#jason grace can predict the weather

[thedemigodsguide]

Hey, demigods!

Just learned something interesting.

Apparently Jason can tell the weather???? Like he's basically got his own personal weather app in his head?? We were having a campfire night, most of the campers were there, roasting marshmallows and singing along with the Apollo kids. Apparently, Mr. D decided that the campgrounds needed watering and didn't tell us. So we're all outside, and Jason just stops and says "it's going to rain."

We barely had enough time to put away the instruments before it just starts dumping rain. It was crazy!

So yeah, we got our own meteorologist here at camp. Could be useful🤭

–Kally

[emotionalcello-makefanfics]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Batman - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd Characters: Tim Drake, Jason Todd, Tamara Fox, Some OC for cuteness Additional Tags: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Sickfic, Tim Drake is Not Robin, Tim Drake is Not Red Robin, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Crying, so much crying, Love Confessions, Cheesy, God it's so cheesy, Cringe, So sweet so cheesy so angsty that you'll cringe, Tim Drake-centric, some Jason POV tho, A wild X-men appereance, I know they're not the same universe but I'm running out of character and running out of creativity, So yeah X-men characters and vaugly their mansion/orphanage too, Bruce Wayne Bashing, Some things that I don't put down bcs it'll be a spoiler, Smoking, Implied/Referenced Sex, POV from a cat????, The Clichést Cliché that ever Cliché, Cliche Summary:

They meet again on a rooftop after ten years. They're different now, and things are not the same. It's all too late. Chapter 1 sneakpeek

“Don’t jump.”

Sighing exasperatedly, Tim puts down his cigarette-clutching fingers and drags his eyes to the source of the voice. His gelled-back hair loses its hold and a strand of ear-length bangs falls to his vision.

Sadly, without seeing him and just from the voice, Tim knows exactly who this person is. One of the Bat franchise, and it just had to be the Red Hood variation, fucking great. Out of all time, it has to be tonight. The world is playing a joke on him.

Tim is sitting hunched on the rooftop’s edge, wishing he’d have some peace and quiet for once, and of course one of these pestering bats just has to bug him at the worst time. Yet, it’s actually pretty rare for Red Hood to patrol Gotham lately, and Tim curses up a storm in his mind. Out of all the days, it just has to be fucking tonight.

No, Tim is not having it.

“This man has too much to do tomorrow to jump.” Tim looks away, getting a light from his suit.

One hand lighting another one of his death stick, and the other unbuttoning his suit and loosens his tie. After a puff and two, Tim drags in and keeps the smoke in, letting his nerves uncoil. Seems like it doesn’t work that well when the big bad shadow of a vigilante doesn’t move from the corner of his eyes.

“I’m not jumping, go away, I can’t deal with you tonight,” Tim says as he sighs the smoke away to the red polluted sky, thinking the man must be deaf or just not convinced. Maybe the latter, the bats are famous for their tact after all. People say they’re purely human. Seeing Red hood’s physique, maybe this one becomes meta-human at some point.

Tim looks the other way so the vigilante is completely out of his vision, to make a point that he’s not having this conversation. He looks to the city, engulfed by the red sky. It’s bright since this building is at the heart of the city, where the higher caste of Gothamites live and prosper. You can see the border around the bright side of the city where the lights stop dead and darkness begins. The poor side of the city. The gap is ghastly, it’s what makes Gotham what it is.

Tim is not surprised but highly disappointed when he hears shuffling instead, and when he looks at where the tall brick wall of a man, he already sits down next to him. Red Hood keeps a respectable distance though, at least he has that much of a tact.

Red Hood hooks his fingers inside his helmet, does some finger shimmy, and the red shiny mask helmet is off. His face is still covered by a domino mask, his hair looks damp, and his gloved hands rake his jet black hair back. Curls bounce to his forehead, sighing a fog, the only indication that the weather is reaching the end of the year. In turn, Tim felt his cleanly shaved nape chilled.

From inside the leather jacket, the vigilante digs to look for something, and that’s when Tim realized he’s been looking at the cuts on Red Hood’s exposed forearms from the folded sleeves. Very thick and muscled forearms. This guy either lifts all day or a meta-human, not that Tim cares anymore.

“Got a light?” Red says, plush lips smirking.

Tim sighs, guess he has company today. He digs into his suit and throws him his lighter. The masked man inspects it and Tim rolls his eyes. The lighter is a metal one that you flip, and on it engraved ‘From my heart with love, that this one lasts longer, Tam.’

“A sweetheart of yours?” Says the man, the second sentence he speaks, and Tim doesn’t recognize the voice. Deep, gravely, the typical voice of someone that smokes.

Red Hood extends his hand to give back the lighter to Tim instead of throwing it, must’ve thought it’s special.

“Kind of,” Tim says, receiving the lighter.

Red Hood drags in, keeps the smoke in, “Why kind of?” and sighs.

“Never established the relationship.”

“Commitment issues?”

Tim quirks an eyebrow at the man, sitting just as hunched as him. There’s a pillar beside Tim, and he lays his back there, thinking whether or not he should engage in this conversation. Eh, why not right? It’s not like it’s confidential information, and Tim is just so tired of caring about social politics.

“I was too late,” Tim says. It’s not as painful to say now, but lately, Tim has been numb. He’s been numb for years. Tim’s gay, or so he thought. When he began to really love her, she’s gone from him.

“Girl got another guy?” Red Hood teases.

“Girl got dead,” Tim deadpans. The smile dropped from the vigilante’s mouth, and if only he can see his eyes, panic would look funny on the all-powerful Bat. But, no, Tim can see his tell by the tapping hands.

“Ah fuck, sorry.”

Tim chuckles at the spectacle of an awkward vigilante. Maybe this night won’t be so bad after all.

“Relax, I’m not too sad about it now, it was years ago.”

It’s hard to predict Red’s expression with that domino mask that takes his cheekbones and half his forehead, but Tim’s pretty sure the twist on that mouth means his opinion of Tim isn’t good. Well, not that Tim cares.

“How did she die?”

“Wrong place, wrong time,” Tim put the filter on his lips and drags in as deep as he can. Too deep, and Tim coughs hard, once and twice that his vision blurs. Her face comes to vision, the morbidity of her expression tips Tim’s nerves off balance. Tim quickly takes another deep drag, “She was in the Joker’s way.”

At the name, Red Hood snaps his face at Tim. Slowly, languidly, Tim looks back. The vigilante clenched jaw and balled fists look like he’s about to kill somebody. Tim knows that a few years ago Red Hood kidnapped Joker, didn’t kill him, and just vanished before popping up again to have a vendetta against Batman. What a load of drama those bunch.

This also means that Tim knows exactly who this person is. Suddenly the voice registers, the familiar jaw, the soft fucking tone.

He blames it on the nicotine that his heart is calmer than he’d like, his mind still not on overdrive, still plagued with Tam’s face as she died in front of him. He’d breathe smoke instead of oxygen if he could. God he wished he’d breathe smoke from now on. Why does it have to be today? One grace from the universe is that Tim -for some reason- feels amused instead of dread.

“You look like you’re about to kill somebody, Red,” Tim says, can’t help the ease and sass in his voice. Tim lays back hunched, crosses his legs. “I thought you let go of your vendetta against the Joker.”

“Where do you hear that bullshit?” Redhood snaps and Tim can’t help but let go another chuckle.

“People talk, words get around,” Tim says.

“Then they’re far off the truth,” Red hisses before dragging in his cig.

“Yet the Joker still roams.”

“Ain’t my call.”

“Is it the big bat daddy calls?”

Red Hood splutters at the name and Tim smirks evilly at the reaction. “Ew, don’t call him that!”

“I can call that higher-than-thou furry hero wannabe anything I want,” Tim spits bitterly, looking out to the city. Sometimes when he’s really lucky, he’ll catch one of the bats twirling in the sky, and now one of ‘em is sitting beside him, but sadly it’s not the most shocking knowledge he has today. “One of these days it’s going to be my turn.”

“What?”

“Dying in the collision of mad men’s evil master plan you refuse to get rid of.”

“Ck, I don’t like what you’re insinuating.”

“Sorry then, I don’t mean to insinuate anything. This is me telling you loud and clear that you’re all cowards for not killing these maniacs that kill us like ants when you have the power to stop them.” Tim’s voice is even and chill, it did not raise a tone, but it reduces the bulk of a man beside him to still. “Some of us rooted for you when you caught the Joker, and your reputation gives us high hopes that it’ll be the last of him. Then he showed up again.” Tim feels the lighter in his pocket burn, “Then Tam died.”

Tim pumps his lung full of smokes, keeping it in there so that the clawing gloom will die before it takes roots.

“I almost did kill him, Batman stopped me,” the gravel voice says lowly.

Tim feels himself stiffens, now that’s something he doesn’t know. His eyes scan the hunched vigilante, trying to find any sign of a lie, there’s none.

“Shit,” Tim curses, sighing up smoke and quickly takes a deep drag in. “Fuck Batman.”

For the first time, Tim hears Red chuckle, “Yeah, fuck him.”

“Still your family though, right?” Tim says, earning what he thinks is a glare, who would fucking know with that mask. “Why else would you stay in his line?”

Red Hood looks away, not answering.

“Guess I understand. Proving something to someone.”

Red scoffs, “Would you?”

“You know who I am.”

“Yeah, not your story.”

Tim scoffs at the obvious lie, “Look it up. I have better things to do than telling you my backstory that’s a google search away.”

Tim Drake. Son of the CEOs of Drake Industries. Running smoothly since ever he becomes the COO. Yada yada, young and successful, yada yada, has the reputation to chew out the reporters and a resting bitch face, all that shit. Tim doesn’t have the best bedside manners, but when it comes to business, Tim gets things done, and his business partners know to swallow their pride for a potential too stupid to missed just because Tim has fangs.

“I dunno, you’re pretty mysterious in the eye of the media,” Red says.

“Because they’re nosy pricks and not worth my time when they’re asking me about rumors of my flings.”

“They’re not true?”

“What the fuck are you? Does TMZ sent you?”

“Good point, never mind.”

They let the quiet settle in, and Tim isn’t too bothered by the company so much. The red amber eats to his filter. Tim puts out the light and puts the bud back inside the pack while he gets another one. He looks down at his light, which reminded him of Tam. Damn, she was such a good assistant, she’s also his best friend but a damn better assistant. Tim doesn’t let himself think about it.

He lights another, and puffs.

“Shouldn’t you be patroling?” Tim says before he can stop himself.

“Nah, not here to patrol, just some errands.”

“Don’t mind me. I’m not jumping.”

“No, I know that,” Red says, tone softer that Tim narrows his eyes at him.

“Lonely?” Tim teases, putting the filter in his lips while locking eyes to the pair of white lenses.

Red shrugs, “Just wanna kill time with someone that doesn’t wear one of these,” he says, tapping to his domino mask.

Tim hums imagining himself with his family, “Yeah, me too, I’d take a vigilante franchise over family dinner anytime.”

“Aww,” Red surprisingly coos, making Tim flustered.

“Don’t get it twisted, my family sets a pretty low bar for good company.”

“I can say the same, Timmy.”

Tim flinches, “I didn’t say you can call me Timmy.”

“What about friends then?” Red follows up, ignoring him.

“Joker killed my only best friend. Oh god, stop making that face, everyone I know got someone they know killed by the Joker, or Bane, or.... shit just those freaks.”

“Doesn’t make me feel better.”

“I don’t care what you feel.”

“I’m wounded,” Red says in that joking ‘boo-hoo’ voice but it was the last thing to snap Tim’s patience completely. He hates this casual conversation as if nothing happened.

“I’m not jumping, and I know you’re not here just to talk to some random civilian. You know who I am, so say what you wanna say and go,” Tim inhales deeply after the low-toned rant, only to be met with another silence.

They stay quiet for a few whiles again. Smoking the tension away. After Tim’s cig burns halfway, his nerves calmed down. Then he realizes that Red is looking at him. Staring.

“What?” Tim says, sighing smoke.

“Would you kill Joker if you could?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Killing someone isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially if you did it before.”

“You underestimate my anger then.”

Red Hood goes still for what Tim is insinuating. His phone vibrates in his pocket. Tim gets it and his new assistant reminds him of a flight in an hour and he needs to be ready in half. Tim puts out his cig and pockets it.

As he stands up, he looks down at Red Hood, really looks at him. It reminded Tim of the time has passed. It’s been so long.

“Nothing to say?” Tim asks, he has an underlying tone of ‘last chance.’

“Thanks for the light.”

Tim clenches his jaw and breaths slowly. What did he expect? “You caught me at a bad time but it’s good to meet you again, Jason.”

When Tim walks away, his elbow is grabbed and he’s spun to face Jason in all his bulk. Looming over him with his height.

“You know who I am?” Red says with a threat in his voice that makes Tim wants to laugh.

“Are you really that surprised? Or did you forget me when you fucking died?” Tim smiles bitterly.

Moments passed, eyes on each other, chest to chest. The last time he sees Jason, Tim was staring at these white lenses too, and Jason was still as tall as him. At this close, Tim sees tiny tears that heal pale than the rest of his tan skin, bulked up body looming over him that used to be similar to his. For anyone, Tim had two best friends, Robin and Jason Wayne-Todd, he had known the two are the same. Seems like Jason doesn’t.

Doesn’t matter now. Everything said and done. Too late.

“Say your goodbyes now,” Tim says, because why else would his childhood friend pops back again after a decade of not saying anything after he returned to life. Tim doesn’t realize it’ll hurt this bad though. Missing Tam doesn’t hurt this bad.

Perhaps it was because the scar never healed right, but he still thinks of Jason like a big chunk of him that’s been torn away forcefully, even now.

“I’m sorry,” Jason finally says, low and guilty, as he should be, but it irks Tim to no end.

“I lost you, and when you’re back you didn’t tell me,” Tim says, his voice cracks and he curses it to hell. Red Hood’s been around for years, and Jason never came to Tim to say he’s alive.  “If you have nothing else to say, let go of me.”

“I didn’t know that you knew.”

“What?”

“I didn’t know you know I was Robin... Did you know... everyone?”

Tim rolls his eyes, “Yes.” Gloved hands still on his elbow, and white lenses not letting him go. The non-challant face he wears slips off as if oil just slicked between the mask and his skin. His heart picks up a beat. There are layers between their skin, Jason’s thick gloves and Tim’s three-piece suit, but it feels warmer. Burning.

“Damn,” Jason curses under his breath.

It’s just a little thing, but Jason’s silence following that is a nother prick to Tim’s skin.

“Is that all?” Tim dismissed, pulling his arm away, but Jason only holds tighter.

“I didn’t know, okay?” Jason pushes, “And you’re a civilian, you’re not supposed to know Jason Todd is back to the land of the living.”

“A civilian,” Tim mutters under his breath. That’s all he is to Jason? All this time. His chest hurts, Tim knows this is because of Jason’s words instead of anything else. “Get away from me.”

“I’ll see you again,” Jason says before letting go.

Before Tim can say don’t bother, the man puts on his red helmet and grapples away. For a moment Tim can see the shadow of red yellow green flying away.

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

Jason Grace

Okay but it’s my baby’s birthday today and literally nothing (not even the world ending) could stop me from celebrating. So here’s some headcanons about our lightning boy:

He can draw. But like really really well. And nobody knows it until his notebook falls on the floor one day and there's just pages and pages of sprawling artwork.

His fatal flaw is compassion. He doesn't know when to stop feeling for others. He will literally break pieces of himself to throw in a fire if it means his friends and family (and probably total strangers) are warm.

He can predict weather patterns and changes hours before they happen. Leo told him he was crazy the first time he looked into a blue sky and said "it's gonna storm." Nobody doubted him again when 3 hours later the sky was charcoal and the roofs boomed with battering rain.

He secretly loves vanilla ice cream but he doesn't tell anyone because he hears enough jokes about how straight laced and goody two-shoes he can be. One scoop of caramel and one scoop of vanilla, at the Gelato stand it is.

He learned how to play the flute because it was sitting in Lupa's den; left by a demigod long gone and he was always a curious child. A satyr in the woods taught him how to use it.

His eyes change to match the sky. Usually they're some variation of blue but sometimes they're as charcoal grey as storm clouds and oh gods when the sun is setting and the world looks like a painting his eyes are every beautiful shade of light. Reds and pinks, purples, yellows, darkening blue. Piper just has pictures of his sunlight eyes on her photography page.

He can't change the weather, obviously that's all Zeus and his moodswings. But when there is a storm or rain it gets just a little more chaotic, a little more dangerous, scary, damaging if Jason is angry, or scared, or hurting.

He feels most alive in the summer rains. His body literally glows. It's something about the lightning and the glorious heat of the sun.

He always smells like a storm just before it breaks. You can't quite place it but if you breathe in deep enough you discover a whole new sense of calm and fresh air.

He struggled a lot with where he came from but he knew by his thirteenth birthday that he wasn't straight. Knew when he looked at the cute dark-skin, brown eyed boy in his cohort that he would do anything to make him smile. It never worked out but just before the last weeks in December hit he noticed a girl in New Rome shopping for presents and she looked so cute with a pink nose, a bright yellow scarf and a cup of hot chocolate pressed to her olive cheeks. Their year long relationship ended when her father got a new job and she was forced to go with him.

The forest is his safe space. He can feel the wind in every crevice, under each step of his feet on the cool floor. He can hear the trees whisper. Finds comfort in the underbrush. In the life that surrounds him.

He has a scar on his hip from where a cub bit him. They were playing, wrestling and rolling and the little wolf forget he was human. That his skin was soft and easily broken. He thinks only fondly of those memories. Sometimes he brushes a finger over that mark and is pulled back far into his memories.

He spends a lot of time on rooftops. Like at least 80% of his free time. There's just something about being up there, where noone lives. Close to the skies but feet planted firmly on the floor. Something about breathing in crisp air. About feeling the wind before it slams into concrete. There's something about height that makes you untouchable.

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, February 10

Cover: Hollywood’s Greatest Love Affairs 

Page 2: Secrets behind Sunset Boulevard 

Page 4: Nominees for most out-there Oscar outfit -- Charlize Theron in 2010, Uma Thurman in 2004, Faith Hill in 2002, Barbra Streisand in 1969, Kate Hudson in 2001 

Page 5: Bjork in 2001, Geena Davis in 1992, Lizzy Gardner in 1995, Kim Basinger in 1998, Cher in 1998 

Page 7: How to be your own Valentine 

Page 8: Restart your resolutions 

Page 9: Suzanne Somers says look and feel amazing at any age 

Page 10: Linda Faye Herring has fostered more than 600 kids over nearly five decades 

Page 11: Your Heath: Heartburn or Heart Attack? 

Page 12: O.J, Simpson’s strange new life in Vegas -- folks flock to ex-con for selfies and to talk about murders 

Page 14: Dear Tony -- Past loves can come to the surface in so many ways, Tony predicts an experience that happened to Adam Sandler while filming Uncut Gems will change his life and lead him to help people in need later this year 

Page 16: Meryl Streep’s surprising secrets to a happy family 

Page 18: Alaskan Tyson Steele survived 23 days in subzero weather before a helicopter saw the big SOS he’d stamped into the snow 

Page 20: Cover Story -- Hollywood’s Greatest Real-Life Love Stories -- Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall 

Page 21: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainer III, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton 

Page 22: January is Divorce Month 

Page 23: Complaining can be healthy and helpful 

Page 26: Are extended warranties really worth it 

Page 28: The Good Doctor -- 5 deadly symptoms your physician often misses 

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Donna Mills and Joan Van Ark and Michele Lee reunite for the 40th anniversary of Knots Landing, Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey arranged a date between Matthew’s widowed mom and Hugh’s widowed dad, Jason Priestley admits he’s still grieving the death of Luke Perry, Amy Schumer is trying to have another child through IVF and she wants a daughter, Daniel Radcliffe is looking so scruffy that while he waited outside with his dog a stranger gave him $5 to get coffee, Steve Martin and Martin Short will headline a TV series for Hulu, Dolly Parton’s ear nose and throat doctor was Reese Witherspoon’s dad and when Reese was a kid she wanted to be Dolly Parton 

Page 45: Uma Thurman on an Italian chat show, Kathy Garver played Cissy on Family Affair, Jennie Garth and a dog, Henry Winkler  poses for a selfie at the SAG Awards, Dianne Warren sideswiped a parked Porsche that belonged to Nia Long and now they’re talking about having dinner, folk singer David Olney died of an apparent heart attack while onstage 

[thekillingquill]

At the Drive-In: Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Pairing: Jughead x Reader Word Count: 3,158 Epilogue Word Count: 602 Warnings: Mentions of physical abuse, there are teenage hormones at work, it gets a little sad? But no really, hormones at work. Summary: Reader escapes her home at night and runs to the Twilight Drive-In where Jughead is her reluctant host. His little interloper is slowly burrowing her way into his heart. A/N: This is the third and final part. I’ve included the epilogue in this post. I didn’t proofread :)

EDIT: There’s a sequel--Dark Side Of Your Room

Jughead found himself looking for her at school but he didn’t know where she existed outside of their nights together at Pop’s and the Drive-In. It was abundantly clear that, other than her proclivity for B&E, Jughead didn’t know much about her. He tried finding her in the library, as she often would read at Pop’s, but came up empty. It was a longshot, but he even looked in the student lounge.

It occurred to him, around fourth period, that he didn’t even know if they shared the same classes. He didn’t know what electives she took or where her locker was located. If it wasn’t for her scent clinging desperately to his pillow and his sleep shirts, he’d think that he made her up in a moment of insanity.

Perhaps it was a blessing that she wasn’t there last night. The news had been handed down the telephone line until somehow Jeanette of all people was telling him: the city had sold the Twilight Drive-In and they would be out of a job by the end of the weekend.

His first thought had been the loss of his home. His second thought had been the loss of income. His third thought was of Y/N and their nights together. All in all, Jughead was drowning in a sea of loss with no lifeboat in sight.

Along with the loss of his home and the absence of Y/N, Jughead also had Archie and Betty to worry about and of course, the murder of Jason Blossom. It surprised him how much time he found to miss Y/N. When she didn’t show up again he spent the night staring at the ceiling, shivering. No matter how many layers he piled on, the bed still felt too cold.

He tried not to let it bother him when she didn’t show up on the second night. He focused on deciding the closing night film while trying to find ways to save the drive-in. All the distractions in the world couldn’t help the quiet ache of loneliness in his chest. He thought that he’d nixed this feeling over the summer when Archie disappeared on him and Betty was out of touch. Yet, here it was again, courtesy of Y/N.

He thought he might have caught a glimpse of her in the cafeteria, but had lost sight of her by the time he pushed through the throng of students. It wasn’t until the closing night screening of Rebel Without a Cause that he saw her again.

The man’s expression is partly cloudy as he finishes their transaction and pulls into the rapidly filling lot at the drive-in. Y/N almost doesn’t recognize the woman in her exuberantly giggly and moony-eyed state. For a moment, they appear to be like any other family unit attending the closing night of the iconic Twilight Drive-In: Mom and Dad reminiscing about their time as teens while their moody offspring listens with a strange fascination.

It is a side of her family that Y/N has never seen before. It is a strange juxtaposition to the hurricane of three days ago that left so much destruction along with physical and emotional pain. But that storm has passed and this night is calm. Looking at the man and the woman, Y/N predicts that there is a chance of showers later on in the evening.

This is the busiest Y/N has ever seen the drive-in. She cranes her neck around seeing students from Riverdale High and their parents, and over in the darkest part of the lot are the regulars. The man pulls into a spot and the woman leans into his shoulder with a shout of laughter. “Should we tell her, babe?” She asks, nuzzling her nose into the man’s neck. The man twists away with an unfamiliar laugh. “I’m gonna tell her. Baby, this is the exact spot at the drive-in where we made you!” The man catches Y/N’s eyes in the rearview mirror and the strange smile melts off of his face like snow  on a hot day. He clears his throat and looks away from her. “You go on and meet your friends, kid.” Y/N doesn’t need to be told twice. The doors to the backseat have only opened from the outside for the last six years, so she crawls out of the open window with a practiced grace. She reaches through the window and grabs her messenger bag off of the floor and mutters a quick goodbye to her parents.

She puts her clenched fists in her jacket pockets, waking with her head down and hair shielding her face. She makes a beeline for the public washrooms at the concession and checks to make sure she was completely alone. She braced her hands on either side of the sink and mentally prepared herself for the night ahead.

Jeanette doesn’t even notice when Y/N leaves the bathroom and heads straight up the stairs. For a moment she just stands at the top of the stairs to watch Jughead as he works. His movements are so sure and precise, but there’s a yearning and melancholy air about him tonight.

It has only been three days, but seeing him knocks the breath out  of her lungs. For the past three days she has been overwhelmed by the undiluted feeling of wanting. She wanted to see him, to talk to him, to rest her cheek against his shoulder blade and slip her hand beneath his shirt to feel the warmth of his skin. She wants him, Jughead Jones, but isn’t brave enough to say how she wants him. She just does, always.

Being trapped inside her room these last few days has left her feeling like she could crawl up the walls and claw her way out of her skin. The man thought that it would be a good idea for her to stay out of sight and it almost felt parental at times. He brought her small tokens that made her heart throb painfully in her chest: a box of old magazines for collages, a milkshake from Pop’s, and a box of the cookies she used to love as a child. While he was attentive and kind, all she really wanted was Jughead who could offer her nothing but the worn paperback book in his bag, a safe place to exist and good company.

He finally notices her and she watches as his face transitions through a myriad of emotion: relief, confusion and then he put up his guard, that facade he’s perfected of disdainful disinterest. “What are you doing here?” He asks accusingly. She looks down at the floor and clears her throat. “Believe it or not,” she says with forced levity, pushing her hair away from her face. “I came here with my parents. Yeah, apparently this is where they had their very first day and here’s a bonus too much information fact for you: this is also where I was conceived.”

She looks up to gauge his reaction and sees that his arms are crossed over his chest and jaw is clenched tightly in anger. And then he sees her eye for the first time and his jaw drops and arms fall to his side in shock. He takes two quick steps forward and lifts his hand to touch her face. She reacts automatically, catching his wrist in her hand and pausing its movements. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, stroking the soft skin over his pulse point. She gently guides his hand to her cheek and squeezes his wrist before releasing it.

He swallows hard and tilts her head so that he left eye is under the limited light of the projectionist’s booth. The dark shadow around her eye remains and he can no longer deny what he’s seeing: Y/N with a blackened eye.

“How did this happen?” He asks softly. She laughs softly and nuzzles her cheek into his hand.

“I didn’t check the weather report.” Jughead brings his other hand up to cup her face, searching her eyes for an answer that makes sense.

“I… I don’t know what that means.” He tells her desperately. His frown is prominent as he smooths her hair back “Did someone do this to you? Y/N did your dad hit you?”

She can’t help it. She laughs and brings her hands up to squeeze his wrists. “You know, women have the capacity for violence, too.” She tells him with a rueful smile. “I don’t want to talk about it, Jug. I just want to enjoy tonight, with you.”

She wraps her arms around his middle and presses her fingers to his shoulder blades and inhales his intoxicating smell. “I am so sorry about the drive-in, Jug.” He wraps his arms around her shoulders and presses his nose against her neck, sighing in relief. “What will you do?” “I’ll figure something out. But tonight the drive-in is still open, so I better get back to work.” Jughead gives her one last squeeze and goes back to preparing the film. Y/N lays on the bed and watches him. Occasionally he looks over at her and smiles. It’s a subconscious act on his part as he is still struggling with the reality that she has re-appeared in his life.

They sit side by side to watch the last movie play at the Twilight Drive-In with Jughead’s arm across her shoulders and her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. She rests her right cheek against his shoulder and breathes in his scent. Halfway through the movie her fingers slip up his shirt to stroke the warm, soft skin of his side. She waits to see what he will do: will he rebuff her? Will he hold her closer, kiss her, give in to the tension that has been building between them for weeks? After a moment of silence she feels his fingers slip under the collar of her shirt, tracing the line of her clavicle and rubbing circles under her bra strap. She presses her thighs together and groans happily into his neck. She feels his other hand cup her elbow and he brings her closer, pressing his lips to her hairline. For the rest of the movie Jughead slowly massages the skin available to him and she relaxes further and further into his body. He doesn’t even mind when she falls asleep with thirty minutes left in the movie.

He’s just happy to have her there with him.

She’s sitting on their bed (when did it become theirs and not his?) with her legs crossed when he comes back from shutting down the drive-in for the night. She’s picking at her thumb nail and smiling at him shyly. His mouth is dry with nerves.

He won’t deny that it felt good to feel her nails lightly scratching his side during the movie, or that he didn’t like the sounds she made when he dragged a finger along her collarbone. He is finally admitting it to himself: he likes her. “This place has always felt special to me, Jughead. But since I met you, it’s become almost like an oasis. I am going to treasure every memory I have of us here.” She gestures to the bed, inviting him closer. He walks towards her like he’s in a trance and when he sits down, she reaches for his hand and intertwines their fingers. “I’d really like if we could make more memories tonight.” He reaches up and brushes her hair away from her black eye and swallows thickly. He’s overcome by concern. Where will she go for sanctuary when things get bad at home? “We can still go to Pop’s.” He tells her. She smiles at him sadly and squeezes his hand and turns so she’s facing him with her legs still crossed. He mimics her position, stroking his thumb along her knuckles. “Pop’’s was never ours, Jughead. That place has always been for you, Betty and Archie. I’ve seen you guys there. That’s where you’re all meant to be.” “You’re talking like this is the last time we’re going to see each other.” Jughead struggles to get the words out, realizing that this could be the last time he sees her. He squeezes her hand and she squeezes his back.

“If we see each other,” she says slowly, “it will be different.” Jughead lets her words circle his mind, coming to the same conclusion each time. This would be their last night together. As much as he wants to hold tightly to what they have, this relationship might have run its course. He did have his friends and he couldn’t imagine a scenario where Y/N was with them at Pop’s. His friends and what he and Y/N have (had?) are so different and have always been so separate from one another. “I started thinking of people’s anger like storms. That’s what I meant earlier by not checking the weather report. I was distracted during dinner and the storm came in fast. I should have known better because she was drinking red wine. I tried to leave and she turned on me, backhanded me once on the right cheek and then missed my left and hit my eye. Dad actually threw her out. She only came back today.” Jughead remained silent as she spoke, listening intently to her candor and supporting her by continuously stroking the back of her hand with his thumb and placing his other hand on her knee and squeezing it gently. She laughs and brings their intertwined hands to her mouth, placing a shy kiss to his knuckles. “If it’s okay with you,” she whispers leaning closer to him. “I’d like to kiss you now.” “Yeah,” Jughead mumbles, entranced by her nearness. There’s the slightest hint of bubble gum on her breath. His hand slides up her knee to grip her thigh and he presses his mouth to hers gently, being careful of her injury. Their first kiss feels like that first breath of air when you’ve been under water. It excites and relaxes, it is war and peace, it is the beginning and the end.

She smiles into their kiss and squeezes his hand, bringing her other hand to the back of his neck and leaning further into him. She is completely under his spell. She will be cursed to love Jughead Jones the Third for the rest of her young life.

He breaks their kiss and buries his face in her neck, breathing in her scent. He presses a gentle kiss on the side of her neck and bites down softly on her shoulder. He releases her hand and pulls her onto his lap with a growl. She squeaks at the sudden movement and frames his face in both of her hands. They kiss again, a little harder this time and she relaxes her jaw enough to allow her tongue to trace his upper lip. Jughead groans and she licks into his mouth, pressing even closer to him.

Jughead shrugs off his jacket and pulls off his beanie, tossing them to the side and putting his hands on her ribs like an additional cage around her wild heart. She buries her hand in his hair, tugging on it gently as they kiss.

He pulls back and looks up at her with half lidded eyes. He reaches back and pulls his shirt over his head and she places her hand on his heated skin, directly over his racing heart. His hands claw desperately at her shirt as he falls back on the bed. She sits up, laughing at his dazed expression, and pulls her shirt over her head. She leans down and rests her elbows on either side of his head. “You okay there, Jug?” With each word she brushes her lips against his but never fully kisses him. “Yeah,” he breathes, nodding his head. “I’m good.” “Me too,” she whispers, pressing her mouth to his firmly. His palms slide up her back until he is pushing against her shoulder blades, pressing her closer so that they are skin on skin. He involuntarily jerks his hips upwards and is surprised and embarrassed by the low moan he releases that is lost in the sound of Y/N’s whimper. “Are you okay?” He asks, pushing her hair away from her face. “No no no no, that felt really good, Jug. I was just surprised is all.” She brushes the hair away from his face and presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth and drags her mouth slowly to his neck, sucking lightly on the skin just beneath his ear. He lets out a soft moan and arches into her, and she pulls away from him with a strangled moan of her own. And then she reaches between them for his belt, hands brushing against the bulge in his jeans. Jughead gasps and grabs for her hand desperately, pulling it away from his belt. “I’m sorry,” she says immediately, rolling off of him and onto the mattress. “I’m so sorry, I should have asked first.” “I just… it’s okay… I just don’t want to do… that.” Jughead tries to explain through his panting.

“Okay. I’m really sorry, Jughead.” She reaches out, but isn’t sure whether he wants her to touch him right now. He grips her hand and laces their fingers together, letting it rest on his stomach. “It’s okay,” he says again and he’s not sure if he’s telling her that, or himself. He turns so that they are facing each other and she traces the curve of his jaw with her fingertips lightly, asking him in a whisper if it’s okay. He nods, leaning forward to kiss her chin and her cheek and then pushes himself up on one elbow so that he can kiss her forehead. She reciprocated by pressing a lingering kiss to each freckle.

They spend their last night together at the drive-in exchanging lazy kisses and sharing personal stories that would leave them feeling vulnerable and weak in the light of day. They touch each other gently, and make each other laugh (“I used to think that you were a blizzard: cold and dangerous. Now I know that you’re a summer rain: hot and electric. And getting me wet.”).

In the morning Jughead makes sure to kiss her on every square inch of the projectionist’s booth. It turns out she was right, after that night they didn’t meet up at Pop’s or say hi in the hallways. Jughead tried keeping tabs on her, seeking her out each day at school to look for any new bruises. But he got so busy with the Jason Blossom investigation, dealing with his broken family, and starting a new relationship with Betty that he didn’t even notice the day she disappeared.

But he would see her again.

Epilogue:

He hangs up the payphone, Betty’s voice trapped in his mind and turns to start his first day at Southside High when he sees her walking down the hall wearing a leather jacket two sizes too big. She’s walking with three other girls, and she looks happier than he’s ever seen her. She has laughter on her lips when she catches his eye.

Like metal to a magnet, he feels himself being pulled toward her. She says something to her friends and walks towards him as if in a trance. They meet in the middle and without warning she launches herself at him in a tight hug.

She smells different--like smoke, leather and honey.

“It’s so good to see you.” She tells him, burying her face in his neck and inhaling the familiar scent. He pulls back from her, his hands coming to cup her elbows gently. His eyes move rapidly over her face, memorizing the slight changes in her appearance. She’s wearing dark makeup, and her lips are quirked in the quiet smile she used to give him at the drive-in. There is an unbridled energy in her eyes that he’s never seen before.

“What are you doing here?” He asks her breathlessly. Her smile stays in place, but her eyes go sad.

“Not too long after the drive-in closed, there was a big storm brewing. It was the biggest storm to ever hit and someone called the police. When Sheriff Keller showed up he saw all of the destruction and I was put into foster care. My dad and I still see each other all the time, but I can’t be around my mom.”

“Did she hurt you?” Jughead asks her softly. His concern makes her eyes burn with emotion. She looks at the students in the hall and gestures for Jughead to lean down. She presses her cheek against his and whispers in his ear.

“She came at me with a knife. By the time Sheriff Keller showed up she had already cut me.” She pulls back from Jughead and shrugs her shoulder so that her leather jacket slips down her arm. There on her shoulder, pink and puckered, is a jagged scar about two inches in length. He reaches out and brushes his index finger over the raised skin.

“I’m so sorry,” he says. He’s not sure what the apology is: sorry for not being there, sorry I got caught up in my own shit and forgot about you, sorry this happened to you, sorry our safe haven got torn down?

“It’s okay. Things are better for me now.”

“Are you… are you happy?” Jughead asks. She beams at him, giving him another hug. He lets her sway them from side to side.

“I am, Jughead, I really am. I just wish you could be, too.” She pulls away and steps back from him, lest she be tempted to keep touching him. With a tilt of their head they begin to walk down the hall together. “So last I heard you were living with Archie Andrews. How’d you end up at Southside?”

“Things at Archie’s didn’t work out. I’m with a southside foster family now.” They reach the doors of the cafeteria and Y/N pauses and turns to him.

“I guess that means I’ll be seeing you around.” She starts walking backwards, keeping him in her sights for as long as possible.

“Yeah, I’ll see you.” He watches her walk away, not realizing that he is subconsciously looking for the Serpent patch until she turns around and he sees it clear as day: the two headed snake.

Tag list:  @tasteofswallowedwords @forsythe-pendleton-jones-iv @jillisbetterthanyou @rainbows-and-glitter-bitch @murderyoursoul @ri-verdale

[jflashandclash]

Attrition of Peace

Fifteen: Annabeth

How to Predict Unicorn Collisions. You Don’t.

             Annabeth hated when things didn’t go according to plan, and being side-rammed by a unicorn hadn’t been part of the plan. As she pushed off the black pavement of the Brooklyn street, she thought about how she should recalculate this.

           She’d been furious that her call with Frank had been interrupted. No matter how many drachmas she and Percy tried to throw at Iris, they kept getting the message, Your rainbow has been disconnected. Please hang up, and try your rainbow again.

           The two most important parts of the message had been left out: Leo is alive and these demigods were probably terrified.

           And now Frank and Hazel were here. Something must have gone wrong for them to ride all the way to the East coast on Arion.

           Finding the right flight over had been child’s play. She knew which airlines the Romans had frequent flyer miles with because of some deals they’d worked out with the Amazon. She knew their preferred airports and the approximated time the flight would have left. They only ever did direct route flights, since layovers were bad news for ADHD, monster hunted demigods.

           She had hoped Piper could talk to them first, using that line she never got to use on the Romans when they first got to Camp Jupiter, “Lower your weapons. We just want to talk.” Or Will, since he and the shy daughter of Apollo, Kally, seemed to get along well. Or Nico, her friend. Or Jason, who connected really well with Axel over Capture the Flag.

           Something about this felt like a set up: the way the video of Euna Song turning people into trees had zoomed carefully onto hers, Kally’s, and Pax’s faces without any context as to why they were fighting against those people, the way the dialogue had been muted from the video of Axel attacking Leo, the way her phone, and the phone with the videos, malfunctioned so she couldn’t watch it again for a closer analysis, and the way the two ex-Kronos soldiers had ended up in a town whose policy was to execute ex-Kronos soldiers.  

           This group of half-bloods was suspicious, and very dangerous, but she also suspected something else was happening here, possibly something out of their control. From what she’d seen of Calex Rupin McKenzie and Merry Blythe at Camp Half-Blood and from Piper’s solid impression of them, neither seemed the type to associate with murders without reason.  

           But she also knew that desperation could crack a person. She wanted to know what was going on. They needed more data. Like where Axel had found Leo Valdez.

           Percy gently touched her arm. “Are you alright?” he shouted over the sound of the getaway taxi-van zooming away and horns blaring from oncoming traffic.

           Scraps and bruises. Minimal damage. They needed to focus on their target. She nodded, checking him over first. He looked the same—just dazed from being thrown off Blackjack.

           Had he been hurt, she’d have to murder a unicorn.

           They staggered to their feet in enough time to see the unicorn blur in retreat, Arion, riderless, was in quick pursuit. Annabeth wondered if that unicorn knew mythology was not on its side in a race against that horse.

           “Is Blackjack okay?” she asked, assessing the situation. Percy’s pegasus stumbled to his hooves. Hazel was on foot, Frank had disappeared, and an SUV pulled up beside them. She didn’t get to see what had attacked Hazel and Frank to knock them off Arion.

           Percy nodded, quoting in his best equestrian mimic, “Good as new, boss. I think I’m going to take it easy for a bit. I get a carrot for that, right?” He reached to pet Blackjack’s face. “Thanks for the ride, bud. Get to safety. You’ll get a whole bushel when we get back to camp.”

           Blackjack huffed and flew off into the air. Percy turned to Annabeth. “I hope Arion teaches that unicorn to play nice with other ponies.”

           Someone threw open the door to the SUV beside them, and Annabeth was glad to see Jason Grace motioning them inside. Piper gave them a happy wave from the back and a, “Hey guys! Tell me about NRU after we’re done doing some demigod hunting.”

Hazel hopped in from the other side, glancing towards the front in concern.

“Sorry I’m running late,” Jason apologized. “I couldn’t summon Tempest. I was scared my powers might throw off weather patterns around the airport.”

           Something felt uncomfortable inside the SUV, and it took Annabeth a moment to realize it wasn’t because the driver was a French zombie. There was an argument happening.

           “What’s the one thing I told you not to do?” Will demanded, his hands on his hips, despite being seated in the middle. If he hadn’t been such a firm believer in seatbelts, she was pretty sure he’d be leaning over Nico’s passenger seat.

           Nico sighed and leaned his head against the headrest to stare at the ceiling. “Raise the dead.”

           “And what did you do?”

           “Raise the dead—but look Will, it’s been a month since my last incident, and it’s just summoning the dead—not rocket science or shadow travel—”[1]

           Annabeth winced as they rearranged the seating. Everyone had promised to enforce Will’s no excess power usage for six months on Nico, but none of them  predicted Apollo showing up to shake Nico like a ragdoll. It put Nico’s recovery back by a lot and terrified Will and pretty much everyone at camp.

Jason jumped into the back. Percy pulled Annabeth into his lap so they could conserve on seating. From the uncomfortable glance that Jason and Piper shared, Will and Nico had been arguing since the airport. Maybe a chat about rogue half-bloods or college entrance exams would be relaxing.

           “Nico, I’m not saying this because I don’t have faith in you. I’m mad because we made an agreement and because I care about you and it would crush me if anything happened to you.”

           Nico went bright red in the face and sank into his seat. “Will,” he grumbled, “Not in front of everyone.”

Hazel cleared her throat. She looked concerned for her brother, but her expression also had serious problem written all over it. Something had gone wrong in Rome. Annabeth’s mind raced with ideas.

“It’s great to see you guys, but Frank scouted ahead. We should—”

           A hummingbird darted through the door before Annabeth could shut it. When Frank turned back into a human, the SUV became uncomfortably cramped, and Annabeth started to really miss the expansiveness of the Argo II. Annabeth’s brain filed through excuses to push them past any cops that might pull them over for having too many people in a vehicle.

           Normally, Frank would have been embarrassed to squish in the tiny bit of space between Will and she and Percy. Instead, he leaned forward to talk to the driver, jumped to find it an undead person, and turned in confusion to Nico. “Uh—hey Nico—they’re five blocks ahead, can you uh tell—”

           “Monsieur Jules-Albert.”

           “Yes, Monsieur Jules-Albert to follow—”

           The zombie driver stepped on it. Their SUV lurched forward, knocking Frank back. Though they quickly jerked back to a stop in Brooklyn’s absurd traffic. Annabeth’s mind whirled to calculate if it would be faster to walk.

           “Seatbelt,” Will said to Frank, folding his arms and frowning at the passenger seat in the best charades of, we’ll finish this later, that Annabeth had ever seen.

           “Augh, dude, what happened to your ear?” Percy asked.

           Annabeth was about to ask the same question. Frank had a hasty patch job of gauze on his ear with medical tape wrapped around his head to keep it in place. From the old blood dried on the gauze, she had a feeling there wasn’t much of an ear left under there.

           “I can probably reattach it if you have the ear,” Will offered, sensing the same.

           “I don’t,” Frank said grimly, like he’d forgotten a number two pencil on test day. “Axel bit it off after he set Reyna’s house on fire.

           “He what?!” Nico demanded, sitting up in his seat and forgetting his prior embarrassment. “Is Reyna okay?”

           “Physically, yea,” Frank said. He gave them a brief update on what happened as Jules drove.

           “Wait—why were they in Reyna’s house? I thought she pretty much lived, ate, slept, and plotted punishments for bad legionnaires in the principia,” Percy asked.  

           Annabeth swatted him. She’d seen Reyna and Axel interact once, when Axel first parked outside Camp Half-Blood’s boundaries and refused to come inside. From what she’d seen then, and from a few comments Piper had made about the type of guy Reyna might like, Annabeth had a guess why Axel was in her house.

           “They were on a breakfast date, sort of,” Hazel confirmed from the back of the SUV. “It was… hard to convince her not to come on this quest, but she’s making sure Camp Half-Blood is safe, since she knows you guys are out.”

           Annabeth hoped that wouldn’t make everyone lose focus. She kept reminding herself that they needed all the facts first, that something wasn’t adding up here, but Nico voiced the opinion of the group perfectly.

           “I’m going to drag Axel to Tartarus and craft him a personal punishment for the rest of eternity. How dare he hurt Reyna,” Nico growled. As the SUV rolled to a stop, he glanced back. “Or Frank. Sorry about your ear, Frank.”

           “It’s okay; it’s just gone for good.”

           “Nico, we talked about this,” Will scolded.

           Nico rolled his eyes and threw his door open. “Fine. In a few months, I’ll drag him to Tartarus and craft him a personal punishment.”

           “There’s my responsible son of Hades.”

           They got out of the SUV and took off down a wide alley between two brick buildings designed with the classic flare of late nineteenth century architecture. This was an old part of Brooklyn, one the gentrification hadn’t yet touched, but the neon blue and purple lights around two ionic columns were new. They stood on either side of a club entrance that Annabeth could see Euna, Calex, and Merry darted through.  

           They needed a plan.

           The bouncer was a huge guy in a biker jacket—what you’d expect to find at a club in New York. Unlike what you’d expect, he stood off to the side of the door, leaning against the wall and grinning stupidly at their approach. He held a hand out to prevent the small line of guests from entering. The guests in line whispered, looking far less agitated than Annabeth would expect with a bouncer not letting anyone in.

           From what Annabeth had read and seen, clubs weren’t usually active this early at night. She hoped this wouldn’t be a rerun of Club Lotus.

           “Stop,” Annabeth said before they reached the entrance.

           Everyone skittered to a stop, like she’d pulled a gear out of a watch. Jason, Percy, Piper, Hazel, Frank, and Nico all paused to glance at her expectantly. She forgot how well their team worked together. The only person who stumbled was Will.

           “We need a plan.” Jason read off her face.

           Annabeth’s mind spun. That was her territory. But she was missing some integral data to make a full plan. Her instinct told her not to go in with swords drawn. “We should try to parley. When they ran from the airport, and when they were in the cab, they didn’t attack any of us. The Pax brothers may have only done that in New Rome because they were cornered.”

          They’d have to worry about Frank’s quest from Ares later. Right now, she wanted to know what was going on.

          “Seeing Roman colors is going to probably scare them, so Hazel, use the Mist to hide what you and Frank look like. Stay to the entrance to make sure they don’t double back to escape. Everyone else, keep with your partner—” She didn’t need to say who was partnering with whom. “—keep alert. They are dangerous, but try to talk them down first. If you see them—”

          “Find or walkie-talkie Jason and I,” Piper finished. “And I can make sure things don’t get out of hand.”

          Annabeth was pleased to see Will open up his jacket to show off a charging station for walkie talkies beside his medical kit and a package of latex gloves. He handed one off to Percy and one to Hazel.

          Because Iris Messaging had been so inconsistent, and the presence of a half-blood tended to make technology go haywire, she’d been experimenting with ways to keep in contact. Older walkie talkies proved somewhat reliable.

          The other problem was getting into the club. If Axel Misted a group of underaged kids in, Hazel could probably do the same. Annabeth just hoped everyone either had a driver’s permit or a library card for Hazel to Mist.

          The bouncer put a huge arm out across the door. “The guitarist says you’re with him. And he said you’re allowed to keep your weapons. And we aren’t supposed to kill you.”

          Annabeth wanted to swear. She should have assumed the others had connections here, else they wouldn’t have ran straight to this club. Her brain pierced through the Mist to reregister the bouncer’s single eye, and how tall he was. Despite all the time she’d spent with Tyson, the seven year old in her always cowered at the sight of Cyclopes. But she was almost a legal adult now, a hero of Olympus and a daughter of Athena. Annabeth maintained steady eye contact. This guy wasn’t mimicking any of them, and didn’t even look interested in chowing down on one of their heads.

          The people in line hazed into various monsters and ghosts.  

          “This is a club for monsters,” Frank said. The way he said it made her wonder when Frank would bring the entire legion here for a warm up drill.

          Everyone else must have seen it too. They touched their weapons.

          This Cyclops kept grinning, not seeming to realize which demigods he was stalling. “The guitarist says you can come in, but,” he said, “the tiny Pax said you can only come in if that one gives me a hug.” The Cyclops pointed at Jason Grace.

          Jason Grace pointed at himself in confusion. “Me?”

          The Cyclops nodded. “He said you love hugging Cyclopes. And the tiny Pax knows I love hugs.” The Cyclops folded his arms and stood up tall, like he had declared how much he liked breaking people’s necks.

          Percy stifled a laugh. “Hey, Cyclopes give the best bear hugs, probably only second to Frank.”

          “You’re not going to hurt him,” Piper asked her question as a statement, one enlaced with charm speak.

          The Cyclops didn’t change his posture or expression at all. Maybe he really did like hugs. “Nope!” he affirmed.

          Jason frowned as Hazel giggled and Nico and Will choked on laughs.

          Percy patted Jason’s back. “He seems like a good Cyclops. Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Thanks for reading guys! I had a great time writing this one :D XD

 Foonote:

[1] I need to thank both Gravity Falls and BruneGonda for this. I’ve been trying to find a way to slip her hilarious fanart in for three books.

[michaelpatrickhicks]

Ten Spring Reads To Watch For

Yeah, the shift toward warmer weather and cool evenings sipping beer after some grueling lawncare is great and all, but for me the best part of spring is the blossoming of new books. From the looks of things, there's a boatload of promising intrigue, blood-curdling chills, and action-packed adventures ahead. While it's a sure bet I have plenty of other books in my TBR and review pile, here's the Top 10 spring reads I am most looking forward to.

One Way by S.J. Morden

April 10, 2018 | Orbit

When the small crew of ex cons working on Mars start getting murdered, everyone is a suspect in this terrifying science fiction thriller from bona fide rocket scientist and award winning-author S. J. Morden.

It's the dawn of a new era - and we're ready to colonize Mars. But the company that's been contracted to construct a new Mars base, has made promises they can't fulfill and is desperate enough to cut corners. The first thing to go is the automation . . . the next thing they'll have to deal with is the eight astronauts they'll send to Mars, when there aren't supposed to be any at all.

Frank - father, architect, murderer - is recruited for the mission to Mars with the promise of a better life, along with seven of his most notorious fellow inmates. But as his crew sets to work on the red wasteland of Mars, the accidents mount up, and Frank begins to suspect they might not be accidents at all. As the list of suspect grows shorter, it's up to Frank to uncover the terrible truth before it's too late.

Dr. S. J. Morden trained as a rocket scientist before becoming the author of razor-sharp, award-winning science fiction. Perfect for fans of Andy Weir's The Martian and Richard Morgan, One Way takes off like a rocket, pulling us along on a terrifying, epic ride with only one way out.

They Feed by Jason Parent

April 15, 2018 | Sinister Grin Press

The night uncovers all we wish not to see. A troubled man enters a dusky park before sunset. A young woman follows, hidden in shadow. Both have returned to the park to take back something the past has stolen from them, to make right six long years of suffering, and to find justice or perhaps redemption—or maybe they'll settle for some old-fashioned revenge. But something evil is alive and awake in those woods, creatures that care nothing for human motivations. They’re driven by their own insatiable need: a ravenous, bottomless hunger. The campgrounds are full tonight, and the creatures are starving. Before the night is over, they will feed. An unrelenting tale of terror from Jason Parent, acclaimed author of People of the Sun and What Hides Within.

Breaking the World by Jerry Gordon

April 17, 2018 | Apex Books

Cyrus doesn't believe in David's predictions, and he's not interested in being part of a cult. But after the sudden death of his brother, his parents split up and his mom drags him to Waco, Texas against his will. At least he's not alone. His friends, Marshal and Rachel, have equally sad stories that end with them being dumped at the Branch Davidian Church. Together, they're the trinity of nonbelievers, atheist teens caught between a soon to be infamous cult leader, an erratic FBI, and an epidemic that may confirm the worst of the church's apocalyptic prophecies. With tanks surrounding the Branch Davidians and tear gas in the air, Cyrus and his friends know one thing for certain: They can't count on the adults to save them. In his debut novel, Jerry Gordon takes readers deep inside the longest standoff in law enforcement history for an apocalyptic thriller that challenges the news media's reporting of the event, the wisdom of militarizing domestic law enforcement, and the blurry line between religion and cult.

The Atrocities by Jeremy C. Shipp

April 17, 2018 | Tor.com

Jeremy Shipp brings you THE ATROCITIES, a haunting gothic fantasy of a young ghost's education

When Isabella died, her parents were determined to ensure her education wouldn't suffer.

But Isabella's parents had not informed her new governess of Isabella's... condition, and when Ms Valdez arrives at the estate, having forced herself through a surreal nightmare maze of twisted human-like statues, she discovers that there is no girl to tutor.

Or is there...?

Forsaken (A Unit 51 Novel) by Michael McBride

April 24, 2018 | Pinnacle

IT HAS SURVIVED At a research station in Antarctica, scientists discovered a strange and ancient organism.  They thought they could study it, classify it, control it. They couldn’t.   IT HAS THRIVED Six months ago, a secret paramilitary team called Unit 51 was sent to the station. They thought the creature was dead, the nightmare was over. It wasn’t.   IT HAS EVOLVED In a Mexican temple, archeologists uncover the remains of a half-human hybrid. They believe it is related to the creature in Antarctica, a dark thing of legend that is still alive—and still evolving. They believe it needs a new host to feed, to mutate, to multiply. They’re right. And they’re next. And the human race might just be headed for extinction  . . .

Fury From the Tomb: The Institute for Singular Antiquities Book 1 by S.J. Morden

May 1, 2018 | Angry Robot Books

Mummies, grave-robbing ghouls, hopping vampires, and evil monks  beset a young archaeologist, in this fast-paced Indiana Jones-style adventure Saqqara, Egypt, 1888, and in the booby-trapped tomb of an ancient sorcerer, Rom, a young Egyptologist, makes the discovery of a lifetime: five coffins and an eerie, oversized sarcophagus. But the expedition seems cursed, for after unearthing the mummies, all but Rom die horribly. He faithfully returns to America with his disturbing cargo, continuing by train to Los Angeles, home of his reclusive sponsor. When the train is hijacked by murderous banditos in the Arizona desert, who steal the mummies and flee over the border, Rom – with his benefactor’s rebellious daughter, an orphaned Chinese busboy, and a cold-blooded gunslinger – must ride into Mexico to bring the malevolent mummies back. If only mummies were their biggest problem…

Obscura by Joe Hart

May 8, 2018 | Thomas & Mercer

She’s felt it before... the fear of losing control. And it’s happening again.

In the near future, an aggressive and terrifying new form of dementia is affecting victims of all ages. The cause is unknown, and the symptoms are disturbing. Dr. Gillian Ryan is on the cutting edge of research and desperately determined to find a cure. She’s already lost her husband to the disease, and now her young daughter is slowly succumbing as well. After losing her funding, she is given the unique opportunity to expand her research. She will travel with a NASA team to a space station where the crew has been stricken with symptoms of a similar inexplicable psychosis—memory loss, trances, and violent, uncontrollable impulses.

Crippled by a secret addiction and suffering from creeping paranoia, Gillian finds her journey becoming a nightmare as unexplainable and violent events plague the mission. With her grip weakening on reality, she starts to doubt her own innocence. And she’s beginning to question so much more—like the true nature of the mission, the motivations of the crew, and every deadly new secret space has to offer.

Merging thrilling science-fiction adventure with mind-bending psychological suspense, Wall Street Journal bestselling author Joe Hart explores both the vast mysteries of outer space and the even darker unknown that lies within ourselves.

Hell Divers III: Deliverance by Nicholas Sansbury-Smith

May 15, 2018 | Blackstone Publishing

Left for dead on the nightmarish surface of the planet, Commander Michael Everhart and his team of Hell Divers barely escape with their lives aboard a new airship called Deliverance. After learning that Xavier “X” Rodriguez may still be alive, they mount a rescue mission for the long-lost hero.

In the skies, the Hive is falling apart, but Captain Jordan is more determined than ever to keep humanity in their outdated lifeboat. He will do whatever it takes to keep the ship in the air—even murder. But when he learns the Hell Divers he exiled have found Deliverance, he changes course for a new mission—find the divers, kill them, and make their new ship his own.

In the third installment of the USA Today bestselling Hell Divers series, Michael and his fellow divers fight across the mutated landscape in search of X. But what they find will change everything.

Blood Standard by Laird Barron

May 29, 2018 | G.P. Putnman's Sons

Award-winning author Laird Barron makes his crime fiction debut with a novel set in the underbelly of upstate New York that's as hardboiled and punchy as a swift right hook to the jaw--a classic noir for fans of James Ellroy and John D. Macdonald. Isaiah Coleridge is a mob enforcer in Alaska--he's tough, seen a lot, and dished out more. But when he forcibly ends the moneymaking scheme of a made man, he gets in the kind of trouble that can lead to a bullet behind the ear. Saved by the grace of his boss and exiled to upstate New York, Isaiah begins a new life, a quiet life without gunshots or explosions. Except a teenage girl disappears, and Isaiah isn't one to let that slip by. And delving into the underworld to track this missing girl will get him exactly the kind of notice he was warned to avoid.

The Woman in the Woods by John Connolly

June 12, 2018 | Atria/Emily Bestler Boks

From internationally bestselling author and “creative genius who has few equals in either horror fiction or the mystery genre” (New York Journal of Books) comes a gripping thriller starring Private Investigator Charlie Parker. When the body of a woman—who apparently died in childbirth—is discovered, Parker is hired to track down both her identity and her missing child. In the beautiful Maine woods, a partly preserved body is discovered. Investigators realize that the dead young woman gave birth shortly before her death. But there is no sign of a baby. Private detective Charlie Parker is hired by a lawyer to shadow the police investigation and find the infant but Parker is not the only searcher. Someone else is following the trail left by the woman, someone with an interest in much more than a missing child…someone prepared to leave bodies in his wake. And in a house by the woods, a toy telephone begins to ring and a young boy is about to receive a call from a dead woman.

I'm also planning on digging into several titles that have been lingering in my review pile for quite a while, including the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Kill Creek by Scott Thomas. What's on your reading list for the next couple months ahead?

[affairsintop]

Quebec family stuck on Norwegian Breakaway cruise caught in bomb cyclone

New Post has been published on http://www.anblogger.com/quebec-family-stuck-on-norwegian-breakaway-cruise-caught-in-bomb-cyclone/

Quebec family stuck on Norwegian Breakaway cruise caught in bomb cyclone

Quebecer André Reny says he did not expect his family vacation to the Bahamas to end in such a weather nightmare.

“There wasn’t any evidence that the weather was going to get bad,” he explained.

READ MORE: Satellites capture vivid images of ‘bomb cyclone’ as it moves toward Canada

The Norwegian Breakaway, en route to New York from the Bahamas, was caught for two days in a powerful winter storm — the bomb cyclone — that was heading toward the U.S. East Coast.

The powerful wake and heavy rain whipped the ship, causing intense flooding in the hallways and staircases.

“They were saying on TV the waves were about 20 feet, but some were maybe twice that,” he recalled.

“The water started coming in through some of those sliding doors that are on the sixth, seventh, eighth decks.”

The family was staying on the ship’s 14th floor — about halfway up the vessel.

“I realized that the boat was rocking like crazy. It was mostly rocking sideways because we were navigating towards the north,” Reny said, adding a crew member told him she hadn’t seen weather like this in 10 years.

READ MORE: U.S. East Coast enters deep freeze after ‘bomb cyclone’ left its mark

He said the captain delivered messages every two to three hours to explain that there were rough winds, but they were managing.

“There wasn’t anything about ‘don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.’ The younger staff looked worried, the older staff were probably poker-faced.”

Reny told Global News many passengers looked worried, and were asking the staff what was going on — but they weren’t getting many clear answers.

“Most people took it very seriously. I just tried to stay focused for the kids,” he said.

“When the ship was leaning, the windows were underwater. You could see wind, water coming down from the eighth floor.”

READ MORE: Halifax ‘bomb cyclone’ sends scaffolding banging into apartment window

The ship ended up docking in New York on the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 5 — around 12 hours after its intended arrival time.

“We couldn’t see outside our balcony. When we got into New York, the whole deck was floating with water,” he told Global News.

“The balcony windows were frozen with an inch of ice.”

Reny said he understands that weather is hard to predict and doesn’t hold the crew responsible for what happened.

READ MORE: Frozen, immobilized iguanas are falling from trees during Florida cold snap

“It was quite an experience, but it was not that bad. I can understand that some people were pretty traumatized, though,” he told Global News.

“Why were we the only ship in the grace of storm? I don’t know.”

Reny said the company did volunteer to refund part of his family’s cruise package.

For that, he’s not going to push for a full refund — though he admitted his kids aren’t interested in going on another cruise any time soon.

Nevertheless, some of the 4,000 passengers are demanding a refund from the company — and may even be threatening legal action.

READ MORE: ‘Bomb cyclone’ leaves thousands of flights in Canada and U.S. delayed or cancelled

Norwegian Cruise Lines has yet to respond to Global News’ request for comment.

With all the rocking and, according to passengers, lack of communication from staff, many took to social media to share their disdain for their experience:

@CruiseNorwegian #NCLbreakaway help me understand why we get 20 Announcements per day about bingo and art, but when the ship takes on water and is listing 9 degrees they are silent for hours. This is unacceptable!

— Jason George (@JasonGeorge0614) January 6, 2018

© 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

[hartranchgolfcourse]

Open Championship Preview

Open Championship Preview

Blimey! It appears we’re going to have another soggy Open Championship this weekend, with wind and rain in the forecast every day (as it should be, really). I’m not sure what that means for predicting this thing, as my crystal ball has been out-of-order this season. Henrik Stenson and Philthy Mickelson put on a fine display at Royal Troon (they sure know how to name courses across the pond) last year, and if we get a show half as good at Royal Birkdale it’ll be well worth the watch. So strap on your knickers, brew a pot o’ tee and be prepared to stay up until the wee hours of the morn to see the best in the world putt from 50 yards off the green.

Course: Royal Birkdale, Southport, England, 7,173 Yards, Par 70

Past Champions (at Royal Birkdale): Pádraig Harrington, Mark O’Meara, Ian Baker-Finch, Tom Watson, Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer and Peter Thomson

156 Players, top 70 and ties make the cut after 36 holes

Fun Facts:

The trophy now awarded to the winner of the British Open is officially named the Championship Cup, though it is widely referred to as the “Claret Jug”. Claret is a dry red wine produced in the famous French winemaking region of Bordeaux. The British Open trophy was designed to look like the silver jugs used to serve claret at 19th century gatherings, thus the name. (Courtesy GolfDigest.com)

The winner of the first dozen Opens at Prestwick was presented with a red Morocco belt with silver clasps. Dubbed the “Challenge Belt,” it was purchased by the members at a cost of £25. “Young” Tom Morris captured four consecutive Opens held there from 1868-1872 (still an unprecedented feat). Under the original rules of competition, if a player won three times in a row, he was entitled to keep the prize — meaning there was nothing to play for in 1871, and therefore, no Open was held that year. (Courtesy GolfDigest.com)

British Open Records

Most wins: Harry Vardon has the most British Open wins with six. Most times as runner up: Jack Nicklaus has been runner-up at the British Open seven times. Most appearances: Gary Player has appeared at the British Open 46 times. Oldest winner: In 1867, “Old” Tom Morris Sr. became the oldest golfer to win the British Open at 46 years and 99 days old. Youngest winner: In 1868, his son, “Young” Tom Morris Jr. became the youngest golfer to win the British Open at 17 years and five months old. (Courtesy CNN.com)

The Players:

At the U.S. Open, a lot of big names missed the cut at a course players were torching. DJ, Rory, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson and yes, even my boy Graeme McDowell didn’t make the weekend. While I don’t necessarily expect the same, I don’t love Rory and DJ here. Both could certainly get hot and win, but Rory doesn’t like bad weather and DJ still hasn’t seemed to recover from falling down the stairs. Here’s a quick look at the Vegas odds:

Dustin Johnson 14-1 Jordan Spieth 14-1 Rickie Fowler 16-1 Jon Rahm 16-1 Sergio Garcia 18-1 Justin Rose 20-1 Rory McIlroy 20-1 Hideki Matsuyama 20-1 Tommy Fleetwood 22-1 Henrik Stenson 25-1 Adam Scott 28-1 Brooks Koepka 33-1 Jason Day 33-1 Paul Casey 33-1 Alex Noren 40-1 Phil Mickelson 40-1 Louis Oosthuizen 45-1 Branden Grace 45-1 Marc Leishman 50-1 Justin Thomas 50-1 Matt Kuchar 50-1 Thomas Pieters 50-1

I really like Fowler and Branden Grace in this spot. Rickie is due and Grace is a low-ball hitter who can keep it out of the wind. I’ll go with Rickie to win in a playoff. If you’re looking to lose some money, copy my $1,000,000 DK Lineup below: Rickie Fowler Adam Scott Paul Casey Branden Grace Bernd Wiesberger Justin Thomas

Well, there you have it. Hopefully you’ve learned something. Enjoy the weekend and I look forward to being wrong as always. Happy golfing!

The post Open Championship Preview appeared first on Hart Ranch Golf Course.

[othersportsnews-blog]

Golfing -- Michael Collins' Top rated 25 Open up rankings -- Temperature looms significant above predictions

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/golfing-michael-collins-top-rated-25-open-up-rankings-temperature-looms-significant-above-predictions/

Golfing -- Michael Collins' Top rated 25 Open up rankings -- Temperature looms significant above predictions

SOUTHPORT, England — Time for you to get pleasure from the bane of my existence — The Open up Top rated 25. Why do I contact it that? Since 90 per cent of the time, Mother Character decides who receives to be in the very best posture to earn. I am producing this from the media middle right here at Royal Birkdale, and appropriate outside there are extremely couple of clouds, and it can be about 74 degrees Fahrenheit with a ten mph breeze. No opportunity it stays like this, but I can desire, appropriate?

Just once, I want Mother Character to mind her individual company so my leading-25 checklist can be fantastic! Take pleasure in.

25. Jeunghun Wang — Since his caddie has the finest hat in golfing, and I have a single. It travels close to and receives pics taken with random persons like a gnome!

With The Open up on us — yes, we’re contacting it The Open up — Rickie Fowler feels like a robust pick, Birkdale’s two protagonists from 2008 make a resurgence, and a single pro puts his funds exactly where his mouth is to try out to get into the discipline in England.

Get the hottest tee periods for the 2017 Open up at Royal Birkdale.

Get dates, Tv routine, information protection, live scores and final results on ESPN for The Open up at Royal Birkdale.

two Linked

24. Rory McIlroy — Coming off two skipped cuts and with speak of his currently being “material,” Rory will demonstrate the doubters incorrect. It may well not be a earn or even rivalry, but there will be a flash of the Rory we know can dominate.

23. Pat Perez — Chat about a guy who’s not worried to shut it down! Just after the U.S. Open up, Perez went on a 2½-week European trip with his wife and doggy. You should not knock it, even though he is skipped only two cuts in the existing time.

22. Thomas Pieters — The “Belgium Bomber” skipped the cut at the U.S. Open up, but that is not going to take place right here. This is a guy you ought to anticipate to see on lots of Ryder Cups in the upcoming ten many years. Conservative play this week bodes nicely for Pieters.

21. Branden Grace — Grace has not performed anything at all magnificent this 12 months, but he is skipped only a single cut (the Arnold Palmer Invitational) and experienced to withdraw from the Honda Common. Outdoors of that, he is been steady. You can find one thing to be explained for that, recognizing the climate circumstances he is faced and will deal with this week.

twenty. Louis Oosthuizen — Fantastic, strong golfing from a guy who has gained this celebration prior to. That’s what you see when you look back again at Oosty’s play this 12 months. The final cut he skipped was basically this celebration final 12 months. That’s not occurring this week.

19. Sergio Garcia — This a single was challenging. Sergio finished T-two at the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship a couple of months back. I feel if he receives the excellent portion of the attract, he could contend to earn. I set him right here anticipating Mother Character to arrive at him.

eighteen. Bill Haas — Just after 3 MCs in a row previously in the 12 months, Haas found one thing likely into Colonial. Whichever it was is still performing. I noticed his caddie at the airport Sunday (also finding off a pink-eye), fired up to be right here. That’s a excellent indication to me.

Ian Poulter is coming off a leading-ten end at the Scottish Open up, but he skipped the cut in his earlier two Open up Championship commences. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

17. Ian Poulter — It looks as if playing with a little chip on his shoulder is performing brilliantly for Poulter. Acquiring to play his way into everything is fueling a fire that we have not seen for a although, and it appears excellent. Thank goodness it can be not a Ryder Cup 12 months.

16. Zach Johnson — That total “get above to The Open up early” issue — Zach ruined it for every person with his 2015 victory. He all over again comes straight from the John Deere Common with a game that ought to do nicely at Royal Birkdale.

15. Hideki Matsuyama — This may well seem to be like a lower location for the earth No. two participant, but he has not played significantly nicely in this major. His debut at The Open up in 2013 was his very best end in the celebration at T-6. I imagine this 12 months, he’ll have his next-very best end.

14. Tommy Fleetwood — This gentleman is on a operate. His earlier four tournaments: T-ten, 1, T-6, four. I would say he is primed for a strong end at this year’s Open up. The worry is that the operate is on the draw back alternatively of the upside.

thirteen. Shane Lowry — If I explained a couple of months back the maximum-ending Irishman would be Lowry, I would have been thrown out of the biz. Now it looks like the appropriate contact.

12. Adam Scott — I am on the lookout for Scott to give himself a opportunity likely into the weekend. I feel when he and Steve Williams have two months in a row collectively (Steve was on the bag final week at the Scottish Open up), they have a significantly improved relationship, which will be mirrored in the final results.

Justin Rose and his wife, Kate, took in the Wimbledon final from the royal box at Centre Court. Probably some of Roger Federer’s magic rubbed off on him. John Walton/PA Images by way of Getty Images

11. Justin Rose — While he did overlook the cut at the U.S. Open up, I imagine that was an anomaly. I spied Rose and his wife congratulating Roger Federer right after Federer’s victory at Wimbledon. Inspiration? I would say so.

ten. Jason Day — The gentleman is, right after all, the sixth-rated participant in the earth and a former No. 1. Indeed, the back again-to-back again MCs are disconcerting, but Day is a single to rapidly work out swing troubles. This will be a great return to sort.

9. Patrick Reed — Even even though he skipped the cut final week at the Scottish Open up, his time spent adjusting to the weather and time zone will pay out off. I feel the MC is effective in his favor, leaving Reed improved rested although hungry to complete up to his specifications.

eight. Paul Casey — Recall final 12 months when Casey could have gained the FedEx Cup without having profitable a match? Perfectly, that same guy is rounding into that same sort all over again.

seven. Matt Kuchar — Kuch has found a groove in his earlier 5 tournaments, ending no worse than 16th although throwing in 3 leading-10s. You should not be shocked if he is in rivalry Sunday.

6. Dustin Johnson — I imagine his earlier two MCs were related to fatherhood and the beginning of baby No. two. Now that the strain of that is out of the way, that guy we have seen dominate on the class will be back again contending all over again.

Will Rickie Fowler scratch his title from the checklist of very best golfers without having a major victory? Patrick Smith/Getty Images

five. Rickie Fowler — Anticipate Fowler’s major winless streak to arrive to an conclusion upcoming month. But he’ll be shut this week, matching his end at the U.S. Open up. Even the marshals this week costume like Fowler — all orange.

four. Brooks Koepka — We have not seen him given that his U.S. Open up victory. I am quite positive he has not forgotten how to play golfing. Now he is nicely rested and hungry for his next major title.

three. Rafa Cabrera Bello — Final week’s champion in Scotland has momentum, and that terrific play will continue on this week. That’s a testomony to his swing and how in form he retains his body and mind.

two. Jon Rahm — Coming off a earn in Eire two months back, Rahm is performing precisely what Phil Mickelson predicted a 12 months back: getting to be a single of the leading 5 golfers in the earth.

1. Jordan Spieth — Just after his earn at Travelers, it can be uncomplicated to see Spieth back again in the sort that brought him so shut to this title a couple of many years back. It will be 3 majors down for his job, with the PGA Championship to go.

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