#to me dark percy starts with either annabeth or his mom dying

[blueneptunium]

wanna make a distinction here: I love dark!percy, it’s my favorite trope, most of the pjo fics I’ve written center around it, I consume any and all I can get

but to me dark percy is always always been about percy rebelling against the gods, not demigods

that’s the key difference between percy and luke. percy would never presume that he could build something better than the gods, wouldn’t want to tear it all down and everyone who ever supported the gods and rule in their place.

for me, dark percy is about percy going after the gods directly, no more middle ground, no more being pushed around on quests that gets his friends killed that the gods don’t even remember. it’s about percy bringing the fight directly to them, and yeah also taking care of anyone that gets in his way. but aftermath? not something he thinks about. he doesn’t want to sit on the throne, he doesn’t want to create a new world, to me, dark percy is born out of revenge and vengeance and no end goal, just wild power that’s done being held back and controlled, just like the ocean

[darkcrowprincess]

Luke, dying: Did you love me?

Annabeth: Like a—

Percy: Yes.

*Percy and Luke look into each other’s eyes and Percy kisses him gently.*

*I'm just going to go crazy with this! And borrow some inspiration from a show my mom likes called Grey's Anatomy. Also hope you don't mind me changing canon a bit.*

Nico didn't know what happened. At a certain point the whole building shook as if a tiny earthquake was happening. Loud painful screams filled everywhere. It terrified Nico because they sounded like someone familiar to him. They sounded like Percy Jackson.

Of course, before he could investigate Nico had slipped and hit his head from falling debre. He didn't know how long he was asleep. But he felt someone trying to wake him up.

"Nico wake up! Wake up I need your help!"

Nico finally did wake up, and he woke up to the last person he wanted to ever see. Blonde curly hair and silver eyes of one Annabeth Chase angrily starring down at him.

"Get up! I need your help!", the daughter of Athena stated. Not asked, stated, as if it was an already done deal. Nico ignores her and looks around. The room leading to the gods thrones and hearth is in shambles. Pieces of ceiling everywhere. Furniture broken, glass windows shattered. A pillar broken and fallen over is blocking the door way to the throne room.

"NICO! Are you even listening to me?"

"No. Where is Percy? You and Grover were suppose to be with him. What happened?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you! Percy kicked us both out of the room. Than he started making earthquakes happen!"

Nico's eyes widen at this, both in fear and worry.

"Grover went to get help, I've been stuck by the door trying to move debris. Percy won't listen. He's all alone in there with him."

"With who? What exactly happened?"

Annabeths eyes go sad.

~flashback~

"I'm not giving him a knife so he can kill himself Annabeth!"

"It's part of the Prophecy you have to!"

"Percy it will be alright. I'm your enemy anyway remember?"

"NO!"

When the deed was done it felt like Percy had stabbed himself too. What makes him break and shatter is that he hands the knife. It has to be him.

Percy holding Luke in his arms after stabbing himself, Annabeth kneeling next to them. Blood is staining Percy's arms. Luke's breathing is slowly down. His blue sky eyes look hazy and clouded.

Luke looks up to both of them. His voice asks desperately, "Did you love me?" A bubble of blood comes out of his mouth and stains his lips. It makes Percy start crying, desperate too for every second so Luke can stay longer.

Annabeth starts to say, "I've only seen you as a brother, but I dont-

Before she can finish the room starts shaking. Percy with a dark voice and the ocean in his eyes, "Annabeth stop it!" It scares Annabeth into dead silence.

Than Percy turns back to Luke, "She loves you ok Luke. Even Thalia and the other campers still love you ok. They were angry at what you did, but everyone still loves you. Your mom still loves you."

Luke stares at Percy, as if waiting.

"I love you too, ok Luke. So you can't die. You have so many people who still love you." Percy sobs in between words.

Luke finally smiles, and brings Percy's face close to his. " I love you Percy, I think I always have."

Luke gentle as a feather kisses a shocked Percy's lips. Blood staining his. "I'll try for reincarnation. Either way I'll see you in Elysium ok."

Percy's eyes go round with fear." No no no no, Luke you have to stay with me ok. Stay with me."

"We're soulmates Percy. We'll find each other again. I promise."

Luke's eyes flutter shut. And they don't open again. The light in Percy's eyes go with him. That's when the screaming, and the shaking of the whole building really starts.

~end flashback~

"You just left him in the room!"

"What did you expect me to do?! He almost killed us!"

Nico says nothing, just gives Annabeth a dark look. Than wordlessly grabs her arm and shadow travels into the room Percy is in. What they find is heartbreaking.

Percy leaning against one wall with a dead Luke in his arms. From how Percy has them positioned. It looks like Luke is just sleeping(if it wasn't for the blood and the paleness of death), with Percy leaning his head against Luke's neck.

Nico does not like the look in Percy's eyes. They look lifeless and numb. As if Percy is not all there.

Nico drops Annabeths arm and the both of them head towards Percy. Kneeling in front of him.

"Percy we need to go. The gods cannot find out you destroyed their throne room,"Annabeth says.

Percy doesn't answer. He just looks ahead at nothing. Holding Luke's dead body gently.

Annabeth goes to touch Percy. That's what finally gets a reaction.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Percy says this quietly, but cold. Sad. Darkness in his voice.

Nico drags Annabeth's hand away. Annabeth still doesn't take the hint. "Percy we need to move!"

"Leave me alone I want to stay with Luke."

Annabeth looks at Nico with wide troubled eyes. "Go stand over there. I'll deal with this," Nico tells Annabeth. She agrees. Which is a surprise, but Nico is grateful. Nico kneels closer to Percy but not touching him.

"Percy, I know you want to stay here with him. But you can't." Nico speaks softly and gently.

"Leave me alone." Percy voice replies dull and lifeless.

"Percy that's not Luke anymore."

Percy at that, holds Luke closer and closes his eyes tight. "Shut. Up."

"Percy the minute he died. Is when he stopped being Luke. His soul is probably in the underworld by now. I know you love him," Nico tears up at this, but pushes down his feelings and continues. He is a son of Hades.

"He probably loves you too. And someone who loves you like that would not want to see you do this to yourself. Because that's not Luke, not anymore"

At that Percy finally looks at Nico. There's a little life in his eyes. "You want to hear something crazy? I was never ment to be the hero in the prophecy. My whole job, was to hand Luke, the real hero. The knife to kill himself himself with." Percy starts laughing at this. With tears coming out of his eyes. One of his hands runs through Luke's hair. "My only job was to kill my soulmate at the right moment. Right before he died he was telling me he loved me. He loves me. And now he's dead from me helping him kill himself!" Percy starts sobbing and laughing. "Isn't that ridiculous? Isn't that the most ridiculous piece of crap you ever heard!" Percy than cries into Luke's neck. Nico starts crying too. He gently takes a hold of Percy's arm to hold him. Percy let's go of Luke(finally) and let's Nico hold him. Crying in his arms. Crying so loud it echos in the room. Nico rocks Percy in his arms saying nothing.

Luke's corpse stays leaning by the walls. Still looking like he's just sleeping.

@dark-emperor-ciska I took a lot from this scene in a show my mom loves called greys anatomy. I'm not a fan. But that scene this is based on hit me really hard. it gave me inspiration. If you want a link to said scene let me know. I hope you like this. I don't think it's any good.

[phykios]

honesty and promise me, part 10 [co-written with @darkmagyk] [read on ao3]

“If you don’t talk to me, I’m not going to leave you my keys.”

Annabeth looks at Piper from behind the loom, glaring through the threads. “Then you won’t come back to ten bolts of fabric.”

In fairness, it was sort of an empty threat. Piper has all the good stuff: the surger, the embroidery machine, the industrial sewing machines, plus a million sources for fabric that aren’t Annabeth’s stress weaving. Annabeth only has her own shitty sewing machine at home that she’d gotten for Christmas when she was fourteen.

Also, Piper wouldn’t actually lock her out. She needs those fabrics.

“Why don’t you just not go?” Annabeth says. “If you stay, I promise to tell you all the gritty details.” She’s joking, but the second she says it, she’s hit with a strange wave of desperation.

She wants to tell Piper all the gritty details. How she had giggled and smoozed and looked so pretty on Luke’s arm, tattoos and undercut and everything else so carefully concealed. She never wanted to tell Thalia the gritty details. The dirty ones, sure, particularly when the dirty things didn’t involve Thalia’s beloved younger cousin. But she had spent two years, two hard painful years, hiding vast swaths of herself from Thalia.

She thought of the night of the gala, of Thalia telling her family she knew Luke from college. NYU. They’d been actors together.

Annabeth hadn’t been the only one hiding things.

It had stung, in all sorts of ways.

Piper stares, narrowing her eyes. “How dare you tempt me into giving up my creative retreat for gossip.”

Annabeth shrugs. “It’s one or the other.”

The glare at each other, stubborn as all hell.

Piper throws up her hands. “Fine. Just make my fabric and call Leo if you’re having another crisis.”

The truth is, she will tell Piper. Eventually. She knows she will. It will probably be in eight months, when she gets back, when hopefully the shame of her false life and the devastation of losing Percy has lessened, but she will tell her. But eight months is a long time. “I do have other friends, you know.”

“Then call Luke. Or Thalia.”

It takes absolutely everything Annabeth has not to wince at the names.

She would never have told Thalia. Not really. Even things like this, even if it hadn’t involved her. Thalia wasn’t… good at relationship stuff. Not like Piper. And she never knew all of Annabeth’s romantic history--not like Piper did, anyway.

And it wasn’t just romantic relationships.

Annabeth might have been able to share her pain, and share her pain with Thalia, but it had, in many ways, only been a surface level thing. Thalia saw her pain after Annabeth’s mom had rescinded her approval of her life, but she'd taken Annabeth’s silence as the end of the matter, and responded to it by acting out, and arguably drinking too much.

But they never talked about her mother. They never talked about Thalia’s, either, and if there was something Annabeth learned from Hazel’s gala beyond how unfairly handsome Percy was going to look in thirty years, it was that there was a lot going on there.

It is a little hurtful on reflection. Making her feel less close to Thalia, but also less guilty about what she never said. And less willing to accept her reactions.

Her emotions have been all over the place the last few weeks.

Piper notices, because of course Piper notices, but she is an angel, and has known her for a long time, so she doesn’t badger her too much. She also doesn’t mention that Annabeth’s measurements all seem to be off. Not even to say something about beauty at every size or her well publicized efforts for diverse bodies in fashion.

But it was still nice to spend time with her. It felt like the old days, staying up too late making the next thing in fashion, and then passing out together, surrounded by bobbins and bagels, Gossip Girl playing on TV.

It did make Piper’s impending departure that much harder, though.

Two weeks into November, she meets Piper and Leo for dinner, and then sees Piper off to JFK for her eight-month creativity retreat in Oklahoma. “You know, like how you decided you couldn’t have a doorman for creative reasons,” she’d said with a raised eyebrow when Annabeth had questioned the move. Piper likes to treat the last two years of Annabeth’s life like some sort of creative exercise. Her dad had done that too, once, when she bothered to answer his call.

Not that she’s not doing anything other than helping Piper pick stitches, and sewing hemlines Piper is too important to deal with herself. She wishes that earlier estimation had been true.

Since the gala she’s been living on Uber Eats at Piper’s, unless she gets bullied home, in which case it's the same but less varied selection with more meat, so the night out with Piper and Leo the night before Piper’s flight feels like a radical departure from the norm. Even though they just go to dinner.

Which does not stop her from feeling hungover the next morning.

“You had half a glass of wine last night,” Leo points out from the door of her bathroom.

“I remember,” she agrees when it lets up for a moment.

“If you get me sick,” he says, “I’m sending you the doctor's bill.”

“Fair,” she chokes out.

Leo doesn’t hug her goodbye, but he does tell her he hopes she gets better before heading back to Boston.

Annabeth, hugging porcelain, wishes she could go with him.

She was very seriously considering it a few days later. Magnus would take pity on her and Alex was always fun to hang out with. Plus, they’d probably think she was too pathetic to be called on her shit. She only did not make plans to go up to Boston because on Wednesday Luke texted her: Already a shit week, brunch this weekend? And she knew if she ran off to Boston, she wouldn’t leave Magnus and Alex’s guest room until they forced the issue.

But it would be nice to talk to someone in New York City who doesn’t hate her guts, she thought.

So, on Sunday morning, she throws up the wonton soup she’d ordered in for dinner the night before, gurgles some mouthwash, uses the expensive concealer to hide the dark circles, and over does the mascara in hopes that she mostly looks awake.

“You look terrible,” are the first words Luke says to her.

“You have no idea how to talk to women,” she says, slumping down across from him.

“I do,” Luke says, “I just know not to bother with you.” But he frowns at her, taking her in. She’s broken out a Chanel jacket, but she isn’t sure when she last washed these jeans. A real winning combo, her.

“But really,” Luke says, “you look miserable. Is it about what happened on Halloween?”

She shrugs. It isn’t not that. Percy’s words still circle through her head, his sad, defeated face as he bemoaned the, how did he put it? All the rich girls who fucked him to make a point. Made all the worse because she believes them. Probably not the same points as those princesses, but… probably not as different as she would like.

She wonders if Europe is full of very wealthy aristocratic women who are all secretly and shamefully still in love with Percy Jackson. And Frank Zhang.

It makes her feel hollow and nauseous all at once.

But she’s been feeling nauseous for weeks now, so at least it's not a new feeling. If it keeps up, she’s going to have to go to the doctor soon.

She hates going to the doctor. It feels like cheating when she just goes and pays and knows other people can’t. She had once lied to Thalia about getting money for a side gig, and then given her two hundred bucks for a trip to the clinic. Now that Annabeth has spent many hours in his cousin’s apartment, and has heard Nico talk about his yearly income on top of the money his dad gives him, she’s not sure how it came down to her.

“Not really,” Annabeth says, “I mean, I still feel just as terrible, but that’s mostly the problem. I feel sick.”

“It's been three weeks.” Luke looks genuinely concerned. “What’s going on?”

“I’m exhausted and nauseous all the time,” she says, groaning at the thought. She was okay right at this moment, but she knew it could come back at the drop of a hat.

Luke frowned at her. “That’s all?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“I mean…” He looked at her, his eyes gazing lower, to her body. Luke had never really come on to her in any kind of real way. But she’s not sure he’s ever looked at her with less lust than he does right at that moment.

It is calculating. She’s gained some weight, she knows. But if Luke points it out, she’s going to kick him in the nuts with her steel toed boots. Or maybe make him explain himself and his relationship with Thalia.

“Annabeth,” Luke says, his voice lower, a frown on his face, “please don’t freak out.”

She can feel her heart pick up, just a bit. “That’s a terrible place to start.”

“Have you been feeling… emotionally volatile lately? Having a lot of mood swings?”

She frowns. She’d maybe been crying a little more than normal at sentimental hulu ads, but she always has a soft touch for that kind of thing, and she’s going through some stuff. “I don’t think you should ask a woman that.”

“You are really not going to like my next question, then.” He leans close and says, “Are your… breasts tender?”

“You’re right, I don’t like that question,” Annabeth says, crossing her arms over her chest. Even though they are. “I don’t know why you thought that, and how you knew.”

Luke looks at her with such pity, she feels like she’s suddenly eighteen years old again, and crying on his couch at the end of freshman year about the greatest heartbreak of her life. (It had moved to second place. Lucky it. The boy in that bar had only been theoretical, mostly.)

Luke reaches out, grasping one of her hands, and for a second, Annabeth is sure he is going to tell her that she’s dying.

“Have you considered you might be pregnant?”

She yanks her hand away. “I can’t be pregnant,” she says. “I haven’t had sex in weeks.”

“Have you had your period since then?” Luke asks.

“Not that it's any of your business,” she says, “but I haven’t had one in years.” They do talk about sex sometimes, but periods had long been off the Luke table.

Luke grimaces. “Well, you’ve been sexually active recently…”

“It’s been more than a month!”

“When did you start getting morning sickness?” Luke asks “You were throwing up at Halloween.”

“That wasn’t in the morning,” she snaps, “and I feel fine now.”

“You know morning sickness doesn’t just happen in the morning,” Luke says. “And with the rest of your symptoms, well--”

She shakes her head, glaring at Luke. His judgement would have been better than his patient mansplaining. “You think I don’t use birth control?”

Luke shrugs a little. “I mean… you’re… not great at things like daily medication. That’s what happened last time. And if a condom broke or you didn’t use one…”

Last time. Oh, last time. Last time had been the worst four hours of her life, in between realizing that she hadn’t been remembering her birth control pills every day, that her period was a few days late, and that she’d definitely been having unprotected sex with that boy in Luke’s cohort who was probably too old for her. Last time had been her having a panic attack on Luke’s Cambridge apartment couch while a very reluctant Leo was sent to buy a pregnancy test or twelve, and Piper reassuring her via speaker phone that it would be ok, while Luke rubbed her back and reminded her to breathe.

“I do remember what happened last time,” she says. “That’s why I got an IUD. Which, if you don’t know, from all your girlfriends' pregnancy scares, has the same failure rate as permanent sterilization, less than one percent. So…” So it would be okay. She couldn’t be pregnant. That’s why it had been okay for Percy and Annabeth to start fucking without a condom.

“When was the last time you got a new one?”

“August.” She says, thinking back. She was almost sure. “I remember because it was before the Eta thing--Leo called me to tell me about the ceremony while I was at the gyno.”

“So you were distracted and being a bad patient when they were trying to put it in?”

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

But she won’t give Luke, of all people, the satisfaction. “They are professionals. They should know what they’re doing, even if I was on the phone.”

Luke gives her his most disappointed dad face. It is worse than Annabeth’s own father. “You’re the one who always tells me I need to not make people’s jobs harder by being a bad client,” he quietly reminds her.

She fucking hates him.

But despite herself, she pulls out her phone, and begins googling misplaced IUDs and pregnancy.  

They haven’t even ordered yet, but Luke is already standing up, probably based on the look on her face as she manages to fight through the dyslexia and figure out what it says. “Come on,” he says, helping her out of her chair, even though she’s not an invalid. She just might be pregnant.

She pushes that thought away as she follows Luke into a cab and then up to his apartment. He makes her some tea and hands her a banana while he goes to get her a pregnancy test, because Luke’s not quite shameless enough to have one at home. She waits for him in a living room straight out of American Psycho and reads up on IUD pregnancy complications online. Which she probably should not have done.

By the time Luke gets back, she is crying again. He’s gotten her 3 tests, which is very considerate of him, as she’s going to need them.

Walking into the bathroom, she’s shaking hard enough that she needs to brace herself on the wall. He lets her use the nice one off his bedroom, though it's not like she needs the jacuzzi tub.

When she’s done peeing, she sets a timer on her phone and sits on Luke’s bed. He tries to speak to her several times. She doesn’t respond.

It isn’t the longest ten minutes of her life, because the truth is, she knows.

She already knows.

When the alarm goes off, she shrugs off Luke’s arm and silently walks back into the bathroom.

Luke got a digital readout, because what else was he going to do. And so she looks at the little screen and just barely processes the word pregnant.

She doesn’t need to take the other tests. She doesn’t need confirmation or to be convinced.

She reaches down and pressed on her lower abdomen, lifting her shirt. She had noticed a slight change. But she’d also changed a lot of her daily routine lately, had eaten a lot more ice cream. Right now, she can’t see any kind of bump, not really, but she can see a shift. Something flat gone fuller.

Annabeth is pregnant.

Annabeth is pregnant with Percy’s baby.

Percy’s baby.

She bursts into tears all over again.

An eternity later, there is a knock on the door.

“Annabeth,” Luke calls, “can I come in?”

She manages to choke out a yes.

Luke finds her sitting on the edge of the tub. He looked at the test still sitting on the counter.

“Let me make a call,” he says, sitting next to her, resting a hand on her arm. “I know a doctor. He can get you a pill or maybe even see you if you need it. Probably today or tomorrow. We can get this all taken care of and then I’ll buy you ice cream and we can watch Legally Blonde, and you can complain about how it doesn’t accurately reflect the admissions process.”

Normally Annabeth would pre-complain, and point out that given Elle’s GPA, LSAT, and extracurricular activities, she would have been a shoe in for her program, and the movie was dismissive of her prior academic achievement. But she’s too busy parsing what Luke is saying.

He squeezes her hand in support. “It's going to be okay,” he says, sweetly.

“No.” She says. But not because it won’t be okay. “No, I’m not going to have an abortion.”

“It's okay,” Luke promises. “I would never judge you. And no one else would ever have to know. This isn’t something you have to do.”

“I know that,” Annabeth says. “I don’t have to do anything.” She detangles her hand from Luke’s and rests it on her stomach, where her uterus waits under her skin. “I want to do this.”

Luke looks at her hand. “Poseidon Olympianides’ son?” he asks. “That’s the father?”

She nods.

Blowing out a breath through his teeth, he sighs. “Well, you’ll be able to get some good child support out of him at least. That family is loaded.”

“Don’t say that,” she nearly screams, and Luke actually jerks back a little. “He doesn’t have any money. He’s his dad’s bastard kid,” she says, feeling a little bad about revealing his family history, but knowing that the word would spark something in Luke. “I don’t know if I’m even going to tell him.”

It feels like something cheap and shallow, trapping a man with a lie, then a baby.

She’s still crying and tentatively, Luke reaches out and wraps his arms around her, pulls her to him.

“Come on,” he says, pulling her up. “You still need ice cream and a movie.”

Annabeth cries. And she doesn’t fight him, but it feels so strange. Half way through her Caramel Sutra and the Legally Blonde proshot, she realizes what’s different.

For the first time since Percy walked out of her apartment without a good-bye kiss, Annabeth Chase is happy.

She’s pregnant with Percy Jackson’s baby.

She’s going to have Percy Jackson’s baby.

She’s not sure if she’s ever heard anything as wonderful in her entire life.

And if she’s going to be worthy of it, worthy of her baby, then she’s going to have to get her shit together.

[wasithard]

Percy wakes up on his seventeenth birthday in his own bed.

One year ago today, he’d woken up in a room at the Plaza Hotel from a vision of the Titan Lord Kronos planning his attack on Manhattan. One year ago today, he’d woken up in the middle of a war – and that’s not even the most recent war he’s fought.

Percy wakes up on his seventeenth birthday and immediately goes back to sleep.

**

His day goes like this: waking again to blue pancakes and waffles and eating them with his mom and Paul. Having a picnic lunch with Annabeth and Grover in Central Park, then driving with them to camp for dinner and a bonfire with their friends. Roasting marshmallows and singing songs and kissing Annabeth by the fire. Getting too lost in the way the firelight tinges her grey eyes red to notice the rest of the campers gathering around them before they pick them up and throw them in the lake, just like last year. Sitting around the dying embers of the fire, remembering the friends they lost in the war that ended one year ago today, the heavy silence of that moment burying itself in the middle of his chest, sitting there like a weight. Going to bed in his cabin, Tyson snoring in the bunk above him, wishing the love he’d felt from his friends that day would be enough to silence the voices in his head yelling it should’ve been me.

**

Percy wakes up on his nineteenth birthday, three years after the war.

He wakes up and wonders if he’ll ever stop thinking of it as the anniversary of the war instead of a celebration for another year he’s lived, or another year he’s spent with Annabeth.

Annabeth, who’s living on campus in the city they almost gave their lives defending three years ago now and comes over for breakfast that morning with Sally and Paul. He’s sitting at the table with them all, laughing and grateful to have them, but wondering if he should be worried that it’s been three years and he still wakes up on August 18th with a tightness in his chest at the thought of getting another year older than his friends who will never see another day. He knows they’re in Elysium. The thought should bring him peace.

Breakfast trickles into the afternoon and he and Annabeth go for a walk in Central Park before driving up to Camp. On the way there, Percy takes a detour to a small beach he’d scouted out a few weeks before and surprises his girlfriend with a picnic on the sand. He helps her build a sandcastle that’s almost taller than he is, holding the waves back so that they can use the hard, wet sand near the shoreline to make their castle stronger.

By the time they get to Camp they both smell of salt and seaweed and his spirits are high. It makes it worse, somehow, when they have their annual memorial to those they lost three years ago that he’s had such a nice day so far. Annabeth notices his change in mood, presses a kiss to his shoulder as she entwines their fingers.

After the campers start to trickle off to bed, Chiron catches his eye and Percy follows him to the Big House. They are sitting on the balcony, crickets chirping around them and a glass of cool blue Coke in Percy’s hand when Chiron fixes him with a stare that has seen countless tragedies and asks him if he still blames himself for being alive.

It’s jarring to hear someone so bluntly say out loud the thoughts he hasn’t dared to speak for so long. He swallows, can’t bring himself to hold Chiron’s gaze so flicks his eyes down to his feet instead, the only part of his body that doesn’t feel like it’s shaking. His fingers clench around the clear glass in his hand and he watches beads of water slide down the outside of it. Chiron doesn’t speak, but the silence is heavy and Percy feels like it’ll suffocate him if he doesn’t break it.

“I don’t– ” he clears his throat. It sounds too thick. “I don’t blame myself.”

He takes a sip of his Coke, swallowing it completely. “I don’t blame myself. I just don’t understand…”

He doesn’t want to finish the sentence, doesn’t want to say the words, I don’t understand why it wasn’t me, but when his eyes meet Chiron’s again he knows the centaur understands. How many other heroes has he seen feel the same way? Does he feel the same way?

“Percy,” Chiron says, his voice steady and deep with thousands of years of wisdom and loss and hope. “You help no one by holding on to guilt that isn’t yours.”

Percy exhales roughly, running a hand through his hair. In his head, he understands this. He just doesn’t believe it. If he had been a little bit better, in any sense of the word: faster, stronger, smarter. Maybe Charles wouldn’t have gotten caught in the engine room of the Princess Andromeda. Maybe Michael wouldn’t have been caught in the earthquake Percy had caused on the Williamsburg Bridge. Maybe Clarisse could have been convinced to fight in the war earlier, so Silena wouldn’t have had to impersonate her.

“Percy.” Chiron repeats, voice firmer. “You might be a hero, but you are also a person. And all a person can ever do is their best.”

Percy closes his eyes, bows his head. Chiron continues speaking. “The gods have done wonderful things, but they have also made many, many mistakes. More and far more devastating mistakes than the ones you have made in your short life. The benefit and curse of immortality is seeing how the actions of a moment can fade over time. How they can be made up for when a similar situation arises in the future. How it is not one’s past that defines them, but how they learn from it.”

Percy doesn’t want to look up at Chiron now, because there are tears in his eyes and it’s embarrassing, frankly. But he owes it to him.

He looks up. Chiron’s gaze is as steady as before, and Percy exhales one more time, releasing air all the way down to his belly. One tear slips down the side of his face and stops at his upper lip. He licks it away, using a hand to wipe his eyes as he turns his face to the now quiet camp. He can see the volleyball court, the rock climbing wall, the smoking embers of the campfire and the beginning of the circle of cabins. He sees his home: safe, intact. Filled with his friends, the survivors. He breathes it in.

“Thanks, Chiron.” He says, turning back to the centaur who gives him a soft, understanding smile in return.

Percy finishes off his drink and leaves the empty glass on the same wooden table he saw Chiron and Dionysus playing pinochle at when he first arrived at Camp, all those years ago. He stands up, wishes Chiron goodnight and starts walking back to the cabins.

Cabin 3 stands there: dark, alone and familiar. He feels tiredness tug at his eyelids and muscles but inside he still feels too wired to lay down just yet. He heads for the beach.

Annabeth is already there. Her legs are bent in front of her, arms tucked underneath them and chin resting on her knees. He sits silently beside her and they stay there, no sound between them except the gentle crash of the waves on the shore. After a few minutes she leans her head against his shoulder and he rests his atop hers, closes his eyes.

“Do you remember when we were in the Sea of Monsters and I wanted to hear the Sirens?” Annabeth asks, voice quiet. “I would’ve killed myself on those rocks swimming to their island but you dove into the ocean and pulled me out of their range, even though I was kicking and screaming at you to stop. We were thirteen.

“And remember in Mount St. Helen’s? I know you didn’t have a plan, but you made me get out anyway. You made sure that I was safe before even thinking about how you would survive.”

He feels her weight leave his shoulder then, glances over to see her sitting up and turning towards him, crossing her legs under her. The light of the full moon washes her in an ethereal glow, and her eyes are gleaming wide and bright as they lock onto his, pinning him in place. Annabeth is always beautiful, but when she’s determined – whether in battle or in convincing her boyfriend that he doesn’t deserve the pain he inflicts on himself – she has a face that could launch a thousand ships.

“And in Rome,” she says, her voice catching. “You wouldn’t let me face Tartarus unless we could face it together. I don’t know how many times you saved my life down there…” Percy sees her eyes begin to well with tears. “When we were fighting the arai…” She closes her eyes as a few tears escape them. Percy reaches forward and wipes a few away with his thumb. She opens her eyes into his again and gives him a small smile.

“My point is,” she continues, her voice thick. “Being a demigod is a high risk life that none of us asked for. An occupational hazard of us just being alive is death by monster attack. This is the first thing we learn when we find out who we are. All the friends we’ve lost over the years…they knew that too.

“And that doesn’t mean that their deaths were ok or justified or that we can forget about them, but I think that shouldering the burden of their deaths is stopping you from remembering the beauty of their lives. And it’s stopping you from remembering all the people who haven’t died because of you. Every single person in this camp owes their life to you, either directly or indirectly. Yes, a lot of people died on this day three years ago, but even more people were saved, and you had more to do with the last thing than the first.”

Percy’s getting teary again, but he doesn’t feel embarrassed this time. Annabeth shuffles closer to him on the sand and grabs both of his hands, squeezing them tightly, bringing them up and pressing her lips against them. “Percy Jackson, you have the purest heart of anyone I have ever met. It’s glaringly obvious to anyone who knows you – except yourself, apparently. I will spend the rest of my life trying to help you see it, but until then you’re just gonna have to trust me.”

Her face changes. It goes from open and pleading to playful, one eyebrow raised and a challenge in her eyes that makes his heart skip a beat, even when the rest of his system is in emotional overwhelm.

“Do you trust me, Percy?” Annabeth asks him.

He lets out a laugh, shaky from tears, and nods, “Yes, Annabeth. I trust you with my life.”

She beams at him, sitting up on her knees to bring her face closer to his, until it’s close enough that he can feel the warmth of her breath as she speaks, her eyes still locked onto his. “Then believe me when I tell you that you deserve forgiveness. And you need to give it to yourself.”

It’s too much. Percy swallows, jaw clenched and glances down. Annabeth releases one of his hands and grabs his chin, not letting him get away that easily.

“You. Deserve. Forgiveness. More than anyone in this world.”

He’s searching her eyes, frantically almost. It feels too easy. There has to be a catch.

“Ok?” Annabeth prompts, her voice still soft but firm, uncompromising.

He opens his mouth to speak but any words get caught in the knot at the base of his throat. Tears are leaking down his face and he can’t. He can’t. It can’t be that easy. It shouldn’t be.

Annabeth exhales, removing her hand from his chin and instead running it through his hair, stopping at the back of his head and bringing it forward until their foreheads touch. She doesn’t say anything else, just sits there with him.

With him, while he closes his eyes and thinks about the Minotaur choking his mom when he was twelve. Thinks about imaging Tyson drowning in the Sea of Monsters when he was thirteen. Thinks about losing Bianca di Angelo and Zoe Nightshade later that same year. He thinks about the campers that fell in the Battle of the Labyrinth whose names he didn’t know, and the campers that fell in the Battle of Manhattan whose names he made sure he did. He thinks of a Titan and a Giant at the Doors of Death, sacrificing themselves so that he and Annabeth could get to safety.

Percy sits on a beach at nineteen years old and thinks of all the death he’s seen in such a short time, all the death that’s been haunting him for years.

A cool breeze passes by him, coming from the water. As it brushes his skin, he comes back to the warmth of his best friend’s forehead pressed against his, her hands: one clutching his, the other tangled in his hair. He feels her soft exhale of breath and thinks about how she is alive, here, with him. Against all odds. He thinks of the campers asleep in the cabins just metres away: alive, here, with him. He thinks of his mom and Paul and Rachel, his friends from Camp Jupiter, all the people he cares about who are alive, here, with him. He thinks about the fact that they outnumber the dead, and realises he’s never really thought about that before.

Percy lifts his head and looks at Annabeth. She cups one side of his face with her hand, eyes still trained on his intently.

“I love you.” He says. “I’m so happy you’re alive.”

Her smile is small and bittersweet, her eyes wide grey pools of understanding.

“Me too,” is all she says.

It is enough.

[rosyredlipstick]

conchell farmers market AU

i went to a farmers market last weekend. thank u rina for looking this over!

The wind was cool, the birds were chirping, and Sebastian was yet again attempting to sneak off with the honey boy. 

“It’s legally required that I receive a break, Mitchell. And what I do on my government-mandated fifteen minutes off is frankly none of your business.”

He was just barely resisting the urge to pinch at his nose. “Sebastian, the day that you actually manage to keep your business your business is that day hell freezes over. All I’m asking is that when you lure Basil away, you don’t bring him back here so you guys can try and make out behind the curtains. No one wants that!”

Sebastian busied himself with ignoring Mitchell and looking over their main table of pre-packaged chocolate truffles. He picked one up, looked it over, and set it back down. 

Mitchell rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair with a sigh. “Also, I’m pretty sure Mother would frown on you trading her chocolate away just so you could flirt with some guy.”

Sebastian was still examining the numerous paper boxes. “She’d more than approve if she saw the honey guy.”

Their apartment pantry was already so, so incredibly full of small glass pots. “Please,” Mitchell said with pain. “Just give him the chocolate for free. We don’t need to keep buying out the farmer’s market.” 

Sebastian snorted, “That’s ironic for you to say.” 

Mitchell cocked his head to the side, “What do you mean?” 

“Our kitchen currently has like, 3 different kinds of melon on the counter. And don’t get me started on the apple situation.” 

“And? We eat a lot of fruit.”

Sebastian gave him a dull look. “Whatever, Mitch,” He picked up a box, gave it a glance, and apparently found it exceptional enough. “Be back in fifteen, dork.”

“At least go talk to Silena!” Mitchell sighed and watched, only half-worried, as Seb wandered across the curved road to stop at the honey stand, where Basil and Sage were set up. Seb always swore it wasn’t even an ounce serious for either of them, but Mitchell kept his eyes on the situation. 

He busied himself with straightening up the boxes and making sure the cooler cases were still cold enough to prevent melting. One customer later (who bought an array of white chocolate mint truffles), and Mitchell’s customer grin thawed out into something a lot more genuine. “Connor!” Mitchell waved at the other man as he approached. “It was getting late, I wasn’t sure if you’d make it.” 

“Hey,” Connor was breathless, probably from his jog over here. “I - I mean, I couldn’t not stop by. My favorite booth here.” 

Behind him, Katie and Grover’s veggie stand had a line wrapped around several booths. Leo, manning a vegan taco booth that said line looped around, was joyfully handing off cartons and cartons of tacos to waiting vegetable customers. 

Connor waved off the huge line without a worry. “Katie said I could take a break. Travis is there anyway.” 

Mitchell smiled up at him. “Got anything good for me?”

“Fresh watermelon!” Connor said quickly. “It’s really sweet! I can get you one? Or two, I mean, however many you want! No worries, I’ll cover the costs  -” 

“I’d love a watermelon,” Mitchell smiled. “Just one, though. And I’d be happy to pay.” 

“Of course,” He breathed out. “Anything for you.” 

Mitchell huffed out a laugh.“How’d your mom like the last batch? I know you were iffy on the cinnamon coconut ones.” 

“Loved them, of course.” Connor sighed dreamily, gazing up at Mitchell. “She always loves what you give her.” 

Mitchell smiled at his folded hands for a moment, then looked back up to him. “That’s always nice to hear. So what can I do for you?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “Um, actually I’m not here to get her some chocolate.”

Mitchell gave him a little surprised laugh. “Really? That’s the first time in weeks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Connor laughed awkwardly, “Yeah. So. I’m here for something else. Um. I want to ask you -” He cut himself off and stared down at Mitchell, who was waiting patiently. Mitchell nodded for him to go on, curious. Connor let out a dejected breath and leaned against the side of the booth. “On second thought, I was wondering if you’d just get me a large variety box.”

Mitchell stood with a small smile. “Of course. Anything special?”

Connor made a gesture of frustration at the air, looking more directed at himself. “Just - anything! Thank you!

Mitchell hummed as he began packaging up a box. “Got a hot date?” 

“Ha,” Connor let out a much-too-loud laugh. He rubbed the back of his head. “Nope! No dates! Because I’m single. Ha. So very single.” 

“God, same,” Mitchell laughed softly. He finished up packaging the chocolates and set it between them, not reaching for the money box just yet. Connor always liked to linger and chat, not that Mitchell minded. 

Connor’s jeans were dusted in dirt and soaked the bottom with mud. It was a good look on him--farmer’s tan and all. Mitchell smiled. “Katie keeping you busy?” 

Connor looked over his shoulder, almost checking the other girl wasn’t there, then back to Mitchell with a look of exhaustion. “She had us up at 5 a.m. because she needed help with some last-minute washing and separating. I’m ready to fall over and it’s hardly passed noon.” 

“You’re tired?” Connor nodded, showing it. Mitchell perked up with a quick “Oh!” and spun around to reach for one of their newer products and pulled one out. “You know that collaboration with Nico we were considering?” He plated the treat with a flourish. “Here’s the first batch! Some fresh coffee chocolates, he’s selling some at his booth too! I think we might try some different combinations next week. He wants to try an espresso one?” He rolled forward on his toes excitedly. “I think it’s going to turn out well!” 

Connor lit up with excitement with him. “That’s great! God, I know how nervous you were about the testing phase.”

Mitchell nodded with a wide grin. For a moment, Connor almost looked starstruck. An idea occurred to him, as Connor stepped forward. 

“Here, try this.” He held the plate out of Connor’s reach. “So you can have the whole experience.” Mitchell gestured for him to lean forward. Connor did so automatically. “Close your eyes,” Mitchell instructed, “and open your mouth.” 

Connor’s gaze snapped to Mitchell’s, wide-eyed. 

“It’s the experience!” Mitchell grinned. “C’mon, try it.” 

Connor licked his lips but slowly nodded, looking breathless. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, his elbows on the stall. 

Mitchell spooned a chocolate into Connor’s waiting mouth. He took it and chewed slowly, his eyes still fluttered shut. 

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Mitchell asked, “You just really focus on the taste that way.”

A soft pink bloomed across Connor’s cheeks. He continued to chew, staring at Mitchell with wide-eyes. “Yeah,” he breathed out, swaying slightly. “You… amazing.” 

“I knew you’d like it.” Mitchell smiled, a bit satisfied. “Coffee chocolates, isn’t that fun?” 

“So fun,” Connor whispered. 

Mitchell was about to add on something else about their new flavors when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother returning to the stall. With a companion. Mitchell sighed. 

Sebastian finished wandering back over to the stall, Basil tucked under his arm like he needed assistance back to their booth. Unfortunately, Mitchell could already spy a handful of reddening marks on both of their necks. 

“Hey honey boy,” Mitchell greeted wryly. Connor snapped his neck to look where Mitchell was speaking. 

“Oh, you flatter me, Mitch.” Basil stuck out his purple tongue, most likely dyed from one of Will’s snowcones. Before Mitchell could respond, Basil turned his face upward and grabbed Sebastian’s chin to push their lips together. Mitchell sighed hugely and looked away, rolling his eyes at Connor. 

Basil swept by with a teasing grin, winking at him. “See you, Mitch. Hi Connor.” 

Sebastian tied his apron back on and waved off his not-boyfriend. “Oh, Connor. What a surprise it is to see you here, speaking to Mitchell.” 

Mitchell shook his head and ignored that. “We’re not running a kissing booth, Sebastian. You don’t need to bring Basil around every week.”

Seb rolled his eyes. “If this was a kissing booth, we’d be making a lot more than chocolate money. Am I right, Connor?” 

Connor’s face turned a dark red--he must be getting too much sun. 

“Oh, leave him alone. Did you at least talk to Silena while you were off?” 

He gestured over his shoulder. “Tried, but she and Scarlett were too invested in the teen drama happening across the line. Clarisse is basically manning the strawberry stand herself at this point.” 

Mitchell followed his gesture, already knowing. Their siblings had become quite invested in the most recent pre-romance happening every Saturday morning. At the booth across from their chocolate stall, Percy was currently handing out some blue soft-serve cones to kids while his mother smiled widely at her own dazed-looking customer. Their candy and ice cream booth had been Mitchell and Sebastian’s biggest competition, but Sally Jackson was too beautiful and delightful to keep rivals with. Now, they traded variety boxes of their new and most popular from that week--their own mother was suitably impressed.  

Annabeth’s booth, next to Percy and Sally’s, had its own array of curious customers peering down at her homemade journals and secondhand books. Usually, Percy and Annabeth spent every farmer’s market morning making much too much noise bickering and laughing while everyone else set up. Mitchell was personally two weeks away from shoving them both into Nico’s portable walk-in cooler and locking the door until they admitted their feelings. 

Mitchell groaned and wiped his face, back to the moment. “We need to talk to her some time today if we want to do chocolate-covered strawberries for the craft fair this Thursday.” 

Sebastian paused, then winced. “Wait… the craft fair is on Thursday? This Thursday?”

Mitchell already knew where he was going with this. He ran a hand over his face in frustration. “Sebastian, the senior choir is going to be there! You know how busy we get, I’ve already scheduled for an extra batch of the sugar-free dark chocolate truffles, I can’t run it on my own!”

“I thought it was next Thursday!” 

“I texted you three times about it.” 

“Well, I can’t cancel my date, she’ll never go out with me again -”

“I can’t run it on my own! Seb, I can’t believe -”

“I can help.”

Mitchell paused where he was about to ramp up into a new point and turned slowly to face the other man, who he briefly forgot was there. “What?”

Connor shifted his weight, “I can help, if you need it. It’s the craft fair on Beech street, right?” Mitchell nodded slowly. “Yeah, Travis and Katie are gonna have a mini fresh juice booth. Nothing big, but I was gonna tag along. Um, so I’ll already be there. And can help.” 

“See!” Sebastian gestured toward him. “Works out great!”

Mitchell shot him a dirty look but faced Connor, so grateful he could taste it. “I could kiss you,” Mitchell shook his head, his shoulders loose in absolute relief. “I’ll pay you, of course -”

Connor was back to that bright red. “Oh, don’t, seriously -”

“I insist -”

“Really, you don’t have to, I’m happy to help -” 

“This is horrible,” Sebastian muttered. “This is fucking torture.” 

Mitchell spun to face him, his finger already out in warning. “You! Don’t think I’m not still upset with you!”

Sebastian only flipped him off with a sarcastic grin, taking his seat. Mitchell prayed for strength. Finally, he turned back to Connor with a much more relieved and pleased expression than the one he was giving Sebastian. Connor perked up at the attention. Mitchell smiled at that. 

“Thank you again for volunteering.” He held out his hand. “Arm?”

Connor held out his arm without hesitation, then looked confused. “Why am I doing this?” He asked, his arm still extended. 

Mitchell grabbed his wrist to pull it steady. “We’re out of receipt paper.” Mitchell uncapped the sharpie with his teeth and wrote out his phone number in straight, even lines across Connor’s skin. He finished it off with a small heart and a -M. 

“Text me,” Mitchell took a moment to smile, “we can work out the details later. Maybe go to breakfast before the fair?” 

“Yes,” Connor was saying the word before Mitchell was even finished speaking. Mitchell’s lips quirked up ever so slightly. 

“Great. Don’t lose that now.” Mitchell nodded down to his wrist. 

Connor’s face went much, much too serious. “I won’t,” He said gravely, like he was accepting a mission. His other hand clenched at his own wrist. Mitchell waved him off kindly as he began stumbling back to his booth, dazed. 

Sebastian popped a stick of gum in and quickly blew a bubble. “You know,” he set his boots on the table edge, “you could have just grabbed some receipt paper.” 

Mitchell hummed, knocked Seb’s boots off the table, and took his seat. “Weird. Didn’t think of that.” 

Sebastian laughed, “I thought you were being too oblivious to notice anything, what happened to that?”

He sighed. “There’s only so much chocolate that man can buy from us, Sebastian. I don’t even think he likes chocolate that much.” 

“So? Free tips.” 

Mitchell’s eyes snapped to the small plastic “TIPS” jar they had by the spare reader, put there on Sebastian’s insistence. Connor was the only person who ever utilized it, usually by several rolled twenties shoved in haphazardly. Mitchell had insisted time and time again that Connor didn’t need to tip, but that only resulted in sneakier tips and then denying of said sneaky tips.  

Mitchell reached for the jar, fully intending on shoving the twenties into Katie and Grover’s tips despite Sebastian’s complaints, when Connor made a sudden reappearance as he burst back into their line of sight, heaving for breath with a watermelon clenched to his chest. Behind him, Katie could be heard yelling at him from their own booth. 

Connor stepped forward and help the melon up like a prize. “I didn’t forget your watermelon!” 

[kristinstoked]

Familiar Places

Hi all! This work is part of a collab with the lovely @annabetncnase​ . Both fics are based on a headcanon by @lordgrover​ , but have different plots. 

You can read Familiar Faces & Familiar Places now on ao3 !

Being in Camp Jupiter with no memory, Percy has a lot of time on his hands to go on quests that take him through San Fransisco. One winter day, Percy passes a house that looks familiar, but he can't place it. He keeps coming back to it over and over, sometimes seeing a family, sometimes seeing nothing. One day, he rings the doorbell and a girl with shiny blonde curls answers. The weird part? He recognizes her.

In this version of the prompt, Percy is met with an empty house, until he sees Annabeth. cute fluff in case you are heartbroken by bia’s fic

   At Camp Jupiter, much like at Camp Halfblood, life was never boring. Unpleasant? Maybe. Dangerous? Definitely. But boring? Absolutely not. Percy was constantly on the move. He still didn’t have most of his memories, but he knew that he needed to get back to Camp Halfblood, partially because he missed it and partially because of the prophecy, but most importantly he needed to get back to Annabeth. He was always going on quests, off to defeat whatever monster that needed to be defeated, or doing whatever needed to be done to get to Long Island (those things were not always exclusive from each other).

   It was a cold winter day when he saw the house for the first time. On first sight, the house was nothing remarkable. It was a simple 3-story house, next to a row of identical other 3-story house on either side. However, the minute Percy passed that particular house he felt as if he had seen that exact one before. There was something that struck him as familiar about the yard, the car, even the interior that he could see through the big, wide window in front. A memory started tugging at the back of his mind, but it was still too far away to recall. Percy had been there before, he was certain of it. He just didn’t know when or why. It was frustrating, to say the least. That day, Percy left without doing anything.

   After he left, Percy couldn’t quite get the house out of his mind. It was like it wanted him to remember. Somehow he felt that if he remembered when he had seen that house before and why it was so familiar, he might be able to get his full memory back. He was just missing a link to truly connect everything together.    Some of it had come trickling back over the past couple of weeks. He remembered his mom, and Chiron – his old mentor at camp. Annabeth, of course (though he still didn’t know what she even looked like, which hurt more than he was willing to admit). He was able to recall some events he had lived through like the Second Titan War, where they had prevented Kronos from taking over the world. He also remembered some snippets, like a casino-hotel in Las Vegas, or blowing up a volcano (and almost dying). Most if it he had still trouble recalling, though.

   A week later, Percy found himself back at the house for the second time. All he could do then was stare at it. He noticed movement behind the curtains, but couldn’t get himself to step up to the front door. It took him revisiting over and over many times before Percy even worked up the courage to ring the doorbell, and even after he did that for the first time, future visits would still just have him, standing on the other side of the street, longing to find out more but also afraid of what he would find. Sometimes he’d see a glimpse of the life that was happening inside. A tuff of blonde hair, or a woman telling off her children. It pained him to see that, a normal life that he could never have. Maybe, he figured, that’s what stopped him to ring the doorbell so many times.

   The first time Percy actually rang the doorbell, he was met by silence. When he had walked up to the house, he had found the windows dark, no movement or signs of life behind them. Still, he had to try, rip of the Band-Aid so to say, so he finally forced himself up to the front door. Ten minutes, and no one answered. Percy had expected that, though he was still let-down. The time he came after that, he saw figures moving in the rooms upstairs and his courage failed him. This happened on more than one occasion. He did try to see if they were home sometimes, but every time he actually saw them he fled.

   One day, he found the house empty yet again. He was ready to turn around and leave when he heard the roar of a car engine coming up behind him. With quick thinking, Percy hid himself in the bushes of the house behind him to find the car pulling up in the driveway of the house he’d visited a dozen times by now. First, a man stepped out. He was middle-aged, a full head of grey hair with still a bit of blond in it. When Percy saw him, he felt that same jolt as when he saw the house for the first time. He didn’t know when he had seen this man before, but he knew that he knew him. He was planning on walking up to him until the rest of the passengers stepped out. It was the woman and the two children he had been seeing before. The boys were teenagers, about ready to hit puberty. The woman was slightly younger than the man, but clearly she was the mother of the two children. Percy felt as if this picture was both incomplete and complete at the same time. Naturally, he had no idea why. Before he even attempted to approach them, the family disappeared inside the house.

   The weeks following that day, Percy didn’t get to go to the house. Quests kept piling up, there were monsters that needed to be defeated, and Camp Jupiter was close to finding a way to get to Camp Halfblood, so Percy needed to prepare for that as well. He did notice that there were less monsters he had to hunt down than before. Maybe there was some other vigilante demigod that got to them before he was able to. Percy snickered at the thought.

   It had snowed, when he found himself back on the doorsteps. Snow was rare, it being San Francisco, but the weather had been crazy lately. Might as well be snow in Frisco. It wasn’t much; just a thin sheet of white specks, barely covering the cobbles below. But it was snow. Percy took a deep breath, and rang the bell for what felt like the millionth time. And like the millionth time, he was met by silence. Percy was about to turn around and head back to Camp Jupiter when he heard actual footsteps coming down a staircase. In front of him, the door opened and Percy found himself looking into the two most beautiful stormy grey eyes he had ever seen. They were glistening in the winter sun, but there was also a deep sadness behind them that couldn’t quite be conveyed by the friendly smile the girl had on when she opened the door. Percy noticed that her sun-tanned face was framed by a head full of blonde curls. She looked like a hotter version of Cinderella.    The girl’s smile fell immediately when she looked up at his face; she was surprised, and Percy had to admit that he was too. He recognized her. Not the “I’ve seen you before but I don’t know where”-type of recognition that he had been dealing with a lot lately, but he knew exactly who she was, where she was born and where she had grown up, even what her favorite food was. She was the name that had floated around in his mind for months now, the name he murmured in a soft whisper every night before he went to sleep and dream about home, she was the first thought in his mind in the morning, a silent promise he had made to himself because he needed to get back to her. All that time he had spent at Camp Jupiter had been to find her. Annabeth. And now she was here, in front of him. She was more beautiful than in his wildest dreams. Though the only memory Percy had woken up with was her name, before that moment he had never been able to remember her face.    “Hi,” he said. Every part of him that could shake was trembling. He wanted to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming or not.    “Percy?” her voice was no more than a whisper, but it sounded like a melody to him. “Is … is it you? Like, actually you?”    “Yes.”    “Do you know .. do you recognize me?”    Percy nodded. “You’re Annabeth Chase. You’re my girlfriend, and you’re my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were 12 years old and since then have spent every summer together. And I love you.”    “But how? I thought Hera had stolen your memories?” she seemed a bit skeptical, and given their line of work Percy thought it was more than fair. But he also recognized a tiny bit of hope in her voice.    “She did. Or well, tried to,” he explained. “And she took almost everything, but there was one thing she could never erase. You. I woke up, and I barely knew who I was, but I remembered your name. You’re stuck in my mind, Wise Girl.”

[ghcstkling-blog]

Demigods and their mortal parents.

LISTEN, like I’ve been wondering about this thing for a while now. So you must know about the fact that the mortal parents of the demigods who go to camp, don’t even get to know if their children survived the summer/year??? Like literally no one tells them and for example May Castellan (Luke’s mother) probably still is waiting for him to come home? And it’s been like what, 2-3 years, since we last heard from her (book wise) and she must’ve been waiting all this time and probably STILL is. NOBODY told her about Luke, what he did or what he didn’t do. (Although she does probably already know because of the visions she sees, but doesn’t want to believe it.)

But you know what irks me more about this whole thing? Before leaving, May grabbed Percy’s wrist and wouldn’t let him go, because she thought PERCY WAS LUKE. Look I think we all know Percy and Luke are similar in certain ways (pretty dark ways, but this wasn’t probably what she meant.)

She says to Percy (thinking it was Luke), before she lets them leave, “Luke, at least be safe. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

Cue the sound of my heart breaking.

Then PERCY says this to her,“ I will… Mom.”

Anyways, getting to the point.

May already knew of Luke’s fate. But she didn’t want to accept it. She kept on insisting it wasn’t true and all that. So when Luke sacrificed himself, did May Castellan know? Or did she never accept the fact that Luke’s fate was the fate she saw in her visions?

Nobody told her about Luke. Not even Percy. Maybe Percy couldn’t bear telling her after promising her that Luke would be safe. Anyways, it wasn’t important enough to be mentioned in any of the other books.

Unlike May Castellan (sort of), the mortal parents of demigods will never know what happened to their kids? Heck, some don’t even know they’re demigods. Piper’s dad still thinks she’s at some school (not counting the events of ToA because I still haven’t finished it lol.) For all he knows his daughter whom he loves very much is just at another (boarding) school.

What if something happened to Piper, and nobody would tell Tristan McLean about what happened to his daughter? I mean, he could barely cope with knowing the gods were real. He would want to know what happened to his daughter, IF HE DID FIND OUT.

What if one day, Piper goes on a quest and does not make it back, who tells her father? Jason? A satyr? Leo?

Let’s just imagine no one would tell Tristan. He would find out by himself that there is something wrong with his daughter.

She didn’t come back from boarding school. He would have to find out the hard way that something happened to Piper.

And I wonder, how many mortal parents had to find out themselves that something happened to their children?

Or how many, who do know of the existence of the gods, must’ve thought about the ways their children DIED. We all know demigods are prone to dying in particularly nasty ways.

Bianca literally got squashed to death. Zoë was knocked aside by her own father, which caused massive internal injuries, but THAT didn’t kill her. The poison of Ladon did. Don’t even get me started on Silena and Beckendorf.

So what if Percy dies somehow? Who will tell Sally? Annabeth? Grover? She won’t know until she either is told or has to find out by herself. And I don’t know which one will be worse to be honest.

The Savior of Olympus was supposed to be invincible right? One of the strongest demigods ever lived, probably IS the strongest, dead. What could’ve killed the Percy Jackson?

But that wasn’t the point. This was.

Like, we’ve never had any mentions of Silena’s, Beckendorf’s mortal parents (as far I’m concerned.) Do they even know? Did someone ever tell them about their children being dead? Are they still waiting like May Castellan probably is waiting for Luke to come home, when in reality they won’t ever come home?

Who will tell the mortal parent of a demigod when they have died? The satyrs? What if the same satyr that brought the demigod to Camp Half-Blood would also be the same satyr who would bring the news to the mortal parent of the deceased demigod?

I feel like that was a detail in the books that was left out. Or maybe I missed it somehow.

Silena, Beckendorf, Castor, Ethan… and so many more with mortal parents who either get told about their children’s death or have to find out by themselves.

They weren’t the first demigod children to die, and they will certainly not be the last.

[littlebookmermaid]

Here’s my (really, really, really) long and totally unnecessary review of the Percy Jackson cast album. I’ve gotten so many visions by listening to this. I’ve even gotten a better understanding of some of the characters. 

The Day I Got Expelled “The gods are real and they have kids and all those kids have issues.”

“Look, I didn’t wanna be a halfblood.” Bless this crew for actually reading the books; we begin the musical like we begin the book.  I like this song because it’s a very successful musical number, since it tells the first chapters with only one song. 

Notable lyrics/melody: “...that's when this story should probably start. We were geeking out on ancient Greek at the New York Metropolitan Museum Of Art” I love this part. 

Strong Bless Sally Jackson.  “Normal is a myth. Everyone has issues they're dealing with. [...] The things that make you different are the very things that make you; strong.”  What I love about this are those lines. Sally knows that this might not mean much to Percy now but soon enough it will. When all the halfblood things are getting too much for him, he’ll probably remember: “Normal is a myth. Everyone has issues they’re dealing with.” She also sings about blue food and how that’s not every normal either.  Notable lyrics/melody: (sings about blue food) “To make it boring orange or green, why be blah, when there's aquamarine?” 

The Minotaur / The Weirdest Dream “You drool when you sleep.”

Sally Jackson sacrifices herself and Percy wakes up at camp. Also; Percy calls Annabeth “angel.”  Notable voice acting: “If Mrs. Dodds was really a monster, I hope you're really a sword... Awesome!"  Not sure why but I love how he sounds when he says this.

Another Terrible Day “'Course, who am I to give relationship advice, I'm literally the god of alcohol” Mr. D got his own song! This song is so much fun. What is great about this is that normally someone would sing a song about how great the camp is. You know, to introduce camp to the audience. But instead; this musical let Mr. D sing about how godsawful the camp is and what a terrible day he’s having. 

“I'm the god of wine and I'm dying of thirst” I also love how freaked out Percy is during this song. It feels more natural than being totally cool with it. “Mr. Brunner!? You’re a horse!? What is happening???”  Notable voice acting: I never would have guessed that the same guy who is Grover is also Mr. D. He does a great job!  Their Sign This is a sweet song. Percy’s feelings are really coming through here. He’s mad, he’s upset and he doesn’t understand what’s going on. But then Luke enters and helps him cope a little. (It’s just so sad how good he is at doing that because of how things turns out later.)  Notable lyrics/music: ”He showed no sign that he ever existed. No sign he might actually care. My mom raised me all on her lonesome when I would reach out, no one else would be there. Well I want my birthday cards and fishing trips, child support and homework tips. Don't mean to whimper or whine. The guy didn't need to be "Dad of the Year" But it's clear he could've shown us a sign” Long, I know. But it’s so good. So much emotion.

Put You In Your Place This girl got some pipes! Geesh, she’s amazing!  This song doesn’t bring out that many emotions in me but it’s still brilliant. The music is awesome and those guitars!! 

The best part is when they fight in the bathroom.  “Heard you were tough, But you don't look it, Your goose is cooked. I'm here to cook it” This line is so strange but Clarisse sings it with such dedication and power that it makes total sense anyway. 

The Campfire Song

“My father is Kronos (silence) Remember my lecture He ate his children.” “Chiron wins.” 

What a brilliant way to introduce all the characters. Make them sing a camp song about their godly parents! But then it’s Percy’s turn and that little cinnamon bun sings about Sally! (Cue heartbreak.) This is also a very sweet way for them to introduce the concept that even if their families suck; they’ll always have a family at camp.  Notable lyric: ”If I tried to sing, it'll probably cause an avalanche” Yay for book quotes!

Good kid  All right this is one of those songs that made me understand Percy as a character a little bit more. So we have this kid who causes trouble wherever he goes. None of it is really his fault. He’s set up because of the whole half blood thing. He really is a good kid and he tries really hard to stay out of trouble. But it doesn’t work and everyone always think it’s his fault and then; he learns that he’s a demigod. Things might look up but then Zeus, the most powerful greek god, accuses him of stealing his most powerful lighting bolt.  Imagine that; having people telling you how things are always your fault and then you’re literally accused by the Gods of stealing something. This poor kid is just trying to be good! Let the poor boy be. 

I swear I never stole anything I never meant to hurt anyone I swear, I swear that I'm a good kid Killer Quest “We're gonna march straight down to the gates of hell.” “Underworld.” “Close enough.”  Aa, Percy. 

I adore the music in this song. I also love how many times they manage to find so many (good) words that rhymes with “quest.” Favourite part of this song is at the very end when they start to sing.”We’re going on an awesome, dangerous and scary....” Also “Killer heroes quest!”  Lost I wrote a post about this the other day. But this song is the catchiest song on this album. “We’re lost in the woods, somewhere in New Jersey and we’re never gonna make to LA.” I love the dialogue in this and also Grover’s Kronk moment. “Dude, are talking to a squirrel.” Also Percy’s pun, especially how he drags the “S.”  

Is anyone still reading this? it’s super long. Well only a little left.  My grand plan Oh, Annabeth my previous deadly cupcake.  This is also one of those songs that made me understand Annabeth better. I love how the incorporated her hat in this. How unfitting that Annabeth, who’s been working her whole life to be taken seriously and noticed, gets a hat to make herself invisible? Annabeth wants to be remembered and my previous deadly cupcake you’re so will. You’re gonna be the architect of Olympus one day. You’ll be remembered forever. 

Drive Two things about this song; The Hover dam reference (dam snacks) and the fact that Ares mentioned Clarisse so he could rhyme it with “peace.” 

Tree on the hill

Emotions. Emotions all over the place. Grover is making me cry. This is a wonderful way to introduce Thalia and talk about Grover’s guilt. 

And there on the Hill Up on Half-Blood Hill A cold wind blew Dark and chill For nothing would slake it's wrathful will We had to make a stand-

This part is so good. The melody, the emotion and just everything. Right when he sings “chill” it literally gives me chills. How fitting. 

I won’t go deeper into the songs anymore but overall this musical is just really well done. It respects the books and the songs are really catchy. 

[maplemarcher]

Rules: Answer the 20 questions and tag 20 amazing followers you would like to get to know better.

Name: Adreanna! (please call me Addy though)

Nicknames: I go by Addy, which is actually a nickname. Others include Addsabelle (my grandma), Sir Stinksalot (my step-dad, he’s weird), Princess (my girlfriend), and...so fucking many weird ones my mom has given me. She used to call me Apple Jane a lot

Zodiac Sign: Taurus yo

Height: 5′ 5′ (I think?)

Orientation: Bisexual, with a heavy, HEAVY preference for girls. Like if you had a pie chart of how much I like girls vs how much I like boys, it would be like 90% to 10%. Idk why exactly. Probably has something to do with every guy I’ve ever had a crush on being a douche in one way or another (and rejecting me every time lol) But girls are soft and pretty and wonderful I love them so much. I love my girlfriend more than anything in the world. I wouldn’t trade her for anything.

Ethnicity: I am very white. Scottish, Polish, and German, though none of that really holds any significance in my life. I don’t have any family traditions except for unhappy marriages

Favorite Fruit: Pineapple probably. I really like grapes though and Pink Lady apples too. Oh and cantaloupe and clementines!

Favorite season: Autumn. All the way autumn.

crunchy leaves

sweaters

beautiful leaf colors!!! like!!! where I live has a lot of trees on a lot of hills, so looking out the window at a hill full of red and orange and yellow and brown makes my heart go “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

brisk weather

fall fashion is the best (I don’t participate in fashion as I am a whale with legs but everyone else looks beautiful)

perfect weather for hot drinks

APPLE CIDER

Thanksgiving!!!!

Halloween!!!!

bugs start to fuck off right back to hell where they belong

summer is ending. summer can fuck off I HATE summer

no longer sweating and dying

overcast skies, gloomy days, rain!!!!!

gray, cloudy, rainy days are,,, my reason for living

Funny thing is I actually don’t like pumpkin spice anything except for pumpkin pie guess I’ve gotta up my white girl game

Favorite Book: What the fuck kind of question is this. You come into my house. And you ask me to pick between my children.

This answer is really, really complicated. I love so many books for so many different reasons. I love Harry Potter because it’s what got me into reading longer series. I love Binge by Tyler Oakley because it helped me be more open-minded and was a big part in helping me discover what my sexuality was and that I was okay. I love The Hobbit because it was a book that helped me escape life and that taught me that caring about home and hearth is a good thing to do. I love the Warrior cats series because I fucking love cats and it was one of my first introductions to more adult situations (in terms of violence, death, grief, and loss). I love The Giver because it made me cry my eyes out. I love The Martian because it made me laugh. I love every Shel Silverstein book ever written because they made me feel like a kid again and that being a child at heart is okay. I love Journal 3 because Stanford Pines is a character I love with all my heart. I love the Percy Jackson series and most of its spin offs because I love mythology and modern aus. I love the Septimus Heap series because it was such a different, wonderful, beautiful approach to magic and wizardry that made me feel warm inside. I loved Entwined because...I just loved Entwined. (It’s a twisted fairy tale kind of deal with The 12 Dancing Princesses and one of the best things I’ve ever, ever read, hands down). I love A Series of Unfortunate Events because I have a dark sense of humor and because it makes me feel better about my life.

Books were basically my only friends growing up. People didn’t like me because I was fat, or because I didn’t want to play outside very much, or because I had only ever really talked to and hung out with my mom and my step-dad, so I had a more mature sense of humor and personality overall.. Friends came and went, but books never went anywhere. Books stayed. Junie B Jones always stayed with me. Jack and Annie always went on magical adventures that let me learn about history. Every character I met along the way stayed with me, even if they died, because I could pick them up off of a shelf and read their adventures again. I don’t read as much as I used to, because I spend a lot of time on the computer, but I’m working to change that. Books have always been an escape for me, and I’ll continue to love their stories until I die.

Favorite Flower: Roses! It’s a tie between red and pink roses. I also really like tulips!

Favorite scent: My girlfriend’s perfume. I think it’s sweetpea or something? Idk, but it always smells really nice. And I just like the way my clothes smell after I come home from spending the night at her house. It’s like her perfume, laundry detergent, and something that’s either wood or stale cigarette smoke.

Favorite color: Pink. Soft, pastel pinks.

Favorite animal: cats, red pandas, owls, wolves, penguins, cats, dogs (pugs in particular, I LOVE pugs!!!!), foxes, moose, narwhals, dolphins, orcas, eagles, hummingbirds, blue jays, orioles, lions, tigers, basically any big cats...I just love animals. If it’s soft, fluffy, or cute? Fuck yeah I love it

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: As much as I love coffee...tea, probably. It’s just so relaxing to sit curled up under a blanket with a cup of tea and relaxing. Plus my girlfriend and I make tea whenever I go over to her house, so it holds a special place in my heart :)

Average Sleep Hours: Okay, so...if I ever got up on time, I’d be getting like five hours of sleep a night, which is fine. But I oversleep. Every. Fucking. Day. So usually seven or eight.

Cat or Dog person?: Cats. I love dogs with all my heart and I want one someday, but if I had to choose between a cat and a dog I’d choose a cat because

1.  TOE BEANS

2. purring

3. the kneading thing they do?

4. I love love LOVE the sound of a cat meowing. so cute. so gentle.

5. cat loaf

6. smaller and easier to manage

7. don’t have to walk them

8. if they need to pee in the middle of the night they just. use the litter box. you don’t need to get up and let them out

Favorite Fictional Character: 

Star vs the Forces of Evil: Star Butterfly, Marco Diaz, River Johansen Butterfly, Moon Butterfly, Ludo, Toffee, Buff Frog (I don’t know how to spell his real name :( )

Steven Universe: Pearl, Amethyst, Peridot, Greg Universe, Connie, Steven

Gravity Falls: Dipper Pines, Mabel Pines, Stanley Pines, Stanford Pines, Soos, Wendy Corduroy

Yuuri!!! On Ice: Yuuri Katsuki, Viktor Nikiforov, Yuri Plisetsky, Phichit Chualont

Check Please!: Eric “Bitty” Bittle, Shitty Knight, Adam “Holster” Birkholtz, Wlliam “Dex” Poindexter, Derek “Nursey” Nurse, Chris “Chowder” Chow, Jack Zimmermann, Alexi “Tater” Mashkov, Justin “Ransom” Olransi

Harry Potter: Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasely, Ron Weasely, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Molly Weasely, Fred and George

Sailor Moon: Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Moon, Luna

Fullmetal Alchemsit: Brotherhood: Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, Ling, Greed (when he’s in Ling), Olivier Mira Armstrong

Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Eowyn, Aragorn, Thorin Oakenshield, Fili and Kili, Aragorn

Disney princesses: Ariel, Moana, Rapunzel, Anna, Elsa, Belle

Homestuck: Terezi Pyrope, Dave Strider, Jade Harley, Jake English, John Eggbert, Vriska Serket, Roxy Lalonde, Karkat Vantas, Jane Crocker

Percy Jackson (among other Rick Riordan things): Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, Sally Jackson, Percy Jackson, Nico DiAngelo, Leo Valdez

Winnie the Pooh: Winnie, Eeyore, Tigger (I know this one seems silly but Winnie the Pooh is such an important thing to me you don’t understand)

Voltron: Allora, Shiro, Pidge, Kieth, Lance, Coran, Hunk (basically the paladins and Allora and Coran I love them all)

Avatar: the Last Airbender: Katara, Zuko, Sokka

Miraculous Ladybug: Ladybug, Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste (don’t fuckin hate on me they’re the same person but different characters)

A Series of Unfortunate Events: Violet Baudelaire, Klaus Baudelaire, Sunny Baudelaire, Lemony Snicket, Uncle Monty

Hamilton: Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, John Laurens, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton

Stranger Things: Mike Wheeler, Eleven, Barb

i just,,,, have a lot of love for fictional characters,,,, there are more I’m sure, but I can’t think of any

I connected with a lot of these guys on a deep personal level. Like with Amethyst, I understand why she feels the way she does because I’ve gone through struggles of self-hatred and thinking I was a mistake. I love them all, but there are those few who I just feel like they were...made for me I guess.

Number of Blankets you sleep with: Just my comforter, but before I got my space heater in my room I’d sleep with two blankets, an electric blanket, and my comforter. My room used to be an attic, so it has like no insulation. Plus the heating ducts that go to my room are SUPER shitty, so barely any heat comes out of my vents. Now I’m just used to being cold XD But I don’t like sheets D: Even in the summer, I have to have my big comforter...sheets are too flimsy. Idk, I find the weight of a comforter or heavy blanket comforting.

When I was little though, I remember taking every blanket I owned and piling them on my bed in the winter...and I slept in a sleeping bag, on my bed, under those blankets! XD I miss that sleeping bag. It was a really pretty blue and was really warm...

Ideal Trip: going to New Zealand or England or the French countryside or somewhere with a lot of greenery. Staying somewhere where I can relax and stay in bed all day if I want to or go find things to do in the city or town or wherever is close by. My girlfriend being with me and being able to relax somewhere quiet with her where I can watch the sunlight stream across her face every morning and kiss her all over her face until she wakes up. Somewhere I can relax and not worry about what tomorrow brings; somewhere I can let my troubles float away.

Blog created: December 2014. I can’t believe I’ve been dicking around on here for almost three years.

Number of followers: 396. That may not seem like a lot to some people but??? That’s basically my graduating class??? And you’re all just here watching me shitpost about whichever one of my fandoms is relevant and cry about shit and post really fucking awful art and???? Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just joined, thank you for hanging out with me through the internet! And if you’ve read all of this, thanks! You now know a lot more about me than I’ve ever said on here =w=

Okay now I have to tag people!

@97thebaluga @all-aboard-the-scream-train @ruled-by-jupiter @4899slayer @squirtlethosejigglypuffs @personalposting @universesinhermind @goddamnit-ross @awkward-fangirl-artist @youaremyrock-mydwayne-myjohnson @epic-leprachaun @save-me-grunkle-ford @civilizedhomosexuals @ninja-sparkle-party @assbutt-novak @howstrangeeveryonewas @not-what-everyone-seems @owlbear-dont-care @psychokumachan @2-many-fandoms-2-count

If I tagged you, don’t feel obligated! I realize some of you are mutuals and I like, never talk to y’all. I’m sorry :( I’m just bad at initiating conversations. Feel free to send me a message if you want to though! I love getting asks and IMs, it makes me feel good inside UwU

Thank you for reading! (and sorry this is so long jfc)