#his make up artist will RUE the day

[aphroditesmoon]

lacrymosa [part 1]

clarisse la rue x fem!hecatecabin!reader [boarding school au]

PART 2

summary: you were sent to a prestigious boarding school to be rid from your father as a burden, but when strange things begins to happen upon your arrival, you wonder what truly lies behind the school walls. And as you attract attention from an infamous student, your plans to lie low is disrupted for the semester.

warnings: basically pjo plot in a different font, wlw relationships and what that entails, artist!reader. warnings will be according to the chapter.

wc: 5.2k

a/n: part 2 will hv more clarisse, also I've never been good at finishing series, but here's to an attempt! Comment if you'd like to be added to the taglist!

The violent wind coming from outside of the car window sent a sharp shiver down your spine. You readjust your sitting position, pushing your school bag further away from you.

"Would you like to close the window, miss?" The driver asked, sparing a glance to your way. "No, it's fine." You assured him.

You have always liked the cold, it calms your nerves in a way. And for a day like this, you need all the help you can get.

Your father hadn't even been home to see you off for the last time. But you were kind of grateful for that. Usually you'd find it upsetting. But it was a clear decision that he purposely wanted you out of his line of vision when he had registered you into this boarding school.

Prestigious and highly acclaimed, he called it. Those were just polite words for strict and overbearing.

You have stopped wasting time trying to figure out why he hates you. Your mother dying from your birth was only the tip of the iceberg. Your whole existence is a burden to him, no matter how hard you've tried to change it.

I wonder if I'll even miss the hostility he's always given me, or the empty white walls of his mansions that have seen me at my worst and at my best. Those thoughts shouldn't matter anymore, you told yourself.

You've never been happy in that house, but familiarity, sometimes, was better than nothing. You fiddled with your crimson red tie that came with the uniform. What you could tell from the way you're dressed along with the down payment your father had to pay for you is that this place is an exaggerated babysitting place for rich kids with attitude problems.

You've been sent to many places away from your father. Summer camp, Spring camp, summer school and all that. But nothing this far away.

As per your research, the school seemed to be located far from the city and near the mountains up north. There are two buildings divided by gender that stands a few meters away from each other. Not that it'd be a problem for you. You've never been interested in boys much.

It was sunny earlier on the road, but the nearer you are to your destination, the cloudier the sky gets. "Looks like it's about to rain." You mumbled to yourself.

"That's normal here, miss. The weather here's always cold." The driver spoke from the front. You hadn't realized that he heard what you said.

It was a few minutes later when you finally see a large building from a distance. The view lived up to it's reputation even from a far. You feel your heart sinking into a stomach, the anxiety worsening.

This was it. This will be your home for the next 2 or 3 years.

Your driver speeds up once drizzling rain begins to fall down from the sky. You allow him to close the window from his seat and lower down the ac.

Feeling your fingers pruning up, you rub your palms together for warmth after reaching for your bag, pulling it closer to you.

The weather wasn't going to be a problem, and hopefully the people here won't be too.

---

When the car slowed down in front of the entrance, you let yourself take in the view of it all, girls ranging from your ages to younger, walking past of sitting by the stairs. All of them wearing the same thing that you are.

You didn't mean to make the driver open the door for you, but he did anyways as you're too distracted to stop him.

He moves straight to the back to retrieve your other bags as you step out of the vehicle. Some of the girls stopped and stared at you, knowing how rare it is to have new students here.

You couldn't tell what lies behind their long glares and gazes, but you had a feeling that they were eyeing you up like a predator does to their prey. Focusing on the large cream and white colored building staring you down, your heart whispered out a hopeful wish that you could just get back in the car and drive off.

You fix up your plaited skirt and turn towards your driver. "Do you need help to bring these in?" He asks.

You shook your head, immediately taking them into your hands. "No, I got it. But thank you." He smiled warmly as he shut the car hood close. "Have a great year, miss." He tells you politely before walking back to the driver's seat.

And that was the last familiar face you'll ever see for the rest of the semester. You lift up your hand in a tiny wave as you watch him reverse and drive off from the school ground.

You see him wave back before he finally disappears for good.

The staircase made it harder for you and your bags, and if you were expecting any kind eyes to offer some help, none came to it. Instead they all looked at you like you were stupid.

You counted the steps under your breath, stopping when you reached number 5, and then starting back again from 1. It was also an effort to keep your anxiety together, but at certain times like these, you wondered if breathing exercises are all lies made up by a psychiatrist to worsen someone symptom and continue to drive them crazy.

After a couple series of 1 to 5s, you finally made it to the top of the stairwell and into the open doors of the school.

If the rain outside hadn't been freezing your toes, inside was much more brutal. The school is air conditioned, of course it is.

When you said you liked cold, you didn't mean the frozen kind. The strawberry pink socks you're wearing aren't doing you any favors either as you breath out a tired sigh, full hands dragging your bags with you until you reach a tiny counter with the label "office" above the glass.

A teacher, or a guardian, sits inside, working on some paperwork. She looked up when she heard the rolling sound of the wheels on your bag and offered a small smile.

"You're new here, I take it?" You nodded your head and pursed your lips tightly. "Can I have your name?"

You gave her the information needed, from yoir name to your birth certificate. And once she's done compiling the necessary paperworks into a file, she stacks it in the shelves behind her.

"Here's your class schedule, and here's your dorm key." You slid the key onto your pocket and slipped the paper under your arms as you listened to her explaining how the dorm building is in a complete other side of this place, and that you'd have to drag your bags back down the lengthy staircase and walk another 6 minutes towards the other building on the left of the school. Not to be mistaken with the boy's dorms on the right.

You ignored the continuous staring from the other student as you forced yourself down again, and into the left.

The road to the dorm was nicely designed, a straightly drawn black and white concrete pavement in squares with grass on its side. It made the place look more homely. But of course, it wasn’t really gonna fool anyone.

The dragging became easier on the ground. You thanked the gods once you got to the other building once you spotted an elevator. Your first thought was, oh thank fuck for these rich assholes. And your second thought was, oh these are some real rich assholes.

There are less staring here since mostly everyone is already in school. You took your time walking once you're out of the elevator, reading the large signs of the dorm level names.

There are 20 levels to be accurate. And yours, unfortunately, is level 20.

You stood up straight in that elevator for what felt like a whole 10 minutes until it dinged open. Finding your room was much easier, you didn't have to walk very far to find your door. You used the key given to you to unlock the doors and pushed your bags into the room first before you.

You halted for a minute when you met with two strange girls from the inside.

Your roommates apparently have not gone to their classes yet and are still here. They looked at you expectantly as you stared right back.

"Uh-" your daydreams broke. "I'm new here." You announced.

One of the two laughed slightly and shook their head. "We know, we were waiting for you. I'm Harper, and this is Olivia." They extended their hands and you shook them without question.

"So, where'd you come from?" Olivia asks. She had beautiful green eyes and wavy blonde hair. Harper on the other hand, had dark hair and bold blue eyes. Next to each other, the two looks quite the pair. You began rearranging your bags on your side and taking out important things needed for your classes as you answer their inquiries. "New York."

"A city girl, that's nice. The difference here must be jarring." You snorted whilst you hang your clothes on to your small closet. "Very."

They walked out with you once you were done unpacking, leading you back to the school.

"The teachers won't mind you being late, with you being new and all that. But make a habit out of it and you'll get a penalty for it." Harper explained. "Penalty?"

They both nodded and kept on walking up towards the entrance. "Attendance is very important, this isn't public school, lying about health problems to get out of class or skip and disappear for more than 3 times, you could get expelled."

That is insane, you thought. "I didn't know they're that strict." Harper smirked and shrugged at that. "Yeah, I mean unless you're a legacy student, or your parents donate a lot for the school, you won't get many benefits."

Of course, even among the rich, the most privileged still get to escape justice and fairness. "Are you both legacy students?"

"No." Olivia snorted. "What's your locker number?" She takes a peek at your papers and moved right to your locker, opening it with ease.

"Thanks." You tell her while shoving your books inside of it.

"There aren't many legacy students here." Harper spoke from your side, referring back to your question from earlier.

"There are only certain families with histories deeply rooted within the school walls, like Luke Castellan or Silena.”

Your brows raises at those names as the three of you leaned back on the lockers. "Let me guess, they're brats who can get you expelled?"

"Worse." Olivia corrected with a sarcastic smile. "They can do whatever shit they want to you, and will not get expelled for it."

"But don't worry, half of them are decent, just don't piss them off and they'll leave you alone." You nod in understanding, knowing that it was your plan anyways, even if they hadn't warned you.

"Luke's not even entitled or mean, he's actually pretty nice. He helped me take out a book from the library once." Olivia added, wiggling her brows.

"You're just saying that because you like him." Harper scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Even if I didn't, he's still not an ass." The bell rang the minute her sentence was finished. The two girls groaned and started saying their goodbyes before they parted ways to attend their classes.

"Meet up back for lunch?" Harper initiates. "Sure." You told her before following her directions to pre Calculus.

Your brain still hadn't fully registered what just happened. You just made two new friends, and that is a relief. Though you enjoy your alone time along with some quiet and peace, that doesn't mean you don't get lonely or feel isolated. Having bad social skills doesn't exactly equate to joy wanting a social life at all.

You walk into the half filled classroom and scan the space for an empty seat.

Some kids up front started whispering to themselves as they watched you from the corner of their eyes, but none of them tried speaking to you directly.

You flinch when you heard the teacher's voice, booming through the classroom as she enters right behind you. "You're the new girl?" She drops her bag onto her chair and looked you directly in your eyes.

"Yes." The teacher hummed to herself and turned towards her other students. "Do we have any empty seats at the back?" She asks loudly.

"There's one, but it's Chase's." A boy responded. "He's not in today, is he?" He shook his head at her.

"Alright, you can sit there temporarily, I'll ask the boys to bring in an extra table and chair for you tomorrow." You thanked her and walked right to your seat.

Grateful to be seated at the last row by the window, you slumped against the chair, relaxing your back.

The kids at the front stop wasting their time twisting their heads to stare at you, and as the class begins, you tell yourself that maybe this isn't as bad as you thought it'd be.

-

Your first class ever had been less exciting than expected. You had spent the last 20 minutes of the class trying not to doze off.

Barely any sleep came to you last night, considering how nervous you were for this day. All the worries you've had were for nothing, so far it's all been a bore, and all you wanted to do was to crawl back on to your bed at home and escape all of this strangeness.

Get your shit together, you scolded yourself. You've been all alone your whole life, how different is it now?

The girl on the seat next to yours had craned her neck in your direction, trying to peek through your notebook. Instinctively, you closed over it with your arm.

She did not need to see how there are zero equations in your notebook, all replaced with doodles of flowers and frogs.

When all is hopeless, your passion is where you turn to. Life is suffering in parts, but you find that being able to make it into art, makes the suffering less painful, or at least, more manageable.

Your father had never liked how you prefer to spend your time in art class over piano. In fact, when you were much younger, he even took the initiative to throw out all of your sketchbook. You had to find time to practice your drawing when you aren't at home, knowing his ignorance for your privacy.

But here, hopefully, you'll have ample time to draw and paint.

Once the class is dismissed, you make your way straight into the bathroom, trying to get into a booth before it gets crowded. You caught a glimpse of your reflection from the mirror and cringed at yourself. For some reason, even when you're not doing anything, the school air still finds a way to turn your hair frizzy.

You ran into the small space with open doors and knocked it shut as soon as you're in.

You could hear footsteps entering in right after you're done peeing. A cacophony of running sink water and empty chatter fills your ears as you stood up to fix your skirt and your socks.

The zip of your skirt seemed to have an issue getting stuck on a piece of string, holding it back from fully zipping up. You lifted it up higher and pulled the string out before using your teeth to rip it off of the zip and waving it onto the floor.

There was a moment of silence outside the door just before you were going to exit it. But a loud sound of slamming doors and laughter stops you at your place.

"Lock the doors." You hear another female voice command. She was not shouting, but she had a bold voice that seemed fit for a leader, straight to the point and confident.

Any noise of giggling or chatting immediately died down the moment the girl and her friends stepped in, and now you wonder if getting out would be a good idea at all. So you stayed quiet inside the bathroom.

Your palms are held against the door while you lean into it, trying to hear her clearer.

"What did I tell you last week?" The girl spoke again. She sounded upset or the second worst thing, disappointed.

Another voice rose up in response, meeker in comparison. "You said to have it by Monday."

"It's Wednesday today."

"But I have it now!" The other girl pleaded. "I don't care. I asked for it on Monday, you're two days late." The silence that came after her words was worrying. It was only when she spoke again that you felt your racing heart slowing down.

"You know what you're gonna do right now?" She asks. Silence. "You're going to hand me the money, and then you're going to give me 20 on the ground, right here."

20 what? You frowned in confusion. Money?

You expected resistance, begging, or even defiance from the other girl, but you only heard a resigned sigh from the other side of the door.

The door creaked slightly. You tried to balance yourself away from it when you accidentally slipped. Your fingers reach for the door handle to pull yourself up, and just when you thought it couldn't get worse, the door slams back on its hinges. You cursed yourself internally.

"What the fuck." The first girl snapped. "Booth number 2." She called out. "Get out of there right now or I'll break the door now."

Your breath hitches at the direct interaction and your hands hesitate to unlock the booth. But you'd rather get it over with than risk being taunted in a toilet.

You unlatch the lock with your fingers and slowly pull open the door. The first face you're met with is the one you assume who had addressed you seconds ago.

She had a naturally terrifying expression, with her brows knitted together and her hair pulled up in a ponytail. The bronze skinned girl connecting her gaze to yours.

The staring did not last as she soon started eyeing you up and down like she's analyzing every bad decision you've ever made.

But when she lifts her head back up to your face, you noticed that her frowning had lessened slightly. "You're new." She states aloud.

"How'd you know?" You ask her. "Anyone who's been here for more than a week would have the mind to run out of the bathroom as soon as they heard me." She answered coolly, taking a few steps nearer to you.

"What's your name?" She asks you. You tell her your first name.

She hums in acknowledgement before repeating your name, letting the syllables roll against her tongue. "I assume you haven't been making any friends yet, have you?"

You tried not to look to her side at the girl that was currently half squatting on the floor. "You're making her do push ups." You think aloud, ignoring her question.

"What? Oh, her? She's not important, and she's lucky i’m only making her do 25." The girl waved off like it's a silly joke. "I thought you said 20?" The other girl muttered under her breath.

She snapped her head at the younger girl and glared at her. "One more word and I'll make it 30."

Turning her head back to you, the anger she bore dissolved. "It's a good thing you've met me," she started. "In this place, it's all about making the right type of friends, just in case and not enemies."

"I don't plan on making enemies." You tell her. She was trying to intimidate you. Or at least, ruffle your feathers.

"No one does, but they just do it anyways without realizing." She answers with a shrug.

"And I suppose, if I'm with you, I won't fall down that road?" You didn't mean for it to sound insulting or sarcastic, but when she raised a brow in response, a ghost of smirk over her face, you realized that it was too late to take back your words.

"No, you won't. Because I am that enemy that you should be avoiding." You wondered if she is one of those people that's all talk and no bite, but the way she's folding her arms together as she stands inches away from you, radiated something much more sinister than you'd expect from a typical bully.

"I have to go." You say suddenly, a sense of urgency filled you when you remembered that Harper and Olivia would be waiting for you in the cafeteria. "I won't tell anyone about this." You added, trying to make sure there'd be no bad blood between the two of you.

"You can tell anyone you'd like, it wouldn't matter." She replies, stepping away from you to lean her back on the sink counter.

You clicked your heels away from her and made your way out, taking off the locks before you could swing the door open. You could feel her gaze on you as you left, but didn't twist your head back to confirm.

It didn't matter who she was. A few hours from now you'd forget you even met her, and just like always, you'll blend in with the crowd and be out of her sight.

---

"Where have you been?" Harper inquired once you sat next to her.

She had half a donut in her mouth as she asked this. "Don't talk with your mouth full." You chided her. She groans and mumbles something else you can't understand but chews the food until she's finished before she speaks again.

"We waited for like 10 minutes, you know recess isn't that long." You took a bite of your own sandwich and shrugged at her like nothing. "I was in the bathroom, there was a line." Harper nodded in understanding, but Olivia made a face of disgust as she toyed with her food.

"I hate the bathroom here, the dorm bathrooms are better." She said.

"What if you really need to pee?" You ask in disbelief. "I hold it in."

"What if you had explosive diarrhea?"

"Well, that would suck." Harper chokes out laugh, trying not to spit out her donut. You joined her with a chuckle, shaking your head at your friend.

"Your fear of public bathrooms will be the death of you." Harper quipped after taking a long sip of water. "I think it makes me stronger." Olivia argues.

"Well, I think it's gonna mess with your bladder." The brunette argues back. You listen to their back and forth until the bell rings again, indicating the end of recess.

You were a bit bummed that your classes aren't aligned with theirs, your nerves are much less triggered when they're around, a sense of familiarity of a sort.

Though, there was nothing you can do about it. You say your goodbyes at your lockers and parted ways again for your last 2 classes. The rest of school time was made bearable with the reminder that you at least shared rooms with your two new friends, and so there was nothing to worry about at all actually.

A part of you feels safer when you're around them. Though your mind is constantly bringing up the girl you've met in the bathroom. Her brown eyes and the way she looked at you.

She didn't strike you as someone admirable, but you had to admit, her features were remarkable. You had pulled out a pencil and a paper for a quick sketch of her eyes during Literature class.

It only hit you then, that you haven't even asked for her name. She knew yours, but you didn't know hers.

What would it matter? You asked yourself. If all goes well, you'll never see her for the whole semester at all. And she'd be nothing more than another face in your sketchbook.

You paid attention to the lesson, but your hands just needed something to work on while you were listening. Tapping your fingers repeatedly on the table was getting old, so you got productive and drew up a little something.

You had managed only half of her face on the paper by the time the class ended. Slipping the book into your tote bag, you follow the rush of students leaving class and heading back to your locker to switch your books for the last class.

-

It was 8pm when you were finally in the dorm elevator, back against the cold silver metal, relieving the warmth that radiated off of your body. The gym here is open all day and night, and even if the only equipment they had was a treadmill, you intended to utilise them fully.

Working out helps to take your mind off things, and it tires you out enough to help you sleep easier at night.

And so while everyone went back to their dorms, you stashed your bag by the gym entrance and tied your hair back up and went ahead for a good 40 minutes run.

You kept your eyes on the elevator level, watching the number get higher and higher until it eventually reached 20. It dinged open and allows you out with your poor tired feet and worn out expression.

It was quiet on the top floor, nothing like you’d predict what with the hour still being early. The small light bulbs above your head led you straight down the long corridor until you reached your room.

You took out your key and slashed it into the keyhole and heard your friends’ voices evolving from muffled noises into a clearer state as you pushed the door open.

You expected the girls to scold you over your absence again, as you do make it a habit of going places without letting them know, but what you didn't expect once you enter your dorm room, is for them to genuinely fret over your late arrival.

"You can't just disappear without telling anyone!" Olivia exclaimed, her large green eyes staring into your soul as you took your uniform off. "I was at the gym." You explained.

“In your school clothes?” Harper scrunches her nose in disagreement. “Hey, it's convenient.” You retorted.

"Were there other people there?" You shook your head no. "Well, maybe next time we'll go with you. I know you're not used to the unspoken rules here, but there are seriously more creeps than you can imagine in this place."

They were both sitting on their beds as they're talking to you, fully dressed in their matching pajamas like twins.

Harper had a face mask on as she rested her head on her pillows, her elbows used to help her sit up. They had music playing in the background, a song you recognized as Tourniquet by Evanescence. “I love this song.” You say randomly.

“Don’t change the subject.” You look over at them in confusion once you're finished changing.

"I didn't know it'd be such a big deal, I'm doing what everyone else does."

"I know, but I'm just saying, maybe we should all just play it safe for the semester. We don’t want another Samara accident." Harper reasoned.

You walked over to sit by the edge of her bed and asked her who's Samara.

"Samara Turner. She's a senior from last year. Some kid found her passed out by the back garden, her eyes were rolled back, and she was basically frothing from the mouth. When the ambulance came, it was too late. She was gone."

“Are you just making this up to scare me?” You ask them suspiciously. “No!” Olivia denies. “It's a real story, the teachers covered it up real good for future students, not even the news got a hold of Samara's fate.”

"Does anyone know what really happened?" You questioned them.

"The police ruled it as an overdose, but I can't imagine any type of drug running through her veins. And also, in the garden? That's just weird." Olivia says, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You guys think someone drugged her?" Harper shrugged and pursed her lips, inconclusive.

"Either way. It happened when she was alone. What was she even doing in the garden late at night? No one knows. But everyone will point their finger right back at her and say it's her own fault." You understood what they meant. This place isn't as picture perfect as it seemed, just like any other place, it has its holes and flaws.

"Okay, the next time I'm going anywhere other than my classes, I'll let one of you know." Harper and Olivia smiled and looked relieved. You could tell they were satisfied by your answer. "And if we're going anywhere, we'll tell you."

"Okay." You assured them.

You've never really known what it was like to have people worry over you this way. Most of the time, people were grateful when you minded your own business and hid away. And sure there is a little bit of annoyance that comes with being scolded like a child, but it also felt good to have someone care for you this way.

You folded your knees onto your chest, repositioning yourself on her bed. It is only after you move closer to her that you notice your sketchbook on her side table.

"Where'd you find that?" You jolted up, eyes widening..

"Oh, this is another thing we wanted to ask you about." Harper exclaimed, stretching her arm towards the book and passing it over to you. "Clarisse came over here like 15 minutes ago, said you dropped this."

"Who's Clarisse?" You frowned.

"Oh that's funny, you don't know who Clarisse is, and yet she's talking about you like you've been friends for ages." Harper says it like a mother hen catching her daughter red handed, but you're only further confused.

"No, seriously. Who's Clarisse?"

Olivia sighed from her bed and waved her hand exaggeratedly. "Curly hair, dark skin, looks like she can dropkick you in 6 different ways." Instantly, something in your brain clicked.

"Oh, her." Their expression changed into curiosity as they await for you to add more.

"I...met her in the bathroom. She was making a kid do pushups. But we barely talked, I just left."

"Yeah well, she asked where you were when she came by, and we told her we didn't know. And then she gave me this." You opened the book and found that the page with her face on has been ripped away.

Something eats away at your heart when you saw the torn pages, but you said nothing and instead just tossed the book onto your own bed. "What's her deal anyways." You huffed.

"Legacy students, they're all a little entitled like that, her more than others." Olivia answered.

"Oh, she's entitled alright." You muttered to yourself and rolled your eyes.

"I think I'm just gonna go catch up on homework now, unless there's anything else you two want to nag me on." Harper snorted and shoved you playfully but still smiled.

"No, no more nagging." Olivia concluded.

[queer-little-demigod]

Hi lea!!!! Can you write about an clarisse la true x apollo!reader

Clarisse got in trouble for something (what's new tho) and got a punishment of helping out with the little demigods art class for 2 weeks (or however long) the volunteer teacher is reader. At first Clarisse did NOT wanna be there she acted like a baby for the first few days but after she got more involved and started to understand she enjoyed it (she would never admit it), she started talking to the kids more (she totally has favorites, reader has to constantly tell her dont be so obvious about her favorites 😭) it got to a point where the kids would start talking to her outside of class. Also Clarisse definitely doesn't develop a crush on reader. AT ALL. SHE DEFINITELY HATES HOW PASSIONATE SHE IS ABOUT THE KIDS AND ART AND HOW GOOD SHE IS WITH KIDS SHE DOESN'T THINK ITS CUTE AT ALL. SHE DOESNT THINK OF THAT CLASS AS ONE BIG FAMILY. I mean what???? Who said that???

Anyways when it's time for her to go reader takes some of the kids to make a goodbye sign for clarisse; clarisse takes her 100% not favorite kid on a secret mission to make an 'I'm staying' sign. Then reader and Clarisse present them at the same time and it's all cutesy!! After class, reader asks clarisse on a date via showing her a pain she drew of them on a date and hopes she gets the message!

Thank you! :)

you got an artist inside you - clarisse la rue

summary where clarisse finds herself falling in love with a girl over paintbrushes and a punishment

fic type fluff

pairing clarisse la rue x fem!apollo!reader

word count 1.8k

warnings none

The camp was usually sleepy, quiet, and mostly empty apart from a few stray campers training here and there. But with summer already beating down with a burning force, it was full of kids running around, training left right and center, and all-in-all just general chaos.

So with the burning heat came grumpy older campers, which meant fights.

And a fight at lunch is what led to Clarissa having to help the younger campers with art class, with the co-teacher being none other than you, Y/n L/n, counsellor of the Apollo cabin. Additionally and otherwise known as the girl Clarisse was smitten with.

"Clarisse La Rue if you don't stop whining like that right now, I am going to smack you," you grumbled in utter frustration for the fifth time that hour, when she complained to you about some kid not cutting the paper the way it was supposed to be cut.

For a child of the god of war, she was such a wuss sometimes.

"But they're not following-" she began to protest, but a smack upside the head with a roll of wrapping paper shut her up.

"They're seven year olds in a summer camp art class," you emphasised on those facts. "They're gonna do their own thing!"

This was how the first few days went. She complained, you disciplined both her and the kids. But once she got used to the whole routine of you both giving instructions and the final products having irritatingly distinct variations, she cooled down.

If this was going to be a punishment for the next two weeks, she might as well enjoy it.

The art room, as usual, was a mess. Glitter was everywhere, coloured pencils were strewn around, papers were on the floor, blackened and trampled on. The strong scent of glue made everyone a bit woozy, and there was enough shouting for supplies across the table to give even the calmest camper a sensory overload.

Clarisse sat in the danger zone where the most glitter was being thrown around and spilled, and her soft skin was already glimmering with purple and red glitter as she tried restoring order. However, instead of yelling as usual she was laughing along with the little kids.

One kid in particular, you noticed, she helped far more than the others. A Hephaestus kid named Dennis, who was the sweetest little thing with big, round glasses and bronze hearing aids that you had Charlie customise so they looked like metal elf ear tips.

You pulled Clarissa aside and scolded her with a smile, “Clar, you cannot pick favourites!”

Clarissa loved your smile with everything she had. So naturally, she was so captivated by it that she didn't hear you the first time. Nor did she register the scolding.

"Excuse me, but Dennis deserves special treatment--" She began, but you cut her off.

"No, he's just like the other kids, okay? Just make sure you don't pick favourites, please," you sighed and walked away, going back to showing the kids how to make paper butterflies.

But you're my favourite, she thought to herself. She wished she had the courage to say it out loud, admit her feelings for you, but she couldn't.

Later, as time went by, as days of standing in clouds of glitter and glue fumes began and ended, Clarisse found that she was apparently likeable. After classes, during training, during dinner, she'd have little kids pulling her sleeve to talk to her, she'd have kids randomly hugging her at odd times of the day, or giving her small artworks like a wonky bird or a odd-looking Cerebrus. It shocked the campers beyond belief.

But for you it just made your love for her grow.

One day during class, a Demeter kid named Flora started to cry because glitter went into her eye. You rushed over immediately and helped her up, holding her in your arms as you took her to the basin to clean her up.

"Shh, don't cry, baby, it's okay, I'm gonna wash it out, alright?" You said softly.

"Guys, focus on your work, Flo's fine," Clarisse said, clapping her hands to direct the staring kids back to work, her eyes fixed on you as you washed Flora's eyes with water gently, telling her that she should not to go so close to the page when blowing glitter off in the softest voice the child of war had ever heard.

You were so gentle, like the softest summer breeze which didn't make the leaves rustle, but cooled one's warming skin. You were so precious, with your soft smile and loving words. Your voice was sweet like honey, no matter who you talked to or how.

If your voice was bottled, she swore to the gods that she'd get drunk on it every night.

"You okay, champ?" She asked, gently ruffling Flora's soft brown hair as the girl sat down. "You're a strong girl, aren't you? Showed that stupid glitter it's place."

You giggled at the way she spoke, covering your mouth with your hand to hide it. It was ridiculously obvious that Clarisse thought the kids in the art class were like family, and it was genuinely so adorable.

Seeing her like this, curly hair pulled back in her red bandanna, arms splattered with paint here and there, with glitter shining off her smooth caramel skin with every movement she made into the light, lit up something inside of you. Seeing her without her usual scowl, pulling funny faces with the kids as she showed them how to draw a monster, made your heart beat twice as fast.

However, two weeks went by with heartbreaking speed, and before she knew it, she was in Chiron's office, listening to him gleefully say she was officially un-grounded.

But honestly? She didn't share his happiness.

Nor did you.

"What?! Already!?" You exclaimed that evening as you sat in your cabin at your desk, which had plans put out for what to make for the next art class.

"Yeah," she grumbled, lounging on your bed. "I hate it."

"That's rough, but it's okay, you can always hop in to volunteer,"

"What do we tell the little ones?"

"The truth?"

"You're fucking crazy if you think they'll go with it,"

"I'm out of options, Clar," you leaned back in your chair and put your hands over your eyes. "I love that class, and I love teaching art."

"I know, and as much as I hate to admit it," she sat up. "So do I."

The very next day, Clarisse rushed to Chiron and begged him to let her stay for that class. Even going to lengths that she told him how she felt for you.

"Fine," he relented. "You can stay with the class for as long as you'd like,"

She'd never run to the forges to find a kid so fast.

"Beckendorf!" She exclaimed, looking at the cabin counselor. "Hey, where's Dennis?"

The boy looked around, and his eyes landed on Dennis, who was inquisitively watching one of his half-sisters mold a few practice swords, helping occasionally with putting the swords in water.

"Dennis!" Beckendorf exclaimed, "Clarisse wants to talk to you!"

Dennis immediately ran over, grinning broadly, showing his gap-toothed smile. "Hi, Clarisse!" He said, excitedly.

"Hey there, big boy!" She smiled back, giving him a high five. "So listen, I'm going to need your insane artistic skills and your help..."

While you did help the other kids make a 'goodbye' sign for Clarisse, on the side you decided to confront your feelings.

You knew you liked her from the beginning, from when you first saw her infectious smile, from when you heard her deep laugh reverberating through the empty Apollo cabin on days where you both would plan lessons.

She held the key to your heart, she knew her way past your walls. She clearly also knew how to remain in your thoughts, subconscious and conscious, to the point where you found yourself in the art studio, canvas on an easel before you.

Thoughts of her, of feeling her coarse, battle-worn hands on your skin, of gazing into those deep brown eyes which were like the colour of the rain-kissed earth, and when she fought were like the evening sun, golden enough to put the wings of Icarus to shame, made your paintbrush move. It made your colours flow like the blood in your veins, made each stroke perfect enough to create the scene you most desired on the canvas in front of you.

You stepped back once you felt the need to express yourself flow away, gazing at the canvas. A scene it held, and what a scene indeed. The sky was cornflower blue, a cloudless day, with the sun’s rays shining down on a big oak tree. The leaves were paler as the golden light kissed the surface, casting sharp shadows on the pillowy grass.

But then there was vivid orange and red, a flash of bronze. In the foreground there sat both you and Clarisse, the latter having more detail than any part of the drawing.

Then the dreaded day came where you all had to say goodbye to her.

The little ones were devastated, not letting Clarisse go anywhere without following her around like baby ducklings, making her explain to them that she's not going away from camp, she's just not going to teach them anymore.

At the end of the final class, just as everyone unveiled the 'we'll miss you' poster, she and Dennis revealed their 'I'm Staying' poster, causing a loud, thunderous cheer to erupt from all of you.

Later, you pulled her aside to give her your canvas painting.

Nerves wracked your body, your palms began to sweat.

When was the last time you had felt this nervous? It was probably your cello recital the day you had come to camp...

"Holy shit, Y/n this looks absolutely amazing!" Clarisse exclaimed, taking the painting in her hands.

She didn't miss the detail you had given her, drawing her angelically, despite her thinking she was the opposite. It was so well done that the brush strokes weren't even visible.

Please get the message, you blockheaded, oblivious fool...you thought.

Deciding to act against your nerves, you asked her in a shaky voice, "That's a painting of us on a date...would you like to go on one with me sometime?"

Clarisse's heart stopped. Had you just asked her out on a date?

She was at a loss for words, they didn't touch her tongue, nor did they pass her lips. She stood there, speechless, gaping at you for a moment too long.

"I mean, I get it, you're probably not even a les--" you began, but a pair of gentle lips on yours silenced your words.

Sparks flew, butterflies went haywire, your brain short-circuited. You didn't know what to doo, just stood there frozen with shock. Kissing the girl you had liked for the last few months now.

Clarisse, however, was ecstatic. Her mind was a burst of colour, her body was ablaze. She felt like she had wings, and her heart was taking her up, up, up.

Once she pulled away, she winked at your blushing face and dopey grin.

"It's a date, L/n."

hi, it's me! lea! i hope you enjoyed this long overdue oneshot <3 requests are open via dms or asks!

[formulaheart]

I know it's been said before, but I feel like Katniss gets compared to Lucy Gray a lot because they're both victors from 12 and both women, but its actually Sejanus that she's really similar to. Side note- forgive me if i get a few things wrong, I just saw the new movie and re-watched all the old ones but I haven't read the books in a while.

We see Sejanus thrust into a world he doesn't feel like he belongs to, and we can assume he wasn't a revolutionary until he was directly faced with the horrors of the capital where he became one of the only people willing to speak up. On the other hand, years later, we see Katniss willing to do her own thing and not be involved until the games directly involve her and suddenly she's fighting like hell against the capital specifically, not the other tributes.

The funny thing about them is that the only thing they have going for them, or their cause, is their passion. Neither of them are charismatic, neither of them are particularly likeable or make good impressions. They're brusque, disconnected, determined and absolutely unwilling to play a part, no matter how it may alter the outcome. How other people view them matters very little and they operate on a one track mind. Sejanus made a statement to the game makers and honored a friend when he broke into the arena for Marcus, filled with grief and only half thinking. Katniss did the same when she covered Rue with flowers and when she hanged the dummy of Seneca Crane. Both are calculated but are shortsighted when it comes to their actions. They're sensitive and caring but it's not an immediately obvious character trait, and not something that they're generally known for.

They both just wanted there to be peace, they wanted there to be change, but they didn't want to be the ones to have to do it, unable to handle that kind of weight on their shoulders, and unable to put on an act. Katniss was ready to run from the fight as long as she had the people she loved with her and they were taken care of. Towards the end, all she wanted was for her and Peeta and her family to be safe and away from the fighting. Sejanus tried to help a group of people run away, and tried to run with them, and away from the mess Panem was becoming. He didn't want to be in the middle of it anymore, and as long as he could help a few less fortunate than himself and be away, he was okay. Both of them have break downs on several occasions when their quick actions of what they thought was kindness have consequences they NEVER wanted for anybody (after Katniss speaks in 11 or when Sejanus accidentally gets the rebels in 12 weapons).

Snow was definitely triggered by Katniss because she sang Lucy Gray's song. But he was probably fascinated and enraged by her at the start when she, and her lover boy(artist, performer, lover of people, Lucy Gray) START the games unconventionally -together- and Katniss is passionate, and she's calculated and at the same time so so so impulsive and myopic, and she reminds him of someone. Somebody he betrayed a lifetime ago but that betrayal was his tipping point of NEVER coming back to ANY good he had left in him. And she cries for tributes she knew for a day, and she can't act, even if her life depended on it (and it does), and she lashes out without forethought creating another mess Snow has to clean up, and he can't get a handle of her, and she's a disaster, and all he can think is Sejanus, Sejanus, Sejanus while he tries to control her more and everything spins out farther than he could've imagined.

Sejanus trusted Snow, and Snow outsmarted him, and in the end it was Sejanus's traits he went up against, and he underestimated her and he lost everything for it.

Me and @diamondsunbursts-and-marblehalls have been breaking down all the characters and their connections so thank you to them for helping me flesh this out.

[inthiseverymoment]

silhouettes emerging: prologue

the vampire isabelle de la rue, upon realizing that she has been erased from history, decides on a whim to set the record straight.

iwtv oc, prologue ~500 words (short n sweet)

welcome to our framing device! my girl is a study of the messy morals of iwtv, deceptive artistic communities through the tdv, the purple-prose-ish-yet-strikingly-earnest storytelling style, and being hopelessly in love with assad zaman. WOOT WOOT

i am not sure how many chapters this'll wind up being but A Lot Is Going To Happen, I Can Promise You That

enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

fic masterlist chapter i

Twenty Twenty-Three, Chicago, United States of America

“...That motherfucker.”

Instinctually, she did a double-take, despite knowing that what the page held wasn’t truly a surprise at all.

She’d been intrigued upon seeing the book in a shop window-something told her that this one was different from the thousands of fictions regarding her kind. That something had proven to be right when she glimpsed the familiar name of Louis de Pointe du Lac on the back cover’s summary; heart pounding in her ears with a somewhat delicious anticipation of decades-held secrets being blown open, she bought the book without another thought. Along with every other possibility, a teenage hope of seeing her name somewhere in this illegal chronicle thrummed in the back of her mind.

But, Isabelle realized, of course it would make sense that her maker would erase her from any history he told these days. The one that quite literally got away did not fit within the life that Armand was trying to fabricate for himself and his apparently-no-longer lover, and keeping up the lie that he had never thrown the Dark Gift upon anyone probably made him a more alluring character to whomever this Daniel Molloy was.

The author was witty, that was certain. She could practically hear the snark in every narrating line that wasn’t Louis’ pensive recollection, and she’d laughed to think of how those three personalities must have meshed and exploded throughout that interview.

She also knew that she needed to set a few things straight.

I’ve been wanting to go back to New York anyway.

~

Twenty Twenty-Three (One Week Later), New York City, United States of America

“Frankly, given the amount of telepathic ‘fuck-you’s from around the world I’ve had the pleasure of receiving, someone else wanting their story told was the last thing I expected.”

“Well, not all of us revere the Great Laws above all else.”

“Glad to hear it.”

They sat at an outdoor restaurant in Brooklyn, appearing to all the world like a pretentious, nighttime-sunglass-wearing, book-toting father and daughter. In truth, each was sizing up the other; trust was not a thing easily earned to the slightly jaded vampiress nor the world-weary journalist.

The former was beginning to wonder, though, at it seeming more possible with every second that she wasn’t the only supernatural one at the table.

She glanced at his nails, then back up to meet his eyes.

“You too?”

“Yeah.”

A beat.

“Armand?”

“Yeah.”

Another beat. This time, it was Daniel who spoke first.

“...You too?”

She almost laughed.

“Yeah.”

Apparently by habit, he lifted an incredulous hand as if to remove his glasses, then remembered himself and lowered it with a sigh.

“That motherfucker.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“So that’s why you wanted to meet.”

“I have a lot to tell,” Isabelle said, “if you haven’t heard enough already about the toxic-theatre-kid subsection of vampirism.”

Daniel considered for a moment, then-

“You’re okay if my main intention with your story is to throw it back in his face?”

Despite herself, she nearly smiled.

“Absolutely.”

[herbgerblin]

ipre theater thots

loosely based off of this poll. sorry, this got away from me. i was a theater kid for years (i still am, i literally made a bunch of friends larp as wizards two weeks ago)

Davenport: Producer and Stage Manager. Personally more experienced in opera than musicals, but answers the call when the need for a manager arises. Keeps everyone focused and on schedule. Has final word on what choices the art department gets to make. Sometimes does solo performances on his own time.

Merle: Choreographer and Director. Leads the ensemble into meditation every rehearsal before warming up. Talks with each member of the cast one-on-one. Sometimes leaves the script open to interpretation. His artistic vision sounds bonkers in concept, but illuminating in execution. Why are there so many plants? Don't worry about it.

Magnus: Lead Actor and Set Builder. He brings the energy every single night. He doesn't need to be micc'ed up because his natural voice projects well enough. It takes a bit of time for him to memorize the script, but he devotes his heart and soul to it. He claps loudly for the ensemble when he's in the wings. He cries at the emotional numbers. Built all the sets by hand.

Lucretia: Co-stage Manager and Supporting Actor (not for lack of chops, only because she spreads herself very thin.) Knows the script like a second language. Mainly reserves her Director Voice for backstage when things get chaotic. Enjoys performing the musical numbers because no one knows she can belt, until she does. Standing ovation girlie, but bashful about it.

Lup: Co-lead Lead Actor and Costumer. Only willing to do the role if Davenport lets her include cold sparks and fog machines in the set budget (he finds a way.) No one knows when she took measurements for the costumes, but they're ready by dress rehearsal and they fit perfectly. Helps the other actors figure out their groove. Great at engaging the audience.

Angus (special edition): Child lead and stagehand. The sweetest little singing voice you ever did hear. Everyone is going to rue the day his voice starts cracking. A heartbreaker of a performer and a speedy backstage assistant.

Taako: A MYSTERY. He's wearing a fancy scarf and roaming all over the place. He's talking about the Art of the Theatre. He's listed on the billing of lead actors and NO ONE knows what his role is. He remembers all the little things that everyone forgets: clothes pins, a hot glue gun, and electrolytes. He's got a walkie-talkie. Only the managers and tech are supposed to have walkie-talkies. Hello, this is Taako speaking, over.

Barry: Usually Tech. He's got a beautifully choreographed queue of lighting designs and stage effects. He's got an immaculately labeled pad controller and a ready-to-go Excel spreadsheet. But on opening night, Lucretia informs him he's in the orchestra pit.

Barry: ...But I'm lighting tonight.

Lucretia (via walkie-talkie): And our percussionist twisted his ankle tripping over a stage light. You're in the orchestra now, compadre.

Barry: (with increasing emphasis, decreasing conviction) But. I'm. Light. Tech.

Taako: E N T E R T H E P I T B A R O L D

Davenport: Taako, get off this line.

During intermission, Magnus asks him to help lift the ensemble dancers onto the set scaffolding, and hold it steady. Barry agrees, thinking he's in the clear after that. But the second the music number ends, Merle tells him that one of the support roles had to leave, so now he's the understudy.

Barry (longsuffering): I am just. the light guy.

Merle (gesturing to Taako in the balcony, having a ballgame playing with the lightboard): well, in two minutes you're the showstopper guy, so you need to go out there and stop the show

Lup (emerging from nowhere, slapping a red, hooded robe on Barold's shoulders): Knock 'em dead!

Barry: D:

[thehylianidiot]

Sooo... bout that idea of "Maruki's palace but it's the setting of Princess Tutu" concept. I may have been obsessing over it and did a few concept sketches.

Explanations under the read more

The concept is simple: the ability to become a god changes Maruki's palace theme after the Christmas Actualization; instead of a laboratory, where experiments and uncertainty are used to find the answers, it's now a "Fairy Tale" where rule are certain and can be whatever the author wants them to be. In other words, I have an excuse to make the setting Gold Crown from Princess Tutu with P5 characters. Yes, this would place Maruki firmly in the role of Drosselmeyer...except with like the exact opposite intent. Upon entering the palace on 01/02, the royal trio end up trapped within a never-ending story, with a part of themselves scattered to avoid them from progressing. They have 32 days to realize something's up, seek out their missing "heart shards", and complete the palace. Along the way, they will encounter cognitions of other P5 characters (I haven't gotten that for into the details of that though). Personas I think shall be restricted because A) it's a god's palace he can do whatever he wants with his cognition's rules, and B) because I wanna :3

As said, in order to progress in the palace, the trio needs to find the missing pieces of themselves scattered throughout the palace. There are 3 shards total, ergo replacing the "Will Seeds" of the palace. This concept is meant to lend itself to a lot of character development. Remember that the story start on 01/02, meaning any third-semester plot points have not been revealed to the characters yet (hehehe, much potential angst, much wow). Order of shard discovery initially set for: Sumi -> Akechi -> Joker

Each of the three's ballet clothes are based on a simplified version of their metaverse outfits, meant to promote mobility and helps the artist maintain her sanity. Sumi is a shoo-in for the advanced classes. Her skill as a gymnast (regardless of the comparisons to her sister) are seriously good, and that's not even accounting for her metaverse outfit resembling a ballerina. Whether or not she stays in the advanced class due to her whole identity crisis in parallel or October 3rd is another matter. Ren isn't top of the class, but he's fairy decent himself thanks to tutelage from a certain gymnast confidant. Kid picks up on lots of things pretty quickly. But on the bright side, in Gold Crown he always gets to wear his Joker mask...and probably good on his metaverse identity's namesake along the way. You'd think Akechi wouldn't be the least experienced dancer of the three...but his battle style isn't exactly the most...graceful (especially in the edge-suit) and he definitely wouldn't have reached out to anyone for lessons and stuff. Also, having to deal with others being considerably better than him at something? He would hate it and it would be hilarious. Thus, somehow the rageball somehow has a parallel to a literal duck. Note that each of the trio is not a 1:1 ratio with any of Princess Tutu's main cast. For example, while Sumi is a sweetheart like Duck, the need to adjust her technique as she learns to be her own person parallel's Mythos, and her desire to initially keep Maruki's reality when she realizes what she would have to give up parallel's Rue's motivations. And that's just for one of them!

Also yes, since I'm a hopeless romantic when it comes to Princess Tutu, I swear I shall find a way to put in the underwater lake dance!!!

ANYWAY

That's all I have so far. What do folks think?

[vampirefest]

Dear companions in darkness, the wait is finally over! We'd like to thank everyone who participated in our little guessing game, we got a lot of interesting answers.

For the month of November, we bring you a fun low-pressure bingo inspired by Lestat, that you can fill up at your leisure throughout the month.

You can use the prompts on the bingo card to write fanfics, make fanart, amvs, edits or any other creative outlet to show your appreciation for our beloved Brat Prince.

You can find the rules and guidelines for the event here. The link to the collection can be found here.

Don't forget to tag with #vflestatbirthdaybingo and/or tag us at @vampirefest so that we can find your posts.

Here is the complete bingo card for our birthday boy!

You can find the full detailed prompts below the cut.

Happy Lestat Month!

1. "My lord, the Wolfkiller": The killing of the wolves, a moment that comes to define Lestat for all eternity. You can explore this fundamental event in Lestat's life, the way it altered the course of his life and his family dynamics, and the symbolism it came to represent in Lestat's later life.

2. First love I The witches' place: For Nickistat lovers out there, this is your time to shine! It's also a chance to explore another formative moment of Lestat's life—his experience at the witches' place—when Lestat came to the fundamental understanding that there is no meaning in the end - not to the cruelty, not to the laws of men - all that exists is the one life he's living and the aesthetic of it all.

3. The performer: Actor | Rockstar: Performing is Lestat's second nature, either to present an image of himself to others to earn their love, or to hide this true self. From the time he is a young man, Lestat is awed by actors and artists, they create worlds and life out of nothingness. Some of Lestat's best and happiest moments are on the stage, acting or singing for his adoring public.

4. Rue Royale era: For decades, 1132 Rue Royale was the home of our favourite little vampire family. A family that, according to Lestat, shouldn't have lasted as long as it did. Here you can explore the dynamics between the unholy family, between Lestat and Louis, and the highs and lows of this period in Lestat's life. As Lestat said, he has never been as happy as in that little house on Rue Royale.

5. Free Space: This is your chance to explore any themes or moments in our brat prince's life outside of the prompts proposed. Let your creativity run wild!

6. "I don't like myself, you know.! love myself, of course. I'm devoted to myself till my dying day. But I don't like myself.": Use this prompt to explore Lestat's insecurities and his complicated relationship with himself, from his abandonment issues to his reflections on his body, his monstrosity and so much more.

7. Lust for life: Here you can explore Lestat the dreamer, Lestat the hedonist, Lestat the embodiment of hunger. He has a lust for blood, love, adventure, for a better life filled with more excitement and lived to the fullest. Lestat takes what he wants and follows his every whim.

8. Resilience: Lestat is the metaphorical cockroach of the Vampire Chronicles universe. Whatever life throws at him, he rolls with the punches and finds a way to survive and make the best of every situation. He always finds a way to reinvent himself and to keep moving forward. With this prompt, you can explore Lestat's defiance in the face of obstacles and his resilience even under the worst circumstances.

9. The Brat Prince | Prince Lestat era: Set your creations in the Prince Lestat era or simply explore Lestat's bratty nature that earned him the moniker "The Brat Prince".

[likeapriceless-wine]

Glory

Another C.J thingy!! This isn't TOTALLY canon yet (???) Like I'm not 100% sure if he'll be getting that quest or not but the rest is canon so like <33 enjoy

I don't think we'll need any content warnings for this one?? It's a tad angsty but I think we're good otherwise!!

@cabin-12-resident-daddy-issues @im-always-highhhh @glowsticks-soda-and-magic @childofthewargod @dawn-lovelace

C.J never felt like enough

Sometimes he felt like he was too much, but never enough

He was never as smart as his brother and sister, and he couldn't read or hear as well as them. He wasn't as fast as his brother or as artistic as his sister, and he never would be

Finding out he was a demigod didn't make that better. At first he didn't think about it too hard, but then he saw quests. He never went on one, but he saw people leave and come back, and he was jealous

The first one he saw was when Clarisse La Rue came back from her secret mission for Chiron to scope out the labyrinth and it's entrances. She was frighteningly beat up and frazzled for someone who looked so strong and tough

He listened in from a distance as the next quest was planned, and Clarisse screamed about how she would never go back into the labyrinth. It almost amazed him to see her deny a quest like that, but the more he heard about the labyrinth, the less he blamed her

He heard it played tricks on the mind, and it was dark and full of monsters and traps, and Clarisse had gone in alone. He snuck into the big house basement and saw Chris one time, too. He knew most dionysus kids had some insanity powers that he was learning to use, so he wanted to see if he could help the poor boy

He couldn't. Chris just kept screaming and crying about the dark, and how he was scared. That was the first time C.J realized just what went down in the labyrinth

Then Annabeth was chosen to lead her quest into the labyrinth. She talked to the old mummy in the attic of the big house, the oracle of delphi, and she got her prophecy and she picked her team

The fact that she picked three other questmates intrigued him, because though he hadn't been here long, Annabeth seemed like she was big on rules

He saw when they came back from that quest. He saw when they flew in on pegasi and swooped down to join the battle of the labyrinth just in time

As an aphrodite kid helped him straighten the battle armor he was sweating in, he saw as Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and Percy all took their respective places in the battle formation

If he hadn't have been scared out of his mind right now, he would've been jealous of their glory. Maybe it wasn't as glorious as it looked through his eyes, but he knew he wanted that someday. He wanted to swoop in and save the day. He wanted people to be happy he was there, not just because they liked him, but because they needed him

He watched people go on more and more quests. Short solo quests, group quests, quests that were huge deals, quests that were went on in secret. He never went on one. While people were on quests he was doing what he always did. Feeling inadequate

He was grateful that he could hang out with the people he loves in the warmth of his cabin when some of his fellow campers were out risking their lives, but that didn't stop his longing

He wanted to go on a quest, a solo quest even! He wasn't picky, and he didn't care, he just wanted to go. He wanted to suit up and pack a bag, and set off on some dangerous mission that he'd return from soon enough

He turned 17 and still hadn't fulfilled that dream of his. He was getting older every day, and still nothing. He'd fought in two wars, sure, but he wanted to go on a quest and come back to pats on the back, to attention, to maybe, if he was really lucky, hear the words 'I'm proud of you' from his father

That was the only reason he wanted the quest. For the glory, for the attention. That was it, really. His undying, all consuming need for attention was one thing that never failed him

Attention was like drugs to him. Some people get drugs from a dealer, C.J gets them from other people's eyes on him, and sometimes from his brother who keeps them in his sports bra

He waited and waited. He longed and listened in to conversations to try and hear about a quest he could snag

Even if he did catch word, beating the ares cabin to it might be harder than the quest itself

But then it finally happened. A volunteer was needed for a quest, another scoping of the labyrinth because there was a 'disturbance' in there

He was beyond quick to volunteer. If he'd have taken a moment to think he would've realized how stupid he was being. The labyrinth was known for driving people insane, and he already wasn't quite right in the head. Not to mention it was dark in there

C.J was terrified of the dark

Nevertheless, he volunteered for the quest. It was a solo quest, so he didn't get to do the whole picking his questmates thing, but that was okay. He didn't want to drag anyone into this with him, not with how dangerous the labyrinth is

He packed his bag and practically sprinted around camp, telling everyone important to him where he was going with a smile on his face

He packed bandages and a needle and thread, a change of clothes, food, a flashlight along with some extra batteries, etcetera etcetera

He wasn't sure what he was going to do when the batteries in his hearing aids died, but he supposed he'd figure that out when he got there

He prayed to his stepmother, the goddess of the labyrinth. He burned some food for her that night at dinner, asking for her protection and guidance, and just saying that he loved her

He always burned food for her, but a little extra tonight

He set out on his quest the next morning

It was bright and early when he bade his see you laters with hugs and kisses and reassuring grins, and then he slung his backpack over his shoulder and set off into the labyrinth, immediately swallowed up by a cool darkness that made the hairs on his arms stand up

[cocainegirlsnblunts]

Ecstasy | Euphoria

Dalton Johansson

Freshman Year 2018

Layla was known as Maddy’s Cousin the second she walked into East Highland

It was the similarities in face, style, similar perfume even.

People thought they were sisters

But a few months in she was also known for being one of the most Attractive girls at East Highland.

Guys were crushing on Layla left and right

But there was this one guy who really had his eye on her

Dalton Johansson.

Dalton’s favorite artists are Travis Scott, Young Thug, Frank Ocean, and Future.

The day Layla and Dalton first met was on the first Football game of the season.

Dalton: Yo I think i’m gonna try and get at Layla

Nate: Layla Carter? as in Maddy’s cousin bro really

Dalton: Yeah man I think she’s cute

What is there something wrong about that?

Nate: Nah man I just don’t think she’s really a relationship girl

Dalton: Yeah well, all i know is i’m making a move on her after this Win

Maddy: Okay Layla you’re totally checking out that guy

Cassie: What guy

Maddy: It’s one of Nate’s friends

Cassie: Oh Layla those guys look like assholes

Maddy: They are Assholes

Layla: No Dalton seems like a sweetheart

Cassie: They can seem like it but trust me they aren’t, and that goes for any guy honestly

But you guys would look really cute together

Like you should go talk to him

Maddy: Yeah since you’re so in love

Layla: I’m done with both of you

-After the game-

Dalton: Yoo what’s up guys

He said while looking at you

Andrew: Sup Cassie

Cassie: Hi Drew

Dalton: Hey Layla

Let’s be friends

Layla: I would love to be friends with you actually

Cassie: I think you guys would be amazing friends

Dalton: Then how about we hangout this weekend

Layla: Why do you wanna hangout

Dalton: Well we’re friends right

I mean now because I asked you

Layla: Yeah but I barely know you

Dalton: Exactly, I was thinking we exchange numbers so you can know more about me

Layla: Okay give me your phone

Josh: Aye Layla why isn’t Serena here?

Layla: Games aren’t really her thing

Josh: Well could you like

Let her know that I think she’s cool and shit-

Layla: Do you like my friend, Josh

Josh: Yeah

Just put in a good word for me please

Layla: Yeah okay

Dalton: Alright Layla i’ll text you

He says walking away

Layla and Cassie: Congrats on the win guys

Bye

Rue’s Narration

They started dating a month after that

They were a pretty cute couple, They introduced each other to their Families, they went out together, they were pretty serious.

Plus they just couldn’t get enough of each other

But it wasn’t always couple goals with these 2

Now Layla wasn’t falling into her Cousin Maddy’s footsteps of having an abusive relationship like her and Nate, Dalton knew better. But Dalton and Layla were similar to them when it came to the other bullshit of a toxic relationship.

Dalton: I don’t get why you’re so fucking mad about this she’s just a friend

Layla: Friends don’t grope each other

Dalton: Oh come on I wasn’t even near the bitch

Layla: I seen it with my own two fucking eyes!!!!!!!!

Like seriously what the fuck

I have never

done shit like that to you

Have you ever seen me with a guy like that??!????

Dalton: Yes actually

Yes I fucking have and don’t deny it

You don’t remember you and that bitch ass guy from St. Mary’s.

Layla: God you’re stupid

Holy Shit

Literally drop me off right here you don’t need to take me all the way home

I’m not doing this with you actually

Dalton: What are you fucking crazy

Do you really think

that i’m gonna do that shit

Layla: I don’t fucking care Dalton drop me off

I swear i’m never talking to you ever again

But they would never last a week without each other.

[mollywog]

When the Stars Align

From the Beginning | Part 6

He was pleasantly surprised to find Katniss already seated when he’d come down for breakfast the next day. It was a relief to know she did not intend to avoid him now that their initial encounter was over. So in the spirit of their tentative renewed friendship, he’d offered to escort her to the Abernathy’s.

Shortly after Lord Abernathy had taken Katniss and her sister under his care, Haymitch had married Hazelle, a widow and distant cousin of the Everdeens. With her came her four children, Gale, Rory, Vick, and Posy, soon followed by the arrival of two more children of their own.

He supposes that’s why the Abernathys are generous in their use of the term family. Peeta had been enfolded in their clan upon his introduction and treated no differently than his brother who’d never been half so at ease in their presence.

This morning the Everdeens, Hawthornes, and Abernathy’s had greeted him warmly with no trace of resentment. The younger children had occupied the first half hour catching him up on their last two years of accomplishments until Rory had asked of his travels and they’d all sat in rapt attention as he told slightly embellished tales of his adventures.

He’s missed this. He makes friends easily wherever he goes and has always had a gift for captivating an audience, but this is different and he revels in the glimpses of Katniss watching on with her scowls and knowing smirks.

After a while, when the twins have been relegated to the nursery and the older boys sent to the tailors, Peeta sits silently listening as the remaining ladies discuss plans for Primrose’s debut season.

“But what of you Peeta,” Prim interrupts his musings, “Is it not time to find you a wife?”

And so it begins, he thinks grimly, but before he can reply, Katniss cuts in, “leave him be, Primrose. He’s just returned home yesterday!”

He’s been dreading this line of inquiry. He’s tried very hard to turn his mind to marriage to no avail. He can’t picture feeling content with a woman sitting across the hearth from him unless it is Katniss and marrying her is an impossibility. It’s satisfying to find that she does not wish him settled so soon; they shall be allies on this front.

Regardless, He can’t resist an opportunity to tease,“is that a proposal Ms Everdeen? Young ladies have certainly become bolder since I was last in town.”

Posy giggles and Hazelle gives a tisk.

Another debutant might have blushed, but Prim shrugs his gallantry off, “certainly not, we’d never suit; We’re too similar, you and I, but perhaps I could introduce you about? Ms Cresta is due to call this morning and Rue Starling should be arriving in town any day. Then there’s Lady Glimmer -”

“Absolutely not!” Katniss interrupts.

Ignoring her sister, Prim looks at him expectantly and Peeta shrugs, “the Countess has spoken.”

“That’s enough Primrose,” Hazelle interjects, “his lordship will not require your assistance, he is remembered quite fondly by the ladies of town.”

Peeta gave her a quizzical look.

“Oh come now. You were always intriguing as Mr. Mellark, the charming and handsome artist, but now you’re Lord Bakerston, the eligible Earl,” Prim says.

“Am I no longer handsome?”

“That sort of thing is not necessary when there’s an earldom to consider. No, I’m certain you’ll never be in want of a dance partner, though I do hope you’ll consider saving a set for me.”

His smile is pinched as he shifts in his seat, taking an interest in adjusting the cuff at his left ankle, “I'm sorry to disappoint, but I’m afraid I no longer dance.”

He’s met with several pairs of incredulous stares. He shrugs in false levity, “I never much enjoyed it and now I fear I’m out of practice. I’ve resigned myself to the card players.”

He silently thanks little Laurel for her well timed entrance, with complaints of her brother’s antics to keep further questions at bay. Katniss seizes the opportunity to take their leave in the mayhem and they slip into the hall.

“What is this nonsense about not dancing?” He should have known she would not be so easily waylaid, “you always danced well with me.”

“One always enjoys a superior partner.”

She begins to protest when a shout comes from above. They whip their heads towards the sound in time to see eight year old Mitch, the future Lord of the manor, charging down the stairs in a manner quite unfit for the title, preceded by an orange ball of fur. Primrose’s cat, Buttercup, makes a dash down the stairs, through the hall, then in an unexpected move, turns towards the cracked door behind them. Caught off guard and unable to sidestep the beast, Peeta tumbles to the ground.

There’s an uncomfortable pull at his knee and a cracking sound followed by a feminine shriek. His eyes fly to Katniss; her face stricken as she stares. He follows her gaze all down to the unnatural angle of his leg just below his left knee.

[raya-rhaenyra-ahsoka]

My Thoughts on Ep.06 - We Take a Zebra to Vegas, A rant (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

Actual Iris-messaging on screen! Good way to start the episode.

Yes, toss the drachma, SEAWEED BRAIN!

If you want the gods’ attention, you have to pay for it. Eh, not surprised since it’s kinda how children have to do to get their parents’ attention these days.

Wtf is Luke Castellan doing in Chiron’s office?

We know who stole the bolt. (Book-readers, we know who stole the bolt!)

*Calm expression* How do you know? and not *gasp* Really? Who is it? Very sus. 🤔

I do have a love-hate relationship with Clarisse La Rue as a character, but accusing her as the lightning thief? OH, HELL NO!

This convo:

Luke: Guys, what is this?

Percy and Annabeth: What?

Luke: When did you turn into an old married couple?

Percy and Annabeth:

Everyone in the fandom:

Luke channeling his big brother energy by teasing Annabeth, his little sister, to a boy her age. Annabeth’s going through that older-sibling-embarrassing-you-in-front-of-your-crush stage. It’s just typical sibling stuff.

Annabeth, externally: *pokerface*; Annabeth, internally: STOP EMBARRASSING ME!

Confirmed: Luke ships Percabeth. 🥰

Percy changing the subject because he’s also embarrassed.

Annabeth cuts off the connection before Percy can mention Hermes and tells him Luke and his dad aren’t on good terms.

Grover just figured out that the truck is driven by animal traffickers and insists that they free the animals is absolute peak characterization.

They’re like artists. Proceeds to release the animals in the middle of traffic.

How that convo basically went:

Percy: Idk about this, man.

Grover: Oh, they’ll be fine. I gave them the satyr’s blessing so they’ll be able to reach the wilderness safely.

Percy: Dude, I meant for these people.

Grover: Oh, uh, it’s fine. These people destroyed nature so idgaf about them. But the animals are fine, so let’s go!

Percy: So, which hotel is the Lotus Casino? It could be any building-

Annabeth: Duh! Obviously, it’s the one with the giant lotus blossom on it.

Percy: Seriously?

3 minors walking into a Casino hotel. Totally normal and not suspicious at all.

Dua Lipa’s Levitating instead of Lady Gaga’s Pokerface. I ain’t even mad.

WISE GIRL! WISE GIRL! WISE GIRL! HE CALLED HER WISE GIRL! 😍🥰

Of course, Annabeth insists Percy goes with her. Percabeth! 😍

Annabeth tells Percy about May Castellan, Luke’s Mom. It’s kinda early to know about this, but I’m not complaining. It just justifies Luke’s resentment of Hermes in the show.

Grover: *finds Augustus, a fellow Satyr* *Forgets everything*

Please tell me someone else heard some kid calling out BIANCA in the background. It's not just me, right? Please tell me it's the di Angelo siblings in the Lotus Casino. UNCLE RICK, WE NEED ANSWERS!

Percy explaining his nightmares and asks if they are real.

How that convo went:

Annabeth: Hmm, idk

Percy: How do you not know?

Annabeth: I may be smart but there are things I don’t know.

Percy: Wtf does that make me then?

Hermes/Alexander Hamilton not throwing away his shot. How does a bastard, son of a god and a Pleiad. Grow up to be a master trickster, according to Homer’s Illiad…

In Vegas you can be a new man...apparently, not.

Hermes: I’m not doing this again. You’re on your own, kids. Bye!

Annabeth: We’re friends of Luke’s.

Hermes: *surprise pikachu face* Damn it, let’s talk.

Hermes being an epitome of another crappy absent godly parent. Not surprised.

Annabeth doing what probably Luke taught her to do:

Annabeth: So I stole Hermes’ keys.

Percy: You what?

Annabeth: I turned invisible and picked his pocket.

Percy: You stole from the god of thieves?

Annabeth: Yes, I’m multi-talented. Lol

Percy: *lowkey falls in love*

The lotus fruit being pumped into the air is something new.

Percy: Grover got really old. 🤣

Percy and Annabeth chases Augustus around while Grover’s playing VR games.

Grover forgetting things because he was alone, while Percy and Annabeth remember because they have each other. PERCABETH!

Grover acting all carefree like a dentist just sedated him with nitrous oxide, while Percy and Annabeth are frantically looking for Hermes’ car will never be not funny.

TO THE DUMB KIDS. Yep, that note is for you.

Percy: So, who’s driving?

Percy and Annabeth turning to Grover because he’s the adult.

Grover: *still high* Idk man. Idk what we're even doing here.

Percy: Ok, I’ll do it. How hard can it be. If I killed the Minotaur, I can drive a cab.

Percy: How hard could this be? Proceeds to hit the car on several columns.

Percy getting angry because another car didn’t slow down and nearly hit them, then slamming the horn. Bruh, you’re inner New Yorker is showing and I’m here for it.

This scene: 😍😍😍

Me, watching this scene:

Percy and Annabeth smiling at each other then realizing the car’s scraping the wall. This shit cracked me up.

The truck nearly hitting them gave me a mini-heart attack. Good thing they’re in Hermes’ cab.

Percy half-nervous and half-excited to finally meet his Dad only to find a Nereid instead, giving him 4 teleportation pearls as a gift.

The title implying they took a Zebra to Vegas but we see no zebra? Come on! Anyway, that was a good episode. Can't wait for the Percy vs Ares showdown next week.

[ruespirals]

INTRO

hey, I'm rue,

you'll find me spiraling over ethel cain's music and poetry, writing fanfic and my own stories, or in a dark corner considering moving across the country at every minor inconvenience

(we don't condone jkr here, trans lives matter🏳️‍⚧️)

my fics on my ao3 account:

The Harry Potter Fandom/The Marauders Era Fandom

we're born at night (one-shot) (1/1) (7,229k words) (rated m)

(MWPP Era) (animal death) (hurt/comfort) (canon compliant)

ships/pairings: jily, wolfstar

Remus woke up with blood in his mouth that wasn't his.

Gore was like an old forgotten friend to him. He knew it like the back of his hand once, and understood the metallic taste. And it's stickiness when it stained, like a dry paste. It never tasted good, but at least he knew it was his. His burden to bear. His burden to carry alone.

Besides it, now there was an added weight to his stomach. Swarming flesh that wasn't his.

or

James reacts badly on one particular full moon when Moony hunts down and kills a stag that looks similar to his Animagus form in the heat of the moment.

iris of my eye (two-part one shot) (2/2) (9,962k words)

(rated e) (ootp) (explicit smut in chapter 2) (canon compliant) (number twelve grimmauld place) (emotional hurt/comfort)

ships/pairings: wolfstar

Remus' old clothing clung to his body in a way that kept Sirius' eyes glued to every curve and shape that wasn't hidden by the too-large material. On the side to his neck, a little to left a scar was there, but his Adam's apple-smooth and inviting-had Sirius desiring to gently tip his head back and run his nails down to the collarbones. Press down on the crook of his throat, where Sirius was more than sure he'd find some form of his religion there-just to hear him sigh heavenly in Sirius' ear. Internally sighing at himself, Sirius thought he was too damn old for this. or Remus visits Sirius at Grimmauld Place, and they both pine after each in the typical Wolfstar fashion while working through their issues.

love me like a sailor (multi-chapter) (2/4) (wip)

(7,733k words) (rated teen and up) (high school/muggle au) (modern day au) (light angst) (coming of age) (tooth rotting fluff) (crack treated seriously) (minor religious symbolism/imagery)

ships/pairings: prongsfoot, marylily, moonrat,

background dorlene

“Good,” murmurs James, trailing his hand up Sirius’s arm before it settles on the other’s face. “You don't belong to them, Sirius. You can belong with anything you want without being tied down to your last name.” “Jamie,” Sirius exhales like a prayer. Like a promise. His tone is full of surprise, like it is everytime James tries to remind him that he is free from his blood family, that he’s safe with the Potters. His eyes soften, James's heart softening with it. At some point, they shuffled close enough to where their foreheads are now touching, legs intertwined. Sirius is gripping James’s hand like it’s a lifeline, disbelieving of what he has. What James is willing to give to him. “What did I do to have you? To deserve you?” “Everything, Padfoot. Everything.” James’s pulse flutters and skips widely in his throat, so loud he’s sure Sirius can feel it. or

After a drunken night at a party, James is confronted by his sudden feelings for his best friend Sirius, Lily wonders if Mary reciprocates her larger-than-life love, and Remus is just happy listening to Peter rant about DnD.

Bungou Stray Dogs Fandom

Chaos Makes the Muse (multi-chapter) (7/13) (wip)

(38,752k words) (rated e) (modern au) (high school au)

(growing up/time skips) (implied sexual content) (trans dazai) (nonbinary chuuya) (heavy angst with a happy ending) (gets worse before it gets better) (mutual pining) (artist dazai) (poet chuuya)

ships/pairings: soukoku, background odango

Suddenly, Dazai grabs Chuuya’s wrist and hauls them away. Chuuya throws a punch at Dazai, but Dazai, already knowing them, dodges it quickly. “You’re such an ass!” Chuuya yells. “You have such poor insults,” Dazai grins. Dazai continues dragging them all the way out of the Arcade, the sun still shining bright and hitting every angle of Dazai's face right. Chuuya looks at his face for a moment, seeing his usual dead eyes being brought to life by the sun, his eyes turning a warm brown. Dazai keeps grinning and makes a comment about Chuuya’s height, making Chuuya regain their focus, still scowling. “Where are you even taking me?” asks Chuuya. Dazai puts a finger to his lips, making a shush sound. “It’s a secret.” “You’ll probably try to murder me.” “That’s one of many possibilities!” “You’re really a bitch.” “So are you, Chibi!” or Osamu Dazai and Chuuya Nakahara become more warped in each other’s worlds than they thought and somehow always make it back to each other.

[sankttealeaf]

this is late but any out of 14,18,22,24,27 for the writer asks? <3

this is also a late response but here we go<3 answering these fic writer asks!

14. where do you get your inspiration?

mainly when i'm laying in bed trying to go to sleep. i like to just put my guys into situations and sometimes i come up with good things. i have a lot of bad spoon days so i'm stuck in bed just thinking about things

the market scene in let sleeping dogs lie where gortash buys rue a cat figurine and she breaks it came from a week last december where i got sick and couldnt do much except lay in bed. i had that scene planned months before i would ever need to write it :')

i'm always thinking of situations!! its not a bad coping mechanism if i'm getting something out of it, right?

18. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

a scene from a cut chapter where gortash takes rue to a fancy dinner to get her to kill someone for him - this got turned into the party chapter :) the gift in question are her little dagger earrings but i ended up making gortash give them to her later on as a thank u for looking after him post-cania

She rolls her eyes. “Maybe we should sleep together. That way I’ll be rid of you.” “You would miss me.” “I wouldn't. Not when you keep putting me in shitty clothes like this.” “You look divine. I think you should let me dress you up more often. You would look exquisite covered in fine jewellery and expensive fabrics. Speaking of-” He takes out a small box from the inside of his coat, the sudden loss of his hand against her leg feels odd and Rumour takes this moment to put her feet back down on the floor. Gortash hands her the box. “If you’re proposing, at least get on your knees,” she says as he laughs. “Do you think of me often on my knees?” “Yes.” She takes the box from him. “It is required to kneel before me in the temple. You could do with following that rule.” “It would take more than that to get me to kneel before you.” He sits back, waiting for her to open the box. “You, on the other hand, would look delightful on your knees in front of me.” “Think of me often like that?” she repeats, an eyebrow raised and a smirk across her face. “I’m certain that me kneeling before you has nothing to do with being a devout follower of the Gods.” “What you could do on your knees is something the Gods only wish they could do.” “I’m not getting you off, Gortash.” “You don’t have to be kneeling to do that.” He nudges his leg against hers. “Open the gift.”

22. do you ever worry about public reaction to what you’re writing? how do you get past that?

i used to! bad in the early days of sharing my durgetash stuff i was worried that people would find me weird for being on the gortash train, but as time has gone on there's a (relatively) nice community for durgetash now which has eased my worries

i also think i'm at the point in my life where i dont really care if people think what i'm writing is too much or whatever. i write for myself & share it in case anyone else wants to read it, but at the end of the day its for me. idc what people may think!!

24. how do you recharge when you’re not feeling creative?

i try and do something else completely! i also draw, so i tend to flip-flop between writer mode and artist mode a lot which is great! i also listen to a lot of music to help get me in the zone. but sometimes the best cure is to not do anything at all and wait it out !!

27. your favorite part of the writing process

daydreaming about all the ideas i have and planning them down into vaguely coherant points

and also writing the parts i really really am excited for and can visualise so clearly in my head

[thesakuragarnet]

PHOENIX AU: Fun Facts

hey y’all, sorry for being MIA. I got sick when I went on vacation but I’m home now! No idea how frequently I will be posting but I will be spending the next several months forcing myself to write so yeehaw. Anyway here’s some PHOENIX fun facts about some characters from my fanfiction lifeblood (PHOENIX: A Pro Hero Toya Todoroki AU) that I posted on my Instagram @the_sakura_garnet a while back

(includes some references to BNHA OC's that I have that are in PHOENIX and it's prequel)

MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

PHOENIX AU Toya Todoroki Fun Facts

Miyuki Sero made a bet with him during their second year involving Everclear, and it's the closest Toya's ever come to getting alcohol poisoning. Miss Kaminari forced him to clean the common room for two months as punishment

He can do the entire Ludacris rap in "Baby" by Justin Bieber

Has only cried a handful of times because of movies. Most of those times have been movies he's watched with his sister. But he'll never admit it

He and Natsuo crashed a sled into their father's car one winter, and proceeded to blame five year old Shoto for it...who was inside...with Enji...the entire time.

He has keyed the cars of all his sister's exes

PHOENIX AU Keigo Takami Fun Facts

Has sponsors from literally every place that sells chicken, but KFC is his place of choice

For one of their first dates, Keigo forced Toya to come along on a search for the "perfect chicken tender" where they ordered from every place and they ranked all of them. Led to a lot of arguments that left both of them crying from laughing so hard about how passionate the other was about their opinion

He owns several matching/complementing outfits with Rumi from their shopping spree days at the academy, and some of them are dresses

If he has the AUX there will be Broadway tunes, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, or classic rock ONLY. With minimal exceptions

He's always playing "I Wanna Party" from Rio unironically when he's getting ready in the morning and has developed a whole song and dance routine to it. occasionally, Toya will do the second verse if he's awake and Rue will do the female vocals. There have been several early dance parties at the PHOENIX Agency, and it's a pain for collaborating heroes when they have to travel team-up for missions

PHOENIX AU Rumi Usagiyama Fun Facts

She's a black belt in taekwondo, judo, Krav Maga, and generally kicking ass (BONUS: She has a trophy that says "best at kicking ass" that Toya had made for her as a birthday gift)

She feels guilty for being cold and mean to Toya for so long before they became friends, but she doesn't know how to approach him about it (even though he's left that all behind and doesn't hold it against her)

Her favorite workout playlist artists are Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, and Megan Thee Stallion

Midnight helped her come to terms with her sexuality with her confidence and unapologetic expression

She's double-jointed, has never taken a steroid (contrary to popular belief in the tabloids), and prides herself on being healthy

PHOENIX AU Ryuko Tatsuma Fun Facts

Her mother used to make her do beauty pageants/contests, and she would win flawlessly every time

She was born into a very wealthy family, but ironically didn't let her riches go to her head until reaching fame

During school, she occasionally ate edibles to calm her nerves as she would obsess over her grades, which is why her parties always had them

She constantly showers Rumi with extravagant gifts, but Rumi considers Ryuko the greatest gift of all

(Not so fun fact and SPOILER) she left Rumi for Uwabami when she dumped her in Chapter 40

PHOENIX AU Shinji Nishiya Fun facts

During their entire first year, Shinji was absolutely terrified of Toya because of their Quirk incompatibility (fire and wood don't mix)

He secretly had a slight crush on Rumi for a couple years, which is another reason why Yu never liked Rumi

He and Amari used to make conspiracy boards in the common room whenever they got high

He has acted as a getaway driver for a number of Toya's antics (he's the only person that doesn't make Toya carsick when he drives)

He scored the highest in Hero/Civilian/Villain Psychology during their Second and Third Years

[tvmigraine]

FORGOTTEN LIVES: Philip Hinchcliffe (Plus Kara Dennison Interview)

Before we begin! Remember to get a copy of the Forgotten Lives Omnibus at this link! I've been busy so you've only got five days to purchase a copy, get yourself one before you miss out!

For this section, for once, I'll be keeping it brief - there's little I want to say on this Doctor as they feel much easier to give across to an audience. Philip Hinchcliffe (1944) needs no introduction to a Classic Who fan, having led the show from The Ark in Space to the more controversial Talons of Weng-Chiang.

Whether intentional or not, there is a reflection in this Doctor's era to the 4th Doctor portrayed by Tom Baker. This eccentric incarnation hides a serious and powerful side behind his bravado and swashbuckler personality, with a combative companion that he's trying to teach to be better a la Leela. Rue makes a grand introduction with "Gauntlet of Absolution" and, currently, is the Hinchcliffe Doctor's only companion which brings up an interesting point. For the most part, each Doctor either has one companion established or mostly adventures on their own. This Doctor falls into that category, but I feel that he isn't the type to take another companion. Where he's building this relationship with Rue, he's also seemingly seeking validation from her in these travels.

Where we have yet to see the definitive finale for Hinchcliffe's Doctor, we see what could be coming. The original art by Paul Hanley lists that this Doctor meets a premature end at the hands of a villain called "The Witch of the White House", a character we see the origins of in the second story. Although the character has yet to be seen through fully, I personally interpret this character to live a lot like the 10th Doctor in that they burn bright but fast. While there's no announcement about any future plans, it would be interesting to see the relationship between these three core characters - the Doctor, the Witch and Rue - develop in the future.

Paul Hanley's design for the Hinchcliffe Doctor's TARDIS is up there in my personal taste, but that's for a good reason - how it references Hinchcliffe's era of the show. During Season 14 of the show (Hinchcliffe's final season as producer), Tom Baker spent that time using the secondary control room as opposed to the usual. Here, Paul Hanley builds a history behind this by making it the main console room for Hinchcliffe's Doctor, giving this interior more history by tying it into its own stories. In a meta way, it keeps a connection between Hinchcliffe and Baker's era even here.

Now that we've covered everything I intended to, let's get to the main chunk of this post - I had the opportunity to interview @the-last-teabender about her Doctor. To give more of an idea of Kara Dennison's work, she's in charge of Altrix Books alongside Paul Driscoll (a name we'll see again with the Gallaccio Doctor) who have released their own charity novels like Master Pieces and Master Switches, both focusing on the Doctor's oldest friend/enemy. She's also working on a series called Owl's Flower, alongside artist Ginger Hoesly.

I tried to keep it in the same vein as the self conducted interviews for Forgotten Lives by focusing on five questions. Read below!

You've written two stories for Hinchcliffe now, "The Gauntlet of Absolution" and "The Demons of Dog Street", and I would personally say that this Doctor does feel somewhat cut from the same cloth as the Tom Baker 4th Doctor. Would you say that his era influenced either story at all when it came to writing for this incarnation? While it wasn't something I intentionally sought out, I'm sure that came into play subconsciously. Everything we experience becomes part of our inspiration, and Tom Baker really is the definitive "Classic Doctor." The comparisons I've seen between Leela and Rue are apt, and Leela is a favorite companion - so as much as I made sure to separate Rue where I could, I can definitely see the broader similarities between the two TARDIS teams. When I've described this Doctor through the lens of other Doctors, 4 has never figured in, but perhaps he should. I tend to describe the Hinchcliffe Doctor as having the humility of 6 and the poise of 11. But again, that's on the outside. If anything, I'm flattered that people see my Doctor and think of someone so iconic and beloved!

In the first interview you gave with Forgotten Lives' page, you mentioned wanting to approach the prehistory from a literary and stylistic angle. Was there any stories or authors that influenced you when finding that style? You did mention the era this hypothetically would've been released was during the revival of sword-and-planet fiction. When I was first asked about being in Forgotten Lives, I'd just finished Renegade Swords, a sword-and-sorcery anthology curated by D.M. Ritzlin. It was the first book I featured during my tenure as book reviewer for Sci Fi Magazine before the mag folded, and it's an excellent introduction to the genre and its many offshoots. Bryce Walton's sword-and-planet story "Princess of Chaos" (which you can find in Renegade Swords or on Project Gutenberg) spurred a lot of the central concept of "Gauntlet of Absolution." In terms of overarching atmosphere, Edgar Rice Burroughs and his John Carter novels were a natural go-to. I wanted to give the sense that this Doctor's adventures played out in pulp sci-fi magazines. The kind with the big illustration on the first two pages. Hence the blurb at the beginning of each story.

You have taken part in other stories for Obverse before, such as City of the Saved and Iris Wildthyme, along with your own works at Altrix Books alongside Paul Driscoll. Does working on this Doctor feel different to how you'd work on other stories? Are there any similarities you've noticed? So far, my stories have either been fully in my own universe or fully in someone else's. Both of which are unique experiences in themselves. I love creating a character from the ground up; at the same time, I love studying, say, Katy Manning's dialogue as Iris and seeing how well I can "impersonate" her in text. Both are great challenges. With the Doctor, it was a sort of in-between experience. Creating a Doctor doesn't fall into one camp or the other. You're working off a template, but you're also not. You're making your own character, but they still have to have those touchstones that make them the Doctor, and people have extremely strong opinions about what those touchstones are. It was a little scary to think about - I dreaded hearing "He's all right, but he's not really the Doctor, is he?" In the end, I was a bit Mel Brooks about it: I wrote something that I knew my friends and I would enjoy, and hoped that would get me there. Judging by the response, it seems to have done the trick, for which I'm very grateful.

Some authors, when returning to Forgotten Lives 2, chose to write a definitive end to their Doctors that leads into the next era. I was curious if the temptation to do that was there when you were planning ahead? Or if you've considered how this Doctor might meet their final story? Funnily enough, the original pitch for FL2 was actually to write their regenerations! As is the case in publishing, that changed as the scope of the anthology changed. And with the addition of more writers (and possibly the realization that the idea has legs), we were invited to write the regeneration if we wanted, but we weren't under any obligation to. I know exactly how this Doctor will go out, and there are pieces already in place. But even though writing the regeneration wouldn't necessarily mean I could never write the character again, I didn't feel ready to go there. I had a lot of pieces I wanted to lay out first. "Demons of Dog Street" is one of those pieces. Whether the others will ever see the light of day is anyone's guess, but I hope so. Suffice to say, I have the whole scenario planned out in my mind, and I think it's the sort of heroic and cool end this Doctor would refuse to admit he's hoping for.

You've obviously worked with the Hinchcliffe Doctor, stepping into Doctors outside of the main canon most people know. Are there any other Doctors that you've wanted to write for? (Things like the Cushing, Unbound, Shalka, any other Doctor out there, etc) I love what Obverse is doing with the Cushing Doctor and hope to be a part of that someday. (I'm sure I'm not the only one!) It's funny you mention the Shalka Doctor, as I actually wrote a Shalka Doctor story for a charity anthology quite a while back. My writing has evolved a lot since then, but for what it was at the time, I'm still rather fond of it. Frankly, I'd consider it a treat to get to write for any Doctor from any period - especially the process of finding their voice for myself. One day, I'd love to see the Forgotten Lives writers trade Doctors and see what comes of it! The Hinchcliffe Doctor's portions of "Retrogenesis" and "The Hive Minders" were so fun to read, because there's something about seeing someone else get your character Just Right. It would be a lot of fun to trade off Doctors within the group and see what we make of each other's work.

You can find more information on what went into Building the Doctor at Kara Dennison's blog. For more insight into the creative process of every author that worked on Forgotten Lives, you can go to @forgottenlivesobverse and find interviews from everyone involved across the books. If you're looking for insight on how the outfits were designed, you can go to Paul Hanley's Patreon and find what went into designing each Doctor.

The adventures of the Hinchcliffe Doctor and Rue start with Gaunlet of Absolution, continuing as we see below - we'll discuss The Hive Minders in the future, but look forward to these stories.

GAUNTLET OF ABSOLUTION by Kara Dennison

THE DEMONS OF DOG STREET by Kara Dennison

RETROGENESIS (Part Four) by Philip Purser-Hallard

THE HIVE MINDERS (Part One) by Ian McIntre

Tomorrow we'll pass the halfway mark and cover the Douglas Camfield Doctor, the only Doctor to make a further appearance in Doctor Who canon.

[greensagephase]

Okay, so! Part 14? Amazing oh my god… Am I picking up that Harry might’ve played a roll in some previous parts or am I crazy? Stay tuned. Anyways, AAAA I love these two so much. Even the little hint about Peter looking at them almost like a family. You put so much imagery and psychology into these chapters and I eat it up every fricken time!!!

I was going to ask to possibly make a few suggestions for music to add to the playlist. Obviously music is subjective but like… Hear me out 🥹

Almost (Sweet Music) by Hozier:

So in the case you haven’t listened to this song, absolutely give it a go. It’s about a man slowly falling in love with someone who reminds him of an ex or a past lover(?) and how good it feels to slowly be himself again. Lowkey I relate this song to Y/N because there’s just certain aspects about Miguel in this fic that also align with their universes Peter. Especially the whole staring thing mentioned in this chapter, how Miguel always looks at Y/N like Peter did, and Y/N smiles the same way that they did with Peter about Miguel. These lyrics especially!

The same kind of music

Haunts her bedroom

I’m almost me again

She’s almost you

And

I wouldn’t know where to start

Sweet music playing in the dark

Be still my foolish heart

Don’t ruin this on me

—

Ghost of Chicago by Noah Floersch

So I feel like this one once it’s listened to kinda speaks for itself but it definitely kinda sounds like how I would imagine Miguel would feel falling into this friendship / situationship / relationship. Because it starts off as that slow and staccatoed tempo before building up to tempo and suddenly it’s like he sees this person everywhere, not literally but metaphorically. Being able to associate this person with so many little things in life.

—

Francesa by Hozier

Last one, and currently it’s a bit of a stretch. However, hear me out. This song if you don’t know (and I apologize for explaining so much but I wanna be thorough, I’m sure you’ve listened to Hozier but y’know) Is about a man being so in love that he would endure the struggles in life all over again if he could be with his lover once again, and that their love is so powerful it is not meant for a place like heaven. This to me is a perfect ending song for Miguel x Y/N because! There has been so much of a build up, in this whole process I feel like by the end of it, Miguel would absolutely live the life he was given once more if it meant being with Y/N once more. Every single tragic event would be worth the pain because of the sheer love he would experience in the end.

Anyways I’m done, this is way too long but AAAA I love you and your writing and I just had to yap about it 😭🤍

Hi, Rue!!!! I'm so happy you enjoyed part 14!! 🥹 About Harry… I can't say anything, but I'm seriously loving everyone's thoughts on him, hehe! 🤣 Omg, I'm glad you've mentioned the part where Peter B. looks at Miguel and reader with Mayday!!!!! I WAS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD PICK UP ON THIS!!! For a few seconds, Peter B. definitely saw them as a little family - maybe a potential future 😌- and I just, AHHHH!!! It was one of my favorite scenes to write for sure from part 14!! 😭 I want them together already but I have to control myself!

About the music - Rue, you killed me with these songs suggestions and I LOVE that two of them are Hozier's!! It's actually insane you've suggested songs by him because the other day I was literally thinking about looking into his music to discover new songs for the fic since I know he's recently dropped new music. I'm not a hardcore fan but I enjoy a few of his songs and I LOVE his voice and he seems like a really chill and sweet artist, but anyway, I got very busy last week and never got to it, so this is perfect!!!

I listened to them and can I just say I absolutely LOVE "Almost (Sweet Music)" ?!? This one is def so fitting for Y/N in regards to her past love with Peter and the parallels between him and Miguel, and the way Y/N herself will slowly show these little parallels like smiling at Miguel the way she used to for Peter, too! And then the part,

"I wouldn't know where to start Sweet music playing in the dark Be still my foolish heart Don’t ruin this on me"

This fits both of them so perfectly - I won't say much but you basically put it together based on your thoughts on "Ghost of Chicago" 😭😭 anyway, I LOVE THIS SONG and I've added it to the future songs playlist along with the other two (in my nonpublic personal Spotify account which is just growing longer each day with the new music I find lol) and be assured that they'll show up in the official playlist when the time is right!! 😌

And the last songs!!!! Yes, yes, yes to your thoughts!! I can't wait to use these songs for our future Miguel in which he loses sleep no longer because of nightmares, stress, or overworking, but rather because of matters of the heart and that's all I'm going to say about that!!

Thank you so much for making these song suggestions, Rue!! If you have more, send them my way! I love listening to songs you guys relate to the fic - it's one of my fav things ever seriously!!

I hope you're doing well and thank you for sending this wonderful ask!!! 🤍🫶🏼