major Uh-oh chill down my back. They were blocking the entrance, smiling in a not-very-friendly way. My hand crept instinctively toward my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide.

"That is one of my favorite sentences," Alex snorted grandly.

"And I use it without mercy!" Percy pulled it out now and waved Riptide around like a writer on a mission.

Then another voice came from inside the building. "Percy?" It was Paul Blofis, somewhere down the hallway. I'd never been so glad to hear his voice.

The cheerleaders backed off.

Nobody had much more than halfhearted confidence these were just regular mean girls slinking off because a teacher was around. Maybe, if it wasn't for that blasted chapter title they could have fooled themselves for a while longer. Now they all just sat there waiting anxiously for Magnus to get to a half-time show that would probably end with confetti and death to a lot of innocent people.

I was so anxious to get past them I accidentally kneed Kelli in the thigh.

Clang.

Her leg made a hollow, metallic sound, like I'd just hit a flagpole.

"First the French guy, now prosthetic leg girl?" Thalia couldn't help but tease, "are you just out here fighting everybody with a disability Percy?"

"I have no problems throwing hands with you," Percy wagged the pen cap dangerously close to her nose.

"Besides, he's never tried to fight Chiron," Will easily slid in to disengage. "I'm just chalking it up to more of his bad luck."

Magnus quickly kept reading before that could escalate anyways.

"Ow," she muttered. "Watch it, fish."

I glanced down, but her leg looked like a regular old leg. I was too freaked out to ask questions. I dashed into the hall, the cheerleaders laughing behind me.

"There you are!" Paul told me. "Welcome to Goode!"

"Hey, Paul—uh, Mr. Blofis." I glanced back, but the weird cheerleaders had disappeared.

"Percy, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"I've done that too, and I'll take Bianca and Nico over those girls," Percy shivered.

"Um, thanks," Nico muttered in surprise, but then Percy winced and groaned, looking around in confusion, and Nico realized Percy wasn't literally talking about the time he'd talked to Bianca's ghost, but was making a morbid joke in general about them being children of Hades. His usual way of laughing off everything that Nico had always equally admired and been so conflicted about, because sometimes it made him come across as an idiot. He didn't know where to place that on his list.

"Yeah, uh—"

Paul clapped me on the back. "Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers know how to help."

I almost wanted to laugh. If only ADHD and dyslexia were my biggest worries. I mean, I knew Paul was trying to help, but if I told him the truth about me, he'd either think I was crazy or he'd run away screaming. Those cheerleaders, for instance. I had a bad feeling about them...

"Lots of people have bad feelings about cheerleaders," Alex agreed wisely. "Usually because they accuse you of stealing their phone and throw a bucket of piss at you after you got them expelled."

The book fell out of Magnus's hands while everyone felt the awkward silence, but Will got out first, "um, that was a little too specific Alex. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" He asked casually.

There was only a hint of blood lust in there, but just enough Magnus swiftly decided he heard nothing and nobody was going to get the chance to say otherwise.

Then I looked down the hall, and I remembered I had another problem.

The redheaded girl I'd seen on the front steps was just coming in the main entrance.

Don't notice me, I prayed.

She noticed me.

"Rachel is a very observant girl," Thalia rolled her eyes at him. "She'd pick you out if you were in the mascot costume."

Percy believed her, and it still kind of freaked him out. The mascot was a roadrunner too, and he still didn't think he'd escape this.

Her eyes widened.

"Where's the orientation?" I asked Paul.

"The gym. That way. But—"

"Bye."

"Percy?" he called, but I was already running.

"And you're worried Paul's going to run away from you guys," Nico said mildly, just a little more confidant than the first time.

"Wouldn't be fair of me to have him do all the work, here I am putting in effort too," Percy grinned back with an even shorter hesitation than last time.

I thought I'd lost her.

A bunch of kids were heading for the gym, and soon I was just one of three hundred fourteen-year-olds all crammed into the bleachers. A marching band played an out-of-tune fight song that sounded like somebody hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat.

"I seriously worry about the neighborhood you grew up in," Jason said, with no joke.

Percy had no nice response for that. By the time he came downstairs all he usually found was blood.

Older kids, probably student council members, stood up front modeling the Goode school uniform

"Ugh, I'd get expelled just for getting out of wearing a uniform," Alex gagged.

"Rachel didn't make it look to bad," Magnus said to be fair. He'd trade the stupidest bowtie every day just for a chance at something that kind of routine, normal, mundane.

Alex must have heard the wistfulness in his voice, because his voice went just a hint gentler than usual. "Mm, I've seen worse."

and looking all, Hey, we're cool. Teachers milled around, smiling and shaking hands with students. The walls of the gym were plastered with big purple-and-white banners that said WELCOME FUTURE FRESHMEN, GOODE IS GOOD, WE'RE ALL FAMILY, and a bunch of other happy slogans that pretty much made me want to throw up.

"Glad it's not just me," Thalia raised a hand, the other pressed theatrically to her stomach.

None of the other freshmen looked thrilled to be here, either. I mean, coming to orientation in June, when school doesn't even start until September, is not cool. But at Goode, "We prepare to excel early!" At least that's what the brochure said.

"And we always do what the brochure says," Will nodded saintly.

"Gods, please never give Camp a brochure," Percy muttered, he was terrified what Mr. D would put in there.

The marching band stopped playing. A guy in a pinstripe suit came to the microphone and started talking, but the sound echoed around the gym so I had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling.

"His warm up I guess," Alex said, "most people just do the classic picturing underwear thing, but I never could figure out why that would make you less nervous. Naked people usually cause more stress."

"I can't even begin to imagine what would make you nervous to begin with," Jason admitted, "let alone what you would do. Probably rip someone's head off."

Alex considered for a moment laughing that off, but then in a rare moment of vulnerability, he glanced at the book, and said honestly, "being trapped."

At least Oceanus wasn't trying to take away his identity, but the mystery of why only his abilities seemed gone while among the Big Three's kids bothered him greatly.

The reality still hit them plenty they were trapped. Even if it wasn't unpleasant, that didn't make it great. They all just made it better for each other with laughter instead.

So Alex finished with a snarky remark true to form, "and look at you all, not a single headless person! Let alone nearly headless!"

Magnus snorted fantastically beside him just like always before he kept reading, so the others just let it pass with a light chuckle too.

Someone grabbed my shoulder, "What are you doing here?"

It was her: my redheaded nightmare.

"How often do you dream of her?" Thalia had tried for sisterly concern, but ended with to much laughter for it to hold.

"Oh gods," Percy buried his face in dread and decided he would have to personally put these books through a shredder and then burn the scraps if he wanted to live when all his memories were back.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said.

Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to remember her name. "And you're Percy somebody.

"You told her your name was Percy Gotta-go," Jason easily recalled, "I can't believe she'd forget that, it's quite memorable."

"Not everybody always has a toilet on the brain Jason," Percy rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't have to if your life wasn't trash Percy," Jason smirked.

"Boys!" Will groaned. Magnus very quickly kept reading, and Thalia sighed in relief. They were all getting a little to comfortable with each other down here.

I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to kill me."

"Look, I wasn't—I didn't—What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I guess. Orientation."

"You live in New York?"

"What, you thought I lived at the Hoover Dam?"

It had never occurred to me. Whenever I thought about her (and I'm not saying I thought about her; she just like crossed my mind from time to time, okay?),

"Yeah, okay Perce," Thalia was obviously about to engrave this passage in stone so that Annabeth and Rachel could laugh at him forever with it and he sighed as he knew there was nothing he could do to stop her.

I always figured she lived in the Hoover Dam area, since that's where I'd met her.

"A reasonable assumption," the eye roll Jason added to that didn't help Percy believe him even before he said, "considering you traveled there from New York!"

"Not everybody travels the country in a week on a magic train provided by a homeless God named Fred," Percy said back in exasperation. "Unless she's some weird, rich version of Annabeth who just sporadically wanted a tour there, it makes sense!"

The others were to busy snickering he'd still managed to bring up Annabeth during this to stop them for a second, but before Jason's chuckle could subside and he did manage Magnus loudly kept going without prompting this time or they'd never finish this one dam chapter.

We'd spent maybe ten minutes together, during which time I'd accidentally swung a sword at her, she'd saved my life, and I'd run away chased by a band of supernatural killing machines. You know, your typical chance meeting.

"That is definitely going to be the next poster for a romcom. Call it Hauling Ass," Alex paused to give a very suggestive look at Percy that made him squirm. "You're a construction worker building the historic monument, she's a southern bell dragged there by her father-"

"Dude!" Percy finally protested. "Write whatever the hell that's manifesting into on your own time! And leave me out of it!"

"I hope this guy's never introduced to fanfiction, his brain would rot," Magnus muttered, making Alex laugh harder than ever, which wasn't very encouraging to Percy. It took every ounce of self control for Alex to suppress the question if Sally ever mentioned that stuff, but when Magnus kept reading, he persevered. He could ask Sally on his own time anyways.

Some guy behind us whispered, "Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are talking!"

"I bet that guy's one of their girlfriends," Thalia rolled her eyes. "Hope she gives him a thumbs up for sucking up."

"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde I'd seen at the entrance. "My name is Tammi, and this is like, Kelli." Kelli did a cartwheel.

Will gave a little applause just for the girl/ maybe monster being able to do that, it looked hard when he watched others try.

Next to me, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few kids looked over and snickered,

"I swear it's a staple kids will laugh at anything in an auditorium," Nico muttered, the noise always carried and sounded mean no matter who was doing it.

"I don't laugh at everything," Will gave him a very exaggerated pouty frown that Nico fought hard not to grin back at. He lost that battle, and he couldn't say that about many fights.

but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tammi didn't seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about all the great ways we could get involved during our freshman year.

"All the normal things a half-blood could want," Percy gave a mock yawn to show how much he'd listened to that. "Like volunteer work that looked good on college applications and where the study hall was. I didn't hear anything about where the fire extinguisher was."

"I'm surprised they don't have your name engraved on it just for being there," Thalia agreed.

"You'd have to pull an active miracle to get a college education at your rate," Jason muttered for himself, because he felt bad Percy probably was going to be denied that with his record.

"Run," Rachel told me. "Now."

"Why?"

Rachel didn't explain. She pushed her way to the edge of the bleachers, ignoring the frowning teachers and grumbling kids she was stepping on.

I hesitated.

"Why?"

 Percy winced as all six of them yelped that at once. Jason was already winding up for a rant as he began, "do you have any clue how useful that is? She can see through the Mist which you're repeatedly fooled by-"

"Paul," Percy's answer was sharp enough to stop him cold. He really hadn't gone into this trying to make the guy already disappointed in him and his mother look bad and everything that was about to happen because he couldn't have one normal day!

There was a beat of silence. "Sorry," Jason said.

"Yeah, it's fine," Percy sighed, letting it go as fast as it had happened.

Tammi was explaining how we were about to break into small groups and tour the school. Kelli caught my eye and gave me an amused smile, like she was waiting to see what I'd do. It would look bad if I left right now. Paul Blofis was down there with the rest of the teachers. He'd wonder what was wrong.

Then I thought about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and the special ability she'd shown last winter at Hoover Dam. She'd been able to see a group of security guards who weren't guards at all, who weren't even human. My heart pounding, I got up and followed her out of the gym.

"I'm getting, follow her to the ends of the earth vibes already," Alex chuckled.

"Stop writing fanfiction about them," Magnus muttered to him, "Annabeth would not approve."

"I bet she'd get a laugh out of it," Alex insisted.

Percy was wincing and muttering uncomfortably though, and since they had no idea how she factored into Percy's life it was probably safer not to push his buttons about what they did get up to until all was said and done.

I found Rachel in the band room. She was hiding behind a bass drum in the percussion section.

"Are these monsters sensitive to noise?" Jason asked eagerly.

"Either that or it's a really good spot to grab lunch," Percy shrugged.

"Or the first place she found, you triangles," Thalia said in exasperation. "She's an untrained mortal!"

"Right," they both agreed sheepishly.

"Get over here!" she said. "Keep your head down!"

I felt pretty silly hiding behind a bunch of bongos, but I crouched down beside her.

"Obviously," Alex rolled his eyes. "Everybody knows you should hide in the brass section, that's why they're the ballsy ones." He concluded with a wink at Thalia, "and I mean that totally gender neutral."

"I'm sure they've never heard that joke before," Jason scoffed.

"Did they follow you?" Rachel asked.

"You mean the cheerleaders?"

She nodded nervously.

"I don't think so," I said. "What are they? What did you see?"

Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her face that reminded me of constellations. Her maroon T-shirt read HARVARD ART DEPT. "You...you wouldn't believe me."

Magnus had seen in person how much that could mess a person up. It still really bothered him he didn't know what to go back and do with this kind of information. Telling the homeless mortals who went on about metal angels they weren't crazy would only put a band aid on the grander problem.

"Oh, yeah, I would," I promised. "I know you can see through the Mist."

"The what?"

"The Mist. It's...well, it's like this veil that hides the way things really are. Some mortals are born with the ability to see through it. Like you."

She studied me carefully. "You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a mortal. Like you're not."

"So she's always been that perceptive," Jason murmured in appreciation. Her gift truly was special, he wished he could pin down why he felt like he had a name or something attached to this odd power of perception and sight she had.

I felt like punching a bongo. What was I thinking? I could never explain. I shouldn't even try.

"Don't be so down on yourself Percy," Thalia frowned at him in surprise. "You're really not as stupid as we all like to say you are."

"Thanks Thals," Percy rolled his eyes and waved at Magnus.

"Hey," she grabbed his wrist, "I mean it."

He looked at her and saw she really was being serious. "Um, thank you," he was probably blushing just a bit. "I really didn't have a clue what I was doing though."

"Never stopped you from trying to do anything," she released his wrist with an eye roll of her own, resisting the urge to try and smack him in the face with his own hand. No way would she be fast enough to do that in the water.

Percy grinned at her. Coming from anyone else, even Annabeth, he'd have thought they were lying just to make him feel better. Thalia knew exactly how he felt, because she tended to have the same self-doubts.

"Tell me," she begged. "You know what it means. All these horrible things I see?"

"Look, this is going to sound weird. Do you know anything about Greek myths?"

"Like...the Minotaur and the Hydra?"

"Yeah, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay?"

"And the Furies," she said, warming up. "And the Sirens, and—"

"Okay!" I looked around the band hall, sure that Rachel was going to make a bunch of bloodthirsty nasties pop out of the walls;

"We have yet to see that actually," Alex had the audacity to eye the walls in betrayal. "I'm starting to think Chiron and Grover lied to you about that, it's only ever caused Zeus to make thunder at ominous moments."

"Why push my luck?" Percy asked in exhaustion.

but we were still alone. Down the hallway, I heard a mob of kids coming out of the gymnasium. They were starting the group tours. We didn't have long to talk.

"All those monsters," I said, "all the Greek gods—they're real."

"I knew it!"

I would've been more comfortable if she'd called me a liar, but Rachel looked like I'd just confirmed her worst suspicion.

"First Tyson, now her," Will sounded like he was pretty impressed with Percy's ability to help take first steps into this world. "You're blunt and get to the point, but don't try to scare them, let alone impress them. All you're really missing is the orientation video to explain the rest."

Nico snorted in delight beside him and Will smiled with pleasure.

"Yeah, yeah," Percy was shaking his head in exasperation at all the praise. "Been and done the whole TV show routine, not looking for round two."

"One slow news day and I'll bet that reporter will be back around," Will said confidently, mock framing Percy with his hands. Percy flipped him off and said, "show that on TV!"

Magnus loudly kept reading before they got too sidetracked among the chuckling.

"You don't know how hard it's been," she said. "For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't—"

Thalia tugged at the links in her bracelet with the same feeling of uselessness Magnus felt. What were they supposed to do, post a billboard with a number to Olympus Hotline?

She imagined for a moment borrowing these books when they were done with them, maybe giving some mortal a sense of salvation if they read it like this was some fairy tell, Sally apparently might be some help with that. A world they could never be a part of, but at least wouldn't think they were crazy for.

She glanced at Percy with guilt though and decided she might have to tweak a few details.

Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. Who are you? I mean really?"

"I'm not a monster."

"Well, I know that. I could see if you were. You look like...you. But you're not human, are you?"

I swallowed. Even though I'd had three years to get used to who I was, I'd never talked about it with a regular mortal before—I mean, except for my mom, but she already knew. I don't know why, but I took the plunge.

"I'm a half-blood," I said. "I'm half human."

"And half what?"

Just then Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room.

"Half-fish," Alex supplied as if poor Rachel had really been left in the lurch.

"Paul is only his step dad Alex, keep up," Magnus smirked.

The doors slammed shut behind them.

"There you are, Percy Jackson," Tammi said. "It's time for your orientation."

"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped.

"A blonde, a burnet, and a red head walk into a band room-" Alex began.

"If you make one more joke about this I'll put you in the perconcussion section," Percy mispronounced with a hard look at Magnus not to correct him.

"Who says I don't already know how to play the bongos?" He challenged back.

Percy sighed in defeat, he really should have known better by this time.

Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.

"Well those are going to be covered in blood and monster dust here soon," Nico said confidently.

"Don't forget the fire," Will nodded, "he can't leave school without it."

Percy groaned, as much because they were right as his head ached in pain, and because he believed they were right.

"What do they really look like?" I asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned to answer.

"Oh, forget her." Tammi gave me a brilliant smile and started walking toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.

They'd trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out, but Tammi's smile was so dazzling it distracted me. Her blue eyes were beautiful, and the way her hair swept over her shoulders...

"Percy," Rachel warned.

I said something really intelligent like, "Uhhh?"

"And we can officially ear mark the moment Percy hit puberty," Jason mock clicked a pen to jot that down.

"When he sees Annabeth again it's officially going to be a, treat," Magnus sighed, gods he did not want to hear his cousin described by a male teenager.

"I can and will make your lives hell without drowning you," Percy pleasantly reminded.

Jason pretended he couldn't hear him and was still scribbling, making sure Percy could hear words like, "needs the talk," and, "date do's and don'ts," so Magnus very loudly kept reading over that before Percy acted on the urge of breaking his fingers like he was obviously considering.

Tammi was getting closer. She held out her pom-poms.

"Percy!" Rachel's voice seemed to be coming from a long way away. "Snap out of it!"

It took all my willpower, but I got my pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide grew into a three-foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light.

"I hope Rachel didn't have to many nightmares about that," Percy sighed, still fidgeting with the cap uneasily. It took a lot of concentration to constantly remind himself the adrenaline dump was all in his head and there was nothing to kill in here.

Tammi's smile turned to a sneer.

"Oh, come on," she protested. "You don't need that. How about a kiss instead?"

She smelled like roses and clean animal fur—a weird but somehow intoxicating smell.

"Note to self, nobody spray Grover with roses, then he'll be unstoppable," Thalia nodded for herself.

Rachel pinched my arm, hard. "Percy, she wants to bite you! Look at her!"

"Well that would get anyone's attention," Jason rubbed his arm and studied the book in concern.

"Are they vampires?!" Alex's eyes went comically wide. "Are we really about to get vampires up in here?" He looked ready to lunge for Magnus's throat to see for himself.

"Note to self, keep the fangs away from this one," Thalia said in concern.

She's just jealous," Tammi looked back at Kelli. "May I, mistress?"

Kelli was still blocking the door, licking her lips hungrily. "Go ahead, Tammi. You're doing fine."

Tammi took another step forward, but I leveled the tip of my sword at her chest. "Get back."

She snarled. "Freshmen," she said with disgust. "This is our school, halfblood. We feed on whom we choose!"

Then she began to change. The color drained out of her face and arms. Her skin turned as white as chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew into fangs.

"That is so cool!" Alex really did reach over to steal the book, but Magnus hugged it close and shuffled as far away as he could on his end of the couch. Alex turned pleading eyes to Percy, "did you at least get an autograph?"

"I'll start a book of monsters just for you," Percy said, rather nonplussed at Alex geeking out over something else wanting to kill him. It really was par for the course at this rate.

"A vampire!" I stammered. Then I noticed her legs. Below the cheerleader skirt, her left leg was brown and shaggy with a donkey's hoof. Her right leg was shaped like a human leg, but it was made of bronze.

"And that somehow made them cooler," Magnus agreed with Alex's yelp. "I'll give them this, it's original."

"They don't need compliments Magnus, they need decapitation," Nico reminded in exasperation.

"They can have both," Will said fairly. "I'm sure Kellie and Tammi appreciate compliments once in a while, it must get exhausting with how popular vampires are now adays to hear themselves described wrong."

"I just hope Percy doesn't ask if they sparkle," Thalia sighed.

"Uhh, a vampire with—"

"Don't mention the legs!" Tammi snapped. "It's rude to make fun!"

She advanced on her weird, mismatched legs. She looked totally bizarre, especially with the pom-poms, but I couldn't laugh—not facing those red eyes and sharp fangs.

"Then you need more fun in your life," Alex told him, he was still laughing plenty at this development.

"Cheerleader vampires, I'm surprised that's not a book of its own," Magnus agreed.

"A vampire, you say?" Kelli laughed. "That silly legend was based on us, you fool. We are empousai, servants of Hecate."

"Mmmm." Tammi edged closer to me. "Dark magic formed us from animal, bronze, and ghost! We exist to feed on the blood of young men. Now come, give me that kiss!"

"Maybe they shouldn't lead with the gross details of their existence if they want a smooch," Jason frowned, clearly unimpressed as he flipped his coin around.

"Dating is weirdly hard, kudos for trying their own approach," Percy shrugged, "it just didn't work on me."

"Liar," Thalia waved to the book where he'd yet swung his sword.

"I was caught off guard, not considering it!" He insisted.

"Uhhu, that's exactly what I'm hearing, not that Rachel had to save you," Thalia reminded.

Percy tried to splutter some denial together, but Magnus saved him the effort.

She bared her fangs. I was so paralyzed I couldn't move, but Rachel threw a snare drum at the empousa's head.

"Exhibit A your honor!" Thalia crowed.

"I want this case dismissed! Objection!" That was the only lawyer speak Percy knew though and sat back in his seat with a sigh at the accompanying laughter.

The demon hissed and batted the drum away. It went rolling along the aisles between music stands, its springs rattling against the drumhead.

Rachel threw a xylophone, but the demon just swatted that away, too.

"I would pay all of the money for her to throw a tuba next," Alex said with a disturbing kind of gleam that usually meant he'd be trying this himself eventually.

"You would make a great one man band act," Magnus agreed. Alex would be the only person who could make a guitar riff and then bash a monsters head in and still get a tip.

"I don't usually kill girls," Tammi growled. "But for you, mortal, I'll make an exception. Your eyesight is a little too good!"

She lunged at Rachel.

"No!" I slashed with Riptide. Tammi tried to dodge my blade, but I sliced straight through her cheerleader uniform, and with a horrible wail she exploded into dust all over Rachel.

Rachel coughed. She looked like she'd just had a sack of flour dumped on her head. "Gross!"

"First Annabeth, now her," Jason chuckled. "Does the value of a thank you just not mean anything anymore?"

Thalia stepped on his shoe, and he yelped in pain. She raised a brow at him and asked, "now where's my thank you for shutting you up?"

He tucked his aching toes behind his other heel and decided against answering like the smart kid he was.

"Monsters do that," I said. "Sorry."

"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"

"Anything but math club, anything but math club," Percy crossed his fingers and leaned forward in his seat.

"Technically attempted murder is not math club, so wish granted," Thalia sighed.

"He could start a junior detectives club, help the local police solve crimes," Will grinned.

"They'd arrest me on sight," Percy reminded with a huff.

Then she too began to change. Her wiry hair turned into flickering flames. Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She loped toward us, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.

"I am senior empousa," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."

"Yeah?" I said. "Then you're overdue!"

"As leader of the squad, you'd really hope she'd be more prepared for the time restraints of multiple responsibilities," Alex said in mock disappointment.

"High school life is hard and stressful enough, Percy will help her balance some of it," Magnus reminded, and by that he meant cut her into evenly squared pieces of monster dust.

Kelli was a lot faster than Tammi. She dodged my first strike and rolled into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty crash. Rachel scrambled out of the way. I put myself between her and the empousa.

Will's adams-apple bobbed as he nervously swallowed. There were a few training scenarios where you had to defend someone on the ground pretending to be unconscious while a 'monster' attacked. Percy got in repeated trouble for those from him and Chiron for always taking more hits than he should.

Kelli circled us, her eyes going from me to the sword.

"Such a pretty little blade," she said. "What a shame it stands between us."

Her form shimmered—sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty cheerleader. I tried to keep my mind focused, but it was really distracting.

"The first monster I've heard that seems to have adapted to your ADHD perk," Magnus said nervously. He wondered if it would work on those who wouldn't be naturally attracted to a pretty girl, or was the scent a universal lull no matter the case?

"Gods, please don't start trying to classify us with ecosystems and Latin names," Percy sighed, "I avoided biology as much as calculus."

"Poor dear." Kelli chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful to end your life now, before you have to see that."

Percy's blood boiled at just the hint of that threat, making the water heat up around them all. Thalia tugging at the collar of her shirt caught his attention fast enough and he took a deep breath to settle himself, but that headache was back in full force. Chiron had warned an attack coming this summer on his camp. Whether Kellie knew something about it or was just taunting him, he needed to find out.

From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man was saying something about locker combinations.

The empousa's eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"

"Why is that a good thing?" Nico asked with growing dread. Monsters weren't usually psyched to have a mortal audience.

Percy didn't seem to hear anything at the moment but the words of the book, his attention laser focused and Riptide now fully in hand. They all sat uneasily in place and hoped this fight wrapped up quickly before he lost track of the fact there were no empousa in here to kill.

She picked up a tuba and threw it at me. Rachel and I ducked. The tuba sailed over our heads and crashed through the window.

"You got your tuba Alex," Jason half-heartedly reminded now.

"I wanted Rachel to throw it," he sighed with disappointment. "That's okay, I can imagine it landing on Kellie just fine without the book."

The voices in the hall died down.

"Percy!" Kelli shouted, pretending to be scared, "why did you throw that?"

"Oh shit," Magnus groaned, guessing exactly what she was doing. It really didn't seem fair Percy kept getting blamed when it was the monsters destroying the school and he just happened to be there. And he'd thought little of the justice system before this mess.

I was too surprised to answer. Kelli picked up a music stand and swiped a row of clarinets and flutes. Chairs and musical instruments crashed to the floor.

"Stop it!" I said.

People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction.

"Time to greet our visitors!" Kelli bared her fangs and ran for the doors. I charged after her with Riptide. I had to stop her from hurting the mortals.

"Percy, don't!" Rachel shouted. But I hadn't realized what Kelli was up to until it was too late.

Thalia tightly pinched the space between her eyes with defeat. Once again, she couldn't imagine chastising Percy for doing exactly what she would have done. He really would have made a great Hunter.

Percy still didn't seem to hear what the problem was now. He was tapping his feet rapid fire on the ground, tightening and loosening his grip on his sword with his urge not to swing it on anyone in here.

Kelli flung open the doors. Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen stepped back in shock. I raised my sword.

At the last second, the empousa turned toward me like a cowering victim.

"Oh no, please!" she cried. I couldn't stop my blade. It was already in motion.

Just before the celestial bronze hit her, Kelli exploded into flames like a Molotov cocktail. Waves of fire splashed over everything. I'd never seen a monster do that before, but I didn't have time to wonder about it. I backed into the band room as the flames engulfed the doorway.

"Paul," Percy muttered in a daze, shaking his head and finally coming back to himself in here with concern. He remembered Paul talking about some kid who accidentally started a trash fire when he'd tried to stub out a cigarette and Paul had gotten him off with a warning. He'd used that story as a way to assure Sally accidents happened and her accident prone son wouldn't be blamed for something like that.

That fire alarm had been really loud going off and still had nothing on the dread filling him at the shock, the horror on Paul's face. He'd almost rather it be Gabe sneering at him and calling him a freak.

"Percy?" Paul Blofis looked completely stunned, staring at me from across the fire. "What have you done?"

Kids screamed and ran down the hall. The fire alarm wailed. Ceiling sprinklers hissed to life.

In the chaos, Rachel tugged on my sleeve. "You have to get out of here!"

She was right. The school was in flames and I'd be held responsible.

Mortals couldn't see through the Mist properly. To them it would look like I'd just attacked a helpless cheerleader in front of a group of witnesses.

There was no way I could explain it. I turned from Paul and sprinted for the broken band room window.

Percy swallowed the bitter smell of smoke, the screaming and his own self-loathing for all the problems he caused. Paul would probably dump his mom after this, another screw up.

I burst out of the alley onto East 81st and ran straight into Annabeth.

"That's almost a step down from her usual grand entrances," Alex noted with mild disappointment. "I half expected her to show up and stab them for flirting with you."

"I don't know what you're talking about, her timing is still amazing," Percy grinned in delight just like he always did when the slightest exchange between them was revitalized in his mind, but there was something off about it than usual. He didn't glow and straighten up in his seat. He was starting to ask himself what the heck had possessed Annabeth to kiss someone so wholly not at her level.

"Hey, you're out early!" she laughed, grabbing my shoulders to keep me from tumbling into the street. "Watch where you're going, Seaweed Brain."

For a split second she was in a good mood and everything was fine. She was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes sparkled. She looked like she was ready to catch a movie, have a cool afternoon hanging out together.

Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare, still covered in monster dust, came charging out of the alley, yelling, "Percy, wait up!"

Annabeth's smile melted. She stared at Rachel, then at the school. For the first time, she seemed to notice the black smoke and ringing fire alarms.

The black singes on his shirt and wild look in his eyes probably caught on right about then too, Thalia winced. It was kind of sweet though, that Annabeth always smiled first at the sight of him and then everything else kicked in.

She frowned at me. "What did you do this time? And who is this?"

"Oh, Rachel—Annabeth. Annabeth—Rachel. Um, she's a friend, I guess."

I wasn't sure what else to call Rachel. I mean, I barely knew her, but after being in two life-or-death situations together, I couldn't just call her nobody.

"Why would you call her Annabeth?" Alex asked glibly.

"I have a cyclops who will chase you for a hug and I'm not afraid to use him," Percy answered.

"Hi," Rachel said. Then she turned to me. "You are in so much trouble. And you still owe me an explanation!"

Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive.

"Percy," Annabeth said coldly. "We should go."

"I want to know more about half-bloods," Rachel insisted. "And monsters. And this stuff about the gods." She grabbed my arm, whipped out a permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on my hand. "You're going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."

"But—"

"I'll make up some story," Rachel said. "I'll tell them it wasn't your fault. Just go!"

She ran back toward the school, leaving Annabeth and me in the street.

Percy remembered her maroon shirt flapping around her and the slight burntness of one strand of red hair like she'd been too close to the fire too. A part of him wanted to go back in there with her. Maybe for once give Rachel and Paul that explanation they both deserved.

Annabeth was already walking off though. He could see her in his mind, her ponytail whacking him as she stalked away like he'd brought one of those empousa out to introduce instead of a mortal girl who had helped him out because he'd ruined her day too by attracting monsters.

He sighed, and knew he'd followed her. He'd follow her anywhere.

"Hey!" I jogged after her. "There were these two empousai," I tried to explain. "They were cheerleaders, see, and they said camp was going to burn, and—"

"You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?"

"She can see through the Mist. She saw the monsters before I did."

"So you told her the truth?"

"She recognized me from Hoover Dam, so—"

"You've met her before?"

"You didn't tell her about that?" Magnus asked in surprise. "No wonder she's so short with you."

"It was the highlight of the last book," Alex agreed in shock.

"Why would I tell Annabeth about nearly dying on a dam, or on a mountain, or in a museum?" Percy asked in exasperation. "There were evil skeletons chasing us across the country, Nico made them vanish!"

"I'm suddenly grateful somebody recorded your thoughts instead of you trying to explain all this," Jason frowned. "You are horrible at telling stories, including the one you just tried to tell Annabeth."

"I didn't ask for any of your opinions on this!" He snapped and slammed back into his seat.

"This chapter's almost done," Magnus promised, "hopefully, we um, get a change of subject."

"Um, last winter. But seriously, I barely know her."

"She's kind of cute."

"I—I never thought about it."

"That was probably the correct response," Alex still gave him a tragic look like he should be wearing a dunce cap. It was sort of funny to Alex, Annabeth was so instantly jealous of the first girl she ever saw Percy around. Weren't the Aphrodite kids at camp all over him? It would be interesting to to see if that was her real problem and it wasn't something else this had just brought up.

Annabeth kept walking toward York Avenue.

"I'll deal with the school," I promised, anxious to change the subject. "Honest, it'll be fine."

Annabeth wouldn't even look at me. "I guess our afternoon is off. We should get you out of here, now that the police will be searching for you."

Percy crossed his arms and glared at the cracks in the floor he'd caused. He felt like a shmuck, now ruining everybody's day around him too. There was no more laughter or jokes to be had because of him too.

"It's alright Percy," Will promised, "you remembering this can't be any more fun than the monster attacks."

"Thanks," Percy muttered, trying to unclench his jaw from how instantly stressed he felt from Annabeth being mad at him.

While Thalia shifted protectively beside him, wishing she could tell Annabeth to take a chill pill. The boy didn't know how to flirt, let alone find anyone other than her attractive.

Behind us, smoke billowed up from Goode High School. In the dark column of ashes, I thought I could almost see a face—a she-demon with red eyes, laughing at me.

Your pretty little camp in flames, Kelli had said. Your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time.

"You're right," I told Annabeth, my heart sinking. "We have to get to Camp Half-Blood. Now."

Magnus handed the book over to Alex with a wince. So much for his concern Annabeth would be the one to need someone in her corner, now he felt like he should be fleeing the scene.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

Here at last! Oh the things to look forward to in this book! My personal favorite is the three parter of the Demon Dude Ranch. Let me know what you're looking forward to?

[ask-tighnari]

been a while are you all on your way back to Sumeru hey?

And has there been more chaos

Not yet, this is our last day. We have a two day trip back starting tomorrow.

And yes. There's been a lot. I believe "Cyno found a mini golf course" is enough to explain.

Haitham managed to hit the ball off the course, have it bounce back on, and then get a hole in one. Somehow. He did just as bad as us for the rest of the course.

-

Cyno, returning with Kaveh's ball, after having followed it down the entire river, back a whole third of the golf course, laughing: I fell when I was picking it up and now I'm wet.

Kaveh: Should someone stand over the river up here to catch it so we don't do that again?

Haitham: I believe I suggested that when I first saw this.

Me: Cyno. You're bleeding.

Cyno: I didn't fall that badly.

Me: No, there's a lot of blood. Of all the things we're doing, this is the only one I didn't think I'd need to bring the first aid kit for.

Cyno: Oh.

Cyno:

Cyno: I ran past three groups laughing hysterically while I was bleeding.

-

After I failed to hit the ball over the gap and it landed in the river:

Me: More force, easy.

Cyno: Don't get too confident.

I hit the ball and it bounces off the rock on the other side.

Me: See, easy.

As I walk over the bridge, the ball rolls back up the green and into the river. Again.

Kaveh: *dying of laughter*

Me: No! No you bastard!

I'm the only one that happened to.

-

Kaveh: THAT WAS AMAZING! DID YOU SEE THAT?

Me: Sorry, I was taking a picture of a flower.

Cyno: I was distracted by the music.

Haitham: I wasn't paying attention on purpose because I thought you'd reach the maximum on this hole.

-

It's not all just the golf course, there is other stuff.

When Cyno and I went out to the rocks offshore, I ended up with a crab pinching my tail.

I hit Cyno in the head with a ping pong ball on the beach. He then tried to hit me back, but failed because I got knocked over by a wave as I was running from him.

After I pointed out a lizard, Kaveh said "I'm reminded of when a dog sees a squirrel."

Cyno, after a windy day at the beach: I've been less covered in sand after a trip into the desert.

-

Me: What's in the box?

Kaveh: We went to the market.

Me: Why are you smiling?

Cyno: Pizza. Look at that and tell me it's not a pizza box.

Me: Shut up. Kaveh, what's in the box?

Kaveh: You can open it, I don't mind.

Me: ... Kaveh, why do you have a clock?

Kaveh: We need one in the front.

Me: How are you going to get that home? Haitham, why didn't you argue this?

Haitham: We need a clock.

-

Kaveh didn't build a sandcastle. He built a sand Palace of Alcazarzaray.

[bikepackinguk]

Day Twenty-one

Three weeks in and still going!

Getting a little more efficient at packing down and setting off in the mornings so my nice little spot in the forest outside of Kirkcaldy was cleared out and vacated by about half eight this morning, then it's back to the road!

Starting off with a straight run down the A955 past Wemyss and into Leven to take in some of the waterside, I attempted to see if the coastal path itself could be followed by bike rather than slog along on the busy A915, but alas the path quickly becomes very sandy and I was obliged to route back through the golf cours and onto the main road. Which does at least have a separate paved path along it for pedestrians and bicycles.

Past Ludin Links and Largo, there's not much option from here except to hit the A917 and rough it out with the traffic in order to access the rest of the Fife coast around to St Andrews. So time to put the legs to work!

Made it round to Elie to have a nice sit and rest watching the harbour, then some more ploughing onwards. Whilst the road is hilly and busy, it does offer some good views of the coastline as progress is made.

A couple of hours heading round and Crail is reached! I had a nice sit by the harbourside for a spot of lunch and to take in a lovely view of the East Lothian coast across the water, which had been ridden along just a few days back. Sufficiently refuelled, it was time to wave that view goodbye and finally turn northwards once more.

The forecast today had suggested I'd be seeing some rain by now, and some terrific rain could be seen coming down on the far coast, but whilst there had been plenty of big dark clouds floating around it looks like luck struck again and I managed to thread the needle between them and stay dry and sunny.

From Crail there's not much to report, just a full 10 mile push along a busy hilly road, which I was looking forward to getting over with as swiftly as I was able.

Once finally up the coast to St Andrews, ut was time for a well earned pit stop, as well as to take shelter from some ominous clouds which fortunately did not deliver on their threats!

The route into and out of St Andrews passes by many gold courses, but ehilst the run in was heavy with traffic, the ride out starts off nice and separate from the roads with a smooth, flat, paved path surrounded by greenery.

Alas this doesn't last for long and soon enough, whilst still out of the traffic, we are just pushing along the next few miles directly next to the big A91, though still with some good views across the fields.

This changes for the better once we cross the River Eden at Guardbridge, where we head right and follow the very well signposted Route 1 back up past the big military base, and the strike back out towards the sea through the Tentsmuir Forest.

A lovely ride through with the air filled with the smell of pine before hitting the dunes is an excellent preparation for dinner, and given all the hard slogging done today I think having an earlier finish today to stay in this beautiful spot is well earned! With the help of some local advise I have a nice little spot off the beaten paths and can get the tent set up before giving the limbs a bit more of a rest.

Until tomorrow!

[bunkershotgolf]

Circling Raven Golf Club Now Open; Incredible Early Spring Rates Offer Golfers’ Supreme Value

Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel Amenity Ranked the No. 1 Public Course in Idaho

Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel today announces that Circling Raven Golf Club is open for play, teeing up what promises to be one of the most exciting seasons in the esteemed golf club’s history.

The Early Spring Rates kick off the season starting at $79 per player (golf and hotel room for one night starting at $174).  The rates are good from now until April 23 and include 18 holes of golf, GPS-loaded carts, and use of the stunning 25-acre practice facility. Reservations are accepted up to 45 days in advance throughout the season, longer for registered Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel guests.

Season-long golf and hotel room fees can be viewed here. Both rounds and stay-and-play packages can be booked by calling 1-800-523-2464. Packages include golf for two and a one-night stay at the award-winning resort.

Designed by golf course architect Gene Bates, Circling Raven has garnered multiple honors since opening, including in the categories of “Top Casino Courses in America,” “Best in State,” “Top 100 Resort Course,” and “Pro Shop of the Year” to name a few.

To see Circling Raven video click here.

New Leader

New Director of Golf, Christopher Runyan, PGA, is leading Circling Raven in 2023.  His position is an exciting, important one given the golf club’s excellence, its role hosting an Epson “Road to the LPGA” Tour event, the historically excellent course conditions, the nationally honored golf shop, and the clubhouse with popular Twisted Earth Grill.

Runyan serves on national PGA of America committees, is a multi-time award-winning golf instructor and a retired Marine.

“We’ve been working hard for this day, and we are prepared to ensure that our guests leave Circling Raven feeling thrilled by a first-class golf experience,” said Director of Golf Runyan.

Something for Everyone

Circling Raven offers many different programs for golfers who seek value, game-improvement, and more. It has three Rewards Programs – the Advantage Card ($299), the Player Development Card ($249), and the Combo Card ($499).

Some examples of what each card offers includes:

Advantage - One round free ($179 value), discounts on each additional round,

free entry into year-end Advantage Tournament ($179 Value), 15% off Merchandise (not already on sale),

10% off Hard Goods (not already on sale)

Player Development Card – complimentary use of the 25-acre Practice Facility, 15% discount off personal golf instruction, access to play Circling Raven Golf Club for $30 on weekday afternoons (Monday – Thursday), free monthly golf clinic on various aspects of the game

The Combo Card combines the perks from both other cards.

Circling Raven Championship

Another 2023 highlight is sure to be the Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY 4 News Now, an Epson “Road to the LPGA” Tour event. Scheduled for Aug. 21-27, it will spotlight a field of approximately 156 players, including some of the best female players worldwide.

Competitors will vie for $225,000 in prize money this year, an increase of $25,000 more than the previous two Circling Raven Championships. Several competitors and or winners in the Circling Raven Championship have gone on to earn their membership on the LPGA Tour.

For more information about the casino resort or golf club, call 1-800-523-2464, or visit www.cdacasino.com.

About Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel

Since 1993, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has operated the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, located where sky greets Mt. Tch’mutpkwe, source of the St. Joe River, 25 miles from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The casino resort is among the largest employers in North Idaho employing between 850-1,100 depending on the season and contributing more than $33.3 million to education in the region since it opened. Additionally, millions more have gone in support of a wide range of public projects, emergency relief, charities and programs in the Pacific Northwest. Named Tribal Destination of the Year in 2019 by AIANTA and winning the silver Distinguished Dozen award from Courier in 2019 and 2020, the property features 300 rooms and suites, seven distinct food and beverage venues and entertainment including live music and comedy as well as hands-on tours and experiences through the casino’s Cultural Tourism Program. Three million-dollar winners have found their luck on 100,000 square feet of gaming space offering nearly 1,200 video gaming machines and high stakes bingo. Additional amenities include a 15,000 square foot spa voted 1st for “Resort Spas that deliver the Ahh Factor’’ by Spatrips.com (2012), 40,000 square feet of meeting space, indoor and outdoor wedding locations and Circling Raven Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 course acclaimed as a “Top 100” course by every major golf publication in the U.S. The Gene Bates designed course is home to the Circling Raven Championship, an Epson Tour “Road to the LPGA’’ event, held annually in August. LIKE Coeur d’Alene Casino onFacebook andInstagram or follow us onTwitter. For more information about Coeur d’Alene Casino, visitwww.cdacasino.com.

[irishgolfadventure]

Half Way Point

We arrived at Trump International yesterday which marked the halfway point of our trip. Ten rounds of golf at some amazing courses. Stays in five different towns and hotels, all with their unique characteristics. The people we have met along the way continue to reaffirm our long held belief that the Irish are some of the most friendly people in the world! 

Our weather has seen temps in the mid 50′s to the lower 60′s and partly sunny most of the time. We have gotten rained on when playing golf three different rounds but only spitting rain as the caddie’s call it and never for more than a hole or two each round. The wind conditions, of course, determine just how cold it feels and how difficult the courses play. But it’s what you expect when you come to Ireland!

So far the trip has lived up to all my expectations and in most cases has exceeded them. We have traveled the northern parts of Ireland for the first time and other than they use a different currency, the pound sterling, we have noticed very little difference in the people or the geography. 

Today we tee’d off at 12:12 under sunny and, your guessed it, windy conditions. The front side was a total disaster, worst of the trip. Carded a smooth 54. Parred 4 of first 6 on the back then doubled out for a 44. Sweet 98. The course itself was in great shape and the greens were fastest yet and very undulating. The toughest greens yet. Will post a few pics. (Pics are posted after this post. They run into Sligo pics. Caddie pic is last Doonbeg pic)

Our caddie was named Gary and is from the area. HIs claim to fame was he toured with the broadway show River Dance for three years and had lots of fond memories of the time he spent in the states. He most likely wanted to quit caddying after putting up with my mediocre performance today.

Tonight we’re dining at the Restaurant here at the hotel. Apparently, we just missed seeing the Donald as he was here last week for two days. Lots of secret service, a sniper stationed in the dunes and helicopters routinely flying overhead.  They said that they let people play the course when he plays but they block the tee times 30 minutes before and after. 

Tomorrow is my lovely brides birthday! She won’t let me say how old she is but let’s just say the first number begins with six and the second number is very low:-)  Tomorrow is also a day off of golf. I plan to practice my short game, get a massage and take Kim out to dinner for her birthday at a restaurant called Maria’s in Doonbeg. Highly recommended by our caddie so you know it has to be good!!

[threeriversclub]

Golf Clubs in Essex for an Unforgettable Game

Looking for top Golf Clubs in Essex? From scenic parklands to challenging courses, the region offers something for every golfer. Golf Clubs in Essex provide a range of experiences, from historic venues to modern facilities. Read more to learn about the best clubs and why Three Rivers Golf & Country Club stands out.