#but percy was canonically attracted to both of them

[demigods-posts]

headcanon that percy was in love with annabeth at the same time he was developing a crush on rachel. and the guilt consumed him for weeks. because he wanted to be with both of them. but felt like he was supposed to pick one. so he just never said anything to either one of them about it. and just let the chips fall. until he got older and summoned the courage to confide in annabeth about feeling like there was something wrong with him his whole life. and then annabeth just validates the shit out of his polyamorous desires. and calls rachel over so the three of them could give it a shot just for the fun of it. and it ends up being an extremely healing thing for all three of them.

[brotherhoodoftheblade]

You cannot tell me that DG (back before she lost her mind and dropped the ball at the homestretch) didn’t mean for us to read this scene:

“....It’s coming is a gift, which I accept with gratitude, but when it’s gone, there is no sense of abandonment or deprivation. I’m only glad to have had it for as long as it chose to remain.”

“And you’re saying your relationship with Manoke is the same. Does he feel that way about you, do you think?” I asked, fascinated. He glanced at me, cleared startled. 

“I have no idea.”

“You, um, don’t...talk in bed?” I said, striving for delicacy. 

His mouth twitched, and he looked away.

“No.”

We lay in silence for a few moments, examining the ceiling. 

“Have you ever?” I blurted.

“Have I what?”

“Had a lover that you talked to?”

He cut his eyes at me. 

“Yes. Perhaps not quite so frankly as I find myself talking to you, but, yes.” 

(An Echo in the Bone, Ch.95)

...and draw a straight line in our recollections to the times John lay abed with Percy in BotB, speaking of intimacies they shared with no one else. Because obviously, Percy was the only lover of his he really talked to about deeply personal matters in bed. (That we were shown anyway. He probably confided in Hector at least about some things, I hope.)

“Shall I tell you a great secret?” Percy’s voice was soft, breath warm in his ear. Grey reached a hand through the sheets, slid it over the high round of a still warmer buttock.

“Please,” he whispered.

“My name is not Percival.”

.....[Percy] laughed a little unsteadily, took a deep breath, and lay down on his back, drawing the sheet up over his chest.

“My name is Perseverance,” he said in a rush.

“Per -” Grey lay completely still, holding his breath and concentrating fiercely on his belly muscles. 

“Go ahead and laugh,” Percy said from the dark, with exceeding dryness. “I won’t mind.”

“Yes, you would,” Grey said, but was still unable to quell the bubble of mirth that rose up the back of his throat, and being there firmly suppressed, emerged through his nose in a strangled snort. To keep from committing further offense, he said the first thing that came into his mind.

“What’s your middle name?”

Percy laughed, sounding a little easier, now that the dreadful confession was made.

.....Just now, he was realizing exactly the magnitude of the the gift Percy had given him. 

He was the only one who knew. Percy had been right; it was a great secret, and John felt the weight of his lover’s trust, warm on his heart.

He groped for Percy’s hand and found it, slightly cold. They lay silent for a bit, holding hands, bodies warming to each other. 

..... “Shall I tell you a great secret?” Grey whispered, at long last. ...

“Please.” Percy’s hand tightened on his.

“My father was murdered.”

..... Somewhere in the telling, Percy had gathered him into his arms, and held him now, close against his body. His head lay in the hollow of Percy’s shoulder, and the curly hairs of Percy’s chest brushed soft against his lips as he spoke. ...

Percy’s hand smoothed the hair away from John’s face, gentle. 

“Your mother likely thought whoever’d killed your father had got you, too.”

“Yes, she did.” For the first time in the telling, a lump came into his throat, recalling his mother’s face when she’d seen him, filthy, trailing hay and mud across the Turkey carpet in her boudoir. “That’s - that’s the only time she cried.”

Percy’s arm tightened round his shoulders. He could hear Percy’s heart, a muffled steady thump beneath his heart.

“And you?” Percy said at last, very quietly. “Did you weep for your father?”

“I never did,” he said, and closed his eyes.

(BotB, Ch.18)

~*~

Percy did return to the matter a few days later, though. No doubt it was a matter of Percy’s own upbringing in a religious milieu, Grey reflected. Or perhaps it was only that Percy had never been with a man willing to discuss philosophy in bed. Grey hadn’t, himself, but found the novelty mildly diverting. 

They had left the barracks separately and met in Percy’s rooms for a few stolen hours. Where, after the initial delights of the flesh had been tasted, Grey found himself with his head pillowed on Percy’s stomach, being read to from a collection of legal opinions. published a year or two previous. 

.....

“So,” Grey remarked, “we must be exterminated, because our pleasures are insufficiently ecstatic?” 

Percy’s brow relaxed a bit, and he closed the book.

.....Still, he considered the matter, enjoying the peaceful rise and fall of Percy’s breathing beneath his cheek. 

“I think a gentleman conducts his affairs with kindness and with honor,” he said, at last. ...

Percy gave a short laugh.

“Kindness and honor? That’s all well - but what of love?”

Grey valued love - and feared it - too greatly to make idle protestations.

“You cannot compel love,” he said finally, “nor summon it at will. Still less,” he added ruefully, “can you dismiss it.” He sat up then, and looked at Percy, who was looking down, tracing patterns on the counterpane with a fingertip. “I think you are not in love with me, are you?”

Percy smiled a little, not looking up. Not disagreeing, either. “Cannot dismiss it,” he echoed. “Who was he? Or is he?”

“Is.” Grey felt a sudden jolt of the heart at the speaking of that single word. Something at once joyful and terrible; the admission was irrevocable.

Percy was looking up at him now, brown eyes bright with interest.

“It is - I mean, he - you need not worry. There is no possibility of anything between us.” Grey blurted, and bit his tongue to keep back the sudden impulse to tell everything, only for the momentary ecstasy of speaking of Jamie Fraser. He was wiser than that, though, and kept the words bottled tight in his throat. 

“Oh. He’s not...?” Percy’s gaze flicked momentarily over Grey’s nakedness, then returned to his face.

“No.”

It was late in the day; light skimmed across the room from the high attic windows, striking the dark burnished mass of Percy’s curling hair, painting the lines of his face in chiaroscuro, but leaving his body in the dimness of shadow.

“Is friendship and sincere liking not enough for you?” Grey was careful to avoid any tone of pettishness or accusation, making the question merely one of honest inquiry. Percy heard this, and smiled, lopsidedly, but with answering honesty.

“No.” He stretched out a hand and ran it up Grey’s bare arm, over the curve of his shoulder, and down the slope of his breast, where he spread his palm flat over the nipple - and took a sudden hold of the flesh there, fingers digging into the muscle.

“Add that, though...” he said softly, “and I think it will suffice.”

(BotB, Ch.19)

That their story will never have a happy resolution - after all that they were, and could’ve yet been, to each other - is just tragic. 🥺😭😭😭

[kitty-tea]

Like father, like son

Part 2 @xcinnamonmalfoyx

(Read part 1 part 3)

(Link to masterlist)

Summary: After the drastic event in you, James, and Harry’s lives, things aren’t the same, but that still doesn’t dull your attraction towards James. In fact, the more time you spend apart from him, the more you can’t stop thinking about him.

A/n: Hi welcome to part 2! This turned out to be way longer than I intended.

Pairing: dilf!James Potter x reader

NSFW 18+ only!

Word count: 5k

Tags/warnings: super long, porn with plot, sexual content, nsfw, masturbation, sex dream, pet names, age gap, reader is of age, James lives, death, angst, fluff, not canon complacent, slow burn, conflicting feelings, sexual frustration, guilt, James is a dilf

The day came for you to say goodbye to Harry. It was also the day Molly and Arthur would pick you so you could move into their house during the school year since the older children had moved out and they could use an extra pair of hands around the house.

Before the train left, you, Harry, and his parents met up with Hermione and the Weasleys. You thought of how glad you were to see them again as you gave each one of them a hug. Ginny had grown taller, Ron had grown stronger, Hermione was still smart as ever, and the twins were still the same goofballs you had graduated with.

You thought it was unusual that Harry gave you an even bigger hug than he did to his parents.

“You alright there?” You asked him.

“I’ll miss you, you know.” He said. “It’ll be my first year without you.”

“Hey, what about us?!” Fred and George’s voices came from behind you, making you jump.

“He’ll get over it.” You turned to them and waved your hand in front of you. “And he was talking to me.” You rolled your eyes playfully.

“Sure he was.” You could practically hear the smirk in Fred’s voice.

“Who wouldn’t miss their big sister?” Same with George’s.

“Don’t you guys know you’re embarrassing him?” Hermione joined in on the conversation.

She was right. You looked in Harry’s direction, where you were greeted by his blushing face.

Why did it seem like they all knew something about Harry that you didn’t?

“Everything will be alright, Harry. We’ll write to each other.” You gave him a reassuring smile and rubbed his back in an attempt to soothe the redness in his cheeks, but that apparently only made it worse.

“I’m sure he’ll be writing to her more than to his parents.” You heard one of the twins whisper to the other one.

You had an easy time distracting yourself from the grief of your parent’s deaths and your forbidden attraction towards James. There was never a boring day in the Burrow. You were always doing something with Molly and Arthur whether it was training, helping out in the garden, cleaning and cooking, or helping the both of them host Order meetings in their house. Other times, you were writing back and forth to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. In his latest letter, Harry had written that he had become the captain of the Quidditch team, and Ron became the Keeper, both of whom you congratulated in your subsequent letters.

The Order meetings were something you dreaded as much as you looked forward to because it was when you’d be forced to be in the same room as James and Lily, whom you hoped wouldn’t suspect you of having a crush on her husband.

You weren’t expecting to embarrass yourself when you came downstairs wearing Percy’s old sleepwear. In the living room was every adult member of the Order you’ve met so far. Not every member showed up to every meeting, so this was a surprise for you.

You saw Remus and Tonks sharing a seat on an oversized armchair big enough to fit both of them while her parents were standing nearby, talking to them. The younger Tonks was the first person to see you as she gave you a goofy grin and waved at you. Next to the pair, the twins were standing next to each other in their own side conversation. Sirius, James, and Lily were at the dining table. Across the room, there was Mundungus Fletcher looking at a shelf of magical artifacts as if they were the most interesting things in the world, and Alastor Moody stood next to him, as if he were making sure he didn’t steal anything. You thought you saw Molly throw a disgusted look towards Fleur Delacour who was talking to Bill and Charlie.

“What’re you all doing here?” You asked groggily.

“Time for you to go back to bed, young lady.” You heard Sirius say.

“What’s going on?” You ignored him.

You then noticed everyone looking at each other back and forth, making you feel awkward.

“Make sure she doesn’t find out.” Tonks was whispering and you saw Remus and Sirius roll their eyes at her inability to keep her mouth shut.

“Find out about what?” You looked at Tonks straight in the eyes.

“Nice one, Tonks. Now she’s going to find out.” Fred elbowed her.

“At least it’s not us getting in trouble this time.” George whispered to his brother.

“Will someone tell me what’s happening?” You demanded the now silent crowd.

“It’s about Dumbledore.” Alastor Moody was the one to get straight to the point.

“We think there’s a plot to assassinate him.” Remus said reluctantly.

“You think?” You raised your eyebrows at him. “What evidence is there? Who brought this up?”

“We got a letter from one of the students.” Sirius said, looking towards his two companions at the table. “It was discovered that Draco Malfoy had been the one planning it. Voldemort had tasked him over the summer. There were other unsuccessful attempts-”

“What student?” You interrupted him.

“That’s not important.” James said.

“Harry followed Malfoy into the bathroom and interrogated him after he overheard Snape scolding him about how he was supposed to poison Dumbledore, not Ron.” As fast as Tonks had blurred out the story, everyone else glared at her.

“Oops.” She whispered meekly.

“You’re going to save Dumbledore right?” You asked everyone, making sure to look them all in the eye. They all gave each other that look that implied they were planning something that excluded you.

“We can’t let you come with us.” Arthur said.

“Why not?” You asked him.

He didn’t let any emotion show on his face.

“There will be Death Eaters trying to get into the school. If they see you, you’ll be in even more danger. They’re already looking for you.” With a deep breath he added, “Especially because they failed to find you and kill you after they did to your parents. Or worse… Make you join them. I’m so sorry.”

“You mean all this time they were looking for me?” You were shocked at Arthur’s revelation. “That’s why you kept shuffling me around different homes this past year. Because you were hiding me without me knowing.” It was all starting to make sense.

“Arthur, that’s enough you’ve upset her.” You must’ve looked like you were about to vomit because Molly came over to you and put an arm around your shoulder.

“Come on, Dear. Let’s get you upstairs. I’ll make you a cup of tea.” She said to you.

“I’m going.” You said boldly.

“No you are not.” James slammed his hand on the table as he stood up.

“If they’re looking for me, let them find me. I don’t want to hide. I want to be a part of something that makes a difference. Isn’t that what it means to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix?” You shrugged off Molly’s hand from your shoulder.

“Hogwarts Express leaves in two hours.” Moody said.

“Alastor! No!” Molly yelled in a threatening tone like she was dealing with the twins.

“She has a point. If she wants to prove she’s capable of handling herself, let her. I trust her.” You were thankful at least someone knew the right way to treat you like an adult.

You could tell no one in the room was happy with what Moody had to say even if he did have a point.

James couldn’t stop bouncing his leg against his seat. The countless possible outcomes of what could happen to you ran through his mind faster than the train was running. He felt Lily’s hand patting his thigh, as if trying to soothe him.

“I remember my first time riding this train.” She smiled, looking out at the mountains.

James scoffed. “So do I. That’s when I first met you. And Snivellus. You know we’ll see him right? He works there.”

“Come on, James. He’s changed just as much as you did.”

“From what Harry’s told us about him, I know he’s changed from a bitter teenage boy to a bitter teacher.”

“It’ll be alright, you don’t have to be overly friendly with him if you do see him.” James felt comforted as she put her hand on his.

The scenery zooming past the window did nothing to soothe the nauseous feeling inside your stomach that had been there since the morning. One thing you were grateful for was that you were alone in the compartment. You didn’t want anyone else to see you like this, all huddled up with your knees to your chest, looking like a nervous wreck. You didn’t want the others to regret their decision to bring you along. You were starting to second guess yourself. Maybe you should’ve listened to James and Arthur by staying at the Burrow.

You tapped your finger against the handle of your wand that was tucked into your boot. You then moved onto fiddling with the laces of your dress, (the one that Sirius dug out from his mother’s closet.) You had to busy yourself with anything to get your mind off your anxiety.

You were a Gryffindor. It was your job to be brave, you reminded yourself as you let yourself doze off.

You awoke to a knock on the window of your compartment door. You sat up and rubbed your eyes as the faces of Moody and Tonks came into focus.

You opened the door to let them in.

“Good evening, Sleepyhead.” Tonks greeted you, alerting you that it was in fact evening already and that you’d be arriving in Hogsmeade soon.

“Now, you listen to me.” Moody said, as he let his staff bang on the floor in front of him before he and Tonks took a seat in front of you. “I trust you enough to come with us. Tonks and I both think you’re ready.”

You looked at Tonks, who gave you one of her goofy smiles and a thumbs up.

“The problem is,” Moody continued with a frown. “The others underestimate you. They can’t keep coddling you.”

“Don’t worry.” Tonks gave you a reassuring smile. “I remember my first mission with the Order. I was just as nervous as you are.”

“Don’t, under any circumstances, separate from anyone in the group.” Moody said to you gruffly. “Are we clear? You can’t be seen alone by a Death Eater.”

“Yes sir.” You said.

As soon as all of you got off the train, you looked at each other, sensing a more sinister presence across the Black Lake looming over the school.

“They're here already.” Sirius said grimly.

“How? We know the teachers put up protection charms around the school to keep out the Death Eaters.” James said.

“I don’t know, James.” Sirius shrugged. “But we need to get there quickly.”

All of you then rushed to where the carriages were. You looked on sadly as you saw James sitting next to Lily with Remus and Sirius across from them.

You shivered in your dress as you got onto the carriage with Tonks and Moody.

“I know what you’re thinking…” Tonks caught you off guard when she winked at you.

“Excuse me?” You looked to Moody for clarification, but it seemed he was just as confused as you were.

“Don’t pretend like I don’t know what you’re thinking. I went through the same thing with Remus.”

Your eyes widened and you blushed as it then clicked in your brain what she meant. Moody looked on to the side of the carriage, completely ignoring you two.

“There’s no need to feel bad even though he’s married.”

“What?!” You loudly whispered as you covered your mouth. You looked at your two companions feeling embarrassed.

“Moody’s been around too long to not know how to keep secrets and ignore them.” Tonks said nonchalantly.

You felt disturbed that she was able to read you so openly. If she was able to do it, you’d hate to imagine what the others might pick up on from you.

“I know you.” Tonks went on. You wanted to tell her to shut up as much as you wanted her to keep talking. “You’re too innocent to want to hurt Lily. That’s why you’ve never said anything. Don’t be scared of your feelings as long as you don’t act on them.”

“Yeah, I won’t.” You scoffed, more to yourself.

“Then you haven’t got anything to worry about.” She said a little too cheerfully.

“Oh… thanks?” You didn’t know what else to say about her awkward, but well-intentioned attempt at giving you advice.

As you got to the school, your nerves didn’t calm down one bit. In fact, they seemed to multiply. Heeding Moody’s advice, you tried to stay as close to everyone, but you somehow found yourself alone in the familiar dark corridors. You lost track of time, trying your best to hide from any Death Eaters roaming the castle along with the screaming students running for their lives.

You thought you had lost everyone when you heard a voice softly call out your name.

You turned around to the sight of Harry running towards you. He was wearing jeans and a hoodie. You felt tears threaten to escape you. You were so glad you found someone you were familiar with amongst all this chaos.

“Harry, what is it?” You asked frantically.

“It’s Voldemort! He and the Death Eaters got into the castle and now they're battling with the Order in the Astronomy Tower!” He answered you just as frantically. He was also out of breath. “Dumbledore told me to run. And then, my parents told me to go and find you.”

“I’m so happy you’re alright.” You hugged Harry just as tightly as he hugged you. “Where are the other students?”

“Fred and George are helping the Prefects make sure everyone else gets to their common rooms.” He said.

“I have to go help your parents and the others!” You suddenly let go of him.

“Dad told me to get you to the Gryffindor common room where he thinks you’ll be safe.” Harry contradicted.

“I told your dad and the rest of the Order that I’m not hiding.” You contradicted him back. “I’m going to help. Are you coming with me?” You took out your wand from inside your boot.

Harry sighed. “Alright, then.”

Seeing as how Harry was almost as short as you, you had no trouble keeping up with each other’s footsteps as you ran through the castle and up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. The first person whose eyes you caught were James’. He was in a duel with Professor Snape, who if you looked closely, was deflecting James’ attacks at the Death Eaters next to him. You knew Snape was a powerful wizard, so there was no way he’d do this unintentionally. It was strange to you, but you didn’t question it out loud.

“Kids! Get out of here!” James yelled at you and Harry, which made Snape turn his eyes towards you.

“I’m not leaving without a fight!” You yelled back through the sounds of other screaming wizards around you.

“Stop it! This isn’t the time to try to act like a brave little Gryffindor! You’ll only get hurt! Harry, I told you to make sure she gets to the common room with the other students!” James was out of breath as much as Snape was. You were just as thankful as you were confused as to why Snape didn’t try to attack you and Harry.

“No, Dad. She didn’t want to go. And I’m with her!” Harry exclaimed cofindently. “I’m not leaving without a fight either.” You both gave each other a nod.

For the first time since entering the tower, you took a full glance at your surroundings.

Tonks and her parents were fighting against two witches you recognized as Bellatrix Lestrange and her younger sister Narcissa Malfoy, who looked like she didn’t want to be there, with the eldest of the three sisters repeatedly throwing insults at the middle one, along the lines of “blood-traitor” or “mud-blood lover.” If it weren’t for the wands, it would’ve looked like a typical family argument.

You then saw Fleur, Bill, and Charlie try with their combined strengths to fend off the wolfish attacks of Fenrir Greyback, whom you knew as the one responsible for turning Remus into what he had become. If he was no weaker than three grown wizards combined, you’d hate to see what he’d be capable of in his full wolf form.

The two most powerful wizards in the room however, were Dumbledore and Voldemort, who instead of exchanging words and attacks, put all their energy into a clash of light, daring each other to let go and give into the exhaustion.

It was Dumbledore who gave in, as Voldemort’s blast hit him and sent him to the ground. Dumbledore may have been old, but his speed at getting up was rivaled to that of someone your age.

You saw Voldemort whip his head around to find a new target, you and Harry. He shot a non-verbal attack at you, and with you and Harry’s combined strengths, were able to block it.

You saw James let go of his mission of attacking Snape as he turned to the three of you, and before Voldemort could get a look at him, he pushed him to the ground.

“I told you two to get out!” James yelled angrily.

Using the strength of both hands, Voldemort grabbed James by the collar of his shirt, and tugged him off before pulled him up to eye-level.

“James Potter…” He sneered, as James clenched his teeth, keeping eye contact with him. “Just as weak as the day I tried to kill you all those years ago.”

James grabbed his wrist and pried them off of him, but not before spitting in his face.

“You are not scaring me!” He yelled over the sound of Voldemort’s cackling.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Snape standing all alone, everyone else too distracted by fighting each other to notice him, but not you and Harry.

Snape aimed his wand at Dumbledore, and you heard the spell being used for the first time.

“Avada Kedavra.” He didn’t sound angry, just sad, like he knew he had to do this and was dreading it. You guessed that with all of Malfoy’s failed assassination attempts, Snape decided to take matters into his own hands.

Except it didn’t hit Dumbledore because Lily pushed him back to the ground, making the blast hit her instead.

The entire battle stopped, and everyone put down their wands.

“Lily! No!” James turned his attention to Lily from Voldemort, who looked like a child watching fireworks on New Year’s.

Harry was being held back by Remus from attempting to lung out at Snape and get himself hurt, you assumed. The only things that came out of Harry were tears and a scream, no words.

You heard Bellatrix’s cackle as she was the first Death Eater to fly away from the observation deck, not without a goodbye.

“Until next time, little sister!” Her maniacal laughter faded along with her. Narcissa pushed past her niece as she wordlessly sprinted down the stairs, probably to go find Draco.

After the other Death Eaters flew away, Voldemort disapparated along with his maniacal laughter that was deeper than Bellatrix’s. Snape was the only Death Eater who remained.

It was James who threw a punch at Snape, but all he did was stand there without a word, letting James use him as a punching bag a couple more times.

“I was right about you! You are still the same terrible person I went to school with! Lily tried convincing me you’ve changed! She was your friend! I can’t believe she ever chose to be your friend! You never deserved her in your life! You will never be worthy enough to have someone like her in your life!” With each sentence that ripped out of him, James’ punches towards Snape became more potent until there was a faint line of blood coming out of his mouth.

“Fight back, you coward!” Was the last thing James yelled before letting his fist drop to look at the forming bruises on his knuckles.

Dumbledore was silent as he came over to James, and put an arm around the crying man’s shoulders.

He gently pulled him away, and whispered, “I’ll apparate her body back to Godric’s Hollow. Make sure you and the others regroup at your home. I’ll meet you there.”

James held his head up, revealing his tears to everyone. He nodded at Dumbledore���s order.

There were bouquets of Lilies everywhere in James’ living room. The number of flowers had greatly outnumbered the people. He couldn’t have known that during the moment Lily was talking about her first train ride to Hogwarts, it would also be her last train ride to Hogwarts. It was like a twisted circle of life, is how James saw it.

Then there was you and Harry. You had lost two parents, gained multiple parental figures, and lost one of them in the span of a year. Harry had never seen someone die before, and it was even worse that the first death he witnessed was his own mother.

He saw you and Harry sitting on the couch together. Your arm was around his shoulder, and he was sobbing his heart out. People used to tell James that boys don’t cry and they should feel shame for showing such a vulnerable emotion in public, but at that moment, James felt proud of his son for having the courage to show his emotions in public, and proud of you for being a good supportive friend to his son.

The rest of the wake went by in a blur, the only other vivid thing James remembered being Dumbledore giving a small speech about Lily’s life before inviting whomever to give their own speeches about her.

This was the last day James would be in close proximity with you for a very long time.

Life went on, but you never stopped thinking about James. After saving up your money, Sirius helped you find a flat in London while Arthur was finally convinced to arrange for you to begin your training as an Auror under the mentorship of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Being as busy as you were, you stopped showing up to the Order meetings even though you received every invitation Arthur had sent you.

Although you were new in the Ministry, Kingsley still held you to the same standards and expectations as he did with the older employees. That only made you more eager to prove yourself which led to you being satisfied with the outcome of your hard work.

That didn’t mean you were any less grateful for the Potters, Weasleys, Sirius, and other members of the Order for helping to shape you into who you had become. You would never stop being grateful towards Lily for everything she had done for you over the past year you’d known each other. You felt that your gratefulness towards Lily and the sadness you felt for her death made you even more guilty of still having that same attraction you had towards James.

You still thought about him every night before you went to bed. Every time you thought about your memories with him while you were in bed, you would experience a dull ache between your thighs that didn’t go away unless you used your fingers, your hairbrush, or even your pillow to rub in that specific spot to relieve it.

Still wearing your camisole and your panties, you tried to drift off to sleep, but once again, your mind imagined that instead of you being by yourself, that James was next to you. It was summer which meant it was way too hot for you to put a blanket over yourself.

Your head started to feel hazy as your fingers traced over your lips, imagining a kiss with James. The knuckles of your other hand found themselves brushing from the back of your ear to your neck, where you remembered James had brushed a strand of your hair behind it during that training session.

There was no denying that jolt of pleasure that ran through you for a split second as his finger accidentally grazed along the seam of your shorts that covered your pussy. As if having your pussy lips being touched wasn’t enough, you had even felt the pressure of his finger on the sensitive little nub just above it. Just imagining his fingers being there again made that ache between your thighs burn even more.

You let your fingertips trail from your lips to your neck before going over the hardened peak of one of your nipples. You gasped at the pleasurable sensation you brought onto yourself. You continued to softly rub your finger over your nipple, then squeezing your breast, alternating between the two actions. The fingers of your other hand then went over the goosebumps covering your stomach before tracing over the lace trim of your panties. Your fingers were so close to circling over your clit and your inner lips which were so swollen from all the blood rushing to them that just the lightest pressure of anything against the thin material covering them would make you explode.

“Well, aren’t you a filthy little girl.” You suddenly heard a deep voice from the corner of the room, and you could see the shiny outline of a pair of glasses. You felt your cheeks reddening as you pulled your fingers away from yourself, embarrassed at being caught in such a private moment.

“James?” You gasped, sitting up, your hair falling to your face.

“You were thinking about me weren’t you?” His features started to morph into clarity.

“How…?” The next thing you knew, you looked down, and your camisole and panties were gone as you were laying down on your bed without anything to cover you.

You tried to move your limbs, but it was as if there was an invisible rope binding them onto your mattress. You looked up, and gasped to see James also wasn’t wearing anything either. He had taken his position in front of your bed, standing in front of it, and he was stroking himself. You were mesmerized by the way his hand slid up and down his hard shaft and the grunts that would come out of his mouth at every other stroke.

“Oh, James. I want your delicious cock! I can’t stop thinking about you!”

You were unable to control your mouth as you found yourself moaning those sentences out loud. You gasped, feeling mortified.

“Aww…” James frowned, feigning empathy. “You poor little slut. You couldn’t help yourself could you? Having all these filthy thoughts about me while I was married. You were a good girl, holding yourself back. But now you feel free don’t you? Free to take me? You’re ready to be a little slut.”

“Please! I’m sorry!” You couldn’t believe he would insinuate something like that. You had not once dared to feel happy about Lily’s death and claim James all for yourself. You would’ve hurt your friendship with Harry, and you would’ve been guilty of feeling like you were replacing his mother.

“You’ve been such a good little girl. Don’t you just want to give in?” James brushed his thumb over your bottom lip. It was as if there was something controlling you, making you unable to resist sucking on his thumb.

You looked into his eyes as he was smirking. He pulled out his thumb with a plop.

“I promise you, it’ll feel really good.” You shivered as he caressed your cheek. “I know that I’m hungry to feast on that delicious looking pussy you’re showing me.”

“Make me feel good, James!” You screamed, and you felt his warm tongue slide up along your inner lips before taking one of them in his mouth and sucking on it.

You released a loud moan that was straight out of those Muggle porno films you had found stashed in Sirius’ home that you watched without his knowledge.

His lips let go of your pussy before he moved onto your face. There, you found yourselves with your lips locked onto each other’s.

You didn’t understand what was happening as you felt like James’ lips were on every sensitive area of your body when his face was right in front of you. You felt a warm, wet sucking sensation on both of your nipples, making you arch your back and moan into his mouth.

Before you knew it, you felt his cock probing at your entrance. You stayed in your position, panting and moaning around him, overwhelmed and drunk on the pleasure he was feeding you. There was tension that started to build inside your core which began to build more and more pressure inside of you.

You were about to scream as you opened your eyes and were greeted by the sight of your bedroom which was empty of anybody else besides you. You were left with disappointment at the orgasm that died down inside of you with your waking breath.

You gasped at the familiar ache between your thighs accompanied by a warm wetness inside your panties.

If you couldn’t finish the job in your dream, you could at least do yourself a favor by doing whatever you could do to pleasure yourself.

You pushed the feeling of guilt that had come up in your dream to the back of your mind while your fingers found their way inside your panties.

You were so wet from your dream last night that it was easy for your finger to frantically slide up, down, and between your inner lips. You felt a wave of pleasure crash over you immediately as your middle finger applied the right amount of pressure on your clit while rubbing it. You came inside your panties while moaning and screaming James’ name.

As fast as your orgasm wore off, guilt took the place of pleasure. Tears started to form in your eyes at the realization of what you had done. Maybe you were the filthy slut that James from your dreams said you were.

[yertle-the-turtle6678]

IM BACK AND I HAVE PERCIVER HEAD CANONS TO SHARE!!!

They meet in first year on the Hogwarts express. Percy's holding a giant book on third year divination. While this makes him a less attractive friend in the eyes of others', it's what brings Oliver Wood to the same train car as him. They introduce themselves and shake hands.

In second year, Oliver makes the Quidditch team as their keeper. Percy still spends the majority of his time indoors, but he goes to Ollie's practices and games every once in a while. After one specific game, Oliver comes back to the dorm with his breath cut short and with tears in his eyes. He stops breathing and the world goes spinning between each of his eyes; a panic attack, madame Pomphrey later describes it. The crowd triggered it.

Percy comforts him, sits on the same floor as him, rubbing the boy's back, repeating reassurance: "you're safe here,"

"You were good out there, really."

"I'll sit with you for as long as it takes."

Oliver comes to with his head on Percy's shoulder.

In third year, Percy goes to every practice and every game. He rubs Oliver's back when he returns to the dorm. When he loses for the first time, Percy has to chase him to stop him from running away, never to be found again.

"Hey, listen," Percy says, out of breath from the running. He doesn't understand how Oliver's barely breaking a sweat. "Tell me, okay? What went wrong out there?"

He gives Oliver a minute to pause and think.

Oliver gathers his thoughts and his breath. The sweat dripping down his neck fuels him, gives him energy. It clouds his head. He needs to calm down.

"I slipped on my broom." He says finally. "I wasn't planted on it properly."

"Good. What are you gonna do to fix it?" Percy replies, breathing better.

"I'll improve my grip."

"Good."

The two of them stand there, just breathing.

"Thanks."

In fourth year, they have the Yule Ball. Both of them are fifteen. Their year mates are out and about minging, asking each other out. The two of them stay where they are. They don't speak of the ball.

They go to the dance together, as friends of course. Percy keeps adjusting the collar to his hand-me-down dress robes. Oliver assures him that his attire is charming.

He sighs.

"If you had to wear these, I guarantee you'd understand me." Percy says. Over the summer his voice has changed. It's deeper and richer. Oliver loves it. Wishes he could taste it. Wishes these thoughts would go away. He grins and laughs Percy off.

When it's time to dance, they run away to a balcony that Percy didn't even know existed. They laugh and chat, making jokes at the dancers' expenses. Percy's had a bit to drink, (had he known the punch was alcoholic, he wouldn't have gone near it) and his face is flushed deep red.

"AND- and then when the-" he howls laughter. Oliver has to stop him from falling over himself.

Oliver thinks... He can't think at all. Suddenly. The two of them are so close together. He's got his arm around Percy's back and Percy's leaning against him, hands on Oliver's chest, still laughing. When he stops and catches his breath, though, the two of them seem to freeze. Oliver's heart skips a beat when he can physically feel Percy tensing up.

He kisses him.

Very awkwardly.

He made little action with his lips, just gently brushing his against the other boy's. The boy in question grins. Now it's Oliver's turn to flush deep red.

"ha-HA! No, wait, no, Oliver, wait."

Percy pulls Oliver back towards him by the arm. They're tangled with each other again, Oliver giving in to the urge to smile, just a bit, even after being embarrassed.

They kiss. Properly this time. It's the best thing Oliver's felt in his life. When they pull away, he whispers,

"Are you my boyfriend now?"

Percy smiles.

"Yes."

In fifth year, nightmares attack. O.W.Ls. Percy never sleeps anymore.

Oliver has to drag him away from his work table and force him onto his bed. When that bed later becomes repurposed for more studies, Oliver forces him onto his own bed. They sleep together and their dorm mates start getting suspicious.

Oliver sleeps in pajama bottoms and nothing else. Percy sleeps in a sweater and boxers. They spoon and Oliver rests his arm in front of Percy's only exit to stop him from crawling out of bed to study. Little does he know, Percy would never dare leave.

During the waking hours, Oliver drags Percy to other important places, such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The outdoors. Interaction with other human beings. It's a tough life out here for him.

When the exams finally start approaching, they do not stop making out. It's the only thing that gets Percy's mind off things. Only because there's nothing more distracting than Oliver's mouth.

To his own surprise and nobody else's, Percy passes his O.W.Ls with flying colours. Oliver passes alright despite not studying.

In sixth year it's the same for their N.E.W.Ts.

Something changes in the relationship between Percy and the rest of the student body, especially the girls. Oliver knows he's gotten taller. And his freckles have cleared enough for his gorgeous face to be visible. His voice is still as beautiful as it was in fourth year. He's started rolling up the sleeves of his sweaters, and the halls seem to swoon rapidly when they spot his forearms. Oliver always knew that Percy could have this power over people; he'd been subject to it himself. But it annoys him. And what's even worse is that Percy doesnt seem to notice when he's being flirted with.

He gets into the habit of writing on Oliver with pens, a strange Muggle device that's actually pretty nifty. Some mornings, Oliver wakes up with markings he doesn't even remember. Percy writes on his chest a lot. Draws on his collarbone. The most repeated word is Percy's name.

Oliver looks in the mirror one day, at his shirtless body.

PROPERTY OF PERCIVAL IGNATIUS WEASLEY

It says this all over his torso.

He grins. No one's stealing Percy from him anytime soon.

They pass their N.E.W.Ts.

The Summer Before Seventh Year

France is a gorgeous place, Oliver realises. Filled with gorgeous girls, too. He's lounging at the beach when one of them asks him out. He's put on the spot and exposed, wearing nothing but his swimming shorts and sunglasses. He fumbles over his words.

"Err, I mean, no..." The girl frowns. She has gorgeous eyes. "I mean, yes, sure. Is Friday at 7 PM okay with you?"

It doesn't even occur to him that she's a Muggle.

Immediately after he's uttered these words, he regrets it. But he can't stand her up. And she's already walking away. Merlin, Percy's gonna kill him.

It's just one date and Oliver doesn't even enjoy. They don't touch each other at all; they don't even hold hands. But Oliver knows what he's done, and he knows what he has to do.

He writes a letter.

I love you. I'm sorry. I couldn't live with myself if I kept it secret.

He sends it away with his black owl.

At the Burrow, Percy receives two letters back to back on his birthday. The first is from Hogwarts, confirmation that he's this year's Head Boy. He jumps around the kitchen, all dignity forgotten, and hugs his mother with an enormous grin on his face.

The second is from Oliver.

How quickly Percy's face turns sour. Mrs Weasley asks if he's okay.

Tears sting his eyes. Outside, he tells his mother everything.

One day before the start of the school year, the Weasley's are staying at the Leakey Cauldron overnight. Percy hears pebbles being thrown at his window and goes to see who it is.

Oliver Wood. Merlin.

Percy goes downstairs, striding towards his partner. Punches him in the face and immediately feels bad, but doesn't let that stop him. His voice is somewhere between a whisper and a yell and a sob,

"How could you?"

"I'm so sorry, Percy."

"Why did you do it?"

"We didn't do anything. Didn't touch her. I remember what you wrote on me."

Percy breathes in deep.

"I wasn't talking about just your body, Oliver. I was talking about you. All of you." He exhales, trying to hold himself together.

"I wouldn't think twice about rejecting some Muggle girl for you. You think I didn't notice when the whole female population at school suddenly wanted to date me? Just because of my body? I resisted them for you, Oliver. Because I love you. Why couldn't you do that for me?"

"I don't know. I'm so, so sorry."

They decide to take a break from their relationship. When they start attending school again, their dorm mates wonder why they've stopped sleeping together.

[priincebutt]

How about Henry who never fell asleep with anyone else around, because he never trusted anyone and had an image to uphold, falling asleep on Alex all the time when they're hanging out (even with other people) because he feels safe. Can be canon or AU. :)

Hey anon!! Thank you for this lovely little prompt! This is a super short response, but I didn't want to drag it out because I think it works as just a silly lil domestic drabble. Hope you enjoy!

Movie night has kind of become a thing for Alex and Henry now that they have a space that’s their own. It feels domestic, like they’re allowed to have their own slice of normalcy despite everything they’ve been through. On Friday nights when most people their age are going to the clubs or hitting up dive bars, Alex and Henry curl up on their couch with a bowl of popcorn, boxes of pizza, and a bottle of wine and choose a movie out of a bowl. The movies they put in there are an amalgamation of favorites, ones that haven’t been seen, and new releases they both were anticipating, and this way they don’t fight over what to watch (which of course happened on their inaugural movie night).

This week, things look a little different. Alex is in his usual spot on the couch with Henry curled up into his side. Nora and June have commandeered the love seat across the way, their sides touching, their legs intertwined, arms slung over the arms of the chair haphazardly. Percy is in Henry’s favorite armchair, a vintage thing they found at a flea market that he had reupholstered in a cream brocade that somehow matches Percy’s overly stylish sweats. Bea occupies the final seat on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her, chin balanced on her hand, elbow perched on the arm of the couch. It’s not often that the super six are all in the same city together – business keeps them all bouncing around the globe, or firmly planted across the pond, or overly worked in DC, but they always found their way back to each other eventually, and this weekend it was a trip to New York City, with Bea occupying the guest bedroom in the Brownstone, and Nora, June and Percy all staying in a local hotel close by.

“The Mummy is an integral part of the bisexual experience!” Alex had yelled in excitement when the title had been announced as their watch for tonight. “I’m so excited for you to see it, Hen, Brendan Fraser is so hot, and it takes place in Egypt, you guys are going to love it.”

June and Nora had enthusiastically agreed, and Percy and Bea and Henry all shared a look and a laugh, an understanding passing between the three of them – they love these silly Americans enough to suffer through any movie for them.

“Fine, but I still can’t believe it wasn’t Notting Hill,” Henry had harrumphed, like it was a real struggle to curl up into Alex’s side and watch a movie full of attractive actors on the screen.

Everyone settles in as the movie starts, and pizza and popcorn is passed from hand to hand. It doesn’t take long for The Mummy to capture everyone’s attention, and only a few hushed whispers are occasionally passed as Evie and Rick run from the bad guys and race to find Hamunaptra.

They don’t even get halfway through the movie when Alex notices it – Henry’s head is heavy on his shoulder, his breathing regular and his chest rising and falling slowly against Alex’s side. Alex ducks his head and peeks at Henry, and the small, satisfied smile that curls across his lips is genuine. Henry’s fast asleep on his chest, despite him being engrossed in the movie only moments before. Alex doesn’t wake him up, though, just runs his fingers through Henry’s golden hair and presses a reverent kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead, then turns back to the movie. They make it a few more scenes before Nora catches on and alerts June to the snoozing Henry, which in turn gets Pez to coo at them softly and Bea to share a small, private smile with Alex.

—

Henry, an infamous insomniac, passed out across Alex’s chest and snoozing like a baby. Bea remembers how hard it used to be for Henry to sleep, how he used to fight sleep like it was giving in to weakness to lay his head down and rest. He deserves this, she thinks. He deserves someone he feels comfortable enough around to fall asleep on, in the middle of a room full of people, in the middle of a loud, action packed movie. Henry deserves Alex, who lulls him to sleep and knocks him out despite it all.

Nora and June are in the kitchen making a box of brownies they found in the pantry, and the credits are rolling when Bea conspiratorially leans in to Alex and smiles brightly.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother sleep in a public space. This is… impressive.”

“Quite,” Percy agrees in a quiet tone, his own smile telling as he looks from Bea to sleeping Henry then back over to Alex. “Henry’s always been so… strange about sleep. Didn’t want people to know he did it or something,” Percy laughs as he shakes his head.

Alex smiles sweetly down at Henry, his affection easily apparent as he brushes a lot of hair from Henry’s forehead. “This is his home, he can be comfortable here. I’m proud of that,” Alex admits quietly, not budging an inch in hopes of allowing Henry to sleep longer.

“I’m so thrilled to see him this happy,” Bea admits, her tone easy and her eyes bright. “You’re so worthy of his love, Alex.”

[lilislegacy]

i know ive asked you this million times but what do u think the sexualities of all the heroes of olympus characters are

i’m sorry i’ve ignored this question whenever you’ve sent it 🫣 to be honest, i’m scared of offending people lol. but i guess i’ll give my thoughts. just know that i respect all opinions and i love reading posts that have versions and opinions that differ from my own

to me, percy and annabeth are both pretty dam straight. it’s just how i’ve always perceived their characters, you know? and canonically, they’ve only been romantically attracted to opposite sexes

frank, the sweetie, is a bit young to say, but he’s most likely straight in my mind.

tbh i’m not even gonna say anything about hazel because she’s way too young for me to even think about it seriously. she also grew up in a time where it wasn’t a choice, so it’s hard to say how she would adapt to more modern times.

jason is probably straight, but it’s hard to say. given his upbringing and memory loss, i can’t be too sure about him. but i can totally see him being bi. that said, i don’t see him dating percy or leo (although i do love seeing those posts lol) because i think the two of them are like brothers to jason, but i can see him with a guy. so in conclusion, he’s probably straight, but also i can see him being bi.

my girl piper is definitely not straight lol, so she’s probably bi or pan or something like that.

and then there’s leo… LOL. leo is hard. i used to think he was super straight, but over time ive grown to see him being pan but with more attraction to women. leo just kinda gives the vibes of being interested in anyone if they’re attractive enough and have a personality he likes. his type could very well be “anyone with a pulse”

now remember, this is how i view them canonically. according to the books. when it comes to the fandom, i love reading all different versions of them, regardless of sexuality, physical looks, perspectives, etc. it’s just like how when i imagine percy and annabeth, i picture their 17-18 year old selves, with percy having black hair and green eyes and annabeth having blonde hair and grey eyes. BUT that doesn’t mean their tv show actors, or art of them looking different, are any less percy and annabeth. (cause i adore leah and walker.) does that make sense?? i hope it makes sense lol

[theprinceofliones]

List of MY OWN PERSONAL LGBTQ 4KOTA/NNT HEADCANONS PT1/?

(Again, for those who can't fucking read, this is MY OWN PERSONAL headcanons and NO ONE ELSE'S! You do not have to agree or like my own personal headcanons, but please respect them thank you besties 🤪)

(ALSO! I will say that there are some flags that I made sure to look up and research to make sure everything is accurate! But, if something on here is NOT accurate nor used correctly, I'd love it if you guys could let me know and keep me educated! Thank you!)

Tristan

My boy is transfeminine and a PROUD bi-mlm (bi w/pref for men) icon 🥰 While he was born with male pronouns, he's very feminine leaning but doesn't really mind any pronouns used for him, so he's a little agender as well. He's found that he is attracted to both genders but most definitely prefers men (COUGHS LANCELOT COUGHS).

2. Lancelot

GAAAAAY!!!!! This is a one hundred and twelve thousand percent GAAAAAAAY man right here. But, in saying that, he's is ALSO aromantic as he has an extremely hard time forming a romantic bond with another person whatsoever. Sure, he'll go out and have fun with other guys from time to time, but he's never felt any romantic feelings for another, everything is just purely sexual whenever he has these 'encounters' (...enter one Tristan Liones. and Lancelot's whole world is flipped upside down).

3. Percival

AAAAA Percy my beloved 🥰 my boy is proudly Pansexual! He'll find himself being attracted to anyone no matter how they identify! All that matters to him is what's in your heart. But, he's also demisexual as he very rarely forms sexual attraction to those around him. He DOES have a big fat ginormous crush on Naisens though! Although he doesn't really realize it lol.

4. Gawain

GAWAIN MY BUTCH LESBIAN ICON!!! She's VERY much into women and women ONLY! She's never had an attraction to men, in fact she thinks that the whole world would be better if there were only women (oml same queen). She's not a very feminine leaning lesbian which is why I assigned her the butch lesbian flag! She prefers to present more masculine-like as she wants to be seen as strong and dominant, but does not identify nor use male pronouns.

5. Naisens

That kid is non-binary all the WAAAAY and Nakaba PLEASE you have the chance to do the funniest thing ever and make it canon with Naisens PLEEEEAAAAAASE. Post-time skip Naisens uses they/them pronouns and dresses more neutral to not assume either or any gender. They're also pansexual! Any gender, any sexuality works with them as long as your name is Percival LMFAO

Part 2 will come soon! I want to try and do as many characters as I can! Stay tuned and I'd love to hear your guys' OWN headcanons as well!

[jedirevan224]

An Unacknowledged Foundation

A paper on Liper, because I had thoughts lol

If you’ve been a part of the Percy Jackson fandom for long, or even observed it from the outside, you’re probably aware that the shipping side of the fandom gets pretty intense and opinionated. Some ships are reasonable, but many are not, especially considering the context of the books. Whether it is a fan favorite like Percy and Annabeth, or an obscure ship with no basis like Thalia and Grover, each of these ships generally appears to have the fan base due to it when looking at canon content and existing–or even hypothesized–chemistry. All except one. One of the least popular ships I am aware of in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians fandom is that of Leo and Piper, commonly known as “Liper”. Despite their frequent and close interactions throughout both the Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo series, they are overwhelmingly seen only as friends, or siblings. When thinking about their relationship and bringing it to a real-world line of thought, questions are raised about whether Leo and Piper’s relationship is truly as platonic as the fandom, and even the author himself, chooses to see it. 

Shall we get into it? Well, let’s start from the source. As described within Riordan’s multiple series, Leo and Piper have one of the closest friendships explored. Certainly, the author builds them as the closest platonic male-female relationship. Their unique origins as the only known unrelated half-bloods to become friends before knowing the truth about themselves adds even more meaning to this. Throughout the quest, it becomes clear that Leo is closest to Piper out of all of the others, and he looks at her differently than any other girl he’s shown interacting with. Piper notices and thinks about Leo in times that others do not and shows him affection that makes the author’s efforts to show a platonic relationship feel contrived. When you look at the culmination of their friendship in Trials of Apollo, all these little things start to add up to look like something deeper.

From the beginning, it is clear that Leo and Piper were friends before Jason ever came into the picture. In Jason’s first hour after waking up on the Wilderness School bus, and even later, it is Leo who is filling him in on who Piper really is: The fact she stole a car and how she did it (TLH pg. 5), she likes to fight her own battles (TLH pg. 11), and that her dad is Tristan Mclean (TLH pg. 193). When Leo meets almost any other female character, his interest in them is sparked only by their beauty or some surface aspect of their personality. Oftentimes, this personality that he is attracted to is harsh and entirely uninterested in him, which is indicative of a deeper insecurity in Leo rather than a true affection. For example, Leo states he is in love with Khione, the ice princess, after she looks at him without any friendliness (TLH pg. 208). When he meets Calypso, Leo becomes more interested in her because of her willingness to get her hands dirty, showing she wasn’t as shallow as other girls he’d met (HoH pg. 375). But such a surface trait is not a basis for true feelings, and her behavior towards him as time goes on remains primarily harsh, remaining consistent with Leo’s type: women who are–in his mind–out of his league, and unkind, or even abusive to him. This is a realistic and consistent portrayal of Leo by Riordan, which he continues to show in the Trials of Apollo. In Hazel’s case, Leo refers to her appearance as “first-rate craftsmanship” (BoO pg. 103). 

These descriptions contrast to when Leo thinks of Piper. He’s not so concerned with how she looks, and is close to her and feels comfortable around her because they’re friends beyond the surface level that Leo experiences towards most other female characters. He observes in one scene how Piper has grown, not just in a physical sense, but in her presence (TLH pg. 485). In an even more impactful line in a later book, Leo mentions that he wishes Piper were there because her presence made him feel calm, which he needed after a night of bad dreams (HoH pg. 67). On their first adventure, Leo thinks after comforting Piper about her father that he felt like he was “relaxing comfortably with a friend” (TLH pg. 487). Later on in the books, Leo has particular concern over never seeing Piper again, and later misleads her into believing she had the cure because he knows its the only way he’ll be able to follow through with his plan to sacrifice himself (BoO pg. 330, pg. 349-350). Though all this could be interpreted merely as close, platonic feelings Leo has for a friend, him flirting with Piper on two occasions does make this seem unlikely (TLH pg. 372, HoH pg. 322). Considering this all together, it is clear that even in the context of friendship, Leo cares deeply for Piper in a way that is unique from any other character. If that was the end of the story, then I wouldn’t have much to say. Yet from the beginning, Piper’s friendship with Leo is as deep as his with her, even if she seems less aware of the fact herself. 

On the surface, Piper’s interactions with Leo seem very platonic and friendly–until you start to add it all up and compare her behavior towards him to other characters. Piper is often the first to notice or react to Leo when others don’t. When he appears on his metal dragon for the first time, Piper is the first to call out to him, and while the campers around her are calling Festus dangerous, Piper calls him beautiful (TLH pg. 186-187). Considering the importance of Festus to Leo, that is significant. Later, when nearly every member of the seven is doubtful of Leo, Piper never is, even in spite of Jason’s injury (MoA pg. 60). There are many other instances where Piper notices Leo: his appearance, his physical state, or his emotions. In the Lost Hero, Piper notices that Leo had been up all night and convinces him to go to sleep (TLH pg. 197). Later on, Piper notices Leo’s sour mood and its effect on Festus, when Jason is oblivious (TLH pg. 230). In the last book, Leo observes that “Piper was a little too good at knowing when he was lying” (BoO pg. 86). In other words, Piper pays attention to him. She knows him. These are only a few examples out of many that can be found in the books. 

But not only is she mentally close to Leo, giving him careful attention, Piper is physically close to Leo on many occasions. Although the gesture is mentioned on numerous occasions to be “sisterly”, the number of times that Piper kisses Leo on the cheek or embraces him, and the feelings portrayed in each instance, does not feel comparable to the singular time that Hazel does the same to Leo. When Leo returns with Hazel and Frank from their visit with the ichthyocentaurs, in addition to her insane reaction jumping into the water, Piper kisses Leo on the cheek. In this sequence, she does not pay much attention to Frank and Hazel, both of whom are her friends who have returned from the same danger. This makes the interaction feel quite romantic in nature (MoA pg. 306). When Leo returns from Calypso’s island, Piper nearly knocks him out of his chair in an embrace, and later patted his arm in a reassuring gesture that he was really with them (HoH pg. 443, 445). Later, when Leo activates the Archimedes sphere that is connected to the Argo II to control the grabber arm connected to the ship, Piper is standing beside him at the monitor, and kisses him on the cheek while congratulating him (BoO pg. 330). When she does this, Jason, her boyfriend, is flying around to yell guidance for Leo’s movement of the grabber arm. Though it is one thing to kiss a friend in a dangerous and adrenaline inducing situation, it’s curious to call it platonic in such a comparatively safe and calm environment. In Mark of Athena, there’s a moment where Piper observes Percy give Annabeth a kiss on the cheek, and Piper states that “they were so easy together, it made her heart ache” (pg. 117). But earlier on in the same book, Piper had a similar moment with Leo, which she does not acknowledge (pg. 306). Keeping in mind that Riordan is from a different generation, some of this behavior could be more expected than in current times, but the consistency of it is too much for this to explain. 

Even when kissing isn’t involved, Piper reacts with incredible emotion whenever Leo is in a dangerous situation. In The Lost Hero, Piper screams when she sees Leo enveloped in fire for the first time (TLH pg. 267). Later on, she is devastated when Leo is banished to Calypso’s island by Khione, and unable to bear the thought of not seeing him again (HoH pg. 326, 332). In the midst of these emotions, Piper is able to awaken Festus with her voice (HoH pg. 333). When he dies, Piper reacts very strongly and refuses to believe he’s truly dead (BoO pg. 473, 493, 495). While these are all understandable reactions to a friend being in danger, Piper’s reactions are often emphasized in the absence of Leo’s other friends' reactions. Taken together, the amount of attention Piper pays Leo and the emotion she has for him throughout the series makes it clear that she cares for him an incredible amount, perhaps more than should be expected from platonic friends. 

Piper and Leo’s relationship grows and strengthens throughout the Heroes of Olympus series, but because of the tight timeline towards the end of the story, the true culmination of their friendship can only be seen in their reunion and thoughts of each other throughout the Trials of Apollo. In The Dark Prophecy, the first time Leo mentions Piper is in a particular conversation with Apollo. In this exchange, Leo comments that he would like the recipe of their tofu enchiladas to give to Piper. Then, just after this, Apollo questions how Leo can be so calm when Apollo and Calypso, Leo’s girlfriend, are about to go on a dangerous quest. Leo continues to look at his tofu, which he has just associated with Piper (TDP pg. 93-94). When Piper first encounters Meg and Apollo, Apollo tells her of their adventures and mentions their encounter with Leo, Piper is aggressively ecstatic to hear that he’s alive and demands to hear everything about him (TBM pg. 118). This is an understandable reaction to hearing a friend is really alive, but in comparison only a very few, brief lines are given to Jason’s reaction (TBM pg. 205). Then, in the events of the novel, Jason tragically dies at the hand of Caligula. Piper and Leo reunite, what should have been a joyous moment overshadowed by the reality of Jason’s death (TBM pg. 414). When Leo questions the group about Jason, Piper is said to have “[broken] down. She fell against Leo and sobbed the story until he, thunderstruck, red-eyed, hugged her back and buried his face in her neck” (TBM pg. 415). This interaction, though driven by grief, is nothing short of intimate. The closeness they show as they seek consolation from each other makes it clear the time apart and distance from each other has not impacted the depth of their feelings for each other–be those platonic, or otherwise. 

This same scene leads into the last canonical interactions between Leo and Piper. Despite promising Calypso that he would be able to travel swiftly and would be back before long–when she was clearly displeased at the prospect of him leaving at all–(TDP pg. 391), Leo commits fully to escorting Piper, Tristan Mclean, Coach Hedge, and Mellie back to Oklahoma with his dragon (TBM pg. 416). This is an excursion that would add at least a week to his journey, up to as many as three weeks. It would not be amiss to add that, while the adults will be in the yellow Pinto car with the baby, the chances are not low that in this journey, Piper will be flying on the back of Festus with Leo. That is a significant amount of time to spend in close proximity to a teenager of the opposite gender, and expect feelings to still be platonic, assuming they were before they left. When Piper realizes how far away Leo will be settled from her, her “smile was as faint as fog” (TBM pg. 417). Although she is trying to show happiness for her friend, it is clear that the reality of being separated is not one she is ready to accept. Nor should she be; Leo is a close friend who has just returned from the dead at the same time as their mutual friend has fallen, the only friend she has left who’s been with her since the beginning. Finally, Apollo and Meg leave, and Apollo reflects as he looks back that “Piper and Leo, Coach and Mellie” (TBM pg. 417) were preparing for their journey. The imagery, pairing the young couple with the old, along with the emotions and attachment depicted throughout this whole sequence, make it feel unreal how we see Leo and Piper in the end of the series. Leo awaits the return of Calypso–who he’s increasingly unsure of–from band camp, and Piper is seen dating a mortal girl she cannot have known for longer than a few months. 

These narrative decisions for the end of Leo and Piper’s friendship arc, and their own respective romance arcs, are so concerning, and–in Piper’s case–unrealistic, that it is important to take a look at the bigger picture and to truly consider what it means for each character and what the author intends behind these choices. Looking at the bigger context of the narrative in the books and considering what is shown versus what is told throughout the stories brings into question what is actually being portrayed through Leo and Piper. To understand the contrast between Leo and Piper’s relationship, and the romantic relationships depicted by Riordan, it is important to explore what a healthy relationship looks like in real life. On a more concerning note, looking at these things brings into better light a stark disparity between the amount of interactions Leo and Piper have and the amount of support their ship receives, in contrast to almost every other Percy Jackson ship and similar relationships in other fandoms.

When writing a story, what matters more than what is said is what is shown, especially concerning relationships and dynamics.  Within Riordan’s series, he makes significant narrative decisions that show quite plainly Leo and Piper’s connection–without ever acknowledging it. When Hera, goddess of marriage, is imprisoned, it is Leo and Piper who must open it together. Later, when Piper is reflecting on the history of the snake song she is singing, it is said that the man who sung it in the legend had to sacrifice his wife for the power. It is Leo who is sacrificed. Additionally, the comparison between Leo and Piper and Beckendorf and Silena is too impactful not to mention. When Leo and Piper first arrive at camp, they both immediately feel the loss of the former cabin counselors when they join their cabins, and have to go through the journey of overcoming that history, be that one of heroism or notoriety. Considering the background, but sweet relationship between Silena and Beckendorf, Leo and Piper stepping up to fill those shoes together feels like the natural symbolic conclusion to the love story that couldn’t be finished. If the author had not included several lines to enforce the nature of their dynamic such as, “Are you kidding? You’re like the annoying little brother I never had. Of course I’ll stick up for you,” (It should be noted that Leo and Piper are only one month apart in age), and “Well, sisterly pecks on the cheek from Piper, but that didn’t count,” then their relationship and dynamic would absolutely come off as romantic. Even with those author signals, the lack of clear acknowledgment of the potential by Leo or Piper feels unnatural and out of character because the author has so clearly outlined what should naturally lead into a romantic relationship.  In fact, it could be said that if Leo and Piper were eventually meant to end up together, then Riordan is far more of a literary genius than I’ve ever given him credit for. But as it stands, the canon seems set in the relationships Riordan has chosen to establish within Trials of Apollo. 

The romantic relationships chosen by the author to depict and spend time within his series are often problematic, and those problems are often not addressed, or addressed incorrectly. Leo’s relationship with Calypso is toxic and even abusive. Piper’s relationship with Shel is spontaneous, out of character, and has no basis. Even her relationship with Jason felt stiff and uncertain for the majority of the time. Though this brought conflict and realism to the story, it brings questions about what direction should have been taken when contrasted with Leo and Piper’s easy dynamic and trust in each other. To answer this more clearly, we must understand what a true foundation for a healthy, loving relationship looks like. It can be agreed that those who are in love will be more patient with each other, kind, humble, want the best for the other, slow to get mad, quick to forgive, protective, trusting, and persevering. Such a state doesn’t just appear. Love doesn’t come with the butterflies in the stomach when you meet someone, but when you turn around and realize that they’ve been with you through everything and never left your side. That’s love. In this context, two scenes come to mind. When Piper’s father has just been recovered and she is worried and fearful about him, Leo is there to comfort and support her (TLH pg. 487). As was previously described, when Leo succeeds at making his long labored project work, Piper is there beside him, congratulating him and encouraging him, in addition to the kiss (BoO pg. 330). Then, finally, they comfort each other over Jason’s death in a way that no one else could have (TBM pg. 415). This is not to say Leo and Piper always show love to each other, but have the emotion and background that easily could become that. 

Throughout the book and the fandom, the consensus on Leo and Piper’s relationship is that they have a purely platonic, sibling dynamic. But if the facts are truly faced, that is simply an inaccurate description. Consider a friend you have of the opposite gender; can you imagine interacting with them the same way Piper and Leo interact? If so, how would your significant other feel about it, or vice versa if you were the one watching? Unless you are accepting of the idea of your partner being with someone else, then it is probable that the idea is uncomfortable at best. To give a better idea of true platonic friendships in Percy Jackson, consider Thalia and Percy or Reyna and Nico. These dynamics are what an actual platonic, “sibling” dynamic looks like. In fact, I applaud the author for encompassing this so well in these cases. But since it can be done, it calls into question what went awry when writing Leo and Piper. What if they were actually siblings? Or what if Leo was much younger than Piper and Jason? Or Piper older? These are just a few concepts that could have aided in creating the dynamic the author seemed to intend without this confusing and misleading portrayal of a simple, friendly relationship. This is not to say that Leo and Piper’s interactions are equivalent to teens in an active relationship, but as clearly having feelings for each other, albeit unacknowledged, and having a strong basis for their friendship to evolve into a romantic relationship as strong and likely to last as Percy and Annabeth themselves. 

Keeping all this in mind, it would be expected that fictional characters with such a strong foundation for a canonical relationship to evolve would have a strong base of fans who ship them. This is, insanely, not the case. Out of the 51,552 works of fanfiction on AO3 as of this writing, only 175 are tagged with Piper Mclean/Leo Valdez, which makes up 0.34% of the total number of fics. This does not account for the times that they are tagged in larger fics where they are not truly the relationship being depicted. To contrast, there are 1,021 fics tagged with Jason Grace/Leo Valdez, which makes up 2% of the total number of fics. This, somehow, people ship significantly more even though the canon basis for Jason and Leo’s relationship is mainly feeling secondary to and jealous of each other, with very few instances showing this supposed friendship. As far as content, there are only a handful of pieces by artists who’ve been able to get their work out for the very few existing shippers of Leo and Piper. To understand how unusual this is, we’re going to go for a moment to the Harry Potter fandom. Out of 492,200 total number of fics, Hermione and Harry, a similar close, platonic friendship, are tagged as a ship in 8,159 fics, which is 1.7%. This is a much larger percentage, though their relationship is not shown to be as close or intimate as Leo and Piper’s*. Going to yet another fandom, Rex and Ahsoka–another platonic friendship closer to a “coworker” dynamic–from Star Wars: The Clone Wars are tagged as a ship in 1,518 out of 53,309 fics for this media type, which is 2.8%. Out of ALL Star Wars media types, Rex and Ahsoka are shipped 0.7% of the time, which is still higher than Leo and Piper, despite having many more challenges and moral quandaries about their relationship than them. With these comparisons, the numbers become nothing short of concerning. 

*I have not read Harry Potter, so it is merely an assumption based on what I’ve seen of Harry and Hermione. Maybe they have a similarly close friendship.

There are many possibilities why a fandom would have such low numbers for a ship in comparison to other fandoms, but a lot of it boils down to the author and his intentions. Although there is clearly a strong, healthy foundation for a romantic relationship through the dynamic Riordan shows and the larger narrative images, he does not name it as such. With a younger audience of fans, they do not or cannot look deeper than what is written, and overwhelmingly take the surface dynamic signaled as the ultimate truth. On a more concerning note, this perception follows to accept multiple toxic, dangerous relationships Riordan writes into his novels without clearly painting them as such, or warning young readers from believing in these poor examples. While this could be passed off as a simple error and misunderstanding of how to write platonic male/female friendships, the fact that he succeeds in other places makes this unlikely.

To conclude, when looking at the canon basis for Leo and Piper and the conclusion of their relationship into the Trials of Apollo series, it is clear that their dynamic was into the narrative in a way that can be seen as near-romantic despite being stated to be that of merely friends, and the effect of these signaled dynamics has skewed the impressions of the fandom to be overwhelmingly against the ship. It must be noted that the shipping sides of fandom can get crazy and out of the blue. Not liking a ship, even if it does have a strong basis or is canon, is entirely fair and understandable. However, it is expected that the number of shippers will reflect the basis for a ship. Characters who have close, intimate moments with each other, even if they don’t have a canon relationship, often have this chemistry and potential played up in the fandom. This is far from the case for Leo and Piper. 

What does this mean? Let’s think about it. Riordan is an extremely talented writer. It seems unlikely that he could’ve written such an underlying dynamic unintentionally, even explaining away each and every one of the interactions or narrative decisions, which would be a stretch. Such a talented, intelligent person however, also has agendas. These agendas he has chosen to pursue in his writing over truly good storytelling, and as a result, intentionally, or unintentionally, shows through his stories consistent wrong representations of relationships, that impact the thoughts and opinions of the young audiences that read them. In the worst cases, bad behaviors are encouraged and understanding of what true love and healthy relationships are is broken. (Would you want a partner who treats you the way Piper treats Leo, or the way Calypso treats Leo? Or, on the other hand, would you want to date someone you just met, like Shel, or someone who’s been with you through everything, like Leo?) Not only Riordan, but almost all writers have an agenda of some kind that impacts the stories they tell. Some agendas are good, others are bad, some are straight up nefarious. When you read something on a page, don’t take it for granted. Not even this paper. There is a person behind those words with opinions and agendas, and if you aren’t careful you may be led into believing or condoning something that would otherwise have seemed unthinkable, or misunderstanding something that would in reality be clear as day. Leo and Piper may not be a canon relationship, but the foundation for it is as real as it is unacknowledged.  If you made it through that whole thing, thanks for reading! *Cup of tea* for you, as a present.

[saintsenara]

Not the same anon but in response to Percy/harry, I see their ship potential as echoing my perception of Percy as I have gotten older. I’ve never shipped them before but this ask made me think. I, like harry, did not give a shit about Percy, and saw him merely as a pompous, academic, stuffy brother who left the weaseley’s after a row. It was only in recent years that I read closely and realized what I believe all Percy afficianos do. that he’s very intelligent, has mother hen caring tendencies that are endearing, that he was brave in his own way to strike out on his own at 19 and survive working in the ministry. That he had many flaws but that his family also had flaws in the way they treated him. People’s perceptions of others can change with time and growth, and I believe postwar harry might undergo a shift in his worldview and start seeing things in shades of grey instead of black and white. I could see him coming to know Percy more, especially if Percy makes an effort to be very present around the Weasley family in an effort to mend bridges. Perhaps they are both frequent visitors of George because they both feel guilty about Fred’s death, and run into each other leaving and exiting George’s place. Which puts Percy on Harry’s radar and gives way to something else. That, and Percy has the tall and slim Weasley phenotype, a look that harry canonically finds attractive. Teen boys would understandably be drawn to bills cool badass cursebeaker exterior, but as a man, harry might see something in Percy, the vulnerability (they are both candidates for the survivor’s guilt award,) combined with features he finds attractive, and take a second look.

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

i suspect i'm too influenced by the view harry will end up taking of percy in subluxation, which is that his obvious post-war willingness to forgive people [of which - extra-canonically - lucius and draco malfoy are the main beneficiaries, with xenophilius lovegood sneaking along behind them...] has a slightly self-serving element to it.

that is, harry can forgive people for behaving in ways he personally considers admirable. he's willing to intercede for the malfoys because lucius and narcissa take enormous risks out of love for their son, which is clearly how he believes a family unit should behave. he's willing to overlook the fact that xenophilius tries to sell him to the death eaters because he does it out of love for his daughter. he drops his disillusion with dumbledore as soon as he realises how haunted he was by his sister's death. and he - most famously - gets over everything snape ever did to him once he learns that he loved his mother.

while i don't think he's ever ending up in a position where he's actively cruel to percy - and while i also don't think he's ever really interrogating what it means for percy to have remained working for the state during voldemort's takeover [he canonically believes that the vast majority of government employees just stay in post because they're scared, and that refusing to resist a regime which is openly committing genocide on account of this fear is legitimate...] - i think he's never getting over the fact that percy's loyalty to his family was so fragile.

[this is also the reason he doesn't really like percy prior to order of the phoenix - he thinks he's annoying and pretentious, absolutely, but he specifically thinks that the negative thing about these traits is that they set percy slightly apart from the rest of the family, who he considers more fun. he clearly thinks that this is deliberate on percy's part.]

i will absolutely accept that he's clocked that percy's fit though.

[quinn-of-aebradore]

CR Non-Endgame Ships Poll

Hello and welcome to the project that’s been occupying me all week! A showdown of sorts between 32 Critical Role ships that were not together by the end of their respective campaign! Some notes;

I’ve gone with the phrasing “non-endgame” as some of the relationships featured were together in canon at some point (ex. Blumendrei) or one half/both were canonically attracted to the other/had a crush (ex Widofjord). These are here alongside relationships that are purely fanon (ex. Verinwulf)

Since C3 and present-day EXU are still ongoing, open stories, no ships featuring those characters are included. Anything’s possible. Since EXU: Calamity is a closed story, it gets featured.

All relationships featured here are m/m, f/f, or poly. I have a running list for m/f ships and may do a bracket for them in the future depending on how this one goes. I am not ignoring them.

Each poll will feature art of the characters in question, included with permission from their artists. Links to the original posts will be included and I highly encourage giving them some love if you vote!

Let’s not do ship hate y’all, this is for fun. Please. Campaign for your favorites but keep it civil.

Block “cr non endgame poll” if you don’t want to see this further!

Voting will begin tomorrow (Feb 12) at 6pm CST! All polls with run for 24 hours

Matchup links and breakdown below the cut

Round 1; 

Widofjord VS Percy/Tary

Luciessek VS Fjordwulf

Vaxmore VS Scanvax

Fjolly VS Yussa/Essek

Verinwulf VS Jester/Reani

Polynein VS Blumendrei

Shadowfjord VS Vexleth

Perc’ildan VS Zerxus/Asmodeus

Beaukeg VS Jestrid

Laerryn/Patia VS Vexahra

Jester/Calianna VS Beastrid

Beaureani VS Yashter

Shadowmauk VS Polymachina

Mariking VS Beaujester

Kashvax VS Lucigast

Gilmore/J’mon VS Widomauk

Round 2;

Widofjord VS Fjordwulf

Vaxmore VS Fjolly

Jester/Reani VS Polynein

Vexleth VS Perc’ildan

Beaukeg VS Vexahra

Beau/Astrid VS Beau/Reani

Polymachina VS Beaujester

Lucigast VS Widomauk

Round 3;

Widofjord VS Vaxmore

Polynein VS Vexleth

Vexahra VS Beau/Reani

Polymachina VS Widomauk

Round 4 (Semifinals);

Vaxmore VS Polynein

Vexahra VS Widomauk

Round 5 (Finals);

Vaxmore VS Widomauk

[utilitycaster]

You have such a way of articulating things I’ve been vaguely feeling into intelligent coherent statements. Would you care to elaborate on the way that how Laudna+Imogen “went canon” was a curse?

Hey anon,

Thank you! So this is the thing: obviously I tend towards a fairly critical and snarky demeanor, but like, the best way to put it is in the context of the impending Nein show. I, and most of the people I chat with who are also not feeling Imogen and Laudna's relationship, are not of the "if that PURPLE FLOATY HOMEWRECKER SKANK SHOWS UP I will EXPLODE and SCREAM and DIE" or "fjorester divorce" or pretending Yasha doesn't exist persuasion re: this relationship (or for that matter the WELL if Percy dies after 70 years of marriage to Vex and then she's with Keyleth for the rest of her life WE WIN type of person either). Like, honestly, there was a post advocating for a breakup, but I think it included within it an argument that they reunite after some time apart, and that's kind of the mood. I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed. There's no ship war to be had. I don't dislike the ship because of competition or some fundamental dislike of the characters, and I honestly would like to be able to like it, and the path for it to not suck would have been immensely simple. That path even still exists, though with every week it grows narrow and less smooth and far more awkward, but I think it will require a pretty serious out of game conversation that as far as I know hasn't happen, and I am not holding my breath given the lack of movement.

That's why it's a curse: the generic form of this curse would be "may your ship become canon prematurely, with with only one person really invested, and that person not actually prepared for it or expecting it, and may it have virtually no moments and exist in a very plot-heavy work where it is almost certainly going to be largely out of focus, after the groundwork when things were quieter was never laid, and may it be so close to being good but consistently miss the opportunities for that to happen."

Just to recap the issues, stripping away all the past snark:

It's never really felt like these were two people who had been best friends for two years. They've always felt like friends of circumstance - like people you meet the first week of college and kind of go around with so as not to be alone, or the only other person your age on your street. Because they were both extremely lonely they clung to each other...but they really don't actually connect with each other much in conversation other than just kind of blandly repeating how much they mean to each other and never showing it. They have no real boundaries or limits with each other, likely because of that fear of being alone, but they aren't exploring that in a Heavenly Creatures or Thoroughbreds kind of way either. There's virtually no sense of history - no inside jokes, no shared experiences prior to Zhudanna except for one throwaway line that, like many of their interactions, fell flat. Like...I don't actually think that it's bad to aim for a platonic female friendship and end up with an F/F ship but like. Beau and Jester had a great platonic female friendship that happened to also include Beau's brief crush. Imogen and Laudna didn't even sell me on them being friends, let alone lovers. They have always felt like oddly clingy roommates. Their respective interactions with quite literally every other PC - few of which I find romantic and many of which I find explicitly not romantic - all feel like they have more depth. Orym is explicitly not attracted to either of them and they've both had more meaningful and honest moments with him. Pun unintended but they both felt infinitely more alive during the party split when they couldn't just go to their dull gray comfort zone of each others' meaningless repetitive affirmations.

Zooming into that lack of boundaries and conflict, there's no arc. Once characters get together often the conflict resolves, but there needs to be a build to that point, and we simply don't have that. The two points where this could have happened were: the gnarlrock fight, had it actually played out, could have led to a deepening of the relationship and some honestly and character development but due to what I am again interpreting as fear of losing the other to the point of never addressing any of these points of friction, it just resumed the status quo. Similarly, as I mentioned, Laura flat out said she went in expecting to be rejected. I think that story would have won me over. I think that if Laudna had rejected her, and Imogen had to grapple with that (and, by extension, Laudna's justified anger and trauma from the Team Issylra didn't disappear into thin air) and they spend some time actually figuring out who they are as individuals and Laudna lets herself be more than a validation machine who pushes her emotions down, and then eventually they come back around to each other? I'd be unbelievably on board. And you can go back, to my posts and others, in which we were pretty harsh on the fanon cottage cheese (yes, I am going to try to make this happen) version but said "I trust Laura and Marisha to do this in a way that is interesting" and then they straight-up didn't.

Obviously this has the potential to change - I even think the next episode is finally a case of maybe bringing all the Delilah stuff to a much needed head which in turn might introduce something into the relationship - but man it's been a whole lot of nothing since they kissed. I think Laura's initiated every single conversation, as mentioned Laudna can't even reciprocate 5 minutes of dancing on a ghost pirate ship without wandering off, and they didn't even bother to take watch together.

Something I keep going back to, and which ties into the above, is Brennan Lee Mulligan's whole discussion of how important character creation is to story. The thing is, these characters were created as close friends. Why does this feel so lacking? Like...why do Kima and Allura, two NPCs, feel like they have more weight? Why did the platonic relationship of Molly and Yasha, for which Ashley wasn't even present, feel like it actually was a friendship of 8 months? Sam and Liam came up with an entire system of grifts! Why is literally the only detail we have from the time between leaving Gelvaan and the time arriving in Jrusar is that at some point Imogen and Laudna saw someone with nipple tassles, and that came up once, like 60 episodes ago? Why are people so frequently sold on say, Loquatius/Laerryn, which had less than 24 hours of gameplay over a single night in-game? Why does every single Circle of Needle and Thread member relationship feel more real? Why were Aabria and Travis able to convincingly play ex-lovers in a handful of episodes despite Aabria deliberately surprising him? Like...I am not saying preparation wasn't done, because it very well might have been, but it's not coming through at all and plenty of other people have managed to get across an existing friendship or relationship in a fraction of the time, within the same campaign, so it's not that the plot is moving too fast for it. And again, if prep wasn't done, or if it's not coming across, that's really fixable, but it hasn't been fixed. I think of the 4SD episode where, five or six episodes later, Marisha and Laura still hadn't talked about the relationship and it's like...yeah. We can tell. Literally a two hour trip to a cafe would fix this but god I don't think there's been one.

Anyway, obviously this was an incredibly popular ship, but it's honestly slowed down noticeably since going canon because...it's not that great, and there's not much content in canon. I think a big appeal of the ship was the anticipation and the fanon and now that it's canon...I suspect a lot of people are quietly realizing that actually yeah this is kind of all it is, at least for now, and something is going to have to happen to bring about a change.

And I hope so too - I joke about being a hater, and I am very much a critic...but this really is the realization of that post about being more of a dismayer than a hater. Laura's past two ships are probably my favorites, and Beauyasha is high up there, and even as Vaxleth isn't really up my alley it's sweet and it makes sense and has a lot of great moments. It really would not take a lot of work to make this ship good or at least okay and not...nothingness, but it does take some, and I haven't seen it.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I saw you say that you think Harry is gay and doesn’t like Ginny (so do I) so I was wondering on your opinion on Harry being shipped with the Weasley boys? (not entirely sure if ask this makes sense, I hope it does though but it’s fine if it doesn’t)

I mean, you can ship whatever, I'm chill with a lot of pairings for Harry, but not really invested in most. Like, I don't really have a pairing I think should have been canon for Harry.

But, in fic and fanon, much more can work. As for your question, it kinda depends on which Weasley boy:

I do like Ronnary/Rarry, I think it's cute. They are each other's person in canon and their personalities and sense of humor mesh well. (I do like Romione and read Ron as straight in canon though)

I can also get behind either of the twins with Harry, although I never read any fics for it... but, I can see the vision. It could be fun.

Percy and Harry are a definite no to me. I don't think they'd get along well enough to date. Harry would get even more frustrated with Percy than with Cho... they just, wouldn't get each other, I think. At least that's how I see them.

Charlie and Bill are both a maybe. Like, Harry finds them both attractive, but I don't have any real thoughts about these potential relationships.

[godlytemperance]

npmd headcanons because my brain is rotted <3 <3

heehee hoohoo i am rotating the entirety of hatchetfield in my brain

im updating this as i think of more stuff so bear with me if this gets stupidly long

richie has audhd. i know this because he is me i am him we are EACH OTHER /j

ruth and richie met in the anime section of barnes and noble in middle school and nearly screamed when they realized they were going to the same high school later on

steph is lactose intolerant and is not brave about it ever. tries to share a hot chocolate with pete and spends the next three hours miserable

grace is doomed to kill in every timeline but it can be prevented by her best friends keeping her too occupied with mundane nonsense for her to find a gun

richie has so much tboy cringe energy. that man kins sasuke you cannot tell me i'm wrong

i have hit them all with my transgender and gay beam >:3c they're the friend group that hit their gender and sexuality realizations in waves. someone's egg cracked first (richie) and it set off a chain reaction

pete is genderfluid and usually presents masc (he/they)

bi with no strong preference either way

only recently began to dabble with femininity in his gender presentation

steph is gnc transmasc (he/she, used interchangeably)

bi with a masc preference

no matter who you are, if you have a crush on steph, you're gay. them's the rules pal

richie is transmasc (he/it)

aroace spectrum! he's demi on both ends, fluctuates pretty often.

somehow incredibly perceptive to romance unless it directly involves him, then he's as dense as a brick

ruth is a girlthing because she's swag like that (she/it/they)

pan with a fem preference

her preferred type is pathetic mascs and intimidating fems

grace is fem-presenting nonbinary (she/they)

formerly closeted lesbian

had the WORST case of comphet until she realized she didn't necessarily have to be attracted to MEN to be attracted to masculinity :3

max is transfem (she/he)

she's a butch lesbian!!! she doesn't feel pressured to be hyper-feminine after realizing she's trans, because she's already pretty happy with her outward presentation

saw all her new friends going through their various gender and sexuality realizations and is just "i hope this doesn't awaken anything in me :)" (it did)

OH also paul is richie's uncle! richie's dad is paul's older brother. they don't interact much but it is literally Autism to Autism

if the group were to fall victim to any of the Lords in Black, it'd probably be as follows:

max - wiggly. rage hatred biting nightmare nightmare >:3

steph - nibbly. he's got the closest ties to the CotSC and also we need more nibbly rep

pete - tinky. duh. probs gets trapped in the box in timelines where steph dies before him and he desperately wants to bring her back

richie - blinky. idk it's just vibes to me. he seems like the kind of guy to go nuts for eye symbolism

ruth - pokey. she's a theater kid and i think that pokey would have a field day shoving her into the fucked up and evil spotlight

grace - all of them. they take turns babysitting her in various timelines. she is their favorite child

richie 100% uses anime terminology to describe normal ass situations. he calls steph a tsundere once and steph has to act like her world wasn't just shifted two inches to the left for the rest of the day

oh also in redemption timelines they have movie / bingewatch nights!! they cycle between everyone's favorite shows or films. it's the best part of their week every single time

max was cast as a leading role the one and only time she ever auditioned for theater and it freaked her out so much that she declined the role

richie's hair is Like That because he tried to get the cool anime spiky hairstyle to work for him (it didn't) (he doesn't realize this until college)

pete was a greek mythology girlie i just know this. something about him screams "i read percy jackson way too much as a kid"

also grace hand embroiders all her clothes as a hobby! (this is semi-canon, since she has embroidered strawberries on the cuffs of her jeans in the show)

the first time steph smoked ouid, he made the mistake of using cbd oil and a pipe at the same time. man was in SPACE

all of them are poly with each other but at different levels:

steph and pete are Dating dating. so are max and grace. wholesome yaoi VS toxic yuri

ruth and steph are almost definitely "best friends" in the historical sense

richie and ruth are qpp. if they were both 100% straight they'd probably be the most annoying couple in the world

pete and richie kiss sometimes but its genuinely platonic for them. just bros being bros

ruth and pete are friends to ??? to lovers to friends who cuddle sometimes

richie and steph are polar opposites but they love each other to death. black cat and orange cat kind of relationship

max and grace barely intersect with the nerds but they still consider all four of them to be part of their weird situationship

(grace definitely experimented with all four of them, with max's permission. just to be Sure. y'know.)

max is doing her best to make amends with the nerds but it is very slow going. she has gotten to casual fistbump level with them though!

the nerds usually just look at max and grace from the sidelines like they're watching two wild beasts circling each other in their enclosure. their flirting is NOT rated pg

richie unintentionally dropped the fact that he has a fursuit - a timberwolf, because i'm projecting - and ended up helping everyone design their fursonas. pete is a traditional chimera (goat, snake, and lion), steph is a plain black cat, ruth is a flemish giant rabbit (she did research), grace is a sheep, and max is a checkered-tail nighthawk.

any time that the group gets spam calls, all they have to do is hand the phone to ruth and they get taken off the lists the moment she speaks. ruth was frustrated by it at first but it became a game of "how many companies can i inconvenience before they stop calling hatchetfield numbers entirely"

steph braided pete's hair once and he damn near proposed on the spot

ruth knows how to sew (from doing tech) and helps teach max how to mend her clothes! max ends up being really good at it! she goes on to teach the entire football team how to fix their uniforms and ruth ends up being the honorary team favorite for at least a year

im taking jon matteson's "richie should have blue hair in a movie version of NPMD" and fucking sprinting with it. he dyes his hair at least once a year and it's a wildly different color every time

ruth is the kind of gal to love games with lots of violence because it makes her feel like a badass vigilante (she can barely do a push-up in real life) (just like me)

steph is deeply afraid of large bodies of water. major L on his part seeing as he lives on a fucking island

bouncing off of the above hc, pete's afraid of planes. these two can't travel out of hatchetfield without one of them nearly shaking out of their own skin

max doesn't actually like football that much. she's REALLY good at it, yeah, but she'd prefer to play most other sports even if she isn't good at them! she likes the challenge of doing something she won't automatically win!

grace probably writes lists of things to keep everything in order. she's got lists of all her favorite foods, a checklist of daily chores, etc etc (it's also because she's got undiagnosed autism and she functions better when she has a Routine)

no matter what, pete will always stop and talk to the homeless man downtown. he doesn't really know why, though. (ted wishes he could say something to pete, but he never does. best to keep him at arms length.)

ruth really really really reeaaaally wants to cosplay but she's nervous that she'll be deemed as the "cringy weirdo" by other con-goers. she eventually admits this to richie, who rallies the group into a group cosplay for moral support

it takes a lot of debate for them to find a fandom they all want to cosplay from. they settled on FNAF, specifically security breach bc it's Timely (they go to the con in 2022)

pete is glamrock freddy, steph is monty, ruth is glamrock chica, and max is roxy!

richie was glamrock bonnie and he gets so mad when the official design comes out a year later bc it was completely different than what he imagined

grace eventually agrees to dress up as vanessa (she never played the games) (she thinks the pizzaplex is a real animatronic mall) (everyone they meet thinks she's method acting)

they end up crashing at ruth's place absolutely DRAINED. they all have imprints on their arms from carrying around an absurd amount of merch. pete nearly started a fistfight in the parking lot with a bakugo cosplayer. max nearly finished it.

they all agreed that it was one of the best things they've ever done and also to Never Do It Again

richie had a brief phase where he was obsessed with black butler and he regrets it to this day

grace and max both have scary dog energy but in different directions. max (post-transition) looks really intimidating at first glance but she's got golden retriever energy. grace will stare at you with the scariest fucking eyes if you're mean to retail employees

steph has always wanted a pet, but her dad never allowed it. when he moves out and gets an apartment with the nerds, they all agree to rescue a pair of bonded cats for his birthday. steph doesn't stop crying for at least an hour

steph and pete named one of the cats, while ruth and richie picked the other one's name.

Mittens is the Lautski baby, a black and white girlie who is incapable of mischief. she's like the disney ideal of a cat. she's a cuddle monster and will be so sad if you have to get up and do things without her

ruth and richie are the proud coparents of Sir Jotaro Gooberton (the Third). he is the most stupid tabby you will ever meet in your life and he has made the crime rate in the household go up tenfold.

a very common Lautski date night is going to the candle section of walmart and just sniffing every single one of those bad boys until they get a headache

[darkfictionjude]

Ived talked and asked A LOTTT on this blog

Anyway my crownies name is Emory, no nickname because she would think it's cringe

All she has is basically 2 personalities, one is the stone cold straight faced from the childhood who doesn't feel anything and the second is the angry girl who is a bit sadistic and impulsive who wants to hurt a lot of people (she might get another personality with Imre but who knows)

Im romancing Imre because im a sucker for manipulative red flags, i love their dynamic at this point (she slapped him and kissed him)

At first i was considering on romantic Lorcan because i lovee enemies to lovers but I like mine a bit more dominant, and when i realized all routes are basically enemies to lovers ive decided to switch to Imre

but of course that means im still playing the field with Lorcan and Nia because why not i love drama

Now with Nia, i absolutely love her but im not into girls (??) to the point where id want my mc to end up with one, sexually attracted? yes, but not emotionally

I love percy and sally, sally is overbearing but i love him but can he leave us a little room to breathe? gah damn, and percy is just too funny i couldn't hate him even if he chopped my legs off

my red flag is that I can't hate any character who is funny, this weakness is also in real life in real

anyway i dont really care about the rest of the characters.... the mother could fall down the stairs infront of my crowny and all she would do is shrug and walk away

and about the father, if she could she would walk through him because he's none existent to her....

so this was my long ted talk, hope you had fun Jude

I love you pls dont die (in an inspirational way not a weird one)

Ohhh I have to disagree nonnie. To me enemies to lovers is a mutual thing. It only works that way if both hate the other, if one pair doesn’t hate the other it’s one sided so it’s just enemy to lovers or rivals to lovers. Imre and Nia don’t hate Crowny that’s why they don’t fall into that trope. Crowny of course can have the choice to hate Lorcan or not from the beginning but canonically when you start the game they have an enemy relationship as Crowny has either been cruel or just given Lorcan what he’s given them so they are enemies

“I can’t hate him even if he chopped my legs off” another Percy devotee I see we are people with taste 😌

I love how you clarified my death cause I got a message in my box with a poisoned cookie *eyes narrow* some of y’all are planning so little murder

Alsoooo I really like the Emory it actually sounds like Imre (if you pronounce his name Em-ree)

[schmem14]

 5 Underrated HP Ships (+ Recs!)

@lumosatnight thanks for the tag! I love this! Read Lani’s list HERE

1. Hermione Granger/Remus Lupin

I know what you’re thinking, didn’t Remus make this mistake with Tonks already? And what about Sirius?? (I HC Wolfstar for sure) BUT If Remus were attracted to women, I think that this age gap ship makes more sense than Remadora. I think it has a lovely, erudite feel to it. Hermione needs someone who will challenge her, and Remus needs someone to ground him when he gets insecure (as we know he does.)

Recs: 

Those Who Can, Teach by @inlovewithforever (E, 12.4 k)  Sixty Minutes by @mightbewriting (E, 5.4 k) 

2. Draco Malfoy/Neville Longbottom

This is such a NICHE ship that embodies one of my favourite dynamics--the Slytherin/Hufflepuff relationship. I know Neville is not a Hufflepuff, but he has a lot of those personality traits. He’s soft, thoughtful, and quietly assertive. He’s a good-natured teddy bear who won’t necessarily let you walk all over him but is honest and forgiving in the purest way. Enter post-War Draco, made surly and self-deprecating by his downfall. He’s jagged around the edges, unwilling to accept love willingly. He just needs someone to coax him out of his prickly shell. 

Recs: 

The Ugly Duckling and the Peacock by @vukovich (E, 12.3 k) All This and Heaven, Too by meansgirl (E, 103.7 k)

3. Pansy Parkinson/Percy Weasley

A HOT combination. I almost don’t know how to describe these two. Neither get a lot of love in canon because they’re both intense people in unpleasant ways, but when they’re older and a bit wiser, these traits make them the ultimate power couple. Pansy likes to get under Percy’s skin, and Percy loves playing mind games. These two are also the ones I most picture having a forbidden romance (yes, there’s a rec for that!) Also, Percy is totally a Slytherin in lion’s clothing. That was an incorrect house placement for sure. 

Mile End by @pacific-rimbaud (E, 8.3 k) The Secretary by @pacific-rimbaud (E, 45.9 k)

4. Pansy Parkinson/Luna Lovegood

This ship took me by surprise during the Rare Pair Fest last year, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. I see Pansy as someone who is boxed in by expectations, repressed pain, and fear. Luna is the opposite. She’s free-spirited, otherworldly, and she feels everything with her whole soul open to it. It’s a beautiful pairing with lots of healing potential. 

Landlocked, Oceanbound by @nanneramma (T, 7.4 k)

5. Draco Malfoy/Ronald Weasley

Don’t slam the breaks just yet, and hear me out. These two are so dynamic that this ship could go ANY WAY YOU WANT. Throw Harry in there, and you have some peak tension and jealousy and love triangle perfection. Maybe a humbled Draco finding that Ron is actually quite lovely? Or, Draco composing an entire song titled Weasley is our King (the Drarry obsession potential could indeed to extended to include Ron)? Or, forced proximity homoerotic hate fest? OMG, I am all in. Bisexual Ron is one of my new favourite HC’s, so I’m adding as a sub-pairing that Draco/Ron/Hermione is surprisingly delicious. I read this one brilliant fic and then sobbed because I want MOAR of them and it doesn’t exist. 

A Weasel in the Hamptons (has a sequel!) by @peachpety (E, 15.4 k) The Evergreen Game (this is THE Draco/Ron/Hermione that made me go feral) by imaginarium_imperfecta (E, 57.2 k)

Tagging @vukovich, @nanneramma, @the-francakes, @mugsdontlie, @holygnocchi, @broomsticks to do your own list if you’re feeling inspired <3

[elisedonut]

okay I think I've refined my thoughts on percius.

hate fucking.

that's the most I can see them doing. I can't see much of a romance there (imo. ofcourse I will continue to read all the fics I find of them but until I don't think I'll change my mind). they're too. different.

they would just constantly fight and even if they both wanted a romance, I don't think it'd last longterm. HOWEVER,

hate fucking. that's what I could see them doing. I feel like. Percy’s thoughts on Sirius are "he'd gorgeous. I hate him. he's too. impulsive, too annoying." and Sirius' thoughts towards Percy would be "he's too uptight. too serious (lol). he is pretty, though."

I could see it being like, canon divergence, Sirius living. sometime in the 2000s, Sirius starts getting his life back together. claims his wizengamot seat. causing some ruckus in the ministry (intentional or not). Percy confronts him, is like "stop causing problems! it's annoying." Sirius decides to annoy him even further.

then to a breaking point, maybe Percy drags him to a room to ask him what his problem is, maybe Sirius invites him over to discuss some government thing. idk. breaking point, then high tensions. release.

this. this is my thought process on all of it. I feel like they'd be more likely to hate each other but can't help the attraction?

anyway. it's late so I'm sorry if that makes no sense. goodnight.

ah neat I'm glad you're figuring out a way they work for you!

It's pretty different from the way i view them but i do think it makes sense for them and is probably something alot of people expect with them

I mostly think about them more in a before the war ends scenarios because what i find interesting about them is the similar family situation which hits more if Percy hasn't reconciled with them yet

I have two main au's i think about them in

one being that Percy get's promoted later in the year au i wrote a bit about where Sirius ends up just acting so so weird towards him due to his brain being messed up from being locked up for so long and keeps conflating Percy and Regulus leading to weird scenarios that Percy has no idea what to do with or how to feel about because he's still not even 100% positive Sirius isn't a threat even though everyone in the house keeps telling him that Sirius is perfectly safe to be around.

and one I've barely put thought into where Percy has to deal with a younger Sirius who's closer in age to when he left his family to put more emphasis on how they both decided to leave (but its not a time travel we are pulling Sirius away from everything he loves here because it's necessary) and ends up staying with Percy and the shenanigans that that would bring

yours feels more in line with how people actually write Sirius though at least from what ive seen of him when he's popped up in other fics ive read

mines more i think he should be more fucked up mentally then he was depicted because he was in a horrible place for a very long time and I like the idea of him clinging on to something that feels familiar to him

anyway point is I don't want them to be a normal ship <3 i want them to be fucked up and kind of broken and have a lot of dub-con vibes and be doomed from the start