#and maybe I knew we'd be gone before we ever started but youre worth all the minutes i wasted thinking I wasted my minutes

[krash-8]

yayy another poem about the same damn things <333

~

I almost hate good books because they end, and kids in higher grades because they're graduating before me. I almost hate strangers pets,

and people who sit by me at the airport

and people waiting near me in line

and kids I talked to once in the halls

and weeklong summer camps

and new old dogs.

i almost hate the girl who sat across me mid flight to dallas. I think about her every day.

cuz fuck. i almost loved her. couldve loved them all. see they're all things with an ending I knew before it came, knew when I had the chance to stop it, and I fell for it anyway.

whats it worth, I ask for the thousandth time, when I walk into this again well aware the end isnt one I can change.

what's it worth, I ask for the thousandth time, tracing a worn path, reading the lines of a story I know by heart.

wouldn't it be easier to stay away. wouldn't it be easier to hate beforehand like i say I could. its inevitable what's coming, I know I know. yet i dont care until I do.

wouldn't it be easier to drop them before they can ever get the chance to drop me,

and if so,

why haven't I yet?

stupid question. I know why.

sometimes,

i sing fate like it's a camp song. most times you are singing with me.

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 19: GROVER CAUSES A STAMPEDE

Today Alex wore a baggy pink hoodie with the ASL hand signs spelling the letters in pink and green stitching, and loose black sweats. She was barefoot. Every other toenail was painted silver. It was Sunday morning somewhere as she came in making the most casual clothing in the world still somehow look like it was hand-selected with care with her green hair in a loose tail at the base of her neck sipping and blowing on a cup of coffee.

As she flopped in to her seat beside Magnus, he saw she'd done the same to her fingernails, every other one was glittering silver.

He tried to turn back and keep talking to Jason like he knew he'd been doing a whole five seconds ago...and couldn't remember what on earth they'd been talking about.

His hearing tuned in and out badly as Alex proceeded to inform everyone who entered her pronouns for the day, trying to swallow around the fact she hadn't felt the need to inform him and what that could mean.

Thalia had to manhandle Percy into the room, hands on his shoulders. He was still rubbing the heel of his hand into his eye like he couldn't believe somebody had the audacity to get him moving. They weren't sure how she managed it, and the look on her face screamed she really didn't think any of them were worth it. Yet she still picked up the book without protest, so that had to count for something.

Nico and Will came in last, Nico holding onto Will's wrist and muttering a string of curses about, "staying up to late," and, "all your fault," which did not erase either of them infusing the room with a sense of serenity for how much they were snickering as they carried platters of breakfast food for everybody which they passed out, Will even having a cup of coffee in one hand the whole time doing it. When they sat back on the couch, they were closer together than ever, just one shadow on the wall. It was a minor miracle Will's syrup covered pancakes didn't splash over Nico's crepe.

This was not going to be a pleasant day though. Nobody believed for a second Kronos was going to manage a full frontal assault on the camp without a single casualty. The best they could hope for was that someone, somehow found a way to close the entrance to the Labyrinth in camp before it got that far, but it was a long shot.

Thalia started reading with a regalness to her voice. The weight of what she was telling not lost on her for the lives gone, but also the spark of excitement in a battle pulling her in.

"I always knew Grover would find a way to put those pipes of his to good use," Percy snickered in surprise, only sorry Grover wasn't here to demand if he meant his singing voice or his reed pipes and the answer was definitely both.

"Does Grover outrank Percy on the battlefield and cause a stampede of campers?" Alex asked in excitement.

"Or he finds a way to collect The Wild together and sends barn animals at the enemy, maybe all the monsters of the forest," Magnus said in trepidation.

"As long as it's not a stampede to the enchilada diner, then you'd lose valuable warriors right before the battle," Jason chuckled.

Distance was shorter in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got us back to Times Square, I felt like we'd pretty much run all the way from New Mexico.

"Sorry for the delayed question," Magnus interrupted, leaving Percy already wound up in exasperation how much he'd have to deal with before they even got to the fight. "But um, did it ever say why Pan was down there? Like, a satyr tried to give the message he'd passed on, and then, what? He went down into the labyrinth to fade, and couldn't because nobody believed that first guy? Or was he so weak he really did fall in? Not sure I follow that part."

"You are way over thinking that one Magnus," Percy shrugged. "Why do the gods do anything, show up anywhere they want? We have no more clue why Pan was down there than why Aphrodite decided to show up in the desert to make me hold a mirror."

"Uhhu," Magnus sighed in defeat, figuring as much before he even asked.

We climbed out of the Marriott basement

"That's where you popped out?" Jason asked in surprise. "I would have thought it would change, or she'd at least point out the path of how to get to camp so you guys could try to somehow close it from the inside."

"After everything Clarisse tried to get that thing to close, we weren't going to waste time playing whack-a-mole on maybes," Percy shook his head.

and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds.

I couldn't decide which seemed less real—New York or the crystal cave where I'd watched a god die.

There really was something so magical about the mundane, Magnus nodded along. What was once the peak of human engineering was now walked past without a second thought. A god fading from existence because his domain had long vanished was generally accepted two thousand years ago and not even going to be a blip on most of those campers' radar. Every few pages of this still got to him sometimes like he was waiting for the camera crew to pop out, but he now had seven backpacks of nonperishable food to take back with him and counting while Percy started flicking french fries at Jason without a care where they landed as they were magically swept away.

I led the way into an alley, where I could get a nice echo. Then I whistled as loud as I could, five times.

A minute later, Rachel gasped. "They're beautiful!"

Alex sighed with envy. First the hippocampi, now this, everybody got to ride the awesome creatures before her!

"Continuing the tradition every girl I've met has been a horse girl," Percy chuckled, as even Thalia couldn't keep the glee out of her voice and she wouldn't ride them unless it was a life or death situation.

"That's because you haven't been around the stables when it's cleaning times for other cabins," Will snorted, plenty of his sisters weren't fond of the smell no matter which animal it came from.

Alex suppressed her own amusement Percy would think twice about mocking her love of these majestic animals if he ever found out she was related to horses too. Her mom had given birth to an eight-legged one.

A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by four of his white friends.

"Is white the standard color, or is that coincidence?" Jason asked, his hazy mind trying to supply one of them being brown for some reason.

"The majority of the ones we find are white, though they can come in all colors," Will shrugged. "They're also usually male for some reason. We're not really sure why at all."

Jason looked extremely concerned why nobody had ever done any sort of study to find out details about this, but it also really wasn't the point right now. Besides, even he wasn't so sure he could keep Percy's attention long enough to ask the pegasi any questions, let alone if they'd know the answers to their own biology.

Yo, boss! He spoke in my mind. You lived!

"Yeah," I told him. "I'm lucky that way.

Thalia set the book down in her lap to do air quotes and everything. "Lucky," she was watching him with concern if his head was about to explode, again. "Do you have a good explanation for that choice of words?"

"I'm still alive?" He shrugged. He didn't have a better answer, nor care to play games right now. There was a nasty feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that he knew wasn't going to go away with silly comments. It was a miracle he'd gotten any sleep at all with how long it had been there.

Listen, we need a ride to camp quick."

That's my specialty! Oh man, you got that Cyclops with you? Yo, Guido! How's your back holding up?

"And here I thought he'd bonded with Annabeth," Alex chuckled. "I bet she'd be devastated right now to know it was just Blackjack giving orders of who goes with whom."

"Why do you remember which pegasus carried who?" Percy looked at her like she was nuts. He'd been there and he couldn't have recalled if Thalia had been on which horse.

"Pays to pay attention Perce, maybe someday you'll remember that," she smirked. "You never know what could be important."

Percy still clearly thought she was just nuts, but he didn't retort, which was the only sign they were going to get to keep going.

The Pegasus Guido groaned and complained, but eventually he agreed to carry Tyson.

"Tyson must be in heaven right now," Will grinned. "Finally getting to ride the flying ponies, and one who already likes Annabeth no less."

"He was clapping his hands and bouncing in excitement so much he was going to give Guido a nervous tick," Percy nodded.

Everybody started saddling up—except Rachel.

Percy's hands fluttered across his lap nervously. He wished he could have offered to ride with her, maybe he could hide her under his jacket to get her into camp. It didn't seem right, leaving her behind after she'd done so much for them and he'd nearly gotten her killed multiple times now.

"Well," she told me, "I guess this is it."

I nodded uncomfortably. We both knew she couldn't go to camp. I glanced at Annabeth, who was pretending to be very busy with her Pegasus.

"Yeah, the girl that's been around them longer than anybody is trying to remember which side she's supposed to hop on," Jason almost managed to say with a straight face.

"Thanks, Rachel," I said. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"I wouldn't have missed it. I mean, except for almost dying, and Pan..."

"Surely the real highlight was pretending to be asleep so you and Annabeth could talk," Magnus offered.

"Yes, Rachel will never shut up about that one time we almost died in an earthquake after a dirt nap," Percy sighed. Why did all of his friends keep almost dying? Maybe Rachel was right and he did need a normal day, just to live for one moment in his whole life to not be afraid when it would end.

Her voice faltered.

"He said something about your father," I remembered. "What did he mean?"

Rachel twisted the strap on her backpack. "My dad...My dad's job. He's kind of a famous businessman."

"Rachel's the best person right now," Jason snorted. "If you'd asked anybody else that, they still would have evaded you and you wouldn't have found out until you dreamed about it next summer or something!"

"I couldn't have blamed her if she didn't, we're all entitled to a private life," but Percy looked rather pleased all the same she'd had enough certainty in their friendship to answer that. He'd gained her trust enough to know she wouldn't be treated differently.

"You mean...you're rich?"

"Well, yeah."

"Like, rich enough to name drop daddy bucks and get a chauffeur his worship," Will's mind boggled at a mortal having that kind of power usually only a god possessed. He certainly wouldn't drop everything and go running errands just because somebody could sing a song really well.

"So that's how you got the chauffeur to help us? You just said your dad's name and—"

"Yes," Rachel cut me off. "Percy...my dad's a land developer. He flies all over the world, looking for tracts of undeveloped land." She took a shaky breath. "The wild. He—he buys it up. I hate it, but he plows it down and builds ugly subdivisions and shopping centers. And now that I've seen Pan...Pan's death—"

Thalia made a little humming noise of agreement. Her dad was the worst example of a god in her eyes, she loathed being judged by what he did. Rachel shouldn't blame herself for what her parents did, she wasn't complicit in the slightest for his crimes, something she still had to remind herself of all the time.

"Hey, you can't blame yourself for that."

"Then who can we blame for that?" Percy muttered. He really didn't blame Rachel. Maybe it was Grover's empathy link driving the emotion harder than usual, but he felt resentiment to his own mortal parts right now for getting just a glimpse of something he'd never get any closer to than that cavern.

"Change itself, time marches on," Thalia said in agreement. Artemis would have wept had she been there.

"You don't know the worst of it. I—I don't like to talk about my family. I didn't want you to know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," I said. "It's cool. Look, Rachel, you did awesome. You led us through the maze. You were so brave. That's the only thing I'm going to judge you on. I don't care what your dad does."

Nico considered that's how one could solve world piece right there. If no one in camp ever judged him for what his dad did, he'd have a happy normal life like any of them. There would be no sorting of cabins, no isolation . . .

Rachel looked at me gratefully. "Well...if you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again...you could call me or something."

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

She knit her eyebrows. I guess I sounded unenthusiastic or something, but that's not how I meant it. I just wasn't sure what to say with all my friends standing around. And I guess my feelings had gotten pretty mixed up the last couple of days.

There was a very small part of Percy that was trying to pipe up and tell him what Annabeth and Rachel wanted from him. It sounded suspiciously like Grover's voice calling him an idiot while his thoughts drifted to Juniper.

But to say the words out loud felt like slamming a door shut, which his mom had always discouraged him from doing. Honestly, he just wanted both Rachel and Annabeth in his life without having to choose some stupid meaning behind it.

"I mean...I'd like that," I said.

"My number's not in the book," she said.

"I've got it."

"Still on your hand? No way."

"No. I kinda...memorized it."

Her smile came back slowly, but a lot happier. "See you later, Percy Jackson. Go save the world for me, okay?"

"And you now have the financial backing to do it," Jason snorted. "Now you'll be unstoppable!"

"Yeah, let's see how that goes," Percy's smile was almost maudlin. He couldn't remember the battle to come, but he knew he hadn't saved everyone in camp just by a go get'um attitude.

She walked off down Seventh Avenue and disappeared into the crowds.

"Where she probably went to the airport and commandeered a private jet next to take her wherever she wanted," Magnus muttered.

Alex shook her head slowly, her smile fond but distant. Magnus clearly had no idea how easy it was to let go of wealth when you hated every penny.

When I got back to the horses. Nico was having trouble. His Pegasus kept shying away from him, reluctant to let him mount.

He smells like dead people! The Pegasus complained.

Nico sighed, though he'd never needed confirmation. He'd guessed that's what the problem was.

"You and Tyson are way to much alike," Alex told him cheerfully.

That would have been an insult anywhere else, but Nico knew how much Alex liked Tyson, the cyclops that could build anything and was the champion of at least half of Percy's successes and loved horses that didn't like him back, not Tyson the monster.

"Yeah, maybe we'll start an anti-horse club or something," Nico's smile was more half-hearted indulgence.

"Robot pegasi," Magnus nodded along with consideration. "Tyson would love to build them for all the kids that are allergic or have some other issue with being around them. Sounds like a great plan."

Except for kids who hated automatons just as much, Will frowned but kept that to himself as Nico gave a half-hearted laugh at the thought.

"If Blackjack starts a revolt, I claim Sweden in the war," Percy snorted.

Hey now, Blackjack said. Come on, Porkpie. Lotsa demigods smell weird. It ain't their fault. Oh—uh, I didn't mean you, boss.

Percy looked around in bemusement at the ensuing laughter, giving his arm a theatrical sniff. "I swear I bathe! I don't know what he's on about!"

"We probably do smell pretty strange and foul to them," Thalia nodded though. "Between our clothes and our skin being covered in all sorts of things and maybe even vaguely predator like to them but they aren't quite sure what to call all of that so we're just weird."

"It's a good thing you didn't smell like a fresh summer field, or those flesh eating horses would have eaten you, calcified seashell or not," Jason smirked.

"So that means they would have let Nico clean out their stall without batting an eye," Percy rolled his own.

"Pass, I wouldn't have made a deal to save your butts," Nico scoffed. He probably could have just made the shadows dissipate all that dung and only would have passed out, like, once from the effort of it all, but like Hades would he go around admitting that.

Percy gave him an exaggerated, tragic face and even clutched at his camp shirt while Thalia loudly read on around them or they'd be here for years.

"Go without me!" Nico said. "I don't want to go back to that camp anyway."

"Nico," I said, "we need your help."

He folded his arms and scowled.

It had seemed to be the obvious response to give when Percy Jackson had said that to him, rather than running into his arms and hugging him. Nico fiddled with his ring in surprise he didn't feel any sort of resurgence of that feeling now.

Then Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder.

"Nico," she said. "Please."

Slowly, his expression softened. "All right," he said reluctantly. "For you. but I'm not staying."

Percy's face twisted like a wet rag as a million wrung-out emotions came pouring out for that. He thought Nico had a crush on him...did he have one on Annabeth too?! Or, wait, was Nico faking his reluctance and he did want to come back, or was Annabeth just that amazing she could get through to someone who didn't even like her, or-

Thalia was snapping her fingers under his nose to get his attention as he shook his head and realized he had been stirring up the ocean already. To much pent up frustration from incoherent dreams that tried to be memories last night, to much frustration at constantly wondering things he'd already lived through once, and way to much concern over a kid who was sitting right there watching him with those dark brown eyes that grew calmer by the day. Percy still half expected Nico to smack him with the broad side of that sword if he asked out loud.

Nico muttered something to Will, who made a gesture like, 'that's all you.'

"I saw why you liked Annabeth right then," Nico grudgingly answered. It wasn't against his will or anything, he just didn't like explaining his old thought process to himself, let alone out loud. Percy was about to experience a really harsh blow in memory of his camp though, and he felt the need to offer him something before all that. "Her tone was, very persuasive. Kind, but no room for argument, like, kind of reminded me a little of, well, Bianca, I guess."

Percy had never got the same feeling thinking of Annabeth, but he nodded his head in thanks Nico answered that bizarre moment.

I raised an eyebrow at Annabeth, like, How come all of a sudden Nico listens to you?

"She's clearly a Nico whisperer," Jason chuckled.

"Patent pending," Thalia snorted.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

At last we got everybody on a Pegasus. We shot into the air, and soon we were over the East river with Long Island spread out before us.

We landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, the potbellied satyr Silenus, and a couple of Apollo cabin archers.

Jason couldn't help a sigh of relief they didn't just waltz into camp with everybody's eyes only on the Labyrinth entrance. Then he felt guilty for that relief, of course they knew to watch their backs in case of some other possible entry. He really had to stop underestimating them.

"Not exactly the welcome party I still feel like I deserve," Percy sighed.

"We had a cake ready," Will said innocently, "but we forgot about it in the oven and nearly set the kitchen on fire during the battle."

"The worst crime those monsters could do to camp," Percy nodded tragically, his stomach in actual painful knots like he'd just downed fifty floats in a row with his lack of knowledge of what actually happened.

Chiron raised an eyebrow when he saw Nico, but if I expected him to be surprised by our latest news about Quintus being Daedalus, or Kronos rising, I was mistaken.

"Was he more surprised that I'm still alive or just trying to even remember who I was?" Nico rolled his eyes.

"Well, since he didn't throw Annabeth a party when she came back alive, Chiron probably figured it would be rude to even acknowledge you," Alex snorted.

"I feared as much," Chiron said. "We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our defenders are already in place. Come!"

"Wait a moment," Silenus demanded.

"I thought you said Selina for a moment and I was very confused why she cared so much," Jason said crosseyed.

"I'm sure she's always been very invested in everything that goes around camp, gets the best gossip that way," Magnus snorted, while Will and Thalia tried their hardest not to look guiltily at each other their jokes hit a little to close to home on that one.

"What of the search for Pan? You are almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher's license is revoked!"

"Is that really relevant right this second," Thalia didn't try hard to suppress a scowl. "His home is under attack too."

"Chiron made a big stink about giving Grover more time," Percy pushed invisible glasses up the bridge of his nose mockingly and put on a poor impression of the old goats voice, "he probably wanted to be there to rub it into Chiron."

"And it won't go very well for Mr. Oats for Brains," Thalia agreed viciously.

Grover took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eye.

A description never yet given to him, that went over none of their heads. Thalia sounded so proud, like she was going to hoist Grover up onto a podium any moment and know he could deliver such depressing news with the grace it was needed.

"Searcher's licenses don't matter any more. The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit."

"What?" Silenus's face turned bright red. "Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

Several people sighed. Nobody was truly surprised this would be a common reaction and would likely cause a bit of panic in these circles, but it was never fun to hear of something they knew to be the truth and called nuts for it. They'd all lived their whole lives with that feeling.

"It's true," I said. "We were there when he died. All of us."

"Impossible! You are all liars! Nature-destroyers!"

"That's a bit of a harsh insult to throw around willy-nilly," Alex smirked. "Percy, yes, no contest, to many burning buildings. Annabeth reads so much you could make a case for her and those books, but Tyson's the child of a nature spirit so he's exempt, but Nico hasn't actively done any harm to the circle of life yet."

"Yet," Nico echoed miserably. He often sucked the life out of every plant and bug and occasionally even animals if he used his powers to much and instinctively preserved his own over natures. He'd found himself in many a circle of death via his own doing.

"You're still exempt, there's no nature without death," Alex shrugged.

"My dad creates ocean life, don't I get exempt?" Percy looked a little pouty. He was pretty sure you could get oxygen from seaweed and everything.

"Start putting out your own fires pyro," Alex waved him off, obviously not cutting him any slack, which made Percy clutch his heart in betrayal. Percy decided maybe he should pretend to be less well ajusted or something...on the other hand, that sounded like way to much effort.

Chiron studied Grover's face. "We will speak of this later."

"We will speak of it now!" Silenus said. "We must deal with this—"

"Silenus," Chiron cut in. "My camp is under attack. The matter of Pan has waited two thousand years. I fear it will have to wait a bit longer. Assuming we are still here this evening."

Alex pretended to do a very dramatic mike drop for that awesome shutdown and Percy was very sorry Grover wasn't here to see it after the cutting look he'd been giving Silenus.

And on that happy note, he readied his bow and galloped toward the woods, leaving us to follow as best we could.

"That about sums Chiron up pretty well," Magnus muttered.

It was the biggest military operation I'd ever seen at camp. Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armor, but this time it wasn't for capture the flag. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus's Fist. The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo's and Hermes's cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready.

Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark.

"Imagine if you always did put that much effort into capture the flag though," Jason was getting second hand adrenaline just from hearing of all these war efforts as he watched Percy start twitching in his seat. "I bet you would have found even greater ways to capitalize on all this, drills are run so the expected is mundane and to find ways to make it all run smoother."

"I've finally figured it out," Percy told him with a straight face. "You grew up inside of a book, and this is your first interaction with actual people."

Jason sighed and flipped him off while Thalia's laugh sounded oddly mechanical next to Percy.

Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A gray banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. Our security chief, Argus, stood guard at the door.

Aphrodite's children were running around straightening everybody's armor and offering to comb the tangles out of our horsehair plumes. Even Dionysus's kids had found something to do. The god himself was still nowhere to be seen, but his two blond twin sons were running around providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes.

Percy tried to smile through the growing tension in the room. It was a sight to see for sure, his entire camp pulling together in one unified front...but his mind flashed back to school field trips where all his classmates cheered about going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art just for a day out of desks. Mr. Brunner had sat at the front with such a bright, friendly smile like he was looking forward to it just as much, and yet Percy now wondered if it was just for seeing kids blissfully yelling about a trip where they all had a sure chance of coming back alive.

It looked like a pretty good setup, but Chiron muttered next to me. "It isn't enough."

Thalia let out a regretful sigh of agreement. They'd been to far away to make it back in time to help, but slightly less important, her heart went out to Chiron needing to admit that to someone. Percy was seen as a leader around there just as much as their trainer. It didn't make it fair to Percy to have his momentary bubble of hope popped, but it was a reality they both needed to understand going in to make the best plans.

I thought about what I'd seen in the Labyrinth, all the monsters in Antaeus's stadium, and the power of Kronos I'd felt of Mt. Tam. My heart sank. Chiron was right, but it was all we could muster. For once I wished Dionysus was here, but even if he had been, I didn't know if he could do anything. When it came to war, gods were forbidden to interfere directly.

"Given that it's a stupid ass decision, they seem to elect to ignore it all the time," Alex rolled her eyes painfully hard.

"Man, you try taking it up with Zeus," Percy sighed.

"Woman, I gladly would if you'd pass me that keycard up the elevator," Alex grinned a mischievous smile that already seemed to be planning a heist.

Percy laughed and the others felt a swooping sensation of dread at what chaos those two would get up to when let out of here.

Apparently, the Titans didn't believe in restrictions like that.

"I do wish they all had to follow some universal guidebook," Jason agreed with a sigh.

"They all break the rules anyways, or the cosmos would lose free will or some shit," Nico shrugged.

"Are those our only options?" Will frowned, but he was always looking for some kind of middle answer.

"The only ones I've heard," Nico felt a little bad for phrasing it that way and clearly crushing just a smidge of Will's never ending positivity, but he wasn't changing his thoughts just for that.

Over at the edge of the clearing, Grover was talking to Juniper. She held his hands while he told her our story. Green tears formed in her eyes as he delivered the news about Pan.

Percy had watched Grover brush away her tears gently, kissing her cheek and then running his fingers through her amber hair and holding her as she tried to weep softly. His mind had flashed back to Annabeth sobbing in that Laybrnth while he'd stood by and did nothing. He knew he didn't have the nerve to do anything like that to comfort her, but he also kind of hated himself in that moment if that's what she'd needed and he couldn't give her.

He wasn't even sure if Annabeth moved on from this by the time the battle had started, if she'd gone into that tent to go over plans with her siblings still fighting off grief or anger or any number of things he couldn't guess at. If she'd gotten hurt in this fight because he was a useless friend he didn't know what he'd do- "sorry!" He'd caught himself doing it this time as the water began churning violently around them.

"No harm no foul," Thalia sighed as she adjusted her jacket, "just let me know if you want me to stop or you need a breather."

Percy nodded his agreement while staring holes into his shoes. 'He didn't need to draw his pen, Annabeth was alive,' the old mantra began chanting through his head again already.

Tyson helped the Hephaestus kids prepare the defenses. He picked up boulders and piled them next to the catapults for firing.

"Stay with me, Percy," Chiron said. "When the fighting begins, I want you to wait until we know what we're dealing with. You must go where we most need reinforcements."

"One man army huh?" Jason said fondly, a little nostalgically, like he might have some experience with that. It sounded that way to Percy's ears, though Jason didn't seem aware of it.

"Historically not," Percy shook his head. He had won plenty of fights on his own, but not to that extent...and yet his brain kept fizzling right on the edge of pain. This was not the only fight he'd been in, and something of this was making his skin tingle like he'd taken another dip in lava. It was so hard to concentrate on the here and now so he didn't agitate his memories and still make himself be disconnected enough he didn't lung into battle against the seaweed beanbags; he had no clue how he'd made it this far!

"I saw Kronos," I said, still stunned by the fact.

"That's not something you're expected to get over in twenty-four hours Percy," Magnus nodded. "That's not something I expect you to get over in twenty-four years."

"I'd like it if the guy could do his one job and put a time stamp on that then," Percy huffed.

"I looked straight into his eyes. It was Luke...but it wasn't."

Chiron ran his fingers along his bowstring. "He had golden eyes, I would guess. And in his presence, time seemed to turn to liquid."

I nodded. "How could he take over a mortal body?"

Percy's breath came out painfully sharp, gusting around the room to share the chilly blast. He knew the answer to that now... somewhere in his head.

"I do not know, Percy. Gods have assumed the shapes of mortals for ages, but to actually become one...to merge the divine form with the mortal. I don't know how this could be done without Luke's form turning into ashes."

"Kronos said his body had been prepared."

Percy felt like there were ants crawling over his skin, biting and swarming as he shivered hard enough to cause physical rivulets like zip ribbons all around him. Like his body was trying to scream the answer at him, but he'd never been very good at listening.

"I shudder to think what that means. But perhaps it will limit Kronos's power. For a time, at least, he is confined to a human form. It binds him together. Hopefully it also restricts him."

'He didn't seem very restricted puppeting Luke around,' Thalia shivered in disgust, even though she knew this to be the key to their victory. He was still in there somewhere, and that just made this all the worse to hear of every word. Was he sleeping? Screaming in agony every second Kronos invaded him?

"Chiron, if he leads the attack—"

"I do not think so, my boy. I would sense if he were drawing near.

"Well that's, useful," Magnus blinked spastically at this random bit of information.

"Thankfully it's not a trait we all share with our godly parent," Percy said in relief. For all he knew, he might have a sense of his dad every time someone turned on a faucet.

No doubt he planned to, but I believe you inconvenienced him when you pulled down his throne room on top of him." He looked at me reproachfully. "You and your friend Nico, son of Hades."

"Oh, shit," Thalia busted out laughing in surprise like she was the one who'd been called out.

"When did he..." Nico looked a tad more confused, though mostly bemused too at this turn of events. Chiron had known when he'd come in on pegasus with the others and hadn't turned him away?

"I have no idea," Percy said with a crazy grin. It didn't bother him in the slightest he didn't seem able to get anything past Chiron, it was just kind of cool.

A lump formed in my throat. "I'm sorry, Chiron. I know I should've told you. It's just—"

Chiron raised his hand. "I understand why you did it, Percy. You felt responsible. You sought to protect him. But, my boy, if we are to survive this war, we must trust each other. We must..."

His voice wavered. The ground underneath us was trembling.

"Saved by the bell," Alex muttered. Trust was not easily given, and while Chiron seemed like a nice idiot, he wasn't someone she'd go out of her way to share her history with right now. If he'd known about Nico all along he should have said something, made some effort like the very old adult he was that someone was out looking for Nico or any of the countless kids missing. He and Daeadlus seemed such polar opposites and yet equally idiotic on this stance of just watching and waiting to long until it would do no good.

And yet Chiron was also responsible for hundreds of kids, and she couldn't even fully blame him for keeping his distance from them all in a purely scholarly manner. How many kids had to die before you grew desensitized to it? A number that Percy very likely was going to get a glimpse of after this battle.

Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order: "Lock shields!"

Then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.

Thalia had been in plenty of battles, the worst of which had been where a freaking statue fell on her and she was forced to sit there and wait. Not knowing what was happening, who had lived. She couldn't do anything but lay there and glare at that marble of her most hated goddess. She never expected that feeling to come back quite like this as she glowered at the book forcing her to sit on the sidelines and just describe this coming mayhem.

I mean I'd been in fights before,

"You don't say," Nico said with a massive eye roll. "Here I thought this whole time we were listening to your vivid imagination."

"And then I woke up and it was all a dream," Thalia loudly played along without looking up from the book. "I was back in my little rundown apartment and my mom had never heard of Grover-"

"Don't you be reusing my jokes," Alex scoffed while Percy laughed half-heartedly. "Get your own!"

"Like you're the first one to claim that in the history of ever," Nico challenged.

Percy cleared his throat awkwardly to cut off whatever loquacious response Alex would have given. He really wasn't in the mood in the middle of a fight for bickering.

but this was a full-scale battle. The first thing I saw were a dozen Laistrygonian giants erupting from the ground, yelling so loudly my ears felt like bursting. They carried shields made from flattened cars, and clubs that were tree trunks with rusty spikes bristling at the end. One of the giants bellowed at the Ares phalanx, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was thrown aside, a dozen warriors tossed to the wind like rag dolls.

"Well, nobody can say they didn't do anything useful," Percy frowned. "They were target practice."

Jason hissed at him to shut it next. A shield formation was always a great start because it tested what the pawns would do. The fact that this was starting with brute strength was a bad thing, it meant they planned more tricks up their sleeve later in the fight.

"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled toward the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down.

Apollo's archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armor, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze.

But just when it looked like the Laistrygonians were about to get overwhelmed,

Magnus's lips motorboated in frustration. He would hope this camp could take down the first wave before the second even hit, it's what they apparently trained for, team work and mayhem to confuse their opponents. They had only started and things weren't going according to plan. He knew Annabeth and her siblings would account for this, they had plans all the way down to zz to get through this...he hoped.

the next wave surged out of the maze: thirty, maybe forty dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got struck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women. But many more kept coming. Argus and Athena's warriors rushed forward to meet them. I saw Annabeth draw a sword and engage one of them.

Percy's hands twitched like he was possessed. He knew she could handle herself, she wasn't the one who needed his help, but he could sure use hers right now. Her voice muttering what she had planned for them, her sharp gray eyes studying everyone here and their reactions, her warmth next to his the reminder he so needed this was all in his head no matter what his aching feet longed to throw him into.

Nearby, Tyson was riding a giant. Somehow he'd managed to climb onto the giant's back and was hitting him on the head with a bronze shield—BONG! BONG! BONG!

The collective laughter around the room really didn't match the tone right, especially because Will's was the loudest of all. He looked on the verge of tears any moment seconds ago, because he hadn't seen nearly everything. He hadn't wanted to hear in vivid detail the monsters that killed so many, let alone what Percy had witnessed.

He hadn't seen this either, and the brief levity gave him a chance to breathe in and out again normally.

Chiron calmly aimed arrow after arrow, taking down a monster with every shot. But more enemies just kept climbing out of the maze. Finally a hellhound—not Mrs. O'Leary—

"Please tell me you put a bow on her head to help her stand out," Alex grinned an even wilder smile than usual, the eye of the storm among a chaos only described.

"When would we have done that Alex?" Percy asked in exasperation. Nobody had given him another whistle to summon her.

Alex's face clouded with momentary disappointment, she'd been automatically imagining the awesome dog in the trenches to help.

"We wouldn't have needed to anyways. If it was smaller than her it was an enemy," Will said with a sad smile. "If it was bigger than her, we were all screwed by the pooch. Beckendorf made her one anyways though, just in case. Bright pink ass collar with spikes on it."

"Lovely," Alex brightened considerably at once.

leaped out of the tunnel and barreled straight toward the satyrs.

"Is that some kind of nature versus nature thing?" Magnus asked. Not that animals had shown any particular favor towards satyrs, but he couldn't help but still think of them as one group in his mind with the fur and all.

Nobody really answered. Maybe they'd just smelled like the best food. Maybe they'd just sensed them as the easiest target.

Percy shifted his weight, a stance that would have him leaping into battle the only response.

"GO!" Chiron yelled at me.

Percy might have understood Chiron's tactics, he was glad he'd waited for just this reason to do the most good. It still didn't stop the guilt that had pounded in his every step as he'd waged through battle, wondering with every swing of his blade and every splatter of blood he ran through if he could have helped more.

I drew Riptide and charged.

As I raced across the battlefield, I saw horrible things. An enemy halfblood was fighting with a son of Dionysus, but it wasn't much of a contest.

The enemy stabbed him in the arm then clubbed him over the head with the butt of his sword, and Dionysus's son went down.

Will shivered at the horrible detail he hadn't really wanted. He didn't know where Pollux was, if he'd witnessed his own brother's death. He couldn't ask...but a part of him wanted to know if it was better than having witnessed the act. There probably was no good answer, seeing it and knowing you couldn't have done anything, or always left wondering if you could.

The twins had spent the whole week prior being just as skittish and worried as some of the younger kids, Connor had told him once they'd kept hoping their dad would show up to fix all this and so they'd been trying to slack off on the war prepping until Chiron convinced them to help.

Will was ashamed to admit he didn't know what had changed their mind about helping in the battle. Had they been talked into doing it by someone they admired, did Percy's return instill in them the same sense it had in everyone that they'd have to fight for their home no matter their own reason?

Maybe it was as simple as the fact that Dinoysus' had once been a conquering God of more gumption than playing card games on diet coke, and they'd been trying to make him proud.

Another enemy warrior shot flaming arrows into the trees, sending our archers and dryads into a panic.

A dozen dracaenae suddenly broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led toward camp, like they knew where they were going. If they got out, they could burn down the entire place, completely unopposed.

Magnus went a little crosseyed in confusion. Weren't there monsters in there all the time? What was stopping them from over running the camp? The immediate threat was the onsurge of monsters, but the camp had always been vulnerable to that kind of attack.

Perhaps it was just because these snake women were intelligent? As far as he'd heard none of the other monsters had that kind of reasoning. It was all he could come up with, and he wasn't going to interrupt his friends looking so miserable and upset with pointless questions of what spots in particular of their home they were defending.

If he had an actual home to defend, he'd probably start with the bathroom, but that was just him.

The only person anywhere near was Nico di Angelo. He stabbed a telekhine, and his black Stygian blade absorbed the monster's essence, drinking its energy until there was nothing left but dust.

"How close have you come to testing the limits of that thing?" Alex asked, her mind boggling at implications of stabbing gods and maybe putting that thing on a motor and just plowing through this whole army weed-whacker style.

"Not very," he admitted, thumbing the black leather grip. "I can't exactly go to the nearest smithy if it starts chipping or gets over loaded, I haven't wanted to push it to far yet."

Alex's eyes burned with hunger for the story of how Nico got that sword in the first place again, but now certainly wasn't the time.

"Nico!" I yelled.

He looked where I was pointing, saw the serpent women, and immediately understood.

Nico smiled for himself that he didn't straighten up in his seat like an idiotic child that he and Percy were on the same page. His already tested and proven battle reflexes were finally being put to use other than saving his own skin, that's what he was happy to be remembering for once.

He took a deep breath and held out his black sword. "Serve me," he called.

The earth trembled. A fissure opened in front of the dracaenae, and a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth—horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different time periods—U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. As one, they drew their swords and engaged the dracaenae.

Alex's mouth was open in a silent scream, but her eyes were to alight with joy like she was at her favorite concert for Nico to be to concerned. "I have, so many questions," she finally managed to gasp.

"I'd only managed to summon one at a time before and have them do menial tasks," Nico offered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly all the same even if he had no problems answering. "This was a step up, I um, hope it did some good." He'd passed out without seeing the epic end to the battle to know.

Nico crumpled to his knees, but I didn't have time to make sure he was okay.

Nico tried hard not to flinch at that. He knew Percy's true fight was for the entire camp.

Yet in his memory, he'd done what he'd been convinced he couldn't. Used his powers for good for Percy's home, and then woken up to him being there, holding him, helping him. His crush had been undeniable from the moment that nectar had tasted like salty-sweet taffy.

It was different, it was better to hear the whole picture like this. It made the rejection of Percy's non-feelings more grounded every time it happened.

Slowly, carefully, Will let his long fingers brush at Nico's shoulder, completely non-obvious considering where his hand had been hovering most of the time. Nico exhaled and looked at him with amusement, so Will let his arm fall to rest across the plain of his shoulders, which felt more natural every time he did it. Nico didn't know where he'd been in this fight, probably right on the front lines running around pulling people out of the fire while more fighters had just taken their place. Nico wasn't sure where he might fall into the dynamic at camp in the future, but it was a reassurance he wasn't used to feeling that whichever it might be he'd have someone there with him.

I closed on the hellhound, which was now pushing the satyrs back toward the woods. The beast snapped at one satyr, who danced out of its way, but then it pounced on another who was too slow. The satyr's tree-bark shield cracked as he fell.

"Hey!" I yelled.

The hellhound turned. It snarled at me and leaped. It would've clawed me to pieces, but as I fell backward, my fingers closed around a clay jar—one of Beckendorf's containers of Greek fire. I tossed it into the hellhound's maw, and the creature went up in flames. I scrambled away, breathing heavily.

The brutality of that shocked Percy as his hand spasmed with delay from the act. The cry of that monster as it went up in flames, the smell of burnt fur lingering in the air as it had crumbled to ash before his eyes. He'd always loathed animal abusers, they were as low as Gabe, throwing trash and beating whatever stray they saw in alleyways Percy would always get in trouble for trying to step in and stop.

It wasn't the same, he tried to assure himself, this was a demon that would have eaten everyone in his camp.

The thought didn't comfort him to much as he tried to let his attention go to the next problem without lingering on some little black haired punk of a kid with angry green eyes running into an alleyway, screaming at him for trying to light that cat's tail on fire...

The satyr who'd gotten trampled wasn't moving. I rushed over to check on him, but then I heard Grover's voice: "Percy!"

A forest fire had started. Flames roared within ten feet of Juniper's tree, and Juniper and Grover were going nuts trying to save it. Grover played a rain song on his pipes. Juniper desperately tried to beat out the flames with her green shawl, but it was only making things worse.

Percy's frantic mind was screaming at him to do something with such pressure, he didn't realize he was getting to his feet until Thalia yanked him back into his seat without looking up. The water was still pulling dangerously about the room, everyone else looked seconds away from grabbing their shoes and socks for safety so they wouldn't get caught in the draft he was causing.

I ran toward them, jumping past duels, weaving between the legs of giants.

The nearest water was the creek, half a mile away...but I had to do something. I concentrated. There was a pull in my gut, a roar in my ears.

Percy would have jumped onto that fire and rolled on it if he thought that would have helped the situation, Magnus shook his head in admiration at the look of frantic energy that just overcame him. The water tugged more powerfully around their clothes, their chairs were starting to quiver in place ready for launch, but Percy was breathing deep and long, chewing on his pen cap so hard odds were in their favor they weren't going to be flung into a wall to soon.

Then a wall of water came rushing through the trees. It doused the fire, Juniper, Grover, and pretty much everything else.

"Did giving the monsters a bath scare some of them away?" Nico asked.

"I wish there were some fire giants around, two for one," Alex nodded.

"Only you would be wishing for more monsters right now," Thalia grumbled.

Grover blew a spout of water. "Thanks, Percy!"

"No problem!" I ran back toward the fight,

"Literally," Jason shook his head. Percy was turning the tide of battle wherever he went and then just jumping right into the next fray. It was inspiring, and it really made him wonder what he wasn't capable of.

and Grover and Juniper followed. Grover had a cudgel in his hand and Juniper held a stick—like an old-fashioned whipping switch. She looked really angry, like she was going to tan somebody's backside.

"I will never look at that tree the same way again," Will assured with a tiny eep noise at the end.

"As you shouldn't," Magnus nodded seriously. Vengeful spirit trees, he probably liked the sound of that to much.

Just when it seemed like the battle had balanced out again—like we might stand a chance—an unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth, a sound I had heard before.

"Clarisse trying to sing?" Nico asked without hope.

"Man are you lucky you slept through this next part," Percy shivered, his head pounding with stress about what that she-demone was going to do to his camp.

"Passed out," Will corrected with a sigh, wondering if he should start carrying a bottle of nectar on him already that had Nico's initials inscribed or something.

Kampê shot into the sky, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on the top of Zeus's Fist and surveyed the carnage. Her face was filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs. In her right hand she held a glittering ball of thread—Ariadne's string—but she popped it into a lion's mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison. Kampê screeched in triumph, and some of the campers screamed. Others tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds or giants.

"What on earth do you think the trophy she'd leave behind would be?" Alex asked intensely.

"I don't think any hero's ever managed it to ask," Jason said with a look of concentration in place of what Percy was going to do to achieve this.

"Di Immortales!" Chiron yelled. He quickly aimed an arrow, but Kampê seemed to sense his presence. She took flight with amazing speed, and Chrion's arrow whizzed harmlessly past her head.

Tyson untangled himself from the giant whom he'd pummeled into unconsciousness. He ran at our lines, shouting, "Stand! Do not run from her! Fight!"

Percy began puffing up his chest with pride, the beginnings of bragging on the tip of his tongue that in a few year's time Tyson would be running those underwater forges-

But then a hellhound leaped on him, and Tyson and the hound went rolling away.

But Thalia had only paused for a moment with a proud smile before she'd continued and knocked the wind out of all their sails. Tyson was owed his revenge on this creature, but if that wasn't in the cards, what chance did Percy have if luck still wasn't as easy to bottle as those Greek flames?

Kampê landed on the Athena command tent, smashing it flat. I ran after her and found Annabeth at my side, keeping pace, her sword in her hand.

Had there been any kids in there? Magnus was to horrified to ask, to scared to wonder at Annabeth's nonreaction to some silver tarps, to terrified what his own reaction would be. Relief it wasn't her? A little less sorrow and a little less surprised because it was just another in a long list of kids already?

"This might be it," she said.

"Could be."

"Nice fighting with you, Seaweed Brain."

"Ditto."

"Those would have been cool famous last words," Jason smiled.

"And yours is probably going to be, wow," Percy rolled his eyes. He did not like thinking about Annabeth's last words in the slightest.

Together we leaped into the monster's path. Kampê hissed and sliced at us. I dodged, trying to distract her, while Annabeth went in for a strike, but the monster seemed able to fight with both hands independently.

"I was joking about playing with ambidextrous people earlier," Magnus groaned.

"This has nothing to do with jacks," Percy responded, "and you shouldn't exclude people Magnus."

"I'm going to throw something at you with both hands," he huffed.

She blocked Annabeth's sword, and Annabeth had to jump back to avoid the cloud of poison. Just being near the thing was like standing in an acid fog. My eyes burned. My lungs couldn't get enough air. I knew we couldn't stand our ground for more than a few seconds.

"Where's Clarisse with a cannon when you need her?" Thalia groaned.

"Probably boxing with a Dracena somewhere nearby," Percy groaned along, causing Will to flinch he had no clue how close to true that was.

"Come on!" I shouted. "We need help!"

But no help came. Everyone was either down, or fighting for their lives, or too scared to move forward. Three of Chiron's arrows sprouted from Kampê's chest, but she just roared louder.

Percy was smiling of all things as his life was in peril while looking around this room. He was still working his jaw in an agitated pattern not to scream and cause a massive wave of destruction not knowing how Annabeth made it through this, but there was a comfort of knowing backup would have come if it could. Those kids at Camp were barely trained more than him, yet even Magnus looked ready to throw his beanbag in this primordial monster's face instead of at Percy like he'd just threatened in a bid to help. Even if nobody managed to lend a hand, it was the assurance of knowing they would that was helping to ease the tension slightly.

"Now!" Annabeth said.

Together we charged, dodged the monster's slashes, got inside her guard, and almost...almost managed to stab Kampê in the chest, but a huge bear's head lashed out from the monster's waist, and we had to stumble backward to avoid getting bitten.

Slam!

My eyesight went black. The next thing I knew, Annnabeth and I were on the ground. The monster had its forelegs on our chests, holding us down.

Will clenched so tight in his skin it hurt, and yet he couldn't exhale. Gods had he had nightmares about this. He'd seen this snake woman from a distance and pissed himself, screaming and scaring Connor while he was trying to tend his concussion.

Nico was rubbing his lip thoughtfully as he shifted his weight closer to Will without thinking. She was one of those rare, only-ever-heard-of cards they'd supposedly only printed one of and was lost to time. He'd only read depictions of her online, now he'd missed his chance to see her in person and how Percy had taken her down.

Yet all that was on his mind right now was patting Will's knee and muttering distractedly about a good shedding spell he'd make sure was in Will's deck that would erase poison damage. He didn't know how else to help, but it seemed to do the trick. He didn't run out of the room screaming at any rate.

Hundreds of snakes slithered right above me, hissing like laughter. Kampê raised her green-tinged swords, and I knew Annabeth and I were out of options.

Percy didn't mean to hold his breath. He didn't mean to have the water receding towards him like the eye of the most massive storm to torment the earth. 'Annabeth's alive, she's alive!' The old chant began screaming in his head again, but how in the gods name she'd gotten out of this one he was terrified to guess. Unless he'd chopped Annabeth in half and Deadelus made her a robot body, he couldn't see a way out of this-

Then, behind me, something howled. A wall of darkness slammed into Kampê, sending the monster sideways. And Mrs. O'Leary was standing over us, snarling and snapping at Kampê.

"How much would it offend that old pig friend of yours if I tracked him down and made all the bacon from him for this good girl," Alex asked.

"I mean, Grover doesn't really need any more blessings from the wild, so maybe only normal vegetarian levels rather than godly offended," Percy shrugged like he'd know the difference anyways.

"Good girl!" said a familiar voice.

"Yes, yes she is," Percy agreed fondly. He didn't even care if Kronos himself had somehow joined the fight and was saying that for an entirely different reason. He owed her all the belly scratches and ear scratches and butt scratches she wanted for saving Annabeth's hide. Oh, and his.

Daedalus was fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, slashing down enemies left and right as he made his way toward us. Next to him was someone else—a familiar giant, much taller than the Laistrygonians, with a hundred rippling arms, each holding a huge chunk of rock.

"Briares!" Tyson cried in wonder.

"Finally!" Percy whooped, nearly bouncing out of his seat in excitement. "We get the cool reinforcements!"

"A hellhound, a robot, and a hundred hands walk onto a battlefield," Alex chuckled. "You've got to give me a minute to come up with a punchline to that one."

"I'm not waiting around for that, but do let us know," Thalia chuckled.

"Hail, little brother!" Briares bellowed. "Stand firm!"

And as Mrs. O'Leary leaped out of the way, the Hundred-Handed One launched a volley of boulders at Kampê. The rocks seemed to enlarge as they left Briares's hands. There were so many, it looked like half the earth had learned to fly.

BOOOOOM!

"The best boom in the history of that camp," Will savord every echoing crash in the trees, the smell of acid that had vanished on the breeze, the new pile of boulders no kid would have to fall into.

Where Kampê had stood a moment before was a mountain of boulders, almost as tall as Zeus's Fist. The only sign that the monster had ever existed were two green sword points sticking through the cracks.

"Coolest, trophy, ever!" Jason was practically salivating at the chance to make a plaque and shrine this thing. He'd probably trade his sight for x-ray vision in a few moments.

"Not exactly the highlight of my day, but it was up there," Percy nodded. There was still a tinge of sadness coupled with adrenaline in him that made him sound more lackluster.

A cheer went up from the campers, but our enemies weren't done yet.

One of the dracaenae yelled, "Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!"

Apparently, that threat was more terrifying than we were. The giants surged forward in a last desperate attempt. One surprised Chiron with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glee and rushed forward.

Thalia read that through gritted teeth. Her frustration she wasn't there was evident in her every word, her every gesture of twisting the book this way and that in front of her face as if trying to shift her position into a fight.

"No!" I screamed, but I was too far away to help.

Then it happened. Grover opened his mouth, and the most horrible sound I'd ever heard came out. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times—the sound of pure fear.

Percy reached up and touched his ears to make sure they weren't bleeding. That little guinea pig in him had awoken with a vengeance, had heard that noise as its own.

And yet pride in what his best friend had done was all he overwhelmingly felt, then and now as the chaos of their side had trumped the monster's own.

As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives.

The giants trampled the dracaenae trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telekhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them.

The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except for the fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded.

There was a poignant moment of silence where everybody kept expecting everybody else to break in and say something. Percy to be whooping with joy? Grover certainly had caused a stampede with another unknown satyr power apparently.

It was those last five words though that took away any jubilation or laughter that might have been had for another day won.

I helped Annabeth to her feet. We ran to Chiron.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

He was lying on his side, trying in vain to get up.

"Did we finally find it? The thing to win every battle?" Percy asked with honest interest. "It's got nothing to do with me, it's anybody threatening to put that centaur back in his wheelchair. Grover went nuts, Annabeth was willing to go on a mission with Tyson to save his job. I think we've cracked the code guys!"

"You will not be breaking Chiron's legs next time you want out of chores Percy," Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Dang it Thalia, let me have a win!" He huffed.

"How embarrassing," he muttered. "I think I will be fine. Fortunately, we do not shoot centaurs with broken... Ow! ...broken legs."

Alex couldn't help a very muffled snort of laughter she almost covered with a sneeze though. It really wasn't funny...it had just made her laugh.

"You need help," Annabeth said. "I'll get a medic from Apollo's cabin."

"No," Chiron insisted. "There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go! I am fine.

"You could at least offer him a hug," Magnus tried to say without a smirk.

"I'm surprised Annabeth hadn't tackled him the rest of the way to the ground to do so," Percy agreed.

"Would your magic god food work on him since he is the son of a Titan?" Magnus asked.

"Ah, but you answered your own question," Will shook his head. "Children of the Titans are different than children of the gods. I'm not sure it would have worked on Zoe or Calypso because it was made after their existence. I'm not positive of that, but I know Chiron refused to eat any. Said the other campers needed it more, but I suspect he thought it would be a waste on him."

"Psst," Alex said without the least hint of subtlety in a clear attempt to change that dower subject. "How do you x-ray a horse?"

"A very large, mobile machine, sends the images to a computer from what I understand," Will said, fascination bright in his eyes. Argus had taken him by bus, and they had no clue what the vet had seen through the Mist. Will hadn't even known about any of it until long after it was done while he helped prepare the shroud for Lee.

But, Grover...later we must talk about how you did that."

"That was amazing," I agreed.

Grover blushed. "I don't know where it came from."

Juniper hugged him fiercely. "I do!"

"Can she explain it to me?" Jason asked, raising his hand hopefully.

Thalia tugged his arm back down with an eye roll. He knew full well Percy would never get such an explanation right after it happened, it would probably break the cosmos.

Before she could say more, Tyson called, "Percy, come quick! It is Nico!"

Percy startled, and then looked over at him with a guilty apology on his tongue like he was sorry Nico wasn't his first thought every second of every page.

Nico gave him a casual shrug. He expected nothing else from Percy at this point. He was only ever on his mind when he was in danger, and he wasn't going to start throwing himself in the way of oncoming traffic just to keep his attention, so it didn't seem like much of an issue to him anymore.

There was smoke curling off his black clothes. His fingers were clenched, and the grass all around his body had turned yellow and died.

"Can you..." Thalia paused, not sure how to ask.

"Literally suck the life out of living things? Yeah," Nico nodded, swallowing his nerves.

"Yeah, no, that doesn't surprise me," Thalia shrugged. It seemed perfectly in line with his dad's domain. "Why do you use a sword if you can just do that though?"

"It's not a skill I go around showing off," Nic's voice was getting a little stiff with this continuing, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable explaining himself. "It takes concentration to pull off that kind of energy and a lot of focus, that was the first time I did it, and it came from panic. My sword is just an easy extension of it."

Thalia nodded in understanding. She could always summon lightning without a weapon in hand, but it was easier with a conduit to focus on. Percy seemed unique in not needing one then.

Magnus was leaning very far back into his seat and Percy was giving him one of those strange, patented, is this guy serious looks. He'd definitely spooked some of them, but Nico didn't see it as any more dangerous or unnatural than what Percy could do. Thalia hadn't even begun to test the limit of her powers of what she might be able to pull off.

There wasn't judgment in the slightly awkward silence though, and that felt like the important thing to him.

I rolled him over as gently as I could and put my hand against his chest.

Nico couldn't help but blush in surprise though, his eyes betraying his gratitude Percy immediately smiled at. Percy hadn't flinched, freaked out about touching the dead kid, hadn't even hesitated to see if he was okay even if he was freaked out by his powers. Percy was still a hero in all the ways that mattered.

His heart was beating faintly. "Get some nectar!" I yelled.

One of the Ares campers hobbled over and handed me a canteen. I trickled some of the magic drink into Nico's mouth. He coughed and spluttered, but his eyelids fluttered open.

Will's wrist went limp, whatever tension had been left keeping his arm there falling off to instead rest fully on Nico's shoulder and curling there. A soft, protective gesture he didn't even seem aware of as he shifted his weight around and continued frowning at the book and holding Nico just that little closer.

Nico hadn't known his brother, he hadn't known any of the kids who died that day really. If this was the only comfort he could give Will for this memory than he was happy to be here for it no matter how embarrassing it now was looking back.

"Nico, what happened?" I asked. "Can you talk?"

He nodded weakly. "Never tried to summon so many before. I—I'll be fine."

We helped him sit up and gave him some more nectar. He blinked at all of us, like he was trying to remember who we were, and then he focused on someone behind me.

That had been a scary feeling, Nico's heart rattled in his chest now at the memory. The vague feeling of knowing them and unsure why, the way his mind had been clouded with exhaustion and their clothes had been so strange. He'd forgotten them, for a split second of consciousness. The thought had made him angry without being able to put a pin in why for months after this.

"Daedalus," he croaked.

"Yes, my boy," the inventor said. "I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it."

Daedalus had a few scratches that were bleeding golden oil, but he looked better than most of us. Apparently his automaton body healed itself quickly.

Mrs. O'Leary loomed behind him, licking the wounds on her master's head so Daedalus's hair stood up funny.

"Is that old myth true too?" Magnus asked with exhaustion. "That dog's mouths are cleaner than toilets thing?"

"Definitely not," Will crinkled his nose up at the idea of offering a dogs bacteria infested tongue to an open wound. "Their saliva creates a kind of film on their wounds to help them, but it does us no good. She's just a sweet baby girl who wants to help." He finished in the same cooing tone as if hearing of a toddler trying to hold a stethoscope.

Briares stood next to him, surrounded by a group of awed campers and satyrs. He looked kind of bashful, but he was signing autographs on armor, shields, and T-shirts.

"So we did have a hundred pens available," Percy sighed in relief.

"And where's my signed t-shirt Percy?" Thalia sniffed. "I haven't gotten a single souvenir from any of your adventures!"

"Do you want to go to Waterland together Thalia?" Percy grinned. "I'm not sure you'd like the outcome any more than Annabeth."

"I like my chances," her grin was full of zeal. She'd still love to go there and not be gawked by anyone in what she wore, just hang out with friends for a day like only the privileged could manage.

"I found the Hundred-Handed One as I came through the maze," Daedalus explained. "It seems he had the same idea, to come help, but he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends."

"Yay!" Tyson jumped up and down. "Briares! I knew you would come!"

"I did not know," the Hundred-Handed One said. "But you reminded me who I am, Cyclops. You are the hero."

Tyson blushed, but I patted him on the back. "I knew that a long time ago," I said.

"I think you should win a Best Big Brother award just for that," Jason grinned.

Percy blushed just a bit and shrugged, "for stating the obvious? Gods, I'd get all kinds of awards for once if that's the case."

"But, Daedalus...the Titan army is still down there. Even without the string, they'll be back. They'll find a way sooner or later, with Kronos leading them."

Magnus looked a little confused why Percy was demanding this of Daedalus, he'd had more than one horrific thought about that place being under no one's control, but Thalia got it. Percy always had a tendency to blurt out what was on his mind, he probably thought of Deadauls as an expert who would have some solution he'd just been withholding until now.

Daedalus sheathed his sword. "You are right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it.

"I'm imagining Kronos being at least a bit weary if Grover can just yell at them to get out though," Alex offered, regardless of the results, it was just funny to say.

"You're right," Percy nodded seriously, "but then we'd have to put up a guard around Grover twenty-four-seven and it might cause some strain with Juniper. I think whatever this guy has planned might be better in the long run."

"A sacrifice Daedalus more than owes," Jason murmured with a hollow voice. What he'd done was wrong, no one should cheat death. The consequences were beyond mortal comprehension. His skin tingled unpleasantly at the thought, and he swallowed whatever feeling that was trying to bubble up.

Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue."

Annabeth stared at him. "But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force! As long as you're alive—"

"Yes, my young architect," Daedalus agreed. "When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you."

"Who needs homeless Santa when you've got the people in Percy's life whipping out gifts once a year," Alex said. She had long wanted to meet Annabeth, Magnus's cousin, the genius girl whose plans everyone had such instant faith in. Now here was yet another reason, just to get her own peek at whatever this was going to be!

He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop computer—one of the ones I'd seen in the workshop. On the lid was the blue symbol.

"My work is here," he said. "It's all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favorite designs. I couldn't develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find it interesting."

He handed the computer to Annabeth, who stared at it like it was solid gold. "You're giving me this? But this is priceless! This is worth...I don't even know how much!"

Magnus couldn't begin to comprehend how much that must be worth to her. It often made him uncomfortable, how much 'stuff' she had. Her cap, her knife, two or three homes, now a laptop with more knowledge packed into it than possibly the internet itself. Her life was so different from his in every possible way he felt like an alien in comparison right now. Maybe he was crazy for sticking around in here with the vague hope she'd want something to do with him when she had all she'd ever wanted.

"Small compensation for the way I have acted," Daedalus said. "You were right, Annabeth, about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not.

"Hard to be too brilliant when you're afraid," Will sounded plenty sympathetic to his cause. Daedalus had done some horrible things, yes, but nobody could claim to have lived a perfect life. His had just been longer than most, his mistakes had amounted to more years, but whatever his punishment; Will hoped he didn't suffer some eternal pain for the good he'd done too. It had to be some kind of balance.

He glanced at Nico, unsure if he knew the answer, but secure that he could ask and Nico might even be happy to find out for him.

Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on."

"Whoa," I said. "Pass on? But you can't just kill yourself. That's wrong."

"You would not be the first person I think to give PSA advice, and yet here we are," Thalia struggled to give him a good smile for that one. He knew as well as she did self-sacrifice, but that didn't make it easy to see others using it.

"One of those awareness weeks in school I always somehow managed to miss and yet never needed," Percy agreed, his stomach squeezing painfully at what he might be about to remember.

He shook his head. "Not as wrong as hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. Genius does not excuse evil, Percy. My time has come. I must face my punishment."

"You won't get a fair trial," Annabeth said. "The spirit of Minos sits in judgment—"

"I will take what comes," he said. "And trust in the justice of the Underworld, such as it is. That is all we can do, isn't it?"

He looked straight at Nico, and Nico's face darkened.

"Yes," he said.

Nico didn't appreciate being tested, having his morals questioned, having everyone look to him first when death was the subject. Yet, this was entirely his fault. He had, even for the briefest time, the intention to murder someone. Just because he hadn't gone through with it didn't entirely absolve him...but who was he to go to for absolution? His dad? Ha!

Deadelus seemed to have forgiven him, in the way he spoke to Nico. He'd done a lot of unquestionable good with his powers this day. Enough he hoped his mother and sister would still be able to be happy with him to balance out what had started this path.

"Will you take my soul for ransom, then?" Daedalus asked. "You could use it to reclaim your sister."

"No," Nico said. "I will help you release your spirit. But Bianca has passed. She must stay where she is."

Those words had pierced something in Percy at the time he'd been to involved with everything else to deal with, but he felt them full force now as he saw Nico still studying his boots and taking deep breaths, probably still trying to not cry over there. Percy's mom had died and he'd gone to hell and back to rescue her. If he could have done the same for Bianca without having to sacrifice somebody else he would.

There were Greek stories about such a thing, he knew that somewhere in his mind. Lovers were usually the point of those, but who says one couldn't do that for family?

Nico must have looked into those though. If there were any way to bring her back without hurting someone, he was sure Nico had looked into those first, and Percy wasn't going to presume to suggest otherwise.

Daedalus nodded. "Well done, son of Hades. You are becoming wise."

Nico grumbled and scoffed and didn't really appreciate the compliment right now. It was wise to be forced into making the decision to be alone rather than murdering someone? That was a more obvious choice, not wise.

Will whistled gently beside him, saying, "wow, I can't imagine the smartest guy who possibly ever lived calling me wise. For doing something even he avoided."

"Mmm, I guess," Nico sighed. It sounded slightly better when put like that, and he found himself smiling Will had such a unique talent of putting a good spin on anything.

Then he turned toward me. "One last favor, Percy Jackson. I cannot leave Mrs. O'Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?"

Percy's mind made some pretty large glitches trying to process walking her down the street and how many garbage bags Deadulus went through picking up after her...which was cut off very loudly by Alex exclaiming, "You got to keep her!"

"I, guess so," Percy found himself smiling despite what a horrible idea it sounded like the moment he thought it. He had always wanted a dog.

...who whimpered pitifully, still licking Daedalus's hair.

"She needs hugs!" Magnus couldn't bring himself to have a trace of mocking in that. He probably would have done it himself as much as the idea of her had grown on him, him!

"Do you need a hug Magnus?" Alex asked him, without enough sarcasm in her voice to make his blood pressure skyrocket as he just looked at her blankly.

Mercifully, Thalia wasn't sitting around waiting for all of them to get their tongues untied.

...my mom's apartment wouldn't allow dogs, especially dogs bigger than the apartment, but I said, "Yeah. Of course I will."

"You have a dragon at your camp, and your first thought is to take her home?" Alex derailed at once like nothing had happened. "I bet they're going to love playing together across the strawberry fields!"

"Good point," Percy said fairly. He'd been way to worried about her knocking down a city bus chasing a stray cat to think past that.

"Then I am ready to see my son...and Perdix," he said. "I must tell them how sorry I am."

Annabeth had tears in her eyes.

Daedalus turned toward Nico, who drew his sword. At first I was afraid Nico would kill the old inventor, but he simply said, "Your time is long since come. Be released and rest."

The words had just come naturally to mind, though it was a ritual he'd never performed before this. Nico had felt the power of it flow through him, a tug in his gut, a source he'd always felt connected to. He'd never questioned Percy's descriptions of using his own abilities, the innateness of learning to walk and talk came just as naturally as discovering what you were capable of given the right circumstances.

A smile of relief spread across Daedalus's face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to gray ash and disintegrated.

He hadn't left a 'trophy' behind, Jason realized. He might have vanished like a monster, but his soul was destined for more than Tartarus. He would not try to sneak past for rebirth. He was merely a very, very intelligent mortal man who had finally learned his lesson.

Mrs. O'Leary howled. I patted her head, trying to comfort her as best I could. The earth rumbled—an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country—as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed.

Nico winced at the lack of a sharp noise in his ears from that. In some dull area of his mind he'd been surprised. There had been no other lost souls in the Labyrinth, Kronos must have allocated all of his forces into doing this or had them elsewhere. No other lost kids had stumbled in there and died because of his act, and now, none ever would again. He really wanted to believe something he'd done with his powers had done more good than harm, for once.

Somewhere, I hoped, the remains of the Titan's strike force had been buried.

I looked around at the carnage in the clearing, and the weary faces of my friends.

"Come on," I told them. "We have work to do."

Thalia closed the book with a sense of finality, even though there was obviously a few more pages left. She looked from it to Nico with a guilty sense of finally knowing just a bit more about him. He had only ever been another half-blood kid to her, nobody on her radar really before they were trapped in the underworld, and then it was just a quest to survive. She'd never taken the time to get to know him, a decision that had mostly been out of her hands up until now between everything else going on in her own life.

She'd never had the same sense of loneliness he'd felt, she'd always had Jason, then Luke, and now Annabeth in her life when she needed them most. Yet Nico had been the one to find her brother after all this time, and she'd known virtually nothing about Nico except his sister's name. Maybe if she had taken the time to get to know him like she had Percy she could have even been kept in the loop.

It was something she could at least make an attempt to correct as she smiled at him and offered the book like she had plenty of times before, but asked first, "you okay to keep going?"

"Mmm, I suppose," Nico sounded far from enthusiastic. It definitely felt like a curse that the next chapter would be filled to the brim with lists of names of all the kids Will used to know that he'd be the one reading about, of course.

To skip or ask to be passed over felt like going backwards though. Everybody read over uncomfortable stuff and he didn't want to be the exception.

Still, he thanked Thalia as he took the book from her and flipped to the next chapter, and only then felt Will squeeze his arm where his hand had still been resting, never pulled away. He probably wasn't the best judge to know otherwise, but it felt supportive, and kind, as he read of the next miserable experience.

[beck-hartman]

"I'm mad at me," Beck argued quietly. When it came to her, he always took such great care, and this had been more in line with his usual recklessness. Maybe she had a point that it was a sign that he didn't think of Loma, which was a good thing. He still wish she hadn't seen that. He was transparent, nothing he'd ever done would be hidden from her, but there were still things she would not want to see. "I wasn't," he confirmed, "I don't think of anyone else when I've got you."

Nodding, he acknowledged he knew she did, even if the words stung a bit. A lifetime of experiences without me. He hadn't wanted to do it without her, not ever. "We'll have our own someday." They could try to forget the pictures for now, see if they could salvage what was left of an otherwise good day. As she only thought she knew what he meant, he tried again for better words. "It's about you, us, the moment we're in together," he struggled for the words to describe the intimacy of their moments compared to any others. "Because I love you," he exhaled, daring for just a touch of a reprieve by adding, "and you're hot."

He frowned as he saw the tears start to well in her eyes, "baby..." It was true that he hated to see her cry, but he was learning she was going to do this and need to do this. He never wanted her to hold back, even with the things it broke his heart to see. He wasn't sure if it was what she saw, what he said, or a combination, but he reached for her, moving her hand away from her face while snaking his arm around her waist to pull her closer. Then bringing a hand to her cheek, thumb ready to catch any tears that fell, he murmured, "what do you need from me?"

A soft laugh bubbled out of him as she asked, teasing her, "I think so, but I like that you're a little selfish with me so it works out." He couldn't really even imagine a world where he'd been with someone else when she got back. If he could, it felt more like a movie scene, something that couldn't possibly have ever occurred. At her next point, he felt his heart get heavier. "I wanted you to be happy, Shosh, even if it wasn't with me." Sometimes he even thought he'd trade this for her never having to suffer what she did, lose what she did. "But I'm really freakin glad it turned out to be with me."

Touching her chin to draw her eyes back, Beck never wanted her to feel she had anything to be ashamed or that she was any of the things Frank had said she was. "I'll keep saying it, I'll start with whatever 365 times 8 is, and then go from there until it's completely drowned out." He wasn't exactly the most patient man, but when it came to her, he absolutely could be. He'd waited eight years for her, hadn't he? "Because you are the most worthy person...to believe everything I've said, to achieve all your dreams, to be as loved by me and all our friends as you are. And maybe most importantly of all, to love yourself. You're incredible, Shosh, and I'll believe it enough for both of us until you do too."

Taking a deep breath as she asked about past relationships, Beck had to think for a minute. "There wasn't...a lot. Nothing significant. 2019 was also the year Olives got married and seeing her so happy, realizing I still wanted that...I dunno, I just didn't want to be in a series of failed relationships." Ironically, he'd gone back to New York after the wedding to see Harley before flying out again, but he left that detail out now. "I tried to make casual work for me, couldn't do that, so that was it for the traveling. Met a few friends, but nobody romantically. I actually met Aisha while traveling, and we didn't realize we'd both ended up here at first. So that was cool and clearly my friendships were far more successful." If he'd stayed in Australia like he thought he might, he had considered meeting someone there and trying again, but he hadn't and didn't.

Speaking of people in town, he debated if it was worth mentioning, but if he had to think about it, it was worth saying. "But, um, when I got back," he started, "I ran into Camille--do you remember her? Olives's friend, babysat sometimes when the girls couldn't--" Wincing a little at that description for what he was about to say, he powered through, "and well, first of all, nothing happened, but she must have thought I glowed up or was just drunk enough or both maybe--anyway, she started flirting with me, and I...flirted back. And we kind of had fun with that for a while. It wasn't serious, and I was never going to do anything about it, she's still married." Which he recognized didn't make flirting with a married woman all that much better. It was probably why he did it, though, because he knew it couldn't go anywhere. "She knows about us, so that switch has been flipped completely off. Both sides. We talked the other day, and she's so happy for us. It's not weird or anything, but I didn't want you to hear about this from anybody else. We weren't sober or in private while it was happening, so there are people who know, I would guess, and no one probably cares. I wasn't the only one she flirted with either, she wasn't the only one I was flirting with--I just mostly kept it to like girls' weekenders at the B&B, but like I said, I wanted you to hear it from me. Not significant exactly, we were just having fun, but you do know her and might see her. So yeah, think that's everything."

"It is okay, Beck. I'm not mad at you." And she wasn't. Her reaction to what she had seen wasn't about him, but rather about herself. "You clearly weren't thinking about anything other than sharing your travel memories with me. You weren't thinking about...her," Shosh couldn't seem to bring herself to say the woman's name, "And the fact that you forgot this picture was in here means that it wasn't something you did a lot."

Her words were only confirmed by him moments later. "I do want to see them, by the way. You...had a lifetime of experiences without me, and if this is the closest I can get to reliving them with you, I want to. Just maybe not tonight." Not while the image of Beck with a half-naked woman was still lingering in her brain. When he said the pictures he took of her were different, she nodded. "I think I know what you mean," She replied. He took pictures of her because he loved her, she knew that much. That was why she took pictures of him, at least. She wanted to capture the memories they made, to be able to look back at them with a smile...to maybe show their kids one day - the appropriate ones, at least.

Beck made sure she knew exactly how he felt about her with his kiss. She smiled against his lips when he murmured, dropping her hands to rest on his shoulders until he took them in his own. His words, his declaration and reassurance had her tearing up. She pulled one of her hands back to rub her eyes, trying to keep them from spilling over. He hated it when she cried, even if it was from the relief she felt. But to hear the way he saw her made her emotional - it was so different from the way she saw herself.

"Is it selfish to say I'm glad you sucked when it wasn't me?" She said with a little sniffle and laugh. She couldn't imagine what would've happened if she'd come back to Merrock to find him happy and in love with someone else. "I mean, to be fair, I sucked at relationships when it wasn't you." Just because hers had lasted for a while didn't mean it was a good one. Obviously, the only good choice she had made in that relationship was leaving.

Shosh let out a little sigh. "I'm going to have to work on believing you when you say that. Not that you'd ever lie to me, it's just hard to wrap my mind around it after being told every day how...worthless I am." Her eyes drifted away from his at the last part. She was still dealing with the shame and embarrassment she felt from letting someone treat her like Frank had, from staying with him for so long.

Another question formed in her mind, though. "Speaking of past relationships, is there anything else I should know?" She didn't want to be caught off guard again. And even though she had only had one other relationship aside from Beck, he knew about it. "I don't need to know everything, of course. Don't want to know everything. But was there anything else...significant, I guess?"

[juicypassionfruit]

More Than You’ll Ever Know

Summary: Ryan has a crush on his best friend

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of drinking and being drunk, sadish (lmk if I missed anything)

Ryan Dunn x GN reader 

Ryan’s Pov

It was just a school crush. Nothing serious. We've been friends for too long, it would completely ruin our friendship. I mean do they even like-

"Ryan?" They waved their hand in front of my face with a wide grin on theirs. The smile that makes me weak in the knees. That same smile that made me fall for them when we first met.

"Sorry. Just thinking about ways to fuck with Bam." They'd never believe that. God I'm an idiot.

"It's fine. I was just asking if you'd take me to prom." Their voice was soft and smooth. The kinda voice that'd make me agree to anything. It was beautiful, I'd listen to them talk all day if I could.

"Oh, yeah. Why not?" I shrugged playing it cool.

"Great!" They cheered

I wouldn't have ever gone if Y/n hadn't asked me. It was one of my favorite nights with them. The loud music, the smile that never left their face, pregaming and bringing a little flask of alcohol. Everything was perfect.

~

"Jeez, Ry. You really fucked up your face." Their soft touches cleaned up the cuts that were nothing more than scratches. I told them that it was fine but Y/n insisted on making sure they didn't get infected. 

Wow. Why do I want to kiss them right now? Maybe it was just the intimacy of it all. They’re just being sweet. "Definitely worth it. I mean did you see how gnarly- Right, sorry for worrying you." They gave me a disapproving look. Did Y/n not think the stunts were cool? Were they actually worried I’d get too hurt?

~

Y/n's parents were never really home, so most of the time when we'd hang out it'd be at their house. Their parents really disliked us, especially when we came over. And they always knew we did because something always ended up breaking. Mugs, dishes, the table in living room, the leg of the couch, and even the bathroom door. The list went on and on. Most of the time it was me because of my clumsiness, but Bam was right behind me. He wasn't that clumsy, just had a bad habit of breaking shit.

Their final straw was probably when we broke down the door. We were officially banned from coming over. Bam and I always payed and cleaned up our mess but they were probably over having to deal with it in the first place, with good reason.

"We're gonna use this to unlock the door." Bam held up a screwdriver. He started to unscrew the round door handle.

"Fuck off and let me piss." I yelled oblivious to what they were doing. Until the entire handle of the door came off. "Fuck me."

Bam looked through the hole in the door and laughed. "Dico, I got it!" He yelled. Multiple footsteps came running over. I finished before anyone else could see me standing there with my dick out. 

"Ha ha very funny." I tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. "Will you fuckers let me out now?"

"We're not stopping you." Raab laughed

I tried to open it so many times and it still wouldn't open. Bam and Raab even tried from their side. As annoyed as I was, it was pretty funny.

Bam volunteered to break it down and after a few tries he did.

"You've got to be shitting me." Y/n laughed, "How the fuck am I gonna explain this one."

~

"Guys this is my partner that I've been telling you all about!" Y/n was looking at them the same way they used to look at me. I didn't realize how much this actually hurt. How much I actually liked them. 

"Oh what's up." Bam nodded his head at them and I did the same. We were busy thinking of more dumb shit to do anyway. I ignored them for most of the night and stuck with Bam until they finally left.

"Do you like Y/n's partner?" The question left my lips before I could stop it. He's gonna know. Oh man he better not be a dick about it.

"Not really," He was putting together a new board. Hardly paying attention, "But if they like them then there's nothing we can do."

He had a point. For once in his life Bam was right. Fuckin' dick.

~

After a few months Y/n stopped coming around, too busy with her significant other. It was the same with and without them but it was always nice when they were around.

The night was the same as any other. Dico, Raab, Rake, and I were at Bam's house. It was one of the rare nights we didn't do anything and just stayed home. I think it was April's least favorite night.

In the middle of talking about what we were gonna do tomorrow there was a knock on the door. We weren't expecting anyone, so it was a surprise to all of us. "Dunn. Get the door!" Bam shouted, for no reason. We were a few feet apart. What an ass. There were another few knocks and I sighed, "Fuck you."

I opened the door and saw Y/n standing there. Watery eyes and dried tears on their cheeks. Instinctively I pulled them into a hug. "Its okay." They cried into my chest while one hand scratched their back and the other held their head. "I got you, Its okay."

I never wanted to see them cry anyways, but I made sure to never see Y/n that sad ever again.

~

I remember our very first argument. Serious one that is, we constantly argued about everything.

'Ew why do you put jam on toast like that? You look stupid.'

'How else do you put jam on fuckin' toast?'

They had every right to be mad, but I was too stubborn to admit it. Y/n was out with their friends and I was out with Bam and some others. We all happened to end up at the same bar after a long night out. They were drinking too much and even though they were taken care of. I made sure to get them home that night.

"You're not my boyfriend, so you can stop acting like it!" The comment stung. It was true, there was no need to act like a boyfriend. My intentions were good of course but they were with their friends safely already. "I just wanted to make sure you got home safe!"

"I already made sure I would! Stop trying to ruin my fun!" They scoffed and got out of my car. Y/n didn't slam the door, they left it open. Dick. "Fuck you, Ryan!"

"Come on. Go inside, Y/n. Please?" I stepped out of my car to close my door. 

They continued to yell at me in their drunken state. It was no excuse to be as rude as they were. "I never wanna see you again." Y/n stopped yelling and walked inside.

It wasn't that bad of an argument but the situation itself was bad. We got passed it after we both apologized. That was the one and only time we got into it bad.

~

"I'm moving." The words replayed in my mind, they were quiet and if I wasn’t listening so intently I would've missed them. They had already told Bam and everyone else. I was the last to know. And I was at a loss for words.

My eyes looked everywhere but theirs. Their gorgeous eyes. The ones that would make me confess everything if I stared into them for too long.

"Wow, Ryan. Cat got your tongue?" They lightly joked. I might've laughed if I wasn't thinking about what to say. Should I confess now? It wouldn't hurt. Right? No. I cant. It'd be selfish and hurt them even more.

"Are you gonna come and visit?" I finally looked at them. Y/n was teary eyed, with the same hurt look on their face when they came to Bam's.

"I'm going to Washington. My dad got a job out there. Plus, the colleges out there aren't too bad if I changed my mind about not going."

Fuck. This is it then.

"So this is goodbye?" Dumb question. They nodded their head and tried to hold back tears. With a sigh I hugged them.

Memories of us over the years played through my mind. The first time we kissed. It was a dare and before I even liked them, but funny to look back on. The time Y/n's dog bit me when I broke into their house as a joke. We even got matching tattoos when we blacked out. They smoked their first cigarette with me. The times I took care of them drunk.

"I'll miss you. More than you'll ever know." Hopefully they'd read between the lines and understand what I really want to say but cant. Not because I can't but because it was too late.

"Don't get all sappy on me now, Ry" They laughed while tears rushed down their face.

~

The day they left Bam and I went to their house helping them pack things into the car. Y/n's parents were thankful for the help. That was the only time they talked to us without yelling or being mad at us. There wasn't much to help with anyway because they already put all of the big things in the U-Haul.

Everything was in the car and it was time for them to leave. "Well, see you guys around." They smiled and my heart ached.

"Yeah see you around." Bam mumbled. Clearly as upset as I was.

"Bye, Y/n." I placed my hand on the side of their face, my thumb ready to wipe away any tears. Y/n smiled softly and took a deep breathe. "I really will miss you. Both of you."

"Obviously there's no one like us" Bam lightly joked

"Maybe that’s a good thing." Y/n laughed

After a few more seconds Y/n waved and got into the backseat of the car. The car drove down the street out of sight.

"You never told Y/n, did you?"

“No.”

[mypimpademia]

Worth It.

Shinso x reader

TW: Swearing, reader steals a man, pure bad bitchery

Note: this concept has been in my head for literal MONTHS and now I'm finally writing it bc i had no idea how to before (i still dont know how to write it as I'm writing this, I'm bouta wing it like a mf)

I made Intelli the mean girl for this fic bc she a bitch fr

A college AU but its hardly relevant + a lil smau

Towards the end of writing this, I started hating it. I'm so sorry😭

I recommend this song too bc this is where the idea for this fic came from:

This was getting annoying to watch.

How long was Hitoshi planning to stay miserable with that girl?

Intelli and Hitoshi have been dating for awhile now. You had honestly never liked her, but you just barely tolerated her for Hitoshi. But only a few weeks into their relationship, things went to shit.

Intelli became overly controlling over him, and even tried to force him to stop being friends with you, and some other people. You, being his best friend, told him to break up with her.

Of course, Hitoshi agreed that it'd be best to do that. But not even a few hours after talking to him about it, he came back to say it didn't go as planned.

Intelli was holding blackmail over Hitoshi's head, and posed a huge threat to his dreams of becoming a hero. Most of what she said she'd expose was no where near true, but with her intellect she could easily make people believe it.

But frankly, as their relationship went on, the sight of even a strand of her hair made you want to either puke or fight her.

"Toshi~" Intelli cooed, coming up behind Hitoshi and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Hitoshi visibly cringed, but tried to hide it as best as he could.

"Hey, babe." He boredly muttered, doing a terrible job at faking any enthusiasm.

Unlike your best friend, you made no effort to hide the disgust you held for her sheer presence.

"Y/n..." Intelli muttered, her tone dripping with distaste for you, making you scoff. "Mind if I steal Toshi for a bit? No? Thanks-" She attempted to drag Hitoshi away by the arm, but you placed a firm hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"I do mind actually, we were in the middle of a conversation before you interrupted." You told her. She chuckled, before tugging on Hitoshi's arm more.

"Yes, but he's my boyfriend-" She attempted to give reason for her to take him away, before even Hitoshi stopped her.

"I've got a project I need Y/n to help me on, I can stop by your dorm later though?" Hitoshi suggested, lying through his teeth.

Intelli's eyebrow twitched, but she gave in, letting go of his arm. "Bye, Toshi." She said, kissing Hitoshi's cheek and looking you up and down, before walking off.

"Sometimes, I can't tell if she's just plain a bitch or if she's secretly a dumbass." You sighed. "Maybe she's a little bit of both..." Hitoshi chuckled, making you laugh with him.

"You really need to find someone new." You told him, shaking your head. "I know, but I'd rather not chance losing my dream career." He groaned.

"True... Whats your type anyways? I know its not Intell anymore, she's probably traumatized you." You giggled.

"She did, but I think my type is someone who can really understands me, and someone I can have fun with." Hitoshi said.

"Like a best friend?" You questioned him. "Yeah, exactly like a best friend. That'd be my perfect version of a s/o." He replied, expression growing soft.

Since Intelli and Hitoshi's relationship had gone down hill, you've been there for him more than ever. It eventually lead to this unspoken romance that constantly roamed between the two of you.

But because of Intelli, neither of you pursued it, for the wellbeing of Hitoshi.

"Well, if I were you, I'd find someone and just make sure the bitch doesn't find out." You told him. But if you were being honest, it was more like a suggestion, because he really did need, and deserve someone other than Intelli.

"Like cheating?" He gawked. You were both thinking the same thing— Intelli would likely find out. But it was better than simply being stuck with her, so you nodded.

"Well, I'd at least make sure the other person knows. But it'd be worth it."

'I'm worth it.' You thought.

You sighed, looking down at your phone, the time on your phone displayed.

"Shit, I've gotta get to class, we've got a guest lecturing us and my professor will tear me a new one if I miss it." You told him, stuffing your phone into your pocket.

"See you later?" Hitoshi asked you.

You were about to say something about how he told Intelli they'd hang out later, but decided against it.

"Yeah."

◇◇◇◇◇◇

You sighed, feeling your tired feet throb as you walked down the hall to Hitoshi's dorm. Taking one of your backpack straps off your shoulder, you began rummaging around the pocket where you usually kept the spare key to Hitoshi's dorm.

You blinked, as you weren't able to find the key in the small pocket. You began searching your entire bag in the middle of the hallway, taking nearly everything out.

"Shit." You mumbled, thinking you had lost it.

Then you remembered, 'Thats right, I was in a rush this morning. Its on my desk.' You thought to yourself.

Like hell you were going all the way back there though.

You placed your items back into their bags, then pulled out your phone to text Hitoshi.

You hummed, rocking back and forth on your heels as you waited for the door to be opened.

A moment later, you heard the lock click, and the door swung open.

Hitoshi looked you up and down before smiling. Then looked both ways of the hall, before tugging you into the room and shutting the door.

"Why are you treating me like a side piece or something?" You questioned him.

He hummed in confusion as he locked the door.

"Does it feel like that? Sorry." He apologized. "What did she do this time?" You asked, referring to Intelli, as she wash the only person the put Hitoshi this on edge.

"She said if we were doing anything other than a project we'd break up, and you know what that means." He told you, shaking his head.

You hummed, and pulled out your phone.

"What are you doing?" He asked, peering over your shoulder.

"You'll see." You blunty told him.

You sent your message, and tossed your phone onto his bed.

You grabbed onto Hitoshi's collar, tugging him towards you so he was looking you in the eyes, making his breath hitch as his face tinted red.

"You're crazy if you think I'd get you snitched on." You playfully consoled.

"What did you do?" He questioned again, watching you flop down on his bed as you kicked off your shoes.

"I texted Monoma and Momo to post about a project on private snap that only has Intelli on it so that it'll be more believable." You told him.

Hitoshis eyes went wide, as he mentally questioned how you came up with that so fast.

You patted the space next to you, beckoning him to sit with you.

He sat down, shaking his head and laughing.

You and Hitoshi talked for hours and hours, but it each flew by. When you finally checked the time, you barely had enough time left before dorm visiting hours were over.

"What? Already?" Hitoshi gaped, as he watched you sling your backpack over your shoulder.

"Mhm." You hummed.

He groaned, clearly not wanting you to leave, but sat up anyways so he could come see you out.

Hitoshi unlocked the door for you, but upon opening the door, you were both met with an unwanted sight.

"Hey Toshi!" Intelli greeted, completely passing over you even though she saw you.

"H-hey, Intelli." Hitoshi spurred, trying to keep composure.

"I came to help on the project. Even Momo was complaining, so I thought you could use some help." She offered, clearly not convinced that there was actually a project.

But like you said, you weren't going to let him get caught.

"No, we finished it." You told her bluntly, folding your arms across your chest.

But clearly, Intelli didn't plan on letting up either.

"Well then, I could proof read the written portion." She insisted, taking a step towards you.

"We already did that already."

"Well I'm sure there are some mistakes."

"We triple checked."

Hitoshi looked back and forth between the two of you, silently preparing himself to break up a fight.

"You must not get what I mean—" Intelli straightened her posture more than it already was, and leaned towards you. "There's probably mistakes because it was you helping him." She mocked.

Hitoshi already had a hand reaching for your waist, ready to pull you back in a situation where you lunge at Intelli.

"You wanna talk about mistakes? How about we start with you, bit-" Before you could take a single step towards her, you were being pulled back by your waist.

"Watch your dog, Hitoshi." Intelli retorted.

Damn, was she lucky Hitoshi could hold you back.

"At least I bite, unlike some people." You shot back. She narrowed her eyes, leaning towards you again.

"Y'know Y/n, you're not as good as everyone thinks you are. Everyone thinks you're so great, and nice, but I know how you really are." She said.

"You only think that because everyone's not you. Its no goddamn wonder your blackmail folder is thicker than you." You hissed.

Intelli, clearly flustered that you even knew about her blackmail folder, stood straight again. She crossed her arms and cleared her throat slightly.

"You think youre so much better than me. A better person, a better best friend, you probably think you'd make a better girlfriend too, right?" She asked you.

"Of course I do, who the hell wouldn't?" You chuckled.

You felt Hitoshi's grip on your waist loosen. Either he was getting just as angry and was going to let you fight her, or he thought it the tension was thawing.

"Alright, since you're so much better than me, show me." Intelli insisted.

You smirked. "Alright, you asked for it."

Slipping out of Hitoshi's grip, you turned to face him.

His brows raised in surprise and confusion. And next thing he knew, you had him by the collar for the second time today.

But this time, your lips were pressed against his.

It took him a moment to process, but soon, he melted into it. Moving in sync with you, he placed his hands back on your waist.

As much as you wanted to continue, you still had to tell that bitch off.

Pulling away from Hitoshi, wiping away the string of saliva that connected your mouths, you turned back to Intelli.

You walked straight up to her, and placed a hand on your shoulder.

"Toshi doesn't react like that when you kiss him, does he?" You hummed, hearing Intelli audibly gulp.

"Like you said, I'm a better person, a better best friend, and a better girlfriend." You repeated her words from earlier.

"I wouldn't lie to him, expose him, whether what he did was true or false, and i wouldn't hold him back from doing what he wants." You taunted.

"And the thing is—" You leaned in, next to her ear.

"I dont think it, I know it."

"I'm perfect for him." You whispered to her.

Intelli nearly toppled over in defeat, leaning against the nearest wall to support her body.

"Anyways, see you tomorrow, Toshi." You mused, before walking away.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

The next day, you met up with Hitoshi in your free time like usual.

You were aimlessly walking around campus, talking about random topics, laughing as you watched random people do stupid things, and just having fun.

Except now, you were hand in hand, and the air around the two of you seemed lighter. And the look of adoration you and Hitoshi shared was more evident.

But in the middle of it, of course, something had to happen.

Intelli had stopped you both in your tracks, her brainless groupies behind her.

"Did you know everyone is talking about you, Hitoshi? And with all the things they're saying... you might not be able to recover from it." She said snarkily.

"Not too worried about it actually." Hitoshi admitted, a slightly bored tone to his voice.

"Tch, well you should be. So tell me, was she worth it, Hitoshi?" She inclined.

Hitoshi looked over at you, a grin spreading across his face.

"Hell yeah."

[pink-peony-princess]

Fight for You

"Why do people do this to themselves?" I shouted to Shawn and Peter over the roar of the crowd as Raul's fist made contact with his apponents cheek- a sickening crack ringing out around the cramped room."It's barbaric!"

"It's actually quite ordered," Peter counted, eyes not leaving the action. "There's more that they can't do than they can."

"I still think it's stupid," I grumbled, before jumping and slapping my hands over my eyes as Raul copped a nasty hit to his chest.

The only reason I'd come to see the fight was to support Raul I'd been friends with the Triplets since we were about 5, having immediately hit it off with them on the first day of preschool. We'd been inseperable since, but I'd always had a soft spot for Raul,we just seemed to get each other- and he was always so protective of me.

In middle school he'd punched Jacob Connor's out (the resident bully) when he'd somehow found out I'd started my period and spread it around the school like wildfire. Raul had been given a 5 day suspension for it, but he'd always maintained that 'it was worth it, the little weasel got what he deserved.'

As we grew we only got closer,we were each other's confidant, the one person who we trusted with all our secrets, or biggest dreams and our deepest fears. That didn't stop us going through the awkward phase where you realise that maybe you like the other person, but are too much of a scaredy-cat to do anything about it.

Everyone could see it, my friends at school, Peter and Shawn, even my parents told me I should do something about it.

"Don't fret, Kara, your boy will be fine," Shawn laughed teasingly looking down at me bring me back to the present. The boys towered over me at 6'2 they were well over a head taller than me.

"How can you say that?He's your brother," I was appalled. They had absolutely no concern for the fact that their brother, their triplet no less was being pummelled like a car at a junk yard.

"Because," Shawn continued. "It might not look like it, but Raul has the upper hand, he's more agile on his feet, can move faster than the baffoon he's facing,"

I couldn't help but laugh at the description. Compared to Raul,the guy he was versing really did look like a monkey.

Despite the fact that ever fibre of my being wanted nothing more than to go up there and rescue him, I couldn't help but watch in awe as Raul served punch after stratigic punch to his apponents, before finally the referee called time and he was declared the winner.

"You know he does it for you," Peter spoke.

"Does what?" I asked confused.

"Fights, he fights for you, to impress you."

"Don't be stupid," I rolled my eyes, but I was stunned, was he really doing it for me? Why did he feel he needed to impress me?

"I'm going to the toilet," I called to Peter as people started slowly filing out the doors, satisfied with the gratuitous violence they'd witnessed, now no-doubt board.I needed some air,space to think.

As I made my way slowly towards the doors, being all but pushed,forced by the sheer numbers of people baring down on me I started to regret not asking one of the boys to accompany me.

This side of town wasn't exactly known as a safe haven and I wasn't even sure where I needed to go.

And Raul's words of warning 'never go anywhere this side of town without one of us,' rang through my head, as I made my way out into the alley behind the delapidated building and into the night air which was full of the smell of stale cigarette smoke.

"Hey there pretty," a group of guys yelled as I walked past, before wolf whistling. I shuddered and picked up my pace, reaching for my bag that was across my body to try and call one of the boys. I no longer felt safe, in fact I was starting to panic, my hands shaking as I dug blindly through my small purse trying to find my cell. In my haste and in attention, I failed to noticed a massive dip in the run down concrete and before I had a chance to correct it,my foot was falling in, my ankle twisting as I fell heavily to the ground. My hands stung as they made harsh contact with the gravel covered floor.

I sat there for a minute dazed, wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry. Why did this have to happen now? Why not when I was with the guys? I wondered, a few tears leaking from my eyes I scrubbed them away angrily trying to get up, but to no avail. It was useless. I knew I needed help, but I wasn't sure how to get it, there was no way I was going to ask the men down the street for help.

"Kara? Is that you," I looked up with a sigh of relief immediately recognising the voice and he tall figure. It was Raul, making his way out from behind the building,bag slung over his shoulder,still covered in a sheen of sweat, his muscle top sticking to his chest highlighting his toned physique.

"What happend, why aren't you with Shawn and Peter?" he asked jogging down the street and dumping his bag in the ground before bending down in front of me.

"I got lost," I sighed. I tried to move my ankle which was now throbbing,wincing as a sharp, white-hot pain shot through my foot.

"I'll kill those dimwits," he growled as he looked at me.

"Don't blame them, it was me. I went to find a toilet and I didn't ask one of them to come with me," I explained,my voice shaky from pain and fear.

"How could you be so stupid!" he yelled surprising me. He looked livid."How many times have I told you," he hissed shaking his head, reaching for my foot, but I yanked it away despite the instant ache of protest it gave off. If he was going to be a sick, I didn't want his help,I felt bad enough already.

"Why are you being such a fucking asshole?You know what, don't worry, I'll find my own way home," I spat,tears running down my cheeks unchecked as I glared at him. I struggled to get up, using the wall behind me as support, but eventually made it. As soon as I put weight on my foot though I collapsed. The firey ache that started instantly was now worse than ever.

"I'm sorry," he puffed out. "I'm just worried I'd hate for you to get hurt,I love you," he whispered the last part, by I heard it. It took everything in my power to stay calm,it wasn't like I didn't know it, but I'd never expected him to admit it.

"I am hurt," I replied cooly, pointing to my foot.

"More hurt," he amended his eyes going dark,the grim look on his face didn't make it hard to guess what he was thinking and I shuddered.

"I'm going to take the shoe off," he told me, working quicky but carefully to release my foot from the confines of the heel I'd been wearing.

I couldn't help the hiss that left my lips as it finally feel free.

"Sorry," he apologised softly, much calmer than before. "It's already swelling," he commented as he took the foot in his hand and carefully manipulated it.

"I don't think you've torn anything, but I'll wrap it to make sure," he nodded to himself, unzipping the bag he'd discarded beside me and pulling what looked like strapping tape out.

"How do you know so much?" I asked as he took my foot in his hands again, very carefully wrapping the fabric around it, before pulling it tight. I could feel it throbbing,but I said nothing, not wanting to complain. It did feel better than it had before, but I knew by the time I made it home it'd need to be iced.

"Honey you learn this stuff when you fight, you have to fiend for yourself," he responded,"There all done," he added as he admired his work.

"Give me your hand," he spoke.

"What?"

"Your hands, they're bleeding."

"Ohh," I held my hands out for him to take. He tipped some water onto them which stung like hell, and wrapped them, before placing a kiss on each of my knuckles, causing me to blush. It was lucky it was dark and dimly lit because I knew that itlf he'd noticed he would have teased the daylights out of me.

"Thank you," I took his hand that he was holding out and let him pull me up, leaning into him instinctively.

"No worries, wouldn't want an invalid walking around town now, it'd ruin the street cred," he winked, causing me to laugh. This was the side of Raul that I was used to, the cheeky, unapologetically flirty, protective Raul.

"Nah really, of course I'd look after you, you're my favourite girl," he kissed my forehead as we made our way to find the others at which point Raul promptly chewed out their ears about the dangers of leaving me alone and their completely mind-blowing stupidity which had them both looking extremely guilty.

It was quickly forgotten though as we went on to celebrate his victory, Raul never leaving my side,checking every so often that I was okay, even going so far as to find pain killers for me which helped a heap.

"Thank you," I told him again as we piled into a taxi- Peter already having gone home and Shawn still partying. Normally Raul was the party animal, but he'd insisted he go home with me to make sure I got there in one piece.

It wasn't like I was going to say no, I appreciated the sweet gesture.

"Don't sweat it. You're my girl," he answered, kissing me again, but this time on the lips momentarily stunning me.

"And you're my boy," I giggled,beaming.

"So how about we make this official?" he suggested, that cheeky grin that I loved so much present again.

"I thought you'd never ask," I responded, reaching up to kiss him again.

[olivieblake]

Sorry I haven't detailed my Friendship breakup ask earlier, managing life is taking too much time these days!

It's a bit hard to summarise but I have been soulmate-type friends with this girl, K, for three and a half years and really good friend with this guy, R, for two and a half. We all work together and our triangle friendship worked well. K and R fooled around a few times after parties, K developed feelings, R didn't and thought it was a friends with benefits thing while K hoped it would become more but it never did. Big problem was the lack of communication between them, both thought the other knew what they wanted but we know that things don't work this way.

I've been there for all of it, particularly for K who had been hurt by the lack of emotional intelligence R indeed displayed along the way. But I also felt, and I think R knew it herself, that she had been getting her hopes up almost all along and was setting herself for heartbreak, but life needs to be lived and sometimes we make mistakes just so that we can learn from them and K and I talked a lot about that, as I was myself getting entangled with another colleague.

Fast forward to last November, where, after months of horrible things piling up 2020 style, R and I spent an evening together watching movies, eating pizzas, drinking English cider and talking about how fucking sad we all were and fuck 2020 and family members dying of cancer way too fast, both in his and my family, and work being hell because the government is doing shit for making schools safe and everything going wrong all the time. At some point during the night there was a moment when I felt that R was offering more than just sleeping together in the same bed and I had a moment of hesitation but decided to not give in to it and to the the confort it might bring us both, mainly because I was sure it would hurt K if she ever heard about it. So we just slept, read books in the morning while drinking tea and there was no awkwardness because we both knew that it came from the fact that we trust each other enough to ask for comfort and even if it would have been a possibly stupid way to get it, it might have made us feel better in the moment. (even though we both think we'd have burst into tears 30 seconds in and not done it in the end)

I wondered whether I should tell K or not and decided to do it because nothing had happened, really, and if I didn't tell her when we told each other most things, that's when it'd have become suspicious and dishonest. So I told her that there had been a weird moment between R and I, that nothing had happened in the end, not in the best way in retrospect because it felt too casual to her, confirmed that had it happened it would have been weird for her and thought that was that since the next few days went fine. But at the end of that week she sent me an audio, saying that if I had feelings for R, I had a lot of time to tell her, that she needed people she could trust and who respected her in her life and that we weren't friends anymore. And that was it. Since then, she has refused to have a conversation to clear things up and has avoided me several weeks but has kept talking to R as usual.

I should have told her in a different way and I understand why she felt hurt imagining that R and I had spent a night of passion together but I told her, and then explained more clearly, that nothing had actually happened, that I wasn't into R and he wasn't into me, we were just both very sad and a bit too drunk.

The thing is, he's not hers, they haven't been in a relationship, he's not her ex either. Even if we had slept together, it wouldn't have had anything to do with her; people don't belong to people. But what's really hard is that we've been really good friends for several years and she was so quick to assume I would be cruel to her on purpose and that her feelings didn't matter to me when we've been there for each other a lot. And that putting an end to our friendship via WhatsApp was apparently so easy to do. (I don't really think it was, but it sure feels like it.)

And I've been asking other friends' opinions to see how in the wrong I was really, since maybe I couldn't see the situation clearly enough from my position, and the general consensus is that since I didn't do anything with him and was honest with her right after the nothing happened, she's being a bit extreme when the only actual thing she could reasonably resent me for is the way I told her. We're adults, we should be able to at least talk about it but I've offered several times and she says she doesn't need to or want to. But we're in the same friend group, we're supposed to spend time all together at some point and us not talking has an effect on the whole group dynamics, not just on us, and my awful need to make sure everything is balanced for everyone is going crazy.

It's been a long few months and my already sad and stressed out brain is having a hard time dealing with it and I hate that we're in this situation for something as futile as boy problems. I think there are issues of jealousy and self-confidence that stem from something else and that she's projecting it all onto this but it still sucks a lot, especially since she's refusing to talk about anything, even if we're at least back to saying hello and she has stopped fleeing every room I am in.

Anyways, friendship breakups suck, they can be as stupid as romantic breakups, and 2021 has better be nicer too everyone than 2020! Sorry for the novel-lenghth ask/story, my life is a succession of ridiculous plot points.

I hope you and Baby and Mr. Blake are doing well in these weird, weird times and I've started your book and I have loved your last video, especially the part on jealousy/possesiveness which was really well-put, as usual! Oh and thank you so, so much for your book recs on my last ask, I've added them to my To read-list <3

Okay, Love you, bye!

I feel like my last ask was a little bit too detailed to give a general answer/launch a large topic so I'm guessing it's mainly about how to deal with a lack of closure when people end things without the possibility to talk and get/give explanations. And I guess it goes for romantic relationships as well as friendships.

Love your big sistering, love you !

WELL I actually did not get this ask until a few hours after I had filmed this week’s video so not to worry lol I wasn’t able to address this specifically. but I think that’s the thing about the generality of grief over losing a friend—we don’t necessarily have to know the specifics of your story to understand it’s something we probably all relate to. and in this case I most certainly relate! I think this is one of those things where your friend had some personal things to work on and it put you in a difficult position, wherein you made the most logical choice. that’s the problem: you are looking logically at what is for her an emotionally fraught situation about her self-worth and your loyalty, which is why the math on your end isn’t adding up. (for the record I am much more likely to be in your position than hers; she sounds like a water sign but WHO’S TO SAy)

anyway, I don’t think you’re in this position over boy problems. a boy appears to be the subject yes but in fact he is the object; the subject is your friend’s feelings about herself and your—forgive me, but your compulsion to force her to get over it. I may not be completely right about that, but it does appear to me that you could have said nothing about the “nothing” that happened but chose not to because, ultimately, part of you wanted her to know. I don’t think this is sinister of you; I have a lot of friends who really need to just get over it as a general rule and sometimes it does feel like shocking them into it with new information might do the trick. but I think most likely she feels or intuits that in some way, and I suspect the root of her anger isn’t really about him but the “betrayal” she feels from you: that in that moment, you weren’t thinking about her* despite the fact that you would probably have known she would hurt if you had been (I’m sure you did know this to be true, and in my opinion are rationalizing your part in it; which is fine because you’re the main character in your life and not hers, but it is what it is) and of course she’s thinking about her, so what seems like a lot of pain on her end that she has no healthy method of dealing with is straining your relationship. I hope she can bring herself to deal with it, but she has a lot of work to do on herself before she can reach the pinnacle of what’s really bothering her. until then, it’s easier to blame you.

* edited to add: I know you said that you decided not to move forward sexually because of her, but I think what actually hurts her is not the possibility of sex, but the intimacy you had with him in that moment, which even you know is something she craved; perhaps delusionally. you don’t have to acknowledge whether this is a reasonable thing to be upset by, but I think the entirety of the situation is probably hitting her much differently than it hits you.

anyway my answer was not about this situation specifically but about why friendship breakups hurt so much, and I don’t think knowing the situation changes my answer. I hope it does help, because I think there is some part of this that is always true: one person needs to do something on their own before the friendship can be repaired, and it may not have been a problem at all if not for an issue of very specific timing. but trust me, whether this specific thing had happened or not this would still be true about the two of you, and about the ways your personal dogmas differ, and perhaps it’s better to see if she can take this leap now. maybe she will grow from it; maybe she won’t. either way, this is the part-grief, part-guilt formula I’m talking about, where sometimes you have to admit the breaking point happened, whether it could have gone differently or not, and now it’s out of your control

but I hope it helps to talk about!

[punkscowardschampions]

Buster & Ava

Buster: What the fuck have I gotta lay the law down for? Ava: Oh, and a howdy to you too Buster: Start talking Buster: Mum is really pissing me off Ava: Welcome to the club Buster: Come on, I ain't got the time or the patience for this off you as well Ava: You ain't my lawyer and I don't want you present Ava: I know my rights Buster: For fuck's sake, someone give me a straight answer Ava: God, fine Ava: but this is NOT how I wanted to do this, let the record show Buster: It's out of your hands, yeah, noted Ava: I've got a new boyfriend and they're not happy Buster: What's that gotta do with me? Ava: I didn't tell you Ava: It's someone you know, alright Buster: Who? Ava: Knew, even, back in the day Ava: Your old friend, James Buster: I know loads of lads called James Buster: It better not be the one I first thought of Ava: Well how would I know Buster: Don't Ava: What do you want me to say? Buster: I don't want to hear another word unless it's you telling me I've got it wrong and it ain't him Ava: Then that's that Buster: What's wrong with you? Ava: Nothing Ava: I met him at Kings, I like him Buster: Bullshit, you're better than this Ava: Better than what, exactly? Buster: A fucking married dad, Ava Ava: He's getting divorced Buster: So you're someone's dirty little secret and then what, exactly, a surrogate mum? Ava: Of course not Buster: Just 'cause he's never had any drive or ambition and his soon to be ex is cracked, that don't mean you've gotta step in on either Ava: You don't know him anymore Buster: You don't know him, it's been like a month, yeah? Ava: and who do you think I am anyway, captain save a hoe? Buster: You tell me Ava: No, you think you know so well, go on Buster: Jesus Christ Buster: You're proper acting your fucking age Buster: Don't get me started on that Ava: It isn't that big of a gap Buster: Not like when Nance tried to get on her teacher no, but is that what you wanna be measured against now? Ava: She's already gone there, try again Buster: Okay, try this, it's really fucking hard raising someone else's kid Buster: I know, I'm doing it Ava: Like you said, it's been like a month Ava: I'm dating him, I'm not raising any children Buster: It doesn't matter, you like him, you'll wanna help him Buster: Then you'll get attached and you'll be stuck Ava: No I will not Ava: and he's not going to introduce people to his kids that easily either, he's not an idiot Buster: I don't care what he is, you're being stupid Buster: End it before you're in up to your neck Ava: How am I? Buster: Come on, you don't need the list Ava: Then I disagree Buster: Go ahead, I'm right Ava: Enjoy that Ava: it changes nothing in my life Buster: You think you're grown now, yeah? Ava: You think you can tell me what to do? Buster: When you're this determined to fuck up, I've clearly got to Ava: Focus on your own family Buster: You're my family Ava: Then trust me Buster: I fucking love you, stop it Ava: I love you all too Buster: You told Nance before you told me, you weren't even gonna tell me, what the hell, Ava? Ava: I was going to Ava: I changed my status and she pounced so I just told her there and then Ava: I was thinking how to put it Buster: He's got you lying already Buster: Keeping important shit from me Ava: It's not like that Ava: I am telling you Buster: I'm gonna kill him Ava: No, you aren't Ava: come on Buster: You come on Ava: He's had a hard enough time, alright Ava: and he's not done anything wrong here Buster: He's not gonna be any good for you after being with her Buster: She's fucked Ava: He is though Ava: she's left her kids, you know Buster: Listen, she ruins everything she touches Ava: He isn't ruined Buster: You can't see it Ava: You literally haven't seen him in ages Buster: I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about her Ava: You weren't trying to help him then, when it all happened Buster: You don't know what I did or didn't do then, alright? Buster: Shut up Ava: Don't tell me to shut up Buster: Fucking hell Ava: Calm down Buster: Don't Ava: If this is the extent of the conversation we're gonna have then yeah, we're both too busy for this Buster: Ava Ava: What? Buster: I'm trying to calm down, alright Ava: Alright Buster: Shit happened back then, I'm not proud of it and I try not to think about it Ava: It's the same for him, and lots of people Ava: I'm sorry if he brings that up for you Buster: Yeah, well that ain't your fault, it ain't even his Buster: I'm sorry Ava: You've reacted as expected Ava: Meaningless death threats aren't nothing compared to mum asking if I'm doing it for attention, soz to you and dad Buster: I just wanna protect you, so does she Ava: Appreciated Buster: She's so shit scared to lose you, any of us, but you know Buster: You especially Ava: Rule number one is don't chase them into the boyfriend's arms, is it not Buster: When has she ever played by any rules but her own? Come on Ava: Well I'm not a baby Buster: You're exactly the fucking same as her, is what you are Ava: Shut up Ava: If I was we'd have no problem Buster: Well, I was gonna say nicer but you've fucked that now Ava: I don't feel like being nice Buster: Fair enough, me either Ava: Oh no, however will we cope without your kind words and ways Buster: Do you love him or what? Ava: I'm the one being stupid and moving too fast, now you wanna marry me off Ava: okay Buster: Do you? Ava: Yes Buster: Alright Ava: Is it? Buster: It won't always be but it'll feel worth it anyway Ava: How is it different with Venus? Buster: Everything is harder with or without that cunt actually around to undermine me Buster: I second guess myself all the time, if I don't love her enough, if I love her too much Buster: I'd die for that kid and I have no idea what I'm even gonna mean to her Ava: Yeah Ava: it's fucked up Buster: Caleb gave everything to Edie and it didn't save her Ava: No Ava: How could they let it happen again Buster: I love Rio more than anything and I still couldn't stop it Ava: It's really messed up Buster: Yeah Ava: Do you think you should give her to her dad Ava: full time Buster: He doesn't want her full time, he barely wants her part time Ava: I just think Ava: that maybe that's because Rio wouldn't give her up Ava: he was going to have her, obviously, that was the plan, when Junior was still around Buster: Plans change and he only wants it his way Ava: okay Ava: do you talk to Caleb? Ava: you should Buster: Yeah 'cause that wouldn't be weird Ava: Act your age Buster: That means not being a selfish cunt, no good is gonna come of me raking over his grief for my own benefit Buster: Oh and while I'm at it, let me slag your daughter off for not listening to me, cheers Ava: He probably would like to talk about it Ava: doubt anyone ever asks him Buster: You talk to him then Buster: Be the best step mum you can be, like Ava: 🙄 Buster: Like you said, everything's fucked Ava: Don't include me in that Buster: You ain't exempt, kid Buster: You wish Ava: Alright, then I'm not and get over it Buster: Act your age Ava: Rich Buster: Yeah, I am Ava: Not yet, boy Buster: Take your jinxes elsewhere Ava: Will do Buster: Good Ava: Can report back now, Judas Buster: Fuck that, I don't do what I'm told either Ava: 😏 Ava: Bullshit, you don't want to admit you failed horribly Buster: Fuck you, that's never happened Ava: Sure, you convinced me Ava: definitely not going to do exactly what I want and planned to Buster: 'Course and 'course not, respectively Ava: But seriously, you can't actually lie to them about this because I won't be Buster: Hilarious, I ain't that cunt and I ain't looking to turn into him today Ava: Well I hope they go back to annoying about whatever they usually do and not me then Ava: you* Buster: Unlikely Ava: Serious question Ava: do you think I should let him talk to them Ava: he offered but is that the worst idea or actually might help Buster: Why not? Buster: He loves you too, yeah? Ava: Yeah Ava: but if dad tries to hit him or something as shaming I swear to God Buster: Mum wouldn't let that happen Buster: She'd kick him out well before he could kick off, she knows every tiny trigger even before he does Ava: Hmm, maybe Ava: you have more faith in her as an impartial ref Ava: but she's not been shouting at you for however long so Buster: 'Cause she don't shout at me, she goes quiet Buster: James can still form a coherent sentence when prompted, can't he? Ava: Well that's unfair Ava: I'll ask her to change her method back Ava: and fuck off Buster: It's a fair question, he was partying really hard last I heard Ava: He went to rehab actually Buster: Leave that out of the introductions and calm down then Ava: Don't tell me to calm down Ava: tah very much Ava: like they just want to meet him Buster: I'm just saying, he offered Buster: If you don't have to do this on your own, why the fuck would you wanna? Ava: You don't get it 'cos your relationship is different Ava: you wouldn't subject someone to this family if you didn't have to Ava: in fact, definitely waiting 'til they've calmed down, I can just imagine the ridiculous things they'd say and nope Buster: Take the support, Ava, Christ's sake Buster: He was married to her, he's handled crazier Ava: Yeah 'cos that's how I want to be Ava: how I wanna treat him Ava: I'm more than capable, thanks Buster: Yeah, really capable of letting someone help you, as evidenced right there, like Ava: I don't need it Buster: Whatever Buster: Maybe he needs to give it Ava: He's mid-divorce, I think he's busy enough Buster: If he loves you, he ain't too busy for you Ava: 🙄 Okay Ava: you can go now Buster: You can think again on trying to tell me what to do Ava: Okay, I'm gonna go then Ava: thank you for your advice etc Buster: Don't ask me what I reckon and then dismiss it Ava: I've taken it on-board Ava: I didn't say I'd do what you said Buster: It'll help show them that you're both serious Buster: They reckon nobody under the age of about 35 has been since they were Ava: Exactly Ava: that's what they don't wanna hear Ava: ever since you shit the bed Ava: they can think it's not serious if they like, fine by me Buster: The sooner they hear whatever the truth is, the sooner they can deal, 'cause they'll have to Ava: I'm not even gonna be here this time next year Ava: they need to deal with that first Buster: You're not a baby, it's all part of the same issue Ava: You need to move here or they need to be there so they can be all over your kids Buster: I've already got a place there and they've got one here Ava: I'm talking permanently, like Ava: or they'll have their own baby or something Buster: No they won't Ava: If Ro can Ava: wonders never cease Buster: Yeah and that was such a good idea Ava: She wouldn't know one if it called itself 0 cals Buster: Like you said, in a year you'll be at uni wherever the fuck you want Ava: I'll suggest knitting and golf then Buster: If you've got a death wish Ava: Can't dampen the mood any harder Buster: Come on Buster: I'll have another kid or something, take the heat off Ava: Tah Ava: no chance Nance will so you have to really Buster: Don't Ava: What? Buster: Imagining her as a mother is such a headfuck Ava: She won't Ava: she's heartbroken rn, apparently Buster: Standard then, yeah? Ava: obviously Ava: standard she managed to get that in to this convo, like Buster: If anyone can Ava: you know Ava: as well as a meaningless offer of a trip out there Buster: And you still told her before me Buster: Fuck you Ava: Got to be faster on the socials Ava: I technically told Grace ages ago if you want to be really upset Buster: What? Ava: Not literally the whole debacle, I'm not mental Ava: just to talk about it, when you last came over Buster: What do you reckon all your friends are gonna say? Ava: I dunno Ava: a mixed bag, no doubt Buster: I can like actually try and talk to mum and dad if you want Ava: If you wanna smash your head against that particular brickwall Ava: you're welcome to try Ava: I don't mind Buster: 'Course that wouldn't actually hurt me so Ava: Thick skull Ava: sure Buster: Yeah Buster: And loads of practice at exactly that pursuit Ava: Cheers then Ava: enjoy the brain damage Buster: Will do

[supernaturallyamazing]

The One || Sam Winchester X OC

I got out of the spirit's grip and salted it's remains. I looked for my lighter but couldn't find it. The spirit came at me once again so I shot it with a salt bullet. I disappeared for a second then it grabbed me from my neck choking me in the process. I was about to pass out when the body caught fire and the spirit was gone.

"Want this back?" a tall man with long brown hair said to me. I got myself together. He threw it to me and I caught it. "Sam" "Elena"

"So you're a hunter?" Sam asked as we left the building. "Yeah, I started five years ago, when I was twenty one." I said and smiled at him. "How did you get into the business anyways?" He asked. "I met a hunter once. He told me about this stuff." I said. I had no obligation to give details.

"Do you need a ride?" I asked him seeing there were no other cars there. "That would be great. If you want you can come to our motel. I'm staying here for a demon the ghost was an extra." he said.

"I'd love to come, it's been a while since I faced a demon. Do you mind catching me up on the news? And what did you mean by our motel?" I asked. "I have a brother. He's a hunter too and of course I'll catch you up."

With that I started the engine and Sam told me everything about them case. We had started chatting when we finally arrived. We got out of the car and what I saw startled me. A 1967 Chevrolet Impala.

We made our way to the door and knocked. I was even more surprised at who opened the door. I took a step back. "Dean?" "Elena!"

"You two know each other?" Sam said. "No, not really." I said as I stared blankly into Dean's eyes. "Let's go in." said Sam and we entered the motel room. I sat on one of the chairs and the two sat on their beds.

"So, she's a hunter?" Dean asked. "Yeah, she says she started five years ago." said Sam. I looked away when I saw Dean understand. He was the reason I started hunting. He told me about his job and all of it's dangers. Then he left me without even saying goodbye.

His disappearance pushed me towards the supernatural. At first I'd go to jobs hoping I'd run into Dean but after a few months I gave up all hope and stuck with the job. It was my life. Only thing that kept me together.

"How did you two meet anyways?" Dean asked separating me from my train of thought. "I was hunting a ghost when we ran into each other." I said and winked at Sam. He smiled. Dean didn't have to know Sam saved me.

"Why did you bring her here?" he asked Sam. It almost seemed as if he was angry at Sam for bringing me along. "Dean, we dont know what this demon is or even how many there are. We need all the help we can get." said Sam. "She can't help us."

"I saw her fight Dean. She's good." Sam said. Dean sighed. "If you say so." he turned to me. "Do you even know what a demon is?" It was clear he was trying to annoy me.

I didn't bother answering and started unbuttoning my shirt. "Whoa!" said Dean. I stopped at the fourth button and showed them my tattoo. "Pervert." I said.

"Nothing you haven't seen before Dean. You see I do know what a demon is. I've killed a few before too." I said as I buttoned my shirt.

The next few hours of daylight was wasted in the motel room searching for anything that'd indicate the demon was close.

Just when I was about to give up I saw an article online. "Hey check this out. Three people killed in their home and one missing." I said. "It's worth checking out." Sam said. "Where?"

"The next town. It's probably a thirty minute drive from here." I stated. We decided to go with the Impala so I left my car in front of the motel. Dean opened the trunk and I saw a bunch of weapons. "Nice touch." I added.

He was clearly annoyed. We got in and they made me sit at the back. Dean was eyeing me from the mirror time to time. "So who was the hunter that got you into this stuff?" Sam asked trying to start conversation.

Dean looked at me with panic in his eyes. He didn't want his brother to know. I respected his decision. "Gordon." I lied. Dean's face relaxed and he took a deep breath.

"I heard he's dead. Thanks to you guys." I said. "Sorry" said Sam. "He was an asshole. My hatred for him makes me a better hunter." Dean realised the words were aimed at him and he shot me a threatening look. "At least he's not around anymore." Dean said.

"Dean are you okay?" asked Sam. He must've realised Dean was tense. "Yeah I'm alright." he said. There was an awkward silence until we arrived at the town.

We found a motel and got a room with one king bed and a normal bed. That was the only room for three people. It was nighttime. "Guys have a good night. But not too good. Some of us want to sleep." I said playfully.

We'd start investigating in the morning. Every window and the door was salted.

I heard Dean and Sam fight over the blanket. Sam sighed. Dean had won. "Hey Elena, can I borrow your blanket?" Sam asked me. "Of course... not. You have to fight for it Winchester." I said.

He pulled onto my blanket but I pulled harder. He fell on my bed. Suddenly the lights got on. "What the hell?" Dean said half awake. "You should've given him the blanket." I said as Sam got off my bed. "For god's sake, go to bed you two."

Sam went back to his bed but I kept eye contact with Dean until he turned the lights off. We all went to bed and all of us slept this time.

I woke up at 5 a.m as usual. The boys were still asleep. I watched them for a while. All the good memories with Dean started popping up but I tried my best to stop it. I didn't feel that way anymore but I wanted closure. It all felt unfinished. I looked at Sam. He was so different. I had started to like him.

I was lost in my thoughts for about an hour until Sam woke up. "When did you wake up?" he asked me as he slowly made his way out of the bed, careful not to wake Dean up. "About an hour ago. When will sleeping beauty wake up?" I said. Sam laughed. "Not until eight. Wanna go for a walk?" he asked. "Sure."

We went out and started chatting. "So how did you start hunting?" I asked him even though I already knew the answer. Dean hadn't told me about his brother but he told me about his dad. Sam told me the same things.

"But I then decided to quit and go to college. I dropped out when Dean came and asked me to help him find dad. When I got back Jessica, my girlfriend was dead. The demon that killed my mother had killed her." Sam said. He sounded broken. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever, I took off and we've been hunting ever since." he said. "When was this?" I asked. "Five years ago." I stopped. Maybe that was the reason Dean had left me. Maybe, but it didn't matter anymore. "I'm sorry Sam." I said. "So here we are. You, me and Dean. He's not always like this. I don't know what got into him." He said changing the subject.

"I'm used to it." I said. We chatted for another hour and went back. It was now seven thirty. We went in and there was an angry Dean inside. "Where have you been? I've been calling you both for an hour. At least leave a note or something!" He shouted.

"Dude chill. What's wrong with you?" Sam asked. "Yeah Dean, what is wrong with you?" I added. "Just don't disappear again." he said and sighed.

We went out to get breakfast and sat down at the table at the back. "So, the victims were brothers. Kevin, Fred, Stephen and Paul Browngate. There will be a remembrance ball this evening at the Browngate Mansion. Perfect opportunity to search around the house. Who wants to be my date?" I said. The boys looked at each other than back at me.

"I have to go to the restroom. Nobody touches my fries." I got up and pretended to walk away but hid behind a column and listened to the boys. "You can have the girl this time." Dean said. "At least flip a coin." said Sam. "I don't want to. You go as guests I will be the cop."

I walked back to them. "So who's the lucky one?" I genuinely enjoyed messing with them. "Sam would be the guy." said Dean. I sat down and found my fries untouched. "You know Dean used to eat burgers everyday for breakfast for one year." Sam said. I laughed.

Sam and I talked while Dean just ate. It was really fun hanging out with Sam. He was actually really funny. We hung out at the restaurant for an hour or two because we had nothing else to do. When we finally got out of the restaurant the boys went back to the hotel and I went to pick up a dress . I found one pretty quickly and went back to the motel.

I went into the room and saw Sam fighting with his bow while Dean's was perfectly tied. "Glad to see progress." I said to Dean and Sam looked up confused. "Here let me help." I tied his bow. Dean stared at me the whole time. I wasn't even flirting, well maybe I was a little.

"Let me get dressed then we'll go. It starts at five." I said and went into the bathroom to change. When I got out the boys' jaws dropped. "Okay Sammy let's go." I said and took Sam's arm. Dean was frustrated because I was going to drive the Impala. He had to walk.

The mansion was huge and all the guests were looking classy as hell. The guys were clearly extremely wealthy which was probably why that many people bothered to come there. "You have the Holy Water?" Sam asked me. "Of course."

"Let's ask around if anyone knows something. We meet here in ten minutes and figure out a way to go upstairs." with that we parted and after a very dull ten minutes we were back where we started. "Nothing. None of the guests know anything. Some of them don't even know the guys." I said frustrated. It was the same with Sam.

"We have to find a way to go upstairs. They were all found in their bedrooms." said Sam. "Leave that to me." with that I left all my muscles lose.

  Sam caught me before I hit the ground. "Someone help us." Sam shouted and a security guard came and took us upstairs. He took us to the guest room. As soon as the guy left the room I got up. "You could've given me a head start." said Sam. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Come on let's go. You take the ones on the right. I'll go left." I said and we left the room. The first room I went into was covered in blood. The sheets and the floor were all blooded. It was clear the guy's throat had been cut off. I looked for traces of sulfur and found it pretty quickly.

I went into the second room. There was no blood which meant I was in the room of the guy missing. I looked around and practically the whole room was covered in sulfur. I looked at the guys photos. It would be useful when identifying the demon in case it possessed the guy. When I was done I went out and Sam was also finished. "Demon." we said in unison.

When we went back down we saw Dean. "What did you find?"  he asked.

"Sulfur. Everywhere. I think the missing guy is possessed. The victim's throats were cut and they all were probably asleep." I said. "What do you have?" asked Sam.

"Well the same things but the police think the missing brother killed the three." said Dean. "Our work is done here. Let's go." I said and we left.

Dean sat on the drivers seat and started kissing the steering wheel. "Did that evil bitch do anything to you?" he said. "Dean please." I said sarcastically. "Sam get in. Elena you walk."

I didn't need his stupid car. "Fine." I said and started walking. A few minutes later I felt a hand cover my mouth and everything went black.

I woke up tied to a chair. The missing guy stood before me. He had black eyes. "What do you want?" I said. "From you, nothing. From Dean Winchester, everything." he said. "You made a mistake.Dean wouldn't come looking for me." I said. The demon laughed.

"Dean won't but Sam will. Which means Dean will come too." he said. "What did Dean do to you?" I said. "He killed my sister. He'll pay for it." the demon said. I laughed. "Oh my God. A demon with feelings, how cute." I said. "You'll regret that."

He took out a knife and started cutting at my stomach. It was very painful but I tried not to scream. This went on for an hour or two. They really weren't coming. It was Dean, what did I expect? But Sam... I thought we had something.

Something broke inside me the same way it did when Dean left me. The pain of the cuts were nothing compared to the pain inside. I tried my best not to cry.

I had given up all hope when the door smashed open and the boys came in. Dean shot the demon with... the Colt? They had the Colt and didn't tell me. "I knew you'd come, after all you loved her." the demon said before it went back to hell.

Sam ran over to me and cut the ropes I was tied with. He carried me to the car. Sam and I sat at the back and he stitched my cuts. "I'm sorry Elena." he said. I put my hand on his face. I leaned in and kissed him. I quickly pulled away and mumbled a sorry.

He smiled and kissed me. It felt right. I saw Dean in the mirror. He was.. smiling? I looked away. There was nothing between us anymore and I was happy that we both knew that.

We went back to the motel and I was able to stand up. "Elena, Dean... Why did the demon say that?" Sam asked us. "It's a demon Sam. Demons lie." said Dean. I looked at him. "He deserves to know the truth." Dean sighed and then nodded. "Dean was my boyfriend. He was the hunter that told me about this stuff. He left me five years ago." I said.

Anger filled Sam's face. He was furious. We should've told him from the start. He took the car keys and ran outside. I tried my best to run after him but couldn't. The stitches hurt too much. Dean ran after the car. I watched from the door as Dean tried to catch up with the car. Soon the two were nowhere to be seen.

A recked Impala pulled up to the front door. Dean was inside. I ran out and got in. "Sam crashed. He's in the hospital." Dean said and started driving. "Dean I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I cried. "It's not your fault. It's obvious you like him." he said.

Soon we arrived at the hospital. We ran in and they took us to a room where Sam laid unconscious. I sat down while Dean talked to the nurse. He came in and sat across me. "Elena  I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to protect you." Dean said. I looked at him in understanding. "I know. I heard what happened to Jessica. I wouldn't come back if I saw that too but you couldn't keep me out of this stuff could you?"

"I guess not. I still love you just not in the same way. Sam is a good man." he said. "I know. Thank you Dean." I said. Sam woke up about fifteen minutes later. I ran to his side while Dean stood over his bed. "I'm so sorry Sam. We are just friends. There isn't anything between us anymore. Sam you're the one I want." I said.

He leaned in and kissed me. "Go get a room you two." said Dean. We all laughed. I stuck around with them and we continued hunting together.

[storydays]

"Gods have mercy!" Scholar Vash cried. "Angus...Grenn..." Ezra placed his head in his hand. "Oh no.." Nia covered her mouth with her hands, before kneeling down next to Agnus' body, brown eyes glistening with tears. Her lips moved in a silent prayer. A faint golden glow surrounds her, and a warm breeze rustles the overgrown grass..but then faded away. 

"I can't help them, they're gone. Beyond the Light's reach." she said sadly. "I can't believe this. We saw them alive just last night." Ezra muttered. "With the adventurer, Mal! Y-You don't think..." Kade looked at his brother nervously. "Mal didn't do this. I can't know for certain but..I don't think this was his doing. There's nothing in it for him; neither Angus nor Grenn had anything worth stealing." Ezra said, firmly. 

"Yeah, I agree. I don't think this was him." agreed the younger. "But then...where is he? And who did this?" looking around as if the brunette was hanging around. Scholar Vash paced around, shaking his head.  "This is an affront to the Light! A blasphemy! Whoever is responsible has desecrated a place of worship. A holy place!" He ranted. 

"Ezra, what should we do?" asked Kade, looking at his brother hopefully. "I'm going to examine the area. There are bound to be clues around here." The thick, unkempt grass is difficult to see through, but after a moment, Ezra's sharp eyes could see a pattern emerging. His hand hovered over the faint trail of trampled grass, until he saw multiple pairs of footprints. 

"Looks like the victims were ambushed here. Probably by a group lurking behind this column, there's at least six sets of  ambushers' footprints. " He mumbled out loud, forgetting about his audience. "Six?" Nia squeaked. "And one of them is massive." The elf concluded. 

"Six enemies, one of them massive...not a fan of those odds. Do you think this has something to do with the relic?" Kade asked, running a hand through his hair. "Speak clearly now, boy. What relic?" Vash turned towards the teen, who shrugged. "I don't know! It's just something Mal said back in town! That he had a tip there was a powerful relic, and he was going to find it."

"Then it's true; I had to hope it was a myth, but by the Gods above and below, it must be true. I believe there is an ancient artifact hidden deep within this temple. Forgotten to time, relegated to legend. An Onyx Shard." The old man said mysteriously. "Seriously? The Onyx Shards are real?" Kade gaped. "You've heard of them? Kade, what's he talking about?" 

"They're the last relics that the Shadow Court left behind after the Great War. Cursed artifacts of terrible power. Very very very bad stuff." Kade explained. "I came upon the locations of the Shards in an ancient text last year. Seeing these bodies here, I may not be the only one who knows their location. Please! If whoever did this is after the Shard, we need to protect it. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands!" 

Ezra shared a look with Kade, noting his reluctance before clapping his brother's shoulder, then looking at Vash. "We'll accompany you inside to get this Shard. But if we bump into whoever did this, we're all running like hell. Understood?" "Let's just hope we find it before they do."Vash said gravely. Ezra drew his sword, and led the way to the main archway into the temple grounds. 

"This place isn't the best shape, is it?" Kade coughed. "Once it was majestic, regal. Packed day and night. Have we truly fallen so far from the Light?" Vash lectured. Ezra sighed at the sad vines; seeing nature so sad hurt his heart. The group stopped in front of the tunnels, one going left and one going right. "Stop...something feels off. Be careful where you step." Ezra warned. "Ezra? What should we do now?" Nia asked. 

"We should look for traps." He crouched to examine the floor tiles on the left side, noting one was raised an inch above the others and gave in slightly when he touched it. "That's a pressure plate if I ever saw one. I think this way's booby trapped." He glanced to the right looking at groove in the floor tile like centuries of feet have worn out the stone. 

"The right path looks well-traveled. Let's see where it leads." He decided. The group followed the path which began to slope down, spiraling in on itself. "Gods, how deep does this thing go?" Kade asked aloud. "Only the top level of the temple was open to the public. The lower levels, the catacombs, were for the priests and priestess." Vash explained. "To study and pray?" Nia wondered. "And to hide away from the dark." said the old scholar. 

Finally they reached the path deep below the complex. A stone door stands before them, but it was clearly forced open.  Ezra held the door open and gaped at the treasure piled up in the grand chamber. "I can't believe this has been here all along! If we explored this place ourselves, we could've become ri--" Kade cleared his throat, catching Scholar Vash glaring at him. "Ri....diculously pious adherents of the Light." Ezra snickered at his brother's misfortune. 

Vash approached a pedestal with scattered with golden chains and goblets. He gently picked up a large green crystal the size of a watermelon from the pile. "That is definitely not onyx." whistled Ezra. "No, it's not the Shard," chuckled Vash, "but it's still quite fascinating. I must bring it back to Whitetower with me for further study." Everyone was distracted looking at the treasure. Even Nia was admiring  a jewel encrusted old tome. 

"I can't believe it...how was here, all this time? And no one ever robbed it?" Kade furrowed his brow. "Maybe, no one knew it was here. Kade, we live a day away and we  had no idea." Ezra mumbled. "Yeah, well, it's pretty, but I don't like it one bit. If the people who murdered Angus and Grenn weren't after this treasure...Then what are they after?" "The Onyx Shard." Nia said solomonly. 

"We'd better keep moving." Ezra said, standing up. At the end of the room sits a heavy wooden fortified by twisting metal runes. Scholar Vash examines it closely before brightening. "Ah, yes! The ancient elves often used elaborate mechanisms to lock their secrets away. I've always wanted to solve one. They test your deep knowledge of elven linguistics!" He continued on to himself. 

Ezra rolled his eyes, Nia and Kade giggling at his dry remark. "That sounds....delightful." Scholar Vash ignored him and focused on the puzzle in front of him. "Seems quite simple...If I just press this...and turn this." 

Nothing happened. 

"Ah, well. I may need a moment." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Kade cleared his throat quietly. "Psst, Ezra. While he's busy with that, what do you say we keep scoping out  this treasure room? I think there's some hidden rooms down the back! We could go check them out...see what else this place has to offer." "Oooh! I would be interested in that! I recall seeing some fascinating statues.." Nia and Kade looked at Ezra expectantly. 

"Let's do it. That sounds way better than just sitting around here. Let's take a quick look around and see what we can find." While Vash continues tinkering with the door, the three younger ones headed deeper into the vault.  "So Nia, any idea why this treasure is all here?" asked Ezra. "These are offerings. Believers used to bring them as tribute to their Gods." Nia explained. "So like..bribes? People paying off the Gods to grant them fortune and favor?"

"No, not like that. The offerings are given voluntarily, with no expectations of reward. They're a reflection of gratitude, of thankfulness." Nia smiled. "Huh, that seems wasteful." Ezra mused. "Wasteful?" Nia asked, eyes wide. "I'm just saying...think of how many people this gold could feed. Think of how many sick, and wounded, and vulnerable, it could provide. " Ezra bit his lip in irritation. Nia paused, deep in thought. 

"I do see your point. There is much practical good that could come from this wealth, but there are other concerns here other than the materials. Faith and devotion, for example. It's not enough to live; It's a question of what you live for." Her smile fell when Ezra scoffed slightly. "Tell that to everyone who's starving." Kade looked around, curiously. "Rationally, I know I should be way more scared given we're in an ancient temple and we just found two people brutally murdered..." he broke into a giant grin. "But I still can't really believe this is happening! We're on an adventure! A real adventure! Imagine what an amazing story this'll make!" He danced excitedly. 

"You really love telling stories, don't you Kade?" giggled Nia. Kade's smile dropped slightly, and Ezra's gaze soften. "Well, yeah. Stories are really important to me. They're how I see the world." He hesitated, a somewhat sentimental expression on his face. "I-I was a really sick kid. Bedridden until I was 6, on the brink of death. Stories were all I had, I read every book in town, and when I ran out of books to read, I started to write them." 

"Kade was a precocious kid." Ezra spoke softly. "I always thought that was how I'd  live life. Ezra was the adventurer, the dreamer. I was content to just read about things like that. But maybe I misjudged myself. Maybe I can be someone who goes out there, who has wild adventures, who sees the world." He peeked through his lashes shyly at Ezra who smiled with joy at his brother. "Maybe I be a hero." Ezra's grin grew wider. "Damn right, brother."

"Look! Over there! A passage!" Nia led the way into a vast hall with mostly crumbled ancient statues. "This is a Hall of Gods! It must be hundreds of years old." The group spread out, gazing at the statues. Ezra walked towards the statue of a winged monstrous warrior clutching a spiked club. Nia followed the elf warily. "I don't know this one...It isn't one of the Gods I recognize." Ezra blinked. "You don't know all of the Gods?" "If you go back far enough you'll find different pantheons and interpretations....But I've never heard of one like this." 

Ezra studied the statue's brooding expression, its marble eyes simmering with hate. "I don't like it. It's too realistic." mumbled the elf. "Me neither." Nia shuddered. "Hey!" The two turned towards Kade's shout. "Wanna see something hilarious?" The teen held up an old ceramic vase with a creepy face painted on, and tries to copy its expression, but drops it and winces as it shatters. "Oops." He chuckled nervously. The shards shake and rattle and a spectral shape bursts out, lashing through the air with tendrils of smoking flame. 

Ezra quickly ran over to his brother's side, hand on his sword hilt. The spirit hissed, clearly pissed. "What in the hell is that?" Ezra cried. The creature's body pulsed and swelled, hungry eyes boring into the white haired elf, before hissing angrily. "Wait! I know what this is!" Kade called from behind Ezra. "It's a vorglin! I read about that in the Tome of Beasts that traveling merchant had! It's a spectre that feeds off psychic energy, specifically fear! " he explained. 

"So," Ezra hummed, "What if we feel other strong emotions? Could that drive it away?" "Actually....yes! That just might work! Think about something other than fear! Think of a time when you felt something really intense!" Kade stated. The vorglin hissed, clearly annoyed. Ezra turned his gaze back onto the red spirit, one of his saddest, painful memories coming to mind. The day he and Kade had laid their mother to rest; their father passed a few months earlier and it seemed their mother couldn't bear to be without her love. 

'It was raining, cold and wet. Kade and I were standing side by side, in the field as they buried her, right next to her  love. She and Father were the town's best seamstress and farmer, and they would sorely be missed. I was so heartbroken that day, I shut everyone out, Grenn, Annika and I even shut Kade out for a few weeks. I remember saying goodbye.' Ezra blinked when the vorglin pulses, gorging on your emotions. It lets out a satisfied wheeze, before disappearing into a puff of smoke, dropping something on the floor with a heavy thud. 

Ezra cautiously approached what was on the floor and nudged it with the tip of his boot. "T-This is solid gold!" He exclaimed in surprise. "Then we're lucky! When a vorglin is fed emotions it doesn't enjoy, it transforms them into an elemental discharge! It's usually iron or brass...but gold? Jackpot!" Kade cheered. "Are you saying that orb is the creature's waste?" Nia exclaimed, disgust clear in her face. 

"Heh, it literally craps gold." Ezra snickered, before breaking out into a loud laugh, Kade and Nia laughing along with him. Kade picked up the orb and tucked it into his bag. "Are you all right with is keeping this, Priestess? It's not an offering, and it might be worth quiet a bit." Kade's green eyes shine with glee, and hope. Nia bit her lip before replying hesitantly. "I...suppose." She said finally. 

"Now then, let's head back before Scholar Vash realizes we're gone." Ezra said, leading the younger two to Vash, just as he traced a final rune, and the door swung open with a whoosh! The scholar laughed in triumph. "There you go! A piece of cake, as they say! Nothing to it!" He looked back at Ezra who was hiding a grin. "Thank you for waiting patiently, I do hope it wasn't a bother."  Gold eyes look over at Kade and Nia before looking back at Vash. "Not. At. All." He chuckled. 

Vash gestured ahead, and with a firm grip on his sword, Ezra led the way. "Wait." He murmured lowly. "Does anyone else hear voices?" Knowing his brother's hearing was sensitive, Kade quieted down, and gestured for Nia and Vash to do the same. Ezra motioned for the others to be quite, until Nia spoke up. 

"What is that?" she asked in a harsh whisper.

@imturaxamara @tyrils-star @choicescommunity @bladesappreciationweek #bladesAW

https://bladesappreciationweek.tumblr.com/

[pokefanbri]

Im still fucking fighting, i keep telling myself im not gonna let go & Fuck everyone else who thinks I should. But sometimes there's the opposite, im just lost & idk what to do....hes not gonna come back...so why should I bother to keep fighting 😔 If someone asks me...

Are they worth it? Absolutely. Because theres always room for improvement & growth, & we've been doing that apart for ourselves now for 7months. Did they give u the respect and attention u deserved? Are we not more valuable than that? Hell no & hell yes lol. Look I was happy just doing that for him but yea when it came to me honestly it was like nah im good 😒 & i know how fucked up it is that id go along with his selfishness but I did. I did deserve better & he knows I did... i just didnt wanna lose him & did anything he needed me for... but I ended up losing him anyway 😔 theres a reason why u work on that kinda shit & grow together as you go so everyone is happy, its fair to say we both lost sight...I was eager to learn everything about him cuz I wanted to be closer...but I was blocked out & pushed away, he wouldn't open up & talk to me or show feelings for anything, even of me when he used to all the time...like he was scared of being too attached or didnt want to get hurt..he didnt trust me or was afraid to show his true self or show any emotion that'd be viewed as weak due to the typical be a man complex. Idk I was confused & didnt know what was needed to help fix things so yea i walked on eggshells & me showing affection of my own free will was out of the question most of the time...I couldn't touch him unless he wanted me to & rare occurrences for my own satisfaction. Its the reason why I cried all the damn time, I felt avoided & unwanted because my own attention lacked pretty badly. How tf do I love a fucknugget bobblehead like that lmao, cuz I dont give 2 flying fucks he was my man ok! & being close enough to him made me happy enough I guess, I still looked at him like he was my world even if I wanted to slap him for making me feel so lonely at the same time. I admit his needs came b4 mine, he liked it more that way & I took care of him more than I did myself. But if he had more effort to take care of my needs in turn & I were happier than I was, & us happy at the same time, then maybe I wouldn't be so hard on myself...cry all the time & smoke like a chimney 🙁

I still don't fully understand why he held back, communicating with me on a deeper level is supposed to be natural & pretty much all normal couples show an appropriate amount of affection & understanding to eachother....but it was kept burried...was he afraid id hate him, judge him, make fun? No, id love him even more! Idc how dark he may think he is or whatever past bs he's gone through or even if he was lying about anything...its okay it can't hurt u anymore dear & we can overcome it just tell me what it is thats lacking & let's fix this. Id say "sit down babe, tell me everything, whats on your mind, what can I do to help 😊" & id give him the most gentle kiss on the forehead. I'd do anything to see a smile from that face & it makes me smile too. I want to help him, he needs somebody to hold just as much as I do cuz the fact of the matter is babe, he's just as broken as I am, we both need someone to put back our pieces & become whole again...after we try doing it solo it can only go so far b4 u want that physical presence of another again to help u more so. He keeps everything bottled up & especially didnt let me see what was happening to him I had no clue, if he didnt like talking to anyone he at least had me but still kept me away from him, whatever it was festered in him & he changed his whole demeanor toward me, he became colder & shut me out for good 😔 Making me feel even more unwanted. We didnt help eachother through our problems & I really wanted to, I wanted to save us for the longest time way b4 the end. Idk maybe if he put in as much effort & we knew how to function better together instead of a Corolla with just 2 wheels then we'd probably be fine...& our suspension wouldn't be dragging on the asphalt 😂 Its not all on him for fault, I take equal amount of responsibility, we failed eachother, we didn't know wtf we were doing & 9/10 it was just friends with benefits with only 1 of us in love & attached, & the other not really caring with side pieces to chat with 🤷‍♀️

U know what 🤬 They're right, he's right, & now I'm actually starting to accept it the more I write. Maybe just maybe,HE DOESN'T DESERVE ME AT ALL. Im still upset and frustrated. To answer the question again from earlier no maybe he's not worth it. I suffered through his bs and 10fold heartbreak afterward!! If he can't own up, right his wrongs & bring us both peace then no he's not worth suffering for afterall, and ive been loving the wrong soul this whole damn time 😣 He kicked me to the curb cuz he a fucking coward! He cant admit his wrongdoings, ask for forgiveness, say im sorry or actually put the tiniest bit of effort into a relationship to make it work, but instead disposes of me so he wouldn't have to confront any of it & just continue on like nothing happened are fucking kidding me!!?? I thought u were smarter than this, its beneath you to just run away & pretend I never mattered to you when we both know I did!!!....& im crying again. Im still feeling the betrayal apparently, ill never be able to trust him fully again anyway, let alone other men now. I dont hate you, I love you very much. But I hate the evil from you that you've shown me. I should've known honestly, I was naive to see all types of disrespect but this was the worst part. I still love him but i do deserve better than that & I hope he's changed his ways. Trust a guy with a high track record of ladies & a handful of em in their hand..what u think 🤔 can trust be gained back? Can I get over the bad uncalled for lying shit he's said about me to other women to make himself look better? Idk 🤷‍♀️ I haven't been able to rest without closure for so long, but enough is enough im making my own. You're absolutely right, you'd just manipulate me further, I thought maybe we could be better than before...round 2 at some point in the future...but maybe we're not salvageable after all. Thats up to u, I did everything I could, but now if u were to ever come back idk if I'd jump into your arms or slam the door in your face, I just dont know. Its better that I try never speaking of u again, or think of you for as long as I can so that I can heal better....cuz loving you even after the fact is tearing me apart & making me lose focus on what matters more, myself. I fought valiantly as long as I could, 7 months is a long time to not shut up about u lol.. maybe you've been hearing me I wouldn't know. I have to force it or ill never be able to, ill still silently grieve but as much as it hurts, Its time. U were my rock, an asshole but a good one, the best gamer I got to know, a boss at alot of things, with the cutest lil butt, & somehow the love of my life. Other than maybe something valentines or anniv related in Feb ofcourse....Ur getting what u wanted, I have to do whats best for me now, I have to let u go. I held on for so long but Im really tired & emotionally drained, im just torturing myself when i need to stop, im defeated, nobody won anything, everyone got hurt in 2020 why should our relationship be any different, id say we gave it our all be we both know we didnt. This hurts me so much to do, like my heart is breaking again. Bye babe, I love you with all my heart. 💋💞 💟

I tried to do what I could but if he left, I just gotta try to move on. If I take him back, I gotta consider how that's gonna look like & if I really got past the damage he did....obviously theres some I still haven't 😔 Its what im telling myself while trying to move past this. Others going through the same...We're in love and they ain't. We can't control their actions but we can control our actions. Im not a toxic person..only to myself, I love with all my heart, nobody bothers to understand...they just judge

[archaicgeists]

It almost sounds like you're begging us to do our worst...if we were allowed full control, I'd bet we'd be able to torment you endlessly, but there are certain rules that we must abide by. For example, right now you're about to go through some life changing events, and we can't interfere with any of that. However, with what little power we have, and if it's accepted, we can give you a taste of the pain you'll receive soon. M!A: Ghost of the Past. Geist is forced to relive his worst memory.

* Hah..so you do have rules you cannot break then, whatever powers at bay that keep your filthy claws from sinking into me endlessly must have some use after all..

* Whatever change comes I’m sure I can weather it, I have fared worse I’m sure..Even if it what you all keep wailing to me.

[ Unfortunately on several fronts, Geist doesn’t hear the last key words...The anon’s deception with lacing a curse at the last second catches him off guard and thus unable to defend himself from it taking affect..

His eyes go dim until not one speck of light shows, until a grayish white light flickers in it’s place..like the light from a old projector. He crumples to the ground as the memory begins to replay....]

{* some dark themes near the ending kids, just a warning for those uncomfortable with it.}

[ The scene fades in as Gaene walks the dim city streets to home he’s weary of the world and simply wants to get away from everything. The encroaching tensions between mankind and monsters made daily life a walking hell for him honestly. More and more “accidents” were occurring, whole families being dusted and their homes looted..But no witnesses willing to tell the truth.

But everyone knew who was to blame, people taking their anger out on innocents with blood as the end result..It was even dangerous now to be a sympathizer for the poor souls, like Gaene was. No monster lover was safe from a bloody end either..he had seen several people slaughtered in broad daylight and the enforcers would turn a blind eye..It made him hate humanity all the more now. He would be next sooner or later he knew, it was no secret where he lived, on the outskirts of the monster designated half of the city...The city graveyard dividing the two halves as some morbid reminder..

It was where Gaene did his work, and lived after all..Being the local Undertaker and Gravedigger earned you one hell of a reputation..But it was one he wanted, he wanted nothing to do with humans anymore after this mess and kept it that way..It also suited his more....secretive traits. Not one soul in this city knew he was a Mage, not even the monsters. And that was something he’d take to his own grave one day. Night had fallen by the time he reached home, when it all conveniently went to hell...

Gaene knew of the enforced curfew recently placed, it was the one act the bastards in charge did to act like they cared..But instead it simply locked everyone indoors when the more dangerous sort could care less about being found out..The curfew was more strictly enforced for monsters, like every other rule..No one wanted to run afoul of some creepy beast as the gossips murmured. This knowledge flashed briefly in the back of his mind as a bone rattling blast ringed out into the night...

Rushing out into the street he could already smell the smoke before he saw the flames...The entire monster district was glowing red like a ember, he felt his heart stop as it grew and grew into the night air..Not thinking about safety he ran into the inferno..hoping against the odds that there were survivors...Each house he managed to get into held little hope of living occupants..the damage was irreversible and absolute and Gaene could feel his vision blur from the smoke in his eyes and lungs when he hear someone sobbing.

Finding a young monster trapped under fallen wreckage he wasted no time in grabbing them and running back to the safety of his home, it was a start in what was already a horrible situation..Once back behind closed doors Gaene turned to the shaking monster.]

* what happened here? Please tell me there are at least any other survivors out there...

“I...I don’t know..it all happened so fast...I was heading home and then everything erupted into fire..t-they’re all gone..what am I..I’m all alone now...”* Like hell you are..you’ll be safe here..Stay inside and away from the windows until I return. We’ll make it through this..

[ Gaene races back out into the inferno, desperate to find more than one survivor..he knows it’s fruitless, he knows the humans in the city are responsible for everything..it made his blood boil thinking about it..Why crush such innocence when all they ever did was want to help? All they cared for was power, and monsters had it in spades compared to non mage born..

Venting his anger into searching he only stopped when he felt himself wane once more from the smoke and heat..not one other soul could be found..As he returned home full of rage and regret he stopped short of his home..

The front door had been kicked off it’s hinges.

Fearing the worst he raced in, seeing several drunk men standing amidst a fresh mound of dust in the corner, cackling loudly.]

“Sooooo...tha monster lover returns at last.. Sorry bout yer lil pet here, played a bit too rough with em. Ah well, might of had tha plague so guess we didja a favor! BAAHAHAAHAHAA!”

[ As the room erupted into laughter Gaene’s vision turned red...why did it always come down to this? What did they do to deserve death at the hands of these heartless bastards? Actions speak louder than words..and Gaene wanted to scream a library’s worth of rage.

A sword flashed, stolen from one of them as he carved into the first three caught off guard. The remaining two seemed faster once their comrades were soaking his floors with blood. He fought with one while the remaining fool fled to get help and leave his friend to die seconds later.

Sagging to the drenched mess his house had become, he wept softly..He’d be dead soon most likely and this injustice wouldn’t go unmet..He’d be nothing more than a faceless fool in a shallow grave while the world continued it’s purge of innocence..]

* why can’t I do anything to stop this? It’s unfair..why won’t you let me save one..? they didn’t deserve this..

[ Unmet rage and sorrow melded deep inside as Gaene staggered out into the massive graveyard...hundreds of years worth of bodies buried here..did they all hate monsters like their descendants? A trail of blood, either his own now or his victims stained the grass as he sought a hiding place.

Small...little markings of his own kind led the way to the center..He didn’t remember what they meant..it was a symbol he remembered from a dream and liked..Once safe in the center of the graveyard he sunk to his knees, soaking the old stones beneath..]

* they deserve to see such fear..they deserve to feel such pain and loss..and I would gladly show them..

[ Magic...works in fairly odd ways, even more so when emotions and wayward mages are concerned...Gaene had no idea the weight his rage and sorrow gave to his own words until something pulsed..and the grounds around answered with a chorus of breaths and cracking of stone.

Looking up tiredly he watched his magics take hold..and raise the entirety of the graveyard to do his wishes..Many of them dead warriors and defenders of the city..only now they would undo it..In no time at all the graveyard was empty..aside from Gaene who looked on in horror.

That was when the screams began in earnest. The fires in the monster district, hungry for fuel had spread outwards into the neighboring areas..the newly risen undead soon found their kindred and drew blood eagerly from their wailing throats. Alarm and chaos soon reached all ends of the city, hand in murderous hand with the fires as both swept through.

Miraculously...Gaene’s small secluded home was saved this horror..at least on the outside.Running back in to find a way to block the screams out he locked himself away in his room, his own heart pounding like war drums.]

* oh gods what have I done..what have I done?? The city’s dying all around me...I..I didn’t want this..I never meant to..hhh.

[ their blood now soaked his hands, a city was dying all around him faster than any plague or cataclysm could do..now he was no better than them, worse in fact.

Rage turned to Guilt, a well suited companion for Sorrow..both evolving into something much worse the longer he heard the screams ring out into the night air..His sins could not be mended nor forgiven..not for something like him anyways. He could not face what would happen should he be found and blamed for this slaughter..The flames outside alighted in the reflection of something beside him..

there was only one way out..one way to end his misery and escape this horrid worlds grasp...maybe hell would be kinder..or maybe he would simply wander the lands of limbo until he forgot himself..

It hurt, but it would be worth it he figured as he carved a hole open to tear it free..To be free of this hell and live on as a spirit..darkness came and claimed him as he felt himself grow cold.

He didn’t expect to wake up the next morning to deafening silence and something warm in his hands pulsing gently..]

* -ghk....

[ As the memory fades, so does the grey light...Geist has passed out.]

[texasthegreatdestroyer]

One Heart, Two Souls: FFX Fan fic

Chapter 1: Part 1.

Cold… That was just one of the things I felt. It was certainly an improvement from five minutes ago.

Then, my lungs had filled with salt water. I remember vomiting it up with what I presumed to be blood, as it left an iron flavor in my mouth.

What a fabulous combination. Blood and seawater. At some point, I must have hit my stomach really hard, that would probably explain the mix of blood and bile.

But what did I have in me to care? My feelings had been washed with a majority of my blood in the sea. The same blood that poured out of my wounds.

The wounds that reminded me of my poor decisions, my failures, and of course, my death. Dying came to me fast, but ended so slowly. I can still feel the sick irony, as the god of the corrupt religion laughs in my face. Waiting, regenerating, plotting which of it's followers to kill next. I felt bitter, but that bitterness turned to sweet salvation and sugar coated numbness, well mentally that was.

The right side of me hurt like hell. Something around the wounds made me hurt. Seawater maybe? No, this felt grainy. My wounds stung and my body ached.

It seemed like every time I tried to move a muscle, it felt like the limb attached to it was being severed from the rest of my body.

I wasn't sure what was worse, my increasing body aches? My inability to open my eyes? Or the the slight but selfish contempt I had for two people I called my best friends?

My eyes, I need to open them. I can hate myself later. I did eventually tried to open my eyes, but when I did, my right one wouldn't open.

The blood on my eye started to clot and eventually scabbed up enough to keep me from forcing it open.

I did manage to get my left eye open though. What I saw was… sort of dark. My good eye and bad eye stung. Using what I knew so far, it was sand that was irritating my eye and wounds.

Somehow, I had face planted into sand. When I figured this out, I lifted my head up quickly. I had finally made it to shore.

I wasn't sure how I ended up here, or in the middle of the ocean for that matter.

I found myself on the beach of a coastal city. It was a big city, but it couldn't have been Bevelle.

I had been all over that city, and knew every landmark, but none of the knees around me looked familiar.

It didn't take me long to figure out where I was, as I noticed that it was busy with machina.

Could this be what I think this could be? Is this Jecht's Zanarkand?

This meant I was able to fulfill my promise to Jecht, but worth how I was feeling, I spat at the idea of fulfilling the promise, as I still felt contempt him and Braska leaving me behind.  Leaving me alone.

As I looked around, I noticed somehow staring at me. It was a child. He looked to be six or seven, but that was not the key thing that stood out about him. He looked like Jecht.

The only thing I could mutter out to him was, “Who… are you?”

The boy looked at me horrified before he ran screaming. “Maaaaa!”. Instinctively, I got up quickly and grabbed his wrist, but that just made him scream more.

“LET GO OF ME!”

“Wait! I think I know your father!”

At hearing this, the boy kept quiet.

“Is your name Tidus?”

The boy was about to answer, but someone came out of their home. An elder looking woman she was. She shouted at us from afar.

The whole beach was made up from boat houses, and she lived in one.

“What's going on over there!?”

We made the mistake of looking over there, it just her yell at us.

“Are you alright young boy?”

She stared at me, then decided it was fit to yell at me next. I didn't really appreciate the attention.

“You! You leave that poor little boy alone! I'll call the police!”

I had no idea what she was talking about. What was a police, or the police? I didn't stay to find out. With the little energy I had, I got up and ran.

To my surprise, the boy followed. We eventually made it somewhere where we'd be safe to talk in private.

“You're Jecht's son, are you not?”

The boy flinched at my question. I could tell that just his father's name made him sick.

“Everyone knows my stupid old man, what makes you special?”

“I knew him on a personal level. I spent three months traveling with him. We were friends. He asked me to find you and your mother.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“I'm only here to bear news off your father to you and your mother, and to help out with you as needed.”

“That doesn't answer my question.”

“Look, it's hard to explain. I just need you to trust me.”

There was silence among us. The boy did finally reply after a couple minutes. All though it was monotone, out was the answer I hoped for.

“Fine.”

I followed him as he guided me to his home. He lived in a fancy little boat house, perfect for a small family of three.

Despite it being a nice, sunny day, there seemed to be something dark and unbecoming of the bright, little house.

The sound of the child's voice snapped me out of my daze.

“I'm going to go get my mom, wait here.”

He opened the door, the inside looked unwelcoming. The boy continued into the dark pit of despair called a doorway. I had to advert my attention to something else to keep myself from running in after him, as I was terrified of what may have been lurking in abyss.

I caught the eyes of the neighbors next door. They were a young, attractive couple. Looks of terror formed on their faces, so like Tidus.

Was my condition really that revolting? As I continued to think about it, the smell of rotten flesh wafted from my body.

I looked down at my decomposing wounds to see that I was squirting blood everywhere as that people next door were watching and reacting. It had occurred to me that my condition was that bad.

My focus was interrupted with Tidus’s return. He walked over to me, but I kept my eyes glued to the dark corridor, waiting, expecting a beautiful woman to illuminate the dark vibes I was getting from interior. Besides, Jecht was supposedly the best blitzer in Zanarkand, and maybe even the world, he would have to have a wife prettier than any of the gorgeous women who flocked to him at the end of the game, or anywhere he was seen.

Finally, a wisp appeared in the doorway. What I saw left me in shock and aww. It was a woman, she would have been beautiful if it wasn't for a couple issues.

Unlike a normal person who emerges in order of a silhouette to a full human body. She starred as a wisp and came out a silhouette.

She was freakishly skinny, her skin stretched across her body like tight clothing. From a literal standpoint, she looked like flesh and bones.

You could see every curve of her skeletal system. The woman was as pale as a ghost. She looked very sickly, almost as if you even slightly touched her, she would shatter.

However, what stood out about her the most was her eyes. They were a shiny, bright, blue, yet appeared to be incredibly dull.

She had darkly outlined bags under her eyes as if she never slept. She looked like the creation made by a depressed artist who felt like spilling their feelings onto the paper.

Her eyes were glazed over like freshly cut glass. She looked like someone who would smile a lot, but not as of now. The one thing the glimmer in her eyes and her smile had in common other than being beautiful. Gone.

Disappeared with Jecht himself, kept in the pocket of his chaos torn pants, as he walked to his demise in the hands of the culprit himself, as he would turn a small family of three into a smaller family of two, leaving it in shambles.

It was very clear she herself was lying on a deathbed, created by her husband's absence and her inability to go on. Her death would be by her own weak, trembling hands. The woman in her frail state spoke.

“I'm sorry, I can't help you. We don't have any medical supplies to take care of you with.”

“That's not why I'm here ma’am.”

“Oh? My son said differently.”

We both stared at the boy. He replied to his unwanted attention.

“Hey, someone had to say it. You look like a walking corpse.”

His mother of course didn't approve of his comment.

“Tidus! That's impolite, apologize.”

He hung his head low in reaction to the unwanted reaction before he spoke again.

“... Sorry.”

“It's not a problem.”

His mother's focus shifted back towards me now.

“Why are you here then?”

My heart dropped. I wasn't  ready to make things worse, but I made a promise.

“I've come bearing unfortunate news… I'm here to inform you that your husband's death has been confirmed… I'm sorry for your

loss.”

She fell to the ground shrieking.

“I knew he was gone, but no one ever found his body! Knowing this, I believed he wasn't dead, that he'd come back to us, my sweet, sweet Jecht! That's been my only hope for months!”

I wanted to comfort her, but I wasn't sure what I could do for her. She had just lost her husband. Although I was also grieving his death, I didn't have it in me to cry.

Looking down at Jecht's wife, I could tell deep down, her heart bleed sorrow, rage, and love. Love that was clearly not reserved for her son.

He tried to go comfort his mother, but when bee did, she just about snapped his head off clean.

“Mommy, it'll be alright-”

“DON'T TOUCH ME!”

She harshly ripped her hands from her son's gentle grasp. I was stunned to see how she treated him. Tidus began to cry, but it only managed to make matters worse for him. She replied with venomous words.

“Grow up and stop crying! You're being pathetic! You HATE him! You said son yourself, so why are you crying!?”

She clearly had a short fuse. The boy cowered. He wiped his tears at his mother's command. He stayed long enough to glare at me, then stomped into the house and slammed the door behind him.

I wanted to tell her the way she was treating her son was wrong, but I couldn't risk her taking offence to what I would say and not let me see him again, so I kept quiet.

Yet again, I kept my eyes attached to the door, while recognizing the so called fruits of my labor.

They were rotten and stunk of failure. A sad and emotionally abused son and a distant mother, that's what was gained.

His mother whispered random words, they sounded of suicide. I looked to find het skin even more tightly stretched across her skull as her eyes got big.

Suddenly the air begun to fill with a bad smell, something other than rotten flesh. It was urine.

I looked below the woman to find a dark yellow puddle under her feet, and a wet spot on her jeans. You could tell she didn't drink much by the discoloration of her… nevermind, too much detail.

I was shocked at the site, and also disgusted. I've had to bear news of fallen comrades to their families numerous times in the past, but I've never gotten this kind of reaction before.

I didn't think grief pissing one's self was anything more than a tale the higher ups told the cadets to disturb them in the warrior monks, but she did so.

I find it funny that this had to happen with the wife of my goner of a best friend. I guess life decided since it was a special occasion, that the reaction had to be equally special. Simply put, a godly, almighty, “Fuck you” from the world to me.

I'm horrible with emotions, I always have been. I watched as wet comps of years ran down her face powerless.

Not too long afterwards, she had passed out. I hadn't noticed, but when I looked away earlier, Tidus had pulled up a stool and watched us from the window of the door.

It took him awhile to move the stool and come outside, but he finally did. He came at me, pushing, hitting, and screaming.

“GET AWAY FROM MOMMY!”

Hee growled at me as I restrained him. I got him inside and locked him in his room long enough to get his mother inside.

I couldn't just leave her to lay in a puddle of her own filth, so I picked her up and took her to the bathroom.

I let Tidus out, asked him if he could help me get his mother cleaned up. After enough fussing, he agreed to help.

There were many weird contraption in the bathroom, but I got her unclothed, and put her in the one that looked closer to a bath.

I wasn't surprised to see that she loomed entirely like a skeleton. However, I couldn't help but stare at her bony structure.

Of course, when Tidus came in, he took my intentions to be impure.

“Stop staring at mommies chest, you creep.”

“That wasn't what I was looking at, I swear!”

“Uh Huh… sure.”

“I promise! She's just… really skinny.”

“Mommy doesn't eat like she used to. She doesn't really eat at all. The doctor told her she needed to start eating more, or she would get sicker, but she never listened. I try to get her to eat, but she won't eat for me!”

He sounds like a mother himself, complaining about trying to get the children to eat right. He stared at me quietly as if he was waiting for something. I wasn't sure what he wanted from me.

“Aren't you going to turn the water on?” He said snarkily.

I wasn't sure how this thing worked, I turned the left knob hesitantly. His mother began to shiver uncontrollably. The boy put his hand in the water.

“It's cold genius! No wonder she's freezing!”

I turn the left knob back to its starting point, turning the water off, then I turn the right knob. I saw steam coming up, so I automatically thought a win for me, but then she flinched in discomfort.

He sticks his hand in a second time, but pulls back immediately.

“Ow!”

He looked up at me and scowled.

“Are you trying to cook her?! You're hurting Mommy!”

“I'm really sorry!”

“No! Just get out!”

I fulfill his wishes and go out to look around for a fresh towel and a set of clothing. It doesn't take Tidus long to call me back in there. He has me watch over her long enough to go grab some things. Tidus comes back with some rubbing alcohol, duct tape and some napkins.

“Stay still!”

“Why?”

“Well, I have to patch you up! I can't just have you bleeding everywhere! You're cleaning the blood up by the way, especially on the carpet, if you don't, mom will be maaaad!”

“That's noted, but are you sure using duct tape and napkins is a good idea?”

“Are you being ungrateful?”

I kept quiet. Duct tape and napkins were at least something. That and probably a better alternative than the local hospitals. Them trying to get my medical records would have been one giant headache all together.

I watch him and cringe at the sting of him stumping a lot of rubbing alcohol on my wounds. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from cursing up a storm. Seriously? Did this kid have no restraint? No idea how painful rubbing alcohol is?

He eventually moved on to putting the fanfic napkins on me and tapping the wounds up.

“You're very lucky mom was talking about throwing these out, or else I would have used paper napkins... But still, keep those hidden just in case.”

“Duly noted.”

He finally did finish, and to my surprise, his method wasn't all that shabby. The bleeding stopped, and the wounds were cleaned. My only issue is that he taped my bread entirely to keep the napkin concealed, this is going to hurt to pull off later.

I continued looking around for what I needed. I didn't take me long, I found her clothes in her dresser, I avoided the panty and bra drawer entirely, I already had taken her out of her clothes and had to put her back in them, I wasn't about to be the guy to look through her potentially sexually arousing undergarments.

I was making my way down the hall to the bathroom when Tidus comes running my direction. I knew something had to be wrong.

“Quick! Help me! Mommies head went under the water and I can't get het up!”

I run into the bathroom quickly and pull her up from the water. If I'd waited any longer, she would have drown. I sit her up long enough to put the towel and clothes down, then hold onto her and kept her head above the water long enough for Tidus to finish cleaning her up.

Afterwards, Tidus grabbed her forty clothes and stuck them in one of the two matching machina. I would later find out that they were a clothe washer and dryer.

I drained the automatic bath and took my time drying her off properly, then put her clothes back on her and carried her to her bed, then I tucked her in.

By the end of this, I stunk of not only rancid flesh and body odor, but a touch of urine. I considered using the bath, but it wasn't my place to do so without permission, so I just left it alone.

Tidus and I sat on the deck quietly. It was an hour before he went in to check on his mother. I could tell he was worried.

When he came back out, we spoke briefly, but the awkwardness turned to silence after the following conversation.

“Is your mother alright?”

“Why do you care?”

His words were cold and untrustworthy. What I said next probably didn't help matters any.

“I wouldn't know what to do if she dies.”

“Don't say she's going to die!”

After a while, we went back inside. There, he spoke to me for a second time. I wasn't off the hook just yet. I was to be thoroughly investigated by a seven-year old. First a doctor, next a detective. This kid has quite the future ahead of him.

“Why were you sent here by my father?”

“I was sent here to bear news off your father's passing, also to help out with you if necessary, in other words, your father's will.”

“... How did he die?”

“He died a hero's death-”

“Don't call my father a hero! He's not!”

There was a pause of silence between us. A few seconds later, I heard shuffling coming down the hallway. I watched as the thin lining of his mother appeared from within the shadows. Instantly, I got up, my first instinct being to guide her back to her room.

When we got back to her room, she said she wanted to talk to me in private, so I shut the door. That was a big mistake.

- To be continued.

[punkscowardschampions]

Ava & James

Ava: So, campus bars Ava: Avoid entirely or cheap enough to make the cringe worth it? 🤔🤔 James: use your student loans wisely enough that cheap is avoided entirely Ava: Ugh 😏 I thought you'd give real advice if I got you off the clock James: go with your gut, option 1 James: you're not striking me as someone to base their social life around KCLSU's quiz night Ava: I love trivia like I love cheap white wine spritzers and school spirit James: knew you'd fit right in Ava: Can I put that resounding endorsement on my application then, James? James: it'll carry more weight if you accidentally add the I when you write my name James: but I didn't say that James: slip of the pen, that's all Ava: My lips are sealed Ava: There's plenty of time to meet him and double up on kudos James: I hear the girl's hazing rituals are savage James: stand you in good stead that will Ava: No one is scarier than a high school girl Ava: Nor as petty and sadistic Ava: I think I'll survive James: they've toned it down since that girl had a mental episode post head shave James: sure you will Ava: Very chic Ava: Do you wait 'til the UCAS app has gone through to drop the horror stories usually or are you really bad at this whole recruitment thing on purpose? James: it's my 1st time playing tour guide James: potentially I'm less than cut out for it Ava: I won't lodge a formal complaint Ava: Unless you're turning over DMs as feedback, in which case, awkward James: I won't be, some girls think I have more sway than I really do James: awkward indeed Ava: God Ava: Not even my first choice Ava: Though makes you wonder how effective attaching nudes to your cover letter would be James: they'd have to take that on a case by case basis Ava: 🤞 that you don't get the one token woman on the panel James: not your 1st choice, no need to cross anything Ava: Hypothetically, James II Ava: Why was it yours, then? Ava: Student life evidently not being it James: it was my only James: it's gonna end up being Teddy's too Ava: He hasn't turned up to business studies in time Ava: But slip of the pen, I get you James: my older sister got all the brains and none of the sense of fun Ava: Know the sort Ava: Bet I still likes you better though James: I wouldn't go that far Ava: Too far for a taster sesh Ava: Understood Ava: Don't suppose you'll point me in the direction of where you actually hang now then? James: I suppose I could Ava: Please Ava: Bored is an understatement Ava: I'll still show up all present and correct for the debrief thing tomorrow James: it's such a good thing here isn't your 1st choice Ava: You should give me the real tour Ava: I'll keep my lips sealed James: can't I get another please before you do? Ava: Please do not invite your brother Ava: He got us kicked out of Mahiki last month it was so tragic James: he's a disgrace Ava: Most of them are James: I don't associate with anyone who still goes to Mahiki regularly Ava: It's pretty played out James: if they'll let Teddy in they're getting desperate Ava: 😂 awh James: you ready now? Ava: Already out Ava: Figured you better pick me up from The Vault Ava: Consider it a mini hazing of my own James: keep your lips sealed that I'm going within 100 yards of the place and sure Ava: Don't worry Ava: The others are at the cinema or something equally as lame the school put on for our 'overnight entertainment' Ava: I'm sick Ava: No selfies James: the hangover'll make it look & feel convincing Ava: That's a promise you can put your wallet behind Ava: I am a guest James: you don't want put your fake ID on the line either Ava: Bold of you to assume I've ever needed to buy my own drinks 😏 Ava: I didn't bring it alright, shut up James: you don't need it, I'm only playing Ava: 😾 James: how many drinks has my brother bought you? Of course I need to 1 up him Ava: Total? Ava: Not as much as he'd like but lots Ava: Not trying to milk this sibling rivalry or anything, have known him ages Ava: Well before Mahiki would let him in, like James: hardly a rivalry, you know him well enough to realise Ava: True Ava: You do what feels right and I'll let you know by the end of the night then James: very straightforward James: I like it Ava: You don't know me well enough yet but that's par for the course James: I knew your brother for years & I didn't know him James: we'd need more than an evening Ava: I'm as comparable to my brother as you are to yours Ava: Probably James: show me, I'll show you Ava: Deal Ava: But we will need more than an evening Ava: to make it fair James: you can have until you're bored Ava: You'll want longer when you aren't anymore James: I'm used to things not lasting as long as I want Ava: I'm not your average Ava: You'll see James: bold of you to assume I've ever settled for average Ava: I didn't say THE average James: I heard you say my average Ava: No need to be offended by better, is there? James: bemused at most Ava: You're welcome Ava: but you are meant to be entertaining me, not the other way 'round James: you brought up fairness James: & it's a good point Ava: How do you propose we make it fair then? James: I entertain you tonight, you entertain me whenever you've thought of your own tour worth taking me on Ava: That's actually a good idea Ava: and entirely fair James: Teddy'll cost my dad more to secure his place than I did, I've got some brains on board Ava: No doubt Ava: Gave his name to the right kid, clearly James: My sister was undoubtedly relieved James: though Diana has its own pitfalls Ava: 😬 The jokes write themselves James: they do Ava: Perks of having a relatively untouched name James: it does suit her, she's very much a martyr Ava: Did you do an English degree? Ava: You're good at painting a picture with words Ava: See 👸 so clearly James: sadly not James: maybe I'll go back & do it if I ever finish the current one Ava: Student forever vibes Ava: Fuck real life James: then again, being the kind of dad who drops their kid off for classes & pulls up his own chair at the table doesn't sound like a great idea Ava: Just make sure its not their first choice, yeah? James: oldest's already smarter than me James: won't be a problem Ava: There you go then James: where's yours? Ava: Currently undecided Ava: It's more a case of sorting the 2-5 James: & how's that going? James: this place being a solid 5th Ava: Its been a solid mix of fun and boring working it out Ava: Better than another night in Mahiki at any rate Ava: I'll have to decide eventually but even my mum can't demand I do quite yet James: don't over complicate it James: they're not all that different James: I've got friends studying all over the map and they're still basically doing the same things I am Ava: See, that's what I figured Ava: But try telling that to a woman who was Cambridge or bust Ava: It's more about the vibe of the place, the people, the ethos and the lecturers not being the worst stereotypes of boring/creep Ava: again, if I tell her vibe is on my criteria she'd actually kill me before I could apply anywhere so 🤷 James: your secret's safe with me James: even if our mothers were friends, mine is currently not speaking to me Ava: How's that? James: it's something I'm fairly used to James: she's not a big talker James: more of a fan of a dismissive hand gesture Ava: Gotcha Ava: Not a whole lot to miss James: she's got lots to say about my parenting style but who hasn't Ava: Shame you don't talk to my brother now James: I don't suppose he sees it as a shame Ava: Probably not Ava: He's not one for regrets James: me either James: it's why we started out friends Ava: Feels like ages ago Ava: Since he still lived here James: it kind of is James: he left before he left Ava: It's complicated James: it's not my business Ava: Not mine either so Ava: Whatever James: car's here James: are you going to make me get out for you? Ava: You're meant to come in here Ava: Don't you trust I can keep my lips sealed? James: I don't trust it to be entertaining in there James: hence it's not part of the tour Ava: Please James: Oh Ava James: [but does come in we all know he would] Ava: [clearly making him stay for a drink and play pool or something in this student ass bar] James: [when you're whipped for someone you're not even dating lol] Ava: [When Chloe is your missus] James: [to be a fly on the wall in their relationship tbh literally imagine] Ava: [oh lordy how you have not been missed girl] James: [at least the new kid is young enough she can dress it up still and it can't talk back so she can pretend she gives a shit and isn't blowing his phone up rn] Ava: [in full show-off-to-all-my-friends mode still, somehow still has some lol] James: [lord when you don't even like and comment on pics of your own child anymore though bye do not approve of your aesthetic choices Chlo] Ava: [so awkward, when you only get a look in for the boring/hard bits] James: [basically just get to parent Jay cos she's well over that] Ava: [poor James tbh] James: [have your fun now lad I don't blame you even though everyone else will] Ava: [lord people gonna be SO mad] James: [how far we gonna take this during the tour cos obvs flirty vibes been flying about but like he can't just jump her cos married and she's younger] Ava: [she fully initiated this whole thing lbr but maybe don't sleep with him yet babe as you are aware he's married and has kids so like, some thought even though you young and reckless that, he could always stop it at a makeout 'cos then how embarrassing for her and she'd have to leave it for a bit like what was I doing, angst etc] James: [I vibe with that cos they are gonna be drinking a lot as the night goes on so that'd make both of them give less of a shit about the consequences but because the night is going on eventually chlo is gonna be like are you coming home ever because I like to think he hasn't cheated since she got pregnant with this kid and has actually been trying even though he's miserable af clearly] James: [like maybe it was really bad before and he was actually gonna leave her so she was like simply must trap him and did] Ava: [v much a her move I support it] James: [yeah cos she's invested this much time into him she's not just gonna let him go easily] Ava: [when you have no idea what you've signed yourself up for here babe] James: [I'm rooting for them rn cos nobody else is and I'm 100% that bitch, must not get invested yet when we've only just begun] Ava: [same tho so whoops] James: [he'd be so into it though too we all know that makeout would be 💣🔥] Ava: [hence breaking it off would be hard af, Chloe gotta be blowing his shit up to the degree he thinks maybe one of the kids is hurt lol] James: [literally Chloe is the teenage girl in this situation, girl chill out] Ava: [I'd feel bad if you hadn't also cheated loads and trapped him in this sham life soooo, grant you idk how much Ava knows of that rn but she'd clearly have a rep] James: [yeah I feel like Ava would be knowing some shit cos same circles and Chlo ain't slick plus like he's gonna eventually tell her cos god knows he needs someone to talk to] Ava: [we will get there boy] James: [at least it'll be less awks for her cos it'll be obvious that he didn't wanna break shit off and how hard it was to do] Ava: [there was obvs a vibe to pursue in the first place, still tomorrow morning lmao] James: [he'd so go too hard pretending she doesn't exist like nobody's picked up on the vibe and it ain't obvious okay boy] Ava: [I hope there's some other drama gone down on this little excursion so yous can fly under the radar, someone hold hands at the cinema lol] James: [shit like that always happens don't worry you two] Ava: [thank God for teenage shenanigans when you out here homewrecking on the low] James: [you should do some Chlo texts at me for the lols even if I don't reply cos busy lol]

[punkscowardschampions]

Nancy & Rio

Nancy: Hey Nancy: Do you want me to come down and stay with you, it can't be much fun just having Buster for company, like Rio: That's okay, I can't have you playing truant too Rio: I'm going to make him go back before long, swear Nancy: Ri, please. You know what school is like for me, any excuse, I swear Rio: Your 'rents would have me like forreal Rio: I know how shit it is, even more now, soz Nancy: Do you hear them shouting down the phone to him? No 'cause they aren't Nancy: Not to be that bitch, 'cause it's so not funny, but you have kind of taken the heat off me so Nancy: I owe you Rio: Priorities, like, though I dread to think what happens when your Mum gets to me on her list Rio: Reckon I can claim that as any kind of excuse/reasoning or? Nancy: Don't worry nobody exists to her right now but my Auntie Nancy: Which is a sentence I never thought I'd say Rio: I know, but that's good, I mean Rio: as good as anything can be Rio: You know I never meant to do this to her, right Nance? Nancy: Of course Nancy: I think I understand better than most, right? Rio: What do you mean, like? Nancy: You and him Nancy: You didn't mean to, like I didn't, but it happened 'cause it had to, you know? Nancy: You can't help how you feel, even if you want to Nancy: Especially when you want to, like Rio: Oh, no no Rio: It really isn't like that Rio: like, I hear what you're saying on all that but that's not what that was Nancy: You and him aren't Nancy: I don't know how to word it now Nancy: But he looks at you like Nancy: And you're always tilting your phone away for someone Rio: Not him Rio: I wouldn't lie, I'm not saving myself from anything at this point, if that was going on I'd tell you Rio: He wanted it to and, yeah, I knew that before this baby shower but I didn't lead him on or encourage him Nancy: Okay, well now I feel weird Nancy: Fuck, I'm sorry Nancy: I really projected there Rio: It's okay Rio: It'll be the general consensus and almost certainly how he'll frame it but no Nancy: It's not okay Nancy: He did that and I've been talking to you this way Nancy: Wow Rio: I mean, I don't think I did Rio: I thought he was good looking, sure and I tried harder with him than most of us did but Rio: I didn't actually want anything to happen, nor think it would Nancy: I'm as bad as him so there's nothing I can say Nancy: But I still think you'd know if you did or didn't Nancy: And if you didn't want anything to happen, the signals are there, even if you are that committed to only seeing what you wanna see Nancy: He can ignore them but like, you still gave them out Rio: Don't say that, you aren't like him at all Rio: You'd never do or say half the things he did Rio: especially when he had so much reason to know I wasn't interested, you're right Nancy: I mean, I did kiss someone who didn't want me to Rio: It is different, just by nature of what it is, was Rio: Should you have done it? 'Course not but there was never reason or chance for Sian to give out the clear no I did Rio: Because, well, you know Nancy: Yeah Nancy: If I thought for a second that she didn't want me to, I wouldn't Nancy: He clearly didn't have the same qualms about it Nancy: That's so disgusting Nancy: On levels that I can't even Rio: I know she won't be ready to hear it Rio: probably not ever from me Rio: but Ro is better off without him Rio: he's still dealing, which I think we all knew Rio: and I've seen him out, he isn't her Prince Charming, like Nancy: Me and mum have been saying it for as long as they've been together Nancy: As much as she'll talk about any of it to me Nancy: I've overheard more than she's probably ever said but Nancy: I feel like I can't tell her either 'cause it's like oh the man hating lesbian at it again Nancy: But he's just Rio: He really is Rio: and he isn't a good Dad Rio: maybe he'll be better for this one but, he isn't to Edie and Indie barely thinks of him that way either so Nancy: Poor Astrid Nancy: Maybe we can move Ro in with us now? I don't know Nancy: Like it's at a point that I'd move into Indie's room at hers if she'd let me Rio: I'm glad she's got you all around, she's going to need the help Rio: My Ma and all of them will be there too Nancy: Let's be honest, she would of even if he hadn't done this Nancy: Oh my god Nancy: I'm never having kids ever Rio: Yeah Rio: I was joking that that shower was effective contraception before but now Rio: fucking hell Nancy: It's made me not wanna have sex again and I can't even get pregnant so Nancy: Good lord Rio: Think that's the first time I've legitimately laughed since Rio: Oh babe Nancy: Rio? Rio: Yeah? Nancy: Where are you gonna be? 'Cause you said your family will all be there but Rio: I don't know, honestly Rio: but my job at the angel is coming to an end and then with all this Rio: I might try somewhere else, just for a bit Nancy: It worked for me Nancy: I'll miss you though Rio: I'll miss you too Rio: You're gonna be going soon too though, yeah? And June and Buster Rio: I don't want to be the only one left behind just 'cos I don't have the brains, like Nancy: We'd never leave you behind Nancy: You can go in my place if you want, change the major to maths or something Nancy: I don't want to Rio: You've got to Rio: You're just scared, but it'll be incredible, and the right thing for you, most importantly Nancy: I'm really, properly scared whenever I think about it Nancy: What if it's worse than here 'cause I'm alone on top of everything else Nancy: I can't just change schools like I did before Rio: You can, like, that first year Rio: but you're not going to want to, it'll be nothing like School Nancy: Everything's changing so much, like you said Nancy: I'll even miss Buster, and what the fuck is that, like? Rio: He'll be wanting to visit all the time Rio: Me too, like Nancy: I need to see where I can get accepted first, slow down you two Rio: You so will though Rio: World's your oyster Nancy: Yours too Nancy: And we still have Milan, yeah? Rio: Romantic 😉 Rio: but yeah, I've not drank away my funds or anything drastic yet Nancy: I was gonna say I love you, but I'll keep it to myself now, fine 😏 Rio: New drama alert Rio: they'll not survive Nancy: Don't Nancy: I can't handle any more Nancy: It hurts so much, doesn't it? Rio: It does Rio: got to believe that was rock bottom though Rio: can't get any worse, only way is up, all that shite Nancy: God, I hope so Nancy: Give us a break Rio: Backatcha Rio: No more scandals from either of us, right? Nancy: It's my brother's fucking turn Nancy: While I'm on the subject, can I ask you something? Rio: Sure Nancy: Why pick him for a getaway driver? Of all of us Nancy: I know what he said but Nancy: I'm not saying it's the weirdest part of this, but I'm also not saying it isn't Rio: Gays can't drive, right? Nancy: I'm a walking stereotype, alright, emphasis on the walking Rio: 😂 Rio: Exactly Nancy: Tell him not to spend every euro on himself, yeah? Nancy: Nobody needs to eat out every night in a new look Rio: I did drag him to Skerries, no doubt the response but I'll let him know Nancy: He loves it don't let him deny it Nancy: Even if he did nearly drown 🙄 Rio: Another touchy subject Nancy: When his ego is involved, if you aren't stroking it you're asking for trouble Nancy: Boys ugh Rio: Don't need to tell me, babe Nancy: I won't bother telling you that girls are far superior Nancy: What do I know? Rio: Is it? 😏 Nancy: Can you please come back soon so I don't have to drink alone Nancy: I need my wingwoman back Rio: 'Course Rio: London is on my list of maybes so might even meet you there, like Nancy: Yeah? Nancy: If you run into Chlo, you know what to do Rio: Absolutely Rio: Doubt I'm affording her postcode but I'll drop by with the 👊 Nancy: You doesn't even have that much money, she just acts like it Rio: If I can take any life lessons from the bitch, like Nancy: As long as you stop there and don't take fashion tips too Nancy: I still have to be seen with you in Milan, like Rio: 😂 Where's the lie Rio: she was stalking me a while back, bizarrely so I was petty and did some myself and yikes Nancy: I try not to be that bitch but I HATE her so much Nancy: Oh? How and why? Rio: Understandable Rio: I reckon she keeps tabs on us all, she's like weirdly obsessed with you and your Brother Rio: idk, she double-tapped by mistake, amusing Nancy: Gross Nancy: But I was the one who fancied her, okay babe sure Nancy: I bet she tries to look up all of Buster's conquests still, good luck with that Nancy: I'm invested and even I gave up years ago Rio: Honestly Rio: ain't in a mood to be talking about ladies who doth protest too much but well Rio: look what you made me do Chloe Nancy: Her and Drew should start a club and get jackets Rio: She'd love that Rio: get rid of 'em both in one, bit hopeful perhaps but worth a shot Nancy: I try never to feel any sympathy for my brother ever, but she really drove me there Rio: It was fucked Nancy: It's messed his head up Nancy: I can see how sad he is Rio: I know Rio: but he'll be alright Rio: we all will Nancy: Yeah Rio: I promise Rio: hit me with a more enthusiastic yeah thanks Nancy: yeah!! Nancy: I miss you already Rio: You're cute Nancy: Try and control yourself though Nancy: No drama, remember? Rio: 😂 Rio: It ain't gotta be drama baby Nancy: Are you gonna divorce yourself from our bloodline so we aren't cousins? Nancy: Quite drastic but I like it Rio: That's just the kind of dedication you can expect from me Rio: What can I say? Nancy: No other girl has ever gone that hard for me Nancy: So thanks Rio: Should hope not Rio: 👀 up the sibs now Nancy: 😂 Nancy: On the dedication scale in general, babe Rio: Whatever you say, McKenna Nancy: What I should say is that I have so much homework to do Nancy: Which I gotta since you won't let me skip 😒 Rio: Unlucky babe Nancy: As you're also insisting I'm uni bound I better stop complaining and just do it Nancy: So high maintenance you are 😏 Rio: Obviously Rio: always about that sugar Nancy: Don't be a stranger, like Nancy: And don't start preferring the other twin, yeah?

[punkscowardschampions]

Rio & Buster

Rio: [Airport selfie] Rio: That's the 2nd time I've dealt with your 'rents now, you so owe me Buster: How do you look that good right now Buster: I reckon you owe me for that glow, babe Buster: But yeah...name your terms Rio: 😊 Rio: Still worth it, even if we didn't get to finish properly 😒 Rio: I'll think on it, nothing that inspiring in duty free, like Buster: I should've pulled a sickie and come with you Buster: They can't be in both houses at once, like Rio: That'd be some intense hellicopter parenting that I don't think they're about Rio: Nance does not make the most of the freedom she has, like Buster: I'd rather they buy me a helicopter Buster: She might now that she has a girlfriend, I don't know and don't wanna Buster: If she could hang we'd be able to co-ordinate the parties 😒 Rio: Keep dreaming big, babe 😂 Rio: Ew, fair point Rio: sure she still spends most of her time at nan and grandads Rio: effort to feed yourself and be all alone in that big gaff Buster: It ain't Buster: She's got skills and a phone if she's too lazy to use 'em Buster: Such a waste Rio: Yeah but you know Rio: company's company Rio: but now she's got her gf maybe she'll change her mind, like you said Rio: gotta remember her name Buster: Grandad's a top bloke but come on 😂 Buster: Whatever Buster: Enough about my sister Rio: Rude Rio: What do you wanna talk about then? Buster: You Rio: My favourite subject, 'course 😏 Buster: When can you come back? Rio: Gotta get the rota then I'll let you know Rio: Can you make sure your parents are like, really fucking busy tho Rio: can't deal with an interruption again Buster: They were meant to be this weekend, but yeah, honestly if another meeting gets cancelled I'll make sure they don't get the memo Buster: I need you all to myself Buster: All weekend Rio: Forreal 😂 Rio: Sabotage that schedule Rio: don't they know we need every second we can grab, like Rio: not got time for a cuppa and a catch up, please Buster: I'll change the locks if I have to Buster: I miss you Rio: I miss you Rio: What a cockblock of a weekend, like old times Buster: Yeah Buster: I don't miss that Rio: Only so long before exciting turns into frustrating, facts Buster: I'm not a doctor, like but I reckon there's only so long before you risk getting carpal tunnel Rio: 😂 Rio: Still time if you fancy it Rio: so knowledgable Buster: At least I can say it's all those essays I've done Buster: Not a decent excuse when you're blind with hairy palms Rio: You're so silly Buster: Tell it to the lads so they'll find somewhere else to hang Buster: I'm about to start wearing a purity ring so they stop throwing girls at me Rio: Reformed character, like Buster: I mean, I'm still 😈 just it's all for you Rio: Shame you can't hit 'em with that Rio: bigger laugh than the 💍 Buster: Don't Rio: Obviously not Rio: They aren't that bright, won't they buy a fucking Canadian girlfriend or whatever? Buster: Can't we just be real everyone Buster: with* Buster: Would it really be so fucking bad if they all knew? Rio: You're ready to find out? Buster: It's not like we're committing a crime Rio: Yeah but Rio: people are still going to think it's weird Rio: at best Buster: I don't care what anyone thinks Rio: Alright Rio: then tell all your friends rn Rio: you gotta live with it, like Buster: So what, you're daring me now? Buster: This isn't a game, Rio Buster: Even if you're playing one Rio: I ain't, I'm trying to show you what a bad idea it is Buster: Are you in this or not? Buster: 'Cause it sounds like you're playing for time like you don't reckon we can keep this up Rio: Of course I am, wouldn't have done it if I weren't Rio: but we can't just out it, like Rio: if you think it's hassle now, that'll be more, surely Buster: Why would it? We wouldn't have to sneak around anymore if everyone knows Rio: We would if the fam nopes on it that hard Rio: they might Buster: They could try Buster: Nobody can tell us what to do Rio: Babe, we'd still only be able to see each other at weekends, my odd weekdays off Rio: that's the main problem, still Buster: I know, alright Buster: I know Rio: that don't mean we can't make it work Buster: Until some other lad comes along who you can see when you want Buster: And isn't your fucking cousin, like Rio: You really reckon? Buster: Like you said, this is hassle, yeah? Rio: Fuck off Rio: Don't twist my words Buster: I'm asking, genuinely Buster: Do you still wanna do this or not? Rio: 'Course I fucking do Rio: I love you Rio: what you saying, you're over it? Buster: No Buster: I couldn't ever be over you Rio: Then don't be chatting that shit Buster: I'm just saying Buster: School's only just started basically Rio: I'd rather this than stop Rio: no, I can't stop Rio: right? that ain't changed Buster: Not for me Buster: I want you more if anything Buster: That's the fucking problem Rio: I know Rio: we just gotta do what we gotta do still Rio: there ain't an alternative that's just how it is Buster: Before you ever touched me I could handle just looking at you, I reckoned, for as long as, and then when you did I was like I've got this out of my system now, yeah? And any time I got to be with you after was a bonus Buster: But now Rio: Yeah Rio: Pretty much the plan Rio: but that ain't how it is, it ain't going away Rio: wanting you, needing you Buster: Yeah Buster: I love you so much Rio: Oh, Buster Rio: I love you too Buster: Hold onto it, okay? Rio: Promise Buster: Good Rio: it's shit now but it's gonna be so good you can't even imagine, okay? Buster: I know Buster: I've got plans, babe Buster: Just give me time Rio: I am Buster: You've got yours too Buster: So if we both stay busy Rio: Only way is up Rio: Serious, I wouldn't be steaking anything on you if I didn't think you were worth it, we was Rio: that ain't me, I don't do that Buster: Likewise Buster: I've broken enough of my rules for you to get that you're different Rio: Duh Rio: taking the bit slightly too far at this point otherwise Buster: So get on the plane and do what you gotta do, babe Buster: Including sending me that rota when you have it Rio: 👍 Rio: That's more like the daddy I know and love 😘 Buster: 👑 Rio: You know it Buster: We both do Rio: You're the best Rio: I ain't letting someone else have you Buster: Well good 'cause no other cunt is gonna take you from me either Rio: Nope Rio: All yours Buster: Say it again Rio: I'm yours Buster: Baby Rio: Mm? Buster: I just wanted to call you baby Rio: 😋 Carry on Rio: that's my favourite Buster: You're my favourite Buster: I'm so glad you're mine Rio: I still can't believe it, I swear Rio: ridiculous Buster: I know Buster: It's a headfuck Rio: Good one though Buster: 'Course Rio: Right answer boy 😉 Buster: Not just a pretty face, like Buster: I get A's 'cause I've got the answers Rio: Sure 🤓 Buster: I know exactly what you wanna hear, baby Rio: 😩 Rio: Then tell me Buster: Let me show you something first Buster: [Sends pics] Rio: Fuck Rio: You know I wanna turn around already and then you hit me with that Buster: I just want you to see what's waiting for you Buster: Come back now Rio: How does it feel to be so hot that you got me wanting to move my whole life out to be near you, like Rio: I can't handle it, ugh Buster: You can ask yourself that question any time, babe Buster: But first retrace your steps Buster: I'll buy you a new flight Rio: You really let me get to Heathrow before asking? Rio: Boy Buster: I was trying to behave Buster: Let you do your thing Rio: Still 😈 for me, remember? Buster: Yeah Rio: How bad do you want me back? Buster: It ain't want Buster: I need you back so bad Rio: Fuck it Rio: Give you a chance to finish what you started forreal Rio: not just leave me here turned on Buster: I'll come pick you up Rio: Okay Rio: Hurry, like Buster: Don't worry I'm getting a cab so you can have my full attention Rio: 😻 Rio: Good Rio: don't need to cause an accident, like Buster: If the driver can't keep his eyes on the road it ain't my fault Rio: You don't know Rio: might like you, babe Buster: If he could be looking at you and he's gone for me he shouldn't be driving Buster: Needs his eyes checked obviously Rio: You're such a charmer Rio: but actually, no sarcasm Buster: You're so beautiful Buster: Actually Rio: Stop Rio: Gonna get emotional Buster: You should hear it more Rio: It's not the word that comes to mind for most Buster: Forget them then Buster: Their loss, babe Buster: 'Cause you are Rio: I don't care Buster: I care so much Buster: About you Rio: I'm not going to question it 'cos I'm so glad you do Rio: and me too Buster: The cab's moving for once so I shouldn't be long Rio: 🙌 Buster: Entertain yourself as best you can, like Rio: Dirty boy Buster: 😏 Rio: You got me like that but departures lounge don't need to know it Buster: True you don't need a ban Buster: At least not from the closest one Rio: you reckon they'd put me on the no fly list? bit harsh Rio: not even a protest never mind act of terrorism Buster: 😂 Rio: best come bail me out Rio: your fault, only fair Buster: And no fun if they don't get the cuffs out, yeah? Rio: 'course 😻 Rio: but airport police have guns and that's a step too far in kinkiness for me, ngl Buster: Noted Buster: This ain't an episode of the Sopranos Rio: That's a whole mood aesthetically but I don't need to end up whacked, tah Buster: No argument from me Rio: 😂 Encouraging! Buster: What are you gonna do for real then? Rio: Hmm Rio: Any suggestions? Buster: Eat something Buster: You're gonna need all your energy Rio: Good idea Rio: plus you've done your gentlemanly thing for the day, no need to buy me dinner too Buster: Probably check out the duty free for real, can't be a total disappointment Buster: Babe you know I'll feed you whenever and whatever you want. Not a kink just love Rio: Yeah, always good for living lavish at half the price Rio: though imma need a wardrobe like yours if I'm hitting up the designers every week like 😏 Rio: I know, you daddy Buster: I'll set you one up in the one Nance ain't using Rio: Coming home to all my trashion Rio: gonna be so appalled 😂 Buster: Be hilarious to explain to her Buster: Rio's moving into your room, like Rio: No particular reason, you can keep your bed tho gurl Rio: wait, what Buster: Yeah like, she's also moving into mine Buster: Don't ask Rio: 😋 Rio: If she's anything like you, she wouldn't lmao Buster: We ain't alike, unlucky babe Rio: Umm Rio: 👌 Buster: Fuck off Rio: Babe 😂 Buster: Behave Rio: Not before I have to Buster: 😈 Buster: I'm not that far away so enjoy your jokes while you can Rio: I will Rio: almost as much as I'll enjoy my punishment, like Buster: Put it this way, it won't be the jokes you remember later Buster: The punishment you'll still feel Buster: 😏 Rio: 😩 Rio: Please Buster: Maybe when I can hear you properly I'll listen Rio: Ugh Rio: unfair Rio: at least tell me the traffic gods are still being kind Buster: They are Buster: I'll be with you soon Rio: Good Rio: Looks like I'm outta time to work on my best apology Rio: What a shame 😏 Buster: I can feel how sorry you are from here Buster: But feel free to still tell me if you think it's worth hearing Rio: And I'M all about manners, sure 😉 Buster: I've been spending to much time with you, obviously Buster: Take the blame, Cavante Rio: You wanna cancel next week, like? Rio: Forget the rota, nbd Buster: You might need the break once I've finally fucked you senseless without any interruptions Buster: But no Buster: I'll be ready for you then too Rio: I'll let you know afterwards Rio: Don't think you're getting rid of me that easy though, especially not if you do it like you say Buster: Don't you know by now that 1. I don't wanna be rid of you and 2. if anything it'll be even better than I say Buster: Modest to a fault as I am, like Rio: 'Course baby Rio: first thing that comes to mind, like Buster: Better not be the very first thing Rio: Okay Rio: first thing I can say out loud to anyone Buster: That's more like it Rio: Nearly got in the wrong cab Rio: Eager 😂 Buster: I'd have to go full movie moment and race after you until the chase down Rio: Got car chases and fight scenes on the brain Rio: Everyone knows the best bit of any Bond is the girl and the sex scene Buster: Believe me, that's not what I'm thinking about right now Buster: Happily in the majority agreeing about the sex scene Rio: I know Rio: wouldn't take the backseat of a cab over the driver's of your own if it was Buster: Get in Buster: The right car this time, like Rio: 😒 Hush Rio: Do my best Buster: I'll get out and pull you in Buster: Swear to god Rio: 😏 When he's willing to risk abduction charges for you Buster: Shhh Buster: You know I'd risk it all, babe Rio: Getting in before you can get any better, like Buster: Got the best already Rio: 😳