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kookie-doughs · 4 years ago

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Y/N L/N AND THE HALFBLOODS

Percy Jackson X Reader -Y/N L/N met Percy Jackson and everything was now ruined.

CHAPTER 8: I Really Hate Water

The next few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal, if you don't count the fact that I was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs, and a centaur. Each morning I took Ancient Greek from Annabeth and sometimes Luke, and we talked about the gods and goddesses in the present tense, which was kind of weird. I discovered Annabeth was right about my dyslexia: Ancient Greek wasn't that hard for me to read. At least, no harder than English. After a couple of mornings, I could stumble through a few lines of Homer without too much headache. The rest of the day, I'd rotate through outdoor activities, looking for something I was good at. I had struck around with Percy the whole time unless it was dinner time or night where I spent with Luke. Chiron tried to teach Percy and I archery, and we found out pretty quick he wasn't any good with a bow and arrow. He didn't complain, even when he had to desnag a stray arrow out of his tail. It was hilarious. While I on the other hand, could compete against Merida and Hawkeye with wining in favor of me. Foot racing? He sucked. The wood-nymph instructors and I left him in the dust. I told him not to worry about it. They'd had centuries of practice running away from lovesick gods. But I guess, it was a little humiliating to be slower than a tree. And wrestling? Forget it. Every time he got on the mat, Clarisse would pulverize him. Luckily I took some martial arts class back then and stood some chance against her. "There's more where that came from, punk," she'd mumble. The only thing he really excelled at was canoeing, and that wasn't the kind of heroic skill people expected to see from the kid who had beaten the Minotaur I guess. But hey, He's better at canoeing than me. I don't even know how I drowned all the time. Percy had to save me a couple of times. I knew the senior campers and counselors were watching us, trying to decide who our Olympian parent was, but they weren't having an easy time of it. I was as strong as the Ares kids, or as good at archery as the Apollo kids. I have Hephaestus's skill with metalwork, luckily I didn't have Dionysus's way with vine plants. Luke told me Percy might be a child of Hermes, a kind of jack-of-all-trades, master of none. But I got the feeling he was just trying to make him feel better. He really didn't know what to make of me either. Despite all that, I liked camp. I got used to the morning fog over the beach, the smell of hot strawberry fields in the afternoon, even the weird noises of monsters in the woods at night. I would eat dinner with cabin eleven, scrape part of my meal into the fire, and try to feel some connection to my real parent. Nothing came. I tried not to think too much about my mom and dad, but I kept wondering: if gods and monsters were real, if all this magical stuff was possible, surely there was some way to save them, to bring them back.... Even D/N would do...

I started to understand Luke's bitterness and how he seemed to resent his father, Hermes. So okay, maybe gods had important things to do. But couldn't they call once in a while, or thunder, or something? Dionysus could make Diet Coke appear out of thin air. Why couldn't my parent, whoever they were, make a phone appear? Thursday afternoon, three days after we'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood, I had my first sword-fighting lesson. Everybody from cabin eleven gathered in the big circular arena, where Luke would be our instructor. We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw-stuffed dummies in Greek armor. I did okay. At least, I understood what I was supposed to do and my reflexes were good. The problem was, I couldn't find a blade that felt right in my hands. Either they were too heavy, or too light, or too long. Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he agreed that none of the practice blades seemed to work for me. We moved on to dueling in pairs. Luke announced he would be Percy's partner, since this was his first time. And then my turn after his, so I had to train with another kid from the cabin. "Good luck," one of the campers told us. "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years." "Maybe he'll go easy on me," Percy said. The camper snorted. By the time he called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everybody swarmed the drinks cooler. Luke poured ice water on his head, which looked like such a good idea. I turned to talk to Percy and he had done the same. "Okay, everybody circle up!" Luke ordered. "If Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you a little demo." I wanted to try going against Luke as well. I wasn't confident with my skills. The Hermes guys gathered around. They were suppressing smiles. I figured they'd been in his shoes before and couldn't wait to see how Luke used Percy for a punching bag. He told everybody he was going to demonstrate a disarming technique: how to twist the enemy's blade with the flat of your own sword so that he had no choice but to drop his weapon. "This is difficult," he stressed. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique." He demonstrated the move on me in slow motion. Sure enough, the sword clattered out of his hand. "Now in real time," he said, after Percy had retrieved his weapon. "We keep sparring until one of us pulls it off. Ready, Percy?" He nodded, and Luke came after him. After a while of clashing, Percy tried the disarming maneuver. His blade hit the base of Luke's and he twisted. Clang. Luke's sword rattled against the stones. The tip of Percy's blade was an inch from his undefended chest. The other campers were silent. He lowered his sword. "Um, sorry." For a moment, Luke was too stunned to speak. I had a huge grin on my face. I had no idea why, but I was proud. I was so close on giving him an encore and all that. "Sorry?" Luke's scarred face broke into a grin. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!" I didn't want to. The short burst of manic energy had completely abandoned me. But Luke insisted. This time, there was no contest. The moment our swords connected, Luke hit my hilt and sent my weapon skidding across the floor. After a long pause, somebody in the audience said, "Beginner's luck?" Luke wiped the sweat off his brow. He appraised at me with an entirely new interest. "Maybe," he said. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword... ." My time with Luke wasn't as amazing as Percy's was but I wasn't that bad. Friday afternoon, I was sitting with Grover and Percy at the lake, resting from a near-death experience on the climbing wall. Grover had scampered to the top like a mountain goat, but the lava had almost gotten me. Percy and I's shirts had smoking holes in it. The hairs had been singed off our forearms. We sat on the pier, watching the naiads do underwater basket-weaving, I was resting my back on Percy's since I felt like any moment they'd drown me. Percy then ask Grover how his conversation had gone with Mr. D. His face turned a sickly shade of yellow. "Fine," he said. "Just great." "So your career's still on track?" He glanced at me nervously. "Chiron t-told you I want a searcher's license?" "Well... no." I had no idea what a searcher's license was, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask. "He just said you had big plans, you know... and that you needed credit for completing a keeper's assignment. So did you get it?" Percy said. Grover looked down at the naiads. "Mr. D suspended judgment. He said I hadn't failed or succeeded with you yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he'd consider the job complete." "Well, that's not so bad, right?" "Blaa-ha-ha! He might as well have transferred me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of you getting a quest... and even if you did, why would you want me along?" "Of course I'd want you along!" Grover stared glumly into the water. "Basket-weaving... Must be nice to have a useful skill." I tried to reassure him that he had lots of talents, but that just made him look more miserable. Percy and him talked about canoeing and swordplay for a while, then debated the pros and cons of the different gods. Finally, I asked him about the four empty cabins. "Number eight, the silver one, belongs to Artemis," he said. "She vowed to be a maiden forever. So of course, no kids. The cabin is, you know, honorary. If she didn't have one, she'd be mad." "Yeah, okay. But the other three, the ones at the end. Are those the Big Three?" Grover tensed. We were getting close to a touchy subject. "No. One of them, number two, is Hera's," he said. "That's another honorary thing. She's the goddess of marriage, so of course she wouldn't go around having affairs with mortals. That's her husband's job. When we say the Big Three, we mean the three powerful brothers, the sons of Kronos." "Zeus, Poseidon, Hades." "Right. You know. After the great battle with the Titans, they took over the world from their dad and drew lots to decide who got what." "Zeus got the sky," I remembered. "Poseidon the sea, Hades the Underworld." "Uh-huh." "But Hades doesn't have a cabin here." "No. He doesn't have a throne on Olympus, either. He sort of does his own thing down in the Underworld. If he did have a cabin here..." Grover shuddered. "Well, it wouldn't be pleasant. Let's leave it at that." "Why though? What would children of Hades do then? How would they fend themselves?" "I-I don't know... Its not my idea not adding Hades!" He shrieked as if he was at fault and felt guilty. "But Zeus and Poseidon—they both had, like, a bazillion kids in the myths. Why are their cabins empty?" Percy changed the subject. Grover shifted his hooves uncomfortably. "About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big Three agreed they wouldn't sire any more heroes. Their children were just too powerful. They were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. World War II, you know, that was basically a fight between the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, and the sons of Hades on the other. The winning side, Zeus and Poseidon, made Hades swear an oath with them: no more affairs with mortal women. They all swore on the River Styx." Thunder boomed.. . . . . .. I said, "That's the most serious oath you can make." Grover nodded. "And the brothers kept their word—no kids?" Grover's face darkened. "Seventeen years ago, Zeus fell off the wagon. There was this TV starlet with a big fluffy eighties hairdo—he just couldn't help himself. When their child was born, a little girl named Thalia... well, the River Styx is serious about promises. Zeus himself got off easy because he's immortal, but he brought a terrible fate on his daughter." "But that isn't fair.' It wasn't the little girl's fault." Grover hesitated. "Percy, children of the Big Three have powers greater than other half-bloods. They have a strong aura, a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the girl, he wasn't too happy about Zeus breaking his oath. Hades let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment Thalia. A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there was nothing he could do. He tried to escort her here with a couple of other half-bloods she'd befriended. They almost made it. They got all the way to the top of that hill." He pointed across the valley, to the pine tree where we'd fought the minotaur. "All three Kindly Ones were after them, along with a horde of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when Thalia told her satyr to take the other two half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters. She was wounded and tired, and she didn't want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr didn't want to leave her, but he couldn't change her mind, and he had to protect the others. So Thalia made her final stand alone, at the top of that hill. As she died, Zeus took pity on her. He turned her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps protect the borders of the valley. That's why the hill is called Half-Blood Hill." I stared at the pine in the distance. The story made me feel hollow, and guilty too. A girl my age had sacrificed herself to save her friends. She had faced a whole army of monsters. "Grover," Percy said, "have heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?" "Sometimes," he said. "Orpheus. Hercules. Houdini." "And have they ever returned somebody from the dead?" "No. Never. Orpheus came close... . Percy, you're not seriously thinking—" "No," Percy said. "I was just wondering. So... a satyr is always assigned to guard a demigod?" I looked over to him warily. "Not always. We go undercover to a lot of schools. We try to sniff out the half-bloods who have the makings of great heroes. If we find one with a very strong aura, like a child of the Big Three, we alert Chiron. He tries to keep an eye on them, since they could cause really huge problems." "And you found me. Chiron said you thought I might be something special." Grover looked as if I'd just led him into a trap. "I didn't... Oh, listen, don't think like that. If you were—you know—you'd never ever be allowed a quest, and I'd never get my license. You're probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. Don't worry, okay?" I got the idea he was reassuring himself more than us. "What about me?" They looked at me. "Chiron said you didn't know I was a half-blood..." "We didn't. When you didn't forget who... Mrs Dodds was. We thought you just saw through the mist. Then when I saw you with Percy that night... and your parents aware of me and the camp. I assumed you were... a half-blood." "How about now? What do I smell like?" He looked at me gingerly then at Percy, "Nothing. You smell too human. Even for a very minor god. That's why there are plenty of satyrs then are confused as to why there's a human here. That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual. At last, it was time for capture the flag. When the plates were cleared away, the horn sounded and we all stood at our tables. Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree. From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head. I turned to Luke and yelled over the noise, "Those are the flags?" "Yeah." "Ares and Athena always lead the teams?" "Not always," he said. "But often." "So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do— repaint the flag?" He grinned. "You'll see. First we have to get one." "Whose side are we on?" He gave me a sly look, as if he knew something I didn't. "We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And Percy's going to help." The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins. Apparently, privileges had been traded—shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities—in order to win support. Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. From what I'd seen, Dionysus's kids were actually good athletes, but there were only two of them. Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff but they weren't very aggressive. Aphrodite's sons and daughters I wasn't too worried about. They mostly sat out every activity and checked their reflections in the lake and did their hair and gossiped. Hephaestus's kids weren't pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly from working in the metal shop all day. They might be a problem. That, of course, left Ares's cabin: a dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island, or anywhere else on the planet. Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble. "Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!" He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, oxide shields coated in metal. "Whoa," I said. "We're really supposed to use these?" Luke looked at me and laughed. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in cabin five. Here—Chiron thought these would fit. Do you want to be border patrol with Percy or come with me?" I smiled at him, "Tempting offer but I think I'll stay with Percy." "Your lost." He smirked then ruffled my hair. I went over to Percy who was holding a shield was the size of an NBA backboard, with a big caduceus in the middle. Our helmet, like all the helmets on Athena's side, had a blue horsehair plume on top. Ares and their allies had red plumes. "Looking at real good." I laughed. He frowned at me. "Like you look that different." "I am sporting this helmet just fine excuse you." I said picking up a dagger from the table. Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!" We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off toward the north. Percy and I managed to catch up with Annabeth without him tripping over my equipment. "Hey." She kept marching. "So what's the plan?" Percy asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me?" Her hand drifted toward her pocket, as if she were afraid I'd stolen something. "Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?" "Border patrol, whatever that means." "It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan." She pushed ahead, leaving me in the dust. "Okay," he mumbled. "Glad you wanted me on your team." "I don't want to be near the creek." I said anxiously. "Maybe I should just go with Luke..." Percy then took my hand. "Since when have I ever let you drown? Don't worry. I'll be there for you." He smiled. With a pout and a worried look I stuck out my pinky said, "Promise me." "I swear I will never let you drown. I will save you with all I can." He swore connecting our pinkies. "Everyone knows pinky promises are better than Styx." We laughed and made our way to our station not letting go of each other's hands. It was a warm, sticky night. The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view. Annabeth stationed us next to a little creek that gurgled over some rocks, then she and the rest of the team scattered into the trees. The bronze sword, like all the swords I'd tried so far, seemed balanced wrong. The leather grip pulled on my hand like a bowling ball. There was no way anybody would actually attack me, would they? I mean, Olympus had to have liability issues, right? Far away, the horn blew. I heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal, kids fighting. A blue-plumed ally from Apollo raced past me like a deer, leaped through the creek, and disappeared into enemy territory. I lied down on the ground. "This is so boring." "Stand up, who knows when an enemy will show up." He scolded pulling me up. "I don't know... I think I'd rather shrivel and die." I shrugged. "Plus I know I got a knight in shining helmet to save me." "I mean yeah of course you do." "Luke's like few meters away after all." I smirked. He turned to me with a frown and a 'not funny' face. Which made me laugh. Then I heard a sound that sent a chill up my spine, a low canine growl, somewhere close by. I stood up and Percy pulled me behind him as he raised his shield instinctively; I had the feeling something was stalking me. Then the growling stopped. I felt the presence retreating. On the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and screaming out of the dark. "Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed. Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. She brandished a five-foot-long spear, its barbed metal tip flickering with red light. Her siblings had only the standard-issue bronze swords—not that that made me feel any better. They charged across the stream. There was no help in sight. I could run and leave Percy. Or I could defend myself against half the Ares cabin with no more than 9 inch dagger and Percy Jackson. I managed to sidestep the first kid's swing, but these guys were not as stupid the Minotaur. They surrounded me and Percy, while Clarisse thrust at us with her spear. Percy's shield deflected the point. My hair stood on end. "Electricity. Her stupid spear was electric." Percy groaned and I pulled him back. Another Ares guy slammed me in the chest with the butt of his sword and I hit the dirt. They could've kicked me into jelly, but they were too busy laughing. "Y/N!!" Percy yelled but he had a sword pointed at his throat. "Give her a haircut," Clarisse said. "Grab her hair." I managed to get to my feet. I raised my dagger, but Clarisse slammed it aside with her spear as sparks flew. Now my arm numb. "Oh, wow," Clarisse said. "I'm scared of this guy. Really scared." "The flag is that way, let her go!" Percy told her. "Yeah," one of her siblings said. "But see, we don't care about the flag. We care about a guys who made our cabin look stupid." "You do that without my help," I told them. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say. Someone took a hold of Percy so the sword was no longer pointed at him. Two of them came at me. I backed up toward the creek, tried to raise arm, but Clarisse was too fast. Her spear stuck me straight in the ribs. If I hadn't been wearing an armored breastplate, I would've been shish-ke-babbed. As it was, the electric point just about shocked my teeth out of my mouth. One of her cabinmates slashed his sword across my arm, leaving a good-size cut. Seeing my own blood made me dizzy—warm and cold at the same time. "No maiming," I managed to say. "Oops," the guy said. "Guess I lost my dessert privilege." "Y/N!! I will kill you all!!" He was thrashing around. "Let her go! She can't swim!!" "It's fun seeing your girlfriend suffer ain't it?" Clarisse laughed. The guy finally pushed me into the creek and I landed with a splash. They all laughed. I figured as soon as they were through being amused, I would die. I was sinking. I couldn't breathe. The water was pulling me for what felt like 10 meters deep. Blood were coming out at every wound I had. I was loosing consciousness. Help me. Please... -With Percy- Clarisse and her cabinmates came into the creek to get you, but you weren't there. "Hey, she's missing?" One of the cabinmate said. "What? It's like 3 meters deep. She's just there." Clarisse scoffed. "I's telling you she's can't swim! Water pulls her down! I will kill you if she doesn't survive!" Percy managed to get power from somewhere and got out of the hold. He knew what to do. I swung the flat of my sword against the first guy's head and knocked his helmet clean off. I hit him so hard I could see his eyes vibrating as he crumpled into the water. Then he jumped down. Hoping to see you somewhere. Muttering your name over and over in hopes to catch you. Save us He heard from his right. When he turned he finally saw you at the bottom. He swam with all could and got a hold of you. To haul you up. Finally surfacing, Percy panted and laid you of the ground. Pumping your chest. When the water finally came out of your mouth. Percy turned to glare at the people. Ugly Number Two and Ugly Number Three came at me. He slammed one in the face with his shield and used his sword to shear off the other guy's horsehair plume. Both of them backed up quick. Ugly Number Four didn't look really anxious to attack, but Clarisse kept coming, the point of her spear crackling with energy. As soon as she thrust, he caught the shaft between the edge of my shield and my sword, and I snapped it like a twig. "Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!" She probably would've said worse, but Percy smacked her between the eyes with his sword-butt and sent her stumbling backward out of the creek. -Back to you- Coughing myself awake. Water came out of my mouth. "Percy..." I called. He turned so fast that I was surprised his neck didn't snap. "Y/N!" He ran to me and pulled me in a hug. I couldn't move, I felt tired and weak. "I want to sleep." I could feel my wounds stinging. Cold air hitting it. I felt sore despite barely moving. Then I heard yelling, elated screams, we both turned and I saw Luke racing toward the boundary line with the red team's banner lifted high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat, and a few Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids. The Ares folks got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse. "A trick!" she shouted. "It was a trick." They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran across into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven. Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the horn. The game was over. We'd won. Percy carried me still with an angry expression and tense body. I wanted to reassure him but I knew it wouldn't work. Luke looked over and saw us. I could see his sudden shift of emotion. He wanted to approach but he was surrounded by every cabin. We then heard Annabeth's voice, right next to us in the creek, said, "Not bad, hero." I wanted to turn to see her but I couldn't. I could barely keep my eyes open. "Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" she asked. The air shimmered, and she materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she'd just taken it off her head. She was now in front of us. I felt Percy tense up once more. "You set us up, You put us here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out." Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan." "Because of you, Y/N is like this." The venom in his voice were obvious. "I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but..." She shrugged. "You didn't need help." "I didn't. But Y/N did! And what did you do?! She could've died!" Percy was shaking. I could feel it. "Calm..." I managed to whimper. "What's that?" Annabeth pointed at Percy's neck. "A sword cut, obviously." "No. It was a sword cut. Look at it." The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even that was fading. As I watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared. "I—I don't get it," Percy said. Annabeth was thinking hard. I could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at our feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy." "What—" "Just do it." He came out of the creek and immediately I could feel myself better. Percy almost fell over, but I managed to hold him. "I got you." I panted. "Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want... I assumed it would be Zeus... ." Before I could ask what she meant, I heard that canine growl again, but much closer than before. A howl ripped through the forest. The campers' cheering died instantly. Chiron shouted something in Ancient Greek, which I would realize, only later, I had understood perfectly: "Stand ready! My bow!" Annabeth drew her sword. I drew my dagger and pushed Percy behind me. There on the rocks just above us was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers. It was looking straight at me. Nobody moved except Annabeth, who yelled, "Percy, Y/N, run!" She tried to step in front of me, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over her—an enormous shadow with teeth—and just as it hit me, I was pushed aside as Percy stumbled backward and its razor-sharp claws ripping through his armor, there was a cascade of thwacking sounds, like forty pieces of paper being ripped one after the other. "Stop that!!" I screamed and somehow managed to grab her. She turned to me sharply and stared me down. As if she was waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump me. It approached me and settled down at my feet, sitting down as if she was an obedient dog. She watched as I catch my breath. From the hounds neck sprouted a cluster of arrows. The monster fell dead at my feet. By some miracle, I was still alive, and wasn't even hurt. I instantly turned to look uat Percy. His chest wet, and I knew it was badly cut. Another second, and the monster would've turned him into a hundred pounds of delicatessen meat. Chiron trotted up next to us, a bow in his hand, his face grim. "Di immortales!" Annabeth said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't... they're not supposed to... How did..." "Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp." Luke came over, the banner in his hand forgotten, his moment of glory gone. Clarisse yelled, "It's all Y/N's fault! Y/N summoned it!" "Be quiet, child," Chiron told her. We watched the body of the hellhound melt into shadow, soaking into the ground until it disappeared. "You're wounded," Annabeth told Percy. "Quick, Percy, get in the water." "I'm okay." "No, you're not, Y/N get him to the water," she said. "Chiron, watch this." "No... She doesn't do well in water..." Percy choked. I carefully swung his arm around my shoulders and without thinking twice, I stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around us. Instantly, I felt weak. I could feel the pulling me down. Some of the campers gasped. Percy who could barely stand few minutes ago got a hold of me. I could feel my consciousness loosing once again. "Look, I—I don't know why," Percy said, trying to apologize. "I'm sorry... But I need to get out of here. Y/N---" But they weren't watching Percy's wounds heal. They were staring at something above our head. "Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um..." By the time I looked up, the sign was already fading, but I could still make out the hologram of green light, spinning and gleaming. A three-tipped spear: a trident. "Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is really not good." "It is determined," Chiron announced. All around us, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they didn't look happy about it. "My father?" Percy asked, completely bewildered. "Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earth shaker, Storm bringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God." Percy looked down at me. I wasn't sure what but I had the feeling it was somewhere along the lines, 'I am the reason you drown every time you step on water.' "You're claimed..." I managed to squeak. Percy stepped out of the water. "Congratulations." I smiled weakly.

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UwU Here's another chapter I am sorry for some holes in the story -kookie-doughs

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beskarberry · 3 years ago

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#pedro pascal - 24 posts

#self rb - 23 posts

#the mandalorian x you - 21 posts

#my art - 20 posts

#the mandalorian x reader - 20 posts

#flowers for ishtar - 19 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#like my brain wants to go facehugger/the alien from dreamweaver and thats too scary i need to get it closer to the shape of water

My Top Posts in 2021

All That Glitters

(Pero Tovar x Nymph!F!Reader) [+18]

“Is my fair maiden shy now? I showed you mine, now you must show me yours.”

Next?->

302 notes • Posted 2021-07-01 02:52:00 GMT

Look... at... him!!

This STUNNING piece of work comes from the amazing @thepoisonofgod and I am SHOOKETH at the details of him!! What a scoundrel! He is totally up to no good!! That devilish smirk! That FUCKING HAND!! And is that his target tattoo I spy?? I can't even with those textures, from the leather on his hat and jacket to his shiny pants lol, and even my husband had to comment on how cute his eye crinkles are (which I wholeheartedly agree!!) Fuck I'm lost in the sauce on him just fuckin LOOK!

Like his face is the prettiest thing I've literally ever seen but omg these little details!! That necklace! That jacket (I want to both be inside that jacket and to be wearing it I am so envious) but holy shit that compass??? Are you kidding me?!

In conclusion, I have been murdered to death and it's all Poisons fault. If you're interested in what this devious devil is up to, check out the fic he's based out of, Solisequious

403 notes • Posted 2021-10-20 03:08:04 GMT

Blue Orchid

Flowers for Ishtar, Chapter 1

(Nonhuman!Mando x f!Reader) [+18!]

You’d had to bite down on the corner of your blanket when you thought of him pinning you to the wall or bending you over the dashboard, stuffing you full of his length while he groaned his praises in your ears until you were soaked.

This was not at all what you had imagined.

Next->

424 notes • Posted 2021-05-29 03:11:42 GMT

This is my writing masterlist, if you're looking for my fic art, you can find it here: ★ Art Masterlist ★

Join my TAGLIST for updates!

Unbridled

Centaur!Pero Tovar x f!reader

“May I please you, hermosa?” he panted against your neck, nibbling his way up to your ear and growling when you nodded. “Gracias, princesa. I will keep my word, no human man will ever satisfy you as well as I am about to.”

487 notes • Posted 2021-10-27 01:38:04 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #unbridled was my top?!#wow!!

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stranger-who-writes-fiction · 3 years ago

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Here we go--preview pages for issue 8 of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

(MAJOR spoilers in these first couple of pages, proceed at your own risk!!)

HOO BOY HERE WE GO.

I ran out of ways to say, ‘THIS IS STUNNING’ re: Evely and Lopes artwork months ago, but you know. THIS IS STUNNING.

I love the way the blues and the yellows play off of each other, the purples, reds, and greens...

A while back there was a comment made by an art dealer in the comic art collecting business--he said he felt that the raw black and white artwork is always superior to the final colored pages.

And, listen. Evely’s inks are exquisite, there is no denying that each page of this book could be framed and hung on a wall as a fine art piece.

But goshdang, Lopes colors knock me out every time. Like, I now check out titles solely because Lopes is on colors. They are just amazing.

Also, I guess we should address the centaur horse man elephant in the room: Comet was a dude this whole time!

And he’s DEAD, MAYBE?!??!?!

I mean. It looks bad.

But also, Kara and Krypto took a couple of arrows to the chest in issue one and both (I HOPE) of them are still around, so.

‘But it’s a Kryptonite bullet!’ you cry. To which I say: Comet isn’t Kryptonian! At least, not traditionally. So it’s basically just a regular bullet to him. The Kryptonite shouldn’t have any additional fatal effects.

Regardless: Props to Evely for making Comet look darn handsome, right before the narrative brutally maybe-murders him. XD

But no, for real, I’m sad to see horse man maybe-die.

(Which would be in line with True Grit’s ending as pointed out by someone else in a reply on this very blog!)

(While we’re in some parentheticals, I can practically hear the five folks on twitter who doggedly hate this book and King’s Supergirl in general getting mad at Kara in that rage-panel there but you know what? 1.) It looks AWESOME, bathed in that cool blue color which is a SUBVESION of the usual ‘Kryptonian Hulks mode’ of predominantly red hues and 2.) Kara is allowed to feel strong feelings, given that her Super Horse has been brutally slain by genocidal space pirates right in front of her.)

(Okay, enough of hypothetical fan-wank. XD)

I AM SO EXCITED TO READ THIS. AND ALSO SO SAD TO SEE IT END.

Kara will show up elsewhere, though: She’s in a few panels in the Dark Crisis preview art (though they are pushing the Future State kids hard in this, so. I expect Jon will get more focus, ultimately.) Still! I must admit to having emotions over the Sampere art of Kara and Lois standing together at the Justice League memorial.

As for a more substantive appearance: Supergirl and Robin team up in World’s Finest! DRAWN BY DAN MORA, HECK YEAH.

Mora’s only ever drawn ‘Infected’ Kara for a cover, I believe. So I’m excited to see him draw ‘normal’ Kara.

Aside from that, no other news at the moment. Solicits aren’t out yet, though, so there could be more? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Until then: Pourin’ one out for Pony Boy. u_u

#dc comics #gif #supergirl: woman of tomorrow #supergirl: woman of tomorrow spoilers #dc comics spoilers #long post #seriously BIG OL' SPOILERS #beware!!!

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charlythelee · 4 years ago

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The peculiar case of Tadashi Yamaguchi

Fandom: Haikyuu (My contribution for the @hqurbanfantasybang) Type: Chaptered (3/3 - 40.1k words total) // Urban Fantasy AU ; University AU Focus: Unknown Species!Yamaguchi (Yamaguchi/Kuro/Bokuto friendship/support/mentorship) Ships: TsukiYama, BokuAka, KuroKen, IwaOi & DaiSuga; implied LevYaku, UshiTen, KageHina & MatsuHana Rating: Mature (descriptions of blood and injuries & explicit language)

Summary: Tadashi Yamaguchi has problems. As in: A lot. People can't stop reminding him that he smells tasty and they'd like to eat him. His best friend and he are indirectly responsible for burning down their previous university. He can't figure out how to stop turning orange whenever he's nervous, keeps hitting his antlers on the lintel and the lion's tail growing out his back seems to have developed a mind of its own. Oh, and of course there is that cute but grouchy med student vampire living across the hall who he is crushing on hard but doesn't have the courage to ask out! On top of everything he now has to transfer to a new uni and try to survive campus chaos. Luckily, a pixie with chronic bed-hair and a shapeshifter who transforms into a duck rather than an owl whenever he's upset, decide to take him on and teach Tadashi some confidence. Inbetween mysterious mentors, headless centaurs, annoyed dragons, hungry werewolves, kickboxing archangels, literal gods and sassy half-ghosts he isn't quite sure if they are actually helping his increasing anxiety attacks, but hey... it's the effort that counts, isn't it?

Partner: DazzleTwig (on Twitter & Instagram) -> Art made by them (please support their amazing works!)

Read on Ao3 -> The peculiar case of Tadashi Yamaguchi

Preview:

“So, tomorrow is the big day, isn’t it?” Yachi asks and Tadashi takes a sip of tea.

There is nothing better than a witch’s homemade tea, even if the blonde’s speciality is time-based magic and not herbology.

“Yeah,” he nods and shudders.

“You got this!” she reassures him, but her own hands clench nervously around her cup as she goes on, “I mean Central is a big uni with lots of people - you can blend into the herd and nobody will notice you, that’s good, isn’t it? It has to be good!”

“I hope you are right,” Tadashi sighs. “I still wish I could have joined your uni” - ‘If only it wasn’t a damn expensive, super fancy, private one!’

The two of them met about a year ago, in the bathroom of another uni out of town. Both of them had been invited to an application interview and both of them had been so nervous they needed to throw up. Eventually, they bonded over rinsing their mouths at the uni-sex sinks. When Tadashi was in need of a place to live, Yachi volunteered to vouch for him with her landlord who owned several flats in this building, the one he is living in now included and since it’s one of the smallest it’s surprisingly affordable.

It’s not like his family is poor, they get by quite well, but Tadashi doesn’t want to be a financial burden on his mothers any more than he already is, since his tendency to attract trouble in combination with his non-existent self-confidence has gotten him either denied or fired from every job he’s had so far.

“Me too - then I wouldn’t be so alone in my design classes anymore,” she frowns into her cup. “But doesn’t Tsukishima-San goes to Central as well? Maybe you could stick to him and - oh”

From the look on his face, she must have deducted that plan already went down the drain - rather spectacularly if he might say so. Yachi is well aware of Tadashi’s crush on the blond vampire. He appreciates her attempts to help and her encouragements every time he gets flat out ignored in his attempts to organise something that could count as a date if you just squint hard enough!

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creepypso · 4 years ago

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Hi! I'm relatively new to your blog and I have to say, Your ideas AND art are so amazing!!! I love your music videos a lot and am super hyped for the new one!! If you don't mind me asking, how would demons and/or angels react to a strong, magical, humanoid being from a different world that would have wings and would be a fusion of horse and a human? (Not the centaur way)) Sorry. I was a bit too curious.

Aww thank you! And happy to hear you like what I'm doing! <33

I was half asleep when I read your question the first time and I was 100% sure I dreamed it but nope.. it's a real ask.

I have to be honest, I don't know.. But since there are normal monsters and also humans still existing in this universe, living in the mortal realm, I think they wouldn't really pay a lot of attention to them and act like they would with every other not demon/angel/demal being (hiding, disguising, not really interacting with, etc.)

#ask #wings of war

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af-answers · 6 years ago

Note

Hello mod! Just wanted to say that I love your work a lot and your posts make me really happy! 💛 On another note: Does Mulch have vitiligo? If so, great detail and amazing character design!

Mod: Thank you @artechine, @happy-humpback-whale and @spookysculderfiles! My art for this blog comes from a passion for the books that is fueled in part by the creativity of the fandom, a fandom I’m happy to be a part of!

And yes, Mulch has vitiligo, though I’m not sure what the fairy equivalent is. When designing these characters, I wanted to bring in not just a variety of skin colors but also patterns and textures. This doesn’t come up in the art very much, but I headcanon that centaurs have a “mane” that runs down their humanoid back, and pixies’ skin is fuzzy, like a peach.

As for your question, @rktho-writes, this blog is drawn and moderated by @iesnoth. My goal with this blog has always been to–

Foaly: Make us all look ridiculous?

Mulch: Speak for yourself, pony boy, I look fabulous.

Holly: Yeah, you’re just upset because she got you spot on.

Foaly: My gut is NOT as pronounced anymore! And she forgets my tinfoil hats all the time, I work hard on those. The mane thing is totally wrong, by the way.

Artemis: She isn’t very consistent with the details of our designs. Sometimes I have a completely different face shape, and she never gets the switched fingers.

Juliet: You don’t have switched fingers anymore.

Artemis: I can with great confidence say that she doesn’t remember this every time she draws. So it’s essentially a mistake. And I believe one of our patrons pointed out the inconsistency of my musculature.

Juliet: You’re lucky whenever she doesn’t draw you with the build of an eight year old child with the flu.

Butler: Why do these posts always come down to making fun of Artemis?

Artemis: I don’t know, ASK THE MODERATOR.

#mod #artemis fowl #holly short #mulch diggums #foaly #juliet butler #domovoi butler #bffs #butler siblings

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jasiper · 6 years ago

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my experience at tlt musical

hi friends! as you guys may know, last night i had the chance to go to the lightning thief musical and it was so much fun! since i need to babble about how amazing it was and all my favorite parts, i decided tumblr is the way to go :’) under the cut because i have no clue how long it’ll be, but as it’s 1:30am and i am pretty tired, i’ll try to make sure this actually makes sense

mrs. dodds saying “kronos” every two seconds when chiron was trying to tell the story of the gods was so funny

PERCY PULLING OUT RIPTIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS HONESTLY GOD TIER. CHRIS’S REACTION IS 100% HOW I ENVISION PERCY REACTING

percy talking about the field trip and casually slipping in the fact he got expelled between talking about art... then sally saying “i know. the headmaster called.” followed by percy’s “...about the art?” SO CUTE

percy spraying febreze when gabe enters was the funniest thing in the entire world, i actually cackled

SALLY STANDING UP FOR PERCY TO GABE BY SAYING HE ISN’T GABE’S KID! POP OFF SALLY

chris shoved his face full of marshmallows during strong and was still singing with a marshmallow wedged in his cheek. he is so cute

strong also made me emo as hell, just saying!

grover shows up stuck in a garbage can which was so funny

percy waking up from his dream immediately to be told by annabeth “you drool in your sleep”. those kids own me

everything about mr. d was so great. jorrel honestly killed it!

“i need a drink” me too mr. d, me too

WHEN RYAN GALLOPPED WITH JUST A TAIL I LOST IT. I KNEW IT HAPPENED. I STILL COULD NOT STOP FROM LAUGHING. IT WAS SO FUNNY.

“you’re my dream girl!” “are you sure he doesn’t have a concussion?” GOD CHRIS AND KRISTIN HONESTLY JUST KILLED THE PERCABETH DYNAMIC. YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA. I CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS HOW AMAZING THEY PORTRAYED THEIR RESPECTIVE CHARACTERS. SO WHOLESOME.

PERCY MAKING LIGHT SABER NOISES WHEN HE MOVES RIPTIDE AND ANNABETH TELLING HIM IT’S NOT A LIGHT SABER GOT ME

okay but chris was so amazing when percy found out sally was gone. his voice kept breaking and it was so emotional. my angsty son.

PERCY AND GROVER’S HUG WHEN THEY SEE EACH OTHER AFTER PERCY WAKES UP! SO CUTE! SO PURE!

the capture the flag scene... so good. the whole song, everything. sarah beth kills it at clarisse.

i’m probably so biased because i love the song, but the campfire song was so good. grover popping up and yelling “my turn! my turn! IT’S MY TURN!” then he cried and annabeth, silena, and katie all tried to comfort him, but the second the chorus came back he was dancing again! so cute!

the dancing in the campfire song just gets me too!

percy finding out his dad is poseidon and getting all excited until everyone else moves away from him :((

mr. d said and i quote “the master bolt! it’s not a jagged tin foil thing you find in a traveling musical!” which was so funny, i love when actors break the fourth wall

the oracle was such a cool scene! i love how they did it!

okay good kid is when i cried a decent bit. chris portrays so much emotion in this song. i was so moved but his singing, his facial expressions, everything. i knew it was going to emotional but i didn’t truly grasp the magnitude until i was there! (also because mari asked, percy did not say fuck. #LetPercySayFuck2019)

killer quest was such a fun song! the original trio getting excited about leaving! so cute!

okay during intermission we got the announcement that kristin was being replaced with sarah beth because kristin blew her voice out during act 1, but she finished the act before pulling out which i think is so cool! i was pretty disappointed but kristin obviously knows her limits and her health comes before anything else.

lost! was so good. i love that song so much and it was the first time sarah beth sang as annabeth and it was good!

grover messing around with uncle ferdinand’s statue (rip)

sarah beth did amazing in my grand plan. her vocals are killer!

drive was also a super fun song, james finally came out as ares and it was awesome!

tree on the hill was another song that made me teary. jorrel was amazing and poured everything into the song. so good.

DOA man! holy crap! jalynn is crazy talented! her vocals! such a good song!

the trio almost getting pulled into tartarus: “i think that’s tartarus.” “like the fish sauce?” “NO. tartar-us.”

HADES. SO GOOD. SO FUNNY. “poseidon’s too busy to come visit his brother” as he cries was GOD TIER. i did not expect hades to be that funny but hey! it was hilarious!

the son of poseidon was also amazing, i love that song so much. “it’s a seashell!”

poseidon acting like a stereotypical surfer dude... so funny. “i wish you weren’t born.” “wow, really?”

poseidon flirting with sally, percy getting very uncomfortable and saying “yeah..... that’s my dad”

i could write an entire essay on the last day of summer. an entire essay. luke’s reprise always gets me, but seeing james perform it live. chills. actual chills. james is so crazy talented everyone, hype him tf up.

OKAY. THE PERCABETH SCENE. i wasn’t sure how it was going to be (i was so looking forward to kristin and chris) but sarah beth and chris killed it! THEIR NOSES BRUSHED, PEOPLE. I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO KISS. 100%. ANNABETH CUPPED PERCY’S CHEEKS IN HER HANDS AND THEIR. NOSES. BRUSHED.

THEIR. NOSES. BRUSHED.

“seaweed brain...” “wise... girl?” wow i was in tears

bring on the monsters had me in tears again! it was such a great end to the musical, friends. words cannot even describe how fitting the end was.

and then, of course i stage doored.

i told james he was the perfect luke and he told me that compliment makes him so happy :’) such a sweet dude

wow this is blurry BUT sarah beth told me that she loves signing books! i was the only one back there who had the book instead of the program so i felt really stoked to be the only one to bring my copy of the lightning thief

ryan was wearing a medusa shirt and i complimented it and he was so excited i noticed. he also told me he has a centaur shirt lmaooo

and finally jorrel. he is so sweet! my hands were shaking when he got to me and i apologized and he was like “oh my god no! you’re fine! you’re fine!” he is the actual sweetest. i then asked him who runs the twitter account and he said they won’t tell him. i told him how they roasted me on my birthday so i thought it was him so he was like “they roast me all the time! i wouldn’t do that to myself!” and i pointed out he was in the show so he deserved it instead of me but he was like “they do it all the time though!” jorrel stayed out the longest with us and kept hugging everyone and ugh! i love him!

now my book is all signed up and i absolutely love it :’)

so, to sum up a very long post, if you have the opportunity to see the musical, please do. the musicians and cast pour their entire heart into it and it was so evident through this performance. it made me so happy. words cannot describe how i felt while watching it and how i feel now! my heart is actually soaring. i cannot articulate how amazing it was to be immersed in the show and to be surrounded by other fans. this was what we deserved from the movies! just... if you have the means/resources to watch it, do it. no hesitation. i highly recommend going to see it, friends.

#god this is so long #i just had such a great time #it's just as good as everyone says #watch it! support it! do it all!#now i am never taking off my tour shirt #also if you read this.. thank you #you're great #the lightning thief musical #pjo musical #pjo #my face #megan's babbles

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she-who-fights-and-writes · 6 years ago

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She-who-fights-and-writes Top 5 Book Recs 2019!!

Here are my top five books/book series that I think EVERYONE should read or at least try to read in their lifetime!! No matter their standing on this list, I love every single one of these books with my whole heart!!!!!

5. Pet Sematary by Stephen King (Genre: Horror)

Back cover:

When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Despite Ludlow’s tranquility, an undercurrent of danger exists here. Those trucks on the road outside the Creed’s beautiful old home travel by just a little too quickly, for one thing…as is evidenced by the makeshift graveyard in the nearby woods where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Then there are the warnings to Louis both real and from the depths of his nightmares that he should not venture beyond the borders of this little graveyard where another burial ground lures with seductive promises and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself, and hideously more powerful. As Louis is about to discover for himself sometimes, dead is better…

I didn’t sleep for two days after finishing this book. I had to read it in the morning, never at night, and couldn’t put it down whenever I picked it up. However, this book is really a testament to Stephen King’s reputation as the dominator of the horror/suspense genre of fiction.

Beautifully descriptive and creepy, it gives a shocking new perspective of the consequences of playing God. With a very much flawed and very much human main character, along with a gripping story that raises the hairs on the back of your neck, Pet Semetary is the perfect book to read when you’re feeling a flare for the supernatural.

4. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (Genre: Sci-Fi)

Back cover of Cinder:

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation. Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future. This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.

These books broke me out of a serious book hangover (caused by the #1 series on this list) and made me realize “Wait, there are other books in this world that can be enjoyed besides this series.”

Funny and captivating, this book puts an interesting twist on classic fairytales. Instead of being the kind of twist where everything is unnecessarily gory and dark, this puts a futuristic spin on the classic stories that we all know and love.

The characters are amazing and very diverse, and although the stories are similar to the Grimm’s fairy tales, they’re a whole new ballpark plot-wise that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

3. In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park (Genre: Memoir)

Back cover:

“I am most grateful for two things: that I was born in North Korea, and that I escaped from North Korea.”

Still in her early twenties, Yeonmi Park has lived through experiences that few people of any age will ever know--and from which most would never recover. At age thirteen, together with her mother, she made a harrowing escape from brutal conditions in North Korea. Two years later, they reached South Korea and freedom. But the devestating journey in between cost Park her childhood and nearly her life. As she writes, “I convinced myself that a lot of what I had experienced never happened. I taught myself to forget the rest.”

In In Order to Live, Park sines light not just into the darkest corners of life in North Korea, describing the deprivation and deception she endured and that millions of North Korean people continue to endure to this day, but also onto her own most painful and difficult memories. She tells with bravery and dignity for the first time the story of how she and her mother were betrayed and sold into sexual slavery in China and forced to suffer terrible psychological and physical hardship.

Park confronts her past with a startling resilience. In spite of everything, she has never stopped being proud of where she is from, and never stopped striving for a better life. Today she is a human rights activist working determinedly to bring attention to the oppression taking place in her home country. Park’s testimony is rare, edifying, and terribly important, and the story she tells in In Order to Live is heartbreaking and unimaginable but never without hope.

This book changed my life.

Riveting, beautiful, and at heartbreaking, it really made me appreciate what I have in life and made me more aware of things that are currently happening in the world as we speak.

I think that no one should be able to talk about North Korea and about how it’s not a big deal that we help the people there until they read this book.

Truly an amazing and unbelievable story.

2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Genre: Fantasy)

Back cover:

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful— irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

A phenomenally written and emotional re-telling of the classic Greek epic the Iliad that delves into the romantic relationship between Achilles and Patroclus.

Madeline Miller truly has an undeniable god-given talent for writing; her descriptions and storytelling makes for a book that you CANNOT put down once you’ve picked it up.

I read this book in a day and had a serious, serious book hangover afterward; I literally could NOT stop thinking about it for days. It just sticks with you, you know?

Me and my mom both wept over this book; it is truly a triumph and a masterpiece.

1. The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo (Genre: Fantasy)

Back cover of Shadow and Bone, first book in The Grisha Trilogy:

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

Back cover of Six of Crows, first book in the Six of Crows Duology:

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price―and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don't kill each other first.

The Grishaverse is a group of series that are all set within the same universe where magic runs wild and the world-building-- from the culture of each country to the unique landscapes--is so phenomenal that you almost wish you could jump right into the book like Blue’s Clues and live there forever.

Leigh Bardugo is my favorite author of all time.

Her writing is beyond any other tier that I have every had the pleasure to read, to the point where I couldn’t read any other books for a good year after finishing the Six of Crows Duology because it set my standards so high for YA fantasy.

There are many books within the Grishaverse-- including the Grisha Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, the King of Scars series, and the Language of Thorns storybook--but you don’t have to have read one series to understand the other.

Personally, I like the Six of Crows Duology better than the Grisha Trilogy; it was written afterward and the writing and storytelling is far more evolved and sophisticated.

But even so, Leigh Bardugo really is an incredible storyteller, so if you can get your hands on any of these books, please do!

#writing #book #books #book recs #book recommendations #book recommendation #book rec #fantasy #horror #YA

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rosesutherlandwrites · 6 years ago

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Art Meme Thingy

i was tagged by the AMAZING @thecandlesticksfromlesmis which is delightful as I didn’t realise i was really on your radar and I think you’re hella cool? And yes, I did draw my avatar. I am really amused to get tagged in on art things because...I draw so seldom, and until my recent tumblr rumblings, hadn’t done since I did an art class in high school. So--I am very flattered!

1. one insecurity Is anything I do interesting/original enough that anyone even wants to see it?

2. Two fears - my work is never quite what I WANT it to be -that people will make fun of my stuff or tell me it’s crap (which has happened but I was a CHILD and you’d think by now I might have moved past that a little? it’s ridiculous)

3. Three (Art) Turn-Ons

-LIGHT I LOVE LIGHT -when one person in a scene is looking right at you as if they are totally aware they are in a work of art and are being looked at, while around them everyone else is just doing their thing. -feeling like i am looking into a real life.

4. Four Life Fandom/Art Goals - become someone who creates things more regularly and not just now and then when i hammer out a few minutes because I really should try and remind people i have creative interests - Actually make some progress on my original non-fandom work, because I am in love with it as an idea but “real life” has been derailing me badly. - find a fantastic group of people like my tumblr pals who are actually closer to me so that i can occasionally geek out freely in the flesh and not just online. - finally do a play or musical again, because my back to school/multiple moves in a short time/total career change has kept me from that and I miss it BADLY (going from someone who works in theatre/film and did multiple projects in a year to not being involved in anything for three years straight is painful to my soul)

5. Five Things I Like Drawing?? - People. ALWAYS PEOPLE

-people surrounded by things that tell me stuff about who they are - Fantasy creatures. not as much now, but I used to adore this--elves, fairies, centaurs. - interesting expressions and movements--although I am very bad at getting them to be accurate

- pretty details--things like halos, or the hems of dresses.

6. Six Weaknesses

- i’m a fucking perfectionist and it stresses me out LET THINGS BE WHAT THEY ARE (I’m keeping this because UGH ME TOOO_ - i put too much value into what other people think of my work, like if it makes me happy that should be enough (are we the same person? really) - I want things to be good right away and have hard time making myself practice things I am not already good at. - I have such a hard time settling down and focusing to work on stuff.

(if ppl are assholes i refuse to work with them, and i feel like in this industry that’s a weakness? even if they are super super good at what they do I just can’t tolerate dickheads and i rarely ever give them a second chance which is unfair--an aside: GOOD FOR YOU! I would rather work with a director like that any day of the week and if more people were like that the entire performing arts industry would be way less full of toxic disgusting bullshit PLEASE NEVER CHANGE)

- I have too many interests and i am one of those people who is blessed/cursed with being at least okay at a lot of different kinds of artistic things, but it makes me slightly--I obsess about dance for a year, and then singing for six months, and then spend two weeks drawing every damn day, and then i take a class in stage combat and get nutty about that, and then I write all night for three weeks straight, and so on and so on.And then i decide i need to make a perfect croissant. It’s interesting, but it isn’t necessarily great for following through an anything. -i hate having to try and make any sort of a profit off of my creative stuff? because it makes me super anxious and totally blocks me. it’s why i stopped acting professionally. so i am trying to learn to just have hobbies and it turns out i am bad at not taking everything painfully seriously

7. Seven things I love

(this is less about my specific work and more about content in general) -COLLABORATION (i love i love i love) -people that reblog my shit and write in the tags talking specifically to me knowing that i’m creeping on the reblogs -seeing peoples work that is in styles I could never hope to replicate and would never have come up with -Cosplay Cosplay Cosplay why do i have no money or sewing skills or other friends closely with whom I can Cosplay!!!

-everyone’s different interpretations of characters. even if it doesn’t match my own imaginings i still think it’s cool and interesting and so much fun -wild aus and crazily spiralling fandom jokes. -finding new things to love based on the things my mutuals are doing and loving that I haven’t heard of (like I just finished reading The Cruel Prince because of @montparnassee and @petalproufaerie did a wicked cosplay for it? And I’m pretty sure the idea for my current WIP wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for @mysunfreckle’s fairytale aus, and @adorablecrab‘s art that references some of it. - aesthetic posts that have nothing to do with my fandoms but fill me with so much joy

8. Tag Eight people

I don’t really tag people in this stuff? because I would love to see what anyone who has the time and wants to do this has to say, but i hate feeling like I’m maybe leaving people out. So if you want to join, join! Please! and tag me so i see it and get to know you better!

#laughingmistress does memes #tag game? ask game? a game #long af #secondhand rose #me and the arts

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sophiaroseroams · 6 years ago

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Something For Everyone at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

As soon as you step foot in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston it’s as if you’re entering a cultural time machine that takes you all over the world. You’ll find yourself in a rotunda with multiple different hallways to go down, each one leading into the next, so you won’t miss a single room. My boyfriend and I decided we’d get there as early as possible, and we ended up spending hours immersed in the art.

We started in the Art of Africa and Oceania collection, where we found eccentric masks made with resourceful materials like feathers, leaves, and bark cloth; some of which were said to be used in funerary rites. Of course, we each decided which mask we’d want people to be wearing at our funeral.

There were quite a few sculptural pieces to look at, especially on the lower floors, and I realized just how important sculpture was in the ancient world. Not only sculpture for the sake of it, but sculpture within things like weapons, furniture, silverware, vases, and drinking flasks. It’s amazing the amount of intricate detail people would pour into these everyday items that today would have such a simple design, if any. It’s this kind of careful attention that made these pieces valuable heirlooms in their time.

There were a significant amount of Buddhist sculptures mostly of his slimmer depiction, Siddhartha. I found this refreshing, because most of the Buddhist art and merchandise you’d find today is of the cheerful, fat Hotei, the god of happiness and contentment, and a semi-historical monk of Japanese Buddhism which came way later than original Indian Buddhism.

As you move up the floors, you step into your time machine and fast forward through the eras and across the globe. One rotunda that sent our eyes to the sky was particularly captivating, with murals that span across curved ceilings. A central skylight window brings a nice natural light into the room. Scenes between gods and goddesses play out on the panels, bringing in contrasting themes of both lusty, Romantic Art and more restrained Classic Art. Hints of astrological zodiac signs can be found, and I got to see my signs character, the centaur teaching Achilles how to shoot an arrow. That one hit the bullseye for me.

I very much enjoyed the amount of Impressionist paintings there are in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. To me the loose blending of texture and harmonious colors are scrumptious to the eye. That said, for every Impressionist painting, there is one extremely finely painted, photographic quality piece (as in you will probably have to stare at it very closely for a while just to make sure it really is a painting and not a photo). From art of the ancient world to contemporary art, there really is something for everyone’s taste.

The museum made me want to jump inside the art and become part of its time. One dimly lit room with Buddhists sculptures took a shot at maintaining the environment they originally came from, with remarks that without the surrounding temple, you simply don’t get the full effect of the art. The American Period rooms included the complete setup of American neoclassical interiors, everything from the architecture to the furniture had me feeling like a queen in her parlor. When we found the musical instrument room, everything was so beautifully designed with the same intricate detail we found all over the museum. It was almost impossible not to touch the old instruments and give them a try.

Not only did I stuff my eyes with wonder, I also learned a lot at this museum. For one, I’m almost embarrassed to say I had no idea that Frida Kahlo, an artist I admire, had polio and got hit by a bus! I quickly found this out after seeing actual photographs of the braces she had to wear hanging in her bathroom. It’s always good to feel educated on the lives of the artists you look up to. Another exhibition I learned from was the propaganda postcards, featuring propagandist images from the era of world wars. I really got to know what other countries thought of each other! It goes to show the influential nature art can have to persuade people to think a certain way or hold a very specific opinion. It made me realize the amount of propaganda out there in a less obvious way today that’s been normalized in the rhetoric of the news and in society.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston gave me the most cultural immersion I could possibly ask for for $25. Not only did I learn about history in a fun way, I also gained an unexpected insight on our culture today. The next time I go, I’ll probably try and get there on a Friday, when I don’t have to worry about them closing until 10pm-- there’s really that much to see. I also highly recommend the big gift store with the library full of books and other fun artsy souvenirs.

#Boston #museum #fine arts #travel #writing #story #culture #art

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konradleijon · 6 years ago

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Spain is to English

Your name is EQUIUS ZAHHAK.

You love being STRONG.

You are so strong, you would surely be the class of the elite legion of RUFFIANNIHILATORS. And although such a vocation would be quite honorable, you would prefer to join the ranks of the ARCHERADICATORS, perhaps the most noble step that the imperial forces have to offer. Unfortunately, you will SUCK IN ARCHERY. He has not shot a simple arrow successfully. Every time you try, you BREAK THE ARC. You are simply too strong. You have broken so many ties, it has become a habit BORDER IN THE PHYSICIST. You have to stop. But addiction is very powerful.

You have a great appreciation for fine arts. You use your aristocratic connections to acquire MASTERPIAS WITHOUT PRICES, painted in the oldest and most respected tradition of the NUDE MUSCLEBEAST PORTRAITS. These amazing representations of Alternia's native EXQUISITE FAUNA remind you of the MOST PUBLIC PHYSICAL IDEAL that must be sought by any person who professes a LOVE OF FORCE. When those with smaller blood lines raise their uncultured noses at such an amazing material, they find you FURIOUS.

Virtually everything makes you furious. You have so much anger that you can only express yourself through INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE. Build strong and robust robots, configure them in death mode, and supérales the shit in caged fights. Sometimes teeth are lost. But usually they grow back.

Your trolltag is a test of centaurs and with your bow and arrow always ready, you D -> Take the address to the 100d unfit language of b100 b100ds

What will you do?

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cienie-isengardu · 7 years ago

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Through the Eyes of Reptile

The first time when Reptile heard about Erron Black, he was still loyal servant of Shao Kahn, and on Emperor's order, a trusted assistant of Shang Tsung as well. Syzoth's job have never been easy. Partially because no one liked to be spy on, and partially - if not usually - thanks to monstrous shape of his face, the tailed body covered with a nauseated green husk and a smell that apparently was so horrible that no one wanted to be around him for longer that it was necessary. As far as Syzoth could remember, the smelly, ugly creature was how people called him since hatching from an egg. He had get used to it, more or less. Not really to the insults itself, but to be insulted at every turn.

People were always mean, it was in their nature to ridicule and torment those that didn’t fit into their concept of world. The reptilian warrior believed in that wholeheartedly, because it was easier to hate them than think that maybe they were right; that he really was just an ugly monster of long forgotten race. People liked to destroy the weak ones, but Syzoth wasn’t weak. He was the last of Zaterran race, the sole survivor while everyone else were merciless slaughtered or hunted down and sold as slaves who have worked to death, or were bred as a not so good but exotic food for the richest. Syzoth survived ages in Shao Kahn’s closest circle - if Emperor’s court didn’t kill him, then insults alone would not kill him either. He was survivor above everything else… but mockery hurted all the same.

And so, more often than not, he lived in the shadows, invisible yet watchful, always ready to protect his masters… or to strike them down, at the first sign of disloyalty to Emperor. Shao Kahn didn’t know mercy and so none of his inferiors did know it either. There was no use for friendship nor for affection in the court of the Emperor. Everyone was enemy, one way or another. Everyone wanted the power and prestige just for themselves. So hungry of Shao Kahn’s approval, of chance to prove their worth, of respect and awe. Syzoth wanted it no less than others. Being useful to Emperor was the only thing that kept him alive for all those long, miserable centuries. Syzoth was so useful, so trustworthy that he was given to Shang Tsung, as a skillful spy... and no less as pet.

The sorcerer from Earthrealm was a powerful being; cunning, confident, ruthless and ambitious man to be wary of. He was also old. Not like Edenian elders though - Shang Tsung’s body was wrinkled by age, sharp eyes almost as white as his long hair. The human looked fragile, especially when compared to Emperor’s other champions. So breakable in contrast to the four-armed Shokan prince Goro and noble born Sheeva or Kintaro who towered over him like a mountains; to the centaur Motaro, whose whole body was of the muscles as steel. Even to Edenian princess Kitana and her bodyguard, Jade - both beautiful and no less fast and deadly. Yet it was the Shang Tsung that Syzoth instinctively knew to be careful around. The man smelled of magic, dark and dangerous, and sharp like hidden blade only waiting to taste blood. Syzoth knew who the man really was, of course, but it was no less shocking to see the old fragile human to change in the blink of an eye into a youthful man with an acute smile, into black and yellow cobra whose beautiful scales glittered dangerously in the sun, into pretty woman that could break someone neck with her delicate hands, into jaguar, so royal and mystic, into innocent child with big, bright eyes. Even into an ugly reptilian like him.

No gender, no race, no body shape was obstacle to the dark magic wielded by Shang Tsung. Knowledge of that made Syzoth both amazed and terrified. The old sorcerer could take any form, speak the human and monster languages alike, be whoever he wished to be, hidden in shadows and in plain sight, safely tucked under fragile and beautiful and coarse and monstrous look… and could even steal your soul - all memories and will and fears - if you weren’t careful around him. Shang Tsung indeed was a powerful sorcerer and shapeshifter Reptile had never met before.

Surprisingly for a human, the man was quite polite too. Even to Syzoth, what in itself was an alien concept not only to reptilian warrior but to everyone else as well. Syzoth didn’t understand humanoids too well but could tell easily when they disapproved of his natural smell. Shang Tsung was one of few people that did not call him smelly; even if reflexive disgust always showed on the man’s face, for a few seconds, until neutral expression didn’t camouflage grimace for good. The man did not speak about Reptile’s smell, did not shun away from him in disgust, like others always did. The nauseated green husk did not scare Shang Tsung either. Quite opposite, the sorcerer seemed to be interested in its color and shape and Reptile in itself. An unique creature of forgotten race to study and learn about, that Syzoth was among other things for the old fragile looking man.

Every once in awhile, Syzoth overheard Emperor’s champions and even simple household probing the sorcerer for reason why he bothered to be kind to smelly monster like him at all. The old man always smiled then - politely, of course, yet with some predatory sharpness hidden well under courtesy - and kept saying how look may be misleading.

In a way, it made a lot sense. Being underestimated had it own perks. Like Syzoth, Shang Tsung was really good at adapting and surviving no matter what.

Over the ages, Syzoth came to like working with Shang Tsung. They didn’t become friends - friendship was a foolish concept for the weak and desperate and none of them were either - yet they fell into comfortable symbiosis. The sorcerer provided the protection while Syzoth was his eyes and ears in the shadows. Reptile accompanied his new master almost everywhere. To flesh pits, a dark and smelly of blood and death place that brought solace for the sorcerer and yummy food for him, to courts of powerful kings and queens of all races united under Emperor’s regime, to all Earthrealm’s nooks and crannies, from secluded beautiful places to overpopulated, gloomy cities.

There, Syzoth met many of Shang Tsung’s favorite mercenaries. Most came from Lin Kuei assassin clan - and between them, man called Sub-Zero was the most favored one. Rightfully so, Syzoth admitted to himself bitterly, because the ice warrior was unlike the other assassins. Ruthless yet cunning, a natural born killer with unquestionable strive for perfection. The assassin had narrow, emotionless eyes and unnaturally pale, frosty skin and in humble opinion of Reptile, absolutely lacked social skills. In Lin Kuei gear or not, there was something about the man that always made Syzoth want to become invisible, to hide and hope to not draw to himself unnecessary attention. Sub-Zero smelled of cold heart, danger and indifferent death. And yet, sometimes, the self confident smirk was warmed by hint of amusement and curiosity, when Shang Tsung time and again called the assassin to do his bidding. The service of Lin Kuei of course always came with price - Syzoth knew very well how possesive Shang Tsung was about his precious, ancient scrolls and manuscripts full of mystery knowledge and secrets of martial art. How hard it was for him to part with them and yet every one of them was a small price to paid for service of Sub-Zero.

More often than not meeting between the cold-hearted killer and the ancient sorcerer felt to Syzoth less as bargaining about right price for needed murder or stealing important informations and more like… well, he didn’t have idea what. Shang Tsung and Sub-Zero seemed to love poking and pushing each other with little, unimportant yet somehow essential details. To seek the weakness in other, to exploit, to outsmart. Yet their meetings didn’t feel like rivalry - not like the one between Shang Tsung and the other sorcerer, Quan Chi, with whom rarely old man agreed on anything at all. Nor felt like there is any need of plotting and counterplotting in case of backstabbing. Their meeting felt… interesting; weird but somehow nice. Shang Tsung’s smell for sure told Syzoth he enjoyed them beyond pragmatic reasons.

But Sub-Zero had his own missions and orders to fulfill and sometimes he simply wasn’t interested in Shang Tsung’s additional requests. There were rules that Syzoth did not know nor understand, but ice assassin’s reasons were his own and the sorcerer didn’t push the matters, so Syzoth didn’t try that either. There were many other killers and mercenaries; Shang Tsung had a long list of those. The reptilian warrior met or at least heard of them all. It was his job to keep tabs on sorcerer’s doing, after all.

Erron Black was one of many assassins working for Shang Tsung over the years. The human himself didn’t make any big impression on Syzoth; just a man sticking to old days who loved money and shooting people more than anything else. Yet Reptile never questioned his master’s decisions, even if Shang Tsung seemed to like Earthrealm's mercenaries more than those from Outworld (Syzoth never spoke of that, but he always wondered if Shang Tsung, as human, felt so alone - and different - between the rest of Shao Kahn's servants; if working with people from his native realm made him feel a bit less lonely. If regular meetings with Sub-Zero were more for his own amusement than a real need of assassin service. It was too personal thing to ask, so Syzoth never have asked). At that time Erron Black was just a name for Syzoth so he didn't care about man's reputation - or life - at all.

There was tenth, the last Tournament to worry about. Earthrealm was about to cease to exist soon. Shang Tsung and Erron Black and the Lin Kuei were meant to be all but a relics of the past. Just like Syzoth was all his life. None of the men seemed to be bothered by that though.

#mortal kombat #syzoth #reptile #shang tsung #sub zero #bi han #erron black #(if i ever write the rest of story there will be more erron i promise)#shang tsung & reptile #i really like their relationship #and shang tsung & bi han #if no one noticed XD #my headcanons #my fanfiction #the first time i wrote so long fanfic in english #lin kuei #the ancient scroll as payment for sub zero's service actually comes from MK novel #i just love too much that detail to pass opportunity XD #syzoth's life wasn't easy :(

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clan-of-scattered-stars · 3 years ago

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I posted 725 times in 2021

162 posts created (22%)

563 posts reblogged (78%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 3.5 posts.

I added 1,042 tags in 2021

#flight rising - 670 posts

#comets quips - 130 posts

#fr art - 77 posts

#dragon share - 51 posts

#dragons for sale - 27 posts

#reblog - 19 posts

#scrying workshop - 19 posts

#fr outfit - 17 posts

#boost! - 16 posts

#halloweendressingroom - 16 posts

Longest Tag: 116 characters

#scribbles doesn’t have time for gender because they’re too busy ranting to tomo about their extensive rock knowledge

My Top Posts in 2021

So maybe this is just my weakness for centaurs showing but-

These two??? Uh….gorgeous? Show stopping?? Brilliant?? Amazing?? Stellar?? Brilliant??

99 notes • Posted 2021-08-05 16:15:07 GMT

AHHHHHH GUYS WE WERE RIGHT THIS IS LITERALLY SO CUTE

118 notes • Posted 2021-07-24 04:28:49 GMT

That’s a weird Skydancer

147 notes • Posted 2021-11-09 20:56:20 GMT

256 notes • Posted 2021-06-15 01:18:23 GMT

Sw-

Swamp-

Mud-

PUPPIES

379 notes • Posted 2021-10-23 03:09:30 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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sassysweetstories · 7 years ago

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Rivalry //Shawn Mendes Series

Summary: You are a demigod that’s been brought to Camp-Half Blood in hopes to find yourself and learn more about your powers. In fear of being bullied, much like before, you intend to stay behind closed doors until there in no choice but to come out about who’s child you truly belong to.

Ship: Shawn Mendes x Fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, fighting, swearing, fluff, blood, etc.

Notes: none of these gifs are mine. i saw another fic about demigods and i wanted to try and make it a series. the thoughts been festering in my mind forever now. i hope you like it. (also, none of the demigods and gods are really related. because of the parents fucking around, it’s not legitimate in this series. I ALSO RECOMMEND YOU TO LISTEN TO THE PERCY JACKSON SOUNDTRACK WHILE READING THIS. IT’S SO COOL)

Your P.O.V

Camp-Half Blood. There is was, staring back at me like some haunting horror movie scene. The outer perimeter only being lit by two burning fires alone gave me a strange mix of home despite the ominous setting. I belong here. I tell myself the same thought that I’ve been repeating the whole drive here. I belong here. This is the golden arches for the odd and weird kids, a place to feel accepted. A place where it’s okay to be different. Or, at least that’s what I was told. But I knew if there were teens here, people my age, there would still be judgement. There always is. And the trip here was nothing but ridiculous. This place seems to fall off the edge of the earth and right under the nose of humans. And yet, I feel a pull towards the location. I know in my heart that I belong.

Despite the nerves that start to fester, I take a deep breath and walk forward. It’s dark and quiet but the second I pass through the veil, I feel a sense of comfort or warmth wash over me. You are safe here. It seems to say to me. Lugging my one suit case farther in, I find myself following the main pathway. That is until my eyes come across a centaur. He’s fucking huge, twice if not three times my height. "Mr. Brunner, I presume.” I say seriously. Everything about me screams business, not pleasure. But he ignores it and gallops up to shake my hand in mutual respect. “Please, call me, Chiron. You’ll be seeing me quite often. Might as well get on a first name basis.” I give him a hardy shake and follow him along the dark pathway, my heart beating with excitement and nerves.

“Welcome to Camp Half Blood, (Y/n). I realize, as you’ve said before, that you do not want to disclose your parentage to anyone, but here in Camp Half Blood, we categories and home you according to your abilities. That is, until I realized who you belonged to-” He pauses, wary of his next words. “-We don’t get many rare demigods here, so in the interest of your discretion, and for you, and the safety of others, we will not disclose that information until it becomes absolutely necessary.” The second the words leave his mouth, I feel a weight being lifted off me. If anyone knew who I belonged to.. Gods, what a nightmare that would be. Mr. D continues to educate me on what exactly I would be doing here and the longer he spoke, the more excited I became.

“Tomorrow (Y/n), I will personally show you around the facility, but for now I will take you to your living quarters, which are located not too far from the other kids but a good distance for privacy.” I want to look up at him and thank him but I’m so in awe by everything, I can barely form words. Instead I give him a small nod and unpack, mentally preparing for the next day to arrive. My house, since I’m the only one living in it, is a lot lighter than I thought it would be. It’s an odd mix of colors but nothing like I had anticipated. In one room it is black with shades of bright purple. In the other, it’s a vibrant orange/yellow with blue and green flowers the cover the ceiling which brought an odd contrast. It’s surprisingly warm and cosy despite my first wary impression. Everything about the room alone is far much nicer than I’d ever had. I can’t help but lean against my bed headboard and smile. I was home.

The next morning I’m up bright and early, too excited to even hide it. I’m practically bouncing off the walls as I slip my shoes on. But the second Chiron shows up, I suppress it a little bit. I don’t wanna come off too strong, after-all. I’m not even outside before the sun is happily shinning down on us. The trees all gleam in delight under such warm and bright weather. I can’t help but smile at the sight. Birds fluttered above my head, singing their normal song. The trees around us sway against the wind and tower over my head like mountains. The longer we walk, the closer we come to the middle of the camp grounds. Kids of all ages and colors run by us in a hustle and bustle, not without giving me a once over, if not stare at me as if I had horns or something.

For some reason, I’m something entirely new to them. It’s as if they know. Instead I stand up straighter, demanding respect and even scowl at some who dare to give me pointed looks. And instead of making the situation worse, I focus on Chiron’s words. “You will be training like the rest of the students. But before you get to that, you have a schedule with certain classes to obviously learn about your parents and the other gods here.” As we walk by, a boy with bright eyes and dirty blonde hair eyes me up and down like a piece of meat. He nudges his lacks and they look in my direction and have the audacity to howl at me. Instead of causing a scene, I clench my fists in frustration. Deep breaths. In and out.

Finally pulling my gaze away from them, I can’t help but stand up straighter, as if I was trying to prove something to them. I can tell behind their cocky stares that their curious about me and what I can do. Who do I belong to and what I have to offer. But I hope they never find out. But all I know is that I do, in fact, belong. But if I wanted to show that, I would have to be on the field and in the classroom. My first class is Gods & Goddess and their powers. Before I even came to Camp Half Blood, I had always been fascinated by Greek mythology.

I use to spend hours after school reading up on all sorts of stories only to find out I was the child of one them. Chiron escorts me to the class, if that’s not awkward enough. But when I enter, more than fifty kids look directly at me. I can practically feel their judgment filled expressions pressing down on me like an anvil. I suck in a breath of air, letting Chiron speak for me. “Professor Ryan, this is your new student, (Y/n) (Y/L/N).” I give him a hardly shake and give him my signature smile. I swear I hear a group of girls in the front sigh and swoon. Aphrodite kids, I’m sure.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss (Y/L/N). You can sit right next Mr. Underwood.” I glance up at the large college build lecture hall before my gaze falls on the satyr I saw early. He looks nice, giving me a warm and playful smile. I can’t help but return it because in all honesty, it’s quite contagious. When I take a seat, I pull out my hand for him to take. “(Y/n). Nice to meet you.” He grins and takes it before shaking it lightly. “Grover. Grover Underwood. Likewise!” It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Grover whispers comments at me the entire time, practically shit talking the professor. It takes everything in me to not burst out laughing. Once class is over though, we walk out together and the conversation flows comfortably.

“Hey (Y/n), I wanna introduce you to my best friend, Percy Jackson.” A boy with ocean blue eyes waltz up to us, showing me an equally warm smile. I take his hand and give him a hardy shake. “Nice to meet you, Percy. Cool name. I’m (Y/n), (Y/n) (Y/L/N).” Percy is just as nice as Grover and they make me feel at home. He’s son of Poseidon apparently. Which took me by surprise. “You’ll meet the rest of the gang later. Until now, you’ll have to settle for us.” Percy says jokingly but I can already sense a slight insecurity. “I like your guys’ company just fine.” But the second the words leave my mouth, I see Percy and Grover ease up. The sight makes me chuckle. It was only the first day and I was already making friends.

Grover has taken it upon himself to show me every nook and cranny of the camp, saying Chiron was an old fart who didn’t know any of their secrets. Pointing over to a warm pink lit dorm, he gave me a cheeky smile. “Aphrodite’s daughters. Hello ladies!” He gives them a wave and some of them giggle in response. I’d be lying if I said none of them were attractive. The art of beauty and seduction was always something they perfected apparently. Some even wink at me as we walk by. I can’t help but blush as we shuffle across the way. “Aphrodite’s daughters are nothing but wild, especially in the sheets. Stay away from them. Or don’t. I mean, I don’t stay away, haha. Not far from them is Athena, girls and boys are separated but that doesn’t stop us much. You’ll meet Annabeth later. She’s a child of Athena.”

We make our way over to the dueling field and the girl he was talking about, whom I believe is Annabeth, is dueling with three other opponents. I watch in awe as she beats them with ease, not a bead of sweat to cover her gorgeous features. I can’t help but gape as she strides over to us, looking nothing but powerful. “That was amazing.” I spew out before my mind could even think. Before she seemed more cold and wary, but the longer she eyes me, the more at ease she becomes. “Thank you. I’m Annabeth.” I take her hand, still gaping. “I’m (Y/n). That was incredible. Can you teach me how to do that?” She laughs at my genuine awe. “Of course, in due time. We have to meet up with the others.”

“The others?” I can’t help but ask in curiosity. They all smile as Grover spoke. “Luke and Shawn. Luke tags along with us occasionally but he mainly sticks to the more jock type crowd, ya know? He’s more brutes than he is brains. But don’t tell him I said that. Besides, he only sticks around with us because he fancies Percy.” Percy shakes his head, chuckling lightly as we walk down a different pathway. “He’s my friend. They’re both really great. You’re gonna love Shawn. He’s super chill but can be a bit cocky at times. He’s also got a killer voice. Shawn might seem a bit off but he’s pretty down to earth-” Annabeth practically snorts. “And he’s not a dick like Luke.” I can’t help but laugh at the comments being made towards the young boy. “Is Luke the one with dirty blonde hair? I may have seen him this morning howling at me. What a douche.” They snort at my comment before nodding.

We head over to the weapons hall and as we enter, I can’t help but gape in awe. Weapons from all shapes and sizes layer each side of the walls, some even attached to the ceiling. Running my hand over some, I can’t help but smirk at the glint of light they all give off. “Beautiful, ain’t she? You’ll start combat soon but before you get your hands dirty, you’re gonna need a weapon, eh?” Grover says to me, motioning for everyone to follow him. We do so and listen to the folk lore behind all of the swords and knives without homes. That was until a bright black shine caught my gaze. Without realizing it, I drifted away from the group to get a better look at it. Black as night, the sword stretches a good few feet with a dark red leather handle and small, thin white swirls etched across the blade.

I feel a pull towards the blade, like it was meant for me. I’m so enthralled by it’s treacherous beauty I almost don’t hear the manager comment, “Gorgeous, isn’t she. Five carbon steel, practically unbreakable, with a dark red handle that’s both comfortable yet firm enough to grip.” I graze the outside of the handle and smile at the sensation. That was until the manager commented, “I wouldn’t try to pick it up. It’s the heaviest weapon we’ve got and you look pretty nimble.” I could stand men trying to down grade women. Instead of listening to his warning, I take the sword with one hand and lift, expecting it to be heavy for my too “nimble body” but instead it practically floats under my touch. I twirl it around and it feels like I’m holding air. “Are you sure it’s the heaviest? It feels light to me.”

The look on his face is nothing but priceless. Jaw dropped to the floor, face white he manages to scrape the last bit of testosterone he had and heads to the front. I take the sword with a smile, intending to check out before I came to an abrupt halt. The blonde douche I saw early, Luke, I believe, was speaking to another boy in a hushed manor behind a stack of knives. He had chocolate brown hair and equally as appealing eyes. “I don’t know Luke.. We don’t know anything about her-” He said softly, scanning over the weapons. Luke replied hastily. “She could be a great ally when we have the battle Friday.” The chocolate haired hunk scoffed. “We don’t even know if she can fight yet! Nor do we know of her abilities! What could she possibly offer for the win?!” Luke rolled his eyes and nudged the boys arm jokingly but he didn’t seem to enjoy it. “Don’t worry. With my suave persona, she’ll be confessing everything in no time. We’ll win this fight Friday, Shawn.”

Were they talking about me? They must be. Quickly and quietly, I slip away from them without making a peep and head to the check-out line. “Looks like you found one!” Percy exclaimed happily, eyeing my weapon of choice. Annabeth nods her head with pride. “That’s a beautiful sword. You’re sure about it though? Once you choose a weapon, it becomes like your mate.” Percy and Grover share a confused glance before shrugging at me. I look down at it with my own sense of pride, happy with my choice before nodding. “Yeah, I’m sure.” Percy’s eyes wander to someone over my shoulder. “SHAWN! LUKE!” He exclaims, smiling at the two. I don’t make eye contact with them yet. Instead I hand over my sword to pay.

The cashier nearly drops the sword, half dragging it across the floor to scan the price-tag along with the belt attachment. “Do you need help?” I ask, trying not to smile at his struggling state. He puffs and curses under his breath, arms bulging in hopes to lift the weapon I’ve handed to him. “Nope, ugh, I- I’m f-fine-” The interaction has unfortunately caught the groups attention and Grover can’t help but ask, “(Y/n), did you get the biggest one?!” I glance over at him and nod. “Yeah, what can I say, I like big things.” The sentence was meant to be a casual response but all four of the boys turned bright red with embarrassment while Annabeth burst out laughing at their reactions. As I’m about to look back at the cashier, my gaze meets Shawn’s.

His eyes are bright despite being a chocolate brown. They almost have a flicker of light to them. One I can’t particularly describe. He’s different, I can feel it. I give him a small smile which he returns with a mediocre smirk. “Hun, why don’t I take that before you pull a muscle-” I wrap the holder around my waist and tie it before taking the sword from him. He sighs, almost happy to not have to carry its gargantuan weight any longer. But before I can slip my beautiful weapon into its case, Luke saunters up to me with a cocky grin. “You must be the beautiful, (Y/n). I’m Luke. Would you like me to carry that for you?” Annabeth and I exchange a knowing look. What did this boy expect from me? To just drop my panties cause he decided to be nice? Pff.

I give him the fakest, most innocent smile I could before sighing sweetly. “Oh my gosh, that is so sweet. Thank you.” I take a step back and toss the blade at him. He lefts out an “Oof!” before falling to the ground, coughing and grunting as he attempts to hold the weight up. I walk around his immobile body and stick my hand out for Shawn to shake. “I’m (Y/n). Nice to meet you.” The moment he takes it, I feel a shock run through my body, itching up and down my spine before it dissipates. What the hell was that? “I’m Shawn. Likewise.” When he lets go of my hand, his is warmer than when we first touched. I wonder if I rubbed off on him? He glances down at me with wonder and curiosity. We duel with our eyes, examining one another before looking away.

I strut over to Luke who is still thrashing on the floor before I lift my sword off him with one hand. He sighs in relief, taking massive breaths of fresh air to accommodate for the ones that have been taken from him. Sheathing my blade, I look back at Annabeth with an innocent smile. “Annabeth, hun. Would you like to go practice dueling?” She laces her arm through mine, waving at the boys as we walk out. “I think we’re gonna be very good friends.” I can’t help but laugh with delight at her statement, feeling the boys eyes follow us the whole way out. I can’t help but look back at Shawn and ponder. Who does he belong to?

Annabeth and I head out to the battle arena to change and practice fighting. “So-” I say while adjusting my gear. “-who are Luke and Shawn’s parents.” Annabeth tosses me another accessory for combat before replying. “Well, Luke is Hermes kid. You wouldn’t have guessed it but he, like most kids, hate their parents. He despises his dad, which is understandable. And for some odd reason, he gets super defensive and competitive when it comes to battles. Thinks he has to prove something to someone because he thinks his parent isn’t the strongest. It’s all about titles to him.”

I nod along to her words but ask about the other boy, not caring much about the first. “And Shawn? What about him?” She talks while she ties her boots. “Well I think Luke just hangs out with Shawn because of his parental title-” I sheath my sword, standing up straighter. “What do you mean? Who is his parent?” When she looked back at me, I expect her to tell me the name of a small god but instead it’s someone who rattles me. “He’s the son of Zeus.” I drop my shoe in shock, nearly dropping the rest of my stuff. Annabeth laughs. “Yeah. He usually has that affect on women.” I scoff, shaking my head before resting my hands on my hips. “Pff. No! I was just surprised. Um, that’s pretty rare, isn’t it?”

She nodded, grabbing her sword before following me out onto the battlefield. “Yeah, it is. Percy and him are the only two sons of the big three. There hasn’t been a third son but I’m hoping it’s a girl. I think Luke is using Shawn and Percy’s friendship to get ahead during the trials and fights. It’s vile.” I nod along to her voice. She was definitely Athena’s kid, brilliant and tactical. “Okay so, what are you gonna teach me so that I’ll be prepared. I want to be as good as you.” Annabeth took a few steps back, stretching her muscles. “That might take some time.” I drew my sword and grinned up at her. “I’m a good learning.” Before I knew it, she ran towards me and our swords crashed together. “Let’s get started.”

Annabeth is a brutal teacher but she’s nothing like Ares teachers. They’re ruthless and cruel, just like their god father. I half expect them to have sharp teeth. We practice for nearly two days straight I almost don’t notice it’s been that long. With only fruits, vegetables and water to keep us going, we keep fighting. It’s nothing but exhilarating. We’re dueling and running circles around one another so much I barely acknowledge the ever growing crowd that’s decided to make their way towards us, intrigued by our fight and what we have to offer, what I have to offer. I barrel towards her, dodging whatever attacks she intends to throw my way before slamming my sword down on her. When they clash, sparks fly. Our faces a mere few inches apart as we growl at one another before separating again.

“How long have they been going at it?” I hear Percy ask Grover. To which he responded with. “Two days straight. A few breaks here and there but I’ve never seen someone hold a fight with Annabeth and not fall over. It’s incredible.” Luke and Shawn stand near the other two boys, watching us closely. I almost feel bad for Shawn but I’m then reminded that I don’t really know him. “Getting tired yet?” Annabeth asks me with a shit-eating grin. I stand up straighter with an equally as warming smile before getting into my fighting position. “Not even close.” The sounds of our swords clashing together echoed all throughout the camp. There wasn’t one person who knew we were fighting. She slams her sword down and instead of hitting me, smashes the grass.

I turn over my shoulder to dodge her attack before making one of my own. When I reach my sword out, hers matches my movements. The tips threatening to cut the others throat. “You’re a fast learner.” She says, smiling up at me. We mutually sheath our weapons and examine the others sweaty state. “Gods, I need a shower.” I say, wiping off the sweat that dripped down all parts of my body. “I think the boys disagree.” Turning over my shoulder to see what she meant, Luke stares at me like I’m a prize, like I’m meat to be won over. Grover and Percy look at me as friends do, with pride. But I can’t quite pin Shawn’s facial expression. His is a mixture of things. Some I can’t read, others I can. It’s pride for a friend but with a hint of attraction, lust. “I think you’ve caught the golden boys eye.”

I eye him up and down and watch as he does the same for me. I can’t help but take Annabeth’s previous words into consideration. If this battle is as important to Luke as she says it is, than how important is Shawn to him. What does he have to offer? What are his powers? Do they have limits? What if Shawn isn’t as innocent as people believe him to be? What if he’s just as wrapped up about the hierarchy as Luke is? Annabeth and I head over to the showers, very much in need of some soap. But the whole time I can’t help but ponder that all of this seems to dive deeper than I think.

(I hope you guys liked it! This is just the introduction to the series. I think I’m gonna make it a 2-3 parter series. Comment below! I love suggestions and feedback!)

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