#no editing we die like luke

[stressedanime]

just received +25 psychic damage by relating song lyrics to the treatment of demigods in pjo

[agent-jaselin]

He’d barely been home an hour when he got a call from the Curascantii authorities. Luke idly wondered what could be so dire to the police that they’d not only need a Jedi, but the Grand Jedi Master. 

“Hello?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt your day Grand Master Skywalker, but there is an urgent matter that needs you and your wife’s attention.”

Both of them? That was strange. The officer looked nervous as well. He didn’t even need the Force to see their distress.

“could you explain?”

“A teenager crashed into a minor government building in a modified X-wing two days ago, covered in someone else’s blood and injured.” They explained. “While normally this would remain as internal affairs, several bizzare elements require a jedi’s expertise. We felt it was best to call you first.” 

“And why is that? What details would lead you to call me and not Jacen, or another Jedi?” 

He crossed his arms. He hadn’t called Mara in yet, he wanted to know the full situation before he bothered her. Though the force pulled at him as he listened. He knew this wasn’t a waste of his time at least. 

“Well firstly, the X-wings model, year and serial number match yours. And yet you’ve not announced a theft, and it can be easily seen parked outside your domicile in cam footage.” They began. “And the blood the girl is covered in is a perfect match to Han solo, and yet when checking his status he seems perfectly unharmed. He seemed to think our call to check on him was a prank.”

Luke nodded for them to continue. Could it be an issue with clones? And yet that wouldn’t explain the x-wing. Or why they met a girl covered in a dead clones blood instead of the clone. Meanwhile, the officer continued. 

“Besides that, there was an unknown caustic substance on her clothing. We’ve collected it but can find nothing similar,” They said. “And the girl has no records whatsoever, and no sign that any were wiped by splicers. Not even a birth certificate. When we finally chose to run a paternity test, it was a match for yourself and Mara Jade. When questioned about this, the girl refused to give so much as a name. She also refused pain killers or any medical attention for what seem to be extensive wounds.”

“And this paternity test is why you need both myself and my wife.” 

“Yes sir. Especially because she is a minor, we hope your presence will at least convince her to submit to medical treatment, if not to give us more information.” They explained, “she has been in custody for two days sir, and while there doesn’t seem to be an immediate threat, the mystery of her existence is beyond our capability to investigate.” 

“Understood, I’ll be there shortly.”

[happy74827]

No Ordinary Life

[Sam Riordan x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: The group had almost ran out of options on what to do with Sam, but Andre had decided there was still one more option to explore. And that option, was you. (GIF credits: @heronamedhawks)

WC: 1,179

Category: Slight Fluff, Slight Angst

We don’t know much about Sam as of right now, but I do know I would literally die for this boy. He and Emma really deserve the world, and they fr better have their happy ending (which seems impossible given the universe they live in, but one can hope). This definitely deserves a part 2, depending how well it goes, but for now enjoy the purity that is Sam.

Edit(2023): Hey I finally made the part 2, check it out here

『••✎••』

As Sam walked down the bustling halls of Godolkin, he couldn't help but feel like an outsider. All around him, kids with extraordinary powers, kids like him, were chatting, laughing, and walking to their classes. They were able to use their gifts freely and openly, and they were respected by others for it, but Sam didn't have that luxury. Honestly, he couldn’t remember a time that he did.

All he remembered was the woods, his brother, and the constant pain of being hunted.

His hand unconsciously traveled to top of his head, pulling the hoodie that Emma had lent over to him farther over his face as he tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. It wasn't easy when the hallway was completely crowded by nosy students, but he did his best. That’s all he could really do.

Emma and Marie (as he found her name to be) were by his side, protecting him for the skewing eyes of others. For the most part it worked, except it drawn more attention to her due to that odd system that Emma had acknowledged him about. A rating, whatever that was.

It was cool to know that his brother had been ranked number one, though.

If Luke was still… No, don’t think about it, Sam.

He shook his head, ridding himself of that train of thought. There was no point in dwelling on the past, and thinking about his brother wouldn’t change anything. He was gone, and Sam was left alone.

His thoughts were interrupted by Jordan, who he was still slightly confused about. He? She? They? They seemed to have been good friends with his brother and they were friendly enough, so Sam didn’t really question the matter too much.

Plus, he kinda enjoyed the subtle sarcasm that Jordan would once in a while use. It made him feel like a kid back in school. So for that, Sam was thankful.

“Dude, this has got to be the stupidest thing we’ve ever done,” Jordan had said, turning to the guy walking besides them… Andre. Sam didn’t know what to make of him, or anyone really. He had always been so closed off from other people, that now it was almost a bit overwhelming.

But at least he had Emma, so he didn't have to worry about the social aspect too much.

Andre gave Jordan a sideways look, a small smirk on his face. He seemed pretty chill too.

“Listen, I don’t like this anymore than you do, Jordan,” Andre stated, shoving his hands in his pockets. “But with everything happening, and with Cate… this is our best option.”

“Yes, let’s bring the kid with a bounty over his head into the place where they’re all going to be looking for him. Great idea, Andre. Seriously, how did I not think of it first. Soooo smart of you, dude. Good job. I'm so glad we're friends, really I am.”

Jordan rolled their eyes, and Andre just looked away in annoyance. Then, to Sam’s dismay, an awkward silence fell over the group. Once again, Sam was struck by just how different his life was now. It was like he was suddenly thrown into another world, and he had no idea how to function in it. He was so far out of his comfort zone that he couldn’t even see the zone.

Sam glanced over to Emma, and saw her smiling encouragingly at him. He tried his best to return the gesture, but he felt like his face muscles were going to fall off if he forced them any longer.

After what seemed like hours, but really only a couple minutes, Andre halted in front of a random dorm room door, and turned to face the group. He sighed, his face set into a look of grim determination. Then, he knocked.

Three times, Sam counted. Three knocks.

The door opened almost immediately after, and the man who answered had to be the most handsome human being Sam had ever seen. He had short black hair, a sharp jaw, and a dazzling smile. It was actually kind of intimidating.

“Whadda’ want?” the man asked, his voice a rich baritone. Sam didn't know why, but it felt like the man was judging him. His eyes scanned over the group, lingering on Sam for just a second, before returning back to Andre.

Andre cleared his throat, a bit nervously, but he didn’t get a chance to speak as Jordan scoffed, shoving past the man and into the room. Emma followed, giving the man an apologetic look as she did. And thus, everyone followed, leaving the man alone and bewildered in the doorway.

Once everyone was settled inside, the man shut the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. He glared at Andre, his eyes burning holes through his head, but Sam didn’t pay any attention towards him anymore. All his eyes were on the strange girl in front of him, you.

You were sitting on the floor, legs crossed and a bored expression on your face. Your eyes were half lidded, and you seemed to be lost in your own little world. Andre had mentioned you, a little. Said that you were the person he had called earlier, that you would help them figure out what to do with Sam, and that you knew and could a lot of stuff. But he had never told them how gorgeous you were.

Your hair was down, and looked so soft that Sam just wanted to touch it, run his fingers through it, and feel the texture. You had a cute little button nose, and a round, chubby face that was just too adorable. And your eyes were so expressive, a mixture of colors that swirled and shone and sparkled in the light.

Andre had called your attention and you snapped out of it, blinking a few times before glancing up at him. It was then that you noticed the others, and you stared at them all, wide eyed and open mouthed, but that was quickly replaced with a smile.

“Hi, Andre! Wow, you must be Jordan… Marie… and Emma? Right? Oh, and you must be the kid Andre talked about, oh my gosh. It's so nice to finally meet you all. Sorry I didn’t say anything when you came in, I was just finishing up this thing for Kota. Oh, Kota! You're still here… hi. Wait, why are you all here? You weren’t supposed to be here until 2:00, and it's only-”

You looked down at the watch on your wrist, your eyes widening even more when you realized the time. You had been talking so fast that no one had been able to get a word in edgewise, but you had managed to finish what you had to say, and it was all so rushed that it was hard to keep up.

The only thing Sam could focus on was how despite all of that rambling and mumbling, you were still keeping that bright smile that never seemed to falter. A truly happy supe? He never thought it would exist. Even Emma, as sweet and pretty as she was, tended to falsify the smiles she had. Sam only saw her real one about three times. He cherished them, of course. Every single one.

You stood up, brushing yourself off and fixing your clothes, and walked over to them. Your hand was outstretched, and your smile was radiant. Sam could practically feel the happiness radiating off of you.

You looked so innocent, so sweet and pure. He could hardly believe that you were a supe, but the fact that they were all standing here said otherwise. You had power, and you knew how to use it.

Jordan and Marie seemed to have recovered from their daze, and the two shook your hand after Andre. Marie had even introduced herself, and it ended with you in giggles, telling her that you already had known her name.

Emma was next, and she had taken your hand immediately and shook it.

Then it was just him that was left.

He stood frozen, staring down at your outstretched hand. He could feel all the eyes in the room on him, and he just knew that his hood was starting to slip.

His instincts were yelling at him, screaming at him to run. To get out of there and stay far, far away from you. From everyone.

But he couldn’t.

So, instead of fleeing, he slowly, cautiously took your hand in his. It was small, warm, and fit perfectly.

You smiled again but this time it was strictly for him, because of him, and it made his heart beat just a bit faster.

He didn’t even realize it until your smile has widened, but he had pulled down his hood, letting you see his face. He didn't understand why he did, and a part of him wanted to pull the fabric right back over his face, but it was too late now.

The damage had been done.

Sam didn’t have a chance to scrape off the dried blood off his cheeks, another result of an accidental outburst, and he could feel your eyes rake over his face, taking in every single detail.

But it wasn’t judgmental, or critical.

No, there was something else in those swirling eyes of yours, and it was then that he noticed the little flecks of gold hidden in the sea of color.

Sam was a bit embarrassed, to say the least, and he tried to pull his hand away but your grip only tightened, and he didn't have the strength to resist. He felt your hand go up his arm, unraveling the hoodie that clung to him like a second skin.

The others didn’t seem to do anything as you pulled the material above his elbow.

Your eyes roamed over the scar that stretched across his forearm, and he knew what was coming before the words even left your mouth.

Sam couldn’t bring himself to look at you as you asked the dreaded question, and his eyes were glued to the floor.

It was Emma who answered, her voice barely a whisper.

Sam despised the pity in your tone. The last thing he wanted was to be pitied. He didn't need or want anyone's pity. He was fine. Everything was fine.

The silence shattered as you took a sharp breath, but Sam couldn't bring himself to look at you. Not when he knew the look of pity in your eyes.

You released his arm, the hoodie dropping to the ground, but Sam didn't even register it. He stood there, frozen, as you slowly reached out your hand towards his face.

"Before I do anything, I want to warn you so it doesn't scare you. Is that okay with you? I just... I want to make sure you're alright. But if you don't want me to touch you, I won't. I'll respect your boundaries. Just tell me, okay?"

Sam blinked, his head tilting upwards, his eyes wide with surprise. There was no pity in your eyes. No negativity or degradation. Only a gentle concern and kindness that he had only experienced in these past few days.

Your touch was tender, and he felt a warmth spread across his face. He couldn't bring himself to deny you. So he nodded, and a small smile appeared on your face. It was still a smile, but a different kind. One he had never seen from you before. And once again, that smile was meant just for him.

Suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed, capturing Sam's attention. He hadn't noticed before, but the entire room was filled with interconnected lights, forming a grid-like pattern. They began to glow, pulsating and shifting with each passing moment. The light danced across the walls, creating mesmerizing shapes.

Sam was captivated by the whole process. And then, the lights suddenly stopped, freezing in place. Sam expected them to return to their normal brightness, but they grew brighter and brighter. It was then that he noticed your hands. They were no longer touching him, but rather, they hovered above him, palms facing his face. A peculiar expression settled on your face.

Sam didn't know what it meant, but he didn't have time to wonder because, in an instant, your hands transformed into light. It wasn't like beams shooting out of your palms, but rather, golden particles that flowed around your body and traveled along the lights, intensifying their brightness. Patterns began to form and move.

Sam watched in awe as the shapes transformed into pictures and scenes. The colors melted and shifted together. Light filled the room, washing away the world around him, leaving only the vibrant colors, the images, and your face.

Your face, so close to his. The smile still adorned your lips, and your eyes shone like stars, the brightest things in the room. Sam could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Reluctantly, he admitted that the light was beautiful, just like you.

It was the most extraordinary sight he had ever witnessed. It was as if the sun had exploded, its light spreading across the room. The colors danced along the walls, forming vivid images. Sam saw a field, a house, a family. He saw his old friends. He saw him. His brother, Luke.

Sam's face crumpled, and a sob escaped his throat. Tears blurred his vision, but they were absorbed by the light, vanishing as soon as they fell. You remained a silent observer, watching over him as the colors gradually faded, and the world returned.

The room was as bright as before, but everything was the same. Sam could still see the concern and worry etched on your face. You reached up to wipe away his tears, but this time he flinched back, and the contact never happened. Your hands fell to your sides.

Tears welled up in your eyes, and your lips trembled, trying to hold back your emotions. But a tear escaped, rolling down your cheek. Andre cleared his throat, breaking the spell. Both you and Sam turned to face the others.

They were all watching, expressions of shock and confusion on their faces, except for Jordan, who wore a mask of indifference.

Andre and Emma stared at you, mouths agape, while Sam saw the tears in your eyes, the fear evident on your face.

Of what, he couldn’t tell. As of right now, there were so many things you could be scared of. With The Woods, being the thing that contains most of it all, It was hard to pinpoint one specific reason.

Then, just like before, Andre's voice cracked as he decided to interrupt Sam’s thoughts.

"What the hell was that?"

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box— Trevor’s Caddies Edition

SERIES MASTERLIST

might regret posting at midnight but here we go!

yourusername

liked by trevorzegras, colecaufield, and 12,211 others

yourusername my baby boy daddy sir boyfriend went to the rocket mortgage classics a couple days ago and my best friend number two was his caddy (and i was his trophy almost wife)!

i got sunburned (dw trevy is taking care of me ;)) but my boys had fun together so it was worth it! i don’t understand golf, but trevor was happy at the end of the day, so WOOOO GOD BABY!!! SO PROUD OF YOU, KING! (he tries to explain it, but i simply cannot. i prefer to sit and look pretty)

the day was filled of me catcalling and teasing them and that obviously added to the amazing day we all had!

p.s. thanks for the big girl drinky drinks🩷

tagged trevorzegras and colecaufield

view all 222 comments

trevorzegras you calling me a zexy zaddy in public was definitely an experience❤️ i love you, forever, my preciously deranged almost wife!

yourusername i love you, always, my cuter than a basket of puppies almost husband!

trevorzegras why couldn’t you have screamed that?

yourusername that’s less fun

jackhughes @/trevorzegras that is less fun, zexy zaddy

trevorzegras @/jackhughes die

user44 oh i’m a whore for these pictures

lhughes_06 @/trevorzegras get your hand off my sister’s thigh

trevorzegras luke, when a man loves a woman…

lhughes_06 @/trevorzegras STOP

yourusername @/lhughes_06 don’t worry, lukey moosey! trevor wasn’t rabid at the golfy thingy

lhughes_06 @/yourusername that implies he’s rabid at other times

jamie.drysdale @/lhughes_06 so is she

yourusername and i wear that title proudly

user18 PEOPLE DIED THIS DAY

colecaufield my personal favorite y/n quote today is “swing the club harder than you swing at me”

trevorzegras this was not mine! she already bruises so easily it looks like i beat her!

yourusername @/trevorzegras so stop beating me

trevorzegras @/yourusername THIS ISN’T A JOKE! I TREAT YOU SO WELL! YOU’RE GOING TO GET ME CANCELLED!

yourusername 🙄 psa to everybody that trevor actually treats me like the princess i am and kisses the random bruises i wake up with

trevorzegras @/yourusername thank you!

colecaufield psa to everyone that y/n actually swings at trevor

_quinnhughes @/colecaufield you’re telling me she didn’t swing at you?

colecaufield @_quinnhughes no she threw a small rock at me

yourusername @/colecaufield and i’ll do it again

user26 fuck i’m in love with all three of them

_quinnhughes sissy tell me you didn’t get piss drunk off “big girl drinky drinks” at the golfing range

yourusername i did not get piss drunk at the golfing range

trevorzegras she got piss drunk at cole’s

yourusername that i did do

colecaufield she was watered and fed

yourusername but i didn’t grow :(

_quinnhughes @/yourusername good stay small forever

jackhughes @_quinnhughes you just like the fact that she’s shorter than you

colecaufield @/jackhughes i do, too

jackhughes but did you annoy larkin?

yourusername relentlessly 🥰

colecaufield he somehow found her “adorable”

trevorzegras @/colecaufield me too

jackhughes @/trevorzegras simp

yourusername @/trevorzegras SIMP

user4 cole as z’s caddy is everything to me

user16 aw they played hockey foreplay <3

yourusername AHA I’M SAYING THIS FOREVER NOW

jamie.drysdale i miss you :(

yourusername i miss you too, jamie baby! just a few more weeks til camp🩵

jamie.drysdale ditch trevor and come see me

trevorzegras @/yourusername please don’t

yourusername @/jamie.drysdale sorry jamie baby, my almost husband used please!

_alexturcotte @/yourusername and if i said i miss you?

yourusername @_alexturcotte please don’t bc i’d literally burn the world for you

_quinnhughes @/trevorzegras take her lighters

trevorzegras @_quinnhughes already done

yourusername i- i don’t actually know how to burn the world????

jackhughes @/yourusername we can’t take any chances

jamie.drysdale @/yourusername it’s something you would do

yourusername @/jackhughes @/jamie.drysdale you two are the first to go

user56 i need more sissy quotes of the day

colecaufield “i don’t know what a birdie is but if you don’t make it i will throw my drink at you”

trevorzegras “spice it up, cockfield! hit him with the flag!”

colecaufield “i will take the clubs and leave you if you don’t give me a kiss right now”

trevorzegras “good put, daddy!“ (she has never once called me daddy)

yourusername personally i liked “i will shove this club up your butt if you don’t make this”

trevorzegras @/yourusername stop saying you’re going to shove things up my butt

yourusername @/trevorzegras i need house decor

trevorzegras @/yourusername are you insinuating that you live up my butt?”

yourusername @/trevorzegras yes🩵

_quinnhughes i hate this

yourusername @_quinnhughes i love you

_quinnhughes @/yourusername yeah yeah i love you too

——

reblogs appreciated!

[atlabeth]

weight of the world

series masterlist

pairing: luke castellan x daughter of poseidon!reader

summary: percy returns to camp after a successful quest. luke battles his guilt.

a/n: a lot of you guys seemed to like the percy pov and the pure angst of luke doing all this stuff to his first love's brother percy jackson instead of just percy jackson and first and foremost i would like to say you're all crazy but i also agree. so here you go. title from the jon bellion song

wc: 5.6k

warning(s): reader is dead (i feel like i have to tag this every time lmao). angst made angstier with fluffy flashbacks. tlt betrayal scene (pit scorpion edition). everyone is so sad

When Percy returned to camp with Annabeth and Grover, they were hailed as heroes. 

It might not have felt like it on the road, isolated with just the three of them, but they’d prevented a third World War. They certainly stopped camp from getting destroyed, if what Luke told them was true about the cabins taking sides. 

Burning their burial shrouds felt even better, especially with the Ares cabin’s expert craftsmanship. Apparently it was a tradition because demigods died so frequently on quests—Percy took pride in breaking that unsettling standard. 

It turned out all he needed to come into his own was to go on a quest everyone thought would kill him and not die. 

He excelled during his sword fighting lessons—going against a god would do that for you—he’d gotten much better at using his powers—going against a god would also do that for you—and his team always dominated on the lake during races, though that might’ve just been him cheating. 

He’d even started getting used to the Poseidon cabin in all its emptiness. It still felt too lonely, but he was working on it. The first thing he did when he got back to the cabin was pin your photo on the wall—Cabin Three belonged to you as much as it did to him.

And of course, everyone wanted to hear about how Percy saved the world. He’d told the story of his quest about a hundred times since he got back, sometimes with Annabeth piping in to set the record straight, sometimes with Grover dramatically setting the scene, always with a million different questions in between about how everything went down. 

Tonight was no different in the amphitheater—a group of Athena kids wanted to hear about his fight against Ares again—but he managed to get out of giving them the excruciating play-by-play courtesy of campfire songs. Percy didn’t really mind, though—any night with a large, golden fire was a good night in his books. 

Which was kind of how he ended up giving Luke the play-by-play of his quest. Maybe it was bragging, but he hadn’t seen who he considered his first friend at camp in a while. And yeah, sue him, but he wanted to impress Luke. He was cool and nice and good at everything, and Percy wanted to prove he’d made him proud. 

“—And I thought I didn’t stand a chance, but she taunted me and told me to jump into the water if I was really Poseidon’s kid. So I did, and it worked, and somehow I lived.” Percy shook his head with a slight laugh. “It ended up all over the news. I was a nationally wanted criminal for a couple days. We also blew a bus up, and rode with a zebra and a lion to Vegas, and went to the Underworld— gods, we did so much. It was crazy, honestly.” 

Luke chuckled. “I’m sure.” 

Percy glanced over at him, his brows creasing when he saw his distant gaze. He didn’t think Luke heard a single word. “You good, man?” 

He blinked and focused back on Percy, and though he smiled it was strained. “Yeah. Sorry—spaced out for a second. You were talking about your quest?” 

Percy nodded slowly. “Yeah. The whole criminal thing.” 

His smile turned a little more genuine. “You made front page news, too. I think you became the idol of a lotta kids here.”

“Oh, god,” he said with a frown. “You guys get news here?” 

“Couple New York papers,” he nodded. “You’re camp-famous.” 

Percy huffed a laugh and shook his head. “It feels crazy. I just got here a month ago, and everything’s already changed so much.” He looked over at Luke. “What did you do after you got home from your quest?” 

“...It takes some getting used to,” he admitted with a shrug. “I mean, getting to camp after so many years on the road was rough—coming back to camp after getting this—” he tapped his scar— “didn’t help.” 

“How did you get that?” he asked. 

“You’re always trying to get the saddest stories out of me,” Luke said wryly. “You know you can read books, right?” 

“I can’t, actually,” Percy said. "Not well."

Luke laughed and shook his head, his gaze falling back to the fire. Percy took it as him moving on. 

“I— I know I’m kind of proving your point, but… I wanted to ask you if I could have a couple more pictures” Percy cleared his throat, brushing a few dark strands of hair out of his face. “Of my sister, I mean. Obviously, you have way more of a right to them than I do, but— but Cabin Three’s a little bare. I thought adding a couple current things to the old stuff she put up would be nice.” 

His throat bobbed, and it took him a second, but he nodded. “Yeah. Yeah— sure.”

“Tomorrow after breakfast?” he asked. “I’ve got some free time before I have to go down to the forge.”

Luke nodded again. “Sure. You still have that picture I gave you?”

“Of course,” he said. “I already put it up on the wall. Do you want it back?”

His smile was bittersweet as he shook his head. “Nah. Like I said, you deserve to have a piece of her with you. And I’m sure she’d say the same.”

“I asked my dad about her, y’know,” Percy said. Luke’s eyes widened a bit as he looked back at him. “I went to Olympus on my own to return Zeus’s bolt, and the two of them were there. My dad and I got some alone time, and…” he shrugged. “I already annoyed two gods that day. Figured a third wouldn’t be that crazy.”

“What did he say?” 

“That it was one of his greatest regrets,” Percy said. “And he’d never forgive himself for letting her die, and for what it did to her mom.” He glanced at Luke. “And to you.”

Luke’s chest stilled, his gaze going out of focus for a moment as a muscle worked in his jaw. He hid it well, but Percy knew. He’d spent enough time at home with his mom and step-dad, overheard enough one-sided arguments. 

“You’re braver than me,” he finally said, and he stood up. “I’m gonna turn in—it’s been a long day.”

“I’m sorry, Luke,” he said. “And Poseidon is too, for whatever it’s worth.” 

Luke didn’t look back at him as he started towards the path. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Percy.” 

-

“Are you sure you’re allowed to put lights up?” Luke asked. 

“Okay, Chiron,” you said cloyingly. “I didn’t know you were such a stickler for the rules.” 

“I’m just worried about fire safety!” he exclaimed. “The Hephaestus kids nearly burn down their cabin at least five times a week.” 

“They’re working with actual fire. These are just Christmas lights.” You glanced down at him and he handed you the next strand. “Besides, this is the safest cabin for possible fire hazards. And they look pretty—that’s all that matters.” 

Luke chuckled as you hung them up, and he took a step back as you jumped off the chair and moved it to the other side of the room. You usually hung fairy lights, but with the holidays just around the corner, you wanted to make the place more festive. You asked Luke if he wanted to hang out with you while you decorated, and he obviously accepted. He took all the time he could get with you. 

“It’s so quiet in here,” Luke said as you got back up, taking the next strand with you. “I’m not used to an empty cabin.” 

“That’s what happens when you’re not supposed to be alive,” you mused. 

“You of all people can’t say that.” He huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Do you ever get lonely in here?” 

“‘Course not,” you said. “I’ve always got you following me around.” 

“Can you blame me?” he asked. “Your company’s the best.” 

You grinned and looked back down at him, and Luke gave you the next string of lights. “Or maybe you’re just a little crazy. You’ve gotta be to spend three years on the road with me.” 

“Being around you is what’s kept me sane,” he corrected. “Especially in the Hermes cabin of chaos.” 

You got up on your toes and lifted a leg up so you could lean to reach the last hook. “Oh, come on. Your siblings are so fun to be around!” 

“Maybe in small doses,” he said wryly. “And be careful, gods—” 

You looked down at him, your grin only growing. “Are you saying you’re worried about me?” 

“Always,” he said, still watching you, “but the last thing you need is to break your leg.” 

“It’s a five foot fall, Luke,” you said, amused as you got back on even footing. You hopped back down and tilted your head. “I’ve survived much higher falls.” 

Luke frowned. “You don’t get to joke about that.” 

“I thought you were dead too,” you defended. “That means it’s fair game.” 

His chest twisted. He’d played that day over in his head thousands of times since he first lost you, wondering if he could have done something different or if he should have searched more—he stayed in those woods for a week and a half searching for you before another monster attack forced him out of the area. It was the whole reason he came up with a designated meeting area with Thalia and Annabeth if they got separated—he never wanted to lose someone again the way he lost you. 

He shook his head with a sigh. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it, y’know? 

“Thank my dad,” you said. “I would have died if I didn’t fall into water. And he’s the reason I got to camp.” 

He’s also the reason you ended up on the streets in the first place, Luke wanted to say, but he held his tongue. You’d never shared his disdain for the gods, and he didn’t want to spoil your mood with his bitterness. 

So he doesn’t. He tilted his head and focused back on you. “Do I ever tell you how thankful I am that you're still alive?”

You smiled as you pushed the chair in front of your desk. “I could always stand to hear it more.” 

“Well, I’m thankful that you’re alive,” Luke said. He could have stared at your smile forever. “Mourning you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” 

“With any luck, you won’t have to do it again,” you joked. “I get it, though. Sometimes it feels like a dream. I thought I was hallucinating when you came over that hill.”  

The best and the worst day of his life—he found you again and lost Thalia in the same five-minute span. It wasn’t fair—Luke had told Thalia so many stories about you, and she was the one that brought him back from the edge your supposed death sent him to. On his worst days, Luke blamed himself for both. 

“Luke,” you said, jarring him out of his thoughts. “What do you think of the lights? Tacky, or festive, or both?” 

He blinked, then took a step back with you so you could get the full view. He nodded. “Festive, definitely. Where’d you even get them?” 

“The Big House attic,” you said. “It’s not just full of Oracles and spoils of war.” 

He chuckled. “And how did you convince Chiron to give you those?” 

You shrugged. “You know I’m persuasive.” 

Luke shook his head. “I’m jealous. No one else really gets to decorate their place like this.” 

“No siblings means full creative control,” you mused. “And Big Three dad means a big cabin all for me.” 

“And yet you still get a twin bed,” he said with a smile. “We’re all equal, really.” 

“Like you wouldn’t prefer a full.” You fluffed your pillow then set it back down. “You spend as much time in here as I do.” 

“Can you blame me?” Luke shrugged. “There’s no privacy there. We can get away with basically anything in here.” 

“And because you love me,” you said cloyingly as you rustled your hair with his hand. 

“Yeah,” he said with a smile. “I really do.” 

Your smile widened and you gestured at your box of decorations. “Wanna prove it, loverboy? Help me get the rest of this up before sword lessons.”

“Y’know, I’m leading them today,” Luke said, picking up a stack of snowflake cutouts. He was pretty sure you just took all the rejects after you were in charge of the crafts for a week. “Technically, that means we’ve got as long as we want.” 

“Oh, Luke Castellan,” you said airily, pressing a hand to your chest. “You know the way to my heart.” 

-

“Oh,” Percy said. “Wow.” 

“Yeah. And this is only one of them.” Luke set a cardboard box full of things on an empty bed and sighed. “She made this place her own while she was here.”

Percy took out a stack of baseball cards on top—Red Sox, of course, the only bad thing about you—and shuffled through them. “Everything’s a little dusty.” 

“No one really wanted to come in here after she died,” Luke said. He had a tangled mess of Christmas lights in his hands. “All this stuff stayed up for a year or two before I took it all down.” He huffed a mirthless laugh. “You’re probably the only one apart from me to be in here since she left.” 

Percy set the cards down. “Do you mind if I put some of it back up?” 

Luke glanced at him. “Why do you always ask me? This is your place.” 

“It’s not just my place,” he said. “I… I want to make sure I’m honoring her well. And I don’t wanna make it harder for you. Especially if you took it down for a reason.” 

Luke was silent for a moment as he stared at the lights. He brushed off some dust with his thumb. 

Percy felt bad for pushing the matter every time he was around Luke, but there was a tug inside of him—an innate need to know more about her, a desperation to honor her life despite never meeting her. 

“I appreciate it,” he finally said. “But go for it, man. You don’t have to get my permission.” 

Percy nodded, and he took a poster out, wedged in the side of the box. A Blondie poster, based off the huge block letters above a blonde singer stylized in pop art. It had a torn corner, and bits of tape had been folded over some parts of the edges. 

Luke chuckled. “She was a huge Blondie fan. She brought her Walkman when she ran away—I lost count of how many times we listened to Parallel Lines. Definitely put that one back up.” 

Percy nodded and set it on his bed. He looked at the lights in Luke’s hand. “Why’d she have those?” 

“She loved to light the cabin up,” he explained. “Said it made it feel more homey, and she liked to change it with the seasons. And when she enlisted the Aphrodite kids, it was like a— a HomeGoods warzone.” Luke shook his head with the most genuine smile he’d seen all day. “She really was something special.”  

Again, Percy’s heart clenched. It wasn’t fair he only got to learn about you through stories, only through the past tense. If he could get his mom back, why the hell couldn’t he get you back? Why couldn’t his dad have stepped in? 

What good was regret when you have all the power in the world to stop it? What good was being a god if you couldn’t save your family when it mattered most? 

“Y’know, I decorated this place a million times with her,” he said, and Percy was thankful for the interruption with his thoughts. “She wanted it to be a welcoming cabin, open to the whole camp if they ever got homesick.” 

“So the opposite of what it used to be,” Percy said wryly. 

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “You two are the first Poseidon kids in a long time because of the oath—it was just here for respect. She didn’t just make it into her home, she made it into a home for anyone that needed some extra warmth.” 

Percy looked around, trying to imagine you and a younger, unscarred Luke putting all this stuff on the walls, him helping you hang Christmas lights. You sitting on a bed, maybe what he’d chosen as his bed, talking a younger camper through their fears or their homesickness. You forcing the innate coldness of Cabin Three out and replacing it with warmth of your own. 

“Did you bring any pictures?” he asked. 

Luke nodded again and took a few out of his pockets, offering them to Percy. He took the one sticking out the most and smiled a bit. 

“Very Poseidon of her,” he commented. 

“She loved the beach,” Luke said, smiling wistfully. “No matter what state we were in, she would always try to find one. We could’ve walked twenty miles that day, and the moment she stepped into the water she would be good as new. I should’ve known who her dad was a lot sooner.”

Percy’s hand lingered on the picture he’d just put up. You stood on a sandy shore with your arms spread and head tilted back, and you looked wholly in your element. 

He wondered what you would think of Montauk. 

“This was one of those times?” he asked. 

Luke nodded. “North Carolina. A year and a half in, I think. We missed the East Coast after being in the Midwest for so long, and naturally, she found a beach immediately.” His eyes softened. “She was always so happy around the water, even after she knew what it meant.”

Percy frowned. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Finding out the thing you’ve always loved is the domain of the father who abandoned you is a little rough.” 

Luke always spoke with more nerve towards the gods than any other camper he knew. Funny, considering he was one of the first ones to tell him that names had power.

And he’d been acting weird since Percy got back from the quest. He thought maybe he was jealous, but Luke didn’t really seem like the jealous type—especially when he was already so cool. 

Then again, they did just come back from the brink of a possible world war. Percy should’ve been surprised more people weren’t acting weird. 

His attention drifted to the clock on the wall in the midst of his thoughts—Chiron’s last ditch effort in a camp full of time-blind kids—and his eyes widened. 

Percy muttered under his breath—Annabeth had taught him some Ancient Greek curse words on the road, and he was sure his mom would love them—and looked up at Luke. “Sorry, man. I’ve gotta go. Time really got away from me.” 

“I get it,” he nodded. “Have you gotten any better?” 

He glanced away bashfully. “Not really. But Beckendorf has the patience of a saint. Maybe someday I’ll make an actually functional sword.” 

Luke chuckled, though it was wistful. “Good luck. You mind if I stay here for a bit? I can put up some of her things.” 

“Yeah,” he nodded, “of course. Stay as long as you want.” 

Percy stopped once he got out of the door. Luke’s gaze was glued to a picture of you on the wall, his expression softer than he’d ever seen before at odds with something indistinguishable in his eyes. Again, Percy felt that all-encompassing dread, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. 

He left before it could consume him, but the haunted look in Luke’s eyes didn’t leave his head for the rest of the day. 

-

You took in a deep breath of salty air. The sea breeze blew over you as waves gently rolled into shore, and you smiled. You never felt more like yourself than when you were at the beach, and when you and Luke were constantly on the run fighting for your lives, sometimes you desperately needed to feel like yourself. 

You exhaled long and slow. It had been a particularly rough week—Luke did his best patching up your shoulder, but it would definitely scar—and this was just what you needed to wind down before you started moving again. 

You and your mom went to Cape Cod a lot when you were growing up, and though this wasn’t anywhere close to the same, it made for an alright stand-in.

The click of a polaroid camera interrupted your peace, and you opened your eyes and turned your head to see the culprit. 

“And you made fun of me for constantly taking pictures,” you said wryly. 

Luke smiled. “I made fun of you for taking up valuable space in your bag to bring your camera with you. I can’t not take pictures of you—especially when you’re so photogenic.” 

“Flatterer.” 

“Not if it’s true,” he remarked. He held out the camera to you. “Wanna get any pictures of the sea? You’ve got a better eye than me.” 

“Well, the sea’s a better subject than me,” you said. “Hold onto it.” 

He chuckled and took it back, drying out the newly printed picture. “How’re you feeling, by the way? I know it’s been a hard few days.”  

“Never better,” you said. “I needed a break from the road.”

“I get why you wanted to stop here,” he said. “It’s… calming.”

“Isn’t it?” You spread your arms out, breathing in deep once more. “I always feel better out here. More free.”

Another camera click, and your smile grew. “How do you feel?” 

“Better too, surprisingly. But that might just be because we’re walking instead of running.” You heard his footsteps and he came up next to you. You took the picture he offered and chuckled. You had your head back and your arms spread, soaking up every bit of sun and sea air you could. 

“I look like a stock photo.” 

“Does that mean I can get a job as a photographer?” he asked. “We could use some extra cash.” 

“Half of the pictures are either random parts of nature or me,” you said. “Who’d buy those?” 

“Me,” Luke said. “But I don’t think that would help with our money problems.” 

“All this flattery won’t get you anywhere,” you said. 

“It got me here,” he said. “I think it’s worked out pretty well.” 

You smiled as you looped arms with Luke, and after you gestured with your head, you started walking down the sand together. Whereas you always felt like you were blurting out the first thing that came to mind when you were around him, Luke always knew exactly what to say to make you feel better. “Do you like it here?” 

Luke nodded. “It’s nice. I get why you like the water so much.” 

“At least one beach a week going forward now that we’re on the coast again, then,” you said. “Deal?” 

“Deal,” he agreed. 

“Good,” you said with a smile. “I’ve been wanting to go back to Virginia Beach. Last time, those giant ant things ruined it for us.” 

“Gods,” Luke grumbled, and you felt him shiver. “Don’t remind me of those things. I’ll never forget what their poison smelled like—and I’ll never forgive them for ruining my favorite shirt.” 

“Don’t worry,” you said. “I’ll get you a Red Sox one someday, and it’ll become your new favorite shirt.” 

Luke shook his head. “Your Boston baseball propaganda isn’t gonna work. I was raised as a Yankee.” 

“And I’m here to undo that awful brainwashing,” you said sagely. “Next time we go through Massachusetts, I’ll have to get you one. And we can stop by Cape Cod—I think being close to the water is good for my health.” 

“And I like seeing you happy,” he mused. “So I guess it works out for both of us.” 

You laughed. “We’ll have to stop at a music store before the day ends, too. I’ve nearly worn out my Cyndi Lauper tape, and I need to get some new ones. You should pick out an album you like too.h” 

“‘Course,” he said. “I think we’ve got some extra cash saved up. And if we have to—” 

“We shouldn’t steal anything yet,” you interrupted. “I don’t wanna get the cops on our backs so soon.” 

“You say that like I would get caught,” Luke remarked. “It’s literally in my genes. I’m making my father proud, and I’m helping you. I see no reason not to do it.” 

“Cool it,” you said. “We’re not becoming Bonnie and Clyde at the ripe old age of eleven.” 

“Fine.” You couldn’t see it, but you could sense his smile. “I’ll hold off. For now.” 

That got another laugh out of you as you leaned your head against his shoulder. It felt like you’d been on the run for a week straight—this was the best break you could have asked for. Maybe the sea was good for your health, you thought. Or maybe it was just Luke. 

Either worked for you. 

-

Percy could hardly breathe as he stared down at the scorpion, slowly inching its way up his pants leg. It wasn’t every day one of your friends betrayed and tried to kill you in the woods, but this seemed like the year he started checking things off his bucket list. 

“So this was your plan all along,” he said, attention split between the pit scorpion and the traitor. “Gain my trust, send me to Tartarus, start a war for Kronos.” 

The air got colder, and Luke tilted his head. “You should be careful with names.”

“And you should do the job yourself,” he challenged. “You want to kill me? Fight me like a man.” 

“I’m not Ares,” he said tartly. “You can’t bait me.” 

“So you’re a coward too?” Red hot anger rose within him, and the words left him before he could really think about them. “Did you also lie about my sister? Got a hobby of killing Poseidon kids?”

“Zeus got her killed, Percy!” Luke yelled. There was something wild in his eyes as he gestured with his sword. “I loved her more than anything—I held her as she died, and your dad let it happen. If it weren’t for the gods, both her and Thalia would be alive!” 

Maybe it was a good thing Percy didn’t know that until now. If he knew the king of gods was responsible for his sister’s death, he would’ve gotten himself burnt to a crisp on Olympus. 

“This isn’t what my sister would have wanted,” he said. “She—”

“Don’t you dare talk about her!” His voice continued to rise. “You don’t know her— you don’t know what she would have wanted!” 

“She couldn’t have wanted this!” he exclaimed. Percy’s breath caught momentarily as the scorpion inched closer and he forced his muscles to remain as still as possible as his gaze flicked back over to Luke. “This isn’t the way to fix things, Luke. I promise.” 

He shook his head, and he could have been a son of Ares the way fire seemed to blaze in his eyes. “She died because of Zeus, Percy. She was so close to sixteen, and that meant she was a threat to his power. He sent monsters to kill her, and your dad could have saved her, but he didn’t do a damn thing about it. And y’know,” Luke huffed a laugh, cold and mirthless, “the same thing’s gonna happen to you.” 

His blood had turned to ice. “He knows the pain of losing a daughter. Why would he—” 

“Because they don’t care, Percy!” he yelled, his sword cutting through the air again. “All they care about is keeping their power and their position. Your dad would rather send you on a death quest than stop stroking his ego for one measly second. Hades sent monsters to kill Thalia, and Zeus sent monsters to kill your sister—they can’t punish each other, so they punish us, and the cycle will never stop until we make it stop.”

“And you think that this is the way to do it?” he asked desperately. “By betraying camp and all your friends? We’re in the same position as you are!” 

“And anyone that’s smart will join our cause,” Luke said. “Do you really think I’m the only one that’s upset with the gods? I’ve been here for five years—I’ve seen kids leave for the school year and never come back. I’ve seen kids die without ever being claimed. My own dad turned me away at every opportunity. Our numbers are bigger than you know, Percy.” 

“You say I don’t know my sister,” Percy said, “but I know her enough to know she wouldn’t want this. Not in her name. Not against our father.” 

“You don’t know her at all,” Luke said, voice trembling. “If she knew that Zeus killed her for nothing but paranoia over a bullshit prophecy, she would be fighting against the gods right beside me.” 

“I lost her once,” he continued, shaky but full of anger, “and then I got her back, just to lose her all over again. The gods will never know that kind of pain—if they did, they wouldn’t have let it happen in the first place.” 

The scorpion was at his knee now. Percy was running out of time, and his mind was working in overdrive on how to get more, but he found himself rendered speechless. What could he say to a boy who’d lost everything? 

Luke was the lightning thief, he’d fully intended to kill Percy with those shoes, he meant to turn the gods against each other and raise Kronos, and now he was really trying to kill him.  

And yet, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy.

Percy thought he’d lost his mother, but now she was back. He’d met his father in person. He had a sister he’d never meet, that he would never be able to fully grieve. Luke loved her and grew up with her and grieved her twice.

Percy didn’t care—anyone who his sister loved couldn’t be a bad person. Not fully.  

“Please, Luke,” he said, voice low. “I don’t know how to solve it, but this isn’t the way. You think the gods are using you? Kronos is doing the exact same thing.” 

“You’re twelve, Percy, and you’re already the chosen one,” Luke said. “Hades and Ares would have both killed you if they got their way, and it was your job to stop a war between the gods because they couldn’t see beyond their egos. How is that fair to you?”  

“There was no other choice,” Percy insisted. “If either of them backed down, they would look weak. We’re the only ones that can do quests like this.” 

“Exactly,” he said. “They start petty fights that they can’t finish and it gets taken out on us. We have to be their heroes, and we have to praise them as we die.”

Percy remembered their bus exploding. Medusa, an innocent woman favored by Poseidon and punished by Athena for it. The endless souls in the Asphodel Fields, and even more waiting in line for their chance to be judged. Luke’s quest given to him by his father permanently scarring him, Thalia Grace sacrificing herself for her friends, his sister never getting the chance to see sixteen—Percy himself being used as a pawn to enact Kronos’s plan. 

“You don’t have to be a hero,” Luke continued, almost begging at this point. “You can join our cause—you can prove you’re so much more than the prophecies want you to be. Say the word and I’ll call it off.”

Percy wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of godly respect. He tricked Hades, insulted Zeus, and actually fought Ares. But his dad loved him—or loved his mom, at least. Annabeth’s determination and Grover’s steadfastness and all the friends he’d made at camp—all innocent children like himself. He couldn’t turn his back on that. 

Percy clenched his jaw. “I will never serve Kronos.”

Pain flashed in Luke’s dark eyes, but he shut it down just as soon. “So be it.”

He slashed his sword through the air and a ripple of darkness appeared, the void bleeding into the forest. 

“I really am sorry it came to this, Percy,” Luke said quietly. “But it’ll be quick. And that’s a bigger mercy than Zeus gave your sister.”

Luke disappeared into the darkness and it vanished soon after. Percy didn’t have time to think about his words—the scorpion had reached his thigh. Sixty seconds, Luke had said, then it was over. 

Percy had about five seconds to think of a plan before it lunged at him. He batted it away with one hand and uncapped his sword with the other, cutting the scorpion in half before it could reach the ground. 

He thought he did it. Then he looked at his hand, a red welt already sweltering on his palm, oozing sticky yellow liquid. 

Percy stumbled to the creek and submerged his hand, but nothing happened. He muttered a delusional prayer to his dad, then to his mother, then to you as he stumbled his way towards camp. Nymphs emerged from their trees, and he croaked a plea for help. 

As Percy collapsed, barely caught by nymphs on either side, he swore that he saw you. Did that mean he was dying? You had kind eyes like his mother, an aura of warmth unlike the feverish heat in his body, and it made the idea of it a lot less scary. 

He wondered if he’d meet you in Elysium. 

Percy reached a leaden arm out to you, mumbling your name despite his cottonmouth, and then his vision went black. 

[phoenixkaptain]

Din Djarin and Luke Skywalker are both two men who get progressively scarier the more you watch them.

Like, Luke in A New Hope was baby af. He was a child. Even in the Empire Strikes Back, what a little guy. A tiny fellow.

Then boom, Return of the Jedi, and Luke is smiling and like “Tell these Ewoks that you are their God and that if they do not release us, you will be Angered…” He is in all black, he is missing a hand, he has gone off the rails conpletely. He’s like “How will I tell Leia that we’re siblings? …Oh! I know! Riddles!” Luke Skywalker gets struck by Force Lightning like nine times and still gets up and drags his dad’s lifeless body out. There were moments one might look at him and think, “no, ur wrong, he still babie” but you are the wrong one! He goes into Jabba’s Palace and straight up stands there smiling and threatening him the whole time. He’s standing on a plank over the Sarlacc and he’s still like “So this is how you’d like to play :)” Luke straight up snapped, he got spooky by the end of the og trilogy.

Din Djarin, straight off the back, is kind of intimidating. He is a man in full armour who hunts people and freezes them in carbonite and appears behind their shoulders when they least expect it. But, after Grogu shows up, you probably think “this man is weak to this baby, he will become soft” but no! The opposite happens!

I’m talking about episode 6. The Prisoner. I have wanted desperately to talk about this for days, but have only just found the words to do so. Let me explain.

Din Djarin is filmed and edited like a horror movie villain. Like a supernatural force of evil who stalks his prey. Straight up like a slasher villain out of the eighties. There’s hints of this beforehand, what with Din appearing behind a guy in the very first episode, and the fact that he has been shot point blank (many times) but no matter how many times he falls, he always gets back up. Okay, that’s all fine and good.

But episode 6 goes beyond that. He stalks a bunch if assholes through flickering red lights. He splits them up, he takes them out one by one, and the last person standing manages to get out, thinks they’ve escaped, only to die (technically) at Din’s hand anyway. He is straight up a horror movie villain I don’t know how else to explain it, he is a horror movie villain.

Don’t take this the wrong way. Being spooky and intimidating isn’t a bad thing, especially not in Star Wars! Luke Skywalker and his ability to say terrible things while smiling, Din Djarin and his predilection for appearing right behind someone, these ar egood things. I like these things a lot. I love these. I love that Luke is the cutest little scary fella in the galaxy. I love that Din is the most awkward little scary fella in the galaxy. I think it’s great.

Why do I bring this up?

Well, for one, I have been trying to word my view on Din Djarin for days now. I love this man, I have to mock him or I’ll feel incomplete. And I think it’s a disservice to pretend that Luke isn’t a person who most people in the Star Wars universe think about and shiver. Don’t get me wrong, I love sunshine boy Luke, but he isn’t really like that, at least not by this point in the series. He just strikes me as the type of person to say incredibly dark, deranged things with a blank face, then smile at cute kittens. Luke is messed up, and we should talk about it more because it’s very interesting to explore the various ways he’s messed up.

But for another, I am a big fan of Din and Luke being buddies who go absolutely anywhere and scare the shit out of people. A Mandalorian next to a Jedi Knight? Two people who eat Storm Troopers for breakfast?? Can you imagine how much the fragments of the Empire that are still left are quaking??? Those two would go absolutelu anywhere and the anyone on planet who ever sided with the Empire would give themselves up or run, immediately.

Like, Din singlehandedly took out that whole troop on Nevarro. All by himself, he shot out all of the Storm Troopers and everyone inside and I like to think there are whispered stories about him similar to the ones about the Boogeyman.

Now, I know Luke didn’t actually kill the Emperor and Darth Vader, but does anyone in universe know that? Or does everyone think that Luke not only blew up the Death Star, but he also murdered the two head honchos and came out completely unscathed? Luke is definitely a boogeyman.

I don’t know. Something about two terrifying men walking into a bar full of Imperials only to walk out five minutes later of a bar full of dead Imperials just really fills me with joy. Something about the mental image I have of Storm Troopers fearfully sharing increasingly terrifying stories about these two makes me happy. I like bad people being scared shitless, all right? Sue me.

[lady-ashfade]

Yan! Team Black request:

What if Luce survived storms end and trader found him washed up on the shore? She nurses him back to health and takes him back to Dragonstone. I can see team black becoming absolutely obsessed with reader for bringing their baby boy back to them

Yandere team black x reader. (Mostly platonic but there are sighs of it not being that way.)

Notes: I changed it up from the reader being a trader.

This might be bad but I honestly had a hard time continuing this. But I hope I did a decent job <3

Taglist: @dangerousbluebirdpoetry @second-try-stevie @prettyinblack231

Warnings: Yandere tendency, a bit of targaryen costumes…If you know what I mean, manipulation, obsession, over a just a dream to be in. poor editing.

It all started when you went to fishing in the early morning at the lake just a few minutes from your house. To your surprise when you got there you saw a body laying in the water and on the shore. You realized it was a young boy who clearly needed some aid.

His lower body was in the lake water and his face cover in sand. You cursed yourself as you dragged the boy out of the water and across the ground over to dry land. “Boy!” You gently slapped his face to see if he would awaken, he was alive and breathing but it was weak. You noticed there was blood and a cut on his head so you tore your skirt and wrapped it around his head.

“If you die on me I swear to the gods.” You muttered and took off the cloak and extra clothing he didn’t need. But his pants and shirt where still on, you didn’t want the extra weight on him or it keeping him cold. You went over to your travel bag and pulled out your blanket and set it on him and started to collect fire wood to start a fire to keep you both warm.

After you saw no more wounds on the boy you left him on the ground and went back to do what you came for- To fish. But of course you weren’t going to leave the boy but you needed the free food. So when the sun passed mid sky you took your leave. Even though he was a young boy and small, he was heavy to get onto your house. 

You had a small house out of town and in the woods which you liked because no one was there. Your kingdom was peaceful for the most part and you knew how to take care of yourself. When you got home you placed him on your bed and let him get rest but you eagerly awaited for him to wake.

“Give me a fucking minute-” you screamed as you ducked down as a shoe was thrown at you. “Tell me where I am.” The boy you saved awake after a week and he was out of control. “You could have just asked that but no you’re acting like a savage. Your in Nearva, and I saved your life so stop throwing my shit.” You glanced at him as he stops but still kept his guard up.

“Nearva? I’ve never heard of that, where is it in the seven kingdoms?” And it clicked to you where we was from. He was from Westeros, all across the world where you only heard stories about. “You’re from westeros?” You asked as you slowly stood up not to frighten him. “Yes. My name is prince, lucaerys velaryon.”

“Son of a bitch.”

You explained to him that he was all the way across the world from his home and that you weren’t a threat. He noticed your kindness to a stranger you’ve never met and nursed him back to health. He was great full for your kind heart and soon realized that once day he will repay you for what you did for him. He’ll keep you safe when the time comes…

The time you and Luke spent was pleasant to say the least. He was also sweet and kind. He’s help you in anyway he could when he was still resting and when he got better he helped you around the house and with more. You taught him how to fish, sow, cook but he ended up burning it, but at the end of the day it was nice to have company. You thought of him as a friend.

He thought of you as a sister…a older sister he never had.

Now you both stood on a ship you both worked the money to get, the only ship you knew of that could take you to your destination. It was only a one time trip and you only wanted to pay for him and let him go but he convinced you otherwise.

“I can’t go alone, y/n. What if my uncle sees me and I’ll die alone.”

Or when he would cry and hug you saying he couldn’t live knowing you were so far away. So you agreed to go with him, he promised he would take you back one day….but promises are easily broken.

When you arrive to dragonstone it was scary to say the least.

As soon as your ship got close to land you could see guards waiting for you to step off. The men that ran your ship told you that you both had to go alone and sent u off in the emergency boat.

“State your name.” A man in heavy armor asked as his sword was drown. “I come to escort he prince back home.” As soon a Luke took of his hood their eyes widened. Luke demand to be brought into the castle and that you would come unharmed.

Luke held you hand the entire time. He was nervous to see his family again but he also wanted it to be known that you were on his side.

Once you got into the main room your life was changed forever.

The family stood at a glowing war table and you could see the queen and her husband, and others. Once they noticed Luke rhaenrya almost fainted at the sight but ran to hug her child. She cried and felt him to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. 

He kissed his cheek and brought him back into a hug while Daemon came to say his hellos to the boy. You watched in joy as the family reunite and it made you glad you came.

Luke pulled away from them and glanced over to you and they followed. He told them that you saved him and brought him back, rhaenrya was still in tears when she walked over to you and pulled you into a embrace.

“Thank you for being my boy back.” She kisses your forehead and gave you a last final squeeze then stepped away. She reassured you that you’ll go back to your home land but not after that thank you. And they insisted on you staying and the way their eyes looked at you- You couldn’t say no.

Rhaenrya wondered how someone as fragile as you could have took care of her boy all alone and do all the things you did. Luke told her how you lived alone, hunter for yourself and did everything. She was amazing but she found herself thinking of how dangerous it was for you.

Daemon also wondered the same thing. You seem so…different. He’d watch you more and more and notice the cuts on you hands, the way you couldn’t stay still and had to be doing things. And you’re sweet attitude. How could you survive on your own? 

They see the way luke acts with you. Like you’re the sunshine in the room and follows you around. How could they take that away from him? And themselves because you’re the new light in their lives.

Everyone started to hang out with you and get closer. That’s when their obsession really start. They didn’t know why but they just felt like you belong with them and in their family.

“My dear, you’re going to stay with us.” Rhaenrya sat you down on your daily walks. She told you it’s because she grew fond of you and so did the rest. After what you did you couldn’t go back now.

“Don’t worry. We have decided to name you our daughter. Our own light sent from the gods.” 

You had to stay with one of them or have the guards follow you around all day. Eating meals, having a meeting with each of them through out the day.

Rhaenrya took the role as your mother seriously. She came to help you each morning on your hair. Protecting you like a spider to its young. She would stop at nothing to protect you. As time goes by she can’t even tell the difference of her not birthing you, she believes you are her daughter.

Daemon is a protective and proud dad. He’d watch over you like a hawk and be ready to kill anyone that comes near you that isn’t their family. He knows you miss your old life so he takes you out sometime as a bonding experience. Like you teaching him how to fish or even sword fighting but you can never had a real one.

Jace- Jace is obsessed with you, romantic or not. He thinks your the best woman to ever be brought into this world. He stares at any male who glanced at you, making you laugh or bring you flowers each morning. He comes on all the trips that you and daemon have. He’ll take you to meet his dragon. You’re his sister, and if you wanted…even lover. 

Luke- oh my dear Luke. Like I said he follows you around because he wants to keep you safe like you did to him. He’s always near you. From holding your hand to cling onto you in any way he can. He’s the most possessive out of them all. Anyone who interrupts his session he’ll give you sad eyes and manipulate you to sending them away. Even his mother. You also bake with him still and let the family join in to.

The baby’s love you. They don’t know what’s going on but they’re just happy to see you and be near you.

Rhaena treats you just like her sister- They both believe that your somehow their long lost triplet- So she loves to be around you. Matching dresses and her teaching you things. You two studying together. Her also having her arm around yours. Honey she’s chill but don’t temped her or she will do anything for you.

Baela is a hotheaded like her father, so she demanded for you to come visit her on driftmark after she met you once. She takes you on her dragon and loves how you cling onto her and rely on her. She will throw her hands at anyone who looks at you wrong.

They also aren’t above putting you in a situation of danger just for you to be saved by them if you don’t trust them. Maybe hire someone to “Kill you” and have daemon be waiting there to safe you. Rhaenrya taking you in her arms and cry, everyone but rhaenrya and daemon thinks it’s real. They set it up but for good reason. 

The family loves you deeply because just as the gods intended. Your theirs.

Your loving family- Your only family.



[hughesmedicine]

“besties” | c. mcward

cole mcward x !hughes sister

a/n: sorry that the ending is rushed! I’ve had this in the drafts for months but here it is also got a jack insta edit coming soon!

made this for @starsandhughes 🫶🏻

ynhughes

liked by _quinnhughes, colemcward, _eliaspettersson and others.

ynhughes trip to van was a need🤟❤️

tagged: _quinnhughes, colemcward, _eliaspettersson

load more comments..

colemcward please come back you left me with these lunatics!

ynhughes omw! one test is okay to miss

jackhughes don’t skip the test stay home and wait till summer.

ynhughes ugh sorry cole I’m being forced to stay!

colemcward boo you stink jack.

ynhughes ^

jackhughes don’t agree with him!

ynhughes sorry but it’s in my contract that I have to agree with him when it comes to you

jackhughes what contract??

ynhughes canucks contract! guess who signed 🤭

jackhughes don’t play with my feelings.

lhughes_06 why are you guys posing with a dog? who’s dog is that?😭

ynhughes erm found her on the side of the road!

colemcward yep that’s totally how we found her!

lhughes_06 you guys kidnapped the dog didn’t you?.

ynhughes not exactly!

lhughes_06 not exactly? do tell

ynhughes erm sorry I’ll die in those trenches.

colemcward yeah me too.

_quinnhughes please come back

ynhughes dude I literally left 30 minutes ago, you’ll be fine

_quinnhughes no I won’t!

ynhughes fine I’ll come back

elblue6 y/f/n y/m/n hughes you better not go back and get on that plane, you have a game tomorrow.

ynhughes yes mom! I’ll send you picture updates of the view out the window so you know.

_quinnhughes she can skip it.

elblue6 quintin jerome hughes she can’t and stop trying to convince her she can.

_quinnhughes alright got it sorry mom!

tylerduke so anybody find it weird that it’s all cole on the top?

ynhughes what?? no it’s not all cole on the top, there’s also me!

lhughes_06 stop that is pretty weird, anything you need to tell us y/n.

jackhughes yeah is there??

_quinnhughes guys stop there’s nothing going on with them

ynhughes yeah what quinn said, cole and I are just certified besties🤟

colecaulfield yeah “besties”

ynhughes shut up cole!

jackhughes COLE WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!

colecaulfield nothing!

jackhughes expect Luke and I at your door tomorrow, already bought flight tickets.

ynhughes better change your locks. (cause of my brothers but also me.)

colecaulfield if anybody needs me I’ll be on a flight to disclosed location where y/n can’t find me and where the three brothers can’t either.

ynhughes bold of you to assume I can’t find you, you’re currently booking a flight for Japan

colecaulfield I’m terrified of you.

colemcward

liked by ynhughes, tykerduke, _quinnhughes and others.

colemcward finally can post my favorite photos of my girl, I love you so much thank you for the visit and the dates (I beat her at hockey and she won’t admit it!)

tagged ynhughes

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ynhughes he’s lying nobody beats me at hockey(just ask matthew or brady! they’ll tell you the truth )

matthew.tkachuk she’s right nobody beats her

colemcward lame you could’ve taken my side!

matthew.tkachuk and get hit with her hockey stick during games? I’m good you’re on your own during this one kid

jackhughes ahem @/_quinnhughes quoting you “guys stop there’s nothing going on with them” how stupid do you feel right now!

lhughes_06 gonna need to hear him actually say “I’m so stupid for thinking there’s nothing going on between them”

ynhughes actually I need to hear this too

colemcward same so babe come here quickly

ynhughes don’t rush me but coming

_quinnhughes YOURE STILL IN VANCOUVER?! You better come see me right now.

titobeavui91 sorry but she’s currently visiting me with Cole so you’ll have to wait your turn.

_quinnhughes I know where you live so I’ll be there soon

trevorzegras ew you guys are sick (cute but sick)

ynhughes call it sick again and that hockey stick you gave me will be finding a new home and it’s not appropriate enough to say online!

trevorzegras I’m sorry you guys aren’t sick! I love your relationship so much and it’s so cute, best nhl couple ever!

ynhughes thanks bestie love you!

colecaulfield FINALLY now I can post all the cute sick pictures I took of you guys when you came to visit me!

ynhughes thanks cole! (send them to me!)

trevorzegras he can call you sick cute but I can’t??

ynhughes actually he called the pictures sick cute not us! Think you getting bashed into the boards is messing up your reading , do I need to help you with that again?

trevorzegras oh I’m so cross checking you.

ynhughes try it you won’t be able to!

jamiedrysdale and you hit him in the spot, love it💀

ynhughes me too! If he hugs a stick and cry again send it to me!

tylerduke now you guys should come see me! I miss our trio

ynhughes booking a ticket right now sorry @/_quinnhughes skipping our dinner tonight and captain cole won’t be at practice tomorrow!

colemcward we’ll be there soon Ty!

tylerduke thank god I need y/n to keep me sane around the umich boys.

markestapa all of us are offended, we are not that bad!

ynhughes you are.

lhughes_06 she’s right sorry guys

markestapa don’t come back now.

ynhughes too late tickets are bought!

[books-and-catears]

Hey uh sry to bother you but can you do a Mc who is TERRIFIED of the demons and every time they are threated, put in danger, attacked and killed, they don’t forgive and avoid them even more. They run away from them, in constant fear and paranoia and they hide in their room and barricades the door. They now carry a weapon like a knife or something and stay up with it because they are paranoid that they will break in and kill them. How are the bros gonna fix this?

Oh I'm gonna love figuring this one out. Let's see how far these demons will really go to fix this one. God I can feel this MC's fear and anger in my heart.

Edit: This became so long I had to divide it into two parts. The Headcanons or reactions of individual characters will be in the next part.

Also I'm so sorry for all the delays in answering asks btw. Its been super busy and overwhelming to write like I used to. I get so many lovely asks but I delay writing them or sometimes can't even write them at all. I'm genuinely so sorry.

Love and Consequences

(Pt. 1) || (Pt. 2) ->

Alone. You're all alone here. This was the one lesson that night taught you. Not the angels, nor the human is on your side.

They are all age old immortals who've known each other for centuries. And you are just human who tried to their very best. You risked your life each day for monsters who would watch you die without batting an eye.

If the whole realm wasn't crawling with demons, you'd have run away without a second thought . But the best you could do now was hide, keep yourself safe and locked in your room, clutching a knife in your trembling hand.

"Oh, you dumb little human..."

Your blood still ran cold at his words, at his eyes. Noone had ever looked as terrifying as he did last night. It wasn't him that scared you, though, not at all.

It was how easy it was for the rest of them to not care. To move on, to watch you be betrayed and welcome the traitor with open arms. No you couldn't stay here any longer.

There was the dull knocking on the door again. You prepared yourself.

"MC, please, you haven't had food for days, please open up and eat some-"

"Why? So you can poison me this time? Watch me struggle to hold onto dear life again?" You screamed. "Get away from my door!"

_____________________________________

Asmo backed away from the door, flinching as if you'd slapped him across the face with all your strength. He went back to the dinner table, dejected.

"They refuse to come out. Screamed at me to get away again."

"MC is going to fall seriously ill at this rate. They haven't eaten in days." Satan ran his hands through his messy hair as he dropped a stack of books to the floor. Human Anatomy and more, they were called.

"Luke tried calling them last night. MC didn't pick up his call either." Beel said, fidgeting with the food on his plate.

Lucifer's eyes widened at the news. Then he glanced up the stairs and let out a deep sigh. If the baby angel wasn't acknowledged, the rest of them were definitely done for.

"Mammon you can't keep doing this too! Lucifer, look!" Levi pointed. His eyes were puffy, nose bright red. How long had he been crying?

Mammon wordlessly tilted his plate, all his food falling on Beel's plate. "I'm just not hungry. I'm leaving now."

"You said that yesterday too. Just listen to me. Sit down and eat, Mammon." Lucifer was too tired to be stern anymore.

"Listen to you? A whole lot of good that did to us." Mammon chuckled dryly as he got up and left without another word. Lucifer closed his eyes and leaned back.

"MC really hates me now huh?" Asmo sniffled. "I'm not used to being hated. I didn't know it hurts this much..."

"Ha. Welcome to my world." Levi let out a sardonic laugh. "Have fun, it keeps getting worse."

"Can we keep some food for MC in the fridge? Just in case they sneak out of their room to eat once we're all asleep?" Beel suggested.

Satan agreed, "I don't think we have another optio-"

"MC'S NOT IN THEIR ROOM!" Mammon screamed as he stumbled down the stairs.

"W-what?!"

"The windows were open, there's a rope made of the bedsheets attached to something, everything's a mess, they're GONE!"

"They escaped through the window?!"

"THIS LATE AT NIGHT?!"

"But when did- how- but MC- all alone-"

"There's no time. Everyone get your coats, we're leaving. I'll inform Diavolo and the others. We'll split into two groups and search for MC." Lucifer stood up, rushing to grab his things. Everyone else followed suit.

"I'm guessing that doesn't include me." Belphie said bitterly, still seated while everyone else was up and rushing about.

Mammon glared red at him. "Don't you dare follow us." He was the first one out the door.

"Considering what you did to the last person who tried to include you," Satan said, putting on his jacket, "it'd be better to leave you locked back in the attic."

Belphie looked at Beel. The sight of the rest of his brothers sickened him. But Beel only said, "On their very first month here, MC risked their life to save me from one of Lucifer's deadly attacks. If you were there, they would have saved you too."

_________________________________

"I thought I'd find you here."

Solomon's voice almost startled you off the tree branch you sat on. He was inches away, simply leaning against the trunk, sitting on the branch under yours.

You readied your weapon. "If you dare tell the demons, I'll-"

"I have no such intention. I simply came here at Luke and Simeon's request. They've been worried sick. And believe it or not...so have I." He gave you a pained smile.

You simply exhaled and rested your head back against the trunk too. "How did you find me?"

"You brought me here once. Told me this tree reminded you of one from your backyard and that me and this tree were your little piece of home in this hellhole." He answered.

"My mistake. You're more part of this world than you ever were part of mine." You cradled the knife in your hand.

He turned quiet, staring ahead, desolate.

"You should run soon. They're almost here." It was the last thing he said, before getting off the tree. But on the road back, he kept glancing back at you.

You sat up, alert. You could see Asmo's pale pink hair and Diavolo's panicked face in spaces between the fluttering leaves.

"MC! Is that you?! MC, wait!" Someone spotted you as dropped. You dived headfirst into some dread rose bushes.

Damn your eyes, Satan.

_________________________________

"Surely you knew this would happen." Simeon's voice was low but held repressed anger, about to overflow.

Barabatos sighed and shook his head. "I assure you, I did not. I donot look through the time portals as often as you think."

"Could you not look to see where MC is right now?" Luke shouted, turning around. He was running far ahead than anyone else.

"I did try looking, Luke. I'm afraid it showed me nothing. Someone is obscuring MC's presence with powerful magic." The butler replied.

There was a crease of worry on his usually calm face,that refused to go away.

"Magic powerful enough to obscure your portal? There's only one person strong enough to do that and he's been gone for the past hour." Lucifer grabbed a fistful of his hair and groaned.

"Hey look! Isn't that Solomon? And he's carrying something?" Luke pointed ahead, as the white haired sorcerer walked through some bushes with a solemn face.

"He's.. he's carrying MC! MC's unconscious!" Beel exclaimed before lunging forward at break neck speed.

"I'm taking MC home. They're too weak to spend another day here. You can meet us there, once MC's condition improves." Solomon said, coldly.

"What happened? Where did you find them?" Lucifer demanded to know.

"MC was trying to escape through the bush maze because Satan spotted them in the trees. I was waiting near the exit." He answered.

"By that time, MC looked exhausted, using the last of their strength to hold the knife close. I bent down to help them up, "Don't let them find me again. Please, Solomon." That's the last thing they said, before collapsing on me."

Silent tears spilled out of Luke's eyes. His entire body trembled with worry. Simeon put a hand on his shoulder, barely keeping it together himself.

Lucifer stared at your closed eyes and the knife you still held onto. He lowered his gaze and moved out of Solomon's way. "Get home safe, MC."

Barbatos summoned a portal without any prompting. "I humbly request you'll let us know when MC gains conciousness."

"No promises." Solomon said, before walking through and disappearing.

[scorpionrising]

there's an ache in you, put there by the ache in me (pt. 1: the road not taken looks real good now)

pairing: aemond targaryen x velaryon!oc word count: 8971 content warnings: explicit sexual content, major character death, cheating/infidelity (not really, but also kind of – it'll make sense when you read it), will add to this list as needed read part 2 here

notes: this is also cross-posted to ao3, as that is my primary place for posting, if you would prefer to read there. this author is fully team black, so proceed with caution. background relationships include cregan/jace/baela and luke/rhaena. feel free to read heavily into daena and rhaenyra's interactions too if you so choose

before reading, please be aware that this is an AU of a completed fanfiction i have written called fireplace ashes. you really don't need to have read it though to read this, as it's pretty self contained. all you need to know at the start:

daena velaryon is the youngest daughter of rhaenys targaryen and corlys velaryon; the same age as aegon. she claimed vermithor when she was eight and laenor was her favorite person in the world growing up, so she loves her nephews very much. she is betrothed to jace and neither of them are happy about it. when rhaenyra sent luke to storm's end, daena went with him. when he chased after luke, she stopped him, and this is where we leave off...

edit, 12/18/2023: because i forgot to mention this before posting — re: any references made to sarya. sarya is an oc from the fic i wrote that this is based on. she is daena’s handmaiden with whom daena has had a clandestine relationship that is so doomed by the narrative that they are both entirely aware of it

Daena and Aemond spoke more and more with each passing day. Mariyah was still sick, confined to her bed and face growing paler as the storms raged outside. Aemond had grown surprisingly competent in dealing with the barn animals, so she spent a majority of her days attending to Mariyah.

“Perhaps it was a miracle,” Mariyah said in a croaking voice as Daena wrung out a cloth to lay atop her forehead.

“What was?” Daena asked. 

“Stumbling upon you,” Mariyah said, closing her eyes as Daena laid the cloth down. “The gods knew.”

“What did they know?” 

“That I would die, and they ensured I would not die alone.” 

There was a faint smile on her deeply lined face, as though she were at peace. 

“Oh, don’t say that,” Daena said, taking care to smooth down Mariyah’s gray hair. 

“Ever since my Royce passed three years ago, I’ve been waiting for the gods to take me. We never had children, you know.” Mariyah’s muddy green eyes sprung open and she reached out a wrinkled hand to touch Daena’s face. Tears began brimming as she spoke once more. “I’ve been alone for so long. It’s been wonderful, having you and your husband here.” 

Daena partly hated herself for lying to Mariyah, but if it gave the old woman comfort in her last days to think she was providing aid to a happy couple in love, she would continue the charade until the moment the storms broke. 

“I’d like you and Jack to keep the house,” Mariyah whispered. “Let it be your shelter. Go to Essos if you wish, but let the house remain standing, I beg. Let it still be filled with love even once I’m gone.” 

Feeling tears in her own eyes begin to well, Daena nodded. If this was a way to settle her debt with Mariyah, she would declare this house as royal property. It would be a hunting getaway for her ancestors for years to come. It would never crumble as a way to pay thanks to the woman who saved her. 

“Of course,” Daena said finally. “We’ll take care of your home.”

“Make it your home,” Mariyah begged. “Make it yours.” 

“We will,” Daena promised. “We will.” 

Mariyah nodded, contended by Daena’s words, and her eyes fluttered close once more. Her chest stuttered, but then began to rise and fall in time. Pursing her lips, Daena pulled the covers up the Mariyah’s chin and removed the damp cloth from her forehead. She let the water pitcher rest on the bedside table and filled a glass with water in case Mariyah woke up thirsty. 

When she went down the stairs, Aemond was sitting by the fire in the main room of the house reading. The candles were dim, burnt down to the wicks around him. They would have to replace them on the morrow with the new ones. 

“What are you reading?” she asked him.

He glanced up from his book and pressed his lips together. “A book of Lysene poetry. The old woman is more learned than I thought.” 

“Her name is Mariyah,” Daena said, scowling and taking a seat in the chair across from him. She pointed her feet out and let the flames warm her bare ankles. “You ought to have some respect, you know.” 

He scoffed at her but did not look back down at his book. Instead, he met her eyes brazenly. Despite herself, she delighted in the way the flames licked at the sapphire embedded in his eye socket. The question was on the tip of her tongue, begging to be asked, but she could not find the words in actuality. 

“Our families think us dead,” Daena whispered instead, staring into the flames. 

“And whose fault is that?” he retorted. 

She flexed her fingers and clenched her jaw, wondering what it might be like to fling her fist into his jaw. 

“What if we stay dead?” she asked him.

“If you’d like me to kill you, just give the word,” he said through his teeth. 

“Not like that,” she snapped. “I just— Mariyah told me when she dies she wants us— or Alyse and Jack, rather— to keep the house… and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to stay here and live a simple life.” 

“You wouldn’t like that,” Aemond said. He closed his book and set it aside on the floor by his feet. “It would bore you senseless.”

“You said the same thing about my marriage to Jace,” Daena pointed out. She flexed her feet and tilted her head back to stare at the dark ceiling. “It would seem I am destined for a life of dreadful boredom.” 

She sighed loudly and pushed her braids off her shoulder to fall over the back of the chair. Aemond’s eye was trained directly on her face, seeming to see through her to her very soul. 

“Would it not be better to be bored on my own terms, living my own life rather than forced into a loveless marriage?” 

“That would mean abandoning your family,” he pointed out, “which you would never do.”

She huffed and dropped her hands onto her lap. “You’re right. But it’s nice to pretend, I suppose.”

“What’s the point in pretending?” he asked her. “We are not children.” 

“You’re infuriating,” she snapped. “We’ve been stuck here for days on end with nothing to do, knowing our families are preparing for war! What’s the point of any of it? Why shouldn’t I imagine an easier life?” 

“Because it makes you a coward,” he told her as though it were the simplest thing in the world, voice too placid for her liking. “You cannot run from your destiny, Daena, no matter how hard you might try.”

“I’ve never run from my destiny,” she said defensively, remembering the way Helaena looked at her and whispered ‘Dragonslayer’ all those years ago.  

He hummed and turned to the flames, barring the sapphire in his eye from view. All she could see was the unmarred half of his face, and she could see the strange little boy in his bones. She had quite liked that boy, but she thought he might be long dead by now. 

“I hope they betrothed Jace to Baela in my absence,” she confessed in a small voice. “She could love him in a manner I could never bear to, I think.” 

He slid his feet forward. The house shoes Mariyah had provided for him were neatly placed at one of the chair legs, but he wore thick woolen socks all the same. The heal of one of the socks was fraying and the other was drooping so low that she could see his bony ankle poking out from beneath the pants that were too short for him. It made him look disgustingly human. 

“Which Baratheon girl were you going to marry?” 

“I do not know,” he said. “Whichever one I found the most tolerable, I suppose.”

“How romantic.” She smirked a bit to herself and adjusted her weight in the seat for a more comfortable position. “I envy the smallfolk in this. They are allowed to fall in love before they marry. We must make an attempt at love only after the wedding, if at all.”

“I’d take a castle and not having to cook my own meals and slaughter my own animals over love any day,” Aemond said. 

She frowned, pitying him not for the first time and likely not for the last. 

“That’s terribly sad, Aemond.”

When he did not respond, she sighed and stood up. 

“I will be going to bed now, I think…” She made her way across the room and faltered, turning back to look at him. He was staring into the empty seat. “Goodnight, Aemond.” 

He turned. “Goodnight, Daena.”

With a strange, heavy feeling in her chest, she settled into the bed she made for herself on the floor and laid her head down. Tonight, sleep would not come, no matter how strongly she yearned for it. She tossed and turned, trying to find an acceptable position. Sometime later, Aemond entered and blew out the candles. She listened to him shuffle around and settle down. Once he laid down, he was still. She heard his breaths turn deep as sleep took him over. Irritated by that, she groaned into her pillow and flipped to attempt to sleep on her back. 

“Just come up here.”

Her eyes sprung open despite the total darkness. She had thought him fast asleep by now. 

“What?” she asked. “Don’t be absurd, Aemond. That would be—”

“I do believe we are far past what is and is not proper at this point,” he told her. “The bed is plenty large enough for two.”

She thought of what her mother and father might say, of what Sarya would believe, of what Jace and Luke might think of her. To share a bed with the enemy was bordering on treason, but was Aemond truly an enemy? Not to her, she thought a bit shamefully. 

“You are just saying that to lure me in with false pretenses so that you might sully my name and reputation later on,” she accused, though she knew it was rather halfhearted. 

“Gods be good,” he grunted. “Daena, just come up here and sleep.”

“Fine,” she muttered, hating herself for being so weak. 

It was merely because her back was beginning to ache all through the day from sleeping on the floor for the last two weeks. That was all. Nothing more. 

Pillows in hand, she climbed up and made herself comfortable on the bed. She was deeply conscious of Aemond laying stock still beside her, pale skin exposed. Heat from his body radiated towards her and she was mindful not to curl into it, instead turning her back to him and squeezing her eyes shut. She prayed for the storms to end early and for Vermithor to finish healing soon to take her away from this place.

Forgetting she had not gone to sleep on the floor, she was confused when she woke up to warmth and soft cushions and a weight thrown across her middle. She opened her eyes to find Aemond’s head tucked into her shoulder, hand splayed over her stomach. Instantly, she stiffened. This was an intimacy she had only known with Sarya. A traitorous part of herself was glad for it, having missed the feeling of falling asleep wrapped up in another. She quickly murdered that thought and turned onto her side to attempt to slip out of Aemond’s grip. Thankfully, he was a deep sleeper and did not awaken from her efforts. If it were up to her, he would never learn of this.  

Mariyah passed four days later in her sleep, and Daena found that her heart was broken. Mariyah, who had been so deeply kind and had taken in two strangers without a thought, was dead and the world was worse off for it. 

“We have to bury her,” she insisted. 

“Look outside,” Aemond said, gesturing to the raging rain and wind. “You want to dig a grave?” 

“It’s either that or we let her rot in here,” Daena argued. “Don’t be so cold hearted, Aemond.”

“Fine,” Aemond hissed. “You can dig the grave yourself. I want no part in it.” 

And so she did. Wrapped in the cloak Mariyah wore the night she took them in, Daena marched outside with a shovel and began digging. The grave was shallow, but it would have to do. With all the rain, wind, and mud splattering up onto her face, it was nearly impossible to see what she was doing. Lightning cracked through the sky and a branch snapped off the tree just to her left. 

When she turned to go back to the house, Aemond was already walking out with Mariyah’s body wrapped neatly in one of the blankets from her bed. Clearly, he had changed his mind. She was sure she was crying, but she was thankful to the rain for obscuring it from Aemond. Her throat closed as he gently laid Mariyah into the grave she dug. She had never seen him capable of such gentleness before.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

If he heard her, he offered no response. Instead, he took the shovel from her hands and began to cover Mariyah’s body. He moved quickly and methodically and did not even spare her a glance. With every day they spent together, she realized that she understood very little about the prince. He kept his motivations so close to his chest that she was constantly, utterly befuddled by him. Once he was done covering the grave, he stood at Daena’s side—as though waiting for her to move. 

“I wrote to you,” she heard herself say, voice hushed in confession. “After that day on the rocky island, I wrote to you.”

“Yes,” he said.

Something within her shattered. She had hoped ceaselessly that the raven had been lost, or that someone else had gotten the letter and kept it from him. That day on the rocky island with him had been one of the best she ever had since Laena’s death, and now they would never ride dragons together again. Her eyes burned. 

“Why did you never write back?”

“It seemed pointless,” he said, very pointedly not looking at her. 

“I must confess,” she said, “I do not understand your reasoning.” 

He flexed his hand, splaying his fingers out. He rounded on her, shoulders set back. The cloak’s hood was low on his forehead, but she could see the deep indigo of his eye clear as day. There was confliction written in his iris, and then determination as a muscle in his jaw ticked. 

“Three years ago,” he said, voice hard and cold as sharp steel, “I had intended to ask for your hand.” 

It should not have surprised her, with everyone around her back then telling her that he was attempting to court her, and yet it did. The dragon brooch he had gifted her was proof enough of that, but she still had been so blind to it. She had thought it a friendship, and him no more than a boy with a crush. She had no idea that his feelings had ran so deep. 

“After that day on the island, I went to my mother and told her my plans. She forbade it and told me I was not to see you again, on account of your allegiances.” 

“Oh,” she whispered. “Aemond, I—”

“It matters not,” he said. 

“Of course it matters,” she said.

A great gust of wind hit her directly in the face and blew the hood of her cloak off, but she made no move to fix it or run for shelter. This seemed too important. 

“No,” he snapped, “it does not. Why bother fixating on the past and things that will never be?” 

“Tell me something, then,” she said, pushing her shoulders back. “That stone in your eye. Is it not the sapphire I gave you?” 

“It serves as a reminder.” 

“What could it possibly remind you of?”

He stepped closer to her. “The things I will never have.” 

“Why would you want constant reminders of that?” she asked him. 

“Because so long as I am reminded of what I cannot have, I will not be so foolish as to think of what could have been.” 

Again, she found him terribly sad. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched his arm. 

“You must allow yourself to want things,” she insisted. “Constant restraint is no way to live. Take what you want, Aemond, and let yourself feel.”

Unable to bear it any longer, she backed away from him and reentered the house. She ripped the cloak off and left it to rot on the floor. She was covered in mud and soaked to the bone. It was terrible, disgusting, infuriating. She was not entirely sure what it was, but it was just as likely to be the muddy clothes as it was Aemond’s attitude. She could not fathom how he could possibly be so cold about matters that deserved only warmth. He was sharp, cutting and slicing with his words, as he spoke about wanting to marry her. In this moment, she would have liked nothing more than to skewer him. 

Pulling at the strings on her dress, she began the process of disrobing for a bath. She wanted to be rid of him. She wanted to be clean. 

She relaxed in the tub until her fingers shriveled and the water turned cold. She dunked her head one last time and stood to leave, but then realized the flaw in her plan. In her haste to take a bath, she had neglected to collect a towel to dry off with or fresh clothes. 

“Shit,” she muttered, knowing she would have no choice but to call for Aemond’s aid. 

Surely, he would never let her forget this. Especially not after what he just admitted to her. Would he think she was trying to seduce him? Grimacing to herself, she drew her knees to her chest and called his name until she heard his footsteps approach the door. 

“What is it?” he asked, sounding just as irritated as she had expected. 

“I—” It was already humiliating. “Could you please bring me a towel and chemise? I forgot.” 

He made a noise that could have been mistaken for a snort behind the door. Without voicing his assent or denial, he walked away. Gnawing on the inside of her cheek and absentmindedly scratching at her clavicle, Daena debated her options. She glanced a bit disparagingly at her discarded gown from before. She could put that back on, but the thought of it was entirely unappealing. 

Then, without warning, the door flew open. Jolting in surprise, Daena quickly drew her knees even closer to her chest to attempt to save her from even more indignity. 

“Here.” He held out a bundle of fabrics. “Where do you want them?” 

“Um, just… The floor is fine. Thank you.”

He nodded and she watched as his eye flickered from her face to the harsh scar on her shoulder, visible no doubt from the manner in which she was hunched over to prevent him from seeing her more intimate areas. Having let him see the scar, now, she perhaps would have rathered him see the other parts of her. Somehow, the scar felt leagues more intimate than her breasts. 

“It happened in the Stepstones,” she said, unsure why she kept him in here. 

She really ought to have sent him away, and perhaps in every other life she did. But, in this one, she did not. 

Aemond’s cheeks darkened in a flush. 

“How?” he asked. 

His eye was trained so singularly on her face that she knew he was making a concerted effort not to look elsewhere. 

“I was fighting on the ground,” Daena explained. “Turned my back on an opponent I thought was dead.” 

Could he hear the undercutting questions in her words? Can I turn my back to you, Aemond? Can I trust you? Once, she might have said yes easily.  

“I hope you gave the craven the death he deserved,” Aemond said, nodding sharply. “There is no honor in that.”

She looked at him, and he her. Slowly, she felt the barest of smiles tug at her lips. Each and every day, he surprised her. Whether it was good or bad, she did not know, and she suspected she would not know until it was far too late. 

Without another word, he left the room. Left alone, she dressed herself slowly. 

Three years ago, I intended to ask for your hand. If he had done it, she would not have wanted it—and yet, she could not help but think about how different things would be if he had. Would things be better? Perhaps so; she could have bridged the gap between Luke and Aemond. That alone would have certainly changed a great many things.  

Perhaps the time on the island had driven her mad, but she felt her bare feet pad along the floor until she found Aemond in the bedroom. Again, he looked achingly human. His bony ankles were visible beneath of cuff of his breeches, and his soft tunic was bunched up at the elbows. She stood in the doorway, merely watching. If he was aware of her presence, he gave no indication, and even if he was; he was surely unaware of how entranced she was by the way his hair fell in silken sheets around his shoulders. He was as severe as he was beautiful.

“Answer me this,” she said, breaking the silence.

His shoulders drew taut as he slowly turned to face her. 

“What makes you believe you could never have me?” 

He scoffed. “Our families are at war. Even before, it would have never been possible.” 

She would have agreed to it, had the matter been raised. Seeing him in such mundanity, tending to animals and reading under the low light of the candles, made it impossible to hate him. He was no enemy. He was merely a man led astray, but his heart was good and his soul nowhere near as black as he would like her to believe. 

“Do not think of our families,” Daena said. “Think only of yourself and how you feel. That is how you take care of yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go to bed.” 

Fingers curling into the material of the chemise at her thighs, Daena pushed past him and began to pull at the bed covers. Whatever she had been thinking before, it was a spark of delusion and madness. Clearly he could not see past his inflated sense of self, and he never would. And she was merely entertaining it because she was bored. Grimacing, she fluffed violently at her pillow. 

His long and slender fingers wrapped around the crook of her elbow, and he pulled her towards him without any sense of warning. She was not proud of the gasp she let out in response; sharp and high-pitched. The sapphire embedded in his eye socket—the sapphire she had given him—glinted in the candlelight. He was so close. 

“Could I have had you?” he asked, voice low and rushed. 

“I would not have minded if you asked,” she answered. 

Aemond’s grip on her tightened, and if he clenched any harder she was sure bruises would begin to take form. She considered, briefly, smacking him away, but she did not mind the weight of his grip in all truth. She and Sarya often gripped one another in far greater passions. Besides, she liked seeing Aemond unfurled. 

“I have always known what you are, Aemond,” Daena whispered. 

“And what am I, my lady?” 

“A strange boy with a crush,” she said, tilting her head back. “But I have always been more than fond of strange things.” 

She really ought to have expected it after goading him, but his kiss shocked her all the same. His lips landed on the corner of her mouth, sideways down her chin, as though he were unused to the act. Adjusting, she tilted her head to the side to turn the kiss into a proper one. His hands, clutching her hips in a vice, burned at her skin through her chemise. Enthralled by the feeling, she curled her fingers around the sides of his neck, bringing one hand up into the roots of his hair. 

However inexperienced he was, he made up for it in enthusiasm. Aemond grasped at her, trailing all across her body as though he were attempting to create a map of her bones. She pushed up onto her toes, tightening her grip on his hair, and gnashed her teeth into his mouth. She took his bottom lip between her teeth and bit down just beyond gently. When his mouth fell open, she slipped her tongue against the roof of his mouth. His hips jolted against hers as a sharp gasp tumbled from his lips. 

“Are you going to take me or not?” she mumbled against his neck.

“Please,” he gasped out as she scraped her teeth against his skin. 

“Do you want me, Aemond?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me,” she whispered, tugging on his hair. “How do you want me?” 

He groaned, low and guttural; rigid against her. His grip only tightened. 

“I want—” His head fell forward, atop hers. “I want to taste you.”

Daena pulled away from Aemond, a wicked grin spreading across her full and swollen lips. Holding eye contact, she stepped backwards until she was sat upon the edge of the bed. Then, with Aemond’s attention captured entirely, she spread her legs and pulled the hem of her chemise up slowly, tantalizingly. 

“Get on your knees, then,” she said.

Aemond fell without a blink. His fingertips traced along her ankles and then slowly crept up her leg, flexing his entire palm against her skin once he reached her thighs. She could feel his breath against her, his mouth open but still so terribly far from latching onto her as she wanted him to. 

“My prince,” she groaned, reaching for the top of his head. “Please.” 

He complied, pressing his tongue flat to her. There was no hesitation in his actions; he licked with confidence and precision, shocking her because she struggled to imagine him experienced. He groaned against her, hooking his arms beneath her thighs and pulling her as close to his face as possible. She was unable to keep the shrill moan from escaping her throat. 

“Aemond,” she gasped. It was a breathy sort of thing, pulled in a wisp from her lungs. “Use… fingers!” 

Ever the apt listener, he dipped a single finger into her. The moan she let out then was a pitched and trilling squeal. His single finger was the size of two of Sarya’s and reached to far deeper places than Sarya’s petite hands had been able to reach. He pumped the finger in and out, slowly and surely, and grinned against her. Two more fingers then, shoved inside her at once. She collapsed backwards onto the bed with a loud moan. He was relentless in his ministrations, going at a rapid pace until she was writhing and squirming and gasping for air. Swiping her arm over her forehead, she pushed herself up to look down at him. 

His face was covered in her, glistening in the flickering, dying light. She swiped her tongue across her bottom lip. She grabbed a fistful of his tunic and yanked at it to get it off him. Catching on, he moved to help her. There was a heavy silence between them, but he moved onto the bed—hovering over her—without her even needing to tell him what she wanted. 

She stared up at him, lips parted ever so slightly. His hair hung down in a silky curtain, framing his face. Palms shaking, she reached up and pressed her hand to his face. She arched her neck up and brushed her lips softly, gently, tenderly over his scarred forehead. The sapphire buried within his eye socket seemed to glow, keeping her attention rapt. Her thumb trailed along the underside of his eye, brushing against his long lower lashes. He was silent in her arms, stoic above her. 

Afraid to speak, lest she say something too intimate, too weak, too revealing, she pulled his face down and licked herself from his lips. His teeth gnashed against her lip as though he wanted to swallow her whole. Briefly, as she fumbled with the buttons on his breeches, she thought she might let him. They did not speak, not even as she pushed him up against the headboard and sat herself on his lap. He was hard against her inner thigh, but she ignored it for the time being. Instead, she tugged his mouth down to her neck. He licked, bit, and sucked at the flesh, drawing heavy gasps for air from her lungs. 

Chemise sticking to her with sweat, Daena pushed him back to begin ripping at the strings to get it off her. Aemond picked up on it and yanked the shift roughly over her head. His eye flickered down to her heaving breasts and a spike of confidence shot through her when she noticed how his cheeks flushed a darker shade at the sight. 

“Daena,” he gasped out, voice heady and broken. “I… want—” 

“I’ll give you whatever you want,” she promised, moving her hands to cradle his face. 

Pulling him in for another angry kiss, she shifted her hips so that she could sink herself down onto him. It was a sensation she had never felt before, reaching places she had never known existed. Tears she did not quite understand burned in her eyes, but she continued to sink down until there was nowhere else for her to go. A groan that sounded more animal than human burst from her as she collapsed against his chest. His hands were hot as coals against her thighs, fingers sure to leave burnt impressions. 

Delirious, she dropped her forehead against his and began to move her hips in slow, rocking circles. He swore quietly, tightening his grip on her legs. 

“Seven… hells,” he grunted.  

She continued until she found a pace that cut her breath off at the base of her throat, where the tip of him hit a place deep within her that caused her vision to go black and her jaw to go slack. 

“Aemond.” She exhaled his name, unable to think of anything else but the man beneath her. She wanted to burrow herself within him and find a home within his bones, tucked into his ribs. Every bit of him had invaded her, and she was loath to let it end. This bubble they had created; she wanted it to exist for as long as she could sustain it. Here, they were leagues away from the people they had been and the circumstances that brought them to this island. Here, they were just Alyse and Jack. Here, they were free. 

She let him spill within her after she reached her peak, and then collapsed once more against him. It was easy to fall asleep, exhausted and spent, within his arms. 

Daena awoke with the first light of morning, as she always did. Naked and sticky with the dried sweat of the night before, she and Aemond were still tangled together; his face pressed into the crook of her neck. She was flooded with a wretched sort of feeling, unable to bear being within his grasp. As gently as she could, she removed herself from his arms and reached down to the floor for her chemise. She dressed quickly and sprinted away from the room. 

Unsure if it was more shame or guilt that was flooding through her, she tucked herself into one of the armchairs by the unlit fire and stared into the blackened hearth. If she ever got away from here—if they ever got away from here—how could she possibly hope to look her family in the eye? How could she face Luke, knowing she had sworn to give the uncle who tormented him anything he wanted whilst in the thralls of passion. 

A mistake, she decided. That is all it was. A mistake driven from flaring tempers and boredom. That was all it could be; nothing more. 

Even so, she could not help but wish in the deepest and darkest depths of her soul for the opportunity to make the mistake again. 

A noise from the bedroom informed her that Aemond had woken up. When he came into the main room of the house, their eyes met. After perhaps a moment too long, he tore his gaze away from hers and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the table and stalked back into the bedroom with that infuriating slow strut of his. 

They did not speak that day, nor the next. Daena resigned herself to sleeping curled up in the armchair, drawing idly on loose slips of parchment she found around the house until she fell asleep. She mourned the tenuous friendship they had begun to restore in the days past as she did her best to ignore the growing knot in her neck from sleeping in the chair. It truly felt as though they were destined to be on opposing sides, never to truly know each other. She wished he never told her he wanted to marry her. Now, her mind was consumed by thoughts of what could have been and what could still be. It was also how she knew him a liar; if he did not dwell on the past, then he would have forgotten the matter entirely. But he had not, and so she knew he did care. 

She would have agreed, she thought to herself as she drew Vermithor’s scales. If he had asked her, she would have married him. It was a terrifying, fleeting thought— and perhaps it was a betrayal of Luke, of Sarya, and, now, of Jace. Still, she could not deny that she liked Aemond well enough. She had been fond of him even when they were children and he smashed her head with a rock. She enjoyed his presence, despite his generally unpleasant demeanor. He was a friend, and she would have liked to marry a friend. She could have been happy in a marriage of friendship. If he had been allowed, she would have accepted. 

But perhaps he was correct, and there was no use on dwelling on these things. What did it lead to but unhappiness?

She was curled up in a chair by the fire while Aemond tended to the barn animals, proving once more that he cared far more deeply for things than he liked to pretend. She flipped the page of the parchment back to the portrait she had drawn of Aemond while he slept. In the sketched plains of his face, she could see the strange and innocent boy beneath the cruel man. Pursing her lips, she tore the page and crumpled it. Just as he said, no use in dwelling on things she could not change. 

He entered in with a wet gust of wind behind him. He made a grumbling noise as he kicked off his boots and undid the cloak, which really only served to make her laugh. He glared in her direction and stalked off, likely to wash up from being in the barn. Heaving a great sigh, Daena got out of the chair to scrounge together a meal for them. They ate like the smallfolk in Flea Bottom, and Daena was miserable for it. Their lack of communication made the bland food all the worse. 

She brought the pot of stew to the hearth and let it come to a boil. Mariyah, in all her elderly wisdom, had planned on a long hurricane season and had gathered enough produce to last them the entirety of it. Aemond emerged from the washroom just as she was removing the pot from the fire. She offered him a tight smile and averted her eyes to began spooning stew into bowls for them to eat. 

They sat silently on opposite sides of the table, pointedly not looking at each other. It made her want to scream and cry and rip her hair from its roots and throw the bowl at him. It was suffocating, and she just wanted to be done with it.

It was he, who broke their days-long silence, pushing his bowl away from him and leaning back against the chair. “I apologize,” he said stiffly, “for taking advantage the other night. It was… unworthy of me.”

Daena stared at him blankly, astounded. Then, a laugh that could be classified as nothing other than a cackle burst from her lips. His lips pursed at the sound, clearly displeased by her reaction. 

“That is what you apologize for?” she asked, gasping for breath between words. “Oh, Aemond… I am hardly a blushing maiden.”

At that, a flush crept up his cheeks. 

“The other night might have been a moment of weakness that can and will never happen again, but you did not take advantage.” 

“Well, I apologize nonetheless.” His cheeks were flushed with blood. “And, yes. Never again.” 

She bit the inside of her cheeks as her mind cycled through all the motions of their mistake. As far as mistakes go, it had been her most enjoyable one. 

“You ought to sleep in the bed again,” Aemond said after another long silence as they cleaned up the kitchen. “I can tell your neck is bothering you.” 

Her hand flew to the crook of her neck on instinct. She ripped it away just as quickly. 

“I’m quite fine.”

“Then allow me to take the chair or floor.”

“No, that is not necessary,” she insisted, turning away from him to stare out the window. The rain beat mercilessly on the glass. Like it was trying to bring not just the home, but the entire island down. “You sustained more injuries than I did in the fall, and the fault for that lies in my hands.” 

She chose to leave out the fact that it was his actions that forced her hand, because at this point that was neither here nor there. 

“Then perhaps I sleep in the other room—”

“Mariyah just died on that bed!” Daena exclaimed, half scandalized. She was tired of this conversation. “We will continue as we have.” 

“Daena, you cannot—”

“And yet, I will!” she shrieked. Instantly embarrassed, she sucked in a long, slow breath and turned back around to face him. “It is different for me.” 

He said nothing, merely staring at her. Gods, how he infuriated her, how he wiggled beneath her skin and stuck there, how he could see right through her. 

“If anyone were to discover we were here alone, you would be perfectly fine. I would be…” She thought back to what he hissed at her when he woke. “Ruined.” 

He opened his mouth to speak, but she pushed on. 

“Our mistake, for you, is a story to tell someday. For me, it is nothing less than betrayal.” 

“Betrayal.” He scoffed, a sudden glint of venom in his iris. “And what do you call my part, then? Do I not betray my family every moment you remain breathing?” 

“Kill me, then, and be done with it!” Daena threw her hands up. “Please, I beg you. Do it, because I will never be able to kill you as I know I ought to.” 

He blinked at her, stunned into silence by her manic plea. Frustrated tears brimming in her eyes, Daena stomped away from him and into the washroom. She sank to her knees and remained there until she heard no sounds of movement. Praying that it meant Aemond was asleep, Daena crept out and back into the main room. 

She was stopped in her tracks, however, by the sight of Aemond fast asleep on the very armchair she had made her bed the last few nights. One leg was propped up on the cushioned footrest while the other was sprawled onto the floor. Even in her hatred of him— if she could call it that— she was touched by the display. There was hope for him yet, goodness that bubbled beneath the surface. In an effort to repay the kindness, she grabbed a quilt from the chest by the fireplace and laid it over his lap. 

They had perhaps left things worse than they ever were before between them, but Daena would deal with those consequences once morning came. Now, she was bone weary and just wanted to sleep. She slept like the dead once her head hit the pillows, though in her dreams Aemond’s face taunted her. In the morning, she woke with a deep, aching need between her legs. Disgusted with herself, Daena kept herself confined within the walls of the bedchamber until she thought she might collapse from hunger. When she pulled the door open, however, she found herself face-to-face with Aemond—a plate of food and mug of mead in hand. His mouth fell open just a bit as she tripped herself to avoid walking right into him. 

“You have not eaten,” he said in a hoarse voice. “It is getting late… I thought you might like some food.”

“Thank you,” she said, unable to do much anything else than focus on his lavender iris boring into her. “How very thoughtful, my prince.” 

“Aemond,” he said suddenly. “Just— Call me Aemond.”

Oh. 

“Very well,” she said. “Aemond.” 

“I wanted to thank you… for the blanket last night.” He shuffled closer infinitesimally. The mug was shaking ever so slightly in his clenched fist. “And, I was thinking… here, we can just be…” 

She pulled the plate and mug from his hands and dropped them onto the small table in the room, discarded to be forgotten. Sighing, she pushed her braids over her shoulder and turned back to him. Did she haunt his dreams as he did hers? 

“We can just be… what, Aemond?” 

“I—” He opened his mouth and closed it thrice. “You said to take what I want.” 

A whirling thrill spiked in her blood, the ache inside of her leading her straight to him.  

“A mistake it might be, but what does it matter?” he asked. “We are alone.”

“I suppose it doesn’t,” she admitted. 

Taking him to her bed once, twice, or however many times mattered not so long as it ceased once they returned to where they belonged. She just liked to see him finally breaking free of that hardened shell he encased himself in. He kissed her, then, and she forgot all about her hunger for food. All she hungered for was him. His fingers yanked at the curls at the base of her skull, forcing her head back so that he could kiss down her jaw and neck. 

There were no words shared between them. Perhaps that would be too personal, too indicative of their wrongdoing. Neither took the time to undress, merely hiking up her chemise and shoving down his breeches.  They fell backwards onto the bed just as he pushed himself inside her. She gasped into his mouth, digging her nails into his cheekbones and looping her legs around his waist to pull him close. 

They continued at that pace until they were fully spent; collapsed upon one another. Daena yawned loudly, reaching her hand out to grab hold of the apple Aemond put on the plate for her. The generosity of it did not escape her; those apples seemed to be the only thing that made him even a shade of content. She took several bites of it before offering it out to Aemond. As though it were a natural sort of thing to do. And he took a bite from her hand, half convincing her this were a dream. When the apple was nothing but a discarded core and the bread nothing but crumbs, it was Daena who pounced on Aemond. Now that she had been given a taste, she was insatiable. And it seemed, so was he. 

But, it was more languid this time. He did not hurry himself as he mouthed at her neck and began to pull at the strings on her chemise. She wanted to touch him, but quickly lost all means to do so when he pulled her chemise off and began to kiss down her torso. Her breath hitched at the base of her throat and delirium flooded her veins as she became enthralled in the pleasure she wrought from him. 

“Seven Hells,” she groaned out, tossing her head back against the pillows. 

She could feel Aemond’s lips curl upwards into a smile as he traced his tongue along her hip bone in response. 

Much later, when they had tired themselves out entirely, he laid himself down beside her, resting his head on her bare chest. It was strange, how easy it was to simply be with him— and it terrified her as much as it befuddled her. But, then, it had always been easy with Aemond. They fell asleep like that, tangled together, pressed closer than close. Daena had never slept better in her life. 

“I would never ruin you,” he spoke quietly against her collarbone one night some weeks later. She had long since stopped keeping track of the days as they passed, dreary and thunderous as they were. 

Daena stilled beneath him. “What?” 

“Your reputation,” he said, “I would never allow it to fall to ruin.” 

For some reason, she believed him and kissed him hard on the mouth for the first time outside the thralls of passion. He returned the kiss with vigor and they fell asleep in the middle of it, which she had also never done before. 

When morning came, she awoke to a thunderous roar outside her window. Gasping, she shot up and looked around, scrambling to pull her chemise over her head. She knew that roar. Barefoot and without any protection from the weather, she sprinted outside, past Aemond who was slowly blinking his eyes and sitting up from the commotion she caused. Toes digging into the mud, Daena ran from the house to Vermithor. 

His bronze scales were like the rays of the sun amidst all the rain. Grinning, she flung herself forward. 

“My brave boy,” she wept, pressing her forehead to his snout. 

He snuffed and knocked his snout against her head. Laughing, she kissed one of his horns and stepped back to examine him. 

“How is your wing, hm?” she asked, walking around to take in his form.

He flared his wings out as though to prove he was in perfect condition. She reached her hand out to stroke the wing that had been injured when they took down Vhagar. She could see the scar tissue, but the tendons were healed and strong. She could go home. As though sensing her realization, he tilted his head back, opened his jaws wide, and screeched so loud that the trees shook. His hind legs stomped the ground, as though he were preparing for takeoff. It was everything she wanted to hear. 

“What are you doing?” Aemond shouted, standing in the threshold of the doorway.

Vermithor’s neck snaked around and he positioned himself firmly between Daena and Aemond. He remembered Aemond from the attack, and he did not trust the prince. Laughing at her dragon’s protection, she stepped forward and placed her hand on the underside of Vermithor’s jaw. He grumbled quietly and settled. 

“Umbagon,” she ordered before walking back to the house.

Aemond was staring at her like he found her mad. At least that had not changed. She pushed her wet braids from her face. 

“Vermithor is healed,” she said. 

“I can see that,” he said. He held out a large blanket for her. “Come inside.” 

Feeling the chill suddenly, she stepped in and allowed him to pull the blanket over her shoulders. His hands stayed on her shoulders, rubbing over her upper arms to help warm her. She furrowed her eyebrows and stared up at him. His face was pulled taut and there was concern evident, his lips pursed as he took care to help her dry off.  

“What?” he asked, seeing that she was staring.

She cleared her throat and averted her gaze. “It’s nothing.” She smiled to herself and tilted her head to the side. “Well, it is nice to see you care.” 

He frowned. “When have I ever given you the impression I do not care for you?” 

That response took her by surprise. It was shockingly earnest, coming from him— but that had been a running theme with him in the last few days. 

“Aemond,” she whispered, lifting a hand to his scarred cheek. 

It was absurd and utterly mad of her, but a sudden shot struck her like lightning. It would be so very easy to love him. Her love for Sarya had not lessened in her time on the island, but there was merely more space in her heart than she once thought. She would never be able to pursue it, of course. She was betrothed and he… Aemond was a traitor and an attempted kinslayer. And all that to say, she still wanted him. Something sinister had overtaken her in the last three moons, sunken its claws into her skin and dripped its poison onto her tongue. 

She was fond of him, desired him, enjoyed him, but she had a duty now that Vermithor was in flying condition. Aemond was a traitor and an attempted kinslayer, and she needed to bring him to justice. 

“I will come quietly,” he said softly, reaching out and gingerly curling the loose end of one of her braids around his finger. She had a keen memory of her own fingers wrapped in his hair. “I will surrender and bend the knee if that is what you wish.” 

“What I wish?” she echoed. “And what of your wishes?” 

It was as though the island emboldened him, pulled apart his strong defenses and left him bare but more confident than she had ever seen him. 

“I wish for whatever will keep me in your life, my lady.” 

“You can’t mean that,” she whispered, hardly daring to believe it.

She was not immune to the effects of dashing confessions made, easily swept up in the romance of it all. It was her most foolish trait, but being aware of it did not subdue it. It only made her aware of the breadth of stupidity she was capable of. 

“You took my eye. You took my dragon. Take my heart as well; it is yours.” 

Her cheeks burned under the weight of his gaze and words. Mouth dry, she crafted the most intelligent response she could muster. 

“I did not take your eye.”

He shrugged, as though his reasoning were the only sort that made sense. Perhaps he would have preferred it to have been her. Their injuries were settled like scores, canceling the other out— even if he had gotten off far worse than she had. In his mind, it should have been her, and so it was it seemed. Or that he held her in just as much blame as he did Luke. 

“And as for Vhagar—” Her own voice betrayed her, choking off in an unbecoming squeal. “I wish I could have stopped you without killing her.” 

Aemond looked away from her then, finally pulling his face from her palm. She tucked her hand back under the blanket he provided her as quickly as she could so as though it were never there in the first place. Then, he surprised her yet again. 

“I know.” It was a simple thing. “I forgave you a long time ago.” 

She furrowed her brow, a million and one questions racing about her mind, but she kept them to herself. 

“You will come without fight or argument?” she asked slowly.

“I will,” he confirmed. 

Bewildered and pleased alike, Daena observed him for a moment before ultimately deciding he seemed honest.

“Then we must dress. It is at least a half day’s flight from here to Dragonstone.” 

They did not speak again as they readied themselves for departure. What was there to say, really? They had, for better or worse, betrayed their families and themselves by falling into bed with one another, and now fate had come knocking. They both knew that on Dragonstone he would likely face imprisonment at best. There was always the threat of execution, but Daena was not sure Rhaenyra, even at her most bloodthirsty and vicious, had it in her to be a kinslayer. No, Rhaenyra would not take her brother’s head, but she might strip him of all titles and inheritance and send him to the Wall where he could never be a threat to her again. And rather stupidly, Daena did not wish for that. Perhaps this was what Aemond wanted all along; for her to trust him, to vouch for him, to be more than fond of him. 

That decided it for her. Upon arriving to Dragonstone, what happened here on the island would fade into the past. She would dedicate herself to whatever war effort there was and accept her fate as Queen after Rhaenyra. “Whatever claim to the throne I have left, you are it’s heir now. Both of you.” Daena would never be able to forget the sheen of sweat covering the older woman’s body, the way her face was scrunched up in pain and her voice quivered as she laid out commands for her oldest son and Daena. 

There was a truth about Daena Velaryon that Sarya had always seen: For her family, Daena would sacrifice anyone and anything, including herself, and let the entire world burn to ashes. And as Aemond perched himself behind her on Vermithor’s saddle without complaint, she wondered if he saw it too. An unstoppable force meets and immovable object, and whatever happens in the aftermath is only nature. And yet, Daena did not think she would go so quietly if the roles were reversed. 

“Sōves, Vermithor!” Daena yelled as loud as she could over the violent winds and rain, already soaked through to the bone. 

Without complaint or hesitance, Vermithor roared and took to the skies. 

Aemond and her did not speak for entire flight, and Daena was glad for the silence as the black sand beaches of Dragonstone grew ever nearer. It had been a year’s quarter since she left Dragonstone for Storm’s End, and war had been brewing when she did. There was no telling what they would find when they landed.

[dmercer91]

ebug's sister, dm91

taglist, @whenmypartysover

part one / part two /part three / part four / part five / part six / part seven / part eight / part nine / part ten /

blakefriarr_

liked by elblue6, _quinnhughes and 7,012 others

blakefriarr_: step one: meet lhughes

step two: witness television broadcast in which lhughes score ot winner

step three: fight jhughes for rights to lhughes

view 688 comments..

pinned! blakefriarr_: ellen liked i can die happy

jackhughes: you cannot have my little brother blake

→ blakefriarr_: try and stop me

lhughes_06: i for one think jack should let you take over

→ _quinnhughes: she made you the mac and cheese dish?

→ lhughes_06: quinn now is NOT the time

→ blakefriarr_: cookies too

→ _quinnhughes: i better get cookies

→ jackhughes: this isn't hurtful at all

→ blakefriarr_: i know how to cater to my target audience (picky eaters with bottomless pits for stomachs)

dawson1417: you know what i'm here for

→ blakefriarr_: bro 😭😭😭😭😭 

→ blakefriarr_: i've got, like, car insurance and gas and student loans

→ dawson1417: you also hate your job

→ blakefriarr_: i also hate planes

→ dawson1417: that argument makes no sense you already agreed to come up on your week off

→ blakefriarr_: hear me out

→ dawson1417: eyeballs are listening

→ blakefriarr_: i do the one week like we planned originally

→ dawson1417: right and then you never leave

→ blakefriarr_: incorrect

→ dawson1417: my eyeballs hated that

dawson1417: on another note you looked so pretty when you had jack in a headlock

→ jackhughes: HEY

→ blakefriarr_: thank you i try

nicohischier: this explains why i just found jack face down into my living room carpet

→ blakefriarr_: surely you know how to cheer him up

→ nicohischier: for the last time, jack and i are not dating

→ blakefriarr_: you and i both know this is not the last time, neeks.

ryangraves27: you should come to canada with dawson

→ blakefriarr_: mercer you give gravy his phone back right this instant

→ dawson1417: how’d you know

→ blakefriarr_: for one i could feel the tone of the comment and for another gravy would never want me in the same country as him

jj.friar31: what is my life

→ jj.friar31: what’d you do last night man? oh not much just hung out with my sisters friends (the new jersey devils!) and watched her ko jack hughes like it was nothing

→ blakefriarr_: ahagahheheheg

adamfantilli: am i not enough for you

→ blakefriarr_: you live all the way over there

→ adamfantilli: the betrayal is unreal

→ blakefriarr_: stfu <3 love you

→ adamfantilli: ouch. love you too

dougieham: did you win

→ blakefriarr_: what a dumb question of course i won its jack

_eliaspettersson: if jack doesn’t give you luke could i interest you in another elias pettersson (rookie edition)

→ blakefriarr_: i would be interested in rookie elias pettersson and long lost hughes brother cole mcward if in stock

→ _quinnhughes: you’re not getting cole

→ blakefriarr_: nobody asked you quintin

drayanewman: i have something inappropriate to say

→ blakefriarr_: do elaborate

→ drayanewman: … no

→ lhughes_06: wait no elaborate

→ blakefriarr_: ohhhhhhhhhh i am going to be so annoying about this

view more comments..

[luke-hughes43]

Just Friends | edwards x Luke!twin | Part 2

Here is part 2 of the Ethan fic, hope you enjoy!

Part 1 | Insta Edit

~You are Luke Hughes’s twin sister and play hockey and softball at the University of Michigan. You’re very close with Luke given that you’re twins. You are best friends with teammate, Ethan Edwards. You and Ethan were always flirty with each other but strictly friends. Since returning to campus for your second year, things between you and Ethan have been a little too flirty. One day, everything changes.~

This is Part 2. Takes place sophomore year.

September, 2022

Morgan’s POV

So today is September 9. It’s mine and Luke’s birthday. I woke up super early and jogged over to his room and knocked on it. He opens it and smiles, “Happy birthday twin!”

“Happy Birthday twin!” He gives me the biggest hug before dragging me inside. Me and him have a thing where we always want to be the first one to say happy birthday to each other on our birthday. 

We check our phones and find the happy birthday texts from mom, dad, jack, Quinn, and both teams. There’s 50 texts for both of us to go through. But there’s one in the hockey chat that catches both of our eyes:

j bone🦴🏒: party tonight at the house for the Hughes’s. 

grano🏒: party starts at 9, the birthday kiddos don’t have to bring their own booze

keato🏒: so the rest of you idiots make sure you chip in enough booze to get both of them drunk as fuck. coach cancelled morning lift so we can get hammered tonight

moyle🏒: I do need like 3 or 4 volunteers to stay sober and keep an eye on everyone and make sure people get home safe. 

chic🐥🏒: and invite all the girls that you know and have them spread the word. I don’t wanna look at you ugly fucks all night long. (except you morg)

Me and Luke both audibly laugh out loud at that text chain. So looks like I know what I’m doing tonight. I text the girls on the team about the party and tell them that they can all come, even if most of them hate me. Luke then hands me a bag and says, “Here. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks. Here’s your present. Open them together. One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

We open our presents at the same time. I gave Luke a new watch with “born together, die together” engraved on the band and a huge block M in the middle of it. I can tell he loved it because he had a huge smile on his face. I open his gift and it’s a ring. There’s two birds on it and the band has the same thing engraved in it. I slide it on my finger and it fits perfectly. He probably asked mom for my size. I say, “Luke, this is beautiful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He says and we hug. Dylan finally gets up and says happy birthday giving us both hugs. I say, “I gotta go. I have lift in an hour. I’ll see you tonight.”

*Later on that night*

I’m at the house for the party that J Bone, Keato, Grano, and Moyle are throwing me and Luke. Surprisingly, my teammates came. I made sure to hide any alcohol I drank just in case. I don’t trust them to not tell coach. And I’m good at playing off being drunk if I have to.

I finally see Ethan for the first time today. He hugs me and says, “Happy birthday beautiful.” That’s the first time he’s ever called me beautiful. It was nice. He whispers in my ear, “I got you something. But I left it at the house so I’ll give it to you later.” I giggle and just nod. I whisper back to him, “I’m a little tipsy but trying to hide it from my teammates. Can we dance so I can let loose a little bit?”

“Of course. Anything for the birthday girl.” He smiles and takes my hand leading me to the dance floor. As far as I know, Ethan is also drunk. I mean I smelt the beer on his breath. He’s behind me with his hands on my hips guiding them to the music. I look up at him and he looks so hot. 

I started admitting to myself a few months back that I have feelings for him. I refuse to say anything because of the team and he’s my best friend. I don’t wanna ruin that. But there’s a mysterious confidence that takes over and says, “You look hot.”

“Not as hot as you morg.”

“Stop flirting and kiss me Edwards.” He leans in and kisses me. Everybody cheers around us and goes back to doing whatever. Sparks fucking flew when he kissed me. I might be tipsy but when sparks fly, you notice and you remember. I’m glad it was Ethan kissing me and not some random guy. Everything with Ethan felt right though. He’s my best friend, but that’s all he ever will be.

January, 2023

Morgan’s POV

It was currently 7:30 in the morning. I just got out of lift and was heading to my car when I see none other than my best friend, Ethan Edwards, leaning against my door. I smile and just keep walking without saying anything. As I get closer, I see the long look on his face. Something’s up. I ask, “Ethan, what’s going on?”

“We need to talk morg.”

“Ok. Can it wait? I have class at 8 and need coffee.”

“I put a coffee in your car, and a bagel with cream cheese so that you eat. You left it unlocked and no it can’t wait. But I’ll be quick since you have class.”

“Ok, what’s going on then?”

“I can’t keep doing this anymore morg.”

I say very confused, “Doing what?”

“Pretending.” He says looking up at me.

“Ethan, what are you talking about?”

“I can’t keep pretending that what happened the night of your birthday didn’t mean anything.” He says looking kinda sad. Maybe ashamed? I can’t get a read on his emotions. “Ethan, we were drunk. It didn’t mean anything. We’re just friends. Now can you move? I have class in 25 minutes and need to change.”

He says trying to get me to stop, “I’m not done.”

“Well I have class Ethan. Can you move so I can go? We can talk after.”

I push him off my car and out of my way before driving to class. What the hell is his problem? Showing up at the end of my lift trying to tell me something important knowing that I have class directly after. Like who the hell does he think he is? The only reason I’m not upset is because he bought me coffee. That boy truly knows the way to my heart, that’s for sure.

*After class*

I get out of class and see Ethan waiting for me outside. I roll eyes and scoff as I walk by him. I hear him come after me. He says, “Morgs, wait. Please?”

“What Ethan? I’m exhausted and trying to go get my bats from your house because I left them there and I need to get cage work in. What is so fucking important Ethan?” I snap at him as I keeping walking to my car. He grabs my hand to stop me, “I can’t keep pretending that your birthday meant nothing to me morgs.”

“Ethan, let go of me. I’m not doing this with you today. I have to be at the cage with Hutch in 45 minutes and I need my bats from the house. Let go and we can talk later.”

“When is later gonna be?”

“Maybe when I’m not so overwhelmed that I want to cry all the fucking time from my six classes and two workouts and practices everyday. How’s that?”

“Morgs…”

“Don’t Ethan. I don’t have time for this right now. I’ll see you at practice.” I push by him and get in my car and drive towards the house that I live at with Ethan. I let the music take over my brain as I drive. When I get to the house, I see that Ethan is there. I mean I figured he’d go home since he lives there. He tries talking to me again though, “Morgs, please. Just give me five minutes.”

“Ethan, no. I already told you that I’m not doing this right now.” I say as I go upstairs to grab the bats that I left in my room. Luke, Dylan, Mackie, and Mark are home and watching this whole thing go down like it’s a movie. I come back downstairs and he’s standing there waiting for me. 

He says desperately, “I just need five minutes. It takes fifteen minutes to get from here to the cages and you speed so I know that you have time to spare to just listen to me.”

“I can’t do this right now. I’m way too stressed to deal with this. I promise we can talk later.” I say as I grab 3 red bulls and head towards the door brushing by him. He yells after me as I approach the door, “Morgs, I’m trying to tell you that I’m fucking in love with you.”

Everybody in the house stops what they are doing, including me. 

“I’ve been trying to tell you for a while. I’ve known since we kissed on your birthday. Actually, I think I knew before that. None of that matters now, morgs I’m in love with you.”

“Ethan, you can’t just drop that bomb on me when I’m walking out the door because you feel like it. That’s not fair.”

Ethan exclaims, “Oh no, don’t throw this on me. You don’t get to do that. I’ve been trying to tell you all fucking day. I’ve been trying to tell you for like a month. You’ve been blowing me off.”

“Ethan there’s a reason for that. I’m a two sport athlete trying to juggle preseason training, mid-season training, practice, games, and a heavy course load so I’m sorry that I’ve been a little flakey lately.” I sigh after I get that out. 

“Did you even hear what I said? Do you even care?”

I yell back, “Of course I fucking care Ethan. I’ve been a little stressed lately so excuse me that being in love with my best friend is on the back burner and isn’t my first priority right now.”

“Are you even listening to yourself right now? I don’t care that you have class, and practice, and workouts that take up most of your time. I don’t care about anything of that because I get it. You forget that I’m an athlete too, sorry not all of us are two sport athletes Morgan.” He snaps, like actually snaps. 

I hear Luke mutter, “oh fuck.” I look at Ethan with daggers. I take a deep breath so that I don’t actually kill him. “I’m not doing this Ethan, especially not if we’re just gonna scream at each other. I have stuff to do. I’m not talking to you until we’ve both cooled down so that neither of us say something we regret.” I say and walk out not giving him a chance to say anything. I sit in my car and cry for a few minutes before going to my cage session.

*At the Cages* 

I’m taking my frustration out at the cages with Hutch. This is the only time of day that I get to hit since we have afternoon hockey practice and I have class in the morning. I confide in this woman like no other. She knows all about hockey and everything with Ethan. She takes notice that I’m hitting everything a lot harder than usual. She asks, “What’s going on kiddo?”

“Nothing. I’m just exhausted. I forgot what preseason is like.”

“Morg, I know something is wrong. We’ve been at this for an hour so let’s take a break ok?”

“I’m fine coach. I don’t need a break. This is the only time of day I have to work on softball so can we please just hit?”

“If you think I’m gonna let you practice like this then your crazy. I know something is wrong. So sit and talk. Now.”

I take a breath and sit down on a bucket with her. I take this time to catch my breath since I was definitely overexerting myself. She asks, “morgs, honey, what’s going on?”

“Me and Ethan kinda blew up at each other today. Badly. We’ve never done that before. And I’ve been flakey with him for like a month too.”

“What’s going on with you and Ethan?”

“He told me that he’s in love with me.”

“Oh. Morg, you’ve been in love that boy for a very long time, why did you get upset at him telling you?”

“How much time you got?” I say and we both laugh. She chuckles saying, “More than you.” That causes us to laugh even more knowing that she’s right. I ask, “Do you really wanna know?”

“I just want you to be ok. Or as ok as a two sport collegiate athlete can be. If that means sitting on a bucket and talking about the boy that you’ve loved for a long time then yea I wanna know.”

“He showed up after lift this morning. Saying how he couldn’t keep pretending that what happened the night of my birthday meant nothing to him.”

“What happened?”

“We kissed. We were drunk, but I didn’t tell you that, and we just kissed. We both had blamed it on the alcohol not wanting to ruin the friendship or anything. And yea I was a little heartbroken but I knew that’s what needed to be done so it was whatever. I brushed him off and told him that we could talk later because I needed to get to campus because I had class.”

“Good. I always tell you girls, never let a boy get in the way of your studies or your softball.”

“Trust me, Ethan won’t, and he knows that. Anyways, when I get done with class he’s waiting for me outside the building. And tries talking to me again. I would’ve been able to avoid talking to him but I left my bats at the house like an idiot.”

“Why were they at his house?”

I explain, “I live there too. None of the girls wanted me at the softball houses so I live with my brother and his friends. I wanted to live with Luke anyways.”

“Fair enough. I take you ran into him at the house?”

“That’s an understatement. Like I knew he would be there because he lives there too but I figured he would drop it because I was very adamant that I didn’t wanna talk to him at the moment. He dropped the bomb as I walking out the door. And I guess I just lost it.”

“What do you mean lost it?”

I smile, “I basically screamed at him. I was so mad, he literally yelled that he was in love with me in front of the whole house as I was walking out the door to come here. He said that he had been trying to tell me for a while or something. So I snapped back at him about how he can’t just drop a bomb on me like that when I’m walking out the door. And how it wasn’t fair.”

“I‘m gonna go out on a limb and say that it didn’t sit well with him?” She said. I chuckles and shake my head no. I say, “God no. That made it worse I think. He yelled back how I don’t get to turn it around on him since he’s been trying to tell me for a month but that I’ve been blowing him off.”

“Well, have you been blowing him off?” She inquires.

I say, “Well yea, but not because of that. I’m two sport athlete and I’m trying to juggle training for two teams, a heavy course load, and hockey games. Plus I’m on track to graduate early from my high school AP credits so there’s just a lot on my mind. It’s not that I want to blow him off and be flakey towards him, I’m just overwhelmed with everything right now. He accused me of not caring Hutch. Like how do I not care? If anything, I care too much.”

“I know. And I’m sure he knows too. It’s Ethan Edwards we’re talking about. He knows you care. He knows you better than Luke does. He knows you better than you know yourself. He probably just said it in the heat of the moment with emotions running high.”

“I mean yea but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. Like, I’m obviously in love with him but with everything else going on in my life, being in love with my best friend is on the back burner. I just haven’t had the time or energy to think about it. Especially because even though I was drafted with Luke, I want my degree before going pro. I want both of them. Because I want a masters in athletic training. So I need to think about grad school now too. There’s just so much on my plate and he’s just not a priority anymore.” I say letting the stress prevail in my tone.

“Maybe that’s why your so stressed.” She says.

“What do you mean?”

Coach explains, “Last season, even with all the drama, you were the happiest I’ve seen you. And I think that it had a direct correlation to Ethan. I had Alex keeping me in the loop last year, and this year McKenna. Anytime you were pissed at Ethan your general mood and attitude were different. Even your game was different. You had some of your best games when you and Ethan were on good terms. You need him Morg. More than you want to admit, and I know that it’s scary, but you need that boy in your life.”

“I know, but it’s so hard. And he called me Morgan coach.”

Her face drops, “Oh.”

“Yea. He’s never, ever called me Morgan. Luke doesn’t even call me Morgan. So now I don’t know what to do.”

“Ok, I’m calling it for the day.” She says standing up.

“What? Why?”

“Because you are in no condition for this and that’s ok. Go home, talk to him, and get your mind right. The only way you’re going to succeed on the ice, on the field, and in the classroom is if you talk to him and get your head on straight. I’m serious go home and talk to him.”

“Ok. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for lift.” She smiles and nods and we just pick up the balls in peace. I grab my stuff and get in my car driving off towards my brothers house. I text Luke:

me: is he home?

moose🫎: yea.

moose🫎: morgy, what the hell happened?

moose🫎: I mean I was there and witnessed it but what the hell happened?

moose🫎: and are you ok?

me: honestly Lukey, I have no clue what happened.

me: is he ok?

moose🫎: no. he hasn’t left his room. 

moose🫎: scratch that. he just came down for food. pls fix this

me: I’m on my way to do that. pls stall him.

I drive to their house as fast as I can. I’m definitely driving too fast but that’s fine. It’s not important right now. I take a deep breath before getting out of the car and then take another deep breath before going inside. I see Ethan in the kitchen talking to Luke. I say to Ethan, “Can I talk to you?”

“Are you just gonna yell at me? Because if you are then no. I’m not just gonna be your punching bag because your stressed, that’s not fair to me.”

“I’m not gonna yell at you.”

“Then yea, we can talk.”

Luke excuses himself and goes to the living room where the rest of the house is. They’re probably there to watch this train wreck go down. My hands are definitely shaking right now. Ethan takes my hand to stop the shaking, “hey, what’s going on?”

“Ethan I’m so sorry about earlier.”

“It’s ok, morgs. I said some things that I probably shouldn’t have too.” He squeezes my hand. 

“No it’s not Ethan. I shouldn’t have said any of what I did. I shouldn’t have accused you of just dropping it on me like that when I know it’s not true. And I’m sorry that I’ve been flaking out and blowing you off recently.”

He pushes the hair out of my face and says, “Hey, it’s ok. I know that you have a lot on your plate. I’m sorry for saying that you don’t care. I know that you care, it was a heat of the moment thing and I didn’t mean it at all.” 

“No, it’s not ok Ethan. Just because I have a lot going doesn’t mean I get to blow my best friend off and take all the stress out on you. I’m sorry for that. I need you, Ethan. I need you and I don’t wanna push you away.” I say crying at this point. 

Ethan pulls me in for a hug and lets me cry into his chest. He pulls away and wipes my tears. He looks in my eyes and says, “You could never push me away. I need you too. Ok? And I love you. So much.”

“I love you too Ethan.” 

He leans down and kisses me. I feel the same sparks that I did 4 months ago on my birthday. They’re obviously good sparks. We kiss for what feels like forever before we both hear Luke say, “Alright, alright. That’s enough. I get that you guys are in love but that’s still my twin.”

“And you’re afraid of her, I’m not.” Ethan shoots back with a raised eyebrow. I giggle and Ethan pulls me into him. I hug him and he holds me like that. Ethan looks at his phone and then says, “Ok, we’ll be upstairs. See you losers later.”

“Door open Edwards. I’m too young to be an uncle.”

“I’ll be sure to relay the information to McKenna that your too young to be a dad so you don’t wanna have sex with her.”

“At least wear protection.”

“Gross dude.” Ethan says pulling up the stairs. He leads me into his room and closes the door behind him. I giggle at that, knowing Luke is gonna go crazy. Ethan lays on his bed and pulls me with him. Once we both get comfortable he says, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“About what?”

“Why you are so stressed that you’re pushing me away?”

“Ethan…” I say trailing off. 

“Baby, I knew you were getting stressed but I was trying to let you deal with it. The guys noticed too. What’s going inside your pretty little head?”

“Between preseason softball workouts, midseason hockey stuff, school shit, games, having to practice on my own for softball, all that drama within itself. And I’ve been thinking about grad school too. There’s just so much going on.”

“Instead of pushing me away, put some of that on me.”

“I can’t do that Ethan.”

“I’m asking you too morgs. At least the stress from hockey. Let me deal with that to lighten your load a little bit. Please baby, I’m worried about you.” Ethan says with a sigh. He rubs circles on my back too. I have to say, I missed this. I missed him. I missed us. I give into him, “Fine. But only hockey.”

“Good. And I’m sorry for calling you Morgan.”

“It’s ok.”

“Hey morgs?”

“Yea?”

“Does this mean that you’re my girlfriend now?”

“Do you want me to be your girlfriend?”

“Do bears shit in the woods?”

I giggle, “then yes. I’m your girlfriend.” He smiles and kisses me, like million times. It’s cute how excited he is. Like a kid in a candy store. He pulls me on top of him into a bear hug. He rolls us over so that he’s on top and then kisses me passionately. He smiles, “Now I get to show you off to the whole world as my girlfriend.”

“Well, Ethan Edwards my boyfriend, has a much better ring to it than oh we’re just friends.”

“Good. Now about the team?”

“Um, I don’t care. I mean our whole class knows that we’re together now so it really doesn’t matter. And I’m sure coach has had his suspicions for a while so it doesn’t matter.”

“Ok.” He said and kissed me again. We stay cuddling in his bed until practice. 

May 2023

Today was the day we were playing UCF in the regional final in Florida for the NCAA tournament. To say that you were nervous was an understatement. Since both the Devils and the Canucks weren't in the playoffs, my whole family was here. Mom, dad, Quinn, Jack, and Luke. I mean, Luke was gonna come regardless, he’s my twin so obviously he’d be here.

Today could be the last game of the season if we lose. I obviously don’t want to lose. The whole team pulled up to Orlando for this, making a headline on ESPN. Straight up. The headline was: “Michigan ice hockey team seen getting rowdy in support of their female teammate who is also a member of Michigan softball at the NCAA Regional Tournament down in Orlando.” Apparently they interviewed like Luke, and Nolan, and Ethan, some of the guys. It was kinda cool. I was glad to have them because they keep me calm, cool, and collected.

Especially Ethan. Ever since we started officially dating in January, everything has been smooth sailing. Which I’m happy about, especially since Luke isn’t going back to AA next fall. He’s signed a rookie contract with the Devils and is moving in with Jack. Good luck to Luke on that.

Anyways, back to the game. Today is do or die. I’m catching and batting third. Like I have done all season as long as I was healthy. I had some back issues and knee issues flare up while I was playing both hockey and softball at the same time. But I’ve been relatively fine since hockey ended. I was probably over working myself.

It’s the like 5th inning or something and I’m up to bat. I hit a hard line drive to the outfield and run to first. I turn to go to second when I feel something click in my knee and it buckles. I instantly fall in pain but crawl back to first. I’m not costing us an out. We call time and the trainer gets me up and off the field.

“What happened?”

“I rounded first and there was a click, it buckled, and then there was a lot of pain.” I say trying not to cry. The trainer says a bunch of things but I’m not listening. I do hear him say, “it could be ACL. Not gonna know the full story until you get back to michigan and get an MRI. For now, here’s a brace and crutches. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“Just my phone and maybe some gatorade please?”

“Yea.” He leaves the room and comes back five minutes later with my phone and some gatorade for me. “Unfortunately, since this isn’t our facility, I can’t let anyone down here to be with you right now. I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok. Thank you.” He nods and walks out of the room. I immediately let my tears flow. It hurts a lot. Almost as much as when I blocked my brother’s slap shot with my chest and couldn’t breathe. I open my phone and text Ethan:

me: I need you to walk away from my family, more importantly my brothers, and call me. please Ethan!

eddy❤️: ok.

After about two minutes, I get a FaceTime from Ethan. I answer it and he immediately asks, “Are you ok baby?”

I shake my head no, “No. It’s my knee.”

“I figured. Do you know what’s wrong?”

“No, he said that we aren’t gonna know anything until we get back home. How is everyone?” I ask trying to change the subject.

“Freaking out. That’s not important, how are you?”

“Not good. I’m scared and in pain.”

“I’m sorry beautiful. They can’t let me down there can they?”

“No. Since it’s not Michigan facilities they can’t even let my parents down here. It sucks. Because they are still playing so I’m all alone.”

“I’m here. I know I’m not physically with you but I’m right here. Do you want me to get Luke?”

“God no. I just need you Ethan.” I say and start crying. I can’t be alone right now and I wish he could be here. God I need my boyfriend right now. He says, “Hey, morgs it’s ok. You’re gonna be ok. Baby, look at me.” I look at him through the phone and he says, “I need you to breathe for me. Just take slow, deep breaths. Like the ones I make you do before State games. You’re ok.”

I take the deep breaths like he tells me to and I feel a little better. At this point the trainer came back in with Hutch. I say to Ethan, “I got to go Ethan. The trainer and my coach wanna talk. I’ll see you and don’t tell anyone you talked to me.”

“Ok, I love you and you’re gonna be fine.” He smiles and winks. He hangs up before I get to say that I love him too. Hutch and the trainer smile when they realize I was on the phone with Ethan. Hutch says, “We lost 9-4. I’m sorry kid. The season is over. We’re heading back to school tonight. I know that you’re family is here, so you own’t have to return with us if you don’t want.”

“I’m gonna talk to my mom first.”

“Ok. I understand. And I understand if you want to go home with your family. Hey, it’s gonna be ok kid. We’ll figure it out.”

“Thanks Coach. And thanks for a great season.” She nods and pats my back before heading out. She knows that I don’t want any of the girls in here. I can’t deal with all of that right now. The trainer says, “I talked to the UCF staff. They said I can let 3 people down here. Who do you want me to get?”

“My mom, Luke, and Ethan.” He nods and walks out of the training room. I focusing on breathing and calming myself for when they come in. After like 10 minutes my mom, Luke, and Ethan come walking in. My mom instantly hugs me. And then Luke, and then Ethan. He probably holds me the longest.

My mom asks, “Ok, what did the trainer say?”

“He said that he doesn’t really know what it could be and that I need to get it looked at back home.” I say with a half smile. My mom takes a deep breath and says, “Ok. Our flight back leaves tonight, so I don’t know when the team is leaving but we can get you a ticket and figure something out.”

“The team is also leaving tonight so I’ll just go with them.” She nods and says, “I’ll give you guys a few minutes. Feel better honey and let me know about the flight and stuff.” I nod and then Ethan comes over and really hugs me after. Like a bone crushing hug. But it’s fine because I started crying when he hugged me so this hug is hiding my tears. 

He pulls away and wipes my tears. He smiles and says, “We’re gonna figure this out baby. I promise. Together.” I nod and pull him back in to hug him. He lets go and moves so that Luke can hug me again. Luke says, “Hey, it’s ok. I got your back. We got this, together. You’re my twin, and the Hughes Twins are tough as nails. Born together?”

“Die together. Thank you Luke. I love you.”

“I love you too morgy. Let’s get you home yea?” I nod and then we head out. Ethan helps me carry everything to the team bus and stuff. He hugs me and says, “I’ll see you in Michigan, I love you baby.”

“I love you too Ethan.” I kiss him before getting on the bus with the team. I put my headphones in and close my eyes and drift off to my own little world. This is about to be the worst summer ever, possibly longer.

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box Series— Quinn Hughes Edition (Fifteen)

Hughes Palooza Edition

SEASON MASTERLIST

previous: fourteen

hi i’m back! i had to take a much needed break <3 trying to post every game when i was so behind got to me and it wasn't fun to watch anymore. because of this, i’ll only be posting special games (like when the guys play each other), record breaking games, and reslly any game i have the motivation to (like if it's chaotic and quinn/trev get penalties). i’m not pushing myself anymore i hope y'all understand🤍

and because there was a lot of tense feelings after this game for devils fans, i decided to make this post *mostly* about the millers

JANUARY 6, 2023

yourusername

liked by _quinnhughes, jackhughes, and 18,439 others

yourusername welcome back to my postgame penalty box update show: hughes palooza MILLER EXTRAVAGANZA EDITION!

THE colin miller, number 24 on the devils, number 6 in my heart (his number on the stars iydk), scored not only his first goal of the season, 🚨BUT HIS SECOND GOAL, TOO🚨 pop OFF step dad!!! congrats on being third star of the game!

and OUR miller, mr. jt, ceo of shaking his head at my nonsense (he loves me), scored two goals 1 minute and 4 seconds apart!

WE GOT A MILLER DICK TRICK EVERYBODY! two from jt, and two from colin! 2 + 2 = 4!!

✨now for the accomplishments✨

my best friend, my lifeline, loser of the postgame mario kart competition, quintin jerome hughes, has best the canucks franchise record for most multi point games by a defenseman last night with his 69th (😏) game! I'M SO UNBELIEVABLY PROUD OF YOU, HUGGY BEAR! this is the second record (that isn't his own) he's broken this season, and we're not even halfway through! he also has the most points from all defenseman in the league currently! (10th overall!)

and demmer had his 100th career win tonight! we love a milestone!

and luke played, too! he was definitely there!

i’m so proud of the valiant effort and fight everyone on the ice put into the game tonight! especially colin! i love colin! go colin! i’ll be mailing jack your first goal trophy!

happy miller extravaganza everyone! xoxo, sissy🤍

edit: luke is the rookie defenseman points leader and he threw a fit so i’m adding this so he'll stop being annoying. proud of you, lukey poo!

edit: petey also scored twice and was first star of the game! and he also whined so i had to include this! yay petey!

tagged _quinnhughes, lhughes_06, colinmiller1029, and j.tmiller9

view all 406 comments

lhughes_06 i feel personally victimized by this post

yourusername personally, i think i victimized other people more

_eliaspettersson @/j.tmiller9 she's talking about you

yourusername @_eliaspettersson i’m going to victimize you.

_eliaspettersson @/yourusername you did by not including me

lhughes_06 @/yourusername we deserve justice

yourusername @/lhughes_06 @_eliaspetterson fine you cry babies! happy?

lhughes_06 good enough

_eliaspettersson i’ll take it

yourusername you two are lucky i love you🙄

lhughes_06 aww i love you, too, sissy

_eliaspettersson love you!

user17 MILLER DICK TRICK HA

_quinnhughes my pictures are way better than i thought they'd be

yourusername you beat another record so i decided to be nice <3 i love you!

_quinnhughes i love you, too

lhughes_06 @_quinnhughes she was mean to me

_quinnhughes @/lhughes_06 that sounds like a you problem

lhughes_06 @_quinnhughes @/yourusername get out of my apartment

yourusername @/lhughes_06 "i'm not letting you go back to california. you're moving in and we're getting bunk beds"

lhughes_06 @/yourusername rat

yourusername @/lhughes_06 mwah!

jackhughes we would've won if i was there

yourusername oh look another cry baby

jackhughes we would've!

yourusername your team came close without you! and you can't prove shit! be happy for your brother! i'm literally taking care of you! i will leave you alone to die!

jackhughes @_quinnhughes good job

yourusername good boy

_quinnhughes @/jackhughes thanks

user8 okay but they would've won with jack...

yourusername hi! the devils put in an insane amount of effort and came back from a three goal deficit at the beginning of the third. the canucks basically doubled their amount of offensive zone time and yet the devils still pushed through all their adversity and was so close in the end. you're dismissing all of the other players great work and play by claiming that just jack alone would've changed that. yeah, he probably would've made an impact, but the canucks have been in the top ten of the league all season and nico daws still held his own pretty well and stopped a good portion of their shots against a team that was top of the league for a hot second and was 5th coming into the game. every devils player played to the best of their abilities and there were some unlikely heroes, another thing you're dismissing. jack is my brother and i love him, but he is not the only player on the devils. it's a team. a team that came so close in the end with almost half of the amount of sog. don't dismiss the rest of the team. be proud of them all.

user81 preach!!

j.tmiller9 i thought you loved me

yourusername i do! why would you think otherwise?!

j.tmiller9 i got the worst photos out of everyone!

yourusername well i couldn't do it to colin! and quinn beat a record so i had to be mostly nice! and they barely showed luke proof of life! somebody had to be the one to give good content! congratulations! it was you! i love you🩵

j.tmiller9 you could've been nice to everyone! you're such a sweet girl!

_quinnhughes @/j.tmiller9 she's deranged and this is how she shows her love

j.tmiller9 @_quinnhughes do i need to show her how to love in other ways?

_quinnhughes @/j.tmiller9 you can try but it probably won't work

jackhughes @/j.tmiller9 it's best to accept it

lhughes_06 @/j.tmiller9 this just means she loves you so much and trusts that you won't leave her for doing this

j.tmiller9 @/yourusername i love you, too! i'm here for you!

jackhughes @/j.tmiller9 she's emotional and under my shirt but she says "i love him so much he's one of the best people i’ve ever met and i'm buying him a present for being so nice"

user96 quinn hughes beat a record to make up for being the only hughes that didn't score last game

colinmiller1029 thank you! but i’m a little confused

yourusername COLIN! STEP DAD!

colinmiller1029 step dad?

jackhughes @/yourusername sissy, you're supposed to ask before you give people father figure titles

jackhughes @/colinmiller1029 she's a little obsessed with you i'm so sorry

yourusername @/colinmiller1029 hi i know we've only met twice but will you be my step dad? i already have a dad (troy terry) and then a real dad so your duties aren't that bad!

colinmiller1029 duties?

jackhughes @/colinmiller1029 dealing with her nonsense is the only thing. it'll be pretty easy for you since you were a dallas star. she started a gang with wyatt, ty, and thomas

colinmiller1029 @/yourusername sure! but as your step dad, i should probably tell you that you shouldn't start gangs

yourusername @/colinmiller1029 it's a little too late for that, sorry! it was delly's idea!

colinmiller1029 that sounds about right

jackhughes @/colinmiller1029 and that is what your duties are! see? easy enough

user56 LUKE LOOKED SO GOOD DURING THE ANTHEM FUCK

trevorzegras come home the kids miss you

jamie.drysdale @/yourusername mason and i are the kids

yourusername @/trevorzegras @/jamie.drysdale soon! i promise! i’m getting some much needed brother time! (send help jack's whiney)

trevorzegras have fun! i love you, forever!

yourusername you're the worst! i love you, always!

jamie.drysdale mwah!

[nighttimeebony]

I just got into the Percy Jackson series, so here is a collection of my actual thought process while reading the first book that I bothered to write down. So, spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief under the cut. I guess.

EDIT: part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

Aww, Percy. Neurodivergent rep, I am fed

Is Mr. Brunner Dionysus? I think Dionysus is a major character in this series. But then what’s the wheelchair for? And Dionysus in mythology doesn’t have a beard like that. Oh! What if he’s actually Hephaestus? That would explain the wheelchair and the bearded old man look.

HOLY FUCK IT’S THE MINOTAUR

HOLY SHIT SALLY’S DEAD WHY

Is that tree on the property line the Olive Tree from the founding of Athens myth? Because Percy is the son of Poseidon?

Percy’s dream has got to be some kind of foreshadowing about Poseidon and Zeus fighting each other. Zeus would be the bird because he’s a sky god, and Poseidon would be the horse because in a really really old myth, Poseidon turned himself into a horse to chase down Demeter. Also, the voice from underground egging them on is definitely Hades, because god of the underworld and all that

Also goddammit, Hades is the villain?? Why????? Goddammit, not again…

Mrs. Dodds was definitely a fury, but she’s called a Kindly One. Wonder what that’s about

There’s some Thing about characters dissolving when they die. Wonder what that’s about

Oh shit. I was wrong. Brunner is Chiron. Interesting. Now the whole teacher thing makes sense

Wow, Dionysus is an asshole in this one. He’s more like his older Orphic version than the newer, modern Dionysus I’m familiar with

Everyone is so in love with Luke it's embarrassing

I just adore how casually neurodivergent Percy is. All the jokey references to Dyslexia and ADHD, I just—I love it so much. And I love that it actually is dyslexia and ADHD. And that apparently all the half-bloods are dyslexic and ADHD too. We love to see it.

Oh my God, I love all of these children so much.

HOLY SHIT AUNTY EM IS A GORGON

I WAS RIGHT

I find it amusing that Hermes named the activation password for his magic shoes after his mother

I wonder what Persephone's like

Grover's gonna be the friend to betray Percy, isn't he? He better fucking not be. I love him. If Grover's the Traitor MHA-style, I'm gonna riot

One difference between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson (the characters) is that Harry marvels at every new instance of magic. But after Percy learns about the magic system, he just stops giving a shit. Once he learns that magic is real, he is surprised by absolutely nothing and does not question the irrelevant stuff, like Annabeth's invisibility hat, or how the fuck a ballpoint pen can turn into a sword.

Percy is such a sassy, sarcastic little shit and I love him so fucking much.

ECHIDNA

"Isn't that a kind of anteater?" I love this child

*Percy wondering what all the mirrors are for in the Tunnel of Love*

Me: "It's gotta be a kink thing."

*While Ares and Aphrodite were smooching with each other they could look at their favorite person: themselves*

Me: "Called it."

Wait……. Is the traitor Luke????? He's like the only other "friend" Percy has

Thank God Hades isn't the bad guy

Aw, I wanted to see Persephone. Don't worry, Percy, I'm disappointed too

You know what, from now on, anytime a protagonist has to live with an abusive parent figure, the only resolution I will accept is turning that bitch to stone and selling him on the black market.

Thank God Percy can have a nice, stable home life with his mom in between rounds of risking his life.

I'm so on-board with Percabeth, and this friend group as a whole

I FUCKING CALLED IT! LUKE WAS THE TRAITOR!

Thank God the characters in this book have a fucking brain. Percy's an impulsive little chaos gremlin, but he's not an idiot.

I'm kind of curious to see what the shipping side of the Percy Jackson fandom looks like, cuz Percabeth is great, and I'm pretty sure that's the main canon pairing, so I'm curious….

Honestly, I can't wait for Percy and Annabeth to start dating. I'm so excited to see what their relationship will be like in a romantic context

I love this book and I want more immediately.

[ampresandian]

My (unofficial) PJO season 2 episode 5 script part 1/4 (connected to this post)

Please ignore any and all spelling/grammar errors, I thought about rereading/editing and decided not to so you're looking at basically a first draft. I would love to hear if you think anything is out of character or doesn't really make sense, but a lot of it is basically straight from the book.

Images of script and copied text (bc I'm lazy and don't want to write out alt text) under the cut, just in case I didn't get enough spoiler warning or people aren't interested <3

Annabeth Tries to Swim Home

FADE IN: INT. DARK VICTORIAN HOUSE - NIGHT.��

A YOUNG ANNABETH runs down the hallway. A storm can be heard outside. She stops, looking behind her, then frantically all around. 

YOUNG ANNABETH: Luke? Thalia? 

Someone in the house screams. 

Annabeth begins running again. She turns a corner, finding herself in a study. The walls are lined with half-empty bookshelves, books and loose pages all over the floor. The antique desk in the middle of the room is broken, the chair overturned. Heavy velvet curtains block the light out, but one sways, as if the window behind it is broken. 

Annabeth backs out of the room slowly, then runs back the other way. 

She gasps for breath, but makes very little noise. 

Annabeth runs up a flight of stairs, into a new hallway that looks just like the one she just came from. As she enters different rooms, she hears her friends over the storm. 

GROVER (O.S.): Luke!

LUKE (O.S.): Thalia!

THALIA (O.S.): Annabeth!

Annabeth is still running, turning corners over and over. She enters a nursery with a broken crib and wooden toys strewn all over the floor. She runs through a dressing room with a mirror shattered on the carpet. She backtracks out of a bathroom with a cracked claw-foot tub and blood dried on the floor. 

THUNDER crashes outside. 

CYCLOPS laughs ominously off screen. Annabeth runs faster. 

She turns a corner and has to catch herself with her hands to stop from running into a wall. She pauses, breathing heavily as she looks down another dark hallway. 

THALIA AND LUKE (O.S.): Annabeth!

THALIA (CONT, O.S.): Run--

Annabeth starts running again. 

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. QUEEN ANNE’S REVENGE – NIGHT.

Camera pans down from black sky, pausing on Hercules constellation. ANNABETH and PERCY are standing on the deck, near the steering wheel. 

ANNABETH: (Turning from the stars to look at Percy) Percy.

Percy, who has been looking out at the sea, watching for monsters, looks at Annabeth. 

ANNABETH (CONT): Can I ask for a favor?

PERCY: You just saved my life.

ANNABETH: Soon... We should be coming near the Sirens’ Island. When we’re in range of their song… (Staring at the tub of candle wax across the deck) I want to hear them.

PERCY: Why? Don’t their voices kill people?

ANNABETH: They lure people in, Seaweed Brain. The song doesn’t kill you, you die when you jump overboard. The myths say they’re so enchanting because they sing the truth about what you desire. Things you don’t even know about yourself. If you survive...

Annabeth looks out at the sea. Percy looks at Annabeth.

ANNABETH (CONT): You become wiser. I want to hear them. (Makes eye contact with Percy) How often will I get that kind of chance?

PERCY: (After a thoughtful pause) Okay.

ANNABETH: Okay?

PERCY: Okay. It makes sense. If anyone would want to hear it, it would be you. What’s your plan?

ANNABETH: You’ll have to tie me to the mast. And, Percy, I’m going to want to get free. I’m going to beg, but you can’t untie me. I’ll just go straight over the edge to drown myself.

PERCY: (trying for levity) Are you trying to tempt me?

ANNABETH: Promise me, Percy.

PERCY: You don’t have to worry about it, Wise Girl. You won’t get away from me that easily.

They look at each other. 

PERCY (CONT): How long until we get there?

ANNABETH: A few hours, I think. You should go below. Get some rest. (before Percy can argue) Go, Percy.

Percy heads below deck, settling into a hammock in the Captain’s Quarters. He closes his eyes and falls asleep.

CUT TO: INT. PRINCESS ANDROMEDA STATEROOM – NIGHT

PERCY stands alone in the dark room. Near the windows is the golden sarcophagus, glowing faintly.

VOICES (INDETERMINATE): Beware. 

VOICES overlap and echo.

KRONOS: (laughing) You don’t have the courage, young hero.

Percy uncaps his sword, but remains frozen in place.

KRONOS (CONT): You can’t stop me. 

Percy struggles against his frozen legs, clearly frustrated. 

THALIA: (appearing suddenly) Well? Are we going to stop him or not

Voices continue their echo in the background. Percy stares at the unknown girl, clearly trying to solve the puzzle of who she is. 

THALIA (CONT): Well? Come on, dude.

Percy remains frozen. THALIA approaches the sarcophagus, sword and shield at the ready. Percy tries to call out for her to stop, but no sound comes out of his mouth. The voices crescendo. 

Thalia opens the sarcophagus, staring down at the golden glow in horror. 

THALIA (CONT): No. No, it can’t be.

Kronos’ laugh echoes as Thalia screams. The light grows brighter.

(PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4)

[stormywitcher]

oh sweet lord that last episode has rendered me deceased. i am dead. i cannot FUNCTION

what a show. and what a way to end the first season! as a hardcore insane percy jackson stan till i die, here’s my thoughts if you would like them:

FIRST OF ALL. the whole show: loved it. very little to critique in my opinion! i know not everyone is happy with everything, but personally i think it’s one of the best adaptations i’ve ever seen. it’s mostly faithful to the books, and the changes that were made i think were improvements and made a lot of sense.

rick wrote the first percy jackson book so long ago, this show felt like his way of being able to go back and change bits and edit the story to something that’s even better. that’s how i see the show!

LETS TALK CAST: it was fuckin perfection okay, i will fight anyone on this point. walker as percy has changed my fuckin life. his little emotional eyes in every single scene, showing so much depth to all of the dialogue, and giving the best vibes. the humour, the desperation, the self sacrifice. he is PERCY and i am so incredibly in love.

as for annabeth and grover, PERFECTION ALSO. leah slayed annabeth so hard, the little eye brow quirks, the way she was able to portray annabeth as extremely smart and logical, but not heartless, and certainly not cold. she brought such a warmth to the character and i am obsessed.

aryan as grover is just chefs kiss. from the satyr walk, to the one liners, to the uneasiness and resilience grover has, aryan has it down. i just loved him and I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE HIM FLOURISH IN THE (hopeful) NEXT SEASON!

the whole cast was amazing. i loved all the choices. it all just felt so right. from the cast, to the set, to the fights, to the cgi. i’m just in love okay.

LUKE AT THE END HAD ME BAWLING. the tears in his eyes, the way he begged percy to join the cause, the hurt when he sees annabeth. FUCK ME I NEED A MOMENT OKAY.

the parallels that are being set up throughout the show for luke and percy are wonderful, i cannot wait to see how it continues. i thought it was just so cohesive and the characters feel so real.

i love how they have set it up for the next season! it’s like it’s ready to go, it’s RIGHT THERE and i want it it so bad so LETS GET MANIFESTING FOR ALL 5 SEASONS FRIENDS ITS TIME!!!

and i have to mention my love of percy/annabeth or percabeth. it’s not the whole point of the story i know, but it is something that is very special to me. i love my little sea boy and clever girlie together, and this show has set them up so beautifully. it’s given them time to have a friendship, to build trust, but also the little looks they give eachother, the pining that we can see will eventually build. IT MAKES MY FUCKIN HEART SING OKAY walker and leah slayed too hard on that front. they understood the assignment.

i could go on about this show and percy jackson in general forever. but i shall end this here because i feel like i need to go cry for a few hours lol.

in conclusion, and this will sound dramatic but i mean every word of this. this show fucking saved me right now. percy jackson is so incredibly important to me, it’s my biggest special interest, it’s shaped me for a decade, it’s my comfort, it’s my everything. i’m currently dealing with a tumour in my head at 22, and my mental health and life is crumbling around me, but this show and percy jackson and rick riordan has kept me here for the last 7 weeks and previously years before that. i owe my life to rick riordan. i will never be able to express my love for this enough.

okay okay, i’m done. see you later once i’ve rewatched the series 4374 times and have memorised every fucking word.