#possibility unexplored

[joethetoonfanandoutcast]

If Clive got redeemed and repaired he could be nefario’s replacement and gru’s butler

Innovative thinking.

Ironically, I thought of him being another Illumination character's butler similar to 80's Robot from the 2011 Muppets film.

[allgremlinart]

Azula and Zuko's relationship IS improved upon if we make Zuko a girl though, trans or otherwise. NOT because they'd get along better but because it'd be funnier. Like.. here comes her cuntalicious majesty !! and uhm.. that thing...

[antimnemonic]

and like I've posted about this before and I'll continue to maintain that looking like and being granted the allowances of a young schmuck is ok bc im a loser behind in life, I'll take whatever advantage I can get, but it's still a little weird to be 33 next month and being called mami princesa mi hija etc by randoms and being treated like babby by ppl younger than me, im trying to conceptualize what it's like to be a true adult but i don't think I've ever been treated like a fully cooked grown up ever n it's making me a lil insane

[rocksinmuffin]

I'm so sorry people are coming to you for inserts with a dude (weevil) whose favorite food is BEE LARVA

Okay but I honestly respect the two anons who want to bully Weevil romantically and those requests for a character I had not written before are infinitely more interesting for me to fill than the 100th generic IDW Megatron request 💅

[nellasbookplanet]

Sometimes I think about Essek's speech to Caleb at the end of the last episode, about the possibility of adjusting one's lifeline and how, in the end, he would rather accept his mistakes than risk undoing the good they brought with them, and it strikes me that this isn’t just a culminating moment of self-realization for two different characters, but also a deeply fitting message for liveplays as a storytelling medium.

There are so many different ways the campaign could have gone. They could have stayed in the Empire and done a more politically run campaign. They could have saved Molly, and had an arc of a body snatching Lucien coming after them. They could’ve time travelled. Everyone’s crushes on Jester could’ve been revealed in some hilarious and heart-wrenching drama (with possibly different outcomes). They could’ve stayed longer in Darktow, or in the Dynasty, or gone to Molaesmyr, or gone to fight Yasha's tribe, or had to have fight the Somnovem in the material plane and become more well-known heroes in the process.

There are many things I wish we could’ve seen, paths I wish they could’ve tread. But what would the reppercussions have been? Would Caleb have left to return to the Assembly? Would Fjord have released Uk'otoa, or Beau have left the party, or Veth have stayed a goblin? Would they have even met Essek and Caducues?

In the end, this isn’t a pre-written show. You pick a path, and wherever it takes you, it also takes you away from something else. You create meaning ahead of you and behind you, all the while mourning and accepting what was lost. Not all paths in lives can be tread, not all possibilities explored. What might we have missed? I don’t know, but would finding out really have been worth it if it meant risking losing what we got?

[touchlikethesun]

@/queerdeadwizards posted a really cool meta today about the morality/grey morality of the black brothers, and it made me think of something, a point that they alluded to but that i want to expand on, but basically, when talking about the morality of regulus, i think an overlooked aspect of potential grey areas comes from the fact that we have absolutely no insight into his motivations for the things that he does.

like, the facts of the case are, regulus figured out about the horcrux(es?), found, and tried to destroy the locket, leaving a note with the line "i face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more." so we know that regulus wanted to see voldemort defeated. but we actually have no textual evidence of what specifically about voldemort pushed reg to try to help take him down. was it really because he came to the conclusion that voldies ideology was so horrible? or did he just disagree with his methodology?

i know we as a fandom like to charitably assume that regulus genuinely saw the error of his ways, the evilness of voldemort and his goals, this is the characterisation i prefer as well. but we don't actually know. i think, if handled correctly, it could be really interesting to explore a regulus that did the right thing for (at least partially) the wrong reasons.

[spacebugarts]

Naming my Steddie fic after a line from a DIO song and making his back patch relevant to the plot is self care UwU

[toxictac]

to be honest, i know most people wanted a remake of gen 5 or a lets go of gen 2 (for some inexplicable reason)

but like come on you can not lie there is something really funny about pokemon announcing (essencially) pokemon z after more or less 10 years after x and y got out

[changes]

A new way to navigate Tumblr

If you use Tumblr on a web browser, you might have noticed us testing a brand new navigation on your dashboard in the last month. Now, after some extensive tweaks, we’ve begun rolling out this new dashboard navigation to everyone using a web browser. Welcome to the new world. It’s very like the old world, just in a different layout.

Why are we doing this? We want it to be as easy as possible for everyone to understand and explore what’s happening on Tumblr—newbies and seasoned travelers alike.

Labels over icons: When adding something new to Tumblr in the past, we’d simply add a new icon to our navigation with little further explanation. Turns out no one likes to press a button when they don’t know what it does. So now, where there’s space, the navigation includes text labels. Since adding these, we’ve noticed more of you venturing to previously unexplored corners of Tumblr. Intrepid!

What’s already been fixed? Thanks to feedback from folks during the testing phase, we’ve been able to make some improvements right out of the gate. Those include returning settings subpages (Account, Dashboard, etc.) to the right of the settings page instead of having them in an expandable item in the navigation on the left; fixing some issues with messaging windows on smaller screens; and streamlining the Account section to make it easier to get to your blogs.

What’s next? We’re looking into making a collapsible version of this navigation and improving the use of screen space for those of you with enormous screens. We’re also working on improving access to your account and sideblogs.

That’s all for now, folks. For questions and suggestions, contact Support using the “Feedback” category. Please select the “Report a bug or crash” category on the support form for technical issues. And keep an eye out for more updates here on @changes.

[nakmor-leigh]

[excusemebutiquit]

What element writer are you quiz!!

[ochibrochi]

spontaneous magic manifestation was NOT mentioned in the parenting handbook 😬

I know this isn’t how magic in dc works, but the fact that Damian’s ancestry includes some pretty powerful magic users is… INTERESTING 🤔? Drabble under the cut!

I wanna preface that I'M NOT SAYIN' that Damian should/does have magic powers, but there’s still so much unexplored potential with Damian's character, and the thought that he has a dormant adeptness in magic is somewhat compelling to me. Most importantly it would FREAK! BRUCE! OUT!!!!! What is this, magic puberty 😭??

By DC laws, anyone has the ability to learn magic, but it is also possible to be an innate ability. The Al Ghuls are no strangers to the occult-- Ra's has had increasingly been portrayed as a magic user, and the recent establishment of his mother being a sorceress/witch?? Even Talia dabbled in a bit of magic, I think. There is a catch that their power is suggested to be due to Lazarus exposure, but for arguments sake let's say the Al Ghul lineage is inherently proficient in magic (and Lazarus exposure simply enhances it).

I can't recall "magic" being a part of Damian's training/upbringing (I'm still slowly catching-up on Damian comics so apologies if I miss any canon examples of magic use). Not sure why Talia wouldn't want her little "heir to an ancient assassin empire baby" to learn magic, but it would at least give reason to Damian not knowing about his magic potential, or lack of interest in it.

Through the power of pseudo storytelling, what if Damian's encounter with Mother Soul could have triggered a manifestation of magic that was once dormant; like a pressure cooker waiting to explode with energy when it hasn't been given a safe outlet.

I've yet to read a satisfying arc where Damian truly gets to contemplate his Al Ghul roots outside of "dad is good guy, mum is bad guy". Damian's initial character growth stems from him running away from, and renouncing his association with the League (i.e. "I'm nothing like you, mother and grandfather!").

The most recent thing I've read was Robin (2021), and whilst Damian is much more cordial with his mother, there's still an emotional distance and sense of distrust/resentment (for good reason, even if the context was some cartoonishly evil writing). But there is a silver-lining that they still appear to be fond of each other, in a melancholy kind of way.

Realizing he's "genetically" primed for magic would be especially confronting to Damian. There's no denying his Al Ghul blood, forcing him to confront a facet of himself he can no longer ignore or reject. A family that he likely has to approach for help/guidance.

Damian is put in a position of acknowledging this power could be used for good, to be stronger, to fight crime, balancing it with the implication that what he possesses could be rooted in dark magic (Lazarus enchantment).

If he decides to embrace it, would that be too much of an endorsement of the Al Ghul's dark occultism? Can he separate the two ideas? What if he can't control it? What if he accidentally hurts someone? What if has the ability to save someone where his other skills fall short?

Ideally, I'd love for this hypothetical story to lead into Damian exploring his Al Ghul heritage more intimately, historically, and spiritually (à la RSoB: Year of Redemption adventures). Another little coming-of-age self discovery journey.

I have my own little personal thoughts on what Damian decides to do with his magic powers, but I'd like to leave that open to interpretation... By the end of it I hope that he will at least find some forgiveness over resentment, and a balance between accepting that side of his family a little easier. It is finally a sense of inner peace :)

Any thoughts? Did I get any characterisation wrong? Let's talk over on my DC blog @arkhamochi! I'm currently trying to read all Damian-centric comics until I catch up with the current run. I'm hungry for discussion and analysis!!!!!!

[nostalgebraist]

Honestly I'm pretty tired of supporting nostalgebraist-autoresponder. Going to wind down the project some time before the end of this year.

Posting this mainly to get the idea out there, I guess.

This project has taken an immense amount of effort from me over the years, and still does, even when it's just in maintenance mode.

Today some mysterious system update (or something) made the model no longer fit on the GPU I normally use for it, despite all the same code and settings on my end.

This exact kind of thing happened once before this year, and I eventually figured it out, but I haven't figured this one out yet. This problem consumed several hours of what was meant to be a relaxing Sunday. Based on past experience, getting to the bottom of the issue would take many more hours.

My options in the short term are to

A. spend (even) more money per unit time, by renting a more powerful GPU to do the same damn thing I know the less powerful one can do (it was doing it this morning!), or

B. silently reduce the context window length by a large amount (and thus the "smartness" of the output, to some degree) to allow the model to fit on the old GPU.

Things like this happen all the time, behind the scenes.

I don't want to be doing this for another year, much less several years. I don't want to be doing it at all.

----

In 2019 and 2020, it was fun to make a GPT-2 autoresponder bot.

[EDIT: I've seen several people misread the previous line and infer that nostalgebraist-autoresponder is still using GPT-2. She isn't, and hasn't been for a long time. Her latest model is a finetuned LLaMA-13B.]

Hardly anyone else was doing anything like it. I wasn't the most qualified person in the world to do it, and I didn't do the best possible job, but who cares? I learned a lot, and the really competent tech bros of 2019 were off doing something else.

And it was fun to watch the bot "pretend to be me" while interacting (mostly) with my actual group of tumblr mutuals.

In 2023, everyone and their grandmother is making some kind of "gen AI" app. They are helped along by a dizzying array of tools, cranked out by hyper-competent tech bros with apparently infinite reserves of free time.

There are so many of these tools and demos. Every week it seems like there are a hundred more; it feels like every day I wake up and am expected to be familiar with a hundred more vaguely nostalgebraist-autoresponder-shaped things.

And every one of them is vastly better-engineered than my own hacky efforts. They build on each other, and reap the accelerating returns.

I've tended to do everything first, ahead of the curve, in my own way. This is what I like doing. Going out into unexplored wilderness, not really knowing what I'm doing, without any maps.

Later, hundreds of others with go to the same place. They'll make maps, and share them. They'll go there again and again, learning to make the expeditions systematically. They'll make an optimized industrial process of it. Meanwhile, I'll be locked in to my own cottage-industry mode of production.

Being the first to do something means you end up eventually being the worst.

----

I had a GPT chatbot in 2019, before GPT-3 existed. I don't think Huggingface Transformers existed, either. I used the primitive tools that were available at the time, and built on them in my own way. These days, it is almost trivial to do the things I did, much better, with standardized tools.

I had a denoising diffusion image generator in 2021, before DALLE-2 or Stable Diffusion or Huggingface Diffusers. I used the primitive tools that were available at the time, and built on them in my own way. These days, it is almost trivial to do the things I did, much better, with standardized tools.

Earlier this year, I was (probably) one the first people to finetune LLaMA. I manually strapped LoRA and 8-bit quantization onto the original codebase, figuring out everything the hard way. It was fun.

Just a few months later, and your grandmother is probably running LLaMA on her toaster as we speak. My homegrown methods look hopelessly antiquated. I think everyone's doing 4-bit quantization now?

(Are they? I can't keep track anymore -- the hyper-competent tech bros are too damn fast. A few months from now the thing will be probably be quantized to -1 bits, somehow. It'll be running in your phone's browser. And it'll be using RLHF, except no, it'll be using some successor to RLHF that everyone's hyping up at the time...)

"You have a GPT chatbot?" someone will ask me. "I assume you're using AutoLangGPTLayerPrompt?"

No, no, I'm not. I'm trying to debug obscure CUDA issues on a Sunday so my bot can carry on talking to a thousand strangers, every one of whom is asking it something like "PENIS PENIS PENIS."

Only I am capable of unplugging the blockage and giving the "PENIS PENIS PENIS" askers the responses they crave. ("Which is ... what, exactly?", one might justly wonder.) No one else would fully understand the nature of the bug. It is special to my own bizarre, antiquated, homegrown system.

I must have one of the longest-running GPT chatbots in existence, by now. Possibly the longest-running one?

I like doing new things. I like hacking through uncharted wilderness. The world of GPT chatbots has long since ceased to provide this kind of value to me.

I want to cede this ground to the LLaMA techbros and the prompt engineers. It is not my wilderness anymore.

I miss wilderness. Maybe I will find a new patch of it, in some new place, that no one cares about yet.

----

Even in 2023, there isn't really anything else out there quite like Frank. But there could be.

If you want to develop some sort of Frank-like thing, there has never been a better time than now. Everyone and their grandmother is doing it.

"But -- but how, exactly?"

Don't ask me. I don't know. This isn't my area anymore.

There has never been a better time to make a GPT chatbot -- for everyone except me, that is.

Ask the techbros, the prompt engineers, the grandmas running OpenChatGPT on their ironing boards. They are doing what I did, faster and easier and better, in their sleep. Ask them.

[everysongineverykey]

doctor watson is so weird because like. he's a super important character. he's barely a character at all. holmes' abilities of deduction would never be as fascinating told from his own point of view than from watson's. you can change the pov of a story from watson's pov to third person omniscient and hardly anything will change. he's holmes' best friend. he's so often nothing but an afterthought. he's the character we know the most about. he's the character we know the least about. it's impossible to write a sherlock holmes story without him. he takes up so little space in the actual stories that he might as well not be there. he has a gift for writing and an excellent memory. he can't see what's going on right in front of him. he was shot in the shoulder and nowhere else. he was shot in the leg and nowhere else. his name is john. his name is james. his name is "my dear watson". he has no name. he objects to holmes leading a housemaid on for information. he's perfectly fine with holmes robbing houses, letting murderers go, and throwing master criminals off cliffs. he's frustrated with holmes for his recreational use of cocaine and morphine. he doesn't particularly care when he finds holmes hunched over in an opium den. he's seen far too much death already by the time he meets holmes. he's fairly well-adjusted. he describes his and holmes' adventures faithfully and meticulously. he's the least reliable narrator you've ever seen. everyone in every room he enters forgets he's even there. sherlock holmes would kill for him.

[arien-rey]

desires

cw: creampie, slight dumbification, slight impact play(choking), nipple play, dry humping

summary: miguel and you are lab partners and accidentally create a dangerous concoction <3

an: inspired by a certain professor cal audio🤭 iykyk also i didnt proofread so im sorry for any typos (i got a little lazy towards the end😭)

wc: 1.7k

in the heart of a bustling laboratory where the air was thick with the scent of chemicals and the sound of clinking glassware, you found yourself immersed in a groundbreaking project. Alongside your lab partner Miguel, a very meticulous scientist, you both delved in the world of scientific studies—motivated to revolutionize the world of focus and concentration, something people have been lacking in 2099.

within the laboratory walls, you felt anticipation and excitement in the air as you both pushed the boundaries of possibility, propelling the project forward with relentless determination.

As days turn to weeks, your passion for the project never faded. Countless sleepless nights, cups of coffee, and trials and errors ensued, but with every setback you came back even stronger than before and you believed you were finally reaching the finish line.

In just a few weeks, you've grown very close to your partner Miguel as well. You find yourselves sharing lunches and engaging in conversations about exciting discoveries. It doesn't hurt that he is both handsome and charming. To your surprise, you discover that he is single after discreetly asking your other lab friends. Fueled by the possibility you might have a chance, you start to dress a little differently. Gone are the days of "comfort-first" outfits; instead, you opt for shorter (riskier) skirts and cute blouses that accentuate your style. Maybe, just maybe, once this project wraps up, you'll gather the courage to take your shot.

That brings us to tonight. the quiet air filled with the soft hum of machinery and bubbling liquids. The lab was completely empty except for the two of you as usual, with dim steril white lights engulfing the room. Besides you, Miguel carefully measures the ingredients to be added into a bubbling beaker while you prepare the compounds. He looks especially attractive right now, with his hair messy and the button-up under his lab coat unbuttoned lower than usual. You both frustratedly hit a wall, and it seemed no matter what you added to your formula, you weren't getting the necessary results. You chewed on your lip, hoping for the best this time around when suddenly the silence was broken by Miguel’s sleepy baritone voice.

“What if we added a touch of this?” he suggests, his large hands reaching for a vial labeled “Enhancement Catalyst.”

Unbeknownst to the both of you, the label was partially torn and now difficult to read.

You paused for a moment, considering Miguel’s suggestion. His voice, warm and soothing, made you feel at ease even in the face of frustration. His idea seemed like it had potential, an unexplored avenue worth exploring. You studied the compound in his hand, noticing how his fingers delicately held the vial, the reflection of the lab lights dancing across its surface.

“where’d you get that?”

“It was next to some of the older blends we used for testing by the cabinets. I think we should give it a chance.”

“Maybe it could work,” you replied, a glimmer of hope in your voice. “Let’s give it a try.”

As you gingerly added a few drops of the liquid, the concoction seamlessly mixed and enveloped the air with a distinct aroma. Without warning, the mixture began to intensify, rapidly bubbling and sizzling, releasing mesmerizing sparks of vibrant colors. Both you and Miguel exchanged anxious looks, acutely aware that something had gone awry and instinctively take a few steps back.

“Be careful.” He murmurs, shielding you with his forearm as you both watch what unfolds in front of you.

anticipation filled the air once again as minutes stretch to feel like an eternity. you cock your head to the side curiously, watching the concoction turn into a glowing, luminescent liquid.

You sigh in relief.

“whew. good thing nothing bad happened!”

you mutter shyly, but as you inhale deeply, a rush of sweet fumes fills your throat. You sneeze a couple of times from the overpowering scent, only to realize that it has spread throughout the entire room.

“I'll turn on the vents.”

Miguel says, clearly inhaling the strong aroma too and walks towards the exit where a few controllers for the AC and such are.

You nod at him, suddenly taking a sharp breath as your heart begins to race. You try to shake it off as an adrenaline rush from the experiment, but instead of it going away, your cheeks heat up and you feel a strange tingling sensation in your lower stomach. you lean over your desk and blink, your mind spinning.

Your vision is hazy, and you glance to the side to see Miguel run his hand through his hair, a distressed look on his now flushed face.

“s-shit i think something went wrong. what is this?”

“I don’t know , but we need to find a way to..”

you trail off, feeling in a daze as you watch Miguel take a step towards your direction, his crimson eyes locked on you intensely. you took a shaky breath, your thighs unconsciously squeezing together. “.. reverse it.”

You turn and slam open a cabinet, ripping out your journal to find some sort of way—any way to reverse the effect of this sort of aphrodisiac, and Miguel did the same at his desk. seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to hours as your efforts turned fruitless. Unfortunately for you, the effects only worsen and your desire for him only electrifies more.

“fuck, fuck..”

Miguel groans, and you turn your gaze to see the tall man manspreading on his chair, his head thrown back, and brows furrowed as sweat trailed down his forehead. your gaze travels down his body and- oh. there you saw, in all its glory a huge tent in his pants, his hand resting by his thigh—twitching as he resisted with all his will-power not to touch himself. You bite your lip and squeeze your legs together, the unbearable heat in your core making you whimper quietly.

Miguel catches you looking and clenches his jaw.

“We can't.. let this consume us,” He strains through gritted teeth. “We need to quarantine .”

“Good idea. You stay here, I’ll leave the room.”

You replied breathlessly, using the last bit of your rationale. this was wrong, so so wrong… but your legs wouldn't move.

Suddenly it's quiet again, the silence only broken by both your heavy breathing. You lock eyes with Miguel, both your and his eyes half-lidded and the electric tension instantly snaps, and Miguel bolts up.

no words are said as he leans forwards and captures your lips in a hot kiss.

his large hands almost encompass you as he holds your hips, pushing you back against your desk. you moan into the kiss, tugging on his hair and he effortlessly lifts you onto the edge. after a few more seconds of passionate, sloppy kissing, you both pull away panting.

“Take this off, now.”

Miguel growls, eagerly assisting you and breathlessly helping you remove your lab coat, blouse, and skirt. With a gentle touch, you place your hand on his jaw, drawing him in for another passionate kiss. In the midst of the embrace, he skillfully slides the bra straps off your shoulders and unclasps it.

You gasp, feeling the cold lab air make contact with your sensitive skin, hardening your nipples. He reaches up and rolls the buds in between his calloused fingers and you moan, arching into his touch. Your body seems even more sensitive because of the aphrodisiac and his touches leave fire in its wake.

You gasp as he pulls you closer to him, rubbing his huge erection against your clothed core, the wetness seeping through the fabric and the sloppy sounds of your slick against him making you both moan.

“Miguel, please!”

you whine, leaning back and throwing your head back as you desperately trying to meet his grinds ,his hands holding your hips with bruising strength.

“I know, I know.. Don't worry baby, let me take care of you.”

He sighs, and finally after what felt like centuries he unbuckles his belt with one hand, the clicking sound of metal and leather making you shudder. He hastily shrugs his lab coat off, rolls his sleeves up, and unbuttons his pants and pulls it down along with his boxers, just enough to let his whole cock spring out .

You bite your lip at his impressive length, the tip an angry red with prominent veins running under the shaft.

“I’m sorry—I can’t stop.”

He stammers, right before he tears your panties off and plunges the tip inside you with no warning. You arch your back, digging your nails into his wrist as he plunges his cock inside you without giving you much time to adjust to the huge girth. You throw your head back and close your eyes, trying to breathe through the intense stretch. Thankfully you were so wet it slid in with relative ease.

“youre so fucking tight.. shit.”

he hisses, bottoming out completely before sliding it out almost all the way and slamming it back in. You moan, his praise making your stomach flutter. He pulls your legs over his shoulders and you gasp at how deep he is and full you feel in a mating press.

“shitt, miguel.. it hurtss” you slur, already cockdrunk as he begins to move in and out at a brutal pace, his thrusts heavy and mean. tears welled in your eyes and as they fall he uses a thumb to wipe them away.

“I know, I know.. its ok baby.. you’re taking my cock so fucking well..”

He groans, trailing his hands down to play with your clit. He spits a thick wad of spit where you both connect and rubs his fingertips against the sensitive bud in rapid, sloppy circles, making you sob. the pain from before melted into hot blissful pleasure in seconds, your mouth hanging open in an ‘o’ shape.

“yeahh mhm.. you like that? huh?”

he chuckles dryly, feeling how you clenched around him, desperately sucking him in. He moves his other hand to wrap it around your throat, squeezing his palm around your small neck.

“M-Miggy, ‘m gonna cum!”

you sob, your mind and vision going foggy from a mix of the aphrodisiac, the overstimulating pleasure, as well as the slight asphyxiation. Miguel leans forward, his lips almost touching your ear as he whispers:

“You don't know how long I've wanted this. I see you wearing your short little pencil skirts to work and how you wanna get my attention… and it takes everything in me to not pounce on you.”

he confesses, his hot breath fanning your ear, sending chills up your spine.

“Miguel…”

“Now cum on my cock, baby. show me how good I make you feel.”

he growls, speeding up his thrusting and the pace of his fingers on your clit until it all becomes too much and you let out a silent scream, too overwhelmed to make any noise. your nails dig into his wrist leaving crest indents on his skin as your white hot orgasm crashes over you intensely. Miguel groans and curses, trying to hold you down as you squirm and buck under his overstimulation touches, his thick fingers never slowing down on your sopping clit. After a few more heavy pounds Miguel follows; his cum gushing beautifully out of the sides of your pussy and dripping down his cock.

He doesn't stop for a minute, flipping you over and tugging on your hair, forcing you into an arch.

“Don’t think we’re done yet.”

the aphrodisiac’s effect is not gonna go away any time soon..

[herlondonboy]

love at first sight, clarisse la rue

summary: from the moment she first saw you, she became knew you were hers and vice versa. based on this req.

warnings: y/n playing hard to get, ooc clarisse, clarisse pining like a loser (it’s me, i’m the loser), fake dating an apollo kid, clarisse tries to kill him.

wc: 2.1k

your first camp experience unfolded at the age of fifteen. as you walked the unfamiliar terrain of camp half-blood, luke, a seasoned demigod, took on the role of your guide. the lush greenery and the scent of pine surrounded you as you explored the various cabins. unbeknownst to you, clarisse la rue, observed from a distance.

clarisse found herself captivated by your ethereal beauty. the moment you entered camp, it was as if a spotlight had illuminated you, catching the attention of both demigods and nymphs alike. clarisse, though intrigued, remained silent, watching as you interacted with your newfound friends.

in the training grounds, your grace and charm didn't escape clarisse's notice. clarisse, with her keen instincts, sensed a different aura around you– an aura she associated with the children of aphrodite. the way you effortlessly enchanted those around you left clarisse both irritated and fascinated.

despite the silent admiration, clarisse struggled to approach you. the clash of your godly parentage– ares and aphrodite– seemed like an insurmountable barrier. clarisse, usually assertive and bold, found herself at a loss for words in your presence.

throughout camp activities, your popularity grew, and clarisse's internal conflict intensified. the daughter of ares, accustomed to asserting dominance, felt a strange vulnerability when it came to you. the unspoken tension lingered between you, creating an unexplored connection.

as the days passed, your impact on camp life became undeniable. clarisse, torn between her warrior instincts and newfound feelings, remained on the sidelines. you, oblivious to clarisse's internal struggle, continued to shine in your own unique way.

the story of your first camp experience unfolded like a tapestry, woven with threads of divine complexity. clarisse la rue, found herself entangled in emotions she never anticipated, all because of a chance encounter with a child of aphrodite, possibly, who, unknowingly, had entranced her from the very beginning.

despite the magnetic pull between you, clarisse and you continued to dance around each other, your connection remaining unspoken. clarisse, burdened by her own uncertainties, perceived a subtle distance in your demeanour, interpreting it as a sign of disinterest.

as the days passed, clarisse found herself yearning for the courage to bridge the gap. she wished she had spoken to you, for the silence between you grew like an insurmountable wall. in moments of solitude, clarisse questioned whether her own hesitations had painted a false narrative, leaving her with the impression that you harboured indifference.

while you navigated camp life with grace, the daughter of ares grappled with her internal conflicts. clarisse's heart longed to unravel the mystery of your feelings, wishing she had seized the chance to discover the truth instead of succumbing to her own insecurities.

as the final days of your first camp experience unfolded, clarisse's regret deepened. the unspoken connection, once poised on the precipice of possibility, now seemed like a fleeting mirage. clarisse yearned to rewrite the script, to alter the narrative that lingered between you, regretting the silent dance you had shared.

one bright morning at camp half-blood, you found yourself at the centre of an unusual spectacle. as you sat with luke at the communal table, enjoying a breakfast, your senses caught the unwavering gaze of a mysterious girl across the training grounds.

curiosity tugging at you, you turned to luke, “hey, who’s the girl over there? the one staring at me?”

luke, his expression shifting into a cautious tone, replied, “that’s clarisse la rue, daughter of ares. a formidable warrior, but she’s known for her… intensity. just be careful around her, y/n.”

you rose your eyebrow.

“she’s a bully.”

“ah,” intrigued rather than deterred, you couldn’t resist the allure of the enigmatic clarisse. a mischievous spark danced in your eyes as you waved at clarisse, who, caught off guard, looked like a deer caught in headlights. blushing, clarisse nervously shifted her gaze downward, focusing on her siblings training nearby.

-

two years had passed since that encounter at camp, and the connection between you and clarisse lingered like an unresolved melody. you, despite the passage of time, remained unclaimed by your godly parent, a fact that stirred whispers of speculation and anticipation within the camp.

clarisse, determined to reignite the flame of connection that had flickered in that fleeting moment, had spent the intervening years trying to catch your attention. the daughter of ares, usually fearless in the face of battles, found herself navigating unfamiliar terrain when it came to matters of the heart.

one afternoon, you found yourself amidst the lively atmosphere of the archery range, surrounded by the apollo kids. laughter filled the air as they playfully flirted, arrows hitting their targets with precision. clarisse, observing from a distance, couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as she watched your infectious laughter and easy connection with the apollo demigods.

unable to contain the simmering emotions, clarisse decided to take matters into her own hands. she stormed onto the archery range, her presence demanding attention. "y/n!" she called, her voice cutting through the jovial atmosphere.

you turned, eyebrows raised in surprise as you saw clarisse approaching. "hey, clarisse. what's up?"

"enough with this archery nonsense," clarisse declared, her eyes flashing with determination. "let's spar. now."

the apollo kids exchanged knowing glances, sensing the tension in the air. you, always up for a challenge, agreed, and they moved to the sparring area. the clash of swords echoed as the two of you engaged in a fierce battle, each determined to assert dominance.

after a round of intense sparring, you found yourself on the losing end. however, instead of conceding defeat gracefully, a mischievous glint entered your eyes. "you know, clarisse, maybe you're just upset that you're not the one making me laugh like that," you teased, a sly grin playing on your lips.

clarisse's jaw tightened, her jealousy fuelling the fire of determination. "quit the games, y/n. let's finish this."

as the sparring resumed, you strategically used every opportunity to distract clarisse. mentioning shared memories and playful banter, you exploited the opening, knocking clarisse's sword out of her hand. you stood victorious, but instead of revelling in your win, you chose to add a final twist.

leaning in, you pressed a gentle kiss to clarisse's cheek, catching her off guard. "thanks for the spar," you whispered with a smirk before skipping off, leaving clarisse stunned in the aftermath.

the archery range fell silent, the demigods exchanging bewildered glances. clarisse, still processing the unexpected turn of events, touched her cheek, her heart racing with a mix of confusion and something else– a spark reignited from the past. the mysterious connection between you and clarisse continued to weave its complex narrative, leaving the camp in anticipation of the next chapter in your entangled tale.

the next day dawned with an unspoken tension hanging in the air at camp half-blood. clarisse had discovered that you were dating one of the apollo kids, a revelation that sparked a simmering irritation within the daughter of ares. as preparations for the upcoming capture the flag game began, clarisse found herself fixated on the perceived betrayal.

the familiar call for capture the flag echoed through the camp, and demigods assembled with an air of anticipation. however, this time, clarisse approached the game with a different strategy in mind. instead of camping out in the woods, she decided to actively seek out the apollo kid, her rival in both love and war.

venturing into the forest, clarisse wielded her electric spear with an unwavering determination. she followed the trail of the apollo kid, her steps fuelled by a mix of anger and frustration. as she approached, the sound of clashing metal rang through the trees, revealing the intensity of the confrontation.

clarisse burst into the clearing, catching the apollo kid off guard. the clash of their weapons echoed, a symbolic battle fuelled by unspoken emotions. the apollo kid defended himself, but clarisse's attacks were fuelled by a burning rage.

just as clarisse prepared to strike a decisive blow, you stumbled upon the scene. shock and horror painted your face as you realised the perilous situation. without hesitation, you shouted, "clarisse, stop!"

the daughter of ares froze, the electric spear poised mid-air. you rushed forward, your voice laced with urgency. "what are you doing? he's defenceless!"

clarisse's eyes flashed with a mix of frustration and defiance, but she didn’t say anything.

you cursed clarisse, your anger boiling over. "this isn't the way to handle things!" you hurriedly helped your boyfriend, injured from the skirmish, and together you made your way to the medical cabin where the apollo kid's siblings could tend to his wounds.

clarisse's siblings, witnessing the scene, approached her with concern. "what's going on, clarisse? why did you attack him?"

clarisse scoffed and pushed them away, a wall of defensiveness erected around her. "mind your own business. he had it coming."

as the medical cabin door closed behind you and the injured apollo kid, the aftermath of the confrontation hung in the air. clarisse, wrestling with her own emotions, stood alone, surrounded by the echoes of a conflict born from love, jealousy, and the complex web of relationships that defined life at camp half-blood. the unspoken chapter of your and clarisse's intertwined destinies continued to unfold, leaving the camp in anticipation of the resolution that awaited you.

“that wasn’t supposed to happen,” you heard, making you turn to see him smiling.

“i’m sorry,” you said. “are you okay?”

“peachy.”

a week had passed since the encounter during capture the flag, and you had been avoiding clarisse like the plague. the tension between you hung in the air like a storm waiting to break. sensing the avoidance, clarisse, never one to back down, decided it was time to confront the situation head-on.

cornering you in a secluded spot, clarisse crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "what's your deal, y/n? you've been avoiding me all week. we need to talk."

you scoffed, a sarcastic smile playing on your lips. "oh, now you want to talk? after you tried to kill my boyfriend?"

clarisse's expression shifted from frustration to a mix of guilt and longing. "y/n, it wasn't like that. i just—"

"save it," you interrupted, your tone cutting through the air. "what did you expect? some grand confession of feelings after you tried to take him down? you've had a stupid little crush for years, and now you decide to act upon it?"

clarisse, surprisingly, found you more attractive than ever in this moment. stepping forward, she closed the distance between you, a determined look in her eyes. "you think it's just a crush, y/n? you're wrong."

you, unfazed, pushed clarisse away. "save the drama. i don't care about your feelings. i have a boyfriend, and you-"

clarisse, undeterred, seized the moment and captured your lips in a passionate kiss. you hesitated for a moment before succumbing to the intensity of the moment. when clarisse finally pulled back, she looked you in the eyes and declared, "you're mine. i don't care about your boyfriend. you're mine, y/n. you always have been and always will be, okay?"

you, surprisingly, didn't argue. instead, you leaned in for another kiss, mumbling against clarisse's lips, "it was an act. to get you to say it."

clarisse rolled her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips. "you're impossible."

your lips met again, the storm of emotions swirling around you dissipating as the two of you surrendered to the undeniable pull between you. in that moment, beneath the canopy of camp half-blood, you and clarisse found a fragile balance, your destinies intertwining in a way that defied logic and expectation. the echoes of unspoken desires and the complex dance of love continued to shape the narrative of your entangled hearts.

after the prolonged kiss, clarisse slowly pulled back, looking up with a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. “i knew it,” she declared with a teasing glint in her eyes, revelling in the unexpected turn of events. you, still caught in the haze of the moment, furrowed your brows in confusion.

“what are you talking about?” you asked, your gaze locked with clarisse’s.

clarisse’s smirk widened, and she simply pointed upward. you followed her gesture, looking up at the sky, only to see a shimmering glow above you. you squinted, trying to make sense of what was happening.

aphrodite’s symbol materialised above your head, a clear indication that you had been claimed by the goddess of love. realisation dawned upon clarisse, and she burst into laughter. “well, well, looks like cupid’s arrows finally hit their mark.”

you rolled your eyes, a mix of annoyance and amusement in your expression. “the history book on the shelf is always repeating itself, huh?” you quipped.

clarisse rolled her eyes at the lyric and pulled you along to chiron’s office.

it was love at first sight. at least on clarisse’s half.