#fun things to do in frisco

[mariewaltonrealtor]

Best things to do in Frisco for a memorable TX getaway

https://www.chron.com/life/travel/article/things-do-frisco-18201546.php

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#allen #buyer agent frisco #dallas #DFW #first time buyers #frisco #Frisco real estate agent #frisco seller agent #fun things to do in frisco #home buyers #home buying #home sales #home seller #homes for sale Frisco #house hunting #mckinney #north texas #plano #real estate frisco #realtor frisco #s #selling your home #texas

[evostar]

I just imagine something cute!

You know that family tree in the kitchen? What if Dolores has the same thing in her room but with Mariano and her kids?

Bisabuela Rosa at the top of the tree. Mariano + Dolores in the middle. And the children start from youngest to oldest, Starting with Diego to Victorio.

Also, here's a few picrews you can use to design the kids (if you'd like) -

Bighead kid picrew

Pixel friend

Makowka character maker

And some from books + movie

AAA THAT IS ADORABLEEEEE!! I will definitely make one after I have the design for every kid!!

New kids unlocked!!! And lore 💪

Okay firstly the tree kids, the one in the front, frisco segundo madrigal and her brother, vicenta segundo madrigal (decided to make them siblings since they look alike to be siblings 👍) their sister (who was their step sister in their past family) Patricia ortuno madrigal!! They lived in a not so great household, often having to take care of themselves since their parents didn’t care, they didn’t get parental love neither did they get cared for good, their parents ended up in jail from some fight and since then Dolores took care of them!! (She basically did before but now they live with her) all of them are 5 year olds!

The two girls wanted their hair to be like Dolores!! Also some earrings :D and Camilo showed vicenta some outfits he might like, which he loved!!

Onto the nexttt, the ginger head is rafaela lazcano madrigal!! He is an orphan, he was in a lot of foster homes, some great and some awful, in the end he got adopted by Dolores since his past foster family was not so great and he also hated hopping into a new foster home every few weeks. He is 7 year old!!

Esmerelda Jerez madrigal!! She did have a parent who cared (her father) who then later on left, her mother didn’t like her since birth since she claimed that esmerelda wasnt her child. Esmerelda actually came from an other town!! Since her mother had left her in this town alone and then left without her. Ofc, Dolores who heard all of this immediately went to her, and now she lives with Dolores :D she is 8 years old!!

Leandra henriquez madrigal! Was the neighbor from Mariano, his parents always left him alone at home, leaving leandra with no food, no money, no nothing. Mariano noticed it and started to take care of him, later on Dolores joined too. He firstly was hesitating (he struggles a lot with anondment issue like Esmerelda) but then he opened up, they took care of him till they fully took him in! (His parents never came home after one night.) He looks up to Mariano a lot and hopes to become a lot like him. He also is 8 years old!

Camilo trying to make fun of Camilo but it just ended up being humiliating for him!! (He couldn’t rafeala for more than 3 seconds) leandra is getting impressed by how strong he is and Esmeralda is admiring mirabels sewing skills!!

The last one is the two siblings, Bronco and Almira socarras madrigal!! (Decided to switch the names with ages) Bronco, who is a curious 3 year old, and his baby sister almira. The 1 year old almira takes a lot from his brother, their curiousy takes Dolores a whole level away!! Their parents didn’t care much about them, mostly letting them outside in the garden not knowing the danger (Dolores had to save them multiple times,) and only doing stuff with them when it comes over to fame. (They care a lot about how people judge them.) In the end, the house was in a fire, dolores safely secured them before any real harm happened. Luckily it was just some scars but it was still very traumatic for them.

Bronco loves candy, but Dolores doesn’t let him eat that much since he’s got a small stomach which gets bad fastly but his Abuela makes sure he gets some daily ;)

Almira loves admiring and touching faces (mostly Dolores’s and isabela’s :D) she’s very curious!!

Thanks a lot for the suggestions!!🩵

#encanto #dolores madrigal #encanto fanart #la madre silenciosa au #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #camilo madrigal #mariano guzman #encanto au #Encanto village #someone help them #they’re just babies ☹️

[nicejewishcharactershowdown]

NJCS 2024 Round One Eliminated Contestants (Part 1/2)

Toby Ziegler Status: Canon Jew Oh, Toby. I just can’t quit nominating you. Eagle eyed voters might remember his round one defeat last time he competed back in 2022, where he went up against Bucky Barnes. What do we think, folks? Would Josh Lyman make a better Aaron Sorkin-verse nominee? Or is my favorite turn of the millennium political escapism drama just not cut out for the high-stakes world of Tumblr tournaments? If you haven’t had a chance to watch The West Wing before, do yourselves a favor and watch it. Still bitter it’s not on Netflix anymore, but what can you do.

Han Solo Status: Transitive Jew Fun fact, Harrison Ford is Jewish! I love this one quote he said at an interview for Inside the Actor’s Studio a few decades back, “as a man, I’ve always felt Irish, as an actor I’ve always felt Jewish.” There’s something so cathartic about knowing a Jewish man gets to beat up Nazis in Indiana Jones. So why Han Solo? I’ll leave that up to you, dear readers, to deliberate. Note to self: watch Frisco Kid.

Richie Lipschitz Status: Coded Jew Riiiiiichie………. He’s not canon, but with a last name like Lipschitz, it would have to be proven otherwise. Go Nighthawks!

Ella of Frell Status: Coded Jew She questions authority. She longs for her freedom from a restrictive system. And she’s written by a Jewish woman (Gail Carson Levine!) What’s not to love about Jewish Ella? And there’s something so Jewish about the movie… maybe it’s the musical numbers. And while Anne Hathaway isn’t Jewish (and has played Jews in the past, like in Armageddon Time, making her one of the subjects of the Jewface debate in Hollywood right now), the coding inherent in any story written by a Jewish author is enough to validate any Jewish reading of this story, in print or on screen.

Professor Hershel Layton Status: Practically Canon Jew HERSHEL!!! I mean, how could he NOT be Jewish with a name like that?

Barney Guttman Status: Canon Jew So canonically Jewish that it’s practically screamed from the mountaintops! I absolutely adore this quote from Hamish Steele, the creator of the series. “… I actually think a lot of Zack’s mannerisms and personality influenced Barney. And when I just filled out the role in the comics, it just made sense to make him Jewish — in each version of the show, the characters become more like real people and more set in the real world. … All of the representation on the show, it never came from box-ticking. The show is set in the real world. It’s disingenuous not to represent the real world by representing all the people.” Plus, his last name is Guttman. Guttman!

Grace Adler Status: Canon Jew Check out this interview Kveller did with Debra Messing! There’s some great details about the Judaism of Will & Grace at the top, but the whole thing is worth a read.

Lexi Howard Status: Canon Jew Played by Maude Apatow, Lexi would already qualify based on the transitive property. And that’s where it would be left, that is, if not for a short conversation featured in the season two premiere, where she talks to Fez at the New Years Party. Here’s an excerpt:

When I first heard this exchange (while watching a YouTuber react to the episode), I grinned so hard. Doesn’t hurt either that Euphoria is based on an Israeli program of the same name. Which I’m realizing I reeeeeally should try and stream.

#post round analysis #njcs #nice jewish character showdown 2024 #nice jewish character showdown #part two on the way #and then round two polls will start!

[blogofloathing]

Part 1 of 3! They'll All Know Your Name Yknow

Chittering skulls, splintered bones, chipped femurs, clacking teeth. The necromancers tower stood tall and glorious, a monument to rebirth.

It stood above the land, it stood in waiting, the magistral titan, the culmination of a generations souls. The karmic power of countless slain bodies.

This is where it all lead up to, not to Frisco, but of course they would be instrumental all the same.

I could hear the voices of all those I'd struck down, wailing curses and horridly gavening soulside.

They gave static to my withered hair, my palid skin.

My atrophied muscles tingled with necromantic energy, a swirling mana that permeated the air.

In any case, this body wasn't of much worry to me.

If I fail this attempt, I'll simply wake up back at my parents house, and do it again, all over again.

I couldn't tell you how many times I've done this, the trail of spirits tracing my steps knew no end.

My pardner however, would prove to be of trouble.

Her sensibilities were all too empathetic, the stupid old woman. She was only alive to lead me here.

And then she would leave once she knew the truth.

The same way she did everytime, so so predictable

As if she was some kind of saint by any standard.

All the cultists, all the skeletons, it was a shame to kill my own supporters, but appearances matter.

At last, we'd arrived at the entrance, I greeted the door with a wink, "Abra-Cadaver" I spoke,

This password familiar on my tongue, but one I could never fully remember until I read it.

It's a fun quirk of the world I've noticed, I have all these.. impressions, memories of another time.

Glimpses into other eventualities, glances of odd, familiar sillouhettes, reflections that didn't match.

But not the past, or future; alternate memories from my present, even still, with this knowledge..

I continued to have to "learn" everything again, to discover the key I already had in the lock.

Like I was simply a character in a performance, hung taught to the whims of the curtained gallows.

Forced to act the scenes out in the proper order.

By this time I had already read all of the books, I knew it was necessary to do so before coming.

Same way I knew which horse to get, and who to bring with me, who to help, and who to kill.

Every step in the path printed out before me, even if I didn't always know the reasons why.

It was all a means to an end, steps in the puzzle.

What items to get, what to eat, to drink, what skills to hone I could see it all, I could manipulate it.

I couldn't make her support my goals, you can only do so much with moxie, but I could get close.

I could see clearly what exactly made her clock tick

Every response, every question every answer, the script memorized, ready to preform for all.

The stage set out before me as the infinite horizon.

"How d'ya feel Doc? Being here at last?" I said, with reverence in my voice, she couldn't know where exactly that tone came from, she could only say-

"Time to set aside my Hippocratic oath," cocking her shotgun "let's do some harm" it's what she always says, I nearly giggled at the cheesy line.

We stepped inside, it was just like I remember, a home I'd long since left, returned, it felt so so cold.

The chill in my heart was as calming and soothing as the warmth many describe feeling with others.

But at this point, I couldn't see these, things, as people, they weren't like me, they didn't think,

They simply said and did what the damn "story" demanded, I was so horribly sick of it, but soon, I would achieve my ending, at the top of the spire.

I was practically giddy with delight, a skip to my step as I approached the first of three obstacles.

Impeding our path to the ladder was an entire forts worth of skeletons, the same ones as usual, I'd even taken to memorizing the differences in them.

Despite already knowing the words, I had to read the tablet, the secrets grinned a knowing grimace.

I resisted saying her line for her, I knew the exact moment she would say it, every single time.

"I'm tellin ya you shouldn't be messin with that.."

My reassurance dampened her worries, always did, until the very last one, I couldn't wait for it.

The silly old doctor readied her gun, expecting a fight, I smiled and spoke the words I never forgot.

Turning an entire army of skeletons that once stood just before us into a volley of white shrapnel.

It was so easy, so so easy, as if I'd personally raised all of these skeletons, just to put them down again.

Her sidelong glance at me, boring a hole into my head, oh how anger could become so amusing.

Not even bothering to give her a glance, I knew the glowering expression of discomfort she'd wear.

We made it through the next two floors, reading the runes, annihilating the enemies in our path.

Skipping past it all like nothing, until we reach the top, my goal, my salvation, this was where it would all finally end, once I finally get the right outcome.

I walked towards the necromancer, his hollowed out shell eyed me, it seemed to understand,

Maybe he was once trapped like me, but failed.

Succumbed to the grip of this linearly pathed world, become another set of predictable nothing.

I stood on the platform behest the throne, and awaited her line, right on que "step, back."

Her gun cocked, the sound almost sending me into a laughing fit, it was so comical, it was all so funny.

"Don't worry Alice, it's fine, I can control it" I spoke in a slither, my forked tongue sharp as obsidian, with the color to match, the lies tasted so good.

I couldn't muster the care to listen to this, as she leveled her gun at my center of mass, I did as needed, black fire shining dark in my eyes,

consuming the poor old soul on the pitied throne.

It was impossible but, for a moment I thought I saw the corpse smile, as he dissipated, a lingering expression of satisfaction not unlike my own.

Halting my advance for a beat, why on earth did I recognize.. not purely because I'd seen him before..

A half remembered gust of misplaced nostalgia.

Alice's hands shook in that delightful way, a mix of rage and regret danced like a fire in her eyes.

This familiar comedy bringing me back from my contemplation, I had almost missed my cue.

"Are you gonna pull the trigger?" I said, waiting for her line; "I better not ever see your face again"

And then she would meander offstage, again. The smile on my face threatened to split me in two.

But, as I had this thought, this expectation, I felt something impact me, hitting me, right in the gut.

It was so totally out of the question to me, that for a moment I was entirely unaware what happened.

Something hard, and metal, was burning inside me, I felt my organs scream, my bones crunch.

A ghoulish splatter of gore across the stark white floor, it would be beautiful if I could appreciate it.

I couldn't speak, both out of pain, and the fact I'd never experienced this before, I didn't know the words for this scene, for the first time in hundreds of years I was uncertain, I was truly surprised.

End of Part 1! Split In Two Because It's Too Long

#original character #original writing #shadows over loathing #west of loathing #sol #wol #writing #oc character #writers on tumblr #creative writing #writer #original characters #western

[organchordsandlightning]

Noble Bachelor, Part 3

can’t sleep! cannot focus on projects. curling up in bed and liveblogging letters from watson

It was after five o'clock when Sherlock Holmes left me, but I had no time to be lonely,

(a) “what do you do when holmes goes out, watson?” “wait for him to come back”

(b) holmes left him alone with supper for minimum 3 hours. i don’t know what i’d do in that situation. your roommate orders enough Uber Eats for five people. you definitely aren’t inviting the neighbors over. maximum, the case you’ve undertaken brings the count up to four, and that requires bringing a lady back from the presumed dead. the pheasant will go bad. what do you do.

"It is the purest accident. I cannot allow that there is any humiliation. "

it is kind of sweet for holmes to reassure a guy he clearly has boundless contempt for

The lady, I think, you have already met."

“I think” god bless

So then I promised to wait for him to the end of time and pledged myself not to marry anyone else while he lived

sigh. i am not immune to extravagant love confessions

"I saw it in a paper," explained the American. "It gave the name and the church but not where the lady lived."

you know, that is awkward. i can’t blame the guy for just showing up at the church

So Frank took my wedding-clothes and things and made a bundle of them, so that I should not be traced, and dropped them away somewhere where no one could find them

FRANK YOU THREW THEM IN A LAKE IT TOOK THEM A DAY --

"Then I trust that you at least will honour me with your company," said Sherlock Holmes. "It is always a joy to meet an American, Mr Moulton, for I am one of those who believe that the folly of a monarch and the blundering of a minister in far-gone years will not prevent our children from being some day citizens of the same world-wide country under a flag which shall be a quartering of the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes."

holmes immediately like ‘case done. how is frisco, anyway? you guys have time?’

being fortunate enough to find the loving couple at home, I ventured to give them some paternal advice

awwwww. it is interesting that he gave them some advice without ever bringing up Flora (that is, the lady doesn’t seem to know much about her when she recollects her side of the story), so it didn’t seem too much like ‘heyyyy, if you don’t have this excruciating conversation, a woman might die for it’

Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away these bleak autumnal evenings."

cute 🥰 this one was fun!

#letters from watson

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 15: I WRESTLE SANTA'S EVIL TWIN

Magnus read the new title with that usual feeling he was taking two steps forward and one step back in the constant insanity of this book. "Santa's real?" He repeated. "And has a twin?" Okay, fine, can't get any stranger. "Percy can wrestle?" Nope, the trifecta left him forgetting how to function like a normal human. Which he probably wasn't...

"Deep breaths Magnus," Alex always had such a domineering way of speaking, always being so easy for her to keep everybody's attention. Especially his. "Maybe Percy gets an early Christmas present if he wins. Like Annabeth. With a bow around her neck."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" He asked blearily, even though it had. It was a nicer way to think about than the constant insanity like getting past the fact that every stupid sitcom that never questioned where the magic presents came from were more right than their reality somehow.

"Yes," Alex said as confidently as ever. "Now hop to the part where Percy uses cookies and that beard to put saint nick in a headlock or I will."

He knew if she'd really wanted to she would have snatched the book away from him to read it herself. Instead he found himself smiling as he took a breath and firstly informed, "I don't know anything about wrestling, so I hope the rules get explained first."

"When is it ever that easy?" Percy reminded as he lounged back in his chair and kept doing his best to remind Thalia she wasn't being abducted by angels flying off with her right now by making gusts of water soak into her socks and then absorbing it back. She had a pretty specific scowl on him as she kept trying to kick him for doing it, so his plan was at least working.

"Tell me when it's over," Thalia said. Her eyes were shut tight. The statue was holding on to us so we couldn't fall, but still Thalia clutched his arm like it was the most important thing in the world.

"It was," Thalia promised, she still looked a tad green around the edges just remembering the feeling. Her hands were in a strangle motion though because she was still considering wringing Percy's neck if he didn't cut it out.

"Everything's fine," I promised.

"Are... are we very high?"

"Lie again," Jason mock whispered, but he was completely serious.

I looked down. Below us, a range of snowy mountains zipped by. I stretched out my foot and kicked snow off one of the peaks.

Thalia went from green to the ugly pale of glue gone wrong.

"At least you knew Zeus wouldn't strike you down for this one," Will clearly thought he was being helpful while Thalia tried to get in a shuddering breath. "This was sanctioned by him."

Percy rubbed the back of his head and muttered an awkward apology, quickly waving Magnus on before they had to linger on this long enough for Thalia to come back to herself and pulverize him for sharing that.

"Nah," I said. "Not that high."

"Good man," Jason sighed, resisting the urge to squeeze Thalia's shoulder for comfort. She probably wouldn't take well to anybody but Percy right now as she sat as far back in her seat as she could with her feet planted firmly on the ground.

"We are in the Sierras.'" Zoe yelled. She and Grover were hanging from the arms of the other statue.

Thalia gulped at the visual she hadn't needed and took a deep breath. Then another, this kind of situation called for it.

"I have hunted here before. At this speed, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."

"Hey, hey, Frisco!" our angel said. "Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!"

"Oh, man," the other angel said. "I am so there!"

"You guys have visited San Francisco?" I asked.

"We automatons gotta have some fun once in a while, right?" our statue said.

"What kind of Toy Story shenanigans caused security not to notice whatever I just heard," Magnus rubbed at his ear like that one physically pained him.

"That's an interesting one," Will grinned as he considered. "Would the Mist have the statues there when they weren't so as not to have the humans freak out they could move? Or were they programmed to have memories and personalities? I'll ask a few Hephaestus kids when we get to Camp if they have any insights."

"Looking forward to it," Magnus said only a bit reluctantly. If one of them told him to open a hatch, he would bail.

"Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And—"

"Hank!" the other statue Chuck cut in. "They're kids, man."

"At least somebody remembers every once in a while," Alex frowned.

Percy looked as relieved as anybody to have that interrupted, even as he wondered about those creepy lifelike marble statues he'd seen and what exactly he wouldn't want to hear a bunch of Yancy morons try to brag about in comparison.

"Oh, right." If bronze statues could blush, I swear Hank did.

"Now that takes some talent," Jason grinned.

"Being able to make a robot that can blush, or making a robot blush?" Percy asked.

"Both," Jason nodded.

"Back to flying."

We sped up, so I could tell the angels were excited. The mountains fell away into hills, and then we were zipping along over farmland and towns and highways.

Grover played his pipes to pass the time. Zoe got bored and started shooting arrows at random billboards as we flew by. Every time she saw a Target department store—and we passed dozens of them—she would peg the store's sign with a few bulls-eyes at a hundred miles an hour.

Jason let out an impressed whistle as he watched Thalia. She gave him a weak but genuine grin as she elaborated, "we might be blessed with talent when we join, but it still takes time to build up being that good. Zoe could still outshoot practically anybody I know," she finished a tad wistfully, almost chasing away her tight fear.

Thalia kept her eyes closed the whole way. She muttered to herself a lot, like she was praying.

Thalia swallowed hard against admitting the truth. She'd been reciting an old song Luke had made up. Some goofy one-minute tongue twister he'd play on an old harmonica while collecting money in a cup while she'd gone around and picked a few pockets. She wasn't sure now any more than she was then why that memory had come to mind.

"You did good back there," I told her. "Zeus listened."

It was hard to tell what she was thinking with her eyes closed.

Same as in here where she purposely wasn't looking at anyone now to give away her massively twisted feelings about Percy reminding her of that. Zeus had saved her, twice, but what had he let happen to his son? Had her guess been skewed by hindsight and her path to Annabeth was just pure luck? Or was her father and his favorite daughter guiding them along on a fate's string to her family all this time? She was getting sick to her stomach even trying to figure it out, let alone dumping all of this on anyone else.

"Maybe," she said. "How did you get away from the skeletons in the generator room, anyway? You said they cornered you."

"Percy never told you that," Alex frowned. "He showed up and you started arguing about burritos."

"I figured it out from the way he came bursting in all hysterical," Thalia shrugged, which at least looked casual again while she was still shaking slightly.

I told her about the weird mortal girl, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who seemed to be able to see right through the Mist. I thought Thalia was going to call me crazy, but she just nodded.

"I can still call you crazy if you want," Thalia offered.

"There is no right answer to that," Percy sighed.

"Some mortals are like that," she said. "Nobody knows why."

Will raised his hand like they were in class and even said, "ooh! Oh!"

Magnus slowly lowered the book with an uneasy smile, like he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to this. It would probably be more confusing than the idea itself.

Will's smile was inviting, the kind that made you grin along just for being around him as he told Thalia, "I have this theory they're descendants of other demigods! I know most of us die young and they're mostly mortal now, but they have just a hint of godly blood left."

"Like a legacy," Jason agreed slowly, clearly likening to the idea.

"Most of us don't live long to populate that well," Thalia didn't seem very convinced.

"My mom's like that," Percy murmured for himself. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, since that might mean he was descended from some other god than Poseidon, or worse, some long, long line of inbreeding might have happened? Both ideas freaked him out to much to want to know more.

"It's a cool idea though," Magnus nodded. At least it hadn't made his brain hurt worse.

Suddenly I flashed on something I'd never considered.

My mom was like that. She had seen the Minotaur on Half-Blood Hill and known exactly what it was. She hadn't been surprised at all last year when I'd told her my friend Tyson was really a Cyclops. Maybe she'd known all along. No wonder she'd been so scared for me as I was growing up. She saw through the Mist even better than I did.

They'd all guessed that from the beginning. Sally had never batted an eye or made any strange comment about Grover's goat legs, and even the way she spoke of Poseidon seemed...more than any mortal should.

"Well, the girl was annoying," I said.

Percy groaned and looked at Rachel's empty seat. "First time I'm glad she got poofed away, she might have stabbed me with a marker."

"And that's starting kind," Thalia snorted.

"But I'm glad I didn't vaporize her. That would've been bad."

"At least I still got that going for me," Percy smiled.

"I'm sure she'll be glad to know you still don't want her vaporized," Thalia agreed.

Thalia nodded. "Must be nice to be a regular mortal." She said that as if she'd given it a lot of thought.

It had been on her mind near constantly while going to school with Annabeth. Slowly learning how to use a keyboard and constantly glancing over her shoulder while girls around her texted without a second thought. Their careless laughter and loud shrieks, hugging the same friends before and after every class as they casually wondered what was for lunch while Annabeth whispered and muttered about battle strategies to employ if this or that attacked them next.

"Where you guys want to land?" Hank asked, waking me up from a nap.

Thalia looked at him appalled. "You slept while we were dangling for our life!"

He gave her a sheepish smile and said, "at least I didn't try to hold your hand? You would have opened your eyes just to watch me die."

"True," she nodded grumpily. It was worlds better batting the drool off her face than having him keep trying to talk to her. At least she'd been able to pretend just for a few heart-stuttering moments the world wasn't going to end if she opened her eyes while imagining whatever she wanted in her head without interruption.

I looked down and said, "Whoa."

I'd seen San Francisco in pictures before, but never in real life. It was probably the most beautiful city I'd ever seen: kind of like a smaller, cleaner Manhattan, if Manhattan had been surrounded by green hills and fog. There was a huge bay and ships, islands and sailboats, and the Golden Gate Bridge sticking up out of the fog. I felt like I should take a picture or something. Greetings from Frisco. Haven't Died Yet. Wish You Were Here.

"Your mom would love that," Will nodded.

"And me without a stamp," Percy sighed.

"There," Zoe suggested. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," Chuck said. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons."

We all looked at him.

"Kidding," he said. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?"

"They can if it's a good one," Nico muttered.

"I'll take a bad sense of humor over no sense of humor," Will offered.

Nico watched him nervously for a moment, wondering if Will was implying he thought he had no sense of humor? Will just kept smiling at him without explanation though and he had no idea why.

As it turned out, there wasn't much need to blend in. It was early morning and not many people were around. We freaked out a homeless guy on the ferry dock when we landed. He screamed when he saw Hank and Chuck and ran off yelling something about metal angels from Mars.

"Poor guy," Alex said with a kind of sympathy that meant she'd have rolled her eyes at another person needing medication they couldn't afford and mildly indulging this.

Magnus felt a quiver of guilt. Were the countless people he'd met like that not crazy at all, but just seeing through the mist and constantly suffering for it? Even if he told them all they were right now, it would only make them feel better for a moment before their world collapsed like his did realizing monsters were real and it wasn't all in their heads.

We said our good-byes to the angels, who flew off to party with their statue friends.

That's when I realized I had no idea what we were going to do next.

We'd made it to the West Coast. 

Jason let out a blistering sigh of frustration. Percy had ended up here, twice, and he was starting to feel like there should be a laugh track mocking him for why that still felt so important. 

Artemis was here somewhere. Annabeth too, I hoped.

"So near, yet so far," Magnus muttered anxiously. Thalia at least didn't seem too distressed over Annabeth's fate, and he knew the world hadn't ended at the very least, but wondering what agonizing details would be awaiting all of that in between still left him on edge.

But I had no idea how to find them, and tomorrow was the winter solstice. Nor did I have any clue what monster Artemis had been hunting. It was supposed to find us on the quest. It was supposed to "show the trail," but it never had.

"You've had a surprising lack of monster attacks on this," Jason agreed in surprise. "We all didn't think it could be the lion. Only the skeletons and the manticore really. Grover summoned the pig, so I don't think that counts."

Thalia kept the comment to herself Jason was slacking, not counting something as cute as Bessie as a monster.

"The one time I can't be grateful I wasn't chased across the country by some fearsome beast," Percy agreed with a scowl.

Now we were stuck on the ferry dock with not much money, no friends, and no luck.

"Percy, I'm hurt," Thalia pressed her hand to her heart. "I thought we made friends along the way? Grover would be crying right now! and Zoe-"

"I get it, you breeze brain," Percy swatted at her.

"That's worse than air head," she scoffed.

After a brief discussion, we agreed that we needed to figure out just what this mystery monster was.

Magnus swallowed the traitorous comment to Percy he'd switched up his priorities. He was still adamant finding Annabeth, and by proxy Luke, was the most important task and everything would follow.

The argument between him and Jason had never come to a head, let alone simmered all this time as they focused on the path to get there, but Percy said now with his own sense of justification, "Grover and Zoe both agreed finding the monster was about the only thing we could do and I didn't have a better idea how to start finding anything." He glanced at Thalia who had still gone oddly quiet since the metal angel ride.

She gave an unconvincing smile and said, "err, yeah, needed to get the urge to kill something out of my system." She had not been looking forward to confronting Luke. It had been her only driving force as she ran headlong towards it.

"But how?" I asked.

"Nereus," Grover said.

I looked at him. "What?"

"What do you mean what?" Will looked personally offended like Percy had forgotten he was in the room.

"How do you forget advice from a god?" Jason seemed just as baffled at Percy's existence once again.

Percy had to really think for moment, going back a few chapters to recall why he vaguely recognized that name. It had come up around the time he'd been assigned haiku homework. 

Apollo had helped them quite a lot, his passage stopping right before the town where Grover had his Pan breakthrough. Yet the prophecy, as always, was only clear with hindsight, and they still had no clue what the rest of it was going to lead to.

Sure they'd gone as far west as they could without leaving America, but they felt no closer to the answer. There had yet been a bane of Olympus? The Hunters and Campers hadn't exactly prevailed along the way so much as just learned not to hate each other while losing one. The last two lines felt as ominous as ever as Percy stewed over what they didn't know. As much as when they'd started all of this. With one day left to figure it all out.

"Isn't that what Apollo told you to do? Find Nereus?"

I nodded. I'd completely forgotten my last conversation with the sun god.

"How do you even?" Thalia would swear he didn't have a brain sometimes if she wasn't forced to hear it right now.

"I've had other things on my mind," Percy reminded with a very obvious look at her. He'd been well distracted by running for his life by a pig and saving Thalia's bacon, then losing Bianca. It hadn't crossed his mind again since.

"The old man of the sea," I remembered. "I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But how do I find him?"

Zoe made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"I'm starting to think she knows everybody," Will said, clearly impressed.

"Being immortal has to come in handy for something," Thalia muttered, still coming to terms with the idea herself.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"Err," Magnus looked from the book and around like he was missing something. "Are we still talking about evil Santa? Are you chasing peppermint cookies in San Fran?"

"I couldn't guess," Percy reminded with his own bewildered stare.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

Percy was pretty sure Zoe liked him enough now she wouldn't be so unhappy about leading him to his doom, but he still wasn't feeling better about the coming wrestling match. There was just to much he didn't know about what was left of all this.

I knew I was in trouble when we stopped at the Goodwill drop box.

"Because you have no good Will with you?" Will asked innocently.

"I am going to duck tape your mouth," Percy tried to say through a laugh.

"You're only mad because he's right," Thalia chuckled.

Five minutes later, Zoe had me outfitted in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

"Letting your real colors out I see," Alex studied Percy in a way that concerned him. "If you ever want another wardrobe change, do let me know."

"I will keep that in mind," Percy said nervously, clutching his orange shirt closely while Nico swallowed uncomfortably. At least Percy hadn't started screaming his disgust at wearing a rainbow.

"Oh, yeah," Grover said, trying not to bust out laughing, "you look completely inconspicuous now."

Zoe nodded with satisfaction. "A typical male vagrant."

Magnus looked a little ruffled what that was supposed to mean. He still had on the same clothes he'd been dumped in here with, five layers of shirts with one ripped up black jacket with the stuffing threatening to fall out and the only pair of jeans he owned with hiking boots a half size too small. Did he look like a typical male vagrant?

Compared to Thalia's punk clothing with pins underneath her silver camo, Nico's black aviator jacket that looked just as worn and held on by the seams, and not even getting started on Alex, he wasn't sure what a typical anyone looked like anymore.

"Thanks a lot," I grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee. To blend in."

"Pretty sure we already looked like homeless kids by that point," Thalia smirked. They'd been running around for days with little sleep in the same clothes they'd left camp in. Grover even still had a chunk of guacamole in his hair she hadn't the chance to mention.

"You couldn't have mentioned that then?" Percy protested.

"And ruin your makeover?" She asked innocently. "Those clothes smelled better than what you had on."

"I'm going to glue a cowboy hat to your head and ruin, this," he waved at her outfit for emphasis.

"I would rock a banjo," she said without concern.

Percy sighed and let it go, knowing a win he couldn't have when he saw one against her.

She led the way back down to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, Zoe finally stopped in her tracks. She pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

Magnus and Alex were both starting to get creeping sensations up their spines. Like they were waiting for the others to turn to them and ask if they were okay and wanted extra blankets. When none did, they unintentionally exchanged relieved looks, and sympathized with Nico keeping his mouth shut about his dad more than ever. Nobody wanted to walk around with a label you couldn't pick for yourself.

"He will be down there somewhere," Zoe said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?"

"Sneak up," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell... different."

Jason's nose dilatated on instinct, like he was trying to get a whiff of that now. The smell of the ocean never brought up a pleasant memory in mind, but he'd swear on the styx he should have an idea what Zoe meant. For a moment the flutter of a purple cape rippled in his mind before Thalia gave him a painful nudge, dislodging him from his scrunched up face.

"Like when you accidentally mix cologne and perfume together different?" Alex asked. "Like play-doh you baked? Like fur on fire?"

"You worry me," Percy told her. "I didn't want to ask her what she meant, I'm terrified of how you know any of those."

"I've clearly led a more interesting life than you," she shrugged without concern, and wow was it worrisome to the others she really seemed to mean that after all she'd heard.

"Great." I didn't want to ask for particulars.

"How!?" Jason looked at him dumbfounded anew. "How do you not want to know every detail of what you're about to get into?!"

"I do best when I go in without a plan," Percy shrugged. Why dwell on something that would go wrong anyways?

"And once I find him?"

"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

Jason opened his mouth with a sharp, "make sure the second net has cross-patterned to throw over-" before he stopped with such a strong sense of deja vu. He looked around at Thalia and didn't recognize her for a moment. Equal bouts of pain and electricity zinged down his neck before he shivered. He didn't want to shake it off! Percy was in the area for one page and already actual memories were starting to come back of some life he couldn't begin to guess at.

"I wish we'd thought to bring a net," Percy nodded as he watched him just like everybody else with concern what he'd gotten up to in another life.

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked something off the back of my shirt—a big clump of fuzz that came from who-knows-where. "Eww. On second thought... I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

Grover gave me a big thumbs-up.

I grumbled how nice it was to have super-powerful friends.

Which they were all getting a live reaction of as their chuckling accompanied it.

Then I headed toward the dock.

I pulled my hat down and stumbled like I was about to pass out, which wasn't hard considering how tired I was. I passed our homeless friend from the Embarcadero, who was still trying to warn the other guys about the metal angels from Mars.

Magnus stamped down on the comment Percy was doing a good job off the bat. Maybe they could hang around in line sometime and compare traumas if it wasn't for the fear he still had of Sally getting involved.

He didn't smell good, but he didn't smell... different.

Jason still looked like he wanted to pull his hair out Percy was just going in expecting to figure out what one thing didn't belong in a sea of the strangest people mortals had to offer.

I kept walking.

A couple of grimy dudes with plastic grocery bags for hats checked me out as I came close. "Beat it, kid!" one of them muttered.

"On brand," Thalia sighed, making Alex and Magnus do double takes at her. She'd never said how much time she spent on the streets looking after Annabeth, but it seemed time enough for her to know they wouldn't get sympathy spots to go in first just because of their age. If anything they often got resentment, some assuming they could just go back home if they shut their mouth and sucked it up.

I moved away. They smelled pretty bad, but just regular old bad. Nothing unusual.

There was a lady with a bunch of plastic flamingos sticking out of a shopping cart. She glared at me like I was going to steal her birds.

Magnus was almost smiling for a second, a strange thing in itself to anybody but him. There were crazy bag ladies in every city, it made the world feel not so strange for a second.

At the end of the pier, a guy who looked about a million years old was passed out in a patch of sunlight. He wore pajamas and a fuzzy bathrobe that probably used to be white. He was fat, with a white beard that had turned yellow, kind of like Santa Claus, if Santa had been rolled out of bed and dragged through a landfill.

Magnus squinted his eyes at the book for a moment before he nodded in conclusion. "Got it, Santa still isn't real and you were just being, you."

"I didn't name these chapter titles!" Percy protested. "Don't blame me every time you have a meltdown at them!"

"Fair point," Magnus nodded, "I blame Oceanus."

"Got to give the guy mad props for his writing style though," Alex said with honest admiration. "He's clearly a grumpy old coot at the bottom of the ocean, but he's got a knack for describing all this bizarre stuff."

"Gods help me if it is that Titan posting my thoughts," Percy groaned.

"Gods help him," Thalia smirked. Percy was going to inevitably have a brawl with him before this was over, she knew him to well.

And his smell?

As I got closer, I froze. He smelled bad, all right—but ocean bad. Like hot seaweed and dead fish and brine. If the ocean had an ugly side... this guy was it.

"Fascinating," Will said genuinely. "Does your sweat smell like that Percy?"

"And you all think I'm the crazy one," Percy sighed, and that was the only answer Will was going to get.

I tried not to gag as I sat down near him like I was tired. Santa opened one eye suspiciously. I could feel him staring at me, but I didn't look. I muttered something about stupid school and stupid parents, figuring that might sound reasonable.

"More than you think," Alex muttered. It was the first time she hadn't said something loud and proud for everyone to hear, and it made Magnus want to lean in even closer.

Santa Claus went back to sleep.

I tensed. I knew this was going to look strange. I didn't know how the other homeless people would react.

"Depends on the individuals there," Thalia said. She and Grover would have stepped in if any of them had rushed to help, but most had run before the cops were called, and a fair few just stood there dumbfounded. Only two looked like they'd really want to jump in, so she'd snapped the Mist into helping them see a couple of sea lions wrestling instead.

But I jumped Santa Claus.

"Ahhhhhl" he screamed. I meant to grab him, but he seemed to grab me instead. It was as if he'd never been asleep at all. He certainly didn't act like a weak old man. He had a grip like steel.

Jason gave one last eye roll Zoe might have thought to warn Percy of a trick if the guy had asked, but it was overshadowed by his sickening sense he'd known this himself. It was a great feeling of frustration not targeted at Percy. Whatever plan they'd tried to concoct catching this guy, he got the feeling it hadn't worked.

"Help me!" he screamed as he squeezed me to death.

"That's a crime!" one of the other homeless guys yelled. "Kid rolling an old man like that!"

Nico was surprised that any of them cared. He was homeless and not many people looked at him twice when he was chased by anything the Mist had them see.

I rolled, all right—straight down the pier until my head slammed into a post. I was dazed for a second, and Nereus's grip slackened. He was making a break for it. Before he could, I regained my senses and tackled him from behind.

"I don't have any money!" He tried to get up and run, but I locked my arms around his chest. His rotten fish smell was awful, but I held on.

"I lived through Smelly Gabe Land!" Percy cried triumphantly, not even plugging up his nose.

"Not something I'd brag about, but I see your point," Thalia was waving her hand under her nose, she could still vividly remember that reek and she'd been breathing through her mouth as much as possible talking to him.

"I don't want money," I said as he fought. "I'm a half-blood! I want information.'"

"I'm surprised he doesn't just know that," Will frowned. "If he's supposed to be wise enough my dad recommends him, shouldn't he already know the question you want to ask and is just fighting you to earn it?"

"Will, I think you're putting a little to much faith in your dad," Percy tried to say not unkindly.

"Maybe he's like any old man and needs some time to wake up," Nico managed slightly better until he started snickering.

That just made him struggle harder. "Heroes! Why do you always pick on me?"

Thalia was still watching Jason from his last little episode and saw the tick that crossed his face. She felt a pain lance through her, like she was sharing his headache. Heard her mother managing the awful words again through her slurred speech. He'd been in California all along, a place she'd fled when she couldn't find him. What if she'd stayed, tried harder?! Had he been a part of that homeless camp and she'd passed right over him...

"Because you know everything!"

He growled and tried to shake me off his back. It was like holding on to a roller coaster.

"Cool," Alex said.

"How many amusement parks have you been thrown out of?" Magnus asked with resignation already. At least that was one thing he'd never have to worry about paying to get into, sneaking would already be involved when they went- shit-wait-what?

"I'll never tell," she raised a single brow and grinned in a way that made his stomach preform a roller coaster ride of its own.

He thrashed around, making it impossible for me to keep on my feet, but I gritted my teeth and squeezed tighter. We staggered toward the edge of the pier and I got an idea.

"Oh, no!" I said. "Not the water!"

"Percy, with the mad acting skills over here," Jason at least got a good laugh out of that.

"Thank you," Percy grinned, giving his wrist a flippant little twirl he'd learned from Rachel.

The plan worked. Immediately, Nereus yelled in triumph and jumped off the edge.

Together, we plunged into San Francisco Bay.

"That poor, poor fool," Will almost sounded sorry for how bad this guy was about to be beat now.

He must've been surprised when I tightened my grip, the ocean filling me with extra strength. But Nereus had a few tricks left, too. He changed shape until I was holding a sleek black seal.

"Cool!" Magnus blurted. "I didn't think this could get weirder than Santa Claus!"

Alex was studying Magnus, and the book in his hands, and seriously considering turning into a seal right now just to show off. She decided she was going to do it, maybe Magnus would scream, or want to pet the seal...but it didn't work. An eerie, creeping sensation surrounded her for a moment, the horror of being unable to change again- but she had been. She'd felt as normal as ever yesterday. So why couldn't she change animal forms?

And how was it fair Percy had got to keep his hydro powers?!

I've heard people make jokes about trying to hold a greased pig, but I'm telling you, holding on to a seal in the water is harder.

"More like impossible," Thalia said confidently. "You're basically the only one who could."

"Good to know I'm useful for something, wrestling wild hogs into snow and seals in the harbor," he rolled his eyes.

"We can write a children's book about you when we get back," Will snorted.

Nereus plunged straight down, wriggling and thrashing and spiraling through the dark water. If I hadn't been Poseidon's son, there's no way I could've stayed with him.

Nereus spun and expanded, turning into a killer whale, but I grabbed his dorsal fin as he burst out of the water.

A whole bunch of tourists went, "Whoa!"

I managed to wave at the crowd. Yeah, we do this every day here in San Francisco.

"You're a walking tourist attraction," Jason looked a little envious of that like he was thinking of selling tickets to the next show. Like that city needed more revenue.

Thalia could only guess what his real problem was. How much time did he spend in the Bay area? Was it possible he'd been there at that moment, a ghost in the crowd she'd been to distracted to notice by watching Percy pull a Sea World stunt?

Nereus plunged into the water and turned into a slimy eel. I started to tie him into a knot until he realized what was going on and changed back to human form. "Why won't you drown?" he wailed,

"You just said he changed back to human form," Will smirked for the pun.

"You have the worst sense of humor of all," Percy sighed, "nobody laughs at puns except the person who made them."

"Aw, Percy, nobody's ever told me I have a sense of humor before," Will's grin widened, so Percy just let it go before this got any worse.

pummeling me with his fists.

"I'm Poseidon's son," I said.

"Curse that upstart! I was here first!"

Finally he collapsed on the edge of the boat dock. Above us was one of those tourist piers lined with shops, like a mall on water. Nereus was heaving and gasping. I was feeling great. I could've gone on all day, but I didn't tell him that. I wanted him to feel like he'd put up a good fight.

"I don't know if that would win you any favors with him," Nico shook his head. He could probably tell Percy was faking. His admiration was there as always, Percy really was kind to everyone he met.

"I get credit for trying?" He asked innocently.

Nico's heart did a swoop, a tiny little one almost like his emotions had forgotten how to do it as Percy smiled at him and looked away. "Uh, yeah, sure," he muttered far to late.

My friends ran down the steps from the pier.

"You got him!" Zoe said.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," I said.

"She could sound a little more impressed," Magnus agreed, he couldn't imagine anything close to doing that.

"It's quite amazing when Percy manages to do anything without blowing something up," Thalia reminded.

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," I said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

I looked at my friends.

This wasn't good. I needed to find Artemis, and I needed to figure out what the doomsday creature was. I also needed to know if Annabeth was still alive, and how to rescue her. How could I ask that all in one question?

"How do we win the quest," Alex said sharply.

"This isn't a game," Jason scowled as he tried to cobble together the best answer.

"There's no downside to what his answer would be though," Alex still shrugged without that much concern.

"What if it has to be more specific and you wasted a question, he just bolts and Percy can't-"

"Hey you two," Thalia put a placating hand on Jason's shoulder while watching Alex carefully. "Let's focus on what did get asked." Swallowing a wince of guilt as Magnus was trying to hold his breath so he didn't read ahead, while side eyeing Percy who looked immensely sick to his stomach.

She knew as well as anyone what he'd most desperately wanted to ask, and a part of her wanted to go back and duck tape Zoe's mouth shut so she couldn't complain when they did ask about Annabeth.

They needed one goal though. The beast a goddess had thought would sway Zeus to their side. It's what Annabeth would have wanted.

A voice inside me was screaming, Ask about Annabeth! That's what I cared about most.

But then I imagined what Annabeth might say. She would never forgive me if I saved her and didn't save Olympus. Zoe would want me to ask about Artemis, but Chiron had told us the monster was even more important.

"We really should have just brought Chiron on this quest," Thalia smacked the side of her head. "Not me and Zoe being right, not even Annabeth! Nooo, it's Chiron!"

"He would have been a faster ride too," Percy nodded like she'd made a great point.

I sighed. "All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.

"Ew," Magnus muttered, once again wondering how the homeless people up above had better descriptions than some of these gods.

"I bet I could pull that look off," Alex said.

Magnus once again just watched her, like he was imagining it. He still didn't turn away with anything resembling disgust.

"Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."

Nereus pointed to the water at my feet.

"Can, can he play made you look?" Jason asked mystified.

"Dionysus sits around playing games all day, I wouldn't put it past any of the others," Percy huffed.

"Where?" I said.

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

"Now he's just showing off," Alex scowled, and she looked a little more hacked off than usual somebody other than her was doing that.

"You tricked me!" I yelled.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that?"

"It's not that sea monster Chiron thought it could be is it?" Magnus asked wearily.

"You'll certainly never see it coming," Thalia said with a grim smile.

"MOOOOOOOO!"

Alex and Magnus's mouths flopped open. They didn't even laugh like they had the last two times. Jason looked like he'd tried to swallow Bessie tail first. Percy was cross-eyed.

Thalia smirked she'd been right, again.

I looked down, and there was my friend the cow serpent, swimming next to the dock. She nudged my shoe and gave me the sad brown eyes.

"Duude," Jason finally sounded like his brain was melting too. Percy gave him a commiserating fist bump.

"I don't get it," Magnus was looking from the book to them like he was still waiting for a trick. "Is it a shape shifting monster? Is it trying to steal Percy's heart?"

Alex gave him a distasteful look he'd slipped into calling Bessie non-gender pronouns just because she was revealed to be a monster and decided she was grateful she had kept some of her secrets to herself.

"Oh trust me, Zoe explains," Thalia sighed. There was a hint of unease in her expression again, she was not proud of what happened next and swallowed back the usual selfish need to steal the book away and just gloss over the rest. Her friend had already learned one of her secrets, did Percy need to remember what a gullible selfish idiot she was too?

Jason hadn't judged her fear of heights, maybe she'd get lucky again and her little brother wouldn't want to disown her finding this out too. She still held back a longing she had no idea what kind of hero he was. Did he perhaps have the same fatal flaw as her and would have hesitated too, or was he better than her like she'd always hoped he could be?

"Ah, Bessie," I said. "Not now."

"Mooo!"

Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

"It's comforting that's all he said to Grover, instead of like, die, or, doom," Alex shrugged.

"But why did he hear a cow at the dam but heard Bessie now?" Magnus frowned.

"Eye contact matters," Jason chuckled. He had no clue, but who knew, it usually did elevate conversations.

"You can understand her... er, him?"

Grover nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

"Why can't things in Greek ever have pronounceable names?" Percy sighed.

Nico bit back the laugh that sprung to mind about Bob the Titan not being as menacing as Iapetus. Some names just had a certain ring to them.

"The Ophi-what?"

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said.

"Of course it does," Percy sighed.

Jason's face was glazed over with sudden want as he asked greedily of her, "do you have a translation book handy?"

"I study, unlike this dingdong," Thalia smiled in surprise, even a hint of joy. She could still impress her little brother.

"But what's it doing here?"

"Moooooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

I was wondering how you got all that out of a single moooooo.

"Dude, I've been wondering that since the poodle," Magnus said.

"Wait," Zoe said, looking at me. "You know this cow?"

I was feeling impatient, but I told them the story.

Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"When would it have come up?" Percy huffed. "When we were running for our lives from that helicopter and Bianca was talking about magical subways? When you weren't talking to me in the car? Oh I know, during that awesome flight with the metal angels!"

Thalia looked ready to spear his guts if he didn't shut up, so Magnus graciously kept reading to prevent that mess.

"Well... yeah." It seemed silly, now that she said it, but things had been happening so fast. Bessie, the Ophiotaurus, seemed like a minor detail.

"I'll give Percy that," Will nodded. "He did say he goes out and rescues hippocampi from that situation all the time. Unless he just sporadically mentioned it for no reason, it didn't seem like it would come up."

"Thank you," Percy grinned.

"He's still a smart ass," Thalia scoffed.

"We have that in common," Percy smirked.

"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?"

"From the War of the Titans," she said. "My... my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"I still feel like that Nereus question was wasted," Percy grumbled, knowing he probably would have mentioned Bessie to Annabeth and she probably knew that myth too. They'd have figured it all out together.

Thalia fidgeted with her bracelet in silent relief Percy hadn't thought about the rest of what Zoe had just said. That Zoe's father apparently put her to sleep with bed time stories of monsters destroying the world.

"Bessie?" I looked down at the bull serpent. "But... he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

"That is how we were wrong," Zoe said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.

I patted Bessie on the head, trying to calm him down. He let me scratch his ear, but he was trembling.

"How could anyone hurt him?" I said. "He's harmless."

Zoe nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"And Percy just, stumbled across this thing?" Jason looked like he was being had. "In the backyard of his camp? Is this some sort of trap?"

"It's always a trap," Percy shivered at his words. It all felt very final all of a sudden, and the cold chill breaking out on the back of his neck promised the end would not go quietly.

"MMMMMM!"

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

"Would one of you please learn to censor yourself around the embodiment of the innocent creature," Will chuckled.

"At least he probably didn't hear our dam jokes," Thalia grinned.

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods... how? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoe said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

"You know what Percy, I take it back," Alex laughed. "I've never met someone in person who would name a world destroying creature something as cute as Bessie."

Magnus grinned to himself as he imagined showing her the sign Hearth made up for Hagrid, knowing she'd get a kick out of that later. Maybe they could sit around and read that book next...

"Why thank you," Percy gave a gracious bow.

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her.

Thalia placed her hand on his head. Bessie shivered.

Thalia's expression bothered me. She almost looked... hungry.

"I'd always wanted to try rattlesnake," she tried and failed at convincing sarcasm. She had been in awe Percy had found this thing, the power he could have had without even realizing it, but of course he'd fallen naturally into the roll of protector first and foremost. How the prophecy seemed shaped in that moment like countless times before to pin them against each other... and who would come out on top.

"We have to protect him," I told her. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's... that's huge."

"Glad we can agree on that," Percy muttered uneasily. Thalia looked, conflicted, in here. That look of hunger was long gone in memory only, but it disturbed him a bit she hadn't denied it either.

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent.

"Oh gods, not the French," Alex smirked.

"I'd rather somebody try to convince me to eat a snail than have this guy back," Magnus groaned.

"And it is a power you shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged.

I looked up. We'd been so busy talking, we'd allowed ourselves to be ambushed.

Jason looked nauseous at such a fumble while Percy shifted from his usual bemused expression at how his life was going, to battle ready. The power that lit up his eyes should have that manticore running.

Standing behind us, his two-color eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.

"This is just pairrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

Percy had never thought he'd agree with a monster, but his sword in hand did so for him. He owed this manticore a world of pain...if only he hadn't been caught at the worst time! He had to protect the Ophi-whats-it-Bessie!

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically he didn't look much better than the guys down at the soup kitchen.

"Sounds to me like he grew a wee bit obsessed," Nico muttered. Yes he was speaking from personal experience.

"He should have more than one hobby," Will agreed brightly, making Nico snort in surprise.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

"I knew that," Jason grinned with delight. "I don't know where I read that, but I knew it."

"I never really wanted to know what a monsters dream job was," Magnus looked a little uncomfortable, he'd never thought he'd tell someone not to follow their passion before.

"Well the guys about to be famous now," Percy's scowl promised. "The first manticore to ever be drowned by me!"

On either side of him stood two armed security guys, some of the mortal mercenaries I'd seen in D.C. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case we tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around—walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above us—but I knew that wouldn't stop the manticore from acting.

Percy's confidence was already starting to feel weighted down though. He didn't know how he'd made that toilet explode. He couldn't possibly use the water to just shield his friends without causing a massive hurricane, and even if he could, he was not comfortable setting up mortals to die like he did that pig Ares set after him. They were plenty trapped.

"Where... where are the skeletons?" I asked the manticore.

He sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

I needed time to think. I had to save Bessie. I could dive into the sea, but how could I make a quick getaway with a five-hundred-pound cow serpent? And what about my friends?

Magnus bit back the comment they weren't likely to be followed into the water, and he'd used an air bubble last time to at least make sure Annabeth could keep breathing. He didn't know the extent of how Percy's powers worked, maybe even he didn't know that.

"We beat you once before," I said.

Nico made an uncomfortable little frown as he swallowed the idea of correcting Percy on something. Technically they really hadn't, Annabeth had saved them.

"Who's this we?" Alex had no problems calling out. "You're on this quest because Annabeth pulled this guy over a cliff."

"What I said sounded better than reminding me of that," Percy scowled, though he'd happily launch Thorn over another cliff with Annabeth safely beside him if that was how this monster was destined to die.

Nico let out a brittle sigh and a good mental scolding. It was no wonder Percy never took notice of him, he never gave him a reason to. There had been no good reason not to say that and at least garner Percy's temporary eye roll like Alex got. He had no one to blame but himself for constantly feeling invisible to him, but there was still that fear lodged in him. That if he ever did try to have anything resembling a conversation with Percy, it would somehow be worse than he was feeling now.

Though that was hard to believe at the moment.

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas... that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Help. The word still burned in Thalia's memory of all the ways it had come in vastly different forms. Her own father, Apollo and Artemis, Athena, hell even Dionysus saving their bacon while Percy always helped her remember the best parts of herself. Thorn had no idea what kind of help they had on her side, and her dark smile set all of their hair on end to much to ask. Nobody would ever make her feel helpless again.

Zoe notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head.

"I'm more surprised she didn't do that while he was monologuing," Alex admitted.

"She was probably feeling a little homesick, Persia being mentioned and all," Thalia shook her head. Alex still had a unique form of annoyance, picking on their surprise.

The guards on either side of us raised their guns.

"Wait!" I said. "Zoe, don't!"

The manticore smiled. "The boy is right, Zoe Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

Percy's nerves quivered in place like an interpretive dance. A flimsy idea that had gained more traction the more he thought about it and always sounded more believable each time.

It was like she'd told him, she'd already lost everything. This quest was supposed to get her only family back, but somewhere along the way even Thalia had shifted her focus to finding the monster over Annabeth. She was losing faith in why she was fighting.

Percy would just have to remind her, and he opened his mouth to do just that before Magnus kept reading, and the vivid scoff followed by his disparaging voice showed how much Magnus thought of that idea himself. He might not have spent much time around his cousin since they were little, but they were quite similar. Annabeth would never lose faith in Thalia, she'd remember that.

No one spoke. It made terrible sense. Thalia was only two days away from turning sixteen. She was a child of the Big Three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said.

"We actually don't know the exact words of the prophecy," Jason reminded sharply, sounding very much like Chiron. A scholar not letting his class get away from the thesis. "For all we know neither of you are, stop worrying about details you can't control."

"This coming from the guy who's been marking every little detail he can find," Thalia's smile was a bit strained. She was about to massively disappoint Jason and take back whatever pride he might once have had on her when he heard she'd actually hesitated.

I wasn't sure if I felt relieved, horrified, or disappointed. I wasn't the prophecy kid after all. Doomsday was happening right now.

"The worst part is always the waiting," Magnus agreed like he had some degree in psychology he'd never shared.

"The worst part is the constant interruptions," Nico muttered. They'd be done by now otherwise.

I waited for Thalia to tell the manticore off, but she hesitated. She looked completely stunned.

"I think you compartmentalized too well," Jason told her with a little to much confidence. "You filed the idea away and managed to lose it in the shuffle."

She looked miserable as her eyes darted to him and away. Jason had her spot on, she had been managing to put off the worry of everything except finding Annabeth so well she'd barely felt a thing during this quest except angry, tired, and for one brief moment drunk and loopy with laughter before fear took over. Her mother and all who Beryl reminded her of, Bianca, even her impending birthday had been collecting dust in safe corners of her mind until that moment where Thorn threw in her face she could fix it all. Have the power to do anything, like bring her brother back, fix her family.

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friend Luke recognized it.

He'd managed to say the exact right thing to her too. He'd answered a question she'd been asking herself since she woke up. Luke had seen no other way out, and there had been a moment, a split second as her mind conjured up the image, she could have him back too. Happy, beside her, to finish what they'd started together...

You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia," I said, "snap out of it!"

She looked at me the same way she had the morning she woke up on Half-Blood Hill, dazed and uncertain. It was almost like she didn't know me. "I... I don't—"

'I don't know how to give it up,' she'd almost stuttered. The power, the yearning for more. If her fatal flaw wasn't hubris like Annabeth's, than it was certainly a craving to be needed. Like her father. Not in charge, she'd resented Zoe for a multitude of reasons, but sharing the decisions was a personal problem she tried to over come. No, Thorn had dug right into her strongest desire to make the world bend to her will so nobody could ever take her family away from her again.

"Your father helped you," I said. "He sent the metal angels. He turned you into a tree to preserve you."

Her father who had let her die, let her brother vanish...the same father who might have led her right to Annabeth and Luke when she'd needed them most and saved enough of her to be reborn in just the right circumstances. It had to be impossible he'd know one day she'd get a chance to come back, but Percy had looked at her and promised yet another answer she'd woken up in this world needing. Maybe Zeus had let her tree be poisoned, had done nothing to save the camp, because it helped get her out.

Her hand tightened on the shaft of her spear.

I looked at Grover desperately. Thank the gods, he understood what I needed. He raised his pipes to his mouth and played a quick riff.

The manticore yelled, "Stop him!"

The guards had been targeting Zoe, and before they could figure out that the kid with the pipes was the bigger problem,

"A rather dumb mistake on their part, those things are the most dangerous weapon there," Magnus said confidently. They could both do magic and bash someone's head in.

the wooden planks at their feet sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoe let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. Fart arrows!

"And here I thought she reserved those only for me," Thalia said with her usual grin in place like nothing had happened.

Percy breathed a sigh of relief and gave himself a mental kick for each time he'd doubted her in here.

Jason was still looking at her kind of wearily, but in a concerned way, like he wanted to ask if she was alright but thought she might use that spear on him if he tried.

The guards started coughing. The manticore shot spines in our direction, but they ricocheted off my lion's coat.

"Grover," I said, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

"Moooooo!" Grover translated. I could only hope that Bessie got the message.

"What would happen if he spoke ox right then or something?" Magnus couldn't help but laugh even in this most serious of situations.

"He'd tell Bessie with an accent I hope," Percy frowned with plenty of worry for both of them.

"The cow..." Thalia muttered, still in a daze.

"Yes, very good Thalia," but there was no mocking in Alex's voice for Thalia somehow unintentionally repeating her and Magnus's joke this whole book.

"Maybe next time I'll identify what Percy is," she agreed with a cheerful, if reluctant enough smile.

"Come on!" I pulled her along as we ran up the stairs to the shopping center on the pier.

We dashed around the corner of the nearest store. I heard the manticore shouting at his minions, "Get them!"

"I always hated redundant orders like that," Nico rolled his eyes. "After them, catch them, stop right there, action speaks louder than words!"

"If I ever have an evil mad man chasing me I'll be sure to tell him he's being cliché," Will grinned.

Tourists screamed as the guards shot blindly into the air.

We scrambled to the end of the pier. We hid behind a little kiosk filled with souvenir crystals—wind chimes and dream catchers and stuff like that, glittering in the sunlight.

"This isn't the kind of bad vibe I think they'll be able to take away," Percy scowled.

"I bet the kiosk person will still try," Jason squirmed, still watching Thalia more than paying attention.

There was a water fountain next to us.

"Could you squirt them in the face with that Percy?" Magnus asked with a resigned air of having to ask.

"Maybe to annoy them," he frowned.

"To bad there's not a bathroom around, we could use you becoming one with the plumbing again," Thalia smirked.

"You guys are never letting that go," Percy groaned.

"Nope," she agreed.

Down below, a bunch of sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks.

"At least somebody's having a good time," Jason muttered, squinting a bit at nothing in here. He'd still swear this whole scenario should feel familiar, minus the being chased by an angry French manticore, though that didn't seem as wildly out of place as it should have.

The whole of San Francisco Bay spread out before us: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north. A picture-perfect moment, except for the fact that we were about to die and the world was going to end.

"Couldn't ask for better circumstances?" Will offered.

"The not dying part!" Percy scoffed.

"You didn't," Will waved at him obviously, "and now you get to remember that lovely view you'll probably never see again."

"I'm going to shove your optimism so far up your-" Percy sounded more exasperated at his kidding at a time like this than anything, but Nico still cleared his throat to get a move on already.

"Go over the side!" Zoe told me. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."

Percy had just reminded Thalia that their parents weren't uncaring, but he still swallowed a bitter taint of his own his father might deliver one scrap of help, and a self-serving one at that in protecting a beast who could destroy him. If he asked his dad for anything more, like saving all of his friends too right there on the ocean front, it would probably be to close to that whole pesky interfering business.

She was right, but I couldn't do it.

"I won't leave you guys," I said. "We fight together."

"You have to get word to camp!" Grover said. "At least let them know what's going on!"

"The most awkward part is I don't even think a tsunami in California would make the headlines in New York," Alex said. More likely the reason Percy couldn't do that was he didn't have control enough of his powers to not swipe up his friends and countless pedestrians in the crossfire, again. Man it would be more helpful if the bad guys would stop catching up to them in places Percy couldn't conveniently destroy.

Then I noticed the crystals making rainbows in the sunlight. There was a drinking fountain next to me...

"Get word to camp," I muttered. "Good idea."

I uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over us.

Thalia gasped as the water hit her. The fog seemed to clear from her eyes. "Are you crazy?" she asked.

"Always," Percy agreed. "What does that make you Thals?" His smirk grew at calling out how similar they were.

She smirked in the exact same way and agreed, "crazier."

"Bet I'm declared craziest by the end of this," Percy said with way to much confidence.

"Only because we're following your adventures," she reminded with an even more annoying smirk than the last one. "Now if we were following the Hunters around-"

"It's not like that's my fault," Percy groaned, giving her a shove. "If I could trade I would!"

"No you wouldn't," she said softly, her mind on one person.

Percy sighed, but agreed, "no I wouldn't," his mind on the same blond.

But Grover understood.

"And that is why Grover is my first best friend," Percy said with pride, elbowing Thalia even more. "He goes right along with my crazy schemes while you were in a fog!"

"I was having an identity crisis," she agreed without a drop of chagrin. "You're lucky I came out of it, or you would have been my first victim."

He laughed again, properly without a bit of hesitation, and she sighed everything felt almost back to normal for a second.

He was already fishing around in his pockets for a coin. He threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!"

The mist rippled.

"Camp Half-Blood!" I said.

And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to us, was the last person I wanted to see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.

Percy slammed his palm into his face in an almost painful sounding strike, and then dragged his hand down to his chin like slowly dripping acid.

"I'm very sad to see you didn't learn your lesson about this the first time," Magnus agreed with that display.

"Chiron is one less syllable than your camp, it's faster," Jason agreed like that was going to make all the difference next time.

Percy still had his head bowed towards his hand like he wanted to slap himself again. How were they not all dead?

He looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"

"Where's Chiron!" I shouted.

"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"

"Hello," I amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"

"If that place ever got a phone, that should be the recorded message," Alex nodded.

"Who says it isn't?" Will grinned. "It's option two though, you don't want to know what one is." Why Dionysius had insisted on offering a connection to Olympus that left you on hold forever first they'd never know...

Mr. D considered that. I wanted to scream at him to hurry up, but I knew that wouldn't work. Behind us, footsteps and shouting—the manticore's troops were closing in.

"About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting.

"Is it really though?" Magnus frowned. "It sounds to me like it happens at that Camp all the time."

"Maybe iris-messaging has more entertainment value than the real stuff," Percy rolled his eyes.

"I doubt the quality is better, and the off screen developments have to be lacking," Thalia sniffed with distaste.

I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"

"I have several for him," Alex's tone promised an expletive after every word.

I looked at my friends. "We're dead."

"You're not doing a very good job of that," Jason at least sounded relieved to contradict that.

Thalia gripped her spear. She looked like her old angry self again. "Then we'll die fighting."

"I really don't want that to be your last words," Percy said, while sounding genuinely in awe of his friend.

"Hasn't happened yet," her smile was grim but proud as Percy gave her one of those looks that meant he was on the exact same wavelength as her. Jason, to her surprise, was still watching her with the same concern like she was still in that foggy state. It was surprisingly kind of him, though she couldn't imagine why he was.

"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn.

"Does he have a permanent hangover?" Alex rolled her eyes.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Magnus couldn't imagine any hair of the dog could cure him.

"So what is the problem, exactly?"

I didn't see that it would make any difference, but I told him about the Ophiotaurus.

"Mmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

"You don't even care!" I screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."

Percy looking grudgingly respectful of that for a moment. He'd want that to be his last meal too. Didn't make him less of a jackass.

I wanted to slash through the rainbow and disconnect, but I didn't have time. The manticore screamed, "There!" And we were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above us. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

"Excellent," he said. He glanced at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any real help. Wonderful."

"Well now he went and done it," Will scoffed with the same amount of confidence as ever. The one way to piss off any god was to tell them what they couldn't do.

"You could ask for help," Mr. D murmured to me, as if this were an amusing thought. "You could say please."

"When pigs fly!" Percy snapped. He'd go down in any fight with his head high and pride intact before he pleaded for help, only to hear the maniacal laughter from the wine god!

When wild boars fly, I thought. There was no way I was going to die begging a slob like Mr. D, just so he could laugh as we all got gunned down.

Percy managed a smile through his gritted teeth as he kept a tight hold on his pen. It was a relief in some part he hadn't changed to much over the years.

Zoe readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield, and I noticed a tear running down her cheek. Suddenly it occurred to me: this had happened to her before.

Thalia had never felt shocked before. She was usually the one doing that. The kind of heart-skip, breath catching feeling as she quickly rubbed at her cheek to hide any such thing had been there as she did a double take at Percy. Damn this boy for always noticing everything but the battle at hand!

She couldn't say what sort of expression would have been on his face at the time. Her sole focus had been on Thorn. She saw now though. It was pity mingled with yet more understanding in those sea green eyes. He would have done anything to save her in that moment.

Like make a pig fly, or something even more unthinkable.

She had been cornered on Half-Blood Hill. She'd willingly given her life for her friends. But this time, she couldn't save us.

How could I let that happen to her?

"Please, Mr. D," I muttered. "Help."

"Percy," she didn't have the words. She hadn't heard what he'd said when he'd muttered all those years ago. She'd thought it had been a self serving act, that Dionysius had changed his mind when Thorn had spoken to spare her. Even Mr. D wouldn't want her falling into the wrong hands, it was more convenient to save her.

Her friend just gave her a casual grin of no regrets. Percy gave her a little tip of his head, and then pressed his finger to his lips and pointed at the book. Despite his calm mood back as placid as ever, he clearly was going to pretend he didn't know if it had worked until the book said so. Not to spare her having to choke out a thanks or anything.

Of course, nothing happened.

The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

Magnus felt like the words were being jerked out of him one syllable at a time. Camp Half-Blood had felt like a morbid place to him the second it was described, a 'home' designed to train kids that were just going to die inside the boarders as quickly as outside.

He found in this moment though a sense of understanding, like group therapy. A way to accept an outcome all those kids were going to face, because he was obviously the only one still gob-smacked over the careless words out of that monsters mouth.

The men raised their guns, and something strange happened. You know how you feel when all the blood rushes to your head, like if you hang upside down and turn right-side up too quickly? There was a rush like that all around me, and a sound like a huge sigh. The sunlight tinged with purple. I smelled grapes and something more sour—wine.

SNAP!

It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.

"I think it can be both just fine," Thalia promised. Zoe had been just as guilty as her giving a self pinch and Grover's mouth had fallen comically wide open.

"No!" screamed the manticore. "I will deal with you myself!"

His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally the grapes stopped shivering, and I had a feeling that somewhere inside there, the manticore was no more.

Percy's fingers twitched once in regret. That he hadn't gotten his revenge for this creature making him think Annabeth was dead.

It only lasted a moment as relief swept over him and he gave a cheerful high-five to Thalia. Another day they lived!

She gave him a rueful shake of her head as she gave him an enthusiastic answer by doing so back.

"Well," said Dionysus, closing his refrigerator. "That was fun."

"Was it?" Magnus asked in concern. "Because I'm now over here shitting myself how long range he has!"

Nobody answered him, as usual, which probably meant he'd never stop hyperventilating if he got an answer.

I stared at him, horrified. "How could you... How did you—"

"Such gratitude," he muttered. "The mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining to do if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to Father."

"They have to file reports?" Alex looked personally offended paperwork existed at that moment.

"I'm sure he just makes the satyrs do it," Will grinned, making them all smile for a moment as they realized Mr. D was just brushing off his moment where he'd saved their life.

He stared resentfully at Thalia. "I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

Thalia blushed as if she were ashamed.

"We really are a lot a like, it's eerie how Annabeth called that," Percy told her without surprise. "We both over came our fatal flaws on our first quest, got our asses saved by a surprise god, Grover even got to start both by saving some dumbass kid."

"Hey," Nico frowned, even if he found himself glowing with shock and pride Percy had really just compared them. The words had really come out of his mouth, he'd seen it in person!

"Stop trying to be all happy and encouraging Percy, it's creepy," Thalia was doing anything but flushing with shame now as she rolled her eyes at him with her usual grin.

"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You... you saved us."

"Mmm. Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson.

Magnus stuttered over his name like he was Jason trying to read Greek. "Did he just say your name?"

"Holy toledo!" Jason yelped just as loudly. "I didn't think he learned your names!"

"He has to get them wrong on purpose somehow," Percy looked just as dazed, even plugging his nose up for a moment to make sure that crazy smell of grapes and minds snapping wasn't affecting him.

Will looked downright smug as he savored all of their shock. It was almost sad, he was the only one not surprised. Mr. D did care about them, in his way. It took some time to get used to him and his subtleties, but considering he'd never actually blasted a kid, he'd always been sure of it.

Nico picked at his lip curiously for a moment before he said to nobody in particular, "names have power. It's possible the god was even evoking a little something extra, never saying any names unless he meant it."

Percy looked at him like he was crazy now. "Have you been sniffing the grapes? There's no way Mr. D thinks of us as worthy of that kind of idea."

Nico didn't feel very abashed though, especially since Will looked extremely interested beside him like it was something he'd want to ask Mr. D about. Nico watched as Percy turned back to the book, and then made himself look away too without expecting more, which was growing easier with practice.

I've bought you a few hours at most."

"The Ophiotaurus," I said. "Can you get it to camp?"

Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."

"Isn't his sacred animal big cats or something? Shouldn't he be able to oversea that?" Magnus asked. He figured that was why he always wore the printed jogging outfit.

"In some myths it's also a donkey," Thalia snorted.

"I have so many questions," Magnus muttered, rubbing his forehead in exhaustion.

"I'm sure the answer in this particular case is, he's done more work in those five seconds than he's had to in centuries," Alex reminded.

"But where do we go?"

Dionysus looked at Zoe. "Oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now good-bye. My pizza is waiting."

"He didn't even threaten to throw you off another building," Jason said in admiration.

"Must have been a good pizza," Percy said, just as dumbstruck.

"Mr. D," I said.

He raised his eyebrow.

"You called me by my right name," I said. "You called me Percy Jackson."

"You weren't supposed to point it out!" Alex laughed. "Now he might have been the one to erase your brain just for this!"

Percy flinched uneasily, that wasn't a joke he'd laugh lightly at, but it didn't feel right either.  Dionysius could have been sporadically causing memory problems to all the kids at Camp if he'd ever cared enough about one before.

"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"

He waved his hand, and his image disappeared in the mist.

All around us, the manticore's minions were still acting completely nuts. One of them had found our friend the homeless guy, and they were having a serious conversation about metal angels from Mars.

"Now where's my B Alien movie over that," Magnus grinned.

"Awaiting popcorn and the Claymation on us," Alex smirked. Magnus wondered for a moment if that crazy juice was leaking through the book. That wasn't a date proposal. Right?

Several other guards were harassing the tourists, making animal noises and trying to steal their shoes.

"I swear you bring the strangeness of New York with you everywhere you go," Jason told while giving one last annoyed sigh as he curled his toes up in his sneakers and rubbed at his forehead. He still felt like the crazy one in the room for swearing some of this should be familiar!

I looked at Zoe. "What did he mean... 'You know where to go'?"

Her face was the color of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."

"Do they still remember she exists?" Magnus asked, his mouth dry as sandpaper, his tongue feeling rough with the stress even if he wouldn't be the one reading it. "What happens when you're blotted out of existence and try to go back."

Percy was making grumbling noises of protest and had his eyes closed to bully down the pain of any idea what was coming, so Alex quickly made a swipe for the book. The more he paid attention to these books rather than whatever that was, the better for all of them.

#pjo #Percy Jackson #Thalia Grace #Jason Grace #alex fierro #magnus chase #nico di angelo #will solace #percabeth #solangelo #fierrochase #reading the books #fanfiction #Titan's Curse #HDYSG #hoo

[harrisonbrainrot]

worst and best hf movie in your opinion? have you watched one of his movies and thought it was gonna be good/bad and it ended up being the opposite? how many of them have you watched?

LOVE this ask.

Okay bear with me; I'm drunk. This is ignoring Indy + Star Wars + Blade Runner. I have seen... almost everything. Like.. damn near everything. According to IMDB he's been in 86 things. Tbh I've seen.. 68.

Top movies:

Hanover Street, it's a bitter sweet romance. Love it. It made me so sad but so fulfilled. It's some of his best acting imo. He's a total hopeless romantic. I love WWI/II films so that's nice.

Frantic is VERY fun. Ew, Roman Polanski. But a fun movie. He accidentally does coke. Overall vibe of his character is indoor cat that got outside on accident.

Heroes is GREAT. Vietnam War vet. Short screen time but memorable and tbh my dream guy. He's funny and sweet and super kind. Kinda a loser. I love him.

Frisco Kid. LOVE HARRISON AS A COWBOY. He's pure of heart and dumb of ass. He's got humor and all sorts of fun lines and moments.

Getting Straight; he had 1.5 minutes of screen time and played an art major and your honor, I LOVE HIM.

Regarding Henry; my first experience with a Harrison movie that wasn't Indy or Star Wars. It's sweet and fun and I'm really connected to it as someone with a TBI. Obviously not of the same caliber but.. still.

Honorable mentions:

Sabrina, the fugitive, the devil's own, and six days, seven nights, American Graffiti.

My LEAST favorite movie he's done is bar none; k-19: widow maker. Please, for the love of God, don't make my man do a Russian accent.

Dishonorable mentions;

42, they did his hair dirty. The possessed bc his character was gross and the movie was bad. Force 10 from Navarone is a snooze fest as a movie but I stuck it out for Harrison. A GREAT look for him but the film is slow. Very, very slow. He has a lot of screen time though. If WWII films from the 70s aren't your thing, don't watch it.

If you want a good laugh, watch his 42 seconds of fame in Luv, hilarious. If you want to see him in a western-esque film but with sideburns? Journey to Shiloh. For absolute stoned out of your gourd humor, belly laugh, his short appearance in the holiday special is just.. absolute gold. He embodies me at every holiday family function I do not want to be present at. Apocalypse now is a fun one, for his very short cameo as colonel Lucas, which is a homage to George Lucas. Wild he got that 2 years after Star Wars and it was filmed the same year as Hanover Street. He was in two episodes of Gunsmoke, which I knew from watching the show. The Sodbusters and Whelan's Men.

Idk man he's got such a diverse filmography. Dm me and I'll give you detailed film reviews of anything I've seen and you want to watch. Like fr. Just dm me, y'all.

#anon ask #harrison ford #the man the myth the legend

[softguarnere]

For Whatever We Lose

Lewis Nixon x OFC (slow burn, enemies to lovers) Chapter 2: Starting Places

Summary: The newly minted NCOs of Easy Company: Women's Squad find an unexpected ally A/N: The accent that the others make fun of Minerva for having is known as a "Hoi Toid"/"Carolina Brogue" accent and is found on the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina! It used to be more common, but if you visit the Barrier Islands, you can still find some older folks who have it. There are several videos online if you want to hear what it sounds like :) Thanks for the positive reception of the first chapter! I hope you guys will enjoy this one as well Warnings: none Taglist: @kujofam

Far away from her parents, far away from all the good manners and ladylike responses that her mother ever taught her, far away from the woman she once was who had to keep her cool at the front of a classroom, Minerva blurts out the first thing that pops into her head.

“Private.”

A dark eyebrow quirks in question. “Pardon me?”

“Private Revels,” Minerva says. “It’s a rank I’ve had to work hard to keep.”

To her surprise, this makes the man behind the desk smile – a real smile this time. And instead of the intimidation that he’s been exuding since well before she stepped into the room, he relaxes a bit. Not what Minerva was expecting. Especially when she glances down at his name tag that reads SOBEL and is finally able to place him. The captain’s reputation precedes him, and the scoffs and rude gestures that he inspires are a trail in his wake whenever he passes by men with lower rank.

Captain Sobel gestures to the other empty seat in front of his desk, but instead of inviting her to sit, he only says, “It would appear that the rumors are true, then. You really do have a strange accent.” He glances at the file in front of him, dark brows furrowing slightly. “Tell me, where is Frisco, exactly?”

How dare he?! Minerva digs her fingernails into the soft flesh of her palms, setting her clenched fists in her lap as she sits. She draws in a deep breath and levels her voice, putting on her polite teacher voice before answering, “It’s on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, sir.”

“Hmm.” The file is flipped closed and tossed aside on the desk, like all the information within it is being dismissed. “Are you and Mi – Er, Private, excuse me, Bradham neighbors, then?”

Minerva glances at Diana in the chair next to her, the other girl’s eyes still wide. Out of all the women, she knows the least about Diana. Quiet, careful Diana, who always keeps to herself, and who Minerva honestly sometimes forgets is even there. She only knows that she’s from North Carolina because she once overheard her say something about it to Bianca. She has no clue what part of the state –

It hits her then, like a punch to the gut. Diana Bradham. North Carolina. Brad’s Drink.

“Are you from New Bern?” Minerva ventures.

Diana nods, and she knows then that she’s right: Diana Bradham, somehow or other, is related to the creator of Pepsi-Cola.

“No,” Minerva says to the captain. “No, sir. Frisco and New Bern are quite a ways apart. A whole sound between them.”

“That’s what I wondered,” Captain Sobel says. “It would have been curious for one of you to have such a strong accent, and the other not to.”

The accent again? As if she hasn’t gotten enough grief over how she sounds since arriving here, now her new captain has to lay into her about it as well. Clearly it’s never occurred to anyone else that they all sound really funny to her. God, at least in college there were a few people who sounded similar, so not everyone felt the need to comment on it.

When neither woman speaks, Captain Sobel finally gets down to business. “Well, out of all the women, you two are the only ones with college degrees. Congratulations.”

What about Lori? She mentions Vassar College at least three times a day. Shouldn’t she be here? Unless . . . No, surely she actually attended the college; her parents can afford it. But perhaps she hasn’t completed her degree yet.

“I’m sure that Colonel Sink already explained everything to you,” Captain Sobel continues. “You two are being made sergeants and will have a lot of responsibility over Easy Company: Women’s Squad until Lieutenant Lowe finishes OCS and arrives. Just to be clear – “ He clasps his hands together and leans forward on his desk, making sure he has their attention as he emphasizes his point. “ – Easy Company is the best. I have worked hard to get it that way, and Colonel Sink knows this. That is why he has entrusted me with taking you girls in. I want for you to succeed, I really do. Successfully training and integrating a division of women would be a great accomplishment. But you have to pull your weight.

“I expect you to keep the girls in line. School yard drama will not be tolerated. That applies to both them and to my men. Fraternization could tear down everything I have worked for. I will not have this venture staining Easy Company’s good name – my good name. Am I clear?” When they nod, he sits back in his seat, surveying them. He nods. “Good. Please believe me when I say that I really do want this to work out. But mistakes will not be tolerated.”

He stands, his posture relaxing, and extends a hand to each of them in turn. His smile is actually pleasant. “Tomorrow you will join Easy Company for PT and we will get the squad introduced to the men. I look forward to working with you all.”

Minerva gives the firmest handshake of her life, trying to make it as strong and as professional as her parents have taught her; no limp fish to make a bad first impression. She pumps the captain’s hand with gusto and tries to tell herself that his lingering touch, the way he holds onto her hand just a second too long afterwards, is all in her imagination.

When he dismisses them, Minerva makes the steps in her exit as clean and as orderly as possible. She’s a sergeant now, after all. If Captain Sobel wants perfection, by God, she’s going to deliver. Besides, if Minerva is good at anything, it’s that when she decides that she wants something or that when she decides to do something, she will get it and she will do it well.

They pause outside the building. In the evening sunlight, Minerva studies Diana for the first time – really studies her. The girl from New Bern hasn’t exactly made herself easy to know. And perhaps her last name is why.

What is there for Minerva to say? Before she can decide, Diana jumps right into the thick of things.

“You went to college,” she says, addressing Minerva’s own secret.

Minerva nods. She hasn’t revealed much about her background – only to Keziah, really – but now they’re being thrown into this thing together, so Diana deserves to know. “Meredith College, in Raleigh.”

Diana’s eyes widen, her pretty lips betraying a smile. “Me, too! I graduated last year.”

Last year?! Were they on campus at the same time? Minerva is only twenty-two. With the limited education available on the Barrier Islands, she finished what was accessible at sixteen, applied to the nearest women’s school, and started at seventeen with a scholarship and money from Pop that he promises she never has to pay back, despite her assertions that she will. Degree in hand, she came back to Hatteras Island and started teaching at the small school just up the road, although she’d rather be out on the boat with her dad, if she’s being honest. Or in the lighthouse with Pop. Or at the Life-Saving Station with so many of her old friends.

The classroom, her mother’s voice echoes in her head, is a fine place for a young lady.

Colonel Sink had said two of them had degrees. So this means –

“Lori hasn’t finished school?” Minerva guesses.

“Or never went,” Diana suggests, not giving the debutante the benefit of the doubt.

“She talks about it all the time though . . . Unlike us.”

Diana smiles again, but it’s shier this time. “I didn’t want anyone to think that I only made it this far because of my family. Staying in the background seemed like the safest option, but it’s been harder now that there are fewer of us.”

Because of her family. So unlike Lori, who they all know comes from money, and who never shuts up about her family and their connections. What will the redheaded heiress have to say when she learns that Diana is of her stock?

“I just thought you were shy,” Minerva admits.

“You don’t talk much yourself.” The other woman tilts her head, her brown eyes narrowing slightly, like she’s trying to puzzle through something. “Funny, you’re quiet, but you have a big presence. You don’t say much, but somehow, you keep being pushed to the forefront.”

Big presence? What does that mean? Chalk it up to being a teacher, maybe. Spending so much time standing in front of people and talking while trying to retain their undivided attention might do that to a person.

“Well, we’re both going to have to change that. NCOs, but from the looks of it, we’re about to be as good as officers until a real one gets here.”

Diana bites her lip. “Somehow, I don’t see this going over well with a lot of the women.”

“You mean Lori.”

“Obviously.”

She almost laughs. Talking to Diana is easier than she ever would have imagined. And so far, they’re on the same page. This could work out well for them – as long as the eight other women don’t decide to make themselves impossible to lead.

“At least the captain seems to be on our side,” Diana points out. It’s maybe the strangest part of this whole affair, Captain Sobel, notoriously hateful, seeming like he wants them to succeed. The man they met in that office was not so close to the one they’ve heard so many displeased whispers about.

“Well, as long as he stays there.”

Minerva isn’t sure what exactly she thought would happen when they make it back to the barracks. Surely she didn’t expect applause or congratulatory cheers the second that she and Diana stepped through the doorway. Lori’s glare and refusal to make eye contact were expected, but the rest of the women – bar Keziah – just seem . . . confused at the recent development. They don’t even get the chance to announce their own promotion, because everyone else seems to have figured out what their absence during dinner meant.

“Well, there they are,” Anna says when they return. “The new sergeants of the squad.”

“Not my pick.” Close to the door, Anita’s aggrieved mutter has no trouble reaching the two sergeants in question. A quick glance at Diana reveals her face turning pink with shame. Minerva forces her spine to stiffen, makes herself taller in response, determined to be strong enough for both of them. The surge of anger and annoyance fuels her resolve.

Lounging on her bed, Juanita’s eyes flick over them both, sizing them up. “What college did you even go to?”

“Meredith,” they both answer, though Minerva’s answer is stronger, more sure than Diana’s.

“Well it ain’t Vassar, but it’s something!” Lucy exclaims, slapping a hand on her knees and laughing heartily at her own joke. Several others join in, although Lori’s silence is deafening. You would have to be blind to miss the way that the heiress’ jaw clenches, so tightly that she could crack a few teeth.

All at once, the atmosphere of the bunkhouse is explained: Lori’s anger, her embarrassment, loom so large that everyone has been struggling under it, like the blanket of humidity that coats Georgia’s summer air. Now they all know her secret. The tension lessons, a little, at least, and the subject changes, with several women asking questions about what will be expected of them now that they’re joining Easy Company.

By the time they all go to sleep, the other women don’t like them, per se, but at least they seem open to the idea of having Minerva and Diana as sergeants. Maybe today’s changes will bring together the small, fragmented groups of women and help form them into a cohesive unit. Give them a new sense of identity.

Still, if they want to live up to Captain Sobel’s standards, to show everyone that they can be on par with the men, they’re going to have to hit the ground running. As the glares and frowns begin to thaw into somewhat warmer looks, Minerva feels the muscles in her shoulders loosen and her nails unstick from the palms of her hands. They’ve got their work cut out for them, she knows, but this is a start.

#your weekly dose of random NC facts my liege #band of brothers fanfic #band of brothers #lewis nixon x oc #lewis nixon #band of brothers oc #band of brothers x ofc #for whatever we lose #oc minerva revels #my writing

[newbordeaux]

19 for jenny and ellis <3

19. — mango

Hi thank you.. this prompt was so weird but in a fun way. 🥭

"I said no, Ellis."

"Aw, come on, why not?" Ellis leaned on the counter, across from where Jenny was stowing away bags of flat bread.

The small downtown import store that her father owned as a front for their not-so-legal activities was a small and almost dingy thing, filled with artificial lighting and the faint sound of Arabic music playing overhead. It certainly lacked the excitement that the Saab family's other business ventures possessed, and was usually handled by one of Jenny's numerous relatives that Ellis had trouble memorizing. He could never sit around in a tiny shop all day, not when there were thrills to be had elsewhere.

"I ain't crazy enough to sell any damn heroin, that's why."

"You're selling PCP, same difference. Hey, I told you, you're making good money with this and Giorgi's keeping his old man from finding out. Nothing's gonna happen."

Ellis noticed an elderly woman giving him a strange look from the corner of his eye. Jenny signaled for him to lower his voice, furrowing her brows.

She leaned against the counter, just opposite from him—close enough for him to smell the scent of her perfume and hairspray. For some reason, he felt something fluttering in his stomach at this close proximity.

She continued with her voice barely above a whisper, "It's not the same. You remember my cousin Rami?"

"No."

"Really? I know you met him. He was with me and Dad a few times." She shook her head, as if to remind herself where to pick up again. "You know what, it doesn't matter… Anyway, he knew this guy somewhere in Lost Heaven, or wherever, who convinced him to move H a few years ago. I don't really remember what else happened. I think the guy had beef with a bunch of Italians, I don't know." She waved it off and took a quick glance at the elderly woman, as if to make sure no one was listening in. "Anyway, these Italian guys were selling H too, and when they caught wind of Rami and this other guy getting in on their business, they were pissed. Shot this guy to hell in broad daylight."

"Pfft, that ain't gonna happen to us."

She rolled her eyes. "Look, nobody gives a shit if we sell PCP to a bunch of housewives in Frisco Fields, but I'm not stupid enough to get involved in something like that."

Before he could protest, a customer approached the counter and they both grew quiet. The man greeted Jenny warmly and Ellis heaved a heavy sigh as he watched them converse in Arabic. She was stubborn, so there never was much sense in arguing with her once she made up her mind on something. He figured he should drop the subject completely and make do with Giorgi as his sole partner in this endeavor for now. Still, he didn't know why he was more disappointed than he should be.

As the customer said his goodbyes, Ellis absentmindedly took a strange looking fruit out of a nearby stand. Anything to change the subject.

"Hey Jenny, what the fuck is this thing?" He held it up to inspect it, and Jenny shrugged.

"Dunno, a mango, I think. My dad got them from some guy who said they'd sell, but no one's buying these things."

"Well, I can't blame 'em. This thing looks weird as fuck."

"You gonna buy this or just keep touching it?"

#x: just stay one minute more #THANK U and also for proofreading #please dont laugh at me i tried #*mine #*writing #mafia #also idk if exotic fruits were sold in louisiana in the 60s im just assigning that its not common

[mz-elysium]

San Francisco by Night... kinda sucks imo

[ID: dreamy enhanced photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge from the wharf, with foamy waters and a pink sunset over the hills]

“SF” or “the City”. “Frisco” is unacceptable. this is literally the first thing anyone here will say. i got made so much fun of when i moved, pls save yourself.

The racist overtones of the Middle Kingdom are well documented (but, if you wanna hear me rant, it’s under the read-more), so I’ll mainly complain about the obvious one to me.

Between the “Kindred of the East” city-book and the “Changling” book on SF, they still failed to get something right.

Sense of Scale

SF is a city of less than a million. It’s cramped. Shoved up against the water on all sides, there is literally no more room to build out (and don’t even think about trying to build up! i swear, there are some gnarly vampire politicians messing with building and zoning laws here). I came from a midwest city that’s larger than SF -- it’s not hard.

BUT

Bridge toll is reasonable-ish. Trains cross the Bay. There is no real hard line between San Francisco and South San Francisco (yes, different cities). In the East Bay, divides are even slimmer. Like, a couple of blocks-ish between Oakland and Berkeley. Maybe the county has the lines, but it really doesn’t matter.

It’s all just the Bay Area.

SF By Night doesn’t even think about this. As if, being on the peninsula, the City is entirely locked in. Gary is further from Chicago than Oakland is from SF. For gods sake, ppl live in Fairfield and commute into Palo Alto.

This is the Bay Area. 9 counties. 9 million people.

[ID: a detailed and colour-coded map of the Bay Area, including many cities, highways, bridges, and honestly it’s a crayon scribble of a mess]

Fairfield to San Jose is 1.5hrs, tops. It’s very crowded, densely urban with swathes of protected hills and redwoods, and yet compact?

It’s also very neatly divided into five : North Bay, East Bay, South Bay, SF, and the Peninsula. It’s almost as neatly squared off as New York City boroughs, in terms of splitting domain.

North Bay : rich. touristy. wine, fine dining, resorts. classy in a way your mom likes and your aging hipster friend thinks is innovative. (unless you’re in Solano County, which is very East Bay)

East Bay : poster child of the area. homelessness. violence. some gangs. faltering blue collar industry. broken hippies. chic hipster food. underground music (ppl who love or hate Green Day). craft beer. gentrification. also, “UC Berkeley” (University of California: Berkeley). (unless you’re east of the hills from concord south, in which case it’s WASP city)

South Bay : baby white collar tech grads. new developments. silicon valley. new wealth that thinks it “won’t be like THOSE rich people”. punished communities of chinese, vietnamese, and latino immigrants.

Peninsula : very much like the east bay -- grubby, industrial commercial areas spliced with Stanford and incredibly stupidly priced houses.

SF : new rich that thinks it’s old money. crime and locals fighting gentrification from “liberals”. hipsters and social vultures pretending to be rebels. everything is kinda dated, not cool, and clinging to relevance.

From politics and the upper crust, there’s a vibe of “we’re in a liberal paradise, we don’t need any more progress!” People crutch onto the identity of California Democrat, while being anti-Black, anti-Asian, against improvements for homelessness or public transit or the housing crisis.

It is violently hypocritical. People don’t live their values. Class divides started sharp and have only gotten sharper, and harder. There’s a feeling of desperation, of remembering when days were easier. At the same time, a lot of the “wealthy” are only “comfortable” and living tight.

Isn’t that a great setting for the World of Darkness?

god do I have to do everything myself?

[read more for middle kingdom complaining]

The Middle Kingdom / Keui-jin

does. not. work.

It doesn’t work to such a degree that V5 scrapped the “eastern vampires” entirely. The Camarilla now has footholds in Singapore and Tokyo.

Once, there was a pan-Asian race of vampire-like creatures. They’re similar enough that it kinda flies in the face of the Caine myth, but reading their mechanics and history is a bit of a Scrabble box of cultural words from... various Asian countries. Hun and po. Chi. Dharma. Karmic cycle. Ying and yang. A lot about tigers and dragons.

The name is a mash-up of Mandarin and Japanese, which is pretty on-point since the only two countries mentioned seem to be China and Japan.

The main mechanical improvement is the dharmas, which work (not as Hindu dharma) as paths to enlightenment. Like Humanity, a dharma functions a little like a morality scale, but is mainly a concept of spirituality in an attempt to break out of the undead state and earn the universe’s favour to escape reincarnation.

Like, a Buddhist or Hindu take on vampires would be very cool. Cursed to be ripped from the natural cycle of reincarnation? Trapped to wander the earth as an echo of your mortal self? Great. Make that a standard kindred and you got a very interesting character concept.

also this horrible theme...

All City books start out with some themes for the city. All cities in WOD become characters, so that’s always cool.

Uh.

[ID: title, “Colonialism”, text, “The Middle Kingdom suffered under more than a century of European colonialism, which forced alien laws, values and conditions on nations and cultures thousands of years old. Although many of Asia’s nations have reasserted their own cultural identities, the legacy born of European influence and rule remain like a bitter aftertaste. Now the Kuei-jin of the August Courts have turned the tables on the West, invading and occupying two of their cities and imposing their own rules and requirements.”]

Now, if any of the Kuei-Jin came from countries that suffered under western colonialism, that would be cool. But, as often in white media, the only countries that exist are China and Japan -- both with their own colonizing history.

I appreciate the emphasis on Asian (particularly east Asian) immigrants in the Bay Area, which has substantial Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese populations. But. This? This isn’t good. The racist “Uno reverse no you” horror plot is trying to sound progressive : “oh no, we invaded and colonized them, so now they treat us the way we treated them!”

#vtm #vtm: wormwood #world of darkness

[mariewaltonrealtor]

Looking for something to do Saturday?

How about music, food, crafts and a lot of fun! Switchyard Festival

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#allen #beer #carrollton #crafts #dallas #DFW #food #frisco #fun thing to do #live music #mckinney #north texas #plano #real estate agent #realtor #Switchyard Festival #texas

[sylvia-lydia-morelos-baby-2023]

December 14, 2023...1:43 p.m.

i am at the Will & Ariel Durant Library at 7140 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca. 90046 off of DETROIT & SUNSET.

i just left THE CENTER at 6636 Selma Ave., Los Angeles, Ca. 90028. I was sexually harassed by one of Richard Clayton Thompson's, dob 09 17 75, ss # 435 65 1226, perps (jihad cells members, ALQUEDA, ISIL security scume included._ See security cameras within the facility, i've already reported it in the past. Got stalkers on me. They not only stole my new pair of glasses,from the STEIN institute,oath keepers, same enemy, in ucla, they also stole my gov/ebt, cell at 213 590 3375. I already reported it stolen.

Left. Done deal. They're aiding and harboring the jihad threat, all staff there. Clients are them. They are perverse. See pics i took about them grabbing their balls, threats of rape, with the Selma Elementary School directly across the street. TERRACIANO's people involved again. ALL government subversives.

Fun. Austin Kleon, all veterans for peace war criminals too, involved. I just got the CISNEROS, i.e. same perps who set my hair on fire, etc. in the Tenderloin, FRISCO, back a few years ago; i filed a police report the day after with the Tenderloin police and i have a scanned copy of the assault (i.e. contusion on my left leg) online on one of my Pinterest pages. The govt asked me: who hurt you Sylvia? In public too.

They all pose a clear and present danger. The government is democracy, they are govt subversives.

I told them, without using fighting words, how i felt about their poor customer service, to say the least; they also don't follow civil rights safeguards, including what the rules state on their walls regarding the protection of CLIENT information, etc.

they stole my cell AGAIN, man!

They also believe that the mural in their by CORINTH: "To be fully alive is to work for the common good." They believe that common good equals communism. They kicked me out and dscriminated against me accordingly, NOT ONLY for my gender expression, and they consider normal educated women like me whores, they also kicked me out for credibly and legally reporting them. Retaliation is against the law. They have accomplices here too, at this library, all registered and deregistered sex offenders, staff included. their oath keepers cops are here not doing a damn thing legally.

S.

fun. they demanded ransom for me out loud legally, and called themselves jiahd; stephanie at THE CENTER, showed off her marriage to jihad with the hat- a black knitted one- that she opened bragged about on camera. see what else is on camera, more than one.

if you see something, say something. that is legal per the Department of Homeland Security.

i reported all of them for telecommunications terrorism in the past. They just stole some pieces of information from me, directly, all in here at this library around the library included. What i have left is SAFELINK wireless, info. The perp (Albert Nunes Cisneros stem) refused to identity himself, he was on the defensive and evasive and he illegally took my picture. 911. They stole my paper with his identifying name etc on it.

They are SAFELINK WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS TERRORISTS AS WELL. They probably stole the phones they have one them; i figured they may be independent contractors, but the perp got upset and became evasive about his name when i questioned him about whether or not he is an independent contractor. fyi.

SAFELINK WIRELESS at SafeLink.com

1-800-SafeLink

1-800-(723-3546)

1-800-safelink

safelink.com is what they have been terrorizing as well. OATH KEEPERS, KKK, VETERANS FOR PEACE, old crimes, about time they came out and got caught. All staff and clients at THE CENTER involved, including all 5+ are involved. We got the jihad scum. Do the math.

/S./

S.

Syl.

ADMIRAL MORELOS, SYLVIA LYDIA (CHIVIS)

#sylvia lydia morelos #political activist #american dream team a+:usa & allies #OPS:USA & ALLIES #papa garza & grandpa garza & mama garza (9xoxo4ever)

[thebouncy]

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Our team at The Bouncy Kingdom makes your party planning our priority and we work hard to make sure it is a huge success. We have a strong commitment to our community and safety! This is why we rent high-quality, commercial grade bounce houses in Frisco and the surrounding area. Our equipment is always good to go, cleaned and sanitized. Every year we have our rental equipment fully inspected and fully insured to meet or exceed the standards set by The State of Texas.

You will find we have a large selection of party and inflatable rentals for any type of event. Our party rentals include: backyard parties, school festivals or field days, birthday parties, church events, community events, carnivals, graduation parties for highschool or even college graduation parties, corporate events/retreats and team building exercises, and even HOA events. Let us take the stress out and remember to have fun planning your party.

Looking for the Best Bounce House Rentals Frisco, Texas?

Bounce houses go by many names and can be found by searching online for things like: "bounce house rentals Frisco Texas, or "bounce house near me". Did you know they also can be commonly found as: moonwalks, bouncers, bouncy castles, jumpers, jumpy castles, jumping slides, spacewalks, moon bounces, moon jumps, brincas brincas, inflatables, inflatable castles, jumpy balloon things, bouncy slides and so many more? Whatever lingo you choose to use to label these fun bouncy inflatable, vinyl pillows of magic, we've got them for rent.

We love Frisco, TX this is our home. Because we love our customers, we take each and every rental seriously.  With professional precision, we deliver and set up your event to maximize the fun. Whether you have a water slide rental for a simple party or you need entertainment for hundreds of children and/or adults, your event is our event. Rest assured your party rental is in good hands with The Bouncy Kingdom in Frisco we are your party professionals.

Our friendly staff is ready to assist you in planning your party rental or you can utilize our state of the art booking platform below to start your rental today. It is never too early to make a reservation in advance.

Family Fun! Frisco Bounce House Rentals

What is better than spending a day relaxing and having some good 'ole family fun, like a backyard bbq? Nothing! You can only increase the fun and bring the perfect party items. For that, give us a call.

The Bouncy Kingdom believes that time with family and friends with smiles is more important than ever. Since COVID-19 we have all learned the heightened importance of quality family time. We can help provide the entertainment during those events. Sometimes that looks like a combo bounce houses  with water slide rentals, and other times it's a giant inflatable slide combo bouncer.

#1 Bounce House Rentals in Frisco

Looking for the best bounce house rentals in Anna? Look no further than our selection of top-quality, affordable inflatable bounce houses! Whether you need a bounce house rental for your child's birthday party or a water slide for your next corporate event, we've got what you are looking for. Plus, all of our bounce houses are delivered and set up, on-time by our friendly and professional staff, all over McKinney, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Anna, Fairview and surrounding areas

We're a part of the largest group of party rental experts in the industry and this helps us keep our inventory and business fresh and exciting. We keep up with the latest and greatest designs, themes, and trends to provide our customers with the best bounce around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q.What's your bounce house rental weather cancellations policy?

A.{{Safety is important. Bouncers cannot be used if there are existing or predicted winds of 25 mph or more, and cannot be used with heavy rain. If the weather is predicted to be unfavorable prior to delivery, we will call you and discuss whether we should cancel the rental and/or reschedule your event. If we set up the unit, and the weather later turns inclement (rain or higher winds), we will pick up the unit according to your schedule. However, in this event, no refund will be given.}}

Q.Do you require a deposit?

A.We require a deposit of $50 and a credit card on record.

Q.How long can I keep my party rental?

A.All rentas are for 8 hours, but, you can keep it more time. We charge $10 extra hour or $70 over night

Make Your Reservation Online

We have tried to make the process as easy as possible. We partnered with the best rental software platform on the market to bring you an easy and efficient way to book and keep track of your rental, with our contact-less delivery and ordering process.

Just simply select the date of your event and our system will show you what party equipment is available for that date and time. Need your rental a little longer or have a big event coming up you want to make sure every detail is in place? Contact us today and we can work together on planning the most amazing event ever!

Cheap Bounce House Rentals

We do not offer cheap bounce houses, we do however have the best line of affordable bounce house rentals in Frisco and the surrounding area. Our equipment is made of high-quality, lead free, commercial materials that are built to take the abuse of... kids being kids for years to come. We maintain high-standards and also clean and inspect our equipment regularly to ensure our rentals are ready for your party.

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The Ultimate Guide for Moving To Frisco TX

Frisco sits on the Northside of Dallas and is among the fastest growing cities in the state.

Despite the rapid growth, Frisco still remains a typical Texan city with fun things to do and that addictive southern hospitality. Nonetheless, if you want to move here permanently, it’s only natural that you would be curious to know more about the city. We can most certainly help you out with this. 

Let’s dig in.

Cost of Living in Frisco, TX Compared to the National Average

The cost of living in Frisco is estimated to be anywhere between 107.3% and 121% of the national average, depending on various sources. This means the city’s cost of living is between 7% and 21% higher than the national average. This makes it slightly more expensive than the national average, but Frisco is still considered among the more affordable cities in the U.S.

 So how does it rank among the most expensive cities?

Frisco ranks 2,466 out of the 5,671 cities in the country and 16th out of the 287 cities in Texas.

Home Prices in Frisco, TX: Median Home Prices and Affordability

Housing costs in Frisco are indexed at 175, which is higher than the 84.3 national average.

To get some perspective, the average for a house in Texas is $316,127, while the median for the same house in Frisco would be $694,988.

On average, homes in Frisco will sell at $252 per square foot,amounting to an average price of $725,000. If you intend on renting, expect to pay around $1,814.

Living in Frisco: Neighborhoods in Frisco, TX

Every family has a top list of must-haves for any location they are considering moving into. For people looking to move to Frisco, rest assured that there are numerous neighborhoods to choose from, each with varying attractions.

Here are some top, hand-picked neighborhoods for your consideration.

Newman Village

Newman Village is on the Westside of Frisco near Legacy Drive, Dallas North Tollway, and EL Dorado Parkway.

All residences in Newman Village are structured around essential amenities like the communal recreation center, tennis courts, and pool. The neighborhood has a handful of hiking and walking trails. Residents looking to keep their fitness levels up will enjoy cycling, biking, walking, and running on these tracks.

Homes here are of varied styles, ranging from 4 to 5 bedrooms and range from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000.

The Trails of Frisco

This is another excellent place to live, and the best part is that the cost of housing is lower than in neighborhoods like Newman’s Village, Stonebriar, and Chapel Creek.

The Trails has a golf course open to the public, with no membership required. There is also easy access to swimming pools, grill parks, bars, lakes, tennis courts, and children’s play areas.

Average home pricing is set at $600,000, with 2-to-bedroom houses going for $450,000 to $1,000,000.

The Grove

The Grove is a relatively new development, conveniently situated to give easy access to multiple Texan cities. This mega community offers incredible amenities like an outdoor courtyard, a pavilion, and a grilling and fire pit center.

There are also over 5 miles of trails and 25 acres of land dedicated to green spaces, making it a perfect haven to raise a family.

It doesn’t end there. The Grove has a dog and soccer park, playgrounds, butterfly parks, pergolas, hammocks, and a stocked fishing pond.

For the outdoor lover, infinity pools and waterfalls might tickle your fancy. There is also a splash pad and fitness center for fitness buffs.

Pricing for housing begins at $700,000 for a small house and can go all the way to $1,700,000 for bigger 5000 square feet homes.

Greyhawk

Greyhawk spans over 100 acres of naturally sculpted open spaces with scenic trails, large ponds, and fountains.

The neighborhood is also dotted with gazebos for residents to catch their breath or enjoy the sights and sounds during walks, cycling, and jogging. Residents have access to three community pools, and there are elementary, middle, and high schools for kids in Greyhawk.

The average home price here is $679,426.

Why is Frisco, TX, the Best Place to Move to?

Looking for a new place to call home comes with a level of stress and uncertainty. You need a place where everyone in your family feels like they belong and where individual needs are reasonably taken care of. You also have to look into schools, safety, recreation, and so on. If this feels like a lot, you are in good company.

The good news is that Frisco will likely tick most of your boxes. Here is a list of the top reasons you should consider this city.

1. Crime Rate in Frisco, TX: Lower than the National Average

Frisco is rated among the safest cities in the country. Its violent crime rate is pegged at 9.8, which is much lower than the 22.7 national average.

The city has the first lowest violent crime rate, with 86 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents.

The city also has the 6th lowest property crime, at 972 crimes per 100,000 residents. Couple this with a drug poisoning mortality rate of 7.3 deaths per 100,000 residents, and Frisco becomes among the safest cities to raise a family.

2. Top Attractions in Frisco, TX

You want to live in a city that’s well-known, or that’s synonymous with something exciting. You will not be short of these living in Frisco.

Some of the top Frisco local attractions to brag about will include:

Frisco athletic center

This is an award-winning 100,000 square feet fitness and aquatic center with over 350,000 gallons of water! You can work out and enjoy the water park. No worries if you have young ones, as there is a children’s area that’s well-covered by the center’s child care program.

Riders field

Watching a game is one thing. Ever thought about watching a game while floating along a river on tubes? Well, you can do this at Riders Field in Frisco.

Star Stadium at Ford Center

The Ford Center is a world-renowned 91-acre training facility that’s home to the Dallas Cowboys. Its 12,000-seat indoor stadium is also something to marvel at.

Toyota Stadium: Where Soccer Fans Unite

This stadium is just as big of a hit today as it was 18 years ago when it opened its doors. This stadium is a special place for soccer lovers as it’s dedicated to the sport, with its 20,500 seating capacity.

3. Location and Transportation: Frisco’s Proximity to Dallas and Other Major Cities

Frisco stretched across two counties in Texas: Collin and Denton County area. It’s bordered by Prosper to the North, Plano to the South, Little Elm to the West, and Allen and McKinney to the east. 

An hour’s drive can take you to the Oklahoma border, and you can be in downtown Dallas in roughly 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

4. Ideal for Families

Most neighborhoods in Frisco have low crime rates and beautiful homes. These, plus the available amenities, make this the perfect place to raise a family.

The museums, amusement parks, green spaces, malls, restaurants, and sporting spots in Frisco all support family living. For example, Frisco has 50 parks spanning an astounding 1,300 acres. With this at your disposal, finding something to do with the kids on weekends becomes a breeze.

The good old southern hospitality also means friendly neighbors will likely welcome your family, and you will be part of a fulfilling community. Frisco tops the list for a family looking for an excellent place to put down some roots.

5. Education: Frisco Schools and School Districts

Frisco ISD (Independent School District) has 74 schools to pick from. These include 12 preschools, 42 elementary schools, 18 middle schools, and ten high schools.

Further, at 14:1, the student to teacher ratio here is lower than the national average, and students also have access to 73 full-time counselors.

Higher education students can also choose to remain in Frisco and attend the Allgood beauty college, the University of North Texas, or the numerous other colleges in the neighboring cities. The proximity of Frisco to Fort Worth and Dallas makes for an easy commute for students who choose to study at either location.

6. Job Opportunities: The Booming Job Market in Frisco, TX

Frisco has an educated workforce, numerous top employers, a thriving business community, and many employment opportunities.

The Frisco Independent School District, the City, T-Mobile USA, and Conifer Health Solutions are the top employers. However, don’t limit your job search to Frisco. 

The city is often referred to as a ‘bedroom community’ because many residents live in Frisco but work outside the city within the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. For one, the Dallas-Fort Worth area houses the largest concentration of publicly traded company headquarters in the U.S. These naturally provide a host of professional opportunities and career growth.

Planning Your Move to Frisco, TX

Are you still loving the idea of Frisco? If so, then first things first: planning your move and getting a few things set up ensures you have an easier transition.

How Much Do You Need to Move to Frisco

The average living cost for Frisco residents is $2,108. This is slightly higher than the country’s average of $56,310. 

Going by this, a good salary to live in Frisco is anything over $67,572.

Talk to a local realtor

The first thing you need to do before your move is to talk to a realtor and give them your housing preferences, whether you’re looking to rent or own.

Once they find a few units worth considering, it’s advisable to travel to the city to see the house in person, Vis a Vis other amenities, before pinning it down.

A local realtor knows the ins and outs of the towns they operate in and would therefore be able to match you to homes close to your preferences.

Obtain the Texas Driver’s License

New residents of the state of Texas are required to apply for a Texas driver’s license from the Texas Department of Public Safety. This should be done within 90 days of moving to the state.

Read all you need to know on this, including eligibility, requirements, and where to go from this article.

You will need to register your vehicle as well.

Wrap Things Up

While a fresh start in a new city can be exciting, the nitty gritty of the move is not. However, it must be done, and the sooner, the better. Once it’s clear that you will be making a move, begin tying up loose ends and preparing for it in good time.

Small things like canceling subscriptions, issuing notices, and collecting physical medical files can be easily forgotten. Another thing you should consider doing is thorough decluttering. This will ensure that you are only left with valuable items and that you do not pay to transport items you will throw away once in Frisco.

Find a Moving Company

Central to your move is a moving company. Depending on your budget, you can get one that offers you the full package, or you can pay for certain services.

A complete package means the movers will pack your house up, move you and offload your belongings in the new house. You can also have add-ons like junk removal services.

If you’re on a tight budget, you can pay for the move only. This will require you to get the packing done, which will be more manageable if you start early and pack your home up room by room.While researching moving companies, ensure to pick one with a TxDMV license.

One Last Thing

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to find the right moving partner, and that’s us. At Buddy Moving, our job is to make your physical move as easy as possible, so you can focus on settling in. To do this, we have a highly qualified team of movers, a transparent billing system, and come fully licensed and insured. 

If you are excited about your move, don’t dampen your experience with a poorly executed move. Buddy Moving will get you packed, loaded, moved, and unpacked in your new place in no time. You can then focus on settling your family into the fun, warm, diverse Frisco lifestyle. We bet this sounds great, so call us today and let’s make it happen!

source https://buddymoving.com/the-ultimate-guide-for-moving-to-frisco-tx/ from Buddy Moving https://buddymovingtx.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-ultimate-guide-for-moving-to-frisco.html

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Hire Professional Vail Female Strippers For Your Next Event

Few things can compare to the thrill and intrigue of a strip show when it comes to adult entertainment services. Hiring female strippers goes hand and hand with bachelor parties. But strippers can also liven up birthdays and other celebrations. Check out the Vail female strippers and Colorado Springs strippers offered by www.denverstrippers.org if you're having a party in Colorado and looking for top-notch entertainment. www.Denverstrippers.org is the leading entertainment agency for strippers in the Colorado region. They offer strippers specializing in bachelor parties, bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, divorce parties, ski trips, guy's poker nights, and more. They have many male and female strippers prepared to provide you with an extraordinary encounter. The Vail female strippers are the best adult entertainers you'll see up in the Rocky Mountains. Whether you're searching for a naughty nurse or a hot cop to show up at your door to surprise the bachelor, the girls from www.denverstrippers.org have many outfits to choose from. They hand-pick only the best of the best entertainers to join their team. We are confident that you will have a mind-blowing experience if you hire strippers from www.denverstrippers.org The Colorado Springs strippers are also incredibly HOT. The strippers from www.denverstrippers.org are highly talented and are masters of giving an erotic and energizing performance that will amaze you and your friends. From wild party games to private lap dances, they know how to keep the group engaged and locked in. What separates www.denverstrippers.org from other stripper agencies is their focus on quality over quantity when hiring entertainers. They only employ beautiful, charming, talented, and engaging girls to join their team. They invest wholeheartedly in providing their clients with the ideal VIP Bachelor experience and guarantee that all their entertainers will amaze you. Besides the Vail female strippers and Colorado Springs strippers, www.denverstrippers.org services parties in many other cities in Colorado, including Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Beaver Creek, Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper, Dillon, Frisco, Silverthorne, Avon, and more! Next time you're in Colorado and searching for something fun to do, look at www.denverstrippers.org for some quality adult entertainment. Their Vail female strippers and Colorado Springs strippers are incredible and will give you an extraordinary encounter. Reach them today and let them assist you with arranging a grown & sexy luxury entertainment experience! Whether you're arranging a bachelor party or a birthday festivity, they have everything you want to make it a night that the guys will be talking about for months long after it's over.

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A Guide to Carrollton TX

Located in Dallas, Denton and Collin counties, Carrollton is the 23rd-most populous city in Texas. Its population was 133,434 as of the 2020 census.

The History of Carrollton TX

Carrollton has a rich history that includes a number of notable individuals. One of the most well-known was Wade H. Perry, who was instrumental in the growth of the area. He was a successful businessman who built homes, churches, schools, and even a railroad depot in Carrollton, which helped develop the city into an industrial hub.

Early settlers to Carrollton came from the state of Illinois and had to overcome a lot in order to settle in North Texas. They typically married young and had large families. Their cabins were often only 12 x 14 feet, so they had to be very sturdy and well constructed.

The arrival of a new railroad and post office in the late 1800s was a game changer for the town. The Cotton Belt, Katy, and Frisco railroads provided passenger and freight service through Carrollton, and the train station was an important hub of business activity.

This railroad and post office revolution was the start of a new era in the history of Carrollton, and the area became an important transportation hub for the entire region. The city is still well served by the three railroads that run through it, and they all offer access to major airports in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

A Visit to the Historic Trinity Mills

The first mill in the area was operated by A.W. Perry in the 1870s, and it is located in what is now known as Trinity Mills. The mill produced brick for many buildings, including the Belle Allen home, and several other structures in downtown Carrollton.

A visit to the historic mills can provide a great deal of insight into how life in Carrollton was different from what it is today. It is also a good place to enjoy some of the local culture and cuisine.

It’s a great way to spend the day with family or friends. There are also plenty of outdoor activities to keep everyone entertained.

Taking a stroll around this park is an excellent way to relax and unwind with your loved ones. The park spans 12.3 acres and features a large playground with rock climbing, slides, swings, and more. There are also restrooms and a rentable pavilion.

You can also take your kids here to enjoy a splash in the water. The park is a popular destination for those looking to cool down on a hot summer day.

The Rosemeade Recreation Center is a fun and affordable place to go with your family or friends. The facility has 2 gyms, 4 racquetball courts, volleyball and basketball courts, a game room, refreshment areas, and a dance floor.

There are plenty of things to do in Carrollton, and you can find many of them for free or very inexpensively. You can even visit the parks and museums for a cheap and fun experience!

Advantages of Spray Foam Insulation

There are some major advantages to spray foam insulation. The biggest one is that it’s a great way to save money on energy bills.

It also improves indoor air quality and reduces allergens. This is especially important if you or your family members suffer from allergies, asthma, or chemical sensitivities.

The foam expands to cover even the smallest nooks and crevices, making it an effective air-sealing insulator. It also has a high R-value that means you won’t have to replace it as often as other types of insulation.

Having a well-insulated home can be essential in preventing fires from occurring in your home. This will help prevent any short circuits or domestic accidents from causing a fire to break out.

Another benefit is that it makes your home safer by keeping moisture out of the walls and reducing the chances of mold infestation. Moisture can easily seep through gaps and cracks around vents and pipes, putting your home at risk for mold growth.

It also increases the sturdiness of your wall. This is because it’s dense and hard, so it won’t deform in the presence of heavy winds or strong snow.

The foam also has a high R-value, meaning that it will keep your home warm and cozy even when the temperature is low. This helps to prevent your energy bill from skyrocketing and can make your house more attractive to prospective homebuyers.

Finally, the foam is environmentally friendly, as it doesn’t emit any harmful chemicals. However, it’s worth noting that some of the blowing agents used in spray foam can have very high GWPs, which means they’re more than twice as powerful at accelerating climate change than carbon dioxide.

Business name: Odin Energy TX 1313 Valwood Pkwy #320, Carrollton, TX 75006 [phone] https://www.OdinNow.com