#all i think about is the background characters of camp half blood

[thestarstoasun]

Because the next part of this isn't where I want it to be yet due to packing and schooling, I'm going to post some (more) of my headcanons!

• The Hermes cabin treats all unclaimed demigods as their own siblings even after they get claimed (depending on how fast they get claimed).

• The year-round demigods are closer with each other, but during summer they tend to spend more time with the other campers more. The bonds they have are a bit obvious though.

• Travis and Connor Stoll have a running prank of convincing all new demigods that they're twins (at least until Travis leaves.)

• During Nico's brief stay at camp in The Titan's Curse, he made friends with the Stolls and a few other campers. (Canonically he met Will, but I did hc they met before it was confirmed.)

• The Ares campers are the best at every weapon, except bows. Some Apollo kids (Michael Yew included) take full advantage of bringing this up. When Sherman Yang brought up Will's less than proficient bow skills, Clarisse had Sherman apologize.

• Chiron teaches the year-rounders using Ancient Greek textbooks + books and myths, so they can understand the material easier.

• When Jason shows up, some people have to pay up because there were bets made on which of the Big 3 would have another secret demigod, when Hazel came more drachmas were exchanged to the Apollo cabin. (Drew: "How the Hades did you guess Hades would have another secret child!?" Will: "I mean, technically, it was Pluto?")

• After Beckendorf's death, the Hephaestus cabin seemed to dull until Leo showed up. He reminded them a lot of Beckendorf and yet was so different (starting with height).

• The Demeter kids hate the winter months and prefer spring and summer.

[earthpleasures]

SIMP OF CENTURY !

Percy Jackson x fem!child of nyx!reader

Summary: Your reserved personality sparked curious thoughts in Percy's mind for years. Whenever he tried to get close to you, it backfired on him. But Hero of Olympus was never taught to give up.

Warnings: swearing, reader described as having 'night-like dark eyes'

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: I haven't watched the pjo show, which means Percy's character and looks are based off the books. Louis is just a fan cast. I adore Walker, and I think he's such a good actor. So if you wish to imagine Percy as show Percy, you're free to do so! <3

dividers by: @benkeibear

"when I saw her walking down the street

she looked so fine, I just had to speak.

i asked her name but she turned away"

- mmm yeah by austin mahone, pitbull.

Everyone in the Camp Half-blood liked Percy Jackson, the most influential figure of the Second Titan War. Y/n did too, but not in the way young boy wanted. She saw him as a hero, no more of that. Which made Percy yap about her next to Annabeth's ear. Blonde could swear goddamn Seaweed Brain had no fucking dignity when it comes to Y/n. 

Being one of the children of Nyx, she was powerful. She was powerful yet in the background. He still remembered the scary ass encounter he had with her mother, Goddess of Night warning him to stay away from her daughter. 

Percy ‘impertinent’ Jackson never obeyed a word of Gods, said goddess being a primordial goddess didn't change his view of Immortals. Of course he was a little scared though, not of a goddess but of an angry and protective mother.

“To left! TO LEFT! HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GUYS FORGET ABOUT Y/N!?” Connor screamed his lungs out as Y/n ran to the red flag. Her keeping quiet for most of the game caused all other red team members to forget about the girl's presence. 

Percy took a breath as he charged towards her. His sword touched her back, threatening her to step away from the flag. “C'mon, stars. We both know how this is gonna end.” She wet her lips and sighed. “Yeah, whatever.” She stepped away from the flag. Percy was about to smirk with victory when she rushed towards the flag again. 

Without thinking a second, he threw his body over hers, preventing her from grabbing handle. “What the fuck Jackson!?” Her angry voice rang through the area as they rolled on the soil together. His legs straddled her. “Looks like we ended up on top of each other again.” He said, referring to all other games. Y/n narrowed her eyes as her lower suddenly lifted from the ground and threw the boy over her body. “Arrogant bastard.”

She ran to the flag without allowing herself to catch her breath, leaving Percy behind who's groaning with pain on his back. “Damn, girl. It hurted.” He mumbled as he stood up. Last thing he saw was Y/n smirking at him with her knuckles wrapped around the handle of the red flag. She let herself fall into the shadows of the flag tower and mix into the darkness. 

She was only child of Nyx that could shadow travel properly and was allowed use it only once during game since it would be unfair to other campers and game wouldn't really have a meaning as long as she played. And of course she kept it for this moment. 

He cursed as he heard the honk announce the victors, tearing a few pieces of grass and throwing them to air. “Well, at least we had physical contact…” He pouted, trying to console himself.

“Hey, what's up, stars? Drawing the moon again? Can I see it? Please?” He spoke quickly, afraid she would disappear into darkness as usual. Girl looked up to him from her sketchbook. Sparks of little stars illuminated her night-like dark eyes, passed to her from Nyx. 

“Don't you have better things to do, Jackson? Training new kids, doing your shit as one of the ‘Counselors’? Or better, go mourn your loss and your back.” 

Her voice was bitter as ever. Y/n didn't really have any friends in camp. It wasn't that she had distaste for others, socializing wasn't her thing at all. However she never acted rude when someone reached her for help. Only ‘friends’ she had were her siblings. Being their counselor, they had to speak to their oldest sister even if they didn't want to.

He narrowed his eyes. “That's rude. You almost broke a few of my ribs.” Y/n raised her eyebrows with eraser on her hand. She spoke while getting rid of a crocked line from the white paper. 

“Sounds like a you problem, my ribs seem to be perfectly fine.”

“And also, looking at my schedule, I have all day for you.” He smiled, green eyes reflecting the sunshine. She gave him an uninterested stare. “Good for you then?” Percy knew damn well that expression on her face. She's going to disappear again. He exclaimed her name. His fingers wrapped around her wrist before she became one with shadows. 

He shadow traveled before, he knew the feeling. But it didn't relax his senses as his reflexes screamed to kick and escape. When they arrived at their destination, it was dark everywhere. His brows furrowed unintentionally. “Where are we?” Y/n looked really troubled with his presence being next to her. “What the hell is wrong with you!? Why would you stick to my wrist like a leech!?” He smirked at her distressed state. 

“Only a leech for your attention.” He winked.

“If you keep talking like a fuckboy, you will experience my affection right on your cheek in a very violent way.”  

“Yes ma'am.” 

He put his hands to his hips as he inspected their surroundings. Giant green pine trees were surrounding them, not a sound coming from the forest besides wind hitting branches. “So, back to my previous question, where are we?”

She bit her lower lip as if she didn't wanna answer the question asked. “Uh, we're kind of… on the other side of the world?” Percy's face went completely blank. “What?” 

“We're in a country where it's night right now.” He stared at the moon shining above them, the weather was clear enough to see the stars with bare eyes. “Really? That's quite exciting, which country are we in?” She thought for a second.

“Turkey.” He couldn't help but snort. She pressed her lips together at the strange choking sound he let out. “If you're going to make that immature ass joke I am gonna leave you here and never come back.” He tried to retain his serious look after hearing her not-so-fully-threat sentence. He knew she would actually leave him here with no mercy. 

“Okay, okay. Jokes aside, this forest is the definition of peace.” She looked around them, smiling at the beautiful view while inhaling the clear oxygen. “Beautiful places are always hidden by the ugliness of metropolises.” His gaze locked on her rarely seen eased-up face. “Yeah, it's beautiful…” 

“I travel to places where it's night whenever I feel the pressure of a stressful day or when I am trying to escape your boyish remarks.” Percy put a hand on his chest and fake gasped. “How dare you call them boyish? I put my whole heart into them!” She let out a low toned giggle, keeping quiet to not to disturb the rest of the animals. 

“I apologize for my rudeness, Mr. Jackson. I haven't noticed that you poured your heart into wasted attempts of flirting.” Percy sat on a fallen log, tip of his foot digging into fresh soil. “They're not wasted attempts. Nothing is wasted when I do it for you.” 

For the first in their years of banters, Y/n was taken aback. “I… appreciate your efforts Percy. But I just don't get what makes me so valuable in your eyes. I am not the strongest swordsman in camp, or the most beautiful girl around. I don't return your flirts or compliments. It's strange to see you never give up on… me.” 

Percy looked into the depths of her eyes, green eyes holding more than just interest ignited in his heart. “I don't care about how beautiful or how strong you're. I care about who you are. I care about the girl who can't help but chuckle when she sees owls flying around her, I care about the girl who helps anyone in need of her, I care about the girl who makes incredible drawings.” With languid movements, he stood up from the log he was settled on. His calloused hands gently reached to her, fingers interlocking with hers.

“I always kept my efforts on you because you never said anything about me harassing you. If I ever sensed you being uncomfortable around me to the point you can't stand my presence, I would've stopped. Hope kept me going.” Her confused expression softened as his sentences progressed. She could feel her eyes watering, tears were ready to overflow and roll down on her cheeks. 

“Percy…” His finger rubbed her palm, grayness from the pencil smearing his thumb too. “I am so sorry Y/n. For making you feel distressed in a place where you should be secure from all threats. I've never been flawless and i-” 

His eyes shoot open when soft, cold lips pressed against his. Her hands clutched on his orange t-shirt, eyes closed as she let herself get lost in sensation. Soon enough, he came to his senses too, hands flying to cup her cheeks. 

When they parted he laid her forehead against hers, she let out a chuckle. “You look so red, like my rose drawings.” He embraced her, not giving an answer to her teasing. All he needed was to feel her skin against his and inhale the scent he has been longing for years. His face buried on the crook of her neck. “Y/n?” 

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Yes?” 

“I think I am gonna faint cause my heart is beating abnormally fast.” 

“What- PERCY! OH MY GODS!” 

Her shock filled shriek echoed through the whole forest, six feet tall Percy Jackson collapsed on her. “Are you kidding me!?” She did the first thing that came into her mind, took him back to Camp Half-blood.

Percy opened his eyes, the ceiling of the cabin welcomed him. “Fuck, it was all a dream again.”

“Woah, you dream about me?” 

Young boy let out an almost girlish scream as he pulled his blanket over his chest like he tried to protect his pudicity. Y/n grimaced. “Goddammit Percy, roosters are amateurs next to you.” His ragged breath slowed down when he saw the very face that was the star of his ‘dream’. 

“You aren't dreaming, I kissed you, so-”

“WE'RE DATING NOW!?” 

And that was how all residents of Camp Half-blood learned about their relationship.

Upcoming days, Percy was like a limb of her. Eighty percent of his time was spent with her, the other twenty percent he was yapping about her to Grover and the rest of the Seven. 

Contrary to what she thought, days turned weeks, weeks turned months, months turned years. Percy kept torturing everyone around him about his girlfriend, his fiancée and his wife. 

And maybe they weren't Immortal, but through generations, Camp Half-blood remembered the lovesick couple of 21th century.

©2024 earthpleasures do not repost, copy, translate, modify

[ofswordsandpens]

what do you think could’ve been done better regarding camp half-blood besides spending more time there/pacing? i’d love to hear your thoughts!

!! okay I know you're specifically asking for things that could have been done better beyond spending more time at CHB, but straight up that one issue is really the crux of everything. -- The time we spend at CHB before the quest in the show is half the time we do in the book. (And for a different frame of reference, the book is aprox. 40% over by the time the trio is leaving camp borders.)

And since the show runners halved the pre-quest chb runtime, as a result we lose quite a bit of content that helped to establish context, tone, foreshadowing, character dynamics etc.

Because we have to prioritize Percy and Luke's relationship in the show, it forces the rest of the relationships that were established in CHB in the book into the background, (or simply makes them none existent):

We have pretty much only ever been told verbally about Luke and Annabeth's bond by this point (episode 5). They have a two second interaction at camp that's not particularly noteworthy and that's that. Imo that's not particularly compelling story telling lol. We'll likely (hopefully) get something from episodes 6-8, but I maintain we still should've gotten something more substantial between Luke and Annabeth at camp. I've said before, at bare minimum the show should have had Luke see them off at Thalia's tree like he did in the book.

I've mentioned this before but Annabeth and Percy's dynamic had a much greater establishment in chb in the book because she's the one that's his guide at camp and she actively seeks him out more. In the show, we have to give this role to Luke and while I can give this change between book to screen more leeway because, yes, we have the entire quest to build Percy and Annabeth's dynamic, I still didn't like that it pretty much forced Annabeth into the periphery in the show. As a result, it made her seem a lot more distant and aloof than she ever was in the book. (Shoutout to Leah's armor strap improv, she's doing more for Annabeth than the show runners are).

2. We don't really get see the effects of Percy being claimed as Big Three Kid at camp:

Yeah, Percy moves into the new cabin in the show but then almost immediately after he's off on his quest. Meanwhile in the book, Percy's claimed as a big three kid... and then we see how it ostracizes him.

He misses being in the Hermes' cabin. Campers avoid him. He sleeps and eats alone now. He has to have solo lessons with Luke because the others are scared. He's miserable! And none of those experiences were translated to screen.

Again, they told us that big three kids are taboo, but have not shown that impact.

Like the difference in reaction during the claiming scene between the book and the show pretty much sums up this discrepancy.

3. General loss of foreshadowing and tone:

Because we don't get as much Annabeth, we lose how in the book, she had been aware that something was wrong with the gods and surmised that something was stolen long before the quest. She shared this with Percy. It was a great showcase of her intelligence. It helped set the tone that something was wrong before the quest even stared. And all of it just, didn't really make the cut.

The hellhound attack also didn't make it and its just another loss of foreshadowing. Luke was straight up trying to kill this kid from day one. Percy was not safe even at camp. Things weren't okay ever.

The weather! Yes the boundary keeps the weather mild at camp but in the book Percy remarks on the huge storms that surround them at one point. Before he leaves there's a storm so bad approaching that the campers are nervous. Even before he got to CHB there were "inexplicable" storms all the time. I wish this had been maintained in the show even beyond the camp. The gods, Zeus, they aren't happy.

Also, I tried rewatching the episodes to find this convo but I couldn't so please let me know if it's there somewhere but I don't think Luke conveyed anywhere in the show that his quest "messed things up" for anyone? Like, sure, they could include this at the end, but I think it's more impactful when we see more hints of his bitterness early on.

4. Minor Nitpicks + More things I miss:

Annabeth should have gotten soaked by Percy's Supreme Lord Bathroom moment like she did in the book. Percy had flooded the entire bathroom and she wasn't speared. In fact, Percy was the only person who wasn't wet.

The self-filling goblets in the book + the blue Coke moment.

I wish the show had Percy like, white knuckling his minotaur horn refusing to let it go. In the book he saw it as the last souvenir of his mother, refused to let anyone else hold, and was afraid it would be taken.

Rip Argus :(

[slaybestieslay946]

Your last uncle!percy fic was EVERYTHING and I was wondering if you could write another one in the same universe where reader and Luke go out on a date so Percy and annabeth babysit? And maybe more interaction with Percy and reader? Feel free to make it your own juts thanks so so much for your contribution to the Luke lovers with that last one you posted haha

Date Night

MASTERLIST

word count: 1000

pairing: luke castellan x posiedon!reader

warnings: none!

a/n: icl Luke is kinda a minor character in this one, and i chose to just have Percy in it coz i felt like it made more sense?? idk hope you enjoyed love u anon

“Ok, so, dinner’s in the fridge, as well as formula for Violet. James normally goes to bed at 8, but I told him he can stay up later if he wants.” 

You explained, as you flitted around the kitchen with a list in one hand and a clutch in the other. Your brother followed after you with an attentive expression on his face. 

Tonight was you and Luke’s first date night since Violet was born, and you had been looking forward to it for weeks. You’d spent the last two hours getting ready, and now it was just a matter of making sure everything was prepared for your favourite babysitter, Percy. 

You stood at the door, peering down at the list while you husband sat on the stairs, tying his shoelaces. 

“Honey, did I forget anything?”

“Hm, did you tell him about the thermostat?”

“Oh, shit yeah.” You turned to Percy, “The thermostat is broken, so if you need to turn on the radiators or anything you’ll have to do it by hand, but I mean, it’s summer so you shouldn’t need to.” 

“Ok cool. Sounds good.” 

“Alright. I think that’s everything. You have a good night, and call if you need anything or have any questions-!”

You were about to go on another spiel about caring for your youngest daughter's specific needs when your husband swept an arm around your waist and practically dragged you out of the apartment. 

“Thanks man, see you at 11!” Luke shouted, giving Percy a quick thumbs up before shutting the door behind you both. 

“Why’d you push me out!” You asked as you both began making your way down the stairs.

“Coz you need to trust your little brother and relax. He’s a good guy.” 

“I know that.” You pouted, “But I also know that he can be a bit scatterbrained sometimes, the boy needs detailed instructions.”

“That’s exactly my point babe. He’s not a boy anymore.”

“God don’t remind me. It makes me feel old.” 

“Sorry. You're not old. Now, stop stressing about Percy and enjoy the date night you incredible husband has so kindly planned out.”

You giggled lightly, rolling your eyes, but agreeing nonetheless.

*

The date went perfectly, and you were back by 10. When you walked inside the house, you were pleasantly surprised to see that it was still standing, and your son hadn’t managed to cause a mess while you were gone like he usually did. 

Luke went up to check on Violet, meanwhile you made your way into the living room, where you could still hear the low hum of the TV in the background. 

In the room, you could see your brother, and your son curled up on the sofa, both of them fast asleep, and snoring slightly. On the TV Cars were playing (James’ favourite), and on the table there were a few mostly empty bowls of snacks. 

You laughed quietly, remembering the movie nights you and Percy had had all those years ago. 

After you left Camp half blood to go to college, he’d come over to your house a few times during the school year, in which you’d have movie marathons, pillow fights, and intense mario kart competitions. 

It’d always end the same, with the both of you passing out on the couch at 2 in the morning, cheeto dust covering your fingers and popcorn kernels all over the floor. 

They were some of your favourite times with your half-brother, when you could forget the worry of getting killed by monsters or the like, and have fun with your only sibling. 

“Hey, Perce.” You whispered, shaking him slightly. It didn’t take much to wake him, and soon his eyes were fluttering open. 

“Oh, Y/N. You’re back already?” 

“Yeah, it’s 11:30.”

“Really?!” He asked, loudly, and you quickly shushed him, pointing to the sleeping child beside him. 

Percy slapped his hand over his mouth, mumbling apologies. You rolled your eyes at him, helping the man off the sofa and leading him out of the living room and towards the spare bedroom (aka Luke’s office).

“You can stay here tonight if you want? It’s pretty late.” 

Your statement was confirmed by a loud yawn from Percy, to which he begrudgingly nodded. 

You directed him to sit in the nearby armchair whilst you grabbed the sheets from the cupboard and began to make up the bed for him. 

“How was James?” 

“We had a great time. He’s a good kid y’know?”

“Yeah.”

“It reminds me of our old movie nights.” He said, his voice slightly wistful. He had always been so sentimental, just like you. 

“Funny. I was thinking the same thing.” 

“Do you remember that time we got snowed in?” He asked, laughing lightly at the memory. 

“Of course! And the snow was so high the pizza delivery man had to climb in through the window!”

You both erupted into fits of giggles and you had to pause in your bed-making to finish laughing. 

“I really appreciate everything you did for me, Y/N.” He declared suddenly, staring off into space. 

“I didn’t do that much Perce. You give me too much credit.” 

“No, I really mean it. You did your best to give me a normal childhood, and looked after me like I was your real brother.” 

You frowned, “You are my real brother. Just like James is your real nephew. And I helped you because you were a good kid who deserved it. You earned the life you have now. We all did.” 

He broke into a bright grin at that, standing up from the armchair to give you a big hug. You could still remember when he was so much smaller than you, just a kid. Now he was an adult, and taller than you (although that mop of curly hair gave him some extra height). Still, despite how tall he got, you were certain he’d always be your little brother.

“Thanks Y/N.”

“No problem kid.”

[readerwithsalt]

Sun and the Star Review: (With snippets from the book)

Since I just finished The Sun and the Star I’m just gonna say the first thing I have a problem with is the TELLING and NOT SHOWING.

• And I was wondering if anyone thought that they made Will super lame and ooc compared to previous cooler depictions of him. Like he’s supposed to be Super Chill under pressure and the Calm Dude but he’s so WHINY the entire book. He’s constantly complaining, judging, screaming, crying or sleeping. The cool, chill vibe Will had before is gone which was one of the things I liked about him before.

• someone else said ‘Tsats Will thinks there’s something wrong with Nico, something wrong with his personality. Will thinks Nico needs to be “fixed” and “healed” and so he can be “normal” and then Nico will be actually appealing to Will. Tsats Will may love some parts of Nico (or at least thinks he loves some parts of Nico). But there are more parts of Nico that Will finds unsavory or unnerving or scary or unsettling or unsatisfactory or unappealing’ I agree sadly

• Like he tells Nico in the beginning of the book that he’s just as capable of survival as Nico (which I snorted at cause no) and then is the hugest burden I’ve ever seen on a quest EVER in a riordan book. Like Nico tries to lift Will up every time he passes out from ‘lack of sun’ (which is so stupid btw) and Nico can’t lift him up cause he’s not strong enough so he’s constantly WAITING on Will. And it’s really boring to read about how every few seconds Nico has to turn around and let his boyfriend catch up.

I think Will’s character could have shined and been more likable in a completely different plot and quest.

Like, I thought since they weren’t giving Will any weapons that his strengths would lie in being the fast athletic character that didn’t need a magic item in order to show off…

• the whole ‘role reversal’ caretaker thing made Will look completely useless. Nico did 80 percent of the work and Will sadly fell flat. I thought he was coming along to keep Nico safe and to heal him when he got injured but Nico was pretty much doing almost every job. It was like he was riding Nico’s coattails to become a ‘hero’ and prove himself. But he didn’t really prove anything except that he complains a lot when things get rough.

They didn’t give Will a character weapon (even Piper has one and she doesn’t fight that much. Neither does Leo and he at least uses a hammer) they made him exhausted the whole book so he didn’t have his normal physical strength, his backstory was also pretty boring.

• and Will keeps randomly getting irritated at Nico bc Nicos irritated at him. Like?? Your shitting on his underworld home every chance you get. I’d be irritated too.

• in previous books he’s described as an archer. Even tho Leo calls him ‘the archer dude’ in TLH he suddenly doesn’t know how to use a bow AT ALL. He only said he wasn’t as good as his siblings not that he was complete shit at it. Previously he used a bow and had a dagger in BOO. Also will randomly says he never wanted to be a fighter and loved healing but in previous books he’s insecure about just that. Also the book forgets Will is a BATTLEFIELD MEDIC. Like he can fight and heal just like Apollo.

• Will whines constantly. And it’s grating and annoying to read. Either about the lack of sun (you knew what you were getting into dumbass) or the dead people walking around or about Nico’s horrible ‘darkness’ that he has to heal. It’s like he never thinks of Nicos feelings when he says stuff. And there little ‘fights’ end unsatisfactory.

• The vibe of Camp-Half-Blood is nonexistent. It does not feel like camp at all. It feels like we’re in a 12 year olds fanfic mind. ALL of the campers are gone even though it’s been established MANY are orphans and we see no beloved background characters and background chaos that makes us smile like in the past books. It made me surprisingly more depressed than I thought it would.

• it’s also missing the mystique of a quest. Like going up to the big house to have the quest recited around a table full of cabin counselor demigods all fighting to be the third member to prove themself a hero (mostly the ares cabin) no matter how important a quest in pjo was for Percy Chiron ALWAYS enforced certain rules. Even if they broke later on.

• Loose Ends. Reyna is. Not. Mentioned. Once. It never comes up how Nico feels about his big sister friend joining the hunters like his other one did even tho in BOO he tore apart a courtyard cause they took her. The girl whose shoulder he cried into, the girl who was with him during his last quest. The girl who thought of him as a little brother and tucked him in her cape and said he resembled his surname as he slept.

Hazel is mentioned… but it’s literally just a couple shallow mentions that don’t have anything to do with the fact that he may not ever see her again if he revisits Tartarus. He mentions his beloved little sister who was the actual first light in his life (don’t know why the book says Will is) in a long time only once and it’s because he can’t remember something and thinks Hazel would?? It’s weird that he iris messages Piper at the end instead of Hazel. I thought that’s what he was going to do and then it was just a big cringe fest of Piper shoved in at the end talking about the label of her sexuality?? Like we actually care??

And It’s never stated that Nico finds out where Jason is even though HE SHOULD KNOW. He literally talks to Beckendorf and Luke when they die in pjo to find out where they went but he can’t figure out where his best friend is??

Also at the end of the book it says Nico still hasn’t redecorated his cabin even though he told Jason he was going to a YEAR AGO bc the ‘decor was disgusting’ (I think that was the worst loose end not fixed 😂)

Every other relationship of Nicos is thrown away so he can admire Will Solace’s mediocrity. who’s kinda a loser in this tbh….

• The Percabeth scene was weird. What relevance does sally jackson have to Nico’s story? Why did he have to go all the way to Percy’s bedroom to iris message him?? And the fact he uses the ship name Percabeth to describe them (which he’d never done in previous books) proves a cringe fan is the one writing this.

The fact that they don’t OFFER TO HELP Nico is ooc of them. Bc even if Percy wants to chill at college he would never want Nico to clean up his mess without offering his help. Also the fact that Percy turns to Annabeth and says ‘oh man I forgot about him’ is like… WHAT?? And they just say oh yea if anyone can get through Tartarus it’s you two.

To Will who’s never been on a quest and doesn’t fight (at least in this book) that’s a weird thing to say. Percy and annabeth only survived bc they’ve fought together FOR YEARS. And bc of Percy’s big three power. It was just a forced add in cameo. Would’ve been better if they didn’t know till the end that Nico got Bob out and then they suddenly see Bob in an iris message and start crying or something…

• it broke my heart that Nico gave his SKULL RING to Will. The last gift from Bianca Nico ever got and he gives it to someone that doesn’t even appreciate his element.

And what does Nico get in return? A coin. I mean, an engraved coin but still. It’s kinda symbolic of the relationship. Nico giving Will something of such RELEVANCE to Nico’s character, something he’s always described with wearing and then Nico receiving a token in turn.

• Will asks Persephone how he’s SUPPOSED TO LOVE NICO. Like I almost blew up my house with me in it at that part. It never feels like Will is as attracted to Nico as Nico is to him. Nico instigates every kiss (which is ooc of him and his reservedness to touch). It seems Will likes to look at others a lot because one of Nicos insecurities were of him staring at fucking Paolo. While being right next to his boyfriend, Will checks out other people… Like Nico deserves so much better. He at least deserves respect.

I would’ve appreciated Nico and Ghost Jason way more than this shit. At least Jason described Nico better and they weren’t even dating. And I liked Solangelo before this. Will never describes physical attributes that he likes about Nico the same way Nico does about Will. Like Nicos inky dark eyes and baby bat winged hair, and his smile that is apparently like winter sun breaking through snow flurries, and his hair smelling pleasantly of rain against stone (I think Apollo is more attracted to Nico than Will is). But Nico has to call Will hot every five min.

• Also I simply don’t understand the idea that Will being away from the sun would drain him to the point where he can’t keep up with NICO’S WALKING PACE within a couple hours. Like the super athletic, physically strong character that can lift Nico over his shoulders and run with him (and Rachel in TON) walks into the underworld and has to be healed by a stupid portable night light within five minutes.

• Don’t even get me started on his JUDGINESS. I always pictured Will as the guy at camp that thought Nicos powers were cool and stuff, right? And now he just judges every ‘dark’ thing nico does like darkness is synonymous with evil. And only his light can heal him. I HATED that trope and honestly thought they would make him more original. But I have to say it: he was so boring. Like in a way that made my stomach hurt.

• Wills kind of a jerk in this. Like it’s weird to read.

• The PACING. It was off the whole book. The only part i enjoyed was the part where they didn’t know they were dreaming (that part got me) but that was it. But like gorgras scene keeps overlapping with the rest of the story and I kept forgetting my place. The fact that riordan or oshiro or whatever 12 year old fan wrote this put the words FLASHBACK & DREAM SEQUENCE over the chapters gave it SERIOUS fanfic vibes. The pacing is simply not suspenseful enough for a place like Tartarus.

• And do NOT get me started on Tartarus. Okay I’ll say it anyway: it wasn’t scary AT ALL. LIKE ANY OTHER QUEST. Actually it seemed easier than other previous quests which is a big nope. Hades might as well have sent him to Target.

• And about the fact that is was HADES who gave him that prophecy is SO OOC of him. He loves Nico. Nico is probably Hades most favorite child ever as of right now and he sends him horrible nightmares, and a prophecy respouted 12 times to get him to save Bob (whom Hades could care less about btw) and go back to a place that he knows haunts Nico every day MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE!

Also HOW did hades give Rachel that prophecy? He has no power over the Oracle of Delphi.

• Maria and Bianca MAKE NO SENSE! How in the hell is there any piece of thier souls left when Hades gave Maria ancient rites and was the one soul Nico was not allowed to see and Bianca reincarnated. WHICH WAS FORGOTTEN BTW. NOW SHES BACK IN ELYSIUM?? Like?? Like maybe I could see Hades letting Nico see a piece of Maria but Bianca is literally GONE forever.

Nico was ooc. Like not too badly but still bad. But the fact that Will didn’t let Nico shadow travel even once irks me. The fact Will didn’t let him summon Jules Albert irks me. The fact that Will kept brushing off nicos feeling about the underworld irks me. The fact that Will called Persephone the most beautiful PERSON he’d ever seen right in nicos face and then asked his (insecure) boyfriend if he was jealous irks me. The fact that Will is BORING AS FUCK irks me

• And the COMING OUT story. Horridly ooc. Nico shouting to the whole camp he’s gay and getting all the other kids to come out too is like??? and apparently he asked out Will before Will had even come out?? Nico would NEVER do that. Especially since not long before Cupid had done the same to him. And apparently Nico is like the first out character in a MODERN GREEK camp with DIONYSUS as a director. No.

In character Nico would’ve shadow traveled back to his cabin or the woods the moment he figured out what was happening.

• the nicknames are extremely cringe. Little ball of darkness is used to much and it made me itch. I think Will simply calling him babe or something would’ve been simpler and made them seem more like a real couple instead of a caricature of light and dark.

• ‘he’d always been the demigod who WOULDNT eat.’ ………..what the actual fuck is this. Nicos always been naturally skinny but being starved in jar is what messed up his hunger. Not that he WOULDNT eat. Why is everything always his fault in this book?

Like, he didn’t ‘LET’ himself get to the point of starvation over and over. I mean first of all he became homeless at ten years old, probably had to steal food items. And most recently he got KIDNAPPED by TWO GIANTS and starved forcibly. And then when he got out he was under so much stress of what just happened to him in Tartarus, the war with Gaea, his forced outing, and having to lug an enormous statue ACROSS THE WORLD. but nah, I guess he just LET all of that stuff happen to him

• the references are BAD. Out of touch bad. Unfunny and the joke never becomes a joke. It’s never explained how a kid from the 1930s knows how to use the internet and look up lil nas x in a camp that doesn’t use any technology. Doesn’t explain how Nico knows about Care Bear powers (I didn’t even know that) and the beginning scene with the Star Wars ‘joke’ set a weird tone for the book and wasn’t even funny.

• I hated the cocoa puff demons coming to live with Nico. Like I was fine they got created ig even tho it was weird and kinda dumb but the fact that Nico is so keen to have his worst memories and insecurities sleep in bed with him makes no sense once again. In character Nico would’ve burned them with hellfire.

• Also Nyx is a unfathomably weak villain. A PRIMORDIAL GODDESS that even ZEUS fears is taken down in two seconds. Also she’s just trying to get Nico ‘accept his darkness’. WHICH HE ALREADY HAS DONE. The moment he called himself The Ghost King in battle of the labyrinth at eleven years is when he truly accepted his powers and who he was. So… why is she even in the book in the first place??

• Also Will STILL insists it’s Nicos fault he wasn’t accepted. And that it was all in his head….

Also Micheal Yew was simply never mentioned again. Neither was lee fletcher. If they were I missed it.

There were a COUPLE of cute parts and lines but really this is simply too weird (and bad) to be canon to me. This book is just not canon. I see it as fanfiction from a random author that riordan probably let write the entire book or at least most of it. I think sadly riordan put his name on this for money and for fanservice because the writing is first draft material.

(And it kind of feels like they got this version of Nico and Will from cringy meme posts about them. Like, you know the ones where Nico’s all like ‘I am darkness, i am a vampire’ and Wills all like ‘come on, my uwu baby, no more shadowtravel for you, doctors orders~’ 🤣😭)

just because they thought that’s what the twelve year olds wanted and not realizing that a lot of those posts are simply made as a joke and not actually taken seriously in canon…. And that most people in the fandom thinks those are bad cringeposts

[lilyfoxonfire]

A little bit of a rant, but. And this is a Very Personal Take, so watch out for that.

The thing I wish more writers at DC got is that Jason's tragedy runs deeper than the Joker — but it also doesn't run deep enough that it ruined him from the start (which happens to be a particularly terrible train of thought in general.)

Jason Todd, as Robin, was a sweet kid. Jason Todd, as Robin, was angry, traumatized, sometimes vicious. Jason Todd, as Robin, loved school. Jason Todd, as Robin, hated criminals. He loved his father, and loved being Robin, and didn't quite respect Batman's mission, and had issues with his family. These things can coexist. They *should* coexist — because this coexistence is what makes the character interesting, when you look at him for more than five seconds.

It's all too easy to act as if Jason's leading tragedy — the key moment that defines his path — is the moment he dies to the Joker. This isn't *inaccurate*, per se; the events of his resurrection were indeed mostly influenced by the events leading to, and surrounding, his death. But dying to the Joker does not *constitute all that Jason is.* That's a thing writers keep falling into; this idea that everything about Jason Todd eventually and inevitably goes back to the Joker, and his murder. Both "Kill the Joker" and "Three Jokers" (ironic) approached the character from this angle, and I think that's a damn shame.

Then you'll see people who look deeper, and define the character by his background. Criminal abusive father, cocaine addict mother who eventually dies, a miserable half-life in the streets and slums of Gotham City, depending on petty crime not to starve to death. It's a terrible existence, and the scars it left on Jason's psyche are clear, but that alone does not constitute all that he is. I've heard the following take a few dozen times; "There was never any hope for Jason Todd." Even Batman himself, in some comics, says something to this effect.

There's two camps on this hill, of course. The first, more aggressive, is of the idea that Jason was "rotten from the start"; this isn't at all an uncommon take, both within fandoms and in real life when talking about certain polemic figures. We, as people, find some sick comfort in pointing to people who do things we dislike, fictional and otherwise, and declaring that their perceived evil is innate, like there's something off within their heads. We see this phenomena a lot more often with Superboy Prime, for example — but it's not quite uncommon with Jason Todd, in some circles.

I don't think I need to elaborate on why this is toxic, of course. Reducing these characters — and people irl, when applied in such cases — to circumstances of some innate evil self, a rotten soul or undiagnosed antisocial disorder or whatever, is to close your eyes to any context that might have led to what happened to them. You don't have to forgive someone for doing something, especially when that something is awful, but there is still room to seek to understand why what happened happened, so that one might attempt to stop it from happening again, or ruminate on its consequences.

Coming back to our given example, by saying Jason was "always rotten", these people choose to completely ignore every important (and trust me, they were incredibly important) factor in his life that led to his behaviour. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these are the people most likely to portray Robin!Jason as an arrogant asshole and nothing else.

The other camp is a bit more reasonable. "Jason Todd never had the chance to be more than what he was" is the prevalent thought they hold — from the streets as an orphan to the streets as a fighter, surrounded by violence at every turn. How could he ever have grown past the blood if new blood kept being spilled? It's a very humane take on the character, comparatively speaking, but I feel like it's also diminutive. Because this passive acceptance of an outcome is, in and of itself, a sentence to it. Which is to say — this, and the condemnation preferred by the first camp, are different only in the tone of their voices and the amount of empathy displayed. There's still an acceptance of the fact that this was 'always how things would play out', one way or the other. Like this was Fate.

This perception of the larger tragedy at hand as some sort of Destiny resulting from Jason's background and the tragedy he suffered is most notable in the recent interactive film "Death in the Family". Notice the similarities the many paths have to one another — of course, we know on a metaphysical level that this is in part due to budget limitations. But within the context of the movie, the narrative is that of the following; that those events, those horrors, would be Jason's inevitable destiny in every path his life could take where it crossed both Joker and The Batman.

And that, to me, is such a tragic misreading of what makes his tragedy *special*. Because any reading of Jason's tenures as Robin show a boy who does, indeed, have hope. We see this child be, well, a child — love and live and have issues a kid would have. We see him have problems with his family, sure, but also enjoy their presence, and get close to them. We've seen, recently, how he loved his father. How he and his brother patched things up. We've seen how he admired Barbara. To say that Jason's life would always end one way is to ignore the one true innate thing about him, and that was the arc of moving past one's trauma.

At his core, Jason was a heroic kid who had a lot of baggage. What made him different from Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne was the nature of this baggage — he had no sole event to blame for it, no single tragedy before the Joker. Jason Todd's personal Vendetta was against Gotham City, in all the ways it was rotten. See how he lashed out when confronted with Felipe Garzonas and Gloria; *that* was Jason's target of rage and trauma, not any single event. Ironically, the thing Robin Jason and Red Hood Jason share is this; a rage against an immutable status quo, against the seemingly inherent futility in endlessly fighting to stop crime in the moment, never taking it further, always holding back. Rage against inevitability.

This is a child who could, and was close to, and was *expected to*, one day grow beyond himself. Perhaps it would always be outside of Batman's specific code. Perhaps not. But it was not Jason Todd's background that consigned him to a life of violence. Even at that point in time, at his lowest and within the worst interpretation of it, had it not been for the Joker, Jason would almost inevitably have moved beyond himself like Bruce eventually did, like Dick eventually did. Eventually, people change. That was a 15-year old boy lashing out, and given time, and support, every last piece of his story tells us he'd have healed.

Instead, he died a violent murder, betrayed by his mother, and was condemned to a cycle of violence that was almost custom-built to perpetuate every last worst part of himself. To make every last flaw of his shine. To stoke the flames of his rage and nothing else. And it happened because he died, and metaphysically because the author wanted something to try (and fail) to question Batman's methods once again.

That's the tragedy of Jason Todd — forever doomed to push boulders uphill. This is a character built for a world that can either change or be questioned — but his is a world that does neither, so he will only ever fall further down, further down indeed. And as he does, he'll keep pushing boulders, struggling, trying to go up. And he will fail. He can't ever recover because we, the world, won't let him.

Or we can just make him a magic ninja lol

(I actually like the All Caste stuff, ironically. Could've been done way better, but. Hey. Ducra questioned that boy's ideals without being a moralist jackass. I will take that.)

[iamnmbr3]

Can I ask about Snape for "give me a character" ask?

Sure can!

How I feel about this character

Snape is a complex, flawed, emotionally compelling and morally grey character - which is why he's one of my favorites. I find him deeply fascinating and also very tragic.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Shipping isn't that central to my interest in Snape's character. That said, I actually think snily has some fun potential and I'm always surprised there's not more written for it. I think Snape/Sirius as a dark or semidark (depending on the exact iteration) ship also has a lot of fascinating potential for something a bit messed up and very interesting. I also think Snape/Lupin has some very interesting potential as well though I've yet to find a fic that really explores the aspects of that ship that I think would be most compelling.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

I think Snape's relationship with Voldemort is really interesting. He and Tom Riddle have a lot in common - both from poor backgrounds, both with accents that they later worked to change, both very magically talented and creative, both half-blood, both with Muggle fathers who they disliked (and possibly whom they both killed), both highly intelligent etc.

I think to the extent that Voldemort likes anyone, he likes Snape. I mean he actually expresses some regret about killing him and apologizes to Snape. He also offers Lily a chance to live as a favor to Snape. And doesn't kill him on sight when he shows up late following the events of book 4 (though he is initially furious). And of course while Snape definitely fears Voldemort he doesn't grovel as much as some of his Death Eaters do, which I think Tom actually likes and respects.

On the other hand Tom has some reservations about Snape (partly probably just because he has trust issues) - even in book 7 I think part of the reason he kills Charity Burbage in the way that he does is to test Snape's loyalties by gauging his reaction. And of course Snape is actually not loyal to him at all and blames him for the death of the love of his life. I find the whole dynamic super interesting.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Regardless of Snape's later actions, what the Marauders did to him in SNW was utterly inexcusable. (This is only an unpopular opinion in some circles of course.) Snape's later misdeeds do not take away from his victimhood in that scene, nor does his victimhood take away from his flaws or subsequent bad choices and actions.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I think Snape's arc is pretty well done. I would've liked to have seen more of his time as a double agent. I understand this would be difficult given the constraints of the series mostly being from Harry's POV, but it could have been accomplished with visions through Harry's connection to Voldemort. Especially in book 7 more visions that showed what the Death Eaters were up to would have been a lot more fun than camping and endless wedding planning imho.

[bittersweetstargazer]

and all the heights that I could reach

fandom: trials of apollo

characters: Apollo, Meg, Will, Nico, Kayla, Austin, mentioned Cabin 7 members in the background

words: 1.2k, unbetaed

Meg was staring at me. Normally, this would be off-putting, but considering who was performing said task, I didn't think it was of much concern. I was more interested in talking to Cabin 7, my precious children who I hadn't seen or talked to in months. And they were worried for my too, bless their hearts.

I couldn't ever fool myself into believing that Meg had even the slightest amount of intrigue when faced with Austin's music playing abilities or Kayla's improvement in archery, but maybe the wonders of being paired with a (former) god had caught up to her.

Or she was just being obnoxious.

I couldn't say that I knew Meg very well (we had, after all, only met when I was mugged by some annoying mortals) but from what I had seen so far, staring seemed exactly like something she would do.

After a few long minutes of this cruel and unusual behavior, I simply could not ignore it any longer. It was bothering me more than it should have. I was a (former) god, after all, why would I be worried about mortals staring at me? Wouldn't it be a sign of my apparent ugliness radiant glory? I didn't think I'd want to know what Meg was thinking in that moment.

Unfortunately, or maybe it was fortunate, I was informed against my will.

(And didn't that remind me of my beautiful son, Will?)

"Hey, Lester." Meg said, although 'said' was simply a calmer version of 'butting in mid-conversation'.

"Yes, dear Meg?" I replied, not entirely upset or surprised to see a scowl form on her face.

"Don't call me that." She ordered. "Why'd you tell me that you trained Perry? Isn't-"

"Percy." I reminded her.

"Shut up." My mouth was (figuratively) glued shut. "Isn't this the place that teaches demigods to swing swords 'n stuff? Why is the other goddy guy here instead of you?"

I watched her expectantly, waiting for the moment she realized that I had to be quiet in response to her orders.

"Well?" She demanded.

"Er, Meg, he can't speak." Will spoke up, defending me against my captor (and isn't he such a sweetheart?).

"Shut up," She stuck her tongue out at Will, who huffed and continued eating his breakfast. Meg turned back to me.

"Talk." She ordered, and I had no choice but to speak. However, I would've spoken whether or not she had ordered me to be silent, so it was a win-win for me.

"Well, it was I who originally trained Chiron, a few thousand years back. I taught him-"

"Wait, wait, wait." Nico held his hand up. I raised an eyebrow as he continued speaking. "You taught Chiron? I figured he managed to learn all those skills himself or something."

"No, Nico di Angelo, I was Chiron's teacher. I taught him all the important skills a demigod should know. Archery, healing, and how to use swords and other blades that would come in handy in a fight. When I was certain he had learned all I could teach him, I led many mortal heroes to him so he could pass on the knowledge I lent him. Essentially, I started Camp Half-Blood." I told them.

My children + Nico and Meg looked stunned at this information.

"The more you know." Austin said, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Indeed, dear Austin! I was also first person to think of Satyrs finding Demigods. I knew that there'd be too many in the future and they'd find themselves in danger too often to be able to find their way to the Camp. So, I sent a group of satyrs and led them to Chiron. I was also the god who created the magical border that protects you mortals from the outside world." I informed them, seeing the beginning of smiles forming amongst my children, especially thr ones who were silently listening. Surprisingly, Will had a small frown on his face. It seemed almost impossible, as I was incredibly talented at telling stories! Maybe I should've put it in song? It would be a bit difficult as my godly abilities in song-writing have greatly decreased, but maybe-

"Well, shouldn't you be the patron God? Why does Zeus control Camp Half-Blood?" Will asked me. I raised my eyebrows, as I was not expecting this question. To this, I silently cursed Zeus for taking away my prophetic abilities.

"Well, dear Will, Dionysus' punishment certainly put a halt to things. I was already partially prevented from visiting Demigods due to Zeus' law-" I rolled my eyes at this. "- but Dionysus' presence at the camp meant I wasn't needed too often and couldn't spent as much time there as I used too. The final event was when Thalia sacrificed her life and was turned into a tree by Zeus. Since it was technically her, now, who protected the Camp, I had no more jurisdiction here anymore. Zeus was 100% in control." I finished.

The table was silent for a few seconds. I figured that they were holding back applause or sobs, but the apprehensive look on their faces baffled me. I mean, the story was perfectly clear, and Meg hadn't even interrupted me! Although, that might very been because she started gorging herself on food when I started talking. She stopped, however, and turned to me, food covering her mouth in a way that made me want to sanitize my face.

"Er, Meg, you have a little-" I gestured in the general direction of her face. "Yeah."

"I don't care." She declared. "Why did Zeus kick you out?" She squinted at him. "Maybe you deserved it."

"Names are very powerful, Meg. It would do you wise to remember that the next time you throw out a God's name casually." I warned her. "But, personally, I think it was his paranoia. I have very many domains, as you know, such as music, poetry, prophecy, the sun, youth, shepherds, cowards, healing, plagues, archery, and others. I was obviously a very powerful god, almost as powerful, if not more powerful, than Zeu- than my father." I took a sip of my drink. "After the time me and a few other gods attempted to overthrow him, he was extremely cautious of me. Unfortunately, these past few years I've lost a lot of power, and some of the gods have been weaker, as not many people worship us recently. It also kind of ties in to what happened with Gaea."

"Gaea?" Kayla asked, speaking up for the first time in a while. "How does this tie in with Gaea?"

"Octavian." I admitted, ashamed of what I had tried to do.

"That conniving son of a-"

"Language." I rebuked, looking at Will disapprovingly.

"What did you do with Octavian?"

"I figured if the Romans worshipped me more, I would gain more power. I've realized my mistake since then, but I do still think that turning me mortal was an unfair punishment, and that blaming me for Gaea rising was completely idiotic!"

Thunder rumbled in the background. I paled slightly, muttering an apology under my breath.

"I still try to help Demigods, but there's not much that I can do now." I shoveled food into my mouth, an excellent imitation of Meg, in order to avoid answering questions my children might ask of me.

Thankfully, they all exchanged glances and left me to my food, striking up a conversation within each other and avoiding the topic that clearly had many of them, if not all of them, riled up with righteous anger in my honor. I teared up slightly, the love for my children bubbling up my chest.

I wouldn't trade them for the world.

[pearlsinmyhair]

༄ breath of venus ༄

interlude - sins of the father

word count: 1.6k

warnings: mentions of hunting, venus kills a yerik. she has some pretty harsh thoughts about herself regarding her identity as both jake’s and quaritch’s daughter.

a.n.: TARSEM IS HERE! we love tarsem on this blog. he’s one of my fav background characters, and he will make a reappearance much later on. this is a small breather between chapters, a flashback chapter if you will. so sit back, relax, and i hope you enjoy. no quote for this chapter (sad, i know).

glossary:

‘eylan: friend

hi’i tsmuke: little sister

yerik: game animal that the Omatikaya hunt. it’s the llama lipped creature from the first movie that jake hunts.

sa’nok: mother

iknimaya: a ceremony where a young na’vi tames and rides a banshee.

taronyu: hunter

next

when she learned the identity of her father , it was an accident.

“Tarsem, please. I want to go. Dad’s given me permission to use my bow, but no one takes me anywhere.” she whined, struggling to keep pace with the group. They were made up of young men of their late teens and early twenties, and she was only half their height at eleven.

“You’ll hold us back, kid. You’re too slow, and too loud. Perhaps when you are older.” said Cantù. Venus glared at him before turning her attention back to Tarsem.

“Obviously you have never hunted with Venus before, ‘eylan. That, or you do not know her well.” Tarsem countered. He reached down and ruffled her hair, being careful to avoid her kuru. He always had an appreciation for her kind and sincere nature, no matter how eager she could get. “She will come with us. Bring your bow, hi’i tsmuke.”

She gave him a wide grin before running off to do as he told her. When she returned, they headed into the forest.

A few hours later, she was home.

They had caught their prey earlier than anticipated, and Tarsem had allowed her to fire the lethal shot instead of the other hunters.

“Let her prove herself, if she wishes to do so” he had said to one of the hunters who disapproved.

“She can try” Ta’nui said, laughing softly with his friends as he lowered the arrow.

Venus raised her tiny arrow in spite of the snickers, taking careful aim at the yerik. She took in a breath and let go as she exhaled.

The arrow flew straight into the animals eye, striking it through so it peaked through the other side of its skull.

The group was silent as she ran to the beast, now slumped on the ground, and prayed over it before slicing her knife into its heart.

It was her first kill.

Needless to say, she bounded through the camp to her tent, eager to tell her parents of her first victory as a true omatikayan warrior.

“Jake, we cannot tell her. She will be devastated.” came her mothers voice through the tent wall. She stopped and went around to the back, pressing her ear to the fabric.

“Venus has the right to know.”

So this was about her. What did she not know?

‘What if she runs. She has always been flighty, and she will be unwilling to stand it. She is too young, Ma’Jake.’

Venus did not think she was too young for anything. After all, she still had yerik blood on her knife.

She rolled her eyes at her mothers answer. She was always so worried about Venus running off. She always came back, she assured her sa’nok constantly. But it didn’t matter.

She was pulling the flap of the tent aside to ask ‘what do i need to know?’ when Jake revealed it.

“The longer we wait to tell her Quaritch is her father, the worse her reaction will be.”

Venus dropped her knife.

Both parents startled and turned just in time to see Venus’s tail disappear.

They called for her to stop, to wait, to listen. But she wasn’t hearing them. Blood roared in her ears as she ran to the lab to search the files that Grace had left for her.

Memories and questions flashed in her mind as quick as her feet.

Is this why mother doesn’t look at me sometimes? Does she see the man who killed grandfather? Who killed Seze? I am the offspring of a monster. It is not true. It cannot be true.

She burst through the doors of the lab, not bothering to grab a breathing regulator. Norm, startled, looked at her with worried eyes.

“Venus, what the…” he must have noticed her wild eyes, how her breath was ragged, how her chest heaved with stress.

“I need to see the locked file.”

Norm’s concerned expression hardened into solid authority at her words. Despite being in his human body, he had managed to figure out how to use body language against the Sully children.

“Absolutely not, kid. Not until your parents give permission.” She snarled. He jumped at that, flinching slightly before regaining his composure. “Hissing isn’t going to get you anywhere, Venus. It’s locked.”

She didn’t have time for this. She reached behind him into a drawer, grabbing a peice of crumbled paper tapped to the roof of the metal. She had known it was there for months, but she had been patient.

But now, she could practically feel the steps of her parents as they deduced where she was. She avoided Norm’s grasping hands and ducked into the secondary lab, shutting and bolting the door behind her.

Silence greeted her ears. Her chest felt a little tight as she walked forward to the computer beside Grace Augustine’s avatar body. She pressed a hand to the glass as she unfolded the paper and punched in Norm’s confidential password.

She found the file easily, the pounding of the scientist’s fists against the sealed door forming a mantra of ‘hurry up, hurry up, hurry up’ in her mind.

The video opened as she typed in the password to the entry page that loaded up when she clicked the link.

‘Br3ath0£>Enu$’

Grace Augustine sat at the desk before the camera, leaning to the side and speaking firmly.

“You have to hold her gently, Wainfleet, or she’ll squirm out and of your arms and onto the floor.”

“I’m trying my best, Doc, but she’s like a goddamn blue worm.”

The marine came into view, sliding comically on a rolling chair behind Augustine. A small blue hand the size of his nose reached up and patted his bald head.

“Every time, kid? You gotta pat it every time?”

Venus chuckled, even as her gut churned with anxiety and terror.

Augustine turned to look at the monitor, staring into her eyes.

“Hello, Venus. I know you have questions, and i’m here to answer them.”

Wainfleet stood up with baby Venus and walked out of the room.

“Your parents…do not know you are here. Alive, I mean. They decided that it was better that you not grow up in this dreary mess of hell that we call home, so they had you removed before you were even you. Some scientists decided to play god and make you anyway. But i’m sure you know about that part. What this log is about it who your parents are.”

Venus held her breathe, hoping, praying for her to say a nobody, some random man and woman who just happened to become pregnant.

Grace grimaced with her.

“Your mothers name is Paz Socorro. She’s a funny woman and a pilot. She’s got a ferocious little heart. And your father…”

Please, Eywa, have mercy.

“is Colonel Miles Quaritch.”

She hit the power button to the computer and slumped to the floor.

This couldn’t be happening.

He couldn’t be her father.

The man that every Omatikaya child knew. The monster than haunted their bedtime stories. The demon that her mother had killed with two arrows.

Was the man that made her.

It was at that moment that she began to truly regret not grabbing a breathing regulator. She was panicking, her heart rate fast as she ran through each and every memory.

Her mother looking at her quizzically one night. The way that her parents glanced at each other when Lo’ak and Neteyam made jokes about her unknown parents. The way that Jake’s eyes sometimes narrowed at her when her face contorted in anger.

“Baby Girl, i need you to open the door.”

Came the soft voice of her father from the other room. She chocked on a sob as her brain stuttered.

Toruk Makto is not my father. I’m not worthy of that.

She wheezed, and she heard a soft knock.

“Please, baby, you gotta let us in.”

She crawled to the door, thinking she would topple if she stood.

She slid the bolt to the unlocked position.

And there they were, her parents. They looked down at her with worried eyes, trying to gage what she knew.

She swallowed, debating what to say.

She settled for “Do I look like him?”

They descended on her with every ounce of love they could give, pressing her between their bodies as she sobbed. Neytiri pressed a regulator to her nose and she inhaled, chocking through tears.

They pressed kisses to her face and hands, whispering “it’s alright”, “let it out”, “just breathe”.

When her sobs ceased and her tears dried up, she nuzzled into her fathers chest as they explained. As they assured her that his shadow did not fall on her. That his sins did not land on her shoulders.

She slept between them for the first time in a year, and they cradled her as if she wasn’t already more than half their size.

When she woke, she told her father that she was ready to tame an ikran.

She avoided her reflection. She never got an answer on whether she and him looked alike.

She excelled in her training, learning and practicing faster and harder than any other child.

She had always grown up with Jake’s shadow, rising up to meet his greatness. But now, she had a dangerous figure behind her to never become.

And for a time, after she completed her Iknimaya and became a taronyu, she was happy. Because she was safe and loved, and nothing like him.

No, that man was gone, decomposed in a forgotten amp suit at the Old Shack. Forgotten by the animals and plants that took energy from his body.

He was dead.

Right?

so let’s talk tarsem and venus (because other things will be discussed later.) this is basically bonus facts.

i headcannon tarsem to be an orphan of war. i imagine him to be about twenty-five when he takes on jake’s position, so that makes him eighteen in this chapter.

he meets venus officially when he’s sixteen and she’s nine. she followed him around because she wanted to train with him, and he kind of just lets her.

this fosters into a kind of sister-brother relationship. NO, THIS IS NOT ROMANCE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. THERE IS SEVEN YEARS BETWEEN THEM.

tarsem just thinks venus is a funny little kid who’s a ridiculously good archer.

and she thinks he’s really quiet but really nice.

one time jake jokingly said that he should see if tarsem wanted to court venus when she was seventeen and war had broke out.

she sucker punched him in the gut. she didn’t mean to do it so hard, but she didn’t exactly apologize.

tarsem just calls venus’s bluff on a lot of things, because he sees her very clearly. and btw, venus would have approved of the choice of tarsem if she knew of it.

taglist:

@lisedanie @xstarsmvxz @avatar4eva

[therealdesastrffxiv]

My Thoughts on 6.5! (Note: Spoilers.)

Hey everyone :)

A little background on me - I'm a new player as of late Shadowbringers from World of Warcraft. I know, I know! A scary WoW player. Rest assured, I'm a roleplayer, and not an elitist. I did like PvE content in WoW, but I prefer story building and roleplay. I'm an author, after all!

Anyhow, with that in mind, I admittedly wasn't a huge fan of 6.5 MSQ. What was intriguing about the 6.x series was how Zero's character was challenging the notion of voidsent being just evil in the MSQ. We've seen instances in side content where this is the case, and in fact emphasized - a lot of All Saint's Wake stuff comes to mind (speaking of which, where's the info on it for this year? I'm dying to know!). However, in this instance, Zero's story in my personal opinion really did not end well at all. It was the typical 'defeat dark with light' and 'cure the void'. We went from a half-voidsent hero with a cool, unique aesthetic to just another paladin. I don't mind stories where a darker character goes lighter... in a vacuum. When it's repeated over and over and never in the reverse, to show the 'dark' stuff can be used for good too, though, it gets SUPER old. Why can't we have a paladin/light user switch to 'dark magic' and be a hero? (I know it happens a lot in side content, but I'd want to see it as a highlight of a story for once.) The "Warrior of Darkness" thing they did in Shadowbringers was super neat! But it was, all in all, in TITLE only, not actual lore. The Warrior of Light/Darkness didn't switch unless it's your OC lore that it happened.

All in all, I was disappointed. Any nuance she had went out the window with that generic, predictable ending, and Golbez's arc was waaaay too rushed to be satisfying at all. One could argue he's the 'good void user' or something, but I honestly don't buy it. Meanwhile, Zero's character design changed greatly too. I rolled my eyes hardcore while her scythe broke. Sigh. Plus, what happened to Zero's camp where she was helping voidsent? Voidsent not (as) aggressive? I wanted to see more of them and help them... with Zero (before she became a paladin). They just... left that there. No closure at all. Ugh. One could say everyone there was killed by Barbariccia but i thought they were all freed once she was slain?

Anyway, I was told 6.5 was a callback to FFIV or something, but I've not played any other games and have no interest in doing so. FFXIV has my interest and the reliance on nostalgia in stories is kinda meh. I dunno. Maybe these portions of the game aren't for me, but it's just... disappointing. It doesn't make it a good story. To me, it just wasn't.

(For WoW fans - the story reminded me of Calia & Lothraxion. Somewhat of the blood elf story as well. I'd say Lightforged Draenei, but they're not the dark to light trope so much as just fanatical light users.)

I liked the Myths of the Realm better, but I've seen the community voicing their distaste for what happened, and while I actually enjoy a huge chunk of it, the ending left me feeling very hollow. I've figured out why that is now, too.

I think one of my 'dislikes' even if I like the overarching story of the Myths of the Realm is that we just met everyone, and they all left. I sort of wish it was more 'hey we need a break, can you help us so we can take it? We want to become normal mortals for a little while and learn more about the world in person'. While remaining the gods and gathering power again so they can help more effectively.

I dunno. That would have been a more satisfying ending for me as opposed to them all essentially dying and leaving us with… no gods. It just feels really sad that after all these near world-ending exterminations, now the gods leave. I understand why - they need a break. But yeah… I kinda wish it was done that way 😭 Because I hate meeting a character, loving that character, seeing personification of very powerful entities… and having to say goodbye right away. It just feels really sad. I guess that's the point, but yeah.

I don't mind they were originally people and morphed by beliefs, but I also wish there were hints that peoples' faith were forming new gods (that again - would retain personalities and humble-ness stuff.)

Because after thinking about it for some time, it just feels kinda sad that they're needed the most now, after the world was nearly exterminated, and now they're saying goodbye :s It feels like now more than ever is the perfect time for them to do what they'd understood they should be doing for the world and helping people.

Alternatively, choosing new gods/passing the baton onto someone to help. Choosing your own fate is great and all, but with many people being faith-based (something I don't see as a bad thing - but I'm polytheistic irl) it would have felt better. I would have really enjoyed this option, it could have started a new era and still upheld the faith of the people of Etheirys. To include the tribal deities as well, as opposed to just strictly putting down peoples' primals.

Anyhow. Endwalker had its ups and downs to me. I don't hate it, it was the first expansion I played through with everyone else, after all. Ultima Thule was interesting, I wish we saw more of it. Hated Garlemald at first, but then the sidequests and RP with my friend really opened my eyes and showed me far more nuance with them in general, which was neat. The ending boss was lackluster, and I thought Zodiark was being built to be a WAY bigger threat than he was.

I know it's trendy to hate on Endwalker, and that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm just sharing my thoughts on why the postpatch story felt really off and disappointing to me. I left WoW Shadowlands because of the horrible, abysmal lore. I really hope FFXIV doesn't take that path, and Dawntrail is treated better.

We're going into it with some rushed, 'tied up loose ends' and a favorite part of the game for me with much intrigue (the void) essentially 'to be fixed fine and dandy' or something. I dunno... it just... meh. It does remind me of my disappointment with Shadowlands, and just how horrible that was fucked up, but not as badly, at least.

FFXIV has the benefit of housing for RP though, and me and my RP partner taking our own paths in the story with super intricate plotlines, so there is that. A lot of the side quest content has been phenomenal even if MSQ has let me down bigtime lately. I still love this game and will be playing it. After all, I need to grind PotD and get my Necromancer title on one of my OCs. That...and grind a bunch of my alts up through EW. I know, I'm a crazy alta-holic.

Oh! I will mention one thing I did like about the postpatch EW story though. The dragon, and Vtra being reunited with his sister. That was pretty neat, I did like that. Super cute, and lovely. Good riddance to Zero who I originally adored and was intrigued by, and who now is just another paladin. Hello to a new dragon friend, I guess.

Edit: Also, I probably am coming across as someone who just 'hates the light'. I don't, and think it can be cool to depict either fire or warmth in the light, and the 'light at the end of the tunnel', but when it's repeated over and over as 'the light will defeat the evil darkness' in common media including beyond FFXIV, it just gets tiresome. Again, I'm coming from WoW, which is another game utterly notorious for doing that. We also see it in D&D. It's a common trope in FFXIV in general and I adore seeing signs that hey, maybe this portion of the story will break it, only to be disappointed.

At least we got to see Sin Eaters as bad in ShB. Hell, I'd even like to see some sin eaters take the lore-route of voidsent - some being good, some being bad. It sucks that there currently isn't any lore for that right now, so in that case, I would like to see some nuance and development there, because it'd be really cool to see variants in that aspect too. Trust me, I wish for the 'I hope the extreme end of this can be good as well' too.

[riddlerosehearts]

decided i'm going to start posting my thoughts on baldur's gate 3 every so often as i make my way through the game, because it'd be nice to have some of this stuff about first playthrough written down somewhere! my tav is a half-high elf bard named elenion (he/they) who's neutral good-aligned, and despite being a bard he's very reserved and is always feigning self-confidence. also, he's a college of lore bard who honestly would've fit the sage background pretty well but i went ahead and gave him entertainer instead lol. i guess that actually gives me the opportunity to see more of the inspiration goals by not having the same background as gale! anyway though, here's a few thoughts about what i've done while still being very early in act 1:

at the point i'm at in the story right now, i was supposed to go look for halsin, but instead i decided to finally find karlach. i feel like i probably should've gotten her sooner, but once i got to the grove i didn't wanna venture too far from the main objectives--and the grove is where you recruit wyll and learn about karlach in the first place.

however, halsin sounds very wise and capable so i guess he can handle himself while he waits, and the mindflayer tadpole symptoms aren't progressing like they're supposed to, so why not just go off and act like we've got all the time in the world! maybe elenion is just easily distracted. they did waste quite a bit of time earlier when they found alfira and felt compelled to help her finish her song. and speaking of, i was not expecting such a beautiful cutscene for that?! or for the squirrels we talked to using speak with animals to be so mean and hate her song 😭 but i hope we get to see alfira again and that nothing bad happens to her, and i hope i don't eventually regret saying that!

also, wyll did say karlach is a danger to the entire sword coast, which makes hunting her down sound pretty important... and elenion has an interest in history so they recognized the phrase "advocatus diaboli" and were able to mention the blood war when wyll first talked about her. so maybe they're also interested in seeing if they can get a devil who fought in the blood war and is now wandering the material plane to answer a few questions before taking her down. anyway, point is we're leaving the druids and our quest for a cure hanging to go hunt a devil.

took me a bit to find her despite wyll's quest leading you to her, though. i have a horrible sense of direction, which i guess is okay because my horrible sense of direction did lead me to accidentally find scratch and now we have a dog!

eventually i did get to karlach, and elenion's mind connected to hers and gave him a much closer look at who karlach is and what she's doing here than he expected. naturally he convinced wyll to stand down because karlach does not seem evil. and then he tried to ask karlach some of the questions he had in mind back at camp, but she won't reveal anything until we hunt down the paladins that are still hunting her. understandable, i guess. i like her though! i should try and make sure to get her earlier on my next playthrough.

encountered mizora for the first time when i rested at camp, and i'm very intrigued by what's going on with wyll and i actually have been since way before i played the game and found out he was a fabled hero who was also a warlock. which is why i also think it's a huge shame that from what i've heard at least, he was given a lot less content for his quest and his romance than the other companions were.

wandered around the world a bit more and ended up freeing a poor guy who was being spun around on a windmill by goblins. then i got the scene with gale where he teaches you how to channel the weave, and it not only had bard-specific dialogue options but also had an option that specifically reflected my character's proficiency in history, which was all really neat to see. god, there must be an insane amount of different dialogue branches in this game. love that there was also an option to be like "yeah that was neat, but i could've done it myself lol" since a bard is already a spellcaster.

the range of these particular dialogue options is killing me LMAO

i had high enough approval with gale to trigger a very obviously romantic scene and then the game is literally like "okay, so do you want to kiss him or do you want his severed head on a spike" 😭 like wtf do you THINK?! i can't even imagine how i'd roleplay a character who would be cruel enough to get this far and lead gale on so much before picking to project an image of his head on a spike directly into his mind. and yet i am so curious about what happens if you do--but not curious enough to reload and try to find out. mostly because i cannot bring myself to be mean to gale.

anyway, i picked the romantic walk option. i thought elenion would consider the kiss thing to be a bit too forward. but that was such a sweet scene and i love flustered gale gets when he realizes how you feel about him. going into this game i really thought i'd wanna try for astarion or shadowheart's romances first, and i do like them a lot and want to keep learning more about both of them, but gale surprised me with how much i already liked him from his introduction. he's just really charming and funny and also fits well with the character i made, so i will definitely keep progressing his romance.

aaand i've been progressing a bit slowly because of irl stuff but everything about this game is so good that i wish i'd picked it up sooner! i've been spoiled on quite a bit of things about the story already, but there's also a lot that i haven't been spoiled on and i can't wait to experience all of it anyway.

[bcdrawsandwrites]

[ID: A Bad Things Happen Bingo card. Various prompts are marked with a half-brain (prompt requested but not filled) or full-brain (prompt requested and finished) symbol, while the “Communication Suddenly Cut Off” prompt specifically is marked with a full brain symbol. /end ID]

OKAY! So here’s my second fic for my second @badthingshappenbingo​​ challenge!

I am currently NO LONGER OPEN FOR REQUESTS. I have enough to work on to get a bingo! I MAY decide to reopen prompts later if I want to keep going after finishing these fics, but for now, I am closing requests!

This fic is for @pinkygrocket​! Thanks to her and @jaywings​ for beta-reading!

[ID: A Psychonauts fanfic banner on a black-to-gray gradient background. On the left in white text it says “Prompt #2: Communication Suddenly Cut Off.” On the right is an animated purple figment a glittering psitanium crystal cluster. /end ID]

Prompt: Communication Suddenly Cut Off Characters: Razputin Aquato and Sasha Nein Warnings: Mild claustrophobia, (SPOILERS: blood, minor injury)

---~~~---

Mission Notes:

Meet Ford for new mission debriefing!

Pack gear for ULTRA COOL NEW MISSION!

Double-check AWESOME MISSION GEAR THAT IS TOTALLY NOT GOING TO BE BORING!

Board COOL MISSION HELICOPTER FOR INCREDIBLE DEATH-DEFYING MISSION!

Travel into the DEEP WILDERNESS for DANGEROUS, IMPORTANT MISSION!

count rocks

Raz glared down at his notebook, tapping his pen against it.

Nope, there really was no way to glamorize this.

With a dramatic sigh, he TK'd his pen and notebook into the open backpack that sat at his feet, one strap hooked around his foot to keep it stable. It wasn't his old backpack, but a much larger one equipped with camping gear, as well as various tools Otto had supplied him with for the mission. He considered triple-checking his gear to make sure he had the counting device thingy, the experimental psychic tent shield, all the food, his sleeping bag, and everything else. But there wasn't much of a point when they were already on their way there. Frowning, he zipped the bag shut.

Is everything all right, Razputin? asked a voice in his head.

Looking up, Raz caught Sasha's gaze from the seat across from him. He was still getting used to the sight of him in exploration gear rather than a lab coat. "This isn't some secret mission," Raz said, raising his voice to try to be heard above the helicopter's blades. "We can just talk!"

Yes, but this is easier than competing against the noise of our transport, or bothering our pilot by speaking over the headset.

Well, he wasn't wrong. Raz shrugged. I dunno. I was all excited to go out on a new mission—(especially with Agent Nein! he added to himself)—but we're just... counting rocks.

We're surveying the levels of psitanium and its effects in a small area of Canadian wilderness near the Coast Mountains.

Yeah. Raz leaned back in his seat, fixing Sasha with a deadpan look. Counting rocks.

Sasha tipped his head. Do you believe our mission is unimportant?

I dunno. I just thought we were supposed to be... saving the world? Helping people? Fighting inner demons and all that?

Certainly. And this is helping people, in a way. TKing a cigarette out of his pocket, Sasha stared at it for a moment before thinking better of lighting it within a helicopter, and pocketed it again. Psitanium is a volatile substance that can have strange effects on nonpsychic humans and wildlife.

I know, I know. Agent Cruller already went over this with us.

Then you understand how dangerous psychic wildlife is to an unprepared person.

Yeah, but... Raz gave a vague, useless gesture with his hands. We're not saving people's lives or anything. A thought struck him, and he sat upright. What if we encounter a lost explorer who's in the clutches of a telekinetic grizzly bear?

Sasha raised an eyebrow. You wish to discover an innocent person in danger to make the mission more exciting?

Wincing, Raz slumped back in his seat. ...No, not really.

Hmm. Think of it this way: The only information we have about this area is a rough idea of where it is, as well as some vague reports of unusual phenomena—glowing rocks and strange animals, likely psitanium and the animals it has affected. It's our job to expand on that information so that it is available for others to reference. In that way, we are saving people before they are put into danger. Does that make sense?

Yeah, it does, but... He looked up, spreading out his hands in exasperation. It's counting rocks.

Sasha chuckled, shaking his head. Measuring the area and levels of the psitanium deposit, but yes. And don't worry, you'll learn to appreciate tamer missions like this. Nature can be quite beautiful, and we’ll be far away from any of the noise of civilization. As you remember, sometimes isolation can be a good thing. He let Raz dwell on that for a moment before continuing, Not to mention, you need some more experience filling out mission paperwork.

Raz groaned, holding his head in his hands. That paperwork for getting a passport was bad enough...

You'll get used to it. It's not so bad. I did plenty of survey work when I first joined the Psychonauts, after all.

Raz perked up. Really?! What kind of—

The helicopter swerved.

Grabbing at nearby poles, Raz and Sasha managed to stabilize themselves as the helicopter did the same. Raz gave Sasha a bewildered look. What the heck was—?

"Sorry about that, Agent Nein." The voice of the helicopter pilot speaking over their headsets broke through their thoughts and they looked up. After a brief uncomfortable pause, he continued, “I’m… a bit behind on maintenance, but I wasn’t expecting her to do that.”

That’s encouraging, Raz thought with a frown.

“Regardless, we're approaching the marked area. There's nowhere to land, so once we're low enough I'll put down the ladder—"

"No need," Sasha replied through the headset. He stood up, TKing his own backpack behind him. "Just open the door and let us know when we're at a safe area to land."

“Crazy psychics…” the pilot muttered, not caring that Sasha or Raz could hear him. He then raised his voice again: "Roger that."

Raz hopped down from his seat, slipping the backpack over his shoulders. Feeling the helicopter shift beneath him, he grabbed a nearby pole to stabilize himself. Are we there?

Just about, Sasha replied, facing the door. Prepare yourself.

Nodding, Raz pulled his goggles over his eyes, and Sasha did the same with his own pair.

The next few minutes passed like a few dozen as they waited for the helicopter to get closer to the ground. Finally, the pilot called to them again. "All right, get ready. I'm opening the door in three, two—"

The door opened, and the sound of the helicopter's blades blasted into them like an explosion. It briefly reminded Raz of the airplane he'd been on in Basic Braining, but this was... well, real.

Before he could dwell on that for much longer, Sasha removed his headset and gestured for him to approach the door. Raz removed his headset, shoved his helmet back onto his head, and looked out. As far as the eye could see was a green sea of trees, rolling under a silver sky and over jagged snowcapped mountains. Raz’s jaw dropped. He'd seen plenty of forests and mountains before, but not from this height. This was high, even for an acrobat. It was like the high-dive in Nona’s mind… except this wasn’t a mind.

"Uh—"

Sasha put a hand on his shoulder, and Raz tipped his head up to meet his gaze. When Sasha nodded at him, he nodded back, and they turned down at the ground again. Finally, Sasha leaped from the helicopter, Raz following half a second later.

Cold wind streaked past Raz and whipped against his jacket as he zipped past his senior agent. Gritting his teeth, he held his right hand upward and snagged a thought bubble, which caught him in the air, slowing his descent. He leaned to the left to maneuver past a tree that was a bit too close for his liking, and gave a start when something else drifted into his field of vision: Sasha, "standing" perfectly straight and moving at a leisurely pace toward the ground as though taking an invisible elevator. A moment later, Raz's thought bubble popped, and he dropped the last few feet to the ground below, Sasha landing a few seconds later.

Overhead, the sound of the helicopter faded as it began its journey back to its base.

"Are you all right, Razputin?" Sasha asked, lifting his goggles.

Raz stood stock still as what he'd just done sank in. "Th-that..." With a shaking hand he pulled his goggles back onto his helmet. "...was so cool!" Grinning, he looked back up at Sasha. "Wait until I tell Lili I got to jump out of a helicopter!"

"Not so boring now, hm?" With a smile, Sasha TK'd a map and a compass out of his backpack and unfolded it before the two of them, Raz standing on his toes to get a better look. Marked on the map was a red X—the coordinates the helicopter pilot had been instructed to drop them off at—as well as an area a short distance north of it that was circled in red, a few question marks surrounding it. Sasha glanced between the map and compass a few times before turning in the correct direction and TKing one more item out of his backpack: a handheld blue-and-gray piece of equipment that featured an antenna with some psitanium-infused bulb at the end, a couple handles, several buttons, a keypad, and a screen.

Recognizing the device, Raz brightened, TKing his own out of his backpack and looking it over. "Right, the Psitanium Surveyor Mk. 4!" he exclaimed, turning it in his hands. "We're supposed to input our current coordinates into it, right?"

"I see you remembered Otto's instructions," Sasha said with a nod. He flipped the device on, eyeing the map one more time before he keyed in a few numbers. "That's correct. Be sure to get the numbers exact." With that, he moved the map closer to Raz.

"Got it." Raz hit a switch on the side of the device, whose screen lit up with purple text prompting him to input the coordinates. Looking between the map and the number pad a few times, Raz punched in the digits, double checking them before hitting the enter key.

The numbers were replaced by a large purple check mark and a cheerful chime, before the screen then displayed a message that read, "Beginning survey!"

"So... now we walk?" he asked, looking back up at Sasha.

With a hum of confirmation, Sasha moved the map back to his side before marching north through the forest.

Following Sasha, Raz surveyed his surroundings. Now that he was on the ground, the sights were a lot more familiar. Not that he'd ever been to this particular forest, but his family had traveled far and wide, and he'd seen his fair share of them. The sky was overcast and cold, the trees and grass spread before them were a dull green, and the mountains looming in the distance sported a cold blue-gray. Frowning, he snatched the map from Sasha's telekinetic grip, looking over the circled area—miles away from those mountains. "Man, too bad the psitanium deposit's not in the mountains."

"Thank goodness. That would make our work a lot harder."

"I guess." It might've been cooler, though. Sighing, Raz moved the map closer to Sasha, who accepted it back into his telekinetic grip without looking. The forest was quiet, other than the occasional distant caw of a bird and pine needles shuffling in the breeze. Raz fidgeted with the device in his hands, rubbing his thumb over the buttons without pressing them.

"So uh... you were saying you did survey work before?"

"Yes, many times," Sasha answered. A fallen log loomed in front of him, and he lifted his feet off the ground, levitating over the obstacle before landing on the other side. "It's typical work for new agents."

"But you're not a new agent now."

"No, but you are, and you need a senior agent with you."

Raz tipped his head in interest. "So who was your senior agent you got paired with?"

"Otto Mentallis, of course."

Eyes widening, Raz hurried up to Sasha's side. "Wow!" he exclaimed, and Sasha glanced down at him. "What was it like working with him back when—"

Sasha's foot caught against a stray tree root, and he let out a startled cry as he stumbled.

Raz was quick to catch him before he fell, his TK hand grabbing Sasha's backpack before it dropped on top of him. "Sorry!" he cried, helping him back upright. "I'm sorry, Sasha, I didn't mean—"

"It's all right, Razputin," he said tensely, brushing himself off. "But perhaps now is not the best time to engage in idle conversation."

Wincing, Raz nodded before hanging his head. "Understood."

They continued in silence for some time. Sasha checked the map every so often while Raz glanced down at his device a few times, waiting for any sort of change, and then looked back up at Sasha. He couldn't help but notice how out here in the wilderness, Sasha’s shoulders were tense and he constantly checked his feet to make sure he was hovering over any obstacles. He'd always looked a lot cooler in the comics, but here in real life, he was out of his element. Granted, an untamed forest was a far cry from a sleek enemy base, the Motherlobe, or even the Whispering Rock campgrounds. He needed to be a bit more careful out here.

Man, even the fact that he was on a mission with Sasha Nein didn't help make things any more exciting—not when he couldn't even talk to him, anyway.

After half an hour of silence and still nothing from either of their devices, Raz stopped in his tracks. "This is taking forever! Do we really have to keep walking until these surveyors find anything?"

Sasha stopped as well, looking back at him. "Yes. They'll alert us to the presence of psitanium nearby, and we can start mapping out the perimeter of the deposit."

"Yeah, but we don't even know where it is, other than maybe somewhere north of where we landed." Raz swung his hand out to gesture at the forest. "We could be wandering for hours!"

There was a tinge of exasperation to Sasha's voice as he turned around. "What else do you propose we do, then?"

"...Good question." Putting a hand to his chin, Raz scrutinized the forest around them. There were a lot of normal-looking trees, some hills to the west, some fallen logs scattered around... and a familiar chattering nearby. Raz perked up. "I got it!"

After setting his equipment down, Raz sorted through his backpack and pulled out an oatmeal-raisin granola bar. He peeled the wrapper away and shoved it back into the backpack, then transferred the bar over to a TK hand and peered around the forest. All right, where are you...

Another chittering noise answered his thought, this time closer than before. Raz strained to hear it—to actually hear it, the way Oleander or Dogen could, or the way he could understand Harold. Squirrels were close enough to rats, right? And he could understand that one squirrel on the jet when he used clairvoyance on it, so this should work, shouldn't it?

It took a lot more concentration than he was expecting, but eventually he was able to make out a few of the words: Smell? Smell good? Food?

"That's right, my fluffy little friend!" Raz called out. "This is good food!" He paused, rubbing his chin. "If you like raisins, anyway."

Give it! The squirrel—one with gray fur rather than the reddish-brown ones Raz saw around Whispering Rock and the Motherlobe—finally reared its head, skittering out from behind a tree, but balked at the sight of Raz and Sasha. Uh-oh!

"Wait, it's okay!" Raz held up his hands while moving the granola bar closer, but still out of the squirrel's reach. "We're not gonna hurt you. We just want to ask you something—then you can have this!" He waggled the granola bar. "Can you help us?"

The squirrel stood still for a few agonizing moments, its gaze fixed on the granola bar. Its nose wiggled. Food smells good.

"Taking that as a yes. Okay, so, can you tell us where we can find funny glowing rocks?"

After a few seconds of silence, the squirrel fluffed up. Bad rocks! Very bad! Not good for eating. Many-color-rocks bad. One-color rocks worse!

Raz raised an eyebrow. "Many-color-rocks? No, we’re just looking for purple ones.”

What’s purple?

Raz tipped his head back and rolled his eyes. “Nevermind—can you just tell me where the glowy rocks are?”

Flicking its tail, the squirrel chattered something Raz couldn't catch, though he got the distinct impression it was doing the squirrel equivalent of muttering under its breath and calling him "stupid" in several different ways. But finally it sat down on all fours.Toward sunset. Yes. Bad rocks!

"Toward sunset?" Raz repeated.

"To the west, then," Sasha replied, and Raz looked back at him. "We'll have to keep an eye on our map as to not get lost, but it's as good a lead as any."

"Great!" Grinning, Raz turned back toward the squirrel. "Okay, you can have your—"

The squirrel sprang forward, snatching the granola bar in its mouth and bolting out of sight.

"...food." Sighing, Raz dismissed his TK hand and pulled his backpack over his shoulders. He picked up the survey device and approached Sasha again. "Let's go?"

"Yes."

They resumed their trek through the forest, this time heading west to the hillier region. The terrain was rougher here, and Sasha took to constantly levitating in order to avoid tripping on the uneven ground. He checked the map repeatedly, along with the compass and his own survey device, and Raz got the feeling he wasn't happy about being out in this area.

Just as Raz opened his mouth to suggest they turn back, a two-note tone beeped from their equipment, and the bulb attached to them lit up a bright purple. Eyebrows raised, Raz looked down at the screen, finding it now displayed their current coordinates, as well as a new reading: "Psitanium power count: 7 ottos.”

"Impressive!" Sasha said with a small smile. TKing a pen out of his backpack, he marked their position on the map. "Excellent work, Razputin. It seems your informant was good on his word."

Raz pumped his fist.

"Now that we've reached part of the border of this territory, we can begin the survey proper."

Oh, right, this part. Sighing, Raz held out his device. "So we're marking the perimeter, right?"

"Yes. Then once the perimeter for the deposit has been marked out, we can move inward."

"All right, I can take care of that pretty quick!" With the thought of rapidly knocking out this mission lifting his spirits, Raz summoned his levitation ball, prepared to charge forward.

"Wait!"

Raz paused, balancing on one leg. "Don't worry, Sasha! If you can't keep up, you can just stay put and I'll meet you again when—"

"No, Razputin. The survey device can't detect the psitanium levels that quickly. This must be done at a walking pace if it's to be done accurately, and an accurate assessment in the area could mean the difference between life and death for travelers. Not to mention, we need to keep an eye out for any potential anomalies."

Groaning inwardly, Raz dismissed the lev ball, dropping to the ground with a thump. "Walking pace, got it."

As they used their devices to help them determine where the perimeter was, Raz kept an eye out for anything unusual. About ten minutes into their journey, he spotted just that: a lumpy, faded brown object that stood against the green foliage. "Hey!" Nearly dropping his survey tool in his excitement, Raz crouched down to inspect the object, noting the straps on it. "I think this is someone's old backpack!"

"It seems to be." Sasha hovered closer. "It's certainly seen better days."

Lifting it off the ground, Raz winced; he had to agree. From a large hole chewed in the bottom of the backpack tumbled out a few granola bar wrappers and animal droppings. "Yeah, some animals got to this. There's still something inside, though!" He set it down and unzipped a smaller pocket, and his eyes lit up. "Woah! Check this out!" Using TK he pulled out a clunky square object that reminded him of his Otto-Shot camera. "It looks like some agents were sent here before us! Were they Psychonauts? Or—wait, no, probably the Gastronauts! What kinda spy gear is this?" He looked back at Sasha, only to blink at the slight smile on his face. "What's so funny?"

"I'm not sure I would consider a polaroid camera 'spy gear,'" Sasha remarked.

Face flushing, Raz shoved the camera back into the backpack. "Right..."

"Nevertheless, you may have found something noteworthy. Does the backpack contain any developed photos?"

Raz's face brightened again as he dug through the bag. After a moment he TK'd out a handful of black-and-white photos, but frowned at their state. Many of them were chewed up, some to the point where they were completely unsalvageable. "Yeah, but it looks like the animals got to these before we did." Flipping through them, he saw a few photos of people (unrecognizable thanks to the damage), a photo of some deer a distance away from the camera, and a dark photo in which only some large crystals were visible, embedded into rock. "Huh! Looks like they found psitanium," he said, holding up the last one.

"That seems the case, though that doesn't appear to have been taken in the forest." Sasha's glasses narrowed. "Perhaps a cave?"

"Oooh! Are we going to explore a cave?" Raz asked, finally standing up. He TK'd the last photo into his own backpack.

"We might encounter one later, after inspecting this perimeter. Though hopefully it's not too rough of a terrain... I wasn't planning on doing any spelunking."

"It's not too bad. The caves in the quarry were pretty cool!"

"Hmm."

Now in much higher spirits, Raz resumed his trek. Maybe this mission would be exciting after all.

---~~~---

Three and a half hours later, it was not more exciting.

They'd found nothing notable past the backpack—not even a cave.

Not that it was terrible, but this was definitely the most boring mission he'd ever been on. Even when he was just collecting cards, scavenger hunt items, and mission-critical assets around the camp and the quarry, he was still running and jumping and making use of his acrobatic skills. Here, though, it was a lot of walking. A lot of walking back and forth, too, to make sure they were marking the perimeter of the psitanium deposit correctly, with one of them staying outside the perimeter and one within. Sasha did the tedious part of marking the map, at least. But in the past few hours, the most exciting thing had just been occasionally switching places to shake things up a bit. As much as Raz itched for something to happen, there were no anomalies so far. There were the occasional animals, but none they encountered were psychic. In fact, most seemed to stay far from the perimeter.

There hadn't been much talking, either, aside from Raz letting Sasha know his current readings, or Sasha occasionally announcing that they would stop for a brief rest. As it was, Raz gave a start when his senior agent spoke up: "And that should do it."

"Huh?" Raz moved closer to Sasha, standing up on his toes to look at the map. "Do what? Are we done?"

"See for yourself."

The map was TK'd down to Raz, who immediately brightened at the sight of a complete (but very wonky) circle on the map. "Oh, finally! Now we can explore this area, right?"

"Yes, though remember that we'll need to maintain our walking pace in order to keep our readings accurate. Make note of any anomalies, as well."

"No sign of those yet," Raz muttered. "But... didn't the reports we got say something about psychic animals?"

Sasha lit a cigarette with pyrokinesis, smoking it as he mused. "They did. There were reports of people encountering strange, terrifying creatures that they could not identify. However, keep in mind that most of the reports come from explorers, many of whom often exaggerate their claims. As well, so far our psitanium readings have been fairly low. It may not be affecting the wildlife as much as the psitanium levels at, say, Whispering Rock affect the animals there." When Raz heaved another sigh, Sasha looked down at him again. "Nevertheless, there's a chance of something turning up. On one of my own surveys I encountered psitanium-enhanced cockroaches."

"Wait, really? What were they like?"

"They glowed purple, and were annoyingly resistant to psi-blasts."

"Oh." Raz blinked. "Cool! Cockroaches that are even more invincible than normal."

"I suppose, though not enjoyable to encounter in one's backpack."

"Blegh." Raz stuck out his tongue, then shook his head. "Well, I don't want that, but it'd be cool to see literally anything."

"We certainly won't see much by standing around." Sasha nodded to the north and began levitating out in that direction, Raz following suit. "We still have several hours before we run out of daylight. It will be good to cover as much ground as we can before then."

"And then we can whip out the tents and tent shields!" Raz exclaimed, TKing the latter device out of his backpack to look it over. It was bundled up into a ball right now, but it was supposed to create a psychic force field comparable to a psi-shield around the tent. Otto claimed it did, anyway. "Do you think these things work?"

"Hopefully, but if not, I believe we have enough power between the two of us to protect against any aggressive wildlife."

Okay, he didn't want that either, but hopefully surveying this new area would provide some amount of excitement.

Unfortunately, this part of the mission was nearly as dull as the last part, walking (what felt like) near-aimlessly through the woods as their survey tool continued to pick up readings around them. What made it slightly different was the fact that occasionally, purple shards dotted the ground, and thin lines of purple gas bubbled out of cracks in the soil here and there. The sights weren't as common as the ones at Whispering Rock, but it was something, at least.

However, it was not enough to stave off Raz's boredom. The sensations he'd experienced had started off subtle, but now he felt like his skin was crawling, like his muscles were about to explode, like his mind wanted to start setting things on fire if he couldn't move soon. He swore he hadn't gone this long without running since he'd passed out for nearly twenty-four hours a month or so ago. He almost wanted to ask Sasha if they could stop for another bathroom break, if only for an excuse to run somewhere—

The snap of a twig rang out through the woods.

Raz froze, his mind full of blind, paralyzing terror, as though he were looking into the maw of a monster and unable to move away from it. His breathing picked up, his heart pounding, only for a thought to strike him—the emotion wasn't his. It was like when he could sense the hunger pangs when he CV'd into a hungry fish guard, or when he felt the crackling anxiety of the squirrel in the jet. On top of that, there was something speaking in his mind, but the words were jumbled and confused and heightened in panic.

"Um, S-Sasha?" he stammered, and Sasha stopped, turning back to him. "I-I don't think we're alone!"

The senior agent lowered himself to the ground, stepping closer. "What is it? Can you sense something?"

"I-I think something's sensing me! And... trying to talk to me?" He placed a hand on his forehead, trying to reach out, but he couldn't CV into something he couldn't see. He looked in the direction where he'd heard the twig snap, but if something was there, it wasn't visible to him. "I-I dunno where it is!"

Sasha was looking around too. "Can you try talking to it?"

Why hadn't he thought of that? Shutting his eyes, Raz spoke up within his mind: Who are you? I can't understand you!

The presence in his mind seemed just as confused, but no less afraid. Even so, it seemed to compel him to look in a specific direction.

Opening his eyes, he turned toward the east, but could still see nothing out in that direction. What is it? Can you show me—? And before he could ask anything further, he let out a startled cry, for the foreign voice shouted into his mind before abruptly fleeing. Meanwhile, in the direction he'd heard the twig snap, there was the unmistakable sound of something darting through the woods in the direction opposite of where Raz was looking.

"Interesting," Sasha remarked, staring after the noise.

"What is it?" Raz looked up at Sasha, then back where the noise had come from. "Did you see it?"

"A deer of some sort fled from here. Is the presence still in your mind?"

Looking down, Raz rubbed his head. "No... it went away at the same time the deer must've left."

"Fascinating!" Sasha smiled down at him. "Razputin, I believe you've encountered a clairvoyant deer."

"Ohhhh!" Raz brightened. "That's probably why I couldn't understand it. But..." Frowning, he looked back toward the east. "It was scared. Really, really scared."

"Not surprising. Deer tend to be fearful of humans in general."

"But then why would it try to talk to me at all? It felt like it was trying to tell me something."

"Hmm, you might want to speak to Agent Boole or Morry about expanding your zoolingualism skills," Sasha said, turning toward the east as well. "Could you gather anything from what you sensed?"

"Well, it wanted me to look this way," Raz said, pointing out into the forest. "But when I asked if it could tell me or show me what was out there, it kinda yelled at me, I think, and that's when it ran away."

"Perhaps it's frightened of something out in that direction." Pulling up his map, Sasha scrutinized the marked area. "There doesn't appear to be anything remarkable out that way, but it may be data that wasn't fully recorded." Moving it away, he let out a thoughtful hum and took a drag from his cigarette. "Clairvoyant deer... that would certainly explain the reports from the terrified explorers."

"Do you think they're protecting this place?" Raz asked. "Maybe there's something there they don't want us to find."

"Unfortunately for them, exploring this area is part of our mission." Stepping back up into a hover, Sasha began moving toward the east. "If there's something out there, it's our duty to make note of it."

Raz nodded, only for something to click in his head, and a smile crossed his face. "A psychic mystery!" Grinning, he broke into a run ahead of Sasha. "We're investigating a psychic mystery!"

"And also conducting survey work!" Sasha called after him, and Raz skidded to a halt with a groan.

The two continued in this new direction, occasionally looking at their survey devices. Though forced to move at a walking pace, excitement surged through Raz’s bones. This is the kind of stuff that gets into True Psychic Tales! If they don't publish the Whispering Rock thing, they'll have to publish this one!

"I suppose you're happy you got your wish, hm?"

"Uh!" Raz jumped, straightening his back and holding a hand over his head. He looked up at Sasha in alarm. "I-I didn't think you could read my mind?"

"No, but I can read that smile on your face quite easily," Sasha remarked with an amused smile of his own. "I'm glad you get to have a bit of excitement on your first survey mission."

Raz gave an embarrassed laugh. "Well, you know, all work is important work for a—" Sasha's words sank in, and his jaw dropped. "First?! You mean I'm gonna have to do more of these?!"

"Weren't you just saying that all work is important work for a Psychonaut?"

"Well, yeah... but is there at least any survey work where I can run around?"

Sasha shrugged. "I suppose you could take that up with Agents Zanotto or Forsythe later."

"Yeah, maybe." Sighing, Raz continued onward. "Well, at least we still have this psychic mystery to solve!"

"Indeed." Sasha resumed hovering alongside him. "I wouldn't get your hopes up too much, as it's possible it could merely be a predator the deer feared, or perhaps a larger concentration of psitanium that's too much for them to handle."

"Yeah, but what if it's not?" Raz pointed his finger upward. "It could be an anomaly, like you said before!"

"The clairvoyant deer you encountered was an anomaly in and of itself. But yes, it could be."

Grinning again, Raz looked down at the surveyor. "I don't think it's a larger concentration of psitanium, anyway. It looks like these things are detecting even lower levels of psitanium in this—"

The device's screen flickered and the bulb on its antennae flashed.

"Uhh..." Raz blinked. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Sasha's glasses narrowed as he stared down at his own survey device. "Strange..."

Curious, Raz crept forward, keeping an eye on the device as it continued to flicker. A few more steps forward, and it began to emit a quiet, garbled noise that sounded like a mix between static and beeping. "Sasha, I think something's—"

The device emitted a few loud, frantic beeps before the screen went dark and the bulb turned off. Raz flipped the switch on and off a few times, but nothing happened. Glancing over at Sasha, he found his device to be doing the same, flickering and beeping before shutting off.

"That should not have happened," Sasha murmured, staring at the now-dead device before him.

Raz turned the device around, skimming it for some form of instructions, but found nothing. "Well that's not good." Wincing, he TK'd the device back into his backpack and looked back at Sasha. "Did we fail the mission?" he asked in a small voice.

"Well..." Sasha TK'd his survey device into his backpack as well. "Otto may be able to save the data we gathered from one of our devices—though it will be an incomplete survey—and we did manage to mark the perimeter of this place."

"What do we do now?"

"Locate the cause of the disturbance." With that, Sasha continued forward. "It may have been something environmental."

Nodding, Raz started to follow Sasha, but paused. "...Hey, Sasha, since we're not surveying anymore..."

Sasha glanced back at him, then sighed. "Very well, Raz. You may run."

Raz brightened, bolting ahead of Sasha on a lev ball. "FINALLY!" he exclaimed, grateful for the rush of air that whipped past him as he barreled through the forest, moving into what appeared to be a much hillier area. "Now let's see what's—"

He'd barely gotten a few yards forward when he skidded to a stop, faced with something he hadn't expected. "Uhh... Sasha?"

A moment later, Sasha was at his side, and the two of them looked up at the massive cave entrance that yawned before them. Small psitanium crystals dotted the walls of it, but not enough to light the inside.

"I'll bet that disturbance came from somewhere in here!" Raz exclaimed, pointing a finger upward. "There isn't much psitanium out this way, but maybe there's a big psitanium rock in there that messed up the devices." Remembering the photo, he TK’d it out of his bag and compared it to the cave entrance. “The photo showed some pretty big crystals! The ones out here are small, but I bet they’re bigger deeper in the cave.”

Frowning, Sasha TK'd a flashlight out of his backpack, indicating for Raz to do the same. "Possibly, but let us be cautious nonetheless."

Raz pulled out his flashlight and followed Sasha into the cave, swinging his light this way and that and marveling at how the shadows moved. Most of the caves back at camp or at the quarry had some sort of lighting to keep them from being impossibly dark to navigate, so this was a new experience. Though aside from that, there wasn't much of interest here other than the tiny psitanium fragments that were scattered across the walls and seemed to thin out the further they went. Otherwise it was wide, chilly, and damp, with water dripping from the ceiling somewhere deeper within.

And what sounded like a distant rumble.

Raz stopped. "Did you hear that?"

"I did." Stopping as well, Sasha shone his flashlight further in, but the beam failed to illuminate anything out of the ordinary. "It could merely be things shifting within the cave... or an animal. Or perhaps a person."

"I hope it's not that last one." Raz shuddered.

"It's not likely," Sasha said, moving on. "We've received no reports of missing persons in this area."

It wasn't long until they reached a fork in the cave, one cavern being significantly smaller than the other. Raz examined the two paths before looking back up at Sasha. "Do you think we should split up here?"

"Splitting up is not an ideal strategy in this circumstance," Sasha remarked.

"Yeah, but do you really want to duck through this?" Raz stepped into the smaller fork. The ceiling was only half a foot over his head, and Sasha frowned.

"...No." Breathing out a sigh, Sasha shook his head. "Very well, but please keep in constant contact with me via telepathy. Let me know immediately if there is a problem, and I will do the same." He paused, then turned around, TKing a handful of psitanium fragments out of the wall and into a small pile on the ground between the two tunnels. "In case one of us has to turn around, this will mark the fork in the cave. It may be easy to miss otherwise when backtracking."

"Sounds good to me!" Grinning, Raz darted into the smaller tunnel, while Sasha took the larger. "I bet there's something cool down here!"

The tunnel led him downward, growing narrower and darker the further he went. No more psitanium crystals marked this place, and he placed a hand on his temple to make a note of that to Sasha.

Here as well, Sasha replied. The amount of psitanium has dwindled to nothing, at least on a surface level. There could be more, but we have no way of knowing without our surveyor devices.

Or a dowsing rod!

Ach, those things are a pain to use.

It's not too bad, unless you're doing it at night. I'm not a fan of getting set on fire. He paused. …Isn’t it kinda weird though?

No, not enjoying the sensation of being set ablaze is quite normal.

No, I mean, the photo showed really big crystals, but we’re not getting any more here.

Oh. Yes, that is strange. But it could be as you said, and that there are larger crystals deeper within the cavern.

That makes sense. They kept moving, Raz finding he had to duck as he explored further. This tunnel's just getting narrower. What's it like on your end?

Only slightly narrower in width, but no change otherwise.

That's too bad. It'd be neat to find money here. Raz grinned as he sensed the slight annoyance on Sasha's end. Okay, okay, sorry, couldn't resist. But we could find treasure down here!

Possibly, but I doubt it would be the cause of the interference.

Yeah, you're probably right. Feeling a twinge in his neck, Raz winced as he continued to duck in the narrow tunnel. Fortunately, it opened up a bit more a few feet later, and he let out a relieved sigh. Okay, got enough space here to stand again. How about you? He waited a moment, and when Sasha didn't reply, he sent out another message: Sasha?

Oh, sorry. I was focusing on... something.

That was weird. What did you find?

I'm not sure just yet. I can feel something up ahead, but...

Raz's eyebrows raised in interest. Really? I wonder if there's something further up on my end, too! For a moment he closed his eyes, trying to sense anything up ahead, but there was nothing he could hear or smell, or even sense telepathically. Man, I'm not getting anything. Can you give me any details on what you're getting on your end?

Silence.

Frowning, Raz sent a stronger signal. Sasha! Are you listening?

When Sasha answered, his mental voice was distant. I... yes, I am... …but... something... …is...

Something about the reply made Raz shudder. Is everything okay, Sasha? He waited for a few moments before sending out another urgent message: Sasha?!

Still no reply came, and Raz swung his flashlight around the enclosed space, whose walls seemed a lot closer than they had before. Unseen moisture dripped around him, and he swore he could hear a low groan in the depths of the cavern. Or was that just his mind playing tricks on him?

And then Sasha's reply came, somehow both deafening and eerily quiet at the same time, like a distant scream: Razputin, get out of here now!

What?! Raz's breathing picked up, quick and shallow. Sasha, what's going on?! What's wrong?

Though the reply was immediate this time, it was even more distant, only a handful of words making it out to him: —danger—leave—help...

The last word echoed in the silence.

No, Raz thought frantically, holding his head in his free hand. No, no. Sasha?! Sasha, answer me!

The thought never left his head. Their psychic connection had been severed, and Raz was alone in the cave.

His heart hammered in his chest, and without a second thought he spun around, running back the way he'd come. He moved so quickly that he nearly forgot to duck in the narrow portion of the tunnel, which would've put an end to their mission in an instant. Sasha, can you answer me? he called out again. The mental message went nowhere.

Heart now pounding in his throat, Raz kept running as fast as he could with the heavy backpack on his shoulders, only to skid to a stop at something that caught the corner of his eye: the small pile of psitanium that Sasha had placed on the ground to mark the fork in the cave. He turned around, now facing the tunnel Sasha had entered. "I'm coming, Sasha!" he called out, summoning a levitation ball and charging in. "I won't leave without you!"

Once again Raz swore he heard a groan somewhere in the depths of the cave. Swallowing down his anxiety, he willed himself to move faster.

As Sasha had stated, there wasn't much of interest here. The cave didn't immediately grow narrow in width—though the ceiling of the cave grew taller further in—and instances of psitanium grew fewer and farther between until they disappeared entirely. Yet the further he traveled, the harder it was to stay steady on his lev ball... but that was powered by positive thought, which he didn't have a whole lot of right now. Gritting his teeth, he dismissed the lev ball and charged on foot.

To his surprise, he spotted something farther down the tunnel—something... glowing? But what could be glowing in this—

Raz gasped. Sasha's flashlight!

"Sasha!" he called, willing himself to run faster. Yet the further he got, the more dazed and lightheaded he felt. It's... it's just anxiety, Raz told himself, smacking the side of his face. Keep it together! Sasha's in danger!

The light up ahead was growing larger, and brighter, and his vision swam just trying to look at it. A heavy stone formed in the pit of his stomach. Was this how Compton felt before he started to manage his anxiety better? "H-hang on, Sasha...!"

The light grew brighter, and it felt like an age before Raz realized he was no longer running. It was getting harder to walk, almost like he was trudging through a swamp. Though he still felt lightheaded, his thoughts were clear. What's going on...? This... can't be right. Our flashlights aren't that bright.

Remembering he was holding his own, he looked down at it, then at where it shone, only to give a jolt when he realized that while it was on, its beam was not lighting the cave. Instead it was the brightness ahead, bathing the walls of the cave in an unearthly yellow glow.

Wait—yellow?

Recognition shot through Raz's mind like a psi-blast, and the sheer horror of it allowed him to regain control of his senses. He picked up the pace again, charging headlong through the cavern.

It wasn't a flashlight. It was psilirium.

Some of the crystals were jutting out of the walls up ahead, as the psitanium had, but these were larger, and growing moreso deeper into the cave.

"Sasha! Sasha!" he called, only for another low rumble to answer him, and the wicked yellow light grew ever brighter.

Raz willed his legs to move faster, but his foot caught on something and sent him crashing forward, his flashlight clattering on the ground. "Agh!" he cried out, sprawling on the cave floor. Shooting an angry glance over his shoulder, he was about to vent his frustration on the rock he'd tripped over, only for the words to die on his tongue.

His foot was resting against a large camping backpack. Slowly, he turned his gaze, and found a tall, thin figure crumpled on the ground a few feet away. He might have looked sickly, but it was hard to tell in the harsh yellow light. What was apparent though was the blood dripping from a wound on his forehead, corresponding with a smear of blood on the floor—he'd hit his head when he'd fallen.

"...Sasha?" he gasped. Shakily he crawled on all fours up to the figure, grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him. "Sasha, answer me!"

A weak groan escaped his throat, and nothing more.

"Please, please!" Raz cried, shaking him harder. When his senior agent failed to answer, he tried to summon a TK hand, only for his vision to swim and his nausea to spike. He shut his eyes, willing the nausea to stop. "I-I can't carry you, Sasha, you have to wake up!"

The cave rumbled around them, and Raz looked up, noticing that the psilirium crystals felt a lot closer than before.

"I-I think this place is caving in!" In desperation, he put his hands under Sasha's shoulders and stood up. "I've gotta get you—"

The cave groaned, and Raz raised his head.

A deer skull, one of its antlers broken off, grinned at him in the over-brightness of the psilirium in the distance. All at once Raz realized this part of the cave was scattered with bones.

And the crystals moved.

The hairs stood on the back of Raz's neck, and he looked slightly to the side.

Due to the bright, burning glow of the psilirium around him, he’d failed to notice until now the four large pillars of something—white stone of some kind, he thought, rather than the dark black and brown of the cave, shining golden in the light, psitanium crystals jutting out of them. Yet parts of them were covered in soft brown patches as well? One of the pillars shifted closer, and at the base of it were two large black stones—no, not stones, two halves of a hoof—with yellow crystals growing between them. Following the pillar upward, Raz found it connected to something else also covered in... brown... patches...

Two bright yellow somethings stared down at him. For a fleeting moment he hoped they were more crystals, and that his eyes were playing tricks on him.

A mouth below the lights opened, and an earth-shaking bellow erupted from its throat, which glowed a hellish shade of gold.

With a scream, Raz staggered backward, somehow managing to keep a grip on Sasha's limp body. He dragged him backward, his gaze still trained on whatever was looming over them. Its barrel-shaped chest heaved around the psilirium crystals that jutted from it, and slowly its long head tilted, resulting in a hideous scraping noise across the walls of the cavern. Off to either side of its head were enormous antlers, also merged with psilirium crystals.

A... deer? No—a moose. A giant moose, somehow bigger than the elephants Raz would see in other traveling circuses, somehow fused with psilirium crystals. Some parts of its flesh had fallen away, leaving exposed muscle and bone, particularly close to the crystals.

Once again the moose opened its mouth wide, wide, straining at the flesh holding its jaws together and letting out a bellow that pitched upward into an echoing scream. It took a step forward, its crystal-encrusted hoofs shaking the ground and its antlers scraping against the walls.

"G-go away!" Raz cried, still fighting to drag Sasha backward. Out of habit he put his hand to is temple and tried to fire a psi-blast at the monstrosity, only to stagger as another wave of nausea hit him full-force, his vision swimming. "Rrrrghhh...!"

The moose tilted its head further, angling its antlers so they were less impeded by the cavern walls. Its jaw hung at an unnatural angle with the tilt of its head. With a deep bellow, it took another step forward. Then another.

Raz strained to move faster, but it was already getting hard to carry Sasha without being able to use TK. His entire body shuddered when he realized he wouldn't be able to use TK at all so long as he was anywhere near this thing. "Oh gosh...!" he gasped, voice hitching. "Sasha, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked for a more exciting mission, or dangerous animals or—"

The moose let out another ear-splitting shriek.

Raz's vision blurred, and he grit his teeth, heaving Sasha's unconscious body backward a few more feet. It was surreal to think that mere minutes ago, they'd been on a harmless survey mission, and now he was facing down his own death. "I wish we were just back out in the forest, counting rocks and setting up a tent and—"

Gasping, he dropped his bag from his shoulders and rifled through it, his hands fumbling with the broken survey device and other obstacles before he found it: a ball-shaped object. "This better work, Otto!"

Raz clumsily turned the sphere in his hands before he spotted a button, which he jabbed with his thumb. The device sprang from his hands, spreading out in a semi-circle shape in front of him and Sasha and emitting a faint purple light over itself.

One of the moose's hooves jabbed at it. The forcefield flashed, and the moose let out an enraged roar.

Grabbing Sasha again, Raz continued moving backwards, faster without the camping bag weighing him down. Before him, the moose grunted and frothed and roared as it kicked and butted against the forcefield, which flickered more and more with every blow. "Come on, come on...!" Raz grunted, glancing down at the unconscious form in his arms. "Please, Sasha, you have to wake up, I-I can't keep carrying you...!"

The moose reared up on its hind legs, its front hooves slamming into the shield.

CRACK.

The shield shattered, and the moose charged.

"No!" Raz screamed, turning around and gripping the shoulders of Sasha's coat behind him as he broke into a run. "No, no, no!" His vision was too blurred from tears and psilirium sickness to tell him just where in the cave he was, but he prayed he was close to the entrance. But just how was he going to outrun this thing in the open forest…?

The stomping of the monster's hooves against dirt and stone grew closer, the glow from the crystal infection dancing off the cave walls.

Suddenly, the entire cave seemed to lurch as a tremendous crash filled the air, and Raz screamed, barely managing to keep on his feet as he charged full-tilt away from the noise. Hearing a terrible groaning somewhere behind him but no further noises of being chased, Raz turned to see the moose staring at him, its head lowered and its antlers jammed against the walls of the cave, now too narrow and low for it to proceed. A laugh bubbled out of his throat, high-pitched and terrified, and it continued as he charged onward, dragging the still-unconscious Sasha behind.

It took a moment before he realized the purple lights dotting the walls and ceiling had given way to stars lighting the sky overhead.

Raz gasped in the cool night air, finally releasing Sasha and sinking to his knees. Crickets chirped around him, and a bird called in the distance. Wind rustled the hair that stuck out from his helmet and stung at his cheeks.

"Sasha?" he whispered, turning around and grasping Sasha's shoulder again. The senior agent's clothing was covered in dirt, and beyond the cut Raz had already seen, what little exposed skin he had bore scratches and bruises. "Sasha, please wake up, I'm s-sorry, I..."

Tears dripped down Raz's cheeks, and he covered his face in his hands.

Something stirred at his side.

Gasping, Raz looked up to find Sasha easing himself into an upright position with a groan. "Sasha!" he cried. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew this was not professional Psychonaut behavior, but he couldn't help himself, and he threw himself into Sasha, wrapping his arms around him. The older agent groaned, but did not protest otherwise. "I-I'm glad you're okay...! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have wished everything would get more exciting, I should've just been happy about the boring mission, I—"

Sasha wordlessly wrapped an arm around him, and he went silent. With his other free hand, Sasha massaged his forehead for a moment, then drew his hand away, only to give a start at seeing his glove covered with his own blood. Breathing out a sharp sigh, he unhooked a radio attached to his belt and turned it on with a crackle. "It's all right, Razputin," he murmured, turning the radio to its proper signal. "We're getting out of here."

Once the helicopter pilot had been sent for, the two of them sat in silence, only broken by a quiet hiss from Sasha as he felt the cut on his forehead again. Raz winced. "I-I should use some first aid on that cut, but our backpacks are in the cave with... that thing."

Sasha leaned back, but did not release Raz. "You got us out of there with our lives. A few wounds is a small price to pay for that."

Feeling the senior agent's gaze upon him, Raz looked up.

"...I would be dead, if not for you and your psilirium resistance."

The words crashed through Raz, dragging him back down to the ground with them. This wasn't like exploring a mental world, where the worst that could happen was getting kicked out of someone's mind—this was the real world, where the worst that could happen was...

"Thank you, Razputin."

The concept of one of his heroes praising him would have normally left him over the moon. But now Raz could only nod silently before staring out into the vast wilderness, numbly awaiting their rescue.

[moonstone27ls]

Unpopular opinion with Owl House...

Well I hope its not too unpopular. Since the finale I’ve seen a bit on their criticism of the finale. Which I don’t mind, there were mistakes/it was rushed and I felt there were unanswered questions. But writing this one cause I feel no one’s wrote my view on one issue.

Soo please don’t hate/or belittle me 8B. Whats my opinion? I’m still disappointed we didn’t get more of Vee. Again no mean comments.

I can’t help it. I’ve heard vents on “Oh Belos should have had more”. But I’m like “What about Vee?” (was gonna add Gus in here but I just found one post. Its not much but one’s better than nothing).

I dunno ever since “Yesterday’s Lie” I’m still SUPER convinced that Masha’s card reading was directed at both Luz and Vee. And to a degree if you think about Vee is like reverse Luz. She lived in a magical world because due to her own standing as a basilisk she wouldn’t fully be accepted, like Luz.

She found friends in the human realm, that by the “norm” account stood out. (Also disappointed that they didn’t get more attention). Just like Luz, Camilia is practically her more calmer side of Eda.

I feel like had the series not been force to cancel, I feel like Vee and the teenagers would have eventually met Luz and the gang. I feel like Vee would had been the glue or whatever that would helped connect Luz back to human realm. Cause I mean don’t get me wrong, I do LOVE Willow/Gus/Amity/and Hunter.

But I think story overlooked that since the pilot, Luz had thrown away attempts at the human realm. She just automatically decided it wasn’t worth giving a chance. And I think that was a big mistake, because Vee’s introduction showed what she missed had she given that summer camp a chance. I think she would have made kindred spirits with Masha and their friends. I think again had she given it a chance, she would have even found new friends in the new students in “Thanks to Them”.

I don’t think any of these teens were put here just for background. I still strongly feel they were meant to eventually join the story arc and help Luz/Vee’s characters. How I dunno?

Again I think Vee is suppose to help somehow. Maybe overtime Masha gets suspicious or just outright asks. Whether its Belos looming in/or Luz’s antics I feel at some point Vee would have to come clean and admit what she is to her friends. And they’d love/and accept her. She’d have to introduce them to Luz, and Luz would see “I’ve cut myself from a lot,”. And I get why, Graveside rejected her “weirdness”. But isn’t the whole point of this story is “weirdos stick together”. Again because we run with that theme, I feel Luz overlooked the human ones.

She’d have to see that she herself, (whether over that whole trauma/selfhating over the Belos/Philip thing) shut out her own fellow weirdos who did genuinely want to be her friends. I would have loved to see the Hexside group(Ed/Emira included but sadly didn’t get that either) befriend Masha and the human teens. The teens learning/and embracing the friends from the demon realm. Heck it could have helped Luz during this as well.

Now as to if they could have been a help against the Collector and eventually Belos... uh I dunno. One half of me says no cause their kids. But Luz is their age and she’s risking her life. I feel Camilia would have stopped them... but again I dunno? In all honesty.... I feel since Vee stayed because she wasn’t ready.

I feel like even that was done on purpose. Why? Because Vee would have been crucial fighting back. You saw her when she went against Belos. The irony a creature he brought back to drain magic was fighting back against him.

I feel like Masha and the human teens would have helped her address her own trauma and decide to join the others in fighting against Belos. 

But before someone goes “oh but there was no more titan’s blood/portal.” Dudes I know but I think again the story was shorten cause of the cancellation. I think that arc was planned to go on longer and that would have meant there would had been a moment for Vee to eventually join.  Maybe they find more Titan’s blood? I dunno again this is theorizing. 

And also “Yes” I know Masha’s cards weren’t really tarot, cards. Still believe though that reading was directed at both of them. Which meant, Vee was meant to go and help Luz in that final battle. Granted yes that would mean Masha and the teens would risk their lives... but again I don’t know about Masha’s two friends or those two teen boys from luz’s school enough to know which ones would risk it/and which would stay behind. Maybe some? Maybe all? 

Or maybe Masha and one or a couple of others would also wanna see the demon realm and learn magic. Thus more aid. And yes I know again its dangerous, but heh. Its not the first series teens risk their lives to help friends.  Plus Luz was doing the same thing, Camilla was risking her life as well but you know.

I think this journey would have focused on Vee and the teens reuniting with the others. Maybe they would have found other surviving groups(do I use that term survivor? since the Collector didn’t kill anyone he just turned them to toys?). Vee could have found her siblings. Maybe there would have been an episode where the Hexside students/ or community see past their past prejudice or knowledge of basilisks (because you know of that one from the episode at the school). Saw them as both victims/and eventually allies.

But thats my thoughts sorry for venting/ranting. Just disappointed and was sad no one else is noticing a wasted potential with these characters. Actually there were several characters who didn’t get more time with development. Gus, the Blight twins (still wish they could have been with Amity in the human realm), Alador? (I feel like they were hinting he was in a group of survivors. Never saw him as a toy), the rest of the Head of the Covens, Skara (did I spell her name right), I guess even Boscha, the Bat Queen, I think even the Collector had a big potential for the story.

There are probably other characters but I’m tired I’m going to bed now nighttt

[helpimstuckinafandom]

Next up on a tsats post I read got me thinking: Will Solace again

Because (again) good stuff in tsats got lost in the repetativeness of this book. Someone pointed out that Will's character wasn't changed, people just think he's calm and collected on the outside and in this book we see his pov and see him with someone he's closer/more vulnerable with, and dude is riddled with anxiety that he hides. And like..... yes. Yeah. That's it. That's literally it.

Being calm and collected and bossy in his element and completely petrified outside of it? Real for the medic who's great plan in the Seige on Camp Half-Blood being to run/get chased (and do the demigod art of insultsTM) Feeling like shit to be taken care of and thinking yourself useless because of it? So real for a medic who has previously bemoaned his lesser musical ability and combat abilities, who is now unable to do the one thing he IS good at

Personal bias here but I am called the "chill one" in my family. My dad says it almost constantly (especially in comparison to my siblings) that I'm more relaxed and don't get all anxious and have it under control and just don't sweat it. I'm not as academically smart as my siblings or anything and my relaxed nature is the number one thing that gets noticed about me

But I'm not

I am scared all the time. I feel sick to my literal stomach with anxiety multiple times a month going to bed or waking up because of.... life. Do I let a single person know that? God no. What if they need me? I live a good life all things considered, how could I ever compare the small shit I go through to someone's break up or family trauma or depressive episode?(Got a little bit of the "i'm not diagnosed so I'm invalid" thing going on) How could I ever put my needs on the front burner when I need to help people or spend time with them at their beck and call.

One of the other things I'm called/get compared to is a Therapy Dog. Because people find me comforting to be around - I listen and do my best to help - I am a friendly face.

I have literally told myself some days where life just keeps coming at me that I won't cover it up and I will actually look sad. I repeatedly tell myself to do it, and then the instant - the very second - i'm in front of someone I feel it naturally pack itself into the back of my mind and feel a smile pull at my lips. I literally can't do it. I don't want to worry them, I don't want to disuade them from telling me something because I look sad.

I think about the way my failures will impact everyone else but me. Like right now I think I'm gonna fail a course and it frightens me, but my priority is my mother who is stressed from family issues and my dad who trusted me - how my grades will worsen their lives. I'm like that for everything.

Basically, if I can't make people feel better, what good am I? What good am I TO THEM?

So Will Solace. I've always really liked him and related myself to him - even from Last Olympian, believe it or not. The brief moments with him back then had him be that random background character I latched onto. And then there was HOO (and later TOA) and I loved him even more. Partly because I could see him sharing opinions I do, but they weren't completely unfounded, but still his chill-ish nature and lack of other godly talents other than healing resonated with me. And then in tsats I remember several times going "bro he's literally me somehow". Somehow, being the key word, because even though I didn't think he was too different, since we didn't have much content of him before, I could still recognize a sort of shift. And this post I saw made me realize what it was:

He is the "chill one" - he is the "therapy dog". He knows how to take care of people and he likes nerd shit, and outside of that he is scared. He hates being taken care of because it makes him feel useless. He's worried he's loving/caring wrong and that it will lose him people - lose Nico. And we see it now because we get his thoughts - we see him completely out of his element with someone he's far closer to and can let his walls fall a bit, but still not completely. He's being unravelled by the Underworld and tries to downplay it. He's just like me fr.

[alexagirlie]

Behind Enemy Lines

Chapter 4

This is not a new fic but realized I never properly posted it to tumblr just linked to my AO3 which is locked to non-registered users so I am reposting here.

Pairing(s): Sihtric/Bloodhair (ch 1 only) Sihtric/Finan/Uhtred (main) Summary: Things do not go according to plan while Sihtric is undercover in the Danish camp. He is presented with a hard choice and has to live with the consequences. Warnings/Tags: dubcon, rough sex, oral sex, anal sex, forced orgasm, bruises, biting, angst, hurt/comfort, canonical character death, DDDNE

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

After Uhtred had seen Bishop Erkenwald and the rest of his entourage, Finan and Sihtric included, out of Coccham that morning he decided it was time for a bath. He had days of filth and blood still coating his body and needed a good wash. He left his armour to be dealt with later and left his hall to head to a secluded pond outside of town. He had intended to do this alone but when Skade appeared like a ghost at his side he found himself not protesting.

Once they arrived at the pond's edge he watched as Skade removed her outer layers until only her blue underdress remained and she waded into the water until waist deep. She tossed a flirtation look over her shoulder before she turned to face Uhtred and beckoned him into the water with her. 

Her dark eyes trapped his gaze and he went to her. "You and I can be everything together." She cupped his face and pulled him to her.

Uhtred was barely listening to what the witch was saying, he was entranced by the press of her lips against his skin and the feel of her breasts under his hands. The way her dress clung to every inch of her body. He had not had the soft touch of a woman since before Gisela's death and he hadn't realised how much he had missed it, even with his men keeping him well satisfied sexually.

Her words were a background to the buzzing in his ears and the lust coursing through his body. Until one phrase broke through and pierced the fog enough for him to really listen.

"They are your past and I am your future." The words rang through his mind, over and over. 

Uhtred just stared at her in confusion, trying to recall who she was even talking about "Who?"

Skade pressed her body against his and stared up at his face, her blue eyes seemed even paler in the early morning light. "The Christian could never do what needs to be done, his god will not allow him. And the boy is a whore, it took one word to Bloodhair and he had the boy on his knees."

As her words sank in and who she was referring to became apparent Uhtred felt the world tilt sharply and he grabbed her tightly by the arms. "Explain."

Skade seemed genuinely confused by the question. Her brow furrowed and her voice was lilting and soft. "Bloodhair was questioning the boy's story about defecting so I told him the boy was your whore and he left because you replaced him with me. Bloodhair bedded him that same morning. Half the camp heard them humping."

Suddenly Sihtric behaviour since that day they reunited in the trees made sense. The bruises, the slight limp when he walked, the way he still kept himself separated from the rest of his men.

Uhtred was filled with a mixture of guilt at how he had fallen so far under Skade's spell, to the point where the problem with his boy seemed so inconsequential and rage at her hand in what must have happened to him.

Skade was still speaking, she must not realise that Uhtred was breaking out of her spell and it was her undoing. "I own you."

That last phrase pushed the rage roaring inside him to win over the churning guilt and Uhtred was so consumed by it that he didn't even think before he pulled the wet hem of her dress over her head and pushed her under the water. He held her there as she thrashed, fighting him with all she had. She was no match for his strength and soon her thrashing slowed then stopped and still he held her under for minutes longer. He needed to make sure she was dead.

As his head cleared of the rage it was almost like a fog had been lifted and he could think clearer than he had in weeks. A fog of Skades making.

The grief surrounded the death of his wife, where he should have turned to the care of his most faithful and beloved men, not the witch. His decisions regarding Ragnar and the Danes which led to Uhtred losing his  brother forever.

How he had practically forced Sihtric to put on that horrible ruse, lying to Finan and Osferth and the rest of the men, making them doubt the boy's absolute loyalty…just to get the witch back… oh gods Sihtric.

Uhtred made it to the edge of the water before vomiting. He hoped she had lied about what the boy had endured undercover but he knew deep down that she had not.

.

.

.

Finan grew more and more concerned about Sihtric after they left Coocham early the next morning and as the day progressed. The boy was pale and Finan gaze was again locked on the bruising on his face, on the deep shades of blue and purple, the slightest tinge of green forming at the edges as they started to heal. 

He was constantly shifting and fidgeting in his saddle, his poor horse seemed so confused. Sihtric was normally an expert horseman so to see such novice riding was highly unusual. Almost like he was in too much discomfort which as a seasoned warrior and rider he shouldn't be yet. They have made the ride from Coocham to Winchester dozens of times over the years.

When they made camp that night, Sihtric volunteered for the first watch immediately and Finan couldn't help but get the feeling that the boy was trying to avoid him. It was further proof to Finan that there was something the boy wasn't telling about his time in the Danes camp and Finan was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of it.

They barely spoke the following morning and Finan was already planning how he would get the other man alone as soon as possible. 

They had a very brief delay at the gates as Steapa was on guard duty and determined to be a right bastard. Finan barely kept his tone civil as he yelled up to the large man. "Hey big man! We're guilty of being tired and hungry, my friend! That is all!" 

Steapa took a long, slow swallow of the ale in his hand before he finally gave the order to open the gates. Finan sighed in relief and followed the procession of priests, Sihtric silent at his side.

Finan led them to their usual stable while in Winchester and to his disgust he saw none other than Aethelwold, the slimy little traitor, free and in public. Though he did seem to have acquired a new war wound since he left Dunholm.

Finan whistled softly as he dismounted to get Sihtric's attention and nodded subtly to the scarred Lord. He called out. "Is that Aethelwold the sword-dane I see? Looks like you've mislaid an eye." Sihtric chucked behind him.

"I see you perfectly Finan though I do not see your master." The weasel paused, his voice just as grating as always. "Uhtred, where is he?"

"Standing at your blind side perhaps?" He shared a grin with Sihtric before the two men walked off to finish getting settled. Aethelwold was a problem for another day, or with luck, not their problem at all.

Finan's eye was caught briefly by some lovely white flowers a woman was selling in the square before he spotted Bishop Erkenwald unloading the goods he had procured from Coccham nearby and made a point of gaining permission to stay before he could forget and they ended up arrested. It would be just Finan's luck for that to happen now.

He had just parted with the bishop when Sihtric walked over to him with a tentative look on his face. "I am off to find Ealhswith. Let her know we are leaving Wessex and have a new home in Mercia." He had a bundle of the white flowers clenched in his hands. It was adorable how he still doted on his wife even when they were only married in name now.

Finan couldn't resist a little teasing "Umm she'll be underneath some man and you'll recognize her by her big… " his hands came up and imitated big breasts and he almost couldn't finish his sentence through his giggles "feet!"

Apparently Sihtric didn't appreciate the jib as his face filled with shame and his gaze fell to the ground at his feet, shoulders slumping. Any mirth Finan felt immediately dissipated and he wished he could take the words back. Sihtric had never reacted so negatively to the men teasing him about Ealhswith, normally he took it with good humour.

"Sihtric…" Finan was at a complete loss of words and cursed himself as the other man turned and walked away without a word. 

He sighed and contemplated following when two hands gripped him tight around the shoulders and dragged him away with a tense whisper of his name "What the - Osferth? You're here?"

They stopped beside a fire out of the way of the main path and Osferth started talking. "So he's inside the walls of Winchester. Where will he go? To Father Beocca?"

"Yes," Finan nodded. "He'll find us, be sure of it."

Osferth pushed his hood down and warmed his hands over the fire "And he is free of his curse."

Finan met Osferths eyes with disbelief "She's dead? How? When?" He couldn't believe it, he was sure that Uhtred would stay locked under her spell forever and they would have to live with him humping her and being led to betray everything they had fought for.

Osferth nodded firmly "Very. Yesterday morning. He drowned her in the pond, he didn't know I was watching."

Bloody hell. 

"Then we are all free of the curse, baby monk" Maybe now they could focus and get to the bottom of whatever was plaguing Sihtric. At the very least Finan knew the younger man would be pleased to hear that she was dead. He had threatened to kill her himself after all.

"She was of the devil, wasn't she Finan?"

"No" he shook his head "more than that, she was the devil in disguise." The way she had wormed her way into Uhtred's head, how she tempted and poisoned with equal measure. 

"It is what he would do." Finan nodded his agreement to Osferth's words, yes it is exactly what the devil would do.

"Hmmm" Well now was not the time to dwell and a plan was already formulating in Finans head. He couldn't stop the feeling of elation building in his chest at the news the witch was finally dead and buried.

He turned and pressed a finger into Osferths chest firmly "Ale and women?"

Osferth grinned back at him "And prayer?"

Finan laughed at the typical response. "Absolutely, and in that order." He crossed himself with a cheeky grin and started to walk backwards away from Osferth and back out into the square. "I'm going to go grab Sihtric to join us. Meet you at the alehouse."

He decided to check at the Two Cranes first and pleasantly surprisingly to find Ealhswith immediately, she was tenderly stroking the petals of the flower Sihtric had brought her while sitting at a quiet table in the corner of the main room. The man in question was nowhere in sight. Ealhswith met his eyes and nodded towards the stairs which led up to the second floor of the inn. "Your normal rooms."

Finan nodded his thanks and without another word took the stairs two at a time and didn't bother to knock before opening the door and letting himself inside. Where he proceeded to interrupt Sihtric, who was in the process of changing, his back to the door as he rubbed a salve over the bruises on his jaw.

Finan froze as he took in what Sihtric had been hiding from then. He saw the long raised red lines of nail marks down Sihtric's back, an angry looking bite mark on the back of his neck and tell tale bruises on his hips. Sihtric had proudly worn similar marks from Finan and Uhtred both in the past. These were not from them.

Finan's vision went red and he crossed the room in what felt like a blink until he was all but looming over Sihtric. He hadn't even thought about moving until he had.

His voice was rough and gritting when he could finally bring himself to speak. To ask what needed to finally be asked. "What happened to you? Who did this to you?"

Sihtric shoulders bunched up around his ears defensively and he refused to meet Finan eyes. The Irishman could practically feel how much the younger man did not want to have this conversation. "It doesn't matter. I did what I had to do. We got Skade back."

Finan knelt on the floor at Sihtrics feet, a sharp jolt of pain running up his knees at how hard he had fallen, and placed one hand gently on the boy's knee. He really didn't like the sound of that. "Sihtric, love, please tell me."

Sihtric’s mismatched eyes met Finans  silently for a long time before his chest rose and fell in a defeated sigh and he looked away, breaking eye contact.

Sihtric's eyes had been dark and unfocused and Finan braced himself for what was coming.

Sihtric stood abruptly from his perch on the bed and began to pace the length of the room. "Bloodhair."

"What" Finan interrupted but Sihtric ignored him and kept going with his explanation. It was for the best for Finan had no idea what he was going to say anyways.

"He didn't believe the cover story I told them for why I abandoned Uhtred. Him and Bride. Skade provided Bloodhair with a different one and this one he believed." 

"Skade?!" The fucking witch. No wonder Sihtric had been so enraged when they had watched her and Uhtred together on the boat. 

"She told him that I was Uhtred's whore and that I had left him because he replaced me with her." It seemed like now the dam had broken, Sihtric couldn't stop the words from coming and Finan listened with mounting horror as his boy recounted the morning spent in Bloodhair's bed. The subsequent challenge and fight between Bloodhair and Haeston and watching as Skade killed the man.

"I swear to the gods Finan if he humps the bitch I'm going to kill her in her sleep." Finan could believe it. The strength of the other man to have lasted the whole trip without gutting her was astounding.

"She's dead." Sihtric froze, Finan wasn't even sure if the other man was breathing; he was standing so still. "Uhtred is here. Osferth witnessed it himself. Said Uhtred drowned her in the pond the same day we left."

Finan could see the stark relief on Sihtric's face and some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, still naked from the waist up and buried his face in his hands.

Finan was immediately alarmed and only grew more so as the younger man's shoulders began to shake with silent tears.

"Oh my love."

He moved to embrace his youngest lover but froze just before he touched the Sihtric's bare shoulder, unsure if his touch would be welcome.

"Can I hug you love?"

Sihtric nodded jerkily and raised his head from his hands to look Finan in the eyes. Finan’s heart ached at the tears which had gathered in his lover's eyes.

Permission granted he wrapped Sihtric in his arms and held him as he cried.

[orion-sh1tposts]

Camping.

A sander sides horror one shot! its sort of a found footage type thing.

CW: Blood, detailed gore description, major character death, people being eaten, general horror.

 A Camera flickers to life. It's placed down on a log. Two men can be seen by a fire. One as pale as the moon, wearing a purple and black outfit. Specifically a thick purple hoodie over a black shirt. And black jeans. With a pair of black hiking boots. His hair is purple with black roots, the sides are shaven and the top is tied back with a Hello Kitty hair tie. His eyeshadow is black and smudged all around his eyes. One of his eyes is green and one of them is brown. 

The other has tan skin, almost reminiscent of the glow of the sun. His hair is a deep rich brown swept over to one side. The tips are red. His eyes are a beautiful shade of emerald green. He is wearing a white and gray jacket, with red details. Black hiking boots and black jeans as well. He turns to the purple man next to him with a grin on his face. 

“So, tell the camera what we're doing, Gerard Gay!”  He nudges the other with an elbow. The other man in frame lets out an annoyed sigh.

“We are camping for your birthday and I'm here against my will.” His voice is monotone as he says this. 

“Hey don't say that! You were the one who planned this trip. You can't gaslight people into thinking I kidnapped you. Especially not on my birthday!” He laughs and smiles. The other one smiles back at him.

“Roman, do we seriously need to record this though? Remus and Janus said it was ok they couldn't make it. They're not going to miss much. And it seems rude to just like, show them what they missed ya know?”  

“Virgil, that's the whole point. They couldn't make it because Remus got sick like an idiot.” Roman is still smiling as he picks up the camera. “You hear that Remus? You're a sick idiot. Imagine getting sick. On our birthday.” He is holding the camera right to his face. The feed cuts off. 

A man with the same shade of brown hair and tan skin, and those same green eyes clicks around on his computer. He looks almost identical to the ‘Roman’ from the video that was just played, except this man has a mustache and a prominent white streak in his hair. Looking through files from this camera. It's been 3 months since his brother Roman and friend Virgil went missing. During a search party the camera was found, but he had decided not to tell the police. Remus was his name, and he did not trust the police at all. The files from this camera were so messed up it was taking forever to fix them. 

He rewinds the footage to the point where Roman is talking about him again. And then again. And again. Until something beeps on his computer. Another file was uncorrupted. He clicks on the file, and presses play. 

Virgil can be seen looking at some plants by a hiking trail, meaning Roman must be behind the camera. The video is quiet. The wind can be heard gently rustling the trees. The sounds of birds chirping and singing, and bugs making well, bug noises. The comforting sounds of nature. It's then interrupted by a familiar voice. 

“And now we have a wild Virgil, in a very unnatural habitat. How did it get here?” His voice is full of enthusiasm, and he is speaking in a very poor Australian accent. Virgil looks up from the flowers with a face of annoyance. 

“Princey if you don't shut up i'm going to kick your skull in.” Roman can be heard laughing, and the video ends.

Remus replays the video, searching for anything in the background that is remotely suspicious. And then replays it again with his volume as high as it can go. Nothing. Just a normal video. He sighs and opens up Cookie Clicker in a half tab over the files. There are 13 files on the camera. 13 is normally one of his favorite numbers since others see it as unlucky, but this time around it's just unnerving. Roman and Virgil were last seen in the nearby woods 3 months ago by some other campers. And then they just vanished. Their campsite showed no signs of any kind of foul play or animal attack. There was no DNA evidence found. Search dogs couldn't pick up a scent anywhere. It was as if they both never existed. Detectives and search and rescue teams have all been stumped. No progress has been made the past 3 months in finding them. 

Remus had tried to track their phones, but neither of their phones showed anywhere on a gps. He personally searched around their entire campsite, but he still didn't find anything. It was a cold case until last night's search. Much to his Husband Janus’s dismay Remus had insisted they looked far into the night. Something that the previous search parties had not done. Janus and Remus searched by themselves way into the night. It was about 3 in the morning when they came across the camera in a ditch.  Janus had picked it up and held onto it while Remus searched the ditch for any sign of the emo and the theater kid. Of course he found nothing, so they called it a night. Remus had not slept at all though. 

It was 6 pm now. He had been working on recovering the files from the camera since they got home. The camera was damaged beyond repair, but the insides were salvageable. He was still clicking away when something beeped again. 3 more files all ready at once. He clicked on the next one, and yet again pressed play.

This time the atmosphere is different. The video plays and the sound of hyperventilating can be heard. The camera is pointed at someone's legs. The jeans ripped up and bloody, revealing the pale and scraped up skin under the jeans. The boots were covered in dirt. It was Virgil. The area around him was pitch black. A flashlight was on next to him, lighting up the ground around him and his legs. He begins to speak,

“It wasn't a person..that thing couldn't have been a… oh god.” The sounds of someone puking can be heard next. The sound of crunching leaves grows louder and louder. And Virgil lets out a blood curdling scream. 

The video ends. Remus stares at his computer in shock. What did he just watch? What was Virgil talking about? It all keeps getting weirder and weirder. He again replays the video, searching for anything at all. Around the middle he notices eyes in a bush in the distance. Horrifying eyes, watching his friend. Almost as if they were looking through the camera into his eyes as well. A chill runs up his spine. Remus hears a knock at his door, and jumps. Janus walks into the room with some pizza rolls. 

Janus is a tall man with long black hair tied into a ponytail. A burn scar covering half his face. He places the plate next to Remus’s keyboard and pulls up a chair next to his Husband. Janus takes control of the computer and rewatches the footage that Remus has already watched. 

“What the fuck is this.” He says blankly.

“I don't even know Jan.” Remus replies with a mouth full of pizza rolls.  

Janus clicks on the next file, file number 4. It's another video. He presses play.

The camera feed is pitch black, and then a flash light turns on. The camera is being held above something. A good 13 feet in the air. The camera focuses on Roman. Lying seemingly unconscious in a pile of leaves. Inhuman breathing is all that can be heard. A pool of blood is forming in the leaves around Roman. His jacket is missing, and snowflakes begin to fall on his body. It hadn’t snowed at all the past 3 months. A twig snaps in the distance and the camera is dropped. Something runs horrifyingly fast towards the sound. Then something else picks up the camera. It's Roman. He quickly shuts it off.

Remus is now facing away from the computer. This is all too confusing and disturbing, even for him. Janus on the other hand is invested. He zooms in on Roman, trying to figure out where the blood is coming from. He notices a stab wound on Romans left side. It was a large stab wound that did not look normal. Though being stabbed is not normal either. He then starts looking up weather reports from the past 3 months. These videos were not dated but if he could find out when it snowed last, then he could find out when they were recorded. It hasn't snowed at all. Not even once. 

He places a hand on Remus’s back in comfort, and clicks the next file. He once again presses the play button, but hesitantly. 

The video is only 2 seconds long. 2 seconds of pitch black video and screaming in the distance. The screaming sounds pained. It sounds like Virgil. There is also muffled crying much closer to the camera. 

Janus yet again clicks the next file, and presses play. Choosing to not think about what he's watching. He presses play once again.

It's a clip of someone running closer and closer to the screams. Loud crying can be heard. The camera is then thrown to the ground as someone falls to the floor. The camera rolls into a ditch. The same ditch Janus and Remus found it in. In the distance Roman can be heard. Begging for someone to stay with him, presumably Virgil. Virgil is no longer screaming. The forest is quiet. No animal noises can be heard. No crickets or any kind of bugs. Just the sound of Roman crying. And the video cuts off.

Janus clicks on the 7th file. At this point Remus had left the room. Janus’s breathing has become fearful. He once again presses play.

The video has opened up in the ditch again. Right in front of the camera is Virgil's face. Lifeless and paler than ever before. Tear streaks and smudges of black eyeshadow run down his cheeks. Blood is dripping out of his nose and mouth. The sound of birds can be heard once again, and daylight shines down on the corpse. The feed stays like this for 2 minutes. And then Virgil is dragged out of frame. The feed keeps going. Disgusting sounds are heard in the distance. The sounds of bones snapping. Something eating something else. It sounds like it's been hungry for a long, long time. A full 8 minutes of the sounds of Virgil being eaten go by, and the feed cuts off. 

Janus is leaning over a trash can. His mind is going so fast. He's mumbling to himself. So many profanities are being said. His hands are nowhere near the computer. The 8th file begins to play. Janus looks up and tries frantically to shut it off to no avail.

“What the fuck..” He says to himself.

The video shows the mangled bodies of Virgil and Roman. Blood is everywhere. Bones are sticking out where they are not supposed to be. Roman is missing his jaw entirely. Something quietly laughs behind the camera. The camera is then thrown back into the ditch, camera lens up. Facing the sky. And the feed cuts off once again. 

Janus has now actually thrown up. He is smashing the keyboard with his fist, but the computer is acting on its own. The next video, the 9th, begins to play.

It's the sun rising, and then setting. The clips cut in awkward ways. The video is 3 minutes long, but shows the sunsets and sunrises of 3 months if counted. Then it begins to rain. It cuts off.

The 10th file begins to play next. The camera is partially covered by leaves, and people are walking above the camera. No one notices the camera in the ground. Shouting can be heard. It's one of the many search parties. Looking for Roman and Virgil. Yelling their names. 

The 11th begins to play as well, Janus and Remus can be seen walking by, the moonlight illuminating the ditch. Janus picks up the camera, and inspects it. Remus can be seen looking around the ditch. The wind whistles through the trees. The feed cuts off, and then back to it sticking out of someone's pocket as they walk. 

“I mean, why would we even turn this in Janus. The police dogs can't even find a scent. They're probably not competent enough to look at the footage.” Remus says with a sigh.

“I suppose you're right.. But what if it's got some. Creepy serial killer message on it?” Janus asks with concern and worry filling his voice. 

“Jan, hun, i've seen almost every true crime documentary there is. Nothing can phase me. I know this will help us find them.” Something follows them through the woods. Lurking in the shadows of the trees. The video ends.

Janus’s heart sinks as he looks over to the camera on the desk. It's facing directly towards him. He takes a deep breath, and begins to think out loud.

“It's fine. This is fine. It was probably just recording us then because it's broken?” He is lying to himself. The computer has finally stopped doing things on its own,and with a shaky hand Janus begins to move the mouse to the 12th file. He takes a deep breath, clicks it, and presses play.

The footage is just a close up shot of Remus’s face for a good couple seconds, before he places it down and begins working on extracting the files from the camera. The shadows behind him dance on the wall. The shape of some kind of creature stands there, unmoving. It ends there.

The 13th video plays. It's Janus, at this very second. This shouldn't be possible. He looks terrified yet his eyes won't move away from the screen. Suddenly, a thud can be heard from the other room. Janus still doesn't take his eyes away from the screen. The creature is right behind him. It's no longer in the shadows. It's too tall for its head to fit into the frame. It breathes heavily, as blood drips from its mouth down to Janus’s head. The blood rolls down his cheek. The creature leans down, face fully in view now. Its eyes are blood red, its face is that of a horrifying looking wolf. It sniffs Janus, as he is frozen in fear. And then bites down on his neck. Janus lets out a pained scream, that is cut off by the video ending.