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hadesnumber1daughter · 5 months

Text

Pretty like the sun

Pairing: Percy Jackson x Apollo daughter OC (she classes as an oc cause I gave her a name but you can just read it like your name or Y/N if you want, I just feel better when I'm writing and the characters have names :)

Summary: Percy has always felt something for you, something that you had felt aswell. These quests of life and death finally knocked some sense into you two.

Warnings: Blood, Pain, Agony, Violence, Weapons, Wounds, Wound treating, Curse words, Oblivious idiots, Fluff, Angsty??, Sexual tension, Mutual pining, Almost death, Non-Canon, Hugs, Kisses, Holding hands, Ooc Percy??? Cerberus as a violent dog (ik she isnt really but this is my imagine so idc), Not proof-read, GUT-WRENCHING LOVE, IDK how i wrote this considering I've never been in a relationship OR have ever had an actual crush in my 16 sad years of life

Words: 6.3k

Notes: This is my first imagine so I'm sorry if its bad😭😭. Also if anyone would be willing to give me a few pointers when it comes to working this app as a creator please do cause, yeah I've been using this app for years but I have no idea how to use it when it comes to posting things. I would be very grateful. ❤️❤️❤️. Also, if anyone wants to request something else for me to write I would love to write something for either Percy or Luke, I'll probably make a list of people who I'm willing to write for later today cause it is 10am rn and I haven't slept so I'll just go bed after this 😭😭😭

As soon as percy got handed this quest, with Grover being part of the cloven council and Annabeth being gone to spend time with her family, Percy knew his immediate first choice would be Aurora, there was no doubt about it. The Apollo girl had a spark about her that has drawn him in the second he laid eyes on her.

He had deemed it because she was a daughter of Apollo so there would always be some sort of light that would draw him in, but he hasnt been very sure of that for a very long time. Every time he laid eyes on her, it felt as though time stood still and she was the only source of light and happiness in this dark, gloomy world.

They had became extremely close when he first came to camp, she taught him the ropes in archery as to put it plainly, he was absolutely shit at it. He had no aim and his stance was awful, in her own words.

When she first said that to him, he wanted to throw her in a dumpster, but then he saw her, he properly saw her. He didnt know what Aphrodite looked like, but he was sure she would be a spitting image of the girl. He was even more sure that she was a daughter of Aphrodite but instead she was not, which made sense as to why she was hanging around the archery booth. From that day forward, she helped him freshen his archery skills, and he helped her with her sword skills.

He has never understood why she wouldnt ask Luke as he was the best swords-man and would probably be a better trainer. However, when he brough it up to her one time her cheeks flushed the tiniest bit and she stated how she was helping him, so he should do that same.

That's how they have ended up here. In the middle of nowhere, trying to find and 'kill' a beast that has been accidently lost and let out from the underworld and send it back. Although quests always have 3 people on them, the oracle specifically stated that this was only a 2 person job. Percy had never been so sure in picking Aurora at that moment in time.

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"Are you sure we are going the right way Perce, I swear I've seen this tree 3 times already" Aurora stated this time taking a dagger and marking said tree with an X so if they do cross it again, she would be right.

"You never trust my navigation skills sunshine, why is that, is it cause you always get lost in my eyes" he says turning to look at her with a smug smile on his face. The girl abruptly stopped at his turn and could feel the blood rush to her cheeks in that moment, her honey-brown eyes immediately locked with his water coloured eyes and she broke the gaze, not letting him have the satisfaction of being right.

"You wish seaweed brain" she muttered and walked past him knocking into his shoulder in the process which led to him letting out a dramatic gasp.

"That hurts sunshine. Where are you going, it's getting dark, we should stop, set up camp and get some rest so we can re-think and re-strategize." The girl slowly stops her steps and turns her back to the boy who is standing there leaning against a tree with his arms crossed giving her a cocky glance that makes her want to die and kill him at the same time.

The two had a stand-off for a bit before one decided to speak up.

"As long as I don't have to scavenge this creepy forest for wood then its fine by me" the girl said walking back to him while his eyes following her every movement till she was a few steps away from him. The girl went to grab something from her pocket with her left hand and with her right, she grabbed the boys arms and dragged her hand down it, to his hand which automatically opened up. She placed something cold into it with her left hand.

He looked at her and she had a glint in her eyes he hadn't seen for the past 12 hours, looking to his palm, he was a coin. Not just any ordinary coin or ordinary drachma. It was a coin from sea life, the one coin they give to one another which can be used for many thing, they talked it over before the quest. The coin can only be used for 2 things during this quest, to make sure the other doesnt die, or the person who has been handed the coin has to do what the person giving the coin wants no matter what.

He looked up at her with a confused look but seeing the mischief in her eyes gave enough away. Sighing he pocketed the coin and stepped away from the tree which only left 3 steps in-between the two.

"What do you want me to do" not even bothering arguing.

"I want to see you fail at making a fire" she said just giving him the brightest smile, basically oozing sunlight from her. The boy felt like a deer stuck in headlights in that moment, he almost forgot the reason for her heavenly smile. He wanted to tell her he loved her right there and then, that he could never get enough of her, that he searched for her in every room he ever walked into, that she was the one and only constant source of light in his life, that she was the sun and he would orbit her in every universe no matter how close he got, no matter how much it destroyed him. He was utterly inconsolable without her. He loved her.

"Aurora" the boy started to say, in a serious tone which immediately made the girl's smile falter as she looked into his eyes, he didnt need to say anything. His eyes spoke more words than he would have liked, enough for the girl to get the message and understand him. All of the glances, the subtle touches, the comfort of each other like no other. She felt and understood it all.

He was about of continue when a roar sounded, echoing in all directions and rustling the trees. The two could hear the howl of Cerberus all around them. Percy immediately uncapped riptide while Aurora unclasped her bracelet which turned into a bow and an unlimited supply of arrows.

The both circled back to back, covering each others blind spot like muscle memory. They could feel the ground shake with each step the otherworldly creature took.

"How are we going to do this?" the girl asked while keeping an eye on all of her surroundings.

"You distract with your arrows as they are long-range and while she's focused on you, I'll go for the kill shot"

"She can't die" she could feel him rolling her eyes as the words left her mouth.

"You know what I mean"

They could hear the low growl from the side of them. The three-headed beast emerged in all its glory with its 6 menacing eyes ready to rip these two teens to shreds and send the wrong beings in this equation to the underworld. Percy turned to stand next to Aurora and the girl grabbed his hand and squeezed to which he immediately responded. There were many unspoken words that had been said in the past 10 minutes and this was another addition 'dont die, be safe, come back to me'.

Slipping through her fingers, his hand left hers and quietly stalked away before the beast could get any idea there were 2 of them. Wishing the best for the boy, she instantly got the dogs attention by shooting an arrow at the middle head's nose.

It did not like that.

They all barked at once and got ready to run at the girl. She didn't like to admit it but she was fucking terrified. Cerberus ran at her and she leapt to the side and ran as fast as she could not looking back until she could feel he's a little away from her. She got another arrow ready in her bow and blindly shot it behind her.

She heard a small whimper which brought a smirk to her face but that was immediately wiped away as she heard the barking intensify. Hiding behind a tree the girl caught her breaths and looked for the hound and she couldnt spot it or Percy. She got another arrow ready and looked behind the tree once again but was faced with the thing she was hunting.

Fear spread to every part of her body and she had no time to brace the impact as the dog clawed the tree which in return clawed her. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was flung into another tree. The bark from the destroyed tree splintered her, her head hit against a tree on impact and the large gash on her side felt like a fire that was melting her skin off. The girl felt her breath stick in her throat, she felt as though she was dying as immense pain filled her and black spots invaded her vision. Only one other thing was on her mind.

Percy.

The ocean eyed boy lost sight of Cerberus immediately as it began to chase Aurora, his Aurora. He followed as fast as he could not wanting anything bad to happen to the girl he loved before he got any chance to be with her, to confess and to just live a life content with his feelings.

As he heard, the whoosh of Aurora's arrows increase, he could feel himself being uncapable of keeping up with the beast from the underworld and he cursed himself for it. He lost sight of Cerberus and it scared him, it was too quiet. He couldn't hear the creature or the girl he loved.

His heartbeat quickened as he looked all around him trying to see a glimpse of either of them.

Then all blood drain out of his face when he heard the one sound he wished he did not have to hear, ever. Aurora's scream made his heart almost leap out of his chest. He didnt know what to do, he didnt know where she was, he couldnt see the hound, its his fault, she going to die because of him.

She most certainly is going to die if you dont get a fucking move on, that one voice in his head said. And he pushed all the doubts to the back of his head and focused on 2 things. Defeating Cerberus and finding Aurora.

He could hear the three-headed dogs footsteps and instantly ran to it. It didnt see him coming and it's tail was on the ground so he didnt the best thing he could think of. He ran up the tail onto the body of the beast.

This elicited loud barking from the beast and Percy could only do one thing. Repeatedly stab the dog until it dissolved.

Now... admittedly, this was not a good strategy. It was fucking awful. There was no thought to his stabs, they all just angered the beast and considering she was quite resistance to stabs, it wasnt helping. He was just tiring himself out.

He then has the genius idea of stabbing the beast in the eye, or eyes. He started with the left head. The beast let out a large whimper, and stumbled which cause the boy to almost loose his grip on it. He wasnt going to stop now, he needed to send Cerberus back and get to Aurora.

Aurora. Her scream was echoing in his mind. Bouncing around his skull like he has no brain inside, only her gut-wrenching scream.

He subtly shook his head. As much as he was dreading where she was and if she was okay. He needed to secure Cerberus and he needed all attention to so it as fast a possible to get back to his sunshine.

He then stabbed riptide into both the right heads eyes. Percy knew what to expect this time so he braced himself and held on as tight as he could. He could not fail now. He was too close.

The dog slumped onto the floor which made percy's last task much more easier. With agility and caution the boy leapt onto the middle head and punctured the eyes out which evoked a whimper which made the boy feel bad for the animal and it slowly turned to dust.

In an instant the boy caught his breath and his mind raced with only one thing.

Aurora.

"Aurora! Sunshine! Where are you?" The boy felt as though he could not breathe. His head was spinning trying to find her in the mountains of trees and in the darkness of this forest, he has never needed to see her more now than any other time.

"Aurora! Please if you can hear me make a sound! Anything so I know you're alive" He would never leave her. He would die before he left her to rot in these woods. He would never be able to face the guilt and loss.

"Please! Say SOMETHING" he could feel himself getting frustrated. "HELP! SOMEONE, ANYONE" tears welded in his eyes trying to find her.

There was a rustle of leaves from the left side behind him. He was running to the sound before it even registered in the back of his mind. He kept hearing the rustling and a small whimper.

He saw a faint glow of light behind a tree and he held his breath for the sight that was to come. He skidded to a stop and fell on his knees infront of her.

His heart dropped to his stomach when he saw her. Her face was significantly paler than when he left her and she had a wood splinter sticking out of her thigh and worst of all, the 4 claw marks across her abdomen with blood everywhere, it seemed to have stopped pouring, but it was a nauseating sight to see. He didnt know what to do.

"Aurora, darling, open your eyes" his hands reached her cheeks and his thumb rubbed circled on her cheek and his two fingers made their way to her neck to check her pulse. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse. It was faint but not too faint to the point it would slip too far out of his grasp.

He reached for his bag on his back to get some first aid supplies, ambrosia and nectar for the girl, when she let out a pained gasp.

The girl had barely an recollection of anything, the only thing on her mind at the moment was the immense pain shooting through her whole body, It felt like she was on fire and couldnt breathe. She wanted to die.

Then her vision cleared and she saw the golden haired boy looked at her like she was the only thing in the whole world, he held so much worry in his eyes that she thought for a second if she was already dead and it was her spirit seeing his reaction to her death.

"Gods, Aurora, you're okay. You had be so worried, I was terrified, I cannot lose you. If I lost you I would lose myself" The boy held one hand to her cheek while speaking so intently to her.

In that one moment she could feel his stare, like clockwork, bubble something inside of her. It almost made her forget why she was on the ground, why she could taste something metallic in the back of her mouth, why she couldnt move her right leg. It almost took it away. Almost.

That fire spread throughout her body again and she couldnt stop the wail that left her mouth. The pain was nauseating. A flood of curses left Percy's mouth as he grabbed the bottle of nectar and opened it.

"Okay, sunshine, I know you're in a lot of pain but I'm going to give you some nectar, you need to drink it but you need to sit up a little straighter." The girl immediately shook her head as a no in response to the boy.

"I know. The amount of times we've both had to do it but you know deep down that its the only thing that will fix it." The girl tried to harden her stare at the boy but she was too weak to even look at him properly.

"O-okay, but... I can't" she inhaled sharply as she tried to move the slightest bit. She didn't have to finish her sentence for the boy to understand what she was trying to say. He took one his flannel button ups from his bag, scrunched it up and gave it to her. She could only give him a confused look.

"Put it in your mouth, bite down hard cause I'm gonna move you into the right position and its gonna be a pain. I'm sorry sunshine but I have to." She took it with her shaking hands and was about to put it in her mouth when she smelt it, sea salt and musk, then the girl really looked at what the item of clothing was.

"this is yours" she said in a hoarse voice, looking up at him, confusion plastered all over her features.

"Well I dont exactly know where your bag is so next best thing." he gave her a weak smile and moved closer to her but she weakly grabbed his hand.

"I'm scared" she whispered so pathetically but the boy understood, he knew her. He knew that he needed to keep talking to her, to make sure he is doing something close enough to her for her to know that she's still alive.

He only interlaced their fingers and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"I won't let go, I promise. You aren't leaving me, not after everything we have been through together" the girl's eyes welled with tears but she nodded and stuffed her mouth with Percy's flannel.

He wrapped his arms around her from the side, where he was sitting and placed a kiss in the hair before counting down.

"3...2..." the boy didnt get to 1 before he pulled her up so she was sitting not laying down and with the movement came muffled screams and tears that flowed down the girls face. He was whispering sweet nothings in her ear as she lent into him and he repeatedly kissed her hair or forehead.

"I'm sorry sunshine, I really am. When you're all better I promise you can hit me" he tried to uplift her but she could barely hear him. Her body shook and agony filled her every sense. He couldn't even express the guilt and regret he felt for the girl, immediately grabbing the nectar, and slowly taking his flannel out of her mouth.

"You're doing great sweetheart" he says while slowly pouring the nectar into her mouth. Her head is resting against his shoulder as she swallows the drink down in small sips. After she drank it, Percy put it away and the girl began to close her eyes.

"Hey, hey, sunshine you can't be doing that right now. Come on I need to patch you up and then we need to get back to camp, I'll call blackjack. I know how much you like riding on him" he lifts her head off his shoulder and places her on the tree, but this time sitting up so he has easy access to her abdomen.

She opened one eye and slightly smiled at the boy.

"You're gonna call blackjack?" the girl asked a bit delirious but seemingly in less pain. This brought a instant smile to him as he let out a chuckle, nodding his head while grabbing gauze and 2 bandage rolls.

"I promise I will, but you have to make sure to keep fighting okay. Once this is over, I have something special to tell you" He came loser to the girl and her breath slowed for a moment.

He looked at her abdomen and a thought crossed his head that made blood rush to his cheeks, he was thankful the girl was delirious and it was dark or else he would simply wallow away. He cleared his throat and looked back up to the girl.

"I'm going to have to cut your shirt off so I can access the cuts and clean them properly" he looked into her eyes once but couldnt face her after that.

"okay" she whispered in return, locking her eyes onto his every move.

The boy went back into his bag and grabbed a pair of scissors then faced the girl again. He could feel her watchful eyes on him the entire time and he hated to say it but that small voice in the back of his head was wishing she was a bit more delirious right now so he wasnt under her scrutiny while undressing her. Clearing his throat again, he begins to speak.

"Just tell me when to slow down or when to stop, if it gets too painful for you and I'll stop and slow down, okay" he looked to her for reassurance and an okay, to which she nodded.

He didn't know how to position himself so he just opted for kneeling next to her, facing her. He then grabbed the scissors and started to cut her top. Starting from the bottom to the top. As he reached the first claw mark the girl hissed as the shirt was stuck to the wound due to all the dried blood. Percy automatically stopped what he was doing.

"No, no, keep going, don't stop now otherwise we will never get this done and I can't go back to camp cause I'll be dead" her honey-brown eyes were glossed with tears and the boy just wanted to hold her in his arms until the end of time in a place where they aren't fighting monsters all the damn time and in a place where they can settle down, have fun and just enjoy their life like regular teenagers.

"Don't say that so casually, you are not going to die. Not when you have me. Not when I'll always be here for you, patching you up, nursing you back to health forever. I will never in a million years let you die. I swear on the river Styx."

She couldn't say anything to him, he will always render her speechless. She just nodded her head as tears cascaded down her cheeks to which he wiped away and placed a kiss on her forehead. Feeling the warmth off eachother brought a sense of peace to them that no one else could ever fill.

He finished wiping her tears away and then continued cutting her shirt away from the wound. Every time she hissed, winced or flinched, the boy had the overwhelming urge to stop everything he was doing as long as it stopped bring her more pain. Whenever this would happen, the girl would softly squeeze his knee, as her hand was resting there to make sure he was still close to her and was still okay and breathing.

This reassured him immensely but it did not stop him from the guilt that was drowning him. This would not have happened if it wasn't for him. She would not be in this position right now if he just chose someone else to go on the quest with. She had almost died due to his decision making. He chose her, he told her the plan, the plan that put her straight into danger, he didnt even second guess his choice, he put her into the battlefield without even asking her properly. Whatever he said went.

The boy had not realised that during his intense self-loathing session, he zoned out and stopped the task at hand.

"Perce?" the girl asked while bringing her hand from his knee to his bicep. "Are you okay? whats going on in your kelp filled brain?" she said with a half smile as the boy looked up at her.

"Nothing, its okay. Just zoned out for a sec" he replied in an instant, looked away from her and continued to cut her shirt away. He was almost at her breasts and he could feel himself getting a bit hot. Obviously, there was no reason to in this situation but just being so close and intimate to her in a non sexual way made him flustered, he couldn't even imagine of it was in a sex- STOP. He shouted at his brain.

She let out a whimper of pain and a few laboured breaths as Percy carefully peeled her shirt of off the biggest wound she had. Her hand squeezed his knee harder than he would have liked her to but it didnt matter, not anymore, not when he caused this, not when he was the reason for her pain.

He finally got it off the biggest cut and last cut and now he just had to cut the rest of the shirt off. No big deal right?

WRONG.

The boy was telling himself to suck it up and just cut the rest of her shirt off but he was flustered. It was times like this that made him remember he was just a boy. He was just a boy with a silly crush. Except it isnt a 'silly crush' he was utterly in love with the girl. He tried to clear his head and at the same time, cleared his throat while he cut higher.

He could feel her eyes watching him, he could feel how fast her heart was racing and he could feel how fast his own was racing. It was as though their hearts were in sync. Every beat was the same.

Yes the girl felt flustered in this situation, she also couldn't help but want to tease the boy she loved. The girl had always grown up with a life where she never 'loved' anyone, not truly. To her love was always a very strong word in her dictionary but whatever she felt for Percy Jackson it was so powerful she felt as though she needed a word more meaningful than love.

A word that expressed how everytime she thought of him, that specific memory of him will be branded in her brain forever to the point where even Hera could never make her forget him or forget the way he makes her feel.

He makes her feel alive, the most alive shes every felt in her 16 years of life.

"Are you blushing water boy?" the girl asked him with a half smile on her face and eyes half opened as she felt a sharp pain run through her, while also trying to control her own breathing at the same time. Percy didn't respond, he only kept cutting her shirt off, fingers lightly brushing over the material of her bra.

She held her breath when he did that, whether it was on purpose of not, the feeling it sent through her body made her want to repeatedly bash her head against a solid wall while ripping her eyes out... in a good way of course.

Percy finally cut her shirt fully off and it just slid down her arms and bunched at the bottom, near the tree. She felt exposed and could feel the goosebumps on her exposed skin. Percy didn't waste any time and grabbed a clean towel and his water bottle.

Before he could drenched it in water, she stopped him by kicking him with her uncompromised leg to indicate he needed to stop. This instantly stopped him and caused him to look at her.

"Give me the water bottle before you soak the towel, if the water is warm it will work better and not hurt as much so i'll just heat it up" Percy thought about it for a second before he retaliated.

"You already aren't well enough to get off the ground, how on earth are you going to make it back to camp if you drain yourself of more energy. I know its going to hurt but it will either way, but getting you back to camp is the priority at the moment" Percy didnt want to say those words to the girl, he felt so bad for her and he couldn't help but blame himself. And when he looked into her eyes, like really looked into her eyes after he said that, he wished he could take it back.

Just looking at her made him want to give into her.

"I can take it, I promise, I'll be okay enough to get back to camp, but I'm telling you now Percy, if I feel anymore extreme pain, I will just end up passing out. Please just let me do this." she tried to move closer to the boy but forgot about the fact that she literally could not move a single inch without his help.

This just lead the boy to wrap his arm around her back and lent her against the tree again. He looked at her with a stern look.

"Okay, you win. But you have to promise on the river Styx that you will preserve every other bit of your energy for the ride back home."

"I swear on the River Styx that I will preserve every other bit of my energy for the ride back to camp" He gave her one last look before giving her the water bottle. She focused some most of her energy to her hands and they started to glow. She took the bottle from percy's hand and he could feel the warmth radiate off of her.

He looked at her in awe but if anyone else was there they would have told you that the boy was love struck. She opened her eyes and made sure to not boil the water. As it was simmering, she gave the bottle back to the boy and he instantly uncapped it and poured the, now warm, water onto the towel.

"This is going to hurt... a lot, and by a lot i mean a lot, you might want to brace yourself" the boy said as he gave his flannel back to her and some ambrosia for her to eat before they start the painful part of fixing her up.

Aurora took both and muttered a small thanks under her breath before eating the ambrosia which was very pleasant to chew and then stuffed percy's flannel in her mouth again. She felt so weird but if she didnt and someone heard her scream bloody murder, they would get caught and the police would want them... again.

His ocean blue eyes met her honey eyes and he shared a look of regret and guilt before he wiped the dried blood away, starting from the bottom of her abdomen. She instantly clenched her jaw and recoiled as agony ran through her and her hand immediately shot out to grab Percy's wrist in a painfully tight hold to stop him from further cleaning the wounds that caused her pain.

"Sunshine, I know its painful, but I have to do this, I'm going to do this as fast and gently as I can but I will have to be rough at times" he gently takes his freehand to clasp over hers and took it of him and intertwined them while speaking to her.

In his favour, it seemed that the energy it took the girl to warm the water up finally caught up with her as her hand lost most of its grip and her eyes closed slightly. He chuckled slightly and placed her hand back down next to her before continuing what he was doing.

He carefully but efficiently cleaned the areas surrounding her wounds while she was rejuvenating. He would hear muffled noises from time to time but other than that she was essentially knocked out. As he finished she seemed to feel less tired and her eyes opened wider than they did before.

"I'm almost finished sunshine, did you like your nap?" the boy questioned with a smirk but deep down he was glad that she kept her promise and she would have enough energy to go back to camp.

The girl nodded and looked at her abdomen. It was really clean and the wounds were barely bleeding anymore but she was fucking freezing. She shivered a little bit and percy could tell instantly.

"I've just got to bandage you up then you can put a jumper on. Okay?" he reassured her while taking the sterile dressing, he placed it over the 4 slashes and began to unwrap the dressing to bandage her up.

They both soon found the position to be quite awkward.

Percy needed to bandage her whole abdomen which needed him to wrap the dressing over her back but she was lent up against the tree without a shirt on and unable to move to do it herself. He stopped to think of a good way to do this.

"Okay, I've got it. I'll lean you up against me and bandage your abdomen from behind." The girl thought for a bit before she agreed and the boy got up so he was only seen in her peripheral vision. He hooked his arms under hers and moved her along the ground to sit inbetween his legs. The position felt very compromising for both of them but it needed to be done.

She could feel his warm breath on her cold neck and she felt the urge to pass away because if thats how she passed, she would not mind. She held her breath as Percy begun wrapping her abdomen, she could barely feel the pain cause all she could think about and feel was him.

His breath on her neck, his fingers brushing her skin, how carefully he was handling her, like she would break at the wrong touch. He was everything she wanted, everything she needed. Everything they both deserved.

He quickly finished wrapping her up and he mentally called Blackjack from where ever he was right now. Before he could move or start to get things sorted he just looked at Aurora. She was peaceful. She looked ethereal under the moonlight, though she did look better under direct sunlight.

He decided to just stay still for a bit and wrapped an arms around the girl loosely as to not injure or hurt her more. They just needed some rest, no matter how long or short it was.

Both Aurora and Percy could hear the flap of Blackjacks wings so he quickly moved the girl back to lean against the tree while he packed everything away. Not before making sure to torniquet the girls leg where the wood piece was still protruding out of it. He made the decision before to not take it out as they both did not know how severe the injury underneath it was.

Percy grabbed a warm, woolly jumper from his bag and a blanket and gave both items to the girl before zipping it up.

"I'm going to find your bag and your bracelet before we leave, and before you say anything. I'm going to call Blackjack here to be with you before I look for them" he stated as he got up.

"Thanks a lot Perce, but before you look, how am I meant to put this jumper on without raising my arms and disrupting my bandages" Percy felt like an idiot. He dropped his bag back on the ground and knelt next to her carefully putting the jumper through one arms hole, then the next, then her head through.

Percy would never admit it there and then but he always loved when the girl would wear his clothes. It sent a warm fuzzy feeling through him knowing she was wearing his clothes, especially when she was willingly wearing his clothes.

Similarly, Aurora would never admit it there but having Percy help her get changed into his clothes and help clean her up made her fall even more in love with him if that was even possible. She felt as though she was just falling into deep pit everytime he did anything for her or even just looked her way.

He finished by wrapping her up in the blanket and chuckled when he saw how she looked... Exactly like a burrito.

Blackjack came down and the girls eyes instantly widened at the sight of the creature. To which the boy just smiled at. Before he left to retrieve her bag and bracelet which were very easy to find. He quickly arrived back to the girl and Pegasus and was met with an adorable sight.

The Pegasus was on the floor next to the girl and was almost hugging her with its wing. Percy didnt think he could fall in love with the girl again but she has gone and proved him wrong, like always.

"I've got your things sunshine, and I know its going to hurt but I'm going to have to pick you up to put you on Blackjack. Is that okay?" He knelt next to her and she nodded.

He wrapped an arm around her back and one under her knees, making sure not to hit the piece of wood and picked the girl up, quite easily, bridal style. It make them both feel fuzzy and warm inside. Even blackjack could feel the warmth.

He placed her sitting on the Pegasus so she would be infront of him when he got on. He then grabbed both of their bags and got onto blackjack himself.

"You'd normally need to hold on tight to blackjack but I'll hold you okay? Just rest" The boy whispered in her ear as he gave her a peck on her cheek while she slowly drifted off and leaned her head back onto the boy's shoulder.

"Blackjack, No crazy flying today. We aren't at war today, its a rest day. Just take us back to camp, quick but not to the point we normally fly." Blackjacks reply left Percy with pink staining his cheeks and they made their way back to camp.

______________________________________________________________

OH MY FUCKING DAYS, I AM NEVER WRITING ANYTHING THIS LONG AGAIN

(such a fucking lie)

But I have to honest, apart from the small mental breakdowns. This was really fun to write. I love these two soo much.

When I went into this, I wanted to actually get them back to camp and I wanted them to confess but it was getting tooooooo long for that so if anyone wants a part 2, I'll gladly make it. Please dont critique me too much, this is still my first imagine 😭😭😭

I LOVE YOU ALL ❤️❤️❤️

unless you piss me off

398 notes · View notes

dzpenumbra · 11 months

Text

6/28/23

I don't even know where to start with today. I surprisingly slept decently. I don't know if I dreamt, but I slept at least 6 hours. I got up and immediately started setting up a business account on Stripe.

I was browsing an art subreddit trying to figure out how to like... process payments as a freelance business. I honest have only done a handful over the years, because my pushover ass just gave away thousands of dollars worth of art for free. The few that I did for money, I used PayPal. But that was... almost 10 years ago, and I was reading that it's not the best for this kinda stuff.

I got super overwhelmed just trying to read stuff about business. It's like nails on a chalkboard for me, I swear. I think it's an emotional wall thing, like a trauma thing. I don't know. I just get super overwhelmed and have a really hard time focusing, and have to re-read things like 10 times and I just get super frustrated. But I got through it. It took like 2 hours, but I decided to put my PayPal account aside for now, keep that personal... and set up a business Stripe account, dedicated to my art stuff. And it's done, it's set up. I started going through the process of sending an invoice, it was surprisingly pretty simple, and really customizable, and looked really snazzy once I put a color scheme and logo in there.

I did yoga, which was very relaxing. Very low-key, very chill, and very positive. I'm very glad I chose that video today. I watched a video before it about orange cats (my cat was orange) and it made me really miss having pets, and I got a really strong sudden urge to go out and adopt two older cats. A few things stopped me. 1). I have a plant in the house that is toxic to animals, the Night-Blooming Jasmine, and I really don't want to worry about it. 2). I don't want to worry about coming home to a destroyed house if I ever decide to go out. 3). I don't have a vehicle or a ride, so if there is a vet emergency, I'm really fucked. 4). I'm just not really there yet, emotionally. But yeah, it was nice to just reflect fondly on my time with my cat. And chill yoga after was a nice transition. Then a pretty gentle workout. It was a pretty good start to the day.

I was nice and calm, I had the security of having payment processing ready and available, taxes should be processed through it too. The exercise was pretty calming too, so I was really in a pretty good place. Then I messaged the guy who commissioned a tattoo design. I reached out to get info from him - what medium he wanted (either hand-drawn or digital), to get his email for the invoice, and to let him know I planned on charging half upfront, half when I finished. That's how I always planned to. I sent him that on Instagram, which he said was his preferred contact point, and started drafting something.

I "drafted"... for 3 hours. I had a pretty good idea of what he wanted, he gave me a reference photo and said he wanted a specific pose - the owl swooping to the side with its claws out, hunting - but with the head turned so it was facing the viewer. I got the foundation started, and it started to take form and it was really looking good. It's really hard to do believable realism that is altered from reference pictures. At least for me. My way of doing realism has been just basically... replicating what I'm looking at. Like... do I have an example on hand? ...

There, that's a portrait I drew --- well, duh... --- but I just... pulled up a reference picture and pulled it up on my laptop and had my piece of... I think this was on Bristol paper, and just started drawing. And there it is. And it's not an exact copy, of course. But that's just... how I've always drawn a lot of my work. So... say you wanted to do this piece... but... without a beard. Right? That... honestly wouldn't be too hard, but it would take some really educated guesses. Or other reference pictures showing what his jaw structure looks like, what kind of chin he has, whether he has jowls (I doubt it, but you never know), whether he has a pronounced philtrum or not, etc. Again, you can kinda eyeball this and get an idea, but... you'd have to be psychic to get it 100% accurate. You're literally working without information.

Now... imagine drawing this portrait... but with the head rotated 1/4 to the right so his face is looking over your right shoulder... with no reference material on other angles. It's doable, and the more I think about it the more I want to challenge myself to try it sometime... I'm actually getting really excited about that, now that I think about it. But like... yeah, you need to have a pretty comprehensive understanding of anatomy and lighting to be able to do that accurately, believably. And, again, you're working with information that is not provided, so you have to fill in blanks. How wide is his ear? How long is his skull? What shape is it? Is it more oblong or round? How far does his nose extend off his face... Is the tip of the nose pointed, rounded or flat? How sunken in are the eyes? How much do the jaw or lips protrude? Is there over or underbite? How pronounced is the brow? A lot of the depth information you can kinda... deduce from the darkness of the shadows, but some features can get a little hard to predict. And sometimes even tiny little differences can make the face look completely different.

This is really advanced shit, and not stuff I have spent too much time on. Again, I have spent most of my time doing either... weird surreal stuff from my imagination, abstract work, cartoonish stylized stuff or or realism direct from reference. And this dude didn't have a reference. Well... he kinda did, but he wanted the head turned 90 degrees.

So I pulled up Krita and did three separate sketches. I got one really close to where I wanted it, just drawing the bird he liked the pose of. Then I went and turned the head to look at the viewer. And, in the sketch, it looked... well, it looked believable. It looked organic. I don't think it would ever happen, so it didn't entirely look natural to me. I mean, you'd have to really surprise an owl to get its attention mid-swoop as it's calculatingly slowing its descent towards its dinner. But here's where I got with it. When you turn your head to the right and look over your right shoulder... do it now so you can sorta feel what I'm talking about. Pay attention to your left shoulder. It takes some pretty strong deliberate effort to not move your left shoulder when you do that. Now... owls are notorious for their ability to independently rotate their necks, I get that. But I don't really know enough about bird anatomy to understand what's going on under the feathers there. So... that's the problem I started to run into.

First - it felt like the left wing would move with that head movement, because it wasn't so much of a swivel of the head, it was more of a lean, like craning the neck, kinda. And the movement of the left wing would change... pretty much everything. I would have to figure out the angle of descent, where the wing bones were hiding behind the torso, where the shoulder socket is, find those new locations and change the entire wing rotation to match the right wing's angle. That's like... pretty basic aerodynamics, like... what happens when you go to fly a kite, but one side isn't perfectly flat, it's kinda bent back a little... Yep, it just goes spiraling. And most people don't notice this kinda stuff in art specifically... but I think a lot of people can sorta feel something a little uncanny about it when its off. Like... they can tell it's a drawing. On the flip side, when those details are accurate, the "wow factor" is much more significant.

I struggled with this for about an hour. Adjusting the wing angle, tweaking, all that. In hindsight... I probably shouldn't have started working on the piece at all, even a sketch, without payment first. But yeah, I got on a roll so I went with it. And eventually I found a comfy place to settle the wing. And that was actually a bit easier than the next part. So... rotate your head to the right again. This time, pay attention to what happens to the skin on the right side of your neck. It kinda bunches up, kinda creases. Here's the fun thing with fur and feathers... you don't technically have to know what's going on with the skin under the fur/feathers, but again, it helps with believability... But either way, when the head rotates, it's at very least going to smoosh up feathers and create some dark shadow creases. So I had to figure out where those creases would form when bunching up against the shoulder, and figure out how this ripple would alter the feather patterns. And I got that pretty decent.

Then I started to just... add in "color". Translating the color to black and white and blocking the color by area, with intention of adding detail later.

Given how much I got done in such a short time, I was worried I kinda overcharged the guy. I went off how much work I did on the last owl - a realistic Barred Owl... the one in my profile picture. It took over 40 hours total, it was a full page so... I think 11"x14"? A bit smaller than that to add a margin in. Full color, lots of detail, that size... This guy wanted an owl with less detail, black and white, and 5"x7". So... I estimated that would take about 15 hours. I think it was a fair estimate. But I'm not sure how much of that time was spent blending colors, you know? I don't know. I was a little worried I overquoted considering how much I got done in such a short time digitally today.

Welp, he messaged me back at 11PM. Right when I was getting ready to make some dinner and fire up my stream. He backed out of the commission. He said his tattooist offered to draw and tattoo the whole thing for what would end up being... about $200 less for him than having me draw it and her ink it. Again... I probably shouldn't have started without getting paid first. I know. But honestly, it was good practice. And I enjoyed it. And I tried to be really supportive of him and tell him I understand and tattoos are a super important decision and I'm glad to have been part of the progress, even if it was just a creative spark that helped him find what he wanted on his body permanently. And I do mean that. Even though it fucks me over, even though I could really use some idea of what to do with my life. Even though this gave me some purpose and direction... I do mean it. I don't want to fuck someone over just to get money. But I can't allow myself to bring that price down to fractions, that's just... naw. Like... I would have to do like $100 to meet what the tattooist was proposing and stay in the game, and I had already done like... $75 worth of work on this? So yeah... I don't think it was gonna happen.

Again, I just really wish I had some coaching, or at least a second pair of eyes on this shit. I almost called my mom even, I'm really glad I didn't. It ran through my head while making dinner to maybe call my old advisor at some point, the then head of the Art department at my old college. I think she still works there. But like... I haven't talked to her in... since 2010? Good lord. Oh wow. Time fucking flies. And... I don't know if she really liked me... I was always a very free spirit and I made a lot of weird shit. I don't think she really... got what I was doing with a lot of my stuff. Hell, I'm not sure I even get what I was doing back then either. I was all over the place. But hey, some things never change, yeah? XD

I just feel... I feel like I need a mentor. And I get stuck in this shitty place where I'm like... Okay, half of me is going "just swallow your pride and pretend you're in college getting on stage to do a gig... and just go to a tattoo shop and check out their art and talk shop and see if they need any help working the counter or something." That said... I'm going to be 37 in a few months, I don't have any on-paper work history since... probably 2015? I have pretty debilitating mental health shit I'm battling on a regular basis, I'm writing this at 5:30 AM so I'm fully nocturnal, I have no references. Not even friends or family as references. I mean, what I do have going for me? I don't have a criminal record, I am a hard worker, a very fast learner, I go above and beyond and I have an extensive art history, and tattooing experience. But here's an even bigger catch than the life stuff I mentioned above... I'm not even sure I want to be a tattooist. I've entertained the idea just so I can... be around creative people, and get paid. Like... I might be the only actual artist with an art degree and 15 years of experience who legit only wants to work the counter. I'm not sure I could really take the permanence and pressure of inking skin anymore. And my hand is much shakier than it used to be.

But lets be honest here. I'm coming from almost 3.5 years of extreme isolation. I haven't seen a human face in... 2 days? And that was quickly passing people in the hallway. I leave my apartment maybe once a week. And I'm going to be... working a counter at a tattoo shop, around people all day every day? Do we see this going well?

I don't know. I'm just really overwhelmed, and balls-deep in impostor syndrome. And I've been having a pretty constant existential crisis for the past 24 hours. I'm just kinda biding time until therapy. Which... get this... is going to be my last therapy session for a month. Then it's total isolation. And I don't have a plan. So... I don't know, man. I just don't know what to do. I really don't.

The worst part? I got really inspired. XD I got a really cool idea. I've had this idea for a long time now of... making an animated piece that's similar to my abstract bubble-like designs, but simulating mitosis. I think I've described it here before. And I'd still like to play around with that sometime, maybe. I spun off of this with the thought... "if I want to be like... a gallery artist... like a fine artist... if that's my thing... then what would I submit to a gallery?" And I definitely have a theme going of this abstract organic stuff. I have the necklace and the mala, I have the skull, I have the digital piece I'm working on... I even have the Be Here Now sign, but that's more for me... but the big thing that caught me was the series I was doing of ink drawings. That could easily be a series in a gallery. BUT... (there's always a but, isn't there...) they are all very deliberately drawn with the holes in the paper in mind, meaning... they are intended to be kept in the sketchbook they are in, and viewed as a series that is flipped through. And that's just not gonna fly in a gallery. I can't have strangers flipping through my sketchbook with their sweaty oily sausage fingers. It's just not gonna happen. So... I don't know, I could crop them. It's possible. But the second part to that thought was... they were intended to be viewed as a series and the series is supposed to be the entire sketchbook. I did 10 drawings, they took about 2 days average apiece. The sketchbook is over 45 pages long. It's doable, but it's gonna take time. The third part of the thought was... ooo, I could combine the mitosis idea with this "flipbook" series idea... and just do this pattern as one big bubble... then 2 on the next page... then 4... then 8... I just.. I don't know if that's too... boring. I feel like the transformation and movement of it is really the most engaging part. Not just seeing the effect of growth, but seeing the growth itself.

But yeah, that's kinda where I'm at right now. Kinda floundering and not sure what to do with myself. Very deep in impostor syndrome. Feeling like a complete waste of space that just sits around and makes crappy art that no one cares about, that has no rhyme or reason. On the flip side, though... I have an established business account and a way to process direct payments for anything now... art lessons, music lessons, tarot readings, jewelry. If I want to do the farmer's market shit, I can just order a card reader, they're like... $60 I think?

So... at the end of the night, I decided to work on some beads. At very least I have that.

I'm gonna chill on this work talk because it's really fucking with the existential dread shit. And I've been going for hours now. Tarot and then bed.

Past - Ten of Swords, inverted (The death of a way of thinking, or a state of mind. An ending that has been forced upon you causing mental anguish; illness, betrayal. ) Present - Knight of Wands, inverted (Creative potential, vivacious, not afraid of a challenge, he is naturally disarming and uses it to his advantage. Passionate, complete dedication to anything enrapturing. When in extreme, he can be a daredevil; reckless and potentially dangerous.) Future - Page of Cups (Pure emotion. Innocence, wearing one’s heart on their sleeve. Channeling one’s inner child.)

It's baaaack. This one starts with inverted Ten of Swords. This being... the death of a way of thinking. A mindset, paradigm or world view. And the inversion here kinda feels like... stuck.

This is connected to inverted Knight of Wands. I'm still shaky on my face cards, but Knight of Wands is the bearer of the flame. The beginning of the creative fire. He's energetic and creative and enthusiastic. Inverted here I would read as either... difficulty connecting with this rogue-like personality... or being stuck in some of the more unsavory aspects when that personality is out of balance. Like being a daredevil or taking unnecessary risks. (I dunno about that one... XD)

The conclusion is Page of Cups. Page of Cups is the young, eager, brave, childlike navigator. He guides the ship through stormy seas by following the guidance of his heart.

Hey, I just did a reading without even opening my reference doc. How cool is that? :) Time to fill in definitions and connect some dots here.

Alright, Ten of Swords I did recently. In this chain of events, I guess... honestly, I'm not sure. I want to say clinging to a way of thinking that... is past its prime, that has elapsed. That I should be moving on and I'm just sorta laying on the ground suffering. I'm just not sure which state of mind it's referring to. I've changed so much. This is leading me to what could be a really big creative breakthrough... but something is off with it. Something is out of whack, unbalanced. In my notes, I likened Knight of Wands to a moment when I called a friend over to watch me snowskate because I had a gut feeling I was getting close with my first varial flip and I wanted someone to witness it. And I had this... suave confidence to me, and I was just like... "watch this"... and I went and did it first try, probably the smoothest varial flip I've ever done. Because I was confident and I full committed to it. That's the vibe I get from Knight of Wands, full-commit with creative endeavors. Which - just like with skating - is legendary when it lands, but if it's unbalanced... it can be a bit dangerous. That's why I get a little... off-put when I see inverted Knight of Wands. It makes me think of when I went kayaking in a river with a friend the day after a hurricane, and the river was super flooded and all whitewater, and we both almost died. It was flat-out stupid and I still get fucking haunting chills just thinking about it. Ugh... horrible feeling. Like "I am so fucking lucky, I shouldn't be alive." So... I get a little spooked when I see inverted Knight of Wands, but that's just how I'm reading it and it might not be as severe as I fear. Maybe it's just that my confidence and cavalier nature with setting my art prices lost me the commission. Idk. Either way, this leads to a potential future of... Learning from this and... connecting with my emotions more. Purely. Innocently. Following my heart and allowing myself to be a bit clumsy, be a bit naïve, but all passion, all play, all from the heart.

I guess I just don't really know what my heart wants.

My heart is lonely. That feels like a given. It wants friends, it wants to play, it wants to joke and laugh and goof off. I just don't know what it wants... career-wise. And that's been the big struggle the past two days. And god fucking damn do I need a mentor to just talk to about this. Someone who can be patient with the perpetual push-and-pull tug-of-war in my head, and help me find a place in life where my passions and drive and really fucking abnormal lifestyle can flourish rather than be a hinderance. There's gotta be a way.

Instead of linger on that, I'm going to look at the placeholder card. A new one!!! Six of Wands, inverted. Ha! Six of Wands is... praise and recognition. Inverted, blocked or dysfunctional, not working, out of balance, presenting itself but I can't connect with it functionally. Yep. That's a tough one. As I regularly read Stream Summaries that average less than 1 viewer.

But looking on the bright side? A guy approached me after a year and a half, he remembered my owl drawing streams from 2021. He specifically commissioned me based on my skill, when I had like... 1 viewer, if that. He said it was specifically because he wanted to support me as an artist. That meant a lot to me, and still does. Even though he can't afford this, regardless of whether I made the price too high, he still appreciates my art. He still thinks my work is so good that he wants it inked into his dermis for the rest of his life. I can't let that sentiment slip away, I can't let shit block me from engaging with that praise. Because that's a really big compliment.

I have no idea where things are going to go from here. But for right now, I'm just going to take it one day at a time.

#diary #journal #online journal #stream of thoughts #stream of consciousness

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theangrypokemaniac · 4 years

Text

I'll state from the beginning that the images below display the sort of sweet synchronicity to which only love can give life:

MaAndPaShipping is the best ship, and here are five reasons why:

1. It Made James

Like the boy do yer? Ever felt the slightest tingle of warmth at the mention of his name?

Well get down on yer knees and give thanks to his mother and father for gifting him to the world!

Where would we be without their remarkable commitment? Could James have grown into the dandified dream boat of your desires if deprived of the safety provided by his parents?

Had they not brought him up, he'd be dead, The Dog of Flanders fantasy made reality. If miraculously he survived, foraging in the wild is not conducive to a foppish personality.

Is that to yer fancy? No? Then let's have a little respect. The luxury Ma and Pa gave enabled his macaroni tendencies to reach such heights.

Their love created him! How can it not be celebrated?

You lot would ship Jessie's parents but you can't, because she has no dad, and I don't suppose you'll ever assent to his obvious identity of Windy Miller, although 'Jessie Miller' has a wonderful ring to it, so what can be done?

Should a Pa Jess be conjured for the purpose, he still buggered off, didn't he? Where's the allure in a faithless git?

I can't comprehend the obsession with Ma Jess. As soon as here she's stiff, and what is there to remember but coercing her daughter into eating snow?

Hey, I named her. What more do you want from me?

I'd rather have the living, visible ancestors, if you don't mind.

Yeah, says the history fanatic.

Why not make the most of the chances offered, and follow a devoted couple whose love made a difference to your existence?

2. Canon!

There are many ships which I find repulsive for involving depravity, or absurd as the subjects haven't met, or don't inhabit the same fictional universe.

Video et taceo: I see and I say nothing.

Neither does anyone. Forcing decent folk in to incest, bestiality etc. is quite alright.

Perverted ideas are left alone, but woe betide a Rocketshipper, because that's offensive.

It may be the only original ship left standing, with proper evidence and sanctioned by Nintendo, but no, it's fair game for undermining. People pick at your arguments, quibble constantly and NEED to register their objections NOW. You MUST be made aware of opposition. You're not to be permitted your views the way those with twisted tastes are indulged.

Why, out of tens of thousands of combinations, does making Jessie and James an item provoke hostility?

The strength of negativity actually serves as validation, for why be so concerned if it's an impossible relationship?

However sick they are, I'm not anti any ship. I can't muster sufficient interest to do it, and if I scroll on, I forget. I certainly don't attack those responsible.

Anti-Shipping is inherently nihilistic for promoting loneliness. They aren't against Rocketshipping through wanting Jessie and James to be with someone else, as an alternative is not readily available, so the outcome of it is neither finding a companion.

MaAndPaShipping attracts no sourpuss silliness, for 'tis canon beyond question. There's nothing about being 'just friends' when married with a son.

How's the state of your O.T.P.? Not looking too clever I expect, and what's your contribution: wishing, and hoping, and thinking, and praying?

Cast it off! None of that longing is necessary in these quarters, as MaAndPaShipping is a fait accompli.

Hallelujah! Wallow in that Love!

Don't you yearn for at least one ship that all of us accept by default, to the extent these aristocrats are spoken of as a single unit?

Across the internet, Ma and Pa are bracketed as 'James's parents', never 'he' and 'she', always 'they', barely counting as distinct characters. That's how undeniable the love is between them. Sheer indifference has awarded it a blessing from everyone.

MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!

Of course, now I've drawn attention to it the moaning will start, but we all know a spoilsport when we see one.

If they had any legitimate complaints they ought to have mentioned 'em before this piece highlighted the marriage!

Except it won't have occurred to 'em previously, proving the eternal, indissoluble quality of MaAndPaShipping.

You get good value with this one.

Find a post referring to Ma and Pa as individuals and I'll have written it, for that's what you call ironic.

3. It's a Fine Rocketshipping Proxy

I was at primary school when Pokémon hit the West like the bright, bearded meteor it is, atomizing all competition for a child's attention.

I have shipped Jessie and James before I knew anyone else did it, unaware shipping was even a thing.

There are other pairs where I think: 'That seems to fit', but it's incomparable to what I feel for them.

It is part of me. I bleed it.

I have shipped it longer than most Tumblerries have dwelt upon the earth.

I used to believe, what with the hints and manga finale, that this resolution was inevitable, and all I had to do was wait.

Well I've been patient for two decades now, thus when I look at the modern incarnation, and realise it's no nearer to that goal, and instead is further away, waiting starts to wear a bit thin.

I resent the lack of appreciation shown to the fans by the cretins in charge, how any meagre shippy inclusion is done not with an interest in deepening bonds, but with the blatant cynicism of moulding us into performing monkeys dancing to their manipulative tune.

I dislike being treated like a sea lion, expected to clap me flippers at the wave of a fish, or as a panting dog begging at top table, where, because they're desperate to maintain the status quo, every scrap flung down from above now comes with an Anti-Ship kick in the teeth, just to be sure nothing progresses. Not whilst the franchise can still be milked for all it's worth.

I have lost faith Rocketshipping will happen. What passes for Pokémon today carries not the remotest indication of any intention on the so-called writers' part to finish it that way.

Even if it did, it's not my Team Rocket, it's those skeletal, gargoyle bastardisations. My Jessie and James never got the reward they deserved.

I'm somewhat in the market for a replacement. Beneath this loathsome carapace of acid and ice beats the tender heart of a true romantic, and it must have an outlet!

Shipping Ma and Pa provides a certain spurious relief, because it's as close as you can get to Jessie and James without it being them, both biologically as his parents, but they're so similar to the duo it counts as proof in itself.

Holy Matrimony! is prime Rocketshipping territory, not merely the balloon lift, but many slight additions are as important, like the haircuts matching.

Ma and Pa are therefore Jessie and James in the past, present and future:

The past for representing Jess 'n' Jamie gone Victorian, and we've all wondered how that'd turn out.

The present as it's there right now, absent of suffering the shameless whims of morons to get what you want. 'Tis yours to savour.

The future as a glimpse of Jessie and James once married with children, and they agree:

That's how they play it given the opportunity!

What, James in blue, for his and Pa's hair, and Jessie wearing purple, like Ma's, with a red shawl for her own, and Ma Jess's orange earrings to copy the beads?

• Money!

• Bun!

• 'Tache!

• Classy pad!

• Fancy gear!

• Pampered pet!

• Identical cups of Earl Grey!

4. Original Blend

Ma and Pa have only got two fans! We care more than the entire fandom has in twenty years!

Rocketshipping art is ten a penny, so why not display a pioneering spirit, sharpen up those pencils and be inspired?

Let your mind expand and marvel at the possibilities of these unchartered territories, and I'll reblog it if it's nice.

Pay attention to the condition of it being nice. I'm not putting up with any old toss.

Real Ma and Pa is what I want too, not those Sinnoh coffin-dodgers.

It's never been done! Every drawing breaks new ground!

I don't like fan fiction, but I wouldn't say 'no' to that either. Recall the 'nice' stipulation again.

Come on, be the first amongst your friends and get ship shape!

5. It Gives Us All Hope

Suppose your favourite amour one day became canon: you imagine that's the end of the matter?

Well it ain't.

Between Ash, Misty, Brock, Jessie, James, Gary and Tracey, there are three-and-a-half out of fourteen parents (Flint doesn't count as a complete man) and one out of twenty-eight grandparents, and that's not enough!

If the series drew to a close with your beloved couple apparently walking into the happily-ever-after, there's no guarantee it'll endure. In fact, the odds are they'll split up within a few years and leave another generation to fend for themselves or starve.

That's right, so don't presume the final episode is all you need to worry about. Can you rest easy knowing it'll go pear-shaped once the camera stops rolling?

It's futile soothing one's worries with:

Oh, but they know what it's like to be alone. They'd never inflict such stress on their children.

Oh really?

Look at that poor showing of grandparents. Either Pokémon has a system reminiscent of the sci-fi film Logan's Run, where everyone over thirty is vapourized, or these disappearing maters and paters were themselves victims of abandonment.

I bet when they settled down, they thought it'd be different for their kids, they'd make sure of it, but no, off they went down that same route of feckless self-indulgence, and that's being kind assuming they intended not to repeat history.

Depressing eh? What's the good in any of us surrendering to romance, real or otherwise, if love is but a mayfly of emotion, and all dreams are doomed to die?

Then Ma and Pa arrive, and suddenly the storm clouds part for a ray of heavenly light.

It's not only that they made the effort in what was probably an arranged marriage and have stayed together from youth, it's that they've stayed together when no one else has, which augments its value.

When separation is commonplace, sticking it out becomes rarer and rarer as any belief in the sanctity of wedlock erodes with every failure.

If they didn't bother, why should I? What's the use when it won't work?

Once that idea enters your head, it's over, and your gloom-laden attitude fulfils itself.

Society is collapsing about Ma and Pa's ears, but they persevere nevertheless, refusing to buckle under the turgid malaise engulfing the arrogant and weak.

It's bloody beautiful, man!

You may suggest an environment of supreme wealth erases normality, and to their class and time period divorce is still taboo, so they don't really have much of choice but to remain wedded.

Ah, but it's not as if they simply tolerate one another for appearances, or carried on for the sake of their son (which is more than anyone else did besides), not when he walked out on them.

They've been married longer than James has lived, so at least eighteen years (don't all squeal at once), and they're still blissfully contented!

They hold hands!

They use terms of endearment like 'dear' and 'my precious'!

They were made for one another!

They work as a team!

They want the same thing for James!

It could bring a stone angel to tears it's so beautiful!

See what success can be achieved when you try? When you endeavour to love the one you're with and make yourself worth loving in return?

Better that than chucking 'em at the first sign of trouble.

Ma and Pa is such an irrevocable union even the despair of losing their only child failed to tear 'em asunder, and that'd defeat many, but not this husband and wife.

Be grateful, for it means all is not in vain.

It doesn't have to be misery and pain: love can last despite the pressure of a wretched, hollow culture bent on self-destruction. Your ship might just succeed too.

God bless 'em for keeping the magic alive!

...

Why do I have the presentiment that I'm going to regret encouraging support?

#maandpashipping #team rocket #ma james #pa james #ma and pa james #james #jessie #james's mom #james's dad #james's parents #rocketshipping #kanto #holy matrimony!

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