If Grandmothers Around The World Had A Rallying Cry, It Would Probably Sound Something Like “You Need

On twitter I’m seeing dozens of threads from Black activists warning people against burnout, giving all sorts of useful tips about preventing and managing it for the sake of a long-term, sustainable effort.

On tumblr I’m seeing a hell of a lot of young white kids yelling at anyone who actually follows those steps, and acting like burnout is a moral falling rather than a well-proven psychological phenomenon.

Be careful who you get your information from. Don’t let guilt lead you to make choices that will harm both you and the movement.

Riptide Chapter 3

The street outside the bookstore is quieter than usual. It’s just about closing time and Percy is shelving all the books who were moved from their nooks through the course of the day. Sally is cleaning the coffee counter, snacking on the last cookie in the display case and humming a song that Percy can’t quite place.

“Where have I heard that before?” he asks, rounding the corner of the nearest bookcase.

Sally smiles without looking up from what she’s doing. “It was one of your dad’s favorites. Every time it was on the radio, he’d turn it all the way up and sing along. Badly.”  

Percy laughs. “So I got my singing voice from him?”  

Sally looks up then. “Of course. I mean, I sing like an angel so it couldn’t be me.”  

They continue their customary movements around the store, making sure all the tables are clean, the books are put away, and the oven is off, before heading to the back office.

It’s a small, unimpressive space with just enough room for two people, three if necessary. There is a small wooden desk that Percy remembers helping his dad build, still being able to note the by P+P carved into one of its legs. He runs his hand over it as he sits down, feeling comforted by its graininess against his skin.  

Sally puts on her reading glasses and opens up her ledger, making notes of the days profits. “How we lookin?” Percy asks.

Sally sighs contentedly and leans back in her chair. “To be honest, we’re killing it.”  

Percy smiles and lifts his hand for a high-five which Sally returns gleefully. “I knew it. Big book chains eat your heart out.”

As she sits back, she begins to simply watch Percy, who squirms under her gaze.

“Don’t do that thing,” he says.

“What thing?” she asks, playing dumb.

“That thing where you watch me and use your mom witchcraft to just like, get everything out of me.”

She smiles and shrugs. “Can’t help it, just comes naturally.”

keep reading on ao3

fic: would it really kill you (if we kissed) [8/?]

rating: explicit pairing: percy/annabeth, with previous luke/annabeth summary: It wasn’t like Annabeth hadn’t been warned about him. In New Rome, there was just one unofficial rule to surviving and thriving for demigods and mortals alike. Avoid the son of Neptune. At all costs. support: ko-fi

chapter preview

Annabeth knew she should be polite and deferential to Frank’s rank, maybe even apologize for her behavior that day on the training field. She had a second chance to improve the praetor’s initial impression of her, to charm him and get him on her side. She needed as many allies in high places as she could get in New Rome; Jason and Piper had impressed that much on her. Her friends would want her to be the bigger person.

But her smarting pride still hadn’t learned its lesson about patience and instead, she snapped, “Praetor Zhang. Steal anyone else’s training fields lately?”

Piper rolled her eyes. Well. There went being likeable.

read it here

mark it on the calendar, kids. it’s both annabeth’s birthday and the first time i’ve ever met a self-imposed deadline for writing fic. 🎉

here’s the link to donate to george floyd’s official memorial fund if you are able to contribute. if you can’t donate, please share. being black shouldn’t be a death sentence.

Feel bad asking about another but "I called you at 2am because I need you" (48) would be great!

In many ways, dating Percy feels like skipping straight to the good part of love. There are no awkward icebreakers, no friends anxiously checking Annabeth's location during dates, no innocent questions about family and no strained explanations in response. They have slipped into intimacy like tailored clothes, something they wore for ages before making the perfect fit.

Like now, when Annabeth dials his number on instinct, knowing he's out with friends but will pick up on the second ring.

One.

Two--

"Hey, baby," he says, and the warmth of his voice undoes the way Annabeth shrinks at the joyous chatter in the background. "It's late."

He's having fun, that nagging voice says. Don't ruin his night. Let him be.

"I miss you." A lifeline. I can't say it, but I'll say it if you see it.

"I miss you too, always." She can hear him thinking, practically see the pucker between his brows at the hitch in her breath. "Want me to come over? Things are winding down here."

Annabeth squeezes her eyes shut, dropping the tissues back on the couch and pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Please."

"Do I need to stop for supplies?"

"Just you."

Percy shows up sooner than should be humanly possible, his forehead glistening faintly with sweat from the brisk walk to Annabeth's apartment. He didn't wait for the train.

Thick summer air follows him in the door, pausing in the hallway with him when his eyes find Annabeth, like even the air is waiting to see how he can make this better. His eyes flit to the tissues, the throw blanket, the red splotches on Annabeth's face.

He moves toward her, tucking the throw blanket around her until she's an emotionally compromised burrito easing into the comfort of his lap, warmth melting through her as his hands pull back her hair.

Annabeth closes her eyes as Percy kisses her forehead, murmuring an "I love you," that settles over her with a kind weight, the firm hand of a lover, the comfort of a cloak. And the bad night is still a bad night, but now it is so much lighter. Oh, it is everything to be held. How human to want what you can't ask for. How holy to receive it anyway.

riptide chapter 9 

Katie sits between Grover and Percy on the couch while Annabeth stands at her mystery board, filling in some blanks.

“What do you mean you don’t know who you’re working for?” Annabeth asks, her brow furrowed. “How is that possible?”

Katie has her arms propped on her knees with her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to tell you. He’s very good about hiding his identity. All I know is he goes by Mercury and has super speed which is how he keeps tabs on all of us. It’s pretty hard to keep an eye out for someone you can’t see.”

Grover looks around the room like a prey animal who senses a predator. “Do you think he’s here right now?”

“No, he took Boar and Gemini on a mission to retrieve whatever it is he’s looking for. They’re not supposed to be back for a week or so. He just told me to keep you busy, and technically, I am doing exactly that.”

“You don’t even know who he’s the Champion of?” Percy asks.

Katie shakes her head as she leans back on the couch. “The only Houses I know of that could have super speed haven’t been active for at least three generations.”

“Well can you tell us more about Gemini?” Annabeth asks. “He’s the one in purple, right?”

“Yeah,” Katie confirms. “He’s kind of grumpy, to be honest. Not really a small talk guy.”

“What about his powers?” Percy asks.

“It’s kind of a mixed bag. Wild animals listen to him, and if he touches your forehead, he can make you lose it.”

“What do you mean lose it?”

“I mean the security guard at the first jewelry store we broke into spent a month in Bellevue before Mercury made him sneak in and return him to normal.”

“Jesus,” Percy says with disgust. “How the hell did that help anyone beat monsters however long ago?”

Katie shrugs. “My keeper said some powers have evolved over time, so that may not even be what that Champion started with. It can do different things to different people.”

“That’s so cool,” Grover says. “Bad but… pretty cool.”

continue on ao3

anon drop mandalorian au link!

hero

While I think Annabeth is not really a touchy person and fan of PDA, I also think she is extremely physical with Percy, she is either holding his hand, hugging, having his arm around her waist or shoulder. Since book one she is the one to start physical contact between them, from holding his hand in the underworld to asking for a hug in BoTL. Annabeth grew up in a house where she didn’t get physical affection from her dad and we know Athena is a cold as her statue in a winter night, in other words…I’m so happy Annabeth found Percy. 

Please, reblog! IIt’s called self defense. Apart from having here, in the US, one of the highest cases of homicide and rape in the world and high rate of GBV, think about how this could help your mother or sister