Lemme clarify, how many times have you heard your overworked female friends and relatives say “Yeah, Jerry drinks beer every evening after work while I cook dinner and clean up after everyone and does the bare minimum to help me raise the kids but he’s such a nice guy. He’s never beat me in my life. I couldn’t ask for a better guy in my life.”
Like no, Sally, your husband is a common stone among turds and you know it.
december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good december will be good
when I was a kid, I complained to my mom about other kids being mean to me, and she said "you have to tell them that your feelings are hurt! then they'll understand."
so the next time I was being bullied, I said "hey. you guys aren't being very nice." and they looked really confused and stun-locked for a minute and then said "yeah... we know."
Since it's May, and I'm seeing a lot of "Youth of May" posts, I'm feeling like I wanna rewatch, but I'm also feeling it's kinda suicidal to rewatch, since a girl is mentally unstable rn
This is such a wildly important line, in fact the whole paragraph is important, not just for Trials of Apollo, but for a wickedly important concept in the RRverse.
Promises are such a strong concept, especially in the first five books, the og PJO series. Luke’s shattered promise of keeping him, Thalia and Annabeth together as a family drove so much pain and conflict. Until the ghost of that broken promise came back and provided as the last, final hope, but still left a bitter mark on everybody’s lives-The pain and losses from it couldn’t be undone. Annabeth will forever remember the first friend she made, her brother, who died in a horrible and tragic way. Silena cannot undo her mistake of trusting Luke. Beckendorf, Zoe, so many more people can’t be revived from the dead.
And just before Luke died, he made Percy promise to him that all the suffering coming from the gods’ neglectful parenting wouldn’t happen anymore. A promise that sealed Percy’s decision upon facing the gods offer at immortality, a decision to break the cycle and create a better future.
Promises have so much value. So much power and strength. You don’t need to swear on the River Styx for them to be important, because it all depends on who you’re promising. After some point, Luke cared more about being angry at the gods than keeping his family safe. Thalia said that he kept going after every single monster after his visit to his home, showing that even before camp, before his failed quest, Luke prioritized being angry and vengeful over being true to his promise. Because of this, so many people were hurt and devastated.
The words you use in a promise don’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you swear it on the River Styx, because the value behind these promises can cause just as devastating a response if you break them.
The most important thing about promises is: Do you truly mean it? Are you going to fulfill that promise, be true to its word?
Because if you aren’t, then was that promise even worth making in the first place?
Synopsis: Detective Christopher Bang has finally found peace—with a new life, a new love, and a past he’s sworn to forget. But when a jewel thief thought to be long gone resurfaces, leaving behind a familiar trail of silver, the lines between his obsession and his desire begin to blur. And the more he discovers, the harder it gets to tell who's really playing the game.
Preview under cut!
...
The sky is a dull gray, heavy with the promise of rain, and the alleyway reeks of smoke and gasoline. Chris stands in the middle of the taped-off crime scene, his hands buried in the pockets of his coat as he surveys the area. His gaze is sharp, sweeping over the shattered glass, the scorched remains of a getaway vehicle, the bloodstains smudged on the pavement.
He points toward the burned-out car. “Get the forensics team to check for accelerants. If this was intentional, I want to know what kind of fuel was used.”
Felix, crouched nearby with a small notepad in hand, nods and scribbles it down. “Already flagged it.”
Chris’s attention shifts to a trail of footprints leading out of the alley. “Get prints and shoe impressions, too. And the camera—” He gestures to a security cam mounted just above the fire escape. “We’ll need that footage ASAP.”
“On it.” Felix flips to a new page, pen racing across the paper. “So far, we’ve got arson, suspected assault, possibly linked to the earlier drug bust. What else?”
Chris glances at his watch, the leather strap is worn, the one thing he never takes off. “Check if any witnesses were nearby. That diner down the block—someone had to see something.”
Felix nods again as he slips his notepad shut. “Already talked to the owner. He’s checking his own CCTV for us.”
Chris exhales slowly, looking around the crime scene once more just in case he missed something the first time. “Anything else?”
Felix stands, brushing dust from his pants. “Not until the lab sends back the full report.”
Chris takes one final look around the alley before nodding. “Alright. Let’s head back to the precinct.”
The precinct is quieter than usual, late afternoon light casting long shadows across the walls. He’s buried in paperwork—incident reports, witness statements, evidence logs—everything from today’s scene stacked neatly on his desk, waiting for his final signature. His fingers move across the keyboard steadily, the soft clack of the keys blending into the low hum of conversation and the occasional ring of a phone.
He’s just finishing up the last report when he senses someone hovering nearby and he doesn’t need to look up to know it’s Felix. The quiet tapping of his pen against the desk gives him away.
“You done yet?” Felix asks, half-sighing. “Come grab a beer. You owe me one after I had to talk to that diner guy who only spoke in riddles and ancient parables.”
Chris chuckles but keeps typing. “Can’t tonight.”
Felix drops his head to the side and groans. “Let me guess—going home early again?”
Chris nods, still not looking away from his screen. “Told her I’d be home for dinner.”
Felix lets out a dramatic sigh and flops into the chair opposite Chris’s desk. “Jesus. You act like you’ve got a wife waiting at home with curlers in her hair and a roast in the oven.”
That makes Chris grin, his eyes finally flicking toward his partner. “Jealous?”
Felix scoffs. “I’m offended, actually. You’ve known her for, what, six months? We’ve been through hell together since the academy, and you’re ditching me for what? A roast chicken and mashed potatoes?”
Chris chuckles again and clicks submit on the final report. “It’s pasta night, actually.”
“Unbelievable,” Felix mutters, crossing his arms like a sulking child and starts swiveling his office chair from side to side.
Chris stands and starts gathering his things—his phone, keys and then his bag. He shrugs on his jacket last and gives Felix a firm pat on the shoulder. “Next time, drinks are on me.”
Felix narrows his eyes as he crosses his legs together. “Damn right they are.”
Chris heads for the elevator, already loosening his tie when he hears Felix behind him again. “I’m keeping your promise, you know! You owe me, Chris!”
Chris turns back just before the elevator doors begin to slide shut. “I know,” he laughs, lifting a hand to wave.
Felix scowls and flips him off in return, and Chris is still laughing when the doors finally close.
-
Chris can already feel his exhaustion leaving him the moment he steps into his apartment. He toes off his boots and calls out, “Baby, I’m home,” like he always does and he can already picture you welcoming him with that soft smile you always wear when you see him.
However, there’s no response, not even the faint shuffle of footsteps. He shrugs off his jacket, draping it over the hook by the door and try again, “Babe?”
Still no answer and a subtle tension begins to thread itself through his muscles, the instincts that have kept him alive in back alleys and tense raids kicking in. His eyes sweep the space as he steps further in and that’s when he sees a trail of red—thick, wet, splattered across the floor near the kitchen island.
Chris’s heart lurches into his throat. His hand instinctively goes to his side, where his weapon still trapped to its holster, his hand lingers there ready to use it when the situation calls for it. He moves quietly, cautiously and then he hears footsteps echo behind him. He swiftly spins around and ready for—
It’s you, you’re standing there holding a mop, eyes wide, startled by his sudden turn. But his gaze drops, locking on the front of your shirt, soaked in red and streaked across your chest, blotched near your ribs.
“Are you—what happened?” he asks with voice strained.
You immediately set the mop aside and hold your hands up like you’re about to calm a wild animal. “Don’t panic,” you say, already half-laughing at yourself. “It’s not blood.”
Chris’s jaw tightens, not entirely reassured until you continue. His hands reaching for you, wanting to make sure of it himself.
“It’s tomato sauce. I dropped the jar trying to twist it open and it exploded all over me.” You glance down at your shirt while uselessly trying to wipe it away. “It looks like a murder scene, huh?”
Only then does Chris let out the breath he’d been holding, the knot in his chest slowly loosening. He lets out a quiet, incredulous laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Gosh. I thought—” He stops himself before saying it. “You scared the hell out of me.”
You smile sheepishly, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “I was going to clean it up before you got home, but I guess you’re early.”
Chris steps closer, watching the way the mess clings to you. “Want help?”
You shake your head quickly. “No, no. You’ve had a long day. Go shower first. I’ll handle this.”
But he doesn’t move toward the bedroom. He keeps his eyes on you, his expression softening. “Can I at least get a kiss first?”
You glance down at your shirt. “Chris. I’m covered in sauce.”
“So?” He shrugs with a smile.
You roll your eyes, but your lips twitch into a grin as he steps forward. He gently cups your face, careful not to brush against your stained clothes, and leans in. The kiss is long and lingering, the kind that makes time slow down for a few precious seconds.
When he pulls back, your lips curve upward and you murmur quietly, “Welcome home.”
Chris lets the words settle into him and he can feel the eight of the day melts away from him because now he’s here with you.
He’s home.
...
CLOSER: CHAPTER ONE will be released Friday, August 15th. Or you can read it early on my Patreon:
The only promise Percy made to Calypso was that he would plant her flower in New York. He never told her he would get her off the island, he thought that in his head as he was leaving Ogygia.
Now, how Calypso knows that she was supposed to leave her island is never explained. Maybe one of the gods who visit her island, like Hephaestus, told her? She doesn't get much visitors after all. But then if one of the gods told her, why not just let her leave?????
It's possible Rick didn't think this through, which unfortunately seems to be the case with Calypso's character. Maybe he just wanted Cal to be bitter about something to set up conflict with her and Leo? Maybe in his head, he thought Percy told Calypso he would get her off her island? He's forgotten important info about his characters before, so I wouldn't discount that possibility.
Either way, STOP THE PERCY HATE ALRIGHT, he followed through on BOTH his promises, the one he told Calypso and the one he made in his head. Why would he assume the gods wouldn't follow through on their side of the deal when they listened to almost every other request? And he also got kidnapped and his memories got erased like four months after the Battle of Manhattan, so like...
Why didn't the gods follow through to begin with??? Like I guess you could use the "haha the gods are gods and they're assholes" argument. But like I said before, I guess for the purpose of the story, it seems like Rick caused that conflict for Cal to be bitter and to create a Percabeth-esque dynamic for Caleo (which didn't rlly work out, but ANYWAY) That's just my theory.
I think it doesn't help that both Cal and Leo harbor negative feelings towards Percy for this whole incident, which the fandom seems to agree was kinda dumb, especially for Leo.
Also Cal losing her immortality when she leaves the island makes no sense, like whatever she is--a goddess, a titan-ness--she's STILL immortal, she was born an immortal being and lived like that before she was ever imprisoned. Why is her godhood tied to the island?? Why did leaving make her mortal?? I mean, narratively I know why (so she could live a normal life with Leo without the weird immortal x mortal thing), but like???? You know????????
absolutely hate it when the pleasurable activity procrastination hits. i’m going to do something fun that brings me joy but not yet. yeah, not yet. not yet. maybe i shouldn’t do it at all, it’s not that fun
notes: i remember jotting this down after seeing this awfully devastating seungmin gifset. happy seungmin day!
The good thing about having lunch on fourth period was that you got to spend it with Seungmin. The bad thing was you got to spend it along with everyone else.
