#this is most definitely inspired by my recent bingeing of the penumbra podcast

[biclarisselarue]

hi! I just wanted to say I love your writing 😳

mafia au + enemies to lovers + any prompt you want 💕

It’s been almost three hours now, and Percy feels as if he couldn’t move anymore even if he wanted to. Crouching behind a statue of some forgotten god is wreaking havoc on his back. If this potential lead turns out to be another dead end and he wasted a perfectly good evening staking out some dusty museum, even if that museum is owned by one of his best friends, he might have to officially retire from the private investigating business altogether. He’s only twenty-eight, he’s sure he could probably find some cushy job to pay the bills. 

All thoughts of a comfortable office chair and a job where he isn’t shot at on the regular are chased from his mind as a shadowy figure creeps into the room. The movements are graceful, quieter than any normal human being has a right to be. Percy tenses, hand creeping to the gun by his hip. The room is dark, lit only by the slight shine the moon reflects through the expansive skylights above. His breath slows, watching as the lithe form approaches, their face turned upwards to a statue near his own. One more step brings them directly beneath a skylight, and his thief’s face is revealed.

Annabeth Chase.

Percy’s breath catches in his throat. Even knowing all of the dark rumors that  follow her like shadows can’t stop him from admiring the cut of her jaw, the curve of her throat as she continues to stare at the statue, unaware of his presence. The most notorious mafia boss on this side of the country, standing less than three feet away from him. She’s dressed in all black, loose joggers and a warm turtleneck. He would laugh at the cliche if it weren’t for how dangerously prepared she looks, pistol tucked into the waistband of her pants. 

They’re still for a long moment, each gazing at something beautiful. Eventually, Annabeth lets out a soft breath that sounds almost like a sigh and reaches out with gloved fingers to lightly touch the statue’s upturned hand. Her eyes close as if gathering strength, and Percy takes his moment. He steps out from his hiding spot and trains his gun on the back of her head, hands certain and steady.

“Turn around. Slowly.”

There’s not a twitch from the figure in front of him, no sign that she’s even slightly surprised to be caught here tonight. Still, Annabeth Chase does as he asks, keeping her hands where he can see them, away from her gun. Her eyes are bright under the moon, clever and and almost as sharp as her smile.

“Percy Jackson.”

That was not what he was expecting her to say, and she knows it. Her smile widens into a grin. Silence stretches between them as he waits for her to say something else, but she simply continues watching him, the picture of ease. It’s a challenge—one he quickly loses.

“So, you’re the one who’s been breaking in here almost every night for the past month then. I can’t fucking wait to tell Reyna I was actually right about a potential burglar. Though, I would figure you of all people would be more careful about dust patterns.”

A slender shoulder shrugs, unbothered. “Ah, you got me. Nobody else seemed to notice. Very smart of you.” There’s a hint of satisfaction in her voice, and Percy’s eyes narrow.

“Yeah, well, your casing of the joint is done now, so whatever job you’ve got planned is also finished. I’m bringing you in for breaking and entering.” 

Her laugh is soft as she takes a step forward, and Percy’s aim lowers down to her heart in warning. 

Annabeth’s eyes widen, too much for it to not be fake. “Alright, easy there. But you will have to come closer at some point if you don’t want to stand here until morning. I'm not exactly going to handcuff myself.”

Percy would be an idiot to trust anything she says, but she’s also right. His arms wouldn’t be able to stay raised like this for long enough, and he’s already tired from the late hour. Wrestling with the decision for a couple more seconds, he eventually moves cautiously towards her, watching carefully.

“Would it be too obvious to say no funny business?”

The smile she gives him is amused, and she watches him right back as he shifts the gun to one hand in order to pull out his handcuffs. “Almost certainly.” As he takes one of her wrists in his—and here he decidedly does not notice how warm and soft her skin is above the glove—she leans forward ever so slightly. She’s close enough that he can smell her perfume, a hint of lemon and something sweet.

“You’re wrong about one thing, you know.” Percy simply raises an eyebrow, bringing the handcuff up. “I wasn’t casing this place at all.”

When he looks back on it, the next few seconds seem to happen in slow motion. Annabeth tugs her wrist backwards, causing him to stumble closer, their chests almost touching. The scent of lemon becomes more prominent, and Percy hesitates. Then she disarms him with a twist of her other wrist, hooks a leg around his ankle to knock him off his feet, and brings her own pistol under his chin. His handcuff is locked around one of her wrists though, and he’ll take whatever win he can get. Percy locks the other side around his own wrist, smirking.

“Probably don’t want to have to drag around a dead body, do you?”

Annabeth quirks one eyebrow at him, and he feels the smugness fade slightly at the sight. Her knee is pressing into his chest just on the side of painful, but it’s positioned carefully to not do any real damage.

“You presumably have the key for these handcuffs somewhere on your person though, don’t you? Wouldn’t take long for me to find it after killing you, I bet.” He huffs, conceding the point. “Luckily for you, I’m not going to kill you tonight.”

“Oh? Do you have another date in mind? I’d love to mark it down on my calendar.”

She presses her pistol a little further into his skin, a warning not unlike his own from earlier. “Listen. I was hoping you’d notice the dust being misplaced, even if it took you longer than I anticipated. Maybe I should have picked someplace you frequent more often, but I suppose I have a soft spot for the Greeks and their art. Infamous, in part because someone made them untouchable, placing them here.”

As he looks up at her, caught in the trap she laid, he can’t help but agree. Chase had always seemed invincible, unknowable, but with her warm breath ghosting across his face, a crack forms in the illusion.

“So, why all this then? What could you possibly need from me that you went to so much trouble to orchestrate this whole thing away from prying eyes?”

There’s a pause, as if she’s debating whether to trust him, her mouth drawn into a frown. For the first time tonight, she seems fully human, uncertainty turning her into something touchable. Percy can feel her muscles are tense in every spot they’re touching, and he finally recognizes her body language. She has nowhere else to turn. She’s cornered, and she hates it. Another crack in the illusion.

“I want to hire you. You’re a PI, are you not? And I have reason to believe my brother is planning to kill me.”

Malcolm Chase, the second in command of her organization and not without substantial power and a devoted following of his own. No wonder she didn’t feel as if she could turn to anyone closer. If her own brother might be plotting her assassination, who else might be helping his betrayal? 

“And why should I help you? You’re the leader of the mafia, and, if the rumors are to be believed, a cold-blooded murderer without anything that could even remotely be considered a heart.”

She sits off of him, tucking her pistol back into her waistband. Their hands are still connected by the metal circling them, and her pinky finger ghosts against his palm, too quickly for him to know if it was on purpose. He follows her lead, albeit a bit more slowly, and sits up. Annabeth’s gaze is pointed towards the darker corners of the room, as sharp as ever, but now he can see the desperation behind them.

“Because I’m asking you to. Because you’re the best in the business.”

The unspoken because I might die if you don’t hangs between them. The illusion shatters, and now he’s sitting beside someone knowable. Dangerous, yes, but human all the same.

“Fuck.” Percy reaches into his pocket and pulls out the key for the handcuffs, drawing Annabeth’s eyes back towards him. She looks as if she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, and he can’t tell if it’s an act. He can’t tell if that matters to him anymore. “I’ll help you. Now what?”

[haleyfury]

April was another month filled with ups and downs. I’m super grateful for my health and safety right now, but I am definitely missing college life and like everyone, wondering when we’ll be able to get back to some state of ‘normalcy.’ This month, I technically finished my undergraduate work (online), had some fun Zoom sessions and reunions with friends, and again had so many books and TV shows as comfort.

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee | 4/5 Stars

The Thousandth Floor was the first book of April that fit my ‘let me catch up on all the YA dystopian contemporary (trust me it’s a category)’ and shortly after reading, found myself buying books #2 and #3.

Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) by Lyssa Kay Adams | 5/5

Undercover Bromance was such a great companion sequel to The Bromance Book Club. It also made me realize how much I need a book featuring the Russian.

Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent (ARC) | 4/5

It had been a while since I picked up a women’s fiction book, but I enjoyed Brunch and Other Obligations for its slightly comedic twist.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris | 3/5

My sister finally got me to read Behind Closed Doors in April. It definitely wasn’t the best book ever (sorry sis), but at the same time, I couldn’t seem to put it down. 

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher | 4/5

I took a little break from (adult) contemporary romances in April , but I’m glad I still read Not the Girl You Marry. Despite the mixed reviews for this one, I thought it was a cute & funny read.

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell (novella/reread) | 5/5

I finally started my rereads of 2020 in April, which began with Rainbow Rowell’s novella, Kindred Spirits. Now having seen 8/9 of the Star Wars films – so excited that Rise of Skywalker will be available on May 4th on Disney+! – and The Mandalorian, I was able to really admire and relates to its adorable Star Wars-ness.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan | 4/5

Staying at home has caused me to take all the books I haven’t read off my shelves, which included Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. Not my favorite book in the world, but I see what the hype is about and did appreciate its bookishness.

More than Maybe by Erin Hahn (ARC) | 5/5

My favorite book of April, I cannot stop thinking about Erin Hahn’s upcoming, More than Maybe. Everything was PERFECT about this July 2020 release following two teens who have a love for music and secret crushes for each other.

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn (reread) | 4.5/5

More Than Maybe made me want to reread Erin Hahn’s You’d Be Mine. I usually procrastinate on my re-reads but I immediately started reading You’d Be Mine after finishing More Than Maybe. I actually enjoyed You’d Be Mine even more upon my reread. It’s definitely the darker of the two books, but I really appreciated the story, romance, and character development this second time around.

The Selection by Kiera Cass | 4/5

Yes, I finally read The Selection in 2020, and yes, I’M ADDICTED!

You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon | 3.5/5

I loved You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone’s story and writing style, but I could not stand one of its two main protagonists.

The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass | 4/5

Still addicted to this trilogy, but America annoyed me so much with her indecisiveness.

Younger S1 (TV Land) – Many people who love books and publishing seems to watch Younger. I blew through the first season in three sittings – it’s 100% the type of show that you can watch 5 episodes in a row without realizing. However, I didn’t think it really brought anything new to the table and it was really inaccurate about how books and publishing work at times.

Unorthodox (Netflix) – Definitely my most serious watch of the month, I really enjoyed Unorthodox, having loved its storytelling and cinematography. After watching, I added Deborah Feldman’s memoir of the same name to my TBR.

Below Deck S7 & Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Bravo) – This month proved that reality TV is a comfort of mine, as I consumed the entirety of Below Deck S7 and the first 9 episodes of Below Deck Sailing Yacht in under two weeks- I’m currently up-to-date with the latter and watch every week. Below Deck Mediterranean S5 was recently announced for this summer, so I’m debating on trying to watch the first four seasons before then. There are so many good shows coming to Netflix in May, so we’ll see how fast I fly through those first before giving into Bravo.

Baker and the Beauty S1 (Prime) – Because I have to be both a TV and book hipster, I decided to watch the original/Israeli Baker and the Beauty before diving into the American version on ABC. I really loved this show and thought it was so funny. I’m looking forward to watching the second season in May and starting the American adaptation.

Schitt’s Creek S6 Finale (PopTV) – I talked about the Schitt’s Creek finale in my April If We Were Having Coffee, but I’m still feeling both so content about the way the show ended and sad it’s over.

Continued Watching: Family Karma (LOVED IT!), Brooklyn Nine-Nine S7 (Meh about it)

Reviews

FOODIE ROM-COM: Tweet Cute Review & Inspired Recipe

FEMINIST TEAM SPIRIT: We Are the Wildcats Review

LIVE LOVE BROMANCE: Undercover Bromance Review

HONEY READ ME: The Honey-Don’t List Review

SWEETEST YA: What I Like About You Review & Inspired Cupcake Recipe

Bookish & Fangirl Fun: 

STRESS PURCHASES, ARCS, & LIBRARY HOLDS: April 2020 Book Haul

What I Watch on YouTube

Binge-Read Recommendations: What I’ve Read in 2020 So Far Edition

Bookish News Round Up #2: Release Date Changes, New Books, & More

Fangirl News Round Up #3: Upcoming Books, TV, & Event Updates

If We Were Having Coffee: Current Entertainment Faves & Other Life Things

The Prediction Book Tag

My Middle Grade Reads: Inspired by The Eye of Zeus

Officially done with undergraduate work – Graduating is a bittersweet experience to begin with, but even more so for my fellow seniors and me since we had to finish our degrees online. I’m still working for my on-campus job and have a few online celebrations over the next few weeks, but I submitted the draft of my media & communications capstone today! My school is holding a virtual commencement on our original graduation day, but they recently scheduled our (tentative) in-person commencement to August! I guess you can say that I’m graduated, but it won’t be official until the end of the May when my graduation application is confirmed and my diploma comes in the mail in the new few weeks.

Twenty Young Podcast – One of my best friends and I have been listening to a lot of podcasts lately, which made us think 1) where all the podcasts for women in the twenties and in between college and professional life? And 2) why don’t we give podcasting a try? We then decided to create the Twenty Young Podcast, available on Spotify! I’m going to have a blog post all about our podcast in May.

 What did you read and watch in April? Have you read or watched anything I mentioned? Share in the comments!

CONTEMPORARY READS & REALITY TV MOOD: April 2020 Wrap Up April was another month filled with ups and downs. I’m super grateful for my health and safety right now, but I am definitely missing college life and like everyone, wondering when we’ll be able to get back to some state of ‘normalcy.’ This month, I technically finished my undergraduate work (online), had some fun Zoom sessions and reunions with friends, and again had so many books and TV shows as comfort.