#but then they saw so many demigods on luke's ship

[achillesmonochrome]

Saw this meme, and I thought of filling it because it looked like fun, this is the original poster if you want to check out.

I decided to do a detailed opinion about why I give X rating, and you may realize that the jars may not reflect the numbers that much; look I have problem with visualizing what is 1/3 or so on, I cannot help it. 

As you can see, I had…not the best opinions about many ships, including big ships; so, in order to make sure people don’t read negative stuff of their OTPs. I will avoid tagging the ships (unless I have positive feelings about it) and I would not tag characters at all, if only so less people can find this on accident. If you see // in the middle of a ship name, is so people cannot accidentally found that ship while looking on the tag, because is not going to be pretty.

I will also hide my more detailed opinions behind a read more, to, AGAIN, ensure no one reads something that they don’t want to read.

I need to remind people that THIS IS MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION. You are free to ship what you ship and I will not tell you to stop, this is just what I think of it.

If you click in that read more, you need to acknowledge that this is just my opinion, and that you may encounter something you may not like. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And lastly, I didn’t proofread this because is just a stupid post on tumblr I thought anyone would read, so there would be mistakes most probably. Sorry not sorry.

On with the show!

Percy x Annabeth: 2/10. I would give it a 1 but I can still write them together, and I can read it, so I guess a 2 if only because I can tolerate them. But no I don’t like this ship, I prefer them a lot more like friends.

Percy x Grover: 2/10. Not my thing, is not a 1 or a 0 because I don’t have anything against it, but eh, I don’t know I don’t see it. Is funny because in paper it sounds wonderful for me; is gay, they have this soul connection that has their lives linked and can feel each other, Grover was Percy’s first friend, being around Grover may help hide Percy’s identity in general (since satyrs are “protectors” I hc their smell can hide demigods); it has EVERYTHING for me to love it, and yet…eh.

Percy x Luke: 6/10. Like ok, for how things are in canon, it wouldn’t work out, all enemy things and that age gap as it is, is not going nowhere. BUT, I love angst, and drama, and let me tell you I adore the idea of Luke’s being Percy’s first love, just to break his heart in a million pieces, making him enrage so badly he wants revenge at all cost? Is percico but the traitor actually betrays the other I LOVE IT. I need to give it this rating just because I still like unrequited ships.

Percy x Rachel: 8/10. YES, THAT HITS THE SPOT. Like ok I haven’t written about them yet, and I haven’t read the original pjo books in a while, but ohhh this hits different. Rachel is so sweet but still doesn’t get Percy to get away with shit, she is supportive and makes Percy feel normal. They are wholesome.

Percy x Calypso: 5/10. Ok I think they were cute in the book where Calypso was introduced, and hey Percy said it himself, she would be his biggest what if, that says a lot. I just don’t like Calypso as much because well, when she came back in HoH she was really different and kind of annoying; specially because for what I know of MoA, she doesn’t change; like A LOT of people try to say that Calypso was only like that because she was salty for still being in her island, but even when she is out she is still an asshole to Leo. Fuck that shit.

Percy x Nico: 4/10. Same scenario as luckercy, but with less love for it. Like, I LOVE Nico being in love with Percy, if only for the angst, even if part of me still think it doesn’t make a lot of sense that he loves him this much (but that’s another story). I used to ship percico, like a lot, but now I just idk, can’t see Percy reciprocating? I had tried, believe me, but when I try to read a fic with them as a couple while I see where Nico is coming from, I can’t see why Percy would love him, not because I think Nico is unlovable (he is one of my favourite characters for fucks sake) but I don’t see why Percy would fall for him.

Percy x Bianca: 1/10. Look, I hate this? No, I don’t, which is why is not a 0/10, but I can’t see it. I basically adopted Bianca like an Oc (because she barely exists so is my territory now bitches) and for me Bianca is a lesbian. I may be able to read it if the story interest me enough, but even then a lot of times I had decided to not read something if this ship is in it.

Percy x Michael: 7/10. LISTEN, I will write about them? Probably know, I still don’t feel like I have a good idea of who Michael is to do so, BUT, I have some people on a discord server who adore this pair, and I read some fics, and it is good, hell I had made a couple of memes myself because it fits them. Great stuff all around.

Percy x Will: 3/10. I can read it? Yes, I had even seen some impressive works with this ship, but not my thing. Probably because I am not the biggest fan of Will (not that I am of Percy, but still)

Percy x Ethan: 3/10. A similar deal as Percy x Will, but I really haven’t read anything about them. Like ok it could be interesting with the fact that Percy saved Ethan and then he went with Kronos, but idk, I don’t care enough about Ethan to even properly imagine this.

Percy x Hermes: 1/10. Again, I don’t hate this ship, but…eh? I think Percy is bi and I do not believe ANY of the gods are straight, so is not like a hc sexuality is an issue, is just…I don’t see it, I imagine I could read it, but would be odd.

Percy x Apollo: 3/10. I mean, I doubt I would write about it, but I am planning to read a fic for them (because summary looked interesting and multiple people telling me is great) so I am giving them a chance.

Percy x Hades: 7/10. NOT ME SHIPPING HADERCY MORE THAN PERCABETH LMAOOO. Ok, ok, if the idea of luckercy is interesting for Percy’s heartbreak, it is peak comedy when thinking about Percy’s crush on Hades. Like ok, there is this line in TLT about how Hades is the only god that has actually looked like a god to him and all that jazz, saying stuff like "looking lithe, graceful and dangerous as a panther"

Bitch if you told me that description belonged to someone describing the love interest, I would buy it without a second thought.

And the fact that Hades kidnapped Percy’s mom and tries to kill him later on, and Nico was crushing on him, with Percy having/had a crush on Hades? I can’t, I am literally doubling in laughter while writing this, is so fucking funny.

Would Hades like him back (thinking of Percy becoming an adult)? Probably not, don’t care, still funny.

Percy x Reyna: 1/10. You know the drill, don’t hate it, just don’t see it. I hc Reyna as ace biromantic, but I still think she didn’t have a crush on Percy, was just proposing because she was desperate to not have Octavian in power; also is fucking unrealistic that Percy of all people would know when someone is subtly flirting with him; are talking about the same guy who Annabeth kissed and he wasn’t sure what that meant?

Percy x Piper: 3/10. Eh, not my cup of tea, but I had see it before and it can be okay. Tho I still like the idea that Piper is actually a lesbian.

Percy x Jason: 2/10. Did I write a jercy recently? Yes, do I understand why those two would love each other? Not for the life of me. I had tried, I swear I had, but I really don’t know how that would work. Sorry.

Percy x Leo: 4/10. Like I haven’t written anything about them, but the idea sounds wholesome to be honest; idk too kids with complicated house lives and jokes as some sort of copy mechanism (Percy is more sass than anything but still)? I think would be interesting really.

Percy x Hazel: 8/10; tho I gave it the same rating as perachel, I think I love it more than them, if only because I like more Hazel than Rachel (Rachel is great, but Hazel is Hazel you know?). I mean, Hazel is a sweet but badass girl, and she thought Percy was a god when she saw him; I think in a few years Percy could stop seeing Hazel like a little girl and fall for her. Look I know age gap and shit but I think once they are old enough as adults, it doesn’t matter (Is not the same 15 dating a 20 yo than a 40 dating a 45 yo you know?)

Percy x Frank: 7/10. A little less than Perazel if only because I like Hazel more than Frank, but still wholesome. Good friends that deeply respect each other and ends in something more? Oh so sweet, that’s the spot.

Annabeth x Luke: 1/10. Like sure, Annabeth liked Luke, not that I could EVER see happening the other way around (is technically canon but the whole thing is flimsy as fuck and makes ZERO SENSE HOLY FUCK RR), but it is a lot less funny than luckery; because I remember when I was reading TLT, and I was like “fuck Annabeth would still hang out hope for Luke” but then she was very reasonable about him leaving, so I was like “oh so this would not be a problem?” but then it was for the next four books and I wanted to hit my head against a wall every single time.

Look I used to HATE Luke, like with passion, that has changed (…more or less) so having Annabeth hopelessly trying to get him back was annoying for me; like sure it makes sense, they known each other for years and all of that, but ugggggh.

Annabeth x Thalia: 8/10. This was my second OTP when I was reading the books, and unlike Percy x Annabeth, I still think they are great. I don’t ship it as strongly as before (honestly all my ships with Annabeth I had the other person being the half of another OTP of mine) but I really love the idea of it.

Annabeth x Connor: 1/10. I don’t see it, and I haven’t tried not gonna lie. Look, I know the fandom loves the Stolls for…reasons, but I was never one of them, I truly do not give a shit about Connor or Travis, I don’t think of them, so I don’t see how it would work.

Annabeth x Grover: 5/10. I…I didn’t ever think of this, at all, until I saw this list, but you know what? Would be interesting. Like, they had been friends even before the events of the first book, and unlike Thalia or Luke, he didn’t disappear at some point or another; so hey, why not? It would be funny Annabeth leaving Percy for Grover not gonna lie.

Annabeth x Clarisse: 4/10. I don’t like Clarisse that much, but hey I don’t like Annabeth that much either so it balances out. I hc that they had an angry make out at some point or another, because I think they had a lot of unresolved tension that would go out that way. Is like what people say of jercy but with a lot more basis in it.

Also, Clarisse was the one to come with the “wise girl” thing, not Percy, extra points for that.

Annabeth x Jason: 3/10. I read a fic with them recently that was amazing, not gonna lie; and I kind of see it? Like interest more or less align, but eh, not sure if it would work out, short-term fine but long term? Doubt it.

Annabeth x Piper: 7/10. I remember how Piper’s charmspeak almost worked on Annabeth, and since then I thought Piper was how Annabeth realized she is wlw (I think Annabeth is demisexual but they were good friends so works out). Is a cute pairing, specially with the forehead touch and Annabeth seeing Piper’s strengths (which is something she struggles a lot) so yeah, nice.

Annabeth x Leo: 4/10. Sure Leo is too much of a jokester, but Annabeth would need to fold at some point and admit Leo is really fucking smart (I still think is ridiculous that people think he is dumb, the guy had been creating amazing things since he was a child, he can do math which is more than I can say for my gay ass); like jasabbeth, probably wouldn’t work long term, but short term? Why not?

Annabeth x Reyna: 7/10. I used to ship these a lot more, not gonna lie; also I am CONVINCED Annabeth’s was Reyna’s first crush (she had a crush on her on Circe’s island, and that came a hit her like a truck when she came back and they talked; unlike Percy and Reyna they had like, a meaningful conversation) but idk, I guess because I don’t love Annabeth as I used to do, I don’t see it as much. At the very least Annabeth would respect Reyna 100%, which is one of the few things I need with a ship for hers (because something that drives me insane about Percy x Annabeth, is how I feel she doesn’t respect Percy) so that’s something.

Annabeth x Rachel: 2/10. Like ok, is not impossible, but I don’t see it, maybe because Annabeth was kind of an asshole to Rachel before, but oof.

Annabeth x Frank: 3/10. A little bit like Grover x Annabeth, I never thought about it before, but I don’t, feel it as much. Grover x Annabeth I could at least image where it would go, this…no clue. Annabeth doesn’t completely disregard Frank, so hey, points for it, but eh.

Annabeth x Hazel: 2/10. I mean, I could see Hazel liking Annabeth, maybe like a hero crush, but yeah. Annabeth to Hazel? Oof, hard to picture (even if I kind of wrote about it when I did the seven as a poly ship, it was an odd project and I should write another one only because the first one SUCKED)

Thalia x Bianca: 11/10. MY OTP. Listen I had ship these HARD for years now, I don’t even remember my entire thought process, but there is that. Also Bianca is a useless lesbian who crushed on Thalia when she saw her fight, because attractive girls who can kick her ass are her weakness, and had a meltdown about it.

Thalia x Luke: 0/10. NOPE, I hated this ship with passion since I first read this saga, and while I don’t hate Luke as I used to do, I still dislike it. Even if I think Luke had a thing for Thalia (the man had good taste who can blame him) I still would give him a 0 out of 10 because the vitriol I have for this ship is unmeasurable.

Thalia x Nico: 0/10. Hey speaking of things I hate with passion! Even before I knew Nico was gay, I never liked this ship (because I used to think Thalia was a lesbian, if only because I had a giant crush on her and I thought I was a lesbian when I was a teen), so it never landed for me.

I don’t even see them that much as friends, in the right circumstances I see Thalia adopting Nico as a little brother, but that’s the farthest I would go.  

Thalia x Reyna: 5/10. This used to be my OTP, but I don’t remember exactly how, I had some sort of fall out about it. I still can see it, but I don’t ship it that much anymore. I still love beynalia (I don’t remember how that happened but it happened in my mind okay?)

Thalia x Zoë: 4/10 Eh, I could see Thalia having a crush on her the first time they crossed paths, but she didn’t want to leave her family behind (no I will not believe she didn’t leave just because of Luke, I will deny that until the day I fucking die)

Thalia x Artemis: 2/10. Look, Thalia having something for Artemis? I could go there, but FUCK I hate Artemis with passion, if she isn’t the Olympian I despite the most is because taking Zeus out of that place is freaking impossible, but she is close.

Luke x Ethan: 2/10. I do not care for Ethan enough, I don’t even think I remember if he was a minor or an adult in the series. Luke is also not that important to me, so yeah.

Luke x Dionysius: 1/10. I am not even going to make a commentary, just…no.

Luke x Silena: 0/10. NO, JUST FUCKING NO. This isn’t even about Luke anymore, I fucking hate that the entire reason Silena betrayed camp was because Luke’s charm, like HOLY SHIT RR YOU COULDN’T DO SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING?! The fact that she betrayed the camp for a guy she didn’t even really love is so…ugh, really the idea of a spy could had been more interesting and it was wasted. I hate this ship only on that alone.

Silena x Charles: 3/10. Here is the thing: I didn’t read the companion books until much later (you don’t have an idea how confuse I was about Bob) because they didn’t got to my country and I didn’t know where I should read them to avoid spoilers, so I just thought it was unnecessary for the bigger plot. That meant I barely saw things about Beckendorf or Silena before knowing they would die. So I didn’t care that much for either of them.

Silena x Clarisse: 7/10. Look, I don’t like either of them that much, Clarisse was an asshole to Percy at first (and she refusing to fight on TLO was DUMB AS FUCK), which I had never fully let go, and Silena betrayed camp and well, later on I became a Drew stan which complicated that issue further. BUT, THE FUCKING PATROACCHILLES PARALLELS. I didn’t even read the Illiad (or Song of Achilles) when I first read TLO, but FUCK that scene was so freaking romantic I can’t.

Nico x Will: 1/10. I only give it a one because SOMETIMES, people write solan//gelo and it doesn’t completely suck, but I hate this pairing with passion in canon and that is not changing. I used to ship, but then I got older, and I experienced what it is to have someone invalidate your experiences when they have no business knowing that or saying you are making shit up; the fact that we go the first book of ToA and they are suddenly dating didn’t help; I hated when they did that to jas//per, doing it solan//gelo wasn’t going it any favors.

Ultimately the only reason I see this happening, is Nico accepting to date the first guy he knows is queer because he thinks he would not have any other chance. Is the typical “Two baby queers date because think is their only option” that happened to me and so many of my friends is not even funny. That’s about it.

Nico x Apollo: 2/10. I ship nipollo? No, would I found it funny only to spite Will? Yes.

Nico x Jason: 12/10. These two are not only my OTP, nooo, they are the freaking reason I came back to this fandom after so long, I love them so much is not even funny; even when they are not together I would write bibles about their friendship. They are fucking goals.

It started nicely? Of course not, I still remember Jason being an ass to Nico, and Nico also thinking Jason as “the golden boy” and that had everything in a silver platter. It started with the wrong foot.

But that’s the beauty of it; the fact that they had the wrong idea about each other, and it was only after being hit with the evidence, that they could truly see each other and learn to love the other (in canon, they love each others as friend, I think it can go deeper)

I will try to keep it short, but you can check my jasico tag, I adore them.

Nico x Frank: 1/10. Not my thing, like Frank is not an ass to Nico (if only for Hazel) but their entire relationship is about Hazel; so no, I don’t see how this would happen.

Nico x Leo: 5/10. I am currently reading a fic of a friend of mine, but I think I would kind of abandon it, because OOF. Like look, I don’t, really see it, it could happen! Of course it could, but I really need someone to lay down for me how it would work, which is not always how people write about them (when I read fics where they already have feelings for each other I feel a disconnection since I don’t know how they got there)

Nico x Reyna: 0/10. I love them as siblings and best friends, shipping them? Not really, like the ship would work a lot if it wasn’t because Nico is gay, but I honestly don’t see Nico loving a girl; if Reyna was a boy then maybe, but eh, again, I prefer them as siblings.

Nico x Dionysius: 1/10. Like, ooof, that cannot go well; I want to read something toxic and unhealthy, ok, but otherwise? I prefer just so say no. Tho if Dionysius was attractive (which was how he was described in Ancient Greece, at least a lot of times) I could see Nico having attraction if only for that.

Hazel x Leo: 7/10. I ship frazeleo, and a lot of ships work better for me when they are in ot3 or bigger polycules, but Hazel x Leo alone is cute. I see Leo falling for Hazel, and Hazel could see pass Sammy and appreciate Leo for who he is. Though the whole Sammy/Leo conflict was stupid and despite shipping frazeleo, that triangle was a fucking waste of time.

Hazel x Reyna: 6/10. I had written them before and while I don’t totally see it, in the right circumstances I think it could happen! Also Reyna is my baby so I want good people for her, and Hazel is amazing.

Hazel x Piper: 9/10. I need to go back to writing about them, but they can be so cute. They had a great friendship in HoO (even if it was mostly off screen but whatever) and they would be such a sweet couple. Ahh I adore them.

Hazel x Frank: 7/10. I mean, they are an okay ship, but I don’t, ship them that hard. Like I still think Hazel x Frank could had happened a lot later (not everyone needed to be paired, especially since Hazel is 13 and is still adjusting to all the things that had happened to her, it can wait) but is not actively harmful like most of pjo’s main couples. I still don’t like how Hazel was embarrassed of Frank at first though, but considering all the other canon ships, they at least appreciate and respect each other more than the rest.

Hazel x Jason: 4/10. I love Jason? With all my heart. I love Hazel? Of course, she is badass. I still remember an idea about them having a thing before he disappeared, but that’s about it. It could happen, and I think would be wholesome, but is not something I am actively rooting for.

The fact that Hazel had doubts about Jason in HoH doesn’t help shipping them, but I still found that extremely hilarious.

Leo x Jason: 7/10. Is a solid ship, and if someone is going to make Leo realize he likes men, is going to be Jason (tho I still think he knows, is just that he didn’t want to accept it because he is such a portrayal of closeted gay I still cannot believe he hasn’t come out). It could totally see it happen, I just ship them more with other people.

Jason x Piper: 1/10. If I don’t completely hate it, is because part of my INSANE hate for this couple went away when they broke up, because I got validated. I still think they are bad for each other romantically, bros for sure but as a ship? NOPE. Like, Piper was always more interested in this relationship that Jason ever was, and even then Piper was fixated in the boy of her fake memories than the real Jason, and had an idea of him being the perfect hero, which I don’t think Jason enjoyed very much.

Unlike perca//beth, I really rarely tolerate this on a fic, so wow you need a good reason for me reading it if they are together and don’t break up at some point.

Jason x Frank: 1/10. Ok, I don’t have as big of an issue as with jas//per, I just don’t see it. That’s about it.

Jason/Reyna: 2/10. I see why people ship it, and in the right circumstances (which are hella tricky) it could happen. But in canon? I don’t even think they were close friends in canon.

I understand why people want to think that, but for me it didn’t happen. Reyna literally trusted Nico after travelling for 2 weeks with a secret she never told anybody, she knew Jason for years and that never happened. Which ok could be because he was a roman and could say something about it.

But then Jason never shared anything significant with her (or with anybody, that’s another story) and holy fuck in BoO Piper of all people was more worried about Reyna than him, that really sucks.

I ignore canon plenty of times, but Jason has been so dismissive of Reyna all this time…I can’t, I just can’t. It huts my hearts.

Jason x Drew: 1/10. Look I am a Drew stan (similar deal as Bianca, I saw how RR wrote her, thought he was wasting a potentially great character, so I say “Mine now” and run wild with it) and Jason is my baby boy, but I don’t- like ok if I write about Drew becoming better than maybe, but that’s it.

Frank x Leo: 8/10. Like look, was that triangle stupid? Extremely so, but the part where they are “sorry about your mom” lives rent free in my head, I feel like they have an interesting development and is more than I can see of many couples. Sure later on RR forgot about that and write them still being dicks to each other (for no good reason) but I think it could work.

Leo x Calypso: 1/10. I was tempted to put it as 0/10 but I don’t hate them with passion but is close. Like Calypso was an ass to Leo for no good reason; like look, she had the right to be salty about still being in that island? Sure (tho I wonder how she knows Percy tried to talk about it, if it was because he said so before leaving, how isn’t she sure he is still working on that? Time works oddly in Ogygia, right?) She felt the fates were mocking her with him? Could happen, but that was extremely rude of her.

Overall, none of this shit is Leo’s fault; he wasn’t the one who made a promise that other people didn’t comply (Percy literally lived a war, he needed to heal, and how the fuck he was going to make sure the Olympians did their part? Specially considering that they close Olympus and he got kidnapped. My point is: Percy had all the right to forget that, also, as far as he knew, she was out and just living her life somewhere else) and it wasn’t his idea to be stuck there either; hell the table isn’t his fault either, he just tried to land.

Also, she continues to be an asshole to him, even when he got her out so the reason why she was so annoyed weren’t applicable anymore.

I don’t say Calypso didn’t have a right to be angry, I am saying is not fair Leo needed to pay for that, and still be paying for that.

And about ‘mamacita’ yes, is not the best comment, but is not that insulting, take that from someone who’s first language is Spanish. I found worse that he continue calling her that she said no, that he had the idea in the first place. Calypso is a lot worse for him that he is for her.

This is more about Calypso than anything but, if someone should had become a hunter? Should had been her.

Like think about it; she got stuck on an island with no idea of the modern world, was cursed to love guys who would never stay with her, and probably finds adapting to this new era extremely difficult. Being a hunter would mean leaving that past behind, and be with people who she would not need to lie about who she is.

Didn’t think I would make such a rant about this but wow. I guess I can tolerate them better if only because I don’t see them pop in fics as often, because unlike perc//abeth and solan//gelo, people seem to agree more often than not that they aren’t goals.

Will x Leo: 4/10. I actually had an idea for those two before BoO, and while I still have issues with Will, eh, why not? Could happen.

Piper x Leo: 6/10. I liked them more before the idea of Piper being a lesbian happened (I know is not confirmed but the things that I had read from extracts on ToA…it REALLY looks like she is gay) but neither of them is confirmed as extremely gay, so is all fair game. I like the idea that Leo was the guy of Piper’s memories, or at the very least, that they were actual friends before Jason got throw into the mix; meaning they are one of the rare ships that legit enjoyed each other company instead of being stuck together in one and somehow learning to like each other (I love the idea of the seven being found family, but reality is that they were stuck in a group project)

And that’s it! There are ships that I love that weren’t mention (because I ship a lot of weird shit) and there was less zeroes than I though it would be.

It also made me realize I ship Percy more with girls than guys...that’s a revelation, specially for me holy fuck. 

This was fun, maybe one day I would made some jars for other ships I can think of, because WOW I was a menace in the past (and I kind of still am).

#percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #heroes of olympus #hoo #jasico #thaliabeth #thalianca #perachel #perazel #i think those were the only ones with a good grade #oh wait frankleo #pipazel

[m4gp13]

For those of you who made it through my laughably incoherent ethabaster think piece, here’s some hc’s, you’ve earned them:

- Ethan has sole possession of their one shared brain cell. Alabaster is not allowed to even look at it. This is because they used to have two but Al broke the good one trying to blow up something (probably Percy).

- If Al finds out Ethan left without some form of magical protection i.e. a sigil, a crystal, ground eggshells, he will be pretty much vibrating with nerves until Ethan gets back so he can give him a once-over.

- Alabaster’s from a very witchy family who all worship Hecate for many reasons that differ depending on which estranged relative you ask and they all kinda saw Al as the first coming of witch Christ so he had a lot of expectations at a very young age.

- Ethan knows this and tries to lift as much Titan army business off his shoulders as possible.

- He accidentally lifts too much off to the point where he is drowning in work and is now the one in need of saving. But does he tell anyone that if he looks at one more stack of demands from his mile long list of bosses he’s going to cry for five hours? Of course not don’t be ridiculous.

- Alabaster immediately hated Percy as soon as he heard the guys name but due to the arena stuff and telling Thalia not to k*ll him Ethan actually held a bit of respect for Percy which annoyed Al to no end.

-This was until the not-so-peaceful peace talk in tlo when Percy starts shit talking Nemesis and Ethan just internally goes “actually the witch bitch was right this guy sucks ass”

-However, under no circumstances will Ethan ever tell this to Alabaster; not because he values his pride (he has none) but because he knows the life of a demigod is short and he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his very short one hearing Al rub that one thing in his face for every single second of it.

- And I mean Every. Single. Second.

- So yeah he takes that to the grave and doesn’t even tell anyone in the underworld in case they tell Al when he dies and he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his afterlife with Al being a dumbass. (also yes Ethan got into Elysium, fuck you)

- (Actually I have another idea about where Ethan went post-life but that’s so far from canon it’s more of an AU than a headcanon so we’re gonna leave that out for now)

- Al thought he was the one in charge of the Hecate kids because he was the most powerful and the highest ranking in the army but he was Not. That was Ethan. The Hecate kids thought Ethan was their unofficial adopted baby brother but little did they know he was the mum the whole time.

- Ethan is the only thing standing between them and starving to death. He also does the younger kids hair and gives everyone with long hair super intricate braids that stay out of their faces during “field work”. Al thinks this is more of him trying to take the weight off his shoulders but Ethan knows that if he doesn’t do this shit no one will so he kinda has to. Not that he doesn’t like doing it. being helpful is his love language.

 - Because of their powers over the mist the Hecate kids of the army were notorious pranksters who were usually at war with the Hermes kids (wars usually declared by Al because he rolled a zero on self restraint) but none of them prank Ethan because “nooooo you can’t do him he babey 🥺”

- Ethan has simply decided that what the magic prank wizards don’t know can’t hurt them and just turns to his blind side whenever he sees them sneaking off the ship to get Micky D’s in the middle of the night to stay on their good sides.

- Speaking of the ship, Ethan thinks it’s the dumbest thing in the world that one of their most powerful demigod enemies is the son of a sea god and he actually has a pretty decent relationship with said sea god and their main base of operations aside from mt Othrys is a fucking BOAT. He tells Al all about his worries for the ship and while Al assures him that nothing that bad could happen he always makes sure that the ship always has the least amount of demigods on board at all times just in case.

- It takes all the strength Ethan has not to yell “TOLD YOU SO” at him when the ship blows up.

- Al probably either wears basic white boy clothes or typical witchy stuff (like moons and shit) depending his mood meanwhile Ethan found out about leather and just goes for it.  

- Every grunge/punk/emo/eboy/teachwear bitch aspires to be him and because he aint about all that “gender roles” bs he definitely goes about wearing cool egirl stuff too. Not just slightly feminine shaped jumpers but all the plaid skirts, fishnets and lace trimmed dresses he can steal afford and Al, despite his more basic fashion taste is here for it. You’ve never seen someone more supportive of their pals fits, get you a hypeman like Al. You deserve it. (Ethan is also not afraid to walk around in a full pastel gamer girl fit)

- (Also Al hyping up one Ethans fits in front of a Titan is the reason they were allowed to start wearing army fatigues instead of the whole ancient Greek armour on occasion)

- Ethan appreciates Al’s enthusiasm but he also kinda doesn’t get it. And he definitely doesn't do that “yeah you’re right I DO look good” thing because he just doesn’t know how. He’d always been a little self-conscious about getting a big head but then he found out about Nemesis and hubris and all that fun stuff, looked at his meager pile of self worth and said “ yep, this has to go”

- Al almost starts crying when he finds out and pretty much makes it mission to be such a good hype man that Ethan has no choice but to think of himself as a Pretty Cool Dude via absorbing the hype through diffusion. It kinda starts working but then Ethan [REDACTED] in tlo so we’ll never know what could’ve been.

- To nick a hc from someone ( hi @chromarozee-spam) contrary to his taste in clothes Ethan does ballet (he was a punk AND did ballet, what more can I say?) and while Al tries to support his hobbies he is genuinely afraid both for and of him. “For” because “holy fuck that looks painful are you okay?”. And “of” because “are you sure those are bones inside you because I don’t think bones are supposed do that?!”.

- Ethan tries to assure him that no his spine is not made of rubber, broken bones or otherworldly materials so can he stop bothering him during practice please?

- This does not stop Al from making a million protection wards and constantly asking his deck if Ethan is indeed a Being of this Good Green Earth.

- Eventually his cards pretty much just tell him that he is friends with one bendy heck of a boi and he needs to fucking get over it so he kinda just,, ,,,,, , does.

- Again with the hc thieving (this time from @altorringtons) Al learning to use a two-handed broadsword so he can guard Ethan’s blind side and back in a fight *soft noises* just them trying so hard to keep each other alive because they love each other and they care about each other!

- They also sleep in the same bed whenever they get the chance (fully clothed ya nasties, they’re kids) and they just hug each other soooo tight because they just need to know they’re alright cos they always get pretty banged up in fights against campers or just monsters that are too much like wild animals to recruit. (What? Me? Projecting my desire to be intimately held by the closest person I have to family with their arms wrapped not tight enough to make me uncomfortable but tight enough to make me feel loved? Never! What on earth are you talking about?)

- Because Al is super stubborn and prideful whenever they have an argument Al can’t really bring himself to say he’s sorry so when he’s ready to apologise he just climbs into bed on Ethan’s blind side and cuddles him because he knows Ethan is super worried about getting attacked on his blind side so it’s like he has a guard or a shield.

- Ethan on the other hand just calls him a Rock Boy in a derogatory way until he gets over himself and apologizes but he really does love the fact that Al knows that about him and accommodates that.

- The thing they fight about most is how “heroic” the titan army is. Kronos’ brainwashing worked on Al like a charm and he fully believes that they are the rebellion and camp is the empire. Ethan on the other hand wasn’t at camp long enough for Kronos or Luke to really do anything but it doesn’t matter because Ethan really doesn’t give a shit if he’s on the “evil side” cos he just wants respect and he’s willing to do what it takes without a second thought of how people see him. If he thinks he’s doing the right thing but on the wrong side he can live with that but Al needs to feel like all of his side is on the moral high ground because that’s what Kronos drilled into his brain.

- Ethan knows that Al delusional when it comes to the non-existent heroics of the army but eventually he just decides to let Al believe the titans lies because that’s easier for him even if it hurts Ethan to see him being manipulated like that.

- Due to Ethan not giving a shit on the humanity of his bosses he gets punished a lot more often and a lot more violently than Al because they know that Ethan already knows they don’t care about him so they don’t have to sugar coat him but Al still believes that they’re heroes and his mindset needs to stay like that to keep him obedient.

- Also because I am  a Cruel Person By Nature I hc Ethan’s mortal family (which usually just consists of his dad) as meeting a not very pg13 end at the hands of a monster who wanted to nible on Ethan a tad which pretty much scarred him for life.

- SO, at the end of the battle of Man Hats Are In when Al looks around and sees that his whole family (that joined the titans) are dead! oh no! How sad! At least he knows someone whose been through the same thing so they understand each other and can help each other through this tough time together right? SIKE!

- so yeah Al learns Ethan d-worded in the worst possible way at the worst possible time and just looses it from grief. Loosing his family was bad enough but finding out he lost the one person he thought he would be able to confide in and heal with immediately after just really rubs salt in the wound.

- When the survivors start re-grouping to find someplace to hide until the gods forget about them Al just wanders off because it’s all he can do to not break down on the spot.

- He’s just wandering in a daze for a while and most people just assume he’s high but he snaps out of it and gets into anger mode when Lamia starts attacking him because he finally has something to do and occupy himself with even though it’s hard not to think about his sibling especially when Lamia keeps talking like they never would have died if she’d been in charge which is why she should totally just kill him and lead their siblings instead.

- His desire to have something to keep his mind off his family and Ethan is the first thing he thinks about when Claymore re-alives and immediately starts talking about doing research (yeah because that’s what you need after a long stressful day of fighting monsters and literally dying).

- Ethan keeps trying to cross the veil and help, even if he just sends Al a pleasant dream to help him sleep but contrary to what you might think from the name, the veil is really hard to cross so Ethan just has to bite his nails and watch his friend suffer.

- It gets easier to watch after Al and Claymore pretty much adopt each other because at least he has someone but they do still get into pretty scary situations.

- When they were both premortem they got paired up for a lot of missions for the titan army and they usually just tried to pretend they were on a fun road trip around America when they could and make fun of mortal shit together.

- At one point they were in a motel and the last people accidentally left behind one of Claymore’s books about death and they found it the funniest thing ever. Between a pair of in which one of their mum’s regularly goes to the underworld and one has been there himself they find mortal ideas of the afterlife to be very amusing.

- Alabaster has decided he would not like to share this with the class (Claymore) thank you very much.

- Also when they’re doing their road tripping Ethan knows all the best places to crash, the cheapest food places and the local gangs don’t bother them because between running away from camp and joining the army he just wandered around a lot.

- Like he’d just hop on a random train, take a nap and figure it out when he wakes up; he made a lot of friends this way too as well as his taste in clothes cos he didn’t have a lot of money so he’d just DIY some second hand punk shit. Al thinks he’s the Gandalf of the demigod world because he just knows everyone who might help them and everywhere they could spend the night. He definitely tells his siblings about Ethan being the closest thing they have to a wandering wizard and they fucking love it.

- Also because Nemesis tends to not have a lot of kids Ethan was the only one of hers in the army and Al felt really bad for him because his sibling were his favourite part about the army so he tried to include Ethan in as much as possible with his siblings.

- As an unexpected result Ethan ended up with a small army of super powered children to sick on the people who keep making jabs about him loosing in the arena battle.

- Al sometimes thinks he’s given him too much power but also he will fuck a bitch up if they make fun of his pals so he sees where his siblings are coming from and yeah those bitches had it coming. He also has a copy of bitchcraft.

- Ethan’s dad was the type to play “Stay With Me” by Miki Matsubara on repeat for hours and Ethan would probably enjoy the song but he’s heard it so often that now it makes his ears bleed and Al sometimes tortures him with for fun until Ethan starts throwing shit.

- To steal another hc from @chromarozee-spam Ethan has a thing for cats and one time Al accidentally gave himself mistform cat-ears and Ethan could not stop touching them. Ethan was just craning his head back uncontrollably grinning so much his face hurt. Al can’t bring himself to be upset because Ethan rarely ever smiles since he joined the army.

- Al saw Ethan crying over one of those video’s where people put their hoodies on backwards and put their cat in the hood so he made a mist cat and bought him a hoodie. Ethan of course started crying again but it was happy tears instead.

- Ethan is fucking tiny while Al is almost a foot taller than him. He wouldn’t mind so much if Al didn’t exhaust every opportunity to rub it in his face so he just starts climbing all over shit (especially tall buildings) half to give Al heart attacks and half so he can be like “Sorry? What was that? I’m so high up I can’t hear you. Can you speak up a little? Maybe get a ladder? Or taller?”

- Also I don’t know why but I hc Al as Texan. Ethan gets told about this “Alabaster C. Torrington” guy who knows latin, incantations and other magical knowledge and expects some fancy British guy so when they meet and Al speaks Ethan gets whiplash so hard he fuckin chokes.

- Al is also very casual and Ethan is pretty professional so when he meets this magic general with a straight back and the first thing that comes out of this assholes mouth is some “Howdy y’all!!” bullshit he just dies on the spot.

- Also because Al is texan he is very sensitive to the cold (I’m about 80% sure that Texas is one of the Warm states) so when he has to do stuff in cold places like the labyrinth or new york (idk about that one to but in every film I’ve seen that’s set in NY it’s raining for about 90% of the time) he complains about being freezing all the time until Ethan helpfully reminds him that he can literally make fire out of nothing, surely he can find a way to warm himself up.

- Ethan is also sensitive to the cold because he’s basically malnourished but he’s been like that for a while and thinks it’s normal so he sucks it up until Al notices he’s always cold. Ethan tells him it’s fine but Al is basically a walking electric blanket so whenever Al cuddles him to keep him warm Ethan can’t help but melt because he’s so fucking warm and soft and have you noticed I crave intimacy?

- Ethan started studying Greek myths vigorously since he found out he was a demigod and when he died he kept an eye and an ear out for Al because even though he wouldn’t be able to do anything it still reassures him to know what’s going on, HOWEVER, he was almost filled with enough malice to rip through the barrier between the living and the dead purely to beat an ass when he hears Al’s little “I don’t bother reading about worthless monsters like you!” jab.

- Ethan is very jumpy and fidgety to the point where Al is genuinely concerned and while Ethan assures Al that nothing’s wrong Al is still suspicious. Ethan probably would have told Al about it if it was because of anything but Kronos but seeing that it mostly is, he doesn’t because Ethan feels like Al will just take Kronos’ word over his and he’ll loose the only person he trusts in the army.

- Al doesn’t find out about it until way after the war when Kronos’ brainwashing starts to come undone because by then his mindset is a lot less biased in the titans favour so he can see things that he just unconsciously ignored before and is able to put two and two together. When he does boy is it a trip.

- Ethan is really bad at talking about feelings and stuff so whenever Al gets upset over something and Ethan has no idea how to talk to him he’ll just get him some rocks. One time Ethan found out about those heart shaped valentine boxes that are normally filled with chocolates but people put crystals in them and that just became his go-to for when Al was especially upset. 

- Al is only slightly better at talking about stuff but he can still get Ethan to open up to him which is good because Ethan isn’t very materialistic so it’s hard to make him feel better by buying him things and because someone needs to get Ethan to express himself in an emotionally healthy way.

- Also because of this they just can’t tell each other they love each other. Like they’ll barely whisper it when the other is asleep because they’re just so bad at talking about feelings. It wasn’t that much of an issue until after the war and Ethan gets k-worded and Al is left alone and sobbing over all the times he never told his loved ones how much they meant to him.

- But because this is a headcanon list; fuck that, Al saved Ethan with some sort of magic bullshit and they talk about how much they love each other all the time now because they can’t stand the thought of one of them dying having never been told how much they are loved.

#me going around nicking hcs: thank you for your sacrifices #this will help tremendously in the war effort #also max i am extremely pleased to tell you that auto correct thinks Harrington is a lovely name for you #and you stan the magic messiah #autocorrect didn't say that one #but it's true #pjo #percy jackson #ethan nakamura #alabaster torrington #alabaster c torrington #ethan x alabaster #ethabaster

[dalekofchaos]

The erasure of R2-D2 and C-3PO. Disney’s worst failure

R2-D2 and C-3PO make up the core of the Star Wars Saga. They are the first characters on screen; we are quite literally introduced to the universe from their perspective. They are the only characters who survive all the way through the Saga, from Episode I-VI. In Episodes I-VI, it was a deliberate choice for R2 to save the lives of the main characters at least once per episode (he fixes the ship’s shields in I, stops Padme from being boiled in II, helps Anakin and Obi Wan escape the battle droids in III, shuts down the trash compactor in IV, fixes the hyperdrive in V and gives Luke his saber in VI). C-3PO partly helps Luke along his journey by telling his exploits with the Rebels, C-3PO while annoying helped our heroes get out of tight situations and C-3PO is the only reason why the Ewoks helped the Rebels destroy the Death Star II’s generator.

It cannot be overstated how important these two characters are. In fact, a critic even argued that the Star Wars Saga was about the two droids being sent to different masters, and being the observers to all the mistakes and follies they make.

So just WHY has Disney completely ignored them? R2 no longer has his “save the day” moments; that’s literally just reserved for BB-8. When does R2 directly save anyone in the Sequels? And C-3PO, the translator, has been kicked out because Rey doesn’t need a translator because she’s already fluent in however many forms of communication the plot demands. Oh, and we don’t need R2, because Rey can fix anything she wants. If the purposes of 3PO and R2 can be replaced by an annoying Volleyball and a demigod, then why did you even bother to bring back C-3PO and R2-D2?

Even Anthony Daniels was baffled by the treatment of C-3PO "In these new movies, I have felt like a table decoration. And that is difficult because I recognize this character is worth so much more. But I understand it is a whole film, not a feature about C-3PO. That is just my personal disappointment. I get paid whether or not he does anything but it would be nice for him to have a purpose."

In TFA, C-3PO has a red arm? Why? Find out in a comic. In TLJ he does pretty much nothing and has one small moment with Luke that Mark and Anthony had to adlib because Rian Johnson couldn’t understand why these two would have one final moment. So in Rise Of Skywalker. C-3PO says “Let me take one last look, at my best friends.” Best friends? You barely knew Rey, Finn and Poe. They’ve been treating you like a nuisance all movie. Then we get a stupid “GOTCHA” gag by giving us another fucking fakeout death.

It would’ve made much more sense if we saw 3PO’s eyes imagine Han, Luke, Leia, Padme and Anakin. Oh and guess what would’ve been better? “R2, please. Let me do this. But first let me take one last look, at my best friend.” 3PO saying this to R2 would’ve made much more sense. Oh and no fake out death because that was bullshit. C-3PO gives his life to translate the Sith dagger(yes it’s as stupid as it sounds)

R2-D2 is the most screwed over character in the entire Sequel Trilogy. He spent all of TFA in low power mode either waiting for or trying to find Luke, finally does... and then he swears at him, plays one message to try and guilt him and then gives up entirely. Seriously, R2 only shows up in that one scene in the entire movie, the droid that was the most loyal little thing in the galaxy leaves the fate of his best friend and master to some random girl he knows nothing about. That's not R2. R2 would have followed Luke around and tried to save Luke instead of just sitting on the Falcon the entire time. I just find it IMPLAUSIBLE that R2-D2 would ever leave Luke. Then in TROS, R2 spends 95% of the movie being cut out. Why is R2 left out on the final adventure? R2 does not sit around, R2 goes where the action is. The treatment of R2-D2 in the sequels, ESPECIALLY AFTER KENNY BAKER’S PASSING IS INFURIATING!

Once again, let’s look at R2′s importance in the first 6 movies. George Lucas said the reason why R2 D2 has a major role in all six films is because the entire story, and therefore the canon, is actually being told BY R2-D2. He even went as far as making sure R2 saves the lives of the main cast once per film (1-Repairs the Naboo Ship and allows everyone to escape the blockade 2-Picks up Obi Wan’s distress signal AND saves Padme from lava 3-Overrides the Elevator lockdown and distracts Grevious 4-Shuts down the garbage masher 5-Fixes the hyperdrive allowing the cast to escape Vader 6-Gives Luke his lightsaber)

In the Sequels R2 never saves anyone’s life, completely breaking one of the core traditions of Star Wars. Worse, in TFA, he’s Shut down completely meaning he cannot possibly record what’s going on, hence, the entire film, and by extension the Sequel trilogy, is no longer a part of R2’s story.

Duel Of Fates actually used R2-D2.  During the heat of battle, R2-D2 would have taken a fatal blast, destroying the droid's circuits and rendering it little more than an empty shell. As Chewbacca carried R2 on his back, similar to how he once carried 3PO all those years before, R2's best friend would have been inconsolable. As a droid C-3PO has very rarely shown much emotion other than worry and fear for his own life. Seeing him mourn the death of his best friend would have made this one of the toughest death scenes to take in the entire history of Star Wars. C-3PO consoles a damaged R2-D2 as a Star Destroyers crashes to the ground in the background. C-3PO consoles a damaged R2-D2 as a Star Destroyers crashes to the ground in the background.

The fact they did absolutely nothing with R2-D2 and just fakeout deathed C-3PO in the final movie is insulting. The fact that they completely erased the importance of the storytellers of Star Wars is where the Sequels truly failed. This, I think, is the most glaring and obvious evidence of Disney’s lack of understanding of Star Wars. Over the years many, many things had changed in the Saga but the one constant was R2 and 3PO. And now they’re being unceremonious kicked to the curb.

#Star Wars #R2 D2 #C 3PO #Anti Lucasfilm #Anti Sequel Trilogy #Anti JJ Abrams #Anti Rian Johnson

[fiadhulresims]

All outfit descriptions for Annabeth Chase

hi i'm weird so i decided to reread all of the books in which annabeth appears to transcript all the times her clothes and items are described.

i hope this can help someone out there in some way, like drawing her!

Observation: I might have skipped something

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The Lightning Thief

“From under the collar of her T-shirt she pulled a leather necklace with five clay beads of different colors. It was just like Luke's, except Annabeth's also had a big gold ring strung on it, like a college ring.”

“The air shimmered, and she materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she'd just taken it off her head.”

“Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.”

“Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve.”

“Her hand crept up to her necklace. She fingered a glazed white bead painted with the image of a pine tree, one of her clay end-of-summer tokens.”

“Annabeth kept worrying at her necklace. She was pinching the gold college ring that hung with the beads.”

“A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.”

“Annabeth rubbed her necklace like she was thinking deep, strategic thoughts.

‘That pine-tree bead’, I said. ‘Is that from your first year?’

She looked. She hadn’t realized what she was doing.

‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘Every August, the counselors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year’s bead. I've got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress — now that was a weird summer...’

‘And the college ring is your father's?’

‘That's none of your —‘ She stopped herself. ‘Yeah. Yeah, it is.’

‘You don’t have to tell me.’

‘No... it's okay.’ She took a shaky breath. ‘My dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He wouldn’t have gotten through his doctoral program at Harvard without her...’”

“At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads (...) The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.”

The Sea of Monsters

“She was wearing jeans and a denim jacket over her orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. Her blond hair was pulled back in a bandanna.”

“She had a ragged backpack slung over her shoulder, her baseball cap tucked in her pocket, a bronze knife in her hand, and a wild look in her storm-gray eyes, like she’d just been chased a thousand miles by ghosts.”

“She was wearing a sleeveless silk dress like C.C.'s, only white. Her blond hair was newly washed and combed and braided with gold. Worst of all, she was wearing makeup, which I never thought Annabeth would be caught dead in.”

“She undid the golden braids in her hair.”

“‘S'okay,’ I grunted, though I'd never really wanted to know what Annabeth’s sneaker tasted like.”

“One grabbed Annabeth and Grover by their T-shirt collars.”

The Titan's Curse

“Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean.”

“She used to wear no jewelry except for her Camp Half-Blood bead necklace, but now she wore little silver earrings shaped like owls — the symbol of her mother, Athena. She pulled off her ski cap, and her long blond hair tumbled down her shoulders.”

“I thought of some harsh things to say, and I might've said them too, but then I looked down and saw something navy blue lying in the snow at my feet. Annabeth's New York Yankees baseball cap.”

The Battle of the Labyrinth

“She was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail.”

“He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop computer — one of the ones I'd seen in the workshop. On the lid was the blue symbol ∆.”

The Last Olympian

“It's not that she tried to look good. We'd been doing so many combat missions lately, she hardly brushed her curly blond hair anymore, and she didn't care what clothes she was wearing — usually the same old orange camp T-shirt and jeans, and once in a while her bronze armor.”

“He brought out a bronze shield and passed it to Annabeth. It looked pretty much standard issue — the same kind of round shield we always used in capture the flag. But when Annabeth set it on the ground, the reflection on the polished metal changed from sky and buildings to the Statue of Liberty — which wasn't anywhere near us.

‘Whoa,’ I said. ‘A video shield.’”

“My brain started seizing on little random details, like the fact that she was still wearing those silver owl earrings from her dad, who was this brainiac military history professor in San Francisco.”

“She wore her orange camp T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was tucked up in her Yankees cap, which was strange because that should have made her invisible.”

“She was dressed in black camouflage with her Celestial bronze knife strapped to her arm and her laptop bag slung over her shoulder — ready for stabbing or surfing the Internet, whichever came first.”

“The girl had tangled blond hair and was wearing flannel pajamas.”

“Annabeth was wearing new clothes — jeans and an oversize army jacket.”

“She had pulled her owl helmet low over her face, but I could tell her eyes were red.”

“Kronos whirled to face her and slashed with Backbiter, but somehow Annabeth caught the strike on her dagger hilt.”

The Demigod Files: Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon

“She bumped me with her shoulder, which I guess was supposed to be friendly, but she was wearing full greek armor, so it kind of hurt. Her gray eyes sparkled under her helmet. Her blond ponytail curled around one shoulder. It was hard for anyone to look cute in combat armor, but Annabeth pulled it off.”

The Demigod Files

The Heroes of Olympus

The Lost Hero

“Two teenagers stood in the chariot — a tall blond girl maybe a little older than Jason, and a bulky dude with a shaved head and a face like a pile of bricks. They both wore jeans and orange T-shirts, with shields tossed over their backs. The girl leaped off before the chariot had even finished moving. She pulled a knife and ran toward Jason's group while the bulky dude was reining in the horses.”

The Mark of Athena

“She took out her camp necklace, strung with her dad’s college ring and a colorful clay bead for each year at Camp Half-Blood. Now there was something else on the leather cord: a red coral pendant Percy had given her when they had started dating. He'd brought it from his father's palace at the bottom of the sea.”

The House of Hades

“She'd tied her blonde hair back with a strip of denim torn from her jeans, 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.”

“In his massive hand, the white shard looked like another toothpick, but when he offered it to Annabeth she realized it was a sword – a blade of dragon bone, honed to a deadly edge, with a simple grip of leather.”

The Blood of Olympus

“Piper and Annabeth were disguised as lovely Greek serving maidens. Even in their white sleeveless gowns and laced sandals, they had no trouble navigating the rocky path.”

“She looked uncomfortable in her serving-maiden outfit. She kept hunching her shoulders to keep the dress from slipping. Her pinned-up blonde bun had come undone in the back and her hair dangled like long spider legs.”

“Annabeth slung her own amphora off her shoulder. She, too, had a concealed sword, but even without a visible weapon she looked deadly.”

“Annabeth re-adjusted her golden belt.”

“She ripped through her supply pouch and unwrapped a piece of godly food.”

“She fingered the red coral pendant on her necklace – a gift from Percy when they started dating.”

The Demigod Diaries: The Diary of Luke Castellan

“As soon as I lifted the sheet of tin, something flew at me — a blur of flannel and blond hair.”

“Her ribs were bony under her flannel pijamas”

The Demigod Diaries: The Staff of Hermes

“She was wearing her regular orange camp T-shirt and shorts, but her tan arms and legs seemed to glow in the sunlight. Her blond hair swept over her shoulders. Around her neck hung a leather cord with colorful beads from our demigod training camp — Camp Half-Blood.”

“She wore a dark green sleeveless dress that showed off her long blond hair and her slim athletic figure. Her camp necklace had been replaced by a string of gray pearls that matched her eyes.”

Demigods and Magicians

The Staff of Serapis

“At the moment, her most deadly weapon was her backpack, which was loaded with heavy architecture books from the public library.”

“She pulled out something she hadn’t carried with her in a long time: her battered blue New York Yankees cap”

The Crown of Ptolemy

“I'd never actually seen her wearing her Yankees cap before, since she vanished every time she put it on, but there she was — wide-eyed with surprise, caught in the act of sneaking up on Setne.”

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

The Sword of Summer

“She was dressed more sensibly in snow boots, jeans and a parka, with an orange T-shirt peeking out at the neckline.”

“She was better dressed than me — orange North Face ski jacket, black jeans, lace-up winter boots — but if people saw us together they would've mistaken us for brother and sister.”

The Hammer of Thor

“Annabeth was there before me, standing on the platform in jeans and sandals and a long-sleeved purple shirt with a laurel-wreath design and the letters SPQR: UNR.”

“Her blond hair was loose around her shoulders today. She seemed to be growing it out.”

The Ship of the Dead

“Her long blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her dark blue T-shirt was emblazoned with the yellow words COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, UC BERKELEY.”

#annabeth chase #annabeth #rick riordan #percy jackson and the olympians #the lightning thief #percy jackson #the sea of monsters #the titan's curse #the battle of the labyrinth #the last olympian #the demigod files #the heroes of olympus #the lost hero #jason grace #the mark of athena #the house of hades #the blood of olympus #piper mclean #the demigod diaries #luke castellan #the staff of serapis #the crown of ptolemy #magnus chase and the gods of asgard #the sword of summer #magnus chase #the hammer of thor #the ship of the dead #camp half-blood chronicles

[helpimobsessedwithpercyjackson]

Hey.. I saw your post on in depth demigods with PTSD and I too had a request.. Can you do one in-depth PTSD case study for the seven +nico +reyna +grover +clarisse +thalia if its not too much? Because what you wrote earlier was beautiful.. so I was wondering if you could do it for them?? (And any demigod if I left out who crosses your mind?? )

Tw: PTSD

Annabeth never looks at the faces of statues again. She’s too scared she’ll see that look of terror on Medusa’s victims on them. Every night as she sleeps she’s plagued with nightmares of Arachne smiling at her and Luke dying and Percy’s face as he was choking Misery.

Percy still gets nervous that his abilities will fail him whenever he goes underwater. He stops thinking about his future because all he can see is a path paved with death and tragedy. Even the idea of being in New Rome leaves a sour taste in his mouth and he’s not sure why.

Sometimes Piper’s legs go numb if she hears a loud noise. It’s really dangerous when she’s fighting or surfing but she doesn’t know how to make it stop. Every time she goes somewhere cold a jolt of fear runs through her; eventually she stops going to cold places because she can’t handle it anymore

When Jason wakes up disorientated from a nap he can’t breathe. It takes him a few minutes to remind himself that he remembers who he is. He finds himself picking fights with monsters, he doesn’t know why he feels so aggressive all the time.

Every time she closes her eyes Thalia sees Luke’s broken body lying on that cliff. During the long years when he was missing she would scan every blond-haired boy’s face that could’ve been Jason’s age. After he dies she catches herself doing it again.

When Clarisse lays in her bed she swears she can still feel the rocking of a ship and hear the screams of sailors. She makes every person in her team show her their face before entering a fight, even for Capture the Flag.

Leo won’t let anyone near his fire and he obsessively checks the locks on the doors before he even considers starting one. He tends to wake up on the floor, having thrashed around at night during his dreams of falling.

Even after she’s out Grover can’t look at Thalia’s tree without feeling a jolt of panic and sadness. Every dryad he meets he forms at least two plans on how to protect them. He’s watched too many die.

Reyna constantly wakes up with her knife in her hand and adrenaline pumping through her, needing some time to recognize that she’s not on the verge of being attacked. It takes her a very long time to get back on a Pegasus without remembering the struggles she endured on the way to Rome and the anxiety she felt entering Camp Half-Blood.

Frank can’t close his eyes without that image of his burning house dancing in his mind, his hand always clutching the place where his wood would be. He compulsively shapeshifts, some small part of his mind convincing him that his powers will leave him when he needs it most and that he needs to be ready.

Nico never lets Will leave camp without him. Last time he trusted someone else to take care of someone he loved she died. He can’t go into closed spaces anymore either without having a panic attack.

Sometimes when Hazel showers she flashes back to drowning in the earth, and gets pulled out of the shower screaming. She flinches when an adult raises their voice or their hand. She can’t shake the reflexes that her mother and school had taught her.

The demigods know they did good things. They know they helped save the world. But it’s hard to remember that during the panic attacks and nightmares and lingering fear. They wished they were normal, because of all the things they’re stuck remembering, normal isn’t one of them. But they persist, and pray to their parents that one day they’ll be okay.

#pjo #percy jackson #hoo #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #annabeth chase #trials of apollo #toa #percabeth #thalia grace #jason grace #nico di angelo #reyna avila ramirez arellano #reyna arellano #frank zhang #hazel levesque #grover underwood #piper mclean #clarisse la rue #leo valdez #toa spoilers

[mochideleche]

You can’t keep away from fate | CH8

Pairing : Percy jackson x demigod!reader

summary : The daughter of destiny- literally, along with inevitability, compulsion and necessity. Being the child of a primordial goddess doesn’t really assure you a quiet, calm life but when you return to new york after five years of being shipped off to boarding school, your once mundane life says goodbye.

A/N get your feels ready. As always please do comment what you think and any questions, and thank you so much for all the reads and notes, it really does make my day :) Hope you are all keeping safe and I hope you enjoy!

contents page

The next morning you bid your goodbye to percy and annabeth as they set off for the city. It was a bit difficult for you since the last time they parted for the Labyrinth only annabeth had come back. 

“Don’t do anything stupid” You said to percy, hugging him tightly. You didn’t want to let go and you could tell neither did he but time wasn’t exactly on your side. 

“I don’t plan on it” Percy smiled, “I promise i’ll come back alive this time” 

“hahaha”  you replied

You wanted to go with them, you wanted to be there when they needed help. You didn't want anything else to happen to your friends but you were needed back at camp. If luke’s army was able to get through into the camp, you needed to be there to protect it. 

You, Lee and Beckendorf were making your way through the forest towards zeus’ fist to help with reinforcements. 

You stifled a yawn as the three of you walked in comfortable silence. 

“Looks like someone stayed up late last night,” Lee snickered and Beckendorf joined in with his laughing.

“Shut up,” you muttered, considering throwing lee across the forest.

“So has percy finally asked you out yet? Or are we going to have to pretend that you two weren’t totally flirting the minute we found out percy was alive” Beckendorf chuckled and you sent him a scowl.

“I’m joking,” beckendorf chuckled putting up his hands in defence, “although we are pretty used to you two flirting by now” he added and Lee broke put into uncontrollable laughter. 

You knew people teased you about percy but not to this extent. 

“He’s got too many things on his mind right now, ” you stated, your voice tight as you remembered the hard look on percy’s face as he talked about his foreseeable fight with kronos. 

“True, life as a demigod is never easy but you can’t let that get in the way of living how you want” Lee said, lifting his nose up high.

“And where’d you get that one from mr philosopher” Beckendorf chuckled

“As a son of apollo I was going more for mr poet” Lee shrugged, “and if you must know i got it out if this miraculous thing” and he tapped the top of his head.

‘Miraculous alright, i thought you didn’t have one” you snickered and the three of you burst out laughing. 

the trees finally began to thin out and you entered the clearing where zeus’ fist was. The catapult was ready, stocked with newly delivered greek fire and the athena cabin had set up a command tent towards the left. 

You were preparing for war. 

The feeling made you nervous, it was the same feeling as stage fright- wobbly legs, hot flushes and an erratic heart if you thought about it too much. 

You’d fought monsters before, but not a battle. 

...

Percy didn’t want to leave camp but he had a titan army to thwart. just seeing you cry your heart out , it had made him want to cry- and that was saying a lot. And he was a bit guilty to say that it had also made him feel a little bit happy, seeing how much you had missed him. He got angry at himself for causing you so much pain, you didn’t deserve that. 

In the labyrinth he often felt like giving up; feeling the walls close in and feeling that he was no match for immortal monsters who would just regenerate once he killed them. 

But then he’d remember you, and that would cause him to think of all the other things worth living for. 

On the island of ogygia he was conflicted. 

Sure, when he first laid eyes on calypso he thought she was beautiful, but there was just too many similarities; her almond shape eyes, the way her hair flowed down her back and the kind look in her soft gaze reminded percy too much of you. 

In a way you were like a goddess to him, too perfect to be true. Sometimes he wondered if the gods had made a mistake and you actually were born immortal.

He’d lived every day in ogygia with you on his mind, i need to get back to Y/N. 

It was like you were his link to his life back in new york, you were his embodiment of home.

He felt torn between leaving calypso on her own and returning to fight luke but there was no debating when it came to you. 

So when he saw how quiet you became when he mentioned getting marooned on an island, he started to panic. He thought he’d blew it and you would never see him in the same light again. 

how did you even see him anyway? 

He liked how you blushed every time he called you princess, how you tried to hide the smile on your face every time he did something stupid and how you covered you laugh every time he said something sarcastic. 

You were always such a bright light shining in his life and seeing you so sad made percy’s heart break. 

I made her upset, percy thought. 

He cared a lot for you and made a promise to himself, if he’d survive the titan war, he’d tell you how he felt. he didn’t want to cause you any harm so he wanted to wait- see if he actually survived. 

Annabeth turned to percy as if she wanted to say something, then noticed the slight frown on his face and faced her own window on her left side. 

“Will told me how Y/N kept hunting down monsters when we were gone” she started, “he said everyday she’d always be called out of camp to help the cabin who was on scouting duty and when she wasn’t, she was in the forges with beckendorf reinforcing our armoury”  

Percy just blinked, the conversation seemed so out of the blue but he had a dreaded feeling he knew where it was going, “uhm- yeah, she’s a hardworker”

“And when you disappeared, she went over time. She was gone before dawn and only came back after dinner. She came back everyday covered in blood and monster dust- exhausted and almost unconscious. ”

Percy looked over at annabeth and she had her fists clenched, “Annabeth look i’m sorry i didn’t mean to-”

“I know you didn’t mean to!” Annabeth exclaimed, and snapped her head towards percy, giving him a look that could have sent him to tartarus and back five times. percy couldn’t help but back away from her. 

He quickly averted his gaze to the divider where he could see argus looking at them through the rear view mirror with some of his many eyes ( the rest on the road ) but as soon as they made eye contact he shut the divider close. 

Thanks for the moral support, Percy thought. 

“But do you know how much pain you put her in? First you let some mortal girl write her number on you arm, then you die, then you come back from the dead only to say you’ve been having a little vacation with a goddess who is made to fall in love with you and then you go off again only to go running to rachel! ” Annabeth was breathing hard, she seemed really angry.

This only made percy angry too- but he couldn’t help but be slightly confused. 

All this time percy thought annabeth had a crush on him, that’s why she was so worked up over rachel and why she had stormed out when he had said he was marooned on an island. He even thought that annabeth was jealous of Y/N and would treat her coldly, but that was the one thing he didn’t get- the two of them were best friends. 

Now he started to think that it wasn’t percy she had a crush on. 

“Why are you so worked up about this?” Percy asked, his voice rising. he didn’t mean to try and pry on what annabeth was really feeling, but he couldn’t help but attack her back, she was shaming him just like Mr d did and he wasn’t going to let that slide.

Annabeth clenched her jaw and percy thought she was going to explode, “You’re such a seaweed brain!” She shouted, “I see the way you look at her, the stupid way you smile when she’s around and how you try to do even stupider things to get her attention. So why haven’t you told her how you feel?”

Percy opened his mouth to snap something back, but he found no words.

“The second you come back you start flirting with her then you run off again without saying anything! I have no idea what’s going on in that head of yours but if you think for a second that you can play with her heart-” 

Percy felt the heat rising up his chest, “I’m not playing with her!” he shouted.

“Then why do you keep her in the dark!” Annabeth shouted back at the same level percy had and percy froze. There were many reasons why he had held back from telling you how he felt, but he’d never really voiced them out. It made sense it his head and it felt right but now if he needed to explain his reasons to annabeth, he wasn’t so sure. 

But then he remembered the promise he had made to himself, how after they’d finished this- if he survived at all, he would tell you how he felt. but he wanted to keep that to himself, his little secret. 

“Just tell her how you feel damn it!” Annabeth exclaimed, snapping percy out of his inner debate.

And just when percy thought annabeth was going to bite his head off, her shoulders suddenly untensed and she slumped in her seat, tearing her piercing gaze away from percy, “she’s already been in so much pain and she doesn’t deserve to go through any more” 

Percy looked at annabeth, normally after a fight she would keep her guard up for days, but she’d deflated so fast that percy forgot about his anger and worried for his friend. 

“I’ve tried my best to stir her away from you- say that you’re just trouble”

“Thanks” percy scoffed, his anger coming back but he pushed it aside so that he could hear annabeth explain. 

“but i’ve been friends with you for so long now and i know how good hearted you are and how loyal you are to those you care about” annabeth said quietly and she turned to face out the window.

Percy couldn’t help but feel some sort of pride, annabeth rarely complimented him.

“But i swear” she said, a little tightness creeping back into her voice,  “if you break her heart, i won’t hesitate to run my knife through you once all this titan crap if over, you understand?” she said, looking at percy with a hard look.

Percy couldn’t help but smile, annabeth had just given her blessing for percy to ask you out, “yes ma’am”

A ghost of a smile appeared on ananbeth’s face, “you’re such a seaweed brain”

....

Percy and his friends landed just in the middle of the cabins. They saw the battle raging on beneath them and percy dreaded to see it. 

They were out numbered by a lot. There were dracnae, empousa, telkhines, hell hounds and even Kampe- percy had wished they’d seen the last of her. 

Percy rushed forward and jumped straight into battle. 

Even after his fight with Antaeus percy still felt like he could run miles- a perk from being adhd. He slashed, striked and stabbed every time he turned, taking down monster by monster. 

But as he took down another telkhine, he saw a group of dracnae breaking off from the battle and slithering towards the cabins.

“Nico!” percy yelled as the younger boy stabbed another telkhine with his stygian iron sword. 

Nico immediately understood and held out his sword, “serve me”

The ground began to shake and a fissure broke open in front of the dracnae. About a dozen skeleton soldiers, wearing a variety of military uniforms emerged from the ground. One of them shot up, stabbed a dracnae and pounced after another. Nico fell to his knees. 

But before percy could go over and help him, he was knocked to the side by a huge black mass. 

As he tumbled he got a mouth full of fur and as he hit the ground hard, he caught a glimpse of two red eyes and mouth filled with razor sharp fangs, wide open and ready to bite.

Percy’s sword arm was squashed under the hell hounds great paw, he couldn't move- this is it, he thought. 

Then something whooshed past his ear, stabbing the ground next to him and the hound exploded into a cloud of black soot. 

Percy tuned away to shield his eyes from the dust and saw the blood covered, drakon bone sword buried in the ground next to his head. 

He sat up and saw you about twenty feet away, knees bent and arm still up from your throw, mouth slightly parted and a hard look on your face.

gods that was hot. 

Then you suddenly straightened up and scowled at percy, “Get up you idiot!” and you rushed back into the battle- taking down a laistrygonian giant whilst you were at it. 

Percy smiled, i love her. 

But percy didn’t have time to dwell over how pretty you looked killing that empousa or how badass you were when you kicked that demigod in the gut, Kampe was causing a riot and had just crushed the command tent, he needed to take care of that. 

He rushed forward, somehow finding annabeth along the way, “This might be it” percy said, half joking but there was a lot of truth to the statement.

“It was nice fighting with you” annabeth said.

“Ditto” 

And they charged. 

Kampe didn’t seem to see them as a threat, if she did, she didn’t show it. 

Percy and annabeth worked like a team, one distracting her whilst the other aimed for a strike- but kampe just seemed to be able to fight independently with both hands, her animal bearing waist snapping at their hands if they swung too close. 

Then as soon as percy saw an opening, he lunged only to be faced with a snarling face and amused eyes. 

And he was suddenly knocked back and his back hit the ground a second time but he fought to stand up again but it looked like he didn’t need to.

Kampe was preoccupied with someone else. 

“What’s a tiny little girl like you going to do?” she hissed, her clawed hands flexing around her bronze swords. 

In front of her, the only thing keeping her from charging at percy and annabeth, stood you. You too held both your swords at your sides but you stood calm and collected, shoulders relaxed and feet shoulder width apart. 

“I am the daughter of ananke, goddess of destiny- you shall fear me” 

Percy couldn’t see your face but he imagined it was just as pretty as you sent Kampe a death stare. 

But you stood still and did nothing, percy was worried that kampe would charge right at you and run her swords through you but she stood as still as you. It was like the two of you were having some show down until percy noticed the look of horror on kampe’s face. 

He mouth was opened like it was stuck in a scream and her hands dropped her swords and came up to grab her throat. 

Then she exploded in a fine cloud of yellow dust. 

You turned, face full of concern, towards percy and annabeth who stood shocked behind you, but you weren’t looking at them but behind them.

They’d both been so shocked at your “you shall fear me” comment that they became completely unaware of the laistrygonian giant behind them. 

Percy heard you scream, “run!” but his feet didn’t listen. But they didn’t need to. 

A black mass jumped in front of them and knocked the giant aside. 

“Good girl!” Dedalus exclaimed, running past and nodding towards percy. 

Then behind him came the hundred handed giant Briares screaming as he charged along side Mrs O’Leary.

Percy couldn’t help but smile, until he felt a punch on his shoulder. 

“I thought I told you not to do anything stupid!” You exclaimed, “That’s twice i’ve saved your life now-”

Percy kissed you on the cheek. 

You blinked, “okay maybe i’ll let this one slide,” and you turned around and began to walk away slowly, effortlessly swinging your sword out to cut a dracnae in half along the way. 

Annabeth nudged percy, he though she was going to swing her sword through him too but she had a sly smile on her face. 

Suddenly a horrible sound resonated through the air. 

All around him monsters began to drop their weapons and in the midst of looking around him dumbfounded, percy caught a glimpse of grover- his mouth wide open, releasing that horrible sound. 

The army began to fall back, scrambling towards the mound of rocks, but you weren’t going to let them get away that easily. 

As they narrowed down to fit through the fissure- pushing each other back to escape, you lifted up you hands and thrust them forwards.

The ground beneath began to rise, then shift in shape, almost like hands coming up from the earth. Then, the mounds of dirt came up and swallowed the last of the retreating army into the ground. 

If the camp wasn’t shocked before, they were now. 

You let your hands drop, and percy stood in shock at your back. Your long hair flowing down your back, being gently waved in the soft breeze. He noticed a rip in the back of your jeans but other than that there was no injury. 

then you began to fall to the ground. 

And percy rushed forward, arms out ready to catch you. 

...

You and percy sat next to each other by the court. you wouldn’t normally find yourselves sitting there but you just wanted to get away from all the dread that was left on the battle field. 

You sat quietly, trying to take in the loss of Lee, you hadn’t known him for long, but the fact that just hours ago you guys were laughing and joking made it sting even more. 

Percy too sat next to you, carrying the same guilt you had, that you could’ve done more, could’ve been there to save them. 

But in times like this, you knew you had the clearer head. 

You let your hand rest on percy’s and no other words were needed to be said. 

he looked at you, his eyes roaming your face as if he was looking for something, “not a scratch” he whispered, and you were taken a back. 

you opened your mouth to protest but nothing came out resulting in an intake of breath that sounded like a gasp, although there was nothing surprising about the situation to you. 

you turned your head away as if trying to hide the fact you had left the battle completely fine. 

“i saw you talking to nico” 

You let out a sigh of release, at least he’d changed the subject, “yeah, he’s an interesting boy, and it thought maybe if i was able to talk to him-”

“He’d stop pushing everyone away?” percy asked and you nodded. 

“Look, I know you’re like an angel and everything but don’t beat youself up if nico doesn’t decide to stay, he’s experienced a lot” Percy said, as he put his hands behind his head. 

You remembered your long talk with the son of hades. 

After you had woken up and helped around healing campers (much to will’s distaste as he scolded you to rest), you had immediately gone to find him. He was easy to find, sat alone at the edge of the battle ground, near the fissure he had created. You sat down next to him, introduced yourself and encouraged him to do the same. 

you wanted to know this boy’s story, what made him tick, but from what you heard from others that wasn’t going to be easy. 

He wasn’t willing to at first, turning away and telling you to go and help heal others instead, so you decided that you would tell him your story first.

Surprisingly, he had listened and even more surprisingly, he began to open up. 

“i didn’t remember much before westover hall” he began, fiddling with the silver ring on his finger, “All i had was bianca and so when i found out i was apart of this world of myths like my mythomagic game, well- i thought i had found another thing”

“But then she joined the hunters and i felt so abandoned” a hard look came onto his face and you thought that he was going to stop talking then, but he continued, “I wanted to hate her for leaving me so easily but when she went on the quest i couldn’t help but ask Percy to protect her and she died anyways” 

You swallowed hard, no matter how terrifying this kid may seem, he was still a kid. He had his fists clenched, pushing down on his knees that were brought up to rest just below his chin, his jaw clenched, “Bianca was the only one who accepted me and now she’s gone” 

“Nico,” you began and you fought the urge to place a hand on his shoulder, “I know we barely know each other but there’s a reason why i wanted to talk to you” 

The boy turned to you, his eyebrows raised in suspicion, “oh yeah?”

“Because percy, annabeth, grover, and even Thalia- they had talked about you to me all with the same concern. For someone who isn’t accepted, you sure are cared about” you smiled, seeing how he relaxed his shoulders a bit and turned to look at you. 

“You’ve met Thalia too huh?” Nico asked and you nodded. 

“During the time i went back to europe the hunters had taken a little trip to france and invited me along, I met her there and she asked me to join the hunters” you shrugged, remembering the daughter of zeus with short choppy black hair and startling blue eyes. 

You glanced over at nico who was staring at you with admiration, “you were invited to hunt with them, offered immortality and you said no?” 

You shrugged again “They'd offered me a place before back when i was on olympus, but i declined” 

Nico looked at you with scrunched eyebrows, as if he was trying to see what made you tick. 

“You may think that you don’t belong nico, but the people who care about you say otherwise” and you turned to look at the campers behind you and nico followed your gaze, “everyone here has gone through some terrible things, perhaps some not as much as others but it’s something that not every average mortal goes through. If there’s anyone who would have the least bit of understanding, it would be the people here. Yeah sure they may have their flaws, some may judge, but doesn’t everyone? even gods aren’t immune to prejudice. you need to start seeing these people as your allies, friends, perhaps even family and not as your enemies” 

“And they can’t start seeing how great of a person you are if you keep yourself away” you said slowly, seeing how far the kid would let you push until he exploded and ran away again. 

You saw him unclench and reclench his fists, he was thinking of what to say, maybe thinking how far he could run until you caught him. 

You had to kill the blow of your last statement, make it relatable, “I understand if what i’m saying sounds like complete centaur poop like i said, i haven’t known you for long and we’ve only just met but what i said about those who have known you for long, it’s true, they care about you” 

“they don’t care” nico spat out.

“Oh really? you said, “then why on earth did they insist on saving you then?” 

Nico looked away, “it was a stupid decision”

“Because they care, they want you here in camp half blood” 

You paused for a while, you thought you had blown it because nico straightened his posture as if to stand but he stayed seated, “I- i can’t stay” 

You nodded, “Okay, though i must admit for someone who’s new to this demigod stuff you’re rather diligent and resourceful when it comes to lone wolfing,” you smiled as you saw the boy raise his eyebrows, “and if you ever need a place to come back to, well camp’s always ready to accept you and if you don’t want to stay here,” 

You took a key out of your pocket and held it out to the boy, “i have a flat in brooklyn. I know you may not want my help or my pity and i respect that but it won’t do any good if you’re out there by yourself surviving in the wild. and if you refuse to stay at camp half blood, fine- but please, take the keys, and if you ever need a place to stay, go there” 

The boy looked at the keys in your hand, his eyes wide and mouth open in shock, “I don’t want-”

“Nico, I know i don’t know you, heck, I know you feel like nobody does, but-”

You words got caught in your mouth, you knew saying that you pitied him or felt sorry for him would just push him away even more. 

“There was a lot of people i couldn’t help today,” you said, the words coming out quietly, “And to be quite honest with you i wouldn’t be helping the gods at all if the world wasn’t at stake- they shouldn’t be letting their children take care of their matters” 

If your kind words won’t working then you would have to turn to your bitterness. 

“But i’ve learnt that if you hang onto your regret and hold grudges, you’ll only make things worse for yourself. It may be hard to let go but if you keep pushing yourself away things will only get harder. I get it, you may have not felt accepted in the past and have been through stuff that makes you think you’ll never fit in and i won’t try to pretend that i can completely understand what you’re going through. But i can’t stand to see another person lose themselves to hatred and bitterness, so if i can help you, that’s still something isn’t it?” 

Nico stared at you, his expression confused and interlaced with a slight scowl as if to say, are you being serious? 

“So if you won’t accept my help for yourself, then do it as a favour for me” 

He stared at you, the confused expression melting away along with the slight scowl. His face shifted into look that made him seem dumbfounded and impressed.

He plucked the keys of of your hand gingerly as if he was still deciding wether to take them or not, “what you did on the field, that was some powerful energy you radiated, how come you haven’t disintegrated?”  

You couldn’t help but laugh, “i guess i’m too stubborn to. But i could say the same for you, that raising of the dead trick was very impressive” 

You thought you imagined it, but a little smile appeared on the boy’s face, “thanks” 

“He’ll be okay” you said suddenly and percy turned to you,

“What?” 

“I have a feeling he’s going to be more open now” you said reassuringly with a knowing smile on your face.

“What does that mean?” percy said then his eyes narrowed and looked at you suspiciously, “what did you say to him?” 

You shrugged, “what i said to nico stays between me and nico” 

“Okay, i won’t question it miss ‘you shall fear me’ ”

you punched percy, “shut up”

“I’m sorry, i’m sorry” he said, rubbing his arm where you had hit him, “what did you do to kampe anyways?”

“I squashed her lungs” you said simply, taking both your hands and pressing them together like you were praying to help picture your explanation.

“You- you what?” Percy sputtered and you looked at him, your head tilted.

“You don't get it? Want me to demonstrate?” 

“No no no no- i get it now, a hundred percent” Percy smiled anxiously and waving his hands in front of him. 

You smiled smugly and leaned back against the bench, “idiot” 

“A concerned idiot,” Percy said, his voice now returning to a serious tone “Will told me how you were over doing it with your powers, when you collapsed i was so worried-” 

You put your finger to his lips, “im fine- what you don’t think i can handle a little-”

“Y/N i’m beingg serious” percy said sternly and you lowered your hand.

“Percy, i’m fine, just needs a little getting used to, okay?” You said as sweetly as you could to shake percy off your case, but you were very touched by how much he cared. 

He nodded his head, “If you say so”

“I do say so,” you stated, causing a smile to form on his face. His sea green eyes turning towards you and smiling, 

“Of course, princess” 

...

Normally you could control your dreams. This time you weren’t so lucky. 

You found yourself back in your palace on olympus, with its ivory walls, golden furniture and constant glow as if it had just been scrubbed clean- the generic layout for an olympian house hold. 

You were sitting at the dining room and was surrounded by your nymph maids who were clearing away breakfast. They didn’t say anything but smiled as they continued wiping down the table and taking the plates where your unfinished food sat untouched. 

“You really must eat more” a young nymph who came up beside you. She was young looking, about 19? but she was probably about 100 years old. She had long flowing hair as if there was a breeze pushing it back and freckles dotted her face, crinkling together as she smiled at you.

“I’m not hungry” you said, and you became aware of the concerned faces of the other servant nymphs in the room.

“You need to eat!” the nymph insisted, sending you playful reproachful look, “otherwise you won’t grow!” 

She was true about that part, you had been a little bit on the shorter side with your height as you grew up. 

Suddenly you stood up from the table, pushing back the golden chair you were sitting on, the nymphs face turned into horror as she backed away from you. 

Alll around you the golden haze that seemed to always brighten the room in an eternal golden hour dampened, the room tinged with a sickly green instead. 

You remembered the day quite vaguely and the memory had almost slipped out of your mind. But you did remember how terrified the experience has left you but it happened so long ago that it almost felt like you had read it in a book, like the event hadn’t happed to you.  

You hadn’t dreamed about this once since it had happened. normally you’d dream about reoccurring things and you’d be able to change something distressful into something less frightening but now you could only watch in horror as the scene unfolded. 

The green tinge had turned out to be radiating from you. You looked down only to see a thick mist swirling around you like a snake closing in on your prey. You felt the same as you had on the day it happened - petrified. even though you knew exactly what happened, you still got the same shivers sent down your spine. 

You felt your jaw unhinge and despite wanting to try again to change the course of your dream and trying to keep it shut, it pried open as if you weren’t doing your best to clench your mouth closed.

The same green mist poured out from your mouth, further filling the room with the sickly shade of green.

You mouth was opened but no scream came out instead your vocal chords began moving on their own- at least you thought they did. A voice ringed out through your body, 

“Seven halfblooded shall answer the call, to storm or fire the world must fall” 

You tried to release a cry, but you just began to choke on your own breath- still the voice continued

“an oath to keep with a final breath”

You couldn’t hear much against the pounding of your own heart but you saw clearly the rushing nymphs who tried to aid you but couldn’t seem to penetrate through the mist, satrys who ran out of the room, shouting for help, their faces laced with concern and fright as they glanced back at your body.

You hated to see them like this, servants- no, family who watched you grow up, you took care of you who taught you everything you knew, crying and paralysed with horror as they watched you be possessed by the spirit of the oracle of delphi. 

You continued to choke on air but you weren’t control of your own body anymore.

“And foes bear arms to the doors of death”

Enough.

You snapped awake, sitting up in a cold sweat and breathing hard as if you actually had been choking. 

You brought your hand to your mouth to cover it, shocked with how vivid that dream was. 

How your brain had unlocked that almost forgotten memory, you didn’t know. 

Then you blinked, closing your eyes for just a second, but you couldn’t open them again.

and then you felt yourself being sucked back into your dreams. 

You were again in the olympian palace of your childhood, but this time the golden haze was back and the mist was gone. But that was the least of your problems. 

You played sprawled on the floor, you felt the cool marble against you back and watched as worried faces of nymphs and satrys popped into your view, “Lady Y/N are you okay?” 

“I- I’m-’ you began, still trying to catch your breath, but a voice interrupted.

“No one shall speak of this” the voice stated, calm and collected for someone whose daughter was just possessed. 

The satrys and nymphs disappeared from your view and you were helped into a sitting position. 

Standing in front of you was your mother, she looked angry but a type of anger that spurred on worries. There were deep lines etched between her brows, which made no sense since your mother didn’t look a day over 25. 

She was a tall woman with long dark hair that was let loose to hang around her shoulders. She had an elegant face, pointed chin and high cheekbones which worked together to make her look highly intimidating yet extremely beautiful. Her slim figure was dressed in a loose silk dress that rested around her ankles and against the sunlight shining through the doorway she looked like, well- a goddess. 

But this was ruined by the way she stared at you. Eyes narrowed and looking hard into your soul as if somehow it was your fault you were encapsulated by green mist. 

She walked towards you and you didn’t find the strength to get up. She knelt down beside you, her dress pooling around her like a mini whirlpool of fabric, “are you alright? do you remember what you said?” 

the ‘are you alright?’ made sense, the ‘do you remember what you said?’ absolutely did not. 

You nodded your head, “seven half bloods-”

You mother shook her head, “no need to recite” she said kindly but you could tell that this bothered her. 

It hadn’t occurred to you then how you remembered what you had said, the only thing you were aware about was your own internal screaming. The first time you had actually heard the words clearly was in your dream and yet you still didn’t fully memorise the lines. 

“i’m afraid this is more graver than we thought” your mother began a look of grimace passing over her face. You didn’t know if it was the fact that she no longer was basked in the sunlight but she seemed to age as she scanned your face.

You couldn’t take it, just seeing your mother had made you far too emotional already, but seeing her worried and anxious seemed to just push you to breaking point. 

So you put all your will power into tearing away from that dream, it’s all in my head it’s all in my head.

you forced your eyes open causing your body to finally snap back into reality and grab ahold of itself. 

Your were still sat up in the position you left in, a layer of blankets around and the weak rays of morning sun shining through your curtained window. Sunrise? but you were pretty sure you had gone back into your dream when it was still pitch black in your room but you swear you had only dreamed for only a few minutes. 

shakily, you brought your head up to look at the ceiling. Somewhere, three floors above you was the mummified body of the oracle which held the green mist that had possessed you ten years ago. You were terrified. 

...

Percy thought he deserved a little bit of happiness. But alas, nothing could ever go in his favour. 

Yesterday, at the counsellors meeting they held, the subject about the many demigods luke had recruited came up and that led to very colourful argument between you and percy. 

“I agree, the numbers of demigods were very disturbing” chiron said, resting his elbows on the arms of his wheelchair, “and how luke had gotten his hands on so many, i cannot say” 

“Well we know where he got some of them,“ Michael Yew the newly appointed head counsellor of apollo said under his breath but it was clear that he had wanted everyone to hear. 

Across the table clarisse scowled, “You want to say that a bit louder?” and she made her way to stand up but silena held her down. 

By now word of chris rodriguez’s return had gone around camp. he was a demigod who had joined luke’s army but had been found in the labyrinth driven to insanity and then healed by Dionysus. He was reaccepted back into camp and no one had really objected against the notion- especially since he was clarisse’s boyfriend. 

“moving on,” chiron interjected, looking reproachfully at michael who was now in a stare down with connor and travis stoll, “I believe that luke must be actively seeking recruits, especially those who had not yet been introduced to their demigod lives. Our protecters are doing their best to keep the demigods away from the titan army but that is all they can do lest they are attacked or worse, have their own demigods turned against them”

“Isn’t there anything else we can do?” percy questioned, he remembered ethan nakamura, a demigod he had met in the labyrinth and did not have the heart to kill. Yet he had stabbed percy in the back and had been the final part in awakening kronos. He didn’t want any other demigods to be brainwashed and forced to lay down their lives for an evil cause. 

Chiron looked grimly at the counsellors, “I’m afraid our protecters are already spread out thin, especially now with grovers newly found mission to protect the wild on pan’s orders, there isn’t much we can do” 

“But there has to be!” percy complained, “Luke’s manipulating kids as young as 7 to fight for kronos, and we’ll have no choice but to fight against them. Can’t we send campers to help the protecters?” 

Chiron nodded, “I understand that percy but our numbers are already extremely low. And i do not want to be pessimistic but if we are to fight against kronos we are not in the best shape. we need everyone at camp half blood training and preparing, we can’t afford to send anyone away” 

Percy was filled with anger yet he completely saw where chiron was coming from. He opened his mouth to argue back- even though he knew he couldn’t win against chiron but you spoke up instead. 

“How about if I go?” you suggested politely and the whole table turned their heads to you, “I have a pretty good sense for demigods, and monsters as well. And I’ll be able to bring them to camp half blood and maybe find satrys and bring them back with their demigods too” 

Chiron paused for a second, considering this before speaking up, “that is a very brave suggestion, Y/N but it is far too risky-”

“I can do it,” you interrupted, the polite smile on your face disappeared and was replaced with a determined look, “I’ll bring back as many demigods I can” 

Percy stared at you dumbfounded, he wanted nothing more but for chiron to shut you down and tell you that you weren’t leaving camp on your own. 

It had been him who had suggested the idea in the first place, but he didn’t think that you would offer to go out scouting on your own. 

“she’s right!” Beckendorf spoke up,“ if there’s anyone at camp who could do it it’s Y/N” 

You sent a warm smile of thanks to beckendorf and percy sent him a death glare.

“Yeah, I must say if there’s anyone who can afford to miss training, it’s Y/N” clarisse supported and Percy started to panic as a wave of agreeing murmur echoed around the room.

“Then it’s decided, Y/N can go out and look for demigods-”

“No!” Percy stood up and the whole room stared at him in shock.

“No?” you questioned, slight amusement in your voice, “percy it was you who suggested-”

“I know” percy said, his voice tight, “but what I suggested is that multiple campers go”

You too stood up, your brow furrowed and your jaw set in a challenging look, “yeah but what difference does it make? Satyrs go out to find demigods by themselves, i’m just doing what they do” 

Percy had to fight to keep standing up, you’d never looked so angry and the fact that you kept your voice calm scared him even more, “Yeah but you’re a demigod out there by yourself, you’ll fall right into lukes hands!” 

“Oh so you think i can’t handle it?” you said slowly.

“I didn’t say that!” percy exclaimed, his voice raising.

“Really? because it sounded like you meant that” 

The rest of the counsellors and chiron had gone silent, their heads kept going back and forth between you and percy like they were watching an intense tennis match. 

“Well it wasn’t what i meant, what i’m saying is that this is a bad idea and you shouldn’t go-” 

“Don’t tell me what to do!” you shouted, and the whole room made a collective gasp, nobody had ever seen you lose your cool before and it was extremely frightening.

“don’t you dare for a second think you can order me around” you said quietly, clipping every syllable so that each word felt like a stab to percy’s heart. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Percy scoffed, the way you were flexing your hand as if wishing you could strangle him provoking him even more, “no matter how powerful you may be you can’t go out there by yourself” 

“Why can’t i percy?” you questioned and you sounded as if you could laugh, “if it was any other camper you wouldn’t be so defensive about it would you? you’d even jump at the chance to do the job yourself so why in the world does it concern you when it’s me?!” you voice rising again, your hands still in the position of when you had gestured to yourself. 

Percy stood there staring at you. He didn’t know what to say, what could he say? “because i don’t want the girl i like to go on a dangerous mission and risk her life before i get the chance to tell her how i feel that’s why”. He couldn’t even bring himself to speak because of the way you were staring at him with your eyes locked on him, narrowed. you were fuming, percy was surprised you hadn’t crushed his lungs yet. 

Even for someone your height you were without a doubt the most intimidating person in the room at that moment. And that included beckendorf who was the biggest guy in camp and the same height as you sitting down and clarisse who had her army boots resting on the table and was sharpening her pocket knife. 

Suddenly you turned to chiron, “when can i leave?” 

Percy let his mouth fall open, you were leaving just like that? 

Chiron looked at percy before answering you with a tired voice, “you can leave at sunrise tomorrow, i’ll have argus drive you to the city”

You nodded once, “Thank you, may i please be excused?” 

Chiron blinked his eyes slowly and nodded. You left the room with one fleeting hurt gaze at percy. And with that the guilt came crashing down on him. 

Annabeth sent percy a ‘you only had to go and do it’ look and stood up, “Chiron can i-” 

“Go” chiron said without hesitation and annabeth rushed out of the room. 

The room was silent for a while as chiron wheeled his wheelchair to the side to pour himself a glass of water. 

Nobody knew what to say, they just all stared at the door you had left through and avoided looking at percy. 

“You messed up big time man” Connor snickered, and katie gardener punched him. 

Percy sat back down in his seat, “She hates me” 

“You got that right” travis added, who too, receive a punch from katie. 

Later percy was hoping to see you at dinner, but you weren’t there. In fact, he hadn’t seen you all day, nobody had except for annabeth- of course, since you had locked yourself in your room “preparing” for your leave. 

Percy felt guilty, he didn’t mean for it to come out like that. But when you put him on the spot, asking him why he cared, he couldn’t have possibly just said why. 

“Hey percy!” 

Percy turned around, and found annabeth running towards him, oh my gods she's going to kill me.

“Annabeth I didn’t mean-”

She put her hand up, “I know, you had good intentions and i honestly i would’ve done the same”

Percy felt himself release a sigh of relief, so it looks like he wasn’t going to get a serving of knife in the gut. 

“But it’s the right choice, there are other demigods lives at risk here too, and Y/N our best choice for preventing that. Don’t worry so much, she’ll be fine” Annabeth reassured as her and percy made their way to the cabins. 

Percy looked over at the big house, he could see the lights in your room were on, “Is she still-”

“angry at you?” annabeth finished and percy nodded sheepishly, “she still kind of is. I don’t know what she was expecting though, a love confession? I think she was just more angry at the fact that you’d let anyone else go but not her” 

Percy sputtered, “no- uhm but, yeah but it’s only because-”

“Don’t worry, i know” Annabeth patted percy on the shoulder condescendingly, “but you should really go see her off tomorrow though” 

“I was planning on that already,” Percy said.

He had imagined of what you might say or more like what you might not. You might just ignore him completely and he’d look like a total loser or dead if he’d angered you enough. 

So the next morning at sunrise percy made his way to the top of half blood hill. Others had come to see you off at the big house where everyone was supposed to say goodbye, but percy didn’t exactly want your little ‘make amends session’ to be witnessed by everyone. 

He just hoped you hadn’t left yet. 

He could still sense you though, over time you had gotten better at hiding your radiance- how? percy didn’t know. But whenever you were close by he could just feel your presence. And he could feel your presence getting stronger as he approached the top of the hill. 

When he got there you stood leaning on one leg and arms folded, giving percy one of your stoic expressions. 

“I uh-” percy halted to a stop and suddenly was at a lost of words. 

He had expected to shout you name dramatically and have you spin around and face him in shock and then you’d run up to him and give him a hug, because he had come to see you off in the end. He didn’t expect for you to expect him and catch him off guard. 

“Uh, hi?” Percy tried and it took a good second before you finally gave him a response- a raised eyebrow but that was better than blasting percy of the hill. 

Percy took in a deep breath, “Y/N i’m really sorry for what i said yesterday it’s just, i don’t want you getting hurt okay? If something were to happen to you-” but percy faltered as he saw you smiling.

“You’re forgiven, but i wasn’t really that mad in the first place” you said softly and percy took this as a sign that he could walk closer to you. 

“And i’m sorry too” you said, “i shouldn’t have shouted back” 

percy laughed, “it’s okay” 

Percy’s laughing died out and the two of you stood just looking at the view. Despite standing so close, the two of you said nothing. It was just like the last time you had left camp, nothing had changed- it was something about half blood hill that made the two of you to not know how to say goodbye. 

“Just let me go with you” percy asked abruptly as he turned his body to look at you. 

You were taken by surprise but as always the emotion faded to that kind stoic face of yours, “percy, you have bigger things to worry about” 

Percy cursed to himself, why did his stupid fate always have to get in the way of things? He was extremely tempted right now to say screw bigger things, and just run off with you to find demigods, fight monsters- he didn’t care what the two of you did, as long as he was with you. 

BEEP.

The sound made percy jump and he spun around to see the white van that argus was waiting for you in, 

“I’d better go,” you said in panic and started walking away, “I guess i’ll see you later percy” 

Percy knew you were only acting so casual, as if you were going to be back that night, because you were scared that there was a possibility that you weren’t going to see him again.

You had always been an optimistic person and always tried to pretend that everything was going to be okay. “if you act like things are going to be alright then they will”  You always used to say to percy, since you said he was such a pessimist. 

So it made perfect sense to percy that you didn’t make this seem like your last goodbye. 

Percy hated it to be like this but he knew time wasn’t on your side, and he stood shocked and not knowing what to do as he watched you begin to walk away from him. 

Maybe it’s for the best, he thought and turned around to make his own way back to camp before he could run after you, whisk you up in his arms and lock you away from harm. 

“Percy!” 

He looked over his shoulder and was slammed into by you that the force nearly caused the both of you to tumble down the hill. 

The second he felt your arms around him he hugged you back, tighter. Percy felt his heart beating faster- it was already beating fast but it was only now he noticed it, as you pressed into his body and tugged at the fabric at the back of his hoodie. 

When you looked up at him you eyes were tearing up, “I’ll miss you, a lot” 

“I’ll miss you too princess” percy grinned. 

he almost let out a growl of frustration, the two of you could have had the whole of yesterday to spend with each other, but because of your argument he was only getting these last few seconds with you to say goodbye. 

“Don’t do anything-” you started, you voice cracking sightly but you were cut off.

Percy took a hold of the side of your face and place his lips on yours.

At first, percy was worried, he didn’t mean to kiss you without your permission and he was about to pull away and start profusely apologising, but you kissed him back. 

Then percy smiled into the kiss, he almost couldn’t carry on from how big he was grinning. 

He finally pulled back looking at your pretty face, for all he knew, for the last time, “stupid?” he smirked, “yeah, wasn’t planning on it” 

A smile cracked across your face, “idiot” 

Percy laughed as he finally let you go. 

BEEP.

You looked over you shoulder at the car at the road, argus was probably really annoyed at how long you were taking. 

You then looked at percy with a soft gaze and a kind smile, “Goodbye percy jackson” and you began walking backwards towards the road. 

“See you later princess,” percy chuckled, lifting his hand to give you a wave. 

And at that moment he saw your smile falter, it was like watching a tank filled to the brim with water crack. 

but before he could see anything else, you spun around and ran down half blood hill. 

And with an arrow in his heart, percy watched you race down towards the road, knowing very well that this could be the last time he would see the daughter of ananke again. 

#percy jackson #percy x reader #percy jackson x reader #percy jackson and the heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the gods of olympus #percy jackson fanfiction #percy imagine #percy jackson imagine #the heroes of olympus #anabeth chase #percy

[lukecastellandeservedbetter]

17. Me and Mine, You and Yours

a/n: this one hurt. Shoutout to @theartofimaginaryfriends for letting me bounce ideas off of her at random times during the day. 

Read the others!: Masterlist

Luke was sipping his coffee and trying to relax a little. He had been up since before dawn, after being plagued by nightmares all night. No matter how hard he tried to recall them however, he couldn’t pull the images forward in his mind. 

One thing was certain though. 

He had a really bad feeling about Kansas. 

He remembered being in Kansas when he was younger, before he met Thalia or Annabeth. It wasn’t kind to young demigods. He spent his time fighting karpoi, running around looking for some kind of shelter and avoiding authorities when the monsters got a little overzealous trying to eat him. 

But this feeling wasn’t like it was back then. It was darker, twisting his stomach in knots, and shot pain behind his eyes whenever he thought too hard about it. Every nerve in his body tensed for battle, every muscle coiling in anticipation to run. A cold draft he couldn’t escape sent shivers down his spine and caused goosebumps to rise up and down his arms. 

He got the funny feeling Piper wasn’t sharing everything about what she saw in her blade. 

As he watched the sunrise, the other demigods slowly got up. Jason was first, closely followed by Hazel and Frank. He figured it was a Roman thing. Next was Annabeth, then Leo, and then Percy. Finally, they arrived in the drop off spot, and Leo went to grab Piper so they could dish out roles. 

“I need to finish repairing the ship,” Leo told the group. “And Annabeth, I’d love it if you stuck around, since you’re the only one who kinda understands how this works.” 

Annabeth looked at Percy apologetically. 

“I’ll come back to you,” Percy promised quietly. “Promise.” 

Annabeth nodded and kissed his cheek and turned to Luke as Leo and Frank went at it. “You’ll be with them, right?” 

Luke shrugged. “Yeah, I can tag along. You can never have too many guys with swords.” He offered a small smile, ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his head, telling him something was off about this whole stop. 

The four of them- Jason, Percy, Piper and Luke -made their way through the fields after Leo dropped them off, walking all the way to the highway. “We should get off the ground,” Piper commented, sounding just as anxious as Luke felt. 

“I’ll get us a ride,” Percy grinned. 

“No, I got it.” Jason told him. 

Jason whistled, and Percy closed his eyes, concentrating. Luke raised his eyebrow watching them, glancing at Piper. “Who do you got?” He mumbled. 

Piper looked up at him and shrugged. “Who is Percy, uh, calling?” 

Luke shrugged and looked back at the boy. Suddenly, the temperature dropped a little as a horse made of clouds burst down from the sky. Not far behind, a familiar black pegasus followed suit. 

“Blackjack,” Luke said, surprised, looking at Percy. “He’s still around?” 

Percy looked at Luke just as surprised. “You remember him?” 

“Well yeah, he was my horse,” He frowned. “It was a pain in the ass trying to keep all the monsters away from him.” 

Percy regarded Luke curiously and looked at Blackjack, who seemed nervous, and aggressive, around Jason’s horse. “Hey buddy, it’s okay, they’re friends.” Percy told him, petting him carefully. “Feel like taking me and Luke for a ride?” 

Blackjack glanced at Luke. “He’s on our side,” Percy told him. “It’s okay.” 

Luke couldn’t hear what Blackjack was thinking like Percy could, but he seemed relatively okay with the idea of taking Luke. He just hoped it wasn’t because Blackjack was planning to buck him off. 

They headed out, Percy and Luke in the air on Blackjack, Piper and Jason on the ground on Tempest, until they found the 32 mile marker. They touched down and dismounted. “You’re right, no sign of the wine dude,” Percy said to Blackjack, looking around. 

“Excuse me?” A voice called out. 

Luke recognized the god, not by his looks, but by how he carried himself. 

Bacchus or Dionysus, the guy was an asshole. 

Luke tried to focus on the conversation, but he found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Piper tried to charm Bacchus, Percy was running his mouth, and Jason was trying to remain diplomatic. He could see them talking, and hear the sounds of their voices, but the actual words seemed muffled, like the world was slipping away from him. 

Panic seized his brain. His blood ran cold, his breathing turning ragged as the almost familiar feeling started taking over his limbs. He would have cried out if his voice hadn’t tightened around the lump in his throat, as if someone was slowly crushing his windpipe, letting him breathe just enough to survive. 

“-a trap.” Bacchus’ voice broke through the barrier in his ears, and with that the god was gone. 

Luke felt like he was drowning. He watched Percy and Jason draw their swords, and he could faintly hear a woman telling Piper to choose between the two boys. When she refused, the boys turned on each other and started fighting. 

‘Watch, Luke Castellan,’ The same woman’s voice chimed in his head, clearer now. ‘Watch as I take those you care about away from you, destroy them just as you destroyed my son.’ 

Luke tried to fight harder, but Gaia and her spirits were stronger, more ancient than Kronos. Kronos had allowed him to regain his body at different points, so he could regain more strength. 

Gaia was in no such position. 

Luke watched his own hands reach for the Imperial Gold blade in his sheath, pulling it free, out of his control. ‘And once they reach their demise, you will receive yours.’ 

For a horrified moment, his eyes found his reflection in the blade. They were solid gold, and he was sent into a deeper spiral, his mind spinning faster. He banged harder on the cage in his mind, begging for a crack, for a weakness, anything. But the panic was too strong, and he wondered foolishly if he would somehow suffocate himself before the gold blade could even touch his skin. 

He watched helplessly as Piper panicked, looking between the three demigods, trying to figure out who to save, how to save them, and as Percy and Jason fought each other, equally matched in skill, all of it a muffled blur. He stood there, unable to move his legs as if they were stuck in the ground, and were trying to pull him beneath it, his hand raised, the tip of his sword ready to plunge into his Achilles Heel under his arm. 

Jason hit the ground. Percy got up, raising his sword. 

“Eidolon, stop.” 

Piper’s voice rang clearly through the haze and for a moment, Luke’s limbs felt lighter, connected to his body again. The ocean he was drowning in receded, if just for a second, and he felt like gasping for air. He managed to regain enough control to drop the sword before his hands when rigid again, the spirit taking over once more. 

“You’re spirits from the Underworld, and you’re possessing Percy Jackson and Luke Castellan, is that it?” 

“We will live again,” Luke found a voice that wasn’t his own, joining Percy’s in unison. 

Piper seemed to be focusing on Percy more, her voice drifting away as Luke’s mind once again fell underneath the waves of control. 

Smack. 

A stinging sensation on his cheek seemed to pull Luke out of it entirely. His body was exhausted, and his knees buckled as he crumpled to the ground. A pair of warm hands grasped his bicep, steadying him from completely face planting. 

“Luke? Luke, answer me,” Piper said softly, concern laced in her tone. 

“I’m-” His throat closed around the word ‘fine’ and he choked up. 

He could feel the hot pressure of tears pressing against his eyes and he shook his head, his body shaking. 

“I know it’s scary,” Piper cooed, and Luke couldn’t even be bothered to resist the Charmspeak Piper was laying on him. “But I need you to get up, and walk with me and Blackjack, okay? He can’t carry you, Percy and Jason at the same time, and I’m not leaving you behind.” 

“Are they okay?” He whispered, his heart hammering, avoiding looking at her. 

“They’re alive.” Piper assured him, sliding his sword back into its sheath. “C’mon, you can sit down when we get back to the Argo II. I don’t want to stick around if they decide to come back.” 

Luke nodded and let Piper help him to Blackjack who seemed to understand Luke was barely holding on. He offered his neck for Luke to hold onto, and between him and Piper, they managed to get the three boys back to the ship. 

#Luke Castellan's Second Chance #luke castellan #percy jackson #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #jason grace #Piper McLean #pjo #Heroes of Olympus #hoo

[sapphicambitions]

like when I say I think Luke Castellan is gay I don’t mean it as a cutesy “don’t u wish ur fave was gay” kind of way I mean textually and seriously I believe he was gay. 

I could cite the petty stuff like “he only had female friends growing up” and “he clearly never showed interest in women even though many women were interested in him” or “he is one of the few people in the series who didn’t actually have a serious love interest / partner” or whatever but i feel like it’s actually much deeper than that. Luke was a young person who had a difficult and strained relationship with his parents. He saw how flawed the system was and how it was treating people like him, and sought to change the system, give power to people like him, and start it all over. (Yeah, he fell victim to people who influenced him to the dark side but that had nothing to do with his gayness, imo.) He just reminds me a lot of characters like Nico and Catra from She-Ra: repressed gay with a strained relationship with parental figures, angry and willing to take down the world. In this essay I will-

.......like no but seriously

Luke had a very troubled childhood because of his mother’s damaged mind, and the fact that she was constantly having fits and telling him how terrible things were going to be for him. When Luke is (angrily) describing his childhood to Hermes he says: “You could’ve helped me when she was having one of her fits, shaking me and saying crazy things about my fate. When I used to hide in the closet so she wouldn’t find me with those glowing eyes,” like!!! he even mentions hiding in a closet (let me find the subtext where i want it)  but seriously, you know what’s one of the first things my mother said to me when I came out to her? “You know how much harder your life is going to be, don’t you?” So then Luke ran away from his home and found a new family, one that looked out for each other and loved each other more than their blood family ever did. This is a queer narrative!!

And with Hermes, it was all sorts of fucked up. His father kept him at a distance. Made Luke feel like there was something wrong with him, like he didn’t love him. His dad made it very clear to him what his expectations were of him, tried to encourage him to be a great hero, like all the heroes before him (when he was talking to him about sending him on a quest and Hermes said “You will get a change to be a great hero before…”) but Luke didn’t want to be the person his father expected him to be. He wanted to be something new, something true to himself. Luke was always burdened down with the weight of his parent’s expectations, both the expectation that he should strive to be a perfect hero and the knowledge that his future was doomed. 

So one time i was at a bar with friends and me and the only other queer person there were talking and he was like “gay men and their dads, you know what i mean?” and I was like “yeah also gay women and their moms” and we had a whole discussion about growing up with a certain set of expectations of who you’ll be from your parents and the gendered expectations they have for you and having to crush all of that when you come out to them and navigating the difficulties that come with that when you want to be your own person so like there’s your real world comparison / evidence for that argument

ALSO Luke ran away from home but then kind of immediately went to Camp Half-Blood where he was shoved into the Hermes cabin with all of his siblings and undetermined kids and then still expected to scrape part of his food in the fire and be thankful to his deadbeat dad. That would suck! He was already harboring all of this rage inside of him, and then he went on his quest. Saw the world. Was exposed to other schools of thought. He understood that he was just being used as a pawn. He came back a different person, he didn’t quite fit in at camp anymore now that he’d seen the world. Kind of like when I went off to be gay at college and then came back to my childhood home and had to be straight around all my high school friends. just saying.

Luke saw the flaws in the system, the way the gods ruled the world. The way the gods treated their children and how much it hurt them. He felt so betrayed and hurt and abandoned by his dad and all the gods, so instead of sitting with it, he thought “I can do better.” Luke sought to rebuild the world, scrap it all and start new. Start with new leaders who took better care of everyone, who did things completely differently than the way it was done before, and raze anything before it. We’re going to ignore the fact that he was influenced to the dark side for a moment because it’s not related to this essay, but I also feel like this is a very queer narrative. (how many times can i say that phrase in this essay) Seeing the flaws in the way the world is treating people like you and wanting to do better. Luke said (this not an actual book quote more of a dramatic sentiment): “I won’t be used and I won’t be who you want me to be. I will become my own person and there’s nothing you can fucking do to stop me. I will make a new world, better than before, without you, for people like me, and I will tear down the walls of the previous world if I fucking have to” and i just think that’s very gay rights of him.

A thing that I’m a big fan of is seeing specific character types and relating them to each other. For example: our fave Nico di Angelo and Catra from She-Ra. (If you haven’t seen She-Ra, she’s the DEFINITION of an angry repressing gay) We can see from Nico’s narrative and from Catra’s narrative and also just straight up my own personal narrative that sometimes when you’re gay and repressing and afraid of becoming the person you are warned against, while also knowing that you were meant for more but maybe not quite understanding what that more is yet, and overall just want to feel accepted and loved as who you truly are but not receiving that, it can tend to make one lash out in angry and irresponsible ways. It can make one isolate themselves from those they previously were close to. It can lead to irrational and impulsive choices for all the wrong reasons because you don’t feel right and you don’t know why. Not at all saying this is the same across the board for queer people, it’s just something that honestly happens to some people and I can relate to when i see it in characters. 

I see that in Luke. He is weighed down by everything his parents want him to be, both good and bad, and is trying to scrap the world and make a new one for people like him. He wants to take his turn, pushing aside anyone who’s hurt him. Luke was someone who was constantly being torn apart by the world and just wanted to feel safe and secure in who he was and the world he was in. He was acting in anger and fear and hurt and revenge for his childhood and because he still felt like there wasn’t a place in the world for him. He lashed out against his father and his family and his friends and pushed them all away. Sure, he had some friends at Camp Half-Blood, but Annabeth’s devotion to him was not enough to make up for like, all of his childhood trauma. First everything with his mom and then being on the run for so long and then meeting his dad and then losing Thalia (which also fueled his anger and hatred of the gods but like we knew that) and his quest and just everything. He was dealt a cruel hand and he didn’t handle it well. Not that that has anything to do with him being gay but I’m just lamenting over the tragedy of his life. Anyway.

Also not to quote the Lighting Thief because it’s not technically in Rick’s canon but i still think they perfectly understood the characters so I’m including it, but the idea that Luke has tried to be a good kid, he’s tried to do what was expected of him, he’s done everything they ever asked of him, but it didn’t pay off. It didn’t matter. It still wasn’t a world he belonged in. “you know this world will never be ours as long as our parents rule over the stars” and “it’s time to make the world our own” strikes me very much to the tune of LGBT activism. once again ringing in that idea of “if you won’t make the world better than i will do it with my bare hands” he also sings “the gods were never on our side, so i think it’s time we watched them fall” which gets to me every time because like he was just a kid! he was just a kid who had so much hurt and anger inside of him and he went about everything the wrong way but he was just a fucking kid! 

also YES to be petty and shallow but while Annabeth and Thalia refer to luke romantically, he never mentioned the same for him. Kelli the sexy monster hits on him during Battle of the Labyrinth and was clearly interested in him and he pushes her away without any hesitation. IN FACT the only demigods referenced on Luke’s ship are Chris and Ethan (why we didn’t see any of that trio, I’ll never understand), with Ethan working much closer with Luke and being a major player in the Titan War. (also I think Ethan is queer too but that’s a battle for another day.) And Rick LOVES romances. pretty much every character gets paired up with someone in the original series (percy and annabeth, grover and juniper, even Clarisse and Chris) which is fab thank u rick for my percabeth rights but Luke is the only character who does not get a girlfriend!! because he’s a homosexual!!!! you know what other character didn’t get paired off in the original series??? NICO, a known homo!!!  i do think that luke is a case of “accidentally written homo” because this was before rick saved the world and gave us nico’s coming out and really started pushing for queer rep in the books (thank u again rick!!!!), so I’m allowed to find my gay subtext in the original series, thank u very much!

listen all im saying is that my favorite character narrative is “angry gay coded villain who is repressing and lashing out at the world because of it” and i truly believe luke fits into that narrative and I stand by my argument.

Thank u for attending my TED Talk

#lesbianlaynie #i spent like three hours writing this #luke castellan #percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #reckless tagging im so sorry #annabeth chase #the lightning thief musical #tltm #the lightning thief #the battle of the labyrinth #the last olympian #pjo #laynie's pjo essays

[jflashandclash]

Tales From Mount Othrys

Jack: Silenced II

           When he thought about rolling over to see Flynn making her bed, Jack smiled. Her muscular figure would be silhouetted by the rays of dawn coming through the window, a tan blur against the black obsidian of Camp Othrys.

She walked around in her underwear in the morning. Luke said it was invitation. Jack knew it wasn’t. It was a marker of tested trust, Flynn’s willingness to be vulnerable knowing that Jack wouldn’t make the first move or ogle her. At least, that’s what Prometheus said when Jack brought up his concerns.

But, when Jack rolled over, there was no Camp Othrys, no line of Flynn’s weapons against the wall. His electric bass guitars were gone, as were all of his sketches of the Orpheus Metal band posters. (They were terrible—Pax had made better ones.)

A harp and loom lingered against one cavernous wall. There was a built-in fireplace roaring, providing some respite to the chilly air. The ceiling was crystalline, reflecting purple, emerald, and blue against the white bedding. Someone else’s bedding. It smelled like someone else.

Jack sat up, shoving the feather pillow away. He clutched at his hair, finding that someone must have trimmed it. He choked at the gap in his memory.

They had fought the Romans—an aerial attack against the Princess Andromeda. Jack was snatched by an eagle. Screams. Flynn’s roar of fury. He remembered falling in the water…

The clothing he wore was white, baggy, and cotton, too much like his hospital garb from the first time Steve, his step dad, institutionalized him. This prank has gone too far, Steve had said, angry Jack would dare scare Ashton and Shelby by claiming the walls were screaming. Jack’s skinny jeans and band shirt were gone. What if all of it had been a hallucination: Camp Othrys, the Princess Andromeda, the monsters, the gods.

Jack choked back a sob. This. This wasn’t the hospital. Jack dug his nails into his pockets, the material too thin and delicate to keep him from clawing his legs in a panic. No Mr. Sunny. His pillbox, and all of his medication, was gone. How much time did he have? He knew the withdraw symptoms: vomiting, hypersalivation, diarrhea, diaphoresis, insomnia, agitation, and rapid psychosis.

He had woken in a cold sweat, but a cold sweat didn’t always mean withdraws.

Rapid psychosis. Jack’s heartbeat thudded in his head. This felt real, but everything always felt real—that was the problem. There was a distant song—lovely and eerie, just abstract enough to question its authenticity.

His stomach churned with ignored hunger. A platter with tropical fruits, bread, and a mug of water lay beside him. Jack knew enough about mythology and fairy tales not to eat something unless you were directly invited and only if you knew that the owner of the food wasn’t a witch with powers to trap you eternally.

She must have undressed me. That girl with the caramel braid. Unease squeezed away any hunger: a stranger had taken off his boxers while he slept.

When Jack got to his feet, his legs trembled and his head pounded. He slipped a blanket around his shoulders. As he wandered towards the cave entrance, he passed a shelf filled with dried and drying plants that smelled of Alabaster’s laboratory. Several ancient tomes lined a desk beside it. One was open to a page illustrating human anatomy with words in… Minoan, if Jack had to guess. Some of the titans at Camp Othrys wrote in the dead language. Jack turned the page and flinched. There was an inked sketch of him, sleeping. He turned the page back.

Was it him? Or had his brain filled in the gaps?

It’s starting. Monsters. He was going to start to see and hear monsters again. Not the real ones. Not the friendly ones on his ship. Not the ones that came to his monster seminars about how demigods were friends, not food. Innocuous, innocent things would become sinister and comfort would lilt to paranoia.

         But there were no monsters outside the cave. Just her.

         The sun’s amber and coral hues broke against the ocean’s horizon, bleeding into the water and clouds to unite them into zigzagging, heavenly passageways. Crepuscular rays danced through their holes, making this girl’s hair glow as though one more constant in the coming of dawn. She stood, singing, at the edge of a beach. Her bare feet made lumps in the sand, compounding with each flush of the tide; if she forgot herself for long enough, the earth would reclaim her.

         Jack swallowed. In the oncoming lighting, he could see the silhouettes of flowers—so many flowers. There was a maze of roses, larkspur, delphinium, lilies, hollyhock, and sunflowers, all reaching towards the sky and curling about with a careless grace that looked both wild and tamed in their pattern. Some whisper cooed that these flowers didn’t belong together, making Jack fear they’d bow and bury him if he dared to walk through.

         But he needed to walk through to get to the beach, to follow the siren call. He hesitantly passed the first rose bush, expecting it to jump into Alice in Wonderland levels of criticism.

         “Jack!”

         The call made him jump away from the roses. After an exhale, he realized it was the girl, not chatty flora. He rushed past the rest of the flowers.

         “You’re already up,” she said when he reached her. The comment sounded more surprised than the disappointment he’d detected last time. Her white, sleeveless dress and braid fluttered in an ocean breeze. The effect made Jack’s blanket feel like an epic cloak.

         He gestured to his clothing and back towards the cave. “Thank you for the hospitality, Ms…” He trailed off, frowning. His throat felt worn. He’d have to do his warm up exercises. At least there was plenty of salt water to gargle. “How did you know my name?”

         “Ms?” she echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Oh,” she giggled, “You talk in your sleep.”

         Jack didn’t—or no one ever said he had before. Pax (and Axel under the guise of worrying over Pax) had slept in his room when they’d had particularly bad nightmares. That sounded like something Pax would abuse, even subconsciously, and would result in Flynn taping both their mouths shut.  Morpheus liked to keep a strict record of who talked in their sleep, so he could play with demigods that slept through Alabaster’s lectures.

         Jack swallowed. “Um, Ms., I hate to be a bother, but I had a pill box in my pocket—”

         “I disposed of it. I don’t allow plastics on my island and the contents had been soiled by the ocean.”

         Jack choked. That was the first gift Flynn gave Jack—the first time he realized all his ballads, poems, and offers to carry her books hadn’t just annoyed her. She and Phil had been teaching him to carry it on his own, a marker of independence that made him proud, even if Flynn double checked every hour to assure he hadn’t overdosed on anything. Most people didn’t trust him with important things, but she and Phil were entrusting him with that.

         “You won’t need them here. Ogygia itself can soothe you—”

         Trembles shook from Jack’s core to his fingertips. “Ogygia,” he whispered, taking a step backwards. The beautiful horizon tilted. His hair felt course as he tugged at it. “You’re—you’re Calypso the Seductress, detainer of men—”

         Before the words left his mouth, he turned to flee. The sand slipped under his bare feet. The blanket tumbled from his shoulders, disappearing with the sight of that horizon. Jack ran towards the retreating darkness of the island, away from the sunlight that sparkled in that glowing hair.

Others at camp found Homer and Hesiod’s work boring, but he’d put the Odyssey to proper music and knew most verses. He knew of this nymph-goddess.

Each step made Jack’s body feel leaden. His panic numbed with an encroaching exhaustion. He shouldn’t be this tired—he knew his body. He healed fast. This weakness—how could she—did she—?

Jack’s legs failed him while racing through the gardens. Rose canes loomed over him and curled around in a canopy of thorns. In their sharp and cloy embrace, consciousness hazed to nightmares.[1]

 ***

Pain pinched Jack’s cheek. He jerked away, expecting to see Pax with a super glue tube and fake mustache to make Jack “look more esteemed.” That prank had not gone well. Turns out, Flynn did not like Jack with a Western train-robber look and she did not like how the fake black hairs tickled when he nuzzled her.

Instead of Pax, he saw Calypso with a small bandage that she must have ripped off his face. There was a tiny, brownish-red scab on the other side.

Jack sat up and jerked back from her. They were back in the cavern, on the mattress made of white fluffiness. She had a basket of tiny bandages at her side.

“Calypso the—”

“Don’t.” She placed her hands on her hips, glaring. Considering how she knelt beside him, her regale stature was impressive. “I get messages from the gods, you know. They call you Jak-Jak the Scourge of New Rome, Jak-Jak the Plague Bringer, Jak-Jak the Corrupted Spawn of Apollo. Need I go one? Shall I assume you’re here to plague me? To give me cancerous sores? Shall I make assumptions of your person off hearsay, like you have done with me? How long ago did Homer and Hesiod write that libel about Odysseus?”

Her eyes watered.

Jack frowned. Had his name really traveled that far?

A tear streaked down her perfect cheek: a raindrop down the smoothness of a statue. Rumor had it that Pax could cry on command. What if she could too?

Or, what if she was a good Samaritan helping out, decried, like many women had been, by the histories written by men?

Jack exhaled, telling himself to relax. He tried counting, the way Axel told him to when he got confused. Axel would be furious at him for this kind of assumption, for upsetting a mythological creature based off hearsay. There were lots of fabled monsters at Camp Othrys that were friendly (when well fed. Jack had to make rules about demigods being in the dining hall during monster feed time).

“I—I’m sorry, Ms. Calypso,” he said, looking down at his hands. There were more little bandages tapped across his forearms. From a quick examination of his skin, the thorn pricks had already healed and scarred over. The base guitar chord was still braided in a bracelet around his wrist. He touched the scars there, finding ridges where he’d healed Lucille and Lou Ellen’s skin by peeling off his own. That new kid, Ethan Naka—something, had joked that Jack’s arms would start to match Flynn’s burned face. Jack gave him a case of chicken pox for that. No one was allowed to talk about Flynn’s face, except Flynn herself and their son, Pax. Pax, only because he was a sweet little munchin and the only person other than Jack that could make Flynn blush.

Calypso gently touched his chin. Jack didn’t flinch back this time. “It is alright.” And, she ripped off another bandage. Some hair came away with it, making Jack wince.

Everything seemed… clearer. Sharper than it had in years. His thoughts raced with a hyper clarity that scared him. “What else was wrong from the myth?” he asked, observing the cavern in a new light. The cool breeze that rustled the white curtains was refreshing, intermixing the gentle sweetness of flowers with the herbs in her cabinet. He frowned at the tomes there. Had he imagined the drawing of him?

She dabbed a cool, wet cloth against his stinging skin. Sadness lined her eyes. She hesitated. “I don’t know what you know of this place, brave one. The island is a phantom island, my imprisonment for helping my father in the first Titan War. Time does not have the same meaning here as it does elsewhere.”

Jack glanced past her, to the roaring fire in the wall’s inset fireplace. There was a pot over the flames, boiling furiously. He swallowed, despite her earlier assurance. “You’re not going to… eat me, are you?”

“Eat you, my sweet?” Her eyes seemed to dance.

“Well, that response reaffirmed every fairytale fear that I had.”

Her laugh was melodious. She must have thought that had been a joke. It was not. “I’m afraid we mostly eat vegetables and fish here. There’s a scarcity of cannibalism on the island.”

Jack nodded, somewhat comforted. That hadn’t been in the original tale, but you never knew with Greek mythology. He didn’t want to be rude (again) but, if this was the Calypso, he had an important question. “How do I get off the island?”

“Jack, a terrible fate awaits you off the island. I cannot, in good consciousness, allow you to leave until you are healed, well-rested, and well.” She gestured to his lanky frame.

Once again, Jack considered pointing out that this was his natural state of stick-figure Jackness. He let the offense slide. In the Odyssey, she said something similar to Odysseus. Staying here would worry Flynn, Luke, and the boys, but he had no way off the island unless he lucked into some abandoned boat or cartoon-barrel. In the Odyssey, Calypso gave Odysseus a bronze axe so he could build his own raft. Jack doubted he could lift an axe over his head without falling backwards let alone build a raft with it. Greeks were master ship-builders. Jack was a master builder of group-therapy sessions for monster support, metal bands, and stories to make Luke, Flynn, and his boys smile.

Besides, Calypso helped Odysseus only after she held him captive for seven years and he provided her a son (or several, depending on the author). There were no sons on the island, unless they were hiding in the cartoon-barrels. Maybe the ancient authors truly had discredited her.

“I can stay,” he said hesitantly, “but only for a few days. Flynn, Luke, and my boys need me.”

Calypso’s lips pursed and her gaze softened, making her look both relieved and troubled. She glanced away. “You’re so young to have children.”

“Oh, we adopted.” Jack beamed. “Luke says they’re too close in age to be my sons, and Axel says I’m not allowed to both be the head of our metal band and his father, but they’ve taken well to it. They haven’t started calling me dad yet, but I’ll work them over.”

Calypso looked confused. “Metal band?” she repeated.

Jack leaned forward excitedly. “We already played once at the HMM—a bar for monsters—er—a tavern.” He scrambled to find words that would translate to ones she would recognize. “The crowd loved us. Clops threw a goat at us!”

“A goat?”

“Yeah! A goat’s this four-legged—” Jack fumbled, realizing that’s not the part that confused her. She repressed a smile at the pause. “It’s a really big deal to have a monster throw a goat at you instead of trying to eat it. Kind of like when people throw their underwear at the stage and about as sanitary. Much lighter impact.”

“What?!” Her face scrunched in disgust. The expression was almost cute. It put Jack at ease. This was the first time he felt like she wasn’t acting or hiding anything. “People have thrown their underwear at you while you’re performing? Is that… normal?”

Jack considered this. “I don’t really know. It never happened to me when I did solos in the church choir—” Well, once after service but that was a little different. One of those instances where the boy denied it happened the next day. “—but Pax—one of my sons—talks about it like it’s a marker of success. I think they’re mostly thrown at Axel. He’s a handsome boy and a hearthrob amongst demigod and monster alike. Plus, he’s the guitarist, and the angsty one, and people always love angsty guitar players.”

The look of confusion deepened. Jack absently tugged a lock of his hair, wishing it was a little longer. “It’s like a lute—oh, wait, that was 13th century. Uh, it’s a fretted stringed instrument—anywhere from four to nine strings though standard is six, and you play it by plucking or strumming with one hand while fretting with the other—or picking. Or bapping the body. Uh—how about I make you one? All I need is a box, a longish piece of wood, some sticks, and some of your uncut harp strings.”

I can make an instrument, but can’t make a boat. Not for the first time, Jack wondered why Luke and Flynn wanted to keep him around. He managed to use his powers to save Axel, Pax, and Alabaster (though, really, he thought it was mostly Flynn. She was so incredible). But he still didn’t feel like he was great at the killing department, regardless of Phil’s continuous encouragement. Even during the interrogations he and Flynn had been conducting on Romans, he flinched and shrieked when someone’s finger was broken. Despite all this time, he hoped Flynn and Luke found him useful.

Calypso nodded slowly. “Will you teach me how to play?”

Jack nodded enthusiastically. “The positioning might seem weird, but you’ll pick it up easily. From what I’ve heard of your singing and harp-playing, you have perfect pitch and a natural grasp on music—”

She tucked a lock behind her ear. “You like my singing?”

He tilted his head quizzically. “Of course. You’re incredibly talented, both naturally with your voice quality and the amount of work you’ve put into perfecting your craft.” Jack supposed that’s what he’d do, too, if he had an eternity to work on anything. An eternity of music—the foundations for paradise. Maybe that’s why God is said to have a choir of angels and how he crafted souls: by singing them to life. “Each word you sing weaves a secondary layer of emotion—both melodious and melancholic, interweaving multiple stories into—” He frowned, feeling his explanation lacked poetic value—ah!

“’Tis sweet, when mournfulness enshrouds

The spirit sorrowing and pale,

And gather round the angry clouds,

To take the harp and tune its wail.

‘Tis sweet, when calmly broods the night,

To wander forth where waters roll,

And, mingling with the waves its voice,

To rouse the passions of the soul!”

When Jack was done, she stared at him, her eyes wide and her expression unreadable. He frowned. “I—sorry—” he said, his insides churning. Had he done something wrong? He didn’t feel confused right now. The world felt so much clearer. An uncomfortable dread settled into him upon realizing something for the first time: not everyone burst into poetry at random. How stupid had he been to not know that before?

“No.” She put a hand on his. Her eyes watered. “I—that was beautiful. Did you—”

Jack blushed and pulled his hand back. “No. It’s by John Rollin Ridge, a famous Native American poet. I was just reciting.”

She cleared her throat and looked away. “I—let’s get you a box. I wish to hear this guitar of which you speak.”

 ***

Normally, Jack felt such mania for whatever project he focused on, everything else fell in the background. As he twisted the tuning pegs of his guitar (sabotaged off Calypso’s extra harp) his mind scattered with worry.

This newfound clarity was almost overwhelming. There was so much wrong in the world for him to mull over. Each time he stopped singing, it hovered on its peripheral, like a night terror lurking along the receding rays of the sun.    

Between each question from Calypso—she enjoyed hearing updates from the outside world—he’d hum or sing the ballads he’d composed about Flynn’s ventures. Calypso would pause her work on the strings and stare at him with that unreadable expression.  

After she finished with the sixth string—winding them of her hair—she sat closer to him. They worked in the shade, where the woods met the beach. Some distant whisper warned Jack that more time had passed than the evening angle of the sun, but he couldn’t be sure. The sun was all he had to go off of, and he wasn’t used to the awareness of passing time. Normally, Jack felt the passage of existence through the crystal notes of a song, the annoyed flash of Flynn’s smile, Pax’s giggle, or the upwell of elation at the end of monster help session, measuring life in crescendos and decrescendos of energy and joy. Jack didn’t like wanting to look at a clock, especially now that there were none. That was always someone else’s job.

“Why did you adopt children?” Calypso asked it with the practiced calm of an over-thought question.

“Flynn can’t have children.” Jack had to be gentler with these strings than the metal ones from home. He wondered how their sound would differ, and hoped it would ease the 2,000—4,000 year transition in music for Calypso.

“She’s barren?”

“So says the goddess of childbirth.”

“And this doesn’t bother you?”

Another reason Jack couldn’t stay long: it was almost the weekend before he vanished and he and Flynn would need to go to her Nainia’s apartment to sing to her, as they did every Sunday. The kind grandmother’s health was failing and Jack knew they needed to visit more often. “Why should it?” Jack frowned, repeating the question in his head. “Well, it did when I first found out. I wanted a family. Then, I adopted[2] the boys, and now we have one. And, it wouldn’t matter even if she could. We’re not… physical. Recently, we started curling up without clothing, but nothing else. Just snuggles.”

Jack felt his cheeks flush, both at the memory of Flynn snuggled up in his bunk (she never let him near hers; she wanted a place of her own) and that he’d told Calypso about it. Was that something else people didn’t normally blurt out? To Luke or Phil? Sure. To Calypso the Seductress, the Detainer of Men…

Her cheeks rouged. Shame crept along his awareness. You weren’t supposed to blurt stuff like that. Negative two on the Jack social protocol scoreboard.

“Oh… um… But you’ve already adopted—have you two not been married long?” She struggled to maintain eye contact.

Something pinched in Jack’s chest. “Um… she’s not really into the idea of marriage, but we’ve been dating for…” With no clocks on the island, he didn’t know how many days he had been unconscious. Normally, Jack could recite the length of time down to the minute. The thought of Flynn’s blush when he asked her to prom. The day before he met Luke. The day Jack accidentally killed his whole mortal family with a song.

That memory hadn’t resurfaced in so long, not since he was sobbing into Flynn’s arms over it. How could he banish it from his thoughts? It wasn’t like the thoughts of his half-siblings he killed—the other children of Apollo. No. They deserved it. They had reaped the favor of their father since birth. The cessation of that favoritism brought the world back to order, the way things should be to balance the scale that an unfair god created, like correctly a flat note to perfect harmony. But his family… Had he ever even had a funeral? And did it matter?

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Calypso asked.

The funeral part did bother Jack. It took him a moment to retrace the pieces, sliding his fingers along the guitar string. Flynn. Sex. Marriage.

Flynn would puppet and charmspeak boys into their room to humiliate and toy with them, but, she wouldn’t take Jack. Jack never wanted to pressure her, but icy insecurity crawled through him at the thought. What was wrong with him? It didn’t matter that Prometheus said Jack and Flynn viewed sex differently: Jack, as an expression of love; Flynn, as subjugation. Jack didn’t understand that. All he wanted was to be everything Flynn needed, and he didn’t understand why she could puppet others but wouldn’t puppet him. If that’s what she wanted—

         The string snapped and lashed him across the cheek.

         He shrieked and jerked backwards. Blood trickled down his skin. A full string wasted—an instrument piece dying before it could sing its first song.

         Something cool touched his face. Humming filled his ears. The lashed skin tingled and Jack wondered if this is how others felt when he healed them.

         When Jack blinked to clear his vision, Calypso knelt beside him. Her too-perfect face rested in a gentle, knowing smile. The strap of her white dress slid onto her shoulder, tickled by the length of the braid. For the first time, she looked like the goddess of the island—something about the subtle shift in confidence.

         Jack flinched when he felt her spider fingers in his hair. She must have put them there to hold him steady for a cheek-cleaning. “You ran from me when you first found out who I was. Do you—did you really think I could make you forget Flynn?” The question could have been rhetorical, but there was enough real curiosity to make Jack tremble.  

Fear coiled his confidence, the same fear present when Luke lost himself to Kronos or his anger. If Calypso lost her temper…

         “Odysseus never forgot Penelope,” Jack whispered, “So the stories say.”  

Could that fear come from the possibility of forgetting Flynn? Do people only experience fear when they’re experiencing doubt or uncertainty?

At the watery glisten of her beautiful almond eyes, an idea made Jack sit up and almost clock foreheads with her. She startled at the sudden movement. “And you never forgot Odysseus!” Jack cried. “Calypso, do you always fall for the people on your island?”

Calypso hesitated. A tear broke from the dam along her eyelashes. “I… I try not to say anything when travelers first come…”

“Have you heard of platonic love?”

Her brow furrowed. Her melancholy faltered to confusion. “Platonic? You mean… relating to Plato? Or the idea that abstract objects are objective, timeless, and are non-physical and non-mental?”

Jack would need to ask Alabaster about that later. “Uh—well, I want to be your friend. You’re really nice, but you don’t need to fall in love with everyone you meet, or at least not romantic love. Let’s be friends! I mean—have you ever heard of a rebound?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think you ever fully moved on from Odysseus. So, we should talk about him. Tell me what you loved and hated about him and why you fell for him in the first place.”

Calypso’s expression darkened. “I don’t want to talk about him.”

“Exactly! You never forgave him for hurting you or yourself for loving him. Both are still hurting you. So, let me be your friend. Let me help you get over him without being a replacement for him. And, after this war is over, we can still be friends! Either we decapitate Zeus and his lackeys and his power no long holds you to the island, or we can keep in touch. I know the myths say I can’t come back twice, but I’ll bet I can Iris Message you. I mean, you have rainbows and Iris can go anywhere rainbows can.”

Her lips cracked to protest. Upon considering his words, she stared off at the coastline. “No one has thought of that before.”

Jack beamed. The fear was gone. He shoved a hand between the two of them (awkward due to the close quarters). “Let’s shake on it?”

Calypso glanced from Jack’s hand back to his face. Curiosity perched her lips. “You’re… one of the oddest men I’ve ever met, Jack Flash.”

Jack blushed. “I get that a lot.”

Cautiously, she shook his hand.

At the time, Jack didn’t think to make her swear on the River Styx.

He should have.

 ***

author’s note: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! This series is going to continue! I’ve just been struggling to focus on writing with some crazy stuff going on at home. ^.^’‘‘‘ Thanks for your patience and continued support!

 Footnotes:

[1] So, Homer’s Ogygia is as Riordan described it. I needed to at least alter the flowers so Jack wouldn’t immediately recognize where he was. Also, flowers for symbolism because I’m a tool.  

 [2] I kept accidentally writing, “kidnapped” here. Not too far off.

#Tales from Mount Othrys #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #Heroes of Olympus #TFMO #PJO #HOO #fanfiction #Jack Flash #Calypso #My cat is named after Calypso #Her screams are not siren like #especially not at 4:30 in the morning #I hope you're staying healthy!

[thejudgingtrash]

Love coming into this blog and seeing someone else say Hera isn't all bad 👌🏽👏🏽

Thank 👏🏽 you 👏🏽

Just know that every time I see someone go ”I hate Hera soooooo much!“ I’m essentially just screaming internally. Why? Literally why? Because she stood up for herself or one of your favorite characters had a shitty encounter with her? Both? If you think deep enough about it and perhaps try to integrate multiple perspectives you may come to a surprising result.

It’s okay for all the characters to have multiple layers, especially for the male characters but once it comes to the female characters... nope. Annabeth is the only female character that is allowed to be the likable asshole apparently, because she (has that white privilege)’s so popular and her being in the main ship with the protagonist shields her from getting that much hate.

The rest of you female characters should all be kept in the easy-going, pretty and nice corner (literally saw someone go off at Silena being the spy in the end in a post?! The spy was meant to be someone you would’ve never expected? Lack of basic reading skills again). Being different is not okay any more? Being complex and having many facets is not good enough? Especially for side characters? Hokay.

Also Hera as the goddess of marriage, family, children, etc. all that stuff, gets blatantly disrespected and ridiculed (by her family and mortals but especially her husband) and people expect her to be okay with shitty treatment and to be the silent trophy wife? Literally what in the fuck. I guess a lot of you are the chillest people ever because I would also just lash out when hubby brings product of an affair #5433 home.

This is so ironic. And sexist. Especially when Poseidon is one of the worst fuckers in canon myth and in the Riordanverse (Percy literally beats around the bush with the rape of Demeter and his perspective makes his father someone he isn’t? Poseidon only used Percy to prevent an inconvenient war in the first book and was like lol fuck off, kiddo after that) and now he’s supposed to be the cool dad when in fact he isn’t close to that???

People are clinging to the flimsiest excuses to blatantly hate Hera. I’m not apologizing for her actions towards demigods and the other women (I can understand them to a certain extent). They are terrible and inexcusable. But also let’s not forget that Riordan set up the messed up plans and characterization for her as he as the author makes all of the decisions. Sure, many decisions from him are stupid/questionable/racist but he is steering the boat and had some thought about the direction of the plot (!)

Additionally, many people forget the skewed narrative and perception of Percy, the other demigods and Riordan’s own views on the myths. All of this adds to make Hera the (in my opinion) cheap ”evil queen“.

I still stand by what I said when I meant that sexism is very present in the pjo fandom as well as most (if not all of them) characterizing people into either good or bad, with no gray areas that are being allowed to be between those positions. This will continue to tear this fandom apart. That’s also the reason why you constantly see the same discussions about Luke being wrong/right/great/terrible flare up.

But no people it’s all cool. Continue hating on someone like Hera that’s standing up for herself despite being abused and disrespected 24/7. The only goddess that actually helped out in HOO. It‘s all cool and gucci.

I hate the partial hypocrisy and denying of antithetical characters having the same right of in-deph discussions like the protagonists. Of accepting their complexity. Guess straight up hating instead of giving it a thought or two is easier.

I have the feeling that I’m anti-meta on so many (niche) topics in this fandom but good to know that I’m not the only one lol

#hera #pjo #ask #percy jackson #hoo #heroes of olympus #rick riordan #my rants

[mariamermaid]

Savage

Luke Castellan x Fem Reader

Words: 7.3k

Summary: Born as a child from the God Janus and a young witch, you had a good life hidden away from all the stress, demigods have usually to face. However, when your mother decides to go through a longer trip in Asia, in order to ban a demon, you´re shipped to the half-blood camp.

A/N: Inspired by the song “Savage” by Bahari. I actually wanted to write this for so loongg, however I´m not too familiar with the Percy Jackson fandom, so no judging please ;)

Warnings: Smoking, drinking, implied smut

 ———–

The sun was already rising, you had awoken late, in the early afternoon. The apartment laid in silence, but you immediately knew that something was wrong. You felt the vibrations, the breath of another being here. Not wasting any time, you jumped out of your bed and twirled to get dressed. Then trying to be as quiet as possible, you walked down the stairs. However, when you saw Chiron, the obnoxious leader of the half-blood camp, you relaxed again. He wasn´t a threat to you.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn´t you knock before entering?” He was sat at the table in the dinning area, which was separated from the kitchen by a thin wall with a large window. The kitchen counter was half filled by plants and glass bottles of potions. Long plants hung from the ceiling and a huge shelf held various spices and ingredients for potions and spells. He sat there peacefully, waiting for your arrival.

He was cloaked by his normal centaur figure, sitting there as a normal looking man. You felt the crying from the crystal around his neck that tried so hard to disguise him. A rather sad attempt at modern magick.

“Y/n, so nice to see you again.” You rolled your eyes at his empty greeting. “I asked you a question.”

“A real pleasure.” He repeated and eyed you through the open window to the kitchen area, where you just made a tea. “I´m gonna ask you one more time; what do you want? Don´t test my patience.” You growled and threw a mad look at him while continuing to heat the water. “The last time I´ve seen you, you were just a little girl.” The spoon you had just fetched, fell to the ground. You didn´t want to hear his well thought speech and a wind began to play. The kettle of the water began to whistle as strands of your hair flew back and several knives from the kitchen counter, started lifting off the ground as well. They hovered in the air in front of Chiron, who tried his best to act not too surprised. You raised your eyebrow at him, waiting. He tried his best to hide his surprise, but your powers outstood everything he had seen before. No wonder it had taken so long to find you…

“Your mother isn´t here.”

“She´ll be back soon.”

“You´re not an adult, you know what that means? In order to ensure your protection, we need to bring you to the camp.”

The knives slowly flew back and the spoon from the ground came into your fingers again. “I don´t need your protection.” Finally, he stood up and came to the counter. You had only seen him a few times as a child, but his movement didn´t seem as fluent. He wasn´t used to the human body. “I know, but this isn´t my decision. The gods have decided so, you´re father wants you there, at least until your birthday.”

“My father doesn´t know what´s best for me, he doesn´t know me.” You sighed and sipped from your tea. “And I don´t need him, I´m not one of your fosterlings, I don´t need his or your recognition.”

***

It wasn´t your decision and you knew, you just couldn´t take the anger from the gods on you.

“I think you´ll like it here, maybe you even make some friends.” Chiron explained as he led you through the gates to the camp. The tall trees offered protection and you felt the invisible wall as you entered. Chiron´s figure appeared back to his centaur and he grew above you. He seemed to relax as well now. You knew it wouldn´t be too hard to sneak away, the wall protection spell was simple to break. But even you had to admit, the nature was indeed beautiful. You lived with your mother in an apartment in New York, but you were a witch, the nature was just a part of you. But all you could do now was hope that the next weeks would pass quickly.

“This is Percy, son of Poseidon, he´ll show you around. Percy was your age and even you had heard a few stories from his adventures, and he held out his hand. You took it rather pressured to do so. He greeted you and smiled brightly. He was a little taller than you, not much with dark brown hair and greenish eyes. He starred at you, then blinked until he finally greeted you. “Hi, I´m Percy.” You only nodded; he knew your name anyway. Chiron exchanged looks with Percy, you knew what they meant; keep an eye on her. But Percy was way too focused on admiring you. You always had a certain presence, blessed by witches and cursed by gods. You were an usual companion as a half god, you didn´t meet their standards, you completely crushed them.

I am the sun

You know you need me

You make it burn

“So, I heard you´re the daughter of Janus?” Percy had unsuccessfully tried to make some small talk and you had always given a bored answer, however he was determined not to give up. The son of Poseidon was ambitious, even you had to admit, but for your taste he was too devoted to the gods liking. You nodded silently as you walked through the different cabins in the camp. “I actually don´t know much about him.” “He´s not an active member of the Olympic.” You explained shrugging. “What does he do again?” You couldn´t overhear Percy´s slight arrogance. With a father as famous as his, he had a clear reputation. “He´s the good of doors, beginnings, transitions and time.” “And do you have siblings?” “Not that I know of.” Percy chuckled. “I don´t want to bum you, but you probably have a sibling somewhere.” He paused to wait for an action, but you kept quiet. “I have a brother myself, didn´t know about him as well.” “Tyson, I know.” Percy furrowed his brows. “You know, how?” “I´ve met him in a bar.” Percy stopped so abrupt, you almost laughed. “What?”

You grinned devilishly; they were all so innocent to you. “Nothing special, we just shared a beer while I waited for a vampire friend of mine.” “You have a vampire friend?!” Now even Percy sounded truly surprised. They were all advised to keep away from any other mythological creatures. “I wouldn´t necessarily call him a friend; he´s more an associate.”

It was your time to smile innocently at him and fluttered your eyelashes, then you shook your head, clearly amused by his confusion. You were so different from the other half gods, so independent and self-assure. Usually when people joined the camp, they are all unsure of who they are and where they´re from.

You sighed and pulled out a metal container of cigarettes. “You don´t mind, do you?”

“That kills you, you know that?”

You leaned forward as you light your cigarette, then took a puff before whispering in his ear. “This place kills me.”

If you take too much

Don´t get addicted

 You had been at the camp for almost two days, it was dead boring. You pleased to eat alone, usually you took the food and left the cabin to ate at the lake. Many tried to approach you at first, but after some hard rejections, they all slowly left you alone. Annabeth still tried to talk you into training with her, you only smiled and shook your head. It was on your third day, when you peacefully read a book and several boys started sword fighting right in front of you. The arena had been quiet, so you had assumed to have some peace. You were wrong.

Percy tagged along with them and he waved at you, you only smiled politely and then concentrated back on your book. “History of the salem witches, from covens and cults.”

“You know they´re doing this for you?” You almost jumped at the sudden voice from behind you, it was a new voice. You turned to find a young, blonde man behind you. He had high cheekbones and icy blue eyes. “Too bad I won´t give them attention.”

He nodded. “Too bad.”

You grew interested and the feeling of knowing him crept on you. But you didn´t ask.

“Why don´t you train with them?”

“It´s boring to always win.” You let out a rough chuckle. “Sounds cocky.”

“If you say so.” He stood up from the rows of benches and left the arena, you watched him cautiously. When you turned back, Percy made his way to you.

“What did he say to you?” He sounded harsh and truly worried.

“Who is he?” Percy let out a nervous laugh. “That´s Luke, Luke Castellan.”

“Son of Hermes? That explains a lot.” You exclaimed and continued to stare at the direction, he had just disappeared.  “He´s was granted asylum here.” Percy further exclaimed, he seemed very worried. But you barely listened until he grabbed your wrist. “Y/n, you might not be a fan of this camp, but stay away from him, he´s bad.”

 ´Cause I´m gonna fade you like a rush

Is that blood on me or blush?

So what?

 The half-blood camp had the tradition to have bonfires every few weeks. It was something everyone looked forward to and even you decided to join. Well, Annabeth talked you in to it. She approached you after the lunch that day. “Hey Y/n!” She greeted you as she caught up to you. “Do you know what you´re wearing tonight?” You shrugged. “Is there some kind of dress code?” Annabeth shook her head, but then she laughed. “No, but everyone likes to dress up a little, you know?” “What do you wear then?” You asked more curiously now, she shrugged. It was your time to laugh and your head fell back. “Don´t worry, I think I´ll find something for us!”

About two hours later, your entire cabin was a mess. Clothes, jewelry and make laid all around. Annabeth had wondered, but the more you pulled out of your awfully small suitcase, the more she realized that it was a spell. “You seriously took your entire closet with you, didn´t you?” She asked grinning. “Not the entire one, just the important stuff.” You added, but then erupted in laughter.

Annabeth wore a top with ruffles and a high waisted skirt, while you had settled on a black dress. “Can I just say, your dress screams witchy”, she laughed and you eyed yourself in the mirror. “Well I am a witch, aren´t I?” You grinned. “You don´t look bad yourself.” Annabeth blushed, but then nodded agreeing. “I have to warn you by the way.” You raised an eyebrow and checked your makeup on more time. “Grover usually spicks the punchbowl.” You laughed. “Does Chiron know?”

Annabeth shook her head. “As much as he tries to protect us, he stays away from the bonfires. However, I´m pretty sure that Dionysos knows, he just likes partying too much.”

“If that´s what you call a party, we have to go out in New York.” You added sounding overly dramatic. Annabeth sighed. “I wish we could.”

You sighed as well and sat down on the bed next to her. “Why can´t we?”

“We´re not allowed to leave the camp without permission.” “But you snuck out, didn´t you? With Percy when the lighting was stolen, right?” Annabeth nodded but she seemed bummed. “Yes, but we had no other choice. It was important.” You grew annoyed and jumped off the bed again. “And that´s the reason why my mother didn´t want me to come her!” Annabeth was surprised by your sudden outburst, but you continued. “You all get trained her, but if it comes down to the real world, and don´t take this personal, you are all hopelessly lost. You get taught that it´s so important because you´re parents are these gods, but why should they define you? Hate to say it, but most gods are real assholes!” Annabeth started laughing again. “I know!” She exclaimed and you huffed. “But don´t worry, next week we´ll sneak out and go clubbing!”

She let out an excited scream and grabbed your arms. “You can do that?” “I´m a witch, aren´t I?”

When you arrived at the bonfire party, you both looked stunning. The summer nights were gone and you both wore jackets that featured your outfits. You noticed Percy eyeing you and Annabeth from afar and nudged her side. “You and Percy?” You asked her whispering, but she avoided your glance and was greeted by a few other girls from the camp. You on the other hand made your way to the wooden table where the punchbowl and some snacks were placed. Behind the table waited Percy and Grover.

“Hello Boys”, you greeted them and winked at Grover. “Grover, you wouldn´t mind to pour me some of your famous bowl, would you?” Grover almost stepped over his own feet in order to bring you the cup and you grinned satisfied with your entrance. “You look amazing”, Percy added now as well. You smiled, this time more genuine. “Thanks.”

A few loud screams interrupted your eye contact and the three of you watched as a few guys started sword fighting again. You knew it was you, who drove them crazy. Well, a small bottle of your favorite perfume Odeur d´amour  also helped, one of the oldest witch tricks of them all.

“I could win, if I wanted”, Grover suddenly added and you noticed that he must have had a few cups for now. “Then why don´t you show me?” You asked sweetly and Grover didn´t wait for you to ask a second time. With enthusiastic jumps he made his way to the crowd. You chuckled and drowned the cup in a go, just to turn back to Percy. “You should join him.”

“I know that you´re not interested in those guys.”

“I wasn´t talking about me”, you said and pointed into Annabeth´s direction. “She likes you; I can tell.” Percy shrugged. “We had a few rough times.” He didn´t seem convinced. You let out a laugh. “You don´t dress like that for no reason.” Then you leaned closer to his ear.  “Especially not under the dress.”

Yes, you had fun. You had fun seeing how Percy uncontrollably blushed. You had fun seeing those boys fight over something, they could never have. You had fun drowning your second cup in one go. You had fun letting control…

After at least four cups, or had it been five? You strolled through the crowd that had slowly scattered. You greeted a few people, chatted with Annabeth and a few other girls. It felt nice, alcohol was your best friend in building new relationships, everybody just relaxed. When Grover, he had way too many cups at this point, decided to pull out a rather old DJ stand and many went to dance, you watched them from afar and you took out your cigarettes. You just searched for a lighter in your pockets, as a small fire suddenly glowed in front of your face. Following the hand, that was holding the silver lighter and you found your eyes travelling to Luke´s face. He was slightly grinning. “Can I have one as well?” You could only nod as you held a cup in one hand and pulled out the cigarettes with the other. Luke didn´t seem to mind, took one and lit it up himself.

“I wondered if you´re gonna be here”, he said after he had taken a puff. You looked up to him, raising an eyebrow. “Why not?” “It´s not your kind of scene.” You couldn´t help but let out a laugh. “You´re right, it´s not.” You took another sip and held the cup to Luke, without even thinking. He shook his head. “Not my kind of drink.” “What do you drink then?”

He pulled out a flask and you let out another laugh and shook your head. “Unbelievable”, you muttered but then continued to grin. He held the flask to you, but you shook your head. Whatever it was, it had a high percentage. But Luke didn´t take no for an answer and poured some into your cup. “You know they warned me about you”, you rolled your eyes, but Luke saw the fire in your eyes burning. You weren´t afraid of him, you were intrigued.

“And yet you´re here with me.”

You know I´m not a saint

But I can make you pray

So get down on your knees

 The flask was emptied too fast and somehow, you were convinced to leave the party. Annabeth had talked you into dancing, which turned out to be more fun than expected. You were blushing from the heat of the fire and the liquor burning in your soul, but when you turned, you caught an eye of Luke watching you. He didn´t stop smirking when making eye contact with you and neither did you. It was in this moment, where you decided to leave. You quickly and rather sloppily said your goodbyes, and hurried back to your cabin.

Something was telling you, that you were being followed. You weren´t wrong. When you reached the stairs that led to the entrance, he had caught up. You found yourself with your back against the wooden door, Luke´s arm pressing above you, his other hand on your hip. He was leaning down, only inches away from your lips and you felt his hot breath on your face. He smelled like whisky and cigarettes and expensive cologne. “Leaving so early?” He asked quietly. You knew you had both drunken a good amount and something in your body should scream to stop, but you didn´t.

“Who said the party was over?”

His lips crashed onto yours and you both leaned into the kiss, quickly deepening the kiss. Your hands travelled up to his neck and played with his golden strands of hair, while his hand grabbed your hips, tighter and more craving. After several minutes, you barely realized it, he had stolen the key to your cabin from the pocket of your jacket and fumbled with the lock. You felt how he slowed down, but you continued, your kisses running down his neck and you felt how Luke smiled. The door finally unlocked and his hands were quickly around your waist again. You wanted to stumbled backwards into the dark room, but Luke didn´t let you. His hands grabbed your butt and lifted you off the ground, while your legs hugged around his waist. You shrieked surprised, but it was his time to kiss your neck. You knew that there would be marks tomorrow…

He carried you into the darkness of the room and kicked the door closed with his foot. You landed on the bed and Luke immediately leaned over you, hastily taking off his leather jacket. In the meantime, you had kicked off your shoes, which loudly landed on the floor. He kneeled on top of you, while beginning to make out again. His hand caressed up your leg, until it reached the top of your skirt again. You nodded approving and lifted your hips, so he could help undress you. The rest of the clothing quickly followed…

Give me a reason I should stay

Trapped inside this madness

I know you wanna have this

So I can take advantage

Savage, Savage

 It was just after 5am. when you awoke from your peaceful sleep. Legs tangled together with Luke you sat up in the bed, the sheets still covering your bare body. You yawned and cursed the early morning hours, sadly you didn´t have a choice. You let your feet hang over the bed, your toes brushing against the cold floor. Luke awoke as well and groaned.

“What´s the time? Is the sun even up?” You laughed; your voice sounded rough from the alcohol. “It hasn´t risen yet.”

His arm tried to pull you back, but you didn´t let it happen. Then you left the bed to pick a few dessous from your closet, while throwing over a thin robe. Luke watched you in the mere light.

“Where are you going?” “I need to get some things done and the day, where everybody is inexcusable tired and hungover, is the best time to go.” He rose from the bed and you saw the bitter taste of a headache on his face. “You´re leaving the camp?”

You turned to finally face him again, your face unreadable to him. “Yes, and you´ll be leaving this cabin and no one will see you.” Sighing, you sat down on the edge of the bed, your clothes ready in your arms. Your voice sounded monotone in the room.

“Luke, this was fun, but we´re living in different worlds… In a few weeks, I´ll be gone, don´t get used to me.”

Only half an hour later, you knocked at Annabeth´s door. After the third time knocking, she finally opened. Smeared make up in her face and her clothes from the day before. Her eyes blinked irritated. “Y/n.. What…”

“Get dressed, we´re leaving in 15.”

She was punctual, while you waited outside. It didn´t help that you smelled Percy´s cheap perfume from there.

“Couldn´t this wait?” Annabeth asked tiredly, while the two of you made your way through the woods.

“Look, everybody is gonna sleep late today, no one will even train or do anything, it´s the best time to sneak out!” You explained yet again. “How´s Percy by the way? Slept well?” You changed the topic and watched how the girl next to you blushed in a deep shade of red.

“We… We didn´t…” You let out a laugh and punched her shoulder. “I only asked if you slept well, not how your entire night went!” She joined in your laughter, still blushing. But then her forehead wrinkled. “You disappeared quite early, didn´t you?” You couldn´t help but grin.

“Well… Maybe I had a better night…” “WHAT?!” You punched her shoulder again, this time harder to tone her down. “Shut it!” You whispered. “Or do you want the entire camp to wake up and tell them who I´ve slept with?!”

She linked her arm with yours and pulled you closer. “Who?”

“No”, you answered stubborn. “What? You give me hints like that and won´t even tell me?! Are you for real?!” You couldn´t help but giggle. “Okay, but you have to promise, to not tell anybody. Annabeth, nobody!”

“Omg is it Grover?” You laughed and snapped your fingers at her head.

“No, it´s not Grover!”, You paused and she waited. “It´s Luke.”

“WHAT!”

“ANNABETH!” You hushed her. Luckily, you had just reached the border of the camp and you pushed your hand over her mouth. “Calm down! It wasn´t anything special, no strings attached!”

“But-“ “No but! It´s my decision and now let me concentrate, anyway we´ll get caught.”

You unlinked your arm with hers and pulled out a mirror from your purse and laid it right under the border. You held your hands up in the air.

“Mirror Mirror, may you never fail to fight,

Grant me pass through hidden night.

Open up a gateway of protection,

Let me travel in your connection.”

Annabeth now watched as the border began to slightly crumble, until a hole was ripped open. You nodded and quickly, she jumped through, while you followed. Then you pulled away the mirror and glanced back at her admiring eyes. “Now all we gotta is do is open the gateway again, if we want to enter”, you explained shrugging. Annabeth shook her head. “Unbelievable.”

You put the mirror back in your awfully small looking purse, which obviously matched your outfit perfectly. Then you pulled another Item and Annabeth gasped yet again.  “Is that a broom?!”

It had taken you about 45 minutes, and then you continually started running from one shop to the other. Annabeth began to saw parts of the city, she didn´t even dream about. Between several witch shops with potion supplies and spell books, you found yourself in many clothing stores as well. It was then over lunch, which you desperately starved for, when Annabeth tried to approach a certain topic again.

“Y/n, I know you don´t want to hear this; you have been warned after all, but there is something you should know…” She added quietly and watched, as you rolled your eyes. “What is it then?”

“In a few weeks, there will be a trial for him.” You swallowed and stopped eating. “A trial?” Annabeth nodded again and laid down the cutlery in her hands. “I don´t know anything for sure, but Chiron will have a trial for him. I only know for sure that he and Dionysos will be attending- I also heard that even some of the gods are supposed to be attending.” You leaned forward. “What do you think is gonna happen?” She shrugged. “I have no idea.” You swallowed again, letting your mind run crazy with the new given information. “Do you think they´ll sentence him to…” You didn´t finish and neither did Annabeth. Your appetite was gone now.

It had taken you a few days, but somehow you were able to push all worries away. When you walked through the woods that day, you were alarmed by an unsettling battle cry. You had done so well in avoiding Percy and foremost Luke, but destiny had decided differently that day. Even after telling Annabeth, you were sure that nobody knew about you and Luke. He had lost his friends and you didn´t make enough. Currently there was this kind of training, where they were separated in two groups and to your surprise, even Luke participated. You thought it was stupid, just like so many things, but then Luke caught your eye. Oh, how you wanted to look away, but when your eyes look, you couldn´t. He started at you, directly and boldly, until his shield was attacked by a sword. Percy glared angrily at him, the reason for the fight had just changed. “Stay away from her”, he growled and Luke let an unimpressed hum. “Why do you care?” After Percy threw a few punches at him, which Luke riposted, Luke was still grinning. Percy had the deep urge to break his teeth until he couldn´t grin anymore. “What about you and Annabeth?”

He didn´t know when to stop and Percy continued attacking. “Don´t think she´s actually interested in you!” He muttered to Luke, who furrowed his eyebrows. “She´s bored, we both know that.”

“Then why would you care?” Percy grunted when Luke threw him back, but got quickly back on his feet. “I care because she is one of us, no matter what and we´ll stand together in this camp! And YOU betrayed us!” Percy was able to disarm him and even though you hadn´t heard their conversation, you felt their agony. Luke was down, barely able to crawl backwards, but Percy didn´t seem to be interested in him anymore. He had shown his point and Luke laid in the dirt; you had seen who won. “Stay away from her.”

Much against Percy´s anticipation, Luke heard a knock in his door. It wasn´t hard for you to find his cabin, away from the rest, darker, lonelier. His eyes slightly widened when seeing you. He had a cut at his lip and a bruised eye. You grinned. “Hey, may I come in?”

He couldn´t say no and let you enter. He had a king-sized bed; all the windows were closed and the only light from outside came through the wooden cracks. A large desk was taking up most of the space with a cozy looking swivel chair in front of it. Three computer desktops were placed on it, several gaming machines and a chaos of cable going behind the desk. A blue screen saver ran on the screens and gave the entire room a mysterious shining light. “I saw how Percy beat your ass today.” He wasn´t in the mood to be mocked and already wanted to open the door again, when you pulled out a glass container. “What´s that?” “Medicine?”

“You brought me medicine?” He sounded even more surprised than he actually was, while you nodded. “Sit down you ordered and he took place in the only chair. You slightly leaned against the desk as you took a closer look at his eye. “Within a maximum of two days, it should be completely gone”, you explained and started applying the crème, which smelled like eucalyptus and other herbs. In the meantime, he watched you closely. Every move you made, every blink. You realized the sudden closeness and your fingers stopped moving, until he took his hand in yours. “Luke, remember what I said?” You asked whispering, sounding unsure. He nodded slightly, his eyes moving down to your lips. “You said it was fun.”

When you touch me you take me to heaven

When you hold me

My body is a weapon

 It was all it took; a simple push and suddenly you found yourself stripped naked in his bed. You laid on your side, your head on his chest. “Ok, I know I said it was fun, but damn!” He chuckled and started leaning down again. “How about a round two then?” You quickly turned away and immediately started searching for your clothes again. “Sorry Luke, but I’m awaiting a phone call within 10 minutes from now, next time!” You explained hastily, but when you finally reached the door again, you looked back at him. He was widely smiling. “Until next time.”

If you think you can save me

Break me down and take me

Here´s your chance to do some damage

Savage

 To your absolute denial, Luke and you met several times from this day on. As always it never took much to be the last straw. It simply was enough, when you saw him eyeing you from afar while eating dinner. You always gave each other a little hint and suddenly found yourself in each other arms again. It was living at the edge.

Annabeth didn´t know for sure, but she noticed your missing and guessed right, after considering your and Luke´s growing history. Chiron had one time almost caught you in the kitchen, it was Luke´s luck that you had perfect divination skills. However, the weeks had passed and when you awoke that morning, you knew something was different. Not being able pin point it just yet, you groaned as leaving the bed. It was early, as so often when you awoke even though every cell in your body screamed for sleep. It wasn´t long after you had gotten dressed when a knock on your door echoed. Your first thought was Luke, but he liked to sleep in and never had the idea to do anything at this god forbidden time. To your surprise, it was Chiron. You eyed him suspiciously, but he smiled generously like he did so often. “I would like to talk to you, do you have time?”

You walked next to him as making your way near the lake. “Your time here soon will be over”, Chiron started and you let out a laugh. “Be honest Y/n, it´s not as bad as it seems, is it?” After thinking for a while, you shook your head. “No, it´s not. But-“

“But it´s not your home, you didn´t need this camp, I know you never did.” Chiron continued.

“Trust me, when I saw you after all these years, I saw a young, independent woman and she was strong enough to take care of herself. I was so stunned by you and each day with you here, held a surprise. Your spell when sneaking out with Annabeth is just one of many examples”, he added and you couldn´t help but blush. “You noticed?” He grinned. “I almost didn´t. You helped Percy and Grover in the kitchen and you helped many girls in the camp with their confidence, supplying them with simply accessories. I know it wasn´t much to you, but it made a difference.”

He paused and you both slowly came to a stop. “I want to talk to you about Luke.”

You couldn´t help but swallow, but Chiron seemed nervous as well. “I don´t what´s going on between you and him, all I know, is that I saw the way he looked at you.”

You shook your head in denial, but Chiron didn´t let you speak. “All Luke ever wanted was acceptance, acceptance neither I nor this camp could offer. Until you came and you taught him; only he needed to accept himself, not me, not the camp, not his father.” Chiron sighed, you knew it wasn´t easy for him as well. “I guess you know about his trials coming up and I have a proposal to make…”

I am the tide

I know you´re drowning

You´re on the ride

 You were packing your belongings and you had to be honest, you were indeed a little sad. You knew that the nature around the camp would be dearly missed by you, the high tree tops, the cold mornings where fog crawled over the lake and maybe even your fellow creatures. Just maybe.

You were so focused on packing and organizing your things, you overheard the knock. Just when you heard someone clearing his throat, you jumped in surprise. “God Luke!”

He chuckled, but you saw sorrow in his eyes, feeling sympathy coming up. “You´re packing?” He asked confused, but it sounded like a statement. It seemed like he had just found out. You nodded compelled, ignoring his stare. “Why didn´t you tell me?” He asked further trying to get you to look at him, but you continued to avoid his eyes. “Annabeth told me”, he added and you shrugged. “Yeah, my birthday is this night, a minute after midnight.” He stepped next to you and grabbed your wrist, stopping you from packing. He didn´t say anything, just starred at you with his piercing eyes, asking for answers. But you pulled your hand back and removed yourself from his closeness. You felt the heat growing in face and hoped that Luke didn´t see the blushing.

“I though you´d stay for my trials.”

“Why? Do you think they´ll let you go?”

It stung; you saw it in his face. The comment wasn´t necessary, it had slipped from your lips and you regretted it. But there was no going back. “I didn´t-“

“No, it´s fine!” He took a few steps and threw his hands in the air. “Why would you?!” He grew angrier and his voice became louder. “Why would anyone? No one believes in me anyway.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Silence settled between you and with your mouth opened, you waited for words to come out. But nothing came.

“I know what we said; no strings, no feelings, but-“, he turned back and forth, just to walk closer to you again. “I didn´t know this would happen, but I like you, I really like you.” Luke became quieter with each word and it must´ve been hard for him. And yet, you couldn´t do anything else but shook your head. “Sorry Luke, I informed you about the precepts, I literally warned you. Not my fault.”

You knew how it sounded; cold and harsh. It broke your heart how he blinked at you and you noticed how he was shaking. The sudden closeness was lost and he took a few steps, looking at the ground now. “Is that all you have to say to me?” He asked whispering.

“Don´t let this get to you, focus on your trials. This isn´t about you and me, it´s about you and only you.”

Be careful who you trust

Don´t get a entwisted

´Cause I could into us

Or I could leave just because

Because

 They were all there; Chiron, Dionysus, Hermes, Zeus Justizia and a fifth man, Luke didn´t know him. They were all seated at a long wooden table, while he was seated on a simple chair in front of him. He dreaded this moment, as cool as he might act, he was truly nervous. He had barely slept, trying to forget the nervousness, the burden this moment was holding against him, you…

He had dreamed of you; you were together in New York, you wore a flowing summer dress and laughed with him. But when he tried to reach out for you, you had disappeared. Somehow he managed to call back your word in his mind. Don´t let this get to you, focus on your trials. This isn´t about you and me, it´s about you and only you. Luke knew you were right, but admitting it was too much.

While Chiron read out the terrible things he had done, he eyed the fifth man closer. He wore a black suit with silver buttons. He wore slightly wavy hair, a few strands falling over his facial features. He had a slightly crocked nose and dark, green eyes. Somehow, Luke noticed, he had a larger head than the rest. But maybe he just imagined that. When coming to a slowly, but surely end of the list, he pulled out a silver shinning pocket watch, raising his eyebrow at the time. Hermes, who sat right next to him, cleared his throat in order to admonish him. Luke almost rolled his eyes at his father´s implicit manner, but decided against it. “Janus”, he warned him quietly and look couldn´t help but let his eyes widen. Janus, God of Doorways, Transition and Time. He was your father.

Luke swallowed, all the nervousness he had pushed away, came rushing back.

“Luke, I´m gonna let you talk now, what do you have to say?” Chiron explained and all their eyes laid thickly on him.

“I… There´s a lot I want to say, but I´ll keep it to the important details.” He struggled talking, but tried to remain calm. At least on the outside. “I know that the things I´ve done were wrong, I´ve never been so aware of this. I was a bitter teenager and it´s inexcusable and I´m still sorry. Father” he paused and looked at him. “This isn´t your fault, I don´t think anyone but me is to blame, even though I made it look that way. Just in the passing weeks I learned how important it is to stay true to yourself, but I never knew myself. I know, I have no right to ask for any favors, all I can do is beg for a second chance.” Luke was shaking and he felt the edge of tears in his eyes. It was all up to him.

“I will accept your verdict no matter what. Just know, even though it´s a hard journey, I´ll try to change for better.” He decided to rise from the chair, he said everything he wanted. “Thank you for listening.”

You know I´m not a saint

But I can make you pray

So get down on your knees

Give me a reason I should stay

Trapped inside this madness

I know you wanna have this

So I can take advantage

Savage

Savage

 Two hours, that´s how long Luke waited outside the room while hearing them discuss inside. Dionysus had the duty to watch him, while they waited. Sometimes things got heated and their loud voices echoed through the cabin, sometimes it was so quiet, all he could hear was his own heartbeat. To his surprise, it wasn´t Chiron who called him in, it was Janus. He opened the door and nodded at him, but when Luke followed him and he turned to lead the way back, he saw it. Janus second face. It was at the back of his head and look similar to the front one, the same sharp features, the same lips and nose. But the eyes were brown instead of green. While he made his way back to his chair behind the long table, his second face didn´t leave Luke´s body. And just before he sat down again, he winked at Luke. Luke wasn´t sure how to interpret; was it a good or bad sign? Janus seemed calm, but he saw the twisted thoughts lying behind his forehead. He wasn´t like Zeus, a bright shining god, a perfectly representing picture. He was dark, mysterious and withdrawn.

“As you might imagine, this wasn´t an easy verdict to make”, Chiron started explaining. “Before your trial we asked several witnesses about you, which didn´t make it easier. But it gave us a picture. Not about your actions, but about you.” He paused and eyed the men, the gods with him. “After all we decided to put it up to a vote.”

The silence that followed only lasted seconds, but it felt like eternity to Luke.

“In the end, it stood three to two”, Luke waited and looking back, he was sure Chiron did it as a last punishment. “In your favor.”

He couldn´t help but jumped off his seat. But Zeus ordered him back. “We´re not finished.” He grunted and Luke knew he voted against him. But he sat back down. “We´ll let you go, you free to go wherever you like. However-“, Chiron took the word back. “They will be somebody at your side. Watching you all day, every day. After a time, that we decided in private, we´ll have another trial to talk about your journey then.” “I get a babysitter who watches me 24/7?” Luke asked somewhat surprised, but Janus nodded. “We decided to give you a second chance, but in the eyes of somebody who will give us daily updates. You will listen to your operating supervisor, otherwise you´ll immediately receive by far worse punishments.”

Luke nodded at him, thankful and couldn´t help but walk to his father, who sat at the very end of the table. To even his surprise, Luke hugged him tightly.

When you touch me you take me to heaven

When you hold me

My body is a weapon

 Hermes opened a portal and they ended up in a alley in New York. He turned to Luke. “From here, I have to leave.” He put a hand on Luke´s shoulder. “Promise me, try everything, be the man I saw in you.” Luke nodded and hugged him once again. “Your supervisor will wait for you.” Hermes added as they parted. He turned back to leave, but Luke held his arm. “Dad? Can you thank Janus from me?” Hermes nodded silently smiling.

“See you soon, Son.”

He vanished and after he was gone, Luke turned towards the large street. The light was shining bright and even though the wind was rushing through the treetops of Central Park, Luke felt a positive wave hitting his body. He stepped out the alley and searched the people, hurrying past him to get somewhere. Across the street he saw the opened gates to Central Park, kids were running inside it, followed by mothers and their strollers.

“It´s lovely weather, isn´t it?”

He jumped at the sudden voice and his eyes fell to the bench against the building on his left.

And there you sat, a caramel trench coat hugging your body, wearing a red lipstick and your hair braided in a lose style. You stood up and stepped next to him.

“Surprised to see me?” Luke couldn´t help but smile, and it felt like he would never stop smiling. “They asked for your opinion about me, didn´t they?” You nodded. “I made a deal with Chiron and after a 45-minute preaching, where I told Zeus how old fashioned the ways of parenting and raising were, I basically won. I mean they had no chance.” You laughed and Luke joined you.

“And did you tell them about us?” “Us?” You grinned devilishly. “Oh, I must have forgot that.”

Luke smiled and pulled you close to finally press his lips on yours.

If you think you can save me

Break me down and take me

Here´s your chance to do some damage

Savage

#luke castellan imagine #luke castellan #jake abel #percy jackson #percy jackson imagine #adam winchester #mariamermaidimagine

[fuckprophecys]

Because the last post now is fucked up because of the new mobile post: A proper deconstruction on why Human by Christina Perri is basically Percy.

24-May-2018 

 I can hold my breath.   I can bite my tongue.   I can stay awake for days.   If that’s what you want.   Be your number one.   I can fake a smile.   I can force a laugh.   I can dance and play the part.   If that’s what you ask.   Give you all I am.   

His feelings for the gods. He’s been on countless quests, he’s only 17. 

 I can do it.   I can do it.   I can do it. 

He was only 12 when it started, when he was claimed, and he’s scared.

 But I’m only human.   And I bleed when I fall down.  

The first quest was when he was too young, too inexperienced, but he has no choice in the matter. 

 I’m only human.   And I crash and I break down. 

He was lucky he beat Ares in that battle, so so lucky. 

 Your words in my head, knives in my heart. 

He didn’t know it was Luke. He trusted him, and as his head spun, he remembered that prophecies never lie. He collapsed from poison, from his friend. 

He was 13 when he went on his first ‘illegal’ quest. 

 You build me up and then I fall apart. 

He almost lost his two other friends, he watched Annabeth desperately claw at the Sirens for a life that isn’t her own, and his friend hide from a cyclopes behind a wedding gown, scared for his life. 

 ‘Cause I’m only human. 

Thalia, from the tree. Her confusion, the rawness in her eyes. She’s scared, because they’re all scared. They don’t know what will happen next, but now they had two children of the big three.

 I can turn it on.   Be a good machine. 

Bianca was too young. She was the first death on his conscious. He still has nightmares about it, even though he won’t admit it.

 I can hold the weight of worlds.   If that’s what you need.   

He took the sky from Artemis. He made a mistake, it costed another life. He knelt there, shaking, the sky trying to crush him like a bug, so Artemis could join her hunter’s side to aid her in battle. 

 Be your everything. 

His first full council of gods, debating if something he just saw was really happening. Thalia became hunter, and Percy suddenly was the ‘chosen child’ again. 

Annabeth grabbed his hand as they watched the gods.

 I can do it. 

They plunged into the labyrinth, starting with 4 people, knowing fully well one of them could die. 

 I can do it. 

The labyrinth has no mercy as they were pulled apart and shoved across the  country, forced to find each other. But they had to live, they had to.

 I'll get through it. 

He wasn’t even 16 in his first war. On the battle front, with barely any demigods, protecting Olympus from thousands of monsters. He had to fight. He had no other choice. 

 But I’m only human.   And I bleed when I fall down. 

They won, but that only opened another door of fate.

 I’m only human.   And I crash and I break down. 

Alaska shook his nerves. He didn’t know who he was, what he was fighting for, why the water suddenly filled him with cold shock. He stood in the middle of the legion, an eagle in his hands, fighting like he was one of them. He wasn’t, he knew they’d eventually have to notice that.

 Your words in my head.   Knives in my heart. 

Percy was vaguely aware of Piper begging them to stop fighting. He had no control over his body, no real memory of what happened, but later he was told he was possessed and had fought with Jason (nearly to-the-death). 

 You build me up and then I fall apart.   'Cause I’m only human, yeah. 

The giants, the twin giants. Watching another god sideline and make amusement of demigods fighting. He wondered why he kept fighting for the same side, but he knew why. There was no other side to fight for. Even if he died, he would die fighting on the side Olympus is on.

 But he didn’t deserve this.

 I’m only human.

Annabeth was covered in cobwebs, shaking in fear and adrenaline, her ankle looking like a misused package.

 “We’re okay, we’re safe.”

 I’m only human. 

She couldn’t walk forward. They needed to get to the ship. Athena was falling, her statue shaking on the weak ground. No one could help him as she fell down and slide backwards. 

  Just a little human. 

He ran after her, grabbing her hand. He heard their friends call out in shock when they noticed. But it was too late. 

His hand was on the ledge. Too far away.

“We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again.”

Then he let go. Neither of them were 17 yet. 

 I can take so much. 

Jason offered his hand to Percy, at the bottom of the ocean. He was ready to give up, to just stay at the bottom. 

 Until I’ve had enough. 

He couldn’t give up on his friends. That’s why he was fighting. 

He grabbed Jason’s hand. 

 ‘Cause I’m only human.   And I bleed when I fall down.   

Athens, the gods actually being there. The nosebleed, it was his fault.

 I’m only human.   And I crash and I break down. 

Camp Half Blood, Gaia, losing Leo but winning a battle. Was it worth it?

 Your words in my head, knives in my heart.   You build me up and then I fall apart. 

Meeting Carter, meeting Sadie, fighting Setne. Finding out that they weren’t the only set of gods. There were others, so many that could exist.

 ‘Cause I’m only human, yeah.

“Why” He said to Apollo. 

#this is a bit different #i have certain scenes I see when I listen to this song #so enjoy #human christina perri #percy #percy jackson #pjo #hoo #remake #song deconstruction and application #about percy #angsty? #i cried #moa #moa quote #cicles

[sassysweetstories]

Rivalry //Shawn Mendes Series

Summary: You are a demigod that’s been brought to Camp-Half Blood in hopes to find yourself and learn more about your powers. In fear of being bullied, much like before, you intend to stay behind closed doors until there in no choice but to come out about who’s child you truly belong to. 

Ship: Shawn Mendes x Fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, fighting, swearing, fluff, blood, etc. 

Notes: none of these gifs are mine. i saw another fic about demigods and i wanted to try and make it a series. the thoughts been festering in my mind forever now. i hope you like it. (also, none of the demigods and gods are really related. because of the parents fucking around, it’s not legitimate in this series. I ALSO RECOMMEND YOU TO LISTEN TO THE PERCY JACKSON SOUNDTRACK WHILE READING THIS. IT’S SO COOL) 

Your P.O.V

Camp-Half Blood. There is was, staring back at me like some haunting horror movie scene. The outer perimeter only being lit by two burning fires alone gave me a strange mix of home despite the ominous setting. I belong here. I tell myself the same thought that I’ve been repeating the whole drive here. I belong here. This is the golden arches for the odd and weird kids, a place to feel accepted. A place where it’s okay to be different. Or, at least that’s what I was told. But I knew if there were teens here, people my age, there would still be judgement. There always is. And the trip here was nothing but ridiculous. This place seems to fall off the edge of the earth and right under the nose of humans. And yet, I feel a pull towards the location. I know in my heart that I belong. 

Despite the nerves that start to fester, I take a deep breath and walk forward. It’s dark and quiet but the second I pass through the veil, I feel a sense of comfort or warmth wash over me. You are safe here. It seems to say to me. Lugging my one suit case farther in, I find myself following the main pathway. That is until my eyes come across a centaur. He’s fucking huge, twice if not three times my height. "Mr. Brunner, I presume.” I say seriously. Everything about me screams business, not pleasure. But he ignores it and gallops up to shake my hand in mutual respect. “Please, call me, Chiron. You’ll be seeing me quite often. Might as well get on a first name basis.” I give him a hardy shake and follow him along the dark pathway, my heart beating with excitement and nerves. 

“Welcome to Camp Half Blood, (Y/n). I realize, as you’ve said before, that you do not want to disclose your parentage to anyone, but here in Camp Half Blood, we categories and home you according to your abilities. That is, until I realized who you belonged to-” He pauses, wary of his next words. “-We don’t get many rare demigods here, so in the interest of your discretion, and for you, and the safety of others, we will not disclose that information until it becomes absolutely necessary.” The second the words leave his mouth, I feel a weight being lifted off me. If anyone knew who I belonged to.. Gods, what a nightmare that would be. Mr. D continues to educate me on what exactly I would be doing here and the longer he spoke, the more excited I became. 

“Tomorrow (Y/n), I will personally show you around the facility, but for now I will take you to your living quarters, which are located not too far from the other kids but a good distance for privacy.” I want to look up at him and thank him but I’m so in awe by everything, I can barely form words. Instead I give him a small nod and unpack, mentally preparing for the next day to arrive. My house, since I’m the only one living in it, is a lot lighter than I thought it would be. It’s an odd mix of colors but nothing like I had anticipated. In one room it is black with shades of bright purple. In the other, it’s a vibrant orange/yellow with blue and green flowers the cover the ceiling which brought an odd contrast. It’s surprisingly warm and cosy despite my first wary impression. Everything about the room alone is far much nicer than I’d ever had. I can’t help but lean against my bed headboard and smile. I was home. 

The next morning I’m up bright and early, too excited to even hide it. I’m practically bouncing off the walls as I slip my shoes on. But the second Chiron shows up, I suppress it a little bit. I don’t wanna come off too strong, after-all. I’m not even outside before the sun is happily shinning down on us. The trees all gleam in delight under such warm and bright weather. I can’t help but smile at the sight. Birds fluttered above my head, singing their normal song. The trees around us sway against the wind and tower over my head like mountains. The longer we walk, the closer we come to the middle of the camp grounds. Kids of all ages and colors run by us in a hustle and bustle, not without giving me a once over, if not stare at me as if I had horns or something. 

For some reason, I’m something entirely new to them. It’s as if they know. Instead I stand up straighter, demanding respect and even scowl at some who dare to give me pointed looks. And instead of making the situation worse, I focus on Chiron’s words. “You will be training like the rest of the students. But before you get to that, you have a schedule with certain classes to obviously learn about your parents and the other gods here.” As we walk by, a boy with bright eyes and dirty blonde hair eyes me up and down like a piece of meat. He nudges his lacks and they look in my direction and have the audacity to howl at me. Instead of causing a scene, I clench my fists in frustration. Deep breaths. In and out. 

Finally pulling my gaze away from them, I can’t help but stand up straighter, as if I was trying to prove something to them. I can tell behind their cocky stares that their curious about me and what I can do. Who do I belong to and what I have to offer. But I hope they never find out. But all I know is that I do, in fact, belong. But if I wanted to show that, I would have to be on the field and in the classroom. My first class is Gods & Goddess and their powers. Before I even came to Camp Half Blood, I had always been fascinated by Greek mythology. 

I use to spend hours after school reading up on all sorts of stories only to find out I was the child of one them. Chiron escorts me to the class, if that’s not awkward enough. But when I enter, more than fifty kids look directly at me. I can practically feel their judgment filled expressions pressing down on me like an anvil. I suck in a breath of air, letting Chiron speak for me. “Professor Ryan, this is your new student, (Y/n) (Y/L/N).” I give him a hardly shake and give him my signature smile. I swear I hear a group of girls in the front sigh and swoon. Aphrodite kids, I’m sure. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss (Y/L/N). You can sit right next Mr. Underwood.” I glance up at the large college build lecture hall before my gaze falls on the satyr I saw early. He looks nice, giving me a warm and playful smile. I can’t help but return it because in all honesty, it’s quite contagious. When I take a seat, I pull out my hand for him to take. “(Y/n). Nice to meet you.” He grins and takes it before shaking it lightly. “Grover. Grover Underwood. Likewise!” It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Grover whispers comments at me the entire time, practically shit talking the professor. It takes everything in me to not burst out laughing. Once class is over though, we walk out together and the conversation flows comfortably. 

“Hey (Y/n), I wanna introduce you to my best friend, Percy Jackson.” A boy with ocean blue eyes waltz up to us, showing me an equally warm smile. I take his hand and give him a hardy shake. “Nice to meet you, Percy. Cool name. I’m (Y/n), (Y/n) (Y/L/N).” Percy is just as nice as Grover and they make me feel at home. He’s son of Poseidon apparently. Which took me by surprise. “You’ll meet the rest of the gang later. Until now, you’ll have to settle for us.” Percy says jokingly but I can already sense a slight insecurity. “I like your guys’ company just fine.” But the second the words leave my mouth, I see Percy and Grover ease up. The sight makes me chuckle. It was only the first day and I was already making friends. 

Grover has taken it upon himself to show me every nook and cranny of the camp, saying Chiron was an old fart who didn’t know any of their secrets. Pointing over to a warm pink lit dorm, he gave me a cheeky smile. “Aphrodite’s daughters. Hello ladies!” He gives them a wave and some of them giggle in response. I’d be lying if I said none of them were attractive. The art of beauty and seduction was always something they perfected apparently. Some even wink at me as we walk by. I can’t help but blush as we shuffle across the way. “Aphrodite’s daughters are nothing but wild, especially in the sheets. Stay away from them. Or don’t. I mean, I don’t stay away, haha. Not far from them is Athena, girls and boys are separated but that doesn’t stop us much. You’ll meet Annabeth later. She’s a child of Athena.”

We make our way over to the dueling field and the girl he was talking about, whom I believe is Annabeth, is dueling with three other opponents. I watch in awe as she beats them with ease, not a bead of sweat to cover her gorgeous features. I can’t help but gape as she strides over to us, looking nothing but powerful. “That was amazing.” I spew out before my mind could even think. Before she seemed more cold and wary, but the longer she eyes me, the more at ease she becomes. “Thank you. I’m Annabeth.” I take her hand, still gaping. “I’m (Y/n). That was incredible. Can you teach me how to do that?” She laughs at my genuine awe. “Of course, in due time. We have to meet up with the others.” 

“The others?” I can’t help but ask in curiosity. They all smile as Grover spoke. “Luke and Shawn. Luke tags along with us occasionally but he mainly sticks to the more jock type crowd, ya know? He’s more brutes than he is brains. But don’t tell him I said that. Besides, he only sticks around with us because he fancies Percy.” Percy shakes his head, chuckling lightly as we walk down a different pathway. “He’s my friend. They’re both really great. You’re gonna love Shawn. He’s super chill but can be a bit cocky at times. He’s also got a killer voice. Shawn might seem a bit off but he’s pretty down to earth-” Annabeth practically snorts. “And he’s not a dick like Luke.” I can’t help but laugh at the comments being made towards the young boy. “Is Luke the one with dirty blonde hair? I may have seen him this morning howling at me. What a douche.” They snort at my comment before nodding. 

We head over to the weapons hall and as we enter, I can’t help but gape in awe. Weapons from all shapes and sizes layer each side of the walls, some even attached to the ceiling. Running my hand over some, I can’t help but smirk at the glint of light they all give off. “Beautiful, ain’t she? You’ll start combat soon but before you get your hands dirty, you’re gonna need a weapon, eh?” Grover says to me, motioning for everyone to follow him. We do so and listen to the folk lore behind all of the swords and knives without homes. That was until a bright black shine caught my gaze. Without realizing it, I drifted away from the group to get a better look at it. Black as night, the sword stretches a good few feet with a dark red leather handle and small, thin white swirls etched across the blade. 

I feel a pull towards the blade, like it was meant for me. I’m so enthralled by it’s treacherous beauty I almost don’t hear the manager comment, “Gorgeous, isn’t she. Five carbon steel, practically unbreakable, with a dark red handle that’s both comfortable yet firm enough to grip.” I graze the outside of the handle and smile at the sensation. That was until the manager commented, “I wouldn’t try to pick it up. It’s the heaviest weapon we’ve got and you look pretty nimble.” I could stand men trying to down grade women. Instead of listening to his warning, I take the sword with one hand and lift, expecting it to be heavy for my too “nimble body” but instead it practically floats under my touch. I twirl it around and it feels like I’m holding air. “Are you sure it’s the heaviest? It feels light to me.” 

The look on his face is nothing but priceless. Jaw dropped to the floor, face white he manages to scrape the last bit of testosterone he had and heads to the front. I take the sword with a smile, intending to check out before I came to an abrupt halt. The blonde douche I saw early, Luke, I believe, was speaking to another boy in a hushed manor behind a stack of knives. He had chocolate brown hair and equally as appealing eyes. “I don’t know Luke.. We don’t know anything about her-” He said softly, scanning over the weapons. Luke replied hastily. “She could be a great ally when we have the battle Friday.” The chocolate haired hunk scoffed. “We don’t even know if she can fight yet! Nor do we know of her abilities! What could she possibly offer for the win?!” Luke rolled his eyes and nudged the boys arm jokingly but he didn’t seem to enjoy it. “Don’t worry. With my suave persona, she’ll be confessing everything in no time. We’ll win this fight Friday, Shawn.” 

Were they talking about me? They must be. Quickly and quietly, I slip away from them without making a peep and head to the check-out line. “Looks like you found one!” Percy exclaimed happily, eyeing my weapon of choice. Annabeth nods her head with pride. “That’s a beautiful sword. You’re sure about it though? Once you choose a weapon, it becomes like your mate.” Percy and Grover share a confused glance before shrugging at me. I look down at it with my own sense of pride, happy with my choice before nodding. “Yeah, I’m sure.” Percy’s eyes wander to someone over my shoulder. “SHAWN! LUKE!” He exclaims, smiling at the two. I don’t make eye contact with them yet. Instead I hand over my sword to pay. 

The cashier nearly drops the sword, half dragging it across the floor to scan the price-tag along with the belt attachment. “Do you need help?” I ask, trying not to smile at his struggling state. He puffs and curses under his breath, arms bulging in hopes to lift the weapon I’ve handed to him. “Nope, ugh, I- I’m f-fine-” The interaction has unfortunately caught the groups attention and Grover can’t help but ask, “(Y/n), did you get the biggest one?!” I glance over at him and nod. “Yeah, what can I say, I like big things.” The sentence was meant to be a casual response but all four of the boys turned bright red with embarrassment while Annabeth burst out laughing at their reactions. As I’m about to look back at the cashier, my gaze meets Shawn’s. 

His eyes are bright despite being a chocolate brown. They almost have a flicker of light to them. One I can’t particularly describe. He’s different, I can feel it. I give him a small smile which he returns with a mediocre smirk. “Hun, why don’t I take that before you pull a muscle-” I wrap the holder around my waist and tie it before taking the sword from him. He sighs, almost happy to not have to carry its gargantuan weight any longer. But before I can slip my beautiful weapon into its case, Luke saunters up to me with a cocky grin. “You must be the beautiful, (Y/n). I’m Luke. Would you like me to carry that for you?” Annabeth and I exchange a knowing look. What did this boy expect from me? To just drop my panties cause he decided to be nice? Pff. 

I give him the fakest, most innocent smile I could before sighing sweetly. “Oh my gosh, that is so sweet. Thank you.” I take a step back and toss the blade at him. He lefts out an “Oof!” before falling to the ground, coughing and grunting as he attempts to hold the weight up. I walk around his immobile body and stick my hand out for Shawn to shake. “I’m (Y/n). Nice to meet you.” The moment he takes it, I feel a shock run through my body, itching up and down my spine before it dissipates. What the hell was that? “I’m Shawn. Likewise.” When he lets go of my hand, his is warmer than when we first touched. I wonder if I rubbed off on him? He glances down at me with wonder and curiosity. We duel with our eyes, examining one another before looking away.

I strut over to Luke who is still thrashing on the floor before I lift my sword off him with one hand. He sighs in relief, taking massive breaths of fresh air to accommodate for the ones that have been taken from him. Sheathing my blade, I look back at Annabeth with an innocent smile. “Annabeth, hun. Would you like to go practice dueling?” She laces her arm through mine, waving at the boys as we walk out. “I think we’re gonna be very good friends.” I can’t help but laugh with delight at her statement, feeling the boys eyes follow us the whole way out. I can’t help but look back at Shawn and ponder. Who does he belong to? 

Annabeth and I head out to the battle arena to change and practice fighting. “So-” I say while adjusting my gear. “-who are Luke and Shawn’s parents.” Annabeth tosses me another accessory for combat before replying. “Well, Luke is Hermes kid. You wouldn’t have guessed it but he, like most kids, hate their parents. He despises his dad, which is understandable. And for some odd reason, he gets super defensive and competitive when it comes to battles. Thinks he has to prove something to someone because he thinks his parent isn’t the strongest. It’s all about titles to him.” 

I nod along to her words but ask about the other boy, not caring much about the first. “And Shawn? What about him?” She talks while she ties her boots. “Well I think Luke just hangs out with Shawn because of his parental title-” I sheath my sword, standing up straighter. “What do you mean? Who is his parent?” When she looked back at me, I expect her to tell me the name of a small god but instead it’s someone who rattles me. “He’s the son of Zeus.” I drop my shoe in shock, nearly dropping the rest of my stuff. Annabeth laughs. “Yeah. He usually has that affect on women.” I scoff, shaking my head before resting my hands on my hips. “Pff. No! I was just surprised. Um, that’s pretty rare, isn’t it?” 

She nodded, grabbing her sword before following me out onto the battlefield. “Yeah, it is. Percy and him are the only two sons of the big three. There hasn’t been a third son but I’m hoping it’s a girl. I think Luke is using Shawn and Percy’s friendship to get ahead during the trials and fights. It’s vile.” I nod along to her voice. She was definitely Athena’s kid, brilliant and tactical. “Okay so, what are you gonna teach me so that I’ll be prepared. I want to be as good as you.” Annabeth took a few steps back, stretching her muscles. “That might take some time.” I drew my sword and grinned up at her. “I’m a good learning.” Before I knew it, she ran towards me and our swords crashed together. “Let’s get started.” 

Annabeth is a brutal teacher but she’s nothing like Ares teachers. They’re ruthless and cruel, just like their god father. I half expect them to have sharp teeth. We practice for nearly two days straight I almost don’t notice it’s been that long. With only fruits, vegetables and water to keep us going, we keep fighting. It’s nothing but exhilarating. We’re dueling and running circles around one another so much I barely acknowledge the ever growing crowd that’s decided to make their way towards us, intrigued by our fight and what we have to offer, what I have to offer. I barrel towards her, dodging whatever attacks she intends to throw my way before slamming my sword down on her. When they clash, sparks fly. Our faces a mere few inches apart as we growl at one another before separating again. 

“How long have they been going at it?” I hear Percy ask Grover. To which he responded with. “Two days straight. A few breaks here and there but I’ve never seen someone hold a fight with Annabeth and not fall over. It’s incredible.” Luke and Shawn stand near the other two boys, watching us closely. I almost feel bad for Shawn but I’m then reminded that I don’t really know him. “Getting tired yet?” Annabeth asks me with a shit-eating grin. I stand up straighter with an equally as warming smile before getting into my fighting position. “Not even close.” The sounds of our swords clashing together echoed all throughout the camp. There wasn’t one person who knew we were fighting. She slams her sword down and instead of hitting me, smashes the grass. 

I turn over my shoulder to dodge her attack before making one of my own. When I reach my sword out, hers matches my movements. The tips threatening to cut the others throat. “You’re a fast learner.” She says, smiling up at me. We mutually sheath our weapons and examine the others sweaty state. “Gods, I need a shower.” I say, wiping off the sweat that dripped down all parts of my body. “I think the boys disagree.” Turning over my shoulder to see what she meant, Luke stares at me like I’m a prize, like I’m meat to be won over. Grover and Percy look at me as friends do, with pride. But I can’t quite pin Shawn’s facial expression. His is a mixture of things. Some I can’t read, others I can. It’s pride for a friend but with a hint of attraction, lust. “I think you’ve caught the golden boys eye.” 

I eye him up and down and watch as he does the same for me. I can’t help but take Annabeth’s previous words into consideration. If this battle is as important to Luke as she says it is, than how important is Shawn to him. What does he have to offer? What are his powers? Do they have limits? What if Shawn isn’t as innocent as people believe him to be? What if he’s just as wrapped up about the hierarchy as Luke is? Annabeth and I head over to the showers, very much in need of some soap. But the whole time I can’t help but ponder that all of this seems to dive deeper than I think. 

(I hope you guys liked it! This is just the introduction to the series. I think I’m gonna make it a 2-3 parter series. Comment below! I love suggestions and feedback!)

#fanfics #fan #fanfic #fandom #fanfiction #camp-half blood #percy jackson au #percy jackson #demigods #fighting #angst #anxiety #angry #angsst #persophones daughter #swearing #fluffy #conflict #flirting #fluff #holy shit #ship #shy #shawn mendes #shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes x fem!reader #shawn being an adorable fuck #grover #annabeth #gods

[pelagaios-a]

What about Annabeth? //OOC: i havent watched Percy Jackson for a while but I hope this works for you!

opinionated much ?? || accepting

  ♆                Annabeth ( and Percy’s opinion ) don’t change much between my verses and canon has showed us just how important she is to him. I don’t mess with that because a friendship that strong is incredibly important, especially within Percy’s own character growth. I’m going to preface this by saying I do have an Annabeth I do rp with ( though not currently on tumblr as a platform ) and I am mainly shipping with @/shadowesqxe on this blog.

While Grover may be his best and first real friend Percy knows that Grover only first sought him out as part of his duty. It’s not something he blames Grover for? And it certainly doesn’t change how much Grover means to him, but Annabeth was really the first person who chose him out of her own choice and that really does mean a lot. It’s a part of who he is, and a part of his past most forget, that Percy didn’t have friends before coming to camp. He was pushed to the fringes for a number of reasons ( of which I won’t get into here ) and didn’t expect much out of new places anymore. Yet here is this girl who keeps him alive half the time, someone who he doesn’t know what to think of at first, who keeps sticking around. She quickly becomes someone he is comfortable relying on. He doesn’t second guess himself about her friendship ignoring some of the Thalia thing which is an aspect not to be ignored. Percy has his own canon variety of issues because people suck.

He completely trusts her. Pure and simple. She is his literal anchor to the world in more ways then one ( spoilers for those who haven’t finished the first series ) as she is the one he saw in the Styx. She is the one he took a dive into Tartarus for. These aren’t things you do for someone who you don’t feel is an integral part of yourself. A strong part of me believes they’re at minimum platonic soul mates in that sense. None of my verses or headcanons for Percy change that. Sure, they’re ridiculously co dependent in canon and I know some people hate the ship for that reason but looking at his past and how she helped him grow? Percy without Annabeth’s influence isnt the Percy we know. When someone as important as this is in your life you hold on tight and he certainly did. He doesn’t have many people ( saying this now, will always say it again. the seven aren’t really friends in canon they’re together out of necessity you need to give it time ) as half the time he stays away and the other half people avoid him. Percy isn’t this giant teddy bear everyone loves he’s terrifying and Annabeth is right there next to him every step. She’s his conscious and his voice of reason when he’s blinded by anger or anything else. 

He took the sky for this girl. He dove into the labyrinth by her side. Every time he saw Luke throughout the first series after Luke’s betrayal Percy over and over again thinks of how he betrayed Annabeth. Not necessarily himself, but the people important to him. Even as someone he wants to protect, though, he lets her protect herself. He’d not blind to Annabeth’s strength both physically and mentally. Hell, the “strongest demigod” will always readily admit that she bests him. Percy is so proud of her for it, too. This is one of his best friends ( in canon, his girlfriend ) who overcame her demons and walked through literal hell and came out each and every time. It would be so much easier to quote what he, himself, says throughout the books tbh I don’t know how to word half of what I want to say. Just… Annabeth honestly means the world to him.

For Percy, she hung the stars with a challenge him to climb there to.

#garyiisms #♆ ╱ ❛ asks. #⧕┊memes┊i will have revenge┊⧔ #okay but i could have added so much more and i stopped myself cause this was getting long #lays on the floor #aaaaaaah its a book series !!!!! #i dont personally like the movies but power to u #throws confetti tysm for the ask tho i dont often get to rant about annabeth #i love and adore her and so does percy so !!!!!! #:'ddd #♆ ╱ ❛ headcanons.

[jflashandclash]

Tales From Mount Othrys

Fidget Spinners IV

           Once they were aboard the Ferry of the Dead, riding down the River Styx with Charon in his proper creepy and grim black robe, Alabaster stopped vomiting. The ship was an old Greek vessel, something Matthias could have identified immediately. They sat as far from the stern as possible. Apparently this boat was usually brimming with ghosts, but Charon had shoved the three of them aboard in such a hurry, less ghosts had flooded the space.

         This gave them the room to sit on the edge of the boat so Pax, Lou Ellen, and Alabaster could stare off at the inky, polluted river. They wanted to be as far from the ferryman as possible. Charon was cursing under his breath, something about children being electrocuted in bathtubs and getting into car accidents.

         Maybe, in a normal tour, Pax might have been excited by the black stalactites and terrifying horror movie set. For now, all he could do was rub Alabaster’s back. Lou Ellen sat on his other side, pulling one finger off and putting it back in a different one’s place, frequently messing it up. This was her way of acting concerned.

         After he was certain Charon couldn’t overhear them, Pax whispered, “You died coming after us?!”

         Before now, he couldn’t process what was happening enough to ask. The sight of Alabaster with his intestines dragging on the floor and blood spewing out of his mouth—it was enough to make Pax tremble more. And he was already trembling pretty hard in this cold cavern.

         “Of course I died!” Alabaster’s voice rose, making Pax and Lou Ellen flinch. “How else would I be in the Underworld?!”

         Tears threatened to spill down Pax’s cheeks. He could hear Lou Ellen sniffling. Crying would really make her missing-eye illusion less believable.

         Alabaster sighed. Pax thought he was reaching for something in his pocket.

         Alabaster wasn’t. He grabbed the end of his intestines. Casually, the child of Hecate wound them up around one wrist. Once he got towards the end, he ripped off a chunk.

         Pax shrieked.

         “Be quiet,” Alabaster snarled. Softer, he grumbled, “And Mercedes thinks you can keep it cool in enemy territory.”

         Pax wanted to point out that enemies (hopefully) wouldn’t be ripping off pieces of their organs. Was that a thing they did in Camp Half-Blood? Did Percy Jackson, in fact, an organ-eating zombie?

         Before Pax could withdraw his hand, Alabaster shoved the chunk into Pax’s palm.

         Pax almost screamed again. Maybe this was an experience he should have smiled upon—after all, it isn’t every day that your crush tries to hand you an organ, granted, a heart might be better.

         “I knew you idiots wouldn’t bring enough snacks,” Alabaster hissed, shoving another chunk into Lou Ellen’s hands.

         “Oh my mother…” Lou Ellen whispered.

         Pax didn’t want to watch as she held up the chunk for investigation. Then he saw what she saw. The scent of iron vanished like it had been a whiff from a distant breeze. That chunk had some kind of label covered in blood—not blood.

         Pax sniffed.

         The scent of barbeque sauce became overwhelming.

         He rubbed his own chunk with his thumb. The sauce smeared to reveal a packaged sausage, like the kind you’d have on a cheese platter. There was even a bright label on the protective packaging.

         Pax stared at his hand. The spell had been so convincing.

         Lou Ellen made a low whistle. “You’re good,” she said, “Titans, can you teach me how to do that?”

         “When you have enough discipline to pull off your nose instead of your chin,” Alabaster scolded.

         Pax couldn’t think about the spell or the sausage.

         He threw his arms around Alabaster.

         Alabaster made a grunt of annoyance.

         Slowly and firmly, as though not to draw attention to them, Alabaster removed Pax’s arms. There was an embarrassed hue to his pale cheeks as he scowled from Pax to Lou Ellen. “You didn’t come to me to devise this plan?” he demanded.

         “We thought you’d be mad,” Lou Ellen meeped. She sheepishly poked at the fake dent in her head. By comparison to Alabaster’s effects, hers looked like something out of a D-rate horror movie.

         “Oh, I am mad. When we get back, I’m killing you, and then you’ll have to march right back in there and explain to Charon how you’ve shown up twice, then you’ll have to see what he does with you,” Alabaster said.

         Pax couldn’t help but grin. Threats aside, he couldn’t handle looking at this very-much-alive Alabaster. It was cute thinking about it: Alabaster finding their, “Went to Underworld. Will bring back souvenirs,” note and stuffing a bunch of sausage links into his shirt, cussing at the confused centaur that could swear he just took Alabaster and Lou Ellen off the ship. He really cared. At least about Lou Ellen.

         “Are you making us go back?” she whispered, shuffling away from a wandering soul and closer to her brother. Pax understood. Everything here was cold. Touching another warm person was a nice reminder of the above world.

         “How, pray tell, am I to make you go back in our current situation?” Alabaster closed his eyes and rubbed his eyelids. “Mercedes warned me you’d want to go after Axel. I didn’t think the two of you would be stupid enough to throw away your life chasing him or smart enough to get off the boat undetected.”

         Lou Ellen and Pax exchanged a glance over Alabaster’s shoulders. Neither could decide if the comment was more compliment or insult.  

         “So, we’re going after Axel?” Pax clarified.

         “We’re certainly not going back the way we came. I have no interest in angering Charon on his own boat,” Alabaster said.

         That meant that Alabaster had come down here with his own plan. Even if he didn’t have one when he left, trying to catch them before they went into DOA Recording Studios, he would have come up with one by now. Before Pax could hear any awesome details, their ship pulled up along black sand.

         Pax guessed that Hades hadn’t heard the memo—that pink was the new black. If Pax ever got scared while he was down here, he would have to remember to visualize the Underworld in various shades of Easter egg with magenta stalactites meeting a sparkling, rose floor. His stomach dropped about what shade of pink the river would be with its thick eddies. That went too Mayan in his head.

         Alabaster tossed the plastic-wrapped suit backwards into the boat, quickly shuffling the younger two off. They didn’t wait to hear what Charon thought of the contents.

         They walked towards the airport-like security with ghoulish attendants separating people into various lines. There were signs above the lines, ones that Pax couldn’t read since the letters jumbled into incomprehension.

         A low whine, like that of an injured puppy, echoed around the chamber. Yea, there were wails too, but those were human wails. Pax was way less interested in those. He couldn’t find the source of the animal noises until Lou Ellen tugged furiously on his jacket.

         Pax didn’t know how he missed the view before. Unlike Alabaster, Lou Ellen, and Axel, he struggled to see through the Mist. Even so, the Mist deserved a pay raise.

         A few yards ahead of them was a massive Rottweiler with three heads. Maybe the truck-sized dog would have normally been intimidating; Pax had heard some intimidating stories about Cerberus. Instead, the dog just looked pathetic, curled up and nursing a paw. Pax could see why.

         There was a sword imbedded between two toes.

         “He’s hurt!” Pax cried.

         “Ajax, no,” Alabaster growled.

         Lou Ellen joined in the cry, “We have to help him.”

         “What part of—”

         “Please!” Pax and Lou Ellen said together.

         “Grant me the patience of the Furies,” Alabaster said under his breath.

         One of the heads must have caught their scent. It perked up and glanced in their direction, growling.

         The other two were licking at the injured paw still. He looked cute, the way a monster truck might if painted with bambis and rabbits.

         Alabaster stopped in his tracks. He fumbled with his intestines—sausages. Pax really needed to stop thinking of sausage as intestines. “Who do you think stabbed him?” he asked in his you’re stupid if you can’t answer this question and I know you too well to let you play dumb. “See many stray demigods wandering down here with blades?”

         “It wasn’t Axel,” Pax said. Axel was obsessed with mythical creature rights and would have known Cerberus was just doing his job. One caged animal to another—Axel would have likely tried to play-wrestle with the beast. “I’ll bet it was Luke.”

         “Yea, Luke’s an asshole,” Lou Ellen said.

         The two of them vigorously nodded their heads towards Alabaster.

         “Lou Ellen,” Alabaster chided, “I expect more creative insults than vulgarity. And you aren’t going to win me over by insulting Castellan.”

         Despite him saying that, the corner of his lips twitched into a smile. Until then, Pax hadn’t realized how glad he was to have Alabaster along. The Witch Boy would know his way around the Underworld, or Pax guessed he would. Alabaster held that easy calm, even amongst the dead.

         Pax and Lou Ellen would have feigned calm confidence. But, uh, that would have only lasted so long as they got closer to the line’s attendants.

         Another of Cerberus’ heads noticed their movement. It raised and joined in the low growl.

         The noise didn’t seem to bother Alabaster. “How were you planning on getting past?” he asked, gathering the rest of the sausages from his waist—he must have wrapped them under his shirt, and withdrawing them like a towel around a hand wound.

“We brought a chew toy,” Lou Ellen said. Pax could tell that she wanted to sound proud, but had realized a flaw in their plan. There were three heads and only one chew toy.

“Seriously?” Alabaster’s growl chimed in with Cerberus’.

“I heard it worked for Annabeth,” Pax said.

         Although Pax couldn’t see it, he could feel Alabaster roll his eyes. “The amount of inconvenience that girl has caused,” he said under his breath.

         Pax hesitated. Cerberus’ growls were making his body vibrate. This dog was massive, the size of a truck. Pax didn’t even come up to Cerberus’ chest and Cerberus was half-laying down. One of his heads still licked the sword hilt imbedded in his paw. Focus on that, Pax thought, and not on how his teeth are about as long as that sword.

         “We have a treat for you!” Alabaster called. His voice was way too cold for dealing with a ball of cute fluffiness and death. Pax had a feeling that Alabaster had never been allowed pets as a child. Other than Axel and Pax. Pax was fairly certain that they were pets to Alabaster.

         Cerberus stood up. When he applied pressure to his front paw, all three heads whimpered. They pulled the paw up slightly, to alleviate the pressure.

         “Go fix his paw if you wish. I can only hold him for a few moments with this,” Alabaster said. “If you take too long or are sloppy, you’ll get yourself killed.”

         For an instant, Pax wondered if Alabaster was nervous. The Witch Boy unwrapped a link of sausage and tossed it into the air towards Cerberus.

         The two heads less affected by the wound snapped at it, nipping at each other to bite it to pieces, probably the same way they would do with Pax’s limbs if he was caught.  

         Its breath flooded over them, almost as bad as Pax’s little brother’s, Hiro’s breath.

         “You suck at this,” Lou Ellen said, pulling a link from Alabaster. “You heard him, Pax. Have fun getting that sword out. Hey puppers! Look what I got for you puppers!”

         Her voice raised in pitch and excitement. The sentiment worked. Cerberus sat upright, letting his butt drop back onto the ground. From what Pax had heard of Annabeth’s interactions with this dog, he thought their red ball plan might have worked with Lou Ellen’s charm. Uh—natural charm. No witchy charm required.

         Pax puffed up his cheeks and popped them, realizing Lou Ellen had volunteered him for the harder job. His heartbeat pounded in his head. It’s just a cute, injured puppy, he told himself, It just so happens that it wouldn’t need to chew to swallow you.

         Alabaster gave Lou Ellen a look that might have been reproachful or approving. He handed her the rest of the sausage as Cerberus’ short tail thumped against the black sand, echoing around the chamber. Pax thought it was weird that interacting with this dog wasn’t a red flag for the Underworld Security. What dead person wanted to poke at the landowner’s attack dog?

         Alabaster made a few signs in the air around Pax’s head, muttering in Latin. Was he making him invisible? Or at least making him blend in with the stone? Or smell less like a delicious treat? Pax hoped all of the above. When Pax glanced down at his hands, they still looked visible and potentially delicious to a monster.

         “We don’t have enough sausages for you to hesitate,” Lou Ellen said.

         Pax swallowed. He thought about Juana, Axel’s jaguar. Their father bought it for him a few months after they were forced back “home.” Axel warned his siblings not to go near Juana without him, since she could tear them to shreds. Juana was a tenth the size of Cerberus.

         From what he knew of Juana, there was no point in trying to sneak up. He approached Cerberus’ injured paw, hands outstretched in attempt to look non-threatening. Not that a 4’7 rail of cuteness could look threatening.

The other two heads were locked on Lou Ellen, or fighting over bits of sausage she threw.

         The last head faced him. The eyes didn’t quite focus on Pax, showing Alabaster’s spell must have done something. Pax heartbeat thudded in his head as he took the last few steps to Cerberus’ foot. The dog hadn’t batted him out of existence yet.

         The head whimpered and pulled its paw closer to its body.

         “It’s okay,” Pax said, the way he did when his littlest brother had a nightmare. “I just want to help. It’ll be quick, like ripping off a Band Aid.”

         That felt like a threat to Pax. Just gonna take that sharp, pointy thing in your paw and move it around a bit.

         “Pax,” Alabaster said in warning.

         Pax didn’t look over to see why. He figured it had to do with how the middle head had turned to sniff furiously in his direction.

         Now or to Xibalba, Pax thought. He wrapped his fingers around the cold metal of the hilt and pulled up, trying not to twist the blade or yank at an angle.

         It slid out easily.

         Pax wanted to gloat about the Sword in the Paw and how he’d be king of the Cerberi.

         His mouth went dry instead.

         When he wretched the blade out, dark liquid splattered up from the paw. Something clear and goopy dropped on his head from above—saliva.

Pax puffed up his cheeks and popped them, looking up. The other two heads glowered down at him. Their teeth were barred within inches of his face. Their low growl rattled his skull.

He trembled, thinking at least one good thing would come out of this: if he died in the Underworld, he didn’t need to worry about going through Charon’s Waiting Room again.  

 ***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! And I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe!

Stay tuned next week for part X!

#Percy Jackson and the Olympians #Heroes of Olympus #Tales from Mount Othrys #fanfic #PJO #HOO #TFMO #pax #lou ellen #Alabaster #CUTE PUPPERS!!!! #irritable bowel syndrome #Also known as Alabaster #I hope you guys are doing well! Stay safe!

[jflashandclash]

Tales From Mount Othrys

Luke: Big Boy Conversations II

           They couldn’t meet up until the sun was setting. As usual, things around camp got in the way: settling fights that broke out, making sure the mortal cleaning staff didn’t go on strike with all the monster ooze, getting Helios and Morpheus to stop playing matchmaker. This last one was particularly difficult. The former sun driver believed he could still see all things and knew what was best for people and Morpheus could subliminally message potential matches in their dreams.

         Very annoying.

         By the time the centaurs dropped Axel, Luke, and Jack on the cliff’s edge with a cooler full of drinks and snacks, the stars had risen into the sky.

         Luke handed the centaurs a six-pack of low-alcohol beer to appease them and make sure they didn’t get too drunk. Riding with an intoxicated mount? A terrible idea. As soon as the centaurs found out that half-bloods could buy alcohol for them, Luke and Jack had to set regulations about RWI. Riding While Intoxicated.

         Axel wasted no time. He took a water bottle from the cooler, sat down on the edge of the cliff, criss-crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.

         Jack twitched. As happy as he was that Luke agreed to work on his mental health with Axel’s help, Jack couldn’t sit still for meditation. To keep himself from distracting his friends, he would hum, sing, or play an instrument. Tonight, he’d brought a sitar.

         Luke was disappointed to see Axel immediately go into meditation mode. He wanted to talk to these two about something. “I’m not going to be able to focus today,” Luke decided.

         Axel cracked an eye open. Up here, he never looked at Luke with fear or suspicion. Probably because he could shove me over the cliff faster than I could say, “Zeus sucks.”

         “Your life would be a lot easier if you could get along with Alabaster,” Axel said, as always, a little too on the mark. “Though, his hatred does have some merit. Keeps you on your toes during training.”

         Jack snorted, strumming a calming tune on his sitar.

         That was why Luke started meditation in the first place. Luke had hit Alabaster. Not during training and not at a time that Alabaster felt he could hit back. Luke hadn’t meant to. He hadn’t remembered doing it until he saw the welt forming on Alabaster’s cheek a day later.

         Luke wondered how many of his troops he’d hit in a blind rage. When Luke expressed this to Jack, scared he’d hit Jack, Jack had suggested talking to Axel. Apparently, Axel’s biological father thought Axel had anger management issues. Despite Axel’s resentment when discussing his father, it was obvious he liked the meditation.

         “I’m tired of him saying my plan won’t work. He doesn’t know Thalia and he doesn’t know Annabeth. Neither of them will fail us,” Luke said. Instead of joining Axel in his criss-crossed stance, Luke picked two beers out of the cooler. He offered one to Axel.

         Axel shook his head. He stretched his legs out in front of him and dangled them over the edge. After a moment of fishing around in his pockets, he withdrew a cigarette and lighter. “I don’t drink,” said the fifteen-year-old as he cupped his hand over the cigarette to light it.

         Jack paused his strumming. He held the sitar by the neck so he could fold his arms. “Where did you get those and who started you on them?” He reached to grab the cigarette from Axel’s lips.

         Axel swatted his hand away, a dangerous game so close to the edge. “The convenience store. Santiago. Buzz off.”

         Santiago was Axel’s blood father. That ended the conversation. Jack withdrew his hand and returned to strumming. Now, the tune was sadder. ‘Think of what those will do to your vocal cords,” Jack said.

         “Didn’t you want me to be the raspy background singer?” Axel said. He glared at his “dad” and blew a puff of smoke straight at him. The wind whipped it up the coast, twisting the swirls away before they reached the son of Apollo.

         Luke frowned, thinking of what little he knew of Axel and Pax’s biological father. A month ago, when the boys were joking around in the upstairs pools, someone—Matthias?—commented how cool it was that Axel and Pax already had tattoos: Mayan hieroglyphs that peaked out at their hips. When asked how their parents had been cool with it, Axel left without a word.

         Twenty minutes later, Alabaster and Pax ran to grab Jack, saying Axel had peeled off his tattooed skin with a hunting knife. Jack had panicked to Luke that one of his boys had hurt himself. When asked, Pax would only say that the tattoo reminded Axel of his biological father.

         Luke shook off the memory, focusing on the conversation at hand.

         Once Axel was sure that Jack wouldn’t comment on the cigarettes again, Axel turned his attention back to Luke. “It’s good to have people that are willing to point out potential problems in a plan,” Axel said with a shrug. The Witch Boy. Right.

         Luke downed half his bottle. He sat beside Axel on the ledge, scowling off. He admired the fact that Alabaster was willing to criticize anyone, including the Titan Lord. That pissed him off even more. “It’s not hard for Alabaster to be ballsy about it. A third of the army is related to him. And that trust-fund bastard owns half the ship. He knows he’s untouchable.”

         Meanwhile, Luke had… what? Friends who didn’t believe he was doing this to help them? That didn’t know what was the best for them? A mother driven to insanity by his asshole of a father, neither of which could or would do anything for him. His mother had barely been able to give him a blessing for… for what he had to do.

         Besides, with his money and his relation, it didn’t matter how Alabaster acted. He could be the creep that lurks in the lab and no one would notice or care. Monsters, gods, and demigods alike were watching Luke, looking for a weakness, for something to mark him as unworthy.

         You are unworthy.

         Luke shuddered.

         Then, why didn’t Kronos pick someone else?

         He shook off the thought, trying to keep calm. He took another long swing, tossed his beer bottle to the side, and grabbed the one he’d pulled for Axel. They would get to that, to what he really wanted to talk to them about. For now, he wanted to pretend they were just hanging out. Had he ever had that with friends? Been able to hang out when he wasn’t on the run for his life?

         Or sanity, that voice cooed.

         “And then he talks about Thalia like he knows her,” Luke said, remembering where they’d left off. Alabaster being an asshole. Right.

         Luke’s hesitation hadn’t gone unnoticed. Axel narrowed his golden eyes. Jack played a few tense cords. “He thinks the plan with Thalia will fail,” Luke continued, like he didn’t sense their concern. “But, Thalia, she’s strong. After all her Dad put her through—put us through—she’ll see the way. I’ll bet she’s just biding her time to convince Annabeth. Annabeth was fed their lies for years, so she’ll need some persuading. She’s so stubborn.”

         He laughed, thinking about the bounce of her curls. As Axel tapped some ashes into the whipping wind, Luke shoved Axel’s shoulder. “What about you? What girl is keeping you from exploring the beauties we have here?”

         Jack had been whining for weeks that Axel didn’t have interest in anyone. Although Pax was silent around Luke, apparently the little brother was the opposite, babbling about the awesome and gorgeous demigods and creatures aboard the ship.

         Axel shrugged and frowned slightly. His gold eyes drifted off to the distance. Out on the water, they could see the bright lights of their cruise ship, docked offshore.

         “You spend a lot of time with Mercedes,” Jack said lightly behind him.

         Axel cracked his neck. His expression went blank. “The only mistress Mercedes has time for is her spymaster project. Her eyes are only on Ajax and me because we’re useful.”

         Jack made an indignant snort over the sound of his sitar. “That’s not enough for my boy—”

         Luke reached backwards to slap Jack’s foot. If Jack wanted the Pax brothers to open up to him as a friend, he had to stop the dad talks.

         “I doubt that,” Luke said. “Though, hard to say with that girl. She’s such a stiff.”

         Axel covered a smile by taking a drag on his cigarette.

         Despite the number of times Pax swore to others that Mercedes was a prankster with an evil sense of humor, Luke had only seen her strict, curt, dry, and tense. She’d spent the last few months rubbing it in Luke’s face how badly they needed a spy unit in New Rome and how shitty their defenses were against enemy spies. Humor or no, she was proving her worth. Though, Flynn would be livid if Axel became a spy instead of a member of the Assault and Battery Unit. Assuming Axel had time to be part of anything with Jack’s crazy projects keeping him busy.

         Luke blinked, realizing how popular this kid had become.  

         “Come on, man. You’re really good with the girls. Even Ethel likes you. And that prickly Echinda doesn’t like anyone,” Luke said.

         The smile vanished from Axel’s face. “It’s because I meet her on her terms. You can’t rush her. She’s… she’s still recovering. You gotta let her decide how close she wants to stand and you gotta remember not to block her exit from the room.” Axel pulled his knees up and leaned his chin against them. “That miscarriage was insult to injury for her. And don’t even get me started on separating her from Charlie. Child of the Big Three or not, Charlie is five.  The kid should keep using the Hyperborean giants as a jungle gym, not being prepped to replace Thalia and Percy if they fail.”

         Luke gritted his teeth. He didn’t know Charlie, the daughter of Zeus, had been told she could be the child of the prophecy. He wondered if that was Alabaster’s work or one of the other Titans.

         “You seem to know a lot about how to work with people like Ethel,” Luke said carefully.

         Axel puffed up his cheeks and popped them. The smoldering on his cigarette had burned down to the filter. Casually, as though he was going to press the butt into the ground, he lowered his hand, then pressed the hot tip under his shirt, into his hip and the scar tissue of the former tattoo.

         Axel didn’t even flinch.

         Between Jack and Axel, Luke wondered what it said about him if he preferred to befriend crazy people.

         Jack must not have noticed Axel’s movement. He continued to play his sitar, adding a soft hum into the breeze.

         Axel released the cigarette and hugged his legs tightly. “It’s hard for me to accept that the women around me aren’t being paid or threatened to enjoy my company, or that they don’t want something from me,” he muttered, “I don’t like to talk about it.”

         The music stopped again.

         Luke frowned. Why can’t we have a normal talk about hot chicks? He didn’t even want to think about what had happened to Axel and Pax to give Axel that impression.

         Jack hopped down beside Axel, keeping his legs as far from the cliff’s edge as possible while also sitting beside him. He slipped an arm around Axel’s shoulders in a comforting gesture. Luke expected him to say some meaningless dad cliché. Instead, Jack said, “Luke, you should show him that picture Silena gave you of Thalia and Annabeth.”

         A grin twitched back onto Luke’s lips. He could tell Jack the same stories about Thalia and Annabeth every night for a month and Jack’s eyes would still light up with delight. That’s what they often did at the Monster Mash bar, to the point where the bartender, Dean, got tired of them and would kick them out.

         Luke fumbled for the photo he’d kept in his wallet for the last few months, since Thalia returned to camp. He had to make a copy to keep in his room, because this one’s edges were so crumbled.

         The picture was at Camp Half-Blood, outside Cabin One. Thalia looked confused at the photographer. She still wasn’t used to the idea of a camera phone. Annabeth looked so happy.

         “It’s weird to see Thalia look so young,” Luke said, grinning, “I kept thinking she’d come back looking older. She’s actually nineteen, I think.”

         For a panicked moment, Luke couldn’t remember how many years had passed. The times he’d displeased Kronos, when the Titan Lord showed him centuries of pain during moments of sleep, time stopped having meaning.

         “She’s cute,” Axel admitted, staring down at the picture. His brow furrowed. “She’s my age. And Annabeth…”

“She’s growing into a beautiful girl. Give her a few years.” Luke couldn’t wait to tease her about it, imagining the way she’d scrunch up her face, all annoyed and adorable and fierce. “We just need to remind her that the world needs to be rebuilt, and she can rebuild it to fit her wildest dreams. We’re going to be in high demand for a good architect. Then, she’ll be happy. That’s all I want.”

Axel’s tone was careful when he said, “She looks closer to Ajax’s age.”

         “She’s older than Pax,” Luke said. He struggled to remember their ages. Pax looked so young and Annabeth looked older than she was.

         “By what, a year?” Axel snorted.

         “She’s mature for her age,” Luke snapped. Why did Luke feel so defensive? Awhile ago, he’d stopped referring to Annabeth as a little sister, but she was still young, right?

“Annabeth is Luke’s little sister,” Jack chided Axel, like he’d read Luke’s mind. Jack ruffled Axel’s hair.

Axel slapped away Jack’s hand.

         She was like a little sister, right? Luke just wanted to make a world that she would like and to protect her. He could never think of Annabeth like that with Thalia around. Weirdly, he guessed it was how Flynn felt with the Pax brothers. She may have had whomever she wanted, but, with Jack around, she would never want or need to think of Axel and Pax as anything more than their obnoxious children.

         “I’ll bet Thalia and Annabeth wouldn’t approve of how you’re getting information from Silena,” Axel said.

         Luke shrugged, folding up the photograph. “We need a spy. It’s hard to trust her though. I mean, she’s a daughter of Aphrodite. She must know I’m not in love with her. I’ve never said I was. And she’s beautiful and a camp counselor; she can’t be that deprived of attention that she needs it from me.”

         Luke frowned, remembering how Silena was thrilled with the dove broach Beckendorf had made her. She had unabashed talked about it when he’d found it fumbling with her clothing.

Luke refused to feel guilty. He wasn’t the one cheating a new crush. He wasn’t the one cheating his camp. All he could assume was that Silena really wanted the Olympians to burn, but she didn’t have the heart to leave the camp. She’d heard the stories about him poisoning Percy and about poisoning Thalia’s tree. He’d never denied them. She was the one choosing to ignore them.

         Axel stretched out his legs, straightening them completely over the cliff’s edge to show off the animalistic arch to his calves. He cracked his neck to one side. “Hey… Luke, Jack.”

         Both boys perked up.

         The wind whipped Luke’s face harshly. He thought he could hear someone shouting aboard the boat, their voices carried up with the breeze. Axel waited long enough that Luke could count enough stars in Centaur constellation to get angry at Chiron.

         “Someone who slays the Ophiotaurus… if they have the power to destroy the gods, wouldn’t they have the power to take out the Titans too?” Axel asked slowly.

         That was a dangerous question.

         They remained silent as they inhaled the salty air. Luke tossed his empty bottle to the other one. He fished into the cooler for a third, wondering if it would be unwise to speculate.  

         Axel couldn’t pledge his soul to Kronos. He wasn’t Greek. That made Kronos think he was untrustworthy. It made Axel one of the few people Luke felt like he could trust. But, what if Kronos mucked through Luke’s memories? Could he? How pathetic was Luke if he feared speaking against Kronos when Kronos wasn’t around?

         Luke bit his lip. He wondered if he could have handled criticism from other people, like Alabaster, before Kronos poisoned his thoughts. He’d handled criticism fine from Thalia and Annabeth and even Chiron before all of this. Was that pride his? Or Kronos’?

         Queasiness warned him not to take another sip of his beer. I’ve only had two, he scolded himself. The sense of helplessness made him gulp until his head felt light.

         “Luke?” Jack asked slowly.

         Axel and Jack were waiting for an answer, like Luke knew everything about the universe. He didn’t. He didn’t know anything without Kronos. He was just some pawn piece abandoned by his father and his friends. Kronos’ puppet, Alabaster had said, only worthy of Hermes’ attention when you’ve become a threat during your temper tantrum.

         Thalia will join, he told himself to shake off the nausea. She’ll join, and she’ll help you remember who you are. We can fight this war together, even if that means fighting the Titans later.

         “Hey… guys…” Luke said. It was something that had been on his mind, lurking in the background when Kronos wasn’t around, something he’d wanted to bring up but... he’d been too scared. With the light buzz in his head and the way his chin wanted to droop, he found some courage. “If Kronos erases me, if I try to hurt Thalia or Annabeth, will you kill what’s left of me so I can’t hurt them?”

         “Luke!” Jack squeaked. His voice sounded near tears. “You—you saved me. You gave me a world where I wasn’t just confused—”

         Luke was about to force a laugh, to change the subject like he’d been joking. His lip began to bleed where he bit it. He should have known Jack was too soft to handle the thought, let alone the action.

         A hand clamped over Luke’s shoulder. He glanced into Axel’s golden eyes. Axel’s other hand had clamped over Jack’s mouth, shutting him up.

         “I will,” Axel said. His gaze was steady. “I would hope you’d do the same for me if I ever hurt my family.” He swallowed. “The family I choose.”

         This time, it was Jack’s turn to slap Axel’s hand away. “Axel Jackson Pax!”

         That wasn’t Axel’s real middle name, or Luke certainly hoped it wasn’t. When the Pax brothers refused to give their middle names, Mercedes had supplied them with that, her face stern as usual. Luke wondered if that was a custom in… where was she from? Morocco? To take the father’s name as the middle?

         Whatever it was, Jack loved it and decided the two Hispanic boys really had the middle name of Jackson.

         “You lay a finger on Luke and you’ll have the worst case of chicken po—”

         Luke was happy Jack’s shrieks would cover his response. He gripped the hand Axel had on his shoulder. “Thank you,” Luke said.

         Axel nodded and released him, looking uncomfortable with the display of gratitude. Luke could guess why. He had just said thank you for offering to kill him. Probably not a common topic amongst friends.[1]

         “And you won’t be able to walk with the spinal meningitis—”

         “Jack, you could never intentionally make someone sick,” Axel teased. “You’re always panicking about doing it on accident.”

         Those words silenced Jack. Luke wondered if Axel thought it was a rumor that Jack had killed his whole family with a song.

         Luke stretched so he could casually lean forward to check on his friend. The redhead toyed with his bracelet: a braided electric base string. His brilliant eyes held that distant glint, the one he got when he forgot to take his medicine. Flynn and Phil had been pretending Jack didn’t need his medicine anymore. Luke struggled with the fact that they were lying to him.

         Jack wasn’t like his mom. The medicine did help, right?

         Pushing the old anxiety out of his head—he didn’t need to worry about Jack on his day off—Luke leaned back, taking another swig of his bottle. He couldn’t really taste it. Since Kronos had infiltrated his thoughts, simple pleasures like eating and drinking seemed to deteriorate. One day, there will be nothing left.

         “What did you really bring us out to talk about?” Axel asked, folding his legs criss-cross style again. “Since you’re clearly so interested in breathing exercises.”

         Luke wanted to say it was girls: Thalia, Annabeth, Flynn, and whomever had stolen Axel’s heart. It wasn’t.

         His heart rebelled against his mouth. They needed to have this talk. Somehow, it was harder than asking them to kill him. He took another gulp of beer, feel the carbonation fuzz against his tongue.

         “In order to…” his words failed him. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if Thalia failed them or if they couldn’t capture the Ophiotaurus. He didn’t want to admit that this was one more thing Kronos was making him do, another thing he had no control over. “I need to get the Curse of Achilles,” he said finally.

         Neither boy spoke, waiting for Luke to elaborate.

         When Luke took his time to inhale the dulled scent of salt water, Jack whispered, “Aren’t curses usually to be avoided?”

         Luke wanted to laugh hysterically, but knew that would worry Jack. “To get it, I need to go to Hades,” he said in response.

         “I hear you’re not exactly popular there,” Axel said.

         Luke nodded. “And I need to bath in the River Styx. I want people I can trust to go down with me, some of the best fighters and best healers. However, I need Flynn here. She’s one of the only ones that can keep order. The Titans respect her.” Luke bit his lip, tasting the slight twang of blood. Sometimes, she’s respected more than me.

         Axel puffed up his cheeks and popped them. “I’ll have to find a way to convince Ajax to stay here.”

         Luke knew that would be a complication. The littlest Pax would die on a trip below. Jack pointed out the bigger problem.

         “I won’t be able to convince Flynn to let me go. And none of us can lie to her.” The redhead frowned. Jack couldn’t lie to Flynn by choice. The rest of them would have the truth forced out of them under her melodious wrath. If Luke really wanted Jack along, they would need to kidnap Jack without prepping him, claim it was Kronos’ idea, and accept any punishment she’d unleash upon them after they returned.

         “How soon do we need to go?” Jack asked.

         Luke forced himself to stop biting his lip. “Before I take Atlas’ burden.”

         What if they say no? Luke trembled at the thought. He could order them, but he wanted them to come of their own volition. They were his friends, right? Or are they only your friends because you’re Kronos’ puppet?

         Axel laughed.

         Luke balked, glaring.

         The youngest of the three clutched his stomach. “Alright, alright, right, Jack?”

         Jack joined in on the crazed revelry. “What else are legendary heroes for? And you’ll definitely need a bard to lighten the soul when you go somewhere so gloomy.”

         Luke wondered, for a second, if this was a surprise attack from children of Dionysus. They were agreeing to go through laughter?

         Axel patted Luke’s back again. “You’re a demanding guy. It’s not every day I have a friend ask me to kill them, then follow that by asking me to go to Hell and back for them.”

         A bitter smile slid onto Luke’s lips. “It’s good to keep my troops on their toes. Prepares you for anything.”

         All of them laughed.

         “I have one request,” Jack said. His voice shook with repressed chuckles.

         The other two settled down to listen.

         “Next time we come up here, let’s just talk about girls. We can invent a really hot one for Axel to fancy. It’ll make Lou Ellen and the other girls all jealous when the rumors spread.”

         Luke loved that idea: not just that they could torment the girls crushing on Axel, but that he’d be himself again soon, able to differentiate Kronos’ thoughts from his own. That these days won’t become less and less frequent. That what makes me me won’t dissolve. He tried to force the worry out of his head as he, Jack, and Axel flopped back onto the ground to stargaze.  

Thalia will join, Luke thought. She and Annabeth will see that it’s better to start the world anew, to make a beautiful place where we can all be happy without living under the massive shadow of Olympus.

         Staring out into the brilliant constellations, Luke thought, My friends won’t abandon me again and together we’ll make an unstoppable team.

 ***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned in two weeks for a little novella where Pax and Lou Ellen show why you can’t leave younger siblings unattended.

(Sorry for all the breaks between shorts! Thank you for all of your support throughout my pauses. <3 It really helps to keep me going!)

  [1] False. Author Jack and friends had frequent conversations about who would be willing to murder whom in the event of a zombie apocalypse or entrapped starvation. Author Jack is gangly and would not be good pickings for cannibalism, but would also likely starve first, so frequently oscillates in line for cannibalistic choices.  

#Tales from Mount Othrys #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #Heroes of Olympus #TFMO #PJO #HOO #fanfiction #luke castellan #Axel #Jack #I feel like my writing was as good in this one-but I hope it was still enjoyable! #Jack would be ashamed XD #he expects the best for his son and his boyfriend #I mean friend. #Person he totally has no weird feelings towards #Rumors around Othrys