Leo Got Up And Brushed Himself Off. "i Hate That Guy". He Offered Jason His Arm Like They Should Go Skipping Together."i`m Dylan. I`m So Cool, I Want To Date Myself, But I Can`t Figure Out How! You Want To Date Me Instead? You`re So Lucky!" "leo" Jason Said "you`re Weird

-Rick Riordan

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Translating....

Leo Got Up And

Rick Riordan

Topic

Hate

Guy

Together

More From Rick Riordan

Different Elevator Music Was Playing Since My Last Visit-that Old Disco Song "stayin' Alive." A Terrifying Image Flashed Through My Mind Of Apollo In Bell-bottom Pants And A Slinky Silk Shirt.

Song

Mind

Different

Ut Cum Spiritu Postrema Sacramentum Dejuremus," He Chanted. "et Hostes Ornamenta Addent Ad Ianuam Necem." "you Just...finished The Prophesy,"rachael Stammered. "-an Oath To Keep With A Final Breath/and Foes Bear Arms To The Doors Of Death. How Did You-" "i Know Those Lines." Jason Winced And Put His Hands To His Temples. "i Don't Know How, But I Know That Prophecy." "in Latin, No Less," Drew Called Out. "handsome And Smart.

Latin

Smart

Doors

He Was Slumped Over, Blood Trickling From The Side Of His Mouth. I Shook His Furry Hip, Thinking, No! Even If You Are Half Barnyard Animal, You're My Best Friend And I Don't Want You To Die!

Animal

Thinking

Blood

Isis And Horus," He Said. "i See You've Found New Bodies.

Isis

Body

Found

Now, You'll Have To Answer My Questions." "oh, Very Well," Set Said. "i Like Brazil For The World Cup. I'd Advise Investing In Platinum And Small-cap Funds. And Your Lucky Numbers This Week Are 2, 13--" "not Those Questions!" Menshikov Snapped.

Numbers

Lucky

Investing

Oh, Did You Expect Me To Play Fair?" Cupid Laughed. "i Am The God Of Love. I Am Never Fair.

Play

Cupid

Hades

To Business."tux Dude Extended His Hand. "i Am Prometheus." I Was Too Surprised To Shake."the Fire-stealer Guy?the Chained-to-the-rock-with-the-vultures Guy?" Prometheus Winced. He Touched The Scratches On His Face."please, Don't Mention The Vultures. But Yes, I Stole Fire From The Gods And Gave It To Your Ancestors. In Return, The Ever Merciful Zeus Had Me Chained To A Rock And Tortured For All Eternity.

Fire

Rocks

Hands

Doesn't Miss Many Meals, Does He?" Zeus Muttered. "tyson, For Your Bravery In The War, And For Leading The Cyclopes, You Are Appointed A General I. The Armies Of Olympus. You Shall Henceforth Lead You Breathren Into War Whenever Required By The Gods. And You Shall Have A New...um...what Kind Of Weapon Would You Like? A Sword? An Axe?" "stick!" Tyson Said, Showing His Broken Club. "very Well," Zeus Said. "we Will Grant You A New, Er, Stick. The Best Stick That May Be Found." "hooray!

War

Army

Broken

I Was A Fight To The Death, And I Felt Great.

Fighting

Felt

Frank Didn’t Drop You On Purpose,” She Said. “he’s Not Like That. He’s Just A Little Clumsy Sometimes.” “oops,” Leo Said, In His Best Frank Zhang Voice. “dropped Leo Into A Squad Of Enemy Soldiers. Dang It!

Squad

Voice

Soldier

I Try Not To Think. It Interferes With Being Nuts" - Leo Valdez

Thinking

Nuts

Trying

The First Lesson Every Child Of Athena Learned: Mom Was The Best At Everything, And You Should Never, Ever Suggest Otherwise.

Mom

Daughter

Children

Hope Does Not Leave Without Being Given Permission.

Inspirational

Life

Doe

Good Luck, Boss. Don't Let'em Turn You Into Horse Meat! (blackjack)

Horse

Good Luck

Boss

No Hero Is Above Fear.

Hero

You Have To Read A Lot So You Know What Good Writing Looks Like And You Get Inspired. You Have To Write A Lot Because It's Like A Sport - You Have To Practice. And, Also, You Have To Persevere. Don't Give Up. I Got Rejected On My First Book, Like, 14 Times, But I Just Kept Going. So Believe In Yourself And Don't Give Up.

Sports

Giving Up

Book

Hades Raised An Eyebrow. When He Sat Forward In His Throne, Shadowy Faces Appeared In The Folds Of His Black Robes, Faces Of Torment,as If The Garment Was Stitched Of Trapped Souls From The Fields Of Punishment, Trying To Get Out. The Adhd Part Of Me Wondered, Off-task, Whether The Rest Of His Clothes Were Made The Same Way. What Horrible Things Would You Have To Do In Your Life To Get Woven Into Hades' Underwear?

Punishment

Eyebrows

Clothes

Percy’d Heard Stories About Amputees Who Had Phantom Pains Where Their Missing Legs And Arms Used To Be. That’s How His Mind Felt—like His Missing Memories Were Aching.

Pain

Memories

Missing

As We Rose Over The Rooftops I Caught My Breath-well, If You Can Catch Your Breath Underwater.

Rose

Underwater

Rooftops

I Gave Her My Deluxe I'll-kill-you-later Stare.

Staring

I Was Wondering How You Got All That Out Of A Single Moooooo

Wonder

I'm Just A Kid, Chiron," I Said Miserably. "what Good Is One Lousy Hero Against Something Like Kronos?" Chiron Managed A Smile. '"what Good Is One Lousy Hero'? Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Said Something Like That To Me Once, Just Before He Single-handedly Changed The Course Of Your Civil War.

War

Hero

Kids

I Hate It When People Let Me Down, When Things Are Temporary. I Think That's Why I Want To Be An Architect." "to Build Something Permanent," I Said. "a Monument To Last A Thousand Years.

Hate

Thinking

Years

Poseidon Raised His Eyebrows As They Shook Hands. “blowfish, Did You Say?” "ah, No. Blofis, Actually.” "oh, I See,” Poseidon Said. “a Shame. I Quite Like Blowfish. I Am Poseidon.” "poseidon? That’s An Interesting Name.” "yes, I Like It. I’ve Gone By Other Names, But I Do Prefer Poseidon.” "like The God Of The Sea.” "very Much Like That, Yes.

Hands

Sea

Eyebrows

Tyson Thought Annabeth Was Just About The Coolest Thing Since Peanut Butter, And He Seriously Loved Peanut Butter.

Peanut Butter

Annabeth

Peanuts

Hazel Blinked. “two Gods Had A Horse For A Kid?” “long Story.

Horse

Kids

Two

I Must Admit I’m Impressed, Sadie. You Controlled Your Magic And Controlled Isis. And You, Carter, Did Well Turning Into A Lizard.

Isis

Magic

Lizards

You Know How Hard It Is To Feel Like An Extreme Falcon-headed Combat Machine When Somebody Calls You "chicken Man"?

Men

Machines

Chickens

Writing Is Like A Sport - You Only Get Better If You Practice

Sports

Writing

Practice

You'd Think He'd Ran Out Off Rocks," I Muttered

Thinking

Rocks

Ran

Dealing With Any Man Means Dealing With Multiple Personalities.

Mean

Men

Personality

Piper!” Frank Yelled. “counter Those Empousai! We Need Some Chaos.” “thought You’d Never Ask.” She Started Catcalling At The Female Demons: “your Makeup Is Smeared! Your Friend Called You Ugly! That One Is Making A Face Behind Your Back!

Makeup

Needs

Ugly

She Glared At Me Like She Was About To Punch Me, But Then She Did Something That Surprised Me Even More. She Kissed Me. "be Careful Seaweed Brain." She Said Putting On Her Invisible Cap And Disappearing. I Probably Would Have Sat There All Day, Trying To Remember My Name, But Then The Sea Demons Came.

God

Sea

Names

Purple Light Passed Over The Paper, But Nothing Happened. "next!" Amy Said. She Was Sure The Man In Black Was Going To Burst In On Them Any Second. "whoa!" Dan Said. Amy Gripped His Arm. "you Found It?" "no, But Look! This Whole Essay - 'to The Royal Academy.' He Wrote A Whole Essay On Farts!" Dan Grinned With Delight. "he's Proposing A Scientific Study On Different Fart Smells. You're Right, Amy. This Guy Was A Genius!

Men

Purple

Smell

Oh No." I Said Panic Rising In My Chest. "no, No, No, Somebody Get A Can Opener. I've Got A God In My Head!!

Rising

Panic

Said

I Smiled At The Giant. “actually, Cacus, I Have Another Secret Weapon.” The Giant’s Eyes Lit Up With Greed. “another Weapon? I Will Steal It! I Will Copy It And Sell The Knockoffs For A Profit! What Is This Secret Weapon?” “her Name Is Annabeth,” I Said. “and She’s One Of A Kind.

Eye

Names

Greed

And In The Fountain Squatted A Giant Crab. I’m Not Talking ‘giant’ Like $7.99 All-you-can-eat Alaskan King Crab. I’m Talking ‘giant’ Like Bigger Than The Fountain.

Kings

Talking

Giants

Laistrygonians. Cannibals. Northern Giants. Sasquatch Legend. Yep, Yep. They Are Not Birds. Not Birds Of North America.

America

Bird

Giants

To Foreswear Romantic Love Forever. To Never Grow Up, Never Get Married. To Be Maiden Eternally.

Growing Up

Romantic Love

Forever

Percy Smiled At Her - That Sarcastic Troublemaker Smile That Had Annoyed Her For Years But Eventually Had Become Endearing. His Sea-green Eyes Were As Gorgeous As She Remembered. His Dark Hair Was Swept To One Side, Like He'd Just Come From A Walk On The Beach. He Looked Even Better Than He Had Six Months Ago - Tanner And Taller, Leaner And More Muscular. Percy Threw His Arms Around Her. They Kissed And For A Moment Nothing Else Mattered. An Asteroid Could Have Hit The Planet And Wiped Out All Life, And Annabeth Wouldn't Have Cared.

Sarcastic

Beach

Eye

Dakota's Head Was Stuck In His Toga. He Staggered Around Olike A Kool-aid-stained Ghost. "um," Percy Said, "should I Wear My Bed Sheets?

Bed

Togas

Ghost

She Tied Her Blond Hair Back With A Strip Of Denim Torn From Her Pants Leg, And In The Fiery Light Of The River, Her Grey Eyes Flickered. Despite Being Beat-up, Sooty, And Dressed Like A Homeless Person, She Looked Great To Percy. So What If They Were In Tartarus? So What If They Stood A Slim Chance Of Surviving? He Was So Glad That They Were Together, He Had The Ridiculous Urge To Smile.

Eye

Light

Hair

Her Freckles Were Orange, As If Somebody Had Spray-painted Her Face With Liquid Cheetos.

Orange

Freckles

Faces

We'd Just Released A Zebra In Las Vegas.

Zebras

Vegas

Las Vegas

Beckendorf, Whose Legs Were Now Working Fine (nothing Like Being Chased By A Huge Monster To Get Your Body Back In Order) Shook His Head And Gasped For Breath. “you Shouldn’t Have Turned It On! It’s Unstable! After A Few Years, Automatons Go Wild!

Running

Order

Years

When Luke Had Descended Into The River Styx, He Would've Had To Focus On Something Important That Would Hold Him To His Mortal Life. Otherwise He Would've Dissolved. I Had Seen Annabeth, And I Had A Feeling He Had Too. He Had Pictured That Scene Hestia Showed Me—of Himself In The Good Old Days With Thalia And Annabeth, When He Promised They Would Be A Family. Hurting Annabeth In Battle Had Shocked Him Into Remembering That Promise. It Had Allowed His Mortal Conscience To Take Over Again, And Defeat Kronos. His Weak Spot—his Achilles Heel—had Saved Us All

Hurt

Rivers

Focus

I Held Out My Dad’s Magic Box And Let It O, Sure It Would Smash To The Floor. Instead, The Box Disappeared. “cool,” I Said. “sure You I Can Get It Back?” “no,” Bast Said. “now Come On!

Dad

Magic

Boxes

Yes, Horus Said. I Remember This Place. It’s El Paso, I Told Him. Unless You Went Out For Mexican Food, You’ve Never Been Here.

Mexican

Remember

Said

I've Found Peace Here At The Co-op. You Could Stay With Us, If You Want. Become A Roflcopter.

Want

Found

Ifs

Part Of Their Problem Was Percy. He Fought Like A Demon, Whirling Through The Defender's Ranks In A Completely Unorthodox Style, Rolling Under Their Feet, Slashing With His Sword Instead Of Stabbing Like A Roman Would, Whacking Campers With The Flat Of His Blade, And Generally Causing Mass Panic.

Feet

Style

Panic

I Think Kids Want The Same Thing From A Book That Adults Want - A Fast-paced Story, Characters Worth Caring About, Humor, Surprises, And Mystery. A Good Book Always Keeps You Asking Questions, And Makes You Keep Turning Pages So You Can Find Out The Answers.

Book

Character

Kids

His Hair Was Permed And Gelled Like A New Jersey Girl's On Homecoming Night. Percy Jackson

Girl

Night

Hair

Oh, No Way," Leo Said. "we've Been Sitting In A Cave And You Get The Luxury Tent? Somebody Give Me Hypothermia. I Want Hot Chocolate And A Parka!

Luxury

Giving

Chocolate

Sometimes It Is Better To Have Someone You Mistrust Close To You, So That You Can Keep An Eye On Him - Chiron

Eye

Sometimes

Mistrust

We Can’t Make A Portal—” “we’ve Got A Flying Boat,” Carter Offered.

Flying

Portal

Boat

Well … Zeus Approves, Aeolus Muttered. ―he Says … He Says It Would Be Better If You Could Avoid Saving Her Until After The Weekend, Because He Has A Big Party Planned—ow! That‘s Aphrodite Yelling At Him, Reminding Him That The Solstice Starts At Dawn. She Says I Should Help You. And Hephaestus… Yes. Hmm. Very Rare They Agree On Anything. Hold On

Party

Weekend

Yelling

Just Tell Me, Percy, Do You Still Have The Birthday Gift I Gave You Last Summer?" I Nodded And Pulled Out My Camp Necklace. It Had A Bead For Every Summer I'd Been At Camp Half-blood, But Since Last Year I'd Also Kept A Sand Dollar On The Cord. My Father Had Given It To Me For My Fifteenth Birthday. He'd Told Me I Would Know When To "spend It," But So Far I Hadn't Figured Out What He Meant. All I Knew That It Didn't Fit The Vending Machines In The School Cafeteria.

Summer

Father

School

You Know What Would Help This Boy?" Demeter Mused. "farming." Persephone Rolled Her Eyes. "mother-" "six Months Behind A Plow. Excellent Character Building.

Mother

Character

Eye

A Giant Vulture With A Girl Hanging From Its Feet Tends To Attract Attention.

Girl

Feet

Giants

"aphrodite," She Said. "venus?" Hazel Asked In Amazement. "mom," Piper Said, With No Enthusiasm.

Mom

Venus

Enthusiasm

You're A Stalker With Hooves." "i Am Not! I Followed Her To The Big House And Hid In A Bush And Watched The Whole Thing.

House

Bigs

Grover

The Metal Blade Hit Her Shoulder And Passed Cleanthrough Her Body As If She Were Made Of Water. Hisss!

Water

Body

Blades

In The Old Legends, Arachne Had Gotten Into Trouble Because Of Pride. She’d Bragged About Her Tapestries Being Better Than Athena’s, Which Had Led To Mount Olympus’s First Reality Tv Punishment Program: 'so You Think You Can Weave Better Than A Goddess?' Arachne Had Lost In A Big Way.

Pride

Reality

Thinking

Sometimes She Teased Me That She’d Eventually Catch Up To Me In Age And Be My Older Sibling. Looking At Her Now, With That Determined Glint In Her Eyes And The Confidence In Her Voice, I Could Almost Believe Her

Sibling

Believe

Eye

Words Had Started Swimming Off The Page, Circling My Head, The Letters Doing One-eighties As If They Were Riding Skateboards.

Swimming

Riding

Letters

I Was Flying Right Toward Him (the Pig) At The Speed Of Demigod-smashing.

Pigs

Flying

Speed

Right," She Said, "we're Going To The Land Of The Dead And I Shouldn't Think Negative.

Positive

Thinking

Land

We’re Burning,” Sadie Pointed Out Helpfully. “noticed!” I Yelled Back.

Burning

Sadie

But This Plan Of Yous!' Tawaret Shuddered, Causing A Tsunami Of Jiggling Hippo Flesh.

Flesh

Hippo

Plans

A Vampire!" I Stammered. Then I Noticed Her Legs. Below The Cheerleader Skirt, Her Left Leg Was Brown And Shaggy With A Donkey's Hoof. Her Right Leg Was Shaped Like A Human Leg Was It Was Made Of Bronze. "uhh, A Vampire With-" "don't Mention The Legs!" Tammi Snapped. "it's Rude To Make Fun.

Fun

Rude

Vampire

"boys," Annabeth Interrupted, "i'm Sure You Both Would've Been Wonderful At Killing Each Other. But Right Now You Need Some Rest."

Boys

Needs

Annabeth

Who Are You?" Ethan Nakamura. I Have To Kill You." ??

Keep It Simple (frank Zhang)

Simple

Frank

Keep It Simple

Mrs. O' Leary Is My Pet. I Couldn't Let You Stick A Sword In Her Rump, Now, Could I? That Might've Scared Her.

Pet

Might

Sticks

You Never Know!” Neith Snapped. “the Point Is, I’ll Survive The Apocalypse. I Can Live Off The Land!” She Jabbed A Finger At Me. “did You Know The Palm Tree Has Six Different Edible Parts?” “um—” “and I’ll Never Be Bored,” Neith Continued, “since I’m Also The Goddess Of Weaving. I Have Enough Twine For A Millennium Of Macramé!” I Had No Reply, As I Wasn’t Sure What Macramé Was.

Land

Bored

Tree

I Stared At Her. Maybe I Wasn't The Brightest Guy In The World When It Came To Girls, But I Was Pretty Sure Rachel Had Just Dumped Me, Which Was Lame Considering We'd Never Even Been Together.

Girl

Guy

Together

Monsters,' Her Dad Said, A Tear Tracing His Cheek. 'i Live In A World Of Monsters.

Dad

Tears

Monsters

Everyone Hates Clowns," Otis Said. "even Other Clowns Hate Clowns.

Hate

Clown

Said

It Almost Made Me Long For The Flying Pig. --percy

Pigs

Long

Flying

A Little Background: Annabeth Used To Adventure With Hermes's Son Luke. Over Time, Annabeth Developed A Crush On Luke. As Annabeth Got Older, Luke Developed Feelings For Her, Too. Luke Turned Evil. Hermes Blamed Annabeth For Not Preventing Luke From Turning Evil. Annabeth Blamed Hermes For Being A Rotten Dad And Giving Luke The Capacity To Become Evil In The First Place. Luke Died In War. Hermes And Annabeth Blamed Each Other. Confused? Welcome To My World.

Crush

Dad

Confused

The Olympians Were A Reminder That There Was Always Someone Better Than You, So You Shouldn't Get A Big Head.

Bigs

Reminders

Big Heads

The Most Dangerous Flaws Are Those Which Are Good In Moderation.

Flaws

Moderation

Dangerous

Set’s Storm Is Gathering,” Amos Said With A Twinkle In His Eyes. “shall We Drive Into Is?

Eye

Storm

Gathering

We Walked On The Beach, Fed Blue Corn Ships To The Seagulls, And Munched On Blue Jelly Beans, Blue Saltwater Taffy And All The Other Free Samples My Mom Brought Home From Work. I Guess I Should Explain The Blue Food. See, Gabe Had Once Told My Mom There Was No Such Thing. They Had This Fight, Which Seemed Like A Really Small Thing At The Time. But Ever Since, My Mom Went Out Of Her Way To Eat Blue. She Baked Blue Birthday Cakes. She Mixed Blueberry Smoothies. She Bought Blue-corn Tortilla Chips And Brought Home Blue Candy From The Shop.

Mom

Beach

Home

My Name Is Carter Kane. I'm Fourteen And My Home Is A Suitcase.

Home

Names

Suitcases

Keep A Demon Busy, I Thought. Right. Maybe He Fancies A Game Of Tiddlywinks.

Games

Fancy

Busy

Your Destiny Grows Clearer, Jason Grace. When The Choice Comes Again- Storm Or Fire- Remember Me. And Do Not Despair.

Destiny

Fire

Choices

Annabeth Didn’t Want To Sleep, But Her Body Betrayed Her. Her Eyelids Turned To Lead. “percy, Wake Me For Second Watch. Don’t Be A Hero.” He Gave Her That Smirk She’d Come To Love. “who, Me?” He Kissed Her, His Lips Parched And Feverishly Warm. “sleep.

Hero

Sleep

Watches

So, If I Looked Him Up On Google Maps-

Google

Maps

Google Maps

For A Moment, Percy Actually Remembered What It Was Like To Be Happy. He Had An Amazing Girlfriend. They Could Have A Future Together.

Girlfriend

Together

Moments

I Love To Read And You Should Read Percy Kackson & The Olympians The Last One The Best

Lasts

Should

Love To Read

Oh, I Wouldn't Say Love Always Makes You Happy. Sometimes It Makes You Incredibly Sad.

Sometimes

Make You Happy

Love Always

The Others Strapped Themselves Below - Except For Coach Hedge, Who Insisted On Clinging To The Forward Rail, Yelling, "yeah! Bring It On, Lake!

Lakes

Yelling

Yeah

I Can’t Believe Sadie’s Going To Let Me Have The Last Word. Our Experience Together Must’ve Really Taught Her Something. Ow, She Just Hit Me. Never Mind.

Believe

Mind

Together

I'd Like To Say I Took The News Well. The Truth Was, I Wanted To Strangle The Hunters Of Artemis One Eternal Maiden At A Time. --percy Jackson

Hunters

News

Maidens

Doughboy," I Said. "what Is This Scroll?" "a Spell Lost In Time!" He Pronounced. "ancient Words Of Tremendous Power!" "well?" I Demanded. "does It Tell How To Defeat Set?" "better! The Title Reads: The Book Of Summoning Fruit Bats!

Book

Bats

Titles

Leo: “i Can’t Believe I Thought You Were Hot.” Khione’s Face Turned Red. “hot? You Dare Insult Me? I Am Cold, Leo Valdez. Very, Very Cold.

Believe

Hot

Red

A Battle Can Be Won Before It's Ever Fought By Choosing The Right Ground.

Battle

Sugar And Caffeine. My Willpower Crumbled.

Sugar

Willpower

Caffeine

Stars," She Whispered. "i Can See The Stars Again, My Lady." A Tear Trickled Down Artemis's Cheek. "yes, My Brave One. They Are Beautiful Tonight." Stars," Zoe Repeated. Her Eyes Fixed On The Night Sky. And She Did Not Move Again.

Beautiful

Stars

Moving

Do You Always Try To Kill People When They Blow Their Nose?

Blow

People

Trying

Suspecting And Knowing Are Not The Same.

Knowing

Delaying Death Is One Of My Favorite Hobbies

Death

Favorite Hobby

Hobbies

Liz Cleared Her Throat. "isn't There A More Polite Term We're Supposed To Use Nowadays? Like....little Person, Or Vertically Challenged,or-" "i'm Not Going To Call Myself The God Of Vertically Challenged People," Bes Grumbled. "i'm A Dwarf!

Dwarves

People

Liz

I Looked Into His Eyes, And I Realized He Was The Same Man I'd Seen In My Dreams. His Face Might Be Totally Different, But The Same Soul Was In There, The Same Intelligence And All The Sadness.

Dream

Sadness

Eye

I Like To Remind Teachers That Even Though They're All Overwhelmed And Overloaded, And It's Easy To Get Burned Out, It Really Is About The Kids. It Only Takes One Good Teacher To Change A Life - One Time, And One Book. That's What Happened When I Was A Kid. I Had One Good Teacher That Came In At The Right Time And Turned Me Into A Writer. So Never Lose Sight - You Could Be That Teacher.

Teacher

Book

Kids

The Set Animal’s Jaws Were Pried Open So Fast That It Yelped And Let Go Of My Arm. I Stood, Now Encased In A Magical Barrier Twice My Normal Size, And Kicked Leroy Into A Wall. Good! Said Horus. Now Dispatch The Beast To The Netherworld! Quiet Man. I’m Doing All The Work.

Letting Go

Wall

Animal

What If It Lines Up Like It Did In The Trojan War ... Athena Versus Poseidon?" "i Don't Know. But I Just Know That I'll Be Fighting Next To You." "why?" "because You're My Friend, Seaweed Brain. Any More Stupid Questions?

War

Stupid

Fighting

I Stared At Him (dionysus). "you're...you're Married? But I Thought You Got In Trouble For Chasing A Wood Nymph-

Nymphs

Woods

Married

You Teach Combat, I Guess.” Aphros Threw Up His Hands In Exasperation. “why Does Everyone Assume That?” Leo Glanced At The Massive Sword On The Fish-guy’s Back. “uh, I Don’t Know.

Hands

Guy

Doe

There!" Apollo Pointed. "long Island, Dead Ahead. Let's Slow Down, Dear. 'dead' Is Only An Expression.

Islands

Expression

Long

You're A Stalker With Hooves." -percy Jackson

Everybody Was Patting Nico On The Back, Complimenting Him On His Fighting. Even The Ares Kids Thought He Was Pretty Cool. Hey, Show Up With An Army Of Undead Warriors To Save The Day, And Suddenly You're Everybody's Best Friend.

Kids

Fighting

Warrior

Glad You're Back To Normal. The Makeup And The Dress Were A Lot More Intimidating Than The Dagger." "get Going, Sparky, Before I Skewer You." "sparky?

Makeup

Dresses

Daggers

True Success Requires Sacrifice.

Sacrifice

True Success

Percy Pushed On His Side Furiously And The Crack Closed. His Eyes Blazed With Anger. She Hoped He Wasn’t Mad At Her, But If He Was She Couldn’t Blame Him. If It Keeps Him Going, She Thought, Then Let Him Be Angry.

Eye

Mad

Cracks

Think About Isis,” Jaz Repeated. “and Sadie…there Is A Purpose. You Taught Us That. We Choose To Believe In Ma'at. We Create Order Out Of Chaos, Beauty And Meaning Out Of Ugly Randomness. That's What Egypt Is All About. That's Why Its Name, Its Ren, Has Endured For Millennia. Don't Despair. Otherwise Chaos Wins.

Believe

Winning

Thinking

He Told Me He Wouldn't Hurt... Charlie. He Lied To Me.

Hurt

Lied

Charlie

I Am Never, Ever, Going To Make Things Easy For You, Seaweed Brain. Get Used To It.

Brain

Annabeth

Easy

Holy Mother!" "hmph. More Like Holy Father. I'd Think You'd Know The Difference." -hephaetus

Mother

Father

Thinking

Yeah, Well. I Don’t Try To Be Awesome. It Just Comes Natural.

Trying

Natural

Yeah

The Wood Nymph Instructors Left Me In The Dust. They Told Me Not To Worry About It. They'd Had Centuries Of Practice Running Away From Lovesick Gods. But Still, It Was A Little Humiliating To Be Slower Than A Tree.

Running

Dust

Practice

Wait Just A Minute," Ares Growled. He Pointed At Thalia And Me. "these Two Are Dangerous. It'd Be Much Safer, While We've Got Them Here—" "ares," Poseidon Interrupted, "they Are Worthy Heroes. We Will Not Blast My Son To Bits." "nor My Daughter," Zeus Grumbled. "she Has Done Well.

Daughter

Hero

Son

June Smiled. "so What Will It Be? Safety, Or A Future Of Pain And Possibility?"

Pain

June

Safety

Sorry,no Thanks,if I Was Going To Die It Could Wait Until Tomorrow Morning.

Morning

Sorry

Waiting

Most Of Set’s Forces Were Running Towards Our Boat, Screaming And Throwing Rocks (which Tended To Fall Down And Hit Them, But No One Says Demons Are Bright).

Running

Fall

Rocks

Which Meant His Only Assets Were One Whiny Imprisoned Goddess, One Sort-of-girlfriend With A Dagger, And Leo, Who Apparently Thought He Could Defeat The Armies Of Darkness With Breath Mints.

Girlfriend

Army

Darkness

My Dear, I'm A Cat. Everything I See Is Mine.

Cat

Hail

Dear

The Romans Always Wanted Bread And Circuses-food And Entertainement! As We Destroy Their City, I Will Offer Them Both. Behold, A Sample!" Someething Dropped From The Ceiling And Landed At Percy's Feet: A Loaf Of Sandwich Bread In A White Plastic Wrapper With Red And Yellow Dots. Percy Picked It Up. "wonder Bread?" "magnificent, Isn't It?" Ephialtes Eyes Danced With Crazy Excitement.

Crazy

Eye

Cities

Here's A Tip, Alyconeus. Next Time You Choose The Biggest State For Your Home, Don't Set Up Base In The Part That's Only 10 Miles Wide. Welcome To Canada, Idiot.

Home

Canada

Fighting Giants Was One Thing. Bacchus Making Into A Game Was Something Else.

Fighting

Games

Giants

If I'm Dead," He Murmured. "why Does It Hurt So Much?

Hurt

Doe

Ifs

I'm The Son Of Jupiter, I'm A Child Of Rome, Consul To Demigods, Praetor Of The First Legion. I Slew The Trojan Sea Monster, I Toppled The Black Throne Of Kronos, And Destroyed Titan Krios With My Own Hand. And Now I'm Going To Destroy You Porphyrion, And Feed You To Your Own Wolves." "wow, Dude," Leo Muttered, "you Been Eating Red Meat?

Children

Son

Rome

I Concentrated Hard And Snapped My Fingers. "you Don't See The Sword," I Told The Girl. "it's Just A Ballpoint Pen." She Blinked. "um . . . No. It's A Sword, Weirdo.

Girl

Fingers

Weirdo

Tyson- "cash? Like...green Paper?" Percy- "yeah." Tyson- "like The Kind In Duffel Bags?" Percy-"yeah, But We Lost Those Bags Days A-g-g--." "tyson! How Did You--" Tyson- "thought It Was A Feed Bag For Rainbow. Found It Floating In Sea, But Only Paper Inside. Sorry.

Sorry

Sea

Rainbow

Wouldn't That Put A Twist In Your Toga?

Twists

Togas

He Nodded Nervously. ‘he Looks Like A Magician. I Hate Magicians. They Usually Have Rabbits.’ I Stared At Him. ‘you’re Scared Of Bunnies?’ ‘blah-hah-hah! They’re Big Bullies. Always Stealing Celery From Defenceless Satyrs.

Hate

Bully

Rabbits

The Truth Hit Him. Jason Wasn't Quite Roman Anymore. His Time At Camp Half-blood Had Changed Him. Reyna Had Recognized That. Apparently, So Did The Undead Legionnaires. If Jason No Longer Gave Off The Right Sort Of Vibe, Or Aura Of A Roman Leader.

Blood

Leader

Jason

Percy!” He Bellowed. He Dropped His Broom And Ran At Me. If You’ve Never Been Charged By An Enthusiastic Cyclops Wearing A Flowered Apron And Rubber Cleaning Gloves, I’m Telling You, It’ll Wake You Up Quick.

Wakes You

Gloves

Rubber

For What It’s Worth: Trust Your Feelings. I Can’t Promise That You’ll Never Get Hurt Again, But I Can Promise You The Risk Is Worth It.

Hurt

Feelings

Risk

He [nico] Regarded Jason, As If Waiting For An Attack. 'if The Others Found Out-' 'if The Others Found Out,' Jason Said, 'you'd Have That Many More People To Back You Up, And To Unleash The Fury Of The Gods On Anybody Who Gives You Trouble.

Giving

People

Waiting

So You've Got No Name?" I Asked. "they Couldn't Think Of One Ugly Enough?" The Creature Snarled, Stepping Over The Unconscious Policeman. "set Animal Is Too Hard To Say," I Decided. "i'll Call You Leroy." Apparently, Leroy Didn't Like His Name. He Lunged.

Animal

Thinking

Names

I Didn’t Know Baboons Could Drive Recreational Vehicles, But Khufu Did Okay. When I Woke Up Around Dawn, He Was Navigating Through The Early Morning Rush Hour In Houston, Baring His Fangs And Barking A Lot, And None Of The Other Drivers Seemed To Notice Anything Out Of The Ordinary.

Morning

Khufu

Houston

Cacus.” I’d Had Years Of Practice Looking Dumb When People Threw Out Greek Names I Didn’t Know. It’s A Skill Of Mine. Annabeth Keeps Telling Me To Read A Book Of Greek Myths, But I Don’t See The Need. It’s Easier Just To Have Folks Explain Stuff.

Book

Years

Practice

You Speak Horse?" Hazel Asked. "speaking To Horses Is A Poseidon Thing," Percy Said. "uh, I Mean A Neptune Thing." "then You And Arion Should Get Along Fine," Hazel Said. "he's A Son Of Neptune Too." Percy Turned Pale. "excuse Me?

Horse

Mean

Son

Vulcan?" Leo Demanded. "i Don't Even Like Star Trek!

Stars

Khufu Carefully Picked Out Everything That Ended With-o—doritos, Oreos, And Some Chunks Of Meat. Buffalo? Armadillo? I Was Scared To Even Ask.

Khufu

Meat

Oreos

They Had A Silent Staring Contest, But Percy Didn’t Back Down. When He And Annabeth Started Dating, His Mother Had Drummed It Into His Head: It’s Good Manners To Walk Your Date To The Door. If That Was True, It Had To Be Good Manners To Walk Her To The Start Of Her Epic Solo Death Quest.

Mother

Epic

Doors

Piper To Drew: P: In Case Youthink Im Not A True Daughter Of Aphrodite Dont Even Look At Jason Grace. He May Not Know It Yet But He’s Mine. If You Even Try To Make A Move, I Will Load You Into A Catapult And Shoot You Across Long Island Sound.

Daughter

Moving

Islands

I Figure The World Is Basically A Machine. I Don't Know Who Made It, If It Was The Fates, Or The Gods, Or The Capital-g God Or Whatever. But It Chugs Along The Way It's Supposed To Most Of The Time. Sure, Little Pieces Break Off And Stuff Goes Haywire Once In A While, But Mostly... Things Happen For A Reason.

Fate

Break Off

Littles

Festus Just Detected A Large Group Of Eagles Behind Us—long-range Radar, Still Not In Sight.” Piper Leaned Over The Console. “are You Sure They’re Roman?” Leo Rolled His Eyes. “no, Pipes. It Could Be A Random Group Of Giant Eagles Flying In Perfect Formation. Of Course They’re Roman!

Eye

Sight

Eagles

Normally My Sister, Sadie, Or Some Of Our Other Initiates From Brooklyn House Would've Come With Me. But They Were All At The First Nome, In Egypt, For A Weeklong Training Session On Controlling Cheese Demons(yes, They're A Real Thing; Believe Me, You Don't Want To Know)

Real

Believe

Egypt

Briefly, The Nymphaeum Glowed With A Softer Light, Like A Full Moon. Piper Smelled Exotic Spices And Blooming Roses. She Heard Distant Music And Happy Voices Talking And Laughing. She Guessed She Was Hearing Hundreds Of Years Of Parties And Celebrations That Had Been Held At This Shrine In Ancient Times, As If The Memories Had Been Freed Along With The Spirits. 'what Is That?' Jason Asked Nervously. Piper Slipped Her Hand Into His. 'the Ghosts Are Dancing.

Memories

Party

Moon

In Person, If Possible, Anubis Was Even More Drop-dead Gorgeous. [oh . . . Ha, Ha. I Didn't Catch The Pun, But Thank You, Carter. God Of The Dead, Drop-dead Gorgeous. Yes, Hilarious. Now, May I Continue?]

Anubis

May

Drop Dead Gorgeous

And Please God, Grant Me The Wisdom To Remember That I Am Writing For Children, Not Golden Stickers.

Children

Writing

Golden

I'll Succeed,' Hazel Promised. 'and Hecate? I'm Not Choosing One Of Your Paths. I'm Making My Own.

Succeed

Path

Choosing One

I Love New York. You Can Pop Out Of The Underworld In Central Park, Hail A Taxi, Head Down Fifth Avenue With A Giant Hellhound Loping Behind You, And Nobody Even Looks At You Funny.

New York

Central Park

Giants

I Could Have Killed You.” “or I Could Have Killed You,” Percy Said. Jason Shrugged. “if There’d Been An Ocean In Kansas, Maybe.” “i Don’t Need An Ocean—” “boys,” Annabeth Interrupted, “i’m Sure You Both Would’ve Been Wonderful At Killing Each Other. But Right Now, You Need Some Rest.” Food First,” Percy Said. “please?

Ocean

Boys

Kansas

Once She Was Gone, I Knelt Next To Annabeth And Felt Her Forehead. She Was Still Burning Up. "you're Cute When You're Worried," She Muttered. "your Eyebrows Get All Scrunched Together." "you Are Not Going To Die While I Owe You A Favor," I Said. "why Did You Take That Knife?" "you Would've Done The Same For Me." It Was True. I Guess We Both Knew It. Still, I Felt Like Somebody Was Poking My Heart With A Cold Metal Rod.

Cute

Friendship

Heart

Down In The Water, Octavian Yelled, “get Me Out Of Here! I’ll Kill You!” “tempting,” Percy Called Down.

Water

Octavian

Tempting

But I've Never Even Been To Olympus! Zeus Is Crazy!" Chiron And Grover Glanced Nervously At The Sky. The Clouds Didn't Seem To Be Parting Around Us, As Grover Had Promised. They Were Rolling Straight Over Our Valley, Sealing Us In Like A Coffin Lid. Er, Percy ...?" Grover Said. "we Don't Use The C-word To Describe The Lord Of The Sky.

Crazy

Clouds

Sky

Come On," I Said. "i've Got Some Questions For Thoth. And Then I'm Going To Punch Him In The Beak.

Beaks

Said

Throwing Down Your Staff May Sound Like A Sign Of Surrender, But In Egyptian Magic, It's Bad News. It Usually Means, 'hey, I'm Going To Summon A Big Nasty Thing To Kill You While I Stand Safely Inside My Circle And Laugh'.

Mean

Circles

Laughing

There Is Always A Way Out For Those Clever Enough To Find It.

Clever

Way

Enough

If My Life Is Going To Mean Anything, I Have To Live It Myself.

Inspirational

Life

Inspiring

Evil Is Easy To Fight. Lack Of Wisdom...that Is Very Hard Indeed.

Fighting

Evil

Easy

Erre Es Korakas, Blinky!" Dionysus Cursed. "i Will Have Your Soul!

Soul

Dionysus

Cursed

The First Thing We Pulled Out Was A Lump Of White Gunk. “wax,” Carter Pronounced. “fascinating.

White

Firsts

Carter

Do You Have A Favorite Constalation, Percy?' I Was Still Kind Of Wondering About The Little Green Snakes He'd Shoved Into His Jogging Shorts, But I Said. 'uh, I Like Hercules.' 'why?' 'well... Because He Had Rotten Luck. Even Worse Than Mine. It Makes Me Feel Better." The Jogger Chuckled. 'not Because He Was Strong And Famouse And All That?' 'no.

Strong

Feel Better

Snakes

Love Conquers All," Aphrodite Promised. "look At Helen And Paris. Did They Let Anything Come Between Them?" "didn't They Start The Trojan War And Get Thousands Of People Killed?" "pfft. That's Not The Point. Follow Your Heart.

True Love

War

Heart

Does Truth Have A Moral?

Truth

Doe

Moral

He Could't Have Survied A Hundred Foot Drop. I'm Sorry Annabeth.

Sorry

Feet

Annabeth

Are You The Cursed Kid Nemesis Mentioned?" Leo Asked. "but You're A Girl." "you're A Girl," Said The Girl. "excuse Me?

Girl

Kids

Excuse

But You'll Be Killed!" "i'll Be Fine. Besides, We've Got No Choice." Annabeth Glared At Me Like She Was Going To Punch Me. And Then She Did Something That Surprised Me Even More. She Kissed Me.

Choices

Annabeth

Fine

Turkey, Australia, And Japan Are Three Of My Top Destinations.

Percy Blinked. “so Your Brother Is A Winged Horse. But You’re Also My Half Brother, Which Means All The Flying Horses In The World Are My…you Know What? Lets’ Forget It.

Brother

Horse

Mean

No One Can Hate You With More Intensity Than Someone Who Used To Love You.

Love

Relationship

Hate

Now, Now," Bast Said. "it's Not So Bad." "right," I Said. "we're Stuck In Washington, D.c. We Have Two Days To Make It To Arizona And Stop A God We Don't Know How To Stop. And If We Can't, We'll Never See Our Dad Or Amos Again, And The World Might End." "that's The Spirit!" Bast Said Brightly. "now, Let's Have A Picnic.

Dad

Two

World

Mr. D," Grover Asked Timidly, "if You're Not Going To Eat It, Could I Have Your Diet Coke Can?

Coke

Grover

Diets

Indeed, "hera Said. ―porphyrion, The Strongest Of His Kind. Gaea Needed A Great Deal Of Power To Raise Him Again —my Power. For Weeks I‘ve Grown Weaker As My Essence Was Used To Grow Him A New Form." ―so You‘re Like A Heat Lamp,"leo Guessed. ―or Fertilizer.

Essence

Lamps

Gaea

This Is Buford,” Leo Announced. “you Name Your Furniture?” Frank Asked.

Names

Furniture

Percy Jackson And The Olympians

It Blew My Mind That This Stuff Had Survived For Two Thousand, Three Thousand Years.

Years

Two

Mind

And Togheter, Holding Hands, He And Annabeth Fell Into The Endless Darkness

Hands

Darkness

Annabeth

The More You Know, The More You Try To Change Them, And That Can Be Disastrous.

Trying

Knows

A Person's Shadow Stood For His Legacy, His Impact On The World. Some People Cast Hardly Any Shadow At All. Some Cast Long, Deep Shadows That Endured For Centuries.

Impact

Long

People

After All The Dangerous Adventures I'd Had, I Couldn't Die Like This. Sadie Would Be Devastated. Then, Once She Got Over Her Grief, She'd Track Down My Soul In The Egyptian Afterlife And Tease Me Mercilessly For How Stupid I'd Been.

Stupid

Grief

Adventure

Hercules Used Noise! Brass Bells! He Scared Them Away With The Most Horrible Sound He Could-" Said Percy "percy... Chiron's Collection!

Sound

Annabeth

Bells

The Demigods Have Left For Alaska," Stheno Said. "they Fly Straight To Their Death. Ah, Small "d" Death, I Mean. Not Our Prisoner Death. Although, I Suppose They're Flying To Him Too.

Mean

Alaska

Flying

The Dead See What They Believe They Will See. So Do The Living. That Is The Secret.

Believe

Secret

Blowfish, Did You Say?" "ah, No. Blofis, Actually." "oh, I See," Poseidon Said. "a Shame. I Quite Like Blowfish.

Shame

Poseidon

Said

Don't Feel Bad, I'm Usually About To Die.

Death

Sorry

Mythology

It's Natural To Feel Fear. All Great Warriors Are Afraid. Only The Stupid And The Delusional Are Not.

Stupid

Warrior

Natural

Elections Only Happen In Two Ways," Reyna Said. "either The Legion Raises Someone On A Shield After A Major Success On The Battlefield-and We Haven't Had Any Major Battles-or We Hold A Ballot On The Evening Of June 24, At The Feast Of Fortuna. That's In Five Days." Percy Frowned. "you Have A Feast For Tuna?

June

Two

Battle

Go Chase A Donut. -percy Jackson.

Donuts

A Half-blood Of The Eldest Gods, Shall Reach Sixteen Against All Odds And See The World In Endless Sleep The Hero's Soul, Cursed Blade Shall Reap A Single Choice Shall End His Days Olympus To Preserve Or Raze.

Hero

Sleep

Odds

Thank Artemis, It Is You! That Little Scar On Your Lip--you Tried To Eat A Stapler When You Were Two!" ... Hedge Nodded Like He Approved Of Jason's Taste. "staplers--excellent Source Of Iron.

Two

Iron

Jason

Me? I Slept Like The Dead, Which I Hoped Wasn’t A Sign Of Things To Come.

I Think I Write For Reluctant Readers. Of Course I Want Everyone To Enjoy My Books, But If The Kids In The Back Row Who Normally Don't Pick Up A Book Are Engaged With What I'm Writing, Along With The Kids Who Are Big Readers Anyway, Then I Really Feel Like I've Done My Job.

Jobs

Book

Writing

A General Never Shows Despair. He Instills Confidence In His Troops. He Leads Them Forward, Even Into The Mouth Of Death.

Leadership

Despair

Troops

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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