#i feel like nico might be a little more shy

[keter-class-anomaly]

I dare you to guess which mutual of yours I am

either nico or jay because they are the only two people who would do things like this.

or i'm wrong and i'm sorry.

[chiiyuuvv]

when &team has a crush on you

friend!&team x fem!reader 1.6k words

▸ 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺?

Kei ♥︎

Y'all are so oblivious STOPPPP. It was love at first sight yet y’all are too blind to see that, so you start having “lovers quarrels” (as the members like to call it)

Play fights with kei >>> he purposely takes an embarrassing photo of you and it ends with you chasing him around the house with a member sending you a side eye 🥹

Probably refers to you as the “mom.” (poor fuma) He's like, “guys be on your best behavior, mom's coming today!” “So that means you're the dad??” “Taki!!!” 

Has some moments when he zones out with a lil smile on his face, but never tells you why. “Oh, what are you grinning about this time?” “A time where your breath smelled better 😊” “gasps kei!!”

This is very specific but back to the whole mom thing- imagine you're cooking dinner for your kids and husband when suddenly kei comes up and back hugs you. You get flustered (obviously) so kei uses that opportunity to tease you when his ears are burning red but shhh shhh, we don't talk about that

Fuma ♥︎

Doesn't think much of it at first. You're the pretty girl that tags along with their adventures, nothing less nothing more. Until it hits him: He smiles more in your presence. Then he's like oh.. oh.. OHHHH 

Since he's older, I think he would be the most sane around his crush. Sure his heart might skip a beat when you share a smile, but he's not panicking on the inside like the other members. He has this chill, peaceful persona when he's with you

Unintentionally showers you with gifts. He gets you a necklace because it has all your favorite colors/shapes/etc. and you're just like “fuma, another one?! You already got me a headband” and he's like “oh yeah hehe 😅😅 still take this gift tho ╰⁠(⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠´⁠꒳⁠`⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠)⁠╯”

Takes you on friendly dates when you first start talking. He likes you but he doesn't want to rush anything, so he uses that time to better understand you and vice versa

Takes candid photos of you during said dates. Loves seeing you in your natural state :)) you're like a sunflower to him, so bright and welcoming :( 

Nicholas ♥︎

Unconsciously plays with your hair during public gatherings

Not only with the hair thing, but would also find random excuses to touch you. Like grabbing your hand whilst walking through a crowd.. it isn't exactly necessary, but it is a pretty good excuse if I say so myself 🤷‍♀️

Also calls you cute no matter what you do!! You could be doing something random (like idk.. ordering food or smth) and all you hear in the background is nico’s iconic laugh followed by “kawaii” under his breath

This might be a bit of a stretch, but dare I say he has a nickname reserved just for you?? For example, sometimes he calls himself weno (which is stinking cute if you ask me) and last time I checked, no other person has called him that (besides his family most likely). Maybe that's a nickname only you can call him, as he might get weirded out/confused if the members call him that. (They would most likely tease him after discovering this very juicy information)

Probably the most in denial about his crush on you. Like no way, you're literally like a sister to him. Wdym his eyes sparkle whenever you talk? You're just delusional shush

Euijoo ♥︎

You're each other's comfort persons. Show one sign of discomfort, sadness, whatever, and he's already cheering you up (and vice versa!!)

You've probably known each other for the longest, so you hold a special place in his heart

Which is probably why he doesn't want to fall in love with you, because you're too valuable to lose. He's not going to risk your amazing friendship over his silly little feelings, if anything he's just gonna ignore it and go back to acting his usual euijoo self (note: don't do that)

Who knew that would be so hard :(( noticeably shy when you enter the room, his words stuck in his throat and his hands shaking while his eyes avoid yours at all cost. Why'd you have to look so pretty today? 

Gets so flustered when you compliment him. he's like “oh..” while looking away and biting back his smile, then you make eye contact and y'all just burst out laughing 🥹💔

Yuma ♥︎

Awkward.. he doesn't know how to act around you

He's super nonchalant at first, just yk.. tRyInG tO pLaY iT cOoL but stops because you aren't paying attention to him :((

Then he turns into his massive fluff ball but stops because 1) he doesn't normally act like that so it's weird.. 2) his liking towards you seems more obvious and 3) the members caught on after the second encounter and now they're teasing them (side note but I can definitely see the members (prob taki) using that as blackmail. Like oh, you won't do my chores?? I'll tell yn you like her >:))

So yuma opts to tease you. Turns into your #1 enemy that you just wanna strangle but you never do it because you'll go to jail he's kinda cute annoying you. Wait what??

But the cuteness is mutual since yuma loves seeing you flustered/angry. So it's a win win ig 🤷‍♀️ 🤷‍♀️ 

Jo ♥︎

Although he would be the quietest around his crush, I feel like he would have random bold moments around you

Like texting first when that's something you usually do, asking you out for lunch, touching you (consentfully); it's the random bold moments that not only shock you but himself

I think he would overthink his actions. Like when he gifted you some flowers, was he too obvious with his liking towards you? Did he not show enough interest in you? Still trying to figure out the line between too much and too little

I know I usually say “x members asks his hyungs for help” but I think Jo would avoid talking to someone about it 💀 doesn't want to get teased/that person accidentally spills the beans in front of you 

SOOOOO he keeps a journal that's just filled with you ;) writing about all his interactions with the love of his life you, random, super detailed drawings. It's his love diary :))

Harua ♥︎

If we're being completely honest you probably already had a crush on harua before he took interest in you. Or maybe that's just me……. Anyways

CUTIE PATOOTIE JUST STUFF HIM IN YOUR POCKET HES SO URGHHH 🥹🥹🥹

he'd be so CUTE around you with a side of shy (I'm writing this as I'm sobbing) probably goes out of his way to surprise you with flowers (or chocolates if you're on your period), or little treats and he's all like 😊😊 as he's giving them to you but in the inside he's HOLLERING

If you're a bestie of one of the members, suddenly harua’s pestering them on what you like, dislike, etc. because he needs to know all about you. He's like that SpongeBob meme “write that down write that down!!”

And he doesn't even deny that he has a crush on you 😭😭😭 the members like, “why do you want to know this?? Do you like her or smth?? /j” and harua's like, “yep! Now tell me more ✍️”

Taki ♥︎

I also think taki would be awkward around you, but he's painfully obvious 😭

He's the life of the party around his friends, just gets on the floor and starts doing the worm and then you walk in the room and he's like🧍‍♀️all of a sudden he's quieter than jo, which is strange because have you seen taki??

Do NOT touch the boy istg he will malfunction on the spot. He goes to calm to sweating to stuttering to he's avoiding your eyes to- he's a mess to say the very least

Gets so anxious when he's sitting next to you. Everything HAS to be perfect. No maki, you will not show her your weird trick. Stop leaning against the table nico. He'd send a (very scary) glance at the member and then they're like 😅😅 “anyways…”

Just a heads up, but you'd probably have to confess to the boy because he refuses. He'd talk to the members and he's all like “yeah I'm gonna talk to her, yeah I'm gonna rizz her up, i'm a rizz lord after all. 😎” and then you show up and he suddenly disappears. Where did he go??

Maki ♥︎

Compliments in German (an established trope in luneville) to tease you.. or because he feels shy to reveal his true feelings (winky winky)

Values his quiet time with you: meaningful talks, cuddling, holding each other's hands.. something that only couples do. So in the end, maki tends to overthink your actions. Why would you grab his hand out of the blue? Or change his name to “prince” or something of that nature? What are we?? <- something he asked himself a lot

Your name constantly leaves maki’s mouth no matter the conversation, which leaves the members feeling annoyed 😭 Like maki could be talking to kei about idk frogs and he's just like, “did you know yn-” “maki.” “..sorry.”

You guys most likely have a mutual favorite artist that you two rant about

Omg what if he confesses through your favorite song? Say your mutual fav artist releases a love song and one day maki sings it to you. He'd probably hold your hand and keep eye contact the entire time, then when the song is finished he'd kiss the said hand. WAIT AWW THATS SO CUTE

︴bonus! trying to get out of my writers block bc i wanna write so bad T_T SPEAKING OF WHICH i'm not ready to get back into solo works as of yet, so i've been using headcanons to ease me back into the mood. SOOO my requests will be open for more &team headcanon ideas (only &t bc xikers has a bunch)!! i'll probably write how &t confesses btw :3

▸ taglist 📬 @rizzkisworld , @cherrycolaberry , @kehnarii , @wtfisgoingright

🎬 navi

@chiiyuuvv on tumblr . do not steal works/headers/line dividers

[sergeifyodorov]

Your post of all the first overalls to girl interrupted actively makes me feel crazy. Do you have a ranking of the most compelling first overalls?

cody's list of most compelling (active) (to me) first overalls

21. aaron ekblad (2014.) i don't care for the florida panthers

20. alexis lafreniere (2020). his strongest narrative juices are a) the bust thing (he was a covid baby, it takes time) and b) maybe him also going to rimouski like sid, if you really wanted to pull it out like that. but the two of them have little otherwise connection, so not really

19. owen power (2021) this is a list ranked by compellingness and not cutieness or who i would want to provide most with feminizing hrt against their will

18. nico hischier (2017) even some of the least compelling 1oas are still quite interesting IMHO -- nico is the highest ever drafted swiss player + a very young captain on a basement team + a CHL import. all of which *are* juicy. he just lacks... i don't know, a little extra je ne sais quoi

17. macklin celebrini (2024) invoking the power of "He Literally Just Got Here" for this one. the daddy issues are a powerful offset though

16. ryan nugent-hopkins (2011). the power of the longest-tenured member of a team is quite something. earns points for not being an upper middle class rich boy either

15. nathan mackinnon (2013). controversial to put him so low i know but in my genuine and honest opinion he's way more interesting as a Character than a Part Of The Narrative. crucial divide here. i'm about to talk about slaf's personality making him interesting narratively but they do want their good canadian boys to shut up and take it and nate doesn't rebel against that. all he wants to do is win (accomplished) and fuck sidcros (negligible)

14. juraj slafkofsky (2022) just barely edges out the nuge by virtue of a) the whole First Slovak thing (see nico) and b) his new and upcoming beef with the slovak federation??? what's all that about because THAT'S juice. THAT'S spark. slaf's great because not only are his little circumstances compelling but he's also got such a Personality to him. his little rockstar attitude. his little braces. I will show him where is Slovakia. yessss girl

13. rasmus dahlin (2018). im a dahlin attention payer so he's probably higher than he "should" be but CAPTAIN OF THE BUFFALO SABRES I AM SO SORRY.

12. erik johnson (2006) hugely fascinated by his fall from grace via golf cart, which is not a route most people take. and then of course he was a crucial emotional crux of the avs up until their 2022 run and in my belief a much more important part of their fall from grace post-run than whatever landeskog is doing. and of course any flyer is relevant by nature

11. jack hughes (2019) you cannot deny the hughes are interesting narratively because they are important. he's not as interesting or as important as quinn though so obviously not as high on the list as he might have otherwise been

10. taylor hall (2010) actually super interesting because he has, throughout his entire career, been on one (1) good team (the 2022-23 boston bruins). he has a hart trophy!!! you guys know he has a fucking hart trophy right???? while they were drafting davo et al, he was an oiler. while they were drafting nico, he was a devil, while they were drafting owen, he was a sabre, and when they drafted connor bedard he was a blackhawk. always the bridesmaid, never the bride

9. steven stamkos (2008). there's always something to be said for waiting a long time to get what you want. and then once that goal's been accomplished, they throw you out.

8. connor bedard (2023) Let's Get Generational With It

7. john tavares (2009) brief let's un-get generational with it to talk about mr magic amulet breaking TWO entire playoff round curses as captain, twice. about him choosing toronto. about Him

6. auston matthews (2016) what if you were a vain shy arizona boy who wanted nothing more than to be a star and then they gave it to you and then you immediately had to learn that it's not nearly as good as you thought it was going to be. and you were actually kind of gay the whole time (im biased. this is cody sergeifyodorov's immense toronto bias. be normal)

5. patrick kane (2007)

4. marc-andre fleury (2003) the whole saga of him in pittsburgh AND the whole saga of him in vegas AND the whole saga of him in minnesota (and the brief intermission when he was in chicago) are all massive narrative moments of their own, but to have all of them? to be a goaltender that lucky and that loved for that long? it's not done. it will never be done again.

3. connor mcdavid (2015) I Love It When The Ginger Man Suffers

2. alexander ovechkin (2004) you know i could write essays on ovi. i could write dissertations. people have already done so -- i would not be the first and will not be the last if i join their ranks. i could take about the goals and the record chase. i could talk about the way he's been juxtaposed against the guy who you really should have known going in was going to be number one for his whole career. i could talk about the hunt for 2018, and the long, long time they said he was useless, no matter the record. but i will say after me. after me, i give it to you, baby.

sidney crosby (2005). obviously

[overtake]

every time i remember that gifset of daniel laughing and talking pre-race with max and his dad in spa 2014 and realize that max saw daniel win his third race and red bull's 50th race live and IN PERSON....like daniel must have seemed so cool and larger than life. and then come to find out a few weeks later it's max's test and he had made a welcome video for him. like...it's too much they're TOO MUCH.

This response got ludicrously long.

It’s such “fated to be in each other’s lives forever” shit. It’s always been Max and Daniel. In 2011, before Max was even a red bull junior. In 2014 at spa, ahead of Max being announced for toro rosso. In video form at his super license drive, when Max being his future teammate wouldn’t have even been thought in Daniel’s mind. The things Max got to see Daniel achieve and dream that he might have that and more, and the hot guy doing it is paying attention to him.

He wins that race and backs him, saying he couldn’t have done what he’s about to do and saying Max has the talent to be there… I just know it was good to hear that the man you just watched on the podium believes you deserve this oppprtunity. And if he wasn’t ready at your age and is sitting in front of you a three time winner, what can you achieve by his age?

Obviously, Max has never needed other people’s validation on his skill. He knew he could be successful and had no issue staring his naysayers down. He’s a cactus, not a delicate orchid. You cannot kill him. Your opinions mean nothing to him if you are not in his inner circle (though Daniel certainly worked his way into being someone whose opinion Max holds, hears, and values).

But still, it has to be nice to hear back then that there are people with achievements you want who believe you’re capable of getting there. Even the most brave-faced sixteen year old (with a father who tries to toughen his emotional resolve by saying he will never be anything more than a truck driver) still appreciates having someone believe in him, even if he doesn’t need the validation.

I think people tend to wrongly characterize young Max as some delicate friendless loser and Daniel was the only person to ever show him kindnesses etc etc etc. Max is extremely confident and never relied on Daniel to build self-worth or whatever pathetic way people try to write him. But he always just glowed around him — textbook of that first crush that makes you have the italics “oh. oh” moment. It’s very apparent that Daniel meant a lot to Max as a teammate and that the two of them just liked being around each other, such an anomaly for that era of f1 (ex: like they mentioned in on the sofa 2017, Lewis, — who had been busy with the life altering downfall of his relationship with Nico — was in awe of Max and Daniel and asked for the scholarship of how they got along so well).

It’s so clear that this draw between them started for Max so early from just the way he looks at Daniel on that phone, shy and not knowing quite what to say, and his gaze lingering on it even after it stops playing with that smile. He has to tear his attention away to say his sweet little praise of Daniel. Daniel respected Max as a serious competitor from day one with his quotes about Max’s talents, and that already meant something to Max — but then he also went ahead and liked Max and was kind to Max in a time where he was drenched in doubters.

It’s a great tragedy that we will never know what it would’ve been like to see the two of them in a car that could compete for championships. Obviously tensions would have altered their relationship (I mean, the Renault engine frustration and natural increase in rivalry as it became Max’s team already meant their relationship improved post-leaving), but I’m going to be delusional and think that they never could have hated each other in that bone-deep way because they like each other in a way that is so natural that it feels encoded in their DNA.

Things would have gotten messy as competitive battles do, with many a wall punched and inflammatory quotes in the media pen — especially as Daniel would have to reckon with the inevitability of Max being a generational talent whose already sharp elbows in their early days only doled out more hits on the road to WDC. It’d be claws out, teeth bared tension.

Still, I employ my delusion to say that in that universe, at the end of their careers, they could sit on Daniel’s farm and still enjoy being around each other — like Daniel said in 2019, they had a heated rivalry and pushed each other, but there was always respect. At the end of the day, Max has never stopped looking at Daniel outside the track with anything but effusive love, and Daniel is always there looking back with his mouth open and ready to make Max laugh — and I genuinely believe they would have cared enough about each other to keep their fight contained to the environment and time period and rebuild anything lost when it’s all said and done.

It’s the eternal thesis of them, that everyone has said a million times over: they like each other so much, so genuinely, without a veneer of fakeness and PR to it. They’d like each other in any universe in any conditions, even ones where they were built to hate each other. There could still be fighting and resentment and cold shoulders, but they are not built to hate each other, and that’s why I like them so much.

[loupy-mongoose]

Warning: This part contains discussion of Pokemon abuse and neglect, as well as the general topic of death.

Edit: I didn't realize when I posted that this part is kinda long, so I'mma slap a Read More on it.

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ARC START | CHRONO

Lavender stared in shock at the man who'd approached her.

It was him.

The man she'd seen in the articles online.

The man she'd seen in Nico's dream vision.

Fuji...

The man tilted his head a bit. Ah, so you've heard of me. I'm guessing you've read about the orphanage online?

I, uh...

Lav had no idea how she would begin speaking to him, let alone broach the subject that drove her to this moment.

I... I...

She hugged herself, shivering. Her mind and emotions were spent.

Fuji's concerned look grew deeper. Easy, there. Easy. What's troubling you? Maybe we can work it out.

She could feel his genuine concern for her wash off of him, and her own loneliness and regret crashed over her. She asked him in a timid, shaky voice, can I have a hug?

His eyebrow rose, but he smiled warmly at her. Of course! If it'll help!

She charged into his arms almost before he could open them wide enough. Oh how she missed this feeling of being safe in a pair of arms...

So what's got you so upset? Or is it something too personal to tell a stranger like myself?

Uh...

His voice lowered to just above a whisper. Your family isn't mistreating you, are they? I can help get you out if they are.

At that Lav pushed away from him, waving her arms. No no no no, nothing like that! I-I'm sad because I left them... And I wish I hadn't... I came here looking for someone, but... She wiped her eyes for the hundredth time since she'd taken off. It was a rash decision and I wish I could go back...

I can help with that too. Fuji smiled again. Where do they live? I'll do what I can to get you back to them!

Lav gripped at her elbows, biting her lower lip. Should I tell him? How much would it give away...?

How much will I need to give away...?

She took a quiet breath and answered. Paldea.

Paldea... He became thoughtful. That's a long ways away from here... You came here on your own?

Lav nodded, rocking slightly back and forth. All the warnings she'd heard from her parents flashed through her mind, almost making her feel sick again.

Finally she gripped her jacket sleeves and took a deep breath. Listen, Mr. Fuji, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. But... not in the open.

The gentle man lowered his brows questioningly.

I-I know that sounds weird... But... C-can we go to your house? And talk in private?

Fuji's face creased in confusion, but he shrugged. Alright. I'm all ears. Maybe I can offer you a drink to calm your nerves? Coffee, tea, hot coco?

Lav smiled widely at the sound of that. Ooo, yes please! Hot chocolate! Please!

Fuji chuckled as he turned to go and motioned for her to follow. A sweet tooth, huh? No problem!

Hey, I never got your name.

She gave a shy laugh, well recognizing how this might sound to him. It's, uh... Lavender, actually. Lavender Linden.

Hah!! Oh dear, it might be a little hard for my old brain to remember that one. His voice oozed with joyful sarcasm, and Lav felt herself warming up to him.

You can call me Lav if it's too much for you~

Lav. That sounds lovely. He chuckled softly. It's nice to meet you, Lav.

Lav smiled, finally feeling a sense of comfort for the first time since leaving home.

It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Fuji.

The pink Mew carefully peered down into the cliffs surrounding the purple-hued town. It was too far away to make out distinct people. But where his eyes failed him, his senses gave him hope.

I feel her.

He looked at Akoya. They're eyes passed the message without use of words or mind. They flew down to discuss with Persim what the next step would be.

Oooooh, look at themmm!!

Lav looked into a pen containing several little land-dwelling Pokemon. Ratattas, Growlithes, Nidorans, and Mankeys, and others mingled together. Some were missing eyes and limbs.

So you take in orphaned Pokemon and take care of them?

Fuji smiled softly, but with a sad gleam in his eyes. Orphans, injured, sick... Trainers will often bring in Pokemon, either their own or ones that they've found in their travels. It's sad when they're mistreated, but I like to think we offer a little bit of hope and comfort for those in need.

Lav watched a few Ratattas running together, including a dark colored one that had a set of wheels attached to its back legs. She pointed to it. What happened to the Alolan one there?

A Karate Chop went too far. HP shields will only protect so much. Fuji sighed. Her trainer pushed her to fight beyond her limits--against a Machop, no less--and she paid the price. And of course her trainer left her for dead because she couldn't fight anymore.

A lot of the Pokemon in our care have similar stories. I swear, trainers who don't bother learning type matchups drive me up a wall! Just because they're protected from elemental attacks doesn't mean the protection lasts or is perfect every time! And when the shields fail, it can fail spectacularly.

Lav thought about her dad's journey as a trainer through Sinnoh, as well as her own dream of doing her own journey. She had to venture a question. D... Do you feel that way about all trainers?

Absolutely not. There are plenty of good trainers out there, and I adore them. I want to support those ones however I can! And of course trainers will make mistakes. Sometimes mistakes that will cost a life, unfortunately... As long as there are Pokemon trainers, that will continue to happen. But that alone doesn't make one a bad trainer.

And the sad thing is, it's those trainers who suffer most from their mistakes. The ones who throw away the dead or injured, they move on to the next victim with nary a backward glance. But when a loving trainer loses...

He sighed again, leaning on the fence. It's heartbreaking, really. All the trainers who feel like they failed because of their losses, when in reality those are the best of the best. They don't realize that in taking a path of love, they've taken the hard path. Grief is the price we pay for love, after all, and sometimes in can bankrupt trainers...

Suddenly he leaned back. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get sad on you! I see both ends of it, so I have trouble keeping them apart sometimes. I hope you can forgive my morbid rambling...

Of course. Lav smiled morosely. ...I can tell you pay that price a lot...

Fuji met her eyes with warmth. Yeah... Yeah. It's not always an easy job... But it is my greatest love. And grief is a price I'm willing to pay for it.

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ARC START | CHRONO

This makes me want to do a Nuzlocke. XD

[quiet-saint]

sᴛʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ!ɴᴇʀᴏ ʜᴄs

✮

With just a splash of Nero/gn!reader

Cw: slight nsfw/suggestive. Nothing serious just a toy is mentioned near the end.

A/n: Might be ooc as this is the first time I'm writing anything for Nero. Purely self-indulgent ngl. Already working on a pt 2 ft more nero/reader tbh, I just really like this idea. +18 pls.

✮

• Not a huge streamer but still pretty popular. Has been streaming on and off for like, four years before he got popular.

• There's definitely a compilation out there of his funniest gamer rage moments. The majority of the time Nero isn't even mad at the game, Nico purposefully annoys him whenever they play together. People love their dynamic.

• Has kicked her from the group but then she'll just watch the stream and irritate him in the chat. It's pretty pointless to kick Nico from the group though because she can and has come down to his room just to pop up in his live irl. Anytime this happens chat starts a 'Nico Nation' chain and Nero jokingly threatens to end the stream.

• People bring up his "pretty boy phase" constantly in which Nero's hair was longer and he wore jewelery, saying they miss it and he should bring it back. Nero's a little shy/embarrassed when people bring up his early streaming days but he is in the process of growing his hair out. You were the one to fully convince him.

• Loves interacting with his audience even though they're a little outta pocket sometimes. "Chat who the hell said they only watch my streams for Nico? Dude your name is literally–" squints his eyes in confusion and disbelief "Nerofeetpicswhen oh my gOD!"

• Plays more light-hearted, easy games most of the time. Plays fortnite but not often. Teams up on overwatch with Nico, V, and You (Nero gives mercy main energy don't ask me why)

• Will play horror games but gets jumpscared super easy. Curses a lot during those streams. Damn near shatters eardrums with his shouting.

• His favorite streams are when he has one of his friends there with him at home. Especially if it's you.

• Will do a stream as an excuse to have you over. "Dude I spent the weekend at your house just last week?" "Aw c'mon it'll be fun!" As if you really needed any persuading. It's nice to hear him beg though, isn't it?

• Gets so excited to tweet about it too. Lowkey giddy about it.

• Will be the type to say "can't end on a loss guys." Even though his rank is dropping.

• Everyone loves his wii-sports streams. Nero once broke his tv on live because he didn't use the wii strap while playing baseball. People still bring it up and he gets embarrassed because just moments before it happened chat was warning him.

• Had V over for the weekend once and they were playing wii tennis in his room but there wasn't enough space. As a result Nero ended up swinging hard and clocking V in the face, giving him a bloody nose. He still feels so bad for it. Especially because Nero gets tagged in videos titled "Nero hits V on stream NOT CLICKBAIT" V thinks it's funny.

• Nero gets so happy to do fanmail livestreams. Loves opening all the things fans send him. Displays art proudly on his walls as well as all the plushies and figures people send. By the end of the fanmail streams Nero is wearing a different, clashing outfit because of the clothing he receives.

• Although sometimes the packages are a little inappropriate.

• Nico once went through the trouble of ordering and sending a ridiculously huge dildo. He felt the weight and shape through the packaging and, due to the note left with the gift, Nero knew it was her immediately. It's still sitting in his closet in the corner because he doesn't know how to get rid of it.

✮ random bonus hc ✮

Nero drinks Monster. His top two choices are Pipeline punch or Ultra blue. If he drinks one on stream he'll say "monster sponsor me" lmfao

[evony256]

SPOILERS FOR DRDT CH2 E14

Giving my thoughts on the new episode again! It's surprisingly fun

-I'm actually starting to like Nico more, they used to be the second character I disliked the most, but I really like DRDT's different take on the "shy character" trope. It makes it feel so unique and Nico far more relatable

-And just when I started to like Hu more, now she's back at the bottom again (I'm not saying that her character is bad, it's just that I don't really like the mom and emotionally-oriented character tropes mashed together. Those types of characters are usually pretty annoying to me...) Her rebuttal was cool though

-TELL HER CHARLES!!! (can you see that I'm biased)

-WHOA WHOA WHOA COMIC THINGY THIS EARLY???

-they're finally talking about the tape. Theorists, you can rest easy now

-god damnit why are all of the characters in DRDT so relatable. Rose I feel so bad for you girl

-TERUROSE!!! RORUKO!!! YURI!!!! WHATEVER THE FUCK IT'S CALLED!!! (It's not that I ship this, I just love the dynamic between Rose and Teruko)

-Teruko has developed so much in two chapters it's insane

-this might be bad for the Arden stocks

-EDEN ISTG IF IT'S ACTUALLY YOU THEN I HAVE NO HOPE FOR ANYONE HERE

-TELL THEM TERUKO!!!

-David are you being /srs or /j

-why are the chibis so cute. I love it when Drdtdev does this. Just add a little chibi there while they're trying to figure out who the killer is and to not get executed. Also why is the evil Eden one so cute

-"The only person I need to believe me is Teruko." I think you're asking for a bit much buddy

-Even David has started to grow on me a lot with this episode. The way he foils Teruko is so intriguing. I can't wait to see how their rivalry develops

-WE GOT TERUDEN TOO!!! LOVE WINS!!!! (it doesn't)

-Teruko is starting to work with others and maybe even believe in them a bit. I love to see her character arc growing even more. She is such a well written character. Teruko fans, rise up!!!

-[Eden hugs Teruko] DRDTdev you are diabolical.

-time to go to sleep since it's like 3 am for me rn lmao

10/10 episode, as usual

[mysteriouslyjovialcolor]

Britain 2019

-Why was there a whole movie trailer played before this race??

-Charles and Max second row>>

-Red Bull working overtime to fix the car end plates a minute before the formation lap??

-“Somehow they all have managed to be pointing in the right direction. Side by side as they were through the first few corners”

-Those first few corners were actually so speedy. Especially the first one

-Daniel and Lando wheel to wheel!!

-Not the Haas falling all the way to the bottom

-“Already they’re coming round to lap Kevin Magnussen” it’s lap 3 😭

-Woah!! Lewis and Valterri!! Ohmygodd they’re just exchanging the lead one turn after the other

-“As we say goodbye to Kevin Magnussen” Nooo

-“Verstappen trying to overtake Leclerc? What could possibly go wrong?” Haha

-Poor Max stuck in a Ferrari sandwich

-No fr, those Ferrari’s are really playing with him. Charles pushing him back, Sebastian forcing him ahead

-Oh Pierre! Let’s go!!

-Now both Red Bulls are stuck in a Ferrari sandwich

-Oh come on why’d Pierre pit?? That undercut better work

-“Ricciardo has pulled the trigger on his fight with Lando Norris” Daniel also trying the undercut

-Oh both Max and Charles pitting at the same time??

-Aaaah the pit crew celebrating!!

-Ohmygod they’re wheel to wheel!!

-Charlesss

-Ooh Daniel’s undercut worked

-Charles and Max really do make racing look like a choreographed dance

-Love how them squabbling opened up a gap for Valterri to pit

-Ah they’re both going for it so hard. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen

-Oh no, safety car!

-Lewis in the lead!

-How is Sebastian suddenly p3?!

-Daniel came into change his tires again and dropped down places and theoretically this is better in the long run, but I don’t trust Renault

-“How the hell did we lost the position?” Well Charles, Ferrari may have made a questionable call

-Still not the worst place to be for him though, he could easily make up places

-“Be careful with any overtakes on Gasly” “And other way around” Haha

-“Not shy these new kids in Formula 1” Let’s go 2019 rookies!

-Charles pulling Max’s Austria move here. I love it

-Can’t believe Nico and Checo made contact and dropped down

-Yellow flags again?

-After watching Charles defend from Max like crazy it feels very weird seeing him try and fail to pass someone else

-Finally Charles!

-Sebastian’s race came around huh (I mean unless Max gets past him)

-Let’s go Max!! Oh shitttt oh shit oh shit

-“The man who won 4 world championships for Red Bull has run into a Red Bull”

-I can’t believe this, he had p3!

-That Red Bull mechanic in the pit lane cheering and then instantly holding his head in shock is me rn

-Sebastian might get a penalty but he doesn’t really need one, he’s p17 (last)

-I’m still in shock and a little annoyed, but oh well

-“Hulkenburg’s got a problem. Hulkenburg has got an issue” And this all just got worse

-Lewis pitting? Not pitting?

-What is Mercedes doing? Why are they so confused about whether Lewis needs to pit or not?

-“Where’s Lewis? How much in front and what’s his lap time?” Charles? He’s like 26s ahead?

-Oh yay! Nico’s back in points!

-Winning your home race 6 times (and more now) is insane behavior

-“Get in there Lewis! That’s a home win mate!”

-That scene of him flying his flag after the win>>>

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.208 thoughts

[Beat Cute]

(Content: first impressions - Fuuko's parents, character analysis - Sean, lore - reincarnation mechanics, predictions - arc participants, thematic analysis - death and loss)

Okay, so I was right about the Union needing to replace members of Kaede's band, but I was NOT expecting it to be because Kaede hospitalized all of her friends!

With how ludicrously clumsy she is, I thought for a moment there that Kaede might have been a previous Unluck holder, but we know that can't be the case because Fuuko got it before Kaede died and Kaede wasn't present among the past Unlucks. Instead, I think it's more likely that Kaede was the reason that Fuuko was chosen as the next Unluck - she may have already been pretty good at dealing with and reacting to unlucky events, so the other holders might have thought she'd be able to handle whatever Unluck threw at her. They just didn't anticipate a plane blowing up

I'm really enjoying Kaede as a character pretty much right off the bat, there's a lot more flavor here than I was expecting. I kind of figured she'd be shy and quiet, and that's what would prevent her from performing, but instead she's bright and bubbly, always willing to throw herself into anything with a smile despite the fates clearly telling her not to. That little thumbs up she gives Fuuko's dad after accidentally choreographing a Jackie Chan fight scene was insanely endearing, this guy's got great taste

Fuuko's dad predicting and reacting to Kaede's antics gives us a solid impression of the kind of guy he is, too. He seems like the fastidious type, planning things out in advance to be prepared for anything, while also having the fortitude to press on even when he finds he was unprepared. I suppose one would need both of those traits to marry a woman who might accidentally send you to the hospital just walking forward to greet you

Beyond our new characters, this was a really good chapter for Sean, too, or at least seems to be setting up something really good for him. I like that his insecurity about his importance to the team hasn't just vanished after a few contributions, it's still a core part of his character to want to stand out and matter. Having his points redistributed over the rest of the team's, especially hearing that they're better to have on call for an emergency, is a great way for the narrative to revisit this concept. It probably doesn't help that Rip would actually have been the next reasonable option to drop, since previously Fuuko was dropping members from the top and had literally just booted Chikara and Enjin to bring in Top and Haruka, then dropped them to bring in Nico and Ichico. Though they have no beef this loop, Sean in L100 definitely hated Rip, and likely feels some kind of jealousy towards him here since he guy has two wives and he doesn't have a single girl that he knows of (rootin' for ya, buddy)

Of course, revisiting the roots of Sean's character flaws doesn't need to define his involvement in this arc, it just gave an extra layer to his presence this time around. By giving him a reason to be downtrodden, Tozuka necessitated a way to get him invested in this storyline, and fittingly that touches on his other root: the loss of his father. Julia thought that Sean was excited to help out because it might help him meet cute girls, but that's definitely just a cover. Sean knows exactly what it's like to lose your parents and only be able to reconnect with them via memories, so knowing that Fuuko not only lost her parents but has the chance to reconnect for real, it's natural that he'd want her to take advantage of it. In fact, in L101, he's the only member of the Union who understands what Fuuko's going through

Chikara's parents were saved, Tatiana's not a Negator yet and her parents will almost certainly be saved, Enjin got to cook for his mom like he always wanted, Phil didn't lose his mom...the loss of Sean's dad was completely unrelated to his tragedy, it was just something that happened in his life, and while I'm sure Fuuko would have liked to have prevented it, she likely just didn't have the information to do so. Narratively, this at least provides that point of connection between him and Fuuko, and I'm so glad we get to capitalize on it

Sure, Gina still lost her grandma, Void was still a street urchin, Shen was still an orphan, but they all have their own circumstances that make that a little bit different, and Gina's off helping with Tatiana in Russia, so Sean's easily the best choice to be present here

Julia's presence is to be expected since she hasn't awakened Unjustice yet and she needs as much screentime as possible to establish parallels and distinctions from Juiz. I also think this will be a good time to help us understand the difference between her circumstances, Juiz's and Fuuko's, since Juiz never had parents, Julia was retroactively assigned to parents, and Fuuko is retroactively parentless

Not only will that establish narrative connections, but it's looking like we're going to get a deeper understanding of the mechanics as well. By all logic, Sean's supposition that this is a New Game+ rather than literal time travel should preclude the need for Kaede and Mr. Izumo to procreate, and yet Fuuko's is Back-to-the-Futuring somehow. I have no idea what Tozuka's logic is here, but my best guess is that it's tied to either the Rule of Soul or Parents. Juiz, Victor and Andy would obviously be exempt from this, but Fuuko's soul may be tied to the world on the assumption that her parents will one day provide a vessel for that soul

In the event that the current Fuuko dies, she could well be reincarnated as herself within the same loop since her soul would be available, but perhaps by the mechanics of the Rule in question, there is an almost contractual obligation for her parents to at least be together in the first place? Or, since Fuuko is worried about time paradoxes, it's not that the Rule is endangering her, but her interpretation of it. She thinks that her parents not getting together could erase her, so while mechanically that makes no sense, it seems to make sense to her, and thus affects her regardless. I'm sure Tozuka will explain it, but for now I'm sticking with the theory that Fuuko's doing it to herself

As for the backing band Fuuko's going to throw together, I expect that this will go similar to the space mission where we're going to dedicate a chapter to picking three members rather than having the whole group participate. I say three because when Kaede discusses her band being hospitalized, we see three beds; what looks to be a male guitarist, a male drummer, and another female member, presumably a backup singer or dancer

As far as I'm aware, the only Union members we know have musical experience are Tella (who can't sing thanks to Untell) and Rip, who can play piano. I don't believe we know if anyone on the team is gifted in guitar or drums, though if I had to guess, Enjin strikes me as someone who might be able to do a mean drum solo

I think Julia's a must, since like I said she needs more screentime to get acquainted with the cast and audience, so to that I think it would be extremely funny if she was on guitar and said something to the effect of "it's like a violin you play with your fingers, right?"

I'm on the fence about whether Fuuko will be the third member, since she's near identical to Kaede and wouldn't want to distract from her performance, but it's also such a good opportunity for them to bond and I wouldn't want Tozuka to drop it. Maybe she'd use Nico's memory machine to hypnotize people to think they're the original backup band? Whatever the lineup ends up looking like, I'm sure I'll be able to write a whole post dedicated to it

The final thing I want to touch on is a line that Sean says that I think is meant to be the thesis statement for this arc, and arguably one of the series' greatest overarching themes: "You never know when or where will be the last time you see [someone]."

[TRIGGER WARNING: DEATH]

I think it's pretty self-explanatory how that relates to the theme of enjoying life, that you should spend time with the people you care about while you can and make the most of that time. It's so self-explanatory that I debated whether or not I should talk about it here, but...it's relevant to me right now

A friend of mine died this week. It wasn't exactly sudden, but it was also looking like it was going to be okay for a minute there, so I got a little complacent, I suppose. Reading this line immediately rang true with me. I'll never see that friend again, and I can't even remember what the last thing I said to him was. Did I make him feel like a friend, or was he worried that I was just humoring him? I'm sure at the end I wasn't even on his mind, I'm pretty sure we weren't close enough for that and he was more concerned with his wife, but still, I worry whether or not I treated him right in the time that I knew him

While we weren't super close, my family and his had a lot of plans for spending time together, and now they're just...gone. No more games, no more dinners...nothing. Even if we weren't close, we were trying to be, and however close we could have become, now we'll never be. It doesn't feel like a tremendous loss of what we had, but certainly of what could have been

I take solace in knowing that I did things to the best of my ability. I went out of my way to spend time with them when I could. I tried to make the most of my friendship with them with the time I had, it just got cut short by circumstances outside of anyone's control. I don't know what's going to happen next, but I feel like if nothing else Tozuka and the Union would be proud of me for how I tried to enjoy my time with my friend

Maybe that's a stupid thing to say. Maybe I'm being silly. But I've always believed that art is meant to be a way to explore our relationship with the world, and I really don't think any series I've experienced has done so much to prepare me to deal with loss. One Piece is close, of course, but I've gone on and on about parallels between UU and OP a thousand times by now

Anyway...I haven't really gotten the chance to talk about any of this out loud, and I don't think I've really gotten to process my feelings on it. I'm sorry to dump it on you folks who read this far, but also thank you to anyone who did

And to anyone else experiencing loss or grief right now, I hope that me talking about my experiences or reading Undead Unluck helps you process it too. Even if it's just me or a manga, I hope you can find peace through other people. That's certainly what Tozuka wants for us

Until next time, let's enjoy life

[nicorobinmywife]

Hi 😉

I hope you’re doing well, Nico!

I'd like to request something in which (maybe male?) Reader (a strawhat) has a crush on Law despite the two having an age gap. Like, law being 26 while reader is 19. Something about him being all protective over reader until they confess. Law being all smirky while reader gets a little shy

No problems if you can't write it, tho!!!

Have a good day!! 😁

A little Crush | Law x Male Reader.

(A/N): hello! Hope you're doing well too, my friend!!

Ever since Luffy started an alliance with the captain of The Heart Pirates you haven't taken your eyes off him.

do you have a little crush on him? yes, who doesn't?

you and Law got really close, he even claims he likes you better because you're not as annoying as Luffy and the others.

you like how Law is comfortable with you, he tells you things he would never say to others and you appreciate the closeness between you and him.

but the real problem is that although Law is kind and protective of you, you fear that he only sees you as "a little brother."

you didn't want Law to see you that way, okay, he might be a few years older than you, he might be more mature, but that's what you liked about him, he always made you feel so safe.

one day you got tired of this whole situation and you needed to get it off your chest, you decided to admit your little crush to Law, hopefully he won't ignore your existence the next day.

"a little crush?-ya?" Law laughs at you and shakes his head, his eyes still locked into yours, that small smirk is now a wider grin.

"I know you see me as your little bro and you're a few years older than me, but I want to be honest with how I feel about you." a red hue of embarrassment rises into your cheeks, he still staring at you, smirking, you wanted so badly to wipe that smirk off his face.

Law chuckles at you again and nods his head, as if accepting,no,approving your words. He smiles at you and his emerald eyes twinkle in the light above as this small, tender smile appears on his face

"and what are those feelings, y/n-ya?" he asks you, as if truly trying to understand.

"i-i...i love you...i have feelings for you...damn it.." you try to find the right way to express yourself but you keep struggling with your own words as Law watches you blush with an amused smile.

Law tilts his head to the side, a little startled by your boldness for a moment, then you see it, his deep smile appears, his emerald eyes look into yours, full of love, compassion, admiration.

"y/n-ya...you're really..." his voice breaks into a laugh,a soft sound, but you hear it. His heart beating, a strong, heavy noise, his chest rising, his smile broadened, you suddenly see what you have always seen, behind that calm facade, that stoic demeanor.

he slowly moves forwards and kisses you, his arms wrap around your waist tightly, holding you close to his chest, his emerald eyes still locked into yours, the passion, the love, the desire, all there in them, you quickly return the kiss, showing how much you've been waiting to feel the taste of his lips.

This small kiss turns into a more impassioned one, he grabs you by the waist and pulls you closer to him, he kisses you fiercely yet lovingly at the same time, like you're the air that he breathes, like his heart is beating only for you.

"so...you like me too?" you ask breathlessly with your face still close to his, not believing that it was really happening and fearing that this was another one of your silly dreams about you and Law.

"You are...my...everything" he says the words slowly, as if trying to savor them, as if they are the most precious thing he has ever said and he is trying to drink in each syllable, to remember the feeling, the sound, to never forget this moment.

your eyes filled with tears and a big smile appeared on your lips, you threw yourself into his arms, feeling that this is the happiest day of your life.

Law pulls you even closer as you do, his embrace is firm and protective, his arms move down to your hips and he picks you up without the slightest effort, holding you by your hips as he lifts you to his level, his head right above yours.

Law kisses your forehead and then your nose, as if showering you with kisses. Your heart is racing like crazy, there is so much love between you two,and it makes you feel all warm and safe, it just feels right.

[bwoahtastic]

I need like a past meeting present Au. Like a style where f1 drivers and some ex-f1 drivers suddenly are stuck with their past self, but it’s specifically a version of them that’s different. Like Nico R is stuck with his past self who is still best friends with Lewis and isn’t as jaded to the world as current Nico is. Kevin gets his rookie McLaren self, a one who still held a slight innocence to the sport and is less closed off. Current sassy, closed to most Lance having past shy, sweet Lance. And so forth

Oh plsss!!!!!! I love this!

Nico R would be so uncomfortable dealing with this younger Nico, who might not have championship yet but still has a best friend and still feels welcome around other drivers... judt young nico with his long hair and more round cheeks smiling so easy and Nico feels jealous, especially when seeing current Lewis being wary but kind to this younger version...

And plss Kev with young mclaren kev who is more expressive and less closed off, less wary to trust people yet🥺🥺🥺

And aaah Lance realising how closed off he has become when he sees his younger self trying to find connections with the other drivers and trying to joke around and befriend them🥺🥺 sweet baby!

And like Dan dealing with young Dan who hasn't gone through all the shit Dan has gone through yet,who looks much healthier and less tired and still believes he will be world champion...

And Max dealing with his 17 year old rookie self, who is so angry and scared and uncomfortable, just driven by expectations and frustrations and not allowing himself to relax yet! (Or maybe tiny little Max who is so sweet abd giggly but already flinches when people raise their voice at him...)

[pardonmydelays]

prison gang as tøp songs?

everyone gets three songs, because i just couldn't decide (i even made a playlist but it's more for me than for you cause i'm not gonna force you to listen to it, obviously). there will be very little explanation, just some quotes:

ME: forest + car radio + backslide (forest is the one i relate to the most, it's not on spotify so youtube is your only option if you wanna listen to it)

the situation's becoming dire, my treehouse is on fire and for some reason i smell gas on my hands, this is not what i had planned...

i'm forced to deal with what i feel, there is no distraction to mask what is real, i could pull the steering wheel

cause i feel the pull, water's over my head, strength enough for one more time, reach my hand above the tide, i'll take anything you have if you could throw me a line...

BEL: heavydirtysoul + midwest indigo + migraine (in my mind those are your songs now, they are not mine anymore, and i honestly love it so very much)

gangsters don't cry, therefore, therefore i'm mr misty-eyed... can you save my heavy dirty soul?

i want love and sunny days, i'm a bit too old to run away, you make me sad and second-guess myself, you can be so cold...

am i the only one i know waging my wars behind my face and above my throat? shadows will scream that i'm alone... but i know we've made it this far, kid.

RED: formidable + paladin strait + bandito (for some reason i gave you all joshler songs, and yes, formidable is not about jenna, it's about josh)

i'll follow you, but you should know, i might be cynical towards you, i'm just worried my loyalty will bore you, i can die with you, just let me know.

i would swim the paladin strait without any floatation, just a glimpse of visual aid of you on the other shoreline, waiting, expectations that i'm gonna make it...

i could take the high road, but i know that i'm going low... i'm a ban-, i'm a bandito...

ANIX: taxi cab + the craving (jenna's version) + nico and the niners (i was crying while typing this, especially because of taxi cab, maybe i will explain it to you one day)

i know the night will turn to grey, i know the stars will start to fade when all the darkness fades away, we had to steal him from his fate so he could see another day...

say enough, say enough, did i let her know, let her know? if i found my body in chains i'd lay down and wait and hope she looks for me...

i'm careless when i wear my rebel clothes, when bishops come together they will know that dema don't control us.

M: oh ms believer + screen + shy away (two of those three always make me cry, i don't know why but in your case it was such an obvious choice)

oh, ms believer, my pretty weeper, your twisted thoughts are like snow on the rooftops, please take my hand, we're in foreign land, as we travel through snow, together we go...

i do not know why i would go in front of you and hide my soul, cause you're the only one who knows it... yeah, you're the only one who knows it.

don't you shy away, manifest a ceiling when you shy away, searching for that feeling just like an "i love you" that isn't words, like a song he wrote that's never heard.

EDITH: tear in my heart + we don't believe what's on tv + oldies station (it's totally not because you love oldies station, but somehow i feel like even if you don't like twenty one pilots, you may actually like those three)

sometimes you gotta bleed to know that you're alive and have a soul, but it takes someone to come around and show you how...

i need to know that when i fail you'll still be here, cause if you stick around i'll sing you pretty sounds and we'll make money selling your hair

add some years, build some trust, you start to feel your eyes adjust, when darkness rolls on you, push on through.

[loserscanwritetoo]

Starman

Chapter 3

TW: Description of a panic attack, mention of past su1cid3 attempt

Nico wouldn’t say that he was a pessimist, but after the awkward run-in with SunBoy last night he would be lying if he said he didn’t run back home and barged into Hazel's room.

The past day had been alright. Turns out Hazel wasn’t a bitch, just an introvert who quite literally had no idea what to do with a big brother, and honestly, Nico wasn’t sure how to behave now either. He knew, realistically, that they would never have a ‘normal’ sibling relationship, but he still hoped, somewhere deep down, that they might become somewhat normal over town. 

Hazel was nice, and Nico liked most of her friends. Frank wasn’t too bad either. Apparently he was just shy with a resting bitch face. 

However kind her friends may be, Nico knew that he would never feel safe with them. You know when you meet a new person, and you badly want you to click, but something is just a little bit off? That’s how Nico felt with Hazel's friends, but it would work. He really just needed to get through two years, and then he’d graduate and be able to move back home, and go back to his solitude. That was a safe plan, and he’d stick to it. He wasn't going to let some half sister get between him and his goal, and he definitely wouldn’t let a guy ruin it for him.

He’d let guys ruin things for him since even before he realized he was gay. There was the italian guy in the playground in preschool, the mysterious foodie in middle school, and numerous other crushes that he had promised never to tell anyone about. Well, he’d told Bianca, but that didn’t count. He’d told Bianca everything.

He never ended up telling his mom though. She had a tendency to be a bit old fashioned, and Nico didn’t want to risk losing her. He had planned to tell her once he had moved out, but that was before the accident. 

Sometimes he found himself talking out loud, as if his family was still with him. Sometimes he cried, because he wished it would’ve been him and not them. Bianca was a genius, both academically and socially. Nico had always just been her weird little brother, who cut his own hair because he hated hairdressers, and only wore clothes a size too big, because he didn't want anyone to look at him. She had a bigger reason to live. Nico was just… kind of there. Didn't do much, didn't say much, and didn’t make much of an impression on anyone.

That’s why he had been so uncomfortable when he saw that Will was watching him in the graveyard. That was Nico at his most vulnerable, and Will had forced himself into his bubble. 

“You will not believe what just happened!” He thumped down on Hazel's bed, realizing a little too late that Hazel was in the middle of a facetime call with Annabeth.

“Good evening to you too Nico” she replied with a sigh. It looked like Annabeth was about to say something, but Nico interrupted her.

“Not now Annabeth, this is a missing-fathers-only conversation”. Annabeth opened her mouth, probably to protest, but Nico leaned over Hazel and hung up the phone.

“Nico, I swear to god, if this is not super important I will kill you. We were busy talking”

“Yeah, yeah, Luke’s an asshole, I’ve heard” Hazel glared at him, but Nico just rolled his eyes. He’d had enough of hearing about Luke, especially when no one seemed to want to tell him what he had actually done that was so bad. 

“So I was in the graveyard-”

“No normal person hangs out in the graveyard.” Hazel interrupted.

“Shut up. As I was saying, I was in the graveyard,” He felt his breathing speed up and his limbs starting to vibrate. “And I’m talking to Bianca and mom” He felt like a weight was put over his chest “and then all of a sudden Will fucking Solace is there and he’s watching me, and probably thinking I’m crazy, and I really don’t want him thinking that because I’m not crazy, or am I?” He tried to form more words, but his mouth was so dry, and it was like all of a sudden no words made sense, and he couldn't form sentences, he felt like his head was being dunked underwater, and Hazel seemed to seep further and further away.

He could see her opening her mouth, watched her talk, but he couldn’t hear her, and then she was gone and he was left alone in her room. It seemed to shrink more and more as every second ticked by, and he was afraid it would kill him, crush him down into a fine powder, and then finally he would join mom and Bianca again, and he wouldn't be so alone.

He was so alone. So very alone. It was just him against the world.

He felt a lump form in his stomach, and before he had time to react he threw up all over Hazel’s floor. He was startled by the sound of a door slamming open, and he felt someone hold him, talking to him in a soothing voice, but he couldn't hear the words. Then a hand was pressed against his chest, and he noticed it wasn't moving. He wasn’t breathing. How do you even breathe?

The hand moved up into the air, and then down again, over and over again, until Nico realized his chest was supposed to follow it, and it did.

Slowly he seemed to come back to reality, and he realized he was sobbing. Hazel was holding him, and handed him a glass of water. She clearly didn’t know how to handle this, and Nico’s heart sank. He had just come crashing into her life, and now here she was, sitting on her floor, surrounded by his vomit, trying to comfort someone she’d known for less than a day. He realized she was speaking, but her voice was laced in concern.

“Hey, I’ve got you. I’m here.” Nico tried to answer, but no words came out, so he just leaned into her touch and cried. Cried for the first time since the funeral. Felt all of the feelings he had done his best to ignore for months.

He cried out of anger. Anger for that drunk driver who had separated him from his family. 

Out of sadness, because he would never see his mom or Bianca ever again.

And out of embarrassment, because Hazel saw him like this. No one was supposed to see him like this. Not even Bianca had seen him like this. God, how he missed her. He would do anything to be with her again.

Hazel grabbed his hand, and he realized he'd been stroking the ugly, horizontal scars on his wrists. Now she was crying too. He had ruined everything, and he just wanted to sink into the ground.

Those scars were his biggest shame. He had been drunk, and angry, and sad, and willing to do anything to be with his family again. He had sworn never to do anything like it ever again

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m so fucking sorry” Hazel tried her best to steady herself before replying with a shaky breath,

“Don’t apologize for feeling things. How can I help you?”

“You can’t”

“Let me in, Nico. You don't have to be alone in this.”

And so Nico talked, and he didn't stop until the early hours of the morning. When the siblings finally fell asleep, holding each other, Nico felt a little lighter. Hazel was good. He was going to give this a chance.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ 𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Hazel's alarm went off at 6 am, and Nico rubbed his eyes desperately. It was so early, and he felt like he had only slept for a minute or two. Next to him, Hazel groaned, before falling out of her bed, letting out a little yell. Nico couldn't stop himself from laughing, and Hazel glared at him before kicking him out of her room to get dressed.

Nico took a quick shower and found some clean-ish clothes in a moving box that he had never bothered to unpack. It still smelled of his home back in Italy, and he took a minute to breathe it in before downstairs where she was met by Hazel and Marie. 

He grabbed a sandwich and got into his car. It was a crappy RV, that barely even ran anymore, but he had bought it with his first paycheck, and he loved it. 

Since it was his, nobody could stop him from smoking in it, so naturally, he lit a cigarette. Hazel joined him and they sat in silence as Nico finished his smoke. When he had put it out, he glanced at her, considering telling her his biggest secret.

“Don’t you even dare apologize for last night”

“I wasn’t going to! It’s just, I want to tell you something,” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m gay.” Hazel hesitated for a second before replying

“Cool. Are you gonna make sure we get to school on time?” She smiled at him, and Nico mirrored her response before rushing off in a speed that definitely wasn’t legal, but he didn't care. He had a sister. He wasn’t alone. She might not be Bianca, but right now, Hazel felt just as safe.

[auroraescritora]

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME - PERCY/NICO AU HIGH SCHOOL - CHAPTER XXVI

Hi, how are you? I'm late, but I'm here. In this chapter we develop our protagonists' relationship a little more. I hope you enjoy it.

CHAPTER I / CHAPTER II / CHAPTER III / CHAPTER IV / CHAPTER V / CHAPTER VI / CHAPTER VII / CHAPTER VIII / CHAPTER IX / CHAPTER X / CHAPTER XI / CHAPTER XII / CHAPTER XIII / CHAPTER XIV / CHAPTER XV / CHAPTER XVI / CHAPTER XVII / CHAPTER XVIII / CHAPTER XIX / CHAPTER XX / CHAPTER XXI / CHAPTER XXII / CHAPTER XXIII / CHAPTER XXIV / CHAPTER XXV

Nico snuggled deeper into Percy's arms, sighed, and feeling content, picked up the diary next to his pillow. The sun was still hiding in the sky and Nico already felt energized, the excess energy only encouraged that feeling of contentment to intensify. However, something held him in place, making him look out the window, allowing Nico to see the pool and the barbecue area. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that one day he would be so happy, feeling on top of the world.

Things weren't always easy, but Nico wouldn't trade Percy's presence for anything in the world.

He peeked out of the corner of his eye and saw that Percy was still asleep, sprawled out on the bed. Arms spread, belly up, with nothing to cover his body. Nico couldn't help but laugh, his chest growing warmer at the overwhelming thought. If Nico had known the power he had,that with a few words and a little courage, he could have all his  wishes granted, Nico would have done it years ago. Or maybe, he wouldn't. Maybe everything was happening at the right time and at the right moment.

The truth is, it took a long time for Nico to feel like himself, like he was someone worthy of having his own wants and desires, and not merely an object that other people could use.

He remembered very little of his childhood, most of his memories of his mother preserved in photographs, others, cooking or tending the garden with her, everything else lost in the long days before meeting Percy, leaving him with phantom feelings and impressions, hidden in a part of his mind that Nico could not access. However, if there was one thing that Nico still remembered, it was being a shy, lonely and traumatized boy; all he felt was fear and loneliness, alone in his crystal world, made of fictional superheroes and damsels in distress; his mother dead and abandoned by his father, a sister who, when she had time, paid attention to him, saying that his father was busy, but that she loved him. That was why, from an early age, Nico learned not to trust people. They approached him for a reason and they would always take something from him, even his sister, who at that time insisted on convincing him that staying there was better than returning to Italy and, in fact, it was Hades who asked her to keep Nico away from his real family, because, that way, the man would continue to have access to his mother's money as his legal guardian.

In the end, everyone was the same, everyone had the intention of taking advantage of him in one way or another. That is, until Percy showed up. First, Percy offered help. Then, a home, a family, company, affection. And instead of asking something from him, Percy offered and kept offering, leaving him confused for years. Even the money that Nico never had trouble getting, Percy made a point of offering. Or rather, sharing it with him. For many years Nico couldn't understand, how could someone give so much and not want anything in return?

Well, now Nico understood what Percy wanted from him. It just hadn't crossed his mind that Percy might be looking for a friend.

This was so sad and ironic that Nico wanted to cry, he wanted to go back in time and relive everything. Every moment and every laugh, every hug and innocent night shared. He wanted to go back and fix his mistakes before they even happened, he wished he had appreciated it more how things were and changed what happened in these last two years away from Percy, even though they had been essential for both of them.

No, it was better not to torture himself over something he couldn't fix. Nico wiped his face and opened the diary, flipping through the pages, realizing that only now that he had returned to Percy's side, the desire to draw and write had returned with him. It was strange, Nico might have even drawn when he was at his grandmother's house, something to keep himself busy, just to show that everything was okay and to reconnect with his grandfather and cousins. Even the small passages he wrote, those little scribbles, made in the hope that Percy would read them, were something he had lost the will to do during those years away from here.

In some ways, it was liberating. The freedom to do something because he wanted to and to know that Percy accepted him as he was, even if it was his deepest, most humiliating desires, and that Percy still chose to be with him was... it was the best feeling in the world.

Nico brought his hand to his throat, fingering the diamonds in his collar, and looked back at Percy, sleeping peacefully beside him, his chest rising and falling slowly, his long legs stretched out on the bed, a considerable bulge resting between them. Should Nico write something that... would continue to encourage Percy to feel as free as he did? Maybe Nico could reflect on last night?

Nico bit his lip and shrugged. That was why Percy had given him the diary, wasn't it?

“My safe word isn’t ‘no.’ Begging you to stop doesn’t mean I’m telling you to stop.

Tears, crying, and moaning are not a safe word. If I need to use it, I will. Until then, have fun.”

Nico stared at what he had written for a moment. He never imagined that someday he would be writing this kind of thing, but... it felt like something was missing. After all, Percy was giving him exactly what Nico had always wanted, so why not tell him everything he thought? Percy knew all his secrets, what was the harm in telling him all his thoughts too?

“Sometimes I’m not sure about anything. Other times, my whole being wants to be dominated and subjugated by you. Sometimes, I want you to force me, to hold me against the bed and give me no choice. Other times, I want you to just hold me and tell me everything is going to be okay. Can you decide these things for me? Can you give me pleasure and make me feel pain, just enough so that the memories of the past fade away?

I'm confused. Other people have hurt me and none of them have made me feel the way you do. Why is it different with you? Why do fear and uncertainty make me float with you?

So don't ask me what I want, just do it. I'll never blame you, you'll never disappoint me. Because I know that with you, I'm safe.”

Gods! He quickly closed the diary and brought it to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut. This wasn't exactly what Nico had in mind! What would Percy think of him? He hadn't meant to put all this weight on Percy's shoulders! He knew perfectly well that it wasn't right or fair to expect Percy to do... do this for him! Nico didn't even know what he was thinking anymore, he was just sure that he didn't want anything to change. Maybe if he hid the diary, Nico could avoid yet another forced therapy session.

Yes, that was what Nico was going to do it! He grabbed the diary and moved forward, wondering where he would hide it. Nico would have done it if Percy's hand hadn't moved to his waist, holding him tight and pulling him towards him. That made Nico stop, staying where he was, like a statue, now pressed against Percy's chest, the sleepy voice sounding near his ear.

"Where does my baby think he's going? Hmm?”

"Per! I... I..." Nico didn't know what to do. If he stuck his face under the pillow and never came out of there, would that be acceptable?  "I couldn't sleep.”

"Then, let Daddy rock you to sleep.”

Nico found it amazing how Percy could turn a simple sentence into a command. Or how he could sound so sexual without putting in any effort in it. Maybe it was all in his head, his anxiety making him see things that weren't even there.

“Baby,” Percy called in that velvety voice, and all his efforts to pretend nothing had happened went down the drain.

Nico turned in Percy's arms and faced him, feeling his body heat up as Percy got closer, now hugging him from behind and massaging his neck, running his hands through his hair. It was these moments that made him realize that he would do whatever Percy told him to do.

"Where did that little head of yours go, hm?”

When Nico continued to stare at him, Percy continued, a playful smile appearing on his lips.

"How about you let go of the diary?”

"Oh.”

Nico hadn't even realized what he was doing, he was hugging the diary to his chest, keeping Percy away from him.

Slowly, Percy raised his hand and took the diary from Nico's hands, staring at the cover of the notebook for a few seconds.

"What are you up to? If I open this, will I find a surprise?”

"What? No! Of course... no." Nico felt his face heat up and tried to think of a better excuse. If he acted quickly, he could still get out of this situation unharmed.

Unfortunately, Nico was too slow. Still smiling, Percy opened the diary, finding the last written page, marked by the pen.

Nico didn't want to look, he didn't! He buried his face in Percy's neck and hoped for the best.

"Hm. Now, now. Safe words? And.." Then, Percy stopped talking in the next moment, tensing up.

However, it seemed that Percy was willing to keep the truce between them. He merely moved and pulled Nico closer, making him sit on his lap. Percy grabbed Nico by the neck, making Nico face him, and kissed his lips, a soft and unhurried touch.

"I love you too. No matter what happens.”

Nico could only nod in agreement, watching Percy's green eyes shine in the dim light of the room.

"I always forget how strong you are. How much you've lived." Percy slid his fingers down the back of Nico's neck and began to stroke his hair there, looking at him seriously. "I promise I won't ask anymore, I won't doubt your decisions.”

"You don't have to do these things for me. It's very selfish.”

"I want to do it. I like it. I feel guilty for liking it so much." Percy seemed to think for a few moments and then spoke again, his voice softening, but his gaze burning Nico completely. “If I could, I would put you on a leash and not take my eyes off you. I would control all your thoughts and desires, your pleasure and your pain, your orgasms.”

"And why don't you do it?" Nico found himself saying, diving into the fantasy.

Well, maybe it wasn't a fantasy. Maybe Nico would be willing to do that and more if Percy made that decision for them.

"It's not right. I wouldn't be any different from Hades." However, Percy seemed to be really thinking about it, stroking Nico's hair as if he were a docile pet. "We can start slowly.”

Nico thought he had moaned, feeling a tremor run through his body, as if Percy was doing much more than just touch his hair and talk to him.

"What do you think about this? Want to try it?”

Nico nodded again, forgetting about the diary, the old memories, and the thin walls.

"How?”

"Hmmm." Percy stared at him for a few more moments, making his anxiety reach new peaks of adrenaline. Nico didn't need to worry because Percy soon had mercy on him. "Take the box I showed you yesterday. It's on the floor near the wardrobe.”

With shaky legs, Nico obeyed. He got out of bed, his legs feeling weak and almost tripped in the dark room, spotting the box in a corner near the wall. Nico picked it up and brought it close to Percy who opened it, revealing the items inside.

"W... what is this?”

The question was rhetorical, of course.

It wasn’t that Nico didn’t know what those things were. What was important to note was the intention behind the gesture. A muzzle, a blindfold, soft handcuffs, and a large, thickly textured pink collar. Something Nico had seen a few months ago, but never thought he would get to wear it. The collar was so big and looked so heavy…

“What do you think?” Percy asked again, watching him closely.

"I don't know." Nico whispered, distracted by the thought of what it all meant.

"Go ahead, choose one of them.”

Nico couldn't help but grab the pink collar and gasp. Maybe he was in shock, maybe it was the surprise. The leather strap was heavier than he thought, soft to the touch, but simple and beautiful. It almost felt like he was being proposed to for the third time. Like, this time it seemed to be something decisive, didn't it? A physical proof that was impossible not to notice, since the collar was bigger than his head.

“Did you like it?”

Nico finally looked at Percy, immediately regretting it. Percy wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. He was, in fact, standing still, with his back against the bed frame, Percy was not even touching him. Was it all in his head? Has Percy always looked at him that way? Or was it something new, something hidden? Nico wasn't sure, but if he could bet, it seemed like Percy wanted to do something really bad to him, something that Nico would willingly let him do, and that probably neither of them would feel any remorse for.

“Oh.” Nico gasped, his reaction coming too late, realizing that maybe what Percy had said about… about putting him on a leash wasn’t just to make Nico feel good. 

For a moment Nico felt the need to run away, like last time, feeling like a prey, like he was going to be devoured if he wasn’t careful. This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? For Percy to dominate him completely? For him to not hold back? He just hadn’t expected… this. All of this. He hadn’t expected to feel so desired.

Percy shifted, leaning toward him, and Nico let it happen, realizing what he felt was far from fear. He let Percy take the collar from his hands and place the heavy leather around his neck, above his choker, buckling the bolt tight enough for the collar to stay in place.

Nico gasped and put his hands to his throat, holding onto the collar and Percy's hands, who was still holding him by the neck. Nico couldn't help but notice, Percy had that intense and strange expression on his face, his fingers around his neck, enjoying the texture of the leather against his warm skin, caressing where his neck met the collar. Nico didn't understand, he thought he was going to pass out, no matter how much air he got into his lungs or if the collar wasn't so tight. His hands were shaking, his eyes were watering, his head was spinning. His body was throbbing.

“Baby,” Percy finally said, breaking some of the tension. His voice was playful, laughing at his face, but low and husky, mocking him and comforting him in equal measures. “Breathe.”

Nico didn't like this. He thought it was wrong and that in the end, it was all just a fantasy. Now that he was faced with the reality, he didn't know if he could face it. Maybe... maybe he wasn't so submissive after all and just wanted to... feel protected?

"Shhhh, it's okay. I'm taking it off now. See? It's over.”

Percy raised his hand and showed that, indeed, the collar was now in his hands. So why did Nico still feel so... so ready to run away or have a panic attack, but so excited and anxious, that the feeling made him freeze like a small animal about to be slaughtered?

"It's okay if you're not ready, it's a big responsibility.”

"I hate you!" Nico screamed, frustration leaving his body with the high-pitched sound.

No, that wasn't true. He didn't hate Percy, but sometimes he hated what Percy made him feel. Or the problem was that he liked it more than he should.

"You hate me, do you?" Percy dropped the collar on a random corner of the bed and grabbed his hair, pulling it, making Nico moan. "I'm showing you what it means to be a submissive.”

"I... I didn't ask for this!”

“You think you can just get away with the easy parts and ignore the rest?” Percy didn’t raise his voice or even look angry, though his eyes were still bright and his expression was as serious as before, maybe even more intense. But there was something… something that burned inside him and sent shivers down his spine.

"I didn't mean to--"

"You never do.”

The truth was, Nico hadn't thought about it. Did he just want the easy part? It had to be true. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to run away. Maybe that was the solution.

"Hmmm… I have to consent, right? So, I... allow you... to…”

"What are you trying to say, Nico?”

"I consent to you forcing me when I don't want to... I allow you to stop me from running away, if I try to.”

"Gods, Nico!" Now Percy looked like the same boy he knew, his face contorted between a grimace of pain and a maniacal smile. "What do I do with you?”

"Don't leave me.”

“Gods!” Percy practically growled, catching him off guard in a tight hug, pressing their shoulders and abdomen together. “Let’s forget about this. Neither of us are ready for that step.”

"Liar " Now that Nico saw it, it was so obvious. Percy had always been ready, he was just the one who was still too innocent to realize what was happening before it was too late.

“Okay,” Percy agreed. “How about we save the collar for... special occasions?”

"Like what?”

"When you're excited, there's no one around and... you want something more intense.”

"Like last night?”

“Of course,” Percy said. So why did Nico think that wasn’t the case?

So, what do you think? Comments are always welcome.

See you soon!

[nickeverdeen]

hi! can i get a match up with someone from percy jackson and the MCU? im straight and my pronouns are she/her i love dogs and all animals, i volunteer at an animal shelter, i like to think im funny but im also pretty shy/socially awkward and have bad social anxiety. my favorite subject is math and i have an iq of 154 (sorry i’m reading fanfic instead of curing cancer or smth) i love horror movies and pop culture, im pretty girly with the way i dress and present myself but ive been told i have a more tomboyish personality. im in highschool and i have a pretty small friendgroup, i hope that’s enough! thank you!

Your PJO match is…

Nico di Angelo

Nico would totally get your socially awkward, shy side, and he’d quietly support you, not pushing you to talk more than you’re comfortable with but always sticking close by to make you feel less alone

Your love for horror movies would be a major connection for you two

Nico would find comfort in knowing someone who doesn’t shy away from the darker side of things and would totally marathon horror movies with you

With your pop culture knowledge, Nico would be fascinated by how much you know, even if he only gets half of it

You’d teach him about all the classic pop culture he missed growing up, and he’d appreciate your passion for it

Nico would find your love for animals endearing, often tagging along to the animal shelter just to watch you work with the animals

He’d appreciate your kindness and dedication, even if he’s not always the best with pets himself

You’d both enjoy low-key study sessions, especially since math is your favorite subject

Nico might not admit it, but he’d probably find your intelligence intimidating (in a good way) and would come to you with math questions

Nico would love that you’re a bit of a shy introvert, too, appreciating the peaceful silence that you’d share

He wouldn’t judge your social anxiety, finding it relatable in his own way

With your dry, tomboyish humor, Nico would think you’re hilarious

The two of you would share a subtle, sarcastic humor that only you both understand, often exchanging knowing looks at other people’s antics

Your girly presentation would contrast with his darker style, and Nico would admire the confidence you bring with it

He’d tease you about it, though he’d secretly be in awe of your ability to be unapologetically yourself

He’d understand your small, tight-knit friend group and would fit right in with it

He wouldn’t need big crowds either, as long as he has a few people he trusts—and you’d be one of them

Nico would probably gift you small things he finds that he thinks you’d like, like tiny trinkets or rocks, appreciating someone who gets him without him having to change or explain himself

Your MCU match is…

Peter Parker 1

Peter would totally get your high IQ and would be amazed by your math skills

He’d constantly come to you with his latest science homework, eagerly listening to any advice or pointers you might give him

Peter would completely understand your shyness and social anxiety, making it his mission to help you feel more comfortable

He’d be the first to break any awkward silences, putting you at ease with his warm, friendly vibe

He’d find your work at the animal shelter incredibly sweet, always asking about the animals and begging for pictures

Occasionally, he might even tag along to volunteer with you—awkwardly holding puppies to make them feel comfortable

With your shared love for pop culture, Peter would be a perfect match

He’d be the kind of guy to quote movie lines with you and would love geeking out over Marvel, Star Wars, or any other shared fandoms

Peter might be a little freaked out by horror movies, but he’d still try to watch them with you just because he enjoys seeing how much you love them

He’d probably hide his face during the scary parts and would laugh off his own nervousness

Your tomboyish personality would complement Peter’s awkward yet charming demeanor perfectly

You two would have your own style of humor—him more goofy and you more sarcastic—creating a fun balance that would make people laugh

Peter would be both intrigued and impressed by your girly sense of style, always gushing over how great you look, even if he has no clue about fashion himself

He’d just love that you’re so comfortable with your style

Peter would love your small, close friend group and would be happy to be a part of it, fitting in perfectly with the chill, low-key vibe

He’d make sure to get along well with everyone and would always bring snacks for hangouts

He’d adore hearing about your interests, even if they’re things he doesn’t know much about

Whether it’s math, pop culture, or the latest animal you cared for, he’d listen intently, loving the passion you bring to everything

Peter would find himself completely charmed by your quirks and kindness, feeling constantly flustered around you, which would be adorable and make you both laugh

[oddyssey77]

Fearless - Percy

POV Percy Jackson

"OOWWW!" I yelled.

"OOF!" I tripped.

"GAHHHHH!" I ran.

I felt a large thorn protruding from my abdomen. I was trying desperately to escape the maze. But there was no way out. No end. I cursed myself for allowing the thorn to pierce my skin. I knew it was poisonous and it was crippling through me, weakening me. Running seemed pointless. It certainly wasn't what Annabeth would do. 

She would sit down, legs crossed, and calmly think of a plan. A plan that would surely work. I felt stupid sitting down and doing nothing. Well, not nothing. I was thinking about how I could escape this poison maze. I didn't like thinking about the problem. Fighting was much more fun. 

I looked around at the tall rows of cacti towering over me. I knew that I couldn't wait this out. Just like Eurytion had told me, I was going to have to escape on my own. I thought about Nico and how his problems were probably a lot worse than mine. I felt guilty for caring more about my own situation than trying to find a way to help the kid. He had already been through so much pain. So much heartache.

Of course, most of that heartache was about me. I tried not to think about that though. Nico was over me. I had never liked him back. There was no point in feeling bad about how I treated him. And besides, Nico and I were buddies now. He was no longer cold or shy around me. I would never say this to either of them but I think this is partially thanks to Will Solace.

Will was really opening Nico up to his feelings recently, making him more comfortable with himself. They were becoming best friends. But part of me hoped they might become something more. I wasn't even sure if Will knew Nico was gay. Annabeth and I are the only people who did know. Well, Jason knew as well, before he... well... never mind.

I finally realised that I had sat down to think of a plan but ended up trailing through my own thoughts for what felt like hours. I was about to draw a mind map in the flame-red sand when the cacti shuddered. They creaked and began closing on me. I leapt up and hurried out, leaving my mind map to get squashed. 

I did not want to get impaled by another prickly thorn from a cactus. I still didn't feel poisoned. Just a little dizzy, but that was possibly from blood loss. I wasn't sure if I could die down here. Normally, you don't die in the fields of punishment but this was different. I had never died in the first place. We had just fallen through into the Underworld.

Unless... No. We didn't die. I was almost sure of that. From that point on, whenever I found a nice spot to sit down, it would soon get enveloped by the cacti. The maze wanted me to keep moving. No breaks. No rests. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to avoid the pricks of the cacti. But the one spot that I had been pricked was starting to make my brain feel like it was splitting in two. The poison was working.

"Percy!!" I heard Annabeth call. Shock overtook me as I realised that I had finally found her. I knew that she was down in the Underworld with us. I just had to find her. And now I had. A joyous grin sparked across my face and I sprinted toward the sound of her voice.

"PERCY!!" she called even louder. I turn a corner with such speed, expecting to find my girlfriend standing there. I gasped as I nearly crashed into a wall of cactus. My heart sank. I nearly cried in disappointment until I heard it again. Her voice was speaking from the cactus.

I looked closer and saw a small image shimmering into focus on the face of the cactus. It was like an Iris message. Like I was being sent this vision to further torture me. She was right there and I couldn't reach her. 

I watched as she trudged through a large, endless fjord of wheat. Calling out a name. But now that I had found her, it didn't look like she was calling my name. She was calling someone else's.

"Will!" Annabeth shouted, "Please, come back! We can talk!" She looked troubled and scared. I wanted so much to be with her in that moment it made me want to cry. Then, the vision turned a kind of purply shade.

CRASH!

Two gorgons, identical to the ones that had chased me into Camp Jupiter, lunged at her and she screamed in horror as one of them took a large chomp out of her side. I watched, terrified as the unstoppable Annabeth Chase got torn apart and killed by things as simple as gorgons. 

I sobbed and fell to my knees. I was about to just lay there and allow myself to be consumed by the maze when I heard another voice.

"PERCYYYY!!!" she screamed. It was a much younger voice than Annabeth's. I gasped in shock as I heard the sound of my little sister Estelle screaming for me to save her.

As much as I had been broken by what happened to Annabeth, I forged ahead. I had to find a way to save Estelle. She could not go the same way Annabeth had.

Once again, I only found a wall of cactus and a vision of my sister plastered on it. Like Annabeth, she hadn't been verbally calling my name, more like beckoning for my assistance. My 3 year-old sister was hiding desperately behind a rock in a large cave open to the sky and sobbing.

"Estelle!" I called helplessly. Behind her marched an army of the stone warriors that had attacked camp. They were standing in formation as an out of view woman yelled orders at them.

"My soldiers!" she boomed, "The time has come for us to claim our rightful place among western civilisation!" 

Not if I have anything to say about it I thought but I was still focused on Estelle.

"As you know. We have acquired the dove and the eagle! The diamond has fallen, taking one of our automatons with it. Our remaining targets still run rampant amongst the fields, caves, cliffs, and flames!"

I heard Estelle let out a sob. And if I could hear it, the chances are, the soldiers could hear it too. The vision shifted, it took on a slight purple tone just like Annabeth's had. As if something were changing.

"In fact, one of our targets is hiding amongst you right now!" 

Estelle was a smart girl. She knew when to run. She made for the exit of the cave. Trying with all her might to make it. But the guards noticed her and wrestled her down. She screamed and sobbed. The guards didn't flash a sign of remorse for the child as he raised his dagger.

"NOOOO!!!" I yelled. But it was too late. I had never seen such a horrifying sight. Except for when my girlfriend had gotten killed maybe moments ago.

I turned my head in despair but only found myself face to face with another vision. My mother was sitting in our apartment sobbing at the kitchen table. Trying to fit an eighth blue cookie in her mouth. 

"How could this happen?" she croaked, "How could I lose both my children at one stupid festival!" I wanted to call to her. Tell her I am here and alright. But then I'd had to tell her about Estelle. And that would've killed me.

"There was nothing you could've do-" Paul Blowfis began. I could tell he had been crying too but he seemed to be trying to hold things together for my Sally. But the vision shifted purple again. Paul sneered and stood up, slamming his chair. 

"This is all your fault!" He picked up her glass of water and smashed it on the ground. Making her yelp. It mirrored what I had done to Gabe that terrible night all those years ago. He grabbed Sally by the forearm and began yelling at her. Why would Paul do this? He was such a kind-hearted man. I thought he was perfect for my mom. 

I looked away, shattered. My girlfriend was dead, my sister was dead, and I was watching my mom get abused again. I turned back to the vision but heard about three separate voices calling me.

I ran through the maze and found a vision of Nico getting killed on an operating, a vision of Grover getting killed by a group of terrorist draiads, a vision of Rachel Dare collapsing and dying from the power of the oracle, Coach Hedge drowning with his kid Chuck, Reyna getting led to her death by a larare of Octavian, Thalia falling from the sky, and Leo getting crushed by a rock. All of these visions had the same purple shade to their depictions.

It didn't make sense to me how everyone I loved was falling in ways that I was terrified to see them die in. I shattered. Fell to the ground and sobbed. There was nothing I could've done. That's what hurt the most. I thought about Annabeth. How she would look at me and tell me...

"Get up Seaweed Brain! Stop slacking off."

"I'm sorry Annabeth," I said, "I'm useless."

'Percy, listen. This isn't real. You need to escape.'

"How!?" I cried

'Let go of your fear. Embrace the love.'

Embrace the love? I thought. It sounded like something to be written on the doormat of a hippie's caravan. But the word that she had said to me. Fear. I had to let go of my fear. Then it clicked. It's not real. No one had died.

Just like HSS torture had forced me to embrace my worst memories, I was being forced to face my worst fears; My mom getting hurt, my sister getting involved in my world of demi-gods and monsters, all of my friends getting killed with me being able to do nothing about it.

But I was yet to face one more vision.

"You failed me." a voice  chided, "We were friends and YOU FAILED ME!"

Standing in front of the cacti was my best friend. Jason Grace son of Jupiter looked down on me with a stern expression. His blue eyes bore into my soul, stabbing me with his words.

"I'm sorry Jason. I should've been there. I should've been able to help." I couldn't bear it.

"You are not worthy of the love you receive. You deserve punishment!" he yelled. I watched in tears as he knelt down to my level.

"You are not worthy." he repeated. Jason looked at the ground in front of me and spit on it. He stood up and marched back toward the wall of cacti. I thought about what Annabeth had said. Fear, Love.  I had been afraid that Jason would blame me. That he might resent me for what happened to me

But I realised that I couldn't have helped him anymore than Reyna could have. If she had failed to save him from the Dracon, I probably would have too. Jason would've understood that. The real Jason would have understood that.

Jason's ghost hadn't come to visit me in the Underworld. It was just a figment of my own worst fear. Just like the visions, just like this stupid maze.

"NO!" I bellowed, making the cacti shake.

Jason turned with shock painted across his face.

"What did you just say?"

"I said NO! You are not real. I am not afraid of you!" Jason looked like he wanted to charge at me and kill me but instead he evaporated wispily and floated away. I sat down, my face covered in a combination of blood, grime, and tears.

But the maze didn't seem interested in letting me catch my breath, it contracted towards me, this time leaving no route for escape. I didn't know what to do. Except I did. I felt Annabeth's words still ringing in my mind. Let go of the fear. Embrace the Love. My mom, Estelle, Annabeth, Nico, Reyna, Grover, Rachel, Thalia, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Coach Hedge, they all cared about me. And I wasn't afraid anymore.

"GO AWAY! I AM NO LONGER SCARED! I LET GO OF MY FEAR!" It was as if the maze was reacting to my every word. I willed it into submission and conformed it to how I wanted it. And I wanted it gone.

The entire cactus maze wisped away from me like fog, just like Jason had, leaving me standing alone in the barren wastelands of the fields of punishment. I wasn't alone however, as I squinted into the distance and saw a black little blob running toward me.

As it got closer, I recognized it as my Underworld companion, Nico Di Angelo.

"Percy!" he huffed, completely out of breath, "We have to leave. Now!" I took his word for it and ran but the son of Hades was not going to be able to keep moving for much longer.

"You're alive!" I panted. I had assumed that the visions I had seen had not been real but it was nice to have that confirmed for me.

"I ran away from the dismemberment room! But Eurytion's not far behind."

As if saying his name had summoned him, Nico and I crashed directly into the tall, buff, torturer that we unfortunately knew as Eurytion.

"Hey guys. You didn't think you could escape without facing period 3, did you?" he chuckled.

"What's period 3 again?" Nico asked, his voice going overly high-pitched from all the running.

"Duel to the Death." Eurytion stated, "Oh, and don't let me forget, you two are the ones dueling."

I turned to Nico with a pained expression, "Oh F-

This Chapter is Dedicated to Lucy