#also fun fact: drawn entirely from my mind with no reference :^)

[gmaybe666]

will making ....a comic for mike

I propose that will draws all the time because losing himself in drawing is when he feels the happiest and most free, I also propose that he's obsessed with collecting images of knights and soldiers and medieval fairytales and sticking them on his wall because he is Very Gay And A Nerd

link to read will's comic

message me to buy will's comic !

[tmrwsuns]

(𐙚⋆.˚) xikers as fairytale children

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ [ot10 x reader] ...୨���୧... wc. 0.9k w. probably curse words! ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ

minjae —  mulan and li shang

ᯓ minjae is a leader through and through. he is a fighter and more importantly a defender who looks to stand up for himself and others. i see him as that one kid whose justification to everything is “my mom said…” and honestly that's so valid of him because his mom knows her stuff. minjae always tries to understand and appreciate everyone, even if he has a hard time looking beyond someone’s actions into their reasoning sometimes. he is in touch with his feelings because of how he was raised, watching both of his parents be courageous and loyal soldiers but always keeping in mind that being vulnerable is okay. i also think he's a defender of the idea that his dad was indeed in love with his mom even before he found out she was a woman. 

junmin — beauty and the beast

ᯓ junmin is a gentle soul that is oftentimes hidden behind his “manly” exterior. he’s got his father’s strength and his mother’s wisdom. he is one of the most humble royals out there, having always being taught that it didn’t matter where you came from but who you became as a person. he knows how to be grateful for and to the people around him, but most importantly, he knows how to express that out loud; a skill which some princes might lack (cough cough seeun cough cough). i think my opinion is biased by the fact that he looks incredible in yellow and that i know damn well this man would absolutely rock a song with talking kitchen utilities. 

sumin — hades and persephone

ᯓ sumin is very clearly a rebel kid, and i will not have it any other way. he is the personification of chaos and loudness, flashy shenanigans and daring comebacks. being the son of one of the big three and persephone he has something to annoy the royal kids with; he is not only the prince of the underworld, but also a literal god. he could technically classify as a royal, but he doesn’t want to since he likes the feeling of being free from the restraints of the royal lifestyle. he is daring and witty, but never completely unkind. along with his scary aura he also got his mother’s kindness, which is often overlooked because of his defensive exterior. he has a hard time letting people in, but when he does they have a guaranteed friend and protector for life.

jinsik — sleeping beauty

jinsik can be so calm when he's in the right company, he is gentle and kind hearted. i can see him singing with little birds and having wild animals follow him around. but don't get confused, he is chaotic. out of all the princesses, aurora is the one who would have a golden retriever son like jinsik. he is energetic and loud, always bringing happiness wherever he goes. people were naturally drawn to him his entire life because of his kind demeanor and fun aura, being who always sets the mood to be comfortable for anyone (except seeun, he thrives to make him uncomfortable). he shares his mother’s love for nature and his father’s braveness, allowing him to be one of the most loyal and protective people out there.

hyunwoo — big bad wolf

ᯓ hyunwoo is the kid of a villain kid who could not give a bigger fuck about status. he enjoys tricking people and acting intimidating when he first meets them like he isn’t the most silly person alive. he can look all scary until his cute little canines shine when he smiles, giving away the fact that he is really a very unserious person. his out of pocket comments lighten the mood always, causing laughs even in the most serious of scenarios. he is one hell of an absolute diva, and is so puppy-like sometimes that being some sort of werewolf suits him perfectly. however, he doesn’t find it funny anymore when people call him a furry or make some sort of twilight reference.

(is this completely based on a single clip of him? yes, but that's okay.)

junghoon — queen of hearts

ᯓ junghoon is of course a very serious looking person. his expressionless resting face initially hides the fact that he is incredibly chaotic. he matches his mother’s eccentric energy by being the complete opposite at first, using his cold demeanor as a mechanism defence towards the initial judgements that are made when they hear his mother’s name. junghoon is rather compassionate compared to the likes of the person who raised him but is also not scared to be absolutely ruthless when needed. he is a royal but is feared as a villain, which he couldn't care less about. he is a firm believer that the right people will love him for who he is, not who he tries to be.

seeun — prince charming and cinderella

ᯓ seeun is a conceited little prince and i will take no criticism of that. he is extremely blessed with princely looks, he is beautiful and he knows that more than anyone. he grew up knowing his place compared to others, meaning that he irradiates confidence in himself. everywhere he goes he has people that love him, girls fawning about him and guys wanting to be him, and he would be a liar if he said he didn't love that. although he is a royal pain in the ass, he also got some of his mothers kindness, which compared with his natural charm is a fatal combination to make him one of the most lovable assholes to have ever lived. he cares for the people around him almost as much as he cares for his appearance, even if he shows that in strange ways.

yujun — alice in wonderland

ᯓ yujun is lost in his own little world most of the time. he is soft hearted and extremely kind like his mother, but he was raised in wonderland and that shows a little too much. he loves everything that has to do with fun, creativity and a bit of craziness, but he maintains his grace most of the time. his boyish charm reflects his mother’s story perfectly well, his curiosity is almost untamable. he gets in immense amounts of tricky (see what i did there) situations because of his need to discover new things even when those don’t concern him. he has the craziest dreams and will not hesitate to tell every living being about them. that goes along with the fact that he cannot stay quiet for the life of him. silence makes him uncomfortable, so he always looks to fill the space with chatter about anything and everything. he drives people around him insane, but thats part of what makes him so lovable.

hunter — prince eric and the little mermaid

ᯓ hunter learnt from a very young age what it is to feel alienated somewhere. his mother’s world always seemed so far away to him, a distant reality where he belonged but couldn't exist. he shares ariel’s curiosity and love for the unknown combined with eric’s adventurer spirit and inconformity with a life of lush outfits and fancy dinners. hunter loves to analyze the behavior of the people around him; that way he could match their energy or stay the hell away. he is wary of the people he trusts due to his parent’s story, but he isn’t closed off or quick to judge. hunter loves to form relationships with people, even if that means having to come out of his shell a little more than he had anticipated. 

yechan — rumpelstiltskin

ᯓ yechan is the first born child of a queen that failed to guess rumpelstiltskin's name after he made a deal with her. opposed to what many would do —resent their father for the life they were forced to live— yechan adores who he is. he is a trickster at heart. he loves making deals he knows he will win at the end, that way ending up with a collection of meaningless little trophies for every time he successfully tricked someone. he is mischievous, loud and confusing, sometimes even appearing cunning. in reality, he knows his limits very well. although he has a passion for tricks and deceit, he has a kind heart and would do anything and everything to protect the people that he loves.

𐙚 blue's corner ;; i had this in my head and it wouldn't leave so i gave in and wrote it, oops. i did a deep dive into the ever after high fandom for this and im afraid i went a little too deep.... 𐙚 taglist ;; @tiramisumin @astrasng 𐙚 back to the masterlist 𐙚 please do not copy, adapt or steal any of the content !!!

© tmrwsuns, 2024

[stardustneeko]

As promised, here's the process video for my YGO Rare Pairs Mini Bang piece. I feel like this event always gets me to push myself beyond my limits (or maybe it's Tealshipping ;-P). A lot of attention and care went into this piece, so I want to talk about it a bit.

(Extensive yapping under cut)

As with many of my works, it started with a song. Pretty much the entire aesthetic direction of this piece was inspired by it, specifically this lyrics video.

I started with a thumbnail with pencil on paper because I'm astonishingly near-sighted and can only determine a good composition at a very specific size.

Fun fact: This thumbnail was very likely jotted down on company time :D

Then I traced it onto CSP and started with the values sketch. Since the song/lyrics video provided a very clear vision, I worked out the light sources pretty quickly. Some things I kept in mind:

The elements in this piece should suggest that we are looking at this scene through Johan's eyes. That's why Ryo's eyes are closed, and Johan's seeing a different version of "himself" in the mirror.

Because of this, the lighting scenarios for the outside world and the mirror world are completely different: the outside world is hazy, sensual, the mirror world is stark and eerie. "Yami" Johan has sharper features than "normal" Johan, and he's cast in colder light. The "real" world, on the other hand, would have warmer tones. (I feel like I didn't push this enough tbh).

The main light source comes from windows off-screen. I was very particular about the way it hits Johan's face and cast most of it in shadow. In contrast, l wanted most of Ryo to be in the light. It's kinda unrealistic, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The light from the windows also helps illuminate the background. Specifically it reveals the one piece of furniture necessary to deduce the rest of the story ( ͈ര ̫ര ͈) ⊹`𓈒

There is a rim light from a lamp hidden behind Ryo. This helps sets the characters apart from the dark background and suggest more depth, especially in the areas of darkest shadow.

The process I currently use is one I adapted from kuroshiro's, with a few tweaks. First, I separated the piece into parts, and coloured them on separate layers with their base colours. Then, I added new clipped layers to each part, set to Multiply or Overlay as necessary, and rendered on those layers. This workflow helps me think clearly about what I need to do next, and easily come back to fix mistakes later on. It also allows me to pause at certain points and play with different lighting/colour schemes, just to make sure I like the direction I'm going in. It's a labour-intensive way of working, with a lot of cognitive power expended on pre-planning and layer management, but it's very effective if you like to problem-solve on the fly.

This scar on Johan's neck has a lot of symbolic significance in the story of this piece (read the accompanying fic to find out why), and so does Ryo kissing it. I wanted to make sure the way I posed the characters + arranged the lighting would give it that prominence in the composition. I based it on ref photos of real electrocution wounds. (And that makes the second time I've put marks on Johan's skin for this event lol).

Occasionally, I'd screencap the image and save it on Discord, so that I could look back at it the next day and immediately notice anything major I needed to fix.

Fun fact: In my vision, the light-cast-from-window thing was mandatory, but I'd never drawn anything like that before. Reference photos were helpful for inspo, but I needed to observe how it works directly. So (after much procrastination) I decided to turn off the lights in my room and stood for a good half an hour watching the way the light hit my wall in the dark, brainstorming how to recreate this on CSP.

(The most painful part of this piece might be looking up hotel room interior refs and trying to design a bg that looks legit but not with the muted color schemes that seem to dominate luxury hotels use nowadays).

The mirror frame was one of the last pieces to be added, and then I exported the image and imported it onto a different CSP canvas. I added a layer on top the image to paint over any remaining mistakes . I also added some special effects (such as air-brushing Johan's breath). Lastly, I signed the piece.

Fun fact: The "pressed against the mirror" thing was another big challenge, for which ref photos weren't gonna be enough help because I had such a specific idea with the pose + lighting. One day, while I was wandering in a new bookstore and about to leave, the employee told me "We also have a secret room, would you like to discover it?" and she DEADASS pulled open a bookshelf to reveal a hidden chamber??? And inside were obvs more bookshelves but most importantly there was a large mirror on the wall EXACTLY like I needed. So I spent a good while in there taking reference photos using myself as a model hehehe. Thinking back on this experience now, I become more firmly convinced that the universe arranged things so that I could bring this Tealshipping image to the world. *^w^b

Overall, this piece took me literal months to complete (most of which was spent agonizing over whether I could pull off all of the aforementioned goals). I'm noticing some pretty big mistakes now that I'm looking back at it lol but it felt pretty rewarding to finish it at last. Do you think I managed to achieve my intentions?

[thescribblings]

Long post ahead! I type a lot .^.

Here's a lil something I've spent some time on! I'm definitely nearing my goal of being able to draw comics! .^.

However, keep in mind that I'm very much an amateur artist, so there will be imperfections😅.

Here, I've drawn a lot of new (and scary) poses, expressions, perspectives, and clothes! I never draw clothes! I've also never even tried to draw them in the same clothes from different perspectives like this before. I also mainly draw without references

And i know i know, it's always better with references but i always just get distracted while looking for a good reference and most of the time i give up before i even find one and just draw it without anyways, lol

Rant over now! Promise

Here's a page I've been working on non-stop for literal days. It was a lot of fun! And it helped me try out a new art style :]

Individual pictures and context under the cut! i will be referring to future leo as nardo or leonardo, and present leo as, well, leo!

Here we have the doodle that started it all! I did use a cat as a reference, and i personally found that hilarious

Anyways, leonardo is being held like the cat that he is. Meanwhile, leo is held next to him vibing, not a thought behind those eyes

✨️co-existing✨️(with iced coffee)

They decided to have a day of leo to leo Bonding and got iced coffee for the occasion, probably spending some time clothes shopping and going equally crazy over a random article of clothing with a unicorn on it

This one has a bit more story behind it, they went on a day outing with the fam, nardo had grabbed a map of the city and they decided to stray from the group to explore, and they quickly got lost.

Leonardo helped leo get on his shoulders to see if there were any familiar landmarks around, and while leo enjoyed being roughly 12 feet tall, nardo texted the others asking where they were and looked around the area.

(Shirts lovingly made by mikey)

Entirely lost, leonardo decided to ask a pair of yokai ladies for directions. They turned out to be extremely helpful, one of them pointing out where on the map they were and where the landmark raph had sent them is.

Meanwhile, some backstory here: ever since leonardo had stopped staying in the lair 24/7 and actually started coming with when the others went out, leo had become an expert at keeping flirtatious yokai of all shapes sizes and genders away from his eldest brother

Leo noticed one of the yokai women was trying to make a move on him and stepped between her and nardo, making for a hilarious scene when he told her to stay away from his clearly adult brother

Leonardo is entirely oblivious as to the amount of yokai that find him attractive, which is exactly how leo wants it to be, for some reason

It's even funnier with the fact that leonardo is, in fact, very gay.

They thanked the yokai (leo doing that gesture where you point at your eyes then at the person as an unspoken "i got my eyes on you" behind nardo's back) then stepped away from the crowd and planned when and where everyone would meet up (they quickly decided on a food spot that accommodated everyones needs, and they had often gone there for lunch or early dinner in the past)

While they waited, the two decided to browse some stores, window shop etc.

Leonardo bought himself a backpack and proceeded to purchase knickknacks, snacks, and gifts for the fam, including some that he snuck in there for leo without the teen noticing (he was the greatest ninja the world had ever seen, once, after all)

While nardo walked, leo was chatting away happily on his shoulders, the elders tail wagging along as well, especially when leo told a pun or two, once a leo, always a leo. (Leonardo chipped in with some puns as well)

(leonardo personally believes his tail is pretty damn useless since it's so short. He has stated, "The only thing it's good for is waggin' " in the past. However, the rest of the fam think that's a perfectly adequate reason to have a tail)

They spent the entire day out having fun and walked around with just a handfull of breaks, so i think it's safe to say they'd be pretty drained by the time they got home

On another note, nardo being a war veteran and all that, I'm not 100% sure how that works but i like to imagine he'd get rather overwhelmed by all the crowds, different smells and loud noises (in other words overstimulation) so i think he'd be WAY more drained than everyone else by the end of the day (save for maybe mikey, i bet he'd be pretty drained too)

Either way, nardo basically just flopped onto the nearest plush surface and went out like a light while everyone else went to bed like regular people. This is a common occurrence after long, exhausting days

But sometimes...

Sometimes he dents the floor

(Bonus doodles)

I don't even know why this came to be, but it did

Thank you for reading!

Have nice day

[moonlight-coffeebean-147]

Doodle Dump 2: Electric Boogaloo

So to distract myself from…. recent irl events…. Here’s another doodle dump featuring Usagi and the ocs of @twistedtummies2 . Imma be real… it’s been a shitty week. From college to…. Whatever that was… I’ve just honestly been feeling mentally drained rn. But doodling helps me calm down as well as TT2’s ocs. Expect a lot more doodles here in the future. For my own comfort, but for hopefully ya’lls as well <3

A compilation of Usagi with Billy. I have to admit I kind of also ship them with him. Primarily cause 1. The Rabbit aesthetic, 2. It speaks to my g/t loving heart, and 3. Billy’s my second favorite besides Elias. Billy’s fairly easy for me to draw

….This is the worst thing I’ve drawn like 😭😭😭😭. I made the original doodle at work so yea…. Bald Billy & Rizzler Nakoda… more like Rizzkoda am I right? (kill me now). Fun fact, Procreate actually crashed on me when I was doing this so I guess that’s a sign 💀

Two doodles I made during midterm week. Also the week I realized Usagi was also partially a vent oc for me. Take that as you will.

And finally we starting a design for Overblot!Usagi. It appears that those feelings of inadequacy and being forgotten got too much for our poor Ramshackle Prefect. I may still need time to come up with an actual idea for what leads them to Overblot. Their design I plan to be based on that of concept art for when Oswald was the planned villain for Epic Mickey other than the Blot, a trolley conductor uniform in reference to Trolley Troubles on of Oswald’s first shorts, and possibly have imagery from the other overblots. Also besides their head and clothes… her entire body is covered in blot. As for abilities, one idea that I think could be interesting is them being able to detach and reattach body parts like Oswald has done in the past. Think that could be some nice nightmare fuel 😂. Another idea is implementing the paint and thinner in some way… but the idea is that they can create a large amount of thinner to create a wave and when touch by said thinner, the person turns to a statue…. a little nod to what happens to Ortensia in the first game. The paint has the abilities to create physical illusions, more specifically clones, similar to Lapis Lazuli’s copy of the gems to fight in the Ocean Gem episodes or Neo’s semblance ability from Rwby, specifically season 9. It would be a reference to the animatronics of Mickey’s friends, once again from Epic Mickey. Their smile I do like thinking is a reference to how the characters smile in stuff like the title cards or even the mascot suit…. But the more depressing reason is that Usagi at this point has officially snapped and is at that point of no return. It’s the whole smile through the pain kind of thing. To add up they’re a human so their blot form is on the brink of collapse at any moment. They are both figuratively and literally straining to hold themselves together. If the thinner ability idea goes through (in my mind) to Usagi… staues can last for a long time, they can be used to represent someone’s life, their memory. I might go more in depth with it once I finish the design… but yeah it’s gonna get heavy.

Anyways back to the void. Hope yall enjoyed! : > Stay safe out there. Take a breather. It will all be okay

I may be internally panicking. But I have comfort in knowing that… at least I got more plushies coming in the future.

This is Moon signing off for now, have a good one ✨

[brynnterpretations]

Apperance: im 5'11 l have longish blondeish hair that is like down to my shoulders. Curvy and is proud of that. BRIGHT green eyes, scars on my arms and wrists. My style is girly at the same time l Never wear pink..ever. I'm not into girly things expect the exposing outfits I wears to feel like I can fit in with certain groups.

Likings: IM OBSESSED WITH GORE AND HORROR! I love death metal and heavy metal music. I love to walk around the Forest and get away from home. I climb up buildings and trees and lay/sit down then just watch people walk around, doing whatever they do. Moths is my favorite insect. Knifes. Guns. Playing volleyball is my favorite thing hobby. I love to surf when it's summer and when it's summer, I'm swimming in the ocean/pond/lake 24/7. I love to fighting people. Science is my favorite subject because I love to experiment things with my hands.

personality: I have multiple of personality's. I would hang out with one group and act like a whole angel to them but when I’m with others that act opposite of that, I blend in easily. With that being said, a lot of people hate me and fight me physically because of how for a psycho I can be. They never know if I’m serious or just messing around. I carves flesh off on the animal bones and makes bracelets and necklaces off of them. My real self can act very happy and crazy and SUPER RECKLESS. I’m a very loud person and i speak my mind brutally. Constant fights 24/7. Has OCD, PTSD, Schizophrenia, and has Antisocial personality disorder.

Love language: physical touch and words of affection.

Thank you for the request! I ship you with...

Patrick Hockstetter ♡

Boyfriend

You and Patrick meet in the forest — you going on walks, and him lighting leaves on fire and endangering the entire town of Derry, as one does — and instantly click.

Your interaction is a bit prickly at first, because Patrick's game is entirely just being a sleazeball ("what's a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone, huh?") but you two hit it off pretty quickly.

What can I say? You two are both wildly unhinged, and you two are drawn to each other like moths to flame.

You two begin going on Patrick typical dates: the quarry, movies at your homes, movies at the theatre that he steals tickets for/finds a way to sneak both of you into, dine-and-dashes at the diner, etc. If you're a sexual person, he would 100% get in your pants during every one of these (even the public places mentioned, which is... a crime... but it's Patrick), and if you're not, he'll just take it as even more of a challenge.

Also will just crash you doing things for fun or just having a night in and take up all of your time. You're planning on chiselling a new necklace from scrap bones? Well, Patrick's at your door, buddy, and you're going to let him in.

You never really establish yor relationship, honestly; Patrick never puts labels on things—bro does not give a fuck—but eventually the Gang just starts referring to you as "Patrick's girlfriend", so...

If it is to be said, so it be, so it is.

He stelas your shit constantly, and will not give it back. Those animal-bone bracelets? His now. Fuck you.

Would try to get you to escalate your behavior, E.G. get you to actually kill the animals you turn into arts and crafts projects, pick fights with more people (bro will just lie about a girl gossiping about you to get you to fight her), etc.

Loves that you're active, and if you play volleyball competitively, would catcall you, wolf-whistle, etc. during DHS' games and make constant sexual remarks about your body to the Gang ("all that work pays off on her, huh?").

Luckily for you both, you two share science together, one of Patrick's favorites courses. This is not lucky for the teachers. This is, in fact, not just unlucky for them, but a literal Hell. They do everything in their power to keep you two away from each other because the one time they let everyone choose partners, you two almost burned the school down.

And, despite your science teacher trying to get your schedules switched so he didn't have to deal with both of your shit, somehow you two pulled strings to stay in the same class together, so... God be with everyone else in Period 5 Chemistry with Mr. Ulrich.

I think I've mentioned this before in ships/headcanons, but Patrick doesn't really care about any mental health diagnoses or issues in partners; he doesn't see it as any sort of failing, because he just... doesn't care. However, he still is aware of how they affect other people and how other people view them, so he uses it to his own advantage. He'd purposefully try to disrupt your OCD rituals, get you to engage in risky behavior, etc., just for his own amusement.

But, unlike a lot of relationships with Patrick, you're honestly very close to his level. He doesn't see it that way and never will — he believes he's God, after all — but you all are both able to put up with each other, and do have a lot of genuinely good times together.

Bowers Gang ☻

Acquaintances

So... none of the Gang really like you.

Victor thinks you're a ticking time-bomb, Belch is lowkey scared of you, and Henry does not fuck with the trigger-pin personality switches and how you tend to act like a "top dog" around the Gang.

Also, he's really insecure about being shorter than you, and makes pointed jabs about it. And doesn't stand directly next to you. And starts wearing heeled boots after your induction into the Gang.

That being said, though, your willingness to get your hands dirty is something Henry respects about you, particularly after you were the one to catch Eddie Kaspbrak when he escaped from the Gang's grip after they cornered him at the pharmacy.

As mentioned in other ships, Victor does not trust people who date Patrick (because, even though Victor's a POS by his own standards, Hockstetter is on another level), and when he gets to know you more and sees all the aggression, he really, really doesn't like you, and believes you're manipulative due to your wildly differing personalities.

He's either silent or moderately polite to you when you two talk, but he thinks you're a bad influence on Henry just like Patrick is, considering you two feed off of each other's aggression towards the Losers and other victims of the Gang.

Meanwhile, while Belch loves your music taste and would try to bond with you over it, you... uh, you freak him out. It's the Eddie situation that kinda scares him (because, Jesus, aren't girls supposed to be nicer?) and while he's not as intuitive as Victor, him seeing how you'll be sweet to some people and then nasty with others makes him feel like he has to be on-guard.

However, that doesn't mean it's all bad. You all mesh decently enough at parties (after a couple drinks), with you, a very high Victor, and a very drunk Belch, verbally judging every passerbyt.

Victor would definitely feel guilty about it after, though. Belch, on the other hand, wouldn't remember it. Rare, unsatisfying camaraderie, but camaraderie nonetheless.

All in all: unless you do something to threaten Henry's ego, you'll have a seat at the Gang's table. You proved to be a valuable asset in Derry's adolescent ecosystem to the leader, so that's impressive in and of itself.

[kellycataclysm]

for a while now, i've been feeling like writing a sdv story myself, as i've been reading many fics lately (yours included and by far my favorite) and daydreaming a lot (i need escapism). however, it's been a loooong time since i've written anything like this. when i was 15/16, i wrote an entire (unfinished) original story that haunts me to this day, but i lost the original files and now it lives only in my head. it's been 8 years. so far, i had many original ideas that i long to write, but never do, but i have never written fanfiction and that makes me a little insecure. why did you decide to write lyra and harvey's story? i'd love to hear your takes on writing fanfiction, as i really look up to you in a way. xx

ps. there's another detail as i desire to write in english (everything i read is in english), but i am non native, as i once told you, and even though i write in english all the time in university (english major anyone?), it dreads me to fuck things up and embarrass myself.

Thank you for asking this. I am so humbled that you thought of me. I am so honoured and grateful to you. As I always say, thank you for loving my two dorks. 

Why did I decide to write? I was once referred to as ‘a writer without a story’. I could write if I put my mind to it. However, I needed an idea. My sister, who is a prolific fanfic writer for another fandom encouraged me to try fanfic. In her words, if she could do it, then so could I. 

I started playing Stardew a few years ago but only began reading fics at the start of 2023. I spent nine months consuming everything but it wasn’t until I was in a period of stress at work that I realised I needed some escapism 

I was inspired by many writers, but there were a few who were a huge influence. Their writing helped me to develop the characterisation for my version of Harvey and at the time, my nameless farmer. (Lyra got her name about four months after I started her story). The fics I read also helped to determine the story I wanted to write. I was drawn to a number of angst/ mutual pining fics that seemed to suit the melancholy mood that my ideas were taking at the time. In fact, the first story idea I had was a break-up story in which my farmer would leave Shane for Harvey… exactly what I had done in my save file at the time.

BUT then, the idea of a slow burn within an established relationship came to me. I didn’t want to follow the path within the game, but wanted to use the valley as if it was a real world location for a struggling relationship. I used elements of the fandom to suit the things I wanted to explore. All the spicy fics came later because I read many and was curious to try writing it. I then realised that I could have a little fun with this, using year one spicy fics to explore the relationship I was saving in my long fic. 

I still love writing both the melancholy content and the fluffy/ flirty spicy fics and have so many tropes and ideas I would love to explore. I love that a fandom like Stardew allows you to choose the elements you want to play with. For me I use real world elements but I read so many fics from writers who develop beautiful AUs or work with the supernatural/ fantasy elements that the game offers. 

I am finding that within this little universe, the possibilities are endless. I have friends who have written huge casts of original characters, and have other friends who are already developing their next farmer for their next fic. You could set a story in the future, in the 1950s, or during the Regency. I didn’t know that fanfic gave us this opportunity to explore so many avenues and I only wish I’d found it years ago!

When it comes to writing, many people have different ways of working, and you make it suit yourself and your schedule. I write almost every day (no set word count) so that I can stay with their story until it is finished. If I am too tired or don’t have the mental capacity to write, I read what I am working on so that the ideas stay fresh. I am quite structured in how I do this, but this is to suit me so that I can finish Lyra and Harvey’s story and I fully understand that this wouldn’t suit everyone. I haven’t read much since I started writing and have a reading list I want to get back to soon. It’s almost time to feed the creative brain cells!

As to your writing, it is so amazing that you wrote an original work before. I think that once the muse awakens, you can feel comfortable that everyone here is trying their best and trying to have a little fun. There are no rules. You can also join online communities of others in the fandom or chat with other writers if you want to brainstorm things. I am in a few servers but have a close group of writer friends that I chat with almost every day and we support each other in our writing. You can also ask people you are close with to beta read for you. You also don’t have to post online until you feel comfortable. We all have some level of anonymity and that is quite comforting, but when you do make friends in your fandom, people are very welcoming. 

I am completely convinced that you will do just fine and look forward to reading what you write when you choose to do so. 

Thank you again for dropping into my inbox. You’re welcome any time! <3

[justlemoney]

From your character ask game for the Cars movies! Zero obligations to answer, but I myself love doing these.

Im not going to send you a character. Ill ask you instead to pick two for yourself under certain criteria.

1) A character that you were inatantly drawn to on your first watch. The character that ultimately and initially became your favourite.

2) A character grew on you over time and over several reruns of the movie(s). Also please tell me why this occured. It fascinates me.

Brace yourself, theres a few!

1

2

3

10

12

13

16

18

20

21

22

24

25

26

Im so sorry I cannot remember what they were! I just wrote down the numbers. Love your blog!

Alrighty! This is gonna be fun, also I love this request- thank you so much honestly (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

Characters I have chosen (it's 3, I couldn't decide on the first criteria, so this is gonna be quite a long post):

For the first criteria we have Strip 'The King' Weathers and Finn McMissile

And for the second criteria we have Francesco Bernoulli.

-> When I first watched the second movie of the Cars-Trilogy I mainly focused on the whole espionage thing that was going on, and less on the World Grand Prix racing. Therefore I didn't pay much attention to the other racers individually. And at first I did not like Francesco at all. He reminded me too much of Lightning, when Lightning was a rookie and I didn't like that. Bernoulli gave me, as mentioned, similar vibes as rookie Lightning, the vibes of the whole 'being a one-man-kind of show' thing. Francesco came across as a cocky, flirtatious, over confident character with a high ego. (At least for me ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ)

But after I rewatched the movie several times, I started to like him more. (Well and maybe some fanfictions had their influence as well-) I began to think more about him, about his way on and off the track, his relations and so on. I saw that, despite his seemingly high ego, he is indeed a kind soul. For example how he seems to like the fact that his mother is his 'biggest/greatest' fan, and he is open about that too. I have a feeling some other racers would be embarrassed to see their family members, especially their mother, cheering for them. But he doesn't mind it. (Alright- this turned out longer than expected-) ⊂⁠(⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠)⁠)⁠⊃

NOW- let's get going with the rest of your 'Character Asks' request (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

I am gonna go in the following order for each number: Strip Weathers, Finn McMissile, Francesco Bernoulli

1) My first impression of them

-> A racer with great potential, that is also blue and works for an agency with a Dino as a logo. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

-> Uiii cool looking, normal, spy guy. Actually, scratch that- a wild traumatized appeared (Pokemon reference intended)

-> Rookie Lightning McQueen but make him Italian and take away his fenders

2) When I think I truly started to like them

-> When he told off Lightning at the beginning of Cars 1. No elaboration.

-> Right at the start of Cars 2, due to the whole entire chasing scene.

-> After rerunning the movie several times, and fanfiction-

3) A Song that reminds me of them

-> 'Gossip' by Måneskin

-> 'Set it off' by Skillet

-> 'Iconic' by Simple Plan

10) Describe the character in one sentence

-> Silly country boi that loves racing and his wife (and sponsor.) ⊂⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠⊂⁠)

-> Bisexual- I am sorry- British secret spy agent with trauma.

-> Italian racer that is shamelessly flirting (and in love) with McQueen

12) Sexuality hc!

-> Bisexual or Unlabeled (already mentioned in another ask)

-> Gay- Bisexual ʘ⁠‿⁠ʘ

-> *clap clap, finger guns* Pan. (⁠☞⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠)⁠☞

13) Your favorite friendship they have

-> Him and Tex/Him and Junior

-> Him and Tomber

-> Him and McQueen

16) A childhood headcanon

-> Never liked playing/interacting with other kids

-> Grew up somewhere in Germany

-> Used to steal- eh I mean borrow, Mama Bernoulli's cosmetics

18) How do you think they were as a kid?

-> Shy and reserved, didn't know how to connect with others around him

-> Bubbly and happy, always in action, until some trauma happens (Explanation in 22)

-> Outgoing and enthusiastic, loved to brag about Mama Bernoulli's delicious food (he still does that)

20) A weird headcanon

-> Had a goth/punk phase as a teen. (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)

-> Once needed to plan a wedding for a Spy-Mission, as part of a cover

-> He knows how to knit and sew. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) Mama taught him (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

21) When do you think they were at their happiest?

-> Whenever he is/was on the track or with Lynda/Tex, and later on whenever Cal or Junior are around, oh and when he met Doc Hudson (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

-> Training Academy with Leland and when he was/is with Mater/Holley and or Tomber

-> Also while racing, around his fellow racers (The other WGP racers), and of course when he is with his Mama

22) When do you think they were at their lowest?

-> When he crashed at the Tiebreaker race, and during middle school

-> After his mother's death, and later when Leland passed

-> After a harsh break up, and unlucky for him, his Mama was very ill at the same time too (she got better of course)

24) What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone

-> He once wanted to commit. (I'm sorry, I'm dumping so much trauma on the poor guy) Never told anyone. Not even his parents found out. Not even Lynda or Tex know, he keeps that secret to himself and he will take it with him into his grave.

-> He will never tell anyone, how exactly his mother passed, only he knows the real reason and he is gonna keep it that way

-> He used to eat flowers when he was bored, and occasionally he still does that. Of course he isn't gonna tell anyone, his Mama doesn't know either

25) When do you think they acted the most ooc?

-> When he met Doc for the first time and was alone with him. I don't know what kind of hyperfixation suddenly hit him, but he suddenly became all excited and bubbly. I mean his Idol was in front of him. (I am sorry I couldn't think of any movie scene that seemed ooc for him)

-> That one scene in Cars 2 in Japan, where he fought with some of the lemons. There is this one scene, one split second, where he was shocked to suddenly be rammed

-> Also in Japan, during the race on the dirt part of the track. We all know he lost his momentum there due to not knowing how to properly drive in dirt. That was the one moment his self-confidence/his ego took damage.

26) When do you think they were being 'themselves' the most?

-> Honestly, on the track, with Lynda and Tex, with other friends, with his nephew and so on

-> Around Leland/Tomber, and with Mater/(Holley)

-> With his fellow WGP racers, especially with Lightning

AND DONE (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

This was fun to write, took me about an hour plus and I loved it! (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

Thank you so much for this, it really got me into my thoughts and just- thank you! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

[bamb-procrastinates]

Liliyan Danaus Info Dump Don't Mind Me (2/2) ;0

Making paintings is her favorite art form.

In different routes Liliyan would make a painting based off of the boy she ends up with, a kind of love language of hers. What makes it different from the other works she's done? These aren't just ordinary paintings, they are a collage of the feelings she wants to reciprocate to the person and a manifestation of all the memories she cherished. She'd overexert to capture those emotions. Rather than use art for the fame and all that she wants it to reach people and evoke emotion. Especially to the loved ones she holds dearly, she wants a piece of her heart to stay with them. (she's cheesy ik)

Cove's would be ocean themed of course with soft seafoam and blues like their home. It would also be inspired by the dolphin wind chimes she got him and it would have this melting effect while there are also some things that hint at their childhood growing up together. To top it all off she'd let him paint an empty space on the canvas if he wanted to, kind of like a way to say "you'd always be a part of my world" or smth like that. Cove would absolutely bawl his eyes out because out of everybody apart from her family would know how much art meant to her.

Derek oh sweet Derek would have a painting that themes around trophies and rewards cuz he deserves it so much. Like Cove's there are some references to the times they spent together. It would have some gold but I also think of adding some warm and comforting colors to remind Derek that he doesn't have to try so hard with her and that he's enough. Oh yeah she'd definitely practice face paint for him and his bros.

Liliyan was hesitant to even make Baxter one when he was only looking for a fling for the summer and really she knew nothing about him which makes it really hard. And Liliyan takes relationships seriously (platonic or not). Slowly but surely she'd think of a way to make a colorful painting out of this monochrome muse. Just learning about Baxter and seeing the layers of her initial thoughts on him unfold to something entirely different brought a new perspective on how she makes these kinds of paintings. After he left, the painting was left as an unfinished pencil drawn sketch and she couldn't even give it to him.

(Ok no more sad)

Hug person (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

She loves hugs since it was the easiest way for her to show gratitude and appreciation to others when she was struggling to communicate as a little kid. The gesture then became a natural instinct of hers.

Favorite drink is root beer.

She is ambidextrous and gets double wrist paint from hours of drawing and painting oof.

Loves listening to 80s music

Has a biological aunt who took care of her temporarily when she was an infant until she had Pam and Noelani take custody over her. Her reason for this is because she was only 18 at the time with no parents and that she was a college student who could barely make any income. So she made the tough choice to hand Liliyan over to a more stable family. They reunite at some point and still keep in touch with a good relationship.

The walls in her room are literally her canvas, like she would paint flowers, animals, and landscapes Rapunzel style. Elizabeth's old room is no exception.

She loves all flowers

Obsessed with these scented slimes cuz they're such great stress relievers for her:

Random fun fact: I made my MCs' first names based on plants and their last names after a bug/insect.

Liliyan Danaus (Lily flowers and the scientific name of the monarch butterfly aka the danaus plexippus. Random fact, some lilies bloom early in summer or throughout autumn.)

Oren Wasp (Oren meaning pine or ash. Wasp is already obvious but another fun fact, wasps are more aggressive in the fall. Perfect for his personality in step 1)

Bara Wasp (Bara short for Balete Rosa, balete is a tree native to the Philippines which is where they're from and rosa for rose. Together it makes it Bara which in tagalog means obstructing or blocking) 'baradong ilong' pls don't translate

Ivy Meadowhawk (First name is obvious, meadowhawk the dragon fly, she's a fairly new mc so I can't say much about her.)

[hummingbee-lievable]

Song of the Day #21:

'I, Carrion' by Hozier (released 2023).

I feel lighter than I have in so much time

I've crossed the border line of weightless

One deep breath out from the sky

I've reached a rarer height now that I can confirm

All our weight is just a burden offered to us by the world

Track #5 on 'Unreal Unearth'. (Definitely just thought the album was 'Unreal Earth' this entire time; can't decide which one I like better: I love the sort of surreal disassociation with Hozier's title and I like the alien sentiment that comes with my misinterpretation. What do you prefer?)

Fun fact: The entire album was largely inspired by 'Dante's Inferno'! Which is really freaking cool. This was largely created during Quarantine, and Hozier wanted to do a subtle nod to the pandemic without really making the music about that at all. The album itself is actually a progression of the nine circles of Hell, and you can follow that from the 'darkness of opening track "De Selby (Part 1)" to the breakthrough of closer "First Light"'*. The album has many mythological references beyond this, however. This song in particular was inspired by the legend of 'Icarus and Daedalus' (which I accidentally misspelled as 'Deadalus' at first which feels way funnier than it should be).

They are father and son, trapped in the labyrinth that Daedalus himself built (to hold the minotaur: half man, half bull). In order to escape, they build wings out of bird feathers and wax. He warns Icarus not to fly too close to the sun as his wings will melt, but once the boy starts flying, he finds himself drawn to the sun with such euphoria that he cannot stop himself from flying towards it, heedless of his father's calls. The sun melts his wings and he falls into the ocean. (Note: uhhh, don't try this at home kids.)

The song, according to Hozier, is inspired by that story and intermingled with a love story. He mentions the idea that sometimes there is joy so strong that it is worth the fall, and that plays out clearly in this song.

(Daeadalus was not exactly theeeee greatest fellow ever, fun fact. He tried to murder his sister's kid because the boy showed signs of great ingenuity (like inventing the potter's wheel! I owe him one) so he decided to do the obvious thing annddd... push him off of a high tower; Athena intervened (she is kind of a hoe for intellect- I never uttered these words) and turned the boy into a partridge in midair. To this day, partridges do not nest in high places and tend to stay on the ground unless necessary. They're also adorable, but that's unrelated.)

They're just so...flomphy!!

Personal blurb: Okay so, I'll be honest. I was in, shall we say, an altered state of mind when I first heard this song. And when the lines 'I do not have wings love, I never will' came on, I felt transported. At some point, I will write a short story about those lines, because good golly. I don't like a lot of Hozier's music, but he has grown on me, for the way he intertwines literature with lyrics. I may or may not have written an eight paged paper analysing 'Take Me To Church' for English class, so he passes muster at least a little. 😋

I love this song. I love the concept that sometimes it's worthwhile to burn your hand on the flame. And there's this- there's this space of limbo after an impulsive decision, where I'm floating in the middle of the choice and all I have to do is just be and breathe and let the wind take me. Of course, then I realise: hey, I had no money for that pot of tea (but goodness was it delicious and peaceful) also scaling that mountain is absolute garbage for your back (but my my wasn't the crisp breeze glorious) oh and don't you worry because leaving your phone behind and wandering into a forest for seven hours with a book and a bottle of water (stay hydrated kids) surely will have no negative impact and certainly not 83 missed calls and a group of villagers with pitchforks and torches coming after you (but wasn't it worth for the calm you are able to greet them from).

My friend told me 'life is for the living' and I love that. (But don't forget your water bottle. Hydrate or die-drate, birch.)

And no. Not every impulsive decision is going to be worth it, or a good idea. But sometimes we just need to cast the weight aside and... fly a little, you know?

P.S. My darling sister just reminded me that this song is very 'Good Omens' coded and-

You know what. I'm embracing it. It absolutely is. Come nerd out with me.

Hiii Smallsssss. This is not an invitation to catapult your body up the nearest cliff and then not call me. 😋

Because then I would be left with a...cliffhanger! (Might anyway, literally, if you call me, hanging from a cliff.)

Double P.S. I have been made aware of the possibility of tagging individuals that are fabulous enough to have a Tumblr, so...*drumroll please* @hozierofficial hello and thank you for your humanity.

References:

*

**

[ask-thecupbros]

Wowzers, finally doing one of these!!

This is an ask blog based on a SUPER old au I made with my brother. Might not be ENTIRELY in character because it was made when I was like 11 😭 it's ALSO heavily based on a comic series I used to do with said brother that was in fact called 'Ask the Cup Bros' (I'll put the remastered cover at the end)

My main is @phone-kisser !!

Okay time to briefly explain the au!!!!

✰✰✰

So basically after the events of the game and whatnot Cuphead went to fucking JAIL (mainly because my mom threw my Cuphead plushie away but we just used it in the lore) and Mugman had to get multiple jobs to pay the mortgage?? Because he bought a house I guess... (I couldn't decide on one for a while so we just said he got fired and/or quit until I decided to make him a barista 😭) but he's also best friends with Bendy (yes. the ink demon.) because I also had a Bendy plushie and now it's canon to the lore- but EVENTUALLY I got a new Cuphead plushie so YAY NO MORE JAIL..!!! and he has a crack under his left eye cuz like idk prison fights or something

There was a LOT of stupid crossover things we did with the plushies, Mugman is friends with the lego clone troopers from star wars, the plants from pvz, sonic the hedgehog and tails..... and also my brother's Cuphead and Mugman because they were like an alternate universe or something like that (he's not friends with my brother's Bendy cuz he was like.... evil..??)

✰✰✰

Fun facts!!! Or something....

- They're both adults!! They're in their 20s or something

- They're twins and I will not change my mind on this

- Mugman is in fact still a barista

- Cuphead is unemployed (imagine)

- Autism (Mugman) and ADHD (Cuphead) duo

- I've HEAVILY based some parts of their personalities on me and my brother's. I will 100% be projecting onto Mugman don't mind me 😞

- MUGMAN IS TRANS HAHA LOOK AT ME PROJECTING

- Cuphead goes by she/he/they

- They obviously care for each other a lot, each would do anything for the other

(Anything else you wanna know can be answered in the asks!!!)

✰✰✰

I will most likely always answer with a doodle!!! Sometimes I won't and I'll just answer in color coded text (red for Cuphead, blue for Mugman, obviously)

All mod posts will be signed off with the snail emoji and I'll probably tag them with something different

✰✰✰

ASKS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN!!!! Ask away!!

✰✰✰

The cover (and also the banner....)

Poorly drawn reference sheet

[disappointingyet]

Jules Et Jim

Director François Truffaut Stars Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre France 1962 Language French/German/English (with English subtitles) 1hr 45mins Black & white

The one with the running and cycling. But also a lot of not running and cycling, it turns out

Here’s something I don’t know: do younger people have the same casual pretend familiarity with art they have not seen or heard as magazine readers of my generation? Or does that the fact that so many* songs and films and TV shows are available one way or another mean that having a polished take on a movie or album you’ve only read about is both unnecessary and too easily rumbled?

All of which is to say that I had never seen Jules Et Jim, but had, for instance, spotted instantly that the video for 1990s one-hit wonder Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer was a homage to Truffaut’s film. I also put together a listicle (as we certainly did not call them at the time) about highbrow references in mainstream TV based on a conversation about Jules Et Jim in an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 – maybe The Face published it.

Anyway, here’s what I knew/thought I knew about Jules Et Jim:

1. It’s in black & white 

2. It stars Jeanne Moreau and two blokes

3. It was directed by Truffaut 

4. There’s lots of carefree running and cycling, during some of which Moreau is dressed as a boy

5. It was made at the height of nouvelle vague when everything was very ‘Paris, right now!’ but it’s a period piece

6. Both blokes are in love with Moreau’s character 

7. Er, that’s it?

And as is often the case, Jules Et Jim isn’t the film I thought it was. Or rather, most of the stuff I’d seen clips of or borrowed from comes from the first section of the film, the bit that happens before World War I, when all is young and fun. The rest of the movie, it turns out, is drawn out and miserable. (Is it really only 105 minutes? Feels longer.)

It’s adapted from a novel and employs the very precise, dispassionate-sounding narration the French have traditionally used (the descriptions of the characters’ emotions can be intense, just not the voice describing them). We’re here to witness the non-sexual romance of Jules (Oskar Werner), who is Austrian and Jim [Henri Serre), a Frenchman. They’re so besotted with each other they do things like getting matching outfits made. Eventually, they meet Catherine (Moreau), and soon are all having japes together. Jules falls in love with Catherine - but that doesn’t spoil the fun.

What does happen is the war, which we mostly see via lots and lots of stock footage. And then it gets grim.

So what is the relationship between J & J & C? Is it a love triangle? A throuple? A ménage a trois? Maybe the third, in one dictionary definition, anyway. There are arguably two intersecting love triangles at one point but neither involves Jules. It’s his love for Jim – which I think is entirely platonic – that’s the one constant and unconditional bond.

There’s lots to enjoy about Jules Et Jim: if – as James Stewart always argued – a film is really about moments, this delivers: it has plenty of them. But for me, the postwar bits, the sort-of-grown-up bits, dragged, a lot. And ultimately that meant that this is a film I won’t be in a hurry to revisit.

*There’s a lot that still isn’t, mind.

[buttercupjosh]

star-crossed

(Gif credit to @jtscompher)

Word Count: 9,193

Warnings: none

Genre: failed engagement, strangers to lovers to exes to ???, a little angsty

A/N: I’ve been quietly working on this for about a year (November 2021-November 2022, took a break in between because of school). As we all know, a lot has happened to Tyson within the year. However, due to the fact that I’ve been working on it for so long (and it would be a nightmare on my end to change the ending), Tyson isn’t traded to Minnesota in this story nor was he placed on waivers but the Avs do win the Cup with him on the team. The story is based off of the album, star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves. Instead of focusing on a failed marriage like how Kacey does on the album, my story focuses on a failed engagement. The first half of the story is the “Golden Hour” of the relationship (yes, after the album by Kacey Musgraves) and the second half of the story is the “star-crossed” portion of the relationship. If you squint a bit, it’s also based on elements from The Great War by Taylor Swift. I highly recommend either listening to or reading the lyrics to the album before reading the story, to get a better understanding of the plot of the story. I’m taking vibes, elements and references from these songs and putting them in the story. It’s a bit longer than my other works and it technically could of been published a 3 part series but I decided to keep it all together. It’s written with a female reader in mind because I’m a female of color and there is a part that mentions having kids but the reader doesn’t specifically have to be a POC and there’s no dialogue. Shoutout and thank you to @glitterandsummerdaze for reviewing and editing this story for me. I’m open to any and all feedback, comments or questions; just put them in my inbox or dm me. I worked really hard for a long time on this story y’all. Thank you so much in advance for reading, I appreciate it😌 (P.S. If you have the time, I would also really appreciate if you checked out my other pieces: know your heart (original) or know your heart (Brock Boeser edition), a summer in syracuse, Your Favorite Secret and The Upside of Unrequited. Thanks☺️).

Optional listening: The Great War by Taylor Swift

“Let me set the scene, two lovers ripped right at the seams” -star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves

They say that love comes in the most unexpected ways, and it came to you at a party that you didn’t want to be at. For context, you were not the party type and you were not drawn to the appeal of drinking alcohol but Charlotte insisted on having you there to celebrate her and Nathan’s latest accomplishment of buying a home together. She also suggested that this party would allow you to do something fun to celebrate finishing grad school and before your first big job tied you down in a few days. You really didn’t want to go because you didn’t know anyone else there besides Charlotte; this party was going to be your first time meeting Nathan and the rest of the team. Despite the objections, you still pulled up to their home in Cherry Creek, bringing a candle as a housewarming gift. The party was loud and packed; you were convinced that the entire Colorado Avalanche roster was here. It was the end of the season, the Avalanche had yet again been eliminated from the second round of playoffs. You noticed that Tyson Jost (whose name and face you learned through a Google search a few days ago) had been watching you and you were convinced that he was probably stalking you. You saw him several times throughout your time at the party but you never approached each other until later on. You had no idea what you could talk to any of the guys about and you weren’t exactly planning on flirting with any of Nathan’s teammates while you were there. This wasn’t your ideal crowd and hockey wasn’t your thing; sports wasn’t something that you were invested into unless it related to sport medicine and you didn’t know how to ice skate. Some of the guys tried to rope you into some drinking games but you don’t drink. You also made small talk with the other wives and girlfriends but the conversation was awkward because you really weren’t sure what your place was there. You weren’t involved with anyone on the team, just someone that Charlotte knew but most likely would never bring around them because you stood out more than you fit in with their circle. Throughout the night, you primarily kept to yourself and wandered around the new home. Whenever she wasn’t busy, Charlotte would pop in to check on you to make sure you were having a good time. You had really wanted to leave but you were there to support Charlotte and the free food was delicious.

During the cheers and congratulations portion of the night, you pulled out a mini bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider from your bag to acknowledge the celebration but upon opening, it bursted all over the nice laminate floor in the kitchen. Due to the fact that Tyson had actually been quietly observing you all night, he immediately got up and helped you clean up the mess. You thanked him for his assistance and mentioned to him that you had noticed he had been watching you. Tyson’s face began to turn red and he confessed to you that he couldn’t quite keep his eyes off of you because 1. he didn’t know you and it didn’t seem like anyone outside of Charlotte knew you, 2. saw that you kept to yourself, 3. saw that you mainly frequented the kitchen and 4. you were arguably the only other person than Cale (designated driver) that hadn’t been drinking that night. He also noted that you were one of the few girls at this party that either wasn’t an existing WAG or someone that Charlotte had not attempted to set up on a date with one of the guys on the roster. You laughed at the date set up comment because Charlotte had not attempted to set you up yet but you knew after this party, she would definitely try. 

After the sticky mess was cleaned up, you and Tyson quietly moved out of the kitchen and into the backyard to continue your conversation. Tyson asked about your relationship to the team because he assumed you were one of Charlotte’s friends. He was sort of right; you wouldn’t go as far to say that you and Charlotte were friends, more like newly minted mutuals with some trust established. You had met Charlotte at a Saturday SoulCycle class a few months back. One day after class, she complimented the non name brand leggings you wore and the two of you had unofficially become Saturday SoulCycle buddies. Charlotte even asked you for insight on the chemicals in the skincare products she used (you did a dermatology rotation during school) and over a very long lunch, you helped her out. In exchange for your help, she invited you to her housewarming party. You explained to him that you had recently graduated with a master’s degree and were going to begin a new job as a pediatric physician’s assistant this upcoming Monday. Tyson seemed genuinely interested in what you had to say and you ended up talking with him for hours. As the hours spilled more into the night and as much as you had enjoyed talking to each other, it was time to go. Tyson had to head out soon because he had errands to run the following morning before leaving to go home for the off-season and you were also getting tired. Before you left, you and Tyson exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch. Although you didn’t want to go to the housewarming party to begin with, you were glad that you went and met Tyson.

After that encounter at the party, the next few months with Tyson were a whirlwind. Tyson went back home for the summer, spending as much time as he could with the people he loves before the chaos of the season started back up in September. Although you hadn’t expected for Tyson to keep in contact with you, you talked to each other almost everyday during the off-season and developed a friendship. You learned so much about each other during that time. You thought it was nice how Tyson always took time out of his day to talk to you when he could have been talking to anyone else. Of course, there were other girls both in town and online who would try to grab his attention, but you were the only one he wanted to pay attention to. You brought a different light into his life, and as cliche as it sounds, you were so different from the other girls he was used to. You weren’t self centered and spoiled, but selfless and kind. Tyson really liked you a lot and he couldn’t wait to see you once he got back to Denver.

Your first official date with him took place over breakfast at one of the local Snooze Cafe locations in September, a little after training camp started. That chemistry that you and Tyson had over the phone translated into real life over pancakes and laughter. One of the most important things you took away from that breakfast date was that you noticed that whenever you spoke about a topic you were passionate about, Tyson gave you his full attention like you were the only person in the room. You thought his attentiveness was admirable. Tyson wasn’t going to admit it out loud but he sure did enjoy looking at you; not just because of how you looked on the outside but the beauty and intrigue of what you had inside of you and the things that flowed out of you. Sure, you weren’t a runway model who turned heads every time you walked into the room, but Tyson didn’t care. He thought that your character, ambition and drive was much more attractive.

That ambition and drive came at a price though; you never had a serious boyfriend before. Sure, you went on first dates but you also didn’t have time for games and nonsense when you could be focusing on your goals. Tyson was different though. He was humble and had a spirit to him that seemed like he wasn’t going to waste your time; he didn’t seem deceptive or controlling or like a total selfish douchebag. That first breakfast date with Tyson eventually turned into a dinner date and that turned into spending more time together, falling for each other with each minute that passed. All of that time together blossomed into a beautiful romantic relationship. There was no reason to rush but time itself would push your relationship to move at a fast pace. Before you knew it, you were posting about each other on social media, spending your evenings attending his games, becoming a little bit more comfortable with the WAGs, and even moving into an apartment with Tyson. Loving Tyson and being loved by Tyson was more than you could ever imagine; this boy had you wrapped around his heart and he would never let you go. Tyson was so thankful to have you as a part of his life and his heart swelled with love being with you.

You loved how Tyson was so patient with you. Your lack of relationship experience left you a little cautious and you wanted to take your time to do things your own way, he would be there and wait with you.

You didn’t have an issue with Tyson’s schedule and lifestyle. You could handle it because your job kept you busy while he was gone. Sure, there would be times that you would go to bed without seeing him because you had to be up early in the morning and his game would run late or he would be gone on road trips. When you had free time while Tyson was away, you would hang out with the other WAGs and keep each other company. Although you had plenty of things to keep your mind occupied off of his absence and Tyson was always away with the team at various points, this lifestyle left you both feeling lonely sometimes. To navigate this obstacle, you reminded each other you were always there, even if it was in a small way and you weren’t physically together. Tyson would sometimes surprise you by ordering you take-out so you didn’t have to cook after a long day of work, even if he forgot about time zone differences while he was away and the food was cold by the time you came home. He would try to FaceTime or call you when your schedules aligned and he looked forward to a text of encouragement from you as a part of his pregame ritual. If you woke up early before Tyson, you would write him little notes and leave them on the bathroom mirror for him and sometimes add them into his luggage if he was leaving for an away game.

Before dating Tyson, you had a web wrapped around your heart and he knew exactly how to untangle those strings. You gave him butterflies and he always lifted you up in any of your ambitions and endeavors. Some guys would be intimidated by your boldness but Tyson saw that as your strength shining through.

You had always known that the world was a beautiful place but Tyson and his love had added even more beauty to it. His smile and laugh was like the equivalent of the sun shining on your face. His touch felt like the cool ocean breeze, dancing on your skin. This love was almost like seeing the northern lights for the first time; it was more beautiful in person than it is through a screen. The connection that you had with Tyson was so deep to the point that it felt like you knew him in another life. There was no one else in this world you wanted to be with and Tyson felt the same way.

You loved how Tyson was good with family. Your parents met Tyson over Thanksgiving when they came from out of town to see you and you had also met his mom and sister, Kacey, the same way but over Christmas and New Year’s. Being separated by distance from your families was one of the things that bonded you and Tyson closer together. You tried to recreate recipes from his mom and Tyson tried to incorporate small traditions you had with your family in your lives together in Denver.

The love you and Tyson experienced together was a wild thing. It was moving at a fast pace but neither of you wanted it to slow down. The love you shared was something that couldn’t be found because it came to you naturally.

Of course, there were low, not so warm and perfect moments in your relationship. You and Tyson had established healthy boundaries; whenever you had a disagreement, you gave each other space until you were ready to come back together.

You loved how Tyson always knew how to comfort you. After a long stressful day of work or if you were just plain frustrated, he knew how to make you smile, even if you had tears in your eyes.

You had always wanted something classic when it came to love. You wanted to be swept off your feet by a great guy and that came in the form of a really sweet hockey guy named Tyson. You both knew it as soon as you felt it that this love you had felt like a love song that could go on until the end of time.

Things were starting to get even more exclusive in your relationship. At the premier season event known as the Avs annual Halloween party, you and Tyson dressed up as Wonder Woman and Superman. Although they were just costumes, it represented how strong your relationship was and how interconnected you were together.

Music was something that was important to Tyson. Tyson loved to sing you songs on his ukelele and he even attempted to write you a song. He wouldn’t be winning a Grammy anytime soon but you wanted him to be the singer of the soundtrack to your relationship. Tyson was also a bit of a dancer and one of his favorite things to do with you when he was home was host impromptu dance parties in the kitchen. Whether you were dancing to disco or something slow, it was always a good time whenever you got to have fun and bust out your moves together.

Tyson set your world on fire and was like the color of the sky during golden hour. You couldn’t exactly keep your eyes away from it, it was something you were amazed by. You both knew that everything was going to be alright as long as you were together.

Tyson was colorblind but it was like you added color into his life. He was like your umbrella on a rainy day, always there to make you feel safe from the storm.

The relationship you had could also be described as like a duet. Separately, you both shined in your own individual ways but coming together created a beautiful harmony. Like in any great duet, there needed to be a moment where your melodies blended together and that moment came in the form of a proposal. Tyson had gotten proposal advice from Gabe, went ring shopping with Sammy and told the WAGs to begin planning a bridal shower for you. After a full year of dating, Tyson proposed to you in his childhood home in St. Albert over the Christmas break and even flew out your parents to be there for that special moment. It was the first time that either of your families had met each other and it felt like your families were meant to be connected. You were so excited to become Tyson’s long term better half. He knew in his heart that he had found his ideal duet partner and you felt the same way. Everything was falling into place until the notes started to fall flat.

————————————————————

star-crossed

Not long after you had gotten engaged, a so-called fan made a comment on your engagement post about how your relationship with Tyson was rushed, criticized how he shouldn’t marry someone like you and that your intentions for the relationship weren’t right. Although this person was a stranger hiding behind a screen, their words were painful. You told Tyson about what you read and he reassured you that regardless of what was being said, everything was going to be okay. You had gotten through the criticism of your relationship before but this comment lingered in your mind. Your thoughts began to race. Maybe, this person could be right; you and Tyson were going to rip right at the seams and that what you had together was just simply a perfect dream. You had also wondered if your relationship with Tyson was flying just a bit too close to the sun since it all happened so quickly and you had only been together for a year. Were you and Tyson simply star crossed lovers who weren’t meant to be together long-term? Maybe it was the insecurity talking but you weren’t so sure.

good wife

You had constantly wondered if you would be a good wife for Tyson. You knew that Tyson would be a great husband to you but you couldn’t say the same for yourself. Yes, you checked all of the boxes for domestic tasks but you weren’t fully sure on the emotional side of marriage. You had prayed to God for help to become a good wife for him. As desperate as it sounds, you and Tyson needed each other not just for emotional and physical comfort but also for stability. Both of your careers were demanding and being able to come home to each other when Tyson wasn’t away in another part of the country silenced that demand. Things weren’t always perfect and you both fought sometimes; although he had never criticized your introvertness, Tyson would sometimes tell you to be more fun and to stop controlling everything. However, it was difficult to let go when you had some sort of control over everything in your life and you didn’t like to lose control. It was one of the main reasons why you didn’t drink or use illicit drugs. Your relationship wasn’t a co-dependent one; neither of you controlled the relationship and you would be fine without each other. Despite this, you had reached to a point to where you couldn’t imagine living in the apartment without Tyson. The two of you had made that space into a home and you were also terrified of being alone after being with someone you deeply loved.

cherry blossom

No one could question the chemistry that you and Tyson had together. You both knew that you probably couldn’t find that same connection in other people. As a sign of his commitment to you, Tyson took you to look at homes out in Cherry Creek. This neighborhood was where most of the team lived so ideally, it was where Tyson wanted to live and raise a family with you. You wanted to live in the Highland neighborhood, which had more historic homes. Although no down payments or offers would be put down anytime soon on the homes you saw, it was something nice to do together. After looking at the homes, Tyson took you to a cafe to discuss what you saw. You and Tyson bickered throughout the discussion. Neither of you wanted to come to a mutual agreement of which neighborhood to live in. Like cherry blossoms blooming, you both knew that you didn’t want this relationship to fade easily and blow away. Despite the disagreements, you could work it out because even in nature, timing is everything and you and Tyson just had to work through it. It was just a rough patch that you could get over and come out stronger on the other side or so you had thought.

simple times

As time moved forward, you wish you could go back to the simple times of your relationship before you had gotten engaged. Although Tyson was open to staying engaged for a while and waiting to have the wedding, the external forces of society were pushing onto you. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t avoid questions about the wedding. It’s a topic that came up constantly because you were engaged. There were also a lot of little things related to the wedding that kept building up onto each other and adding onto the stress. First it was finding the perfect location; you and Tyson couldn’t decide if you should get married locally in Denver, go back up to Canada, have a destination wedding somewhere warm or even go to your hometown to host the ceremony and whether it should be indoor or outdoor. For some reason, none of the dresses you tried on at the local bridal shops were quite the right one. Tyson even graciously offered to fly you out to New York to try on dresses at Kleinfeld Bridal but you declined. Tyson tried with what he could but he wasn’t much help either. Tyson was fine with whatever you wanted to do, even if that meant deciding to elope without any of his family there. He even tried to encourage you to take time off from wedding planning but you were so determined to get it done because it became a goal and you never gave up on your goals. The WAGs tried to help you with your planning but things just weren’t going right. You just wanted to skip this round of the relationship and go straight to the part where you were happily married.

if this was a movie

The first big fight came unexpectedly. At the last minute, Gabe and Mel asked if someone could babysit their kids while they went on a long needed date night at some fancy restaurant because their usual babysitter was unavailable and it had taken them months to get the reservations. Tyson volunteered to take on the role since he knew how well you worked with children. As much as you love kids, you didn’t want to babysit because you spend 40+ hours a week working with children. You had expressed to Tyson how you weren’t up to babysitting and he reasoned with you to take up the temporary role. It was only for a few hours and Gabe and Mel would be back that same night. You finally caved in.

It felt weird to be in their home; it was lovely and cozy, filled with nice decor and toys but being in that space made you think about how one day, you and Tyson would have something similar. After Linnea and Lucas were settled into bed, the topic of having children came up. It was something that you and Tyson had seldom discussed. You were both still young and fertile so there was no rush to have kids yet. Having kids fit more in a 5-10 year timeline for you while children fit into a much shorter timeline for Tyson. You wanted to wait until you felt like you were ready and established enough into your career to take a break and become a mother. Seeing the way he interacted with both the kids on the team and away from the team, it further cemented to you that Tyson would be a great father one day, maybe even better than his own father. Being on different pages caused some tension and things started to get heated. To alleviate the tension, you and Tyson had decided to table your conversation until you got home in order to not disturb the kids.

When Gabe and Mel arrived back home, they could sense that something was off between you but decided to not speculate or intervene. When you arrived at home, you continued where you left off and another heated topic came up. You and Tyson hadn’t been physically intimate with each other; you were saving yourself for marriage and he respected that about you. However, Tyson did get frustrated with how you would have hot and heavy makeout sessions and you would tease him but he wasn’t getting any action. Tyson loved you so much that he would rather wait for you than go off and get temporary satisfaction from someone else. You and Tyson had gone back and forth about both becoming parents and the physical process of creating a child and at the end of it, Tyson had decided to pack a bag and spend the night at a hotel after the argument was over. You wish that this was a movie, that he would run back home to you and say that the fight was stupid and everything would perfectly fall into place. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen that night. You waited up for Tyson but he didn’t come back home that night and you fell asleep with tears in your eyes.

justified

You knew that Tyson was upset with some of the things you said while you argued but you would have never expected for him to leave you. When you had smaller fights before and needed space from each other, Tyson would sleep on the couch. He returned back home in the morning and over an “I’m sorry I did that” breakfast, an apology to each other for the previous night’s argument was exchanged. You both resolved to treat each other right and to do better. It was only one big fight over something that you could compromise on in the future and that didn’t mean the relationship was over.

You both ended up deciding to go to couples therapy to work through some of the problems that were affecting your relationship. At the therapy session, your therapist, Katie, helped to unpack some of the baggage in your relationship and she gave some exercises and suggestions on how to improve things. Tyson was open to speaking with the therapist and applying the changes into your relationship but he knew deep down that you also had to be open to these things as well in order for things to get better.

You could admit that some elements of toxicity began to seep into your relationship and at times, some very harsh and painful things were thrown around whenever you fought. Typically, you started off fighting and hating each other but loving each other in the end like nothing happened. For instance, on the car ride home from cake tasting, Tyson could sense your indecisiveness over choosing a cake flavor and it frustrated him because he just wanted you to know what you wanted so that you could move on to the next step of ordering the cake. He asked you what flavor you really wanted (he preferred the vanilla cake with the strawberry filling) and that led to you fighting about the wedding. You wanted Tyson to help more in regards to that special event but he was doing the best he could. You were both busy people and the season was still going on during this stressful time. The insecurity creeped in and you asked Tyson if he still wanted to go forward with marrying you; in his frustration, he unexpectedly dropped that he didn’t want you. You couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth but it hurt so much to hear him say that and you burst into tears. Tyson lied; he still wanted you but he was tired of the constant fighting and just wanted things to be okay. It was draining a lot out of him. He pulled the car over and apologized to you. Tyson promised to you that he will always choose you, regardless of what happens. You tried to justify it all but justification wasn’t the solution to the relationship problems but working through them and treating each other right was. Healing from all of this drama wouldn’t happen in a straight line. It would take some time and many steps forward and some steps back to get through this pain. In the end, you had only hoped that it all would be resolved.

angel

If you were an angel, your insecurities would fade away and the toxicity in the relationship would disappear. You did a lot of things your own way due to your lack of relationship experience but Tyson was understanding and patient with you. You could admit that some of your expectations and ideals of the relationship were a bit high and unrealistic but you also knew that it wasn’t always going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. It would work itself out over time as long as you kept pushing through it together. If you were both perfect, you and Tyson would never hurt each other the way that you did with your words whenever you argued. You both tried to continue to love each other in spite of these difficulties and even tried to convinced yourself that neither of you would ever have to change because everything would be perfect but it would never be that way.

breadwinner

Despite going to therapy together and attempting to apply what the therapist told you into your relationship, the arguments still continued. However, one of them hit too close to home. After making a game winning goal and being named a star of the game, Tyson came home ecstatic to celebrate his win with his favorite girl but you were asleep. Tyson was still buzzing from the game so he texted JT to go out for a couple of drinks. He felt bad, coming home and leaving you but he also knew that he couldn’t fall asleep. It wasn’t the ideal way he wanted to celebrate that night’s accomplishments; he just wanted to spend time with you. You had been busy with a lot of work things (one of the doctor’s at your clinic suddenly left and you had to pick up their patient load until a new replacement came in) and you didn’t have as much time for Tyson as you did before. He understood that you had a lot going on but it annoyed him that you hadn’t tried to make time for him and were starting to go radio silent on him so that you could fully focus on work. Although you and Tyson hadn’t fully finalized any of the wedding plans and potentially considered pushing the wedding back by a year, you eventually stopped planning for the wedding due to the increasing demands of work.

You had woken up in the middle of the night and noticed that Tyson wasn’t home. You looked at the time and were about to call him when he came through the door. Tyson saw you come down the hallway to approach him but he brushed right past you. You were confused as to why he did that and followed him in the bathroom. Tyson asked you for some privacy but you wanted to know why he was ignoring you. Tyson was visibly annoyed and he closed the bathroom door in your face; he had never done that before. You knew something was up so you waited for him in the kitchen; it was where all of the serious conversations took place. After his shower, Tyson came into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and some pain meds before going to sleep. He saw you sitting at the table and again you confronted him about what was wrong. Tyson was tired and all he wanted to do was go to bed and reset. Maybe if he had gotten a good night's sleep after drinking, he would be in a better mood tomorrow. Even though you had work in the morning, you didn’t want to go back to sleep without knowing if he was okay. The insecurity creeped in and although you knew in your heart that he would never cheat, you asked Tyson if he had been out with another girl. You had no idea where he was and the game had been over for hours. Tyson angrily responded that he couldn’t believe that you would say something like that when you know that he loves you and you only and he was fully committed to marrying you. Tyson explained that he came home earlier, saw you were asleep and he went out for celebration drinks with JT. He mentioned that you didn’t even send him a congratulations text like you normally would after a win and made a snarky comment that you probably didn’t watch the game. He was partially right; you did watch part of the first period and ended up falling asleep on the couch before waking up to go to bed before the game ended.

Tyson really just wanted to be with you and he tried to be understanding but you put your job above it all. He truly was proud of you and all that you had achieved but Tyson hadn’t even completed college and yet, the girl of his dreams held a graduate degree that she could always fall back on. It didn’t intimidate him but it sure made him feel a little insecure. You and Tyson began to argue about how you weren’t there for him anymore and how busy you were. It was getting late, neither of you wanted to continue to fight; you had work in the morning and Tyson had to prepare for the upcoming East Coast road trip. You had fully expected Tyson to leave just as he did once before but he stayed and slept on the couch. Tyson promised himself that he would never hurt you by leaving you like that again.

camera roll

While Tyson was away on the East Coast, a memory popped up on your phone. It was a picture of you and Tyson, together after a hike at Red Rocks; that image was Tyson’s lock and Home Screen photo. You had hoped that he didn’t go through his camera roll; things were still on shaky ground after your argument about not having time for him anymore and you both decided to take a mini hiatus from each other while he was gone. You had both spent time contemplating on the future of your relationship. Tyson expressed his feelings to the guys on the team and the common piece of advice was for him to let you go. You had caused a lot of distress onto Tyson and the guys didn’t think it was healthy for him to be stuck in a relationship like that. The guys were pro-ultimatum; either you get your stuff together or break up for good and find other better people. Tyson told the guys that he was going to break up with you when he got back home. Tyson didn't really want to end things with you though; he really loved you a lot regardless of what his peers thought but he did wonder if they were right.

As he scrolled through his gallery, he stopped on a picture of the two of you, wearing matching pajamas from the Christmas you got engaged; that image was your lock and Home Screen photo. Another good memory that came up in Tyson’s phone was the photos and videos he took of when you went to family skate together. You didn’t know how to ice skate but luckily, you were engaged to a professional hockey player. Tyson took you out to the Avs practice facility and taught you the ropes of ice skating. It took a lot of bumps, bruises and practice but you were determined to get it down and you did; he was proud of you. He missed you so much and he would do everything in his power to make things right. Something that Tyson never revealed was that he knew that he fell really fast for you but he didn’t care because he had always wanted someone who was just as good as you were in his life and he wanted to experience that same deep love connection that his teammates’ had with their partners. He also felt pressured to lock you down because he knew that you were someone rare and you could have been with anyone else but yet, you were with him. You chose Tyson because you never had a serious boyfriend before and you fell really fast for him as well. The timing didn’t matter because you had each other and you both had waited so long for the right person to come along.

easier said

You and Tyson reconciled just before his birthday in March and celebrated that special day together. Even though you got back together, you and Tyson began to argue a lot more about the future due to the impending trade deadline. Constant rumors were being spread about Tyson being traded away so that the Avs could acquire another asset. It caused a lot of stress and pressure for the both of you; Tyson constantly worried if he had to move and you worried about what would happen if he was traded away. Thankfully, the Avs decided to move some draft picks and some AHL guys to acquire a new player to help them out for a potential cup run. A few days after the trade deadline, Tyson mentioned to you about the Avs annual Mile High Dreams Gala that was coming up at the beginning of April. He was excited to take his fiancée to this special event, however, you didn’t want to go. This caused you and Tyson to drift even further apart. Due to the fact that you and Tyson were recently fighting a lot more than usual, you were scared that something that you disagreed on would be brought up and you would end up arguing with him in front of his peers. You had also stepped out of your comfort zone several times at other team events and you knew how important the gala was but socializing for hours on end, not just at work, drained you. You had expressed your feelings about going to the gala with Tyson and he tried to reason with you to attend with him. He wanted to get dressed up really nice with his lover and show you off to others. No matter how hard he tried, you wouldn’t budge on your decision. Tyson was obligated to go but you were optional so while he was away playing in Arizona, you almost forgot to respond to the invitation and you secretly sent it back with only 1 person from your household attending.

On the day of the gala, you had decided to be the team babysitter that night and left home early to go watch the kids at Gabe and Mel’s home, instead of going out with your fiancé. You didn’t even see Tyson before he went out, which didn’t surprise him. You hadn’t been seeing each other much lately and he thought that maybe you changed your mind on going and that you were getting ready with one of the WAGs. At the event, some people had asked where you were and Tyson didn’t know the answer himself until Ashley, Nazem Kadri’s wife, name dropped that she was going to text you to check on their daughter. Tyson was furious with you; when he had asked you to babysit for Gabe and Mel a while back, you didn’t want to do it at first but gave into the idea and on the night of one of the biggest team events, you opted out and chose to babysit instead. Tyson also felt embarrassed that he was kept out of the loop about this and ended up leaving the gala early, claiming that he ate something that didn’t agree with his stomach.

Upon arriving home from your babysitting gig, you saw Tyson was sitting at the bar and he immediately confronted you on what you did. You noticed that he had already showered and changed out of his suit. You told him that you had previously expressed that you weren’t going to the gala with him and that he knew that you weren’t attending. Tyson mentioned that you didn’t tell him that you were watching the team’s kids that night and you kept telling Tyson to calm down and to move past it but he wouldn’t back down. Tyson was frustrated because you both knew that you didn’t have as much time for each other anymore and going to the gala would give you some time together. You lashed out at Tyson by telling him that your whole life doesn’t revolve around him and he called you selfish. You begged Tyson to take back his hurtful words but he wouldn’t; it was how he truly felt about you. He also made an uncalled for comment underneath his breath about your job and you weren’t having it. You were one of the few WAGs that had such an intense and challenging career. Most of the other girls were either relying on their partner’s income as stay at home moms, were in school, were models/influencers or couldn’t work due to visa restrictions. You loved your job as a pediatric physician’s assistant; you worked extremely hard to get to that point, you also got to help children everyday and you couldn’t imagine leaving it.

You told Tyson that you sacrificed so much to be with him and he asked you to say what you sacrificed for him. You responded that you sacrificed your time and he said that wasn’t a good enough answer because he did the same for you. You didn’t have any other answers for him. Tyson tearfully told you that all he ever wanted from you was compromise and you struggled to give that to him. He put in so much and you didn’t put in enough. You continued to go back and forth until the kitchen went quiet. Tyson walked up to you, cupped your face and he looked at you with distress in his eyes. You could see how much he was hurting; this relationship was easier said than done. You both kept trying and trying but nothing was working. The cycle kept continuing and it needed to stop at some point. Like a soda bottle that had been shaken up too many times, everything spilled out. Tyson planted a kiss on your head, whispered that he was sorry that he couldn’t do this anymore, grabbed his phone, wallet and keys and walked out. It was done; the engagement was over.

hookup scene

You didn’t sleep that night and you waited up all night, hoping that he would call you. You couldn’t bring yourself to contact him because you were so devastated with what had occurred. You left the beautiful ring that Tyson gave you on the counter and began to start putting your things away in preparation of moving out of the apartment that you shared with your fiance. It hurt so much to take down the photos you had together on the wall and to remove yourself from a place you considered to be home. Tyson returned back in the morning after spending the night at EJ’s house and didn’t say a word to you. You couldn’t say anything to him because what could you say to make things better? You both had fought really hard to stay together but there was no amount of false promises and apologies that could fix what was already broken. You moved out by the following afternoon, put your things in storage and temporarily stayed at an Airbnb until you got a new place. No one from the team checked up on you after it was revealed that the engagement was over. Of course, you knew that you weren’t going to hear from Tyson’s mom or Kacey anymore either. The WAGs completely isolated you. You were immediately removed from the groupchat; all of them and the guys, except for Tracey (Cale’s girlfriend) unfollowed you. Even Charlotte, who was the main reason why you got involved with Tyson in the first place, no longer followed you and Mel didn’t say anything to you. You never expressed this to Tyson but you always knew that you weren’t good enough for them anyways because you were so different from them. You tried to bond with the other WAGs but you didn’t do the same things that they did; you weren’t interested in day drinking and you didn’t have as much time to go run off on squad vacations. They constantly were hanging out without you and rarely included you in what was going on. You were so incompatible with them and tried your best to make yourself comfortable with them because through Tyson, you were a part of their group.

After giving yourself some time to heal from your previous relationship, you tried to move on with someone new. One of the guys you met was the brother of one of your co-workers and you went on a date with him. The date was fine; you went golfing at TopGolf but the entire time you were there, you kept comparing him to Tyson in your mind. He didn’t make you feel the way that Tyson did. He couldn’t make you laugh the way Tyson did. His smile didn’t light up the room like how Tyson’s does. The new guy wasn’t so bad but it wasn’t the same. You and the new guy decided that you wanted to see each other again so you invited him over for dinner at your new place and he never showed up. Having someone say that they were going to be there for you and abandon you painfully ripped into you. You wished that you and Tyson just held on to the love you had for a little longer. You knew deep down that you weren’t truly ready to date again and you took a break from dating.

Tyson was already a hot commodity in the Denver area but none of the new people he tried to move on with panned out. He was back where he was before, dealing with the same type of girls before he met you. He didn’t want to mindlessly hook up with someone or have someone who wanted to be more like an accessory than a partner. Tyson craved a deeper, real connection and he felt like he was wasting his time so he decided to take a break from dating.

keep looking up

Tyson continued to go to therapy to work on himself and he even got himself a puppy to keep him company. He also continued to focus on hockey and achieved his dream of winning the Stanley Cup. However, it didn’t feel right to Tyson to celebrate this major accomplishment without you there. In fact, throughout their Cup run, Tyson began to miss you. There was no playoff WAG jacket with his name on the back for you to look cute in. There was no you congratulating him with tears of joy streaming down your face. There was no necklace for you to match his Cup ring. There was no day with the Cup with you by his side. He wondered if you had missed him too.

At the team celebration party, Tyson had a good time but in the back of his mind, the memory lingered of how you came into his life 2 years ago and now, you were gone. Charlotte had brought her new SoulCycle bestie around that replaced you for Tyson to meet but she was more interested in talking with the WAGs and she obviously had a crush on Mikko. After having a little too much Coors Light and multiple long rants with different people at the party, Tyson drunkenly revealed that he wasn’t mad at you anymore over what happened and that he was going to try to open his heart to dating again. That true love that you had shared together turned into pain but Tyson decided to keep looking up and moving forward in spite of what happened.

what doesn’t kill me

Work still continued to consume you and you went to therapy to work on yourself and your issues. You had also started to make new friends. Thank goodness most of your new friends were not Avalanche fans but they were more interested in the Broncos and Rockies. It still stung sometimes when you heard or saw anything related to the Avs. Of course, you had heard about the Avs Cup win and you were happy for Tyson. Sometimes, you did miss him and you also wondered what it would have been like to be a hockey WAG to witness your partner achieving their goal of winning the Cup. You still hadn’t dipped your toes back into the dating pool since the last guy but you were going back to being content in your single life. The golden hour moment of your relationship with Tyson had faded to black but it was okay because what didn’t kill you made you stronger.

there is a light

There was a light at the end of this dark tunnel. Tyson always told you that you had a light inside of you that lit up his world. He was right and he brought his own light into your life. One thing that you and Tyson could mutually agree on was that there was no bad blood between the both of you and the relationship failed due to incompatibility. Maybe if you and Tyson had dated for a little longer before getting engaged, maybe some of the problems that plagued your relationship would come to the surface before deciding to spend the rest of your lives together. Although things didn’t end ideally, you got to be loved by an amazing guy, who didn’t always treat you right but whenever he did, he treated you so well. Tyson got to be loved by someone who loved him for who he truly was and not for his money or status as a hockey player. You came into each other's lives for a reason and the tumultuous relationship you had taught you both something. It taught you what truly being in a relationship is like and that you should loosen your grip on your life. It taught Tyson that it was okay to not have what everyone else has and that the right person will come around at the right time. It both taught you that rushing into a relationship doesn’t always work out and that taking the time to get to know someone (even if it takes a while) will always pay off in the end because compatibility is essential and compromise is important. You both had forgiven each other for what had happened in the relationship. You and Tyson were both grateful and thankful to share part of your lives together. You both still held love for each other in your hearts but knew that breaking up was the best thing to do at the end of the day.

gracias a la vida

As you walked through City Park on a Sunday afternoon in October, you decided to listen to a podcast. As you scrolled through to find a show to listen to, you noticed that your AirPods had connected to a song instead. You recognized the song as gracias a la vida by Kacey Musgraves and you instantly knew that Tyson was close by. The only reason why your AirPods were connected to his phone was because when you and Tyson went to visit his family before you got engaged, you attempted to watch a movie together on his phone before Tyson, a noted plane sleeper, went to sleep. It was also easier for you to connect your own AirPods instead of sharing them separately. Just as he did when you met at Charlotte and Nathan's housewarming party, Tyson was quietly observing you. He thought about disconnecting your AirPods but he saw that you were walking towards him. When you got to him, using the same tone when you first spoke to him, you told him that you had noticed he was watching you. Tyson chuckled at your words; you missed the sound of his laugh. He asked how you were doing since the last time you saw each other and you began exchanging small talk with each other. Although you and Tyson were lost together as lovers, you didn’t lose each other as friends. You also didn’t completely cut ties with each other after splitting; you both refollowed each other on social media, quietly kept tabs on each other and watched each other’s stories but you hadn’t communicated with each other since you broke up. Tyson explained that he was at the park to take his dog for a walk after a vet appointment. The dog was so adorable and precious. You and Tyson had talked about getting a dog before but were waiting until you moved into a house together so that the dog would have enough space. Of course, you couldn’t agree on what breed of dog to get.

You wished deep down that you had compromised more with Tyson. You could admit that you were a bit selfish when you were together but that was part of how you controlled things in your life. Tyson was a great guy who had some wounds from his past but he carried it so well. The love that you used to share together reminded you both that you were worthy of great love. Even though you hurt each other a lot, you missed Tyson and his sweet smile so much and he missed you too. The only thing in the world you wanted to do at the moment was hold his hand and walk around the park with him. You had wanted to start over and forget that your engagement had failed and you had wondered if Tyson felt the same. Tyson wanted to ask you if you had moved on with someone new but you asked him if he had instead. He had gone on dates here and there but the spark just wasn’t there. Tyson was still single and it gave you a little hope that maybe you could get back together. Tyson looked down at the time and mentioned that he had to go. You hadn’t seen him in a long while and you didn’t want him to leave. Tyson picked up on your body language, just as he had done before and he embraced you into a hug. Before he officially left, you whispered to him gracias a la vida.

Thank you for this life. He smiled back at you after letting you go.

Soon after Tyson left, you sent a text to a familiar number asking them if they were free that upcoming weekend to meet up for breakfast at the Bluebird Cafe. You continued on your walk and only hoped that they would say yes.

[thejudgingtrash]

11. “...did you just sniff me?” for percabeth pretty please 🙏🤍🤍🤍

Heya! I’m finally here to come back to this request 😄😄 It took me only a little bit in comparison to other requests, but I'm here!

Also since @percyheartsannabeth, @skaterannabeth and @not-optimistic-petrol-biscuit had asked about fluff. Here you go... Kinda? 😬 Anyway. Here's a monster sneak peek into may I introduce you to my beloved wife? 😋

It took me all day yesterday, but I managed to pump out 11k words. That's a record for a single session in one day (with like two breaks). And yes, that is still not the entire chapter. Here are roughly 9,2k for you to consume!

TW: alcohol, overbearing relatives not minding their own business, a tiny section talking about domestic abuse and Athena and Frederick Chase ain't shit but that's nothing new. Poseidon too, for once. Enjoy!

may I introduce you to my beloved wife?

(*absolutely not proof-read, my bad)

Annabeth sighed. You can do this. You can do this. You’ve already finished the week. Think about the money. Think about the move to California. Push through this day and next week, think about the money and the minute you’ll hand your termination in. She wanted to splash some water up her face, but the makeup that tinted her lips in a luscious rose and added some bronze to her high cheekbones was too expensive to be washed off and hastily reapplied.

It was pre-Dionysus Day, which meant it was merely the calm before the storm. The first sparkling sip of an impending disaster waiting to rollover the roomy Greek villa Percy forced her to stay in. Well not really forced. Forced and bribed her to stay in. That made it sound slightly better. Just think of the one-hundred seventy-five dollars he’s going to transfer into your bank account for your new start in California. I should renegotiate. California is also expensive. Make it two-hundred fifty thousand.

The tall blonde looked at her reflection in the mirror. A young woman full of life was the first thing she had seen in the morning but now she looked tired and annoyed, just how she felt. Something crashed in one of the dozens of rooms next to her and people laughed. Annabeth sighed again. It was the only thing she could do, otherwise she would scream like a banshee, making sure that at least Hermes and Prometheus would check her, if it wasn’t for Percy stuffing socks into her mouth to make her shut up before they got to her. The majority of his Greek relatives had been lovely if not terribly nosy and overbearing. It was the opposite of her family. His was warm and chaotic and for the most part welcoming. Hers? Cold, apathetic, disapproving of everything she did. She had no family in comparison, and neither would she want to compare this wholesome messy bunch to the cold-hearted Athena Pallas and the monster that was Friedrich Chase.

Annabeth respected Hera and Hestia, she definitely side-eyed Aphrodite who was cheating on her husband and she would definitely stay away from Zeus. Crossing paths with him occasionally in the New York office of Atlantic INC. was terrible, seeing him openly be flirty and loosen up during a forced trip was way worse.

This was a bad idea and I have a terrible feeling about this. The burgundy wrap dress that hugged her skin was soft and light but in the Thessalian heat it felt like a sticky cocoon caging her. She wasn’t a beautiful butterfly, ready to burst out and wow everyone. Neither was she a moth drawn to a flame. She was a bug that had been sprayed by Percy with a pesticide, wrapped in toxic chemicals which were slowly dissolving her body, piece by piece.

A knock shoved the horrendous image inside of her head aside. “Yes?” she asked with a firm voice. Too firm with a hint of annoyance, but she was not a professional actress and could not switch her emotions off as she pleased. She was a junior marketing manager for Christ’s sake. Not for much longer. Only two more months…

Percy opened the door. “Are you ready?“ he asked with his usual pleasant baritone reaching her ear.

He wore light linen pants that hugged his legs loosely and a light blue shirt with the first buttons opened up. She could see his defined chest and the swirls of black hair peeking through. The hair was styled into a disheveled curly mess which suited him way better than the gelled back corporate look and he forgot to trim his beard like the day before. Annabeth couldn’t deny what she saw – her tormentor was a very attractive man.

“Do you want to bail?” His sea-green eyes darkened a shade. Worry flashed through them.

Annabeth exhaled sharply for the last time. “I wish I could but then I’d leave you without a fiancé,” she smiled through the pain.

Her glance found her reflection again. The topknot was still intact, and a few strands carefully framed her heart-shaped face. She looked perfect on the outside and she wanted to commit manslaughter in the inside.

“Let’s get over with it,” Percy sighed and stretched his hand out. It seemed like Percy was the one that would rather bail.

Annabeth took it without any complaint. She was the happy girlfriend soon-to-be-wife and holding hands was way better than being forced into kissing him during Sports Day. The Theodoropoulos family truly had planned activity after activity during those two weeks in winter.

“Oh!” Sally peeked into the bathroom and saw her son holding Annabeth’s hand.

“There you are! Is everything okay, mija?” she asked with her sweet Dominican accent and looked at Annabeth.

Annabeth automatically smiled back. Sally was the mother she never had, and it broke her heart crumble by crumble by the sheer charade Percy and she were forced to display for the next six days. Sally Jackson deserved the best. She certainly didn’t deserve being deceived and lied to by her terrible son and his tag-a-long coworker.

“Yes, Percy was just making sure we’re arriving on time.” Annabeth got on her toes and placed a soft kiss on Percy’s stubbled cheek. It tickled but by now she had gotten used to it.

He rolled his eyes, smiled at his mother, nonetheless. Sally’s eyes sparkled and she clapped, clutching her hands tightly. “You don’t know how proud you’re making me, mijo,” she then said teary-eyed.

“You finally found a great girl and she is standing next to you.” Sally wiped a tear away and the awful feeling that sat on Annabeth’s chest and made everything heavier, amplified by a thousand times.

This was way worse than being referred to as the woman that would bear him three to five children presuming with the first one sired on this current vacation by Ares. Yes, Annabeth wanted two children at max, but not definitely now. She was twenty-eight and in the prime of her life! Note: Percy would certainly not be the father of said two children. Unruly blond waves and a mischievous grin blitzed through her head. Pale blue eyes came back from the deepest pit of her memory. Luke. Fuck no, that was even worse than Percy. His betrayal… Annabeth tried to shake the memory off and focused on the ongoing situation in front of her.

Sally truly hoped her son found love and not a quick fling. Oh shit, Annabeth thought and looked up to Percy whose face expressed similar thoughts. His conscience nibbled and guilt flooded his body.

“Mamá,” Percy began and released Annabeth’s hand in order to grasp the older woman’s shoulder.

Sally brushed his large hands off. “No, no! Off you go! You younglings should be downstairs celebrating your reunion with the entire side of Poseidon’s family.”

Annabeth appreciated the fact that Sally was invited and flown out each winter holiday by the Theodoropoulos’. Despite having been divorced from Poseidon for over twenty years, she was still a popular and welcomed guest, not just because of her son’s attachment to the Greek side and his tied division of the Greek family company.

Sally gave each of them a last smile before entering the women’s bathroom. Percy exhaled and pinched his nose. After ten seconds he released the nose and looked back at Annabeth. “Ready?” he asked a final time. Annabeth nodded.

The loud singing, yelling and talking that had been muffled by the bathroom hit her by a tenfold. The place had all the Mamma Mia vibes without the fun singing four days ago. Not anymore, as drunk relatives hit up the shore with loud music and talked loudly in their Pontic Greek dialect.

As the couple descended the stairs and walked through the parlor, a new wave of guests arrived at the same time. Three people that have just entered early adulthood looked up to them. Two men, one blond with a stoic face and bronzed skin, the other was shorter with spiky black hair and a beautiful grin on his lips. The woman next to him was the tallest out of the trio and possessed a high ponytail that would leave Ariana Grande dying out of envy. The dyed lilac hair swung around and nearly reached the middle of her thighs, meaning the hair was even longer without its tight prison on top.

“Thanatos, Zagreus, Megaera!” greeted Percy and gave each one of them a rib crushing bear hug. They looked pleasantly surprised at seeing Percy being accompanied by a pretty woman his age. It seems like the proposal didn’t reach all of the ends of the Greek world.

They fell into a short conversation in Greek and Annabeth smiled politely next to Percy as she fell entirely out of place. The evil Duolingo owl didn’t prepare her for this experience. Neither did her mother bother teaching her at least their Athenian dialect properly. She could introduce herself in Greek, order a beer, say goodbye and that was it. Thank you, Athena. For nothing again.

“Oh, you must be Annabeth,” Megaera eyed her carefully and Annabeth had the feeling that she could split her open with her hands. Weirdly enough, Annabeth was kind of into it. Megaera wasn’t only as tall as Percy but she was clearly the one with the toughest workout regimen as she displayed her muscular legs and defined arms with a short cocktail dress only a few shades darker than her hair.

“Yes,” Annabeth squeaked. She nearly added a ma’am towards the end. Megaera cocked her dark eyebrow. She had an aura that demanded respect.

“Interesting to see the woman who captured Perseus’ heart. It seems that he did develop a good taste after all. Calypso was as pretty as the crescent moon flower but sadly as dull as his corny jokes are.” Megaera’s deep smirk was a stamp of approval as her eyes roamed all over Annabeth.

“Hey!” Percy interrupted and placed a firm hand on Annabeth’s waist, as if he was trying to mark his territory.

“You have your own toys right to your right,” he then added with a playful tone.

Megaera actually laughed and waved dismissively. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more.” A clear offer which left Annabeth’s face turn into a fiery tomato red.

“Anyway, we have some catching up to do,” Thanatos proposed as Zagreus and he silently watched the conversation blossom. He sounded as reserved as he looked.

“Indeed,” Zagreus agreed, surprising Annabeth with a posh English accent. “Father will murder me if we miss out on his moussaka. It’s to die for you need to try it, Annabeth, at least before Hephaestus gets ahead of himself.”

Annabeth laughed. The Theodoropoulos did have their positives. “I will, Zagreus,” she nodded.

“Oh please, if aunt Sally gave her go for you to stay here, you’re as good as family. We’re Than, Zag and Meg for you,” Zagreus offered.

“Annabeth is already my nickname but thank you for the kind offer!”

The three new guests went on to join relatives and friends at the party which seemed to get more chaotic by each passing minute as the volume seemed to increase.

“My cousin Zagreus from my uncle Hades’ side,” Percy explained as the three went out of his sight.

“Are they friends? Or…”

“Pretty sure they’re polyamorous. You know, I don’t know, and I honestly don’t really care, I see Zag once every twelve months at max. Just don’t stick to Meg’s side for too long otherwise she’ll turn you into her fiancé.” Percy’s tone suggested that he was not joking.

“Oh.” Annabeth didn’t know what to think of it.

Percy closed his eyes as if he was making a silent prayer, before his sea-green met Annabeth’s light gray ones. She smelled like lemon with a hint of lavender, instead of roses like normally. Delicious. If it weren’t for the fact that it was Annabeth.

“So, listen. You know I’ve talked about Dionysus Day and how his birthday brings out the worst side of everyone.”

Annabeth nodded as Percy went on to explain.

“Pre-Dionysus Day is basically same with the only exception that my great-grandmother’s house is filled with the entire family. Yes, we’re expected to eat, drink, laugh, drink, dance, drink, reminisce on our past, drink, make fools out of ourselves in order for them to take blackmail pictures and drink some more, but no matter how much they want you to open up… try to control yourself. Everything you say can and will be used against you.”

Annabeth’s stomach started to churn, and her knees slightly gave in. “Look, I’m truly sorry for the mess that I’ve caused,” Percy looked directly into her eyes and tried to ignore the rosy streaks across her flushed cheeks. “And my relatives can be overbearing. But if we manage to stick through this night and the next one tomorrow, we’re as good as done with playing games.”

“Fine,” Annabeth gritted through her teeth. She had agreed to the terms and condition. She didn’t need a reminder of the stupid decision she made two months ago.

“Let’s go.”

She placed her hand on the doorknob that separated the parlor from the huge living room. Percy followed her as she opened the door. A wave of laughter, wine, ouzo, discovered secrets, cigarettes, sweat and fun hit them.

“Oh wow, someone should open a window.” Percy suggested as he coughed. Luckily cousin Metis had the same idea. No, aunt Metis. Or was it Thetis? Why did Percy need to have so many relatives with similar names again?

“Oh, Annabeth, look at you!” Aphrodite had snuck up behind them and surprised the fake couple by hugging each of them and nearly spilling the expensive Greek vintage in her hand on Percy’s shirt. The red alcoholic liquid carelessly swirled in her glass and more than often seemed to want to escape from her clutch.

“Aphrodite, be careful!” Percy reminded her as she dug her fingers into his arm. Her nails were as fake and bought as was the bond between Annabeth and Percy.

“Oh, please cousin, you should learn how to loosen up!” She laughed, but it sounded more like the shrill sound a bird made when it got nearly hit by a car. The high pitch made Annabeth slightly frown.

“Take your girl upstairs and show her all the Zorbas moves you got!” She wiggled her badly overdrawn eyebrows.

Aphrodite had always been the poster child of perfection. She knew how to dress her curvaceous body the right way, she knew how to apply the perfect touches of makeup on her face and she was the most graceful being Annabeth had ever met. Seeing her so disheveled left the blonde American content. It showed that Aphrodite wasn’t one of the gods, she was a mortal mess like they all were. That, and it was kind of funny seeing the abrupt transition from oozing perfection to looking like a rough mess after a couple of glasses of wine.

“If you know what I mean, you two know what I mean, right?”

“Yes,” Annabeth and Percy answered. Unfortunately, they did.

“That reminds me, this is such a pretty dress that you got!” Aphrodite’s eyes widened and she tugged at Annabeth’s sleeve that went slightly over her elbows. “Percy needs to bring me a couple of those the next time he visits. Oh wait! You’re about to marry, Annabeth can take me shopping. I want to visit New York next summer. When was your wedding again?”

Panic filled Annabeth she tried to stutter a lame excuse like they had done the entirety of the stay. Aphrodite’s brown eyes found something else to focus on in the meantime. Her hand went out to poke the tall blonde’s chest as she went on to pull on the thin fabric.

“You should show the men what you got! Free the girls!” Aphrodite yelled over the loud music, pushing Annabeth’s C cup to its limits. “Let Percy stand in the corner with that stupid frown, all jealous and depressed while you’re out on the hunt!”

Percy did not look amused especially since he tried to pull Annabeth away.

“Yeah, just like that!” Aphrodite’s glass pointed directly at his face as Annabeth tried to shove Aphrodite’s fickle fingers aside. “Oh, if I were just a little bit younger and not tied to your cousin…”

“You mean cousins,” Percy corrected and made a step backwards as Aphrodite’s dreamy and drunk dazed focus shifted from Annabeth to him.

“Aphrodite, leave Percy and his future wife alone,” Hera arrived to save the stressed couple and rolled her eyes. “Go harass Hephaestus and try to be a faithful wife for once in your life.”

She still looked like she had a massive stick shoved up her ass by the way she stood entirely straight next to them, but Annabeth appreciated the gesture. If Hera didn’t like Aphrodite much, Annabeth would rather join Team Hera than stand alone by the bleachers and under Aphrodite’s charmspeak. Aphrodite pouted and stomped with her feet twice as if she were a toddler and not a grown woman marching towards her forties. Then she stormed off and ran into the arms of her lover, nother husband to spite her mother-in-law and embarrass her even further.

“Malàka,” Hera cursed and lost her cool for one second, before clearing her throat and focusing on the already tired fake engaged couple in front of her. Not even Hera seemed to be averse from drinking a glass of wine or two. “You two definitely need a drink.”

Annabeth agreed with her for once.

She pointed at the bar behind her, which was managed by Dionysus and his wife Ariadne. The number of relatives ganging up on them and demanding new drinks was frightening. Surprisingly Dionysus kept his cool and shoved drinks in people’s hands at an impressive speed.

“Yeah, let’s get over with it,” Percy sighed and took Annabeth’s hand again.

“Are you okay?” Annabeth asked him. She knew from Thalia that Percy rarely ever drank and that his family was to blame for most of it. Percy seemed stiffer and graver than usual as well. As much as she disliked his jokey nature and easy-going demeanor he displayed at work, she’d much rather have that Percy by her side right now. Dionysus Day and the day before seemed like it was hell on earth for him and walking through it each year must take a toll on him.

“Yeah, let’s just each grab a glass of wine. Let them be happy about me shoving this disgusting stuff down my throat.” He thanked Ariadne as she prepared two glasses of the same vintage Aphrodite seemed to have inhaled earlier.

“Thank you.” Annabeth took her glass and sniffed. The wine smelled sickly sweet with a hint of the bitterness that the fermentation process had left. The glass in her hand weighed surprisingly heavy, not because of the wine itself but because of the golden swirls decorating it. The glass transitioned from the crystal-clear transparency into a deep black. A lyre surrounded by a bigger laurel wreath decorated the middle section and a golden snake was wrapped around the stem. The golden rim gave it a nice finish.

“Into a fruitful night,” Percy darkly mumbled over the music. He was really not looking forward to it, which confused Annabeth immensely. She didn’t understand why he pushed himself through this if he really didn’t like the drinking activities. He surely had his reasons, hence her not starting a fight with him over it. It was his family and their tradition after all.

“Into a fruitful night,” Annabeth instead repeated.

Issuing a weird toast as well. Percy Jackson was clearly not a drinker. Their glasses clinked and each of them took a sip. Thankfully grandma Rhea made sure they were well-fed before the festivities began.

“Fuck,” Annabeth muttered. A fine vintage as well. Not as sweet as she thought, it left a hint of sweet cumin as the lingering aftertaste. Her lipstick left a mark on the glass, but she didn’t bother to care as she took another gulp. The wine was nearly finished. She slowly started to understand why ancient civilizations went crazy after this stuff.

As she looked at her so-called fiancé, she saw that his glass was already empty. A grimace rested on his face as well.

“Err, Percy?”

“What?” The dark brooding look on his face was no more.

“Shouldn’t you take it easy?” Annabeth carefully asked. His eyes narrowed.

“I am,” he stated and cocked his head towards his cousin who was still busy playing the barkeeper but kept an overall watchful glimpse on the guests that flooded the gates.

“Dionysus saw me drink. Most importantly he saw us have a drink. That should be enough for me, but if you want some more, be my guest.” He shrugged.

Annabeth felt that she should probably drag his mopey ass out of the party, but it was way too early to leave. “Fine,” she said and asked Ariadne for a refill. Annabeth went in for another long sip. She should definitely stock her wine cabinet once she was back at her shitty apartment. Before the glass reached her lips again, Hermes snatched it away and chugged the remaining wine.

“Hermes, what the hell?!” Ariadne grabbed the glass and pushed her husband’s cousin away. The bored postman was back with his shenanigans.

“My bad, dear wifey, but I’m on a mission here to abduct sweet Annabeth,” Hermes winked and placed his hands around Annabeth’s shoulders.

“What are you up to?” Out of all of the relatives she’s met so far, Annabeth was convinced that everything Zeus had ever sired was a mistake. Zeus himself was a mistake.

“Can you stop being German and boring for once?” he joked. Annabeth’s eyes narrowed. She did not like this one bit. She turned her head around and saw that Percy had been pulled into a conversation by Hypnos and Morpheus. He had completely forgotten about her. Great.

Hermes guided her through the crowd, towards the middle of the room. They had to dodge chairs, drunk relatives, a sofa, chatty relatives, the coffee table and dancing relatives before they made it.

“There she is!” greeted Achilles the confused marketing manager.

Paris, Helen, Patroclus, Hermes and Achilles stood in a circle around a table. Dozens of shots of all sorts of colors were displayed. Annabeth had a terrible feeling about this.

“What is this and why are you pulling me into this?” Annabeth asked and did not like the mischievous grin they all shared. She wanted to go back home and cuddle with Daedalus on her sofa and push his cat ass out of the way before the next steamy Outlander scene hit the screen. Yes, Annabeth was that much of a single that seeing some on-screen action was the best she could get. She hoped that the mangy cat didn’t bother Thalia all too much while she was staying in Greece. She owed her so much already.

“Well, I stayed in your country,” Paris started. “And they have a weird tradition with ouzo. They don’t drink it the way we do, watered down and slowly at lunch and what not…”

Annabeth was still American for the most part and had nothing to do with Germany. The last time she stayed there was nearly thirteen years ago. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Germany. Friedrich Chase lived in Germany. And she fucking hated Friedrich Chase. Therefore, she hated Germany. Things that would never change. Okay, Hamburg was a cool city and she was glad her father moved to Cologne. Should she feel the urge to travel back to Germany for a week or less, she’d go to Hamburg, take ten thousand pictures, and post them on Instagram the minute before she was boarding her flight back to New York. Helping her to enrage her stupid father was all Germany had to offer.

“Germans do ouzo shots,” Patroclus cut to the chase. “And since you’re the newest member of our family…”

“And German!” Paris and Hermes added simultaneously.

“We’ve decided to play this little game,” Achilles added.

“What’s the name of the game?” Annabeth asked. She was only slightly curious. Emphasis on slightly.

“Last man standing. Oh sorry, ladies. Last person standing,” Hermes corrected himself as he placed four shots in front of each person. That was way too much hard liquor to handle. But if she did Jägermeister bombs in her sophomore year of college without any issues, this should be fairly easy.

“What are the rules?” They all looked at her in silence. No rules. No prize. Just drink.

“Oh wow.” The urge to roll her eyes and walk off came back with a force.

“I think I’m going to pass,” Annabeth said and already turned to her right.

“Why?” Helen asked innocently. “Need your man to look after you? The one who’s having an amazing time back there with his third glass of wine?”

Foul game. Annabeth’s head shot to the right. Helen was right. Percy was laughing and looked like he was having a great time chatting with Oceanus and his wife Tethys. Tethys refilled his glass as her husband and Percy broke into laughter once again.

If that’s the case…

“Fuck it, I’m in,” Annabeth agreed. She swallowed the bait and she knew it. There was no reason why she should feel upset about Percy opening up all of a sudden. He desperately needed it. Why she wished to be a part of that, Annabeth did not know.

“Great!” Helen threw her brown mane over her shoulders and grabbed the first glass.

“Για μας!” they all yelled and chugged the liquor. Gia mas, the Greek toast, was repeated every time and it seemed to brighten the mood, despite resting heavily on Annabeth’s stomach. Her college days were over, but she was glad she resisted coughing repeatedly.

Patroclus clutched his stomach after the second shot, Helen ran out after the third, Paris and Achilles were laughing maniacally after the fourth and Hermes mysteriously disappeared after the first one. Annabeth was the last person standing. She placed the crystalized shot glass back on the table and examined the messes around her. The only thing that had happened to her, were that more golden locks escaped from her bun and her lipstick needed some reapplying as she left marks on each glass.

Annabeth tried to take a step away from the table and felt how the world slightly shifted around her. The fact that she would curse and hate herself for her behavior in just six hours, was something drunk Annabeth gladly put aside. The headaches that definitely would haunt her for the rest of the trip didn’t matter, she won and that was all she cared about.

“Hell yeah!” she yelled as all inhibition faded away, leaving pure and raw life force behind. Unbeknownst to her, Annabeth had moved right into the circle of dancers.

“Perseus, get your bride before she breaks her legs!” someone laughed. Was it Iapetus? Or was it Hyperion? Who even cared at that point?

The next two hours were a blurred mess. A blackout slowly crept through her mind, leaving foggy memories behind. Annabeth felt how she was dancing with people and how people were laughing. Were they laughing at her or with her? Did it really matter? Why was her hair repeatedly slapping her face, didn’t she tie it up?

She danced with different people, men and women. She really hoped that the guy that looked like a naked Danny DeVito with longer black hair was not Zeus who had lost his shirt and pants. Who was the guy with the sea-green eyes again? Why was he clapping and laughing whenever she was busting a move next to Hermes? Was he important? Why did he remind her of work? The shots might have been a short-sighted idea after one and a half glasses of wine. She probably overestimated the amount of food she had consumed at dinner prior. Wasn’t she supposed to try someone’s moussaka?

“There you are! Ares, stop dancing with her for once. We’re about to leave.”

Ugh. Ares. Not Zeus, but still yucky.

Sea-green eyes. Percy, of course. How could she have forgotten the asshole that brought her into this whole mess? He seemed fairly sober, didn’t he have a glass or three of wine? Annabeth was certain, she’d be able to drink him under the table. His height and his build might put him at an advantage, but if he wasn’t used to drinking, she might have a fair shot.

A rock song was the next song that appeared. Percy wanted to drag Annabeth off the dance floor.

“Oh no!” Aphrodite intervened with a shrill screech. “Give the two lovers some room to show each other affection!”

Hera actually raised her glass for once to show that she actually agreed with one of Aphrodite’s wild ideas. Someone fumbled with the playlist and a Greek slow jam roared through the old speakers.

“Are you guys fucking serious?” Percy muttered under his breath. But roughly eighty pairs of eyes were all but watching the soon-to-be betrothed and waited for a romantic dance which reminded Percy more of the horrors that the eight-grade dance was.

Annabeth drunkenly hiccupped and looked at him in surprise as she felt one of his hands around her waist and the other one taking her hand. They rocked as if it was the final dance at prom. Annabeth barely remembered prom. Oh right. Her mother had forbidden her from going. She never attended prom.

A casual glimpse through the crowd showed her that people were actually filming this nonsense and some women were actually cooing. Did… did they seriously think this back and forth with sweaty clothes on was romantic? Her eyes found Percy’s again.

“So…” he began.

“So…” she repeated.

“Careful!” he warned her before twirling her through the tight circle. People screamed and applauded. A camera flash blitzed through the darkness twice.

“Oof,” Annabeth groaned. Her stomach and equilibrium did not appreciate that sudden movement.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do that again,” Percy swore. The rocking motion made both of them sleepy. Annabeth suppressed a yawn, rested her head on his shoulder. Percy could make the perfect comfy bed, if he wanted to.

Percy, sensing that people were awaiting some action from either of them, placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up. Annabeth’s eyes widened. Is he going to kiss me in front of them? Again? her panicked brain asked. She was turned into stone, not by Percy’s distant cousin Medusa who had eaten most of the truffles, but by the tenderness of his actions. He was one solid actor.

Percy placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before moving on to a temple. Annabeth blushed and buried her heated face in his chest as he released her. Intimate, soft and sweet. The screaming relatives disrupted their comfortable silence yet again. The slow song came to an end and the next upbeat one invited everyone back to the dance floor. Annabeth released herself from Percy’s tight embrace and just bolted. Damned be nausea. A wave of coldness hit her. She felt something she didn’t like the minute Percy had softly kissed and soberness woke her at a start. What was it? Anger? Disappointment? Longing? She didn’t know and she didn’t want to know.

“Annabeth!” Percy shouted, but the amount of people standing in his way made it more difficult for him to keep up with her. His hand brushed over his own lips.

Annabeth opened and closed doors left and right. The kitchen, the dining room, the smoking room. She hasted through the first floor until she found another lost soul in the fireplace room. Why the villa had a fireplace room in the first place, she did not know. It had been super-hot the entire time but what Annabeth understood as heat and what native Greeks deemed as hot temperatures didn’t have to correlate.

Great-grandmother Gaia’s humming faded away. The eldest of the Theodoropoulos looked up from the pair of socks she was knitting. When she came to find out the intruder was Annabeth, joy spread over her face.

“Come, come!” The broken English that she softly spoke reminded Annabeth of her own grandmother. She hadn’t seen Elsbeth Lilienthal-Chase since she had left Germany. And since her mother didn’t give her a chance to say goodbye, she didn’t have a phone number to reach her with. The only way would be through that asshole Friedrich Chase, and the only time she’d willingly let someone contact that man was if she had been six feet under and he would be forced to show up for one important family event for once.

“I was unable to sleep. Parties aren’t something for me. I’m too old and boring for my children and their children,” Gaia sighed as Annabeth took a seat on the green sofa next to the light blue armchair. All of the cushioning seemed to have been made by Gaia as the socks had the same pattern as the pillow that Annabeth leaned against. Balls of wool surrounded the older woman as if she sat on a field of fresh tulips.

“Drink, drink! You need water. I’m pretty sure you danced a lot.”

Annabeth kindly took the offer, grabbed the carafe and poured herself a little bit of water into a small glass. The water was surprisingly cold and refreshing.

“My children deem me crazy,” Gaia continued. “The war with the ottomans. Deportation. Fleeing and seeing death everywhere. Losing my father in the chaos. Then the big world war after that twenty years later. They don’t want to listen to the same stories. They only want to have fun. So, they sent me away.”

Annabeth felt terrible for the old lady. It looked like she had been through hell and back in her youth. She didn’t look like she needed much, only someone to listen to her.

“I won’t bore you much,” promised Gaia.

Gaia’s tanned leathery hands continued working on the little socks. “Don’t worry about tomorrow, dearie. We have plenty of acetaminophen and other hangover remedies. Tomorrow will be even worse, because Dionysus wants to celebrate his birthday with even more wine,” the old woman laughed, and her green eyes twinkled full of life.

“I also was young once…”

The two sat in comfortable silence, only interrupted by Gaia’s humming or Annabeth refilling her glass of water.

“So,” Gaia began.

“So?” repeated Annabeth.

“You are the woman that tamed my little Perseus,” the older woman grinned.

Oh no.

Annabeth had a lump in her throat and drinking water to solve it, didn’t work. She wasn’t just lying to Zeus and his wife. She was lying to an entire clan, from the youngest to the oldest members. What Percy and she were doing wasn’t right, neither was it fair. Sure, Percy’s shitty uncle didn’t help much by forcing him to marry the next person, but did the rest of the family deserve to be deceived as well? No, they didn’t, and that truth rested heavily on Annabeth’s narrow shoulders.

The fact that Gaia looked so much like her great-grandson was crazy. They possessed the exact same shade of sea-green. It was passed onto Rhea, Percy’s grandmother, and then Poseidon, Percy’s fucked up father. Always full of intelligence and calculation. Shifting easily from delighted and full of life to the crashing anger of a storm. Power and knowledge were key features of Gaia’s eyes.

“How did you meet my sweet Perseus again?” Gaia innocently asked but Annabeth knew that there was some sort of ulterior motive behind her question.

“At work,” she honestly answered, and Gaia smiled. The old lady was able to sense the truth.

“He’s not my direct boss, but we run into each other a lot. And we hated each other from the moment we saw each other.” Annabeth remembered how she accidentally spilled her hot coffee all over his shirt. She had been public enemy number one from then on.

“He’s an excellent boss, as much as I hate to admit it. He knows his ways around and is passionate about the ocean and its inhabitants. Definitely more passionate than me, I’m just there for the money. He actually wants to make a difference. And he’s extremely annoying, might I add.”

Gaia burst into laughter and needed a minute to calm down. Annabeth cracked a toothy grin. “Ah yes, I can see how you fell in love with him.”

Doom. Uneasiness. Discomfort. The lump in Annabeth’s throat grew bigger and bigger. Why was her vision so blurry all of a sudden? She looked down at her dress. Dark dots appeared. More sprinkled across her lap as Annabeth realized she was crying.

“I’m so sorry,” Annabeth sniffled. “I… Percy… I…”

Gaia put her knitting utensils aside and set herself upright in the armchair. “Oh no, what is going on, Annabeth?”

The calming hand on her back did not help the young professional at all. No, Gaia’s honesty and curiosity made it way worse.

“Percy and I… we’re not engaged. We did it because Zeus-” Annabeth tried to confess, but Gaia brushed her off.

“It’s okay, Annabeth. I know,” the old woman smiled.

The tears that smeared her foundation or rather what was left of it ceased to fall. “You what?!”

Shock widened Annabeth’s light gray eyes.

“I knew from the minute you stepped into my house. I’m pretty sure Rhea knows as well.”

Annabeth’s jaw fell open. “B-but how?!” she stuttered and felt like an utter and complete idiot. The first few days had been rough and difficult, but now she thought that Percy and she conveyed the illusion of being a happy couple.

“You were scared of everything including him the minute you arrived,” Gaia warmly smiled. The infectious warm smile of a grandma looking out for her little chicks. Was Annabeth now one of them?

“I knew something was off with that sudden engagement of yours with the way you two behaved. Either you were pregnant, or it was a ruse. Since you are heavily drinking and paper thin, it was clear that there was no pregnancy. You young people truly don’t eat enough anymore,” Gaia shrugged, patted Annabeth’s knee and went back to knitting the sock.

“But now… it all makes sense. You do feel something for each other. Even if you are blind to it for now.” She continued to hum. “I just hope that my dear Perseus will be the young and carefree boy he was all those years ago one day again. And I do believe that you are the key in finding him hidden underneath all those layers and walls he had put up due to his father.”

Annabeth didn’t even close her mouth during the elder’s monologue. Did Gaia seriously connote that she… that Annabeth Chase… might feel something for her soon-to-be boss? Madness. Absolute madness. She took everything she had thought of the friendly old woman in front of her back. Maybe her relatives did have a point, when they decided to brush Gaia off due to her old age.

Annabeth? And feeling something for Percy? If that something was hatred and the utmost rage, absolutely yes. But… anything else? She would receive a hefty sum on her bank account and would put in her two weeks the minute she found a better job in California.

“You know… there is a tale I’d like to tell about men.”

And Annabeth would prefer to place the glass back on the table, throw the heels away, storm out and run to the next airport.

“They are stupid vapid creatures,” Gaia carried on.

Annabeth snorted behind her glass. “That is certainly true,” she agreed and earned an honest grin from Gaia.

“My dear husband Ouranos with whom I had all of my dear children decided one day that one woman was not enough. And that twelve children were not enough.”

Twelve children?! Annabeth's womb just twisted and turned in protest. The shocked expression on Annabeth’s face made Gaia chortle loudly.

“Oh yes, back in my day we were all very fruitful,” Gaia affirmed.

“That sounds horrible,” Annabeth interjected.

“Oh, only the birth part and the eighteen years after it,” the older woman dismissed her which made Annabeth in turn laugh again.

“My father was a farmer and he had one piece of advice: never let someone toy with you. You are not a doll; you are a person with morals and dignity, a person with feelings and dignity. Let no one, especially not a man, treat you like a commodity or something to kick around. Well… when dear Ouranos left me and sought our neighbor with bigger breasts… I taught him that lesson. And I did so with my father’s trusted knife that I hung on the wall afterwards.”

There was no knife displayed on the wall. It was a fucking scythe. Large, frightening, brutal. A golden great long sickle with jagged teeth rested on the wall as if it were ready to cut you up into one thousand pieces. Was there really dried blood stuck on the teeth or was Annabeth’s drunken mind making things up?

“The minute our youngest turned eighteen he took off and was never seen again. And now, should a person, in that case my Perseus, not know how to treat you properly, you know what to do,” Gaia advised and took a sip out of her own glass.

“Uh… you mean threaten to cut his genitals off with a large and sharp family heirloom?” Annabeth’s eyes widened again.

“No, dearie…” Gaia gave it some thought. “Well maybe so, dearie,” she then went on. That made Annabeth chuckle again.

“But demand absolute respect from him. Don’t ask him for it. Demand it. I don’t know how but he has dragged you into our family and expects you to play the perfect fiancé. This will eventually blow up in his face and he will drag you along with him. Teach him a lesson, however.”

“You know what? I will!” With Gaia’s official blessing, Annabeth was all smiles and scheming new plots. If the head of the family gave her the approval of kicking Percy’s ass, she definitely would.

Steps echoed in the fireplace room and Annabeth and Gaia’s heads turned to greet the intruder. They didn’t even realize the door opened and closed again.

Gaia’s younger twin who still had some black streaks in the braids marched into the hall, curious about what the two women in front of her were previously talking about. Gaia’s youngest daughter Rhea had joined them. The large blue floral dress made her seem like she never left the late 1960s and the two long braids only added to that sentiment.

“Mamá, what is going on? By the way Percy is looking for you, Annabeth,” Rhea informed her grandson’s alleged fiancé before taking a seat in front of her and grabbing one of the many balls of yarn in front of her mother. Rhea then went on to play with it as if she was a six-year old.

“Oh no, Rhea, Annabeth and I were just chatting about love and life,” Gaia batted her eyelashes.

“You see, I gave Rhea the same advice about her disgraceful husband when he went out to seek another woman.”

Rhea rolled her eyes behind the large pentagonally glasses. “You and your stories about the scythe, mother,” she sighed.

“I have to make sure the younger generation knows!” Gaia huffed. “I won’t be here for much longer and then-”

“We'll regret all the things we’ve said and done to you, I know mamá, you have been telling me this since I was four years old and spilled my apple juice,” Rhea completed her mother’s sentence.

Rhea’s attention shifted to the smiling blonde in front of her. She grew to like Percy’s fiancé. She had a fire within herself and a backbone, all great things to handle a Theodoropoulos man.

“But my mother is right when she says that the scythe is a trusted tool. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades did scare Kronos with it after he tried some foul things with their sisters. Treated them worse. Did overall horrible things. He never wanted daughters, only sons. Didn’t seem to accept the fact that it was out of my hand.” Rhea squished the ball of light blue yarn in her hand.

“My children were always looking out for me and I will be forever grateful for them. I do hope that you will have the same feelings and love for your children.” It was clear who their father was supposed to be.

“Yes, I hope so as well,” Annabeth squeaked. Did it get hotter in here all of a sudden?

The door opened, and a worried Percy stepped into the fireplace room. “Oh, there you are,” he sighed as he immediately sighted Annabeth’s blonde unruly curls. He had been running from the basement all the way to the roof searching for her. Relief washed over his face like some shower gel from a cheap commercial. Only then did he realize that Annabeth had been cornered by both his nosy grandmother and his even nosier great-grandmother.

“Whatever they’ve been telling you, it’s a lie, it’s wrong and it never happened!” he warned her as he took a seat right next to her.

“Oh please, relax,” Rhea rolled her eyes and threw the wool at her grandson. “We have been talking about mamá’s scythe.”

“Hey!” both Percy and Gaia complained. At least they hadn’t dished out embarrassing stories of him taking off in diapers at night.

“This is expensive! You young people show no respect towards others' belongings,” Gaia cursed.

Annabeth took the blue yarn and placed it back on top of the pyramid of other colors.

“Thank you!” Gaia smiled before she focused on finishing the sock.

“You’ve found your fiancé, Perseus. Now go off back to celebrate and let us old people reminisce about the past and talk.” Rhea lazily waved at them whilst Gaia didn’t even look up from her craft.

“We will,” Percy said while getting up and casually dragging Annabeth along. He kissed both Gaia and Rhea on the cheek, Annabeth threw a hasty “See you in the morning!” over her shoulder before the couple left.

“Are you okay?” Percy asked as he pulled Annabeth aside for a small breather.

She nodded. “It’s just a bit overwhelming with the amount of people that either want to take pictures of us, hope I remember when their youngest kid’s birthday is, or they tell me they hope we have our first baby preferably in less than a year.”

Percy blushed. He didn’t think it was that bad, but then again, men are mostly left out of the baby talk until their mother’s saw that their best friend’s children had their first grandbaby. He truly didn’t have any intention of having a child before the age of forty. He had to save a business from his damned uncle, run and manage said business and preferably find a woman he tolerated enough to marry before he could even think of children.

Percy apologized again. “One week,” he promised her.

“One week,” Annabeth repeated and nodded.

“We’re going in, you’ve missed the high of the party with your talk with my yai yai, but that’s perfectly fine. The first have already left, let’s just mingle for ten minutes or so before we can-”

The door flung open. “There they are!” yelled Hermes who was followed by Zephyrus and Hercules.

None of them had any intention of letting the party stop before five in the morning. It was merely two. The minute Hermes had his sights on Annabeth, he knew that he had found his best drinking buddy aside from Dionysus himself. Oh no, Annabeth thought and rightfully so.

The minutes of calmness and rest next to Gaia did their wonders because Percy and she were thrust back into the party at full force. She didn’t exactly remember when the blackout happened, but it was roughly thirty minutes later. She was drinking, she was dancing, she was completely making a fool out of herself. The hair? A mess. Annabeth herself? Don’t even think about it. She had been dancing with Hermes and Patroclus, Aphrodite accidentally stepped on her foot one time when Ares approached her.

Percy broke his own promise and accepted a fourth glass of wine from Dionysus who insisted on it. That glass was his doom. The last droplet touched his tongue and his world turned into a flashy mist, his consciousness was broken into pieces, fragmented and sprinkled across the floor. Where he was, when he was and who he was were things he couldn’t remember. The only thing that popped up in his mind were waves of solid gold. Was it hair? Could hair truly move like that and possess that texture? And a whiff of lemon with a hint of lavender crawled up his nose. It was an odd combination, but it felt safe and like home. He liked this smell. Where did he smell this before?

Percy didn’t care, he had other matters to attend to. The first thing on the docket was finding the bathroom, he had drunk way too much. The house had weird rules in regard to bathrooms. Was it the left side or the right side that the young men could use? Why did his uncle Hades have to break two sinks in a span of a week when he was sixteen again? Why were women and others allowed to do whatever they wanted? His great-grandma and her weird plans were always set to make him fail somehow. Things that she had thought of decades ago still bore fruit today.

Percy stumbled upstairs and turned right and prayed the doors he was opening were empty bathrooms and not relatives making out. That was just what he needed. The first door he opened was of his great-uncle Oceanus and Tethys who had a face mask on her face and pink curlers up her hair. At least the old people still knew how to behave. He hoped his mother had left the party hours ago. He apologized and closed the door. The next one was an empty bedroom, his even maybe. No, his bedroom was on an entirely different floor. Or was it?

The next bedroom was closed off thank god, but from the sounds on the inside it seemed like cousin Eos and her newest catch Orion had some fun. Disgusting, Percy thought before he moved on. The next door was what he was looking for. A bathroom. Lit up, clean and empty. Empty if it wasn’t for this one woman who was clutching the brims of the polished sink. She was tall, the golden hair equaled a rat nest and her red dress seemed to have witnessed a lot.

“Ugh,” she muttered and looked into the mirror. Her eyes found his immediately.

“Percy?” she turned around.

Oh right. He was Percy Jackson, thirty-one, single, hopefully the new CEO of Atlantic INC., he had a fantastic apartment in the Upper East Side with an amazing view and he was in Greece to impress his family with his fake fiancé in order to secure his father’s legacy. His fake fiancé being Annabeth Chase, a woman he loathed, had to pay a little hush money and hoped would leave the company fairly soon after.

“You’re in the men’s restroom,” Percy then stated.

Annabeth looked around. No, it was not the same bathroom she used in the morning. Oh yeah, Gaia’s weird bathroom rules.

“Honestly who cares?” the junior marketing manager complained. “A toilet’s a toilet, no matter who uses it.”

Percy shrugged. Annabeth had a point but it wasn’t their house so they couldn’t dictate the rules.

“I wanted to retouch my makeup, but I didn’t find my makeup bag.” She walked steadily to Percy, but it was clear to both of them that she had her fair amount of shots in her system.

“Yeah, it’s probably in the other bathroom. Wait, let me use the bathroom for a second and then we can head back to our room and you can look for your makeup.”

Annabeth nodded and waited on the outside while Percy was tending his business. After drying his hands, he opened the door and found Annabeth yawning in front of one of his yai yai’s paintings. It showed the scythe from the fireplace.

“In all honesty, your great-grandmother is an amazing woman. I admire her. Showing kindness and strength each day. How old is she?”

“Turning 106 next October,” Percy smiled at her. “She always said she wanted to live long enough to see her favorite descendants find their own happiness, whatever it may be.”

The softness in his voice made Annabeth’s heart ache. She turned her head back to the painting. She was a nobody. She had no family, no traditions she could upkeep. She didn’t even have a steady relationship in the past five years. Fucking Luke Castellan. He also had to take that from her as well. Make her suffer. That’s what Athena, Friedrich and Luke all thought at the same time. And they all had nearly reached their wicked goal if it hadn’t been for her stubbornness and will to eventually blossom into something else. The first step towards that something else resided within her move to California. She wanted to leave everything and everyone behind and start a new life, somewhere where no one knew her.

A thumb brushed over her cheek. Annabeth looked up to Percy. She hadn’t even realized she was sobbing again.

“Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay,” Percy assured her. His hands found her sides, pulling her into a soft hug.

A true fiancé level hug. Annabeth had never felt that comfortable within a man’s reach. Percy might have been an awful and annoying coworker, but he truly cared about his fellow people. The way they slowly rocked and kept hugging each other reminded her of the school dance work they had put on the floor earlier. But this time it was real. This time there was no one taking pictures or yelling into their ears, or the demand to see a kiss.

Annabeth rested her face in his chest and Percy leaned his head on hers. It was like they had been made for each other. A welcoming scent greeted Percy. Lemon and lavender. The person stuck in Percy’s crumbled mind had been Annabeth. She was his anchor in the havoc his relatives had created in such a short time. He took a deeper breath. It felt reassuring.

“Did you just sniff me?” Annabeth laughed as she pulled away from him.

“You do smell good!” he defended himself with a stupid grin on his mouth.

“Oh, wait you’re super drunk,” she giggled again as she saw his widened pupils that had pushed the darkened sea-green iris away.

“Well, look at you,” he retorted.

They looked at each other. Aside from the bumping music and the noises people made downstairs it had been completely silent. He missed her warmth; she missed his comfort. Neither would have guessed that a simple embrace could offer so much. Neither would have thought they would take it to the next step within a split second.

One last look. A last time sea-green and light-gray met before each set of eyes closed and their lips met with a brutal force in the middle. Their teeth clacked but it didn’t matter to them. What mattered now, was the moment. Forgotten was the alcohol, forgotten were the troubles of past, present and future. Forgotten were the friends and relatives in the building and back in New York.

So... what do you think? 😄 Like I said, this is not the entire chapter 🤷🏾‍♀️ I honestly feel bad for cutting the chapter off because it's really getting more interesting from that point on 💁🏾‍♀️ I'll probably continue working on this once I've published the next act of The Fool 🥳

Also Greek people, if something seems off with this (aside from random English at times lol) hit me up, I definitely have to do more research!

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Untitled Lindir fic - Sneak peek

@mismaeve that awful enabler has encouraged me to write another AU (that I shall work on as soon as I get some of my present WIPS closed)

Nonetheless, here's a tiny snippet to see if anyone would be interested in this :D

Summary: Lú is sent to Elrond's establishment for a spot of corporate espionage for her boss and father-figure Thranduil. Backed up by her best friend Legolas and her boundless energy, she'll embark on a journey of ludicrous mishaps and genuine kindness. Especially her new boss's right hand - Lindir - keeps her on her toes. Will she find happiness in the small, cosy tavern...we certainly hope so...

Words: 640

“Lúthadis,” Thranduil sighed, “that girl would be better in a tavern.”

He liked his son’s best friend, he truly did; she was the kindest soul one could imagine, but that very sunny nature was what made her – in his opinion – so entirely unsuited for the establishment he was running.

“Are you saying that Elrond deserves something good you’re not able to cope with?”

Legolas was leaning against the doorframe, his fluid, elegant limbs draped carelessly against the polished wood.

The idea took hold in his father’s mind, thriving and unfolding at the speed of light; Legolas was not wrong, he could kill two birds with one stone.

“Lú,” he called, “come over here, please!”

She was an amazing waitress – punctual, diligent, and charming – but her ebullient nature made her stick out like a sore thumb in the high-end, hushed, gold-and-velvet spa-hotel Thranduil was running; discretion was key and Lúthadis was anything but subtle.

Even as she made her way over, her dark auburn hair – curly and wild unlike anybody else’s – bobbed like a fire over her pale face with those startingly green eyes that ever sparkled with mischief.

“Yes, boss?” she chirped cheerfully, the dimples in her cheeks deepening as she gave the old stick-in-the-mud a fond smile.

“How would you like working for Elrond for a bit? I need to know what makes him so damn successful when he’s running basically a tavern with rooms upstairs…”

“Corporate espionage,” Lúthadis grinned, “that sounds like fun.”

“Well no,” Thranduil huffed, “maybe a little. Just look around some and ask some questions.”

The truth was that he was bored out of his mind, and he hoped that his – hitherto benign – rivalry with the cute little inn down in the valley would spice things up during the lull of the season; it might – incidentally – also do the girl some good to see a different kind of establishment where she might fit in more easily.

“Alright,” pleasant as ever, Lú agreed easily to her boss’s proposition; on her way up from the village, she had – herself – noticed the beautifully drawn sign in the front window that advertised a vacancy amongst their staff, and she was more than eager to find out what kind of house Elrond ran.

“Who is she?” Lindir looked at the door of his superior’s office nervously as if the new recruit would come bursting through it at any moment, armed to her teeth.

“I’m sure Thranduil sends her,” Elrond smiled, knowing his apparent rival better than the man himself suspected, “she’s one of the kids having grown up in the treehouse.”

What the people around here called affectionately ‘the treehouse’ was a stately, beautiful manor house that Thranduil had transformed into a refuge and oasis within a dense forest of dark trees; known to be contrary and haughty, that very same man had a legendary soft spot for animals, plants, and a random gaggle of kids that could demand anything of him.

“She’s one of his?” Lindir asked breathlessly; he was much less inclined to extend good faith to that colourless, arrogant creature that was Thranduil de facto.

“She has excellent references,” Elrond declared in a decisive tone, “and you’ll show her around.” The fact that the astonishingly small and curvy young maiden was every bit as surprisingly and uncharacteristically beautiful as people said was only an added bonus for the older man; he liked Lindir and he was convinced that it would do him some good to interact with a woman who did not yet know how utterly sweet but helpless he was.

“What’s her name?” Lindir asked, turning around at the door, already sweating as he thought of the stranger about to barge into his peaceful life.

“Lúthadis,” Elrond informed him, “and she truly is enchanting; you’ll see.”

That, Lindir thought, was exactly what he was dreading.

So, here we go...let me know what you think :D

[brick-a-doodle-do]

I've shared Ezephr before! But tw for very slight and badly drawn blood!

This awesome dude! Fun fact, he's the only character I've drawn without any references or guides for drawing a shape I couldn't (like hands but I did it without a tracing tool to give me an idea)

Warning: He can face an entire army of magic users and tanks and come out unscathed while everyone else is suddenly dead, do not provoke

He attacks and traumatizes Irza when the dragon is just 16yrs old and then has a fascination for the dragon that never goes away again so sometimes he stalks or randomly attacks the guy but somehow doesn't know his actual identity and just knows him as Voidshire (SO lucky for Irza)....he's absolutely awesome but would kill everyone in the room, including me, then sit on the bodies after moving them to form a throne while eating some pie/cake

This guy is a villain and kills because he *wants* to. There is no goodness in him left (bc his backstory is even WORSE than Irza's and he killed people when he was 12)

He's an angel but his wings are red for several reasons, mostly from his slaughtering of people

THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONSE ON MY BLURB THAT WAS A COOL RESPONSE!!!!

I'mma get to that in just a minute bc it's a lot to write but yaaayyyyy

OH YEAAH SORRY MY MIND TOTALLY BLANKED! dude with the knife wings, i remember completely now >:D

seriously? that's actually awesome for not having a guide!! :0

also i love his hair color, does that come with the getup or is it everyday for him? also do we get a real name? or is that his real name?

jesus he sounds like a god--how close to one is he? does he have any connections to like actual gods (if any exist in this universe). is there any like..origin to his powers? does he come from a bloodline of op people orrr? :D

teenage trauma at it's finest :) does any kidnapping happen? does irza ever find out about ezephyr's stalking habits/eze's obsession with him? this dynamic reminds me a lot of discduo and i gotta say i'm enjoying it--

jeez that is really lucky,, i'm impressed that's even managable,,

that is..psychotic and i love it.

villains who kill for fun are always fascinating. i've got a killer!tommy au (which tbh....probably isn't my best idea) who does pretty much the same thing---he kills for the exhilaration so yeah those guys are never fun :')

.......backstory explanation? donate to the poor pls 🙏

several reasons? list them. right now, don't be a pussy /j/j/j

mhmmmm i had a lot of fun with that! btw turning asks off as i get a project done so bear with me here,, it'll probably take abt 10-15 minutes if i'm lucky, 20-30 at the most :]