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sketching-shark · 1 year

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If you were put in charge of making a JTTW movie/TV adaption from start to finish what direction would you have the show go?

*SHAKING AND FROTHING AT THE MOUTH FROM THE THOUGHT OF BEING IN CHARGE OF MY OWN ULTRAVIOLENT BODY HORROR-ESQUE JTTW ADAPTATION* Oh I am so normal about this prospect anon.

But in all seriousness I think I would DEFINITELY want it to be a lengthy animated tv adaptation because there's so much rich backstory and plot in the og classic that a movie length doesn't really let you delve into, AND because the wild transformations and different entities seem like they would be best conveyed in the limitless possibilities of animation! Like just imagine how terrifying a havoc in heaven would be where the Monkey King is shown taking FULL advantage of every single one of his abilities (as-you-will cudgel size transformation, tons of monkey clones, transformation from one creature to another, invulnerability, truth-seeing eyes, transformation into a three-headed six-armed towering monstrosity to fight an Erlang Shen who does the same, etc.). In addition, I also do think that the length of time it took for the pilgrims to warm up to each other and for Sun Wukong to go from a practical and ruthless yaoguai warlord to the Buddha Victorious in Strife is an important part of what makes Xiyouji the classic that it is, and this is all something that I think could be well captured in a lengthy animated series.

I know for sure that I'd want to spend a good amount of time on Sun Wukong's transformation from a relatively innocent stone monkey to the most viciously powerful of the yaoguai warlords to a sincere Buddhist, especially since the very understandable fear of death for himself and his loved ones seems to constantly be a driving force behind a lot of his actions. I think seeing the transformation of the monkey from loving and wanting to protect a relatively small group of people (47,000 monkeys & his friends) to extending that active love and compassion to individuals of all sorts, both human and yao, could be a really cool arc for the Monkey King too. This is especially so as it raises the interesting question as to whether compassion and love can end up being destructive if it's only offered to some but not others, and what atonement for past violence might be.

Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing also present a potentially fascinating case of dealing with disgraced deities who start off by considering their time on Earth and time on the journey a punishment before they eventually come to develop genuine compassion for the mortals they encounter. Stories about a fall from heaven leading to the fallen ones developing greater empathy for those who were once literally below them is my jam, and I think these other two pilgrims could offer a neat way to explore that! Also I want to note that I'm fully on team "Zhu Bajie is constantly complaining that he's hungry and tired first because of his own appetites and then as a way to get the other four self-destructive idiots to stop and take care of the basic necessities of life." For sure I'd also add in that potential hint noted by others that breaking a vase during a banquet had a precedent of being used as a signal to start a coup, thus explaining why Sha Wujing's punishment on Earth was much worse than Zhu Bajie's. And one simply can't do without the indication that it was everyone's favorite Friar Sand who had eaten eight of Tang Sanzang's reincarnations! He may be one of the pilgrim group's straight men, but he also spent centuries as a cannibal <3.

Also yeah hard agree with others that both Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing start off the pilgrimage pretty terrified of Sun Wukong because they saw him at his violently worst in heaven. As a treat :3

I think I'd also have Ao Lie spend more time outside of his horse not just so that he can be a dragon-ish guy as well as an actual dragon, but also so that we can get more insight into how his transformation from a destructive prince to a humble steed changed him. I think it also would be cool to spend a little more time on the dragon kings and how, for example, it does raise some uncomfortable questions about their whole deal if Ao Lie could commit arson & destroy a pearl and be punished pretty brutally while Ao Guang could run a weather-based protection racket for centuries and get a 12 year old to kill himself and yet they all seem to be cool with that :[

I'd also want to make my adaptation one that deals more with the aftereffects of the absolute bullshit the pilgrims go through. For example, it's pretty rare to find an adaptation out there that gives full weight to the stuff Tang Sanzang went through, and while it is understandable why and can be funny to characterize him as one of the "straight men" of the pilgrim group or as the weepy useless guy who falls off his dragon horse all the time, I've literally never encountered an adaptation that for example has him react at the age of 18 to his mother committing suicide after Xuanzang went through so much to try and help her, or him having to see both of the human companions he started the journey with get eaten alive by yaoguai. I'd want to make Tang Sanzang more of a dynamic character than he is even in Xiyouji itself, and I do think delving into this background--you knowing, showing why exactly he does in fact have good reason to be suspicious and even hateful of yaoguai and perhaps more secretly certain humans (his mother was after all brutalized for years by a bandit chief)--would be good to deal with in showing Tang Sanzang's journey to enlightenment. And for sure I'd want to make Tang Sanzang a little more like the historical Xuanzang in having him both be a master translator and a canny rule-breaker; I think that having the story follow history in that Xuanzang was in fact forbidden from going west in search of Buddhist scriptures but went anyway, for example, would be a good path to follow. Might give him an interesting point of relation and sympathy to SWK as well, in that both of them would be challenging authority to do what they think is right.

I do think that this all could also make for a really interesting point of tension and later comprehension between Tang Sanzang and SWK, where you would have the monk and the monkey on the same journey for very different but in some ways similar reasons (Tang Sanzang wants the scriptures because he sincerely believes that they will save countless souls, SWK wants to finish the journey so that he can go back home and protect his monkeys). Like Tang Sanzang would be starting the journey at age 28 and after going through some pretty intense trauma, but having lived in a monastery for most of his life wouldn't have much of a sense of what dangers the world contains as SWK, even though he is determined to complete the journey no matter the cost to himself. SWK, on the other hand, would be starting the journey after the bitter defeat in heaven and the anguish of 500 years in solitary confinement, and would likely be enraged about everything he lost but would still be operating under the terrible elation that came from his vast violent power. As someone else once put it, it could be a similar dynamic to a late middle-aged triads boss having to watch out for a beginning grad student lmao. So you'd have a lot of tension between SWK and Tang Sanzang's world views, with the former thinking that violence is a perfectly acceptable way to solve problems or get what you want, while the other abhors violence of all sorts, and they'd both have plentiful reasons to criticize the other.

While the film The Monkey King 2 is far from the best JTTW retelling out there (though it is one of my personal favorites lol), it also has this pretty great and rare scene for JTTW retellings that I feel I'd like my own retelling to somewhat emulate. Here, Sun Wukong saves Tang Sanzang and a bunch of little kids from the violent actions of a king, but he's only able to do this because the Monkey King is more powerful than the king and is able to legitimately threaten the king with death if he goes back to his vicious ways. Tang Sanzang does get Sun Wukong to spare the king, but the king then directly calls the monk out on the seeming hypocrisy of his mission. I forget the exact words, but the king's accusations were basically about how Tang Sanzang is a fraud and a liar because for all that he preaches peace and forgiveness he wouldn't be able to make it anywhere, he wouldn't be able to save anyone, he would have in fact been killed long ago if it wasn't for Sun Wukong's power and willingness to violence. And I do think in a lot of ways this is the crux of a lot of interesting questions that Xiyouji brings up even if it never provides one solid answer: that we all want to be relieved of suffering, and yet what do we do in a world where violence is something we both constantly suffer from as well as commonly inflict upon others?

I guess ultimately I'd want this to be a retelling that really focuses on the many forms and roles of violence in the shaping of a society, what the consequences of this violence often is, and what might be done to create a more just and peaceful life for all.

I'd know I'd want to spend a lot of time on SWK getting back home to Mt. Huaguoshan and finding it this burned-out ruin with the vast majority of his family dead or otherwise gone, only to realize that this was done by heaven in retaliation for the war and his havoc in heaven in a true case of mythological M.A.D. I feel like this, as with other scenes, would be a good way to bring up Xiyouji's frequent refrain that "for the strong there's always the stronger," and how the devastation that violence and warfare wrecks on a landscape, even if it seems awesome and justifiable at the time it's being waged, leads to horrific problems that don't go away even after generations and which could very easily be turned against you and your loved ones. I've said before that one of the things that I like about the Monkey King is that he almost always has a very clear reason for doing what he does, and I think this would be a great arc for it to really and painfully hit home that ultimately violence does not exist in a vacuum, and, especially when you care about so many, it ultimately serves to create a world where your own loved ones can easily become the next who will suffer. Yet even here the complexity of the situation doesn't stop, because while SWK is able to vastly improve the lives of his monkeys by doing everything he can to restore Mt. Huaguoshan back to its former fecundity, he also protects them by well killing 1000 human hunters who had been going after them for years. The violence may never stop, but neither do the efforts to make the world a more peaceful place. And as it is, no one can live by the sword alone.

Just some sketchy thoughts anon, but I hope you like what I'm laying out :)

#anon answered #jttw retelling #some studio hire me #please #also haha man skimming through it I got surprised all over again on how violent JTTW is #still!#lots of instances of people loving each other and trying their best as well #sun wukong #monkey king #tang sanzang #zhu bajie #sha wujing #ao lie #bai longma #violence

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rabbitcruiser · 5 months

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World Donkey Day

Visit a petting zoo, or simply do some research into the underappreciated, stalwart, useful and intelligent beasts of burden known as donkeys.

World Donkey Day is a show of respect for one of the most enduring and respectable animals in the Equidae family. Throughout history, it has served throughout the world as both a mount and a beast of burden in some of the most challenging terrains and forbidding climates, and has done so with pride and endurance. It’s unsurprising that these beasts’ success is due in part to their stubborn nature, and World Donkey Day honors them for this along with their other, perhaps more laudable, traits.

History of World Donkey Day

Two subspecies of the donkey, the Somalian and the Nubian, were bred together to produce what we think of as the modern Donkey. Available evidence points to the Donkey having been working alongside humanity since 4000 BCE, most likely in Nubia, as a more versatile and resilient pack animal than the ox they were presently using. Since then they have been bred and transplanted all over the world as cultures moved, and the world expanded, and can now be found just about everywhere.

They’re also the progenitors of the sterile mule, a cross-breeding of horse and donkey that results in a breed with the strengths of both. Sadly mules are almost entirely sterile, and the exceptions so rare that no breeding stock of pure mules has ever been able to be achieved, in part due to there having yet to be recorded a case of a breedable mule stallion. Strangely, there have been cases where female mules have birthed what are, for all appearances, pure horses when bred with a horse.

Without the help of donkeys, it is hard to imagine that the modern world could ever have come into existence. These hardy pack animals provided civilization with the motive energy needed to generate wealth, well before the advent of steam power or electricity. For that reason, many people consider donkeys just as fundamental to our society as writing, pottery, and metallurgy.

World Donkey Day is all about celebrating their stoic spirit and individual charm. These creatures aren’t afraid of a hard day’s work. In fact, they more or less invented the concept. Donkeys pull carts, operate mills, and carry cargo for miles and miles, well after other species would have given up. For that reason, they have a special place in our hearts. They’re willing to put in the effort (for no pay) all to serve us – their grateful human masters.

World Donkey Day is the brainchild of Raziq Ark, a scientist whose interests primarily concern desert animals. Around ten years ago, he noticed that nobody was celebrating the humble donkey for its efforts in helping people all over the world improve their quality of life. In recognition of all this hard work, he set up a Facebook group, chronicling the trials and tribulations of the species all over the world. Eventually, the idea to set up a World Donkey Day emerged in 2018, and we’ve been celebrating it ever since.

The concept drew widespread attention in the media. The Daily Express, for instance, ran an article covering ten facts that people don’t know about donkeys. Did you know that a female donkey is called a Jenny? Ark also has thousands of followers on his Facebook page, all showing their support for this amazing creature.

Donkeys have played an essential part in human history. Ark says that they are a “precious genetic resource and a great gift of nature.” You can’t get higher praise than that!

How to celebrate World Donkey Day

The best way to celebrate World Donkey Day, depending on where you are, is merely to research these incredible beasts and the role they had to play in the world. If you’re somewhere you can take a Donkey Ride tour like the Grand Canyon or tours of certain abandoned mines then that’s an even better way to become acquainted with these adorable long-eared equines. World Donkey Day reminds us that we owe a large part of our success on this planet to these fellow travelers on the starship Earth.

There are plenty of other ways that you can show your support to donkeys all over the world and improve their wellbeing. Many of them are in constant pain and need attention fast. Often their owners are too poor to pay for a veterinarian, so it falls to the rest of us to take up the slack. Donating to a donkey charity, therefore, is a great way to show your support for these fabulous creatures directly. Currently, there are a handful of nonprofits working hard all over the world to deliver medical attention to neglected and abused animals. These charities use donated money to provide much-needed treatment to donkeys in their hour of need.

Donkey abandonment is another major issue. Many owners will dump their donkeys at the side of the road if they can no longer afford to take care of them. The animal must then scavenge for food to survive. Giving to a donkey charity, therefore, can provide these victims with shelter where they can live in safety and peace.

Donkeys are beautiful, but neglected creatures. World Donkey Day is a chance for everyone who cares about these animals to highlight their plight and do something practical about it. Are you in?

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koreofkore · 2 years

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FIRE AND BLOOD

Chapter 2

A/n: I changed some things. Also Daemon's fight scene against Ser Criston happens before Laenora and Daemon's.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧

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﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

The library. That's where Nymaeriya Stark went. She had time to kill before the tournament and the Queen's labors began. She was anxiously pouring over books trying to figure out what was happening to her.

Page after page that all told her the same thing, she was a dreamer or a three eyed raven. She knew what was happening before it did. She had a gift from the gods that she never asked for.

Nymaeriya Stark didn't want to be a dreamer, she wanted to be normal but atlas not everyone gets what they want. "Thought I might find you here." A male voice spoke from behind her. Nymaeriya turns around and finds her uncle Daemon Targaryen.

"Daemon." The Stark girl spoke up. "I saw you and Caraxes come in whilst I was out this morrow." Daemon smiles and pulls her in a hug. The girl hugs him back. Nymaeriya and Laenora were one of the the few people Daemon could tolerate and would initiate human contact with.

"Nightmare or couldn't sleep? " Daemon asks. "Both." She sighed wrapping her arms around her waist hugging herself when they pulled away. "And Laenora?" He asked. "Most likely with our mother or riding one of her dragons." The girl replies. She sucks in a breath as a new vision flashes before her eyes.

Daemon. A knight. Daemon getting knocked off his horse with a sneak attack. Then it was back to the one she had in the gardens. White sheets. Queen Aemma. Death. Blood. Screams. The Queen's lifeless body. Death. "She's gonna die. Daemon watch your back. I have to save her." Nymaeriya mumbled.

Daemon looked at her with a confused look. "Watch my back?" He asked. She nodded. "You'll get knocked off be alert. Watch your back." Nymaeriya replied walking off with the books she found on dreamers.

After a pit stop to her bedchamber she found herself in the tournament stands. Her head held high and her jaw slightly clenched. The crowd was cheering and she huffed. She hated tournaments like this unesseary violence for a child who won't even remember it.

"Be welcome!" King Viserys shouted. "I know many of you have traveled long leagues to be at these games. But I promise, you will not be disappointed. When I look at the fine knights in these lists, I see a group without equal in our histories. And this great day has been made more auspicious by the news....that I'm happy to share: Queen Aemma has begun her labors!" Cheering and applauding was heard all throughout the stands.

Everyone but Daenerya and Nymaeriya clapped and cheered. "May the luck of the Seven, shine upon all combatants." Viserys finished. Horses galloped and warriors grunted. Nymaeriya looked for a familiar Direwolf chest plate and velaryian steel sword that belonged to her sister. "A mystery knight?" Rhaenyra asked. "No, a Cole, of the Stormlands." Daenerya answers. "I've never heard of house Cole." Nymaeriya pointed out. "Princess Rhaenys Targaryen!" Lord Boremund Baratheon shouted into the stands.

"I humbly ask for the favor of " The queen that never was." Lord Baratheon mocked. "Good fortune to you, cousin." Rhaenys nodded slightly. "I would gladly take it if I thought I needed it." The man replied. "You could have Baratheon's tongue for that." Corlys whispered to his wife. "Tongues will not change the succession. Let them wag." Rhaenys replied.

"Princess Nymaeriya Stark, sister I humbly ask for your favor." Laenora asked taking her helmet off. Nymaeriya smiles and places a flower crown on her jousting stick. "Hit em where it hurts sister and don't loose so I don't get seen as bad luck." Nymaeriya jests as Laenora laughed.

"If you win you get a new thing added to your collection." The girl in armour laughed and nodded winking before she left. She mounted her black stallion and waited till the king gave the go ahead. The moment her horse went into canter the Stark girl aims for the legs of the horse.

She slams the jousting stick at the legs of the horse making Lord Baratheon fall off. She let her horse canter before she pulled the reigns slightly and pushed off her horse. She flew in the air off the horse as she flipped through the air she unsheathe Blackfyre and landed in a crouched position with the sword out. Laenora stood up and watching as the Baratheon Lord ran towards her. She used his momentum against him and let him trip over his own feet. She uses Blackfyre and slices his head clean off. "Your head would look great on my wall." She smiles.

The crowd cheers and her mother and sister look at her with proud expressions. She smile and holds up his head. She mouths to her sister, 'told you I wouldn't loose.' In the stands during the next round the ladies talk. "You're of age Nymaeriya, Laenora as well you two need to be married off soon." Lord Otto Hightower whispered to her.

"I have not clue as to why mine or my sisters betrothal is any of your business." Nymaeriya replies as her smile dropped. "What my parents have planned is none of your concern. You have a daughter have you not?" The Stark princess asked. "Yes, but why is that relevant?" Otto asked. "You should worry about her and if she still has her maidenhood. I hear that she bedded my uncle, she's always been a little too fond of him." Nymaeriya continues, "Stay out of my families business, because what we do isn't none of yours." She hummed as she watched the king talk yo one of the maesters from her corner eye. "Excuse me." She said politely leaving.

Back at the tourney field Laenora was standing toe to toe with Ser Criston Cole. She'd already knocked him off his horse and asked to continue by sword. "Never seen you before." She commented. "Ser Criston Cole." He introduced. "I didn't ask." Laenora spun her sword and slashes at him. Criston was on defence and she was on offence. When he attacked she blocked and vise versa. When Laenora got bored she dropped to the ground and kicks his feet from under him. And holds him at sword point.

He smirked and kicked her hand but Laenora being caught by surprise dropped her sword and the Cole grabs it. She holds her hands up then winks and that distracts him for a second but that's all she needed to flip and kick his hand. The light weight armor she wore made it easier for her to use her acrobatic skill set. She held her sword in her hand and slashed his leg.

It was deep but not deep enough to hurt him badly. When he finally yielded she turned to her last opponent. Her former betrothed Daemon Targaryen. He sighed out of breath. "You look beautiful as ever." The rogue prince commented. "Save it." Laenora smiled. Adrenaline pulsed through her body. "Five dragons on Daemon." Rhaenyra whispered to her aunt. "10 on Laenora." Daenerya hummed leaning back. "I'll take that bet." Rhaenyra smiled.

The two were gifted their stallions back. Daemon goes to the the stands towards Rhaenyra. "Nicely done, uncle." Rhaenyra praised. "Thank you, princess." He replied. While Daemon talked to Rhaenyra and Alicent, Laenora went to speak with Princess Rhaenys. "I would ask for your favor but I highly doubt I would get it." Laenora hummed. "You might." Rhaenys smiled at the girl.

"Tonight, my chambers." Laenora whispered in her ear before winking. Rhaenys loved Corlys and vise versa but they both wanted to spice things up by adding a third. Laenora doesn't really know when it started, all she knows is that it's been a few moons since it started. They all got something out of it and it was no strings attached. "I give you my blessings and you had better win." Rhaenys said. Laenora nods and mounts her horse.

In the end it was Daemon that won because he was a better skilled warrior and he knew all of Laenora's tricks and movement patterns. That didn't mean she didn't give him the fight of his life. Rhaenys looked pleased that this time one of them lasted long enough and was still alive. Daemon looked at the girl. "You've come a long way, little wolf." Daemon complemented. "Yeah well I had a lot of time on my hands. I'm almost as good as you." Laenora put her hand in her hip.

"You still wear it." Daemon comments grabbing her right hand looking at his ring. "Everyday since I was twelve." She hummed taking her hand from his. "Why so hostile?" He asked. "You left, Daemon and didn't even think to give me so much as a goodbye. You left me when I needed you the most. I was sixteen waiting for the man that promised to wed me since I was fourteen. You come back when I turn 17 and then leave before dusk." She hummed as both her arms cross.

Daemon opens and closes his mouth then sighs. "Look, I'm stuck in a marriage that I don't want to be in. I have always wanted to be with you Laenora. I promise you that I will end up with you one way or another." Daemon reasons.

"Whatever you say Prince Daemon." Laenora gave a tight lipped smile and headed to Rhaenys "I hope I did you some good even though I lost." Laenora said as she walked up to the Queen who never was and her husband. "You did." The princess hummed pulling the girl into a hug.

"You've grown so much." Lord Coryls hummed. "I'll see you both tonight." Laenora whispered in Rhaenys's ear. The princess nodded. "Of course." The older woman replied. Laenora found out that the Queen and the babe named Baelon both died the same day. Both died on the prince's name day. That morrow Daemon and Laenora hugged Rhaenyra. "They're waiting for you." Daemon hummed. "If you want I can call Amethyst or Onyx and do it." Laenora offered. Rhaenyra shakes her head. Syrax whistles. "D.." Rhaenyra stops and takes a breath. "Dracarys!" She ordered.

With the order Syrax let's out a stream of fire and Rhaenyra watches as the flames consume her mother and stillborn brother. That night Rhaenyra cried her eyes out and Nymaeriya comforts her cousin alone as Laenora told them she'd be back. Laenora went to get something from her room. When she got in and closed the door she finds Rhaenys. "Princess Rhaenys. I wasn't expecting you to be here." Laenora spoke hand on her heart. "I came to offer you comfort as Queen Aemma was like a second mother to you." Rhaenys speaks.

"Thank you for your concern but I think Rhaenyra needs it more than me." Laea replied not noticing the silent tears sliding down her face. Rhaenys stands and takes the girl in her arms and rubs her back. Laenora's legs buckle and the two slowly slide until they were on the floor. Rhaenys holds her as she cries and rubs her back. The woman places a kiss on her forehead and whispers sweet nothings in her ears. They spent the whole night like that. Eventually though Corlys joined in comforting the girl.

#daemon x reader #rhaenys targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #rhaenrya x reader #rhaenyra x oc #rhaenyra targaryen x reader #rhaenys targaryen x reader #rhaenys x corlys #rhaenyra x reader #rhaenyra x daemon #daemon targaryen x oc #daemon targaryen x reader

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mellimagicsblog · 8 months

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Help

I've been dealing with a lot of neuropathy angst/self-pity lately. Being without a regular job has left me with a lot of alone time with my thoughts, which leads to me beating myself up in my brain for being in this situation. I remind myself that I'm lucky I'm not homeless, but then I start feeling guilty that I'm the one who has a roof over my head and not someone who works harder than me and still can create beautiful art without worrying their arms are going to start going numb.

(Cringe reading ahead)

So recently instead of trying to self-counsel because I can't afford real counseling, I tried placing my problem onto fictional characters. I ended up being sucked down a MLP-memory-hole thanks to the youtube algorithm and my brain settled on Rarity (who is best of the mane six don't come for me). What would that dramatic artisan character do if suddenly her horn was severed and she lost her magic? Would she give up on dress-making?

Hello no, she wouldn't!

So then I was legit thinking of a fanfic episode arc thing where she had to adapt her business to earth pony life and has to eat literal humble pie while she teaches herself how to follow her passion again, and I was thinking, "yeah, that would be really inspiring and I could do that, but as a human instead of a horse-toy-thing. And then I was like, "Oh my god. Am I going fiction-kin right now?!"

#my life #mlp fim #fiction kin #mental health

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vennyriz22 · 1 year

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(What Redra Bit was doing)

==FGO LB6 SPOILER WARNING==

2021/8/6 Off Camera. (Kinoko)

I run. I run. I'm shocked at my vigor, even as the world crumbles all around me.

"Take care of the Prophesied Child, _ . Protect her at all times. And, if you would, tell me at the end of each day how her journey has been. I can't join you, given my position… But if anything happens, I'd like to at least be there with you in spirit."

I was proud to do it, at first. But over time, I began to vaguely understand the consequence of her request. Still, I kept sending the reports, and was ordered to avoid joining the battlefield. Then…

One day, while I was far away at Oxford, I saw flames rising over Londinium.

"Ahhhh…" There was nothing I could do to atone. I wasn't responsible to begin with. The queen's army might really have attacked. That's what I told myself.

"If only we had a chance to teach Londinium its place!" "The Round Table Liberation Army? Please! As if those defects from the factory could ever stand beside us, the chosen humans!"

Try as I might, I couldn't forget the voices of the humans in Salisbury, nor those of the fairies egging them on.

When I saw the embers of Londinium, my hind legs went numb. I would never run freely again. Silently, I accepted that fact.

To begin with, the state of the Fairydom was too difficult for me. I should have been born in a world where I could exercise my talents, more purely, as I pleased. A life without words, without prejudice, without conflict. I wished I had been a creature of the wild, racing through the meadows. Dashing, like the wind. Galloping, like a beast. That was all I ever wanted. But that humble goal was dashed to cinders, when I saw the fire.

Yet, I gained one last chance. They told me it was do or die, so I trampled the earth with all my might. It hurt. My flesh and spirit screamed at me, "what's the point after all this?" I had no words to give. I didn't deserve to mourn that brave, gallant girl knight. All I could do was smile bitterly. There wasn't a point. If there was no point, then all I had to think about was what to do next.

I ran, and ran. The pain was fierce. But so was my joy. While the world crumbled around me, I was freer then I'd ever been in my life.

A faehorse's life is over if it breaks a leg. The pain was so intense it tore my soul apart. For a day and a half, I pulled that carriage like there was no tomorrow. I knew my legs would give out soon, anyway. I turned my pain into joy, and ran. I ran, just to deliver them to the coast. I ran, not to hide hope, but to create it. No matter how corrupt it was, this world had given birth to me, raised me, and taught me joy. I sprinted across the land of Britain I so loved.

When the carriage collapsed, I cut loose the harness and dashed for the woods, alone. As I ran, I could hear my body being mangled. What a blessing this is! What grace I was given! To be happy, until my final moment.

To be like the wind, until the very end.

The horse we needed but didn’t deserve

#Redra Bit was a good boy

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halothenthehorns · 10 months

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Chapter 10: I SCOOP POOP

"Whoever said hard work builds character is built out of shit," Alex scowled as he read the new chapter title.

"Thank you," Percy said in surprise. "I was immediately thinking I was going to hear five different cracks about cleaning up my room."

"Your worst smelly socks never got that bad," Thalia said in mock hurt he would say such a thing.

"You're a turd blossom. There, that what you wanted?" Jason grinned.

"And I'm back to loathing these more every minute," Percy sighed.

I lost hope when I saw the horses' teeth.

"It wasn't the smell, it wasn't the time limit," Magnus agreed. "It was canines in the horse mouth, and frankly, I cannot blame you."

"There's some nightmare fuel I'd be willing to make," Alex snickered.

As I got closer to the fence, I held my shirt over my nose to block the smell. One stallion waded through the muck and whinnied angrily at me. He bared his teeth, which were pointed like a bear's.

I tried to talk to him in my mind. I can do that with most horses.

Hi, I told him. I'm going to clean your stables. Won't that be great?

Yes! The horse said. Come inside! Eat you! Tasty half-blood!

But I'm Poseidon's son, I protested. He created horses.

Usually this gets me VIP treatment in the equestrian world, but not this time.

"I'm sure you needed that humbling moment at least," Nico chuckled.

Yes! The horse agreed enthusiastically. Poseidon can come in, too! We will eat you both! Seafood!

"I think you should summon Poseidon there Percy," Thalia agreed sadly. "He'd make everything in a twelve mile radius vanish to the bottom of the ocean just for implying that."

"Not the outcome I'm particularly hoping for," Percy sighed.

Seafood! The other horses chimed in as they waded through the field.

Flies were buzzing everywhere, and the heat of the day didn't make the smell any better. I'd had some idea that I could do this challenge, because I remembered how Hercules had done it. He'd channeled a river into the stables and cleaned them out that way. I figured I could maybe control the water.

"Of course the part where Hercules didn't get eaten by the flesh eating horses is the part you forgot," Jason frowned.

"I just don't think they could have," Percy shrugged. Considering every monster he'd ever faced, he was pretty sure the guy was near invulnerable.

But if I couldn't get close to the horses without getting eaten, that was a problem. And the river was downhill from the stables, a lot farther away than I'd realized, almost half a mile. The problem of the poop looked a lot bigger up close. I picked up a rusted shovel and experimentally scooped some away from the fence line. Great. Only four billion shovelfuls to go.

The sun was already sinking. I had a few hours at best. I decided the river was my only hope. At least it would be easier to think at the riverside than it was here. I set off downhill.

"Can you summon a horse made of water and have it stampede through the place to wash everything?" Alex asked critically.

"I do not think so," Percy said, though not for lack of wanting to.

When I got to the river, I found a girl waiting for me. She was wearing jeans and a green T-shirt and her long brown hair was braided with river grass. She had a stern look on her face. Her arms were crossed.

"You haven't even met her yet and she's pissed at you," Jason began to clap slowly. "That's a new record Percy!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just full of those today," Percy groaned.

"Oh no you don't," she said.

I stared at her. "Are you a naiad?"

"I really didn't think she was the farmers daughter," Will snorted.

"Not chesty enough," Percy smirked. "Ouch!"

"Come on Percy, you should know better," Will shook his head as Thalia pulled out her knife next to smack him with.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course!"

"But you speak English. And you're out of the water."

"What, you don't think we can act human if we want to?"

"Note to self," Magnus promised. It was actually really beautiful, the more he thought about it, something his mother would have been delighted over. That everything in nature had a spirit, a life force, a name. He still remembered their long hikes and taking stops at spots just like this river, and it was an exhilarating moment to know he might go back there someday with a Greek kid to ask a naiad if they remembered Natalie Chase.

I'd never thought about it. I kind of felt stupid, though, because I'd seen plenty of naiads at camp, and they'd never done much more than giggle and wave at me from the bottom of the canoe lake.

"Once again, you're not stupid for not realizing something nobody explained to you," Thalia said robustly. "You never knew better before this point, and frankly, it's not something you figure out until it's bad news." She already had a bad feeling where this was going, and that time limit felt really pressing. Annabeth had told her what Percy had said he'd done, but she still felt anxious until it got to that point.

"Look," I said. "I just came to ask—"

"I know who you are," she said. "And I know what you want. And the answer is no! I'm not going to have my river used again to clean that filthy stable."

"Again?" Magnus asked with a kind of awe that had eluded him up to this point. "Wow," he couldn't imagine time stretching back that far, to when Hercules had done it first. Everything that had changed since, everywhere on the planet that wasn't changed like this river. It really pressed in like nothing before how timeless this world was.

Percy couldn't exactly share in his moment. All he'd heard was the word no, and all his friends were in danger.

"But—"

"Oh, save it, sea boy.

"I really should start calling you Seabiscuit," Thalia chuckled.

"Or Ponyboy," Alex tacked in.

Percy felt like he vaguely recognized both and rolled his eyes without care for whatever they were anyways.

You ocean-god types always think you're soooo much more important than some little river, don't you? Well let me tell you, this naiad is not going to be pushed around just because your daddy is Poseidon.

"Percy's never pushed anyone around," Will frowned, entirely hurt on Percy's behalf. "I'm sorry she's had bad experiences with other kids of Poseidon in the past, and that she's taking it out on you."

"Yeah," Percy agreed in a hollow kind of voice. This was going as bad as it possibly could, and he was starting to get a sick feeling the sea couldn't cure what the results might have been.

This is freshwater territory, mister. The last guy who asked me this favor—oh, he was way better-looking than you, by the way—he convinced me, and that was the worst mistake I've ever made! Do you have any idea what all that horse manure does to my ecosystem? Do I look like a sewage treatment plant to you? My fish will die. I'll never get the much out of my plants. I'll be sick for years. NO THANK YOU!"

"I bet Hercules didn't even apologize," Thalia sneered as she put a gentle hand on Percy's shoulder.

"Yeah," Percy said again, but it wasn't making him feel any better this time to realize that he might not be able to save his friends because he wasn't a jerk.

The way she talked reminded me of my mortal friend, Rachel Elizabeth Dare—kind of like she was punching me with words. I couldn't blame the naiad. Now that I thought about it, I'd be pretty mad if somebody dumped four million pounds of manure in my home. But still...

"I'm, um, guessing that much fertilizer isn't good for the environment," Magnus said unhelpfully.

"That is nature taking way to much into its course, which is never a good thing," Thalia agreed.

"My friends are in danger," I told her.

"Well, that's too bad! But it's not my problem. And you're not going to ruin my river."

"What do you even say to that?" Alex asked, answering his own question. There wasn't much Percy could do.

She looked like she was ready for a fight. Her fists were balled, but I thought I heard a little quiver in her voice. Suddenly I realized that despite her angry attitude, she was afraid of me. She probably thought I was going to fight her for control of the river, and she was worried she would lose.

Nico couldn't imagine many other half bloods in the same situation even stopping to realize the same thing. It was moments like this where he could still look at Percy and feel safe in knowing he was a hero, even if he wasn't infallible.

The thought made me sad. I felt like a bully, a son of Poseidon throwing his weight around.

I sat down on a tree stump. "Okay, you win."

"Any other person," Alex shook his head, "and I do mean any, other, person, I would have suspected of setting up some sort of trickery. Hell, maybe even you under other circumstances. I still remember how great of a water bed sales man you are." This naiad wasn't a monster though, and even if it took another four thousand years for her ecosystem to go back to normal with no permanent damage, it was a day longer than Percy was ever going to be willing to put her through.

The naiad looked surprised. "Really?"

"I'm not going to fight you. It's your river."

She relaxed her shoulders. "Oh. Oh, good. I mean—good thing for you!"

"Just admit it, she really had you on the ropes Percy," Jason grinned faintly just because he had faith it all worked out. Percy looked glum now because inspiration of a brilliant new way hadn't struck yet, he was sure of it, as chaotic a mastermind as he could be.

"It's a secret that should never leave this room," Percy managed a laugh, only proving Jason's assumption.

"But my friends and I are going to get sold to the Titans if I don't clean those stables by sunset. And I don't know how."

The river gurgled along cheerfully. A snake slid through the water and ducked its head under.

Will grimaced and was very grateful that wasn't some secret god about to pop up and help, he wouldn't have trusted it.

Finally the naiad sighed.

"I'll tell you a secret, son of the sea god. Scoop up some dirt."

"Is she going to have you build her a sandcastle to make up for this debacle?" Magnus grinned.

"That would be a fair trade," Percy said with a blank look. He hoped she wasn't about to tell him to shove it or something.

"What?"

"You heard me."

I crouched down and scooped up a handful of Texas dirt. It was dry and black and spotted with tiny clumps of white rock...No, something besides rock.

"Those are shells," the naiad said. "Petrified seashells. Millions of years ago, even before the time of the gods, when only Gaea and Ouranos reigned, this land was under the water. It was part of the sea."

"If she's going to punish me with a history lesson I'll take back the sandcastle," Percy's frown intensified where on earth she was going with this.

"Don't underestimate the past Percy, I'd have thought you learned that by now," Nico said with a raised brow. He'd heard through the walls that night, Percy explaining to Annabeth how he'd solved this problem and it was the naiad's idea. He'd been so exhausted by that point it had been like falling asleep listening to Percy telling him a story, what he'd been longing for weeks on end alone in that labyrinth. For the blurriest moment between sleep and nightmares, he'd swear he even felt a warm brush as if Percy had been there next to him.

His crush was gone, more or less, of that he was sure now. He didn't really want Percy's attention or affection anymore. Percy was an awakening of a part of him he still didn't particularly like.

It was so different hearing it played back in an actual memory, no grandiose exclamations and feats of power as he literally pulled the ocean up. Just a small, quiet moment with a little river spirit helping him solve a problem that Nico was beginning to appreciate more and more, to help Percy feel like a grounded, real person.

Suddenly I saw what she meant. There were little pieces of ancient sea urchins in my hand, mollusk shells. Even the limestone rocks had impressions of seashells embedded in them.

"That is very cool," Magnus admitted. When you slept on dirt to much, you began to lose interest in it pretty quickly. Now he might scoop up a handful at the park next time and hope there wasn't just dog crap around.

"Nature is beautiful," Alex agreed with a secretive smile. The way everything blended together to coexist had always fascinated him. His first ever time playing with his future materials had been trying to make a snake.

His dad had of course thrown it away, but he still treasured the memory of that silly putty looking thing, all the messy, bulgy, ill-conceived proportions of it as he rubbed at his tattoo now.

"Okay," I said. "What good does that do me?"

"You're not so different from me, demigod. Even when I'm out of the water, the water is within me. It is my life source." She stepped back, put her feet in the river, and smiled. "I hope you find a way to rescue your friends."

And with that she turned to liquid and melted into the river.

"If she was trying to give you inspiration, I think she needed to hit you with a bigger lightbulb," Will grinned faintly.

"I'm sorry I can't go around and be his generator," Thalia chuckled.

"I'm going to tie you two together and laugh as everybody at Camp pulls sparklers out of your ears," Percy rolled his eyes.

"I bet I could shake some pixie dust out of them too, and I do mean the kind that'll make me achieve flight," Alex tagged in.

The sun was touching the hills when I got back to the stables. Somebody must've come by and fed the horses, because they were tearing into huge animal carcasses.

Percy felt a quiver of anxiety hum through him. If Eurytion had dragged Grover along to do this as some extra form of punishment and he'd seemingly vanished, if Grover had been trying to send him some kind of helpful message through his empathy link and he'd been to anxious to even notice. Grover knew he'd never abandon him, but it still made him even twitcher to not have gotten that chance to see him.

I couldn't tell what kind of animal, and I really didn't want to know. If it was possible for the stables to get more disgusting, fifty horses tearing into raw meat did it.

"I'm pretty confident someone did that just for that extra kick in your ass right now, with spurs," Will agreed to Percy's troubled frown somehow growing the more words were said.

"Well I'm nobody's prized pony," Percy tried to turn it into a scowl, tried to make it seem like he was being challenged and he'd come out on top.

He'd felt the heat simmering down though, the sun felt like it was moving in fast forward to mock him how little time he had left to figure this out. It was nowhere near the beautiful painting of the endless Texas beauty he'd always heard about and would be quite grateful to never see again after this day.

Seafood! one thought when he saw me.

"It's not a bad nickname for you," Alex said fairly. "You are on a seafood diet."

Percy rolled his eyes hard. "That joke is for seven-year-olds Alex, do better!"

Alex nodded seriously, as if taking that to heart.

Come in! We're still hungry!

"This is what happens when half your diet is desserts Percy," Thalia glibly reminded. "People start mistaking you for a cupcake."

"They're horses Thalia, I warned you in the last book they're not all that bright," Percy scoffed.

What was I supposed to do? I couldn't use the river. And the fact that this place had been under water a million years ago didn't exactly help me now. I looked at the little calcified seashell in my palm, then at the huge mountain of dung.

Frustrated, I threw the shell into the poop. I was about to turn my back on the horses when I heard a sound.

PFFFFFFT! Like a balloon with a leak.

"That's what it sounds like when Percy gets an idea," Jason said in surprise, and Percy frowned if his knee-jerk reaction to something happening was mocking him. He'd been spending to much time around Thalia.

I looked down where I had thrown the shell. A tiny spout of water was shooting out of the muck.

"No way," Magnus said in a daze. How many different ways could this one kid continue breaking the laws of the universe?

"No way," I muttered.

"That's two, anyone going for three," Will flashed his fingers around like a hopeful salesman.

"Magnus is the only one still gullible enough to not instantly know better," Alex shrugged.

Hesitantly, I stepped toward the fence. "Get bigger," I told the waterspout.

SPOOOOOOOSH!

"No way! And it's voice command!" Jason burst out laughing, but it also sounded a tad terrified. Maybe he was now worried Percy was going to make a geyser come out of him next time he annoyed Percy.

They were all to busy laughing at Jason to manage anything back.

Water shot three feet into the air and kept bubbling. It was impossible, but there it was. A couple of horses came over to check it out. One put his mouth to the spring and recoiled.

Yuck! he said. Salty!

"You would do so great at kid's parties," Alex was starting to snicker a little to hard to be intelligible. "Charge by the spout, add some rainbow colors to this fountain!"

It was seawater in the middle of a Texas ranch. I scooped up another handful of dirt and picked out the shell fossils. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I ran around the length of the stable, throwing shells into the dung piles. Everywhere a shell hit, a saltwater spring erupted.

Stop! The horses cried. Meat is good! Baths are bad!

There were tears coming out of Will's face, and Magnus was laughing so hard he didn't seem likely to stop any time soon.

"If you can't get to the toilet, bring the toilet to you," Thalia managed through near hysterics.

"I hate you all," but Percy couldn't even pretend to say that like he meant it as he watched Nico hold his sides. He'd wanted that kid to have more fun in his life and was more than happy to deliver it himself. He wasn't denying himself how funny this situation was trying to describe it like this. Ocean front property in Texas wasn't even a strange statement compared to everything else he'd done so far.

Then I noticed the water wasn't running out of the stables or flowing downhill like water normally would. It simply bubbled around each spring and sank into the ground, taking the dung with it. The horse poop dissolved in the saltwater, leaving regular old wet dirt.

"More!" I yelled.

There was a tugging sensation in my gut, and the waterspouts exploded like the world's largest carwash. Salt water shot twenty feet into the air. The horses went crazy, running back and forth as the geysers sprayed them from all directions. Mountains of poop began to melt like ice.

The tugging sensation became more intense, painful even, but there was something exhilarating about seeing all that salt water. I had made this. I had brought the ocean to this hillside.

Stop, lord! a horse cried. Stop, please!

Water was sloshing everywhere now. The horses were drenched, and some were panicking and slipping in the mud. The poop was completely gone, tons of it just dissolved into the earth, and the water was now starting to pool, trickling out of the stable, making a hundred little streams down toward the river.

"Stop," I told the water.

Nothing happened.

Somebody might have slammed on the brakes in a clown car. Some hiccupping and giggles still spurted the room, but the humor died off fast as Percy rubbed low on his stomach, looking a little clammy around the edges. He'd never pushed his powers this far before. Percy had already proved multiple times in this room he didn't have complete control, and none of them wanted to hear about these horses getting hurt the first time he found that out.

The pain in my gut was building. If I didn't shut off the geysers soon, the salt water would run into the river and poison the fish and plants.

"Between Grover and that naiad, we will turn you into an environmentalist yet," Thalia said from her cushy spot beside him without a second of concern he'd manage it.

Percy smiled in surprise at her instant faith he'd get it though. No jokes he'd needed Annabeth to hold his hand, no teasing he'd need someone else to come along to turn off his spout. Despite all their near-constant teasing, Percy never failed to smile along nobody in here actively thought him dumb even in instances where he wouldn't have blamed them thinking the worst.

"Stop!" I concentrated all my might on shutting off the force of the sea.

Suddenly the geysers shut down. I collapsed to my knees, exhausted.

"I'm guessing you don't consider that a rejuvenating bath," Jason offered.

"I didn't get offered a seaweed scrub and hot wax," Percy said like he had any clue what either of those were.

In front of me was a shiny clean horse stable, a field of wet salty mud, and fifty horses that had been scoured so thoroughly their coats gleamed. Even the meat scraps between their teeth had been washed out.

"Now if only you could do that to your room," Will snorted. "You might actually win the cabin inspection one day."

"Is the prize a flesh-eating horse? Because that's the only win I'd care about," Percy chuckled along.

We won't eat you! the horses wailed. Please, lord!, no more salty baths!

"All purpose wash," Alex said with an inspired snap to his fingers. "Put literally anything through there, it comes out clean."

"I bet people who needed to give their cats a bath would pay big," Magnus agreed, "though you should work on the settings."

"I'll get right on that if my high-school education doesn't work out," Percy said not entirely sarcastically. He didn't have a lot of faith in getting a diploma anyways, let alone living that long.

"On one condition," I said. "You only eat the food your handlers give you from now on. Not people. Or I'll be back with more seashells!"

The horses whinnied and made me a whole lot of promises that they would be good flesh-eating horses from now on,

Alex still paused for a moment to appreciate the look on Magnus' face at that sentence existing in any context. He hoped this wouldn't dampen Magnus's enjoyment of feeding them apples in the future.

but I didn't stick around to chat. The sun was going down. I turned and ran full speed toward the ranch house.

Nobody was really surprised he'd gotten up from a new, painful level of power exposure and probably drained himself to the bone pouring out all that energy into this, and then ran flat off into the sunset. And it wasn't even for food. All he was missing was the horse and cowboy hat to be the picturesque hero on that ranch to challenge someone to a draw at sundown.

I smelled barbecue before I reached the house, and that made me madder than ever, because I really love barbecue.

"I hope Geryon can grow his limbs back, because Percy's going to be tearing them off," Alex said with confidence.

"I hope he at least provided a vegetarian option for Grover, for the victory feast," Magnus nodded.

"I, um, wouldn't hold my breath," Will winced. Geryon was the worst example of southern hospitality.

The deck was set up for a party. Streamers and balloons decorated the railing. Geryon was flipping burgers on a huge barbecue cooker made from an oil drum.

"Grover's probably having some awful flashbacks to Polyphemus," Jason frowned.

"I never thought about that," Magnus agreed in horror. "Gods, what did he eat there?"

"Well I sure didn't ask him," Percy winced.

Eurytion lounged at a picnic table, picking his fingernails with a knife. The two-headed dog sniffed the ribs and burgers that were frying on the grill. And then I saw my friends: Tyson, Grover, Annabeth, and Nico all tossed in a corner, tied up like rodeo animals, with their ankles and wrists roped together and their mouths gagged.

Percy, Thalia, and Will blanched a special color in unison at having to experience the thrill of hearing them so vulnerable and uncomfortable and tortured in this particular way.

"What kind of cows do they have on that farm again?" Magnus asked in concern. "Do practicing on cherry red immortal bovines make them strong enough to even truss Tyson up?" He was probably overestimating Tyson's strength, but it still blew his mind there wasn't a dent anywhere in sight. He was now imagining the poor guy running and getting caught in a lasso.

"Orthus stayed on Annabeth's throat while Eurytion came around and tied us all up," Nico reminded. They'd started with him, or he would have run. That thought gave him a sickening feeling to remember what a horrible brat he'd been back then, only caring about himself.

"Let them go!" I yelled, still out of breath from running up the steps. "I cleaned the stables!"

Geryon turned. He wore an apron on each chest, with one word on each, so together they spelled out: KISS—THE—CHEF.

"I will not," Alex said in disgust.

"How do you think he ties the middle one? How weirdly long are his arms?" Percy asked. They'd looked vaguely proportional enough they shouldn't anyways.

"Eurytion came over and tied it for him," Nico shrugged.

"Huh," Percy said in appreciation.

"Did you, now? How'd you manage it?"

I was pretty impatient, but I told him.

He nodded appreciatively. "Very ingenious. It would've been better if you'd poisoned that pesky naiad, but no matter."

"You really told him everything?" Jason looked at him in disappointment. "You should have lied, just told him you came up with the idea to throw the shells in. I don't know if he can do anything to that naiad, but it would have been better to leave her out of it."

"We've all established I'm not an impulsive liar," Percy groaned, "I wouldn't say I'm better under pressure!"

"Well, thankfully he's going to die, so it won't be an immediate problem," Jason shrugged, but he worried what was going to happen to all those animals all of a sudden once these two were dispatched. Maybe a call to the Hunters and Thalia would show up.

"Let my friends go," I said. "We had a deal."

"Ah, I've been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let them go, I don't get paid."

"You promised!"

Geryon made a tsk-tsk noise. "But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No you didn't. So it's not binding. When you're conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath."

"Next time you should shake on it," Alex sighed. "Then he might think twice about double-crossing you."

"Yeah, yeah, lesson learned," Percy's face was twitching into that steady, concentrated look of a fight about to break out. It took effort for him to close his green eyes and open them again, take a breath and remind himself not to start throwing geysers around in here.

I drew my sword. Orthus growled. One head leaned down next to Grover's ear and bared its fangs.

There was a collective flinch around the room, one that helped Percy ease more into relaxing. Like Briares switching faces, he looked like a completely different person as he smiled at all these people who cared if Grover got a scratch on him.

"Eurytion," Geryon said, "the boy is starting to annoy me. Kill him."

Eurytion studied me. I didn't like my odds against him and that huge club.

"And the dog," Magnus added with dread.

Percy braced himself, then tried to scold himself, forcing his hand to loosen around Riptide in preparation.

"Kill him yourself," Eurytion said.

"Yes!" Jason yelped. "I called it!"

"I have no idea how I did that!" Percy shouted just as loud in delirious delight.

Thalia started laughing hard at these two, not least because she knew Percy was serious. He just had that effect on the right kind of people, someone to be followed. She, ironically, had to work for that and wasn't particularly fond of it.

Geryon raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Eurytion grumbled. "You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I'm getting tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kid, do it yourself."

"His absolute confidence he would die from fighting you though," Will told him in admiration. "I don't know if it's your record proceeding you or he's actually a shit fighter."

"I'm still trying to figure out how Ares claimed him?" Percy said, completely unphased by the blatant flattery. "If a god adopts you, do they go on the birth certificate?"

Thalia flicked his ear and called him an idiot while Alex read on somehow even more eagerly. One of the fighters was out, but that just meant Geryon had to get his hands dirty which apparently didn't happen very often, so this should be, interesting to see how he used that extra body to his advantage.

It was the most un-Ares like thing I'd ever heard son of Ares say.

"He should come back to camp," Will grinned, "or we could have a summer program down there!"

"If you try to put me on a horse, you are responsible for the results," Nico said with a wounded frown, all for this fight dragging out for the next hundred pages. He was not going to be happy with what came after, and considered it a blessing this had already gone on as long as it had.

"I'll patch every bruise," Will promised at once. "It won't even be that bad, I promise!"

For some reason, Nico believed him. Will would have the ability none before had to make an animal like him.

Geryon threw down his spatula. "You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!"

"And who'd take care of your cattle? Orthus, heel."

"This is so much better than the cliché you can't fire me, I quit line," Magnus grinned. "This man's clearly the useful one around there."

Will started humming the lyrics to Friends in Low Places and Magnus laughed hard in surprise, his mom had loved that one.

The dog immediately stopped growling at Grover and came to sit by the cowherd's feet.

"Fine!" Geryon snarled. "I'll deal with you later, after the boy is dead!"

He picked up two carving knives and threw them at me. I deflected one with my sword. The other impaled itself in the picnic table an inch from Eurytion's hand.

"Child's play," Percy scoffed, brushing his hair out of his eyes to keep his twitching hands from drawing his sword.

"Don't get cocky," Thalia said, her voice not shaking, but still meaning every word. This had been a monster he quite possibly couldn't have defeated if things hadn't worked out exactly as they had. Annabeth had been pretty incredulous when she described it days later when all was said and done in the quest.

I went on the attack. Geryon parried my first strike with a pair of red-hot tongs and lunged at my face with a barbecue fork. I got inside his next thrust and stabbed him right through the middle chest.

"Smart," Alex grinned, letting his eyes fall away with near boredom for how easy that was. If those horses hadn't needed the bath so bad, he'd be complaining Percy should have just done that from the start. "I bet his organs are all weird and spread out, my money would be on the middle one too."

"Aghhh!" He crumpled to his knees. I waited for him to disintegrate, the way monsters usually do. But instead he just grimaced and started to stand up. The wound in his chef's apron started to heal.

"Nice try, sonny," he said. "Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system."

"Oh!" Alex sounded way to delighted Percy's mind was now racing in circles of how bad that was.

"How did you not bring any of those seashells with you?" Thalia demanded. "I can't imagine how useful those things could have kept being!"

"We really need to work on your strategies with that sword," Jason agreed with a frown. "You're a great dueler, but you need more tricks up your sleeve than the jab and dodge motions you've perfected." He was sure that panic on Percy's face meant that whatever happened next hadn't gone that great.

"That water jetpack idea is starting to sound like a good idea now, isn't it?" Nico chuckled.

Percy was ignoring them, his sole attention on Alex with his friends' lives still on the line. Just because Eurytion had sat out of this fight didn't mean he'd protect them while they were vulnerable, and he wouldn't put it past Geryon to put a sword at their throat to make him yield.

He tipped over the barbecue, and coals spilled everywhere. One landed next to Annabeth's face, and she let out a muffled scream. Tyson strained against his bonds, but even his strength wasn't enough to break them.

Percy's foot was starting to fidget uncontrollably, causing tremors on the floor and little spurts of water to pop up like underwater fountains in between the cracks. Tyson had been through enough already without having to deal with this! How was it fair he'd missed out on Annabeth calling him a seaweed brain twice for not getting to be here?!

I had to end this fight before my friends got hurt.

I jabbed Geryon in the left chest, but he only laughed. I stuck him in the right stomach. No good. I might as well have been sticking a sword in a teddy bear for all the reaction he showed.

"I bet you did stab your toys as a kid though," Alex chuckled.

Percy gave him a strange look, not wanting to admit he hadn't actively had many toys with Gabe around, and he'd cherished the few he had. He didn't blame Alex for thinking it though, he hadn't owned an article of clothing or a piece of paper he hadn't stabbed with a pencil until it was riddled.

Three hearts. The perfect backup system. Stabbing one at a time was no good....

I ran into the house.

"How long is a long sword?" Magnus asked.

"Not that long," Jason shook his head, and Percy was most likely untrained in it to boot.

"You mentioned tossing a javelin around once," Alex reminded. "Get any better practice at that with camp?"

"Not in the slightest," Percy sighed, his feet tapping out a pattern that was causing his little fountains to stop and start in a bizarre pattern like he was trying to send a secret message.

From Thalia's angle, it spelled Help.

"Coward!" he cried. "Come back and die right!"

"So the opposite of a coward is to run away and don't die," Will gave him a thumbs up. "Doing great work Perce!"

"I'm not taking advice from him on this," Percy scoffed, even if he didn't disagree.

The living room walls were decorated with a bunch of gruesome hunting trophies—stuffed deer and dragon heads, a gun case, a sword display, and a bow with a quiver.

"I swear you could point at ten people in Texas and one of them has a gun," Nico rolled his eyes.

"That's a hurtful stereotype," Will pouted. "You don't hear me making jokes about you eating nothing but pasta."

"Okay, okay, I take it back," Nico promised at once with a grin.

Geryon threw his barbecue fork, and it thudded into the wall right next to my head. He drew two swords from the wall display. "Your head's gonna go right there, Jackson! Next to the grizzly bear!"

"There's a compliment somewhere in there," Thalia nodded.

"I'd have preferred the dragon, I'd clash with the fur," Percy sniffed.

I had a crazy idea.

Jason mocked clicked a pen and loudly noted, "that's four for four."

Percy and Nico both winced though, last time that had happened Bianca had paid the price.

I dropped Riptide and grabbed the bow off the wall.

"We have yet to hear you be in an archery class," Alex noted. "How is this going to go?"

"I clearly haven't shared the infamous story of Percy losing an arrow in the ocean," Will shook his head at his own lapse. "I should remind you all that is nowhere near the archery range by the way! This massive makara actually came out to spit it back at him and hit the target."

"Thanks Will, here I thought you were nice and had just chosen to gloss over that moment," Percy groaned among the laughter.

I was the worst archery shot in the world. I couldn't hit the targets at camp, much less a bull's eye.

"You threw your sword at that Nemon Lion and hit his hind," Magnus reminded. "You clearly know the weight of that better than anything, couldn't you throw that?"

"I don't think I'd get enough weight behind it to manage this shot," Percy shrugged, though he wished he could have rather than going for a hail merry. He seemed calmer though, now that the solution was in sight, but for some reason the answer still eluded him of why he was even more stressed than when he'd been clueless how this was going to go. The geysers had stopped spelling out SOS anyways.

But I had no choice. I couldn't win this fight with a sword. I prayed to Artemis and Apollo, the twin archers, hoping they might take pity on me for once. Please, guys. Just one shot. Please.

"Artemis definitely owes you one," Alex agreed astutely, "and Apollo seemed to like you enough." He seemed pretty confident anyways this had worked out, and Percy tried to breathe easier it had. His anxious stomach should be settling.

I notched an arrow.

Geryon laughed. "You fool! One arrow is no better than one sword."

He raised his swords and charged. I dove sideways. Before he could turn, I shot my arrow into the side of his right chest. I heard THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, as the arrow passed clean through each of his chests and flew out his left side, embedding itself in the forehead of the grizzly bear trophy.

"Nobody tells me where to get hung," Percy puffed up his chest, only to oof as Thalia smacked him with an arrow. Only a tap, but pointy enough he deflated.

Geryon dropped his swords. He turned and stared at me. "You can't shoot. They told me you couldn't..."

Jason shivered with displeasure Kronos was still so well informed about the quest, and Percy's abilities in particular, when there was unequivocally no doubt any of them were betraying Percy. Juno had said they'd pass through the ranch too, hopefully this was just a unanimous stopping point for anybody in the labyrinth and Kronos and Luke had been banking on this.

His face turned a sickly shade of green. He collapsed to his knees and began crumbling into sand, until all that was left were three cooking aprons and an oversized pair of cowboy boots.

"I'd have preferred the hearts as trophies," Alex sniffed. "Oooh, deck of playing cards with monsters! He's the King of Hearts!"

"I, um, hope you get lots of orders Alex," Percy chuckled.

"Oh don't worry, you'll be in there," Alex promised. "You're the wild card who beats them all obviously."

Percy looked a tad terrified rather than flattered imagining himself in some of the outfits he'd seen on those cards.

I got my friends untied. Eurytion didn't try to stop me. Then I stoked up the barbecue and threw the food into the flames as a burnt offering for Artemis and Apollo.

"Guess it's for the best, I'm not sure I'd trust that monster not to make everything on that grill burnt anyways," Percy sighed for his empty stomach. He couldn't have eaten a single rib right now if he wanted to, he still felt like he was missing something about this experience. For the life of him though couldn't imagine what.

"Or, you know, cursed," Will reminded with a still grumpy frown. It was the only way he could imagine his dad had let this go on, anybody who ate that beef died a horrible death. Which also meant it wasn't the nicest offering.

"Thanks, guys," I said. "I owe you one."

The sky thundered in the distance, so I figured maybe the burgers smelled okay.

Jason side eyed Thalia with unease for that one though. Only Zeus had yet been mentioned to do that, and he didn't think he'd share the button with the two gods in thanks. Hopefully he was just being paranoid, what other reason was there? The gods had shown up plenty of times now for whatever motivation they had. Like Will had said, Apollo had probably been meaning to decimate this place for centuries and just kept forgetting and blew a favor Percy's way now.

"Yay for Percy!" Tyson said.

"Can we tie up this cowherd now?" Nico asked.

"Yeah!" Grover agreed. "And that dog almost killed me!"

"Can't even blame them for wanting revenge," Will sympathized. It took a much bigger person than Geryon to let grudges go after being trussed up, and he certainly wouldn't have minded Eurytion getting a taste of his own medicine, just not permanently for abstaining from the fight.

I looked at Eurytion, who still was sitting relaxed at the picnic table. Orthus had both his heads on the cowherd's knees.

"How long will it take Geryon to re-form?" I asked him.

Eurytion shrugged. "Hundred years? He's not one of those fast re-formers, thank the gods. You've done me a favor."

"Without much help in return," Percy rolled his eyes, but he sounded more exasperated than actually upset. It had all worked out at least. He just wasn't going to lightly forgive somebody sicking their dog on his friends even if they hadn't gone through with it.

"You said you'd died for him before," I remembered. "How?"

"I've worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made.

"Now there's something we don't hear every day," Magnus yelped. So far all of these gods had seemed more than happy to skip through everybody's life and remind anyone they pleased how powerful they were. Braries wasn't the first example of immortality being so great, but it was nice to hear flat out some people also just regretted it for some reason, like normal 'people' still existed in this godhood pantheon.

Now I'm stuck here at this ranch. I can't leave. I can't quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon's fights. We're kinda tied together."

"Urgh, never, ever take a reward from Ares," Jason said in disgust. "Even those somehow sound more awful than his curses!"

"You have learned an important lesson today my friend," Percy nodded along.

"Maybe you can change things," I said.

Eurytion narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. And stop dealing with the Titans."

Eurytion thought about that. "That'd be all right."

"I'm guessing whoever came along to pay made one to many smart ass remarks about his servitude there," Nico said hopefully. It had seemed like a suspicious, quick change to him, and he'd been mentally giving Percy one hell of a tirade in his head about his perfect, stupid way to see the best in everybody, and his stupid, perfect naivety to think this guy would keep his word after one day around him, and his perfect stupid smile.

"Get the animals on your side, and they'll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he'll be working for you this time."

"Mmmm, karma," Alex smacked his lips in appreciation. "Beats the best barbeque."

"Only with the right sauce," Magnus chuckled.

Eurytion grinned. "Now, that I could live with."

"You won't try to stop us leaving?"

"Shoot, no."

Annabeth rubbed her bruised wrists. She was still looking at Eurytion suspiciously. "Your boss said somebody paid for our safe passage. Who?"

The cowherd shrugged. "Maybe he was just saying that to fool you."

"It's possible, but I can't imagine who would bother. I thought he was just flat lying too," Will admitted. Truth be told, Will had no more clue who would only pay for some kids to get through, that seemed to horrible. He glanced to Nico, who had no reaction to this, but didn't pester for details only because he knew it was best not to let Percy's mind simmer on that.

"What about the Titans?" I asked. "Did you Iris-message them about Nico yet?"

"Nope. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don't know about him."

"Looks like he did have some gentlemen in him," Thalia snickered. "Conducting business after dinner!"

"I don't think I'll be back for seconds," Percy huffed.

Nico was glaring at me. I wasn't sure what to do about him. I doubted he would agree to come with us. On the other hand, I couldn't just let him roam around on his own.

"I'm not your responsibility!" Nico sounded stiff, more like he was arguing with himself than Percy. "You didn't have to care about me any which way!"

"But I did," Percy frowned, trying to keep in mind to choose his words carefully, but it was his first ever go of that. "I do. And it's not just because of Bianca, you know that right?"

"I didn't hear you chasing after Chris Rodrigez to tell him what a bad idea it was to be on Luke's ship," Nico sneered. "You only care about me because you found out I could be the prophecy kid."

"That is not it!" Percy looked legitimately offended. "Okay, so, I got to know your sister and I care about what's best for you slightly more than him!" Percy threw his hands up in exasperation. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to Chris either, it's awful the maze turned him into putty! I'm down there trying to stop Kronos so this doesn't happen to any other kids, including you, who is currently right in front of me and I want to try and help!"

Nico wasn't sure if he was speaking past tense or literally right now, but regardless he found himself cowed. He checked his temper and knew he was still holding a grudge against Percy for Bianca, and he was supposed to be letting that go! He just didn't want to hear what was about to happen.

To hear the last thing Bianca ever said to him again, to have it shoved in his face like a freakshow on display how his sister thought he was a sad, pathetic child who would always need looking after.

The silence lingered, and Nico apparently wasn't going to protest at least that anymore. Percy was looking anxiously between Nico and Thalia, he even poked her shoulder and gestured to him like he wanted her to jump in. Thalia just pursed her lips, she had even less idea about this kids life than him and had no idea what to say to him either, and it would sound even worse coming from a Hunter she was sure.

Alex kept reading in a soft, gentle kind of voice, like he had a little to much practice talking to someone in a vulnerable situation.

"You could stay here until we're done with our quest," I told him. "It would be safe."

"Safe?" Nico said. "What do you care if I'm safe? You got my sister killed!"

Nico spread his hands in silent apology of his own he had nothing else he could say to that, no matter how much he wanted to. Whether Bianca had known going into that statue would be her demise or not, she'd known full well how dangerous it was and done it anyways.

Percy just gave him a silent nod. To keep apologizing back and forth was doing nobody any good.

"Nico," Annabeth said, "that wasn't Percy's fault.

"I'm trying to imagine her blaming anything on Percy anymore," Jason snorted. "The world could end and she'd pat you on the head and tell you it's okay."

"And yet she blames me when her book mysteriously goes missing and tears my cabin apart," Percy chuckled. "I swear someone put it under my bed as a prank!"

"Uhhu," Will rolled his eyes. "Don't ever let either of them have the remote, they'll debrain each other with it fighting who gets to hold it."

The soft laughter that encircled the room gave Nico a chance to breathe for just a moment. He would not make creepy shadow puppets and ghosts appear again. He would not drop the temperature to sub-zero level. He was getting a handle on this!

And Geryon wasn't lying about Kronos wanting to capture you. If he knew who you were, he'd do anything to get you on his side."

"I'm not on anyone's side. And I'm not afraid."

"You should be," Annabeth said. "Your sister wouldn't want—"

"If you cared for my sister, you'd help me bring her back!"

Percy fiddled with his beaded necklace, his stomach in knots. He did understand exactly what Nico wanted, he didn't need to remind Nico every quest he'd been on had been to bring someone back from certain death, just not the whole nine yards of the soul part.

"A soul for a soul?" I said.

"Yes!"

Magnus still wanted to ask about that, about less extreme options Nico had tried first that were just as dangerous to indulge. He couldn't stand the idea of hope being infused into a hopeless journey...but wasn't that exactly what Percy did every summer? What if it worked...

"But if you didn't want my soul—"

"I'm not explaining anything to you!" He blinked tears out of his eyes. "And I will bring her back."

"Bianca wouldn't want to be brought back," I said. "Not like that."

"You didn't know her!" he shouted. "How do you know what she'd want?"

Jason kept the thought to himself he would hope he never knew anyone who would want that. Someone so selfish to take someone else's life to bring their own back. Nico didn't need to hear that though, they all knew he'd just been lashing out, and it was just awkward and painful to listen to as he sat with his head bowed.

I stared at the flames in the barbecue pit. I thought about the line in Annabeth's prophecy: You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand. That had to be Minos, and I had to convince Nico not to listen to him. "Let's ask Bianca."

The sky seemed to grow darker all of a sudden.

"I've tried," Nico said miserably. "She won't answer."

"Try again. I've got a feeling she'll answer with me here."

"Why would she?"

"Because she's been sending me Iris-messages," I said, suddenly sure of it. "She's been trying to warn me what you're up to, so I can protect you."

Nico still felt the impact of that like someone had thrown him in the barbeque pit instead of the burgers. That Percy was right, and he wouldn't have listened to Bianca even if she'd told him to stop. That he had to have his hand held and walked through the idea what he was doing was wrong, or gods, he might have actually gone through with it. That idea haunted him more than Minos ever had.

Nico shook his head. "That's impossible."

"One way to find out. You said you're not afraid." I turned to Eurytion. "We're going to need a pit, like a grave. And food and drinks."

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "I don't think this is a good—"

"All right," Nico said. "I'll try."

Will had no idea how he was supposed to resist the urge to hug Nico and never let go as desperately sad as he must have been to agree to that. Nico blatantly hadn't trusted Percy and Annabeth right then and still went through with it. He'd been watching this whole time, and Nico didn't seem to be pushing his emotions down anymore, but that didn't mean the fact that he was clearly miserable and tired was leagues better because there was just nothing to be done about that as he sat uselessly in place.

Eurytion scratched his beard. "There's a hole dug out back for a septic tank. We could use that. Cyclops boy, fetch my ice chest from the kitchen. I hope the dead like root beer."

"Okay, we're about halfway done and I need lunch," Alex announced as he snapped the book shut.

"Because me messing with manure and the promise of more dead people really got your stomach rumbling huh?" Percy asked even as he stretched and wearily stood up.

"No finer culinary experience than trying something new," he agreed cheerfully, giving them all the worrisome notion of what Alex was going off to his room to try to do with a happy meal.

#HDYSG #PJO #Percy Jackson #Thalia Grace #Jason Grace #Nico Di Angelo #Alex Fierro #Magnus Chase #Will Solace #solangelo #percabeth #fierrochase

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throwawayfiction · 2 years

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What If Aro......

So I have had this brain worm vomit for some time. I decided to share with my fellow brain vomit/twihard fans here on tumblr. What if Aro had a female S/O that was super humble? -I feel like Aro had some sort of interest in Bella. My stupid brain likes to think that she was classically attractive- possibly from when he was a mortal and he couldn’t help but find her special. -besides the fact that Bella had a special gift, I still think Aro would try to flirt with her and kiss her hand and convince her to come to the Volturi. -In this scenario, Aro finds his Bella. (pls delete his wife) -She’s a simple woman, she enjoys simple things. She’s not very tall, average body type. Long flowing hair-pale skin even in her mortal form- kinda like the beauty standards in Italy during the renaissance. Who knows when Aro ends up in Italy with the rest of his clan. But I like to imagine he’s been there for a long ass time. Definitely during the time where lots of women looked like this. -Maybe this S/O was in to horses. Aro of course wanted to give you everything you ever wanted. Money was no object. Heck there were old stables located on the grounds of the castle. They haven’t been used in a long time. Since ya know, vampires don’t need a trusty animal to get them from place to place. -Aro was fine with you riding, even though it was risky. He insisted that you stay close in the nearby paddock in case something happened and you fell. You had to, I mean, HAD TO wear a helmet. If he caught you without a helmet he would throw a fit, and we know how eccentric this man is and he would be over the top on this situation. -Aro didn’t want to be too controlling, so he would let you ride out in the woods on occasion if there were a few guards able to go with you to keep a watchful eye. -Probably the thing that drove him nuts the most was the fact you insisted doing your own barn chores. You were supposed to be queen one day, you should act like it. You’re betrothed to a powerful man. And you’re collecting stall material and hay on your clothes and getting dirt under your fingers. You’re breaking your fingernails putting together special meals for your horse and cleaning up after him. Your pale skin is becoming kissed by the sun in the warmer months- darling, what if you get sun damage? Don’t humans have sensitive skin!? -But you needed this time to yourself, you needed time out of the castle walls. -You found out not too long ago that you were to be betrothed to this man, you barely knew him. But a twist of fate allowed you to meet him and it was very soon confirmed by Marcus that you two had a connection -You felt the connection almost instantly. You knew you wanted to talk to this man, you knew you wanted to know his name and stay with him. I mean, you connect with horses, you have lots of practice reading 1200lb beasts- a person wasn’t going to give you any problems when it comes to finding people to connect with. -things came crashing in from there, you learned about vampires and this whole ring of vampires you’re now involved with. -in order to stay a mortal, Aro insisted that you stay within the castle and have little to no contact with other humans- incase something slips of their existence. -it was one day that Aro was touching your skin and reading your thoughts- you were having a bad day, feeling trapped in the castle, thinking about your life back in Forks when Aro saw it- your love for horses. -Your memories of a fast canter through the woods was so enchanting to him -He wanted you to continue on to those things because he heard the thoughts of you returning home and it absolutely broke him inside. -this may or may not have been a desperate attempt to distract you and make you love him more. (I mean, please do that to me. I wear a size 7 diamond ring and diamond jewelry and new car pls) -Anyways, please give me this man, I would kill for someone like Aro being so attentive and kind. I feel like he would absolutely do anything for you if you had his heart....but like I mentioned before, I can see him being over the top too much and like our human hearts would need a break from him being so overbearing at times. I know I will cry if things get too intense. I would have for him to see me cry, that shit would make him feel worse.

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eruverse · 2 years

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Speaking about Mongolia, some notes I have in mind about his development and characterization (headcanon):

-I love animal/mythological creature origin in nationpeoples. Mongolia in my mind represents both the Takhi and steppe wolf, noting the origin story of the Borjigins/Mongols as well! Mongolia kind of began as a wolf-dog of the Borjigins, or as a wolf-dog of a Borjigid ancestor. In time, he took the shape of a human, and lived with the Borjigins and took their name as a minor family member. He was both treated as not a human and a human at the same time when the Mongol confederation was taking shape. The Borjigins (esp Chinggis Khan’s family) had humble and even difficult beginnings, so Mongolia didn’t actually live like a royal!! He was a hardworking nomad just like anybody else. Even as an empire with abundant wealth in his side, he was still hardworking for the most part — for he knows it’s only his hard work that brought result, not his pedigree.

-I see Mongolia as the nomads’ nomad, the original nomad. Every single one of his people could become sedentary and he wouldn’t begrudge them any (in fact he would be happy with anything that makes his people happy and thrive) but he shall always be a nomad. He will still be a nomad even when he’s the last nomad left in his lands. Even now in 2k23 he still acts like a nomad; the city overwhelms him and makes him feel claustrophobic, so there’s nothing else he wants than to scurry off to the countryside. If he couldn’t see the steppe five minutes upon waking up he will immediately get jittery like a smoker who’s trying to stop smoking and getting into withdrawal. Okay, that’s quite an exaggeration, but you get the point.

-But yeah, steppe nomads are family based pastoralists for the most part. They are nomadic because they have to switch pastures for their herds, and this isn’t a work you can do alone. Mongolia at best has a few horses, a dog — I rather think he has a personal system where he owns a sizable number of horses and and would lend them to some other herders. This is actually a system that has existed since at least medieval era from the book I read!! Not just horses, but basically all kinds of herds. In the past, a Khan would lend animals to poorer herders and in turn they would present their dairy products to him, as steppe pastoral life was basically a circulation and distribution system and hoarding without circulating things at all goes against nomadic belief of maintaining universal balance. Mongolia modifies this system into what fits him and other herders in the current time.

-As far as his daily life in general goes, he has an extremely strategically situated apartment in the city, but he’s only there when his bosses have works for him that he has to handle in person. Mostly, he keeps touch and does his works from afar; he’s not very excited about technology because he’s a boomer, but he admits that they make his job easier. For the most part though, his human job is interacting and dealing with herders and making sure everything is going well with them; mediating if there are conflicts, connecting herders to markets or other adequate middlemen if they don’t have them already, connecting with health/public health sectors if there exist health problems in some herders, making sure the kids are connected to schools well, overseeing the pasture map, and like. His lifeblood is his extensive networks among herders, and he’s extremely respected as if a tribal elder. Well, technically he is.

-When he’s out of the city, Mongolia either lives with the herders or camps alone with only his dog and horse. He does plenty sleeping outside without roof over his head whatsoever also — it gets Very Cold at night but he cannot die, and he runs hot enough to warm all his body. This is one of his perks. He’s basically an undying furnace. No predators like wolves or dogs dare to touch him also, because he’s in fact the most alpha of alpha wolves.

-This isn’t saying he has no interest that has nothing to do with nomadic life whatsoever, but the nomadic life is what brings him most joy!!

#hetalia #aph mongolia #hws mongolia #my headcanon

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unpassive-viewer · 2 years

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My Mind & Me - Short Review

Hello hello,

As is tradition, I’ve popped in to give a very short, almost incomprehensible review of a film and dip back out for the next six to ten months.

Without further delay - my thoughts on the Selena Gomez documentary, My Mind and Me.

First of all, I literally started my free Apple TV trial to watch this movie. It’s one of the only documentaries I’ve seen enough hype about on the internet that I figured I should break down and watch it. I’m going to keep the commentary on Selena as a person to an absolute minimum, and instead discuss the sort of optics that the film managed to create.

I have trouble telling how this was filmed, and how the directing worked. It looked like a lot of the film was captured by Selena’s family and friends, but I can’t tell how much. It is... interesting. I think most people have very black or white ideas on this film. Well, about Selena (I’ll admit that there’s a level of fanfare surrounding her life that I would not wish for in a million years).

That said, the way it was assembled felt very weird. There’s a lot of criticism flying about how Selena didn’t mention a few very key people. I honestly, truly think this was an error on the part of the director. In what I feel was an effort to focus solely on Selena and keep her private life just that, this film came across as disingenuous. There were a few underlying themes that I believe were pushed too hard- her struggles with mental health, never feeling good enough, and about her need to do good. These are admirable messages, however this documentary was beating the dead horse. The film was about Selena, but it ignored absolutely everything else.

We see her cry, we hear her talk about her struggles, but we are deprived of a lot of the humanity behind what she’s doing. My biggest gripe with this is the content surrounding her trip to Kenya and her more philanthropic work. This is a habit of western media and charities, but those Kenyan kids were used like props. All of the scenes on her work in Kenya comes back not to helping, but to her. I want to believe this wasn’t pure narcissism. That, as (essentially) a reality show, there was such an effort to push palatable vulnerability that instead we got an hour and a half of Selena talking about just herself when young Kenyan women were literally talking about potentially not being able to go to school and instead being married as teenagers. Similarly, the complaints about interviewers focused so little on the interviews themselves and so much on her rhetoric that she came across quite conceited. This is also the case with the interactions with her friends and staff. The card game where Selena’s friends told her things about herself made me absolutely cringe. I don’t know whose idea that was, but it was not effective.

All of this is, of course, at odds with almost everything she actually says. She’s humble, or at least she talks like she is. She likes to keep her life private, she regularly downplays her own accomplishments, she “doesn’t want to talk about boys anymore”, she’s grateful to the people around her. So why does this documentary make that seem so disingenuous?

So now, the root issue of the film:

Altogether the documentary ends up looking a lot more like “everyone look at how great I am”, rather than communicating not just how, but why we do good. Why is Selena a role model, really? That cannot be communicated without acknowledging the nuance of human relationships, and this documentary did not accomplish that. Celebrities do not exist in a vacuum, and attempting to place them in one for the sake of a documentary is ineffective.

Did you watch My Mind and Me? Let me know what you think.

#my mind and me #selena gomez #film review

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thelinesofmylife · 9 months

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Note: Okay, normally I do sort of start deep, thinky posts with "Okay, controversy time!", but this time we're going to be dealing with an issue that is quite the opposite. I'm not saying that there isn't supposed to be discussion on this topic as it is a topic worthy of discussion and debate, but what I am saying is that if someone decides to take this out of its intended context of animal psychology and sexuality, and apply it to humans, I will be rather annoyed as this is not a subject of human sexuality, and the discussion on human sexuality is a mess.

If you think that you can make an idea that's the human equivalent, go right ahead, but this idea is separate from the discussion on human sexuality since sentience allows the individual to express their experiences, while with animals we're observing certain behaviors and applying human phrases as that's what fits best.

Alright, brief essay time.

So as we go through summer here at the horse farm, where the majority of the population is mares and their male companions are all geldings, hormones are a-raging. Some of the mares are trying to convince their gelded male friends to satisfy this summer craving, but they're just not able to perform.

But one of the mares seems quite eager to do things differently.

Sometimes, mares will tease each other over a fence (tease as in what stallions and certain geldings do, not tease as in make fun of each other). Usually it's a mutual thing and while I don't WANT to speculate on why they're doing that, it really sort of feels like they're broadcasting to any stallion around; "Oh, there are two mares here in the peak of their season desperate for a stallion. Won't a stallion just come and ease our need?" (The human equivalent would be two chicks kissing as they're trying to attract a guy's attention, allegedly. I personally wouldn't know, I don't go to clubs/frat parties.)

Now one of the mares is doing something completely different. She's rather agressive to the one gelding she has constant contact with and if I'm not mistaken, seems rather stallion-like in her behaviour when some of the other mares come around. She will show signs of excitement and will pace her yard as she tries to get closer to them. This mare would prefer the intimate company of other mares (definitely no judgement).

Now are there a million-and-one things that could be going on behind the scenes that I, as your humble observer, can't rule out or determine as the actual cause, and I do feel that we shouldn't apply the labels of sexuality directly onto animals since it's not our place to determine what is fundamentally the personal.

However, we can still think and speculate on the hypothetical.

I do believe that in wild populations of animals, particularly social animals, there is to be considered the possibility that an individual's sexuality may, at times, be overruled for the sake of the group.

In the wild, a mare may be (for the sake of all intents and purposes,) homosexual, but it is through the social pressures of the other mares in the herd, that she has to be bred by the stallion or risk being ostracised, a rather dangerous situation for any horse. So in order to protect herself, she will reluctantly let the stallion do his thing for the sake of her safety. She doesn't have to hide her homosexuality the rest of the time, but she must reluctantly submit to the stallion at certain times.

Her sexuality would subsequently be described as "Homosexual, but reluctantly heterosexual".

There are dozens of situations where this would occur and all would have their own derivatives.

However, were you to apply it to reality, good luck working out the motivations of animals that you cannot directly communicate with. We can propose these ideas as possible internal motivations, but based on exteral evidence alone, I think it's a risk to make definitive conclusions without definitive proof.

I won't say the mare with an interest in other mares is a lesbian, but if she enjoys hanging out with other mares on a very intimate level, then it won't be for me to interfere.

#animal behavior #horses #animal psychology

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405rew-twain · 1 year

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Week 15 - The One Where I Get on my High Horse about Frankenstein

Aaaaaand now we’re on the final blog entry. What a wild ride it’s been! Taking a deep dive into Twain’s catalog like this has been a real academic treat, and I’m glad I got the opportunity to record my thoughts and develop them throughout the semester with this page. Without further ado, though, it’s time to dive into the last text of this humble little blog’s run with Little Bessie. (This will all be very much just “my first impressions” centered, as I’m writing this without any context of what the class discussed during our last reading session.)

There’s a lot I could comment on here, especially given how utterly raw and unfiltered this piece is with the Christianity critiques, but let’s just focus on this section from chapter 2, pages 326-327:

“Hollister. Bessie, suppose you should take some meat and bones and fur, and make a cat out of it, and should tell the cat, Now you are not to be unkind to any creature, on pain of punishment and death. And suppose the cat should disobey, and catch a mouse and torture and kill it. What would you do to the cat?

Bessie. Nothing.

H. Why?

B. Because I know what the cat would say. She would say, It’s my nature, I couldn’t help it; I didn’t make my nature, you made it. And so you are responsible for what I’ve done—I’m not. I couldn’t answer that, Mr. Hollister.

H. It’s just the case of Frankenstein and his Monster over again.

B. What is that?

H. Frankenstein took some flesh and bones and blood and made a man out of them; the man ran away and fell to raping and robbing and murdering everywhere, and Frankenstein was horrified and in despair, and said, I made him, without his consent, and it makes me responsible for every crime he commits. I am the criminal, he is innocent.”

It feels weird to critique something I know was born out of a lot of unimaginable personal hardships and pain, but death of the author and all that—and I need to vent that this seems to me a gross misreading of Frankenstein. It’s not in the monster’s nature to kill and rape, he doesn’t do that at first! It’s only when he faces the cruelty of human prejudice and bigotry that he starts lashing out! Frankenstein’s crime is that he’s an awful father figure to what is basically his child, not that being born is a horrific non-consensual act. The whole piece is just bizarre to me, Twain using a character of an “innocent but wise beyond her years” three year old as an authorial mouthpiece. It’s a text purporting to look at the illogical trappings of Christianity while steeped in its own emotional logical holes, misreading something like Frankenstein to get his point across. It honestly feels like I’m reading someone’s personal diary scrawlings no one else was meant to read—it doesn’t make sense because it wasn’t supposed to, it was for Twain’s own personal catharsis. Like, I want to wag my finger at him for this, but just sitting down and feeling his raw anger and pain in this text makes me feel almost dirty having read it.

…What a note to end the blog on. Happy summer, folks!

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rabbitcruiser · 1 year

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World Donkey Day

Visit a petting zoo, or simply do some research into the underappreciated, stalwart, useful and intelligent beasts of burden known as donkeys.

History of World Donkey Day

Donkeys have played an essential part in human history. Ark says that they are a “precious genetic resource and a great gift of nature.” You can’t get higher praise than that!

How to celebrate World Donkey Day

Donkeys are beautiful, but neglected creatures. World Donkey Day is a chance for everyone who cares about these animals to highlight their plight and do something practical about it. Are you in?

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storm-inside-my-mind · 2 years

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A Disregard of Traditions

She then turned her horse, and they walked in, the guards shutting the gates behind them with a heavy thunk as the machinery as Cyril walked in. The sound of the city was filled with music, people talking, and some sounds of wagons and someone working in a forge. Faenoina smiled only slightly as she came back into her kingdom, but she once more frowned at the opulent kingdom she was returning to. She was supposed to feel a connection to the kingdom she was a part of, yet she couldn’t at this moment, but she knew that any other creature would be ecstatic to get into her kingdom. From the gates one could see the sprawling city before them, with a paved path leading into the main road that had shops where people were open for business. There was another road that broke off from that one, leading up to a grand castle that seemed to be carved from stone and held together with branches and vines. A large garden and green area surrounded the castle, and guards were seen everywhere in or around the castle. Elves stopped to look at them both, because the princess was returning from another hunt, the elven prince accompanying her had come in without her first, and she brought in a centaur to the sacred kingdom of the high elves. The people looked upon the half man and half horse with disdain in their eyes, but not as much if he were to be a human, yet their thinly veiled prejudice was not hard to find in their gazes. However Cyril didn't mind it, as he was far more intrigued and humbled by the one elf who offered up her race to be with him. How she had changed her appearance before appearing before him once more, changed and warped and molded by the woods she spent so much time in.

His attention was broken as the sound of a roar could be heard, as people made room like they didn’t just hear a beast call out, as a giant grizzly bear came running down. The princess dismounted rather fast, as she rode barefoot, and opened her arms as a giant grizzly bear sniffed at her, before wrapping its large arms around her, basically hiding her from sight as he nuzzled his snout into her, his blue colored nose sniffing into her hair before he let her go and started sniffing around her body searching for something. “Blueberry,” she greeted softly, petting her bear, who raised his own face to lick hers over and over, smearing her makeup as she returned. It was once perfect lines, but now looked smudged all over, like someone went wild on her face. “I am fine,” she giggled, “but I brought no food for you today. It looks like kitchen food for you,” she giggled, despite Blueberry’s ears now falling in disappointment at her words as he gave a huff.

He watched her interaction with interest. "You have befriended a supreme beast... you may be a far better hunter than even I!" He muttered lowly though he was unsure if her elven ears would hear him. Granted Cyril never wanted to befriend a beast so he never tried, and he was unsure if he could if he wanted to, but she was clearly able to do just that. It also surprised him that no one was saying anything to the woman who was now crawling on top of the bear, laying down on his back as a servant to the stables went and got her horse, leading him away by the reins to have his saddle taken off and then he would be allowed to graze. Cyril was a little overwhelmed, and as his attention was brought back to Faenoina, he noticed that she spoke in elven to the beast, and he gave a grumble.

“I have spent my ten years becoming a huntress and learning the way of the world and the woods. I have spent a year and a half with the wolves, learning to read trails and find the differences between prints. I can never be a wood elf. They do have superiority over me in the aspect of their magic in the world…..I….I asked them to help me,” she said quietly, “so that if I am accepted by you, I could change.” She then bit her tongue, as she heard the horns trumpet. It only made her roll her eyes at the sound. Blueberry, as seen by the fur around his muzzle stained blue along with his nose, walked a bit faster to the castle now from hearing the sound of the call of the castle.

Her dedication to becoming a huntress continued to surprise him as she spoke of befriending and even living with wolves in order to learn to track and hunt. She did admit to the truth they both knew: she could never be a wood elf no matter how hard she tried. But what was confusing was her choice to get an amulet made to be able to become like him. Why would she charge herself when she seemed perfect to him? Or why not change to become a wood elf? As Cyril opened his mouth to ask the trumpets sounded drawing his attention to the distance. He followed her silently as he took in the marvels of the elves and their attempt to mimic nature instead of embracing it. He found the wrought iron gates twisted to look like vines appalling in the mockery of nature. No wonder Faenoina yearned to be something more than this.

Their pace was a bit slower, showing off the many trees that were starting to flower as the days were growing warmer. The smell of fresh baked bread and roasting meat was coming from the castle as they got closer, her heart was starting to thump louder and louder in her chest, and she could only hear the rushing of blood in her pointed ears. She was keeping her breathing under control by breathing with Blueberry, who was carrying her there for the time being, but he always had an affinity for her mother, the queen of the high elves, as he was raised by Faenoina, and made sure that part of his life he spent in the castle around her parents. He had found that as a cub if he lightly tapped the queen’s thigh, she would give him treats.

When they were at the large wrought iron gates that were twisted and dusted with silver made to look like vines, she uttered a couple elvish words, and they opened without anyone around them. She led Cyril in, and got off her bear, now walking beside him. Unlike other elves, she was smaller than normal, and it had others quite literally look down at her. Her eyes remained hard though, as she looked forward, leading them through grand halls that were held up by carved pillars that were meant to look like trees, the stone branches reaching out and holding the ceiling up. One of the guards came up, plated in a golden type armor, and helmet that had small spikes coming off of the sides. He was grinning, and staring down at her, as he had sharp features, including a square jaw, with slightly thinner lips and light brown eyes.

“Ah. Princess Faenoina. You’ve returned, short stack.” She paused. “Indeed, Hadrian. I brought the centaur I wish to be betrothed to. Now, out of my way. My parents called for me, as they probably have heard the news from Rowan,” she said simply, physically moving the larger elf away from her. He had his hands up as he moved with her instead of trying to fight her moving him like other times. He was aware that she needed to go see her parents, as he heard in the throne hall that her father suddenly yelled out a rather dirty elven curse word. Faenoina seemed irritated at the interaction, but the other elves of the castle moved aside for the tiny raging elf, with a large centaur behind her as she seemed to be preparing mentally to have a fight.

The throne room was huge, with pillars in a lovely line that lead to the throne at any place in the room where one could stand, causing a nice echo and ambiance as a small quintet played a harp, a guitar, a violin, a cello, and a flute. Each pillar had ivy vines wrapping around it, and the ceiling was glass, allowing the natural light to fill the room. The princess stood out more than the centaur standing in the hall with her. She looked even wilder than even he did at the moment even as she stood beside him this time, not in front of him or leaving a large gap between them, but a good three feet apart. At this angle, one could see that her head only reached to the lower part of his first shoulder at his horse half, and it made her look dwarfed next to him. As she led them through the halls literally parting the elves by her sheer presence and her hard stare he found himself a bit overwhelmed to be honest as the structures and the denizens were all so foreign to him. However Cyril walked proudly knowing that not even 10 of these frail elves could match him (or so he assumed). His chest and head held high as they entered the throne room. The light music was easily drowned out by the echoing sound of his hoof steps as he settled in next to his potential mate. She may have been short compared to the other elves but to him she was the same size as his horse half made him nearly twice the height of anyone here.

Her chin was high as she greeted her father and mother in elvish, before greeting Rowan, who now stood next to them with a rather ticked off look on his face. Her father was a lithe man who stood with his hands behind his back as he wore a crown or gold and wood, that sat behind his ears and looked like a halo, with dark brown hair similar, but not exact to Faenoina. She clearly had his hard look in her eyes, and the same green eyes as he stared her down, not even acknowledging the centaur yet. An elven woman with red hair stood next to him, her lips slightly tilted up as she had her hands clasped in front of her, her crown sitting on the crown of her head that looked exactly like the man next to her, as if it was meant for both halves to be put together to create a single crown, showing that they split the responsibilities. They all stared at Faenoina, who was the only elven person here at the moment with no crown on her head, but that was bu choice, it seemed.

“Adar. Naneth. Man aur, im tul- beating i news cin gaya. Im iest na break off nin engagement with Rowan. Im iest na take Cyril sui nin betrothed.” She gently gestured to the centaur next to her. “This is Cyril Windbreaker. He rescued me from my own trap ten years ago. I wish to be with him.”

As they spoke their native language he examined the king and queen carefully waiting his turn to speak. Faenoina's introduction seemed as good as time as any. "I am Cyril Windbreaker, your daughter speaks the truth. When I saved her she promised to become a great huntress and has done exactly that. She may be a stranger to my customs as I am to yours but if she wishes to be my betrothed then I shall consider her a prospect. She has already shown far more worth than any others." He states firmly offering her praise where praise is due. He reaches down to place a hand on the princess shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "By my customs she must court me as her mate, what do your customs dictate as the proper methods?" He asks, curious to learn more about her upbringing and why she sought him as her mate rather than any other.

Her father looked at him, and looked back at Faenoina. He spoke in his tongue to her, and she replied, seeming agitated, even stepping closer so her shoulder was against his leg, her head against his shoulder for a moment. Cyril didn't understand their tongue but the tone of voice behind them told enough. Her claim was causing an uproar among her kind and he found it amusing. Though had the tables been turned and they were before his herd the uproar would probably be even greater if not violent. He spoke again, and she answered in common this time. “Enough! I have made my decision! I will have him as my betrothed! Even if I have to follow the ancient customs to make him unyielding to the hands of time and calls of death! I will do what I must and can to be his!” She stepped forward, taking her bow off of her back, looking like she was about to attack. Even with the lithe and strong body from being in the wild, she still spoke like a high elf in the court. Cyril’s mouth opened in shock when she spoke of a ritual to make him immune to age and time. That was something he had heard of but from what he understood such a gift was extremely rare to receive from an elf and yet she was offering it just to cement her desire to be his mate. Cyril was touched, deeply touched so much so that when she withdrew her bow as if to attack, he stepped forward placing himself between her and her father just in case things turned physical.

“I have picked out your betrothed! How is he not good enough?!”

“He laid with others while waiting for me to turn of age!”

“You could forgive that in a few hundred years! You could sleep that long!”

“I do not care! He has made no attempt to know me! He only wishes to have me as his bed warmer so that he may have a higher status! I will not stand for his mockery of respect or even love,” she sneered. “I will not stay with that thing,” she said, pointing to Rowan. “Tonight I am bringing Cyril to the starlight feast. He is my guest in my honor. You will respect it, per tradition, since you love it so much,” she spat out at her father. Instead the elves held true to the grace and civility they are known for as they simply debated back and forth with Faenoina cementing her view as fact that could not be changed. Even stating that she insisted he be a guest of honor at some feast. Based on the king's reaction this was a big deal, one he would never be allowed to attend in any other circumstances

She took a breath, and turned to the centaur. Faenoina looked up at him, craning her neck from his height. “Would you do me the honor of attending the feast with me tonight? And I can explain more later,” she asked softly. Cyril looked down at his companion as she invited him, leaning forward so she didn't have to strain her neck so much to look up at him. "It would be my honor to attend with one as bold and brash as yourself. It is a shame you were born an elf as you would make a fine broodmother for a herd." He praises her though the praise may not translate well depending on her knowledge of centaur hierarchy. He praised her as being capable enough to be the equivalent to a queen in a herd.

“I have a place prepared for you, if you would like,” she asked, looking away, trying not to blush at her admittance that she had been planning to ask to be his for a long time, though when she made that decision, she was not sure herself. She was caught off guard as he replied to her, as she had expected him to decline.

"Please show me this place so that I may learn more about this feast and its meaning." He says as he offers her his hand to take. Should she take it, Cyril will smile and with surprising strength lift her up and onto his back, offering her one of the greatest honors he could, allowing her to ride on his back. The elven woman gave an excited smile at his acceptance of her invitation. So, when she took his hand, the elves around them gasped as she was sitting upon his back. She was unsure where to hang on for a moment, as she didn’t want to squeeze his ribs too hard, as she gently held onto his shoulders. “Bluebs, come my berry,” she said softly.

She seemed nervous, about how this would go, about how everyone will react that she was trying to betroth a half horse half man creature that resided on the elven plains out of the forest. How she was blatantly disregarding the tradition of being married to a prince of another kingdom to strengthen their kingdom’s bonds through blood. How she has chosen to cast her elven heritage to the side and try and overcome her very nature.

Oh what talk of the feast the pair will be.

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