#wind energy conversion system

[reasonsforhope]

No paywall version here.

"Two and a half years ago, when I was asked to help write the most authoritative report on climate change in the United States, I hesitated...

In the end, I said yes, but reluctantly. Frankly, I was sick of admonishing people about how bad things could get. Scientists have raised the alarm over and over again, and still the temperature rises. Extreme events like heat waves, floods and droughts are becoming more severe and frequent, exactly as we predicted they would. We were proved right. It didn’t seem to matter.

Our report, which was released on Tuesday, contains more dire warnings. There are plenty of new reasons for despair. Thanks to recent scientific advances, we can now link climate change to specific extreme weather disasters, and we have a better understanding of how the feedback loops in the climate system can make warming even worse. We can also now more confidently forecast catastrophic outcomes if global emissions continue on their current trajectory.

But to me, the most surprising new finding in the Fifth National Climate Assessment is this: There has been genuine progress, too.

I’m used to mind-boggling numbers, and there are many of them in this report. Human beings have put about 1.6 trillion tons of carbon in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution — more than the weight of every living thing on Earth combined. But as we wrote the report, I learned other, even more mind-boggling numbers. In the last decade, the cost of wind energy has declined by 70 percent and solar has declined 90 percent. Renewables now make up 80 percent of new electricity generation capacity. Our country’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling, even as our G.D.P. and population grow.

In the report, we were tasked with projecting future climate change. We showed what the United States would look like if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius. It wasn’t a pretty picture: more heat waves, more uncomfortably hot nights, more downpours, more droughts. If greenhouse emissions continue to rise, we could reach that point in the next couple of decades. If they fall a little, maybe we can stave it off until the middle of the century. But our findings also offered a glimmer of hope: If emissions fall dramatically, as the report suggested they could, we may never reach 2 degrees Celsius at all.

For the first time in my career, I felt something strange: optimism.

And that simple realization was enough to convince me that releasing yet another climate report was worthwhile.

Something has changed in the United States, and not just the climate. State, local and tribal governments all around the country have begun to take action. Some politicians now actually campaign on climate change, instead of ignoring or lying about it. Congress passed federal climate legislation — something I’d long regarded as impossible — in 2022 as we turned in the first draft.

[Note: She's talking about the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Act, which despite the names were the two biggest climate packages passed in US history. And their passage in mid 2022 was a big turning point: that's when, for the first time in decades, a lot of scientists started looking at the numbers - esp the ones that would come from the IRA's funding - and said "Wait, holy shit, we have an actual chance."]

And while the report stresses the urgency of limiting warming to prevent terrible risks, it has a new message, too: We can do this. We now know how to make the dramatic emissions cuts we’d need to limit warming, and it’s very possible to do this in a way that’s sustainable, healthy and fair.

The conversation has moved on, and the role of scientists has changed. We’re not just warning of danger anymore. We’re showing the way to safety.

I was wrong about those previous reports: They did matter, after all. While climate scientists were warning the world of disaster, a small army of scientists, engineers, policymakers and others were getting to work. These first responders have helped move us toward our climate goals. Our warnings did their job.

To limit global warming, we need many more people to get on board... We need to reach those who haven’t yet been moved by our warnings. I’m not talking about the fossil fuel industry here; nor do I particularly care about winning over the small but noisy group of committed climate deniers. But I believe we can reach the many people whose eyes glaze over when they hear yet another dire warning or see another report like the one we just published.

The reason is that now, we have a better story to tell. The evidence is clear: Responding to climate change will not only create a better world for our children and grandchildren, but it will also make the world better for us right now.

Eliminating the sources of greenhouse gas emissions will make our air and water cleaner, our economy stronger and our quality of life better. It could save hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives across the country through air quality benefits alone. Using land more wisely can both limit climate change and protect biodiversity. Climate change most strongly affects communities that get a raw deal in our society: people with low incomes, people of color, children and the elderly. And climate action can be an opportunity to redress legacies of racism, neglect and injustice.

I could still tell you scary stories about a future ravaged by climate change, and they’d be true, at least on the trajectory we’re currently on. But it’s also true that we have a once-in-human-history chance not only to prevent the worst effects but also to make the world better right now. It would be a shame to squander this opportunity. So I don’t just want to talk about the problems anymore. I want to talk about the solutions. Consider this your last warning from me."

-via New York Times. Opinion essay by leading climate scientist Kate Marvel. November 18, 2023.

[electronalytics]

Induction Generators Market Overview and Regional Outlook Study 2017 – 2032

Market Overview:

The induction generators market refers to the industry involved in the production, distribution, and sales of induction generators. Induction generators are a type of electrical generator that operates based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. They are commonly used in various applications, including wind turbines, hydroelectric power plants, and standalone power systems.

Induction Generators Market is projected to be worth USD 44.8 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 9.50% during the forecast period (2023-2032)

Here are some key points about the induction generators market:

Growing Renewable Energy Sector: The increasing focus on renewable energy sources, such as wind and hydro power, has driven the demand for induction generators. These generators are widely used in wind turbines to convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy.

High Efficiency and Reliability: Induction generators are known for their high efficiency and reliability. They have simple construction, require minimal maintenance, and offer good performance in various operating conditions. These factors contribute to their popularity in power generation applications.

Varied Power Output Range: Induction generators are available in a wide range of power outputs, ranging from a few kilowatts to several megawatts. This flexibility makes them suitable for both small-scale and large-scale power generation projects.

Technological Advancements: Ongoing technological advancements have led to the development of more efficient and advanced induction generators. These advancements aim to enhance power generation efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall performance.

Environmental Considerations: With increasing concerns about climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the adoption of renewable energy sources like wind and hydro power is gaining momentum. Induction generators play a significant role in supporting this transition by providing clean and sustainable power generation solutions.

Government Policies and Incentives: Government initiatives, regulations, and incentives supporting renewable energy projects can significantly impact the induction generators market. Subsidies, feed-in tariffs, and tax benefits provided by governments encourage the adoption of renewable energy technologies, thereby driving the demand for induction generators.

Future Outlook: The induction generators market is expected to witness continued growth in the coming years due to the increasing demand for renewable energy and the transition towards a low-carbon economy. Technological advancements, cost reductions, and supportive government policies are likely to further boost market expansion.

We recommend referring our Stringent datalytics firm, industry publications, and websites that specialize in providing market reports. These sources often offer comprehensive analysis, market trends, growth forecasts, competitive landscape, and other valuable insights into this market.

By visiting our website or contacting us directly, you can explore the availability of specific reports related to this market. These reports often require a purchase or subscription, but we provide comprehensive and in-depth information that can be valuable for businesses, investors, and individuals interested in this market.

“Remember to look for recent reports to ensure you have the most current and relevant information.”

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Market Segmentations:

Global Induction Generators Market: By Company • ABB • GE • Brush HMA • Techtop • Victron Energy • SycoTec • Sicme Motori • Robert Bosch • TRUMPF • VEM Group Global Induction Generators Market: By Type • High Voltage Induction Generators • Medium Voltage Induction Generators • Low Voltage Induction Generators Global Induction Generators Market: By Application • Wind Turbines • Micro Hydro Installations • Other Global Induction Generators Market: Regional Analysis All the regional segmentation has been studied based on recent and future trends, and the market is forecasted throughout the prediction period. The countries covered in the regional analysis of the Global Induction Generators market report are U.S., Canada, and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Rest of Europe in Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Argentina, Brazil, and Rest of South America as part of South America.

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Reasons to Purchase Induction Generators Market Report:

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• To comprehend consumer behaviour: these research studies can offer insightful information about customer behaviour, including preferences, spending patterns, and demographics.

• To assess market opportunities: These research studies can aid companies in assessing market chances, such as prospective new goods or services, fresh markets, and new trends.

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In general, market research studies offer companies and organisations useful data that can aid in making decisions and maintaining competitiveness in their industry. They can offer a strong basis for decision-making, strategy formulation, and company planning.

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[lattenha]

TERRIBLE TWOS — P. SUNGHOON

SYNOPSIS! A rash decision on your end causes you and Sunghoon to break up. What you think is for the best turns out to be the complete opposite, actually. Cue two years later when a random encounter with your ex forces you to revisit past feelings that has never quite fully departed from either of you. PAIRING! Chairman!Sunghoon x Fem!Reader WC! 11.4k (Got carried away)

GENRE/CW! Exes getting back together, fluff, slight angst if you squint, smut (fingering, brief mentions of fem oral receiving, sunghoon has a 7 inch cock; i headcanon that, unprotected sex, missionary, creampie, lots of tongue kissing), swearing, reader is in denial just a tad bit, ft. non-idol!yunjin, reader is a struggling fine arts major, etc. MDNI

A/N: originally, i intended for this to be a simple one shot but it somehow turned out to be greater than that in the end lol. this was also my first attempt at writing smut; i've always wanted to try it but damn is it kinda hard. i feel like the title doesn't match or capture the story as good but whatever-- it used to be called 'seasons,' yet that didn't make sense either so... terrible twos it is! i hope you enjoy <3

“Y/n?” 

A trace of uncertainty laces the man's voice, his mind racing with the possibility that he might have mistaken a stranger for someone from his past. Internally, he winces at the prospect of this awkward mix-up, dreading such an encounter with a random person. He clings to the hope that his intuition proves accurate.

Could it really be her? Amid the bustling crowd, she always managed to stand out, an unmistakable aura surrounding her. Her presence eclipsed even the most vibrant of settings, radiating a unique energy that outshone a field of flowers.

When he tentatively calls out her name in a hushed tone, she spins around on her heel, and for an ephemeral moment, Sunghoon feels as though he's stepped into a scene from a classic romance film.

Time stills and so does he. 

Each of your movements steals his breath away. The way your hair dances in harmony with the wind, and how your eyelashes cast the most delicate shadow upon your high cheekbones. Your gradual unveiling leaves him struggling to swallow past an inexplicable lump in his throat. 

Sunghoon notices the moment your eyes widen. Behind those enchanting orbs, he discerns a flicker of nostalgia and a touch of melancholy. During your time together, he had the uncanny ability to read those emotions hidden within the depths of your eyes.

“Sunghoon…” You say no louder than a mere whisper that could easily get lost in the summer’s wind that passes through the both of you. 

Your heart throbs in your chest. The biological response is far too overwhelming that you can feel your stomach tying itself in double knots. You think you might need to be pointed to the nearest bathroom so you can barf up the swarm of butterflies that disturb your system. No doubt, does crossing paths with an ex whom you share a long history with manage to do that to you. 

“H-how are you?” You’re the first to strike up a conversation despite that being Sunghoon’s unspoken responsibility. 

How am I? Sunghoon has to brace himself to collect his messy thoughts. 

“I’m pretty good, and yourself?”

His response is curt and short. In any other setting, he would have elaborated on his answer but he wasn’t sure how much information was too much to reveal to an ex regarding the state of his well-being. You nod at his words, not really expecting much nor having high hopes that he would give you more to work with in this conversation of playing catch-up between an ex. 

See, your relationship ended amicably, with both of you acknowledging that the spark kindled between you two had faded out. With your mind elsewhere, too focused on your academics (so you like to say), and Sunghoon preparing to inherit his family’s business, there was little room for romance in either of your daily routines. Your typical weekend dates were swapped out for meetings with major corporations and other soon-to-be-chairman-related activities so that he could fully understand what the rest of his future held for him. 

Even though you missed having your boyfriend's undivided attention, you refused to act as a temporary roadblock that prevented him from making significant progress. Despite your heart and brain being at war with each other, you made the conscious decision to slowly back down from being his lover and tucked your face in the pages of your academic textbooks.

With Sunghoon too busy to even acknowledge that his girlfriend was distancing herself from him, you were the first to come forward, bearing the news that breaking up would be the optimal solution to your and his fading presence in one another’s lives. 

That night when you bid goodbye, he felt half his heart shatter inside of him. Little did you know that you carried the other part wherever you went, but now that you were no longer capable of sheltering that missing piece, it almost made him want to die inside more than just a tad bit— a lot, actually.

He pretended to play it cool as your back turned to him and he watched you retreat to your car, feeling both helpless and defeated. With an unflinching countenance, a tightly clenched jaw, and fingers gripped at his sides, Sunghoon longed for his feet to have chased after you, preventing your departure from his life. He yearned to undo whatever had driven you away, to rewrite his mistakes and reshape your shared history.

Sadly, not even the first star in the sky he saw at night could grant him something as demanding as that.

On the contrary, had those things happened, he wouldn’t be here today on a Thursday afternoon rekindling a connection that got tossed up in the air and fell through his fingertips.

“I—“ Before you get a chance to deliver your sentence Sunghoon’s hold on your arm prompts him to draw you to his chest. 

Your breath hitches in the back of your throat, eyes simultaneously widening for the second time thanks to a certain ex. You look up at the taller one with crinkled brows. A mixture of confusion and a looming feeling in the deepest pit of your stomach that hasn’t quite left, tugging at your heartstrings. His intoxicating scent of Dior Sauvage is all too overwhelming for your nose to take in. You swear your head could start spinning any minute now. 

He’s so close to you. You’re so close to him. If someone were to come by and accidentally bump into you, you would be pressed up against his chest, breaking what limited distance is keeping you two apart. 

A bike rider disrupting pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk whizzes by, obnoxiously ringing the bell attached to their handlebar as if they aren’t to be blamed for riding on the concrete pavement, and it’s only then do you realize that Sunghoon was protecting you from getting hit. His body relaxes once he declares that it’s safe for you to comfortably stand in the open from any oncoming obstructions. 

“Sorry… acted on impulse.” His grasp on you immediately retreats to the inside of his pant pockets and you swear that his touch leaves a ghosting sensation on your skin. 

Sunghoon refuses to meet your lingering gaze, eyes averting to some random couple walking their dog across the street from where the two of you are standing. It’s almost funny how he fully believed two years ago that one day both of you would be exactly like that: dog owners who take their beloved fur baby on walks together and enjoy the simplicity of the little things that a relationship has to offer. 

“It’s okay, thank you,” You murmur, unsure of where things should go from here. 

A beat of silence comes and goes before Sunghoon has the chance to take the initiative to prove he’s different from his past self. 

The past self you witnessed throughout the duration of your shared romanticism. The past self who failed to convince you to stay because he never wanted you to leave his side. What he wanted was to work things out and to understand what he could do to change and make things better for the two of you.

Even if that meant you breaking up with him first to realize this.

“Listen, why don’t we…” He suddenly starts. Sunghoon analyzes your face and when your features evidently show that you’re all ears for what he has to say, he takes a deep breath to compose himself. “Get dinner. Together.“ 

Although the question comes out more like a demand rather than a request, you’re slightly taken aback because you were almost certain Sunghoon probably resents you for the breakup— at least that’s what you tell yourself— and that he doesn’t want any business involving you entering his life for a repeat performance. The only different thing is that you’re his ex.

Can you blame him? It was so sudden.

The concealed hurt he tried to mask but failed to do so when you told him you wanted to end things, hoping it’d be left on good terms, rambling about how much you do and will continue to care for him no matter what he does in life or who he chooses to love after you. It seems you did more talking than he got the chance to, and Sunghoon wasn’t sure if you had this all planned leading up to that moment, or if he should’ve seen it coming. 

Whatever it was, Sunghoon could never hate or repent you, but you’re no telepathic mind-reader and wouldn’t know how he feels about you now unless you asked. 

Your bottom lip is caught between your teeth as you ponder the idea of sitting in a fancy restaurant with Sunghoon and sharing a long conversation over an expensive meal that is highly overpriced for its ridiculously small portions. 

“On one condition,” You quip. Sunghoon gestures for you to keep going and you clear your throat. “No five-star Michelin places, okay? I just want a simple dinner to make up for lost time.” 

The older male chuckles, nodding his head sensibly. If there’s one thing Sunghoon learned about you is that you were never hard to please and preferred the opposite of a high-end luxury lifestyle that he naturally grew up with. 

“Tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at 8, how’s that sound?” 

“That’s perfect but um—“ you purse your lips. “Do you… Do you still remember where I live?” 

“Of course. It would take a lot more than time and distance apart from each other, for me to forget your every being.”

Sunghoon leans in to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. The underlying intimacy hiding beneath his actions has you contemplating what the course of your relationship would have looked like for the two of you, had you not broken up with a man as sweet and thoughtful as him.

Was calling it quits between you two a mistake? Should you have stuck it out just a little longer? 

You can only shove those thoughts to the farthest point in the back of your mind and recenter your focus to the handsome ravenette. 

Sunghoon, sporting a warm grin that gradually grows into a pearly white showcase of his perfect teeth and adorable canines, makes it worth marveling if second chances are a thing that people still stand by. 

The next evening, Sunghoon unexpectedly arrived at your front door 20 minutes ahead of your readiness. While you were trying to situate yourself into your cami dress that paired well with the current season, a knocking sound coming from the entrance to your studio unit startled you in its wake. You tapped on the screen of your phone to check the time and crinkled your nose when the numbers staring back at you read 7:40. 

Sunghoon’s habit of arriving for an occasion earlier than expected was not unusual for his character. The taller's mannerisms crept into other facets of his social life after years of being trained to believe that "early is on time" and "on time is late." However, 20 minutes ahead of schedule was definitely new to you, and part of you can’t help but think if this is stemming from anxiety or if that’s just you projecting your nerves onto his much early arrival. 

“Just a sec!” You struggled to reach for the zipper to your dress, stress-sweating due to the pressure of having to rush through the rest of your routine.

After what felt like a millennia you finally managed to seal yourself shut into your attire and scurried to the front door where poor Sunghoon was waiting for you to answer.

“I’m so sorry, I couldn’t get to the zipper of my dress and I don’t think me flashing you or my neighbors in semi-public is socially acceptable.” You awkwardly laugh, strands of hair sticking to the back of your neck and forehead from the accumulated sweat you managed to produce. 

Sunghoon chuckles, shaking his head at your guilty tendency to overshare too much information for the dramatics.

“No worries. I know I showed up earlier than expected. Don’t worry about me, do what you need to do.” He smiles softly and for a second it almost slips your mind that you’re no longer romantically involved with each other. 

Oh, how you wish you could leap at him and smother the dashing man with kisses all over his Greek god-like, beautiful face…

“Here,” The taller unveils a bouquet of flowers that he attempted (underline, attempted) to hide behind his back. In reality, you could already see bits of it peeking out but chose to play coy about the item he was holding back from giving you. 

You fawn at the striking arrangement of tulips that come in different shades of the prettiest of pinks. Tulips. Of course, he would remember that those are your favorite. His words from yesterday ring in your ears, and believing them, you truly start to confide that Sunghoon could never boot you out of his memory as easy as a snap of his fingers.

“The prettiest bunch of flowers for the prettiest girl.” Sunghoon cautiously says, unsure if that would be stepping a line. To be fair, there isn’t an official handbook on what you should or shouldn’t say to an ex— except for some of the more common phrases; whatever that may be.

You let out a lighthearted laugh at the bold, yet cheesy, compliment and invited Sunghoon into the safe haven of your apartment, ignoring the way your heart practically skipped a beat when he said that. 

He’s been here on plentiful occasions so he’s really no stranger to the arrangement of your flat and could probably draw out an entire floor plan if he wanted to. At one point he almost committed to the thought of moving in with you, but you were a firm believer that it would be best if he stuck to the minimalist mansion he decorated himself; it was passed down to him from none other than his father. Needless to say, Sunghoon was a pouty puppy that day.

“I’m almost ready I promise.” You say. “I just need to add some finishing touches and then I’m all yours for the night.” Immediately your hands fly to your mouth when realization dawns on you about the delivery of your words. 

Sunghoon raises an eyebrow, and luckily, you miss the faint smirk that tugs at the corner of his plump lips teasingly.

“You know what I mean!” You panic, waving off the metaphorical atmosphere that surrounds both of you.

You excuse yourself and escape to your room as the tips of your ears start to flush with embarrassment.

Once the door leading to your bedroom shuts behind you with a mellow thud, your back presses up against the surface of the entryway. A loud sigh that you weren't even aware you were repressing since Sunghoon arrived breaks out past your tinted lips. With your mind a foggy mess and your heart threatening to leap right out of your chest, you’re under the impression that you resemble the stereotypical anime school girl the way your entire demeanor changes when you’re around him. 

But that’s the thing.

It’s only Sunghoon. 

It’s just Sunghoon.

So what if you guys dated in high school and partially during college? So what if he was the first and only guy you’ve been with, and even though you have no one to compare him to, he would still be the best ex you could ever have? So what if you regret breaking up with him because you got ahead of yourself and refused to be transparent with him? 

So what if you want him back…

You pat both sides of your cheeks to wake yourself from a philosophical dilemma. you refuse to go down a rabbit hole of emotions especially when you’re about to go out to dinner. 

You shuffle through your wardrobe in search of a certain pair of Converse that a special someone gave to you as a birthday gift. When you find it neatly stored away in its original packaging and the box that it came in you’re almost too eager to slip your feet into the collar of the Chuck Taylor’s.

You halt in your steps when you reach your vanity and grab your everyday bottle of perfume, spritzing one pump, then two, then three, and four more of the floral scent, that you’re showering yourself in it at this point.

When you've deemed that you’re completely ready and satisfied with your appearance for the evening, you exit the inviting comfort of your cozy chambers. Sunghoon’s back is facing you as you ascend into the living room. You can’t make out much of what he’s doing and he’s seemingly too preoccupied to notice your footsteps stalk across the wooden paneling. His neck is craned downward looking at something on the decorative table where you have a neat arrangement of framed pictures. 

“You still have this?” He turns around revealing the photograph that he was referring to, now in his possession. There’s a distant glimmer of emotion that you can’t quite make out peeking around the curves of his irises. 

You let out a resigned sigh. 

You’ve been caught red-handed for leaving a single trace of the past out in the open. 

Of all the furniture and miscellaneous objects that collect dust on different surfaces in your flat, Sunghoon chose to go for the photograph of you and him standing under a cherry blossom tree in Ilsan Park. Your arm was hooked around his waist and his was wrapped around your shoulder. The brightest of smiles stretched across your faces as petals danced around you. It was the perfect moment captured in stillness and you wish you could leap through pictures to relive that special day. A distant memory that feels like it happened not too long ago.

“I couldn’t get rid of it. It’s— That’s one of my favorite pictures of us.” You simply explain. 

It was true, because out of all of the selfies, candid photos, and other pictures you shared together with Sunghoon, your date to Ilsan Park remained your number one core memory as a couple. 

You watch intently as Sunghoon places the photo back where it originally belonged on the console.

“I think that’s one of my favorites, too.” He says as a matter of fact. “That or the one where we went to Lotte World and wore matching uniforms together.” The taller laughs.

You giggled, the recollection of your amusement park date flashing across your mind. You dragged him to go on each and every attraction with you as he stumbled in your tracks, struggling to keep up with your social battery. You felt like two high schoolers in love at the ripe age of 20 because being with Sunghoon gave you the impression that you were your 15-year-old self again. 

“I like that one as well! I thought I looked pretty cute in that uniform.” You grin sheepishly.

Sunghoon chuckles and it causes you to whip your head to survey him. His eyes crinkle before they’re no longer crescent and back to their original doe-eyed shape. 

“You’re still cute, y’know that?” 

The comment sends your heart ablaze along with the blood that rushes to the surface of your cheeks. You can only hope that the thin layer of makeup and blush you applied is strong enough to camouflage the effect that sunghoon has on you. It’s no secret that he was always a smooth talker and still is. It makes you wonder if he’s ever used that flirtatious skill on other women he’s come across after you— or if he has. 

You tut your tongue at him and reach for your crossbody purse draped on the couch that you lazily tossed aside yesterday after coming home. 

“Ready, m’lady?” Sunghoon twists the knob and pushes the front door open, supporting the weight with his broad frame to keep it from closing in on you two when you exit. 

“Wait!” You pip, halting in your steps. You briskly retreat to your room and grab the bouquet of tulips you left on the side table next to your bed. 

You scurry over to Sunghoon, cradling the arrangement of florals like it was your baby. The haired boy opens his mouth to say something but you’re too fast to retort, 

“I wanna show it off. They’re too pretty to be left at home.” 

He nods and motions his hand for you to leave the unit first. The taller gives himself a mental pat on the back for inquiring in a floral shop before coming to retrieve you for dinner.

Tulips are a girl’s best friend, after all. For you, at least.

Coincidentally dinner happens to occur at the one restaurant you frequently visited when you and Sunghoon were dating. It was a simple ma and pa spot only locals in the area knew of. They were popularly known for their cold noodles and ginseng chicken soup. You like to think of it as a secret only two of you know about and continue to gatekeep it from your friends or families from ever coming across of it. 

The owners grew familiar with both of you through your frequent visits and friendly conversations. your rapport with them resulted in a warm welcome every time you returned, often accompanied by a generous discount as a token of their appreciation. Since your last visit to their restaurant, a while has gone by, and you both have been overdue to make an appearance at the restaurant.

“Aigoo, Sunghoon-ah, it’s been so long!” Mrs. Kim exclaims, wearing the biggest and brightest smile that brings out the crinkles in her complexion when she notices two familiar faces. “And Y/n, it’s good to see you too!” She turns to you with the same mien still permanently plastered on her face. 

You bow your head. Her contagious smile has you mirroring her grin. 

“Come, come, sit.” She waves her hand for the two of you to follow in her trail as she leads both of you to your— undesignated but designated— table that you and Sunghoon would constantly sit at.

Before you even have a chance to pull out your chair, Sunghoon beats you to it with surprising swiftness. The aged wood scrapes gently against the floor as he courteously pulls the chair back for you. A warm smile tugs at your lips as you appreciate this chivalrous gesture, unable to contain a soft giggle of delight. 

Mrs. Kim watches the interaction between the two of you and smirks, completely out of the loop that you have broken up; still under the assumption that you’re both dating to this day. Who could blame her when in her eyes you were the perfect missing piece for one another in this world like you were made for each other from the start. 

“The usual?” She asks despite already knowing the answer to her question. 

“Yes please,” Sunghoon nods.

He sits after folding his blazer in half so that it can rest neatly on the chair's backrest. To add some fuel to the flame, he unbuttons the cuffs to his long sleeves and rolls them past his forearms so that they stop an inch below his elbows. The expensive watch that rests snugly on his wrist glistens, almost blinding you. You’re reminded that the man sitting across from you is responsible for an entire company under his name and capable of powerful things.

You gulp. You feel like you’re watching something you shouldn’t be and instead take an interest in the condiments that are pushed to the side of your table. 

Soy sauce, vinegar, napkins… 

When you think that you’re ready to re-center your attention onto Sunghoon once your racing heart has calmed down from its high, the taller has his eyes closed as he combs his fingers through his hair. His lips are parted ever so slightly and there’s a shine to his plush tiers.

He has to be doing this on purpose now.

You watch the way his Adam apple bobs when he swallows and you swear it should be a sin to look this effortlessly good in warm overhead lighting. 

You huff, a little too audibly for the male across from you to hear and his doe eyes flutter open. The sudden eye contact catches you off guard and you’re struggling to maintain yourself from the tension your mind is projecting. You shift around in your chair trying to find a more comfortable position.

This is going to be a long dinner.

After Mrs. Kim returned with your delectable dishes, the food vanished quickly as you guys delved into stories and shared the exciting highlights of your respective journeys. You and Sunghoon spent the rest of your meal at the table reminiscing about the past two years including the many ups and downs you’ve dealt with.

You learned that a month after your breakup, Sunghoon’s father officially stepped down, handing over the reins of the company to his son as the new successor. The ravenette confided in you, revealing that even though he had been groomed for this role his whole life, the transition wasn't as smooth as he had envisioned. The weight of responsibility felt overwhelming. Taking charge of a major company brought with it a level of pressure he had never experienced before. The expectations were high, both from the company's board and the employees who had known him since he was young.

As he grappled with the complexities of his new position, Sunghoon couldn't help but reminisce about a simpler life. He missed the carefree moments he used to share with you, the laughter, and the ease of his unannounced visits when he would turn up at your door with snacks he bought from the corner store and canned beer. 

Eventually his determination and drive to persevere kept him standing strong in the face of these obstacles. With his family behind him, a supportive workforce, and you in the back of his mind, he knew he had people to look back on and make them proud. 

You praised the older for his character development, gushing at his transition from uncertainty to confidence, while sympathizing with the initial troubles he first started off with. Being a chairman at his age is bound to weigh heavily on his mental and emotional health, and you can’t help but wish that you had stayed by his side through it all in order to be that support pillar he needed at immediacy.

“So, what about you? I didn’t really get to hear your answer yesterday.” Sunghoon asks.

You blinked. “Me? Well, uhm…” 

A bubble of insecurity creeps into your stomach. Your mind races through a mental checklist of your own achievements, or rather, the lack thereof, especially when compared to Sunghoon’s impressive journey. While your lives have taken very drastically different paths, you can’t shake the feeling that at the end of the day, the two of you are worlds apart from each other. He’s the chairman of a highly respected company. And you? You’re just a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. A pursuit that feels miles away from Sunghoon’s milestones. 

During the period that he was absent from your everyday life, all you managed to build was your art portfolio, which you eagerly sent to numerous galleries in a desperate bid to gain recognition as a struggling artist. Rejection letters became an all too familiar sight, each offering the same hollow praise— impressed but not interested. Those were dark times, where self-doubt loomed large.

Thankfully, your situation started to improve when you summoned the courage to step out of your comfort zone. You took to social media, opening art accounts on Instagram and Twitter, and sharing your artistic odyssey on TikTok. Yunjin, one of your closest friends and best friend since middle school, commissioned you to paint a mural inside a cafe she was working at. “I begged my boss for this to happen!” She said enthusiastically over the phone the night she asked you for the favor. Everything to you was a leap of faith, a glimmer of hope that prompted you to fully believe in the light at the end of every tunnel. 

In spite of your situation turning out for the better, it was impossible to ignore the inescapable sense of solitude and loneliness that clung to you like a shadow. It followed you everywhere you went. A mental reminder that, no matter how bright life was starting to seem, you still felt trapped and not completely content with yourself.

You convey these exact thoughts and feelings to Sunghoon in a messy ramble, hoping that this unintentional therapy session you’ve turned dinner into won’t scare him off. You can only hope that you’re not ruining the evening with a sob story of another art kid struggling to make a name for themselves in a society, where choosing art as a career path is at a greater disadvantage in comparison to your stronger counterparts. 

When you find yourself coming to the end of your rant, a wave of silence washes over the table, and you grab the nearest cup of water to gulp from. Ignoring the condensation that sweats around the glass and soils your palms. Your eyes look everywhere, purposefully avoiding Sunghoon and the tragic visage he’s probably giving you right about now.

“Y/n, look at me.” 

You raise your head, complying to his soft demand. 

“I’m proud of you,” he begins, and in that instant, a surge of emotion that has been suppressed for far too long wells up within you. “It takes a lot of courage and willpower to continue to follow a path you’re uncertain of.” The comment makes Sunghoon chuckle dryly, closely reminded of himself, shaking his head. “But look at you, you’re doing so great.”

The warmth in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes— they combine like a gentle storm, and suddenly, tears brim your eyes, begging to spill over. Your vision is splotchy and you refuse to blink, save for ruining your mascara. You weren’t planning on being an emotional wreck tonight, especially over dinner with your ex.

“I understand how hard it must have been dealing with those struggles alone, and I wish I was there by your side to help support you when it happened.” Sunghoon continues. He pauses to take in a breath before resuming, “But I’m here now… I’m not going anywhere, and if you’d let me— I want back into your life again, Y/n.”

A solitary tear breaks free, followed by another, and then another, until suddenly your eyes unleash a torrent of waterworks like a relentless downpour from a stormy sky. You hide your face in a handful of napkins you hastily grabbed, unaware that Sunghoon got up to move from his seat and slipped into the chair next to yours. His touch catches you off guard but you immediately relax as he guides you into his embrace, allowing you to hide yourself in his arms; your face tucked away in his chest. He caresses your hair, his slender fingers thread through your styled locks as he lulls you to comfort from your shaken state.

The two of you stay rooted in that position until you confidently and mentally reassure yourself that you are okay; you’re going to be okay. Your breathing has calmed down from its high and returned to a normal, healthy rate as your tears subsided and are non-existent.

No longer conscious of your makeup— a matter far from substantial to care for anymore— you wipe away the mess around your eyes. Black clumps of mascara and some concealer transfer onto the napkin. Seeing the stains garner a weak laugh to emit from you. Sunghoon cranes his neck to survey what you’ve become engrossed with. He sees the ruined makeup and laughs lightly into your hair. 

You’re thankful that there aren’t many customers dining in tonight and that it’s just you, Sunghoon, and three other parties who are far too busy drinking, conversing, and laughing amongst themselves to acknowledge the young couple tucked away in the corner.

Mrs. Kim leads both you and Sunghoon out of the restaurant with a warmth akin to a grandmother bidding her grandchildren farewell, her heartfelt wish for your safe return home evident in her loving smile.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Kim. Thank you, again, for another delicious dinner.” Sunghoon bows at a 90-degree angle and the formality stirs a boisterous laugh from the frail old lady. You mimic his actions, also expressing your gratitude for the lovely meal and free dessert she served to you guys ‘on the house.’ 

“When you guys come back I better see a wedding ring on her finger, Sunghoon-ah.” Mrs. Kim scolds lightly. You almost choke on your own saliva at the remark, coughing awkwardly to cover up your bewilderment. Sunghoon does his best to maintain his composure for the sake of the elder’s oblivion.

“You guys disappear for two years and still no diamond in sight. I was hoping some big change happened!” She clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth, crossing her arms.

Sunghoon dips his head again in an apologetic manner. “You and Mr. Kim will be the first people we come to with a wedding invitation.” 

You whack the taller’s arm giving him a what-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about look, eyebrows scrunched with perplexity. The last thing you want is to continue to feed into Mrs. Kim’s false reality that the two of you are still a couple. Who’s to say that Sunghoon isn’t actually on the same page as you and everything is just a facade? I mean, sure, he’s been flirty here and there, bought you flowers, comforted you at dinner, and practically asked you to take him back… 

Your trust in Sunghoon has clearly waned, a result of your fluctuating self-confidence that leads you to confide in the pessimistic "what ifs." Your clouded judgment and self-doubt gnaw at your thoughts, casting doubt on the possibility of a reunion between the two of you. 

Sunghoon ignores the daggers slicing at the left side of his face and the buzzing pain you inflicted on him from the harsh impact of your hand. His digits dig gently into your side, drawing you closer to him. You stumble ever so slightly and flash an unconvincing awkward smile to the old lady.

You situate yourselves into the driver and passenger seats of his Hyundai Ioniq. You’re quiet when you pull the seat belt over your upper half, and for the first 10 minutes, not a single word was uttered from either you or the male sitting behind the wheel. Your mind loiters as you watch the building lights illuminating the dark troposphere of Seoul whizz by at 2x speed.

You and Mr. Kim will be the first people we come to with a wedding invitation.

Yeah right… You almost roll your eyes but catch yourself prolonging the idea of a hypothetical engagement and wedding ceremony with Sunghoon as your groom. 

Would he have gone down on one knee to propose to you had both of you remained lovers? 

You shake the contemplation loose from your prefrontal cortex. 

“Is it okay if I roll the window down?” You’re the first to break the ice. Sunghoon nods, his attention still focused on the road in front of him. Without looking, his fingers find the car’s air-con button to turn it off and he gives you the ‘go’ to proceed with your desire. 

The tempered glass descends and you’re immediately greeted with the beating rush of the summertime air. You giggle and rest your arms on the weatherstrip trimming of the Hyundai, your head poking out like an excited dog who’s riding in the car with its tongue hanging from its mouth. You close your eyes, taking in the wind that messes with your hair and brushes past your skin. It’s enough to transcend you into a different headspace, almost forgetting that you’re in a moving vehicle and not on some speedboat skidding across the water in Europe.

Sunghoon looks your way, unable to suppress the natural smile that lights up his face whenever he sees you. You truly are a surge of energy he needs when he wants to uplift himself if he’s feeling down. You’re his happy pill— so much so, that he wishes he could keep a chibi version of you for him to carry in the pocket square of his suits and let you rome on the wooden surface of his office desk to help him get through the work day. It’s silly and love-sickening, but Sunghoon only knows how to act a fool with you around him. 

His fingers drum against the padding of the steering wheel, waking you from your daydream. You hadn’t realized that you’ve already made it back to the city and are soon approaching your apartment complex. Your neighborhood is only a couple of turns away from your current destination as the two of you sit at a red light. You roll the window up, at least it was fun for the duration it endured. 

When he pulls up on the side of the street in front of your building, you try to find some lame excuse to stay with him for another minute longer, not wanting to say goodnight to him. You’re scared that this evening will be a one-off event and you'll return to your old ways, enveloped once more in the arms of self-isolation that consumes you completely.

Your grip on the door handle tightens. 

“Sunghoon,” you shift your view in his direction. “You don’t mind walking me to my front door, do you?” 

The male smiles with his eyes.

“Who am I to not accompany a lady when needed.” 

Sunghoon makes quick work to unbuckle himself from the driver’s seat and rounds the front of the car to open the door for you. He holds out his hand for you to take, which you generously do so, and grants him the unspoken permission to whisk you away into the levels of your residential building. 

The elevator ride is a close resemblance to the trip back to your place, however, there’s a contrasting atmosphere waiting to burst like a champagne bottle and spill over. Sunghoon’s holding your hand the entire way and you don’t resist the notion. 

When you approach your unit at the end of the hall, you fish for your keys that are sitting at the bottom of your bag. Sunghoon’s hand slips out of your grasp and you almost whine at the loss of his warmth and touch, but you know he’s only doing it for you to use both free hands to ultimately unlock your door. The click! of the lock coming from the other side is an indication that you can push past the door once the knob is turned.

You stand there, hesitant to enter your own home. 

“I guess— this is it?” You murmur tentatively to yourself and the taller. You rock on your heels purposefully stalling time as you force both him and yourself to stare a little longer at the iron numbers detailing your front door. 

You let out a rigged breath.

“Tonight was great. The longest I’ve been out of the house in a month, really.” You cringe pathetically at the confession knowing that a month ago Yunjin was the one who pulled you out of bed to get some fresh air and sunlight because you were hiding away like a vampire. "Thank you... Sunghoon, for treating me to dinner and spending the evening with me..."

He remains stoic and unusually quiet, making it challenging to decipher what he’s thinking or feeling. You wish you could enter his mind to get a glimpse of how his brain functions. You’d hate to seem pitiful for hoping that his advances from today were, if at all, genuine.

If what he said at dinner was coming from the heart.

As you contemplate what might be your last encounter with your 'the one who got away,’ Sunghoon astounds you with yet another trick up his sleeve, when he secures your wrist in his delicate grasp. Forever one step ahead of you, his lips collide with yours in a passionate fervent. The only appropriate reaction that you can give him in response is to return the kiss with just as much fervor. The strap to your purse slides off your shoulders and lands below you with a little thud thanks to Sunghoon’s antsy hands pushing it out of the way.

He cages you against the surface of the door, your back bumping into it when he forces the distance between your bodies to dissipate. Bothered by the tiny gap that prevents you from being as close as you possibly can to him. The only active barrier is now the layer of clothing he’s wearing and the tiny dress that nearly clings to your every curve. He can’t wait to impatiently rip you out of it and slip in a “I’ll buy you a new one, princess.”

Your hands find sanctuary in his soft hair. How you missed tugging at their roots when he’d go down on you in bed, on the kitchen counter, and in the shower with your one leg supporting your entire weight as Sunghoon made the other side dangle over his shoulder. Those positions are tempting, and biologically the flashbacks of your sexual activity with the male feed into the expansion of your slick that gradually soils your panties.  

You squeeze your thighs together. The pressure of your inner fat is an empty feeling of pleasure that you wish Sunghoon could replace with his tongue, fingers, cock, or all three one at a time. The male notices this cry-for-help and trails his right hand down the sides of your waist. He stops at the lace hemming of the cami dress, bunching the material to provide easy access to your mid-thigh. His fingers dance on your skin, traveling upward ever so slowly in an antagonizing fashion that almost infuriates you for his teasing manner in the heat of the moment. 

Sunghoon reluctantly breaks the kiss. The evidence of your already smudged matte lipstick has left a faint trace on his plump tiers. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, mouth ready to latch onto the sensitive area he knows best that will cloud every crevice of your mind with nothing but want and lust. At the end of this night, all that you will know is how to be his obedient cocksleeve like the good girl he’s conditioned you into.

The sound of someone clearing their throat on the opposite end of your apartment’s hallway is akin to a record player scratch. You’re grateful that the construction workers, or whoever built this place, designed the structure of your building to be a certain way so that the split-off point from the elevator wasn’t a simple corridor style where you could see both fire exits at each side. Instead, it was more so a wide V-shape. 

In other words, no one really caught you and Sunghoon in semi-public eating one another’s faces. 

You stop to share a quiet laugh with Sunghoon and ultimately enter the safe space of your flat, out of your neighbors point of view where they could have had a free, front-row seat to some juicy content. The door closes behind you, you can barely get out of your shoes and make it past the front step leading to your living room when Sunghoon’s haste to have you underneath the sheets with him in your bed has you stumbling backward. He catches you before you can register that you would have fallen onto your ass against the hardwood. His lips serve him well, contributing to the situation as a distraction that redirects your every inner thought bubble. 

Sunghoon casually kicks off his shoes, adding them to the haphazard pile alongside yours— the least of his concerns at the moment.

The kiss from outside repeats itself, and this time, Sunghoon can contently resume what he intended to do had another tenant not interrupted the mood. But the voyeurism exploration kink in him would have liked either sequence of events. 

His tongue traces a wet stripe up your neck, sending a shiver cascading down your spine. You dully bite down on your bottom lip, trying to stifle the whimper that is sanctioned at the back of your throat, trapped by a surge of lust and anticipation. Sunghoon’s mouth ghosts over the shell of your ear, and his hot breath tickles. 

“I wanna hear you, baby.” He slurs. “Don’t be shy on me now.” 

Sunghoon’s lips sheathe that sensitive spot on your neck, causing you to gasp. Your shoulders tense at the foreign feeling of his mouth on your body, and you’ve forgotten how good it was to receive a hickey. You relax under his touch when he gives the soft fat of your waist a reassuring squeeze.

His canines graze your skin while he sucks on the same patch, switching interchangeably to lap his tongue at the area when he begins to see a blossom of red and purple hues mix together, creating the prettiest bruise that would surely take more than a couple of days to fully heal. You groan when his teeth apply the right amount of force onto your flesh, leaving indents in their wake. His perverted mind relishes in the fact that only he is capable of marking you in ways that no other man could ever come close to.

He steps back to fully appreciate his canvas, that is you, and the absolute masterpiece that you are to him.

He leans in, pressing another kiss to your lips, this time with a gentler, more tender spirit, devoid of any sloppy motions. It’s delicate, a striking contrast to the heated lip-locking session the two of you were entranced with just moments ago on the other side of your apartment door. His larger palms cup your face as the pads of his thumbs caress the apples of your cheeks, making you feel loved and cared for.

Sunghoon lures your tongue into his mouth, clamping his lips around the muscle. He suckles at it, eliciting the cutest whimpers that he missed hearing from you since you’ve been gone. 

“Hnngh… Hah,” you pry yourself off of him, a string of your shared saliva connects the two of your equally moist lips. 

Your puffy lips shimmer in the moonlight streaming into your livingroom, as if the moon itself decided to play a starring role tonight. You squeeze his bicep, noticing that the muscle has doubled in size since you last touched it. You peer up at the taller through your eyelashes and Sunghoon has to conceal his primal instincts from fucking your throat with his raging hard-on. 

Your fingers graze the fabric of his long-sleeve collar, tracing delicate patterns across the black tie donned around his neck. Something about being able to witness a man up close in a suit never failed to provoke a flood of arousal from overwhelming your erogenous zone. Specifically, Sunghoon. It’s a shame— not really— that it eventually has to come off. With a deft touch, you begin to unravel the four-in-hand knot, a testament to Sunghoon’s meticulous self-preparation. The silk unravels, revealing its intricate texture beneath your fingertips. 

You assist Sunghoon in removing his suit jacket next, observing it gracefully descend to the floor. You briefly wonder why he's so nonchalant about leaving such an expensive garment on the ground, but he dismisses your concern with a wave of his hand. After all, as a chairman, he has the means and privilege to easily replace such clothing items.

You decide that it’s your turn to take the lead for once and initiate another heated session of sultry lip service. Your mouth kisses Sunghoon’s with primal hunger. Teeth clash, and you see no remorse for your hostility sponsored by pent-up sexual frustration and longing for some sort of relief that only Sunghoon can render. 

In a poor attempt to unbutton the last layer of clothing that shields Sunghoon’s upper half, your fingers fumble with the small disks that are fastened by the slits. You whine frustratedly against his lips once you realize you’re not making much progress. It is incredibly hard to multitask when your tongue is being manhandled by his.

“Here, lemme do it.“ Sunghoon mutters in a low growl. 

He tears open the placket just like he would to a bag of chips, and the buttons you were struggling to relieve him of pop off in ease, taunting you for your lack of efficiency at getting him out of his attire. He wriggles his arms free from the restraints of his sleeves and shrugs the apparel from the summit of his shoulders, allowing the ruined piece to join his suit jacket on the floor.

“Your turn, babe.” 

He twirls you around, your back fully pressed against his front as the tent in his pants pokes at your globes. The thrill of his length nestled between your ass spurs you to grind yourself on him, a staggered exhale of his hot breath fans the curvature of your trapezius, prickling your skin. The cotton material of your underwear cultivates a sticky sensation the longer you stay trapped in it.

“S-shit baby, you’re a fucking tease.” Sunghoon grabs your chin, forcing your head to turn his way so that he can seize your lips in an inconsistent kiss. Alternatively, it’s a tongue duel of him wanting to shove the muscular organ down your throat.

“A-ahh,” You moan helplessly.

He yanks the zipper of your dress. The item peels off of your bust, exposing your bare skin and naked torso simultaneously. You have to wriggle your hips past the remaining fabric in order to fully reveal your bare figure to Sunghoon— besides your damp panties that is.

“No bra today? It’s almost like you were expecting this to happen…” Sunghoon taunts.

“N-no…” You squeak, shaking your head.

“No? Use your words baby.”

You turn to face him, your perky mounds that come into his view are a sight for sore eyes. Even in the dark and scant amount of natural lighting from the celestial object in the night sky, is Sunghoon competent at reading your flustered features. How you manage to be cute yet look so lewd all at once is beyond his comprehension.

“I-I didn’t wear a bra because I thought it’d be easier to go without one.” You mumble, telling the truth.

“That’s better,” Sunghoon coos. He pecks your cheek and you smile at the reward.

“Eeek! S-Sunghoon!” You burst into a fit of shared laughter and giggles when said name scoops you into his arms, your body cradled against his chest, as your legs dangled over his one arm while the other supports your back.

“Just practicing when we’re both walking down the aisle at our future wedding.” Sunghoon jests.

Tenderness fills your eyes when you look up at him. He’s joked about the hypothetical conception of marriage twice in the night that you’re fully convinced it wouldn’t be all that bad of an idea. Given that both of you are ready and first rekindle the status of your relationship, of course.

Sunghoon grins. There’s a gentle kindness to his pearly whites, and you reach up to press a chaste kiss to his jawline.

He relocates to your bedroom. Gently, he lays you down on the bed, your body propped up on your forearms, bearing the weight of your upper half. With an unwavering gaze, you study Sunghoon closely, every detail of his expression and every nuance of his presence.

His eyebrows knit and meet in the middle, fixated on undoing his pants to escape from their restraints, followed by his underwear soon after. His stiff member rebounds off his lower abdomen, precum leaking from the mushroom tip. A satisfied exhale leaves his mouth. He stalks over to you with a sly smirk, towering your smaller frame when he crawls on top of the bed, his knees plant themselves into the mattress and his additional weight dips the space where you lay.

You whine when his length ghosts at the expanse of your inner thigh, suspense and arousal continue to bubble inside of you. Sunghoon murmurs for you to lay back. “Make yourself comfortable,” were his initial instructions before hooking the waistband of your panties with his fingers and dragging them below your legs. The undergarment was tossed to the side.

You nibble at your bottom lip and screw your eyes shut when a slender finger circles the perimeter of your labia.

“You’re so wet babe,” Sunghoon purrs.

Your breath hitches at the back of your throat when he slides his index finger through your inner lips, gathering an abundance of your slick to bring to his mouth for a taste. Both eyes flutter open in time to witness Sunghoon suck at the digit drenched with your arousal. The sight is sinfully lewd, nearly too much for you to handle. Your face reddens and you fight the inclination to hide behind your hands.

“You taste so good, too.“ He licks at his lips. “Wanna try?” Sunghoon cocks his head to the side, and you can’t find it in you to turn down his offer when he looks so innocent— yet acts like the devil himself when he’s overcome with lust. You nod your head with approval.

His duality needs to be studied at Harvard, you think in the back of your mind.

Sunghoon plunges his index finger past your hole, triggering your back to arch an inch off the bed. He chuckles lowly and watches as your hands grab desperately at the sheets beneath you to steady your sanity. The singular digit curls inside of you. Your unforeseen shock is vocalized in the form of a moan and Sunghoon repeats the motion several times.

“O-oh my god—“ You gasp.

The ravenette withdraws his finger and taps at your mouth, signaling you to open. You submit to his implicit dictation. Your lips encase his pointer, tongue swirling around it like a piece of sweet candy you’re tasting for the first time.

You bat your eyelashes prettily and moan. “Mmmh…”

“Dirty girl,” Sunghoon sniggers. He retracts his finger and you let it slip past your mouth with a ‘pop’ sound.

“Can you please give me your cock now?” You plead with a pout, doing your best impression of an endearing set of puppy eyes.

Sunghoon chuckles. “Let me at least prep you first, baby. How long has it been since you’ve had someone’s cock inside of you, anyways?”

You part your lips but close it just as quickly. To be candid, you've never been one to actively immerse yourself in the 'I'm single' scene. Your only foray into it was with Yunjin, roughly three weeks after your split with Sunghoon. The two of you ventured to a club, but it proved to be a brief endeavor. Within two hours, the fifth shot became a catalyst, turning you into an unending fountain of tears.

“Y/n?”

“Huh? Oh. Sorry…”

“I’m sorry baby. Did I overstep your boundaries?” Sunghoon cups your face with his right hand, his eyes scan yours, sincerity and concern laced in those chocolate orbs of his.

You stifle a giggle. Of all boundaries he could have crossed he draws the line at asking for your body count and not him fingering you.

“What? What’s so funny?” He asks.

“Nothing just… I think it’s ironic you ask me that now and not before we did all of this.” You motion to your bare bodies when you say ‘this.’

Sunghoon’s ears redden.

“But don’t worry, Hoonie.” You hook your arms around his neck and pull him closer to pepper his face with several reassuring kisses. “I don’t mind it all. Now can you please fuck my brains out!”

Your ex (whatever he is to you at this point) throws his head back to share a quick laugh, shortly pressing his forehead against yours.

Without warning, he buries three fingers in your pussy; your hips twitch at the sentience. They slide in and out without strain and together the two of you watch as he finger fucks your hole to “prep” for his cock. The squelching noise of your juices fill the room in addition to your moaning, and Sunghoon confronts a hurdle of his patience wearing thin, wanting to fuck you senseless.

His digits leave your hole and you whine immediately at the loss. Sunghoon uses the mass quantity of slick as a substitute for lube to lather on his angry cock. He shuffles against the bed, forcing your legs even further apart to fit himself in between them. The stretch burns your muscles but is soon forgotten when the tip of his length is rubbing your folds, occasionally bumping your swollen clit which generates a needy whine.

Sunghoon’s face screws with ecstasy when his shaft inches past your entrance. Your walls hug his length and he whimpers at the tight muscles that suffocate his erection. You squirm under him, tensed and breathing heavily. It’s hard to relax when seven inches feel like it’s splitting you in half after a long hiatus from sex. Sunghoon notices your discomfort and stills his hips from pushing further, allowing you the necessary time to adjust.

“Sorry baby, I know it’s been a while. You can take it, right? Like the good girl you are?”

You nod. He kisses your forehead, cheek, and lips to soothe your anxiety, using his lips as a distraction to keep your mind from zoning in on his cock. He seizes the opportunity to fit the rest of his length inch-by-inch, and you feel like a virgin all over again when the burn of his cock stretching you open is almost too unbearable.

“Sshh, it’ll be alright, baby.” He wipes away a loose tear. “I’m gonna move, tell me when and if it’s too much, okay?”

“O-okay, Hoonie…”

Steadily, Sunghoon recedes his hips, cock following in suit, just enough for the tip to be the only thing that your pussy clenches on. He snaps forward, your boobs jiggle at the motion and your eyes are rolling to the back of your head when he repeatedly thrusts at a steadfast pace. The pain you were once scared of is no longer a fear you have to worry about, as pleasure is the only thing you know how to feel.

“F-faster, harder, p-please Hoon.” You fight through broken moans to let your voice be heard.

“Shit—“ He curses.

Sunghoon’s fingers dig into the plush fat of your waist while his other hand presses into the space of your bed next to the side of your head. His eyebrows knit, focused entirely on increasing the speed of his thrusts. He continues to piston fuck your pussy, abusing your hole in the utmost gratifying procedure. Your thighs jiggle each time that his balls slap against your skin. Everything reminds him of an amateur homemade video he’s seen from other couples perform on Pornhub. He’ll have to ask you some other day if you’d ever be open to filming your own tapes to watch back.

“Mmh, right there, Hoonie.” You sigh dreamily, locking your legs around his waist and linking your ankles together. “You’re fucking me so good— Aah!” A high pitch squeal slips from your vocal box when his tip probes at your G-spot.

“F-fuck,” Sunghoon leans in close, relying only on one forearm to hold himself up from crushing you with his entire weight. He hides his face in your boobs, tongue flicking at the sensitive bud that hardens in response. He persistently thrusts deeper, his cockhead pressing against your sensitive bundle of nerves.

“Hnngh… Y-yes, yesyesyes!” You chant. Your fingers tangle themselves in his hair, scratching gently at his scalp and tugging whenever his mouth would suck or massage at your breasts. “You’re gonna— make me c-cum!“

Sunghoon’s unrelenting despite your warning. He can feel your walls clamping around his shaft, signaling your impending orgasm, and it taunts him to force himself deeper within your warm cavern at every jerk of his hips. Your hands fall to his biceps. Nails digging into his skin as your face distorts into extreme pleasure.

“I’m so close too, baby.” He groans. “Just.” Thrust. “A.” Thrust. “Couple.” Thrust. “M-more!”

“I’m cumming! I’m c-cumming—“ Your hips tremble with a frenzied urgency as your pussy pulsates around Sunghoon’s cock. Your mouth opens in a silent gasp and a long, impassioned moan escapes your lips. The sheer intensity of the moment leaving you incoherent and lost in ecstasy.

Sunghoon twitches inside of you. “Hah— you’re so— fuck!— s-sexy,” He grunts. Your head thrashes at the overstimulation of his length continuously pumping into you and you push at Sunghoon’s chest weakly, crying on his cock for him to slow down. You whine, whimper, plead for mercy so that your pussy can recover from the intense orgasm you just experienced not too long ago. In spite of that, he ignores your pleas and concentrates on finishing. It isn’t until white ropes of cum are shooting at your walls when his thrusts start to get sloppier and progressively come to a stop.

“Fuck.” Sunghoon exhales through gritted teeth. Both of you are a panting mess trying to catch your breaths as your chests rise and fall synchronously. The ravenette pulls out slowly and he groans when he sees his seed spill out of your hole, it closely reminds him of those hentai comics he’s read through illegal websites.

“I’ll get something to help clean you up.” Sunghoon lifts his weight from the bed but you reach for his forearm to grab him. You don’t have to say anything for him to understand that you don’t want him to leave your side. He brings a hand to yours, the pad of his thumb grazing the hills of your knuckles soothingly. “It’ll be fast, I promise.”

Not even 30 seconds has gone by when he re-enters your room with a damp cloth. He wipes at the areas where a mix of your cum and his seed litter your skin with sticky residue. He discards of the ruined cloth before joining you in bed where you welcome him with open arms. He plops down next to you and you turn to lay on your side so that you can get a proper view of his handsome face in post-sex afterglow. You reach out to gently touch his moles that adorn his features. The moles you missed seeing as the first thing in the morning when you’d wake up with him by your side. He grins lazily and cranes his neck to bring his lips to your forehead.

“Sunghoon…?” Your faces are merely inches apart from one another. Though the close proximity is not a foreign situation— especially after just having sex— you speak to him with a hushed tone.

“Yes?” He inquires.

“At the restaurant, you implied that you wanted to get back together again… Is it true? Do you really mean it?” Your lips are quivering and you mentally berate yourself for being so soft hearted in these types of scenarios where emotions are high, vulnerable, and transparency is called upon.

Sunghoon breathes shakily. “I really mean it. I miss you, Y/n.” He tucks away loose strands of hair that fall on your face. “These past two years without you have been hell. The first couple of months were so bad, I almost reconsidered being the chairman for father’s company so I could fight for us. Fight for you. I’m sorry if that part of my life got in our way as a couple, and I wish I had made more of an effort to be around you.”

You sniffle, “It wasn’t just your fault. I should’ve communicated instead of thinking I know better and that I thought what I did was for the greater good— because it wasn’t. And you’re right, the two years I spent without you were awful. I never wanna go through that again.”

Sunghoon loops an arm around your waist and guides your head to bury against his chest.

“We don’t have to.”

Morning rays gently infiltrate the room as Sunghoon stands before the full-length mirror in your shared master bedroom. His voice carries across the space as he greets his loving wife, 'Good morning, Mrs. Park,' while he meticulously adjusts his tie.

You stir in bed. The unwelcome intrusion of sunlight forces you awake despite the supposedly blackout curtains you requested when you first moved in with Sunghoon. You sigh in irritation. Dismissing the hope of another ten minutes of sleep, you push yourself upright, your arms stretching above your head, accompanied by a vibrant yawn. Sunghoon, amused by your morning ritual, chuckles softly.

“Still sleepy?” Your husband turns to face you after successfully finishing the Windsor knot of his tie. You blink away the fog of grogginess from your eyes and grin when you get a clear vision of your husband clad in his usual work uniform.

“Mmm… you’re so handsome.”

Sunghoon's face lights up with a genuine smile, touched by your kind words that always seem to set the perfect tone for his day. He approaches your side of the bed with a confident saunter and takes a seat beside you.

“Any plans for today, my lovely wife?”

You can't help but giggle at his endearing habit of calling you 'wife' and 'Mrs. Park.' It's become a sweet tradition between the two of you, a reminder of your loving bond that has grown since your wedding day. You twist your hand to observe the silver band that ornaments your ring finger. The diamond twinkles back at you in the bask of the light.

“I think Yunjin and I are getting brunch, then we’re going shopping right after, and later in the evening we’re gonna drink some wine and paint as we gossip about our husbands.”

Sunghoon laughs. “You’ve got a busy day ahead of yourself then.” He nudges your side playfully and you giggle. “Don’t forget to fit me into your schedule. Let’s go out for dinner tonight.”

“Cold noodles and ginseng chicken soup?”

“Where it all started.”

You envelop yourself in your husband's embrace, showering him with affectionate kisses. Starting from his moles and moving to both cheeks, his nose, forehead, and, ultimately, his irresistible lips, you express your love and absolute adoration for him with each tender peck.

“I love you, Mr. Park.” You murmur against his plush tiers.

His fingers delicately sweep aside the loose strands of hair obscuring your face, as he lovingly takes in every captivating feature, examining them with deep worship.

“I love you more, Mrs. Park.”

Two years ago you and Sunghoon sealed the knot in California. The ceremony took place at the Alila Ventana wedding venue, perched on a cliff along the rugged coast line of Big Sur. It offered a dramatic landscape, nestled amidst towering redwood trees, and a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean; the perfect picturesque backdrop for photos and videography. The outdoor spaces, gourmet dining, and coastal elegance were truly significant factors of your reception.

Sunghoon kept his promise to Mrs. Kim when the time came to send out the wedding invitations. Her excitement was beyond words as both of you entered the restaurant, radiating a newfound delight. Her gaze immediately fixated on the sparkling diamond ring on your finger— the same one she had scolded him for, which was now complete.

Come time to exchange your vows, Sunghoon's heartfelt declaration to cherish and devote himself to your love made it extremely difficult to keep your makeup in tact. Yunjin, your appointed maid of honor, had to step in to hand you tissues one after the other. The audience laughing to themselves at your showcase of emotions.

True to his words, Sunghoon carried you bridal style as he stalked down the aisle. Your families and friends cheering from their seats, their joyous applause resonating through the air. The warmth of their smiles and the happy tears in their eyes mirrored the love that enveloped you both in that moment.

Since then, life with Sunghoon after marriage was anything but dull.

[grimesgirll]

“are you guys coming to bed?”

you’re sitting up halfway, half lidded eyes fighting the hard fight to stay open.

blue eyes meet yours from the inside of the en-suite. “yes, one moment, sweetheart.”

your chest falls with your huffy breath. poised to pout, you splay yourself back onto the bedspread. what the fuck is taking so long? you’re about ready to bury your face in the pillow.

needy is the only word to describe you in the aftermath of nights like tonight.

fucked several times over, you couldn’t stand to be so far apart from your men. at least one of them should be on the satin blue sheets with their sinewy arms around you. their absence aches. you know someone has to throw away the condoms, fetch you a clean sleep shirt, toss the used towels in the hamper, etcetera. however, you’re too needy for them to just throw you one of rick’s oversized shirts and hang out in the bathroom without you.

you stretch your arms in an attempt to extinguish the last traces of energy in your system but you know you’d feel infinitely better in a pair of toned arms. head rolling to face the bathroom, you’re unlucky enough not to catch either of their gazes. it’s only your loud pouts that snap them out of whatever conversation they’re having.

“is someone in there whinin’?”

rick’s sultry smooth voice reignites something in you that has you responding with nothing but a hazed out moan. emphasizing the manner in which you flip yourself over to your stomach, sticking your ass up when you bury your face into the clean sheets in protest.

“don’t tell me she’s poutin’ again.”

“sounds like exactly that.”

you do your best to hide your snide smile when the bed lowers slightly right beside you.

“what do you need? a kiss?” the ex-sheriff plants an arm into the soft bed beside you to lean over and rotate you onto your back, caressing your hair and tonguing your mouth open - not that you gave up a fight.

“mhm,” you yowl into his mouth.

a matching groan rumbles from his throat as rick reaches down to inspect your panties. he chuckles. “just as i expected, two cocks and you’re still craving another release, silly girl.”

whenever he gets his fingers in your hair, you’re putty in rick’s hands. the simple sensation is satisfying enough to have you wincing when he withdraws his fingers, nearly kicking in desperation.

you can’t complain though because before you know it the man is moving his fingers from your hair to attack your entrance.

“shit,” you gasp into his mouth when two fingers pry you open.

“pretty girl need some lovin’ before she falls asleep?” daryl whispers into your ear and appears on your opposite side.

“just a little more.” rick concludes, lazily pumping a finger into you while you squirm beneath him. “i think we tuckered her out. maybe we give her one last release for being such a good girl and put her to bed.”

you nod eagerly and like that daryl is descending between your legs to lift up your rick’s oversized sleep shirt. still underwear free from when you’d first climbed in bed with them, daryl’s tongue lands on your sensitive center.

the redneck’s auburn locks are in your hands instantly as you pant, “daryl, fuck.”

“this how you like to wind down?” rick mocks with a mouth on your rosy right bud.

you muster enough energy to nod your head. “mhmm.”

“do the sounds of daryl lapping up your slutty pussy help you fall asleep before bed?”

your mouth falls open at the question. all you can do is babble, blubbering when rick bites down on your chest. “rick!”

“honey,” rick’s tone turns serious. blue eyes honing in on your cloudy stare. “awfully rude to be just callin’ my name when dear daryl’s the one fucking you with his tongue.” you can’t argue with that. “why don’t you give him some credit?”

crying out, a sob starts your apology. “sorry, daryl. your tongue feels so good,” you stutter through teary eyes, legs and lips quivering. “thank you for taking care of me before bed.”

daryl doesn’t respond; too focused on the task at hand.

rick’s face is still smug. “why don’t you ask daryl for permission to come, sweetheart?” rick muses with a hardened nipple between his fingers, painfully turning it over the pad of his forefinger and watching your face twist with wanton need.

“daryl!” you’re howling.

the man doesn’t stop.

rick snickers. “try again, honey,” he’s traveling up the bed to bestow a peck on your lips before they’re parting to plead at the man who’s taking you apart with his tongue.

“daryl, please,” you’re borderline wailing now, tempting rick with your fucked out tears and irregular breath. chest rising and falling with every respiration, you’re red with the need for release and the need for the redhead beneath you to spare you some grace. “please, i need to come, daryl. please, i want to come so bad, can i come? daryl!”

for the first moment in minutes, the archer briefly pops his vacuum of a mouth off of your weeping slit to give you the most serious look before granting you permission to, “make a mess, girl.”

leaning into daryl’s blessing, you ground your hips against his face and squeeze the hand that’s intertwined with rick’s as the pressure that had been heightening explodes.

the circles daryl’d paired with his unforgiving tongue do nothing but pulsate the pressure deeper throughout your sensitive bundle of nerves. the same nerves that were flaring and rocking you in galvanizing pangs of pleasure as if they’d also gotten that memo that daryl had given you permission to cum, encouraged by the warm tongue flat against you.

it’s only when your legs are about to collapse on top of his tawny head that daryl retreats, giving your spent cunt a light slap for good measure.

his face is glistening just as your cunt had been when he dove headfirst between your legs.

you’re bending forward towards him in an anxious effort to have him on your lips again. he’d been so close to you - you need him to be that close again. that’s why you’re about to sob when he gets up to head to the dresser. your tantrum is paused once you see that he’s bringing your water bottle to your lips.

the thoughtful man brings the straw to your lips, allowing you to take a long drink and signal for him to place the bottle on the nightstand. it’s not ten seconds before he’s grasping your face and giving you the long, drawn out good night kiss you’re always craving from him.

daryl’s flush against your left when your lips disconnect. if rick hadn’t caught you in his arms, daryl would’ve been closer but he’ll be rising early to hunt anyways, and he wouldn’t want to wake you.

rick’s arm lays atop your pillow and his head tucked on top of yours as you start to drift off, ��night, sweet girl” being the last words you hear before you fall into the coziest slumber.

[tciddaemina]

more of the scum villan dating sim au because my brain is breaking

part 1.

-

Another week passes and Shen Qingqiu is just about boiling over with frustration. He hadn't know exactly how much time he spent in Luo Binghe's company until after they returned from Maigu ridge, and now Shen Qingqiu is painfully, intimately aware of every second. Binghe lingers around him when he works, and Binghe helps him with his task, and Binghe follows a step behind when Shen Qingqiu goes to his meeting, and sits beside him at dinner, putting things onto Shen Qingqiu's plate and topping up his wine, close enough that their sleeves brush and Shen Qingqiu can smell the musky scent of his the oil he uses for his hair and-

It's driving Shen Qingqiu to distraction. Binghe is always there, right there, close enough to touch. He's always grabbing Shen Qingqiu, offering his arm to help him step down from carriages, stepping in to help smooth his robes, fingers skimming his when he hands him a book or fills his cups of tea. It leaves Shen Qingqiu on fire. He's so distracted he almost dragged his sleeve right through his ink.

He was never this horny before! Shen Qingqiu had spent hours, days, years, in Binghe's company and never noticed, never even thought of such a thing! But now that its on its mind, it's all Shen Qingqiu can think of. He'd felt the heat and weight of that heavenly pillar pressed up against his thigh through Binghe's robes when they clutched each other as Maigu ridge fell around them, and now Shen Qingqiu can't help but be aware it exists at every moment! It's not his fault he wants to hop on that dick!

Shen Qingqiu's tried dropping hits, so many hints, but Binghe never notices. Shen Qingqiu walks closer to him, lays his hand on Binghe's arm when they talk, stares up through his lashes at him as they stand close. He pays so many small compliments and spends so much time in his space that the constant pinging of the alerts is starting to give him a headache.

[+ 5 affection points]

[+ 5 affection points]

[New heart gained! ❤ Affection level has increased!]

[+10 affection points]

Shen Qingqiu could scream. What use are affection points!! What use are stupid fucking heart levels, when Binghe just makes wide, longing eyes at him and does nothing! Shen Qingqiu's so frustrated now that he feels like he might burst. His internal energy is roiling and simmering so badly that he feels like he might deviate!

How is he supposed to explain that to Mu Qingfan when he goes in to his for the checkup of his meridian system, huh? Sorry, Mu-shidi, I'm so distracted getting hot over my disciple and trying to get him for finally fuck me that my energies are falling out of balance? Shen Qingqiu doesn't have the face for that conversation!

If this lasts much longer, Shen Qingqiu might actually combust. There's nothing to it - he has to take things into his own hands, again. The last dialogue prompt had failed utterly, but Shen Qingqiu has an idea.

He and Binghe are walking side by side through the bamboo forest, on a slow leisurely circuit of the peak - strategically proposed that morning. Shen Qingqiu scans the ground, waiting for the chance to present itself, and when they round a bend in the path he 'trips' on a rock, stumbling.

Binghe catches his arm immediately, stepping in close. "Shizun! Are you alright?" His eyes are so wide and dark, brow furrowed with concern, his side pressed warm against Shen Qingqiu's, closer than strictly necessary. Shen Qingqiu can feel every muscle in his beautiful, well endowed chest.

Shen Qingqiu looks up, meeting his eyes, breath caught, the space between them so small. For a moment, time seems to stand still, stray bamboo leaves falling softly in the background behind them, the wind blowing softly in Binghe's hair.

1. BOLD. "B-Binghe..." [Look into his eyes and part your lips, breathless, and wait to be kissed.]

2. EXTRA BOLD. [Lean up and kiss him.]

3. SHY. [Brace a hand on his chest, sliding up those beautiful pecs. Blush and look away.] "Ah- Ah this master is fine. It is nothing."

4. SLY. "Ah, I'm alright, but- My leg. I think perhaps I strained something." [Let yourself be led home so that Binghe can 'inspect' the injury.]

5. COP OUT. [Straighten and walk on.] "This master is fine. Let us continue."

Binghe's face reddens, a soft flush on his cheeks. He draws in a small breath, grip firming on Shen Qingqiu's arm. An alert immediately rings out. [+75 affection points! Record score!]

Yes!! Now they're getting somewhere!! Shen Qingqiu draws in a bashful breath, raising his fan, peering over it at Binghe, up through his lashes. "Binghe... I-"

Go in for the kill! Just a little extra push!!!!

"Shizun, your leg," Binghe says, not quite interrupting. He looks away, face warm, not meeting Shen Qingqiu's eyes - when he looks back again, he's all business, expression growing serious and concerned. "Something must not be right, for you to have tripped so easily. We ought to go see Mu-shishu."

Shen Qingqiu is going to scream. He's going to slap someone. Fucking leaves are falling romantically in the background, it's the perfect scene!!! "No need," he says, hand splaying a little more over Binghe's chest. He tries to look up at him demurely. "I'm sure its not serious. A moment of carelessness, that is all-"

"Shizun is never so careless," Binghe replies, straightening. "Come, lets get to Mu-shishu at once. What if Without A Cure is acting up again - perhaps I didn't clear your meridians correctly-"

Binghe you idiot!!!!! What does a man have to do to get pressed against a tree and fucked around here!!!! How did every maiden from the Frozen Peaks to the Western Sea manage to trip onto that dick in PIDW - and yet one immortal master cannot manage it now??? Airplane's writing was cooked!

"-come, Shizun, let me help you back up the path," Binghe is saying, already leading him on, barrelling over Shen Qingqiu's last attempts to disengaged.

Fucking wife-plots Shen Qingqiu's ass! None of them work! He wants a refund!!!

[weepingflowerbonkcop]

I'm trying to finish these headcannons before moving on. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions about the headcannons. Enjoy reading!

Warnings: Wild being Wild, nothing else.

What the Chain thinks about a Modern! Reader using slang/meme references:

Part 2

Sky

• Sky has some basic education for Skyloft. I'd say he finished high school standards for them, but elementary in our standards. He's still pretty smart but just doesn't show it as much as Four does.

• Sky didn't know what to think of when he first heard modern slang.

• He's one of those people that pretend like they know what you're talking about. Reader would be talking casually and Sky would nod his head, listening intently even if he really doesn't understand.

• He likes it when reader goes to talk to him, but sometimes he'd like subtitles to exist.

• He goes to Four and Wind whenever he doesn't understand a word, hoping that they'd be able to give him some indication/translation of it.

• Memes on the other hand - he's actually pretty good at understanding them. He might not find all of them funny but he does manage to catch what they're about.

• He's that person that hears a joke and goes into a full detailed interrogation of the joke. Something like, "Yeah nah, the bro took his cuzy out to the pub. After he met this nice sheela and got a nice rootin' only to find out the day after it was no sheela." Him not knowing what's going on just goes, "So, you've told me before that a 'she - lah' is a girl, yes? And you've also said a 'bro' is a shorter term for brother. So, what does 'cuzy' mean and what does the root have to do with the story?"

• After you do a break down of the slang he just lights up with a 'ooh' and does a little giggle to himself.

• It's cute but ruins a good story when you have to go into another full explanation of said story.

• He's also an 8/10 at least he'll laugh at memes even if he doesn't find them funny.

Wild

• Thinking about him losing his memories some of his schooling had also been lost since his resurrection.

• I believe Wild is the most adaptable of the Heroes. He had to be adaptable out in the wild in order to survive.

• So, he'd be the quickest - next to Wind - to catch Modern! Reader's slang.

• He would also interpret it into his own day to day talking. His Hyrule is more flexible in my opinion to different ways and languages than other Hyrules.

• Him along with Wind and Four are your main translators to the others. So, when someone is in doubt they run to Wild to ask about a certain word or abbreviation then run back to reader and continue the conversation.

• However, Wild does radiate chaotic energy and sometimes whenever the others try to learn, he'd casually tell them the complete opposite of what it means for shits and giggles. An example, "Wild, what does 'Yo - lo' mean?" "You only lick once." The person would thank him and run back to you, "Indeed only one lick." "What the -"

• This annoys the living daylights out of Twilight, Time, Warriors, First, Calamity - basically all the serious Links.

• Wild appreciates memes from Modern! Reader's world. In fact he sometimes tries to recreate them with readers guidance.

• Other times he would try and create an entirely new genre of meme little does he know he already is with some of his really cursed selfies on his Sheikah Slate.

• Overall 10/10 best boy cause he gets it and screws with people that don't.

Hyrule

• In my honest opinion I don't think this boy had any type of schooling. Most of the things he knows comes from pure experience. He might've been taught more about magic, curses and things more related to the fae since he was raised by them, but no school system like ours.

• Hyrule much like Twilight thought it was just an accent rather than the modern day and age talk when he first heard it.

• Someone had to sit him down though to tell him it's not.

• Hyrule learns from Wild about the terms and their meanings as Wild starts using them more frequently in his own speech. So, Hyrule starts picking up that habit as well and sooner or later you got two four in actuality people talking like anyone from your world!

• I believe he would purposefully go to Legend and start telling him some of the slang that he's learned through either you or some of the others. It's similar to a kid running up to their parent to show them a picture that they drew. Legend actually appreciates this and finds it cute but wouldn't admit it.

• He does surprisingly catch on to memes quick.

• His brain works in mysterious ways as well so he'd instantly understand Modern! Reader's references.

• He does go and have little back and forths with Wind when referencing memes that reader uses the most. It's turns into a challenge between Hyrule, Wild, Wind and Four of who is right with Modern! Reader as the referee.

• He genuinely believes its interesting to hear how different the people in Modern! Reader's world talk in comparison to any of their Hyrules.

• Overall he's an 8/10.

[girls--complex]

Do you have any advice on how someone should pray, individually or otherwise? I’ve been to Quaker meetings in the past but they make me so anxious for one reason or another. Should I just suck it up and keep trying?

Hai Anon, held U in the light today

Recurring anxiety during Contemplation is a pretty common experience furst of all, so ur not alone...

I would encourage you to find some spiritual guidance IRL. Either an actual meditation teacher or clergy or something or just a kindly elder to confide in. It's good to have a longitudinal conversation about this because different things will likely come up and different pointsin the journey. If you are very inhibited your nervous system needs social permission to access new consciousness. It's also good if they can get a multi sensory read on you. It's even better if they can consciously respond to your embodiment because fear lives in the body. Actually Buddhists tend to be really good at that if you're comfortable going there.

Compassionate and accessible resources can be found via the Center for Action and Contemplation (ecumenical, Franciscan theology) as well as Buddhist meditation teacher Pema Chodron ("getting unstuck")

My prayer life = clinging to remote fellowship with God constantly against being dragged into lifeless caenality. Remembrance of God's bottomless delight in creation. Openness 2 the channel... openness 2 myself in the world.. the defenseleness of incarnation. Youre always permeated or penetrated or saturated in this way. Discomfort doesn't always mean something is wrong. It *can* mean that something is wrong or it can mean that something is very right.

"Sucking it up," because there is a grit to holding, for instance and especially fear and not engaging in the usual shutdown or mythologies (fear is also very strongly impressed in my body), but more actually yielding, bending in the wind, untangling knots of resistance (impiety), letting the energy move thru U and pass. It is like passing a bladder stone or something. Actually it's crucifixion lol... c v c x v .... receptive and yielding grit, the toughness, actually the almightiness of divine Vulnerability

We have an animal instinct for how to allow physical pain through the body, by pacing, breath, shaking off, whatever, emotional pain functions similarly (arguably a class of physical pain). You may need help with this embodiment in some way? Even though a contemplative may sit still there is usually an intentional and structured embodied technique... as in zazen, they breathe and sit with intention at every step. But there is also pacing, dancing,intoning, quaking 🫨 tantra... and you can find a teacher in these things or discover them yourself. There's advantages and disadvantages to self direction.

Guidance to what to look for maybe or maybe not because I have so little information from you and so little of my own experience..........

best of luck friend

[cherr-22]

TNGDH 25

“Cashew. I’m really leaving now. I’ll only be visiting the horse stables, so it won’t take too long.”

Kyle spoke dejectedly with me sitting on his palms.

―Squeak (Hurry and go.)

“Sorry for leaving you so often. Even though I should be taking care of you more before we start infusing mana into you.”

―Squeak squeak. (I’m telling you to go away.)

The first time he said he would be leaving was 10 minutes ago.

I pushed against his face with my front paws and turned my head away from him, but he failed to read the meaning behind my actions. Instead, I was kissed five more times before being let go.

‘It’s finally over.’

I’m completely beat. You damned hamster otaku.

Kyle let me down into my home and then left the study.

As I reorganized my messy fur, I turned towards the door to confirm that Kyle left and used ‘Summon’.

‘System! You know the drill. To that room.’

[o(*￣▽￣*)ブ]

My vision went white and instantly changed. It was the new room I received from Kyle the day before yesterday.

I wore my newly bought clothes and surveyed the room. A large window, a cozy fireplace, a soft bed, and a wooden wardrobe and a desk. There was even a warm rug on the floor.

It was so clean that it was almost unbelievable that the room had never been used before.

“He paid a lot of attention to it.”

I chuckled and closed the closet.

All the clothes I bought before were hung inside. Things like a small lamp, paper, and a pen were on the desk even though I never bought them. Same with the pillow and blanket on the bed. Oh, there are even slippers.

I opened the thick curtains to take a glance outside and laid down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling reminded me of the first rental house I signed.

It was a home I obtained from doing part-time jobs from early morning to late night. It was small and cramped, but I was proud of earning it myself. It was particularly difficult period of time back then since my uncle refused to help me at all.

That was why from the time I was Bae Soohyun until now, this was the first time someone actively supported me like this. I have been always alone since I was little, so it was natural to feel that I had to endure everything alone.

“……Is that why I’m having a strange feeling.”

Providing me money and a place to call home out of kindness, Kyle gave me an unfamiliar feeling. It felt as if it were obvious to request them at the time, but actually holding them in my hands felt strange.

“I will make sure to save you.”

I muttered to myself and turned around. Then I saw a table next to the bed…… huh? Wait.

“This is…….”

I bolted off the bed and clenched the bracelet on the table. It looked just like the <Shocking news! Beneficial mana energy is flowing out!> bracelet from before.

“No wonder he was talking nonsense about how I’m short and how weak I looked!”

I pounded my chest in distress and shoved the bracelet into my pocket. 

I should go refund it right away. No matter how rich a person may be, he shouldn’t be ripped off of a scam. This wasn’t cheap either.

“You Grand Duke bastard!”

I opened the door and left the room. You said you were going to the horse stable? Wait just right there. I will come straight to you to make you refund it.

*

As if it were never warm before, the weather turned chilly. However, the anger within me was stronger than the bitter Northern winds.

I took long strides towards the stables. Kyle was there as expected. In his hands were a handful of sugar cubes to feed to the horses.

First, I took a deep breath and neatly straightened my clothes. Pretend we are meeting in a coincidence. Pretend it’s a coincidence. Act as if I never knew he would be here.

“……Cough, cough. So you are here.”

I cleared my throat and walked closer to Kyle. He turned his head upon hearing me.

“It sure is hard to see you around.”

“Yes, well……. I’m just rather busy.”

“You didn’t stay in your room either. Is it not to your liking?”

“Oh, no no. Of course not. ……but!”

It was supposed to be a short conversation, but it was difficult to hold back after he mentioned the room. I pulled the bracelet out of my pocket and shook it in front of his face.

“What is this! You really bought this from the market? Even though it was obviously a scam!?”

“Scam?”

“Some mana good for your body emitting out or whatever, do you think that’s really true? Even if it were, there’s no way they would sell it like that at a marketplace like that!”

“I didn’t buy that at the market.”

“What?”

Kyle chuckled as he held one of my wrist, took the bracelet from me, and unclasped it.

“I requested a magician yesterday to make one. It doesn’t emit any mana, but wearing it may bring you luck.”

“…….”

Saying that, Kyle put the bracelet on my wrist.

The bracelet, accented with blue gems on a silver chain, was light and beautiful. So beautiful that my wrist didn’t seem worthy of it.

And here I was about to rip it apart thinking it was just a germanium bracelet…….

“But is it alright to give me such a precious item?”

“I felt bad that you got hurt at the banquet when the chandelier fell, yet I couldn’t do anything for you. It may be late, but I hope you’d take this as an expression of apology and gratitude. Please accept it.”

He said with his eyes still on my wrist. A lucky bracelet you say? Are you saying you hope I won’t get caught up in another incident like that?

“Even though you already gave me a room.”

“That’s because you looked after Cashew for me.”

“……Anyways, this looks rather expensive. Since you gifted it to me, I won’t give it back even if you ask for it.”

This kind of situation felt unfamiliar, so I avoided his eyes nervously.

“By the way, why are you at the stables? It’s not like you need to maintain it yourself.”

“Because it seems that you’d need one for yourself.”

Kyle put down the sugar cubes and patted the brown mare. The horse nuzzled its face into his hand and neighed happily.

“Um, I don’t know how to ride one.”

“You can learn.”

“Who would teach me?”

Kyle looked at me as if it were the most obvious answer.

“Me.”

“……Are you not busy?”

“I have about an hour.”

He opened the door of the stall the brown mare was in.

I took a step back in hesitation. I’ve only seen them at the zoo when I was young and it was my first time seeing one up so close.

He saddled the horse and took the reins as if it were familiar to him.

“Come up.”

“Oh my back is still hurting a bit so…….”

“We’ll move slowly so don’t worry.”

After staring at the horse for a while, I gave in. I stepped my left foot into the stirrup and climbed onto the horse. It was a small horse, so it didn’t feel as scary as I thought it would be.

I held on tightly to the handle of the saddle and Kyle started moving forward slowly. The horse followed his lead and headed out of the stable.

‘……This feels weird.’

The ground was hard, but it felt as if it were oscillating like waves in the ocean.

“Why do you treat me so well? Is there a particular reason? Something like I resemble someone or something.”

I mumbled absentmindedly while looking up at the clear, blue sky. Kyle didn’t respond so I continued.

“On the surface, His Highness the Grand Duke may be wealthy and be called the king of the North, but I cannot take everything you give me for granted. I know that nothing in this world is free and that there would always be some sort of purpose behind your favors.

I am old enough to know better that there was no kindness without compensation.

There was something to obtain, which was why you were taking care of the other. Part of the strange feeling I felt in the room before could’ve been due to this fact. Just what exactly do you want from me?

Kyle seemed to ponder for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I suppose you wouldn’t believe me if I said I had no motives behind my actions.”

“…….”

“You looked lonely, that’s all.”

I opened my mouth, only to close it without saying anything.

‘……looked lonely.’

I frowned unconsciously and clasped the handle harder.

“I wasn’t even fifteen years old when I wandered around the North alone, not having anyone to trust. Trust could become a weakness and favors could turn into traps. For that reason, I tried to do everything on my own. But the winters of the North were harsh, and it was difficult to even stay alive. In the end, I realized I needed help from someone else.”

He sounded calm as he recollected his past. He pulled on the reigns to stop the horse and raised his head towards me.

“No human can live alone, no matter how tough and strong they may be. In fact, even dragon hatchlings are heavily guarded by their pack when they are young. And when they grow to a full-fledged adult, they often blend into the human society to overcome their loneliness. Which is why I embrace those who need help, and receive help myself when I need them. I am only doing the same to you.”

It was a very idealistic statement. Even though the world could never always go so smoothly, he spoke with confidence in his voice.

What if the person who received your help betrayed you? What if you die because of that betrayal? Would you still think the same way then?

My mouth felt bitter, especially knowing to whose hands Kyle died in the original story.

I spoke out after pressing down the heavy feeling in my chest.

“Then, please don’t die.”

I spoke a bit too bluntly, making Kyle laugh as he lowered me down from the horse.

“Alright. I promise you.”

[A new imprint was made on Kyle Jane Meinhardt’s life.]

[Hidden quest, ‘Collective Destiny’ achieved!]

[Miracle Value has increased.]

[Current Miracle Value 26.0%]

I looked past the blue system window to Kyle.

I hope you continue to live. Regardless of whether or not our fates are tied together, you are someone who deserves it.

--------------------------------------------------------

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

[gasolineghuleh]

A Visitor

Some Mary porn for the lovely @vampyrolesbos as the winner of my fic giveaway!

Mary and you get the idea for some inspired roleplay after a horror flick. Afterwards, you receive a surprise visitor in the middle of the night.

cw: CNC, somnophilia, rough sex, ownership and domination talk, double safewords

It’s nights like this that makes you love Mary even more— the two of you are curled up on the couch together with yet another slasher flick playing on the television set in front of you. A scream rings out from the booming speaker system the two of you invested in and Mary chuckles underneath you, his bony chest moving lightly with the motion. Rain pours down outside, beating against the window in a violent pattern semi-reminiscent of a pounding heartbeat as the wind batters the panes.

“You comfortable, babe?” he asks finally, shifting a little bit underneath you and rearranging your arms gently. “Don’t want you goin’ numb or anything.” 

“Yeah? Make it a bit too easy to take me, then?” you toss back, laughing and allowing him to move you to a more comfortable position on the couch, relieving some of the strain on your muscles from holding the position for so long. 

“You know me so well, babe.” Mary’s voice is tired but still with an unmistakable tone of humor to it. The two of you often joke around with him “taking advantage” of you when you’re in a compromising position, but he hasn’t acted on it. Yet. Sure, there have been nights where the two of you set safewords to specifically be ignored, but it’s been a while since that happened. “Would you like that?” he asks suddenly, seemingly reading your mind. 

“Well, yeah. I mean, it would be you. Taking me. You know how fuckin’ feral I get for you, babe.” You pause, really considering it for a moment. “Yeah. I would.” Mary nods to himself as his hand starts tracing a path down your upper arm. Mary only does that when he’s thinking something particularly hellacious, you know, but you refrain from asking him. Save the surprise for yourself, huh?

After the movie Mary’s phone pings, and he spends a few moments going back and forth in the group text with his band. He’s got to run to the store for cigarettes, and now he’s been invited out to a beer with “the guys”. Reassuring kisses that he’ll be home soon pepper your cheeks, and soon enough you’re alone in the small apartment the two of you share.

— — —

Laying on the bed later that evening, you find yourself scrolling through your phone aimlessly. Tiktoks fly by as you barely pay attention to them, most of your energy focused on staying awake. It’s been an hour or so since Mary left for the store and to meet up with some friends, and the television flickering quietly in the background of your field of vision isn’t the best at keeping you company. You sigh and open your messaging app, scrolling to Mary’s name and opening the conversation, already typing out a message to him.

“Come home, I’m bored and lonely.” You hit send and there’s a small woosh as the message delivers, and an almost immediate ping when he replies, almost as if he was holding his phone and waiting for you to message him. A small smile plays around your lips as you envision the scene— Mary sitting with his friends and nursing a beer, his phone safe under his left hand on the table as he waits to feel it buzz with your love-turned-text.

“Wuts the safe wrds?” the message reads, and you instantly sit up a little straighter on the bed, a curl of arousal already spreading down your spine, just tickling you into sub-interest. You know when he asks for two words he intends to blow past the first, a staple in your relationship that’s been talked to death and back.

“Red and pineapple,” you text back quickly. This time there’s no response, and you put your phone down onto the bed face up as you wait, watching the screen light up with other messages, easily ignored. Pings from other applications and notifications keep filtering through, but none of them catch your eye unless it pertains to Mary. Even still, there’s only so many Instagram notifications of his latest single that you can take, and you wind up losing that small bubble of hope for a response over time.

Eventually a minute turns into an hour, turns into two. Two hours bleeds into midnight, and you soon find yourself nodding off on top of the bed you share, no longer able to keep your eyes open as you wait for your boyfriend to come home. You know he'll likely wake you up in your favourite way, and the thought puts a smile on your face as you finally slip beneath the veil of slumber. It finds you fast, exhausted as you are from being pent up and horny all evening.

—

“Be quiet, or I’ll snap your pretty neck.” 

Your eyes fly open as your brain surges uncomfortably into awareness, the blanket of sleep pulled sharply from you. There’s a hand over your mouth, and another hand fumbling under the covers for your underwear, sharp fingernails scrabbling at your skin in what feels like desperation. You squirm slightly, hardly daring to make a sound, not wanting to know if the threat was true or not.

Your mind reels, panic seeping into every corner. The menacing whisper had come from just above you, an unseen figure in the cloak of darkness. The phantom presence’s hands are strong and unyielding, and you can feel the sharp pressure of what you think might be a blade against your neck. It’s a sensation you’ll never forget, one that brings the threat to life with a chill running down your spine.

“Just listen to me, and no one has to get hurt.” The voice is unequivocally Mary’s but there's still that cold trickle of fear in your belly that leads directly down to your core. His sharp and somewhat ragged fingernails catch on the edge of your panties and finally pulls them free of your skin, pulling the silky material down your legs and throwing them away with haste over his shoulder. He pulls them off of you with such ferocity that you're certain that there will be fingernail marks on your skin later. The thought makes your cunt clench.

“What are you going to do to me?” you ask, another sharp curl of fear entwining around your spinal cord. He doesn't answer, instead opting to throw your legs wide with one shove of those broad shoulders that you love so much. Mary’s long finger slides through your folds, pressing against your entrance with a trained tease that has you squirming— almost too late, you remember your role to play. “No, stop!” you gasp, twisting now in an attempt to get away instead of further pleasure.

“What, s’your boyfriend in the other room?” Mary asks, and the accompanying eye roll is visible even in the dimness of your shared bedroom. He always plays this part well, and the cold indifference to your perceived suffering sends another thrill of arousal curling down to your toes. “And look, this cunt wants me.” Mary pulls his hand away from your pussy for a moment, sucking the evidence of your arousal off of his finger with an exaggerated moan. “Oh! But I should stay quiet, huh? Wouldn’t want that big, buff boyfriend to come and find me.” 

“He’s bigger than you, and way more dangerous,” you say, inwardly laughing at his clear mental fumble. 

“Baby girl, no one’s more dangerous than me.” Mary, seemingly finished with talk, rears back and grips your arms tightly, rolling you over underneath him until you’re flat on your stomach. One of his coarse, rough hands slides up your scalp to grab a bundle of your hair, pressing your face into the goose down pillows until your half-hearted pleas can’t be heard.

It’s only then that you hear the jangle of his belt being undone with one hand, and the tug of his zipper; the slight cursing as his fist tightens in your hair and his other hand pulls his cock free of his boxers. There’s the push of his slickened fingers swiping through your folds, gently prodding at your entrance and then the push as he lines his cock up and presses forward. You gasp at the sudden intrusion, his cock sliding into you to the hilt, slick as you are.

Mary’s fist tightens in your hair again as his other hand grips your shoulder, pulling you against him in time with his own hips, the sound of his thighs slapping against your ass the only thing audible in the darkened room, save for your pants and groans into the pillows. He sounds animalistic— growls and grunts fall from his lips with nearly every move he makes, and his hands control you in ways you’ve never felt him do before.

“Mare- fuck, Mare!” you groan into the pillows, your legs starting to shake as you try to hold yourself up for him. “Red!” The faux safe word falls from your hips as you think about repositioning, but a large part of you knows that he’ll ignore it unless you say the other safe word… and ignore it he does, blowing past your feigned safeword and instead dropping the ruse of the invader.

“Don’t make me stop, baby, you know how much I fuckin’ love this pussy.” True to his word, he keeps going, dropping your hair and running a hand down your back possessively. “Aren’t you my girl?” he says, leaning in over you as he fucks you, deep and slow. You feel the press of his lips against your shoulder, quickly replaced by his teeth as he bites you hard, his teeth deeply indenting the skin there— you know it’ll bruise, bright purple and dark yellow, and the thought goes directly to your clit. 

You cum around his cock, not for the last time, your cunt clenching as you rock through it. The rubber band in your gut snaps and waves of pleasure course through you, dropping you back down into the pillows as you moan and shiver with it. Mary slows himself down, fucks you through it perfectly, his cock grinding into the spot you love slowly and deliberately. He knows your body well, and you trust him to give you the best orgasm possible. 

“See? I know this pussy.” Mary pulls out slowly, giving you time to adjust. Once his cock falls free, he spanks your cunt with four fingers, rubbing your clit roughly and chuckling when you squirm in overstimulation — one of the things he insists is one of his favorites, watching you squirm and beg for the sensations to stop, for a reprieve from pleasure. Another moment of the torment and you whine, kicking your legs at him until he finally relents and pulls his hand away. “Tell me.”

“It’s yours, Mary,” you relent, pushing yourself up onto your forearms with shaking and trembling muscles, sweating from your orgasm and still breathing heavily. “Your pussy.”

“That’s what I thought.” He spanks your ass once, sharply, before bringing his hands to your hips and flipping you over onto your back. Your head jolts against the pillow and you gasp, disoriented and seeing black from the quick and unexpected movement. When your vision clears you finally see him above you— Mary Goore, his black hair shocked up with sweat, and his face flushed and red in the moonlight coming in through the windows. “Say it for me again, baby.” 

“Your pussy,” you relent with a sigh, spreading your legs for him again as he situates himself between them.

“That’s fuckin right,” he murmurs quietly, almost to himself, as he looks down towards his cock, gripped tightly in one hand as he drags the head of his cock through your folds again. When you whimper with desire he surges forward, sliding back into you with an exhaled tone of pleasure, hands landing on either side of your face.

“Mary-” His cock cuts you off, pressing against the spot inside of you that makes you see stars, pressing and pressing and pressing and then suddenly you’re cumming again, full of him and so perfectly taken. 

“Love you,” comes his only response as he fucks you through your second orgasm, his lips coming to rest on your neck as he presses kiss after kiss to the tender skin there. Mary flattens himself over you, thrusting against you slowly and languidly until he cums, his cock pulsing inside of you with every heartbeat. When he’s finished he lays there for a moment, the two of you breathing in tandem and allowing your heart rates to return to normal. 

Finally you grumble and tap on his side, signaling him to roll off of you. He acquiesces with a grunt and a groan as he pushes himself up with one arm, rolling sideways to land beside you on his back. Almost instantly he reaches to the side for a pack of cigarettes that lay there, lighting one and passing it to you, which you wave away for the moment. 

“That was fuckin’ good.” You hold up your fist and Mary taps it with his own, blowing out a long stream of smoke from his nostrils. “Where’d you get the idea to wake me up from?” Mary pulls another drag from the cigarette, the end of it flaring in time with his chuckle.

“Nosferatu.” 

“Say ‘sike’. Seriously?” you laugh, pushing yourself up onto your side to look at him. He’s gorgeous like this, draped languidly on your bed like some sort of goth otherworldly creature, naked and pale and so effortlessly handsome. 

“Seriously. Did you like it?” he asks, turning to meet your eyes. You smile and nod, moving a hand forward to tuck his hair out of his face before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his still flushed cheek. 

“Of course I did, it was you.” 

“Good, cause I’m off duty for the night, that was way too much exertion.” Mary stretches his arms above his head and groans with the movement, his legs shaking when he ends the stretch. “I’m gonna finish this cigarette on the porch and then I’ll join you for sleep.” He stands and leans down, pecking a kiss on your forehead. “Get some sleep, I won’t wake you up this time.” 

“Okay but— you could, if you wanted.” You wink at him and pull the covers up, settling back in. You know he won’t wake you again, but the thought of it still makes you tingle a little bit. When you open your eyes again he’s gone, the door to the porch open and a slight breeze coming through.

[peabrainedraccoonlady]

Overwatch Headcanons (based on the canon lore and several in-game events and things) that I really want to be true.

A lot of it is Junkers, sorry.

~~~~~

☆ Ever since April Fools, I love the thought that Roadhog watches 'mom shows.' (Oprah, Bachelor, Bachelorette, etc.) I also love to think he gets really into it, like he's dead silent and perfectly focused on the episode or he'll mutter stuff under his breath during The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. Like, "... how dare that sludge talk like that..." or "... you go girl, tell him off..."

☆ Cassidy: WHY DO YOU KEEP LOSIN YOUR KEYS, DANG NABBIT?!

Tracer: Why do you sound like a prospector when you're angry, cad flabbit?

☆ Hanzo snorts when he laughs too hard... thats it. But he'll deny it if someone hears it. Hard deny.

☆ Junkrat is the equivalent of that one guy in Ratatouille ("I killed a man, with this thumb." Can't remember his name for the life of me.) when anyone asks what happened to his finger. From 'Extreme Thumb Wrestling Gone Wrong' to the simple one answer that is 'Koalas.' No one truly knows what happened to his finger.

☆ Odessa doesn't know how to write. (Junkertown Education System.) But she does know how to draw just a bit. So when doing autographs, she doodles a tiny version of her. With little stars.

☆ Speaking of Junkertown and Australia in Overwatch, the place is basically like Mad Max and Fallout had a baby. Even Junkrat sees the difference between normal dirt and radioactive dirt. And thats just facts. If you look at the Junkertown map, you'll understand what I mean.

☆ Sombra was an orphan, she hadn't felt a familial bond until Sigma. Come on, the man is like a science dad. He has that energy. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't see him as family. Sigma is the only (from my current research (not counting Doomfists 'jefe.' Jefe justs means boss.)) one that has a consistent nickname that translates (sorry if its wrong) to 'Old Man.'

☆ Moira knows how to dance every single anime dance... no no no, you don't understand. Every. Single. One. Will she ever show it? No. Definitely not.

☆ Tracer has adhd. Not because of her ability. That's a stupid reason. It's cause she just... seems like she does you know?

☆ Junkrat actually has a love of singing. As shown in the random chatter he has and the interactions with Lucio, Jamie likes to sing. Although, from when he's demonstrating to Lucio, it kinda seems like he's nervous. The "Sausage Roll and Batter Sav" tune he sings isn't bad. He's just a silly little guy.

☆ Speaking of my favorite silly guy, Junkrat is actually smarter than people give him credit for. He can keep a conversation with Sigma, he knows Xenos Paradox, he gets Winstons Periodoc Table joke, it's just that he expresses himself differently. I mean he was theoretically raised in the radioactive outback, you're gonna wind up a bit weird. I think he partly hides his genius so no one can take advantage of it.

☆ Opposite of Junkrat, Roadhog seemingly has made friends with a lot of others. They're more willing to talk to him than the rat man. I mean, come on, Mako gets along with D.Va, Ana, Junker Queen, Kiriko (i think), and Lucio. Maybe Mercy as well, but I couldn't figure it out. I have a feeling that Roadhog thought that no one would like him cause he's scary, but everyone on the team just sees him as a gentle giant (which he honestly is, have you seen his cute little interactions and the plethora of Pachimari things he has?)

☆ Mercy really cares about those around her. So much so, that she believes (if going by some of her chatter is anything) anyone can be saved. Even Widowmaker. I'm guessing from what she had done with Genji, she had proved to herself that she could save anyone.

[paperanddice]

Clockwork abominations are so named because of the heretical and incredibly dangerous key to their creation. Where most clockworks use purely mechanical systems to power them, winding up springs tight and letting the gears power its functioning, these abominations are powered by a special engine infused with the energy of a bound devil. This creates a construct that can function indefinitely, never requiring rewinding or attention, but it infuses the malevolence of the devil into the construct. While they are still programmed to follow instructions, they are far more likely to seek loopholes in their programming in order to cause death and destruction. If they can ever escape control by way of an open ended order they will attempt to escape, ensuring that no new order can constrain their destructive desires again.

Creating a clockwork abomination is a risky process, and many attempts to properly infuse and integrate the infernal power source fail, meaning that when it succeeds the construct is often a bit rushed. Rarely as polished and perfect as standard clockworks, they often look almost like scrap metal when at rest, though in motion they are deadly. Most are designed with insectoid appearances, four legs and two forelimbs with some kind of grasping appendage at the end. Their forelimbs reach shockingly far, pistons within extending them to lash out unexpectedly, and a large head with many eyes shining like dim lanterns perches atop a long neck.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Clockwork Abomination Creature 5 Rare Large Clockwork Construct Devil Fiend Unholy Perception +11; greater darkvision Languages Common, Infernal Skills Athletics +15, Stealth +10 Str +6, Dex +1, Con +4, Int +0, Wis +0, Cha +1 Agile Legs The clockwork abomination ignores nonmagical difficult terrain. AC 20; Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +9 HP 78; Immunities death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, fire, healing, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious; Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine or orichalcum); Weaknesses electricity 5, holy 5, orichalcum 5 Self Destruct (divine) When the clockwork abomination is reduced to 0 hit points, its infernal power source detonates with a 10-foot emanation, dealing 4d6 fire damage (DC 22 basic Reflex save). Speed 25 feet, climb 25 feet Melee jaw +15 (reach 10 feet, unholy), Damage 2d6+6 piercing plus 1d6 spirit Melee slam +15 (agile, reach 15 feet, unholy), Damage 2d4+6 bludgeoning plus 1d6 spirit Breath Weapon [two actions] (divine, fire) The clockwork abomination unleashes fire from its infernal power source that deals 4d10 fire damage in a 20-foot cone (DC 22 basic Reflex save). The clockwork abomination can't use Breath Weapon again for 1d4 rounds.

13th Age

Clockwork Abomination  Large 3rd level wrecker [construct and devil]  Initiative: +6 Vulnerability: Lightning Piston Arm +8 vs. AC (2 attacks, can target nearby enemies) - 14 damage. C: Breath Weapon +8 vs. PD (1d4 nearby enemies in a group) - 15 fire damage. Limited Use: 1/battle. [Special Trigger] C: Self Destruct +8 vs. PD (all engaged enemies) - 12 fire damage. Scuttle: Enemies attempting to intercept a clockwork abomination must roll a saving throw; on a failure, the clockwork abomination slips past them and reaches its intended destination. Devil’s Due (Infernal Power): When you choose to add the escalation die to an attack against a clockwork abomination, one clockwork abomination in the battle can recharge its breath weapon. Resist Fire 13+. AC 18 PD 17 MD 14 HP 90

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 7: WE BURN A METAL SHROUD

Will read the new title out loud without hesitation, hoping it would cause the usual round of laughter and debates what Percy would get up to.

Instead the silence of the ocean around them felt like it was trying to squeeze into the room.

Beckendorf. Percy had been trying hard to move with that pain leading him into the living who still needed him. Annabeth was shivering and beside herself, pressing on her stomach to try and convince it to stop knotting itself for knowing exactly how Silena had felt during this...but they weren't so lucky with another hero popping up from Claypso's island.

Percy wanted to reach for her. To hold her and promise it was the last funeral she'd ever have to attend. He might as well have decided to propose to Annabeth on the spot. Absolutely nothing was happening but a blank in him on how to actually act on that impulse.

Will wished he knew the perfect words to help everyone who had to feel this, but he didn't even think his dad could manage that without another gazillion years of life.

I dreamed Rachel Elizabeth Dare was throwing darts at my picture.

"I understand the sentiment," Annabeth nodded while Will got what he wanted. True it was subdued laughter, with a start like that it would take any of them a moment to wind up to their usual chaotic good time, but Will had a faint smile all the same that made his reading feel natural now.

"That's probably your most believable dream, including the ones that were actually just happening somewhere else," Alex chuckled.

She was standing in her room . . . Okay, back up. I have to explain that Rachel doesn't have a room.

"Did she annoy her dad to much and he made her sleep in the dog house, aka, the McMansion they keep outside?" Alex asked, but there was sympathy more than mocking in his voice.

"I think she'd consider that a reward," Percy reminded.

She has the top floor of her family's mansion, which is a renovated brownstone in Brooklyn. Her "room" is a huge loft with industrial lighting and floor-to-ceiling windows. It's about twice as big as my mom's apartment.

Will didn't have to wonder if she got lonely in there. She liked her cave and having her private space, something that drove him nuts when it felt quiet with only a handful of them in his cabin. Yet every meal she was down in the commons, every day she could she was striking up a conversation with someone at Camp, likely to make up for years of being in this large, empty space. It didn't feel like a wild guess she'd probably spent more time in holding cells waiting for her butler to come pick her up than in there.

Some alt rock was blaring from her paint-covered Bose docking system. As far as I could tell, Rachel's only rule about music was that no two songs on her iPod could sound the same, and they all had to be strange.

Alex laughed in appreciation. If he had an Ipod, that would probably be his tunes too.

She wore a kimono, and her hair was frizzy, like she'd been sleeping.

Annabeth sighed, an old tick of jealousy easily leaping to the surface. Had Percy ever had that kind of dream about her? Even knowing this was entangled in her coming Oracle powers and had a legitimate reason for penetrating his subconscious, she'd have still liked to hear he'd seen her pacing around in her pajamas in her cabin any of the million times she'd been stressed.

She knew it didn't matter now, honestly, there was nothing between them, but it was as easy to remember there almost had been in moments like this just as much as every other messed up feeling sprouting to the surface in this room.

Her bed was messed up. Sheets hung over a bunch of artist's easels. Dirty clothes and old energy bar wrappers were strewn around the floor, but when you've got a room that big, the mess doesn't look so bad. Out the windows you could see the entire nighttime skyline of Manhattan.

The picture she was attacking was a painting of me standing over the giant Antaeus. Rachel had painted it a couple of months ago. My expression in the picture was fierce—disturbing, even—so it was hard to tell if I was the good guy or the bad guy, but Rachel said I'd looked just like that after the battle.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck with a frown. He'd never really wanted to be described like that, even if it was kind of cool and should put the fear of Posideon into whatever monsters wanted to harm his friends again.

"Demigods," Rachel muttered as she threw another dart at the canvas. "And their stupid quests."

Most of the darts bounced off, but a few stuck. One hung off my chin like a goatee.

"The closest you'll ever get to having one," Annabeth smirked.

Percy rubbed the faintest hint of stubble on his chin. "Plenty of sealife thrives with fur, what are you implying?"

"That your face is closer to a dolphin than an otter," she chuckled, reaching out to mock pinch his chin.

Percy couldn't even be that annoyed, it was kind of a compliment, but it felt annoying all the same just looking at her. And he'd worried he'd never get that feeling again.

Someone pounded on her bedroom door.

"Rachel!" a man shouted. "What in the world are you doing? Turn off that—"

Rachel scooped up her remote control and shut off the music. "Come in!"

Her dad walked in, scowling and blinking from the light. He had rust-colored hair a little darker than Rachel's. It was smushed on one side like he'd lost a fight with his pillow.

"Clearly he didn't lose bad enough," Thalia grumbled, "it didn't finish smothering him."

His blue silk pajamas had "WD" monogrammed on the pocket. Seriously, who has monogrammed pajamas?

"Rich people," Alex crinkled up his nose as if he'd said something truly disgusting, like eating a hairball.

"What is going on?" he demanded. "It's three in the morning."

"Couldn't sleep," Rachel said.

On the painting, a dart fell off my face. Rachel hid the rest behind her back, but Mr. Dare noticed.

"So . . . I take it your friend isn't coming to St. Thomas?" That's what Mr. Dare called me. Never Percy. Just your friend.

"You're not rich enough to have a name," Magnus agreed. "You got to get a premium member birth certificate and a gold-plated social for him to know your last name. Gods knows how many 0's have to be in your account to know your first name!"

"I hope there's an unknown Jackson out there, stupid rich and giving it all to charity," Percy sniffed.

Or young man if he was talking to me, which he rarely did.

Percy had never played the 'my dad can beat up yours' stupid game on the playground, but he had a nice moment right now imagining Paul lecturing this jerk, and then Posideon just throwing salt in every engine this guy owned.

Rachel knit her eyebrows. "I don't know."

"We leave in the morning," her dad said. "If he hasn't made up his mind yet—"

"He's probably not coming," Rachel said miserably. "Happy?"

Mr. Dare put his hands behind his back. He paced the room with a stern expression. I imagined he did that in the boardroom of his land development company and made his employees nervous.

A heavy pit rested in Annabeth's stomach upon hearing that. Her stepmom used to put her hands on her hips when talking to her, and only her, never her brothers. She didn't have to ask when Rachel realized such a detail that made her feel, lesser. More like it had always felt as if it were there.

"Are you still having bad dreams?" he asked. "Headaches?"

"Oh, he does care?" Will sounded hesitant though, more surprised and only a touch pleased.

"Debatable," Percy said slowly. Nobody needed to explain to Will a parent's love wasn't absolute.

Rachel threw her darts on the floor. "I should never have told you about that."

"I'm your father," he said. "I'm worried about you."

Percy twitched, as the echo of hearing Rachel's father say that faded out by the actual concern Will put in his voice, how Will clearly imagined her father saying that. Her dad said it like he was concerned about getting into work in the morning, an inconvenience to his life and a hardship with some light traffic. Will really read that like he was worried for Rachel's wellbeing when he'd seen her in this room days ago having brunch next to him.

"Worried about the family's reputation," Rachel muttered.

Her father didn't react—maybe because he'd heard that comment before, or maybe because it was true.

"Ouch," Magnus winced like someone had thrown an actual knife at him. "How many times has he heard that to not even pretend to deny it anymore?"

There was no awkward answer in return, though Percy winced just as hard. The pervasive feeling of having his thoughts on display didn't bother him much, but he was still very aware it wasn't just his life. Rachel would be no happier than Clarisse about all the troubled faces in the room.

"We could call Dr. Arkwright," he suggested. "He helped you get through the death of your hamster."

"I was six then," she said.

Thalia felt like a hamster was chewing on her tongue. She'd grown up with that dismissive, pass it on to somebody else attitude too, their mother breezing in and out of their life only when it was convenient and they had some immediate problem.

"And no, Dad, I don't need a therapist. I just . . ." She shook her head helplessly.

She didn't know what she needed, Alex nodded to himself. Especially in a place like that, where nobody was going to help you find out the answer. He smiled faintly at Percy, who was watching the book with such a troubled frown. How much he wanted to help his friend but didn't know how. Rachel had been in here, smiling and happy with life to see him. If they hadn't worked out what she needed, Alex was positive they were at least on track to do so now.

Her father stopped in front of the windows. He gazed at the New York skyline as if he owned it— which wasn't true. He only owned part of it.

"I bet that's how Zeus looks around too though," Percy scowled.

"It will be good for you to get away," he decided. "You've had some unhealthy influences."

"The non-power hungry kind," Jason mock nodded seriously.

"You think he'd appreciate her being so down to earth, considering he wants to own that too," Will smirked.

"I'm not going to Clarion Ladies Academy," Rachel said. "And my friends are none of your business."

Mr. Dare smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile. It was more like, Someday you'll realize how silly you sound.

This man clearly thought himself a god, Nico noted with distaste. He liked to think his dad already had a special punishment ready for people like this, like having to work a minimum wage job in customer service, or constantly watching his bank account be hacked and having no way to stop his money disappearing.

"Try to get some sleep," he urged. "We'll be at the beach by tomorrow night. It will be fun."

"Fun," Rachel repeated. "Lots of fun."

Her father exited the room. He left the door open behind him.

"Why does that feel more rude than slamming it shut?" Magnus frowned.

Annabeth said with a far to knowing frown, "power tactic to make you close it for them."

Percy would have admired her evil mastermind ability more if he wasn't busy worrying why she might have so much experience with it. Surely not her step-mom? Maybe studying Athena's tactics?

Rachel stared at the portrait of me. Then she walked to the easel next to it, which was covered in a sheet.

"I hope they're dreams," she said.

She uncovered the easel. On it was a hastily sketched charcoal, but Rachel was a good artist. The picture was definitely Luke as a young boy. He was about nine years old, with a wide grin and no scar on his face. I had no idea how Rachel could've known what he looked like back then, but the portrait was so good I had a feeling she wasn't guessing. From what I knew about Luke's life (which wasn't much), the picture showed him just before he'd found out he was a half-blood and had run away from home.

"Can clear sighted mortals have you guys' crazy dreams?" Magnus asked in the stunned silence.

Annabeth wished she had a better answer for him than just what she'd pieced together by talking to Rachel these past months and a well rounded guess. She even smiled a bit for a moment, that her cousin had the same insatiable appetite as she did for her world, it was such a strange feeling for someone who looked like her to be invested in her life without fear or judgment.

But the truth was, the most dominant feeling she had at this being exposed was shame for how she'd reacted when Percy had told her of this exact dream. She glanced at him now like a train was about to plow into him. Gods, she might not do as much good as she'd originally hoped in here if Percy blew up at her over her foul words.

"Not that I was aware," Thalia answered before she could, and Annabeth tried to put it aside, for now.

Thalia only just managed not to gape because this did make some kind of sense, the Oracle dreaming of the kids involving the last Great Prophecy. It hurt more to admit that, she'd probably never seen such a happy smile on his face. Not the first day they met, not the first monster they'd slain without getting a scratch, not even the day they'd met Annabeth. Every smile in her memory always looked like it was losing a little more hope until they'd met Grover, where it was replaced by a smile of challenge to bring on the world.

Rachel stared at the portrait. Then she uncovered the next easel. This picture was even more disturbing. It showed the Empire State Building with lightning all around it. In the distance a dark storm was brewing, with a huge hand coming out of the clouds. At the base of the building a crowd had gathered . . . but it wasn't a normal crowd of tourists and pedestrians. I saw spears, javelins, and banners—the trappings of an army.

Kronos didn't have that many half-bloods on his side, right? Magnus really hoped not. He'd been imagining ten monsters to every kid who shouldn't be there, that the three they'd heard of being on that boat was probably the largest crowd Percy would have to face. It wasn't a matter of could, but of would. Percy would not cut down all those teenagers and kids...which meant they were doomed to fail.

"Percy," Rachel muttered, as if she knew I was listening, "what is going on?"

The dream faded, and the last thing I remember was wishing I could answer her question.

"And what would you have told her?" Annabeth asked that with the most mild tone, like checking the weather.

It made Percy panic just slightly what answer she was expecting, but he did so honestly, "same bad shit, different day."

Annabeth nodded like this made perfect sense and turned to move on. Percy felt angry at his own panic now. She'd been amazing in here, just like he always knew she would be. The Kiss, (the one he'd woken up remembering not the following two) had to have happened at a time when she was happy and at peace, judging by the way she'd been smiling as she leaned in. He didn't know how they got there, he wanted more than anything to remember that part, so he just had to trust her in the meantime that he wasn't going to say or think anything wildly crazy stupid in the meantime to drive her off.

The next morning, I wanted to call her, but there were no phones at camp.

"Which probably is for the best," Will nodded, though nobody was exactly proclaiming cops and firefighters were going to do much good at that place. "At minimum it probably stops the strangest 911 calls even the Mist couldn't erase."

Magnus couldn't even manage the witty remark Mr. D might do some good against the threat of child endangerment, he was probably more aware than Percy was of how useless the cops are and he hadn't even faced a supernatural problem since his apartment blew up.

Dionysus and Chiron didn't need a landline. They just called Olympus with an Iris-message whenever they needed something. And when demigods use cell phones, the signals agitate every monster within a hundred miles. It's like sending up a flare: Here I am! Please rearrange my face! Even within the safe borders of camp, that's not the kind of advertising we wanted to do.

"But what about the kind of advertising you should be doing?" Alex challenged. "Those little cards Grover once handed out just aren't promoting the right atmosphere for this place."

"A greeting card that's just kids screaming in pain would be a tad excessive," Magnus rolled his eyes.

"Don't underestimate the power of a good trailer to bait you in," Will chuckled, "with the right editing I could work with any footage we get."

"I'll keep that in mind when the strawberry fields start pulling kids underground," Nico promised.

Most demigods (except for Annabeth and a few others) don't even own cell phones. And I definitely couldn't tell Annabeth, "Hey, let me borrow your phone so I can call Rachel!"

"Annabeth might have force fed you that phone," Thalia agreed.

"Or kicked you in the face so hard for asking, you would have sailed all the way to the Caribbean and joined Rachel anyways," Alex helpfully added.

"That's called doing things the easy way, which we know Percy is incapable of," Annabeth grinned.

Percy smiled fondly and shook his head at every one of them. It felt nice to be right, proven yet again and hopefully a thousand times more how well Annabeth fit in here.

To make the call, I would've had to leave camp and walk several miles to the nearest convenience store. Even if Chiron let me go, by the time I got there, Rachel would've been on the plane to St. Thomas.

I ate a depressing breakfast by myself at the Poseidon table.

Annabeth tried to keep a straight face as she noted his lack of creativity there. He could have tried to steal her cell phone. He could have asked Blackjack for a ride to get there in seconds. He could have tried to send her an Iris Message.

He'd plowed his way across the country to talk to her, so it just made her feel a little more secure he hadn't gotten off his lazy ass to try and get a message to her, okay?

I kept staring at the fissure in the marble floor where two years ago Nico had banished a bunch of bloodthirsty skeletons to the Underworld. The memory didn't exactly improve my appetite.

"And here I thought nothing would stop your appetite!" Alex gasped in concern. "Quick, someone check he doesn't have a fever!"

Thalia chuckled and kept to herself he actually didn't eat when he was stressed, she in fact barely recalled him eating a bite on their quest to save Annabeth. Now, with that prophecy, he clearly felt like he had the entirety of the world on his shoulders, and the girl problems weren't helping.

After breakfast, Annabeth and I walked down to inspect the cabins. Actually, it was Annabeth's turn for inspection. My morning chore was to sort through reports for Chiron. But since we both hated our jobs, we decided to do them together so it wouldn't be so heinous.

"True friendship right there," Will chuckled quietly enough it wasn't meant to interrupt.

But Nico caught on that like a sleeve on a door. Who did Will consider his best friend at Camp? He usually just talked about his siblings in that aspect, occasionally the Stolls and Katie. It finally made something click in his mind he'd been absently wondering about since the beginning. Will was just as well liked around camp as Percy...but maybe he was lonely.

We started at the Poseidon cabin, which was basically just me. I'd made my bunk bed that morning (well, sort of)

"His blanket was crooked," Annabeth said tragically, "and his pillow was half-molded to the headboard."

"It wasn't on the floor," Percy shrugged.

and straightened the Minotaur horn on the wall, so I gave myself a four out of five.

"He basically redecorated for your arrival," Alex pressed his hand to his cheek, the presence of pure shock.

"I'm just impressed to go in there and find the floor most days," Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Percy, you finally found the secret to impressing her," Jason smirked.

"And it still won't win me cabin inspection," Percy huffed.

"You don't need warm water like the rest of us," she shrugged.

Annabeth made a face. "You're being generous." She used the end of her pencil to pick up an old pair of running shorts.

I snatched them away. "Hey, give me a break. I don't have Tyson cleaning up after me this summer."

"That's not even an attempt at an excuse," Thalia looked at him tragically. "You somehow managed to be lazier defending your laziness!"

"Why bother lying to her, she'd see right through it," Percy shrugged.

"Three out of five," Annabeth said. I knew better than to argue, so we moved along.

"The fact that she didn't give you a zero is a sign of true love," Will chuckled.

Percy blushed the color of the Ares cabin and squirmed as far away into his beanbag as he could, while their legs stayed touching on the floor.

Annabeth sighed and shot Will a dirty look for spooking him and he gave a quick apology and read more loudly.

I tried to skim through Chiron's stack of reports as we walked. There were messages from demigods, nature spirits, and satyrs all around the country, writing about the latest monster activity.

"Why do your chores suddenly just sound like shit Chiron's to lazy to do?" Magnus snorted in surprise.

"Isn't that what all delegated jobs are?" Alex scoffed. "They're not even getting paid."

"It keeps them involved in daily activities, and you know, they live there! It's not a punishment to expect them to help out," Jason looked a little peeved like they'd hit a nerve while Alex and Magnus exchanged unimpressed looks.

They were pretty depressing, and my ADHD brain did not like concentrating on depressing stuff.

Little battles were raging everywhere. Camp recruitment was down to zero. Satyrs were having trouble finding new demigods and bringing them to Half-Blood Hill because so many monsters were roaming the country. Our friend Thalia, who led the Hunters of Artemis, hadn't been heard from in months, and if Artemis knew what had happened to them, she wasn't sharing information.

Annabeth sighed in relief and pressed herself into Thalia's side. The comfort of having Percy back, their ankles dancing as if wanting to cross but neither of them daring to do it, was only matched by the instant balm of knowing Thalia had been with him keeping him safe while his head was so jumbled up. She hated those long months where Thalia was so busy with her group they barely had time for an IM, no matter how happy she was for her finding her place.

Then she noticed Jason shooting Thalia a quick, searching look, her blue eyes checking for any scrapes on his sister before snapping back to the book like he'd caught himself, settling into an angry scowl before even that vanished like nothing had happened. Annabeth sat back up wearily as she glanced at Thalia, who was watching the book like nothing had happened even if Annabeth would bet on the Styx she'd seen it too.

We visited the Aphrodite cabin, which of course got a five out of five. The beds were perfectly made. The clothes in everyone's footlockers were color coordinated. Fresh flowers bloomed on the windowsills. I wanted to dock a point because the whole place reeked of designer perfume, but Annabeth ignored me.

Thalia felt her heart plummet about five feet away, remembering the last time Silena had been mentioned doing inspections, and they'd all just been sitting around making jokes. This must be close to how Artimes felt every time she looked at them. Cursed with a knowledge that no matter what you heard or did, the outcome was inevitable.

"Great job as usual, Silena," Annabeth said.

Silena nodded listlessly. The wall behind her bed was decorated with pictures of Beckendorf. She sat on her bunk with a box of chocolates on her lap, and I remembered that her dad owned a chocolate store in the Village, which was how he'd caught the attention of Aphrodite.

"That was, interesting," Magnus admitted in surprise. He'd sort of off-handedly assumed all Aphrodite's kids were from broken marriages because she'd fallen so hard in love with how in love they were they needed to be broken up.

"Yeah, that tracks," Alex nodded, he'd assumed all of Aphrodite's flings that produced kids involved every cliche Valentine attempt.

"You want a bonbon?" Silena asked. "My dad sent them. He thought—he thought they might cheer me up."

"Aww," the cynical side of Magnus immediately vanished, he should have been embarrassed by how high pitched his voice went. Sally aside, that was probably one of the sweetest things he'd heard a parent doing in here since...wow...since his mom died?

"Are they any good?" I asked.

She shook her head. "They taste like cardboard."

Alex snorted in delight. "Damn, how does her dad stay in business?"

"Overpricing the disgusting things so people don't care what they taste like," but Magnus's voice was much more joking than sarcastic that time. Alex glanced at him for the change, but swallowed and looked back away.

I didn't have anything against cardboard, so I tried one.

Breaking whatever tension had been building in the room as they all collectively laughed.

"You and Grover even share tastebuds now?" Thalia managed in between gasping breaths.

"I think all that snot coming out of Silena corrupted her tastebuds, it was delicious cardboard," Percy sniffed, then stage whispered, "I think she forgot to take the wrapper off of hers," causing the others to only double over.

Annabeth watched him in silent admiration as he sat back in his seat and glanced at her with a lingering grin. There was something in his eyes, a troubled twitch to them that never let himself settle anywhere long. Not on her, not on the book, not on the environment he thrived in with his friends, because some part of him knew. Maybe not consciously, but she knew there was a part of Percy that made this feel like an act for those who didn't know Silena's fate.

Annabeth passed.

"I always knew my tastebuds were more refined than yours," Percy smirked at her, finally conceding the impulse and hooking his ankle behind hers even if he hadn't leaned back in.

"Percy, I trust you with my life," she said with a straight face, "but I will never take your opinion on food into account."

"I'm a great cook!" He gasped in betrayal.

"Your mother and Paul are excellent cooks," she corrected, "you once dipped tomatoes into chocolate."

"Well I wasn't just going to let them go to waste," he rolled his eyes, "and I was out of ranch."

They started bickering, right there, live, in front of everyone, about who had the stranger tastebuds. It felt different from when he'd frequently done this with Thalia, there was a charge the child of Zeus had never managed to crackle to life between them as they kept leaning in closer and gesturing at the other like they were in their own little world.

Thalia sighed. She really was starting to feel like an overworked mom who wasn't getting paid enough for this. "Guys."

"-you made an olive cheesecake!"

"You like those stuffed olives, I used the same ingredients and only added-"

"Guys!" She tried a little louder, a little more stern, without much more hope.

"Stop trying to turn everything into a dessert, I thought the pickled icecream was the limit-"

"Guys!" Thalia finally put enough force into her voice that Annabeth glanced around. Then snapped upright with a guilty look around. Crap, that had not been quiet!

"Sorry, sorry," she said hastily, brushing her hair anxiously out of her face.

"Why does it not surprise me this happened because chocolate was mentioned," Alex chuckled.

Percy didn't seem very perturbed, grinning like a fool as if he'd won something, like the secret to life, while Thalia anxiously waved Will on before they all got blasted off to parts unknown by that grumpy Titan.

We promised to see Silena later and kept going.

As we crossed the commons area, a fight broke out between the Ares and Apollo cabins. Some Apollo campers armed with firebombs flew over the Ares cabin in a chariot pulled by two pegasi. I'd never seen the chariot before, but it looked like a pretty sweet ride. Soon, the roof of the Ares cabin was burning, and naiads from the canoe lake rushed over to blow water on it.

Then the Ares campers called down a curse, and all the Apollo kids' arrows turned to rubber. The Apollo kids kept shooting at the Ares kids, but the arrows bounced off.

Two archers ran by, chased by an angry Ares kid who was yelling in poetry: "Curse me, eh? I'll make you pay! / I don't want to rhyme all day!"

Annabeth sighed. "Not that again. Last time Apollo cursed a cabin, it took a week for the rhyming couplets to wear off."

I shuddered. Apollo was god of poetry as well as archery, and I'd heard him recite in person. I'd almost rather get shot by an arrow.

"And not even the rubber kind," Percy added along with a faint smile, but they could all see how forced it was. While it was nice to see some Camp shenanigans again, maybe these groups of kids working this out would even force Clarisse to work on her...issue.

This wasn't the usual friendly kid stuff though. They didn't need to see the Campers who couldn't keep a smile in place for more than a page lately to get the idea that the fun wasn't being brought back by some harmelss pranks.

"What are they fighting about anyway?" I asked.

Annabeth ignored me while she scribbled on her inspection scroll, giving both cabins a one out of five.

"Without even checking inside their actual cabin?" Will shook his head as if seriously disappointed. "For shame Annabeth, that's what you're supposed to be inspecting."

"I can inspect whatever I want to with that clipboard," she sniffed.

"She's been given to much power," Will groaned tragically. "I wasn't even involved in the fights, I gave them all equal medical care!"

"You let one of your siblings into the medical ward to write all over their charts their heads should be amputated," she corrected.

"I didn't let anyone go through with it," Will shrugged, but let it go, which made Nico wonder if it wasn't Will who had done that.

I found myself staring at her, which was stupid since I'd seen her a billion times. She and I were about the same height this summer, which was a relief. Still, she seemed so much more mature. It was kind of intimidating. I mean, sure, she'd always been cute, but she was starting to be seriously beautiful.

Percy couldn't find it in himself to be as embarrassed about that being thrown out as he probably should be, but there wasn't even that much snickering to fan the feeling. Why should he be embarrassed by something so true? She'd come in here attacking him with her lips for crying out loud.

Annabeth looked a tad more embarrassed than he did, but she wasn't going to let that one go no matter who saw. "Have I mentioned how pulchritudinous* you look lately?"

Only she could make up a word like that and Percy would still be left speechless with joy. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to go back in time to yesterday and kick his dumb-ass for not kissing her back when he finally had the chance.

He just sat there, frozen in time like he'd been since he woke up. He wanted to be angry with himself, or his dad, but he couldn't seem to rile up the feeling in himself looking at her smiling at him.

Finally she said, "That flying chariot."

"What?"

"You asked what they were fighting about."

"Oh. Oh, right."

Annabeth sighed, completely beside herself. Only Percy could manage to make forgetting a conversation in the middle of it endearing.

"They captured it in a raid in Philadelphia last week. Some of Luke's demigods were there with that flying chariot. The Apollo cabin seized it during the battle, but the Ares cabin led the raid. So they've been fighting about who gets it ever since."

"That's, it?" Magnus asked like he really was waiting for the rest.

"Pretty much," Will nodded, studying the corners of the book for wear and tear with a tight throat.

"You didn't try to, mediate that?" Nico asked in surprise.

"Mmm, was a little busy," he hedged rather than admit he'd been on his brother's side. To many years of Clarisse bullying everyone around there to get what she wanted finally reaching its point. He'd treated everyone who ended up in the medical wing the same, but he hadn't gone out of his way to stop any of his siblings either.

He wondered if Micheal resented him for that. As the next oldest, Will had always been a level headed kid. Shouldn't he have known better? What if he'd just tried to convince his only elder brother to turn over the stupid chariot? Then maybe Clarisse would have been there all along, maybe the battle would have been over sooner?

Nico wasn't sure how to comfort someone, he was usually the one being comforted, but Will hesitated to keep reading like this was eating at him. He just did what felt natural, what Will had kept doing for him, a very grounding feeling to reach over and cautiously take his hand. Will shot him a smile. He looked surprised, but not displeased as he took a breath before continuing. It wasn't exactly a good feeling, to be constantly reminded you couldn't do anything to help, that you'd been useless back then, but Nico knew from personal experience dwelling on it didn't do you any better.

We ducked as Michael Yew's chariot dive-bombed an Ares camper. The Ares camper tried to stab him and cuss him out in rhyming couplets. He was pretty creative about rhyming those cuss words.

"I see Will wasn't exactly being original when he cussed out Hera," Alex laughed in appreciation. "You really should have credited your sources man."

"I added my own flair," he smiled wryly, "it was more than enough to claim creative liberty."

'What?' Annabeth mouthed at Percy, clearly mildly impressed about missing this.

"Will didn't appreciate Hera only paid for us to go through and not a blanket demigods are safe thing," Percy murmured. "It was a whole thing."

"We're fighting for our lives," I said, "and they're bickering about some stupid chariot."

"They'll get over it," Annabeth said. "Clarisse will come to her senses."

"Why does Clarisse have to?" Jason still looked a bit resentful.

"Honestly, when has that girl ever had a sense to come to," Thalia rolled her eyes.

Jason gave her a sour look, obviously convinced she was just saying that to stay in his...graces.

She smiled faintly to herself for the accidental pun, but she really hadn't been. She wished those boys would just be humble enough to hand it over, they could have made history, it was so rare for a male hero to do any such thing.

I wasn't so sure. That didn't sound like the Clarisse I knew.

"I really hope this isn't the hill she wants to die on though," Magnus shook his head. It was a poor choice of words as he glanced at Thalia and knew how literal that could be.

I scanned more reports and we inspected a few more cabins. Demeter got a four.

"Did you give anyone a five?" Nico asked with amusement, already having the internal back and forth if anyone would give him even a one and to stop being so mean to the kids he hadn't given a chance to know.

"The Dinonysus Cabin won," Annabeth nodded. "Pollux was lounging in the sun sipping some Kool-Aid while everyone else was scrambling."

She didn't say it with much gusto though, his twin's bunk was covered in dust and it hadn't exactly felt like an achievement. She remembered Chiron offering to remove it and just put a single in there for him so it wouldn't be a constant reminder, but the strawberries had all withered in the field the second he mentioned it and Pollux had stalked off without bothering to answer.

Hephaestus got a three and probably should've gotten lower, but with Beckendorf being gone and all, we cut them some slack.

"Oh, so it's we now?" Thalia smirked. "Was this a two-way street Annabeth? Were you helping him file those reports?"

"Someone had to make sure they were alphabetized and it wasn't going to be him," she shrugged.

"G has it too good," Percy huffed, "it should go down there with the other reject letters."

"That's not for you to decide," she patiently reminded.

"Well who's is it then? I'll take it up with them!"

"I know you would," she groaned.

Hermes got a two, which was no surprise. All campers who didn't know their godly parentage were shoved into the Hermes cabin, and since the gods were kind of forgetful, that cabin was always overcrowded.

That sounded strange to Percy's ears for some reason, as he started scratching behind one absently. It had been that way since he'd come to camp, but it still sounded weirder every time someone said it out loud.

Finally we got to Athena's cabin, which was orderly and clean as usual. Books were straightened on the shelves. The armor was polished. Battle maps and blueprints decorated the walls. Only Annabeth's bunk was messy. It was covered in papers, and her silver laptop was still running.

Annabeth grinned along at the mild laughter that came with that. Her tired eyes sank closed for a few minutes as she repressed a shiver, how her bunk looked like an abandoned crypt nowadays with how she'd been treating it, but her eyes snapped open just as quickly. Artemis had put her in here for a reason. Percy needed to get through this.

"Vlacas," Annabeth muttered, which was basically calling herself an idiot in Greek.

"Got to admire a universal language," Magnus chuckled, he hadn't needed the translation.

Her second-in-command, Malcolm, suppressed a smile. "Yeah, um . . . we cleaned everything else. Didn't know if it was safe to move your notes."

That was probably smart. Annabeth had a bronze knife that she reserved just for monsters and people who messed with her stuff.

"Which I have been on the receiving end of," Percy assured any curious minds.

"Oh, we're aware," Thalia chuckled. He had the emotional scars to prove it.

Malcolm grinned at me. "We'll wait outside while you finish inspection." The Athena campers filed out the door while Annabeth cleaned up her bunk.

"You can really see why these kids are all considered to be the reasonable and smart ones," Nico smirked.

"If you can ever find them all in one place without Annabeth, assume they've vacated their cabin for a reason," Will sighed in agreement.

I shuffled uneasily and pretended to go through some more reports. Technically, even on inspection, it was against camp rules for two campers to be . . . like, alone in a cabin.

"Like alone alone?" Alex mocked at once. "Like you two sleeping in the same room alone? Like you two being constantly joined at the hip?"

Annabeth and Percy blushed furiously, not having even considered the others trapped in here would have pieced together where she had slept last night. Their ankles retracted, and there was an actual whole inch of space between them now.

Alex felt a little bad for teasing them, but not that much when they instantly relaxed upon Will continuing to read as if nothing had happened and Magnus's tense shoulders also relaxing just a hair when he obviously had not wanted to bear the rest of this existing a second ago. His cousin wasn't about to crawl into Percy's lap and fawn all over him about being embarrassed at any rate.

That rule had come up a lot when Silena and Beckendorf started dating.

"You act like those two are the first to ever date around camp," Will rolled his eyes. "I don't know about Percy, but I learned pretty fast where not to go when two people were sneaking off."

"Percy doesn't have as much experience as us Will," Annabeth said with a faint smirk. "Remember Alexis and Chrissy? Chiron started walking around with a bucket of water at the ready for a week before they finally took a hint."

Percy decided he didn't want any more detail on that, mainly because he didn't recognize their names, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what happened to them.

And I know some of you might be thinking, Aren't all demigods related on the godly side, and doesn't that make dating gross?

"You are one paranoid dudette, you know that Perce," Alex told him.

"I don't know who this is being written for!" Percy reminded in exasperation. Mercially nobody in here did seem to question the godly aspects to much, they were all more prone to letting that slide.

Annabeth quirked a brow why Alex had called him that, but Thalia mouthed she'd try to explain later.

But the thing is, the godly side of your family doesn't count, genetically speaking, since gods don't have DNA.

A demigod would never think about dating someone who had the same godly parent. Like two kids from Athena cabin? No way. But a daughter of Aphrodite and a son of Hephaestus? They're not related. So it's no problem.

Anyway,

"Percy's favorite word to gloss over any other context needed," Magnus for once said in relief. It didn't stop his own mind bubbling up the question what a child of two demigods would be. A quarter god and mortal and...? What ratio of godly blood and human traits would go on there?

He thanked whatever god was listening in at least his cousin didn't seem to be hopping on the teen pregnancy runaway model anytime soon regardless of the answer.

for some strange reason I was thinking about this as I watched Annabeth straighten up.

"For some strange reason," Will repeated that somehow more painfully the second time like he was trying to inhale with broken ribs. His voice cracked and he couldn't have put any more sarcasm into that if he tried.

Percy gave him a tragic look that went ignored as he let the others get their snickers in.

She closed her laptop, which had been given to her as a gift from the inventor Daedalus last summer.

I cleared my throat. "So . . . get any good info from that thing?"

"Like building robot boyfriends? Or unbreakable dunce caps? You know, for totally unrelated people," Thalia said while pointing at Percy the whole time.

"Percy hardly needs a robot boyfriend Thalia," Annabeth scoffed while Percy spluttered painfully and the others just could not seem to catch their breath lately.

"Too much," she said. "Daedalus had so many ideas, I could spend fifty years just trying to figure them all out."

"Yeah," I muttered. "That would be fun."

Percy's brain hard-glitched to Annabeth at sixty, her blonde hair more streaked with silver, her face naturally withered from smile lines and the sun rather than the exhaustion it was now. She'd probably had three arthritis surgeries by then like his mom needed-

Will kept reading after a casual breath and Percy's brain hardwired back like nothing had happened. He tried desperately to keep a straight face in hopes it would stay that way and the book wouldn't rat him out!

She shuffled her papers—mostly drawings of buildings and a bunch of handwritten notes. I knew she wanted to be an architect someday, but I'd learned the hard way not to ask what she was working on.

Jason about leaped out of his seat with joy though as he finally got the chance to ask, "hey did you read any more about Frank Lloyd Wright style houses?! I know prairie dogs came up at one point, but I can't for the life of me remember why!"

Annabeth's face lit up like he'd just become her new favorite project. "He invented prairie style!"

That was all it took for the two to go off. It took about five words before Percy was convinced they were inventing their own language on the spot. He exchanged a miserable look with Thalia, whom he was surprised to see a touch of his own jealousy in her pursed lips at how easily the two got on. He couldn't begin to guess why she'd kept such a big secret to herself, but he had confidence they'd work it out. She had to have had her reasons.

For a moment it seemed like absolutely nobody was going to put a stop to this. Magnus and Alex were starting to sign to each other, very obviously counting something even if it wasn't how people usually flashed numbers, and Will was just relaxing with a smile on his face like he was having the time of his life as usual at the chaos of this place.

So Nico finally put his hands to his ears, for once not because the idea of Annabeth's voice was annoying him. "Make it stop or I will pitch myself off whatever roof you two won't shut up about!"

Jason looked particularly put out and Nico felt bad, honestly, but somebody apparently needed to step in and remind these guys that book existed.

Annabeth was looking at him like she'd never seen him before. There was an odd smile slowly appearing on her face Nico didn't know how to react to and so was all the more glad when Will chuckled and went to keep going while Nico quickly turned to Jason and promised, "she'll drive you nuts when we get out of here going over this stuff, trust me."

"Yeah, erm, fair enough," Jason cleared his throat and seemed appeased enough to let it go, but Annabeth was still watching Nico with that strange smile he was more than happy to turn away from.

She'd start talking about angles and load-bearing joints until my eyes glazed over.

"You know . . ." She brushed her hair behind her ear, like she does when she's nervous.

"You might should be a tad concerned Annabeth," Alex told her seriously. "The boy probably knows everything from your hat size to your blood type."

"It's a mutually beneficial relationship," she assured, watching Percy's still simmering jealousy quickly flip to nerves as he snapped to waving at the book for a way out of this.

"This whole thing with Beckendorf and Silena. It kind of makes you think. About . . . what's important. About losing people who are important."

I nodded. My brain started seizing on little random details, like the fact that she was still wearing those silver owl earrings from her dad, who was this brainiac military history professor in San Francisco.

"Urn, yeah," I stammered. "Like . . . is everything cool with your family?"

Annabeth had wished she could smash her prized Deaduls laptop over his head back then, and the feeling kind of carried over now. He really wasn't as dense as Clarisse always said he was. He was just...not acting on any useful thoughts?!

The sigh that she released caused Percy to start examining his shoelaces very intently.

Okay, really stupid question, but hey, I was nervous.

Annabeth looked disappointed, but she nodded.

"My dad wanted to take me to Greece this summer," she said wistfully.

Jason felt a sick feeling at the idea of that place, like someone was describing these weird Greek gods to him again for the first time.  It was even more powerful, it felt knitted into his bones, this bad feeling of just the mention of Greece. He knew he could talk shop with Annabeth all day about the Parthenon and the Coluseiums and maybe even a Michelangelo or two, but the idea of going there gave him a pretty good idea of what sinking into a vat of acid must feel like.

He tried to shake it off, but he almost didn't want to. That rare feeling he got, of a ghost whispering in his ear was back. He'd talked to someone about this, in his past life. He'd wanted to go there and maybe had plans to do it with someone as important to him as Annabeth was to Percy...but that couldn't be right. He'd surely have one solid memory about them if that were the case...

Greece held no answers for him though. Of this he knew, so he had no choice but to let the feeling pass.

 "I've always wanted to see—"

"The Parthenon," I remembered.

Percy and Annabeth exchanged smiles. The small, happy kind they'd flash each other any day of the week in the middle of a conversation because they weren't arguing. It was just a normal feeling for a moment as they relaxed in their seat neither of them had felt in far to long.

She managed a smile. "Yeah."

"That's okay. There'll be other summers, right?"

As soon as I said it, I realized it was a boneheaded comment.

"I think I finally figured out how to make Percy a brain filter," Nico chuckled.

"And take away these moments? Nico, you'd be depriving Annabeth of so much," Will said tragically.

"I vote against extra bones being shoved into his ears," Annabeth nodded.

"Oh thank Gods," Percy put his hand to his forehead as if genuinely grateful too.

I was facing the end of my days. Within a week, Olympus might fall. If the Age of the Gods really did end, the world as we knew it would dissolve into chaos. Demigods would be hunted to extinction. There would be no more summers for us.

"So wouldn't Greece be the perfect place to go?" Alex said. He probably had a bucket list ten pages long from experience for when doomsday approached. "Scene of the crime, maybe a place the gods are at their most powerful, yada yada."

"I was a little busy but kind of considering that plan Q," Annabeth shrugged.

Annabeth stared at her inspection scroll. "Three out five," she muttered, "for a sloppy head counselor.

"Harsh," Jason winced. "Your siblings should have been consulted on that, they would have given you at least a four, if not a five."

"My siblings were to busy staring at blank screens full of ideas to deal with me half the time," Annabeth shook her head.

Come on. Let's finish your reports and get back to Chiron."

On the way to the Big House, we read the last report, which was handwritten on a maple leaf from a satyr in Canada. If possible, the note made me feel even worse.

" 'Dear Grover,'" I read aloud. " 'Woods outside Toronto attacked by giant evil badger. Tried to do as you suggested and summon power of Pan. No effect. Many naiads' trees destroyed. Retreating to Ottawa. Please advise. Where are you? —Gleeson Hedge, protector.'"

How did this feeling of dread just keep getting worse and worse? Even Will's usual upbeat charm was starting to flag with exhaustion at having to live through this twice. Grover was out there doing his best with the weight of nature on his shoulders getting mail like this?

Will hadn't seen him around camp much, he really hadn't known Grover any better than the other satyrs. Gleeson Hedge was one he hadn't heard in years, but he vaguely remembered from his first few months around camp him being one of the best searchers and protectors to get kids to camp.

It took effort to keep reading, knowing the happy end in sight, but Will kept doing it anyways for the sake of his own belief there had to be some good to be found in all this in the meantime.

Annabeth grimaced. "You haven't heard anything from him? Even with your empathy link?"

I shook my head dejectedly.

Percy didn't have to strain his mind to remember every detail of that worried frown on her face anymore, he was looking at it in person. He wanted to ask if Grover was okay now, but he knew the consequences he'd get for asking that.

He still took a quiet moment not to panic that he knew Annabeth was just as worried as he was. Sharing that somehow made it feel less smothering, and Grover was her protector first. Annabeth might have had Thalia and Luke as her first family, but Grover had been there that day too to get her home, she'd do everything he would to make sure they could return the favor, even go on a quest and make friends with a Cyclops all over again.

Ever since last summer when the god Pan had died, our friend Grover had been drifting farther and farther away. The Council of Cloven Elders treated him like an outcast, but Grover still traveled all over the East Coast, trying to spread the word about Pan and convince nature spirits to protect their own little bits of the wild. He'd only come back to camp a few times to see his girlfriend, Juniper.

Last I'd heard he was in Central Park organizing the dryads, but nobody had seen or heard from him in two months. We'd tried to send Iris-messages. They never got through. I had an empathy link with Grover, so I hoped I would know if anything bad happened to him. Grover had told me one time that if he died, the empathy link might kill me too. But I wasn't sure if that was still true or not.

Annabeth made a soft noise of disquiet, that she couldn't get in contact with Grover and put his mind at ease that she'd found Percy, that he was safe. Chiron as well. It was a feeling she knew so well, those past months of not being stressed over the whereabouts of someone had been like a dream that was finally popped being down here.

I wondered if he was still in Manhattan. Then I thought about my dream of Rachel's sketch—dark clouds closing on the city, an army gathered around the Empire State Building.

"Annabeth."

"I'm surprised it took you this long to tell her about this," Magnus admitted. "I honestly thought you'd go shake her awake. No matter how scared you are of confronting your crush with Rachel."

Percy looked at him completely wounded. "I thought we were friends, what did I do to deserve that?"

"He's just trying to impress Annabeth with pointing out the obvious," Alex rolled his eyes.

Annabeth was just smiling at the pair, because Percy hadn't denied he was afraid of his crush on her, and her cousin was just casually teasing Percy like it was Sunday dinner, something she'd only ever had at Camp and Sally's home. It felt so homely down here with these guys all constantly going at each other, and she'd never imagined before a part of her mortal family would ever mix so well with Percy.

I stopped her by the tetherball court. I knew I was asking for trouble, but I didn't know who else to trust. Plus, I'd always depended on Annabeth for advice. "Listen, I had this dream about, um, Rachel . . ."

I told her the whole thing, even the weird picture of Luke as a child.

For a while she didn't say anything. Then she rolled up her inspection scroll so tight she ripped it.

"Tell me how you really feel," Alex snorted.

"Like Percy makes me want to ring his neck more than any person I've ever met," Annabeth sighed. She didn't want to hear that Percy had been dreaming of Rachel, that he'd seen an image of a happier Luke than she'd ever known, that they were right and Typhoon was just a distraction. The briefest flare of light she'd gotten in Percy coming to her, always knowing he could confide in her just hurt so much because he was probably going to die in a matter of days and she'd never get to hear this idiot try and gloss over and summarize the most important things in their life again.

Percy's beanbag made a loud farting noise as he shifted around in it, back and forth a couple of times while he avoided looking at her, and she cracked up, letting out a chuckle just for him. It was all behind them, she kept promising herself. This was just some divine punishment from her mom or something for being so blissfully happy this fall. They just had to live through it all one more time and then they'd be free.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I'm not sure.

"If I knew what I wanted you to say I wouldn't have asked you," Percy said with a level look at her. "I do not just make up an image of you in my head to give me the best advice, I need you to do that in person."

"Well that's a relief," Annabeth smiled. "For a while there I was pretty sure you just tuned me out and only heard every other word."

"More like every five words," Percy grinned.

"At least he admits it," Annabeth nodded to herself as if confirming a long-time theory.

You're the best strategist I know. If you were Kronos planning this war, what would you do next?"

"I'd use Typhon as a distraction. Then I'd hit Olympus directly, while the gods were in the West."

"Just like in Rachel's picture."

"Percy," she said, her voice tight, "Rachel is just a mortal."

"Um, one of these things is not like the other," Jason frowned at her switching topics from tactics. "Percy's just asking you to confirm Rachel's vision, what does her being mortal have to do with anything?" Mortals playing a part in Percy's world had just been natural from the first page, despite the Mist trying to obscure them out of it, Percy had always had one foot in each.

"She's mortal," Annabeth told him scathingly, causing Jason to lean back in surprise at the sharp tone. "She shouldn't have been having visions!"

"The oracles were never mortal?" Alex asked, clearly no fear of directing Annabeth's anger to himself. "Sally has clear sight, Rachel's drawings are clearly just another level higher. It wouldn't really surprise me if Sally's books were just dreams she has, detailed descriptions of ancient Greek myths told in 'today's language'."

Annabeth huffed at these outsiders to her world, her camp, questioning this. The feeling faded as she glanced at Percy, who was watching with his own troubled frown. None of this had made any sense to him back then, and she was loath to make it worse the second time around by arguing about something she knew to be true, even if logically it still bothered her and didn't seem to anybody else. Where were the mortals in her life to believe her?

"But what if her dream is true? Those other Titans—they said Olympus would be destroyed in a matter of days. They said they had plenty of other challenges. And what's with that picture of Luke as a kid—"

"We'll just have to be ready."

"How?" I said. "Look at our camp. We can't even stop fighting each other. And I'm supposed to get my stupid soul reaped."

Annabeth could still feel that bubbling anger ready to lash out at him for talking like this. For demanding she have the answer to saving his life, for acting like the end of the world was a done deal and nothing they ever did or could possibly be would matter. She'd thought Percy was the one person who would never give up, and here he was acting just like Luke, trying to bow out of everything and leave it all to her.

She used her best pair of hiking boots to mentally squash back down that idea, knowing it for what it was now. She took an unsteady breath, remembering well the next words out of her mouth, and already preparing an apology she just hoped Percy would accept, rather than vanishing from her side again, storming out of here with his new friends and leaving her.

She threw down her scroll.

Thalia quirked a brow, imagining Chiron picking up his inspection scroll ripped and covered in mud and giving Annabeth the look. Annabeth was to distracted to notice.

"I knew we shouldn't have shown you the prophecy." Her voice was angry and hurt. "All it did was scare you. You run away from things when you're scared."

Annabeth's face was turning red from embarrassment, they could tell from the way she kept violently brushing at her hair it was that instead of continued anger.

Magnus didn't know if Alex would figure out all the signs, but he tried, 'is she talking about the same Percy we know?'

Alex seemed to get the idea, but couldn't seem to figure out the signs he wanted to say back before Will read over the awkward silence.

I stared at her, completely stunned. "Me? Run away?"

Nico still instinctively wanted to laugh, but he knew Annabeth wasn't talking bout the Chimera or some minor God on Ares's chariot. Percy would run from danger for a strategic retreat if he saw no other way.

Instead he felt what she meant more clearly than he ever would have thought for her, again. Percy had been addressing him, talking to him like nothing had happened since he'd flat admitted he liked him to his face and yet Percy never once tried to say anything to him! Percy had, as well as he could down here, run away from that conversation by literally never broaching it again. He didn't think that made Percy a coward, considering he couldn't count on one hand all the feelings he actively tried to avoid, but he could understand why Annabeth would feel that way.

She got right in my face. "Yes, you. You're a coward, Percy Jackson!"

Percy felt like that yellow carnation Persephone had once given him, flowers wilting and falling sadly to the floor while two sad bunny ears remained. She couldn't still mean that, not with the exuberant way she'd greeted him...but gods did he remember how close they were so vividly, ever angry red curve of her face...

We were nose to nose. Her eyes were red, and I suddenly realized that when she called me a coward, maybe she wasn't talking about the prophecy.

"At least you got that part," Thalia said with the expression of someone wishing to be on another planet, low gravity atmosphere and all.

"Uhuh," Percy groaned, likely to join her whether it had breathable air or not.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth managed to say around a tight throat, her eyes trying to catch his and failing as he studied what must be The Most Fascinating shoelaces on the planet. "I'm sorry for that Percy, you didn't deserve that."

"Well, you weren't, wrong," Percy said in a scary even voice. He'd been an entire emotional mess down here between her, Rachel, Calypso, and even Nico giving him heart failure. The loathing he had for Aphrodite in that limo probably wasn't healthy right now. Nothing in his life was ever easy, and now Annabeth had finally had enough of him making a big deal out of everything and was probably going to run off into the sunset with Jason or something.

"I don't mean that," she tried to tell him, her hands shaking with the repressed force not to grab his face and make him look at her. She wished she had some vellum plotter paper to map out the perfect way to make him understand that, but she didn't think these guys would sit around for half a day while she got her thoughts wholly in order. She felt to put on the spot now to manage it. Give her a monster any day to come up with a strategy, but not this!

All he heard was that she had meant it at the time. What in all the Gods names had changed?

Will was looking pleadingly at Thalia for a hint of what to do, he sure didn't want to stick his foot into this. Thalia just waved him on. They'd worked this out once, she just prayed they would again. The problem was she didn't even know who she was praying to anymore.

"If you don't like our chances," she said, "maybe you should go on that vacation with Rachel."

"Annabeth—"

"If you don't like our company."

"That's not fair!"

She pushed past me and stormed toward the strawberry fields. She hit the tetherball as she passed and sent it spinning angrily around the pole.

Annabeth was shaking her head slowly, her hands in fists like she still wanted to slug something. Probably Percy. Shit, shit, shit, was now the only coherent thought in her head. Great, perfect, shit, this is exactly the kind of thing she hoped Percy would remember!

As miserable as reliving this feeling was, Annabeth just pressed herself into her seat beside him, slowly unfurling her hand to leave her palm up on her knee and hoping he'd take the invitation when he was ready. She might not be able to think of a way to say sorry any better, but she also knew she wouldn't have glossed over this if given the chance. She'd never take away a chance for Percy to remember everything that had happened to him. This was his life, even if she wished she'd acted better in it. Shit.  "Sorry," she whispered again, really wanting him to know she meant that even if she couldn't apologize better.

He finally looked at her again, and smiled. Just a small, tentative pull on his lips, and then shrugged. She knew he'd forgiven her...eventually.

I'd like to say my day got better from there. Of course it didn't.

Alex cleared his throat and clearly felt it was time to get back to important matters. "Mrs. O'Leary has a litter of puppies and they're terrorizing everyone!"

"The fridge broke in the Big House and Percy's distraught because even he couldn't eat all that food before it spoiled," Jason made a tragic face.

"Some new camper mistakes Percy for a God and he has a panic attack because wholly crap, how has he lived this long again," Magnus smirked, this newest time of pissing off Annabeth just reinforcing that concept.

Percy chuckled again, a smooth noise that helped Annabeth to relax all the more. "Their favorite game," he explained to her.

"I like it," she nodded, honestly wishing for him that was the worst thing to happen to him the rest of the summer instead of the burial.

That afternoon we had an assembly at the campfire to burn Beckendorf's burial shroud and say our good-byes.

The smiles melted away like fire was known to do to anything after to long. Will could all to easily imagine the magical color going nuts in here, dancing in bright colors one second and then turning dim and black the next. It was probably a good thing Oceanus didn't have his own, they might have a stroke from the constant strobing colors.

Even the Ares and Apollo cabins called a temporary truce to attend.

Beckendorf's shroud was made out of metal links, like chain mail. I didn't see how it would burn, but the Fates must've been helping out.

"I heard a rumor while I was at camp that was the flame Prometheus stole for the humans," Thalia said, her tone nothing but respectful, but shooting a very obvious look at Percy. "I wonder why you haven't heard such a thing, didn't you ever wonder at its properties?" It took more than just a casual flame to melt a body, though that wasn't a thing she'd expect anyone to casually know.

It didn't get a rise out of him anyways, he just winced and gave her a lopsided scowl. She should have known better, but between Annabeth's miserable look and Percy's even more miserable state, she'd really been hoping for something she obviously wasn't getting.

The metal melted in the fire and turned to golden smoke, which rose into the sky. The campfire flames always reflected the campers' moods, and today they burned black.

I hoped Beckendorf's spirit would end up in Elysium. Maybe he'd even choose to be reborn and try for Elysium in three different lifetimes so he could reach the Isles of the Blest, which was like the Underworld's ultimate party headquarters. If anyone deserved it, Beckendorf did.

Nico wished he could reassure him that was what happened. Or even just happened to have the records on him he could 'accidentally' drop. He only hesitated because he knew Percy was about to take a trip to the Underworld with him. Thalia had just given a pretty careless stab to his memories bringing up something in five seconds, and he didn't want to continue the trend even slightly.

Annabeth left without a word to me.

She wasn't going to have her last words to him be at a funeral, no way in Hades. Some part of her had kept saying if she never bothered to talk to him again then she'd never have to say any last words to him, because obviously, he was going to just follow her around and agree he was a coward and pull her close and kiss her and promise it was all going to be okay any second now.

Most of the other campers drifted off to their afternoon activities.

Magnus could easily see how. He did his best not to flip over sleeping bags and piles of trash, it was just better to keep walking and move on and tell yourself at the next corner what your destination was.

I just stood there staring at the dying fire. Silena sat nearby crying, while Clarisse and her boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, tried to comfort her.

Finally I got up the nerve to walk over.

"Now that takes some bravery," Annabeth said, almost as if to herself. If he couldn't manage that kind of emotional response to her, at least he had for others who mattered. It was more than possible Silena had remembered this moment when she'd been putting on Clarisse's helmet. Whatever Percy was about to say to her, she knew it would be something genuinely good and heartfelt.

Or he might just ask her if she had any of those chocolates left.

Percy heard anyways and gave her a hopeful smile. He didn't care when it had worked out in his past. He'd already forgiven her in here. How could he not with the way she made him feel just by sitting next to him?

"Hey, Silena, I'm really sorry."

She sniffled. Clarisse glared at me, but she always glares at everyone. Chris would barely look at me.

Alex felt a rising sense of anger he didn't know how he was going to act on if this guy was going to blame Percy for Beckendorf's death. Just because he'd gotten out didn't mean Percy had the obligation to save everyone, even if Percy put it on himself!

He'd been one of Luke's men until Clarisse rescued him from the Labyrinth last summer, and I guess he still felt guilty about it.

His temper instantly cooled though, and he was glad it was Percy over there rather than any other child around who might be thinking this was somehow Chris's fault.

I cleared my throat. "Silena, you know Beckendorf carried your picture. He looked at it right before we went into battle. You meant a lot to him. You made the last year the best of his life."

Silena sobbed.

Percy looked as if her mom had just appeared for round two of cooing over his 'interesting' love life. Gods, how did he always manage to make everything worse!

"It was the good kind of sob," Annabeth whispered that promise. The kind she still felt constantly on the edge of knowing he was here, safe and alive. A sob of relief and pain wound together for Silena to know without a doubt a fact Beckendorf might never have told her himself, that he'd truly loved her as much as anyone could.

Percy really looked at her again, and smiled. A completely normal one.

"Good work, Percy," Clarisse muttered.

"First time Clarisse has ever said that to me?" Percy asked with an awkward smile.

"The only time anyone's ever said that to you," Jason looked to pitifully at him to mean that as a joke though. As far as he recalled, only Will had said it to him, and they weren't even sure when that guy was actually sarcastic.

"No, it's all right," Silena said. "Thank . . . thank you, Percy. I should go."

"You want company?" Clarisse asked.

Silena shook her head and ran off.

"She's stronger than she looks," Clarisse muttered, almost to herself. "She'll survive."

Annabeth wasn't so sure, not with the move she'd pulled. She really wasn't sure if Selena expected to make it back from that trip.

A horrible image flashed across her mind, of Thalia coming back from this telling her Percy hadn't made it. If her sister had laid proof at her feet. She'd already been withering away into nothing with not knowing. She wouldn't have needed Nico's assistance to attain vengeful spirit levels soon. Her stomach heaved at the idea- and Percy finally slipped his hand back into hers. His face was to pale under his tan skin.

For once she hoped she wasn't right in thinking, the same thoughts had been flitting across his mind.

"You could help with that," I suggested. "You could honor Beckendorf's memory by fighting with us."

"Percy, nobody was asking you to stage your own funeral again," Jason groaned.

"I'm the prince of telling someone they're being an idiot," Percy rolled his eyes.

"Everybody except yourself," Magnus smirked.

"Dude," Percy groaned.

"I know, I know," he promised, raising his hands in surrender. Not a person would sit around and tell Percy how he should have been feeling, and he'd keep it that way. That didn't mean he couldn't have his fun in the meantime until past Percy reached this Percy.

Clarisse went for her knife, but it wasn't there anymore. She'd thrown it on the Ping-Pong table in the Big House.

It was such a vivid mental image that crossed Will's mind. How Percy wouldn't have even blinked, let alone backed up. Percy would have said that to Ares's face, let alone one of his kids, without caring about the consequences.

"Not my problem," she growled. "My cabin doesn't get honor, I don't fight."

Jason twined his coin agily through his fingers, his eyes flipping just as fast to Thalia and away. He wished he could blame this feeling on her, but even if he knew why he resonated with that, he didn't think it was his sister's fault. He could sense that much. He had no emotional attachment to her other than an idea in his head. He'd had more of a feeling hearing Hylla's name than any time he'd spent around Thalia. She'd been trying to tell him something, before he'd kicked up the winds and his head hurt so bad he couldn't hear a thing. The guilty looks she so often gave him, now more than ever...no. This feeling of honor, duty, an obligation to fight whether you wanted to or not he felt so compelled to speak with Clraisse about had nothing to do with any part his sister did or didn't play in his life.

I noticed she wasn't speaking in rhymes. Maybe she hadn't been around when her cabinmates got cursed, or maybe she had a way of breaking the spell.

Chris might, Nico frowned at the sudden nagging thought. He'd spent time in that Labyrinth before it had broken his mind, and then Mr. D put it back together. Nico knew from experience what kind of things and monsters you could come across down there. Maybe just enough to help pass onto his girlfriend to get out of some minor annoyance possessing her tongue.

Will chuckled, a noise that always broke through his dark thoughts nowadays, and said, "or she just ate some ambrosia."

"Oh, right," Percy nodded, though it had never occurred to him that stuff would cure minor things like that.

"Why wouldn't her siblings have just done that by now too?" Magnus asked skeptically.

"Ah, there might not have been, you know, much available. The stock isn't just handed out to anybody with a scrapped knee," Will said saintly.

"You little shit," Alex threw his head back laughing.

"Chris must have snuck in and gotten some for her," Will nodded, he was much stealthier than his halfbrothers. "Guess none of the other Ares kids thought to ask for help."

"Sounds about right," Annabeth nodded.

With a chill, I wondered if Clarisse could be Kronos's spy at camp.**

Percy might as well have gone around and slapped every one of them in the face.

It's not as if this was a wild concept, he'd had crazier plans that worked out flawlessly, that was kind of why it hurt so bad. They all would have sat around and seen it coming and done nothing to stop it.

Clarisse cared about her home. She was now showing, pretty clearly, she cared more about the grounds by refusing to fight for the people inside the cabins. None of them would have said it out loud though because they'd all slowly grown to like Clarisse a bit over Percy getting to know her.

Will sounded tired as he read that. He'd never wanted to be thrown down memory lane like a bowling ball and have to relive these months at Camp, like he could see all over again Micheal showing up in the infirmary with his hands covered in blood, having flashbacks to the red-soaked golden cloth Lee had been burned in as he cleaned up his brother and muttering to himself a revenge he'd never actually go through with on which Ares brat had done this.

It wasn't really helping Clraisse's case right now nobody in here was jumping down Percy's throat to deny it.

Was that why she was keeping her cabin out of the fight? But as much as I disliked Clarisse, spying for the Titans didn't seem like her style.

"Her style," Alex had a really twisted laugh sometimes. "What kind of style do you think the traitor has exactly? The rub your face in it kind?"

"Clarisse doesn't have a subtle bone in her body to be managing it this long," but even to his own ears Jason sounded lackluster. It could have been any nameless kid at Camp...but the truth was it was probably one of the Head Councilers by now, if not someone who had been there just as long, somebody Percy would know for Luke to so constantly be up to date.

"All right," I told her. "I didn't want to bring this up, but you owe me one. You'd be rotting in a Cyclops's cave in the Sea of Monsters if it wasn't for me."

Annabeth tipped her head to the side with interest to hear this. She had no clue how Clarisse would react, being reminded that someone had to save her, help her, and Percy really was the one most often to do it, between Heaphestus's cows he and Tyson had helped dismantle and this instance...plus apparently something to do with a sea monster?

Honestly the only person in camp whom Annabeth assumed could call in a favor like this to Clarisse was Mr. D for curing Chris.

She clenched her jaw. "Any other favor, Percy. Not this.

Annabeth balked, looking from Percy to the book with insulting surprise. She'd never heard of Clarisse agreeing she owed a favor to anyone!

He just smirked back. Yeah, he still hadn't called in that favor with Clarisse either as far as he knew. That could be fun.

The Ares cabin has been dissed too many times. And don't think I don't know what people say about me behind my back."

Me, Nico noticed with interest, not us, not Ares. Me. He really had the feeling it wasn't so much pride in her dad that was wounded, but Clarisse felt constantly disrespected for being the first person to always run headfirst into battle. He didn't care how many kids had been on this mission, he could easily envision this girl charging in first and defeating at least half the enemies before the Apollo kids drew their bows, and then she probably wasn't even given a thanks before they claimed their prize.

He saw Jason rapping his knuckle with the golden coin gleaming through two fingers rapidly on his other hand, felt the frustration radiating off of him.

"The Camp respects Clarssie plenty last I was there," he whispered quietly as a breath to him. A risky gamble, he didn't want Jason tipping Percy off, but he didn't see the harm in denying one of Percy's ideas so long as he didn't toy with eluding the right person to him, and Jason sure couldn't do that with such an assurance.

Jason gave him a smile of relief. He wasn't sure what Jason's fondness for Clarisse was, but he understood parts of it.

I wanted to say, Well, it's true. But I bit my tongue.

"So, what—you're just going to let Kronos crush us?" I asked.

"If you want my help so bad, tell Apollo to give us the chariot."

"You're such a big baby."

She charged me, but Chris got between us.

"That is the bravest man in camp," Magnus said with a mild whimper in his voice. He might rather have the dragon charge him than that girl.

"Kind of got to give him that one," Percy nodded, he'd been planning on using the lake to get out of dying.

"Whoa, guys," he said. "Clarisse, you know, maybe he's got a point."

She sneered at him. "Not you too!" She trudged off with Chris at her heels.

"Hey, wait! I just meant—Clarisse, wait!"

I watched the last sparks from Beckendorf's fire curl into the afternoon sky. Then I headed toward the sword-fighting arena. I needed a break, and I wanted to see an old friend.

Will nearly groaned in relief as he realized he was done, he could pass this mess along to the next person. His throat was soar, his hands were starting to shake. It hurt a lot more than he would have expected it to, since he'd known this was coming from the first page, but he really was not having a good time right now.

He had to lean across Nico to put the book in Jason's hands, and it was an easy excuse to prop his hand behind Nico's seat and leave it there as he stretched out in relief and Nico gave him an indulgent look as Will fell right back into his personal space.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

*That is not a made up word, but a synonym for beautiful, and it made me laugh way to hard not to share it.

**Little kid me did in fact think it was Clarisse the spy this entire time. I thought I was so clever and Percy was just confirming it here. Her dad had been so easily manipulated back in the first book, and Clarisse had been around as long as Annabeth, and then it felt all but confirmed in the fourth book when she was shown being so close to Chris, well how else would they have met except her frequent spying and reporting to Luke. Obviously Luke had probably been sending Chris in his place a few times and they'd fallen in love.

I know that's the point and I fell for it all hook, line, and sinker, but I don't think I ever would have guessed now as an adult reading this. Silena doesn't have any background before this book; but let me know your guesses. Did anybody see the traitor coming?

[sourcreammachine]

so the party manifestos won’t be published for a few weeks prolly, but the Labour Party policymaking system means they have an internal “policy platform” agreed by the partisan structure that kinda dictates what goes in the manifesto, and a similar partisan structure has the final say on the manifesto itself. the platform is private and internal, but it’s been “seen and summarised”. so heres a couple of interesting bits:

nationalise the rail; allow greater municipal ownership of bus networks; more ev charging stations and increased ev subsidies

“fundamentally reform our system of energy supply, generation and transmission” via public ownership, but without stating whether or not this includes consumer services or if the private wholesale system will continue

abolish the Lords; votes at 16; NO commitment to abolishing FPTP

“support the recognition of” palestine (note wording, and note the fact this was written before 7 october)

ban conversion therapy including for trans people; “modernise the process of gender recognition to remove indignities for trans people, while upholding the Equality Act, its protected characteristics and its provision for single-sex exemptions” (obviously using terf dogwhistles to get out of meaningfully reforming the law, without clarifying their plans)

sewage monitoring and fines for sewage leaks by water companies – water remains private

“land-use framework” to organise farmland with the goal of biodiversity, close hunting loopholes

intellectual property reform, maybe? they’re very vague about that one

one-month waiting time for mental health services

“reform broken tuition fees system” – NO commitment to abolition and debt forgiveness, only this squirmy line

“robust regulation to protect people from online harms” – basically equivocating to allow any possible passage of a bad internet bill :/

£28B green energy investment; double onshore wind, quadruple offshore wind; reinstate fracking ban and stop new oil/gas; “green energy by 2030”, whatever that means. weirdly fetishistic about hydrogen power

VERY, VERY little mention of City oversight and reform. City to remain extremely independent, capital to continue flowing

abolish leaseholds; end ‘arcane’ land laws; end no-fault evictions

football regulator; reform gambling laws

end fire-rehire; more regulation for two-tier employee/contractor workplace inequalities; more statutory workers’ rights; ban zerohours with more than 12h/week, “right to a contract”; change the minimum wage quango to account for cost of living, potentially hiking the minimum wage by several pounds

repeal a number of union-busting acts; regulate gig economies to statutorily allow the right to unionise; increase rights for unions to organise and manage themselves

ethics quango to enforce the ministerial code for the first time in its history; ban second jobs for MPs with very limited exceptions for professionals; ban former ministers from lobbying for five years; political finance reforms to restrict financing by shell companies

certain devolutionary powers for english local authorities on request; shrink whitehall, let the civil service go elsewhere

“respect orders”, ASBOs 2; domestic abuse register; misogyny as a hatecrime; ‘protect the right to protest’, explicitly opposing the public order bill without committing to overturn it

but yeah, the starmer leadership may leave some things on the cutting room floor, and the starmer government may act totally different when it doesn’t have the partisan oversight. in the end, we have to wait until the proper manifesto releases to make real judgements, but looking through this list can set the tone of our expectations: third-way, boring and pathetic

[velveys]

Annie Easley for NASA Science & Engineering Newsletter (1981)

Born on April 23, 1933, Easley was an African-American mathematician, rocket scientist & computer scientist. She worked at NASA's Lewis Research Center & its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)

She was a key member of the team that created software for the Centaur rocket stage & was among the first African-Americans to serve as a computer scientist at NASA. She contributed to the development of technologies that paved the way for hybrid vehicles and worked on software essential for modern spaceflight.

Her thirty-four-year career at NASA involved creating computer programs focused on alternative energy solutions such as wind and solar power, energy conversion & vehicle batteries. She wrote and implemented code to study and analyze solar & wind technologies.

Easley also focused on identifying energy-conversion systems & determining the lifespan of storage batteries, significantly contributing to the advancement of batteries used in hybrid vehicles. Her work on the Centaur, a high-energy booster rocket, established it as the most powerful upper stage in the U.S. space program.

Her efforts aided the 1997 Cassini probe's mission to Saturn, which utilized the Centaur as its upper stage. The Centaur has been employed to launch spacecraft such as Voyager, Pioneer & Viking, as well as numerous communication and weather satellites.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hi there! Any suggestions for a cozy, low-stakes, slice-of-life game? (Ideally involving woodland creatures and a utopian society, but I understand if that narrows the field too much!)

Theme: Woodland Community

My dear dear friend, I love it when I am able to tell you that there is a TTRPG exactly for that - and a few more for fun!

Come Rain, Come Shine, by Penflower Ink.

Take care of each other, and of the land.

Grow what you need and share all you can.

Move with the seasons, their rhythm and time.

You'll flourish, together, come rain or come shine.

Come Rain Come Shine is a GM-less, collaborative story-telling and role-playing game, based on the Four Points RPG system, and inspired by Solarpunk.

In a group of 2 or more, the players create and share the roles of animal-folk characters, as well as the community they inhabit. They work together to accomplish tasks and overcome complications, in order to help their community flourish.

Come Rain Come Shine blends story-telling and role-playing by letting players decide if they wish to take on a task as a community, or as a small group of characters, drawn from a shared character pool.

This game uses a resource called Energy Points, or EP, to generate levels of success. These points exist in both community pools and character pools, reflecting how characters depend on the community and vice versa. Your characters will take animal traits and abilities that may help them in specific situations, as well as invent a profession that helps recognize the animals’ role in community. If you like this game and want to make it about dinosaurs specifically, there’s a Dinosauria supplement that’s totally worth checking out. 

If you purchase the TTRPGs for Trans Rights in Florida bundle, congratulations - you already own this game and the Dinosauria supplement!

Briar & Bramble, by Freddie Taylor-Bell.

Man came to our woodlands with axes, hounds, and fire.

They tore down the old oak, where the birds made their nests.

They built upon the glade, where the deer used to roam.

They cast us to the wind and forced us from our home.

Only together may we wayward souls find a new place to call our own.

Play as a community of wayward animals in search of a new home in Briar & Bramble, a community focused roleplaying game crafted in the heart of the English woodlands.

This is a game that has higher stakes than the other games on this list. The animals characters embodied by the players are at risk of getting hurt, so it’s imperative that the group have a conversation beforehand about the kind of game they are going to play.

As for the system itself, this game is Powered by the Apocalypse, so expect the moves, graded successes, and playbooks typical of this game system. You’ll do things like move to new environments, bargain with NPCs for resources, fight (and flee) with predators, and attempt to hide from threats.Like the other games on this list, there is a palpable emphasis on Community and the link between the group and the individual.

Ramblewood Hearth & Promenade, by JFUR.

A cozy minigame, rules-lite, and quick to learn. This little buddy is based on Over the Garden Wall, Wind in the Willows, the Muppets, and just general Americana.

Play as a raccoon scout playing baseball with your friends, the bicycle pie deliverer, and a harmless old witch. Spend eternal autumn days fishing in the stream and looking for Mayor Vole's lost marbles.

The ruleset is mostly Chris McDowall's Into the Odd/Electric Bastionland with some added flair from John Harper's World of Dungeons and layout inspiration from Jason Tocci's 2400. Content aspects also inspired by Cecil Howe's Forest Hymn & Picnic.

This is the quickest read out of the three recommendations here: it’s only one page. There’s a pretty simplistic 2d6-rolling mechanic, and characters (called Ramblers) are composed of three stats, an expendable resource called Pep, and specialties called Knacks. There’s a little bit of setting established in the listed character backgrounds, but the rest of the tone and setting is up to the table - I’d recommend using a city-building or map-making game to prepare for this game, like I’m sorry did you say street magic, or Ex Novo.

If you want more animal fun, you can check out the TTRPG Animals bundle currently on sale at Itch.io! Offer ends March 30.

[moneeb0930]

Annie J. Easley (April 23, 1933 – June 25, 2011) was an African-American computer scientist, mathematician, and rocket scientist. She worked for the Lewis Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). She was a leading member of the team which developed software for the Centaur rocket stage and one of the first African-Americans in her field.

In 1955, she read a local newspaper article about a story on twin sisters who worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) as “computers” and the next day she applied for a job. Within two weeks she was hired, one of four African Americans of about 2500 employees. She began her career in as a Mathematician and Computer Engineer at the NACA Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (which became NASA Lewis Research Center, 1958–1999, and subsequently the John H. Glenn Research Center) in Cleveland, Ohio. She continued her education while working for the agency and in 1977, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Cleveland State University. As part of a continuing education, Easley worked through specialization courses offered by NASA.

Her 34-year career included developing and implementing computer code that analyzed alternative power technologies, supported the Centaur high-energy upper rocket stage, determined solar, wind and energy projects, identified energy conversion systems and alternative systems to solve energy problems. Her energy assignments included studies to determine the life use of storage batteries, such as those used in electric utility vehicles. Her computer applications have been used to identify energy conversion systems that offer the improvement over commercially available technologies. She retired in 1989 (some sources say 1991).

Easley’s work with the Centaur project helped as technological foundations for the space shuttle launches and launches of communication, military and weather satellites. Her work contributed to the 1997 flight to Saturn of the Cassini probe, the launcher of which had the Centaur as its upper stage.

Annie Easley was interviewed in Cleveland, on August 21, 2001 by Sandra Johnson. The interview is stored in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center Oral History Program. The 55 page interview transcript includes material on the history of the Civil Rights Movement, Glenn Research Center, Johnson Space Center, space flight, and the contribution of women to space flight