MAILING ADDRESS 

Riptide Chapter 11 

“This feels like a bad idea,” Katie laments as she stands on the roof of a warehouse across from the one owned by Luke.

“It’s not that bad,” Percy says without much confidence. “I mean, it could definitely be worse.”

Katie scrunches up her face at him. “Are you hearing yourself?”

“Yeah, I didn’t love it,” he admits with a wince. “Can I start over?”

“Give it a shot,” she says with a dismissive shrug.

“Thanks,” he says, taking a moment to psych himself up. “Listen, it’s gonna be great. We went over the building’s layout, Blackjack staked it out for a while, and we’re gonna be a great team. In no time flat, you’ll be throwing yourself at your boyfriend.”

Katie straightens her posture to take a deep breath. “Fine, okay. Let’s just do this before I fully process what a bad idea this is.”

Percy nods and begins to descend down the building’s fire escape. “Remember, 15 minutes and then you follow me in.”

She nods. “See you in there. And don’t die.”

“Has anyone ever told you, you should be a motivational speaker?”

“Percy.”

“Right, sorry. Going.”

continue on ao3

5/31/20

I couldn’t sleep last night. It has been very difficult to be present lately. Every time I have thought about this situation in the past few days my heart begins to race and my hands begin to shake.

Being Black means a constant struggle between being informed and constantly enraged, or mentally shutting down in an attempt to maintain your peace and avoid mental exhaustion. For the past few days I’ve teetered between the two, having to choose between being involved and being calm. Now I feel numbness. From the day we are born, day in and day out we are being watched, surveilled, insulted, degraded, criticized, beaten down, and brutalized mentally and physically. Every move you worry about, worrying how it will be perceived by others. Am I walking too close to this person? Am I speaking too loud? Should I share that experience with that friend? What will they say, or what will they not say? We are taught by society to shrink ourselves and hate ourselves. We are taught what we say and believe does not matter. We are taught that we should stay down for fear of being taken out if we get up. We are taught we are not allowed to have and express feelings the way other people are allowed to. We have a knee on our neck at all times, choking us slowly. And when we muster the strength and the power to stand up and say something about the constant discrimination, mistreatment, brutality, and psychological torture that white supremacy imposes on our lives, people seem to always find a way to justify the injustices done to us.

⁃ “Maybe you shouldn’t wear dark colors next time you go out...”

⁃ “You know you shouldn’t drive such a nice car in that neighborhood...”

⁃ “Maybe you shouldn’t go to that school or major in that field, you know how it is...”

⁃ “If you would have just cooperated, things would not have escalated...”

⁃ “Well they must have done something to be treated that way...”

⁃ “Are you sure it was racism? How do you know? It could have been something else...”

⁃ “Maybe you should try not being so angry...”

I am thinking about my grandparents who are not even 90 yet and have had this happen, names known and unknown to them, thousands of times in their lifetime. I can not begin to understand the immense pain they must feel reliving the many traumatic experiences of their childhoods growing up in the 30, 40s, and 50s in the Jim Crow South. I am thinking about my parents seeing this for the umpteenth time, who were born in the late 60s, a time when some thought the country was beginning to progress. I am thinking about Black family members and relatives and friends who are as enraged, hurt, exhausted, and numb as I am. I am thinking about how we will likely have to live these things again and again in our lifetimes. And I am thinking about the people that exist alongside us on this Earth that see but do not protest or oppose our constant dehumanization and extermination.

For you Black people, I am wishing you love and care and light and safety as we all are battling this situation, both mentally and physically. I know all of us are inexplicably tired. You are not a soapbox or a political robot. If what is healthier for you is not to speak right now, do that. If what is healthier for you is to be out right now protesting or having difficult conversations with people, do that. I see and understand both of you.

For you non-Black people who are speaking up, sharing information, donating, and protesting with pure and genuine intentions. Thank you. Please continue standing in solidarity and challenging the anti-Blackness in your own communities. Continue to amplify Black voices and stand with us.

For those posting one quick reposted photo displaying opposition or engaging in “don’t break the chain” Instagram trends because everyone’s doing it or so they don’t look bad, and then logging off to go back to using or letting their friends and family use the N-Word, profiting off of and appropriating Black culture, speaking over or attempting to invalidate Black people and their experiences, supporting cops and other racist institutions, and/or refusing to challenge your racist and anti-Black friends and family members (and this list is by no means exhaustive): what good does this do? Your words and posts without change and action mean nothing. Appearing to be anti-racist is not for clout or for safety from persecution. Lives are at stake.

For those who are displaying opposition with the ridiculous expectation to get praise or points from people for doing so: being anti-racist is your only option in this day and age. It is basic human decency.

For those who don’t really understand what’s going on or why, I encourage you to seek out the many resources that are available online that can explain more in depth the immoral country we live in so that you can be more educated on the reality of the situation. Do your best not to reach out to Black people to do the emotional labor and exhausting work of trying to defend our humanity to you. Many of us are extremely overwhelmed at this time between the racism we experience daily and what we see playing out in the country, and it is not our job to do the work of educating people about this system of white supremacy that we did not create.

For those that are saying nothing at all, why? Aoki Lee Simmons said “My non-Black friends, I cannot begin to unpack your silence. I am scared of what it will tell me. The things you are here for and the things you are not, what do they say about you? About me for choosing you?” What do you want with me? Am I just another stamp on your diversity punch card? Do I exist to make you feel less guilty? How can you look me in the eye or call me friend knowing you do not actively challenge the systems and prejudices that kill people like me? It is shameful and disgraceful not to speak up and use your privilege when people need you the most. And I understand you do not have to post things on social media to care about things. But honestly, what the hell are you waiting for? If now is not the time to align yourself for the right cause, what is? Especially for those who know they have engaged in anti-Black prejudices, practices, and language. Isn’t now as good a time as any to prove yourself?

To all whom this applies: your lack of support, attempted justification for injustice, and chosen ignorance is a threat to my, my family’s, and my community’s lives and wellbeing.

We need to stop framing racism as something of the past. It is here, has always been here, and it has never left. White supremacy is the foundation of this country and all of its institutions. When the problem runs that deep, things have to be shaken up, flipped over, and burned down in order to change. If you’re putting more energy into calling protesters “rioters” or “thugs,” defending racist killer cops, justifying state-sanctioned murder, saying that “all lives/blue lives matter,” and demonizing Black people for reacting to the violently dehumanizing and fatal racism and anti-Blackness we face in this country... just admit that Black people demanding equal rights and equal treatment is disturbing to you. Just admit you are uncomfortable with disrupting your social position and the systems that keep you up there, and us down here. We have been peaceful, by the book, and complied with the law. We have taken a knee in peaceful silence. We have tried to have dialogue with you. We have resorted to violence. No matter which route we take, there always seems to be an issue. To racists and white supremacists, there is no “right way” for Black people to fight for their rights. Your respectability politics exists to control and surveil us. Stop telling Black people how to react to the systems that have created our pain, our anguish, and our trauma for hundreds of years.

I am talking directly to white and non-Black people of color. It is not enough for you to be neutral or simply “not racist.” We all must have strong values at this time, or we have chosen the side of the oppressor. It is not enough for you to post on social media. These things are important and do bring awareness, but with the brutality we are facing we need your monetary and physical support. We need your lifestyle and mindsets to change. Reflect on the prejudices that you hold and the ways you perpetuate or are complicit in racism and anti-Blackness. Stop making excuses for friends and family who are complicit as well. Explore the ways that you can educate yourself, others, and help. We need the world to actively and loudly value Black lives, Black well-being, and Black futures as much as they value Black culture.

If you know of any protests nearby and are well enough to go, I encourage you to. Please sign petitions. I have also included a few links of where you can donate to help the cause. (Please comment below any other petitions, campaign, resources, etc. I can amplify at this time!)

SIGN THE PETITION:

Justice for George Floyd | https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/justiceforfloyd_george_floyd_minneapolis/?source=dm_sms_optin_5-26-20

Justice for Breonna Taylor | https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/justiceforbre-breonna-taylor-officers-fired/?source=dm_SMS_shortcode_optin

Justice for Ahmaud Arbery | https://www.runwithmaud.com/

DONATE:

Campaign Zero | https://www.joincampaignzero.org/

Reclaim the Block | https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home

George Floyd Memorial Fund Fundraiser | https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

Black Vision Collective | https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/

Minnesota Freedom Fund | https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate

Markiehh Callout Masterpost

For the past few days, concerns have been raised against an artist who goes by the alias markiehh on both Tumblr and Instagram, who has drawn some fanart for the PJO fandom and others. The artworks mainly depict male teenagers from PJO and HoO shirtless with muscles and low-cut trousers or shorts, and have been accused of being sexually suggestive. In many of his artworks, the characters display an outward-facing navel, more commonly known as an outie, to the point of being “iconic,” as his fans put it, and thus has been a cause of suspicion that he has an ‘outie fetish.’ He has also been accused of attraction to minors at least five years younger than him, being 24 in real life, due to the suggestive artworks.

Following several confrontations through both direct messaging the artist in question on Tumblr and Instagram, he refused to delete his suggestive artwork, then proceeded to expose several minors’ social media accounts, falsely accuse one of the minors (@arrowsanonymous, age 13) of writing child pornography and encouraging his 28k+ following to harass her, gaslight several people, including minors, in private messages, and even threatened to sue the teenagers who confronted him, most of whom do not even live in the same country as him.

After attempting to negotiate peace between him and the callout group, Mark proceeded to make an insincere apology by attempting to justify his actions against the callout group who “harassed him,” because they were/are, in his words, “terrible to [him];” when the most harm the teenagers had been doing towards him were, for the most part, making memes which joke that he is a ‘clown’ and nicknaming him “Marky Moo.”

markinope was established as the primary source of opposition against Mark, aiming to gather all posts which condemn Mark’s problematic actions. Over the course of three days, we have gathered over 150 screenshots to prove the accusations against this man, sexualization of minors and gaslighting being the most prominent.

A post made by a member of the callout group sums up the discourse and part of the reason why we are calling him out. Arrows herself has too made posts which explain the situation, you can go check out her Tumblr yourself. This post is made to list out markiehh’s transgressions in depth. For further insight on the situation, please read all the links included in this post.

CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THE POST: Discussions of pedophilia, unhealthy body shapes and depictions, eating disorders, mentions of child abuse, sexual comments towards minors, discussions of trauma, guilt-tripping, harassment, entitlement, gaslighting, mentions of homophobia, mentions of death threats, and one (1) mention of COVID-19.

A TL;DR is included at the bottom of the post for those who do not wish to look into all of the details (the total word count of the post numbers at about 4000 words).

Keep reading

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fic is up!!!!!

title: ‘cause you’ve been sinning in this city

summary: In which Percy finds a soulmate who doesn’t believe in the concept, consequently goes through the various ups and down of losing and finding said soulmate again, struggles to name his cat, and tries to answer some of life’s most unanswerable questions. College is definitely not supposed to be this hard, probably.

pairing: percy/annabeth

genre: honestly????????? part angst part crack

word count: 46,000+ (IM SORRY)

other: IM VERY SORRY

links: ao3 || ffnet

planning their next move

I couldn’t find any gritty Valentine’s so I made my own

tumblr should have an ” i feel u” button on posts

hey

hey friend

dont kill yourself tonight ok

you have a really pretty smile and i know its not always easy to manage one but itd be a bummer if we never had the chance to see it ever again

youre really important and you matter a lot so stay safe and try and have a nice sleep

Two things to prop up right now:

The ACLU - They’ll do their best to make sure this dumpster fire doesn’t turn into a wildfire.

The Trevor Project - They’ll be fielding a lot of calls, texts, and chats in the next few days and beyond.