#aphrodite likely made this deal knowing that this would likely unfold

[huntingrays]

valgrace prompt: aphrodite makes piper a deal that if she can successfully match make a couple then she will give piper any type of magical item she likes. she isn’t inclined to take the deal due to her not wanting to meddle around in other people’s love lives.

however, after leo comes out to her, she makes a deal with him. she says she’ll find him the perfect boyfriend (since she doesn’t mind meddling in leo’s love life) and succeed in aphrodite’s deal. it’s a win-win situation since he’ll get an amazing, loving, piper-approved boyfriend and she’ll get whatever magical item she wants from her mom.

it sounds like an easy task but it sudden becomes incredibly hard when she realizes leo doesn’t have a type. when she asks him about what he looks for in a guy, all he can come up with are “not an asshole” and “preferably not evil” and “thinks i’m funny” which aren’t very helpful. also, he seems not to have any physical preferences other than thinking muscles are attractive.

eventually, after some talking he suggests (partially as a joke) that all the things listed in holding out for a hero are what he would want in his ideal man. with this, piper is on the search to find the best boyfriend for her best friend.

however, as piper is on her search, she begins to realize that jason not only fits all the requirements but is practically the perfect boyfriend and already clicks amazingly well with leo. now, she’s determined to set up her ex boyfriend and best friend with her other best friend.

[bakubaewritings]

God of War

Bakugo x reader

Your up-brining was much unlike others born into nobility, you were taught to read and write along with various battle strategies. Being born into one of the country's most powerful kingdoms, what had begun as a small group of nomadic warriors, became the build of one of the most powerful nations in the country.

Your father had seen many wars in his day, conquer all, defend everything.

Every village, every kingdom worshipped the gods, but every village had its own select God. Ares, the God of war, or as your village knew him, Bakugo. He was a violent and destructive god with an explosive temper.

He was the God of your people, he gave them the strength to defeat any battle. Ares' presence was felt in all the temples made in dedication, his face plastered on murals and statues.

You never understand why such the appeal, the forced ideals of superior of man, and the bloodshed of war never seemed right in your mind. If the choice was, you'd chose to lay your hands into Artemis or Athena.

However, after so many possible suitors came from all over in an attempt to win your heart, all failed. Your father became worried. It seemed after so many failures, no man wanted to wed you.

You had no problem with that, for you couldn't be satisfied with these pigs.

The men looked at you as a prize to be won, not a person to be loved and cherished. They were all power-hungry, bloodthirsty pigs with no respect for women of any, you wanted no part what so ever.

Little did you know someone was watching you. Lusting over you. A being of immense power who became intoxicated by you. But this was no mere mortal, this was the God himself.

After months and months, your father found himself in your village's biggest temple for the hotheaded God himself. It was a gorgeous temple by the base of the river. Massive stone columns framed the circular temple, vines of black flowers grew up from the banks of the river and up the sides of the coulombs.

Every night on his knees, praying that the God of war would finally let you meet a man that could have your hand in marriage. He pleaded that the gods smiled down upon and grant you a husband.

"Please, my God, bless my daughter with the greatest man. I beg you, one that can tame her wild spirit, a strong warrior, someone worthy of her." He pleaded

He prayed the fates would hear his plea.

However, the fates seemed to be against your entire city as a call for help filled the air that night. Your village was being attacked by barbarians from the south. Their numbers in the thousands.

"We are under attack!" The screams filled the air, the sound of men woman and children crying and screaming.

It awoke you form your slumber with a startle, screaming and crying, you were pulled out of bed. Thrown over a firm and robust shoulder, you cried out in confusion.

"My princess, we have to get out. We are under attack."

Your father's face contoured in terror as he witnessed a fire grow, he shouted in anger. Calling for men to prepare for battle against the army of trespassers. That was when ha heavy black smoke pooled around his feet, covering the floor of the temple. A deep chuckle shook the walls.

Turning around slowly, wide fear-filled eyes, he watched the statue of the war god, once cold stone filled with the warmth of life. The gray color became one of a creamy porcelain tone.

"You," his voice was rough and loud, it echoed through the temple.

"My god." Came a shriek of fear. He couldn't bring himself to look upon God's ruby red eyes. His stare was cold.

"Well, are you going to look at me, mortal."

Reluctantly your father lifted his head to look upon God.

"My god, to what I owe the honor." His words were shakey.

"listen to you puny mortal, I will defeat the invaders for you."

"Oh, thank you, my god-" Your father began bowing up and down sprawled upon the marble floors, his eyes clouded with tears of thankfulness.

"For a price." Interrupted the porcelain-skinned God.

"My God, what can I offer you? Anything you wish in my power, I will give you to save the lives of my people."

The gods' lips curled into a devouring smirk, "your daughter."

"Hurry, we must exit the city," the guard carried you in his arm tightly, your arms gripped to his cloak. Following behind, many were of the servants and others that lived in the castle.

"Wait please, where is my father?" You cried, pounding on the back of the guard.

"By the riverbank, my princess, we must evacuate the civilians and escape on the ships while the warriors go to fight back the intruders.."

"My, my daughter?"

"Did I stutter? Look around you mortal, your people are dropping like flies." The God's voice boomed inside the temple, the roar of his voice, causing the ground to shake. "Your daughter hand for your people, one life, for the lives of your whole village."

Your father gulped, he had already lost your mother he was not ready to lose his daughter, "Will no harm come to her?" He asked

With a wide smirk, the God's vermillion eyes shined a magnificent ruby color illuminating the dark temple. "You're in such a position to make demands to a god. But yes. Now, do we have a deal?"

With a heavy heart, your father nodded. If it hadn't been Ares' own temple, anyone would have believed they were speaking to hades. The way Ares carried himself, a bloodthirsty barbarian eager to bring down his enemies.

The God rose from the stone throne, his skin began to glow a dark armor covered by his skin, as black as the night sky. With a heavy swing of his brilliant silver word, he flew into battle. Slaying all the barbarians in his way. They fell to his feet as their blood stained the grounds of the village. One by one, they fell, and their numbers dwindled, no army was a match for the God of war.

"Father!" You ran into the arms of the man who had raised you for your whole life. He kneeled in the broken temple; the ground was cracked and uneven. His skin white as a ghost, "You're alright." The moment you were in his arms, he wrapped around your shoulders tightly, pulling you closer to him. Tears began to fall upon you as your silk gown.

"Father? What's the matter?" You cupped his head gently

"Your majesty, we must evacuate, the ships are filled with civilians." The guard informed your father.

"That won't be needed. We are going to be safe." His voice came out shaky, a painful crooked smile painted his face as his eyes continued to spill tears.

"Father, what is happening?" You questioned, fear beginning to take over.

"I am so sorry, my child." You ripped away from his hold

"Father, what did you do?"

Your head turned slowly to face the unfolding scene. Your eyes widened in complete fear. Behind you, the city was in disarray; civilians poured out from the gates as they ran away from the massacre behind them.

Lighting and thunder pounded into the ground from the heavens as they surrounded him, the armor covered God. His silver sword stained with blood, and the grin on his face. It sent a shivering fear down to your core. Every kill was another climax of pleasure; in battle, he was in his element.

With one last strike, the last few fell to the ground. Finally, the invaders were dead.

Ares' head fell back with a victorious smile covering his face as he completed his mission. But now he'd only claim his promised prize.

His sharp eyes fell upon you. It took in every inch of your figure. Surely, you were no mere mortal, you couldn't be. Aphrodite herself couldn't complete with your beauty. You were perfect, and now you were his. His to claim. He sauntered towards you, his eyes never once left your body. Licking his lips as hi eyes traveled to your frame.

Lewd thoughts filled his head every second. How could a mortal be so extremely arousing?

He stood in front of you, towering over your frame, yes he was a god, and they were much taller than mortals, but he was like a giant, at almost twice your height.

"You'll be coming with me, princess." The terror that took hold of you as those words fell from his lips. His large arm wrapped around your waist tightly, pulling you towards him. You squirmed in his grasp, clawing in an attempt to release from his grip. His blood stains armor painted your colorless gown.

"let me go, let me go." You demanded, your eyes darted to meet your fathers pleading him to please help you.

But he did nothing, instead just watched as a rough, calloused hand cupped your chin.

You came face to face with him, face to face with the God of war himself. Blood-splattered his all over his face, did not hide his rugged good looks. He was an incredibly handsome man, his spiky ash-blonde locks that hung over his eyebrows. His skin was pale, although the moonlight seemed to emulate a glow.

"Let go of me this instant!" You screamed pushing away from, you didn't care one bit that he was a god. He had slaughtered thousands and just expected you to fall into his arms.

"I will do what I wish you are mine." You felt the rumble in his chest as he spoke, "you're father agreed to it himself." The gods' lips curled up into a wide villainous smirk.

"my, my father?" Your stuttered words made him let out a low chuckle. From so long he had watched you from afar, he quite expected some defiance from you. Unlike another woman that would throw themselves at a chance to be claimed by a god, you held your own. Yes, you were afraid, but you still were strong enough to defy him.

Apologies rained from your father's lips, as he attempted to explain. But even in his head, he couldn't figure out how to make sense of what he had done. Given his daughter's life away. However, you understood. Your father had done what any king would have, he sacrificed all he had for the good of his people. You could never be angry at him for that. With a sorrow-filled goodbye, you hugged your father unknowingly when you would see him again.

"You're new home awaits my princess." The God growled in your ear lowly as he ripped you from your father's grasp. "No, please, I want to stay with my father with my people." You cried in his tight grip, clawing in an attempt to get away, but it was no use, and within seconds your father and your people faded from your sights.

Ares knew you couldn't be taken you Olympus. You were mortal after all, so the next best thing was a temple in the mountains near the eastern sea. It had been abandoned for ages, the villagers that had once lived there long passed. However, it was still beautifully maintained. Many nymphs made their homes by the temple.

It was like a dream, flowers of every color decorated the temple, and the sun shined bright over the land. The ocean from below crashed onto the hot sand with a melodic chant. It was beautiful and serene.

The atmosphere much different than how you grew up. You wished you could have shown your father how beautiful it all was. Your chest was still tight at the fact you'd most likely never see him again. However, if it was your father's will that you went with the Gods' to ensure the safety of your people, you wouldn't disobey.

But in brute honesty, the God of war was the last person you'd ever want to share your life with. Everything he stood for, bloodshed and war, you disagreed with. Not to mentions the stories of the gods' affairs with the goddess Aphrodite and many others. Surely you weren't the first mortal he had taken.

Your guard was kept up; if anything, you would die fighting.

"Y/n." Your name sounded so foreign as it left his tongue, it caused a shiver to slithered down your spine. His smell was intoxicating as you felt his sharp jaw come to rest on your shoulder. With a sharp inhale, you tensed up.

The young God kissed his teeth, "I won't hurt you. I wasn't planning on it in the first place, but If it makes you feel better, I promised your father no harm would come to you, and I never break a promise. You don't have to be afraid."

You let out a scoff, "well, I'm sorry I am not like other women who would throw themselves at the chance to fuck Ares. I will not be treated as property or just some a piece of meat." He laughed, "I've watched you for much time, you're not like any other mortal. Nor are you like any other goddess. You are special. You, Y/n, are the only one worthy of being my wife." He nipped playfully at your ear

"Ares.." You whimpered softly.

"Katsuki Bakugo will do just fine."

"Bakugo, Katsuki." The way his name fell from your lips drew the young God into madness. Infatuation filled him, curiosity to get to know you, closer to you. For so long, he had watched you pined for you.

You, a mortal, had made a god fall in love with you. Not just any God.

The God Of War.

[sound-noir]

hear, o gods -a Greek myth playlist

I have SO missed making playlists, I’ve just been swamped. So have a quick Greek myth playlist, specifically focused on more calm and quiet songs.

As always, tracklist below the cut and link in the notes!

Persephone // Tamino

"Be wary of my river's undertow It flows with water from the coldest source" Did you hear?

And then I made sure You would always return You still know of dawn But you always return

Aphrodite // Honey Gentry

Aphrodite, hear my pain I want to fall in love again Not in love with a man of this world Fall in love with life itself

Aphrodite, set me free Find a way to let me leave As the future, it unfolds I leave the past and turn to gold

Sirens // The Mechanisms

Come my way and stay my honey Lay your body down next to me We can chase away your worries Sleep in peace and serenity 

Drink from my cup and soon you’ll find Your soul no longer remains confined So let the lotus set you free Soar above life’s travesty

Dionysus // Tomo

As the clouds slowly gather in the night I hear nothing but the sound of broken cries Amidst the blood of another drunken fight Lying on the pavement with the fragments of my mind Oh Dionysus won't you save us from ourselves Oh Dionysus soon there might be nothing left

Lament of Orpheus // Darren Korb

Close enough that light we can see My doubt betrays the better of me A glance to the stern is all it would be That anguished shade shall haunt me

Achilles Heel // J. Maya

Like Atlas held too much I feel crushed under this love 'Cause with those nectar lips and Ambrosia hips Boy, you've become my drug

Loving you's my Achilles' heel Drop my guard when you're with me, I can't deal I just hate when I walk on these pins and needles I want to kill this Achilles' heel

Eurydice // Eugenie

Eurydice... Don't look back Cause I'll be falling down I'm falling now Don't look down

Siren Song // Lambia

The light hits the water, a voice from the sea A haunting melody Crystalline caves where the tide sits neck deep A hollowed heaven where two lovers meet

A day or so later, a body ashore Skin peeling off, urchins in her pores Sometimes it happens, the officer states A tourist gets brave and dies in the waves

Persephone in the Garden // Aidoneus

My goddess of light And spring and all things good How, how wrong How, how long Before you break down and fly away with your spirit And mine in tow and leave me below with all the fates and shades and the river passing through But I could never blame you

[revalise]

After the Sun [M] | Prologue

Pairing: Chrollo Lucilfer x Fem. OC

Genre: Romance and eventual smut

Rating: M

Words: 2800+

Notes: Huge thanks to Ellen @4miez, Nerissa @bnha-aesthetic, Sky @pixiewombat​, and my friend Jane for beta reading this chapter. You guys helped me out a lot in bringing out the best in this fic!

Slow updates until Harder (Levi Ackerman) is finished.

Masterlist | Notes & Soundtrack | 01

Chrollo Lucilfer gets everything he wants, when he wants-even if it means undergoing extreme measures. Nothing bothered him, until an aphrodite, Astra Gerber, appeared one night and stole from the infamous thief. In return that Chrollo doesn't report her, he strikes a deal. But it could be more than what Astra bargained for.

APHRODITE

Chrollo Lucilfer sat alone on the VIP couch Yorktown's favored uptown bar, casually gulping down a glass of straight vodka. It was not like him to expose himself, especially in big crowds, but he couldn't deny the requests of his troupe members. It wouldn't have come this way if it weren't for the coin toss Shalnark did, and they knew better than to disagree.

The Phantom Troupe wanted to celebrate the success of another act played well, and to "unleash," as per Shalnark's words; having fun was something they all deserved after all the work they'd done. Indeed, after only a few minutes, the rest of them were having the night of their lives—well, maybe except for the leader himself and the stoic Feitan who enjoyed himself at the bar counter, drinking all that he could.

Chrollo looked over at Shizuku, who was surrounded by different men that were obviously interested in her, as they flirted, fawned, and tried to impress her. Though she looked timid around them, she showed no fear. He knew she didn't need any help. She could handle it very well. If it came to that.

"You know you won't enjoy yourself if you keep that up, right?" Shalnark appeared in front of him with a smile and an arm draped around a beautiful girl.

'Shit. What a catch. I should've gone for him.'  The girl clicked her tongue at the sight of a well-dressed Chrollo. He wore his black suit and he didn't have his hair combed back for once. Dark brown orbs lit up when hit with dancing lights, his silver St. Peter's cross around his neck lightly dangling. He looked very manly, like a god who came down from the heavens. While Shalnark had his visuals, there was a tremendous gap between how he and Chrollo presented themselves. Shalnark looked like a boy while Chrollo looked like a man.

"Nothing in here interests me," Chrollo deadpanned, waving his other hand in a dismissive manner.

"Shall I stay with you then?" The girl Shalnark brought over flashed her charms and spoke with a sweet voice as she blinked seductively, but Chrollo paid no attention to her.

"Come back when we're leaving. I'll enjoy my drink for now." He waved his glass of vodka in his hand.

Shalnark snickered, amused at Chrollo and the mortified pursed lips of the woman beside him. To her dismay, she'd been ignored.

"I'm leaving," Shalnark removed his arm from around the woman. "But I think you'll be having some fun tonight," he smirked and left the woman looking lost and deeply embarrassed at the situation unfolding before her eyes, practically running away.

And so Chrollo tried to enjoy his night alone, trying to amuse himself by drinking to see how long he could go without getting drunk. He'd been pouring himself another drink when a certain figure caught his eyes.

Anyone who observed Chrollo would have perceived him as someone hard to approach. But in truth, that wasn't the case. Chrollo only paid attention to things he considered valuable—from ancient books to scarlet eyes. It had to be outstanding for him to take a look at something, and to want it. It had to be very valuable. He didn't pay attention to any less of that. Since he entered the bar, they could notice how he never tried to associate with anyone else. He sat in his little corner, not giving a damn for anything.

But he watched her with a drink in his hand, observing her every sway. She was draped in a skimpy red dress that hugged her glorious figure, her hands dangling in the air, and her long black hair swaying from her every move.Her eyes were closed as she danced to the rhythm of the music being played in the bar. Sensational.

Chrollo leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and put a finger over his lips. He gazed at her with an amused grin. She's an aphrodite.

Could it be that you're the one I'm looking for? He clicked his tongue.

She gave them a sultry smile over her shoulder. He gritted his teeth and his eyes were filled with fury. Who do you think you are? No one steals what's mine. He loosened his tie, extending his neck as he did, then took one last sip of vodka before he finally stood up.

He fixed his blazer a little before making his way towards her. He never tore his eyes away from her figure. For him, she was everything he had ever needed. Heavens forbid, he'd break loose if someone took her away. Chrollo watched as men made their way to her, touched her waist and danced behind her.

He took his time in every step as he walked past every woman who tried to catch his attention by touching his arms and even his chest, but his eyes remained on the girl who'd caught his attention. She was by no means like the other women in the place. She was different. Tonight, she was the only one that he wanted more of.

I'm getting feelings that I didn't before. He licked his lips.

The man behind the woman was for sure having a good time. Smirking like he's got her right where he wants her, like tonight it'll be him underneath those sheets. Too bad he's wrong. Because when he looked over, meeting Chrollo's threatening eyes filled with fire, he got the message. Dropping his smile and quietly scooting over. Chrollo took his place, swaying behind the woman, mimicking her movements, slowly traveling his hands to her slender waist, pulling her closer. He pressed his lips onto her ear, "If I could have this dance tonight, I promise that you'll never forget it."

"Good things," she smirked and held his hands over her stomach, "You gotta be patient."

Chrollo tightened his grip around her., "Won't you tell me your name, beautiful?"

"Astra," she smiled over her shoulder.

"Astra, I'm Chrollo..." he bit her ear and whispered once more, "Lead me to your sacred place."

Fuck. Chrollo cursed mentally as she turned around to wrap her arms around his neck, his hands not leaving her waist. He took in her beauty.

She was a beautiful girl with neutral toned skin and silky black hair naturally curled at the edges, falling just above her waist. Her sultry brown eyes were covered with brown eyeshadow, full lips coated with nude brown lipstick, and she had a perfect jawline. Her skimpy, luxurious red dress hugged her glorious curves.

She really is an aphrodite. She's high fashioned. Chrollo knew she screamed danger; he was falling into her trap. But he didn't care. He wanted her.

Astra leaned over, tiptoeing to whisper in his ear. "We can do whatever you want." A smirk flashed on her sultry lips as she looked over his stunned face.

His grip on her tightened, "Be careful what you say. Maybe I'll put your mouth to good use."

She sucked her lip before giving Chrollo a seductive smile, "Let me head over to the bathroom first."

By the time she left, his prized silver necklace had disappeared from his neck. Chrollo had already noticed beforehand. He knew of her plot and how she executed her actions. After all, he was a thief himself—and a good one at that.

But he let her have it anyway.

[gallifreyandemigoddess]

Listen, I have a lot of emotions about “The Burning Maze” and everything that unfolded in this particular book. It destroyed my soul in many ways, but it also gave me an immense amount of satisfaction and joy.

But, to start it off in the same way that I’ve started my other two posts about “The Hidden Oracle” and “The Dark Prophecy”, I will start with my favorite sun god, Lester Apollo.

    I’m really happy with how profound his character development has become.

“All of this,” I announced, “is my fault.”

You can imagine how difficult this was for me to say. The words simply had not been in the vocabulary of Apollo.

We have this former Olympian who was used to having everything he could ever desire and who was arrogant and self-centered (though in the first book he admitted that his self-centeredness was a pretense, something to hide how lonely and heartbroken he actually was, more specifically on the twenty-seventh chapter, on page 258) I add the source to show that I’m not making shit up. And through the course of his trials he has, in a way, grown to accept his fate as a human.

He still laments his fate, and he still wishes he could become a god and leave all those problems behind, but he has grown to understand what it means to be a human, and to accept his emotions and to feel.

“In times past, I would have scoffed at any nymph who dared to call me poor thing. Now, Mellie’s show of concern caused a lump to form in my throat. I was tempted to rest my head on her shoulder and sob out my troubles.”  

“Gods wouldn’t normally mourn the loss of a griffin, or a few dryads, or a single ecosystem. The longer I was mortal, the more affected I was by even the smallest loss.”

There are several parts where he is gentle to Meg and to Grover when they seem to be hurting. The Apollo from the first book would have never done that, he would’ve cared only about himself and his own feelings.

The few times he mentioned how much he missed being a god, he wasn’t thinking only about how he could simply pass his duty to the demigods and return to the safety of Olympus, he was also thinking about the lives he could’ve saved had he still been the god of healing.

This part, however, shows great depth because in the past (around the first book maybe), he wouldn’t have given the choice a second thought, he would’ve just left:

I wondered, if my own father, Zeus, appeared to me just then and offered me a way back to Olympus, what price would I be willing to pay? Would I leave Meg to her fate? Would I abandon the demigods and satyrs and dryads who had become my comrades? Would I forget about all the terrible things Zeus had done to me over the centuries and swallow my pride, just so I could regain my place in Olympus, knowing full well I would still be under Zeus’ thumb?

Also, the little fucker tried to sacrifice himself so many times in the story I was about to tear my hair out. I lost it when he actually impaled himself with the Arrow of Dodona, I was very, as the scientists call it, shooketh.

“Let my friends go,” I said. “All of them. Then you can have me.”

The emperor’s eyes gleamed like a strix’s. “And if I don’t?”

I summoned my courage and issued a threat I never could have imagined in my previous four thousand years of life. “Ill kill myself.”

On a familiar note, Apollo is starting to realize that perhaps Zeus had a valid reason for sending him down to Earth as a mortal, which shows more growth, because on the last books he had only seen his punishment as something unfair.

“I began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, Zeus had been right to send me to earth, to correct the wrongs I had allowed to happen.

 Sassy Apollo is the best thing to happen:

“Girl, I see you- I felt like saying- You are not subtle, and we really need to have a talk about crushing on dryads.”

“Full points for vagueness, girl, but I want the dirt.”

Supporting (and charming) Apollo is also an amazing thing:

“Such a gorgeous blade held by the most beautiful woman ever to walk the earth. (No offense to the billions of other women out there who are also quite enchanting; I love you all.)”

Also, this part in which he was literally the Dad Friend?

“Meg!” I chided. “Sit back and buckle up, please. Grover, stop eating your seat belt. Your setting a bad example.”

Just imagine this scene please, “Meg summoned her golden swords. Grover fumbled for his reed pipes. I prepared to run away screaming.” because I pictured little Lester shifting uncomfortably on his spot as his friends prepared to fight like in a scene of The Avengers, and he just, he had nothing.

The time in which Meg was a straight up savage:

“Unbelievable,” I muttered. “After four thousand years, I am still discovering new things.”

“Like how dumb you are,” Meg volunteered.

“No.”

“So you already knew that?”

 Caligula’s character.

Caligula wants to be the new fucking sun god, and his whole plan to extract what is left of Apollo’s divinity? Fucking twisted but at the same time so...I don’t know how to explain it. I hate his character and I would die if anything happened to Apollo (I’d be damned if by the end he doesn’t go back to being a god) but at the same time, that plan shocked me to my very core. Its unnerving and unsettling but it makes sense. He always wanted to be seen as a god.

On the past book, the second emperor revealed turned out to be a former lover of Apollo, but on this book, it is shown that Caligula’s personality startled the god since ancient times. I find it curious how he seems to have history with each emperor.

Finally, Caligula laughed. “Well done!” He patted my shoulder, then snapped his fingers. One of his servants shuffled forwards and handed me a heavy pouch of gold coins.

Caligula whispered in my ear, “I feel safer already.”

After that, I stayed away from Rome for decades. It was a rare man who could make a god nervous, but Caligula unsettled me. This particular part though, I could almost feel the sexual tension, and no one can convince me otherwise that this wasn’t Caligula flirting with the disguised Apollo.

Another thing I found really interesting is the explanation for when Apollo became the new sun god, and his words to Helios nearly at the end of the book:

“But I remember you- your brilliance, your warmth. I remember your friendship with the gods and the mortals of the earth. I can never be as great a sun deity as you were, but every day I try to honor your memory- to remember your best qualities.”  

Now let’s move on, kids.

Let’s talk about Piper, Grover, and Jason for a moment.

I had forgotten how amazing Piper McLean was, specifically, how caring and sweet she is? She comforted Meg a lot of times thorough the book, and she was such a badass too? I love her? She’s the best? How could anyone hate her?

I also like how well she clicked with Apollo. It was cute.

Piper gave me a wry smile. “That’s nice. I like that. You’re sure you’re not the god of wisdom?”

“I applied for the job,” I said, “but they gave it to someone else. Something about inventing olives.” I rolled my eyes.

She burst out laughing, which made me feel as if a good strong wind had finally blown all the wildlife smoke out of California. I grinned in response. When was the last time I’d had such a positive exchange with an equal, a friend, a kindred soul? I could not recall.

I liked this too:

Piper arched her eyebrows. “Are you sensing a disturbance in the Force?”

“Please,” I muttered. “I’m sensing my usual bad luck.” Because RELATABLE.

Grover is still a sweet, dorky child. I like that we had more information about him as the book proceeded, specifically that he is yet to see Percy again (when will we have that reunion? I don’t know, but I need that to happen asap) and that he has never been to Camp Jupiter. All those months he had been in Palm Springs dealing with the natural disasters happening all around and with the disappearing dryads. It warmed my heart how he was so happy to go back to Camp Half-Blood, to his home.

I wasn’t expecting the news of Piper and Jason’s breakup, but I like that at least we got an explanation and that it was rational.

“You’re wondering who you are without all the pressure.”

Piper loves him, but their relationship had a wrong start.

Hera messed with their memories, made them start dating for a reason that did not exist. Her mother, the goddess of love, made her believe that she needed to have a boyfriend to be a proper daughter of Aphrodite. It’s only reasonable that after everything ended and they tried to settle down she’d realize that she doesn’t know where that leaves her. She needs time to decide who she is- not the daughter of Aphrodite, not as one of the Seven of the prophecy- as her own person.

And even when they’re not a couple anymore, they’re still partners.

It struck me how easily they talked together, even about difficult things, and how well they seemed to understand each other.

Jason Grace. This part is certainly harder to write.

Let’s start with nice things:

“I tried to talk sense into Zeus. I told him it was wrong to punish you. He wouldn’t listen.”

I stared at him blankly, whatever remained of my natural eloquence clogged in my throat. Jason Grace had done what?

Zeus had many children, which meant I had many half-brothers and half-sisters. Except for my twin, Artemis, I’d never felt close to any of them. Certainly, I’d never had a brother defend me in front of Father. My Olympian brethren were more likely to deflect Zeus’ fury by yelling Apollo did it!

This young demigod had stood up for me. He’d had no reason to do so. He barely knew me. Yet he’d risked his own life and faced the wrath of Zeus.

My first thought was to scream ARE YOU INSANE?

Then more appropriate words came to me: “Thank you.”

Jason took me by the shoulders- not out of anger, or in a clinging way, but as a brother. “Promise me one thing. Whatever happens, when you get back to Olympus, when you’re a god again, remember. Remember what it’s like to be human.”

A few weeks ago, I would’ve scoffed. Why would I want to remember this?

Now, however, I had some inkling of what Jason meant. I had learned a lot about human frailty and human strength. I felt…different towards mortals, having been one of them.

“I promise,” I told Jason.

I really loved that part. I think it defines exactly the kind of person that Jason Grace was.

All right, let’s move on.

His death. Jason Grace’s death.

I won’t describe the scene, out of respect, but I honestly think that (while he didn’t deserve to die) he died as a hero, and that it is the only thing that matters. He died to protect his friends- his brother and his ex-girlfriend- and he knew what would happen, he was ready for it. He made his choice. It hurts, of course it does, but he had a hero’s death.

Other parts I liked about the story:

How were heroes with accessibility needs supposed to enjoy this death trap?

 Grover summoned the cry of Pan again.

You humans. You’re why we gods can’t have nice things. Are you sure, Apollo? Because I’m pretty sure that Percy Jackson could do a flawless PowerPoint presentation on how wrong you are.

That could be my life motto, I thought. He takes a lot of damage. Same, Apollo, same.

Imagine this scene, please, because it honestly gave me life:

Behind me, Grover wrestled with Coach Hedge, who was desperately trying to claw open a family fun pack of grenades while cursing the tamper-proof package.  Apollo is trying to be diplomatic and remain calm while they’re being threatened to life, and behind him are two satyrs wrestling over opening or not a big pack of grenades.

The Ares-so-lame video that went viral in mount Olympus that Apollo was definitely not responsible for uploading.

I enjoy running people over in a chariot as much as the next deity, but I did not like the idea of being the guy run over. Honey, now you know how demigods feel.

Apparently, Hephaestus throws great pool parties.

 If a goat wears a goatee, is it a man-tee?

 Apollo’s bitterness towards his family: “The Olympians allowed Zeus to strip me of my powers and toss me to earth. They’ve done half Caligula’s job for him. They won’t interfere. As usual, they’ll expect heroes to set things right.” Tune down the salt, Apollo, not a month before that moment you were one of the gods that expected heroes to fix everything.

This quote: “It’s been my observation that you humans are more than the sum of your history. You can choose how much of your ancestry to embrace. You can overcome the expectations of your family and your society. What you cannot, and should never do, is try to be someone other than yourself.” 

Mount Olympus Mega-God lottery.

The oracle’s riddles; the little game they had to solve to get to her. 

 The multiple mentions of Apollo’s love handles.

Imagine this, please: I still have nightmares about Hermes skating through Olympus with his big hair and gym shorts and high striped socks, listening to Donna Summer on his Walkman.  

Carry him away! I prayed, knowing that no god would listen. Please, just let Tempest get him to safety. This part wrecked me. How pained everyone was to Jason’s death, how a former god knows that his kind never listen to those kinds of prayers because they don’t care.

The maze giving Apollo the middle finger.

Apollo’s imminent rage and heartbreak when the maze used Hyacinthus against him.

Apparently Camp Half-Blood has a satyr school for young satyrs that want to be protectors?

Very few people look as good in tights as Spider-Man. 100% agreed.

Who cared about Apollo? I DO, BITCH, I DO.

How Apollo thought of his family when he was under Medea’s spell. Of his parents, of his twin sister.

The heartbreak that came with Crest’s death. How much it affected Apollo. The poor thing was just a child, and he died to protect them.

REYNA AVILA RAMIREZ ARELLANO IS GOING TO APPEAR ON THE NEXT BOOK. YES. MY QUEEN.

How Jason wanted to fulfill the promise he made to the sea goddess he met with Percy all those months before.

Leo’s arrival broke my heart. He couldn’t say goodbye to Jason. I pictured Piper and Leo’s reunion a million times, but I never imagines that.

I found myself crying. It was ridiculous, gods don’t cry. But as I looked at Jason’s diorama in the seat next to me, all I could think about was that he would never get to see his carefully labeled plans finished. As I held my ukulele, I could only picture Crest playing his last chord with broken fingers.

This line: “I would not allow those who had sacrificed themselves to do so for nothing.”

And the ending: But from now on, I would be more than Lester. I would be more than an observer. I would be Apollo. And I would remember.  

Everything that happened on this book has shaped Apollo, has made him more human. I think on the next book his promise of being more than an observer (or remembering) will come true- I think he will be stronger than before, because he wants to honor the memory of those that died for his cause.  

I want to see Reyna interact with Meg and Apollo, but most of all, I’m kind of worried for Thalia Grace. She deserves to know what happened to Jason, but I know that it would break my heart. She could react in so many ways…It’s only going to be painful.

But I’m so ready for it! (NOT)

As a whole, I loved the book. I’m really looking forwards to “The Tyrant’s Tomb.”

[annabethisterrified]

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

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

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

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

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

SPOILERY COMMENTARY BELOW!

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

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

2. The Devolution of Jasiper

3. Apollo’s Arc

4. What Comes Next...?

5. Miscellaneous Sobbing

-----

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

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

In a good way, you ask?

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

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

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

I guess he heard us, then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don’t get me fucking started on 

Coach Hedge: “I was his protector.”

Leo: “Where’s Jason?”

Goodbye, please see Chapter Five for more screaming!

CHAPTER TWO: THE DEVOLUTION OF JASIPER

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

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

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

Truly.

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

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

I’m still like WHATTTTTTT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHAPTER THREE: APOLLO’S ARC

YEESSSSS RIORDAN DONE GOOD ON THIS PART

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

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

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

Love him!

That is all.

CHAPTER FOUR: WHAT COMES NEXT...?

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

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

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

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

CHAPTER FIVE: MISCELLANEOUS SOBBING

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

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

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

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

at least it’s kinda close to Indianapolis?

jesus christ

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

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

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

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

[jflashandclash]

Traitors of Olympus IV: Fall of the Sun

Twenty-Seven: Axel

Organic Situational Awareness

(or: The Wrong Time for Pride)

           Jack went from sinister to hysterical within one breath. Axel could imagine his surrogate father shift from a generalized glance, to narrowing in on him. This usually preceded an embarrassing story. Instead of an embarrassing story, Jack came near a sob. “My boy! Axel, my boy! We saw her, we saw my wonderful Flynn! That militaristic bitch-god of war, and Flynn’s fashionist ice cleft of a mother—they have her!  They have my amazing Flynn!”

           Axel clenched his teeth. He didn’t consider that Jack must have gone through the Princess Andromeda on the way down here. It would have destroyed the maniac to see Flynn and do nothing to help her.

           If Euna could hear Jack’s rambling, she gave no indication.

           Thalia snapped out of her surprise first. “Euna!” she called over Jack’s continued ramblings about the Ballad of Descent and Snack Breaks. The latter, something Axel’s stomach said they should have taken more of.

           “Wait,” Reyna whispered.

           Before she or Axel could grab Thalia’s arm, the huntress stepped forward.

           Axel could imagine Reyna’s complaint later, Don’t any of you know how to formulate a plan? I would have better luck attacking Russia in winter!

           Axel didn’t dare step after Thalia. A closer proximity to Kronos’ scythe might cloud his already foggy thoughts. He had never heard, had never felt, the Leonis Caput helm, itself, scream. It sent a jolt of terror through him. Pax had been through so much; Axel trembled to think of what might be happening topside to make the helm itself worry.

           At least everyone had heard the helm make that noise. That was new. He didn’t want to tell the others, “Oh, normally my helmet just talks in my head.” Out of the people here, only Reyna might have the slightest idea of what that meant, and he really rather she didn’t.

           When he tested the proximity to Backbiter, leaning towards Euna, reaching a hand out after Thalia, his mind sharpened. The Leonis Caput’s internal panic softened in the presence of its commander.

           It helped him comprehend what happened next.

           Thalia slid her bow onto the back, briskly closing the distance between she and Euna. “Hey, Euna, I’m talking to you! I didn’t swim through a river of blood—”

           Something made a crunch under Thalia’s boot when she was about five feet from Euna.

           “Wrong step, huntress!” Jack taunted.

           Axel had enough time to realize that Jack must not have been able to make out Thalia’s features in the dark, else her moniker would have been something much less polite and something that would incur a reprimanding from Axel since he’d grown to like Thalia.[1]

           Several small somethings exploded from the dirt at Thalia’s feet.

           “Styx!” was all she got out before those things wrapped around her and dragged her to the ground.

           A small burst of electricity temporarily freed the huntress, so she could fumble an arm out, before the snake-like forms entrapped her again. Within a breath, she was cocooned on the floor. The cocoon rocked slightly, emitting the occasional muffled swearwords. The swearing, at least, meant she could breathe.  Vines, Axel realized. Hopefully not poisonous ones this time.

           Calex took a step backwards in dismay.

           Reyna fingered her knife. Axel felt like he could sense Reyna calculate how dangerous Euna was and the quickest way to take her down.

           Euna’s head twitched. She glanced over her shoulder at the organically and all-natural, mummified Lieutenant of Artemis. “Hm?” she said, reaching up to pull something from her ear. Plants curled out of her hair and towards them, like they were tiny, environmentally-friendly radar guns. Her eyes looked like absent pits of blackness, similar to the cliff’s edge.

           Maybe Axel shouldn’t have felt it, but pride lifted his stomach. Euna had listened and learned. “Now that is a way to deal with a lack of situational awareness,” he muttered.

           Reyna shot him a look, then her eyes glanced from Thalia to the daughter of Demeter.

           “Oh,” Euna said, like they stumbled upon each other outside an ice cream shop. “Hi Calex, Axel, Praetor chick.”

           Calex gave her an uncomfortable wave and slung his bow over his back. His eyes darted from Thalia, back to Euna.

           Axel nodded his head to her. Then, he registered her shirt was torn open and immediately adverted his gaze. He wanted to scold Calex, but the Brit wasn’t reacting like he’d noticed her tattered state. For a bewildering moment, Axel had to wonder if Calex secretly saw everyone naked all the time. He could imagine Calex’s explanation now, “It’s an Eros thing.”

           Reyna frowned at Euna. “Daughter of Demeter, we came here to talk, as friends and allies. That—” She gestured to the squirming cocoon. “—is a friend.”

           “She’s safer in there,” Euna said, the comment indicating she knew Thalia’s exact identity. “Jack droned on a lot about things he’d like to do to some of the people he doesn’t like. I’ll need him singing soon and, until I no longer need him alive or can focus on shutting him up, she’ll be safer in there.”

           “Euna said she’ll let me keep my tongue if I’m a good boy,” Jack said. The pride with which he said it indicated that he thought he’d earned the appendage.

           “Or,” Calex said, his voice trembling, “We could toss that mad bloke’s head over the side of the cliff there, and we can head topside, out of this nightmare.”

           Axel needed to know how she would respond. He made a mental note to apologize to Euna later and glanced up at her face.

           She shook her head. “No. Jack said you’d come—”

           “Lucky, prophetic guess,” Jack hummed.

           “—and I need your help. Well, really Calex’s help, I think. Though, the two of you are supposed to be here.”

           Calex pressed his lips together in concern.

           Reyna clenched her fist.

           Looking at Euna, something was very clear: she didn’t need saving. Axel wasn’t sure she needed them at all. He puffed up his cheeks and popped them, exhaling deeply. He’d feared she had died in the Labyrinth, and they’d find her corpse. This was no corpse. This wasn’t the Euna he’d first met on the quest to Howe Cavern to save Rachel Elizabeth Dare, but this was still Euna.

           Judging by her resolve—the way she’d casually trapped a girl she had a crush on—Axel knew what was about to happen next. He glanced at the Leonis Caput helm latched to Calex’s belt. The imperial golden gleam made him nauseous still, but he’d need to don it. His eyes trailed to the scythe at Euna’s side.

           Hello Lieutenant, came the cold greeting of Kronos.

           He tried not to flinch and to focus on the tension unfolding before him.

           “Euna, we are here to help you,” Reyna said. Axel got the feeling he and Reyna shared another flaw: they weren’t great at gentle negotiation. “Put Saturn’s scythe down and the Plague Bringer’s head. Leave them here. We can travel back to the surface world. Our other friends up there are in danger. They need our help.”

           Euna looked annoyed.

           As Axel suspected, the daughter of Demeter had probably zoned out while Reyna was talking and just realized she was expected to respond.

           “Euna…” Calex said.

           Euna’s eyes flashed over to him, then returned to Reyna. “You don’t want me taking a piece of Kaos,” she said. “Backbiter told me.” Euna shrugged. “I’m going to kill your gods, Praetor. I can the others in a bit, but it would be dumb not to do this first.”

           “I’m a protector of New Rome. I can’t let you do that if your intention is to kill the gods,” Reyna said. She took a step forward. Reyna was at a major strategic disadvantage and she knew it.  Euna brought a small army of plants with her, and they didn’t know where else Euna had planted—Pax would laugh at that one—traps.

           Axel grabbed Reyna’s wrist.

           “And I can’t let you stop her,” he said.

           With his other hand, he withdrew his gladius and tossed it to the side. As he’d learned before, the blade wouldn’t help him in a fight against the daughter of war.

           Reyna’s glare was icy. “Axel,” she said. Her muscles tensed under his grip.

           “Mate?” Calex asked warily.

           Axel flicked out the stiletto attached to his wrist: a Mayan weapon, one he hoped the Roman goddess wouldn’t be able to influence or control, especially in the depths of Tartarus. Knife to stiletto: a very intimate fight.

           “What did the gods just do to my little brother?” Axel asked. Tears threatened to choke him when he thought about Pax pinned to The Princess Andromeda’s deck, withering in pain, sobbing, and screaming at Ares, unable to do anything as Axel—his protector, his older brother—lifted Pax’s head up to execute him. The way Pax quieted to spare Axel’s feelings, like getting his own dagger shoved into his throat was no biggie. The way Axel let all of his pride crumble, begging to be Aphrodite’s sex slave in exchange for his brother’s life, only to plea to apathetic ears.

           “I was too weak to dethrone an unjust tyrant,” Axel said, his voice trembling. “If I think someone is stronger than me, strong enough to succeed at bringing justice to the world where I failed, I have no other option but to help that person.”

           “Thanks, Axel,” Euna said, though Axel couldn’t look to see her expression now. “I really don’t want to have to kill the praetor. I know you like her and stuff.”

           By now, his and Reyna’s arms trembled as Axel tried to hold her wrist in place and she tried to withdraw. He thought about their time in the tent, about how she’d almost stabbed him through the heart. He wondered if this would be it, if they’d never get to “spar” again.

           “Attempting to tear off a piece of Kaos could kill her,” Reyna said through gritted teeth.

           Axel didn’t turn away from Reyna when he raised his voice to ask, “Euna, do you accept this could possibly kill you?”

           “Duh,” she muttered dully. For a faint moment, he could imagine Joey scolding her sister for stealing the little sister’s typical response.

           Despite everything, it made him smile.

           Reyna twisted her wrist, breaking his grip.

           She shoved him off.

           Axel took a step backwards, closer to Calex. He kept his stiletto in a defensive position.

           Calex flinched away. “Axel, have you gone mental?!”

           Quite the contrast, Axel felt uncanny clarity. He reached backwards, grabbed the Leonis Caput helm, and slit the tethering off Calex’s bag.

           “Sorry. I’ll be needing this,” Axel said.

           This was the one place they, the Leonis Caput and Axel, might be able to beat Reyna: in Tartarus, away from her mother’s realm, with his master’s blade so close.

           Reyna’s dark gaze flicked from him, to Calex, to Euna. Strands of hair had escaped her braid. Some stuck to her face with the dried blood from the river. Some was caught in the updraft, fluttering around like her purple cloak. Despite all of that, she still looked beautiful. However, with the nothingness behind her, Reyna looked smaller and less prepared than she usually did.

           She had nowhere to go. Strange to be cornered in the middle of an open abyss.

           Reyna exhaled and narrowed her gaze. “Calex, go get Euna,” Reyna said. Axel could see the tension run through her body as she prepared for an attack. They had battled and danced so often, he and the Leonis Caput could practically sense her wind up for a lunge.

           “Yes, Calex,” Axel said, feeling a slight grin tug on his lips as he lifted the Leonis Caput helm back to his face. “Go to the Sickle Wielder.”

 Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! :D Shit’s getting real!

Footnote:

[1] Definitely still views her as someone who betrayed Luke. Eh, what’s a best friend to do?

[crowkingwrites]

The Latveria Mission

Pairing: Loki X Reader

Fic Request:  Loki x avengers/sheild agent!Reader , avengers have to go Latveria, plot being reader has to seduce Dr Doom to get further inside his castle. Loki being Loki gets very jealous and uncomfortable with the plan as it goes on. Loki won’t let go of reader once the mission is over. ,,, ps doom doesn’t know Reader is an avengers :D

Author’s Notes:  I totally deviated from the requested plot (didn’t notice until I was halfway through writing it dammit) but I hope the anon requester loves it anywayssss.

Words: 2253

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14549316

You touched the window to feel how cold it really was. Your fingers brushed against it leaving a trail behind. As you put your hand back in your lap, Wanda nudged you. Both of you looked over to Loki who was speaking to Vision about something about Earth.

“Nervous?” she asked. You shook your head.

“Not as I was for my first mission. I know you have my back,” you told her.

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Wanda and you were quite similar in a lot of ways. Both of you came from countries on the brink of collapse, both of you were kidnapped and given powers, and both of you lost your siblings. Wanda lost her twin brother, you lost your older sister. Your mind flashed back to her death more than you’d like to admit. During those times, Wanda would nudge you out of it.

It was no wonder why both of you were such good friends.

“Darling, do you remember the plan?” Loki asked you, taking in your royal garb. You were disguised as a princess from another realm to entice Dr. Doom, the Supreme Lord of Latveria. Purple and gold adorned everything from your ears to your feet.

“Be on good terms with Dr. Doom while Vision and Wanda explore Dr. Doom’s labs underneath the castle to find the War Clock.,” you said aloud.

“You mean seduce him?” Vision corrected you. Loki flinched. When both of you were first briefed on the mission, Loki wasn’t completely on board with the idea. He argued that this Supreme Lord wouldn’t be easily seduced and it was unnecessary. However, your pseudonym was Aphrodite for a reason.

“Remember, Dr. Doom is under the belief Y/N and I are here for diplomacy reasons. Both of you need to secure the War Clock before something unfolds,” Loki instructed. He adjusted his leather gloves and vibranium arm braces. Wanda and Vision nodded as they both headed towards the ship’s exit.

You waved to Wanda before the hatch opened, and she and Vision jumped through. The mission has begun. You looked to Loki who paced back and forth on the self-piloting ship.

“Loki,” you reached out for his arm. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“This Supreme Lord is much more than a mortal man,” Loki started to explain. “His nation is disguised as a third-world country, and he possesses weapons and devices that use time travel and advanced science. They rival Wakanda.”

“What’s wrong with that?” the ship signaled it was preparing for landing. Loki and you took your seats while the ship started to land itself in the only airport Latveria had.

“I don’t know what this man is capable of,” Loki said. “I’m just concerned over your safety, love.”

“You don’t need to be,” you held your hand over his. “I’m more than capable of handling myself. You know what I’m capable of.” Your hand started to glow with yellow and pink auras. You watched Loki’s face muscles relax and his eyes roll back. He deeply exhaled and sighed.

“Just because you’re able to calm me doesn’t mean that the thoughts go away,” Loki said. The wheels of the ship touched ground. “We need to be careful now. Dr. Doom is aware of your position with SHIELD, but not as an Avenger. Hide yourself as much as possible. If he discovers you, we will be compromised.” You nodded and both of you exited the ship.

You greeted by guards flanked on both sides with Dr. Doom and his associates behind him. His long green cape and hood reminded you of Loki’s, but his metal face told you that this was not Loki at all. He was something else entirely.

“Loki, Lady Y/N,” he greeted. “A pleasure to welcome you both to Latveria.”

“The pleasure is all ours, Dr. Doom,” Loki responded. “I’ve heard great things about your nation, including how beautifully scenic it is.” You looked around you. Loki was right. Despite the airport, there was rolling green hills and rich soil around you. You didn’t even want to look at the sky because everything was the ground filled you with a sense of awe.

“Not as scenic as the vision I see in front of me,” Dr. Doom said, looking at you. Loki sharply inhaled, already annoyed with the situation.

“Thank you, Dr—

“Call me Victor,” he nodded, taking your hand and covering it with his own.

“Victor,” you said, smiling. “Thank you Victor.” Dr. Doom started to guide you towards his own fleet of vehicles. You noted that he didn’t let go of your hand just yet.

“I’ve heard of both of you,” Dr. Doom walked with you both, keeping you close and keeping Loki behind him. “Loki, your invasion on New York was impressive and well-led, despite your failure to capture it.”

You felt Loki’s aura tickle with anger and jealousy, but he kept his cool. “I prefer to see it as experience, Doctor. You must agree that failures do lead to success.” “I do,” Dr. Doom said. “Lady Y/N, I have heard that your contributions to SHIELD have pushed them forward towards their goals much faster than they anticipated.”

“Thank you for your kind words,” you smiled at him more, but genuinely this time. You’ve heard how truly awful he was to his own people, but you couldn’t help but to admire his manners and kindness to you. “Science and technology are both very important assets to me. After the accords, I wanted to secure the right people with the right tools they needed to defend ourselves with whatever comes our way.”

“Well said, my lady,” Dr. Doom put you in his own personal car, sitting next to you. Annoyed, Loki sat in the front seat and muttered his breath. You were impressed by the high tech vehicle, but you also noted that Dr. Doom’s own men did not share in his luxury.

“My lord,” driver greeted. “I am to take you back to the castle for lunch.” You slightly panicked, knowing fully well Wanda and Vision were underneath his castle currently securing the War Clock. An idea started to cook in your mind.

“Victor,” you put your hand on his knee. Loki saw that out of the corner of his eye, and he almost said something until you side-eyed him. “I must confess that I have never been to Latveria before.”

“We are a very private country. I’m sure you’re familiar with Wakanda.”

“Yes, and I would hate to waste a visit here by spending it inside your castle. I must admit, your nation’s landscape has enchanted me heart and soul.” You looked longingly out the window, making sure Dr. Doom saw you.

“I would hate to see you so unhappy, my lady,” Dr. Doom agreed. “Driver, take us to my mother’s park. We will have lunch there.” You smiled. The further away he was from his castle and resources, the smoother this mission would go. Seducing the Lord wasn’t hard at all. Then again, you made friends and lovers much easier than others. You were made that way.

Cynthia Von Doom Memorial Park sounded like something so cold and generic, but the park was anything but that. Flowers native to Latveria and Eastern Europe grew in tenfold. Benches craved and handmade from local carpenters were placed throughout the park. Children in simple clothing played around with toys and sticks.

“This is beautiful, Victor,” you dress dragged along the path. Loki made it a point to stand on your other side, very closely.

“Thank you. The memory of my mother is well and alive here. She loved to surround herself with beautiful things as do I,” he nodded to you.

“My mother was the same way,” Loki interjected. “She loved to surround herself with beautiful thing so such that she had multiple gardens and parks she looked over.”

“Your mother was the Queen of Asgard. She was allowed to have many luxuries. My mother was outcasted by her own people, this is the one luxury I can give her to honor her memory,” Dr. Doom said. You touched his arm.

“I’m so sorry about your mother,” you told him. Loki rolled his eyes. His impatience towards this entire thing was starting to show. You could feel his aura turning a darker shade of green.

All three of you sat down at a quickly-prepared picnic in the park. The breeze kept you cool as you ate boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables with lamb. You looked on as Dr. Doom’s constituents bowed and praised him to his face even though you could see the fear behind his eyes. You quietly reminded yourself who you were really dealing with.

“This weather agrees with you,” Dr. Doom complimented you. “Do you spend your days outside often?”

“As much as I can,’ you replied, taking a sip of the cool water in your cup.

“Latveria is known for our wonderful days such as this,” Dr. Doom took your hand again and caressed it. “I do hope you come visit more often. Although, we will work together in the future, I would prefer to keep you close company.” Loki’s eyes narrowed.

“Careful, Doctor,” Loki’s low voice warned. “Y/N is desired by many. You don’t wish to make enemies that quickly, do you?”

“Forgive me if I offend,” Dr. Doom said looking to you, not Loki. “You remind me of Helena. Her beauty and charm was so desired that she caused wars between nations.”

“Mind you, Doctor, many men have died for that cause. I trust you don’t want to share the same fate,” you watched Loki materialize a dagger behind him. You touched Loki’s arm and the same yellow and pink auras sunk inside him, calming him down.

“Perhaps a different subject then,” you said, trying to keep the peace. “Tell me your plans with our alliance, my lord.”

As Dr. Doom started to explain his goals with your new ‘allaince’, you looked over to Loki who kept a keen eye on his arm brace. Two different GPS points moved along a map on the brace. Dr. Doom noticed and commented.

“Is that a GPS tracker?” both of you felt your stomachs drop. You needed a cover and fast. Dr. Doom leaned forward towards Loki’s arm brace to get a closer look. “What could you possibly be tracking?”

You quickly covered Loki’s arm brace with both of your hands. “Our children.”

“What?” Dr. Doom said, in surprise. “You have children with the God of Lies?” His tone suggested like he didn’t believe you.

“Yes,” your made-up story came to you in seconds. “And what troublesome children they are. They’re just like their father. They cause trouble wherever they go. It’s been near impossible to find a sitter who will voluntarily watch them. But I do love them more than anything.”

You caressed Loki’s arm brace and spoke again. “He may be the God of Lies and Mischief, but he captured my heart fairly. He’s given me two wonderful children that I adore. I am not sure if you have children of your own, my lord, but I do hope you find that kind of happiness like I did.”

Dr. Doom sat back, taking in the story you just fed him. You heard the GPS tracker beep twice, signaling to you and Loki alone that Wanda and Vision have secured and captured the War Clock. You waited in silence, hoping he would believe your story.

“I didn’t realize you had children, my lady,” Dr. Doom said. “I also hope to have children one day. To have something that is meaningful and will carry on my legacy.” Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Loki create the biggest smirk you’ve ever seen on his face.

“Our children will certainly have a legacy. After all, they are Asgardian and Midgardian royalty,” Loki went on. “They are blessed with my intelligence and their mother’s beauty.” Loki kissed the top of your head, wrapping his arm around you.

After speaking more about the alliance on technical terms and finishing up lunch, Dr. Doom and his kingsguard escorted you back to the airport. You noted you only saw what Dr. Doom let you see. He still carefully guarded the privacy of his nation. As you said your goodbyes to him, Dr. Doom squeezed your hand.

“I really do hope to see you again, Y/N,” he told you, making sure Loki heard every word. “It’s a shame you are already a dedicated mother and wife. If you weren’t, I would’ve made you one happily.” Loki materialize the dagger again in an instant, but you grabbed his brace, hiding the dagger from both the Lord and his guards.

“Again, thank you for being a wonderful and kind host,” you smiled and turned to go on your ship. Once the doors closed and the ship took off, you threw his dagger on the floor.

“You almost blew our cover!”

“He wanted you in his bed! What was I supposed to do, hm?” Loki threw his arms in the air.

“My job was to seduce him! What did you want me to do? Be rude to his advances?” you agrued. Loki grabbed you by your waist and brought you closer to him.

“You’re mine. You’re a princess of Asgard, my goddess, and my heart,” Loki put his finger under your chin. “If you think I’m going to stand idly by and watch someone to actively take you away from me, you’re wrong.”

Taglist: @angelicshinigami @sugarwastaken @carilov09 @disneyprincessbuffyannesummers @i-theredqueen @sleepylunarwolf

[beardedstarfishpuppy-blog]

Issues with the New Beauty and the Beast Film

Ok, so i went to see the new BatB Film and... it was fine. It had good and bad points, but it left me feeling very “meh”. Visually, it was sweepingly beautiful and impressive.Many of the songs made me feel just like I did when I was a kid... but then I wonder if that had more to do with my nostalgia than it did with the actual performance. Anyway, I left feeling “meh”.

I think the problem was that, in an effort to fill in more backstory on some of the two-dimensional characters from the animated film (like Gaston and some of the furniture) I think they forgot what the actual premise of the film is supposed to be.

So, lets talk about the Beauty and the Beast story. The origins of the classic BatB story are in greek mythology. It’s based on the tale of Psyche. If you know the tale of Psyche, then you know that she was so beautiful that Aphrodite became jealous of her and demanded that she be sacrificed to a hideous beast. Naturally, Psyche’s family leaves her out on a rock where the beast can come claim her. Since this is Aphrodite we’re dealing with, a death sacrifice wouldn’t really be her style, so instead, she sends her son Eros to make Psyche fall in love with the hideous beast.

But, he’s Eros, so when he sees her, he falls in love with her. Eros decides to marry Psyche, but he doesn’t want her to see him because, ya know, he’s a god, if she gazes on his loveliness, it would overwhelm her. 

For a while, he just comes and spends every night with her and leaves before light and she is good about not trying to see him. But, her jealous sisters convince her that she’s really married to a hideous monster and that she needs to look at him. So, Psyche lights a candle while Eros is asleep, and starts looking at him, but then can’t look away because she’s mesmerized by his loveliness. She ends up accidentally burning him pretty badly (don’t ask me how, this part makes no sense). She gets cast out and Eros flees to mommy to treat his burns. Eventually, Psyche has to go through a whole bunch of incredibly difficult tasks, set by Aphrodite, in order to win Eros back. She completes the tasks with her determination and love and is reunited with Eros and they live happily ever after.

Why is this important? There are a lot of morals to the Psyche story, or the Beauty and the Beast story, but the main point is that she is more than what people see. People see the Belle or Psyche character and all they see is her beauty. Her beauty is so powerful that it’s attention grabbing. EVERYONE notices her, everyone’s talking about her... but nobody really knows her. Nobody sees who she is. She is marginalized because of her beauty. People hate her or like her entirely based on what she looks like.Even Eros, or the Beast, makes a snap decision about her upon seeing her. At first, neither of them knows who she really is. Their desire to have her around is no different from anyone else, it’s about her outside, not her inside.

In both tales, its not until Eros or the Beast becomes injured that the Eros/Beast character sees who she is for the first time. The power of this story, is that it unlocks and unfolds around this incredibly stunning outward beauty melting away and paling in comparison to her radiant inner beauty and strength finally being seen. It’s like if you saw beautiful rose petals but then they caught fire, burned away, and the most dazzling diamond was revealed inside. 

The story is about a woman who is being told by society, by her family, by every power in her life that she’s pretty and that’s all they want her to be. But all it takes is for her to find what’s important to her, what matters to her, for her real grit and strength to come out. The tasks Aphrodite sets for her are supposed to be impossible and fade her beauty, but Psyche accomplishes them all and proves that she is so much more than what people expect of her.

I think where the live action movie really suffered is that they didn’t embrace this. The villagers are kind of mean and dumb, rather than being drawn to her beauty but baffled by anything they see of her personality. The Gaston character, for the story to make sense, should be obsessed only with her beauty, but instead he says he finds her dignity attractive. While that’s a nice sentiment, this really muddled the message of the original story without replacing it with any new story. Rather than being a strong woman who’s longing to be seen as more than just pretty, she’s just sort of a smart girl in a village with dumb people, who then gets kidnapped, but decides she likes it, and teaches her dumb village a lesson... I guess.  

To be clear, if they wanted to abandon the Psyche story and make a totally different story, that would’ve been fine, but they didn’t really do that. Rather than telling a new story, they just muddled important details of an existing story, making it kind of confused and rambling, rather than powerful and moving. 

I didn’t hate the movie. I applaud them for trying to add more depth to the remake. I just don’t think it worked and I think straying from the point of the original story was the reason why.

[afro-elf]

@farrahda5hy:  Next installment, bitch

this is why y’all don’t have rights, i need you to know this

The next day, as promised, you work on the song that Jordan and Laura already started. Laura insists that the song take a Greek myth-inspired route, hoping to influence a concept for the whole album through the one song. You aren’t mad at the idea; if this song and idea wows Cherisse enough, that’s good news for the three of you.

“So I’ve got a few ideas for lyrics that I’ve been toying with based on the melody that Laura provided,” Jordan starts, “and I think we should really stick with the Eros and Psyche route because I particularly like that story the most.”

“But have you considered Hades and Persephone?” Laura says.

“I know, that’s your favorite,” Jordan says. “I wrote a nice chorus for it, but nothing else is coming to mind here for me. Kendra, what do you think?”

You think for a moment. “I honestly like Eros and Psyche,” you say. “There’s a lot more cute stuff we could run with, if we’re trying to sell a whole concept here. Plus I’m imagining a music video where Cherisse is the Cupid-type and manages to get herself a thick and fine man.”

Your friends approve.

“I want to be there when the music video is shot and I will accept no less than Winston Duke to play the love interest,” Jordan says, their hands folded in prayer.

“Go jump in the lake, you dehydrated bitch,” you tease.

Later that day, the instrumentals are mostly laid out on Garageband thanks to Laura, and you help Jordan start setting lyrics to their appropriate sections, occasionally re-arranging and adding effects to help the song pop more.

“Is this what Black Sabbath felt like when they wrote ‘Paranoid’?” Jordan says when you all decide to wrap up work for the day. “Because damn, we have most of a hit right now.”

“I know!” you say. “This unfolded so organically.”

After dinner, Jordan and Laura decide to hang around the fire pit with some other co-workers. You decide to chill in the cabin and read some unsettling yet sexy vampire stories.

Concentration is made difficult from the sounds of confused guitar strumming outside. You try to ignore it and focus on the vampires, but the guitar persists. Frustrated, you mark your place and close the book, and see outside what is keeping you from Lysander’s creepy yet sexy dialogue.

You poke out of the door and follow the sounds of the intruding instrument. You can’t imagine someone wanting to work this late, especially since most of everyone appears to have turned in and chilled out for the night.

The sounds of uncertain melodies lead you not far from your cabin. You track them to behind the cabin next door and find… Tom. Sitting on the back deck and looking frustrated at his guitar. The lights from the cabin illuminate his unsure expression, seemingly searching for the right notes. The shadows deepen the lines that worry into his forehead.

You want to retreat and leave him be, but as you back away, you step on a stick.

“Dammit,” you whisper to yourself.

Tom perks his head up and sees you trying to back away. “Hey there,” he calls out.

“Hey,” you say, trying to act nonchalant.

“Is my playing bothering you?”

You shake your head. “It’s not a big deal.”

Tom thinks for a second. “Actually, I could use your help, if you don’t mind.”

The voices inside your head implore you to abscond, but instead you walk up and take a seat next to him.

“What are you having trouble with?” you ask.

Tom chuckles.

“So, believe it or not, I’ve been struggling this whole time to come up with anything for Cherisse,” he says.

“No one on your team has anything, either?”

“Believe it or not, it’s just me on my team.”

Your eyes widen. “You weren’t teamed up with anyone?”

He shrugs. “Mum and dad thought I’d do perfectly fine on my own. And, to be fair, I thought so, too, but…”

You think for a second. “Did you have any ideas at all for what to run with?”

“Love song,” he doesn’t hesitate to answer.

You chuckle. “I figured as much, coming from you.”

He smiles back at you. “Everything I’ve been thinking of this whole retreat, however, I’ve been worried is a bit overdone for me, and I don’t want to accidentally start any wars between fans because my song for Cherisse is similar to another one that I wrote for someone else.”

“Good call on that!” You look by him, and see a notebook. “Are those your notes?”

“Yeah.”

“Mind if I see them?”

“Go on ahead,” he says, handing the notebook to you.

You flip through the notebook, littered with hastily-written notes and ideas. Some attempts to create hooks and chords are haphazardly drawn in the pages, but easily abandoned. There’s one page, however, filled to the brim with the most coherently tied together thoughts and ideas, and your eyes stick to it.

You see more ideas for chords and hooks on this page, paired with some lyrics centered around bows and arrows and hearts. While this page has the most cohesive set of ideas, it’s still confused, jumbled, and incomplete. But–

“I like what I see on this page here,” you say, showing him the page in question. “You seem to be attempting some concept with what’s going on here.”

“Thanks,” he says, awkwardly rubbing his hand behind his head. “I scrawled that down yesterday, actually.”

“Yesterday?” you ask.

He nods. “I got hit with a bit of inspiration after we were at the archery range.”

You try to fight the blush that crawls across your face. “Really, now?”

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to integrate Cupid inspiration into the song, but I don’t know how.”

You perk up at that statement.

“That’s really interesting, actually.”

“Yeah?” he asks.

You nod. “My team actually came up with something specifically about Eros and Psyche.”

“So the Greek version instead of the Roman.”

“Yep! Do you know the full story?”

“Kind of, just that Eros is the son of Aphrodite and that he fell in love with Psyche.”

“I think if you played off of what we’re doing, you might have a concept to work with.”

His eyebrows raise at that. “You sure? I wouldn’t want to steal your concept.”

“Think of it more as collaboration.” You smile.

“Could I hear what you have?”

“Sure!”

He follows you to your cabin next door, guitar and notebook in tow. You hope nobody sees this.

You grab the flash drive from Laura’s desk and plug it into your laptop. Tom takes a seat on your bed and you sit next to him.

“So, it’s not completely finished yet, but it’s like, 90% done,” you say.

“Just a quick question before we start,” Tom says.

“Yeah.”

“You’re really a fan of the Lysander series?” he says. You turn to him and see he’s holding up the book you were reading earlier, and you turn bright red.

“Please, Tom, we’re doing work right now,” you say, trying to change the conversation.

“I just say that because I’ve been wanting to read it for a while,” he chuckles.

“Oh?”

“I guess I can hear what you think since you obviously are a woman of taste.” He smirks.

You roll your eyes playfully. “It’s okay, I just happen to enjoy vampire stories a lot.”

“That’s good to know.” Tom smiles.

An awkward air of silence sits between you two before you remember why you’re in here.

“Anyways, um, here’s the song,” you say before pressing play.

Tom’s quiet now, taking in the song. The vision of what this song could bring for Cherisse rolls around in your head for the millionth time that day as the song plays. Especially the potential music video. However, the original vision of the song gets a bit muddied as you watch for Tom’s reaction as he listens. You picture Cherisse and Winston Duke less and less and imagine yourself and Tom more and more as the song continues. You hate yourself and try to kick yourself out of your own thoughts but. Oh wouldn’t it be nice to fall in love to a bop of a song?

Luckily Tom doesn’t know how to read minds, so he can’t see the heathenous thoughts unfold in your brain. It’s still embarrassing though.

The last of the vocals that are currently on the track finish playing through, and you hit the space bar.

“So, that’s what we have so far, as far as lyrics go,” you say, shaking yourself out of the Greek fantasy that you cast yourself into.

“That’s really amazing, I love it,” Tom says. “Who did the vocals on this?”

“Right now, it’s Jordan, because they wrote the lyrics mostly. We’re hoping to get Cherisse to get in here so it can be a complete demo.”

“That’s amazing!”

“We’re really happy with what we’ve done so far.”

“So what I’m gathering from this is basically Cupid, or Eros, falling in love with Psyche and declaring that to her?”

“Basically!”

“If we want to run with this specific kind of theme, what else can we do?”

“Well, I think what would be good, is if you did something about how Momma Aphrodite doesn’t understand and refuses to let them be together, because Psyche’s a mortal, and he’s a god, you know?”

“You know, that might be something awesome indeed. I don’t really know the story that well, though…”

“I can share the story with you, my friend Laura could probably help if she’s willing–”

Speak of the devil and he shall appear; at that moment the door to your cabin opens and your friends enter.

“Oh, thank god, Kendra you still have the lights on,” Laura says a bit loudly.

“We were so worried about having to be quiet and everything,” Jordan says. “I’m a bit tipsy right now and… hello Tom when did you get here?”

“What are you saying Jorda– Oh hey, Tom!”

“Please, guys,” you say, trying to maintain a professional demeanor in front of the cute co-worker on whomst you have a mega-crush.

“Is our girl getting you in trouble?” Jordan slurs a bit. “Because she can– she does that sometimes.”

“Guys,” you assert, “I’m just helping Tom–”

“In your bed?” Jordan slurs.

“What, no–” And in that moment you realize, yeah, in your bed. Tom just chuckles at your rowdy and kind of drunk friends.

“It’s okay, I’m loving it,” Tom says. “Your friends are funny!”

“That’s the problem, you’re encouraging them!”

“But no, seriously, guys,” Tom turns to your friends. “I was happening to have some trouble with my song and Kendra was helping me with that.”

Your friends share an “Ohhh,” of realization.

“I figure if he built off of our concept, we could really sell it,” you say.

“That’s smart,” Jordan says before turning to the bathroom to take off their makeup.

“Hey, Laura, could you help me tell Tom the story of Eros and Psyche, by the way?” you ask.

“I don’t really know it, and…” he trails off.

“Yeah sure,” Laura says. “Can we do that tomorrow, because I’m tired as fuck.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Tom says. “Probably a good idea to turn in myself, anyways.”

“Wanna meet up after lunchtime?” you say.

Tom nods with a smile. “Sounds great.”

Without thinking, he moves in to hug you. And you, without thinking, return the hug. However, when you separate, it is a bit awkward.

“Uhm, good night,” he says before turning to the door. “Good night Laura, good night Jordan!”

“Good night!” they call to him in unison.

Tom smiles at you before closing the door behind him. You release a breath you didn’t realize you were holding before turning to Laura, who is smiling smugly at you.

“Don’t. Say anything.”

“I’m not saying nothing,” Laura says, grin still evilly plastered across her face.

“Oh, but I am,” Jordan pops their head out of the bathroom, rubbing toner onto their face with a cotton pad. “You should have told us you were wrangling your boy in here and we would have slept the hell outside!”

“You didn’t see it Jordan, but they hugged before he left!” Laura says.

“GIRL.”

“Y'all!” you say back. “It wasn’t anything, I promise!”

“It’s okay, you don’t gotta lie to us,” Laura says.

“It wasn’t!” you insist.

“You mean to tell me you had that boy in your bed and you wasn’t planning on nothing?” Jordan says, pulling their hair up.

“I really was just trying to help him write his song!” you say with a pleading voice.

“Oh sure, that’s how it always starts,” Laura teases you.

“Laura!”

“Listen, I believe you,” Jordan says. You sigh with relief. “But that’s still no excuse, you could have made your shot, and you didn’t!”

“You had me in the first half,” you sigh with frustration as you roll your eyes. “Moving on to more important matters, Jordan, you think you can put the rest of the lyrics on the song by lunch time tomorrow?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Good, because I want to get a hold of Cherisse so this can be a whole ass demo. Laura!”

“Yes, chief,” she says.

“We’re gonna tell Tom the story of Eros and Psyche tomorrow after lunch, got it?”

She gives a salute in the affirmative. “Look at you, Miss Taking Charge.”

“One of us has to in order to keep our collective two brain cells functioning.”

“I bet Tom likes him a girl who takes charge.”

“Laura, just know, that I know I know where you sleep, and that I have a sword.”

“Not with you, right?”

“Not right now. Just know that when the time comes.”