#icons Jackson felt

[soapywankenopy]

I don't often do digital art, so this was a challenge!

The idea of these three in a car together made me laugh repeatedly.

[soulcluster-moved]

cont. xx. / @ofedenia​ / sonya blade

Always the damn reports. Like the threat from Outworld, they were never ending, and could be just as deadly if you didn’t stay on top of your shit. Jax kept his squared away as often as possible as he didn’t relish sitting at a desk. 

“Some methamphetamine oughta do the trick,” he replied dryly with the barest hint of a smile. The drug had been used in the past by soldiers to stay awake, with one notable example of a Finish soldier staying awake for a week. Dangerous, but effective, like most of their work. “Otherwise, I got a trick of my own. A little coding tweak and this can automate a signature for you.” He nodded toward his cybernetic arm casing that he was working on. It was something he used, his signature already programmed into the coding. Work smarter, not harder.

[jgracie]

I WANT IT ALL

masterlist | rules

❝ hellooo !! i absolutely in love with your works !! may i request percy with the song “i want it” all by lana del rey, specially this part of the lyrics：“do you think you'll kill for me one day?" ／ “yes of course I will, my darling” ? perhaps a mention of dark percy ? 😋 ❞ — 🦇

in which percy would kill for you one day

pairing slightly dark!percy jackson x reader

warnings house of hades spoilers? that’s when this is set, violence (percy bloodbends)

on the radio . . . i want it all (lana del rey)

After experiencing Tartarus together, you couldn’t help but notice how Percy changed. He used to always be able to crack a joke, even at the worst of situations, lightening the mood and raising your spirits. However, now he’s more… serious. Tartarus seemed to harden him up - his eyes, once a bright aquamarine colour, were now of a dark blue-green hue, like the depths of the ocean that even Poseidon wouldn’t venture

You still loved him with all of your heart. He was your precious boyfriend, after all. And besides, you probably changed a lot too after that. Anyone would if they were forced to hallucinate their boyfriend abandoning them like you did. The image the Arai had planted in your head that day, a curse sent your way by a girl you didn’t even know, haunted you. You never wanted to feel that alone and isolated again

Percy knew this. It was part of the reason why he became more protective, more territorial. Watching you wander Tartarus aimlessly, your voice cracking as you begged for his touch and being able to do nothing about it shattered his heart. After that experience, he vowed to never let you out of his sight 

The other members of the Argo II could tell that something had changed between you, too. However, they kept a safe distance, not wanting to interfere in case they made it worse, unable to even fathom what you must’ve gone through in Tartarus

For the most part, though, your relationship was good. Other than the nightmares and protectiveness, the two of you stayed the same iconic couple you are, and as time progressed, Percy felt himself becoming more relaxed, no longer needing to be by your side every second of every day

That was until the ship got attacked. You’d been having a couple days of pretty safe travel ever since you got out of Tartarus, and while you did enjoy simply being able to catch up with all your friends on a boat in the ocean, you should’ve known that something would come along to ruin this for you

It was early in the morning, and you were on watch duty along with Leo, who was manning the ship whilst adding some updates to Festus. The salty air made you think of Percy, and you found yourself suddenly longing for his touch, knowing how much he’d enjoy watching the sun rise over the horizon

“You can go get Percy if you want, Y/N, I’ll be fine here,” Leo mumbled. For someone who claims he’s better at understanding machines than people, he sure was good at reading your mind. Recently, you noticed he’d also been acting differently. According to Hazel, he found a girl he loved (NOT calypso guys don’t worry 🩷) while he’d gone missing, but for some reason he couldn’t bring her with him

You thanked him and were about to make your way to your boyfriend’s room when you suddenly heard a voice yell, “I will take revenge on you, wretched son of Poseidon!” You turned, finding yourself face-to-face with none other than the bane of Poseidon, Polybotes

“You think you can just leave Tartarus as you please? I, Polybotes, will make you pay!” The giant continued. Your feet seemed to be cemented to the ground as you stared at the giant, mouth open in a mix of shock and fear. He was supposed to be in Tartarus, how could he possibly get here? Of course you couldn’t have a moment of peace. Why were you stupid enough to think that maybe, just maybe, you could relax until actually having to fight Gaia herself? 

“Y/N, look out!” Leo yelled, pulling you out of your trance. But it was too late. The giant picked you up, his nails digging into your back, forming crescent shaped gashes. Your nose scrunched at the smell of him as he took a good look at you before laughing (his breath smelled even worse. You had to fight the urge to vomit all over him)

Tears welled up in your eyes. You were completely helpless, with no weapon on you and your limbs still aching from your time in Tartarus. This was it. This is how you’d die. The giant was squeezing you so tight you could barely breathe, black spots beginning to obscure your vision. You sent a quick prayer to your godly parent, asking them to keep your friends safe on the rest of this quest, before you succumbed to the darkness

The last thing you remember seeing is a flash of bright blue - the ocean

“Thank Gods you’re awake! We’re all so worried about you!” Hazel exclaimed as soon as your eyes were open. Looking around, you noticed you were in the makeshift infirmary section of the ship, bruises littering your body

You turned to face Hazel, your eyebrows furrowed, “what… happened?” You asked, trying to push your memories of the incident with Polybotes to the front of your mind, but ending up with nothing, “I remember I was captured by that giant, then I saw the water move, then… nothing.”

Hazel was suddenly incapable of holding eye contact with you, unsure if she should tell you what happened or not. In the end, she decided on the former, knowing you’d pull it out of Percy eventually if you had to

“The water moving was Percy’s doing. We all showed up after hearing the commotion and when he saw you in Polybotes’ clutches he went… kind of crazy. I’d never seen him like this before, Y/N, it was a little scary. He willed the water to move him up to Polybotes’ height and demanded he let you go. When he didn’t…” Hazel stopped for a second, shuddering. What did Percy do? After seeing the way he handled Akhlys in Tartarus, you knew there was a side of him that he kept buried deep inside. Did it come out again?

You placed a gentle hand on Hazel’s, giving her a kind smile which willed her to continue, “he started controlling Polybotes’ blood… he made him choke on his own blood, Y/N, we’ve been spending the past five hours cleaning that up.”

At the sound of voices coming out of the infirmary, Percy barged in, nodding at Hazel before holding you tightly in his arms. You hugged back, glad to see that he was okay. Smiling at both of you, Hazel waved goodbye and left, knowing you two needed a moment alone

“Hazel told me what happened,” you said once Percy pulled away, still keeping your hand in his. At this, he looked at the ground in shame, remembering how much his treatment of Akhlys had scared you in Tartarus

Rubbing circles into your hand, he said, “I’m sorry, Y/N, my fear and anger got the better of me. I don’t ever want to lose you, you’re literally my soulmate. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Your heart fluttered at his words. Feeling your face become warmer as a bright smile made its way onto your lips, you said, “it’s alright, Percy. Thank you for saving me. I genuinely thought I was going to die then.” At this, Percy’s brows furrowed and the grip he had on your hand tightened

An aura of power exuded from your boyfriend, and when he said, “you wouldn’t die, not with me here. I’d kill for you, baby, you understand that, right?” You knew he meant it. If giants didn’t have to be defeated by both Gods and demigods working together, Polybotes would definitely be a mere pile of dust in Tartarus right now

[strawberries-and-summer-days]

DATING PERCY JACKSON HC'S

paring: percy jackson x athena!fem!reader

warnings: swearing

a/n: this is my first time doing hc's so i decided to get it out of the way! (its scary cause like i don't wanna disappoint 😭) so if you have any tips or anything lemme know!!

you and percy are like the it couple of camp

like seriously when you two finally (key word being finally) got together the entire camp was rejoicing that you two idiots finally admitted your feelings

you were the two most oblivious people on the planet (percy mostly)

but now you're together its no longer stealing glances in secret but openly gazing at the other and getting distracted in the middle of sparring *cough* percy *cough*

its stealing kisses in between activities

curling up in bed with stolen snacks from the camp store and books

BOOKS

percy's battle against your love for your book boyfriends is a constant war...

and when he introduced you to sally via iris message sally LOVED you on sight

you basically spent the entire time talking to her trash talking percy

percy who had a scowl on his face the entire time

you guys are iconic

if the campers were asked to think of their fav couple in the modern world they'd instantly think of you two

percy and y/n, y/n and percy, you're a package deal

you're like the mom and dad of camp honestly

whenever you fight (which isn't often) the campers whisper to each other "mommy and daddy are fighting again"

the campers knowing smirks whenever they see you both leaving a cabin flustered and dishevelled after making out do

ABOSLUTELY NOTHING to stop you both

percy offers to bring you home for christmas knowing your history with a non-existent family

you had excitedly thrown yourself into his arms squealing "yes!"

you had been a ball of nerves for the last few days of camp

when percy brought you home for the holidays you were ecstatic

so was he really

percy being the lovesick puppy he is, basically just followed you around where ever you wanted to go

that included nearly all the bookstores in the area.

you had happily strolled through the store and passing percy every book you wanted saying

"omigoshpercy! look at this cover!" and then scurrying over to the next book "i've been wanting this one forever!"

percy has a shit eating grin on his face the entire time

he's just happy you're happy

sally was overjoyed when you arrived whipping you into a flurry of warm hugs and smiles

you'd honestly never felt more at home

one night you and percy are curled up on the couch under a blanket reading a book with percy muttering how he was clearly much better than this dumbass

who both stay that way for a while, percy occasionally placing kisses on your temple.

that is the night you first say i love you.

when you say it out loud percy's eyes widen and he flips around so he's facing you

"I love you."

now you've never felt more at home

percy thinks of you as a literal goddess

he worships the ground you walk on

and when you said i love you, that practically just cements his obsession with you

when sally walked in on you two to offer you some dinner she smiles when she sees you asleep on percy's shoulder, percy mouths

"what?" so he doesn't wake you up.

"you really like her, don't you?"

percy nods staring adoringly at you. "yeah i kinda do."

a/n pt2: i actually had so much fun making these so let me know if you'd ever want more hc's!!

[notebookqueenofnarnia]

Okay Demigods

now that Season 2 has been confirmed (!!!!!!!!!!) I am here to make my official appeal that you ALL read the books. and yes...i mean ALL the books. Because here is what you are missing if you don't:

(mostly spoiler free. mostly vibes and chaotic no context)

OG PERCY JACKSON

Percy's INCREDIBLE sarcasm

Lots of chaotic Mr. D moments

Percy's unending absolute obliviousness when it comes to: his own abilities/powers, his own feelings towards a certain daughter of Athena, and EVERYONE'S feelings towards him

the full list of Percy's felonies (it's longer than you think!)

how much Percy thinks about Annabeth, especially in the third book

The Hunters of Artemis (everyone's like 'which godly parent would you have?' but im like ??? who cares??? I'm running off with the girls to immortal to hunt men i mean monsters)

soooooooooo much Sally Jackson is the Best Mom (to everyone who walks through her door) content

BLACKJACK. TRANS ICON BLACKJACK THE PEGASUS.

Rachel. Elizabeth. Dare. (this is how the audiobook says her name every single time)

Paul Blofis

Sally Jackson, author

Poseidon: Blowfish?

HEROES OF OLYMPUS

If you don't read these books you are missing out on some of the coolest female characters Rick has created: PIPER (an iconic), HAZEL (unintentionally hilarious), REYNA (beautiful character arc), and ANNABETH's point of view will have you loving her on a whole other level, trust me

Also: COACH HEDGE

Leo

All The Ladies Love Leo

the audiobooks are INSANE. It felt like a full cast read the book, but no. it was just one insanely talented narrator.

FESTUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS (im a dragon girlie)

Personally, I spent a lot of time reading the OG 5 wondering about how Roman mythology plays into Percy's world. Uncle Rick answered my questions and answered them SO WELL

Hazel the horse girl

Frank the horsebirddolphinman

Frank, gentle himbo, my beloved son

MY FAVORITE SCENE WHICH INVOLVES PERCY NOT KNOWING HOW TO DRIVE, A HARPY, FRANK, AND HAZEL AND THEYRE ALL SCREAMING AND IM PRETTY SURE STUFF IS ON FIRE

Forced Proximity for 7 teenagers and one chaotically violent satyr (that's Coach Hedge)

Eros/Cupid being one the most genius things Rick's ever written

Percy's hate of Ares transcending god magic

(also his love of Annabeth, but that's like obvious)

PercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabe

weird barely gnome things

this one giant whose name is definitely not pronounced like female anatomy

everyone thinking Percy and Annabeth are constantly getting up to the hanky panky

a statue made me cry

Gay Grumpy/Sunshine (or should that be Death/Sunshine) origins!!

TRIALS OF APOLLO

Apollo, vain himbo of godly proportions is forced to live as Lester Papadopoulos

Percy: why

a very chaotic twelve year old daughter of Demeter

she commands Apollo around

plant magic

terrible great haikus at the start of every chapter

Sally Jackson being the best mom to everyone who comes to her door

magic shoes

a sassy magic prophetic arrow that talks in Shakespearean English

so much gay grumpydeath/sunshine content

also yes sunshine's dad is Apollo

Apollo sings

Grover! Piper! Reyna! Hazel! All the friends! Everyone

Jason! (also im sorry)

what if there were some trees who were an elite squad of warriors who also answer to the chaotic twelve year old

gay moms of the midwest

unicorns

in the last book, chiron takes the campers on a 'field trip' to help take down the big baddie and he shows up dressed as a warrior soccer mom with granola bars, water bottles, and extra swords attached to his fanny pack

a different chaotic twelve year old while fighting to the death in a building that's on fire: "CAN WE GO ON FIELD TRIPS EVERY WEEK?"

chiron: "ROSE DEAR RAISE YOUR SWORD A LITTLE HIGHER!"

okay im not going to spoil it but in the last book there is also this extremely horrifyingly violent moment that Uncle Rick somehow turns into one of the most hilarious things i've ever read

Piper in the epilogue

CHALICE OF THE GODS

more insanely funny percy first person narration

Grover, Percy, Annabeth reunite ("the gang is back together!" "The three musketeers!" "Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey!" "Excuse me?")

have you met the god of himbos? (Percy has)

SO

MANY

EASTER

EGGS

for Season one. you can totally see how Uncle Rick worked on the script and chalice together

if you liked Annabeth shoving Percy into the water....this one is for you

Percy, supreme god of snakes

the cutest cutest cutest cutest Percabeth content you will ever read

hippie gods (yes more than one)

Percy is literally obsessed with Annabeth

Annabeth already being the Jackson daughter in law

Sally Jackson and Paul and

For the record: You CAN read Chalice of the Gods without reading the other series, but please please please read all these books. The audiobooks are phenomenal.

[aangarchy]

Alright. I've rewatched the trailer like 20 times by now and i've been processing it.

First things first: anyone that's gonna talk shit about Gordon Cormier is gonna have to go through me first. I've only had Gordon!Aang for a day and a half and if anything happens to him i'll kill everyone here and then myself got it?

Just look at him! This is the exact big eared cute little kid i wanted them to cast for Aang. He looks adorable and honestly his outfit is growing on me.

The glowing arrow looked cool as hell. I like that the light spread through his tattoo almost like veins. I'm still curious on how the full avatar state is gonna look, how they're gonna get the glowing eye effect. Please don't let it look goofy.

Y'know what does look goofy?

Is it better than the m night shyamalan appa? I guess. Does that mean it looks good? Well.... at least momo sort of looks cute instead of some folklore nightmare like in shyamalan's version. But also you can tell in this shot in particular that it's very green screen-y

Then we go over to the bending, the limited shots we have of it. Mainly firebending was shown (a little airbending too but kinda hard to get a stillframe for that one)

Idk how to feel about it. In screenshots it looks alright but the shots while they were moving looked a bit off, especially the one where zuko's kicking. We only got very limited shots and that's intentional. I feel like the bigger cgi fails are gonna show up once we get the full show. If the bending looked good all the time i feel like they'd be showing it off by now.

What i don't like, is how apparently they're gonna SHOW Zuko getting burned. Like sure in atla they didn't bc kids show and Nickelodeon wouldn't allow it, and netflix can take darker turns if they so please. But i personally always felt that scene made so much impact because we didn't see it. Iroh is telling it from his memory and he didn't look when it happened, so we don't see it either. It's like a courtesy the show extends to both Zuko and the audience. We just hear the harrowing scream, and that's enough to know how devastating it is. I don't need a dramatic overlook so we can see the whole thing in detail, netflix.

Another thing is the hair in some scenes.

Daniel dae kim looked better in that promo photo, bc here you can just see how the bulky goatie was glued on. And then Sokka's hair..... where's the ponytail? It's laying completely flat against his head... why? Is it bc that's Ian's hair and they didn't know what to do with it? Literally get a comb and tease that bitch. This is like the complete opposite of Jackson Rathbone's hair in the shyamalan version, and somehow that full maybelline ponytail makes more sense than this sad excuse of a tail. Either way at least Suki looked dope.

Another thing i found weird about the trailer is the narration. I think it's either Iroh's voice or maybe Gyatso's? (I haven't heard Iroh's actor talk yet so idk, but it felt like it was being said TO either Aang or Zuko) but the lines they gave him... it felt like some weird mumbo jumbo tbh. Something something about the past and present being the same and it's up to us to know the difference and be the difference? It's saying everything and nothing at the same time and it felt kind of out of place. They're probably saving the iconic opening narration done by Katara for the full trailer (i hope???) but still they could have just gone with music, or maybe just a few iconic existing lines?

The music? Fire. Nothing needs to be added there. Was i kind of hoping for a different soundtrack? Maybe a bit. But am i mad? Not at all. They clearly took the nostalgia route with the more epic version of the avatar theme, and i can only respect them for that.

So far, very mixed reviews for me. I'm morbidly curious and very nosy by nature though, so i'm absolutely watching.

[fictionalmenaremytype]

My highlights from the first two episodes

!SPOILERS FOR PJOTV!

- Baby Percy and BlackJack?!?!??!

- Mrs Dodd's transformation!!! Can we talk about how good that was?!?!?

-Sally Jackson and Logical??? "I fell for you like water falls from the February sky" being abt her and Poseidon! "Said I was too young, I was too soft." I've already spoke about Sally's difficulties raising Percy but this just resonates so well with his teachers blaming her struggles on her being too young. "I know I'm half responsible and that makes me feel horrible." Knowing the child she had part in bringing to life is suffering just for existing! This is her song!

- Grover betraying him at Yancy?? This just make the 'betrayed by a friend' part of the prophecy even more heartbreaking, ofc Percy will suspect Grover now!

- a sandwich from diAngelo's ?!?!?!?!?

- "Like Jesus?"

- Grover's "I'm 24" literally had me cackling! I think there's more important things for you to tell him right now, buddy, but sure, clarify your age.

- Mr D "Son" just to get drunk...

- The Big House?!?! Why is it so beautiful?!?!?

- Luke and Chris being besties and welcoming Percy in! I feel so bad for the kids who are watching this for the first time and will find out everything that happens to Luke and Chris. I just know those edits of TLT Chris to BotL Chris are going to be HEARTBREAKING!!!!

- The council of cliven elders??? ALREADY!

- DIOR GOODJOHN AS CLARISSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Percy praying to Sally had me tearing up.

- Clarisse's scream when Percy broke her spear...I know we're supposed to be scared but I just felt bad isn't that like the only thing Ares has given Clarisse and some new boy just breaks it??? I'd be pissed too!

- AND LEAH!!!!!! LEAH!!!!!!!!!!! We knew she was perfect before we saw her performance, but to her become Annabeth! Perfect, perfect, perfect!

- Annabeth calling Percy Sunshine??? Her just admitting to stalking him without hesitation??? Her just pushing him into the river??? Iconic.

- Grover being rebellious and just telling Percy about Sally! I think that makes up for getting him kicked out of Yancy.

I can't wait for the next episodes!

[skepticreadstoa]

The Hidden Oracle: Chapter 3

“It’s not slavery.” She chewed off a piece of her thumb cuticle and spit it out. “It’s more like mutual cooperation.” “Mutual in the sense that you give orders and I am forced to cooperate?” “Yep.” Ok, I think I would already kill for Meg.

Apollo when he sees that Zeus gave him flab:

I felt as if my brain had been stuffed with wet cotton. Honestly, how do you humans stand it? Me, I just use a common mortal technique called winging it.

We turned a corner and there—parked under a crape myrtle—sat an older model blue Prius. Its hood bore the unmistakable dents of Pegasus hooves. I guess car prices are so high in NYC that the Jacksons never bothered about those hoof marks and kept the car as it was. I'm not from the US, but considering all the things I hear, this just sounds normal for the States.

My own father, Zeus, once took the form of a shiny blob to woo a mortal woman. (Why the mortal woman found that attractive, I have no idea.) Greek myths have the gods just doing the most random stuff, I swear.

Imagine the look on Percy's face when Sally looked at him and said, "Honey, Apollo's at the door." He must have wanted to crawl out the window at that moment.

Instead, the young man swung open the apartment door and said, “Why?” There's the iconic line.

Percy listening to Apollo tell him he needs his help again:

[nerdygalsmustlive]

Things from the books that I need to see in the Percy Jackson show! Warning spoilers if you’ve not read the books.

Disney not canceling this after one season

Iris messages! I just think they are so clever and very immersive.

If Percy doesn’t fight Ares I’ll scream. That was just iconic to me.

More dream stuff. The fact that Demi Gods can always get a glimpse of fate is really important in the books.

Zeus telling Percy he will shoot him out of the sky next time he flies.

Mr. D never getting Percy’s names right.

Dodgeball with the Lastrygonian giants. That was one of my favorite chapters in The Sea of Monsters.

Grover in a dress!

All the sheep 🐏🐑🐏🐑

The empathy link!

PARTY PONIES

The white streaks in Percy and Annabeth hair from holding up the sky.

Thalia being scared of heights.

In the same vein more Percy being scared of drowning.

Ares being whipped by Aphrodite. Seriously her sending him to get Percy then standing outside while she talks to him is so good to me.

Bianca and Percy having a moment before she goes into the automaton. Like a real heart felt one because that is the loss of innocence point for sure.

Rachel - enough said

Dr. Chase - enough said

Nico’s freak out at the end of titans curse because that was just so epic the leave us alone thing ugh I want to see it. Also I can’t wait to see Nico and Bianca in general.

Satyrs hyped up on Coffee!

The labyrinth in general is going to be so good. Like that’s my favorite book so I want to get there more than anything.

The Triple G Ranch and honestly I’d like to see Matthew Mcconaughey play Eurytion.

Percy learning he can use his abilities away from the water.

Mrs. O’Leary my beautiful amazing perfect baby girl.

Calypso because we need the moment where Percy learns that the gods just discard people. Also it helps him humanize Mr. D a little bit more.

Nico apologizing because it shows that Hade’s and his kids aren’t villains and I just think that is so very important.

Beckendorf and Silena are so important to me they deserved better but it’s okay. I think everything that happens with them in Last Olympian has such amazing and perfect impact. I could go on for hours about this.

Hestia because I love her. Before I read the books and knew the basic principle I wanted to be her child. I still do but I really love the way she was treated in this book. So good.

Annabeth saving Percy without knowing!!!

I want a moment similar to Endgame when everyone comes out to stand against Thanos with the Hunters when they come to help in New York.

Sally and Paul fighting!!

The Ares vs Apollo cabin fight. Honestly I think that was so good. Because it gave us a way to feel like Percy was going to fail. And it showed Clarisse’s fatal flaw.

Speaking of that I want more fatal flaw stuff.

Finally I want the moment when Ares shows approval of Clarise. That moment got me. Honestly I am a Clarisse stan.

Over all I’m just ready for more episodes of this show.

[wholoveseggs]

Hey love! How about a Haylijah one shot based if the time they slept together in the show. Like season 2 episode 9

Wishes

18+ ---- {Masterlist} {Tag-List}

A smutty extended version of haylijah's first time together.

♡♡ Thanks for the request lovely anon! This scene iconic and all I did was fill in the blanks ♡♡

3.1k words - Warnings: soo angsty, smut, fluff, oral sex, more angst...

Hayley walked into the living room to see Elijah sitting by the fireplace. The soft glow of the fire lit up the room as she looked at him. He seemed lost in thought and she hesitated to approach him, unsure of her welcome.

"She's asleep," Hayley said softly, standing awkwardly at the entrance of the room.

Elijah looked up at her, giving her a small smile. The way he looked at her always made her breath catch in her throat. It was like the intensity of his gaze could strip her soul bare and it both excited and terrified her.

She was so nervous and torn, she knew she had to tell him about the betrothal. She didn't want him to hear it from anyone else, especially Klaus.

Hayley had tried to tell him earlier, but she couldn't get the words out. It felt too final, like she was breaking them.

She was afraid to lose him. She didn't have much experience with love, or relationships for that matter. No one made her feel safe the way he did. She never wanted to let him go.

"It's so quiet, with Klaus and Rebekah gone," she was babbling now, trying to delay the inevitable. "So, we didn't get to say our wishes. Can I tell you mine?"

Elijah looked at her, a bit confused by her nervousness. She was usually so guarded with her emotions. He nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"It's a hope, actually... that you'll understand what I have to tell you." Her voice shook slightly, and her hands were trembling.

"And what is it?" He asked, his voice gentle and kind.

"My wolves. I think I figured out a way to release them from the witches." She began, her hands twisting together.

Elijah stood, his expression curious. She didn't want to hurt him, she wished she could avoid it.

"They could control their turning without the rings, and bring peace to our home so that Hope could return to us. But, there's a catch... I have to marry Jackson."

The look on his face made her stomach drop, and she wished she could take the words back. She could see the pain in his eyes, the sadness and disappointment. He quickly hid it all away, his noble heart not wanting her to see his heartbreak.

She had to get him to understand, to explain that it wasn't something she wanted. She didn't want Jackson, she didn't want anyone else but him.

In another time, another place, she would want to be his, only his.

"It's a, um, mystical ceremony, and- and an Alpha bonding ritual...?"

His silence made her want to scream. He was so calm, but she could tell it was a front. He looked away, staring into the fireplace. 

"Elijah... I know that you and I haven't been close recently, but... you have to know that this isn't about him. I don't love Jackson, but..." She watched him nod to himself, a storm brewing behind his dark eyes. "At the same time, I couldn't marry him and still be involved with you."

She had been worrying all day about what his reaction would be, she thought maybe he would get angry, perhaps a bit jealous. But, not like this. Not the cold indifference. The silence. It felt like he was miles away.

"I don't know, I should just-," she turned to walk away, unable to see him in such pain because of her.

She felt his hand on her arm and he spun her around, pressing his hand into the small of her back and pulling her body flush against his. He crashed his lips down onto hers, and she kissed him back, pouring everything she felt for him into that one kiss.

He broke the kiss, fire and pain dancing in his eyes.

"Marry him," he whispered, his dark gaze roaming over her face, as though he was trying to etch this moment in his mind forever. As though he knew it was the last time he would taste her lips.

"What?" She gasped, shocked by his words. She thought his kiss meant he would fight for her.

He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand cupping her cheek. There was so much love in his eyes, so much sadness and loss. It hurt her heart just to look at him.

"Listen to me--," he began, cradling her face in his hands, "The only way that this city will be safe for Hope's return is if you have unified your people, and I have unified my own. Now, Davina will eventually lead her witches, and whatever that girl may be, she is no enemy to your child. Do what you need to bring your daughter home."

He backed away from her, she had never seen such longing in his eyes.

"This is my wish for you." He said softly.

Here he was, her sweet Elijah, encouraging her to do what was best for Hope, for her pack, but not what was best for him. She thought back to the last time they kissed and what she had said to him: 'Come on, Elijah. For once in your immortal life, can you just not be so noble?'

He was always putting everyone else first. He would sacrifice his own happiness for her. It was why she loved him, and why she couldn't have him. She reached out and touched his face, her fingers lingering against his soft skin. Their eyes met, a million unspoken words hanging in the air.

Everything in him was screaming to hold her, to keep her from leaving, to beg her not to marry Jackson. But, he had made a promise to her, to his family, to keep her safe. He wouldn't let his selfish desires ruin the plan to bring his niece home. He had to let her go.

But maybe, he would allow himself one last moment of weakness. To be selfish just for tonight.

His lips met hers, rough and demanding, and she kissed him back, with an equal passion. They moved across the room, crashing into the walls and knocking books from shelves. His hands were in her hair, and she ripped his tie from his neck.

Here he was, her Elijah, holding her like it would be the last time. Because it was the last time. She could feel it in her bones. She knew this was their goodbye. She tried to put everything she was feeling into her kisses, tried to let him know how much he meant to her.

Elijah finally had his beautiful wolf right where he wanted her. He tried not to think about how this was the last time he would ever hold her. The last time he would feel her soft lips against his.

He carried her to the nearby coffee table, his hands tugging at her clothes.

"Elijah," she sighed, as his mouth moved along her neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips rocking against him. She could feel him, hard and hot between her thighs.

The way his name fell from her lips sent a shock of heat through his body. He needed to be closer to her. He needed more. He would always need more.

Her hands gripped the exposed skin of his chest, he was warm and firm, his muscles flexing under her touch. She wanted him so badly, she wanted to forget the world and just have him. 

For the first time, for the last time.

She tore his shirt open, sending buttons flying across the room. He grinned against her skin, kissing down her chest, tugging at her bra.

His lips moved down her body, along her stomach and lower. His hands pulled her panties down her thighs and she propped herself up on her elbows, watching him kiss the soft delicate skin there.

She couldn't look away from him. The sight of him, the only man she had ever loved, between her legs. His eyes met her, his body illuminated by the fire behind him.

His hands grabbed her hips, pulling her towards his mouth. She moaned, falling back onto the table as his tongue teased her. He knew just what she needed, just where to touch her to send waves of pleasure through her body.

He was a skilled lover, attentive and considerate, like she knew he would be. But it was more than that, it was like he was making love to her with his mouth. She could feel it in the way his lips moved against her, his tongue swirling and stroking, his hands holding her tight enough to leave bruises.

He let out a soft hum, a vibration that ran through her body. She had never felt this good. No one had ever touched her the way he did. It was like they were made for each other.

Her fingers tangled in his dark hair, her hips rocking against his mouth. She was chasing that glorious high, and she could feel herself getting closer and closer.

She was a writhing, moaning mess, and he couldn't get enough of it. He loved watching her fall apart. Of all the women he had loved, all the women he had made love to, no one could compare to his beautiful wolf.

She could feel the tension building, a warmth growing deep in her belly, a pleasure that was about to boil over.

"Don't stop," she begged, and he didn't.

Her back arched, her muscles tensing, and she let out a soft gasp as the release hit her, wave after wave of intense pleasure. He licked her slowly, prolonging the ecstasy until she was spent and limp on the table.

He kissed his way back up, her small frame trembling slightly from her climax. He had never seen anything more beautiful. He could feel her heart pounding, her blood rushing through her veins. She was intoxicating.

"I need you," she breathed, and he crushed his lips to hers, their bodies pressing against each other.

He didn't say a word, just picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, setting her down on the soft bed.

They quickly shed the rest of their clothing and she pulled him down on top of her, kissing him passionately. He tasted like whiskey and something uniquely him. Something she couldn't get enough of.

Elijah didn't want this night to end, he was one of the most powerful creatures in the world, yet he was powerless against time. It would continue, whether he wanted it to or not.

Hayley pushed him onto his back, straddling him. She kissed his jaw, his neck, down his chest. She had never felt more alive. Her nails raked along his chest, making him hiss. She loved the way he reacted to her, the way his muscles rippled under her touch.

She lowered herself onto him, letting out a soft moan. Her eyes met his, his hands resting on her hips. They fit together perfectly, like they were made for each other. It was almost overwhelming, the sensation of having him inside her.

"Hayley," he murmured, and it sounded like a prayer.

She began to move, her hips rocking back and forth, her hands on his chest. She had never experienced anything like this before. It was like they were one. She could feel every inch of him, her body responding to his.

He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, that no one else had ever held his heart the way she did. That no one ever would. But, he knew it would just make this harder.

So instead, he held her, and let her have this moment. He would give her everything he had, and then let her go.

She quickened her pace, his hands gripping her hips tightly. She was beautiful, the way her head fell back, her soft moans filling the air.

He watched her, taking in every detail. The way her lips parted, the way her body moved, the way her breath hitched.

Her eyes met his and it was like time stopped. She could feel the tension coiling low in her belly, the pressure building.

She could see the emotions playing across his face. He looked like a man in pain. She had never seen anyone look at her like that, like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

She wondered what her life would be like if he was the father of her child. In his eyes she saw that perfect cookie cutter life, the one she always longed for. She imagined a world where he was her husband, where he would watch their child grow. She didn't want to be an Alpha. She didn't want the responsibilities. She didn't want to marry Jackson.

All she wanted was to be his.

She leaned forward, her breasts pressing against his chest. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close.

They moved together, a slow, steady rhythm, making it last, fitting together perfectly, their hearts beating as one.

He rolled them over, settling between her thighs, his hands cradling her face. His dark gaze was so intense, so full of emotion.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, and it was like her heart was breaking. She wished this was real, that they had met under different circumstances, in a different life.

He was close, and so was she. The pleasure was building, and she didn't want it to end. She wanted to stay here forever, in his arms, with him.

"Please," she whispered, her nails digging into his shoulders. "Please, Elijah."

He kissed her deeply, their tongues intertwining, as their bodies moved together, breaking apart and coming back together.

She could feel him, his body responding to hers, his heart beating in time with hers. They both were teetering on the edge, and she needed him to take her over.

She pulled her mouth from his, looking deep into his eyes.

"Make me yours," she whispered, and that was all it took.

He kissed her neck then sank his fangs into her flesh, the bite sending her over the edge.

It was the most intense orgasm of her life. Her body shuddered, and she cried out his name. It was like her soul had been split open, her emotions raw and exposed.

His release followed soon after, his body trembling as he spilled himself inside her. It was almost overwhelming, the intensity of it. Nothing compared.

They lay there, their bodies still connected, neither wanting to move, to break the spell.

He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing her in, his hands cradling her face. Her skin was flushed, her eyes shining.

He kissed her again and again and again, slow and gentle, savoring the moment.

"Elijah, I--" She began, not sure what she was going to say. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but it would only make it all so much more difficult.

He silenced her with a kiss, his hand tangling in her hair.

"I know," he said softly, and she knew that he did.

They held each other, her head on his chest, his fingers running through her hair. The moment was perfect, and she wished it would never end.

The soft cries of Hope interrupted their blissful reverie. They shared a smile, and Hayley moved to get out of bed and check on her.

"Let me," he said, getting dressed quickly.

She watched him as he left the room, admiring the way his shirt stretched across his broad shoulders.

She listened as he took care of her daughter, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. She would have to leave him in the morning, but right now, in this moment, she was happy.

Hope's cries turned into laughter, and she heard Elijah singing softly. She couldn't understand the words, but the melody was soothing. It sounded like an old lullaby.

She wondered if this was what it would have been like if they had met under different circumstances. She could imagine them raising their children together, a family. It was a dream that would never come true.

When Elijah returned she was pretending to sleep, she didn't want him to see her tears. He climbed into bed beside her, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

He didn't want her to marry Jackson, but he had made her a promise, to keep her safe. His vows mattered more than his feelings, his happiness.

He kissed her hair, mouthing, 'I love you', a promise he made to the stars.

They fell asleep like that, wrapped in each other's arms, and if he had his way, they would wake up the same way everyday, from this day until the end of time.

But, fate is not kind, and love is not for the selfish.

Hayley woke up alone, the faint scent of Elijah still lingering on the sheets. It was a bittersweet reminder of what she had given up.

She could smell coffee and bacon, he was downstairs cooking breakfast. Elijah was a hopeless romantic, even at the worst of times.

She smiled sadly, tracing the curve of his pillow, imagining his face. He had held her all night, his arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe. She could feel his loss in her bones, the empty space inside her, the space where he had been.

Hope cooed and giggled from her crib, reaching up her tiny hands to her mother. Hayley scooped her up and carried her downstairs, inhaling the scent of home-cooked food.

Elijah was humming a tune, dressed impeccably, as usual. He looked like nothing had changed, like they didn't have a lifetime of longing and heartache between them.

She admired him, his broad shoulders, his strong jaw. The way his biceps flexed as he whisked the eggs. He looked good, his dark hair neatly styled, his clothes crisp and clean.

She leaned in close to him, grabbing some fruit from the counter and their eyes met.

For a moment, it was like the world had stopped. There was only the two of them, and the love that burned between them.

Elijah wanted to kiss her, just one last time, but he knew that if he did, he would never be able to let her go.

Hayley felt her heart skip a beat, her cheeks flushing. She could see it in his eyes, the love and the pain. He leaned in and kissed Hope on the head instead, the infant smiling happily.

They didn't have to say anything, their feelings were clear. They both wanted more, but they knew that it wasn't possible. They had to be ripped apart by duty.

Perhaps if they knew the future that awaited them, it would be a different story, a different outcome.

But, as they say, time is the enemy, and love is never enough.

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[coleskingdom]

Man in the Mirror

Matt Jackson x female reader

Genre Smut Minors DNI NSFW

GIF @ bloodycowboyclub

@madhatterbri @midwestmade29

“He’s playing fucking head games, with us.” Matt said pacing in the hotel room, “He couldn’t just take the nice retirement package and leave no, he had to bring a goth boy and a geriatric with him. “ his voice agitated, “ I now have to end one of the icons of this business and his friends as well.”

I had been lying in bed watching this soliloquy, slightly amused and slightly annoyed by this sudden crisis of conscience. “ Really? One of the icons of the sport, you’re doing what has to be done. The sport is ready for new icons, new greats. The geriatric in question should’ve been ended long ago.” I said an impatient tone in my voice.

“ I don’t recognize myself some days, when I look in the mirror.” his eyes showing a sadness that broke my heart. “ How have I become the villain ? No one understands why I have to do the things I have to do.” his hand reaching for the glass of wine on the table.

“Matt, listen they forced your hand, they forced you to have to make the hard decisions. Changing the world was never going to be easy. You’re doing this for everyone, the ones who don’t have spots because of this old guard who refuses to move on. Besides you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain.. You’ve just always had someone else to get their hands dirty for you, or you did it because someone told you to. You’ve stabbed everyone you’ve ever loved in the back at one point or another, you’ll forgive yourself in time, as they have forgiven you. I don’t know why this upsets you when you played into Kenny’s psychotic vendetta against Cole and Page.” I sipped my own wine . “Is it because Kenny isn’t calling the shots this time? Is it because you’re having to lead? Is it because …” my words cut off as Matt straddled me on the bed, his hands tracing lines of my throat. “ I wouldn’t finish that thought” ,he kissed me, his mouth fighting for dominance, as I relented. Our hands grabbing at each other’s clothes in a frenzy, pulling and removing them as they were thrown on the floor.

His hands moved down my body, only lightly teasing the places , he knew I loved. “Are you going to be a good girl or am I going to have to fuck that attitude out of you?” his voice cool and controlled, his touch soft,as his calloused hands dipped lower. “ I’ll be whatever you want me to be, just please touch me Matt” the pathetic desperation in my tone made him smile. “ There’s my good girl, not so mouthy now” his mouth claiming mine as his hand teased my folds. He swallowed my groan as his practiced fingers went to work, his mouth moved down my body to my breasts. “Is this what you needed?”before he took my nipple in his mouth. “ Yes”, I said my mind barely coherent “Yes what?” he said stopping all movement “Yes sir” I was immediately rewarded as his thumb moved over my clit and his teeth grazed my nipple. A moan fell from my lips, I felt my body giving itself over to him. “ princess it’d be so easy to let you cum right now, and nothing would make me happier than to take care of you right now.” His fingers moving inside me, teasing strokes inching deeper. “However, you said some hurtful truths earlier, now you’re gonna have to wait till I say to cum.” his hands spreading my thighs , as he aligned himself with my aching core. “So desperate for me, for someone you thought was afraid to lead I’m leading you pretty well aren’t I ?” his tone slightly menacing, “I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry sir” I said . His mouth back on mine as he entered me, his body worked mine, the angle he chose was meant to drive both of us quickly to our own release. My fingers scratched his back as he hit that spot deep inside, he hissed . He picked up his speed his controlled thrusts becoming erratic , “ Princess come for me, milk my cock , show me how much you need me.” I clenched pulling him in and holding him there, as I shattered around him, his thrusts and little groans and whimpers as he released inside of me in my ear. My hands running through his hair as his face laid in the crook of my neck. “ Matt, I do understand. “ my words soft and soothing allowing him to stay there as long as he needed. “I know you’re doing this for us.” My hands running softly up his back. When he finally moved, he was Matt again, the softness in his features returned. He laid his head on my chest,he was quiet for a longtime, the war inside him quieted for the first time.

[reasonsmandy]

You're my family

Daisy Jones x Fem!Reader

✧.* requested by @swiftgreatest — hello honeyy!! i want request a one shot with daisy jones with the prompt "If all I had was you and me... I wouldn't give it up for anything. " i love you and love your writing!!

✧.* summary — Daisy's change after the show in Chicago was hasty, difficult but the main point for her recognition of herself, and also the great opportunity for her to meet the love of her life.

✧.* warnings — none.

✧.* word count — 2.4k

✧.* 🎙️ — Daisy's masterlist

Daisy Jones had always lived life in the fast lane. As the lead singer of the iconic band Daisy Jones and The Six, she had traveled the world, sold out arenas, and lived a life that most people could only dream of. But despite the accomplishments in her career, despite the fans screaming her name, despite her songs being listened to by thousands of people, the emptiness wouldn't leave her chest. She knew that as long as she submitted to being by his side, she would never be happy with herself, as long as she didn't deal with the monsters she always hid she wouldn't be able to be happy.

As she listened to the audience cheering with the end of the song, the adrenaline that rose through her body revealed to her that this would be the last time, her eyes watered as she processed everything that was happening, as she understood the decision she was making.

Later that night she revealed everything to Simone, Jackson comforted her as she grieved over losing a family she had loved so much.The disco singer informed Teddy of the redhead's decision and asked for help to find a place away from the press and prying eyes, both then found a house where she could start over, take some time to herself.

Daisy watched her change getting off the truck in front of the new house, where she would restart everything where she would get to know herself again. The street where she was going to live was calm, well treed and seemed to have kind neighbors. She was excited for something after a long time, and it felt so fucking good to feel alive again.

"Hey neighbor." Daisy hears a female voice behind her and turns to face you. "Want some help with all that over there?"

"Oh hi, don't worry I think I'm done unloading everything." Daisy looked you up and down and felt butterflies in her stomach as her eyes connected with yours. "I'm Daisy."

She approaches you extending her hand, you accept smiling at her and when you look into that green paradise of her eyes a beat of your heart skips. "I'm Y/N."

And since that meeting you became inseparable, you were very important for Daisy's adaptation in the city, always helping her to know new places, where to buy things, helping her to clean up the house and organize her routine in her new place. Gradually you felt more welcome next to her, feeling that your day would not be the same if you did not see her. Daisy was like a streetlight on a dark street, that town had never been the best place for you, but since she arrived your life has been better, she was the color of your days since the first time you connected.

As Daisy settled into her new life in Willow Creek, she found herself feeling more introspective than ever before. She spent hours sitting alone on her front porch, lost in thought as she tried to make sense of her feelings and the world around her.

It was during one of these quiet moments that Daisy realized something that shook her to her core: she was attracted to women. The thought had never crossed her mind before, but as she reflected on her past relationships and her current feelings for you, she knew it was true.

At first, Daisy tried to push the feelings aside, telling herself that it was just a passing phase or a result of the upheaval in her life. But the more she tried to ignore it, the stronger the feelings became. She found herself drawn to you in ways she couldn't explain, feeling a deep connection that went beyond mere friendship.

But the more time she spent with you, the harder it became to ignore the way her heart raced whenever you were near. She found herself longing to be closer to you, to feel your touch and hear your voice.

…

"Knock knock." You say opening the door of Daisy's house.

"Ah, you've arrived!" Daisy says running to you, hugging you. "I was so excited to see you today, I prepared so much to show you."

"Calm down Daisy, breathe." You smile when you see her excitement. "I can't wait to see everything you have to show me."

"So, I started writing some stuff. "Daisy says pulling you to the sofa, you sit next to her admiring every detail of her face."Oh and another thing, I'm not going to cook for us because I'm terrible in the kitchen, so I ordered for us."

You can't contain your laughter, Daisy turns her head trying to understand why you laugh. "It's just that you change the subject so quickly, I think it's cute.You look so pretty when you're excited"

Daisy spreads a bigger smile on her face, trying to hide the blush that was growing on her cheeks. For a moment, they just looked at each other, their gazes locked. You felt a flutter in your chest, and she couldn't look away. It was as if time had slowed down and everything else had faded away, leaving just the two of you in the moment.

Daisy's lips quivered into a small smile, and you felt your cheeks grow warm. You smiled back, but your heart was racing so fast that you couldn't keep your thoughts straight. It was just a brief moment, but it felt like an eternity.

Finally, you looked away, breaking the spell. "So, are you going to show me that song or not?" You asked, your voice soft and gentle.

You spent the day together, talking and laughing about everything you had to share with each other, it was amazing how after so many conversations you still had so much to talk about. Daisy couldn't stop admiring you, it was like she was bewitched by something you did, she loved every detail about you, the way your eyes sparkled talking about what you liked, the way you danced excitedly to the records she had at home, your way of talking, everything was so charming and endearing.

You, on the other hand, were holding back from being honest and telling Daisy everything you felt, she was the most passionate woman you had ever seen in your entire life. Daisy was the meaning of passion, she was passionate about life, about music, she knew how to appreciate every detail of everything around her and that was something so captivating and you couldn't live without her anymore.

The two of you were in her bed, staring at the ceiling as you remained in comfortable silence, you played with the locks of her hair admiring the red strands braiding them in small braids.

"I needed this, you know?" Daisy says breaking the silence, making you look into his eyes. "I thought it was going to be a getaway for a few days, but now I can't imagine my life without all this…"

You smile at her, happy to see that little by little Daisy found her place. "I'm so glad you're finding yourself."

"You helped me a lot with that, you know?" With that information you raise your eyebrows, waiting for her to continue. "I never imagined that you would give me this, that this place would give me you."

"What did I give to you?" You ask, still confused.

Daisy is silent, second-guessing whether she should say something now, whether she could risk everything she already had for something so uncertain. But you made her want to take chances, all of that was very different from what she felt for Billy, it wasn't like a bomb that could explode at any moment, it was like a weathervane and you were the wind that made her move, that gave her energy.

"If it's too personal for you to say, it's not here anymore." You say after the great silence coming from her.

"You brought me back the good passion." The redhead says looking straight into her eyes. "I no longer see passion as something that hurts, because you made me see it differently."

You feel your body freeze at her words, slowly processing what she just said, you frown. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm in love with you Y/N." Jones says, smiling even wider. "That's the truth, I fell in love with you.

Daisy's words hang in the air, leaving an electric charge between them. You look at her, taking in every inch of her face as if for the first time. There's a warmth in her eyes, a vulnerability in her expression that makes you want to hold her.

"I... I don't know what to say," you stutter, feeling the weight of her confession.

Daisy steps closer to you, her hand reaching out to gently caress your cheek. "You don't have to say anything," she says softly. "Just feel it."

She leans in, her lips meeting yours in a tender kiss. It's not fiery or passionate, but it's filled with a sweet tenderness that speaks volumes. You close your eyes, savoring the moment and the way Daisy's body presses into yours. It's like nothing you've ever felt before.

When the kiss ends, Daisy pulls back, looking at you with a soft smile. "I've wanted to do that for so long," she admits.

You can feel your heart racing, your body humming with a newfound energy. "Me too," you whisper, leaning in for another kiss, this time with a bit more urgency.

As your lips meet again, you know that this is just the beginning of something special. And you were so fucking right.

…

The days after that conversation felt like a dream to Daisy. She couldn't believe that you felt the same way she did, and it was even more surreal that you were willing to give up everything to be with her. But as you stood by her side, hand in hand, it all felt so right.

It wasn't long before you moved in with her, bringing your things to Daisy's cozy little house. The first night you spent together was electric. Daisy was a little nervous, having not been in a serious relationship in a long time, but you put her at ease with your kind words and gentle touches.

As the days went by, the two of them settled into a comfortable routine. They cooked meals together, watched movies snuggled up on the couch, and took long walks through the neighborhood. They talked about everything and nothing, learning more about each other every day.

It wasn't long before Daisy realized that she was happier than she had ever been in her entire life. She felt complete with you by her side, and she couldn't imagine a future without you. The way you looked at her, the way you held her hand, the way you laughed at her jokes - it all made her heart swell with love.

As the flowers bloomed, so did their love. Daisy and you spent hours exploring the city, trying new foods, and discovering new places. You stayed up late talking about everything and anything, learning more about each other every day. You held hands everywhere you went, and every touch felt electrifying. As you sat on the rooftop watching the sunset, Daisy leaned over and kissed you and everytime she did so, it felt like the first time. It was gentle, but full of passion and promise for what was to come.

Their love continued to blossom as the weather warmed up. You spent lazy afternoons in the park, picnicking and reading books together. You took weekend trips to the beach, holding hands as you walked along the shore talking about anything and everything. You were happy just being in each other's company, and your love grew stronger with each passing day. One night, as you lay in bed together, Daisy looked over at you and whispered, "I love you." You found yourself smiling, knowing that you had found your soulmate.

As the leaves began to fall, you both knew that your love was here to stay. So you moved in together, and everything felt even more perfect. You cooked together in the kitchen, danced together in the living room, and fell asleep in each other's arms every night. You talked about your future and what you wanted out of life. One night, as you sat on the couch, Daisy turned to you, her eyes showing you that she wanted to tell you something.

"What's wrong, my flower?" You ask, rubbing her hair.

"I want to have a daughter with you." She says catching you off guard, you can't contain your smile.

"Let's do it." You reply.

As the snow fell, you began the process of adopting a child. You spent months preparing, filling out paperwork, and attending classes. You talked to each other about what kind of parents you wanted to be, and how you wanted to raise your child. Finally, you got the call that they had been waiting for, and you were matched with a beautiful baby girl.

As you held your daughter for the first time, tears streaming down your faces, you knew that your love was stronger than ever, and growing bigger with this step. Daisy looked over at you and whispered, "I couldn't have done this without you."

You smiled and replied, "I love you more than anything in this world."

Dawn breaks as the soft light of morning sneaks into the room, casting shadows across the walls. Daisy stirs in bed and turns to see you sound asleep beside her, your daughter snuggled between them.

She takes a deep breath, feeling a wave of emotion wash over her. She leans in to kiss your forehead, and you stirs, blinking sleepily at her.

"What time is it?" You ask, voice thick with sleep.

"Early," Daisy says softly, gazing at her girlfriend. "I can't believe we're moms."

You smiled, your hand reaching out to gently stroke your daughter's hair. "Me neither. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Daisy turns to face you, studying your face in the early morning light. "Why did you decide to stay with me?" she asks, her voice a little shaky. "I mean, with everything that's happened... Why did you stick around?"

You frown slightly, concern etched on your face. "Hey baby, don't say things like that," you say, cupping Daisy's cheek. "I love you. You and our daughter are everything to me. If all I had was you and me, I wouldn't give it up for anything. You're my family, Daisy. Always."

Daisy feels a lump form in her throat as she leans in to kiss you again, her heart overflowing with love for the woman of her life and the family you've created together.

...

Hi, I hope you enjoyed it... If you wanted to ask for something my requests are open, and if you want to ask and don't have any ideas check out my prompt list :) xoxo

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[shadowhandss60]

Your overall review about the book? It's bad, awful, good, the best Rick wrote in a while?

It felt like being HOME.

I was full on grinning like an idiot 90% of the book. I’m going into my reread of all the books soon, but for me it has some of the funniest Percy moments because he’s just sick of sh*t and naturally hilarious. 😂

I gave 5 stars, but I may also be a bit biased because it’s Percy Jackson and I will be happy with whatever Rick gives me, but I think he did a great job shifting Percy back to 1st person after being 3rd person for so long in HoO.

It’s different with HIM as the narrator and so it felt like PJO again, where it is Percy talking to us rather than us just knowing what he’s doing like in HoO (if that makes sense)

Overall it was nice to have the lower stakes and not the apocalyptic world ending chaos. It allowed us more Percy without FULLY putting him through the ringer (he still doesn’t have a great time though, because it’s Percy and the universe still wants him to suffer some)

There’s a good mix of hilarity, genuine sweet moments that weren’t OOC (the family interactions in this KILL me. Sally Supremacy>>>) and fun banter between our 3 heroes. There are also some sad moments and they were done perfectly and it didn’t feel forced in the “lighter” setting of the book.

Some spoilers now (no major plot points):

I will say, I was hoping for more Riptide action. Percy’s sword fights from his POV are always iconic and so I was bummed we didn’t get that.

There wasn’t as much straight forward “action” like last few HoO books but I had to remember that it’s not going to read like those higher stakes books and it’s only 280 pages so there’s only so much he can fit.

I already know there’s going to be people that say Percy was “nerfed” in this book but again, lower stakes and the life or death situations they’re in in this book can’t be solved with the brute strength of his power and I personally enjoy seeing Percy as more than just a child soldier.

(He does scare a god though and he’s asked if he’s a god again, so I loved that)

[quincywillows]

a scattered and overall supportive review of percy jackson season 1

let me just say first of all, it's extremely fun to be enthused about a tv show like this again. the adaptation isn't perfect, but it's a lot of fun, and you can tell there's plenty of heart and good intention behind what they're doing. i'm very much enjoying tuning in every couple of episodes and catching up -- and avoiding the relentless commentary of the internet while i do so lol.

but now it's time for MY commentary!! to preface, i was a huge fan of the books when i was younger, am a stalwart long-term advocate of the original five books as some of the best children's lit of our lifetime, but i also enjoyed the films a decade ago for what they were and think people (including cough rick cough) are way too harsh about them. justice for logan lerman. anyway

i'm not going to do like a play-by-play, but in summary, here are my takeaways from the first season -- what i thought worked, what did not, and things i'm optimistic about going into the future seasons.

the good

for an adaptation of the original series (which, to be fair, i have not reread in years), i felt this was honest and faithful. there were tweaks, obviously, but none that took me too out of it or felt irredeemable. there was a lot to like about this show, so i want to start right from the top with my highest highs.

the worldbuilding / production design. i absolutely loved getting to see how they imagined certain iconic characters, locations, and sequences from the books. it was so exciting to get to see camp halfblood for the first time on screen (at least, in this adaption) -- that moment in episode two definitely felt like a turning point where we picked up from the somewhat laggy pilot episode. i especially loved the design of mount olympus, aspects of the underworld (hades and his upside down castle were baller, though how did percy and grover get up there lol; and i absolutely loved the choice for asphodel and the ghosts being rooted like trees, i never would've thought of that myself but it was so chilling and unique... just wish i could see it better through the terrible lighting, but we'll come back to that), and of course, camp. even down to the small details, like the camp beads... it's just very cool to see it come to life.

the casting. i wasn't sure about some of the casting when the news was breaking, but i'm very happy to have been pleasantly surprised all around (and have majorly avoided people bitching about every single thing). there wasn't any role where i felt like someone was horribly miscast, and you could tell that everyone involved really wanted to be there and committed. i thought the casting of the gods was especially inspired at times. some of the highlights for me personally:

adam copeland as ares. i had no idea he was apparently a wrestler turned actor until my sister told me, but i thought he was absolutely spectacular. very charismatic, with just the right amount of cringefail that ares needed. i found him thoroughly enjoyable in all his scenes.

lance reddick as zeus. having just played horizon zero dawn recently, oh my lorde was this an inspired choice. he was absolutely brilliant. i'm so so sad about his passing, i don't know how they're going to recapture his performance, but i have faith now that they'll find a way.

timothy omundson as hephaestus. i love that they took a softer, more mad scientist approach to his role than like ugly basement blacksmith vibes... i just thought it was really refreshing. his scene with annabeth, where we got so much humanity from him in such a short span of time, was one of my favorite scenes of the season.

jason mantzoukas as dionysus. i mean. what else can be said. obvious choice, but he was so fun lol. i hope they give him more to do next season.

other standouts beyond the main youth cast for me were jay duplass as hades (his brief appearance in 107 was thoroughly enjoyable) and dior goodjohn as clarisse (she was by far the acting standout of the first couple episodes to me). also very happy to see jessica kennedy parker and sinclair from the 100 get work, lol.

walker as percy jackson. it was really wonderful watching walker grow as an actor even just through the first eight episodes. the difference from 101 to 108 is almost night and day. you can tell how much he cares about the project and percy as a character, and he upped his game with every episode. i cannot wait to see what he turns out in the coming seasons. to be fair, i thought all of the youth cast did a decent job, and i'm giving them a lot of leeway and room to grow since they are literally child actors -- it takes time to hone your craft, and im optimistic they're all going to do a great job as the series goes on. but walker was, definitively and thankfully as the protagonist, the standout.

charlie bushnell as luke. i was so excited when i heard he got cast because i loved him in diary of a future president, and he did not disappoint. i kind of wish he had more to do, but all of that was forgiven in the finale when he had his final confrontation with percy. oh, the acting popped off then -- i can't wait for him to get to chew up the scenery more in the coming seasons.

grover and percy's friendship. it was so sweet to see this come alive, and i thought walker and aryan had excellent natural chemistry together. they were so endearing, and i really believed their friendship basically from the start (them swapping their sandwich fillings is a tiny detail from the pilot that has stuck with me since; i just loved that choice so much). they definitely provided a lot of my favorite moments in the season, and i think evoked the most genuine "aw wow" moments from me.

percy's relationship with sally. since sally was, understandably, absent from the original novel, it was awesome to get the flashbacks here that allowed us to more deeply understand their bond. i thought walker and virginia did a great job with this, and the young actor who played little percy also did a surprisingly great job (he was actually one of the stronger youth actors in the pilot imo lol). you totally understood why percy was doing everything he was, because that mother-son bond felt believable. big shout-out to the absolutely baller line "i am sally jackson's son." one of the first writing moments where i was like oh snap!

the music. a good score really can't be understated, and this one did not disappoint. did just what it needed to do. i also loved the closing title sequence and the art direction there with the epic music -- just such a nice touch that i'm so glad they included.

some of the writing. i'll get more into some of my qualms with the writing below, but there were definitely some great moments that deserve their flowers. i thought they did a great job weaving in some early themes without being heavy-handed about it (percy having to define who he is for himself, mostly). there were some genuinely funny moments that made me laugh out loud, including "i am impertinent," annabeth's "i'm multitalented," and the entire exchange on the road side when the trio to ares are like no... we're fine... ahaha bye... oh and percy trying to drive the taxi out of the garage at the casino was absolutely hysterical.

pivotal scenes hitting their mark. when the show needed to deliver, i thought they really delivered. i absolutely loved the staging and acting in the final luke and percy confrontation -- the lighting of the fireworks was such a cinematic touch. percy's arrival at olympus and scene with zeus was also a big standout. i loved a lot of the st. louis arch episode, and thought the hephaestus golden chair sequence was really well done. overall, the episodes i thought were strongest were without a doubt 104, 105, and 108.

expansion where expansion was welcome. one of my favorite aspects of the series is how it's giving more nuance to the monsters and "villains" of the books. i loved that we got a little more motivation for alecto beyond evil -- that she clearly wanted to accomplish her own mission and retrieve the helm, whether out of loyalty or fear. i loved how medusa got much more depth and humanity, that we're sort of reexamining the fairness of how myths are told rather than just taking it all at face value. i'm really looking forward to seeing how that continues in the next seasons.

the decent

percy and annabeth. to be fair, i think my issue with this is more on the fan reaction than the show itself. i think the show is doing a decent, if somewhat awkwardly paced job, of building their friendship and offering small little hints of what could blossom in the future in classic youth awkward ways -- unexpected hugs, banter, etc. i think walker and leah are both doing a good job, and i look forward to seeing how it develops. but my god, people on the internet are really jumping the shark so hard here. i can't handle seeing more "uwu percy is in love" posts when it's like. y'all. THEY ARE 12. THEY JUST MET. LET THEM ORGANICALLY BECOME FRIENDS FIRST... i just hope the creators don't feed into that and also jump the shark. like yes, we all know where this is going, but can't we enjoy the actual journey to get there instead of forcing what isn't there yet? in any case, on the positive side, some of the moments between them i really enjoyed: the conversation on the train when grover was asleep, the hephaestus chair sequence, annabeth giving him her camp beads before going to olympus (that was a slay... that was a legendary slow burn start moment worth hyping up), the way percy smiled at her in their last scene... that's the good stuff. let's not rush through what we're getting folks. the water is fine.

lin manuel as hermes. here is the thing. i thought lin did a good job. i thought his casting was apt, and fun, and he did a great balance of hermes charisma and like, a darker edge. it's just... the thing about lin manuel is that he's lin manuel. and this is coming from someone who likes him, but it's like he shows up on screen and i'm just like. hey it's lin manuel. it's a bit of a "takes you out of the moment" stunt casting, but i'm not mad about it. i wouldn't call it a bad thing. hopefully it'll wear off (though i doubt it). i guess i'm just deciding that hermes is just lin manuel, which honestly, would kind of track.

the youth acting. mentioned this above, but again, some of that early delivery was rough. but i am giving a lot of grace, and i think they've already improved plenty in the first eight episodes. i felt the same way about shadowhunters back in the day when i thought kat mcnmara was hard to watch in season 1, but by season 3 she was my absolute favorite cast member and came so far. i have no doubt these kiddos will do the same. so very much looking forward to that.

the not so great

the pacing. this was definitely the weakest part of the story writing wise. it wasn't irredeemable, but it did hinder the first half of the show (which didn't lock in for me until about 104, when the stakes truly shot up at st. louis). and that also affected how dynamics and plot points were able to unravel. the biggest victim of this...

the luke reveal. from the start, i was worried about this. since luke was only really in episode 2, i had doubts about whether the reveal of his betrayal would be at all satisfying or earned. i don't know that i can speak on it for sure, since i knew what was going to happen as someone who read the books, but i still feel we should have gotten more of those luke-and-percy-bonding scenes and convos earlier in the series rather than tacked onto the finale as flashbacks. it worked there, but i think it could've been better. thankfully, all of that didn't hinder the delivery of the finale confrontation, which as i said, was a standout moment for me.

the fight scenes. with rare exception, i was pretty underwhelmed with many of the monster battles and confrontations this season. given that's such a huge gimmick of the novels, i hope they're able to revisit and polish up the pacing of these in the future... i just felt that scenes like the museum clash with dodds were so rushed and anticlimactic. or not even confrontations at all, like the scene with crusty. we got a bit more of this at the back half of the season, in the sword fights with ares and luke, but i wanted more of that epic feeling throughout. i'm hoping it's maybe just a budget concern and that it'll improve in the coming seasons -- especially as the bosses get bigger and the stakes get higher -- but i'm not sure i'm optimistic just yet.

some of the dialogue. it was... wooden, to say the least. i think the worst moments of this were when they were trying to force Kid Bants -- which just felt stilted in the earlier episodes -- and whenever they were explaining greek myths point blank to the audience. there were moments it worked, but many where it didn't, and i hope they flesh out how to better info dump in the future episodes. i didn't mind the change of having percy be more familiar with the myths and thus more aware, but they could afford to finesse how they relay that information to us in the audience without basically reading from wikipedia in percy's voice.

the ugly

oh my god i can't see. i can't SEE. this show went to the teen wolf academy of employing one lightbulb and it's actually criminal. there were so many scenes where i really wanted to see what was happening because the stakes were high or the scenery was so pivotal -- the entry into the underworld for the first time, the vastness of medusa's basement of stone, THE FIELDS OF ASPHODEL -- but the lighting was so god awful i legitimately couldn't see a thing. in asphodel i literally could barely see the trio's expressions, it was that bad / flat. the audience is smart, we understand it's dark out. we can suspend our disbelief so you can add some visibility to this thing. i was turning up my brightness constantly but it wouldn't go any higher. please, disney execs, rick, anyone -- GET ANOTHER LIGHTBULB. i'm losing key immersive aspects of the show to this and it's a bummer. when they were walking through waterland for the first time and annabeth was like "wow can you believe this craftsmanship" i was like i don't know, girl, I CAN'T SEE ANY OF IT. begging on my knees that they fix this next season.

well, that ended up longer than expected, but oh my gods it is so nice to be writing paragraphs about a tv show again. all in all, i'd say 7.5/10 from me in this first season. there's so much to be keen for here, and i'm really happy with how it's going so far.

friends and fellow demigods, what did we all think?

[the-great-knight-gay]

My PJO episode ratings

Before I wanted to start I just wanted to say that I reserved all judgement about the show until it was over because I decided to trust the writers and let me tell you i LOVED pretty much every change because thats what adaptations are about

changing whats not good anymore or improving where it can be

and mainly KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF THE BOOKS WHICH WAS DONE MASTERFULLY

SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY

Now on to the rankings

EP1: 7/10

This was a solid start to the series which pretty much perfected most of the characterizations. I had a few issues originally but these were pretty quicky turned around.

Mrs Dodds fight at the MET was too short but was made up for by her increased appearances across the season which was really nice imo

random cuts to black to avoid showing the car crash - (i had this problem two other times in the show which was during ep2 and ep5 but i dont mind it anymore but ill discuss that later)

grover felt kinda sleazy for me at the start but i did make my peace with this change overall because of something later on.

EP2: 8/10

Ep2 had the same feel as Ep1 being so very Percy Jackson esque with the humour and the characterizations

LUKE WAS JUST SO LIKEABLE AND IT BROKE MY HEART THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO SEE HIM BETRAY PERCY LATER

ANNABETH JUST SAYING YES SHE STALKS PERCY WAS JUST ICONIC

The fight choreography was also just top notch and Dior's scream was just amazing and i cannot believe that it was unscripted

just goes to show how the casting is so perfect - does not matter at all that they don't look book accurate

again the cut to black was kinda annoying for me as we just skipped the council of cloven elders scene which had SUCH A GOOD SET and i was so dissapointed when we didn't see it but otherwise i had a really good time

DIONYSUS WAS JUST PERFECT TOO

I don't mind that they cut the bowing for the claiming but they could have done it so only the big three kids are bowed to which shows how revered they are

percy not wanting to go on the quest and only going when grover says his mom is in the underworld just exemplifies percy's momma boi tendencies and fixed grovers character for me which made it all the worthwhile

EP3: 9/10 - MEDUSA WAS SO GOOD

I LOVED ALL THE CHANGES IN MEDUSAS STORYLINE THEY WERE SO GOOD AND ACTUALLY FIT THE CHARACTER

This is one of the most accurate mixed of greek and roman mythology for medusa i have ever seen.

in the original greek medusa was more of a monstrous figure while the romans started to paint her as a victim of the gods spats and this i feel captures both parts to that really well and JPK just kills it.

Grover is really good in this episode just trying to hold it together and then giving percabeth a reality check at the end is so good.

EP4: 8/10

Step down from ep3 for me mainly because i wanted to see more of the chimera fight and because it was a little too expositiony at the beginning but overall really solid episode and the change in the fall from the arch is really well done

not much to say really

the kids are getting better and better throughout the show

'its like you want me to make fun of you'

this is percabeth just how i imagined them

walker and leah killed it and aryan is just amazing as well.

EP5: 10/10

WHAT IS LOVE

BABY DONT HURT ME

DONT HURT ME

NO MORE

EP6: 7/10

lets be honest the only reason people wanted to see the lotus scenes was because the movie popularized it and retrospectively because of nico and bianca

if was a tiny (but significant) part of the book and didn't really need to be the whole episode pretty much but I did like how they handled it as compared to the movie version which, while fun, did not really fit a percy jackson kind of vibe to me personally.

Lin Manuel Miranda was really good at playing Hermes and grovers scenes were some of my favourite (especially because thats where we get the di angelos easter egg but whatever)

overall a bit of a dip but still really fun for me to watch

plus i love dua lipa so the music change was a big win for me

EP7 9/10:

HADES WAS JUST AS I IMAGINED HIM. NO HOLLYWOOD HES NOT A BIG TERRIFYING SUPERVILLAIN HES ACTUALLY KINDA CHILL AND THE FLASHBACKS WERE JUST SO GOOD

THE UNDERWORLD CGI WAS GREAT

Procrustes could have been done a little better because it really feels like the suspense was taken away during that scene but the flashbacks were so good

THAT POSEIDON SCENE

THE SHOW WAS SETTING ME UP TO HATE HIM AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM IN LIKE 2 SECONDS

NO ONE SAID TOBY STEPHENS VOICE SOUNDED LIKE THAT

THE THUNDER FOLLOWED BY 'ONE DAY'

CHEFS KISS

ABSOLUTE KUDOS TO THE WRITERS YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING

EP8: 8471782487261078480/10:

JUST PERFECT. ARES FIGHT WAS REALLY WELL DONE

PERCY AND POSEIDON JUST BROKE MY HEART AND MENDED IT THREE TIMES WITH LIKE 4 FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

'do you ever dream about mom?'

AND I LOVED LANCE REDDICK AS ZEUS (RIP)

I AM SO UPSET WE DO NOT GET TO SEE MORE BECAUSE IT WAS SO AWESOME TO WATCH

LUKE WAS JUST AMAZING

THE KRONOS SCENE WAS SO GOOD

THE BETRAYAL JUST BROKE MY HEART

'i heard everything'

I DID NOT EXPECT ANNABETH TO SHOW UP THERE

THE DISNEYLAND REFERENCE

SEARCH THE SEAS GROVER AND GET US A SEASON 2 BECAUSE WE NEED IT ASAP

OVERALL THE SHOW IS LIKE A FULL 9/10 FOR ME

[linghxr]

I watched all the Chinese idol survival shows so you don’t have to (but you should anyway)

About three years ago, I watched 创造101 Produce 101 China, and it kinda changed my life. Yes, really! This show dragged me down a rabbit hole that eventually led to me watching many more Chinese shows and listening to almost exclusively Chinese music. I’m even branching out to cdramas now. All under the guise of, um, improving my listening comprehension!

OK, so “all the Chinese idol survival shows” might be an exaggeration. I’ll be talking about these three classic idol group survival shows from the “golden age” period of 2018-2021:

>> 偶像练习生 Idol Producer/青春有你 Youth with You (iQiyi)

偶像练习生 Idol Producer

青春有你1 Youth with You 1

青春有你2 Youth with You 2

青春有你3 Youth with You 3

>> 创造101 Produce 101/创造营 Chuang (Tencent)

创造101 Produce 101 China

创造营2019 Produce Camp 2019

创造营2020 Chuang 2020

创造营2021 Chuang 2021

>> 以团之名 All For One/少年之名 We Are Young (Youku)

以团之名 All For One

少年之名 We Are Young

Here is the order I actually watched these 10 seasons in:

创造101 Produce 101 China

青春有你2 Youth with You 2

创造营2020 Chuang 2020

创造营2019 Produce Camp 2019

偶像练习生 Idol Producer

青春有你1 Youth with You 1

青春有你3 Youth with You 3

创造营2021 Chuang 2021

以团之名 All For One

少年之名 We Are Young

I started 创造101 Produce 101 China in late 2019/early 2020 and finished 少年之名 We Are Young on Christmas Day 2022. I was literally tearing up. Three franchises, ten seasons, something around 1000 contestants, and three years of my life.

In order to refresh my memory for this post, I rewatched almost all of the performance clips from these shows. I didn’t watch the initial evaluations or any practice room videos (it’s simply too much content). It was simultaneously fun and exhausting. I will go over why you should/shouldn’t watch each season and give any other notable remarks. Let’s get started!

*Please note that for any YouTube links below, there is a risk of muted sections, parts/entire episodes being unavailable, and missing/out of sync subtitles. For official links, whether or not a VIP subscription is needed may change in the future. Fansubbed content may have sections or entire episodes missing.

>> 偶像练习生 Idol Producer/青春有你 Youth with You (iQiyi)

iQiyi rebranded the series by changing its name from 偶像练习生 Idol Producer to 青春有你 Youth with You after the first season. However, they really didn’t change much about the format at all. From what I’ve heard, iQiyi doesn’t have as large a budget as Tencent, which you can see reflected in the show’s production quality. However, I’ve long felt that this franchise has a real charming quality that makes up for lack of flashy sets.

偶像练习生 Idol Producer

Watch on iQiyi (English subs, VIP needed) Watch via Idol Producer Subs (English fansubs, missing part of finale)

Why you should watch it: Though not China’s first idol survival show, this show was the first of a new era. It’s iconic! The theme song is a bop, 10/10. Also, I had heard of all of the winners before I watched this season, so there’s some real cultural relevance. I can’t believe it was nearly five years ago! The whole top 20 remains iconic to this day. In most seasons, there are at least one or two popular contestants who I don’t really like or don’t see the appeal of, but that wasn’t the case this season. This season is also a lot shorter than later seasons, so it’s easier for those who are new to survival shows.

Why you shouldn’t watch it: As I mentioned, there is a lack of flashy sets/stages here. The background of the stage often looks empty. There were some performances that were better than I remembered, but there were others that were...not. I’m pretty sure 黄明昊 Justin was 15 when the show began, which shocks me in a BAD way. And if you’re a Jackson Wang fan, I think he barely appeared in the second half of the show.

My picks: 郑锐彬 Zheng Ruibin, 周彦辰 Zhou Yanchen, 蔡徐坤 Cai Xukun, 王子异 Wang Ziyi, 朱星杰 Zhu Xingjie, 周锐 Zhou Rui

Favorite performance: PPAP A组 PPAP group A This was a powerhouse group. And it was hilarious to watch the boys’ reaction when they heard the whole song and realized the style was not at all what they had initially expected! They totally pulled it off though.

Iconic moments: 蔡徐坤 Cai Xukun’s outfit (and ego) in the initial evaluation, B-A-L-A-N-C-E, when we realized 朱星杰 Zhu Xingjie can sing too, 林彦俊 Lin Yanjun's platinum hair, one of the songs was called Mack Daddy which causes me great distress to this day, 周锐 Zhou Rui aka 周美锐 Zhou Meirui, I’m still laughing over 朱星杰 Zhu Xingjie’s resemblance to 胡巴 Huba.

Verdict: Though this was not my first idol survival show, I think it would be a great first foray for anyone. It’s iconic for a reason. You should watch it (and I might rewatch it). 

青春有你1 Youth with You 1

Watch on iQiyi (English subs, VIP needed) Watch via Qing Chun You Ni Subs (English fansubs)

Why you should watch it: This season is the forgotten child of the franchise, but it still had some great performances and a lot of talented contestants. The theme song is also probably my favorite out of all ten theme songs! It was love at first listen. Personally, I enjoyed this team of mentors more than the first season’s. I also feel that the vocal-based performances were stronger this season. For instance, there were great performances of 李荣浩 Li Ronghao songs.

Why you shouldn’t watch it: I feel that some of the magic of the first season was lost, and overall the contestants were not as memorable or charismatic in my opinion. There were also several contestants I found extremely irritating and some contestants who ranked much higher and last much longer on the show than I feel they should have based on their skill level...but I won’t name names.

My picks: 夏瀚宇 Xia Hanyu, 李振宁 Li Zhenning, 周士原 Zhou Shiyuan, 连淮伟 Li Huaiwei

Favorite performance: 隔壁泰山 A组 Neighboring Tarzan group A This is a very unusal song, but it’s so catchy and memorable. 夏瀚宇 Xia Hanyu really made this performance for me. And this song still gets stuck in my head months later!

Iconic moments: 冯俊杰 Feng Junjie and 夏瀚宇 Xia Hanyu trying to outdo each other, 胡春杨 Hu Chunyang looked angry 24/7 for no reason, they literally got 蔡依林! Jolin Tsai! as a mentor, 李汶翰 Li Wenhan was everyone’s older brother, their performance made me fall in love with the song 耳朵 Erduo, they kinda did a steampunk concept which I love.

Verdict: It’s not necessarily a must-watch, but I still enjoyed it. If you’ve fallen into the black hole of survival shows and want more, I think it’s worth your time.

青春有你2 Youth with You 2

Watch on iQiyi (English subs, VIP needed) Watch on YouTube (English subs) Watch on YouTube (no English subs, missing several parts/episodes)

Why you should watch it: As iQiyi’s first time with female contestants, this season was highly anticipated. iQiyi stepped it up with subtitles, got Lisa from BLACKPINK as a mentor (I saw people say they came for Lisa and stayed for the trainees), and made a lot of content available on YouTube. As a result, some of the performances from this season have millions of views. It’s well deserved—a lot of the contestants are overflowing with talent and charisma. And honestly, you should watch this for 蔡徐坤. He’s a great MC/mentor to the girls and was truly a highlight of the season for me.

Why you shouldn’t watch it: This is the only season that I watched week by week as it was airing. It was EXHAUSTING. iQiyi started pumping out two episodes a week, doubling the overall episode count. I was literally burnt out by the finale. So if you watch this, please take it slow. Also, I forgot how much they did that thing where they cut away from the performances to show other contestant/mentor reactions and then have to go rewind on the performance...it really drives me nuts. They overdid it for sure.

My picks: 刘雨昕 Liu Yuxin, 喻言 Yu Yan, 王承渲 Wang Chengxuan, 刘令姿 Liu Lingzi, 许馨文 Xu Xinwen

Favorite performance: 不奉陪 No Company This was a tough choice! I went with this performance because I actively sought it out for relistens. That’s so rare for 主题考核 theme evaluation songs for me. All the members got to shine yet they were a very cohesive team.

Iconic moments: Bad Guy was the ultimate dark horse, how no one knew the song 想见你想见你想见你 Miss You 3000, 王承渲 Wang Chengxuan defeated the evil quads, 乃万 Nineone basically replaced Jony J as rap mentor, seeing 刘雨昕 Liu Yuxin with a wig was terrifying, they let the girls wear shorts if they didn’t like skirts #feminism, I still think about 张钰 Zhang Yu and 王清 Wang Qing’s initial performance all the time.

Verdict: I don’t think I could rewatch this season due to its length, but if you can commit the time, I think you should watch it. I’m sad I’ll never get to see a second 青春有你 Youth with You female season.

青春有你3 Youth with You 3

Watch on iQiyi (English subs, no VIP needed) Watch on iQiyi (no English subs, no VIP needed) Watch on YouTube (no English subs, missing several parts/episodes)

Why you should watch it: This season was probably the one I felt most emotionally invested in. I feel like I got to know the boys and was in it together with them (parasocial relationships, I know). And the friendships between contestants were so touching. Like 青春有你2 Youth with You 2, this season was also extra long, but I watched this season after it aired, going at my own pace. There were so many charming contestants and memorable performances. The dancing especially shone, but we got some great vocal moments too. I think iQiyi did a really good job picking songs this season.

Why you shouldn’t watch it: Sadly, the finale never aired. Due to the infamous milk-wasting scandal, the show was cancelled (but a winning group still formed and debuted). Even though I knew this before watching the show, it was still quite sad to never see a conclusion. Additionally, I believe this show started with more like 120 contestants, and I felt that increased number. Lastly, there was some painful singing and lots of very uninspired rapping. I feel like the gap in skill between the contestants was larger, and some of the teams felt very unbalanced as a result.

My picks: 姜京佐 Jiang Jingzuo, 杨昊铭 Yang Haoming, 十七 Shiqi, 徐子未 Xu Ziwei, 张思源 Zhang Siyuan, 连淮伟 Lian Huaiwei

Favorite performance: 燕尾蝶 Wings of Love This performance was everything I could ever dream of. 徐子未 won the world over instantly. He has the voice of an angel. Love the song, love the concept, love everything about it.

Iconic moments: 罗一舟 Luo Yizhou and 余景天 Tony Yu Jingtians’s friendly rivalry, 徐子未 Xu Ziwei’s back-to-back victories, Yuta’s adorable accent, 王南钧 Wang Nanjun would not shut up about 竹 Bamboo, touch 梁森 Liang Sen’s head for good luck, 刘隽 Liu Jun dances like he’s possessed (in a good way), that 雨爱 Rainie Love stage was a trainwreck tbh.

Verdict: Despite the scandals and lack of a finale, it was worth the watch for me. I feel so fond thinking of this season. Truthfully, season three has surpassed season two for me.

>> 创造101 Produce 101/创造营 Chuang (Tencent)

I read somewhere that Tencent officially licensed the Produce 101 name from Mnet, making this franchise more “official.” For season two, they ended up changing the name to 创造营 Produce Camp. The Chinese name remained the same for seasons three and four, but the in English they started promoting the show under the name Chuang. I think they wanted to beat iQiyi in the contest to see who can have the most titles for the same show.

创造101 Produce 101 China

Watch on Tencent Video (English subs, no VIP needed) Watch on 腾讯视频 (no English subs, VIP needed) Watch on YouTube (no English subs) Watch on YouTube (no English subs, episode 7 here, episode 10 here) Watch via Produce 101 China Subs (English fansubs)

Why you should watch it: This is the only season I’ve seen twice, so that says something I guess! This season holds a special place in my heart as my first survival show, so I rewatched it earlier this year with some friends who hadn’t seen it previously. One thing that stood out to me about this season was that it felt like there were several dark horses who started to shine closer to the middle/end of the show. I liked this because it’s boring when the debut lineup is completely predictable! And if you’re not already a 孟美岐 Meng Meiqi fan, you will leave as a 孟美岐 Meng Meiqi fan, guaranteed.

Why you shouldn’t watch it: Not gonna lie, I was not a huge fan of this mentor team. I am fine with these people individually, but together it was not an ideal combo in my opinion. They collectively made some very odd decisions that I strongly disagree with. After my rewatch, I’m just kinda done with 黄子韬 Huang Zitao. I also realized there were a lot more instances of...rough singing than I remembered, so be warned.

My picks: 孟美岐 Meng Meiqi, Yamy, 刘人语 Liu Renyu, 许靖韵 Angela Xu Jingyun, 吴映香 Lucia Wu Yingxiang, 李紫婷 Mimi Li Ziting

Favorite performance: 别人家的小孩 Other People’s Kids This is one of the most iconic performances (and one of my favorites) ever from all of these shows! It’s so unique and really has everything you could want. It was truly a perfect collab performance.

Iconic moments: When they had to tap 杨超越 Yang Chaoyue so she wouldn’t miss the beat, 王一博 Wang Yibo’s blue hair was gorgeous, Triple A group reunion, Look What You Made Me Do with creepy marionettes was perfect, when 陈嘉桦 Ella went barefoot on stage, 黄子韬 Huang Zitao literally screamed at them all, I’ll never forget the iconic 乐华 Yuehua performance.

Verdict: Even the second time, this was a season filled with surprises. It’s not perfect, but I think it will manage to charm you anyway. There are some real hidden gems here.

创造营2019 Produce Camp 2019

Watch on Tencent Video (English subs, VIP needed) Watch on 腾讯视频 (no English subs, VIP needed) Watch on YouTube (no English subs)

Why you should watch it: This was the first ever male season I watched, and I remember being apprehensive. I ended up having a lot of fun! This season really tugged at my heartstrings with the touching friendships between the boys and the intense 导师推荐生 mentor recommendees segments. I felt like I went through the wringer with them as they were forced to repack all their belongings, endure the brutal F班 demotions, hike across the beach, and more. There were countless hilarious moments too. If I were to rewatch, it would be for 周震南 Zhou Zhennan AKA 南南 Nannan. He just dominates the stage (despite his short stature)!

Why you shouldn’t watch it: I’ll admit, this season probably has the greatest number of contestants that annoy me. Sometimes it’s for no good reason...I just look at them and go ugh. The first round especially has some pretty painful singing, so be warned of that as well. Also, my rewatch made me realize I remembered very few performances from this season, which probably isn’t a good sign. Also, a lot of the performances were very short, sub-three minutes, which personally bothers me.

My picks: 周震南 Zhou Zhennan, 高嘉朗 Gao Jialang, 姚琛 Yao Chen, 陆思恒 Lu Siheng, 李鑫一 Li Xinyi, 贺俊雄 He Junxiong

Favorite performance: 开门见山 Kaimenjianshan I’ll admit that this performance was not as good as I remembered it being (probably because now I’ve heard the original by A-Mei many times), but I picked it anyway to acknowledge the amazing 高嘉朗 Gao Jialang.

Iconic moments: 张颜齐 Zhang Yanqi giving away jars of 老干妈 Lao Gan Ma, we never saw 王晨艺 Wang Chenyi again, 姚琛来了~ (Yao Chen is coming), when 周震南 Zhou Zhennan had his hoodie on but his ears were sticking out omg, try saying 李昀锐 Li Yunrui's name ten times fast, they had 30+ year old men here, this was the OG 乘风破浪 chengfengpolang.

Verdict: Among so many seasons, I don’t think this season stands out that much, but I still remember it fondly. If you want a good laugh and some fun, check it out.

创造营2020 Chuang 2020

Watch on Tencent Video (English subs, VIP needed) Watch on 腾讯视频 (no English subs, VIP needed) Watch on YouTube (English subs, missing episode 3) Watch on YouTube (English subs, missing episode 3) Watch on Viki (English subs, no Viki Pass needed)

Why you should watch it: They went all out on the sets, the location, the accommodations, everything. The performance setup was that the seats were in the middle and various stages were located around the perimeter. The seats would rotate to face the stages!! Some of the stages were stunning. I also want to mention that there were some great vocalists this season and I feel like they got to shine, which always makes me happy. The best round by far was the second round (专业方向). We got some beautiful vocal performances and intense dance performances.

Why you shouldn’t watch it: This season felt messy to me. I think they tried to mix things up, but not everything landed. The beautiful sets almost got distracting…they were more interesting than some of the performances. Several very talented and promising contestants never even made it past the first round. And since the final group only had seven people, the finale was just a frustrating experience. I never want to hear that 小摩托 xiao motuo song or 夏天的风 Summer Wind again. I don’t feel this season lived up to 创造101 Produce 101 China (unless you wanted MORE comments about weight/thinness).

My picks: 王柯 Wang Ke, 华承妍 Hua Chengyan, 刘些宁 Liu Xiening, 苏芮琪 Su Ruiqi, 朱主爱, Joyce Zhu Zhu’ai, 王一桥 Wang Yiqiao

Favorite performance: Manta There were a lot of performances I liked, but I really struggled to pick a favorite. I ultimately went with this because it’s one of the most memorable dance performances I’ve seen on these shows.

Iconic moments: That thin waist contest was simply the worst, they were in a literal castle, we all went crazy for the band and 王柯 Wang Ke, 朱主爱 Joyce Zhu Zhu’ai won the collab stage, wtf stop filming 姜贞羽 Jiang Zhenyu, I want to ride that cute train up the mountain, 毛不易 Mao Buyi did not want to talk, pretend that 吴亦凡 Wu Yifan wasn’t there.

Verdict: This season was competing against 青春有你2 Youth with You 2, and I chose to prioritize 青春有你2 Youth with You 2. I would make the same choice now. If you decide to watch, just be warned it may be a frustrating experience.

创造营2021 Chuang 2021

Watch on Tencent Video (English subs, VIP needed) Watch on 腾讯视频 (no English subs, VIP needed)

Why you should watch it: I wasn’t sure I was going to watch this season because of its international theme. Having foreigners is nothing new, but such a large number was certainly going to alter the show’s dynamic. Well, I watched it anyway. Overall, I’m glad I did. There were some talented and lovable contestants that made this season all worth it. The mentor squad (mostly 宁静 Ning Jing, 邓超 Deng Chao, and 周深 Zhou Shen) were so entertaining. Lastly, compared to the 2019 season, there were more popular vocalists this season, which I 100% support. I’ll be honest, I didn’t remember a lot of the performances from this season, but I ended up pleasantly surprised by how many great ones there were!

Why you shouldn’t watch it: It felt like there was so much focus on Nine and Patrick, Santa and Riki, the Intersection boys, and eventually Lelush as well. The other foreign contestants honestly had very little impact. This didn’t ruin the show or anything, but sometimes I got a little sick of the Santa and Mika show, you know? Also, none of my favorites made it into the winning group unfortunately. While I acknowledge the talent of the winning members, for whatever reason I wasn’t really that invested in most of them.

My picks: 俞更寅 Yu Gengying, 井胧 Jing Long, 林墨 Lin Mo, 奥斯卡 Oscar, 张星特 Zhang Xingte

Favorite performance: Lover Boy 88 This performance was simply infectious! I even made my friends watch to it. 林墨 Lin Mo is so charming. And 张腾 Zhang Teng and 张星特 Zhang Xingte’s vocals were perfect. Just wish it had been longer!

Iconic moments: Mika and 曾涵江 Zeng Hanjiang = my last two brain cells trying to communicate, I still can’t believe Lelush went viral worldwide, 刘宇 Liu Yu broke the Produce curse, Nine and Patrick only learned Chinese for how long???, Caelan kinda does look like Leonardo DiCaprio, Oscar AKA 熊熊 Xiongxiong, the 网红 wanghong group was so talented actually.

Verdict: I think this season got more international attention than 青春有你3 Youth with You 3, and while I prefer 青春有你3 Youth with You 3, this season is worth a watch for its uniqueness and improvements over the previous year.

>> 以团之名 All For One/少年之名 We Are Young (Youku)

I watched both seasons of Youku’s shorter-lived franchise in 2022 only after (and only because) I had finished the other two franchises. I think Youku had a smaller budget and thus tried to stand out by shaking up the traditional survival show formula. I think they made some poor choices and some good choices. I don’t know the story behind the name change between seasons, but the seasons are so different from each other that it makes sense.

以团之名 All For One

Watch on Youku (no English subs, VIP needed) Watch on YouTube (no English subs)

Why you should watch it: I’m going to say a lot of negative stuff below, but I wanted to add at least a few positive words. During the finale, the remaining contestants sang S.H.E’s 你曾是少年 Wings Of My Words, and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so emotional over a performance ever. 任家萱 Selina was a delight throughout. I also really grew to appreciate 奶茶 Naicha and what a great and thoughtful leader he was.

Why you shouldn’t watch it: As I mentioned, this show had some unique features that made it stand out. The contestants formed ten groups of eight, and the composition of the groups remained unchanged throughout. Entire groups got eliminated together. This created a dynamic where some really talented contestants went home too soon due to their group. It also meant that some groups were popular really just due to having one popular member. In the end, one group won...but I guess they realized this was a bad idea, so they formed a second winning group of the most popular contestants from the non-winning groups. I didn’t like this format and felt is really negatively impacted my viewing. Personally, seeing new team lineups form is one of my favorite parts of survival shows. And because the leaders were constant, they had there was too much focus on them. Also, the mentors were so harsh all the time. Maybe it was deserved, but it really bummed me out to watch them constantly talk about how disappointed they were.

My picks: 奶茶 Naicha, 田书臣 Tian Shuchen, 龙泓昊 Long Honghao, 赖煜哲 AJ Lai Yuzhe, 热亚提 Reyati, 赵品霖 Zhao Pinlin

Favorite performance: 饕餮 Taotie This was not one of the performances that stood out in my memory, but it stood out to me when I did my rewatch. I feel like they really nailed every element, and I don’t think the other teams could have pulled off this song.

Iconic moments: 何展成 Jonathan Ha gave up on speaking Chinese and 袁娅维 Tia Ray had to translate for him, the 王霏霏 Wang Feifei and 孟佳 Meng Jia reunion, 龙泓昊 Long Honghao’s beautiful dance to a Shawn Mendes song, I’m not sure why 奶茶 Naicha chose milk tea as stage name, AJ vs. the hidden snacks, they made 周艺轩 Zhou Yixuan perform a UNIQ song.

Verdict: Maybe you can skip this one. I definitely didn’t devote my full attention while I was watching it. And it felt like the show and the mentors were being mean to the boys all the time.

少年之名 We Are Young

Watch on Youku (no English subs, VIP needed) Watch on YouTube (no English subs) Watch via We Are Young Subs (English fansubs)

Why you should watch it: They improved on basically all the issues I had with the first season, and I was pleasantly surprised. Also, this is basically a 青春有你1 Youth with You 1 mini reunion with a few 偶像练习生 Idol Producer alums plus some future 青春有你3 You with You 3 contestants. It was so wonderful to see how the contestants I already knew had grown, and I loved seeing them get new opportunities to shine. There was surprisingly a lot of good raps/rappers on this show! Also, there were some truly incredible performances this season that aren’t like anything I’ve seen on other idol survival shows. And I enjoyed almost every performance—there were only a few that I disliked or thought were, um, not good. The mentors did not always agree...but I don’t care!

Why you shouldn’t watch it: Because they have to be different, when doing the initial evaluations, only about 50 contestants advanced to the next round. This was nice because it meant fewer names/faces, but wow, it felt so mean. Sometimes I wished they had stuck to a more traditional format. Besides that, I don’t have much else negative to say!

My picks: 郭震 Guo Zhen, 寇聪 Kuo Cong, 胡文煊 Hu Wenxuan, 左林杰 Zuo Linjie, 李希侃 Li Xikan, 崔少鹏 Cui Shaopeng, 杨超文 Yang Chaowen

Favorite performance: Don’t Start Now I don’t think I’ve ever seen this exact concept on one of these shows before. This performance was instantly a standout for me, especially because it had some of my favorite contestants!

Iconic moments: They literally had a corgi, 林 (Lin) MUA, everyone shipping 薛恩 Xue En and 程潇 Cheng Xiao, 胡文煊 Hu Wenxuan in a CROP TOP, 胡彦斌 Hu Yanbin told 寇聪 Kou Cong to wear less to show off his body what, 崔少鹏 Cui Shaopeng’s entrance through the pink smoke, 左林杰 Zuo Linjie really bungee jumped with his eyes closed, how 郭震 Guo Zhen, 左叶 Zuo Ye, and 胡文煊 Hu Wenxuan were in the same group four times without anyone noticing.

Verdict: This season ended up being better than it had any right to be! I think it’s worth checking out, especially if you are missing the boys from the 偶像练习生 Idol Producer/青春有你 Youth with You series.

>> Conclusion

If you actually read this entire post, I’m thoroughly impressed. If you, like me, have spent way too much time watching these shows, feel free to send me a message because I need someone to commiserate with. 

I honestly have this weird feeling that a chapter of my life is over. I have so many treasured memories from watching these shows—moments of laughter, tears, shock, pride, and more. They’ve provided a way to ground my language studies and engage with Chinese pop culture. They made me feel less alone during earlier COVID times.

Well, I’m off to find something to fill the survival show-size hole in my heart...maybe I’ll just rewatch 偶像练习生 Idol Producer.