#Buuuuut honestly those games HAVE been on a decline | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 2 years

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you know what i’m getting a little sick of seeing ppl complaining about this game pretty much all the time. like yeah it has a lot of flaws both in the storylines and sometimes design/graphics wise but it’s getting annoying seeing ppl be so negative

Oh god, this is reminding me of a post that I saw and ending up liking to "anchor" it so I could reblog it later. (Still need to do that.) That talked about this exact concept. About how, even if the criticisms of popular media are valid and constructive, and even if I actually agree with them...the endless bashing of the "bad" parts drowns out any other attempt to have a conversation about the good parts. HPHM is a pretty good example of this. Sure, it has it's problems, but the characters in this game are still phenomenal, and I think we shouldn't take it for granted that this game has a diverse cast of characters who are, by logic of the dating options, predominantly LGBT.

HPHM isn't the only example of this, though. Some of my top fandoms have become like this is in the last five years or so.

Doctor Who fans, you out there? I know, I know, you didn't like the Chibnall Era. But that's literally all anyone talks about. Some of us do like this era, and *insert Joker meme here* we're tired of pretending we don't. Especially since Jodie is the first woman Doctor. I'm not saying the criticisms are exclusively sexist, I'm saying I can't tell the sexist ones from the genuine complaints about the era and it's starting to exhaust me. In general, (and I've talked about this before) I think some of you are way too loyal to some imaginary legacy that you think was "ruined" by The Timeless Children...but this is Doctor Who, people. That same season completely un-wrote Gallifrey's return. The canon has always been at the whim of the current head writer. The Timeless Child is no different. It may or may not even last.

Game of Thrones fans...I mean this in the nicest way possible...but please, oh please, shut up about Season 8. I get it, no one liked the end of the show. That's understandable, that's valid. But the complaints are becoming overpowering, and this doesn't just impact discussion of S8. Most of the compliments toward the earlier seasons have now shifted focus to act as a comparison. If you're just talking about Season 4 to show me how good the show "used" to be, that's still being negative and that's equally draining. I can talk about what I don't like from S8, I can even go to town on it. But I acknowledge the good in that season as well. And even if you don't see the good, that's fine, but...there's only so many ways to say this before you're just repeating yourselves. You should also try to enjoy the earlier seasons without making it all about the show's "golden age." Just...every rewrite of this show that I see online gives is a happy ending, which it was never going to have. Ramsay even told us as much. This show's ending was always going to devastate us one way or the other.

I actually left the Star Wars fandom for this exact issue. I won't generalize, I know not everyone is this way, but it seems like damn near every single Star Wars fan with a voice has a hyper-specific interpretation of the Galaxy Far Far Away, and they get angry whenever anyone (official media and other fans alike) propose something that conflicts with their vision of this 'verse. Please, stop demonizing the sequels. I know they aren't perfect, but that point has been made. And stop trashing Rey, especially if you're romanticizing Luke and Anakin at the same time. I know I'll probably ignite a fire by saying this, but some of you treat Luke like he's a gift from God, and treat Rey as nothing more than a contemptible pretender. Star Wars protagonists have always been overpowered, guys. Again, I'm not saying everyone who does this is motivated by misogyny, but I can't tell the misogynists from the regular fans. Star Wars is a wonderful universe, and it achieved such a cult following that any follow-up was never going to please everyone. The prequels had the same problem when they first aired.

I was gonna talk about Harry Potter, but like...Rowling completely abandoned us and is now doing actual harm, so like...go ahead and trash her, I'm right here with you. Still, I think the same mindset applies here. Crimes of Grindelwald is not the "worst movie of all time," guys. Chill out. I have to admit that I kind of roll my eyes at the idea that the books were "always" terrible, and we just didn't see it until now. At the risk of being rude, my instinctive response to that is - grow up. Transphobic pieces of shit can also be really good writers. Admitting this doesn't mean I endorse Rowling as a person. Others have claimed that her bigotry is evident in the books, and I'm not knowledgeable enough about the various points that have been made to really critique them, but...I just don't see it. If anything, I think Rowling's past writing is proof that, at least at one time, she was on the right side. Which makes it all the more heartbreaking that she turned on us.

I love these stories and their fandoms, just...sometimes, being part of them is exhausting. Y'all should go watch CinemaWins. (Seriously, go watch Cinemawins, he's lovely.) If you feel this motivated to discuss the flaws of these particular stories...I've got news for ya. That means you're emotionally invested. So on some level, you're still enjoying yourself, right?

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mythicvls · 4 years

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WHAT’S CRACK’A’LACKIN Y'ALL ?!?! my name’s sun AND i live in the cst time zone. ( T E X A S BBY 🤠 ) i hope ya’ll are all having a good day, afternoon, night !! whatever time it may be where you are out there in the WORLD. sorry i’m a bit late but i’m super excited to get this show on a roll. <3333 . i suck at intros, so pls bear with me., buuuuut !! i’ll be introducing, brianna and leo . one is your crazy inventor who works in the forge, and the other is your uptight hero who is obsessed with doing everything by the book. if you wanna know more about them, check out what’s below !! like this and i’ll go to your messages to spam u with love. THANKS .

♡ —— MEET BRIANNA !!

[ PARK CHAEYOUNG, SHE/HER, CISFEMALE ] — [ BRIANNA BANG ] is a child of [ HEPHAESTUS ] with the power of [ TECHNOKINESIS & ENHANCED CRAFTING ] . they were born in [ 1997 ] and have been in nemean lion since [ 2013 ] . with the change, they [ HAVE GRADUATED FROM ] the [ TECHNOLOGY ] role which makes sense since they’re usually [ CREATING NEW GADGETS & GETTING OTHERS TO TEST THEM OUT ]

( ABOUT PAGE )

its ya girl , brianna bora bang !! aka bree !! daughter of hephaestus and one of the smiths who works in the forge .

growing up, bree’s childhood was relatively calm and uneventful. she was raised by her single-mother, who worked as a mechanic and though they didn’t have much , her mom still managed to get by , supporting them both the best she could. :’))

tbh, bree didn’t think a lot about her family’s financial situation when she was little. though, with that said, she was a bit of a pain.

not because she asked for, or constantly wanted material things, but rather, from a young age she had a knack for taking stuff apart and trying to put them back together again. fascinated by figuring out how certain devices worked.

that habit eventually turned into bree taking things around the house, and makings ‘ improvements’ or crafting something completely new with the different parts she’d collected from items lying about.

her mother living pay check to paycheck , was certainly in awe of brianna’s talents, but the young girl’s creative outlet definitely caused some strESS !!

as one can imagine, she got in a lot of trouble as a kid. having a bit of a mischievous streak coupled along with her curious and imaginative tendencies. her mom wasn’t too happy when she came home to find the vacuum deconstructed , with brianna claiming there was a certain component she needed for the jet pack she was planning on creating

throughout her life, bree was always gathering attention, whether is was due to her odd personality, or the things she was creating. however she was especially attracting people’s attention when it came to the science fairs she enjoyed participating in while she’d been in elementary and middle school --- bringing something completely unexpected to ANNIHILATE ( as she would say ) the competition.

but, brianna created so much buzz, it wasn’t uncommon for her to end up in local news papers as a young ‘genuis’.

one time, even recruits from MIT came to check out to see what all the talk had been about.

when expressing their interest in her, her mother politely declined their offers. thinking bree may have been too young to consider making decisions like that at the time.

[ yet, because of the news circulating bree, nl had been another group to approach her mom, along with hephaestus in hopes to provide brianna a safe haven from the potential threat of monsters (etc.), though her mother also refused that offer at the time ]

SO basically, bree just vibed through her early years creating a bit of mischief and making cool stuff with her handy dandy tool box ( or more like her mom’s tool box lmfao)

she went about every day life as a regular kid, completely unaware of her relation to hephaestus until she neared the age of sixteen.

as she got a bit older, her mother fell in love with a pretty well-off guy who worked as an developmental engineer for the united states milt.. they got married and brianna then had a new step father in her life. despite him being much more strict with her. more than what her mom had ever been , they all got along pretty well. more than anything , bree was jus happy for her mom.

and, it was a plus that they weren’t struggling as much as they originally had been thanks to his financial help.

however, due to an unfortunate turn of events , and a christmas tree having caught fire; their house burnt down. her mom and her stepfather were rescued by the fire department. unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for bree. watching the house engulfed in flames, they worried frantically about their daughter who’d still been trapped inside. but when bree had escaped through the fire by herself , uninjured and not suffering any burns whats so ever. her step-father , along with the fire fighters that had come to help , were hELLA FREAKED OUT.

her step-dad was straight up like, i don’t fuk w demons.

and it was after the incident that her mother finally revealed the truth to bree about her biological father, and eventually gave her the option of going to nemean lion. which was information brianna’s mom had for quite some time, but had chosen to keep it to herself , simply cause she wasn’t 100% comfortable with bree leaving her so young.

THANK GOODNESS THEY NEVER EXPERIENCED A MONSTER ATTACK.

though with what had happened, and her step father’s reaction, bree and her mother came to the agreement that it was probably best if she left for nl.

she eventually moved in after a couple months of trying to make things work at home ( a compromise she made with her mom ). it didn’t work out sadly, and as soon as she turned sixteen, brianna became an official resident at the hotel. having stayed at nemean until now !!

when she first got to nl she pretty much just embraced the change. throwing herself into training and what not, trying to figure out where her place was , all that teenage stuff. ‘tryina find urself uwu’ .

AND she did go on missions quite a bit before the change happened !! having enjoyed tagging along to make some extra money, but her obvious calling was always at the forge.

brianna now and before, has always had a reputation for walking around nl trying to convince people to give her latest weapons or gadgets a go !!

before the change happened at nl, bree was sorta all over the place. ( A MESS !! ) but her goals have become more focused thanks to entering the technology track. so once again, she embraced change with open arms.

she’s totally digging the improvement that nemean lion has made.

after graduating from her track relatively fast; working on stuff is what she mainly does nowadays.

she’s most often found at the forge. cause when she gets an idea, she’s gotta get it done. she has no chill.

yeah, brianna is smart. but on the highkey, she’s only really knowledgeable in her field of expertise.

SO, SHE DOES HAVE THAT CHAOTIC STUPID ENERGY COURSING THROUGH HER VEINS. if you ask her to do something dumb, she more then likely is gonna be down / say yes. skdjlfsjd

though bree isn’t necessarily materialistic, she is kinda obsessed with money, and making money. $$$$🤑🤑 part of it has to do with not having had much growing up, and she wants that security YA KNO. but also , she doesn’t feel totally comfortable asking her mom/step-dad for money. so she out here making her own!!

money is a big motivator for her.

overall, brianna is a brash, outgoing, oddball who is incredibly determined and hardworking.

cause she’s always tryina get that promo, she can come off a bit opportunistic, selfish, and conceited when it comes to her inventions. typically she means well, she’s just a bit on the crazy side.

she has those mad scientist vibes.

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS !!

first friend brianna made at nl ( someone who was around in 2013 )

people she often trained with / went on missions with before the change happened

friends she’s known for a while here at nemean lion

loyal customers who commission weapons ( etc.) from her regularly. cause she likes you, she’s always down to give you a good deal.

double trouble --- just two chaotic souls, come together to do fun shenanigans.

other people who work at the forge with her

brianna’s go to guinea pigs !! basically she goes to ya’ll when she comes up with a spicey new gadget, weapon, invention, knowing ya’ll are almost always game to get your hands on what she’s got for you.

impulse control --- pretty self explanatory, this person just settles her down. probably a mom friend who keeps her from doing dumb impulsive things.

people she just bothers bc she’s got a cool idea for you, but maybe you’re just like nah.

this person has been on the end of one of brianna’s failed inventions that didn’t turn out so hot. so now you REFUSE to try anything for her again.

people in the ambassador track she is constantly trying to get seen with her gadgets for that promo. she really wants to sell her inventions / sell her patents to big companies. $$

exes !! maybe there was DRAMA, or maybe it was a super chill split. if you wanna snatch this up, we can really do whatever ur vibin’.

enemies

frenemies

a mentor when she first arrived at nl ( someone who was around in 2013 ) they really helped her have an easier time adjusting to everything when she moved in at sixteen.

♡ —— MEET LEO !!

[ KIM DOYOUNG, HE/HIM, CISMALE ] — [ LEO PARK ] is a child of [ ATHENA ] with the power of [ ENHANCED OBSERVING & ENHANCED STRATEGY ] . they were born in [ 1996 ] and have been in nemean lion since [ 2011 ] . with the change, they [ HAVE GRADUATED FROM ] the [ HERO ] role which makes sense since they’re usually [ TRAINING or READING IN THE LIBRARY ]

( ABOUT PAGE )

the son of athena, and a graduate from the hero track !!

honestly, leo’s life before nl was pretty boring.

he grew up in a super small town and was raised by his grandparents after his dad pretty much bailed .

leo was an incredibly bright kid. he learned to read as well as write at a crazy young age, but because he was brought up by his grandparents his taste pretty much reflected his upbringing. he likes super old music, movies. etc. and he’ prefers considerably less exciting pass times such as reading books or playing games like chess. he always goes for a walk super early in the morning too which is something he picked up from his grandpa.

leo’s grandparents took care him when he was very little, but as leo grew older he found himself returning the favor and instead helping his grandparents as they themselves aged over the years.

no one in his household was aware of leo’s ties to his biological mother athena. mainly cause his father never explained anything before he left the family to be on their own.

leo’s life dramatically changed after he experienced a monster attack when he’d been fifteen years old.

basically some demigods from nemean lion saved the day and thankfully nothing terrible happened. but leo’s identity as a demigod was finally exposed to himself and to his family.

he had a really hard time saying goodbye, as he worried how his grandma and grandpa were gonna do without him. however, he feared putting them in danger above all else.

he was then taken to nl, where he spent his time up until now.

after he was rescued, leo couldn’t help but look up to the others who regularly went on missions and hunted monsters. naturally, he worked hard with the aspiration to be like them.

a lot of that also had to do with why he picked the hero track when the change had come about at nl.

if it wasn’t for moving, leo would have never realized his supernatural abilities. and it was through persistence and intense training that he was able to develop his powers over time, as well as pretty fast.

he has always been incredibly dedicated and disciplined.

tbh he kinda has those old man vibes, even when he first arrived at fifteen.

he takes missions and everything a little too seriously.

he doesn’t really know how to have fun either. so when he is on hero duty, he is super STUBBORN about doing everything by the book. trying not to get too crazy and always wanting to make sure extra precaution is taken.

he’s not about them risk. he really wants to ensure that there’s little to no damage that will be done if he can help it.

comes off grumpy most of the time, but it’s like 95% bc he kinda just sucks when it comes to people.

social interaction is not his thing which is why he could have NEVER gone into the ambassador track lmfao.

LEO IS A RULE FOLLOWER, NOT A BREAKER.

though he’s diligent, responsible and honest, he can also be EXTREMELY gullible, too straightforward, and at times, come off as nagging or bossy.

overall, he just wants justice, and to ensure things are done right. but he’s not the best communicator, so instead of being diplomatic about it, a lot of the time he’s just like, ‘i’m right, you’re wrong’dkjsldjf

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS !!

people leo has known or been friends with for a while

other demigods who he used to train with or currently trains with regularly

( friendly ?? ) competition --- likely another hero who has graduated from the hero track

someone currently training in the hero track who has asked to shadow leo ( BONUS POINTS IF THEY ARE CHAOTIC AND LEO IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO WRANGLE THEM IN FROM THEIR WILD WAYS, ESPECIALLY WHILE THEY ARE OUT DOING HERO TINGZ )

the demigods who saved leo when he was fifteen ( someone who was around nl in 2011 / before )

unexpected duo----no one would have thought these two would be super close. after all, they are polar opposites, but this person gets leo to come out of his shell

leo is super uptight, and because of that, this person enjoys messing with him.

another person that frequents library just as much as him

maybe leo lowkey has beef with someone because every time he wants to check out a book, the mysterious person ‘insert muses name’ always has checked it out before him. one day when he’s talking about it, he finds out it’s YOU!!!!!!! how it plays out is up to whatever u’re feelin. but turns out they have the same taste in books.

other people that are also uptight like leo and that’s why they get along so well

enemies---for whatever reason the two don’t mix

someone leo has an unrequited crush on , bc he’s lame

#nlintro #・⨯˚ 💖 ooc ⤻ 𝘪 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 .#this is kind of a mess #im also sorry this got heLLA LONG!!!!!!#but i'm super excited yalll #pls excuss all my typos its very late where i am #uwu <3333

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royalbloodedbastards · 4 years

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chatzy // campfire camaraderie

DATE: Friday, May 15, 2020 CHARACTERS: Cleo, JTT, Sefa, Tai, Jordan, Malia, Graves ABOUT: An impromptu hangout at the campfire.

Cleo took a seat at the campfire, set her tote bag beside her, and added a piece of wood. She stoked the fire with a stick and opened her wine, wondered if it was sad to drink alone, and then took a sip, figuring she could just pretend that she wasn't drinking if someone asked.

There were times when JTT wondered if being dyslexic affected his hearing too. Constantly having to ask people to repeat themselves, even JTT got tired of his asking. Eventually he just learned to nod if he didn't catch what they said on the first, second, or third go around, and usually they would just move on. He sometimes wondered if maybe English wasn't really his first language, but JTT also didn't speak anything else.

"Yeah, nah, we just had a good yarn about it and we were good as gold," Sefa explained as they approached the campfire. JTT just nodded. "Ah, hey," Sefa called out to Cleo with a wave as they took a seat across the fire. "How's it going?"

Cleo placed her growler down beside her and waved at Sefa and JTT with the hand that wasn't holding the stick she was using to stoke the fire. "Great." She smiled a bit, tilting her head around the fire to see them a bit better. "Just getting the fire started, I guess. How about you guys?"

"I'm great! A bit knackered, my buddy and I just had a little pickup game." Sefa slapped a hand on JTT's back. "But feeling great. Sefa, by the way. You are?" Cleo nodded a bit and scooted so that she was a bit closer to them. "Ah, Cleo!" She smiled. "Sefa." She tilted her head more so that she could she JTT as well. "And you?"

JTT sup nodded Cleo. "JTT, Junior Travis Taylor, JT Taylor. You can call me JTT."

"I dunno, I guess I like scruff? And I see guys with full beards and they look super handsome, buuuuut I dunno.... Kissing all that? It might not be worth it." Malia sighed, looking up at the stars as she and Tai approached the campfire. There were already people there; she checked quickly and decided she liked the people she knew and— Malia stopped in her tracks and slapped Tai's chest. "Tai," she whispered, "is that the Scarlet Surfer?"

"I dunno, I feel like clean-shaven is so hot. 'Special when..." Tai trailed off as they came into sight of the other campers. He laughed at the question and stepped forward, holding his hand out for a bro shake to Sefa instead of replying. "Ey, mate, how's it hangin'?"

Malia's mouth fell open, and she followed Tai over to the group, finding her composure again on the way. She smiled at Sefa and waved, wiggling her fingers, then regarded JTT with a different, slightly brighter smile.

Sefa turned toward the newcomers with a smile. "Hey mate! An Aussie?" He stood and pulled Tai in for a bro hug then offered his hand out to Malia. "You too?"

JTT just returned Mal's smile and waved back.

Cleo gave a small thumbs-up to JTT. "JTT." She said in acknowledgement as she nodded. She gave a little wave to Tai and Malia.

Her attention snapped back to Sefa and she sighed, taking his hand. "Nope, American."

Tai grinned as he stepped back to give Sefa and Malia space. "Yeah, man! Love an ol' kiwi." He took a seat beside Cleo and held out his hand towards her. "Not t'be rude to you. I'm Tai."

"Respecting your superiors, smart man," Sefa joked as Tai stepped away. He turned to Malia. "Sorry, an American you said? No worries, can't all be perfect." He extended a hand out toward her. "I'm Sefa."

Cleo took Tai's hand and shook it. "I'm Cleo. I think we tan together."

Tai laughed at Sefa and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, clearly amused. He turned back to Cleo. "Yes! But we haven't spoken." Looking over her shoulder, he smiled at JTT. "And you are?"

JTT pointed at himself, brows raised to confirm he was the one being asked a question. "JTT," he responded, guessing at what Tai asked and hoping he was right.

Tai stretched an arm out towards JTT for a shake. He used his other hand to adjust his prosthetic so he could sit more with more comfort on the ground. "Bonzer 'nitials," he commented. "Real awesome." The last word was said in an odd approximation of an American accent.

"I know. Do you like hearing that or does getting recognized get old? I'm Malia," she replied, smiling.

JTT lost 3/4 of Tai's sentence but caught 'awesome' and smiled. He shook Tai's hand and muttered, "Awesome."

"I think so!" Cleo nodded, somewhat excited. "I'm Cleo." She smiled as she nodded at him. "I don't know if it counts as tanning with how much sunscreen I use. Maybe it's more... sunning."

Sefa laughed. "Nah, not old. Malia, you said? Nice to meet you."

Tai grinned at JTT and grasped his shoulder in a friendly way before he looked back at Cleo. "Sunning. That's funny. You guys enjoyin' the fire?"

"I am." Cleo bobbed her head. "Are you?" She took her growler from where it was sitting on the log near her feet and held it out to Tai. "Did you want any wine?"

Tai waved his hand to decline the offer. "Nah, good for now." He lifted his head to look at Malia. "Hey, Mal, you want any wine?"

Cleo smiled and held the wine out to Malia as if she was the one offering at first instead of Tai.

"Nice to meet you!" When the wine was offered, Malia beamed and moved over to Tai and Cleo, taking the bottle. "Thanks! Is this your homemade stuff?"

“Of course.” Cleo smiled and stuck her legs out. “I only ever have homemade wine. When it comes to tequila though, I’m not as sustainable.”

Malia nodded as if she understood and tipped the bottle back, taking a few gulps. "Ooooh," she said to the group, wiping a small spot of wine from her lip, "should we play a drinking game?" Tai ran a hand through his hair. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

"I'm keen!" Sefa took his seat beside JTT, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm down."

Cleo nodded. “I have enough wine for us to share.” She shrugged one shoulder. “If everyone wants to drink.” She pulled another bottle from her bag, poured a bit out into the edge of the fire, and then passed it down.

"Ah, chur mate!" Sefa exclaimed as he reached across JTT for the bottle. "Pouring one out for the homies?" He asked, indicating to where Cleo poured some wine into the fire.

"Gotta do it or our parents get pissy," Malia said with a sigh.

“Pour one out for the old man.” Cleo formed both her hands into the hang loose symbol and shook them.

"Ah." Sefa took a big swig of the wine before handing it off to JTT. "The old man. Or woman. Who's yours?"

JTT took a drink of the wine as well before handing it off.

Tai ran his tongue over his teeth. "Pass it here?" he asked JTT just to pour a drop out for his mom. "Don't wanna risk anything."

"Oh, are we all meant to pour a bit out? Are they gonna smite me?" Sefa asked.

"I don't know my parent," JTT shrugged, passing the bottle to Tai.

"Mom for me," Malia said dropping a little out into the fire. "Aphrodite." She looked over to Sefa and shrugged. "I guess it depends on your parent?"

Cleo shook her head. “I just pour one out per bottle for my dad. I guess it couldn’t hurt to all just... tip some out though.” She shrugged one shoulder.

Tai sized JTT up with curiosity. "Unclaimed?"

"Yeah," JTT confirmed. "Mom's still out picking up milk."

Cleo snorted and pressed and hand to her mouth as she held a hand out for a bottle.

"Alright, I'll pour one out for the old man my next go around," Sefa conceded. "Don't want him flooding the place."

Tai laughed. "I feel it. Took me years to get claimed." He looked around for a bottle, deciding that tonight would be a drinking night.

Cleo smiled at Sefa. “Poseidon kid?” She tilted her head. “Are you new?” She crossed her ankles. “What game are we playing? Never have I ever?”

"Yeah, just got here a few weeks ago," Sefa confirmed. "Heard Poseidon's kind of a big deal, though."

Cleo bobbed her head. “It’s the best cabin, honestly. Besides Dionysus.”

"Um, no, sorry, don't listen to her, Sefa. Aphrodite is the best cabin." Malia interjected, giggling. "I'm down for never have I ever, but instead of counting down from ten we should just drink every time we've done something."

"Alright, yeah, let's do it. I'm keen as," Sefa exclaimed. "Here's one, never have I ever broken a bone."

Cleo shook her head at Sefa and smiled at Malia. “I think the drinking version is way better.”

JTT held his hand out for a bottle and gave a little wave.

Malia passed the bottle off to JTT. "Same," she said to Sefa.

JTT took a drink of wine.

"Are we playing it where if you're the only loser, you gotta tell the story?" Sefa asked the group.

Tai also did not have a drink. “If we’re drinkin’, any of you have more alcohol?”

Cleo grinned and looked at Sefa, then JTT. “Absolutely. You should tell the story.”

JTT shrugged. "I'm a motocross racer. I was eleven or twelve? Lost control on the woops, fell off the bike and landed on my arm." He held up his arm and pointed to a faint scar running up and down his forearm.

Malia shook her head at Tai. "Should we get more?" She didn't wait for a response and tuned in to JTT's story. She winced, feeling a small sympathy pang in her arm. "Ow.”

Tai held up a hand. “I broke a bone too,” he commented belatedly, having been too caught up in not having alcohol to bring it up previously. “But yeah, ouch. Sucks, dude.”

Cleo patted Tai’s arm. “I have another bottle, if we’re short, but those other two bottles are mine, and they’re strong.” She nodded a bit before looking at JTT. “Ouch. Did you even have a license then?”

"It was just a dirt bike," JTT shrugged. "Wasn't that bad."

"I can go grab another bottle from my cabin if you want," Sefa offered. "Got some 42 Below."

“Never have I ever known what 42 Below was.” Cleo smiled at Sefa and then snapped and pointed at JTT. “A dirt bike at eleven or twelve is... Badass,” she decided on.

Malia laughed and looked over to JTT again. "Can I have the wine? I knew what that was."

"Vodka," Sefa explained, shaking his head. He took a sip of the wine from JTT before passing the bottle to Malia.

JTT sat back and let Sefa lean over him. He looked over at Cleo and explained, "My dad's a pro racer so I picked it up young."

Cleo rested her hands on her chin and her elbows on her knees. “Hm. So you just... pro race?”

"Semi-pro," JTT explained.

"Nah, this guy's being modest," Sefa interrupted, clapping a hand against JTT's back. "His dad's a legend. He and his brother are the real deal."

Tai leaned forward with interest. "For real? That's sick as hell."

"Uh, yeah," JTT confirmed less than enthusiastically. "My dad's Travis Taylor. He was a four-time Supercross champ. My brother and I race the 250 Class, which is like the smaller league."

Cleo didn’t really know what any of those words meant, but nodded along. “That’s neat. Do you have a bike, then?”

Jordan materialized behind Tai and took a seat next to him.

JTT nodded. "Yeah, I brought my bike." He gestured over toward the Hermes cabin.

Tai startled then slapped a hand on Jordan's shoulder when he sat down. "Hey buddy! You gave me a jump, I didn't hear you walk up."

Cleo looked back at the Hermes cabin and bobbed her head. “Oh! That’s way cool. I don’t think anyone else here owns a motorcycle.”

Jordan smiled at Tai. “Quiet steps. It’s my talent.”

Sefa jumped in his seat when Jordan materialized. He clapped a hand over his heart and exclaimed, "Bloody christ, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

JTT seemed unfazed. He just smiled and shrugged at Cleo.

Jordan tilted his head at Sefa as if he didn’t know what he was so excited about. “Sorry, I can be very quiet. I should wear a bell.”

Malia looked over to Jordan when he materialized beside Tai. Her smile faded but she made no other indication of her displeasure and took another drink from the bottle.

Graves strolled up to the bonfire, handle of Kraken in hand. He spotted Tai and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey man."

Tai lifted a hand to tap knuckles with Graves. “Hey! Pull up, mate.” He nodded towards the space next to him.

"Ace." Graves straddled the bench, holding the Kraken out to Tai. "Y'want some? Ever had it?"

Tai grinned at Graves and took the bottle. “Yeah, man. Love some ol’ sea monster.” He took a swig and held it back out to him, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Come to hang?”

Malia moved away from Tai and Jordan and settled somewhere closer to Sefa, offering him the bottle once again. "How do you like it here so far?"

Cleo gave a little wave™️ to Graves from across the circle when she noticed him.

Sefa accepted the bottle from Malia. "It's great. Nice little place," Sefa offered with a shrug. "Can't stay long though. Gotta get back to work."

"Of course, man. It's not a party til the Hermes kids show up." He grinned, accepting the bottle and taking a sip. "You want some?" Graves nodded at Jordan, holding the bottle out. He saw movement in the corner of his eye and caught Cleo's wave, flashing her a wink and a bright smile.

Jordan smirked at Graves and took the bottle. "Cheers." He took a swig and then made a face as he held the bottle back out to him.

Malia nodded like she understood. "Are you just like, between projects right now and wanted to check it out?"

Tai looked between the two of them, smiling widely. "Know each other?"

"A bit." Jordan nodded. "I'm a bastard with his sister, mostly."

"That, and he shot me once. With a cupcake." Graves laughed, taking another swig out of the handle before setting it on the ground so Tai and Jordan could both reach it. "How are y'all doin'?"

Sefa tipped his head back and forth. "You could say that. Just finished a bunch of shoots before I came so I'm good for a bit, but fashion weeks for next season start in June , so I gotta leave for that."

Jordan gave Graves a thumbs up and stretched his legs out.

"Oh yeah!" Tai laughed. "He used me as a shield." He bumped Jordan's shoulder. "Funny guy. I'm full aces! How's it with you?"

"You're too pretty to be a human shield. I'm doin' alright, nothin' to complain about." Graves looked between Tai and Jordan. "How do you know him again, I forget," he directed his inquiry at Tai.

Tai ran a hand over his hair and grinned at Graves with the compliment. "He's my roomie."

Jordan gave another two thumbs. "We're also in witness protection together, but we're not supposed to mention that." He clapped a hand over his mouth. "Fuck."

"Ugh," Malia put her head in one of her hands. "That's so cool. Sorry, I don't want to be a total dork in front of you but, ugh, I follow Fashion Week religiously."

"Nah, no worries." Sefa waved the thought away with his hand. "You trying to become a model or designer or something?"

Graves arched an eyebrow at Jordan. "Witness protection, huh? No worries, I'll keep your secret."

Jordan sighed and shook his head sadly at Graves. "We have to kill you now. I'm sorry. My condolences to Rosie."

"Ah shit. I guess my luck finally ran out." Graves hung his head, sighing dramatically. "Do your worst."

Malia sighed. "Yeah, I'd love to model. I'm getting there on Insta, have some small brands that want me to like, try their tea, but," she shrugged.

Tai laughed and slung an arm around Jordan's shoulders. "I bet he can keep a secret, you can let him alone."

Jordan narrowed his eyes at Graves and then pointed his fingers from his own eyes to Graves's. "Okay, but you're on thin fuckin' ice." He looked at the bottle between them. "Can I have more?"

Sefa shrugged. "Did you take the deals?" He took a swig of the wine then passed it to JTT.

Graves put a hand to his heart. "Tai, lookin' out for me. Thanks, man." He nodded, unsing his foot to nudge the handle closer to Jordan. "Yeah, y'can have as much as you want. Release the kraken."

Jordan took the bottle and opened it, taking a long swig before he held it out to Tai. "I like that. You sound like fucking Davey Jones." He blinked. "...Gravey Jones."

"I mean," Malia laughed. "Duh." She looked past Sefa to JTT, smiling at him. "Hi, sorry, I totally didn't mean to edge you out of the conversation. I guess we aren't playing anymore..." She looked disapprovingly at Jordan.

Tai laughed along and looked between the two of them, taking a swig from the bottle before he spoke. “Who’s that?”

Graves cackled, "Gravey Jones! Fuck, dude. I love that." He grinned at Tai, "Y'ever see Pirates of the Caribbean?"

"It's cool." JTT shrugged.

"We should go for a swim," Sefa suggested. "Anyone ever go skinny dipping in that lake?"

Jordan grinned at Graves and then looked at Sefa. "Well... One person did... once." He shook his head gravely. "His name was Kevin, and... he was never heard from again."

Sefa shrugged. "Kevin should've learned how to swim."

"Skinny dippin'..." Graves raised an eyebrow. "I could be convinced." He picked up the bottle of liquor and took a sip.

Jordan sniffled and buried his face in his hands.

"I have," Tai volunteered after no one else did. "A bloody age ago."

Graves reached around Tai to pat Jordan on the back. "There, there. Kevin is missed."

JTT furrowed his brows at Jordan's weeping.

"What do you say, mates?" Sefa asked the group. "Are we keen for a dip?"

Cleo looked around at the group and smiled as she sipped her wine. "I think it's the perfect night to go swimming."

"Me too," Tai agreed with Cleo brightly. He raised a hand to point towards the moon. "Not too light, not too dark."

Malia breathed out slowly and eventually nodded. "I'm in."

JTT shook his head. "What happened to Kevin?"

Graves looked across the circle, raising his eyebrows at Cleo before looking away. He took another swig from his bottle. "Yeah Jordy, what happened?"

Jordan raised his head and took in a shuddering breath. "He.... he..." He dropped his head into his hands again and tried to disguise his laughter as sobbing.

Cleo grinned at Graves and winked at him, raising her wine bottle in a long distance cheers.

Tai looked alarmed and put a hand on Jordan's back. "You okay there, mate? Was he a friend of yours?"

Malia rolled her eyes and leaned over Sefa to look at JTT. "He's fucking with you," she told him.

JTT still looked confused but just nodded. "Yeah..." He watched Jordan have a fit across the fire and shook his head.

Sefa stood. "Then let's go, eh?"

Jordan sat up, seemingly composing himself in a matter of seconds. He stayed where he was and looked around to see if others were going to do the same.

Tai stood up after Sefa and stretched his arms behind his back. “Yeah, dude.” He grinned down at Jordan. “You comin’?”

Cleo smiled and stood with Sefa and Tai.

JTT looked over at Malia. "You going?"

Jordan shook his head. "As if I wanna end up like Kevin."

“Oh.” Tai hesitated, glancing between the water and Jordan. “Y’sure?”

"Go, Tai." Graves waved towards the water. "I'll stay here and make sure Jordan doesn't get too sad remembering Kevin. Drink?" He held the bottle out to Jordan.

Jordan gave a short nod, bristling slightly. "Yeah." He rolled his eyes at Graves and took the bottle. "Yeah, I can drink to forget."

Malia looked at the group that seemed to be going, noting that Jordan was not among them. "Yeah, I guess so," she said with a smile.

"Cool." JTT stood and looked at the bottle of wine in his hand. "Can I finish this?"

Graves watched everyone get up and head toward the water. He gave them a wave before turning to Jordan. "Whatever works, Nightcrawler. What's your deal with the lake?"

"Let me have it one more time, and then yes," Malia said, holding her hand out for the bottle.

JTT passed Malia the bottle.

Jordan looked at Graves. “Nightcrawler,” he repeated back with a smile. “Nothing. I’m just not gonna get naked in front of a bunch of strangers.” He took another sip from the bottle and then held it back out to Graves. “Do you have one? Or are you taking pity on a poor, lonely boy? Because you can go strip if you want.”

"Fair enough. No deal either, just don't really feel like swimmin' tonight." Graves shrugged, smiling. "Plus, I like drinking. And once y'unleash the kraken, you've gotta finish the bottle. Or so it goes," he said, accepting the bottle from Jordan and taking a longer sip.

Once he was sure it was okay to go, Tai broke into another grin and headed over to Malia. "Good for a splash?"

Malia took one final gulp of wine and then handed the bottle back to JTT. When Tai approached her, she shrugged. "I think so!"

JTT took back the bottle and downed the rest in one go. "Cool."

"Don't litter," Sefa warned as he started off toward the lake.

Jordan smiled wider at Graves. “I guess so. Does that mean we have to finish the whole bottle?”

“Sure as shit does.” Graves held the bottle out to Jordan. “We got a lot left, yikes.”

Jordan snorted. “If I finish this with you, you’re gonna be scraping me up off the pavement later.”

Tai glanced back once at Graves and Jordan, then smiled at Malia and held out his arm for her. "To the lake?"

“We can save some for your roommate. When he gets back. Or, I’ll get a shovel. Make scrap in’ y’off the pavement a helluva lot easier.” Graves laughed.

Malia returned the smile and took Tai's arm. "To the lake!"

#mus.sefa #mus.jtt #rel.jtt&sefa #rel.jtt&malia #rel.sefa&malia #rel.jtt&cleo #rel.sefa&tai #rel.sefa&cleo #rel.jtt&jordan #frm.chatzy

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