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talas-starlight · 4 years

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Lover - Percy Jackson x Fem!reader

SUMMARY: You’ve crushed on Percy for years, him on the other hand? It’s more of a recent development. That doesn’t mean he likes you any less.

(Older Percy & reader - they're like 21) ALSO idk perfectly what happens in trials of apollo so let’s just ✨ignore that ✨ & this isn’t sexual despite what the title may suggest

WORD COUNT: 2.7k

A/N: hi friends this is for @fromthewatertribe ‘s 1k follower event!! Im sure most of you have but if not definitely check out their work!! Its soooo good I promises and ugh their Leo fic?! *chefs kiss* anyway idk if this is any good oop I tried

PROMPTS USED: 9 & 11. (they’re bolded)

WARNINGS: swearing, mentions of ptsd & anxiety, kissing stuff lol ish eh idk, mentions of percabeth breakup?? Does that count?

MASTERLIST: here!

An obnoxiously red and orange light filters into the motel room, even with the old and tattered curtains closed, the motels’ sign conquers its way through the fabric. Sighing you flop yourself on the faded, probably twenty-year-old bed. Nose scrunching as some dust raises into the air, consequently letting out a sneeze.

“Bless you.”

“Did you just bless yourself?”

You winced at the reminder someone else was in the room, exhausted after the two-day travel to a motel room in the middle of whoop. “Yeah…”

“You really are something, aren’t you?” At the calm amusement evident in his tone, your heart rate began to slow down. He didn’t think you were crazy.

You let out a breathy laugh. Wow, I wonder how those stains got on the ceiling? Lava monster perhaps? Are those even a thing? Probably.

“Yeah… well, someone has to Jackson.” You glance towards him, he’s sitting at the small, poor excuse of a dining table. Heart rate picking up again as he gives you a small smile, already having his eyes on you this entire time.

“If I don’t, who will?” you continue.

“Touché. In that case, I’ll do the blessing from now on; you deserve a break.” Shooting you a wink. Instantly feeling flustered at his action, you fight the urge to cover your face with your hands.

Oh, Percy, if only you knew you’ve already been blessing me for the past six years.

“Even say…. If we’re in a battle?” you muse.

He gets up from the table and walks towards you. Once he reaches your side of the queen bed, he kneels, grabbing the hand closest to him, while putting his other on top of his heart. “Oh, y/n l/n, even with my dying breath.”

With that, you burst into a fit of laughter. This boy and his sarcasm.

You play along. “Hmmm what a great tale that will be. The one and only, Perseus Jackson, spending his final breath on sweet old y/n l/n. How dare you burden me with such a legacy to live up to! They’ll think I’m your lover, you know. Demigods all around the world will come searching for me, just to gawk at the beauty that stole your heart.”

At this point, Percy has fallen from his kneeling position, completely lying on the ground, overcome with laughter.

“This isn’t funny, Percy! How am I supposed to live with the guilt of knowing I don’t live up to their expectations?! I’m hardly a warrior either, oh the disappointment.”

Gasping for breath, he manages to find his words, “Don’t stress it y/n, you’re plenty beautiful. I just know they’ll all be stunned by your beauty. Don’t sell yourself short… trust me, once they see you, they’ll be envious that my lover was so enraptured by me that you’ll never be able to love again.”

Now it was your turn to laugh. Would that be so bad?

Gasping for breath, eventually, both of your laughs die down, leaving you both breathing heavily. “C’mon Percy, let’s get some sleep. Its going to be a long week of scouting for demigods if we’re tired.”

As Percy nods, silently getting up to go to the bathroom to change, but he can’t help but think to himself that he wouldn’t mind if he was stuck in the middle of nowhere with you. No matter how long.

It had been three days since you and Percy arrived in the town you continuously fail to remember the name of. It wasn’t the only thing you were failing at doing either, because it seemed that for some unknown reason, the school that was supposed to arrive here for their camping trip still hadn’t shown up.

“We should send an Iris message to camp. It doesn’t look like they’re showing up any time soon, and by the looks of things, we’re going to need to have them send someone for more supplies.”

Percy sighed, looking out the window. Was this the opportunity he was looking for? Maybe… he knew he’d be a stupid fool to pass it up. Swept up in his new thoughts, he never replied. “Percy?”

Without even looking at you, he nodded, turning to go to the bathroom, “Yeah sure, I’ll go into the bathroom and make the call.”

Humming in acknowledgement as he left the room, you couldn’t help but stare at the spot he was previously standing in from your position on the edge of the bed. He doesn’t look too good.

For such a great hero, you wondered if this quest was doing him any good. After the first day of scouting the campsite, it was obvious he was already antsy to get home. It seemed no matter how light you tried to keep the atmosphere; it was like something was weighing on his mind. Mostly when you were both in the motel room together, you supposed it was because he barely went on quests nowadays. Understandably so, after all, who could blame him for wanting a break and spend time with his family? This made you feel immensely guilty since you could never give him words of truly understanding what he’s gone through. You’d arrived at camp a few days before him, yet over the years you were never sent onto a major quest. It upset you greatly at first, but you grew to appreciate your time at camp.

Before your mind could delve further into its guilt and self-pity, Percy re-entered the room, sitting next to you with a huff. “It’s all good. They’re going to send Leo with some extra supplies, and he’ll help us for the rest of this quest.”

Accidentally getting swept up in how pretty his eyes were, you tensed up, realising he was staring at you expectantly. Quickly nodding and clearing your throat you looked down to your lap, “ahh, okay that sounds good. I guess we’ll have time to sightsee or something…”

Sightsee? Really y/n? There’s nothing in this stupid town!

An awkward silence filled the room. Due to your previous thoughts, you were unsure how to proceed. This was the first time you were alone with him and had nothing else better to do.

Percy on the other hand, found that the obvious swooning look in your eyes was his green light. “Uhhh actually y/n?”

Oh, please don’t ask me why I basically just drooled all over you for NO FUCKING REASON. Snapping your head back up to look at him, you desperately tried to ignore the pounding in your chest that managed to find its way into your ears, “yeah?”

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

Holy shit he knows, doesn’t he? He knows I’ve liked him this entire time, and he’s going to reject me even though I never even said anything!

“I uhm… look I know we’re kind of on a small quest and all but technically we ARE waiting for Leo and the school to arrive before we continue… and you know we kind of have like at least a day or two until then so I was just wondering…”

“Yeah, Percy? You can just say it, you know; I really don’t mind.” I do mind, but please get this over with before I cry. With your heart rate increasing at an alarming rate and face heating up so much, you wanted Zeus to blast you right then and there.

Percy felt like he was about to puke, he’d never felt this nervous before. Yeah, he had his moments growing up with Annabeth, after all, she was his first girlfriend, but this was different. He wanted this to be different. Sure, he never regretted their relationship, and yes, he knew he’d always remember everything they went through- what he went through but… he wanted a clean slate. He desperately just wanted nothing more than to know that there was at least one person in his life that wasn’t constantly fighting for their lives—someone who didn’t have to live with as much trauma as him.

“W- would you maybe... Gods, do you want to have dinner tomorrow night? Maybe at the diner further into the town?”

HOLY FUCK.

He was interested and honestly, you were over the moon. Breathing out the breath you were holding in, you fail to hide the smile on your face, “yeah, I’d like that.”

His face instantly broke out into a wide smile matching yours. “Wait really?”

Unable to hold back a small giggle, you nodded, “yeah, Percy.”

Staring at yourself in the mirror, you admire the blue dress you found in a charity shop this morning while Percy was sleeping. I can’t believe this is happening.

If you had old even more awkward 15-year-old y/n that you were about to go on a date with the boy you admired from your table during meals (when he was there), you would’ve laughed. Mainly because at that point, he didn’t even know you existed, only having your first conversation during the battle of Manhattan when you were helping Will.

Okay… lets do this.

Walking out of the bathroom, Percy is already sitting on the bed in his usual t-shirt, jeans and converse waiting for you.

“Woah… You look uh-” Never finishing his statement, worry bubbled in your chest.

“Oh, uhm… I- I can change if you’d like?

Jumping up from his place on the bed, his head shook quickly. “NO! N-no don’t do that.”

“Ah uhm… okay? Sorry, it’s just I saw it in a store earlier and uhm… it looked nice, and I just thought that maybe it’d be cool to maybe put in a bit more effort? I mean… not that you don’t look good or anything! I love what you wear, you always look nice! but I don’t know… I don’t get to look nice much and… I just wanted it to be kinda special since we don’t get to… well our lives don’t really grant us these opportunities very often. Or at least for me anyway…”

“Hey, no, it’s okay! I totally get it… you look beautiful.” After hearing your small confession and thought to prepare for your date, his heart felt like it was melting. How could someone be so thoughtful when all he was doing was taking you to a rundown diner who probably only served mediocre burgers?

A small wave of guilt washed through him. Feeling like he would never be able to truly sweep you off your feet or give you that sweet, tooth-rotting love and affection, every day, just like you deserved. After everything, he knew he could try his best but even then, he’d never be able to hide the anxiety or PTSD he had acquired over the years.

You looked up to him with a smirk. “Glad to hear it, lover.”

Cheeks heating up at your comment, he laughed trying to play it off as cool as possible. Taking a step closer to you and flattening his shirt as if it would wipe away its wrinkles, he held out his arm. “Shall we, lover?”

Matching his level of fake sophistication, you linked your arm with his, “with pleasure.”

And with that, you both walked out of the motel, with hopeful spirits. To any onlooker, you both looked like normal young adults.

“Where the fuck are you?!” Percy’s voice boomed from his end of the phone, supposedly made without any monster risks.

You winced, slowly and cautiously walking your way out of the forest. The once clean dress was now covered in dirt and had few tears. It went perfectly with your dishevelled, twig and leaf infested hair.

“Space doesn’t really exist, so I’m nowhere. Life is built on social constructs and, since there’s no way to know if we’re really alive or if it’s just an illusion, I can’t be anywhere.”

“Y/n.”

Okay, he was concerned, and you couldn’t blame him. After all, how did you expect him to react after getting separated from you as you were chased into the woods by an Empousai after dinner?

Romance at its finest.

“Yeah, sorry, I got caught up, but I’ll be there soon.”

Ending the call, you couldn’t help but feel guilty as you replayed the events that just occurred in your head. The date was amazing. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was still sweet. Which led you both to go on one of those cliché night walks. That was nice too, until two Empousai came out of the forest and decided to attack you both.

Percy being…. Well Percy, he swiftly got out riptide and didn’t hesitate to defend the two of you. You, on the other hand, were completely caught off guard only just noticing as one of them turned their focus on you while Percy was distracted.

And what did you do like the perfectly trained demigod you were?

You ran like a headless chicken into the forest.

After a few minutes of running, they tackled you into the ground. Trying and failing failed to shove them off, you suddenly remembered the dagger you strapped to your thigh under your dress and stabbed them.

Clearly not your proudest moments.

Finally making it back to the room, you unlocked the door and let out a huff of relief. “Well… that date didn’t go as expected.”

Percy, took in your current state staring at you with wide eyes… but he didn’t say anything. Is he angry at me? Fuck now he’s going to call off whatever this is, all because I’m an incompetent idiot! I knew I should have tried harder in the sparring activities at camp.

Feeling highly intimidated under his intense stare, you began to play with the hem of your dress, voice going quiet. “Look I uh- I know it probably wasn’t the date you were hoping for but I uhm-“

Before you could even finish your poor excuses, your words are soon lost entirely. Percy stalked towards you with a determined look on his face. Reaching you, he firmly placed his hands on either side of your face, smashing his lips onto yours.

You let out a small, muffled squeak of surprise as your eyebrows shot up into Olympus. Yet unlike your fighting skills, this was something you managed to adapt to at a faster pace.

Eyes fluttering closed, you fisted his shirt, pulling him closer.

Please don’t let this be a dream.

Because Gods forbid if this your one chance, you weren’t letting this moment end that easily.

Moving your lips against his, the urgency he came onto you with slowly began to dissipate, feeling his soft, but slightly chapped lips move against yours. Deepening the kiss, you let go of his shirt, gliding your hands up his tense torso and along his strong arms, eventually placing your hands on his wrists that were on either side of your face. Applying a small amount of pressure to the inside of his wrists with your thumbs, his mind began to drift into a calming haze as you softly stroked them. It was almost as if you were able to brush away the worry that bubbled in him when he got back to the room, only to find you weren’t there. Yet here you were… safe.

It was intoxicating and calming having him so close to you, his entire being overcoming your senses to a point where you fought the urge to let out a small whimper when he pulled away.

Resting his forehead against yours, chest rising and falling heavily flushed against you; he continued to hold you in his warm embrace. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” He whispers, breath fanning against your face.

Because as much as Percy was afraid he’d let you down, he knew no matter what you were worth every single risk.

“…but I’m going to have to teach you a few things when we get back to camp. We can’t have my lover running away in battle all the time, how will I know if you sneeze?”

Letting out a snort, you playfully hit his chest. “Anything for you, lover.”

A soft smile graces his face as he looks at you adoringly as the word takes on a whole new meaning… because you were right. He’d do anything.

A/N: whelp! i hope you all liked it :)) its not perfect but oh well?

also i dont have a percy jackson taglist but i gotta tag the holy grail of fic writers for this fandon eep @cabinofimagines 🙈 🙈

Divider credit: @biskit-rising

#percy jackson #percy jackson x you #percy jackson x reader #percy jackson x y/n #pjo #pjo fandom #percy jackson imagine #percy jackson fic #percy jackson x fem!reader #annabeth #annabeth chase #leo valdez #heros of olympus #hoo #nina's 1k event #pjo x reader #hoo x reader #percy jackson fluff #percy jackson angst

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firerose · 3 years

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https://firerose.tumblr.com/post/654710308502388736/estelanel-001-send-me-a-ship-and-i-will-tell

Ummm... Jercy? Yeah, Jercy

001 | send me a ship and I will tell you: when I started shipping it if I did: Yes I ship them because of @perseusjackson-jasongrace amazing fics <3 my thoughts: Their bromance in Boo was great and it's a shame that they did not have more moments in canon ( because of a certain book that I will not mention !) What makes me happy about them: Jason seems like the a guy that is able to comfort Percy when he's in a bad mood. That's very sweet <3 What makes me sad about them: weeeeell Jason is dead so we'll never know how close they could have gotten things are done in fanfic that annoys me: I haven't found something bad in a Jercy ic :) things I look for in fanfic: ANGST! Give me dark Percy and dark Jason, please! Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: For Percy, I would say Annabeth ( when she learned to be a bit nicer to him) and for Jason, I would say Leo .....Leo needs someone to help him deal with his trauma!

My happily ever after for them : Both of them living happily in a small apartment in new Rome who is the big spoon/little spoon: Percy is a big spoon, Jason is the little one what is their favourite non-sexual activity: sparring! They always do it while being shirtless XD

#character ask meme #thanks for the ask!

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theartofimaginaryfriends · 4 years

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Hey! Would you be willing to do a story with Percy and his S/O working through their trauma together? And this can be trauma related to the gods or before he found out about being a demigod. If not I totally understand! I love you’re writing and think you are amazing!

A Long Road

Premise: Percy and Y/N decide to go to therapy together, to help them work through domestic trauma

CONTENT WARNINGS PLEASE READ: this one-shot deals with descriptions trauma, rape/sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, and domestic violence.

Masterlist

A/N (ALSO PLEASE READ): I am so sorry this took so long! Between the ProServe course and it being August (I moved back home for the year and my friends did not lmao), it took me some time to write this. As well, I know I stated the CW above but I gotta say that this got really heavy. It also kind of turned into a focus on Percy’s trauma rather than the readers, but I tried to balance it out. So this is just a warning on how heavy it gets. I have a fun Percy fic planned to post next, though, and I’m going to try to write that and get it up in the next day or so as a compensation. Also thank you so much for enjoying my works! Quarantine has been hell and this has helped a lot.

It had been two years since Y/N and Percy got married, and nine years since they moved to New Rome. Now, they were nervously waiting in the lounge of New Rome psychology. The demigods began with separate sessions, working through their own traumas surrounding the events during each quest. As they got better, and those nightmares became less frequent, they decided to begin sessions together.

Percy struggled to open up about the abuse Gabe put him and his mother through. Y/N had a tough time bringing up their abusive parent but was a little more open about it than Percy was. Both adults wanted kids, they always felt that way. Percy was the first one to bring it up. Unfortunately, the two of them were terrified of that prospect, and it was their friends that suggested they see a therapist to get passed that speedbump.

Y/N squeezed Percy's hand lightly as they made their way to the psychologist's office. This was their first session, and Y/N could tell how nervous Percy was. He told them a few things that Gabe had done, but never in detail and skirted around any parts that led to the moments that were particularly traumatizing. All they could hope for was a successful first session, and at least get a crack into the barrier.

The couch they sat on was comfy, and the two demigods sat close together. They went through the confidentiality agreement, and the goals they want to achieve by going to these continuous sessions. Once the basics were out of the way, the atmosphere shifted. Percy interlocked his fingers with Y/N's, the nerves hitting him hard. The only person he told the full story to was his best friend, Annabeth, and that wasn't easy after over a decade of being friends with her. ��

He started with bits that Y/N already knew. Gabe's abuse of the home, using Percy's room as his "office" when he was gone to boarding school, and playing poker with his buddies in the kitchen while treating Sally like a servant. He talked more about how he had treated his mother and him, using physical abuse more frequently when it was just the three of them in the small apartment. Percy often would get into his mother's foundation to conceal the bruises and scars Gabe gave him.

Just like every time it was brought up, Percy focused more on his mother. He talked more in detail about his ex-stepdad treating her like a servant, and how he would have to hear Sally being beaten by Gabe almost every day. Just like every time he brought Gabe up, he stopped abruptly when a particularly difficult memory resurfaced.

The therapist gave Percy ideas on healthy coping mechanisms, as a way to stop the panic attacks and nightmares. They promised to get back to Percy's trauma in the next session, noting that he will not be forced to talk about any of it until he was ready.

When they got to Y/N, they got into how they grew up practically having to raise themself. Their parent was an addict, and never really gave Y/N the time of day. When they did, however, it was to yell at them for being an abomination and not being good enough. Deep down, they knew it was because they were a demigod. There was physical abuse when they got attention from their parent, but the trauma was mostly mental and emotional.

They received similar ideas for coping mechanisms like Percy, and the couple promised to try it together. Due to an already heavy session, the therapist had them close their eyes and take a collective deep breath for a few counts, before scheduling the next session and getting them to pay.

Once they got home, Percy went into the bedroom to lie down. It took him a long time to recover after his trauma was brought up, especially after getting close to talking about the story he never spoke about. Y/N didn't expect a breakthrough right away, and they remained patient with their husband. Not wanting him to be alone, they climbed into bed and held Percy as he cried.

"Y/N?" Percy wiped the tears off his face with the sleeve of his hoodie.

"Hm?" Y/N shifted so that they were looking at Percy from a more comfortable angle, and listened as he spoke.

"I-" he took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready to tell you what I've been avoiding talking about."

"You don't want to save it for the next session?" Y/N asked kindly.

"I don't know when I'll feel confident enough to talk about it again, and you need to know." Y/N nodded their head, encouraging Percy to continue. "When I was a kid... just old enough to finally understand what Gabe was doing, I heard Mom screaming and crying in the middle of the night. Worried, I went to go see what was happening, and I- uh..."

"You don't need to say it if you don't want to," Y/N whispered after a few beats of silence. Percy nodded, and buried his face into their chest, beginning to cry again. They stroked his hair and held him close as he let it out, thinking about what their parent had done to them.

It had taken a long time for either of them to get comfortable intimately. It was assumed by Y/N, who had been raped before, that Percy was a victim as well. They couldn't imagine how hard it was for Percy to have seen it at such a young age. It didn't help that they could tell by the history, Percy had heard it happening more times than he cared to admit.

The two demigods were broken, but they hoped that it was repairable. They wanted to have a family, to prove to themselves that they weren't like the abusers they were raised by. It was going to be a long road, and they were determined to get there.

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #hoo #heroes of olympus #percy jackson x reader #percy jackson fanfiction

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pastabrand · 4 years

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Unpopular PJO/HOO/TOA opinions

This is gonna be wordy but I’m not sorry for it.

Percabeth is hella overrated. It’s nice, but I would prefer other ships over it and some of y’all Percabeth shippers are scary as hell

I love TOA. A lot people don’t like it because it doesn’t include the main 7 and another topic that I’ll mention later but honestly, I could care less. I’m glad that the others aren’t there other than cameos. It means they’re getting a chance to heal after everything and honestly, good for them. People like to cast TOA as an unnecessary spinoff that didn’t need to be included yet it gives y’all the type of character development you scream and beg for in other books. It’s literally the perfect character development trope you crave, yet puts a good spin on it.

Some of you haven’t even READ toa and say you hate it. Like what? How is that supposed to work.

PJO was way better than HOO. TOA sits in the middle of the two.

I love TOA because it shows Apollo’s character growth from one of the most arrogant, cocky, and prideful gods. And even then, he doesn’t go from that to a helpless mortal loving fool, he stays arrogant and prideful but less so. Not to mention more understanding of mortals and demigods live and what they go through. He doesn’t go from one extreme to the other, but one extreme to more of a center balance. It’s more natural that way.

While Jason’s death in TOA was sorta cheap, it goes to show demigods can die at the least expected times. If Jason had died during the war, then it would be “oh, well, that’s what war does. It kills people. Nothing new.” Compared to Jason going about life as normal and one small mission is his end. It’s more impactful and realistic that way. It goes to show that life as a demigod is always dangerous, fighting or not.

Jason’s anger to Percy for not noticing Nico’s feelings towards him is absolute bullshit. Fuck that as a whole. Nico acting cold and hateful towards Percy doesn’t and shouldn’t equal “I like you, notice me please”. The internalized homophobia should be Jason’s focus, not Percy’s lack of attention at Nico’s feelings.

Same for Leo about Calypso. Not to mention they both shove the blame onto Percy like its his fault when it really isn’t. Having your memory forcefully wiped mere months after a war isn’t gonna help when remembering stuff like that. Not to mention the Gods are bums who will try to do as little as possible and leave the rest to demigods. It leads to one sided anger and unnecessary confusion and guilt on the other side. Bad writing on Rick’s part tbh.

People need to stop acting like Jason didn’t die. That’s clinging into a ghost and not letting it move on. I hate to be the one who says it, but Jason is canonically dead and acting like he isn’t won’t change shit. It’s gonna lead to unhealthy habits in the future, trust me. You can’t write a fic post TOA then be like “oh yeah, Jason’s alive because I want him to :)))” because that isn’t how life works sweetheart.

People also need to stop pretending TOA doesn’t exist. You might not like it but you have to acknowledge that it is actually there and it follows the PJO/HOO timeline.

Paul was just a card to give Sally a nice man to lean on when it wasn’t necessary.

Percy should’ve been wayyyy more suspicious of Paul when he was first introduced. 6 years of abuse from a “father figure” isn’t just gonna go away because “oh he’s nice.” Guess what? Gabe was nice at first canoncially (even if it was for a very short amount of time).

Percy. Has. Serious. Anger. Issues. He’s sassy and stuff, sure, but he’s also got some severe anger problems that he both inherited from Poseidon and developed and festered over time from living with Gabe for 6 years.

Percy is the type to act like Hades or Apollo, attack a lesser being(s) because he can’t go after the big shot without fear of punishment. I wouldn’t be surprised if some his expulsions were from beating up various kids and/or teachers.

For the first half of TLT, Percy did not like Camp Half-Blood or consider it his “home” other than Grover and Luke. The camp treated him like shit because he was a noobie at first and then because he was a son of the Big Three. He hated Poseidon for his lack of care and lack of help when he and his mom were abused under Gabe. Had Luke talked to him during that time period and/or Kronos spoke to him in dreams, he would’ve joined the Titans. His loyalty for the camp didn’t form until near the end of TLT.

Nico and Percy basically had somewhat personality switches. Nico was an excitable, happy, laid back, and naive kid while Percy was a quiet, angry, and irritable kid. Nico’s switch came from Bianca’s death while Percy’s was more gradual. In the end, Nico became the quiet, irritable kid and Percy became the more happy, laid back kid.

Stop ignoring the fact that Nico, a literal 14-year-old, traversed into Tartarus. Alone. There’s always fics of Percy and Annabeth recovering or suffering from the after affects of the fall and war while Nico is relatively normal. The boy is not and has not been okay. His life has been one shitshow to the next ever since he was ten.

Both Percy and Nico have incredibly dark sides to their powers that they seemingly enjoyed that was fueled by anger. Percy with Achlys and Nico with Bryce. Percy admitted to liking torturing the goddess and Nico, though more subtly, seemed amused by Bryce and his attempts to justify his crimes and then frantic attempts to stay alive. Bryce literally says “I’m Bryce Lawrence! I am alive!” And Nico casually responds with “Who are you?” as he turns Bryce into a souless husk of a person. You cannot tell me that he wouldn’t have tilted his head innocently and cracked a small smile at that.

Piper’s portrayal as a Native American. Do I even need to go into that?

Percy. Liked. Luke. The boy knew the son of Hermes for what? 1 week? 2? Yet considered him to be a friend, possibly a close one at that. It probably went the same route Nico’s crush did. Hero adoration to actual romantic feelings but godspeed. Not because he just wanted to like a boy, but because, other than Chiron, Luke treated him with kindness, patience, and understanding as a male figure, something Percy didn’t really have growing up. Not to mention Luke helped Percy when no one else would. As a 12 year old, those type of feelings were bound to develop.

People who make the characters treat Percy and Leo as dumb, oblivious, or one dimensional sassy bois™️. Percy and Leo would be offended and/or defensive of such a thing because of childhood trauma. How many years do you think they can to endure that when they were younger from people they were supposed to trust or respect? You seriously can’t think they would be fine with it because their friends. Maybe a reference once or twice, but constantly? Absolutely not. Old habits die hard.

Solangelo seemed forced to me. I dunno, Nico’s whole confession felt like a ruse to get him set up with Will right away. I felt as though there wasn’t any real “connection” between the two prior to them getting together. It all felt rushed and out of place for the setting they were in. I’ve never understood it nor liked it and usually try to avoid it. That and Caleo seemed like a way to put all the characters in relationships so that they were “happy”, portraying that they needed to be with someone to achieve their happiness. Leo and Nico would’ve been better off single and learning to love themselves before loving someone else. Same applies to Sally.

Nico and Thalia would never get along because Thalia would be a reminder of what Nico lost (Bianca) and how easily how she could be replaced.

Demeter kids need more respect. I feel like that’s what Meg is for. To show that they can also technically be considered “Big Three” material because, if you forgot, Demeter is a child of Kronos as well. That means Demeter’s kids are cousins with the Big Three kids as well.

Aphrodite’s kids also need more respect. Aphrodite in the PJO universe is literally older than all gods, as she was born from Uranus’ gentials in the ocean and arose from there. Their powers could be exapanded wayyy more if they were focused on more.

Not to mention Poseidon kids could possibly gain attibutes of what would be considered Aphrodite’s powers since she was born from the ocean and vice versa. The possibilities are endless there.

That’s all I could think of for now! Lemme know what you guys think though.

#percy jackson #pjo #pjo fanfic #heros of olympus #trials of apollo #toa #hoo #unpopular thoughts

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hellswolfie · 3 years

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House of Hades review

From the Heroes of Olympus.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE :

- Jiper. I never liked this relationship, I don’t even understand their dynamic or why they like eachother so much, sometimes it just feels like it’s because they find eachother pretty and that’s it. Also they tend to bring the worst out of eachother, which could actually be interesting if it was done on purpose but since it’s not it’s just bad. By that mean I mean Piper charming up Jason when he so much as thinks about another girl who happens to have a crush on him. Her tendency to use her charm speak is really worrying at times, how she uses it on her friends and even boyfriend so casually like that’s mind control !!! And he thinks it’s “fair game” which NO it’s not it’s extremely messed up to be that insecure that you feel that you have to brainwash your boyfriend to make sure he doesn’t leave you. Ask Voldemort. Also there is the fact that Jason actually KNEW about Reyna’s feelings for him. I don’t blame him for not outright rejecting her because come on that’s an extremely awkward conversation to have, especially with someone you’re supposed to work with everyday to lead people. But like, I already thought he was an asshole because the first thing he said to Reyna when he came back after months of dissapearing was that he wanted to make his girlfriend visit New Rome. Now it just makes it worse.

Frank’s physical change. It was just so unnecessary and...kind of send bad messages. What was so interesting about Frank was that he was NOT a stereotypical Ares kid, he even hated the idea of being one at first. Him being all chubby added a lot to his character and it’s really disappointing that now he’s super athletic and I’m so tired of the “he has to physically change and become more of a stereotypical hot dude to complete his arc” .

Hazel’s magical powers. Look i wouldn’t say I HATE it but I just don’t see the point of it? It doesn’t add anything to her character, only powering up more even tho she was already far enough powered up already imo. I think maybe it would have been more interesting to give this arc to Piper since it’s in line with her Charm Speak.

The lack of Nico x Leo. Yeah yeah I know it will never happen but at least one conversation between them could have been so interesting? Like this two are so alike in so many ways! They both have extreme self worth issues and see themselves at the outcasts. They both have a tendency to run away (Leo mentionned that in his first chapter in the lost hero) and hiding their feelings. They both lost their only family and have a lot of trauma. Also they both are real sweet boys inside even though they don’t like to show it too much (let’s not forget Nico was the only one who was nice to Hestia and Bob, and Leo really did something so kind for Frank there). So they could understand eachother like no one else could, but also bring eachother something because they have both different ways of coping with that : Leo is desperate to belong, being the joker and doing everything he can to be useful to the point he doesn’t think anyone would like him for him if he wasn’t all that so he kind of has to play a role in his mind, while Nico just withdrawns himself and rejects everyone around him. They could really balance eachother out. Like imagine their relationship development, going from dislike, Leo being creeped out by Nico and Nico finding his jokes annoying, but then they get to talk and realize they’re not so different and...I’m so frustrated we didn’t get that!!! (PS : if you know a fic where that happens during HoH please give me the link!!)

- It was too short to have 7 POV. Well actually, this is more of a compliment because that means I love the characters so much and I wanted to see more of them. But that almost means that each character didn’t have that much screen time in they POV which made their developemnt in there pretty rush.

Coach Hedge. Look, I really liked him getting more depth with his girlfriend being pregnant and his dead mother but all along the book i couldn’t help but wonder...What is he good for? Why is he even here? I mean he’s supposed to be the protector right? But like, it’s always the kids (the KIDS) who have to take care of him and handle him so he doesn’t do anything stupid. So he’s supposed to be the protector but he never does anything useful, in fact he always finds a way to make the situation worse like when he makes Jason lose his sword because he wanted to beat up a giant turtle so bad. He never helps when it comes to plan because the only thing he says is that he wants to fight even though honestly he’s the weakest of them all. I mean maybe he’ll finally do something useful in the final book, who knows? I still liked knowing he’s the one who brough Clarisse to camp, though, makes so muchs sense...

THINGS I LIKED :

- The POV characters. I loved seeing more of Frank, finally, when he was in the background in the last book, and I loved seeing his development and him being more and more of a leader. Of course I loved Percy, Annabeth and Leo that’s a given. Even though her new powers annoyed me, I still enjoyed Hazel’s POV because she’s still very interesting to follow and I love the way she thinks, she’s very clever. I also liked Piper’s chapter yeeeeaaaaahh !!! And same for Jason, FINALLY AFTER FOUR BOOKS I ACTUALLY LIKE HIM (because he finally has a personality) !!! This two can become very interesting once they stop being so wrapped up around eachother. Like Jason’s struggle between his Roman side and Greek side was really cool to follow, and Piper showing how badass she can be but always wanting to be more? Yes I like that ^^

- Friendships !!! Friendships !!! Finally !! Yeah I was glad this book focused a bit more on friendships than the last one. I loved the Jason x leo stuff, how Jason really seems to admire Leo and how he was the only who realized how sad Leo were after Calypse. Leo x Hazel finally became a friendship instead of the weird thing they had going on thanks god. Leo confectioning something to protect Frank’s staff was so adorable and kind of him like that’s my sweet boi !! I LOVE the potential of Jason x Nico and also maybe Frank x Nico. Piper crying and hugging Annabeth when they are reunited awwww !! And Piper and Hazel bonding over Hazel learning Piper how to fight and Piper helping her with her magic I really liked that (even though I would have like it better if Rick would have showed it instead of just telling us about it). Even Frank and Hedge were pretty heartwarming.

- The Tartarus plot. WOW. It was just...WOW. It was so well written from start to finish, i could feel the horror of this place and how it changed Annabeth and Percy (especially Percy) which was so interesting. Of course the Percabeth moments gave me life. And like...the monsters that give them curses when they die, Nyx, The Nice Titan and The Nice Giant, Tartarus himself...It was just all so good and hurt in the best of way. The “Bob says hello” went straight to my heart. Favorite part of the book.

Caleo : Do i think they should have had more time to develop if Leo is supposed to be THAT in love? Yes. Do i think Nico x Leo would have been so much better and interesting and had so much more potential especially at a slow burn romance where they both become best friends and fall in love in this book but are to afraid to admit yet (again, please give me a link if you know a fic that does that)? Also yes. But I have to admit, they were hella cute. I liked their dynamic (we’re all sluts for ennemies to lovers, no?), and i get how Calypso can be good for Leo : she also has abandonment issues and they work very well together, she’s not afraid to tell him off and he really seems to have grown up after meeting her (and getting his first kiss, which again : hella cute). And I also see how he can be good for her : he’s not like the other Stereotypical Hero she met on her Island, she actually had to get to know him instead of falling in love instantly, and got more in touch into her more mischevious side which I liked to see. Also if he does come back to her (and I better hope he does because he deserves it), that could be an adorable scene and they could have their shop they talked about and...Yeah I like them.

NICCOOOOOO : my baby death boy finally got more screen time and damn it was so good. Of course there was the Cupid Scene. I didn’t like how he was basically forced to come out but I still loved the intensity of this scene, and the revelation that he was in love with Percy and he hated himself because of that? My baby needs a hug (and while it hurt, it was also pretty funny in the end how Percy was so confused about Nico’s aptitude towards him, always and forever oblivious to when someone has a crush on him). But also that makes so much sense. His relationship with Jason? Loved it, loved how Jason gave him advice about opening up more to people (and I totally relate to Nico, I’d much rather raise the dead and hide in hell than doing that) while still being kind of scared of him but wanting to be supportive and seeing how this child fucking needs therapy !! I can’t wait for Nico to finally feel like he belongs (which he would have with Leo!!!!). Nico x Hazel has my heart, their dynamic is just so fucking sweet, like even though she doesn’t totally understands him because he still keeps her at arm lenghts, you can see she loves her brother so much and it’s clear it is mutual. Like forehead kiss my heart (forehead kisses are a weakness of mine) !!!! The scene of him and Frank sharing their interest about Mythomagic was so pure and broke my heart at the same time, I mean like Percy said he’s not that little kid insouciant kid anymore :( (also props to Percy for not being an ass to him which doesn’t really happen often). Anyway I LOVED seeing more of him. He’s such a great and interesting character and i love him so much. Also of course, like always, he was a total badass and I have to asmit, even though I want him to belong, it was kind of amusing how this scrowny, pale and needy of sleep 14 years old terrified the all powerful demi gods on the ship (well ok he is the most powerful of them all but still). His vibe is just that good. But I really want him to have this someone who manages to make him slow down his walls, you know? (even if it’s not Leo snif).

So that was it. I don’t know it that’s ineresting for anyone but I like to vent so ^^

My reviews for :

The Lost Hero; Son of Neptune; the Mark of Athena

#house of hades #pjo #valdangelo #heroes of olympus #hoo #hoh #my pjo review

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lifeofroos · 3 years

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Part 8! Thanks to everyone who gave support! Writing about Nico has been fun.

Rest is on AO3!

@nicoappreciation I don’t know if you wanted to see it... (it’s the Nico therapy fic).

This Might Be Crazy - part 8: Starbucks Chocolate Milk

There was a knock on my cabin door. I did not recognise the knocking pattern, like I would if it was Will or one of my friends. ‘Yes?’

‘Good afternoon, Nico di Angelo. Have you ever been to highline park?’ Dionysus. Figures.

‘Highline park, Sir?’

‘It is a park in New York city, built on what once was a railway.’

‘And you think that that is the best place for a therapy session?’

‘Perhaps not the best, but it is a place. Are you coming?’ I mean, sure, why not, but also, do I really have a choice?

Ten minutes later, we were walking in highline park, after we had made a pitstop at Starbucks for a hot chocolate. It seemed to be Dionysus’ ideology that you cannot have a therapy session without a drink and I whole-heartedly agreed.

‘Alright. I noticed that you really made progress with training your new power. Yet, can you explain why you eventually chose to turn the rats to bones when you were previously against that?’

I looked at my chocolate milk. So he had seen the rats despite my best efforts to hide them. ‘One of the rats became really ill. I thought that… maybe I could releave it from its pain. Yet, when I... bonified... it, it acted as if it was any healthy rat, with the added bonus that I can control them if I want to. The soul stayed with it. That made me comfortable enough to try it out on the other rats, because I would not be banishing them to the Underworld.’

‘Are you going to keep the rats in camp Half-blood?’

‘I am planning on releasing them in the woods outside of camp.’

‘Well done, Nico. Very well done.’

I smiled and took a sip of cocoa. Dionysus took a moment to look around the park, so I did the same thing. It was slim, but filled with a lot of greenery and art. It made me feel at ease, which was probably what Dionysus had been going for when he brought me here.

‘What would you say if I told you we have something difficult to talk about today?’

I don’t like that. ‘Get it over with.’

‘Than I am going to do exactly that. Without further ado: I want to talk about your experience with king Minos.’

That? Oh, dude, I thought you wanted to talk more about Cupid, or about my trip down to Tartarus or something. Minos? That’s small potatoes. I took a big gulp before I answered. ‘That’s alright.’

‘Alright, than we will talk about your time with one of the idiot kings of Ancient Greece.’ I turned to him. Clearly there was more going on between Minos and Dionysus. ‘Please tell me what happened between you and Minos,’ he continued. ‘No, lets start off easier: how did you meet him?’

I stuck my hand out, so that I could touch the fresh april leaves on the bushes. A little dew stuck to my hands. ‘How I met him? Well, eh... It’s…’ Perhaps slightly more difficult to talk about than I initially thought.

‘Remember: I just want to know how you met him, not why, or when, or anything else.’

‘His ghost appeared to me...’ Yes, that is a start, ‘...while I… was trying to summon a different ghost. In the traditional way, not in a son-of-Hades way.’

‘... The traditional way?’

‘Yes. Oh! Eh, I did not use blood, though.’ I shrugged. ‘I summoned ghosts with Happy-meals. It worked, okay?’

‘If it works, it works. Happy-meals are cheaper than livestock anyway.’

‘Yes, well, so, Minos’ ghost appeared to me, even though he was not the ghost I was looking for. That was…’ I bit my lip and looked at my cup. I stopped walking.

‘Take a deep breath…’ I did as I was told, until I felt calm enough to say it.

‘I was trying to summon my sisters’ ghost. I wanted to talk to her again…’ I wanted to add a because after that, but that sentence felt redundant. Even a God would understand why I wanted to see Bianca.

‘Alright. That’s how you met. So, why did you keep him around?’

‘Because he told me he could help me with resurrecting Bianca. And with... getting back at Percy. We already talked about that for a bit.’

‘We did. Please go on.’

‘So, because I thought he could help me achieve my goals, I kept him around. That. But I do want to say that I did not really have a choice. He… kept appearing. Even when I tried to summon other ghosts, he’d rear his head. Even when I... finally summoned Bianca.’

Dionysus was quiet for a bit. Maybe he thought it would be helpful to let it settle for a moment. ‘Did your sister tell you anything, once you finally got to see her?’

‘Yes.’

‘Can you tell me what?’

‘She said…’ I could still hear her words in my head, ‘She explained to me that I was not angry with Percy, but with her. For…’ Oh man. When do I learn that talking about issues is never as easy as I think? I swallowed the lump that had appeared in my throat, before taking a shaky breath.

‘I think it might be better if we talk about that at a later moment.’ You think? ‘We were talking about king Minos. Can you tell me about how you stopped talking with him?’ He raised one of his eyebrows, as if he suddenly got the suspicion that our contact did not end.

‘He… do you know anything about what happened in the labyrinth?’

‘Parts of it. I was scouting out the minor gods at the time, remember?’

Oh, right. ‘Well… Alright. So, after contacting Bianca and hearing what she said... I was not immediately back on Percy’s side, but I grew to be. After Minos caught wind of that, he first tried to sway me. When that did not work… he lied to me, told me Percy and Annabeth were in danger, in order to trick me into being captured by agents of Luke and… you-know-who.’ I took a sip of chocolate milk before I continued. ‘I was captured, so instead of me going after Annabeth and Percy to save them, they had to come and save me. They did so and when they found me, it turned into a battle. During that battle, which was in Daedalus’ workshop…’ I stopped for a second. ‘Oh right, he was in the picture too.’

‘Minos hated him. Always has.’

‘Yes, he really did. But that’s beside the point. During the battle, I opened a fissure in the ground, back to the underworld, and Minos fell through. That ended our contact, except that he went right back to being a judge.’ I felt a little sick at the thought of that man still being in charge of who deserved Elysium and who did not, all because Zeus was adamant about the judges of the underworld being his sons. Maybe we could put Jason in Minos’ place. Hm. Maybe I would bring that up with my dad the next time I saw him.

‘I find it ridiculous too. Minos, a judge of the underworld. The guy is only out for his own good, always has been. Anyway!’ I took a big swig of chocolate milk, while looking at Dionysus. I sensed that I was not the only one in the current company that had bad memories about king Minos. ‘Now, we have the whole story. Minos preyed on you because of the grief you had for your sister, which made you vulnerable, and perhaps even liable to join the titan army.’ I winced at that statement, but I did not go against it. ‘For months, he managed to manipulate you. But then you managed to summon your sister and her words made it difficult for him to keep a grip on you. So, he tricked you into being captured by Kronos’ army. But all's well that ends well and you banished our good old king Minos to the Underworld.’ Yes, keep it at that. I banished him. To the Underworld. Where he is now. I bopped my head in what was meant to be a nod. ‘Good. Now, we have to see if this is still affecting you. But first, look at that.’ He pointed towards an old factory, towering up beisde the Highline.

‘An old factory?’

‘An old factory where they invented the Oreo cookie.’ He shrugged. ‘Someone told me once. I think.’

‘Cool.’ I looked at my cup, before taking a tiny sip. There was almost nothing left.

‘Yes. That concludes our little break. So. Do you ever get in touch with Minos, or with things alluding to Minos, in your everyday life? You can start with easy examples.’

Well, my therapist is his son-in-law, for one. ‘Sometimes Chiron talks about him during mythology class.’ So, that was easy and I began with that. ‘So, obviously, sometimes the campers talk about him. And every now and then, when they find out that I met him, they will try to ask me questions about him. That…’ I looked at the skyline and took another deep breath, which calmed me down enough to continue. ‘That is usually when I get nightmares. Only for a few nights at the time, but it is almost as if king Minos notices it when I am thinking about him. Maybe he…’ I shrugged. ‘I don’t understand why he would still be preying on me. The titan war is over and I am not going to do anything for him ever, so…’ I took the last sip of my chocolate milk and immediately felt like I should not have done that. ‘I think he just wants to haunt me out of malice.’

Dionysus sighed and nodded. ‘But I get that it is not something that bothers you all the time?’

‘No, as I said, only when someone mentioned him, so, when he is already on my mind. Otherwise he cannot get through my defenses.’

‘That sounds like we almost have one subject less to talk about. Do you experience mental or physical pain when you think of Minos, or when he appears in your dreams?’

I shrugged, again, wishing I still had some chocolate milk left. I never really dwelled on Minos. He was a giant loser. He had been… a symptom of a disease. ‘It… I don’t think it ever really was about Minos. It was… he… he promised…’ I looked at Dionysus. I could really use someone to think for me right now.

‘You are thinking that Minos marks a nasty fase in your life, but mostly because you associate him with the grief about your sister and how you allowed that to best you for half a year. There is not a lot of trauma or pain tied to Minos, but there is a lot of trauma in what he represents: the desperate want to get your sister back.’

Now there were tears rolling down my face and falling into my empty cup. ‘...Yes,’ I whispered, ‘Because... even though usually I can let it go... there are still days when I miss her more than anything.’ Dionysus tapped my cup, so that it filled up with more chocolate milk. I took a shaky sip.

‘I think it might be time to stop now,’ Dionysus said in a soothing voice.

‘Are we not going to talk about Bianca today?’

‘No. That would be too much. We already worked through something else today. Now it is time to let it be for a moment.’

I took a few big sips. ‘Hm.’

‘I think I am going to tell you about some of the worst things Minos did as king, now.’

‘Yes, please. Sounds like a blast.’

A/N: Every Dutchman knows that the best chocolate milk is from Chocomel.

Mannn I had to read a lot of parts from battle of the labyrinth again. I was fourteen (I think??) when I first did that and some things definitely slipped my mind (like Nico sees Theseus when he tries to summon Biancas’ ghost?? I forgot??). I hope I got it right now.

I think this is how Nico feels about Minos. He was just an evil king, one of many, who he banished, so… yeah.

‘Highline park, sir?’ has as many syllables as ‘Aaron Burr, sir,’ so guess what I had in my head while editing this.

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disregardcanon · 4 years

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a decade of self recs

i’d like to invite anyone who wants to to participate in this exercise along with me!

this is a self rec and a reflection on a fic from each year of the decade

fandoms include: percy jackson, adventure time, a song of ice and fire, girl meets world, gravity falls, young justice, the flash, my hero academia, the mcu, and the handmaid’s tale.

2010: I didn’t even know what fanfiction was! oh my gosh i was a baby!

2011:

I Won’t Ever Leave You Alone

Fandom: Percy Jackson

Pairings: Percy/Annabeth

Summary: What happens when Percy's sent to the Roman Camp and flat out does not want to remember his past? Can it have a happy ending? It's my first fan fiction and I hope you enjoy.

A.N: This WAS the first fanfiction that I ever wrote. It was bad. It’s STILL bad. however... if I didn’t ever write this one, then I never would have gotten less bad. That’s important!

2012:

The Ice Prince

Fandom: Adventure Time

Summary: "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice" Robert Frost. The lonely ice prince wonders a frozen wasteland of his own creation, searching for companionship he will never be fortunate enough to find, with only vague recollections and half memories as comfort. Drabble Ice Prince!Finn

A.N: this fic is actually shorter than the author’s note I wrote for it, but... I’m not going to lie. The atmosphere work is really great and the wording flows really nicely. I’m proud of this little piece. I think out of everything that I wrote that year, it shows my potential the best.

2013:

Hot Chocolate Heals All Wounds

Fandom: Percy Jackson

Pairings: Reyna/Annabeth and past Percy/Annabeth

Summary: Moving on is never easy, but with hot chocolate, love, laughter and Reyna by her side, Annabeth might just manage.

A.N: 2013 was where I really started to take off as a fic writer. I improved drastically over the course of the year, but I still think that this fic that I wrote during the summer is the closest to my heart. It’s the first of my “ladies getting over trauma together and falling in love” genre.

It’s not as good as I remember it being, and oh lordy. the smut.. the smut is bad. But there’s a lot of potential here, and I can still look back on it fondly.

2014:

The River Rushes On

Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire

Pairings: Catelyn/Cersei

Summary: The official reason that she is sent to Riverrun is so that she can learn to be a proper lady alongside Hoster’s daughters. The unofficial reason, of course, is that Tywin found his golden twins having sex.

Or, the one where all good things end, but life continues.

A.N: I had a bit of debate going between this one and a sansaery fic that I wrote that year, but I decided that this HAD to be the choice. Catelyn/Cersei is a pairing that I came to on my own, but I ended up really loving because of the friends I made through the pairing. While this might not have been might best writing of the year, I feel like it was a formative enough experience that it overrides that.

honorable mention: like the songs, a tragic sansaery au where sansa was a traveling singer

2015:

Caged

Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire

Pairings: Sansa/Margaery

Summary: In an alternate universe where many of the members of the Westerosi elite are magical creatures, the Lannisters seal Sansa Stark's wolf form deep within her. Margaery Tyrell vows to break the spell.

A.N: this is where we get into fics that I might actually recommend to someone. This one was one of the last fics that I wrote during high school, and it was inspired by our class reading of Macbeth and the emotional turmoil of getting ready to head off to college. There’s still some stuff I’m REALLY proud of in there. The spell ingredient “blood of a lover, willingly drawn” is still fantastic, the dream is still chilling, and I honestly sometimes think of adapting this premise into an original story.

honorable mentions: a guide to coming out, the girl meets world edition

her heart’s duet, the mabifica soulmate’s au

2016:

Over the Shadowy Hills

Fandoms: Young Justice

Pairings: Artemis/Zatanna

Summary: Wally is dead, but Artemis isn't. She's trying to learn how to deal with that.Featuring: Bart Allen, product placement Netflix isn't paying me for, blatant symbolism, and snaibsel sweaters.

A.N: 2016 was a REALLY hard one. I wanted to put like, 3 star wars rebels fics, but i’m holding myself to my one fic per year policy, and if it’s one fic for year... then it has to be over the shadowy hills.

one of my other friends helped me work this into a fic that i could be really proud of, and it’s the better version of the same fic type as “hot chocolate heals all wounds” from a couple years earlier. i’m still really pleased with the way that this one panned out and i couldn’t leave it out of a best list,

the honorable mentions: you were someone, once the winter soldiered! ezra fic that helped me become friends with @bodhimcbodeface, the ketbine soulmate au where sabine drew dicks all over her face, and then there’s the mirialan!ezra au.

2017:

you, me, and the flash makes three

Fandom: The Flash

Pairings: Cisco/Iris, eventual Cisco/Barry/Iris

Summary: When Barry Allen wakes up from his coma, he finds out that Iris is dating Cisco. He tries really hard to dislike the guy, but Cisco makes it really hard. He's a likable dude.Things get more complicated from there.

A.N: i have a few others that i would have liked to put for this year, but i saw “you me and the flash makes three” and then i was like. well shit. i can’t pick anything else. this fic is a little under 15k and it’s really one of my favorite things that i’ve ever written. it’s a little cheesy and at parts feels a little clunky, but i think that the way that i was able to hit the most important emotional beats for season one of the flash and flesh out all the relationships within an ot3 outweigh that.

honorable mentions are: how to fall in love with your mark, the bluepulse fic where bart allen realizes that he can’t kill jaime reyes and

mantis prays to oregon, the guardians of the galaxy vol. 2 fic where mantis is ego’s biological child, but that somehow makes everything worse

2018:

Ad Astra Per Aspera

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Pairings: Ochako/Bakugo

Summary: Ochako sees none of herself in Bakugo’s pure rage, her sheer confidence. Bakugo holds up an enormous middle finger to the world and says come and get it. She’s harsh. She’s loud. She’s angry. She doesn’t say what’s on her mind; she shouts it.If she’s being completely honest, Ochako is a bit in awe with her.People might not like her, but they take her seriously. Bakugo grabs them by the throats, pulls them in and says “I am woman, hear me roar."

Sequel to "knights in shining armor"

A.N: 2018 was the year that I embraced the gender bend and started writing bildungsromans that deal with coming of age and trying to puzzle out wtf being a person and gender even are. I’m really pleased with all of them, but this is my favorite. Partially because I think it’s the most well-written, partially because I like the motifs the best, but mainly because it taught me a lot about myself and my writing.

Also it accidentally got me to ship kacchako, which is something I appreciate.

honorable mentions: hers, not his: the fem!todoroki one where she learns that sometimes telling your dad to fuck off isn’t worth giving up the things that you love

gimme a boost over heaven’s gate, the one where eleanor and tahani end up on the same talk show together. then bone. then become better people

2019:

Paint a New Horizon

Fandoms: A Song of Ice and Fire

Pairings: Sansa/Margaery and abusive Sansa/Joffrey

Summary: Sansa is a painter. The moment that she meets Joffrey he becomes her muse. After they get married she starts to see his true colors unfold in front of her and she loses her passion. Then she meets Margaery. Her presence changes everything, and reignites a passion for painting and for life that Sansa thought was long buried. It’s too bad that leaving Joffrey isn’t an easy task.

A.N: this fic is 23k of my sweat and tears. i know that it’s kind of a weird premise, but this was the most gripping writing i’ve done all year. it was exactly right for me at that moment.

however, it does spell a bit of a turning point in my writing and life. in the past, i have written short fics that i could get posted fairly quickly. this fic was the result of multiple weeks of work when i was off school, not working much, and focusing mainly on... writing this damn thing. moving forward, i’m going to have to try to figure out a way to keep up my motivation and drive with longer projects when i don’t have the time to dedicate to HUGE chunks of work at one time when i also know i’m not going to get the instant gratification of kudos immediately after a long writing sesh. i know that sounds silly, but this is the first year where the majority of the fics i wrote WERE longer.

while i’m very pleased with all of these longer fics, it does mark a shift that i will just have to learn how to deal with.

honorable mention: A Woman’s Place, the handmaid’s tale time travel fix it fic

#self recs #decade meme #a decade of writing in review #sansaery #reynabeth #mabifica #bluepulse #barriscowest #ketbine #rilaya #larkle

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poipoi1912 · 7 years

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Carisi-centric thoughts on Ep 19x03

Yet another solid episode! This season is going to be a winner. Also, THE BARISI CORNER IS OFFICIALLY BACK :D

But first:

Overall Thoughts

OK, this wasn’t much to write home about, but it was more than serviceable. All three actresses were very good so they kept me engaged, the case was pleasantly twisty but not convoluted, Sonny had significant input as a lawyer (and I loved how Liv was all “we’ll follow Carisi’s suggestion!”) and Barba delivered a heated and eloquent closing argument. I enjoyed it.

Squad Thoughts

More sharing of personal information! I swear, Sonny and Fin have talked to each other more in these last two episodes than they did in the previous 3 2 seasons! And they didn’t need some random case-related segue, either. This week, they were just driving to a crime scene, and they were shooting the breeze on the way there. You know, like normal colleagues do. Like real people do. Not cardboard cutouts. Something small like that, something as silly as stealing candy as a little boy, it can breathe life into a scene which would otherwise be mundane.

The thing is, even when an episode is not as exciting, it’s still worth watching just to see our characters interacting and being friends. That’s what SVU seemed to have forgotten, and it’s also the key to making a watchable procedural. Let’s face it, all the cases have been done before (often by SVU itself, because it’s been on for a hundred years), but the team interactions can )and should) be enough to maintain the viewers’ interest. This season, it’s clear the team dynamics are being cultivated, instead of being ignored, and that makes me happy.

The Barisi Corner

WE'RE BACK.

Just like I hoped, it's like S18 never happened. We're back to the S17 Barisi dynamic of friendly teasing and inside jokes. In the deleted scene from the premiere, we got the classic "booyah, Fordham law" type of interaction, except in its advanced S17 form. Where in S16 Barba would be biting with his remarks, in S17 and in the 19x01 deleted scene he was just making a joke for the sake of a joke, because that's what they do. Sonny tries to impress Barba, Barba is totally impressed, and then he makes a joke to pretend he's not actually appreciative of Sonny's input.

In this episode, we got an even more advanced interaction. We got Sonny making a smart legal observation not just to impress Barba, but because he wanted to contribute to the case. And, just like in S17, Barba was impressed, and then he used a joke not to diss Sonny, but to praise him.

See, there are two kinds of humorous Barisi interactions.

There's "Sassy Sonny Tries to Impress Barba" which comes complete with Sonny's dimples, and Sonny's smirks, and Sonny's cocky remarks like, "Oh, Rafael, are you mad you didn't think about it first?" This type of Barisi interaction always ends with a Barba side-eye and a snarky comeback. When Barba knows that Sonny is flaunting, he's always quick to shut it down. That's the joke. Sonny starts blathering on about a hypothetical argument, just to show off his legal skillz, and Barba is amused, but he also acknowledges the alterior motive, i.e. Sonny's desire to get Barba's approval.

But then there's "Dedicated Sonny Tries to Crack the Case" which comes with Sonny's frown and Sonny's desire to get justice, and Sonny's casual use of legal terminology like "obfuscated." This type of Barisi interaction always ends with Barba subtly praising Sonny, using a joke to cover up a genuine compliment. When Barba knows that Sonny is trying to be helpful, he's always quick to encourage it. That's Barba's favorite thing. Seeing Sonny creatively solving a legal problem with no ulterior motive. Sure, their games are fun, and they've been fun for 3 2 seasons now, but at the end of the day they're both trying to get justice, and Barba loves it when Sonny focuses on their work.

That's the thing. Both Sonny and Barba have evolved. Sonny used to thirst for Barba's approval, early on, in S16, but soon after that he found his confidence, and his footing, and his place on the team. He still tries to show off for Barba, because it's fun, but that's no longer his main motivator when he speaks legalese. Sonny isn't a law student looking to get that A, he's a lawyer looking to get that D. And his actions and words have come to reflect that. Now he doesn't just state the obvious as Barba jokes "save it for night school." Now, Sonny has original ideas which can actually help SVU.

And Barba, who treated Sonny so condescendingly at first, Barba has come to see the change in Sonny as well. The humorous element of their interactions persists, because Barba is a snarky bastard, but now those same interactions are loaded with respect. With friendship. With flirtation. Barba is no longer dismissive of Sonny, and hasn't been for a long while. Barba sees Sonny as a useful presence in the squad, with legal knowledge the other cops don't possess, and it's clear he welcomes Sonny’s observations. It’s right there in his smile smirk. Barba is willing to listen, and he’s even willing to entertain the notion that Sonny just might think of something he didn't, which is beautiful to see :')

Barisi Hopes

Now all I want is that other type of S17 interaction, the quiet support. Sonny always supported Barba in tougher moments, like the death threats (what death threats lol?), or a trial gone wrong, but Barba also supported Sonny, especially during that Catholic Church case, as we all remember. I'm loving the new showrunner's tendency to use humor to display the bonds between our characters, it's just the perfect thing to balance out the grim nature of the cases, but I'd love to see some more muted, more emotional moments between them (between all of them, but Barba/Carisi especially, lol). We have an entire season ahead, so there's still plenty of time. I'll be waiting.

For now, I'm just happy the classic Barisi dynamic is back.

I've said it time and time again, and I don't even mean romantically (that's what fic is for). Those two characters, Barba and Carisi, they have a dynamic that's gold. Clashing personalities (Sonny is dorkier, Barba is more sarcastic), contrasting temperaments (Sonny is sunnier, Barba is a little more bitter), common interests (the law), a reluctant mentor-mentee relationship (which has evolved now that the student is no longer a student, though he's far from being a master), a constant willingness to joke back-and-forth (which keeps building up their relationship and strengthens their bond), fundamental differences which breed a potential for unexpectedly emotional moments ("I admire your...", because Sonny is an openly affectionate person, and Barba and his wide eyes tend to shy away from affection), it's all there.

Good writing, plus a willingness to explore that bond, plus the natural ease Peter and Raul have with each other as actors, plus Sonny’s sweetness and Barba’s sass = television gold. And Barisi gold :’)

Yummy Thoughts

Barba was flirting. End of story. Textbook “there is no heterosexual explanation for this.” And I’m grateful.

Barba Thoughts

I’ve always said it, I prefer seeing “shrewd legal mind” Barba instead of “slave to his emotions” Barba, but the latter sure is fun to watch. That closing was intense, and you could see that Raul really dug his teeth into those lines. I mean, damn. It’s not every week that he gets to really show off, with more than an eyebrow raise or a smirk, but when he does, wow. I was just thinking, they rarely let Raul have a legitimate monologue, even though he’s a lawyer and theoretically we could be watching his opening and/or closing arguments every week. This episode tells me that the writers might be saving those moments, and using them sparingly, so they’ll have more of an impact. And I think they’re right.

That said, I wonder if we’ll be seeing a focus on Barba’s more emotional side, to better juxtapose him to the upcoming ADA, who’ll be more black-and-white and (I’m assuming) less emotional. If so, this was a smart way to start doing that. In this episode, we still saw how smart Barba was, but we also saw a passion we don’t often see from him. I’m assuming Barba and Peter Stone will clash on more than their positions, they’ll clash on philosophy, as well, and I hope this was an example of that. We have to see the “new” (but old) Barba, he has to be established first, under the new showrunner’s reign, and then we can be introduced to Stone, and see what they have in common and what they’ll never agree on.

Stray Thoughts

Just like I thought, last week's dramatic ending (and Sonny’s potential subsequent trauma) was not directly referenced. It may come up again in the future, but again, as I said in last week's post, this is classic Original L&O stuff, a self-contained dramatic episode which ends and is never mentioned again. L&O in its earlier seasons was much less serialized, and I think the new showrunner is bringing that back. I don't mind it.

Another thing I didn’t mind? Flirty Sonny using his masculine wiles to cozy up to that witness and get her to help. Now that’s how you use your assets :D

“CONFIRMED.” I love Fin.

That old high school pic? I love that NBC employs people who have a passion for graphic design :’)

More background on Sonny’s family! The show remembers he has a niece! His mom used to cover for him for childhood shenanigans! He went to confession for stealing candy! Classic Carisi material. And continuity galore. This is the Sonny we know and love.

Amanda dismissively saying “pills, booze” to judge a woman who was on prescribed anxiety meds and enjoyed, like, a beer? Never change, Amanda. actually, please change (that said, yay for continuity!)

What a waste of Annabeth Gish.

So Brooke Shields is the grandma? Wasn’t that what everyone guessed? I was trying to come up with other guesses because I actually believed them when they said “no one has guessed who she’ll play”. Oh well. That said, she looked amazing, and I’ve always liked her. It’ll be nice to have someone with a (seemingly) kinder demeanor fighting against Liv. Not a criminal or a lawyer, you know? We haven’t seen that before.

Amanda and Liv’s jackets keep slaying my existence every week.

WHY DIDN’T WEE SONNY’S REACTION TO “YUMMY”???? HUH???? WHERE IS THAT CLOSE-UP OF HIS SMIRKY DIMPLY LIL’ FACE???

Did I write more than 900 words of this post about a 5-second Barisi interaction? HELL YEAH I DID :D

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swiftletinthecloud · 7 years

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fantasy abandoned by reason (produces impossible monsters)

Summary:

Demigods are being kidnapped and killed in Manhattan. It's up to Percy and Annabeth to solve this mystery before the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit could get too close and discover their secret world.

Notes:

Disclaimers: I do not own any aspects of Criminal Minds or PJO. All copyrights go to their respective companies and entities. All OCs, thoughts, and musings, when not quoted, are mine though. No specific timeline. Not Beta. Any mistakes are mine alone. This is a Criminal Minds fic and they're on a case so reader's discretion advised.

Title is quote by Francisco Goya.

FF.net ll AO3

Chapter 1

“As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

It took for the third teen to go missing in as many weeks before the NYPD called on the BAU to consult the case. The decision was met with mixed reactions from the officers of the 19th Precinct. There were staunch oppositions from a few detectives, yet also a general feeling of relief from others.

"Look Jackson, I hate this as much as you do, but we got another missing kid and still no lead. You know how it is with the brass upstairs whenever kids are involved. There are also added pressures that we find this one alive and that he doesn't turn up dead like the other two. You're still the lead detective. Just work with them to get this solve." Captain Thatchner was annoyed. Jackson might be his best detective, but he was a damn pain in the ass, especially on this case that was giving him major headaches.

"Come on, Captain, but the Feds?! Don't you trust me?" Jackson whined. (Okay, maybe he didn't whine, but it sure sounded like it to Thatchner.)

Slamming the manila folder in front of him shut, Thatchner put his foot down. "The Feds are being called in, and that is the end of the discussion, Jackson! The last boy, Liam Kearney, went missing in the Midtown South area, and the only reason we even have the case at all is because Captain Craigson thought it might be connected to the other two cases you caught and threw the hot potato our way!" He loosened the linen noose around his neck and ran a hand through his hair before continuing in a more controlled voice. "Now, One PP wants answers. I'm just looking out for you and making sure we cover all of our bases and using all of the resources available to us for this case. I don't want to hear another word out of you." Thatchner gave his watch a glance before adding, "Last I spoke with them, the BAU team had just landed so they should be here within the next 15 minutes or so. Use that time to get your head out of your ass and off your high horse. When they get here, I expect full cooperation from you. The faster this is solve, the better."

The only response he got was slight nod and a quiet "yes sir" before Jackson was out of his office faster than a speeding bullet. Thatchner gave a grunt of disapproval before he went about getting ready for the newcomers' arrival.

xxxxxx

He was screwed. When it was just him as the lead detective on the case, he could direct the flow of investigation, omit certain details without too much suspicion. No one questioned him; hell, no one even suspected anything was up. With the Feds on the case, that wouldn't work anymore. He couldn't be everywhere at once to make sure they didn't find something they shouldn't. This was going to be mess; he could feel it vibrating in his bones.

The BAU team was going to arrive soon, and he so didn't want to be here when they show up. Grabbing his shield and gun, he decided to head out and give Ms. Kearney a head's up and to remind her to keep the whole "Greek Mythology is real" deal on the down low when the Feds pay her a visit.

xxxxxx

Rossi and JJ were greeted by a middle-aged redhead woman when they knocked on the doors of the Kearneys' apartment. "Hello," Rossi began as he and JJ showed the woman their badges. "Kelly Kearney? We're with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and we're here about your missing son."

When Rossi had met with mothers of missing children in the past, they generally appeared a lot more distress and usually in tears, but Ms. Kearney's clenched fist and narrowed eyes at their introductions were the only signs of her discomfort. Filing that piece of information to the back of his mind for another time, Rossi followed the woman and JJ into the apartment and to the Kearneys' living room. It seemed he and JJ weren't Ms. Kearney's only visitors. Another middle-aged woman, this one blonde with a very familiar face that Rossi couldn't place at the moment, and two men, one with sandy colored hair and a face that was also familiar and the other younger in dress shirt and pants with a golden badge hanging on his belt, were talking quietly on the couch. The three abruptly stopped their conversation and stood up when the two FBI agents stepped into the living room.

"These are Agents Rossi and Jareau from the FBI. They're here about Liam," said Ms. Kearney to her other three guests as she gestured at Rossi and JJ. Turning back to the agents, she said, "And these are James Granger, Bodie Koeman, and Per-Detective Jackson."

"Mr. Granger, Ms. Koeman, Detective Jackson," greeted JJ as Rossi was finally able to put some names to those familiar faces.

"You're George Granger and Barrett Koeman's parents. I didn't realize the three of you knew each other." Rossi directed his statement at the three parents.

The three traded a subtle look with Detective Jackson that Rossi almost missed before Ms. Kearney said, "James and Bodie heard what happened to Liam on the news, and they came by to offer their support." A perfect sidestep to Rossi's implicit question. Gesturing to the couch, she continued, "Please, everyone, have a seat."

Once they all sat down, Ms. Kearney turned to him and JJ and said, "Detective Jackson was just telling us about your recent addition to the investigation. Do you have any new information about my son?"

While JJ informed Ms. Kearney that they sadly didn't have any new information to add to her son's investigation as of yet and took the opportunity to also interview Mr. Granger and Ms. Koeman about their children, Rossi observed the dynamics of the group. The grieving parents didn't behave like three people who had just met for the first time that afternoon. They appeared very at ease with one another, offering small touches of comfort to each other throughout JJ's inquiry. At certain questions about their children's extracurricular activities or if they'd known whether anyone wanted to see their children harm though, each parent unconsciously deferred to Detective Jackson for an answer before hesitantly providing one of their own. In fact, as Rossi continued to observe the group, he saw that the three parents had a trusting and familiar camaraderie with the detective. Their familiarity went beyond the fact that Detective Jackson was the lead detective handling their children's investigations. Hadn't Ms Kearney intended to introduce Detective Jackson by his first name earlier?

As they bid their good-byes, Rossi casted one last look around the room, noting the framed pictures of Ms. Kearney and her son on the nearby wall. One in particular, a group of teenagers with matching orange t-shirts sitting around a campfire, caught his eyes for a brief moment before Rossi followed JJ out. Detective Jackson left the Kearney's apartment with them, and Rossi and JJ followed his unmarked car to the 19th Precinct where the rest of their team was regrouping.

The detective, who so far had displayed a standoffish attitude to the two, showed Rossi and JJ to the empty conference room Hotch and Reid were setting up in before he left the BAU to their own devices. Hotch and Reid had already put up all the photos of the victims and abduction and dump sites along with timelines for each teen on the two glass dry-erase boards provided. Morgan and Prentiss also arrived from the morgue soon after Rossi and JJ took a seat at their proverbial round table with Hotch and Reid.

"All right," Hotch began, "what do we have?"

"The bodies of the two teens found, George and Barrett, showed signs of major physical trauma. Their wrists and ankles were rubbed raw from rope burn, and they were electrocuted to death," said Morgan.

"Were there signs of sexual assault?" asked Rossi. The two were just kids, he thought, only fourteen and sixteen. The worst thing they should have had to worry about was high school, not being kidnapped and killed.

"No, thankfully, neither of the victims were sexually assaulted," replied Prentiss. "Both of their stomach content came up empty though. Only water was found."

"Wait, no signs of sexual assault. Mixed victimology. Victims were held for an extended period of time before they were killed. They were starved and electrocuted. Guys, I think the Unsub is torturing these kids for some kind information!" exclaimed Reid as he jerked his head up from the file he was reading, his eyes white and wide staring at his team.

"What kind of information would two teenagers have that someone is willing to torture and kill them for?" asked Hotch. The unanswerable question hung in the air, bearing down on the BAU.

Tapping his pen on his notepad in front of him, Rossi racked his brain for something he might have missed. His roaming eyes caught sight of an innocent-looking picture JJ was gazing at, Barrett Koeman posing with her arms around her mother. He, like the rest of his team, had seen the picture before when they first went through Barrett Koeman's file, but this time, the orange t-shirt with the black outline of a Pegasus the teen was wearing sparked the memory of another picture Rossi had seen earlier that day.

"JJ, can I have a look at that for a moment?" Rossi asked as he gestured at the picture in her hands.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Her tone surprised and curious as she handed over the picture. No doubt wondering why it had claimed his interest.

"There's something going on here," Rossi said at last. Turning the picture of the Koemans over to his team, Rossi continued, "I've seen this shirt before; Liam Kearney was wearing an exact replica of it in one of the pictures framed on his wall. Now, it might just be a coincidence and it's a common t-shirt they could have bought anywhere…"

"Or it could be the link we're missing," JJ completed his thought. "There's something else too. George Granger's father and Barrett Koeman's mother were with Ms. Kearney when Rossi and I went to her apartment, and they were very comfortable with one another. Not the behavior of three people who just met, not even if they happened to share a common grief."

"If the victims knew each other, why wouldn't that be mentioned in the files?" asked Reid.

"Are we saying that the NYPD is deliberately leaving out evidence of this case?"

Hotch's solemn and cautious tone was enough for Rossi to deliberate with himself for a moment before forging on with his next statement. With an eye on the glass conference door that led to the rest of the precinct, Rossi said, "Maybe not the whole of NYPD, but very likely Detective Jackson is."

"Jackson? The lead detective on this case?" asked Morgan.

"Yes," answered JJ before Rossi could. "He was with the parents when we arrived, and again, they definitely knew each other. Whether they knew it or not, the parents practically turned to him for directions every time Rossi and I asked them a question about their children." While Rossi hadn't discussed his suspicion with JJ earlier, he was glad that she had come to similar conclusions and was backing his play.

Rossi maintained eye contact with Hotch as his colleague looked between Rossi and JJ. "Covering up evidence, that's a serious accusation."

The tension in the room was stifling as Rossi felt the eyes of the rest of his team on him. Rossi could see JJ unconsciously shifting in her seat under the same questioning stares.

Whatever Hotch was thinking about, he seemed to have made up his mind as he broke eye contact with Rossi and tapped the call button on the speakerphone system in front him.

Perhaps she was somehow aware of the tense atmosphere in their room from hundreds of miles away, Garcia greeted the group with one of her less flamboyant salutations. "This is Penelope Garcia. Ask and you shall receive."

"Garcia, you're on speaker," replied Hotch in lieu of a greeting. "We need you to look up an orange t-shirt with a black Pegasus outline, the one Barrett Koeman is wearing in the picture we have on file of her and her mother. Find out its origin and where it can be bought."

"A t-shirt, sir?"

"Yes, and see if there is any connection between the three victims' families...as well as if they have any connection with a Detective Percy Jackson of the NYPD."

"...Are we thinking that an NYPD detective is the Unsub?" asked Garcia.

Hotch looked at Rossi and JJ again before he answered, "We don't know yet. Just get back to us with what you find."

"I will let you know when I find something," said Garcia before she ended the call with a click.

xxxxxx

They'd agreed with each other that there would be no discussion about either of their work during dinner after Annabeth's long and passionate answers to his question of "how was work" early on in both of their careers led to one too many uneaten dinners. During particularly tough cases, Percy also appreciated their policy because it meant he had a good half hour or so to unplug and not think about his investigations. A lot of good that was doing at the moment, though. Despite having only a hotdog for lunch around eleven that morning, Percy was spending more time moving the pasta in front of him around his plate than eating them. He didn't even realize how deep in thoughts he was until he felt a slight kick against his leg from Annabeth.

"You know, if you thought my cooking was that bad, we could have ordered take-out," said Annabeth, her voice light and teasing.

Percy set his fork down and let out a sigh as he looked up into Annabeth's concerned, grey eyes. "I'm sorry; it's just - "

"I know," she interrupted softly. Pushing back her chair, she stood up and gathered the dirty dishes from the table. "Come. Help me clean up and then we can move this conversation to the couch."

Percy followed Annabeth to the sink with the rest of the dishes, and the two quickly washed and rinsed their dishes in silence. As Percy placed their last plate onto the drying rack, Annabeth dried her hands and handed him the towel she had used. He accepted it and gave her a light peck on her lips in thanks. He hung the towel up to dry and took Annabeth's waiting hand as they moved to the living room and their worn-in couch.

As a habit since Annabeth's promotion that led to more opening galas and high heels than she would like, Percy took her feet onto his lap and started massaging her right foot. With her other foot, she gave him a soft nudge and asked, "Well?"

Letting out another sigh, Percy began. "After George and Barrett, I put out an alert to all families with demigods in the city that if demigods aren't where they said they are going to be, don't automatically assume they had received a quest or gone to camp. Call them to check, and if they can't be reach, call it in. A call came in today."

"No," Annabeth whispered.

"A son of Ares, Liam Kearney, 16 years old," Percy continued as he switched to Annabeth's left foot. "His mom called it in when he didn't come home from school. He had a half day so she was expecting him home early, but he never returned. The captain of the 14th Precinct passed it off to us because he thinks it might be related to the other two cases - he doesn't how right he is. The Feds are called in as well. It's just a mess, and I'm still as clueless as when George's body was found."

"Hey, now that's not true. We know whoever took them is not a monster, no traces of monster dusts anywhere. They want some sort of information, why George and Barrett were tortured. Whatever it is, they didn't get it from George and Barrett, which is why Liam was taken," said Annabeth as she ticked each clue off her fingers.

"And we know whoever is doing this knows about demigods because only demigods were taken so far and George and Barrett were found without any of their preferred weapons on them so whoever it is knew enough to confiscate their weapons," added Percy.

Talking the case over with Annabeth sparked newfound energy in him. It also reminded him that he had an amazingly intelligent daughter of Athena for a wife that he could be asking for assistance instead of feeling sorry for himself. Feeling slightly more optimistic, Percy leaned over to give Annabeth another kiss.

The two of them stayed like that for a moment before Annabeth slowly pulled back. She gave Percy a quick peck on his cheek before she got up and headed for the kitchen. She came back with a bowl of blueberries. "So, look what I got today from the market," Annabeth said as she sat back down with the bowl still between her hands.

"Ah, my favorites," said Percy with a smile. He brushed his lips against Annabeth's tenderly before munching on a few blueberries.

"So, what sort of information do you think whoever is behind the attacks want?" asked Percy.

Annabeth took the blueberries he fed her and thought for a moment before she answered. "Well, with their focus being here in Manhattan, they might be looking for Olympus itself."

"That makes sense," said Percy, nodding in agreement. "Maybe we should give Olympus a visit ourselves tomorrow. See if the gods have any ideas what's going." Running a hand through his hair, Percy let out a frustrated groan. "I should have gone up to Olympus earlier."

Annabeth placed a gentle hand on his cheek, drawing his troubled sea-green eyes to hers. "Hey, we're going up there tomorrow. Not everything is your fault, Seaweed Brain. You don't always have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

She touched a tuft of hair by his temple, now black and dark, but once upon a time, they were white. She had had matching ones, too, a reminder from a time long ago when they'd both took the place of Atlas beneath the heavy sky.

Percy kissed her graciously for that. Annabeth laid her head on his shoulder, and with a bowl of his favorite fruit between them, they spent the remainder of the evening enjoying each other's company and the newest episode of American Ninja Warrior.

#fic: fantasy abandoned by reason (produces impossible monsters)#pjo #percy jackson #percabeth #criminal minds #annabeth chase #my fics #aaron hotchner #david rossi #derek morgan #jj #emily prentiss #spencer reid #penelope garcia

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