#Fort Jackson

[unteriors]

Converse Road, Fort Jackson, New York.

[evolvearoundmyworld]

Graduated Early 🤣 you never thought 😘

[ramon-balaguer]

As challenging as this Good News Club school session at Fort Jackson was, it was well worth it and grateful for our lovely volunteer team 🥰 Here's the pic a parent shared from todays closing celebration plus other pics I've taken in the past. Blessings 🥳🙏🇺🇸#REBTD😇 Introducing Jesus🎚️Christ to Children & Culture‼️ 🤩🙌🙌🙌

[lensandpenpress]

Scenes along the Mississippi 1848 and 2017

Hogan describes the scenery along the river as the tug pulls the clipper ship slowly toward New Orleans, 107 miles distant. Once I looked out over the ship’s bulwarks and saw we were between what seemed to be two long, low earth-mounds, one on either side of the river; there was a bend in the river at the place. These mounds, on which there were trees and houses and gardens and people, were the…

[maioui]

My First Act of Defiance in the US Army

Basic training was challenging and prepared me for what was coming. It didn't get any easier.

Company A, 1st Platoon, 17th Battalion, 1st Brigade In July 1977, I joined the Army and was assigned to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for Basic Training. I was a 98-pound weakling soaking wet in my uniform. Assigned to an all-female unit, I was in awe of the mixed bag of women of all shapes and sizes from all parts of the country and walks of life co-existing in this new environment. The…

[witchhazelevesque]

Imagine being Percy, coming back from Tartarus only to find that Leo had stolen his best friends Hazel and Frank

[meaniezucchini]

i'm glad you're with me, at the end of all things

[wylldebee]

Was thinking about an AU where Bianca lives—but all I can think of is how much trouble all Big Three kiddos can get into together because demigod luck + being children of the Big Three = chaos, and now I'm imagining something exploding in the distance. There's screaming, monster roars followed by pained cries, and last minute plans that somehow worked. Both camps just heave a big collective sigh.

[atopvisenyashill]

“why would elaena marry a dornishman when they’re nasty evil people who murdered her poor innocent brother daeron”

maybe because once elaena grew up she realized that there were better ways of bringing dorne into the realm than violent conquest, and that daeron got the death he deserved from not just a nobility that is valid for fearing subjugation from valyria but also a smallfolk sick and tired of these people showing up every few decades to set their principality on fire, and put aside any anti dornish sentiments she may or may not have harbored as a child to see the way her family had directly attributed to their suffering, eventually even falling in love with and marrying a dornish man??

also, considering daeron ii attempts a type of proto-reparations act in bringing dorne into the kingdom, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that someone as intelligent as elaena would recognize the inherent racism in the targaryen conquest of dorne and especially considering the very loud anti-dornish, deeply anti intellectual faction in the blackfyre rebellions, realized they wouldn’t be kind or understanding of an intelligent woman like herself and had no interest in herself or her daughters (of which she had four!!) getting shoved back into the maidenvault again?

like, daeron i is on some andrew jackson manifest destiny shit, and if it makes me an asshole for thinking “god i wish someone had merked jackson before he genocided & displaced my ancestors, good on the dornish for realizing you can’t negotiate with imperialists” than i am perfectly comfortable being considered an asshole right next to my girl elaena.

[ladynicte]

Concept, that during the months where Percy went missing, and the whole Camp was searching for him 24/7, Nico just sorta developed this habit of waiting around Percy's door.

Nico is not really used to spending time in Camp, he doesn't really spend time at Camp at all, and sure, he could go with Dyonisus, or Hestia, but he doesn't wanna bother.

Nico knows, they can tell Percy's dissapearing has really started to affect him.

And sure, he's got his own Cabin now, and he used to be so excited about that, but he's found out, he doesn't really like spending time there, to spend time alone with ghosts and bones, he could just go back home.

But still, Nico doesn't want to leave.

Because, what if they manage to find Percy, or he contacts them somehow, or some other threath comes near Camp, and maybe, just maybe, Nico still has this little hope, that the next morning the doors to the Poseidon Cabin will just suddenly open up on their own, and Percy will come out of them, yawning, with his hair all messy, asking for breakfast.

He knows that doesn't happen, and will never happen, but sometimes, Nico allows himself to dream.

And, Nico knows he could actually just enter the Cabin, it wouldn't even be trespassing, not really, either way, it was Percy who first asked him to stay there with him, who first begged him to stay there, before dissapearing.

But, Nico had said no back then.

And, regardless of whether Percy is there or not, it doesn't really matter, his essence of sea salt is everywhere.

Everything on his Cabin is so quintessentially him, and Nico knows, he knows he could never get too close, he could never allow himself that much indulgence, because otherwise, his bones and blood might just boil, and there will be no more coming back from there.

Nico knows he could get lost on Percy Jackson, and if he does, there will be nothing left to salvage of him, afterwards.

So Nico must tread lightly, stand right in front of the ocean, without ever walking in.

Which, to him, translates into appearing from one of his long travels to Camp Jupiter, jumping out of a shadow, and just sitting down, right in front of Percy's Cabin door.

Nico only allows his back to hit against it, he sleeps with his head between his hands, on top of the blue marble, and that's it.

That's as close to Percy as Nico will ever allow himself to get.

And on the other hand, there's Annabeth.

Annabeth, who's dying of worry, who's hair is greying once more because of it, who feels like everything in the world is her responsibility, and Annabeth, who for the love of all The Gods, just cannot find her boyfriend.

She doesn't let other people see her like this, (Or, she tries to not let other people see her like that, at the very least.) But still, she misses Percy.

Is not just the prophecy, or the end of the world, is not just that the Camp needs both their leaders, and is not just that it's a necessity.

Is that she loves Percy and she can't see him.

So, when she's sure everybody else is supposed to be asleep, and she's breaking the rules once more, just for him, she sneaks out of her Cabin, like any self-respecting Athenea Cabin Leader, shouldn't do, and she runs to the Poseidon Cabin.

And at first, she's not sure if it's the Mist, or it's the darkness, or if she's way too tired, and way too overworked, and her eyes are starting to deceive her, but she's sure she sees it.

A little dark shadow, cuddling to the door, like a puppy begging to be let inside, in the middle of a storm.

Against her own instincts, she decides the best tactic is to approach it gently, later on, she's thankful once more to her mother.

Because, Annabeth doesn't know what Nico di Angelo would have done to her, if she suddenly ambushed him while he was dead asleep.

They decide not to talk about it, Annabeth notices the trees and grass around them starting to die, she wonders if Nico can kill even the plants buried deep under the sea.

She doesn't ask.

Instead, they both sit in silence together.

This is probably the most accompanied Annabeth has felt in ages, which is really odd, because sure she knows Nico isn't a bad person, but he still scares her, like the night, and the spiders, back when she was little.

Nico understands neither of them wants to leave, but he would, if only he wasn't so damn tired all the time, he knows he shouldn't shadowtravel so much, but if his body, and his health, are the toll for finding Percy, then so be it.

This pattern repeats every night ever since.

Nico sleeps on the entrance to Percy's door, but never goes in, Annabeth always finds him, but she never speaks.

Eventually, Annabeth starts noticing the way Nico's bones pop, barely visible underneath his dark shirt, or the way his eyebags seem heavier and darker, like a growing bruise on his face every night, the way his veins show through his pale skin, and the way he never eats, well, anything at all, really.

And just the same, Nico notices her grey hairs, the chunks of it that just randomly fall off due to stress, her dirty clothes, the way she can go almost a week straight without remembering to shower, or brush her teeth, the bruises on her body, thanks to all the excersice she's forcing her body to stand, the eyebags that only grow, and grow.

They both know they need to actually sleep at some point.

And sleep for real, not just pass out from exhaustion on Percy's floor from time to time.

Nico has never been the sort to blink first though, so Annabeth understands, negotiations here, are gonna have to fall onto her.

She tells Nico that they need to sleep, like actually quality sleep.

Nico only nods, he doesn't look like he's paying attention to her, but Annabeth's brain has already come up with the most pragmatic, and powerful strategy, to achieve what she wants right now.

Annabeth stands up, and goes back to her Cabin, not without first warning Nico that she will be back in five minutes.

Nico doesn't look like he believes her. Annabeth understands he has got no reason to believe her, it makes the strategy all the more important.

But first, not without terrorizing herself with what she's planning to do.

She sneaks back into her bed, and quietly opens the tiny backpack, that her dad helped her put together, back in their house, before she arrived back home.

She grabs her precious little bag, she opens it, and she sighs.

Annabeth shuts her eyes, and forces herself, to carry her own plan to fruition.

She comes back to Nico, with Percy's shirt, well-carried, on her hands, well, one of his shirts, his preferred Camp Half-Blood shirt.

Percy had given it to Annabeth, before she left to go live with her dad, as a sorta remember-me-by, and Annabeth had never taken it out of its package, for anything at all.

She took it everywhere with her, like a sacred symbol, of some sort of home.

And Annabeth couldn't lie, and say she wasn't scared, mostly, because Nico's stare scared her a little, she thought, if anybody would be able to call her bluff, it wouldn't be Percy, it would be Nico.

(Annabeth was also sure, Nico had a completely clear sight from birth, but that was neither here nor there.)

Her fear wasn't of Nico, though, her fear was on holding the shirt, and not being able to let go.

Of holding onto it, and ruining it, with her strong warrior hands, and her desperation, that ran organs-deep, because she knew the logical outcome here, once she grabbed it, it would eventually stop smelling like Percy, and she would hate it, and then, the illogical outcome she feared so much, that if she lost this one shirt, she would lose all connection to Percy.

And that, would kill her.

And then, it would be like she had never even met him, gone with the wind, lost at sea, like a dream, she would be left with no way to prove, she once knew a boy named Percy who saved the world.

Who loved her just as she loved him.

After that, what would Annabeth even do with herself, anymore.

That all is completely irrational, Illogical, and impossible, Annabeth understands that too, so she forces her legs to keep on moving.

She stops before Nico, and presents the shirt to him, and it isn't lost on Annabeth, the way Nico almost backs off in surprise, and the way his lips open, just ever so slightly, and the way his one visible eye gets wide, and the way Nico's cheeks get this sorta, cutesy rosey, tint to them.

And she's sure she understands, but she cannot make herself deal with that right now.

She tells him "Let's find neutral territory for the moment." She's not sure if she knows what the moment even is.

But still, Annabeth grabs his hand, and against all odds, she's surprised, as Nico allows her to, and she has to force herself not to shiver, because Nico is cold as a corpse, and Annabeth knows way too well, just how quickly corpses get cold.

Nico knows it far far better.

Nico notices. He already knows. He always does.

He doesn't judge her for it, he hates himself too much for it.

Annabeth stops them on a grass patch, some pond nymphs near by, and she can see the nymphs snarling at Nico, and for some reason, she feels so angry all of a sudden, because Annabeth knows, it's not like Nico has ever actually done anything to them.

Annabeth is suddenly reminded of her first big fight with Hera, of screaming at her face, that Nico did belong, back then, it felt so instinctively true.

Now, Annabeth could see the way the Camp died away at his presence, the way the rest of the kids never approached him, unless they needed Nico's help for something.

And yet, Nico did always help them.

Before Annabeth can catch herself, she's already running towards the nymphs, her fists raised, and she knows there was a time where not every single little thing, disturbed her like this, but Nico just grabs her arm, and this time, Annabeth can't hold back the shivers because he's so so cold, and so strong.

Nico quietly tells her, for all to hear "They are just scared, it's fine."

Annabeth knows she can't blame them, because she's scared too, and Nico knows it.

Annabeth slaps her head, forcing herself to back down, she makes herself keep glaring at the pond, but her angry stare just doesn't hold, as she slowly, but surely, forces the shirt done her frame.

Annabeth wants so badly to hold onto it and make it eternal.

The shirt is old, it's only a little oversized on her, it smells exactly like Percy, exactly like the sea.

She's a strong girl, Annabeth doesn't cry, but if she does cry, Nico isn't gonna tell on her with anybody, either way.

After a while, where nobody says anything, where Nico only stares at her:

Annabeth lays quietly on the grass, her eyes wide open, on the moon, and she spreads her arms wide, she can hold them open for an eternity, if that's what it takes until Nico accepts it.

It does feel like an eternity, a little bit like holding the weight of the world in her shoulders, before Nico, looking like a mysterious shadow, slips into her arms.

They don't talk about it, but they can hear their hearts beating way too fast, and way too loud.

Nico has his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, and Annabeth has got to remind herself, that he's holding onto Percy's shirt, not onto her, there's a part of her, that's curious to see, to try to test Nico's limits, to toss the shirt at a fire, and watch Nico chase after it.

But she loves this damn shirt far too much to ever do something like that.

Slowly, Annabeth lowers her own arms, and she's holding onto Nico's hair now, his head heavy between her hands, and Nico is holding onto Percy, which leaves Annabeth wondering, what exactly is her excuse then, in their situation.

At some point, her eyes close, and she doesn't even notice it.

It's the first night of true sleep Nico has gotten in a really long time, for once, not searching for Percy even in his dreams.

The next morning he has breakfast, that he doesn't really eat, but he stays, and it occurs to Annabeth, that Nico staying anywhere, was everything Percy had ever wanted.

She would have to brag about it to him, once Percy got back.

Percy and Nico never admit it out loud.

They understand they are doing something odd.

But Annabeth keeps wearing the shirt, and Nico keeps falling asleep by her side, and there's no excuse to it, anymore, they both can tell the shirt has long since, stopped smelling like Percy and sea salt, and started smelling like shampoo, and Nico's rotten corpse, and pomegranates essence.

Somehow, Annabeth finds, she doesn't hate it that bad.

Nico despises it, but he can't let go of one of the very few soft things he's ever known.

And that's fine, because Annabeth keeps laying with her arms open without asking any questions, and Nico keeps falling asleep, while holding onto her waist, without offering any explanations.

They both know it will never be the same, not ever what they are actually craving, and searching for, because this whole situation has only made them hunt for Percy even harder.

But they can still keep each other company, until they manage to find Percy, somehow, that is.

Annabeth is surprised to find that now, instead of dying, the grass underneath Nico grows mushrooms.

Nico is too.

[lovelyballetandmore]

Jackson Roloff-Hafenbreadl | Fort Lauderdale Youth Ballet

[tiktaalic]

I went to the local library the other day for the first time since I moved here and it was so fucked up. It was lovely. But. And I know all libraries do this to an extent. I’m familiar with the wall wrapping shelf of alphabetical fiction. But ALL of their fiction was arranged alphabetically? There was no sectioning to it whatsoever. No fantasy. No horror. No romance. Just four long shelves and the wraparound that went a to z. It was so strange.

[lanihaluki]

gotta say after watching the pjo episodes…. Percy and Annabeth are Fort and Cyrus coded (will expand on this silly au in notes)

[thetrickstersdaughter]

Hermes came to visit my mom in the hospital the cold winter day I was born. I was all of 8 hours old, and my extended family had left as the hospital was transitioning over to night shift. She told me she could feel his presence in the room as she blinked open her eyes and rolled over slowly as to not jostle her sore body. The young man with the mischievous eyes and salt and pepper hair gave my mother a soft smile; she swore he had a few tears in his eyes, my head of blonde curls tucked into the bend of his elbow.

“We made a beautiful daughter, Jolie. Beautiful, just like her mother.”

She returned his smile, “Maybe, but she’s got that sparkle in her eyes, the same one you get when you’re up to somethin’. That’s all from you, Trouble.”

Hermes smirked at the use of his pet name, “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” His fingers traced the line of my brow and gently brushed my curls, “What did you decide to name her?”

“Rebekah. She’s my little Becky Faye.”

“Becky Faye, just like Jolie Faye: a woman after my own heart.” Hermes sat down on the side of the bed, pausing for a moment as his mood became more serious. “She’s going to have many trials in her life, Jolie. Such is the curse of being a demigod. She’s going to have to grow up to be a fighter, a survivor….”

“She came into this world in only a few hours, kickin’ and screamin’, my darlin’. She’s already got the spirit of a warrior…”

“But of course, because she is the child of a great warrior, born on a base where many great warriors train.” My father kissed my mother on the lips and me on the forehead, then laid me on her chest. “When the time comes, there is a place on Long Island, a camp where she will be safe and can train to take on the dangers in our world. Before then, I will be watching over you both but you cannot let her know about my world until she is ready.”

My mother nodded in understanding and snuggled me closer to her. With one final squeeze of my mother’s hand, my father disappeared in a gust of wind, leaving behind a pair of gold and white winged track shoes. A note attached read, ‘These will grow with her. I love you both, stay safe’.

[krispyweiss]

Movie Review: “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”

There’s another world in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”

This is a world where accordions make women swoon and may be illegal. On this plane, Tiny Tim, Pee-Wee Herman and Wolfman Jack are contemporaries; “Eat It” is an original song and “Beat It” is a parody; and Led Zeppelin will to reunite if they can open for Yankovic, whom refused an invite to play with Queen at Live Aid.

And the titular character - played flawlessly by Daniel Radcliffe - has been dead since 1985.

“Weird”’s mockumentarian pile of bullshit - much of it hysterical; some of it groan-inducing - is so high, it makes “This is Spinal Tap” look like serious movie-making. Which is its charm as director Eric Appel makes sure to include virtually every cinematic cliché - fights scenes, montages and flashbacks among them - in lying about Yankovic’s life and career.

“We agreed it would be best for us all if you would just stop being who you are and doing the things you love,” Yankovic’s mom says to her son in setting the path.

Overly long at 110 minutes, “Weird” makes ample use of its runtime, with a staggering lineup of bold-faced names - Will Forte, Jack Black, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Conan O’Brien, Emo Philips and Jimmy Walker Jr. among them - making cameos as Yankovic launches his career after Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson) discovers him wowing a skeptical biker-bar crowd with a stirring rendition of “I Love Rocky Road.”

There’s a torrid affair with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood), who is skewered mercilessly throughout the movie, and more murders than in a typical “Halloween” flick.

“I’ve killed so many people this week … the things we do for love, huh?,” Yankovic says to Madonna after he offs an entire drug cartel in the Columbian jungle.

For its part, “Weird” doesn’t kill. But it’s a worthwhile investment of time for whiling away an empty couple of hours.

Grade card: “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” - B-

1/19/23