#and expect an Olympian Falls write later today!

[thelastspeecher]

Been thinking about my Olympian Falls AU lately, and I've come up with some stuff for Stan in the AU. Who, in that AU (which is a Percy Jackson crossover) is a son of Hermes. As is Ford. But this post ain't about Ford. It's about Stan.

Here are some thoughts I've had

Stan stays at Camp Half-Blood until they essentially kick him out. He doesn't want to go back to New Jersey and doesn't have a school lined up, so he stays as a year rounder until he's like 19 or so. Then they tell him he's gotta make his own way in the world. Especially since spots in the Hermes Cabin are in high demand. (This being before Percy says all gods must claim their kids and also get their own cabins at camp.)

Stan does boxing professionally for a while, until he gets a nasty hit in a match that scares him off continuing to box on a regular basis. He's seen what can happen with bad injuries, and just because it comes from a human, not a monster, doesn't mean it won't have lasting effects.

After he quits professional boxing, Stan just bounces around from job to job, never really staying long term. The jobs he's had include, but are not limited to: courier (USPS, UPS, and FedEx), cab driver, pedicab driver, travel agent, traveling salesman, used car salesman, and for one random month he works as an actual shepherd. Oh, and a thief, of course. But that's more of a side hustle on top of his 9-to-5 jobs.

Stan and Ford don't look much like Hermes when they're younger. But as they get older, they look more and more like him. Their hair gets darker and curlier and their facial features shift ever so slightly. You can't tell unless you directly compare them to photos of the past, but if you do, it's clear. It's sort of a gift from their bio dad to keep Filbrick from realizing they aren't his kids until they can protect themselves.

Stan and Ford ARE born with Hermes's blue eyes, however. And they both have a mischievous air to them that makes teachers immediately think of them as troublemakers, regardless of their actual behavior.

After Stan gets kicked out of camp, he sort of wanders around as per canon, doing the jobs I mentioned up above. Luckily, during his travels, he's able to do more than just scrape by, helped in part to his connections with other demigods, who let him crash on their couches. It's also helped by the fact that he is supernaturally good at stealing. He essentially will only get caught if he wants to get caught.

And, of course, this is one of my AUs, so Stan's traveling eventually takes him to where Angie is going to college, and they reconnect.

[tsarisfanfiction]

In The Depths of Despair

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Rating: Teen Genre: Angst Characters: Michael Yew

Michael expected to die, when the bridge fell.  He did not expect this.

For @flashfictionfridayofficial​ #190: Trapped In The Dark. I have been playing with this AU in my head for a while; there will certainly be more of it, maybe even later today, but for now have a teaser courtesy of FFF waking my muses up.  This comes in at 892 words, according to MSWord.

Small emetophobia warning. Reminder that there’s now a discord server for all my fics, including this one!  If you wanna chat with me or with other readers about stuff I write (or just be social in general), hop on over and say hi!

Michael was beyond astonished when the world stopped falling apart around him and he was still alive, let alone conscious.  He hurt, bones that felt a lot like they were broken screaming at him even as he lay still, unable to move after landing with a solid crunch that was no doubt to blame for the screaming bones, but he was alive.

Nearby, he could hear water, fast and furious as it rushed along its path, and found the energy to be grateful that he hadn’t fallen in it; in his condition, that would’ve killed him, even if it was controlled by Percy who – hopefully – wouldn’t want that to happen.

Then he realised that didn’t make sense.

He’d been stood on the middle of the bridge, and the Williamsburg Bridge was not some short, small bridge hopping over a small brook in a forest.  It was a massive thing, spanning the breadth of the East River, which itself was hardly small.  Even if he’d landed on debris, there was no way he could be dry.

And yet he was.

There was the stickiness of blood leaking out of wounds, cloying against his clothing in a way that experience told Michael would be unpleasant to peel away from his skin later, but no water.

It was also too quiet.

The rushing of the water had hidden it for a moment, but as he lay in his crumpled heap, feeling his lungs take in breaths that had his body shuddering in pain, he realised that was the only thing he could hear.

There was no sound of fighting.  No voices.

Nothing, except the water, rushing past him somewhere, and his eyes snapped open, only to be greeted with darkness.

Something was very, very wrong.

Dawn had been breaking; he had felt the warmth of the first rays peeking over the horizon as he took his last shot, as the bridge lurched and broke beneath his feet, casting him down to what he’d been sure was certain death.  Had he passed out as he fell?  He didn’t think he had, had a continuous stream of memories from the moment he told Percy to break the bridge to landing with a pained crunch on the ground beneath him, but something wasn’t adding up.

His body didn’t want to move, but Michael forced it to, anyway, biting his lips hard enough to bleed – not that more wounds even mattered at this point – to stop himself crying out in pain as his broken ribs screamed, to say nothing of his left arm the moment he tried to put weight on it and it bent in a place that certainly wasn’t supposed to be a joint, bone stabbing up through his skin and turning his vision white.

For several long moments, he panted, his whole body trembling, whimpers eking past his lips despite his teeth’s best attempts to keep his mouth shut, but he couldn’t just lay there forever.  No voices meant no people – for some reason his siblings were nowhere near him and he refused to entertain the notion that it might be because they were all dead when they’d all been off the bridge, away from Kronos and his scythe – and no people meant no help forthcoming.

With a silent, desperate prayer to his dad for help – pain relief, healing, anything, although last he’d seen Apollo was still embroiled in that battle against Typhon and couldn’t give him anything so he couldn’t say he expected a response – Michael pushed himself up with his less damaged arm and almost threw up as he finally managed to find a sitting position.  Bile dripped from his lips, and an unpleasant taste filled the back of his mouth; with a grimace, Michael swallowed it back down and took stock of his surroundings.

Immediately, he realised that he was no longer in New York.  It was dark, darker than night, but he could still tell there were no high-rise buildings near him, let alone the remains of a bridge.

There was nothing at all, except the river rushing somewhere behind him and a voluminous nothing in front of him.

Michael had never known nothing to have such an oppressive presence before, but there was no other way to describe whatever it was, and the overwhelming instinct to run away crashed over him.

By the time he realised what he was doing, he had smashed face-first to the ground, blood erupting from his mouth as something inside him protested the sudden movement his instincts had forced him into.

Still, he couldn’t stop. A deep-seated terror settled into his bones, filling him with the certainty that if he didn’t move now, he would die.

No, not die.

Worse.

It was barely a crawl, but Michael wrenched himself along, muffled whimpers tearing at his lips every time his left arm shifted, away from the nothing and towards… what?

He didn’t know.  He didn’t know where he was, how he’d got there, or how he was going to get out.  He was trapped in the dark, without even the beginnings of an idea how he was going to escape.

The only thing he knew was that he couldn’t stay put, no matter how much agony coursed through him, no matter how much blood he smeared across the ground as he kept going, inch by torturous inch.

tbc...

[jaydicksummerexchange]

[ ❤ Works posted so far! ❤ ]

TODAY IS THE DAY! 

We have reached 118 Exchange works for 2020! Thank you, thank you to all our fabulous artists and writers who tapped that creative well and let JayDick rain down upon us. And thank you to everyone who has clicked on the link and left kudos and comments for our participants. They worked, so, so hard y’all! 

We’ll reveal all of our participants tomorrow, September 5, so get your score cards ready and see how many of your guesses were right!

Here are today’s releases!

A Kiss and a Kingdom by anonymous for TheWayneManner [Fic, Mature, No Archive Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/ Jason Todd] 

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fae, Fae & Fairies, Fae!Dick, Shade!Jason, Alternate Universe - Magic, Prince!Dick, Assassination Attempt(s), Diplomacy

Summary: The Fae Kingdom must work together to help their human brethren when a border conflict arises. Fae Prince Dick Grayson chooses Knight Jason Todd to be a human representative for the negotiations because something about Jason draws him in. Little does he know, he and Jason are spinning a spiderweb around themselves filled with romance, intrigue, and enemies.

The Blud is no Haven by anonymous for Fancy_Dragonqueen [ART, Mature, No Warnings Apply, JayDick] 

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mob, Mafia Dick Grayson, Mob Boss Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson is Not Nightwing, Jason Todd is Not Red Hood, Hooker Jason Todd, Fanart

Summary:  Dick Grayson is a policeman. Dick Grayson is a community hero. Dick Grayson has never, in fact, been on the right side of the law.

or

That one Mafia AU where Dick is Bludhaven's biggest mob boss and Jason is his right-hand (in more ways than one).

Gotham City Pride by anonymous for epistemology [ART, General Audiences, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd] 

Additional Tags: Digital Art, Fanart, Pride Parades, Asexual Character, Pansexual Character, Is this an AU? Who knows., JayDick Summer Exchange

Summary: ♫ Just two boys, hugging during pride month 'cause they're both gay. ♫

My Thoughts on You by anonymous for Morimaitar [FIC, Teen, No Warnings, JayDick] 

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Secret Crush, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, First Dates, First Kiss, Dick Grayson Has Issues, Alternate Universe - College/University

Summary: Left alone for the holidays, grumpy and a bit sad, all Dick Grayson wanted was to get a hot drink from his favourite coffee shop near campus. But little did he know that his life would take a much-needed turn when Jason Todd, his longtime crush, starts working as a barista there.

lit the fuse and missed the candle (i love you and despise you) by anonymous for Airdanteine [Fic, Explicit, Creator Chose Not to Use Warnings, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dick Grayson is Catlad | Stray, Break Up, Post-Break Up, Love/Hate, Love to hate to love, Hate SexAvoiding Sex Scenes with Violence and Intimacy Issues Is My Kink, Angst with a Happy Ending, Misunderstandings, Past Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson, Past Dick Grayson/Rose Wilson, Past Dick Grayson/Harley Quinn, Jealous Jason Todd, Slut Shaming

Summary: “You are nothing,” Stray hisses, slashing Jason’s face with his unoccupied hand.

Jason lets him, smiling as the blood drips down his cheek.

“Oh baby,” he says, all low timbre and heat, “I’m everything to you.”

Spyral Teens by anonymous for ZeroMonster [ART, Gen, No Warnings, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd] 

Additional Tags: young spies, Brothers, Big Brother Dick, Little Wing - Freeform, Little Brother Jason, Spyral (DCU), AU, Dick Grayson is Agent 37, Batfamily (DCU), Jason in the 1st Dick's outfit for Spyral, sidekick's sidekick

Summary:  They are spies. Little spies. Meet Grayson-Lad and Kid Todd!

We Might Fall by anonymous for empires [FIC, Mature, No Warnings, Dick Grayson/ Jason Todd] 

Additional Tags: Batman Beyond - Freeform, Angst, Difficult Decisions, Retirement, Confessions, Non-Explicit Sex, Post-Break Up, Moving On, Developing Relationship, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting Together, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, how to tag

Summary: Dick and Jason are together but they're not. They love each other but they won't ever admit it. There's too much history. Too much pain. Ideals that could never match. Choices that could only end with them hating one another. But as Jason makes a life-changing decision, Dick is forced to look back on his own life, the events that led him to become who he is today. He is forced to finally look at Jason in a whole new light.

Once Upon a Time.... by anonymous for naol [ART, Teen, No Warnings,  JayDick] 

Additional Tags: Digital Art, Little Red Riding Hood AU, Kemonomimi

Summary: "What pretty eyes you have.”, This was a fic prompt but a Red Riding Hood AU was too cute not to draw as a treat <3

will i change for good? by Anonymous for 3isme and TheWayneManner [Mature, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fae, Curses, Curse Breaking, Beastmen - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, mysterious magical stranger dick grayson, jason todd is not a changeling, Dick Grayson is a Talon

Summary: 

PROMPT 3 for 3isme - Jason runs from the villagers that have hated him his whole life. They think he's a changeling. A child of the fae swapped with a human baby during infancy. He's not. Despite all the odd things that make him different from the others, he knows he's not. But They don't, and they will kill him if

PROMPT 1 for TheWayneManner - A Dark!Au of some sort. Horror and/or gothic elements. Heavy angst. Eerie vibes. NO Rape NO Underage.

Ideas: DarkFae!Dick, Mobster AU, Demon/Angel AU, Siren!Dick AU, Gothic/Horror AU, Dystopian AU, Vampire AU, Prostitute AU, Prison AU, Asylum AU... Really anything that has a dark twist to it, the boys struggling with their inner demons. BONUS: It would be awesome if the fic contained an element of forbidden love with it. Boys against the world kind of vibe.

Ambiguous or sad ending is welcome.

Favored to Win by anonymous for Fancy_Dragonqueen [Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Knifeplay, Porn With Plot, Alternate Universe - Mob, Bottom Jason Todd, Top Dick Grayson, Begging

Summary: When Jason agreed to throw fights or the mob, he was not expecting this. Jason had definitely Not had 'ass in the air, face on the floor' on tonight's bingo card. But he's not exactly complaining either...

All Washed Out by anonymous for stribirdf (timidGoddes)[FIC, Mature, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Battle for the Cowl, Batkids Age Reversal, Angst and Feels, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Difficult Decisions, Confessions, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Omega Dick Grayson, Alpha Jason Todd, True Mates,

Summary: Batman is dead. He is dead and everything is about to change. Still grieving for his father, Jason Todd, his son and first sidekick, has no choice but to take up the mantle his alpha left behind, continuing the legacy so that the streets of Gotham are always safe. Estranged from the family, Dick Grayson, the son who died, the son who came back all wrong, has decisions to make, ones that could change everything forever. A fire has been struck, one that is bound to spread and no one can

False Alarm by anonymous for Nottak [Teen, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Married LifeSome Humorno capes AU

Summary: One day in the life of Jason Todd, former crime boss, current house husband.

Hush Hush (Don’t Give It Away) by anonymous for solomonara [Mature, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Fluff and Humor, Writer's Block, Author Jason Todd, Secret Identity, Secret Crush, Awkwardness, Walking In On Someone, Realization, Love Confessions

Summary: ‘He was a skater boi. He said 'I'll write a fic for your later boi.'

In which, Dick Grayson really loves reading romantic stories written by a best-selling author who just turns out to be Jason Todd. Awkwardness ensues.

There are a hundred reasons why I'll run (but for you I'll stay) by anonymous for Hedgebelle (Ahaanzel) [Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Light Angst, First Meetings, Love at First Sight, First Kiss, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Time, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Happy Ending

Summary: Jason, the god of the underworld, cannot stand the Olympians who constantly keep making bets about his love life. His only desire is to stay away from everyone and mind his own business. That is, until, one day, Dick walks into his life.

a keeper of secrets for me by Anonymous for anoncitomikolino [Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd]

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dimension Travel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, intersex omega, Alpha Jason Todd, Omega Dick Grayson, in this universe….

Summary: You can have all your dreams if you really believe in something that's true

The Bees - Listening Man

[raibebe]

Sunkissed

Genre: Fluff Words: 4.276

Prompt: Greek God Yeosang Warnings: Shameless appreciation of Yeosang’s beauty

A/N: After seeing those pictures of Yeosang wearing that crown at a fansign, I couldn’t get this idea out of my head and when the lovely @im-a-special-bebe​ made this beautiful moodboard I just couldn’t not write something about it. This is purely self-indulgent. @nctkickit​ please be proud of me for adding 0% smut into this.

Apollo: Son of Zeus and Leto, bother of Artemis. Olympian god of the sun and light, music and poetry, healing and plagues, prophecy and knowledge, order and beauty, archery and agriculture.

The first time you saw him, you didn’t think he was real. He was standing on the Cliffside, looking into the setting sun, his wavy dark hair gently moving in the wind, the last rays of sunshine catching in the golden laurel crown he was wearing. The golden twinkle was the thing that had caught your eyes first when you were on your way back home from the city. The man was standing there unmoving, eyes fixed to the horizon where a single sailboat was sailing into the sunset. His tunic was gently swaying in the wind, the hem playing around his thighs, white fabric dyed orange from the sun’s rays.

What was the stranger doing here? You had never seen this man before and not many people came to the small island that you lived on. Captured by the strange man, you kept staring at him. Something about him made it impossible to tear your gaze away. When the sun finally set and the little plateau was clad in darkness, the man averted his gaze from the horizon and turned around, his sharp gaze immediately finding yours as if he had known you had been staring at him all this time.

For a while none of you moved. The darkness obscured the strangers’ features but you could tell that he was beautiful enough to have a stature made to immortalize his strong jawline, high cheekbones and piercing gaze, even though you weren’t sure if a stature was even going to capture all of his beauty. When his lips slowly curled into a small smile, you could have sworn that the sun had begun to rise again. Giggling shyly, you averted your gaze and nervously tucked a strand of hair back into its place. But when you looked up again, the stranger was gone, nowhere to be found.

Sighing, you shook your head. It had been a long day for you, but you didn’t know you were so exhausted that you had started to hallucinate things. Or maybe you had taken a breath or two too many when you had visited the temple today to deliver some new herbs to burn and to get a blessing from Apollo for your work.

The next time you met the mysterious stranger, you didn’t see him at first. You were preparing a tincture for the old man living at the harbour who couldn’t work like he used to now that he was getting older, when a soft melody played on a lyre reached your ears. At first you didn’t mind it. Sometimes a wandering group of musicians lost themselves in the outskirts of the city when they couldn’t afford to stay the night in a tavern. But what caught your attention was the deep voice that hummed along the soft melody, complementing the instrument in the most beautiful way. It made you think of the handsome stranger you had seen near the cliffs admiring the sunset a couple of days ago.

Cautiously you took your cauldron off the fire and set it aside to cool before stepping out of your little home. Following the sound of the lyre, you found the stranger sitting on a rock, his handsome features illuminated by the soft light of the dying sun, the golden laurel crown reflecting the light onto his hair. His face was relaxed as he gently plucked the strings of his golden instrument, a little smile adoring his lips.

You were sure he must have noticed you with the way his eyes twinkled mischievously but he paid you no mind. Slowly you sat down on a log of wood, careful to not dirty your own tunic any further than it already was. How the stranger kept his one spotless while sitting in the dirt, was a miracle to you. Sitting in silence you listened to the soft melody for a long time. When his song finally ended, the silence you otherwise really liked, felt heavy. Even the soft howling of the wind and the distant crashing of the waves couldn’t fill the air like the music did seconds before.

“I hope you enjoyed it,” the stranger chuckled, lifting his gaze from his lyre to meet your eyes. You had never expected the lean and beautiful man to have such a deep and soothing voice. But it fit him. You liked his voice, it carried a comfortable weight. You wondered if he was a wandering musician. But his clothes were way too nice for that. He looked more like a son from a rich house with hundreds of slaves to work for him. But what was he doing out here? You felt your face heating up and averted your gaze when he kept staring at you with his big brown eyes and you realized that he was waiting for an answer while you were lost in your thoughts. But before you could think of an answer, his bright laugh cut through the silence and you weren’t sure if his gentle humming before or his laugh was the most beautiful thing you had ever heard. His lips were quirked in a mischievous smile and he raised one perfectly arched eyebrow, still waiting.

“I... I liked it,” you stuttered. The stranger just hummed, turning back to face the sun that was just now dipping below the ocean on the horizon. A million questions burned on your tongue but none left your lips as the stranger and you sat in silence in the darkness. “It’s too bad we only ever seem to meet at sunset,” the stranger sighed and got up from where he was sitting, dusting off his tunic that was just shy of being indecently short. Quickly you got up as well, feeling ashamed of your own unkempt appearance: Green stains all over your tunic from working all day and your hair messily pulled back in order to keep it from falling into your face. “I hope we’ll meet again,” he smiled before he turned his back towards you, walking to the edge of the cliff. 

You wanted to scream at him to not go down that narrow path there. Many people had tried to use it as a shortcut to the beach before and were later found lying motionless in the water. But your breath was trapped inside your throat and you could only stare to where the figure of the stranger was disappearing from your sight.

When you couldn’t see the twinkle of his golden crown anymore, you could finally breathe again. Too scared to go to the edge yourself, you prayed to the gods that they would keep the man safe and that no fishermen were bound to find his body in one of their nets. Just when you finished your silent prayers and turned to leave, a little something glistened in the corner of your eye where the stranger had sat before. Carefully you made your way over the stones to inspect it further. When you leaned down to look between the pebbles, a little golden leaf shined right back at you. Carefully picking it up, you turned it between your fingers. The metal felt warm beneath your fingers, you were sure the stranger had dropped it. This was your proof that you weren’t hallucinating again. The stranger was real and you were more confused than ever. Carefully pocketing the leaf, you made your way back home, your thoughts only filled with the strange man.

The third time you met him however wasn’t at sunset for once. The sun was standing high in the sky when you were walking through the fields surrounding the outskirts of town in search of herbs that you had run out of, when suddenly a shadow appeared over you when you were plucking little yellow flowers, making you shriek loudly and topple over in the grass. When you turned to look around, you were face to face with the handsome stranger who looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh out loud at your reaction. “You scared me,” you pouted. “It wasn’t my intention to scare you,” he chuckled, his voice just as deep as you remembered it.

Now that he for once wasn’t obscured by darkness, you could finally study his features. He wasn’t wearing his golden laurel crown this time, his long hair framing his face beautifully. His sunkissed skin was spotless, despite for a little birthmark right next to his left eye. You didn’t know what overcame you but you somehow had the urge to reach out and touch it. Something must have shown in your face because his big brown eyes crinkled slightly and his plush lips tugged upwards in a beautiful smile.

“You seem to really like my face,” he chuckled, raking his hands through his wavy hair, “Every time we meet, you seem to lose your voice and just stare at me.” Flustered, you averted your eyes and plucked another flower, throwing it into your basket to the ones you had previously picked. “You’re a healer,” the man spoke, sitting down next to you and plucking some of the little flowers as well. “How do you know?” You asked, your eyes fixed to the flowers around you as if to prove that you could indeed control yourself and didn’t stare at handsome strangers all the time. “I’ve seen you around,” he simply said, carefully placing the delicate flowers into your woven basket.

“But you’re not from around here. I’ve never seen you before.” He chuckled again. “No, I’m not. I’m just a traveller.” “You don’t look like a traveller,” you said before you could stop your mouth, quickly covering it with your hands; you hadn’t meant to be so forward. “What do I look like then?” He laughed, flashing you a row of perfectly straight, white teeth. “You seem like you come from a wealthy family,” you answered shyly, embarrassed at your little outburst. “You could say that,” he hummed, “What are you using the flowers for?” “They help if you overuse your muscles and relive the pain a little bit,” you explained, “I grind them into a paste and then you have to put it on the area where it hurts.”

“Don’t try to eat them though, they’re poisonous,” the stranger said after nodding along to your explanation. “You’re a healer as well?” “I’m just knowledgeable in various things,” he answered, sitting back and stretching out his slender legs, closing his beautiful eyes and tilting his face towards the sun, letting the rays caress his features. When you caught yourself staring again, admiring the shadows cast by his dark eyelashes, you quickly got up to look for other herbs in the little field to distract yourself.

While you were collecting various different plants, some more useful than others, the stranger remained seated, bathing in the light of the midday sun, occasionally glancing your way when he thought you weren’t looking. With the sun caressing his features he looked more ethereal than ever and you suddenly had the urge to immortalize this moment somehow. “Have you ever had a stature made in your image?” You asked when you decided you had picked enough herbs and made your way back to the handsome man. “Multiple actually,” he chuckled, “Are you finished with your duties?”

“For now,” you answered, “I’ll need to prepare the paste from the flowers but I can do that later as well if you would like to have a meal with me.” A bright smile lit up the features of the stranger. “I would indeed like to. Lead the way, beautiful woman.” You pointed in the direction of your home. “It’s not far from here,” you mumbled.

The way back to your small home was spend in silence but it wasn’t unpleasant, the stranger beside you a warming and somehow calming presence. When you sneaked a glance at him every now and then, you still couldn’t believe he was real and not a stature, especially with how the late afternoon sun was illuminating his profile right now. “Like what you see?” The stranger teased when he caught you staring yet again. You felt heat licking at your cheeksand averted your gaze to stare determinately into the fields of olive trees you were passing right now. A bright chuckle fell from the man’s lips at your action and you swore when you turned to look at him again, he was shining brighter than the sun, warmth radiating off of him. You couldn’t help the smile that formed on your own lips.

“You haven’t told me your name yet,” you said after a while, curiosity getting the better of you. “Does it matter?” The man answered instead of telling you, his gaze suddenly becoming darker and guarded. “I- No, I just...” you stuttered, taken aback by his reaction. He had seemed so comfortable with you, why was he not telling you that all of a sudden? “It’s really not that relevant,” he murmured, nervously fumbling with his bangs that had fallen into his eyes. “Are you on the run or something?” You asked carefully. He just shook his head and sighed before he stopped walking and took one of your hands in his, warmth immediately spreading through you. “Will you believe me if I tell you that it really doesn’t matter and respect that I’d rather not tell you? You don’t have to tell me yours either”, he spoke softly, his thumb rubbing along the back of your hand soothingly, “I promise I’m a good man and will not cause you problems or harm.” He was looking at you with such sincerity, his big, doe-like eyes studying your face intently. “I take your word for it, handsome stranger,” you complied, smiling at how the man’s face lit up before he lifted your joined hands up to press a gentle kiss to the back of your hand. “Thank you, beautiful healer,” he breathed against the skin, his smile making his eyes sparkle and your knees weak. Not letting go of your joined hands, he tugged you along to keep walking up the small path up the hill where your cabin was, the little smile not leaving his lips.

When your small home came into view you pointed up at it. “That’s where I live.” “It’s not far from where we first met, isn’t it?” The stranger asked, his head tilted to the side questioningly. “The stone field is just a little farther down the hill,” you confirmed. “But that’s not where we first met. You were staring at me while I was watching the sun set,” he reminded you with a teasing smile and a cheeky wink. “Stop teasing me,” you whined, throwing the stranger what you thought was a pleading look. “Cute,” he just said, his smile turning just a tad softer than it had been before. You quickly rushed to open the small gate in the fence that surrounded your little cabin to keep your more precious herbs you had planted safe from wild animals who were trying to eat them.

Just when you were about to open the door as well, you remembered just how much of a mess it was inside and you slammed it shut again. The man just looked at you with ones of his perfectly sculptured brows raised in question. “You... You should stay outside,” you mumbled, “I didn’t expect guests anytime soon.” “I don’t mind a little clutter and dirt even though I might not look like it,” he answered and smiled, his delicate hand covering your own scarred one over the doorknob and you could swear you felt some of his warmth seeping into your flesh, making your skin tingle where you were touching.

Nodding slowly, you let him turn the doorknob and pull the door open, heat creeping up your cheeks. “It’s nothing special,” you defended the underwhelming inside of your cabin.  Besides your caldron there only were two wooden desks in your cooking area, herbs hanging from the ceiling to dry them and on a little shelf you kept different kinds of medicine you had made in little flasks and jars. The rest of the small space was occupied by a big cupboard holding different rolls of papyrus that you had collected over the years with both recipes and descriptions of different sicknesses and how to treat them along with random trinkets you had collected. Before the cupboard, there was a small wooden table with two little stools that had already seen better days, one of them covered in the tunics you had finally washed in the little stream near your home. Pressed into the far corner there was your bed which was just a straw bale covered with some furs a hunter had gifted you when you had saved his wife from a nasty sickness.

“It’s homey,” the man complemented after he had taken everything in. “It’s not much,” you repeated yourself and set down your basket with the herbs on one of the big tables. “I’m afraid it’s going to be a simple meal,” you confessed, “A farmer gave me some bread and goat cheese the other day.” “It’s more than enough,” he replied, suddenly way closer to you than you had anticipated, looking over your shoulder into the herb basket. “There sure are some powerful plants growing around here.” You managed to mutter out an affirmation before you took a deep breath to collect your thoughts again. You usually weren’t this easily flustered just by some proximity, hell you were used to this. But something about this man was just different, you could feel the warmth radiating off of him in the cool air of your cabin.

“I could hang them up for you if you want,” he suggested. “No, there’s no need for you to do anything,” you hastily declined. “You’re treating me to dinner, there’s got to be something I can do,” he insisted. “There’s a stream not too far up the hill if you follow the path we came here,” you explained, “You could get some water for us.” “Of course,” he smiled gently and quickly grabbed the jug  you had pointed to before slipping out the door again.

When the door fell shut with a heavy thud, you let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding. What was it about the man that had you on edge so easily? And why did you think it was a good idea to invite him into your home? He obviously came from wealth, what could you even present him that would be of his standards? Sighing you unwrapped the bread and the cheese you were gifted yesterday, slicing it in smaller pieces and putting it in a small bowl to at least make it seem appetizing. The man also probably would never drink water under any circumstances, only the best red wine grazing those plush lips, painting them a pretty, dark colour, his pink tongue darting out to catch the little drop that would have escaped the golden goblet he was holding with his slender fingers. You shook your head. Where did that thought suddenly come from?

But before your thoughts could spiral any further, the man suddenly poked his head back into the cabin, the noise of the creaking door startling you so much, you almost dropped the bowl with the food, a loud screech leaving your lips. It was silent for a couple of seconds before the man giggled loud and high pitched, slapping one of his hands over his mouth to stifle the surprisingly high noise for how deep his voice was. “Stop laughing, I’m not used to having someone just burst in here,” you sulked, pouting at him. “I didn’t mean to scare you but your reaction was worth it,” he grinned, flashing his perfectly straight, white teeth. “It’s really pretty up there by the stream, should we eat there?” You nodded in agreement, quickly gathering the food and your two best ceramics goblets for the water.

Before you could protest, the man already took everything out of your hands and carried it himself, shooting you a quick smile before he hurried along the little path. “What’s gotten you in such a rush?” You giggled, quickly following him. “The sun is going to set soon; I want to see it from up there,” he answered, quickly jumping along the stones in the little river to cross it. How he managed to keep his balance on the slippery rocks with all the stuff in his hands and while jumping so fast was past your imagination. He quickly put the food and dishes on the ground next to the jug of water and jumped halfway through the stream again, reaching out his hand towards you. “Come on, I’ll keep you steady,” he promised, looking like an excited toddler after you had given them a new toy to play with.

You couldn’t help the smile that spread along your features when you grabbed his hand and he gently helped you across the slippery stones, his other hand holding onto your waist to keep you steady. Just when you were about to make your last step, you felt something slimy touch your foot, making you stumble forward and losing your balance. You already saw yourself drenched in water, algae all over your tunic, when the stranger quickly pulled you towards him, steadying you against him where he was standing on a bigger stone.

All breath was knocked out of you, not only from the impact but also from how close you suddenly were to him. If you wanted, you could have counted each of his eyelashes. “I told you, I would keep you safe,” he mumbled, his hands on your waist holding you close to him. “Thank you,” you said breathless, surprised how out of breath you sounded. Up close you could see that the stranger wasn’t as perfect as he seemed at first glance. Hidden behind his long fringe was the little red birthmark you had seen a glance of before. But instead of making him look ugly, you found it endearing, something special that made him stand out. You had to grip his arms a little harder where you had held onto him to steady yourself, to not reach out to touch it.

“I’ve never met a mortal quite like you,” he mumbled, gently cupping your cheek with one hand, stroking his thumb over your cheekbone. “What do you mean, mortal?” You asked breathless, confused by his choice of words and flustered because of how close he was to you. He just chuckled and kept studying your face. Being this close to him, you could almost feel his breath fanning over your face and see the shadows each of his long, dark eyelashes cast on his high cheekbones. “You wanted to know my name, right?” The stranger asked, his eyes crinkling when he smiled, still absent-mindedly caressing your face. You nodded, not trusting your voice, still completely captured by the man. “It’s Yeosang but your kind also often calls me Apollo,” he confessed, his gaze open and vulnerable, studying your face intently for any kind of reaction. When you stayed quiet, he added: “Son of Zeus and Leto.”

When you processed what he had just said, your eyes widened in surprise. He was a god. An actual god, an Olympian. Looking at his features, it made sense somehow. But what was he doing here? Eating dinner with you and helping you to collect herbs? Holding you close like this in the middle of a steam? Telling you that he wanted to watch the sunset with you? “Are you afraid of me?” he asked when you stayed quiet, your brain not really grasping what he had just said and what it meant. “I... No,” you answered truthfully. Even though he could probably kill you in the blink of an eye, he didn’t seem like the type even with all the legends and myths surrounding him. “I’m just confused,” you confessed, reaching out to touch his face as well, feeling his warm, soft skin beneath your fingertips. “Confused about what, beautiful?”

“I thought gods were supposed to be perfect,” you chuckled, gently tracing the birthmark near his eye with your fingertips. For a short moment, Yeosang was staring at you with his eyes wide in surprise before a bright laughter was bubbling out of him. “We’re far from being perfect, my dear,” he mumbled, gently tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear, his lips curling into a soft smile. “Will you let me kiss you?” The god asked softly, his hazel eyes dropping down to your lips. “Please,” you breathed, eyes fluttering closed when you felt Yeosang leaning in. The tender press of his soft lips against yours had your heart stopping before it doubled in pace when he wrapped his strong arms around your waist, pulling you closer against his warm body, your lips slotting together like they were made for it.

A soft sigh left your parted lips when Yeosang pulled back and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. “You’re truly remarkable,” he whispered. Shying away from his dark gaze, you averted your eyes, your fingers nervously fidgeting with the fabric of his tunic. But Yeosang was having none of it, gently taking your chin between his fingers to tilt your face up again. “You don’t need to hide, beautiful. Not when you’re with me.” “Please kiss me again,” you asked quietly, your hands caressing his strong chest before they slipped around his neck, playing with the shorter strands of hair.

“Anything for you.”

[goodwriterwithbadhabits]

March 15th

Master List

**Before you read this, I gotta say, this is my favorite story I wrote this year, it was so much fun to write and I really hope you like it!**

“Incoming mail ship.” Wonpil’s head shot up so fast, he smacked it on the duct he was repairing. “Ship docking in port 14. Let’s remain calm this time folks, the captain doesn’t want any more incident reports before we get home.” At the sound of his friend’s voice over the intercom, Wonpil, let go of the screwdriver he was holding, letting it float next to the open duct cover. 

“Chan, I’m expecting a package, and it’s super important.” 

“From your wife, right?” The younger man inquired, kicking off from the wall to propel himself towards his superior. Wonpil can’t help the grin on his face. 

“Yeah, I got a transmission from her a month ago saying she sent me something, so I’m expecting it soon.” Both men grinned at this. “So I’ve gotten the last of the wiring soldered, but I need you to recoat it, troubleshoot and run a final diagnostics, and if I’m not back by the time that’s done, put the panel back in place and send me the reports.” Chan salutes, a cheesy grin on his face. 

“Yes sir, take your time boss.” Wonpil nods, moving to the closed door at the end of the hall. 

“Sector 113, gravity activated.” Both boys boots thump onto the floor, followed by the clank of multiple tools. Wonpil leaves the corridor quickly, turning the gravity back off and gives Chan one more salute before making his way to the ports. 

The I.S.S Moonrise was the first ship of its kind, a high tech, orbital colony floating in the vastness of space, just past the edge of the Milky Way, a months journey from most of the inhabitant’s home planet of Earth. Wonpil was one of the lucky ones, only on the station for 18 months, 20, if you include the 2 months of travel to get there and back. As the current head of engineering, he got a lot more free reign of the station than most of its inhabitants, which were a mix of scientists, farmers, and historians. 

“Paging Kim Wonpil, where are you Pil?” The voice over his comms made him roll his eyes. 

“Why are you using the comms to annoy me, Jae?”

“First of all, it’s hyung.” 

“No one’s used that term in almost 50 years, give it a rest.” 

“Then it’s lieutenant.” The man whined. 

“Then you should be calling me Chief Engineer,” Wonpil retorted, opening the hangar doors. 

“Whatever, look Jihyo won't let me grab your package for you.” Wonpil felt like vibrating as he made his way to the group surrounding the mailing ship. 

“No need, I’m right here.” The crowd opens for him to walk through, most either recognizing Wonpil, or the silver stripes on his uniform. He’s shocked to find Jihyo holding a package, as captain of the Hermes, she usually remained in the cockpit while Chaeyoung and Tsuyu handled the mail. 

“I could have delivered it to him, Jihyo.” Jae whines, flipping through the letters he’d received, no doubt from his parents and sister. 

“No can do, Y/n made me promise this box would go from my hand to his.” She punctuated her sentence by placing the small box in Wonpil’s outstretched hand. 

“She came in person then?” Jihyo nodded, grinning as he signed for the mail.

“And she also wanted me to give you this.” She leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, making his face flush red. 

“Aish,” He huffed, hiding his burning face behind his hands as those around them laughed. 

“Come on kid, the Captain asked us to join him for lunch.” Jae slung his arm over Wonpil’s shoulder, though the smaller man simply knocked it away from him, turning back to Jihyo. 

“I’m actually sending something today,” He told her, pulling a small box from his pocket. “Make sure she gets it okay?” 

“No problem.” Jihyo nodded, “Want me to give her a kiss for you?” Wonpil couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. 

“No, we’ll save those for when I get home.” 

“See you in two months, Wonpil.” 

“See you then, Ji.” He saluted the woman, before finally letting Jae lead him to Sungjin’s office. Wonpil decided to open the package during lunch, knowing full well that Brian and Dowoon would want to know what you had sent him. 

“Good afternoon Lieutenant Park, Chief Kim.” The robotic voice greeted as the two entered the spacious room Sungjin and the other two boys were sitting in. 

“Nothing is as beautiful as a sunset on Earth, the west coast of America has the best views,” Brian told the youngest boy, who shook his head. 

“No chance, Olympian sunsets are better,” Dowoon argued. Brian turned to his best friend and eternal roommate. 

“Jae, which is better, West Coast Sunsets or Olympian sunsets?” Jae shrugged, dropping into his seat next to him. 

“Never been to Olympia, so I say West Coast.” 

“What about you, Jin?” The Captain paused mid-bite, to sigh. 

“I didn’t want to be brought into this argument. You argue Earth vs Mars every week.” He grumbled. 

“Then I will end the argument.” Wonpil decided, setting the box on the table. The boys gasped, Dowoon bouncing in his chair. 

“Is that from Y/n?” He asks, earning a nod from Wonpil. “Open it then,” Sungjin ordered, setting down his burger. Wonpil complied happily, and the contents made his heart clench. Resting in the box was a very small pair of shoes, knitted yellow booties, and a small SD card in a plastic case. 

“Oh, she was so little.” Jae cooed, picking up the tiny shoes. 

“They must be the shoes she came home in.” Wonpil realized, “She’s almost a year old.” He sighs, picking up the SD card. “Do you mind, Captain?” He asks, and Sungjin nods, tapping the table to expose the port. 

“Go ahead, I want to see the little one.” He grins. Wonpil inserts the card, and a second later a hologram of his wife, sitting on a bed with a very small child on her lap appears above the table. 

“Oh look at her,” Brian coos. “She’s getting so big.” Wonpil can’t help his smile as he rests his arm on the table, his head following. 

“Hi, babe, and hello boys.” The recording begins. “Since I know the Captain will ask you to play this for him.” She grins, glancing down at the baby on her lap. “Will you say hello to Daddy and your Uncles?” She asks, earning a few baby sounds and a laugh from her daughter. She looks back up, smiling at the camera. “Hyebin says hi.” She giggles. “By the time you get this video, we’ll be celebrating her first birthday. My mom insists on getting her a smash cake.” Wonpil lets out a small laugh, remembering the mess that ensued from his oldest daughter’s first birthday. “And your parents are coming over to celebrate too, they know how much we all miss you.” 

“Is that Daddy?” Another small voice fills the speakers and you look away from the camera, shaking your head. 

“No baby, we’ll call him tomorrow, I’m filming a message for him though, would you like to say hello to him?” A second later, the tiny face of his oldest daughter filled the entire screen, making the boys laugh. “Too close Hyerin, everyone’s gonna be able to see up your nose.” The boys laugh again as the little girl lets out a tiny squeak and darts over to her mother’s legs. 

“Hi, Daddy!” She waves. “I miss you! And uncle Dowoon. Mom says I have to be at least 10 before I can go with you to space.” She pouts the last few words. 

“Why don’t you tell Daddy what you want to be when you grow up?” 

“I wanna be a pilot! My teacher let us play on the simulator at school and I kept the plane up the longest.” You giggled at your daughter's excitement. 

“I told her she had to wait until Sungjin was home for a week before she was allowed to go bother him.” You shifted, bringing Hyebin up to rest on your shoulder. “Rin, do you remember how old Bin is?”

“She’ll be a year old on the 19th next month.” Rin nodded, climbing onto the bed next to her mother. 

“And how old will she be when daddy gets home?” 

“16 months.” 

“So how many months till Daddy gets home?” Rin pauses, counting on her fingers.

“Five!” She finally exclaims, looking to her mom for confirmation. 

“Exactly.” You nod, patting Hyebin’s back as she begins to fuss. “Rin, can you do Mommy a favor and go get Binnie’s pacifier out of her bed?” 

“The elephant, right.”

“That’s right, thank you, baby.” You watch for a moment as the little girl runs out of the room. “Oh, and I forgot to tell you, Lilo had her puppies, most of them have been adopted, but I’m letting Rin keep one so she has her own pet.” You smile, “And don’t worry Dowoon, we saved you a puppy as well, she’s staying with us until you get home.” Dowoon cheers, making the boys laugh. “I’ll be going back to work soon, turns out the mission to the probe is ahead of schedule, they want me there when the repairs begin, oh and babe, the shoes in the box, they’re the shoes Bin was brought home in, my grandmother made them, I thought you might like something from home for your desk, just don’t forget to bring them home with you, or my mom might fly out there and mug Brian for them.” Brian huffs, setting the yellow boots on the table. Rin comes back into the room, hands her mother the pacifier, and climbs back onto the bed. “Do you want to say anything else to daddy?” 

“I miss you! And don’t feel bad that you won’t be here on my birthday. Mommy said you’ll be closer to me then than ever before, and that we’ll be able to see you from the control room.” Her grin falls into an exaggerated glare. “But don’t be late coming home, and don’t get hurt okay?” She points a stern finger at the camera. 

“Do you want to say bye?” You prompt. 

“Bye-bye Daddy, I’ll see you soon.” She waves, a grin that makes her look like Wonpil on her face. 

“Bye babe, I love you. Stay safe okay?” You pick up Bin’s tiny hand, waving it to the camera. “Say bye to Daddy Binnie.” You let go of her hand, blowing a kiss to the camera. “Come home soon.” With a final set of waves from you and Rin, the recording ends. 

Wonpil’s face is wet, he knows he’s crying, and he isn’t even ashamed of it as he hides his face in the crook of his arm. 

“I know why Wonpil’s crying, why am I crying?” Dowoon mutters. “Why are you crying?” Wonpil looks up to find the youngest man pointing to Brian, who is wiping his eyes on the cuff of his sleeve. 

“Rin’s gotten so big.” He mutters, earning chuckles from the boys. 

“How do you think I feel?” Wonpil asks, wiping his own eyes. “She’s gonna be seven the day I leave.” 

“I can’t wait to get back to Earth.” Jae sighs, “I miss my friends.” 

“I miss New York Pizza.” Sungjin sighs and all the boys groan in agreement.

“Here’s a deal, when we get home, let’s go out for pizza, bring your families or whatever, we can go to Escape From New York.” Wonpil offers. “Maybe not the first night home, Y/n might kill me if I try leaving the house.” There’s another chorus of laughs. “Oh man, three months till we leave.” Sungjin sighs. “I don’t know if I’m ready.” 

“Not ready to give up command yet?” Brian jokes. Sungjin shakes his head. 

“It’s not that, it’s…” He trails off, unsure of what to say.

“Here, everything we do means something incredible.” Dowoon begins, and the botanist looks away from the older boys, shy as ever. “Grow a plant and its next-gen Astro-terraforming, find a microbe in some nebula get to watch a species be born. Every message sent out to the probes, the colonies, it’s all integral to GASEX and the future of human and Xeno interactions. Back home, Mars, Earth, wherever the hell Jae is from.”

“Literally just the lunar colony.”

“Back home, yeah we’re respected, but the things we do, they aren’t breakthroughs, it’s just humans doing human things.” Dowoon finishes. 

“Unless you’re Wonpil, then you go from repairing a spaceship to building them.” Jae jokes, lightening the mood. Wonpil feels his face heat up as he removes the SD card from the table port. 

“Not for too long.” He confesses. “I’ve worked out a schedule, 11 months on, 11 home until the girls are old enough to join me here.” He tells them, earning cheers. “What about you, coming back anytime soon?” 

“I will be. Come January I’m back on the Artemis.” Sungjin tosses a fry in his mouth. “And then I’m really Captain Sungjin again.” 

“I’ll be on Earth for a few weeks before heading back to Mars.” Dowoon begins, stealing one of Sungjin’s fries. “I think I’ll be back here in 13 Earth months.” He shrugs. 

“Well Jae and I aren’t leaving Earth anytime soon. Not till the coming March, I’m lecturing at Incheon BioCenter for a while and he’s gonna be teaching some languages over at The Seoul Communications Institute.” Brian gestures to Jae who grins, flashing a peace sign. 

“So that puts us all back here, coming March?” Sungjin asks. 

“Following January. I’ll be the last one back.” Wonpil informs him. 

“So three months, technically four, and then we can avoid each other until then.” Brian jokes. “Here’s to avoiding you all until ‘56 then.”

The cabin is filled with the clinking of their glasses and for a moment, everything is normal.

Three months pass quickly, and soon finds Wonpil leaving the ship in the capable hands of Chirs Bang, Im Jaebeom becoming the temporary captain of the Moonrise and Jae successfully shutting up long enough to make his kissing the girl he’d been crushing on goodbye, something out of a romance novel. Wonpil watched his box of belongings, everything he’d collected from different planets and trade ships, being loaded onto the small ship that would carry him home with a heavy heart. This was one of those moments of belonging two places and having to choose between them. 

And then they were setting off, Sungjin expertly piloting them back to the Milky Way, Jae standing as communications, and Jinyoung as navigation. The month passed in the blink of an eye, between rousing card games, basic repairs, and quiet conversations about home, and soon, they were whizzing past Mars, with Dowoon’s face glued to the porthole. 

“This is the S.S. Artemis, we’re just outside Earth’s Atmo, ETA 6 minutes.” Jae’s professional voice barely masked his glee as he watched the sun peek over the planet’s edge. 

“Welcome back to the Milky Way, Artemis. How do we look, Lieutenant Park?”

“Blue, and beautiful.” Jae breathed. “Feels good to be home.” 

“Let’s get through atmo first.” Jinyoung chided. “Then we can celebrate.” 

“Right, ladies and gentlemen, begin reentry preparation.” Sungjin’s command echoed through the small craft’s intercom. “We land in Seoul Spaceport in 6 minutes, let’s not be late.” 

The first person off the ship was Sungjin, who earned a round of applause as he paused at the top of the exit stairs. He was followed quickly by Jae, who flung himself onto the nearest tree, hugging it like a lost lover. Wonpil was among the last to set foot on dry land, and he had the strongest urge to just lay in a flowerbed for a few hours. Instead, he dropped his sunglasses over his eyes and shouldered his bag, following the other engineers towards the flashing cameras. 

“I see them!” The shrill voice of his daughter made Wonpil break into a grin, dropping to his knees and opening his arms for a hug. He watched his daughter fly past him, directly into Dowoon, and before he could react he found himself flat on his ass, a furry body pressed into his chest. 

“Hello Lilo, how’s my girl been?’ He greeted the border collie, accepting the kisses she was planting on his chin. “Oh yes, I missed you too.” Finally dislodging the dog, he turned, finding Hyerin chattering excitedly to Dowoon while Brian laughed at him from a distance. Standing he snuck up to the girl, picking her up unexpectedly, making her shriek and giggle. “What do you think you’re doing?” He asked, spinning her around. “Daddy!” She cried, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. “I didn’t see you.” 

“Did you really, or did you get distracted by Dr. Yoon?” Your voice made Wonpil turn quickly, grin expanding so much it hurt. There you were, after 20 long months, hair pulled mostly away from your face, sunglasses perched on the crown of your head, and his baby sleeping on your chest. 

“Please, Y/n, just call me Dowoon, you make it so formal,” Dowoon whined, but Wonpil wasn’t really listening. He surged forward, still holding Rin, free hand coming up to your face to pull you in for a long-awaited kiss. 

“I have seen the cosmos, more nebulas than I can count, and the birth of hundreds of stars, and nothing, nothing compares to seeing you again.” He whispered, pressing his forehead to yours. 

“Except maybe Pizza,” Jae whispered, leaning on your shoulder. The group began laughing, and you gave Wonpil one more kiss before turning to the other boys. 

“Welcome home boys.” You grinned, giving each one a hug and introducing them to Hyebin who had just woken up. Rin remained firmly attached to Dowoon’s leg once let on the ground and Wonpil couldn’t even be upset, especially once his arms were quickly filled with Hyebin. 

“Hello, little one.” He grinned, watching the way her eyes grew big as he spoke. “My little Binnie, you have a whole galaxy in your eyes, and the universe at your fingertips.” He cooed and the little girl giggled, her chubby fingers going to grab his cheek. 

“And lucky for us, we have stardust in our veins.” You piped in, arm coming to wrap around your husband’s side as you all walked to your car. 

“For now, let’s just keep our boots on solid ground, sound good?” He asked, and you looked up at him, shooting him a wink and the kind of smile that made him fall for you in the first place. 

“Galactic.”

[annabethisterrified]

Book Review: THE BURNING MAZE (The Trials of Apollo #3) by Rick Riordan

There are no spoilers unless you click ‘Read More’!

California is burning. After shutting down the oraclic sites in New York and Indiana, Apollo (aka Lester Papadapaulos) and Meg McCaffrey team up with Grover Underwood to find the source of the burning maze, a morphed portion of the Labyrinth where the third oracle is trapped. Along the way, they must work with demigods Piper McLean and Jason Grace to figure out how to navigate the twisting, smoldering maze.

But the third emperor of the evil Roman Triumvirate makes Nero and Commodus look pathetic. With the stakes high and their world burning, Apollo and his friends must put out the flames before they devour everything. 

In classic Riordan tradition, this third installment amps up the drama and danger. With dark and mature themes, the lighthearted aspect of this series begins to dwindle away as real consequences and devastating decisions wreak havoc upon Apollo, Meg, Grover, Jason, and Piper. The Burning Maze is a cinematic, heartbreaking adventure that elevates the stakes and leads us to the grittiest part of The Trials of Apollo. Once again, this book proves that this third series is not a spin-off or separate from Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus; The Burning Maze proves that The Trials of Apollo explores the loose ends and lingering fears the first two series laid out. A must-read for any fan of Riordan’s mythological mayhem. Just, uh, grab some tissues first.

SPOILERY COMMENTARY BELOW!

Heyyyy there! So seriously, massive spoilers ahead. You sure about this? Okay. Also, I gotta break this down into chapters. It’ll be the only organized part of this, trust me.

1. That Fun Five Letter Word...Starts with D! 

2. The Devolution of Jasiper

3. Apollo’s Arc

4. What Comes Next...?

5. Miscellaneous Sobbing

-----

CHAPTER ONE: THAT FUN FIVE LETTER WORD...STARTS WITH D!

I am not okay. Like, really not okay. Granted, I’m writing this review less than thirty minutes after finishing, so maybe I need more time to process what just went down but....damn. Like, my stomach ACTUALLY HURTS. I AM IN PHYSICAL PAIN BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT OF THIS BOOK.

In a good way, you ask?

Uh. It’s hard to say. This book is tricky to review. I’ve had an easy, breezy time describing my feelings for all the PJO, HoO, and ToA books prior. But in The Burning Maze...everything changes. 

For years, a lot of us on here have lamented the fact that we felt Riordan’s books have lacked a degree of consequence. On the rare occasion that he did kill a character, he brought them back-- Jason in The Lost Hero, Hazel, Leo...I could go on. 

And it’s not that we’re bad people who want to watch our favorites perish! We just...well, if you keep bringing back dead characters, we start to lose the fear that a character’s death should instill.

I guess he heard us, then.

Because if you’ve read this book, you understand too-- there isn’t anything bringing Jason back. This was real. Final. (In his own words!) And that kind of hurts. A lot. But at the same time, as heartbroken and sick as I feel, this is what we’ve been asking for for a long time-- something that reminds us of what’s at stake. 

Something, I suppose, to make us remember that. (See what I did there?)

Now, I’ll talk more about this in Chapter Two because I have a lot of confused feelings, but I for one, when it was announced that Piper and Jason would be in this book, assumed it would be a joint arrival, if that makes sense? I wasn’t expecting the two of them to be starkly and individually portrayed and explored...and yeah, I gotta wait til the next section to talk about this. Back to Jason’s demise.

And yeah, this was spoiled for me. And yeah, it was my own fault, so don’t feel bad for me. Still, I didn’t know HOW or WHY he would die, so there was plenty of heartbreak for me to uncover along the way. I was mentally steeling myself for the first 300 pages of this book, dreading what I knew was coming, crying at nearly every scene he was in (which frankly, wasn’t many scenes!) and basically losing my damn mind remembering ceaselessly all the times we’ve had over the past what? EIGHT YEARS? Since Lost Hero came out? I’ve loved Jason since The Lost Hero...since I was TWELVE. I am now TWENTY. I watched him grow. I waited impatiently every year for the next HoO book to release. I watched him fall in love with Piper and expand his loyalties and grow stronger and wiser and end up with such a fitting duty-- pontifex maximus.

And today, eight years later, I watched it all get ripped away. 

And I’m torn, because I think in a dark way, this is an absolutely tragically beautiful arc for Riordan to explore and utilize in ToA. I think it was a long overdue and necessary decision that clarifies the real danger our characters should have been exposed to much earlier. 

But I really thought he was going to be okay after Blood of Olympus. I thought our Seven were safe. I had already imagined and accepted what their lives were going to be like-- I had imagined he and Piper’s kids, his job as pontifex maximus, everything that was going to unfold for him... I thought the great tragedy of his long, happy life was going to be not growing old with his sister, Thalia. 

And it was hard to have him brought back into the action just for half of a book, just to get killed so gruesomely, so violently...without even getting to say goodbye, a fact that Piper and Leo later lament. So am I outraged at this writing decision? Or simply as a loyal reader? I think it’s the latter. I am angry for Jason and the friends he left behind, but I also deeply respect this writing decision. It’s a weird balance, and my thoughts will likely evolve as I have more time to digest.

I don’t feel good thoughts about this book, but that’s not a negative on the story. I think Riordan knocked it out of the park. That doesn’t diminish the dread and devastation I feel as a reader who has loved Jason for eight years. As a reader who had happiness for Jason’s future, and as a reader who really, truly, thought it would happen. 

Then again, isn’t that the whole point? Demigods are never, ever safe. And now Apollo will always remember what it is to be human, because Jason did such a goddamn noble job of it. 

I’m proud of that boy, and deeply sorry for him. I’m gutted. I’ll miss him terribly. I just hope this arc is further explored and resonates in the final two books in this saga. I just hope it wasn’t for nothing, but I know it won’t be. 

Don’t get me fucking started on 

Coach Hedge: “I was his protector.”

Leo: “Where’s Jason?”

Goodbye, please see Chapter Five for more screaming!

CHAPTER TWO: THE DEVOLUTION OF JASIPER

Ironically, this somehow hurts me just as much as Jason’s death? Like...okay. Let me think of how I can articulate this, because I’m feeling a lot of things. 

First off, I (unlike many of us bloggers here) genuinely loved Jason’s character and his romantic pairing with Piper right from the get-go. It clicked for me. It really resonated, and I was fully supportive. I loved the strange dynamic of having this fake foundation, and watching it develop (seemingly) into something real-- something unique and strong, a soaring romance worthy for a daughter of Aphrodite. 

We didn’t see it happen on-page, but they were an official couple by The Mark of Athena and I was behind it 100%. They had rough patches that I guess were indicative of future problems, but they were easily swept aside by the larger importance of surviving their Argo 2 mission. I loved their tender, intimate moments in The House of Hades and The Blood of Olympus.

Truly.

So I was confused when they were broken up (again, something we don’t see happen on-page) in The Burning Maze. And being from Apollo’s perspective, we of course will never fully understand why this happened. 

Now again, I have to deal between looking at this from two perspectives. Am I upset at the author’s decision, or just as a really-passionate Jasiper shipper? Of course, my immediate thought was that one of them had broken it off to protect the other, probably thinking “oh fuck if one of us is gonna die in the maze, maybe I should break this off to avoid future pain”. But then jason goes and tells apollo that it was PIPER that broke it off well before the burning maze was even a thing and i’m like WATTTTTT

I’m still like WHATTTTTTT

So, I wait for Piper to have her heart-to-heart with Apollo. (Listen, I fucking LOVE Piper in this book. What a badass motherfucker. Holy fuck.) And I’m expecting her to give a concrete, selfless reason for breaking things off with Jason.

I wasn’t expecting her to have fallen out of love with him.

But the more Piper explained herself, the more I realized that I was just the type of secondhand observer that Piper had started to resent. Apollo put it succinctly: “Your relationship was born in crisis.” 

It really was-- beyond Hera’s meddling and Aphrodite’s hyperfixation, these kids were also in WAR MODE. That’s enough to stress anyone out. I hadn’t really stopped to consider what Piper was dealing with, as a daughter of the love goddess. How everyone expected her to have everything romantic figured out. To have a love story to rival Percy and Annabeth’s. How her first love must be the love of her life.

And the whole world-- and the whole pantheon-- was watching them and expecting it. Judging them, all the time. 

Like, yeah, girl. That’s a lot. I think I get why Piper did it, even if it broke my heart. That being said, I do wish that if Jason had lived, they eventually would’ve made their way back to each other and fallen in love for real.

But Piper was right. She deserved to forge her own identity, even with the world restraining her constantly. I wish I knew exactly where her feelings for him stood, but at least we know with certainty that she always considered him her closest friend. She clearly loved him so much, more than anyone-- even if it was a different type of love than the one they first shared.

Just because she’s Aphrodite’s daughter doesn’t mean she should have to fall in love so dramatically and eternally. That isn’t fair for her. Her first remark to Grover was cutting and clear-- Jason and Piper were never like Percy and Annabeth. 

And this is still hard for me to stomach, since I love(d) them together, but I am glad Riordan is exploring the much more realistic aspect to relationships. As someone in a long-term relationship, I can empathize with Piper’s fears. The world always wants couples to be “Percabeth”-- together forever, utterly known to each other. 

But the reality is, most couples are nothing like Percabeth. And that’s okay-- that’s normal, and as sad as that is, at least it was acknowledged and addressed and explored. 

It took away some of the sting of Jason’s death that I’d been anticipating. I thought maybe there would be some last-minute confessional, some last tender moment between them. There wasn’t. He was torn away so fast. 

I’m devastated that Piper has to live on without him. But she has her father, Hedge and Millie, Leo...she’ll be okay. She’s a fighter. Always was. 

It’s hard to see one of Riordan’s hallmark couples fall apart in a way you don’t expect. But I can’t say it’s not realistic, and it’s kind of relieving to see one of his romances take on the tough stuff and not fall into a sweeping, encompassing romance that is usually unrealistic. 

CHAPTER THREE: APOLLO’S ARC

YEESSSSS RIORDAN DONE GOOD ON THIS PART

Apollo’s narration and character has finally developed into someone I can truly empathize and sympathize with. As cool as it would’ve been to see some of these scenes from other character’s points of view, I was really happy to read through Apollo’s eyes. I love love love where his character is going.

God....him referring to Jason as ‘brother’...his obvious care for Meg...it got me good. I’ve always liked Apollo as a narrator, but this is the first book where I LOVED IT. He’s set on a good path! He’s still funny, thank goodness, but there’s also a darker, wiser grace to him now that gives the story a more serious edge that will definitely help the books moving forwards.

I can’t believe he tried to kill himself to save the others. Ugh. What a guy. 

Love him!

That is all.

CHAPTER FOUR: WHAT COMES NEXT...?

So, I did a big happy dance when the next prophecy was revealed....REYNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE REYNA OH MY GOD WE GET A WHOLE BOOK WITH HER I’M PSYCHED FOR THE TYRANT’S TOMB 

But beyond REYnA!!!!! and Camp Jupiter????? I don’t really know what to expect for this fourth installment. I imagine we’re going to Delphi for the final book, but sticking to the Bay Area for The Tyrant’s Tomb??? 

I’m like...extremely apprehensive because a lot of people are predicting that Apollo and Reyna are gonna fall in love?????????????????????? like what with her final prophecy: no demigod shall heal your heart

umm. first off, reyna could do WAY better. But like...is this actually gonna happen? UHHHHH????? Guess I have a full year to think on this one hmmm

CHAPTER FIVE: MISCELLANEOUS SOBBING

soooooo i’m like kinda numb kinda devastated kinda in love with this book kinda wanna throw it against a wall

Like, okay, I recognize that as an author Riordan did an excellent job writing this book and I am so excited to see what goes down next.

BUT ALSO I HAD BEEN IMAGINING THIS DREAMY REUNION SCENE BETWEEN LEO/PIPER/JASON AND THEN IT HAPPENED EXCEPT JASON WAS IN A COFFIN??????????????????????????????????????????? FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ALSO CANNOT BELIEVE PIPER IS MOVING TO OKLA-FUCKING-HOMA i mean actually I’m really happy that she’s finding her roots and that she’s taking some well-deserved family time and that coach hedge is with her but also I WISH SHE WAS WITH HER CHB AND CF FRIENDDDSSS

at least it’s kinda close to Indianapolis?

jesus christ

Anyway, I really loved Piper in this book-- my queen, my crush, my...oh my god i just love her she’s a fantastic character and i really hope she’ll come back somehow for the final battle

I’m also happy that Grover gets to go back to CHB and see Percy and Annabeth again! Yay!!! And I’m happy that Camp Jupiter hasn’t burned down to the ground yet! Yay!!!!!

In conclusion, I will grieve Jason Grace forever. But damn, what a book. See you next spring, demigods. 

PLEASE MESSAGE ME TO TALK ABOUT THIS IF YOU’VE READ TBM I NEED TO CRY MORE

[rvareviews-blog]

RVA Film Review #1 - Wonder Woman

     Hello, all! You guys in the meantime can call me Sal. A little bit about the meaning of RVA: R stands for Radio, which is a reference to Radio-Keith-Orpheum, the iconic classic production company. The V and the A stand for Vergil and Alighieri respectively, two writers known for epic poetry. Today I’m presenting the film review of my favorite movie of 2017 thus far, Wonder Woman! This movie has changed everything I knew about the character and has even encouraged me to read some comics I’ve had of her that’s just been gathering dust; not only that but Patty Jenkins’ directing does show a lot of potential for future DCEU projects; anyway, on to the review:

      Epic films in this day and age are known for being very pompous in nature, with verbal complexities that take away from the characters who speak them. Occasionally, an homage to the classics happens, with characters displaying more action than reaction. 2017’s Wonder Woman, starring the lovely Gal Gadot and endearing Chris Pine, is an excellent cinematic example of the fight between good and evil that doesn’t lose itself in violence and explosions. Set during the dangerous and confusing era of the First World War, it is a story that is both nostalgic in its writing and inspiring in its conflict. Sections of the film that truly express the heart of the story’s themes - the origin of human violence and hatred - take examples from the story of Cain and Abel in the Holy Bible; these are prominent in the first act, during the No Man’s land battle, and the finale at the airfield.

     Towards the beginning, the viewer gets a personal view into the world of the mystical Amazons, specifically through the world of young Princess Diana. Her yearn to fight for truth and justice is visible when she emulates her older Amazonian peers, using her indestructible bracelets to deflect imaginary arrows as if they are the real thing. Later on, her mother Queen Hippolyta tells a young Diana the Story of the Amazons, detailing the Olympian gods and how through the power of Ares men were made arrogant and violent towards each other. Only then did the mediators known as the Amazons come in to fill man’s heart with hope for a better world. A parallel can be drawn to the Creation story, where Adam and Eve were created, and all was good and happy. Only when Eve’s temptations by the serpent did she convince Adam to disobey God, which was what eventually caused The Fall. A parallel can be drawn to Ares’ control over humanity, and how through mere “whispers” and “ideas” he causes people to do horrific things. A great example in the Book of Genesis comes from Cain gaining jealousy for his better-liked brother Abel, and he reacts by committing the first fratricide.

     Later on, our lovely Amazonian hero Diana Prince continues with her first man Steve Trevor to London, where Ms. Diana Prince gets an introduction to the “World of Man,” through a rustic and muddy London, still confused on how to end the Great War. Throughout their time in London, Diana is shown examples of “Man’s Jealousy,” when British servicemen are catcalling her during a scene. Later on, Britons coming back from the front are shown arriving blind and have missing legs from a navy boat our two heroes are about to disembark on.  Another example of the suffering of the enlisted soldier in the Great War comes when Diana, Steve, and their compatriots first arrive at the front. One of the first sights on screen is of a British soldier screaming in terrible pain from having his right leg being blown off. Parallels of this section of the film come from another movie about the Great War, 1930’s All Quiet On The Western Front; from a German soldier’s spine-tingling scream when he gets shot while traversing the trenches to other saddening moments in the Carl Laemmle classic. Later on, Diana and Steve go on to General Ludendorff’s gala, with Diana becoming ever more motivated on the notion of Ares being the direct perpetrator of the Great War. Her compatriots track the General down to a specific airfield, where Doctor Poison - the General’s head scientist - is loading a bomber up with her advanced hydrogen gas, and Diana learns the truth about her destiny.

     As she gets to the airfield, fighting Germans and looking fabulous while doing it, she discovers the head of the German Army orchestrating his evils at the base. The two fight, Ludendorff popping open some of Dr. Poison’s drugs to support himself, but as expected Diana prevails. When she ends him, nothing changes. It is as if who she killed was no-one at all. Steve hurries up to find her, and he explains that war - specifically the war they’re fighting, is a lot more complicated to end than by just killing one man. She gets starstruck by this as the actual perpetrator of the war, the Briton Sir Patrick, appears behind her. He explains how it isn't the most wicked and intelligent people who do the most evil, but it is the prideful cowards who have no empathy for the weak that allow evil to persist. He also rants on about how he always influences indirectly, giving only ideas about the horrific things that can be done and he just watched from the sidelines as the evil follow his wishes. This can be seen as a direct reference to the tempting of Eve at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil by the Serpent, with him saying his empty promises to Eve and on how “she will know the truth” if she bites the Apple. As Diana attempts to end Ares’ life with the “god killer,” it shatters upon touching his hands. He mentions to her about how the weapon Zeus gave to the world to fight the corrupted gods was Diana herself, and on how the only power her sword gave her was the skill and precision she exerted with it. Shortly after this, as she gets shoved off the tower onto the airfield. Steve Trevor and his three compatriots are focusing on their more down-to-earth objective, Doctor Poison’s hydrogen gas. Before Trevor sacrifices all for the good of everyone, he gives Diana his prized watch passed down his family. This final image of humanity and peace gives Diana her inward motivation to fight a hard-fought fight for peace and love against the Olympian embodiment of hate and war. Diana remembers, before she gets obliterated, her most prized piece of armor…her armored bracelets. As Ares makes his final blow, Diana deflects it with her blessed bracelets, ending the god of war and restoring peace and prosperity to the world. After hate and jealousy are expelled from the world, peace and a beautiful sunset set upon the airfield, with soldiers smiling and hugging, once enemies who would shoot each other on sight before. The film ends beautifully, with Diana repeating the opening words of the movie, but with more knowledge than before; she says how the most important part to make a good world is to love each other, because only through that can peace be made and a better world for humanity will follow.

[tribelamag-blog]

http://tribelamagazine.com/forgetyourfriends-acrostic/ TribeLA Magazine • Los Angeles   photo by Johnny Ramos California Newgaze. T Natalie Durkin (TribeLA Magazine): Give your band a Tagline. Pony Curtis (guitar/vocals in Forget Your Friends): Down till we’re underground. Charlie Kennedy (vocals/guitar in Forget Your Friends): Forget Your Friends, but don’t Forget Abo... #Acrostic #Allartallthetime #ForgetYourFriends #FYFtheband #LosAngelesBand #OkToHeartRecords #Tribelamagazine

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/forgetyourfriends-acrostic/

Forget Your Friends Does the TribeLA Musicians Acrostic Interview

  photo by Johnny Ramos

California Newgaze.

T

Natalie Durkin (TribeLA Magazine): Give your band a Tagline.

Pony Curtis (guitar/vocals in Forget Your Friends): Down till we’re underground.

Charlie Kennedy (vocals/guitar in Forget Your Friends): Forget Your Friends, but don’t Forget About Us.

J. Peters (bass/backing vocals in Forget Your Friends): Heavy and hypnotic.

Adam Jackson (drums/samples in Forget Your Friends): California Newgaze.

R

ND: What got you started in music? What is the Reason you are where you are today?

PC: I got started in music when I was in middle school, my older brother had some friends in bands and I always thought it was so rad, once I started doing it for myself, I fell in love with it, there isn’t any other way to express myself that is as rewarding as grabbing a idea for a song out of the air and making it my own, I’m pretty much a junky for music…the whole band is.

CK: I actually moved to California in 2011 to pursue my dreams in creating music professionally when I met Pony and Jay at the studio for my audition to join the band and since recording “Antarctica” with Forget Your Friends, we’ve continued to progressively build our sound to bind the colors in our heads into music that we consider, Newgaze. Our hope and belief in the music we create together has kept us inspired because we each equally care deeply about our California Newgaze sound and want to offer a new style that music lovers can relate with.

JP: Hearing music for the first time and other bands. As soon as I got into music I knew that’s what I wanted to do. So I pursued it and haven’t looked back since.

AJ: I’ve always been heavily around music from an early age, started in school marching bands working my way up to touring the country… kind of a trip haha. [On the reason he is where he is today:]When I stopped telling myself ‘I can’t’.

I

ND: What effect (Influence) do you hope to have on us?

PC: I hope I can influence people to side step out of their box, check out of life’s busy [mess] for a while and just vibe out to some jams.

CK: I’m hoping that we can invite everyone to enjoy our sound as we don’t really fit in with any specific genre, but we would wish for a universal audience to be open to hearing what we’re bringing out in to the music world. We want to influence a certain common ground for everyone to have different reasons for liking us instead of catering to what is normally accepted by society and essentially, what is expected. We want to break the binds of tradition and reach out to everyone who may want or need a release from the real world, but who can still rock out in our dream world of aggression and nirvana.

JP: Hopefully positive and insightful.

AJ: I believe you have to see us first hand to understand that..

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVKlfUtBYmT/?taken-by=forgetyourfriends

B

ND: What do you do when you’re stuck (Blocked)?

PC: Time…if I force something it never comes out as rad as it would’ve if I would of just let it materialize naturally, I gotta check out sometimes and it’s always totally helpful, I play music ‘cuz I love it, so if I’m not feeling it I accept that and take a few off.

CK: I try to make a great escape from reality by letting my mind feel all of the pain and emotions that we sometimes hide from even ourselves. I’ve heard that if you’re having a hard time trying to remember something, the best thing to do is to think of something else. So I try and apply that to my writing, if I feel like nothing is coming naturally, I stop entirely and make a great escape, then come back to it with new inspiration.

JP: Take a break and walk away. Wait for the energy to return, it always does. You can’t force creativity.

AJ: I focus creative energy on other projects in between so if it’s music I’m having a creative block with I focus on filming/photography and vice versa.

E

ND: What fires you up and gives you Energy?

PC: The sun, I’m a sun sign so if I’m feeling [bad] I just go lay in the sun for a bit, it always recharges my energy for sure….and passion tea no sugar extra ice from Starbucks.

CK: Life! Feeling alive and having HOPE gives me energy. I try to surround myself with positivity because sometimes I lose track of what life is supposed to mean, instead of just living in the moment where we should be inviting every opportunity that may come our way!

JP: Performing. There’s no feeling like taking the stage to fans who are waiting for you or discovering you for the first time.

AJ: My fans, most definitely.

L

ND: Can you share a Little known fact with us?

PC: Redheads cover only about 2% of the population.  If you’re like me, a blue-eyed redhead, then you only cover about 1%; making myself one of the rarest humans in the world….so you’re welcome for knowing me.

CK: I was a Junior Olympian swimmer at one point in my life. And now I hate getting in pools all together.

JP: Ummmm. I’m allergic to apricots. If I look at one I’ll die.

AJ: Trumpet was the first instrument I started with as a child. I was a band geek!

A

ND: Where is your favorite place in Los Angeles? Where would you take visitors? If you could defend the city in one sentence to someone who doubts it, what would you say?

PC: One of the best parts about LA is the music shops & record stores, you can find any & everything & I know you can find anything online but hunting for a record or guitar in person is always much more satisfying! LA is basically the internet in real life, you can find whatever you want at just about anytime, you just gotta [work] to find it.

CK: I love this cafe called Happy Days Cafe because they’re open until 2am and make the best stuffed churros in the world where they have vegan and gluten free options!

JP: Definitely LACMA and probably a show at The Whisky A Go Go with a walk down Sunset to see the weirdness. And for any doubter I would say, “how can you doubt a city that dreams so big and wears so much leather.”

AJ: I think if I have any plans to take you anywhere, it would have to be to one of my favorite restaurants Lee’s Tofu. Not only is the food good but the waitresses are kinda rude, it’s great lol. LA offers so much importance from its diversity and culture so don’t knock it til you try it you feel me?

M

ND: Briefly chronicle your creative process. How do you like to Make art?

PC: Usually it’s morning or night, I can’t seem to catch inspiration mid day for some reason…but it always starts on my acoustic guitar, I will get random melodies and guitar ideas stuck in my head and kick em around with the band see if anything sticks.

CK: I love writing songs first on my acoustic guitar and even recording a tune that I’ve had in my head during the day and building from that. We all write together so it’s really fun when we each vibe on an idea and expand something that wasn’t really there expect for in our heads, into reality.

JP: Creativity is a hard thing to describe. I love hearing other artists speak about how they write their songs, most have the same answer, it just happens, you pick up your instrument and it happens.

AJ: To be honest I always love going in with no plan to my writing process. Whatever is happening naturally in that moment is what excites me. Most importantly believe in what you’re creating, always.

U

ND: What is coming Up?

PC: We have a new 4 track EP we are about to drop on oktoheart records this fall/winter it was recorded at Big Bad Sound in LA as well as Wormhole Studios in Canyon Country, CA. We had Alan Day from the band Four Year Strong fly out from Boston to produce it & Roman Marisak for engineering/mixing, we are so excited to share it with everyone!

CK: We are releasing an EP by the end of this summer that I couldn’t be more excited to share because the songs mean the world to us and I really feel like this is the sound we’ve heard in our heads for all these years of being a band together.

JP: A lot I’m sure, we never stop. We have an album coming out later this year, SPELLS, and we will be hitting the road soon to promote that.

AJ: Definitely some more music videos, new music for sure.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaPbqS0Hc9S/?taken-by=forgetyourfriends

S

ND: Describe your Style – musically and otherwise.

PC: We are a California Newgaze band, our style is like Shoegaze grunge with a heavy alternative punk vibe…we feel like with our sound, we are in our own place stylistically, that’s one of the reasons we spell “Nu-Gaze” like “Newgaze” it’s not the traditional way people are used to seeing it, but we really love how the people that are into us totally get and understand the movement, we are pretty much the first band on Instagram to start tagging Newgaze…so we totally feel like it’s ours and the fans’ own little cult, most of our shows are with bands we don’t fit in with but we love it.

CK: We are Newgaze/California Newgaze which is a harder/darker tribute to shoegaze. My style is always all black everything, yet with some metallic or glitter to accompany: I feel like this also describes our sound haha.

JP: Musically, we are a grinding buzzsaw of mass distortion and spacey undertones. Heavy and hypnotic.

AJ: I really love when I hear different interpretations of how fans creatively perceive us. We’ve been told we sound like if Deftones and Slowdive had a baby… yep that pretty much sums it up haha.

I

ND: What is the best advice you’ve received and the best advice you can Impart on us?

PC: To not get caught up in outside expectations, set your own bar, success is what you make it, just do you.

CK: It’s simple, but the best advice that I go by is still to “Follow Your Heart,” and as hard as that is to do sometimes, it always keeps me in check and keeps me going.

JP: You only live once, take chances, so don’t look back and say “I wish I did that”. Just go out and do it.

AJ: ‘Don’t be an idiot’… Changed my life.

C

ND: Any Closing words?

PC: Stay Gold.

CK: Winter is Coming.

JP: Thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions, some I’ve never even really asked myself.

AJ: Yes, we always love meeting new fans and existing fans so next time you see us at a show come say hi!!

  more Forget Your Friends

Apple Music / Facebook / Instagram / SoundCloud / Spotify / Twitter

Pony Curtis

J. Peters

Adam Jackson

Charlie Kennedy

[katygoestoeurope]

Day 8–September 7

When I planned our stay in Zadar I allotted 3 nights here with the assumption that we’d spend one entire day getting to, exploring, and getting back from pljtvice lakes. However, after the experience of commodified natural parks as seen in Krka, our expectations of the majesty of Plitvice were severely cut. I looked online and my fears were confirmed–that unless you can get there right when the park opens (7am) it isn’t worth it. And with no personal car for transportation this wasn’t possible. As excited as we were to see it, we knew the experience we longed for would be replaced by the disappointing reality of cramped walkways, loud tourists, and enough people to distract from the beautiful natural wonder–essentially the exact opposite of everything we look for in nature activities. So we opted out and instead woke up later and went for a run. What seemed like a simple activity proved to be an event worth elaborating on. First of all, people here do not wear workout attire unless they are working out–an activity that’s scarcity can not be overstated. We were jogging along the riva and the looks we were getting were similar to the amount I’d expect if we were holding hands. I couldn’t figure out if it was our attire or our activity that was causing such confusing, but then I realized those are not mutually exclusive. Our outfits were alarming because the activity we were doing is so rare. It’s strange to think that in America workout culture has been commodified to the point of hilarity. We wear yoga pants to go to the grocery store, we put on workout tanks and sports bras just to sit in a car. Here, where they walk miles a day, they wear dresses, sandals, and other completely non-useful clothing. Sacrificing comfort and functionality in the name of fashion. We got back from our run, quickly changed and went back to the riva (stopping in the way for cheese garlic fries because yolo). I really wanted to swim but the sun was behind too many clouds and the lack of heat plus the breeze made it too cold to consider–oh but that blue water was so tempting. We sat and read for awhile– I finally started reading “eat, pray, love” and wow, the timing is phenomenal. Her words resonate deeply with me and her writing is beyond captivating. The wind became too much so we went home and read for a few in the room. I opened the window and the shutters, put a blanket down, and read in the nook. The sun, the ivy, the stone, i wish I could read there everyday. Only thing missing was a cup of coffee. We also spent a decent amount of time being amused by Melvin (the neighbors turtle). He is the most social amphibian I've ever encountered. He just wanted to be near us and would come running, literally the fastest I've ever seen a trutle move, towards the door when we opened it. Watching him eat was precious and he loves the apples and bananas we fed him. Tried to eat my big toe a few times but no hard feelings. We'd have the door open and pretty soon we'd hear his little claws scratching along to ground. His parents were looking for him a few times and taylor and I didn't know what to do. Like " oh hey, sorry! Your turtle is in here". Haha ooos. We went out again to catch the sunset and stopped for an ice cream along the way–one of the three major food groups here in Croatia. We both decided on mint chocolate chip and that’s what it looked like but taste? Not so much. It was almost like a mind game, it looking one way and tasting totally different. The flavor was for sure bubble gum and we were both more than turned off. We really can’t seem to win with the food here haha forever dreaming about those pastries we got in Split, and forever regretting we didn’t get more of them. The sunset was beautiful in a different way, the way that is mostly cloudy. I decided to leave my big camera behind to focus on enjoying the view with my eyes but I did get a good picture with my phone. A picture never quite captures the depth of the scene though–the softness of the clouds are flattened by a two dimensional limitation. I stared at the clouds for what felt like a long time, intent on etching the moment into my brain. I found a particular cloud I was fond of, one that looked as though it’d be a comfortable place to sit and the ultimate vantage point from which to observe the farewell. Taylor and I sat in silence, head rested on shoulder, soaking it all in and sharing a blueberry hard cider–sea organ in the background providing a soul soothing melody. As we walked away I found myself looking back at the water and the sun many times. Tomorrow we’re leaving the sea and heading inland and I am going to miss staring into this water, watching the boats and the sun rays dance across the Adriatic Sea. We will meet the sea again, though not until Italy. But I have every intention of getting into the water in Cinque Terre–rain or shine. At home we whipped up an improved dinner with boiled chicken, onions, bell pepper, peas and marinara sauce. Crazy as it sounds it ended up being pretty darn delicious! Only wish we’d had more of it. Then it was shower and journal time. Have I mentioned how tall the bathtub is? Croatians are apparently the second tallest in the world and its clear in the way the bathroom is set up. First of all, the mirror in this place is so tall that I can barely see myself even standing on my tiptoes. Second the bathtub is as tall as my mid thigh so getting out requires the concentration of an Olympian as I try not to do the splits and fall on the wet tile below. As mellow as today was, it was still so charming and I know in a week, a month, a year or two years from now I’ll be daydreaming of this place and wishing I could experience another Zadar sunset.