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tathrin · 2 years ago

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i’m so in love with your AU, especially the parts where Gimli is being influenced / hearing the whispers of his ring!! i love hearing Gimli’s inner workings and thoughts as he’s further being corrupted. im not sure where I got the idea that dwarves are more resilient to the influence of the ring (not sure if this is from canon or fanon or just vibes ach) but it’s really fascinating to read your story with the thought that dwarves are resilient (ESPECIALLY GIMLI!!! the knight in shining armour who in the movies literally immediately tried to destroy the ring) and seeing just how far gone Gimli has gone to justify the corruption to himself. its like Gimli is an unmoveable rock and his ring Knows This, so it has chipped away at him slowly, until he withered away and has become something unrecognisable. given what it took for legolas to recognise gimli fully and completely (him taking off his ring) it seems this is already in effect!! but somehow though despite the corruption and the pain going on here i still Trust gimli, isn’t that insane? 😅 it’s like yeah he’s definitely being influenced by evil energy and yeah he’s committed war crimes but also he’s Gimli so that’s okay 🫶 no but in all honesty i feel like how legolas did first seeing him, couldn’t recognise him at first but once i did i flinched back in fear at the dark lord of erebor i saw!! (but also i just feel like when it comes to gimli i cant lose hope!) maybe he snaps out of the evil influence, maybe he falls further into its hold!! who knows what’s gonna happen in this AU? cant wait to read more! <3 (also many apologies for the HUGE chunk of text 😅)

Oh my gods don’t APOLOGIZE for this, I am flailing over it. I am writhing on the floor making happy screams. Thank you ahhhh I am so glad you like it, thank you! And I’m going to respond by rambling my ass off at you, so I hope you don’t regret it too much ahaha. But like. yes! Gimli IS the knight in shining armor! The unmovable rock! The incorruptible pillar! But now...

Well, now I have to justify a dark take on him in this weird-ass AU idea that bopped me on the head out of nowhere lmao. So I’m going to just gush my thoughts out at you incoherently, and see if I can A: get them a little more concrete in my head and B: see what you think! (This is what you get for engaging with me I’m so sorry. You stuck your finger through the cage and now I’m gnawing on it excitedly lol.)

You’re right about Dwarves and the Rings btw, the original Seven Rings couldn’t corrupt the Dwarves the way they did Men (no Ringwraithdwarves lol) they basically just gave them Severe Goldsickness, iirc. But! it’s not gold that Gimli wants! Over him gold shall have no dominion. So that wouldn’t be a very viable way of getting to his heart, silly Ring. So basically where my head went was, the Rings work by corrupting a person’s goodness not by just like. mustache twirling mwa-ha-ha evilness, right? They get to you by offering you what you want, not what the Dark Lord wants; that’s how they hook you, anyway, and then it shifts and drags you down with it into what It wants...but that’s how it starts.

With Frodo, the way the Ring got to him was through him showing Gollum mercy, basically: the whole “I won’t kill you, but if you attack me again you’ll be thrown into fire!” thing. Sure it was wearing him down all along in little ways, but that was where the Ring got its final major defining “in” with him. With Boromir, it was “hey do you want strength to defend your city?” and yeah, of course he does! Who wouldn’t? That’s a viable desire!

So with Gimli, Durin’s Ring has really been working with not a lot so far, tbh.

It’s certainly been enacting influence! Twisting, corrupting, cajoling; chipping away, as you said. A year ago, he wouldn’t have been able to bring himself to do X...but a year ago, he had to do Y. And doing Y makes doing X easier to bear; that’s how corruption works. And the Ring has certainly been working hard. But it just hasn’t been able to get much of a grip.

Because Gimli is compromising his sense of right and wrong for the sake of the greater good, sure; but that was less about the Ring on his hand luring him in than it was about the fact that all of Middle-earth has been conquered by a Dark Lord, so there are no good choices left. Do you defy Gondor and watch your people be slaughtered on the altar of your pride? Or do you bend your knee and try to keep them alive as best you can? Gimli chose the latter, and that’s led to a terrible (and slowly corrupting) struggle, because he has to side with evil “for the sake of his people” and accept, allow, and sometimes even order evil things done, and there’s no good way off that road to hell once you start walking it (especially in Tolkien) — but he hasn’t really needed (or wanted) the power of the Ring. Yet.

Now all of a sudden here’s Legolas in chains before him, and elves are the one thing in Middle-earth who don’t get the option of “bend your knee to the bad guy and live, or defy him and die” — for them, it’s just die. And of course Gimli doesn’t want to stand back and watch Legolas die. But maybe Gimli can save him! He’s the Lord of Erebor! He has a Ring of Power! He should be able to do something to save him...right!?

And that’s how the Ring is (finally!) getting its big “in” with him here.

He’s already compromised himself so much, he thinks; he’s already got so much blood on his hands, spilt to save his people. He’s watched children in Dale starve, because he doesn’t dare give them food the Dark Lord doesn’t think their people have earned. He’s watched Mirkwood burn and stood behind his walls and done nothing. He’s let elves be worked to death in his mines. He’s accepted a Ring of Power, and all it’s done has been to leave him even more powerless than before. He’s stood back while good people were executed, because nothing he said could have saved them and daring to try would have only made more trouble for the people depending on him. He’s pledged his allegiance, and that of his people, to a monster for the sake of making sure the dwarves who rely on him live to see another day. He’s already damned. So what else does he have to lose?

Well. Legolas’s life, as it turns out. And if the Ring can save him...well.

Gimli is such a good, strong person. He’s never wanted power for himself, or lordship, or anything like that. He just wants to save people, to protect them. And just like with Boromir, the Ring is going to offer him the power to do that, and that might be what pushes him over the edge from slowly damning himself by making the best of increasingly bad choices...to falling off the edge into total darkness.

But we’ll see! I have no idea where this story is going to go, so maybe it’ll be a story of salvation! Or maybe it won’t. We get to find out together. Yay?

#you have the best insights into gimli #i am gnawing on my fingers to know what you think ahhh #galadrielspeaks #gimli #gimli dark lord of erebor au #lotr #lotr au #my writing #gimleaf

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toaster-77-mtg · 6 months ago

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More MH3 Cards! All the lil guy makers!

And by this I mean anything that'ss making me my fav lil colorless 0/1 & 1/1 eldrazi creature tokens with, "tap, sac this creature and add a colorless."

And remember, I'm not a professional in game design, so anything I say about game balance should be taken with a large hunk of salt. I'm not a playtester or designer, afterall.

The Token Art: We don't have any MH3 token art yet!

Cards: OMFG there's FIVE YUSS!

Writhing Chrysalis: LOVE this card. Gimme benefits to sac my lil guys! That and the card does not feel unfair. It's a four cost 2/3, but it's gonna be in a deck with decent potential to ramp early game, so that feels right. Add on top of it the "create tokens on ETB" effect combined with the "whenever you sac put a +1/+1 counter on it", this card has great value (in my opinion. Remember I'm an EDH player, not a modern player). Maybe it should've been uncommon, but I'm not gonna argue with its current rarity, it just means I get more of them! :)

Spawn-Gang Commander: Another great card! Would also combo super well with writhing chrysalis, bcus if you don't need to ramp, you can use the bottom ability to burn. Plus, this thing creates six potential burn on ETB? great card.

Kozilek's Unsealing: I have mixed feelings. I wish that the very bottom text wasn't on there, bcus in my opinion playing a seven cost creature doesn't need more benefits. Mf'er, look at most seven cost things, you don't need more tacked onto that. You don't need to draw three! And also, if the bottom text wasn't there, I think there's a stronger argument for it to be in green rather than blue (but even with the bottom abil there, I still think it should be simic. Its creature benefits). All that being said, I do kinda like the spawner effect. I think create two might be a bit too much, especially considering it triggers on a four cost, which a good deck can get out t2? But who am I to complain. I wanted a consistent generator of Eldrazi tokens, and here it is. I'm still gonna play it, even if I have to splash blue or even go full temur.

Basking Broodscale: Solid common card. I haven't seen too much +1/+1 focus in the set yet, so I don't think its mechanic is gonna be abused using MH3 cards. That being said, it will definitely be abused in EDH or other formats where you have access to more counters stuff. So maybe it should've been a 1/1?

Drowner of Hope: Another fair card! 6 mana 5/5 that makes me two scions, I'm not complaining! That and it's bottom ability only cares about Scions, not spawn or any other eldrazi. And it doesn't even put any stun counters on the creature it taps. So, maybe this shoulda been an uncommon? But who am I to say. Bulk rares do exist.

Overall: Good token cards! Again, I wish they woulda kept the effects in gruul rather than temur, but im still fine with it. If they wanna go for card draw benefits for your spawn, blue makes sense.

I'm much more excited for this set than I thought I would be (although the amount of alt arts and full arts and serialized cards is still ridiculous)!

#mtg #magic the gathering #mh3 #modern horizons 3 #my lil guys

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actualbird · 1 year ago

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oh oh i have ptsd and have dissociative episodes and i can totally see luke being the same!! to my knowledge the dates never touch on luke experiencing a flashback or episode or being triggered but i would really like to see it (much in the same way as his physical illness!). because love isn’t just uwu and “oh you cured me”, it’s loving someone through everything!!

irt previous ask response on luke and the behavioral changes of Raven

wahhhhh im so glad u resonate with that response and my thoughts in there, anon!!!

and yep, as far as my memory goes i also cant remember a time he has a flashback or an episode, further cementing that this is less canon and more of what i wanna see because //grips hyv by the shoulders. these Things that happen to the characters Have Consequences. and the entire like.....thesis of luke and mc's confession (from SSR Under the Milky Way and the progression of everything prior to that) hinges on how their love is strong enough not to cure but to be there along for the good and the bad, for the wonderful moments and the difficult ones....//shakes ur hand very much anon, u Get It

frankly even with his physical illness, the post-anniv cards are leaving much to be desired, irt to it actually cropping up and affecting luke and mc's relationship, like it was being set up for (shoutout to hazel seven-tastic for the chat that made me Realize This, like YEAH....YEAH WHERE ARE THE MOMENTS WHERE THE HARDSHIP LUKE WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT ARRIVES AND THEY TACKLE IT TOGETHER, COMING OUT STRONGER FOR IT!!!! ;-;)

i rlly love that u brought up the physical illness too because that prev response i did was more focused on mental illness and consequences and the Link between physical illnesses and mental illnesses/effects is Real (i expound way more on that in this previous 1.7k word response about my hopes for the portrayal luke's physical illness). not to say that one always causes the other, but that the immense stress of one can definitely feed into the other. it makes sense to me. and it would be very interesting and fulfilling to see how luke and mc handle it together. how will she help him through the pain episodes of his neural condition? how will she help him through a dissociative episode after a grizzly mission?

and like, to link it to The Line That's Driving Me Nuts that i recently saw from luke's cn server Empryean's Touch MR card; "[...] perhaps it's written in the stars that my name belongs to you"

in my head i can already imagine a scene where he comes home after a mission and hes still so far away. mc helps him with wounds hes sustained that he cant even feel in his state any more. it's upsetting to see him like this, as if hes been hollowed out and sapped of the warmth that makes him him, but she wouldnt want to be anywhere else, saying his name softly over and over again so maybe he can have an anchor to hang onto in wherever hes found himself lost.

it's not a cure-all, but it helps. because so long as she calls his name, one way or another, luke makes his way back to her.

#asks #anon #a life full of hurdles is still a life worth living and loving it's worth it it's worth everything //falls to the floor

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m0nst3rgunxz · 10 months ago

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Hey can somebody define the self for me pls?/genq

because I'm thinking about it and there are a few approaches that ive thought up as well as disputed. First off he have the notion that comes from a more psychology type stand-point where the self/identity is divided into named categories. Such as the ego states(that typically bind down into one cohesive identity with age) and ID/ego/superego. Which would mean you are the pieces that make you up, hypothetically. This makes me wonder where you should draw those lines(is your self really cut and paste enough to fit into predisposed definitions anyway?), and more importantly when one piece of you faulters (I.e. change in morality [superego]) do you STOP being you? Are you now a new self? Or can the self change.

Well lets move on to my other possible ideas, how about your personality/opinions? Well that would making you your brain in some sense of the word given you form your subjective opinions, on objective reality, WHILEST the reality you personally experience is subjective in nature. Hope i havent lost you, let me explain. The reality you experience through your senses(taste, touch, scent, ect.) is filtered through your brains ability to comprehend it. The colors we have named can be seen differently by other people. Things can feel different and be filtered through the optic nerve or olfactory glands or nervous system differently for others. Now that makes your reality immediately different from objective reality. This makes your opinions/perspectives limited to your experience with reality and your minds ability to perceive reality. If the self is personality then the self is dictated by the limitation of man/personhood. That brings the question of what's the limitation of man(disorder, sickness, the primal urges that occasionally directly contradict the frontal cortex and whatnot) and whats personality?

Moving on once again, i dont see this take often but theres the idea that you are your body. Which I think is quite a funny thing because very often the self and the body directly conflict, and the subject with the body makes alterations to the body to match the self(from hair cuts to surgery). The very way we speak of our bodies contradicts this idea as well. We say "my body" or "my arm" and its worded like its something we own. Like our body is not us but the object we own. And the object we are forced to present in. Off topic slightly but this makes body horror extremely effective because in it you are forced into an object that is grotesque and vile and your body becomes your agonizing prison. (Also if you are your body you can introduce "all your cells are replaced by seven years" and "what if ur body parts are replaced with machinery/consciousness download into the digital" notions and suddenly this idea is crumbling apart in your hands)

My final idea on what the self could possibly be is that you are your memories. Look dont ask me, i dont really get it, but rolling with this idea that would make me(someone with amnesia) lack self almost entirely. And truth be told I do significantly lack many general traits that others have decided comprises identify. And truth be told i am A-OK with being a nonidentity. Perhaps if i really am my memories and I dont have memories and i dont have a self, that means im completely up to viewer interpretation. Quantum physics style if you catch my drift haha(just dont get too attached to your ideas of me tho i suppose, theres always more under the surface or less under the surface than people tent to anticipate and its like this world shattering thing to many when I dont aline with their general consensus of personhood on a fundamental level)

Anyways please get back to me on these ideas, i lack the understandings and experiences required to come to the conclusion on what "identity" is, so it would be a big help :D!!

#depersonalization #dereality #derealism #derealization #otherkin #autism #actually autistic #amnesia #i dont want identity if it means i have to become attached to it #when you are attached to your sense of self you begin to feel how other people perceive your self is a reflection of you #and id imagine its so painful when its a negative perception #maybe this is delusion on my part #maybe i just need sleep #philosophy #< is this philosophy??

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teenyweenyeenymeeny · 2 years ago

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I know u csn obviously tell who this is ;3 but who in ur opinion is the most to least CG coded of the phantom thieves im very interested to see what u think bc i cant decide

WELL you have definitely come to the expert. ough this will b difficult though. this will be. Biased especially since it has been soooso long since I actually played the game

Number one ummm Haru 🥺 mostly because of nepotism I will not deny that… but waaa mommymommymommy just imagine having tea parties with her… she would have lovely stuffed animals that she would let you cuddle all you want… even though she was the type of kid to keep her toys so neat and tidy you’d think they are brand new even now so maybe you would b worried about messing them up but she would not mind! she knows how to wash them without damaging them if they are properly messy and if they are just getting to look “well loved” she thinks that is sweet!! oughhhgh imagine wearing the sweetest little outfits she picks out for you… I love her sooo much waaa

Number two… is Makoto probably! She is more obvious I think than Haru? Because Makoto is the responsible one! She’s mama friend! She is good at planning and making sure everything goes well! Like she will make sure she always has some of your baby things with her even if you are big Just In Case and she prepares cute lunchboxes! You can go on picnics nd stuff with her or maybe they are for school :0 nd also. Buchimaru. Friend to you both. I like it when cgs like cute things as well 🤍

Number three is Ann iii am trying so hard to not be too biased I would put her higher if I let myself be more biased. She just ouuughg waaa she is so sweet 🥺 I’m SO sorry that I can’t have a coherent thought about her. Mmmmm sharing lots of desserts! Spoil. Each Other >:) even though uh oh sometimes you end up with tummy aches together also </3 cuddle all better 🥺 nd mmmm Ann does dress up with you waaa she is good at. Fashion so you know when she says you look soso cute then t means a lot!!

Number four is Ryuji ough he’s like. Big brother most EVER he deserves to be in a rank together with Ann I think together they r like. Cool big brother and sister who let you join in on their big kid games but r soso patient with you if you don’t get them. SO so sorry to Ryuji to not say as much about him as th girls I promise I lovlovlov him it is just. Hard to Organise My Thoughts the longer I spend writing this hdkdjdjd I like him so much

Number five is Yusuke ough he does. Arts and crafts with you mainly like ough wht f he draws a picture and then you colour it in… obviously fingerpainting. Nd mmm he can paint your face like your favourite animal if you want! You make a picture for him and he goes oh your attention to detail is exquisite little one and then he puts it somewhere special 🤍 he doesn’t put on a baby voice for you at all he doesn’t get the appeal

Number six is Akira I’m SORRY the only reason he is so far down is because he’s way more baby to me 🥺 I know this is not a cg → baby ranking but. It Does have an effect on his ranking. Although just a teeny one because if I didn’t have to give them all their own numbers they would all be number one 🥺 mmm he is good at caregiving but not a caregiver you know. Like he is. Thoughtful and kind and lovely but he’s also just a baby it is like a little kid with a hamster like… yes he is so good at taking care of it but maybe don’t leave him unsupervised for too long. You know. Like especially if you are doing something fun while little he will start to feel little as well 🤍

Number seven is Morgana I’m sorry but he is. Kitty adjacent. He cares for you as much as a kitty can!! He can cuddle with you and be a weight on your chest and nuzzle into you but he cannot make a bottle or be cuddled INTO or help you get ready for bed. He tries his best though 🥺

Number eight is Futaba I’m SO SORRY I like her SO MUCH and she is not BAD at caregiving she is like Akira… she is lovely at caregiving she just needs to also be reassured throughout or she would worry she is doing it wrong 🥺 she regresses too but like. Not quite baby she is like tween and perhaps then is when she does best with littler regressors cuz she can feel like a cool big sister and show off all her cool stuff

Number nine is Akechi. I’m sorry except I am not because this guy is the only person I am confident on the placement of. He is either the fussiest grumpiest baby or he is easily irritated by kids. If he is trying to take care of someone he would not SHOW that but. You know

Sorry to Sumire enjoyers. I do not remember her well and I don’t think it would be fair to her to rank her

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idyllic-affections · 1 year ago

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a while back you mentioned you might do one of those 'my opinion on ships' so i hope its ok to send this

what do you think of zhongven? personally i think its pretty good, but venti is very aroace and zhongli is aro to me so i see them more of a qpr or friends who jokingly flirt type of relationship, im also very desperate for them to interact in present time

🐌.

WAIT NO THIS IS TOTALLY FINE i would love for people to do this actually...... i think it's fun to talk about these things! send me ships and i will share my thoughts!!

i don't ship zhongven personally, and i never have, but i definitely see the appeal! to me they are just silly old friends. i don't ship any venti ships (that i can recall, at least) because i don't think venti would do well in a long-term romantic relationship. he probably doesn't do well with vulnerability for the most part, with certain exceptions. HOWEVER i think the "not wanting to be vulnerable" and "fear of loss" effect would be mitigated if he was dating another immortal, particularly another one of the original seven... zhongli specifically, so i do see the appeal. but venti is also very aroace to me though so that's probably also why. definitely can get behind qpr zhongven though. they probably kiss in a not-quite-romantic way tbh!!!

#aphelion replies: 🐌 anon 🌸

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aster-pkmn-irl-real · 9 months ago

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DREAMER - does your muse have any recurring dream? if not, what was their worst nightmare?

And!

CHEATING DEATH - what does your muse think about death? are they afraid of it?

oh ummmm that first one is kind of like. hard to answer cause i actually don't sleep that much tbh,,, it isnt a thing where i just refuse to sleep or like im overworking myself i grew outta that phase but like i havent been able to sleep properly at all for as long as i can remember (ALSO YES IVE TRIED CUTTING OUT CAFFEINE IT DIDNT WORK) so i dont really dream thatttt much. but recently when ive managed to get to sleep ive had this dream where like. it reminds me of this one fairy tale (read: reading comprehension passage) i really liked when i was younger called marzia and the seven harlequins. i talk about it more here. (https://www.tumblr.com/aspens-lab-moved/740062909838884864/whats-a-book-that-features-your-favorite?source=share) but basically in the dream i take the role of marzia and eight other people (none of whom i recognize?? which is kinda weird) take the roles of her friends. but basically what happens is i turn like 13 in the dream and my pichu and i set out on this journey where basically we have to reset this timer in order to prevent the world from being destroyed by 'god.' so as we journey throughout the land over the course of 5 years we meet these people and we become friends and they join my cause. along the way my pichu also eventually evolves into a raichu. what happens is like basically each of these eight friends start to go missing one by one, until theres only me, my raichu, and one last friend left with his raichu. and the two of us keep going on our journey to reset the timer and stop god from destroying the world and when we get to wherever we're supposed to be stopping god there's an altar at the very top of this tower which is on top of a mountain. when we find god, whos like just sitting on the altar having a good time ig, we realize that our friends went missing because every time we got closer he was taking them as sacrifices to make him stronger. then he takes my raichu and our last friend as the final sacrifices and its just me and this eevee left to reset the timer and make sure god doesnt destroy the world and basically like the eevee evolves into an umbreon and we're able to reset the timer and destroy god because he didnt realize that the timer doesnt function on sheer power but its cause like love and hope and devotion are how it chooses its master so its reset but in the process the umbreon and i are killed, but we wake up to this really bright light, where we're meant to spend all of eternity together all alone because we're dead and we have to watch over the timer now in order to reset it next time and next time and next time because that way nothing changes and the timer can always be guaranteed to be reset and then i start crying in the dream and then i wake up its a weird fuckin dream and then for the second one . its kind complicated ig. im not going into detail for kind of obvious but i do have a few experiences regarding death and stuff and they definitely had an effect on me. i wouldn't say i necessarily fear death. i don't want to die but at the same time if i were to be killed i wouldn't try to fight all that hard yk? like if it happens it happens. theres not a whole lot i can do about that. im going to die anyway. all i can really do is love the people i love while i can and hope that when i say i love them they know i mean it and try to live a life that i won't regret when my time comes. and i dont really mean that in a yolo way but i moreso just wanna like. pay attention to my life and the world around me and i wanna pay attention to what i pay attention to. i dont want to die but if it happens i dont want to waste time trying to cling to life when i could be doing something better with my time

#pokeblogging #pkmn irl #rotumblr #rotomblr #aspen replies #tw death #tw nightmares

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hes1an1asshole · 5 months ago

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Just gonna put a wanting here if your romance repulsed because u put a bunch about my bf

BRO IM LIKE MAYBE SOMEWHERE ON THE AROACE SPEC BUT IVE LIKED PLENTY OF PEOPLE AND LOVE MY BF WITH ALL MY HEART BUT THIS IS SO REAL PEOPLE CALL A BUNCH OF PEOPLE UGLY, MY BF GETS CALLED UGLY SO MUCH, JES BEATIFUL IN MY EYES AND I GENUINELY DONT KNOW IF PPL SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY THINK HES UGLY OR THEY JSUT DONT LIKE HIM, WELL HIS FRIEND DID SAY " LETS BE HONRST HES NOT REALLY THST GOOD LOOKING" but his friend looks no where near as good as him at least to me and his friend is also an asshole but yeah. Like the other day he was talking to his online friend and he didn't wanna show his face because he thinks he's ugly and his friend was like "ur not" and he's like "you've never sent my face" and she was like " I just have a really strong feeling and taylors seen your face she can vouch for me" and I was like "'yeah, he's pretty" and then he was like " well she has a crush on me pf course she thinks that" and I didn't say it but before I liked hin I never thought he was ugly there's very few people I think are ugly, most people are neutral and there's a couple that are pretty. And also I don't understand why it's such a big thing in human culture to be prerry/beautiful or whatever my bf made a joke the other day with the same friend mentioned previously (not the asshole the other one) and he was like "it's ugly but I love it, just like you" and I was like " awww, you love me" because I don't really care, I like the way I look, and his friend was like " you better be joking I'm aboit to throw hands if your not" and I was like "if you touch him I'll pit you seven feet under"

Like 1/100-300 people my age are ugly in my eyes most are neutral and I think how pretty I think someone is, is slightly determined by how much u know them, not entirely but it definitely effects it lol

Like u never thoight my bf was ugly, he wa just kinda there, but now he's the prettiest person in the world and I could stare at him for hours

So, my whole life I was under the impression that "ugly" was a word that only applied the people and things that are like... 'anti aesthetic', or just repulsive to look at or something. But the way some people use it is in reference to just anyone they don't find attractive. And that's weird. First, was that the definition the whole time?? Second, "ugly" is used as an insult. Are we really insulting people just because we don't find them attractive? I'm ace, I find no one attractive, but I wouldn't consider everyone "ugly", they're just neutral. Do normal people only consider others to be either attractive or ugly?? Arrent most people just neutral?? I'm so confused. Neurotypicals explain yourselves.

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sunnytastic · 3 years ago

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ok ok I know this long overdue (but in my defense, I am a college student currently drowning in midterms and definitely not writing this while procrastinating my anthropology essay) but here it finally is: my analysis of The Lost Hero

first, I think the decision to remove percy from the first book and instead introduce three new characters was extremely necessary. we already know and love percy but by including him the first book it would have caused us to pay less attention to the new central characters. heroes of olympus is not about percy. its about seven different characters who all have different motivations and responsibilities, of which percy is one of them. by starting with different characters, it is clear from the beginning that other characters will be just as important as percy in the this series. the new characters also allowed for a more seamless shift between first person and third person rotating narration. having percy go from first person to third person without any introduction would have been too jarring and would have probably alienated a lot readers. rick was also really smart for not including percy in the first book because it generated even more anticipation and excitement for the son of neptune.

secondly, jason gets too much hate. or at least for his character in the lost hero. while the amnesia plot line is recycled with percy in the next book, I think the lost hero does it more effectively with jason. for starters, we already know percy and his history, and yes, it is still very interesting to watch percy figure out life without his memories. but jason is entirely new character, and to introduce a new character while also not being to provide a character history is a much better use of the amnesia trope. it makes the readers more invested in the character because we are also trying to piece together his past along with him.

and I think it was a very ballsy move on rick's part because amnesia in a new character means the author really has to focus on showing vs telling jason's character traits because the readers have no context to explain why he is the way he is. and I think that rick really did pull it off because it is very clear from the beginning that jason is a natural leader who knows when and how to support those on his team. especially when compared to percy whose obliviousness often prevents him from noticing when others are upset. this not to say that percy is not a caring guy, I just think jason is more observant and this helps him lead effectively.

piper is always been a really appealing character for me. her powers are more subtle than the others and one of my favorite parts of heroes of olympus is watching her develop her abilities and grow more powerful. and the daughter of aphrodite turned rebellious tomboy who could care less about her looks definitely works for her character. and I really like that despite her attempts to hide her beauty, every character still acknowledges how attractive she is. (also, piper, please, ur too good for jason. you should be with me instead <3). I can't wait to read more of piper and im especially excited to see her interact more with annabeth.

ok now on to my baby leo valdez. I would do anything to be able to wrap him in large blanket and bake him some edibles (leo high would be hilarious and I would pay so much money to see that). and I adore how rick alludes to leo having a potty mouth. it fits his character perfectly and its shame we don't get to hear him say "god damn it" or "motherfucker" every other sentence but I'll settle for little lines that imply that he does. I mean, this is a kid's book.

leo also is a very important character to me because I can relate to him on many levels. as a hispanic american with severe adhd that causes me to talk too much and results in social mistakes that when corrected, I perceive as rejection (gotta love that rejection sensitivity dysphoria). this being said, while I definitely agree that leo has adhd, I cannot ignore how heavily he is autistically-coded. His sense of isolation goes beyond his perceived social rejections. He struggles with identifying how people feel and becomes uncomfortable when he is expected to comfort him. He also mentions several times that he prefers being alone with his projects to avoid and recharge from social situations. And while he is still a son of hephaestus, he seems to be more invested and finds more meaning his work than his siblings. One could even say that it is his special interest. His creations are also the only way he connects with his peers and often relates and describes them using terms associated with machines (like abed from community with tv shows). im disappointed that rick never touches on leo's autistic traits because I don't think you can write a book celebrating neurodivergence and then not make an effort to include autistic people (especially when they are already present and just ignored)

however, as much as I love leo, the lost hero is not his best book. it might even be his worst. compared to jason and piper (especially as this book follows the development of their relationship), leo just kinda takes a backseat and doesn't show as much of the personality that I've come to love. sure, he's fixes festus but then festus almost immediately gets destroyed. and then he really only supports jason and piper as they go along their own journeys. im very much looking forward to leo take a more important role in the rest of the series and become the glue that keeps the seven running. and im very interested in watching him evolve from goofy prankster to hero who understands that the future of humanity is in his hands. in both great prophecies, the fate of the battle rests in singular choice made by a singular hero (first, percy. second, leo) but in pjo, percy only carried that weight of this responsibility for a week before it resolved. on the other hand, leo finds out at the beginning of his journey and it strongly impacts the emotional development of his character.

I honestly can't say much about the plot of the lost hero. it follows the same script as previous percy jackson books though with the uniqueness of the new characters. the characterization is what really stands out in this book but again, piper and leo still are better characters in other books in the series. overall, not a bad book, definitely necessary and a decent introduction to the series.

anyways, this is way longer than I thought it was going to be and I very desperately need to go back to my anthropology essay (seriously, its due tonight). But I did say that I would be analyzing the heroes of olympus more closely and what kinda of person would I be if I didn't keep my word. I have no idea when I will be able to finish son of neptune or when I will be posting my analysis of it but stay tuned because it is definitely coming.

oh, and one more thing, thank you for all the notes and reblogs on my posts. it truly means a lot and im happy to find more percy jackson lovers

tldr: the lost hero is a good book, jason gets too much hate, piper is amazing, leo just needs a hug and some soup, and I need to write a goddamn essay

#the lost hero #jason grace #piper mclean #leo valdez #heroes of olympus #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #book analysis #annabeth chase #godiloveleosomuchyouguyshavenoidea #leovaldezlover #leovaldezdefender #iwouldliterallydieforhim #mcshizzle'sgirl #the lesbian urge to love leo valdez

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ofplanetsloved · 2 years ago

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mandatory lil 3.8 thoughts

whewwwww. we made it.

i went into the episode thinking. someone. someone is gonna die. one of the big ones. and about. two minutes before he did. i went, “i don’t think black noir is making it” and. fuck. is it good storytelling? i think maybe. Maybe. was i sad? absolutely i cried. bc while he was team homelander, he wanted revenge against the racist fuck who broke his face. and i wanted him to get that. the fight would have gone entirely differently if he had been there (and that’s definitely something i’m interesting in writing/plotting).

i was not expecting maeve to live. but ashley deleting the file was... really nice, actually. i did not expect any empathy from her, who left her assistant to die. to see empathy from her was shocking in a way that i’m really compelled.

as of right now, i don’t give a fuck about victoria neumann. i think it’s funny that jim beaver is playing robert singer again. and sure, i guess this sets up next season, but i care more about ryan.

ryan. hoooo. at first i thought him being there was really fucking dumb. and him being the reason that homelander walks away was kind of... anticlimactic? but this is only season three so . i didn’t think that butcher or homelander would die. i mean, fuck, they didn’t even kill soldier boy.

however. ryan at the end. that shit was compelling. that little smile. seeing how power can corrupt at such a young age.

the todd arc was really well done— like, it wasn’t subtle. he was clearly becoming a neonazi. they didn’t try to hide that. but that moment with his cheer... whoa.

maeve and hughie’s friendship is so much to me.

kimiko my fucking wife. listen to your 80s music and kick ass for comrade frenchie.

a-train and deep... i’m curious to see what’s next for them. cassandra clearly has her moment in the spotlight, but also... her name’s cassandra. i don’t imagine people are going to believe her, you know? or maybe i’m just a mythic bitch. and a-train... i’ve always liked a-train as a character. he does do what he thinks is the right thing. it just. it just doesn’t work.

okay. so. starlight is my wife. she’s perfect. she’s everything to me. we know this. i’m so happy she got her ‘i FUCKING told you so’ and her moment with maeve at the end made me cry but. to me, she’s the protagonist. her and hughie. the very first episode sets them up at the protagonists, to me, with butcher as thee antihero and homelander as the antagonist (and a-train and deep as secondary antagonists, one against hughie and one against starlight). and it felt full circle when she got to hit soldier boy. i wish it was more effective, but i was so stunned. she could FLY!!!

and, the hughie arc’s full circle moment!!! he could have taken the V and run in and tried to protect her, and save her, and he would have died and she would have been PISSED.

instead, he’s able to help her by being human. by being safe. by working with fucking electronics (AND HE WORKED AT THE ELECTRONICS STORE!!! IM INSANE!!) . he doesn’t save her. he helps her save herself.

i don’t think this is the end of soldier boy. they can easily bring him back if they want. here’s how gay sex jackles can still win.

oh. i will say. the maeve and sb falling moment looked like a shitty marvel moment.

who will be the new members of the seven. btw. cause they got three bitches to replace!!!

if there’s one thing kripke loves doing, its giving his characters daddy issues, baby brothers to protect, an insane need for revenge, and a year to live.

TLDR: I enjoyed the episode, i really think all these characters are so fleshed out, but i wish they didn’t simply set up black noir’s character with the intention of killing him. they only started exploring and revealing his character to us this season so we’d feel something at his death (like how we didn’t feel that much for translucent bc we didn’t know him, if that makes sense?). which is kind of bullshit. but i love starlight so fucking much i could cry.

#the boys s3 spoilers #i don't want your pity // o o c

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phykios · 3 years ago

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this one is dedicated to mi amor mari @perseannabeth, who is a beautiful bird and a wonderful friend and i am v v vvvvv grateful to have crossed the airwaves with her :”)

Today Was A Fairytale [read on ao3] T, modern royalty, fun at disneyland!

She stares at him.

He stares back. “What?”

“Really?”

“What?”

“You really think this is going to be enough?” Annabeth points at her head, the blue Yankees cap squishing her curls.

“Of course! It’s the Clark Kent effect.” As if to underline his point, Percy slips on his fake hipster glasses, except that stupid grin of his is too bright not to draw attention.

“That’s not a real thing.”

“Sure it is. Studies show that glasses are actually good enough to alter your appearance if someone doesn’t know you well.”

“Then why didn’t you bring a pair of glasses for me?”

“Because your hair is definitely the prettiest thing about you,” he says, automatically tugging an unruly curl which peeks out from under the brim, a gesture so practiced she almost doesn’t register it--until he blinks, dropping his hand, blushing lightly. “I mean--the most noticeable thing. You know. A hat should be fine.”

He looks away. Heat rises to her face, too. Because it’s so hot out, obviously.

“Anyway,” he mumbles, “um. No--no one’s going to give you a second look if your hair is hidden.”

Chewing her lip, Annabeth can’t help but worry. Percy’s face is extremely well-known, possibly more than hers, and they’ve both spent the better part of three weeks with their faces plastered all over the media on their diplomatic trip. This is probably a really, really bad idea. Then, a thought occurs to her. “How about,” she says, perking up, “you give me your glasses, and I’ll give you mine.” From her backpack, she fishes out a pair of sunglasses, big and nondescript. He’ll practically be wearing a superhero mask with these.

Percy smiles again, and Annabeth thinks she might fly. “Perfect.”

Which is how Her Royal Highness Anna Elisabeth Ingrid Irene of Sweden and His Serene Highness Perseus Alexandros Ioannis of Thera play hooky from their day of boring meetings, insufferable dignitaries, and stuffy security guards, to go see the eighth wonder of the world: Disneyland Resort in California.

And how Annabeth eats her words as they make it past the security gate unchecked. “Eh?” He beams, nudging her with his elbow. “Eh?”

Rolling her eyes, she shoves him back. “Shut up.”

***

[description: a tiktok video which depicts a line at Disneyland. the op, a black girl with braids, covers her mouth and looking into the camera, turning the camera to focus on the two people behind her. one is a tall boy with black hair and sunglasses, and the other is a blonde girl with a yankees hat and glasses. both are white. video text reads: “p sure the people behind me are prince percy and princess annabeth??? um?????”. background audio is a dubstep remix of the fight theme from undertale. end ID]

***

Maybe it’s a little weird, on account of her being actual royalty and all, but Annabeth has always been interested in princesses, both as a matter of historical record (history is awesome) and in the general sense. Like millions of other people, she, too, was raised on Disney movies and tales of princesses and true love, and she was just as captivated as the rest of them. She and Percy used to watch the Disney catalogue whenever their families held state visits for each other, staying up into the small hours of the morning, sharing some popcorn and singing along.

Luckily for Annabeth, her favorite princess is holding a meet and greet at the Royal Hall.

“Excuse me,” Percy says, approaching Princess Ariel. Well, her cast member, anyway. “Could I get a photo for my friend?”

“Of course!” she trills, her blue eyes sparkling. “It would be my pleasure.” Holding her hand out, perfectly poised and graceful in a way that would impress even Annabeth’s stodgy etiquette instructor, she smiles, warm and welcoming, pivoting to bring Annabeth in for one of those weird, semi-awkward half-hugs. “What’s your name?”

“Anna,” says Annabeth. Hey, it’s not untrue. She’s a little leery of using any of her names, but Anna is common enough. Annabeth? Not so much. Even with her glasses and hat disguise, a little paranoia is justified, she thinks.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you, Anna,” she says, cheerful, with all the grace and charm of someone who doesn’t spend hours saying the same thing over and over again to excitable, temperamental children. What a trooper, she thinks.

“Don’t you recognize a fellow princess when you see one, your highness?” Percy says, grinning that stupid, smarmy grin of his.

Annabeth glares. Oh, he thinks he’s so damn clever.

“Oh, of course,” says Ariel, smoothly. “How could I have thought otherwise? Your highness.” And she curtsies to Annabeth, a short dip, her hand placed delicately against her chest. “Perhaps I can introduce you to my friend Anna, princess of Arendelle?”

Still smirking, Percy takes some more pictures, trapping Annabeth into smiling for the camera. She can’t be glaring daggers in her pictures, nor can there be video evidence of her kicking him--no matter how much she wants to.

And she definitely doesn’t miss the way Ariel not-so-subtly checks Percy out, eyeing him up and down.

“You fucking asshole,” she hisses as they leave the photo area, swatting him lightly, and he giggles.

“Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“Ugh, I hate you so much.”

It’s hard to stay mad at him, though she definitely tries as they enter back out into the park proper, giving him just the barest hint of a cold shoulder.

“Aw, come on,” Percy says. “I was just teasing.”

“You shouldn’t go around tempting fate like that,” Annabeth says. “Do you want to cause another international incident?”

Percy winces, no doubt remembering the Gateway Arch incident of 2008.

“If someone recognizes us, we don’t have Zoe or any of her team to protect us,” Annabeth goes on. “Not that I think anyone here would try to hurt us, but…” But it’s a little nerve-wracking, being on her own like this. She hasn’t been alone like this for a really long time.

Wincing, Percy rubs the back of his head. “I guess I forgot you’re a little higher profile than me. Sorry.”

She doesn’t like to think about it, but it’s true. Percy, by his nature as the younger son of a largely defunct royal house, doesn’t have quite the same number of… issues… that someone like Annabeth might have.

Deflating, she uncrosses her arms. “It’s okay.”

“I should have asked you first.”

“It’s really okay,” she says. “No harm no foul.”

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asks, entirely serious. “I can call someone up.”

She knows just how long they’ve planned this, how many favors he’s called in and policies he’s sidestepped. Backing out now would just be a waste of a day. She shakes her head. “It’s fine,” she says. “I’m just… feeling a little exposed, I guess. But, I don’t want to ruin all our plans. Let’s keep going.” She grabs his hand, squeezing a little.

“...Okay,” Percy says. “But say the word, and we’ll call it a day. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good.” Like he doesn’t have any other expression today, he smiles at her again.

It hits her, suddenly. He’s so much taller than she remembers. Once upon a time she used to be taller than him; now, he’s basically a whole head above her.

It’s annoying. But also… not.

Spying something over her shoulder, his eyes light up, and he practically gasps. “Cinderella!” he points with his free hand, like a five-year old. “Come on!” And he takes off to one of the park corners, dragging Annabeth along with him.

He has to wait in line behind a pair of twin girls, six or seven years old by the looks of it, in identical Cinderella dresses for a photo, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and when it’s finally his turn, he nearly trips over himself to go up and ask for a photo.

Cinderella agrees, and now Annabeth is relegated to the job of cameraperson. Percy slides in next to the princess, his hand on her waist, but, ever the respectful gentleman, loosely held, so the cast member can slide out of his grasp without any difficulty at all.

Taking a few shots, it does look kind of strange to have Cinderella’s beautiful, shining face, and Percy’s enormous sunglasses blocking his. “Take off your glasses?” she says, lowering her phone for a second.

Dutifully, Percy slips them off, smiling again for the camera.

Cinderella’s smile doesn’t falter, a credit to her professionalism, but Annabeth can see her eyes widen, just a touch.

Annabeth snaps off a few more photos, “Got ‘em!” and Percy once again gushes over the princess, thanking her for her time. Grabbing Annabeth’s hand again, he practically skips off, leading them in the direction of a nearby candy shop.

***

me: IM SHAKING GUESS WHO I JUST TOOK A PICTURE WITH????

sis: prince percy?

me: HOW TF DID YOU KNOW

sis: its on twitter already

***

They’re walking along, Annabeth slurping up a Dole whip, when she suddenly stops in her tracks, outside of one of the many, many gift shops. “Wait up a second.”

“Hm?” Percy says, around the giant lollipop in his mouth.

“I want to get some Mickey ears.”

Very quickly they get lost in the sea of Disney merchandise, walking the labyrinth of Star Wars and Marvel and Pixar goods. There’s a surprising amount of black for the so-called happiest place on Earth, but things do brighten up when Annabeth finally turns a corner and finds the enormous selection of Mickey ears. It’s a wash of sparkles, flowers, bows, and occasionally characters, for children and adults alike. Annabeth eyes a pair designed like Baby Yoda, eyes wide and ears adorably huge, before she fingers a pair of white Mickey ears that have a bridal veil attached to them, contemplating its counterpart, the black ears for the groom, each ear emblazoned with a sparkling silver “Happily Ever After.”

She looks around. Where did Percy wander off to, anyway?

Well, wherever he is, hopefully he hasn’t gotten mobbed by a horde of excitable fangirls. Given that she can’t hear any screaming--well, any unusual, non-Disneyland-relevant screaming--that’s probably a good sign.

Running her fingers over the ear selections, she finally picks out a pair of silver sequined earrings with a shiny gold bow, a tiny, rhinestone Cinderella’s castle placed delicately in the middle.

Yeah. This one.

Percy finds her as she is paying for her ears, a pair of his own already on his head, red balloons inside of plastic circles. The sunglasses, she notes with a tinge of nervousness, are tucked in his shirt, and not on his face, protecting his identity. “Oh, check mine out--they light up!” he says, giddy, pressing the button on the side, not that she can tell in the brightly lit shop.

“That’s not why I was looking.”

Walking out of the store, ears firmly in her possession, she looks around again. Percy’s face is out there for the world to see, and no one is giving them a hard time.

And her hat is really sweaty.

Ah, fuck it.

She removes the Yankees cap, shaking out her sweaty curls, sliding the ears on in its place.

And the glasses, for good measure.

“Cinderella?” Percy asks.

“I thought you’d approve.”

Outside the shop, next to a corn dog cart, Percy pulls her aside, out of the way of a whole classroom’s worth of children, holding up a plastic plag. “So, confession.”

“Percy…” He didn’t. “We said no gifts!” They had agreed to it that morning!

“Well, see,” he says, fumbling around in the bag, pulling out a black t-shirt. “I saw this, and I thought--I thought you might like it.”

He unfolds it, and Annabeth frowns at the shirt design.

It’s… a drawing of a man in a purple mask against a solid black background, glaring at the viewer. Circling him, in distressed, white-grey military font, are the words “BARON ZEMO,” and the logo for the show he must star in, Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She doesn’t really watch superhero shows, though, and she’s pretty sure Percy doesn’t, either. Maybe he’s started this one and he really likes it? “Thanks,” she says, confusion coloring her voice despite her best efforts.

But he doesn’t look too disappointed. “I was looking through their pride merch, and they didn’t have any stuff with the ace flag, which totally sucks, but then I thought that maybe you might like something a little more subtle? So, yeah.” He shakes it. “Ace pride!”

Oh. Oh, this boy.

She remembers, so vividly, visiting his father’s summer home on Kalymnos, a few years ago, the summer she turned nineteen, waking up to a banging in the kitchen, noisy pots and pans making a real racket. Granted, it had been one in the afternoon, and Annabeth probably should have been awake sooner, but she had stumbled out of the guest room into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, to the sight of Percy wrestling with the standmixer, making bright, neon purple frosting. The night before, sometime around three or four AM, that weird, liminal hour where the shadow of night just starts to recede, the sky a sweet, soft, dusky blue, she had come out as demisexual to her best friend, saying the words aloud for the first time ever. Loopy from lack of sleep, the moment had passed without much fanfare.

But Percy, dark-circled and still yawning, had woken up early to make her a chocolate cake. By the time she had woken up, he had baked the cake, chilled it, and made two out of the three frosting colors, a beautiful, moist, dark chocolate cake which ended up being frosted with a marbled mix of purple, black, and white, all folding into each other into a kind of colorless, grey sugar.

Here, now, in Disneyland, she throws herself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck. His arms automatically come up to circle her, hugging her tight.

She had been worried it had been some kind of defense mechanism. A young girl with an alarmingly high profile, Annabeth had been the subject of intense scrutiny with regards to any romantic entanglements, with critics, tabloid reporters, and fans alike attempting to invent gossip-worthy relationships with every boy she ever talked to--most usually Percy. They did grow up in the public eye together, attending all kinds of events and functions together over the last fifteen or so years. And they did tweet at each other. Like, a lot. They even had their own portmanteau hashtag. But no relationship ever materialized.

She thought maybe she was just being stubborn, unwilling to play the media game. But it hadn’t been stubbornness. It wasn’t about shyness or inexperience. It was real, and it was her.

And Percy hadn’t even blinked.

“I love it,” she murmurs. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” he says, swaying her from side to side, just a little. “It was my pleasure.”

***

What’s happening: #percabeth (Entertainment • trending)

@kndrck__ STREAM CHROMATICA: um @TheraUS @SwedenRoyals i think i found your sick royals? #percabeth #disneyland

@wasabiviking: omg werent they supposed to be at some hospital opening today #percabeth

@ChampionSno brando he/him: LMAOOO NOT #PERCABETH PLAYING HOOKY LIKE IT’S ROMAN HOLIDAY

***

“Holy shit,” Percy moans, his mouth full of food. “Oh my God. Dear God in Heaven.”

Annabeth kicks his ankle under the table. “Don’t be rude.”

He swallows, eyes fluttering. “Oh my God, Annabeth. Holy shit. This is the best damn sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

“A monte cristo?”

“A deep-fried monte cristo! In sweet batter!” Taking another bite, he moans again, just this side of indecent. “Oh my God I love Americans. They are absolute culinary geniuses.”

“Better than Bistrot Chez Rémy?” They had both been to Disneyland Paris, separately, sadly, and Percy had recommended the restaurant to her with great enthusiasm for her upcoming trip. As usual, he was spot on with his food recs.

He nods, eyes closed in rapture. “By a mile.”

“You’ll have to learn to make your own when we get back home, then.”

He jolts, straightening up, cheeks full of food. Roughly, he swallows. “You’re right! I need to take notes.” And he takes out his phone, hurriedly typing down whatever scent and flavor notes he must be able to discern. “This is definitely challah…”

Plucking another piece of chicken with her fork out of her jambalaya, Annabeth lets her attention wander a little, content to watch the passengers on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride as they float on beside them, down in the artificially constructed bayou river.

Truth be told, she’s kind of tired. They’ve been walking around all day, and even with the brief reprieve of rides, her shoes really aren’t the kind that deal well with huge amounts of walking. She can already tell that she’s going to crash, and crash hard, whenever they get back to their hotel. You know, if their security detail doesn’t eviscerate them first.

When Percy had first presented his idea to her, she had agreed without hesitation. They had had a long, dense schedule of public appearances planned for their excursions to the states, and the days had begun to seriously wear them out. Together, they had worked out the kinks, coming up with contingencies, negotiating things to do, all over Discord so no one else would get wind of what they were doing. Prior to this trip, she hadn’t seen him in… probably almost a year. She knows his father had been keeping him close to home for whatever reason, and Annabeth had had a handful of official functions to deal with. Their paths just never managed to cross, up until now.

She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him.

It’s lonely, growing up in the public eye. It’s cliche, but it’s true. And while Annabeth is afforded a metric ton of various intersecting privileges, she thinks she’d probably give it up in a heartbeat. It kind of sucks being a living, breathing tourist attraction.

Growing up, she had her cousin Magnus, and a handful of other assorted children to play with, but she would never say that she had a best friend, or even a good friend, until she’d met Percy. Her mother and his father, famous for their mutual dislike, had put aside their differences to host some kind of charitable dinner for the disgustingly wealthy, and had trotted out their respective children in all their finery. Annabeth, being all of twelve years old, hadn’t really grasped the gravity of the event, and had gotten into an itty bitty little food fight with the then-unknown Prince Perseus, the result of an extramarital affair whom his father had so graciously decided to acknowledge and adopt.

After that night, they became fast friends, and she decided that, if she ever left the royal life, she’d make sure to take Percy with her. He’s one of the few things that makes her life bearable.

She thinks about it, sometimes. Renouncing her title. It wouldn’t exactly be hard. There was Magnus, just in line behind her. And it’s not like her family held any executive power anyway. They’re just fancy, historically interesting celebrities.

Would Percy give up his, she wonders?

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

He looks at her oddly over their dessert, two vanilla-bourbon creme brulees. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she says. “Just tired. Long day.”

“You want to call it a night?”

She frowns. “What’s left?”

“Well, we did Space Mountain, Rise of the Resistance, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, a few others,” he counts off his fingers, “saw the princesses, got Mickey ears, ate at Blue Bayou… I guess all that’s left is walking around the pier, if you want.”

“Sounds like you two had a full day.”

As one, they almost leap out of their seats, Annabeth choking on her spit. “Jesus, Zoe,” Percy pants, his hand over his chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Oh?” says Zoe Nightshade, the head of their security detail, who had just apparently materialized out of thin air. “Funny. I could say the same about you, sir.”

Coughing, Annabeth eventually manages to get her air back. “Hey, Zoe,” she wheezes. “How was your day?”

“Eventful. Let me tell you about it in the car.”

Annabeth glances at Percy, who’s looking a little bit like a deer in headlights. Honestly, she’s surprised they even made it this far without one of their own tracking them down. Still, it looks like their game is up.

...Or is it?

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a large tour group, approaching on the horizon.

“Sure,” Annabeth says, getting up. Luckily, they’ve already paid, so they can just head out; they don’t need to wait for another big group of people to cross their paths. “Will you let us go to the bathroom, first?”

Zoe squints. She’s always been able to see through Annabeth’s bullshit. But Annabeth has her best, Percy-patented baby seal eyes on, perfectly innocent. Surely, Zoe wouldn’t deny them a physical need such as relieving themselves?

After a moment, she nods. “Make it quick, if you please.”

“Of course,” Annabeth says, looking over at Percy, hoping he gets the message. He stands up, slow and stiff, eyes darting between the two of them. “We’ll be right back.”

They wander through tables and chairs towards the bathroom, her eyes always on the tour group as it just starts to pass by. Reaching out, Annabeth grabs Percy’s hand, and with a turn that would make her track coach proud, sprints out of the restaurant, using the throng of people as cover.

She thinks she hears Zoe yelling behind them, but maybe it’s just her own laughter. “Come on!” she shrieks, breathless, as Percy’s long legs keep pace with her. “To California Adventure!”

***

darthbingus said: the monarchy are fucking parasites but percabeth is pretty cute i guess :/

ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: it’s obviously a publicity thing lmao, also prince Percy is gay???

eowynning reblogged and said: he’s dating rachel dare, right? he can’t be gay

ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: That was a publicity thing too obvs, and Annabeth hasn’t ever been linked to a guy. The king of thera is hardline greek orthodox, there’s no way he’d let his son come out publicly. They’re both gay and pretending to date because homophobia

lardoftheprks reblogged and said: people can be bi and ace and pan and all sorts of things you know

batgirlcock reblogged and said: can you animals leave them alone fr

***

Zoe only spots them after the ferris wheel starts moving. Sprinting over to them, they’re still a full forty feet off the ground by the time she reaches the operator. “Sorry!” she yells down to her, hands cupping her mouth. “We’ll be down in ten minutes!”

“Ananbeth!” he chokes, giggles still escaping him.

“What?” she laughs.

“We’re in enough trouble as it is!”

“Exactly,” she says, settling back on the ride. “You’ll probably be grounded for life.”

“Me?” he squawks, playfully offended. “What about you?”

She scoffs. “Please. I’ll just pin it all on you.”

Leaning back, he pouts, arms crossed. “Wow. I plan this amazing day, violate a few embassorial rules, and probably put both of our countries on a massive red alert, and this is the thanks I get?”

“I helped plan it, too.” But he does have a point. “Thank you,” she says. “I had a lot of fun today.”

He turns his head to her, a grin stretching across his face. “Me too.”

His voice is so soft, so fond. They share a look, a moment, no words between them, only the silence of a true, deep companionship. They don’t need to say anything else, because they already know what the other would say.

As one, they break away, looking back out into the California evening.

They don’t talk much as the ferris wheel climbs higher and higher. Honestly, Annabeth is kind of impressed with how well he’s handling himself--she knows heights are a bit of a weakness of his. He grabs the edges of their gondola every once in a while as it drops a few feet, knuckles white and face a little green, but he manages to keep his dinner down, even as the ferris wheel grinds to a halt, Percy and Annabeth at the top of the world. The swing back and forth a little, hot faces against the cool evening breeze.

And they stay there.

And stay there.

And… stay there.

Annabeth checks her watch. How long have they been up here?

Percy taps his feet, a little too frantic just to be ADHD.

Finally, there’s a burst of noise from below them, garbled and static. “Uh, yes, excuse me--” the voice says, amplified through a megaphone. “Yeah, um, it appears we are having some… uh, technical difficulties with the Pixar Pal-A-Round. Please remain calm, as we have our best technicians on it, and we are working on evacuating the ride in a calm and efficient manner.” Then the voice cuts out.

Annabeth glances towards Percy. He has his hands in his lap, fists clenching and unclenching, over and over again. “Uh… you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, sure,” Percy says, “just fine. Peachy keen.” He squeezes his eyes shut, slowly blowing out his breath through his mouth.

“Hey.” She reaches over, and takes one of his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together. After a long day of holding hands, somehow it still manages to surprise her, how well they fit together, how her skin tingles as she rubs her thumb against his finger. “It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna be just fine. They’re going to get us off this ride, and then we’ll fly home and be grounded for life.”

“I thought,” he wheezes, “you’d blame it all on me?”

“As if you could come up with a plan as genius as hiding from our guard in It's A Small World.”

He nods, shakily. “Right. All you. Definitely not my idea. Everyone knows I’d have looped back to Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“Definitely.” She squeezes his hand, scooting a little closer. “Just breathe with me a little, okay?”

They breathe together, slowly and evenly. At some point, Percy takes her hand in both of his, running his thumbs over her palm, tracing her lifelines like a map. His hands are big, and warm, and it seems to calm him down a little, so she doesn’t mind all that much.

Twilight darkens, stars twinkling against the grey, dusky sky, and still they are holding hands. Eventually, Percy relaxes, slumping against his seat.

“You good?”

He nods. He still doesn’t let go. “Yeah. Just…” he sighs, stretching his arms up, taking Annabeth’s hand with him. “Not super looking forward to the dressing down I’m going to get.”

She winces. Annabeth’s dad is a little more flexible than Percy’s when it comes to breaches of protocol. The king of Thera is somewhat famous for his paranoia. “I hope it was worth it.”

He whips his head to her, eyes wide. “Of course it was worth it!” he says, as though the opposite were even fathomable. “You kidding? This was the best day of my life.”

“Better than your sixteenth?” His father had officially acknowledged him that day. Annabeth had spotted him in a deserted hallway with his mother, the two of them fighting off a few happy tears. She knows just how special that day was for him.

“Not even close.” Squeezing her hand, he smiles again, that smile she knows almost better than her own by now. That smile she grew up with, a quiet oasis in a whirlwind of ancient tradition and modern media coverage. That smile is safety, familiarity. That smile was there to greet her when her mother chose to leave her family, when her uncle died without heirs, thrusting the position of heiress on her, whenever she had a rotten day or a bad grade or a lonely night, just on the other end of a phone, or down the hall, or in the kitchen.

Whatever happens, she knows, Percy will be her best friend. Her anchor.

Her…

She swallows. “Thank you,” she says again. “I needed this.” A day without an agenda. A day just for them.

His eyes are dark, and soft, like the water beneath them. One hundred and fifty feet in the air in a broken ferris wheel, there’s nowhere safer she can be. “Me too.”

So she’s not really surprised at herself when she says, “I’d really like to kiss you now.”

Eyes widening, just a hair, he opens his mouth, momentarily speechless. “You--are you sure?”

She nods, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

“Cool. Uh, me too.”

“Cool.”

Neither of them move.

“So, do--do you want to--”

Annabeth leans in, her other hand cupping his cheek, and kisses him.

His lips are soft. His mouth tastes like vanilla and bourbon. They are trapped in a metal box, one hundred and fifty feet off the ground, about to get the punishment of their lives when they get down, and it is absolutely, utterly perfect.

And when Annabeth pulls back, there are fireworks.

Quite literally.

Percy’s face glows with pink and green and purple, and a little fire in his eyes that’s all him. The pops of the fireworks, loud and brassy, and muted, completely overshadowed by the pounding of her heart in her chest.

They rest their heads against each other, breathing each other’s air, quiet and intimate, the calm before the storm that is surely coming. But that’s fine. Let it come, she thinks. She’ll be safe with Percy.

When the park technicians eventually get the ferris wheel moving again, Percy and Annabeth disembark from the gondola like nothing’s even gone wrong, waving to the crowd of people, fans, and reporters alike, who have swarmed the pier, phones and cameras held aloft in a constellation of light, before being quickly hurried away by Zoe and her crew, ushered to the end of the pier where Annabeth’s embassy’s car is waiting.

Percy doesn’t let go of her hand once.

***

KALYMNOS, GREECE--Prince Percy has arrived on the island for his family’s annual summer retreat, bringing his girlfriend, Princess Annabeth of Sweden, with him for the fifth year in a row, and the third as his official partner. Lifelong friends, the couple were most recently seen at Disneyland Tokyo, continuing something of a tradition for the two royals where they visit Disneyland parks across the globe. Our sources inside the castle are hinting that the family is planning something big this year. Could we see a proposal by the end of summer? Be sure to subscribe for more updates!

#pjo fic #percabeth #percabeth fic #my fic #au #perseannabeth #the rivalry ends here #will i ever stop writing modern royalty aus? no 💖#also look mari i even used a taylor swift song

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