#I'm not sure what made me stop reading the Percy Jackson books but I hate whatever made me stop reading the Percy Jackson books

[howlingguardian]

Reading the Mark of Athena after a 14 year gap in the series, and I realise it's the first time I've seen the word eidolon used outside of Worm.

Neat.

#my stuff #parahumans #worm #pjo #mark of athena #what i'm reading #I'm not sure what made me stop reading the Percy Jackson books but I hate whatever made me stop reading the Percy Jackson books

[garrettwrites]

Warning: discussions of homophobia; extremely negative rant over a popular lgbt book.

Post context: I waited a decade to read a certain retelling book that focuses on the development of an lgbt couple, one which has been discussed over the centuries. I'm doing my best to censor its title and characters, so this post doesn't show up in the tags for people who genuinely love this story. The title, one I now view as overrated, is something along the lines of a song about a certain popular greek hero with long blond hair and a particularly fragile heel. I wanted to read the original, the Iliad, first. I was so excited... and finally, I read the Iliad and other classical texts, I studied ancient history, and I was finally in the mood to start, paired with good knowledge of the characters that would feature in it AND the historical context... Only to find out I shouldn't have waited. 14/15 year old me would have loved this. Current me cannot. I find most reviewers must have either been high while reading, or have taken this book as teenagers, because there is no way an adult over the age of 25 with some degree of reading experience would have not seen the glaring problems with this book.

Disclaimer, if you care - I have no problem with story alterations. I can be critical of them, sure. But even that won't stop me from enjoying something. I think Percy Jackson should have followed a more greek setup, and I don't particularly fancy some of the worldbuilding choices, but those books were and still are among my favourite fantasy stories. Even though they're for children. Even though I've read Tolkien. I'm no elitist, nor do I believe shit can't be changed to make a compelling story. What I do have a problem with is how you present information, and how you distort it.

For instance, if you wanted to write a story about Ariadne and her godly husband set in the year of 1850 for some reason, and make opium play a role? I think that's a fucking weird setting. But it could work, if you stuck true to what characterises them, their relationship, and had a story with a beggining middle and end that tries to show something.

Going back to the retelling that inspired this "rant review". I'll let others more qualified than me to talk about the sexism. What shocked me here was the gay lovestory that reads so homophobic in how cliché it is that it hurts.

This story reads as "when you're so progressive you gotta turn a gay couple made up of two masculine, warrior like, war drowned men into "the hot warrior and his healer who hates fighting" so it fits into (the already sexist/misogynistic) heterosexual couple role".

Because god forbid you have a gay couple where you actually need to deconstruct masculinity without villainizing it. God forbid you actually need to write men into a gay story. God forbid these men are not good, and you need to get into their complexity. God forbid the pov character, who is written as a love struck maiden, has a life outside his strong warrior that helps contextualise his love for him.

Listen. Feminine men are amazing. Gay feminine men are too. I have plenty of original characters that fit within these labels. What I do not do is turn two ancient greek warriors into an early 2000s seme uke yaoi dynamic where one of them is a fragile maiden war tent housewife and the other a very hot but detached strong soldier god man. This is not the story to do that. And even if you play with gender roles and have a man take a more "womanly" role, it's not enough to just genderswap - a character is still badly written regardless of wether they're male or female.

If the housewife character here was a woman, I guarantee everyone who praises this book would be losing their marbles. A woman with no personality outside her lover? Afraid of fighting, of standing up, of speaking up, and this never changes? Who becomes a healer not because she studies it, but because her fragile soul has no other option? Who is passive as all hell in the story until the author remembers she has to die in an impactful manner to trigger her male love interest? That is two dimensional and no way to write a girl, and it's not suddenly okay just because this girl has a dick and is a him.

Yet cause it's gay it's okay to write such an insipid character. Praised even. Which is made even worse, because the original version was a man who yes - indeed - was kind to others yet an absolute beast on the battlefield. Who had opinions and gave counsel. This is not even an original character - I wouldn't criticise an original character as harshly, but this author changed a fighter with incredible skill, who killed a son of a god and was a hero in his own right, into this. A character who yes, was kind and beloved. But touched by war regardless. A character who was loved by those around him, but in this book is ridiculed by these very same people.

Why do you think that is.

And no, trying to make the story more anti war is not an answer. The Iliad is anti war. The Iliad literally comments on how war corrupts what it touches, how it fucked up the lives of everyone involved. This is not a modern take on an old story, because the old story in question already talks about it.

But what can I expect, here. I could call this a work that doesn't know how to write gay men without adhering to (already dated even for straight people) gender roles... but truth is? Author doesn't know how to write women either. The moment you unironically think Helen of Troy is just a vain little hot chick you should not be allowed to write an Iliad retelling, me thinks.

Oh, and let's not get into the fact both main characters are meant to be gay. They're not bisexual. Yet this book - a GAY ROMANCE - is not shy about shoving straight sex scenes onto you. Sex scenes with really no purpose, for they're never brought up again later, and have no story impact.

I am not kidding. Character A gets D pregnant, Character P barely reacts to it, and when D gets upset at P for whatever reason THE TWO OF THEM HAVE SEX TOO. NOTHING AS GAY AS FUCKING THE WOMAN IMPREGNATED BY YOUR BOYFRIEND, UH?! And it's never brought up again! Nobody forces Character P into this yet he willingly goes? Excuse me, if you wanted these characters to have sex with women so casually, why not just make them bisexual and open to banging outside their relationship?

It reads as so disgusting, to have an author clearly lean into a soulmate trope, then just pull some of the most uncomfortable to read sex scenes ever outside that soulmate couple (I love purple prose. Purple prose is probably the only reason I didn't hate this book - the writing was beautiful. But the way the sex with Character D goes... good lord it's written in such a puke inducing way). I'm not against poly in books, what I am against is leaning into monogamous tropes for a gay couple, where you write neither of them as bisexual (which, btw, bi-erasure of the original characters) but then have them bang outside their relationship EVEN when nobody is forcing them to. Never have I read a gay book where straight sex is pushed forward so much. And it's not just even weird for the gay couple, it's also written in a really odd way for the women involved.

"Oh you just don't get the theme! It was out of pity! It was-" turn this into a straight romance and tell me, with a straight face, that this story is well written. Bad character development, bad usage of tropes, terrible pacing, and the use of sex outside the main romance purely for reader self insertion (for it contributes with nothing but shoddy erotica, in a book supposedly about AxP) should not be excused just because a book is gay.

Honestly. "Let people enjoy things" well I propose let me be a hater. I went above and beyond to block the book and character names, let's hope it's enough. But I'm against not criticising things just because they're diverse. It's 2024. There's plenty of authors writing good stories with marginalised people.

And let's talk about LGBT+ worldbuilding, shall we? In the beggining of this book - set in Ancient Greece by the way - it's stated men could take male lovers on the side. Then it's not brought up again, until later a woman tells P many married men take lovers on the side. This girl was originally a sex slave by the way, and here she gets Stockholm Syndrome and falls for P. But then another character tells P he's too old to be into men? So, which is it? It's not even a thing about ancient greek men having that thing where it was accepted for an older man to be sexually involved with a young boy, because here the problem brought up is P being too old, not his lover being too old too.

Oh, and the love interest's (A's) mother. She hates their relationship. We are told she hates their relationship because P is mortal and she doesn't want a mortal to be with her son. Yet later on she arranges a marriage between her son and a MORTAL woman. So is the problem really mortality, or homosexuality?

Why is there modern day homophobia in a story that many praise for historical accuracy?

I honestly hate how people care about representation at the cost of quality. It is mind boggling to me that a woman in this century wrote a book more homophobic and misogynistic than greeks almost 3 thousand years ago did.

#anti Madeline miller #yes this is about th3 s0ng of 4ch1lles #censoring so it doesn't show in the tags #I'm not an asshole and not trying to push such a negative post onto people who like this #or have good memories with it #but lord waiting a decade to read this book only to come out massively disappointed? #it hurst honestly #garrett.text #homophobia in media #I wanted to read her other one about... how should I censor it... 'c1rc3' #but after reading this

[hermesgoestojuvie]

do you have any permes hcs or fic ideas?

oh anon u have no idea what you've unleashed. the permes fic ideas are all i have some days, alas, im not that accomplished at the whole idea to words transition as i wish i was. i'll go into a few more concrete ones under the read more

Quick note: So like. All the things I plan to write happen when he’s 18+. and there's no sibling or parent incest. (bringing that up cause i got an. interesting dm once.) So this is just a quick disclaimer of sorts. And I’m not hating on anyone who wants to write or read something dark! I mean for instance I have a time travel Percy/Hermes brainworm that is considered dark and probably not what a lot of people want to read, so i'll tag it as such.

The One Where There is a War

Explained a little more in detail here but I have no problem talking a little about it again. It was inspired by this one perpollo fic that I'm still looking for so I can link it, bc trust me, it is GOOD. (edit: FOUND IT!!!! HERE it’s by @ghost-bxrd)The premise of that fic was a war between the gods and demigods, and my fic is meant to draw from that as well as some elements from Lore by Alexandra Bracken. It takes place post-second Giant war, but I'm toying with the idea of having the war and all related events, like gaea's rising, happen when percy is maybe 19-20? I'm not sure yet though. I might keep the timeline as is instead. For now, just know that it is post-second giant war.

Anyways, the premise is the new war the demigods have waged on the gods, when Percy, already a conflicted party to the war, comes across an injured Hermes when he is separated from his group of scouts.

2. Warning: Untitled For Now But It Is The Dark!Hermes One

you ever read child surprise by aphroditesfavorite or the breezeblocks series by violetmoreviolent?

Both are perpollo, and while I've not caught up to child surprise (i'm two chapters in, its been in my marked for later for a while, and ive had the tab open for ages, i just keep getting distracted lol) i know that it does deal with a time-travel trope, with percy, post-second giant and titan wars, waking up in the past, the day athena and poseidon compete over athens.

from what i hear, where child surprise is perpollo, there is a dark, forcecful hermes scene, which is absolutely not meant to be shippy btw! i heard from a friend who has gotten farther than me that the aphroditesfavorite has also stated that the shippy comments received about that hermes scene has made them uncomfortable so like, dont go reading it for that guys please.

breezeblocks meanwhile has a take on dark!apollo, a more ancient apollo, in a way. an apollo that you remember IS an olympian and all that may entail. i actually have caught up with the latest updates, and it takes place in the present. i dont want to go spoiling, but I will say that like, the way its all unraveling and unfolding is just so interesting, im high key invested.

@ashilrak and @mrthology have also written an absolutely heartbreaking, gutwrenching, exceptionally glorious banger of a fic, HAUNT ME, THEN- that also really captures the otherness and ancient, almost older, aspect of the olympians.

anyways, the reason i bring these fics up is because i just really love the idea that percy was born from the sea, while also acknowledging that one of my favorite parts of the whole book series in the first place is percy's connection to mortality and to his mother. reading child surprise really was root of a lot of ideas of percy emerging from the saltwater fountain in athens at the time of poseidon and athena's competition, with the idea that the trip to the past coincides with unwanted percy's ascension. it is not the birth of percy jackson the demigod, but in half, percy jackson the deity (the other half near coming to fruition in tartarus before he forced himself to stop.)

all that^ was just a very long way to say, this fic, im not sure WHAT it is yet, or where the direction its going in is, but we have established permes in the modern era, the time slipping happens when percy is struggling with keeping his impending ascension at bay, and then percy deals with a hermes at his like. prime? if thats the word. having to reconcile that with the softer versions they know later.

3. The One I've Been Struggling With

i'm just gonna copy/paste some stuff from my outline, like just the first two pages. this is the most concrete fic wip i have lmao. its all very rambly bc thats how the process goes for me so sorry abt that! anyways, starts below:-

an au that is not modern times, but perhaps in the past? Ancient Greek times? So more “ancient greek minded hermes.” Or if you think there is a better alternative, that would work too, I’m all ears. Trickster god Hermes (which he is) and minor immortal(?) Percy.

i dont know what percy's situation is yet. need to figure that out

i was looking at a comic and thought, trickster god Hermes would definitely pull something like this on Percy. And then I thought, what if, trickster god Hermes, sees this one man (Percy) and falls in love with him. But this man seems to pine for a woman who doesn’t love him back, and so Hermes takes her shape. (I don’t know who this woman would be. Annabeth? It could be her, but I also love the bond Percy and Annabath have in general, she and him are incredible friends. Rachel? I loved her friendship with Percy too.)

Anyways, Hermes taking their shape made me laugh a bit because wow Percy is getting catfished by a god. And then I was like WHAT IF- Percy himself is a minor immortal like. A young nymph-ish type. A prince of Atlantis? A demigod turned prince of Atlantis? I am not sure what he is, but, I am going to use nymph as a placeholder until I figure this out. 

So sure, Percy is immortal, newly or otherwise, but he’s young and still not fully like, aware (I don’t know if that's the right word) about what it means to be immortal because he literally was born 20 years ago, which is normal mortal young man age. And Percy is like, “I’m as old as them and I want to live as them. I was them.”

His father is protective of course, he is aware of the way of the gods and how they chase pretty people. Poseidon warned him about gods, how they come and go, how he should never fall for one because loving one usually ends in tragedy or heartbreak- that to them hearts are easily won by tricks and discarded as easily. (Thinking again: mortal Percy turned immortal by marrying/mating with Hermes? Except, then I thought, Poseidon wants Percy to be immortal–if he thought Hermes showing interest and Percy reciprocating would allow for Percy to choose to be immortal he would probably begrudgingly allow it. So then….immortal Percy? Need to think)

The big Hermes reveal is when Percy is attacked or injured, or some other god shows up, and Hermes saves him but reveals his true form in the process. 

BACK TO THE PLOT!!!

Hermes was like, I will have this nymph, and that is FINAL. And Percy is kind even though he is not necessarily always NICE, (it may be ancient greek but new yorker percy is timeless) he's sweet and cares so much. he’s a hero and so loyal. he's brave and mischievous and genuinely good, and Hermes is just. Blown away, by the way Percy loves, so deep and it consumes you, to be the one Percy cares for, Hermes thinks there is no feeling like it.

Hermes tells himself that Percy can't possibly be deserving of mortal love. So what if golden haired Annabeth (placeholder for now, still dont know if we're going the annabeth route?) is a warrior who can run like the deer and loves the very woods Percy does. No, he needs a god's adoration, a force to be reckoned with at his beck and call to fulfill his every whim the way Percy himself makes others feel. If people would be loved the way Percy loves, everyone would be a god. 

I am laughing at Hermes taking the shape of Annabeth while talking to Percy, but also using the moment to talk up Hermes. Like if Percy is in his starry eyed about Annabeth phase, Annabeth wanting to have a sit down would be so exciting for him, and Hermes as Annabeth would be petty enough to be like lemme proselytize about myself, “have you heard of the great wonderful god Hermes?”

Percy being like, “Yeah my dad tells me every day, stay away from these people and then gives me a list of gods, why?”

Hermes immediately pissy

Percy is still talking, “so yeah Hermes is on the list too- why, Annabeth? Did something happen? you look...not well. Are you sick?”

Hermes, through gritted teeth, “with all due respect to... your father, I think you should hear about the god Hermes because he's not... whatever it is your dad said.”

Percy: Well, apparently the god Hermes fixates on pretty people and tries to get into their pants using trickery.

Hermes as Annabeth: CHOKES

Hermes-Annabeth: THAT IS SUCH SLANDER. I have never.... ahem, i have never heard of that about the god Hermes

^That was the first two pages. there's 11 more of me realizing writing is hard and i have commitment issues. but hopefully i finish at some point bc this is the fic ive poured some serious time in!

anyways, that was the three main fic ideas ive been tackling. i have had more that i immediately forget about, but just know, i can think about them all day!

#hermes #hermes pjo #percy jackson #permes #hermes x percy jackson #percy x hermes #percy jackson pjo #answered asks

[shoto-chann]

Hi there! I've been reading your stories for a while, and they're absolutely adorable 😍 if you're taking requests, and since you're writing for HoO, I wanted to request a lee! Leo and ler! Piper or Jason or any of the Seven tickling the shit out of him for pulling nonstop pranks on April Fool's. Thank you so much hehe

This idea sounds absolutely beautiful! I finally get to write for my favorite book series! My Percy Jackson Era has started! There seriously needs to be more PJO/HoO tickle fics out there with characters like Leo, Frank, Hazel, or any other characters, but I'm fine with any cause they're all so wonderful. Here ya go, friend 😁😁

There's Always A Limit

Heroes of Olympus

Lee! Leo

Ler! Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel

Description: Leo keeps pulling April Fool's pranks on everyone, and after daring to get Annabeth, she and the rest of the Seven teach him why he shouldn't test people's patience

*Warning: Contains tickling

Leo silently giggled to himself as he finished setting up his next prank. "This is gonna be so good," He said quietly as he tiptoed out of the room he was in. Turning to the semi opened door, he waited for that person to wake up. He didn't have to wait long cause that person woke up five seconds later, rubbed the sleep out of their eyes, and screamed bloody murder. Leo laughed out loud and entered the room, witnessing Annabeth screaming and crawling away from what appeared to be the scariest thing in the world: spiders. Annabeth's eyes turned to Leo as she trembled in the corner. "LEO! KILL THEM! KILL THEM!" She screamed. "PERCY! PERCY!" "April Fools!" Leo said as he fell to the floor, cackling. He picked up one of the spiders and showed it to Annabeth, who only screamed louder. "Calm down, they're not real spiders" Leo said as he revealed what it actually was. "It's just paper, Annie. Oh, I can't believe I got you. Everyone said it was impossible, but I just proved them wrong. Coach Hedge, better pay up!" Leo said as he bolted out of the room with a chuckle and an evil smirk.

Later, everyone except Leo met up around the dining hall. Unfortunately, everyone had fallen victim to Leo's pranks. Percy's food was dyed red, which made Percy cry. Jason, who hardly got any sleep, was holding a now destroyed alarm clock that went off and played Jason's least favorite song at random times. Piper's wardrobe was swapped out with fancy and elegant clothing, something she hated with a passion. Frank's face was written in marker with the message saying "Leo Da Best," and Hazel had fake minerals laying around her room and around other people's rooms, scaring her almost to death. But the only one who was the most angry was Annabeth. To say she was pissed would be an understatement. One look at her made the Underworld feel like a tropical vacation. "I'm going to kill Valdez," Annabeth said through gritted teeth. "I'm not sure we should go that far," Jason said. "Don't get me wrong, I feel like flinging him off the ship and blasting him with lightning, but we should-" "I want to hurl hurricanes at him" Percy said angrily. "Maybe I can charmspeak him into jumping off the ship as it flies." "Maybe I should throw a gold bar in his face." "I can shoot him in his legs." Everyone started naming things they could (and wanted to) do to Leo for his pranks, and it was starting to get out of control. "EVERYBODY, SHUT UP!" Annabeth shouted. Everyone immediately stopped talking with fear that Annabeth might hurt them instead. "Look, we all want to hurt Leo, but there's a better way to deal with him besides breaking his bones and killing him" Annabeth said. "What do you have in mind, Wise Girl?" Percy asked. "Glad you asked, Seaweed Brain. I'll demonstrate. Get up here." Percy hesitated to move, but he did as he was told and walked up to Annabeth, who immediately judo flipped him onto his back and tickled his belly button without mercy. "GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHANABEHEHEHETH! WHYHYHY!?" "This is for not coming to help me when Leo put fake spiders in my room." Annabeth said as she continued her assault for another twenty seconds before letting Percy go. "And just because I needed to let off a little steam," She said as she kissed Percy on the cheek. Annabeth stood up and sighed. "Everyone get what I mean now?" Everyone nodded at the idea of teaching Leo a thing or two.

Later that day, Leo was rummaging around for more materials he could use to get another couple of pranks in. He had the brilliant idea that involved fake snakes and a voice changer. He had almost finished creating his voice changer when all of a sudden Piper came in. "Leo, that big angry bird is back." Leo looked up at Piper. "Really?! Finally, I get to pay that stupid bird back for taking my food!" Leo got down and rushed out to the main hall to ready the weapons, only to find the bird inside and resting on a table. Leo locked eyes with the bird and smirked. "Ready to get turned into dinner, you stupid bird?" He stepped closer to the bird, but before he could make a move, the bird flew at Leo full speed. Leo was about to catch the bird, but was surprised when the bird grew arms and legs and was reaching out to-

"What the-" Leo was tackled down by what was now an angry looking Frank. Frank pinned him to the ground with one hand, his eyes looming over Leo with hatred and a small hint of a smirk. "What was that for, dude?! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Leo exclaimed. "Oh no, the horror," said Annabeth with an annoyed yet satisfied sarcastic tone. She and the other demigods walked in behind her and approached Leo. "Guys, w-what's with the sudden-" "So you think it's funny to prank everyone here?" Annabeth asked in a demanding tone. "Well...yeah. It's April Fools Day. How can I just pass this opportunity up?" Annabeth glared at him, but it wasn't her usual annoyed or angry glare. She had a smirk on her face. Leo was even more afraid of this Annabeth than angry mom Annabeth. "Well, Valdez, you have to be punished for what toy did to everyone." Everyone had already positioned themselves next to Leo, which made him a little nervous. "L-Look, we can talk about this like civil people hehehere" Leo giggled nervously. "It's a little too late for talking" Annabeth said. "I wonder how quickly you can hit your limit."

"Please, Annie-" "Only I get to call her that!" Percy said as he started tickling Leo's hips. Leo bucked his hips as he giggled loudly. Soon, Jason joined in and tickled his sides, Piper went for his ribs, Annabeth and Hazel targeted his feet, and Frank just held him down with his arms above his head. Leo was cackling right off the bat with 10 hands tickling almost every spot. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! GUHUHUHUYS, STAHAHAHAP! THIHIHIS IHIS TOO MUHUHUCH!" Leo begged. The others just ignored him and continued to tickle him. "Hey, Frank. His armpits are extra sensitive, especially if you're a little rough with it" Jason commented. "JAHAHASON, YOU TRAHAHAHAHAITOR! NAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FRAHAHANK! NOHOT THEHEHEHERE!" Leo's laugh increased once Frank started tickling his armpits. This shocked everyone for little bit. Frank was one to never tickle anyone without their permission and was too nice to tickle anyone for long. Apparently that didn't apply to Leo cause he was tickling him like crazy, even going as far as to tickle the spot between his ribs and armpits. Leo started screaming at the top of his lungs, but no words could come out. It only made it worse when Frank used his free hand to tickle Leo's belly. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" "Okay guys! Rotate!" Annabeth said. Momentarily, everyone let him go so he could breathe while they rotated positions. Leo was trying to steady his breathing so he could actually get some air. "Plehehease. Noho mohohore," He begged. "Oh, Leo, Leo, Leo, you poor dumb boy. You're not even a quarter of the way done with your punishment" Annabeth said with a chuckle. Then she and the others started tickling Leo again.

For nearly an hour, everyone had taken turns rotating and tickling every tickle spot Leo had. Halfway through his tickle punishment, Leo stopped squirming and just accepted his fate. He still squirmed every now and then, but he knew he couldn't escape and he couldn't change their minds. Tears trickled down his red cheeks as he laughed harder than he ever did in his life.

Eventually, Annabeth had decided that Leo had had enough and told everyone to stop. So everyone let up and gave him space. Leo could hardly breathe while he curled up into a ball to get rid of the tickly feeling all over his body. Within seven minutes, he could form words again. "I hahate you ahahall" He said with a grin wider than the grand canyon. "Now, what did you learn from today, Valdez?" Annabeth asked. "Dohohon't mess with yohou" "Good. Now do you promise to never pull stunts like this again?" "Noho" Annabeth glared at him again. "Excuse me?" Leo sat up and looked at Annabeth. "Thahat's impossible. I can't just give up pranks." "You have one chance, Valdez." " I. Said. No." Leo crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Amnabeth. Percy stepped up to him like he wanted to throw him, but Annabeth held him back. "It's your funeral." "Why say it like tha-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAT!" Leo jumped a foot into the air and wiggled around as if there were something in his shirt. "GEHEHET OHOUT OF MYHY SHIHIHIRT, FRAHAHANK!" Leo demanded as he fell back laughing and holding his torso. Frank, who had shapeshifted into a mouse, responded by going to his weakest spot. Leo shrieked and rolled on the floor like a toddler throwing a tantrum as he tried to grab Frank. "PLEHEHEHEHEASE! PLEHEHEHEHEASE! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!" "Only if you promise to-" "OKAHAHAHAHAY! I PROHOHOHOMISE! I SWEHEHEHEAR! JUHUST STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! I'M GOHOHONNA PEHEHEHEHEE!" "Frank, you can stop now" Hazel said. Frank immediately crawled out of Leo's shirt and scampered next to Hazel before shapeshifting back into Frank. Jason and Piper helped him up off the floor while he was recovering from hyena-itis. "You better hold up to your promise, Leo. No more going overboard with your stupid pranks, or else your punishments will be worse than what you got today" Annabeth threatened. "I promise" Leo nodded as he freed himself from Jason's and Piper's grasp and immediately bolted to the bathroom. Everyone laughed and continued talking about everything that happened.

Leo never ended up keeping that promise. He only lessened the frequency of his pranks, but they never truly went away. But he always made sure to never prank Annabeth again. He did not want to suffer under her devil fingers ever again.

The End

I hope you enjoyed my very first Heroes of Olympus tickle fic. I will write a lot more for this series because it's my absolute favorite, and the characters are so interesting and cool and everything. And of course, I have an O/C for this as well, but I'm not quite ready to reveal him yet. If you loved reading this and want more, requests and dms are always open.

That's all for now. Until next time,

❄️🔥shoto-chann🔥❄️ out

#heroes of olympus #percy jackson #annabeth chase #frank zhang #hazel levesque #jason grace #piper mclean #tickle fic #april fool's day #lee!leo #seven demigods

[danpuff-ao3]

ten books to get to know me

Thanks for the tag @wolfpants!! And @consistentsquash!! :D

Tagging: @perverse-idyll, @writcraft, @lizzy0305, @arrisha-ao3, @liladiurne, @bluesundaycake, @cindle-writes, @ripeteeth, @givereadersahug, @broomsticks, @charlotterhea, @ashesandhackles, @teacup-tai, @sugareey-makes-stuff, @mrviran, @yletylyf ....no pressure! Apologies if you've already been tagged or done this! And if you've not been tagged and want to play along, go ahead and consider yourself tagged!

Under the cut cuz LONG. (Y'all know I like to talk.)

The Harry Potter series

....I'm in the HP fandom, so that's probably 0 surprise. Also feels icky due to being written by Terf McTerfington. Buuuuuut. Well. The universe needs balance and HP's power was so great it could only be stopped by Great Evil, or so I like to tell myself.

The series was published in the U.S. when I was 7. I was already a big reader. I was a big reader from the moment I could read at all. But HP was the first series I fell well and truly in love with. I discovered fanfiction at 11, and started writing it at 13. The story and this fandom were there through the worst moments of my life. I'm not sure it will ever not be important to me.

The Percy Jackson series (Rick Riordan)

Honestly, I can't lie, I'm a big sucker for kids' books. They're just fun, dang it. Great literature? No. But I don't read to impress, I read to have a good time, and Percy Jackson is a good time. Also all the related series. Magnus Chase? Trials of Apollo? The Kane Chronicles? Yes yes yes BRING THEM TO ME.

There's a Potter-esque feel to the PJO series. Dark haired green eyed hero who didn't know he had magical abilities? Also the Cabins make me think of the Houses, even though it's more parentage than traits. It's a vibe, okay? And on top of that...mythology???? I'm a big ole mythology nerd, especially for Greek mythology. And let me tell you, I inhaled those books. And I still love them a lot, actually.

The Twilight series (Stephenie Meyer)

To round out the list of "stories Little Danni loved" is Twilight. Yes, I was a Twi-hard in junior high and high school. What's funny is all the modern "this is problematic because Edward is stalking Bella, and also he's a vampire and immortal and there's an age gap!" jabbering is probably what sold me on the story to begin with. Listen: I like what I like, okay? Also: vampire + human? Does that count as monsterfucking? Idk but it's at least different species which ticks some boxes, okay?

Honestly everyone talking about how effed up Twilight is was just a lightbulb moment for me of like "oh. No wonder I was so into it."

Twilight also played a role in my writing journey! In high school I joined a Twilight themed RPG site on proboards. I created a mega evil vampire named Danna Deville, whose face cast was Hayden Panettierre. This weirdly made me super popular because no one else was creating/playing villainous characters. Let me tell you, it did loads for my self esteem. Also it's funny to think about all those old friendships born of "hey let's RP together. I really want your character to torture my character."

Mistborn (Brandon Sanderson)

This one I have big opinions on. On the one hand, I really enjoy Brandon Sanderson's stories. On the other hand, while his magic systems are often highly praised, I hate them. Hate, loathe, and despise them. I'll not say more than that. I don't like to hate on things. And my partner really loves Brandon Sanderson and his magic systems. (I'm just over here muttering about "they eat metal" and have to actively not think about it.) It's just not my jam. I much prefer softer magic systems. Hard magic systems tend to throw me a bit. But Brandon Sanderson sure knows how to tell a story, dang it. He's super creative and smart and has these big sweeping ideas, with all these twists and turns! His worldbuilding is also insanely good.

Mistborn (Era 1) is probably my favorite of his works. One as an overall story (Vin, my love!) But also the connection to my Eddie.

You see, when my partner and I first met, it was in the book section of an entertainment store. Where we stood in the aisles and talked for hours. My very first impression was "who is this goofy man?" and I left the interaction fully smitten. And anxious, awkward lady that I am, my grand plan was to read the books he'd been raving about to have something to talk about. Idle chit chat? No can do. Book talk? That I can do! So I read Mistborn, for a start. Then worked my way through other book recommendations. And now that goofy nerd is mine. All's well that ends well!

The Wheel of Time series (Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson)

Once I worked my way through Brandon Sanderson's books, I moved onto The Wheel of Time, which was much more up my alley! I could not put those books down. (At least until I hit The Slog, at which point I still couldn't put them down, but I was mostly charging through waiting for it to get good again.) This was also the first time I tried to not look up spoilers before reading a book. (Blasphemy, I know, blah blah. Look: I have anxiety. Spoilers make my life easier and happier, okay?) Eddie is very staunchly anti-spoiler, so I did my best to try a spoiler-free experience. I made it most of the way through. Towards the end I accidentally spoiled myself on a big event. It was a bit foolishly done but I'd consulted google to refresh my memory on an event from an earlier book, and my Google excursions warned me of a few deaths ahead of time. Whoops. On the whole, though, me making it 10+ books with no spoilers was pretty dang impressive.

Also the book series is great. And I'm side-eying the show a bit. Just a little bit.

(Bonus: the band Blind Guardian has a song called "Wheel of Time" about the books and it's 10/10. At least if you like symphonic metal, which I do.) (Oh, "Ride Into Obsession" from the same album is also WoT inspired.)

Flowers in the Attic series (V. C. Andrews)

The fact that I read this series as a child might explain a lot. Also you should know my mother gave me these books to read. Child abuse, forced imprisonment, murder, and incest? Sign me up! It's all sortsa messed up and dark and to this day it's still my # 1 guilty pleasure series. I like...just don't care. You can tell me how badly written it is or how problematic it is, I don't care. This is the book equivalent to eating a whole bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos while watching true crime videos. This is indulgence, my friends. I'm having a great time, please leave me in peace.

Till We Have Faces (C. S. Lewis)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Idk what to say other than this book is perfect, I will hear no slander against it, and I really need to reread it, like, ASAP. Another link to Greek mythology this one. Also: I really love Orual.

(Does anyone wanna read/reread it with me? Lmk.)

The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller)

Gorgeous, amazing, perfect, wonderful. Patroclus/Achilles forever. Ouch my heart. God it's beautiful. MORE GREEK MYTHOLOGY OF COURSE. Also all of Madeline Miller's stuff is stellar. (Circe and Galatea!!!! Read those, too!!!!) I have every feeling on planet earth about this one.

Widecare trilogy (Phillippa Gregory)

Beatrice Lacey is wonderful and amazing and also really messed up in the head. Historical fiction. Little Beatrice is in love with her family's land, Wideacre. And is HORRIFIED and OFFENDED when she realizes that, as a girl, she will not only not inherit, but will have to leave one day???? Cuz as a lady it is her purpose in life to get married and pop out babies???? But Beatrice is ambitious, clever, manipulative, and passionate and she doesn't let lady parts or the patriarchy keep her down!! And by that, she goes to rather dark and taboo extremes. Which I admire and respect. (I grew up watching horror films and reading darkfic. Trust me, I was having a great time with this story.)

Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)

I stg this book gets no respect. Is this a really toxic, dysfunctional romance? Absolutely. What else do you want in a story???? Oh OBSESSIVE, PASSIONATE, UNDYING LOVE??? GOT THAT, TOO. This book lives in my heart and soul. I can fully quote Heathcliff's speech to Catherine ("I cannot life without my life, I cannot live without my soul") on demand. I have read this book to death, through resurrection, and back to death.

...also it's hella Snarry, isn't it? That explains a lot.

(Also shoutout to other teenage obsessions: The Hunger Games and Divergent. Also the Three Dark Crowns series???? Loved that. Hannibal???? Yes please. Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series??? MORE! Oh and R.L. Stein's The Nightmare Room were the books of my childhood. Oh! Oh oh! And another thing! The Wonder by Emma Donoghue????? Incredible. Blow my mind. Oh and She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb is another case of "this is a very dark messed up story that a family member gave me that I inhaled because I really liked messed up stuff, actually.") (Is this cheating? Probably. But I've been a major bookworm since words even made sense to me, please cut a gal some slack.) (Please don't judge me.)

[akane171]

😭😭😭😭 "YOU WERE MY BROTHER, ANAKIN, I LOVED YOU!" "I HATE YOU!" 😭😭😭😭🙈 Please excuse me while I go ugly sob over this tragic BROTP all over again😭😭😭😭😭🙈 They have best and worst kind of dynamics though it all🙈😍😭 *crying noises*

True true😂 Tho only angst with no happiness or only happiness before (e.g. Anakin and Obi-Wan's friendship) leaves ugly never fading scars😭😭😭🙈

Ohhh, that's actually really cool that there's an explicit distinction between the kind of tales🤔😍 I haven't heard of such a distinction in any other language yet, just general differentiations of terms according to exact content (e.g. does it include Animals or is it based on real life etc)🤔 And haha, Yess, the terms *do* "sound" cool😍🙈 Maybe the fairy thing is because their ancient tales had fairies in them? I don't even know, your guess is as good as mine🤷🏻‍♀️😅

Ohhh, you meant the angst she pulled 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ Well, yes, that one week alone was more than enough angst to last😅🙈 But hey, I didn't even do anything, how am I nearly as bad?? I never had them not be happy in the end!😱😖 Plus, if I am nearly as bad, you are clearly at least just as bad!😂

THE KANGAROOS ARE NOT DEAD, STOP TRYING TO KILL THEM OFF!😭😭

Well, The Mortal Instruments books actually kinda had incest in them as well (which did kinda fucked me up, or rather annoy me, back then, cause not only did I not like the main character, but then she also had to get involved with who she later thought was her brother and after that even kissed and was lusted after by her real brother...)😅😩😩 Tho fanfics still managed to do worse😅

O.M.G.! YESSS! WHO freaking thought FIRST PERSON, PRESENT NARRATIVE was a good idea?? It's just WEIRD AND CRINGE!🙈😖 The only books I've ever read that used first person and were actually good were the Percy Jackson books (tho, tbh, I typically avoid that perspective at all costs cause I just can't read the stuff from cringing -PJO excluded ofc😅🙈)

You know what's even worse? Dumb af translations of books!😅 I've been told there is a Swedish(? Not sure if it was swedish) book that is brilliant with witty jokes and weird storylines which do make sense in the end thanks to a overall background story/plot, but the German (or was it English?) translation was so bad that it left out the WHOLE BACKGROUND STORY which made it a horrible, boring read😅🤦🏻‍♀️

Lol, okay, that just sounds like shit, I'm sorry you read that book😅🙈

There, there *comforting pats* 😔

Yesss😍 And ohhh, true, that was a problem😅🤦🏻‍♀️🙈

Aww,  but non-existence is so much nicer😖😭😭

Oh, LOL, now that you pointed it out, she does sound kinda shitty😅🙈😂🤦🏻‍♀️ The actress is cool tho, very funny and nice🤔😂🤷🏻‍♀️

...That...actually sounds really cool😯 Oh god, now I want a Season 2 even more😭😭😭🙈🙈😅😅 But how would they even go back to the Containment? Maybe my memory is screwed again, but didn't they find a cure at the end of Season 1?😅🤔

Someday😂😂😂

🤷🏻‍♀️😅 I'm terrible at names and nicknames and don't really have any of my own (unless you count ones made up by friends just to semi-annoy me with how stupid they sound) 😂🙈🤷🏻‍♀️ Seriously, people with nickname-y names are so lucky😂😂😉

xxx

Well, it was a better relationship than anakin and amidala, for sure.

That was the most tragic relationship in the movies, you can't change my mind.

Aka the relationship you will remember forever :)))))

i don't know either, but now you made me think I should google it harder, lol.

Sure, you just didn't pour the angsty scenarios with AU Mon-El suffering for centuries and then dying in vain. MHMHMHMHHM What doesn't change you are horrible angster, my deaaaaaaaar

Sure, sure, sureeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, only guilty people are excusing themselves so.

I have heard, internet was full of that book, ships, movie (?) ans a tv show on some point (what basically made me super not interested).

...what kind of soap opera it was? D: And yes, people can unleash their imagination in fics and it ends on some... super,... imaginative slash FUCKING WEIRD places.

Well, The Hunger Games were not terrible with this kind of narrative, yet, the author is not that good to slay it. But, interesting story (still, Battle Royale is 10 times better)

Yeah, translations can suck. I sometimes feel the translations to Polish of the newest Stormlight Archive were given to some dumbass translator who translates some sentences with google trans and translates some phrasal verbs literally. And it kills a lot of joy, because I know the stories in English slay.

There is a special kind of hell for that person who massacred that "Swedish" story, seriously =='

I seriosuly disliked her since her first apperance and CHEERED when she died. No hate for the actress, of course, she did what she got.

I think they found vaccine or something, but hey, viruses can mutate. Or make people zombies. Karamel in zombieland would be fun too xD

Aww, your friends give you annoying nicknames? That's so sweet xD any particular that annoyed you the most?

Kat is a part of my name and in Polish it means "executioner" so you can guess why i love it xD

Have a nice weeekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend. It's finally nice weather so I could rode my bike and dayum, tomorrow I'm going to die xD

#anons #my fam #ReFail

[musicallisto]

Hi! I'd like to request ships for the PJO, Marvel and Playchoices fandoms (my fav books are ES, TC&TF and ILITW) if you don't mind! I'm a straight female (she/her) who's intelligent, hard-working, ambitious, sassy, sarcastic, determined, helpful, caring, logical and analytical, but also arrogant, bossy, stubborn, overly competitive, fussy over my friend's health (both mental and physical) and very averse to big changes. My dream is to become a lawyer because I want to use my skills to (1/2)

Help others. My hobbies include reading books, watching films and over-analyzing both. I suck at anything remotely physical but I'm rather good at all things school-related. For the song thing I'm going to choose Avicii's "Without You" because it's been stuck in my head all week xD. Anyways, thanks so much for doing this and sorry if I made any mistakes, English is not my first language 💙💙💙

I Ship You With...

Percy Jackson

there’s surely a lot of energy going on in this relationship, but even before you two were together, your friends used to say that even Mount Olympus could collapse with the strength of your passion (passion meaning ‘stubborn as HELL tendencies’, but I didn’t tell you that)

it’s honestly kind of tiring at times to be the protective, caring, and even fussy girlfriend of a demi-god who’s been the chosen one of probably 12 prophecies (and counting) and has a knack for fighting ancient monsters of legend and immortal creatures

you have to practically beg Percy for him to lay down a little so you can take of his injuries and take a nap with you, mainly because you’re so concerned about his physical and mental strain, but also for the selfish pleasure of having him only to you

“Oh come on, I’m gonna be fine, it’s really no big deal” “Perseus Jackson you have been fighting mythological monsters for two weeks straight I am COMMANDING YOU to take a nap with me”

him being the cheeky hero that he is - “well, if this is what my general commands” with a sly smile, but you can read the absolute exhaustion beneath his sea-green eyes

he never really had much interested in anything acamedic or school-related, what with his dyslexia and ADHD making it harder for him to concentrate for long periods of time on given subjects (and, you know, the occasional saving-the-world thing taking up a little of his time), but once he discovers how passionate you are about school stuff he’s tempted to make an effort and support you

when you have a big test coming up and you have to study, Percy typically sits (spins, actually) on a chair in your bedroom while you’re at your desk and randomly exclaims pop quizzes about the subject to make sure that you know everything

“what was the name of the gladiator who led a slave uprising against the Roman Republic?” “Spartacus” “correct. The gods talk about him sometimes. Jason heard he’s a fun dude.” “Percy, you’re not helping me” “I am helping you! how many students in your class have heard from Jupiter himself that Spartacus was a fun dude? you’re really gonna make a difference thanks to me.”

he just asks for a kiss in return; consider it payment for helping you pass your ancient history exam with flying colors he’s an all-around amazingly supportive boyfriend, though

Tony Stark

did you just say you’re overly competitive? oh mygod

if there is one thing that Tony Stark hates more than losing, it’s losing to you. when you get that smug little smile of yours and start prancing around the Avengers Tower like you’re queen of the world because you beat him in whatever stupid thing you were both doing and it’s !!!! ARGH infuriating he hates it. no, really, he does. totally does not like it at all. it’s only for the pleasure of CRUSHING YOU to pieces that he constantly challenges you to anything and everything.

chess nights at the Avengers Tower have never been wilder and tenser. (except for Bruce, who just enjoys the whole debacle, giggling in the background, because he can see you’re both so bad and he could have won this whole thing three rounds ago. unless you’re looking to prolong the fun?)

both of you taunting the other to give up now and save themselves the humiliation of the slaughter you’re preparing. metaphorical or physical slaughter, no one really knows, especially because it never comes. the only way these dreaded, hellish chess games end is either in blood after Natasha throws the board in utter despair, or with you both having fallen asleep in the middle of moving your knight

there is a tenderness, however, in the way you care about each other, but you don’t show it that much, as if this sudden vulnerability came into conflict with the other sides of your personality. but it is undeniable. you care about each other, deeply. it’s enough to see how whomever woke up first from the infamous chess half-night wraps the other in a blanket and gently eyes them as the sun rises slowly

how you nag him to take a break when he’s been overworking himself, fighting all the threats and taking upon his shoulders the responsibility of saving the whole universe (and more)

and how he holds you steady, close to his heart, in the dead of the night when New York City almost falls silent and there’s nothing but your appeased breathing and the faint echo of a moonlit breeze

Lucas Thomas (It Lives In The Woods)

nerd meets prep in three, two, one...

(notice how I didn’t clarify who’s the nerd and who’s the prep)

I mean, if Lucas isn’t a nerd already, he turns into a big one whenever he’s with you. how could he not? you exude radiance and positivity and passion whenever you explain in great detail whatever you book you finished last week and you’re still obsessed with. how you pick up on the character development and how clever the symbolism is and just... ugh Lucas please baby read it you’ll see it’s just so good. with a laugh, he says he’ll try to fit it in his schedule. it sounds like the lame excuse you’d give someone when you’re not interested at all, but actually the first thing he does on his way back home from school is stop at the public library and borrow the book

he finishes it in one night, as you can tell by the foot-long bags under his eyes the next morning at school (longer than usual, anyways), but also by the content, even smug little smile that he wears on his face.

“so, what did you think about it??” you ask, hopeful, when you notice that he doesn’t seem completely apalled by the experience

cue montage of you two enthusiastically discussing every aspect of the book and the writing and the worldbuilding over lunch, in between classes, and even when you’re supposed to be studying

when you actually do study though, it’s always very intense because Lucas takes his homework and academic success very seriously. maybe even too seriously? you’re the one who makes sure that he catches a break every two hours to grab some water or take a breath of fresh air

he doesn’t need it, though, he retaliates, and you would find it agonizingly cute and endearing if you weren’t so mad that the boy will NOT listen to you. “you are my breath of fresh air”, he murmurs with a boop on your nose, before getting back to work

that absolute, lovestruck, handsome and brilliant fool

#ships #matchups #percy jackson #pjo #marvel #mcu #tony stark #playchoices #it lives in the woods #lucas thomas #mywriting

[bodytoflame-ao3]

Fem Percabeth 19. Shy kiss or 74. Kisses Where One Person Is Sitting In The Other’s Lap

anons. i love every last one of you. i want to appreciate you on main SHOW YOURSEEEEELFFFFF.

Read on Ao3

i can't believe you're sitting next to mejust open up your eyes and tell mewhat do you see?

do you see somebody looking back at you?or do you see somebody that's in love with you?

coloring book ..//.. the regrettes

Annabeth's hand drifts, crawling across the bark of the tree trunk to rest on top of hers. Percy's suddenly hyperaware of everything around them — the musk of the fire, the way it crackles and sparks; the heat rising towards her, and the heat in her face. Annabeth looks over, smiling until her face softens as she notices Percy's hesitance.

“Hey.” She lifts her hand from Percy's and runs it down her arm, her touch light and gentle. “It's just me.”

It sends a shiver all the way up to her shoulder. That's the whole point. It's her. Her best friend. And her girlfriend — it's hard to stop buzzing with excitement when Annabeth Chase is her girlfriend. It's an almost unreal feeling; she spent so much time lamenting her feelings for her, coming to terms with the idea they'd never be a reality. Then Annabeth touches her like this, holds her hand, kisses her, and her heart pounds in her chest like she's never felt.

“You okay, Percy?” she asks.

“I'm— I don’t know.” Percy stutters, looking around. She's not sure what she's looking for — it's late, and most of the other campers have gone back to their cabins already. She supposes she has to face it eventually; “I get so nervous around you,” she admits. It’s hard for her to say. She’s been a hero in the eyes of the world for too many years now. Being vulnerable was not an option, nor a choice.

Annabeth scoots closer to Percy, her fingers brushing against her cheek as she sweeps wisps of hair behind her ear. “Percy,” she sighs and smiles, her eyebrows furrowing — a bittersweet smile. “It’s just me.” There’s a softness in her voice Percy’s never heard before. It’s almost strange to hear her talk like this, so quiet and kind.

“I know it’s you, that’s… that’s the whole…” Percy sighs, “This is exactly what I was afraid of.” She lets it out in frustration, because it’s the only way she knows. Being vulnerable is the easiest way to get yourself killed.

“What?” Annabeth asks, not moving her hand from Percy's cheek, but running her thumb along the side of her face, urging her to keep going.

“Things… changing between us," she manages.

“Perce,” her gaze softens even more, taking hold of Percy’s hands with her free hand. “You’re still my best friend.”

“It just doesn’t seem real sometimes.” She clarifies, “All of it, I mean. The war being over. The fact that I’m still here. Alive. And—” she starts to laugh, “—and you like me, which I still don’t completely understand.”

“No, I— I know what you mean. I know this is… scary, or weird, or,” she chuckles, “whatever, but we’ve been through much crazier stuff.” If they could navigate the labyrinth, they could figure out a relationship. Not that she hasn't asked herself so many questions about it: She’s wondered about so many things — What would her father think?  And her mother? Sally Jackson’s already been like a mother to her; no doubt she’ll be thrilled. But what happens when summer’s over? School? And college? The only thing she’s sure of is that she wants Percy to be by her side just like she has for the past five years. Everything and everyone else be dammed.

Percy whispers, “Can I kiss you?”

She wants to laugh, and tell Percy she doesn't have to ask. Instead, Annabeth smiles, and presses her lips against Percy’s. She still can’t get over how incredibly soft she is; her lips, her skin, her hair (she’s a girl, Annabeth tells herself). She’s so gentle with her now — their first few kisses were so frenzied, built up with years of desire. Now, she kisses Annabeth so delicately, so chaste.

Secretly, Annabeth yearns for the intensity of their first kiss. “You don’t have to be so shy about it.”

“I don’t really know how to do this, Annabeth,” Percy laughs, knowing Annabeth knows no more than she does.

“I like you. I trust you.”

Percy pushes her curls out of her face, her fingers combing through, mirroring how Annabeth did it. “Sorry. You hate it when people touch your hair.”

That’s true; it’s a tangled, frizzy mess when people touch it, raking their hands through without a care. But Percy’s hands are so gentle; “I like it when you do.” It’s just that when you’re this close I feel like I’m going to lose control. When thoughts like this flood her mind, she has to remind herself that it’s okay to kiss her — she’s spent so long suppressing that desire into the deepest recesses of her mind.

Percy smiles back at her, stroking her cheek with the lightest touch of her thumb, and Annabeth can’t take it anymore. She kisses Percy, not the innocent, closed-mouth kisses they’ve shared in the past few weeks — deeper, yet somehow sweeter. She moves her lips in tandem with Percy, and it feels like she’s floating. Annabeth wonders if she feels the same. She’s not thinking, or she’s thinking too much; she lifts Percy into her lap, eliciting a squeak from her.

Percy hates how overwhelming it is. All she wants to do is kiss her, but her brain is preoccupied with every sensation traversing her body; specifically, Annabeth’s searing touch, her warm breath against her neck. She pulls away, and wraps Annabeth in a hug, burying her head in her curls, the sweet scent of lemon flooding her senses. “You’re perfect.”

Annabeth blushes, and she’s glad Percy can’t see, because even though their dynamic has shifted, she knows she would still tease her. “You know, you drive me crazy sometimes,” she whispers. She does, in more ways than one. Somehow she manages to both frustrate her and turn her brain into a mushy mess with the littlest movements. No one has ever made her feel this way, she realizes. Just Percy. And that’s scary — but refreshing. It’s scary, not in the far too familiar way she feared for her life, but the kind of fear that makes her feel alive.

With that, Percy kisses her again. Annabeth curses her stupid, hormonal teenage brain, because it’s like her logical side is gone. The only thing she can do is trace the slope of her waist through her t-shirt; so desperate to be close to her, yet so afraid of scaring her.

Annabeth’s touch feels like it’s burning her skin, and she wonders just how much more intense it would feel without the fabric separating them. It’s hard for Percy to rectify having these kinds of thoughts about her — part of her still feels almost guilty, like she’s somehow bad for wanting it — because she repressed them for so long. Because before, Annabeth was just her best friend, her straight best friend who she stared at and dreamed about kissing. It felt wrong, thinking about her like that when she’d never feel the same. (Now, she kisses her; her lips soft and pink with the lingering scent of strawberry lip gloss, and she wonders how she could ever think it was wrong.)

Annabeth laughs, running her hands down Percy’s hips, “This is weird.” It's weird that she's kissing the girl she grew up alongside, the one who conquered an impossible prophecy and came through it stronger than anyone would've guessed.

“But, like… good?”

Her smile shines as bright as the light of the fire. “Definitely good.”

“I really like you, Annabeth.” You don’t even know. They've spent half the summer as stolen kisses and sneaking through camp at night, yet she still doesn't understand the gravity of how Percy looks at her.

“I like you too.” she adds jokingly, “Regretfully.”

Percy shakes her head, letting out a laugh. And they're okay — because they’re fumbling hands and awkward laughs — but they’re figuring it out together.

#prompt fill #fic #~1k words #anon #annabeth chase #pjo #fem!percy jackson #fem!percy #wlw percabeth #made

[suenami3]

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For the fictional ask!

(I have more if you want me to send you another ask:)

1) If you could be a background character in any fictional world, which would it be?

Probably Middle Earth, as a background Hobbit or Imladris Elf. It looks like it would be a peaceful and comfortable life.

4) If you could have any two fictional characters be your parents, who would they be?

Sally Jackson for my mum. No hesitation there. I'd love baking with her and hanging out watching films together would be fun. Plus, I also love to write so we could act as sounding boards for one another. For my dad? Aragorn. He's so kind and caring, he's good at emotions, he'd be able to help me improve my archery (I'm not a bat shot, but I am inexperienced) and he could teach me Sindarin. Plus, I bet he'd give the best hugs.

7) Out of all the found families in any fictional world, which would you want to be a part of?

Batfamily. Absolutely the Batfamily. Helping Alfred cook and bake would be great. Bruce looks like he'd give good hugs, plus he feels like safety when I read about him. Kate would be the coolest sort of aunt. Dick probably gives amazing hugs, plus I've always wanted to learn gymnastics and acrobatics. Babs is awesome and we could share our love of books (plus the ability to relate to one another somewhat in regards to wheelchairs) Reading with Jason and annoying him into helping me with uni work. (he also feels like safety and protection) Cass would be great to spend time with quietly, since words are stressful. (I know Cass can speak perfectly well, but she seems like the kind of person who is happy to spend time in silence) Big sistering Tim (someone has to) and the understanding of a fellow bi person. Steph seems like so much fun to hang out with. I would totally get Damian to teach me how to wield a knife properly.

They're a mess, but they all care about each other underneath it all and I'd love to help them sort some of their mess out. Plus, friendships with some of the other heroes. (Hanging out with the YJ core 4 would be awesome, and I would give Bart all the hugs since he canonically likes hugs)

8) Out of all the blood families in any fictional world, which would you want to be a part of?

The Weasleys. Cooking and crafting with Molly. (cross stitch for me) Sitting in Arthur's shed while he messes with whatever muggle thing he's recently gotten his hands on. Listening to Bill's stories of his work. Nerding out with Charlie about dragons. Studying or reading with Percy. (like sitting in the same room reading our own books and occasionally sharing quotes) Stopping the twins from going too far in teasing the others and joining in on some of their jokes. (but not the pranks, I'm too clumsy to help effectively) Getting Ron to teach me to play chess, and cheering him on in quidditch. (you'd never get me on a broom, I hate heights) Spending time with Ginny while we each do our own thing. Hanging out with the Golden Trio, and Neville and Luna.

9) If a fictional character had to kill you, who would it be, why, and how?

Ra's al Ghul if he tried to make Damian go back to the League when he doesn't want to, cause I would put myself in the way regardless of my fighting ability.

12) If only one fictional character could be present for your death, who would you want it to be?

Depends on the death. If it's a peaceful death, anyone who's willing to give me affection so I'm happier. If I died in battle, Wonder Woman, cause she could probably emotionally handle it relatively well, and make sure my body is saved so I can be laid to rest properly.

14) What fictional character would you want to be siblings with?

So many. Right now, Tim Drake, cause that kid has lost way too much and I want to feed him and wrap him in blankets and hugs. Plus, having a big sis who is also bi and gets it would probably make things like coming out much less stressful for him.

Some of those really made me think, mellon. I would love to answer more!

[couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name]

Jason He's made out to be the new, better Percy . He is also a massive Gary Stu in my opinion. Leo He's really rude to Frank. I know they got over it but still also he acted like it was all Percy's fault Calypso was on the island even though Percy tried to help. Piper She had so much potential but whenever anyone talks about her being Aphrodite's best daughter or whatever I'm like 'Do you remember SELINA??!!) also she has a huge I'm not like other Girls complex and is kinda obsessed with Jason.

We have REALLY different views on them so I’m gonna see how well I can articulate My Analysis Of My Children okay let’s go:

Jason…I think the point was that he’s perceived as a ‘Gary Stu’, ‘better Percy’ type guy when that’s actually not the reality of who he is? Like, his whole life everyone’s always been “Your father is the king of the gods! You should lead us!” and so he’s had to get used to this role, he’s had to create this character to make people feel like they’re in good hands…but he hates it. He hates being the leader and being in power, but up until the 7 meet up that’s the only thing he really knows. He never really had a chance to discover himself outside of this role shoved onto him. At first, he doesn’t really know who he is other than ‘Jupiter’s Son’.

He can’t help that everyone has high expectations for him, and he’s a people pleaser so he’s going to do his damndest to meet those expectations, but like? We saw how stressed out he was leading the quest in HoH. He was barely sleeping and practically pulling his hair out, pushing himself to fix everything and make sure everyone was okay while ignoring his own problems. That’s what Jason must’ve been like when he was leading the legion- everyone remembers him as a strong and regal leader, because that’s the expectation, that’s what they want him to be, and he came damn well put on a good performance when he needs to, but 24/7 while he’s living in closed quarters with people? Yeah, no. He wanted Percy and Annabeth back so he could stop having pretending he knew what he was doing (and because he was worried about them obviously). 

The thing is, once you strip away “Son of Jupiter”…Jason doesn’t really meet any of the expectations placed on him. Over the course of the series he starts worrying about that less and less, he loosens up and actually starts to find out who he is other than what people want…He doesn’t match up to the image:

He’s not actually the strongest demigod out there- he’s a very well trained fighter, sure, but like…We’ve seen Thalia shoot out massive amounts of lightning like it’s no one’s business without breaking a sweat. Jason has to actually ask for a helpful bolt and the effort almost knocks him out. His talents lie with the winds, which…I don’t think ‘wind’ comes to anyone’s minds immediately when talking about Jupiter. And it’s also not a power that, at face value, seems super helpful. But Jason manages to cultivate it and makes it powerful enough to stall Gaea. 

He’s not strong and regal, he’s excitable and dorky. He gets so sucked in to reading some book he found interesting that he walks into a tree. He bounces and hugs people when he gets happy. He can’t keep his glasses on straight and looses them on top of his head. He loves talking about history. He got so distracted by how pretty his girlfriend is that he forgot what he was talking about. He got shish kabob-ed and his immediate reaction was “I finally managed to stay conscious for an entire fight”. He was trying to talk a goddess out of killing his friend and the first thing to come to mind is “I’ll get Olympus to make an action figure of you!”. This kid is a LOSER.

He’s not a stoic ruler, he worries about every single person under his command. Individually. He doesn’t lead troops like, well, troops- he leads them like teammates. He’s greatly affected when the people working with him are upset, and he’s very perceptive about their feelings. His constantly checking in on Nico after the Cupid scene, his understanding of Piper’s issues in TLH, his belief in Frank, his worrying about Percy and Annabeth…this boy knew Leo was upset simply by looking at his DRINK ORDER, and then even though Leo offered up no real information, it took him like under five minutes of just observing him to know Leo was heartbroken. 

There’s so many other points but like…Jason’s story was about a boy born with crazy expectations shedding those and growing into his own person while still maintaining the sense of duty he had to the people he cared about. He had an entire identity crisis for this very reason. Camp Jupiter was his home, but Camp Half Blood is where he found himself. He loved both places and by the end of the story he came out with a strong and comfortable sense of self. He came out of it with a new path and set of expectations that he decided for himself. He went through trials and dealt with his emotions and found peace with himself and his role in the world. I think it was a very compelling plotline and not ‘gary stu’ like at all. 

Leo…We really have to take into account that Leo’s always assumed the role of ‘the jokester’. Despite the fact he’s a genius, Leo doesn’t actually see himself as talented and the environment he grew up in absolutely shapes that. He said himself in TLH- being the funny guy kept him safe most of the time. He didn’t feel he had much else to offer, and no one around him believed he did either, people only kept him around for jokes. I think what happened with Frank was like…his default setting. That sounds bad (and it is) but it really does need to be taken into consideration- we know Leo’s only been in, like, exclusively bad environments before the events of the series. Anyone who just kept him around for a laugh probably didn’t wanna hear knock knock jokes about engineers. His best bet for not getting in trouble or abandoned would be to rag on someone who was an easier target than him. Leo knows he can trust Jason and Piper, and he’s scared of Annabeth but is mostly sure she won’t kill him…but then he gets possessed and blows up half of New Rome. Everyone’s mad at him. Including the three new people he knows absolutely nothing about but all look like they could eat his tiny scrawny ass for a snack. I feel like it’s not a stretch to say he felt an old urge to protect himself kick in, to make sure he fits into this group because what the hell is he gonna do if he doesn’t? The fact that Frank was already annoyed with him for looking like Sammy didn’t exactly help their dynamic…Like, I’m just saying, I think he really stepped it up on the Frank jokes because of his ‘seventh wheel’ complex. He’s used to using comedy to make himself valuable to people. He knows he has to be on this quest no matter what, but that doesn’t mean people have to want him there, you know? He wants to be wanted. That’s Leo’s whole thing? He already built the entire boat but they’re mad at him for things out of his control. He feels like he’s gotta do something else to be relevant to the group so he just…slides into his old defense mechanism and as he’d be used to, it’s easiest to go for the easiest target. Who is Frank. And the whole weird Sammy and Hazel situation definitely exacerbated the whole thing. And it wasn’t fair to Frank, absolutely, which Leo himself eventually realizes and knocks it off. But I just think it’s not fair to say “Leo’s doing this because he’s a dick”. Like, people are often more complicated than that. 

As for the Calypso situation…Listen, I think Percy feeling guilt for Calypso still being on her island made no sense and someone needs to assure him that that’s not his fault. However, Calypso didn’t know that. Calypso didn’t have all the facts. She had every right to be upset with Percy. It was going to be awkward with Leo and Percy anyway, because like, oh hey dude while you were in hell I made out with your ex and she loves me now. But like…I don’t think it was wrong for Leo to be upset on Calypso’s behalf? The girl he’s crazy about is trapped on an island because Jackson couldn’t be bothered to check on her! (Which is of course NOT THE CASE but that’s Calypso’s view on the matter, that’s what she told Leo). I’m just saying like, he’s relatively new to relationships and he heard a biased explanation of the situation…It makes sense that he’d side with her? 

The thing we need to remember is…Leo and Calypso both have abandonment issues. And from Leo’s understanding, he’s sharing a boat with the guy that had Severely Hurt the girl he now loves. (And if she HADN’T been so hurt when they met, they might’ve had more time as a couple before he had to plunge back into the unknown) Looking at his actions and thoughts from an outside, biased viewpoint might make him look awful and crazy but…From his specific point of view, it makes sense. And Percy was able to see that, which is why they were able to talk it all out. I just think it’s a real shame that Leo Valdez is this complex, compelling character, but people only remember him for fighting with Frank and being crazy about Calypso. It’s reducing him. He had a lot more going on and was a very believable character with easily explainable traits and actions. 

Piper…Was one of Aphrodite’s best children, though? She had the most powerful charmspeak in generations. Like, that’s canon. Silena was a great character and a great cabin head, but she had no powers and was a relatively weak fighter. I love her as much as the next, but that’s just canonical fact. Her strongest asset was her heart and loyalty, which were used against her, and she died trying to make things right. She wouldn’t have made it on the Prophecy of the Seven quest. She wouldn’t. But Piper was a powerful charmspeak, was immensely brave, and constantly worked at being a better fighter (which, again, in canon, the Aphrodite kids are not the best fighters). By the time the series ends she’s a wickedly skilled swordsmen, is the only one who can work the cornucopia because of her inner strength and giving nature, has a dagger that can see the future, always knows how people around her are feeling, completely dominated a literal temple of fear and terror, and was powerful enough to order the literal planet earth to sleep. Piper is strong and brave and she’s constantly working on bettering herself. She was able to not only see the other side of Aphrodite, but to fight for it to be what everyone sees. She changes people’s perception of the cabin and the goddess herself. She did have a ‘not-like-other-girls’ complex when we first met her, but she was a bullied kid who grew up around rich white teens in Hollywood. But it’s a complex she catches in herself and grows out of- she stops trying to be #edgy and lets herself be comfortable in her skin, grows her hair out and wears a little makeup and puts thought into her outfits- but she also stops judging other people. She learns to see the beauty in everyone she meets. She redefines her outlook. That’s admirable, in my opinion. 

As for ‘obsessed with Jason’, I mean…it really just kinda reads, personally anyway, as “I’m A Teenage Girl And I Think My Significant Other Is Just The Coolest Thing Since Sliced Bread”…? Like? He’s her boyfriend, she’s fifteen. He’s cute and cool and a dork all at the same time. She goes from ‘mega crush heart eyes’ mode to actually falling in love with him, that’s not an obsession, that’s like…a natural progression of feelings. She’s always had her own storylines and she’s fully able to focus on things that aren’t Jason. But of course she thinks about him, he’s important to her? They’re a good match, they’re usually on similar wavelengths, and they work well together. She doesn’t think about him more than Annabeth and Percy think about each other. Piper shouldn’t be reduced to a fangirl just because she occasionally thinks to herself “Damn my boyfriend is hot”. She’s a very relatable and impressive character that deserves more than that. 

I really hope this doesn’t end up being like, a ramble, and that I actually properly articulated how I see the characters, but like…yeah. I do love this trio. 

#Jason grace #leo valdez #piper mclean #hoo #rick riordan #asks #molly mumbles

[danpuff-ao3]

Comfort Characters

@givereadersahug wrote about Comfort Characters and I thought I'd do the same!

This was always a weird concept for me to consider. Like...do I have a comfort character? The answer feels sort of obvious, but in the way that both yes and no feel obvious. Thus: the dilemma.

When it comes to fandom, I read so much angst, whump, darkfic, etc. And I favor portrayals of characters that are real, gritty, imperfect, and messy. My fandom preferences feel a bit at odds with the word "comfort." But...I do find a strange sense of comfort in these subjects and these characters, don't I?

And with that in mind...let me answer the dang question, yeah?

To really get the full picture, I think first we need to focus on what the Harry Potter books mean to me.

In recent years, with the author's outrageous and shameless vitriol, being a fan of HP has been challenging. It feels wrong to love this fandom so much, when the author shows such unmitigated hate.

The problem is: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published in the U.S. in 1998. (Usually I remember HP was published in 1997, but I just did a Google check for the U.S. publication to make sure I had my facts straight!) I was six years old when the books came out here. I was a bookworm since I could read! I inhaled books at an alarming rate. But no book from my childhood stuck out to me more than Harry Potter. I don't remember life before those books. And they were probably the first books I ever reread. And I never stopped rereading them. I'm not sure I've read anything more times than I've read those books.

Are they a literary masterpiece? Of course not. But they are whimsical, magical, joyful, colorful, touching, adventurous, and just plain fun! More so when I discovered fandom properly and my creativity ran loose in fanfiction.

My childhood was not especially good or happy, and these books were my escape. The fandom was my escape. Whenever life was dark or scary or hurtful, I had somewhere to turn. I had no one in my real life I could turn to. But I had these characters. And I had the friends I made through fandom. Facts that hold true even to this day, though I've escaped all the worst life had thrown at me (up until this point, at least!)

The books and fandom were a great source of comfort to me. And a large part of it must be because of the characters that were such a comfort to me.

Of course, my two comfort characters make up my beloved OTP.

Severus Snape, who I loved from the start. Which is funny when you think about little 6 year old Danni mooning over the "mean teacher." The dark mystery of him seduced me even then! He was clever, and creative, and cutting. He was the bad guy who wasn't really a bad guy, which blew my little socks off!

Harry Potter, of course...our titular character. My partner now likes to joke that I'm a "main character simp." (Hello, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and Rand al'Thor...) I can't help it, okay? But Harry was always such a precious bean. Wide-eyed awe for magic. Spunky and bold, in spite of his poor life circumstances. The sort of fearlessness I admired, but could never quite replicate. My whole life was tied up in fear. I was scared of so much for so long. Harry's openness and honesty and bravery drew me in.

But those were the simpler, surface-level attractions for a young girl. But I'm not a young girl anymore. I'm a woman who grew up with these characters. I watched Harry grow and change; I watched him learn; I watched his trials and errors; his failures and his successes; I watched him save the day. And for Severus Snape, rather than moving forward, we looked back. I watched his story unfold in all of its horrible, messy glory. And I fell more and more in love with them both.

Harry and Severus both came from troubled backgrounds. Severus represents the stark reality. How deeply those wounds impact you, and how they don't always heal. Harry represented the ideals. All that I hoped to be; the behavior I respected and the principles I learned.

Harry overcome his circumstances and became a truly good person in spite of it all. But "good" doesn't mean without flaw. And his strength doesn't mean no damage was left behind.

On the flip side, Severus' trauma pushed him along a dark road. He reacted poorly. He made bad decisions. But hope wasn't lost, was it? Bad decisions didn't mean he could be written off as a villain. He was so deeply wounded, and he carried on despite that. The pain of his past plagued his every moment, but he still moved forward and kept fighting through it all. And for all the ways his trauma had made him flawed, there was still goodness in him. He was still worthy of love and respect. He was still capable of great deeds.

They are both men who were hurt by their life's circumstances, and who were bound by terrible fate. And they chose to embrace that. They chose to keep doing and being better, even when they screwed up. They never let life keep them down.

So much in them speaks to me. They can share my pain. And they give me hope and strength to keep going. And in them and all their messy, imperfect glory, I can reflect upon myself. And in loving them for their best and worst qualities, I can accept and love them in myself.

...and then I make them fall in love again and again and again (and again and again) (and again and again and again.) And that brings me even more comfort. And joy. And endless entertainment. And emotions. And basically all the good things life has to offer. Snarry for life, if you didn't already know I was a massive Snarry stan.

#comfort characters #severus snape #harry potter #snarry mentions cuz ofc #meta #danpuff stuff