#and now they're sending me into what sounds like The Labyrinth...

[wuxian-vs-wangji]

The directions to our second studio are hilariously close to "You'll come across a troll bridge, answer the riddles three"

**I haven't been to our second studio yet, it's in an entirely different campus from the main one I work at.

I have a production meeting there today.

These are actual directions from the OFFICIAL communication line:

"Enter at gate ##, you will see a parking lot on your left, go to the third parking lot on your RIGHT and then turn north."

"Enter the building through the third turnstile from the left and walk straight until there is an eastward curve- walk through the western door and on the fourth cross hall is a green poster, turn south and when you cannot walk straight any further, there will be an elevator bank through the doors on the NE wall."

... ... ... My only prayer of even finding this studio is to stumble across the producer on my way in.

The thing is, in most companies studios are under the IT and Tech Services umbrella, so the halls leading to studios are absolute mazes in the IT sections, which are often reached through things that look like maintenance corridors.

Leaving early to buy a damn compass to follow these directions with... When did just saying "Left" and "Right" go out of vogue???

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 6: I GET A SNEAK PEEK AT MY DEATH

Alex gasped dramatically when Nico read the new title. "Spoilers!"

"Spoiler alert," Percy waved at himself, "I'm not dead?" He couldn't help but phrase it as a question though, he still wasn't convinced now more than ever with Annabeth finally beside him feeling more real and more dreamlike than any of his adventures on the surface.

"Shh," Alex waved his hand about at Percy impatiently, "I'm talking about details man, the important stuff!"

If you want to be popular, don't come back from a mission with bad news.

"Finally, the secret to your success," Nico smirked.

"Don't go spreading that around," Percy said with a forced smile. "I might have to use that trick next time I want to sneak away."

"Some of us don't even need to lie about it," Annabeth muttered. She'd escape all the time to find a nice place in the forest to nest and be alone when she needed to collect her thoughts. She'd mapped out the place to perfection these past days with Percy gone and probably slain more monsters on record, though she doubted Clarisse would ever admit to it.

... demigods or gods or really, really lost pizza delivery guys. (It's happened, long story.)

Alex spluttered in distress he might have this story passed over.

"Okay, okay," Percy chuckled, more than happy to pass this camp wisdom along. "You know, looking back, she might have stumbled out of the Labyrinth."

"She just, appeared from the forest with three boxes," Annabeth nodded. "We probably owe Tyson an apology for that, I was convinced you had put him up to this getting her inside."

"I don't think Tysons's ever even used a phone, though I bet he'd love to try," Percy chuckled.

"But it happened, like, three times in a month," Will reminded, "that's a pattern, no way they all fell into the Labyrinth and managed to get out in one piece. Connor's convinced it's Hermes trying to prank his kids."

"And I'm still convinced the Aphrodite kids are carb-cheating and trying to hide it with their own secret backdoor they haven't shared," Percy shrugged.

"So you guys don't actually know how pizza carrying mortals get in?" Alex insisted.

"Nope," all three campers nodded.

"I'm convinced it's Mr. D.," Thalia reminded, "just because he can snap his fingers and make a pizza appear doesn't mean it has that same taste."

"I bet I can find out," Nico's voice sounded hesitant, but happy. "I can send out skeletons to patrol and find out, if it's a security risk."

"Um," Annabeth looked at him in surprise, but smiled without hesitation. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

"So does Nico get some kind of trophy for solving one of Camp's greatest mysteries, or," Jason trailed off with a smirk.

"He gets a pat on the back and one free pizza," Percy rolled his eyes. "For all we know he's going to bust Chiron."

Hey, it was more recognition than Nico had ever gotten in the past, so he wasn't going to complain.

...lookout was Connor Stoll from the Hermes cabin.

Nico glanced swiftly at Will and away. He'd said his crush on Connor had 'faded,' but he didn't know what the hell that meant. He wasn't even sure he could call his own crush on Percy as faded as he'd like.

Will didn't start gushing about him or even seem that interested in sharing some Connor Fun Fact at all, actually, his face was rather somber. It might have been Connor that told Will about the news Percy was there to deliver, which wasn't exactly a happy time.

When he spotted me, he got so excited he fell out of his tree.

"Real stealthy, ninja kid there," Thalia chuckled.

"And we're all so grateful for it," Annabeth sighed. They caused enough trouble by being as sneaky as Percy in a candy store.

...so unlike my old enemy Luke it's hard to believe they're all sons of Hermes.

Luke's scar, that he got on the quest that ruined his relationship with his father, ruining the 'family resemblance' he had with the rest of his siblings, struck Annabeth so hard her breath blasted out. When he'd come back, covered in blood-stained rags, that same look in his eye she'd seen in Percy. The way he'd given up, changed.

... "Oh, no. Poor Silena, when she finds out-" Together we climbed the sand dunes.

That was, it?! Magnus was stunned at the way Connor immediately jumped from sorrow to worrying about Silena and just walking along with Percy. There hadn't even been a full second to process that.

He glanced at Will, who similarly had barely blinked at what had happened to Beckendorf. It had been brutal to the extreme, and he was just, used to it. This kind of news that happened so much around camp.

Magnus shivered; and he'd begun to worry about himself becoming numb to the misery of others on the streets.

... Percy's back, they were probably thinking... saved the day! Maybe brought souvenirs!

"You really should get a collection going of something Perce," Thalia nodded he was slacking. "Wall of monster trophies, you've already got one started."

"Think your head would look better next to the Nemean Lion or the dragon?" Percy smirked.

"Pfft, I deserve that Princess Andromeda head or nothing," she said with her head held high.

Percy couldn't do more than force out a chuckle, that ship should never have exploded with who all was aboard, but Thalia had finally managed to wipe away that miserable look from his face. Annabeth smiled with pride their friendship had only seemed to grow stronger during this mess while she was already falling into the trick of getting lost in the past.

...No sense rushing down there to tell them what a loser I was.

"You are not a loser!" Annabeth said at once.

Percy frowned at her sharp tone, like she was calling him an idiot for thinking himself a loser.

Her fingers flexed in frustration, the urge to grab him and kiss him and love him with all her heart again until he believed it as much as she did.

"You, are, my best friend," she forced herself to choose her words carefully so as not to scare him to run behind his new friends. "And, brave, and the most impulsive idiot I will ever meet, and so stubborn it's infuriating, but none of that makes you a loser."

"The getting Beckendrof killed part didn't help," he said, still watching her intently. He still seemed so unsure of himself, so unlike her confident boyfriend who had strolled through camp these last months laughing without a care in the world, sending her constant IM's about a monster following him home and what his mom had made for dinner.

"But you didn't," her hand did take his back, holding it tight. "You did everything you could for him. Kronos did this, Percy, you were just forced into being there."

"Nobody forced me there," he said at once, head snapping up to hold her eyes steady now.

She smiled, and he sighed. "Or Beckendorf," he grumpily concluded.

"I understand you feel bad, and guilty, and responsible for him, but don't hold on to it Percy. You can let it go." She promised, words that she needed to tell herself more than once before walking the same steps Luke had over every inch of that Camp.

Percy seemed to believe her though, slowly nodding and taking a long time to look away.

It should have been awkward and embarrassing as hell for the two to look away and realize they had a whole audience watching this, but frankly, after Percy's life had been on display for them for days now it didn't even phase him. Annabeth blushed, but not by that much, she was used to being the center of gossip for Camp as Nico kept reading like nothing had happened.

... tried to remember how Camp Half-Blood looked the first time I ever saw it.

It was a weirdly similar feeling, Percy agreed with his past self. How much had changed, how much had stayed the same. The melancholy detachment of how everything was one shade off of normal from a 'regular' camp, how everything should be raining, dreary, covered in black for another death he'd been involved in.

Where had Beckendorf been standing, his last moments here? Had he waved goodbye to his siblings and called Blackjack from his cabin door without looking back? Had he been holding Silena close and promising her he'd come home? Had he stood by Thalia's tree, looking out rather than in, excited for his future?

That seemed like a bajillion years ago.

Annabeth chuckled in agreement. She still remembered the first time she'd laid eyes on him, only seeing a prize to get out of camp. Convinced he was another child of Zeus to rescue her again, the scrawny kid who drooled. She never knew he was the someone for her she'd always needed.

...curled around the tree trunk, lending up smoke signals as he snored.

"Who is he contacting?" Alex asked seriously.

"Laydon, I'm still convinced they're best buds," Jason snorted.

In some ways, the camp hadn't changed... see it in the faces of all coming up hill.

Jason tried to relax back into his seat and focus on this a little better. Grover should be about to pop up again, that was always distracting...though he gave a traitorous glance to Thalia as he wondered for the millionth time why that could be. Did she know about his camp too and never let on like Nico had come out and said he did? There had to be satyrs wandering his camp as well, maybe he had a best friend there like Percy did and that's why he always wanted to hear more about him.

The idea didn't track with how his first instinct to hear of satyrs and naiads being so, useful. It always surprised him to hear they were doing anything around camp other than just being the decorative plants they manifested from.

... It's hard to enjoy practical jokes when your whole life feels like one.

Annabeth and Will exchanged a look heavier than Atlas could bear. Percy had no clue just how hard that hit. The place was so different from when they'd first come it was almost a different world. These past months after the Titan war, with kids stumbling over the line every few days now and the thrill of being alive had almost felt like a dream rather than how the place always should have been.

... MY OTHER CAR IS A CENTAUR and a bow slung over his back.

They got a pretty good laugh out of that shirt at least, Alex of course having to ask, "please tell me he also has one saying horses are wheelchair accessible?"

"I'm sure you can make him one Alex," Annabeth chuckled, then she turned to Percy and said, "I saw one in the store the other day that reminded me of you." No need for him to know she'd broken down sobbing in a changing room because of it. "It said, dyslexics are teople poo."

"That's completely hurtful and not at all accurate," Percy sniffed, "obviously to a real dyslexic those words would be just gibberish."

She laughed, trying to hide a slight hiccup at how fuzzy her head felt to be sitting next to him still, to just be having fun again.

... I'll admit my heart did a little relay race in my chest when I saw her.

Annabeth couldn't help a smile, it was almost a smirk. It was certainly a confidence boost she'd sorely needed at that time to hear. As blunt as Percy could be with his words, he rarely paid her a compliment, and it was nice to hear. She hadn't gotten to the point where he met Rachel or Calypso yet, so she tried to store this in her head now for comparison's sake later, especially after she'd just read how impressive he'd found Circe.

. . . well, that we might get past the strangle-each-other phase.

Annabeth watched those around the room laugh, outright, not even trying to hide it. She blushed, just a bit, at how unsubtle she'd been in here about how they clearly had moved past that, even if Percy couldn't remember, but it was a very uncomfortable feeling too, to know they'd all heard witness to the first time she'd kissed him. Like looking back on the memory and now seeing six people laughing at one of her most confusing memories. She really didn't know how Percy had been doing this for so long.

"What happened?" She grabbed my arm. "Is Luke—"

Percy felt like he'd been stabbed. He flinched away from her and quickly went to studying his shoelaces intently and wondering why he'd never bothered to buy blue ones.

Annabeth watched with a heavy wince of her own. She scrambled in her mind to say something, anything to make that sound better but came up blank. "I'm sorry," was all that came out, eyes miles above his head, absolutely useless after the way he'd just made her feel.

Percy glanced back at her wearily. She'd never apologized before for anything about Luke. "It's, um, it's okay," he promised. "It was, the point of the mission, you've always been, um, very focused." One of the many things he admired about her, she had a way better attention span than he ever would.

She wished she could say more, but she'd never really been able to talk to Percy about Luke...she'd never been able to talk to anyone about Luke really except for Chiron, and he wasn't here right now to nod or shake his head on how to approach this.

Not that she needed Chiron's advice on how to talk to Percy...it just would have been nice right now with her stomach churning up a storm.

...Silena Beauregard pushed through the crowd.

Oh, and the one person to make this all ten times worse, Percy ducked his head and took a painful breath, like his lungs were filled with ice. He'd rather Kronos or Luke or Grover show up right about now to try and kill him than this!

..."Where's Charlie?" she demanded, looking around like he might be hiding.

They didn't even know if he liked surprises. They'd only heard about him in passing as often as Clarisse, but the pain rippling through every line of Percy's face, the way Nico read with such soft respect made them all feel as if they'd lost a good friend, made the tragedy they were apart from still somehow hit home.

... felt like someone had stolen the anchor for the entire camp.

A rough smile flickered across Alex's face, he opened his mouth with a clear callous comment before closing it again just as fast. Magnus understood that, the defiance against your feelings and your first thought being something nobody else was going to relate to. He nudged Alex gently, just with the back of his fingers on his arm so he could ignore it easily, but he glanced over with his two toned eyes to see Magnus sign 'same.'

Finally Clarisse from the Ares cabin came forward.

Jason braced himself, for what even he wasn't sure. A declaration of war to come out of her mouth, like they weren't already in the thick of that? Some well-meaning advice that would fall on deaf ears until Chris showed up to tow her away? He hoped that Silena at least heard that she was trying, that Clarisse did care about all of the campers.

She put her arm around Silena. They had one of the strangest friendships ever,

"Uh," Nico stuttered in surprise.

"When did that happen?" Jason agreed blankly.

"Started hanging out last summer," Percy shrugged, "I only heard bits and pieces as to why."

"I'm just proud you noticed at all," Annabeth chuckled.

"Annabeth, I'd be surprised if Zeus didn't notice this," Percy told her.

... Clarisse had decided she was Silena's personal bodyguard.

"Aw," Magnus said with the biggest smile.

Annabeth smiled with him, still completely confused as to why he was here. Even a Titan couldn't be so out of touch he'd pull in a mortal, no matter how similar they looked. He still had that same big ol' grin from when he was a kid and could weasel extra cookies out of anybody, but there was something in his eyes, the gray they shared...maybe something a little too similar in their dark depths that shouldn't be there in him.

..."Come on, let's get to the Big House. I'll make you some hot chocolate."

Hot chocolate was not going to fix that hurt, Nico winced. Still, he kept playing in his mind how these kids would have reacted if Percy had just announced the news to camp about Bianca's death, if Nico had his world ripped apart and taken it out in front of everyone. Would he have been offered hot chocolate and a friend?

He had a feeling he'd get something closer to what was coming for Percy, an interrogation of events and a war council meeting.

... Nobody was excited to see me now. Nobody wanted to hear about the blown-up ship.

Will had been in the infirmary at the time with Jason Campbell, who had a bad burn from the lava wall. He'd heard the news fast enough that night. It had been surreal, to hear another year around camper gone like that. There were so few of them left...

Only Annabeth and Chiron stayed behind.

"Where's Grover?" Jason asked in surprise.

"He," Percy halted like his best friend had just headbutted him. "He's been, missing," he whispered in horror, rubbing the side of his head as the memory swept back into him. Not being able to contact him, Grover just falling off the grid. It wasn't like him, not at all. Even with all his recent travlings to spread the word of Pan, he'd still always made contact with Camp and Percy. There had just been silence, for two months.

Jason couldn't help his mind immediately twisting off into the worst case scenario. Of Luke kidnapping him and holding him captive better than Polyphemus had managed. Grover was dead and the empathy link had worn off enough Percy never got wind of it.

He didn't say any of it, not out loud, not with Beckendorf's death still so heavily inlaid in those who knew him, but it was a horrifying feeling to start the day the task of winning already seemed hopeless when all of Percy's most trusted allies were already falling left and right.

Annabeth wiped a tear from her cheek. "I'm glad you're not dead, Seaweed Brain."

"The highest compliment I've ever been given," Percy grinned at her.

"Stick around, I might even say glad you're still alive at some point," she rolled her eyes.

He leaned close, to whisper just to her, "I'm not going anywhere again."

"Good," she whispered back, eyes still straight ahead on the book, but their hands easily finding each other again.

...the plan was so scary I didn't mind keeping it a secret.

"I can't believe you actually managed to keep something like that from me," Annabeth sounded grudgingly impressed. "The details of your first prophecy I understood, we hadn't known each other that well yet, but this?" She smacked his arm with a knowing smirk. He looked blankly at his arm and back at her, his skin and stomach at battle who would cause him the most distress while his brain rebelled in his head like an earthquake. The answer felt like it was sitting right in front of him, but it was really distracting to have Annabeth between his eyes instead while smiling at him.

...they exchanged looks, like they knew something I didn't. I hated when they did that.

"By the way," Alex began in a level voice that still sounded a little ominous. "We owe you a hell of a headache for all the times you've done that!" It was no guess who he was addressing even if his two-toned eyes hadn't been piercing Annabeth. "I recall Jason mentioning chair straps to put you through what we did!"

"I, um, said it nicer," Jason said with a very pale face as he shrank into his seat.

"He did not," Percy sniffed, "and I'd help. You have no clue how often you drove all of us nuts with that!"

Annabeth didn't even look guilty, just exasperated, while Thalia waved on Nico to keep going before that escalated further. Nico was tempted not to though, it would have felt like great retribution...but then Will tightened his arm around him just slightly. Enough he could feel the intent, Will was not aching for a real squabble to break out right now. Frankly, he'd like to be able to exit the continent at his leisure too if they did more than joke about it.

... Annabeth, we will show Percy the truth, all of it. Let's go to the attic."

Percy ground his teeth in frustration that's all it had taken to convince them, but it eased out with his next breath anyways. There was a part of him that never wanted to hear the whole thing, it's not like it had ever done him a lick of good in the past to hear a full prophecy before a quest. If he never knew, he'd never have to face the reality that his choice, the thing the whole world hinged on, might not have anything to do with him at all and maybe, for once, Annabeth and Chiron had the whole thing way out of proportion.

Yeah, and Zeus was going to send him a birthday gift.

...been to the attic three times, which was three times more than I wanted to.

"Ah, come on, you know you wanted to go at least once," Alex insisted. "Curiosity and all that, you would have snuck up there the first day someone told you it was off-limits."

Percy sighed and muttered a bit because he knew he wasn't wrong.

... wondered how Chiron was going to get up there, but he didn't try.

"The house wouldn't just, expand for him?" Jason asked in surprise. His wheelchair did, he figured Mr. D had lost enough pinochle games that he'd been bribed into modifying everything around there for him.

Thalia didn't really think he'd put the Oracle up there as a place of honor though. While she usually dwelled in caves, they were supposed to be her home. This felt shameful, something Chiron didn't want to sit around looking at for any length of time, nor have the other kids question it to much.

...STOLEN FROM CHRYSAOR'S HONDA CIVIC, BY GUS, SON OF HERMES, 1988.

Alex still leered at the book, a sense of longing to get his hands on every bit of that. It sounded like the kind of junkyard he spent his regular hours in, pouring through mounds of objects every day and always managing to find something worth taking back to his nest.

I picked up a curved bronze sword so badly bent it looked like the letter M.

"Cool," Magnus chuckled.

"It's a good thing we don't all get weapons that are just our name," Percy snorted. "I can't imagine swinging a P around would intimidate as many monsters."

..."You remember Briares throwing those boulders?" I asked.

"Vividly," Jason savored. "Though I'm offended on Briares' part his name isn't on that tag."

"It's possible whoever recovered it didn't know," Will shrugged. "Plenty of kids went back to that field after the fact."

"Or didn't know how to spell it," Nico chuckled.

...when she thought I was going to die and she kissed me. She cleared her throat and looked away.

Annabeth swallowed and poorly hid her blush by brushing her hair into her face. To ashamed to admit that, though that memory came to mind too, it rivaled with Luke shouting in a voice not his own, trying to topple a mountain on her. The two were so tangled together in her mind. Even now, months later, she still couldn't seem to find a way to separate the two without Luke and Kronos looming in every page of Percy's life with her.

"Prophecy." "Right." I put down the scimitar. "Prophecy."

"Prophecy!" Jason yipped like he had the hiccups, clearly to gloss over that awkward silence.

"He's had this weird habit of freaking out over the number three," Percy explained to Annabeth in a tired voice.

"Seems reasonable," she smiled as if nothing had happened.

... Glassy eyes stared out of her leathery face. Just looking at her made my skin crawl.

Annabeth hadn't been surprised, upon Percy first meeting her, that he'd felt her presence, knew it for what it was. She used to sneak up there, her first few weeks at Camp, asking her questions and so fascinated by the feeling of being watched. She'd grown frustrated her quest was never given and once chucked a Collectors Hercules Waterbottle at her though, so, it was probably a good thing she wasn't as sentient as Rachel.

...used to be, you had to come up here to get a quest. This summer that rule had been tossed... had no choice if we wanted to stop Kronos.

Magnus swallowed the question of how many had come back. He didn't need to see the heartbreak in their eyes to know the number wasn't zero.

... for the "Great Prophecy" I half expected her to start tap dancing or something.

"I want fireworks!" Alex grinned, "no, wait, you guys do that every summer. Um, collective mass telling, the whole camp gets to see the illusion! Or, or," he was waving his hand frantically for something to top that at himself.

"She's already told the property once Alex," Annabeth reminded with a smile for him. "I'm sorry, but there was no grand retelling."

"Buzzkill!" He groaned.

Annabeth hoped he meant the Oracle and not her, she'd been called that plenty and it didn't feel great.

But she just sat there like she was dead, which she was.

"Thank you for reminding that's a literal animated corpse," Magnus shivered. "I know where I'm going to avoid when the zombie apocalypse happens."

"Good instincts," Nico nodded fairly, "considering that place would likely be ground zero with all the other cursed items up there."

"Our home isn't cursed," Will pouted.

"It's not feeling very blessed lately," Percy muttered. Thalia's tree had felt like the only thing holding it all together some days.

"I never understood this," I whispered...

Annabeth started to say something, then changed her mind. "Let's just get out of here."

Nico tried to suppress a relieved sigh she hadn't just said, 'oh, Hades cursed her,' and moved on, because that's all his dad was ever known for or cared about around there, what he'd done wrong. The story in detail wasn't any more pleasant, but a part of him still expected everyone else to just focus on that.

...Annabeth took out a roll of parchment no bigger than her pinky.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Percy blurted with capital offense at Annabeth. "All these years I could have gone up there and grabbed it!"

"You didn't give the secret passcode," Thalia mildly patted his shoulder while Annabeth just smiled at him. "She might have chucked you out the window."

"Annabeth, or the Oracle?" Jason frowned.

"Probably both," Magnus said with a raised brow as he studied her. The look on her face was strange, almost like she was having fun with this trip down memory lane. It took him a moment to realize why he found it so odd.

She'd so rarely smiled like that in their youth.

... I read this when I was ten years old, and I still have nightmares about it."

"Hey!" Percy spluttered, again. "When we were in the sea of monsters you said you didn't know the whole thing!"

"The time wasn't right," Annabeth repeated stubbornly while Percy kept scowling at her.

"Great," I said. "Can I read it now?"

"All those nightmares to catch up on," Magnus frowned.

"They need some variety," Percy answered with a scowl still on her.

...I didn't know it then, but it would be the last time I ever visited the attic.

"Ominous!" Jason tried to splutter around a deprecating laugh.

"Oooeeoo," Alex tried to make strange alien noises, because this wasn't the first 'feeling' of Percy's that had come true.

Annabeth had a pretty good poker face to give nothing away, along with the others who knew as usual, so they couldn't even get any better of a guess out of that.

The senior counselors had gathered around the Ping-Pong table. Don't ask me why,

"First rule of the war council," Thalia smirked, "nobody ever asks Percy why anything's going on."

"He's usually the cause of it," Annabeth nodded.

"I feel the need to move," Percy groaned in betrayal of the girl on either side.

"You're exactly where you always sit in a war council so it's nothing new," Thalia sniffed.

...When we came in, it looked more like a shouting match.

"Isn't that what war rooms are supposed to be used for?" Alex shrugged.

"No," Jason frowned. He always hated when these meetings were shown, it caused an itch in his brain he'd probably gouge his skull out before getting to.

...She called the spear "Maimer." Behind her back, everybody else called it "Lamer.")

"We do not," Will tried to say with dignity.

"Travis told me someone from the Apollo cabin came up with that," Annabeth looked around at him suspiciously.

"And you believed him?" Will gave her a wounded look.

Annabeth chuckled and turned back away, but Nico smiled to himself as Will's studious expression started to get cracks in it.

...in the midst of yelling at Michael Yew,

Will tried hard to suppress his flinch. He had no reason for that to hit him so hard, he'd known this was coming, and he hadn't been guiltless in this coming squabble.

...Michael had taken over the Apollo cabin after Lee Fletcher died in battle last summer.

Annabeth still wasn't sure who this narration was for. She'd toyed with ideas in her head last night, everywhere from an alternate reality, to Percy writing these and Apollo pulling this entire stunt to get all this on record and then wiping Percy's memory of it, but her ultimate conclusion was just being kind of sad at how distant some of it felt. Like Percy needed to remind himself coming back every summer from when he was out in the real world. She'd been having to do that staying with her dad a few times, run down the list of all the people at camp to make sure she wouldn't forget them.

Michael stood four feet six, with another two feet of attitude. He reminded me of a ferret, with a pointy nose and scrunched-up features, either because he scowled so much or because he spent too much time looking down the shaft of an arrow.

Will giggled. It was a rough, uncomfortable feeling in the back of his throat, but a bubbling up from his heart he didn't try to fight. It really had been to long since he'd heard anyone make such jokes about his brother, and Percy just doing it out of the blue now caused a warmth at what he knew Micheal would have responded with. Thalia had nothing on what he could do with those arrows.

..."It's our loot! If you don't like it, you can kiss my quiver!"

"What did Clarisse do now?" Magnus asked in fond exasperation.

"Hey, don't assume all those Apollo kids are innocent rays of sunshine," Jason said with a smirk at Will.

"Muah?" Will pressed his hand to his heart with a look that really would have fooled anyone he had no clue what Jason could be talking about. Percy was a bit jealous how he'd perfected such an act.

...arguing about something as stupid as loot, when she'd just lost Beckendorf.

Will could only imagine it starting as some innocent throwaway line Clarisse had made to try and distract her. Silena had always been a good mediator, Clarisse might have been fishing for a solution before it all went to hell, and the distraught girl hadn't even noticed a thing.

"STOP IT!" I yelled. "What are you guys doing?"

Annabeth tried to cover her mouth to hide the smile on her face, the exact same reaction she'd had back then. Magnus watched in mild amusement not knowing that but guessing it all the same for how her eyes darted around guiltily, passing over everyone before landing back on Percy as she tried to straighten her face out.

He wasn't sure if she was laughing at the oh so usual, 'Percy has no clue what's going on,' like Nico blatantly was, or if she found his usual inability to stay out of a problem charming. He'd guess the second.

... She hasn't spoken for three days." "It's been wonderful," Travis Stoll said wistfully.

"That boy is achin' for a breakin'," Will groaned.

"The real question is where Clarisse would start. I'd bet with his jaw," Alex nodded.

...Clarisse turned to Chiron. "You're in charge, right?

"Exactly how long has she been there again?" Jason shook his head. "I honestly want to know how long before she's decided to ask that question."

"She showed up a few months after we-" Annabeth paused before moving on as if nothing had happened, "I did. I'm pretty sure she dumped whoever was head of Ares into the toilet the next day and thought she was running the place until this moment."

"That would not surprise me," Jason nodded his head in thanks.

... We're just supposed to show up and fight when you need us, and not complain!"

This had quickly gone from mildly entertaining to deeply uncomfortable. Clarisse had let it be known plenty in the past she thought she deserved more respect for her father's name, but it hadn't come up again since Percy let her take credit for the Fleece.

It did not feel great this was bursting out now, of all times, when the camp should be banding together. What could be so important Clarisse was risking that?

...Are any of you going to side with me?" None of them met Clarisse's eyes.

Nico was stunned at the words out of his mouth. He'd always seen the Camp as a Him vs Them, all of the cabins having at least one unified goal in disliking his dad. Here Clarisse was, having the same feelings of isolation, that they were only good for a fight on a very tight leash.

Percy winced with particular guilt for his past self. He knew that feeling intimately when not one of the head counselors had told Zoe he was the one who needed to go on that quest.

...Clarisse turned to Silena. "...I apologize. To you. Nobody else."

It was the way she'd felt the need to clarify that, that had forced Annabeth to swallow another laugh. For as long as she'd known Clriasse, she'd never known her to apologize to anyone. She had to make very sure people knew who it was meant for.

Silena didn't seem to register her words.

Which had made the entire room go from awkward embarrassment to depressing, Percy sighed. Whoever thought he'd miss the meetings with cheez-whiz and Dionysus looking at wine magazines.

... Until I get satisfaction, no one in my cabin is lifting a finger to help. Have fun dying."

That Clarisse cared about her home hadn't been in question since the Bad Cow incident, but the slowly trickling idea that she cared about people hadn't really been shown much except for the few, spotty moments with Percy, and occasionally Will's observation. This moment should have felt selfish, but there was a part of Jason that completely understood why she was doing this. Everyone had their breaking point, and she was sick of being everyone's tool, just used over and over again without a single care for how she might need a change.

The counselors were all too stunned to say anything as Clarisse stormed out of the room.

"Nobody went after her?" Jason demanded.

Annabeth held her head high. "We had more important matters to discuss."

"Then half your war force stalking out?" He scowled.

"You-" Annabeth began hotly, but stopped with such a wince, Percy looked around to make sure nobody had thrown something at her. His heart began to race, his breath blasted out with the force of a dragon stepping on his chest. Annabeth regretted this, she wasn't even going to fight back, and he needed to remember why-

"Sorry Percy," she whispered, pulling his hand into her lap, rubbing the back of it gently until Riptide fell from his clenched hand onto the floor.

He shook his head slowly from side to side, not as if ignoring her, just concentrating on something very hard.

When she squeezed again and Percy's eyes fluttered open, Nico decided to keep reading before they started making out, or Jason's distasteful look got a full recharge, neither of which would evolve well.

Finally Michael Yew said, "Good riddance."

Magnus winced like he expected Clarisse to come smashing through the wall to gut him. Will winced with him because he wouldn't have been surprised.

... "Her pride has been wounded. She'll calm down." But he didn't sound convinced.

Nobody in here was either, not even Annabeth. If Silena hadn't pulled what she did, the Ares cabin might have been the only half-bloods left alive after that day, and not for long.

... I looked at Annabeth and she mouthed the words I'll tell you later.

"You could probably read her lips as well as Hearth from how often that happens," Magnus rolled his eyes.

"Who's Hearth?" Annabeth asked cautiously, he'd seemed very upset about that person earlier.

"My friend," Magnus said at once, his smile sad, and longing. "He's deaf," he paused, considered for a moment, then shrugged, and said, "and an elf."

"There are, elves?" Annabeth sounded more mildly surprised than anything, of course, like confirmation Grover had eaten a gold watch than really concerned at the results.

"Apparently," Magnus seemed a tad disappointed, like he'd wanted to shock his cousin with something for a change and it clearly hadn't gone to plan.

... Percy has brought something I think you should hear. The Great Prophecy."

Jason still looked like he'd been the one slighted, just leaving Clarisse out of this, not giving her problem some priority so that everyone could be involved in this. He'd never sit aside and let someone in the Senate be so ignored-

The thought burst apart like someone had popped his balloon, leaving the tatters to flutter around, useless to grasp at.

Nico felt his shiver of distress and glanced over, but by the time he did Jason's face was stoic and calm like nothing had happened.

... my fingers fumbled with the string. I uncurled the paper, trying not to rip it,

"That would be just my luck," Percy grumbled. "Would the Oracle come down and burn the message into my forehead?"

"She might be tempted," Annabeth said with twitching lips, imagining Rachel chasing him around with a tiki-torch if he ever ripped one of her paintings, "but I think you'd get a pass."

Percy grunted like he didn't believe her and the others didn't blame him.

and began to read:

"A half-blood of the eldest dogs-"

"Er, Percy?" Annabeth interrupted. "That's gods. Not dogs."

"It would have been so much cooler to figure out what that one meant though," Alex grinned. "Cerberus? Did Zeus have a dog he abandoned?"

"Zeus is the youngest," Thalia corrected mildly.

"Did Aphrodite have a dog who was once her boyfriend?" Alex continued with somehow even more energy.

"Well I'm personally glad it was about, who, it turned out to be about," Annabeth said. She sounded almost stern, like she was afraid Alex's joking around would change the course of the universe. Thalia had a feeling she was just having a few flashbacks to that day and didn't know how else to make Alex stop. Regardless, it worked.

....

"And see the world in endless sleep,

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

... how could the world fall into endless sleep, unless that meant death?

Percy hated every word of that. The way his gut swirled like cotton candy ready to disintegrate on him. To much, this was to much, it was making him nauseous wanting to understand but knowing he shouldn't but the answer was burning something in him.

Annabeth shifted beside him, her blond hair tickling the side of his neck. He swatted it away, the flash image of a bronze color flickering in and out of his mind easily as he turned to grumble at her again about withholding all this from him and that she was right and he'd never admit it because he might have freaked out this whole time ever drawing his own blade. None of it made it to his lips as he just stared at her for a few moments watching Nico attentively read.

.."A single choice shall- shall end his days.

'End his days?' Alex noted with interest that Thalia couldn't have even been a contender then...but the language of most did tend to compress he/ his/ him into the human itself rather than a specific gender. It was an interesting note all the same to him how this would play out, how specific Percy's role in this would be in all this.

..."I know what it means," I grumbled. "Olympus to preserve or raze."

"Well that all sounds, not great," Magnus was now very convinced Percy must not actually be sixteen yet, because that all sounded like doomsday. Annabeth had made it sound like it came to pass moments ago though? He'd always been on the fence just how much these guys knew of the future context of this.

The room was silent. Finally Connor Stoll said, "Raise is good, isn't it?"

"Depends on which kind," Annabeth muttered, vividly remembering all the kinds that had gone on during her quest.

"Not raise," Silena said. Her voice was hollow, I was startled to hear her speak at all. "R-a-z-e means destroy."

"Did she, get a sneak peek at that to see this?" Jason asked why she'd know to clarify that any better than he would without seeing it.

"Pretty sure it was just that gloom and doom attitude she's in," Thalia said not unkindly, but considering her mindset, Silena would be assuming the worst about everything right now. Jason nodded without really looking at her.

...Everybody was looking at me—with concern, or pity, or maybe a little fear.

Percy was still amazed by how rarely that happened in here. Maybe it was because Thalia had always been in here to reign in the worst sides of him, maybe it was because all of them had a partial death wish that he could tell, but it felt nice not to have those kinds of looks so familiar to him it took a second to recognize them.

..."Without realizing I was going to die in the end anyway?" I said. "Yeah, I get it."

"Spoilery enough Alex?" Percy sighed.

"What part of details did you not get?" Alex scoffed. "Unless you spontaneously burst into dust, you're disqualified from this category Percy!"

Percy blinked for a few moments before deciding that was the first time he'd ever been happy about being disqualified for something before.

Chiron gazed at me sadly.... He probably knew better than to try to reassure me.

"Guess I've always appreciated his candor more than his platitudes," Annabeth said.

Percy just looked at her blankly, but he got the idea. She'd never gone around getting warm hugs from him either, just a good ear.

... "A single choice shall end his days. That has tons of meanings, right?"

"Maybe end your days as a hero?" Magnus offered. "You get forced into retirement by the gods after all the shit you've pulled."

"I'd be okay with that?" Percy said with an awkward smile if this was his dad's idea of helping him. It sounded like the best option by far anyway.

... As a general rule, I preferred not to have my soul reaped.

"What about reaped with rewards?" Jason offered, but his smile was lackluster. "Reaped can be a bountiful harvest."

"More than one soul, got it," Percy groaned, he was probably taking everyone he cared about down with him.

Thalia smacked his shoulder. "Stop being so depressing, you're not dead!"

"Thanks for the reminder," Percy said honestly, though it still bothered him more every time it happened how little he felt it when she did that.

... I felt defiant and angry, though I wasn't sure who at.

Annabeth had always admired that about him, even when she wanted to call him an idiot for it. How he could focus that anger and achieve anything.

"The universe itself at this point," Magnus assured that was perfectly normal.

"It seems to get the job done with you," Alex agreed brightly.

"I don't need time. If I die, I die. I can't worry about that, right?"

"Sure," Thalia drew that out in painful sarcasm, before closing her eyes and rubbing her temple. Clearly wondering how he was alive, like the rest of them usually felt.

Annabeth's hands were shaking a little. She wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Let's move on," I said.

Her hands weren't shaking now, but there was still a chip of fear in her stormy eyes he was starting to worry would never vanish. He couldn't just blame that on delayed adrenaline from hearing about Beckendorf.

She'd known he was probably going to die from the moment she met him, and still gotten close to him, chose to get to know him.

He knew what she was really afraid of. That he'd leave her, for real this time, just like everybody else had to her. He'd already done it at least twice against his will. And there was nothing he could do to stop that.

His anger at this idea finally burned away the last of his guilt and fear, about Beckendorf and the unknown. He would find a way to fix this one thing, by getting all his memories back, by making sure at least that never happened to her again.

... silver scythe pendant he'd used to communicate with someone at camp. Silena started to cry again, and Annabeth put an arm around her shoulders.

Months later and Annabeth still wanted to kick herself for not guessing what had been right in front of her. How hard Silena had shook, the sobs she'd barely been suppressing. She and Beckendorf had only dated a year, if that...but she glanced at Percy and sighed at her cold, calculated train of thought. Her mother's pride just couldn't trump what she knew she really regretted, which was nearly every single choice about the day that ended all of this. The ones she hadn't been a part of, that couldn't make a difference.

... It must be somebody who knew him well."

... he glanced at Annabeth.... but Connor looked away quickly. "Um, I mean, it could be anybody."

Annabeth smiled, which was weird because she never laughed at their jokes.

She was smiling because Percy had noticed that, and Connor had probably pissed himself at the look on Percy's face now she hadn't noticed. She was smiling because she'd expected a comment like that, and hated herself for everything she couldn't tell Luke to make him be Their spy.

"Yes." Katie Gardner frowned at the Stoll brothers... "Like one of Luke's siblings."

"Apparently Katie's forgotten Luke doesn't care about them anymore than he does anyone else," Alex bitterly reminded of what had been done to Chris.

Annabeth winced, and then looked to Percy like she expected him to say something. He looked from her to Thalia in a panic what the heck was he supposed to do about that?!

Nothing, apparently, as Annabeth turned back to watching Nico like nothing had happened. All the same, the smallest part of her was angry that they'd all been saying stuff like that about Luke, and Percy had likely just been casually agreeing, or saying worse himself.

..."Stop!" Silena banged the table so hard her hot chocolate spilled.

"She didn't have to waste perfectly good chocolate to get her point across," Percy said with an awkward smile.

"You're lucky she didn't throw it in your face seaweed brain," Annabeth said at once.

...Hot chocolate trickled off the Ping-Pong table. Everybody looked ashamed.

"I hope everyone puts food on her plate tonight at dinner," Alex said with an oddly anxious smile. "You're supposed to give people food when they're grieving, right?"

"I, think she skipped dinner that night," Annabeth said awkwardly. "It, would have been a nice gesture though."

... He and Annabeth looked at each other again. Did I mention I hate it when they do that?

"Frequently," Jason promised with a stern look at Annabeth, finally in person.

"Not enough," Magnus assured as he frowned at her too.

Annabeth could only manage half a smile without an apology.

... You needed a break with your, mortal friends."

Percy felt that flash of guilt. That he got a reprieve from this, that Will suddenly seemed very busy investigating the door, that Thalia gave him a jealous look before glancing away. It still snagged in his mind how he had the closest to a normal life as Annabeth bit her lip.

... I was allowed to have friends outside camp, right? It wasn't like . . .

"Like she kissed you on the beach in her bathing suit or anything," Thalia helpfully supplied.

"Thalia!" Percy spluttered in betrayal.

"What, she already knew, I was just helping fill in the blanks," she said oh so innocently.

"For who?!" He demanded, a blush of his own still all to visible.

"For you, obviously," she insisted with a grin. "Got to make sure your poor memories aren't slipping up again!"

Annabeth was starting to snort loudly between her giggling, disrupting Percy's next groan, so he decided he wouldn't murder her...much.

... He tossed water onto the hot plate where we usually melted nacho cheese.

"Which I've noticed lacking in there!" Alex said, clearly scandalized.

"I don't think there is enough nacho cheese to fix this Alex," Magnus sighed.

"We were short on rations," Will tragically agreed, but his tone was much lighter, clearly edging for a joke. "We would have had to use cheese adjacent, it just wouldn't have set the right mood."

"Fair," he sighed.

..."O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show us the threat."

"That is way to vague!" Jason protested. "For all he knows it'll just show him an image of a police chase, or Kronos still trying to swim out of the ocean!"

"Or someone running with scissors!" Percy added.

He got silence.

"What, that's a really dangerous thing to do," Percy shrugged.

"And this is why you wouldn't have survived spending all your time in the mortal world," Thalia rolled her eyes.

... geologists warn that the mountain may not be done."

"Is it going to rain men, or confetti, or puppies and kittens?" But Nico's sarcasm sounded exhausted. He just said it because that's what the others kept doing, making jokes.

He'd once felt the bombardment of souls constantly leaving this plane during his first days in the Labyrinth. Minos had helped him to control that, close himself off, and usually it was demigods he felt most easily and could still ignore those if he chose to.

He remembered those days, when it had felt fresh, when he'd had to concentrate so much he got headaches anyways from the constant death roaring across the US.

...The mountain shook with a horrible rumbling, as if the monster were laughing.

Percy still couldn't quite believe what he'd done- how he'd done this. He studied his hands in anger, he wanted to demand of Poseidon why he'd done this to him. Given him this, so much... to much...what did that say about him that he was capable of doing something of this magnitude?

Annabeth slipped her hand into his.

She knew that look on his face, the weight of all he carried. It was the same reason they had matching gray bangs.

...like No, that's our huge friend Leroy! He's going to help us!

"Every, single, miserable day you've had deserves that answer," Magnus nodded.

"Yet the cosmos would break if you ever got that lucky," Alex muttered.

...His angry roar rolled across the plains like a nuclear blast.

Will couldn't stand the way Nico read that, with such a familiar cadence of dread. This was something he was so familiar with, the horror Will could barely wrap his mind around this monster. How often had Nico spent staring at this image, studying it? Wasn't he supposed to be down in the Underworld with Bob and his dad trying to be an advisor!

Nico smiled without looking up as Will tucked himself a little closer into his side. He didn't know if it was for his comfort or his own, but he enjoyed the warm feeling either way.

..."Are those, the gods?" I said.

"You shouldn't be seeing that!" Jason yelped. "They're, in their godly form! Can you be vaporized from a distance?!"

"It's on TV, that makes it not real," Percy said with exhaustion in every syllable.

"Besides, if it's on a news station, then the narrative's skewed somehow, in this case I think Percy's favor not to see the worst," Alex added.

... Typhon is marching toward New York. Toward Olympus." I let that sink in.

"I bet the toilets are jealous," Alex smirked.

"Dammit Alex!" Nico threw his head back laughing and the others weren't faring much better.

"We're trying to be serious over here," Annabeth tried to say, but it was a pathetic scold at best as her hand stayed linked with Percy's, enjoying the thrilling zing of his laughter racing through where they connected.

"It was a very serious threat," Alex insisted. "We don't want the plumbing getting jealous, thinking he's taking sides.

"Well they're all out of luck then because the shower's my favorite anyways," Percy rolled his eyes.

"I'll break it to them gently," Alex promised.

..."Unless the gods can stop him? Perhaps five days.

"This is not what I thought you meant when you said you'd get a volcano at my next birthday Alex," Percy groaned.

"Go big or go home?" He shrugged, but he looked mildly guilty for the prophetic joke all the same. That kind of destruction, the amount of families this behemoth was displacing, the shelters would be overrun. The chaos was the kind her mother would be proud of. It disgusted him.

... "If Typhon gets to New York, it won't matter who's guarding Olympus."

Annabeth still idly wondered how much her mother had agreed with this full frontal assault, how dangerous that war room must have been as they all fought which was the best plan before Zeus's thunder shook Olympus and he declared what they'd be doing whether they liked it or not. How terrible a strategy that must have felt to Athena as she raced off with them, how it would have split her attention during the entire ordeal.

Her stomach sunk as she realized things weren't much better now. Closing off the gods from their kids couldn't be her mother's idea, it must still be the same pattern of Zeus ruling over some coming threat-

"You still with us Wise Girl?" Percy nudged his shoulder against hers at that familiar, far away look in her eyes.

"Mmm," she agreed, waving Nico on, her mind racing and yet not missing a word.

... love to see the terror in your eyes when you realize how I will destroy Olympus.

How HE would destroy Olympus, Jason nodded to himself as he shivered. Not Typhoon. This was a ploy, somehow. Kronos intended to lead this battle himself.

..."It's a trick," I said. "We have to warn the gods. Something else is going to happen."

"What would they even do about it?" Magnus didn't care his voice shook. "If all of them can't even defeat this guy, what the hell else could they manage against some trick?"

"A warning is still better than being blindsided." Annabeth only managed to say that with confidence because she'd survived it all. She knew to them it sounded about as reassuring as if she'd recited another Oracle prophecy.

... "But you sunk his ship."...They wanted to believe I'd given them a little bit of hope.

'And here I thought that had all been blown away with Beckendorf,' Thalia shook her head at herself. The Camper's resilience was always something she admired. She'd often felt so alienated from them, and could admit being with the Hunters had given her a slight sense of ego her hope was more concrete than theirs. Of course it would be Percy to rally them into having more.

...What if Kronos let us blow up that ship?... sacrificed himself for that mission.

It was a sickening thought, floating right along with them in the air they breathed. That Kronos would sacrifice all those kids on that ship, that he thought himself so clever he could pull a stunt like this...and it probably would have worked if Percy hadn't lived through to many others performing self-sacrifice for him in the past not to work through this feeling and see it for what it was.

"Maybe you're right," I said, though I didn't believe it.

And they knew that, Annabeth nodded to herself, but they'd wanted to believe it.

... going to die when I turned sixteen, the exact time Typhon hit New York. Almost forgot.

"A minor detail, all things considered," Alex agreed.

"What lie is that?" Will scoffed. "Percy is usually the number one problem around camp! Even if he does solve his own problems, it's still never minor!"

"Percy's survived four prophecies in a row, I like his odds," Alex shrugged.

Nico just hoped he liked the way Percy survived. He had a feeling Alex would call the pair of them cheaters when they got to that.

... Chiron said, "I think that's enough for one night." ...And the war council adjourned.

"I swear this guy should write kid's novels," Nico shook his head as he handed the book to Will, who had to sadly remove his arm to manage to hold the book without squishing Nico's face. He folded his knees up a little more, sat a little more proper in his seat. It didn't suit him, Nico noticed.

"Or survivor manuals," Will offered. "I think he'd manage both, a two for one."

"Like he doesn't have enough to do in that camp without throwing out a dozen rough drafts," Annabeth looked oddly at the pair.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

Hope you aren't sick of the percabething yet, because I've still got a ton to catch up on! There's a reason I left her for this book :)

Speaking of, I need some song recs for them. I have one for Fierrochase and Solangelo, but Percabeth isn't on my mind enough to connect to one and it's driving me nuts. Whenever I get in a dry patch I'll just turn on a song that makes me think of a character and it gets me in a mood. I have one for Percy, but not for him and Annabeth.

[just-1-scorpio]

Reading Asterion by Alessa Thron, so you don't have to. Chapter eight and nine.

This is a joined review, made by me, and @wordsmithic

This review will posably will be shorter, then the others.

Chapter 8, is from Asterion's point of view. Here we learn that he lived in the labyrinth under the Knossos palece. And then we also learn that Hades got him out of there.

So yeah, he survived, with the help of Hades, and turns back into human form. Hades and Asterion talk a bit, about Ariadne, and her attempt to kill Asterion. They come to the conclusion that someone payd good money to Minos for him to send Ariadne after him. And then this comes into the conversetion:

This is my complaint. Triplets? Thanatos, Charon and Erebus as triplets? Really? I would be okey, with Thanatos, and Charon being writen as twins, but why Erebus? He is they father. I just don't get why did Alessa had to write it like this.

wordsmithic: Two things here 1) I still don't understand why they call them priestesses. We are on chapter 8 and still, the main title of our protagonist, Ariadne, is a mystery to us. Do they even do priestly duties or they're called priestesses for funsies? And why do they even call their training center The Temple? 2) "She doesn't make mistakes like these" Hades says, and yet... she has done this mistake. She didn't kill Asterion.

scorpio: I don't get why are they called priestesess eather. Which gods's, or religions themple that mension is supposed to be?

wordsmithic: I have no idea either... I suppose of the old gods??

So back to the story. The next day. Asterion goas to Minos. Where he learns that Minos doas not know what he is talking about. And because Ariadne accepted a job on her own, he considers it a betray, so if Asterion wan't to know who payd Ariadne to kill him, now he has to race with time, and Minos for it.

So he goas to Ariadne's apartmant, which he finds empty. Then he talks to Dimmi, about Ariadne, in hopes of finding out anything.

Then chapter 9 starts a few weeks later, with Ariadne working in Isthmia, working two jobs in order to save up enough money to leave Greece.

wordsmithic: Ok so "Greece" still exists. But then it's more confusing why we have "Hellas" district because 99.5% of people in Greece are Hellenes anyways. So did the demographic change? What happened?

wordsmithic: Sorry but that was a little funny because this sounds like such a North European/American wish. No Greek wants to get sunBURNED, I assure you. We see all the tourists do that in summer season and we fear for them. SunTANNED sure. Sometimes I feel like I am too harsh on the author because she did put more effort into representing Greek people and Greek than a hundred of those "Greek myth retellings" combined, but, ya know, there are still some weird stuff in there. Get a Greek sensitivity reader guys, you won't regret it.

On her way to her curent home, she get's attacked. So after a quick fight, she runs home, grabs her pack, then she jumps out of the window, and fals right in to Asterion's arms. The chapter ends with Asterion bringing Ariadne inside, and giving her an oportunity to explain things. Aka an interigation just started.

For the most part these two chapters are streight forewoard. But agein. Did Alessa did any reaserch? It's pretty safe to assume she did not. She probably didn't have any beta, or sensetivity readers eather.

Also at least we got a little bit of clerification about the world building. Greece is still a country. But this "Helen distrcit", and "Helen woman" still don't make sense.

[koyot1]

I think someone sent similar ask for movie recommendations before, but since I'm learning Spanish what are your favourite movies from and how would you recommend starting to get into the golden age of Mexican cinema? Maybe an extra request for other magic realism movies as well, love those. I can't leave this ask without a compliment: your art is so realistic. The way you draw Scout and Sniper, together espeically...ehehe, does something to me <3. Please continue your TF2 work 😊 ❤️

This is such a sweet message, thank you for sending it! If you love a good rivals/friends to lovers (not actually gay but its a fun little in-joke between a lot of folks) arc then you'll like A.T.M. ¡A toda máquina! (Full Speed Ahead) starring Pedro Infante and Luis Aguilar - it's one of my favs :) There's also a sequel! ¿Qué te ha dado esa mujer? (What Has That Woman Given You?) The premise is that they are now friends but love triangles are causing friction....gay. Oh also they're motorcycle cops and roommates. Link here. Link here 2. For more rivalry, this time feat. charros, there's Dos tipos de cuidado (Two Careful Fellows) starring Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete. It's about two best friends and their rivalry when one of them marries the other's girl. They should really just kiss it out. Link here. Los tres huastecos (The Three Huastecos) is about three brothers who were parted and raised separately - leading them all to grow up and live very different lives. One brother is a solider, one is an outlaw, and the other is a priest. Their paths cross and shenanigans occur. Oh, the best part? Pedro Infante plays all three roles. Link here. Expect lots of singing! Dramatics! Comedy! I'll leave you with a scene from one of the most important of Mexican cinema films, Nosotros los pobres (We, the Poor) here. As for getting into the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, this is going to sound weird but believe it or not there's a growing fan base on tiktok. They post all their cute little edits and talk about films haha, maybe it would be easy for you to see what you like if you see some clips on there? For magical realism film recs here is a list of a few of my favs! Like Water for Chocolate Pan's Labyrinth Fuego Negro Big Fish The Lighthouse Everything Everywhere All at Once Paprika The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus The Company of Wolves The Fall thanks for letting me talk about film! muah

[uglypastels]

My thoughts on Midnights (spoilers below obv)

Lavender Haze - super cute and fun. Great opener, but all I could think of during the chorus was how it kiiinda sounds like I Think He Knows.

Maroon - love the storytelling. The imagery used with all the shades of red- i need a moment.

Anti-Hero - super fun while also painfully relatable with some of the best lyrics followed by some of the more questionable lyrics. (I need the bridge and chorus breakdowm engraved into my bones, thats all).

Snow On the Beach - now, ngl, I'm not a fan of Lana Del Rey, but I think their voices merge together beautifully. The same thought comes up with HAIM's feature on no body, no crime I think; should the feature have a bigger role than just harmonies (bc is there a purpose for it then really??) or is this actually the perfect way to use it? Perhaps a bit of both. I think it worked great, anyway.

You're On Your Own, Kid - the bridge saved it for me, personally. It is definitely a song that needs a lot of unpacking, too much for me to do at 6/7 am, but until the ending it didnt really give me a lot. (The siren sound at the end tho- unpleasant)

[At this point my cat came to join me on my shoulder]

Midnight Rain - the intro made me feel unwell. And oh great its also the chorus... just for that, this might be a skip for me, eventhough I do really like the lyrics in themselves but what

Question...? - the sentences in this one made my head hurt and again some slightly interesting choices were made at times in the production that ruined some great lyrical moments for me.

Vigilante Shit - the second I heard the title in Midnight Mayhem I knew this was gonna be good and it certainly did not disappoint but maybe had more potential?? I constantly felt like it was missing a big loud chorus that you could scream along to (you could of course consider this a metaphor for how she's bottling up her real emotions in a situation and internalising all of it, causing her to stay up at night, plotting)

Bejeweled - that post-chorus Nice! thats it. Thats the post. Send tweet.

Labyrinth - the beauty of the lyrics made me too happy to care how emo this song made me

Karma - my cat is literally sitting on me and purring her little heart out <3 At first I thought that we might have overhyped the idea of karma, for i was expecting something much darker but the fact it is such a happy song is fucking perfect. I imagine Miss Swift sitting on her porch drinking a large fruity cocktail as she watches her enemies burn. Purrfect. And I'm sorry the personification of karma ohh *chef's kiss* the last line of the breakdown had me breaking down. Fav so far I think.

Sweet Nothing - this one made my cry. It's just so fucking sweet but I also can't help but think how Joe is seen by the public as just Some Guy who's been up-and-coming for years and yet??? But he's clearly just vibing and she's vibing with him and I'm happy they're happy

Mastermind - ok but can we talk about the contrast of this song compared to Invisible String (the golden string to lead her through the labyrinth in her mind maybe???) where she basically says everything happens for a reason and somehow they ended up together but actually no, that reason was her- but was it tho?? Because if he knew all along that means he was in on the scheme so perhaps they are both masterminds that found each other... idk, i just think they're neat.

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

Okay I saw the prompt list right...

17 angst jercy? Hurt my feelings please

don’t call me: version 1

umm hi Sky my writing demon loved this prompt very much, like very very much. I kind of wrote two different versions because I didn't know which direction to go in so I said fuck it and just did both?

I think I'm going to post one to this ask and then the other separately just for some order. thank you for sending it in and I hope it's angsty enough? you know me and angst aren't friends

prompt: “Don’t call me, I don’t want any contact with you.”// jercy// 383 words

CW: blood

[all images have alt text]

Percy can feel the tears running down Jason's cheeks like they're his own. He almost touches his face to check. But then he remembers the blood coating his hands, making his fingers slide as they try to grasp Riptide.

"What did you do?" There's a sob breaking the blonde's chest. If he squints he can see the ribcage split open.

He swallows the bile threatening to scorch his throat. The lie tastes sandpaper rough against his tongue. "I killed her."

"Why?" The right lens on Jason's glasses is cracked through the middle. It makes his blue eyes look split apart, like a yawning ocean.

"She almost killed me so I killed her first."

"But she was all I had left." The voice is so small he wants to crawl into his own ear to hear better.

"You have me."

"No," And the viper is back with venom. If anyone stood before them now they wouldn't be able to tell who the good Roman child was. Jason? They would say. I used to know him. Good soldier. Always had his head on straight.

Fists curl golden hands. Hard set jaw strong enough to clamp down on a bicep and rip clean off. Mind feral enough to consider it. Wildness stares at him and it looks just like hate.

"No I don't have you." The words are spitting. They taste deadly in the air. "You killed my sister. Don’t call me, don't look at me, don't try to find me. I don’t want any contact with you.”

The ground swallows Percy whole. He is once again in a labyrinth.

Thalia Grace pulls herself off from the wall she's leaning against, picking dirt from her nails with the top of an arrow.

"I’m sorry." Her voice is as strong and distant as ever. "It had to be done."

"Find a way." Percy cannot hold on much longer. He is keeping everything wrapped tightly enough to choke him. "I can't lose him." Viper has a meal.

"I really am sorry Percy." She sounds small and far away. He knows she's already back with her Goddess. He is speaking to her echo.

"Just find a way." He sinks to the floor, head cradled against blood-slicked palms. "I want my heart back."

The sky cracks. The earth doesn't respond.

[liibrii]

Kita Shinsuke x gn!Reader

Synopsis: Hitchhiking through the countryside you catch a ride from a handsome stranger, which just might turn out to be the greatest decision of your life – or your greatest mistake.

wc: 2k || thriller-ish, mystery-ish

a/n: heavily inspired by one of my all time favourite songs; The Count of Tuscany. tbh this fic was just an excuse for me to listen to it on repeat for several hours :P as always feedback is greatly appreciated!

In the bathroom of the roadside gas station you change into your best clothes and brush through the tangles in your hair, wash your face, scrub your hands to make sure there's no dirt beneath your nails. No one in their right mind would pick up a scruffy looking hitchhiker.

You decide to stand outside where everyone who drives in to fill their gas tanks will notice you. On a small chalkboard you bought for a few hundred yen in a convenience store you write the name of your destination with the prettiest writing you manage and even add a smiley face. That should do the trick of gaining attention.

You've almost reached your destination already. The western sea of Japan. Being born on the eastern coast you have watched the sun rise above the ocean your entire life. At least once in your life you want to see it sink in the vastness of the sea hugging your homeland.

Would a train or a bus bring you to your destination faster? They would, sadly your wallet disagreed with that option. Hitchhiking really was the best option even if you often waited for hours with no luck. Still it wasn't all bad; one time an elderly lady stoped to give you a lift. You sat in the back as the front sit was occupied by her dog who excitedly turned to sniffle and lick your face, begging for scratches. She made you stay for dinner and even prepared a futon for you to sleep. “All my children and grandchildren moved to the big cities.“ She scratched behind the ears of her dozing four legged companion as you drank tea while sun slowly set behind the hilltops. “Slowly but surely we are bein' left behind. Seein' someone so young come 'round makes these old bones incredibly happy.“

Following morning she wished you good luck on your journey. Her name and address are written in your dairy. When new year comes in a few months you mustn't forget to send her a gift. You watched her stroll away, one slow step after another, dog trailing behind, her back bent under the weight of years. Is that what the future holds for you?

You try to keep a positive outlook, at least you get to see the beauty of the countryside. The green hills and vast fields of rice swaying in the wind are a sight that takes your breath away. Summer's coming to an end. It will soon be harvest season.

Your legs are starting to hurt. Hours have passed and nobody pays you even a second glance. Under the hat your hair sticks to your skin, droplets of sweat trickle down your back. You're all but ready to give up and start looking for a place to stay the night when a man about your age approaches.

He has caught your eye before. Something about his overalls and silvery hair glimmering in the sun made him stand out from the others. He kept glancing over at you while filling his tank.

“I'm not goin' as far as ya want,“ his eyes glance over the chalkboard you're holding. “But if ya want I can give ya a ride to the next town over.“

You eagerly nod. “That would be great!“ You offer him a hand. “You can call me y/n!“

His hand is calloused. Hand of someone working outside. “Kita.“

Ride is comfortable. Kita is more on the quiet side but once you mention how pretty the landscape looks with all the swaying fields he laughs . It's a bright sound that makes your heart skip a beat. He tells you he works the fields, not all you see, but many of them. Talking to him quickly becomes easy. To your surprise you find you have a lot in common. When you arrive to the town and he stops by a small inn offering rooms you're almost reluctant to leave his company. He hesitates when taking your backpack from the back seats. “I know we just met,“ he softly says, “but could I take you out for dinner? Maybe tonight?“

How could you possibly say no? You've been travelling on your own for the past two weeks and the loneliness is starting to get to you. And he's cute.

When he picks you up a few hours later he's wearing a nice button down. He combed his hair though you preferred it when it was all messy. “I'm not late am I?“

“No, I'm just a bit early.“

“Here,“ he shyly averts his eyes when he hands you a small bouquet of spider lilies that have yet to open in full bloom.

Your cheeks flush. It has been a long time since anyone gifted you flowers. “Thank you,“ you say, sincerely.

Kita takes you to a small family owned restaurant down the street. He opens the door for you and pours you tea while you skim through the menu. Talking to him is so easy. He mentions he used to play volleyball back in high school, that many of his old teammates went on to play professionally. Embarrassed you have to tell him you know very little about volleyball. As you speak his eyes linger on your face. Sports have never been your strong suit, you admit.

“Don't feel bad over it,“ he reassuringly smiles. “So how come yer travellin' these parts?“

Your dream of seeing the sunset over the sea seems so simple when you tell him but Kita nods. There's wisdom in his eyes you don't usually see in your peers. Why are you so relieved he doesn't find your dream childish? “I just want to see the country, get to know the land and the history,“ you eagerly continue.

“There's an old castle ruin not far from the town. Tourists often visit it. If ya want I can show ya 'round,“ he offers.

A trip to ruins does sound nice. Even a little bit romantic. One more day staying around couldn't hurt, right?

Kita's smile widens when you agree. “I'll pick ya up tomorrow. Would around midday be alright?“

For the rest of the night you're all giddy on the inside. You can't wait for tomorrow to arrive. Kita walks you back to the inn and waits till you're inside before heading his own way. What a gentleman, you think to yourself. Meeting someone like him was the last thing you expected.

Whatever road lead to the castle in its days of glory has long since been claimed by the nature. Kita walks with steps of someone who has walked this path a thousand times before. You trail behind him, your clothes getting caught in branches all the time. When he sees you struggling he slows down and even offers to carry your small backpack for you.

“This castle used to be really important back in the days,“ he explains while you catch your breath. “It's strategic position is really important. There's a legend my grannie used to tell me. Durin' the Sengoku period the youngest son of a shogun fortified himself in this castle and defended it for months. Then his enemies dug tunnels beneath.“ He offers you a hand to help you climb over a pile of rubble marking what once were the castle walls. “Filled them with wood soaked in fat and set it aflame. Castle crumbled and buried hundreds of soldiers beneath it. Some say the son of the shogun still haunts this place.“

“An interesting story,“ you say, ignoring how every hair on your body stands up.

By the time you reach the ruins you're drenched in sweat and yet once the view of the valley beneath opens up you forget all about the fatigue. You step closer to the ledge and peek over it. The side of the hill plunges straight down. Deep below you see tree tops. If you slipped -

A hand grabs your shoulder. “Careful. The stones 'round here often crumble.“

You murmur an apology. Kita's hand lingers on yours, his eyes following when you walk away to have a closer look at the ruins. They're covered with grass and small trees sprouting from the crack between stones. Funny, you can't see any tables with information about this place. Having a map would surely help with orientation. You can't be the only tourist with a knack of getting lost.

Kita approaches you with a smile. “Wanna see somethin' really cool?“

You follow him inside the ruins. “Watch yer step,“ he holds the branches of a lonely tree so they don't smack you as you walk by, “it's easy to trip 'round here.“

Walls here are better preserved, higher. The shadows they cast seem longer. You follow Kita inside the labyrinth of crumbled stone. An uneasy feeling of being watched grows inside you as your approach scares off a flock of birds.

Kita pushes away a curtain of poison ivy to reveal a gaping hole where the walls lean on the cliff towering above. Cold gust of wind makes you shudder. “Here,“ Kita offers you a torchlight. Your hands are cold. Fingers barely capable of wrapping around the black plastic.

He turns to you, his eyes carefully examining your face before he enters. “Ya comin'? Be careful where ya step, the stairs are slippery.“ He offers you his hand. It's warm.

“There's a natural cave beneath the castle.“ His calm voice echoes through the winding staircase. “Apparently it used to have a small pool for the nobles to cool in durin' summer. It's filled with rubble now.“

Light of the torches casts eerie shadows on the walls. Stone surface under your fingers is cold and damp. You follow Kita through a narrow hallway and soon enough you reach a small cave. It probably used to be bigger but a part of the ceiling caved in.

Rubble crunches under the soles of your shoes. In the eerie silence all you hear is your breathing and unsteady thumping in your chest. Somewhere in the distance perhaps a ghost of a long deceased soldier- you curse yourself in your head. Why are you trying to scare yourself?

You look up to see stalactites growing from the ceiling. How many thousands of years old must they be?

“They only grow about a millimetre per year. Must be tens of thousands of years old.“ Kita's voice makes you jump. How did he know exactly what you were thinking?

Only now you notice he's standing between you and the exit to the hallway. His eyes are fixed on you. He's closing off the only exit. Pounding in your chest quickens. This place is starting to suffocate you. 

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

You really did follow a complete stranger into a cave beneath an abandoned castle. What an idiot. Naive, trusting idiot.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

Slowly, like water dripping from the ceiling it sinks in you may not make it out of here.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

Ah, don't be stupid! You still have years to live! A boring office job to take on! When was the last time you spoke to your friends?

Kita's eyes never leave yours as he steps closer. In the dim light it all seems so- Kita wouldn't- But you don't know him, do you? Torch rolls from your shaking fingers.

Is this really how it ends? Hidden from the sunlight, caught like a mouse in a trap of stone and cold cutting to your bones? You can't breathe. Will they ever find you? Tears well up in your eyes. Why? What have you done to deserve this?

You're shaking. Will you ever see the sunset over the vastness of the sea? Will you lay beside the unfortunate soldiers from centuries ago till you become only clean, nameless bones?

A shaky plea for your life is all you manage to stammer. Through the tears his face is just muddled colours. Is this really how you die?

Warm touch of his hands cupping your face, thumbs wiping away tears, his soft, gentle voice, paralyse you. “Hey, why are ya cryin'?“

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP Meme from Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room : Part One"

Woe is me. Woe is me.

The cry you're hearing is that of the broken-hearted crocodile. It is a rare species of reptile found in swampy regions that are particularly sad.

There is no reason for you to make yourself as miserable and melancholy as I am.

It had been a disaster. It had been a catastrophe.

It's ginger, I believe.

Well, this is perfect timing because I have just finished frosting this delicious coconut cream cake.

I don't like fancy titles unless they get me a discount at the movies.

Do you like going to the movies?

What is your favorite movie?

Would you like a piece of cake?

Well, that leaves one extra slice of cake.

I know. I'll eat it myself.

My screeching iguana clock does tend to startle some people. But then, so, of course, does the screeching iguana.

Frankly, that man ruffles my scales.

That is astonishing.

I can't believe your parents never told you about me.

I loved them dearly. Look, here's a picture of us.

Do you know what "herpetology" means?

Why, I'm so giddy having you here that I might as well be talking gibberish.

I am about to show you one of the most important scientific collections in the history of the world.

This door has been installed with top-of-the-line security system.

You can't get inside unless you have 19 keys, three combinations, two fingerprints and one optical scan.

Feel free to explore.

Can it really fly?

When it becomes absolutely overwhelming, it is useful to stop for a moment of contemplation, uh, with a cup of tea or some other powerful beverage.

Get the snake!

I told you we couldn't trust him.

You're laughing?

It's a misnomer. Do you know what that means?

Why would you give your own discovery the wrong name?

Payback for years of ridicule.

Are there any snakes in this room that are dangerous?

I have an entire cabinet full of venom samples from some of the most venomous snakes known to man. And woman.

The deepest secrets of the snake world can be found in these pages.

You are not only allowed, you are implored to read these books.

You know, I always wanted to have a family of my own.

Ah, thank you. I'm so grateful.

Well, I'm gonna go into town and pick up a few things that I like to keep in stock. Wasp repellent, canned peaches, a fireproof canoe.

What movie are we seeing?

I have a feeling there are many things that you're going to see that you've never heard of before.

Life is a conundrum of esoterica.

There we go. Come along.

Those hedges outside make up a labyrinth.

It's a mark of villainy.

Things aren't always as they seem.

Something strange is going on here.

You wouldn't dare.

Let's not discuss what I would or would not dare do.

Open this door!

We can't just stay here and wait for him to burst in and slaughter us.

He must have some scheme. I just don't know what it could be.

Well, that is an unusual and long-winded explanation.

Well, seems everything is settled, then.

Well, why don't you go upstairs and get yourself settled?

Are those suitcases alligator skin?

I really love reptiles

So, you see, there's nothing to be worried about.

I got all my shopping done and I even brought takeout for dinner.

I had no idea that our enemies would catch up to us so quickly.

It's clear now that I can't turn my back for a second.

He can wear as many lab coats as he wants, and present me with as many ridiculous papers as he wants, he's no more a lab assistant than I'm a three-mouth Brazilian waxed turtle.

A man that dastardly must be watched like a hawk.

That's all we're gonna do? Keep an eye on him?

I seem to have been very careless with the heavy glass reading lamp that was in my bedroom that fell out right when you were walking under it.

He wasn't being careless. He was being murderous.

I know what I'm doing.

I don't think I'll be joining tonight.

In all honesty, I prefer long-form television to the movies.

It's so much more convenient to consume entertainment

from the comfort of your own home.

Well, I insist you come.

I insist upon staying here.

With all due respect, I feel a little uncomfortable

I would like to make a brief phone call before we leave.

I don't know anything about mouth sores.

Oh! I love this song!

I just thought it might be nice to get out and see a movie.

I need more exciting things in my life. And I think it's because my life is boring.

I decided to treat myself to some popcorn because there is nothing exciting happening in my life at all.

Some popcorn actually sound delicious.

I get popcorn for me, for all of us. My treat.

Seventh row, right of center, that is the best place.

There's more to a movie than just a movie.

If the movie's in English, why are there English subtitles?

All the best movies have subtitles.

I'm watching the movie!

No! Where is your conscience?

You're a tasty treat

I promise this isn't goodbye.

Put on this warm scarf

You're blocking the screen!

Go that way.

I hope you didn't miss anything.

I think you-know-who is trying to send a you-know-what.

Is there anything else I should know?

You look handsome in that beard.

What did I miss?

Oh, boy, they're still singing.

I am going to need to excuse myself.

Pictures today. So violent.

Surely nothing can spoil this happy and festive occasion.

Well, that is where I shall bury you.

Things must be worse than we thought.

Well, wish me luck, old friend.

Whatever shall we do next?

It's been a long night and we have a very busy day tomorrow.

Did you enjoy the movie?

It was unusual.

Uh, it will require some further explanation.

I am your guardian.

It is my job and my delight, might I add, to keep you safe.

Do you think you can just waltz into my life, and the life of my children, and perpetuate this treachery?

You don't know my real name?

I don't need to know your real name.

Can you hear what they're saying?

You have found out my secret identity.

I've been outsmarted.

Now be gone.

I said be gone!

The authorities are on their way.

We are off to Peru.

It's a wonderful country

Well, once we disembark in Chimbote, you will have all the answers you need.

Well, it's a good thing I stocked up on peaches and canoes.

You never know when you might need to leave the country in a moment's notice.

First one to find one gets to name it.

We have a squidillion things to do tomorrow and a boat to catch.

[placeinthisworld]

hi there! i'm glad babysitting went well! my potluck was super fun thanks! i brought carrot cake cupcakes and everyone really liked them

oooh those songs are all soo good!! also very unique, i feel like they're not people's usual go to favorites. and yesss debut and speak now truly are amazing and soo under appreciated (even by me i must say 😔 they always end up low on my album rankings just because i love the other albums so much) i always have such a hard time picking fav songs lmaoo but i'd have to say right now mine are labyrinth, the great war, clean, wildest dreams, and evermore. and the last time i did the full song ranking mary's song was in my top ten so i've got at least some debut appreciation i promise lmaoo

are debut and speak now the rerecords you're most looking forward to? sending love!! 💕💕

Ooooohhhh a carrot cake sounds SO yummy!! My friends mom makes a pumpkin roll with spiced rum cream cheese frosting and I’m looking forward to getting one for Christmas from them!!! Can never go wrong with that flavor 😋

THANK U!! Debut has a special spot in my heart bc it’s when I became a swiftie and i remember almost destroying the lyric booklet trying to decipher the secret messages and learning the lyrics 💗 so any debut love I will happily enjoy since it’s always everyone’s least favorite (why does everyone hate happy fake accent era Taylor? 💔) Taylor has SUCH a long career it’s so hard to choose favorite songs bc there’s just sooooooo many songs!!!!! I really want to sit down one day and do a major ranking of all the songs she has officially released but I feel like that would take hours 😂. But yessss personally I think debut and speak now are the most exciting albums to hear re-recorded!!! So I’m both thankful and anxious about when she’ll release them!!! What about you, are you looking forward to any re-recordings yet especially or did she already release your favorite album!!?

[the-firebird69]

You need to running up there to the white box above the great lakes and they're yelling this once we're through with you we're going after his people for telling us and they're pointing down to the Midwest. And we're saying you're not going anywhere and we hit him and they keep saying it over and over and over. And we keep hitting them over and over and over and none of them survive. But they're so stupid that they just keep doing it so I'm telling people they need to die here like that and before they get here because they're huge losers. And that's what I need to tell ours to do I don't want them here and sincerely cannot stand what they look like and what they do. And they put on the news of volcano because there's some kind of pyramid out there in the middle middle of Florida, it looks like a hotel and they can't tell what it is. So the talking about catacombs too it's like a hundred feet down is like this catacomb it does lead somewhere and somebody put it there and there's nothing to it just some hallways and no doors and no finishes it's all concrete and it goes down into this catacombs and it is a labyrinth really it's not very big and they're going down in there to see what the hell it is and there's a tunnel and it's concrete and it leads to a river and they don't know how long it's been there it's got some stuff overgrown it and growing into it and pretty soon it's going to be covered with foliage. And you have to go through the labyrinth to get to the tunnel. And their horrified. So try and figure out why it goes to the underwater river and whose thing it is and allow them figure out they could try and use it so... They're sending teams but from each group and they're fighting over this concrete pyramid it doesn't look like anything is in it and you can go up inside it too it has no windows and the several rooms. Another uncle in the fight over it so it appears and it is going on right now so you sort of get his idea. And we see what's going on. It's a lead in and it works and there's tons of people going out there in cosplay of the predator and they're fighting each other and it's mostly the flammable version right now and a lot of people can attest it was a dumb thing to do.

It's not near Crystal lake well the lake with a Godzilla but they think it is and it's downstream but there's tons of people out there fighting over it. 700,000 people from each group and they're going at it. They're ordering up troops to go after it. It's a huge success no people going there and fighting over this place and they don't know what it is it's kind of a horrible thing. I know what to say is giant numbers of people fighting over this thing. We know who's landed is they're all pissed off. And they're saying someone should have made me an offer before putting that damn thing there it's probably an a****** hotel idea. Concrete pile everyone's fighting on my land over it it looks like my structure was yelling whose is it over and over. It sounds like this idiot next door he says that's who's yelling it now he's an idiot just doesn't get it. People going to shove it up his ass say you didn't say it's a hotel and just sit there accessing it so they're going after him cuz it's his technique he says I can do what I want in my property now he's saying it's a temporary structure and has no foundation and you're saying no it's the foundation itself and we went disputing the structure well we were a little what's on is where did all these damn people come from and why are they fighting over this if it's your stupid hotel and he says I don't know they want access to the river so he's trying to get pissed off he goes what's in the river Chris I said I don't know your bodies who's laughing and says no besides that more of your bodies or that's it I have no idea what is the access to other stuff that's your stupid hotel when you like want me not to tell people cuz they'll go after you so it's starting to think about it it's dumb to talk about. River goes upstream to Crystal lake and there's a smaller Godzilla is that come out of there. So people are starting to see it

Thor Freya

[selenelavellan]

I know the Swapped Bodies snippet was meant to be a one-off, but once everything's back to normal (for a given value of 'normal'), how would Selene react to her new understanding of Dirthamen's experience? Fierce over-protective mode? Would Dirthamen be very surprised by inhabiting a body that isn't constantly shifting forms? Once they're properly situated, do they make many huggings?

Sorry for the wait anon.

Body Swap AU Part 2

part 1

Dirthamen and Deceit and the Evanuris belong to @feynites

The journey back to Dirthamens holdingsin Arlathan is strenuous.  Each step feels like she’s trudgingthrough water against the tide, ready for her feet (or whateversemblance of a foot she may currently be sporting) to give waybeneath her.

She ready to collapse by the time theymake it through the gates. Keeping the form is much more of a mentaland magical strain than she is used to dealing with, and still she isonly barely managing to keep it all together.

She and Deceit vanish behind the heavydrapery of Dirthamens private chamber together for a moment ofprivacy.

Selene melts into the couch cushions.

Literally.

Deceit quickly shifts into Dirthamensusual form, and begins quietly hissing at Selene.

“How did this happen?”

“I’m not sure,” Selene sighs, twopuddles crashing like waves up and then down in a semblance of a shrug. “I wasworking in the labyrinth, and then I felt a sting in the back of myneck, and then I was in that meeting.” She frowns as she recalls theevents of the meeting. “Are they always that rude to him?”

“It is usually worse,” Deceitadmits “But Mythal at least seemed to recognize something was notquite right and kept Elgar'nan more placated than she would normallybother to.”

“I suppose that’s…good, then? Fornow. Perhaps he’ll get a break.”

“He will not. It is more likely shewill be keeping a closer eye on things, and look for an opening toseize more power from him. You will have to be more cautious.”

Selenes frown deepens “I don’t likethe sound of that. I was hoping for more ‘don’t worry Selene, we’llget this all sorted out and get things back to normal’ and less'You’ve made everything exponentially worse and there’s no real planon how to move forward so just be careful and try not to get any ofus killed’.”

“I’ve always appreciated your abilityto read between the lines,” Deceit jokes with a smile that doesn’tquite reach his eyes.

A piece of her form curls up from theground and tugs teasingly on the bottom of his robe in response.

“The good news is, we have experiencein Dirthamen not always being Dirthamen,” Deceit placates “Thebad news is, that means you will need to be me while I am being him.”

“I don’t think I can manage Sairal,”Selene admits while trying to pull herself back into a vaguely elvenform rather than a series of thick puddles  “I can barely manage tokeep this together at all.”

“Another, simpler form might be moresuitable then. Have you tried a raven?”

Selene rolls her shoulders as best shecan, head practically falling over from the elongated neck when shemoves to crack it. Quickly, she straightens, and lets out a breath.

Ok.

A raven.She can do a raven. She’smanaged the white raven before, in her own body.

Same deal here.

Probably.

Let’s see…Wings, of course. And allblack, for Dirthamen, a bit larger than normal. Sleek, for Deceit,with the elongated talons…

She feels her body shifting, hears thebones snapping and stretching and feels wings pulling from hershoulder blades. One, two…three…four…five…and finally six.

Six isn’t right,she’s fairly certain. Most birds do not have six wings.

Eyes peel open tocheck, and it is disorienting at first. Too many perspectives, toomany clashing peripherals while her mind struggles to adjust to thesix eyes rolling in her newly stretched skull.

Deceit is so tiny,now.

Are ravens thisbig, she wonders? She’s pretty sure they’re not supposed to be.

“That isdefinitely not a raven,” Deceit informs her, panic beginningto subtly roll off of him. “The fact that you got to Dragonbefore a raven is a very interesting piece of information that wewill be filing away, but turning into that here could be seenas an act of war so you have to change, right now.”

Selenes ears droopin their slots beside her horns as her eyelids begin to slide closed.

Change?

Again?

“But I’m sotired…” she tries to say, but manages only a yawn and a lowrumble while her head settles down on her front paw (or is it a claw?She wonders), and she feels momentarily proud of herself for at leastmanaging to get the talons right before her eyes fall closed, heavybeneath the weight of her exhaustion.

Footsteps can beheard approaching the room, and Deceit spins on his heel, casting alarge glamour over her form in disguise as one of the attendantsenters.

Selene would beimpressed, if she weren’t so tired.

Deceit speaksbefore the attendant can.

“We will bereturning to our own territories immediately,” he informs them.“Please gather whatever is necessary for the trip.”

The attendantpauses, but quickly drops into a bow with a nod, and exits as quicklyas they had entered.

Deceit turns backto Selene, wearing Dirthamens most disapproving face.

She lets out a softwhine in response.

–

After a lengthyseries of contemplation, Dirthamen decides the least damaging thinghe can do, is return to his own quarters, to await Selenes return.

Which would be avery wise plan.

If only he hadconsidered that Selene is significantly more social than he is.

He is barely up thestairs when he hears someone call for her. It takes a moment, but heturns and gives an awkward wave to the woman calling for her. She iscarrying a clipboard, with several series of equations on them.

He is not sure whatthey are pertaining to.

That is mildlytroubling.

She is asking for aquick check of her mathematical writing for some sort of presentationshe will be giving.

Dirthamen is notentirely positive if her numbers are right or not, but given that heis technically the one she will ultimately be presenting to, he saysthey are fine so that she will be on her way.

He will check themlater.

He turns to headback up the stairs when he finds both arms have been seized. Loopedthrough by two other elves who should not be permitted totouch her without permission and-

Ah.

Melanadahl and Des.

He should haveexpected as much.

Their matchinggrins have his stomach feeling unsettled, and for a moment he misseshaving a form that could easily turn gaseous to escape their grasps.

“Seleeeeene~”Des singsongs “I finished that little piece you asked me to makeyou. When will you be over to try it on?”

“Piece of what?”Dirthamen asks before he can stop himself. He was unaware she wascommissioning Des and his body of…work.

Des’s eyebrowquirks in suspicion, but Melanadahl speaks up before he can begin aline of questioning.

Dirthamen does notthink he has ever been grateful to have Melanadahl speak up before.

“She can’t try iton until after we’ve checked over the newest piece of machineryJune’s people had sent over. Can you believe they’re still enchantingoak, rather than glass? And yet they’re the ones people lookto for innovations. It’s embarrassing, really. Are we allowed toembarrass them? Send them back a better version of their own design?Do you think you could swing an approval on that?”

“June seemsunlikely to take well to that,” Dirthamen-as-Selene frowns.

“So it’s June’sapproval you’re worried about now?” Melanadahl laughs “A week agoyou called their ambassador a barbarian after he tried to get youinto his bed.”

“He did what?”Dirthamen proclaims, pausing mid step. Not that Selene is notpermitted to sleep with whomever she chooses of course. They have notmade any vows of a monogamous partnership. Yet. But she hadn’tmentioned anything to him about it. Are there other, similarencounters still occurring she isn’t informing him of? She has beenspending each night in his bed, so she isn’t taking any of the otherproposals seriously, he supposes. Still, the thought of her doing sowith someone else is…not pleasing.

“Are you feelingalright?” Des questions, hand pressing against Dirthamen-as-Selenesforehead. “You were with the healers earlier, right? Do you need tolie down?”

“I amfeeling…adequate. Perhaps my memory has a few gaps, however. Pleasepardon any discrepancies.”

“Sure…” Deshums.

“Well, youprobably shouldn’t be in the workshop then,” Melanadahl pouts.After a beat, his lips curl into a large grin, and Dirthamen suspectshe is not actually broken up about the situation at all as hecontinues with “Des’s it is, then.”

–

Selene manages toget herself into a raven-esque form before the attendants return fortheir trip back into the territories. There are still six eyes andsix wings, but nothing about it is screaming 'Dragon’ anymore, soDeceit has calmed down significantly.

Selene is stillstruggling to contain everything. She’s not quite sure how Dirthamenmanages to do this all the time, but she knows there are lots moremassages in his future. Her back is killing her already.

The journey out ofArlathan seems calm enough that Selene manages to doze, still perchedon Deceit-as-Dirthamens shoulder as the contingent travels into thecrossroads.

Of course, that iswhen things get complicated.

Deceit hears thearrow with enough time to throw up a barrier, shattering it intosplinters. Three assassins shift, positions now compromised as thecontingent throws their own spells and weapons towards theassailants.

The battle does notlast long. It is all too obvious that these were people who reliedtoo heavily on the element of surprise and their stealth.

Selene would feelbad, if she were not still struggling to hold a form that couldmostly-pass for a raven.

“We are almostthere,” Deceit whispers to her. She takes it as a reassurance thatshe can doze again, and so she does, trying to ignore the smell ofblood coming from the corpses.

–

Dirthamentwirls Selenes body, wearing the very, very, short dress she hadapparently commissioned from Des. It is opaque only over her hips andbreasts, hiding very particular spots from view beneath a white silkthat is otherwise thin enough to be translucent. There is a slit upthe side to show off the length of her legs, and the back dips downin a steep curve that ends at the top curve of her buttocks.

He quite likes iton her.

He thinks he wouldlike it more if he could not also hear Melanadahls low whistle inapproval of it.

“You should wearthat to work,” he teases.

“It does notmatch the safety parameters of clothing that may be worn in theworkshop,” Dirthamen argues “This is clearly made only forbedroom activities.”

“That iswhat you asked for,” Des chimes in. “Are you sure you don’t wantme to bring the torso in a bit more?”

“No, this isfine,” Dirthamen assures. “I-He prefers when it is still a bitloose. There is more room for movement, and her-my comfort is veryimportant.”

“Uh-huh,” Desnods, tossing him back the clothing she had been wearing before.

Dirthamen movesback into the changing room, and quietly hopes that she will not betoo upset with him for ruining the surprise.

–

Deceit takes thefastest route back into Dirthamens chambers once they have crossedback into his territories. Her 'raven’ is beginning to grow extralimbs, and the mask reappearing is only causing more panic to rolloff of her as she looks around at the things that were not meant tobe seen by others. Her control over the form is slipping, and it is arelief to let her loose into their room.

Selene is alsoquite happy to be near a bed, he notes, as the form becomes moreelvhen and she sprawls out on the expansive mattress.

Dirthamen appearsnot long after, looking worn out himself.

His brow creases ashe watches Selenes form shift through an array of colors beforestriding towards him.

“Are youalright?” he asks as she curls around him.

“I’m fine,” sheassures him, feeling a bit better already, though still very, verytired. “How are you doing?”

Dirthamen hesitates“I ran into Des and Melanadahl, and found out about June’sambassador.”

“Oh.”

“You did not tellme they had invited you into their bed.”

“Invited is avery polite way of putting it,” she mutters “But I handled it. Ifigured you had enough to deal with, I didn’t want to bother you withit.”

Dirthamen supposeshe can’t really fault her for that. It is good to know she handled iton her own, and was not maliciously keeping secrets from him. Hischest feels strangely lighter with the knowledge. “In thefuture, if there are troubles or more improper encounters like that,I would appreciate being told. It is no bother, I assure you.”

“Alright,”Selene nods. She pauses for several beats before speaking up again,more quietly “I’m sorry about your family.”

Dirthamen panicsbriefly, before Deceit sends him flashes, memories of the encounter.

Ah.

Nothing tooterrible then, at least.

“They are myfamily,” he evades. “You should be more concerned that you wereattacked on the route back.”

“Technically youwere attacked.”

“No,” Dirthameninsists. “The group responsible for the assault at the crossroadslikely knew that I was not inhabiting the body at that time. Theyswitched us, first, so they knew it was you.”

“Why would theywant to hurt me?”

“Perhaps becauseit is known you are close to me. Although that is only knowledgewithin my higher circles which would suggest a leak and thatis…concerning, and requires more strenuous investigation. Orperhaps they simply hoped that it would be easier to destroy my bodyif I were not in it. Then when whatever they put into your body woreoff, I would not have anything to return to.”

“They probablyweren’t wrong,” Selene mumbles, dragging Dirthamen closer to thebed.

“No. It is goodDeceit was with you.”

She sighs as shelays down in the bed, neck and torso elongating as she pulls him downon top of her, arm-like limbs curling around him.

It is aninteresting shift to see this from an outside perspective, he thinks.

“I don’t want youto get hurt,” Selene sighs into the top of his head.

“I will strivenot to,” he promises.

Her breaths beginto even out beneath him, and it does not take long for him torecognize the particular strain of exhaustion surrounding her. Hecurls against her, his own exhaustion at the amount of intimatesocializing he had undertaken with her friends in an attempt to keeptheir cover washing over him.

When he next wakes,he is back to the usual view of the world through the slits of hismask.

He has never beenso grateful to be back in his own body.