#and yes I’m preemptively turning off reblogs on this because I DO NOT want this post breaching containment

[plutotheforgotten]

“talk to people who disagree with” fuck off I am SURROUNDED by people who disagree with me for the love of god I want to find someone who does fucking agree with me for once

[kessielrg]

[Kingdom Hearts] Policies

Summary: By far, Ven’s got the most boring job at the flower shop; the cashier. Sitting day in and day out for someone to browse along the rows of flowers and gardening tools, then probably walk right out again. Sometimes an interesting thing would happen- but they were few and far between. [flower shop AU focused on UX kids][Part 2 in a series of oneshots][VenxOC][EphemerxOC/F!Player]

Rating: K+

Word Count: 1,969

If you liked this story, please reblog!

- - -

“Hey Skuld...”

“I'm not helping you cheat on your homework.”

Ventus let out a small pout. “I wasn't asking for you to help cheat. I was wondering if you knew the contextual difference between irony and coincidences.”

Skuld paused from counting the balloons in stock before heading over to Ven. She looked over his shoulder to scan his schoolwork. She turned to him with a rather teasing grin.

“That's cheating.” she informed him. Ven pouted again, earning a less than helpful laugh as Skuld returned to inventory checking. So much for that little hint. The teen returned to his work with a grumble.

Some time later, the bell above the front door twinkled as someone entered the store. Ven took a small glance up to see the top of a pink head of hair. Knowing that it was Ephemer's wife, Ven looked back down at his homework. Skuld could help her. She always did when Anora came in, assuming Anora wasn't there to drop something off for Ephemer.

“He's getting so big.” Skuld cooed in a voice that brought Ven's attention again. In Anora's arms was her one year old son, Luca. He looked to be fast asleep in his mother's arms.

“Heavy too.” Anora said, her earthy voice not much above a whisper. From what Ven understood, she was always that naturally quiet.

“You can set him on the counter.” his boss offered, gesturing to the front counter. “You don't have to keep carrying him.”

Anora gave a grateful smile as she gently sat her child on the counter edge. She made sure that he was still laying against her, though. Not once did he stir- Ven was honestly a bit impressed.

“Urg, from the back he looks just like Ephemer.” Skuld then noted with an exaggerated groan. “Here's to hoping he doesn't act like him later on. I feel sorry for both of you already.”

“His hair is going to get lighter as he gets older.” Anora fondly noted as she stroked her son's hair. “Like mine.”

“Speaking of, have you done anything to it? Your hair seems a bit more reddish today.”

Anora gave Skuld a funny look for a moment before giving a shake of her head.

“Huh,” Skuld marveled, “Maybe it's just the lighting in here. I've been trying to convince the others to install fluorescents in the main shop, but the amber light keeps the flowers from looking too sick. You know? It also tends to make things feel sleepier too, isn't that right Ven?”

“Can't hear you, doing homework.”

“Smart kid.” Skuld nodded before breaking into a small laugh. Anora also afforded a small smile before Skuld went to business. “Now, what can I do for you today?”

Anora looked up at Skuld and started to blush for some reason.

“It's my cousin's fourth anniversary.”

“Already? Time really does fly by. It was the first wedding you and Ephemer went to as a couple.”

To this, Anora gave a small jolt of surprise. “He's talked about it?”

“Honey,” Skuld told her, leaning across the counter a bit, “He'd talk about the first time you two shared a bed if it wasn't on the TMI policy.”

A policy that wouldn't exist if Ephemer would just stop talking about Anora, Ven casually thought to himself. But he didn't dare voice it out loud- even though he was sure the ladies would agree with him.

“Let's see...” Skuld mused as she got out an order form. “Fourth anniversary, huh? Traditionally, it's a flowers and fruit, which should make this a pretty easy job. Hm… I think the colors are blue and green- also very easy. Would you like bluebells or blue roses?”

“Bluebells.”

“Thought so. Any gifts you'd like to add?”

Anora nodded, and was about to give specifications, before the bell twinkled again. Skuld and Ventus looked up at the same time to see Lea making his way in. The man was happily singing a tune as he took his attention to the first display arrangement by the door. Not a moment after, the two coworkers were giving each other the exact same look.

“Ven, can you help out Lea?” Skuld said before the teen could even breathe. “Keep him quiet so he doesn't wake Luca up.”

Anora gave Skuld an alarmed look that read along the lines of 'you don't have to do that,' but Ven's manager had made up her mind. It wasn't even a suggestion either. It was an order. Everything Skuld said was an order in some way- at least during work hours. And so, knowing he was going to get a stink eye either way, Ven put his school books away and made his way over to Lea.

The tall, lanky man was humming away to himself as he bent down to look at flower pots. He looked over a few before shaking his head, getting up to look at the next pre-arranged options. In his hands was a black and red frisbee, boasting a design featuring a maliciously grinning ball of flame. Seeing it immediately made Ven stand a bit straighter. He had seen first hand the damage (accidental or not) that one toy had caused in the past. Seeing it now did not inspire the best of confidences.

“You're not supposed to have that in here.”

Lea stopped mid hum. He stood up before turning to Ven.

“Oh come on, we all know it's my fidget spinner. You couldn't separate us if you tried.” Lea grinned. “Besides, as long as it doesn't fly in Miss Skuld-uggery's direction or breaks somethin', she doesn't care one lick. She likes me you know.”

“Uh huh.” Ven snorted. But in remembering that Lea was a customer at the moment, he quickly shook his head to get back to business. Putting on a more professional tone of voice, he then said, “What can I help you with today? Anything in particular that you are looking at?”

Lea looked at him, smirked, and kept on spinning his frisbee.

“It's a long shot,” the man said, “But I was hoping I could get something for Isa to less grump-ify him. He's a busy little bee with no concept of how to have fun. Want something that he could put on his desk to cheer him up for a hot second.” Lea paused for a moment before putting on a wide grin. “What's the largest size teddy bear you got around here?”

“He's not going to like a huge teddy bear.” Ven noted. “You need something more subtle. Like a small bunch of flowers, placed in a coffee cup that he can use later.”

“You see,” the older guy mused, “This is why you work at a flower shop. You know your stuff.”

Confused for a moment, then bashful, Ven placed a hand behind his neck and let out a light chuckle. “Only because I know you guys.”

Lea let out a less than faltering snort. “True enough.” he nodded. A smile started to appear on Lea's face as he then went on to ask, “Speaking of knowing people, how's Lady Sabi?”

For a moment, Ven forgot how to breathe.

“What do you mean?” the teen then asked, trying to shrug it off. He tried even harder to keep them on track by guiding Lea around to some arrangements that he could just take and go.

“Heard she got laid off.” came the rather callous reply, the frisbee spinning rather precisely on his finger. “She come around more often? Any interesting relationship milestones yet?”

Something in Ventus flickered with a sense of annoyance. It wasn't any of Lea's business.

“You jealous that you and Isa are having a rough patch?” he found himself saying before he had the capacity to watch what he was saying. “That's why you're here, isn't it? You two had another argument, so now you're trying to buy his love back before he moves out.”

Suffice to say, Lea's frisbee flew off his finger as the man looked back at the teen in pure shock. Any comments after were put on hold when a voice let out a small squeak of surprise. Not long after that, the two paled at seeing Skuld come their way. In her hands was Lea's frisbee, but it was her face they stared at. Her eyes gleaming with hatred and her brow furrowed so deep that it was obvious she was more than just a little mad.

It wasn't until that she was in arm's distance that Lea tried to stutter out an apology. She never gave him the time. Holding the frisbee with both hands, Skuld whacked Lea across the face. Ven flinched. Lea staggered back, but had a remarkable recovery time.

“Well that wasn't very professional.” he mumbled as he rubbed his cheek.

“You know you're not allowed to have this in here!” Skuld hissed, shoving the frisbee at him. For a moment, Ventus wondered why she wasn't screaming. But then he remembered -and they could still see- Anora at the front counter.

Lea must have seen Anora too because his face immediately paled. Ven took a preemptive step back to let Skuld handle the dirty work- almost surprised in himself for feeling quite smug about Lea's predicament. It's not like he wasn't warned about this beforehand.

“At least no one was...” Lea weakly tried to refute, but he knew his words were useless. Someone had gotten hurt- Skuld wouldn't have been so furious otherwise.

“You're lucky that it didn't hit Luca.” Skuld spat at him.

“Luca?” Lea repeated. If his face wasn't already pale, it would have been sheet white now. He didn't know that much about Ephemer and his family, but he knew enough that they had a kid. A small flicker of fear shot through him in wondering if he hit the kid instead. That would absolutely explain Skuld's fury.

“You have a minute to buy something or get out, Lea.” she then spat as she pointed a finger at his chest. “Starting now.”

“Y-yes ma'am.” Lea quickly agreed. He even gave a salute to show absolute submission. It amused Skuld enough that she decided he had suffered enough, and went back to finish up Anora's order. Once more, Ven was impressed with how Skuld handled things. But that meant he was back to servicing Lea.

“There's a nice ceramic mug over here that Isa will like.” the teen offered. “Pre-arranged and everything.”

“Following you.” Lea agreed, even moving a few inches closer to Ven. “Just… uh, keep it snappy, would you? I don't know whose fury is worse- Skuld's or Isa's.”

Ven couldn't hold back his smug smile as he helped Lea. It took less than 45 seconds to head back over to the front counter. Lea refused to look at either of the ladies as Ven rung his order up.

“I… didn't hit the kid, did I?” Lea carefully asked, turning his head toward Anora a bit but still refusing to look her in the eye. Anora gave him a curious tilt of her head before giving it a small shake. Just as Lea was about to let out a sigh of relief, Skuld cut in.

“You didn't hit the kid, but you did hurt his mother.”

Lea flinched. “Sorry.” he genuinely apologized. After he reclaimed his mug arrangement for Isa, he turned to give Anora a small peck on her temple.

“I'm just lucky that Ephemer wasn't here, huh?” he mused before starting to take his leave. “He wouldn't have held back either.”

“Oh, I'll make sure he knows.” Skuld teased. Lea flinched one last time before quickly leaving the flower shop. In his wake, he left behind two snickering employees of Dandelion's Floristy and Gardening, and one flustered mother with her still sleeping -but thankfully unharmed- child.

[knuffled]

discipline & punish - chapter two

the new chapter is here as promised! hope you all like it! it would make my day if you reblogged! 

here’s the ao3 link

bloodflood

The waves were choppier the following week. The beach overlooking the sound was besieged by churning, gunmetal gray waves tearing away at the sand, like the sea sought to devour the earth. Annabeth rarely went to the beach as it was – she never felt safe there – but she had even better reason to avoid it now.

She hardly registered time passing that week – an hour spanned the length of a year and a day passed in the blink of an eye. There was something heavy in the air. It was like waiting for an inevitable storm, not the kind you marveled at behind your bedroom window, but the kind where thunder rang too closely, too loudly in your ears and the torrential downpour sounded like gunfire.

Annabeth couldn't help feeling like she had brought a ticking time bomb into her camp. All week her thoughts strayed to Percy, and more than once she'd felt short of breath, like his hands were still wrapped around her throat. When he was finally recovered, she knew that he would confront her, and this time he wouldn't be slowed down. This time he would be at his best.

If Annabeth was being honest, she wasn't sure she could handle his best, although she would never admit that out loud. It wasn't her fault though – years of peace had dulled her instincts. She was grossly out of practice. The traces of the fiery sixteen year old driving a dagger through Kronos's heart in the ruins of Mt. Olympus seemed a distant dream from another lifetime.

Her conversation with Reyna had done nothing to assuage her mounting anxiety either. She had Iris Messaged the praetor of New Rome a few days after her skirmish with Percy in the hospital to get her opinion on the situation. Although they weren’t particularly close, there had always been a mutual respect between them given that they were both leaders of their respective communities.

When her face showed on the Iris Message, Reyna had smiled tiredly and said, “What a surprise. It’s not often that I hear from you.”

“Life’s been busy,” Annabeth said.

“Isn’t it always?” Reyna said, picking at a fraying strand of her cape. “How is New Athens coming along?”

“Good,” Annabeth said, sighing. “It’s just that there is always more to do. You have to come by once it’s finished. I’ll give you a tour.”

Reyna smiled again, more warmly this time. “I’ll have to take you up on that offer. I could certainly use a break.”

“Being praetor sounds stressful,” Annabeth offered.

Reyna pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed. “Not much more than being Camp Director, I would imagine, but you’re right. Neither of us enjoys playing politics and dealing with bruised egos, but that’s not something we can avoid, I’m afraid.”

“You’ve got that right,” Annabeth said, laughing.

“Well, enough of my rambling. I’m sure you’re calling for a reason,” Reyna said, straightening in her seat.

Annabeth bit her lip and tried to think of how best to phrase what she wanted to say. “There’s a new arrival here at camp that concerns me, and I wanted to get your opinion,” she said.

Reyna raised an eyebrow and said, “Well, color me intrigued. It’s not very often to see you bothered by another demigod.”

“He’s – well, he’s different. The main reason I wanted to ask you about him was because he said that he came from the Wolf House,” Annabeth said.

Reyna frowned. “That’s probably a lie. If he was from the Wolf House, he would’ve been sent to Camp Jupiter, not all the way across the country.”

Annabeth nodded and said, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought at first too, but I don’t know – I get the sense that he isn’t lying.”

When Reyna was silent, Annabeth said, “Do you know a demigod named Percy?”

At the mention of his name, Reyna’s countenance darkened, which did nothing to soothe Annabeth’s growing sense of despair. Reyna screwed her eyes shut and exhaled sharply.

“So that’s where he’s gone,” she muttered.

“You know him?”

Reyna opened her eyes and nodded. “Yes, he came to New Rome, early last summer. At first, we tried to accommodate him, but it became clear that we couldn’t control him. He picked fights wherever he went and clashed with me and Frank over the right to become praetor.”

“What happened?” Annabeth asked.

“He nearly killed Frank. Then when I intervened, I didn’t do much better. Neither of us were prepared for him. Maybe it was because we were so out of practice. I can’t remember the last time I was in a fight to the death, but Percy, on the other hand, seemed very accustomed to it,” Reyna said.

She shifted her toga so Annabeth could get a better look at her shoulder, and Annabeth stiffened when she saw a long jagged scar that ran from the top of Reyna’s shoulder down the side of her stomach, stopping above of her hip.

Reyna must’ve noticed Annabeth’s shocked expression because she grimaced and said, “You should see Frank’s. He was far worse. Spent nearly three weeks in the hospital.”

“So how did you get him to leave?” Annabeth asked.

“It took me and a battalion of other legionnaires to fight him off. Even then, he killed seven of them and injured thirteen others before we succeeded,” Reyna said.

“Jesus,” Annabeth muttered.

Reyna nodded and said, “He’s dangerous, Annabeth. He’s not the type that listens to logic or reason. You need to get rid of him, or you’re in for bloodshed.”

That had been nearly three days ago, but Annabeth still hadn’t made a decision on whether or not to exile Percy from camp. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Reyna or her judgment – it was more so that she wasn’t sure it was fair to exile someone for a crime they had yet to commit. At the same time, Annabeth knew that as Camp Director, her obligation was to the citizens of New Athens and that she couldn’t jeopardize their safety for the sake of one camper. Furthermore, if he was strong enough to push Reyna to the brink, then he was truly dangerous indeed. Annabeth knew firsthand that the praetor of New Rome was powerful enough to rival her.

Despite knowing all these things, there was some resistance to taking preemptive action against Percy in her that Annabeth didn’t understand. Her indecision lasted too long, however, and the window to act slipped away because Percy finished recovering only a few days later.

:::

He found her in the forest behind New Athens. In her younger days, Annabeth had played Capture the Flag or tamed wild pegasi there, but now she went there for peace and quiet. Nonetheless, when he found her that day, Annabeth had been coaxing a wild pegasus to eat an apple she’d brought with her.

The pegasus was as white as fresh fallen snow and very haughty, even more so than other pegasus. It took Annabeth nearly half an hour for the pegasus to even trust her enough to approach her. Eventually, it allowed her to get closer and sniffed and examined the apple before taking a tentative bite. As it ate, Annabeth took the opportunity to run her fingers through its white mane and marveled at how the thin hairs appeared incandescent beneath the dappled sunlight.

That was when she noticed someone was watching her. When she turned around, she almost didn’t recognize who it was, but the newcomer’s eyes gave his identity away. Percy looked completely different with his haircut, now that his face was no longer obscured. Although it wasn’t a word typically used to describe men, Annabeth couldn’t help thinking he looked beautiful. Not beautiful like a jewel safely stored behind a glass window but beautiful like the curve a hawk’s talons, somehow elegant and savage at the same time.

“How’d you find me?” Annabeth asked.

Percy shrugged and moved out into the copse. “Wasn’t hard. You’re the only one around here that smells strong.”

At this proximity, that weird scent of his washed over her, nearly making her stagger. It was stronger now than it had been before. It had already been potent enough beforehand, but now it was taking a lot of conscious effort to maintain a hold of herself. She found herself clenching and unclenching her fingers in an effort to resist the urge to run her fingers through his hair. How much more intense would the smell be if she buried her face in the crook of his neck?

Annabeth shook her head in a futile effort to clear her mind. “What do you want? I doubt you made it all the way out here just for some fresh air,” she said.

Percy’s lips curled upwards in the ghost of a smile, but the gesture conveyed malice more than humor. “You know why I’m here,” he said.

“You’ll have to spell it out for me,” Annabeth said.

When he sauntered towards her, Annabeth’s hand twitched towards her thigh before she remembered she hadn’t brought her dagger with her.

“I want to fight for the right to rule,” he said.

Annabeth blinked. “The right to rule?”

Percy nodded and said, “Yes, unless you’re fine with me living as I please and ignoring your rules, but something tells me you wouldn’t agree to that.”

“If you’re staying here, you have to follow the rules,” Annabeth replied. “What makes you think you have any right to lead the camp as a newcomer?”

Percy shook his head and said, “You misunderstand. I have no wish to command. All I want is to do as I please.”

“That’s not the way society works,” Annabeth said, narrowing her eyes.

Percy shrugged and sad, “The strong do not need to bend to what society wants.”

“You think just because you’re powerful, you get to do whatever the fuck you want?”

Percy frowned, like what she’d said was absurd. “Isn’t that only natural? Do you think a dragon cares about the opinions of a rat?”

“You’re not a dragon, and they aren’t rats,” Annabeth said, feeling her irritation mounting.

“That’s not how I see it,” Percy said.

Annabeth grit her teeth. What a little shit. There was no point trying to philosophize with him. He didn’t seem like he would change his mind unless he was beaten into submission.

“So you want the two of us to fight then?” Annabeth asked.

When he nodded, Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest and said, “I don’t see what I have to gain by fighting you.”

At this, Percy offered a wolfish grin. “Is your life not prize enough?”

Annabeth felt her jaw tighten. Reyna was right. The boy didn’t listen.

:::

A small crowd formed at the training arena that night in preparation for Annabeth’s fight with Percy. Even though they didn’t know what was at stake, they still seemed to sense that this fight was more important than a regular bout of sparring. Annabeth did her best to ignore them, but she could catch scraps of whispered conversations amongst them.

The moon was missing from the sky that night, and the darkness seemed overbearing. There was a chill in the wind that seemed out of place for a night in August and tension hung in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife.

Not for the first time, Annabeth wished Chiron were still here and in charge. He would probably know how to deal with this situation better than she did. He might’ve have been able to figure something out that wouldn’t end in bloodshed.

At the other end of the arena, Percy looked through an assortment of imperial bronze and celestial gold weapons to fight with. His face was perfectly blank, so Annabeth couldn’t tell if there was anything he preferred or didn’t. She had already begun to size him up – looking for clues in his mannerisms, body language, facial expressions, eye movement – anything to give her an idea of just what exactly she was up against. Unfortunately, he gave her nothing to work with.

Eventually, he settled on picking out a half-and-a-half sword made out of celestial bronze. Annabeth watched as he gauged the heft of it in his hand, trying to find its center of gravity, before he moved on to some test strikes with the blade. She’d already had a glimpse of his speed and combat prowess in the hospital, but she was taken aback when the blade vanished in a blur, moving faster than her eyes could track. A pit formed in her stomach – he moved the blade as if it weighed nothing more than a reed and it was clear that he knew how to use it. It was hard to tell under the cover of darkness, but she thought she saw his lips curl upwards in the ghost of a smile.

When he turned towards her, the feral quality inherent to his eyes seemed amplified. Annabeth’s senses already began to sharpen as he walked over to her. It felt less like she was fighting another human being and more like she was preparing to get pounced on by a wild animal. There was something about him that felt definitively inhuman, something about the way he carried himself that screamed that he wasn’t like other people, that he was a different breed altogether, like he was designed to hunt human beings, not live amongst them.

“Are you ready?” Annabeth asked, clearing her throat.

When Percy nodded, she said, “We’ll go three rounds. First to two victories will be the winner.”

Percy barked a laugh. “Do all your opponents give you three chances to take their lives or are you trying to insult me? No, in a fight to the death there can only be one round.”

Annabeth grit her teeth and unsheathed her dagger. “Fine by me.”

They stepped closer to each other, close enough for Annabeth to see the faint splay of freckles on the bridge of his nose. If the crowd was making any noise now, she could no longer hear it. Her hands were not clammy – years of experience had seen to that. Fear vanished and was replaced by a savage excitement as the thrill of the hunt consumed them both.

Percy struck first, his blade moving faster than it had even during his test strokes. Annabeth stepped back, but the tip of his sword caught her cheek and left a small cut. Her senses sharped impossibly further.

This was happening.

Annabeth made a move of her own, stabbing for his inner thigh. Percy parried her strike, but Annabeth was already in motion for her next attack. She swept out with her leg to try to knock him off his feet. The maneuver failed, but that was expected. All she needed was for him to be off balance for her next move. Percy neatly jumped over her leg, as anticipated, and Annabeth continued by thrusting forward with her free hand, aiming for his windpipe. He reacted in the nick of time and ducked to evade her strike, but his pressure stopping her dagger had lessened imperceptibly, which was what Annabeth had been waiting for.

She thrust at his stomach, but Percy failed to avoid it. She felt a surge of triumph when the blade cut through his shirt and slit the side of his torso.

Percy retaliated with a savage strike with the pommel of his sword against the side of Annabeth’s head. Her skull burst with pain, nearly leading her to get decapitated by his subsequent strike, but she managed to parry it with her dagger just barely.

The fight seemed to last an eternity as they exchanged blows. Annabeth realized immediately how he had nearly killed Frank and given Reyna so much trouble. The way he fought had no rhyme or reason. Everything was unpredictable and improvisational. He did things she had never seen anyone else do, such as using the flat of his blade as a blunt instrument or taking advantage of the soil they fought on to subtly unseat her balance. Percy utilized all of his appendages in battle and they were just as deadly as the sword he carried – she could block his blade only to catch a knee to her ribs or an open palm to her ear.

What frustrated her most was that she was unable to get a sense for him at any point in the fight. No matter how strong her opponents had been in the past, after a certain amount of time fighting, she got a sense of their habits and unconscious biases. Perhaps they favored attacking from one side or found it uncomfortable to defend attacks from a certain angle. All human beings had preferences that they were unaware of.

Percy, it seemed however, was an exception to that rule. Just when she thought that he preferred slashes to thrusts or that he tended to pivot with his left foot when he dodged, he would do just the opposite with equal prowess and throw off her assessment.

However, what made her realize that she would lose the fight was that strange fucking smell that clung to him like a perfume. At the beginning of the fight, her senses had been so sharpened and focused on her survival that she had been able to tune it out, but as the fight progressed, it began to seep through her focus. It would cause her to respond sluggishly or lose concentration for just fractions of a second, but against an opponent of Percy’s caliber those fractions meant the difference between life and death.

As a result, she gradually accumulated more and more injuries as the fight drew on. The fact that she was woefully out of practice only sealed with greater certainty that this fight would end with her loss. Despair settled in and she began to get increasingly desperate. Her attacks became progressively sloppier and her defenses more lethargic.

A line of searing pain burst through her when Percy cut the side of her face, carving from the tip of her ear down to her jaw. Blood seeped into her eye as he moved to his next attack. Time slowed down. Annabeth could see that his next strike would skewer her stomach and lacerate her intestines. Even if she were to evade him, Annabeth honestly could not see how to win the fight. At best, she was prolonging the inevitable.

Instead of fear, the emotion that erupted in her at that moment was anger. White, hot anger. This little, eighteen year old fucker who she’d saved from certain death was trying to take her camp from her. Her camp. The one that she spent the last half-decade of her life building, brick by fucking brick.

But what infuriated her more than anything he had done was the fact that she feared him. Deep down in her heart, she was afraid she would lose, and that was something she could not abide by. She had killed the enemies of literal fucking gods. She had looked into the golden eyes of the Lord of Time and stabbed him in the heart and watched as his golden blood coated her fingers. To think that she was afraid of a stripling like Percy was an insult she couldn’t bear.

For once in her life, Annabeth allowed herself to give in to that dark part of her that fought constantly with her for control of her soul, the part of her that sought to dominate and bend others to her will, the part of her that would rather die than allow herself to be ruled by another.

Percy’s sword drew closer to her stomach, but she didn’t step away from it. Instead, she moved slightly to the side. It sank into her flesh and brought with it a bolt of pain unlike anything she’d ever experienced, but that didn’t matter now. Instead, Annabeth curled her free hand around the blade and barely registered how it sliced into her palm and fingers.

For the first time during their fight, Percy looked surprised. Percy tried to unsheathe his blade, but again Annabeth gripped it with all her strength and it would not budge. They locked eyes, unable to look away from each other, and the sound of her blood dripping from the blade seemed unnaturally loud in her ears.

Annabeth’s subsequent movements were utterly unplanned and transpired with an addictive fluidity. She hooked her foot behind Percy’s right heel knocked him off balance. The maneuver would have failed, but Percy knew he couldn’t surrender his blade if he wanted to win, which locked him in place and made it impossible for him to evade her. As Percy fell to the ground, Annabeth pressed her knee to his stomach and followed him down, carefully holding his sword so it didn’t drive further into her as she fell. When he hit the ground, her knee knocked the breath out of his lungs, giving her a split second to press her knife to his throat.

By the time he recovered his breath, she had her entire body weight on top of him with her knife pressed against his throat, drawing a thin trickle of blood, her hand still wrapped around his sword with a death grip.

“Yield,” Annabeth grit out.

For a few seconds, Percy silently glared up at her, so Annabeth dug her knife further into his skin. With a little more pressure, she would cut his windpipe and kill him. Percy realized this and finally released his sword and held his palms up in surrender.

His voice was low and raspy as he said, “I yield.”

[hithelleth]

21 questions

I was tagged by @jadedbirch a few days ago and didn’t feel like typing AND coming up with answered, but I needed something to distract myself from self-flagellation (metaphorical) today, so thank you! :)

Rules: Answer 21 questions and then tag 21 people who you want to get to know better.

Yeah, no, not tagging 21 people, sorry. A few of the usual suspects will have to do, and as usually, feel free to ignore: @bea2me, @captainivyb, @eveningspirit, @lglorien, @wellwhataboutme, and whoeverelse wants to do it. 

Nickname: Hith. Not giving out RL ones b/c I’m ye olde internet paranoid crone. ;)

Zodiac: Aquarius to a T. 

Height: 150 cm (or 4′9′’, I think, google it yourself. Basically, I’m  short.)

Last movie I saw: In it’s entirety, Dumplin’, I think. I liked it, too. Otherwise, I caught the last part of Timeline (2003) on TV last night, because I loved that shit and am always happy to catch a rerun to rewatch all or some of it. Ah, no, I lied! it was On drakon / He’s a Dragon, and I loved it! (Now, that’s three, oops.)

Last thing googled: “Aaron Ashmore on the Rookie”. Turns out it wasn’t him, but Shawn. I had to check because I was so happy to see him but I think the writing was a bit awkward and the scenes didn’t work out the way they were supposed to. (Or maybe Shawn isn’t that good of an actor, but I don’t want to be unfair; I think it was the writing. Anyway, IDK why I’m still watching this show, I think it’s going to be another bust. Thanks goodness all the good shows are almost coming back soon. And I have to check out some more new ones.)

Favorite musician: IDK? No one? I’m not big on music? Like, I periodically forget it exists, then I catch a song/album/an artist I like by accident and blast it for a few months until I get tired of it and then I forget about it all again for a while. So, I really don’t have a favourite.

Song stuck in my head: Also, none, currently. I guess I’m in a non-musical period these days. 

Other blogs: Kaleidoscope of Randomness, which I use to reblog a lot of random things, from politics and social issues to language puns, writing advice, all sorts of useful shits, random inspiration, some jokes... all the things that aren’t fandom-related, basically (but also meta-fandom rants). Words Still Stranger is for book-ish/reading-related things, but not very active because I’m lazy and can’t handle more than two things at a time. 

Do I get asks: No, not really, or very, very rarely. But I also have anon off - I don’t even know anymore why I turned it off, I think one of my fandoms was turning nasty or something. I preemptively turned it off and never remembered to turn it back on. Anyway, if anyone wants to talk to me, I’m not scary (am I?), so you can do it of anon/message me anytime just as well (if I’ll respond promptly is another matter.). 

Following: 55 blogs, apparently. (Tho, let’s be honest, at least 1/3 are your side blogs.)

Amount of sleep: 8 hours at least if you want me to function at a level at least resembling normal. 

Lucky number: I’m superstitious, so I’m not telling, lest it turns unlucky. I am not fond of #7, so I can tell you this and maybe it turns it lucky? ;)

What I’m Wearing: Leggins, a T-shirt, and a sweater.

Dream Job: Something I can do without physical pain, mental breakdowns, and uselessness for anything else and that would pay to cover basic expenses. The more I think about what that would be, the less I know, though. 

Dream Trip: TBH, I’m too tired to think about going on a trip. 

Favorited Food: Pasta? With a lot of salad.

Play Any Instruments: No.

Languages: Slovene, English. I understand most Slavic languages to an extent, especially southern Slavic, and I wouldn’t get sold in Italy or German speaking parts of Europe, I guess. I understand a great deal if not most of Spanish as well. Speaking all those is another matter, though (as in, I’m not that good at it.)

Random Fact: As per usual, I can’t think of anything, though I know I know quite a collection of random facts. Eh.

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: books, tea, chocolate and apples, stars in the winter sky, mist on the meadows, kittens, soft blankets, anything with a screen. :p

[wiiindyblathers]

RULES: Tag nine people you want to get to know better!

Relationship status: can relate to the Wholesome S/O Memes because of my intelligent, creative, badass, and absolutely beautiful girlfriend @catlily1 <3

Lipstick or chapstick?: Chapstick, because I am always Stressed™

Last song I listened to: “2-1″ by Imogen Heap

Last movie I watched: Moana, for like the third time this week lmao

(gonna need multiple paragraphs for these last two bc I have a lot of feelings) Top 3 Characters: Now, I know I talk about Sans and his many variants a lot, but Undyne is the bomb. You can never have enough of this determined fish warrior. She’s simply too awesome. You can do anything while listening to “Spear of Justice”; “Battle Against a True Hero” is a writer’s best friend for hyping up for fight scenes; knowing anime songs by heart is cool when you remember she probably does, too. On a more serious note, though, as a lesbian, she is hugely empowering to me. I know, “she’s just a character” and all that, but... Seeing somebody like her, who never backs down and strengthens everyone around her, who loves her friends with her entire Soul, who isn’t demure or quiet about things that may alienate her and yet succeeds in so much, makes me think that just maybe, I can succeed, too. I can be powerful; I can be important; I can find love; and most of all, I don’t have to be shy about any of it. Next, let’s talk about Symmetra. I’m sure you guys know this already, but, holy shit, she’s autistic! Another role model!!! This lady is the classiest of the classy, the smartest of the smart, and the most badass of the badass. Yeah, maybe you don’t have to aim with the short-range gun, but she still takes skill to play well... And also, when you get stuck with an awful team, it’s fun to put the teleporter off the edge of a cliff and watch them burn, baby, burn. To the enemy team: enjoy getting cooked alive by the Sentry Gate. Oh, you’ve got a nice little sniper perch? Say hello to my supercharged death orbs. Don’t screw with Symmetra - especially before they fix the buff. MotherfUCKING,,, CHALUPA TAACO-BLUEJEANS. The name explains itself, but I’ll infodump anyway. This theory got out of control, and I could not possibly be happier. If she turns out to be canon, I’ll be overjoyed - and if not, we can still keep her as an AU, right? Gotta love AUs. Not sold on the concept? Just imagine Leon turning into a fucking ice sculpture of rage and fear when he sees Taako has a twin. She’s spent the entire series doing nothing but chilling out in a cave, supporting her bro, burning macaroons, and voring evil wizards. What’s not to love? Please, Griffin, give us the butch lesbian wizard icon we need. We can pay you in preemptive fanart. Honorable mentions: Bismuth (she was tied *this close* with Symmetra), Maggiequinnus Burnsides, Peridot, Cecil Palmer, and Sayaka Miki

Top 3 Ships: The number one spot has to go to Hurloane. Hurley did everything in her power to save Sloane until the very end, refusing to give up at every step of the path she knew was treacherous and would probably not survive. Sloane showed Hurley how to enjoy life and look beyond the black-and-white mold without losing integrity, and even when Hurley was at the end of the line because of something she could’ve avoided, she wanted the best for everyone and gave her all to keep Hurley safe. Four arcs later, I’m still holding out for them to be brought back in some wild, convoluted way; maybe as robots like No3113, or the Raven Queen’s new bounty hunters, or perhaps as a sentient tree fusion. I don’t care how it happens, I just want the racing lesbians back. One day, I’ll be able to reblog artwork of Discovery/Recovery without crying, but today is not that day. Nor is it any time soon. I swear, Griffin’s heart-wrenching shenanigans are going to be the end of me... For two, CD!Connverse, because I’m too invested in my own AU and really want these poor children to get a happy ending. Seriously, they’ve been through a lot for their ages; no kids should have to deal with what they have, and yet, they persevere, and through thick and thin, they have each other’s backs. Plus, Stevonnie would look awesome in this AU. Just sayin’. And third, Cherryberry (yes, I know that a lot of people who ship this are creepy as all hell, and I’m just gonna try and stay far away from that), because aesthetic and also I am a mentally ill nerd who has no idea what she’s doing or who she is as a person and clings to the idea of being able to reinvent one’s identity and find love despite whatever damage you’ve endured to remake that identity and survive. Idk bud, I just think it’s cute. Red is really in need of a “knight in shining armor” type to help him through all that angst. Honorable mentions: ALPHYNE, Team Sweet Flips, Taakitz, Polygems, Magnulia, Sans x less existential terror than usual

Tagged by @archival-hogwash

Tagging @supersexyghotmew95 , @withusgranite , @catlily1 , @maidsonas , @theperfecta , @thesketcherlass , @the-final-pam , @squaremomgsquad , and @diet-deity