#jason should be gone for so many reasons least of all have to do with his pay and everything to do w/the type of person he is

[weneepie]

HEYYY !! I have a request 😼what about reader who want to go out late a night to ser her friend having a hatd time without warning jason and suddenly jason come back of patrol more earlier and scold her , but reader is upset about jason reaction , but jason just want to protect her …

worried w/ red hood rules | m.list

note. hiii! thank you sm for your request omg i love jason sm of course i'd do that ; worried jason is adorable, my boy is doing his best <3 feel free to request anything else!

You were supposed to be here. He left you alone in your apartment before he left for his night patrol. So why weren’t you here anymore? Where were you? Jason thought he was about to go crazy. He was searching everywhere, calling your phone, but you weren’t answering at all.

Yes, he came back earlier than usual, but it wasn't a reason to disappear, was it? What if something bad had happened while he was gone? Jason was making the worst scenarios in his head. Until he heard the sound of the door opening. He turned around and you arrived in the living room, a bit surprised. 

You didn’t have the time to say anything that Jason was standing in front of you, a visible frown across his eyebrows. “Where the hell were you?!” His voice was too loud, too angry ; you didn’t like that at all. You slowly raised an eyebrow at his tone, feeling the slight irritation growing inside of you. 

“My friend needed me, so I left to see her.” You explained but it didn’t calm Jason at all. “You know Gotham’s not safe at night. What if you got attacked, or worse?” He was clearly angry, but it simply made you angry too. You weren’t a child, you didn’t need him to act like he was your own father. 

“Quit yelling at me, would ya?” Your tone was harsh, and it caught him off guard. He wasn’t so used to any reaction like this from you, so he was taken aback. He was about to answer when you pointed at his chest, looking into his eyes. “I don’t need you to protect myself, Jason. I’m a grown adult!” And in those words, you left the living room to get locked up in the bathroom. You really needed a shower. 

Jason stayed alone in here, standing up and a bit lost about what just happened. Did he get too far? He knew you were strong enough to defend yourself ; he loved you for that. But he couldn’t help it ; he was always worried when he knew you were alone in the streets at night. He meant what he said: Gotham wasn’t safe at all, and he knew what he was talking about. 

He saw so many people get hurt without any reason, and he was just so scared to lose you. Anger was his only way to express those feelings, but making you mad was the last thing he ever wanted. So he sat on the couch and waited for you to get out of the bathroom. It took you long minutes, and he was almost falling asleep. Or at least, he would have if he wasn’t thinking so much about what he wanted to tell you. 

When you joined the living room again, your gaze met his figure and you rolled your eyes. You sat next to him in silence, hating this stupid sad look on his face. You hated to see it, but he needed to understand what was wrong. Jason took your hand softly in his. “Look at me, please… I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean to react like this.” You turned around, meeting his eyes ; and he knew he wasn’t lying. There was too much sincerity in it for that ; you knew him by heart. 

You stayed silent, waiting for him to keep going for a moment. He breathed out softly, leaving a gentle kiss against your knuckles. “I was just… worried. I’m always so scared when you’re alone out there. I know you’re strong ; but those guys can be crazy.” And how could you blame him? You knew Jason got through hell because of one of them. You finally completely turned to face him, grabbing both his hands between yours. 

“I’m not angry because you’re worried. I am because you yelled at me like I was completely dumb and not careful.” He slowly nodded at your words, understanding that he didn’t react the way he should have. Your hand gently moved to his cheek so you could stroke it with your thumb so slightly. Jason leaned onto your touch, eyes now closed at the feeling. 

You felt like home for him, and he’d rather die than having to lose this feeling once more. He left a soft kiss against the palm of your hand, making you smile lightly. “I’d be careful with my reactions,” he told you, looking back at your eyes. You leaned forward a little, leaving a small peck against his lips. “And I won’t leave without telling you where I am.” 

A silent agreement, so things could work. Jason was making so many efforts for you, all the time ; the less you could do was to do some efforts too. Moreover, Jason was clearly worth it. The boy needed a comfort and safe place to calm his home ; and you were ready to be this for him.

thank you!!

[redflagshipwriter]

Red Hot Ghouls chapter 13 part 2/2

masterpost

Given that Dr. and Dr. Fenton had taken him on a drive around town that legitimately climaxed with an on-foot chase of a hulking ghost who did not care to comment for their family blog, Jason thought that was actually kinda probable. If the Drs. had that technology, their kids would probably have access as well.

“Why not?” Tim said, sounding a bit defensive. “We know for a fact that there’s a few undead out there, zombie boy. And there’s a ghost affiliated with the JL.”

All solid points.

‘But there’s no way the good Doctors would be able to convince a ghost to do anything they wanted. Would the daughter have any better luck?’

Jason covered a laugh in his fist.

His ghostly experience so far consisted of:

Danny Phantom, who was very annoyed that Waters was trying to pay him tribute and not happy to see Jason, either.

The mysterious collaborator who hadn’t even wanted Jason to enter his tower.

Skalker, who spent the length of their acquaintance screaming and flying away at what appeared to be his top speed while Jack Fenton whooped and Dr. Fenton shouted questions from a megaphone.

“I get the vibe that they don’t really care to interact with the living,” Jason said, before Tim could get his knickers in a twist. “So my skepticism is in regards to the likelihood of a ghost agreeing to collaborate.”

“What, you think they’re all the same?” Tim said. His tone made it seem like he thought that was such an embarrassingly unintellectual idea that Jason should sink through the floor.

“I think there’s pretty good reasons there might be a trend.”

Tim made an unconvinced sound and changed the subject. “Since they have a similar area of interest, I want to look for a connection between the Fentons and Waters. They could be- Why did you laugh?”

A neon sign lit up across the street, sending a wash of purple light through the air. Jason shook his head. “The Fentons- the Dr.s Fenton, at least, strongly dislike Jeremy Waters.”

“Why did that come up?”

“No reason,” Jason lied airily. “Anyway, that’s not it. Could be some kind of rivalry. But I doubt they’d want to visit Waters in Arkham to give him their sympathies.”

Tim chewed that over for a moment. “Could be a rivalry. I gotta go, O’s hitting my line.”

“Stay safe out there.” Jason cut the conversation and settled in to think. He stuck his hands in his pockets and wished for something to fiddle with that wasn’t a weapon. It had poser vibes to stand around on a rooftop alone playing with a knife or a gun. If Oracle caught you on video, she would tint it blue, set it to some humiliatingly emo soundtrack, and send it around the hero community.

Not, uh. Not that that had happened to him.

He called in. “Hey, O, good evening.”

“Good to hear from you, Hood.” She sounded as serene as ever.

Jason fidgeted a little. “Anything I could help with?” He toed the front of his boot back and forth on the cement ledge for a moment, killing time by idly calculating how many seconds he’d have to engage a grapple if he fell from this height.

“Good news for Gotham, it’s a quiet night.”

He sighed.

“I know, I know,” O said sympathetically. “You got all dressed up in your dancing shoes-”

“And there’s no one to go out with,” Jason agreed. At the back of his mind he vaguely remembered that that…might not be true, actually. He made a dramatic sigh. “I might call it a night, then. No point staring at the city like some bat-eared creep. I don’t have any monologues to work on right now.”

“Oh, you got those all done? Good for you, little buddy.”

Jason resisted the urge to flip her off. She wasn’t even here.

“Stay safe,” he said, because the idea of ending a call without saying that always filled him with a terrible premonition that this would be the time the other person ended up shot in the head and gone forever. He blew out a long, slow breath when he was finally truly alone and reconsidered the thought he’d had earlier.

‘I haven’t messaged Phantom all this time. It might be a good night for it. It’s been most of a week. He won’t be annoyed that I’m checking in now.’

Yeah… Yeah, okay. Jason grappled down and made his way to where he’d stashed his bike. He got into his current residence and stripped out of his gear. He got out his phone and shot Phantom a text before he went into the shower. Not much, he didn’t wanna come across as desperate. Just a nice, casual, “Hey, what’s up? Just checking in. Any luck so far? I finished my books!”

[fantastic-nonsense]

Wasn’t it Alfred who’d made Damian Robin in Battle for the Cowl? Dick must have agreed after the fact, but Alfred was the one who set it in motion.

Nominally yes, in the sense that Alfred is the person who first put the cape in Damian's hands:

"You can't keep me here." "I'll do no such thing. But understand that you've been injured. Severely so." ......."What the hell are you pulling here, Al?" "It's time to earn your keep. If you're up for it." "So long as I'm not wasting any more time in here, whatever." -Battle for the Cowl #3

However, the reality is "not really." Three things to note about this:

One: no one in the story who actually knows what Damian's gotten up to while Dick was tracking down Tim and fighting Jason actually treats Damian as Robin. For the purposes of the narrative and everyone in it, Tim is still Robin, as Squire points out:

"I'm sure Nightwing could use a hand finding Robin. This way, then." -Battle for the Cowl #3

We don't really see anyone else's reaction to Damian wearing the cape in BftC. Even when Damian saves Tim while wearing the symbol, Tim has no actual reaction besides a single exclamation of Damian's name, and he seems more bewildered that Damian is there at all than he is about Damian wearing the Robin tunic. But the people we do see? Don't treat him as Robin. They treat him as an ally who happens to be wearing the Robin tunic for convenience.

Two: within the bounds of BftC, Damian is explicitly framed as being "Dick's responsibility" with Bruce gone. After Jason shoots Damian, Dick has the same conversation with Alfred that Bruce often did whenever one of his Robins was hurt, framed in a way that made it obvious where things were heading:

"Damian...this child...I could have gotten him killed tonight. I have a responsibility to him now. I let him down, Alfred." "Bruce also said the same of you...and Master Timothy, many times over the years." "And of Jason Todd." "Him as well." -Battle for the Cowl #2

Dick has already implicitly accepted Damian as his Robin at this point. And though Dick and Tim have not explicitly discussed it (as we see via their argument in Red Robin #1), it was also fairly clear that Tim would not be Dick's Robin based on how Dick thought of Tim by that point (as his brother, as his equal, as someone who should not be taking orders from him full-time). Tim had already spent time as the Robin to Dick's Batman back in Prodigal, and both boys had come a long way since then. Once Dick decided to take up the cowl at the end of BftC #2, it was inevitable that Damian would be his Robin rather than Tim (for a whole host of reasons I won't get into here). Alfred just hastened that inevitability.

Three: simply wearing the cape does not make you Robin. You are Robin if and only if two things happen: you have been explicitly accepted by Batman as his partner and Dick Grayson has given his blessing. You are a potential Robin. You are an ally wearing a Robin costume. But you are not Robin until those things happen.

Tim was not Robin in A Lonely Place of Dying even though he stole the costume with Alfred's help to save Bruce and Dick. Tim did not become Robin until after both Bruce and Dick had accepted him as such and he went through a training period (he was known as "Little Bat" until then, btw). The same is true of Damian, who wore the Robin tunic at least three times prior to actually becoming Robin (Bruce briefly took him out while wearing it in Batman and Son and he famously wore it during the events of Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul); he was no more Robin then than he was in BtfC.

The costume isn't what makes you Robin. Batman saying you're Robin and Dick giving the blessing of his parents' legacy to you makes you Robin (which. I will freely admit that's a loaded, complicated topic given the history of how the Robin mantle has been passed down over the years. but it generally holds true). Damian properly becoming Robin after BftC was clearly Dick's choice; Alfred can't "make" anyone Robin if Batman doesn't agree.

The core conceptual problem with Battle for the Cowl (well. there's about 5000 problems with BtfC. but you know what I mean) is that it tries to deal with about fifty different things at once, most of which all ordinarily would have gotten their own dedicated space across multiple books or tie-in comics to deal with. Instead, all of these things are smushed into a single massive threeshot event comic with awful characterization and a near-incomprehensible chain of events. In a perfect world, we would have gotten the same kind of build-up and transition between Tim and Damian that we did in the 90s when Tim became Robin after Jason's death. Unfortunately that's not what we got, so we're left to fill in the gaps ourselves.

But textually, Alfred did not make Damian Robin. Alfred handed an ally to the cause a Robin tunic during a crisis specifically for the purpose of rescuing Robin. After that crisis was over, Batman chose to make that same ally his Robin for reasons entirely unrelated to his wearing the symbol during that specific crisis. Dick chose Damian to be his Robin, and that choice should not be looked over just because removing it conveniently lifts some of the hurt feelings and messiness of that transition off of Dick's shoulders.

Dick handled his own legacy, as he should have. And while he did not handle it with as much communication and grace as he should have or probably would have liked to, it was his mantle and legacy to handle at the end of the day. For once, he had complete agency over choosing a successor to his heroing legacy (and his parents' legacy), not Bruce or Alfred or anyone who self-appointed themselves as a successor, and we should acknowledge and respect that.

He didn't pick Damian because Alfred unilaterally gave him a battlefield promotion; he picked Damian because he thought Tim was grown and independent enough to thrive without taking his orders every day and believed Damian needed his direct oversight and the growth opportunity being Robin would provide more than Tim did. Allow Dick the dignity of his choices instead of acting like he had no input or say in the matter of who his Robin was going to be.

[yellowocaballero]

Writing update

I should probably give an update because things been slightly whack. Roughly, in order:

Was having issues with my medication, and writing got really difficult. Wanted to write Naruto, could not. Continued writing that Jason Todd story because what am I going to do, not write?

Fix medication issues. Feel like I can write again. Open up literally almost fucking random word document, see that it was the first paragraph of the More Than Zero rewrite (the story from my Star Wars No Chip AU) that I never did.

Go nuts.

Sixty pages into doing the rewrite, I decide that actually this story cannot function at all if I don't stop writing it and go write an entirely different story, which is somehow necessary for the quality of this story. Time to write the one of the many other No Chip AU stories I never got around to writing.

Go nuts.

40k of the Neyo story now exists. It's good, mostly.

Realize at this point that I cannot post a 40k fic on Tumblr and that the complete series is now clicked into my mind as an anthology, which means that it needs to go on AO3.

For several different reasons, one of which is admittedly marketing, I would like the series to stand on its own, so I need to completely rewrite the Order 66 story to establish everything about the universe that the ordinary roleswap fics established.

Realize I've gone nuts.

Decide to completely rewrite the Order 66 story anyway, it is at least twice as long and basically completely different.

As I do this, I realize that now the Rex buildingsroman story doesn't work at all, so I need to cut one section of that and rewrite a portion of it as well.

I would also like to make some semi-significant changes to the Bly story.

I am currently in the state of going nuts and will continue to be going nuts until some undetermined point in the future, at which point I will post every single fic in one story on AO3. There will be a metanarrative.

Decide that I was completely correct in aggravating literally everybody by refusing to post this on AO3, because if I had posted it on AO3 then it would have been way more difficult to rewrite all of this. I also feel a lot more confident in the quality of the rewritten versions and have, fortunately, improved over the last two years as a writer.

I think.

SO YES, I WILL BE POSTING IT ON AO3 THIS TIME. OKAY?

This is all BIG news for like maybe three people. All that to say, I will not be posting anything for a bit and then So Much will be posted. The revamped series should stand on its own and not need any knowledge of its parent AU. This is why I've disappeared off the face of the Earth. I will come back with Star Wars.

[writingmia]

In defense of Jason Grace

I have seen many people through the years say they hate Jason, that Jason is their least favourite character in the series, etc. and all of their reasoning is because he's 'boring'. I admit, when I first read those books, I was feeling the same way. I wasn't the biggest Jason fan and I didn't think I would be. I even judged my friends for liking him, when there were other 'obvious' choices for favourite characters. Now, years later, I'm no longer 12 reading those books for the first time and I see Jason in a completely different perspective I would like to share.

Jason Grace was a child without childhood. He was taken from his family at two years old and taken to the Wold House, where he couldn't show weakness because then he would be seen as food - you cannot show weakness when you're being trained by Lupa. Which immediately strikes us with a, frankly horrifying, thought - Jason's first memories won't be of his mother, who wasn't the greatest parent anyway, or his sister Thalia, who loved him so much. It would be of what he was taught in a life-or-death situation, that you cannot show weakness. That's important to remember for later.

Jason also has had to carry an incredibly heavy burden since he first joined Camp Jupiter - he's the son of Jupiter, the King of the Gods. We have experienced first-hand what it felt like for Percy to have to go through being a child of the Big Three, but please keep in mind that when that happened, Percy was already 12 and he was a child of Poseidon. I'm not trying to say one of them had it harder than the other, because context is very important, but simply putting things into a perspective - Jason, a child who can't remember his family is put on a pedestal because of who his father is, with expectations being placed upon him immediately, as a, presumably, young child who has just been taught that life is either be strong or die.

And then, despite all of that, he decides that he will join the Fifth Cohort because he wants to write his own destiny, and because he wants to restore their honour. He's not only going against what others would expect from him, including his father, but he's also claiming a goal others perceive as impossible just to prove a point. Not a very boring thing to do, is it?

To continue adding to the list of things that Jason has done to prove that he isn't the prince-like, spoiled boring white guy some people in the fandom see him as, I want to talk more about the things Jason cannonically does at Camp Jupiter. He becomes friends with the 'least popular kids' because everyone else expects they would have to treat him like royalty, he goes on small quests that don't mean much because he doesn't want to be that hero and savior that's expected of him. He follows rules as to not appear spoiled, and even with his rule-following he appears to be 'unconventional' by Roman standards. He's the son of Jupiter, who's doing everything in his power to not conform.

And despite all that, he still manages to use his status to do what he thinks is right. Despite his efforts, he still ends up being the undoubted leader while everyone else is a follower. He listens to all sides, he tries to mediate to the best of his abilities. In his attempts to make everyone else an equal, he puts himself above them and makes them look at him for mediation and decision-making. For the twelve years he spends at Camp, he has eyes constantly on him, judging him, expecting things from him.

Now remember when I said that Jason tried to go to meaningless quests? Yeah, you can guess that didn't really work for him. Canonically, he has gone to many quests, including some that had been appointed to him by gods, such as Bacchus, so he was fairly unsuccessful there as well. And remember when I said that he was raised by a wolf to not show any weakness? I feel like at this point it should be pretty clear he internalized that, a lot.

I get why the debate 'who's stronger, Jason or Percy' happens in the fandom, but it doesn't mean it annoys me any less. Because most of the time, the only arguments are pointing out Percy's strengths and we're forgetting that Jason does some pretty incredible things as well. Jason, like Percy, also fought a Titan single-handedly, and won. What we know from canon about it, it's that he did it with sword-fighting and, interestingly, hand-to-hand combat, which is what the books mainly focus on when talking about his feat. Jason went up against a Titan and smacked him with his bare hands enough times that he won. And in the entire fight, Jason using his powers is not mentioned once. Which is a pretty constant thing, if I might add, but I'll delve into that more later.

Again, a common mischaracterization I see in the fandom is that Jason is this strictly rule-following, rigid, stick-in-his-ass guy, when he really isn't. One of the main things about him is that he's too relaxed for Camp Jupiter. After the war, when he tried to change things about Camp, he was unsuccessful because Camp Jupiter is too traditional and Jason's ideas weren't conforming to that.

And of course, it was Jason who welcomed the two kids of Pluto (Hades for Nico but you get my point) to Camp. I feel like it should be pretty clear to you why at this point, but let me repeat - Jason knows the pressures of being a child of The Big Three, and Jason isn't afraid to be friends with the 'not cool' kids, with the people who are looked at as weird or that are treated as outcasts. He does some of it out of spite, yes, but he was what, fourteen? Thirteen? At the time. That level of emotional maturity for a barely teenager is surprising as is.

Also, can we note that Hazel describes Jason as closed-off, hard to read and 'more of a legend than a man'. This thirteen/fourteen year old? This should be enough to tell you how Jason was treated and raised and why he is the way he is. 'Boring', because this child needs to be an example for an entire camp that has placed him in that position he didn't want in the first place but felt guilty and responsible to take. When Percy was thirteen-fourteen, he was being an ass to Tyson (which he later regrets, yes) and fights with Thalia (which they stop doing, yes) and Camp Half-Blood still sees him as more of an annoyance than a hero at that point. That doesn't change for Percy until The Battle of the Labyrinth. Jason never had that. He was spotlight leader from the second he was at camp.

He also didn't have an Annabeth and Grover, at least that we're explicidly told about, and his closest person was Reyna, who also had a crush on him, so who was Jason's platonic best friend in Camp that he could rely on for anything? We don't know. Maybe because he didn't have one? I'm just putting that idea out there.

Now, I will try to be more brief on Jason in the series, but with the speed with which we're going, that is kind of unlikely. First and foremost, Jason is an amnesiac who never gets his memories fully back. I want to focus so much of your attention on this. Jason wakes up and he doesn't remember, excuse my swearing, jack shit. He doesn't know who he is, what's his favourite colour, what music he likes, nothing. Nada. He is then told, again, he's the son of Zeus, he is sent on a quest with people who don't actually know him but have expectations for him, while he still doesn't remember anything. He is also fifteen. He is a child that people are judging for being 'too boring' of a character. Well excuse him for not having any memories so he can have a proper personality!

Excuse me, I'm getting a bit heated here. I feel I'm making valid points though. Because Jason's story keeps repeating - he goes to Camp, people start looking at him like he might become the new Percy or some variation of that, he has these friends with false memories of him, he is also trying to save the world in the meantime. I'm very sorry he doesn't have time to figure out his personality in the meantime.

This is what I think is the most tragic about Jason's character - he doesn't have the time to figure out who he is truly is because he's too busy helping everyone else, even if what he's helping with is stopping the end of the world. He is a hero of the Great Prophecy, which again links with his destiny and how there's no escaping it and he, again, doesn't have any choice in what happens. He was unconventional for Camp Jupiter because of his disregard for tradition, but he's not fully accepted in Camp Half-Blood either because he's still a Roman demigod.

And then the Burning Maze happens and we don't talk about it because Uncle Rick hates us. I refuse to read that book because if I don't, then Jason is happy and alive.

We should note, though, that Jason and Piper have broken up. And I believe the only reason they ever dated was because Piper had that expectation of Jason, and we've already established how he was raised. He is a people-pleaser because that's what he's had to be for his entire life. He can't disappoint people, because then he would feel guilty, and so I believe he gaslit himself into thinking he liked Piper romantically because otherwise he would have to hurt her. And I do believe Leo and Piper are the first real friends Jason has made, at least those who see him as truly human, and so he didn't want to lose Piper. So, he made her and himself believe he liked her and started dating her. I think he would've done the same with Reyna if he'd remained in Camp Jupiter, for the same reasons - expectations. He also has raging abandonment issues, so. Double fuck there.

In summary, because of his personality and parentage, Jason has never had the choice to put himself first. He hates the framework in which he's put by being the son of Jupiter, but he swallows that for the sake of others.

Well that was quite the rant. I have more to say, but this is already too long. After this post, I have become a Jason Grace stan. If, one day, he has no fans, it's because I have died. Jason Grace is my son and he's very much alive, thank you (not you, Rick Riordan. I don't thank you). Anyway, please like this post? I would super appreciate it. I would also love a discussion! - mia

[litanyrobin]

The good brother | Tim Drake & Dick Grayson

Tim gets into a fight and then pierces his own ears. For some reason, that leads him to come out of the closet with his older brother.

✧.

Tim banged the spoon against the kitchen island and exhaled in exasperation.

"You're kidding," he suggested.

"Tim, listen to me, all I'm saying is that there is no need for you to engage in this behavior. I understand that it's Bruce's duty to talk about this with you, but I'm just trying to help you and save you an argument when he gets back...", Dick explained, with all the patience in the world and fiddling with the cereal on his plate. "We know you don't want to go to school, but it's only a few months, you've been through worse than having to study a little after so many years. You don't have to look to get expelled..."

"You're kidding," Tim sentenced. His own cereal no longer looked as appetizing as it had minutes before. He suddenly felt nauseous. "Dick, I'm not trying to get myself expelled. Agh, I don't know what they told you, but it's a misunderstanding... Shit, I wish Jason had gone in your place."

That seemed to stir something in Dick, who frowned and let his spoon slip from his hand.

"Oh, yeah? Right, because Jason would be very condescending if your principal called to say you beat up a student. Or since when are you guys that close?"

"For God's sake, Dick, that's not what this is about!" exclaimed Tim, bewildered. What the hell was wrong with his brother to be being so jealously childish? "Aren't you the one who keeps talking about family bonding? Shouldn't you be glad I'm getting along with Jason?"

Dick sighed and took a seat on the stool across from Tim.

"I-, yes, Tim, I'm glad. I just wish you didn't need to get away from one person to get along with another."

Tim felt his stomach contract as he came close to retching, luckily he managed to disguise it. He patted his chest once and then turned away from his breakfast, unable to continue eating. He wanted to tell his brother he was projecting, like when you walked away from me to get along with Damian, he wished he could add.

Instead, he said:

"That's not the point, Dick. What the hell, seriously, what's the matter with you today?"

"I'm sorry, Timmy, but you can't blame me for being appalled. Not after having to go to a meeting with your principal because you beat up a defenseless civilian for no reason or you telling me that you would have preferred Jason, of all people, to show up as your proxy, as if you didn't care if he went and made a fuss."

Tim pursed his lips and stared at the floor, he pushed himself away from the table and made the first move to stand up.

"First of all, I know how Jay is, but maybe you should stop and think for a second about how he would feel if he heard you have so little faith in him over something so trivial. Secondly, you could at least ask me why I hit him before you assume I didn't have a reason, don't you think?"

"Tim, I'm just trying to save you a hard time, better tell Bruce we talked this over already before he scolds you himself and decides to, I don't know, bench you. Your principal said you didn't want to explain yourself, what do you want me to believe if you won't even stand up for yourself? I know how good you are at self-punishment, little brother. I wouldn't be surprised if you felt you deserved your principal's scolding for what you did without even trying to defend yourself, but keeping secrets from us? If you did something I'd like to find out from you rather than, from your school, I thought you trusted me?"

Without standing and still staring at his shoes, his head between his outstretched arms, Tim bit his lower lip until it ached and he was sure he had broken the thinnest of skin. He squeezed his eyelids tightly shut and rocked his head.

"Do you listen to yourself? Maybe I have a reason for not wanting to justify myself in front of that decrepit old man, can't I?" he snorted, and soon felt his cereal want to slip down his throat again. "If you want... if you want me to trust you like the old days, maybe you have to earn it... again...", his voice wilted at last and he rose quickly from his chair. "I have nothing more to say."

He ran up to her room and into the bathroom to the side of her, stamping his knees hard on the floor and hugging the toilet to vomit.

His breakfast escaped with ease. Leaving all the anger he felt to be replaced by exhaustion.

He repeated to himself that it would be okay, after all it wasn't the first time Dick didn't want to hear it.

✧.

There was a time when Tim felt miserable. Everything around him seemed to fall apart. His family, his team; his whole life. The love of his life was gone, dead; his father was dead, gone. No one believed in him except an obsessive megalomaniac and the older brother he most admired had turned his back on him.

Tim hated his life. If he was honest with himself, he had hated it since he was a little boy, when he became accustomed to material things as tokens of affection, to a cold and lifeless house and later to a mentor who often reminded him that he was unwanted.

Tim hated himself. From the moment he convinced himself that he was selfish because there was hot food on his table, albeit in a boarding school; a mother who looked at him with love, even if she was not by his side every day; a teacher who became his replacement father who taught him to defend himself against the worst adversities in the world, even if against his will at first.

However, there was a light in his path. Something he had never had before: a big brother. A guide in adolescence, a backup in the world of heroes, a friend to hang out with and unconditional love along with great loyalty. He had a net to catch him when he fell. Literally.

Then that vanished. It was just words, a few actions, wrong choices and determined eyes, that drove him away. Strong choices he couldn't deal with.

Dick Grayson had not chosen him over others as he had always believed he would. As he had once chosen him over the orders of his own father and mentor. Dick Grayson had made the decision to protect another younger brother even when Tim was at his worst. And Tim still couldn't get over it.

He couldn't understand. What had he done wrong? Where had he gone wrong? Why did no one ever choose him?

Tim wanted to hate Dick Grayson.

Tim could not.

✧.

Dick had screwed up many times. Especially with Tim. Well, actually he had screwed things up many times with his friends, his father and his girlfriend, but mostly with his brothers. He'd once failed Jason by turning him down, then he'd failed Tim by passing him along, taking away everything he cared about at the worst time while convincing himself that you always had to choose the greater good over any one person. He believed that by choosing Damian he was saving lives without wanting to accept the collateral damage that would be Tim.

He was not at all remorseful. He loved his three brothers equally. He made tough decisions that only the man behind the dark knight's cowl could make. Now however, he was no longer Batman. He was just Dick Grayson again, the man behind the Nightwing mask. Big brother, not surrogate father. Not mentor, but friend. And he had to get his little brother back.

"Tim?" he knocked on his brother's bedroom door. No one answered. "Little brother? I know you're mad at me, but it'll be worse if we avoid the problem..."

It was strange that they did not go around the problem and instead confronted it when it came to family. Bats had bad habits stemming from the man who had raised them. Luckily, Dick's best friend had been raised as a bat herself and had a father who had taught her a different way than the Waynes.

Barbara counseled him on the phone and through communications during the patrol. And by counseling, Dick meant she yelled at him a little and scolded him. He deserved it, he had to admit. Barbara had learned the hard way the difficulties of mentoring after making blunders with Cassandra and less bad ones with Stephanie, but never so bad as to take them on a trip around the world believing themselves rejected and helpless. So Dick had decided to listen to her.

He and Tim needed to talk, urgently.

"Tim, come on, do it for me...please?" No answer again, but he heard a loud hissing sound from the other side of the door. "Tim?"

This time, Dick couldn't stand it any longer and decided to trespass on his little brother's privacy, ready to take the consequences.

"Shit, it's bleeding...", Tim's voice sounded from the bedroom bathroom.

Before, when he had just moved into the manor, Tim used to sleep in Dick's old room, which he himself had given to his younger brother. However, over the years, when Damian had just joined the family, Tim had opted for a larger one, one of the few that included an indoor bathroom, usually used by visitors in the older Wayne family days. Dick hadn't been affected, he too would have made that choice growing up, but he left home before deciding he needed more space in his own home rather than out of town.

"Tim, what's going on, why are you bleeding?" asked Dick, striding to the bathroom. His eyes met Tim's, who was looking at him in fright as he held a cotton ball to his ear.

"Dick? Why did you come in?"

"I wanted to talk to you... What's going on, why did you cut off your ear?"

His lip pulled upward, tempted to make a joke about Van Gogh. His concern won out.

"I didn't cut myself, I..." Dick watched as his brother swallowed spittle. "Nothing...?"

"Tim, I'm looking at you, what happened to you?"

Tim clicked his tongue. His older brother's brow furrowed and he folded his arms. Now somewhat annoyed.

"What happened, Timothy."

"What are you, Janet Drake?" scoffed the younger boy.

"No. I'm your older brother and I'm worried about you, can you explain to me what you were doing?"

"Now you're interested in listening to me? You're a hypocrite," Tim mumbled.

Dick ignored him when he noticed a glint in the boy's non-bleeding ear. The silver earring glowed in the lamplight and reflected in the mirror. Oh, by the gods. Dick groaned.

"Did you pierce your ear?" Tim frowned.

"No."

"You pierced both your ears," Dick corrected himself.

He wanted to die. This was going to be a disaster, worse than when he himself had tried to make a single earring to be fashionable next to his mullet. Bad times. Bruce was going to kill Tim and somehow the blame was going to fall on Dick because his younger brothers somehow always managed to make that happen.

Rule number four hundred and fifty-three, or something like that, no recognizable markings, no accessories. Nothing that could be held against you. Mullet, long hair? Despite what the girls thought, it was easy to grab during a fight. Same with earrings, if they didn't fall out they could still slit your ear with a simple tug. Tattoos? Visible or not, in a kidnapping they could help reveal their secret identities. That among other things.

All that according to Batman, of course.

Jason didn't give a shit, so said the tattoo on his arm. Dick had his rebellious age and his hair grew long enough to allow him to put it in a ponytail. Stephanie had a cape that covered her hair and used it as an excuse. And they all really liked to get in Batman's face.

Except Tim. He was the good guy in the story. The obedient boy.

The boy had finally entered his rebellious age and it was probably Dick's fault. No, it definitely was. He had encouraged him with his bad decisions to run away from home and travel the world, albeit for good reason. If he was getting horned after their little fight, just for scolding him a little, did that mean it was his fault too? On the other hand, Tim was acting weird, it wasn't like him to beat up kids at school and not want to explain himself to the authorities. Maybe he was just entering late adolescence.

Jeez, he should have let Bruce tell him off directly even though he would have ended up benching him. All for wanting to help his little brother. He was just being nosy.

"T? Are you still there?" Dick recognized Conner's voice from Tim's phone on the side of the sink.

"I'll call you back, Kon," and he quickly cut off, holding the absorbent cotton with one hand and putting the phone away with the other. His ear was no longer bleeding, so he threw the cotton in the trash and folded his arms. Now two earrings glistened in the artificial light in the bathroom.

Dick inhaled deeply.

"Listen, Tim, I don't want to keep butting in, but I want you to understand that I'm trying to help you. What do you think Bruce will say about all this? First you hit your partner, you refuse to talk to your principal, and then you put earrings in your ears, which I'm sure will be a problem at school and..."

"I don't even want to go to fucking school, what do I care what they think!" shouted Tim, his jaw clenched and his brow furiously furrowed.

Dick grimaced. He'd heard that one before, more times than he could count.

"Tim," he sighed.

"No, Tim nothing. Stop patronizing me, Dick! I'm practically an adult, even though they'd have me believe otherwise. I've done and seen more than anyone my age, I've saved your life, by the gods, and Bruce's too! I've seen people die in my arms! I'm not going to let them keep treating me like a baby off the field, I'm doing everything they ask me to do, damn it, then why won't anyone listen to me!"

"Tim, if this is about the school..."

"No, Dick, it's not! It's because you don't want to listen, because you keep accusing me of not knowing, not understanding and not wanting to listen when it's all of you who ignore me! I hate school, I hate being here! And sometimes I feel like I hate you!"

Before Dick could add anything above the initial shock, Tim had already left his room. It was the first time Dick had ever heard Tim talk as much as someone his own age. It was too shocking to even react. Gods, how he wished he had his dad here instead of with the stupid Justice League.

"Good talk," Dick muttered. "Shit, I'm an idiot." But he didn't know where he'd gone wrong.

Was it just Tim's rebellious age or was Dick still screwing him up as a big brother?

✧.

Tim's principal had called again. Luckily, Tim's earrings were not involved. As bad luck would have it, Dick was the only one available for the meeting and he acted as Tim's proxy most of the time anyway. Nevertheless, he didn't feel like going to listen to a decrepit old man complain about teenagers or fight with his younger brother without resolving their earlier conflict.

"Mr. Wayne," the older man greeted. Dick gave him a gala smile and shook his hand. Tim was sitting next to him with his arms crossed and his lip swollen and slightly purple. He, too, had a cut on his eyebrow and a slightly scratched cheek.

"Grayson-Wayne, please. I respect my origins and my upbringing at the same time," he explained charismatically. He was so tired, though. First he was going through meetings about Damian's bad behavior, albeit at another school, while Bruce was supposedly dead, and now he had to deal with his other younger brother who was apparently going through his rebellious age. One part of him was saying "finally!" but the other was sulking that his father should be dealing with this and not him.

"Of course. Mr. Grayson-Wayne, then, it's a pity we have to meet again under these circumstances, but your... pupil, he keeps getting into trouble. This time he hit one of our most outstanding athletes. The poor boy sprained his ankle due to a bad fall during his fight and now he won't be able to participate in the interscholastic basketball tournament," he said raising an eyebrow in disgust. "He will understand that his actions must be punished."

Dick sighed.

"I understand, sir, however, I would like to understand why this happened."

"Sure, we have Nathan's version of events, but Timothy still refuses to explain why he hit him in the first place..."

"I didn't hit him first!" exploded Tim. Dick was amazed, it was rare for his brother to reply in exasperation or be so quick to get carried away with his emotions. He was the analytical one, Jason the emotional one; Dick was both. The principal and Dick watched him waiting for the rest of his argument, but Tim sank back in his seat. "He... I was just talking to Conner and he... plus Jason said I had to defend myself!"

Dick snorted.

"Jason again? What, were the earrings his idea too or is it just you drawing attention to yourself, Timmy? Please, just explain..."

"Jason, your brother? What about Connor? Who is Connor and what does he have to do with any of this, Mr. Wayne? I don't remember any Connor at the school..." Spoke the older man over Dick.

The noise was annoying and Tim bit his injured lip making it bleed.

"Conner," Tim muttered, but did not respond.

"And if this is a fight on behalf of your friend, I'd like a better explanation, young man, or is this a matter of more than friends?" the director added in a serious tone.

Tim gritted his teeth. Dick looked at the director in amazement. How and why on earth did he come to that conclusion.

"Excuse me, but I don't think that...", Dick tried to accentuate.

"Forgive me, Mr. Grayson-Wayne, but I can't help but feel that this is all suspicious. I can't allow Mr. Drake-Wayne to maintain this aggressive behavior, plus with all these rumors circulating, I can't help but think this has to do with more than mere bravado..."

Tim turned white, Dick shared the nausea he saw coming in his brother.

"What rumors are you referring to?"

The director ignored Dick's question and stared at Timothy.

"Timothy, are you planning on giving us an answer? Did you get into a fight just because or are you being harassed? Because if this is about your sexuality, we can..."

But Tim ran off.

Dick's mind went blank.

No. Tim was so cheerful and perceptive, he was good-natured and made friends with everyone. No. Tim was so cheerful and perceptive, he was good-natured and made friends with everyone. Why would anyone harass him? And what did his sexuality have to do with anything? It all came at once, but Dick was a detective.

Oh, shit.

✧.

Tim ran.

Shit, that's why he wanted Jason to go to his appointments with the director. He understood, he would help him. He already knew his secret, he wouldn't judge. He needed to talk to him, to Conner, to whoever. He just needed to get away. Get out of school, out of Gotham, anywhere but with that damn old man who analyzed him and was too aware of what was going on in his school, up to date with every rumor, including the ones that said Tim was gay and he was being bullied for it, until he couldn't stand it anymore and fought back, like his older brother had suggested months before, like his boyfriend had offered to do for him. Away from Dick, who would no longer listen to him. Who would no longer understand him. From whom he wanted attention, but wasn't getting it as he wished.

Tim refused to cry. He felt ridiculous, behaving like a child, back to yelling at Dick as if he was to blame for everything, interjecting his body so that his brother would finally pay attention to him like in the old days.

He missed his big brother. Jason was cool, but maybe too cool. He wanted the brother who coddled him and made him feel warm, the one he could tell his most embarrassing secrets to and knew he wouldn't use them as blackmail. He wanted Dick Grayson back in his life, but he was only succeeding in pushing him away.

"Oh, Drake," someone spat behind him, just as he rested from his flight to the side of the gym, where he was sure Dick wouldn't find him quickly, at least the principal would slow him down with some stupid unnecessary chatter. Or who knows, maybe he'd bring him out of the closet with his older brother. Although he had practically just suggested it in front of a detective, which was the same thing. "You dared to show up, you piece of shit. Have you been expelled yet for what you did to me?"

Tim held his breath for three seconds to calm down and then turned to look at Nathan.

"You fell down, asshole. How it's my fault."

Nathan snorted.

"I can sue you for assault, you son of a bitch."

That was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard said. And his classmate loved to say idiotic things, especially about Tim.

"Give it a try. I'll be waiting for you."

Luckily for him, the boy's foot was bandaged with a thousand wraps of gauze and his body as sore as Tim's. He couldn't hit him, and Tim was already fighting back. He was holding back a lot, but he was no longer letting himself look like the poor gay nerd who was bullied at school.

"You fucking faggot!" snarled Nathan, clearly helpless at not being in a position to physically counterattack. "I'll make you sorry!"

"I've heard that so many times," snorted Dick Grayson in all his glory, crossing his arms from beside Tim and Nathan.

Tim's heart pounded hard in his chest. He wanted to cry with relief.

Nathan bit his lip and panicked, he seemed to think it for a moment, then walked silently back to the gym. Two against one and him injured, he wasn't that dumb apparently.

"Whew, that was too easy," Dick sighed. "I didn't want to hit a fifteen-year-old."

"Eighteen, bro. He's eighteen."

Dick dismissed it with his hand.

"It's all the same, you're still twelve."

Tim smiled and in a second was in Dick's arms. He sobbed a little without shedding tears.

"Sorry," he murmured against his older brother's chest. "And thank you."

"No," Dick sighed again for the umpteenth time and squeezed the boy in his arms. "You forgive me. I should have asked you to explain before I assumed." They broke the embrace, but were still close to each other. "Are they really bullying you, Tim? I'm sorry, but I heard what he said to you and... you know, I can put two and two together."

This was not how Tim wanted to come out of the closet. Or reveal that he was being bullied at school. Like, ever.

Tim wiped his wet eyes.

"Kon and I...," he slurped the snot out of his mouth.

"You don't need to tell me, little brother," Dick whispered.

"But I want to, Dick! I wanted, and I want, to tell you, but you weren't listening to me again."

Dick's heart shrank. It was true, he had gotten himself into this trust problem. He had shown Tim that he had other priorities, he hadn't let his little brother talk and had raised his voice to him without letting him answer. He loved Damian, but he had acted so much like a father to him that he had almost forgotten to be a big brother.

He was there to listen to his brother and support him, not to judge his decisions and try to guide him. They were to make mistakes together and let Bruce scold them. Laugh at their mistakes, repeat them because they were young and should learn from them. They had to have fun together, not tense the room every time they got together, avoid their stares and fighting when they tried to converse.

Dick should have been the one to suggest piercing his ears (because he looked great with rings!) instead of freaking out about it because it wasn't like his brother. They should joke about getting matching tattoos and helping him run away from home to party with his, apparently, boyfriend. Listen to him complain about school instead of scolding him for how he behaved in school.

Dick failed as a big brother since he tried to behave like a father, but his father had returned and it was time to get back on par with his little brothers.

"It's okay, Tim. Talk. I'll listen to you."

✧.

Tim felt like it had been a thousand years since he last drank a milkshake together with Dick. He was nothing short of exploding with excitement to spend time with his brother again, just the two of them as civilians, pretending they were normal brothers and spending time together while gossiping about their friends, i.e., other superheroes.

"Chocolate and marshmallows is not a milkshake, it's like, cold hot chocolate or something," Dick explained as he set Tim's glass in front of him and took a sip of his own milkshake.

"Yours has popcorn on it, Dick, you can't judge me."

"I guess."

Tim didn't know where to start, there was so much he wanted to vent to his big brother about that he didn't know where to begin. He wanted to yell at him, he wanted to hug him, cry and hit him, apologize and thank him.

Dick wins him.

"Can you let me get started?" quietly asked Dick, after downing his milkshake by half.

Tim nodded, trying to concentrate on his drink instead of the person in front of him.

"Look, I want to start by apologizing. I've been doing a lot of thinking and I never apologized for everything I implied while Bruce was, well, missing. I want to make something clear, Timmy. You should never let people pressure you to do things you don't want to do; not to confess to liking someone, not to accomplish missions you don't agree with, not to grow up when you're not ready and leave a stage you haven't outgrown," Tim felt his eyes getting wet, but he took a long sip of his milkshake and popped a marshmallow in his mouth, swallowing the urge to cry with that. "I shouldn't have taken Robin away from you like I did, Tim. I should have talked to you... You're my equal, gods, you're my brother, and even the stupid cowl didn't have to change that. I wanted you to be like Nightwing and Batgirl are to Batman, independent allies who don't dance to his tune; I wanted you to be more than my sidekick, but I did everything wrong. I'm sorry for that. I'm really sorry about that. And I don't think you did everything you did out of spite, I'm grateful you brought our dad back. I never thanked you either. I'm proud of you, little brother, and that you trusted me to catch you despite how badly I failed you."

Tim sniffled through his snot and let a tear fall, wiped it away quickly and laughed a watery laugh.

"I love you, Dick," he sobbed.

"Aw, I love you too, little brother. You're part of the best part of my life."

"Sorry for being a spoiled brat," Tim insisted.

"If I have to, I forgive you. Anyway, the earrings look great on you," he laughed. "And, if you'd told me you were being picked on, I'd have gone to bully those guys a lot sooner. Nightwing may be a hero first, but Dick Grayson is a loving brother before anything else."

Tim wiped the remnants of mucus on his lip with his sleeve and laughed again. Gods, he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so light next to Dick, not afraid of Damian coming along and hogging him or feeling angry at his brother's condescension. He was happy.

"I was so mad at you, I swear," Tim admitted. "I thought you wrote me off as a brat in his rebellious age and nothing more, unhappy with everything and everyone. I guess we just had to communicate, but gods, that's so hard in this family."

"It's okay, I guess I'm a little hard-headed too. Kori says it all the time, also that I'm a bit dramatic."

"A little? Sometimes I think you didn't tell me about Damian taking Robin just to make it more shocking on purpose."

Dick grimaced uncomfortably and finished drinking his milkshake.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too. I think it was great for Damian to be Robin, but I forgot that it gave life to you as well. I should have planned it better. Although I think, now more than ever, little brother, maybe the time has come for you to find your own hero, hasn't it?"

"Mm," Tim sighed. "Yes. Anyway, I couldn't be Robin forever. Who I am is already a problem for another day. Maybe by the time I graduate. If I do graduate this time..."

"Don't talk nonsense," Dick rolled his eyes. "Third time's the charm."

There was something Tim didn't know how to bring up. It was easy with Jason, he manipulated the situation and confessed before Tim, but everything was different with Dick. Despite what the rumors said, he was sure that Dick was straight enough that he didn't quite understand Tim, after all, he had seen him talk to Kori and he was either too much in love or too straight; unlike Jason, who was very gay, especially after coming out to his younger brother; he was the tough guy but soft on the inside, very different from the outgoing lover that Dick was.

He did not know the extent of his older brother's good perception and intuition. "So...," Dick began. He snapped Tim out of his own thoughts. "Connor."

"Ugh, I hate that old man," Tim growled. Somehow, he felt more comfortable now. "I..." He knew Dick had told him he shouldn't tell him if he didn't want to, but he really wanted to. He just didn't know how. Dick's hopeful look encouraged him without pressuring him. "Conner is my best friend, like Wally and you," his brother nodded and waited. "But I love him like you love Kori," Tim said in a whisper. He swallowed audibly and exhaled all the air he'd been holding during his statement.

Gods, was that so hard?

"Then you must love him very much." Dick smiled so much that his eyes disappeared and his face flushed.

Tim smiled back and began swinging his feet under the reserved seat.

"Yes... Yes. I love Kon very much."

"And you are...?"

"Am I?" asked Tim curiously.

"Uhm, are you bi or...? I mean, you dated Steph and Ariana, but..."

"Oh."

Good. Tim had thought about it a lot actually. He loved Ariana so much, she was his first love, she was sweet, very pretty and she was fucking in love with him. He wasn't in love with her though. He loved her, he just didn't love her back enough to call it a mutual romance. Similar with Stephanie, just a little hotter... He loved her a ton, loved her as a best friend, however, he wasn't sexually attracted to her. And he tried so hard to convince himself that he was attracted to her, even though she was the one who forced the relationship a bit at first, because he grew to love her and wanted to have her around in almost every way. He just didn't... He couldn't reciprocate her in everything she wanted. In the end, not in love either.

But Conner was a lifeline he wanted to hold on to. He wanted to touch him, kiss him, love him, laugh with him, hold his hand and never let go. He wanted a future together, a forever.

"I... I think I'm gay, Dickie."

Then he began to laugh. Dick followed him.

"Point for Jay, I guess," he snorted. "He...?"

"Well, yeah. He knows, I'm sorry."

"No wonder they were so close, conspiring against me," Dick snorted.

"Wait, he told you?"

"Tell me what, that he's gay? No, no. It's more my gut... and his obvious crush on Roy when we were young, before the Joker and all that, you know. Unless he's bisexual or something else and I'm not aware of it. I doubt he's aroace, if you ask me: too much of a crush and romantic."

"Gods, let's not discuss their sexuality, please, ew." Dick's smile widened maniacally.

Oh. So Dick didn't know Roy and Jason were together. Interesting.

"By the way, are you as straight as you look?" Tim asked, raising an eyebrow and topping off his chocolate milkshake.

"Well, I had a stage of questioning whether I liked Wally, but I think it was because we got along too well and he reminded me a bit of Barbara. Of course, then there was Kori and my world was turned upside down by one girl," he admitted proudly. "Sorry, little brother, but Richard Grayson-Wayne is straight and cis. Don't be grossed out by me, please. Heterophobia and all that," he joked.

"You were already grossing me out anyway," Tim guffawed. He hoped no one, who didn't understand the sarcasm, heard them, besides the waitress who had just passed them and let out a small chuckle.

Finally Tim could breathe in peace. No more nausea, no more tears, no more frustration and helplessness. He could now talk to his brother like in the old days. At least for now.

"By the way, Dick, have you actually tried weed?"

Uh. Dick was in trouble.

[meggie-stardust]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to the ever lovely @lucky-bishop for the tag! <3

How many works do you have on ao3?

74! Which feels both like a lot and not that much at the same time.

What's your total ao3 word count?

270,119?!

What fandoms do you write for?

Right now primarily Teen Wolf and I recently revisited my first fandom of Gundam Wing. I've also written a ton for BBC Merlin, Percy Jackson/Heroes Of Olympus, BBC Sherlock, Harry Potter, Newsies and random other things...

Top five fics by kudos:

Act of Man | BBC Merlin | Arthur/Merlin

Nightmares | PJO/HoO | Percy/Jason

Looking for the Thing We Lost | Teen Wolf | Peter/Stiles

Here I Am (Stuck in the Middle With You) | PJO/HoH | Percy/Jason

Know How A Man Becomes a Beast | Teen Wolf | Peter/Stiles

Do you respond to comments?

Yes, on all of my stuff from the past few years. There are older fics that I've opted not to respond to comments on for varying reasons, but I do read them all.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

When I have angst, I like to have it with a happy ending, but I would probably say this fliclette I wrote based on the prompt: "Can you do a Jasercy fic where Jason is trying to comprehend the fact that Percy's gone, preferably death, but it doesn't have to be."

A Slow Deep Panic | PJO/HoO | Jason/Percy

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I really like the end of Stuck Between Stations. After putting Stiles and Peter in the Wild Hunt and in time loop, the least I could do was give them a happy ending.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not hate, but I have gotten weird comments. I usually just ignore if they are just odd, but I have also deleted comments that are boarding on hate.

Do you write smut?

Yep!

Craziest crossover:

Aside from one HP/Sherlock fic that was co-written with my bestie and that we both abandoned, I don't really do long form crossovers (and that one wasn't crazy anyway). That said, there was a tumblr prompt game years ago, that was for 3 sentence fics and almost every prompt I got was a crazy crossover:

Dean and Castiel. Fight Club

MJN crew (bonus points for including Herc Shipwright). Supernatural hunters.

Sherlock/John. Teenagers working at Mooby's (View Askewniverse).

Jack/Spot, Night Vale AU.

Arthur and Eames. Exorcism.

You can read all of these and a few others: 3 Sentence Fic Collection. And actually, this was a fun trend, we should bring it back.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of, and knock on wood it never happens.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! A few actually, and it's always so, so, so flattering:

Acts of Man was translated into Chinese

Black Sails in the Sunset was translated into Português

Looking for the Thing We Lost was translated into Russian

This is a perfect time to say that I am always open to my fics being translated, podficced, remixed, etc. Just let me know so I can gush about it!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, the aforementioned abandoned HP/Sherlock fic, but it's been ages. @punchedbymarkesmith and I have kicked around some collab ideas, which I think would both be a blast and also for a potentially niche audience. Maybe 2024 is the year this happens!

All time favourite ship?

Steter is the one I've stuck with the longest, but I do have a few that I will always return to in the same way you might eat a comfort meal.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Look, I really, really want to finish It's Only Forever. I have like 1, maybe 2 chapters left. But it's been so long and I feel like my writing has changed, and idk. Every year I say I'm going to work on it, and every year I don't... le sigh.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm really good at finding a small moment in canon and then diverging from that. I also think I'm good at authentic dialogue and I think I'm pretty good at world building.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Action/fighting. Keeping things short unless it's a drabble/other restrictive format.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I am not fluent enough in any language other than English to do this confidently. Instead, I would write something like:

Stiles cursed at them wildly in Polish.

or

Peter responded in French, then turned back to Stiles and resumed their conversation in English.

First fandom you wrote in?

Gundam Wing. All of my old fic from *cough* 20+ years ago is lost to the annals of time (actually some is still on archived GW 1x2 sites if you look hard enough). And if you are one of like 7 people who remember my username, you can find my Newsies and Harry Potter fic (my next two fandoms) still on ffn. After I got out of a bad relationship that kept me from my own interests, including fandom, I returned with BBC Sherlock fic, which you can still find on AO3 if you scroll to the beginning of my profile.

Favorite fic you've written?

Gosh, I feel like this changes all the time, but I am particularly proud of At This Truth We Have Arrived. I loved exploring certain aspects of Peter's character, and doing a different take on Nogistune Stiles. I was also able to incorporate a lot of different themes and elements into it, as well as get my own closure with Monroe, something that has bugged me since the finale. Plus, I think I was able to accomplish a reveal that would add extra elements if anyone went back and re-read the story (even if I somewhat show my hand if anyone paid attention to the epigraph).

I have no idea who has done this yet, since I sat on this for a bit... so no pressure tags for @lolahardy @mirrorthoughts @myletternevercame @punchedbymarkesmith @midmorning-bomb @like-lazarus

[gunebuggieswriting]

Good Bad Habits Run In The Family: Chapter Six

DPxDC Crossover, Jason Adopts Danny AU

[AO3] [FF.net] [Wattpad]

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Jason left as soon as he could, not wanting to be in the batcave any longer after hearing what Duke said. He knew it was Danny as soon as he heard that B had called a meeting about a new superhuman, possibly metahuman or alien, in Gotham. Afterall, Danny had just left his warehouse yesterday, and it didn’t take a genius to connect the dots.

The only thing that had made him doubt was that the first description that Duke had given them, as the Danny he knew didn’t have white hair or a black and white jumpsuit. Actually, Jason was pretty sure that the teen was probably still wearing the clothes he had given him right before he left, a plain red shirt and some black jeans. The thing that made Jason so sure that the unknown super was Danny, was that Duke also said they had glowing green eyes, sharp teeth, and were short. He knew that the kid going around like that was just asking for somebody to notice him, he should have talked to him before, made him more aware that he wasn’t the norm around here.

Perhaps the white hair and odd clothing was what he actually looked like or something, afterall, he sure wasn’t completely human. Now that the whole flock of bats was looking for the teen though, including the man himself, it was even more dangerous for him to be on the streets of Gotham. Duke said that he looked terrified, and although Danny was rather skittish, he also wasn’t afraid to fight. For him to flee like that, or vanish in Duke’s words, meant that he could already be in danger.

Jason hopped on his motorcycle, it humming back loudly to life for a second before he took off. He was going to find Danny before any other bat could. He should have already got to him before Duke, instead of retreating as soon as daylight rolled into the city. It didn’t matter if he was a nighttime vigilante, he didn’t care if others saw him during the day. Nobody except the other bats would question him, but he would risk that to hurry up and find Danny before them. He can cover his ass easily, but Danny on the other hand? Well, he was just a teen, a scared one at that. He didn’t need all the bats cornering him and asking him a whole bunch of questions.

He was heading towards Shelton Street, hoping that he would find some sort of trail that would point him to where Danny could have gone. He drove quickly down the streets, ignoring some of the traffic laws as he passed through the overcrowded city. How in the world did so many people want to live here? He could understand the ones that didn’t have nowhere else to go, but the ones that chose to be here? Absolutely insane people if you asked him.

When he got to Shelton Street, it was disappointingly normal. Everybody was minding their own business, a few of them noticing Red Hood and taking pictures of him or whispering among themselves. It bothered him, a reason he much rather do things during the night, but he could ignore his discomfort in turn for finding Danny. He searched around, and found a tenement that seemed like it should have been demolished ages ago, and guessed that it was probably the one that Duke had mentioned Danny being on.

He went into the alley, scarring off a couple of cats as he walked, and took out his grapple hook, launching into the air as soon as it gripped on top of the roof. Climbing on top of the building, he looked around, seeing nothing out of place. There was a billboard sign, but nothing else out of the ordinary. It was still pretty high up though, and Red Hood used it to have a better look around the place.

There was no sign of Danny, none, absolutely zip. Though he had to have been here at least an hour ago, so he shouldn’t have gone too far. Though, if the boy really could teleport, then that would make it a lot harder to track him down. What if he already found his way out of Gotham? Jason would be looking for nobody.

Not one to make assumptions or give up quickly, Red Hood went back to the alley where his motorcycle still was sitting. He already didn’t have much patience, especially when he was this worried worked up. He felt the need to find Danny, and it was much stronger than last night when the kid first dipped.

Cursing at himself and his weird emotional bullshit, he got back on his motorcycle and began searching rapidly around the area, trying not to miss anything. Every time he saw black hair, he would take a second look, disappointed each time that they weren’t Danny. One time he even saw a person with white hair who wasn’t old, but instead of being some out of the world version of Danny, it was just some girl in her twenties who probably dyed her hair that way.

He kept looking, spreading all over the area, double checking some places to make sure Danny didn’t show up after he left. He knew he probably looked a little crazy, and he felt a little crazy too, searching like mad for a teenager he only knew for about three weeks. Even though he may not know Danny too well, and less than he thought he did it seemed, that didn’t mean he didn’t care about the brat. Jason knew that he could be in danger, and he would be damned if he let the kid be hurt because of some crazed dumbass out there.

It was becoming dark and Jason knew that the dragging feeling in his eyes was him becoming tired, as he hasn’t slept in the last day from everything that has been happening. He was tempted to take off his helmet so he could rub at his face, maybe calm down some of his nerves, when he felt the temperature drop and the air turn stale, almost like he entered some haunted mansion that’s been around for far too long. Though, he knew this feeling, and hope sparked in his chest.

He turned, looking around the alley he was in to see if he could spot Danny. The feeling was still there, so that meant that Danny was still here. He didn’t want to scare him off again, especially after spending the entire day searching every small space to try and find him. “Brat?” He called, glancing around again to see if he could spot the boy. The chill intensified and then warmed back up, and Jason was afraid that he did scare him off.

“Red Hood?” Jason froze, spinning around on his hills to see Danny a few feet behind him, and he couldn’t help but question how the fuck the kid snuck up on him like that. Probably another power thing going on, he really needed to know more about that. Other than that, the kid’s hair was still black, and his eyes weren’t glowing at all, an icy blue like they had been for the majority of his time in the warehouse after he had settled in. “Am I back in Crime Alley or something? I knew I was going around in circles, I’m so fucking stupid.”

“No we’re not in Crime Alley,” Red Hood corrected the younger teen, who seemed more tired than usual, probably not having slept yet either. “I was actually looking for your dumbass.” Danny stiffened, and Jason could visibly see the panic rising in him.

“I- well- I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly- I” Danny tried to get out, his hands going up to his head to thread through it as he avoided looking at Red Hood.

“That’s not why I tracked you down. I’m here because apparently some idiot got caught by Signal.” Red Hood said, crossing his arms, although he tried not to sound too harsh, which was hard with the modified voice in his helmet.

Danny’s eyes somehow got bigger, and bit his lip and looked away again. He couldn’t help but think how Red Hood actually was connected to the other bats like he thought they were, which was given with the bat symbol. Did Red Hood tell them stuff about him? He may not know much, but he did know his name and how he really looked. Shit, Signal saw his other form. Red Hood probably knew now. Who he truly was.

Red Hood saw how the nervous boy was starting to become afraid too, and that was the opposite of what he wanted. If Danny felt threatened in any way, he would bounce and vanish once more. Jason wasn’t trying to scare him, he didn’t want to. “Look kid, I’m not going to do anything, okay? I simply looked for you to tell you that you’re a dumbass for letting them see you and that you need to be more safe or some shit.”

Danny relaxed a bit, letting a worried breath escape his mouth. While he was human he did need to breathe, so he sucked another breath right back in before he spoke. “I know I’m a dumbass, I just sorta forgot about Signal, alright? I’ll be careful from now on, I promise. I mean, I haven’t been caught again all day.”

“What about right now?” Red Hood shot back, lifting an unimpressed eyebrow.

Danny stuttered, flailing his arms for a second before composing himself so he could properly defend himself. “If I didn’t want you to know I was here, you wouldn’t have seen me. The only reason I came out is because I knew it was you from that dumb voice modifier in your helmet that makes you sound like a boy band member who uses monotone instead of autotune.”

“That was one of the lamest comebacks I’ve ever heard in my goddamn life.” Red Hood said, but couldn’t hold but a short laugh and a wide smile that Danny couldn’t see. “Y’know squirt, for somebody being so tiny you sure are feisty. Reminds me of a chihuahua.”

“Those little bastards are feral demons, don’t let the smallness fool you.” That sure got an actual chuckle out of Red Hood, making Danny join in a bit in turn.

Then Danny sobered, his smile turning bittersweet, and Jason hated that look. Last time he saw it was in the warehouse, during his last visit before Danny left for good. He didn’t think much of it at the time, but he knew it meant nothing good now.

“Thank you Red Hood, really. I know I’ve said that a lot in the past couple of weeks, but I really do mean it. Who knows, I might have died that night you found me.” Actually Danny was supposed to die the night that Red Hood found him, but the man didn’t need to know that, and he felt like keeping it to himself anyways. “Though right now, I really want to be alone. I promise I’ll be more careful until I can find a good way out of here without messing more shit up. No more vigilantes for me.” He tried to end with a happy note, but there was still a sadness in his voice that he couldn’t quite place, and neither could Red Hood.

Red Hood wanted to argue with the kid and drag him back to his apartment or tell him how to leave the city, but he couldn’t. There was a certain look in the younger boy’s eyes, and Jason knew that he wouldn’t be able to convince him that whatever was going on could be fixed. It wasn’t his place either. He could see plain as day that although Danny may relax a bit in his presence, but that he didn’t trust him. He couldn’t tell Danny that him being a teen all alone on the streets without a home was something he couldn’t let happen, no matter how much he wanted to, because then Danny would just run away again. He couldn’t tell Danny that he didn’t have to leave, when he saw how convinced the other was that he needed to. He couldn’t tell Danny that he cared for him. That would only freak him out.

Danny’s eyes somehow got bigger, and bit his lip and looked away again. He couldn’t help but think how Red Hood actually was connected to the other bats like he thought they were, which was given with the bat symbol. Did Red Hood tell them stuff about him? He may not know much, but he did know his name and how he really looked. Shit, Signal saw his other form. Red Hood probably knew now. Who he truly was.

Red Hood saw how the nervous boy was starting to become afraid too, and that was the opposite of what he wanted. If Danny felt threatened in any way, he would bounce and vanish once more. Jason wasn’t trying to scare him, he didn’t want to. “Look kid, I’m not going to do anything, okay? I simply looked for you to tell you that you’re a dumbass for letting them see you and that you need to be more safe or some shit.”

Danny relaxed a bit, letting a worried breath escape his mouth. While he was human he did need to breathe, so he sucked another breath right back in before he spoke. “I know I’m a dumbass, I just sorta forgot about Signal, alright? I’ll be careful from now on, I promise. I mean, I haven’t been caught again all day.”

“What about right now?” Red Hood shot back, lifting an unimpressed eyebrow.

Danny stuttered, flailing his arms for a second before composing himself so he could properly defend himself. “If I didn’t want you to know I was here, you wouldn’t have seen me. The only reason I came out is because I knew it was you from that dumb voice modifier in your helmet that makes you sound like a boy band member who uses monotone instead of autotune.”

“That was one of the lamest comebacks I’ve ever heard in my goddamn life.” Red Hood said, but couldn’t hold but a short laugh and a wide smile that Danny couldn’t see. “Y’know squirt, for somebody being so tiny you sure are feisty. Reminds me of a chihuahua.”

“Those little bastards are feral demons, don’t let the smallness fool you.” That sure got an actual chuckle out of Red Hood, making Danny join in a bit in turn.

Then Danny sobered, his smile turning bittersweet, and Jason hated that look. Last time he saw it was in the warehouse, during his last visit before Danny left for good. He didn’t think much of it at the time, but he knew it meant nothing good now.

“Thank you Red Hood, really. I know I’ve said that a lot in the past couple of weeks, but I really do mean it. Who knows, I might have died that night you found me.” Actually Danny was supposed to die the night that Red Hood found him, but the man didn’t need to know that, and he felt like keeping it to himself anyways. “Though right now, I really want to be alone. I promise I’ll be more careful until I can find a good way out of here without messing more shit up. No more vigilantes for me.” He tried to end with a happy note, but there was still a sadness in his voice that he couldn’t quite place, and neither could Red Hood.

Red Hood wanted to argue with the kid and drag him back to his apartment or tell him how to leave the city, but he couldn’t. There was a certain look in the younger boy’s eyes, and Jason knew that he wouldn’t be able to convince him that whatever was going on could be fixed. It wasn’t his place either. He could see plain as day that although Danny may relax a bit in his presence, but that he didn’t trust him. He couldn’t tell Danny that him being a teen all alone on the streets without a home was something he couldn’t let happen, no matter how much he wanted to, because then Danny would just run away again. He couldn’t tell Danny that he didn’t have to leave, when he saw how convinced the other was that he needed to. He couldn’t tell Danny that he cared for him. That would only freak him out.

He couldn’t do anything to stop Danny, say anything to let him stop himself, so he sighed and decided that there were some things he couldn’t do. “Fine then Danny, just know that you can always come to me if anything happens. I’ll probably be somewhere in Crime Alley, but if I’m not, go to one of my people and they’ll help you until I can get back. I’ll make sure to tell them to keep an eye out for you, but I won’t tell them much, does that sound good?”

Danny was surprised once more, but nodded his head silently, not trusting his voice at the moment. He could tell he was on the verge of another breakdown like he had several times that day, probably because of how stressed he’s been since that morning and how tired he felt. Red Hood was offering him help, but he knew it was selfish to take it, as he’s already taken so much and put the other in way too much danger. Taking in a deep breath to try and temporarily calm his nerves, he gave Red the most of a smile he could give him, which wasn’t much with how much his lip wanted to crumble into a trembling mess. “Thanks.”

Then he turned around and went right back into the shadows, turning himself invisible and disappearing into the now new night, flying slowly as he willed himself to not turn around again. Tears welled up in his eyes, and it wasn’t just because of Red Hood, but being reminded from all the times that his family and friends had offered him help. He had selfishly taken theirs too, and it led them to their death. He wasn’t going to do the same to Red Hood.

Red Hood watched him vanish right back into the shadows he appeared from, standing there for a moment, keeping his ear strained in case anything happens to Danny while he was still near. After a few minutes of nothing but the usual sounds of the city at night, he turned around and headed back to his motorcycle, a newfound feeling of disconnectedness in him as his thoughts failed to form beyond basic things. He didn’t know what he was exactly feeling, but he found that he really hated it, but couldn’t bring himself to try and push it away as it became all consuming.

Revving up his motorcycle, he drove off and back towards Crime Alley. Maybe a night patrol around the area before speaking to his commanders about the new rule with Danny would make him stop feeling like this. It usually worked when Red Hood was having a bad day, so why not right now?

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Tim watched as Red Hood zipped around on his motorcycle, during broad daylight, and searched. He knew what he was looking for too, or who to be more exact. After Tim had the realization from the camera footage he had removed his Red Robin costume to his civilian clothes, because unlike Red Hood, he wasn’t an idiot. He followed him around, well, the best he could anyways. It was a good thing that Red Hood actually kept his tracker on this time, because it made it a lot easier to know where he was going. The other must have been really distracted if he forgot about that and didn’t pay attention to if anybody was tailing him.

He had been following Jason all day, going all throughout the city near Shelton Street and double checking areas sometimes more than once. He was beginning to think that he would never find the superhuman, and he was becoming more doubtful as the sun began sinking. Then Red Hood stopped in an alleyway, and Tim rushed to get over there. When he was finally near the man’s location, he made his way on top of a building close to the alley, so he could spy listen from up above on the rooftop without being noticed.

Cautiously peering down, seeing two people in the alley, and he assumed that the other was the person that Jason was looking for as he was talking to them. Not able to hear what they were saying, he threw down a bug with a microphone and put an earbud in his ear so he could listen in. He almost felt bad for doing so, after hearing how private and emotional the conversation went, but it was important information nonetheless.

From what he could gather, the raven haired kid was in fact the same white haired teen that Duke reported earlier, meaning that he had two forms. This one was most likely to blend in easier with the other people, which was honestly pretty smart on his end. Though it made Tim wonder why he didn’t use it earlier when Signal saw him? Maybe he thought nobody was there and wanted to relax for a second.

Another thing was that the teen trusted Jason enough to give him his name, which was Danny. Whether that was his actual name or not was up for an internal debate later, but Tim stored it away and continued to eavesdrop. After hearing Red Hood make an offer that was incredibly out of character for the man, and the small and somber thanks he got in return, he watched them both make their separate ways.

Everything really was coming together, making a bigger picture for Tim to understand and look at, slowly but surely. Though he needed more information to really know what was happening, before anything terrible happened. It sounded like Danny was afraid of something, not Red Hood, but something else. Was it Gotham? Was that why he wanted to leave? Was it having to do with him being somewhat or entirely inhuman?

Tim didn’t know, but he desperately wanted to. If this Danny was that important to Red Hood, then there must be a reason, and a good one at that. Whatever was harming Danny or making him so afraid that he couldn’t allow Jason to help him, Tim would get to the bottom of it too. He swore that he would keep everybody in Gotham safe, and it included Danny too now as long as he wasn’t the one harming others.

Getting the bug from the alleyway and beginning the long trek back to the Wayne mansion, Tim had a feeling that something much bigger than just some lost superteen being scared was going on, and he didn’t like it. He would patrol for a bit longer tonight, just to make sure everything was fine. He wasn’t going to try and check on Danny.

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Tim may have been spending a lot of his extra time looking after Danny. A lot more than he was willing to admit. A few days that have passed since he eavesdropped overheard the conversation between Danny and Red Hood in the alley way, and over the course of those days Tim has found himself seeing Danny more than he meant to. Sometimes he would intentionally seek the superhuman out, and other times he would accidentally come upon him. Every time though, nothing strange happened, at least nothing that signaled that Danny was anything other than human.

The first time that Tim had found Danny again was the night of the deep talk between the teen and Jason, and he had been looking out for him while he patrolled. He saw him walking down a street, obviously looking for a place to safely stay the night, if checking buildings and little nooks in alleys was enough to tell that. It concerned Tim that Danny didn’t have a place to live, but he already figured that when he thought about how he had lived with Red Hood for a couple of weeks. Tim may have stayed out longer that night than he usually did, keeping an eye on the teen while he kept another eye on the city, watching both in case something happened.

Luckily, Danny did eventually find a place that he seemed to deem good enough for the night, which was one of the newer abandoned buildings, which didn’t have too many cracks in it yet. It still made Tim worry, and he had to push the urge to go up to the teen and straight up drag them to an actual bed where he would be much safer. Didn’t Danny listen to Jason at all? What happened to the promise of being more careful?

Tim decided to not confront Danny, aware he would scare him much like the others seemed to. Plus, Danny probably had enough of the vigilantes in Gotham to want any more interrogating talking to him. Retiring for that night with a racing mind, Tim wasn’t able to get sleep, instead hiding out in the batcave in front of a computer trying to figure out who Danny truly was. There had to be some information on him, about some superhuman who had two different looks. Yet, Tim found nothing, there was zero data of any kind about a super powered teenager named Danny. It made Tim feel a bit more confused, and wary, but he thought about how Danny was. How secretive and elusive the teen could be when he really wanted to be.

The next time Tim saw Danny, it was completely by accident, with Tim in his civilian identity. He was going down the block for the coffee store that allowed him to put in as many espresso shots as he liked, and he really needed the energy at the moment, when he saw the black messy hair that belonged to Danny. He didn’t think about it at first, his brain supplying him that there were many males in the city with black hair, as he had only seen the hair, but when Danny moved away from the walking crowd and allowed Tim to see more. He knew it was Danny then, the lanky body of the teen unmistakable.

Tim had glanced back at the coffee shop he was nearing, debating for only half a second, before giving in and running after Danny. He didn’t really follow Danny, being more curious than worried, and only watched him for a few minutes. Again, nothing abnormal happened, Danny continued to walk down Gotham’s busy streets like he has always been there. The only reason Tim knew he wasn’t was from how the teen would flinch at sudden loud sounds such as the wails of a siren flying by or shying away from looking up at the tall buildings. He felt like Danny may have come from a smaller city, or maybe even a small town, but it was all speculation, and Tim had coffee to drink.

When Tim went out again as Red Robin that very night, he was searching for Danny. This time to see if the other finally found their way out of the city. It wasn’t that confusing, was it? Surely the teen could find his way after spending so long here. There were plenty of highways and streets that led the way out of Gotham, and if anything, Danny could have just walked in a straight path and found a way out that way. What if Danny didn’t actually want to leave? Did he lie to Jason or Duke? Or is there something else pressuring him to leave? Tim once again thought about Bruce and his actions towards the nonhuman population of Gotham.

Bruce did allow anybody to live in the city, but he was a bit sensitive when it came to those who weren’t entirely human, or human at all for that matter. He had grown a lot from that whenever he adopted Jarro and Duke, but anybody could tell that the man still held some suspicions towards them, no matter how harmless they seemed. If they were unknown, he treated them as if they were a threat. Maybe it was just the over cautious and paranoid side of B talking that drove him towards that. Hopefully it wasn’t because he didn’t like other races than humans and Jarro. Afterall, he had sworn to protect everybody in Gotham as well, which included those who weren’t human.

The third time that Tim saw Danny was also when he was Red Robin, but this time he was in the middle of a fight with a group of petty muggers. He was taking them down rather easily, as they seemed untrained when it came to fighting. It didn’t matter if they outnumbered Red Robin, he had more skill than all of the bozos put together.

It was while he was kicking another mugger in the knee when he felt a small uneasy feeling rise inside him. He didn’t know what it was, but it distracted him for only a second, just enough for one of the men to punch Tim in the jaw. He had felt the air grow colder as he spat out blood, but his body ran hotter from a spike of anger as he swiftly and mercilessly knocked the guy unconscious. He knew that he had hit them with a bit of extra force than necessary, especially since he knocked them clean out, but he couldn’t find it in him to care.

It was while he was tying up all the men that the cold atmosphere warmed up a bit more, although the feeling he felt didn’t go away. It was similar to whenever he felt like he was being followed, but different all the same, as it was the same uneasy feeling somebody would feel when entering a graveyard. He hadn’t known it was Danny, but when he exited the alley and saw a small snippet of a boy with black hair running into an alley across the street and the feeling he had immediately lifting, he knew who it was. Was Danny watching him too?

Other than that and the odd vibe, Danny seemed painstakingly average. He never saw his eyes glow, the sharp teeth that Duke talked about, or the white hair that flowed with magic. Danny seemed human, and Tim was almost starting to doubt that he was anything but in the first place. It didn’t make any sense to Tim. How did somebody who before seemed to have a hard time hiding what they truly were, begin doing it so well that it tricked even the most perceptive of people? He didn’t know how to feel about that.

The last time that Tim saw Danny was early the next night. He was trying his hardest to track down Danny once again, hoping that somehow his questions would be answered. He was surprised he was able to go this long without truly being caught, if that time Danny watched him fight was not him getting caught that is. Didn’t Danny have some sort of power that allowed him to sense others when they got near him? Shouldn’t it be working on Tim?

He was standing in an alley, by himself, looking at particularly nothing. This was the first time that the vigilante has seen the other teen doing something that most would call unordinary behavior, and it interested him. He watched, being completely silent and staying what he thought was out of sight. He waited, anticipating for something to happen that would somehow solve this entire mystery.

Nothing did happen, Danny just stood there, and in all honesty it was starting to freak out the self acclaimed detective. Then, as soon as Tim blinked, Danny was gone. Nowhere in the alley below. This caused Tim to freak out, having to swallow down a surprised yelp as he flinched, not expecting that. Did this just prove everything that Duke said? Could Danny actually teleport?

Then the cold air he was starting to grow used to the past few days around Danny increased, causing an involuntary shiver go through Tim. The pressure of the area felt heavier, and it made Tim tense, not moving a muscle afterwards. After a few seconds of realizing how quiet everything became, even the city acting like it was waiting for something to unravel.

Finally letting out a small breath, Tim peeked behind him, seeing that there was in fact a figure there. Seeing this, his heart picked up and he spun around and faced the stranger with two batarangs flying out of his hands. He watched with wide eyes as both of the sharp objects flew right through the other like they were made out of fog, not even scraping them. Then there was a flash of green lights and Tim realized that it was coming from the person’s eyes.

Danny. It was Danny who somehow appeared right behind him without him realizing it. Did the superhuman teleport behind him? Was it just luck that he did that as soon as Tim blinked, or was it another power?

Tim stood there, frozen in a fighting position as he stared at Danny with heavy pants. He hasn’t been that spooked in a while. Now though, he had a good look at the teen. He really did have glowing green eyes, looking similar to neon lights in a mini golf course with how bright they were. They dimmed a bit, allowing Tim to have a better look as he tried to assess his situation, as so far Danny hasn’t tried to harm him.

“It’s not fun being watched is it?” The teen finally said after several minutes had passed by.

“Wha-?” Tim’s confused noise was the only thing his sleep deprived brain could offer for the moment, his thoughts scattering fifty different ways. Danny snorted, his hand immediately going to his mouth as he did so, the green eyes completely fading away as he tried to hold back a giggle. Blue eyes, the teen had light blue eyes and black hair. Tim wonders if B would adopt him if he saw him like that.

“Damn it- I- I was trying to be serious for once. Stop making this so hard, I’m supposed to scare you.” Danny said, still choking down giggles with his bright blue eyes glistening with amusement. They also appeared to be glowing with how the moonlight reflected on them, and Tim squinted his eyes and titled his head to make sure they weren’t. This only made Danny laugh more. “What- what the actual fuck- why are you looking at me like that? You look like a cat- holy shit- I can’t.”

Tim gave the giggling mess of a teen a blank stare as he stood up and straightened out of his fighting pose. “Okay, ‘mister glowy eyes’, you look like one of those stereotypical halloween cats.”

Danny stopped laughing, his eyes blinking with surprise. “My eyes were glowing?”

Well that just threw Tim through a loop. Did he really not know his eyes glowed? Why was everything about this kid so complicated? “How the fuck do you not know?”

“Oh shit, are they doing it right now? I can usually control it, shit, how long has this been going on?” Danny’s amusement earlier was completely gone now, replaced with nervousness.

“No, they’re blue right now.” Tim answered, wanting to lean closer and get a better look at his eyes, but refrained, remembering that Duke said that Danny fled after he tried to get closer.

“Oh, um, that’s cool.” Danny awkwardly replied, his hand going back and scratching the back of his neck. “So, I came up here to try and scare you, but it seems that kinda failed.”

Tim wasn’t about to say that he basically jumped out of his own skin when he saw Danny’s shadowy figure behind him. “How did you pop up behind me like that? I only looked away for half a second at that.” Might as well try and get some answers while Danny seemed like talking.

“None of your business weirdo.” Danny said, arms over his chest. “I should be the one asking you about why you’ve been following me around so much these last couple of days.”

So, Danny did know that Tim has been watching him. “How’d you know that?”

“You’re not that good at being sneaky.” Danny flatly said while giving Tim a face that read “are you serious”.

“Are you sure it just isn’t your powers?” Tim shot back, ruffled from the insult of his skills that he carefully crafted and mastered from years of practice. Totally not from the days he used to stalk Robin and Batman.

Danny went rigid once more, and he didn’t respond for a few seconds before his face turned into a scowl. “Stop stalking me.” He practically growled out, and although Tim saw a small twitch of Danny’s eyes and a hint of green coating them, they didn’t start glowing again. Danny must be trying to suppress it, but it was too late for that in Tim’s opinion.

Tim scoffed and allowed his cape to cover the front of his body as he shifted to lean on his left foot. He didn’t say anything though, and Danny glared at him for a few more seconds before he turned away and went to the ladder that went down the building, taking it down. Tim watched him leave, making no movement as he saw Danny go down the ladder. He wondered why the other didn’t just teleport away like he usually did, but he guessed it was because he was making more of an effort to hide it. It was about time to learn that, albeit a bit too late.

Tim was going to keep an eye out for Danny no matter what the boy said, but he kept that to himself. Though he may not use the same methods, as it seemed to be disturbing Danny. Which he isn’t dumb, he knew he was going a bit overboard. Perhaps approaching this situation differently was a better option, instead of following the poor boy around Gotham.

[whetstonefires]

Hmm 18 and 29?

18) What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

Oh gracious. I honestly like my own stuff quite a lot, as a rule, or I wouldn't work on it long enough to finish anything. Fortunately it says 'one of.' Asking for a very favorite always paralyzes me aslkdjadfs. This is hard.

Is the word 'line' here meant to be 'pieces of dialogue' or 'sentences' or what, do you think?

I decided to pick something from my 'Jason Todd getting parented' era and then couldn't find the time to reread the like 30k of All the Roofs of Uncertainty that involve Bruce to pick out a line, so I'm going to nominate something from the fic where Talon!Jason and the Jokester have a heart-to-heart on a roof.

Hm. It has fewer good bits than roofs, being shorter, but they're all kind of interdependent, they don't stand alone very well. Hm.

"And remember, no matter what, you still have us." Jason wasn't sure what he gave away, but there must have been some kind of surprise, or doubt, because J pulled his hand away and frowned. "What, you thought…? You're one of us. Even if you leave. We love you, JJ. That's not gonna just stop." Jason opened his mouth to say something scathing, or dismissive, or defensive, but (maybe because he hadn't quite decided what tack to take) what came out was, "Why?" To be honest, it sounded more like 'whhyyyyyy?' Half whine, half word, a long syllable dragging itself out of his throat as he tried to take it back. Jokester stared at him for a split second, his hand moving like he wanted to reach out and grab Jason again but decided not to, twitched a little like he couldn't find any words that would fit out his mouth, and said, "Because!" Jason was pretty sure he said something like "that's a stupid reason why are you so stupid all the time," but honestly he wasn't sure because his body had gone into full scale mutiny and decided that it wanted to cry.

(It's the 'that's a stupid reason why are you so stupid' bit I'm so fond of; Jokester got a lot of the series' themes put into his dialogue here and they did a lot of emotional lifting, so including that bit that made me laugh felt like it made the whole fic work better.)

29) Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic.

Oh this is fun, I have so many abandoned fics.

Ah! Here! A bit I had a lot of fun writing from near the end of a fic I abandoned at 65k because both the characterization and narrative had too many structural flaws to be worth the effort of an overhaul.

“Uh, Lan Zhan? What is this?” Lan Wangji glanced away from the growing stack of rice long enough to see Wei Ying’s baffled, nervous smile, then went back to counting and stacking. “Inadequate,” he said, and kept drawing out baskets from his qiankun bag. “Uh,” said Wei Ying, which was amusing, but not enough for Lan Wangji to let himself lose focus and lose count. Wei Ying sidled over and pried up the lid of a basket; stared at the contents. Uttered a stifled oath, stepping back and taking in the growing wall of rice. Mentally, Lan Wangji calculated. One dou of rice could make a single, small meal for the whole Burial Mounds population; to feed them all well, say four dou a day. Lan Wangji had appropriated well over a thousand dou of rice from the Lan—perhaps two weeks’ food, there. Here, a thousand dou would last nearly a year if they relied on it entirely and did not stint, which seemed unlikely—but it would not keep so long, in these conditions, probably even in a qiankun pouch, so some of it would have to be sold, so it would not go to mold and waste. A year of life. That was all he could offer. Such a paltry recompense, but at least it answered a real need, rather than offering merely what he thought should be wanted. Lan Wangji could learn. “Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said more sharply, when he was finally done with the rice and started unloading pickles. They had collected an audience now, a dozen of the Wen grouped together in the cave mouth. This was entirely undignified, but Lan Wangji could not think of any other way it could be done. Privacy wouldn’t be appropriate either, even if it was easily obtained. “Lan Zhan, what is this?” “Rice,” said Lan Wangji. Someone laughed. Wei Ying rubbed his forehead; many hours of Wangji’s aggravation in their youth were avenged. “I can see that.” Wangji finished lining up the pickled vegetables, and handed Wei Ying the single sealed jar of ginger. Wei Ying frowned at it, a little wrinkle between his eyebrows. He was adorable. He sighed, and bent to put the pickled ginger next to the pickled cabbage. “Lan Zhan,” he said. “Really. What is this?”

Lan Wangji reached into his final pouch and pulled out the bolt of deep blue silk. He could not press it into Wei Ying’s hands; they were covered in dirt. He set it across the top of one of the stacks of rice baskets. A hush had fallen over the Wen. Wanji stepped closer to Wei Ying, and sought his eyes now that he had been evading. “Gifts,” he said, and felt that the way he said it left no question of his intent.

It was a pathetic offering—nothing compared to what would have been given if he had made a match approved by his sect and clan, what would have been brought forth to honor his bride. But it was what he had been able to bring, without that approval. A dowry he had assigned himself, as it were.

And far more valuable to Wei Ying and the people he had chosen to protect than treasures would have been.

Wei Ying’s mouth and hands worked emptily for a moment, and he made several stifled sounds, as though the silence spell had somehow been cast on him without sealing his lips shut. “You,” he managed. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, let it hiss out. Turned to their audience and pointed, jauntiness back in his motions, the slant of his eyebrows, the tilt of his head. “Okay, everybody scram.”

The Wen laughed at him, but they did go. Fourth Uncle called congratulations and someone whooped; Wei Ying rolled his eyes and shooed them off.

When he turned back to Wangji he was subdued again. His smile small and unreal. “Lan Zhan,” he said, “you can’t do this.”

“These are nothing.”

The linen and cotton, the other bolt of silk, the shirts, the little clothes for A-Yuan, he should unpack all of those as well. But he could not stop looking back at Wei Ying.

Wei Ying blew out another breath, puffing out his lips as it went this time. “Thank you for the rice,” he said, unhappily. “I—I don’t want to refuse it on behalf of everybody, and I….”

There was a struggle on his face that sent a chill through Lan Wangji. Wei Ying, trying to refuse a marriage, with a pile of a little more life lying at his feet as a bribe he could not ignore.

Could he never escape becoming his father.

“No,” Lan Wangji said sharply. “No, even if Wei Ying sends me away in disgrace, these things will stay here. It is not.” He stopped, gathered his thoughts. “I am not trying to buy you.” As though a year’s worth of rice and some decent silk could begin to add up to the value of Wei Ying.

“The disgrace is staying here!” Wei Ying said, shockingly direct. He seemed startled by it as well, as Wangji studied his face. “Lan Zhan, you don’t deserve this.”

Lan Wangji tilted his head. He could choose to agree, to say he didn’t deserve Wei Ying, never could, but wanted him anyway. He would like to see how Wei Ying responded to that—probably by recoiling, but in the way that made Wangji’s chest ache for Wei Ying rather than for himself. “You do?” He flicked his eyes the way the Wens had gone. “They do?”

“Lan Zhan. You could have anything and anyone. I can’t—tie you to a heap of corpses.” Wei Ying made a face and glanced sourly at the wall of rice again. “The rice was a good move,” he acknowledged. “I keep wanting to say something mean to make you leave, but most of them sound stupid now.”

Wei Ying should not have admitted to that tactic aloud, Lan Wangji thought to himself, but he didn’t point out the error. “Not tied to the corpses,” he said. “Tied to Wei Ying.” Oh, how he wanted to be tied to Wei Ying. Oh, how bound he was already.

Wei Ying laughed, the unpleasant sound Lan Wangji had gotten used to during the war, but without the thick layering of pride that had covered it then. “Do you really think there’s a difference?” He shook his head and spread one hand, palm up, taking in all their surroundings. “This is a place for the doomed, Lan Wangji. You don’t belong here.”

“I came here doomed, and had my life returned to me.” Lan Wangji took a step forward, pinning Wei Ying under his attention. “Wei Ying. Do not refuse me for my sake. I—”

Lan Wangji had tormented himself so selfishly over Wei Ying leaving him behind, all this time. As though following were wholly beyond his power, as though Wei Ying were the only one who could choose to alter his path—because he had been so sure his own was right, that Wei Ying must return to his side on it, or be counted lost.

His love had not been strong enough. He had not been brave enough. He had mourned their parting. A child deprived of a toy. “There will be no one else. There is nothing else for me, now.”

To give up Wei Ying, after having had him—to turn away from that whispered affection, or the consuming addiction of desire now whetted by knowledge—impossible. He wanted to say, if I was willing to make love to you within sight of your horrible blood pool in full possession of my faculties, why do you think there is anything that would turn me away now, but he did not think it would resonate with Wei Ying the way he wanted, since it admitted to the repulsiveness of the blood pool. Wei Ying had to be aware of the repulsiveness of the blood pool, but Lan Wangji could attempt to be diplomatic in his own marriage negotiations, unorthodox as they were.

Wei Ying’s face twisted, but it passed through anger into grief. “Lan Zhan,” he said, with tears in his voice though not in his eyes. “Don’t say that. Don’t tell me I’ve ruined you.”

“Not ruined.” Lan Wangji finally drew close, and for a moment it seemed Wei Ying would allow it, but then he spun and danced away sideways, in the only direction allowed by the wall of rice baskets, and was again too far away to kiss.

“I had Jiang Cheng throw me out of the Sect to avoid dragging anyone else down with me. Lan Zhan, you can’t—”

“Stupid.” Lan Wangji frowned. He supposed he should have known that was Wei Ying’s idea. Jiang Wanyin had never impressed Wangji particularly, but among the virtues he did have, courage and loyalty must surely be counted foremost, judging by what Wangji had seen in the war and particularly those three months together, searching for Wei Ying.

Left to his own devices, Sect Leader Jiang would have taken longer to disavow his head disciple, whose unorthodox cultivation he had championed on the battlefield, even if he was too politically cowed by the Jin to defend him properly, either. But Wei Ying, of course, had hastened to make himself a sacrifice.

Wei Ying snorted. “Oh, and you’re planning to bring the whole support of the Lan behind you?”

Of course, he clearly wasn’t. And if any disciple other than himself had staged such a shameless robbery, he would be a wanted criminal. But unless they expelled him, which his brother and uncle would, he felt, after the way he had parted with them, fight with all their considerable power, his affiliation with the sect would still be valuable. To all of them. “Wei Ying does not always have to be the shield. Sometimes, he should be protected also.”

“Lan Zhan.” As easily as that, Wei Ying was looking at him shattered. The vulnerability on his face hurt to witness even as Lan Wangji reveled in it. He was learning Wei Ying, how to love him for his sake, rather than for Lan Wangji’s own.

“Do you not want me?” he asked, bracing himself for an affirmative. Wei Ying might say it and lie; Wei Ying might say it and, despite everything before, actually mean it. He had had time to think, while Lan Wangji was gone.

“I don’t want your pity.” The word curdled on Wei Ying’s tongue and in the air, and his face wore an ugly look again. “We will live as we may. We have survived this long without you, Hanguang-jun, and we will live after you grow sick of the foul air and poisoned earth and leave again. This place is beyond the reach of the cultivation world, why bring it here with you?”

“Even though you do not need me,” Lan Wangji said carefully, letting the sharp edge of those words break over him like a wave because Wei Ying had admitted outright he said these things to drive people away; because declaring everyone here doomed even the little child, and then saying they would live despite him, was too much contradiction to bother with. “Do you want me?”

“If I say no will you go?”

The refusal to say it at once was an answer in itself. “If I believe you.”

Wei Ying snorted, less disgust than acknowledging Lan Wangji’s point scored. He smiled unhappily. “Lan Zhan, I’ve made my choices. I would make them again, even knowing where they’ve led me. That doesn’t mean I want to bring you down with me. You don’t owe me anything. You do realize you don’t owe me?”

Lan Wangji hesitated. It was a difficult question. He did not, precisely, feel indebted to Wei Wuxian, not the way Wei Ying meant or the way his brother had, though he was acutely aware of the gift of his life and the cost Wei Ying had borne to give it. But he did feel obligation toward him, a duty, which was a kind of owing as well. “Wei Ying deserves better,” he said. “And I owe you—courtesy, at least.”

“Courtesy,” Wei Ying echoed, abstract, scornful. His eyes flicked down, past Lan Wangji’s eyes to his mouth.

“You never answered my question,” Lan Wangji said.

“Which one? Oh. Lan Zhan. Who would ever not want you?” Wei Ying shook his head, but there was a smile there now, one that caught in the corners as though pain and fondness were the selfsame emotion.

Once again, he spoke of it like he spoke of natural law.

Lan Wangji ached. “Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying sighed, and glanced at the wall of rice, the silk. Lan Wangji’s perhaps pathetic offering of something, anything more valuable than merely himself. A little life. “I really don’t understand,” he said. “When you left, I thought—”

“You didn’t expect me to return.”

“No. I thought you’d listened.” Wei Ying shook his head. “I don’t want to—I know what they say about me, but I never wanted to…” He took a breath, and tried again. “You’re so brilliant, Hanguang-jun, so good, they named you well, and I would never want to be the reason that light was stolen from the world.”

“Already done.”

Wei Ying winced, and looked at him with his eyebrows knit, annoyed.

Lan Wangji said, “You took the light from my world when you went into the dark.”

[dairy-farmer]

Tim is the perfect victim to Dick's grooming. He has absent parents, and later they both died. His introduction to the family was during one of the most difficult times. Bruce was harsh, too harsh towards Tim. Bruce and Tim are still learning how to navigate a healthier relationship than the one they first had. Jason and Damian tried to kill Tim multiple times. Alfred always stays silent. There's a reason why he maintains his position as a butler. He may be family to the Waynes but he will always remain at a distance so that he can continue being the loyal butler.

Tim was and always will be alone. At least until his big brother Dick comes to visit from Bludhaven. Dick is his only true ally. Dick is the one who cheers him up and cares for him. He is the only one who loves Tim. So he should pay Dick back, shouldn't he? Dick says he only wants to do it because he loves Tim. Dick is such a good big brother, it's only right that he fucks Tim's cunny and fill it up with Dick's babies. And Dick rejoices. At last, Tim is his.

Then Bruce dies. And Dick makes a mistake. He was too forceful. Years of grooming and getting to know Tim yet he forgot that Tim responds best when gently coaxed. In his defense, Dick had to shoulder a lot of problems since taking the mantle of Batman. The death of his father and mentor had Dick confronting the mortality of everyone in the family. If his dad can die, then so can Tim. And the incident the night before was proof of that. A rogue was so close. So close to harming his Tim. His baby bird. Then after being benched for only a day, Tim comes to him with tales of Bruce lost in a time stream. Tim was in danger. He was hurting himself. Then Damian had decided it was the best time to come out in the Robin uniform when he told Damian that he can only patrol after he has a talk with Tim. Dick didn't have any plans to start that very night. And now Tim is gone. He left Dick alone in Gotham.

He'll coax Tim back to him when he comes back. He has to come back. For now, Dick contents himself with imagining what he'll do to Tim when comes home. All his apologies and punishments.

That's all I have (⁠・⁠ω⁠・⁠). But I like to imagine Tim coming home either pregnant or no longer pregnant because he lost the baby. Any scenario is good for angst and I can't decide. But the pregnancy might mean gentler punishments and the loss meant harsher ones. The loss of pregnancy might mean a much more susceptible Tim but the alive baby might not because it means Tim was right and good enough to protect his baby.

!!!!!!!!!!!! dick is prime groomer matierial!!! he's well-liked, social, attractive, and tim already likes him. and tim- tim is already 45% groomed just as he is. the way he's isolated, the way there's no strong parental figure in his life, and the fact that dick is the only one in his corner. dick comforts tim and holds him after he's reprimanded by bruce, hurt by damian and jason, or burned by alfred's silence.

tim had to be eased into the touching, he had to understand that dick being able to fuck him makes him very happy and if tim wants to repay all of dick's kind words and late night comforts this was the way to do it. the trick of it is to make sure tim enjoys himself as well. if tim dislikes it, if it scares him, or hurts him then dick will have to try even harder the next time to convince him to let dick fuck into his little princess hole.

when tim gets pregnant dick is ecstatic because now tim will be connected to him forever!! even if tim hates him or leaves him like so many have before, dick will always have a leash to him through their baby that's half his.❤️❤️❤️❤️

[coffeebooh]

hey booh! hope you're doing alright love <3. thank you sm for the sweet ask! hope I answered your question. thought I should give you one as well ♥️♥️

if you had to pick one og team member (counting Harper, excluding wallace cuz he's alr dead) to leave the grp, who'd it be?

they'd leave as in completely not exist. caploot. poof. abracadabra. wally. shpoof. gone.

also...how would you rank all of Artemis' headcanon ships? I just have to ask this 😭✋

hiii mazi yess i’m doing fine. busy, but fine 🫶🏻 hope you’re doing well too! 💜

oooooh you’re putting me on the spot there bcoz on one hand, i was gonna say wally but then, ofc, he’s already dead and i can’t pick him so oops. i’ll say conner (don’t kill me people). ik he’s like the main character alongside m’gann and dick but he truly got… idk: a bit boring over the seasons? it’s like he exists solely around miss m’s character and it’s the case for m’gann’s character around him too, but at least she has grey zones that i can enjoy. (reminder: people don’t kill me)

heehee the ship one is hard too but for different reasons bcoz i have so many headcanon ships for artemis! but if i had to rank some of them, i’d say:

1-traught (only when it’s not centered on their wally grief bcoz their bond isn’t all abt that at all and i prefer when they grow from friends to lovers in a context that doesn’t revolve around his death at all. they always look out for the other as the only non-powered heroes on the team and are both gremlins in their own ways. i also happen to not like d*ckbabs so there’s that and also art deserves better than jason bored)

2-seaarrow (THEY DID IT ON MANTA’S SHIP IDC IDC. they’re both hot, have been through everything together and have tremendous respect for each other. again, friends to lovers. kaldur being a gentleman, artemis realizing she’s been in love with him for a while... both have villainous dads and it’s hilarious than to imagine sporty and manta dealing w the aftermath of their children dating)

3-snaibsel (honestly, this one i would have ranked higher on the list one year ago but i just happen to have other ships that i prefer for the both of them (zee x raquel, zee x blue devil oops). “artemis, i love you. but this is something you need to work through like anyone who suffered a loss” still hits tho)

4-(+15): artbette!!!!!! (underrated as hell and artemis should have been the one bette woke up in the apartment of in the s2 comics idc)

5-artbabs (they’re neat)

thanks for the ask 💜

[ithappensblog]

nice to meet you

Hi, I’m Jenny and welcome to my blog. In this post, I want to share with you some of the highlights and challenges of my life so far, and how I’m trying to find my purpose and happiness in this world.

I’m almost 34 years old and still struggling to figure out my life. Aren't we all? I’ve gone to school for a diploma program in Medical Laboratory Technician/Phlebotomy, a diploma program for Accounting Technician, and started my Human Resource Management diploma program too. I’ve always wanted to be an RN but, life and my body had other plans for me. I’ve always been interested in learning new things and pursuing different careers, and I've finally found one which fulfills me. I have a really good job now, but I’m not really supposed to talk about what I do so I’m going to leave that part out, but it’s finally something I’m good at and something I enjoy doing. It pays well and gives me flexibility and stability. It also challenges me and allows me to use my skills and creativity.

I have a husband who I’ve been with for 10 years now. Jason has helped me grow into a much better person and loves me unconditionally. He supports me in everything I do and encourages me to follow my dreams. I have 2 stepsons who have given me a run for my money but I still love them both at the end of the day. They are growing up so fast and I’m proud of the young men they are becoming. After an incredibly challenging fertility journey, I have my almost 5 year old daughter who is bright, caring, funny, and wise beyond her years. She is the light of my life and the reason I smile every day. I always tell her she saved my life, and it's true, but I won't tell her how until she's much older.

I have a passion for traveling and exploring new places. We try to do a big family vacation once a year and just this year decided that one trip a year should be spent nurturing our relationship. I love animals and have two dogs and three cats who keep me company and make me laugh. I’m on a journey to self love after spending my entire life as an overweight underdog. I’ve struggled with my body image and self-esteem for as long as I can remember, but I’m learning to accept myself and love myself for who I am. I have a daughter now, and I owe it to her to be kind to myself as the way I behave in front of her will be a reflection of how she treats her own body.

I live with many invisible illnesses both mentally and physically but try my best to get through every day. Some of the conditions I deal with are anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, insulin resistent PCOS, Chronic Kidney Disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, and more. Yeah, I know, it fucking sucks. But, I'm definitely not here to gain pity for my health problems. By looking at me, you'd think the only problem I'd had in my life was enjoying one too many cheeseburgers. Some days are better than others, but some days are really hard. I try to be positive and optimistic, but sometimes I feel hopeless and overwhelmed. I’m grateful for the support of my family, friends, doctors, therapists, and online communities who help me cope and understand that I’m not alone.

I grew up in Guelph, Ontario and ventured back to Sudbury, Ontario after leaving my now ex-husband which was the best decision I’ve ever made. He was an interesting choice to say the least, and for the longest time I felt so trapped. It took me a long time to gather the courage to leave him, but when I did, I felt free and empowered. It was a turning point in my life that led me to meet my current husband and start a new chapter.

I’m thankful for this beautiful life I live. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine. And it’s full of love, laughter, learning, adventure, growth, gratitude, and hope. Thank you for reading this post even though you're probably rolling your eyes at yet another new overnight brainchild. But I'm going to try to use this as an outlet to heal and grow from the shit life throws my way, and hopefully inspire others to do the same along the way.

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 19: THE GODS VOTE HOW TO KILL US

"Very appropriate, didn't the Greeks invent democracy?" Magnus snorted.

"I hope they at least throw in some variety," Alex said. "Nobody ever talks about death by studying, death by laughter, death by meteorite hurtling down and hitting just one person."

"Now I'm over here wondering which god should I want to be least creative in the killings," Percy muttered.

"They clearly vote about as well as they react to news," Jason said, the saltiness in his voice surprising them. As fidgety as he'd been about Zeus in particular, it seemed strange he seemed so harsh on apparently fixing to get a good glimpse into them doing, well, anything of potential value.

Not that Percy considered his coming death, again, a potential value, but it was a heck of a lot more than sitting on his throne like the last time he'd been in Zeus's chamber.

Unless it wasn't Zeus at all, but that seemed like a slim chance. Clearly they were off to this acclaimed Winter Solstice Artemis was going to be so vital for.

He hoped she didn't vote to kill them after he'd just saved her life, she'd never called him a brave man then!

Flying was bad enough for a son of Poseidon, but flying straight up to Zeus's palace, with thunder and lightning swirling around it, was even worse.

"It's like playing ding-dong-ditch and being surprised when he blasts you out of the sky," Alex agreed.

"Thankfully didn't happen," Percy said, looking a little pale as he closely inspected his arms to make sure of that one.

We circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. I'd only been there once before, traveling by elevator up to the secret six hundredth floor of the Empire State Building.

"I don't know why I thought you had to get in that way all the time," Magnus admitted. "I thought you three and those pegasi were going to squeeze into that tiny metal box and it was just going to magically expand for you."

"I imagine that guy in the lobby would throw his book at us if we tried," Percy shook his head. At least he got to skip the crappy elevator music and growing sense of inescapable dread. This did not feel any better though.

This time, if it was possible, Olympus amazed me even more.

"It had a pottery table this time?" Alex asked eagerly.

"I mean, I personally would have gone with world peace, but that sounds like a cool second," Thalia said with a twitching smile.

"Knowing Percy, it was flatscreen TVs and they installed a skate park," Will grinned.

"You say that like it wouldn't be amazing to have at camp," Percy grinned.

In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus.

The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. I caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things I couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.

Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Our pegasi set us down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. Before I could even think to knock, the gates opened by themselves.

Jokes aside, nobody looked particularly happy the home of the Gods seemed in full party mode. Zoe had just died on behalf of a war none of them even seemed concerned about.

Nico wondered if his dad had already overseen Bianca's passing through his place and moved on by that time to the same old bitter comments about how he wasn't allowed in on the cool god's stuff.

Good luck, boss, Blackjack said.

"Yeah." I didn't know why, but I had a sense of doom. I'd never seen all the gods together.

"That seems like a pretty good reason to me," Jason shivered into his chair for a moment.

"Make sure you mark that one in your diary, finally admitting I had one of those," Percy grinned. Jason rolled his eyes but then theatrically clicked an imaginary pen and scribbled something down just to keep Will laughing an extra second before he continued.

I knew any one of them could blast me to dust, and a few of them would like to.

"Does that finally sound like a good reason why you shouldn't have been making enemies with them?" Thalia asked without any hope.

"I still don't hear how it would have helped me to fake it either," Percy frowned, not entirely convinced even his dad would step in to stop it from happening. Maybe it just would have caused a few extra rainy days and a hundred years or so of annoyance at whoever did it before he was forgotten.

Hey, if ya don't come back, can I have your cabin for my stable?

"Percy, why aren't you sharing with him now?" Magnus chuckled at his very highly raised eyebrow. "I thought you'd be lonely in there without Tyson."

Percy mock considered for a moment before deciding, "he wouldn't hold up his end of the chores."

I looked at the pegasus.

Just a thought, he said. Sorry.

Blackjack and his friends flew off, leaving Thalia, Annabeth, and me alone. For a minute we stood there regarding the palace, the way we'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years ago.

Thalia made a soft hum of appreciation as she considered the things that changed and the things that would always be the same. She believed she and Percy would have always become friends, but that quest had solidified it.

If Annabeth had never gone missing though, maybe Percy wouldn't have foisted himself on this quest. Maybe a different Prophecy would have been spewed from the get go, and they never would have crossed the land without rain because Aprohite had dumped them in the middle of it.

There were to many factors, to many threads the Fates were always weaving about, but Thalia still vividly remembered standing on one side of Annabeth in that moment and feeling confident about the direction her life was going for the first time since she'd woken up.

And then, side by side, we walked into the throne room.

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, and I'm telling you, if you've ever had a dozen all-powerful super-huge beings turn their eyes on you at once... Well, suddenly, facing monsters seemed like a picnic.

"Coming from a guy who's never been on a picnic, I don't know how to feel about that," Alex said without to much concern as she scratched at her nose.

Percy's mind immediately swiveled to wondering if he and Annabeth had ever been on one and he denied answering.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!"

"Was that supposed to be Ceres?" Jason asked. He seemed to have developed a nervous tick all his own as he winced over every other word like he still expected to be eviscerated on the spot for hearing of all this. Sacred, not meant for the ears of followers... but he was also smiling like a maniac and drinking in every word like Percy was holding him in place against his will.

"I was personally thinking of Ares, but I don't think that matches either," Percy shrugged all the same, though his mind lingered on Hera for some reason. Hadn't Annabeth once mentioned she liked cows?

That's when I noticed Bessie and Grover.

The collective smile of relief around the room gave Will an extra loud pitch to his voice as he continued. He was actually shouting reading in happiness for a second when he'd known that the whole time, it was just his particular weird joy about everybody being happy of the same thing.

Nico smiled to himself as he watched, the loudness of it right next to his ear not bothering him in the slightest. He wondered if that was an Apollo thing, or a Will thing, before the smile slipped off his face it would never be a him thing. Even if he had somehow managed to make a friend, it already seemed doomed against lasting.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble.

Alex chuckled with particular affection for that description and wondered if she could turn into Bessie, before the concerning reminder again flitted through she couldn't shape-shift in this place. She twitched unpleasantly and wanted to believe it was just a part of keeping the gods away. It wasn't a payoff she'd ever ask for Loki never visiting her dreams, but so long as it wasn't permanent and Oceanus wasn't trying to take away her gender fluidity, she wasn't going to freak out about it.

Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw us, he cried, "You made it!"

He started to run toward me, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

Alex, Magnus, Percy, and Thalia all bristled at that, even if they knew they'd have done the exact same thing for fear of being blasted if they didn't. It was a principle of theirs, they didn't ask for permission to leave someone who they didn't respect.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. The lord of the sky was staring intently at Thalia.

Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

Magnus winced a little at his friend's name casually dropped in there and wondered yet again if he and Blitz were okay. He still felt like a jerk for not going back with him, and he hadn't even gotten to meet Annabeth for staying!

I looked nervously at my father, Poseidon. He was dressed similar to the last time I'd seen him: beach shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and sandals.

Will grinned in surprise and shuffled his feet around in amusement, the fwip-thwap of his shoes making an obvious noise. The next time somebody told him Demigods should wear proper foot attire at all times, Chiron!, he'd just casually mention he was inspired by Percy's dad!

He had a weathered, suntanned face with a dark beard and deep green eyes. I wasn't sure how he would feel about seeing me again, but the corners of his eyes crinkled with smile lines. He nodded as if to say It's okay.

Grover gave Annabeth and Thalia big hugs. Then he grasped my arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

Percy didn't even get a second to be pleased Grover was deferring to him to fix this like Thalia wasn't there, this most certainly wasn't in his skill level!

He was plenty freaked out he was being asked to convince anyone of anything! The last time he'd been there he hadn't even convinced Zeus Kronos was on the rise. He hadn't convinced Zoe not to throw him under the bus as she drove off until he saved her life! He didn't even know how he'd convinced Mr. D not to throw him off a roof?!

Annabeth would be able to do it, he realized with a soothing sense of warmth passing through him.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called.

The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward us, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight.

There had been no hint of the tears on her face for her lost lieutenant. All traces of her recent imprisonment might as well have been a figment of their imagination, as cold and impartial as the Goddess Percy had first met.

She didn't have to shrink down to their level to talk to them though. She hadn't needed to leave her throne to address them, and Percy found himself smiling at her the same way he had his dad even if he didn't appreciate the business like manner of it.

"The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told us. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

"Finally," Percy said none-to-bitterly. A sentiment shared by everyone else even as they winced and expected Percy to start melting before their eyes for his impertinent side against every immortal at once.

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.

"I would have sacrificed so many lion coats to have been there to see that," Percy said with a vindictive smile. He wanted to know which gods had eaten crow for not believing him in the first place, to watch Artemis tell them where they could shove it if anyone like Zeus himself had still tried to deny it.

"At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea.

There was still a current of unease drifting about the room at all of these declarations that should have had them celebrating. Annabeth's gruesome confidence Luke was still alive nagged in the back of Jason's mind. The full might of the Gods should have been the most powerful thing, but somehow it didn't feel very impressive coming from these gods.

He tried to shake off such thoughts, but there was something about getting an even stranger taste of California that left him more frazzled than ever having these guys constantly described like somebody was trying to build an essential puzzle from the inside out.

And as for you, my heroes..."

She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera.

Jason looked very much like someone had taken his face off and put it on backwards. From the very beginning and now more defined than ever, there had been something so, off about these gods. He sympathized with Magnus a lot in this moment, he wanted to rant and scream at the world none of this made sense, even if none of it truly came as a shock to him.

On Zeus's right, my father Poseidon. Next to him, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus.

Hermes winked at me. He was wearing a business suit today, checking messages on his caduceus mobile phone. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on, so I wasn't sure he was even listening, but he gave me a thumbs-up.

Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grape vine between his fingers. And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at me while he sharpened a knife.

On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple-tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena. Then there was Aphrodite, who smiled at me knowingly and made me blush in spite of myself.

All the Olympians in one place. So much power in this room it was a miracle the whole palace didn't blow apart.

Magnus still felt a weird disconnect at moments like this. To know he was, however distantly, related to these primordial beings through his cousin. To wonder vaguely who his own dad was. How none of this should be possible, because if it was the world was an even more screwed up place than he'd originally, bitterly thought it was for his mom being dead. For the countless things he saw every day that literal gods just, didn't seem to care enough to fix.

Percy met his eyes, and a flash of understanding passed between them. The anger and bitterness would linger, but the only 'solution' in sight felt like Luke's way. Magnus made the sign for hope his elf best friend had taught him. He didn't even know what he was hoping for exactly.

"I gotta say"—Apollo broke the silence—"these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—"

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry.

"I find myself not hating him for putting you on that Ship of Doom anymore," Alex expressed as if this would be a great letdown on Percy's part.

"I wasn't, really holding a grudge," Percy brushed at his hair in relief it had been any God to have derailed Apollo from that. He would have even said a silent thank you to Ares!

"All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Disintegration? Really? That's the big vote?" Alex still looked deeply disappointed on their lack of creativity.

"He said not disintegrating them," Thalia cheerfully reminded, "so they're not even doing to good a job on kill votes anyways."

"One of these days I'm going to find a normal person who doesn't think these blasted chapter titles should be discussed every other paragraph," Percy huffed.

"Good luck with that," Will scoffed.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and me. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

Percy was already reaching for his pen, his mouth opening in dire protest that would surely get him disintegrated on the spot, vote or no vote. It was his curse that had sealed Zoe's fate! If Ares wanted another go, Percy was all to happy to give it to him with a live audience!

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."

Thalia still felt a proud smile creep across her face and the smallest hint of a blush. This was one of the two times she'd ever met her father. Far be it from him condemning her to Ares or Athena's warning, he had praised her!

It still didn't entirely erase the unease she felt, now stronger than ever as she kept a constant glance on Jason lest he vanish again.

Zeus could just as easily have thrown that bolt on that mountainside and still done an about-face to praise her for not destroying the Gods. She feared what he'd let happen to his own son...but Jason wasn't Zeus's son.

She sighed and traced the links around her bracelet, cross-examining and probing everything she'd thought she'd ever known. How was replenishing Percy's past only dragging her own into question?

Thalia blushed. She studied the floor. I knew how she felt. I'd hardly ever talked to my father, much less gotten a compliment.

Percy gave her a rousing clap on the shoulder though and grinned broadly around the room so that everyone could bask in his good mood for just a minute, and she smiled willingly along. Whatever answers she found, it could only help.

She snorted and shook her head as she looked wistfully beyond Percy to where Annabeth should be. Those two were a bad influence on her punk-rock motif.

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two."

"Ouch!" Magnus yelped. "No help from where I thought you'd get." Annabeth had warned all the way back then though Athena and Poseidon didn't get along, her initial dislike of Percy. Guess they were about to get that in vivid display.

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you—"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon,

Percy still made a puckering face everybody kept reminding of how they were all related though. He'd be much happier forgetting titles like that.

chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic.

Percy winced so hard bubbles made a little exclamation mark of pain over his head and then shot straight into the ceiling, raining more dust and only one chunk of marble down that landed in the middle. Percy kept his eyes solely focused on that, terrified if he even flicked his eyes to the kid that could summon ghosts he'd lose it all over again!

Nico had winced exactly the same, but he went too still, frozen in place like he still expected someone to lunge at his throat.

Thalia laughed and said, "thanks Percy, I'll need that later when I want to break your face instead."

Will made a soft, humming noise in the back of his throat Nico found soothing, it chased the chill away and finally clicked somewhere in the back of his mind how Will kept doing that without healing him.

"Athena is seriously pushing everybody's buttons today," Jason murmured for himself, flipping his coin through his fingers in thought. 

Athena, Greek goddess of Wisdom, didn't know. It was possible none of the gods even knew of who Nico and Bianca were.

It was a question that had been on his mind back during the first book, if Zeus had known of Percy's lineage before Poseidon had claimed him, and it seemed not. Half-bloods could apparently go throughout life without even an infallible God really guessing...but the idea left a bad taste in his mouth. Unlike the many feelings and vague notions he had about a handful of names and the state of California, this feeling left him sour and more confused than ever. He still didn't feel like he was getting anywhere close to figuring out what he was like before he lost his memories, and it was really starting to trouble him if he'd even be recognizable to a person he might have left behind when he finally figured out how to get back if he couldn't get a single solid scrap about himself down pat.

He felt defensive of Thalia. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover in particular all weirded him out if he thought about them to long. He loved to ask questions. These gods gave him a splitting headache.

That was it. The four defining things he could share with...he gave a dissatisfied sigh and shook out his head, concentrating on the book for now. It was pointless to keep pestering what he couldn't get an answer to for now.

He felt Thalia's troubled eyes on him though and spared her a brief smile and tried to relax back into his seat. The position felt unnatural, like his spine didn't know how to slouch, but she gave him a returning smile for the effort.

As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods... such as Thalia and Percy... are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"It scares me a little to hear them agreeing actually," Will shivered. Annabeth and Clarisse were lethal enough on the rare game they decided to team up and get along, their parents would be a frightening thing.

Jason had his face so scrunched up he looked like he was trying to swallow his tongue. Everything about this place always felt like a mirror. So similar, so fundamentally different...

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

"Never would have pictured Mr. D for that whole safety first thing, but it feels right," Magnus snorted.

"Now if only he would strap in all the gods until they get the wine out of their ears and really listen," Alex nodded along.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

That was an awkward question that hung around every day at camp. Will fiddled with the page for a moment debating if he wanted to read the answer before he reminded himself it wasn't nice to Percy to skip regardless of his feelings.

Dionysus gazed down at us wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

Percy and Thalia exchanged amused looks at that answer, however. Dionysius was an enigma wrapped in a bottle of vintage. For a god who had no love for them, he sure showed it in funny ways by distracting Ares and saving their life.

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Seriously, favorite goddess though," Alex said, but she seemed kind of annoyed about it still. The bar really wasn't that high in comparison of the others. Like she could trip over it.

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"I feel like Apollo always says that before he throws a beam of sunlight at you," Jason said uneasily.

"And you're lucky if he remembers whether your mortal or not when he does," Thalia agreed in exasperation.

"Don't call me sis! I will reward them."

"None of us are arguing the point," Percy promised, but he still had a fidgety unease about him. The fact that she kept having to insist this made him worried what else had been debated before they showed up.

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"

A lot of nodding heads.

It took me a second to realize what they were saying. Then my heart turned to lead.

"Bessie? You want to destroy Bessie?"

"What did you think was going to happen when you sent the monster that could destroy them into their lair?" Jason tried really hard not to sound condescending.

"That they'd see the cute baby-cow serpent and give him some hay!" Percy yelped. "Maybe a good speech about staying away from the Minotaur until this war is over!" Percy still felt plenty condescended as he mind blanked on anything else he could have done. The local aquarium would probably be a little confused if he dropped off Bessie in a basket.

Jason kept the thought to himself Percy was being rather naïve.

"Mooooooo!" Bessie protested.

My father frowned. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?"

"The highlight of my day," Alex still promised.

"Your dad's probably just jealous he didn't get to name him, I bet they're buddies and he builds Bessie an awesome barn," Will chuckled.

"Dad," I said, "he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him."

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—"

"You can't," I insisted. I looked at Zeus. I probably should have been afraid of him, but I stared him right in the eye.

Nico's dreams had indulged many a fantasy his waking mind would never allow. A shiver passed through him as he heard the whispers of one of his most recent ones in that. Percy and him uniting with Hades to overthrow this guy once and for all. Percy cutting off Zeus's head as lightning crackled around with no effect and smiling only for him. Creating actual balance for all...

"Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess—the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as... as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It's wrong!"

"Chiron owes you an A+ just for the execution of that," Jason grinned.

"Only took me twelve years to get that on one test," Percy smiled.

Zeus seemed to consider this. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."

"Thank you for the exposition dump nobody needed," Thalia said with an uneasy scowl. He'd just complimented her for not taking that opportunity!

"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust them."

Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"

The fact that this seemed like such a foreign idea to him grated on all of them badly. Were they nothing more than pawns and errand runners? This guy was supposed to be better than Kronos, right? 

"Does he not trust his own daughter, the greatest hero in that room?" Percy demanded of the salt around them, fire in his eyes.

Thalia just shook her head in amusement and waved Will on, touched but also pleased he'd held that in back in the throne room. She was worried this room was giving him too loose a tongue, and by the time they got back he'd have some massive brawl with the first god he laid eyes on.

"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."

"Did she need his permission before asking you officially?" Jason asked.

"It's polite, and we don't want to offend Zeus if we're sane," she said with a pointed look at Percy who had a shoe propped up on his knee and was fidgeting with his shoelaces in mild boredom.

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear.

A feeling of panic seized me. "Annabeth," I said under my breath. "Don't."

Percy's jaw was locked tight enough to crack whale bones as he kept twisting the aglet on his shoe as tight as it would go and then slowly letting it unwind in his hand, repeating the motion over and over and concentrating on just that. Gods he did not want her to go, but apparently, in her mind he was no better than Luke and he'd never given her a reason to stay...

She frowned at me. "What?"

"Honestly Percy, haven't you learned by now telling someone not to do something just makes them want to more," Thalia agreed in an obnoxiously cheerful tone to Percy's ears. Percy had somehow managed to tangle his laces together into a knot.

Nico bit his lip hard to stop himself laughing she was almost mocking the poor guy, because she knew how it worked out. He danced with the idea for just a split second if he'd ever have had a shot if Annabeth did join and leave Percy broken hearted, but then he remembered he was still down at Camp waiting like a dumbass, probably playing in the mud like a toddler for everyone to come back and tell him the coolest story ever. He didn't know how it would have gone worse than that day, but this turn of events couldn't have made any of it better.

"Look, I need to tell you something," I continued. The words came stumbling out of me. "I couldn't stand it if... I don't want you to—"

Every sappy love song his mother had ever sang to herself, every poem he'd heard snippets of in his life, every flash of seeing her from that first day to this moment raced through his mind in a dizzying, sickening swirl. He wondered if this is how getting punched by Cupid felt.

He loved her. That's what it all boiled down to. He didn't know how or when exactly it had happened, but she was about to run off and never come back again and this time he couldn't save her.

"Percy?" she said. "You look like you're going to be sick."

And that's how I felt. I wanted to say more, but my tongue betrayed me. It wouldn't move because of the fear in my stomach. And then Artemis turned.

"I shall have a new lieutenant," she announced. "If she will accept it."

"No," I murmured.

"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Thalia mock wiped a tear away as Percy jumped so bad he fell out of his seat. "Did you just forget I existed for a few moments there kelp head?"

Percy looked up at her sheepishly. Obviously, he hadn't, he'd just been convinced Annabeth had gone with her. Annabeth was the obvious first choice to him to any question. He still wasn't convinced that hadn't happened and swallowed his stomach full of nerves he was about to blurt all of that out to her any second and she'd laugh in his face.

Stunned silence filled the room. I stared at Thalia, unable to believe what I was hearing.

Annabeth smiled. She squeezed Thalia's hand and let it go, as if she'd been expecting this all along.

"We'd talked about it, before," Thalia admitted to them. "I asked her if the Hunt had ever bothered her in recent times and she admitted Zoe had been around, given her the pamphlet and the spiel just before school started. I wasn't happy and wanted to summon that pretentious princess and tell her where she could shove that pamphlet," the amount of affection she managed to say for Zoe couldn't be denied as she smiled, "but instead, Annabeth and I, talked." She finished with an exhausted sigh. Her little sister had been so terrified of losing her to the Prophecy she'd kept that flier in hopes Thalia would just consider it, and it had been in the back of her mind this whole quest. Losing Luke like that had just solidified everything for her in this moment Annabeth had been right about her all along and what she really needed, as usual.

"I will," Thalia said firmly.

Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well—"

"Father," she said. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again."

She knelt before the goddess and began the words I remembered from Bianca's oath, what seemed like so long ago.

Nico sniffed quietly beside Will and tried to tell himself one more time it was over. Bianca's life had come full circle and he had to stop dwelling on her doing the very same. Percy wasn't holding a grudge for Thalia abandoning him to the Prophecy.

"I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men..."

Afterward, Thalia did something that surprised me almost as much as the pledge. She came over to me, smiled, and in front of the whole assembly, she gave me a big hug.

I blushed.

When she pulled away and gripped my shoulders, I said, "Um... aren't you supposed to not do that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?"

"I'm honoring a friend," she corrected. "I must join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since... since Half-Blood Hill. I finally feel like I have a home. But you're a hero. You will be the one of the prophecy."

"A few more hours," Percy still griped, just a bit. "Couldn't you have waited just a few more hours to go through with this? Maybe this was the decision that saved Olympus." He looked more resigned and exasperated than truly frustrated with her though.

Thalia gave him a sad, weak smile. Percy had just said it himself, trying to control the prophecy into the outcome she wanted would never have worked. There had been no world of endless sleep on the top of Mount Tam, but really, maybe that line could have applied to Zoe falling to an endless sleep at the feet of her father holding the world. Maybe if she'd hesitated a moment longer Luke would have made the same choice.

She just offered her hand to help Percy back into his seat and shrugged without answering. It was what it was, and they were here for Percy to remember that, not jump down every rabbit hole of what could have been.

"Great," I muttered.

"I'm proud to be your friend."

She hugged Annabeth, who was trying hard not to cry. Then she even hugged Grover, who looked ready to pass out,

"A small reminder dreams come true," Alex raised an unimpressed brow but snorted in delight all the same that had probably been his reward.

like somebody had just given him an all-you-can-eat enchilada coupon.

Then Thalia went to stand by Artemis's side.

Where she never thought she'd want to leave. Thalia still gave a forlorn sigh and shivered in her camo. Artemis would understand her desire to track down which god had done this to her brother, she was sure of it.

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis said.

"This boy is still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy—"

"No." I looked around at all the gods. "Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe.

"Not, no, no if's or ands about killing me after I saved your thrones, again! It's, no, don't hurt the baby cow serpent," Magnus repeated just in case they'd missed that.

"Are you that used to hearing everything twice? You weren't even signing when you said that," Percy rolled his eyes, clearly still not getting why the guy seemed astonished over that.

My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him."

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"Because he's asking you to protect him rather than using him to kill you all," Magnus said in a supremely, 'duh,' kind of voice.

"Because he named him Bessie!" Alex concluded as if this were the be all of points to make.

"Remind me to bring you two to the next meeting," Percy chuckled.

"I'm only fourteen," I said. "If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years."

Jason, Alex, and Magnus all studied Nico curiously for a few moments. The answer had always felt obvious it would be Percy, and yet Thalia and Nico had been thrown into the mix back to back.

Now with Thalia at forever fifteen, it did make Percy the oldest by default again...but Nico's age wasn't particularly obvious to them. He looked small and skinny, especially always so tucked tight down in his seat most of the time.

Did being pulled out of time, already making him pass his sixteenth birthday long ago leave him disqualified? There still seemed plenty of mystery left what the heck happened up there, or if it had even come to fruition yet.

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."

Percy's mind twinged painfully, scattered memories and feelings he yet had even the vaguest impression about. Rachel lingered oddly in his mind as he again looked to where she'd been sitting. He rubbed his temple and already knew Athena was annoyingly right about that.

"Mother!" Annabeth said, exasperated.

"It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy."

"Wouldn't the best strategy be to have a counter in play," Magnus looked vaguely annoyed, and Percy didn't even have to pretend to not know why this time. "He's yet failed a quest, and they can't just keep pretending this prophecy won't happen forever. Wouldn't the strategic thing be to have a demigod on their side as badass as the one who's threatening Olympus?" Did they still not even consider Luke a real risk just because he wasn't a kid of three in particular?

Jason looked queasy. Arguing with a god, arguing with Minerva- Athena, ugh. He'd rather go back to laughing about Percy's hilariously inept ability to confess his undying love to Annabeth.

My father stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I can help it."

He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a twenty foot long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

"Ooh, now we mean business," Alex said with a wild grin.

"Please don't encourage them," Thalia groaned.

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.

Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.

"No, no, now business will get done," Magnus chuckled, and Thalia sighed in defeat they were all doomed if Percy did try to smuggle them in.

"Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers.

"So now if Bessie gets hurt, the gods can all accuse each other and start another war, this doesn't sound like a better idea," Jason shook his head uneasily.

"I'll take the compromise of Bessie not being dead," Percy said with relief.

The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."

A breath wooshed out of Percy like his dad had given him a bear hug. This was beyond just a compliment. This felt like something more. Trust.

Zeus thought about this. "All in favor?"

To my surprise, a lot of hands went up. Dionysus abstained. So did Ares and Athena. But everybody else...

"We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes... I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

"Just like that hu?" Alex did not look impressed. Probably because nobody was maimed.

"I'll take the win," Percy promised.

"The only person who got a reward was Thalia though," Will frowned on Percy and Annabeth's behalf. "And Grover, if you count him getting a hug from a Huntress finally, but Thalia gave him that." It really was no wonder Percy so often looked troubled at just the thought of his dad. No matter what he did, he couldn't even get offered a cool new skateboard or something?

"Trust me Will, I am plenty happy with how the day turned out," Percy insisted. Annabeth was okay! They both needed a serious nap, but after surviving, it was all the reward he would have wanted from this anyways.

There are parties, and then there are huge, major, blowout parties. And then there are Olympian parties. If you ever get a choice, go for the Olympian.

"Are you saying the college frat parties with cheap beer don't compare?" Nico snorted. At least there if you accidentally stepped on somebody's toga you didn't risk being blasted to ash.

"I wouldn't know, I've never been to one," Percy chuckled, snapping his fingers to a tune only in his head and looking longingly towards the other rooms again for the fridge and a bed with good arch support. What he really wanted now was this book to be over before anything else bad happened...then he realized who had said that to him and did a double take at Nico and swallowed awkwardly.

He was up on Olympus milling through the crowd to find Annabeth while Nico was back at Camp still waiting. A ghostly wail still made goose bumps across the back of his neck when he looked to long at him and wondered how the hell he'd ever explained all this to the kid back then.

He was at least smiling lightly right now, whispering quietly to Will for just a moment what other cliches that were worth finding and avoiding at parties, so Percy managed to push it away for a little while longer and pretend everything turned out fine.

The Nine Muses cranked up the tunes, and I realized the music was whatever you wanted it to be: the gods could listen to classical and the younger demigods heard hip-hop or whatever, and it was all the same sound track. No arguments. No fights to change the radio station. Just requests to crank it up.

"Please tell me your dad can install that at camp," Percy asked of Will. For some reason he had a Jessie McCartney song in his head.

"He does owe us a good spoil," Will agreed distractedly, he still hadn't even gotten Nico to admit if he'd ever even been to a party.

Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife, Ariadne. Dionysus looked happy for the first time.

"It's a good thing nobody tried to drag that council meeting out longer, he might have voted on that death by homework after all," Thalia chuckled. He'd still managed to look as miserable and bored in the throne room as ever. What he'd really wanted was this time right here, as much of it as he could get before his banishment resumed.

Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted.

Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: "Pan! Pan!"

"Good of him to keep his dreams alive," Jason said wearily.

"So long as he doesn't summon any more pigs," Percy agreed.

"I wonder what kind of creamer he thinks will help most with that," Alex chuckled.

Gods kept coming over to congratulate me. Thankfully, they had reduced themselves to human size, so they didn't accidentally trample partygoers under their feet. Hermes started chatting with me, and he was so cheerful I hated to tell him what had happened to his least favorite son, Luke, but before I could even get up the courage, Hermes got a call on his caduceus and walked away.

Percy was getting really good at pretending to himself that conversation was never going to happen either as he gave an uneasy smile and was glad that among the winces, nobody else wanted to linger on that either.

Apollo told me I could drive his sun chariot any time, and if I ever wanted archery lessons—

"Thanks," I told him. "But seriously, I'm no good at archery."

"Ah, nonsense," he said. "Target practice from the chariot as we fly over the U.S.? Best fun there is!"

A burning flare of jealousy lit Will at hearing that and Percy's nervous laugh as he looked wild-eyed at him to keep going. His dad had never offered him that, he hadn't offered it to any of his kids in years.

I made some excuses and wove through the crowds that were dancing in the palace courtyards. I was looking for Annabeth. Last I saw her, she'd been dancing with some minor godling.

Magnus yelped in fear, "gods tell me it wasn't Hercules!"

"No," Percy said forcefully at once, then added a great sigh of relief, he obviously would have dulled him to the death on the spot. That might have made Zeus mad, again, and he wanted that dance with Annabeth first. "I'm not sure who, couldn't guess from the dress, but I think she had something to do with fire? Annabeth seemed to know her," Percy said from the brief glimpse he'd seen.

Thalia smiled, and rolled her eyes at the idiot. It had been Hestia, how had he never stopped to see her at the Camp's hearth?

Then a man's voice behind me said, "You won't let me down, I hope."

I turned and found Poseidon smiling at me.

"Dad... hi."

"Hello, Percy. You've done well."

His praise made me uneasy. I mean, it felt good, but I knew just how much he'd put himself on the line, vouching for me. It would've been a lot easier to let the others disintegrate me.

"I won't let you down," I promised.

He nodded. I had trouble reading gods' emotions, but I wondered if he had some doubts.

Percy was still shuffling around, though now there was no beat in his head to go along. It felt stilted, he'd swear an organ was playing some haunted house music. Maybe with a hint of a light at the end of the tunnel though? Hopefully it wasn't a train.

"Your friend Luke—"

"He's not my friend," I blurted out. Then I realized it was probably rude to interrupt. "Sorry."

"Your former friend Luke," Poseidon corrected.

"You really did luck out with the best dad," Thalia told him with an uneasy sigh. Her dad hadn't sought out her at this party in their honor. He sure wouldn't have corrected himself, let alone not turned her into a flamingo if she interrupted in the first place.

"Seems like it," Percy agreed as he looked around fondly at the ocean floor.

"He once promised things like that. He was Hermes's pride and joy.

Jason shifted around uncomfortably as he wondered what had changed about all that. Had Hermes ever said anything like that to him? Had it been because he failed one quest and Hermes had moved on to another of his many kids? He stared down at the tattoo on his arm and wondered if his parent even knew he was missing, let alone cared.

Just bear that in mind, Percy. Even the bravest can fall."

"Luke fell pretty hard," I agreed. "He's dead."

"Percy, for the literal win," Magnus gave him an only half-sarcastic thumbs up while Percy mustered some kind of smile back. He'd said that explicitly so his dad would agree with him, maybe help Annabeth find some closure rather than her strange denial.

Poseidon shook his head. "No, Percy. He is not."

Percy seethed for several loud moments in his head about this. Looks like everybody got a reward tonight, whether they'd deserved it or not! He forced himself to keep paying attention though and didn't even consider taking back that thanks for his dad. Maybe Poseidon could finally answer why Luke seemed so unbeatable, practically an immortal himself!

I stared at him. "What?"

"I believe Annabeth told you this.

Was nothing sacred? There was an unhappy moment where they all exchanged uneasy looks for the God of the Ocean just, casually knowing that. Unless Blackjack had tattled on Percy, there seemed no good reason why he did.

Luke still lives. I have seen it. His boat sails from San Francisco with the remains of Kronos even now. He will retreat and regroup before assaulting you again.

"I do love his use of the word assaulting," Percy sighed, giving an imaginary thanks to his dad again for correctly pinning that word to his entire life.

I will do my best to destroy his boat with storms, but he is making alliances with my enemies, the older spirits of the ocean. They will fight to protect him."

"How can he be alive?" I said. "That fall should've killed him!"

Poseidon looked troubled. "I don't know, Percy, but beware of him. He is more dangerous than ever. And the golden coffin is still with him, still growing in strength."

"What about Atlas?" I said. "What's to prevent him from escaping again? Couldn't he just force some giant or something to take the sky for him?"

My father snorted in derision. "If it were so easy, he would have escaped long ago. No, my son. The curse of the sky can only be forced upon a Titan, one of the children of Gaia and Ouranous. Anyone else must choose to take the burden of their own free will. Only a hero, someone with strength, a true heart, and great courage, would do such a thing. No one in Kronos's army would dare try to bear that weight, even upon pain of death."

"Luke did it," I said. "He let Atlas go. Then he tricked Annabeth into saving him and used her to convince Artemis to take the sky."

"Yes," Poseidon said. "Luke is... an interesting case."

I think he wanted to say more, but just then, Bessie started mooing from across the courtyard. Some demigods were playing with his water sphere, joyously pushing it back and forth over the top of the crowd.

"The only way I can imagine a beach ball not being a fun and good distraction," Alex sighed.

"I'm just grateful for Poseidon's priorities," Will admitted, he'd want to go rescue the baby cow-serpent too.

Jason looked like he was slowly being crushed to death by the sky next at these inept versions of deities. Bessie had been in their care for mere hours and was already being mishandled like a toy!

"I'd better take care of that," Poseidon grumbled. "We can't have the Ophiotaurus tossed around like a beach ball. Be good, my son. We may not speak again for some time."

"Because once a year if you're lucky was already a luxury," Magnus muttered.

And just like that he was gone.

I was about to keep searching the crowd when another voice spoke. "Your father takes a great risk, you know."

I found myself face-to-face with a gray-eyed woman who looked so much like Annabeth I almost called her that.

"Athena." I tried not to sound resentful, after the way she'd written me off in the council, but I guess I didn't hide it very well.

She smiled dryly. "Do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. Wise counsel is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. You are dangerous."

Percy didn't look very pleased with that assessment and fidgeted on the spot as he imagined his dad now telling Annabeth she should chill out more and maybe drink a pina colada.

"You never take risks?"

She nodded. "I concede the point.

He looked just a bit proud of himself though he'd gotten the Goddess of wisdom to say that. Thalia sighed but let him have that win while he could.

You may perhaps be useful. And yet... your fatal flaw may destroy us as well as yourself."

Percy was aghast as he looked wildly around at Will now for him to scream 'gotcha!' He didn't even know what his fatal flaw was!

My heart crept into my throat. A year ago, Annabeth and I had had a talk about fatal flaws. Every hero had one. Hers, she said, was pride. She believed she could do anything... like holding up the world, for instance. Or saving Luke. But I didn't really know what mine was.

Athena looked almost sorry for me. "Kronos knows your flaw, even if you do not. He knows how to study his enemies. Think, Percy. How has he manipulated you? First, your mother was taken from you. Then your best friend, Grover. Now my daughter, Annabeth."

"Err," Magnus looked very concerned at that summary. "All of those were outside of Kronos's influence though...right?!" He remembered Hearth's guess about Luke somehow setting up Grover's initial escape from Polyphemus and felt miserable his friend wasn't around to be right, but that only made this feel all the more dangerous. If the Titan had really somehow set up, even in the smallest way possible, to influence Hades's taking Sally in that moment and Thorn dipping out with Annabeth meant they had vastly been underestimating just how much control the Crooked One had over every part of these stories.

Nobody answered him, not even Alex as she twisted her fingers into her hair and pulled uneasily, knowing all to well what kind of manipulation was being implied there.

She paused, disapproving. "In each case, your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos's traps.

"And the traps have failed every time," Jason reminded as he shifted around uneasily in his seat. That headache was back full force trying to imagine a conversation with Athena. Unlike with Ares, there wasn't a hint of confusion on his part how different she felt to her core, in every word she spoke.

Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world. In a hero of the prophecy, that is very, very dangerous."

Will looked appalled those words had crossed his tongue, and he didn't need Percy shouting the book's next line to think it himself. The fine, slippery line of the butterfly effect of who was saved causing other events had nothing on the powers blessed by Apollo. The very defining trait of being a Hero was to stop and help without knowing the outcome. Sometimes that meant a god in disguise would give you immortality, and sometimes it meant you just assisted your worst enemy down the line.

I balled my fists. "That's not a flaw. Just because I want to help my friends—"

"The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation," she said. "Evil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom... that is very hard indeed."

I wanted to argue, but I found I couldn't. Athena was pretty darn smart.

Alex was more than happy to though. "She helped you rescue Annabeth though. If she's so sure trying your hardest to rescue those you care about has no greater purpose, why show up at all?"

"Because she would have cut her losses if it hadn't worked I guess," Magnus said hoarsely, his hands shaking in disgust. These gods really got worse and worse the more he heard of them, he couldn't imagine a parent trying to paint this in a bad light. He wondered how Athena felt about Annabeth's 'fatal flaw.' Was she proud wisdom's daughter needed to occasionally be reminded she couldn't do everything better than everyone around her?

They were so, alien. He was still dumbfounded over Zeus being surprised that he should trust a hero. These gods were so disconnected from the world, how on earth did they function within it?

"I hope the Council's decisions prove wise," Athena said. "But I will be watching, Percy Jackson. I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter. I do not think it wise for either of you. And should you begin to waver in your loyalties..."

She fixed me with her cold gray stare, and I realized what a terrible enemy Athena would make, ten times worse than Ares or Dionysus or maybe even my father. Athena would never give up. She would never do something rash or stupid just because she hated you, and if she made a plan to destroy you, it would not fail.

Percy's heart froze in his chest. The thrill of fear that lanced through him made any time before seem like a mild, silly fright.

Yet when he tentatively glanced over at Magnus, just daring himself to get it out of the way now so the color didn't shock him back to this feeling again later, he still saw the familiar grey color and smiled. Annabeth's cousin looked miffed at the threat and was signing something he couldn't hope to guess while Alex watched in avid detail and slowly mimicked him.

Annabeth was going to be so annoyed at him for being left out of every conversation that had gone on here, she loved to be involved and would have been happily leading each side's comment no matter how goofy to its best end. He couldn't wait to see her eyes spark on him again as she called him a seaweed brain for smiling like an idiot as Will uneasily cleared his throat and moved on.

"Percy!" Annabeth said, running through the crowd. She stopped short when she saw who I was talking to. "Oh... Mom."

"I will leave you," Athena said. "For now."

She turned and strode through the crowds, which parted before her as if she were carrying Aegis.

"I'd flee at the sight of any Olympian at this point, no magic shield required," Magnus promised.

"And that's how you know it's been a good party," Will snickered.

"Oh, fine, I'll attend one if you promise me at least one blood-curdling scream," Nico finally relented with the silent addendum he wasn't the reason for that happening.

Will gave him a wink, a cheeky little one that Nico had no idea what to make of.

"Was she giving you a hard time?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know how to answer that," Jason said as he rubbed at his forehead with so much vigor he seemed to be trying to slowly peel off the flesh.

"I do," Percy said confidently even as he rubbed his chest to make sure his heart really was still beating.

"No," I said. "It's... fine."

"The only answer I would expect from you Percy," Thalia sighed. He'd be bleeding to death someday and promise he was fine while they dumped a bucket of water on him.

She studied me with concern. She touched the new streak of gray in my hair that matched hers exactly—our painful souvenir from holding Atlas's burden.

His hand moved, to creep up and brush at it now. He'd always felt tied to her, assuming it was from their very first quest. He'd never wanted their shared suffering to highlight it.

There was a lot I'd wanted to say to Annabeth, but Athena had taken the confidence out of me. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.

Percy was still rubbing his stomach and well remembered the sentiment. Maybe he should carry a glass of water around with him for an extra shot of courage next time? He was now half convinced Annabeth had laughed herself stupid when she'd kissed him.

I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter.

"So," Annabeth said. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"

"Please don't join the Hunters of Artemis because I'll somehow never be able to get through a quest without you," Alex chuckled.

"I missed you and dreamed about you so much I made a girl who loathes men befriend me," Magnus snorted.

"I love you," Jason said much more plainly with an exasperated look at the pair of them.

"Yeah, none of that, no," Percy was blushing a full neon red and stuttering even over that. He didn't think he'd be able to articulate her name if he even tried, and yet he didn't deny a word of any of that.

The music was playing. People were dancing in the streets. I said, "I, uh, was thinking we got interrupted at Westover Hall. And... I think I owe you a dance."

She smiled slowly. "All right, Seaweed Brain."

So I took her hand, and I don't know what everybody else heard, but to me it sounded like a slow dance: a little sad, but maybe a little hopeful, too.

"Awww!" Will cooed so much Percy felt the need to check if he was stuck like that. "I knew I should have bid on you two getting together by the end of that summer! I would have won so many years off chores!"

"There was a bet?" Percy demanded.

Will whistled innocently like he hadn't heard that as he got up to hand the book to Jason while Percy tracked him the whole time like a predator. When Will sat back down and still hadn't answered Percy sighed and let it go, still brushing at his hair and replaying that song over and over in his head until the lyrics got stuck for the rest of this. It helped to memorize the warmth of her body against him he'd been so missing the entire time here.

[micahthemf]

Why hasn’t this massacre been reported?

Better: Why hasn’t Annie Jacobsen been arrested?

There are several reasons why the massacre of a church at the height of the Sunday morning worship session or the greater tragedy have not been reported by the mass media outlets.

No Victims. Keep reading!

There are victims, all of them were murdered but technically, there are no victims. Murder victims leave bodies, murderers have motives, and evidence is evidence. But the perpetrator here is the CIA. While they may have ceased doing international espionage, they have sharpened their state side skillset. They’ve even partnered with the federal government, held workshops, provide assistance to, and receive assistance from, the FBI, the NSA, and the DEA.

The way each victimless murder occurs is up the CIA officer who assigns the murder. Throughout this entire tragedy, the CIA was utilizing chemical cremation and the victim’s own bathtub to make their bodies disappear. Once the bones are ground, they can be tossed anywhere, they look like gravel.

I actually walked all over my mom, sister, niece and many others at Motel 6 in Decatur. I probably flicked cigarette ashes and dropped a butt on them. Human cremains were the last thing on my mind, I was just standing on gravel. Enough on that for now.

After the body has disappeared, CIA employees or contractors may move into a “hotel” that has been constructed in the victim’s name, social security number, bank accounts, credit cards, etc. The murdered individual never actually dies financially. Depending on the individual and how they were doing financially at their time of death, and what they were doing, or if they had something the CIA needs, the hotels can be occupied by anyone from the actual killer of the hotel namesake all the way to a highly specialized team who are directly employed by the CIA, and have dedicated legal counsel.

I’ve long said, for at least five years now, that the CIA has a hell of a good setup. If they are destroying the lives around you, and you can prove it, the moment you say “CIA” everyone has been told to think of you as paranoid. Everyday folks do the same.

My friend, Jason Rector and I go way back. We may have went for a joyride in his uncle’s vehicle that lasted all night long during the Jessamine Jamboree one year so long ago the statute of limitations should have come and gone by now. Jason and I know each other, know that we can have a good time anytime, anywhere, and not be paranoid or freaked out.

When they started killing my friends, I went to Facebook warning everyone. Jason replied, “When you start talking about black helicopters…” He thought I was paranoid, maybe too high, or just time to rehab. But, I wish he had read. Because he too let them in, and now he’s weird. He and his growing telecom business are now a hotel, the new Jason knows nothing about a joyride that may or may not have ever happened.

If you think warning friends and family is hard, imagine telling people that every word of Prince’s “Sign of the Times” is true and is in part a narrative of the past two years of my life.

When I first started trying to get control of the church and get them out of our church, I copied the media on the letters. They never even asked me a single question.

Some media have called around and asked questions, they have been killed.

Even law enforcement has had losses.

The only way we can get so many on the same page, aware of what happened, and too many for the CIA to kill, is for my Boss to do this thing He’s about to do. Then I have to go to Alphabet Street.

And then… Well they’ll probably screw up the weather forecasts, and have new athletes you’ve never heard of getting all the air time. It’s all about the numbers. That’s my guess, they’ve done it before, that — it’s not really control — it’s just over the top suggestion with reminders, and I know how well the subconscious can think.

I will cover that stuff in the mission23 wiki on github.com. Check out the “Ringing of the Bell” article. That’s what He is about to do!

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #095

(taken december 29th last year; uploading surveys taken while gone)

Have you ever given someone flowers? Yes; I remember one specific Mother's Day I took a jar and went walking down our path collecting wild flowers to give my mom. I'm also pretty sure I've given Jason roses before, but I'm not entirely positive. I want to give Girt some someday, even though he's said he thinks flowers are kinda a dumb gift, since they're just dying plants and all but honestly, I feel like if someone he loves like me actually gifted him flowers that he'd probably be really touched and cherish them.

Are there any lamps on in the room that you’re currently in? Yes, I have a guitar lamp in this room that's always on because I like its warm, orange glow.

Is there a place that you will never return back to? I've made it a point that I simply will fucking not EVER go back to the local mental hospital here if god absolutely forbid I need one again. I'll die before I do. It's literal hell and pure, rancid garbage of a facility.

Does your grass need to be cut currently? Nah, it naturally stays dead/real short this time of year.

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you? A very abrupt and just overall traumatic breakup with a long-time partner I'd completely, utterly, entirely lost myself in. I had no self-autonomy; I lived for him, and suddenly he was gone, so I lived for nobody until I finally started to build myself and decide who I was in 2017. It's a journey still in progress today, because I still don't feel like I've entirely found myself and I definitely don't love myself like I should at all. I would wish the experience on absolutely, positively nobody. It changed me forever.

Would you ever want to get married? If so, why? Yes; the primary reason is I just really like the symbolism and general drive to always be and work together, but I also find it appealing for legal and financial ease when it comes to various processes.

Have you ever abused an animal? Hell fucking no.

Do you think animals are less important than humans? If so, why? Nope. They have just as much right to life and kindness as humans do, and you cannot change my mind. We came about existence and (varying degrees of) sentience the same way they did, so what the hell makes us better? And hey, at least animals don't consciously make evil decisions like we do...

Have you ever been sectioned? I am honestly STUNNED I haven't even HEARD this phrase before I just googled it, because I've been admitted to psych hospitals many times. The term "involuntary commitment" was used instead.

Are you on any medication? I'm on so many meds, and I hate it. I very much hold just how many meds I have been and also am still on as being responsible for my extreme memory problems. They're also why I have tremors in my hands. And why I have a chronically Sahara-dry mouth, like I'm supposed to carry a moistening spray for my mouth with me as instructed by my dentist because just how horribly dry my mouth is actually contributed to cavities in very difficult locations, like around the gum line and in difficult cracks.

Have you ever been homeless? Technically, yes, but I have Colleen to thank for ensuring I had some place to stay during this time. She, in her core, was not a very good person, but bad people are still capable of doing nice things. People are absolutely not merely black and white.

Have you ever had a steady job? Nope. Just three humiliating, very short-lived attempts.

Have you ever wanted to go to space? I absolutely would if it wasn't such a long, daunting journey. I feel like I would ultimately and very easily just cry if I went to and truly experienced outer space. That's the home of our very genesis, like I don't think anybody WOULDN'T cry.

Do you identify as a geek? If so, explain. Eh I guess so, I've definitely got my geeky interests and aesthetics and stuff, but I ultimately just don't care about labels and whether I fit them or not at this age.

What has been the most exciting moment of your life thus far? Markiplier acknowledging my existence lmfao

Do you have a dog that is destructive? Nah, Cookie's totally harmless.

Does your mom like to burn candles? Oh yes, she's big on Yankee candles.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever slept? Zero clue. Nowhere very odd, I'm sure.

Quick! Chinese or Mexican? Mexican, I guess, but I'm not big on either.

How many significant others have you had in your WHOLE life? I only consider three TRULY significant. I uh, think. What I had with Sara was nowhere near what I felt/feel for Jason and Girt, but it was still significant to me.

When was the last time you applied chapstick? Not long ago, actually. It's been every day for like a week or two now... They're just constantly burning and the top lip has a notably red shade above it.

All the people you’ve kissed, what did their names start with? J, T, D (or "G" if you go by what I call him), and S.

What did you and your ex fight about most? Jason and I I'm pretty sure fought most about instances where games came before me. I think. This was just so long ago that our old fights barely exist in my head now. Sara and I mostly argued about RP stuff, which is so fucking stupid and is just a reminder to me of how not worth it that friendship was, we could never agree on shit, shit that wasn't even real.

Have you ever purchased condoms? I personally haven't, no.

What brand is your camera? It's a Canon EOS Rebel T6.

Do you like raisins? I absolutely hate raisins.

When did you first kiss the last person you kissed? It was the first time he visited my house after we started dating the first time. As we were hugging before he left, he like shyly mentioned he wanted to but clearly wanted my permission, which I gave him even though at this time, I was not ready. No fault of his own, he was mannerly and considerate in seeing if I was okay with it and I SAID yes, so it's my own fault. Obviously doesn't bother me nowadays though.

Have you ever gone on vacation with your boyfriend/girlfriend? No, but that'd be super nice one day.

Would you rather be able to talk to animals or be fluent in every language? Talk to animals. I feel like it would ultimately be more beneficial, like others could translate my English, speaking to animals would be a major new thing.

What was the last thing someone asked you for advice on? Uhhhh... I can't remember.

What are some things that make others cry, that don’t make you cry at all? There is honestly probably nothing. I cry very easily.

Have you ever swam in a saltwater pool? No, and I'm cool with never doing that.

List three people you’ve had crushes on. I'm only gonna list people I never dated: Sebastian, Kyle, and Alon.

How old were you when you were first head over heels in love? 16, 17.

List three people you had a hard time forgiving. Jason, Dad, Colleen.

Is there someone you are currently struggling to forgive? I don't think "struggling" is the right word, I straight-up refuse to forgive Sara for invalidating my trauma. I could possibly forgive everything else, but not that. Never that.

[TW: EATING DISORDER, SIMILAR BEHAVIORS] Have you ever tried to starve yourself in order to lose weight? Yes, but it's never gone far. I handle the feeling of hunger quite badly, especially if I am super in need of food, so I've never been able to resist all that long.

If applicable, what form of birth control do you use? I use the Tri-Sprintec birth control pills, and condoms are mandatory for me. Maybe TMI but pulling out is also not merely an option, my partner is absolutely gonna fucking do it. I'm unwilling to do anything less than those three together.

What gender do you identify as? What gender were you born as? Female for both questions.

Have you ever gotten high off a prescription medication? No.

Do you prefer tampons or pads? Honestly, I hate both. Tampons are just uncomfortable and tend to just not stay perfectly in place for me, and pads are like bloody diapers, but ultimately I use pads these days anyway. I sometimes wanna try to use the cup, but I know I wouldn't handle it well for a few reasons.

Have you ever used a tampon? Yes, I think I've used tampons for most of my menstruating life. I only recently switched back to pads.

Did your parents give you “the talk”? No, I learned about periods and sex solely from family life/sex ed classes in school during 4th and 5th grade.

Do you think you are attractive? Absolutely not.

Have you ever accidentally overdosed on a drug? Yes actually, but it just made me very tired. Mom called poison control or whatever and they let us know I'd be fine, I probably just would be sleepy.

Would you ever name a child after yourself? No, I honestly REALLY dislike parents naming their children after themselves. It comes across as so self-important and like the child's identity isn't their own. I worry if I do have kids/a son, Girt's mom is absolutely going to want a Donald III which she will absolutely, positively NOT get. I don't even like the name Donald.

Is there a guy or girl you wish things had worked out with? Not anymore!

Would you rather have a daughter or a son? I would very strongly prefer a daughter if I have children.

Have you ever written to an advice columnist? No.

If you’re female, would you feel uncomfortable having a male gynecologist? Yes, I would literally refuse a male gynecologist, like I'm sorry, but a man picking a career of examining vaginas and pretending it's not something he gets some sort of sexual satisfaction out of seems REMARKABLY unlikely to me.

Do you like Lisa Frank? Yeah, I really enjoy her aesthetic. Kinda want a Lisa Frank-ish tattoo at some point.

Were you ever hospitalized as a child? No.

Do you believe that drug addicts and alcoholics should count as people? Are you fucking kidding me with this????

Will you vote in the next presidential election? Yes.

What’s your favorite zoo animal? Meerkats! Even though my zoo no longer has them. :(

Are you allergic to your favorite animal? I wouldn't know, I've never been in contact with one.

Did you ever have to take home a fake baby in health class? No, thank fucking GOD.

Would you rather wear ivory or white on your wedding day? What color will your bridesmaids wear? Well, I most want to wear black, but if that wasn't an option, uh... idk, it would really depend on the dress. I think my bridesmaids are gonna wear orange; I want a black-and-gold themed wedding and I think orange would work okay. I think gold dresses would either be very expensive or just distracting, or both.

Have you ever taken a poetry course? No, but I absolutely would've if it was an option in school.

What would you name twin girls? I can basically promise you I would selectively abort if I got pregnant with twins even if I wanted children, BUT if I did keep both for whatever reason, I'm rather confident in Alessandra and Anneliese.

Are you named after anyone? No. Well, my middle name is frequently used as a middle name in my family, if you'd consider that as counting.

Do you want to have a bachelorette party? Idk, probably.

Would you be scared to meet God? My totally honest, rather confident opinion? Even if he existed, no. Because if he IS real, I have a negative amount of respect for him so therefore don't respect anything he'd think or feel. The idea of going to Hell is terrifying, yeah, but even that fear won't keep me from what I so firmly believe in these days.

Have you ever questioned God’s existence? Story of basically my entire life.

Is there a Kmart in your town? There once was quite close to here actually, but it's been closed for a veeeery long time now.

Do you enjoy seeing wedding and baby announcements on Facebook? Of course! Those are exciting times for people and I'm happy for them.

What would you say if you found out your last ex was in a relationship? I wouldn't say anything, idc.

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? When it boils down to it, no. I want to keep moving forward.

[thankskenpenders]

Comic-Con has come and gone! It’s been an exciting time for Sonic comic fans with news about the upcoming Scrapnik Island miniseries, a live mural painting from Adam Bryce Thomas, Gigi Dutreix, and co., and more. Also, Penders was there

For a while now Penders has been saying that SDCC 2022 would be where he released the new hardcover reissue of Mobius: 25 Years Later with an added extra chapter and a few names changed, now packaged as The Lara-Su Chronicles: Beginnings. (Before anyone asks: yes, he has the rights to rerelease his old Archie Sonic stories following the lawsuit, and yes, he says he’s going to pay the artists royalties. Kudos to him for that, at least.) While I take every creative endeavor the guy announces on Twitter with a massive grain of salt for obvious reasons, I thought this one might have some small hope of actually happening because it’s mostly just a collected volume of some comics that already exist and not a whole new graphic novel

So, did that happen?

Nope!

But he did show off a new build of the iOS-exclusive The Lara-Su Chronicles motion comic app, which is the main way he plans on releasing these things. He’s shared a few new videos on Twitter, too, so let’s take a look at those. This is what he’s been working on all these years

Let’s tackle these in chronological order. First up: the M25YL “remaster.” (I'm just linking directly to the original tweet because Tumblr won't let me upload more than one video.)

From that first page it's immediately obvious that the hand lettering is gone, replaced with a font. Between the few character names changed to maintain consistency with TLSC and the many translations he's doing, digital lettering is probably just easier on that front. I won't knock him too much for that, although the fact that he kept the same random words bolded is funny to me

No, what really knocks me on my ass here is when we get to the second page and we see that the new motion comic format and the need to show more of the backgrounds means that not even this "remaster" is safe from Ken's horrible fucking photo backgrounds. Here's a direct comparison of how he ruined this panel, originally drawn by Steven Butler and colored by Jason Jensen:

I should add in here that I don't hate the use of photo backgrounds on principal. You can do some really cool things with mixed media! As is true of basically everything in art, any technique can be cool if it's used with the right intent. I was a Homestuck reader in its heyday, and it made cool use of color-altered photo landscapes and images taken straight off the internet mixed with the cartoony characters and original elements. But this is not that. This isn't trying to be mixed media or alternative or counterculture or whatever, it's just a shoddy attempt to save time on a hamfisted tribute to Silver Age comics

It's also worth noting that Angel Island, which looks extremely tiny here, is in fact the same shitty image Penders has been using as his personal logo for years

Next up, an excerpt from The Storm, the prologue chapter starring Geoffrey that will be included with the rerelease of M25YL. He's been posting previews of this for years

This one also has voice acting! Bad voice acting!

When asked what happened to Geoffrey's signature accent, Penders said that he only had access to an American actor, and that he'd rather not have him use a fake accent. The audio is apparently also temporary, although how much will or won't be changed in the full release is impossible to predict. Either way, the wooden voice acting does Ken's typically clunky dialogue zero favors here, and it continues to baffle me that he thinks all of these motion comic bells and whistles are somehow worth all the added time and effort when it's been over a fucking decade and he still hasn't released the first of seven planned volumes

Also noteworthy here is that we actually see the point where the timeline-altering energy wave or whatever hits? I guess? I assume that's what's happening, because the art style deliberately changes from Ken's best approximation of what he thinks Archie Sonic looked like (which already isn't great, although the dog girl is almost kinda cute) to his new style for TLSC, which. God. Look at that profile view of Geoffrey

Lastly we have a preview of the opening of The Lara-Su Chronicles: Shattered Tomorrows, AKA the actual first volume of the series. It's the scene of Lara-Su walking on the beach and shedding a single tear over how Knuckles is dead, as one does

It's not as noticeable in the video, but I need to link to the full res version of the shot of Lara-Su sitting on the rocks so you can appreciate how truly fucking horrendous the jpeg artifacting is. At the risk of referencing Homestuck too many times in one post, this is truly some Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff level shit. I don't know how he did this

And, at the very end we have a special guest appearance from the one, the only... the unlicensed likeness of Anthony Mackie that he is still fucking using for this character. Despite his appearance changing slightly in other art, this page still very much just uses a redraw(?) of Mackie's IMDB profile photo

And that's it! If you've been following the updates on this project for years like I have, you may have noticed something

None of these pages are actually new!

I'm pretty sure we've seen every single one of these before. Some of them are from years ago. If there's actual new material in this preview build of the app beyond the addition of speech bubbles to some of these pages, it's not present in these videos. Penders says that his next priority after recharging from the con will be releasing TLSC Beginnings (the M25YL rerelease + that Geoffrey chapter), but it's hard for me to believe he's anywhere close to releasing anything in the state these previews are in, unless he's secretly sitting on a whole bunch of pages that he just didn't want people to read for free at his con table

As usual, though, Penders claims that the responses from Comic-Con attendees were positive, particularly in comparison to the constant dunking he's subjected to on Twitter. People were even buying his prints. (He also posted a photo of Karl Bollers visiting his table. I don't know what Bollers thought about the app.) My kneejerk reaction is that I find this kind of hard to believe, but it's also like... I dunno, people are just generally going to be polite at a con, nine times out of ten. Most people are not going to walk up to someone at an artist alley and be like "hey bro your prints look like dogshit." It isn't the place for that. They don't wanna cause a scene by getting into an argument in the middle of their expensive con trip. I also don't doubt that there are a lot of people out there who probably see the old Archie Sonic comics he always has for sale at cons and go "oh hey I've heard of that" or "oh I read some of those as a kid!" and then realize he was one of the writers and wish him luck on his new endeavors, blissfully unaware of decades of obscure Sonic drama. And while it's well documented that I don't like the guy or his work, I don't think that's a bad thing! People are allowed to be polite to him. I do not want him to get pelted with fucking tomatoes every time he goes outside

But the thing is, most of the feedback the guy's getting is either polite well-wishing within the context of a busy convention, or people spamming him with pictures of Donkey Kong and telling him to retire on Twitter. And so he's shutting out the latter, and taking the fact that people aren't beating his ass in the QRTs at the SDCC show floor as a sign that he's on the right track, and that Twitter is just full of haters looking for ammo

And like. He's not wrong on that last point! People blame him for all sorts of shit he didn't actually do and take many things wildly out of context and spam his replies for fun

But Jesus Christ, my guy. You've been working on these comics for a decade and the art looks like this