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chiyuuchu · 7 months ago

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Kenma gets a gamer girlfriend <3 (31st July 2024)

Kenma Kozume x Reader

Prompt! Kenma who has an obvious crush on his fellow classmate who has a gentle personality. Once he gets to know her, he realises she does indeed have a more intense side.

Kenma Kozume had always preferred the quiet company of his video games over the bustling chatter of his classmates. However, there was one person who managed to divert his attention from the screen—a girl in his class who was both cute and mysterious. She rarely spoke, always keeping to herself, and that intrigued Kenma more than he cared to admit.

For weeks, he admired her from afar, sneaking glances during class and wondering what kind of person she was. Her name was Y/N, and she seemed to float through school like a ghost, leaving Kenma with a growing curiosity.

One afternoon, as Kenma and his best friend Kuroo Tetsurou sat on a bench during lunch, Kenma's eyes once again drifted towards Y/N, who was sitting under a tree, reading a book. Kuroo, ever observant, followed Kenma’s gaze and smirked.

“You’ve been staring at her for weeks, Kenma. When are you going to talk to her?”

Kenma blushed, tearing his eyes away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kuroo rolled his eyes. “Come on, man. You like her, don’t you?”

Kenma sighed, knowing it was pointless to deny it. “Yeah, I guess I do. But she’s… she’s different. I don’t know how to approach her.”

Kuroo’s smirk widened. “That’s why you’ve got me.” He stood up, grabbing Kenma by the arm. “Come on. Let’s go talk to her.”

“Kuroo, wait!” Kenma protested, but Kuroo was already dragging him across the campus.

As they approached Y/N, Kuroo called out, “Hey there! Mind if we join you?”

Y/N looked up, slightly startled, but she nodded. “Sure.”

Kuroo plopped down on the grass, pulling Kenma with him. “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, and this is Kenma Kozume. He’s in your class.”

Y/N smiled softly. “I know. I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you.”

Kenma managed a shy smile. “Hi.”

Kuroo nudged Kenma with his elbow. “Kenma here was just wondering if you’re into any games.”

Y/N’s eyes lit up with interest. “Actually, I am. I play a lot of different games. Do you play too, Kenma?”

Kenma’s heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, I do. What games do you play?”

“A bit of everything, but I’ve been really into Valorant lately,” Y/N said, her smile growing.

Kenma’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? I play Valorant too.”

Y/N’s smile turned into a grin. “Maybe we could play together sometime?”

Kenma felt his cheeks heat up, with his newfound yet hesitant confidence he decided to take the shot. “That would be great. Do you have Discord? We can exchange usernames and play tonight.”

Y/N nodded, pulling out her phone. “Sure. Here’s mine.”

Kenma fumbled for his phone, quickly adding her on Discord. As they exchanged usernames, he felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This was really happening.

As they said their goodbyes Kuroo slaps a hand on Kenma’s back. “Way to go kenma!” he smirks. Kenma just ignored him as usual.

That night, Kenma sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen, waiting for Y/N to come online. He was so nervous that she would ghost him or forget. Maybe he was overthinking it but he couldn’t help it. When her username finally popped up, he felt a surge of anticipation.

He clicked on her name and sent a message: “Hey, ready to play?”

Her response was almost immediate: “Yep! Let’s do this.”

They joined a voice chat, and Kenma’s heart pounded as he heard her voice through his headphones. “Hey, Kenma.”

“Hi, Y/N,” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

They launched Valorant and joined a game. At first, Y/N’s voice was calm and collected, much like her demeanor at school.

“Hey I hope you don’t mind but I’m gonna instalock Reyna.” She said in her gentle voice. “That’s fine with me, I can play Sage or Omen.” Kenma responded with his signature soft spoken voice.

But as the game progressed, Kenma began to see a different side of her. She was incredibly skilled, her movements precise and strategic. And when she spoke in team chat, her quiet exterior melted away, revealing a fiery and competitive spirit.

“Get on site!” she commanded, her voice filled with intensity. “Cover me, I’m planting the spike.”

At some point she started insulting the bottom frags. Which he found hot.

Kenma was taken aback by her sudden aggression but found it strangely captivating. She wasn’t just good; she was amazing. Her calm demeanor at school had given no hint of this fierce competitor lurking beneath the surface.

As the game continued, Kenma found himself drawn deeper into their teamwork. Y/N’s commands were sharp and effective, and he followed her lead without question. They dominated the match, and by the end, their team had secured a decisive victory.

“GG EZ, well played,” Y/N said, her voice returning to its usual calm tone.

Kenma couldn’t hide his admiration. “You’re really good, Y/N.”

She laughed softly. “Thanks, Kenma. You’re not bad yourself. I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” Kenma said, a smile spreading across his face.

After logging off, Kenma lay in bed, replaying the evening’s events in his mind. He had always admired Y/N from afar, but now, after seeing her in action, he felt something deeper. Her mysterious allure, combined with her fierce gaming skills, had captivated him completely.

The next day at school, Kenma spotted Y/N in the hallway. Gathering his courage, he walked up to her. “Hey, Y/N.”

She turned, her smile lighting up her face. “Hey, Kenma. Ready for another game tonight?”

Kenma’s heart raced. “Definitely.”

As they walked to class together, Kenma realized that his admiration had blossomed into something more. And for the first time, he felt like he had a real chance to get to know the mysterious girl who had captured his heart.

Over the next few weeks, Kenma and Y/N spent countless hours talking and playing games together. Their bond grew stronger with each passing day, and eventually, they transitioned from friends to something more. Kenma had never felt this way about anyone before, and Y/N's presence brought a new warmth to his life.

One evening, as they were wrapping up a gaming session, Kenma had an idea. "Hey, Y/N, what do you think about playing with some of my friends next time?"

Y/N smiled through the voice chat. "Sure, that sounds fun. Who do you have in mind?"

"Just a couple of guys from the volleyball team. Kuroo and Bokuto," Kenma replied. "They’re pretty good at games, but I think they'll be in for a surprise."

Y/N chuckled. "I’m looking forward to it."

The next day, Kenma met up with Kuroo and Bokuto. Akaashi was there too but he didn’t say much. They were having a game of volleyball at kuroo’s backyard. With a slight grin on his face. "Hey, you guys up for a game of Valorant tonight?"

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. "Sure, but why the sudden invite?"

Kenma shrugged, trying to appear casual. "I thought it’d be fun to play with my girlfriend."

Bokuto's eyes widened. "Girlfriend? You have a girlfriend?"

Kenma nodded. "Yeah. We’ve been playing together for a while now. Her name’s Y/N."

Kuroo smirked. "Well, well, Kenma. Didn’t know you had it in you. Sure, we’ll play. But you know, we’re pretty good. Hope she can keep up."

Kenma’s grin widened. "Trust me, you two are the ones who’ll need to keep up."

That Evening Kenma, Kuroo, Bokuto, and Y/N joined the Valorant lobby. Kuroo and Bokuto exchanged greetings with Y/N, their tone friendly but skeptical.

“So, Y/N,” Kuroo said, “Kenma tells us you’re pretty good at this game.”

Y/N’s voice was calm and confident. “I do alright. Let’s see how we do as a team.”

As the game began, it didn’t take long for Kuroo and Bokuto to realize that Y/N was not just good—she was exceptional. She led the team with precision, her strategic calls and sharp shooting turning the tide of every round. Kenma supported her flawlessly, their teamwork a testament to the hours they had spent playing together.

“Nice shot, Y/N!” Bokuto exclaimed after she single-handedly took down three opponents. “You’re amazing!”

Kuroo, usually confident, was uncharacteristically quiet, his respect for Y/N growing with each headshot she landed. By the end of the match, Y/N was at the top of the scoreboard, Kenma second with Kuroo and Bokuto trailing behind.

As they exited the game, Kuroo let out a low whistle. “Kenma, you weren’t kidding. Y/N, you’re incredible.”

Bokuto chimed in, “Yeah, Kenma’s a lucky guy to have you as his teammate—and his girlfriend.”

Kenma felt a surge of pride and happiness. “Thanks, guys. I told you she was good.”

Y/N laughed softly. “It was fun playing with you all. Let’s do it again sometime.”

As they logged off, Kuroo and Bokuto couldn’t stop talking about Y/N’s skills. Kenma, content and happy, realized just how lucky he was—not just to have Y/N as a girlfriend, but also as a partner in gaming and in life.

#kozume kenma #kenma x reader #kenma kozume #kenma kozume x reader #haikyuu #haikyu x reader #kenma fluff

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gekkosgirl · 4 months ago

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a kiss | gekko.

summary: gekko, after freaking out about the intial text about it, meets up with you at the mall to help out with decorating your room

pairing: gekko (mateo) x gn!reader

cw: SFW! mild language, pda (kinda awk), teasing(?)

notes: wrote this one pretty quickly, but still love it nonetheless. just so you can get inside my mind, i was listening to >one - greater than one by valorant and ericdoa (literally gekko's song)

word count: 1.8k

Gekko nearly tripped over his skateboard when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He fished it out with a quick swipe and saw your name light up the screen. The moment he read your text—"Hey Mateo, wanna hit the mall with me? Thinking of sprucing up my room a bit. Could use your help!"—his heart skipped a beat.

A grin spread across his face so fast that it made him look ridiculous, but he didn’t care. “No way,” he muttered to himself, rereading the text just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

Without thinking, he sprinted to Reyna, who was chilling on the couch in the living room, scrolling through her phone. “Yo, Rey! Look at this!” he blurted out, practically shoving the phone in her face.

She raised an eyebrow, pulling her face back a little before focusing on the screen. A slow, knowing smile spread across her lips as she handed the phone back to him. “Aw, mira nomás. They’re asking you out,” she teased, leaning back with an exaggerated sigh. “My little Mateo’s all grown up.”

“It’s not a date,” Gekko shot back, his cheeks tinting pink as he tried—and failed—to suppress his excitement. “They just want help. You know, picking stuff out.” He flipped his phone over in his hands nervously. “I mean, that’s cool, right? Like, it’s normal.”

Reyna snorted. “Yeah, normal for someone who likes you,” she said, crossing her arms. “Just don’t do anything dumb, and por favor, don’t forget to actually listen to them. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it!” Gekko said quickly, typing out a response with speed that would make Dizzy jealous.

“Bet! Meet you at 3? Can’t wait, it’s gonna be dope!”

As soon as the message sent, he jumped up like he’d just scored a game-winning goal. Reyna rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile as she watched him grab his jacket.

“Don’t forget your phone,” she called after him, the boy in such a hurry he almost tripped over himself turning to grab it off the table he’d just set it down at. “And don’t forget to be safe on your date,” she added with a smirk.

Gekko paused mid-stride, groaning dramatically. “It’s not a date!” But the way he practically skipped out the door told a different story.

Gekko burst into his room, already stripping off his hoodie and tossing it onto the nearest chair. “Okay, okay, calm down, it’s just the mall,” he muttered to himself, standing in front of his closet. “No big deal. Just helping them with their room. Not a date. Definitely not a—”

His creatures interrupted his self-pep talk, chirping and squeaking as they peered at him from their favorite spots. Wingman tilted his head, clearly judging Gekko’s sudden wardrobe crisis, while Dizzy floated lazily, already bored of his pacing. Thrash let out a playful growl, nudging at his shoes as if to say, “Hurry up, dude.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll shower first!” Gekko announced, grabbing a towel and bolting for the bathroom. The water was barely warm before he jumped in, scrubbing quickly but thoroughly. “Can’t show up smelling like a gym bag. They’ll think I’m gross,” he muttered, rinsing off in record time.

Back in his room, he threw on a clean t-shirt and his favorite jacket, pausing only to fluff his hair in the mirror. “Alright, chill vibes. Cool, but not trying too hard.” He gave himself a once-over, grinning nervously. “Yeah, that’ll work.”

As he skated toward the meeting spot, his nerves kicked in. What if he said something dumb? What if you didn’t actually think his suggestions were cool? His phone buzzed again—another text from you. “Hey, running a little early. See you soon!”

“¡No manches!” he yelped, kicking his board harder to pick up speed.

As he turned the corner, he spotted you standing outside a café, casually scrolling on your phone. The sight of you made his stomach do flips. He slowed down a bit, hopping off his skateboard and rolling it alongside him as he approached.

“Hey, uh…” His voice cracked slightly as you looked up and smiled at him. His brain short-circuited for a second. Why do you have to look so cute just standing there?

“Teo!” you greeted warmly, slipping your phone into your bag. “Since you’re here, wanna go ahead?”

“H-here? Already?” He blinked, trying to collect himself. “Oh, yeah! Of course. Totally. I was just, uh…y’know, warming up my board and stuff.”

You raised an eyebrow at his slightly disheveled hair and the faint sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Warming up your board?”

“Yep. Gotta keep it…ready for action,” he said, cringing internally at how lame he sounded.

You chuckled, making his cheeks burn brighter. “Well, action guy, let’s get going. I have no idea where to start, so I’m counting on you.”

“Count on me?” His chest puffed up slightly, the nervous energy melting into excitement. “Yeah, I got you. Your room’s gonna look sick when we’re done!”

“Good,” you teased, nudging his arm as you started walking together. “I’ve got high expectations, Teo.”

“Don’t even worry,” he said, his confidence growing with each step. “I won’t let you down.”

Little did he know, you were already impressed—nerves and all.

As the automatic doors of the mall whooshed open, the bustling energy hit you immediately—bright lights, cheerful chatter, and the faint aroma of food court pretzels wafting through the air. Mateo was practically vibrating with excitement beside you, his skateboard tucked under his arm.

“So, where to first?” he asked, glancing around. His creatures peeked out from his bag, clearly curious about the lively environment.

“Well,” you started, scanning the directory near the entrance. “I was thinking posters first. I want something cool for my wall.”

Gekko’s eyes lit up. “Posters? Oh, I got you. C’mon, I know a spot!”

You followed his lead, weaving through the crowd as he navigated the maze of stores with surprising ease. A few minutes later, you both stood in front of a small, vibrant shop filled with an array of posters plastered across every inch of the walls. Bands, movies, art prints—you name it, they had it.

Stepping inside, Gekko immediately gravitated toward a display of music posters. “Okay, so what vibe are we going for? Chill, artsy, total chaos?” he asked, flipping through the rack with practiced ease.

You laughed, joining him. “I’m not sure yet. Something that makes my room feel…more me, I guess. What do you think?”

Gekko paused, tapping his chin dramatically. “Hmm. Alright, lemme see.” He rummaged through a stack, pulling out a bright, graffiti-style print. “What about this? Bold, colorful—kinda like you.”

Your eyebrows shot up, a smile tugging at your lips. “Bold and colorful, huh? Didn’t know you thought of me that way, Teo.”

His face turned a deep shade of pink. “I-I mean, not like that—well, I do, but like, in a cool way!” he stammered, flustered. Wingman peeked out of his bag, chirping at him as if to say smooth move, bro.

You chuckled, reaching out to take the poster from him. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. This one’s actually really cool.”

“Yeah?” he asked, the tips of his ears still red.

You nodded, glancing around the store. “What else do you think? Show me your expert taste.”

“Okay, okay,” he said, regaining his confidence. He grabbed another print, this one a minimalist black-and-white design of a city skyline. “What about this? It’s kinda chill but also classy. Good balance, right?”

“Impressive,” you teased, holding both options side by side. “You’re better at this than I expected.”

“Hey, don’t sleep on me,” he said with a grin. “I know a thing or two about style.”

You spent a while longer exploring the store, occasionally laughing at Gekko’s over-the-top reactions to some of the more outlandish designs—like a life-sized cutout of Rose from the Titatnic.

Finally, with two posters in hand, you headed toward the register. “I think these are perfect,” you said, glancing at him. “Thanks for the help, Teo.” As if on autopilot, you grabbed his chin swiftly and turned it away from you, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek.

As your hand fell, his went up, touching the spot your lips had been as a moment of savoring. “Sorry.” You giggle, seeing the man standing before you in bewilderment, staring at your face like he'd found treasure. Nonchalantly, you pulled out your wallet to pay but, without a word, his hand pushed yours down. He cleared his throat, fiddling nervously with his wallet to pay the man at the register. As soon as the translation was done, the look of desperation was evident on his face.

“C’mere.” You gasped softly as Gekko’s warm hands found your waist, pulling you flush against him. His piercing gaze locked onto yours, a mixture of surprise and yearning swirling in his eyes. Your breath hitched as he leaned in slowly, giving you just enough time to either pull away or close the gap.

You chose the latter.

The moment his lips met yours, it was as though the world around you faded. The chaos of the mall—the chatter, the footsteps, the background music—melted into a muffled hum, leaving only the electric connection between the two of you. His lips moved against yours, firm but tender, his confidence growing with every second.

Your hands instinctively found their way to his jacketed shoulders, steadying yourself as your head spun. One of his hands stayed firmly on your waist, grounding you, while the other traveled up your back, his fingertips brushing the nape of your neck, sending a shiver down your spine.

You pulled back just slightly, catching your breath as your forehead rested against his. Both of you were panting softly, his eyes now dark with an intensity that made your knees weak.

“Teo,” you whispered, voice trembling, but before you could say more, he tilted his head and captured your lips again, deeper this time, as though he couldn’t get enough of you. His passion was intoxicating, and you found yourself melting into him, hands sliding up into his hair as you lost yourself in the moment.

A loud, awkward cough from the man at the register jolted you both back to reality. You jumped apart slightly, faces flushed as you glanced around. A few people were staring, some smiling, others amused, but the world seemed a little brighter as Gekko’s hand stayed firmly at your waist, holding onto you as though he wasn’t ready to let go.

“I, uh, thank you,” he murmured to the man who had rolled and bagged up the posters, a flashy grin tugging at his swollen lips.

Your cheeks were burning, but you couldn’t help the grin spreading across your face as he took the bag, his hand never once leaving yours.

#valorant #valorant x reader #valorant fanfiction #gekko valorant #gekko x reader #gekko x you #gekko #gekkosgirl writes

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lunarrumor · 1 year ago

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random valgrace headcanons

- leo cooks for jason all the time because he likes it (it reminds him of his mom and when she taught him how to make his favorite dishes) and his love language is most definitely gift giving because he’s not so good with words

- but one day leo was up all night working on some new machine (again) and jason decides he wants to give him a break so he tries to make some simple pasta. butttt they didn’t really have cooking lessons at camp jupiter and the water overflows and he burns the sauce and when leo gets back jason’s hair is mysteriously red and the kitchen looks like something exploded (it did. the sauce bubbled up and went everywhere)

- however they go camping together once and leo makes a fire and by the time he gets back from going to use the restroom jason has caught a wild bird and is frying it up

- leo makes jason random little trinkets all the time

- when leo and jason are having meals with the seven + reyna and nico they’ll tap messages to each other back and forth in morse code until annabeth gets annoyed by all the banging

- leo loves horror movies and jason hate hate hates them

- when jason gets drunk he likes using a lot of big words except he’s too drunk to use them correctly so he just hopes no one notices (leo does but doesn’t mention it…. without fail he’ll look at him and go “how r u so smart even when so drunk” and jason will give him a dopey smile)

- they go to college in new rome together and visit piper at her mortal school all the time

- they also got an apartment together because yeaa it might be moving fast but they totally didn’t move in together because they’re soulmates or whatever. naaaa it would js be silly not to right ? they shouldn’t *both* be paying rent when they’re gonna be at the same place *anywayss* and jason doesn’t cook and leo doesn’t clean so really it’s just a responsible roommate setup rigggght (aka the lie they tell themselves bc they really js wanna have the security of seeing each other everyday and live a wholesome life where they don’t have to worry if the next time they visit the other they’re not gonna be there anymore)

- but they’re both still worried to ruin the relationship because it’s so new and they’ve been pining for so long so they get separate rooms. except leo is always crawling into jason’s bed at night or jason is playing a movie in leo’s while he works (leo’s barely paying attention but jason likes doing it so he can sneak him snacks because leo has a habit of forgetting to eat while working. and every so often leo will make a goofy joke about the movie n he gets so amazed by how smart n funny leo is. n leo likes the background noise and jason’s little snorts when a character is being dumb. and mostly he just likes his presence. how they can just sit in silence together and without leo having to say anything jason will know how much he cares. how much he appreciates jason caring about him)

- and eventually leo just stops going back to his room, unless he’s working on something, because he likes the smell of jason and waking up with him and bothering him while he does schoolwork. his things slowly start appearing in jason’s room until he’s basically moved in and one day he comes home to jason rummaging through his drawers and he’s like uhh ??? and jason’s like ah rats i was gna surprise you….. i cleared out my closet and got a dresser so that you don’t have to keep going back and forth and i can totally put it back if u don’t want that i just thought maybe you might want to because you haven’t rlly slept here in so long anyway and…. and leo kisses him n grabs the pile of clothes and carries it off to *their* room. and so leo’s old room becomes his new work space

- on this same vein leo will get so distracted while he’s working on a new project that he’ll forgot all about time and sometimes he’s doing this n jason comes in and tells him the time and he drops everything and makes dinner bc his stomach grumbling is fine but when he realizes jason probably hasn’t had a real meal since the last time he cooked now *thats* motivation

- of course jason doesn’t always need him to cook (in fact leo starts trying to teach him no matter how disastrous it is at first. i guess multitasking in battle doesn’t equate to handling the chaos of a kitchen ? but jason actually gets pretty good as long as he’s looking at a list of instructions) but leo just likes all the compliments he gets from jason about his food and how he’ll sit with him in the kitchen and come up behind him with his hands on his waist (jason gets really excited whenever leo asks him to do something like bring him some seasoning or a ladle because he likes being helpful)

- jason also started picking up food after his morning class and bringing leo breakfast because he is *not* a morning person. he’ll also order food when leo’s been cooped up in his room for some time and he knows he wants to keep working so jason brings his lil surprise in along with his laptop and they eat together (with jason making sure leo takes a bite every now n then and eats enough before it gets cold)

- jason wakes up at 6 am everyday to go to the gym, shower, and go to classes meanwhile leo doesn’t have class till 1 and even then he’s late sometimes. because as u could assume leo stays up late at night and jason has trouble staying up past midnight (he always falls asleep during their movie nights even though he tries his very hardest not to but leo is so toasty he just can’t help it. and leo always tucks him in and takes off his glasses)

- also neither of them like waking up alone on the couch in the middle of the night (which is fine when leo falls asleep first, jason just picks him up and carries him to bed. but leo isn’t exactly built for dragging 6 ft men across an apartment floor) so they get a pullout sofa for this exact reason (not a bed pullout couch. he would still have to lift jason off and jason is a heavyy sleeper. he had to sleep through a lot of chaos at camp jupiter. they get one of those couches that extends into more couch and pile a bunch of blankets on it for movie nights. and leo makes popcorn with an ungodly amount of butter)

- leo runs warm and when his emotions spike his powers act up so he stress sweats and everytime it happens jason will cool him off with a nice breeze

- on the flip side jason is always cold so he’s always snuggling up to leo (totally the only reason. definitely not that he’s touch starved) and in the winter they’re literally attached at the hip. jason will not let him go no way no how he *will* stand/walk/lay/sit with his arms around leo at all costs (the cost is piper grossing out at their gushiness)

- jason’s bear hugs are leo’s favorite things in the world he could stay wrapped in those arms forever

- jason and leo live in the same apartment complex as frank and hazel and they become a lot closer

- percy and annabeth live down the hall and leo loves to ding dong ditch them

- annabeth randomly knocks on their door sometimes because she wants leo’s help figuring out the logistics for an architectural project of hers and jason will follow so he can play video games with percy (yeah i said it, percy and leo teach him how to play and he likes it more than he thought he would)

- every week they all get lunch together with reyna, piper, and nico

- nico comes over at first to hang out with jason but he still finds leo…. odd but eventually they bond over their love for horror movies and laughing at jason

- leo loves to sketch when he gets bored in class and he’ll be spacing out drawing until he realizes that his whole page is full of jason’s face from every possible angle

- leo fell first but jason said i love you first (after a lot of coaching from piper)

#i thought this would be a short list of hcs but i just can’t shut up about them obviously #rrverse #valgrace #thunderforge #leo valdez #jason grace #leo valdez x jason grace #jason grace x leo valdez #the lost trio #hoo #heroes of olympus #riordanverse #the lost hero trio #tlh trio

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ashyjingles · 2 months ago

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Jason Grace and Cicero Parallels

(And Octavian and Catiline Parallels)

Okay so this is the start of me. Blogging my research experience I guess? I’m looking into Roman history starting with SPQR – A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard. It’s for my fic of Jason’s life at Camp Jupiter pre-swap (from the Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan) but also for fun. And depending on how much I talk about Jason this may or may not be comprehensible even without any knowledge of that.

I figured going chapter by chapter would help me organize my thoughts the best so I dont forget everything I wrote down by the end of the book. I mean like I have an abysmal amount of sticky notes in the book itself already but doing it this way will also keep my motivated I think

I’ll try my best to make this comprehensible in case anyone wants to follow along, but I think most of this is going to be for myself lol so I don’t have to reread the entire book for a single piece of information (hopefully)

The prologue was just a mention on how the book will be centered on the history of the city of Rome and Roman Italy because getting into the history of Roman everywhere is a bit too big of a project for one book (page 18). and I agree because SPQR is already over 500 pages already lmao

The other thing the prologue mentioned that I noted down was that SPQR is the acronym for “Senatus PopulusQue Romanus,” which means “The Senate and People of Rome.” (page 16)

Chapter 1 is titled Cicero’s Finest Hour and takes place in 63 BCE (Before Common Era). Despite Rome being founded seven centuries earlier, the Romans didn’t start recording their own history until the events of this year. As Beard put it, “Roman history, as we know it, started here,” (page 23) and is the reason she chose to start her book with the events of this year.

To summarize, Catiline (Sometimes Catilina) was a bankrupt aristocrat who tried running for one of two consuls which were the highest political positions in the city (This was before any emperors came along). He came from a distinguished old family who had a successful earlier career but was close to bankruptcy in 43 BCE and was dealing with a failing reputation. He advocated for debt relief which was “one of the most despicable forms of radicalism in the eyes of the Roman landed classes” (page 28).

Cicero came from a wealthy family as well, but it was outside Rome and thus he was considered a ‘new man’ without any political experience in the city which was looked down on. His climb to power rested on the shoulders of only his own skills — specifically his skill at speaking to a crowd. It won him the election of 63 BCE.

Some time after the election, Cicero got wind of a plot of Catiline’s to burn down Rome. Catiline was also building an army outside of the city. Cicero called a meeting in front of the senate and gave a famous speech that he later wrote down and spread copies of. Catiline then left town after the defeat in front of the Senate. Cicero continued to try and expose everyone left in the operation and succeeded because the conspirators had tried working with a group of Ghauls “who had come to Rome to complain about their exploitation at the hands of Roman provincial governors” (page 34) and provided names of everyone involved.

Cicero rounded up everyone that had evidence against them and without giving them a trial, executed them all. “Triumphantly, he announced their deaths to the cheering crowd in a famous one-word euphemism: vixere, ‘they have lived’ — that is, ‘they’re dead’.” (page 35) Eventually Catiline’s forces were defeated with Catiline on the front line. Cicero had many supporters after this defeat of terrorism, but soon his previous act of executing citizens without trial got him run out of town. He spent some time in North Greece before he came back to Rome, and his career never fully recovered.

Okay. Now I’m here to talk about Jason and how I think he and Octavian (and Reyna) parallel Cicero and Catiline because it was literally ALL I could think about while reading this chapter.

Like Catiline, Octavian comes from a long lineage of reputable people, whether politicians or soldiers or prophets, with him being a distant ancestor to Apollo. While he isn’t at risk of going bankrupt, he does have a certain want for power that leads to him vying for the position of praetor so much that in Heroes of Olympus he repeatedly seems hostile toward Reyna. (And Percy, but given his sudden appearance, greek vibe, and Percy’s own distrust of Octavian, I wouldn't say it’s unwarranted. Plus, at this point, Octavian had already been preparing to aim for the position of praetor now that Jason was gone.) Because we never really saw him interact with Jason, I can’t say anything about his canon relationship with him. So far, Octavian parallels Catiline in his aim for power.

Catiline attempts to stage Cicero’s assassination, but it’s unsuccessful. While it’s not entirely confirmed, what Frank points out leads the audience to believe that it was Octavian that tried killing Gwen.

Then he noticed the marks engraved into the wooden shaft of the pilum: CHT I LEGIO XII F. The weapon belonged to the First Cohort, and the point was sticking through the front of her armour. Gwen had been speared from behind — possibly after the game had ended. Frank scanned the crowd for Octavian. The centurion was watching with more interest than concern, as if he were examining one of his stupid gutted teddy bears. He didn’t have a pilum. – Page 142, The Son of Neptune

Of course, with the doors of death being opened she lived, but both instances were an attack on a Roman from a Roman. Catiline also turns to an outside source like the Ghauls, while Octavian turns to outside sources like monsters. The monsters don’t act as a double agent toward a character playing Cicero, but they are double agents and end up being on Gaea’s side. Granted, Octavian’s enemy at that point were the Greeks, not his fellow Romans.

While this is a much looser parallel, Catiline was run out of town and killed on the front lines of the army he amassed. Octavian died in the catapults in the battle on Camp Half-Blood after being ridiculed by the protagonists. Is this a strong enough parallel for me to heavily consider it? No, but it crossed my mind and given his previous parallels to Catiline I thought it was at least mentionable.

Jason, to me, parallels Cicero. His dad is Jupiter, so while similarly to Cicero he has the background for the positions he fills, he doesn’t quite have as much experience as other candidates. Of course, he was brought to Camp Jupiter incredibly young and started building skills just as early as Octavian, but for the sake of the parallels, just go with me here.

While Cicero relies solely on his speech skills, Jason is clearly a formidable fighter. We don’t have many instances of him using his verbal prowess, but I think that to be as good of a praetor he seems to be described as, it wouldn’t be nonexistent. Plus, while facing off against large threats such as that one giant in The Lost Hero, he has an entire speech ready on the tip of his tongue without him even having to do much to remember it.

“I'm the son of Jupiter, I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion. I slew the Trojan sea monster, I toppled the black throne of Kronos, and destroyed Titan Krios with my own hand. And now I'm going to destroy you Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves." – Page 510 of The Lost Hero

While this isn’t a political speech, the rest of his lines throughout the series give his words a bit of a sophisticated feel, especially in comparison to Leo’s comedic feel. Considering he grew up in Camp Jupiter from an early age and was probably taught Cicero’s works just like many people in later years (until even now) used his works in various classes from learning Latin to studying the rhetorics of speech. Jason would have most likely seen his works growing up in various settings, so I wouldn’t think it too far-fetched to say that he probably modelled his own speeches around Cicero’s. (This is something I would like to incorporate in my fic, so if anyone has any good recommendations for specific pieces/books/sources of his speeches to read I’m open!)

While this is a sillier and much looser parallel, they both turn to either Greece or Greek culture. Cicero flees to North Greece after he’s shunned for executing citizens without trial, and while it is nowhere near the same magnitude of villainy, Jason leans toward Greek culture after his amnesia-drenched months spent at Camp Half-Blood and is shunned for becoming ‘too Greek’ along with the Argo II bombing New Rome and him going to the old lands. He does return to Camp Jupiter though as Pontifex Maximus after giving up his title as praetor to Frank when the zombies spawned by Diocletian's Scepter deem him too ‘Un-Roman’ to command them. Cicero does the same and returns to Rome a year after his exile, but while Jason flourishes (for however short of a while) his career never quite recovers.

Now, I mentioned Reyna as another Cicero parallel, did I not? Her family was long established with and favoured by Bellona, though she and her sister were her first children to be born into her line. Unlike Cicero, she had the experience and background.

However, Octavian rivals with her much throughout the series. It’s her orders he defies, it's her he tries to overthrow, and they don’t have a very friendly relationship overall no matter how professional they manage to act with each other. Her quotes speak to her eloquence (pun intended) and her ‘step too far’ as Cicero was travelling to old land against rules and counsel. Granted, I think her parallels are not as strong as Jason’s, but I think combined, she and Jason make a good Cicero parallel to rival Octavian’s Catiline.

Between all of these, I wonder if these parallels are intentional on Riordan’s part. We know that he’s used parallels before, given all of the original quests in the PJO series that Percy goes on and Silena and Clarisse’s explicit parallels to Achilles and Patroclus. It is also entirely possible I’m just reading into it too much.

Of course, there could be plenty of other parallels to myths that could fit better. I just haven’t gotten there yet. But this is the one I’m noticing now, and it’s strong enough that regardless of whether it seems to be intentional in the books, it’s one I think I’m going to be including in my fic. Foreshadowing Octavian’s plans in HoO by paralleling him and Jason/Reyna to Catiline and Cicero is something I’m really interested in doing tbh.

If anyone’s still with me, thoughts? I’m choosing to post this to share my ideas and possibly receive some discussion on them, so feel free to support or debate any of them lol, whether it’s a small detail or the topic itself entirely. I still need to reread HoO for this project, and I’ve also never really shown this much of an interest in history so this is a little new to me lol.

Jason Grace & Cicero Parallels || Chapter 1 on Cicero (and Catiline) Lupa || Chapter 2 on Roman Founding Myths

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romanitas · 8 months ago

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friends, pals, countrymen, etc - here we are nearly ten years later with the final installment of my percabeth spy au. still kind of shocked after all this time i managed to finish it, but thanks for coming along for the ride! <3

here it is on ao3 ! this one's for you, spy au anons. -

Annabeth goes to the stupid aquarium.

It takes her over a week to decide to use the tickets, if only as a favor to Sally. It takes her another few days of backtracking through old notes, determined to make sure she goes on one of the days Percy isn’t volunteering. She logics herself into it by determining it’ll be a conclusion - she’ll create the real ending for herself where she started it all first. One more visit, because she honestly doesn’t know if she’ll be able to hit up this particular aquarium ever again. She can say goodbye and create her own bookend.

She wears her owl earrings, matched with a pair of leggings, with pockets, and a long tunic with an old jean jacket split open at one elbow. She doesn’t get to dress down much, with most of her wardrobe often carefully calculated for the task at hand. Today her only task is to look at some fucking fish and maybe get a strawberry milkshake from the overpriced cafeteria. She doesn’t even brush her hair. She thinks about inviting someone to come along, given she has two tickets, but she’s struck with the notion that she wouldn’t even know who to task.

Reyna? Ridiculous. She’d get called out immediately for it being a bad idea. She almost texts Frank, but decides she needs to do this by herself. Maybe there’s a family she can pass off the other ticket to and that can be her good deed of the day. Sally would approve.

She arrives at the lunch rush, slipping into the jellyfish quarter while most of the families are scurrying off to eat. She likes to say she thinks long and hard about her life, but mostly she allows herself to be distracted by the way they light up against the dark tanks. They float aimlessly and Annabeth wonders what the sensation is like as she watches them swim idly around, to be so weightless and mindless.

She walks through the shark tunnel, dodging around running children. She spends a moment studying the arch of the tunnel itself, smiling to herself before she realizes. Maybe there’s a world out there where she did go the architecture route instead of espionage recruitment out of college. She doesn’t want to think about that, not when there are fish to observe. There are so many fish. Too many fish. If she’s honest with herself, they start to blur together after a while, and only the brightly colored ones stand out.

Part of her hates to admit it, but she starts to feel calmer. Steadier. Like when she walks out of this place, she’ll be Annabeth Chase again and ready to stop moping like a goddamn idiot.

She probably shouldn’t have saved the penguins for last.

There are babies now, and Annabeth finds herself smiling at them in the tank. They don’t look too young, but she can’t tell how far from infancy they are at this point. She’s no expert. She just has wikipedia. She tries to remember what she’s read or learned about them, and even though she’d rather not think of the source, she’s not sure she’ll ever forget the facts.

She’s watching one of the babies slowly and carefully slide into the water when she hears him.

“Annabeth?”

Her entire body freezes, and she wants to disappear, maybe into one of the artificial icebergs. She looks sideways in the glass and finds the warped reflection of Percy Jackson staring at her from the left. Unfortunately for her desire to submerge, the glass is only transparent for eyes and not bodies. She takes a deep breath without moving her chest and slowly, carefully turns around, looking into his face for the first time in weeks.

He looks tired.

Percy stares at her, befuddled, but he’s made the first move by calling out to her. She hadn’t seen him. He could have just walked away and left her ignorant to his existence, but he hadn’t. And maybe it’s just his ADHD, but she selfishly thinks maybe he made the choice to get her attention - which means she has no choice of her own but to acknowledge him in return.

She swallows. And then she gestures stupidly at the baby penguin behind her. “Did you know baby penguins have to be at least four months old before they can swim? It’s their feathers. They aren’t waterproof at birth.”

He continues staring at her, and she has to fight the urge to literally run away. “I do know. I’m pretty sure I told you that.”

Shit, he did, didn’t he? She had pre-gamed enough penguin facts to steer their first conversation, but anything and everything she learned since came from his wealth of aquatic knowledge. “Oh. Yes. I just - there are babies now.”

“Born just over four months ago,” he says, and his tone is the faintest bit teasing.

“Hatched by the males,” she adds on, without thinking. Like his attention to her architectural rants, she seems to have absorbed far too much about penguins, because she could keep going, and it’s only force of will that she doesn’t.

His mouth quirks, almost a smile. She doesn’t know what to do with that. She wasn’t sure she’d get to see him smile again, stuck with the image of only his anger as a final parting gift.

“Did you put a tracker on me?”

Annabeth doesn’t know what to do with that either, and she sputters. It’s ungraceful. Unprofessional. And she feels ashamed, despite the way his tone still sounds like a joke. “No - Percy, no, that’s - ”

He grimaces. “Sorry. It was a joke. I’m trying to not be awkward. It’s not working.”

She would very much like the earth to swallow her up.

“I wouldn’t,” she insists, finally. Like she needs him to know that.

He pauses. “Jason?”

Annabeth wrinkles her nose. She hates this turn of conversation, but she wants to let him steer it this time. “There were never any trackers.”

“What are you doing here?” he asks, pivoting away on his own.

“I’m visiting the penguins,” she says, with only sincerity. He studies her, like he’s trying to gauge how truthful it is. She fidgets, then adds on, “You weren’t supposed to be here.”

He actually looks shyly taken aback. “I changed my days at the station. I thought it might be…” Safer, is the word he wants to use, she knows it, but instead he lets it hang in the air. “So I had to switch my day here too.”

Annabeth thinks she really should have accounted for that, because Percy can be obtuse but he’s not stupid. It was probably one of the first things he would have done, and she feels stupid for not considering it in her own plans.

“Your mom gave me the tickets,” is what she says next in lieu of anything else. That’s part of why she’s here, duty to a simple kindness from Sally Jackson.

Percy’s expression becomes puzzled. “You saw my mom?”

Oh. That surprises her too. She assumed Sally would have passed it along. She nods. She does not say anything about her own conversation with his mother, because that means he really is here by pure happenstance, and she doesn’t know what to make of that. Everything about her interactions with Percy Jackson from the start has been pure calculation, and right now she feels like she is flying on the seat of her pants. There’s no end game, no goal, just spontaneity.

Maybe she should lean into that instead.

“She bought me a coffee.”

“That… sounds like her.” He pauses. “I didn’t tell her anything. About - you know, your job stuff. All she knows is we broke up.”

He says it like it’s such a normal occurrence. They broke up, like a real couple does. They broke up, they’re no longer together, and not because she shot a man in front of him and lied about her entire existence. “She was probably too nice to me,” she admits.

Percy looks up and studies her again, and she swallows nervously, both under his expression and the way he doesn’t refute her comment about his mom. “What did she tell you?”

There is a part of her that feels like she shouldn’t go there, but the other, louder, part of her doesn’t want to lie to him ever again. “She - she said you were miserable.”

His shoulders deflate. “Well. She’s not wrong.”

Annabeth stares at him.

“Look,” he starts, running a hand through his hair. It makes the dark strands stick up in multiple directions, and she needs to clamp down on the urge to fix it for him like she used to. “I was really mad. Part of me still is. But… it was real to me, you know? I can’t just erase what I feel. I’m still working through it.”

Her expression falls, her shoulders heavy too. “For what it’s worth,” she starts, not sure it’s worth much of anything, “I’ve been miserable too.”

Percy’s face scrunches up. “Even though it was fake?”

She bites her lip. “I might have met you under false pretenses. But I wasn’t lying to you, when I told you it wasn’t fake to me anymore. I spent so much time with you that I found myself wishing more than anything else it was real. I promise. If you believe one thing I say, believe me now when I promise that I’m never going to lie to you again.”

He looks up at her, green eyes scrutinizing her like she’s under a microscope. Instead of trying to hide or put up a front, Annabeth simply lets the unhappiness hang on her like a shroud. Her bag is falling off her shoulder, the dark circles almost feel physical beneath her eyes, and her hair is a borderline rat's nest. She was always very carefully put together in front of him, even when she was trying to appear casual. Nothing about her right now is pre-planned for Percy. In some ways, she’s glad for it.

He just watches her, and his frown deepens. She bites her lip and resists the urge to look away at the penguins.

“Okay,” he says, after a too long silence, and she stares at him like he spoke in Greek. “I believe you.”

Her jaw drops, but she smoothly closes it. Her voice is quiet, anxious, startled and hopeful all at once, and she can’t seem to compartmentalize any of it. “You do?”

Percy purses his lips, like he can’t believe what he’s saying either. “I’ve never seen you like this,” he says, gesturing, and Annabeth’s face goes red at her dishevelment. “It feels like I’m looking at the real Annabeth, you know?”

She barks out a laugh, then covers her mouth. “Sorry, that wasn’t - I’m just not really fit for polite company. Fish notwithstanding.”

“Yeah,” he says, and he grins a little. “I think that’s why I believe you.”

Annabeth swallows anxiously and blinks back a sudden onslaught of tears. “I’m sorry, Percy. I know it was my job, but you’re so… good. At some point, it started to feel like I wasn’t pretending. I realized I really, really liked being around you. Being your friend, being with you. You didn’t deserve me lying to you, regardless of how it started.”

The last time she apologized, they were arguing. Now he just looks at her. “Thank you,” he says. It’s not quite forgiveness, it’s not an ‘it’s okay’ or the standard follow up etiquette of apologies, but it’s better, she thinks, because it feels genuine. Like he is accepting the truth of it, that she is sorry, and the fact that he believes it settles in her in an odd way.

“Are you still… you know. Uh, working?”

She nearly laughs at his word choice. “I’m on break. And I’m not - I was pulled from the Jupiter Industries stuff. So I’m not… working.”

“So you’re literally just here at the aquarium for fun?”

She hesitates, though she doesn’t know why. “Yes. And, well, you know - Sally gave me the tickets. I felt like I should use them, after our conversation.” She pauses. “I think she’s worried about you.”

Percy runs a hand through his hair again. She knows he hates stressing his mother. She knows so many things about him that she can’t seem to put down. “She always worries too much. Can I ask what else she said to you?”

It’s phrased in a way that she could turn him down, but Annabeth has promised herself as well as him that she’s in the running to be honest.

“She asked me if I wanted to fix things with you. I told her I didn’t know if I could.” It’s not all she asked. Annabeth just doesn’t know how to bring the other part up, or if she even should.

Percy frowns. “Do you… actually want to fix things?”

Annabeth draws in a quiet breath. “I miss you,” she admits, and his face twists with surprise and what could be relief, but maybe she’s projecting. “But I wasn’t lying when I told her I didn’t know if I could. I hurt you. It’s not up to me to forgive myself for it, no matter how much I miss you.”

His frown deepens, but he doesn’t look unhappy - more like thoughtful. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me,” he mumbles.

“I don’t think she wanted to interfere too much,” she offers quietly. “There’s one more thing.”

Percy looks up at her.

Annabeth swallows again, but this time she’s pushing down her pride. “She asked me if I loved you.”

He looks at her carefully. “What did you tell her?”

She keeps his gaze. “I said I did.” She curls in on herself a little. “I do.”

Something in Percy Jackson deflates, but not in a way that suggests loss. It’s like he’s stopped carrying a heavy box. His shoulders sink, even if his face looks as confused as it does lighter. “It’s like everything in me wants to believe it. And I think I do,” he starts.

Annabeth’s stomach flutters.

“It’s crazy. Like, it’s so crazy to me that you still love me, because everything about it is so… wrong? No, not wrong - but we started wrong. We started wrong, but everything I felt was still so real. The bad and the good. I was really scared at that restaurant, for the obvious reasons - but I think I was scared about what it meant for us too.” Percy puffs out a breath of air, and his eyebrows crinkle. “I don’t have a good sense of self-preservation.”

Annabeth can barely breathe. She holds herself back from reaching for his arm. “Do you think… we could start over, and do it right?”

Percy studies her again, wary but curious. “What, like a do-over?”

“I guess. A re-meet.”

“A real meet-cute?”

She cracks a small smile. “I mean, I did run into you randomly in the aquarium.”

“Happenstance fishes.”

“We’re by the penguins,” she corrects, automatically. “Happenstance birds.”

Percy cracks his own smile, dimple pinching his cheek. “Did you know the babies don’t swim until they’re four months old?”

Annabeth’s smile widens. “You know, someone might have told me that already,” she starts. “But I could use a refresher.”

“I’m still on shift,” he says, a little awkwardly. “But I’ll be done in about two hours.”

It takes a few moments for what he offers to sink in. It doesn’t seem fair or right to her at all that Percy Jackson is here before her, yet again in front of the stupid penguins, willingly telling her when he’s finished - offering to spend more time with her. But it’s better this time. There’s no frustration on her part, no trying to drag it out of him - he’s offering because he’s also offering her a chance, and Annabeth knows she is going to take it, regardless of how much she deserves it. She’s going to work to deserve it. Neither of them were forced to be here. She isn’t coercing him into a date. She’s letting him lead it.

And he’s still choosing to see her.

“I still have to visit some octopi,” she says, nerves alight, “But I could meet you back here in two hours…?”

Percy’s silence is scary, but Annabeth gives him the time. It’s a final shot for him to back out if he wants to, and she won’t even blame him if he changes his mind even now. But he’s Percy. And somehow, she isn’t surprised by his answer.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Annabeth is going to cry all over again. She holds out her hand instead, and even though he gives her a confused look, Percy takes it. She shakes it, relishing the feeling of his palm against hers, the warmth spreading through her fingers as he squeezes it. She thought she’d never get to experience his touch again.

“Hi,” she starts, feeling silly, but allowing herself to run with it. No more thinking or calculating, she’s just going with this strange flow. “I’m Annabeth Chase.”

He laughs, his own smile edging on silly too. “Percy Jackson. Hey.”

“Do you work here?” she asks, trying not to smile and failing completely.

He shakes his head. “I just volunteer. I’m a firefighter.”

“You got some kind of affinity for water?”

He breaks into a grin that’s almost a laugh. “I’ve always liked the ocean.” He pauses then, hesitation slipping into his face. “What about you?”

She studies his face, the kindness and the anger and everything in between flashing through her head. She’s already memorized it, but she can still bask in it anew. She doesn’t really know where she’s going from here, least of all with Percy, but she once again opts for honesty, even if nothing comes of it. “I’m thinking I might get into architecture.”

Percy looks surprised. “Sounds like a big change.”

Annabeth pulls her hand away, straightens her shoulders. “Sometimes a person comes along and gives you a whole new perspective on things.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. We’ll see. I’m working on it. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

“I think,” he says, hesitating, “You should do what makes you happy.”

She laughs. “Again,” she says, quieter this time, “I’m working on it.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, you’re kind of hyper-competent.”

“Only kind of?”

Percy snorts. “I just mean, you’ll probably figure it out.”

She looks at him in wonder, that he could still stand there and offer a kindness to her after everything. It doesn’t surprise her, if she really thinks about it. She fell in love with him for a reason, after all. For a lot of reasons.

“I want you to know me,” she says suddenly, which goes against every single part of her existence as a spy, but Percy has already broken through all of those rules. She wants to be known, by him specifically, which is wildly scary and completely against all manner of protocol, but she is no longer lying to him. She promised. She promised and she wants to open up everything about herself that she’s kept quiet for him to witness.

Percy’s mouth opens and closes like a nearby fish. “I know you like owls. That wasn’t fake.”

She blinks, and he gestures at her earrings. She touches one instinctively. “They’re my favorite. So is strawberry, and I do really love Gaudí, and I’m starting to really like penguins too.”

“The penguins are pretty cool,” he says with a very small smile.

A quiet settles over them after that, but Annabeth finds it’s not uncomfortable. There is going to be some awkwardness, but the thing about it right now is it doesn’t feel scary. All the scariest parts are behind her, and right now she is only looking at the new possibility of Percy Jackson in her life, in whatever capacity he allows. She’ll take any of it. He gets to set the pace this time, and she’s more than willing to allow it.

“Thank you,” she says, finally. “For giving me another chance.”

His grin is haphazard, lopsided, and maybe a little self-deprecating. “When I saw you standing there, there was a part of me that wanted to keep walking - but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. Maybe it makes me a little stupid. I really want to know you too. I want to keep knowing you.”

“I’ve been stupid too,” she says with a shrug. “So we’re off to a great start.”

“A start,” he says, huffing a laugh. “Not many people get to do that twice.”

“No,” she agrees. “I thought I was coming here for an ending.”

Percy blinks at her. “I don’t really know what’ll happen, Annabeth.”

“That’s okay,” she says, breathing in deeply and relishing the way the air fills her lungs. She doesn’t know either. But that’s better than finality. “We can work on that too.”

His eyes flicker with a softness she knows she still doesn’t deserve, but she relishes in that too. “So… I guess I’ll see you again in about two hours?” He pauses. “We can get smoothies.”

“I like the Strawberry Whirl.”

He pauses again. “I knew that had to be true.”

Annabeth laughs, and Percy beams, and she thinks somehow, some way, they’re going to be… okay. It might take time. She doesn’t know what it’s going to look like, fully expects a lot of difficult bridges, but it feels like a real chance she hadn’t expected. They could be friends. They could end up more. They could go absolutely nowhere and fall apart much more naturally, more smoothly, without blood and bullets - but she’s going to try very hard to avoid that. She’s going to be herself, and maybe that’ll be good enough for him to stick around. It’s the only way she’s going to enable the mere chance of it.

As far as she’s concerned, anything involving Percy from now on is always going to be real.

#percabeth #annabeth chase #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #pjo #tomato writes #spy auing #absolutely baffled but pleased that i actually finished something #like good job me #hopefully it lives up thats my biggest fear!!!!

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starlightshadowsworld · 11 days ago

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Concept:

Percy and Jason talking about what it was like to get their memories erased.

Percy laments that he’s glad he remembered Annabeth but not remembering his own mum or much else was terrifying.

And then Jason offhandedly mentions that he forgot everything and Percy just stares at him in horror.

“Jase…that’s horrible.”

“I suppose. Didn’t really change anything though.”

“…what do you mean?! You forgot who you were, your friends, your family, your cohort. That’s a huge deal man.”

“I barely remembered my family to begin with. And well it might’ve hurt to forget the others if they didn’t just betray me.”

“What about Reyna?”

“I’m glad I remember her now but let’s face facts we barely knew each other to begin with. She would’ve been fine without me and she was.”

“You lost yourself Jason…”

“As long as I can still fight that’s all that matters.

“You can’t be serious. What about your hopes? Dreams?”

“Those don’t keep you alive.”

“I’d beg to differ.”

“Look, you had a life before this. You woke up terrified and wanted to regain those memories. While I got to live a fantasy where I had everything you lost.”

“Jase-“

“And you got all of that back and I’m happy for you. But it’s not the same for me because I had nothing to return too.”

“…Do you miss it?”

“It was a nice dream but we have to wake up at some point.”

#jason grace #heroes of olympus #percy jackson

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distortionbobble · 1 year ago

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Royal Flowers Chapter 8

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series masterlist

pairing: anakin skywalker x fem!poc!reader

summary: A long, long, time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a certain Jedi by the name of Anakin Skywalker meets you, the current Queen of Naboo and cousin of Padme Amidala, and is tasked with protecting you by pretending to marry you. As a spy, you’ve infiltrated the Separatist ranks and are close to finding out the mastermind behind all of it. The fate of the galaxy is in your hands.

warnings: minors dni, some mentions of gore, guilt, trauma (who is surprised. please), angst, a shower scene but it's really unsexy except for anakin on his knees series will have eventual smut, canon level violence, etc etc.

a/n: tagging makes me feel a type of violence that is historic in nature. not beta read. any comments and reblogs and all are so so appreciated thank u so much for reading

You never realized how intertwined grief and guilt are before now. Anakin allows you to pretend that you’ve fallen asleep as he hoists you into the speeder with Obi-Wan, stroking your feverish forehead with his cool metal hand. He’s draped you in his cloak, hiding the blood on your clothes. If Obi-Wan knew you were awake, he’d ask you questions, questions that you wouldn’t have the strength to answer. Anakin lays you down gently with your head on his lap, a comfort you don’t think you deserve.

You keep remembering the spray of blood on your face, its metallic, coppery scent staining you forever; you did that. You took away her life, forever, without hesitation, without stopping. While it felt like a blur in the moment, it feels crystal clear now: the sight of your hands, tangled in the roots of Reyna’s hair, blood muddying the sand as dark rivulets formed from the pool of blood forming from Reyna. And that lifeless look in her eyes, the one she had before you had actually managed to kill her… she wasn’t afraid. She knew you were going to kill her. She knew she was dead before her heart managed to stop beating.

The thought of that alone terrifies you. So you cling tighter to Anakin’s thigh, a shiver running through your body as you try to hide from your guilty conscience. He says nothing, just holds you tighter; you imagine he’s doing the work of shielding both yours and his emotions from Obi-Wan. You feel guilty that you can’t even muster the energy to care. Reyna’s face haunts you in the dark space of your eyelids every time you blink. There is nowhere to hide from her, from your guilt.

Anakin can feel your turmoil. He strokes the top of your head, hand shaking as he tries to hide his own sins. How many bodies has he buried, now? If he hadn’t been talking with Obi-Wan, distracted by the thought of you instead of living in reality, would he have been able to protect you from Reyna? That, too, scares him. When did death become his shadow?

“It has been a long time since you last meditated, young Anakin,” Obi-Wan comments quietly, just barely audible over the hum of the machinery. Anakin wonders if Obi-Wan can see the movement of his hands, the way that he’s seeking comfort in you. He hates that Obi-Wan is right about this whole thing. This is attachment. He’d do—did— dark things for you. But if it’s so dark to keep you safe, to protect you, how can the darkness be all that bad? It’s tearing him apart. All he knows now, all that makes sense to him now, is keeping you safe. Whether it’s for himself or the galaxy is a question Anakin does not have an answer to.

“How can you tell, Master?” Anakin asks. You’re restless on his thigh and, worried you’ll give yourself away to Obi-Wan, he quickly brings his hand over your face, willing the Force to send you into a dreamless sleep. Some peace for you, he hopes. Obi-Wan does not answer his question immediately, only giving him that knowing smile that drives him absolutely mad sometimes.

“You forget, Anakin, that I know you just as well as I know myself. Even if you have hidden your Force Signature from the world for the protection of the Queen, you cannot hide your emotions from me. They are written plainly on your face,” Obi-Wan responds finally, placing a gentle hand on Anakin’s shoulder. He knows it’s meant to guide him, comfort him, but it just feels… oppressive now. All Anakin can think about is getting you to somewhere that no one can hurt you, where you won’t have to put yourself through what you did ever again. His selfishness tears through him, cuts into pieces his resolve and wish to be a good Jedi. “Anakin, I… I worry for you. In this lonely palace, with only the Queen to keep you company. The Force will never abandon you, Anakin, but you must take care not to abandon it. There is light within you, light that you must foster and protect.”

“And what happens to that light if I’ve done something horrible, Master?” Anakin asks quietly, trying desperately to find that light within him. Maybe it was snuffed out long ago. Obi-Wan seems stunned by his question, but Anakin’s question remained. Everything that happened today has brought his past to the forefront of his mind. The Sand People, his obsession over Padme… maybe there never was any light in him.

“It is never too late to turn back to the Light, Anakin.” Obi-Wan doesn’t press further. For his own sake or for Anakin’s, Anakin doesn’t know, but the guidance soothes him anyways. He’s tired. The cold of Tattooine’s desert at night has caught up to him, so many years later, sinking into his skin, threading through his tissues until his heart pumps sluggishly.

“You and the Queen look unwell,” Obi-Wan observes. “Perhaps the both of you can get some rest, and I’ll talk to Padme to get a lead on which Ministers we can use.”

“Padme’s here?” Anakin asks. He’s acutely aware of the unchanging pace of his heart, the steadiness of his breath and he realizes that his love for her has faded. All that remains is a genuine, pure fondness for her. It only makes him feel more hollowed. “Give her my regards, will you, Master?” Obi-Wan nods wordlessly as the speeder reaches the service entrance of the palace. Anakin rouses you quickly, the short window of time serving as cover for your silent departure.

Your bleary eyes take in the palace groggily, the beautiful stone walls seeming more and more like a prison as your knees buckle. Before you can fall, Anakin lifts you into his arms, hooking one arm under your knees and the other across your back. You feel safe in his arms, a temporary comfort as he sneaks the both of you back to your chambers.

By some sheer luck, you reach the room completely undetected. Anakin sets you down and ushers you to the shower. Anakin had done his best to wipe the blood off of you, but it stains you still. The sight of it confronts you as you look at yourself in the bathroom mirror, rings of blood and tired eyes staring back at you. Anakin, noticing the unforgiving scrutiny of yourself, turns you away from the mirror and begins to ease the clothes off your stiff form. He’s hesitant but there’s no choice— you aren’t in the state of mind to be able to take care of yourself, and the longer you stay like this, with the dirt of your crime still smeared on your body, the worse you get.

“Do you think I’m a monster?” You ask him softly as he undoes the last piece of clothing, leaving you bare to him. The physical vulnerability does not cross your mind as he guides you into the steam of the shower, studying you for a moment before he realizes you shouldn’t be alone. Privacy is not a luxury you can afford right now. He washes his hands, still caked in blood and sand, and joins you in the shower.

“No, my queen. I think you were forced to make choices that no one should have to make. I think you’ve done your best to keep your conscience,” Anakin responds. He washes his hands and brings them to your face, wiping the blood and dirt from your cheeks with his thumbs. Your eyes flutter shut from his gentle touch, overwhelmed by the intimacy of his care. He moves slowly to your shoulders and neck, easing away the tension in your muscles with each knead of his hand. Your eyes look downwards, to the foamy stream of red dripping off of your body, but Anakin catches the movements and directs your gaze back to his eyes. The spray of the water soaks his clothes, making it cling to his skin as he gently cleans your face. “Hey,” He says quietly. “Forget about that. Just look at me, okay?” You nod, and he quietly washes any blood from your arms. He does it delicately, keeping his eyes fixed on yours even as water drips from his eyelashes onto his cheeks. The shower stream drenches him, making his hair plaster to his forehead, but he doesn’t look away, even as he works down your body, getting to your legs. He’s respectful about it, doesn’t break his gaze away from your face as he kneels at your feet. And from your feet, looking up at you under the harsh bright light of the shower, he thinks that you look like a terrible goddess—powerful, so powerful, burdened with a task that will forever remain thankless. You are a remorseful goddess, the deity of those who never got to keep their humanity. Beyond the hollow sheen of your eyes, he sees it all; the guilt, the sadness, the knowledge that you’ve done something that will stain your soul forever. He cannot look away, captivated by you and the sheer energy you hold. To Anakin, this is right; this subservience to you, bowing at your feet because there is some part of your spirit that demands respect.

But even goddesses stumble. The distant look in your eyes makes him stand without second thought, holding you up before you crumble into his chest. You shed no tears, merely closing your eyes as Anakin holds you to his body, surrounding you in warmth with the help of the warm water. The warmth of being next to you, the privilege of holding him warms him even as the soaked cloth clinging to his skin chills his bones. He hesitates before he slowly puts his chin on your head, holding you tightly as you breathe shallowly.

“Remorse is a luxury few can afford,” you mumble into his clothes. Anakin knows you’re right, but Maker, if you don’t deserve that luxury, no one does. Your breathing slows and deepens as you regulate your emotions and distance yourself from it all.

You are a monster. It couldn’t be clearer to you. Anakin’s handling of you as though you are made of glass only shows his revulsion. He must have held you out of fear, out of responsibility, but it’s a kindness you do not deserve. Is the value of a life worth so little to you? It wasn’t a clean death. It was messy, vengeful, and there was no walking back from this guilt. You killed someone. You’re no better than the woman you killed.

And then you look into Anakin’s eyes. Eyes like the oceans, like the horizon of a clear blue sky. Eyes filled with compassion, softness, and you realize that you don’t regret your bloodshed. You’d do it again to protect him. To protect his goodness, and the goodness just like his, you’ll take the sins of the world as your own. You’ll become something awful, metamorphosize into something unrecognizable to those who loved you, but it’ll be worth it. Deep down, you’ve always known your fate was something like this; you are a lamb, raised for slaughter. You’ve been staring at the knife that will bring your death for so long. It only makes sense; the death of the Queen of Naboo would only serve the final blow to the people of Naboo. They’d be left defenseless, with no protection against the Separatists, who’d tear the planet apart. You’ll die at their hands or someone else’s, you’re certain. But here, you feel as though your death will mean something. To protect Anakin, to protect Padme, and all the others that you’ve loved in the small moments of kindness that you’ve borrowed from them. You’ll kill, again and again, and be killed, for their sakes.

“I must see Padme and Obi-Wan,” You say, pulling away from Anakin’s embrace. Your movements are swift, methodical as you get dressed. You’ll act as though nothing happened. You’re a monster, you might as well act the part. You don’t want to see the expression on Anakin’s face as he watches you return to normalcy. You’ll protect him from your guilt, too. “Don’t stay in your wet clothes for too long, you’ll fall sick,” You add. You don’t deserve to care for him, but you care anyway. He’s silent for a beat before he responds.

“Their meeting is secret. You’ll find them in the hidden passageways of the palace, known only to the Queens. Obi-Wan was led there, but I’m sure you know where to go,” Anakin states. He sounds tired, but you don’t have time to dwell on that. You bid a quick farewell, and head to find Padme.

~~~

“Padme’s told me that the Political and Economic Advisor Horace Vansil is trustworthy,” Obi-Wan informs you as you join the duo in the shadows of the secret passageway. The lit beacons flicker some distance away from you, casting shadow on to your figure. You’re grateful for it. Padme can read you like a book, so you can only hope that the lowlight will obscure the numbness upon your face.

“We’ll task him with increasing the import of grain and long-term food sources, then,” You conclude. There’s levels to your response, but you need to be prepared. And to be prepared, you need to be detached. Cool. Collected.

You blink, and Reyna’s face, bloodied and bloated from death smiles at you in the darkness. She’s laughing, lips pulled into a grotesque, mocking smile. She’ll get away with it, she’s telling you. Listen, she says. Listen to me. You’ll fail. You’ll fail them all. We’ll kill you last, so you’ll have to watch them die before you. You shudder involuntarily.

“...Milady?” Obi-Wan asks, snapping you out of your nightmarish trance.

“Apologies,” You say, blinking rapidly to refocus. Obi-Wan’s scrutiny is unforgiving, but you pay it no mind. “Yes. We’ll do it,” You respond absently. Padme also looks oddly at you, but says nothing on the subject.

“There’s one more thing,” She adds. “Something is off about Chancellor Palpatine. I can’t place it but he seems more antsy these days. Getting much more involved in the business of not only Naboo, but nearly every planet and system that has any power in the Republic. It’s… odd, to say the least.” “Speaking of the Republic,” You respond, recalling the interaction you had with Darth Sidious, “there’s something odd that Darth Sidious said to me. He said our forces will be too occupied to help Naboo. I believe that like with the government of Naboo, there’s someone with great power in the Senate who is more than they seem.” Padme nods. “I’ve gotten the same feeling. Things are changing, and I don’t think we have much time left.”

“We’ll give them what they want, then,” You sigh. “If I can arrange a visit to Coruscant, I’ll be in a vulnerable-enough position for them to want to make a move. If we can draw out the mole, we can act.”

“Padme, your suspicions of Chancellor Palpatine… will Anakin’s friendship with him jeopardize this in any way?” Obi-Wan asks.

“On the contrary,” You smile bitterly. “I think it could be of great help.”

“It’s settled, then,” Obi-Wan sighs. “You’ll have to come back to Coruscant.”

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queenjunothegreat · 22 days ago

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And I'm back with this! You didn't FORGET about it, did you? (TBH, it's been THREE WEEKS since I updated it, so I would understand if you had smh.) ANYWAY, I'm here now! :D This chapter has absolutely ZERO sad in it, unlike the first two chapters. It's JUST cute.

Also, side note! Big thanks to @aureusarc for keeping me from accidentally making Jason a Neo-Nazi! That was MUCH appreciated <3

Anywho, may I present Chapter Three of Where the Love Light Gleams: It's Grand Just Holding your hand

“So,” Jason drawled, drawing out the word as long as he could. “Why, exactly, did you kidnap me? Other than to force me to watch you fix my car?” Leo whipped his head up from where it was buried in the engine of Jason’s car and looked at him in obvious offense. “I saved you, man. You have absolutely no idea what fate you just avoided.” “Yeah?” Jason grinned. He rested his elbow on the car and propped his chin up with his hand. “And what, exactly, did you save me from?” “Piper always throws this gigantic party the Saturday before Christmas,” Leo explained. “She goes full Martha Stewart, hostess with the mostess kinda stuff, you know? Basically the whole town shows up to Cabin Ten for food and drinks and games and stuff. It’s even on the town’s list of official events. Annabeth put it on there last year, and Piper wouldn’t shut up about it until July.”

First Previous

Three days after the magical tree lighting ceremony, Jason once again found himself standing in the middle of Crooked Hollow Bend, wearing an absolutely heinous Christmas sweater. This time around, he’d been smart enough to just put the damn thing on when Piper threw it at him, which definitely improved the situation, but didn’t make the sweater any less itchy. He wasn’t in the best of moods, seeing as he’d started his morning with Piper leaping on his bed and violently shaking him awake before scrambling away, shouting something about him needing to get ready right now. He’d stumbled into the kitchen shortly after, where Reyna was waiting to walk him through the morning’s plans, seeing as Piper was still too wound up to string together more than a couple words.

“There’s a gingerbread house decorating competition in town this morning,” she explained pleasantly, buttering her toast. “Piper really wants to take part.”

Jason had once again tried very hard to convince Piper that she didn’t really need him tagging along and dragging down the mood of her whole Christmas Wonderland, but she hadn’t let him get more than a couple words out before she was scoffing and swatting his complaints out of the air. She’d been nice enough to give him a proper breakfast, just like she had every other morning, and he’d been given a giant Thermos of piping hot coffee to replace the poor cup he’d been forced to abandon. Still, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about the whole situation, and would have much preferred to be inside, actually enjoying his exceedingly rare time off.

That being said, he’d just spied a pair of pointy ears and a mess of curly hair, so maybe the morning wouldn’t be awful after all.

“Why the hell did you call me out here, Pipes?” Leo whined, nuzzling down into his scarf to keep his nose warm. “It’s way too early for this.”

“It’s, like, nine,” Piper corrected, clucking her tongue. “And it’s gingerbread house day! You know I’ve always wanted to do that!”

Leo tilted his head back and groaned, and Jason pressed his fist to his mouth to muffle his chuckle. That’s when Leo finally noticed him, and his eyes bugged before he rounded on Piper. “You dragged Jason into this, too?” he hissed. “Hasn’t the dude had a hard enough time without you tormenting him?”

“Don’t worry about it. He’ll have loads of fun,” Piper scoffed dismissively. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Leo rolled his eyes, ignoring the borderline threat, before he looked at Jason, chagrin clear on his features. “I’m sorry you got roped into this,” he said genuinely. “I know Reyna’s not going to apologize for Piper’s behavior, but someone needs to.”

Jason smiled. “I don’t really mind all that much.” Surprisingly, he was being totally honest. Reyna apparently noticed, too, because she paused and looked at him funny, but he ignored her. “So, I’m guessing you’re not a morning person?”

“Not in the slightest,” Leo admitted. “Are you?”

The yes was perched at the tip of Jason’s tongue, but he bit it back. Sure, he was used to waking up early, but he’d really enjoyed the lazy, late mornings he’d had the past few days. After the initial horror of sleeping in for the first time, he’d quickly grown attached to his bed, and Piper or Reyna had needed to wake him up for breakfast every day since. Instead, he shrugged. “I can go either way, honestly.” He grinned and offered Leo his Thermos. “Not without coffee, though. You want some?”

Leo physically recoiled from him, face twisting up in disgust. “Absolutely not. You keep that gross junk as far away from me as possible.”

Jason took a step back, his free hand held up in playful surrender. “Okay, okay. No coffee for you. Got it.”

“Yeah, you’d better–”

Piper interrupted him then, flinging her arm around Leo’s shoulders and hanging off him. “Come on guys! Reyna’s inside signing us up! Leo, you’re on my team; Jason, you’re with Reyna.”

Jason’s eyebrows shot up. “Wouldn’t you rather work with Reyna?”

Leo scoffed. “Uh, no. Pipes and I have been partners since middle school. She’s gonna need more than a piece of paper to ditch me.” In response, Piper pressed a loud, wet kiss to his cheek, and he made a loud gagging sound, and then she was darting back inside.

“So, what did she mean about never getting to do this event before?” Jason asked as he and Leo followed her inside. “I’d kind of assumed she’d done everything even remotely Christmas themed.”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you? Honestly, she’s done everything else, and the only thing that’s held her back from this one is that everyone’s split up into teams of two,” Leo explained. “Because of that, the three of us couldn’t all do it together. Reyna and I both tried to tell her that we’d be okay if she just did it with one of us, but, well. I’m sure you can guess how she felt about that idea.”

Jason snorted and walked up to the little fold out table where Annabeth was reviewing the sign up forms Reyna had given her. She smiled at Jason and offered him a handshake. “You must be Jason. Reyna told me there was someone staying in Cabin Ten for a bit.”

Jason straightened his posture and gave her a quick, firm handshake. “Pleasure. Yes, I’m Jason Grace; I look forward to my time here.”

Leo wrinkled his nose at Jason’s words, but Annabeth didn’t seem to mind because she just nodded at him, then turned to Piper and laid the papers down flat, her expression serious. “Your application for participation is denied.”

Piper’s jaw dropped. “Denied? What the hell does that mean? Why?”

“You must think I’m stupid if you really think I’m going to let you and Leo have unrestricted access to icing and powdered sugar. I know you two.”

Piper was still standing there, mouth agape in offense, so Jason stepped forward. “What if we swapped up the teams? I could work with Leo, and Reyna could go with Piper.”

Annabeth looked him up and down critically, and Jason gave her that same smile he always used to put clients at ease. Eventually, her shoulders slackened, and she nodded. “That works for me. Try and keep him on a leash.”

“I will certainly do my best,” Jason said pleasantly, and he took the little numbered placards with their table assignments. “Thank you.”

Piper beamed at him and snatched up the plastic triangle Jason offered her. “Thanks, Jason! Come on, Reyna!” Then, she grabbed Reyna’s hand and dragged her off, Reyna looking more than content to be manhandled.

Beside him, Leo chuckled softly and Jason looked over to see Leo grinning. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get on Annabeth’s good side that fast.”

Jason furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

Leo squinted at him, like he couldn’t decide if Jason was messing with him. “Uh, I mean the whole ‘I’m a fancy big city lawyer who’s very professional and responsible so you can totally trust me’ voice you used with Annabeth just now.” He wrinkled his nose at Jason teasingly. “You sounded like a real grown up.”

“Oh.” Jason frowned in consideration. “That’s just the way I talk.”

Leo shrugged and started gathering up the supplies they were apparently supposed to be making a gingerbread house out of. “You don’t talk that way to me.”

Jason thought about that. About the casual comfort that seemed to hang around Reyna and Piper and especially Leo like a fog. About the way he’d gladly accepted that comfort and embraced it, even in the short time he’d known them. “I guess I don’t.”

Leo grinned at him, and held up a tube of icing. “C’mon, Jace. We’ve got a gingerbread house competition to win.”

*-*-*

They didn’t win. They didn’t even come close. When the three winners and the three runner-ups had been announced, their number had not been called. Then again, neither had Piper and Reyna’s, and Piper wasn’t taking the news well.

“That was rigged!” she complained loudly as they walked down the street. “Our house was a work of art!”

“Yeah, I can’t believe the friendly competition designed for grade schoolers had grade schoolers as the winners,” Leo drawled lazily.

Jason personally thought that the age of the contestants wasn’t really the problem, and the issue was more about the fact that both gingerbread houses had been complete and total disasters. Leo had gotten bored about halfway through setting the second wall, and decided that a mini-food fight with Jason was a much more entertaining way to spend his morning. Jason hadn’t exactly planned on indulging him – he had a set of instructions and intended to follow them to the letter – but Leo had remarkably good aim and managed to lodge a gumdrop in Jason’s ear, and that had meant war. Annabeth was visibly unimpressed with their cracked cookies and wobbly walls and candy-coated mess, but Leo had been grinning from ear to ear, so Jason had just smiled sheepishly and shrugged out an apology he didn’t really mean.

He wasn’t entirely sure what happened at Piper and Reyna’s table, but based on the icing smeared across Piper’s forehead, he guessed it was something along the same lines. Now, though, Reyna was holding Piper’s hand and trying her best to comfort her wife’s obviously stung ego by offering various other activities. Jason wasn’t really listening, too focused on admiring all the pretty decorations on every door and window, until he heard Piper squeal with delight.

“Ooh, yes! Ice skating would be so much fun! Let’s do that!” she declared, grabbing Reyna’s hand in her own as the two of them hurried down the street together.

Jason was frozen in place, watching them go and wallowing in the feeling of dread that washed over him. Leo noticed Jason’s reluctance and turned to him with a concerned frown. “What’s up?”

“Did Reyna really suggest ice skating?”

“Uh, yeah?” Leo cocked his head to the side. “Is that a problem?”

“I’ve, uh.” Jason cleared his throat and looked away. “I’ve never actually been ice skating.”

“Don’t you live in New York City?” Leo asked, baffled. “Isn’t the Rockefeller Center, like, the most classic winter date spot ever?”

Jason didn’t have the heart to tell Leo that he’d never been on a date to the Rockefeller Center, or anywhere similar to it. Any and all of the dates he’d been on were mere formalities at best, and never got any more personal than stilted conversations over dinner and an invitation for a late night cup of coffee in the other’s apartment. Instead of saying that, he shrugged. “I’ve never really been one for that kind of cheesy date.”

“Well, get ready to witness the cheesiest date you’ve ever seen, then,” Leo joked. “Piper and Reyna love going to the ice rink together. It’ll be fun.”

Jason still hesitated. “I dunno. I think I may just head back to Cabin Ten and sit this one out.”

“Oh,” Leo said, and Jason couldn’t help but think that he looked genuinely disappointed. Still, he put on an understanding smile. “Yeah, I get it. Honestly, I’d probably duck out, but I don’t really have an excuse, and I’d rather play third wheel than listen to Piper pout and accuse me of sibling betrayal or whatever.”

“I–” Jason cut himself off, and bit his tongue. He didn’t really like the way Leo’s shoulders had slumped, and he liked being the cause of it even less. “Well, I guess I could come. I don’t exactly have anything better to do either.”

Leo perked up at that. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Jason gave a decisive nod and nudged Leo with his elbow. “I mean, I’d hate to leave you to be the third wheel alone.”

Jason was already regretting the offer, but Leo’s whole face lit up with a smile, so he couldn’t really find it in his heart to back down.

It would probably be fine.

*-*-*

It didn’t take long for Leo to come to the conclusion that ice skating was a bad decision. Personally speaking, he was having about as much fun as he ever did at the rink. He wouldn’t exactly consider himself the best ice skater on the block, but there wasn’t really all that much to do in Crooked Hollow Bend other than ice skating, so he’d had plenty of practice over the years. Meanwhile, Piper and Reyna were, of course, gliding around the rink with enough chemistry and grace to make Olympic partner skaters absolutely green with envy. They hadn’t stopped holding hands and looking disgustingly in love with one another since the moment they’d laced up their skates, so Leo figured they were having a grand old time.

The problem was Jason. Leo hadn’t really known what to expect from the other man once he’d heard about the abysmal skating history. Honestly, Leo had thought that Jason would wind up taking to the ice like a duck to water, skating around with perfect poise and powerful grace from his first step. He figured that anyone who looked like Jason was obviously blessed by some higher power, and that probably extended to ice skating.

Leo had never been more wrong in his life.

They’d been at the tiny rink for almost half an hour, and Jason had hardly made a single lap around the rink, clinging to the wall and muttering what sounded like Latin prayers under his breath. Leo had offered to help him a few times, but each time he’d been waved off with a hollow insistence that Jason would be fine, he just needed to get used to it, and that Leo should focus on having fun. Unfortunately, Leo couldn’t really bring himself to have much fun when Jason was so obviously miserable, so he figured it was time to step in.

He skated up to Jason’s side, which apparently startled him, because he wobbled dangerously for a moment before flinging himself at the wall in a desperate attempt to stay upright. He looked at Leo, eyes wide with obvious terror, and awkwardly cleared his throat. “Uh, hey, Leo.”

Leo gave him a sheepish, apologetic smile. “Hey, man. Sorry for sneaking up on you.” Jason waved the words out of the air, so Leo continued with his request. “Would you mind sitting in the bleachers with me? I’m exhausted, but I’d feel super weird just sitting there by myself and waiting for Piper and Reyna to get bored.”

Jason looked relieved beyond words. “Yeah, sure. Let me just get back around to the gate.”

He started making his tiny, terrified shuffle-steps forward, and Leo grimaced, looking over at the entrance, which was on the other side of the rink. “Do you think I could maybe help you get there? No offense, but I’m pretty sure I’m gonna die of old age if I let you go it alone.”

Jason’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink color, and Leo grinned. “Fair. How do you… wanna do this?”

“Don’t worry, I know it’s your first time. I’ll be gentle,” Leo promised. Jason shot him a look, and he couldn’t help but snicker. He held out both of his hands to Jason. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Look, how about you just let go of the wall and take my hands? You just stand still and focus on staying upright, and I’ll skate backwards and tow you to the gate. It’ll be just like when the Stolls brought in your Audi.”

“Thanks for bringing that up,” Jason grumbled. Still, he took a deep, calming breath before he let go of the wall and clung tight to Leo’s hands.

With Jason’s hands held in his, Leo couldn’t help but notice how different they were. His hands were smaller and slender, perfect for tweaking delicate machinery and getting into awkward nooks and crannies, but they were rough with scars and a lifetime of use. Meanwhile, Jason’s hands practically dwarfed his, big and strong and completely smooth, other than a neat line of calluses at the base of his fingers, likely from frequent trips to the gym and little else. Leo dismissed those thoughts and focused on helping Jason stay upright. He beamed at him as encouragingly as possible. “That’s it, man. You’ve got this. We’re just gonna skate right across and then we’re off.”

“You’re taking us across the rink?” Jason demanded sharply. “Reyna said it was safest to stay in the lanes.”

Leo glanced around at the rink, which was practically deserted, other than them, Piper, and Reyna. “I think we’ll be alright. I promise nobody’s gonna run into us.”

Jason didn’t exactly look convinced, but he didn’t protest when Leo took his first careful step backwards. As soon as they were moving, Jason immediately began wobbling, shaking from head to toe, and knees knocking against one another. Leo just squeezed his fingers and smiled at him. “Hey, you’re doing alright.”

“I’m really not,” Jason gritted out. “Can we please go back to the wall?”

“You’re doing fine,” Leo insisted, though he did come to a stop again. He ducked his head so that Jason, who was staring at his toes, was forced into eye contact. “Hey, Jace? C’mon. Look at me.” Jason reluctantly did as he was asked, and Leo smiled gently at him. “Jace? Do you trust me?”

Jason didn’t say anything for a moment before he took a deep breath and nodded. “I do.”

“Okay, then just trust me,” Leo instructed. “Calm down and bend your knees and let me guide you. I won’t let you fall. Promise.”

Jason looked a little skeptical. “How, exactly, are you gonna keep me up if I lose my balance?”

It was a fair question. Considering Jason was probably more than half again as big as him, Leo would struggle to keep him from going down, even without factoring in the knife shoes and reduced-friction hellscape. But that wasn’t what Jason needed to hear right now. “I won’t need to. You trust me, and I’ll trust you, and we’ll make it across, no problem. Deal?”

Jason screwed his face up and took in a sharp breath. “Okay, deal. Just get us out of here.”

“You got it,” Leo promised. “I’m gonna start skating now, okay?”

Jason nodded, and together the two of them began their slow, steady pace across the ice. Every couple steps, Jason would apparently remember that he was skating and, therefore, meant to be off-balance, and he’d squeeze Leo’s fingers painfully, but Leo would just squeeze back and tell him they were almost done. Fortunately, the rink wasn’t actually all that large, and before too long they were stepping off the ice, just as Leo had promised.

“I don’t think I like ice skating,” Jason announced as he yanked the skates off his feet.

Leo snickered quietly and took the offending equipment so that he could go exchange them for their shoes. “Just go find us somewhere to sit. I’ll take care of these.”

Jason did as he was told, and within just a few moments, Leo was sitting down next to him, two pairs of very different boots in hand. As he was lacing up his work boots, Leo suddenly remembered something and looked up at Jason. “Oh, by the way, I got an update on the parts for your car. They should be coming in tomorrow morning, so with any luck you can be on the road for California by Thursday.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jason shrugged. “I’m not going to California, so you can take your time.”

Leo furrowed his brow. “You’re… not going to California? Isn’t that the whole reason you even drove through here in the first place?”

Jason hiked a brow. “Piper didn’t tell you? My sister canceled on me, and she was the only reason I was going in the first place.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. We were supposed to be handling my mother’s estate, but I didn’t want to, so I just hired a lawyer to do it for me. Well, another lawyer.”

Leo snorted, then he frowned in sympathy. “Still man, it sucks that your plans changed like that.”

Jason considered that for a moment before he gave Leo a tiny smile. “Well, I count myself pretty lucky that I got to wind up stranded in this town.”

Leo felt his cheeks flush and he dropped Jason’s gaze. “So, if you’re not going to California, are you headed back to New York?”

“No.” Jason shrugged casually like he hadn’t just dropped a major bombshell in Leo’s lap. “I have the month off work, regardless, so I figured I might as well spend it here. I’m starting to kinda like it.”

“Oh.” Leo’s cheeks were definitely red now and he looked up at Jason through his lashes. “Well, not to be selfish or anything, but I’m glad you got stranded here.”

Jason’s cheeks were just as dark as Leo’s, and he smiled. “I am, too.”

*-*-*

“So,” Jason drawled, drawing out the word as long as he could. “Why, exactly, did you kidnap me? Other than to force me to watch you fix my car?”

Leo whipped his head up from where it was buried in the engine of Jason’s car and looked at him in obvious offense. “I saved you, man. You have absolutely no idea what fate you just avoided.”

“Yeah?” Jason grinned. He rested his elbow on the car and propped his chin up with his hand. “And what, exactly, did you save me from?”

“Piper always throws this gigantic party the Saturday before Christmas,” Leo explained. “She goes full Martha Stewart, hostess with the mostess kinda stuff, you know? Basically the whole town shows up to Cabin Ten for food and drinks and games and stuff. It’s even on the town’s list of official events. Annabeth put it on there last year, and Piper wouldn’t shut up about it until July.”

Jason snorted out a laugh, but he felt a bright spark of interest at the announcement. He couldn’t remember the last time he went to a Christmas party that wasn’t hosted by the law firm, and he couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather have as a host than Piper. She’d been serious about making sure he got the full Crooked Hollow Bend Christmas Experience™ , and he had to admit he’d enjoyed a couple of the activities. Even the non-official ones like when she’d led an expedition into the woods to select the perfect tree for the living room of Cabin Ten. She’d probably looked at every tree and bush in the forest before she made her selection, declaring that the tree in front of her was a gift from nature itself for her specifically. Leo had loudly and comically complained after about forty-five minutes of searching, but his big brown eyes had been almost as bright with delight as Piper’s when Jason and Reyna dragged the tree inside and set it up. It hadn’t really looked like any Christmas tree Jason had ever seen – Reyna told him that it was actually a species of native Juniper instead of a fir – but he’d had to admit that it was really pretty.

Jason dismissed those thoughts and arched an eyebrow at Leo. “Okay, sounds like my plans for next weekend are set. What does that have to do with today?”

“Well, she’s gotta decorate for the party. Duh.”

Jason quickly ran over his mental image of Cabin Ten and all its candles and lights and wreaths and bows. “You mean she hasn’t already decorated?”

Leo snorted so hard it sounded like it hurt. “You think she’d be caught dead hosting a party with that pitiful display? As if. That was just the preliminary, dude. She’s whipping out the big guns today.”

Jason refrained from pointing out that Cabin Ten was the single most decorated house he’d ever spent time in in his life. “Yeah? Shouldn’t we be helping her then?”

Leo shook his head, looking deathly serious. “Absolutely not. Piper in decorating mode is borderline a war criminal. You do not wanna get in her way, and if you’re anywhere near that house, you will be in her way. Reyna even makes sure that they don’t have any guests the weekend before the party, just to keep bystanders safe.”

Part of Jason wanted to accuse Leo of being overly dramatic, but the more he thought about it, the more the accusations seemed plausible. “Well, in that case, thank you.”

“Thank you, actually,” Leo said, his nose scrunching playfully. “I absolutely procrastinated on your car to have an excuse not to help her today. Couldn’t have done it without you, man. I owe you big time.”

“Well, if that’s all it takes to get into your good graces, remind me to drive directly into the nearest snow bank as soon as I’m street legal again,” Jason teased.

Leo made a comically disgusted sound. “Really? You’d put all my hard work to waste like that? I know I don’t like Audies, but she is a beautiful car. Surely you care about her a little.”

Jason involuntarily wrinkled his nose. “Uh, not exactly. Very few fond feelings about this thing, actually.”

Leo paused his work and looked up at Jason with one eyebrow cocked up. “Something tells me there’s a bit more to that story.”

Jason considered that and shrugged. “Not really. It was a gift from my dad for graduating law school. I mean, it’s a really nice car, and it’s useful when I need it, but I specifically asked him to not buy me a sports car because I don’t like driving.”

“Yeah? What did you want instead?”

“Promise you won’t make fun of me for being a rich kid?”

“You wouldn’t like me half as much as you do if I could make promises like that,” Leo countered, grinning like a shark. Jason just chuckled and dropped his gaze, seeing as he couldn’t even begin to argue. Leo poked him with the wrench in his hand. “Come on, nepo. Tell me what you told Lawyer Santa to get you for Christmas.”

Jason let out a heavily put-upon sigh, and muttered under his breath, “Rome.”

“Rome? You asked your dad for a city and you wanted me to refrain from making fun of you?”

“No, not the whole city,” Jason corrected, rolling his eyes. “I just meant a trip. I’ve been obsessed with Ancient Rome since middle school, and I wanted to see it in person.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm. I actually went and got a tattoo before I found out my dad canceled my trip. Probably not my best decision, but I like it.”

Leo’s eyes were bright with interest. “Can I see?” Then he paused and looked at Jason suspiciously. “Wait, it’s not on your ass, is it?”

“One way to find out,” Jason quipped, reaching for his belt. When Leo turned vermillion and spluttered, he laughed. “No, it’s not on my ass. It’s on my forearm. Look.”

Jason rolled up his shirt sleeve and Leo shuffled around the car to do as he was told. Rough fingers delicately traced over the silhouette of a howling wolf and the perfectly neat, even text below her, leaving behind a grease smear and sending a shiver up Jason’s spine. “What does it say?”

“Fiat justitia ruat caelum,” Jason recited. “It’s Latin for ‘do justice, even when the heavens fall.’ It’s a legal phrase that emphasises justice, regardless of the consequences. And this–” he pointed at the wolf– “is Lupa. In Roman myths, she’s the one who raised Romulus and Remus, who later founded Rome.”

“You know,” Leo said conversationally, still running his fingers over the crisp clear lines of Jason’s tattoo. “You told me I couldn’t make fun of you for being rich, but there’s one thing you forgot.”

“Yeah?” Jason asked, pretending he wasn’t starting to feel a little breathless. “And what’s that?”

Leo craned his neck to look up at him, his eyes sparkling and all of his teeth glinting like a smug crocodile. “You didn’t tell me I couldn’t make fun of you for being a fucking dork.”

Now it was Jason’s turn to splutter while he was laughed at. After a moment, Leo hip checked him and teased, “Don’t worry about it. Dork suits you. Very well, I might add.”

Jason opened his mouth to reply, but Leo’s phone started ringing from the other side of the garage. Leo scowled, obviously displeased at the interruption and stepped out of Jason’s personal space. “I have to get that. That’s Malcolm’s ringtone.”

“Who’s Malcolm?” Jason asked, his tone ever so slightly sharp with an edge of jealousy that he tried to ignore.

Leo was obviously not ignoring it, based on the amused quirk of his lips, but he didn’t respond to Jason’s demands and just answered the phone, dramatically draping himself over the nearby couch. “Malcolm, what have I told you about keeping our midnight rendezvous secret? You can’t just call me in the middle of the day like this.”

Jason’s expression soured and he sat down next to Leo. “You’re not funny,” he said in a tone that was most certainly not a pout.

Leo’s lips just curled into an even more distracting smile as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. How are things with you, man?” He went quiet as he listened to the response, and suddenly his eyes widened and his face lit up in genuine delight. “What? No way! Really? That’s amazing! Congrats!” Leo chewed his lip for a moment. “Wait, so you’re moving, not doing remote work? And you’re going all the way out to Washington?” A small crease formed between his bushy eyebrows and Jason had to resist the urge to smooth it out with his thumb. “Yeah, no, I totally get it. So, you’re leaving when? Wednesday? Really? Like four days from now Wednesday? So, what are you gonna–” Leo cut himself off with a wince and a groan as he slumped over into Jason’s side and thunked his head down on Jason’s shoulder. “Come on, man, really? You’re gonna do this to Piper, too? It’s Christmas. You know how much that means to her.” He heaved a deep sigh and started fiddling with the hem of Jason’s shirt. “Nah, dude, I get it, I really do. I mean, a little bit fuck you for this, but mostly congrats. I know this is gonna be huge for you, and you deserve it. Hope things work out well for you out in Washington.” He went quiet again, then barked out a laugh. “Yes, I’ll break the news to Piper, you fucking coward. I’ll let you go now. I’m sure you have plenty of very fun phone calls to make. Good luck out there, man.”

Then he hung up the phone and huffed out a sigh, squirming even closer to Jason. He didn’t say anything, and Jason told himself that he shouldn’t push. Technically, it wasn’t really any of his business, and he needed to wait for Leo to open up on his own terms. He had to be patient.

Unfortunately, Jason Grace was not a patient man.

“Okay, what the hell was that about?” he demanded, twisting one of Leo’s curls around his finger and giving it a petulant tug. “Who’s Malcolm, and why are you talking to him?”

“He’s mine and Piper’s bookkeeper,” Leo said, swatting Jason’s hand away from his hair. “He’s the only accountant in town. Or, well, he was. Speaking of, I need to call Piper.” He pulled out his phone again, though thankfully this time he left it on speaker. “Hey, Pipes, you’re on speaker and Jason’s here, so behave or I’m calling dad and tattling on you.”

“You’d better have a damn good reason for interrupting me, seeing as you abandoned me on the day I need you most,” Piper said, ignoring the greeting.

“I have an important reason, but it’s not good,” Leo announced. “I just got off the phone with Malcolm. You remember that big job opportunity he was talking about last month?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he got it, so he’s moving out to Washington on Friday.”

“Geeze, they didn’t exactly give him time to pack, did they?” Piper marveled.

“Yeah, well, the other thing they didn’t give him time to do was finish November’s books.”

Piper let out a loud groan. “What? No way! How are we supposed to find someone to do our books at this time of year?”

“I guess Reyna could finish us out for the year and we can find someone online?” Leo suggested halfheartedly.

“Come on, you know she hates bookkeeping.” Piper made a frustrated sound. “Not that we have much of a choice.”

Jason was admittedly a little surprised to hear that Reyna apparently hated bookkeeping. Granted, he’d been the treasurer in all of their joint after school activities, and Reyna was so very obviously a different person from the girl he’d known. It really shouldn’t have been all that shocking that she’d changed in this aspect as well. Jason hadn’t changed, but maybe that was a good thing this time.

Without thinking too hard, he spoke. “I can do it.”

Leo whipped his head up from its perch on Jason’s shoulder to gape at him. “What? You know how to do bookkeeping?”

“Yeah,” Jason said easily. “I took accounting as a minor in college, and I’ve kept up to date on all my certifications. I can send you my resumé, if you want.”

Leo blustered. “I– No! We don’t need your resumé!”

“Agreed!” Piper chimed in. “You’re hired! What’s your rate?”

“Piper!”

“Well, considering both of you are way undercharging me, we’ll just call it reciprocity,” Jason chuckled. “Just get your stuff together and I’ll take a look at it.”

“Ooh, thank you!” Piper squealed. “Jason, you’re the best! I’m gonna ask Reyna if I can also marry you!”

“Piper!” Leo hissed, cheeks flushed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Oh, sorry. Did you have dibs on marrying him, or something? You should have told me.”

“I’m hanging up now,” Leo seethed. “I hate you so much.” Before Piper got the chance to say anything else, Leo ended the call and viciously shoved his phone down between the couch cushions. He scowled up at Jason. “I, like, actually hate her.”

“I can tell,” Jason hummed indulgently.

Leo pouted and burrowed back down into Jason’s side. After a moment, he spoke in a quiet voice. “You don’t actually have to do the bookkeeping stuff, you know. Pipes and I can handle it.”

“I’m sure you can handle it,” Jason said, gently and genuinely. “And I know I don’t have to do it. But I really want to do it, if you’ll let me.”

“It’s seriously not a big deal,” Leo insisted. “We can just… hire someone online. It’s not a problem.”

Jason wrinkled his nose at the prospect. “Vetting out a good bookkeeper takes time, and the fiscal quarter ends this month, and you and Piper need those numbers. Look, just let me do this for you until you find someone else, at least. I can even do it when I go back to New York. I’ll get you and Piper set up with a scanner and everything.”

Leo puffed out his cheeks before he finally gave in with a huff. “Fine. But if we have to keep using you come January, we’re gonna start paying you, got it?”

“Of course,” Jason lied.

Leo snorted, then grinned up at Jason. “You know, if you ever decide to quit your fancy lawyer job and do bookkeeping full-time, you’ve basically got a whole town of clients waiting for you. Malcolm was the only accountant in town, so everyone’s high and dry now.”

“Huh.” Jason considered that. He thought about the look on his father’s face if Jason ever told him he was quitting the family firm to go play accountant for a town of 800 residents. It was oddly tempting. He huffed out a quiet laugh and wrapped an arm around Leo’s waist in a sideways hug. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Leo laughed brightly and wrinkled his nose in that teasing way he seemed to love. “I’m sure you will.”

Jason didn’t reply with anything other than a smirk, letting Leo read whatever he wanted to in it. One thing was for sure though: He had a lot to think about.

#valgrace #my writing #pjo fanfic #hallmark fic

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insane-fanfic-author-4life · 10 months ago

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If you don’t mind questions; would it be okay if I ask about the culture of New Rome/Camp Jupiter in your AU?

I saw you mentioned in one of your one-shots about Jason that he and Dakota hate mortals (or used to in Jason’s case). I know with how outsider-averse New Rome seemed in canon I figured they’d have at least SOME distaste for mortals (especially from old families), but I want to know your thoughts on it! Maybe we could possibly get a story where Dakota meets Sally👀?

If you’re willing, do you have any ideas for the Sea of Monsters quests Jason and Dakota went on? I’m assuming they went after the Golden Fleece, and can only imagine their (or even all of New Rome’s) faces when it’s found out that Percy got to it before them😄. I’m assuming on that quest they found Reyna!

(If you can’t tell I love hearing people’s New Rome headcanons and what life was like for them)!

Apologies for the mini-rant and if it ends up not making too much sense😅! Hope you’re doing well!

🫶🫶🫶

HI! Thank you so much for this ask, I've always wanted to share my New Rome World with someone.

Sorry in advance for my rambling.

Rick gives us so little about new Rome it's crazy! So, I've kinda came up with my own world-building and culture while writing/planning my Jason Grace fics.

New Rome, in my AU, is very cut off from the mortal world, and I know that in the Riordanverse it's the same way, but I mean so cut off from the world outside Oakland Hills and Mortal culture. Any hint of Mortal Culture- or even anything that isn't New Roman is looked at as taboo. You've never handled a weapon before? Look at the time I've gotta go. You don't speak Latin or use Roman Numerals on a regular basis? Oh, sorry my dad said we can't be friends. You don't enjoy the traditional meals but like Takis? Why didn't the Wolves eat you.

In my horridly-named-au there's a lot of racism/bitterness towards mortals, definitely from the Golden families who've lived there since the fall of Rome. Mortals have always been very oblivious towards the gods and mythology going on, but still they tend to put their noses in places they shouldn't be. We see in all of the quests that when this happens, things tend to get sticky for the Demigod in question. And because of how cut off the New Romans are from the Mortal world, just one bad experience in the outside world can shape entire generations of legacies.

Forget openly thinking you'd rather live outside of New Rome.

Most of the time that isn't seen as an issue though, because why would you want to leave? There's an already structured city with schools, apartments, hospitals, restaurants, and everything you need to survive. To raise a family and grow old. While outside of New Rome you're constantly surrounded by the very thing that attracts monsters to you.

Besides after serving the ten years you have too in the military, you know more about the New Roman Way than the Mortals. Everything the Mortals do now is strange. What do you mean they have free time? That they eat pizza for dinner? That's so unhealthy.

I feel like the people in New Rome don't really understand free time and pleasures very much. Even if they're safe and can have those things they're still demigods/legacies. They always have to be at their top game, or they'll die.

Their little understanding of the outside world (plus horribly views towards mortals) leads to racism and jokes towards them.

I have a lot more on New Rome culture but that's the gist of their views of the outside world.

Also, I've been planning a one-shot about Dakota (and some others) meeting Sally!

I've been planning a longer fanfiction about Jason's childhood/ quests leading up to HoO. I want to start publishing by the end of this year, but I want to have a few (maybe ten) chapters written up and edited.

Anyways here's my ideas for the Sea of Monsters Quest with him and dakota (plus whoever else was with them)

They get stranded on one of the islands in the sea of monsters, which is where they find the Maenad rave (another implied thing in the series) They're preteens and awkward and just need help but these maenads... aren't very helpful, so say the least.

They run into Triton at one point, who is a little bitchy and ends up sending them towards Black Beards Stolen Ship, where all the former C C's Island Resort people are captured.

Jason hates what's going on, and jumps on and concidenlly is like 'I'm here to save you. I'm the son of Jupiter' to Reyna while she, Hylla, and Kinzie plan their escape. Reyna doesn't really need Jason and his peoples help, but it'll give her a better advantage, so they all for a plan. She ends us showing off and Jason realizes she has to be a demigod.

That's pretty much all I have for that so far, sorry if that wasn't what you were expecting and rereading it is very messy.

I'm so happy you asked and if you have anymore New Rome questions I'd love to hear them. Also if you have any New Rome headcanons that you don't mind share with me that would be great cuz it's so underrated and I love people who like the Roman Side of the riordanverse.

Hope you're doing well as well! Thank you for sending this and if you, or anyone else, has anymore asks let me know!

#heroes of olympus #jason grace #pjo #pjo hoo toa #dakota pjo #fanfic #percy jackon and the olympians #writing #pjo headcanon #new rome #new Rome culture #roman demigods #reyna ramirez arellano #the Sea of monsters

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pjoxreader · 2 years ago

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Leo/Frank/Reyna with an autistic reader?

Autistic Reader

((I unfortunately don't know much about Autism but I did my best! I did do some research so I hope it's alright!))

Leo Valdez

-Leo does his best to be supportive but he has a million things going through his brain. Unfortunately you like things to be done at their exact time and get anxious when they aren’t.

-”Leo, we’re already five minutes late!” you stress out pacing outside his room. Leo does make his way out, getting his jacket on. But when he goes out and sees you so stressed out he honestly feels bad. He just gets so absorbed in his own work that he forgets about time.

-However Leo decides right there and then that he never wanted to be the cause of your stress ever again. He makes multiple alarms for himself to block out his time. Just as you were about to go complain to Leo about being late, again, you hear him talk by the front door.

-“Come on love we don’t want to be late do we?” he gives that dorky grin that makes your heart flutter. He really was a dork but you do go over giving him a light kiss that makes him go bright red.

-He isn’t perfect though, he often messes up with realizing you take things very literally. Which he works his best on, but he was known for making jokes and such! He’d never mean it maliciously though!

-The worst scenario with that was when you were getting ready to join the ares cabin in sword training and Leo called “break a leg!” The stare you gave him really made him realize just how bad he messed up. He quickly starts to explain what the phrase means as he feels guilty right away.

Frank Zhang

-Frank knew anxiety could get bad, he had to deal with it a lot himself. You two had bonded over that when you were younger after all. And now Frank was trying to help you meet his new friends.

-Of course he knew it’d be a lot to meet six other people who all had their own unique personality… So he had warned the group ahead of time that you two might sneak off for a bit to help you relax, promising it wasn’t because of the group.

-Everyone was very understanding. Frank could see you were getting a bit overwhelmed and went to your side smiling softly “Did you want to take a break?” he asks, keeping his voice calm and you nod, taking a shaky breath as you look at the railing of the boat.

-Frank knew you were never one to make eye contact so he never bothered you about it. “Here, there’s a good spot over here.” He leads you over where the chatter dies out and you get to enjoy seeing the ocean.

-You take a few breaths helping yourself calm down as Frank waits, standing at the railing while he waits. He knows when to give you space and you couldn’t have asked for a better boyfriend than him. After calming down a bit you feel guilty about running off from a party that was supposed to be about you making friends…

-”Hey, don’t feel guilty. They all understand.” he promises lightly sitting down beside you as if he read your mind. “Can I hold your hand?” he asks gently. You can’t help the soft smile forming on your face as you nod, holding your hand out for Frank to hold which he gladly takes. You can’t help but think how lucky you are.

Reyna Ramírez-Arellano

-Reyna is very observant, maybe it’s her combat skills but she just knows when something is wrong. She could tell the moment you don’t like something, the moment you’re stressed, or when you’re upset. She could really read you like a book.

-But what she did have problems with is telling your other emotions, which was unfortunate since you had a hard time explaining how you were feeling too. You were also very blunt and honest but she loved that.

-It was annoying having to deal with the other roman soldiers who would go around subjects to spare her or others feelings. She just wanted the truth and you would deliver. She was working on some paperwork and looked over to you.

-“What do you think of Octavian?” she asks curiously looking at you with a raised brow. You huff at that “I think he’s a jerk and I hate him for sacrificing my stuffed animal.” you say as if talking about the weather, making Reyna grin a bit at that she really did love how honest you were.

- She had to work out something to help you with your emotions, something that would help the both of you. She wanted to be a good girlfriend and be there to support you. But she knew that she couldn’t do it alone so she asked the other seven to help her come up with ideas.

-She should have just gone to Annabeth first as she printed out something called the emotion wheel. It was a wheel with different emotions on it that would then branch out to more detailed explanations like going from sad, to discourage. Something you could take one step at a time. It’d be perfect.

~Masterlist & Rules~

Like my writing? Please consider sending me a Ko-fi! ☕

#pjo #pjo x reader #hoo #hoo x reader #pjo fluff #leo valdez #leo valdez x reader #frank zhang x reader #frank zhang #reyna ramirez arellano #reyna x reader

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imkillerbae · 2 years ago

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Would you do a sequel in plush drama? I feel you are talented at long stories ❤️

Snap Drama (Valorant Yoru x Reader) (Plush Drama pt 2)

Summary: You file a leave and you miss Yoru so you send him a snap.

Word count: 3.5k

CW: Fluff, Fem!Reader, Phoenix, Jett and Neon slander, crab talk, mentions of celebrities I dont know)

Art is also by me

The windows were left open, the midnight air was cold as it blew against your curtains. The stars were bright against the indigo sky, and you stared at them quietly, hugging your black cat plush against your chest.

You were on leave from the VP, currently residing in your home with your family. And while you enjoyed the time you had with the folks, you couldn’t help but wonder how everyone was in HQ. Especially Yoru.

When your leave papers were signed, he was away for a mission and wouldn’t be back until further notice. You didn’t know why, but you felt bad leaving without saying goodbye properly.

With a heavy heart, you packed lightly for the trip. But you didn’t forget to pack Yoru Jr. with you, since you didn’t wanna feel lonely in the plane. And during the flight, you itched to send him a text, or call him. It’s not like you needed to tell him any of this. But it just felt wrong not to. You shook the thoughts away: you can’t jeopardize his mission just so you could update him about something he may not even be interested in knowing.

It was a week after you left that he got back from the mission with Sage, Sova and Reyna. He was jetlagged, hungry, and aching in places he shouldn’t be. But all he wanted to do as he stepped down the Vulture was to give you this keychain he bought from Bangkok, a trinket he managed to snag with limited time.

His brows knit together as his eyes roamed the field, the agents coming to greet them, but there was no sign of you anywhere. He grits his teeth as he approached Phoenix. “Aye, man! You don’t look too hot,” he laughs, doing their handshake. “Yeah, and? I’ll get patched up later.” He replies curtly, brushing the dust off his jacket, looking around as covertly as he could, hoping that you were just late or something.

“Whatcha looking for?” Phoenix asks, also looking around. Yoru’s eye twitches in annoyance but he shakes his head. “No one. Doesn’t matter.” With that reply, Phoenix quirks an eyebrow before smirking. “Ah, I see how it is,” he smiles widely, elbowing Yoru. “If you’re looking for Y/N, she’s on leave. I’m surprised you didn’t know?”

Yoru raises a brow. He knew about your scheduled leave, but he thought that it would be approved later than anticipated. He gripped on the keychain he held inside his fist. “Wasn’t looking for anyone,” he shrugs, but winces at the aching on his arm.

It was Phoenix’s time to raise a brow. “Is that right? Say that again, and I’ll believe you,” he laughs, shaking his head. Phoenix found it funny how hard his best friend tried to hide how much he liked you, and yet everyone could see how enamored he was. But no one wants to play cupid unless they wanted a bullet through their stomach, curtesy of Yoru.

Except for Phoenix of course. He had the balls to play with fire.

Yoru hissed at him and his teasing, huffing. “I don’t have time for your nonsense right now Phoenix. Go unpack or someshit. Make yourself useful,” he rolls his eyes, pulling the jacket off him. With the soreness he had, it was getting heavy. “Oh, but am I really talking nonsense?” He jokes, snagging the keychain from Yoru’s grip by the loop, spinning it around his fingertips. “Another knickknack huh? If you keep being such a chicken, she’s gonna have enough shit for a yard sale.”

Yoru blushed, blood rushing from his neck. After his first move of giving you that cat plush, he’s been building up the courage to give you something a little more overt with his intentions. His intentions being along the lines of ‘I like you and I want to spoil you’. “What the fuck are you on about? T-that’s not for her. I just found that lying around some place,” he defended, too tired to retrieve the thing from Phoenix.

“Oh yeah? I’ll keep it then if it isn’t too important. That alright with you?” Phoenix challenged, reaching his hand out, the hoop of the keychain dangling on his fingertips. With a smug grin, he jingles it, mocking Yoru as he tried his best to look disinterested; his red face giving him away. “Doudemo ii. It’s trash anyway,” he grumbled and rolled his eyes, walking towards the HQ entrance, bumping his shoulders against Phoenix in annoyance.

“You know, you gotta make up a better excuse than ‘I found it some place,’ she’s not some lost and found box!” Phoenix calls out, and Yoru’s eye twitches as he turns around to give Phoenix the middle finger. Why was he a million times more annoying today? And why did he have to meddle so much?

But as much as he hated what Phoenix said, he was right. He needed to make up a more sensible excuse; he can’t just keep giving you stuff and hope the message comes across clearly. He needed to make a move.

But that’s easier said than done. Actually, it’s not easy saying it either.

Recently, anytime he’s talked to you, his brain would lag, trying to form the right sentences. It wasn’t like him to be so careful with his words, being known to be quite the opposite. But with you, he found himself wanting to be more sincere. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t his style, so he just ends up being quiet. He never stuttered, and yet you always had him too stunned to speak.

When he stumbles on his words, he gets so mad at himself that he distances himself from you sometimes. He always thought of himself as a confident man, egotistic even. And yet you were able to stun him with just a smile. And when you say his name, oh god. He found it so cute, his heart clenches at the sound. Why was he so bad at communicating his feelings?

After a trip to the infirmary, a relaxing bath and a long nap, he was well rested. Unfortunately, this resulted in him not being able to fall asleep at night time. A warm towel was propped on his neck, his hair down from its updo. He sat on his chair, propping one leg up. He stared at himself in the mirror, eyes narrowed. He was annoyed with himself and his inability to communicate properly beyond the battlefield. It was frustrating. He could tell how confused you were with his mixed signals, and he was trying his best to set himself straight.

He looked at his phone and thought of you. Somehow he wanted to overcompensate and send you a text. He just wanted to talk to you and not fuck up. Unbeknownst to him, you felt the same way.

It was already late at night and yet you still wanted to text him. You wanted to know how he was, how his mission ended, and tell him sorry that you weren’t able to meet before you left. Fuck it, I can’t take this anymore, you thought to yourself. Yoru was brave enough to hand you gifts, you should be brave enough to send a text.

But what text should I send?

Picking up the phone was the easy part. Typing down words seemed daunting. You scratch your head, biting your lip. Plus, where do you even send it? You wouldn’t be caught dead sending anyone flirty messages in VAL-SECURE. Scrolling through your apps, you see Snap. Perfect. You should send him a photo!

But of what?

God this was getting more complicated than it needs to be. Your palms sweat as you stare at yourself in the screen. It would be too forward sending a selfie out of nowhere. You look around and see your plush, and ding! An idea comes to mind. You send a picture of the cat instead and captioned it with a ‘hi :>’

As soon as you saw that the message was sent, you threw your phone to the bed and stared off into the distance. The act of spontaneity hitting you like a brick wall.

You sent the Kiritani Ryo a fucking Snap.

It’s not like you’ve never texted each other before, but it was mostly just updates about the protocol or missed mission details. But this was Snapchat. You didn’t even know if he used that. You knew he had social media but never posted anything, only using it to check on others or troll Phoenix.

Out of nervousness, you hug the poor cat plush. You reminded yourself that it was already late, and he may not even reply. You felt a pang of comfort then sadness at that fact. Much to your chagrin, you see the light of your phone pulse. A notification. You look at the phone, mortified.

Shit.

Yoru on the other hand stared blankly at the photo you sent, finding himself too stunned to act on it initially. Blood rushes from his neck to his face, his ears almost steaming as he stared closely at the picture. He felt his heart clench. It was… so cute…

Even if you weren’t in the photo, he found it adorable that you brought the plush with you. He also couldn’t help but imagine you in bed with your pyjamas, lying down as you send the cute picture. He rubs his forehead with his free hand, baffled and in awe. It took him a few moments to register the fact that he had to reply something.

Looking at himself at the mirror, his brows raise. He checked himself on all angles and smirked to himself. His hair wasn’t done up but he looked good regardless, something he took pride in.

But as soon as he opened the camera, a blush crept up his cheeks.

He was sending YOU a fucking SELFIE at 12 AM.

Anytime he tried to get a good photo of himself, the blush was very evident. He tried every good angle, but he couldn’t hide how flustered he was. God, you got him taking selfies at 2AM. He didn’t even like taking photos of himself!

Out of desperation, he instead sends a photo of half of his face. He captioned it with a simple ‘hey.’ Fuck it.

After it sent, he froze in his seat, his face red like a tomato. He was screaming angrily at himself on the inside for that horrible angle but not a sound left his lips. He sat the phone down on his lap, pulling out his comb and combing his hair in panic.

It was laughable how easily you’d turn this narcissistic and egocentric jerk into the most self-conscious and shy person ever.

Seeing the photo on your end, you gasp and squeal. You bit your lip, trying to drown down your excitement. You saved the photo and smiled. He was so adorable. You didn’t expect him to send you anything of this sort. Breathing in, you prepare to reply.

> Lol why are u still awake? You chat, then holding down the phone to your chest. Surprisingly, he replied rather quickly this time.

>> I could ask you the same thing. You laugh to yourself. The way he chats is similar to the way he talks; blunt and dry.

> Couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d bother you for a bit. You replied honestly.

He stares at your last message for a little while. He smiled a little to himself, the last sentence sending butterflies to his stomach. On your end, it seemed he was typing out something long, but you were dismayed to see his actual reply.

>> Oh.

Oh. What could he mean by that? You sat there for a bit, thinking about what to reply. You were starting to think this was a bad idea, sending him a text knowing damn well he was tired from the mission. Maybe he wasn’t in the moo—

>> How are you holding up there

Your eyes widened as he sent another message.

> It’s fun for the most part. Got to hang out with family. Hard dodging questions about my *job*

> But it does get a bit boring sometimes. There’s not much to do around here.

> How about you? How was your mission btw

As you sent your replies, he patiently waits for you to finish your thought. It takes a while for him to reply, thinking carefully about what to say. Although he is a bit glad that his brain doesn’t lag as much through text.

>> You brought the plush huh

That was all he replied after a long while. You pout as he dodged the question.

>> I hope he’s good company when you’re bored.

He was really happy to see that you brought the cat with you. It gave him a bit of an ego boost. But he’d never tell that to you.

> Oh yeah, he is. I was scared of missing the VP so I thought I’d bring a piece of it along with me.

2 minutes pass.

>> that’s good.

>> nothing too exciting about the mission. Bangkok has pretty good food. We kicked ass. The usual.

>> I got you a keychain but one direction took it for himself.

> Did you just call phoenix… one direction????????????

>> He’s a brit and he sings. Makes sense.

> you cant just call him that😭

>> better yet: No Direction. Because his aim is shit and he’s a fucking idiot.

> OMG😭😭😭

> what does that make Neon👀

>> idk. Imitation lea salonga maybe

>> kinda like imitation crab. It’s good but not quite the same with the real thing

>> had to look up filipino singers for that one idk any

> mans really comparing neon to a crab😭😭😭

>> correction: lea salonga crab. This isn’t some normal crustacean.

>> it’s got the karaoke buff

> hahahaha!😭

While you laugh at his silly remarks, Yoru on the other hand was sweating in his seat, his hoodie suddenly feeling a lot heavier.

Since when did he get so chatty?

He was trying so hard to be funny, it was pathetic.All he needed now was to smear lipstick on his nose and he’d be a fully fledged clown. He sighs and gets out of his room, walking to the rooftop for some air.

> To be fair, Neon’s hairdo does look like crab pincers.

>> ?

> YOU PLANTED IT IN MY BRAIN

> Now I cannot *unsea*

> badum tss

> hehe

>> wow

>> im blocking you now.

> No pls

>> beg

> WTF😭

He smiles absentmindedly as his legs guided him up the rooftop. His hoodie did enough to shield him from the cold night air, the mellow moonlight illuminating his steps. His hair flows with the breeze from the ocean, and he could see the stars vividly. The HQ was isolated from the world in an island, which made the sky all the more clear. He stood in front of the low railing and propped a foot up on it, taking a lighter and lighting up a cigarette. He huffs out smoke which was immediately blown away behind him.

> hey

> is it okay if I call?

He stares at the message for a moment, his heart clenching again. He looks around nervously, gritting his teeth. He’d love to, but he might fuck his words up. His foot taps impatiently against the concrete floor, trying to decide how to reply.

> or not

> it’s okay if not

Seeing that, he presses the call button out of impulse. Pressing the phone against his cheek, he waits for you to answer.

You jumped when your phone started ringing, with his face plastered over the screen. You blushed, your spontaneity paying off. Clearing your throat, you breathe out through your mouth. Pressing the answer icon, you smiled.

“Hey,” he says through the phone, blowing out smoke. “Hi,” you squeak, lying on your side with the plush to your chest. “I almost thought it wasn’t you sending those messages,” you laugh, and he jerks an eyebrow upward. “How so?” He asks curiously, sitting down on the concrete, his back to the moonlight.

“Well, you’re not exactly the type to use social media often, let alone snap.”

“That depends heavily on who tries to reach me.”

He could hear your slow breaths, and your voice sent tingles up his spine. He loved the way you spoke. He could listen to you talk all night. “So you’d be okay with me sending you messages sometimes then?” You ask with a large smile, and he huffs out smoke before replying. “Anytime,” he replies bluntly.

Write me a novella if you’d like. I’ll be your biggest fan.

He hears you laugh, and the butterflies in his stomach rage. “Why does it sound so windy there?” You ask him curiously, turning on your other side.

“I’m in the rooftop.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Smoking.”

You raised a brow, then your eyes narrow. “Huh, I didn’t know you smoked.” You pout a bit as you said that, and as if he saw it, he purses his lips. “Only when I’m nervous,” he says in defense, biting the cigarette slightly. “Why would you be nervous haha,” you chuckled.

“Hn. You could say you have that effect on me,” he admits honestly, blushing lightly. There was no point lying about that. You also blush at that remark. You didn’t understand the whole meaning of it but it was enough to make you grin like an idiot.

“It was unfortunate that I left without saying bye properly to you… a-and Sage and the rest. I was wondering what souvenir you’d like to have?” You ask, your socked feet rubbing together in anticipation. He’s silent for a moment, staring at his shadow.

“Make it up to me by getting back here safely.” And soon, he thought.

“What, you miss me already?” You teased, and he chuckles.

“Hm. You could say that.” He replies after a bit of silence.

“Admittedly, the whole place seems a lot duller than usual whenever you’re not around. Even Joon-he’s big mouth can’t liven the whole place up.” He adds. He remembered how his heart dropped when he didn’t see you waiting for him when he got back.

“Really? Phoenix not giving you enough headaches to keep you entertained?”

“Oh, plenty. He’s even more annoying today. He took my fucking keychain, that bitch.”

You laugh as he spoke about his best friend, the protocol, the mission, while you told him about your day, the constellations, Jett’s secret stash of kimchi, and everything else under the moon. All your drowsiness left your body as you talked the night away, your conversation lasting for hours. Even if his seat was uncomfortable, he was happy to be on the rooftop just listening to you rant about the randomest things. This is the first time in a while you’ve both talked this deeply. Ever since he realized he liked you, it got hard for him to talk to you this way. Who knew that all it took was for you to make the first move.

As you talked, he noticed that dawn was coming soon, and it was getting early already. He didn’t feel sleepy, but he could hear you yawn every now and then. As much as he wanted to keep talking, he didn’t want to get you too tired.

“You should sleep.” He says, standing up and dusting his pants. He looks at the moon, still bright in the sky. “Yeah, I know,” you yawned, huffing. “How long has it been? 3 hours?” You chuckled, looking at your clock.

“Yeah. Sumanai, I shouldn’t have kept you up too late.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I enjoy talking to you. You were the highlight of my night… and morning I guess.”

“Hm.” He blushed, looking at the moon. It gave him butterflies knowing you were both looking at the same thing, even though you were miles away from each other. “Go to sleep.” He suggests, and out of drowsiness, you nod in response. “Good night Ryo,” you smile, closing your eyes.

He doesn’t drop the call yet, hesitating. “Hey, Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“I forgot to say something.”

“What is it?”

“Suki da. Oyasumi.”

He then turns the call off, leaving you a bit confused. What did he say? Oh god, he was gonna be so mad if he found out you were too sleepy to understand anything right now. You were gonna have to ask him what the hell he said later, but right now, you needed to sleep.

Yoru on the other hand stared at the sunrise peeking through the clouds. He watched as the sky turned from blue to orange, the ocean waves fiercer than hours before. The wind was cold, but his heart and stomach felt warm and giddy. He doesn’t know whether you heard him or not, but that doesn’t matter.

All that matters is that he meant it.

#valorant yoru #yoru x reader #valorant yoru x reader #valorant imagines #valorant #valorant headcanons #valorant yoru imagines #valorant yoru oneshot #valorant oneshots #valorant oneshot #yoru #fanfiction #valorant fanfiction

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hang-me-like-jesus · 9 months ago

Text

the lost praetor's lost memories

by the heavens, why did they have to be so rowdy? the skinny, anemic boy thought as he sneered and rolled his eyes. like all the other romans, he was beyond ecstatic for the return of his praetor– the true praetor, not that fraud perseus jackson. but was he screaming his lungs out at the mere sight of jason? no, he wasn’t. he was too dignified for such a brutish act. his peers would do better if they learned from him.

octavian, looking up at the ship in the sky— argos ii, it was called—spotted the lost praetor immediately.

wearing an orange shirt, devoid of any lavish medals, capes, or decorations.. by the gods, what had the greeks done to his praetor? they ruined his beloved prince with their simpleminded clothing; he didn’t have at least one war medal pinned to his chest!

octavian thought the cheering of the crowd couldn’t get any louder, yet he was proven wrong when the ship landed in its designated spot in front of the forum. by the gods, it was as if all the mandrakes in the world had been teleported to new rome and began to yell out their agonizing screams.

“roman people!” reyna finally yelled out. “compose yourselves!” in an instant, the romans collectively calmed down. reyna’s wrath was one they did not wish to experience, and for good reason.

the crew of the argo ii stepped out of the ship and were shown the way to the forum, where they were to have dinner together with the roman officials regarding the threat that the earth goddess posed.

octavian ignored all attempts of the graeci to talk to him. he had his eyes on nobody but his beloved jason. he could see it now— they’d abandon the dinner and run to their usual spot in the woods and have a picnic of their own. a picnic where they wouldn’t feel as if they needed to uphold their respective performances as the praetor and augur. a picnic that would make octavian forget all the sleepless nights he spent worrying about jason. a reunion so sweet it would make them both forget about the end of the world. and octavian would be vulnerable with him for once, telling jason how he truly felt. and jason would reciprocate his feelings for him. the scene would be so sweet and beautiful that they would forget all their troubles.

“my dear praetor,” he smiled and bowed to jason, though the boy before him didn’t seem to notice him, for he was too busy marveling at the architecture.

“hm?” finally, jason noticed him. “oh, hi! what’s your name?”

“..you.. don’t remember me..?” octavian said, his voice barely a whisper.

why did it hurt? why did those three words sting like a stab wound to the chest? why did octavian feel tears prickling at his eyes?

“i’m sorry, i really don’t..” jason said. “am i supposed to know who you are?”

octavian’s mouth wired itself shut. he spent weeks at a time, losing his sanity trying to form a connection to the upper realm to ask them of jason’s whereabouts.. and jason didn’t. remember. him.

he didn’t know whether to cry or to yell. perhaps he should kiss him, to make him remember all the secret picnics they held in that meadow in the forest surrounding new rome. to make him forget that girl he had been holding hands with when they stepped out the ship. yes, that could work. it was the work of those abominable graeci scum, washing away all that made jason himself, making him forget all the joys he shared with octavian. octavian’s kiss would be the solution. the cure for the curse.

but jason was different now– a different haircut, a different hair colour, different clothes, no formal and professional symbols on his body that screamed out to the world that he was a proud son of rome besides his legion tattoo. by the gods, he even had glasses now, and instead of wielding a spear he wielded a sword. this was not octavian’s jason. this was not the boy he fell in love with.

“i... seem to have mistaken you for someone else. forgive me.”

#prophecyspark #jason grace #octavian #pjo #hoo #writers on tumblr #creative writing #short story #how do you tag things on tumblr help me

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somewhereincairparavel · 10 months ago

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I definitely agree with your post about Jason being blamed for the same things that Reyna did too :,( also do such people forget that Jason literally didn’t have his memories and for him Reyna probably was just his co-praetor like I don’t think he remembered that he had such vast history with her. She was avoiding him so badly (not bashing her lol I ship them both) so why does the blame fall on Jason alone?

Real. I think it's bc the hate for Jason is so normalized and internalized that hating on him is just seen as a trend tbh. It legit pains me when everyone collectively jumped on the hate train in Instagram trends. Ppl are trying to find something to blame onto him since he was generally a good guy, it's sad.

The way atleast 5 ppl ive seen have claimed that he's homophobic is insane to me. Well villianizing him would never work on me anyway lol.

Also ty for this message! I love receiving stuff from my inbox lol its weirdly satisfying to respond to asks haha

#╰┈➤ Elora's mail box #pjo #percy jackson fandom #pjo fandom

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random-introverted-blog · 1 year ago

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Read your answer the second you posted it basically! I meant to answer but mulled over nicknames. Used a thing to make your account name Anagrams. It’s in the end. This has been living in my head rent free.

Shadowheart def deserved more cute assist lines. Yeah, they all deserve causal flirting. Wyll and Karlach are the cutest!

Post game definitely works for them. Slowwwwburrrrrrrrn. A lot of stuff goes ‘lemme go back to a previous save real quick, bae.’ XD

Bending things for canon is really so entertaining.

AA would really be an ass bout it but would take you back. He does say he misses Tav in epilogue. He is still pretty obsessed. Also there was another thing that says he thinks about Tav a lot but is too prideful to seek them out:

Asty and SH having Tav as a shared ex would be so crazy. Them being like ‘We’re so happy without Tav’ (at first. Pettiness) . Then them being ‘surprise pikachu face’ when they actually do get over Tav and fall for each other.

I have so many work in progress fics. SH deserves more fics l!

I just adore chatting with you! You’re so fun and sweet. Might actually just dm you one day but let’s see!

Get you a couple that can do all three! I love the random funny bits that can ensue. They think they’re all that but would do cringey and funny stuff too.

The ‘I mentally plotted and planned a lot but didn’t see this coming at all’ is so funny to think about.

Asty would be like why did this happen again (his track record of accidentally falling for Tav before). He’d be extremely possessive and extra. Definitely would be like ‘You won’t be getting rid of me ever, Jen.’.

Both are will try and avoid making the same mistakes.

Batstarion shenanigans and him just being even more chaotic and silly and just trying to accompany her ‘undercover’ though it’s like it’s a dead giveaway and everyone’s ‘that’s your vampire boo isn’t it?’.

Also the trying to be suave and being silly and caught off.

Astarion would have a rivalry with Shar in a way ngl. He’s like that’s my girl just so we’re clear. Vampire Bride! Dark Justiciar! SH would be soooo extra. SH would find a way to keep power over him too somehow. A and SH would have a super back and forth, push and pull dynamic. They’d really have a long game. Super powerful both of them. Accidental equals and evil power couple.

The possibilities are truly endless. It’s great to speculate and indulge in what ifs! You’re very inspiring.

A song that suits both of em is ‘Can’t fight the moonlight’ by LeAnn Rimes.

‘Can’t remember to forget you’ by Shakira suits em too (plus the players who can’t get over em. It’s like let’s do a new route! Gravitates towards Asty and SH still. Shame you can’t poly with them together. But I get it would be a lot of work and that’s why).

That’s so nice of you. To be like ‘the stories I want aren’t out there’s gotta make them and cater to other fans too’. Your ideas are so fun and smart. Your writing style is so engaging. The angst and potential and exploring stuff is everything.

Congrats on the followers and you deserve even more! It’s so cool to think bout! 30 people is a lot!

For the nickname, I settled on Wenona!

I hope you don’t mind it? Hawthorne, Arya, Honey, Heather, Wendy, Dorothy, Howard, Shanon, Anthony, Reyna, Thea, Ashton, Rosanna, Rowena, Sandra, Sherwood were the other options. All of them are so posh!

- bloodmoon anon

Always a pleasure to hear from you, bloodmoon!

I'm flattered you put so much effort into coming up with a name! I'm used to the only flattery coming from my partner, but they're biased. I could write the equivalent of Mirkons story when you save him and they'd still say "that's beautiful, my love" yes I'm calling you out, babe, I know you're reading this.

THAT SAID.

The lack of cute/sassy assist lines is part of why I wrote Deny Me Not Your Heart. The other part is I see all this hurt/comfort/injury stuff and no one is writing these for Shadowheart SHES THE HEALER GUYS, THINK ABOUT IT.

I think a post-game slow burn is the only solid way for an Ast and SH fic, at least for me. I'm sure you or others are more creative in that regard than me.

You don't want to know how many saves I have stacked up on my PS5 only to do it all over again to my Xbox now lmao.

Bending canon is what makes us fanfiction writers, and never let anyone tell you otherwise. It's an art of balancing canon and the characters to what your vision is. A well done fanfiction is one that is almost indistinguishable from the actual story. That blurs the lines between canon and fan content. I wrote a whole speech that I had to cut to keep this from getting too long but short version, yes it is very fun bending canon!

I heard about the too prideful thing but I believe that was a cut epilogue card so whether it's canon is up for debate. But yes, he is pretty obsessed and I'm here for it.

A story with Tav as a shared ex would be very interesting! That's sort of the concept behind my longfic but instead of falling in love with each other, Ascended and Dark Justiciar end up having a Yandere 1v1 over their ex. But for the sake of discussion, let's say Astarion and Shadowheart end up fake dating to spite Tav but end up falling in love together instead. Sounds like an interesting prompt!

I'm more of a Tav shipper myself, if my content is anything to go by. But I agree, Shadowheart deserves more content!

Aw, I enjoy chatting with you too! My DM's are open if you or anyone feels like hitting me up and discussing fanfic, if you'd rather not send it as an ask that gets posted to over 30 followers. I'm getting busier lately, so my responses may be slower but I'm always trying to respond to things asap! So if you or anyone else wants a more private conversation to discuss bg3 ideas or some such, don't hesitate! I'll bounce ideas back as best I can. I will say my ideas/concepts are primarily Astarion and Shadowheart though.

Ascended and Dark Justiciar accidentally falling in love due to not planning for the outcome is hilarious and, for Astarion, very much in character! It's established several times that intelligent as he is, he's not the greatest at planning ahead so him catching feelings for Sharran Shadowheart after manipulating her into a tactical alliance (spongebob fish anchor voice: when will he learn?) rings of...

And after losing Tav, he definitely would be way worse in the possessive department of Shadowheart.

"Is that your vampire fiancee, Mother Superior? He's quite adorable!"

Angry chirping translation: ADORABLE? NO, I AM VENGENCE! I AM DOMINATION INCARNATE! I COMMAND THE NIGHT!

Shadowheart: he is, isn't he? And he's all mine.

More angry chirping: YOURE MINE! MINE, I SAID! MINE!

So with Shadowheart having access to memory magic, she would need to subdue him, tie him up and laser guide amnesia his ass. You can even manipulate or modify his existing memories, if you go by Shadowheart initially believing the Sharrans saved her from that wolf and didn't abduct her from her loving parents.

Aww, I'm so glad I'm inspiring you guys! This is the reason I started this little blog and to see it helping people in any way is what keeps me going! Thank you so much for your support, I really am beyond words for how grateful I am for you and the others!

I discovered many years ago that if there's a story you want to see, sometimes you have to create it yourself! And if you want it, other people do too! So you sort of bring together your own little club of likeminded people! Case and point, us and this blog! It's always reassuring to hear my writing is engaging, I'm one of countless writers who always feels inadequate and insufficient, especially after I read other people's work.

You can call me whatever you want within reason, of course. So long as it's nothing malicious, harassing or bullying. My partner may have some choice words about people calling me honey though 🤔 Wenona and Hawthorne are nice too! But really, it's whatever you want. My blog is to serve. Not the other way around.

And if I take a little while replying to your asks please don't think I'm ignoring you. I try to set aside enough time to fully read and respond whatever I see posted/replied somewhere when it feels appropriate!

Think I replied to everything in your ask... Sorry if I missed something!

-newly named Wenona/Hawthorne/Whatever else you wanna call me! ❤️

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