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spookfished · 1 year

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media roundup june 2023

hey guys guess who just went "oh its the 4th of july. that means that its july" here im going to talk about things i read/watched/played last month! i didnt read as much but did finish a couple books that ive had checked out Forever. ok actually i read a lot woops

books/comics/written media:

fake dates and mooncakes by sher lee: fake dating (obv) premise between a cooking boy and a rich heir! book that made me realized im honestly just not that interested in ya romance anymore LMFAO. pretty sweet and a decent read, but landed more heavily on the expository end of uhh i guess diaspora fiction? than i really prefer. i think i picked this up bc the author got mega cancelled on tyk twitter lol??

bird by bird by anne lammott: book about how to write. i love to read about how people do stuff :3 some of the advice applies pretty universally to creative efforts i think.. made me want to write more too

john dies at the end by jason pargin: DNF. comic/horror about this loser guy who discovers stuff. sigh i tried so hard to like this book its supposed to be pretty 'mecore'...talked about this with alena a bunch but its like hm... i know the sort of casual offensiveness sort of goes in hand with being poor and white and in the midwest and i appreciate how its like that creates its own doomed narrative or whatever. but also i feel like the protagonist would call me slurs or something. also the lowgrade but pervasive orientalism is kinda offputting. probably fun for some other guy! i did enjoy the horror elements though

the goldfinch by donna tartt: literary coming of age about a boys relationship with a painting (the goldfinch). also he flops a lot and its sort of homoerotic i guess? a movie was made of it. so something to note is that ive had this book out on loan since literally december. neil kept on being like hey man just stop reading it LMFAO. thoughts cp'ed from discord:

why does the goldfinch feel like a 600 page leadup to the actual book which is 800 pages

idk at this point im kinda sick of pathetic lovelorn self obsessed semi literary men. like toku men are also sopping and pathetic but i think its more appealing when they are also kind and can be vulnerable. this guy is just annoying and kind of incel coded. like does a grand gesture to make up for the fact that he killed your dog while dogsitting

i actually did enjoy the parts post timeskip but i still think the first two thirds could have been cut or Greatly compressed or interspersed w the present or Something, yk? prose was nice though

the bodyguard by katherine center: romance novel about a woman bodyguard who lives for her job. fresh from a breakup, shes given a new undercover assignment with a handsome actor, recently withdrawn from society. will they be able to break each others' shells....? my mom recommended this to me LMFAO we kind of have different tastes in romance.. ive read a book by this author before i think her platonic scenes are very strong? i wish there had been a couple more of those. also i like how she always includes a life affirming section at the end about how important it is for us to open ourselves up to love etc etc cute but not especially memorable

kiss quotient by helen hoang: (reread) a shy, autistic econometrician decides that she needs to get better at sex, and so hires an escort. helen hoang is one of my faavorite romance authors i really enjoyed this reread although i kinda forgot that both leads say, think and do some pretty embarrassing things. but you know a little embarrassment is endearing and all that.. i still prefer her other book (the bride test) but this one is pretty good too. vivid characters 👍

sisters of dorley hall by alyson greaves: web fiction - a trans woman infiltrates a secret force-feminization program. ok im just cp'ing my thoughts from discord again but i enjoyed it a lot:

my thoughts are that the first like, third? is really really good. it like idk takes the very real trans fears of like discovery and passing and all that and fictionalizes them a bit. but like its still grounded and swag. sooo tense once The Reveal happens n things w steph are pretty normal it gets kinda meandering? which i dont really mind bc i love interpersonal drama even if i miss how tense and scary it was. but also theres only like two major plot threads going on rn and theyre both pretty slowburn. a timeskip would probably benefit tbh like the point rn is kinda like. the 7 year meteor? yeah sorry

like it used to be sort of psychological thriller? and now its sort of more character focus and also surprisingly fluffy.. im surprised that the author has said they have a complete outline bc it doesnt feel very focused atm? but also like i suppose things are snowballing a bit re: revealing the sisters to the outside world

an unauthorized fan treatise by lauren james: a fangirl trying to prove her rpf ship is real uncovers a greater conspiracy. to me if something is able to capture a specific age/vibe from the internet its automatically pretty good. however more and more people are learning how to do that so maybe i should change my standards... i was never involved in All That re: rpf or even fandoms of live action shows until kamen rider? but like i definitely knew people in hs that were sort of like this LMFAO so it felt very familiar. i appreciate the author trying to make that $$ but i dont know if it really needs an expansion/sequel.. the ending is better off with some ambiguity imo

impossible us by sarah lotz: literary romance? a man and a woman fall in love online, but encounter difficulties when they try to meet. ok im just pasting my thoughts here again (spoilers btw):

ok that was a lot of stuff. onto movies/tv:

xo kitty: kitty goes to a school to connect with her online boyfriend, but all is not well. yall this was not good. i guess my standards shouldnt have been that high but to all the boys ive loved before was so cute!! (havent watched/read the others). but like.. the writing was bad and the main actress just wasnt very sympathetic or charming? characters waste time saying "i can explain" until time runs out for them to actually explain, additional (and nonsensical) romance plots are added for no reason, and the male lead isnt even that hot. sorry. also kitty deciding to move to korea to connect with her mom but not bothering to learn a speck of korean and insisting that everyone else speak to her in english really sucks honestly. not even my mom liked it so thats how you know its bad 👎

succession season 1: yesss succession. greg is my favorite cant wait to see him become evil. makes me stressed

shin kamen rider (hideaki anno): reboot of the first kamen rider by the guy who made evangelion. this guy kinda makes the same thing over and over but it looked sick as hell so i wasnt complaining. like stella obstinaterixatrix said, kinda more introspective or even insular to the point of kinda ignoring the usual kr theme of justice but it was still very fun :3 kinda want to watch the original now

ready player one (movie): my parents made me watch this movie. aggressively mediocre.

kamen rider revice and live and evil and demons: pretty fun if you have the disease that makes you think revice is good, but mostly made me miss revice. i think they should have gone more into the clone thing but i always think that so

kamen rider juuga vs kamen rider olteca: two-parter special for kr revice. i forgot what happened in this pretty much immediately after but karizaki was hot

roman holiday: a princess touring in rome escapes her duties for a day, and meets a dashing young reporter. classic romance!! i actually liked this so so much like it actually is very romantic and funny and like deserves the hype. didnt expect it to be in black and white even so audrey hepburn is really hot. (spoilers) more romances should have bittersweet endings though like it hit

kamen rider ryuki: a young man is inducted into a battle royale between those fighting for their deepest wishes, and decides to try and stop the rider battle once and for all. hey guys ryuki is so fucking good for those who have watched madoka magica a lot of it is very heavily based off of/inspired by ryuki! but ryuki does it better. pretty much The kamen rider has so much to say about justice and love and what it means to be a hero and sacrifice and *runs out of air and falls over* also it made me cry. if you ever try kamen rider try this one <3

EDIT OH i forgot about across the spiderverse 100/10 obviously groundbreaking in animation nice take on generational trauma and also like the nature of adaptation and being in a multimedia comics franchise and all that. really hope the sequel doesnt get crunched too bad. oh but copaganda not great 99/10

video games:

twisted wonderland: gacha game where random disney villains are bishie high schoolers instead. ill play chapter 3 sometime soon i swear. gameplay is terrible as with most gacha games but the characters are cute? i feel terrible guilt for being involved with a disney franchise. honestly pretty compelling character writing sometimes though sorry

apico: stardew-like about raising bees (in beta). sooooo cute and the devs obv care about bees a lot in real life. the gameplay loop + breeding systems are a little bit punishing right now though i really hope it gets adjusted. took over my life during finals (woops) and i got like half the bees and then burnt out. multiplayer is fun though!

legend of zelda tears of the kingdom: the next zelda game, now featuring building + vertical elements. yeah this took over my life for two months like it did for a bunch of other people i finished the main story a couple days ago! i might go back to do a couple more of the shrine puzzles, but other than that i think im done. LOVE the vertical elements and also all the little sidequests there are to do and how the world has changed since botw. dragons tears was really good and OMG PROVING GROUNDS. would be a 10/10 if zelda was the protag stop damseling her you guys cmon

paper mario origami king: newest paper mario game, which is a spinoff of the main series where theyre all paper (duh). im about halfway through this, i think? tried it out because of the dunkey video lol and also bc it was free at my library. very charming and inventive, has a really good soundtrack and really funny writing! i know the gameplay was controversial, but im enjoying it a lot (and theres a lot of room for error). might 100% it

it feels like this month i tried a lot of things that i didnt really like LMAO. also a lot of romance. im very happy about finally finishing the goldfinch! the only holdout on my libby is slaughterhouse 5 :P i did find some things that i really liked though! anyways this one feels a bit more scattered but if you got to the ending, congratulations! thanks for reading :3

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flightfoot · 4 years

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Apollo’s Redemption Arc

Apollo was never “evil” per se within the books, not really being actively malicious during the course of the story. He did some stuff that COULD have given him the villain slot (What he did to the Cumaen Sibyl, to Harpocrates, and to Coronis most specifically) but those terrible, malicious actions that led to IMMENSE suffering were only introduced via flashback, and not in great detail. Before that, his worse actions were only referenced vaguely, like him talking about sending heroes to die on quests and not caring, and other things were toned down, like the flaying of Marsyas which supposedly didn’t happen the way it’s portrayed in myths, so it’s up in the air how bad that actually was.

The jarring change in Tyrant’s Tomb came from seeing his more actively malicious actions instead of aggressively uncaring actions and attitude of previous books. During The Hidden Oracle, The Dark Prophecy, and The Burning Maze we learned how he used to watch demigod battles on TV as entertainment, not caring about the suffering they went through. Not to mention how he didn’t care much about Commodus beating his cupbearer for spilling a drink beyond some vague pity and think it was distasteful. He’s mostly chastised for being a bystander during these first three books. The great harm he’s caused more actively was only really emphasized in the fourth book, after he’s already turned around enough that he’s not really considered the same person anymore, something that’s accentuated in the text by Reyna and Meg during the confrontation with Harpocrates.

It appears to be an effort to strike a balance; making sure the reader doesn’t forget Apollo’s screwed up and needs to change, but also never wanting him to come across as a true villain. So in early installments when he’s first starting his redemption and is still a bit of an arrogant prick at times, it just portrays him as being MORE of an arrogant prick at first, along with being uncaring. In later installments once he’s changed and any vestiges of his jerkishness have been swept away, Rick’s able to delve into how bad he’s been in the past. We’re already invested enough in Apollo to not only want him to be redeemed, but to already have seen his growth, to have already gone through a lot of it. It takes a lot of the sting out of his horrific actions in the past.

Redemption arcs need something to use to redeem a character, something that makes them realize they need to change and provide ongoing motivation for such a strenuous task, beyond just stopping doing bad stuff. Because just not doing evil things anymore ain’t a redemption; that guy who killed Katara’s mother in Avatar: The Last Airbender wasn’t redeemed just because he retired. It takes changing as a person. Often doing some specific redemptive action is also required to sort of ‘solidify’ the character change, to demonstrate that the change isn’t just in their words, that it’s a change that will stick, as well as to bring the audience and those who the character hurt or who were wary of them because of their past, onto their side. Even if the character knows they’ve changed, it’s not like anyone else can see into their heart; they can only judge by what they observe.

One thing that’s needed here is relatability; can we put ourselves in that character’s shoes and see and understand how they view the world? If a reader can do that, can understand that thought process, the redemption arc will be far more likely to work; it might even be required for a truly great one.

A lot of Apollo’s actions that require a redemption arc (sending demigods off on frivolous, dangerous quests as errands, standing by while people are slaughtered, enacting petty punishments on people who really don’t deserve it, for instance) are written in such a way that the reader could reasonably understand his mindset, though it’d vary by reader obviously, as personal experience and mindset play a large role here. It helps that for a lot of Apollo’s actions we’re inside his head, we know what he was thinking, even if we don’t know the full story of how he developed into thinking that way. With him starting off thinking of demigods and mortals as expendable, we get to thoroughly understand that aspect before changing it. Others are more mixed, like with seeing his thought process concerning the Cumaen Sibyl and her curse. He helpfully explains a piece of his thought process, namely about hoping to find the one true romance that would wash away his past failures, and then how he started hating her when denied what he wanted, and couldn’t understand that her love wasn’t transactional, wasn’t to be bought.

Come to think of it, he may have had that viewpoint because as a god, he had a lot of capital to trade. Power, wealth, longevity, all sorts of extremely valuable things he could use to ‘buy’ what he wanted. So the idea of being able to obtain love, peace, and fulfillment that way was tantalizing - especially since it wasn’t something he could obtain that way from most of the other gods. He was fortunate enough to have his sister and mother at least, so he DID have some good, healthy relationships, but that didn’t provide immunity from that mindset.

Being thrown down to Earth, being among mortals as one of them, changed everything.

Having good role models helped.

Even way back in THO, Apollo’s touched, nearly driven to tears at his children’s desire to protect him, at their love and care for him. He doesn’t expect it since he can’t provide them anything special.

And it’s not like it ends with them.

TDP: Jo and Emmie’s kindness towards others, their acceptance of those in need, their desire to help even people like himself and Lit, touches him deeply.

TBM: Jason sees worth in him, SAW worth in him, even back in Blood of Olympus, first time seeing him. Even then he risked his father’s wrath to try to get him to go easy on Apollo, because he thought it was the right thing to do. And ultimately he was willing to die in part to save Apollo.

TTT: The camp just accepts him in, weary though they are. Frank in particular expresses concern for him, that he wouldn’t want to live in a world without Apollo.

TON: Any sort of kindness towards him drives Apollo nearly (or actually) to tears (granted this isn’t exactly new). The Jackson’s/Blofis’s willingness to shelter him and Meg despite the danger, treating it as a natural sort of thing that they couldn’t possibly NOT do, Will having gotten clothes for him on the off-chance, on the hope he’d be back and wanting him to have his own stuff - the casual kindness and compassion just continues to drive home to him that THIS is how people should be - including himself.

While Apollo was shown the negative effects of his previous terrible actions, shown why he needed to change, it wasn’t just left at that. Throughout the entire series, he saw, he experienced what being better would actually look like. He wasn’t just torn down, but also built up again at the same time, this time with a healthier view of the world.

That’s one of the things that really stood out to me with Apollo’s redemption arc in particular; while he faces the consequences of his previous terrible actions and mindset, even having them thrown back at him at times, experiencing them from the other side (hello Britomartis); he isn’t treated cruelly by the people around him… pretty much ever. People are temporarily mad at him, but not for more than like, an hour, and they usually come around pretty quickly. (Not counting the people he wronged REALLY badly in ancient times, talking more about current demigods). It doesn’t feel like a redemption arc based around punishing Apollo, but one around changing him.

It’s especially fitting since this whole thing was *supposed* to be a punishment from Zeus, but ended up being far more than that.

I think Apollo put it well here, near the end of TON.

To be honest, though, I could no longer consider my time on Earth a punishment. Terrible, tragic, nearly impossible… yes. But calling it a punishment gave Zeus too much credit. It had been a journey - an important one I made for myself, with the help of my friends. I hoped… I believed that the grief and pain had shaped me into a better person. I had forged a more perfect Lester from the dregs of Apollo. I would not trade those experiences for anything. (TON 373)

#trials of apollo #ton spoilers #toa analysis #the trials of apollo #lester papadopoulos #tower of nero #the tower of nero #apollo #my analysis

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winryofresembool · 3 years

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Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 36

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: New Year’s Eve

A/N: Oops, I'm late again. But this is the longest chapter so far (over 6k words) so I hope you can forgive me for that!

This chapter finally brings back some friends we haven't seen in a while and introduces a couple of new ones too. I'm not gonna lie, having read ToA just once about a year ago, my characterization is probably very off so my apologies for that!

Now, hope you guys enjoy this mega chapter! Please let me know what you think! It's suuper important.

Words: 6,2k

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / AO3

…

After the boxing day Leo and Calypso returned back to their flat and the ‘normal’ life. Calypso already started remembering the downsides of working at a flower shop as it was a surprisingly busy time of the year with the wealthy people of that area wanting some flowers for their New Year celebrations. She and her boss Demi were the only two running the shop between the holidays while the second assistant was on a break. The older woman promised Calypso a day off for New Year’s eve, though, claiming that young people like her should be having fun that day instead of working. She graciously accepted the offer even though she didn’t have any plans for that day; after the eventful Christmas she kind of just wanted to stay at the flat with Leo.

But as it happened, Hazel texted her the day before the eve that she was having a small ‘gathering’ with a few friends and since Calypso hadn’t seen her for several weeks due to the work and a break from the art classes, she told Hazel that she would come. When she had asked Leo how he would feel about it, he had offered to go with her. Usually he would have spent the New Year Eve at Jason and Piper’s annual party but it was not happening this year due to their complicated situation. The flatmates had still decided to not tell Hazel or Frank about their own, developed situation, because they hadn’t even told Leo’s parents yet.

“So what is this Hazel like?” Leo asked Calypso as they were getting prepared for the evening out. “She doesn’t mind a stranger coming to her party, right?”

Calypso almost missed his question because of Leo’s current state of shirtlessness. A moment earlier he had wanted to know if she thought he should wear a light red or a white shirt to the party and hadn’t bothered to put either of them on yet. Not that she minded. No, her boyfriend definitely was not a bad sight with his tan, strong body, a quiet voice in her head said. “Oh no, she doesn’t mind,” Calypso finally remembered to answer. “I think she was even happy to hear you are coming with me. Besides, you have met Frank before, so technically you are not a complete stranger.”

“Are those two dating?” Leo asked.

“No, they are not. Not officially, at least. Hazel likes him but due to various reasons they have decided they shouldn’t rush it. Sounds kind of familiar to me.” Calypso looked at him significantly.

“It does? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leo raised his eyebrows, and Calypso nudged him on the arm playfully.

“Anyway, Hazel is great. She is the kind of person who seems really sweet on the surface but she would probably kick your behind if needed. She’s also kind of mysterious when it comes to her own story but I feel I can trust her. I may have even accidentally slipped her once that my flatmate is kind of neat.” She smiled at him shyly.

“Oh? So you’ve talked about me to her.” Leo grinned in response. “Hope you remembered to mention my good looks and quick wit…”

“Yep, and your modesty,” Calypso shook her head. “Seriously speaking, though, I find her very inspiring. Despite everything she’s been through, she’s thriving to do the things she enjoys, and she’s an incredible artist. Better than I, for sure.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I like your art.”

Calypso was happy and slightly flustered about Leo’s compliment but she wanted to explain herself. “I’m not selling myself short; I am just telling the truth. She really is that great.”

Leo raised his hand. “Alright, I believe you.”

“Good. Uh, hey, how should I wear my hair for the party?” Calypso asked as she stepped in front of a hallway mirror, taking some hairpins into her hands.

“I… I like it the way it is?” Leo looked at her with slight disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe that she didn’t like her current hairdo.

“Thanks… I don’t know. I could leave it mostly free but maybe I’ll add some waves.” Calypso wasn’t quite sure why she cared so much how she looked because that wasn’t like her, but she figured it might have had something to do with her being nervous about meeting new people at the party. Hazel and Frank were probably the only ones she knew there, after all. Her paying attention to her looks definitely didn’t have anything to do with the fact that she liked it when Leo gave her that special look that he reserved only for her.

“Sunshine, just so you know, you are the kind of person who will always stand out no matter what you wear. Me? Well, you could perform your magic on me but I’d still look like Santa’s elf.”

Calypso couldn’t believe that her boyfriend clearly had no idea of the effect he had had on her only a moment earlier (and still had). “Leo, don’t let this get to your head but I think there's a certain charm in your elf ears.” She took one of his earlobes between her fingers and tugged it gently.

Leo’s eyes brightened at her comment.

“If that’s what you think, then screw what anyone else says.”

“That’s the spirit,” Calypso approved, letting go of his ear and almost leaning close enough to give him a cheek kiss, but then she withdrew quickly. Leo looked quite disappointed. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked teasingly.

“I thought that you were going to kiss me,” Leo replied honestly.

“I’ve heard that there’s a habit that you kiss your partner at midnight on New Year’s. It’s not midnight yet, is it?” Calypso blinked innocently.

“No, but…” Leo couldn’t come up with any arguments to Calypso’s statement so he didn’t finish his sentence.

“Sometimes good things are worth waiting for,” Calypso finished with a smile and withdrew into her room to change her clothes. While doing that, she admitted to herself that this phase where everything was so new was pretty exciting.

…

A little bit later Calypso was dressed up in a dark blue short dress, tying the bracelet she had gotten on Christmas around her wrist when Leo got out of his room. He had switched his usual mechanic’s overalls to a white collarless shirt, suspenders, and pinstripe pants. Calypso had a feeling that he would have also put his tool belt on if that had been socially acceptable. To her surprise, he seemed to have even tried to flatten his curly hair a little, although it hadn’t quite worked out.

“Wow, look at you. The only thing you’re missing right now is a hat,” she noted, ruffling his hair a little. What she actually meant was that she thought he actually looked very nice in his current clothes. It was quite different from what she was used to seeing on him – even at school Leo usually wore a casual t-shirt or a hoodie and worn jeans – but she didn’t mind either look. Leo frowned at her, though.

“Don’t look so concerned,” Calypso continued with amusement. “I just meant that you kind of remind me of some film stars of the past. I just can’t get my finger on who. It’s a compliment, though.”

Leo’s frown disappeared. “Alright, thanks.” Then he took a second look at her and his eyes got that funny gleam he always got when he was about to say something embarrassing. “Woah, Sunshine. I’m suspecting that you are made of copper and tellurium.”

“And why’s that, mister chemistry nerd?” she asked, although she could pretty much guess his answer.

“Because you’re CuTe.”

Calypso shook her head in disbelief, but couldn’t hide her smile. “Really, Leonidas? Out of all the cheesy pick up lines in the world you chose that one?”

“Nothing wrong with chemistry puns, mi sol,” Leo claimed. “But I do think that you, um, clean up nicely.”

“As do you,” Calypso admitted, feeling the warmth gathering to her cheeks. “But we should probably get going now before we melt each other with these compliments. It’s getting pretty late already,” she noted when she checked the clock of her phone before dropping it back into her purse.

“Okay, I’m as ready as I can be,” Leo replied and tugged a strand of Calypso’s hair gently before picking his keys and heading to the door after her.

…

Frank and Hazel lived on a different campus than Leo and Calypso so it took them a while to find it. The party was organized in Frank’s flat because it was bigger than Hazel’s. The latter had explained that Frank had applied for a two-room flat because he had several pets (who would however be spending their New Year at Frank’s granny) and he was lucky enough to be able to afford it due to his work and because he had inherited his mother.

“I’m not sure what I was expecting but not this,” Calypso told Leo when she noticed a cat tree and a big pile of toys for both cats and dogs in one corner of the house. “For some reason I pictured him having a gym or something in one of his rooms.”

“I guess never judge a book by its cover,” they heard a voice behind them say. Calypso felt heat rise on her face as she realized the speaker was Hazel.

“H-hi, Hazel!” Calypso stuttered. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Hazel waved her hand when she noticed Calypso’s expression. “I can see why you would imagine that.”

“Well, I shouldn’t have assumed anything either way,” Calypso muttered. “What about you, though? What is your place like? I really should visit you some time.”

“Way smaller and I have a couple of flatmates there. But to be honest? I like it that way. My father tried to buy me a new apartment several times but something always happened to those places, like they were cursed or something. One burned, one had some water damage, one was full of bugs… But I was able to get my current place because I do some odd jobs for a neighbor. So far nothing weird has happened.”

“Not that it’s any of my business, but didn’t you once tell me that your father doesn’t contact you all too often? Yet he was going to buy you an entire apartment? Calypso asked, confused.

“I think it’s because he’s proud as hell,” Hazel shrugged. “His cousin or something - a president at your uni, I think - bought his son an entire house in a nice area, and my father just couldn’t let him flex about it. Well, his plan didn’t quite work out as I just told you.”

“Wait, the son of our uni’s president… then do you happen to know Jason Grace?” Calypso asked, connecting the dots in her head.

“Yes, I do,” Hazel answered. “A distant cousin. We lived in San Francisco at the same time for a little while until he moved away. And now we’re somehow both here. Small world.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Jason is Leo’s good friend. And this is Leo, by the way,” Calypso introduced, feeling weirdly happy about being able to introduce him to her friend, even if they were still keeping their relationship status a secret.

However, soon Calypso noticed that Hazel took Leo’s appearance in for a moment longer than was necessary and she couldn’t help but feel just a little bit uneasy even though she knew that she didn’t actually have a reason for that. Leo was dating her, and Hazel seemed very interested in Frank. But there was something unusual about her stare, and she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Hello, Leo.” Hazel seemed to return back to her regular self as she shook his hand, although the color of her cheeks might have been a tiny bit darker than a moment ago. “I’m Hazel. Calypso never stops talking about you at our art classes. I’m not entirely sure if it’s extremely adorable or a little annoying.”

“What?” Leo turned towards her and she couldn’t stop herself from blushing. “Cal, I didn’t know that you are constantly talking about me behind my back! Hope they have been good things, at least.” “Don’t worry, they’ve been nothing but good things,” Hazel reassured him, glancing at Calypso mischievously.

While Hazel’s teasing reassured Calypso that she had simply imagined her interest in Leo, they were getting dangerously close to the relationship topic, so she tried to change the course of the conversation. “Hazel, you didn’t have to tell him that! Now he won’t stop boasting for the next two weeks,” she said exaggeratedly even though in reality she was secretly kind of happy that Leo heard about her compliments.

“Sorry, Caly,” Hazel grinned at her, not looking particularly sorry. Then she leaned closer to her, whispering. “Just a little help from a friend. I thought you were going to get together during your vacation!”

“Th-thanks, but that really isn’t necessary,” Calypso whispered back, hoping that her acting was good enough to convince Hazel that she and Leo hadn’t made any progress yet. To her relief, her friend got distracted when a guy who was at least a head, maybe even more, taller than Hazel, with dark, short hair appeared next to her.

“There you are,” the guy said. “Nico was wondering if…” When he realized they had company, he gave them a polite smile.

“Oh, hi! Nice to see you guys!”

“You both have met Frank before, right?” Hazel asked.

“Yep,” Leo confirmed. “Frank thought I was a bad dog owner, but quite frankly, that was an understandable mistake.”

“How is your dog doing now?” Frank wanted to know. “Hope he’s good?”

“Never better! He enjoyed following Calypso everywhere while we were at Waystation over Christmas,” Leo replied happily.

“So are you two…?” Frank turned his head between Calypso and Leo. Calypso couldn’t help but wonder how many times they would still be asked that question that evening.

“No, no, no,” Leo denied. “That’s crazy talk. Right Cal? She just came with me because it was a better option than spending the holidays alone in our flat.” Calypso nodded along even though she didn’t like that they had to lie to their friends. But it was her who had made the decision to not tell them.

“Yeah. We’re just flatmates,” she confirmed.

Luckily, Frank didn’t ask more. Again, Calypso noticed that Hazel was staring at Leo with that mysterious expression on her face and she was already going to ask if something was wrong when Hazel addressed Leo:

“Have we… Have we met before? I mean, before tonight? You look so familiar to me but you can’t be…” She frowned.

“I don’t think so?” Leo seemed a bit confused. “Not that I remember, at least.”

“Oh… alright. I guess you just really look like someone I used to know. You haven’t ever lived in New Orleans, have you?”

“No, I haven’t,” Leo shook his head. “I’m originally from Texas. And yeah, I’ve also lived in a few other states for short periods of time when I was moving from a foster home to foster home but never in Louisiana.”

“Alright, sorry for bothering you about that,” Hazel said.

“It’s OK. Now that I think of it, though… I did have some distant relatives in that area, but I haven’t seen those people since I was a baby.”

“Really? What’s their last name?” Hazel seemed to get more interested again.

“Valdez, like mine. I think the mom of the boy who was around my age was my mom’s cousin or something like that. Why? Do you know them?”

“Yeah… Possibly… The boy’s name is Sammy Valdez. Does that sound familiar?”

“Hmmm…” Leo stopped to think about it. “Maybe. The boy’s name did start with S. I’ve seen pictures of me playing with another kid who looked a lot like me in our relatives’ yard but I think I literally met him just once. I was like one back then.”

Hazel seemed a little bit disappointed by Leo’s answer. “Alright. Sorry, it’s just that Sammy used to be my only real friend until I moved away from there and I was just wondering if you knew anything about how he’s doing now. I guess you don’t.”

“No, can’t say I do. My fam… well, they weren’t particularly accepting of me after what happened to my mom…” Leo said bitterly. “One of my aunts spread some sick lies… So, yeah, I moved to a foster home and haven’t seen any of my relatives since then.”

“I understand…” Hazel said sympathetically. Calypso imagined that Leo must have been grateful that Hazel didn’t question him more about what had happened. “Sorry, this is not a good topic to talk about at a party. My curiosity just got the best of me, that’s all.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Leo waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s just move on.”

“I agree. Frank, were you going to say something about Nico before you got interrupted?” Hazel turned to him.

“Oh yeah,” Frank remembered. “Nico wanted to know if it’s OK that Will comes here a bit later. He’s working today, apparently.”

“No problem,” Hazel replied. “We may not have a lot of food and drinks left by that point, though, but he’s gonna have to deal with that.”

“Nico? Not Nico di Angelo, by any chance?” Leo joined the conversation.

“Yep, that’s him. He’s my half brother. I know, we look nothing alike,” Hazel commented when she noticed Leo’s expression.

“No, I was just surprised that you know him and Jason too… Soon you’ll probably tell us you know Percy Jackson too.”

“I’ve heard stories of him from the others,” Hazel chuckled. “But no, haven’t met him personally, at least yet.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you met him some time soon,” Leo predicted.

Calypso felt she had already been quiet uncomfortably long, just listening to Leo and Hazel talk and trying to figure out what to make of it. She couldn’t deny that she had felt a bit jealous at first but when she had learned that Hazel had only seemed that interested in him because he had looked like an old friend of hers, she had relaxed somewhat. Maybe the trust issues were a result of many failed relationships, if she could call them that given that most of them hadn’t lasted too long. Cursing herself for her unnecessary thoughts, she asked:

“So, is there anyone else I know here besides Nico?”

“I invited Rachel from our art classes too,” Hazel answered. “You remember her, right? She said she was really happy to spend the New Year’s Eve in any place that isn’t his father’s penthouse.”

Calypso remembered Rachel as a really enthusiastic and unique artist. She herself tended to try to make her art look a bit more simplistic while you really had to stop and look at Rachel’s art to be able to see its many dimensions.

“Yep, I remember her,” Calypso responded. “I’ve often thought about talking to her but there’s something a bit… intimidating about her, like she knows something about me that even I don’t know…” “She’s fine, though, when you learn to know her,” Hazel reassured her.

“That’s nice to know. If I see her, I’ll say hi.”

“Good,” Hazel nodded.

“Hey, Sunshine,” Leo nudged her on the arm. “I’m getting hungry. Maybe we should go and get something to eat.”

“Somehow he is already hungry even though he ate at home before we left,” Calypso said in disbelief. “How’s that even possible, Repair Boy?” Then she realized how the nicknames may have sounded to the others’ ears so she hurried to add: “Um, sorry, we’re used to using nicknames at our flat. With everyone. I’m Sunshine, Jason is a Lightning Boy and so on. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure he won’t eat everything!”

“It’s OK, there’s plenty for everyone. Also, if you plan to dance at some point tonight, watch out for my pink haired friend Lavinia. She is a little bit eager about tap dancing.”

“I don’t think we are gonna dance…” Calypso cursed herself for blushing like a teenager when she pictured herself going for a slow dance with Leo, standing as close to him as possible. “…But thanks for the warning.” Then she waved at the hosts quickly and started dragging Leo out of the room.

“Well? What do you think of my friends?” Calypso whispered when they were picking some nachos on their plates and no one was in the hearing distance.

“Hazel seems cool,” Leo replied nonchalantly. “But you really think I pay attention to anyone else when I have my amazing girlfriend next to me?”

“You’re so cheesy, Leo,” Calypso said but gave him her brightest smile. She might have also kissed him if it weren’t for the other people nearby and the fact that she was carrying a plate full of food.

“Part of my charm, babe,” Leo claimed, giving her that stupid grin that never failed to make her feel things. He sat down on an unoccupied chair near the table and started enjoying his nachos. “Hey, these are really good! You gotta try them.”

“Babe? I thought we already had our nickname discussion,” Calypso interrupted him. She sat down next to him but didn’t taste her nachos yet, instead expecting his answer.

“But it’s better than Mamacita, isn’t it?” Leo asked innocently.

Calypso couldn’t argue with that logic. “Well, yes, it is, but… maybe you should stick to Sunshine. Or just Cal. I’m not… huge on pet names. I’m just not used to them.”

Thankfully Leo seemed to understand. “Alright. I won’t call you a babe, then. My mom just used to say ‘a dear child has many names’ and it seems that has stuck with me. I think she meant that we have a tendency to give nicknames to those we care about. Maybe that’s the reason why I sometimes go a bit extra with the names I give you guys… especially you.”

“Oh. I see.”

There was something weirdly sweet about Leo’s reasoning behind his nicknames and Calypso couldn’t help but smile down at her food. She didn’t realize she had been lost in her thoughts for a moment until Leo said:

“Earth’s calling Calypso. Try this,” Leo handed her a nacho that had some sauce she wasn’t familiar with on it.

“Chili?” she asked when she tasted it and felt a slight sting on her tongue. It wasn’t a bad sensation, though; this sauce was notably milder than the one Leo had once fed her. “You really find ways to make me eat it.”

“Admit it: you liked it.”

Calypso was feeling a little brave because they were somehow still alone in the room: “Make me.”

Leo was about to lean closer to her when someone entered the room without a warning.

“Uh… Hi!” Nico di Angelo finally reacted to their presence when Calypso and Leo jumped a bit farther from each other.

“Hi, Nico,” Leo greeted him. “I wasn’t expecting to see anyone I know here but it looks like I was wrong.”

“Seems so,” Nico replied, not in a mood for small talk.

“So how is it going?” Leo asked. “And how’s Will?”

“It’s going,” Nico shrugged, combing some of his long bangs to the side with his fingers. “Been trying to take it easy lately. Doctor’s orders. Will works as an intern at a hospital and turns out they really needed his help on New Year’s Eve so he’s not here yet. Something about lots of fireworks related accidents and so on…”

“Fireworks suck,” Leo commented, and Calypso noticed an angry spark in his eyes. “They feel like such a waste of money and they cause people to lose their eyes and such.”

Calypso wondered if Leo’s hatred towards the fireworks had something to do with the fact that fire was involved but she decided to ask about it later.

“Tell me about it,” Nico agreed. “Anyway, how do you two know Hazel and Frank?”

Calypso briefly explained how she had met Hazel at the art class and Leo told Nico about Festus’ vet visit.

“Somehow Hazel even knows my second cousin from Louisiana. How crazy is that?” Leo marveled.

“Pretty crazy, yeah,” Nico admitted, not contributing more to the topic so Leo decided to ask about something else.

“You haven’t happened to hear anything about Jason or Piper lately? I accidentally ran into Piper at Christmas and she seemed to be doing OK then, but… I’m still a bit worried about them.”

“I don’t really know much.” Nico replied vaguely. “Just that Jason hasn’t been home much lately. He’s always training, or with Percy and Annabeth or… I dunno. Just avoiding dealing with the situation. Or that’s at least how Will has interpreted his behavior. He’s way better at reading others than I am.”

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. “If only those two talked it out, said what they really thought…”

Calypso couldn’t help but see the amusing side of Leo’s statement. She started chuckling at him and both Leo and Nico gave her perplexed looks.

“What’s so funny about this? I was trying to be serious, Cal.” He narrowed his eyes, folding his arms over his chest.

That only made Calypso even more amused. “I know, I know! I’m sorry. It’s just that… don’t you think that’s a little bit ironic coming from your mouth?”

“From my mouth…?”

Nico still looked like he understood nothing about what was going on, but Leo had at least a tendency to blush when he realized that Calypso was right.

“Oh, this is totally different!” he claimed. “I, um, have my reasons to keep my mouth shut in certain situations. But those two… they’re just being weird.”

“I’m not even trying to follow this conversation anymore,” Nico stated, going to gather some chips and a beer from the food table. “Will would probably be able to translate Leo’s incoherent speech but he’s not here so I’m just gonna eat quietly now.”

Leo gave him an annoyed look and focused on his own food for a while. Once finished, he told Calypso that he wanted to see where the rest of the guests were. Calypso, relieved that Nico hadn’t apparently connected the dots about their relationship, agreed to follow him, but soon she realized that it might have been a mistake when Leo was walking towards the dancing area.

Being on the dance floor usually meant that you were expected to dance.

And she was not ready to dance. At all.

First of all, she hadn’t danced in years and while Calypso usually wasn’t too self conscious about those kinds of things, she still didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of Leo and the others. Second of all, she was quite sure that people would speculate - again - if they saw her dancing with Leo and she didn’t want that. She may have told Hazel about her crush some time ago and she did trust her, but who knew what kind of connections the other people in the room had?

Suddenly she realized that she was being paranoid. The people at this party were in their late teens or early twenties and probably had never even heard of her father. And why would they care if she was dancing with him? That was a normal thing to do at parties. It didn’t automatically have to mean anything.

There were already a lot of people gathered on the dance floor when the roommates arrived there. A few were dancing a bit farther from the rest of the group, while the others were watching a pink haired girl with real tap dance shoes on showing her skills. She must have been Lavinia, Calypso concluded. And based on her determined look, she seemed ready to challenge anyone who dared to pass by into a dance battle.

“Lavi!” Hazel’s voice came from behind Calypso. “Are you showing off again?”

The group that was standing in front of Lavinia moved from her way, and Calypso got a better look at her. Her shoulder length hair was flying freely and she was wearing a purple T-shirt and black pants to go with her shoes. Calypso also noticed that even though she had stopped dancing, one of her feet still kept tapping quietly on the floor, as if she was unable to stand still.

“Sorry, Hazel. Couldn’t help myself,” Lavinia muttered, and Hazel’s expression softened a bit. Calypso was still surprised to see this side of her because usually she seemed very kind, but clearly she still had authority even over people who were way bigger and older than her whenever it was needed.

“It’s OK! But try to let the others dance too, and not just tap dance.”

“Alright,” Lavinia answered but rolled her eyes when Hazel didn’t look. Calypso could hear her whisper to the closest people: “She just doesn’t understand the art of tap dance.”

Soon after that, the people in the room started dividing into smaller groups, some trying to chat over the loud music, some dancing. Calypso and Leo tried to spot some familiar faces but Hazel had already disappeared somewhere and Frank, Nico and Rachel weren't nearby either. Just when Leo opened his mouth to ask something, Calypso noticed that Lavinia, who had stopped dancing, was approaching them.

“Hi. We haven’t met before,” Lavinia started.

“Yeah, hi. I’m Calypso. Hazel’s friend from the art classes.” She shook Lavinia’s hand and then turned towards Leo. “This is my b… flatmate Leo. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Lavinia Asimov. Hazel and I used to go to the same school,” Lavinia said, but Calypso couldn’t help but notice that even when she was shaking hands with Leo, she was actually eyeing her.

“That’s cool,” Calypso replied casually although she was starting to feel slightly weird because of the staring.

“So, Calypso, do you know how to dance?” Lavinia asked.

“Not really, I just know some very basics,” she replied. “Haven’t danced in years, to be honest.”

“I could teach you, you know,” Lavinia blurted.

“Really?” Calypso asked, slightly confused by the other girl’s eagerness.

“Sure, why not? I’m pretty good.” Lavinia grinned at her.

“Do you mean now or...?”

“Now or whenever you’d like.” The girl twirled a strand of her pink hair around her finger as she spoke.

It took Calypso a moment to realize that Lavinia was actually trying to flirt with her in her own way.

“Hold on. I’m really flattered, but… I’m already taken.” Calypso rubbed the back of her head. From the corner of her eye she could see Leo’s stance getting more relaxed when he heard her answer. “Sorry. You seem like a cool person, though.”

Lavinia seemed visibly disappointed by Calypso’s response. “Are you taken by him?” She pointed at Leo judgingly. “You could do better than that.”

Calypso wasn’t sure what to answer, given that she wasn’t supposed to reveal their secret to anyone, but to her relief Leo cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Miss Pink? We literally just met; what makes you think you know what kind of person I am? You’re right in one thing, though,” he continued before Lavinia could reply. “Namely, she is way out of my league. And her boyfriend would probably kill me if I looked at her in the wrong way.”

“But… didn’t you just say you two are flatmates?” Lavinia asked suspiciously.

“Oh, yeah,” Leo responded quickly. “Cal’s boyfriend lives far from our uni so it was more convenient for her to get a flat from somewhere nearer to it. He knows he can trust me.”

Calypso wasn’t sure what amused (and scared) her more: the lies Leo came up with or the way he managed to sound that convincing even though he was literally coming up with the story as he spoke. At least Hazel wasn’t listening because she probably wouldn’t have bought it. Eventually Calypso decided she needed to contribute to the story as well.

“Besides, my boyfriend knows that I would kick Leo’s ass if he ever did anything inappropriate.”

Calypso noticed that Leo’s mouth was twitching slightly, but he quickly pulled the poker face back on and rushed to nod along.

“Totally. I wouldn’t wanna try that.”

Lavinia finally seemed convinced enough. “Alright. Well… I think I’ll go and find something to drink now. Dancing makes me thirsty.”

“Okay, we might see you later.” Calypso nodded at her before she disappeared from view. Once they were sure that she was far enough, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Whew, she really seemed convinced we are dating,” she whispered to Leo. “I was worried she wouldn’t believe us. Also, Mister Not-boyfriend, I’ll have you know I do not approve of lying but in this case it was probably for the best. So thanks.”

Leo grinned at her. “You’re welcome. Geez, Sunshine, do you see the effect you have on people? Everyone is falling on your feet.”

Calypso blushed a bit. “It’s a bit weird… I am not used to getting attention.”

“You’ll get used to it once I shower you with the Leo love,” he whispered and Calypso blushed even harder.

“Gods, Leo! Don’t say that here!” Calypso peeked around and was relieved to see that no one they knew was nearby.

“Couldn’t resist,” he claimed but then got more serious. “Uh, so… do you think dancing would be pushing the line that we have set?”

“It probably would,” Calypso said a bit sadly. “Maybe when we’re home, though.” She added quietly.

Leo seemed pleasantly surprised by her answer. “Oh! Okay. I’ll be looking forward to that.”

“Hey, listen,” Calypso spoke again. “Maybe we should split up for a moment. Nico and Frank could probably use your company and I’d like to catch up with Hazel a bit since I haven’t had a chance yet. Is that alright with you?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Leo nodded. “I need to make sure that Nico doesn’t eat all the miniburgers from the bar.”

Calypso chuckled. “Alright. Save some for me too! I've only tasted the nachos so far!”

“I will try,” Leo replied, emphasizing the word try. “Well, see you in a bit!” He waved at her.

Once Leo had disappeared, Calypso started looking for Hazel and found her from the balcony with Rachel and a couple of other friends of hers, watching the fireworks from the distance.

“Hi, you guys,” she greeted. “Looks like nice weather for the fireworks show.”

“Yep, it is,” Hazel agreed. “So… how did your little vacation go?” She went straight to the topic, smiling at Calypso slightly mischievously. “You and Leo seemed pretty chummy over there.”

“Chummy?” Calypso laughed awkwardly. “I don’t even know what that means,” she lied, trying to use the fact that she wasn’t a native English speaker as her advantage. “But the vacation was pretty good. Sure, there were some ups and downs as you can expect when you’re spending the holidays in a new place with people you don’t know very well, but overall? I had a good time.”

“I can almost see with my own eyes what exactly happened there now…” Hazel rolled her eyes. “Come on. Give me some details. Please tell me that some progress has happened.”

“But there really is not much to tell,” Calypso insisted. “I taught Leo’s little sister Georgina some baking and sewing and stuff like that and helped with the Christmas preparations and met some new people… Oh! And Leo’s family has an animal shelter; they had some adorable dogs and cats and…”

Hazel looked less enthusiastic when she realized that Calypso really was not going to tell her any news about her and Leo.

“So… nothing really happened?” she asked.

“No,” Calypso said as convincingly as she could. “Although we did have a good talk one day and I feel that we can be more open towards each other now. But we are not together. It’s not the right time for that yet.”

Hazel tilted her head, still unconvinced. “I heard Lavinia talking about you a moment ago, though. Something about some guy not realizing how lucky he was.”

Calypso started feeling she was reaching the limits of her acting skills, but she tried her best. “I… uh, may have told her that I was taken to make things less awkward. Sorry, I know that was extremely rude of me.”

“No worries,” Hazel reassured her. “I’m sure she’ll get over it quickly. Besides, I happen to know that there’s someone she really really likes and hasn’t just found the courage to ask her out yet.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I hope she manages to do that at some point.”

The girls proceeded to talk about other things, such as Hazel’s vacation, the foster animals of Waystation and their expectations on the upcoming art classes, with Rachel joining the conversation as well. Calypso was just laughing at Rachel’s story about the many uses of a hair brush (she had used one for painting and another for threatening her teacher who had misbehaved towards her) when Nico rushed into the balcony, looking even paler than usual.

“Calypso, I think you should come. Something’s not right with Leo.”

#caleo #leo valdez #calypso #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #trials of apollo #my fics #caleo uni au

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phoebehalliwell · 3 years

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I’m a world where say, Prue and Cole were together and Paige and Leo were together, who would you pair with Phoebe and Piper?

I liked Mark but like would they have been able to save him? And Phoebe didn’t really have a lot of memorable love interests…maybe this would be an excuse to make Coop come in earlier?

I love your blog and your fics! They’re some of my favorites to re-read 💖

‼️‼️‼️‼️ ily 💞💕💞💕💞💕

but okay i think in a world where we go prue/cole paige/leo there’s not so much a need to save mark as he wouldn’t be used as a plot point so much as like just a straight love interest so we wouldn’t go dead man dating we could instead have someone who’s a mom of two young girls or something (because three is too on the nose) and kind of have the sisters have to work through their grief/trauma on that end while also having to save the day and then we could bring mark in on a seperate episode (or have him come in on that episode as like. the girl’s uncle or whatever kind of piper’s point of contact when guiding who i guess would be his sisters spirit like the human person piper talks to who kind of quickly realizes something afoot bc well he’s a smart guy and he and his sister were raised on these stories. so maybe something like that. and then you think it’s a one and done with a brief, fleeting connection but then all of a sudden him comes back in some type of professional capacity Do Not Ask Me How and now it’s like. dude who you don’t like work with but like kind of you do. but he knows you’re a witch. so piper has to devote some time to that because that’s just the woman she is. and then a couple episodes later mark himself is the innocent and it’s like just as he and piper might start getting close you know boom monster demon warlock attack something now his life’s in jeopardy and you know piper saves the day but mark almost died and mark’s like wow this is just kinda like how your life works huh? with demons and monsters and ghosts? and piper’s like haha yep it’s enough to scare about anyone away i think and mark says i’m not scared and they hold eye contact and then it seems like they’re about to kiss but then one of them chickens out because they’re endgame so we’ve got time to kill we have the luxury of making them wait. blah blah blah they’re together by the end of season 1.

OR since this au is a bit of an li swap what with prue/cole and paige/leo i think you know where i’m going with this one piper/kyle. But of course piper and kyle only work like. off a divorce or something something that really gets piper and Peak Cynic and a bit more stone cold because i can’t just drag kyle in in s1 a) he’s a bitch and b) he’s a dick and c) very much Not compatible with early seasons piper who is very trusting and forgiving and believes in second chances. meaning. what do i do? ladies n gentlemen,,,, piper/dan. and we start that season one by just having dan move in next door season one blah blah blah they’re cute they’re sweet they’re married by season 3 they have a daughter and a son (no wyatt and no chris tho bc dan is Not a whitelighter also their daughter would not be the twice blessed as again dan is Not a whitelighter so there’s no dark future thing going) but then in season 5 dan sacrifices himself (oh no 😓!) but then he comes back as a whitelighter (😃) but then like. he can’t be with piper anymore because he’s a whitelighter (😔) (paige and leo still haven’t gone full canon yet because of the rules they keep dancing around their emotions) but at least he’s not dead (🤗) psych he gets killed in season six by a darklighter (😯). teeing us up for piper/kyle s7 onward slowburn here’s the manifesto.

in regards to phoebe i feel like her and coop aren’t really ready yet to be endgame til at least s5 because before that i don’t think phoebe is like ready for undying eternal love like she’s just here for a good time so to keep her busy i think i’d probably flip it and reverse it go dex first in s1 a handsome charming artist a bit dull but who cares whoops pregnancy scare! yikes! kind of separate and don’t really see each other much after that because we’re still working with phoebe’s fear of commitment next up to bat in season two phoebe’s college arc is leslie instead of the kind of rivals to lovers thing they had going on in the workplace instead it is in academia where they are both studying psych and they are in constant competition with one another in fact we can even say this is where we start planting the seeds for advice columnist phoebe where the two of them actually host like a call in advice show on the local college radio and slowly fall in love there. but this all ends when they both graduate and leslie moves away and phoebe’s kind of hurt because that was the first guy she ever could have felt like potentially committing to. next up on the docket would be who jason? i feel we’re not ready for that. who does that leave me? note i am skipping drake in this reverse play because like prue/cole would still be too fresh we can’t do a casual demon romance yet because we’re still leaning in on the drama and fire and danger of a witch/demon romance to pull some shit like phoebe/drake. hmm. we could make up a guy land a pretty solid heartbreak on phoebe just to tee her up all that. because dex she wasn’t that into leslie she was but it was just fate that pulled them apart we need a third one to kinda solidify the fear that love is doomed. and then like in between we will be having one off dates. oh ooh bonus since paige is with leo we can give phoebe married norman reedus. that’s just a fun one. that’s just a fun lil kick in the shins. final guy pre coop to carry us into season for is ummm hmmmmm. miles and he dies. but this time we actually make miles fun and interesting and sexy and really just everything he wasn’t noah fence to the guy. hmm. miles jason dean fusion. shan’t elaborate. but something like that. and then s5 after being burned by love so many times here comes coop. add a couple more love interests as set ups by coop just to drag it out, and then phoop endgame.

#charmed #prue x cole #paige x leo #piper x mark #piper x kyle #phoebe x coop #and uh what the fuck i'll tag #phoebe x leslie #bc i'm really paying them their dues despite them being real lackluster in the show #💌

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jaytoddsdoll · 5 years

Text

A/N: I had this idea a while ago and thought it was pretty cool, I'll try my best!

Pairing: Jason Todd × Reader

Prompt: You have been together with Jason for a while, you both said "I like you" and gone in a couple of dates, you enjoyed each other's company, but all changed when Jason said "I love you", you were scared, saying I like you is one thing but love... That scared the shit out of you, so you distanced yourself from Jason... Will you be able to tell him I love you back? Or will you be too scared of your emotions and back away?

Warnings: swearing and slight smut ( not hardcore don't worry)

Song: Naked- James Arthur

youtube

I'm Standing Here Naked

What the hell am I supposed to do... He said he loves me... But I'm so scared, I've never been in a proper relationship, Jason was the first one...

It's true I've had my flings from time to time with boys, but never anything serious, I liked that, mostly because in those "relationships" I didn't have to open up, I would just enjoy time with them, have sex, and later break it off without having my heart broken.

I thought I would always be from flower to flower without getting attached, and when I was starting to feel something towards the guy (apart from sexual attraction) I would run away and forget about it....

But all of this changed when I met him... Fucking Jason Todd.... He had that bad boy vibe that I liked so much, and how smooth he was as well as well build, damn that body of his...

It started with just casual sex, we met at a bar and decided to have a one night stand, but we found each other again and without knowing it we started dating, I don't know why I didn't get away this time, there was something about him that made me stick close to him...

After nine months dating, one afternoon, we were at his flat, I was outside in his balcony admiring the sunset, it was definitely a beautiful sight, when I felt two arms wrap around my waist and pull me towards a strong chest

"Hey babe" Said Jason giving me a small peck on my neck

I only hummed in response and laid my head on his chest relaxing my whole body against his, turning around slowly and reaching for his face giving him a kiss

"(y/n)..." The kiss started to get more urgent and his hands slide down to the lower part of my back, pressing me harder against him

"I love you..." He said breaking the kiss

It took me a couple of seconds to realize what he said, and as soon as I did my eyes opened wide and I pushed him away from me

"What... Jason I..." " Why would you say that..."

"What do you mean why? I love you (y/n)" " I really do, look you don't have to say it back, do it whenever you are ready..." He said leaving a small kiss on my forehead and going back inside

After that day things started to get bad, I would always try to change the subject when he brought up the matter, and when he would say I love you I would tense up, and after weeks of being like that Jason bursted

"I'm tired (y/n), I'm fucking tired of this shit...(A/N:I just want a relationship so I'm gonna give you a bunch of reasons why you should date me... Ok, sorry lets continue) I know I told you I would wait for you but I don't know how longer I can wait, I want to take the next step but you won't let me..."

"Jay, what next step? We are already dating is not like we are fuck buddies without any romance involved"

"(y/n)... I want you to move in with me to present you as my girlfriend to my family and I meet yours, to level up things, but I can't do that unless I know you want it too, that you love me as much as I love you..."

" Jay I told you I'm not ready...I..."

"You keep saying that all the time!! Whenever I try to talk to you about it you change the subject or get all tense and ignore me... I'm done with that bullshit (y/n)!! I'm giving myself fully to you but I only get a part of you!"

"Jay..."

"No, I'm tired of always trying to know more things about you but you not letting me..."

At this point I was starting to get mad

"Then you shouldn't have said "I love you"!!"

I yelled and Jason looked at me with a surprised look on his face later replaced by an angry scowl

" Not say "I love you", so I'm just supposed to shut my feelings?! "

"No! But you put a pressure on me that I don't like... And I..."

"You know what, whatever (y/n), I'm done, I'm going to give you space to think, I can't keep waiting on you like a lost puppy, I've waited long enough.... Make your fucking decision, because I can't take it, either you finally tell me how you feel about me or we are through... Goodbye (y/n)..."

And just like that he grabbed his keys and left my apartment leaving me there dumbfounded with tears slowly threatening to fall down my cheeks...

Weeks passed and I felt like shit, I couldn't sleep, I kept waking up in the middle of the night searching for that warmth that used to be next to me, holding me, keeping my nightmares and fears away, but there was nothing there, only cold sheets

Was this feeling love? To feel that you can barely take a step knowing that person is not going to be waiting for you at home, that you are going to look at your phone and no longer see a text from him making you smile... Or his touch...

I've tried talking with my best friends Barbara and Cass, to see if they could help me, but that only helped me realize that I was right this... Whatever I'm feeling is love... And I can't help but think that I fucked up... I ignored the only person who made me feel this way, and all because I was scared... Scared of getting hurt, scared of opening up and being judged...

A couple of days after talking with the girls a letter came to my house, my name was written on the envelope in beautiful gold cursive letters, very majestic if you asked me. It was an invitation to the next Bruce Wayne gala, at first I didn't understand, Jason never said anything about me, so why was I invited? Turns out the Bruce Wayne was going to host a gala to raise money for Gotam's hospital, which meant that I would be attending due to the fact that I'm a doctor working in said hospital, the thing is that if Bruce was the host, Jason would be there...

The day of the gala came and I was in the car with Barbara and Cass heading to the Wayne's Mannor, Dick ( Barbara's boyfriend and Jason's brother) was driving us there, and I couldn't help but wish that Jason didn't attend, which was pretty probable due to his dislike towards galas...

An hour in everything seemed to go smoothly, you chatted with some of your colleagues, with your friends and drank some champagne, until you saw him... He was looking breathtaking, he wore a black tuxedo with a red tie, damn he looked so handsome, that's when you found his gaze straight at you, looking you up and down, you were wearing an esmerald dress with no strips

It looked like he was going to approach you but stopped and turned around leaving the room

You tried following him, you know what to do, and you wanted you boyfriend back, you had fucked up so much already, you needed him

You couldn't find him, it was like if earth had swallowed him, just then the scenario lighted up and Bruce appeared

"Thank you everyone for coming, I would like to inform that thanks to your cooperation a big amount of money is being raised, and for that I thank you again... Now I would like to present my son Jason Todd, who has an important message for a special someone"

The lights went a bit down and Jason stepped on the stage, thanking Bruce and getting the microphone from him, and a melody started playing...

🎵Hey, you there

Can we take it to the next level, baby, do you dare?

He looked directly at me and the crowd in front of me made place for me to walk closer, but I was shocked and couldn't move, until someone pushed me *ahem* Barbara *ahem* making me stand in the front row

Don't be scared

'Cause if you can say the words, I don't know why I should care

I dropped my head down

'Cause here I am, I'm givin' all I can

But all you ever do is mess it up

Yeah, I'm right here, I'm tryin' to make it clear

That getting half of you just ain't enough

I could feel tears starting to form in the corner of my eyes

I'm not going to wait until you're done

Pretending you don't need anyone

I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)

I'm not gonna try 'til you decide

You're ready to swallow all your pride

I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)

My heart started to beat fast and I felt glances fall up on me but I couldn't take my eyes from Jason

Hey, get out

I've got nothin' left to give for you give me nothin' now

Read my mouth

If you ever want me back, then your walls need breakin' down

I could feel how hurt he was and after those lines my hands reached up and covered my mouth

'Cause here I am, I'm givin' all I can

But all you ever do is mess it up (all you ever do is mess it up)

Yeah, I'm right here, I'm tryin' to make it clear

getting half of you just ain't enough

My tears started slowly going down my cheeks

I'm not going to wait until you're done

Pretending you don't need anyone

I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)

I'm not gonna try 'til you decide

You're ready to swallow all your pride

I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)

I wanna give you everything

I'm not going to wait until you're done

'Cause you pretended you don't need anyone

'Cause you see that I'm naked (naked, naked)

Oh, you see that I'm naked (naked, naked)

I'm not going to try 'til you decide

You're ready to swallow all your pride

I'm standing here naked (naked, naked)

I'm standing here naked (I'm standing) (naked, naked)

I'm standing

I'm standing here🎵

When he finished a roar of applause grew among the room, but I didn't hear it, I could only hear my heart pounding in my ears, and without thinking I ran up the stage and jumped on Jason, giving him the most passionate kiss we've ever shared, not caring about the rest

At first he didn't respond but after a second he rapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up pressing our bodies together

After what seemed minutes but were roughly seconds we pulled apart, I gazed at him while he removed a tear from my cheeck

"I love you Jason Peter Todd"

And with that he kissed me again and a louder roar of applause was heard

That night we both returned to his apartment and took each other's clothes off, kissing and feeling each other, which felt heavenly after all that time apart

(You know what happened next...)

We were both laying on his bed hugging each other and Jason giving me soft kisses all over my face and neck

"I love you (y/n)"

"I love you too Jaybird"

He pecked my lips and brought me closer to his chest, both falling asleep in each other's arms and the warmth that they both had so much missed...

THE END

Hope you liked it! I enjoyed so much writing this!! And I love Jason Todd😍😁

Till next time! Let me know if you have any requests...

Author out✌🏻

#jason todd #jaybird #fluff #jason todd imagine #song imagine #reader #jason todd reader insert #dc reader insert #dc heroes #batfam

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scandalsavagefanfic · 5 years

Note

Hii! Congrats on 500 followers. For the prompt a thon, I'd like to request a continuation of your Ra'sJay wedding au with Mpreg Jason. How does the batfam and the Al Ghuls coexist?

Thank you so much!

This is the weirdest version of Ra’s al Ghul I’ve ever written but it was a lot of fun so it was a great start to this thing :D

Breakfast Guests - Read on Ao3!

Rating: TeenWarnings: NoneWords: 1600 (because I said 1500 so I really should have known)———————————————

Bruce does not like this newstatus quo.

It’s bad enough when Jason is offat whatever League location he and his… and Ra’s are calling home for themoment.

It’s even worse when they’re atthe manor.

Honestly, when he suggested theyspend more time here, desperate to see his son and his… granddaughter, andwanting to have his family all in one place again, he’d been prepared to makethe concessions for that to happen. Rationalized that at least Jason and hischild would be where he could keep an eye on them. Protect them from Ra’s ifneed be.

To that end, he put them in theroom next to his. All the rooms in the manor are master suites with attachedbathrooms but only Bruce’s and the one next door have additional sitting roomsthat were made to function as nurseries.

That was his first mistake.

They need their own wing of thehouse or Bruce is going to snap.

He pretty much raised four teenageboys in this house. He’d never put much thought into it before but if he hadbeen asked, he would have said that the manor’s soundproofing was on par withthe cave’s.

Then Ra’s and Jason moved in andBruce hasn’t managed a good night’s sleep since.

Ra’s is doing it on purpose. Bruceknows he is. The Demon’s head looks far too smug at breakfast in the mornings.Jason looks tired but blissful. Which is somehow even worse. There are alwaysthe little hints of purple marks that aren’t quite covered by his clothes andhis voice is always raspy.

Do people really scream that muchduring sex? Can Ra’s possibly be so good that Jason gets lost in the moment,forgets where he is, and just lets go?

Bruce shudders and looks back tohis eggs, trying to ignore the smirk Ra’s is leveling at him.

They will be gone soon, hereasons.

Then Jason walks in and he feelsguilty for thinking it.

He likes having his kids aroundmore than he hates hosting their terrible taste in partners.

Aliens, villains, and mercenaries.Bruce resolutely ignores that his own past romances may have made those seemlike acceptable relationships to enter into.

But just like every morning forthe past week, Jason comes down looking sleepy. The dark circles under his eyesaren’t prominent but Bruce notices them. His black curls stick up at allangles, wild and bed-tousled.

He yawns and stretches, making themuch darker purple bruises on his hips peek out from above the green cashmerepajamas. He’s lost most the baby weight but he’s still soft around the edges. Littlelove handles, rounded cheeks, fuller chest. It makes him look… sweet. Almostcherubic. Jason hasn’t looked that gentle since his early days as Robin. AfterAlfred got his hands on the child and got him up to a healthy weight.

Jason makes his way over to thetable to slide up next to Ra’s, sides pressing against each other, as the mucholder man pours him a cup of herbal tea and pulls him close with an arm aroundhis waist before placing a chaste kiss to his cheek.

These displays of affectionatedomesticity really rankle Bruce’s nerves of steel. It doesn’t suite either ofthem. Ra’s al Ghul is a genocidal fanatic who runs a clandestine society of highlytrained assassins.

And Jason is a gun-toting hero,forged into sharpened titanium by a life of misery and pain.

The way both men’s faces light upwhen Dick enters cooing down at the fussy bundle in his arms, Damian followingclose on his heels, is so off putting it makes Bruce want to leave the room.

“I think she’s hungry, Jay,” Dicksays, gently putting the baby in Jason’s arms when he reaches for his daughter.

“Of course she is. I heard yousneak in at the ass crack of dawn to get her,” Jason says before singing downto his baby, “Uncle Dickie is even more smitten with you than we are, isn’the.”

The baby grins and giggles andreaches up to grasp her mama’s face.

Bruce’s ire has been dissipatingsince the moment Sora entered the room. She has Ra’s sharp features and darkerskin. But her eyes are all Jason. Wide, curious, intelligent, and the same shadeof aquamarine.

The way even Ra’s softens as hewatches Jason feed their daughter makes Bruce relax a little.

He knows Ra’s is purposefullymaking him uncomfortable. Flaunting his… entirely too sexual relationship with Bruce’sson in his face, just to be an ass.

But Bruce also knows that Ra’scares about Jason. And their daughter. Maybe he can put up with the Demon. ForJason’s sake.

If he stops reacting, maybe Ra’swill no longer find enjoyment in his torment. Maybe they can find a way tocoexist.

The al Ghul’s have already agreedto keep their work out of Gotham as a result of this union. Perhaps they cancontinue to move in a positive direction.

“Shouldn’t be too much longerbefore I can start patrols again, boss,” Jason says, still smiling down at his pup.“Just a few more months. Tops.”

The comment snaps him back to themoment. “You plan on returning? But—”

“I would reconsider your approach,Detective. He is quite adamant.” Ra’s goes stiff as he says it. Means it’ssomething they’ve discussed before. Means that Ra’s disapproves but isn’t tryingto force the issue. Letting Jason make decisions about his own life.

It’s something Bruce still struggleswith, people making decisions he disagrees with and sticking to them even whenhe’s outlined why they’re wrong.

But he’ll be damned if he lets Ra’sal Ghul be more understanding than him. And it occurs to Bruce that the wayJason mentioned it was to get the fight out done with and he’s certainly notgoing to be the one to disturb the weird happy family aura everyone is projectingright now.

“We’ve talked about it,” Jason says,still without tearing his eyes away. He’s been in awe of Sora ever since helaid eyes on her. Bruce questions whether he’ll actually be able to leave herto return to his incredibly dangerous night job when the time comes. “I’m goingto move back to Gotham full time. Ra’s will pass most his duties to Talia on aprobationary basis at first.”

He looks up at Ra’s out of thecorner of his eyes with a quirk to his mouth that says he thinks his husband isbeing ridiculous. Then Jason glances around the table. At Dick who is stillmaking faces at Sora, at Damian who is ordering more baby toys from histablet, at Alfred who looks relaxed in a way Bruce hasn’t seen in… well, maybehasn’t ever seen.

Finally Jason’s eyes find his andhold Bruce’s gaze.

“Lots of parents go back to workafter they have kids, B. Especially if it’s something they love doing. I think havingthis will make me a better parent. And Sora has so many people who love herhere. Dick’s already agreed to watch her at least one night a week and let mecover for him in Bludhaven. And Damian said he’d be willing to switch off too,if it was ok with you.”

That makes Bruce’s heart skip abeat. “You want to patrol with me? As partners?”

Jason smiles up at him and it’spurest, brightest thing Bruce has seen on his face since Bruce signed theadoption papers.

“Of course. You’re my dad. It’stime we reconnect.”

Jason refers to him as ‘dad’ socasually Bruce has to repeat the sentence in his head several times for it toprocess. He hasn’t been the best at showing it in the past, but reconnecting withJason, having the family complete again, has been his heart’s deepest desire.

“And once a week you’llstay behind,” Jason adds. “Bond with your granddaughter.”

Bruce is nodding before Jason evenfinishes the sentence. When his relationship with Talia came to and end, Brucewas positive he’d never have to worry about welcoming Ra’s into his family. Itwas, in a small way, after the heartbreak over his split had subsided some,been a relief. The al Ghul’s and the Wayne’s are too ideologically opposed.

But if Jason’s relationship withRa’s (he refuses to acknowledge that his ex’s father is now his legal son-in-law)is what heals the deep wounds between both himself and Jason and Damian withhis family, then he’ll consider that a win. Well worth every concession.

Still.

He fixes Ra’s with Batman’s steelygaze.

The old man just chuckles untilJason elbows him lightly in the ribs. Then he clears his throat.

“I apologize for tormenting you inyour own home. I have been reprimanded and we—” another elbow, “—I willbe appropriately considerate moving forward. You have been a most gracious host,detective.”

Dick and Damian look confused, butthat’s because they don’t share a wall with the new al Ghuls. Jason would bethe picture of calm if it wasn’t for the way he won’t meet Bruce’s eyes and thelight dusting of heated color on his cheeks.

“Uh… thank you,” Bruce says,feeling heat rise in his own face. “I would appreciate that very much.”

There’s a beat of near silence wherethe only sound is happy baby gurgles.

“Well then,” Alfred says as hestands and starts to clear the table, “here’s to a bold new adventure.”

#Jason Todd #Ra's al Ghul #Ra's/Jason #fluff #family feels #Bruce is a Good Dad #a/b/o #50 fic/500 followers #celebratory prompt-a-thon #Anonymous

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 6 years

Text

Michael in the Mainstream: Aquaman

Aquaman is an absolutely fantastic film. There’s really no getting around that simple fact; this film is a delight, a grand, epic, cheesy 80s adventure film throwback to rival even the best and brightest of that genre. Imagine, if you will, if Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Return of the King had a baby, and you have a general idea of the kind of film Aquaman is. The best part is that who on Earth could have ever seen this coming?

As I’m sure you’re all aware, Aquaman has long been the butt of jokes to casual audiences due to his perceived uselessness that was showcased in the old Superfriends cartoon, a cartoon that’s not exactly the best if you’re looking for accurate portrayals of all the characters involved. Even after decades of other cartoons giving him more to do, Aquaman never entirely was able to shake off that image, even when Jason Momoa was cast. It certainly didn’t help he got his debut in the much-reviled Justice League, where he was given a bit of a harsher attitude and a hideous costume. Then came the poster for this film with its stock image shark, and things looked pretty bleak. How could Aquaman hope to be a good film with all of this stacked against it?

The true brilliance lies in the decision by its director, James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring), to toss out just about everything Justice League established about Aquaman in regards to his personality and backstory, instead opting for a lighter, more fun take on the character. Normally such serious retconning would be atrocious and awkward… but it really makes this film work so much better. Aquaman is no longer a bitter character, he has no resentment towards his mother (instead having it directed at Atlantis for what they DID to his mother), he’s a fresh take on the character and it really is a difference of night and day. I liked Aquaman in Justice League, and I liked that movie; I loved Aquaman here, and I loved this film just as much.

So what exactly is Aquaman doing in his solo film? Arthur Curry (AKA Aquaman), after wanting nothing to do with Atlantis due to executing his mother, is forced to go to the sunken city by Mera (Amber Heard), who along with Arthur’s mentor Vulko(Willem Dafoe) think Arthur is the only man who is right for the throne of Atlantis. This is mainly due to Arthur’s half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) is a bit of a surface-hating warmonger who wishes to end the tyranny of humans and their pollution of the sea by the most violent means possible by attaining the title of Ocean Master by uniting the remaining kingdoms of the sea into an unstoppable army. There’s an ancient artifact Mera and Vulko believe could aid Arthur, a legendary trident lost to the ages that holds incredible powers and will certainly ensure a half-breed like Arthur is accepted as the one true king who can unite Atlantis and the surface. And so the film becomes a journey for Arthur to discover this lost artifact before Orm amasses his army, along the way finding out what it truly means to be king and also maybe stealing the heart of his half-brother’s betrothed.

The film’s greatest strengths do not lie in its story – I think most will admit this is a pretty generic and even cliché story, albeit one that is enjoyable (cliché does not equal bad, something more people need to realize) – but in its other elements, most notably the visuals. This movie is absolutely gorgeous. The shots of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis but Wakanda and Pandora to shame, and really do look like something out of a comic book. And speaking of comics, Aquaman’s enemies translated very well to live action, with Orm and especially Black Manta looking absolutely fabulous in live action. Black Manata is especially notable, since it would have been so easy to make his iconic suit look stupid or silly, but not only does it look perfect and accurate, Black Manta does not lose an ounce of cool factor in the process.

The performances across the board are almost universally fantastic. It should be noted, however, that Momoa and Wilson are both really carrying the brunt of the film on their shoulders, and doing it nearly effortlessly. Momoa is just an absolute blast to watch, his take on Aquaman is just so much fun, so charming, it’s practically impossible to hate him (though he does deliver a couple of lame jokes here and there). Wilson, on the other hand, portrays a villain who is at once sympathetic and understandable but also ruthless and underhanded. Orm feels like the DC answer to Black Panther’s Killmonger, an emotionally complex and personal villain that you can’t help but root for a little bit even though you also can’t wait to get see them taken down. Willem Dafoe is, as always, fantastic in his role as the wise mentor figure he seems to do a lot (John Wick and Finding Nemo both come to mind, and the latter is amusing as this is the second time he’s played an aquatic mentor figure), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II brings a sense of vengeful ferocity and symapthy to Black Manta. The weak link in all of this is Amber Heard, who is just at best a painfully average actor and at worst is just mediocre. She doesn’t hold back the film and she has her moments, but she really does stick out as the weak link when surrounded by all sorts of other fantastic performances, the biggest of which (literally) is Julie Andrews… as the biggest kaiju imaginable. I’m not joking.

There are so many nice little touches here and there too, such as the incorporation of Momoa’s own cultural heritage into the character which becomes evident in a lot of places, the absolutely heartfelt and touching relationship between Arthur’s parents, the drumming octopus that shows up being a cameo from Topo, an octopus sidekick that’s pure Silver Age silliness… this movie is absolutely not short on time.

Now, it’s not without a few flaws, but they don’t majorly impact the movie. The film can feel a bit long, but whenever it seems like it’s getting a bit slow something exciting happens to engage you. Of course, that doesn’t excuse some parts that, while cool, could have been trimmed out such as the Black Manta sequence. But even this flaw is one I barely consider, because in such a big, epic movie, it needed a cool personal showdown between a vengeful minor antagonist and Arthur. Really, a lot of this film’s ‘flaws’ are like this; they’re there, but if you like this movie it’s seriously easy to justify them.

Now what can’t be justified is the rushed nature of Arthur and Mera’s relationship. Again, it is easy to justify – this film is a big genre throwback to 80s adventure films, with one example Wan has mentioned being Romancing the Stone, and movies like this tend to have the hero get the girl at the end – but the rushed nature combined with Heard’s weak performance make it a bit odd. It honestly made more sense for them to end the movie as good friends, which would have been more reasonable, and then save their inevitable romance for a future film. All this being said, considering Mera was Orm’s betrothed, this causes the hilarious realization as you watch the big kiss and see Arthur nearly grope Mera’s backside that he has successfully cuckolded his own half-brother. There’s really no way to be too hard on this film, every time I try I end up praising it in the same breath as I critique it.

This is a truly fun, exciting movie that really pushes superhero movies to new heights visually, and makes me excited to see what DC does next. This is truly a step in the right direction, and shows that Wonder Woman was not a fluke, and was in fact a sign DC was onto something when they gave great creators room to shine with charismatic actors. Frankly, I’d say this film is even better than Wonder Woman, on the basis of this film having a much stronger villain and a better and more consistent style, while maintaining the elements that made Wonder Woman good (a charming and charismatic lead that truly gets their character, strong supporting cast, excellent action). Yes this film is cheesy, yes it’s not going to appeal to everyone, yes it’s not perfect… but I can’t help but recommend this, because we need more movies this exciting and fun. I just loved every single minute of this.

Even Pitbull’s song.

#Michael in the Mainstream #Review #movie review #Aquaman #Jason Momoa #DC #DCEU #DC film #superhero movie #action #adventure #James Wan

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ellana-ravenwood · 7 years

Text

The New Trinity - Damian Wayne x Reader (xplatonic!Jon Kent)

Well, here it is. Damian is a bit older than he is currently in the comics (seventeen instead of fourteen) by the way. Hope you’ll like it :-) :

You can find my masterlist here : @ella-ravenwood-archives

__________________________________________________

The New Trinity.

That’s how everyone started to call you guys.

“You guys”. Damian, Jon and you. The Bat’s son, The Superman’s son and...You, the mighty Wonder Woman’s daughter.

The New Trinity.

It made sense really, because of who your parents were. The actual Trinity. Three of the mightiest hero in the World, forming the perfect team. And you were their children. Three.

The New Trinity.

That’s how everyone started to call you guys, as your friendship grew.

And it royally pissed you off.

Ever since you were born, everyone (and by everyone you meant your mom’s friends of course, the others...the others couldn’t know) always constantly compared you to your mother. All. The freaking. TIME !

And sure, you loved her to death, and she was the coolest and most badass woman you ever met...but you were you.

Your own being.

You weren’t all like her. Sure, you had her eyes, and sometimes, her mannerisms. And her powers. But your personality wasn’t the same (except for the part of you that was stubborn and that had to help those in need).

Besides, it annoyed you that everyone always compared you to the great “Wonder Woman” and never to your father, who was a goddamn war hero !

Of course...you never met him.

None of them ever met him.

Steve Trevor was dead long ago.

************

Before he died, almost a hundred years ago now, your mother and your father had plenty of times to get to know each other, to become best friends, to learn about each other’s culture...To fall helplessly in love.

One night of passion. Of pure bliss and love.

It’s all it took for you to exist. One night of passion, finally, after a long time playing a game of cat and mouth together...And it had to be the day before your father’s death.

Before he sacrificed himself to save many. Before your mother lost him forever...

And here you were.

But your mom’s pain wasn’t ending there.

You were born with a heart defect, and the technology of the time in the Human World couldn’t save you. The amazons couldn’t do much either...

You were dying, and that would have been the end but...Your grandmother couldn’t bear to see her precious daughter in such pain, and as Diana, panicked, arrived with you back to her homeland desperate for help...Your grandma did something she wasn’t suppose to do.

She used ancient Greek powers that the gods left behind after they disappeared, allowing her to freeze you in time, to stop you from growing a second older, hoping that one day, someone could fix your disease...Hoping that someday, she could unfreeze you and someone would be able to save you.

How ironic, really, that you were born with this particular part of your body being deficient. Right after your father’s death...almost as if to symbolize your mom’s pain ! A literal broken heart...

It took long agonizing years for the technology in the Men’s World to finally be able to save you. And so your mother brought you with her, a little baby, a little bundle that knew already too much what pain was...Bruce Wayne is the one that paid for the very expensive surgery, and you were safe.

You were finally able to live your life. Your mother decided that it would be more fit for you to grow up in your father’s world, and though it was totally different from when he was still alive...Diana could finally see an exit to all her pain.

Especially since she had just made new friends. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. And they were building a team together, to protect the World...Diana Prince was done hiding. Diana Prince was done trying to forget.

It was over. Just like you, she wasn’t frozen in time anymore, she needed to move on. And so a new life began for her, and your life finally started, years after your actual birth.

************

Your mom told you all about your father, and though you never met him and never would, you greatly admired him. For so many reasons...and it actually really bothered you that no one ever compared you to him.

You were brave, you were courageous...And sure your mom was too, but your dad was even more ! He sacrificed himself !! An he...

-What are you brooding about (Y/N) ?

You were in the Justice League Watchtower, sitting on a couch in one of the common room, thinking about how it was unfair that everyone always forgot about your dad, when Jon sat in front of you and Damian next to you and took your mind off of it all.

You smile at Jon (not noticing how Damian’s eyebrows furrow). That boy’s always been great to take your mind off of things, with his good nature and jokes. And Damian...Well, Damian...He was Damian. Jon was two years younger than you (technically, you were almost 90 years older than him but, since you only grew old afterward...you were his age). Damian was your age (a few months older...well, if we ignored the actual year you were born in).

-I was just thinking about what Flash said earlier.

You answer. Damian sightly smirks but says nothing, as Jon smiles at you some more and, putting his hand under his chin, takes a thoughtful expression and says :

-Which things ? Because like, Flash talks a lot. Both Flashes talks a lot. Was it Uncle Barry or Cousin Wally ?

You smile slightly at the “uncle” and “cousin” thing, realizing that...yes, all those people are your family. Truly.

-Uncle Barry. And about how we are the...new “Trinity”.

Jon’s smile widens even more, and you instantly knows he doesn’t feel like you on that matter. You turn your gaze a bit away from him (and he doesn’t even realize it), and your eyes cross Damian’s. Oh. Him. Him he understands. He always does and...Jon’s voice, once more, takes you away from your daydreaming :

-I know right ? It’s great ! We’ve entered the great hero pantheon !

You can’t help but chuckle at your best friend’s words, and how cute it is that he’s trying to put some greek words in there (you taught him what “pantheon” was a few weeks ago).

Not wanting to ruin his good mood, you decide to not talk about how annoyed you are at this name. The New Trinity. You wanted to be the new...your own thing. Damian, Jon and (Y/N). Your own selves ! But something was telling you that Jon wouldn’t understand.

Sure, he was your best friend, but he couldn’t...He was so proud to be like his father. Maybe because everyone was telling him that he was very much like his mother mentally ? Like he took more after her than him ? So he was happy to feel connected to him in that way ?

Yes. That’s something you could understand. And so, instead of saying what you really think, and though you hate to lie to him, you say :

-Yeah, it’s pretty cool right ?

Jon nods and his attention is suddenly caught by a sound neither you nor Damian can hear. He stands up and after a “be right back”, leaves the two of you for some unknown location.

Damian grumbles something and shakes his head, which makes you smile.

-I knew I wasn’t the only broody one.

You say, a mischievous look on your face. You know it’s going to annoy him. A bit like you, he dislikes being constantly compared to his father (even more to his mother, for obvious reasons), and just the word “broody” is sensitive with him, as it’s the word everyone uses to qualify his dad’s daily mood.

But your smile...The way your eyes squeezes because of it, and your nose wrinkles...He can’t help but smile back at you.

You’ve always had that effect on him.

You guys met years ago, before you even met Jon.

Ever since you were a child, you spend a lot of time at the Wayne household as it seems like your mother and Damian’s father just really got along, and needed each others often for emotional support. There wasn’t any ambiguity between them, they really were just friends, very closed ones.

You spend a lot of time there, bonding with Dick, Jason and Tim...The day Damian arrived, you remembered as if it was yesterday, even though it was over seven years ago.

You could have hated him, because he really was a disrespectful brat at the time...And yet, yet you never did.

He was awful to you at first, but unlike everyone around him, instead of getting mad and such...you talked back, you stood your ground, or sometimes, downright ignored him.

You never hated him though, no matter how harsh he was with you. And just like that...You were the first one that ever broke his shell. The first one to ever see the true Damian, the insecure and full of self-doubts little boy who just really wanted his father’s approval.

This is probably what attracted him to you irrevocably. What made him want to be with you all the time. Of course, at the time, you two were merely children, and there were no romance there, only a very strong friendship. But as the years passed...his feelings changed. He’d never admit it though, as he was pretty sure you had a crush on Jon, not him. And oh, how wrong he was.

But that wasn’t the story right now. Nop’. Right now wasn’t about how he felt about you, or rather, wether he liked you that way or not..But about what bothered you in that instant.

He could see you weren’t happy. He hated to see you like that...And so, casually, as if he was just starting yet another conversation, he smiles slightly at your remark on him being broody (knowing perfectly that you were trying to annoy him so you guys wouldn’t talk about yourself) and say :

-I know what you’re doing.

You give him a half-smile and plunge your (E/C) eyes into his green ones.

His heart skips a beat..

-Oh yeah ? And what am I doing then, Robin ?

He’s overly aware of how close you are from him right now, as you leaned towards him, your lips so. Damn. Close. His heart skips another beat, and to his own amazement, when he speaks again, his voice doesn’t even falters or shakes :

-You’re trying to make fun of me, to annoy me, so that we don’t talk about why you’re bothered that everyone calls us the “new Trinity”. You know, I’m not ten anymore, those old tricks don’t work.

Your smile disappear and he feels his heart tightens this time. He hates thinking it’d be his fault if you...But your smile is back in an instant, as you regain countenance over yourself. You look at him intently and say, suddenly looking away :

-You know why it bothers me.

For a second, you’re afraid he’ll make you say it out loud.

He’ve already done it before, forcing you to open up to him, knowing it’ll make you feel better. But this time...This time you really don’t wanna talk about it. Because it’ll make you talk about your father and you can never talk about him without wanting to cry...

Damian tries to decipher the expression of your face, and...He thinks he understands. And he truly does.

-Yes. I do know why it bothers you.

You’re wrong, to worry about him forcing you to talk today. He understands that it’s not the time. And so, instead, with gentle movements, he takes your hand in his and squeezes it slightly.

You’re startled by his sudden touch, but don’t pull away. You smile weakly at him and...yes. Yes he understands why you’re bothered about being called “the New Trinity”.

He lets you put your head on his shoulder, and you stay like that for a moment. It’s comfortable. It’s nice. It’s what friendship looks like, two people always being there for each others. But it’s also...Something more ?

From the corner of the room, Jon, who came back after checking something out, looks at you, an enigmatic smile on his face.

He knew it. He knew that that damn stubborn Damian felt something for you too ! Or he would have never let him touch you like that. It was common knowledge he wasn’t such a fan of public display of affection like that, and yet, in front of all the heroes present in the common room...He let you put your head on his shoulder.

************

It was oh so frustrating, to know that your best friends were in love with each others, but that they were both too proud and stubborn to ever say it out loud.

It was oh so frustrating, to see your best friends get jealous whenever the other one would talk to a girl/boy, or even go on dates, and yet doing nothing.

It was oh so frustrating, and heart breaking, to see your best friends sad and getting sick over the other one dating someone else, but still not admitting their feelings...

Jon have had enough.

Enough of seeing you and Damian turning around each other without ever doing anything. Enough of seeing your almost kisses and soft touches in the midst of battles. Enough of seeing you hurt to see the other ones with others. Enough of seeing you two fight for no reasons, trying to avoid talking about your feelings for each others !

Jon had to do something. But what ?

************

Making them go on a date without their knowledge worked brilliantly.

It also was an easy plan to make really. He just had to tell you guys to meet him at Gotham county Fair and not show up. At the last minute, he said he couldn’t come, and you and Damian spend the day together at the fair.

Jon, a bit creepily, stalked you guys.

He almost screamed out in frustration when, in the haunted mansion, a monster startled you and you jumped in Damian’s arms, your face so close to his, your lips getting closer and...the monster coming back to scare you ruining the moment.

When he passed after you and Damian (as he followed you guys discreetly), he tripped over the actor in the monster suit. He felt a bit bad about it, but damn, almost kiss again !

You two were so made for each other, he knew it. After all, he was your best friend ! He could see all the looks you gave each others, all the laughs and smiles you shared.

Only you could make him laugh so hard.

Only him could make you smile so sweetly.

And looking at you, going around the fun fair like that, he was just more and more sure that you were made for each other.

You took silly pictures in the Photo Booth, you went on the ferris wheel, making the wagon you were in rock dangerously, laughing your ass off (you got banned from the ferris wheel after that..), you went to the haunted mansion and went out fingers tangled...only to realize you were holding each others hands and awkwardly apologizing and letting go (grrrroooooaaaaah !!! Jon screamed in his head). He won a teddy bear at darts for you, you won a stuffed animal (a dog of course) for him. You joked around. You talked, about anything and everything, about nothing too.

It almost seemed like you were both just regular teenagers dating. Even though you were far from normal teenagers...That’s why Jon knew you guys were made for each other.

You made the other one feel normal. Feel like the World wasn’t too fucked up...

************

Jon jinxed himself. He knew it. By thinking that making you guys go on an unknown-date things were going to move forward, he was oh so wrong.

Things didn’t move at all. Not one bit.

You guys acted like the great day you had spend together was just another friendship thing. Like you didn’t almost kiss a few times. Like, when the man to whom Damian bought a candy apple for you said : “Oh gentleman, buying things for his girlfriend ! Youngsters this days don’t do that anymore...” neither you nor Damian corrected him and said that you weren’t his girlfriend...never happened.

It has been like that for YEARS !! Bot h of you acting as if you were “just very good friends”.

No.

You were more than that.

You were good friends with Jon. You’d hug Jon, but never put your head on his shoulder. Damian would always have a good time with Jon, but he’d never laugh so full heartedly with him than he did with you. You’d smile at Jon, but you’d never give him that sweet little tender smile. Jon would tease you sometimes, but instead of blushing like you did with Damian, you’d laugh and talk back. And whenever you’d do that, Damian would literally smell like “jealousy”...

You were friends with Jon. Best friends. You’d die for him, and he would for the both of you. A strong bond linked you all, the fact that people called you the “new Trinity” wasn’t just because you were similar to your parents and such. It was also because of how strong your friendship was, how you always were there for each other etc etc...But the link that was between you and Damian was different.

Jon noticed it from day one. The first time he met you two, you were twelve and him ten. His father had kept him away from any superhero stuffs for a while but, after realizing that his son was also a super, he just brought him in too...and that’s when he met you two.

Already there, Jon noticed how different Damian would be around you. How softer his voice would be when talking to you. How guilty he felt whenever he was acting like a douche towards you. And you...You would be less sassy with him than with other people.

Already there, Jon noticed that there was something special between the two of you. And he just knew he was right !!

But his little trick, making you guys going on a “date”, made him realize something...you two were two damn stubborn to ever admit your true feelings to each other ! He had to take another offensive.

************

It was a disaster.

For the past three months, Jon very obviously stated multiple times that you liked each other, and instead of denying it, both of you would just plainly ignore him ! Treat him like a child ! He hated that !

He went to sleep over at Wayne Manor once, to see how Gotham’s street were...He downright told Damian that you liked him, and Damian just turned towards him, stunned, said :

-Don’t be silly Jon, she can’t like me.

And continued his damn patrol !! Hell even Damian’s father was surprised when only Jon was there, and not you ! So used to always see you guys together more than with anyone else !

When Jon told the Batman that he was sure that you and Damian liked each other, Bruce slightly smiled and said :

-Of course they do. Don’t fret Jon, they’ll realize it one day...

Jon stopped himself from saying something about how it took years to Bruce to “realize” that he was really in love with Selina Kyle and wanted to marry her...Wasted years !

He couldn’t let his friends waste that much time when it was obvious you were so into each others...

When he told you Damian liked you, you had the same reaction than him, that’s how much alike you were ! How PERFECT you’d be together !!

And when he asked both of you why you thought the other one couldn’t like you, you said the same thing again :

-Because you idiot, he/she’s too good for me !

...Jon didn’t understand. He just couldn’t.

************

You always thought that Damian was the smartest and bravest man you’ve ever met.

He always thought you were the smartest and bravest woman he ever met.

It was always like that, and it drove Jon crazy. You both loved (he was now sure it was not just a teenage infatuation) each other for the same reason, and yet were blind to see that the other one did too ! It baffled him, how smart and yet so daft you both could be.

Jon tried everything he could. He tried to set you up on other “dates”, it ended up every time the same way. Just...”we’re friends”.

He tried to tell you outright, you wouldn’t believe him. He tried to confront you with it with both of you in the same room, but you’d just turn everything into ridicule and mock him. Act as if he was going crazy. Jon knew this was some sort of...self-defence mechanism you both had...And yet.

Jon tried everything. And he was tired. He decided to give up...at least for now.

************

-I understand my little one.

You sigh in relief, as your mother ruffle your hair lovingly, as she used to do when you were a child.

You had just told her everything, about how bothered you were by this “new Trinity” thing, and about how you wished people would recognize your father more. You were afraid to hurt her feelings...Bringing your father up was never really a good idea. And telling your mother that you were tired to be compared to her ? Maybe it wasn’t the most delicate thing to do but you couldn’t lie anymore...

You smile weakly at her, and she shakes her head. She grabs your face between her hands and say :

-(Y/N), my dearest one, please, don’t ever feel like you can’t tell me something alright ? I couldn’t always talk to my mother when I was young and...I just want you to know that I’ll always be there for you, not matter how...delicate a topic is. Ok ?

You nod shyly, which was stupid, because this was your mom ! Why were you shy with her ? A soothing kiss from her on your forehead makes you forget all your worry and, just like when you were a child, you close your eyes and dive into her arms as she opens them for you.

Her hugs were always the best. She holds you tight against her heart, and starts to sing one of those Greek lullaby you like so much...and oh you decide it’s magic, because just like that, she makes you blurt out :

-I really like Damian and I have no idea how to deal with those feelings !

You can’t see her face, but you know your mom is smiling slightly above you.

************

-You don’t know what to do with those feelings uh ? Have you ever told her ?

-God no ! What if she doesn’t like me back ?

-What if she does ?

It’s very rare, that Damian would speak so openly with his father. He wanted to talk to Dick, but his brother wasn’t around that day and...The way his dad asked him what was the matter just made him want to talk to him.

And for one of those rare time, he did. He told his dad everything about how he felt and such. He told him his doubts, how his heart beat so much around you etc etc.

-I don’t know father, I don’t know.

Bruce can’t help but smile sweetly at his son. It makes his heart swell, to talk about such trivial matters with him. As if they were a normal father and son, and not just...Them.

-Damian, my boy...What’s the worst that could happen ?

He could loose you. That’s what the worst that could happen. He could loose you and your friendship forever. By not telling he loved you, he ensured the fact that you’d always be friend, that him telling you how he felt and you not reciprocating wouldn’t make things awkward ! By acting as if you were just friends, he would make sure you’d always be around...And even if one day, you fall in love with someone else, at least he’ll still have your friendship !

-Damian, you guys have been friends since forever. Let’s imagine she doesn’t feel the same way for you...It will indeed be weird for a while, but in time, things will get back to normal. It won’t...It won’t change your friendship.

Something in his dad’s voice makes Damian flinch :

-Are you...are you talking by experience?

Bruce nods.

-Way before your birth. I thought I loved Diana. Hell, I probably really did love her, though now the feelings I have for Selina makes me realize that maybe it wasn’t love with a big “L”. What I mean by that is...I told her. And you know what ? She didn’t feel the same. Her heart was still not over Steve Trevor. And she rejected me...Are we not friends anymore ?

-...No.

-So, Damian, my boy, tell me, knowing that this won’t destroy your friendship...If you tell her how you really feel, what’s the worst that could happen ?

************

Loosing you.

That’s the worst that could happen.

Loosing you for good.

“The New Trinity” was called for what was suppose to be an easy mission...that quickly turned into a disaster.

Jon, you and Damian were fighting for your lives, waiting for the cavalry to arrive...

A trap. It was a trap.

Apokolips’ troops were waiting for you. A large amount of them. Too many to be able to fight them all, even if you were “the new Trinity”.

You were back to back, making sure you’d all protect each others’ blind side.

Back to back.

Protecting each others, being there for each others, as you always were.

But that day, Bruce’s words were floating around in Damian’s head, and the advise your mom gave you were also in yours. And you weren’t focused enough for that, you weren’t ready enough !

This was just suppose to be a reckon mission !

Jon sees it. But he can’t do anything about it.

He also sees the spear lunging towards Damian...but even though he’s fast and strong, he’s busy with his own ennemies and know he won’t be there in time to save his friend !

But you’re there...In the way...The spear hits you right in the heart.

At the same time, your parents arrive, as well as the rest of the League.

It takes a few minutes for them to annihilate Apokolips’ troop. Your mother doesn’t see you, in Damian’s arms, a spear in your heart...

Damian feels himself crying. His vision is blurry with tears, and as he looks up to Jon, he says :

-She’ll pull through right ? Right Jon ? Tell me she’ll pull through !

But Jon can’t say it. He can’t say anything. A lump is stuck in this throat. He falls down on his knees, and takes his head in his hands, not able to stop himself from sobbing...He just witnessed his best friend dying, and he wasn’t able to do anything about it ! Jon took your hand and...did you just squeeze it back ?

Damian could feel his heart slowly tearing apart, as he held your lifeless body in his arms...And all of the sudden, the words blurt out :

-No. No. No come back please, come back (Y/N). I can’t live without you. You’re my best friend. You’re my...You’re my everything. Please come back...Come back. I’ve got so much to tell you...Please...Come back. Come back. I love you (Y/N), I love you so much...I lied, I dont’ think you’re just my friend, you’re more than that to me...You’re...you’re my everything...please...

The raging battle around you all comes to an end.

Damian, face riddled with tears, looks up and is faced with your mother...

How could he ? How could he tell her that you died, sacrificing yourself to save him ? How could he ?

But your mom...She...smiles ?

-Well, if people don’t start comparing you with your father now, I don’t know when they will.

You groan. Wait...You groan ? And you move in Damian’s arms. Laboriously. It’s difficult. You cough a bit, but not blood.

Wait. Come to think of it, there’s no blood anywhere. What ?

You open one eye, then the other. Your mom smiles down at you, as well as the rest of the League. They saw how you jumped in front of your friend to save him. You can see how Bruce thanks you in silence.

And you can see Damian’s face. Tears. His confused expression, him not registering you’re not dead. A shit-eating grin spread on your face as you say :

-I’m your everything uh ? You love me uh ?

Your mom shakes her head, and say :

-Oh that’s also definitely your father. Damn that man and his sometimes a bit cruel teasing, his stupid sense of humor.

Jon looks at you and, suddenly understanding what’s going on says :

-Oh no you didn’t just do that ! I can’t believe it ! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT (Y/N) !!

You smile at him and winks, which makes you wince a bit...Sure, you were wearing your impossible to pierce armor that your grandmother gave you (a bit like Mithril in the Lord of the Rings you told her...she didn’t understand), and so the spear didn’t do any permanent damage but...man it was going to bruise !

That spear was launched with force !

Jon is on his feet already, and, throwing his arms in the air, he gives you his best : “WHAT THE FUCK ?!” facial expression. Your mother can’t help but laugh, and pat him on the back, an understanding look on her face.

Damian is still stunned. What was going on ?

And suddenly. It hits him too. Yes. The armor that can’t be pierced. It’s as if someone shot you and you were wearing a bulletproof vest. Bruised but not dead.

He ignores your teasing, the way you said : “so you love me uh ?” and takes you in his arms, holding you tight in his arms.

-Don’t ever do that to me again you idiot, don’t you dare do that again...

He says. You smile and hug him back, saying :

-Becauuuuuse...You love me ?

He doesn’t even care you’re not saying it back, as he says again :

-Yes. I love you.

You smile and answer :

-Good. Cause I love you too.

The kiss you share is a bit clumsy and shy, but it’s a good one. And when he lifts you up in his arms and helps you up on the league’s ship, you feel happier than ever.

Jon too, is happy. And oh so finally relief. It took him months for that to finally happen ! If only he knew that the only thing that would make you guys admit to each other that you were in love was a life endangering situation, he would have found a way BEFORE that...

Your mom and Damian’s father smile at each other. They couldn’t dream of a better person for their children that those two eh ?

In the ship, bundled against Damian, you realize that...Yeah, it wasn’t actually that difficult to say it. Because you love him. For real. You just love him.

As simple as that.

And he loves you and...The worst didn’t happen. He hoped the worst would never happen...He would make sure it would never happen.

Another clumsy kiss, and...yes. As simple as that.

___________________

This is the fucking worst. I wrote this annoyed at something and couldn’t focus totally on it. Besides, there were a lot of people talking around me and such and...yeah I really couldn’t focus. I’m still posting it though, because I know myself, I won’t ever re-write it and it’ll be lost in my drafts forever, like other finished stories are (finished stories I really hate)...So I figured, since I promised a Damian story, I’ll just post it and so be it. Anyway. The End.

PS : Let’s be honest for a second, this might be erased because I feel really self-conscious about how bad it is. Like way more than usual. UH.

#Damian Wayne x Reader #Robin x Reader #Damian Wayne imagine #Damian Wayne reader insert #Robin imagine #Jon Kent x Reader #Jon Kent imagine #Wonder Woman x reader #Wonder Woman imagine #Wonder Woman x daughter!reader #Damian Wayne #Jon Kent #Wonder Woman #Bruce Wayne #Clark Kent #Damian Wayne x y/n #Robin x y/n #Robin reader insert

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flightfoot · 4 years

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Analyzing Reyna’s romance (or rather, lack thereof) arc and her feelings towards it throughout the series

Recently, Rick published a tweet about Reyna’s orientation, stating “Personally, I see her as romantic asexual and have written her arc with that in mind. (hence the prophecy in HoO) It’s been a struggle for her to figure that out, as she explains in Tyrant’s Tomb. But as always, interpret the text as you wish.”

After reading Tyrant’s Tomb, I figured she was somewhere around ace or aro, so it was cool to see it confirmed that he wrote her with that in mind! Especially since I’m ace myself, and we don’t get a ton of representation. It was just really neat.

In light of that, I wanted to lay out and analyze her arc as it relates to her orientation, to who she’s attracted (or moreso, not attracted) to, starting from her first appearance and continuing through to Tyrant’s Tomb.

Starting all the way from “Son of Neptune”, there’s hints and conversations about Reyna’s love life woven in, with Percy noticing how Reyna reacts to Jason being mentioned.

Reyna grimaced. Percy got the feeling this guy Jason might’ve been more to her than just a colleague. (SON 41)

Percy doesn’t know much of anything about Jason or Reyna or the culture in Camp Jupiter, so he doesn’t have much of a bias towards thinking they’re a couple because of those factors. For Percy to still pick up on Reyna being especially close to Jason is a pretty good indicator that that wasn’t just other people reading into it, seeing what they expect to see from Reyna - something which DOES happen a lot, and that Reyna goes into in Tyrant’s Tomb.

Jason… Percy couldn’t go very far in this camp without hearing that name.

“The way you talk about him…” Percy said. “Were you two a couple?”

Reyna’s eyes bored into him – like the eyes of a hungry wolf. Percy had seen enough hungry wolves to know.

“We might have been,” Reyna said, “given time. Praetors work closely together. It’s common for them to become romantically involved. But Jason was only praetor for a few months before he disappeared. Ever since then, Octavian has been pestering me, agitating for new elections. I’ve resisted. I’ve resisted. I need a new partner in power – but I prefer someone like Jason. A warrior, not a schemer.”

She waited. Percy realized she was sending him a silent invitation.

His mouth went dry. “Oh… you mean… oh.”

“I believe the gods sent you to help me,” Reyna said. “I don’t understand where you come from, any more than I understood it four years ago. But I think your arrival is some form of repayment. You destroyed my home once. Now you’ve been sent to save my home. I don’t hold a grudge against you for the past, Percy. My sister hates you still, it’s true, but Fate brought me here to Camp Jupiter. I’ve done well. All I ask is that you work with me for the future. I intend to save this camp. (SON 181)

Initially when she’s introduced, and in the early books especially, Reyna gives off this extremely dangerous vibe, with Percy especially being nervous about her. Her initial proposition here seems very opportunistic at first, with the emphasis being on the power that comes from being her partner first and foremost, and any more romantic (or otherwise) partnership being implied as an add-on. It isn’t really clear whether she has any actual feelings for him or not.

“The point is, Percy, you are the real power on this quest. You are a seasoned veteran. I’ve seen what you can do. A son of Neptune wouldn’t be my first choice, but if you return successfully from this mission, the legion might be saved. The praetorship will be yours for the taking. Together, you and I could expand the power of Rome. We could raise an army and find the Doors of Death, crush Gaea’s forces once and for all. You would find me a very helpful… friend.”

She said that word like it could have several meanings, and he could pick which one.

Percy’s feet started tapping on the floor, anxious to run. “Reyna… I’m honored, and all. Seriously. But I’ve got a girlfriend. And I don’t want power, or a praetorship.”

Percy was afraid he’d made her mad. Instead she just raised her eyebrows.

“A man who turns down power?” she said. “That’s not very Roman of you. Just think about it. In four days, I have to make a choice. If we are to fight off an invasion, we must have two strong praetors. I’d prefer you, but if you fail on your quest, or don’t come back, or refuse my offer… Well, I’ll work with Octavian. I mean to save this camp, Percy Jackson. Things are worse than you realize.” (SON 182-183)

Reyna’s giving off a “together we can rule” kind of vibe, though for benevolent purposes. And the emphasis on him not being her first choice necessarily but preferring him to other options, along with the casual way she talks about him possibly failing his quest or not making it back compounds the perception that this isn’t really about Percy personally, and not about any attraction she may or may not have towards him, but just what he can offer as far as strengthening the camp goes.

He could tell the audience was over. Reyna was having trouble holding herself together, keeping up the image of the confident commander. She needed some time by herself.

But at the door of the principia, Percy couldn’t resist turning. “How did we destroy your home – that spa where you lived?”

The metal greyhounds growled. Reyna snapped her fingers to silence them.

“You destroyed the power of our mistress,” she said. “You freed some prisoners who took revenge on all of us who lived on the island. My sister and I… well, we survived. It was difficult. But in the long run, I think we are better off away from that place.”

“Still, I’m sorry,” Percy said. “If I hurt you, I’m sorry.”

Reyna gazed at him for a long time, as if trying to translate his words. “An apology? Not very Roman at all, Percy Jackson. You’d make an interesting praetor. I hope you’ll think about my offer.” (SON 184-185)

The bit about Reyna having trouble holding herself together and keeping up this image shows a crack in her earlier portrayal, that maybe she isn’t quite as... impassive I think? As she appears while making her ‘offer’ to Percy. It does make me wonder though, how much of this portrayal of her during this scene was a deliberately planned part of her character arc since the beginning, and how much was Rick writing this in the early stages and slowly figuring out her character along the way. In later scenes, especially in later books, it seemed like less of a purely pragmatic offer, and more of one with at least some twinges of actual desire behind it, albeit only twinges (not like she knows Percy that well anyway).

She glanced up at the warship. Her expression turned a little wistful. “You say Jason is aboard… I hope that’s true. I’ve missed him.” (SON 512)

Even here, though, at the end of SON, the stalwart commander image she tries to project softens a little, and her closeness with Jason, her desire to see him again, is emphasized. Platonic or romantic, she definitely cares for him.

“Enough,” Reyna snapped. “Annabeth is what she says. She’s here in peace. Besides…” She gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect. “Percy has spoken highly of you.”

The undertones in Reyna’s voice took Annabeth a moment to decipher. Percy looked down, suddenly interested in his cheeseburger.

Annabeth’s face felt hot. Oh gods… Reyna had tried to make a move on Percy. That explained the tinge of bitterness, maybe even envy in her words. Percy had turned her down for Annabeth. (MOA 24)

Here’s where there starts being some pretty strong implications that Reyna did actually care about Percy more personally, her romantic offer was for more than just convenience sake. Especially with the ‘maybe even envy’ part. The bitterness could just as easily be from just the rejection, but the envy implies she actively wants what Annabeth has.

“Uh, Reyna,” Jason said. “if you don’t mind, I’d like to show Piper around before the senate meeting. She’s never seen New Rome.”

Reyna’s expression hardened.

Annabeth wondered how Jason could be so dense. Was it possible he really didn’t understand how much Reyna liked him? It was obvious enough to Annabeth. Asking to show his new girlfriend around Reyna’s city was rubbing salt in a wound.

“Of course,” Reyna said coldly.

Percy took Annabeth’s hand. “Yeah, me too, I’d like to show Annabeth-“

“No,” Reyna snapped.

Percy knit his eyebrows. “Sorry?”

“I’d like a few words with Annabeth,” Reyna said. “Alone. If you don’t mind, my fellow praetor.”

Her tone made it clear she wasn’t really asking permission.

The chill spread down Annabeth’s back. She wondered what Reyna was up to. Maybe the praetor didn’t like the idea of two guys who had rejected her giving their girlfriends tours of her city. Or maybe there was something she wanted to say in private. Either way, Annabeth was reluctant to be alone and unarmed with the Roman leader. (MOA 32)

Reyna did have some things she wanted to go over with Annabeth privately, but with the emphasis on Annabeth being able to tell how much Reyna likes Jason, her reacting coldly to him asking to take Piper around the city, along with the way she snapped at Percy for asking to take Annabeth around instead of stating her refusal more calmly, her reactions strongly suggest that she IS hurting from seeing both Percy and Jason with their girlfriends, that she does have feelings for them somewhat, and is trying to suppress it.

“Long story,” Reyna said. “But I remember you well. You were brave. I’d never seen anyone refuse Circe’s hospitality, much less outwit her. It’s no wonder Percy cares for you.”

Her voice was wistful. Annabeth thought it might be safer not to respond. (MOA 37-38)

I didn’t pull quotations emphasizing this specifically, but Reyna’s loneliness and the strain she’s under as a commander, especially having been the lone praetor for so long, is putting her under a lot of stress. I think at least part of the reason for her hints of envy towards Annabeth and coldness about Jason having a girlfriend, is derived from her not really having had the sort of support that Percy and Jason currently have, that intimacy, that ability to drop the walls and image she’s built up in order to lead and to protect herself.

“I wanted to hear it from you,” Reyna said.

Annabeth turned. “Hear what from me?”

“The truth,” Reyna said. “Convince me I’m not making a mistake by trusting you. Tell me about yourself. Tell me about Camp Half-Blood. Your friend Piper has sorcery in her words. I spent enough time with Circe to know charmspeak when I hear it. I can’t trust what she says. And Jason… well, he has changed. He seems distant, no longer quite Roman.”

The hurt in her voice was as sharp as broken glass. Annabeth wondered if she had sounded that way, all the months she’d been searching for Percy. At least she’d found her boyfriend. Reyna had no one. She was responsible for running an entire camp all by herself. Annabeth could sense that Reyna wanted Jason to love her. But he had disappeared, only to come back with a new girlfriend. Meanwhile, Percy had risen to praetor, but he had rebuffed Reyna too. Now Annabeth had come to take him away. Reyna would be left alone again, shouldering a job meant for two people.

When Annabeth had arrived at Camp Jupiter, she’d been prepared to negotiate with Reyna or even fight her if needed. She hadn’t been prepared to feel sorry for her.

She kept that feeling hidden. Reyna didn’t strike her as someone who would appreciate pity. (MOA 38-39)

The loneliness is really apparent here, and very explicit. I don’t think it’s even really about ‘romantic love’, as far as the whole thing with Jason goes, exactly, but... being that high level of priority. Having someone there for you closely. I think she at least thinks that a romantic relationship with Jason, or even Percy, may provide that. And that’s something most people need, regardless of orientation.

“You see?” Reyna said bitterly. “The spear is thrown. Our people are at war.”

“Not if I succeed,” Annabeth said.

Reyna’s expression looked the same as it had at Camp Jupiter when she realized Jason had found another girl. The praetor was too alone, too bitter and betrayed to believe anything could go right for her ever again. Annabeth waited for her to attack. (MOA 253)

Between this sudden attack out of nowhere, Jason disappearing and returning with having bonded with these new people, especially Piper, and having ‘changed’ as she said, no longer having anyone around she’s close to... well. She’s just managing as best she can.

In the center of the line stood Reyna, her metal dogs Aurum and Argentum at her side. Upon seeing her, Jason felt an incredible pang of guilt. He’d let her believe they had a future together. He had never been in love with her, and he hadn’t led her on exactly… but he also hadn’t shut her down.

He’d disappeared, leaving her to run the camp on her own. (Okay, that hadn’t exactly been Jason’s idea, but still…) Then he had returned to Camp Jupiter with his new girlfriend Piper and a whole bunch of Greek friends in a warship. They’d fired on the Forum and run away, leaving Reyna with a war on her hands. (HOH 247)

I couldn’t find much about Reyna’s relationships with others in HOH since she’s barely in the book. From the looks of things, he’d at least believed that Reyna wanted to be with him actively long-term, something which jives pretty well with previous passages concerning Reyna’s relationship with Jason. Makes me curious how exactly they interacted in the past, what went down between them.

Also more emphasis on Reyna being stressed and on her own. That seems to be pretty heavily associated with anything talking about her love life.

So far in the ancient lands, she’d only seen one place on her wish list: Diocletian’s Palace in Split, and even that visit had hardly gone the way she’d imagined. Reyna used to dream about going there with Jason to admire their favorite emperor’s home. She pictured romantic walks with him through the old city, sunset picnics on the parapets. (BOO 75)

And then comes Blood of Olympus, where we actually get to see Reyna’s perspective, her thoughts, instead of having to infer them from other characters’ perceptions of her. The daydreaming about going on trips with him and explicitly ‘romantic’ walks and picnics seems like she genuinely desired that to some extent. Though I do notice those are pretty cliche desires, so that may also feed into the part of her arc with feeling pressured to perform a certain way, to ‘be’ a certain way, and believing that this is how to find happiness.

She found Thalia’s eyes distracting: electric blue, intense, and alert, so much like Jason’s. (BOO 221)

Just wanted to note this bit, since she’s paying special attention to Thalia here, especially her eyes. Though I’m iffy about this representing attraction to Reyna, since Thalia’s eyes are often commented on (at least in their heads) and a major factor in paying attention to them seems to have to do with them being like Jason’s, which could account for the focus.

The giant’s eyes clicked and dilated. Red laser dots floated across Reyna’s breastplate. “Ah, the young praetor. I admit, I’ve been curious. Before I slay you, perhaps you’ll enlighten me. Why would a child of Rome go to such lengths to help the Greeks? You have forfeited your rank, abandoned your legion, made yourself an outlaw – and for what? Jason Grace scorned you. Percy Jackson refused you. Haven’t you been… what’s the word… dumped enough?”

Reyna’s ears buzzed. She recalled Aphrodite’s warning, two years ago in Charleston: You will not find love where you wish or where you hope. No demigod shall heal your heart.

She forced herself to meet the giant’s gaze. “I don’t define myself by the boys who may or may not like me.” (BOO 238)

It just occurred to me that I really have no clue how Orion knows about Reyna’s love life. Like I know Python can provide some intel, but was that detail REALLY that important?

Anyway, this statement by Reyna, “I don’t define myself by the boys who may or may not like me.”, is an important step in how she relates to romance in general, and in her portrayal in the series, particularly in the Tyrant’s Tomb. Before this a lot of emphasis was placed on her being rejected by Percy and Jason, and of at least somewhat wanting to be with them in some capacity, or at least believing that she did. After this she seems more at peace with herself and less focused on past or present pursuit of relationships for herself.

“Once in Charleston, Venus told me something. She said: You will not find love where you wish or where you hope. No demigod shall heal your heart. I- I have struggled with that for…” Her words broke. (BOO 492)

Near the end of BOO, she finally talks to someone about this. A lot of people know, but... well, with the emphasis on how alone she is, how she has to keep up appearances, it doesn’t seem like she’s really gotten a chance to break down and talk to someone. I’m glad she got to do it with Piper. And this proclamation, this prophecy, the seeming hopelessness of it that appears to re-emphasize her being alone, along with implying that she’s broken in some way with the reference to her needing to be ‘healed’... I can only imagine how it would torment her.

Reyna rolled her eyes. “If I had a denarius for every time I got that question… Aside from the fact that Thalia is in the Hunters, and thus sworn to celibacy… why does a strong friendship always have to progress to romance? Thalia’s an excellent friend. Why would I risk messing that up?” (TTT 228)

By TTT she’s had a lot more time to come to terms with her thoughts and feelings about relationships and romance, plus she’s not alone anymore, though the situation is still dire and stressful. While during HOO her being without support and having to manage everything by herself was interwoven with the narrative about her feelings towards Jason and Percy and her lack of romantic relationships, that’s not present here. In fact, it’s the opposite, with her having a strong friendship and having no desire to turn it into something romantic. It seems like those concepts became unbundled, with her having strong support and friendship unrelated to any romance.

Reyna broke a dry branch off a shrub and flicked it into the underbrush. “I went on that quest with Jason, what, two years ago? Venus took one look at me and decided… I don’t know. I was broken. I needed romantic healing. Whatever. I wasn’t back at camp a full day before the whispering started. Nobody would admit that they knew, but they knew. The looks I got: Oh, poor Reyna. The innocent suggestions I got about who I should date.”

She didn’t sound angry. It was more like weighed down and weary. I remembered Frank Zhang’s concern about how long Reyna had shouldered the burdens of leadership, how he wished he could do more to relieve her. Apparently, a lot of legionnaires wanted to help Reyna. Not all of that had been welcome or useful.

“The thing is,” she continued, “I’m not broken.”

“Of course not.” (TTT 233)

This conception about “being broken” is something aces tend to end up feeling, at least without knowing more about asexuality. I didn’t get it as much since I wasn’t surrounded with as much emphasis on dating and sex as a lot of other people are, so I started figuring out maybe I was different from most other people only awhile after having run across the term; I just figured it was normal to have this attraction thing start up sometime later, like late teens or so, and that I didn’t exactly know what people were talking about anyway so maybe I just didn’t recognize it. By the time I figured out that I probably wasn’t going to develop this “sexual attraction” thing anytime soon I already knew about different sexualities and was able to research the topic to see what best description best fit my own experience. So I’m glad Rick touched on Reyna’s discomfort here. With some of the earlier passages I think she may have come to view herself the same way other people were viewing her, as needing a romantic partner to help her, but now she’s realized that was never really necessary for her; she doesn’t need that in her life.

After this, the whole scene with Lester awkwardly asking Reyna out occurs, and she figures out how ridiculous all this stress over who she should be with is, that it’s not something she needs to force herself to do, to dedicate all this time and energy too.

“My whole life, I’ve been living with other people’s expectations of what I’m supposed to be. Be this. Be that. You know?”

[…]

“But the whole time I’ve been a leader here,” she forged on, “I was looking for a partner. Praetors often partner up. In power. But also romantically, I mean. I thought Jason. Then for a hot minute, Percy Jackson. Gods help me, I even considered Octavian.” She shuddered. “Everybody was always trying to ship me with somebody. Thalia. Jason. Gwen. Even Frank. Oh, you’d be perfect together! That’s who you need! But I was never really sure if I wanted that, or if I just felt like I was supposed to want it. People, well-meaning, would be like, Oh, you poor thing. You deserve somebody in your life. Date him. Date her. Date whoever. Find your soulmate.”

She looked to me to see if I was following. Her words came out hot and fast, as if she’d been holding them in for a long time. “And that meeting with Venus. That really messed me up. No demigod will heal your heart. What was that supposed to mean? Then finally, you came along.”

“Do we have to review that part again? I am quite embarrassed enough.”

“But you showed me. When you proposed dating…”

She took a deep breath, her body shaking with silent giggles. “Oh, gods. I saw how ridiculous I’d been. How ridiculous the whole situation was. That’s what healed my heart – being able to laugh at myself again, at my stupid ideas about destiny. That allowed me to break free – just like Frank broke free of his firewood. I don’t need another person to heal my heart. I don’t need a partner… at least, not until and unless I’m ready on my own terms. I don’t need to be force-shipped with anyone or wear anyone else’s label. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So thank you.” (TTT 405-406)

I understand her confusion here about whether she herself wanted to be with someone, or whether she felt like she should enough that she forced some facsimile of those feelings onto herself. I suspect that there were at least twinges of genuine romantic feelings concerning Jason at least - a lot of the focus around romance is in regards to him, and some of her reactions regarding him appeared to be more instinctual to me, like her reaction to him suggesting showing Piper around the city. Now how strong those feelings really were and whether they’d sync up well with a romantic relationship, I’m not sure. Just because you can imagine a relationship being one way, actually experiencing it you may find it’s not for you, that conceptually it’s appealing but not when actually trying to have one.

She doesn’t seem entirely sure of her own feelings as far as dating someone goes either, but she’s letting go of the idea, of the feeling that she needs to figure it out now. She can just... be.

When I was first trying to figure out what the heck my orientation was, I fretted about it for a bit, trying to analyze my own feelings and compulsions. I thought demisexual or asexual, and as for my romantic orientation... bi perhaps?

Eventually I just... stopped worrying over it. At least all that much. Pretty sure I’m ace, but romantic orientation I’m still unsure of, though I’m currently leaning aro. And even in my twenties, I’m not totally clear on it. And I don’t have to be. Neither does Reyna. If she ends up with feelings for someone, of whatever gender, that’s fine. If she doesn’t, that’s fine too. Maybe she’ll end up changing what she thinks of herself, what she believes her orientation is as she has more experiences. Or maybe she won’t. It’s good either way.

Joining the Hunters decoupled the themes of loneliness, of isolation from HOO with the idea of romantic relationships even more thoroughly. She has that sort of camaraderie with them. She doesn’t need to be strong for them, to be the high leader. She has that support, along with not needing to be responsible for so many people’s welfare and morale anymore, all without any romantic pressure. She can just chill. There’s a reason she regards it as a vacation. And seriously, good for her!

Side note: based on the focus Reyna has on male characters as possibly being viable partners while not seeming to consider any female characters in the same light, even listing Jason, Percy, and Octavian (though I kinda doubt that was romantic) as ones she considered, but listing Thalia, Jason, Gwen, and Frank as people she was shipped with, I suspect that she’s hetero-leaning. It’s hardly conclusive evidence though, headcanon what you like.

#reyna avila ramirez arellano #reyna ramirez arellano #trials of apollo #heroes of olympus #toa #hoo #asexuality #analysis #my analysis

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winryofresembool · 4 years

Text

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 27

aka Caleo uni au

Chapter summary: The exam season is underway (yet somehow I don’t mention the exams all too many times...)

A/N: Yay, I'm back with this fic!! I think I can promise a bit more regular updates at least in the near future, but I will be starting to work longer hours possibly starting from next week so I will have a bit less free time then. I am still determined to keep up with my 500ish words per day goal so it should cause too much delay!

That's that, I hope you guys are as happy to return to this universe as I am! As usual, please let me know what you think :) This fic is about to take my longest fic position from Love Can Melt the Ice, so knowing that there are people who care about it really means a lot to me!

Words: 2393

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / AO3

Leo would have been lying if he had claimed that everything went back to completely normal after the talk with Calypso. Sure, they both really tried harder to act as neutral and friendly as possible around each other; whenever they were at home at the same time, they chatted casually about how things were going at work and at the university, their latest TV show or music discoveries, or some silly thing one of their friends had said or done recently. Sometimes they even watched something together or cleaned the common area together. However, the earlier confessions were never mentioned. On the surface things were ‘just fine’, but the unspoken words and lingering looks spoke for itself. Leo knew things were still heating up under the surface and sooner or later they would have to make some difficult decisions. But until then, he wasn’t going to risk anything by disrespecting the guidelines that they had set during their ‘big talk’, even if it was hard to resist sometimes.

One evening Leo found Calypso studying for her upcoming exams on the common area couch. She was wearing a pink, tunic length sweater that matched her lip color, and black leggings that hugged her legs tightly (not that he’d ever tell her that he had noticed such things). She had also pulled her now medium length hair into a messy ponytail so it wouldn’t bother her while she was reading, showing her nicely shaped facial features better. Despite noticing all that, Leo’s thoughts soon went to the facts that he had recently learned about his flatmate. Now he knew more about the hardships she had gone through; a dead sister, an abusive, controlling father, being alone all those years and the nightmares she had mentioned while drunk. Yet, somehow there she was, having escaped her father’s grip and looking perfectly content doing something as boring and normal as studying for exams. The girl was way stronger than he had earlier given her credit for, and Leo admired her capability to stay so calm; he wasn’t so sure the ghosts of his own past would leave him alone that easily.

“Hi,” he finally said before Calypso noticed that he’d been standing there just watching her far too long despite the rules they had set. “What are you reading?”

Calypso showed him the book. If she was surprised to see him, she hid it well. “A collage of Frenchmen’s experiences at the front lines during World War II. I know. A very cheerful way to finish the day.” She grimaced.

“Huh? I thought you were mostly focusing on older history? I didn’t know you study that stuff too,” Leo noted, shifting from one foot to another.

“Well, they do require us to have a good enough understanding of the newer events as well,” Calypso replied, now looking at him directly. For some reason that one look managed to make chills go down Leo’s spine. “It is true, though, that I am more interested in ancient history. There’s so much we still don’t know about those times and I want to be able to discover more.”

“I see,” Leo said. “I think I understand what you mean. I am constantly hoping to discover new ways to create things that will be useful for all of us. Flying dragons that use energy drinks as their energy source? How epic would that be?” Excitement surged through him when he simply thought about it.

“Isn’t that a bit out there?” Calypso asked, but Leo didn’t miss the amused glint in her eyes. “And what if everyone had flying dragons and that would cause horrible air accidents? I don’t know about you but to me they don’t sound very safe.”

“Sunshine, what’s life without some danger?” Leo questioned.

“Hmm, let me think: safe?” Calypso retorted.

“Ouch. Well, I don’t think I have time to invent flying dragons any time soon, so you don’t have to worry about that,” Leo reassured her, but now that the idea had been planted into his head, he decided to return to it some day in the future. Hopefully when he would be able to handle fire.

“That’s a relief,” Calypso replied. “Speaking of your inventions… have you decided what you’re going to do about your studies? The last time I asked you said you haven’t been in contact with your professor yet.”

That was a question Leo had been dreading for. He preferred to not talk about that topic unless he had to, but the truth was that he was still quite unsure about being able to continue. However, he hadn’t made any final decisions yet.

“I’ll… I’ll keep working to overcome my fear,” he responded vaguely. “I think I’ve made some small progress during our sessions. If I can keep that going, I may be able to retake the test next year. Small steps, you know.” In reality, so far he had managed to stay close to a small, burning candle for a short period of time without freaking out, but he still didn’t want to try the matches whenever Calypso suggested it. There was still a long way to go before he’d be able to use all the machines he needed during lab classes and at work.

“Okay,” Calypso said, but to Leo she sounded a bit unconvinced. Her voice got more reassuring, though, when she added: “You know that you can ask for my help any time you need it.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Leo nodded. “And same right back at you. I mean, you can ask me. If you need anything.” For some annoying reason he managed to only get stuttering out of his mouth at that moment. “Even if you simply want me to make you a miniature dragon in the middle of the night. It’s fine. I’d totally make it.”

“And why would I want you to make me a miniature dragon in the middle of the night?” Calypso looked at him questioningly. Before Leo managed to answer, her face softened into a smile and she added: “I really appreciate the thought, though. It feels so different… in a good way… to have people in my life who genuinely support me. I haven’t had that, well, since I got separated from my mom.”

She sat a bit straighter on the couch, her gaze going back and front between Leo and her book, and Leo wondered if she was debating if she should reach for him and touch his shoulder or something. Maybe even hug. One side of him wished she would just go for it. But that would have violated their newly made rules and neither wanted to make things even more complicated than they already were. They simply kept staring at each other for a while, as if trying to read each other’s thoughts, but finally Calypso sighed and turned her focus back on her book, closing it.

“I didn’t realize it’s already this late…” She said, adjusting her hair a bit with the hand that wasn’t holding the book. “I still need to finish an assignment for tomorrow.”

She stood up and started walking towards her room, but when she got past Leo, her arm briefly touched his. Leo’s arm was still tingling after Calypso closed the door behind her.

…

A few days later, Leo was still thinking of that incident when he almost fell over a big rock that was standing on his road. He and Jason were currently having a well deserved evening off after finishing their last exams of the semester earlier that day (Leo felt like he had at least succeeded with the calculations but his essay writing was a bit sloppy) and in honor of that they had decided to go for a long jog and after that have a big, unhealthy meal in one of their favorite pizza places. While they were on their way there, Jason had been explaining something about his holiday plans when Leo had zoned out, and Jason had to grab his arm so he didn’t fall.

“Hey, man, you OK?” Jason asked, frowning. “What just happened there?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m OK.” Leo brushed some dust off the sleeves of his coat. “I was just… thinking. And didn’t notice the rock on the road.”

“Hmmm, what got you that thoughtful?” Jason inquired. “I bet you didn’t even hear what I just said.”

“You know I have a pretty nasty case of ADHD, sometimes I just zone out randomly,” Leo said defensively, not wanting to admit aloud that recently he had been even more distracted than usual because of a certain flatmate of his. “And no, I didn’t hear you.”

“Alright,” Jason shrugged. “I was telling you that Piper’s dad has invited us to visit him over the break. I’m not sure yet if we are going, though. Piper didn’t seem very enthusiastic about it. Sure, she wants to see him, but she suspects he’s still working most of the time so it would be the same to just call instead of traveling all the way to LA.”

“Mmmh,” Leo mumbled, trying hard to stay in the present moment. “I’m going to be at Waystation during the break so if you guys decide to stay, we can still hang out.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know what we decide to do. That wasn’t all, though…” Jason continued, his face becoming concerned. “I think Piper has seemed quite distant lately, and not just when we’ve been talking about that trip. Sometimes I worry that she’s gotten bored of me, or something.”

“No way, man!” Leo exclaimed. “I’ve seen you guys together often enough to know that she loves you. Maybe she’s just going through a rough phase or something.”

Jason didn’t seem quite convinced. “I guess so. It’s just that usually she tells me directly what’s bothering her. This… keeping things inside her isn’t like her.”

“Maybe you just need to give her some time,” Leo suggested. “It’s like me with Cal; I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut more often and in exchange she has slowly started opening up to me more recently.”

“She has? That’s great!” Jason cheered up. “How is it going with you two anyway? I heard some things about the Halloween party aftermath…”

“Nothing happened after the party!” Leo yelped, raising his hands. “Whatever Piper has told you, all lies.”

“Really? So you two wouldn’t have kissed if Piper hadn’t interrupted you guys?” Jason raised his eyebrow.

If Leo’s cheeks hadn’t already been red from the jogging, he certainly would have blushed. “Um… well… the point is that we didn’t. Besides, we’ve set some rules that we’re supposed to follow because we don’t wanna make our co living too complicated.”

“So there is something going on between you two and you are acknowledging it,” Jason teased. “You wouldn’t need to set any rules otherwise.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Leo muttered. “If you must know, we did admit that we like each other after the party.”

“But that’s great!” Jason exclaimed.

“It feels pretty crazy,” Leo replied. “Sometimes I wonder why she likes me, but maybe the Bad Boy Supreme’s magic is stronger than I thought.”

Jason snorted at his comment. “I don’t know Calypso as well as you do but I doubt it’s the so-called Bad Boy Supreme side that she cares about. You pretend to be all cool and try to seem like you don’t care about what’s happening around you but I think you do that only because you care too much. Maybe Calypso has noticed that as well.”

“Dude, you’ve been hanging out with Piper too much.” Leo shook his head. “That’s something she would say. ” “Well, she’s not wrong. Anyway, what happened after the big confession?”Jason asked curiously.

“We’re not together if that’s what you’re asking, ” Leo denied immediately. “I just mentioned the rules, remember? We wouldn’t need them if we had decided to go down that road.” “Ouch… but why? Why didn’t you just decide to do it?” Jason wanted to know.

“For some stupid, noble reasons,” Leo grunted. “I’m not gonna go into the details because it’s up to her to talk about it, but long story short, she thinks it’s safer that way. I think she’s afraid of hurting one of us.”

“And do you think she’s right?” Jason inquired.

“I… No! I’ve told her I can handle it. But I’m not gonna push it - believe me, Jo and Emmie have given me long lectures about respecting women’s boundaries. If Cal and I wanna keep living together, I have to let it be.”

“Yeah, I can see your point.” Jason nodded.

“Besides…” Leo added after a moment, his face falling as he thought about his past. “Bad things tend to follow me. Who is to say that I wouldn’t be the one getting her into trouble?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because when have I ever been successful with anything I’ve done?” Leo asked in return.

Jason seemed to finally understand what event Leo was really referring to. “You’re still beating yourself for things that happened years ago?”

“Why do you think I’m not capable of going to some of the lab classes? Because I simply think that skipping is fun and I don’t care whether I pass it or not?” There had been a time when Leo hadn’t cared about his school success, but back in those days he hadn’t cared about much else either. Now that he had dreams and things to live for, he hated the idea that anyone would think he’d throw it all away just because he could. His new family deserved better than that for what they had done for him.

“No, no, I was not thinking that! You just never talk about it so I assumed… whatever.” Jason didn’t want to make Leo even angrier so he decided it was better to change the topic. “Maybe we should talk about something else. I still hope that you and Cal will work it out eventually.”

“Yeah. I hope so too. Same for you and Piper.” The friends had gotten close to their destination, so Leo exclaimed quickly: “Hey, I’m smelling the pizza now! Whoever is last at the door pays!”

“That’s a bad deal because you know I’m faster than you. I train every day!” Jason pointed out but soon sprinted after him.

#caleo #leo valdez #calypso #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #trials of apollo #my fics #caleo uni au

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twh-news · 8 years

Photo

Welcome to Skull Island: on set with Tom Hiddleston and the biggest King Kong ever | The Guardian

The director and cast of Kong: Skull Island, including Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson, discuss filming opposite an 85ft ape – while using as little green screen as possible.

“Apologies for the shirtlessness,” says Tom Hiddleston. “I didn’t want to show off.” The world’s most impeccably spoken Marvel baddie is looking awfully embarrassed. I’ve caught him emerging topless from his trailer, late at night, with female company. The makeup artist has been in with him, carefully pawing at his torso. Hiddleston is shooting a movie in Hawaii and, as it is, his skin doesn’t look sufficiently sun damaged. Muddier stuff is slathered on, and our star is good to go.

This dramatic tan is part of the latest, and perhaps most adventurous, step in Hiddleston’s ascent to the A-list: the lead role in a grand new reboot of the King Kong franchise. It is why we are both standing in mud in the middle of the night on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

The question arises, though: do we really need another movie about King Kong? Ever since the romantic giant ape landed in New York in 1933 with a giant crush on Fay Wray, he has cropped up in at least another six films, most recently Peter Jackson’s handsome 2005 remake. In the latest reincarnation, Kong: Skull Island, he is getting the origins treatment – his story beginning again, ready to be continued in future films. Reassuringly, any reservations one might have about such a project seem to be shared by the film’s producers, who chuck around words such as “fresh” and “current” as casually as Kong juggles biplanes.

“I went in and pitched a movie I would want to see and my friends would want to see,” says the director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts. “I honestly thought they were going to laugh me out of the room. Then they responded really well and we started building that story.”

One can understand this initial concern. The 33-year-old has just one full-length credit to his name: the low-key coming-of-age indie The Kings of Summer. The only thing that film has in common with this one is that trees feature. Vogt-Roberts also looks every inch the indie director – gold medallions, heavy hipster beard – not a guy you would automatically trust with a reported $190m (£152m) budget. But maybe it is because of his indie credentials that the vibe on set seems so relaxed. There is an army-like camaraderie between the actors playing soldiers and those playing non-military folk.

So what is the movie that Vogt-Roberts and his pals would want to watch? Well, it’s set in 1972: the Vietnam war is almost over and the Landsat programme is dawning. For the first time, satellite imagery is able to capture the Earth as a whole and shine a light on previously unknown areas. A voyage to discover what really lies on a mysterious island is launched with a ragtag crew, all with conflicting missions.

“In the early 70s,” says Vogt-Roberts, “the world was in chaos, and I love the idea of using that as an access point for the characters, taking people who are in the middle of sexual revolutions and racial riots and losing wars for the first time and political scandals – people who are watching the world crumble around them – and sending them to an island untouched by man. There’s a sense of catharsis to that.”

But don’t be fooled by the film’s vintage feel. The producers are keen to position this as a contemporary adventure. Recruiting Hiddleston, hot off award-winning TV show The Night Manager, is indicative, and he is surrounded by an eclectic and self-consciously contemporary ensemble. There is 2016’s best actress Oscar-winner Brie Larson, franchise addict Samuel L Jackson, character actor John C Reilly, Straight Outta Compton breakouts Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell, plus John Goodman, fresh from his terrifying turn in 10 Cloverfield Lane.

“It’s a pretty big family to be travelling around the world with,” Larson says, mid-midnight snack. We are in an open air tent and she is ploughing through salad, surprisingly energetic and awake. She has just done the umpteenth take of one especially draining scene; there are many more to come. “Usually, I’d be done by now,” she says with a grin. “Most films I’ve done are 20-, 30-day shoots. So I keep thinking this is the end and we’re not even a quarter of the way in.”

To create a place of unique otherworldliness that could conceivably exist on Earth, three locations – Australia, Vietnam and Hawaii – are being amalgamated. There is an emphasis on bricks–and-mortar sets rather than a CGI overload, which is reserved for the big man himself (a Kong record height of roughly 85ft/26 metres) and a host of nasty creatures with whom he shares his ecosystem. “Jordan always insisted that we should be in real places,” Hiddleston says. “There should be as little soundstage or green-screen work as possible. He was location-scouting for nine or 10 months.”

Despite the hour, he is animated and enthusiastic as he talks to me between takes. This scene involves the characters arguing over whether Kong is friend or foe. It is intense, but what is initially thrilling to watch from the wings becomes notably less exciting the 30th time round. While Hiddleston and Larson remain upbeat (she does an improvised workout with a prop gun whenever the camera stops rolling), Jackson is starting to feel the strain. “How many times have we done this?” he asks. No one seems to know.

When it comes to my chat with him, I’m gathered with a handful of other journalists and his weariness seeps through.

“Why do you think this King Kong is different from the other King Kongs that we’ve seen,” asks one journalist. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen it,” replies Jackson.

“When we spoke to the director and the other actors, they compared your character to Captain Ahab. Is that something that inspired you too,” asks another. “No,” says Jackson.

Still, at least Jackson made it to Hawaii this time. In 1992, he was due to head here to film his doomed role in Jurassic Park when a hurricane destroyed the set before his scenes were shot. His work on Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur thriller was consequently based in LA. His biggest challenge for both projects, he reports, remains the invisible co-stars.

“The first lesson I got on green screen was from George Lucas years ago: the more you do, the more we have to draw,” he says. Do the practical sets help? “No, because you still have to ask the same questions. How big is it? Where is it? How fast is it moving? Sometimes they don’t have the answer to that.”

At least his Avengers co-star is living and breathing, right? “Tom’s got his fans,” he says with a smile. “A lot of girls. It’s good to work with people you know and trust. I guess he’ll be going back into the Marvel universe and put that green suit on again. Hopefully, I’ll be back with my eye patch and we’ll be together again.”

The love is mutual: Hiddleston waxes on about how Jackson is “a consummate professional … just a very fine actor”. But that, surprisingly, is about it when it comes to romance in the film. Despite Kong’s penchant for women, in this version, he is all business, no pleasure.

“This is not a traditional Beauty and the Beast story,” says Vogt-Roberts. “I personally don’t want to see a damsel-in-distress story and I don’t think the rest of the world really wants to see that any more.”

This was a deal-breaker for Larson, too, who added tenacity to a victim narrative in Room and will next be squaring off with a warehouse full of gun-toting blokes in Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire. “We’re in a really interesting time when we’re interested in seeing something different,” she says. “I’ve seen women who have found their way to continue to be feminine but still exert a sense of force and a sense of strength, and that’s important to me.”

Kong: Skull Island, then, is dodging some familiar tropes. But it is also part of a very modern trend: not just a kickstart to one dusty franchise, but a way of breathing life into a shared universe, a world also inhabited by another giant of the screen: Godzilla. The breadcrumbs have already been dropped online, and there are easter eggs in the film to reward the hardcore monster fans. But, on set, everyone is tight-lipped about the upcoming face-off, scheduled for 2020.

“I don’t know much about it,” Hiddleston says. “We’ve got to finish this one. I obviously know it’s a plan and that’s what Legendary [the company in charge of both properties] wants to do. It’s exciting and something that hasn’t been done in a long time. If it’s done in the right way, then it could be cool.”

Godzilla 2, with its rather leading title, King of the Monsters, is next, with Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things attached. Might a Kong sequel be on the way, too? Vogt-Roberts shrugs off talk with a lightness befitting his roots, rather than his reality: “That’s a little bit above my pay grade.”

#kong skull island #kong: skull island #Article #interview #tom hiddleston #KSI promo

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Valentine's Day Sweethearts: The Cutest Celeb Couples Who Can't Get Enough of Each Other

Valentine's Day is officially here and we can't help ourselves from obsessing over all the love in Hollywood!

Whether you're single and spending the day with your gal-pals, or looking forward to a romantic date night with your significant other once the workday is done, we think it's safe to say we all have one thing in common -- we can't get enough of cute, celebrity couples.

In honor of the holiday, ET's rounded up the famous pairs who haven't been able to stop gushing over each other this year.

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry

Alexi Lubomirski

This is an extra special holiday for the royal and his fiancée, as it marks their first Valentine's Day as an engaged couple. During an interview with BBC News last November, the two were all smiles while recalling how they first met, and how Prince Harry ultimately popped the question.

"I'd never watched Suits, I'd never heard of Meghan before, and I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her [for the first time]," he said of their first meeting, which was a blind date set up by one of their mutual friends. "I was like, 'Wow, OK. I'm going to have to up my game here. I'm going to sit down and make sure I got a good chat.'"

"The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was a confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned and everything was just perfect," he continued. "We are a fantastic team, we know that we are, and we want to, over time, have as much impact for all of the things that we care about as much as possible."

As for how Harry proposed, Meghan described the moment as "so sweet, natural and very romantic."

"[It was] just a cozy night," she said, adding that they were "trying" to roast a chicken. "It was just an amazing surprise. He got on one knee."

George & Amal Clooney

Elisabetta A. Villa/WireImage

For George, life changed for the better the moment he met Amal, whom he married in 2014. In a sweet clip from his revealing interview on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, streaming now on Netflix, the 56-year-old actor opened up about finding the new, "very odd" purpose to his life. "I have to say, before I had the twins, I felt that about her," George says of his wife, who gave birth to their twins, Alexander and Ella, last June. "I felt that I met someone who, you know, I would absolutely trade my life for. I'd met someone that, her life meant more to me than my life, and I had never had that experience before."

David & Victoria Beckham

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Proving they're still going strong as one of Hollywood's hottest power couples, the lovebirds, who tied the knot in 1999, weren't shy about packing on the PDA earlier this month during New York Fashion Week. The former Spice Girl planted a giant smooch on her husband, who sat front row at her fashion show with three of their four kids. "Show day... proud of mummy," David later wrote on Instagram.

In an interview with Today last March, Victoria couldn't help herself from marveling over her "great" partner in crime. "I'm lucky that David is the most fantastic father and husband," she shared. "We're very equal at home, and we're a really, really good team."

"I think he's my soulmate," she added. "We complement each other. He's the most incredible husband, fantastic father. He inspires me every day. Not just seeing him with the children and how he treats me. It just works. We're lucky to have each other."

Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen

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Through good times and bad.

After a devastating Super Bowl LII loss earlier this month, we have a feeling the New England Patriots quarterback may be the one receiving the chocolates this Valentine's Day! But all jokes aside, the athlete couldn't be happier about having the greatest support system by his side, 24/7.

"My love, we are incredibly proud of you because we are able to see every day all the commitment, sacrifice and hard work that you have devoted to become the best in what you do," Gisele shared on behalf of her and their children following the NFL championship game. "We love you!"

Jennifer Lopez & Alex Rodriguez

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Speaking of the Super Bowl, the game was a much happier one for these two lovebirds, who celebrated their one-year anniversary together at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When ET caught up with J.Lo the night before the game, she had nothing but amazing things to say about the former MLB star.

"What was I doing one year ago today? I was with Alex," she exclaimed. "We had just met and, you know, it was good. It was a good night."

"It's crazy. We both are so happy about our lives right now and where we're at professionally, as well as personally," she continued. "Things seem to be flowing in a really beautiful way. We both have a lot of support for each other and a lot of love for each other. ... We're just really happy. It's a good time."

Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel

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What better way to show your love for your significant other than by dedicating an entire album to them? That's exactly what Justin did for Jessica and their 2-year-old son, Silas, on Man of the Woods. He also included his wife in the music video for the title track, in which he croons, "I brag about you to anyone outside. I'm a man of the woods, it's my pride."

Last month, the lovebirds made the Golden Globes their date night, adorably gushing over each other ahead of the awards show. "DAMN, my wife is hot!" Justin marveled in a sweet Instagram post.

Chrissy Teigen & John Legend

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS

Always keeping us entertained, this happy pair was a definite on our list! Chrissy, who is currently pregnant with their second child, a baby boy, has been together with John since 2007 (they tied the knot in September 2013), but they seem to have no problem keeping the romance alive.

ET caught up with the "All of Me" singer late last month, where he opened up about expanding their little family. The two are already parents to a 1-year-old daughter, Luna. "I'm very much in love with my wife and my daughter," he shared. "So, if the next baby has any of their characteristics, I'll be very happy."

Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban

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Last but definitely not least, a couple that's kept their love alive for over a decade! Nicole and Keith are never shy about packing on the PDA, always looking head-over-heels in love whether they're just casually out in public or all dressed up and posing for pictures on the red carpet.

But behind the scenes, their bond is even stronger. "Keith always says to me, 'You stay raw and sensitive, and I'll buffer things for you,' which is a beautiful offering," the Oscar winner recently explained in her Glamour magazine interview. "He is always told, 'You're so tough,' and he says, 'That’s not what I want for you, Nicole. You don't need to get a thick skin.'"

"I think for me, it's about having a place that's safe to nurture you, where the tears can be shed," she added. "That way I can actually go back open and curious and willing. And at times scarred and a little damaged."