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rynnaaurelius · 3 years

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Titan’s Curse But Make It Time Loop: Nico di Angelo Edition

-Okay so I’m at work and not doing much and who wants to actually edit your shit drafts for your actual WIPs so that they’re less bad? No one, that’s who

-So I had an idea: The Titan’s Curse. Also known as the book where people start to die. It sucks to be a demigod in this book--for the first time in the original series, it really does.

-Not everything is fixed, not everyone is saved, and people start to have to make really tough decisions.

-So we fix it. Not by throwing Percy, or Annabeth, or Thalia, or, hell, even Bianca or Grover into the mix.

-Throwing the marginally more grown-up, more trained, and more knowledgeable demigods into the fire, who’d get everyone alive and safe by the third time ‘round? Nah.

-We’re making Nico fix this.

-Because here’s the thing about Nico di Angelo: Sure, he grows up to become a major badass, the Ghost King, so on and so forth. But not yet.

-For now, Nico is baby, a ten-year-old whose experience with any kind of fighting consists of one (1) Capture The Flag game and who’s still half-reliant on Mythomagic to explain what the fuck is happening.

-He’s also got the worst knowledge makeup possible! He knows he’s a son of Hades, which is bad, he knows to stick monsters with the pointy end of swords but nothing else, he knows that Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace are Very Big Deals (But also doesn’t know why beyond parents), and he’s, at best, vaguely aware that there’s some kind of bad prophecy hanging around.

-Also by the end of the book, he’s just been told his last immediate family who isn’t Hades is dead in one of the worst ways possible, and he--pretty irrationally IMO, but Nico’s a kid who has been through a lot recently, so we’re not holding that against him--blames Percy Jackson.

-Literally, you probably can’t pick an angstier or worse choice to run through the time travel trope. I love it.

-We’re making this kid save Bianca’s life via time loop, which happens due to. . .hmm, we’ll say the Fates did it.

-So, Loop 0 = Canon, only at the end of the day on December 21st, after the conversation with Percy, Nico falls asleep only gods know where only to wake up the day he meets Percy Jackson:

Loop 1:

-Nico doesn’t actually change anything meaningful at first.

-Spends most of it shellshocked and not unconvinced the last week (For him, anyway) wasn’t a horrible nightmare; shellshocked and staring at Percy Jackson, anyway.

-(Percy’s wondering what’s up with the silent kid his sister had talked up as a cheerful chatterbox)

-It’s only when Bianca agrees to join the quest for Artemis that he starts kicking up a fuss; demanding to go, screaming that she can’t leave him even more, not again.

-(Bianca hesitates; briefly, enough to remind Nico that she loves him. But she’s not their mother, and she needs this)

-Bianca still dies. Percy comes back pale and guilty. Nico doesn’t yell at him when he returns--he already knows. He accepts the Hades figurine so that he can throw it into the lake.

-He slinks off back into Cabin Eleven and falls asleep, hoping desperately that he gets a third chance.

Loop 2:

-He does.

Loop 3:

-After a very painful death at the hands of Dr. Thorn, Nico, generally being a straightforward person at this stage of life, takes the obvious path this time around: He tries to tell Bianca--who brushes it off as a dream.

-Annabeth still goes over the cliff when Nico takes the initiative of attaching himself and his sister to Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace at the dance. He tries to tell Percy and Thalia when Bianca still joins the Hunt, promising Nico that whatever he saw, she’ll be extra careful.

-(Bianca’s fearful of what Nico's saying, and thinks that if these sworn sisters can’t keep her safe, who can?)

-Artemis gives Nico a speculative look but agrees when he begs her to protect Bianca at all costs.

-He doesn’t get on the quest. Being a reasonable demigod of questionable parentage, he sneaks out of camp.

-He gets caught, because despite being aware of his awesome new powers, he doesn’t know how to use them, and is still a ten-year-old who can barely hold a sword the right way.

-He gives Percy the puppy dog eyes and shows off said awesome new powers. Percy forces him back.

-Nico follows him.

-Repeat until Percy dies saving Nico from the Nemean Lion in Washington, DC.

-Nico can’t find it in himself to be terribly sad--especially when he doesn’t make it much longer.

Loop 4:

-He’s really stuck like this, huh?

-Oh, Di Immortales.

-(Before Percy gets his chest ripped to shreds by a lion and Nico meets skeleton cats, he learned how to hold a sword properly and curse fluently in Greek. Percy probably only meant to teach him one of those things)

-In unrelated news: Having a big crush on a guy who thinks he’s only known you for a couple hours? Terrible.

-Trying to hate the guy who let your sister die when he’s that stupid and nice? Even worse.

-That stupid lion.

Loop 5, 6, 7, 8, 9:

-Nico repeats: That stupid lion.

-Somewhere in Loop 7 he starts to steal supplies out of the camp store when he follows Percy following the quest.

-They forcefeed the lion enough trail mix and frozen ice cream in Loop 9 that they don’t die this time.

-At least until someone called the General shows up and Nico’s dead before he can raise his sword.

Loop 10:

-Nico wakes up in his and Bianca’s room in Westover and starts crying. Bianca tells the headmaster they’re both sick and Nico lets her hold him all day.

-They fall asleep and Nico swears he won’t let her die again.

Loop 11, 12, 13:

-He wakes up and he still can’t get out of bed without feeling that blade cutting between his ribs, burning like it’s on fire.

-Gods, he’s so sorry, Bianca. Dispiace tanto.

Loop 14:

-He can get up without feeling like he’s about to die again. Bianca fusses but assumes it was just a bad dream.

-Nico is caught stealing and can’t follow Percy until it’s too late.

-Everyone assumes this means he’s a son of Hermes, however, and Nico can’t correct them without opening his mouth and letting the sobbing laughter out.

-Figuring he’s about to get another chance next round anyway, he takes Travis and Connor Stoll up on their offer to learn a thing or two so that he doesn’t get Cabin Eleven slapped with kitchen duty from now until Doomsday.

-He likes the Stolls. He spent most of the time, pre-looping, actively avoiding everyone at camp as he waited for Bianca and Percy to come back, but they’re not that bad.

-Percy comes back with the figurine and no sister and Nico remembers why he’s stuck.

Loop 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23:

-After Loop 12 and being killed in Washington DC again, Nico realizes: He needs to learn how to fight.

-Unless he gets killed early or refuses to leave Westover, the loop resets after seven days. So, he has seven days to train each time.

-He gets to camp, finds the arena, and meets Clarisse La Rue. He demands she teach him how to kill monsters.

-She laughs, and tells him that attitude in his size will make monsters easy to kill, they’ll laugh so hard.

-Clarisse teaches him how to swing a sword each time--but only after mocking his unamused face.

-Somehow, Percy coming back with news of Bianca’s death only hurts more each time.

Loop 24:

-Nico wakes up before Bianca this time. He looks over at her bed and knows. He’s got to try this time.

-It’s disturbingly easy making friends with Percy Jackson after the last loops.

-Bessie’s new. Cute, but new.

-Nico wonders just how much he’s missed in the past--he thinks of Annabeth Chase, and hopes she hasn’t been dying each time.

-Percy doesn’t even argue when Nico shows up in the stables with a bag slung over his shoulder, and the sword he’s been stealing out of the shed strapped to his hip.

-Nico suggests the ice cream--again--to Percy in DC before

-Nico might be getting the hang of this.

Loop 25:

-Nico is not getting the hang of this.

-Zoë Nightshade’s refusal to accept Percy and Nico on the quest--violating a prophecy, and gods, Nico’s curious if that prophecy ever mentioned this--has so far gotten them attacked and killed by spartoi once.

-And again. As Nico bleeds out on the floor, he watches a panicked blond man--a demigod--plead for mercy.

-Isn’t he on the other side?

Loop 26:

-His name is Luke Castellan and he apparently wants the gods dead.

-Nico can relate at this point.

-The General is Atlas, and Nico knows enough about Greek mythology, real and wrong, at this point to know that is bad.

Loop 27:

-Twenty-six tries, but they finally make it out of DC. Threatening the questers with Atlas killing them all is more than enough.

-For the first time, Nico doesn’t know what happens next. He glues himself to Bianca’s side and glares at anything suspicious.

-With help that Percy refuses to name, even when Nico tries his hardest, they go to New Mexico.

-There’s a boar and it’s so close, they make it to what the others are calling “the junkyard of the gods”.

-Nico sees the Hades figurine on the ground.

-Bianca grins in delight and picks it up, calling for him.

-He can’t help it.

-Nico starts screaming.

Loop 28:

-His sister’s murderer was never Percy Jackson.

-His sister’s murderer was a force of mechanics that makes Nico fully understand, for the first time, what the gods are, beyond stats on a card.

-Talos.

-Nico is going to destroy him.

Loop 29:

-She dies.

Loop 30:

-Again.

Loop 31:

-Again.

-Loop 32, 33, 34, 3536373839FortyFo r t y O n e--:

-Again. Again. Again. Again again againagainagainagainAGAIN--

Loop 42:

-Nico gets out of bed. He finds Percy Jackson at the dance, hugs him, and tells him he’s sorry.

-Nico walks outside and waits for Dr. Thorn in the snow. He can feel the shadows curling at the edge of the wood like a sixth sense, now. Waiting for him to summon the restless dead out of them.

-So many attempts to save his sister, ranging from sacrificing himself to sacrificing Percy--not that Percy needs the push, Nico has found--to any and all members of the quest.

-She dies. Always, always dies. Whatever Nico does, that junkyard is full of the death of Bianca di Angelo.

-He tried avoiding it. Once. Loop 33. Nico threw such a fit he’s surprised he wasn’t sent back to Camp Half-Blood by the Hunters, but it kept them out of the junkyard.

-He tries not to remember how little was left of his sister’s body by the monsters that time.

-Son of Hades. After all this time, Nico’s beginning to wonder if this is what it means. Death and death and death.

-Dr. Thorn walks outside, and Nico can feel a ghoulish grin crossing his face that has no place on a ten-year-old.

-One of them is going to die, this loop. And Nico will not go to New Mexico.

Loop 43:

-Nico wonders if there was a past life of his he needs to remember. Who could he have made this angry?

-He lies to Bianca and they stay in Westover again this time. Better than death, anyway.

Loop 44:

-Nico tries a different tack this time. A more roundabout way of things.

-He takes Bianca and throws the two of them in the way of the battle with the manticore.

-After all this time, he still doesn’t know much about Annabeth Chase. She gets kidnapped and returned safely to Percy every time, to the best of his knowledge.

-Nico dies holding up the sky, but at least Bianca lives, under the protection of Artemis.

Loop 45:

-Nico looks in the mirror and studies the new grey streak with fascination. And, maybe, some hope.

-Things can change.

Loop 46, 47, 48, 49, 50:

-Nico gets kidnapped a few times. Once, he’s killed in a rage by a Titan with horns, but it’s quick. Mostly, he holds up the sky to get Artemis out.

-She looks at him strangely each time and Nico wonders if she can see what he’s done.

Loop 51:

-They figure out he’s a son of Hades. They offer him Olympus. Olympus and Bessie--the Ophiotaurus, rather.

-Nico says no.

Loop 52:

-Nico says yes.

Loop 53:

-Being on the verge of overthrowing the gods and keeping everyone he’s grown to care for--in the case of several Hunters, against his will; in Percy Jackson’s case, Nico loves him as much as he hates him at this point--doesn’t do much, apparently.

-Nico stays in Westover again. He resists the urge to tell Bianca that would-be destroyers of Olympus don’t need to brush their hair, whatever she says.

Loop 54:

-Nico goes over the edge of the cliff again, but with Percy Jackson.

-This isn’t the first time; in Loop 46, Percy had taken the sky for both the sake of Artemis and Nico until it killed him.

-What’s different, is Nico’s in the middle of what’s become the usual panic attack when he’s about to die for the hundredth time, and his powers react.

-Percy holds him close and calls him cousin. Tells him he’ll never leave Nico.

-You have no idea, Nico whispers. You can’t leave me.

-You think I want to? Percy whispers back. You’re not alone, Nico.

-Nico’s sobbing sounds like laughter.

Loop 55:

-Nico tells Percy the truth for the third time. This is the first time he hasn’t told Bianca first.

-They’ve just found the Erymanthian Boar, Thalia’s told Nico his goth needs work--whatever that means--and Nico’s bracing himself for the junkyard again.

-Getting kidnapped by the Titans really gets old after a while.

-He still has the grey streak, and no number of excuses will fully soothe his sister, but the Hunt’s a good distraction from it.

-Nico doesn’t blame Bianca anymore for it. He thinks.

-Nearly a year into this loop and Nico’s finding it hard to blame anyone for much of anything, anymore. Especially when he sees what she’s faced. Again. And again.

-For now, this time, Percy Jackson is staring at Nico with wide eyes at what Nico’s told him--through these loops, Nico’s starting to wonder if he now knows more about Percy than Percy’s own best friends--and says he believes him.

-Once, Nico would’ve exploded from joy. Now, he just sighs and nods.

-Percy tells him how to condense the conversation for the next loop. He advises Nico to research Talos, “like Annabeth would.”

-He advises Nico to warn Percy’s next loop self about Annabeth’s kidnapping. Nico wonders if he’s gone insane that he’s considering it.

-Bianca dies.

Loop 56:

-Nico makes the executive decision this time to try and befriend Annabeth Chase. As such, he takes Percy’s advice.

Loop 57:

-It takes him two tries to befriend Annabeth Chase and learn about Talos.

Loop 58:

-Three times.

-But the nail. The nail in the ankle of Talos.

Loop 59:

-He hangs back at camp again this time and meets Charles Beckendorf, head of Cabin Nine, and son of Hephaestus.

-Nico figures that short of finding the god himself and committing temporary suicide--not that it hasn’t crossed Nico’s mind--his son will have to do.

-(He’s tried his hand at summoning ghosts, but Daedalus refuses to show, for some reason)

-Beckendorf frowns and tells Nico he would have to see Talos himself.

-Nico hadn’t realized just how much cursing he had picked up off of Percy and Thalia until that moment.

Loop 60:

-Nico knows what the prophecy says. One shall be lost in the land without rain.

-He knows it’s why he’s been failing so much.

-The trouble is, he no longer cares.

Loop 61:

-It took him a try, but he gets Beckendorf on the quest, prepared to defeat the Talos prototype.

Loop 62:

-Strike that, two tries.

-Nico really hates the Nemean Lion.

Loop 63, 64:

-Nico has solved half a problem: How to defeat Talos without putting someone inside the robot.

-The other half of the problem is now that they are all electrocuted by a dying automaton for their efforts.

Loop 65:

-Beckendorf’s crush--girlfriend? crush, they’re both insisting--Silena Beauregard comes along this time. Nico won’t complain over the extra manpower, even if he’s positive that eight campers and Hunters are patent overkill for one quest.

-Silena pulls Bianca out of the wreckage. Nico’s heart stops.

-Silena’s crying when she mentions that if they had been a bit earlier, she could have been revived.

-Nico wonders if Thalia’s going to stab him as he starts whooping. And takes notes about where Talos falls.

Loop 66:

-Nico swears, if Percy Jackson tries to sacrifice himself for Annabeth Chase one more time--

Loop 67:

-Bianca.

-I found you, he sobs. I found you.

-Gods damn the Hoover Dam.

Loop 68:

-And again.

-Despite having the distinct inkling at this point that he doesn’t much like like girls, Nico could kiss Silena Beauregard and Thalia Grace when they manage to revive his sister each time.

-She’s shaky and leaning on him and was dead, he could see her soul floating away--

-But she’s there.

-Nico refuses to let his sister out of the sight at the Hoover Dam and Percy befriends the Naiads this time.

-At least, until the Titans--who Nico made the very big mistake of taunting at DC--sends monsters he can’t control.

Loop 69, 70, 71, 72, 73:

-They keep dying in various combinations at the Hoover Dam now that Nico’s figured out how to save Bianca.

-At least, until he gets separated from Percy in Loop 73 and he meets a redheaded girl with a penchant for calling Nico pint-size.

-Athena dislikes Percy, Nico, Bianca, and Thalia in equal measure. Having learned of the Great Prophecy in Loop 16 and Percy’s mooning over Annabeth in. . .well, every loop, Nico can’t quite blame her.

Loop 74:

-Her name is Rachel Elizabeth Dare and Nico likes her. She takes none of their shit and if it weren’t for the fact that they already have eight people on the quest, he’d want to take her along.

-Bianca gets in a fight with the Old Man of the Sea. Thalia electrocutes him when he throws Bianca in the bay.

Loop 75:

-Nico wakes up in Westover with the distinct feeling that he was drowned on dry land.

-He stays in bed shivering, that day.

Loop 76:

-Atlas is the father of Zoë Nightshade. Nico learned this around Loop 50. He had realized around five loops ago that this probably meant she was going to die “by a parent’s hand.”

-He hadn’t realized that it was going to hurt to watch.

Loop 77, 78, 79, 80, 81:

-Now that he’s figured things out to about San Francisco, it seems the world is out to get him. The number of fights or mistakes that he either makes himself or has to head off are ridiculous.

Loop 82:

-Nico is so very tired. And wishes he felt ten years old again.

Loop 83:

-If Thalia gets in one more fight with Nereus, Nico's going to walk into the sea.

Loop 84:

-He wanders off, in this one. Grover had been killed in Hoover Dam, so Nico’s waiting for the reset at this point.

-In the meantime, Nico figures there are worse things to do than enjoy a good afternoon in San Francisco. He even meets a boy in a purple shirt.

-His name is Jason and he has hair like the sun.

-If he ever fixes this, Nico wants to find him.

Loop 85:

-Nico’s not fast enough in the junkyard.

-In San Francisco, he tries to find the ugliest, biggest trouble he can find.

-He finds a pair of teenagers in armor who yell Latin at him instead.

Loop 86:

-There’s a dragon that will attack them in the Garden of the Hesperides if they make it angry enough and Nico is so tired.

Loop 87:

- Zoë Nightshade is dead. They’ve won.

-Funny definition of “win”, considering they’ve all almost died this loop about a dozen times each, and Nico can’t explain why he’s crying on the body of a Hunter he only met a week ago, in their eyes.

-She hates him, some loops. More loops, she looks at him with ghosts of old grief in her eyes and hands him a knife.

-The gods execute Bessie, and then, Nico watches as his father turns to him and Bianca with sorrowful eyes.

-Nico should’ve figured, after almost ninety loops.

Loop 88:

-Luke offers one of them the entrails of Bessie again.

-Nico takes them.

Loop 89:

-For all the good it does. Nico wakes up as he does every time now: Powerless, in bed, and with only a grey streak to show for his efforts.

Loop 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98:

-Nico doesn’t know how to save Zoë Nightshade. Bianca, he could trick and fight his way into it. Beckendorf and Silena and Percy and a loophole in lost could save his sister.

-Her, she just. . .dies. Sometimes in DC, sometimes in San Francisco, sometimes on the hills of Mt. Tamalpais. Always at the hands of Atlas.

-Always, being murdered by her father.

-It’s not as gutting as watching his sister die, but it aches more in his chest, somehow.

Loop 99:

-He sticks close to Zoë this time. Same as he’s done with Percy, Annabeth, his sister, Thalia, and Grover, time and time again. But not her, Nico is realizing. Not the clinging he’s achieving now.

-Hoping for. . .something.

-He knows better than to tell the immortal Lieutenant of Artemis the whole truth. The loneliness is enough.

-She’s less frosty to him from the start than to, say, Grover or Percy, after Annabeth goes over the cliff again. When he shows up in DC, she’s much less angry than he’s seen her.

-Along the way to New Mexico and then San Francisco, he listens. He’s grown better at it, this far in. When the others are asleep, when Bianca is being fussed over after Talos, when everyone but them is asleep by the fire, he listens.

-And she tells him about her sisters. About her father, when the world was young and Atlas had looked on every daughter of his with pride. She tells him, pride glistening in her eyes, of the battles she has seen, the hunts she has overseen at the command of a goddess, the monsters she has killed, and the epithets she has been given.

-He doesn’t ask anything of her. Not until they’re in the house of Annabeth’s father, drinking lemonade the night before the battle, and Nico knows she is about to die again.

-What do you want, he asks. You’ve done everything. What’s left?

-She stopped, ice seems to creep over her again, and Nico wondered if he’d hit some sore spot.

-He’s opened his mouth to make his apologies when she answers, so quiet and quick he thinks he’s imagined it.

-To be remembered. When my lady has taken another lieutenant, as she must, and I have gone to where all gods go when they die, I wish for my memory to remain. And. . .

-Nico waits, and ignores the sudden, terrifying thought that he no longer knows what he wants.

-I wish to see the stars again. I was born a nymph of the sunset; starlight is precious to me. I want to see it again.

-Nico dies to preserve the memory of Zoë Nightshade.

100:

-Nico di Angelo wakes up in Westover Hall. He hopes for the last time.

-He does everything right: Annabeth goes over the cliff, his sister joins the Hunt, Percy is soon his friend, and he convinces Silena and Beckendorf to join the quest.

-The Nemean Lion never stands a chance, and Nico is glad to be rid of it.

-His sister lives.

-Nico watches Percy watch Rachel Elizabeth Dare go, looking like he’s just taken a frying pan to the face, and fights the urge to snicker.

-Thalia doesn’t start a fight with Nereus, but Percy certainly does. Nico could’ve sworn he saw the boy with sun-hair again, watching with curiosity.

- Zoë Nightshade dies in the arms of Artemis and is made into the stars she loves so dearly. Nico promises her soul that he will remember.

-For, he has found, the dead have a tendency of remembering things they shouldn’t.

-Annabeth and Percy now have grey streaks to match Nico’s, and Nico can’t wait to spend the rest of his life trying to explain that.

-It’s closer than he would like, but much less close than other lives with Olympus. The Ophiotaurus is alive and safe, and they are all alive.

-As Nico walks out of the council, he looks off to the side. By the fire is the familiar girl with red eyes--the Lady Hestia, looking much closer to Nico’s age than that of the Olympian she is.

-Besides her are three old ladies. Nico’s heard about them from Percy, in Loops 26, 53, 61, and 62.

-One lady holds a ball of string that is the color of a warm umber. The other is knitting what looked suspicious like socks. The last. . .

-Scissors, in one hand. Just as expected. Nico swallowed.

-In the other, was a knot of burnt string, tied to the socks. Behind her, Nico could see discarded string of all colors: an electric blue, a stormy grey, a black that seems to glisten with the promise of a storm, string the soft, hopeful pink of love, yarn run through with bright copper.

-Glowing threads that Nico could only describe as the color of starlight.

-As he walked out, firmly between Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace, the Hunt of Artemis behind him, Nico hears one last promise:

It is done, Nico di Angelo.

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mtvswatches · 5 years

Text

10 Things I Hate About You

Obligatory soundtrack

1) The late 90s/early 00s were filled with contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays - Julia Stiles starred in three of those, coincidentally - but, in my opinion, none has been more iconic than 10 Things I Hate About You. It’s been over 20 years since the movie was released, and it’s certainly become a teen/rom-com classic. It’s definitely a feel-good movie, and even though it obviously had great source material to work with, it did so in such a unique and fun way. And it was kind of woke for its time, too.

Disclaimer: I am a bit afraid this whole review will turn into me taking screenshots of the movie and just writing “iconic.” You’ve been fairly warned.

Anyway, let’s get into it!

3) I really love how they managed the “show, don’t tell” technique with Kat’s introduction. Her first scene really shows who she is – a jaded, kind of rebellious teenager, who marches to the beat of her own drum. Or to the beat of Joan Jett’s drum…

She’s shown as the opposite of the other girls, but it doesn’t feel like a criticism of the other girls' more cheerful, sunny disposition. We very quickly learn what she is like, but we have yet to find out why.

4) The next characters we meet are Cameron and the school’s guidance counselor. Cameron is the new student and the guidance counselor is just…

I love her. And Allison Janney proves how talented an actress she is by making the token counselor character both memorable and unique.

5) We also meet Patrick Verona, the resident Bad Boy who had “exposed himself” in the cafeteria. Oh, Heath Ledger, you are truly missed!

6) Michael Eckman shows Cameron around and he basically delivers the token “school cliques scene”, and since I’m not American, I’ve always wondered if this is a real thing in schools? Like, are there really so many cliques that are so visually different from one another? Each group dressing in a particular style and hanging out at a specific spot? Anyhow, the cliques here are the beautiful people (or rather, the assholes), the coffee kids (?), the white Rastas (or white stoners), the cowboys (?), and the yuppies.

7) Michael’s tour gets cut short when Cameron spots Bianca, and he’s instantly infatuated with her. I’ve always found it hard to root for Cameron at first because I’m not really a fan of insta-love, and he ends up doing A LOT of shady things for a girl who he doesn’t know AT ALL. But more on that later. In fact, the movie kind of makes a point of how ridiculous it is for Cameron to be in instant-love with Bianca by having her deliver this little lecture on love:

BIANCA: Yeah, but see, there's a difference between like and love. Because I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack.

CHASTITY: But I love my Skechers.

BIANCA: That's because you don't have a Prada backpack.

Bianca clearly grows a lot over the course of the movie, but it’s clear that Cameron was in love with her appearance and not her brains or personality, which makes his quest to sweep her off her feet misguided at best.

8) And then Michael presents the main plot point…

The question then is, how is Cameron going to get the girl? It’s his quest to get a date with Bianca that creates a domino effect that brings all the characters together.

9) See what I mean? ICONIC!

And can I say that I just love Kat? Not only is she smart, but also, she didn’t take any bullshit from anyone, especially not males. She was a feminist before being a feminist was cool. And she does grow a lot.

10) Okay, two things, A) I love Mr. Morgan, and B) foreshadowing? Sort of?

11) Iconic.

12) Michael seems to have a lot of preconceptions about Bianca – and most of them were kind of accurate, at least at the start of the film. She was kind of vapid and shallow and self-absorbed. For someone who believes that Bianca is not only completely out of Cameron’s league but also not worthy, he does get very involved in trying to get Bianca to date Cameron.

13) This is one of my favorite lines in the movie, probably because it sounds a lot like Buffyspeak…

14) This is so random…

And the movie does have a lot of these little moments of slapstick comedy that almost seem to belong to a different type of movie, but for some reason, they work?

15) And this reminds me of the Veronica Mars of yore, the one I used to love…

16) We meet Cat and Bianca’s dad, and he is very overbearing at first, but he truly grows on you once you understand where all his rules are coming from. And of course, he establishes The Rule, which sets off the movie’s shenanigans – Bianca cannot date unless Kate does.

17) Bianca does prove a lot of Michael’s preconceptions right during her interaction with Cameron, who asks her out on a date, and even though he has been tutoring her she can’t remember his name and after he reminds her of it, she calls him “Curtis.” Bianca very clearly sees in Cameron the solution to her dating problem, and she very obviously manipulates him when it’s clear she’s not interested in dating him. She’ll get him to do the dirty work, and then let Joey rip the rewards. On the one hand, this is wrong. On the other hand, Cameron sort of had it coming? He was only interested in Bianca because of her looks, and he was about to manipulate Kat with total disregard for her feelings, so...

18) So Michael and Cameron set out to find a match for scary Kat. And what do you know…?

They figure the only way to convince Patrick to date Kat is by paying him, except they don’t have any money. So they turn to Joey, who gladly agrees to invest if it means this will get her Bianca.

19) Patrick and Joey strike a deal, and let me tell you, this deal never made any sense to me? Like, after some bargaining Joey agrees to pay Patrick 50 dollars? And I might be daft but how would Patrick be making a profit here? If he took her out, he’d be spending most of that on the date, making the whole thing pointless if he’s not making a profit? And Joey was supposed to be loaded, so why not offer more than that, to begin with?

20) I really love how Patrick assumed all he’d need to do was say hello and Kat would be at his feet, and she gloriously turned him down and put him in his place. He tries again the next day and he gets turns down, again. And I can’t blame her, he was acting like an entitled douchebag and assuming she’d want to jump his bones only because he was hot and asking her to go out, like that’s all it’d take.

21) And Joey gets a little bit of what’s coming to him…

22) This leads to Kat getting into an argument with her dad, making a lot of valid points…

WALTER: Is this about Sarah Lawrence? Are you punishing me because I want you to stay close to home? KAT: Aren't you punishing me because Mom left? WALTER: You think you could leave her out of this? KAT: Fine. Then stop making my decisions for me. WALTER: I'm your father. That's my right. KAT: So what I want doesn't matter. WALTER: You're 18. You don't know what you want. And you won't know what you want till you're 45, and even if you get it, you'll be too old to use it. KAT: I want to go to an east coast school! I want you to trust me to make my own choices... and I want you to stop trying to control my life just because you can't control yours!

I can see both sides of this argument, though. He wasn’t punishing her because her mom left, I think he was just afraid they’ll get hurt again and that’s why he was so overprotective. And Kat had just crashed her car on purpose, so I really don’t understand how she managed to turn the whole thing against her father?

23) Patrick renegotiates the terms of his agreement with Joey, demanding a 100 bucks per date. He can’t have had getting something for Kat as his goal at this point, but I think he was just trying to screw Joey over as much as possible, which kudos to him.

24) Michael and Cameron approach Patrick and inform him that they’re actually the masterminds behind this date-Kat plan, and they agree to help him woo her. And I get that Kat was not the most agreeable person to begin with, but it’s still very disheartening to see that literally no one considered her feelings in this whole thing? Like, all of them were so proud they were playing Joey, but she was the one getting played the worst? And Bianca even allows Cameron to go inside Kat’s room and go through all her private things? Everyone was an asshole in this movie, is all I’m saying.

25)

26) And then…

Probably in spite of herself, he managed to get through her shell a little bit.

27) Bianca finally begs her sister to go to the party so that she can go, and what do you know? Kat does have a heart after all, and she agrees to show.

28) Which leads to…

29) Kat seems very happy to see Patrick at her door, although she quickly puts the bitch rest-face back on and pretends his keeping his word and coming to get her did not affect her at all…

30) So, now that she got to the party and gets to hang out with Joey, Bianca demands her sister do not address her in public, and I’m like, wtf?! Kat then begs her to listen, and again, Bianca shrugs her off and tells her to go off and “enjoy her adolescence”, which pisses Kat off and probably hurts her, too. So she decides to enjoy her adolescence the way everyone seems to do, getting trashed and embarrassing themselves.

31) Further evidence that Bianca was, indeed, an asshole… Cameron is the reason she got to go out at all – after he pulled off this elaborate plan to get her sister a date – and she manipulated him by feigning to be interested in him, and now…

But karma is a bitch because Joey might be the most popular boy in school – god knows why! – but he’s as dull as dishwater, and she quickly finds herself regretting her decision to brush Cameron off in favor of Joey.

32) Meanwhile, Kat is truly enjoying her adolescence…

And thank god Patrick was there to catch her because if he hadn’t, I don’t think anyone would’ve helped her.

33) I really love Patrick’s pep talk to Cameron…

CAMERON: It's off, okay? The whole thing's off. PATRICK: What are you talking about? CAMERON: She never wanted me. She wanted Joey the whole time. PATRICK: Cameron, do you like the girl? CAMERON: Yeah. PATRICK: And is she worth all this trouble? CAMERON: I thought she was, but, you know, l... PATRICK: Well, she is or she isn't. See, first of all, Joey is not half the man you are. Secondly, don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.

34) And Patrick taking care of drunk Kat is the sweetest thing ever…

35) Of course, now that Bianca no longer wants to hang out with Joey and her friend leaves her high and dry, she asks Cameron for a ride home.

36) On the way home, Kat actually opens up to Patrick, a lot. She admits she’d love to play in a band, and that her father wants her to be someone she’s not – her sister. Patrick admits that he doesn’t really get what everyone sees in Bianca, and Kat delivers what’s probably the greatest compliment you could get from her…

She puts herself out there… and gets shut down. Of course, Patrick was probably feeling remorse about the way he’d gotten to know this girl and the way he’d been playing her because now that he’d gotten to know her a little bit better, he could see that behind that badass façade she was extremely vulnerable and sensitive. Kat feels rejected and humiliated, and who can blame her? He’d been relentlessly pursuing her, and now that she’d opened up to him and offered to kiss him, he’d turned her down…

Anyway, Patrick’s behavior, later on, makes no sense after the way he acted here, but more on that further below.

37) Cameron finally confronts Bianca about her manipulative behavior, and to her credit, she is honest and owns up to being selfish when he calls her on it. And I guess she finally sees he’s worth it…

38)

39) This exchange is so silly and hilarious?

Like, Cameron’s answer seems silly, but what type of answer was Patrick expecting? Where could she have possibly kissed him? On the knees?

40) Kat is clearly not yet over the rejection…

41) See what I mean about the jokes in this movie?

And they just look over and go on talking, as if she hadn’t just nailed her teacher on the ass with an arrow...

42) Joey goes to Patrick yet again and offers 200 dollars to get him to take Kat to the prom. Patrick tells him he’s sick of this game, and Joey ups the ante and offers him 300 dollars, which Patrick somewhat begrudgingly takes. I just would really like to know if it was at this point that he thought he’d used this dirty money to buy something for Kate. Otherwise, he was still being a jerk...

43) This scene just gives me butterflies, okay?

And as charming as he is, Kat is still not over the humiliation of putting herself out there and being rejected.

44) Cameron returns the favor and gives Patrick some very good advice, the reason for that glorious scene later on…

CAMERON: Look, you embarrassed the girl. Sacrifice yourself on the altar of dignity and even the score.

This gets Patrick thinking…

45) And I’m just going to add the video here because this whole scene is just rom-com perfection and bless Heath Ledger again, okay? And why didn’t we get more of him singing in everything he did? His voice just makes me feel things, okay?

youtube

Seriously, how do you say no to that boy asking you to let him love you? You don’t say no, that’s how.

Same, Kat. Hard same.

46) Kat goes into detention and distracts the coach while Patrick attempts to escape out the window, and then…

And the teacher is looking directly at her tits? And while the distraction tactic worked, how was she not sent to the principal’s office? Patrick was sent to the principal’s office for “exposing himself” with a bratwurst while joking with the cafeteria lady, and Kat is literally exposing herself and she walks scot-free? Hmm.

47) Patrick and Kat have another heart to heart, and to be honest, it always melts this cold heart of mine…

PATRICK: So, what's your excuse? KAT: For? PATRICK: For acting the way we do? KAT: I don't like to do what people expect. Why should I live up to other people's expectations instead of my own? PATRICK: So, you disappoint 'em from the start and then you're covered, right? KAT: Something like that. PATRICK: Then you screwed up. KAT: How? PATRICK: You never disappointed me.

Same, Kat. SAME.

48) #SWOON

49) And this is the part that doesn’t make sense to me. They’ve just had this perfect date, and they’re growing closer, and they’ve kissed, and he clearly likes her. And the reason he didn’t kiss her after the party was that he was feeling guilty about the way he’d gotten her to go out with him and fall for him – through deception and manipulation. And now that they’re much closer and into each other, he tries very hard to get her to go to prom with him, pushing her in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable, and like, why? They’re clearly not the type of people who go to proms, so why not take Joey’s money and screw the deal? Why did he have to keep his promise? Why not be honest with Kat? Why not tell her, I like you a lot and this idiot is paying me to date you even though I’m honored to do that for free so why don’t we team up and scam him? I know the answer is “conflict”, but it’s always pissed me off.

50) Seriously, though, Cameron. Why?

51) In true teen-rom fashion, everyone needs to be paired up, right?

52) See what I mean about the jokes?

53) Loved the Dawson’s Creek reference…

Believe it or not, a lot of people thought DC was scandalous at the time. And DC was so naïve compared to its predecessors The OC or Gossip Girl…

54) Kat finally opens up to Bianca and explains why she has so many issues and why she doesn’t want to conform to high school’s social rules and expectations and stereotypical idea of “normalcy.” She’d had a less than stellar dating experience back when she was way too young and far too vulnerable with none other than Joey, who had slept with her and dumped her right after. Oh yeah, and it all happened right after her mom had left them. In an attempt to prevent the same thing from happening to her little sister, she had agreed to their dad’s rules, effectively preventing Bianca from experiencing anything on her own. It’s kind of a case of the pot calling the kettle black, considering she’d complained about the very same thing to her father.

55) Kat finally realizes she’s been unfair to her sister and decides to go to prom, to their father’s dismay. Kat even swallows her pride and actually apologizes to Patrick for questioning his motives to ask her to the prom, and he has the nerve to forgive her. Dude, you do have ulterior motives, and the girl you like is actually apologizing even though she’s done nothing wrong and you’re blatantly lying, and he doesn’t even bat an eyelash when he tells her “You’re forgiven.” I mean, I love Patrick, but still… not cool.

56) Bless Walter.

57) I guess they’re a thing, because why not?

58) And this is, among many other reasons, why I can’t hold anything against Patrick Veronica…

He got her favorite band to play in the prom.

59) Chastity is such a bitch for no reason? Like, she and Bianca were close friends, and then, all of a sudden, they aren’t? And she’s so mean to Bianca!

60) And leave it to Joey to ruin everything…

61) And I truly love that Bianca is the one to put him in his place…

62) See? He’s a good guy, he was just trying to protect his daughters the only way he knew how…

WALTER: Bianca did what? KAT: What's the matter, upset that I rubbed off on her? WALTER: No, impressed. Fathers don't like to admit it when their daughters are capable of running their own lives. It means we've become spectators. Bianca still lets me play a few innings. You've had me on the bench for years. And when you go to Sarah Lawrence I won't even be able to watch the game. KAT: When I go? WALTER: Oh, boy. Don't tell me you changed your mind. I already sent 'em a cheque

63) And I also have to include the video for this scene because it’s just… *chef’s kiss*… Julia Stiles absolutely nails this one, and it never fails to bring me to tears…

youtube

Same, Patrick. Same.

64) And while the fact that he doesn’t immediately run after her always has me screaming, he does make up for all of it…

KAT: A Fender Strat? Is it for me? PATRICK: Yeah, I thought you could use it, you know, when you start your band. Besides, I had some extra cash, you know. Some asshole paid me to take out this really great girl. KAT: Is that right? PATRICK: Yeah, but I screwed up. I, um... I fell for her. KAT: Really? PATRICK: It's not every day you find a girl who'll flash someone to get you out of detention. KAT: Oh, God. You can't just buy me a guitar every time you screw up, you know. PATRICK: Yeah, I know. But there's always drums and bass and maybe even one day a tambourine. KAT: And don't just think you can...

65) This movie is hardly a masterpiece, but it doesn’t intend to be either, and not every movie needs to be. It’s a feel-good movie, and it delivers on so many levels. It’s funny, it’s tropey, it’s cute, it’s romantic, it has a great soundtrack, and you just feel a whole lot better after watching it. It’s the 90s at its best, and that’s why it became a classic.

What I love the most, though, is Kat’s character development. We see this girl who is a badass and super smart, takes no bullshit, holds everyone accountable for their shitty behavior, and has a great wit. But she is not without flaws. She’s closed off because she has been hurt before, both by her mother and her first love. She holds everyone at bay because it’s easier that way. Throughout the movie, however, she shows empathy and a lot of vulnerability. And she soon finds out that she had been missing out on a lot of things by shielding her emotions. She’d missed out on having a good relationship with her sister and on finding love again. What is truly admiring about Kat, though, is that when she’s hurt the most and she has every reason to close herself off again, she does the exact opposite. She opens herself up not only in front of the guy she’s in love with but everyone. The shrew cries and bares her soul for the world to see. Regardless of the happy ending, I think that in itself s truly inspiring, don’t you?

66) Bonus: bloopers!

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67) Hope you enjoyed my recap, and, as usual, if you’ve got this far, thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recaps and my blog, please consider supporting it on ko-fi. Thanks!

#10 Things I Hate About You #Heath Ledger #Julia Stiles #Joseph Gordon Levitt #William Shakespeare #The Taming of the Shrew #mine #movie recap

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chiclet-go-boom · 4 years

Text

point of impact 7: always

/shyly pushes to @linguini17 who seems to like these

_______

The outpost they’ve reached is large; larger than he’s ever seen and better organized as well. Somewhere he feels like he ought to be offended by the regimented officiousness of the whole thing but he can’t summon up the energy to feel more than a numb gratefulness to the Orlesian need to coordinate the ass end of everywhere. The fact that the place isn’t even remotely defensible hasn’t stopped them from pretending that it is, and if that doesn’t pretty much say everything that anyone ever needs to know about the collective mindset that is Orlais, he doesn’t know what does.

There are even guard rotations, of all things, moving back and forth with a determined sort of purpose as if there weren’t more gap than enclosure left of the original structure. The camp itself is tidily placed within what was probably a keep courtyard at some point in the long distant past, the cracked remnants of the walls providing at least some wind break in the steadily falling snow. Braziers have been placed every so often so maybe there’s a shot that nobody freezes to death before they can exchange the proper passwords at the cross over points. He knows there have to be passwords; the whole blighted nation lives on coded messages and clandestine behaviour. If they’re here long enough he might even rouse himself to make the effort to learn them.

Over his left shoulder the tents march solemnly in formation, little ice-ward runes on their ridge poles twinkling like tiny stars. It’s a pretty effect, especially when a rush of wind curls up along the ground, throwing even more loose white stuff into the air like an excited child. Emprise du Lion is a magical wonderland and Varric hunkers closer to his chosen bonfire, rubbing his chapped hands over and over pretending to get some feeling back into his fingers.

Problem is that there just isn’t enough usable wood to keep the fires going properly and the heat thrown off by the veilfire woven into the actual flames isn’t enough to write home about. Assuming he’ll ever write again. Assuming he gets out of here with his mind intact enough to want to.

He shifts his shoulders, trying to settle his fleece lined duster a little closer to his skin. The crunching of the snow behind him is enough warning that he doesn’t flinch when somebody sits next to him on the rough hewn bench, settling with a creak of protesting leather. The warrior peels her gloves off and pale hands stretch out to the fire, chasing the same thing he is.

“I hate this place already.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

The Inquisitor sighs, breath puffing out. “Don’t know about that, Varric. You’ve usually got much better insults tucked up your sleeve for these kinds of occasions.”

“Not this time. I pretty much just hate this place too.”

“I’d ask you again why we’re here but that’s even more depressing than being here at all.”

He has a grin for that, enough to crack the skin of his face at least. “Hey, look on the bright side. We could still be bivouacked ten miles from here, hugging a mountain like we’re about to propose marriage.”

The Herald groans. “Hey, it was a good spot.”

“If you’re into hugging mountains, sure.”

“The captain here says they can have us provisioned by tomorrow and as much as I’d like to stay and enjoy the last bit of civilization we’re going to see for awhile, I think we’d better take them up on the not so subtle offer.” The warrior switches subjects easily, as she often does, and Varric nods. “He hasn’t said it exactly but I get the impression they’re stretched pretty thin and we’re enough of a dent into the supplies that he’s already counting on his fingers when the next supply caravan is likely to make it.”

“Yeah. Any army marches on its stomach and for a skinny human, you sure eat a bunch.”

“Thanks, Varric.”

“Anytime, Inquisitor.”

“Anytime what?”

He blames the cold and the exhaustion but he hadn’t heard Cassandra walk up and her appearance across the fire is startling. Her face looks as pinched as he feels, dark skin contrasting with the drifting snowflakes. Not for the first time he wonders if she appreciates the cold as much as he does, what with Nevarra being on the edge of the the Silent Plains and all. He’s heard rumors that things just lay down and die in the shade there to get some relief. She never complains though. Not at Skyhold and not even here, where even the snow complains about the snow, so far by sliding down rock faces on top of them.

Still, if he was the descriptive sort and the Seeker not equipped with a spine of pure dragonbone, he might say she collapses on the seat like a sack of potatoes. As it is she merely settles herself across from them both, one eyebrow tilting up.

The Inquisitor waves her unmarked hand. “Varric says I eat too much.”

“Now, now, I didn’t say that. Exactly.”

“You implied. You know how much energy it takes to swing this axe overhand and not miss?” The weapon in question is close to four feet of haft alone and he’d shudder if he could.

“More than I want to think about at the moment. I retract the implication I didn’t make.”

“Apology accepted. Cassandra, I’d like to get started after whatever passes for first meal around here. They can feed us at least once more before we set off again.” Her lips thin but whatever she’s thinking, she doesn’t voice it. Her voice becomes brisk again. “Everyone make sure to check your packs before we leave, I don’t want to start out shorted on anything essential this time.”

Cassandra nods and makes a noise of, if not acceptance, at least acknowledgement. For a few minutes they all stare into the not-warm-enough fire. Varric rubs his palms together again, feeling the calluses catch on each other in a far-away feeling. Whatever the Inquisitor and Seeker are thinking in turn, they aren’t sharing either.

Finally the Inquisitor sighs and stands, hauling her gloves back on with a deliberate sort of grace. “I’m going to check on Dorian and see if he’s had any luck adapting that fire spell before I turn in. It would be great if just one thing went super right before we’re deep into things, you know?” She drops a hand on Varric’s shoulder as she turns although he can barely feel it through the layers. “See you both tomorrow. Try and get some sleep.”

Silence descends again and he thinks he should break it somehow, only he doesn’t know what to say. He’s all out of his own jokes at the moment and the easy camaraderie brought by the Herald has disappeared with her.

“Varric.”

He looks up without realizing he’d dropped his gaze to look at the Seeker. “Yes?”

“I.. apologize if this is abrupt. Can you really tell where the nearest red lyrium is? I hope you can appreciate that I do not wish us to flounder without direction out here.”

He rubs a hand over his face and considers his options. Then he simply points. “There.” He swings his arm and points again, thick finger stabbing. “And there, but farther.” And he points again for a third time, opening his hand and wiggling his fingers in a vague motion. “And somewhere over there too but it’s not super specific.”

“How do you know?” Her voice is honestly curious and that alone keeps him from snapping at her. It’s not her fault, he reminds himself. It’s probably not even his fault.

“I just do.” Regardless of his intentions, it comes out as a growl. He shifts his feet a little wider and sighs, before trying again. “Sorry. Stuff has me on edge. Yes, I know exactly where it is. No, I don’t know why, not really, but it’s why I invited myself along. As much as I seriously regret it right now.”

“Do all dwarves…?”

“Don’t know that either, Seeker.” He shakes his head, thinks better of it, and then just shrugs. “We’re naturally resistant to the regular stuff, everybody knows that. But the Orzammar clans that mine it still swear they can hear it right through the stone. It’s how they know which direction to start digging. But Bianca...” He hesitates, then curses himself for tripping over the name. His control really isn’t the best at the moment. He starts again. “Bianca doesn’t react to the red stuff like I do, even though it’s scary piled on top of stupid on top of just plain horribly bad. Said it was an annoying buzz, kind of like a mosquito just out of swatting range when she was close. That’s not what I’m hearing. I know for a fact that she can’t pinpoint it like I can.”

“What is it to you then? What do you hear?”

He knew this question was coming but his shoulders still tighten and he can’t seem to convince them to straighten out. “It sings, Seeker. Constantly. It won’t shut up." He drops his elbows to his knees, leaning forward. He watches himself rub his palms together, slower and slower. "It's a rash I can’t even scratch because it's inside my head. The closer I am, the sweeter it sounds. I swear there are words in it too, like somebody is whispering in another language that if I just… that I could understand if I just convinced myself I could.”

“That must be difficult.” Her voice is measured but for Cassandra it’s dripping with concern and it strikes him oddly, unexpectedly close to the heart. He shrugs that off as well because there’s nothing there beyond what she’d feel for any of the others. The Seeker has a tendency to mother hen everybody in her immediate vicinity, himself included when she’s not busy being mad at him for all his various infractions, both real and imagined.

“You have no idea. Is it me? Is it something to do with being a Tethras? Maker knows Bartrand took to it like a duck to water.” He hears the bitterness creeping into his voice, realizes he’s dropped his gaze again and forces himself to look up across the fire. “Don’t worry so much, Seeker. There's no way I’ll lose track of it, trust me. You can just consider me your personal crow for the duration; I’ll take us right to the stuff and we’re going to smash it all into so much dust.”

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

The weather hasn’t gotten any better over the last couple of weeks but it hasn’t gotten all that much worse either. A couple of small storms that laid down yet more snow since you can never have too much of a good thing, a few days with enough wind to scour his face of several layers of skin that he probably didn’t need anyways but that’s been about it. Small blessings from above, right? Varric does his level best to follow directly in the footprints of the Seeker and the Herald as they choose a path leading along the base of the latest ridge, forging ahead of both him and Dorian. Stumbling off the path they’re making will have him hip deep in the drifts again and that he doesn’t need right now, or ever quite frankly.

But damn them for having such long strides. His thighs are never going to stop burning, he’s sure of it.

He doesn’t realize he’s spoken out loud until Dorian laughs. He shoots a sour glance over his shoulder.

“Laugh it up, Sparkler. Don’t see you swanning through this stuff like you’re dancing the remigold on marble floors either.”

The mage waves a casual hand. “I’m allergic to excessive effort. I’m perfectly content to let our two heroes do the hard work since they’re so beautifully suited for it.” In deference to the relatively mild weather at the moment, his fur lined hood is down and he can see the smile on the man’s face. Dorian’s stride is confident, if slow. “And admit it, Varric, the view is quite aesthetically pleasing from this angle.”

Varric looks ahead and suppresses a sigh. Because when Dorian’s right, he’s right.

The Herald is in the lead at the moment, indefatigably moving through the drifts even as she probes ahead with a long pole to check for deeper pockets that could hang everyone up. Her overcoat has been messily rolled to hang from her hip by straps hooked to her weapons belt. Through the patchy tree line they’re generally skirting, the sunlight catches on her honey hair to spark little glories and her breath and exposed skin steam with exertion. If this was a painting, she’d be some sort of pale avenging demon descending upon the hapless mortals from above, wreathed in white smoke. Her hips and thighs are definitely doing some interesting things beneath the muted jingle of her scale mail tunic.

In contrast, Cassandra has kept her dark cloak on but like Dorian has dropped the hood. She ghosts precisely behind the Inquisitor, dark on black on implacable, her armored weight helping to pack the snow into something traversable. If the pace is bothering her, nothing in her movements betrays it. Varric can only imagine what her hips are doing and that’s the worst part of it. His imagination has a tendency to run away with him when he can’t see things.

As if aware of his thoughts on her, the Seeker picks that moment to look back at both of them. He raises a hand in greeting, trying to move a little faster.

She frowns at something she sees though and stops, turning to call back the Herald. A few minutes later, they’re all standing together and Varric stamps his feet a few times, swinging his arms. Wouldn’t do to cool down too fast.

“We have to be close. Varric?”

He nods at the Seeker, keeping his face impassive. “Nearly on top of it, really. If we go up right here, we can probably fall on top of it on the other side.”

Everybody looks of course, but the ridge of stone they’re traveling along still isn’t showing any signs of a path they can actually use to get over the blocking hump of rock.

The first three deposits had been deceptively easy, pretty much out in the open after a bit of effort and they’d shattered beautifully under the pressure of his explosive bolts and Dorian’s casually impressive destruction. They hadn’t even had to get that close for which he is profoundly grateful. This one however is more than making up for it though in pretty much every way possible.

They’ve been tracking it for days now, working their way closer and closer, switching and backtracking as various approaches had dead ended into impassable terrain or steep ravines or some combination of both. Emprise du Lion, he’d decided awhile back, was obviously designed by the sadistic hand of a maniac god. Which pretty much described most of them when you got down to it but the subtleties of his observation appears to have made little impression on his travelling companions.

More to the point, they’re uselessly close enough set his teeth on shivering edge and after four long days and even longer nights, they still haven’t actually found the Maker blasted thing. He’s just given up on sleeping until they get to it. Standing here doing nothing but talking isn’t helping either. He can feel the lyrium thrumming at him right through the stone, dancing along every one of his bones.

Varric shifts his weight and re-settles his crossbow, trying to distract himself. He swings his arms a few more times. The Inquisitor scratches the back of her oblivious neck, still looking up the ridge before squinting over at the weak, diffused sun. “Okay, then,” she says finally. “We’re going to go for another… two fingers of light I think, and if we still haven’t found a good way up, we’re going back to the last camp and we’ll try around the other way tomorrow.”

It’s not like that’s a different plan than they were already doing but the small rest is something at least. This time when they set off again, Cassandra takes the lead, letting the other woman take a break from path stomping. They travel in single file for an hour, barely speaking. The snow crunches, the world glitters and Varric does his best to keep imagining what’s happening under the Seeker’s clothes. It’s almost enough.

Her shout pulls his attention up from the place it’s drifted into. He stumbles and realises after a few seconds that he’d nearly been in fugue state. She’s staring up and as they all close the distance they’d straggled along, he can see what she’s seeing.

At some point in the past a portion of the ridge ahead had collapsed, leaving behind a sloping pile of scree along the path of travel. Instead of rising stone and no footholds, it was a reasonable, if steep incline. Better yet, it was overgrown with small saplings taking advantage of the loosened soil and dirt and even scrub brush digging its own footholds into the bounty. It was damned near perfect - with some careful footwork, they could probably get up this. He looks over at the Herald but she’s already shaking out her jacket and putting it back on. Right. She obviously doesn’t want to be overbalanced as they climb.

“Varric, you go first,” the Inquisitor is saying. “Then Dorian, Cass and then me.”

“Why does he get to go first?” Dorian’s voice sounds rusty with disuse, and the man coughs and tries again. “I’m as light as a halla in comparison to you burly brontos. I could be there and back before you know it.”

She grins and not for the first time Varric wonders if the Herald is sweet on the Tevinter altus. There’s just something about the way her smile slides onto her face when she talks to him, that tiny edge of ever so eager sweetness. “Because, you darling thing, you might be a golden halla of air and clouds but Varric knows how to move on treacherous terrain pretty much anywhere. Right, Varric?”

“You know it.” He’s already picked up how he’s going to get up most of the way, eyes skipping from spot to spot. “But how come nobody ever calls me a golden halla?”

“You don’t have the wardrobe for it, my dear dwarf. Or the legs.”

“You got me there, Sparkler.”

“So our resident sneak goes first,” interrupts the Inquisitor, “then you, Dorian, since you are so damned graceful I can’t stand it, then Cassandra. I’ll bring up the rear because I’m quite frankly the one most likely to slip and I’m not taking out anybody with me if I’m dead last. If Cass slips, I’m also the one most likely to survive the impact.” She makes a point of flexing in her armor and even Varric finds a chuckle for that, as weak as it is. Cassandra looks over at him with a frown on her face but he ignores it, already starting to move.

He wants this over with bad enough to taste it. He starts to climb.

It’s difficult but not beyond him. City dwarf he might be but he knows how to walk, how to test his steps before committing them, feeling the ground beneath his feet as if it’s a living creature which, with the wrong footstep, it will be. It’s not the same as negotiating a trade dispute or slipping around a column to line up a back shot on an unsuspecting target but he has indeed learned to walk wherever he needs to.

Below, Dorian climbs lightly, obviously trying to follow the line he’s picked out across the slope. The two heavily armored women labour upwards below him in a staggered line. Varric keeps going, and when he finally looks up, he realises they’re nearly there. He reaches for another grip on a sapling tree to test its strength as an anchor.

He hears the curse a half second before anything else. He looks down just to time to see Dorian slip, and he’s helpless to do anything as the mage slides under the crumbling pressure of a weak foothold, scrabbling to get a stable handful of anything as he falls. The sound of shifting stone and earth is frightening and for a heartbeat all he can see is what will happen if the entire slip face goes, burying all of them at the bottom.

But luck is with them. Cassandra has her feet planted, one hand sunk into the root system of the nearby scrubs and she gets her other hand on the Tevinter as he slides past her in a shower of pebbles and dirt. She holds on somehow and miraculously nothing further gives. The small landslide slows and then trickles to a pattering stop. Varric can see the white oval face of the Inquisitor far below, staring up.

“Everybody okay?” he shouts down.

“Dorian?” In answer to the Seeker, the mage sets his knee on the slope and attempts to rise slowly. Varric can’t hear the hiss of pain but he can imagine it as Dorian appears to be unable to get both feet under him properly.

The Inquisitor climbs up with exaggerated carefulness and finally reaches the level of the other two. There is conversation he can’t hear but he’s pretty sure he knows what it is. The warrior is running her hands over Dorian’s leg and Varric curses under his breath, staring up. So close to the top. He can keep going, crest the ridge and backtrack to the lyrium. Blast it into so much quivering dust and make it stop crying out to him. Then, then he can sleep for a thousand years before they go after the next one.

He wets his lips, looking back down the slope.

Cassandra is climbing again, methodically grasping and reaching. The Herald and Dorian however are going back down at a snail’s pace, the one braced against the other. Varric blinks.

“Keep going,” the Seekers calls out as she gets close enough.

His mind dangerously blank, he turns back and keeps climbing.

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

Walking along the top of the ridge is much easier going than slogging through the snow at the foot of it and in easy time they have retraced their steps. They stand together for a moment, pretending to catch their breath.

At some point a relatively shallow bowl formed here, perhaps sixty feet across, somewhat less than half of that again deep. Clustered on the other side, the lyrium has shoved itself through the stone and snow. The crystalline spikes thrust outwards in mass confusion like obscenely hard entrails spilling out from a wound and Varric swallows.

The worst thing is it’s pulsing in rhythm. It feels like it’s driving his blood.

Varric forces himself to look away.

“Can you destroy it from here?” she asks. Her words steam in the air even as her hand is wrapped around the hilt of the sword, tight enough to be noticeable. He sees it but isn’t sure if he should ask if she’s starting to hear it too.

He shakes his head once and then again, harder, trying to reform his thoughts into something coherent. He delays by scooping up a small handful of snow to swallow it, trying to taste water for a moment instead of lyrium. “Sorry, Seeker. Bad angle and I’m not risking it. I only have so many bolts on me and this one… well, it’s kinda big, isn’t it?”

“Only a little big,” she says calmly enough.

“Right.” He stares down across the depression and disguises a hard shudder with a shrug. He starts picking out his footholds, trying to judge when closer will be close enough. “Okay. I’m going to. Going work my way there.” He points down and right to where his target is, a small ledge jutting out where some piece of the stone split to provide a rough shelf. “Better shot from there, can do this properly. Wait here.”

“I am not waiting here, dwarf.”

“And why the hell not?” he snaps back. “You can’t do anything with that sword except crowd my shooting arm.”

She shifts on her feet and he hates the closed, tight expression on her face. “I am worried for you,” she says unexpectedly. “Do not think I have not noticed what it is happening.”

He grunts in surprise. “Doesn’t matter,” he replies after a moment, fumbling, cursing the noticeable delay between thought and sound. “Just… stay here and I’ll take care of it. If you want, you can carry me back out if you need something to do. Maybe there’ll be a bear or something.”

Her lips tighten but he hopes it’s because she’s trying not to smile. He moves away and starts to pick his way down.

It’s difficult, more than difficult. The slope here is more stable at least than the way up, the stone older and less disturbed but the lyrium wails in previously unknown octaves, distracting. The snow that has drifted into crevices makes things hard to judge, the shifting red light casting wavering shadows that don’t help at all. More than once he nearly puts a foot wrong. He starts, stops, starts again.

But he makes it after what seems like a year and forever, bracing himself along the exposed face. Varric hauls in a painful lungful of air, trying to stay centered and focused. As he thought, the angle here is as close to perfect as he’s going to get, the twisting spires of lyrium all but reaching out to him. He can see right into the center of the mass and for a second the song aching along his bones makes beautiful, incandescent sense.

Varric shudders and drags his eyes away. He starts to pull Bianca off his shoulder, fumbling awkwardly.

Afterwards he has no idea what he did wrong. Did the ledge collapse, some unseen fault with his weight on it? Did his foot slip with his shattered un-attention? Or did, Maker preserve all fools, did he actually step forward? All of those things, none of those things.

He’s somehow on his hands and knees in the snow at the bottom of the basin, spitting shock and blood. He’s bitten through his tongue but doesn’t have time to care about it. His hands are scraped and bleeding. Those are the only two things he actually feels.

He looks up.

He’s fallen nearly on top of it. Twenty feet, maybe less or something more because it’s impossible to judge, only that it fills his sight like a horizon. This close he can all but see his reflection in the crystalline planes, see himself endlessly reflected. His heart twists with sudden panicked horror.

Then it’s gone. All of it is gone, torn away and lost. The surging thrill under his skin is nothing short of a lover’s caress, something he almost has a name for. He staggers to his feet, somewhere dimly amazed that he can.

Somebody is yelling faintly. He shakes his head and that falls away too.

Everywhere he looks is red and it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

He takes a step. Then another and another, faster. His flesh blackens with exultation, heat and promise and the shrieking edge of understanding. Fingers of it thread through his hair, touch his shoulders with power. Red coils wrap tight around his neck until he can barely breathe for how good they feel. A knowing hand snakes down his hip.

He could have it. He could take it. It could be his.

And oh, it wants to be his.

His bloodied fingers twitch. He reaches to touch the nearest spire. A few more steps.

He's grabbed from behind and he howls, fighting.

It’s a woman with dark hair and darker, wilder eyes. She drags him a half dozen steps before he digs in and then there is a tense, straining stalemate. She’s got a hold of him by a strap and she yanks again, stronger than she looks with her whipcord length. He loses yet another lurching step. It’s his harness, he realizes dimly. She has him by the harness.

He claws at the buckles and the useless weight at his shoulder drops and he sheds both burden and jacket all in a piece like a snake. She reaches for him again.

“Varric. Varric.”

There’s red dancing in her eyes. The lyrium over his shoulder screams through its reflection and he shudders. He flexes his shoulders in inarticulate want, panting.

She hesitates, scanning his face, her hand hovering between them.

She crouches, slowly enough that it seems a dream or a drug fever until she’s before him with one knee in the snow. He can see flakes of white in her dark, tousled hair. Something in her eyes is confusing enough to hold him there.

“Varric. Do you know me?”

He takes a breath. No. Yes. No?

“Varric.” Her voice pleads. Her fingertips raise as if to touch his face, brushing instead the hollow of his throat.

He sets his jaw against it. Her cheek is scarred and he finds himself touching it with a finger without intending any such thing, tracing the heavy line. Blood smears like it’s reopening.

He’s always meant to touch her. He’s always wanted to do that. Yes. Run his mouth over her, taste himself on her skin.

“Seeker.” That’s all he has but it seems to be enough. She smiles, her eyes still frightened. That’s it. That’s the confusing thing. The Seeker should never be frightened.

Her hand is burning hot as it curls around the chain at his throat.

His thumb brushes over her face again. Taste her, touch her. Have her. His.

“Varric, come away. Come away from it.” Her other hand hesitates, then moves to his arm. She tugs once and then again, more strongly.

He growls his answer, rocking on his heels.

She stands, rising like a furious thundercloud, gaining sudden leverage. She yanks viciously and he stumbles one more step, her hand torqued around the metal at his neck, the other fisted into his shirt. Something rips. “Maker, help me! Varric, we must go!"

She should never be frightened. Once she hears it properly, she’ll never be frightened again. And he wants.

He sinks his fingers into her upper arm, deep as mountains and it takes nothing at all to drag her back down.

She loses her grip, collapsing to both knees with a harsh sound. Her free hand starts to fumble at her waist.

“No. Come,” he pants. “Come here, Seeker.”

“Varric, no!”

A step backwards. He’s stronger than she is, he always has been. “Be here with me. Seeker. Seeker. Always.”

He pulls again, inexorable and she cries out in sharp pain, starting to struggle. Her free hand drops from the hilt, scrabbling in the snow.

She tries then, tries to lean back, to pull away and she’s strong, he loves that, he’s always loved that about her but she is only human and he’s not letting go. He tightens his grip into a cage and half turns, dragging her across the ground even as she screams yet again. Back towards the song, back towards the safety of the howling crystals. Red in her eyes, red in her hair, the taste of lyrium in her mouth under his, always, always, always.

“Varric! Varric, no! Don’t do this, don’t do this!”

He’s never seen her tears before.

She’s crying. Cassandra is crying.

He’s hurting Cassandra.

He snatches his hand back as if it’s burning.

Maybe he is.

“...Varric?”

He closes his eyes. He inhales, a breath so deep his entire body freezes with the intense, bitter cold. “Yes.”

She swallows, a wet sound. “Varric, come away. Come away with me. We have to leave this place. Now.”

Lyrium screams again but this time he has something to hang onto.

“Can’t. Can’t, Seeker. Have to… have to…” He gropes after it. “Can’t come back here again.”

“Someone else can do this. Come with me now.”

“No.” He opens his eyes. The wet smear of her face accuses, his blood on her cheek, but her eyes are dark again, the red only a reflection. “No.”

He can’t find any more words but he doesn’t need to. Varric turns and finds Bianca half buried in the snow. It is the work of moments to free her from the tangle and his fingers leave wet, dark streaks on her blond wood as he loads her.

He walks back and finds the angle again, looks into the tangled mess of lyrium, the beating, pulsing, crying heart of it.

He doesn’t remember pulling the trigger, reloading, doing it again and yet again until there’s nothing left that sings at all. But he knows he did it because the next thing he remembers, they’re stumbling into camp together.

#cassarric #fanfiction #varric tethras #cassandra pentaghast #dragon age inquisition

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doof-doofblog · 4 years

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"Bobby! Can You Hear Me?!"

Tuesday 28th April 2020

Evening everyone! As promised, here is my second post of the day! I hope you all enjoyed my earlier post reviewing last night's episode. To start off though I believe there have been some miner spoilers realised, which I have only been made aware of within the past few hours. I wouldn't necessarily call it spoiler, more speculation. It will appear that Chantelle and Kheerat start to form a strong bond and it's been mentioned that Kheerat could actually be the one that Chantelle opens up to about Gray's abuse. I'm sure this is something that you're probably all aware of by now, as there as been slight flirtation between the characters, but to some, it may be news ... who knows? It is yet to be seen, but with all the directions the stories are leading to, I think it'll only be a matter of time before Chantelle says something!

Anyway shall we focus on tonight's episode, I felt it was another one full of drama! So many cliffhangers that we have to wait another week for until we see what happens, but it'll all be worth it i'm sure! Let's start off with what's happening with the Trueman family. So, after Isaac let off a bit of steam, he informed Denise about how both Patrick and Sheree have been acting suspiciously in recent weeks since his arrival, and most importantly how Patrick has dropped little hints here and there that he is actually his biological father. Of course, Denise has been completely unaware of the secret that both Sheree and Patrick have been hiding, you could see she was deeply shocked and surprised to figure out that Patrick was Isaac's father. After learning the truth and realising that Isaac has been lied to and not been told anything about his past, she came up with an idea. She called Patrick and told him to meet Sheree at the Vic, and Isaac went to the Salon where Sheree would think she'd be meeting Denise.It seems like the perfect way to finally get one of them to reveal the truth, if not both of them. Isaac can confront his Mum and get her to explain everything to him, even though i'm sure he'll be devastated that he's been lied to for so long. Plus Patrick has only known for a few months, and it's been clearly hard for him to keep to himself, he's been desperate to say something since he found out. I think this will be a huge weight of his shoulders, and hopefully, in time and if Isaac will want to, hopefully they can start to build a father-son relationship. Isaac is going to have a lot of questions for Sheree though before we get to that stage. Why did she lie to him for all those years? Why did she never tell Patrick? Why didn't she want Isaac to know? Whatever the answers may be, there is sure going to be a long road ahead for Isaac when he takes in this new information.

I don't know about you guys, but I really wanted to see the scene where Phil would sit Linda down and tell her exactly what life is like being an addict! I'm gutted I have to wait a whole week to see what Phil is going to tell her! So, after Linda came home from her meeting she told Mick and Shirley that Phil was there. I loved that little quote she made about it being Phil Collins! Haha! Anyway, neither Shirley or Mick were surprised, but Shirley, of course, stood up for Phil after Linda made a comment about him being there. She is right in the fact that Phil only knows too well what it's like and how hard it can be trying to remain sober and that Linda should listen to him! Eventually Phil actually went to in and put in a offer for the Vic and he's offering Mick the asking price,but he'll only give the asking price so Linda can swap her days at the AA meeting. Mick also informed Linda about Phil had said about her, that it would be for the best if she were to move out of the Vic as soon as possible! Linda, being the feisty woman that she is, went to have it out him, but I believe that she'll come to understand him a lot more after this conversation they're about to have. Phil revealed that he had been sober for almost 4 years, but still if it weren't for him going to those AA meetings, he would still be suffering with alcohol. I think Linda then realised that she's got a long long road ahead until things get easier for her, that is if they do get easier. She needs to realise that she is an addict and there are always going to be temptations in her path, but she needs to realise that she can get through this, it's just going to take time. What better person to tell her all the truths about being an addict than Phil?! He's been right in the gutter with not just alcohol, but with drugs also ... does anyone remember when he was a heroin addict? That was the most fantastic and so real performance that I've ever seen from an actor! I can't applaud Steve McFadden enough, he has and always will be my favourite EastEnders actor! I think the chat that Linda and Phil will have will really be an eye-opener for Linda. I'm really looking forward to seeing that scene unfold, roll on next Monday!

Uh-Oh ... so Chantelle and Kheerat have found themselves trapped after a power cut happened in the Panesar household! Unfortunately, this could mean severe consequences for Chantelle, as just as the power cut happened, she was on the phone to Gray telling her he needed her, as he's come to find out where Whitney is! I mean, he wasn't happy with the news that she had to go and work there in first place, is he going to be even more angry at her now? I mean, it wasn't her fault there was a power cutt, but I bet he will say if her mobile was switched on she wouldn't have been there when it happened! There were spoilers that both Chantelle and Kheerat were going to locked in a room together, does this mean that this could be the time they open up to one another? Will Kheerat tell her about how he feels about his Mum? Could he really be feeling disgusted with his Mum after finding out about her lies and is he just putting on a front? But also, could this be the time that Chantelle finally reveals to someone about how Gray abuses her! It's an interesting situation and again there are so many twists and turns that it can take. I really am gutted tonight's episode ended where it did, there's so much stuff i'm looking forward to finding out! I just hope Chantelle won't get the blame for the power cutt and Gray will understand.

Okay, so everyone now knows where Whitney is, and hopefully Gray and/or the police will be on their way to save her! I felt for Whitney tonight ... she's still being tormented and still having to relive those harrowing ordeals that Tony and Leo put her through. I really felt for her when she had to listen to Michaela talking about Tony and how she thought she was in love with him, and then coming to realise who Leo was, it felt horrible to watch I think. You could see Whitney just thinking things over and over in her head about everything she has been through. However, the big shock was that Michaela knew what Tony was like, she threw him out and that's why he went back to Bianca where he continued to abuse Whitney. All those years, Michaela knew what Tony was doing and she let it happen, even though she thought she was trying to protect Leo, she should've also tried to save/protect Whitney, and she never did. Is she feeling guilty that she never acted? Could this be why she's taken Whitney hostage? Does she want to tell her exactly what she went through? Or could it be a scheming way of getting Whitney to admit to murdering Leo?! It's an interesting cliff hanger ... lets just hope Whitney will be saved or be able to escape, and Michaela will get what's coming to her!

Oh Bobby! Poor Bobby! All he wants is to win the girl! That's all he wants! He's trying so hard to impress Dotty .. he dressed really nicely, he bought her a drink, complemented her and she still didn't get the hint! She seems to think that they're just friends ... it's a shame though, as just before it was revealed that Bobby had collapsed, Peter and Dotty shared a moment and were literally about to lean in for a kiss! Was it only me who noticed that?! I sure as hell felt like a kiss was going to happen! Poor Bobby actually resorted to taking drugs to (perhaps) impress a girl! He knew Dotty was selling something, even though she refused to give him some, I guess he just wanted to fit in and maybe not have her see him as "Just a kid!" ... What was it that Bobby took? I hope he'll be okay! How is Peter going to feel, knowing purely that his little brother has feelings for the girl he is flirting with! Even when Peter mentioned to Bobby about using his passport to enter the club and then commenting that he had used tons of his aftershave, I don't think he was acting as the caring older brother. I don't know what it was, but it felt as if he was skitting at him, maybe? Even telling Bobby to prove it to Dotty that he wasn't just a kid, an then later on, trying to lean in for a kiss with her! What is Peter's game?! I'm not sure I 100% trust Peter, I think he's changed. He used to be such a caring character, and now I'm not so sure ... Am I the only one thinking this? I could be completely wrong and I will take back everything I've said if I am, but ... surely, you wouldn't act on flirting with your brother's crush, would you?! I hope Dotty will come to realise that Bobby actually likes her, and maybe she'll give him a chance? It's uncertain what's going to happen with this story-line, I can see it, that both the Beale brothers will be fighting each other for Dotty's affection. What do you think is going to happen? Will Bobby be okay? Will Dotty give him a chance?

Unfortunately, we have a whole week to wait to see what happens. I've lost track on how many weeks it's been since the soap started airing only 2 episodes a week, I'm hoping there'll still be enough for us to see until things get back to some form of normality. I want to thank you all for reading my blog and being patient with me! I hope you're enjoying the soap just as much as I am! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next and writing up about it! Enjoy the rest of your week folks as much as you can, keep safe and hopefully this will all be over soon! Feel free to message me and share your thoughts and opinions on anything I've posted. I'll always make time to respond! Thanks guys! xXx

#eastenders #isaac baptiste #sheree trueman #patricktrueman #denisefox #lindacarter #philmitchell #whitneydean #michaelaking #grayatkins #chantelleatkins #kheerat panesar #dottycotton #bobbybeale #peterbeale

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nadiafm · 5 years

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( camila morrone, cisfemale ) hey ! have you seen NADIA PEREZ around ? they work as a ICE SKATING INSTRUCTOR at big bear resort, but they must be off their shift by now. well, if you do see them can you let me know ? they’re 21 years old & they’ve been working here for 11 MONTHS. they tend to be +AMOROUS & +CONVIVIAL, but can also be -LICENTIOUS & -WARY. the other employees have labeled them THE ROMANTIC. thanks a lot ! gold hoops , floral mini dresses , pink lipgloss , overly dramatic eyeshadow , freckles specked across your nose , mascara running down your cheeks , tequila shots chased with salt and lime , lana del rey blasting in your headphones , mirror selfies , golden hour , glitter and rhinestones , blue raspberry dum dums , piled up books you keep forgetting to read.

hey y’all !! i’m so excited for this wow. i’m sam, i’m 22, and i live in pst !! i’m a sucker for cooking shows and dogs and candles. but more importantly...this is my freaking baby nadia, an absolute idiot with a heart of gold ! i already know this intro is going to be too long but bare with me i will include a tldr at the bottom i promise. also hmu on discord to plot ! capricornmom#1278

here is nadia’s pinterest & here is her playlist

aesthetics : gold hoops , floral mini dresses , pink lipgloss , overly dramatic eyeshadow , freckles specked across your nose , mascara running down your cheeks , tequila shots chased with salt and lime , lana del rey blasting in your headphones , mirror selfies , golden hour , glitter and rhinestones , blue raspberry dum dums , piled up books you keep forgetting to read

character parallels : jackie burkhart ( that 70′s show ) rachel green ( friends ) , cassie howard ( euphoria ) , brooke davis ( one tree hill ) , bianca stratford ( 10 things i hate about you ) , april ( palo alto ) , erica vandross ( flower ) , gigi & triple a ( booksmart ) , snooki ( jersey shore ) , jessica day ( new girl )

full name : nadia paloma perez

birthday : july 23, 1998

zodiac : cancer sun , pisces moon , pisces rising . god help this emotional ass girl

nationality : american

religion : roman catholic

sexual & romantic orientation : bisexual , biromantic

hometown : aventura , florida ( 20 minutes outside of miami )

languages spoken : english ( fluent ) , spanish ( fluent ) , french ( still learning , takes it in school , somewhat conversational )

likes : candy ( sour punch straws , lollipops ) , watching soccer games ( messi stan till she dies ) , rex orange county , writing , magazines , making empanadas with her abuela , romantic comedies ( her fav is how to lose a guy in 10 days ) , tequila sodas , sex , lana del rey , chipotle burritos , iced chai lattes with almond milk from starbucks , gossip girl , craft beer , margaret atwood

dislikes : quinoa , nuts in things like salad or cookies , star wars , watching golf , oatmeal , church , screamo music , california ( a grudge ) , spoiled rich kids , condescending business majors , quentin tarantino ( and his avid fans )

BACKGROUND

Born and raised in South Florida, a little aways from Miami ! Her mother, Paloma, was an Adventura native while her father, Santiago, was an immigrant from Argentina. Her parents met in college when Paloma was studying abroad in Argentina. They fell in love, rather quickly, and the rest was history. They had planned on moving back to America together, but Santiago’s visa was denied. So, after only four months of knowing each other and 2.5 months of dating, they got married.

Turns out sometimes you should know your partner better before getting married !! shocker right. It wasn’t so bad at first, though. They were young and in love and their honeymoon phase seemed to last forever, until it didn’t.

By the time Nadia was born, they’d already begun to realize each other’s faults and flaws. Santiago was a good looking guy, and with his thick Argentine accent, he tended to come off as overly friendly and at times overtly flirty. Paloma was jealous and needy. It never seemed to mesh well when she thought her husband was flirting with every other mom in the neighborhood.

So, for the majority of Nadia’s childhood, all she remembered from her parent’s marriage was them fighting. She had a close relationship with the both of them, though, and she was particularly close with her father. He was her biggest supporter !! Always hyping her up. He was the one signing her up for sports like soccer (they’re a huge soccer family, the only time her parents weren’t fighting was during Argentina games), gymnastics, dance, and ice skating. Her favorite was soccer, and her for most of her adolescent years, her dad coached her team. They formed a really close bond because of it.

The marriage was sort of non exinsistant at this point, but in some sort of last attempt to salvage any love they might have had for each other, Santiago and Paloma had a baby. It was more Paloma’s idea than anything. Santiago, at that point, was only sticking around for Paloma. She was seven when her little sister was born, Caterina, and Nadia absolutely adored her. They may have been seven years a part, but they were the best of friends.

When Nadia was twelve, she woke up with a note on her bed side table. It was from her father, and it read: “Nads, I’m so sorry I couldn’t say goodbye to your face. I wish I was stronger. I am so proud of you and I promise I will be in touch. Te amo. Papa” He hadn’t left anybody else a note, and not even a word to her mother. As close as she was to her mother and sister, she couldn’t help but blame them for her father leaving. Still, she was pretty certain she’d hear from him soon. That he’d come back once he cleared his head. Only, he didn’t.

Word spread pretty fast around school about what had happened. Suddenly, Nadia was a charity case. PTA moms were coming up to her and offering to bring her lunch or dinner, if she needed it. She was the girl who’s dad left them high and dry. It didn’t help that on top of that, her body was going through changes much more rapidly than any of her friends. She already had gotten her period, and by the time she was in seventh grade she was wearing a D cup bra. So in addition to the sudden spotlight as the girl without a dad, boys started treating her differently. Boys that had never talked to her previously suddenly wanted to be her friend. In eighth grade, Hayden Walker rolled up a small piece of paper and shot it like a basketball into her cleavage. He high-fived his friends after and thanked her for the backboard.

So middle school was rough. And while Nadia had had one or two boyfriends during that time, she’d never gone past kissing them. That’s not how the rumors went, though. That was the part that hurt the most. The things people said, especially the things girls said about her. Girls she thought were her friends.

At the end of eighth grade, during the summer before high school, she got a text from her dad. The first one in 2 years! She’d idolized him her whole life, so obviously she was ready to forgive him as soon as she heard from him. He told her he was living in California and Nadia was like, I’m sold! Let’s go! Only her mother was like...are you fucking insane you are not going to California to visit that man. Long story short, she found a cheap cross country bus ticket and essentially ran away from home to see her dad! He was shocked she had come at all, despite his text message leading her to believe he wanted to see her. Apparently it was more of a courtesy text, a text so he could let go of the guilt of leaving an entire family behind. Because in the two years he’d been gone, he managed to start a new one. He had a new wife, and two newborn twins.

Nadia was pretty furious, but she stayed the summer anyways. She had full intentions of starting high school in California and not going home to Florida. Things were tense at her father’s, though. Her “step mother” obviously didn’t like having her around, and though her bond with her father was slowly rekindling, there was still a sort of distance between them. But they were trying to make it work, at the very least.

Then came the end of the summer. Nadia had made a few friends around the neighborhood, and was invited to an end of summer kickback with a bunch of high schoolers. Naturally, she lied about her age at the party. She was 14, but told everyone she was 16, and everyone seemed to overlook her baby face thanks to her ass and tits. At the end of the night, a boy drove her home, and the two ended up hooking up in the car. Apparently she had misjudged how much her father actually cared, because he’d waited up for her to come home, and after seeing car headlights out front, he’d stormed outside to find her in the car with a high school boy, half naked. After allowing her to gather her bearings, he essentially humiliated her right there on the front lawn, screaming about how irresponsible she was amongst other things. The majority of the conversation has since been blacked out from her mind, but she’ll never forget the look on her dad’s face when he said, “you’re nothing, you’re just like your mother, and i don’t want you anywhere near my family.” whew !! ya girl was hurt.

So, obviously, she was back on the way to mom’s ! Honestly at that point her mom wasn’t even mad at her for leaving she was just thankful she was back.

GODDD okay this is getting long so I need to wrap this up. I haven’t even gotten to personality KJSHG Okay let’s wrap up high school in one bullet point. Basically she sub consciously searched for every man’s approval because she lacked the approval she needed from her father! This meant lots of boyfriends and never saying no. In her four years of high school, she was maybe single for a total of like ... seven months. not seven consecutive months lmao, 7 months in between relationships.

one of those boys was connor perch, her first official boyfriend freshman year ! they were really sweet n young and nadia really thought she was in love. but then she gave him a blowjob and this mf recorded it ! and nadia found out after the fact, asked him to delete it, he said it was just for himself to look at, only to find out he’d sent it to his friends a few days later. so that basically set the precedent for how she’d be treated the next four years of high school ! she tried to act like it didn’t bother her but dang. high schoolers can be very mean !

oh my god i seriously have to wrap up okay this will be quick. basically when she was a senior in high school she went on a ski trip to big bear and met a boy named ethan, who she like fell in love with so fast like literally a week give it a rest girl. he was from Colorado but when she left they kept in touch and basically talked every day for the rest of the school year and throughout the summer. She’d decided to apply to Boulder University to be closer to him because this time it really felt like the real thing ! SURPRISE AGAIN ! She got to school and found out he had a girlfriend. She was really mf heartbroken over that. But did she learn her lesson? No. Does she still fall in love with anyone who looks in her direction? Yes.

Okay and lastly she has been working all sorts of jobs throughout college because her mom is helping her pay for tuition and rent so she’s gotta cover spending money ! She ended up getting a job at Big Bear Resort during her last winter break as an ice skating instructor because she used to do ice skating back in the day. Now she works at Big Bear during her school breaks and on some weekends !

TLDR/Tidbits

Hopeless romantic with major daddy issues

Will overanalyze every interaction she has with anyone because she thinks they might like her

EXTREMELY GULLIBLE

Probably will have a crush if you are even remotely nice to her

Really dumb but means well. Literally no common sense. Complete bimbo

Cries A LOT. Complete crybaby. Happy or sad she’s probably crying

Heart of gold!! She really always means well even when she fucks up so bad I SWEAR her heart was in the right place

Can outdrink anyone. She would drink a 6ft5in, 200 pound man under the table any day

Tequila is her choice of drink, but vodka is for her #sadgirlhours

Obsessed with Rosalía, Lana Del Rey, & Rex Orange County. And also 2010 bangers. Anything she can shake her ass to !

She pretty much used to exclusively wear mini dresses because when she realized everyone was just gonna sexualize her anyway, she was like FUCK IT, i’ll show my ass n titties n legs. Except it’s fucking like negative degrees in Colorado so she can’t do that ! Bummer. (she’ll still probably find ways to wear mini dresses)

Obsessed with makeup!! She loves doing adventurous things with eyeshadows and lipsticks like ok euphoria

Kinda crazy. Major crackhead vibes especially when she’s drunk! She loves going out, she’ll go out on a Tuesday, she just likes to have fun ok and dance on tables and make out with cute people

She’ll have a one night stand but just know for HER she’ll probably get attached. I’m so sorry it won’t last that long but she’ll pine for at least a week

ok that is all i’m so sorry for this shit show of an intro but here is a messy list of wc !

#bigbearintro #literally so pointlessly long but

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hoesidon · 5 years

Text

Since I’m never gonna write it here’s some Platonic Pipercy for all of you lmao: (I ran out of space so I’ll do a part 2 for the HoO timeline soon)

Little bit of Piper’s backstory and how she ended up at camp, Piper was a “troubled” child who acted out a lot for her father’s attention

Tristan has just gotten into the movie industry after his father’s death and was just trying to make money to pay off his father’s medical bills and have enough money to support his daughter

And because of that he barely gets to spend time with Piper who he thinks is acting out due to the recent passing of her grandfather and she because she doesn’t have any maternal figures in her life

So he gets an assistant named Jane to help him out with his job and hopefully maybe be a female figure in Piper’s life that she can look up to and go to for girl talk and advice

Piper doesn’t like Jane and continues to act out because she just wants to have her dad back

But as Tristan’s fame grows, the less she sees her father

Piper is 10 when she finally decides to run away, hoping it would get her father’s attention

It doesn’t because he’s out promoting his new movie but she figures being on the streets is better than being with Jane

That is until she runs into some monsters who keep trying to kill her

While trying to hide out from monsters, she meets a Satyr who promises her safety and brings her to Camp Half-Blood

She gets ushered into the Hermes cabin, where all unclaimed kids go she’s told, and it’s where she meets Luke Castellan

He took her under his wing and taught her how to pick locks and how to hot wire a car

“Because you never know when you’re gonna have to steal a car for a easy getaway from monsters, Pipes”

When she asked why he was being so nice to her all he said was “because we’re family, Pipes.”

Luke was like a cool older brother

And to fit the “cursed blade shall reap” I’m gonna go along and say that Luke was the one who gave Piper her knife

Once the summer came to a close, Piper missed her father and wanted to go back home although she would miss Luke and the homey and overcrowded feeling of the Hermes cabin

Things at home didn’t approve

Tristan was still always busy and Jane tried to avoid Piper like the plague but she did ask where Piper ran off to when she ran away

(Chiron informed Jane once Piper arrived at camp that Piper was at a camp for troubled kids with behavioral problems)

Piper returns to Camp Half-Blood the following summer and welcomes the overcrowded feeling of the Hermes Cabin but hoping that maybe this summer will be the summer she gets claimed

A few weeks later she meets Percy Jackson

Percy meets Piper when he’s 12 and she’s 11 to find her standing over his bed in the infirmary after being unconscious for three days

Piper had snuck into the infirmary to look at the new guy who killed the Minotaur

He didn’t look like much, just a scrawny kid who the Ares kids could break in half like a stick if they so pleased

Piper’s first words to him are “you’re not that impressive”

Anyway, Piper shows him around camp and tells him that since he’s an unclaimed kid, just like her, that he’ll be staying in the Hermes cabin and introduces him to Luke

After Percy’s run-in with Clarisse and the bathroom and seeing what he can do, Piper is glad Percy will be on her and Luke’s team for capture the flag

To help Percy feel welcome, and because she knows how it feels to be alone at Camp, Piper and Luke snag some items from the camp store for Percy

It’s honestly one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for him in a long time

Piper is only a tiny bit jealous that Percy got claimed by Poseidon

And then Percy gets issued a quest and Piper knows that she has to go with him on that quest

Piper wants to go on the quest with Percy because she believes that if she helps retrieve Zeus’ master bolt she will make her mother proud and she will finally be claimed

So she just tells Percy (not knowing she’s charmspeaking him) she’s going on the quest with him and he just agrees without any questions

Later Percy wonders why he let an 11 year old talk him into coming along on his dangerous quest

Luke’s betrayal hurt Piper very deeply because he was like an older brother to her

And on top of that, Piper doesn’t get claimed but she does have two new friends: Percy and Grover

After learning of Gabe’s mysterious disappearance, honestly it’s so fucking weird right?, Percy tells Piper that she’s welcome to stop by his place anytime and they exchange emails so they can stay in touch

Piper returns home for the school year and it’s only a bit more tolerable because Percy, true to his promise, keeps in touch

Tristan is still busy but he promises to make time for her soon

Plans with Tristan fall through but what else is new

Jane, at Piper’s request, drops Piper off at Percy’s apartment on the first day of summer

Sally Jackson, Piper learns very quickly in the day that she was there, is an absolute saint and Percy is very fortunate to have her

Sally is the mother Piper always dreamed of having and she’s very sad to leave Percy’s apartment for camp but Sally tells Piper to come back before the summer is over and see her again

Piper instantly agrees

Piper doesn’t know what to make of Percy’s friend Tyson but he seems sweet so a friend of Percy’s is a friend of hers

Camp isn’t what Percy or Piper expected

Turns out Tyson is a cyclops and Percy’s brother, Grover went missing and nearly got married, Thalia’s tree had been poisoned and Chiron was blamed, Luke nearly killed Percy, and Clarisse brought back the Golden Fleece saving Thalia’s tree

Also Thalia was back from the dead after literally being a tree

And on top of it all, Piper still hadn’t been claimed but she did make two new friends: Thalia and Tyson

She also decided to stay and go to a boarding school in New York with Thalia for the school year

Percy doesn’t get to see her that often but whenever they’re both free, he takes her, and occasionally Thalia, around the city

Percy and Thalia don’t get along much but they make an effort to be civil

Thalia also leaves for California one weekend and doesn’t tell Percy or Piper why but returns a few days later in a somber mood

Neither of them question it

Sally absolutely adores Piper and invites her to dinner every weekend

One weekend that they’re all free, Sally takes them to Montauk beach

It makes Piper’s heart ache because before her dad was too busy for her, they used to do stuff like this

But it’s one of the best days Piper’s had in a while

During the winter, way before they’re even scheduled to return to camp, they get a frantic call from Grover

So Percy, Piper, and Thalia go off to help

They meet the siblings Bianca and Nico di Angelo, they run into the Hunters of Artemis, and Piper falls off a cliff on the back of a manticore, Bianca joins the hunt and they meet Apollo who Thalia thinks is hot

(Okay maybe he is but that’s beside the point)

Percy isn’t at all a tad bit jealous that Apollo let Thalia drive his sun chariot

Capture the Flag happens and it’s the whole camp against the Hunters of Artemis and the Aphrodite cabin, for once, is hell bent on winning

It’s one of the few and only times in his life that Percy has witnessed the Aphrodite cabin so angry and determined to be involved in any sort of camp activity besides Pegasus riding

(Well...the only other time was when the Hermes cabin pulled that Valentine’s Day prank the year before when they hijaked all of the love notes the Aphrodite cabin had sent out to everyone and replaced them with ‘hate’ notes

You see, Valentine’s Day is a very huge deal to the Aphrodite cabin and every year they try to play Cupid and try to set couples up because they love love and want everyone to be in love

Silena and Drew didn’t approve of all of their hard work being ruined and they made the Hermes cabin pay accordingly)

Piper would have loved to witness the Aphrodite cabin actually play Capture the Flag, Percy notes sadly

The camp loses and it’s very embarrassing and on second thought Percy is very glad that Piper isn’t here to witness it

Percy tries to speak to the oracle to get a quest to save Piper but the oracle won’t even talk to him

It’s even more annoying when the oracle walks downstairs from the attic and over to Zoë to give a prophecy and it’s up to him and Grover to carry her back up to her attic

He decidedly dislikes the oracle

So he sneaks out of camp, makes a promise to a 10 year old Nico, and joins a quest to save his best friend and little sister

Also the Goddess Artemis

But mainly for Piper

He meets the Goddess of Love who tells him that she’s going to make his love life very interesting

And also that she’s wishes that all of her daughters could break the hearts of guys like him

He breaks a promise to a 10 year old, nearly stabs a red head mortal girl by the name of Rachel, takes on the weight of the world from a Goddess, quite literally, and reunites with his friend

Also nearly has a breakdown because Piper may join the Hunters of Artemis

Piper is his best friend and he loves her and he will hardly ever see her again if she joins

Piper would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about it for like a moment because it seemed cool but then she learned that no boys were allowed at all

Piper immediately makes her decision because she could never leave Percy behind because he’s the closest thing she has to a brother and she loves him. He snuck along on this quest to save her and he rescued her

Also she would very much like to date in the future thank you very much

Piper finally gets claimed after the winter solstice

She is horrified

Her claiming, on all accounts, is horrible and embarrassing

Piper didn’t think she would ever miss the Hermes cabin but sitting in the Aphrodite cabin made her miss her old bunk

Silena is sweet and helps her adjust

Drew is...well Drew is blunt but she also offers to do something about the rat nest she calls hair

Drew can be mean at times but Silena keeps her in line most of the time

Overall Piper thinks her siblings are alright but she still misses the Hermes cabin

She goes home back to her dad at the end of summer and argues with herself on whether or not she should tell her father the truth about her mother

Ultimately she decides against it

As a child of Aphrodite, there are a couple of abilities that Piper didn’t know she possessed

One of which is charmspeak, a sort of rare gift that Drew also possesses and teaches her about

Another ability that she actually discovers on complete accident, is that she can create bonds with people

Sort of like Grover’s empathy link with Percy but more intense

Piper gets her very first quest and she’s so excited!!

Until she gets her prophecy

‘And lose a love to worse than death’

Piper doesn’t tell anyone about that last line, especially not Percy

She immediately asks Percy to join her

Piper had a teeny tiny crush on Percy when she was 11 but then it went away when she realized how much of a fucking idiot and dork he was

Her first kiss was nothing like Silena and Drew told her it was going to be

It was meh and very awkward

Mainly because her first kiss was Percy and it was a ‘good luck you better not die’ kiss

Also the timing was shit and Percy was in too much shock to even respond

but on a positive note she got her first kiss out of the way and knew that she didn’t harbor any feelings for him

Percy felt very much the same

Then a volcano erupted

When Percy didn’t immediately return back to camp, everyone wanted to burn his shroud but Piper talked everyone into holding it off for a little while longer

When Percy didn’t return for nearly two weeks Chiron had informed her that it was time

Piper tried to fight it but everyone agreed with Chiron

“And lose a love to worse than death” Piper had her suspicions about Percy but she hoped it was wrong

She had no idea what a fate worse than death was but Percy had to be gone, the last line in the prophecy came to be

And of course, because Percy is a fucking dramatic asshole, he interrupts his own funeral

What a fucking prick Piper wanted to strangle him for worrying her for two weeks

Piper decidedly does not like Calypso

She’s relieved that Percy is back but she still doesn’t know what the last line in her prophecy could mean

Percy didn’t plan on bringing Rachel along for Piper’s first quest but y’know sometimes life happens

He immediately regrets his decision because Piper and Rachel immediately hit it off

Rachel talks about her first meeting with Percy he tried to stab her through with his sword

And Piper, because of course it’s Piper, tells Rachel all of the embarrassing stories Percy has done

Piper loves Rachel, absolutely adores her. She thinks she’s the coolest person Percy has ever met

But since Piper is a daughter of Aphrodite she can get a feel of what relationships are going to work and which ones are just not meant to be

Piper loves Rachel but she knows that she and Percy are just better off as friends

Anyway

The last line of her prophecy finally comes true

Luke, who she loved and looked up to as a brother, was now playing Host to Kronos

She didn’t know how to react. Part of her always hoped Luke would come back to the right side but now she’s lost him for good

Piper also thinks Rachel is pretty badass for throwing a blue hairbrush at a Titan

And at the end of summer, once the battle of Camp Half-Blood is over, Piper accidentally creates an empathy bond with Percy

At the end of the summer, before returning home, she celebrates Percy’s 15th birthday with him, Sally, and Sally’s new fiancé Paul

And Nico who randomly stops by for some reason

Rachel and Piper stay in touch during the school year and actually become really good close friends since they can relate to each other

(And because there’s no underlying jealousy involved)

Their IMs are literally just them shit talking Percy, Rachel keeping Piper updated on all Percy related shenanigans, them ranting about their dads, Rachel’s art ideas and Piper raving about Rachel’s art ideas

They make plans to have a girls day out the next time they’re both in New York and free

Beckendorf’s death hit the camp hard, Piper could feel the guilt through her bond with Percy and in the heaviness of the Aphrodite cabin

While Percy is getting the Mark of Achilles, he uses Piper as his anchor because she is the closest thing he has to a sister and he loves her

And because Percy is her brother and she loves him, Piper takes a poisoned dagger for him

Piper is only a little bit pissed when she finds out about the Mark of Achilles

Luke’s sacrifice was....hard to say the least

And then Percy gets offered to become a God and Piper forgets how to breathe

Silena’s death was hard to cope with

The Aphrodite cabin blamed her death on the Rite of Passage

Following Silena’s death, because Drew is the oldest and has been at camp the longest and has the ability to charmspeak, she becomes the next Head Counselor since no one else dares to challenge her

She becomes cold and a tyrant, creating these ridiculous rules and punishments

Mitchell thinks Silena’s death and her betrayal really hurt her and it’s her way of coping with it

Once the war is over and everyone can breathe again, Percy and Piper sit and hang out on the dock by the lake and talk

After, Percy and Piper spend the rest of the summer with Sally and Paul and Piper contemplates staying in New York for the upcoming school year or going home to her dad

She and Tristan get in a fight and she decides to stay in New York

#pjo #pipercy #percy jackson #piper mcclean #hoo #heroes of olympus

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everykindofnerd13 · 4 years

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So basically, they’re not demigods, they’re just magical creatures, and they did go through the two wars, but this is EXTREMELY different from canon, so just, take what you will from it. Two camps, not different gods, shifters, vampires, demons, met people, all that Jazz. Luke isn’t evil! Yay! I just really wanted Annabeth to have a good role model camp buddy so yee.

Nico glared at all the happy couples surrounding him. Most of them he didn’t know, then the only two left were his best friend Jason, and his girlfriend Reyna and the other couple was the one Nico wanted to see the least.

Perseus Jackson. And his very long-time girlfriend Annabeth Chase. It wasn’t like Nico resented Annabeth for anything, how could he blame her for falling in love with him, if Nico couldn’t see anything wrong with him. That didn’t change the fact that Nico was in love with Percy Jackson, but there was no doubt that Percy was not at all interested in Nico. After all, He still saw Nico as the ten year old Italian kid he saved. Nico couldn’t blame him for it either. When they’d met Nico had been immature, nerdy, and very childish. But what do you expect from a ten year old?

He glared at the happy golden couple of the two camps. After Piper and Jason has worked things out after the war and figured out they weren’t right for eachother, Nico found himself hoping maybe Annabeth and Percy would come to the same conclusion. But alas, it had been three years since the Giant War’s end and still here Nico stood, alone and Percy-less.

He’d tried to date other people, tried to get over Percy with new relationships. But that felt too selfish for him. The first boyfriend he’d taken was Will Solace and that probably felt the worse. Because Will was an incredible person, and he deserved someone who loved him, not someone trying to get over someone else. It was cruel to stay with him. So Nico had explained to Will what was going on in his head and broken up with him, and to his surprise, Will had only pulled him into a hug and said that he understood, that it was okay to hurt for someone.

The next boyfriend Nico took was Ethan Nakamura. Nico had managed to convince himself he was over Percy at that point and he had grown far too close to Will to even think of asking him out again, it’d be too similar to asking out Hazel. So, Nico had pursued the attractive Asian from Camp Jupiter, but after about a month, Nico realised that just wasn’t right either, because he was comparing Ethan to Percy every chance he got. After also explains to Ethan what had happened, and getting a surprising similar response to Will’s Nico resigned to eternal loneliness. Loneliness and Pain. For all of Eternity, because he had made the awful mistake of accepting immortality, and not checked to see if any of the others offered had been as well.

Percy had accepted immortality, alongside Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Reyna, Clarisse, Chris, Will, Jake, Hazel, Frank, Leo, Luke, Octavian, Bianca, Thalia. Basically everyone who fought alongside Nico in their war had been gifted and accepted immortality. So now, Nico was stuck with Percy Jackson for eternity, having to watch him be hopelessly in love with Annabeth.

Which Nico couldn’t blame Percy for either. Sure Annabeth has a few flaws but she was beautiful. Sun-kissed skin, bright blonde hair and intense grey eyes. She was built like a goddess, and she was confident. They’d been through literal hell and back together, but Nico couldn’t help but be jealous. A tiny selfish part of him wished that they’d just fall apart unexpectedly. But that would be selfish, exactly what his mother had worked hard to teach him was wrong all those years ago.

“Nick, you good?” Jason asked from beside him, swishing around the alcoholic drink that Reyna kept preventing Nico from drinking, he was only 19.

“Yeah, yeah sorry, I-Uh...” Nico blanched, he didn’t have a reason for his abnormal activity, “I spaced out...” he mumbled and looked at the very non-alcoholic coke he was holding, and swished it around too. Jason furrowed his brows but didn’t question it and just went back to his conversation with Reyna.

For another 15 minutes Nico sat there next to his friends while they talked before Percy and Annabeth approached. And, despite not being dressed up at all, Nico thought Percy looked absolutely gorgeous. His hair was tousled, probably from sleep, considering the man never bothered to fix it, and he was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged Percy’s athletic thighs in just the right way, and his chest was adorned with a white button down shirt that has the top three buttons open to reveal his chest. Nico held his breath, he didn’t want to talk for fear of accidentally saying something he didn’t want to.

“Hey guys!” Percy greeted as they approached, one hand laid around Annabeth’s waist. Nico only waves silently while Jason immediately struck up a conversation with the water nymph. Nico kept his eyes on his cup. He only stayed a few minutes longer before pulling Reyna down to whisper in her ear.

“Hey, I’m not feeling good, I think I’m gonna head home.” He then let go and she looked at him with a knowing and sympathetic look. Currently, basically the only people who didn’t know that Nico was hopelessly in love with Percy and had been since he was ten were Percy himself and Annabeth, not that they should or would ever find out. He nodded at her before taking a step back, just out of the light and disappearing into the shadows. Just before he lost sigh of the group he saw Percy laugh then down to kiss Annabeth, Nico felt himself almost get sick. Not because those two kissing was gross, he wasn’t a child anymore, but because watching the person you’ve been in love with for as long as you’ve been aging kids another person can take a real toll on your heart, and in repspomse your stomach.

“Nico?” Will asked when he saw his best friend appear in the corner of the living room. Nico was dazed for only a moment before he took off and ran toward his bedroom. Will looked after him concerned before leaning up to peck Jake on the lips then running after his roommate.

Will had rejected the party invitation in favor of spending a date night with Jake, and while he didn’t regret it, maybe it would have been better to just bring Jake to the party judging by the sound of vomiting coming from Nico’s personal bathroom. Will burst through the door and started rubbing Nico’s back and humming, grabbing a few pins from the sink counter and holding back Nico’s hair with them. When Nico finally stopped throwing up what looked like only water and maybe a little soda, he rested his arms on the toilet and sat his face on rope before beginning to sob.

Will’s eyes widened comically in panic as he began to whisper encouragements to Nico. He didn’t think that Nico would have done anything too stupid and Reyna didn’t ever let him drink, so Will was just searching for a reason for Nico to be so upset. Jake came to the bathroom door after a while and stood in the doorway looking also worried. Will folded his three middle fingers into his palm and held his hand to his ear, silently asking for his phone. Jake nodded and left the doorway to retrieve it while Will turned to look at Nico.

“Neeks?” He asked pitifully. Nico took a deep breath and looked at Will with blood shot eyes and an obviously tear stricken face. His answer was accompanied by a hoarse rasp form the vocal stress of vomiting.

“Will...” he muttered before beginning to cry again. Will shook his head sadly and pulled Nico into his arms. Cooing softly to soothe his bestfriend. When Jake returned Will took his phone and opened Notes, quickly typing in the names of Nico’s closest friendship circle. Then he handed the phone back, pointed at it and did the phone gesture again. Name nodded and took off to go call everyone on the list.

“Nico, please tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help you if you don’t.” He tried. Nick cried and looked up at him, a completely heartbroken look that Will was far too familiar with playing on his features. And he immediately knew what it was. Will wrapped his arms around Nico again, rubbing his back and running his fingers through his hair.

“Why is it so unfair Will...” Nico cried into his bestfriend’s chest and Will only held him tighter.

“Why don’t I get a happy ending like all of you...” he was genuinely sobbing now, holding onto the sides of Will’s jacket in a death grip. It was something Will had associated with these kind of things by now. It was how Nico grounded himself so that he wouldn’t spiral in self doubt.

“Nico...” Will muttered and kisses the top of Nico’s head, “You will get your happy ending, you just have to be patient.” Nick shook his head rapidly and shoved Will away.

“No! No! You say that everytime and somehow, it only hurts more the more I see him! I can’t let go and I don’t know why but I don’t think I even want to! It’s impossible! The only way I’d ever get over Percy Jackson is if I forgot him all together!” During his little rampage, the people on Will’a list arrived. Bianca, Hazel, Frank, Ethan, Alabaster, Lou, Cecil, Jason, and Reyna.

“That could be arranged, Alabaster announced, and everyone turned to him.

“What? I’m a mage right? And Nico is a demon, we both have psychic powers meaning I can make him feel forget anything, even Percy’s whole existence.” Nico looked up hopefully but he was quickly shut down by Will’s voice.

“Absolutely not.” He exclaimed. He stood up, letting go of Nico and poked Alabaster in the chest.

“I know how all that stupid memory magic works and it’s not safe! He may not remember Percy but he’d see him again and that would hurt his head, he’d get a mind numbing headache every time he caught sight of the guy!” Will exclaimed, backing Alabaster into Nico’s bedroom.

“So I’ll move away.” Nico reasoned and everyone turned to look at him.

“What?” Will asked and Nico shrugged.

“I stay here because I love you guys, not... well, I don’t technically need you guys, even though you’re really helpful.” Nico explained then he looked up at the mixture of shocked and hurt faces on his friends and sister’s faces, “Will! You’d get to live alone with Jake! You wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore! And it’s not like I’d forget about you guys I could still come and visit you.” Ethan, Will, and Nico’s sisters all glared.

“If you make one more suggest like that Niccoló, I will not hesitate to lock you in this room surrounded by white leds and with no windows for the rest of your eternal life.

“That sounds better than having to hurt like this everytime I go out.” Nico explained and fell back on his bed.

“Don’t say stuff like that!” Hazel shouted and slapped Nico’s arm, “You act like you’re completely oblivious to everything everyone feels except for Percy! Don’t you see that we all love you! Why can’t you understand that you disappearing would hurt us a whole lot more than it would help you!?” Hazel was crying now and Nico frowned deeply before pulling her down into a hug on his bed, which everyone slowly joined.

“I’m sorry,” Nico apologized, “that I said those things. I know that you guys love me, and I love you too, but I’m just... I’m so tired of hurting...”he said and began to cry. Hazel hugged him tighter and so did Bianca.

“What do we do?” Jason asked and Will sighed in defeat, the first to speak up was Ethan.

“We could always try love-cursing Percy.” He suggested earning a glare from Nico.

“Absolutely not, those things are evil. I’m not gonna force myself on Percy if he’s not interested in me.” Which caused Ethan to sigh before Bianca spoke up.

“We plan better. We keep them away from eachother, if Percy is going somewhere, we plan something different, we work our schedules around it.”

“No, I will work my schedule around him, you guys will do whatever the hell you want.” Nico protested and glared at his friends. They all conceded then headed back out to the living room to watch movies all together. Lou invited Cecil over, and Hazel and Bianca also invited their significant others and they all fell asleep in cuddle piles about Nico, Will, and Jake’s living room.

——————————————————————————

It wasn’t for another four months that Nico saw Percy again. He had been sitting in his room drawing at his desk when there was a sudden knock at the door. Nico groaned and stood up to open it. He felt his heart practically drop into his stomach at the sight of the water nymph on his doorstep. He swallowed the lump welling in his throat.

“H-hey Percy...” he greeted him faintly and was met by a glare that Nico never wanted to catch again. He blinked back tears as he leaned against the door.

“Can I Uh, can I get you something? Will and Jake are out right now if you need me to take a message I will.” Nico said, still no response from Percy.

“I know that Will and Jake are our. I made sure of it before I came over. I can to talk to you.” Percy’s voice was sharp, cutting, painfully aimed at Nico.

“Uh, yeah, yeah sure.” Nico steppes out of the way, letting the older, attractive nymph into his home.

“So... um,” Nico didn’t know why to say he didn’t want to say anything. Percy had just shown up on his doorstep, looking angry after Nico had been avoiding him for two months so Nico didn’t see any reason he should be over here so angry. Until it hit him. Maybe Percy knew, maybe Percy knew that Nico was in love with him, and he was disgusted, and he was here to tell Nico to never come near him again. Nico swallowed and again and took a shaky breath.

“What’s wrong with you?” Percy asked vindictively and Nico looked up in shock, even though he’d been readying himself for the pain.

“What?” He asked meekly and Percy rolled his eyes.

“Don’t try to be cute here Di Angelo, I know you’ve been avoiding me and I wanna know why. Why are you avoiding me, refusing to go anywhere I go, rejecting my attempts to hang out with you as much possible, I’m not stupid Nico.” Percy explained and Nico glared at him.

“I’m perfectly aware that you aren’t stupid Perseus.” He argued and Percy glared angrily.

“Then what is it? What did I do to make you hate me?” He asked, words so sharp they felt genuinely painful to Nico.

“I don’t hate you Percy.” Nico whispered, standing behind the couch while Percy sat in the arm chair.

“Then...” Percy’svoice broke and Nico looked up to find tears in his eyes, “Why are you not talking to me?” He asked and Nico sighed. This was it. This was how he was gonna get left behind by Percy Jackson.

“Because I’m in love with you! It’s not good for you or for me for us to spend times together! You’re in a relationship Percy! And I’m just a kid! You’ve always thought of me as Bianca’s little brother and I know that! But I’ve always thought of you as the greatest thing in the world! Okay! So why would you want to be around a kid you’ve known for 9 years that has had a crush on you since then when you’re in a happy relationship! That’s uncomfortable Percy!” Nico shouted and Percy looked on in shock, suddenly Nico broke down sobbing, falling to the floor, nowhere near enough focus to try to shadow travel.

“Oh Nico...” Percy whispered as he approached and wrapped his arms around Nico who flinched before leaning into the nymph’s touch, “I don’t feel uncomfortable around you, I can’t imagine feeling like you’re a home wrecker. And I don’t think think of you as a little kid any more either. Nico, you fought in two wars, you were only ten during the first one. You were 14 by the end of it. You’re not a kid, you may have been a kid at one point, I can see that that you’ve grown up, okay?” Nico was still crying into Percy’s chest. So he felt it when Percy took a labored breath.

“I’m not in a happy relationship. I haven’t been in a relationship for about three months now and I haven’t been happy with Annabeth in almost a year. Though I think we both realised the pain when we left Tartarus. Annabeth and I love eachother, but there was never anything more than platonic love between us. I would walk to the ends of the earth for her, but I wouldn’t marry her. We weren’t a match, depite what everyone thought. I think they just wanted the fairytale ending. It always seemed like everyone was pushing us together. Our parents, the rest of the counsel, Gaea even seemed convinced that we were meant to be. Which wasn’t true... I was a kid Nico, I didn’t have the capacity to fight against it when everyone seemed to be pushing myself and someone I loved into a relationship. And I think I liked Annabeth for real at first. I think a lot of things I know. But it’s true, I think that when I was just twelve years old and there was this California girl Barbie taking care of me my first night of camp. She was strong and independent, and she just seemed so amazing to me, which she is. And I think I was definitely in love at first, but now, I’m 22 and even when we’re 16 and we crawled out of Tartarus together, I think I knew that we were drifting. Which is insane, because that means we were so pressured in our relationship that we stayed together for 6 years... she didn’t deserve that, and if I’m honest, neither did I, so we broke it off a few weeks ago. We still live together, in separate rooms. I don’t know if I’d function right without her. But I love Annabeth, and we jut weren’t meant to be.”

Nico was completely shocked by all of Percy’s ranting, forced to look on in awe as Percy talked about how he wasn’t in love Annabeth and he had been pressured into an unhappy relationship.

“Who have you told?” Nico asked and Percy flusher.

“Uh, only you, we decided we’d tell you all together, but since you were... avoiding me we never got the chance...” Percy explained and Nico huffed angrily.

“Really Perce? Six years of me being in pain while you and Annabeth weren’t actually happy? Really?” Percy chuckled weakly and rubbed Nico’s back.

“In my defense, you didn’t exactly act like you liked me.” Nico glared and Percy smiled sheepishly.

“Did we not already go over the fact that I didn’t want to be a home wrecker?” Percy laughed again and Nico’s heart swelled. He hadn’t heard that laugh caused by him in at least three years now.

“Well, then we better get up so you can tell the others huh?” Nico suggested while standing up. Percy however, stayed on the ground looking at Nico in pure disbelief.

“What?” He asked and Nico raised an eyebrow.

“We need to go back to your place so that you can invite everyone over and tell them that you and Annabeth broke up.” Nico said exasperatedly and held out his hand. Percy took it, but instead of pulling himself up, he pulled Nico down, into his lap.

“Dammit Di Angelo, what do I have to say for you to understand that I like you too!” Nico blinked dumbfoundedly for a moment before they widened and he pushed away from Percy landing on the floor.

“Perseus Jackson. Do not toy with my heart like that. Don’t. I can’t take it. I’ve been considering drastic things for weeks. You can’t say things like that.” Nico brought his arm up to his eyes and wiped away his tears. Percy looked just as surprised at Nico’s reaction as he stood up and backed Nico up against the couch so he could look into the Demon’s eyes.

“I mean it Nico. I like you too. I know it might be hard to believe, but I thought you weren’t into me, I thought you disliked me for a lot longer than I thought you hated me.” Nico blinked again and rubbed his eyes.

“Percy...” Nico muttered and tried to push Percy away, to no avail, the taller, larger male held his ground.

“Nico, I came out to you as Pansexual four years ago. Even before I told Annabeth. You know that I’m gay, why can’t you believe I like you?” Nico huffed and sighed and took a deep breath.

“Because I’m not worth it Percy. I could understand why you fell in love with her. Beautiful, intelligent, independent. She’s also your age, she helped you in our first quest. She was your first kiss. You went through Tartarus forever for gods’ sake!” Nico exclaimed while Percy stared at him, never breaking his gaze, “I’m not attractive, I’m short and pale and skinny, I’m not very independent, I’m honestly surprised everyone was willing to deal with me this long. I am three years younger than eachother and when we first met I got excited because yoh had the same name as a character on one of my mytho-magic cards. You were thrown into a situation where you had to deal with me because if you didn’t you would have looked like a monster for leaving these two vulnerable and confused children alone. Percy, I’m not... you’re wrong about your feelings. Why couldn’t you have fallen in love with Jason, or Luke! They’re both good, strong, tall, sensible, stable men! And I’m... me...” Percy rested his hands on Nico’s cheeks and rubbed his cheekbones with his thumbs.

“Nico, I love you because you are strong. You were only ten years old when your mother was killed in an act of jealousy and you were sent to live somewhere that would stop you’re aging almost all together. Then suddenly you’re brought out by people you don’t know, you nearly lose your sister, some of your greatest friends are potentially lost, and... apparently your crush, but then you find out you have another sister, you’re thrown into two wars before you were even in Highschool. Nico, you are so impressive, plus you’re cute. You’re hair is so long and shaggy and adorable and you’re small stature is super cute too.” Nick couldn’t help it, after Percy finished he leaned up and kissed Percy, after a moment of shock, Percy kissed back. After a few seconds, they both pulled away with dazed looks in their eyes.

“Oh my god! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have done that!” Nico shouted as he covered his mouth.

“I kissed back didn’t I?” Percy protested and Nico nodded and Percy did as well.

“Exactly. I kissed you back because I like you.” Nico nodded and leaned up again, Percy quickly caught his lips in another kiss. When they pulled away Nico smiled then averted his eyes to the ground and frowned.

“So um, does this make us boyfriends or are you bullying me by admitting you like me and are now gonna say you can’t be in a relationship right now for the completely valid reason that you got out of a really long relationship just three months ago?” Percy laughed and pecked Nico’s nose.

“You’re cute when you ramble, and uh, if you want us to be boyfriends, we’re boyfriends, if you want to give me time and space then we’re friends who kiss, cause I’m not giving that up, damn, for a tiny gay Italian demon, you are soft all over.” Percy said as he pinched Nico’s cheek. Nico swatted the hand away before grabbing it and intertwining their fingers then kissing him again.

“Okay, but we can’t tell the others until at least three months from now so that they don’t think I’m a home wrecker...” Percy laughed and shook his head.

“How about, a month from now so that they don’t think you stopped avoiding me to date me? But they’ll know that Annie and I broke up three months ago. Hm?” Nico nodded and kissed Percy’s nose again. Percy laughed again pulled away from his smaller boyfriend.

“You’re so cute...” he muttered as he traced Nico’s cheek. One thing Percy may never understand is Nico’s facial structure. He’s truly beautiful. He still has the chubby cheeks of a child but his jawline and cheekbones could cut a steak. He’s just a beautiful sight. Probably due to his father’s incubus roots.

“Mmm, I could say the same about you.” Nico pointed out and poked Percy’s cheek. Percy smiled and turned toward the door as it opened.

Will’s eyes widened when he looked up and found a tear stricken but smiling Nico and an equally happy Nico. Will raised an eyebrow and stepped inside, setting down the groceries as he shut the door then approached his two friends, Nico was fidgeting sheepishly, but he looked considerably less gaunt than the last few months. Will was seriously considering forcing the two into a room to figure stuff out soon. But it seemed he didn’t need to.

“Hello boys...” He greeted them and approached with his arms crossed. He eyed Percy wearily and approached Nico, then grabbed his face and pulled it close to check for any marks or bruisers forming. He hummed and backed away once he knew Nico was fine then turned back to his grocery bags.

“Percy, you’re a big strong man and mine is gone, will you kindly go grab the ice bags for me?” Percy nodded dutifully and stepped outside while Nico approached to help Will start putting their groceries away.

“Nico.”he said pointedly and Nico sighed glaring at his friend.

“Really?” Nico asked and Will shrugged.

“In my defense you’ve been sulking around the house for four months now getting sadder by the day because you didn’t get to see Percy and also because you didn’t want to see Percy. Now he’s at our house, you’ve been crying and you’re both smiling.” Nico rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“He wanted to know why I’ve been avoiding him, I got too upset and it just kinda came out, he’s accepted it, and...” they turned to the door as Percy approached. He was huffing and the few blue scars on his cheek bones and forearms were glowing, meaning he was using his power. He wasn’t carrying a bag of ice and instead a block of ice that he’d apparently frozen in his hands. He stopped in his tracks as the house’s tenants looked at him confused.

“Uh, the bag broke... so I just kinda, willed only the water to lift, I promise nothing bad, it could be cleaner now than when you bought it honestly.” Will laughed opened the freezer. Slowly, cube by cube, Percy broke the large block apart and put it in the ice box.

“Thank you Percy, now, what were you two talking about before I came in. Nico Wilkes himself not to blush as he looked at Percy.

“Uh, wel, the reason Nico’s been avoiding me, which apparently only Annabeth and I were unaware of. And then we were talking about how I need you all to come to my house tonight for a special announcement. Will nodded and side-eyed Nico cautiously, checking for discomfort. Nick shook his head casually and waved a hand at him while Percy looked on in confusion.

“Can you two talk in motions?” He asked and Will turned back to Percy.

“It’s a skill obtained by most of our friend group. We generally use it around you or while someone is having a problem, anxiety attack, panic attack, PTSD episode, etc.” Will explained and Percy’s face screwed up.

“Good to know I’m on the same list as medical emergencies...” he muttered and Nico shook his head rapidly but before Nick could say anything Will was speaking up.

“Well, if Nico wasn’t a scaredy-cat who likes to convince himself that people will reject him for little things like,” Will was cut off by Nico.

“Like admitting to being in love with you for almost 10 years.” Nico scowled angrily at Will then pushed past his friend and grabbed Percy’s sleeve. He marched them both to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed rubbing angrily at his eyes. He was just so full of pent up aggravation that was suddenly running rampant.

“Woah! Neeks hey! Are you okay? I thought we already established, I don’t mind that you didn’t tell me, I know why you didn’t, it’s fine, I like you alright? I wanna try this.” Nico nodded and pulled Percy into a hug. The nymph landed on top of him with an “oof” then rolled them over so that Percy could tuck his head above Nico’s and entwine their legs.

“We have to tell Will, Percy...” Nico muttered and Percy nodded then kissed the top of Nico’s head.

“I understand. It’d be pretty hard to explain why you’re happy around me all of a sudden...” Percy trailer off and Nico wrapped his arms around his new lover.

“Percy... I’m sorry...” he muttered and buried his face in Percy’s chest, “I know that avoiding you was the last thing I should have done, but it was the last thing I did...” he muttered and Percy looked down at him pitifully.

“Nico... as much as I hated it, I can understand why you did it. Being around me while I was with Annabeth hurt after years of yearning. I can understand why, but can I ask you what you meant when you said you’d considered something drastic?” Nico groaned and hugged Percy tighter, like if he let go maybe Percy would disappear.

“I was so stupid Percy... I started to convince myself the only way to stop hurting was to forget. The night I decided that avoiding you was my best choice, I almost had Ethan make me forget you...” Nick explained and Percy’s eyes widened. He looked down at Nico, sadness in his eyes.

“I’m glad you didn’t...” Percy muttered.

“So am I...” Nico answered and slowly started to fall asleep in Percy’s arms.

#percico #nicercy #nico di angelo #percy jackson and the olympians #heroes of olympus #percy jackson #percabeth #annabeth chase #will solace #solangelo

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dragonagecompanions · 5 years

Note

dai inner circle react to inquisitor!trevelyan recognizing a red templar as their sibling

Cassandra: They are kin, in that moment. No matter what else might exist between herself and the inquisitor she knows their agony as the red dotted monstrosity with the herald’s eyes and the Trevelyan emblem on their shield stands against them. Some part of herself- the part that never forgot how it felt to be twelve and bereft so suddenly of her beloved older brother- is screaming in that shared pain as she watches their leader tremble under the sudden and terrible truth.

There is no treatment for this slow and lethal creep of corrupted lyrium, and the only merciful cure is the sword. In her life she has been many things, and done things she would rather now think she had not, but taking that task away from a grieving sibling will never be one. She makes sure another companion is with them, doing her best to shield them from the truth, and when it is over and they have made camp she does what she can for them.

“I am sorry, for your loss. I...also lost a brother, when I was very young. If you need to speak of this....I am here.”

Solas: It is agony to watch your loved ones fall to that same enemy that you are fighting. He knows the feeling too well, and for all that his loss was on a far grander scale he feels their grief and despair. If they want him to dispatch the red templars -quickly and mercifully, he is not always a monster- he will do so. And if it is a task that they need to take on themselves he will only cast a barrier to guard them, and keep watch until it is over. And later, if they allow it, he will sit with them.

“There are no words on either side of the veil that I can think of to bring you comfort. I am sorry.”

Varric: Shit. Shit. Of all the companions Varric Tethras understands with a cruel clarity exactly what they are feeling. Even if he still lives Bartrand has been taken from him, likely forever, and while he was no templar isn’t red lyrium the same cause? He doesn’t hesitate before lifting Bianca, putting down the Inquisitor’s sibling and his own brother’s ghost with swift bolts before -as the battle allows- walking off to be sick. This is a side of him that rarely crops up outside of the Hanged Man and too much alcohol, and if he does finally talk to their leader it won’t be that day.

“I’m....sorry. About your sibling. It’s rough. If you need a drink, you know where to find me.”

Vivienne: This abomination is not a templar, and after her magic has removed them from the picture she leads the Inquisitor away. Loss is not a new concept for any mage -most begin their young lives being ripped from family and all they knew, and few go through their lives without losing friends- but that does not her unfeeling to their grief now, and she is gentle with them after they make camp.

“My dear, no one thinks less of you for your sorrow, but you must not remember them as what stood before you. They were taken from you long before that, and this was the last gift you could offer. Let them be with the Maker, and take comfort that they would thank you if they could.”

Blackwall: Wardens have no interest in the politics of templars and mages, and for all that he is not truly among their ranks Blackwall has the same mindset. Red templars are no different than the Venatori or darkspawn or the Maker damned bears-- just another enemy to fight, just another monster to put down. But when he hears the inquisitors shout of grief and denial that opinion changes. It’s not hard to see the resemblance, when he takes the time to look, and that tells the story in full.

When he walked away from Thom Rainer’s name he left any family behind as well, but if it were his own kin standing there he’d want someone else to swing the sword. Later, when it was done and they had given whatever rights the wilderness could offer, he does not approach them. Grief needs it own solitude, but if they need something to do with their hands later he lends them his carving knife and wood. Bleeds off the pain into something productive, and sometimes that’s enough.

Sera: For all her jokes and quips and pushing the line to see how far she can get, Skyhold’s Red Jenny has a heart for the wounded and the weary and the grieving. The last one might be their herald, but the first two apply also to their sibling-- and there is compassion in her quiver as she puts extra care into each shot. It’s fast, and she does not let them suffer, and later when all is quiet she filches what sweets are to be had on the road and leaves them with the Inquisitor.

“ ‘s not cookies, but...shite, words aren’t good for the big things but I’m sorry yeah? Bet they don’t blame you, up with the Maker and Andraste. Bet they’re pretty glad you were here.”

Iron Bull: The Qun would have outsiders believe that loss is part of the natural order, and that to accept that is to become peace. To rise and fall with the tide, to be order among the chaos, to accept. But there's more than one Tevinter mage who can -or can’t, as the case may be- attest that he’d fought harder and dirtier and more bitterly when a friend when down than before the loss. He understands loss, and grief, and needing someone else to take on a burden when those rear their ugly heads. Killing one templar, no matter how much they look like the Boss, is a small thing in the face of that.

And later, as the only consolidation he can offer, he gets them black out drunk and hopes it numbs the sharp edge of the memory. There’s not much else for grief.

Dorian: He spent years watching the closest thing he would ever have to a brother die of blight sickness, and every moment ached. Felix finally died alone, hundreds of miles from the two people who loved him most, and that ached more. But it all seems to fade in the penumbra of having to watch your own sibling- torn apart by red lyrium- die before you. Even worse to watch them suffer in fear or agony before it, and so in the moment when a sword is more useful than his gift Dorian stays by the Inquisitor’s side and either shields them from the fighting or shields them from the view.

It is, for the person who offered him a place despite his past and his pedigree, the least he can do.

Cole: “Screaming, whispering, never alone, get out of my head. So proud of them, making a difference, glad it was them-”

Someone eventually halts the final thoughts of the inquisitor’s sibling from echoing in Cole’s words, but by then the knot is tangled and he doesn’t know how to untangle it. If they want to forget, he helps them. Their pain and grief is omnipresent, and so for a time the spirit is hyper focused on them. But if they do not want to forget he tries to bring them those things that make him happy-- which is how the inquisitor ends up with three hats, a very confused nug, and a random trinket that somehow reminds the inquisitor of better times.

Mod Fereldone

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romanoaudrey · 5 years

Text

heat of the moment | audreo

Parties: @romanoaudrey and @mateo-rossi

Date: December 31st/January 1st

Location: NYE Gala and then Mateo’s cottage.

Summary: after sharing a new year’s eve kiss, audrey goes to mateo’s place to celebrate his birthday. he’s hurting after bianca left and audrey’s dealing with her own heartaches at being forever alone and the mess that is her life and they find solace (and distraction) in each other. {basically one big nsfw read with marathon sex and dashes of feels.}

Audrey was never a big fan of these huge, fancy parties, but she had to admit, this one wasn't all that bad. And she also had to admit that it was kinda fun getting all dressed up and seeing everyone else just as fancy. The dress she'd decided on while shopping with Neha was pink and sparkly and actually made her feel pretty beautiful, especially once her cousin had her hair and makeup done too. And soon enough she was off and at the gala, feeling like every single person in Verona was there--and for how acclaimed the party had been, they probably were. She managed to snag a spot at the bar though, ordering herself one of the fancy specialty cocktails on the menu and looking around, feeling a bit overwhelmed and trying to find at least one familiar face in the crowd.

Mateo simply wasn't in the mood for this. He was still hungover from the night before (...and the night before, and the night before...) but couldn't do a damn thing about it while he was on duty. Tylenol and a prayer was all that he was allowed. Every time he caught a glimpse of a blue dress, his head would practically snap trying to get a glimpse of the woman wearing it, hoping that it was Bianca. He was nothing more than a lovesick puppy and he absolutely /hated/ it.

There was no missing Audrey when she walked into the Gala - her dress easily caught everyone's attention as she walked past. Once she was settled at the bar, Mateo walked over, determined to get his mind off the domme. "Hey," he said softly as he sidled up to the bar beside her. "Think we can make a early escape from here?"

Audrey felt the eyes on her but she paid them little mind as she sipped her drink. When someone came up beside her she was ready to roll her eyes and put on a fake smile, but as she turned her body relaxed and her expression went much more genuine as she smiled. “I was hoping so.” She told him softly. She reached over to rest her hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “you okay?” She asked softly, shuffling a bit closer to keep her voice low.

Mateo: Mateo leaned down, briefly touching his head to hers as he gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm okay," he said softly, though he didn't doubt that Audrey would see through that farce. He wasn't exactly the best liar. "Soon as I can, I'm sneaking out with a bottle of whatever I can get my hands on. You're welcome to join if you can - I don't know what Celeste's got you doing tonight."

Audrey felt her smile soften even more and she closed her eyes at the touch, squeezing his arm again before pulling back, "I'll pretend to believe you for your benefit." She told him lightly before finally pulling back and letting out a laugh, "Sounds good to me." she assured, shaking her head, "Nothing. Other than...the last job I told you, she hasn't given me anything. So I'm here for as long as socially acceptable. You're not the only guard here for the family though, right? So it shouldn't be too hard for you to get out?"

Mateo: "I figure once Georgie and Sophia leave safe, no one will notice if I'm gone," Mateo shrugged. The rest of the Romanos were important, but none so important as Celeste's girls. "I figure they'll probably leave after midnight and we'll be free right after." He gently nudged Audrey's arm and glanced down at her, taking her in fully for the first time. "I like your dress - all sparkly."

Audrey nodded, humming softly, "Fair enough. And yeah. Georgie's here with Thomas, so....she'll probably leave soon after with him." She tried her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice, but she figured he could see right through it as well as she could see through him. "i'll happily spend the rest of the night with you. Especially considering tomorrow." she looked down at herself then, a bashful little smile tugging on her lips. "Yeah? It's not too much? Cause if it is, you can totally blame Neha."

Mateo: "Mm, yeah, New Years Day is a very important holiday," Mateo quipped, preferring to ignore his birthday versus acknowledging it. It would just be another cold, winter day. He took Audrey's hand, gently tugging her around so he could get a full view of the dress. "Well, much as I would never pass up a reason to blame Neha, she did good this time. Really knows how to frame your, uh, face." He smirked.

Audrey rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "Yeah, definitely." She quipped, giving him a look. She was surprised when he took her hand, letting him tug her up despite her confusion but then he was looking her dress over and she huffed out a laugh, feeling a bit of pink color her cheeks as she rolled her eyes again, "I'll take your word for it."

Mateo: "I'm sure I ain't the only one who's noticed," Mateo assured her, giving her another little smile. "You know, you ain't got to worry about me if you do find someone to hang out with. You ought to have some fun tonight. Ain't every day we're at a fancy party like this one."

Audrey shrugged, giving his hand a squeeze where he was still holding it, "There's really no one here I want to hang out with except my present company." She told him, raising a brow. She leaned over then to kiss his cheek before pulling her hand back, "It's almost eleven now so...I'll meet you in an hour? We can ring in the new year together?"

Mateo: Mateo nodded, glancing down at his watch to see exactly how much time he had left. "Yeah - meet me by the door? Pretty sure everyone else is gonna be watching the fireworks. Soon as they're over, I should be free. I can drive you home - ain't allowed to to drink on the job."

Audrey looked to his watch too before nodding “Okay. Meet here just before midnight.” She told him with a nod. She smiled, humming a bit “I’ll make sure to make up with you not being able to drink by letting you drink more than me once we leave. Consider a gift for the elderly.” She teased, grinning at him before nodding her head behind him “But for now, go.”

Mateo "Ha ha," Mateo quipped, not amused with her little retort. "Ain't there something about respecting your elders?" His lips edged into another little smirk as he winked at her.

At that, he walked away and faded back into the crowd, keeping a watchful eye on the Romano subs he was supposed to be guarding. When only a few minutes remained until midnight, he moved to the large, main door of the ballroom to meet Audrey. Everyone's eyes were too focused on the fireworks display about to start outside to worry about where the two of them had snuck off too. "Here's to another year..." he murmured, shaking his head as he approached. "Our luck's gotta change sometime, right?"

Audrey laughed again, grinning at him as she just shrugged before heading off into the mass of people. She hung around with Neha for a bit, having just one more martini, and as the clock got towards the end of midnight, she managed to snag two glasses of champagne and wove her way through the crowd, spotting Mateo off to the side. No one would even see him if they weren't looking for him. She smiled as she got close and offered up one of the glasses, "Maybe this'll be the year things change." she murmured before nodding for him to move back a little more, practically out of the main room and away from everyone else while still being able to see the fireworks through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Mateo: Mateo took the glass - it was hardly the whiskey he wanted, but it was something alcoholic, and he was grateful to have at least that. "Thanks." He gently clanked his glass to hers before easing back a little more. "Sometimes I wonder if it ain't such a awful idea to just run away from here, you know?" If he knew he could provide for his mother in some other way, he would've been gone already. "I'd go crazy if you wasn't here, Auds..."

Audrey smiled softly as the glasses clinked, just nodding. Her smile fell just a bit, expression going more somber as he spoke and she reached for his hand, "if it was as easy as just leaving we would've already been gone. You and me. ..But we both know things are complicated." She had Freddie, and everything Celeste held over her. And he had his mother. There were things, ties, keeping them stuck here. They just had to make the best of it. This time it was her turn to lean closer, pressing her forehead to his as he finished speaking and she hummed softly, "Well, you'll never have to worry about that. Because I'm not going anywhere. You have me Matty, always. ..And I know I have you. So I'm okay."

Mateo: Audrey was one of the very few people who'd never walked away from him. He believed her when she said that she had his back - she'd never done anything to betray his trust. But he still felt a hitch of uncertainty, if only because of past experiences. Mateo still managed a small little smile for her. "I know you ain't going nowhere. And I ain't either, so..." he trailed off, vaguely hearing the rumblings of the New Year countdown in the background. "Maybe one day though. Maybe."

Audrey hummed, giving him a light little nudge, "I'm holding you to it I hope you know." She teased as she pulled her head back a bit. "Here's to one day, then." She agreed, lifting her glass up a bit and toasting the sentiment before she heard people starting to countdown and she glanced back behind them to the countless amounts of people before back to him with a little smile. "Here's to hoping to have new years kisses next year too."

Mateo: Mateo took a swig of his champagne as they lifted their glasses in toast. New Year kisses - one more thing to make him think of /her/. "Yeah, here's to hoping," he said softly, his voice barely audible over the countdown. He sighed and lowered his head, preferring to look at Audrey over the hoards of people having their New Year moment.

Audrey knew he was hurting, and in turn it hurt her to see him like this. Someone like him shouldn’t have to feel like this. Someone as wonderful as him deserved to be happy and loved and not stuck in the situation that was his life here in Verona. She thought again to all their conversations about wishing one of them was a dominant, something panging inside her. If she were one or him...they wouldn’t be in this, they could take care of each other so much more than they already did... But sometimes the universe just wasn’t fair like that. She let out a sigh, glancing out again for a second as the countdown got to the end, and just before it did she stepped in closer to him and leaned up, kissing him softly as cheers vaguely rang out behind them.

Mateo It might've been a defining moment in someone else's romantic comedy moment - the setting couldn't have been better, the story about too wayward friends was almost too perfect. But their lives weren't romantic comedies and Mateo knew little moments like this would only cause more hurt later. They were two submissives. They were Romanos (even if not by name in his case). It couldn't work.

But he still kissed her back anyway because, in that moment, he was selfish and hurting. Audrey's lips were warm and sweet, serving as a balm for the ache in his chest. The only thing that made him pull back was knowing neither of them could afford to get caught. "Happy New Year," he said softly before pressing another kiss to the top of her head.

Audrey felt both a relief and an ache at the kiss. She knew these messy feelings she had could never come to fruition. She knew how easily she could fall in love with him, and how good they'd be together....but it'd never work, not in the long run. Not unless they did something crazy like get the same Dom to want them both or if they just lived off of brothel visits..but that wasn't fair for either of them, and she doubted any dominant would be insane enough as to want them both. It was a nice little daydream, but it wasn't reality.

Still, Mat's lips were warm..and starting to feel a little familiar and just being around him relaxed her, calmed down the chaos inside herself. So she'd allow herself to indulge for just a little bit. Soon enough though he was pulling back, whispering softly and kissing her head and she exhaled shakily, just nodding and moving to wrap her free arm around his middle and resting her chin on his shoulder as she closed her eyes, "Happy New Year, Matty.."

Mateo: It was nice just to hold her for a little while, pretend that everything really had changed just because the clock struck midnight. New Year, New Them, or something like that. "Think it'll really be any different?" he asked, hopeful, even if he already knew the answer. Audrey still had to complete her dangerous mission for Celeste, Mateo would still relegated to babysitting duty, and the of them would still be scorned by dominants. "Just say yes, even if you don't think so..."

Audrey squeezed her arm gently around him, turning her head to press her face into his neck for a moment. It was another one of the moments that was easy to just...pretend when they were like this. She let out a long, slow breath before nodding “I want it to be. I really..really do. So yes. I believe it. I have to..../We/ have to. All this bad shit...we deserve some good eventually.”

Mateo: "Yes, we really, really do..." Mateo sighed and slowly rubbed her back, keeping her close. "You still gonna come and hang out with me later? I'll have to do a little work in the morning, but after, we can welcome the new year by getting shitfaced, if you want." He wasn't sure how much more his liver could take, but he figured one or two more days couldn't hurt. "Maybe go to the main house, steal some of whatever they're having."

Audrey let out another little sigh, pressing a kiss to his neck before pulling her head up and looking up to his eyes. She nodded, giving him a little smile “Yeah, of course I’ll be there. We can definitely do that. Besides, I have presents to give you.” She teased, giving him a grin and leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek, “Happy birthday, Mateo.”

Mateo: Mateo shook his head. "You really shouldn't have, Auds..." Though he knew he might as well have been talking to a wall. "Thank you. Really. Even if I am a ass about my birthday." Part of him was glad that it blended into a major holiday - his birth had always been a thorn in his family's side and the easier it was to ignore, the better off he was. "I, uh, should probably make sure Georgie and Sophia are getting out okay. You heading out now?"

Audrey rolled her eyes, giving him a nudge “Maybe one day you’ll stop being surprised I /like/ getting you things. You’re one of the few I’m close enough to to give things too, so...” she squeezed his hand and nodded then “Okay. Yeah I’ll go track down Freddie and see what he’s up to. Text me to let me know when you’re leaving?”

Mateo: "Maybe. Maybe I'll just keep telling you to save your money." Mateo chuckled. "I will. You can come over tonight if you want - figure I might have a couple drinks, find something on TV, fall asleep. After party of the century really."

Audrey smiled and nodded “I’ll head over for a bit yeah. I might have plans in the morning maybe? Depending on what Freddie wants to do. Or Cressida since she’s moving in with us, but all afternoon I’m yours and I’ll bring a bottle too to add to your collection.” She teased, kissing his cheek again before moving to pull away so they could get back to the party.

Mateo "Alright, sounds like a plan..." Mateo let her go and slipped back into the crowd, appearing as if he'd never left it at all. As soon as he'd gotten visual confirmation that Georgie and Sophia had left the party safely, Mateo headed back to the Estate to his small cottage.

It didn't take long for him to get comfortable again. After a quick shower, he slipped into a pair of sweats and a wifebeater before breaking the seal on a new bottle of whiskey. He was only about one glass into it before he heard the knock on his door, signaling Audrey's return. "Hey... already got a glass waiting for you."

Audrey stayed at the party for a while longer before finally deciding to head home. She hung the gown back up carefully and changed into a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, leaving the makeup on and just undoing all the clips and pins from her hair and leaving it in waves down her back, figuring she'd leave it as is for now. Gathering up the bags she had for Mateo and leaving a note for Freddie before she headed back out and soon enough she was at his door and smiling, "This is why you're my best friend." She teased as she walked in.

Mateo: "Among other things, I hope," Mateo chuckled, reaching for his own glass. "Honestly, don't know why we're using glasses. Could just start drinking from the bottle. Ring in 2019 the right way."

Audrey snorted at that, giving him a nudge as she walked by him. She put the bags down on his couch before tugging her coat off, easily getting comfortable in his space. "Because we're adults. You especially, old man." she teased as she walked over to him and grabbed his hand, tugging him over, "Now c'mon, present time!"

Mateo: "Hey, hey - remember that whole respect your elders thing?" Mateo smirked, rolling his eyes as he followed her toward the couch. "Auds - you really, really didn't have to do all this... I do appreciate it, but you ain't got to, you know... just coming and drinking is enough." Still, he obliged her, picking up one of the bags to open. He pulled out the shoes first, grinning. "Christ, Auds, these are nice - thank you."

Audrey shrugged, "I'm a rebel." she told him with a grin before nudging him again, "Will you stop. I know I don't have to. But I want to. Don't act like you won't get me something when my birthday rolls around." She added, her grin just widening as he opened up one of the first bags and as he did so she took the glass he'd poured for her, smiling at his reaction, "I figured you could use some new ones with all the work Silvius has you doing."

Mateo "Yeah, little easier to work in then my old boots." Mateo set the shoes aside, finding the gloves and whiskey next. It was too much - far more than anyone had done for his birthday before. Perhaps the cherry on top was the sketch she'd done of the small little house he'd grown up in, a place filled with bittersweet memories of his childhood. Delicately, his fingers traced over angles of the roof. "T-thank you, Auds," he said softly, his voice slightly choking up as he looked at it. He was missing his mother far more than he'd let on during the holidays, and his fling with Bianca falling to pieces had only made him a little more homesick.

Mateo leaned over to give her a hug, the genuine appreciation evident on his face. Whether it was her warmth, the smell of her shampoo, or his own raw emotions, his lips suddenly found hers as well, giving her the New Year's kiss that hadn't been allowed to have a couple hours earlier.

Audrey "I'm glad you like them. And apparently the winters are colder here, so I figured the gloves would work too." she explained as she sipped her drink, watching him open the rest. The cupcakes just made her laugh as she took a little box of birthday candles out and shook them playfully at him, "Hope you didn't think you'd be getting out of this either." She teased.

The he was unwrapping the sketch she'd spent time on, only really having his descriptions to go off of so she hoped she'd done his home some kind of justice. "You're welcome." she replied softly, putting the glass down so she could give his hand a squeeze before he was leaning over and hugging her. She hugged him back easily, practically melting into it, but then suddenly his lips were on hers and she sucked a breath, pausing for just a quick second. This was bad, they shouldn't, it'd just make things more complicated..... and yet that didn't stop her from closing her eyes and returning the kiss, her free hand reaching up to cup his cheek.

Mateo didn't know what he was doing. He didn't even have the excuse that he was drunk - besides a glass of champagne at midnight and a glass of whiskey, he hadn't been drinking. All he knew was that he was desperate to fill the hole left behind in his chest. He would hate himself for using Audrey, but she was a beautiful distraction in the meantime.

He leaned into her hand, breaking their kiss only so he could he press one to her palm. "Thank you, Audrey," he murmured. "For everything. For being here..." His brows knitted together and he could feel himself close to breaking - but he refused in front of her. Instead, he kissed her again, preferring to lose himself in his best friend for a little while longer.

Audrey felt her heart beating quicker, her breaths coming out a bit shallow as they broke apart. They'd kissed a few times at this point, but nothing like that...nothing that quite literally took her breath away. She swallowed as he kissed her palm and she nodded, stroking her thumb over his scruffy cheek, "You're welcome. I'd do anything for you...you know that, right?" She asked him softly. She could hear it in his voice that he was about to break though, heard the slight stammer in his voice and she was about to shush him, to try and soothe the demons she knew were roaring through him--but then instead he was kissing her again and instead of hesitating she just went with it, giving him what she knew he needed-- and really what she wanted too, even if she'd never say it aloud.

Mateo I know, he thought, and that's what scared him. They were a long way from Ragusa where that could mean a simple run to the grocery store. Here in Verona, however, the stakes were so much higher.

Mateo's hand slid into Audrey's hair, pulling her closer to him. Usually, he'd never be quite so forward, but this was far easier than dealing with all the shit swirling in his head. "I think I owe you on a bet we made last time," he murmured, pressing his lips to her jaw next. "Y'know, back from this summer, when we..." he trailed off and could feel his face flushing. "If you want to, I mean..."

Audrey felt a little shiver roll down her spine as his fingers moved through her hair, something that had always so easily sent heat sparking through her, especially as he pulled her in closer, and she kissed him back a bit more insistently in kind. Her own love life being in shambles maybe spurred her on as well. She just wanted to feel wanted, wanted someone to actually care about her, and really, Mateo was high up on the very small list of people who made her feel that way.

Her heart stuttered as his lips moved down to her jaw, her head tilting easily to give him more access and as he spoke those little sparks of heat inside herself flared up even more. She knew exactly what he was talking about, had admittedly thought about it a few times, and for him now to be offering it... "God yes.," She breathed out, using the hand on his face to tug him back up and kissing him again, harder this time.

Mateo Audrey's emphatic yes was enough for him. Mateo managed a little grin as she pulled him back in for another kiss, fully planning to make good on his promise from the summer. He could feel heat pooling in belly, eager to please Audrey, to give her back a sliver of what she'd given him. He broke apart from their kiss only so he could ease off her shirt and then slide off of the couch, kneeling on the floor in front of her.

Mateo tugged off his own shirt next - Bianca's lasting impression was carved under his left pec, the healed wound was scarring and would forever serve as a reminder of her. Hoping to distract Audrey from it, his hands immediately went to her pants to get them unbuttoned. "You got to tell me if you get too sensitive..." he said idly as he started pulling them off. "Did I say my record was ten or eleven? Hard to remember." He smirked.

Audrey felt him grinning against her lips as she kissed him and it made her relax even more, glad that she was making him smile, making him feel better- because how he was right now? Heartbroken? She wasn't okay with it, and she wanted to do whatever she could to get him happy again.

She felt his fingers slide down to the hem of her t-shirt and she moved her hand from his face so he could pull it up and off, and when he slid down onto his knees her eyes widened slightly. She didn't expect him to just drop down here in the middle of his living room.. The sight of him pulling his own shirt off right after though made her thoughts shift. Desire pooled through her but it mixed with worry when she saw the gash on his chest, a scar that wasn't there before. She wanted to reach out and touch it, run her fingers over it, her lips, but his hands hadn't stopped and were moving to the button of her jeans and all she could do instead was sit back a bit and lift her hips, trying to help him while his words made her thoughts stutter to a halt. "U-Um...ten? Ten I think..." she mumbled, knowing she'd never even gone past five or six herself and she felt herself getting wetter already at the thought of it.

Mateo saw the flash of worry on her face but quickly played it off, choosing instead to finish getting her undressed. The more distracted they both were, the better.

For the moment, he left her panties on and leaned down, grazing his lips along her naval. His thumb teased her through the thin material, fully intending on getting her as worked up as possible to make his job a /little/ easier. His lips traveled up across the flat plane of her stomach, up her chest, and then finally to her lips again. Reaching behind her, Mateo skillfully unclasped her bra, leaving her almost completely bare to him. His fingers pushed her panties to the side and slowly circled her clit as he kissed her. "You're beautiful, Auds," he said softly, murmuring against her lips. "You really are."

Audrey felt the muscles in her stomach jump as he kissed up her body, the teasing turning her on more while coupled with his thumb rubbing her over her panties before he was kissing her again. She felt the fingers of his other hand against her back for barely a second before her bra was being undone and she shrugged the straps off, letting the material fall onto the couch in a heap. He was moving her panties aside then and she easily let it happen, almost eager in the way she spread her legs more for him. "Matty.." She breathed out softly, the word trailing off into a breathy little moan against his lips as he teased her clit, making her hips rock up for more.

Mateo: Mateo couldn't help but chuckle as she breathed out his name. "Feel good?" he asked, even though the question was wholly unnecessary - the look on her face said it all. But he'd never really been in the business of teasing... at least, not unless someone was teasing /him/. He paused his ministrations to pull her panties all the way off before leaning down. His lips brushed against Audrey's inner thighs first before his tongue parted her slit. His arms wrapped around her thighs, holding her steady while his tongue lapped and teased at her cunt before swirling across her clit.

Audrey let out a little noise in response, rocking her hips up again against him. Before she could even really think about it though he was moving again then, catching her off guard with how quick his movements were. He tugged her panties off and dropped them down with the rest of her clothes then, leaving her completely naked in front of him. She shivered again as he teased his lips over her thigh and at the first touch of his tongue she gasped, her hips rocking up on their own accord before being pinned down more by his arms and she moaned his name again, long and low in the back of her throat as she shifted down lower onto the couch, trying to get closer to his tongue.

Mateo: obliged her, shifting her hips carefully so his tongue was able to press harder against her clit. He hummed his approval at her squirming, knowing it'd give her a little extra bit of sensation as well. His hand squeezed her thigh, letting her know it was okay to move against him and direct him wherever she wanted him. This was for her, after all - it was just a bonus that he preferred being on his knees.

Audrey visibly shuddered as he pulled her closer and hummed against her, the little vibrations feeling like they'd sent shockwaves through her. At the squeeze to her leg she swallowed and moved, spreading her legs a bit more for him as much as she could before she rocked down, slowly creating a rhythm of grinding down against him, moving one of her hands to his hair to slide through the strands, both to push it out of his face and to give her something to hold onto.

Mateo: shivered as Audrey's hand tugged in his hair. He moaned against her, hand gripping her thigh tighter as she grinded against him. His free hand slipped between her thighs next, fingers pushing inside of her in tandem with his tongue, wanting to bring her over the edge. If anyone deserved to let go and enjoy herself, it was Audrey. His eyes flicked up to look at her briefly, making him moan again at the look on her face.

Audrey usually had better self-control, could usually hold off for more than just the short few minutes that'd passed, but in what felt like no time at all she felt that tension inside herself building. Breathy little swears and whines slipped out of her as he slid his fingers into her, the muscles of her pussy eagerly clenching down around them and as he moaned against her again, the added vibrations was all she needed to fall over the edge, her back arching up off the couch and her head tipping back as waves of pleasure washed over her, making her body shudder as she came on his fingers and tongue.

Mateo: Mateo felt the usual smugness and self-satisfaction when he made someone cum that hard. He slowly eased her down, careful not to overstimulate her sensitive clit as his tongue lazily lapped at her cunt. He was smirking when he finally looked up and ran his hands along her inner thighs. "Feel good?" he asked, leaning down to press his lips to her stomach again. "Ready for me to do it again?"

Audrey squirmed as he worked her through it, breathing shakily and loosening her fingers in his hair even as he continued to lick over her pussy, sending little shockwaves through her every few seconds. She licked over her lips and lifted her head, glancing down at him and huffing as se saw the smirk on his lips, "You really wanna try and match your record?" She breathed out, moving her hand down to the nape of his neck and scratching her fingers lightly through the little strands there.

Mateo: "Yeah, if that's what you want," Mateo said softly, gently nosing Audrey's thigh. "It's good for me too, y'know - I've always had a thing about, well, y'know." His cheeks suddenly flushed. "I like it, in other words. If you ever wanted to find out what it'd be like to be a domme for a night, now's your chance."

Audrey couldn't help but let out a laugh, smiling fondly down at him, "You should know how cute it is that you just made me come in like three minutes and then can't even say the words aloud." She teased, sitting up so she could bend down and she cupped his face, kissing him softly and trying to moan at the fact that she could taste herself on his lips. She lingered for a moment before pressing her forehead to his. "We're Mateo and Audrey. That's all I want to be. Us." she murmured, pecking his lips again before nudging at him and giving him a nod that she was ready for more.

Mateo: Mateo let out a little huff of a laugh, kissing her back as he melted into her touch. "Then we'll just be us," he murmured, chasing her lips as she pulled away before he slid back down between her thighs. He wasted no time getting back into his rhythm from before, knowing she'd still be sensitive. There was no point in teasing - he had a goal to meet.

Audrey nodded in agreement, stroking her thumb over his cheek for a moment. "Just us." She echoed, giving him a little smile before pulling back so she could lay back against the couch. She gasped as he literally wasted no time in getting his mouth back on her though, her hips jerking up as his tongue passed over her clit and she bit down on her bottom lip, closing her eyes to try and keep some semblance of control over herself.

Mateo: Mateo wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed when he finally looked up, smug and self-satisfied after managing to tie his record. He pressed his lips to her stomach again, closing his eyes for a moment as he caught his breath. "Been a while since I've done that much, but I'm glad I managed to keep my magic touch." He smirked and slowly leaned up to kiss her.

Audrey kind of lost her head a little by the fourth orgasm. She stopped holding back completely, all but sprawled over his couch with her legs spread wide, her thighs wet and chest heaving. And yet he still continued. Her own personal record was six, so by the time he'd passed that she was left shaking and after eight she'd lost count, lost all track of time and even of herself, barely aware of the noises and words spilling out of her. She was boneless against the couch when he pulled away, barely with it enough just yet to kiss him back, let alone to hum in response as he spoke.

Mateo: Mateo couldn't wipe the grin off his face, highly amused by how boneless she'd become. "Want to lay down for a little while?" he asked, hand sliding up and down her thigh. "Maybe some water?" Slowly, he eased off of the floor and slid beside Audrey on the couch, grimacing a bit at the stiffness that'd set up in his knee. Leaning over, he pressed a soft kiss to her neck.

Audrey hummed a bit again, nodding. Laying down sounded like a good idea. But as she blinked and opened her eyes a bit more to focus she caught the downturn of his lips as he settled beside her and she reached a hand up, cupping his cheek again and leaning into him as he kissed her neck, "You're okay?" She mumbled quietly, needing to focus on him and make sure he hadn't hurt himself first- that was more important to her than any after glow.

Mateo: "I'm alright. Just a tweak in my knee, that's all," Mateo assured her, nuzzling her cheek. "C'mon, let me carry you to bed. More comfortable there and you can get some rest." His fingers reached up and slowly brushed through her hair, relishing the moment until he forced himself up off the couch again. There was a noticeable bulge in his sweatpants, but nothing he knew he couldn't take care of. He reached for Audrey's hands to help her up.

Audrey leaned her head against him for a moment longer, nodding, "Kay...but you gotta take care of yourself, old man.." she murmured, a little smile on her lips. She practically purred in contentment as he ran his fingers through her hair and tried not to whine at the loss, instead taking his hand ad accepting the help up. Her knees were still kind of like jell-o though and she leaned heavily into him, shifting close enough to press her thigh against the obvious bulge.

Mateo: "Careful who you're callin' old - you ain't that far behind me." Mateo smirked and wrapped his arm around her, letting her lean in close as they made their way to his bedroom. He didn't miss the way she pressed her thigh into his crotch, making him groan. "And if you keep doing /that/, you'll have to deal with it before I let you sleep..."

Audrey let him keep her upright, wrapping an arm around his bare shoulders as they slowly walked the short distance to his room. "Yeah but you'll hit all the milestones first." She quipped back. The little smirk on her lips became more pronounced as he groaned and she hummed, leaning up to press a kiss to the corner of his jaw, "Maybe that's my plan." She murmured, pressing a kiss under his jaw and then another nearer the side of his neck, all the while letting the fingers of her free hand slide down his stomach and teasingly drift over the length of his cock.

Mateo: Mateo shivered as Audrey's hand ghosted along his cock, teasing him in the worst way. "Ain't very nice of you to tease, you know..." Normally he wouldn't mind, but it'd been a while since he came and his cock was throbbing. "It's been a minute since I was allowed anything."

Audrey moved the backs of her knuckles over his cock again, giving him a playful little grin, "Pretty sure after you ate me out for like a hour I'm allowed to tease just a little." She told him softly and once they got to his room and close to his bed she stopped them, her hand moving to the waistband of his sweats and fingers curling in a bit as she leaned up, closer to his ear, "What do you want then?" She asked softly, running her fingers back and forth, "Want my mouth on you? To fuck me?" She tugged a bit on the pants, "Both?"

Mateo: "Pretty sure me eating you out for a hour is why you /shouldn't/ tease me," Mateo groaned, shivering as her hand brushed against him again. He let Audrey take the reins as they made it to his room, tilting his head back as her lips brushed against his ear. "Fuck, Auds, I don't know." He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out which one sounded better. Mateo wasn't used to having /choices/ like this. "Fuck, both. Please fucking both."

Audrey let out a little hum, the grin wide on her face and she pressed her kiss just under his ear, letting them brush against his earlobe. It was nice, being able to tease and be relaxed like this. No expectations. Just be. Just Mateo and Audrey. So when he gave his answer she didn't miss a beat a dropped to her knees in front of him. It felt even better once she was knelt down in front of him, like a whole new wave of energy washed over her and she reached up, once again curling her fingers into the waistband and this time she tugged them all the way down, her mouth practically watering at the sight of his hard cock in front of her, "I've been wanting to do this for a while." She admitted, remembering the last time they were together, she never got to reciprocate. She'd have to make up for it this time. She shuffled a bit closer and leaned in, running her tongue alone the length and then back, swirling over the head of his cock. She kept her eyes up on him as she teased her tongue over him before finally parting her lips, giving a teasing little suck to the head before sinking down more around him.

Mateo: It was a strange sensation to have someone kneel in front of him. "Yeah?" Mateo flushed a deeper shade of crimson as Audrey pulled down his sweats all in one tug, showing exactly how hard he'd gotten for her. He didn't have to think on it too long - her mouth enveloped his cock soon enough, drawing a deep moan from him as her tongue teased his cock. "Fuck, Auds, that feels good," he murmured, reaching down to slide his fingers through her hair. It had been a very, /very/ long time since he'd been that spoiled.

Audrey hummed in reply, nodding to him. The noises he let out let her know she was doing something right so she kept at it, laving her tongue along the underside of his cock while starting up an easy rhythm of bobbing her head around him, keeping the suction of her lips tight. She hummed again as his fingers moved to her hair and she nudged up into it, pulling off with a wet noise. "Use my mouth, Matty. Take whatever you want. I'll let you know if it's too much." She assured him, leaning into the hand in her hair again before sinking back down around him, moving until he hit the back of her throat and further still, taking him all the way in.

Mateo: Mateo was a little unsure at first. No domme had ever allowed him to /use/ their mouth - he had to remind himself he wasn't with a domme. He was with Audrey. And clearly she was enjoying herself as much as he had before. "O-Ok," he stammered, slowly rolling his hips into her. It felt incredible. "Oh, fuck, Auds," he moaned, careful not to hurt her as he fucked her mouth. "Fuck you feel so fucking good..."

Audrey honestly loved it, being used like this. Probably as much as Mateo clearly loved being buried between someone's legs. She let out a moan as he began thrusting into her, a soft little gagging noise slipping out but she was so okay with it and she reached up to his thigh, fingers gripping and digging in slightly as she tugged him closer still, nonverbally giving him the okay to do more, to use her mouth as he wanted.

Mateo: Mateo relaxed as Audrey's fingers dug into his thighs, coaxing him to keep going. His grip in her hair tightened as his hips rolled into her mouth, relishing everything she gave him. He could feel his pleasure building in the pit of his belly and his long-neglected cock was overdue for release. "I'm gonna cum," he warned, not quite ready even though his body didn't want to cooperate. "Fuck," he groaned, denying himself as he finally pulled back from her mouth. "I want to fuck you first - f-from behind." A treat he was rarely given.

Audrey moaned again, louder this time, longer, shuddering as he gripped her hair and really fucked her mouth the way she wanted him to. She was going to leave little fingernail indents in the skin of his thigh by the end and she knew neither of them would really care. She let out a noise in response, whining as he pulled back and she let out a ragged noise as she tried to catch her breath, her lips swollen and spit-slicked as she licked over them and looked up at him, nodding. She leaned up to press her lips along his navel, pressing a kiss to the vee of his hips and pressing her forehead there for a moment to catch her breath before looking to him again. "Definitely okay with that." She replied, her voice a bit hoarse.

Mateo: Mateo's fingers grazed along Audrey's jaw, swallowing hard as he looked down at her. She looked as he often did after a long time spent on his knees. "You look real fucking hot." He smirked, reaching his hands down to take hers and help her up. "C'mon - I ain't done with you yet."

Audrey licked over her lips, keeping her eyes up on him, wide and dark and eager for more. This time it was her turn for her smile to turn a bit bashful as he spoke and she just hummed in response, taking his hand to accept his help up. "I was hoping not." She murmured, leaning up to kiss him again- just because she could. As she pulled back she lightly bit on his lower lip, tugging on it as she pulled back before nudging for him to come with her to the bed.

Mateo: Mateo grinned, meeting her lips again in a quick kiss as she led him to the bed. He knelt behind her, sliding his hand up her thigh and down her side as she moved into position. "You know i can count on one hand how many times i've done it like this," he commented, fingers tracing back across her side. It was a strange feeling to be in a position of power; he wondered if this might be how dominants felt. Mateo took his time lining up his cock before his hips thrust home hard, moaning from the soft, wet heat that now enveloped his cock. "Fuck, Auds, you feelsofuckinggood," he breathed, his voice starting to sound a bit hoarse

Audrey took his hand as she led him to the bed before wasting no time in climbing up onto it, her whole body feeling flushed and antsy as she crawled to the middle to get into position for him. She felt his hand moving along her body as she settled, a shiver rolling through her and she couldn't help the way she rocked her hips up a bit towards him, eager for more. She felt the head of his cock against her entrance and she nudged back more, letting out a little noise before he thrust into her in one fluid motion and she gasped, the noise tapering off to a breathy moan as her fingers twisted a bit into the sheets below her. It'd been a while since she'd been with anyone, so the fullness left her head spinning a bit and she took a moment to adjust before rocking back against him, biting her lip as she whined. "Please, Matty.."

Mateo: Mateo didn't leave her wanting - he was anything but a tease. His hips rolled into hers, hard and steady. "Fuck, Auds," he moaned, squeezing her hips tight as he fucked her. "You feel so fucking good - I ain't gonna last long. You got me too worked up." His words came out stuttered, breathless.

Audrey cried out as he gripped her hips and started fucking her hard. She just nodded as he spoke, dropping her head down and shuffling her knees more apart so he could sink into her deeper. “God../Mat/...” she groaned, starting to rock her hips back so she could fuck herself back against him.

Mateo: "Fuck, that's it, Auds," he breathed, squeezing her hips again. He was half sure he'd leave little bruises behind for her later. Mateo sneaked one of his hands around her waist, letting his fingers brush against her sensitive clit as he fucked her. "Come for me again. I want to feel you."

Audrey hissed at the sting of his fingers digging in, shuddering at the pleasure/pain of it all. She hoped there’d be bruises at the end of all this, little reminders of what they’d done. She felt sweat dotting her forehead, along her neck, making her hair stick to her skin a bit but she /really/ didn’t care as she fucked herself back on his cock. She moaned as his fingers found her clit, practically making her whole body shake. “Mat, fuck..please. Please fuck me harder...” She panted, her voice high and breathy.

Mateo: Mateo obliged her, rolling his hips into hers at a more punishing pace. He was /so/ close, and hearing her call out for him wasn't helping. "So... fucking... good..." he stuttered before his orgasm finally took him. He came hard, calling out Audrey's name as he tumbled over the edge. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he cursed, shivering as he leaned forward to press a kiss between her shoulder blades.

Audrey couldn't even really speak at that point, just gasping for breath in between moans and noises spilling out of her, especially as she lowered onto her elbows, changing the angle enough for him to hit that spot inside of her that felt like electricity through her whole body. She was shaking as he rubbed her clit, her whole body feeling oversensitive, too much, and as he came inside her it finally pushed her over the edge as well, making her cry out breathlessly as he managed to make her come one more time.

Mateo: Mateo panted as they relaxed together, dragging his lips along her shoulder blade. He was slow to move away, but as his cock started to soften, he finally pulled out and collapsed on the bed next to her. "You alright...?" he asked, voice soft as he turned his head to look at Audrey, cheeks reddening as the full weight of everything finally crashed on him. "I didn't go too hard did I?"

Audrey 's body trembled with the aftershocks, breathing shakily as she let herself sink onto the bed. Her head was spinning from it all and she just focused on trying to catch her breath, and then to focus on the little kisses and brushes of his lips against her skin. She's be sore tomorrow, but damn will it've been worth it. She felt the bed dip beside her as he settled down next to her and she swallowed, letting out a long breath before blinking her eyes open and looking up at him, "Mmm..no. I'm good. Really good." It wasn't the same high as dipping into sub space, but that didn't make it any less intense or amazing feeling.

Mateo: "Yeah?" Mateo leaned over, stealing a kiss from her. "Me too." His heart was, for the moment, a little less broken. But he could feel the cold gnawing of guilt starting in his spine at using Audrey so carelessly. He'd been the main one to tell her over and over that they couldn't be together, and yet he'd pushed for this just to feel a little better for a little while. No - he refused to think too hard about it. He kissed Audrey again, resolving to deal with his mixed emotions in the morning. "Stay? I got to get up early and work on the cottage a bit, but you ain't got to go."

Audrey tipped her head up enough to kiss him back, a little smile ghosting over her lips. "Good." She responded softly, too blissed out to really realize the bit of a crisis going on inside him. When he kissed her again she leaned up into it, lingering for a few seconds before letting him pull back and nodding, "Kay, yeah. Besides, it's your birthday." She reminded him, shuffling a bit closer to him. "I'll make pancakes."

Mateo "You ain't got to. I got poptarts in there." Mateo smirked a bit and settled into the bed beside her. "Not as good as your pancakes, but then you ain't got to do the work." He was quiet for a minute and let out a contented sigh, wrapping his arm back around her as he fought off the guilt that threatened to overtake him. "Thank you, Auds. For everything."

Audrey snorted, rolling her eyes, "You're not eating poptarts for your birthday breakfast. Nope. We're having pancakes. Deal with it." She smiled as she said it, even reaching up to poke his chest playfully. She settled soon enough though, nudging more into him as his arm wrapped around her and she let out a contented little sigh, "i feel like I should be thanking you after all that." She told him, a little bit of pink coloring her cheeks as she looked up at him and gave him a little smile. "After everything the last few weeks...it was nice to not think about it all for a while. To just...be. With you." she kissed him lightly once more twisting enough to grab his comforter to throw it over both of them, "For now though, let's get some rest. You for one definitely deserve it."

Mateo "Mm, fine, fine." Mateo knew that arguing with Audrey was pointless. For a submissive, she was awfully stubborn when she wanted something. "It was nice... really fucking nice." He let his lips brush back against hers before they finally settled in bed. But sleep never did come for him. Instead, the chilly gnaw of guilt finally overtook him. He'd used Audrey - Audrey, his best friend; Audrey, the one person who would never hurt him. They couldn't be together - how many times had he told her that? And still, he'd used her like she was nothing just to forget about Bianca for a little while. Mateo's gut twisted. He lay still for Audrey's benefit so she could sleep. But as soon as the first rays of dawn peeked through the windows, he slid out of bed and got dressed, making a beeline for the old cottage Silvius had him fixing up. He needed a drink and a long day of manual labor.

#i REALLY had to stop myself from not naming it birthday sex #para #para: 016 #para: mateo #para: hotm #chatzy

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avengers-nextgen · 6 years

Text

The Rise of The Lost XIX Part 1

It was a week since the battle against M.A.D’s forces. Bianca and Bucky were both certain that the industry still existed, whether it be elsewhere in the world, below ground, or somewhere they were licking their wounds. They were the first to say goodbye.

“We’ll find the rest of them. I can’t risk anything else like this happening because of my DNA,” Bucky sighed, running a tired hand down his face and taking a sip from the beer in his hand. He’d stayed up late talking with Steve and Natasha over the matter.

“It’s not your fault. You know that,” Steve insisted, “even if you haven’t said it I can tell. You blame yourself for what happened with Bianca.”

“It’s hard not to.” Bucky snorted, shaking his head. “I mean-I never wanted to be a parent. Hell I had a hard enough time taking care of both of you as kids. I just don’t think I’m going to be enough for her.”

“You’re all she knows,” Nat smiled slightly, “the only thing she has any evidence of. You’re going to surprise yourself James, you always do, and remember we’re always available if you need it.”

“Yeah, I know.” Bucky smiled, “I lucked out with a pretty damn good family.”

Bianca was more excited than Bucky was. She was determined to investigate her roots, discover more information on her mother, and find more of her real identity. It was hard to see her so happy when they didn’t want her to leave.

Nathaniel was worried about her naievity, she wasn’t used to normal life, and Alex fretted over what would happen should M.A.D recover both of them, Enzo was disappointed because he thought she was cool, and Scout couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. Bianca gave everyone a giant hug as she waited for Bucky to double check the car they were using.

“Be careful,” Nathaniel warned as Scout added, “Be smart.”

“Live a little, would ya kid?” Orion had taught Bianca how to fist bump, and though it was awkward, she happily bumped her knuckles against his.

“I’ll see all of you as soon as possible.” She bounced on the balls of her feet. She looked like a little kid-a proper teenager- with her casual clothes on and a back pack slung across her shoulders.

“Alright! Hop on the Barnes express.” Bucky sighed patting Bianca on the shoulder. With a final wave she scampered off leaving Bucky to look at his niece and nephew. James saw the tears in his eyes first and tackled the man in a big hug.

“I’m gonna miss you Uncle Buck.” James mumbled into his chest.

“Me too.” Alex nuzzled her way into the hug as well.

“You two are pretty amazing you know. Thanks for everything you did for her. It’s not easy, and I should have done more, but if it wasn’t for you two I wouldn’t even be doing this with Bianca.” Bucky held both of them close. He’d seen them grow up over the years and they were starting to look like real adults. With one final hug Bucky lifted both of the kids off the ground. Alex and James couldn’t help but laugh before they were set down.

— — —

“Maps? What are you looking for? Treasure?” Piper chuckled looking at Thalia who was sitting in the living room with maps sprawled on the table.

“More or less,” Thalia smiled up at her, “I’m searching for locations that may have Asgardians.”

“I see.” Piper nodded, pursing her lips. “You’re serious about this then. Finding your people.”

“It feels like the right thing to do. They’ve been dispersed for far too long,” Thalia frowned. “It’s hard to imagine.”

“Do you need help?” Piper offered.

“Well, I’m trying to cross reference data bases with unusual occurrences that match Asgardian identifiers.” Thalia saw a small gleam settle in Piper’s eyes. “What?”

“Nothing, you’re just learning and all. I didn’t think you paid much attention to some of the stuff I said.” Piper admitted.

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re one of the most intelligent!” Thalia laughed. The two girl’s set to work on circling, drawing lines to, and crossing out portions of the map.

Their work was only interrupted when T’Challa-unexpectedly visiting- appeared nearby talking to Vision. Scout’s father nodded in agreement before disappearing briefly. Seconds later the sound of feet pounding down the hallway was followed by an elated, “DADDY!”

Siyanda hurtled into her father who was prepared for the impact. He laughed and rolled his eyes before pressing a light kiss to the top of her head. “Hello. My, look at you, you’ve gotten taller!”

“Dad, I stopped growing last year!” Siyanda snorted.

“Lies!” T’Challa teased.

“As excited as I am to see you, I know you don’t leave the kingdom behind unless it’s an emergency,” Siyanda frowned, and she took a step back to study her father’s face.

“It appears those smugglers have spurred a new industry.” T’Challa pursed his lips. “It’s becoming hard to manage. With the loss of Acacia and you being here...”

“I see,” the young princess nodded slowly, “you need me. Someone to lead the fighting effort?”

“Yes.” T’Challa nodded. “It’s time you begin your rise to the throne. This is the perfect opportunity to start taking a more involved role in the kingdom’s affairs.”

“A challenge I’ll happily accept.”

“As I thought, but are you alright leaving this life behind? It will not be a permanent course of action I assure you, but there is no set time when this will end.” T’ Challa’s eyebrows furrowed together in a concerned look.

“There isn’t much choice here,” Siyanda pressed her lips into a thin line. “It’s time I go home.”

Both royal heirs were set to leave on the same day. Everything was quieter than it had been with Bianca’s departure. One goodbye was now three.

“Tell us as soon as you find someone!” Alex hugged Thalia tightly, “it’ll be amazing!”

“I can’t wait, but I am nervous.” Thalia admitted bashfully.

“A warrior like you?” Scout arched a brow, “has nothing to be nervous of.”

“You’re the best big cousin! I mean I only have one but-that’s not the point!” Enzo smiled like a Cheshire Cat at his cousin. Thalia ruffled his hair despite his half hearted whining.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Piper sniffled, “Tech Buddy.”

Siyanda laughed and rolled her eyes but gave Piper an affectionate hug. “You keep up the work Stark. Perhaps we can be partners again?”

“Yeah, the lab’s gonna be really quiet.” Piper nodded.

“Quiet? With you? Not a chance!” Siyanda laughed, shaking her head.

The goodbyes continued until there wasn’t much else to do. T’Challa was waiting on the opened ramp of the jet. Siyanda turned on her heel and jogged off to meet up with her father before skidding to a stop. She’d forgotten one goodbye. Turning curtly she tackled Thalia in a bone crushing hug.

The blonde blinked in surprise but hugged her back. Nothing happened for what seemed like ages even after they pulled apart. Thalia frankly forgot how to speak and just stared at the girl in front of her until Siyanda stood on her tip toes and pressed her mouth firmly against Thalia’s

Scout’s jaw practically hit the floor, Alex laughed and punched James in the arm saying ‘I told you!’, Piper merely fist bumped Orion, and Enzo cheered loudly.

“See you on the flip side,” Siayanda grinned leaving Thalia to blink in confusion. T’Challa gave his daughter a smug look as the jet ramp began to close.

“An Asgardian! Well, no need for an arranged marriage now, is there?” Siyanda only rolled her eyes and punched her father playfully on the arm.

— — —

The Tower was quiet. Piper grew busier and busier leaving Alex to entertain herself and at last the inevitable happened.

“I’m taking over the family business!” She blurted suddenly. Alex blinked slowly at first before smiling.

“That’s great!”

“No. It means I’m not-well I’m not staying here...” Piper immediately saw her best friend’s expression drop, “I have meetings to go to, conferences, resource management programs to oversee, and more.”

“Well you’ve got to get ready.”

“Alex, I know you’re not the happiest but-well I can call you all the time!” Piper promised.

“Piper, seriously, I’m excited for you. It’s an amazing opportunity. Think of all the things you can design and market now?” Alex insisted, and she meant it.

“I was thinking I could have a design partner.” Piper explained, “do you think it’s weird if I ask Gen?”

“Why would it be weird?”

“Well, there’s school, not to mention a female team is practically unheard of in major STEM research and positions-“ Alex held up a hand cutting her friend off.

“Piper Stark, you be the first one to make an all female team and kick the crap out of misogynistic men. Do it. You’ll have my support.” Piper smiled brightly at her long time friend and hugged her for a solid three minutes.

Alex helped her clean out all of the necessities from her laboratory and load it into a jet. Piper’s first stop was a conference in Japan, a place where she hoped she could heal some old wounds within American-Japan enterprise relationships.

James had to comfort a crying Alex that night. The poor girl really couldn’t fathom what it would be like without Piper constantly under foot. In all honesty even he felt a little sad and he didn’t get along all that well with Piper.

— — —

Nathaniel packed slowly trying to prolong the inevitable. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his mother, he loved her, but part of his family was there as well.

Scout could feel the older boy’s uncertainty and went to investigate. He hugged Nathaniel gently and was surprised when the archer ran a gentle hand through his hair. “You’re scared, why?”

“My siblings,” Nathaniel admitted nervously. “I don’t know what they’ll think of me. It’s been years since we’ve all been together and dad says they’re all staying over for a week or so.”

“Why would you be scared of what they think about you? Youre amazing.” Scout frowned.

“Because I took up Dad’s mantel, I spent the most time with him, and when Ellie died-“ Nathaniel’s voice cracked, “mom and dad had to take care of me for a while. It’s not a secret the others were jealous.”

“None of that’s your fault.” Scout assured him. “And if they don’t like you screw them. You’re the best big brother ever.”

Nathaniel swallowed tightly and hugged the younger boy close. “Thanks Scouty, that means a lot.”

“Of course. Do you need help organizing? I know you can be a bit scatter brained.” Scout smirked, once more looking like Pietro.

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” Nathaniel nodded.

Nathaniel cried the whole way home like when he was a little boy and had to leave the dog shelter after he finished volunteering. He’d wanted to adopt all of the animals, and in a way he’d adopted all of the kids as his siblings. Clint held his son’s hand the whole drive knowing he needed comfort. Nathaniel always struggled with goodbyes.

— — —

Scout was the next to go. He’d been following the news with his mother and father. His mother’s home was dissolving into ruins. It angered him that people could be so hazardous, that government could be so toxic, and that everyone acted so sad but no one would actually do anything.

“You look angry,” Orion noted from where he sat with his feet propped up on the dinner table as he looked at stupid buzzfeed articles.

“In space do you have governments?” Scout asked sitting across from Orion.

“Yeah, some planets do. Most don’t have a good system. There’s not exactly democracy in outer space,” Orion explained glancing over at the other boy. “Why do you ask?”

“If you had the ability would you help fix it?”

“Of course,” Orion nodded, “there’s too much oppression.”

“Great, I’m not crazy then.” Scout sighed in relief.

“What’s got you so out of sorts?” Orion arched a brow.

“My mother’s home is dissolving into chaos.” Scout went into a three minute explanation and Orion listened through it all.

“Then fix it.”

“What?” Scout stammered in surprise.

“You and your parents have the potential to help. Do it.” Orion spoke firmly. “Don’t be like the others who do nothing.”

“It’s not that easy-“

“My parents are trying to reboot my mother’s home. They’ve asked me to go home with them. To try and complete the goal.” Orion moved so he sat normally with his feet on the floor and elbows on the table. “We want to make a planet without oppression, dictatorship, a place of true peace and prosperity where every people and species can coexist.”

“So-you’re going to space to become a...”

“The face of a new era. The planet’s been renamed Orion after me. One day I’ll be able to oversee everything with a full cabinet of administrators, representatives, and a congressional body.” Orion’s eyes lit up with excitement and Scout realized that Orion was talking about a world he knew nothing of.

Scout knew almost everything there was to do with Earth but he didn’t know space. “I thought you’d be staying.”

“No, I can’t. It’s what I’ve got to do.” Orion set his jaw in firm resolve. “Just like you should help your people.”

Scout spent that night contemplating Orion’s words. He decided that the space boy was right. He couldn’t sit by. Both boys departed on the same day.

“This is a mail translocator. It’s essentially like a space email,” Orion explained placing a cool metal tripod disc into Scout’s palm. “Keep in touch with me. Itll be interesting to see how things go with your quest.”

“I wouldn’t call it a quest,” Scout snorted, tucking the device into his pocket. “But I’ll use it. I’ve realized that I am actually unfamiliar with space despite my scholarly aura. I’d be thankful if you-“

“Told you about it?” Orion asked smugly. “Sure thing. You’ll be totally confused at first but it eventually just clicks.”

“I am Groot!” Scout jumped as the giant tree alien lumbered over to them.

“Yeah I know! I’m going!” Orion laughed as Groot scooped him up. “Don’t forget to space mail me!”

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dotshiiki · 7 years

Text

CoL, chpt 14

WARNING! This chapter is rated R for references to self-harm and allusions to mental illness and post-traumatic stress. Although the details are not explicit, I would still like to stress that if any of these issues are triggers for you, it might be better to skip this chapter!

XIV: NICO

Nico couldn't stop shivering.

He'd always avoided small spaces since he'd been trapped in Otis and Ephialtes' bronze jar, and Arachne's spider silk prison was a considerably tighter fit than the jar. Even after he was freed, he couldn't shake off the claustrophobic way the fibres had closed in on him, wrapping him progressively tighter in their iron grip.

And then there were their new companions. Percy and Annabeth were clearly overjoyed at Bob and Damasen's appearance. Nico knew he should be, too—Bob had been a long-time friend, one of the few he'd had in those lonely years between losing Bianca and finding Hazel—but the 'welcome back' he offered the Titan tasted like bile in his mouth.

Twice, now, Bob had come when someone had needed him. But why had he never come for Nico?

'Nico, friend,' Bob said in his rumbling voice, 'you are not good?'

'I'm fine.' Nico pushed the bitterness down. Stop being petty, he told himself.

Oh, but you always knew how to bear even the most trifling grudges! How many people have you blamed for things they couldn't control? The wailing souls in the Acheron gleefully supplied him with examples of all the times he'd lashed out with anger. At Percy. At Annabeth. At Jason. The list went on. Your heart is full of hatred. You're no better than us.

Shut up, Nico told them silently.

Will looked at him sharply. Obviously he didn't believe for a second Nico was fine, but he didn't push it.

'How did you and Damasen make it out of Chaos?' Annabeth asked. 'We hoped you would, but we didn't really know if it was actually possible.'

'Hm,' said Bob. He scratched his scruffy silver beard. 'Stars called our names.'

Damasen held out a twisted bundle of rope wound with a few silver arrows: the lines they'd left dangling into the pit of Chaos after pulling Percy and Annabeth up.

'You called for us in the dark of Night, Annabeth Chase,' he said. 'You called us back to who we were. Who we chose to be.'

'We chose us,' Bob said.

'You chose your own fate,' Annabeth translated.

'When we chose to fight by your side, it gave us an identity that was foreign to Tartarus. It gave us an identity to hold on to even in Chaos.'

Bob nodded. 'Tartarus could not collect our souls for his armour after all.'

Annabeth looked like there was more she wanted to ask about this, but she just said, 'Will you come with us now, then?'

'You picked a dangerous path, demigods,' Damasen said solemnly. 'The Caves of Night are not meant to be traversed by mortals.'

'We didn't have a choice,' Thalia said. 'And we're stronger than you think.'

'Perhaps. But what lies in these caves are not things that can be defeated by physical strength alone.' His eyes fell on Nico. 'I think you know this, young son of Hades.'

Nico looked away.

'Do you know another way, then?' Annabeth said hopefully. 'We have to get to the heart of Tartarus. The sooner the better.'

Bob and Damasen looked at each other.

'Caves are fastest,' Bob said. 'But full of spirits. They do not disturb Titans. I do not know if your minds can withstand it.'

'I've made it past them,' Nico said. 'Mimas brought me through these caves.'

Six pairs of eyes fixed on him curiously. Nico wanted to sink back into the shadows. He'd never spoken of this before. Not to Reyna, not to Will, not even to Hazel, to whom he'd outlined the essentials of his experience right after he'd gotten out of Tartarus the previous time.

No one knew how he'd been tricked by the crafty giant Mimas into thinking he'd found the Doors, only to tumble down a black chute, straight into the bowels of Tartarus. Or how Mimas and his band of gigantes had bound him and marched him through these caves before handing him over to the twin giants and their bronze jar.

He'd managed for years to suppress the visions that the cruel deities in the Caves of Night had presented him. But now he was back on the doorstep of those spirits, with the nightmares so close, they took no effort to recall.

'The spawn of Nyx make their homes in these caves,' Nico explained. 'We've only scratched the surface of it. She birthed all the primordial spirits that personify the darkest evils. Pandora's pithos, the jar that released those evils into the world—it was filled here.'

'Just more demons to fight, then,' Thalia said.

Nico wanted to smack the confidence off her freckled face. 'You don't understand,' he said flatly. 'They make you see—see things.'

They weren't things he could find words for. How could he possibly explain how the spirits of Nyx had turned him inside out and put his innermost feelings shamefully on display?

Once, he'd hoped that he could have shared his story with Percy and Annabeth. Then he'd realised their experience was different. No one who had never encountered the Caves of Night could possibly understand how it felt to come through them. They way they shattered you into a million pieces of your own shame.

You will always be alone, Nico di Angelo. Who would ever love you?

He remembered begging for mercy while Mimas howled with glee. In the end, Otis and Ephialtes hadn't needed to stuff him in the bronze jar. He'd crawled in by himself, broken and desperate to escape the horrors. The soundproof jar had given him a brief respite from Mimas's horror show, before he'd realised that in his weakness, he'd been enticed into another trap.

He'd never admitted it to anyone, but he hadn't turned to his pomegranate seeds as a ploy to survive. By the time he'd remembered he had them, he'd simply been grateful for the escape the death trance allowed him, even if it was into a mindless coma.

None of the other demigods on the Argo had even suspected during his time with them that he'd used the seeds occasionally to forget. To meditate until he was completely numb to his feelings. They'd barely noticed when he'd holed himself up, silent and still.

A hand fell on his shoulder. Expecting Will and not wanting his pity, he tried to shrug it away. But Annabeth's grip was firm.

'I remember Mimas. How he plays on your emotions,' she said. 'It's awful. I hated it, too. But he's not here now. And you are. You were strong enough to survive it once, and that's why you knew you could get us through again. You led us this far, Nico. We trust you. And we're in this together.'

You will always be alone.

Nico shook the voice out of his head again. He put his hand on top of Annabeth's. She smiled and squeezed his shoulder once, then let go.

'We will help to keep the spirits from attacking physically,' Damasen said. 'But their powers are beyond our control. Many have been driven mad by what they show—even the lesser monsters dare not venture here.'

'Take them spirally,' Bob suggested.

Damasen's rust-coloured eyes blinked slowly. 'Yes, that is a possibility.'

'Where are we going?' Annabeth asked. 'Will it still get us to the heart of Tartarus?'

'A small detour,' Bob promised. 'A rest stop.'

'With luck,' Damasen added, 'it will give some peace after…'

'Rest stop sounds good,' said Percy.

With Bob and Damasen in the lead, they plunged forward into the red-tinged darkness of the caves. The Acheron followed them at first, in a crescendo of wailing souls that soon reached a frenetic pitch of agony.

Suffer with us, Nico di Angelo! they screamed in his mind. Why should you escape punishment for your crimes?

Bianca sizzled up in a storm of electricity, clutching the tiny figurine of their father. Percy and Annabeth slipped from his hand and fell away into endless darkness. Bryce Lawrence faded into black obscurity. Octavian exploded in a firestorm.

Nico gritted his teeth until the insistent cries of 'Your fault! All your fault!' finally dulled to an accusing murmur when their path split from the river. The others wore varied expressions of relief at the reprieve, but Nico knew the Acheron's torments were child's play compared to what lay ahead of them.

They didn't have to wait long. A loud clang greeted them at an otherwise innocuous junction. Sprouting from an outcrop of rock was the upper body of a girl with ashen skin and cymbals in place of hands. Her hair grew in two plaited bundles that ended in thick, grey bobs. These beat against the cave walls in time with her clashing cymbal hands to create a booming rhythm that reverberated through Nico's whole body.

Her lips stretched into a wicked smile. Although she didn't speak, a dull whisper rose out of the darkness: 'What have we here?'

The last word echoed down the tunnels like a doorbell alerting the cave dwellers to their arrival. As it grew louder, the speaker fluttered down from the ceiling. She landed in front of Nico, her bat wings curving back around a golden trumpet that hung over her shoulder.

'I thought I heard visitors,' she hissed. Across her body, dozens of wagging tongues took up the chant: Visitors, visitors, VISITORS. Purple eyes dotted her feathery skin, running along her arms and torso. She had more ears than Nico could count: at least three pairs on her head alone, and more sprouting from her sides.

'All the better to hear you with,' one of her tongues told Nico.

Bob stepped in front of her. 'They're with us, Pheme,' he said.

Pheme laughed. 'I don't touch, Titan. I merely spread the news—all the news.' Her mouth curved viciously. 'And my siblings don't need to touch your…friends—' the word dripped with innuendo—'to devour them.'

'Keep moving,' Damasen ordered. 'Pheme spreads hearsay—her words travel like wildfire. The others will descend shortly. Bob and I will guard you, but we cannot carry you through if you stop.'

Passing Pheme was like walking through a high school hallway under the judgemental eyes of the entire student body. Gossip spewed from her numerous tongues, a flurry of speculation and recrimination.

That's the new kid. The weird one with the foreign accent.

He's not one of us.

The rumours grew more pointed, turning into barbed accusations about his personal life. It was just as Nico remembered from his first passage through this place—his secrets tossed around and dissected in persistent whispers that grew louder by the second.

I heard he's got a crush on a boy.

I heard it was Percy Jackson—like he'd ever have a chance! Jackson's no poof.

Did you hear what he got up to with that Solace kid? Bloody fag.

It had been bad enough the first time, with Pheme whispering his own shameful feelings into his ears. Now his old fears about coming out were on display again, only this time four other people—six if you counted Bob and Damasen—were privy to them, too. Even though it was no longer a big secret that he was gay, the torments he had endured while coming to terms with it were his. It was just like when Eros had laid him bare before Jason, forcing confessions from him that he hadn't been ready to give.

Even if his friends accepted him, it didn't mean he was comfortable having his intimate feelings on display. And the spirit of gossip and rumour was only the tip of the iceberg. The spirits who had been waiting in the wings burst forth, alerted by Pheme's herald. The personification of each of the seven sins gathered, projecting a movie of damnation onto the cave walls. Starring Nico in the leading role, it featured his darkest thoughts and his most lurid daydreams.

In a mad fury, he raised a skeleton army that slashed its way through Camp Half-Blood, leaving every camper dead at his feet.

He sat on an obsidian throne before a fire that grew from a pile of bones—souls he had sacrificed on the pyre—while the spirit of Bianca rose from the earth. Her lips were stained with blood and she cursed him for calling her back this way.

His body and Will's entwined, their hands wandering in a way that made Nico's cheeks burn with the knowledge that everyone could see this, too. And then the Will in the picture pushed him away and melted into a crowd of faces that were all contorted in identical disgust.

Nico wanted to curl into a ball and block everything out.

More spirits joined the fray: Apate, goddess of deceit, catalogued every lie he'd ever told—who could ever trust you after that? Momus, god of mockery, started up a litany of criticism against him—creepy, antisocial, a freak of nature. Oizys, goddess of depression, prophesied a hopeless future for him.

You're despicable. Worthless. Unlovable. You will always be alone, Nico di Angelo.

How many times had he hidden himself away, believing those very words? Even before he'd ever encountered Oizys and the others, loneliness had practically been part of his identity—Nico di Angelo, the different one, the rejected one. It had been all too easy for the spirits of Night to turn his mind to despair. He'd already been halfway there.

'He's not alone!' Will's voice was weak and shaky, but it pierced the cloak of anguish that Oizys drew over Nico.

Something stirred in Nico's memory.

'That's the problem with you,' Will scolded. 'You leave because you believe everyone is gonna reject you, even if they haven't. Maybe if you stayed, you'd find out that you're not alone.'

His eyes flew open.

'Nico, you were never alone. You—'

Will was cut off by a harsh whisper, although this one was softer, and Nico didn't understand the accusation: 'You flit from one handsome boy to another. Who can trust your pretty words when you speak them to everyone?'

Will made a choking noise and raised his hands to cover his ears. Nico understood then: it was Will the spirits were targeting. And maybe it was true, to some extent—his boyfriend was annoyingly prone to 'appreciating the scenery'—but Nico was surprised that Will secretly despised his own flirtatious nature. Not when it was essentially harmless—when it was so obvious that at his core lay a loyal heart.

Nico's eyes and ears were now open to all the painful secrets that were playing on the caves' cinema of shame. Percy and Annabeth in a violent fight. Thalia wrapped around a certain Roman ex-Praetor. Will ran the tip of a scalpel down his arm, not even flinching as blood blossomed on his light skin. Whether the images were real or imagined, Nico wasn't sure. It didn't matter—they were devised to strike where it cut the deepest.

And just as he'd been overwhelmed by the intensity of his own shame, his friends were each stuck in the quagmire of theirs.

Confronted with the image of himself standing on a blood-soaked battlefield strewn with mutilated bodies, Will trembled even harder than Nico had when he'd emerged from his spider prison. Percy stared in horror at a picture of himself at the vortex of a hurricane that consumed the world. Tears ran down Annabeth's face as she watched herself fall from a glittering masterpiece of a monument, dragging her friends with her as she tumbled from the spires towards a pit of fire. Thalia's fingernails dug into her cheeks at the sight of a car smashing into a tree, the driver—who had spiky black hair like hers—slumped against the steering wheel with blood trickling down her face.

Playing across this was a soundtrack of assassinations. Oizys called Will a coward and a weakling. Momus mocked Annabeth's ambitions. Pheme teased Thalia about her forbidden crush.

'I'm not alone,' Nico whispered. And he wasn't. They all had things to be ashamed of. They all had parts of themselves they wanted to bury where they would never see daylight—in the Caves of Night.

And watching some of his friends' twisted nightmares brought to life, he realised many of those things weren't unique to him after all.

'Nico, friend!' Bob urged. 'You must keep moving.'

Bob held his broom in front of him, crossed with Damasen's large stick to form an 'X' that kept the spirits physically at bay, like they'd promised. The sabre-tooth tiger prowled at Bob's heels, baring its teeth and snapping whenever a spirit got too close. But as Damasen had warned, they could not ward away the dark emotions the spirits had unleashed. Nor could they carry the demigods through the cave.

They had to pull themselves out of this.

'Will.' Nico placed his hands firmly on his boyfriend's shoulder. 'Remember how you ran into a Roman camp—into a whole freaking legion trained for war—with only two kids as back-up? That took guts.'

'I—'

'I don't care if you appreciate a decent hottie. Maybe you can even tell me who you find cute at Camp Jupiter and we'll compare notes when we get out of here. But we have to get out first. So snap out of it.'

Will raised his head. Tears clung to his eyelashes. Nico wanted to kiss them away. Instead, he lifted Will's arm and pressed his lips to the scar that ran from his elbow to his wrist—a scar Nico had always assumed he'd sustained in battle. 'We're gonna talk about this,' he said, wanting to reassure Will that he knew its true origin now, but wasn't condemning him for it, 'and it's gonna be okay.'

'I think that's my line,' Will said. It was a weak attempt at a joke and the laugh that accompanied it was thin and forced. Still, it was there. Will grimaced at the images still playing on the cave walls. 'I told you you weren't alone.'

'You were right.'

Will went to help Annabeth, who was curled up in a ball of misery. Nico moved on to Thalia.

Her eyes were fixed on a parade of people Apate accused her of abandoning—You led them to believe you cared, and what did you do?—while Pheme cackled for everyone to hear, You've been fantasising about a girl, an outsider, haven't you? Just wait till this gets back to your Hunters! Oizys foretold misery in her dolorous voice: It will never work; no one shall heal your immortal heart.

Nico wasn't sure where to start. It wasn't like he knew Thalia all that well.

He did know Reyna, though, and he was reasonably sure that was who Thalia secretly liked. He decided to start there.

'I got to know Reyna a lot when we were travelling together. I think you'd match, like Percy and Annabeth do. You guys could work.'

Thalia glowered at Nico. 'You don't know anything,' she snapped. 'Butt out! I don't need advice on my love life. Which I don't have.'

Her rebuttal sounded extremely familiar. Nico wondered where he'd come across the sentiment before. Then he remembered.

Diocletian's Palace.

Nico had pushed Jason's acceptance away when he'd first offered it. When you were convinced that something you felt was wrong, it was hard to believe that someone else might be willing to embrace it.

'Did you know your brother was the first person I came out to?' Well, he'd actually been forced to come out to Jason by a bully of a love god, but that wasn't really the point now. 'He was really decent about it. He let me decide when I wanted to tell anyone else. Even told me I was brave, though I sure as Hades didn't think so. We didn't talk about it, but having him know my secret and not judge it—I started thinking maybe it'd be okay to tell people after that.'

'Jason's a good kid,' Thalia said. Her eyes darted back to the cave wall. A blond two-year-old with electric blue eyes—the only feature the Grace siblings shared—reached out for her as she walked away. 'I left him behind. I thought he was dead, but I shouldn't have believed my mom. I should have found him. I left her behind, too. I left so many people.' She turned back to Nico. 'I left Bianca in the junkyard of the gods.'

Nico swallowed hard. 'Maybe you did, but that wasn't your fault. And Bianca—she didn't blame you.'

Thalia was silent. Nico didn't know if he had gotten through to her, but at least she was no longer clawing at her cheeks. Meanwhile, Will had spoken to Annabeth and together, they had lifted Percy out of his nightmares.

'We need to keep moving,' Nico said to all of them.

Slowly, painfully, they did. The taunting of the spirits didn't get any easier to bear, but Nico urged the others on every time they flagged, beaten down by the whispers and visions. Damasen led them along a wet and boggy path that ran uphill, such that they were practically crawling away from the spirits that trailed behind them.

Finally, they entered a wide cavern that was covered in swampy marshland and lit by a bright blue flame on a central altar. The spirits hissed and fled back down the path they'd come. For the first time since entering the Caves of Night, everything was blissfully silent.

'Are we—out?' Annabeth's voice was thick with exhaustion.

Bob shook his head. 'Not yet. But this is a rest stop.'

'The shrine of Eleos,' Damasen announced. 'Goddess of compassion.'

The puddles beneath their feet stung when they splashed through. Nico could tell from the faint, woeful hum that the marsh was fed by the River of Acheron, but the waters that pooled here sounded more remorseful than tormented.

The shrine sat on a circle of hard rock, rising several inches above the marsh. Behind the altar was a temple with an entrance so low that Nico, who was the smallest of the group, would have to crouch to enter it.

'Is the goddess here?' Will asked as they approached. 'Should we, um, make a sacrifice?'

'She won't appear,' said a soft voice. A tiny girl dressed in peacock blue emerged from the temple. A thin veil obscured her face. 'She has rarely stirred since the days of Athens.' The girl placed her palm on the altar. 'The world is somewhat lacking in compassion these days.'

'Is that why her shrine fell to Tartarus?' Thalia asked. Maybe she was thinking of Geras, ousted and banished when old age became reviled.

'It has always been here,' Damasen said. 'Eleos is a child of Nyx. A disappointment, rather like myself. I chose peace instead of war. She gives respite to the weary instead of suffering.'

'Yes,' said the girl in blue. 'I am her attendant. Eons ago, I was brought here on the Acheron. I have tended the shrine ever since.' She inclined her head towards Nico. 'Do you remember me, Nico di Angelo?'

'Er, no. Sorry. I don't think I've been here before.'

'No,' sighed the girl. 'No, you have not. But I touched your mind. I gave you peace.'

With her palms facing up, she spread her fingers towards the cavern ceiling. A sprinkle of water fell out of nowhere. Tiny droplets landed on their heads, as cool and refreshing as summer rain.

Nico remembered then the same touch during his first, despairing crawl through the Caves of Night. A brief respite, not enough to undo the damage of the spirits, but just enough to hold his mind together. It was a baptism of mercy, descending when he had needed it most.

This was the true nepenthe, a more powerful restorative than any potion they could ever manage to brew.

This girl had given it to him and he hadn't even known.

'Why?' he asked her. 'Why did you help me?'

'Perhaps because I, too, am a child of the Underworld. Perhaps as a child with two fathers, I empathised with your pain. Or perhaps it was because we share a name.'

She lifted her veil.

Her eyes burned with the same bright blue flame that lit the altar. In their flicker, Nico could sense the mark of their father—a half-crazed spark that hinted at wild ideas and intense emotion. 'I am the daemon Angelos.'

'Wait,' said Percy, scratching his head. 'What do you mean two fathers?'

Annabeth elbowed him. 'Isn't it obvious?'

'Well, yeah, I get that she’s got two dads. I was just wondering, if Hades is one of them, who's the other?'

Nico nearly rolled his eyes—Percy's blunt nature became less appealing the older Nico got—but he found he was actually curious about the answer. He knew by now that the gods weren’t as straight-laced as the 1930s society in which he'd grown up (or even certain communities in the twenty-first century), but he'd never suspected his father of having a fluid sexual orientation. Apollo, sure—there couldn't be any immortal more flamboyantly bi than Will's dad. Hades, on the other hand, always struck Nico as old-fashioned, both in his tastes and his morals.

Then again, if ancient Greece had accepted alternative sexuality, that would make the attitudes of the current millennia new rather than old.

'Hermes,' Angelos said carelessly, ignoring the stunned expressions around her. 'I have also been called Angelia—daemon of messages and tidings. It's been a while since I've had anyone to proclaim to, though. And on that note—hang on for a second.'

She disappeared into her temple and came back out with a bowl in one hand and a looking glass in the other. She placed the bowl on the altar and motioned for them to gather around her.

'Your friends on the surface await you,' she said, pointing into the mirror. The reflective glass shimmered and resolved into a pretty, tanned face with kaleidoscope eyes.

'Piper!' said Annabeth.

'Annabeth?' Oh my gods, you can hear me? Are you okay? Is everyone there? No, wait, I can see them, too—what's happening?'

'We're fine—well, maybe not fine, we're still in Tartarus, but we're all here and we're alive, and we're headed for—'

The serious, square jaw of Jason Grace pushed into the frame. 'Is everyone okay? Did you save Percy?'

'Hey bro,' said Percy.

'Thank the gods—wait, you remember me?'

'I even remember our last bet about where Nico would spend the year. You owe me fifty bucks, dude.'

'Excuse me?' Nico interrupted.

'Damn, if there was one good thing about you losing your memory—'

Annabeth cleared her throat. 'Can we talk about how we're getting out of here first?'

A sheepish grin spread across Jason's face. 'I'll go get the others,' he said. He disappeared, but they could hear him shouting, 'Guys! Piper's got Percy and the others in her dagger!'

'The others,' huffed Thalia. 'Good to see you, too, little bro.'

'We've found Thanatos,' Piper said. 'Leo and Reyna got us transport and we're on our way. We'll get the Doors of Death to you by tomorrow, we promise!'

'That's good,' Annabeth said. 'We're headed to the heart—well, where we're pretty sure the Doors will show up, anyway.'

'So, say, twenty-four hours?'

Annabeth looked at Bob. 'Can we do it?'

'Time is difficult in Tartarus,' Bob admitted. 'But I think yes.'

'Twenty-four hours,' Annabeth told Piper.

'I'll keep looking in Katoptris, anyway,' Piper said. 'It's been showing me—well, I was really worried for a while. But it's so good to see that you're okay. I really—'

Her image froze like a bad FaceTime connection. The mirror went black. Angelos tapped at it, then shrugged. 'I may have forgotten to charge it. Like I said, it's been a while.'

'It's fine,' Annabeth said. 'We know we have twenty-four hours to get to the heart of Tartarus.'

Angelos considered this. 'You are close,' she said. 'Do not rush to your destination. More challenges await you. You will need to rest to face them. For a sacrifice, you may rest here at the shrine.'

'What sort of sacrifice?' Percy asked warily.

'Cloth and hair, Angelos said. She smiled at the surprise on their faces. 'It is how Eleos has always been honoured.'

She indicated the bowl she had laid upon the altar. Nico, Percy, and Annabeth drew their swords. They each sliced off a section of their hair, along with some cloth from their shirt sleeves. Angelos emptied their offerings into the blue flame, which shone white for a few seconds. Another light sprinkle of cleansing rain showered down, returning the fire to its original blue.

'Eleos accepts your offering,' Angelos announced. Five sleeping bags popped out of the swamp. They were only standard-issue camping gear, but right now they looked as inviting as a luxury hotel bed.

Angelos looked apologetically at Bob and Damasen. 'I'm afraid we aren't set up for Titans and such.'

Damasen shrugged. 'We will keep watch,' he said.

'I will leave you to your rest,' Angelos said. 'But first, I shall bear you each a tiding.'

She turned first to Bob and Damasen. 'When it comes to a choice between choosing who you are and letting the world dictate your identity, remember that archetypes may survive indefinitely, but immortality has its drawbacks.'

Angelos looked at Thalia next. 'Moving on is not the same as leaving someone behind. If you do not wish to remain motionless, you must accept what is in your heart.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Thalia demanded.

'I bear the messages,' Angelos said impassively. 'I do not interpret them. That's up to you.'

She inclined her head towards Annabeth. 'Many a prophecy has hinged upon you. Now your ingenuity will be called upon yet again. It will be up to you to ensure the pattern no longer repeats.'

Annabeth's eyes widened. Percy's hand tightened around hers.

'And you have changed much in your time here,' Angelos continued, addressing Percy. 'It has shaped you, and you will shape the journey—what you have been seeking will be at the heart of it.'

From the blank look on his face, this was as much a mystery to Percy as it was to Nico.

To Will, Angelos said, 'The light shines brighter when it emerges from darkness. Do not be afraid to embrace the darkness within you.'

Finally, she held Nico's gaze. 'Your struggles are a gift. You understand compassion because you understand pain. Don't bury it away again, little brother.'

Angelos looked nothing like his sister, but at that moment it was Bianca's ghostly face he saw, shining with fierce, determined pride.

Don't hide from the world, little brother. Live. Make me proud.

It had taken him a long time to internalise Bianca's parting words. Even now he wasn't sure he'd managed to live as she'd asked him to.

Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia settled into their sleeping bags and fell asleep right away. Nico thought of the charge Angelos had laid on him. He remembered the promise he'd made just hours ago. He didn't know if this was the most appropriate time to keep it, but he decided to try anyway.

'Hey,' Will said when Nico pulled his sleeping bag over to him. 'Some trek, huh?'

Nico ran a finger along the scar on Will's arm. 'Do you want to tell me about it?'

Will stiffened. When he spoke, it was in a careful, brittle tone so unlike his usual sunny self. 'I wasn't trying to kill myself or anything, if that's what you're thinking.'

'I wasn't thinking that.'

'Just after the Battle of the Labyrinth—do you remember that? Well, it was the first time I'd ever seen so much death. All those friends I couldn't save…we buried them and we were supposed to go back to our regular activities after that. I was supposed to help everyone go back to normal.' Will started slowly, but now the words came spilling out in a babbling rush. 'Apollo cabin always leads the singalong, you know. And we'd just lost our head counsellor in the battle. I, um, had a bit of a crush on him. I was alone in the infirmary, and I—well, I don't even remember what I was thinking. Maybe I wanted to stop thinking about it. Or I just needed to feel something other than sad. The scalpel was just there.' Will hung his head. 'It was stupid, I know.'

'It's not stupid.' Nico took a deep breath. 'I never told anyone this, but… I used to take pomegranate seeds and go into a death trance just to get away from my memories of Tartarus.'

'I can understand that. Especially now.' Will gave a shaky laugh. 'I'm an idiot, Nico. I actually thought coming back down here would help you. I thought you needed to face it again. I guess I did it again—and this time I ended up cutting us both because I thought it would help.' He traced his scar sadly. 'I tried to force you to deal with things my way. I'm sorry.'

'No, it's not the same. Facing Tartarus isn’t really like hurting yourself. I think—I think the reason why Tartarus is so awful is because it's made of our own darkness. Like—gods, I don't know how to explain this properly. I always zone out when Chiron talks about it.'

'Like how the gods are part of the collective unconscious?' Will suggested. 'They embody what we believe.'

'Exactly. It's all the worst stuff we believe about ourselves.'

'I don't know how anyone wouldn't go crazy confronting that,' Will mused.

'Unless they knew they weren't the only ones with problems.' Nico twisted the skull ring on his finger. 'I wish I'd known you had stuff you couldn't talk about, too.'

'I didn't tell you before because—well, you've got so much sadness already. I didn't want to add to it. I didn't think anyone would ever find out.

'And I didn't tell you about the pomegranate seeds because I didn't want you to worry.'

Their eyes met and they started to laugh.

'I guess we should've depended on each other more,' Will said.

'If I've learned anything from passing through the Caves of Night twice, it's that it's easier to be strong for someone else than for yourself.'

Will touched his cheek. 'You are incredibly strong, Nico di Angelo.'

Nico kissed him. 'We can be strong together.'

Nico imagined the goddess Eleos drawing a gentle blanket of mercy over them while Angelos tucked them into a bed of compassion. With his head nestled against his boyfriend's shoulder, he finally fell asleep.

A/N: So, a few notes on this one. First, I know I’ve touched on some really difficult issues in this chapter and I really hope I’ve treated them sensitively. It is not my intention to hurt anyone with my portrayal of mental trauma, bullying, or self-harm. This is probably the most personal piece of fictional writing I’ve ever written and while a lot of my own experience made its way into writing the chapter, I am aware that everyone’s experience of mental trauma is different, and I don’t wish to belittle anyone else’s. If you’ve felt that I dealt unfairly or insultingly with anything here, I hope you’ll feel comfortable enough to tell me why and I am happy to discuss our different experiences. I also hope my readers have exercised their judgement in choosing whether to continue reading and I haven’t caused anyone undue harm with triggers and whatnot. May I offer you all a big hug after all that angst? *hugs*

And on a lighter note ... I went all out with the spirits in this chapter! I figured, why not make use of the insanely many that Greek mythology has to offer? Of course, I embellished a lot, but hey, RR gave us a great example of how to make up stories for the Greek myths, right? You can read more about each of them here:

- The unnamed cymbal-hand girl who guards the Caves of Night; - Pheme; - Apate; - Momus; - Oizys; - Eleos; - Angelos (who incidentally is recorded as Zeus and Hera’s daughter—but hated by Hera, but also called Angelia, who is named as a daughter of Hermes … I think you can probably understand why I integrated both myths!)

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alicetabitha-blog · 7 years

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A Place With No Religion

My very first contribution to the Percy Jackson franchise, very kindly and expertly beta'd by the amazing Simran, who you should definitely go and check out @kazbrekkkerz (give her credit for the last line especially. She managed to work through my 2am ramblings to help produce a clearer and more imaginative piece of writing.)

Words: 1702

Chapters: 1/1

Pairings: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson

Title stolen from Regina Spektor's Man of a Thousand Faces. Read it here or find it at http://archiveofourown.org/works/9370679

Be warned for PTSD and panic attacks.

Percy was falling. A never ending, insides ripping kind of falling - and he knew where he was going to land.

Percy relives Tartarus with every breath, every dark and broken night. His memories chase him, and the guilt feels like it will swallow him even deeper than the muskeg. He and Annabeth must try and cope together and learn to overcome their nightmares, but for now all Percy can do is keep breathing.

Percy was falling. A never ending, insides ripping kind of falling - and he knew where he was going to land. The knowledge of his destination made it all so much worse. At least the first time, he hadn't really grasped what would be waiting for him once he arrived there, but now his brain was racing with all of the horrors he knew he could expect, the ones that he had seen and he knew would be waiting for him yet still could produce no solutions on how to avoid them.

He reached out around him frantically, desperate for something, anything, to tether him to reality - or at least get a hold on the reality he was currently in. The first time he had clung to Annabeth, he knew she should be there somewhere, and yet he continued to fall alone, continued to feel nothing but intense isolation and blood-freezing fear.

Suddenly, he wasn't falling anymore. No, instead he was burning all over. Skin blistering and boiling as he drowned in the flames of what the rational part of his mind knew to be the Phlegethon, but the loudest, most coherent part insisted to be his ruin.

The burning stopped.

Annabeth was there now, wandering alone in the dark expanse of Tartarus, calling out to him, her voice filled with so much terror it shattered his icy heart into sharp, painful fragments.

"Why did you leave me all over again?" she cried, so fractured and weak, not anything like he knew her to be. "Percy, where are you?"

He tried to call out to her, reassure her he was there, but his throat closed up and he could make no sound. His body began to decay in front of him, turning to mist and bone. He fought his way over to her, but every time he drew near, she would vanish and reappear fifty feet ahead of him. Still, he tried, watching as his arms became skeletal, his voice still refusing to produce sound, his body still defiant in its movements.

"That's it, Percy," a different voice whispered. "Embrace the misery. Nobody is here to save you this time." And Percy was drowning for real now, trapped in the well where he, Piper and Jason had all worked to free the naiads. The water turned murky, getting thicker and dirtier, and Percy was no longer in the well, but the muskeg, the mud getting up his nose, in his ears, clogging his throat. The son of Poseidon being slowly lulled to death by the rocking of the water.

"She's right, Percy," Annabeth was back, talking to him through the layers of dirt and silt in the water. Her face appeared as Gaia's had in the ground on so many occasions. "No-one is going to help you out of this. Why should they? Do you really think you deserve to be saved?"

Another face replaced hers, Leo laughing at him as he suffocated, mocking the son of Poseidon, failing in his element. "That's it, Percy. You go drown yourself. It's hilarious really - we both faced our own strengths and had them turn on us." He absent mindedly began tinkering with something, morphing copper and screws into a replica of the minotaur horn that still hung above his bed. "You know, you could have done something for me. I could do something for you now, but why should I? You let me die. I think I'll return the favour."

The scene changed abruptly, and Percy coughed and heaved the water out of his lungs against a river bank, disoriented and broken. He watched in horror as shapes formed around him, showing him Luke dying on the ground, his fault. Bianca vanishing into the death trap of an automaton, his fault. Beckendorf detonating the bomb, his fault.

Bob.

Damasen.

Silena Beauregard.

Ethan Nakamura.

The faces of the dead just kept coming.

So many lives lost, and Percy knew it was because of him. Because he didn't try hard enough, or because he didn't look for another option, always too hasty in his decisions. None of them should have died - it should have been him instead.

Then more images sparked into view, this time showing him the future, what will happen soon. And still, he knew it would continue to be his fault.

Annabeth held down, crying out and struggling as her skin was slowly peeled back by her own dagger. Piper going mad, staring into Katoptris unblinkingly, stuck forever in her looking glass. His mother ambushed in her own apartment, easily taken down by the same minotaur who first caused Percy's life to be turned upside down, torn up and precariously stitched back together.

Suddenly, he felt someone touching him. Something gentle in this unforgiving nightmare . That's the thing - he knew it was a nightmare, just a bad dream all in his head- demigod dreams should be something he was used to by now, but when he woke up all he could see was the dead. Annabeth's worried eyes turned black, bleeding.

He gasped, throwing himself away from her and out of the bed. He wasn't ready for this. He thought it would be over once the war ended - the second war he had had to fight, to be out on the front lines again, so close to the first.

He watched as Annabeth's lips moved, aware that she was talking to him. But he couldn't breathe. He couldn't see anything other than the bodies he had caused and the nightmare he had just lived through. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, almost breaking out of his ribcage. Every day was no longer a life-or-death situation, and so his nights decided to take over and offer him new dangers every time he closed his eyes, making him relive his old battles but so much worse. He felt like he was going to die.

He kept seeing them, kept feeling his past wounds, and kept suffocating. He was under the earth again, and he couldn't get any air into his body. Distantly, he felt hands on his face, stroking under his eyes, around his mouth. He could hear the echoes of a voice - a familiar, gentle, loving voice.

"It's okay, Percy, just squeeze my hands," Annabeth soothed as she took his shaking hands, and it was such a stark contrast to everything he had seen and felt and heard in his dreams, he could barely allow himself to believe it. "Just breathe, okay? That's it, like that." Percy's breathing became gradually less erratic, but it wasn't enough. He could still feel the pressure of that muskeg over his mouth. He squeezed harder.

"Shh, come on Seaweed Brain. With me, Percy," Annabeth instructed, pressing her cool forehead against his. "That's it, time your breathing with mine."

Percy didn't know how long they stayed there like that in the corner of his room, just breathing. Eventually he managed to control his body enough to release the tension that had stayed with him from his dream, letting out a final rattling breath as he almost dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Annabeth moved closer to him and enveloped him in a hug, her small body encompassing his in a way that caused Percy to calm down considerably, leaving him with shaking fingers that he combed through her hair methodically, but at least he wasn't suffocating any more.

Still, neither of them talked except for the occasional Shh that came from Annabeth as she gently stroked up and down his back. Finally, she moved back enough to be able to look at him, but still she kept hold of his arms, never stopping the comforting patterns she traced on them with her steady fingers.

"Do you want to talk about it?" They had been doing this same routine since coming back from Tartarus and ending the war with the Giants. Some nights, it was as it was now, while others Annabeth was the one in the corner while Percy kept her warm and safe from her memories.

"Annabeth..." he whispered raspily as though he had spent the past hour screaming- and perhaps he had. He was scared, yes, but he was also mad. Mad at himself but also at the Titans and Giants, even the freaking Gods up on Olympus that shouldn't even exist anymore. The ones who made him angry with himself, while they should really get the blame.

"Fuck, Annabeth. We're just kids." He moved away from her, looking her in the eye. "I don't understand..."

She looked at him with his grief and anger reflected in her stormy gaze. Percy half expected lighting to flash across her face by how intense it was. "I don't think we ever will, Percy. We are kids.We're fucking seventeen. We've been through two separate wars we got dragged into when we were twelve. But Percy," she looked down and touched his necklace, lifting it up in between them. "We're still here. We're still collecting these godforsaken beads. And you know what? I bet there will be more wars, more stupid arguments between the gods that we have to pick a side in, have to fight in. But we will keep being here. Because that's what we do.

"I don't understand why, and neither does any demigod ever born, but for some reason, we will keep fighting out parents' battles because they're our battles too. So forget the gods for a minute, and the titans and the fucking giants and just be here. With me." She took a shaky breath and dropped the necklace back to Percy's chest.

He shifted slightly, resting his head on her shoulders and breathed her in. "I just wish I wasn’t so scared all the time."

They didn't say anything more after that. Neither did they go back to sleep. They simply sat there, in the corner, being with each other. Eventually, Percy hoped it would be okay, but for now, he knew he would have to suffer through more nightmares, whether they be his own or Annabeth's. They would simply just have deal with them together. And Percy accepted that. What more could he do?

After all, he never asked to be a half-blood.

#I am so scared rn #Percy Jackson #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #Heroes of Olympus #first fic #Annabeth Chase #Percabeth #One shot #PTSD #Panic attacks #depression #blood of olympus #post-tartarus #nightmares #percy has a nightmare #percy needs a hug #percy jackson fanfiction #percy jackson one shot #ao3fic

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jenniferfaye34 · 4 years

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#Giveaway~Last day to enter~The Italian's Unexpected Heir by Jennifer Faye... #books #romance #NewRelease #amreading #booklovers #VineyardRomance

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops you'll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - A Note from the Author

Thank you for joining me for the dramatic conclusion to The Bartolini Legacy trilogy. A diary and a secret totally upend the lives of the three Bartolini siblings and creates an unforgettable summer…

Rockin' Book Reviews - Review

"In her usual fashion, Author Jennifer Faye has created another delightful story which one can relax with and enjoy! . . . The characters were very endearing. The scenes were portrayed well. There were a couple of unexpected twists which added to the intrigue. However, it was fairly predictable, yet so enjoyable!"

Becky on Books - Excerpt

Over the past several months, Sylvie DeLuca had become a good friend. She had the brightest smile—like the one she was flashing him now. And she was a good listener—though he usually didn’t have much to say. However, tonight, beneath the Parisian moonlight, he noticed her incredible beauty. How exactly had he missed it all this time?

Christy's Cozy Corners - Review

"Reading The Italian’s Unexpected Heir is a pleasure. You will love reading how Sylvie and Enzo’s love develops through the book, the discovery of Sylvie’s pregnancy, the threat to the vineyard, and the conclusion of the legacy. This delightful romance is a quick and enjoyable read. You won’t want to put it down!"

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting - Review

". . . I have not read the other two, I did not have a problem following along. The author did a great job at providing a quick recap of the family history. . . . This book contains really well written characters, a heartwarming and at times heartbreaking storyline."

Splashes of Joy - Review

"It’s been fun reading this delightful series, and I sure hate seeing it send. I like forward to seeing what is next in store with Jennifer Faye. If you love a sweet Romance, you may way to try out this book."

Locks, Hooks and Books - Review

"I was not disappointed at all. It could be one of my favorites that I have read by her to date. It was so good. I had no issue reading the whole book in one sitting. I loved the chemistry between Enzo and Sylvie. Such a delight. . . . I recommend this one for readers who love to read clean, sweet and quick romances."

Baroness' Book Trove - Review

"I love happy endings. Ms. Faye does such a fabulous job wrapping up this family’s tragedy and answering all the questions that I find myself asking at the end of some books. My rating is five stars, and if you are looking for a sweet romance to spend an evening with, this is a great one. I highly recommend it."

Hallie Reads - Review

"Jennifer Faye’s The Italian’s Unexpected Heir is delightful, finishing the series so well. I enjoyed Enzo and Sylvie as they sorted through their changing relationship, and of course, the trip to beautiful Italy that their story offers is much appreciated this year."

reviewingbooksplusmore - Review

"I loved Sylvie and Enzo’s story in The Italian’s Unexpected Heir. . . . This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. However, I do recommend reading the first two books. I enjoyed them a lot also."

underneath the covers - Excerpt

Sylvie felt as though she was having an out-of-body experience. Maybe that was what she needed to tell herself in that moment to give her the courage to reach out to Enzo. Her hand cupped his freshly shaved cheek.

If she didn’t do this now and quickly, she knew she would lose her courage. And though she’d been thinking about this for the longest time, if she didn’t act now, she would never fulfill her wish. And the one thing she’d learned in her short life is that you had to grasp the happy moments because they were fleeting and few.

Harlie's Books - Excerpt & Review

His good mood deflated like a balloon stuck with a sharp needle. A big whoosh and his mood was back to its prior melancholy state of being.

Enzo blew out a deep sigh. This confirmed that their close-knit family was forever fractured. Nothing would ever be as it had been. If only he hadn’t held on to that secret—the one he wasn’t supposed to know anything about—maybe then things wouldn’t be so different.

"This book is the perfect ending to a wonderful series. I just loved how Ms. Faye wrapped up everyone’s loose ends and we get to Gia, Enzo and Bianca come together as a true family in the end. . . . As usual, Ms. Faye takes her time with her storytelling and nothing is rushed. I love her voice and she lets her characters do the talking. Some would argue that this book is shorter than the others in the series but again, Enzo and Sylvie didn’t need a long book. They laid out their story and just let it happen."

Pause for Tales - Review

"I have been enjoying this saga of three siblings who are reeling from their parents sudden deaths. . . . Both of them mature throughout the story as they face the consequences of their one night together and put the baby's needs first. This was an emotional read at times especially as the siblings deal with the pain of losing their parents and the secrets they kept. However, family triumphs."

Book Lover in Florida - Excerpt

He drew in a deep breath and then let it out. It didn’t matter how long he put this off; it wasn’t going to get easier for either of them. It was best just to get it over with as quickly as possible. “I’ve agreed to sell the estate.”

If it was possible for her face to grow paler, it most definitely had. Even her normally glossy pink lips were devoid of gloss this morning and had lost their color.

“You did what?” Her voice faded with each word.

Reading Excursions - Review

"For the most part; reading this was like being on an exotic vacation with no worries, lots of excitement, some drama, sweet moments, a lot of precious moments stuffed in it, along with the lessons. I truly enjoyed reading this and can’t wait until I finish the never-ending TBR to re-read these all together."

Teatime and Books - Excerpt

As soon as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. He’d ruined any chance of anything romantic between them. Not that he was interested in starting a relationship. In fact, that was the last thing he wanted.

His personal life was a disaster. He might have won full ownership of the Bartolini estate but he’d lost what made it special—his family. In truth, he hadn’t even won control of it. He’d won out of default. His sisters didn’t want the place. They’d rather move far away and start over. Not that he could blame them after the way their lives had imploded upon finding their mother’s journal.

Bookish Jottings - Review

"Jennifer Faye’s The Italian’s Unexpected Heir is a superb contemporary romance full of such warmth, pathos and heart that it is absolutely impossible not to be drawn in from the very first page. Sylvie and Enzo’s love story is poignant, emotional, dramatic and one that will touch the heart and bring a tear to the eye of romantics everywhere. . . . Jennifer Faye’s The Bartolini Legacy trilogy has been absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to read what she writes next!"

Andi's Book Review - Excerpt

She rushed over to the doorway before he could escape inside. When she stepped in front of him, his widened gaze settled on her. “Sylvie, this isn’t the time.” His tone was gruff. “I have things to do.” She settled her hands on her hips. “Not before we talk.” He sighed. A moment of tense silence passed before he said, “Okay. What do you want to talk about?”

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post...

The Italian's Unexpected Heir (The Bartolini Legacy #3) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages September 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

Her baby surprise proves…

…that one night will never be enough!

Reeling from the secrets that have torn his heritage apart, Enzo Bartolini is set on selling his family’s Tuscan vineyard and trying to forget the impulsive, dazzling night he and best friend Sylvie shared in Paris. While the sale moves forward, the thrilling awareness between him and Sylvie is harder to move past…especially when she upends Enzo’s world by revealing she’s carrying his baby!

Go to Jennifer's Contact Page HERE and order your bookmark(s)!

Other Books in the Series

The Prince and the Wedding Planner (The Bartolini Legacy #1) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages March 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

When different worlds collide…

…sparks fly!

With her family name on the line, wedding planner Bianca Bartolini needs this royal wedding to go perfectly—she can’t afford distractions. Too bad the bride’s dashing brother has other plans! Duty-bound Crown Prince Leo has mere weeks to announce his own engagement, but none of the candidates measure up to Bianca. They’re the most unlikely match, but might that just make them perfect for one another?

The CEO, the Puppy and Me (The Bartolini Legacy #2) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages June 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

Has the search for her past…

…guided her toward her future?

Gia Bartolini’s determinedly searching for her real father. First stop on the enchanting Italian island of Lapri? A mysterious abandoned mansion…where, rescuing a trapped puppy, she falls straight into the arms of alluring Riccardo Moretti! Her passion for the all-business CEO burns bright, leaving Gia with a question: In uncovering her true roots, has fate led her to true love?

About the Author

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Tour Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a copies of THE PRINCE AND THE WEDDING PLANNER and THE CEO, THE PUPPY AND ME, winner's choice of print (US only) or ebook

Open internationally

Ends September 16, 2020

#The Italian's Unexpected Heir #The Prince and the Wedding Planner #The CEO The Puppy & Me #Jennifer Faye #The Bartolini Legacy #Contemporary Romance #royal #prince #vineyard #dogs #puppy #family drama #Prism Book Tours #Hearts & Scribbles

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shannaraisles · 7 years

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Set In Darkness

Chapter: 6 Author name: ShannaraIsles Rating: M (for language) Warnings: Bereavement, canon-typical injury and violence Summary: She’s a Modern Girl in Thedas, but it isn’t what she wanted. There’s a scary dose of reality as soon as she arrives. It isn’t her story. People get hurt here; people die here, and there’s no option to reload if you make a bad decision. So what’s stopping her from plunging head first into the Void at the drop of a hat?

Familiar Faces

"Hump a nug - who invited the Qunari?"

Rory glanced up at Varric's complaint, following his uneasy gaze to where a large group of Qunari had just walked up to the gate. Gods, they're even bigger than I thought they'd be. She knew vaguely who they were, of course, aware that two potential Inquisitors were among that group of massive mercenaries.

"I doubt they're here to spread the Qun, Varric," she offered to the dwarf, turning her attention back to the minor bandage she was securing on, of all things, a nug's paw. "There, all done."

The little girl who had begged her to sweetly to bind up her pet's boo-boo beamed at her. "Thank you, Mistress Rory."

"It's my pleasure, sweets," she told the child. "Just don't let Master Muttons here pick any more fights with foxes."

The little girl giggled. "I won't!" she promised faithfully, skipping off with her nug cuddled close in her arms.

"Since when do healers drop everything for a pet nug, anyway?" Varric asked her as she bent to pick up her basket of freshly-washed bandages.

The dwarven storyteller had taken to keeping her company when she wasn't in the clinic, at a loss for how to fill his time until the Divine arrived and was ready to hear the story Cassandra insisted on him sharing with her. And since he was so often right there, he often ended up doing things with and for Rory. Take now, for example. He'd outright refused to do any of the washing, but he was carrying her skiffle board for her.

"Since now," Rory informed him, kicking her skirt out of the way as they walked up the steps to the clinic. "Besides, that was helping her just as much as her nug."

"Strangest healer I ever met," he repeated his oft-declared assessment of her character for the umpteenth time. "They'd probably re-educate you in Par Vollen for acting out of type."

She laughed, setting her basket down to begin hanging the bandages on a line to dry in the sun. "Varric, seriously, the Qunari aren't here to go on a rampage," she promised him. "They're the Valo-Kas." At his blank look, she went on. "Tal-Vashoth merc band? They've been hired to keep the peace."

"How do you know all this stuff?" he asked, baffled by her informative response.

Because I've played it through and read all the codex entries. "Soldiers gossip like old women," she told him cheerfully. "I listen."

"So that means the Divine's almost here then, huh?" Varric frowned thoughtfully. "Makes sense, I guess. It takes a lot to bring down an ox-man."

"Varric." Rory paused in her work, eyeing him warningly. "You know how I feel about racial slurs."

He had the decency to look abashed. "Sorry, cupcake," he apologized. "Force of habit."

"Break the habit, then," she suggested. "You never know when you might need someone just like them to to care if you live or die."

"Wise words."

They both turned to find one of the Valo-Kas standing on the steps near where they were talking. He really was huge, curling horns somehow making him seem even bigger. Rory wasn't sure she blamed Varric for stepping backward, even if it did put her in the line of fire somewhat. It was tempting to do just that herself, especially when she noted the sharp blade on the enormous sword resting at the Qunari's back. His smile, though, was surprisingly charming, almost boyish, as he nodded to them.

"Didn't mean to frighten you," he apologized in a quiet tone.

"I'm not frightened," Rory countered honestly. Wary of the big man with horns who could possibly break my spine with a careless hug, yes; frightened, no.

"Speak for yourself," she heard Varric mutter none too quietly beside her.

"Neither's he, he's just shy," she added out of pure mischief, just to hear the dwarf bite down an argument with an audible snap of his jaws. "Can we help you?"

The Qunari's smile never faltered. "I hope so," he said easily. "Shokrakar said we were supposed to report to either a Lady Seeker Pentaghast, or a Commander Rutherford, but no one will tell us where to find them."

"Everyone's a little on edge, sorry," Rory apologized, knowing it was learned fear of the unknown that was keeping the people here from being polite. "As far as I know, the Lady Seeker is in the Chantry. If the commander isn't on the training ground, then I don't know where he is."

"Then I'll tell Ataas to try the Chantry," the Qunari said gratefully. "Thank you, Lady ...?"

"Rory," she offered, ignoring Varric's wary cough. "Just Rory. And you are ...?"

"Kaaras," the big mercenary told her with a teasing sparkle in his eyes. "Just Kaaras."

She laughed softly. "Pleasure to meet you, Just Kaaras." So he might be the Inquisitor?

"And you, Mistress Rory," Kaaras replied, inclining his horned head to them both as he took his leave, turning to step back down and report to the leader of his company what he had discovered from the only person in the village who wasn't trying to pretend he was both invisible and mute.

He was only just out of earshot when Varric exploded. "Are you insane?"

Rory rolled her eyes at him. "What?" she asked defensively. "It's not like anyone else was going to tell them where to go."

"They're Qunari!" Varric protested. "Do you remember what they did to Kirkwall?"

"Correction - they're Tal-Vashoth," she pointed out. "They have nothing to do with what the Qunari did in Kirkwall."

"That's worse," he insisted. "Tal-Vashoth are crazed killers."

Rory couldn't help being taken aback. It had never occurred to her that Varric might still be hung up on the Qunari invasion of Kirkwall. Yet it did make sense. Kirkwall was his home, and the Arishok's attack had been utterly, savagely meaningless.

"Varric ..." She turned to face him, leaning back onto the stone wall behind her to bring her closer to his eye level. "What the Qunari did in Kirkwall was terrible," she said gently. "But so was the Exalted March on the Dales. Do you really think the way to move on from it is to hold an entire race accountable for the actions of a few, the way most humans and elves do?"

He stared at her, conflict clouding his eyes. "Kirkwall is my home."

"And no one says that you can't be angry for what was done there," she assured him. "But blaming the Tal-Vashoth for the actions of the Qunari is like blaming every surface dwarf for the behavior of those in Orzammar. They weren't involved; they don't even consider themselves Qunari anymore. I know it isn't an exact analogy, but it's close."

Varric frowned, the expression heavy on his face. "I get what you're saying," he told her reluctantly. "It's just hard, you know? They killed friends of mine; innocent people who didn't deserve that bloodbath."

"And Hawke ended their threat," she reminded him, still trying to be gentle. "I'm not saying go out and make friends with the very next Qunari you see. Just ... try to keep an open mind, okay? Not every Qunari is a crazed killer or a blind adherent of the Qun. Just like not every surface dwarf is a liar or a thug."

He chuckled blandly. "Cupcake, every dwarf is a liar," he told her, but she could see she'd got through to him. "I'm not making any promises, but ... you're right. Not every human is an entitled ass."

She snorted, chuckling through a brief flare of indignation. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"What can I say?" Varric shrugged. "You bring out the charmer in me."

"How are you not fighting the ladies off with a stick, with lines like that?" she asked teasingly.

"Who needs a stick when I have Bianca?" he countered, good humor restored with just a little banter. "She's all I need."

"Liar." Rory laughed. At least the crossbow doesn't treat him like a shameful secret.

"Didn't I just say that?" he asked, letting her take the skiffle board from his hand as she turned toward the clinic door. "Don't work too hard, cupcake."

A vain hope, that one. The rest of her day was full - not only with the everyday ailments of the villagers of Haven and the pre-Inquisition, but also with increasing numbers of visitors from all over the southern kingdoms. It seemed as though everyone and their pet dog wanted to be able to say they were at the Conclave, and their representatives were beginning to arrive. No sign of templars or mages yet, but some important figures were already here. Chancellor Roderick, for example, had swept in that morning and taken charge of the Chantry in preparation for the Divine's arrival in a few days. The Valo-Kas were another example, as well as representatives from a few noble houses. In every group, there always seemed to be someone who needed a healer. The nobles, however, were particularly trying.

"How can I help you, my lady?"

The young woman opened her mouth. "I -"

"She has feminine weakness and hysteria," her companion boomed. "You will provide her with a sedative."

For a moment, Rory's jaw worked silently. She glanced between the pair sitting in front of her - one delicately beautiful human girl, staring fixedly at the floor; the other, a robust Valkyrie of a Chantry sister, glaring at Rory impatiently. She'd never had to deal with an overbearing parental figure before; in the hospital, that was usually left to the senior nurses. The problem was that, here, she was the senior, and she had an awful feeling she was about to offend someone important.

"I'm sorry, sister ... are you this lady's relative?" she asked politely. "A close family member?"

The sister drew herself up in her seat. "I am governess to the noble house of her birth," she declared proudly. Prime demon bait, this one.

"But not related by blood," Rory pointed out.

"I fail to see how that has any relevance," the imperious woman sniffed. "Give her the sedative, and we shall go."

"It has relevance because unless you are her mother or sister, or she specifically requests that you remain, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Rory said as firmly as she could. She didn't miss the sudden flash of hope that crossed the younger woman's down-turned face. In for a penny ... "Any consultation with my patient is private and confidential. I'm sure you understand, sister. The Chantry confessional operates in much the same manner."

"She can have nothing to say to you that she would not tell me," the sister insisted.

"And that is her decision to make," Rory said sternly. "However, here and now, you are wasting time better spent with my patient on stroking your ego for an audience that doesn't care. I have other patients to see, and no time to spend on your sense of self-importance. So, unless you would like me to call one of the soldiers in here to remove you, I suggest that you leave. Now."

The sister spluttered indignantly. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

She met the woman's glare head on, refusing to back down. Honestly, what was wrong with some people? All right, so the Chantry had power, but not in this. Not in her clinic. Rory declined to be intimidated in her own space, especially by some jumped up busybody who thought her fancy robe entitled her to ignore the personal boundaries of someone who had been placed in her care. Evidently the look on Rory's face promised that she would follow through on her threat for, after a long moment of impotent glaring, the sister abruptly stood.

"I shall be making a complaint to your superior," she announced, flouncing toward the door with Rory at her heels.

"You do that," the healer said calmly. "I'm sure he'll enjoy it."

She shut the door firmly on the sister's seething face, drawing the bolt across to make sure the woman didn't try to come back in. Cullen wasn't going to thank her for that, but hopefully he'd grasp the situation well enough not to try and order her to allow such a blatant breach of her own stated code. Hearing a giggle behind her, she turned to find her patient crying with laughter into her sleeves.

"That was wonderful," the young woman crowed. "Can I keep you?"

"Only if you're prepared to stay here indefinitely, I'm afraid," Rory told her, smiling as she sat down. "Now, shall we start again? I'm Rory. How can I help you, Lady ...?"

"Trevelyan," the young woman said, hiccuping through the last of her laughter. "Evelyn Trevelyan."

Rory felt her heart sink. So this might be the love of Cullen's life. And why wouldn't he be drawn to her? Evelyn Trevelyan was young - younger than Rory, certainly - and devastatingly beautiful. In her own opinion, Rory could just about manage pretty in the right light. The delicate features of the girl in front of her were more than alluring, sensual promises made by the wide mouth and bold eyes. The inner fangirl hissed like a feral cat, taking an instant dislike to a canon P.C. she'd played multiple times in the past and enjoyed. It was like a slap to the face to suddenly realize that this might be the girl Cullen passed her over for. But Evelyn was here for help, and Rory wouldn't allow herself to be petty because of an imagined attraction.

"And what brings you to see me?" she asked, more reserved than before but hoping it would be taken for professionalism.

Evelyn blushed, fidgeting awkwardly. "Well, I ... it's my bleeding time," she offered uncertainly. "And ... the pains are ... quite bad?"

"Unusually bad?" Rory asked, startled and pleased with how quickly she had set aside her petty jealousy in favor of helping this woman with her problem.

"Oh, no worse than they are every month," Evelyn told her. "It's just ... it does make traveling rather uncomfortable, and we expect to be in the valley for several days. Sister Vada is ... less than forgiving of anything that delays us."

"Let me guess," Rory drawled, "she's the one who branded it feminine weakness and hysteria."

The young woman nodded. "The sea voyage was awful," she confided shyly. "I had pains and sea-sickness, and all she had to say was that I was complaining too much. She thinks if I'm sedated then I won't complain."

"Heaven forbid a woman should mention she's in pain," Rory muttered, angry to find this attitude reflected by another woman. This wasn't the first time she'd heard this, though. According to several of the women in Haven, human and elf, their menfolk thought period pains were a myth.

"She throws Andraste in my face when I do," Evelyn said in an unhappy tone.

"And I'm sure that really helps," was Rory's sarcastic response. She sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I can't guarantee the pain will go away completely, but I can give you something that should help." She twisted in her seat, leaning down to retrieve a small pouch from one of the chests by her desk, handing it to the young lady before her.

"What is it?"

"It's a tea," Rory explained, "made with willow-bark, spindleweed, elfroot, and fennel. One small pinch, steeped in hot water for three minutes. Do not drink more than two cups every three hours."

"Why?" Evelyn asked, sniffing the contents of the bag curiously.

"Because you'll throw up copiously and feel even worse," Rory told her without flinching. She knew that for a fact; that was what had happened to her when she'd overdosed by accident on the stuff. "Follow the instructions, and the pains should definitely lessen."

"I will." Young Lady Trevelyan tucked the little pouch away in a pocket of her cloak. "And thank you, Mistress Rory. Most healers I've seen just dismiss it as beneath them, or don't believe me."

"Most healers are men," Rory pointed out in amusement. "No womb, no opinion - that's my view." And I just misquoted Friends. What is wrong with me?

Evelyn giggled, rising to her feet to take the healer's hand. "One day, you'll have to come to Ostwick," she suggested warmly. "I'm sure my mother would love to meet you."

"That's a very kind offer, Lady Trevelyan," Rory answered, trying to banish a sudden wave of sadness. Because this warm young lady would never go home again. In a matter of days, she would either be dead, or marked for a thankless fight. It was a sobering thought. "It's been a pleasure to meet you."

"And you," the lady responded with a smile. "Thank you again."

They were met at the door by Sister Vada, who seized her charge by the arm and marched her away at speed. Rory watched them go, guilty to her core at a pang of petty jealousy over what might never be. What was better for that girl - to die suddenly in a massive explosion, or to live and be loved by a good man or woman? The same question could be asked for anyone here who had that maybe in front of them.

She felt, more than saw, her assistant moving to stand beside her.

"Shrivelled old bat, that one," Fabian commented mildly, nodding at the departing sister. "You all right, Ror?"

Rory's smile was bittersweet. No. No, I'm really not. "I'll live," she told him, turning to meet his gaze."Is there anyone waiting?"

He shook his head. "Not right now. Messenger came by with this for you, though." He handed her a small sealed missive.

"Thank you, Fabs." She smiled, taking the note from him as he chuckled at the nickname she'd pinned to him from day one. "Look, why don't you hold clinic for the rest of the afternoon? I'll be around if you need me, but I think you are more than capable of handling it."

He stared at her, stunned by the faith she put in him. "Really?"

She laughed at his incredulity. "Really," she promised.

"That's ... I won't let you down!" he declared. It was quite something, to see a forty-something-year-old man almost bouncing with excitement.

"I know you won't," she chuckled, patting his arm. "Go, rearrange the desk to suit you, Healer Fabian."

"Healer Fabian ..."

Turning away from the clinic cabin, she absently reached up to check how dry the bandages were. Dry enough to come down and be rolled, but before that ... She looked down at the folded paper in her hand, breaking the wax seal to open it up and read the short message written within.

Mistress Rory, Barring unforeseen circumstances, I will call upon you for that consultation an hour after the dinner bell is rung. Cullen Rutherford, Commander

As the words sank in, Rory felt the choking fog of foreknowledge lift just a little from her mind, a slow smile creeping over her face. Got him. Ramming the letter into her belt, she turned to take the dry bandages down, whistling tunelessly as she worked. Roll on dinnertime.

#set in darkness #multi-chapter fic #cullen rutherford/original female character #cullen rutherford/rory allen #rory allen #fabian #kaaras adaar #evelyn trevelyan #varric tethras #bigotry #prejudice #MGiT

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jenniferfaye34 · 4 years

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Grand Finale - #Giveaway ~The Italian's Unexpected Heir by Jennifer Faye... #books #Excerpt #romance #NewRelease #amreading #booklovers #VineyardRomance

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops you'll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - A Note from the Author

Rockin' Book Reviews - Review

Becky on Books - Excerpt

Christy's Cozy Corners - Review

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting - Review

Splashes of Joy - Review

Locks, Hooks and Books - Review

Baroness' Book Trove - Review

Hallie Reads - Review

reviewingbooksplusmore - Review

underneath the covers - Excerpt

Harlie's Books - Excerpt & Review

His good mood deflated like a balloon stuck with a sharp needle. A big whoosh and his mood was back to its prior melancholy state of being.

Pause for Tales - Review

Book Lover in Florida - Excerpt

If it was possible for her face to grow paler, it most definitely had. Even her normally glossy pink lips were devoid of gloss this morning and had lost their color.

“You did what?” Her voice faded with each word.

Reading Excursions - Review

Teatime and Books - Excerpt

Bookish Jottings - Review

Andi's Book Review - Excerpt

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post...

The Italian's Unexpected Heir (The Bartolini Legacy #3) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages September 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

Her baby surprise proves…

…that one night will never be enough!

Go to Jennifer's Contact Page HERE and order your bookmark(s)!

Other Books in the Series

The Prince and the Wedding Planner (The Bartolini Legacy #1) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages March 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

When different worlds collide…

…sparks fly!

The CEO, the Puppy and Me (The Bartolini Legacy #2) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages June 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

Has the search for her past…

…guided her toward her future?

About the Author

Tour Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a copies of THE PRINCE AND THE WEDDING PLANNER and THE CEO, THE PUPPY AND ME, winner's choice of print (US only) or ebook

Open internationally

Ends September 16, 2020

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