#demonic though!!!! I hope this goes REALLY WELL so that it gets animated!!!!!! I need to see josua move!!!!!

[yuseirra]

Children of the rune is getting a webtoon what the heck??? What the heck?? I HAVE TO LIVE TO SEE DEMONIC GET AN ANIME. I have to LIVE to see that come through

[verysanebsdfan]

My favs x bday!reader

Saiki Kusuo (the disastrous life of saiki k), Muichiro Tokito (demon slayer), Killua Zoldyck (hunter x hunter), Neuvillette(genshin impact), Dazai Osamu (bungo stray dogs), our!Ciel Phantomhive (black butler) (seperately) x bday!reader

Synopsis: them with s/o who has birthday, how they celebrate, what do they do etc.

Notes: IT'S MY BDAY GUYSSS!!! I honestly wanna go back to being a little child, but oh well, i still have a few years. probably contains grammatical errors but oh well. not proofread. Am I happy with it? no. Am I gonna publish this? absolutely. i also wanted to include Bram Stoker from bsd but my brain was blank and i had no ideasss :((

cw: none i think?

☆*: .｡. o .｡.:*☆*: .｡. o .｡.:*☆*: .｡. o .｡.:*☆*: .｡. o .｡.:*☆*: .｡. o .｡.:*☆

Saiki Kusuo:

Would not make you a surprise party, but i feel like he would buy you your favourite cake, pastry, sweets, snack...just something that he know would make you happy. Nothing extravagant, just an average present, from an average guy. It's the thought that counts<3 Would like to spend some quality time with you, but if you wanna hang out with friends or spend time with family, he doesnt mind. He would make sure everything goes smoothly and you would be safe tho<3 Prolly wouldnt make a big deal out of this...It is just birthday after all, but he loves to see you happy soo<3

Happy birthday y/n...i hope you like the (favourite dessert) i got you

Muichiro Tokito:

It really depends, if you are a demon slayer, you would maybe have private training session, and a cute lunch on a break. Now if you aren't a demon slayer (condolences) he'd make time for you'd watch clouds together, eat lunch and spend some time together, but he is busy so... :( I bet he was smiling teh rest fo teh day though :3

Look...that clouds looks just like (favourite animal)...happy birthday y/n...i love you

Killua Zoldyck:

Thinks celebrating something like an anniversary of your birth is stupid :3 Would definitely ask Gon for gift ideas<3 Now, if you are helping Gon find his dad too, I feel like you two would end up having a play fight of a sort? Yk, to train your nen:3 But if you dont, or its already some time after the og plot line, he'd take you on a date, and give you choco robots! Tease you a little too!

look at yourself, in a few years, i wont even be able to call you a baby :3 is it just me or youre even more beatiful? must come witha age:3 Happy Birthday silly:3

Neuvillette:

Humans celebrate the anniversary of their birth? Why? He asks, why celebrate being even closer to death. It scared him...your death...It's so close, yet so far. When you explained him that it's to commemorate your past years, and celebrate what's to come. he understood, after all, humans have only finite amount of years to live, so he was going to make yours the best possible. He would clear up his schedule, or at least try. He would get you flowers and then he would take you to a romantic dinner to the finest restaurant in all of Fontaine, and then to a romantic walk by the shore, to watch otters (:3) He hopes many of these so called birthdays of yours would come.

Mon amour...we should do this more often, not only on special occasions...I love you so much...and these..."birthdays" only remind me of...future without you...

Dazai Osamu:

My man will ask you to commit double suicide i am not even joking. Honestly would either not gaf about your birthday or would be really attentive and romantic and i cannot decide.

Would you be willing to commit double suicide with me, on this important day? *smack*

our!Ciel Phantomhive:

It's not like i am lazy to write, but it's really hard to think of anything okay. I believe you would have tea party. A lot of Earl grey tea, a lot of sweets...and chess or other board games. You will just spend quality time with him...and technically Sebastian too, since he will be tending to your needs, and preparing all the food :3

Happy birthday dearest, i hope the cake is to your liking, i had Sebastian prepare it out of the finest ingredients

[colourstreakgryffin]

Akaza stumbling upon a crying child dokusha living in an abandoned cabin in the forest? The child just keeps shying and hiding away from Akaza whenever he tries to approach her? How would their relationship be like as months pass by? Would dokusha warm up to him?

Ps love your writing!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Hehe. Pretty cute tbh and i suppose our Dokusha is a human here so let’s try this out. Let’s just hope Akaza is merciful to children! Also, this is kinda short. Sorry!

Akaza- Of Different Worlds

Akaza doesn’t really know how to react to finding a lonesome afraid shuddering human child in this big empty wooden cottage, buried deep in a dark menacing forest. Where’s your parents? Why are you alone? Even so… whilst he feels like he should eat you. He doesn’t want to so he decides to shoot his shot and try approach this poor child

Akaza also wasn’t suspecting you to shy away then run for safety in some part of the cabin. You’re afraid of him? Well… of course you are. He’s a demon, the Upper Moon Three but when has he expresses any type of aggression?

Akaza just accepts the fact he has no chance to try lure you out to prove to you he isn’t harmful. So, all he does is walk out of the cabin then come back with baskets of food, drinks and more that he stole, leaving them by the front door

Akaza cannot force you to accept nor approach him but what he does do. Even after he leaves and cannot stop worrying about the poor homeless familyless child isolated from human society, is provide you with supplies and occasional protection. Not sure if you’ll ever see everything he does for you

Akaza really doesn’t know what’s driving him to act so much for one human but he really cares about you and he despises that a child is left alone to die. He’ll just have to step up and care for you himself, even when you scamper off to hide from him

Though the process of getting you to like him is long and painful, all the hardwork pays off since one time. Akaza is greeted by you at the door and you inviting him in. It ends with you actually welcoming him into your life, instead of shutting you out. Now, he gets to see what’s really driving him to do all this

He views you like his own child, he doesn’t want you to end up dead, he has enough humanity to spare onto this single kid

Akaza’s relationship with you goes from him providing and protecting you with absolutely no reward in exchange to you letting him in willingly as the months pass by to becoming friends then up to now, he’s decided to secretly adopt you as a surrogate father figure

Akaza isn’t the best surrogate father. He is busy, he is an Upper Moon of the demon species and he has to feast on human men to keep himself alive but he wouldn’t lay a hand on you. In such short time and with such previously short interactions, he has grown a parental fondness over you and it’s not going away anytime soon

Akaza may not be able to show up in the mornings but he promises he’ll always be around in the night. He’ll always bring you supplies and protection, and he’ll always put you to bed so you feel comfortable

He’s a demon but he’s your demon father. Your demon martial arts swinging father that will keep you safe, now that you’ve bring him a whole new set of life and life views. He has never realised how much he needed somebody else that’s more innocent and sweet in his life

Especially after losing somebody so innocent and sweet in his past life

“Come, Dokusha. Let’s go outside in the nice cool night and play! It’ll be a wonderful time. The stars are out, it’s quiet and all the animals will be asleep. We’ll go to bed right after this, I promise”

[domreader-headcannon-scenarios]

Empty Nest part 4

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

-You took a deep breathe, stretching in the bed you were resting in. It’s been centuries since you had slept. You open your eyes, vision a little blurry. You groan as the memories of the previous night come back to you.

Fuck, you wanted to start a family…but was it the best idea to choose Sebastian? You roll your shoulders and sit up. With a quick look around, you find Sebastian entering the room, fully clothed and holding a silver plate, it had a cover so you couldn’t see what was in it. He locked eyes with you and gave you a small smile.

“I’m sorry,” He spoke softly as if you were a cornered animal that he didn’t want to startle. “I hoped to have breakfast ready before you woke up but I had to attend to the young Master, I hope you understand.”

You raise an eyebrow. Breakfast? You weren’t hungry, demons can go ages without food, you don’t have a use for human food aside from pleasure, you’d need a-

You freeze and take a deep inhale, recognizing the scent.

It’s…a soul? Where did he get one so fast? Did he go hunting after you fell asleep??

You couldn’t help the that your mouth was watering, it smelled so good, the love, hatred, sadness, anger, fear…you could tell from just the scent whoever he targeted had lived a full life, they’d be delicious…

Which led to your current concern.

Why was he offering you this? Demons don’t like sharing their meals, it’s difficult and not nearly as filling, so why would he go through the extra work? You sneer st him. “Funny, Sebastian. But you already got what you wanted, right? There’s no reason for you to do me a ‘favor’ now is there? I fucked you silly last night and you’re giving me breakfast in bed? Yeah right, what do you want?”

You really didn’t mean to sound so defensive but you were worried, was he just trying to get your guard down to hurt you? Was he trying to get you to sleep with him again? Is he that desperate for your touch?

Sebastian gives you confused look, grabbing a tray from god knows where and set it up, then placed the plate on it, taking the cover off to let you see the soul. It shined so beautifully and you wanted to tear into it, but you wouldn’t until you knew there were no clauses.

“Well, not particularly, no. I just want you to be safe, you can’t hunt while pregnant after all, right? I don’t want the love of my life to go hungry.” You grinned at his choice words…this…was odd, but well intended?

You ease back down onto the bed, still choosing not to eat, you could still hunt! But…you did owe Sebastian an apology…

“I’m not hungry and I can still hunt until I show signs, you should eat though, souls taste best fresh.” You pause taking a deep breath before talking again. “Also, sorry I got…upset with you,” A soft smile stretches across your lips as you look him in the eye. “Want a kiss to make up for it?”

Sebastian’s eyes lit up and his smile widened. “Would that be ok?” You nod and Sebastian leans down to give you a kiss, you reciprocate the motion, being gentle with it and letting his touch linger over you for a few more seconds. If it made him feel better, then why not, it’s not like it’s bothering you anyway. Sebastian gently climbed onto the bed with you again, placing his head on your shoulder.

You held the ‘snack’ in your hands and motioned for him to come closer for another kiss. You placed it in your mouth, when Sebastian opens his mouth you quickly slip half of it into his mouth and hold him there with a grin. You make him bite off half before pulling away. You swallowed the half you had fast, Sebastian is just sitting there starting at you in surprise.

“Eat it, I only wanted half.” You say and he obeys. He goes to thank you but you interrupt. “Thank you for the food.” You start to get up deciding now was the time to get out of bed. Sebastian gently eases you down.

“You’re not sore? You feel ok, right?” You know what he’s applying and nod. You say you’re fine and get up, deciding to explore the manor today. Sebastian quickly followed you, almost like a dog…

(Next tba)

[i-yap]

Hi Lovely,

I don’t know if your requests are open but I thought I’d try my luck. My cat died today and I’m really upset, I was hoping you could do hurt/comfort hcs with Jason (and maybe platonic Damian as he’s the big animal lover)?

Thank you x

Hey im so sorry for your loss man. even the dog in my dp has now passed away and he was my baby and I get how painful it is. I still miss him everyday and refuse to have any account picture without him . Just really take the time to heal and don't let any idiot tell you that yourent supposed to feel sad about a pet passing because honestly I loved my pet more than my brother and I'm sure that cat was loved and lived a great life.

Also my requests are always open I love writing them

Jason Todd x reader x platonic damian- When your cat dies

comfort, angst

It was expected almost, they were just so old and the visits to the vet had become more frequent. It seemed like they was in pain, and that hurt you so much that you wondered if maybe it was for the best. But your heart didn't let you accept that, they were your baby and you cant just accept loosing them like that.

So there you sat , on the sofa, clutching Jason while you sobbed. He sat silently, holding you to him firmly. He had already texted Bruce / militia saying he wont be In that night or as longs as you needed.

Jason isnt the best at comforting words , but there are no words to be said. What jason is good at though is validating your feelings. Even though he has limited interactions with your cat, he could see how deeply you cared for it.

So when your tears start to dry and you pull away from his chest he gently rubs away the remaining tears. He picks you up and carries you to the kitchen counter. Sets a pot of boiling water to make your favorite noodles/ tea depending on when you last ate. He then walks to the freezer and holds an ice pack in his hands . After a couple second he places his cold hands on your poofy tear stained cheeks .

"Im sorry to have burdened you, you dont cry when you've been shot and here I am crying over some cat . You don't have to stay, you must think Im so weak" you say softly feelings the tears starting to well up from the gentle way jason's treating you.

" No No I will hear none of that. How dare you think you are weak. I admit I don't know how to comfort you ..i never really got attached to a lot of things. But I love this about you, the way you love so much and so unconditionally. And the way you hurt for someone ..that's the real show of love. If the roles were switched, would you think I'm a burden? no right? So why would you assume I would? i want to be here for you, whatever you need whenever you need."

" you are doing really well so far"

the doorbell rings and Jason goes to open it.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE DEVIL SPAWN"

"Shut it todd, I'm here to see y/n."

"And why should I let you see her?"

"Because I know her cat died and I know you are incapable of comforting her since you have never felt an ounce of love for anything"

"I LOVE Y/N?? ALSO HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT- wait you hacked something didn't you?"

"Bruce informed me you would be staying in tonight andI have trackers placed on you and y/n and saw you driving to and from the vet , also Y/n hadn't logged into her work account. Even you would have been able to deduce that y/n needs me right now" says Damian matter of factly.

"dont be rude todd, let dami in" you say getting off the kitchen counter. You go over to shake dami's hand but he pulls you into a hug. You and todd exchange confused glances.

" I apologize for your loss y/n, if anything happened to my pets I would stab todd and then burn down a civilization" Dami's voice muffled from your clothes.

"WHY STAB ME"

"because you probably had something to do with it, You are very affection hungry when it comes to y/n"

"WHA-" "I agree with dami" "WHa-is that a backpack Demon spawn?"

"Yes , i will be spending the night here watching some "feel-good movies as she says it with y/n, I cant leave her in the hands of a barbarian now can I"

"I WAS TAKING CARE OF HER JUST FINE" shouts jason mock angrily, after all he understands how Damian and Y/n share a bond when it comes to their pets.

"Be happy I didnt tell the rest of the bats todd" " thank god for that"

You pull Dami in and fall asleep cuddled between your two amazing and caring boys, knowing that your cat was loved and spent their last moments knowing there were people in this world who will cry once they leave.

I hope this was okay , there weren't A lot of headcanons ..

[atmajolish]

Headcanons for Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, and Asmodeus with touch starved gender neutral s/o?

here you go! i hope you enjoy it at least a bit!

Mammon.

he will deny it forever, would never admit to it unless in very rare tender moments, refuse to say it out loud, but the truth is that he is kind of glad that you feel that way because it‘s the same for him.

mammon tends to hide his feelings behind harsh words, but you can notice him putting in more effort to be close to you. holding your hand as you walk together, cuddling more often and hugging you more. when you mention it he will immediately deny doing it while blushing.

even his brothers notice how much more he tries to be consciously affectionate and they will tease him about it sooner or later. he‘s fine with it, but if they start teasing you, he will get defensive only to deny it.

you mean a lot to him and he‘s your first man. he‘s happy you came to him with this and not anyone else. even if they might be better at dealing with it, are better at showing affection, but he‘s getting there.

Leviathan.

with levi, it‘s kind of obvious that he‘s touch starved too. the thing with him is that he‘s horrible embarrassed about it too though

levi can‘t handle much physical touch. he heats up, needs time to cool off and get his energy back. his type of affection is more on the side of being in the same room, spending time together and listening to each other talk. he needs to get used to anything else after not having it for so long.

most of his experience with these type of things comes from anime and manga which isn‘t really..the best source, so feel free to tell him that. it would make things less awkward in the long run.

with levi it‘s a journey of healing together, getting used to touch again as you get to know each other. he‘s doing his best but he needs your guidance too, just so he doesn‘t feel to embarrassed about not really knowing what to do.

Satan.

satan wouldn‘t say he‘s touch starved, he‘s just doesn‘t need as much attention and affection as some of his brothers. that‘s what he says if anyone asks at least. the truth is he‘s probably at least a bit touch starved as well, if only because people get nervous around him. he is the avatar of wrath after all, he‘s not seen as approachable by many people.

the point is, he doesn‘t see it as a problem for himself, however when it comes to you that‘s a different matter.

as a demon, there aren‘t really many side effects to not getting physical contact with other demons, so it comes as a surprise when humans are different in that regard. he didn‘t look into it when he read it when figuring out more about humans, but apparently it‘s more important than he thought.

the thing with satan is, he tries his best with it. but much like levi most of his idea of touch and romance comes from novels he read and not actual experience so it can get pretty awkward sometimes. but he does his best to make sure that you aren‘t touch starved anymore, no matter how awkward it might be.

Asmodeus.

asmo is probably the only one on this list that isn‘t touch starved. he‘s not shy to ask for affection or give it after all.

so you will never be touch starved again. asmo doesn’t really care for personal space and the second he decides he likes you he becomes affectionate. simple touches are a constant for him, holding hands, surprise hugs, back hugs. all of that and more are to expect with him.

he is surprisingly aware of how touch starved you are. he makes sure you’re comfortable every step of the way, wanting to show you that you don’t have to miss out on touch anymore, that he is there for you.

if you ever tell him it’s too much he will reign himself in a little. he doesn’t like making you uncomfortable so make sure to tell him if he goes overboard. he‘s hyper aware of his partner‘s reactions when it comes to these types of things and also the one with the most experience.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

Hello! I hope everything is well for you on your end! I usually don't this since I get anxious but I was kinda curious about your match up requests. This is my first time doing it so sorry if got something wrong. Sorry if I put too many.

Fandoms: Genshin Impact, Star Rail, Haikyuu, Demon Slayer

Name: Leya

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Straight

Zodiac/MBTI: Sagittarius, INFP

Appearance: Black American. I stand at 5'8 but I'm a bit curvy and chubby. I have hair that goes to my shoulders and my ends are dyed a burgundy color. I have brown eyes and kinda like a pearl body shape if that makes sense.

Personality: I'm very humorous and kindhearted. But I can be sarcastic and serious at times. Not only that but I'm pretty laid back and hardworking. Overthinker, introvert,

Likes & Dislikes: I like sweets, oversized things (especially hoodies), plushies, anime, physical touch, sleeping, games (All types), drawing, sunset, sunrise, stars, the moon and listening to music. I dislike narcissistic people, snakes, and rude people.

Hobbies: Listening to music, playing/learning instruments, star gazing, drawing, traveling and sleeping, and teasing my friends & family. (Similar to things I like to be honest)

Extra Info: I can get along with most people for the most part. I am an introvert, but I'm socially around my friends. I sometimes have trouble sleeping and get fewer hours than what I need. Since I don't smile a whole lot besides when I'm laughing, most people at first are scared to approach me, thinking I'm mean, lol. I like to believe that my love language consists of physical touch, words of affirmation, and quality time.

Hi Leya! Thank you for your request! Sorry it took a while. I hope you like your matchups!

In Genshin Impact, I match you with...

Kazuha loves how laid back you are. He’s a pretty relaxed person as well and likes that he can be around you without needing to expend a lot of energy.

He also greatly admires your hardworking nature. It’s an admirable quality that he doesn’t see too often in people when he’s travelling so you’re a nice breath of fresh air.

Words of affirmation are his thing through and through so it’s definitely fortuitus that you like them as well! Expect to be showered in poetic compliments daily.

Travelling is a must if you’re in a relationship with Kazuha. He’s always on the move and loves having you with him to experience all the amazing sights he sees.

Much like travelling, being musically inclined and playing instruments is also a must. Kazuha enjoys setting up came somewhere scenic and playing some music either with you or for you at the end of a long day of travelling.

In Honkai Star Rail, I match you with...

Since neither you or Welt smile often, you quickly gain a reputation as the scary couple. But in reality, you’re a lot more like an old married couple who enjoy domesticity.

Welt’s got quite a short fuse when it comes to rude people so he definitely understands where you’re coming from with that. He’ll do his best to deal with them for you though, so they don’t bother you too much.

Quality time is a big part of your relationship. His work can be quite busy and dangerous, so Welt really values any time he gets to spend with you.

And his favourite way of spending time with you is listening to music, especially since you both like it. He’d also really love to dance with you, even if it’s just swaying gently to the music.

I feel like Welt also has trouble sleeping at times so he’ll do whatever he can to make sure at least you get well rested. But when he’s resting next to you, he often finds himself slipping into sleep himself.

In Haikyuu, I match you with...

The overthinking couple of the friend group! You and Asahi are actually perfect for each other since you know the signs of overthinking and can often draw each other back to the present.

He’s not super confident with initiating physical touch but is definitely a cuddle bug once you tell him it’s okay. He really likes the physical contact as well, so it’s a win-win.

I see him as someone who’s a fan of plushies but does his best to keep it a secret since he’s a bit embarrassed. He loves that you like them as well since he feels he can be a bit more open about his fondness for them.

Asahi definitely strikes me as someone with a sweet tooth, so he knows all the best cafes around town. You’ve got a lot of good date options to choose from!

Oversized things, especially hoodies, are all too easy to come by when you’re dating Asahi and he’s more than happy to lend them to you. He thinks it’s adorable seeing you bundled up in his oversized hoddie.

In Demon Slayer, I match you with...

Tanjiro was initially drawn to you because of your kind-hearted nature. He’s incredibly kind as well and considering the Nezuko situation, it’s crucial for him to be with something similarly inclined.

Once he gets to know you better though, he really falls in love with your humour. He thinks you’re super funny and would do anything to make you laugh in return.

Much like Kazuha, Tanjiro has a way with words, so words of affirmation are definitely a thing in your relationship. He likes letting you know exactly how much he likes you.

A common date for the two of you is watching the sun rise or set. Tanjiro finds it relaxing and enjoys being able to spend those quiet moments with you.

He also loves watching you draw. He thinks your really creative and if you ever gift him one of your works, he’ll treasure it forever.

[kny-agere]

Hii! Me again ^^' as you might have guessed by now, I have another request for my boys! ( Cg Douma & Little Akaza!)

Akaza has a meeting with douma discussing an upcoming mission with him, they were both drinking Sake but akaza starts to get fidgety so douma thinks he's actually feeling small, so he takes the initiative and takes away the sake from Akaza telling him he's too small for that and goes to get him a sippy cup instead, and Akaza gets SO fussy! He insists he's big and refuses to drink out of it, but eventually he can't put off his headspace any longer with Douma's babying and finally slips :]

As always 0 pressure to do this! And take all the time you need to finish this ^^ I always enjoy your fics so will be happy either way!! Keep up the amazing work!!! ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

I hope there aren’t any spelling mistakes but I’m too eepy to notice if there are

★彡☆彡★彡

“Are you sure you want another cup?” It was only Akaza’s third that night, and it was the second time Douma had asked the question. There was something in the man’s voice that made the pink haired demon squirm. He probably just wanted to fight the annoying blond.

“I can hold my alcohol just as well as you.” That part was not true at all. Akaza was already slightly flushed and drank only when extended an offer (which was not often). Douma consumed alcohol like water and was unaffected despite being on his fifth glass. Despite the difference in the two demons the blond still nodded and poured Akaza’s glass full once more.

As if to prove himself the man downed this serving much faster than he had the last two. Akaza sat his glass back down after only a few seconds and looked towards Douma expectantly.

“Oh that was very fast!” Douma used the compliment as a distraction, pointedly capping the bottle of sake. “Though you only really get the taste if you drink slowly. I forget what’s in this bottle but ah, I’m sure it’s lots of good things.” He had an extensive collection of wine and beer and sake. So extensive Douma often forgot what the bottles even were.

“Then pour me another.” There was a strange glint in Akaza’s eyes. It was the look the boy often got right before he threw something at Douma or burst into a tantrum.

The blond hesitated and did not reach for the bottle. “Oh we can stop here. I don’t want to use up the glass quite yet.” It wasn’t technically a lie so the words slipped through his lips easily. He even managed a genuine smile.

“One more sip won’t use up the rest.” Akaza reached across the table. Douma was quick to intercept the action and tucked the bottle by his legs. He kept his wide smile, which seems to piss Akaza off more.

With a grunt suddenly the upper moon is flying towards him. Douma is quick enough to dodge the attack but unfortunately the bottle of sake is not spared. As Akaza crashes into the floor the glass smashes and alcohol soaks into the man’s pants. He pauses now and looks at the mess on the floor.

Upper moon two moves slowly, as if he’s approaching a wild animal. Akaza keeps his eyes focused on the ground. His hands are balled into fists, tight enough that he shakes.

“Are you mad?” Douma crouches down in front of the boy just a foot or two away. He tries not to let his tone grow to teasing or childish.

Akaza does not answer, instead keeping his jaw clenched tightly. When the blond inches closer he turns his face away. Eventually after a few minutes he softens slightly. “I’m not mad.” He fails to hide any of his anger.

“I can get out another bottle.” It’s probably not a very good idea but Douma tends to be rather indulgent. And he enjoys showing off his gifts and collections.

There is no answer again, and this time even after a few minutes the boy doesn’t seem inclined to respond.

Douma hesitates to announce his actions. Right now Akaza will probably fight against any kind of coddling. If he makes his intents known then the demon will hide himself away somewhere. Though even if Douma doesn’t voice anything Akaza will be spooked.

In the end he braces himself and puts a hand on Akaza’s shoulder. He flinches, eyes darting around the room, but does not attack.

“How about we get you changed?” The smell of alcohol is strong, it’s soaked into his clothes.

“D-don’t talk to me like that.” Akaza pushes the words out through gritted teeth.

Douma runs a hand through soft pink hair. When his arm isn’t immediately sliced off he takes it as a sign to continue. “We’ll do a bath too, both of us so it’s fair that way.”

“I don’t need one.” The upper moon sounds more pouty than angry now. He leans backwards just slightly into Douma’s hold.

The blond has to hold back a laugh. “Well I need one then! And you’ll still help me out won’t you?”

“No, you’re trying to trick me and I’m not stupid.” Akaza squirmed as Douma picked him up, but only until he was facing the blond. With a forced frown on his lips Akaza rested his head on a convenient shoulder.

“I’ll have to think of another trick before we get back to my room then.” Douma fully welcomes the groan he receives.

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

||The Misadventures of Phoenix and Shadow Chimera Sorcerer part 23: Training part 2: demon edition||

Hi dears. It seems another part for the last chapter is needed. Though, I hope you like it. This all started with demon mun but we add chapters to it to see the adventures of our muses. So I hope you enjoy.

----- Chapters of Adventure so far --------

||Previous chapters of Chapter 1-9||

||Previous chapters of Chapters 6-13||

||Previous chapters of Chapters 14-20||

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

((Your reading chapter 23 right now))

||Drabble Summary||

It's time for Training! Yuji and his classmates/friends are going on another training session once more. However, Gojo decided to do a little change in the training. That's when he invited two guests to help them out. Wonder who they are? Read to find out.

||Warning||

~A lot of crazy fighting for training

~lots of yelling and cursing

~funny parts and being scared running arouns

~sorcerers vs demons

||Muses in this drabble||

Van Ink the dragon, The DBT, Taz Hellion, Kinie, Daichi/Eito belongs to my friend and amazing rp partner@chunibyo-x-sorcerer that is a side blog owned by @demon-blood-youths

Jinx violet and the cursed vixens are my OC's that belongs to me. While Ryomen Sukuna, Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki belong to Jujtusu Kaisen but also to me due to rping them as muses. While the same for Miko Yotsuya, yuria niguredou nd Hana Yurikawa from the anime series/manga series Mieruko-chan but also to me due to rping as them as muses.

((Note: This drabble will have heavy grammar mistakes and errors but this was written for fun. I hope you understand but also enjoy please.))

It was another normal day here at jujutsu high school, seeing that everything was peaceful and calm. That nothing could ruin such a nice peaceful....

That's when a sudden explosion was heard followed by someone screaming as they were free falling to crash into the ground twitching.

"Owwwwwww..." Megumi winces from the hard landing but he sits up holding his head. "Damn it..she hits really-" that's when someone else lands on him showing another one who was dizzy.

"I'm good.....I'm seeing stars though.." Kisho Hashimoto a.k.a. Daichi Phoen-X was dizzy with stars over his head from the powerful attack he was hit with.

"Kisho, you okay?" Megumi asked but Daichi was still seeing stars but he tries to get up.

"I'm good, I'm good I'm...hold on a sec.." he shook his head but was still seeing stars. "Y..Yeah, I'm good..." he said but he heard chirping hearing Eito flying over to see if he was okay.

"Don't worry Eito I'm alright! I will admit she packs a punch. Taz was not lying about her power!" he said to Eito.....if he was facing the right way and not talking to a tree.

"Uhhhhh.." Megumi sweatdrops and Eito showing a deadpanned expression. Yeah, he still was seeing stars from that hit. Shaking his head, he goes to try shaking him out of it.

"Kisho, snap out of it! Were still in training. We need to get back to the others. Besides, we still have to-" that's when he heard more explosions near the school.

He sweatdrops not expecting this training to be like this but it wall Gojo's idea though.....

~~~~Flashback to this morning~~~~~~

"Morning my students! I hope your ready for today's training session!" Gojo smiled more happier than he would that leaves the class curious.

"Uhhh we are Gojo Sensei but..what's the training about this time?" Taz asked with a hand up.

"It's not another one of your stupid sweet runs is it?" Kinie said on top of Taz's head annoyed.

"Oh no no no! That's next week. This is different." he said.

"Okay? And what is it?" Nobara asked now curious.

"Well, this is a team training but..with a little twist. I asked for two guests to help us out with this so you can get a better idea of dangerous targets. So they agreed to play the role of dangerous enemies for it." he said.

"Huh...that's not too bad.." Miko said curious.

"Yeah! I'm sure we can do this! But...where are the guests?" Yuria asked.

"Hmm? Oh, there here. Hold on, you two can come out now!" The group looks to the right to see two people walking over but they were silent before Taz knew who they were and the same with Yuji too.

"Class, say hello to our guests!" Gojo said smiling showing the two girls.

"INK!!" Taz happily rushes over to hug her as Van Ink smiled being hugged.

"Hi Taz! Hey everyone!" Van Ink the dragon was here.

"HOLY CRAP IT'S YOU! VAN INK THE DRAGON! YOU ARE ONE OF MY FANS! CAN I HAVE A AUTOGRAPH!?" Kisho shows a book and pen as Ink blinks but giggles, taking it to sign it.

"Oh brother.." Megumi sighed shaking his head. Who would have known Ink would be in the school but she wasn't the only one.

"YUJJJIIIII!!" He blinks hearing his name before he got tackled into the ground by the other.

"Woah!"

"Hi Yuji! I missed you!"

"Jinx!?" Yuji sits up to see his girlfriend here too! Jinx Violet, the leader of the cursed Vixens as the others saw a group walking over waving hi. The teammates were here too!

"Yep! I asked Ink and Jinx to be our enemy guests for this training." Gojo said happy.

"I think we get it but..what's the main mission for this training?" Megumi asked.

"Well, think of is as a suddenly mission. To help you get stronger. So, you have to be prepared for anything. Evne when it comes to demons that have cursed energy. So! Both Ink and Jinx were nice to offer a hand." he said.

"Huh, that explains it." Megumi sighed.

"Don't worry guys, we won't let you down! We'll be sure you get trained well you can trust us!" Ink smiled to the group with Jinx agreeing.

"Knowing that I know we will. Just don't hold back on us alright?" Megumi said.

"Believe me, we won't! Right Jinx?" Ink said.

"Yep!"

"With that said, shall we begin?" Gojo said smiling seeing his students getting ready but saw Ink and Jinx grin with smiles, ready to go.

'This is going to be easy. We got this!' Kisho thought ready even if they had no idea what they got themselves into. Both factions knew this was going to get messy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which leads to now. Both Ink and Jinx were hunting the groups down hearing screaming and shouting from the school. Megumi saw the destruction but laughter that came from Ink herself.

"GEEZ, WHAT THE HELL-LOOK OUT!!" Nobara shouts from the area seeing blue flames going up to the sky. However, their was more screaming. "EASY ON THE FLAMES YOU TWO!"

"SORRY NOBARA!" Jinx said happily loud as she was chasing down some of the others as they were trying to fight her.

"THIS IS INSANE! WHAT SORT OF TRAINING IS THIS GOJO SENSEI!!" Yuria shouted before more shouting and explosions were heard. Megumi sighed knowing this was going to be a pain but that's when another explsion was heard seeing someone crash land in front of him and Kisho.

"Huh? Yuji!?" he goes to help him sit up but he winces from a kick Jinx gave him.

"Ow ow ow ow ow..Geez, Jinx kicks hard." he winces but looks up. "Oh hey Megumi-"

"Wait, Jinx kicked you!?"

"Yeah, I was trying to fight her but she kicked me from the school grounds to near the forest. She's dangerous and strong........isn't she amazing?" he sighed happily even if Megumi bonks him on the head. "OW!"

"Will you focus here!? We are in a training session right now! You can be all lovely dovey after we are done!" he said standing as Yuji pouts.

"It's not my fault my girlfriend is cool!" he said.

'Correction; Your girlfriend is insane!' Sukuna said. 'She's more crazy than you are! How can you date someone like that!?'

"Oh? Like you dating Kinie!" he said.

'Hey don't involve my princess!'

"Then don't involve my kitten!" he said.

'Kitten????' Megumi thought but he sighed before hearing more shouts and more screaming. Megumi looks seeing Nobara fall near but lands on Yuji's lap.

"Ow!"

"Ughhhhhh..those two are not normal! How are they that dangerous with that much cursed energy! I thought they were just demons!" Nobara grumbles to get off of a now dizzy Yuji.

"You forgot? They have cursed energy so it makes them three times dangerous Nobara." Megumi said but she blinks remembering.

"Oh yeah.." she laughed rubbing the back of her head before hearing two more screams. Megumi saw Yuria free falling to help catch her as she winces. Kisho snaps out of it hearing Miko's scream before he rushes to catch her. However, he crashes into the ground holding her wincing.

"Owie....s..she's strong..." Miko mutters rubbing her bottom while Anaconda whines now dizzy from the attack the two delivered.

"Your telling me." Yuria said. "How in the world are we going to beat them?! They are getting more stronger by the second!" she said.

"We just need to think of something. We can complete this we just need time to think of something." Megumi said to the group as they look at him.

"And that is??" They asked.

"......." Before Megumi says, something came near the area to show a black panther with the two tails swaying. However, the cursed energy was heavy and dark showing Jinx had found them. Everyone tenses to hide behind Megumi who blinks to look at them then back at Jinx.

"Found you~" she giggled showing black cursed claws infused with her flames with her eyes glowing.

"......Megumi?" Kisho said now scared.

"And that is....TO FUCKING RUN!" right away he ran with the others following him screaming. Jinx saw but chases them while laughing excited.

"Wait, your actually scared too??!! I told you!!" Kisho said running.

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME! JUST FUCKING RUNNNNN!!" Megumi said.

"COME BACK GUYS! I JUST WANNA PLAY!!" Jinx laughed chasing after them as they were running away screaming.

"WE NEED TO TRY AND FIGHT BACK!!" Nobara said about to turn and fight but Yuji grabs her. "HEY!!"

"BAD IDEA! YOU SAW WHAT SHE DID WHEN WE TRIED! JUST KEEP RUNNING!!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHHHAA!!!"

~~~~Back with Gojo~~~~

"You know I think you and Jinx are doing amazing in the training lesson. I owe you two for this!" he smiled with hands together seeing Ink smiling.

"It's now problem. It's good to see that we can help but we were shocked you asked us to help with this." Ink said as she was looking to him.

"Well, I wanna give my students a chance to learn something new but this helps in the biggest ways." he said but heard another explosion again.

"GOD DAMN IT YUJI!!!" that was Megumi's voice.

"I'M SORRY! IT'S HARD TO HIT HER IF SHE KEEPS JUMPING AROUND!!"

"YOU GUYS ARE NOT HELPING!" Nobara said next from the distance.

"GUYS SHE'S CATCHING UP WE NEED TO KEEP RUNNING!!" Miko said in a panic with more screaming and shouting.

"Huh, so that's where they were. Later I'm off!" Ink held up her great sword and goes to follow and find them to join in. Gojo was happy but both fractions the DBT and Cursed vixens sweatdrop.

"I actually feel bad for Yuji and them. Do you think they'll be okay?" Mouse asked hearing the explosions.

"RUNNNN SHE'S GAINING ON US-OH DAMN IT NOW INK'S HERE!?" that was Kisho's voice from the distance.

"Ehhhh....I'm sure they will be fine. Besides, it's training so it works." Shdwkyz said with arms crossed. Oblivion was playing her hand held game while this was going on.

"I guess so....but you know that both our leaders never hold back even when it's training. Don't you think they will do worse?"

"They won't..if it don't involve destroying the school. I'm sure everything will be fine." Gojo said happy before another giant explosion was heard with more panic screaming.

".....Something tells me that's not the issue here." Melinda said with a sweatdrop seeing Jaron doing the same. That's their leaders but they were the most strongest so....that explains a bit?

"But honestly, at least we know they are still going. Were are still so proud of Taz and how she progressed here." Shdwkyz adds with Vivi agreeing.

"True. Honestly, knowing you, your also finding this funny.." Navarro said sitting by Echo who was wincing from the shouts.

"SOMEONE HELP US! PLEASE SPARE US PLEASE!!" Yuria shouted next.

"SOMEONE HELP USSSSSSS!! WE DON'T WANNA DIE!" Kisho screams out next.

"MY HAIR IS GOING TO GET RUINED FROM THIS!" Nobara shouted.

"SERIOUSLY!?" Megumi said.

"WE FOUND YOU GUYS! LETS KEEP PLAYING!!" Jinx and Ink laughed as the group screams in terror.

"In a way. At least we get some payback after mister Kisho from before?" he said but the others remember. They didn't want to remember but keeps watching.

"How long do you think they will keep going at this?" Hellmare asked everyone.

"...A while...if they don't get caught." Rust said with a sweatdrop. However, in a bit, another one was heard and something was falling back down over to them. Everyone saw but a giant crash was heard seeing the fractions shielding their eyes from the dust. Right away, they look seeing a dog pile to be silent.

Yuji, Megumi, Yuria, Miko, Kisho, and Taz were in a dog pile dizzy like but Taz was on top with stars over her head.

"........."

"T..told y..you guys my girlfriend i..is the best.." Yuji said dizzy like.

'Brat..just stop talking..' Sukuna said having a headache.

"Yuji..Your girlfriend i..is a monster...and Ink is j..just as monstrous..." Kisho said dizzy like.

"D..did we pass the t..test?" Miko asked still dizzy like.

"I see pretty stars..." Taz giggled with stars over her head even Kinie was dizzy.

"Ugghhhhhh....."

"This..is why Gojo plans too many surprises.." Nobara said dizzy too.

"I think...we went to another planet. My head is spinning all over.." Yuria said.

"Well, at least we d..did it and survived....ughh my body hurts.." Kisho whines still dizzy with Miko landing on him twitching as she was dizzy too.

"Dang...."

"Well, at least you guys lived long enough so good job. After this, we can go again!" Gojo said happily that everyone looks at Gojo.

"A..again?!"

"Yep again! It's to help you guys understand your enemy. We will be doing this all day till evening. Isn't that exciting!?"

"......." the group looks ahead then lets that sink in. In a moment, everyone falls back comically knocked out twitching. "@_@"

"Huh? Was it something I said?" he asked.

The fractions sighed shaking their heads but saw Ink and Jinx come back.

"You two went over board again.." Navarro said with arms crossed seeing Ink and Jinx laughing nervously.

"Sorrie.." they said but Gojo was happy not minding this. After all, it's training so more will come. That is after they wake up, they will run it over again. However, others did hear this from the school wondering what the heck happened.

Well, that's for them to guess. However, Gojo was happy and all is well. Megumi was still dizzy but he did snap out of it to sigh.

"Why?...just why me? Damn it Gojo sensei.." he grumbles but was under the dog pile. Yeah, the others were going to be out for a while before they did this again. But hey, teaching is a lesson after all.

TBC

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ep.13 thoughts

[Happy Late Out of Touch Thursday]

(Contents: praise - animation/adaptational additions, griping - exposition/pacing)

It goes without saying that the animation was good. I say it every week. This episode also, as usual, made some good and noteworthy extensions: they extended the fight between Andy and Tatiana in such a way that we felt the danger that Fuuko was in a lot better, they added in Tatiana finding Gina's body which added some weight to her anger at Andy, we got to see Creed actually losing his hand when Tatiana unleashed her barrier, and the embellishment of her hair glowing and her Rule breaking through was really cool

All of the events of this episode were really good, and I would go so far as to say this was a much better episode than last week's, but there's one thing that really bothers me about this episode that I imagine many of you noticed too: these recap scenes are getting absolutely ridiculous

I don't mean the recap of the previous episodes at the beginning, though this series is pretty egregious about it, I'm talking about how they decided they needed to recap a 30-second-long conversation that we just had! I don't even think it was after a commercial break, they just...showed the same conversation twice! You could have done anything with that airtime! Make the fight longer! Make Fuuko and Tatiana reconciling longer! Do literally anything other than repeat a full monologue that we just heard!!!

Undead Unluck has definitely done that many times, I'm pretty sure I've said "yes, I was there" out loud while watching nearly every episode so far, but this??? Whose idea was that? Who okayed it?? Was it a problem with the budget? Did the timing come up short and they just needed to pad something ASAP? There's a story here, and I feel like I need to know it!

But like I said, the actual content of the episode was really good. I don't want to give the impression that this is a bad episode by any means, there was just one really disappointing element that was hard to ignore because it definitely speaks to a bigger problem, whatever that problem may be. Either someone is really bad at budgeting their time, someone is bad at budgeting the money, or Yuki Yase thinks we're idiots who won't understand what's going on if we don't hear it twice, but something is wrong, and I hope it gets ironed out as we go

Even if it doesn't, I'll probably be able to forgive it fine so long as the action stays this good or better, and with the Rip fight coming up next week, it better be great. This is the climax of cour one, and it's set to have a gorgeous backdrop, so they better put their whole ass into this one! I'm not asking for Demon Slayer ep.19 or nothing, but...well, that sure would be something, wouldn't it?

Until next time, let's enjoy life

[whiskersz]

hi! saw your match ups were open and wanted to send a request if that's ok! im a woman and my pronouns are he/him. i don't have a gender preference or a type. i'd like romantic if that's alright. as far as aesthetic goes, i'm not really sure what to call it. i work as a receptionist so i'm generally just always dressed smart. i'm not really one for dresses, trousers and shirts are my go to. i wear a lot of jewellery though, at least one ring and one bracelet on each hand. i always wear glasses bc i cannot see at all and i've got long reddish hair. as for personality im quite a quiet person. i always help people where i can. i've got a dry sense of humour and have a tendency towards cynicism but at least i'm fun with it. i'm a very organised person. confrontation is not my strong point. i'm not afraid to stand up for myself and others, i've done it before but i will shake the entire time and i wish that was an exaggeration. i know its bad but i love a good gossip, its fun. i've got a few hobbies and interests, i love reading, mainly crime fiction. that ties into my other interest of true crime, i actually have 2 degrees in forensic psychology. i'm a very music oriented person. not only do i listen to it a lot, but i also play piano and sing. i engage in a lot of genres but i've been balls deep in an inescapable musical theatre phase for about a decade. i used to be in a society for it, definitely better at singing and dancing than acting, and i also did a lot of backstage stuff. i was even stage manager in one production (never again). my job and my degrees required me to be quite tech savvy in the sense thay i needed to know how to use a couple data handling softwares which i somehow managed. things i like - books, animals, sunny weather, warm white lights. things i dislike - people that don't have manners, loud overlapping noises, being rained on, insects. i don't have any characters that are a hard no. i hope i've done everything alright, you're such a talented writer and thank you :)

Hello! Yes, you’ve done everything perfectly and provided me a lot of information which I appreciate ;3 also, thank you for calling me a talented writer, I appreciate it a lot :((

Now, prepare to be sssurprised, as I match you with...

Sir Pentious!

Yes, him! Allow me to explain: you said you’re a cynic, a person distrustful of human sincerity. Sir Pentious is the exact demon who would prove you that some people, in this case him, are sincere. He’s a genuine individual, somewhat ingenuous if you will, who likes the simplest of things such as drinking good tea and having friends.  

Described as a wussy fighter by Vivziepop herself, he really needs somebody who will stand up for him and you seem to be the right person for this job, as you’re not afraid of doing so. He actually quite admires your courage, as even he can notice that you’re nervous when you stand up for other people, and yet he wonders how you manage to do it either way. He thanks you profusely each time this happens, and promises to look out for you in return.

Your job and degrees requiring you to be a quite tech savvy person makes me think that you’d somehow end up getting asked for help in some of his inventions; he trusts that you’re somewhat of a quick learner and smart, plus he simply loves to include you in his hobbies just as you include him in yours (more on this later!), so having you around him and the Egg Boiz is quite the pleasure every time.

Despite being a little silly, Pentious can very well be a gentleman, too. You dislike people with no manners? He’s more than willing to hiss at them if you ever come across any. You hate loud noises? He’ll make sure to invent something, anything that could help you with that. Don’t like being rained on? He will remove his jacket to hold it over your head if he has to. And rest assured he will remind Niffty about the gross bugs circulating in the Hotel if she doesn’t clean well enough.

Sir Pentious is not the most courageous demon around, we’re all aware of this. But! For you he will make an exception, and watch all those true crime videos and read the crime fiction you seem to be so passionate about. After all, you join him in his hobbies, so him participating in your is the least he can do. He’s also not afraid of gory situations themselves, so that’s something. He unexpectedly finds himself enjoying the time spent with you, especially reading, and he definitely interrupts you at least once each time to prepare a cup of tea for both him and you, if you enjoy it.

I can also see him being mesmerized by your skills each time you sing or play piano, and he would definitely try to learn how to sing/play along! He comes up with all these silly little tunes, it’s quite endearing on your side actually, and he surely wants to hear the most modern music you can play for him.

Pentious doesn’t really care what his lover is wearing at all, he will compliment you no matter if you’re dressed classy, cute, edgy or if you’re just getting ready to go to work. To him, you’re the most gorgeous person around, and while he’d be a little more on the shy side at first with compliments, he’d definitely go all out once you’ve been in a relationship for a while. He quite enjoys your liking for jewellery, and will remind you how pretty it looks on you whenever you’re putting it on.

 All in all, I feel like you two would be the cutest representation of ‘opposites attract’!

[cinnamon-bunni]

Give Me a Heart That Won't Break

Rating: T Pairing: Gen (Levi-centric) Word count: 2k Read it on Ao3!

look at me, finally getting around to posting this on tumblr! i was planning on doing it when i posted in ao3, but i just was too lazy to lmao ;;;

this fic, along with its title, is heavily based on the song Impatiens Balsamina, and I implore you to listen to it!! it's such a pretty yet heart-breaking song <33 and of course i had to inflict pain onto levi, who else would be perfect for this song? lol

anyway, i really hope you enjoy this!! it's in a different style than i usually write in (no dialogue, present tense), so i hope there aren't too many mistakes there (god knows how many times i had to rewrite parts because i instinctively went back into writing past tense lol) but yeah!! please enjoy <3

His headphones aren’t plugged to his phone. He still wears them, scrolling through his phone and acting like they are. Levi is not in the mood to listen to short, few second videos, nor did he want to listen to his classmates. So he instead scrolls through Devilgram, and uses his soundproof headphones to drown out everyone around him. His eyes flit around the room, where other demons chatted and laughed; class hadn’t started yet, and it would be a few minutes before it did. So of course, his peers took the chance to chat, all in their different groups and surrounding someone’s table to form a circle and excitedly spoke over another.

Levi closes his eyes with a sigh for a few seconds, before then going back onto his phone. He doesn’t care about them or whatever they were talking about–probably just about parties, or shopping, or their weekend plans, or whatever normies talked about. He is fine alone, thank you very much. He preferred it, actually. A loud laugh startles the demon, and his head shoots up to search for the source.

A jock, he thinks bitterly. Of course it was a jock who didn’t understand how to be quieter inside, and is impossibly loud enough to break through his headphones for him to listen clearly. They give a hearty laugh, outstretching their hand to give a few friendly pats on their friend's shoulder. Levi is quick to realize that the other demon there that is on the receiving end of the shoulder pats is Beel, who shares a smile just as wide as his friend. His eyes search, because if one twin is there, then–ah, there he is. Belphie is seated in a nearby desk, head down with his arms out to rest on. Unlike most days though, he is wide awake, a smile hidden by his arms, and Levi can see from how his eyes crinkle and how his mouth moves that he is participating in the friendly banter.

He watches for a short few seconds, before snapping back to his phone. He clicks it back on, and goes back to scrolling and pretending not to care or listen to the others around. Well, he isn’t pretending, not at all, he doesn’t care. He is fine with no one around him–hell, he’s happy that he’s alone, because they would just be too loud and annoying, and he doesn't have the patience to handle stupid normies.

Levi is fine doing his own thing, even if it does make him appear to be lonely. Which he isn’t, because he made the choice to be alone. Why would he want to be in cliques where they would just–just-

His hand grips the phone tighter as the screen dims. He isn’t lonely. He doesn’t care what others think. Because that would make him something to be pitied and he is the Avatar of Envy. Yes, he is a gross otaku, someone who plays video games all day, has too much useless trivia memorized, spends literal days watching anime, but he is still the general of Hell’s Navy. He is still very powerful, and has power that should be feared. It sorta sends a message, in a way, of his power, in a similar vein of how Lucifer lets very few people around him. Levi does not need them, nor their pity. He does not need their pity because he is powerful and loves to be independent, and that he is not lonely. He likes it this way–it was better for everyone, in the end.

Levi prefers it this way, anyway. Being alone. He revels in his alone time. Because, because if he doesn’t…

His eyes darts back to the twins. He watches as another demon enters the conversation, and the two nameless ones give a weird handshake as a greeting. He watches as Beel and Belphie laugh and talk.

…if he doesn’t, then there would be something wrong with him. Levi is the loner, afterall, and always would be. He is the one who failed in holding normal conversations, the one who is afraid of saying the wrong thing to someone, the one who rehearses what he says, the one who struggles to even come to classes in-person, the one who can’t even do a class presentation. He is the one that everyone knows wants to be alone, and it would always be like that. They will always seem him like that, and he will always stay in his shell. Alone. A win for both parties, really.

More noises catch Levi’s attention. He moves his phone around his hands like a fidget toy as he watches his younger and much prettier brother walk into the classroom. He takes his time walking, a joyful smile on his face as he laughs and gasps at whatever someone says. His groupies follow him, and suddenly they are all taking up too much room–all laughing and squealing and enjoying themselves. They are all so happy, he thinks absentmindedly, watching a few feet away from the circle. Everyone is engaged, all participating in one way or the other.

He wonders–a tiny, minuscule part wonders–if being labeled as the loner was something he could have escaped. That maybe if he had forced himself out of his comfort-zone, if he had gone to any of the meetings for the gaming or anime club, he could be in the same situation Asmo and Beel and Belphie all found themselves in. If he had been there from the start, maybe things would have been different for him. Maybe he would find himself in a group like them.

Asmo’s fans and friends all hang off of his brother’s every word, and all react accordingly. Levi shakes his head and snaps back down to his phone. He turns it back on. What a dumb thought–what would he do, anyway? Abruptly ask them if he could join them? Levi has pride, believe it or not, and knows not to waste his time doing something dumb like that.

Besides, he’s thinking as if he has no friends, which wasn’t true at all. He has his friends in the Navy, who only ever makes the time to talk to him when he comes around every blue moon for official business; along with that, he has his online friends–who he could only really just play video games with, discuss anime, and vent about surface-level problems. Hell, he even has friends in a few different classes! Sure, they were more just like acquaintances really, where he and the other exchange pleasantries and easy small talk because their usual friend groups were separated in different classes, but–but it counts. Levi counts it, even if it’s not anything real. It needs to count for something. 

His screen cracks a bit. Levi, surprised, blinks, as he stares at the cracks that were caused by his thumb pressing hard against the bottom of the screen. He sighs, and clicks it back on once more. Looks like he would need a new phone screen. Lucifer would give him a good scolding about being careful with his strength and handling phones again, he just knows it. 

The warning bell goes off. He can hear it vaguely ring, and more people start to filter in. Asmo’s group all start to give goodbye hugs as many of them leave the class in order to head off to their own classroom. Asmo waves and gives his own goodbyes to his friends, drawing out the whole thing. Hell, Asmo even hops off his desk, and lingers just out the doorway as the majority of them leave. 

Levi scoffs out loud. They act as if it's the end of the world; that they won’t ever be able to see each other again, or something. It’s like they all can’t live without one another, or without Asmo around with them, at the very least. It was all so dumb in Levi’s eyes. He certainly wasn’t missing out on much.

So he doesn’t envy them, not at all. Really, he doesn’t.

His eyes linger on them until most of them filter out, and the room becomes quieter. Not exactly the dead silent, but quiet enough around him and his area that he couldn’t hear anyone through his headphones. Just the way he likes it.

Asmo settles back down, going back on top of his desk and conversing with anyone left. Levi’s eyes look around the room mindlessly as he watches more friends greet each other and have a good time together. He then meets a pair of fiery green eyes staring at him.

The eye contact breaks just as soon as it begins. Levi, rightfully startled, calms a bit when he finds that it was just Satan, who had been apparently staring at him for an unknown amount of time. Why had he been staring at him? But his eyes were back on his book and he acted as if nothing happened. Levi supposes that he should do the same.

But he stares at his younger brother for a few more beats. He watches as Satan reads his book, sitting in his chosen desk, close to the wall and just about in the middle of the rows, not too far from Levi’s own desk. Levi watches as he basks in the silence; although his headphones work well, it mainly comes from the fact that no one is sitting around the fifth-born. He is alone, with all desks around him left empty and untouched. It forms a space of silence around him, where he is able to read his book in peace. He looks…Levi is unable to place the look he sees on Satan’s face. He isn’t sure how to read it.

More people take their places. Levi faintly registers Satan’s scowl as others sit next to him in order to talk to one another and act as if he isn’t there. The last few of the students enter the classroom, taking up the seats that were left open. They all talk over one another, making Levi grateful for his headphones. A group of friends took the open seats around Levi, and Levi pretends not to care as they are loud and have fun around him while he stares down at his desk. Having normies like that so close to him was…

It hurt, in a weird way. Which Levi hates, because he refuses to be seen as the loser in this situation. Well, he almost always was during most times, he could own up to that, but not a loser for not having a loud and annoying and obnoxious squad around him. He does not envy them, not at all–if he did, then it was just his Sin acting up. It happens to all of them–Satan’s Wrath made him angrier than most, Lucifer’s Pride made him a prick, and sometimes Levi’s envy made it hard to be around others who had something he didn’t have. 

Levi didn’t want what they all have; he didn’t want to have people around him to talk to about the things he enjoys, to go out with to all the anime cafés, to laugh and have fun with. He was fine being alone. He tells himself that time and time again because it was true and it’s as simple as that.

In truth, he just wants to rid his Envy. Or, perhaps, just simply be able to handle the small amount of heartache he feels every time he sees his brothers with their friends. He wishes for, maybe, a stronger heart that wouldn’t break at the thought of being alone after school and when he went home and when he would go back to R.A.D. the following day, week, year. He doesn’t know if he can stand it for that long.

But he will. Because there is nothing wrong, and Levi knows and accepts this. This is just the way things were, set up all by him. He’s the one who asked for his, to be left alone and not around anyone, and he was given what he asked for. He couldn’t possibly complain about it now, not after seeing how annoying everyone else and their friends were. He is happy where he stands.

If he wasn’t, Levi thinks to himself as class starts, then something inside of him was wrong. Wrong, and incredibly broken.

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 9: WE VISIT THE DEMON DUDE RANCH

Magnus looked personally offended at what he'd just read as the new chapter title. "I take it back, I don't want to know what the Triple G stands for anymore."

"Ugh, I'm with you on this one," Alex huffed. "Manly dudes strutting around being all macho with cowboy boots sounds as appealing as going shopping with Karen. Unless some Brokeback Mountain shit goes on, I'm out."

Magnus felt a very debilitating sense of hope as he realized Alex might not think muscular dudes like Hugh Jackman were his type...but wait, what did that say about himself?

"I'm sensing a lot of denim in this upcoming chapter and I am not going to like it," Thalia grumbled.

"Wearing a cowboy hat to cover up horns should be no one's idea of a good time," Jason agreed, though he would totally call in an I told you so to Percy if he guessed it right.

"But, but, cute animals!" Will protested. He enjoyed the south, thank you very much, and missed it quite a lot in the winter especially. It was really charming in the right places.

Nico was huddled up in his seat deep into his jacket. He'd been loathing this oncoming chapter and more of his crappy life on display. Will sighed, but all of the cute farm animals in the world and a merciful dry cold in the dead of winter had nothing on Nico's miserable brown eyes that just wanted to get through this.

We finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around us, on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pit, and even when I shined a light, I couldn't see the bottom.

"Now that would have been a badass Poseidon cabin," Jason said.

"I could do my own laundry without getting out of bed," Percy chuckled.

Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."

Percy winced uneasily at that. "I could never have a slumber party in my room though, I just know somebody's bound to fall in."

"Still think it's appropriate," Jason muttered. This area summed up his feelings about Neptune pretty well.

"Don't talk that way," Annabeth told him. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."

"You really did just stumble into a game changer of a friend in prison," Jason agreed.

"I will not be putting that in the summary, my mother would kill me!" Percy yelped.

"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I have lost everything."

"That's when you should build something," Alex said in one of his most serious tones of voice.

"Tyson would help," Magnus agreed with a gentleness to his voice that didn't surprise anyone.

"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked. "The other two must stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."

"Oh, so he just needs a growth spurt, explains a lot," Percy chuckled, but it fell flat. Annabeth wasn't here to elbow him to shut up about still making jokes on that.

Briares's expression morphed to something even sadder: his grieving face. "They are no more. They faded."

The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye.

"What exactly do you mean, they faded?" I asked. "I thought monsters were immortal, like the gods."

Yet Percy looked as somber as anyone else for that question being said out loud. There had already been evidence enough immortal didn't mean one would live forever, Zoe had been more than enough of an experience for them to learn that; having been erased from history even before her death.

"Percy," Grover said weakly, "even immortality has limits. Sometimes...sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal."

Looking at Grover's face, I wondered if he was thinking of Pan. I remembered something Medusa had told us once: how her sisters, the other two gorgons, had passed on and left her alone.

Something of that still nagged at Percy's mind, those two Bargain Mart Ladies that had chased him non-stop no matter how convinced he was they should have died from that bowling ball accident.

Then last year Apollo said something about the old god Helios disappearing and leaving him with the duties of the sun god. I'd never thought about it too much, but now, looking at Briares, I realized how terrible it would be to be so old—thousands and thousands of years old—and totally alone.

"Makes Mr. D a tad more relatable, huh?" Will asked sadly. "Stuck alone at that camp."

"He's not alone," Percy scowled, "he's got us ants there to torture!" He didn't really shout though. It did make a kind of sense put that way, even if he'd still forever wish they weren't Dionysus's punishment.

"I must go," Briares said.

"Kronos's army will invade camp," Tyson said. "We need help."

Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops."

"You are strong."

"Not anymore." Briares rose.

"Hey," I grabbed one of his arms and pulled him aside, where the roar of the water would hide our words. "Briares, we need you. In case you haven't noticed, Tyson believes in you. He risked his life for you."

I told him about everything—Luke's invasion plan, the Labyrinth entrance at camp, Daedalus's workshop, Kronos's golden coffin.

Briares just shook his head. "I cannot, demigod. I do not have a finger gun to win this game." To prove his point, he made one hundred finger guns.

Percy's heart flinched in his chest like it was trying to flee him. Looking at that given him a shot of pure fear, like looking down a military execution aimed right at him.

But it was just a game. A silly trick he'd done to help Briares escape, but like Magnus had said, it was a lesson the hundred-handed one was turning back on him now to leave.

"Maybe that's why monsters fade," I said. "Maybe it's not about what the mortals believe. Maybe it's because you give up on yourself."

"Wise words for a seaweed brain," Thalia shook her head affectionately. "Is that why you pulled him away, so Annabeth wouldn't punch you for mocking her?"

Percy grinned and mock wiped his brow in relief. "You caught me, please don't tell?"

"Nah, it can be our secret," she smiled.

His pure brown eyes regarded me. His face morphed into an expression I recognized—shame.

Percy knew even Tyson couldn't have stopped this guy and dragged him along, but he still sat there wishing he could. That he'd done something, anything else.

"I never said you have to reenact his faces Percy," Alex told him in exasperation. "Put the shame face away man, you did all you could."

"Yeah, I guess," Percy wanted to believe that anyways.

Then he turned and trudged off down the corridor until he was lost in the shadows.

Tyson sobbed.

"I lied, bring him back and stab him," Alex scowled, hands twitching for his garrote for anyone making Tyson cry.

"Maybe a tad extreme," Magnus put a cautious hand on his shoulder.

"It also disproves Nico's theory I can win any fight, because I sure didn't win that," Percy groaned. He wanted so badly to offer his brother comfort, but even back then he had no clue how.

"It's okay," Grover hesitantly patted his shoulder, which must've taken all his courage.

"I still say that was hitting Medusa, while blind, and flying," Jason grinned.

"Personal courage and battle courage aren't always the same," Thalia muttered.

Tyson sneezed. "It's not okay, goat boy. He was my hero."

"Grover should offer him a jar of peanut butter," Alex said, "nobody could be upset then."

"People allergic to peanut butter," Percy corrected.

"Have you met somebody with a nut allergy? Half of them live life on the edge and eat anyways for that stuff," Alex scoffed at his naivety.

I wanted to make him feel better, but I wasn't sure what to say.

"Never meet your hero's," Nico said casually.

Percy winced, and looked at him again. Percy had looked at him more today than he possibly had their entire time knowing each other.

Nico met those sea green eyes with a sense of relief he'd finally said it out loud for the first time. Not everything, like The Word, he still felt a cold chill run through him every time he realized he'd said that out loud, but it got slowly better every time he realized he did. Like a tight muscle unclenching itself after years of being knotted. As bad as it was for Tyson to learn, Will and Alex had been right. It was still better to know and feel the disappointment than live in ignorance forever.

Finally Annabeth stood and shouldered her backpack. "Come on, guys. This pit is making me nervous. Let's find a better place to camp for the night."

"Reason number 33 she should lead all quests," Percy nodded in agreement. "I would have just stood there until we all fell asleep trying to think of something to say."

"It's okay Percy, nobody accused you of your great strength being rousing speeches," Thalia promised.

We settled in a corridor made of huge marble blocks. It looked like it could've been part of a Greek tomb, with bronze torch holders fastened to the walls.

"Did you cross over to Egypt?" Magnus asked wearily. "Because it sounds like you're sleeping in a pyramid, and I've had enough nightmares of being chased by mummies without you adding to them." The kids in his class used to laugh at him for thinking that 1999 movie was anything remotely scary like it was his fault!

"Pretty sure the Labyrinth is restricted to America," Percy said with a shrug like that was any help at all, and also, no real confidence in that statement.

It had to be an older part of the maze, and Annabeth decided this was a good sign.

"We must be close to Daedalus's workshop," she said. "Get some rest, everybody. We'll keep going in the morning."

"Which means it's probably going to change to the modern equivalent of an art deco building when you wake up," Jason frowned.

"You and Annabeth can compare architecture tips later," Percy groaned.

"How do we know when it's morning?" Grover asked.

"When you all wake up together and happy," Will said, but the awkward laugh that followed was a little to real considering they'd all been living that problem themselves for the past few days under the ocean.

"Just rest," she insisted.

Grover didn't need to be told twice. He pulled a heap of straw out of his pack, ate some of it, made a pillow out of the rest, and was snoring in no time.

"Have I mentioned how awesome that is," Magnus grinned. "We could eradicate homelessness if more people were part goat."

"You heard it here first folks, genetic experimentation to turn all people into greek myths," Alex spoke into an invisible microphone, then tipped it towards Magnus. "Tell us, who would be your first test subject?"

Magnus hesitated for a moment, he really should have thought about that one first and not said anything, but it would be worse for himself if he didn't. And this wasn't just something he'd want to laugh off. So he looked him in the eyes and said, "anybody who denies there's a homeless problem."

Alex grinned and tipped the 'microphone,' back towards himself. "Great answer. Back to you Jason!"

"What did we say about eradicating news broadcasts?" Percy asked in exasperation.

"Only the nonimportant ones that don't check their facts," Alex grinned.

Tyson took longer getting to sleep. He tinkered with some metal scraps from his building kit for a while, but whatever he was making, he wasn't happy with it. He kept disassembling the pieces. "I'm sorry I lost the shield," I told him. "You worked so hard to repair it."

Tyson looked up. His eye was bloodshot from crying. "Do not worry, brother. You saved me. You wouldn't have had to if Briares had helped."

"He was just scared," I said. "I'm sure he'll get over it."

"He is not strong," Tyson said. "He is not important anymore."

"Note to self, start lifting weights," Thalia mock whispered and doodled on her palm, before smacking said invisible piece of paper on Percy's chest.

He brushed it off with an exasperated look at her, but didn't try to fight off a smile.

He heaved a big sad sigh, then closed his eye. The metal pieces fell out of his hand, still unassembled, and Tyson began to snore.

"Now that is a magical ability I bet plenty of people would volunteer to be willing to undergo experiments to do," Jason said.

"Depends on how optional the snoring is," Percy shrugged.

I tried to fall asleep myself, but I couldn't. Something about getting chased by a large dragon lady with poison swords made it real hard to relax.

Will stroked an imaginary beard as if in deep contemplation before snapping his fingers. "Then maybe don't do that again!"

"It wasn't voluntary!" Percy yelped.

"He says, as if he couldn't have turned right back around when he found himself in a prison cell," Jason rolled his eyes.

"To be fair," Thalia said of herself as much as him, "I don't think it's humanly possible to not be curious and look around when you pop up somewhere."

"It is if you don't want to die and or be chased by a large dragon lady with poison swords," Magnus frowned.

"Well look at you and your cushy life," Percy grinned.

I picked up my bedroll and dragged it over to where Annabeth was sitting, keeping watch.

Magnus fought the urge to cover his ears and start humming very loudly. They weren't old enough to have anything resembling a conversation that should warrant that. Yet.

I sat down next to her.

"You should sleep," she said.

"Can't. You doing all right?"

"Sure. First day leading the quest. Just great."

"We'll get there," I said. "We'll find the workshop before Luke does."

She brushed her hair out of her face. She had a smudge of dirt on her chin, and I imagined what she must've looked like when she was little, wandering around the country with Thalia and Luke. Once she'd saved them from the mansion of the evil Cyclops when she was only seven. Even when she looked scared, like now, I knew she had a lot of guts.

Magnus read that with a sense of longing that seemed strange to the others. He wished he could sit around and talk to Thalia and Percy about that time, hear more about her life outside of what Percy had gleaned.

It didn't feel like his business to ask of others though. He wanted to ask her first if she even wanted some weird kid in her life that was part of a family she clearly was on rocky terms with.

"I just wish the quest was logical," she complained.

"It really does sound like the worst scenario for her," Jason agreed with a pained grimace. "Like a real life greek myth, she finally got her wish and it's just mocking her."

"Jason, all Greek tragedy's were real," Percy reminded a tad smugly.

"I'm going to make your death a mystery," he rolled his eyes.

"I mean, we're traveling but we have no idea where we'll end up. How can you walk from New York to California in a day?"

"And without any bathroom breaks," Will agreed in awe. "That's got to be some kind of record."

"Who says I didn't stop and use the little Poseidon's room in that waterfall?" Percy said way to nonchalantly for that to be a joke. "It went straight down to Tartarus after all, and the automatic flushing was nice."

The others groaned while Thalia told Will, "you walked right into that one. Did you really think he wouldn't follow through on that set up?"

"Lesson learned," he promised.

"Space isn't the same in the maze."

"I know, I know. It's just..." She looked at me hesitantly. "Percy, I was kidding myself. All that planning and reading, I don't have a clue where we're going."

"You guys never know what you're doing and it works out," Thalia cheerfully waved off.

Percy gave her a strange, lingering smile as Jason read.

"You're doing great. Besides, we never know what we're doing. It always works out.

"Dammit," she sighed before they both started snickering.

Remember Circe's island?"

She snorted. "You made a cute guinea pig."

"And Waterland, how you got us thrown off that ride?"

"I got us thrown off? That was totally your fault!"

"It was literally her fault with that maximum height nonsense!" Alex argued. Mostly because they suspected he just liked to argue.

"Percy started it with dumping all that water into the ride to escape the spiders," Magnus cheerfully reminded on behalf of his cousin.

They probably would have gone on like that, like they all needed a live reenactment of Percy and Annabeth bickering. Jason had the good sense to clear his throat and silently remind them now wasn't the time.

"See? It'll be fine."

She smiled, which I was glad to see, but the smile faded quickly.

"Percy, what did Hera mean when she said you knew the way to get through the maze?"

"Lies and hypocrisy I assume," Alex scowled anew.

"Did she really show up to sow dissent between you guys?" Magnus sounded more troubled than Jason did about how these gods worked sometimes.

"I mean, that is a thing she would do," Nico said callously while Percy thumped his pen against his temple in frustration. "This time though, I honestly think it might have been meant as a helpful hint." Certainly more than he'd ever gotten, but if this was the kind of help he would have received he was just slightly grateful none of the gods had tried.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Honestly."

"You'd tell me if you did?"

"You have literally never tried to hide anything from her," Magnus said critically. "I can't imagine you starting now."

"Thanks man," Percy grinned. It felt nice sometimes to always be confident someone so like Annabeth saw the best in him too.

"Sure. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe if you told me the last line of the prophecy, it would help."

"And maybe if I told you what a binturong was you'd be able to cure cancer," Will snorted.

"What's a binturong?" Percy asked blankly.

"Don't change the subject," Thalia tisked at him, already knowing that was a lost cause trying to get him to pay attention to one thing at a time.

Annabeth shivered. "Not here. Not in the dark."

"What about the choice Janus mentioned? Hera said—"

"Stop," Annabeth snapped.

Percy sat back in his seat with a troubled sigh. She'd never snapped at him to shut it before. Their first fight? Or did that whole Athena hates Poseidon thing count first-

He was distracted from that as Magnus kept going in the slightly awkward pause.

Then she took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Percy. I'm just stressed. But I don't...I've got to think about it."

Nico felt the oddest sensation yet for her since he'd been down here. Sympathy.

Not quite pity, she had Percy to talk to about all of her problems if she wanted. He was still wrapping his head around the fact Alex and Will had bothered to talk to him. No, it was the recent knowledge of how overwhelming the thoughts in your head could be and knowing you needed to sit with them and yet having no where to start, no way to sort them out that didn't leave you in a mess.

He hoped she did talk to Percy about what was bothering her before it overwhelmed her. He wouldn't wish his confusing life on anyone.

We sat in silence, listening to strange creaks and groans in the maze, the echo of stones grinding together as tunnels changed, grew, and expanded.

The dark made me think about the visions I'd seen of Nico di Angelo, and suddenly I realized something.

"Nico is down here somewhere," I said. "That's how he disappeared from camp. He found the Labyrinth. Then he found a path that led down even farther—to the Underworld. But now he's back in the maze. He's coming after me."

"I guess I should have been more worried what kind of take me out he was going to do," Percy said glibly. He'd never realized you could assassinate someone or have them out for dinner with just one word.

Nico looked at him terrified, like Percy was going to snap his fingers and crush all his bones. Percy just gave him the least awkward smile yet, he'd thought a joke would help lighten the mood.

Thalia elbowed him, hard, while Jason and Magnus looked on with pure confusion. "What?" Percy protested.

"Percy, not everybody's so casual about, um, whatever you and Nico talked about," Thalia whispered to him.

"What?" He was more confused than anything, but he still felt a blush coming back. "Why? Will and Alex are both weirdly okay with whatever they say?"

"But not everybody is," she hissed quietly right by his ear. "Just, wait for him to say anything first before you do."

He had no clue what she was getting at, but he shrugged and let it go.

Annabeth was quiet for a long time. "Percy, I hope you're wrong. But if you're right..." she stared at the flashlight beam, casting a dim circle on the stone wall. I had a feeling she was thinking about her prophecy. I'd never seen her look more tired.

Percy knew that feeling intricately. Sitting in the back of a truck with abused animals and gnawing over what could be so much it made everything hopeless while you stumbled into the next catastrophe.

Annabeth had never let him down on his quest though, and he was determined he would do the same for her.

"How about I take first watch?" I said. "I'll wake you if anything happens."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to protest, but she just nodded, slumped into her bedroll, and closed her eyes.

There had been so little light in that tunnel, his brain had been going haywire all night over the smallest noise. He'd flicked a spider off her at one point before she had to wake up and realize that. Her tangled blonde curls kept tickling her neck and she'd moved and brushed at them in her sleep, smudging that dirt on her cheek as she muttered.

He probably wasn't that good at guard duty, looking back.

When it was my turn to sleep, I dreamed I was back in the old man's Labyrinth prison.

"What's a level above a 3D experience?" Magnus looked at him tragically. "Percy's over here living a double life being in this place two times at once and it's depressing."

"You're telling me," Percy agreed with a thankful smile all the same. Anybody else giving him that pitying look would have made him uncomfortable, but Magnus seemed genuinely sorry for him.

It looked more like a workshop now. Tables were littered with measuring instruments. A forge burned red hot in the corner. The boy I'd seen in the last dream was stoking the bellows, except he was taller now, almost my age.

"That awkward moment where I'm not sure if I'd take juvie or this?" Alex grumbled. The freedom to be able to work in a prison was not something he'd tolerate though under any circumstances, so it was a moot point.

A weird funnel device was attached to the forge's chimney, trapping the smoke and heat and channeling it through a pipe into the floor, next to a big bronze manhole cover.

It was daytime. The sky above was blue, but the walls of the maze cast deep shadows across the workshop. After being in tunnels so long, I found it weird that part of the Labyrinth could be open to the sky. Somehow that made the maze seem like even a crueler place.

Magnus had thought much the same the first time he heard it. He lived the feeling every day of seeing everything he'd never have again as he pulled his jacket tighter around him.

The old man looked sickly. He was terribly thin, his hands raw and red from working. White hair covered his eyes, and his tunic was smudged with grease. He was bent over a table, working on some kind of long metal patchwork—like a swath of chain mail. He picked up a delicate curl of bronze and fitted it into place.

"Done," he announced. "It's done."

He picked up his project. It was so beautiful, my heart leaped—metal wings constructed from thousands of interlocking bronze feathers. There were two sets. One still lay on the table. Daedalus stretched the frame, and the wings expanded twenty feet. Part of me knew it could never fly. It was too heavy, and there'd be no way to get off the ground. But the craftsmanship was amazing. Metal feathers caught the light and flashed thirty different shades of gold.

Thalia shuddered at those things being strapped to her back, but Alex's breath caught in his throat at the beautiful imagery. He could turn into a golden bird if he wished, and yet the craftsman ship of somebody making the painstaking effort in those lit a unique fire in him to long and try the same.

The boy left the bellows and ran over to see. He grinned, despite the fact that he was grimy and sweaty. "Father, you're a genius!"

The old man smiled. "Tell me something I don't know, Icarus.

"Why do I know that name?" Magnus frowned. It was one of those moments he swore he'd heard through osmosis, something circled and passed around in word of mouth he'd swear he had no attachment to.

"Not sure," Percy agreed, "but a kid named Ick- anything must be happy to at least have some isolation from other kids."

Jason snorted in surprise while Thalia sighed in exasperation at the idiot.

Now hurry. It will take at least an hour to attach them. Come."

"You first," Icarus said.

The old man protested, but Icarus insisted. "You made them, Father. You should get the honor of wearing them first."

The boy attached a leather harness to his father's chest,

This boy adored his father, which left a strange silence in the room as Magnus read over that. Not one of them knew that feeling. Most of them barely had a relationship with their dad if they talked at all.

like climbing gear, with straps that ran from his shoulders to his wrists. Then he began fastening on the wings, using a metal canister that looked like an enormous hot-glue gun.

"And you said I didn't have any hand to scar knowledge," Percy grinned. "Try helping your mom out with some arts and crafts project and see if you come away without one of these," he prodded his ring finger where a slight discoloration of skin was, right below a sizeable deep scar from one of his early sword practices.

Or, it used to be.

"I would never accuse a kid like you of not knowing about hot-glue Percy," Alex grinned. "Your mom probably banned you from using them too early in life."

"A successful win, glad you know me so well," he chuckled, but it sounded choked up as he kept prodding at the flesh in his fingers that still moved like normal...yet he'd swear they were somebody else's hands for a moment. He knew that scar should have been there, Annabeth had told him to put water on it and he'd deliberately ignored her because a scar had sounded like the coolest thing to have in that moment...Were his memories coming back wrong...

Thalia had to nudge him again, hard, to get him to pay attention. He felt like he should have a bruise on his ribs by this point as often as she did that, but his creepy baby hands rubbed at the spot and somehow knew that wouldn't happen no matter how many times she did.

"The wax compound should hold for several hours," Daedalus said nervously as his son worked. "But we must let it set first. And we would do well to avoid flying too high or too low. The sea would wet the wax seals—"

"And the sun's heat would loosen them," the boy finished.

Magnus's mind nagged at him more stubbornly by the moment. A story about a boy who flew to close to the sun? He'd read an article once on where the idea was based on, and something of greek stories had played a part in it.

His stomach started sinking low as he put two and two together. There had yet been a Greek story that didn't end in tragedy.

"Yes, Father. We've been through this a million times!"

"One cannot be too careful."

"I have complete faith in your inventions, Father! No one has ever been as smart as you."

Thalia's stomach pitched unpleasantly. The gods never liked it when something like that was spoken into the air. The Fates themselves may have just sealed this boys fate before Athena could have concocted a plan.

The old man's eyes shone. It was obvious he loved his son more than anything in the world.

Alex studied the book intently for a few moments, annoyed that was an expression he could never replicate in a sculpture if he'd never actually seen it.

"Now I will do your wings, and give mine a chance to set properly. Come!"

It was slow going. The old man's hands fumbled with the straps. He had a hard time keeping the wings in position while he sealed them. His own metal wings seemed to weigh him down, getting in his way while he tried to work.

"I'm guessing this was a prototype experiment, maybe needs a few test runs before it's marketable," Jason muttered uneasily.

"I don't think his, um, investor is giving him much time to test the safety features," Thalia didn't need to remind him. If this wasn't a blatant escape attempt then there was a cake about to jump out of that bronze manhole cover.

"Too slow," the old man muttered. "I am too slow."

"Take your time, Father," the boy said. "The guards aren't due until—"

BOOM!

"That one wasn't me!" Percy said with a shaky attempt at a laugh that fell flat fast. The silence was starting to settle around them as they all expected his dream to end with the nightmarish image of someone's death.

The workshop doors shuddered. Daedalus had barred them from the inside with a wooden brace, but still they shook on their hinges.

"Hurry!" Icarus said.

BOOM! BOOM!

Something heavy was slamming into the doors. The brace held, but a crack appeared in the left door.

Daedalus worked furiously. A drop of hot wax spilled onto Icarus's shoulder. The boy winced but did not cry out.

Will winced horribly with him, wondering how much pain the poor boy had been through all these years to learn how to do that.

When his left wing was sealed into the straps, Daedalus began working on the right.

"We must have more time," Daedalus murmured. "They are too early! We need more time for the seal to hold."

"It'll be fine," Icarus said, as his father finished the right wing. "Help me with the manhole—"

CRASH! The doors splintered and the head of a bronze battering ram emerged through the breach. Axes cleared the debris, and two armed guards entered the room, followed by the king with the golden crown and the spearshaped beard.

"Well, well," the king said with a cruel smile. "Going somewhere?"

"I'm panicking right now and don't have a witty comeback for that," Percy admitted. He wanted to be in that cell, to hold off this horrible king and those guards while they escaped.

"Brave soul to admit that," Alex told him, just as impressed as if he had spouted some one-liner.

Daedalus and his son froze, their metal wings glimmering on their backs.

"I really hope he made a prayer to Zeus," Magnus muttered uneasily. "He sounds like he's really going to need all the help he can get." He found himself signing it, like he wished he hadn't had to say it out loud and jinx it. He missed Hearth.

He wasn't entirely sure why they were hearing about this either. He would have thought Percy would be dreaming of how Daedalus had created the maze and all its horrors. Why was the mans death so worthy of this nightmare?

"We're leaving, Minos," the old man said.

King Minos chuckled. "I was curious to see how far you'd get on this little project before I dashed your hopes. I must say I'm impressed." The king admired their wings. "You look like metal chickens," he decided. "Perhaps we should pluck you and make a soup."

"Maybe he'd like a pair of his own?" Nico said with a nasty smile. "Chicken's cannibalize each other. Daedalus would probably be more than happy to make a parting pair so he could join."

"Two sentences I'm sure have no relation to each other," Percy said with a strange look at him as usual when this king was brought up. The flash of outrage that always passed over Nico felt really personal and always amped Percy's headache up to eleven.

The guards laughed stupidly.

"Metal chickens," one repeated. "Soup."

"Shut up," the king said. Then he turned again to Daedalus. "You let my daughter escape, old man. You drove my wife to madness. You killed my monster and made me the laughingstock of the Mediterranean. You will never escape me!"

"All crimes I'm so sure this ass hole had no part of the fault in whatsoever," Jason scowled.

"That bad luck stuff really does come in threes," Percy chuckled. "Maybe he'll get lucky and a drought will come along so he can blame all his problems on the weather next."

Icarus grabbed the wax gun and sprayed it at the king, who stepped back in surprise. The guards rushed forward, but each got a stream of hot wax in his face.

Alex made a humming noise of pleasure and Magnus swallowed uneasily at the vivid mental image of him doing that to someone who next annoyed him.

"The vent!" Icarus yelled to his father.

"Get them!" King Minos raged.

Together, the old man and his son pried open the manhole cover, and a column of hot air blasted out of the ground. The king watched, incredulous, as the inventor and son shot into the sky on their bronze wings, carried by the updraft.

"Shoot them!" the king yelled, but his guards had brought no bows. One threw his sword in desperation,

"With hot wax in his face?" Thalia sounded incredulously impressed. "I hope that man got a promotion for dedication."

"Or more likely was beheaded first," Nico grumbled.

but Daedalus and Icarus were already out of reach. They wheeled above the maze and the king's palace, then zoomed across the city of Knossos and out past the rocky shores of Crete.

Icarus laughed. "Free, Father! You did it."

The boy spread his wings to their full limit and soared away on the wind.

"Wait!" Daedalus called. "Be careful!"

But Icarus was already out over the open sea, heading north and delighting in their good luck. He soared up and scared an eagle out of its flight path, then plummeted toward the sea like he was born to fly, pulling out of a nosedive at the last second. His sandals skimmed the waves.

Thalia looked a tad green around the edges of that being described in such vivid detail. Jason looked downright envious, it sounded magical and something he had a funny feeling he'd dreamed about doing in another life he might actually remember.

"Stop that!" Daedalus called. But the wind carried his voice away. His son was drunk on his own freedom.

Will was wincing over every other word though. This story was probably still so popular as a cautionary tale to listen to your parents, look both ways before crossing the streets no matter how sure you were. Will heard it as the boy having to much faith in his father's abilities. Either way you looked at it, this boy had not deserved such a miserable life only to die like that.

The old man struggled to catch up, gliding clumsily after his son.

They were miles from Crete, over deep sea, when Icarus looked back and saw his father's worried expression.

Icarus smiled. "Don't worry, Father! You're a genius! I trust your handiwork—"

The first metal feather shook loose from his wings and fluttered away.

There wasn't much shock, or a bunch of falsities this story was going to end happily ever after. Magnus read somberly, there was a sense of gentleness in the way he read that indicated this wasn't the first tragic story he'd heard and knew the right way to control his voice.

Then another.

Icarus wabbled in midair. Suddenly he was shedding bronze feathers, which twirled away from him like a flock of frightened birds.

"I feel the need to give a hats off one more time to whoever it is describing that, glorious, mental image," Alex said in a very restrained voice holding back awe, and laughter. He felt a little bad, this was a real kid that had really died, but also that was just to vivid an image to be expressed in only words. His hands ached for some clay to somehow memorialize that, as he was sure some Greek had once done.

"Icarus!" his father cried. "Glide! Extend the wings. Stay as still as possible!"

But Icarus flapped his arms, desperately trying to reassert control.

The left wing went first—ripping away from the straps.

"Father!" Icarus cried. And then he fell, the wings stripped away until he was just a boy in a climbing harness and a white tunic, his arms extended in a useless attempt to glide.

I woke with a start, feeling like I was falling.

Percy fought off the urge to startle in his seat now as he rubbed at his thudding heart, that bronze battering ram might as well have been pounding against his ribs. Maybe he'd been wrong before. He should be more grateful about the nightmares where his pants try to eat him.

The corridor was dark. In the constant moaning of the Labyrinth, I thought I could hear the anguished cry of Daedalus calling his son's name, as Icarus, his only joy, plummeted toward the sea, three hundred feet below.

Nico sighed as he studied his boots and imagined the rest of that kids passing. He was probably still in the Fields of Asphodel for all eternity, having lived an unremarkable life, but moments like this made him wish there was another option.

He'd been no hero, so there was no way he'd get into Elysium, but he'd also never been given a chance. He'd just had a miserable life, and it shouldn't just be the hero's who deserved to try for better.

There was no morning in the maze, but once everyone woke up and had a fabulous breakfast of granola bars and juice boxes,

"You guys are way to young to be eating old people food for breakfast," Alex sighed. "Where's the soda and cake because nobody can't tell you not to? Where's the vodka?"

"Alex's potential alcoholic sugar rush aside," Will said with his eyes closed like the idea physically pained him, "I for one am glad to see Annabeth is a smart packer!"

we kept traveling. I didn't mention my dream. Something about it had really freaked me out, and I didn't think the others needed to know that.

"Not seeing how it would have helped much," Jason agreed warily, "but I still think you should have. It might not have shined a light on your path problem, or anything, but it's still better to get off your chest, and maybe Annabeth would have opened up too."

"And you share every thought that comes to your mind huh?" Percy asked glumly. "Between the terrified peeps Grover kept making for every step we took and Annabeth muttering to herself about which way to go, I didn't want to break the awesome symphony they had going."

Jason wasn't going to keep arguing the point, he just wished Percy understood Annabeth might have liked for her troops to know they could confide any little thing in her.

The old stone tunnels changed to dirt with cedar beams, like a gold mine or something. Annabeth started getting agitated.

"This isn't right," she said. "It should still be stone."

"Why?" Magnus asked in ever growing concern why she still thought any of this should make sense.

"Dirt is the oldest thing on the planet, isn't that an even better path to lead to the oldest workshop?" Alex agreed.

Nobody was so much ignoring their questions, they just didn't have a good answer.

We came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the center of the dirt floor was a rectangular pit, like a grave.

"Frankly I'm surprised you haven't come across more people deciding to just start digging their own graves," Will admitted with itchy skin. He probably would have if he'd been stuck in that Labyrinth.

Grover shivered. "It smells like the Underworld in here."

"I never really thought cemeteries would smell like pleasant mangroves, but thanks for the confirmation," Percy muttered.

Then I saw something glinting at the edge of the pit—a foil wrapper. I shined my flashlight into the hole and saw a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

"Nico, we have got to work on your signature exit strategy," Alex told him. "You get points for originality, but that must take way to long to orchestrate, and the waste!"

"I like to think of it more as a really fancy calling card," Nico grinned. "I've been here and you should all know and fear me."

"Hey," Alex grinned and even gave him a finger gun. "Good one!"

"Nico," I said. "He was summoning the dead again."

Tyson whimpered. "Ghosts were here. I don't like ghosts."

"We've got to find him." I don't know why, but standing at the edge of that pit gave me a sense of urgency. Nico was close, I could feel it.

Nico looked around at him in mild concern. "If you start tracking me like a bloodhound you will regret it."

"I was hoping you had some fries left over," Percy admitted with a sheepish grin. He was just to relieved the kid was okay rather than the surge of urgency he'd had in that place.

I couldn't let him wander around down here, alone except for the dead. I started to run.

Nico seemed genuinely touched. He even gave Percy a brief smile, the friendliest expression Percy had ever seen on him. Percy immediately smiled back, really hoping all this awkward crush business had just blown over finally.

"Percy!" Annabeth called.

I ducked into a tunnel and saw light up ahead. By the time Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover caught up with me, I was staring at daylight streaming through a set of bars above my head. We were under a steel grate made out of metal pipes. I could see trees and blue sky.

"Are you in another prison underground?" Magnus asked in trepidation. "Is the whole labyrinth just going to lead you to every prison on the planet?"

"I, really hope not," Percy said with a blank stare.

Thalia made an awkward noise as she tried not to agree. It was certainly an imprisonment for those poor animals.

"Where are we?" I wondered.

Then a shadow fell across the grate and a cow stared down at me. It looked like a normal cow except with was a weird color—bright red, like a cherry. I didn't know cows came in that color.

"Where did you think strawberry milk came from Percy?" Jason said with way to much confidence, it actually threw Percy off for a moment before they both chuckled.

"Um, they kind of can," Alex agreed, "but not bright red. More of a deep red color."

"No, I mean like, Rachel's hair red, I am not kidding," Percy promised.

"So our options on the dude ranch are cute cow shows where they die their cattle rainbow colors, or fiery cows that are going to kill you," Magnus sighed.

Will fought hard to stifle a laugh he was pretty close on that second one.

"Maybe Bessie's parents are there," Alex chuckled.

The cow mooed, put one hoof tentatively on the bars, then backed away.

"It's a cattle guard," Grover said.

"A what?" I asked.

"They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can't get out. They can't walk on them."

"How do you know that?"

Grover huffed indignantly. "Believe me, if you had hooves, you'd know about cattle guards. They're annoying!"

"Poor Grover," Magnus agreed. "I wonder if he can walk over any grate, like those giant ones you see in store parking lots."

"I get the feeling Grover doesn't frequent grocery stores very much for that to be a problem," Thalia reminded.

I turned to Annabeth. "Didn't Hera say something about a ranch? We need to check it out. Nico might be there."

"She also said to keep going past the ranch," Nico supplied with perfect clarity and a very confused raised eyebrow. "You're really ignoring the one good bit of advice she gave you?"

"Like I'm going to take some goddess's advice that stressed out Annabeth so much," Percy scoffed, "we still need to have a talk!"

"Right," Nico agreed with another surprised smile.

She hesitated. "All right. But how do we get out?"

Tyson solved that problem by hitting the cattle guard with both hands. It popped off and went flying out of sight. We heard a CLANG! and a startled Moo! Tyson blushed.

"Sorry, cow!" he called.

There was just friendly laughter going around the room for a moment, along with Alex and Magnus sharing some odd signs about finishing an animal book of noises nobody else followed.

Then he gave us a boost out of the tunnel.

We were on a ranch, all right. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cactuses and boulders. A barbed wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-colored cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"Red cattle," Annabeth said. "The cattle of the sun."

"I was joking about them being able to breathe fire too!" Magnus groaned.

"No, no, you were right on the money with that one," Will chuckled.

"What?" I asked.

"They're sacred to Apollo."

"Holy cows?"

"Are the Greeks responsible for every old saying?" Magnus laughed in surprise. "Like if I say the phrase till the cows come home, are you going to tell me it's based on a myth?"

"Um," Thalia gave him an awkward smile rather than admit, yeah, probably.

"Exactly. But what are they doing—"

"Wait," Grover said. "Listen."

At first everything seemed quiet...but then I heard it: the distant baying of dogs.

Alex did a weirdly good reenactment of that like they needed a live performance.

Jason laughed hard in surprise, for some reason he just knew he had a misplaced fondness for hunting dogs Mrs. O'Leary hadn't quite struck in him.

The sound got louder. Then the underbrush rustled, and two dogs broke through. Except it wasn't two dogs. It was one dog with two heads. It looked like a greyhound, long and snaky and sleek brown, but its neck V'd into two heads, both of them snapping and snarling and generally not very glad to see us.

"Cool," Jason grinned wider than ever.

"Not in the slightest," Magnus muttered, fighting off the impulse to make the warding off evil gesture at the idea of this thing anywhere near him.

"Bad Janus dog!" Tyson cried.

Magnus had no choice but to laugh too though.

"Do you think one head sniffs out truth and the other lies?" Thalia tagged in.

Jason gave her a startled look, something of the description of this dog and that tied in well-

but Magnus kept reading quickly, his dislike of canines wasn't subtle, and he obviously didn't want to linger on this.

"Arf!" Grover told it, and raised a hand in greeting.

The two-headed dog bared its teeth. I guess it wasn't impressed that Grover could speak animal.

"It's like speaking to a New Yorker," Will offered. "Just because you learn the lingo doesn't mean you're welcome."

"Fair enough," Percy said with a bright-eyed thanks, nobody had ever explained it like that before.

Then its master lumbered out of the woods, and I realized the dog was the least of our problems.

He was a huge guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat, and a braided white beard— kind of like Father Time, if Father Time went redneck and got totally jacked. He was wearing jeans, a DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed-swords tattoo. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with six-inch spikes bristling at the business end.

"That is a very manly dude on this demon animal ranch," Magnus groaned, fighting off the urge to chuck the book away from him at the chapter title once again being way to accurate.

"I bet he makes good barbeque though," Alex said like he was still willing to give the place a chance if someone let him pet the animals.

"Heel, Orthus," he told the dog.

"He named his dog twilight?" Alex asked with a very concerning, twitching smile. "Well, given the pet, I'm sure I can guess which team he was on."

"We all have our secret hobbies," Magnus said with an eye roll, he really hoped that wasn't one Alex secretly liked.

The dog growled at us once more, just to make his feelings clear, then circled back to his master's feet.

"Um, good dog?" Will said meekly. "It's always nice to express your feelings."

"Maybe not the kind that make you want to cover your throat," Nico frowned, he'd been on the receiving end of those fangs getting a little to close.

The man looked us up and down, keeping his club ready.

"What've we got here?" he asked. "Cattle rustlers?"

"Just travelers," Annabeth said. "We're on a quest."

The man's eye twitched. "Half-bloods, eh?"

I started to say, "How did you know—"

"Well you don't look like cow rustlers," Thalia snorted.

Annabeth put her hand on my arm. "I'm Annabeth, daughter of Athena. This is Percy, son of Poseidon.

"Why the actual fridge fart did she introduce you with your parents?" Jason demanded. "That tends to cause more problems!"

Percy was to busy repeating a particular part of Jason's question to himself to answer while Thalia shrugged nonchalantly. "Dog might have sniffed it out, most monsters know anyways, no point in lying."

Grover the satyr. Tyson the—"

"Cyclops," the man finished. "Yes, I can see that." He glowered at me. "And I know half-bloods because I am one, sonny. I'm Eurytion, the cowherd for this here ranch. Son of Ares.

"I'm curious if that whole, forever grudging hate thing Ares has against you for beating him is passed on through some kind of psychic link to all his kids, not just the ones at Camp," Alex asked, miming a head explosion to emphasize his point.

"You just want to hear about someone meeting me and beating the tar out of me," Percy frowned in accusation.

"Trying to beat the tar out of you," Alex corrected. "You're not wrong, but that's not entirely why I want to know," Alex agreed.

"Well I couldn't guess," Percy said in exasperation.

You came through the Labyrinth like the other one, I reckon."

"The other one?" I asked. "You mean Nico di Angelo?"

"We get a load of visitors from the Labyrinth," Eurytion said darkly. "Not many ever leave."

Will sat up straight in his seat, no more jokes or tiffs about silly things like being afraid of a two-headed dog as he looked seriously from Nico to the book and back. Nico had last said he'd gotten caught, but no more. He really hadn't been that worried about it since he was right here, but now his Apollo-healer tingle started humming if they had actually hurt him while holding him there for however long until he got out.

"Wow," I said. "I feel welcome."

"They should put a mat out instead of some old cattle guard," Alex agreed.

The cowherd glanced bend him like someone was watching. Then he lowered his voice. "I'm only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze now. Before it's too late."

The short, sharp breath that escaped Nico wasn't his first in this room. He'd almost come to expect it in regards to Percy, the boy he'd actually known nothing about really.

This moment caught him off guard anew. That Percy could have run and come back when the quest was over. That he'd followed his impulsiveness to come find him but still had the chance to turn around.

"We're not leaving," Annabeth insisted. "Not until we see this other demigod. Please."

And they didn't. Neither Percy or Annabeth. With everything else weighing heavier on the line, they actually picked him at that moment.

Eurytion grunted. "Then you leave me no choice, missy. I've got to take you to the boss."

"If this guy's just the grunt, how big is the boss going to be?" Magnus frowned.

"You really want to know that?" Alex asked in surprise.

"No," he sighed, "but we're going to find out anyways."

"Well then you can either cover up your ears and ignore it all or make up a lie for yourself in the meantime," Alex scoffed.

I didn't feel like we were hostages or anything.

"And the amount of exposure you've had to that feeling makes me confident in your verification of that," Jason sighed.

"I always wanted an adventurous life," Percy shrugged.

Eurytion walked alongside us with his club across his shoulder. Orthus the two-headed dog growled a lot and sniffed at Grover's legs and shot into the bushes once in a while to chase animals, but Eurytion kept him more or less under control.

We walked down a dirt path that seemed to go on forever. It must've been close to a hundred degrees, which was a shock after San Francisco. Heat shimmered off the ground. Insects buzzed in the trees. Before we'd gone very far, I was sweating like crazy. Flies swarmed us. Every so often we'd see a pen full of red cows or even stranger animals. Once we passed a corral where the fence was coated in asbestos. Inside, a herd of fire-breathing horses milled around. The hay in their feeding trough was on fire. The ground smoked around their feet, but the horses seemed tame enough. One big stallion looked at me and whinnied, columns of red flame billowing out his nostrils. I wondered if it hurt his sinuses.

"I'm sensing a theme," Alex said with interest.

"If Orthus isn't immune to flames then I don't know how they get the herding done around there," Magnus said curiously, "unless they have a separate fire breathing dog just for that and Orthus is security."

"I just want to know what happens when you milk them," Jason chuckled. "Is that were the lava at camp comes from?"

Percy laughed along with them like he didn't have a care in the world.

"What are they for?" I asked.

Eurytion scowled. "We raise animals for lots of clients. Apollo, Diomedes, and...others."

"Like who?"

"No more questions."

"Are we really surprised?" Thalia scoffed. "If he was going to tell you his entire clientele he'd already be bragging about it."

"He didn't really answer my question," Percy insisted, "you know I'd never let something like that go."

Finally we came out of the woods. Perched on a hill above us was a big ranch house—all white stone and wood and big windows.

"It looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright!" Annabeth said.

"The building looks like a person?" Will squinted suspiciously.

"No, I think the guy is famous for organic architecture or something," Jason grinned. "I'm sure I've come across his name, though I have no clue why."

"The house is, edible?" Percy frowned. "It didn't look made out of candy and gingerbread."

"No, they're like, open, modern, utilize the best space," Jason said, his brow creasing with concentration as he tried to remember why he'd read about this. "Um, I think prairie dogs came up at one point?"

"We seriously need a book on what you've been up to," Thalia said, her selfish reasons aside in this case.

"Well, at least we're sticking with a farm theme," Will nodded like that was all the relief he needed.

I guess she was talking about some architectural thing. To me it just looked like the kind of place where a few demigods could get into serious trouble.

"Percy, that's every building you walk into," Magnus scoffed.

"I could put you in a rubber room and you'd find a way to make it explode," Alex agreed with pride.

No wonder he did so well on this very combustible farm, Nico kept to himself, and Percy didn't even explode anything. He was just in his natural element even out of the water.

We hiked up the hill.

"Don't break the rules," Eurytion warned as we walked up the steps to the front porch.

"He hasn't told us the rules yet!" Will protested like he expected the monsters to play fair.

"I guess he never got numb to the pretty scenery and was distracted," Alex rolled his eyes.

"No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don't make any comments about the boss's appearance."

"Oh," Thalia said in great exhaustion. "Percy's screwed."

Percy didn't bother to deny it, he was already tapping his pen against each knuckle with growing unease. Eurytion hadn't bothered him much, but something of this house was setting his instincts ablaze, and he had a feeling it didn't have anything to do with organic housing.

"Why?" I asked. "What does he look like?"

Before Eurytion could reply, a new voice said, "Welcome to the Triple G Ranch."

"Unless the triple stands for gay I don't think this is going to be any fun," Alex pouted.

"And here I was starting to delude myself the G stood for great," Magnus sighed. "Triple Great Ranch, where nobody almost dies!"

"Focusing on the wrong part of that," Thalia muttered low enough Percy couldn't hear.

The man on the porch had a normal head, which was a relief.

Percy wasn't phased by the smattering of snickers that covered the room. They were lucky they'd only had to hear the weirdness described.

His face was weathered and brown from years in the sun. He had a slick black hair and a black pencil moustache like villains have in old movies.

"What's with the evil mustaches in this book?" Will asked nervously, still watching Nico anxiously. He didn't seem particularly traumatized by this guy showing up again, but was back to fiddling with his ring uneasily. "Why can't someone be described with a friendly mustache like Santa?"

"Because nobody wants Nerus to come back," Percy rolled his eyes.

He smiled at us, but the smile wasn't friendly; more amused, like Oh boy, more people to torture!

"I dislike that you know that smile," Magnus groaned.

"It's the only way I've ever seen Mr. D smile," Percy shrugged.

I didn't ponder that very long, though, because then I noticed his body...or bodies. He had three of them. Now you'd think I would've gotten used to weird anatomy after Janus and Briares, but this guy was three complete people. His neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one to either side, connected at the shoulders, with a few inches between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right, so he had two arms, but four armpits, if that makes any sense. The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but very beefy legs, and he wore the most oversized pair of Levis I'd ever seen. His chests each wore a different color Western shirt—green, yellow, red, like a stoplight. I wondered how he dressed the middle chest, since it had no arms.

"People of different backgrounds don't always like their routines on display Percy," Jason rolled his eyes at him.

"That cannot be comfortable getting through your average doorway," Magnus frowned at this bizarre theme of mismatching body parts Percy had been coming across. "Guess that open floor plan was on purpose."

The cowherd Eurytion nudged me. "Say Hello to Mr. Geryon."

"Oh, triple Geryon, I get it," Alex grinned. Magnus just sighed in defeat and said, "yeah, that tracks."

"I'm done," Thalia raised her hands in exasperation at these boys!

"Hi," I said. "Nice chests—uh, ranch! Nice ranch you have."

"Percy, breaking the rules in one sentence," Will chuckled. "You really are a wonder of your own."

"Thank you," Percy grinned.

Before the three-bodied man could respond, Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch.

Will sighed in relief, he'd already been imagining him trussed up in the basement with fire-breathing feral cats or something.

"Bathroom break," Alex nodded in understanding. "Everybody needs that during a monster chase."

"I got caught by Eurytion who told me I needed to come with him," Nico told them in exasperation. Eurytion had actually offered to just keep on driving, but, well, he'd happily let himself be taken hostage too just like Percy for his own reasons. Huh, he'd never expected to be like Percy in this random way. "I agreed because I'd heard of him and needed to speak about, negotiations," he finished lamely. Nobody pressed him for details, they'd gotten mildly better at suppressing that not to hassle Percy to much, but he could feel their simmering curiosity like milk ready to boil over.

"Geryon, I won't wait for—"

He froze when he saw us. Then he drew his sword.

"See, Nico's breaking the rules too," Percy said with an accusing finger at him like that was the important part of somebody drawing a sword on you.

"It's not a competition Percy," Will sighed, "and Annabeth already started it and won regardless before the quest kicked off."

The blade was just like I'd seen in my dream; short, sharp, and dark as midnight.

Alex gave a very loud, longing sigh and flopped against the side of his couch as he gave Nico a hurt look.

"I don't see why you want to know how I got it so bad," Nico smiled at his theatrics. "You've never tried to find out how Annabeth or Grover got their reed pipes and knife."

"Oh, I will when I meet them," Alex promised. "I'm waiting to ambush Thalia about her shield when I can get a chance that doesn't involve her using it on me."

"If you jump out at me and scream boo, you will get a face full of Aegis," Thalia promised.

"See, bidding my time," Alex said with a very calculating look at Nico, who just chuckled.

Geryon snarled when he saw it. "Put that away, Mr. di Angelo. I ain't gonna have my guests killin' each other."

"But that's—"

"Percy Jackson," Geryon supplied. "Annabeth Chase. And a couple of their monster friends. Yes, I know."

"Monster friends?" Grover said indignantly.

Magnus twiddled his fingers uncomfortably as he wondered how Grover was supposed to be classified.

"That man is wearing three shirts," Tyson said, like he was just realizing this.

"I'd love to meet Tyson just to see what he says about me," Jason chuckled.

"That man is to smart to be this dumb," Percy helpfully supplied.

"I would have told you what he first thought about you, but now you can forget it," Jason huffed.

"No, wait-" Percy began to splutter, but Thalia gave them both sharp smacks to their knees to pay attention.

"They let my sister die!" Nico's voice trembled with rage. "They're here to kill me!"

"One of these things is not like the other," Percy said with a nervous chuckle.

"As opposed to a normal person, who would deny both claims," Alex said, framing his hands around Percy's face as if to capture such ineptitude.

Both Thalia and Percy winced hard, the guilt they felt in Bianca's sacrifice still very raw to be discussed.

"Sorry," Nico whispered again. "I know that was harsh, and not what happened now, and-"

"Nico, I don't blame you," Percy promised at once. If anything he still blamed himself plenty, prophecy be dammed. It was his idea Bianca had run off with. "You were just a kid, haven't you been listening? I really did just want to help!"

Nico gave him an understanding nod, but the dull feeling of pain from still being called a kid by him, the flash of nausea that raced through him when he still remembered what had come out of his mouth the last time he'd talked to Percy about this, and the ensuing pressure he still felt inside every time he heard his sister's name wasn't giving him a very eloquent response.

"Nico, we're not here to kill you." I raised my hands. "What happened to Bianca was—"

"Don't speak her name! You're not worthy to even talk about her!"

"What's the level of worthiness?" Alex was the only one who dared keep talking to him right now in anything resembling a light tone. "Just trying to get a scale on that?"

A flash of anger did burn through him, that this wasn't a joke, but he knew Alex didn't mean it like that. He'd never talked about his sister, he didn't know how.

Silence was his answer, but Alex wasn't deterred. He'd just try another way.

"Wait a minute," Annabeth pointed at Geryon. "How do you know our names?"

"I really stopped questioning that when Medusa did," Magnus shook his head.

The three-bodied man winked. "I make it my business to keep informed, darlin'. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time. Everyone needs something from ole Geryon. Now, Mr. di Angelo, put that ugly sword away before I have Eurytion take it form you."

"It's not ugly!" Will said with a loud, nervous chuckle, his hands fidgeting around making calming gestures at nobody in here. He kept tickling the hair on the back of Nico's neck, and yet he didn't really have the urge to swat him away.

"Don't worry Will, I don't lose it at every insult," Nico sighed. His need had trumped his grudge for Percy, for the moment. He hoped Bianca had been around watching and smiled at that, he was already trying to live up to her wish without even knowing it.

Eurytion sighed, but he hefted his spiked club.

"I'm getting feelings of discontent," Jason said, sharp eyes clearly wondering if they could play these two against each other.

"What a strange child of Ares," Thalia agreed pleasantly.

At his feet, Orthus growled.

Nico hesitated. He looked thinner and paler than he had in the Irismessages. I wondered if he'd eaten in the last week. His black clothes were dusty from traveling in the Labyrinth, and his dark eyes were full of hate. He was too young to look so angry. I still remembered him as the cheerful little kid who played with Mythomagic cards.

Which hadn't changed much from the moment he'd been flung in here. Percy looked sharply away from him, his mind sucker punching him with guilt and memories he still hadn't tied together on how everything surrounding this kid seemed to have gone wrong.

Nico wanted to deny it. He wanted to summon an army of soldiers and dare anyone to call him weak and sad looking. He didn't want their pity!

But Will sighed, his arm across the back of the couch, his posture open, and exhausted. If Will had been talking to him this whole time out of some kind of pity, he couldn't find it. Alex tweaked his nose and gave him a knowing wink. The idea came across. 'I get it, life sucks.'

Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword. "If you come near me, Percy, I'll summon help. You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise."

"I believe you," I said.

"I really want you to hear what just happened Nico," Thalia chuckled. "This ding-dong has ignored gods, Chiron himself, and his mother every day of his life when she tells him to be safe. You, you he listened to without question."

"You mean putting the fear of death into you wouldn't work?" Percy rolled his eyes at her. He'd listened because he didn't want to try talking to Nico in front of these monsters and they needed to not kill each other until then.

Nico winced with guilt Percy had really believed that of him.

Geryon patted Nico's shoulder. "There, we've all made nice. Now come along, folks. I want to give you a tour of the ranch."

"Is there roasted peanuts involved?" Jason perked up at any mention of a tour.

"Athena set the bar to high," Magnus nodded, "I don't know how this guy is going to compete. I bet he won't even mention a snack bar."

Geryon had a trolley thing—like one of those kiddie trains that take you around zoos. It was painted black and white in a cowhide pattern. The driver's car had a set of longhorns stuck to the hood, and the horn sounded like a cowbell. I figured maybe this was how he tortured people. He embarrassed them to death riding around in the moo-mobile.

"You wouldn't believe how scary that thing can look popping up in the labyrinth," Nico scowled.

Magnus spluttered painfully as he tried to subdue a laugh, shaking his hands and gasping, "sorry! I believe you!" His face was turning red, he was probably signing to stay coherent like Nico actually understood that. "Just imaging that ghost getting freaked out by-" he had to stop and catch his breath.

Nico sighed and chuckled good-naturedly. Will even nodded beside him and said, "well I'm glad, I was worried you were dragged there kicking and screaming. This seems, less, um, bad?"

"I knew who Geryon was and wanted to make a deal," Nico nodded, not enlightening the others Minos had mentioned him as a potential ally. "I can't say I, regret, getting in," he sighed all the same his sister had finally shown up because of this mess. They'd saved a bunch of silly farm animals. There were worse outcomes that could have happened.

Nico sat in the very back, probably so he could keep an eye on us.

"The strategic move," Jason nodded.

"Hey," Percy frowned, "neither of us actually want the other dead!"

"If this wasn't a circular room I'd be staked out in the corner from you nutjobs," Jason smirked.

Eurytion crawled in next to him with his spiked club and pulled his cowboy hat over his eyes like he was going to take a nap. Orthus jumped in the front seat next to Geryon and began barking happily in two-part harmony.

Alex chuckled and very much wondered if he could turn into that dog. Oh the fun he could have.

Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, and I took the middle two cars.

"We have a huge operation!" Geryon boasted as the moo-mobile lurched forward. "Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties, too."

"Peacocks?" Magnus asked hopefully.

"Monster peacocks, now we're in business!" Alex agreed. "Oh, x-ray eyes! No, no, they look at you and expose the color of your aura!"

"I immediately regret this," Magnus sighed. For one glorious, childish moment the image of getting in one of those things had made him think of riding that with his mom at the zoo.

We came over a hill, and Annabeth gasped. "Hippalektryons?

"She always says these words with such confidence," Percy grinned. "I want to know where she finds the time to figure out how to say it in the first place while reading about the world."

"I bet she secretly has to practice clapping the syllables for weeks," Magnus offered. "Like dilophosaurus," he said from experience.

"A, dolphin dinosaur?" Percy asked, vaguely recognizing the name.

"It's the dinosaur that could spit poison!" Magnus grinned. "Fun fact, its been proved they actually couldn't do that, let alone had a frill!"

"Oh, how lame," Percy said. He'd loved the t-rex the most, and feared to much saying that out loud in case some god got a wise idea to sick one on his life.

I thought they were extinct!"

"I've only ever heard of them as actual made up animals too," Thalia grinned in surprise. "Like the lock-ness monster back then, used to scare kids into behaving."

"That's adorable," Jason chuckled. Thalia smiled, he probably wouldn't think it was so entertaining if he knew the real monsters that had haunted them as kids.

At the bottom of the hill was a fenced-in pasture with a dozen of the weirdest animals I'd ever seen.

"You have clearly not been at the bottom of the ocean long enough to see a fangtooth fish. They live with dead eyes and you cannot convince me otherwise. Your dads kingdom makes ancient greek monsters look normal," Alex confessed.

Percy's brain flipflopped back and forth between the idea of a fish being scary and Alex knowing a fish he didn't before deciding on moving on.

Each had the front half of a horse and the back half of a rooster. Their rear feet were huge yellow claws. They had feathery tails and red wings. As I watched, two of them got in a fight over a pile of seed. They reared up on their wings at each other until the smaller one galloped away, its rear bird legs putting a little hop in its step.

"That's adorable," Magnus couldn't help but agree with Will's little coo of excitement.

"I wonder if they're strong enough for Tyson to finally get that ride he wants," Percy nodded they weren't the craziest thing.

"Rooster ponies," Tyson said in amazement. "Do they lay eggs?"

"Once a year!" Geryon grinned in the rearview mirror. "Very much in demand for omelettes!"

"That's horrible!" Annabeth said. "They must be an endangered species!"

Geryon waved his hand. "Gold is gold, darling. And you haven't tasted the omelettes."

"Oooh, yeah, I hate him," Alex said in way to calm a voice for someone who was clearly now planning at least one major crime.

Will nibbled on his lip as he tried to offer, "there's clearly some kind of good balance? Ah, he's helping an endangered species stay alive enough to breed at least, that's more than they're getting being extinct? Baby steps?"

"No Will," Alex said in that continued eerie voice. "You don't get to optimistic your way out of this one."

"Right, yeah, I'll get the lighter fluid," Will agreed, and not just because those would be awesome to have around camp.

"That's not right," Grover murmured, but Geryon just kept narrating the tour.

"Now, over here," he said, "we have our fire-breathing horses, which you may have seen on your way in. They're bred for war, naturally."

"What war?" I asked.

"Any war," Jason gave him a strange look. "Sell those to some mortals and they'll just think they have a weirdly awesome murder horse that doesn't get hurt by flamethrowers." He had a funny feeling about this place. He was sure he'd never directly been, but something of this caused an annoying tick in his brain all the same.

"How about we not sit around discussing warfare," Thalia sighed. Considering camp was on the brink of one, it wasn't anyone's favorite subject right now.

Geryon grinned slyly. "Oh, whichever one comes along. And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows."

Sure enough, hundreds of the cherry-colored cattle were grazing the side of the hill.

"So many," Grover said.

"Yes, well, Apollo is too busy to see them," Geryon explained, "so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there's such a demand."

"For what?" I asked.

Geryon raised an eyebrow. "Meat, of course! Armies have to eat."

"Ugh, okay, that's disgusting," Will shivered. That was like eating a piece of his dads car tire. How could someone stomach even the thought of wanting to do that?

"So it's not okay when it's related to your dad?" Alex challenged.

"They're not related to me, that's not what sacred means," Will sighed. "I'm of the opinion you can't stop the world from being evil so you should try to make peace," he defended himself. "I'm also of the opinion this place is lucky it isn't raining plague arrows right now and my dad would not be happy about this so we should absolutely intervene before the whole place is set on fire and all the cute animals suffer. More."

"A compromise I won't ignore," Alex nodded.

"You kill the sacred cows of the sun god for hamburger meat?" Grover said. "That's against ancient laws!"

"And clearly nothing bad has happened to him," Percy muttered, his mind still on Chiron's dire warning about how many people were on this quest.

Jason still looked a little grumpy nobody had dumped an ancient library on his head so he could be studying all of this in depth like a psychopath.

"Oh, don't get so worked up, satyr. They're just animals."

"Anybody who ever says that deserves to be fed to animals," Thalia shook her head in disgust. "You know who never says that! Farmers who actually care and understand the balance and the welfare of what an animal needs in life!"

"How many black market animal traders have you guys shish kabobed?" Alex asked eagerly.

"Quite a few," Thalia said proudly, popping the collar of her silver jacket. "Stories I will proudly share."

Alex actually began rubbing his hands in excitement.

"Just animals!"

"Yes, and if Apollo cared, I'm sure he would tell us."

"If he knew," I muttered.

"The fact that he doesn't know is kind of getting to me right now," Nico admitted.

"Welcome to my world," Jason agreed. He'd lost track of what the gods did and didn't know and he was about to start making a list just to satisfy his peace of mind.

Nico sat forward. "I don't care about any of this, Geryon. We had business to discuss, and this wasn't it!"

"You are now the definition of someone who needs to stop and smell the roses," Magnus told him sympathetically. He'd been living a hard life and needed some fun, like a cute animal ride through a nice farm. Just not this one.

"Hard pass," Nico turned his nose up just because of his stepmother though.

"All in good time, Mr. di Angelo. Look over here; some of my exotic game."

"You were half right last time on the birds," Alex grinned at Magnus. "Going to take another shot?"

"I couldn't guess what was in there in a million years," he reminded.

The next field was ringed in barbed wire. The whole area was crawling with giant scorpions.

Causing the others to burst out laughing hard while Magnus threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Triple G Ranch," I said, suddenly remembering. "Your mark was on the crates at camp. Quintus got his scorpions from you."

"Quintus..." Geryon mused. "Short gray hair, muscular, swordsman?"

"Yeah."

"Never heard of him," Geryon said.

"Uhhu," Jason frowned, "and I'm a child of Neptune."

"We look nothing alike," Percy looked around in confusion. "Thalia could pass that off better."

"Yeah, because that's the weird part of what I said," Jason snorted.

"Could you two stay on one topic for five seconds," Thalia sighed.

"Well it's not like we know any more about Geryon or Quintus from this," Jason sighed. "So he bought some scorpions from a questionable ranch. The guy obviously gets around and wanted to impress the camp with a cool monster, and this is the kind of guy, um, monster who would sell his grandma for a penny. I'm not sold on anything."

"I'm now concerned this is where he got Mrs. O'Leary from though," Alex frowned. "Does he have a puppy mill somewhere in the back I am not going to like?"

"Let's just wait and see how this plays out," Thalia said. She honestly didn't know, though Annabeth had promised this place was being run by Eurytion and it was much better now so she hadn't gone to visit herself when she heard these atrocities. She didn't want Percy thinking to much ahead and remembering that though, let alone any other details, so was more than happy to keep them moving along.

"Now, over here are my prize stables! You must see them."

I didn't need to see them, because as soon as we got within three hundred yards I started to smell them. Near the banks of a green river was a horse corral the size of a football field.

Thalia smacked Percy with a very annoyed eye roll. "That field gets bigger every time this story gets told by the way. Last time I was around Camp, it was the size of Olympus."

Percy rubbed his arm with a confused smile. Hopefully all his friends hadn't died a very manly death on the dude ranch if it was a popular tale.

 Stables lined one side of it. About a hundred horses were milling around in the muck—and when I say muck, I mean horse poop. It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen, like a poop blizzard had come through and dumped four feet of the stuff overnight. The horses were really gross from wading through it, and the stables were just as bad. It reeked like you would not believe—worse than the garbage boats on the East River.

Jason gagged at just the thought and covered up his nose. Alex, Magnus, and Nico had woken up in the worst of smelling places and still couldn't come close to imagining how the stench of that must have been vomit inducing, eye watering, disgusting beyond all words.

"You haven't been involuntarily shoved into a bathroom in this one yet," Thalia was waving her hand in front of her face like the book was letting out such an odor now. "I hope there's one handy around."

For once Percy couldn't even be annoyed at them for making that joke, if anybody needed a massive toilet it was those poor creatures.

Even Nico gagged. "What is that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He asked, clearly hurt. "You think I go around sniffing corpses for fun?"

"You'd had this look on your face the whole time like I was about to start hacking pieces off of you," Percy said, a touch guilty, a little defensive. "Sorry to see you have a normal reaction to something."

He huffed and muttered but didn't protest further.

"My stables!" Geryon said. "Well, actually they belong to Aegas,

"Your shield owns horses?" Percy asked blankly.

"Aegas means cloaked, protection, and is most commonly associated with the word Zeus," Thalia shrugged.

"Oh, good, so it's not just Apollo who's prized animals are being mistreated. Equal opportunity and all that," Percy sighed.

but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren't they lovely?"

"They're disgusting!" Annabeth said.

"Lots of poop," Tyson observed.

"The only takeaway we need from this place, as always, is delivered best by Tyson," Will sighed.

"How can you keep animals like that?" Grover cried.

"Y'all getting' on my nerves," Geryon said.

"Did he expect cheers and applause for these animals swimming in their own feces?" Magnus scowled. Horses he did like, and even if this was a pack of wolves, this was the definition of an inhumane environment.

"I hope he still does when I throw him in the nearest portapotty," Alex scowled.

"These are flesh-eating horses, see? They like these conditions."

"I'm not going to believe this guy," Magnus huffed. "Who knew a monster with three chests was heartless!"

Percy winced and gave him a strange look, but his vision went blurry and his headache didn't allow him a second of thought to wonder why.

"Plus, you're too cheap to have them cleaned," Eurytion mumbled from under his hat.

"Quiet!" Geryon snapped.

"Ooo, trouble in the dude paradise," Jason said with interest.

Percy let out a painful gasp and began rubbing at his forehead at that bouncing around his skull next, and Thalia placed a calming hand on his shoulder and a stern look at Magnus to finish.

"All right, perhaps the stables are a bit challenging to clean. Perhaps they do make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But so what? My clients still pay me well."

"Anything for that bottom line huh?" Percy asked with enough disgust to have his own manure heap packed in.

"What clients?" I demanded.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how many people will pay for a flesh-eating horse. They make great garbage disposals. Wonderful way to terrify your enemies. Great at birthday parties! We rent them out all the time."

"I find that very hard to believe, nobody would go near enough to this thing to be eaten by it, the way they smelled," Nico scoffed.

"Do monsters have birthday parties?" Magnus asked in surprise.

Alex doubled over laughing while Will grinned faintly in surprise. "I thought he meant mortal torture fests with kids mysteriously vanishing, but um, yeah Magnus, maybe." 

"Monsters call in a celebration with beer and flesh-eating horses every time they come back?" Jason said ambiguously, with a very raised brow.

"I bet the invite list is really short notice," Percy chuckled along.

"I'll make it my mission to get on more," Thalia smirked, she and Percy high-fiving at the level of gatecrashing that would soon be involved if this was a thing.

"You're a monster," Annabeth decided.

Geryon stopped the moo-mobile and turned to look at her. "What gave it away? Was it the three bodies?"

"I try to overlook minor things like that," Percy scowled. "It was his shitty personality!"

"You have to let these animals go," Grover said. "It's not right!"

"And the clients you keep talking about," Annabeth said. "You work for Kronos, don't you? You're supplying his army with horses, food, whatever they need."

Geryon shrugged, which was very weird since he had three sets of shoulders. It looked like he was doing the wave all by himself.

Percy watched as those around him gave grudging laughs for that visual while their stomachs sank at finding an answer to a question they didn't have. Magnus had never sat around and assumed monsters needed to eat to stay alive like 'normal' animals and people, they just existed and chose to. Alex had sort of been assuming the Titan of Time could just make money appear at will for whatever he needed.

To hear that there was some kind of financial backer to all of this made it much more real, a new level to a threat they already had plenty of fear in without all of that.

"I work for anyone with gold, young lady. I'm a businessman. And I sell them anything I have to offer."

He climbed out of the moo-mobile and strolled toward the stables as if enjoying the fresh air. It would've been a nice view, with the river and the trees and hills and all,

Jason raised a disbelieving brow at the mention of a river in sight. Percy had once nearly flooded his own camp with one after a tiff with Thalia, where was that temper drowning Geryon now at all of this? He found himself impressed Percy seemed to grow up a little more every book, find a little more self control in him.

except for the quagmire of horse muck.

Nico got out of the back car and stormed over to Geryon. The cowherd Eurytion wasn't as sleepy as he looked. He hefted his club and walked after Nico.

"He could have at least left the club in the moo-machine," Will muttered, "you hadn't drawn your sword again."

Nico gave him a surprised smile, the sense of feeling his arm on the back of the couch had faded to a comfortable presence he was still getting used to.

"I came here for business, Geryon," Nico said. "And you haven't answered me."

"Mmm." Geryon examined a cactus. His left arm reached over and scratched his middle-chest. "Yes, you'll get a deal, all right."

"You haven't even told us how you were paying for the Happy Meals?" Alex asked. "How were you going to pay this guy for anything?"

"I was working on that," Nico said, doing well to keep the childish note out of his voice to hide he had no clue. He'd been basically making this up as he went along from Minos's outline.

"My ghost told me you could help. He said you could guide us to the soul we need."

"Wait a second," I said. "I thought I was the soul you wanted."

Nico looked at me like I was crazy. "You? Why would I want you? Bianca's soul is worth a thousand of yours!

Percy startled in surprise, and then smiled of all things. "That is the best reason I've ever heard for someone not wanting my soul!"

"You're, welcome," Nico muttered in surprise. He still kept expecting Thalia to launch a thousand questions at him over what he was doing, somebody to scold him and be disgusted he'd been willing to do this at all.

For now, it was just Percy touching his chest and smiling, and that was enough to not feel rejected again.

Now, can you help me, Geryon, or not?"

"Oh, I imagine I could," the rancher said. "Your ghost friend, by the way, where is he?"

Nico looked uneasy. "He can't form in broad daylight. It's hard for him. But he's around somewhere."

Geryon smiled. "I'm sure. Minos

"Minos?" Five people yelped so loud it seemed to echo to the walls and back again several times. The only person who hadn't was Thalia, and she looked plenty displeased anyways.

"The evil eyed, pointy beard king who locks people up is your tour guide!" Alex's hands were clearly itching for his garotte. "He needs to be killed properly, stat! Then we'll find the dumbass who didn't kill him properly the first time and do them next!"

Percy had Riptide drawn, the cap of his pen dancing innocently on the floor between his shoes as he sat in place but still looked ready to stab something. "I can't believe you ran away from camp to take advice from-"

There was all that anger Nico had long since been expecting, and his hackles instantly raised. "I didn't ask your opinion on this, or need it thrown in my face! Can you not shut it and just get through this!"

Percy opened his mouth in outrage, he was upset Nico was being manipulated! But the tension of the water was already building around them, and only a gentle clearing of Thalia's throat needed to be heard for now to remind him to clench his jaw shut. This had already happened, and if Nico didn't want to hear his opinion on something, then he should probably accept that lest the kid blurt out any more life confessions as he slowly bent to put the cap of his pen back over his sword.

likes to disappear when things get...difficult."

"Minos?" I remembered the man I'd seen in my dreams, with the golden crown, the pointed beard, and the cruel eyes. "You mean that evil king? That's the ghost who's been giving you advice?"

"It's none of your business, Percy!" Nico turned back to Geryon. "And what do you mean about things getting difficult?"

The three-bodied man sighed. "Well, you see, Nico—can I call you Nico?"

"No."

"You see, Nico,

"He needs to die. Like a lot," Alex scowled. He took nothing more personally than assholes who misgendered, misnamed, or bragged about being a douche.

"In more ways than you know," Nico said with a very satisfied smile for Alex, though neither of them spoke to loudly in case Percy took a hint as he scowled and still held his pen in hand like Minos was still creeping around in here.

Luke Castellan is offering very good money for halfbloods. Especially powerful half-bloods. And I'm sure when he learns your little secret, who you really are, he'll pay very, very well indeed."

Will made such a deep throated noise it actually sounded like a growl. Kids shouldn't be sold around like cattle! And Nico was more than just a powerful bargaining chip!

Nico was already feeling bad for his outburst at Percy, and realizing Will was actually upset on his behalf too made him feel even worse. "Sorry, Percy," he offered, not expecting Percy to accept it. "I, um-"

"It's cool," Percy shrugged with not a chip in sight. "I'm glad you like me better than the creep who would actually sell your soul."

"It's a thin margin," he grinned faintly in surprise while Percy immediately smiled back.

Nico drew his sword, but Eurytion knocked it out of his hand. Before I could get up, Orthus pounced on my chest and growled, his faces an inch away from mine.

Thalia's bow appeared in hand on instinct, no one in doubt she would have shot both of those heads without hesitation, and everyone in the room was starting to feel a little short of breath at all three of these guys finding themselves on edge. Their very presence overlapping each other made the molecules feel more volatile all of a sudden.

"I would stay in the car, all of you," Geryon warned. "Or Orthus will tear Mr. Jackson's throat out. Now, Eurytion, if you would be so kind, secure Nico."

The cowherd spit into the grass. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you fool!"

Eurytion looked bored, but he wrapped one huge arm around Nico and lifted him up like a wrestler.

Jason's hand clenched into such a tight fist it looked like his veins were spidery arcs trying to pop out of his arm. Like this maniac had no weapon except a weird gold coin and was willing to deck someone anyways. Magnus kept reading in the tense silence and hoped wanting to finish it wasn't a last-minute life goal as he shoved down his fight or flight instinct.

"Pick up the sword, too," Geryon said with distaste. "There's nothing I hate worse than Stygian Iron."

"So does that make it the absolute perfect weapon to kill him with?" Alex asked with could-not-fool a soul innocence. "Or are we supposed to find a way to kill him with money? I'm open to suggestions." The 'whatever it takes to get this guy dead,' went without saying.

"We can always start a list and just play around to see what works," Jason said in a very eerie kind of way, and Thalia's bow vanished as she looked at him in concern. She didn't disagree Geryon needed to die like any monster, but she did not like that cruel edge he got in his tone for it.

Eurytion picked up the sword, careful not to touch the blade.

"Now," Geryon said cheerfully, "we've had the tour. Let's go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army."

"You fiend!" Annabeth cried.

Geryon smiled at her. "Don't worry, my dear. Once I've delivered Mr. di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don't interfere with quests. Besides, I've been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I'm afraid, include Mr. di Angelo.

"Paid by who?" Magnus yelped in surprise.

"Paid by whom?" Annabeth said.

"It's the correct grammar that really makes that sentence feel off," Magnus admitted, fighting off a grudging laugh.

"It's the fact that he's not going to answer that makes me not care," Percy scoffed.

"Well I sure do," Will's scowl seemed scarier the longer it lingered, all of the light in the room seemed to be sucking right towards him. "Who's paying for just some kids to get through and not all of them? Sorry Percy, you know I care about you, but I'm not okay with that!"

"Neither am I," Percy promised at once. "You really think I'll sit by and let that happen?" He asked casually, like he was asking Will what he had for lunch.

Will seemed mildly soothed by the reminder all the same, though the light went back to normal in the room with a little popping noise. Nico swallowed more shame and anger he'd needed help to get out of this. He'd survived in that labyrinth for months by himself. Percy had come around once, and he was back to being a useless kid.

"What do you mean?"

"Never you mind, darlin'.

Percy decided whatever bits he hacked Geryon into weren't small enough just for calling Annabeth that.

Let's be off, shall we?"

"Wait!" I said, and Orthus growled. I stayed perfectly still so he wouldn't tear my throat out. "Geryon, you said you're a businessman. Make me a deal."

Percy always knew he was doing something right when everybody looked at him in surprise like that. He smiled and fought off the urge to gag at the stench of dog breath still hot in his face.

Geryon narrowed his eyes. "What sort of deal? Do you have gold?"

"I've got something better. Barter."

"But Mr. Jackson, you've got nothing."

"You could have him clean the stables," Eurytion suggested innocently.

"I'll do it!" I said. "If I fail, you get all of us. Trade us all to Luke for gold."

"Assuming the horses don't eat you," Geryon observed.

"Either way, you get my friends," I said. "But if I succeed, you've got to let all of us go, including Nico."

"No!" Nico screamed. "Don't do me any favors, Percy. I don't want your help!"

"You didn't have to do that," Nico said again, more confused than he even had been to Will before. "I, wouldn't have helped Luke. I would have gotten out on my own, I work fine on my own."

"I would have done it for anybody Nico," Percy gave him a bizarre look for saying that at all. "I don't try to help you just because I feel guilty about your sister. You know that, right?"

"Right, yeah, I'm um, getting that," Nico promised awkwardly. He'd spent so long being mad at Percy and then so long avoiding him and then stuck here for what felt like an infernal lifetime now he probably didn't have a choice at this rate but to get used to him.

Geryon chuckled. "Percy Jackson, those stables haven't been cleaned in a thousand years...

"Hercules did it last time I believe," Will offered in some weird semblance of a peace offering and something nice to say while everybody was being held hostage now. "So it's not undoable."

"Great, let's see how I do a remix on that," Percy frowned anew, never pleased to hear his name again.

though it's true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away."

"So what have you got to lose?"

The rancher hesitated. "All right, I'll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset. If you fail, your friends get sold, and I get rich."

"Deal."

He nodded. "I'm going to take your friends with me, back to the lodge. We'll wait for you there."

"Err," Magnus really hoped he was just missing something in what he'd just read. Was that whole swearing on the Styx thing required to be said out loud? Because he didn't think this hillbilly dude to be a man of his word.

Percy looked so agitated though he decided not to bring it up, considering nobody had lost an eardrum yet to this latest debacle.

Eurytion gave me a funny look. It might have been sympathy.

"If this comes down to a vote, at least he'll be on your side whether the law agrees or not," Jason said.

"Seriously dude, are you like, in pre lawyer school or something?" Percy burst out in surprised laughter.

"I like to consider myself a good judge of character and taking in the terrain," Jason grinned.

He whistled, and the dog jumped off me and onto Annabeth's lap. She yelped. I knew Tyson and Grover would never try anything as long as Annabeth was hostage.

I got out of the car and locked eyes with her.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she said quietly.

"I hope so, too."

"I hope so three," Thalia groaned. Here once again was Percy putting everything on the line in hopes he knew what he was doing. Good thing that always worked out or the world would be doomed.

Geryon got behind the driver's wheel. Eurytion hauled Nico into the backseat.

"Sunset," Geryon reminded me. "No later."

He laughed at me once more, sounded his cowbell horn, and the moo-mobile rumbled off down the trail.

"That is a weirdly menacing sentence," Magnus groaned as he began to hand the book to Alex. "I am sorry for laughing about that earlier Nico, and not just because Annabeth is in it now."

"Circumstances matter," Nico agreed nonchalantly.

[starjxsung]

hi my angel! it’s so nice to hear from you again! i’ve missed you so much🫶🏻

a month kinda feels like forever sometimes, right? i’ve seen many stars and star shaped things and i’ve been thinking about your every time <3 and hoping that you’re doing well.

i’m so excited for the kitten video. i’m honored that you thought of me bc cat lady™️ is my brand! skz with kittens may just heal my life.

im picking up my wristbands for lolla at will call bc shipping was like $80😪 buuuut its beginning to feel so real for me too, it’s crazy. im really really nervous and excited. and im so excited for your ateez concerts too!! (pls send me some good yeosang/san pics pls i beg u). my bf got me two ateez albums for our anniversary but they still haven’t gotten here😪😪

ahhh for kdrama recs i’ve watched the tale of the nine tailed (because im in love with lee dongwook, it can be a lil bit too long sometimes though), it’s okay not to be okay and my demon! and i’ve enjoyed them, especially the last two! now im watching an anime named Nana (my sapphic dream💔)

im so sorry to hear the kitten story💔 it’s always so sad when they pass away, especially when it happens in your care😪 thank you for always helping the kitties out 💜 another cat gave birth at my grandma’s house and the kittens were very sick, only one of them survived and has an upper respiratory infection. but we’ve been treating it as best as possible. one of the older kittens stopped using his back legs and is currently at the vet receiving treatment to see if it’s any neurological disease or something. and im so so so sad about that too </3

as for the comprehensive exams, i barely studied because i have, what i suspect to be, ✨undiagnosed adhd✨ i passed one of them but the other one (which is a really stupid test in itself tbh. everyone was really pissed at that one bc it doesn’t really evaluate anything) was a hard fail😂 im not too stressed because i have a shot during next semester to pass it.

i,once again, am so glad to have heard from you <3 thank you (and momo, what a cute pic!!) for always rooting for me! my kitties and i are always rooting for you as well🫶🏻 i send you so much love from the middle of nowhere to the middle of nowhere. i hope you’re taking care of yourself too and taking time to do what you love at your pace🫶🏻

i love you bb! im here for you💘

-🐈‍⬛

STOP OMG I think of you all the time when I see anything cat related these days 😭 the love extends from me to you and back again like ten times over. I love you so so much

counting down the minutes until skz x kittens video. Jisung with kittens is going to heal me spiritually I just know it (though based on the teasers those kittens dgaf about any of them LMFOSODJFKFKDJ)

I cannot believe Lolla is so close like I swear we bought tickets yesterday??? And tour is going to be announced any day now im genuinely tweaking I need them to stay away until I save more money 😭😭 also I PROMISEEE to get the best Yeosang/San pics I am physically able to. I love you so much in my head we r going to every concert together and we have barricade seats.

Ahhhh I will totally check out your recs!!! I’ve heard so many good things about Nana and I bought a Nana keychain the other day despite not watching the show literally just bc it was so darn cute. Once I have my purse again I’ll post a good pic of it and if you like it I can buy you one & mail it to you !!! There’s a little boutique near my apartment that makes & sells them and they’re so cute you’d LOVE them

I’m so sad to hear about all the kitties :(( Momo had a respiratory infection when I found her and it was so sad watching her sneeze every 2 seconds and administering so many meds to her ☹️ I hope the RI goes away quickly and I hope the kitty with leg problems gets well and that it’s not a neurological issue, that’s so tough 💔☹️ thank you for always taking such good care of them, you’re such an angel 🫶💞

HEY you passed one exam though!!!!! That’s so major!!!!!!! You should be so proud of yourself my angel!!!!!!! Sending you all my love and I’m sure you can nail the other one on the second go around. Sometimes you just need a second try and that’s perfectly okay. You did your fucking best and that’s reason enough to celebrate ❤️💫

I love you so so much and I’m so glad to hear from you too my love. I get through my worst days remembering that people like you exist and I hope you’re taking the best care of yourself possible. precious cargo 🫶💫❤️💘💝 I love you !!!!!!!!! Pic of me and Momo (real):

[ms-cartoon]

Hello There!! :) Sorry to bother you but I just wanted to let you know that some leaks for future episodes of Helluva Boss, for EP 6 And 12 were just leaked on 4Chan and I wanted to know your thoughts if you saw them. I've seen them myself..and I've gotta say, this just made me more annoyed and made me just wanna avoid the show even more, it's so damn predictable and it's just more proof that the show refuses to put Stolas in the wrong and call him out on what he's done and make us feel bad for him, and he's just nothing but this "UWU baby. 😒🤦‍♀️ It's just so frustrating, I REALLY don't see this show getting any better and seeing these animatics for the future episodes of the season just proves my point.

Heck, sometimes I'm even wondering why HB needed to be made, yes it was obviously made to keep fans invested and entertained until Hazbin's arrival but this spinoff has just been a mess and all over the place, and relys on shipping to get the fans entertained + I feel like a spinoff should be able to stand on it's own without connecting to the show it's based on, ya know? It also just feels Viv isn't as passionate about HB as she is with HH, like HB the more I think about it, just feels like nothing but a cash grab and just there to keep fans invested, and it'd working since the fans will eat up anything from Viv. I'm not saying Viv and her team aren't passionate and hard work is shown with the Animation + Voice Acting, but everything else, especially the writing..isn't very good. Idk man, I just feel like HB is just a cash crab and such, at least with HH it has so much potential and something going for it and seems like a story Viv actually WANTS To tell and explore, which I hope it delivers. 🤞💙 But with HB, it's just all over the place and it went from a comedy show about assassin Imps to a romantic yaoi fanfic show, it's facts. I thought this show was called, "Helluva Boss" not "The Stolitz Show"/"The Stolas Show" This show just feels like a fanfiction and all it's emotional scenes feel emotionally manipulative too and just not earned, they're just there to make you feel for the characters. For example, remember how in EP 6 (Truth Seekers) It seems Blitz was gonna change for the better and try treating Moxxie better and stop being an asshole? Well, the next episode just completely throws Blitz "Depth" right out of the window and he goes back to his same ways and WE are apparently supposed to feel back for him, especially at the end of that episode..but I don't, because he did that to himself.

And while yes, it takes time for a character to grow and change, they still try putting effort in the process when it comes to redeeming and trying to better themselves and you slowly see them grow as time goes on, even if they slip up at times and it isn't easy. But with Blitz, it's like Viv and the writers completely forgot about the last episode, and his and Moxxie's so called "heart to heart" moment and just had him to continue being the same unlikeable, loud, annoying, creepy Boss that he's always been since the Pilot, and had him stalk his employees (ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY, BTW) just because it's funny.

(Let's not forget that HB pretty much spoiled HH and it's premise when it comes to Charlie's goal to redeem demons and help them get to Heaven. But it just seems pointless and just reckons HH, since Heaven is revealed to be just as bad Hell and it just makes Charlie's goal useless, tbh. Though, I like to pretend the C.H.E.R.B. EP doesn't exist, Lol.)

(I've mentioned beforehand that I really do use to enjoy and like the show a lot and was a fan, but things started to take a turn sometime after EP 3, where it went downhill for me and I saw a drop in quality. I rewatched the show and saw in-depth posts on here and just realized how bad some things are in the show and just how flawed it really was. I mean, when being a fan, I didn't really pay attention and just saw on flawed it was, plus I also stopped watching and left because of it's toxic and horrible fandom and how they attack and harass you if you say one negative thing on the show or their favorite ships, and say you're homophobic..which is ridiculous and just so sad, especially when some of these fans are adults, almost close to their 30's and yet act like children when not everyone blindly praises the show like they (and the majority of the fandom) do.)

Yes!! I have seen the leaks. Just now after you mentioned them. (I'm surprised it wasn't that hard to find them).

Honestly, Stolas existing as a character hardcore irks me at this point. Not gonna lie, lol! Just knowing this show is going to try its hardest to have us pity him or Blitzo, even when they don't even deserve it, frustrates me. For real!

I'm not gonna spill a drip of tea about the leaks, but from what I've seen so far (in some ways, in these specific scenes), let's just say it's similar to the last few episodes that were released. And if you read my rants, you'll know it'll be the same issues I've mentioned about this piece of crumbled mess we call a web show. At this point, I really am done with this show. Like, I'll still watch the show just to make fun of it, but my ratings for it will stay at an all-time LOW!

Yeah, I can pretty much tell from the first season that Viv's effort and determination for HB faltered completely and will probably never click again. It's no secret she's more invested in HH. I mean, it's fine if you wanna put more of your focus on the MAIN show you really wanted to release. It would actually make sense that her interest and effort for her spinoff fell drastically because she started paying more attention to HH (even if it is the main reason why it's terrible). I can tell at this point that she loves Hazbin Hotel a lot more than Helluva Boss (I mean, I do too. But that's not the point) However if you're going to make a spinoff just to keep your fans entertained enough to have patience for the big thing, at least put more effort in the plot and the potential the show could have. And I'm not just talking about the fans that will go ~~uwu gaga~~ or teary-eyed over everything that occurs in this mess as long as it keeps the ship going. I'm talking about the people that actually expect this show to make sense and have some good plot points!!

Pretty much all that you said is accurate! It can't be any more right than it already is.

For real, where the holy hell did the plot go!!?? What is the point of this show?? What lessons are being learned?? If there are any lessons learned, they should've been learned from the very beginning it became something serious instead of the characters going through the same repetitive sh*t only to not learn a damn thing. If I'm missing something, someone's gonna have to let me know! Cuz, my god! This show IS ALL OVER the place with its plot points! How are you gonna expect me to feel bad about any of these characters if they're never gonna learn their lesson? You can't just make a scene where they start to see the error of their ways and make it seem like they're going to try and change for the better only to completely forget about all that they learned (or are supposed to learn) just to act the same as they always been. Like, what was the point of that build-up? Where did all the potential go?? You mean to tell me all that was just some kind of filler episode that supposedly never happened???? NO! That's not how this works! You can't just do that??

It was supposed to be just a comedy. A sitcom about a bunch of assassins getting their job done. Fulfilling requests from every sinner to kill or get revenge on anybody in the living that did them wrong. We only had very few episodes containing that plot, only for it to turn into a drama and into a rom-com added with pointless drama so suddenly since episode 7.

And you raise a good point about the whole heaven thing. Charlie's goal just seems completely pointless since the cherub episode. In heaven, Angels are supposed to be seen as... well, the complete opposite of what the sinners and demons of hell are. We're supposed to see them as good people ( or angels?). The kind of people that do no wrong. Or probably have done some wrong but begged God for forgiveness so they earn their place in heaven (not really sure if it works like that. That's just based on my assumption and just seems to make sense). They could be considered really nice beings who hate committing felonies and only want to be good. But all we saw was a whole freakin' FACADE from the Cherubs!!! They just seemed sweet while only wanting to keep people alive. But later, they literally try to murder and fight these imps!! Cursing and even calling that old man sh*tty! Umm, WHAT?? Angels using bad words.... Is that even allowed?? Charlie wants to redeem every sinner... Okay, but what would be the point if they're just gonna act the same as they did in hell. They would just be keeping a whole facade to make themselves look good!

(What ever happened to those Cherubs after they got kicked out of heaven anyway?)

Yeah, Helluva Boss was enjoyable for a while. A short while actually. It wasn't perfect, but it was still enjoyable to watch. But unfortunately, it failed to be seen as one of the best shows I've seen. The plot is just not there anymore. The characters are terrible and fail at being characters. The jokes aren't even funny no more. They might as well be jokes for kids under 17 who just laugh at every single f bomb being dropped. The fans that do watch and enjoy this show might as well be a bunch of 12-year-olds if they don't even see one flaw it has. I'm sorry. But considering how toxic fans can get, I have every right to say this.

[ultraericthered]

Anime Update V3 8

Vinland Saga S2 - The last two episodes were interesting in how the penultimate episode played out like a proper season finale, bringing an ending to the Ketil’s Farm arc that spanned the season, but then there’s one extra episode remaining and it plays out almost like a Series Fauxnale that also sets up where the remainder of the series will go should it continue past here. In the first, Thorfinn not only successfully avoids a violent conflict with Canute and is able to move the king enough to get him to withdraw all his forces from the land, but thanks to this, a change comes over Canute and how he intends to rule going forward, the ghost of his father hopefully haunting him no longer. It’s been building on top of itself all season but only now did it really hit me hard just how beautiful a character arc Thorfinn had undergone and how much more I’ve come to care about him and love his bond with Einar too. With both slaves free to leave with Leif, the finale gives us the long anticipated return to Iceland, and it was somehow the first time I’ve actually cried at anything on this show (Thorfinn and his mother) yet also contained some of the funniest stuff seen on this show in a long time (Thorfinn and his sister). I felt like I’d fully circled to the end when it all came back to the incident with the dying slave in Episode 1, and how Thorfinn now understands the full meaning behind everything his father said and wants to seek out Vinland in order to create a warm, peaceful, nigh utopian safe haven from the uncivil world that the Vikings inhabit. With a much needed shave and new hairdo, he’s ready to put together a crew and set out to do so. I hope we can see his future exploits animated some time later down the line, because in times like these, now more than ever, many of us need a place we can call our “Vinland.”

Hunter x Hunter - Ar last Gon and his friends are ready to infiltrate the palace and confront the Royal Guard in order to stop the selection, while Palm is still undercover, Netero is well prepared for his fight with Meruem, and Meruem himself is questioning his own existence and if his purpose really is what he’d believed it to be...

SHUFFLE! - I saw the beach episode where Rin and Sia end up getting washed away to a different shore on the other side of the island and mistakenly believe they’ve been stranded in another dimension and have to make out, which leads to the following episode where everyone is now under the impression that Rin chose Sia as his bride and are to be married soon. Sia is all ready to go for that but when she sees that everyone else is not so ready and may in fact be burdened by this, especially her demon bestie Nerine, she decides to call off the wedding and strive harder to win Ron’s heart the right way so that she’ll be the one he chooses. Basically I've been seeing a lot of Sia recently, and that’s never a bad thing. ^^

The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II - This week Waver had to visit a manor that suffered a loss of an important person and is now being haunted by what could be a supernatural murderer out to finish the remaining servants and the lord’s daughter who could claim his inheritance. The build up had some intrigue to it, but I wasn’t that enthused by the solution and how it turned the whole affair into an action sequence, though seeing Gray’s hood come off to reveal her full Saber hair was something I guess.

KonoSuba - And speaking of hauntings in manors, we get more of that on this show. Twice, in fact! First we get Kazuma and his party having to stay overnight at a mansion tended to by a female lich shopkeeper named Wiz in order to put to rest the spirits haunting it ever since her friend, the former owner, passed on. It goes as silly and not all that scary as you’d expect, but at least they get to keep the manor as their new lodging now. The episode that followed was even sillier, with Kazuma paying a succubus to give him a lucid dream where he can have whatever he wants, but the succubus runs late yet Kazuma misunderstands the situation and thinks his actual nighttime activity with Megumin is the dream, leading to all sorts of awkward comedy and him needing to save face in the end by lying about having been controlled by the succubus to act out in that way.

Symphogear XV - What I’d earlier figured was going on turned out correct; Fudou cast some mental control hex on Tsubasa to get her to serve his wishes, as she turned on her friends and took the now possessed Miku to Fudou, who planned on harnessing the godly power to galvanize Japan’s own power and even mentally enslave most of the population, for Japan’s “defense”. Maria and Fudou’s two sons arrive to stop this, Fudou kills Tsubasa’s father, Tsubasa reaches full power as she turns on her depraved grandfather and gives him the pummeling he deserves, and when the Noble Red girls infiltrate the place to break Shem-Ha loose, she reactivates her power and swiftly kills the three of them. At the end Fudou very nearly succeeded in getting Tsubasa to end things on his terms but thankfully Genjo intervened: the Kanzanari is going to move beyond the old monster, who can look forward to rotting in prison for his treacherous acts. During all this, Hibiki was having a productive and heartfelt talk with her dad; who has thankfully wised up and made progress in self improvement since we last saw him. He’s got faith in his girl to not give up on saving her beloved best friend, and so do I!

Eureka Seven - This episode was just kind of going okayish at first, with us meeting the bear-sized, Gonky scientist ex-husband of Gekko State’s own doctor. Then in the second half we see Dominic and Anemone again (yay!), we see Dewey again (fuck!), and we finally meet his much hyped up Ageha Squad…who turn out to be five prepubescent girls in matching attire. These kids are normally as cold and collected as they’re trained to be, even when shooting someone, but they get pretty hyper and over enthused with their work once they get down to it, and yes jt is as creepy and silly as it sounds. They lead an operation that drops a bomb of sorts down into where Scub Coral has nested, resulting in a sudden, confusingly fast paced and alarmingly gory attack on human civilization by a massive wave of Coralians! Both Eureka and Anemone can sense it and are pained by it, Gekko State reacts to it, the episode ends and I honestly had a hard time trying to figure out what had even just happened here. I was not prepared for this. This show is going mad now! MAD, I say!

Gintama - An episode all about Katsura, with the Shinsengumi present and on his tail, and we don’t even see Gintoki until the last minute. Katsura had to hide out in a ramen shop, lie about his identity, and help out the owner by learning to prepare more dishes himself. The twist here is the shop owner lost her father to radical exclusionist terrorists like Katsura, leading to her loathing such people who do such things, and she had a really good line that speaks volumes to how horrible terrorism is at achieving anything of significant value and worth to others, as it only leaves senseless mass destruction and more suffering in its wake, a statement very relevant to today’s world and to those who equate terrorist ideology and methodology to legitimate resistance. Katsura has a lot to reconsider about his life now, as even after he rescues the young woman from abductors, her life and his are not compatible.

AND

Code Geass R2 - Recent events also made me curious into going back to this show, which I’d not done since watching only it’s first episode last year and being reminded of why I wasn’t a fan. This one unfortunately did not win me over either. Showing how the cliffhanger ending of the first season got resolved in a laughably, insultingly underwhelming way was not a good start, and how Suzaku went on to act when he brought Lelouch before Emperor Charles was astonishingly out-of-character: he’d been furious and seeking vengeance before, not cold and valuing dominance to the point of selling out everyone who ever mattered to him! This did not feel like him at all! Kallen’s character also took a huge hit with trite tsundere humor at a place where it was not at all appropriate, and the publicized return of Zero and his Black Knights lacked so much power when it’s coming after only a single episode of us seeing a Zero-less world. It’s like instead of taking big steps forward to service the proceedings of the last season’s finale and possibly get this show afloat again after the stupid “Euphie dies, Lelouch lies, and there’s total Armageddon between Britannia and Area 11 all over what began with a bad taste joke” episode that led there, the show opted to take big steps backwards so that we return to a slightly altered version of the old status quo, in which we can only expect bigger and badder trainwrecks made to justify over-convenience in plot development. Oh well, at least Lelouch and C.C remain mostly pleasing to watch.