#you are the gold and silver of rome jason | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

perseusjackson-jasongrace · 3 years

Text

Empires on the Horizon Epilogue

Jason is a CEO: Epilogue

When i started this fic (around 9 months ago-- holy hell we could have had a whole human in that time) i didn’t expect it to go in the directions it did or to produce the characters and story it did. While it’s not one of my more action-packed fics it is still very special to me because 1. it’s my first jason centered fic (of which we don’t have much of); 2. it’s my first really long multi-chap (the longest before this was 10 parts); 3. i got to explore so many of my crackships and dynamics of friendship i may not have been able to if we (for example) stuck to canon; 4. most importantly i love this fic because it started out (the very first chapter) as an original story that just was not going anywhere but when i decided to make it a fanfic, suddenly ideas were pouring from my fingers like wine from a split barrel. these characters feel as much mine as they are Rick’s (which is a dangerous path to go down and i’m not actually claiming they’re mine-- gods please don’t sue me). in short i love this fic dearly, i’m so proud of how far all these little babies have come (especially jason) and i hope you feel even a smidge the joy i feel over this, as you go on to read the very soft conclusion to Jason Grace as CEO.

masterlist; my links

[image has alt text]

There was something almost magical in the gleaming silhouette of the Manhattan skyline. There was something hopeful about it too.

Jason Grace stepped out of his car, relishing in the sound of the gravel crunching under his feet and the babble of people all around him. His suit— a deep blue, dark enough to look black, and glittering with tiny silver diamantes that looked like stars— clung to his shoulders and hugged his legs. The theme of the evening was “Starry Night”. He figured coming as the actual night was accurate enough. Drew and Silena had done a beautiful job on his outfit, to no-one’s surprise. He would see them here tonight, along with their husband, and the rest of his friends. And tomorrow, oh tomorrow, he would be off to Rome, with the man that filled his life with overwhelming light.

“Jase,” Someone called out from the darkness, “Are you hiding from us because you put two different shoes on again and are too embarrassed to say?”

“Shut up Annabeth,” He laughed, “I’m coming.”

He walked towards the group of silhouettes, making out Leo and Annabeth, and Nico and Will, and coming from behind them were the dressmakers and their Charles. Hazel and Frank would be making an appearance later in the night.

“You all look beautiful.” He smiled, hugging them, kissing cheeks and foreheads, relishing in their closeness and their comfort, as he has always done. And they did in fact look beautiful. Annabeth in a dress of blue swirling around her and pooling at her feet— the colours matched the sapphire on her ring finger; Leo in a matching floor-length skirt and a sheer polo-neck that showed off every clean brown line of his skin; Nico and Will, in contrast, were complete opposites, the former in a black suit with silver jewellery, and the latter in an off white with gold accents; Silena, Drew and Charlie all had on suits with various parts of the galaxy embroidered in gold, threading a spectacular tapestry through the emerald green. All in all, his friends were really hot.

“Y’all ready?” Will drawled, tilting his head to the entrance of the hotel a little way away.

“Let’s go celebrate!” He winked in response.

And then they’re walking towards the bright lights, launching into conversations and updates and work and jokes. It was familiar in the way driving home after a long time away was, or catching a waft of the specific smell of your elementary school art room, or seeing someone from your childhood and slipping into a comfortable back-and-forth.

“Jase,” Charlie scooted next to him, breaking away from his conversation with Nico, “How’s the construction for the new section of the outdoor center going? I heard you hit a snag last week with the design?”

“Yea there was a few centimeters off with one of the structures and it caused the whole area to be off balance,” He scrunched his nose, remembering the horror from last week. “I’m just grateful we caught it in time.”

“I can’t believe it’s been a year since that center went up,” His friend marvelled, eyes wide with the disbelief of time. He knew the feeling well.

“It’s crazy. I came back from my holiday and then everything was just on fast forward.” He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “I’m happy though, with the progress and how far we’ve come.”

“You’ve just burst and grown and brightened,” There’s that soft smile, the one that made all of Jason’s insides turn to mush. The one that told him he was loved in every capacity.

“I know.” He felt the blush creeping up his skin, pale after the long winter months. “I don’t owe it to myself though. All of you guys have—”

“No way mister,” Annabeth chimed in, “You absolutely owe it to yourself. You got yourself there, we just cheered you on.”

“Yea,” Leo nudged his arm, a gentleness shimmering in his brown eyes. “You were the hero of your own story.”

He muttered thank you’s and tried to embrace the blush but their love and joy and pride still drowned him. Before anyone else could pile on the sincerity they were walking into the lobby and being ushered to the large, elegant ballroom three doors down.

There was a collective gasp from their group, audible even above the low hum of chatter, and the soft jazz drifting through the speakers. The entire room had been made to look like they were standing inside the middle of “Starry Night”. Like they were the townsfolk parked outside their houses witnessing the strange and magical sky above them. Swirls of blue in the draping curtains and circles of yellow in the chandeliers and wisps of the cypress trees growing from the walls as if the very room had been built around a tree.

“This is—” He didn’t even have the words to fully express his awe. If he were an art major he would have died from the beauty of it all. As it stood he could barely keep himself up.

“I know,” A voice said quietly from behind him. “It’s almost divine.”

He didn’t say anything, didn’t even turn around to see who it was. He simply stepped back and let arms envelope him. He didn’t need to check, because he knew, he would always know. In the heat of their skin, and the hum of their voice, and the love that radiated between them like scorching summer sun.

“Moró mou,” He sighed, tipping his head back to rest against a shoulder. From this angle he could see blazing green eyes and jet-black curls, and impossibly high cheekbones, and a jaw sculpted by Michaelangelo.

“Hello my love,” Percy Jackson smiled. “How are you?”

“Happy.” He muttered, lips brushing against his boyfriend’s cheek.

“Good,” The man nodded, squeezing his waist where his arms still wrapped around. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”

“I will not just survive through it,” His eyes crinkled at the corner as pure joy washed through him, “I will live through it, and I will enjoy every minute of it.” He knew the reason for the question, for the concern. But tonight it was not needed. He was nothing but excited and elated for the hours, and then days, weeks, years to come.

“I love you.”

A glass tinkled somewhere to their right, grabbing their attention. And then Zoe and Reyna were stepping together and drawing people towards them as if they were gravity, magnets, the center. They looked it certainly: Zoe in a stark white dress, hugging her figure, shimmering like stardust every time she moved; and Reyna in a watery blue, gauzy and flowing in time with her body, where she goes it will ripple behind her.

“Thank you,” His lawyer started, giving them a dazzling smile. “For being here. All of you.” She looked them each in the eye, her own filled with love and… were those tears? From his no nonsense, boss lady lawyer? Oh he was so going to give her a hug and then tease her endlessly about it.

“We have a thousand people to thank for all of this,” She gestured to the room, “And a thousand more to thank just for being here, but that will come in the form of surprise take-me-homes at the end of the night.”

“However,” Zoe’s voice, still as strong and quiet as ever, rang out across the room. “There are two people we would like to thank right here, right now.” Her smile lit up the world as her eyes landed on them. “In typical us fashion, it’s a little out of the ordinary but please can both our ex-boyfriend’s come up here.”

The crowd burst into laughter, him and Percy with them, as they detangled themselves from each other and walked hand in hand to the front of the room.

“As you can see,” Reyna grinned. Jason held in the groan he knew would accompany her next words. “We did a Partner Swap.”

The laughter only loudened, people whistling, and clapping in time with their amusement.

“I will spare you the sordid details,” Zoe’s own giggling softened to a smile, “But two years ago, after Jason and I had broken up, I called him in a panic asking for help. And despite being on a much needed holiday where he happened to meet a certain someone,” She winked at them, eyebrows waggling comically, “He listened to me, then made use of his contacts and connected me with Reyna.”

“And after I charmed the suit off of her, and won her lawsuit,” Reyna stepped in, grinning wildly, “She agreed to pop open a bottle of champagne and celebrate our win.”

“I’m not quite sure about the charming part, angel.” Zoe quirked an eyebrow, “But yes one champagne bottle and the rest was history.”

“In conclusion to this whole ordeal,” His lawyer turned to them, “Jase, Percy, we have a present for you, to thank you for loving us, and for loving us enough to let us go, and furthermore for bringing us together.”

Zoe handed them an envelope but before they bothered to open it they pulled the women in for a hug, thanking and congratulating them. He would not change what they had for the world. He will be grateful forever. He will love them even longer.

Percy ripped open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He leaned over his boyfriend’s shoulder and read with him.

The universe has a funny way of pulling stars together but we know with certainty that the four of us are born from the same constellation. Thank you for everything. We know we can never really repay you but please accept this as a start.

Tucked into the last fold of the paper were two plane tickets to Japan. The holiday they had discussed once, a Saturday game night that ended with the four of them huddled around the fire in Zoe’s apartment, chattering softly about this and that. Printed in small font at the bottom of the page was a cherry blossom branch and more text that read,

Get married losers, we want joint holidays so we can get the couples packages.

He bubbled with laughter at that, and looked up at his friends, tears pooling in his own eyes.

“Alright everyone!” Reyna clapped her hands, gathering the attention of the humming crowd. “Let’s get this engagement party started.”

And then music filled the room and people dragged each other to the middle of the space and there were cheers as the song came into focus and truly Jason understood the meaning of life that night.

After they had thanked Reyna and Zoe again, and chatted with their other friends Percy pulled him to the dance floor.

“Jase,” His boyfriend cupped the back of his neck, arranging their bodies into a work of art. “We have wonderful friends.”

“The very best,” He agreed, swaying their hips in time with the beat. “We have built an empire with them by our side.”

“Will you be the emperor then?”

“There is no monarchy in this kingdom,” He smiled, blue eyes glittering and bright. “It is just us, and our love, and everything beautiful the world has ever had to offer.” He saw oceans reflecting back at him, wonder soaking in his words, happiness pressing against his lips.

His boyfriend pressed their foreheads together, bodies still moving to music far away. “And if we look further?” Percy breathed, “Past the empire, to the horizon beyond?”

“It is all home,” Jason Grace smiled. “We are home, my love.”

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

Okay there are so many people to thank and you best believe i’m going to thank them all because this fic would literally not exist without them.

@nishlicious-01 my favourite person, my biggest supporter and the only person who gets to shout at me when im writing fanfic at 1am because i’m not sleeping but also because ‘why am i not reading it ciara????’

@queen-of-demons-and-hell for every comment, every like, every complaint you took when the writing demon was on strike. you have my heart. id be lost and a little lonely without you.

@leyontheway your comments on this fic were golden and i often came back to them just for that extra burst of motivation and serotonin. i found a friend in you and now i can’t imagine my life without you.

@msdrpreist Sky, mi cielo, you are one in a billion and i cannot believe i found you (and you me) across all this space and time. thank you for your unwavering support and your wonderful thoughts.

@larrikin-is-a-himbo when we started this fic i believe you were @/queenbrunnhilde (or something to that effect) but although your username has changed your loveliness and endless support hasn’t. Thank you for sticking along for the ride

@spoopylucy Lucy... what do i even say to the person who singlehandedly changed my day, week, mood every time i saw a reblog from them? your tags were the start and the end. they made every upload an exciting task. and i knew no matter what happened in the fic or how long it took as soon as i got a notif from you i couldn’t be anything but happy. thank you my Luce, you’re an angel!

@not-hiesenberg for being my ‘ciara what the fuck even does this say? do you know how to spell?’ checker when i was too tired (more like too lazy) to do it myself.

@lesbian-peanuts thank you for the love! you were one of the first people interested in this little universe and i can never thank you enough for that

@legendary-cupcake your spam when reading this was such a happy moment in my life and im ecstatic that you stayed for the ride! thank you

to all the people on my tag list, who have liked this fic, and especially those who have commented: i see you, i love you, and i thank you with a heart full of happiness. you changed my world.

#empires on the horizon #epilogue #jason is a ceo #jason grace #percy jackson #jercy #jercy fic #jason #grace #percy #jackson #PJJG fanfic #pjjg series #pjssg fanfic #pjssg series

28 notes · View notes

avarogers021 · 3 years

Text

Updated List 2021 For Netflix Cancelled & Renewed Shows

Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime are watched by a number of people all over the world. Both of these platforms telecast movies, shows, and series which are related to different genres. From thriller to action, anime, mystery, documentaries, history, and more, everything can be seen on these platforms.

Before getting started let us first talk about the shows/series you like to watch? Friends, Riverdale, Game Of Thrones? Well, all of them has a huge fan following. I personally can never get enough of watching Riverdale and Friends. Whether I am back home after work or I wanted to spend some time, Netflix has always been a savior. However, lately I got a news and it just felt like the end of the world.

Were you aware of the fact that some of the Netflix shows have been going off air and cancelled real soon? Yes, you are reading this right. The reasons behind the cancellation of various reasons bring together a plethora of reasons. Of course some shows like Dear White People and Dead To Me have a huge fan following and will be missed for sure. However, since we know that sooner or later good things do make their way, all these shows also came to an end soon.

Have you been wondering which shows got canceled? This is the piece which is apt for you. You will be able to find out all of them here itself. Hence, let’s get started without any further ado.

Netflix shows that have been renewed and cancelled in the year 2021Below mentioned is a list of the top twenty shows that have been canceled this year. Check them out to find the reasons behind the big decision. In addition to this, you will also find out if they are coming back anytime soon.

Ozark: This one has been renewed for season four. The famous television series is coming to an end in 2021. You could find this series on Netflix. Even after gaining so much of popularity, the show is gong off air this year. The show did receive a number of nominations of awards and has also won numerou titles. Some of them are the Guild award, and Emmy award. To people who have watched this series, the fourth season has divided into two different categories. Each category consists of seven episodes. However, at present the director wanted to take a break and made sure that the series is remembered by the fans.

Cast of Ozark

Jason Bateman

Alik Bateman

Andrew Bernstein

Ellen Kuras

Daniel Sackheim

Amanda Marsalis

Benjamin Semanoff

Phil Abraham

Cherien Dabis

Dead To Me: This one has been renewed for season three. The series is known to end in the year 2021. However, the series finale is a big hit and funny. But, this one did not gain too much attention. Time changes, and so does the audience. This is why it is now time to bid adieu to this series, Jenny and Judy. Even though the series was loved by some of them till date, it is finally coming to an end yet not off air.

Cast of Dead To Me

Kat Coiro

Geeta V. Patel

Minkie Spiro

Abe Sylvia

Amy York Rubin

Tamra Davis

Jennifer Getzinger

Liza Johnson

Silver Tree

Elizabeth Allen

Lucifer: The series is renewed for season six. Another fantastic which is coming to an end is Lucifer. The series premiered on 25 January 2016. With time the first season received mixed reviews from critics. A number of them praised certain characters and Elli’s performance was no exception. With time more and more seasons were released. However, they did not gain much popularity. Platforms like Netflix also cancelled the pick up of the third season.

Cast Of Lucifer

Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar

Lauren German

Kevin Alejandro

D B. Woodside as Amenadiel

Lesley as Ann Branch

Scarlett Estevez as Beatrice

Rachael Harris

Kevin Rankin

Tricia Helfer as Mum

Tom Welling as Lieutenant Marcus Pierce

Inbar Lavi as Eve

You: This one got renewed for season three. There are only very few Netflix series that have grabbed the attention of people. However unfortunately, this famous thriller series has come to an end now. However, a statement was made by the director where he said that the series will be ending with a season three. The series is based on a novel which was written by Caroline Kepnes. The main role was played by Penn Badgley who was a bookseller. During the second season, the seller was a movie from New York to LA. Even though this is an irresistible show, the fans may not get to watch it anymore.

Cast of You

Penn Badgley

Victoria Pedretti

Ambyr Childers

Elizabeth Lail

Luca Padovan

Jenna Ortega

Zach Cherry

James Scully

Carmeta Zumbado

Nicole Kang

Shalita Grant

Scott Speedman

Travis Van Winkle

Atypical: This show has been renewed for season four. With the season finale, this show is going off air in 2021. However, it will still remain in the hearts of so many of them. No reasons have been found as to why the show is going off air. However, some of them are saying that the reason is because the show is very underrated.

Cast of Atypical

Keir Gilchrist

Brigette Lundy-Paine

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Michael Rapaport

Nik Dodani

Amy Okuda

Jenna Boyd

Graham Rogers

Fivel Stewart

Nina Ameri

Raúl Castillo

Ariela Barer

Graham Phillips

Sara Gilbert

Rachel Redleaf

Allie Rae Treharne

Eric McCormack

Casey Wilson

Angel Laketa Moore

Christina Offley

Kimia Behpoornia

Karl T. Wright

Major Curda

Marietta Melrose

On My Block: There is no official announcement related to the renewal of On My Block. However, it is going to end in 2021 mainly because of the pandemic. The show gained popularity but is still ending. Centered in Los Angeles, this one was based on high school teens who face different challenges.

Cast of On My Block

Diego Tinoco

Sierra Capri

Jason Genao

Brett Gray

Jessica Marie Garcia

Julio Macias

Ronni Hawk

Peggy Blow

Jahking Guillory

Paula Garcés

Danny Ramirez

Reggie Austin

Eric Neil Gutierrez

Eme Ikwuakor

Emilio Rivera

Lisa Marcos

Angela Elayne Gibbs

Ada Luz Pla

Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson

Shoshana Bush

Rob Murat

Mallory James Mahoney

Raushanah Simmons

Gilberto Ortiz

Dear White People: This series is renewed for season four. This one is coming to an end in 2021. The final episodes will show you the nest conversational end.

Cast of Dear White People

Logan Browning

Antoinette Robertson

Brandon P. Bell

Ashley Blaine Featherson

Marque Richardson

DeRon Horton

John Patrick Amedori

Giancarlo Esposito

Tyler James Williams

Caitlin Carver

Jeremy Tardy

Obba Babatundé

Brandon Black

Sheridan Pierce

Nia Long

Ally Maki

Quei Tann

Brant Daugherty

Wendy Raquel Robinson

John Rubinstein

Jeff Larson

Alex Alcheh

Francia Raisa

Rome Flynn

Luke O’Sullivan

Taylor Foster

John Paul Jones II

Tessa Thompson

Ratched: This series is renewed for season two but is going off air very soon. The series is about a nurse Ratched and is based on a real story. As of now it is twisted and ended with a superb episode.

Cast of Ratched

Sarah Paulson

Cynthia Nixon

Finn Wittrock

Sharon Stone

Judy Davis

Jon Jon Briones

Charlie Carver

Amanda Plummer

Corey Stoll

Alice Englert

Sophie Okonedo

Vincent D’Onofrio

Hunter Parrish

Brandon Flynn

Harriet Sansom Harris

Rosanna Arquette

Jermaine Williams

Michael Benjamin Washington

Don Cheadle

Linda Bisesti

Annie Starke

Teo Briones

Emily Mest

Liz Femi

Jeff B. Davis

Robert Curtis Brown

Kirk Bovill

Grasie Mercedes

Siaka Massaquoi

Ben Crowley

Elinor Gunn

Clayton Farris

Aaron Jay Rome

Patrick Duke Conboy

Zabeth Russell

Albert Malafronte

Jake McDermott

Heather McPhaul

Lita Lopez

Lucas Barker

Greg Ballora

Alfred Rubin Thompson

Germain Arroyo

Kristin Charney

Fred Maske

Casey James Knight

Glow: This one is straightaway cancelled. A very famous wrestling drama, this had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.

Cast of Glow

Alison Brie

Betty Gilpin

Marc Maron

Kate Nash

Jackie Tohn

Sydelle Noel

Sunita Mani

Britney Young

Gayle Rankin

Awesome Kong

Britt Baron

Ellen Wong

Chris Lowell

Kimmy Gatewood

Rebekka Johnson

Marianna Palka

Shakira Barrera

Rich Sommer

Bashir Salahuddin

Geena Davis

Victor Quinaz

Ursula Hayden

Alex Rich

Andrew Friedman

Elizabeth Perkins

Annabella Sciorra

Brooke Hogan

Breeda Wool

Kevin Cahoon

Horatio Sanz

Wyatt Nash

Joey Ryan

Toby Huss

Paul Fitzgerald (actor)

Eli Goree

Marc Evan Jackson

Phoebe Strole

Amy Farrington

Ravil Isyanov

Messiah: The series was cancelled because it had to go through ups and downs. However, for the year 2021, this high class show has been canceled. The reason behind this is the dropping popularity.

Cast of Messiah

Mehdi Dehbi

Michelle Monaghan

Stefania LaVie Owen

Rona-Lee Shimon

Sayyid El Alami

Melinda Page Hamilton

Wil Traval

John Ortiz

Fares Landoulsi

Jane Adams

Beau Bridges

Philip Baker Hall

Dermot Mulroney

Teenage Bounty Hunters: This one got cancelled too. Even though this was considered as one of the best teen comedy series, it came to an end. The series received amazing reviews from the critics and the jury.Sadly, the first season of this show fails to draw the attention of the audience. This is one major reason why the series ended.

Cast of Teenage Bounty Hunters

Maddie Phillips

Anjelica Bette Fellini

Devon Hales

Kadeem Hardison

Virginia Williams

Spencer House

Mackenzie Astin

Myles Evans

Charity Cervantes

Method Man

Eric Graise

Given Sharp

Shirley Rumierk

Randy Havens

Jacob Rhodes

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: The series got cancelled even after umpteen gigs and comedy episodes.

Cast of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Anya Taylor-Joy

Taron Egerton

Nathalie Emmanuel

Mark Hamill

Simon Pegg

Jason Isaacs

Helena Bonham Carter

Andy Samberg

Natalie Dormer

Keegan-Michael Key

Caitriona Balfe

Alicia Vikander

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Mark Strong

Harvey Fierstein

Theo James

Toby Jones

Awkwafina

Lena Headey

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson

Shazad Latif

Donna Kimball

Harris Dickinson

Benedict Wong

Sigourney Weaver

Hannah John-Kamen

Neil Sterenberg

Louise Gold

Beccy Henderson

Kevin Clash

Dave Chapman

Warrick Brownlow-Pike

Helena Smee

Bill Hader

Theo Ogundipe

Kemi-Bo Jacobs

Dave Goelz

Eddie Izzard

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj; This American show has grabbed the attention of so many of them during the lockdown. However, the show is now cancelled and no reasons behind the same have been found out yet.

Cast of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj

Hasan Minhaj

Joyelle Johnson

Arnab Goswami

Andrew Yang

Cory Booker

Maeve Higgins

Adi Ash

Michelle C Bonilla

Rahm Braslaw

Julian Zane Chawdhary

Sean Hartman

Alexis Landry

James Adam Tucker

Rayan Zaim-Sassi

Emily Grace Buck

Vava

Vinod Chaproo

Joan Dickson

Michael Eric Dyson

Jann Ellis

Sonia

Lori Hammel

Smith Harrison

John Hodgman

Siraj Huda

Jacob Dylan

Aurea Jolly

Kevin

The Summary

These are some of the famous Netflix series and shows that got cancelled in the year 2021. As mentioned above, the reasons behind the cancellation differ from series to series. However, you need not lose hope. Netflix still have amazing series coming up. Whatever genre you prefer, keep that in mind and start searching for them. This way you will surely end up finding the ones that will be suitable for you. If not Netflix, then you can check out IMDB. This is a platform where you can search for various shows and movies. While doing do, what you can do is check out the ratings. This way you will find out whether or not the show should be watched or not. IMDB shows new series ans shows that are released every week or month. Search for the one you want to watch and get started without any further ado.

We hope this piece has helped in understanding which and why the shows got cancelled. However, you need not worry about anything. There are a plethora of shows you will come across on this platform, and something or the other will surely be worth watching. Thus, do not wait further and make use of the time this lockdown. Do not let the cancellation and lockdown spoil your mood. Your mood will be cherished and who knows you find out facts you never thought could happen? Also, exploring various genres never goes waste. So, why not make use of this wonderful opportunity?

Syndicate Content:

https://www.exposework.com/netflix-cancelled-renewed-shows/

#neflix #netflix series #netflix series 2021

8 notes · View notes

desperauxtilling · 4 years

Text

HOO if it got TLTM treatment

- first of all does away with all the shitty romance. no frazel, no weird love triangle, and jason is friends w piper AND reyna

- piper jason leo drive reprise (fly)

- for musical purposes piper is mezzo, leo is tenor, jason is baritone. this trio has killer musical harmony and their song is about each of them feeling lost in their own way but finding family together (lost heroes), it’s reprised in the final battle w gaea

- leo and his mom get a song together 🥺❤️devolves into narration of his running from foster homes and being outcast (morse remorse)

- starts out as nicos nightmare, turns to percy annabeth in tartarus (no place to go but down)

- hazel solo about being unwanted and cursed, trying to grapple with herself and her place in a world she feels she doesn’t belong in (precious). when she and nico sing together, she echoes + harmonizes bianca motifs. gem stuff is done with killer lighting

- SoN is full throttle theatricality percy hazel and frank are a music troupe and once they reach canada play all their own instruments, guitar flute and drums in that order (the land beyond the gods)

- reynas dogs are puppets. in the jr version theyre played by a single child actor thats half silver half gold

- all of franks transformations are puppetry based

- PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE WAR GAMES

- a ballad about reyna growing up, her father, her past, befriending jason and coming to new rome up to the moment of their reunion when she realizes they’re now strangers to each other and that she’s lost her one true friend (warrior of my dreams)

- jason/nico/cupid confrontation (all’s not fair in love and war) violins, sharp discords, explosive. callbacks to “good kid” representing nicos desire to fit in, but also his feelings for percy. whenever jason approaches nico after, certain sections of it are lifted into major key and softened by piano

- LOST BUT ITS THE STATUE TRIO IN ALBANIA

- if anything could make leo and calypso a palatable couple it would be a duet (in the middle of somewhere)

- frank leo and hazel have an annoying talk-sing song where they’re all fighting and only figuring out the archimedes sphere is able to mesh their melodic mishaps into a medley. a lemonade mouth style “turn up the music” number using found objects, leo utilizes the junk in the shop to create musical genius

- the athena parthenos is just a cardboard cutout of annabeth crossing her arms

- the double casting potential. you could also get very creative w the roman vs greek aspects. for example ares vs mars are just two slightly different pairs of sunglasses

#pjo #hoo #tltm #ill add more later this is what i got for now tho

59 notes · View notes

harper-hook · 4 years

Text

The Leader In Purple | Reyna x Reader

Prompt: #22 “I thought I could trust you.”

Author’s note: So I’m lowkey a fake fan and haven’t read PJO past BoO...

Requested by: @wonderbreadwoman

It felt like your brain was going a million miles per hour. You moved down the gangplank of the Argo II, slowly swivelling your head to take in the city. New Rome, your sister had said. It looked just like a normal mortal city. Normal in a comforting way.

Lots of gasps caught your attention, turning back to the middle of the crowd to see your sister with her knee on Percy’s chest. “Schist, I thought she was kidding about that…” You hissed under your breath. Maybe not the best first impression.

Your attention instantly goes to a girl in purple robes with long braided black hair. She must be the leader, you rationalize. All Roman eyes were on her. Her eyes swept over the Argo’s crew, silently analyzing all of us.

Her gaze is striking. That was your first thought when she looked at you. You couldn’t recognize any emotion on her face. Impressive. You watched in disbelief as she looked you up and down.

You took a sharp intake of breath. Was she really... Her gaze stopped on your waist where your sword sheath was. Oh, she was just… Ok, that made more sense. Nonetheless, you flushed bright red and looked down at your shoes.

Once all the sides of the quests were explained and cleared up, Piper and Jason headed off to explore. “(Y/N).” Percy snapped you out of your thoughts. He walked up to you, pulling you into a hug. “Gonna take Annabeth to see the city?” You asked, already knowing the answer.

“No.” Your face fell. “Reyna wants to talk to her.” You looked over her shoulder to see her talking to the black haired girl from before. Oh schist. Annabeth looked over her shoulder before turning back to Reyna.

“Wait!” You called out before you stopped yourself. “(Y/N)!” Percy hissed. “Let her see him.” You continued, walking up to the girls. “It’s been months since they’ve seen each other. I can tell you whatever you want to know.” You lifted your chin up to look Reyna in the eyes. Still no emotion.

You held her gaze for a moment before she turned to Annabeth, muttering one word. “Go.” Annabeth gave you a look but you brushed her off. You could handle yourself.

“Come along.” Reyna turned on her heel, heading into the city. You hurried and caught up with her, matching her pace. “Your sister, I assume?” She asked. “Yeah.”

Nothing else was said for a while. You jumped as Reyna let out an ear piercing whistle. “Any reason for the cardiac arrest?” You asked, barely holding back the scathing tone. No need to piss off the leader. For the first time, you saw a hint of a smirk on her lips.

Suddenly, two dogs came bounding towards you, one gold and the other silver. You gasped as they took either of Reyna’s sides. “Oh wow, they’re beautiful!” You started to reach out but retracted your hand back. Not smart.

“My dogs don’t like liars, daughter of Athena.” Reyna warned you. Oh. Well it’s not like you had anything to lie about. You nodded and continued to follow Reyna through the city, her speaking more freely now. You were trying to take in all the details of the city you could, all the shops and stores. So you were kinda half listening. Something about Miverna’s chastity.

Before you knew it, you were heading into a large garden. You gasped audibly, stepping ahead of Reyna. “This is… incredible.” You spoke, voice barely above a whisper. “The Garden of Bacchus.” Reyna said, taking a seat on a nearby bench.

This was where your mini trial would take place. “Let me get your side of the story. No lies.” She warned, her dogs sitting at her feet, staring you down. You swallowed hard, Titan War memories and scars still fresh.

“My dad dropped me off at camp when I was 10. That was the last time I ever saw him.” You started, delving into the last 6 years of your life. The quests, Luke’s betrayal, your friends and siblings dying…

“But he made the correct choice in the end. He was a hero.” You muttered fiercely, wiping a stray tear off of your face. Reyna looked over you. “I thought I could trust you.” She nodded approvingly.

“You wear your emotions on your face.” She stated. Where else would I wear them? “Sometimes that’s a good thing. Other times…” She trailed off, standing up. “It’s gonna get you killed.” She stated.

“You sound worried.” You smirked, crossing your arms. Reyna froze, turning to shoot you with a glare. “If any other Graceus stormed into praetor planning like that, I’d have them executed.” She crossed her arms. “Then why didn’t you?”

“Whenever the Romans felt threatened, they would invade anyone around them, including the Greeks.” She explained, pointing out the shrine of her mother, Bellona. “It doesn’t have to be that way!” You exclaimed, raising your voice.

Reyna looked you over, making you flush with embarrassment. You felt like a child being reprimanded by a parent. “We could work together. No more bad blood.” You knew that having the Romans as enemies would be a death sentence for all.

“I… would like that, daughter of Athena. But my Romans, they don’t forgive easily.” She admitted. You snorted. “You say that as if they wouldn’t follow you to the ends of the earth. I could see it the second we arrived.” You didn’t notice the tinge of pink on Reyna’s cheeks.

“Your optimism is infectious. But optimism is nothing on the battlefield.” “Pessimism will kill faster than hunger or thirst.” You quoted, challenging her gaze again. She held it.

She looked you up and down until she finally met your gaze again, making you blush again. Before either of you could say anything, an earth shattering boom shook the ground and the city lit up with fire

#pjo #percy jackson #hoo #heroes of olympus #reyna avila ramirez arellano #reyna imagine #reyna x reader #pjo x reader #percy jackson imagine

94 notes · View notes

verecunda · 3 years

Text

🐬 Sutcliff Ask Meme 🐬

Because it’s my meme, and I’ll answer it if I want to. :P Under a cut for long-windedness.

Rules: answer the questions, tag anyone who you think might want to play along, and - if you like - add a question of your own.

1. Your favourite work by Sutcliff.

This is such a tough choice, but I think in the end I have to go with The Eagle of the Ninth. It’s been a part of my life for so long, and it’s one of those books I know I can always return to and get lost in.

2. Your favourite bearer of the dolphin ring.

ALL OF THEM. It’s a tie between Marcus and Alexios. They are my Boys. <3

3. A supporting or background character you love.

Again, a tough one, but I think I’ll go with one I’ve never seen anyone else talk about: Helen, the madam turned thrall turned rebel leader at Eburacum in Sword at Sunset. She’s the one who plans with Jason the smith to keep watch for Artos and his Companions pursuing the Saxons to the city walls, so they and their fellow thralls can fall on the defenders from the rear and keep the gates open to let the Companions in. When Jason tells Artos about it, I was like goodforher.jpg. :) I’d love to know more about what happened to her!

4. Your favourite animal companion.

Cub, surely. Though I also have a great soft spot for Shan the wildcat from Mark of the Horse Lord. :D

5. Is there any setting you find especially memorable?

So many! The farm on the Downs, of course, since we follow its whole life, from the first dream of it at the end of Eot9, to the cosy, welcoming sanctuary it is in The Silver Branch, then its death in The Lantern Bearers.

But I love ruins, like the spooky chapter in Trimontium in Eagle, and I’m still captivated by the last scene of Dawn Wind, with the Wild gently taking over the abandoned city of Viroconium.

6. Wild geese flighting and striped native rugs: is there a classic Sutcliff motif that never fails to warm your heart when it appears?

The green plover calling. I don’t know why, but it’s one of the details that always makes me go, “ah yes, here we are.”

7. The natural world is a vivid presence in all her work. Is there any particular nature description that sticks in your mind?

So many! Especially sunsets. I adore the way she describes sunsets. But I’ll put this one from The Silver Branch, since to me it encapsulates the general theme of Sutcliff’s work so well:

But the night itself was very still, behind the sounds of the camp. A wonderful night, up here above the mist; the bracken of the hillside frozen into silver stillness below the dark fleece of thorn-scrub that covered the higher slopes on either side, the moon still low in a glimmering sky that seemed brushed over with a kind of moth-wing dust of gold. Somewhere far down the widening valley a vixen called to her mate, and somehow the sound left the silence empty.

Justin thought, ‘If we are killed tomorrow, the vixen will still call across the valley to her mate. Maybe she has cubs somewhere among the root-tangle of the woods. Life goes on.’ And the thought was somehow comforting.

8. Biggest tearjerker. (Happy or sad tears!)

The end of The Lantern Bearers, for sure. The perfect ending to such a long, hard journey! I read it last December, and I’m still not over it.

9. How did you first discover Sutcliff?

Through loving Roman Britain. I grew up near the line of the Antonine Wall (on the north side - beyond the frontier!), so I’ve always been pretty fascinated by the idea of Romans being just down the road omg, and I remember my dad telling me the story of the lost legion once while we were out walking. It was only a matter of time before I found out about Sutcliff, really! Though, oddly, although I was aware of the book for a long time, I only ended up reading it in my teens, after I’d rekindled my love for Roman history.

10. What is it about her work that appeals to you the most?

So much! She’s absolutely one of my favourite writers. The atmospheric flair of her prose, her endearing characters; her deft skill at incorporating mythological symbolism into her stories in a way that’s rich but not at all intrusive; her consummate ability to wrench the heartstrings, always tempered by the humour and compassion and nuances she brings to her characters and narrative...

Ultimately, however, she’s the writer who speaks to that part of me that goes about aware (consciously or unconsciously) of that lost ancient world just on my doorstep, and brings it to life for me.

11. A book that deserves more love.

The Silver Branch. Outside fandom, it seems to get passed over as being a bit more of a straightforward “boy’s own” type of adventure, while I suspect that from a fannish POV, it doesn’t have the shippy appeal that, say, Eot9 or Frontier Wolf have.

But while I’d agree it’s not perhaps not as rich as other entries in the series, it’s much more than a simple adventure story. The characters are wonderfully drawn - it was more than ten years between my first and second readings, but I still had very vivid memories of how lovable Justin and Flavius were, and how awesome Aunt Honoria was! Even more than that, the world of TSB is very much a forerunner to the world of The Lantern Bearers. Overgrown altars stand alone in the wild, and monuments to Rome’s past glories are broken up to shore up defences against the incoming Saxons, while Carausius looks ahead to the time that the lights go out. It’s a very melancholy book beneath the battles and skulduggery.

12. A book you haven’t read yet, but want to.

Sun Horse, Moon Horse. It’s never been one that was high on my Gotta Read list, but after Sword at Sunset - where the White Horse is the scene for Artos’ crowning - I’d like to read it to get a fuller sense of its history and significance in the Sutcliffverse.

13. Which book(s) would you love to get a film or TV adaptation?

Frontier Wolf!!! I also think Outcast in particular would make a great CBBC serial - you know, the ones that are officially for kids but the adults sit glued to as well.

14. Is there any historical period, incident, or figure you wish she’d written about?

Too many to list! But after reading Sword Song, with its gorgeous little description of the sea around Iona, and Dawn Wind, featuring the coming of St Augustine, I’m rather sad she never wrote anything featuring St Columba. His story has lots of elements that I think would appeal to her - conflict and alliances between Dalriada and the Picts, old religions and new (and the places where they’re not very different after all), the whole idea of creating something new and great out of the ashes of exile and disgrace. And I’d love to see her take on some of the set-pieces in Adomnán, like the conflict with Broichan, the Pictish druid. I think she would have had a really interesting take on my favourite bellicose Irish saint!

15. Rec a Sutcliff-themed fanwork (fic, art, vid, etc.) to share with fellow fans.

There is so much that’s brilliant in Sutcliff fandom omg. But for the purposes of this meme, I’m going to rec one of my gifts from last year’s Yuletide, The Sun Rises, as being perfect for the time of year. FW, Alexios/Hilarion. It’s a lovely introspective piece, with a very nice sense of setting, Mithraic references and light symbolism, and the bond drawn between Alexios and Hilarion is understated and perfect. The intimacy of the moment where their wolfskins brush together makes me go !!!! every time. <3

And lastly, just out of interest… how far is it from Venta to the mountains?

All of two hundred miles, but you didn’t hear that from me......

And I’ve previously tagged some folks, but again, if you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged!

#meme #Rosemary Sutcliff

12 notes · View notes

lechugana · 3 years

Text

ρωμαϊκός

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Words: 6681

Categories: F/M, Gen

Tags: roman!percy, percabeth, no beta read, capture flag game, nico has a new pet, it’s a mouse skeleton

Summry:

AU where Percy is roman and Annabeth is searching from him. "But you still listened to me, Jackson" Annabeth replied with a small smile on her lips. "But I still listened to you, Chase" he repeated copying her smile, the boy's smile was predatory, the smile of a boy who knows he's going to get in trouble ... and he doesn't care.

Read it also on AO3

Romans exist Annabeth repeated over and over again as she walked beside Nico.

They were both leading the Greek camp, walking the streets of New Rome. As much as Annabeth wanted to pout, she couldn't stop admiring the columns, the buildings, the marble stairs… all the classic architectural elements that Annabeth thought would be in Rome, they were here, in San Francisco. The whole city exorbitated wealth and classicism, the people wearing a mix of robes and modern clothes, the streets lined with shops that had the smallest campers trotting from window to window. Among the people walked what were lares, spirits - ghosts - of the home, Nico had already warned them of them when he had visited the camp for the first time together with Jason and with the blessing of his father, becoming an ambassador of Hades ... Pluto .

Now that they were in Rome, Hades is Pluto.

And Athena, Minerva. And Minerva has no children and is not a strategist goddess. Here is a simple virgin goddess of the arts.

On the Field of Mars were two people shoulder to shoulder, dressed in purple, white and gold robes, like the ancient Roman emperors. One was blond-haired, and Annabeth knew instantly that it was Jason, his hair shining in the sunlight, while next to him was a Latin girl, with long dark hair in a braid.

"Annabeth. Welcome to New Rome” Jason welcomed, as he spread his arms before them, his blue eyes narrowing at his smile. “She is Reyna, the second praetor of Rome. Nico, you already know her. "

"Daughter of Minerva " Reyna reached out to Annabeth. Annabeth could notice how her siblings were tense, Malcolm was behind her trying to calm the little ones.

"Athena" Annabeth corrected in the calmest way possible, her body seemed calm, but she was watching every movement of the praetor. Annabeth had realized that the girl was just like her, a strategist ready for an attack at any moment.

"Welcome to New Rome" Reyna slightly moved one of her eyebrows. “Jason's friends are our friends. We hope that your instance here is as placid as possible. I'm leaving my colleague Jason to take you on a tour of our city, I have to attend to some business ”Reyna gave Jason a look, one of those looks that is only understood among familiar people, gave him a squeeze on the arm and left followed by her two metal greyhounds.

"Really, Jason? Minerva?"

"I know I'm sorry. I've told her- Hello to you too Travis, yes Connor, I haven't forgotten about you, I'm talking to Annabeth for a moment, can you-? Thanks, Malcolm” Jason tried to get rid of the Stoll brothers, Malcolm who was seeing everything from behind, grabbed the two brothers by their ears and led them to the other end of the Field of Mars. "As I said. I told Reyna, I told her everything I needed to know about the Greeks and Camp Half-Blood, but she is…” Jason waved his hand in the air trying to find a word. "Difficult?"

Annabeth studied Jason for a few more seconds, making him more nervous than he was, his hand kept moving his glasses and his feet moved slightly from side to side. Annabeth rejoiced knowing she made Jupiter's son nervous.

"I don't blame you Jason, you're just trying to do what you can." Jason's shoulders immediately relaxed at those words. Annabeth may have been proud but not a masochist. "Now show us where to stay, oh preator."

"Now do you know Latin?"

" I've done a bit of research."

---

Their rooms were simply a camp built by a group of Roman demigods on the outskirts of the city of New Rome, as far away as possible.

Big tents with all their amenities arranged for the campers, the smaller greek campers were hopping around, excited about a night of camping out in the open, the hut bosses were running after them to calm them down, though many of them gave up even before chasing them.

"I never would have thought the Romans would exist," Malcolm whispered next to Annabeth. They were both a bit away from the chaotic camp watching them. "I wish Chiron was here." Annabeth nodded slightly; Chiron had been her father since he ran away from his family in San Francisco. The two had been inseparable since she arrived at the camp shortly after Thalia's death, Chiron always came to her when she had a problem, always counting on her opinion in any matter that arose. “Do you think he will be here? Come on, Annabeth, don't look at me like that, we have the same mother,” he laughed. “You haven't stopped looking for him since the battle, and I know you're waiting for the right moment to tell Jason. Have you ever considered that maybe he is a fugitive demigod? "

Annabeth had indeed considered that this boy had become a fugitive demigod. A demigod without a camp, who wandered from one place to another away from monsters and without having a stable place.

“Yes, I have thought about it, but…” Annabeth could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment, “it's a hunch, okay? I know it's stupid, but I feel like it must be around here."

Annabeth wanted to drown in humiliation, Athena's children didn't follow hunches, they followed clues and logic.

Malcolm stared at her for a long time, until his shoulders sagged in defeat, “Of course it's not stupid. I just want you to remember that there is a possibility that he is not here…” Malcolm shifted between his own feet, unsure. "Or that you will never find it."

---

The Romans dining room was not disappointing either. Long wooden tables adorned with fruit bowls, silver jugs filled with drink and glasses of the same metal. The Romans were talking and throwing jokes as well as food, some were speaking louder, while others were observing their companions.

The image itself was a shock to Annabeth, she didn't know why, but she had imagined the Romans as stoic people, eating meals without laughter or talking, but the image in front of her showed her that she had been wrong.

The sound of a glass silenced everyone in the dining room, Reyna was up with a small golden dagger and a glass of the same colour, "We want to officially welcome, both my partner Jason, like me" Jason like Reyna , raised and with a golden glass in his hand, but instead of being next to him he was at the table of the Greeks with his friends Leo and Piper. “We hope that your stay in Nueva Roma will be as comfortable as possible and that our relationships for the future will be strengthened and grown for prosperity. Iubentium."

“We are very grateful that you have allowed us to stay in your camp, we hope that, like you, our relationship grows and strengthens over time and for future generations, in order to have a powerful ally among us. Cheers.” While making the speech, she tried to look around to find the boy without attracting much attention, but not locating him, Annabeth focused only on Reyna. When she finished Annabeth raised her glass at the same time as Reyna, both looking at each other as they drank from her glass, calculating each other's every move.

"Nice speech" Nico murmured next to her.

"It's sarcasm?"

“Pf, yes and no. The speech was fine, but you could tell in the air how you were throwing knives at each other” he said simply as he swallowed four chips at the same time. Clarisse who was listening nearby snorted proudly at Annabeth.

"I do not like her. She’s hard to read,” Annabeth admitted as she tossed her food back and forth without much appetite.

“Normal” Nico drank from his Coca-Cola, “her mother is Bellona, the Roman goddess of strategy. She is also watching you Annabeth and can't figure you out. You both collide by nature- Will, I'm not going to eat a pear, I hate pears."

Annabeth let the two boys argue about nutritional values and her gaze began to search among the many heads of the Romans, but as before, no clue of that boy.

"Oh Hazel. What good find "Annabeth looked up listening to the voice of Jason. Hazel, she supposed, was the girl with dark skin and curly hair, the girl was very short in stature, maybe she was not over thirteen. She was dressed in a purple T-shirt and gold breastplate, her matching helmet carried under one arm, and a sword slightly too large for her hung from her hip. "Ah, I didn't know you were talking to your brother, I'm sorry Nico, but do you know where Jackson is?"

Hazel was thoughtful for a moment, but then shook her head, “He wasn't on watch today, and from what Frank has told me, I don't think he's in the stables. Maybe in the bathrooms? I do not know."

“Ah… don't worry, it doesn't matter. I just wanted him to meet the Greeks.” He turned to Annabeth when he saw her confused face. "Jackson is a ... how to say, a free spirit?" Jason laughed at the comparison. "He does not like to follow the rules very much and he always gets into trouble, surely you would get along well."

"He's my kind of man," Connor blurted out from behind his brother, his hair full of roots, growing little by little around his neck.

"Susan, please don't strangle Connor at lunch." Piper scolded Demeter's daughter from the other end.

"Susan, don't stop," shouted a son of Aphrodite from the other end.

The cries of the Greek demigods filled the air of the dining room. Some encouraging Susan to strangle Connor, Hermes cabin maliciously clawing at Connor's face to break the roots. Other campers rose from their seats to watch the show between Demeter's cabin and Hermes. Hazel who was still present next to Nico giggled at the ruckus that had formed in a very short time.

"I can't imagine what your camp will be like day by day."

Annabeth smiled at the teenager with pride warming her chest as she saw the scene that had been lovingly formed.

---

Ares's cabin exploded into cheers upon hearing the news that they were going to fight the Romans, at the same time, Hermes's cabin joined in the cheers, leaving the other campers staring at each other with terror in their eyes.

Annabeth studied Jason's proposal, she knew that it was tradition to have friendly fights (in the case of the Greeks to capture the flag), but after meeting Reyna, Annabeth expected any trap to catch the Greeks and give an excuse to the Greeks. Romans to attack them.

Nico and Piper were next to her, studying her reaction.

"Annabeth, I think Jason wouldn't have proposed this to us if there really was a trap." Piper tried to reason with her, inadvertently using her charmspeak.

"It doesn’t matter if he is a praetor, that doesn’t mean that they tell him everything" she murmured stubbornly, the two have been friends for a long time and her charmspeak no longer had that much effect.

"Nico, tell him that nothing is going to happen."

Nico, instead of answering, was silent with his two hands in his pockets, hunched over, looking at the ground, a small mouse skeleton curled up at his feet.

"What do you want me to say? What Chase said is true. ” Nico reached down and scooped up the mouse skeleton in the palm of his hand. “Jason is… a visionary. And visionaries tend to have a lot of ideas, and those ideas cause change. The Romans don't like change. They like tradition. And right now, the tradition is that both Greeks and Romans are separated, as they always have been. "

"You're no help, death boy," Piper growled, earning an angry scowl from the smaller boy.

"Can you feel if something bad is going to happen?"

"If someone is going to die?" Nico frowned again, but this time in concentration. "No. Everything is still fine; nothing feels out of place. "

"You see? No carnage is going to form,” Leo exclaimed jovially from behind Piper. "Don't look at me like that mija, it's a good thing!"

"But that doesn't mean there is going to be a catch."

Piper threw both hands in the air, finally giving up on this conversation. Annabeth was too stubborn to change her mind.

The girl from before, Hazel, came back together with a boy much taller than her and leafier, they both greeted Nico happily and he responded dryly, as always, too focused on his new skeleton pet. The two Romans were there to guide them to the weapons room, where they can equip themselves for the afternoon games.

Hazel was talking animatedly to Nico, her curly hair trotting as she walked, the boy a little further behind the two demigods, always keeping a safe distance from the son of Hades. Annabeth raised an eyebrow when she noticed that the boy was afraid of poor Nico.

The leaders of the huts tried to line up their brothers to give them the necessary weapons, but as always, no one was listening to anyone, so everyone ran to get the best weapon they could find. Both Annabeth and Nico stood at the gate watching, both carrying their weapons on their hips, Annabeth watched her brothers giving advice to the other campers on which weapons would suit them best in battle, while Nico watched Will trying to calm her down. his brothers when it came to catching arrows and bows, a small group from Apollo's hut stayed behind Will, hinting that they would be the paramedics on the battlefield.

When everyone was already armed and protected with armour, they followed the two Roman boys to the Field of Mars.

“Wow, why do they have a battlefield? I also want one!" Ares's hut began to protest as they admired the battlefield.

"And have you seen his armoury?"

"I do not like. It's all outdoors, I prefer to be in the forest. "

“So you can tangle me with roots again? No thanks."

"I told you it was accidental!"

"Unintentionally does not mean catching someone with roots and hanging them from a tree."

"Mathew is trying to cast a spell on me!"

"The Romans are going to crush us," Nico muttered.

Annabeth didn't have the mind to worry about the campers, she already had different routes and strategies in mind to fight the Romans. Yes, the Romans may be very meticulous and were known worldwide for their formations on the battlefields. But the Greeks had a factor that they did not have, they had no order. The Greeks were neither orderly nor organized, in the battles each one went on his own, without following any training, and that freedom when fighting could give them an advantage right now.

The Romans were already in the middle of the field, all standing in ranks and cohorts, dressed in golden armour and red shields. The image gave Annabeth chills.

In front of the five cohorts were the two praetors, both dressed in purple capes and like the other Roman campers, in gold armour. Whereas Jason had an excited glint in his eyes as he spotted Leo and Piper amid the tide of demigods; Reyna, on the other hand, her gaze was not as friendly as that of her partner, with her arms crossed and her back straight she watched as the mestizo camp arrived at the place.

Annabeth wanted to get rid of the bad feeling she had in her body, she could imagine what the Romans were seeing when they arrived at the place, a group of unstructured demigods walking scattered around the place, some were running around, others were on top of others, some they were lagging in the back. Annabeth shook her thoughts, the Greeks defeated the army of Cronos, a titan, they were not weak.

When Annabeth arrived at the scene, standing in the front row, with the entire camp behind her, she watched Camp Jupiter, some of the campers who were there laughing at each other as they shot them glances.

“As you are smaller in number, a cohort will help you during the games. Fifth cohort."

The first cohorts began to laugh among themselves as they looked at the last cohort, in it, the two centurions in front were visibly discouraged. One of them took out a flask and began to drink from it, while the other centurion tried to shake him off.

"Each group go to your place."

And with that said, each group went to one side of the field. Annabeth waited for the Fifth Cohort to approach them.

"Good luck with the graecus."

"In the end, the outcasts gather among themselves."

"How many victories are we going to have already?"

"I think twenty-seven."

"No, thirty."

Despite the comments from the campers, one of the centurions tried to liven up the atmosphere, cheering up his subordinates, giving smiles and patting on the back, while the other centurion continued to drink from his flask while visibly leaning on his companion.

“We are the fifth cohort. Jason has told us a lot about you” the centurion introduced himself. "I'm Gwendolyn, and this is my partner Dakota ... don't worry he's drinking Kool-Aid", slapping her hand on the flask caught his attention.

"I hope you like losing." Dakota lifted his flask and took a sip. Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Annabeth. I guess you know who Nico is. She's Clarisse… There is Will… Oh, this is Piper…” Annabeth rummaged through the other campers with the cabin leaders, but seeing that the Stoll brothers were doing their thing, she stopped naming with a sigh.

"Are you all the praetors?" Dakota exclaimed upon hearing the number of names Annabeth had named.

"Mn? Oh no. We are the cabin leaders. A cabin by God. "

The Fifth Cohort gaped at them. Apparently, they did have more differences than they imagined.

“We are always defending ourselves. It's easier to accept defeat.” Gwen shrugged.

"Pathetic" Clarisse snorted. Both Ares's and Nike's cabins supported her.

"You don't know who is in the first cohort!"

"Of course, we don't know, we are new, remember?" said Fred, a Hermes boy, who bore a horrible resemblance to the Stoll brothers.

"And we do not care, we are going to crush them" a girl from Nike jumped up from behind, hitting her fist with her hand for more emphasis, both Nike's cabin and Ares's hut jumped in cheers at those words.

"Let’s not get so excited, they are not monsters ..." A child from Iris tried to quietly calm the other campers.

"Shut up Eugene."

Annabeth sighed and looked sideways at the Romans, "We never stare." Annabeth turned to be seen by both Greeks and Romans. "We are going to attack. Romans and Greeks. Will, choose one of your brothers to go into battle for medical help. Nico, I think you already know what to do. Nina, she will give you some inventions from Hephaestus's cabin, listen to her well what they are for. You Romans, stand in the front row, shields raised and prepare to defend. "

Annabeth watched as everyone fell into place. Will named some of his faster brothers to go to the field, while Nico caught some of the Hermes and Demeter campers explaining the plan. Piper, in the background, was practicing her spell-talk with Leo. Nina was handing out small gadgets to some of the campers followed by Hecate's children who were giving some explanations of how they worked. Clarisse, along with Nike's hut and Ares were sharpening their weapons, looking with sharp smiles at the Romans scaring them.

"How do you know we are going to win? She is nothing but a daughter of Min… Athena. And they are Romans, and they always play dirty, no matter what you do, we are going to lose” Annabeth made out Dakota's voice behind her as she fixed her golden bib.

"Athena always has a plan." Annabeth smiled at Malcolm's voice.

---

Ugh. Annabeth hated fighting in the open field, she preferred to fight in the woods of the half-blood camp, it was easier to hide there, and the trees helped her to form even more convoluted plans than usual.

From his place he could see how Reyna flew over the fields of Mars on the back of her pegasus, even from there he could see her frown and how she judged them from the sky. On the floor and sitting in a box, Jason was looking at them with bright and expectant eyes, Annabeth couldn't help but think that Jason looked like a labrador retriever, wagging his tail from side to side excitedly.

On the other side of the field were the other cohorts, preparing for battle, from her place, Annabeth could see as they were placed in an attack position, prepared to fight.

"Are you sure it's going to work?" Malcolm appeared behind her.

"I hope so." Malcolm glanced at her, looked like he wanted to say something, but at the last moment he closed his mouth and hunched his shoulders in defeat.

"They look prepared," he simply said. "I'm scared."

"For us?" Annabeth this time looked at him raising an eyebrow.

"Mn? No way. For them. I don't think I've ever seen Clarisse so excited in a battle, I think I've heard her say she's going to try to split the Romans in two. The Romans have never had to endure the fury of the sons of Ares. "

"And the Nike ones," Annabeth recalled.

"Don't remind me, ugh."

Both Annabeth and Malcolm laughed as they watched the Romans on the other side moving from side to side.

A trumpet sounded from overhead, Annabeth raised her head and saw Reyna look her directly in the eye. All of this was challenging. A challenge to see if the Greeks were worth it. And Annabeth already knew.

Taking one last look at the Romans already in position, she went to hers, raising her eyebrow in recognition of Reyna.

---

“Gwendolyn, I need you to help us form defences. Get into position swinging line, on the left flank, not right. Put the archers in the first row, not in the last, and then in the second row put an arrow line. "

Gwendolyn looked at her with wide eyes, shocked to hear the Greek know the Roman techniques and embarrassed that she did not know any Greek techniques. With a nod of his head he ran after his fellow Romans giving them Annabeth's orders.

Seeing that her zone was in motion, she braced herself. Praying that he hadn't been wrong.

From her spot she could see how the fifth cohort got into the position she had said, thanking herself for her curiosity in having studied Roman defence tactics. The fifth cohort advanced from their position, alerting the Romans to their orthodox attacking position, the archers should be behind not in front, and it was the right flank that was more protected than the left, just as soldiers with arrows should be in the front row. Annabeth heard the confused sounds of the other cohorts when she saw that position, cracking their positions and hesitating when attacking, she could hear the confusing sounds of the enemy cohorts from her place. That made her smile.

After appreciating their tactics in action, Annabeth jumped into action. Picking up her dagger, she jumped to the right flank, seeing that the defence of that area was weakened, running between the Roman and Greek campers.

From her place she could see Nico's signal, probably aided by his sister Hazel, a lump, almost imperceptible on the ground, with a silver coin gleaming in the sunlight. Taking a deep breath, she lunged for the signal, dodging and kicking the Romans, and the Greeks pulling away with experience. She could see the silver coin shining brighter every time she got closer, but halfway there she saw a group of Romans rush over the sign, taking it to the other side of the field.

"Shit," Annabeth blurted out after someone tackled her.

"Minerva's daughter," a Roman hissed. The boy had a shield almost the same height as him and was covered by golden armour. His face was covered by a helmet of the same material. Annabeth snorted at those words. Right now, he didn't feel like fighting an angry idiot. "You are going to learn to respect our goddess-"

Without letting him finish the sentence, Annabeth lunged towards the boy and he raised the shield reflexively, just before she hit the shield, Annabeth turned to the side, surprising the Roman with a kick to his back, throwing him to the side. From above, Annabeth raised her dagger to threaten the boy at her feet, but when she raised her hand, she realized that his dagger was gone. Looking everywhere for it, she acknowledges that the poor dagger had disappeared at the time of the tackle.

Annabeth wanted to hit a wall.

"Annie!" Piper yelled from her right throwing something at her. Annabeth reflexively raised her arm and saw that what Piper had thrown at her was nothing more than a stick in the shape of a 'y'. “Don't look at me like that, it was you who asked me to look for him if there was an emergency. Hey you! You are very sleepy ... be careful! oh, he fell head-on, do you think he'll be okay? That had to hurt. "

Annabeth shook her head and took the stick in the shape of an 'y' and with a calculated blow she hit the boy at her feet on the head knocking him unconscious. Taking the stick by its shorter sides, she put the longer stick in front of him, pointing her way. Pointing it to the ground.

The stick had not yet moved, leading Annabeth to despair, the Greek kept pacing back and forth, sometimes in circles, looking for the stick to vibrate. Was she wrong? She was seldom wrong, and she was too proud to accept that she was wrong. In addition, she was the daughter of Athena, she could find another solution, every problem has a solution. A small vibration went up his arms, jumping from his place he saw the long stick vibrate to the ground. Releasing the air that she did not know she was holding, she followed the vibrations of the stick, following the path that led to the stick vibrating even more. She stayed above a point where the vibrations had made her arms not stop shaking.

It's here. Annabeth thought.

A clash of metal made her raise her head.

"Do you want to become a skewer or what?" The boy in front of her yelled from his helmet. That boy had stopped an attack from the other side, an attack that was going for her. Snorting, Annabeth ignored him, but marked with her foot where the stick had pointed. "I've saved your life and that's how you thank me-"

Annabeth pushed the boy away when she saw from the corner of her eye that another Roman was going after them, throwing the boy to one side, she dodged the spear by turning on herself, grabbed that spear at the same time, pulling the Roman towards her and knocking them out with one of his elbows.

Turning around, she saw how both the boy and she were cornered by a group of Romans with their spears pointed at them. They both unconsciously approached each other, touching each other back to back, noticing their breaths. The boy's helmet fell right next to the two boys, Annabeth imagined that the boy had thrown the helmet out of frustration.

"You are surrounded" shouted one of the Romans.

"Really? I didn’t see it” the boy behind him said slightly, the boy resting his head on the crown of Annabeth's head, thanks to the fact that he was at least half a head taller than her.

"Surrender."

The group of Romans stepped forward, further closing the circle that the two boys had around them.

Annabeth surveyed her surroundings, still noting the weight on her head. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that the boy was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, revealing his tattoo on his arm. Annabeth's heart leapt at the sight of him.

"I have a plan."

"Huh. It's going to be suicide."

"Maybe. But I'm not going to lose to the Romans."

"Do I have to remind you that I am a Roman?"

Annabeth wanted to kick him. "There is water below us. Use it."

Annabeth noticed how the boy tensed behind her. "I cannot."

"Yes, you can. I've seen your tattoo."

The boy gulped, his breathing shallower and faster. "I've never done."

You're must be kidding me, Annabeth thought. "That's not what I saw in New York, seaweed brains."

"Gods, you're wise girl" Seaweed brains let out a slow breath, Annabeth could tell how the boy shook his head slightly. "I still remember you, you know? That back kick hurt too much."

"I took a stab for you."

Seaweed brains laughed shaking his shoulders, "I still owe you one, now that you mention it."

"Well, if you owe me one, use the water." Annabeth nudged him in the ribs as he hissed between her teeth.

"It’s not that easy. The Romans hate everything that surrounds my father, remember? Give thanks that they let me be in this camp" little by little, both Annabeth and the boy were placed in attack position.

"And what difference does it make if they hate you, all the more reason for you to use your power, they won't change their opinion of you."

"They can kick me out of the camp."

"You have another camp on the other side of the country."

Seaweed brains turned, making her pull with him. The breath of Annabeth stayed in her throat. The boy was just as she remembered, if not, even better. He had grown in recent years, his hair, which was short before, was now longer and even blacker if that was possible, making his long hair tousled as if he had walked by the sea. His sea green eyes shone with that expression of melancholy and sarcasm that captivated Annabeth the first time she saw him. Even his skin glowed a golden hue in the San Francisco sun, and he had grown in recent years, becoming taller than her.

"You're still as eloquent as the last time I saw you, wise girl."

"I didn't know you knew that word."

"I've done a bit of research. I still remember not understanding half of the words you were saying."

"But you still listened to me, Jackson" Annabeth replied with a small smile on her lips.

"But I still listened to you, Chase" he repeated copying her smile, the boy's smile was predatory, the smile of a boy who knows he's going to get in trouble ... and he doesn't care.

Seaweed Brain put his hand into a fist and instant water came around the couple, drowning the group of Romans who were around him. Annabeth heard the screams behind the wall of water, she also saw how the Romans tried to swim among the torrent of water, dust and sand, spears and shields sailed without an owner. Lowering his hands, the water calmed down as the tidal wave of Romans, weapons and shields fell to the ground.

"Here" Seaweed brains threw a dagger in his direction. Annabeth took it instinctively, realizing shortly after that it was her dagger. "You had lost it."

A scream sounded behind Percy, causing Annabeth to act quickly, making the Roman a hold on his arm and throwing him with all his might to the ground.

"Ugh, that had to hurt" Percy giggled, scratching his neck slowly. Walking towards the Roman he leaned out so he could see his face. "Now someone has suffered what I had to suffer. I still don't know how you can lift all that weight like nothing. You told me you were going to teach me, wise girl."

A horn sounded from the sky, ending the battle. Annabeth rose from the ground, stepping over the fallen Roman and standing by Percy's side, staring at the mess he had made. The water had formed a diameter of at least two kilometres, washing away all the opposing combatants, leaving the allies dry. Awesome.

"The Greeks have won" Reyna's voice rang out over the entire battlefield.

"Wow. As always your plans work" Percy glanced at her. "I thought you were going to be more excited to see me. It's been a few years now that I think about it, how's Grover doing, I tried to talk to him, but-"

Teary-eyed Annabeth silenced him with a fist on his jaw.

---

The first time Annabeth saw Percy was in New York, a few months before the battle against Kronos. The boy had run into her while on the run against a monster. Annabeth, out of sheer instinct, grabbed his arm and helped him escape from the monster, both working in perfect coordination, which caused Annabeth to have chills all over her body.

Annabeth and Percy had been partners ever since, both working shoulder to shoulder to defeat Cronos. The only problem was that Percy was never at Camp Half-Blood, always making excuses when Annabeth told him to visit.

It was when Grover showed up that Annabeth got her confirmations on Percy. He was a Roman demigod, not a Greek, he was the son of Neptune, not Poseidon. A strange sensation had risen up the girl's back, she could even notice her mother looking at her with accusing eyes.

You have joined the enemy. With the enemy.

She even noticed how a bubble of hatred grew when he thought of the Roman demigod, but when he saw those green eyes, the bubble exploded. The boy was looking at her fearfully, his eyes staring at the ground, preparing to leave her sight, but he also had a defeated look, as if he already knew what was going to happen. Annabeth shook off the feeling of that bubble of hatred and smiled at Percy, making that look the boy had disappear in a moment.

From that day on, Percy, Grover and Annabeth were inseparable, always staying at the boy's house to make plans, although it was more like Annabeth making plans and Grover and Percy eating Miss Jackson’s cookies. Part of her time she was asking about the world of the Romans, her curiosity floating around as she listened to the information the boy gave her. She learned that Neptune was not as respected as in the world of the Greeks, she also heard how Percy told him the threats he suffered when he tried to use his control over the water. The only person he got along with was Jason, a son of Jupiter, they were both in the same cohort, and now they were more than friends, both always together, despite the voices of the lares and the other demigods, all of them wanted to keep the great Jason away from the son of Neptune, a boy who only brought bad luck and trouble.

Annabeth and Percy grew closer each day, somehow Percy complemented her. On the outside it seemed that he was nothing more than a handsome boy without a head, but being almost living together in the boy's house, Annabeth realized that it was only the boy's personality, he was much smarter than he seemed, filling in the blank holes of Annabeth's plans. He also had blind faith in her, something that caused her mixed feelings. His fatal flaw was loyalty, Minerva had told him on one of her missions.

And the day of the Battle of New York arrived, they decided it was better than Percy did not speak about his Roman lineage, both say that Percy is a fugitive demigod, and had seen the danger had formed in his city and he had come to help.

They both fought shoulder to shoulder, as if they had grown up a lifetime together. Both protected their backs and threw themselves for the attacks that went to the other.

In the battle of the bridge, when Rachel came to speak about the prophecy, Annabeth stood in front of Percy, blocking a lunge that went for the boy, falling seriously injured. Annabeth did not remember much of what happened next, she only noticed painful palpitations in her body, how little by little her body became cold, but at the same time the wound was burning. There was a moment when he opened his eyes and looked Percy in the eye.

“You are cute when you worry, with your sulky eyebrows. "

Thanks to the great work of the Apollo children, Annabeth was at 75 percent of her abilities, and ready to fight Kronos. The three friends, Percy, Annabeth and Grover went to Olympus to finally fight Cronos.

The memory of Eric still hurt Annabeth, she remembered how she had given her life to betray Cronos, despite the fact that his betrayal was useless, since Luke's body was bathed in the Styx river. Eric's words echoed in their ears, asking for their help so that the next generations of demigods were recognized by their parents. After Eric's death, Percy had given the knife to Luke, having full faith in Annabeth and that her persuasion would bring Luke to light. The knife entering the demigod's body caused Kronos's body to turn to nothing but dust, leaving Luke's dead body.

Annabeth had fallen to her feet, clutching Luke in her arms, Percy and Grover on either side of her. Annabeth knew that Percy couldn't stay in this place for long. Rising up with a force she didn't know where she had gotten it from, she had escorted Percy to the elevator, leaving Grover by Luke's side and helping Thalia somewhere on Olympus.

"I have to go back to Camp Jupiter," Percy whispered, they were both about the same height, their eyes being on the same level. Percy's eyes were red, and pockets of water accumulated in them. Annabeth's eyes were surely worse.

"Before the gods return," Annabeth whispered as well.

"We will see each other again" the phrase sounded more like a question, green eyes searching for something between grey eyes.

Annabeth didn't answer him but kissed him at the elevator doors. It was a soft and loving kiss. Annabeth didn't know when she was going to see him again ... or if she was going to see him again. Before the boy could say anything, she pushed him into the elevator.

"Chase, we'll meet again." This time it didn't sound like a question, but rather a statement. The sea green eyes held great determination.

And the doors were closed.

And it took two years for me to see him again.

---

The Romans around her gasped as Annabeth knocked Neptune's son down with a punch to the jaw. Annabeth didn't let him get up, getting on top of him putting an arm around his throat, hinting that she would strangle him without a doubt.

Percy, instead of revealing himself, laughed under her. His green eyes sparkled with new light, tearing at the wide, white-toothed smile he now wore. Some of his freckles that came out from the sun were hidden among his wrinkles. From above Annabeth could see the resemblance he had to Poseidon, both with black hair and brown skin, and both with the same wrinkles next to their eyes that appeared when they smiled.

"You're cute when you worry." Percy held up a finger, putting it in the same place Annabeth had put it two years ago, between her eyebrows. "With your brows furrowed."

Annabeth whimpered and lunged toward the boy, hugging his shoulders and neck. Annabeth could hear the boy giggling as he hugged her back. Raising her head, through the tears she only recognized those green eyes that had haunted her for years and without thinking twice she kissed him.

#AO3 fanfic #pjo fanfic #percy jackson #annabeth chase #percabeth #roman!percy au

13 notes · View notes

sapphossidechick · 3 years

Note

ok i’m just gonna send you a chapter a day through here if that’s alright (let me know if it’s not though and i’ll do something else) (also i apologize in advance it pains me to even look at this i’m so sorry)

Chapter One: I make an enemy of a major slime ball

I stood on the hill, peering over the rock. An imperial gold sword flew over my head and impaled itself into the centurion’s chest. He dropped like a sack of rocks. My friend, Reyna, climbed over rocks and scattered weapons towards me. She had appeared three years ago now, with the wolf goddess, Lupa. She had joined the Fifth Cohort hastily, because we had been under attack. But three years ago seems not that long ago when you’re under attack, because we were still under that same attack, and because you don’t really keep track of time while you fight.

“Jason!” Reyna yelled. “Is he gonna be okay?”

I grimaced. She was only a year younger than me, but she was too little, much too little to be in battle. I didn’t want to scare her.

“Yeah,” I told her. “He’ll be fine.”

Let me backup. I’ve been at camp almost my whole life. When I was either two or three, I was most likely abandoned by my mom. I ended up at the Wolf House, which is where most heroes go in the beginning. I met Lupa and her pack, who taught me just about everything until I was four. Then, they decided that I’d learned enough, and brought me to camp. There were many cohorts that wanted me, because I was so young, and they could shape me up to their standards. But when I’d looked around, there was one cohort that stood for me, but they weren't trying that hard. I immediately picked them. For the next couple of days afterwards, I was known as the “new loser for the fifth” by everyone because I had chosen the fifth cohort, the cohort that had lost our camp it's eagle. An eagle for a camp, or even a part of Rome, was used as a standard for a Roman legion. A fifth cohort member was the aquailifer, also known as an eagle bearer. He lost it, we believe, somewhere in Alaska, the land beyond the gods. No god could help you there. It was way too far north. By joining the fifth cohort, I had become the all time loser. But for me, joining the fifth cohort was a lucky break for them, because I thought I was gonna earn back their reputation. Yeah, I know. For a four year old, my head was pretty big.

Anyways, a yell told me the enemy was getting closer. Reyna wiped her face, picked up her sword, and charged.

“Reyna, no!” I yelled, but it was too late.

She had charged, head on, a huge giant. She cut the giant’s leg. It roared and swiped at her face. She dodged it's hand and slashed it off. The giant stumbled backwards and fell over with a loud bang. She repeatedly stabbed and slashed it and just downright took on the giant by herself. When she was done, she came back, huffing and puffing.

“I-I’m tired…” she told me. Then she proceeded to faint.

I caught her and took her into one of the caves nearby. The children/descendants of Apollo who weren’t fighting took care of all the wounded or tired. Reyna was taken to a bunk. The room was surprisingly well lit for a cave. Fairy lights were strung up along the room, along with some assorted Christmas lights. The children or descendants of Apollo were either tending to an injured one, or they were restocking some sort of supply cabinet. The beds were pretty nice, too. They weren’t really beds, though. They were more hammocks. If hammocks and beds had children… okay that sounded really weird, but that’s what they looked like.

Finally, after looking around the cave and making sure that Reyna was okay, I trudged outside and looked around. It was eerily quiet.

“What happened?” I asked a girl passing by.

She shrugged. I noticed her arm had a long, deep bruise. “Once the giant was defeated, they disappeared. I don’t really know what happened. But I do know that we can finally stop fighting. It’s like that Frozen song, isn’t it? For the first time in forever…”

I furrowed my eyebrows. Maybe the girl had gone crazy while fighting for so long, or maybe that was just her. Whatever the reason, I was confused. I walked over to a rock and sat down. What had Reyna done to cause them to retreat so quickly? Who was this kid who could defeat that ginormous giant by herself? As I thought, a shadow passed over me. I drew my sword, ready to defend myself, but when I looked up, a boy, maybe fifteen, stared back at me. He looked like a scarecrow with his long, skinny arms. His hair looked thin and ruffled, as though he’d been fighting along with us, though I knew he hadn’t, because I’d seen everyone on the battlefield, yet no one like him. His face was pale, and he appeared sickly, but his long, thin smile ruined the image. He looked directly at me and said, “I am Octavian. I am a descendant of Apollo, and I will be the best thing that ever happened to your camp.”

After a few days, the wreckage of our camp, Camp Jupiter, if you were wondering, was cleaned up, and almost everyone was healed. The boy, Octavian, strutted around like he owned the place, while everyone else was training to make sure that nothing like that would ever happen again. Reyna was fully rested and would not leave my side. She looked better, now that she was rested. But she also was a bit more happy now that the war was over. We’d begun to call it the ‘war-where-Reyna-kills-one-thing-and-ends-the-war’ war, but not many people called it that. I knew three or four people who actually did it. It also came to our attention that a praetor had been killed in the fight. His name had been Laochra, which meant heroes in Irish. We had called him Lao, because that was easier to say. We were reluctant to do so, but we knew that we would have to elect a new praetor. That night, we gathered at the Senate House. We filed in and sat in the semicircle of seats. If you’ve been to a Senate House before, you haven’t seen nothing yet. Our senate House was ginormous. The wood paneling along the walls went halfway up, and the rows of benches leading upward in a semicircle had nice, comfortable cushions. The praetor chairs sat in the center, and they kind of looked like miniature thrones. One of them was occupied.

“Senatus Populusque Romanus!” chanted our living praetor.

We stood, echoed the chant, then took our seats once more. The meeting was a blur, but eventually, we elected a praetor. When our one praetor announced who was elected, my head felt like it was spinning.

“Jason,” whispered someone next to me. “Get out there.”

I stood up and walked to the center where the praetor, Jayni Garcia, stood. She gave me a quick smile.

“Congratulations, Jason Grace. You deserve this,” she told me.

Jayni was one of the few people still at camp from when I’d arrived. I was about four when I’d arrived. She’d been six. I can still recall her face when she showed me around camp. When she’d smiled at me, I could see that she was missing her two front teeth. Now, though, she looked more mature, more troubled. She gave me a purple robe, and burned markings into my arm. Just saying, those markings hurt when they’re burned into your arm. Then she hugged me just as she had when I was four and I had started to cry because I was scared. I winced during the hug, because she accidentally put pressure on the markings.

As I walked back to my bunk, I still couldn’t believe what had happened. Then an annoying little someone blocked my path.

“Octavian. What do you want?”

Even though it was dark I could still see his sly smile.

“Just came to congratulate you, praetor,” he said innocently, though I could tell he was lying.

This kid was more than he looked. I realized he could be a threat to me if I made him an enemy of mine. But that didn’t stop me from responding.

“Oh, thanks Octavian. But what do you really want?”

I put all the sarcasm I could into my first sentence. His smile changed into a frown.

“Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, you do not want me as your enemy.”

Then he turned and charged down the path.

“Bye, Octavian!” I called after him.

I may have imagined it, but I thought I heard him snarl.

Reyna found me as I continued my trek back to my bunk.

“Jason, what happened back there? Someone said you’d been made praetor…?”

The way she said this told me that she wouldn’t believe anyone else until I told her it was true. I nodded.

“Oh, yay! Congratulations, Jason!”

She smiled at me, and she looked so truly happy, I smiled back.

“It’s late, Reyna, and you need sleep. I’ll see you in the morning, ‘kay?”

She gave me a double thumbs up, then ran to her bunk and crawled in.

“Night, Jason,” she said, and with that, she fell asleep.

As I crawled into my bunk, I could feel myself drifting off, too.

Just a heads up, demigods like me rarely have any normal dreams. Our “dreams” are more like visions of either the past, present, or future. Sometimes they’re warnings, or other times they're just memories. Tonight, as I fell asleep, I dove head first into a memory, and a vision. Most likely from some sort of god or goddess. The sky was a mixture of pink, purple, and orange. The sun was setting, and there were sounds of laughter. A girl was sitting by me, and in her hair was a half moon crescent. She wore clothes for a hunter, even though she looked younger than me. Strung across her back was a silver bow and arrow.

“Jason Grace,” she said. Her voice was cold, but she didn’t seem like she was going to hurt me. “Your sister believes you are dead. I will not tell her that you are alive. She deserves to find you herself. She has joined the hunters of Artemis with me. There, she will be safe from most harm. I chose this memory of yours to appear, because it was the only one you still have of her.”

I raised my eyebrows, which I wasn’t sure I could do in a dream. “Are you… Artemis?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m Petunia. Of course I am Artemis. Who did you think I was? Britney Spears?”

To be honest, she looked nothing like Britney Spears. I shook my head. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief, the waved her hand. The dream started rapidly fading.

“A gift from you sister will be with you when you wake!” she called. Then I woke up.

that was great! honestly i’m invested now even tho it’s a backstory and i know what will happen. pls send me more slsknsjdj

#jason grace

1 note · View note

foreverfallingforthestars · 3 years

Text

‘cause you don’t mean something to me, you mean it all

🎄Day 4 of 12 Days of PJO Christmas🎄

She didn’t know where he had found the gift for her, but she couldn't care less as she threw herself at him, knowing that he would just as easily catch her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her nose in the crook of his neck, unable to explain the surge of love for him in her heart.

She couldn’t imagine a better present.

PSA: These drabbles are canon-compliant till HoO and just acknowledge the existence of Estelle.

Read on AO3

~~~~~

“I can’t believe Hazel and Frank couldn’t make it this year,” Percy moaned, as Annabeth felt him press up against her arm, and he eventually just laid his head on her shoulder.

From across Annabeth’s seat, Piper agreed sadly as she chewed on a bar of chocolate.

“Apparently they’ve been running into some issues getting time off since it’s so close to Christmas and all,” Jason explained, pushing the rim of his glasses further up his nose.

“I guess it’s unavoidable, but I wish I could’ve seen Hazel’s reaction to our present from them,” Annabeth mused, setting her head on top of Percy’s. It set her neck at a slightly weird angle, but now that it was getting late at night, she was feeling slightly chilly despite the weather control at camp and the bonfire that she and her friends were sitting around and she wanted to leech off his warmth.

It was hard to get them all in one place considering they had all gone to different schools and had such conflicting schedules, but they had made a plan to at least try to make some time to head up to Camp Half-Blood a few days before Christmas, but so far only Percy, Piper, Jason, Leo, and Annabeth had made it. Grover was, unfortunately, still on the other side of the world while Hazel and Frank were stuck in New Rome.

It was late enough that most of the campers had been sent to bed, and the older ones who had come back to celebrate Christmas were at the beach, enjoying themselves around a bigger bonfire.

“Can we see the present?” Leo asked as he stole a piece of Piper’s chocolate, causing her to let out a whine in protest. Jason simply gave Piper the rest of his chocolate, and she kissed him on the cheek in thanks.

Percy grinned as he quickly moved away from Annabeth, causing her to lose her balance after she had unconsciously been leaning all her weight on him. She swayed in her place, and Leo shot a hand out to grab her arm, steadying her.

“Thanks, Leo,” she breathed, her heart beating hard as she fought to shake off the feeling of falling backwards. She shot a glare at Percy who was now grinning sheepishly at her. “You—”

“Sorry, babe, I’ll be right back!” Percy quickly spoke, clearly trying to placate Annabeth before he jogged over to one of the benches nearby where all of them had stored their presents. “Can someone please help me bring the rest of these over?”

“What, Mr. Immortal can’t do it himself?” Leo teased as Jason stood up to help. Annabeth looked at Leo with slight exasperation, and he just shrugged in response. Percy didn’t respond, but she was sure that he had rolled his eyes at the comment. Despite all the time that had passed since the two of them had met, Leo and Percy had still only reached an awkward level of friendship — to the point where they were friendly enough to hang out and chat around others, but didn’t exactly hang out alone — because of Calypso, who had decided to respectfully back out of tonight’s meeting, saying that it wasn’t her place to intrude. While Annabeth understood, she felt that Calypso didn’t join more because of the fact that she would have to face Percy considering the curse that Annabeth had been hit with in Tartarus last year.

“You know my water can douse your fire, right?” Percy teased back as he and Jason came back holding a few wrapped presents each in their arms. They set them down carefully on the bench next to Annabeth, and then went to take their seats.

Percy was already holding Frank’s gift, so Annabeth reached over to dig through the boxes until she found the one that she had written Hazel’s name on. She carefully opened the wrapping to avoid ripping the tape and wrapping. She opened the box to pull out a red sweater. She shook it out slightly to straighten the cloth out, and she turned it to face their friends, the bonfire shining enough light for them to see it.

It was a bright red Christmas sweater with pixelated reindeers, santas and snowflakes decorating it with “All I want for Christmas is him” written on it in a pixelated font. Percy had taken out Frank’s gift as well, and it was the same design except in green and written on it was “All I want for Christmas is her.”

The two of them had gotten Hazel and Frank separate gifts, but upon seeing the sweaters in the store, they immediately knew that they definitely needed to get the couple the sweaters for them to wear around.

“Oh my god, that’s adorable,” Piper cooed, reaching over to grab the sweater from Percy to look at closely.

“It really is,” Annabeth agreed. She really wanted to see the two of them wear the sweaters, but it was okay — they would see each other soon, and they could give them the present then.

“Okay, whose presents are we opening first?” Jason asked, looking up at Annabeth with a crooked grin. She smiled in return, recognizing the excitement in his eyes, and she reached over to pick up her presents for the three of them and passed them out.

She watched as her friends tore into the wrapping and cringed. The wrapped could’ve been saved for reusing, but it was too late for that now. Percy must’ve felt her cringe because he just wrapped an arm around her shoulder and laughed quietly in her ears.

“It’s okay, I’ll make sure to save my wrapping,” he whispered, and she just laughed, nodding her head in thanks. She watched as her friends opened up their presents and burst into loud banter, talking about all the stuff they got.

Annabeth had gotten Piper a rose gold plated silver bracelet with crystals on it that represented the Earth, water, and sky elements, and she smiled as she watched Piper immediately put it on and gush about how gorgeous the bracelet was.

Jason had gotten a first-edition signed copy of a book they had been talking about a while back, and she smiled when he looked up at her and grinned. No words were exchanged, but she knew he was grateful.

Finally, Annabeth got Leo a ring with the Hephestus symbol engraved on the top, and just like Piper, he put it on right then and moved to hug Annabeth quickly, much to Percy’s fake annoyance. Despite everything, Percy had a small smile on his face, and once they had moved on from her presents, he stood up to grab three boxes and passed them out before moving to grab two smaller boxes from the corner of the pile. He stood in front of Annabeth and held out a hand for her, looking down at her with a sweet smile on his face. His face looked utterly gorgeous as his face was bathed in the light from the fire, and she was in a trance as she took his hand and let him pull him up.

“We’ll be back in a bit. You guys can exchange your presents.” Their friends let out agreements, and Percy guided her off towards the beach.

“Are we joining the party?” Annabeth curiously asked.

“Nope,” he responded, popping the ‘p.’

They veered away from the party as they reached the beach, instead walking farther out towards the edges. The two of them walked in silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence with their hands entwined between them and the moonlight shining on top of them. Once Percy had deemed them far enough from everyone else, he stopped, moving so he faced her.

Annabeth smiled at him, waiting for him to speak, but instead all he did was pass her one of the boxes he had been holding. Looking down at it, he found it to be his present for her.

“I thought we were exchanging at your house on Christmas morning?”

“I wanted to, uh, do this alone,” he shyly replied, a hand reaching up behind his head to rub his neck.

Annabeth grinned, leaning up slightly to quickly press her lips against his. She moved away ever so slightly to let out a small ‘okay,’ and she moved back to look down at the box. It was small enough that she assumed that it was probably a jewelry box. It was wrapped in blue wrapping paper with white snowflakes printing all over it, and she slowly dragged her nail underneath the folds to pull the tape off and unfold the paper.

Pulling away the paper, she found that it was, indeed, a jewelry box. Her heart was thundering in her chest at the thought of what she might find in there. She knew that it wouldn’t be a ring, — Percy was well aware of the fact that she would murder him for even thinking about proposing before they had graduated college and were financially stable — but she was still excited to think about what he could’ve gotten her.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but she did know that upon opening the box, her breath was stolen from her lungs.

It was a beautiful silver plated necklace with a small silver heart hanging from the center at an angle with three small rhinestones embedded into the edge, but it was what was in the center of the heart that caused Annabeth’s heart to stutter in her chest. Sitting on the flat part of the heart was a simple outline of an owl in gold with black rhinestones for eyes. It was so simple, but it was so absolutely perfect that she couldn’t help but wonder if it was all a dream.

She looked up at Percy incredulously, and he was fidgeting, the nerves written all over his face, but there was a slight beginning of a smile to form on his face.

“Perce...it’s...beautiful. Thank you,” she breathed, looking into his eyes. She carefully took it out of the box and held it up from her index finger, watching it dangle. The silver and gold of the heart and owl shone under the moonlight, and her eyes were fixated on the owl. She didn’t know where he had found it, but she couldn’t care less as she threw herself at him, knowing that he would just as easily catch her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her nose in the crook of his neck, unable to explain the surge of love for him in her heart.

She couldn’t imagine a better present.

Percy moved slightly to kiss her forehead, and then pushed himself away from her slightly so he could see her face.

“Happy?” he asked.

“Is that even a question?”

Percy just grinned in response, his eyes crinkling up, and she just pulled away from him farther to put the necklace on.

“Now, since you already have my present, you might as well open it,” she grinned.

Percy, true to his earlier spoken words, slowly opened the wrapping (identical to the one he had used). He opened the box within and a slow grin took over his face as he pulled out a necklace.

It was kind of funny that they had both gone with necklaces as their presents, but somehow, it fit for them.

Annabeth had spent days agonizing over what to get him, but while she was in the jewelry store picking up Piper’s present, her eyes caught onto a ring that was advertised to have waves engraved into it. It was a thin silver band with waves engraved into it with a slight light blue hue to it, just enough that it stood out. Looking at it, she immediately knew that it would make the perfect present for Percy, but he knew her feelings about gifting rings, so she knew that she should follow the same ideals, so along with the ring, she bought a plain necklace chain and put the ring on it.

“You know, you could’ve just told me that you wanted to propose instead of yelling at me about timing,” he laughed. Annabeth rolled her eyes, but there was no way to hide the smile that was pulling at her lips.

“It’s amazing, Annabeth,” he spoke, awe filling his voice. Annabeth simply reached out and rubbed his cheek with her thumb affectionately. She watched as he took a hold of the ring and played with it between his fingers before smirking up at her.

“Put it on me?” he asked, a joking tone to his voice.

She choked on a laugh, but she reached out and put the necklace on him. The ring dangled a few inches below his collarbone, and she reached out to play with it slightly.

“It’s a yes, by the way.”

“To what?” she asked, looking up into his eyes, and immediately regretting it because by now, it was obvious when Percy was getting ready to say something dumb.

“To your proposal, of course,” he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

She simply shut him up with a smack to the shoulder and then a kiss.

~~~~~

The title is from Joe Secada's The Christmas Gift I Want!

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #annabeth #percy #pjo fic #pjo #percabeth #percabeth fic #12 days of pjo christmas #12 days of christmas #fluff #tooth rotting fluff

3 notes · View notes

avid-author-activist · 6 years

Text

All Hallows' Eve (Jasper- 3/4)

Stitch, stitch, stitch. Piper wished she had the same ease charming objects as she did people. At least the thread seemed to “like” her, though- well, more than it seemed to like Jason. At least sewing came easily to her, unlike poor Jason. The poor guy was trying, but at this rate they wouldn’t be done by next year. And Piper knew him well enough to sense frustration and boredom coming off him in waves, almost like static electricity; little shocks that had no purpose and hung in the air like thousands of tiny water droplets.

“Why don’t I do it?” she asked, grabbing the needle from him. “You’re going to take someone’s eye out with that technique.”

“Yeah, okay.” Jason sighed and put his glasses back on. “The stupid string keeps falling out of the needle. I’ll clear all of this up.” They’d been hiding out in the arts and crafts lodge all month, slaving away over surprise costumes. Outside of the designers, only two people knew about it- Percy and Annabeth. The small secrets were the best ones.

There was something beautiful about the chaos that was produced in the wake of art. It was something, Piper thought, about the colors of the rainbow scattered all over the floor. It was a feeling of constant life and use and belonging.

“I remember cutting this. We nearly trimmed off too much.”

“Mmm.” Piper was absorbed in her thoughts. With a force that could’ve lifted the sky, she halted her spinning thoughts. She glanced at the 3D modeling projector Jake Mason had lent them and picked up his MythStitch tool. “Let’s see what this thing does.”

“Ten bucks says it explodes.” Jason laughed. “Like last time.”

“Nah, I trust Jake. Sorta.”

Piper scanned the holograph of Hazel’s costume with the little needle-like tool. Input: number of stitches, thread color, and… “Go!” The line was straight, the design was right, and it was perfect.

“Good job, Pipes!” Jason offered her a high five. Piper responded enthusiastically.

“Down low, too-”

“Grace!” Piper grabbed his wrist and finished the high five. “You’re so endearingly irritating.”

“I love you too, Piper.”

Piper kissed him on the cheek, hoping actions could say what words could not. It was golden, all of this. The season of fall, where the sun lit the mountains of New York on fire, and Piper finally felt like the world was healing, even as it prepared for a long winter. The early mornings with Jason where the silver time before dawn ended and the sun came again in a brilliant aurora. This time of peace, where everything was going to be okay and all her battles were over at last. And also the stunning art- because to call it clothing would do it no justice- that lay before her.

Africa was coming along well. Jason had researched the history of New Orleans and done his best to tie it back into African culture. Malcolm Pace from Athena and Piper’s half sister Lacy had designed a beautiful piece modeled off of old Mardi Gras costumes. Piper was determined to accept her legacy as a daughter of the beauty goddess for once and she was going to win that New Rome costume contest.

A stunning headdress of gold was matched only by the deep emerald dress in brilliance. On the dress was embroidered scenes from all over Africa, all in gold. Scorching deserts, powerful monsoons, the history and culture. Piper was working on a depiction of Mount. Kilimanjaro, which was so intricate that no machine could possibly finish it.

Jason picked up the other costumes. “Remember the look on Annabeth’s face when we showed her? Now imagine that on Hazel and Frank.”

Piper gave a little involuntary intake of breath. “I can’t wait.”

“Aphrodite, that took forever.” Piper threw down her needle and stretched her aching fingers. “I’d rather take three goes in a row with the lava wall. In a row. On hard.”

“Yeah, because the lava wall finds new and intriguing ways to kill you. Sewing is all the same.” Jason had spent the last two hours piecing parts of Percy’s costume together with the MythStitch.

“I thought good Roman leaders were supposed to have unending patience?” teased Piper.

“We’re allowed to complain in private.” Jason groaned as he stretched his legs. “These are looking great, though.”

Piper looked at the five finished costumes before her and decided she had to agree. Percy’s costume was a robe of supposedly different blues that Piper just couldn’t tell apart. According to Malcolm, it was supposed to look like shifting water when it moved. He would wear a crown of coral in his hair. They hadn’t been sure about that one, but Piper was going to trust the son of wisdom and a budding fashion designer.

Reyna would be the only one regal enough for South America. On anyone else, the green to gray mountain would look ridiculous with a jade mask based off the ones found in Puerto Rico. Reyna, as always, looked imposing, beautiful, and nearly queenly.

Annabeth’s was hard. They couldn’t use any native art, because while Reyna was through and through Puerto Rican and Percy was… half oceanic, Annabeth wasn’t from Australia. But her costume, again, was inspired by geographical features. It had been Lacy’s idea that the sunrises off the Red Rock would be nothing short of breathtaking, and she was right. It had been Annabeth’s costume that made Piper decide her favorite word would be aurora, because that was what it was. How else were they supposed to describe the explosion of carmine and crimson, bordered by softer tones of orange and gold? The daughter of Athena, they decided, would have both the gentleness and the fire needed to be perfect. Or, in Percy’s words, “Her blonde hair is going to fail or it’s going to glow.” Jason and Piper both were both betting on glow.

Jason. Jason and Antarctica. His family wasn’t from Antarctica either, of course, but they had made do. Malcolm had jokingly wanted to dress him as a penguin; Jason knocked that idea down immediately. Instead, it was in the design of his old praetor’s garb- ice blue toga, and a cape as dark as the icy sea. He wore a laurel wreath of rainbow on his head that looked nearly identical to the Aurora Australis.

They had had to consult Piper’s father for her costume. In the end, he had assured them that it would be okay to use traditional Cherokee clothing for coming of age girls. “What if it’s not original enough?” she’d asked.

Jason’s response had been,“You’re Piper. You’re unique enough to make it all your own.”

Her boyfriend’s words had made her unreasonably happy, but Piper didn’t mind. Everything was absolutely golden. Note: I’m really happy right now because Hazel’s mom is French Creole, which means she does have some African roots. I don’t think any of the costumes involved cultural appropriation, because for this one I’ll headcanon that Reyna has a lot of native blood.

Other note: the costume was actually unconsciously influenced by Solstice Hayle’s quilt of Earth. TLC, ANYONE?!)

#percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #jasper #jasiper #percabeth #frazel #reyna ramirez arellano

9 notes · View notes

freedomfighterposts · 6 years

Text

Mornings. Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano x Genderless Reader.

Reyna had long ago found that she had a love/hate relationship with mornings. She hated them because it meant that she was forced out of bed to do menial tasks like; allow extra toilet paper for cohort three or break up a fight between a legionnaire and a Huntress of Artemis/Diana. However, Reyna had grown accustomed to forcing herself out of bed for these tasks. She simply loathed this part of the morning, however she hated with a passion the other aspect of the morning. It meant having to leave her precious baby. Yes, the great, unemotional Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano had fallen for someone. At first the Roman Praetor had been worried about falling for the dangerous game of love again. But after eleven months of peace, adoration and a surprising amount of surprise kisses, Reyna decided that she had made the right choice. Reyna’s deep seeded hate for mornings appeared one morning as she woke up. Reyna’s eyes fluttered open slowly, a light yawn escaping her plump lips as he legs stretched down to the foot of the bed. The gilded purple covers of her bed felt soft and warm at Reyna’s touch. In this moment, everything was perfect. Birds chirped outside in the warm summer breeze of July. A cloudless sky gave way for Apollo’s sun chariot to spread its rays to the mortal world below. Reyna’s body was warm and lazy, despite her usually ever-present professional exterior, Reyna was often a big teddy bear behind closed doors. A lazy smile formed on the Praetor’s face as she felt someone shuffling beside her. Yes, it had been the first night where Reyna and (Y/n) had decided to sleep together. But the pair wholeheartedly agreed to not perform any extremely intimate acts. The most the two did was kiss… a lot. Reyna felt as if she was addicted to (Y/n)’s kisses. Their full lips felt naturally soft against Reyna’s. Reyna had once tried to slip her tongue inside (Y/n)’s mouth, however this resulted in the Daughter of Bellona receiving the silent treatment for the rest of the week. Reyna didn’t hold it against the child of Hercules though. (Y/n)’s body curled into a fetal position, trying to stay as warm as possible. (Y/n)’s back was pressed against Reyna’s side in an attempt to draw heat from her. Reyna’s smile turned from lazy, into one of adoration as her eyes lingered on (Y/n)’s form. (Y/n) had worm a pair of pajama bottoms with a theme of Lion King. The pair had gotten quite a laugh out of that. (Y/n) also wore a pajama shirt of just plain silver. Reyna however, was more outgoing and comfortable with their relationship. True she had felt guarded and against it at first, but the child of the God of Strength had worn her down. Due to this, Reyna simply wore her undergarments to bed, much to the embarrassment of (Y/n) who wouldn’t stop blushing. But now, in the morning, Reyna wanted nothing more than to simply lay here with (Y/n). However, there were still things that needed to be done. Especially after Gaea’s attack on the camps. Even several months after the seven Heroes of Olympus had defeated the Earth Mother, things were not back to normal. Jason’s incessant badgering for new temples gave Reyna more migraines than Octavian. Usually, Reyna slept next to the edge of the bed so she could quiet literally, roll out of bed in the morning. But she had wanted to be next to (Y/n), and now she was in the middle of the large, king sized bed. (Y/n) turned around, still sleeping. (Y/n) wrapped their arms around Reyna’s waist, a smile tugging at their lips as (Y/n) laid their head against Reyna’s exposed back. Reyna allowed herself a small smile, she bent down and kissed (Y/n)’s forehead gingerly before flinging the covers off herself and stepping from the bed. What Reyna did not prepare for, was (Y/n) waking up. “Reyna?” (Y/n) mumbled sleepily, rubbing their eyes lazily. (Y/n) had felt the disturbance from Reyna flinging the blankets away. “Sorry baby, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Reyna’s soft, melodic voice made (Y/n) feel warm inside. (Y/n) reached out with a hand and clasped Reyna’s hand. “Don’t leave me” (Y/n) whined dramatically. Reyna bubbled out a laugh but silenced herself quickly. “I can’t stay my Flos Pulcherrimus. I have work” Reyna’s heart shattered into a trillion pieces when she saw the tears forming in (Y/n)’s eyes as a pout wobbled on her face. (Y/n) sniffed, trying to keep the tears in. “Fine” (Y/n) spoke, not daring to say more. (Y/n) rolled over so that Reyna was facing (Y/n)’s back. “Flos Pulcherrimus. Don’t be like that” Reyna spoke softly, worried that if she spoke any louder (Y/n) would disappear before her eyes. “Sadness doesn’t look good on you.” But (Y/n) still refused to meet Reyna’s face. Guilt and sadness hit Reyna like one of Jason’s lightning bolts. The pain of making (Y/n) so sad was worse than anything Reyna had felt before. She would gladly face against Orion again if it meant that (Y/n) would be happy. However, Reyna is a duty first love life second kind of girl, so with a bitter sweet kiss to (Y/n)’s cheek, Reyna left the cabin she and (Y/n) shared while at Camp Half-Blood. The Heracles cabin at Camp Half-Blood wasn’t the most loved cabin nor was it the most looked after. Most if not all Demi-gods detested the God of Strength. Even (Y/n), who was normally the sweetest and nicest person around, didn’t like the immortal son of Zeus. Its foundations had been made haphazardly and it was only at the command of Chiron that the children of Vulcan and Hephaestus began reworking the cabin so that (Y/n) wouldn’t nearly be killed by a falling beam in their sleep. Reyna knew what Heracles had done that really ticked (Y/n) off. Usually, the gods and goddesses claimed their children on their thirteenth birthday with a holographic projection of their symbols above the child’s head. Grover had brought (Y/n) to camp when they were fifteen years old and it took the anger of Perseus Jackson and several other key Demi-Gods to finally find out who (Y/n)’s father was. Unfortunately, no one was exactly happy. Especially after (Y/n) learnt from Percy and Annabeth about what Heracles had done to Zoe Nightshade. The temple of Hercules at New Rome also remained deserted. It reminded Reyna of the Neptune temple before Percy had been made Praetor. Old, moldy fruits and nuts sat at the pedestal, cobwebs covered all the corners and pieces of stone crumbled from the lack of attention. Reyna knew it was a sore subject to talk about Heracles in front of (Y/n) so she stayed far away from the subject. Whenever someone talked about how Hercules did something bad, (Y/n) would do nothing to defend him. What Reyna did not know, was that as she left (Y/n) alone in bed that morning Reyna would be in some deep trouble for a long time. Reyna walked into the mess hall at exactly twelve O’clock. After a morning full of paperwork and boring talks with architects and even a talk with Chiron regarding the Mars/Ares inter cabin competition. So, when it was time for lunch. Reyna was more than happy to eat something with (Y/n). However, when Reyna walked over to (Y/n)’s usual spot she found no child of Heracles in sight. Confusion crossed over Reyna’s face as she sat with her friends, the Heroes of Olympus. “Yo, Reyna what’s cracka lacking?” Leo asked cheerfully, Reyna didn’t acknowledge the son of Hephaestus’ childish remark. “Have any of you seen (Y/n) recently?” Reyna as the plate before her filled with sandwiches. “Not that I can think of” Offered Annabeth from beside Percy and Piper. “Oh, I saw (Y/n) at the archery range this morning” Offered Frank. This made sense to the daughter of Bellona, because (Y/n) hated using the naturally inhuman strength gifted by Hercules. Instead (Y/n) favoured the bow, which Reyna knew she disliked because even Jason Grace had been impressed by the way (Y/n) had used an imperial gold combat axe. “Yeah, although (Y/n) did seem really upset. And that’s putting it mildly.” Piper added “Yeah, they just left me hanging this morning.” Percy mumbled as he ate a double decker blue pizza. “Yeah but we all know how… delicate… (Y/n) can be” Hazel defended and her words got Reyna thinking. “Delicate… Oh, by the gods.” Reyna cursed herself silently as she stood, taking her plate of sandwiches with her. “You’ll have to excuse me. I must fix a mistake” With that, Reyna sped walked out of the Mess hall. The Praetor of the Twelfth Legion briskly walked through the newly formed Greek/Roman camp. She passed hundreds of Demi-Gods as she made her way to the beach. Reyna knew that (Y/n) simply adored the ocean. Apparently, (Y/n)’s mother was an open water swimming coach and so (Y/n) and their mortal family often went swimming in the ocean. Reyna’s eyes scanned the golden beach carefully, waves crashed gently across the shore. A evergreen tree grew at the edge of the beach, where grass turned to sand, its branches stretching over the waves. Hidden below the branches, Reyna saw the hunched over form of (Y/n) (L/n). Reyna felt the sand shift beneath her feet as she discarded her sandals. The soft, foaming waves caressed Reyna’s toes as she sat down next to (Y/n). The pair sat in silence, Reyna simply content with being next to (Y/n). “I thought you had work to do” Reyna heard (Y/n) mumble beside her. In response, Reyna scooted closer to the child of Heracles. “I did, I still do. But, I noticed you weren’t at lunch so I brought you some food” (Y/n) looked down at the plate of sandwiches nestled in the sand at her side. The child of Heracles picked a sandwich filled cheese and ham, with only slight hesitation (Y/n) began nibbling on the food. After a while all the sandwiches had been eaten by the pair. “I’m sorry for this morning (Y/n)” Reyna spoke sincerely, not wanting to hurt (Y/n) any more than she already did. “No. It was my fault. I was being selfish and wanted you to myself. I should have known that I couldn’t have the great Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano to myself. Especially since you’re Praetor.” Reyna scowled at the use of her full name but said nothing. The pair of demigods just stared across the never-ending, never-beginning ocean, peaceful silence enveloping them both. “You know this is usually the part where you say it isn’t my fault then we kiss and make up” (Y/n) said breaking the silence. Reyna had to bite her tongue hard to force her laughter down. Instead she appeared stoic and serious. “But it is your fault.” Reyna said bluntly, causing (Y/n)’s happiness to drop. “I am a Praetor of the twelfth legion. I oversee the daily routines of over hundreds of demigods, even more now thanks to you Greeks.” Reyna’s heart broke a little as (Y/n) curled into a sitting fetal position, Reyna saw tears threatening to spill from (Y/n)’s eyes. And so, she wrapped her significant other in a tight embrace. Resting her chin on the top of (Y/n)’s head. “However, you are still far more precious to me to leave you alone. Flos Pulcherrimus.” Below Reyna, (Y/n) sniffed a little. “What do you mean?” (Y/n) asked. “I mean… That I think Frank can allow me to sleep in a little later, so long as my baby’s happy” Reyna nuzzled (Y/n)’s neck making the younger demigod blush, (Y/n)’s mouth opened to speak but words quickly turned to moans as Reyna nipped her ear lobe. “Let us finish this in your cabin.” Reyna continued huskily. As Reyna thought back to that fateful day, she couldn’t help but smile. The thought of the huge make out session her and (Y/n) had shared that day was enough to make her extremely happy. So yes, Reyna hated mornings. But she loved them because the look in (Y/n)’s eyes when (Y/n) saw that Reyna was still here was greater than any gift the gods could ever give. Speaking of which, Reyna felt the body next to her shift its position. (Y/n) uncurled from a fetal position and laid their head against Reyna’s covered bosom. Reyna wrapped her toned arms possessively around (Y/n)’s shoulders, letting the sheets fall down into their laps. Reyna’s fingers danced through (Y/n)’s bed hair. (Y/n) could feel the softness of Reyna’s fingers causing their eyes to open slowly. “Good morning Flos Pulcherrimus.” Reyna greeted warmly. A smile graced (Y/n)’s lips, their eyes closing once more. “Good morning to you too αστέρι μου” Although Reyna was not fluent in Greek, (Y/n) and Annabeth had taught her more than enough to know the cute pet names (Y/n) called her. “You have your thinking face on… What were you thinking about?” (Y/n) asked rising from their lying position to sit next to Reyna, both their backs being supported by the wall of Cabin 61. Reyna smiled at the person she adored most. “Nothing kind one. Nothing at all.” She replied sweetly.

#reynaavilaramirez-arellano #reyna #femalereaderinsert #malereader #love #affection #mornings #percyjackson #demigod #heracles #camphalfblood #pipermclean #leovaldez #romance #kisses #lime?

41 notes · View notes

aion-rsa · 3 years

Text

Game of Thrones at 10: The Series That Changed TV Forever

https://ift.tt/3dn9imD

During the Game of Thrones series finale, there’s an exchange between Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister that is as much about the series’ legacy as it is the characters’ inner turmoil. Only a handful of scenes earlier, these same two men conspired to murder the woman they called their queen, Daenerys Targaryen. Now living with the consequences of that heavy deed—with Jon again banished to the white hell Beyond the Wall and Tyrion conscripted to a lifetime of public service—a tormented Jon asks his friend was it right what they did?

“Ask me again in 10 years,” Tyrion says tersely. After all these years, the craftiest of Lannisters finally has learned he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know—and who really knows how the decisions in the here and now will appear to posterity? It’s easy to speculate that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss felt the same way about their controversial ending to Game of Thrones. And like Tyrion and Jon, they probably could not anticipate the entire fallout that was to come.

It’s been two years since the contentious farewell to the series that defined its pop culture decade. But define it, it did. Running from 2011 to 2019, the show’s rise and fall traces eerily close to the rhythms of its era, perhaps more so than any series ever produced. It launched as the biggest gamble in premium cable history, and it ended as the most popular televised phenomenon of the 2010s. Some have argued Game of Thrones was the last of the “watercooler shows.” Even the divisiveness of its finale was monumental, shaping the next era of TV in still unseen ways. Pop culture really does live on in the realm forged by HBO’s fire and blood.

So while it hasn’t been a full 10 years since Tyrion dodged Jon’s question, a decade has passed from the moment three riders in black emerged from an icy gate, and Game of Thrones premiered on HBO. That’s more than enough time to ask what did Game of Thrones mean to us and the television landscape it shaped?

The Coming of Winter

Television was a different universe in April 2011. Netflix was still that mail rental/streaming company which didn’t produce its own content, storytelling was full of cynicism, and cable television remained king. But within that fiefdom, HBO was facing a problem: the once undisputed ruler of premium cable drama was now seeing challengers for its throne.

“HBO was still coming out of The Sopranos, The Wire, and Deadwood,” Michael Lombardo, then-HBO programming president, told James Hibberd for Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, an oral history on the making of the series. “We were getting questions like, ‘Why did you not get Mad Men? How come you didn’t pick up Breaking Bad?’ We had been the place for all things quality drama and were looking to regain our footing. But Game of Thrones didn’t seem to fall into our category.”

In retrospect, it obviously should have. Based on George R.R. Martin’s sprawling A Song of Ice and Fire book series, the show was pitched (somewhat inaccurately) as The Sopranos meets Lord of the Rings. Martin may have written his novels to be unfilmable, but at HBO, Benioff and Weiss would create an impressive facsimile of his Westeros on a budget.

Very much a product of its time, Game of Thrones came out at the tail-end of the “antihero” era of television, the period where HBO led the way in populating TV with flawed if not outright repugnant protagonists. A reaction to television being defined by network censorship for all the decades before the 21st century, the sliding spectrum of lapsed morality between Don Draper (Mad Men) and Tony Soprano was exhilarating in its time. But unlike all those series, Game of Thrones was offering a vast tapestry of protagonists in its ensemble, which provided an even greater range of moral complexity than most popular American shows at that time.

There were fantasy stalwart heroes like Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) and his oldest sons, but also enigmas such as Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), antiheroes who were introduced as full-on villains (read: most of the Lannisters), and young heroines whose nigh transcendentalist adventures belied darker traumas, such as Arya Stark (Maisie Williams). It was both of its moment and a far cry from the cynicism of other popular shows, not to mention the popular image of fantasy, which on the small screen was closer to Xena: Warrior Princess than Lord of the Rings.

“There were a fair number of reasons not to do it,” Carolyn Strauss told Hibberd about the show’s early days at HBO. As the former HBO programming president who first greenlit the Game of Thrones pilot, and then became executive producer on the series, Strauss can recall the apprehension she felt toward the idea of making a fantasy series for adults. “There are many ways a fantasy series can go south. Any show that relies on a mythology that isn’t thought out in enormous detail can go off the rails. You’re maybe good for a season or two, and then after that you start running into brick walls.”

Yet it was Thrones’ moral complexity in such a dense, heightened world that caught Strauss off-guard. “The way [Benioff and Weiss] told the story in the meeting made it sound much more involved and character-driven than I usually feel from fantasy stories. It was not good vs. evil, but characters who had elements of both things.”

That level of nuance was shocking when Game of Thrones premiered in 2011. Nowadays the series is often reduced by TV critics as being simply the show that introduced convincing blockbuster spectacle to the small screen. But in its early seasons that really wasn’t the case. While Benioff and Weiss were quietly aware of how massive in scope Martin’s novels eventually became, they sold the series to HBO as a “chamber piece,” not a symphony. It’s about intimate family drama—at least in the first season/novel—not magic and battles.

In that first episode, there was hardly an unsullied viewer who didn’t gasp when sweet 10-year-old Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) was pushed out a window by Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). The thrill wasn’t seeing dragons lay waste to armies; the excitement was found in character moments or decisions with drastic repercussions on every other scene that followed. At its heart, it was a fantasy series drenched in human psychology and human history (particularly that of the English War of the Roses), and those hooks made the eventual ice and fire spectacle that much more extraordinary five years down the line.

Game of Thrones didn’t come out of the gate as a culture defining event—its series premiere netted just 2.2 million viewers, about 1.6 million less than HBO’s similarly epic and ill-fated Rome—but like the armies of one silver haired queen from the east, it’s rise seemed blessed to gradually, and unwaveringly, build until the bloody end.

A Golden Crown

The moment that personally got me wholeheartedly invested into Game of Thrones, however, wasn’t Bran’s fall from a Winterfell tower, nor was it Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion verbally humiliating his demon seed nephew. The scene where the show fully clicked was in the sixth episode, “A Golden Crown.” Up until that moment, the series was dense on world-building and lore, but the narrative was so finely tuned, and hidden in such a tightly wound coil, that it could feel impenetrable at first blush. It also seemed to be built on a certain set of fantasy archetypes, such as the noble hero Ned Stark and the old fat king, Robert (Mark Addy).

Another seeming archetype was Viserys Targaryen, a malicious blonde-haired misanthrope played so ably by Harry Lloyd that one would recoil when he was on screen. Technically, he’s a lonely exiled prince whose family lost its dynasty. But as seen through the eyes of Clarke’s put-upon and abused Daenerys, Viserys’ younger sister whom he mercilessly abused, Viserys was really just an ugly bully. The kind you might imagine Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy growing into, except with the creepy addition of a leering, incestuous gaze. Also like Draco, I feared Dany would have to endure his pestering for the rest of the series.

Then “A Golden Crown” occurs, and Viserys is plucked from the series like leaden dead weight. Moments before his death, Viserys has realized that no matter how much he calls himself king, no one will follow him. Meanwhile Dany has won the hearts of the Dothraki, a nomadic warrior culture. She now rules as their Khaleesi (queen) alongside Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), the husband Viserys sold her to. Viserys expected Drogo to become his mercenary, but by episode 6, that obviously is never going to happen. So his simmering resentment seemed to suggest Viserys would undermine Dany’s fledgling power and character growth at every future opportunity. But at the end of “The Golden Crown,” the self-styled king threatens Daenerys before the whole Dothraki court, and perhaps more chillingly in Dany’s eyes, threatens to cut out the baby growing inside her womb if he does not get his way.

Drogo ultimately gives Viserys what he wants: a crown. Only it’s made from the molten hot liquid gold he’s melted down to pour on the wretch’s head. Daenerys watches the gold slowly boil before the deed is done, and she sees her brother begging for his life. But the moment he raised her hand against her unborn child, the man was already dead to her. After Viserys’ head is crushed by the burning gold running through his skull, she doesn’t even blink. Rather Clarke says with maximum disaffection, “He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”

Tamzin Merchant Brings Back Mystery of Unaired Game of Thrones Pilot and Daenerys

By David Crow

Who are the New Characters in Game of Thrones Prequel, House of the Dragon?

By David Crow

This hard left turn in the plotting was so sudden and shocking that it signaled what the series would become: a narrative where every character’s action and decision (at least pre-season 7) had potent consequences. Narrative conventions could be cut short in an instance. In this case, it was one that left viewers thrilled, but a few episodes later the same creative instinct would shatter them when the series’ main lead, poor Ned, lost his head. Such twists led me to buy all of Martin’s books and read them within a few months.

However, there was something more unsettling about the sequence. Daenerys Targaryen, our ostensible hero in her own storyline, did not flinch or bat an eye at her brother’s demise. He was rotten to the core, but Dany was no more affected by his death than she would be at the sight of hundreds of strangers crucified along a road on her order (an event which would occur later in the series).

The ambiguity of some of these characters, including Dany who in the early seasons was initially presented as an impending threat to the Starks and Lannisters a world away in Westeros, is what gave the drama so much life. There were reasons to root for nearly every faction and reasons to have pause with each character. You knew, eventually, your favorites would be in mortal conflict. While featuring a greater array of heroes than any of the other popular cable shows of the early 2010s, Game of Thrones also wallowed in moral relativity and bleakness. In 2011, it was like a high; in 2021, that kind of televised storytelling has largely fallen out of popularity.

Thrones also had a hand in that shift.

“Tits and Dragons”

For all of Game of Thrones’ good qualities, they cannot be extracted from its sins. Ten years ago, premium cable networks indulged in heavy use of obligatory nudity (mostly of young women) to keep viewers watching. Game of Thrones didn’t invent this, but it pushed it to its limit in the early seasons, even leading to the new term of “sexposition,” which describes when a show cynically includes images of naked women, usually portrayed as prostitutes in Thrones’ case, in the background during dry exposition.

Even before Thrones ended, these elements had aged badly, and were notably toned down in the later seasons. But they still occurred, even as gags, up to and including the final year. Neil Marshall, who directed two battle episodes on the series, even recalled in 2012 a disquieting note he received from an executive on the episode “Blackwater.”

“This particular exec took me to one side and said, ‘Look, I represent the pervert side of the audience okay?’” Marshall said. “‘Everybody else is the serious drama side, [but] I represent the perv side of the audience, and I’m saying I want full frontal nudity in this scene.’”

This cavalier attitude about using (some might say exploiting) young actresses who are anxious for a job on a popular series in such a gratuitous way contributed to the creation of a new profession in Hollywood: the intimacy coordinator. The actual HBO series which finally triggered this was The Deuce, not Game of Thrones. Still, Thrones most famously contributed to that sensationalism on television. So much so one of its most lauded guest stars, Ian McShane, deadpanned the show was only about “tits and dragons.” It became the figurehead for a media culture so problematic that there needed to be a reckoning at all networks and streamers in the post-#MeToo era.

That those elements on Game of Thrones were so often used in association with rape or sexual violence has led to a long overdue reevaluation of how stories with women are told in popular media—particularly from writers’ rooms dominated by men.

In truth, Game of Thrones has a litany of fascinating and complex female characters, many of whom end up in positions of power during the final seasons despite the grueling restraints of a medieval patriarchal society. Stars like Sophie Turner, whose Sansa Stark concludes the series as Queen in the North, has argued the series is actually quite feminist in its depiction of a wide range of nuanced female leads navigating medieval misogyny. And Clarke has said the show has taught her to “embrace her feminism.”

Yet both actors’ characters were forced to endure scenes of rape and sexual assault on the series, quite graphically in Clarke’s case during the first season. Even 10 years ago, viewers were rightfully disturbed by that. Clarke’s own thoughts on the use of nudity in the first season have also evolved. These elements, which only seem more glaring to the modern eye, have inspired a shift in how all “adult” stories are told, as well as how fantasy stories and historical dramas are received by audiences increasingly critical of one-sided titillation.

Those scenes likely contributed to the fan backlash when Clarke’s Daenerys, who suffered so much early on only to remake herself as a godlike savior, was revealed to be painfully mortal… turning into the villain of her own story.

A Legacy of Conflict

Game of Thrones began as a gamble for HBO, but even in its first year the bet was paying off when the fantasy show with dragons and ice zombies was nominated for Best Drama Series at the Emmys. Dinklage would go on to win his first of four Emmys for playing Tyrion that year, and even as the show lost the top prize then, it would eventually win Best Drama Series in four subsequent years.

It’s also worth noting that Dany’s dragons were barely present in the first season. Before the 2011 finale, they were creatures of a bygone age that, we’re told repeatedly, have long gone extinct. But in the final minutes of season 1, her ancient dragon eggs hatch, and a scene of biblical import plays out when she emerges from ashes as the Mother of Dragons. With each following year, Dany’s children grew larger in size, as did the pyrotechnics they unleashed. They were not much bigger than cats when they burned down a city of slavers in season 3. By the show’s end, they were the size of 747 jets while laying waste to Lannister armies.

As the creatures grew, so did Game of Thrones’ budget and, just as importantly, its audience. No other series in the modern era grew bigger with each season, from the cradle to its grave. In an age where Netflix invented the term “binge watching,” Game of Thrones remained the rare holdout of old school appointment television, with most audiences simultaneously watching live when the episode premiered on Sunday nights. Entire cottage industries based on fan speculation were born, and reading Martin’s books like they were sacred texts with hidden meanings that only the most learned scholar could translate became a pastime.

The first season premiered with 2.2 million people watching; the final season debuted with an audience of 17.4 million viewers. The finale brought in 19.3 million viewers. By comparison, the most popular scripted drama series on network television in 2019, This is Us, was averaging around 7-8 million viewers.

Yet as its popularity grew with its dragons, so did a vocal sense of dissatisfaction. There was a confluence of factors involved, many of them having to do with showrunners Benioff and Weiss running out of Martin novels to adapt. While they had a rough outline of how the series would end, the final two seasons of Game of Thrones arguably felt at points like just that: an outline the series was hitting by bullet point in each episode, often without the intricate plotting that made the early seasons and novels so addictive.

Yet it was really only during the series’ final two episodes, as a long built-up dragon fulfilled his destiny, that the rift between audience expectation and artistic intent erupted into a social media outrage. After watching Dany’s power build and build, and spending the final seasons with her pivoting from a threat to the Starks and King’s Landing to their ally against the Army of the Dead, Dany did what the series had long been famous for: she took a hard left turn.

In the final few hours of the series, Daenerys burns down the Westerosi capital, kills tens of thousands of people, and takes the Iron Throne in fire and blood, just like her ancestors. It was not the ending audiences, including myself, wanted for Dany, and it was an ending that disappointed even Clarke. Especially Clarke.

Game of Thrones Season 8: This Was Always the Ending

By David Crow

Game of Thrones: George R. R. Martin on How Hodor’s Origin Story Was Changed for TV

By Louisa Mellor

In many ways, it is one of the most Martin-esque elements of the series’ final years. You were promised high fantasy excitement and then got the cold, harsh reality of death and suffering. The fairy tales and fables which inspired modern fantasy are often derived from uglier histories and troubling sides of human nature. This is what conquest looks like, be it by dragon or sword.

Unfortunately, the execution of the ending left something to be desired. And there are plenty of write-ups out there to unpack the problems with the final season. Nonetheless, it is fair to wonder if for the first time in the series’ whole run, the show was finally out of step with the zeitgeist, and the subversion that was celebrated a decade earlier was no longer of the moment? When the show premiered, it was a realpolitik fantasy about the corrupting influence of power and how it can be wielded. When the series ended, corrupt abusers of power were on the rise around the world. Even Martin noted it was like King Joffrey had come to the White House.

The series not only denied viewers their favorite theories for the series’ end, but also a sense of escape from a world that was feeling uncomfortably closer to Westeros than it had eight years earlier.

In its own realm though, Game of Thrones was a series that shaped the modern television landscape. Spectacle on a scale comparable to Hollywood blockbusters is now deemed as attainable by content creators with deep enough pockets. Amazon paid $1 billion for the television rights of Lord of the Rings alone. But the industry has also reacted to Thrones and the antihero era it came from with a growing sense of wariness, too.

One of Game of Thrones’ contemporaries from its heyday was The Walking Dead. As another gritty, violent, and at times nihilistic genre show that became a mainstream hit, The Walking Dead started in the same TV season as Thrones. And one of its most pivotal writers from those earlier glory days, former showrunner Glen Mazzara, recently tweeted about the change in the industry’s tenor.

“TV development today is all about optimism,” Mazzara wrote. “Buyers don’t want anything dark or bleak.” While he then went on to add that he’s nonetheless writing the “darkest [and] scariest” thing of his career, the point remains that what was once the most popular thing on television, first as austere dramas and then as gory spectacles in shows like Thrones and The Walking Dead, is out of step in a modern TV landscape that has reacted to those shows.

Ironically, genre is more popular than ever, but the moral ambiguity and relativity that attracted HBO to Benioff and Weiss’ pitch is not. Rather than antiheroes, television is increasingly dominated by good natured and heroic individuals (Marvel Studios is even making the most popular shows). Characters, meanwhile, are proactively trying to solve social problems, not reveling in how broken things are. Creative spaces are also thankfully becoming more inclusive, giving a platform to a wider range of voices, including writers’ rooms where someone might be able to say the equivalent of, “You know, maybe Sansa shouldn’t be raped by Ramsay Bolton?”

This environment is a reaction to the popularity and then backlash endured by Game of Thrones. Which means our relationship to the series is far from over, even as the show’s run becomes an increasingly distant memory.

And yet, there’s (clearly) much to be said about what Game of Thrones accomplished in its time, right down to ending the way it did. It’s hard to imagine a show becoming that popular again and existing with such artistic freedom, and for its creators to be allowed to end it where they would like. Even in the 2010s it was rare, hence The Walking Dead lumbering onto an eleventh season this fall as a pale shadow of its former self. When that series ends, it also really won’t be the end, with more spinoffs, movies, and other forms of content planned.

Under new management, HBO has signaled they’ve developed a similar temperament, even with Game of Thrones. Benioff, Weiss, and apparently Martin saw their story end exactly the way they wanted to (even if few agreed with them). But the network has announced five live-action spinoff series in various stages of development, plus an animated one on HBO Max. In the age of endless streaming content, it’s easy to imagine that every corner of Westerosi history will be explored if WarnerMedia thinks there is an appetite.

Our feelings toward the legacy of Game of Thrones have evolved over the last 10 years, and will likely continue to do so for another 10. But it was a show that hit the right beats at the right time, and changed the culture while doing so. It burned brightly and then snuffed out its candle on its own terms. You don’t have to wait a decade to appreciate how rare, and unforgettable, that really is.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Game of Thrones at 10: The Series That Changed TV Forever appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2Qb13RI

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

1 note · View note

suchastart · 6 years

Text

A second part to this rambling beginning of a Jason/Piper assassin au? Introducing my absolutely favorite part and favorite character of this au so far, at the end--

For @son-of-rome, because I love ya endlessly always

and absolutely not a bribe--you are absolutely masterful and amazing and talented please don’t kill Tilly tomorrow ily please ♥

“Let me drive. Let me drive!”

Jason grits his teeth. Wind whips past his ears, through his hair. It’s hard enough focusing on the small, shifting spaces that appear between cars, the many, varied flashes of lights in the dark--stoplights and taillights, storefronts and marquees and cell phones. A truck honks and squeals as its brakes lock up, narrowly avoiding slamming into Jason’s motorcycle as he speeds through a red light. The sound is jarring, especially so close, and especially without a helmet on.

He grips the throttle of the motorcycle and leans into the swerve. Behind him, holding on, leaning in, Piper says nothing--

Until they clear another block of traffic, and the space between them and their quarry grows, and she bursts, “Let me drive!”

“I am not pulling this bike over,” Jason shouts into the wind.

“We’re losing her!”

“Tell me something I don’t know!”

“I used to be a stunt driver,” she yells back, and manhandles him into a more upright position, wedges his fingers from the handbrake. “Trust me!”

They’re still speeding fifty miles an hour through rush-hour evening traffic, in one of the busiest parts of the city, chasing after an enemy bound and determined to get away from them, and she wants him to trust her. A bark of laughter escapes him, harsh and unbidden, and it’s easy to pretend he doesn’t notice her pause as his terror almost overtakes him. He’s got one hand on the handle and the other in the air as Piper--

They’re weaving through traffic at fifty miles an hour, which might turn them into a mess of broken bones and blood splatter if they even move slightly in the wrong direction, and Piper is crawling over him. Piper is raising herself on hands and knees, and tucking herself into him, sliding against him, moving around him, sliding an ankle calf thigh over his--

Fuck, he thinks.

Focus, he prays.

One hand on the throttle, and half a mind on the maze of cars around them, Jason barely breathes as Piper, with her flowing white dress blowing around them and slipping close to her skin, maneuvers herself in front of him on the motorcycle. Just a twitch in the wrong direction and they’re in for a world of hurt. But Piper--

It’s likely she’s a miracle.

It’s not the first time he’s had the same revelation in the years that he’s had the misfortune to know her, and not the first time he’s quickly hidden the thought deep.

“Are you crazy,” he shouts as he keeps balance for them both, as she slips in front of him, easy as air, and finally, finally takes a seat in front of him. She steals the throttle, too, and then he can only hang onto her as she revs the engine and guns it down the street.

Jason’s heart is in his throat. His hands are tight around her waist. The city blurs around them, and Piper leans in, so Jason leans in, too.

The assassin gets away.

The night is dark and full of people, and there’s nothing else for them to chase as the assassin disappears amid a crowd of pedestrians. Piper tries. If there’s anything he can admit to genuinely knowing about her, it’s that she tries--she circles the block, staring hard at every person that passes, beneath every store awning, into every cab, between every group of tourists.

She’s a shivering mess of curses when she admits defeat. She pulls the motorcycle onto a dark, quiet side street. Jason puts his feet down to balance the bike, and Piper cuts the engine, and they sit there in silence.

He realizes he’s still holding onto her, and abruptly pulls away, wipes his hands on his thighs.

Piper doesn’t move. Her spine is a curved question mark, tucked back into his chest. Her skin is bared to the chilly night--her white gala gown glows in the city moonlight, covering little--and goosebumps dance down her arms, and he touches her, carefully, on her forearm.

The city is alive behind them, a quiet susurrus now that they’re tucked into the shadowed alley. She breathes. Jason looks at the top of her head. Her hair is a tangle around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” she says.

He shakes his head. He runs his fingers down her forearm, to her wrist, and up to her elbow. A few floors above them, a fat cat lounges in an apartment window, meows loudly. Piper’s sigh is a heave of shoulders more than sound, and he pinches her, at the soft skin of the inside of her arm. “Were you really a stunt driver?”

She doesn’t laugh, but her smile is close enough. “A lady doesn’t tell all of her secrets.”

“Not even one?”

After a prolonged moment, she relents: “Yeah. I really was a stunt driver, once upon a time.”

“That’s awesome.”

This time she does laugh--it’s quiet, because it’s real, and it’s something she hides behind her hands, protects with the cups of her fingers, the hunch of her shoulders. She smothers it quickly--her face shifts, just as quick, and she leans forward, leaves the warmth of his chest. Back to business. “We have to find her.”

The assassin. Hair pulled back into a tight braid. Deep red dress. Dark purple lips.

“I know,” he says. “I might have an idea.”

“Yeah?”

And even as he says it, he knows how much of a colossal idiot he is, how much of a chance he’s taking. “I might know someone.”

He guides Piper through the city, sits behind her as she drives them to his contact. It’s a busier part of the city--a fact that he feels in every tense line of Piper’s body as she follows traffic laws, stops at stop lights, keeps within the lines. It’s an upcoming fashion neighborhood, a little more bohemian, a lot more trendy, and the storefronts and restaurants glitter with color and decoration and crowds, even so late at night. There’s a jewelry store at the corner--a stunning display in the windows, with glistening drawn letters in the wide windows, sparkling displays of stones and silvers--and he directs Piper to pull around to the back of the tall brick building, and they both stretch when they finally get off the motorcycle.

He leads her toward the back door. There is no sign, nothing but a dumpster and a wooden bench along the nondescript brick wall, and a light that shines above the metal door. Jason knocks five times, turns his face freely up toward the camera that he knows is hidden in the corner.

“Jason,” Piper says.

It’s the first time she’s said his name all night. Since meeting on the dance floor, and watching their target die. Since wordlessly deciding to chase the woman that killed their mark. He looks up toward the camera long enough, then turns.

Piper looks up into his face.

They are standing so close together, and Jason can feel her breath on his lips. He’s always thought her beautiful--even when pressing a knife to her chest, or wrestling a briefcase from her hands, or staring at her through a scope--all brown hair and brown skin and brown-green-blue eyes, the long line of her nose, the full, eternally amused pout of her lips.

She frowns. She looks at the door. Her shoulder presses against his. “I don’t know who to trust anymore,” she murmurs.

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

“For lack of a better alternative.”

He smiles. He’s probably about to be murdered, but he smiles, and presses the back of his hand against hers. “We’re in the same boat, then.”

And then the locks on the other side of the door start to unbolt, and Jason’s pulse jumps.

He swallows. He feels Piper stare at him. He stands up taller, squares his shoulders, and when the door swings opens, he is nothing but angles: squared jaw, clenched fists, pursed lips.

A woman stands in the open doorway.

She has dark brown skin, and glint-gold eyes. She is dressed simply, in a white blouse and black pants, with a matching gold-leaf scarf twisted high around her hair. She is not wearing shoes.

She looks all the way up to meet Jason’s eyes, and is undaunted.

“It’s good to see you alive,” Hazel Levesque says, evenly, pulling him down for a kiss on the cheek. She digs her nails into his arm. “At my completely legitimate business operation.”

He stands straight. “You’re closed for the night.”

“I’m always closed for you.”

Piper laughs uncomfortably at his shoulder; she laughs even more when Jason steps aside, when Hazel stares at her. Hazel is small, and diminutive, and gorgeous; her stare, when she levels it, is harder than diamond. Jason knows just what that look means, what it feels like. He does not envy Piper the attention.

“You’re Hazel Levesque,” Piper says, dumbly. She pinches Jason’s arm, says, somewhat hysterically, “You know Hazel Levesque.”

“Hazel,” Jason says, “Meet Piper.”

Hazel sighs. She waves them into the building. “Charmed.”

#jasper #jasiper #jason grace #piper mclean #hazel levesque #heroes of olympus #hoo #pjo #mina writes fic #son-of-rome #assassin au #I love this??? mostly I just fuckin love Hazel in this au???????#jewel thief!!!!!!!!!! and undercover jewelry designer but also fuckin badass thief and also designer?? I just. she's amazing #also yes this is totally a bribe Dan I better get at least one inspiration die tomorrow okay?? please don't kill Tilly she's my daughter

86 notes · View notes