#fireworks for thalia~

[rose-pearls]

Lost without you

I had an idea this morning and I wrote it until I realised that his had become quite long but hopefully you enjoy this!! Reader is Percy, Annabeth's and Grover's age and is Luke's sister. I am working on requests that I received and my requests are still open if you have any!

Summary: As Luke's sister you had only seen the best in him but as the identity of the lightning thief comes to light your whole world breaks down. (Brother!Luke & Sister!reader, Percy Jackson x reader)

Main taglist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187, @nyx2021, @thestarspangledcaptain, @kmc1989 (open)

Percy Jackson Taglist: @niktwazny303, @abbersreads (open)

The quest had been hard, harder than you could have ever imagined but in the end you did manage to complete it. The only thing you could hope was that Sally Jackson would be returned and that Percy would be able to see her once again. 

There was a weird atmosphere at camp, everyone was ready to celebrate when Percy came back but you couldn’t stop watching Clarisse. You had told your brother that she was the lightning thief and yet she was still here, parading around with her siblings.

“Stop watching her,”, you hear someone say softly and you turn around to find Luke smiling at you softly.

“Sorry, I just can’t help it,” you tell him, and he nods slowly before sitting down next to you.

“What is going through your mind?”, he asks after a few seconds of watching a few campers bringing the fireworks to the lake.

“It just seems too easy,” you whisper and Luke frowns at your words.

“What do you mean?”, he says, looking slightly worried but you just shake your head.

“The fact that Clarisse could be the lightening thief. It seems too easy, like someone is trying to make her the thief when she didn’t do it,” you tell him and as you turn to look at him you find a somber expression on his face, but there is some sort of sadness in his eyes that you just can’t place.

“But I’m probably spiraling, I didn’t get enough sleep,” you tell him, and Luke seems a little bit relieved at your words before throwing his arm around your shoulders and bringing you closer. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it. But right now, you just need to relax and enjoy the celebration. Just be a kid for one moment,”, he tells you with a soft smile, and you nod in agreement after letting out a sigh. 

“I missed you,” you say, and Luke’s smile turns sad for a moment before bringing you closer and dropping a kiss on your forehead, lingering as if this would be the last time in a long time, he would be doing this.

“Missed you too little sis,” he whispers, and you can’t help but smile at the words.

“Not so little anymore,” you tease him, and Luke lets out a laugh at your words.

“You will always be my little sister, you can’t escape it,” he tells you and you laugh softly at the words, a familiar warmth envelops you at the words. 

You hadn’t really known your father, after Luke had yelled at him, he had disappeared like thin air. The only family you had was your mother, Luke, Annabeth and once Thalia. But the list had grown over the past week, Percy and Grover becoming close friends, even if you couldn’t help but see Percy in a different light. He was handsome, every person at camp could tell you that but it was his personality that made you slowly fall for him, his unwavering loyalty and that true kindness. 

“Percy is back!”, Annabeth yells as she arrives and you quickly jump up at the words, making Luke look at you in surprise and Annabeth with a knowing smile. You blushed at the look the daughter of Athena gave you, the both of you had talked about your little crush once you had gone back to camp. The first night back you couldn’t sleep, and it seemed as if Annabeth couldn’t either because the two of you found yourself at the lake, whispering about everything you could think of.

The clapping and cheering of the campers brought you back from your daydream and Annabeth took you by the hand to see where Percy was, Luke following close behind. There he was, looking surprised at the cheering, but still moving forward and you had an urge to go and hug him but as you felt Luke presence behind you, you felt unsure, until Annabeth pushed you slightly forward.

Percy seemed relieved at the sight of you, but you told yourself it was because he could also see Annabeth behind you. The cheers seemed to get louder as you brought him into a hug, his arms quickly wrapping themselves around you, holding you close. There was that familiar smell of the ocean, that always seemed to cling to him.

“Do you see her?”, you can’t help but ask and you can feel Percy’s confusion until her whispers Clarisse’s name.

“What is she doing here?”, he whispers, and you shake your head.

“Not here, we’ll talk about it in the cabin,” you tell him and Percy nods as you slowly let go of him, not seeing the disappointed look that appears in Percy’s eyes. Annabeth joins the two of you and she quickly brings Percy into a quick hug. You turn to look at your brother, who has a somber expression on his face, his eyes hard but they soften at the sight of you watching him.

“Why is she still here?”, Percy asks as the four of you find yourself in the Hermes cabin, Luke had quickly joined you after you left the celebrations.

“Camp was a mess when you weren’t here, everyone was ready to fight each other. An accusation against Clarisse,”

“Without proof,” Annabeth adds, making Luke nod in agreement.

“Exactly, without proof, it would’ve lit this whole place on fire,” Luke tries to explain, and you nod in agreement, people had seemed tense when you had come back.

“Now you’re back, you saved the world by stopping the war,” a proud smile appears on your lips at Luke’s words and Percy somehow stands straighter, he had always looked up to Luke.

“It’s time to tell Chiron and clean up this whole mess. I told him that we wanted to meet him away from the celebration, so that no one could hear us, especially Clarisse supporters,” Luke explains further, and you can’t help but have a bad feeling, but you brushed it away, thinking that it was just the lack of sleep that made you paranoid. 

“I’ll keep an eye on Clarisse while you are gone,” Annabeth says and Luke nods in agreement.

“The both of you can do that,” Luke says while looking at you and you quickly agree.

“Of course,” you tell them, trying to smile reassuringly and it seems to work, only Percy looks at you with a worried gaze, but you ignore it.

“Great, then we will meet back here. Ready?”, Luke asks Percy and the boy nods, looking confident as the two of them leave towards the clearing.

--

Annabeth and you had been watching the Ares kids, Clarisse at the center of the circle, talking and laughing with her siblings.

“Annie, I have a bad feeling,” you whisper, and she looks at you in surprise, but there is something in her eyes that make you think she understands what you are saying.

“About Clarisse?”, she asks, and you nod slowly, trying to find the words to explain it all.

“Don’t worry, she won’t do anything to us and if she tries, we will be able to defend ourselves,” she says but you shake your head at her words.

“Clarisse being the one to steal the master bold is too easy, it’s like a trap to hide the real person behind it. I can’t stop thinking about it, but it just doesn’t make sense that she would steal it,” you explain and Annabeth seems to think for a moment, her eyes focused before she looks at you with wide eyes.

“Who could be the one that stole it?”, she asks, and you shrug your shoulders.

“I don’t know, I just can’t stop thinking that there is something wrong here,” you tell her, and she nods slowly.

“We need to find Luke and Percy, hopefully before they speak to Chiron,” she says and there is an urgency in her tone as she makes you stand up from your hiding place. 

The woods are quiet, the only sound resonating through it are the distant sounds of fireworks and cheers from the campers. You see Luke and Percy standing there but before you can go there, Annabeth stops you, a finger on her mouth to tell you to stay quiet.

“The reason Clarisse is still here is because you never said anything to Chiron. Did you?”, Percy says, and you feel breathless for a moment, Annabeth looks at you with equally worried eyes.

“You couldn’t. Because you knew that Clarisse didn’t steal the bolt. You did,” the words linger in the air, and you feel like you are suffocating on the words you just heard. You wait for Luke to say it isn’t true and that Percy got it all wrong.

“You worked with Ares to plant it on me, so when the shoes you gave me would pull me into Tartarus the bolt would be delivered to Kronos,” you feel sick at the words and Annabeth looks as devastated as you. You pray for this to all be just a dream, you even pray to your dad to wake you up from this nightmare.

“I didn’t think you would give them to Grover to wear,” Luke says, in a voice that you had never heard before and you want to throw up at the words. You still remember the deep fear that had gripped you when Grover started being pulled towards the large hole. Annabeth has tears in her eyes as you shake your head, your ears ringing as you hear Luke continue his speech. 

You knew that he hated the gods, for what they did to all of you, for what your father did to your mother. But you never thought he would do this, betray camp and follow Kronos.

“You are being manipulated by Kronos,” Percy tells him, and you desperately wait for Luke to realize his mistake. 

“No, he opened my eyes,” Luke says, and you don’t recognize the voice of your older brother.

The sound of swords hitting each other make you look up, holding Annabeth’s hand to try and reassure her and you at the same time.

“Our parents aren’t perfect, but they are trying. I met your dad,” Percy says and before you can even think of warning Percy about speaking of Hermes to Luke you hear the sound of swords clashing against each other. 

You want to get up and put an end to this, but Annabeth holds your hand tighter and shakes her head as you look at her.

“I need to help him,” you whisper, and she shakes her head, sadness in her eyes.

“Who? Luke or Percy?”, she asks, and you feel like the world has shattered around you.

“Percy,” you whisper, and she nods in agreement, but she looks pained at the words. You don’t realize tears are streaming down your face until a tear falls on your hand, making you look at a teary-eyed Annabeth.

“I’m sorry,” you hear Percy say and you lift your head up just in time to see Luke slice open Percy’s arm, making you feel sick. 

Your dagger flies quickly through the air, making both boys look at you. Luke seems pained at the sight of you, like you are piercing your dagger through his chest, like you were the one betraying him.

He whispers your name; sadness covers his words and for a moment you wonder if this is your big brother again. The one who had helped you through the nightmares, who had protected you from every monster you had ever seen.

“This is not what it looks like,” he says, his tone now pleading but you shake your head.

“I heard everything Luke,” you tell him, your voice breaking over the words and Annabeth appears next to you, making Luke look even more pained.

“You made us all turn against an innocent person, when you were the one who had stolen the bolt,” you tell him, and he tries to speak but you shake your head.

“Don’t try to tell me you can explain this, because even if you did it would always come back to the fact that you were the one who did it,” you tell him, and Luke has tears in his eyes at your words.

“I did this for us, to stop the Gods from being able to do whatever they wanted with us,” he tries to say but you scoff at the words.

“You did this for yourself!”, you scream, feeling like someone is killing you from the inside.

“Don’t come here and tell us that you did this for us when you nearly send us all to our deaths with your plan,” Luke closes his eyes at your words, his hand wrapped tightly around his sword.

“Don’t do this, don’t go through with this,” you plead, trying to make him understand that there is still another way.

“I have to, I won’t go back to just doing whatever the Gods want us to do,” he says, in a voice that is so cold that you feel lost.

“But you can join me, we can escape this all and go make a better world. You and me, like old times,” Luke says, and you feel tears falling down your cheeks as Luke gets closer to you, there is a softness in his eyes that always came when talking to you.

You don’t know what to say, you don’t want to lose your big brother, not when you practically lose your mother every time you see her. There is a soft whisper of your name, and you turn to see Percy looking at you with pleading eyes, he is holding his arm, where he had been hit by Luke.

“I can’t, I can’t join you,” you say to Luke, and it is perhaps the hardest thing you ever had to say to your brother. But watching his emotions change before your eyes from a soft look to pure rage made it all worse.

“So, you are choosing him, a guy you haven’t known for more than two weeks over your brother?”, there is sarcasm dripping over his words but the anger radiating from him makes you take a step back.

“I don’t want to Luke, but you give me no choice,” you tell him, hoping that your bother will come back to his senses, but he lets out a cold laugh that makes you shiver.

Percy quickly comes in front of you, putting you behind him to make sure you are safe, and Riptide is in his hand. His other hand is still holding you behind him and you look at Annabeth who takes out her own dagger and points it at Luke.

Your brother looks pained at the sight of his other sister turning against him and for a moment you think that he will be fighting the two of them before he runs and disappears into the portal. You look at it, watching the light from the sign he had carved disappearing, and you feel lost, like you had just lost a part of yourself.

“I’m sorry,” Percy says, and you turn to look at him with wide eyes, he looks sad, and you could understand why, the man he had looked up to turned out to be the bad guy all along.

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” you tell him before turning to look at Annabeth who has finally let the tears fall down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry Annie,” you tell her before bringing her into a tight hug, the girl holds you just as tight and the two of you stay like that for a moment, trying to put yourselves together again.

“I’m sorry too,” she whispers, and you just squeeze her in response before letting her go and wiping away the tears that had fallen on your cheeks.

Percy has an awkward smile as you turn back to him, but you just step towards him, taking his arm in your hand and looking at the wound in worry.

“You should have this checked out after we talk to Chiron,” you tell him as you brush the skin just under it, but as the boy doesn’t answer you look up to find him looking at you with wide eyes and rosy cheeks.

“I will,” he says after clearing his throat and you nod slowly, feeling a blush appearing on your cheeks as you realize you had been holding his arms for a moment.

“Right, sorry,” you say, and you take your hand away, but Percy takes your hand in his. He looks away as you look at him in surprise, but you hold his hand tighter.

“Thought you might want some reassurance after what happened and didn’t want you to get lost in the woods,” he says, and you glare at the boy as his eyes light up in mischief.

“You ass, I got lost one time and you weren’t even here!”, you say but your words aren’t heard as Annabeth and Percy start laughing.

“Common seaweed brain, we should get you some water to heal that wound,” Annabeth says and Percy nods in agreement before following her towards the lake, his hand still holding yours as if he was scared you would disappear. 

You turn to look at the portal one last time, wondering if Luke would suddenly appear again and tell you that it was all a misunderstanding. But it stays void, making you turn back towards your friends and join the conversation.

--

“What does she think of it all?”, you hear Percy ask and both Annabeth and you turn to find him standing there with a smile.

“It’s a tree seaweed brain, it doesn’t talk,” she says with an eyeroll but there is a fond smile on her lips.

“But I’m sure she would be thrilled about it,” you tell Annabeth, making the girl smile as you join her and Percy.

“What are you going to do with your dad?”, the boy asks, and you turn to look at Annabeth with a smile.

“He wants to go to New York, so I’ll pretend I haven’t been there. And then he wants to take me to someplace called Disneyworld. It sounds a little like Waterland but less dangerous,” she says, looking slightly unsure and you can’t stop yourself from smiling even wider. 

“Or did I understand that wrong? You better tell me what I’m walking in to!”, she says looking scared, but you just laugh in response.

“Just be a kid,” Percy says, and you feel your throat close up at the words. Luke had said the same words to you before everything went downhill, and now you were going home alone.

“Guys!”, you hear Grover yell and you all cheer as he arrives.

“Did you get it?”, you quickly ask, and he carefully removes his jacket to show a beautiful green flower.

“I can officially start to search for Pan!”, he says, and you all congratulate him.

“Everyone always looked on the ground and land, but no one has ever searched the oceans so I think I will start there,” Grover says, and you can’t help but feel excited for your friend.

“If you ever need help, I know some people under there,” Percy says with a cheeky smile, and you roll your eyes at his words.

“Before we go, we need to promise each other that we will all be here together again next year, the four of us,” Percy says and the three of you nod in response.

“We will all be there,” you say and Percy smiles softly at you.

“Come here!”, Grover yells before bringing the four of you into a hug and you close your eyes as you wrap your arms around your friends, holding them as tight as you can before you have to let them go.

“Enjoy New York and Disneyworld Annie and Grover good luck for your quest!”, you tell them and the two of them look excited at the prospect before Annabeth takes you by the hand, a bit further away.

“Good luck with your mother, if you ever need me, you know I’m always available,” she says, and you nod in agreement.

“Don’t worry, enjoy the time you have with your father! I’ll be just fine, I won’t be the only one in New York now,” you tell her, and she has a dangerous smile on her lips as her eyes light up in mischief.

“That’s right, you will be able to spend all seventh grade with Percy,” you hit her in the arm at her wink and you can’t help but blush as she laughs.

“Nothing will happen,” you tell her, and she looks unimpressed before humming, an unimpressed look in her eyes.

“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” she says before joining the others making you shake your head. 

“See you all in a few months?”, you ask and Grover and Annabeth nod before leaving Percy and you next to Thalia’s tree.

“Are you sure you will be alright going alone?”, Percy asks, and you look at him with a fond smile.

“I will be just fine, go and find your mother, I’m sure she is waiting for you,” you tell him and there is a hopeful smile that appears on his lips.

“Tell me when you get there? I’ll keep you updated when we come back,” he says, and a blush appears on your cheeks at the words, but you nod quickly.

“I’ll tell you, better not leave me waiting too long Jackson or I’ll go to Coney Island without you,” you tell him in a teasing tone, but you know that you would wait for him.

“Don’t worry I’ll be there,” he says with a voice that leaves no doubt in your mind and before you can tell him goodbye, he brings you into a hug, holding you close in his arms.

“See you in a week?”, he whispers, and you nod against his shoulder, holding him tight even if you knew you were going to see him soon.

“See you in a week, don’t be stranger,” you tell him before leaving his embrace and taking your luggage. 

--

Your mother is in the kitchen, the smell of cookies surrounds the living room, and you take a moment to take it all in. This would be the first of many times you would be coming back alone to your apartment. 

There are countless boxes filled with cookies, as if she had to feed two teenagers and not one. Because she would never know that her son would never come back, too far for her to ever reach again.

“Hi mom,” you whisper, trying not to let the tear fall as memories of Luke and you come back.

“Oh, my darling, you are back!”, she says, her eyes lightening up in excitement as she brings you into a tender hug.

“So sad that your brother couldn’t leave camp, but he always did love to be there,” she says, and you hold her close, letting her believe that the tears that are falling down your cheeks are from seeing her again after such a long time. Not because you had lied to her about your brother staying at camp for the year, and the fact that she wouldn’t be seeing him again.

“Why don’t you go take a shower and then we can eat something and talk! You have already grown so much!”, she says as she pushes you into the bathroom while talking about everything that you will be talking about later on.

The week passes by with her stuffing you with cookies and stories about her friends and family and before you know it a curly haired boy has come back to New York.

“You can give him some cookies!”, your mother says before shoving you a large box of cookies.

“Are these blue?”, you ask her, unable not to feel surprised as you see them, and she has a knowing smile on her lips.

“You told me he liked blue food, and I need to make a good impression on the boy who captured your heart,” she says with a teasing smile, and you groan at the words, your cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

“I am leaving!”, you tell her, and you can hear her laughter ringing thought the hallway, making you smile.

Percy is standing there, leaning against the car in front of the building.

“Please tell me you aren’t driving that car,” you say in teasing tone and Percy rolls his eyes at the words.

“Verry funny, but no we are going with the metro if that is alright with you?”, he says, and you nod in agreement your smile wide as you take in what changed in the last few days. He had gotten even taller if that was possible.

“What are those?”, he asks, and you look at the box in your hands before giving the cookies to him.

“My mother made them for you, apparently you are her new favorite,” you tell him, and a shy smile appears on his lips as he opens the box and sees the cookies.

“They are blue?”, he says, looking surprised at the sight of them and you feel shy as he looks at you.

“Seems like she listened to me when I was talking about you and the rest of the group of course,” you tell him, feeling embarrassed at what he could be thinking right now.

“Of course,” he says with a smirk, and you feel slightly confused before he takes your hand in his, making you look up at him.

“Is this alright?”, he asks, his shy eyes looking into yours.

“Completely alright,” you tell him, making a wide smile appear on his lips.

“Common we need to take the metro to get to our date!”, Percy says, and it takes you a moment to process the words.

“Wait, date?”

[fryingpan1234567]

aaaaaanyways. pride month at Camp Half Blood?

if you remember that one post from a while ago (general hc’s about chb), I did say I would do a fully pride post eventually

so without further ado, I present to all my lovely gay demigods:

PRIDE MONTH AT CHB🗣️🗣️

SO we’ve already discussed the decorations of some of the cabins, like Percy putting rainbow hippocampi scales all over the walls, the Demeter and Persephone cabins growing colorful flowers all over their roofs, the Hecate cabin and its Sentient Gay Door

I like to think the Iris cabin is just fully blasting rainbows all the time it looks like a Minecraft beacon

they play capture the flag every June with a pride flag that has the CHB logo on it

limited edition CHB pride merch😭

Mr. D defending trans campers by driving bigots slightly insane long enough to slap themselves and then go back to normal

Y’ALL KNOW ABOUT THE PRONOUN CORRECTION AIR HORNS? THAT’S THE ENTIRE APOLLO CABIN + LEO AND PERCY

Some ignorant prick about a transmasc camper: “Oh yeah she—“

Percy: *AIR HORN* “IT’S HE, BITCH”

Ignorant prick: “Okay Jesus I’m sorry”

A different ignorant prick: *makes some dumb joke about “always being able to tell” and receives at least seven different air horns from all the Apollo campers in the vicinity*

Leo’s been following this one really irritating chick around all day because she can’t figure out one of his sibling’s genders and blasting her in the face every time she fucks up their pronouns😭😭😭

anyways yeah I like to imagine there’s a demigod pride festival somewhere, maybe in New York

or no there’s demigods everywhere I bet they have parade floats all the time in lots of cities and the Mist conceals the “fireworks” which are actually just godly light shows

Apollo rocks up to camp in a rainbow crop top and a pink drink from Starbucks just to sing Born This Way in the middle of the day and then dip again

Aphrodite blessing random queer couples with finding perfect date setups “conveniently” in their paths

all the gods physically restraining Hera when she tries to go fuck with Jason while he’s on a date w Leo

Percy and Annabeth in matching shirts that say ✨BEST BI✨ with the Best Buy price tag logo in the middle

Nico got glitterbombed on June 1st the second he stepped out of his cabin by the entire Apollo cabin (and Jason) and is still finding sparkles in his hair a week later

Aphrodite kids are walking dictionaries of all the rainbow terms, somehow, and they also all know which days in June are for which awareness or pride or whatever flag

campers who transitioned over the school year and coming back to camp a different gender and their godly parent re-claims them as their true self

Percy “I can’t believe I used to think I was straight” Jackson educating some of the younger campers on bisexuality and how, no, you don’t always know right away

Annabeth “I had a crush on Thalia and Luke at the same time and it was horrible” Chase always reassuring the nervous kids that there’s nothing wrong with being queer (and that she’ll fight any homophobic family members they may have)

actually they kind of all do that

Some little kid: “Well……. I don’t wanna tell my stepdad, he might kick me out”

Percy, remembering that his dad kept Medusa’s head after it got sent to Olympus: “Give me your address, I have an idea”

Piper will verbally eviscerate anybody she catches being even remotely homophobic. I mean she will swipe phones out of her siblings’ hands to tell off some ignorant grandmother

Jason does NOT get into physical altercations outside of sparring and literal war, but the closest he ever got was after hearing someone call Nico a slur (Percy and Leo had to physically drag him away from the other guy)

William Solace has white cowboy boots. I Will Start Sobbing On The Spot

Percy and Jason wore matching skirts for the pride festival and it was great— these 6-foot-plus brick shithouses of heroes who have single-handedly won wars aggressively waving tiny pride flags at each other and dancing to IT GIRL on the quad

Cecil and Lou Ellen made these magic rainbow smoke bombs, crawled up on the roof of the Hermes cabin, and slingshotted them into the masses Just Because™️

(Will’s hair was blue and pink for weeks)

RAINBOW WAR PAINT FOR CAPTURE THE FLAG.

Clarisse fucking kicked someone into the lake because they made fun of one of her siblings’ dyed hair

Connor thought it would be funny to leave a mini pan flag on top of Mr. D’s Diet Coke stash, mostly as a harmless joke, but the next day he noticed Mr. D had tucked it into his horrible Hawaiian shirt pocket like a handkerchief😭

watching Love, Simon in the amphitheater for movie night and half the campers had to excuse themselves early for sobbing too hard

Malcolm and Annabeth reread Red White and Royal Blue every summer. They say they’re Henry and June, Connor is Alex, and Percy is Nora

(this is confirmed when the two of them start a foot fight in the dining pavilion with a Chipotle burrito)

Leo IMing Jo and Emmie to wish them a happy pride (and tell Georgina and Waystation I said hello)

Piper and Leo getting into a HEATED debate about whether Velma Dinkley is a lesbian or not

”YOU CANNOT LOOK AT HER OVERSIZED-SWEATER-OVER-MY-PROM-DRESS ASS AND TELL ME YOU THINK SHE’S TOTALLY STRAIGHT—“

”WHAT SHE AND SHAGGY HAD WAS REAL, BEAUTY QUEEN! HOT DOG WATER AIN’T GOT NOTHIN ON NORVILLE ROGERS—“

”LEO! HER NAME IS MARCIE! AND THEY ARE EACH OTHER’S W A L L P A P E R S .”

Jason, sitting in the middle of them, now deaf in both ears: Lupa give me strength

GUYS PLEASE SEND ME SPECIFIC SHIPS OR CHARACTERS TO WRITE PRIDE HC’S FOR I WOULD LOVE TO🙏🙏🙏🙏

[ma1dita]

trouble always finds me

a 'partners in crime' installment - luke castellan x dionysus!reader

words: 1.7k 

summary: (pre-established relationship) The one where he could tell you were trouble from the day he met you. Luke’s perspective on trouble & how they first met! think trouble’s origin story (Luke Castellan x fem!Dionysus!reader)

warnings: none, fluff? Mr. D being a clueless dad lol also guys they’re 14 here

a/n: welcome back to the trouble!verse hehe i was inspired by Mr. D being a bit of a jerk to Percy so that the kid doesn’t off himself. Similar concept but with Luke after he first gets to camp— another version for why trouble!reader calls him angelface coming soon

(posted 1/19/24, erm unedited and not beta’d so forgive me in advance)

—

You were always trouble, Luke knew that from the day he met you. 

Walking into Camp Half-Blood, worn out and weary after days of trying to not become harpy food, his arm was slung protectively over Annabeth’s shoulder as they were led onto the campgrounds. So many pity-filled eyes were focused on them after hearing what happened to Thalia, but the camp seemed promising, filled with other demigods who can resonate with what they’ve experienced. Luke thought it was too good to be true, but anything’s better in comparison to the streets they came from. You, however, looked at them in interest from afar, a playful expression on a pretty face watching their every move like him and Annie were shiny new toys to play with.

He was so sure something was off with you. 

Had to be, from the deranged glimmer in your eye that would appear when something bad would happen at Camp. He’d seen it in action a couple of times before you set your sights on him— setting off fireworks during capture the flag, replacing salt with sugar in the kitchens, cutting Mr. D’s hair in his sleep; all of this causing campers and staff alike to run amok and figure out who to penalize. Each time he’d find you enjoying how it all played out, excitement brimming on the cusp of revealing yourself as the culprit as he watched you bite your tongue. But as a mischievous kid himself, he wondered why you hid it. You preferred to orchestrate the show, to make a spectacle for your personal entertainment, and with a smile too soft to be considered guilty, you were a convincing actress. 

The other campers in 11 told him you’d been unclaimed for half a year now, keeping to yourself and making a safe haven within the busy cabin. You were a klutz to say the least, bringing chaos to Camp Half-Blood with a cool disposition, and you hardly seemed interested the one time Luke tried to say hi as he took the bunk next to yours. 

So why the hell wouldn’t you lay off of him?

At first it was small, shoulder bumps and raised eyebrows whenever he piped up in a conversation. That, he could deal with. Luke’s a tough guy, having gone through more than a typical 14-year old would. 

But then it just got annoying.

Glitter in his shampoo, his laundry load dyed purple, and shoelaces knotted together to make him stumble— things meant to be more of an inconvenience rather than an actual problem. Luke wasn’t sure what to make of it, or what to tell you. No one wants to be the new kid creating trouble, but you didn’t seem to have a problem with that.

Maybe you were a Hermes kid like him, but of that, Luke wasn’t so easily convinced—months of living in 11 would mean you’d learn all of the tricks of the trade, so it couldn’t automatically mean that you were related (a part of him also hoped you weren’t be half-siblings, or else the fact he couldn’t stop thinking of you would be slightly awkward). Perhaps a child of Apollo? When you weren’t being difficult, he’s seen you sprinkled in sunlight, usually humming a tune under your breath. Yesterday it was a song from the Sound of Music, and though he only remembers bits of a memory from a movie night with his mom years ago, he put his combat gear on slower just to hear you finish the song. 

Whatever you were, it was bound to be troublesome.

—

At this point in life, Luke hasn’t had many comforts while on the run. To him there’s no such thing as action without reason, without meaning.  Five years of running and not looking back makes this son of Hermes realize that he hasn’t had a chance to take a breath until he got here. It’s hard to let down your guard when you’re always supposed to be keeping watch.

He wriggles under his covers trying to relax himself before bed, purple socks sticking out of the scrappy hand-me-down blanket, and he hears a small giggle from the bed next to his. Luke shifts his weight onto his side, eyes darting to your direction in the quiet of the dark cabin.

“Nice socks.”

He blinks. Were you talking to him? His toes wiggle playfully, prompting more of your melodious laughter as he chews at his lip before he responds.

“Guess I’m getting used to them.”

“You’re getting used to a lot of things around here. That’s good,” you whisper, and thinks he can see you concocting something sinister in that brain of yours—he’s on the edge of the mattress hanging onto your every word as he realizes this is the most you’ve spoken to him.

“You did this. Why?” he says, more of a statement than a question. Why would you go out of your way for someone like him?

“Are you mad about it? Luke, right?” you mutter, a calm expression on your face shrouded in moonlight, and for a second he wonders if you actually don’t know his name until he notices the upwards quirk of your lip. 

Luke catches himself then, and the realization hits him like a blow to the chest— he’s not angry at all. If anything, he hasn’t had the time to feel anything negative with the antics you’ve been pulling. You’ve proven to be quite the distraction to his circumstances, and he can’t remember the last time he’s thought about Thalia or his mom since he got here. The melancholy falls on his countenance like a better-fitting blanket than the one he has on, and your words pull him from his thoughts before they can suffocate him again.

“Sorry about your sister. I lost someone right before I got here too. My mom.” 

This, he can tell, is not acting. Your eyes flicker to a polaroid strapped in the space underneath the top bunk above your head, two blurry figures huddled together in a memory.

“I’m sorry.” He’s not sure what to say. In the silence that follows, he swallows audibly. Everyone’s been worried about Annabeth, including himself that he hadn’t even thought of his own emotions being on display for everyone to see. Luke never thought you of all people would notice.

You shrug, “S’not your fault. I know when people are acting though. If you know I’m the one who’s been starting shit, why haven’t you told anyone?”

Luke almost laughs at that, a rough exhale leaving his lungs as he watches your hands clutch your quilt.

“It’s pretty entertaining, I guess. You’re annoying, but I don’t mind it. Kept my mind off of things.”

He watches you smile in the shadows now, and it shines—all lips, teeth, and sheer mirth that makes his chest feel a little lighter. A real smile from you, one that doesn’t hide your true intentions.

“I’m glad. Mine too.” 

The next thing you do confuses him further, but from what he’s gathered you’re always full of surprises. You chuck your quilt across the space between your bunks, and the end of it smacks him in the face as he grunts.

“Here. Keep it,” you chuckle a bit loudly, the both of you hearing a Shhhhh… from somewhere in the dark cabin.

“What… Why? Are we friends now?” Luke mumbles jokingly, inhaling the soft scent of berries and fresh linen. His purple laundry load smelled like this too.

“No.”

“Then why are you giving me your stuff?” he says, but still curls up underneath the handmade quilt stitched from memories of a past life, of motherly love and gentle hands. He doesn’t have anything like this, so he settles into this feeling of comfort instead, even if it wasn’t his memory to hold. You go quiet at the sight of him, eyes fluttering and chin tucked into the pink and purple fabric, and he looks as soft as a normal 14 year old boy should.

“It’s getting boring in here. Gonna have to change it up soon, I think,” you mumble, turning away and shutting your eyes before he can say anything else.

—

The next day, you get caught putting a month’s supply of bubble bath into the lake, but Luke’s convinced you did it on purpose. All of camp is standing on the shore, watching you wave at them from a river tube as Chiron and Mr. D yell at you in exasperation—finally revealing yourself as the troublemaker they’ve been searching for.

“Get on the beach this instant, young lady! You have no idea how much trouble you’ve put us through!” Mr. D’s voice echoes across the lake, his immortal form almost filtering through his frustration before you laugh in his face, unthreatened by the Olympian.

“Good thing I get it from you. Hello, dad!”

Jaws drop as everyone turns to look at Mr. D, the realization hitting his face as he points at you, his brain moving a mile a minute. Though you resemble your mother, your actions are all him. You revel in the grand reaction, looking up to see a purple thyrsus surrounded by grape leaves float over your head.

“Nice outfit, kid. I don’t think purple is your color. She do that to you too?” Mr. D notes Luke’s wine colored cargos and socks clashing against the harsh orange of his shirt as he pushes past him, scratching his head at the idea of another kid. Poor guy said two was the limit in a lifetime and he gets a grinning teenage girl who dares him to do something about it. He hasn’t raised a lot of girls….

“I don’t know. I guess trouble always seems to find me,” Luke laughs lightly, watching kids of all ages jump into the bubbly lake water happily. The glowing ember of his eyes are relaxed for the first time in a while— an inviting flame catching your own as you stare at him from across the sudsy water. Trouble, he thinks, a smile settling onto his face—how fitting.

He’s spent a lot of time running. But perhaps this time, he’s finding reasons to want to stay.

—

"After all, we are nothing more or less than what we choose to reveal." - Sylvia Plath

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[amoreva]

Dark Luke Castellan hijacking the reader, I can't deal with the end of the series.

WHAT IS LOVE?

—– ٠ ✤ ٠ —–· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • · —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —–

pairing: luke castellan x fem!reader

summary: was it love if he did it for you? for a better future? the gods were his enemy, but he wanted you by his side away from harm.

warnings: during luke’s betrayal, angst, ooc luke

a/n: tbh i had no idea how to write dark!luke castellan, so i kind of wrote him kind of desperate and insane and a lot neglected because of the situation and kronos manipulating him.

—– ٠ ✤ ٠ —–· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • · —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —–

“Luke. What?”

Your heart drops to your stomach. Luke is holding your hands. You thought he’d took you into the forest to makeout (maybe more), but no. He was asking you the unthinkable, the impossible.

To join him. To join him side by side with Kronos the Titan.

At first you’re in denial. “Don’t joke like that.” An awkward giggle emitted from your lips. “You shouldn’t tell that joke to Percy. He almost met him.”

Luke squeezed your hands. A firework exploded behind him, allowing you to see the details of his face. Your stomach churned. Luke’s eyes are missing that warmth and affection he always had.

In its place is determination and power. “Come with me.” He asked again, firmer this time.

Your smile dropped. This the same Luke that gave you his dessert at dinner, right? The same Luke that held you when nightmares felt real?The same Luke that told you he loved you? Right.

You were willing to forget this, put it behind you like nothing ever happened. He probably hit his head or had a really really bad nightmare. “We should get you checked out, hm?”

“Nothing is wrong with me.” Luke said and unsheathed Backbiter. He let go of your hands. Luke wouldn’t hurt you, would he? Another firework, Backbiter gleamed in the pink. “Let’s go.”

“Luke, you can’t possible believe—”

“Kronos has opened my eyes!”

You flinched. His interruption scared you. “He showed me the gods treat their children like pawns, like shit. Me! You! Will, Silena…Thalia, even Percy!” You wince at the mention of your late friend. “I should’ve known. Ever since I saw my poor excuse for a dad—I’m not getting used anymore. I don’t want you to get used anymore.”

“I don’t want you—us to keep getting neglected because of our parents. We don’t deserve it.” Luke pleaded, trying to open your eyes in a new light.

“What makes joining Kronos any better?” You cupped his cheek, thumb brushing against his scar. The same scar that reminded him of how little the gods cared.

Instead of softening up to your touch and leaned in, he was still, tense. “I would be the son of a Titan—a Titan who sees me for who I am!”

“Luke…” You said softly and held his face. His eyes flickered, they glistened with moisture as he listened to you. It was like he was still there. “I don’t know—I don’t know what you got yourself into, but—for fucks sake snap out of it!”

“Do you hear yourself?” You asked.

The twinkle in your boyfriend’s eyes died out as if he was reminding himself of his purpose, his quest for Kronos. He stepped back from you. Daunting questions weighing in your head.

“Were you the one…that released the hellhound after Capture the Flag?” You asked, putting the pieces together.

“Yes.”

“You tried to kill Percy—Luke…you have to know that is so fucked up!”

“The gods are my enemy!” Luke shouted and gripped your arms. He looked you in the eyes. “You…you are still my sweet, sweet, naive girlfriend—you don’t get it now…but know this is all to protect you, protect us from harm, war.”

“Naive?” Your eyes widened. That was the only part you got out of it.

“Yes—no. Not naive! Fuck!” Luke huffed in frustration and ran his fingers through his chocolate curls. “Just…just—come with me—either way, I’m not leaving you when war breaks out.”

“Stop it.” Your heart was breaking into two, seeing like this. It looked like he was battling with himself, in his head. Tears brimming your eyes.

You hesitated to help him, your hands hovering close like he was delicate animal. He straightened up and brushed his hair back.

“I have to recruit, Percy. Last chance, babe—” Babe. It sounded so wrong coming from his lips now, especially now.

His once charming smile replaced with one filled with hidden insanity, pseudo. It was like he was cracking. Cracking under pressure. Cracking under time. Cracking under stress, sympathy, anger, revenge—all of it.

You don’t know how he got here, how Kronos fucked with his head so bad that he was breaking. It hurt you, hurt you more than you thought you would. A part of you wanted to keep refusing, get Luke the help he needed.

The other part; to join him. Join him, but not to join the cause. Join him and help him soothe him, him and battles with his own head. To make sure he was okay and completely sane for choosing this.

Yet an answer refused to leave your mouth. You were speechless. Tears rolling down your cheeks at the situation. The entirety of true situation felt overwhelming. Either way you couldn’t lose Luke.

This was love, right?

To feel be so conflicted with your emotions and decisions, but wanting your partner to be safe and okay from whatever being had his mind captive.

To wanting to get revenge on the Greek gods and goddesses, but you couldn’t allow your partner to get caught in the crossfire.

In both of your own ways, Luke and you still cared and loved each other dearly and it would never stop.

Luke sighed. “Don’t cry, baby.” He wiped your tears and pressed a kiss to your forehead (one that really felt like it was him).

Your body felt weak, vision fading in and out. You didn’t notice, but you felt a pressure on your carotid arteries. “Luke—”. You blacked out and he caught you in his arms.

“Just sleep. We’ll be there soon, with or without Percy.”

—– ٠ ✤ ٠ —–· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • · —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —–

[poppitron360]

Valgrace Wedding Day Headcanons:

Leo and Jason get married on the 3rd of July, as that’s right in between their birthdays, and it meant they could be off on their honeymoon by the 4th. Leo hates fireworks ever since that teensy tiny incident where he exploded, so if they’re out of the country by then they could avoid it.

I hc that Leo made Annabeth’s wedding dress (he didn’t make the ring. Tyson made the ring) so Annabeth totally helps to design both Leo’s and Jason’s wedding outfits.

Thalia was best man. Piper was maid of honour.

Percy’s main job was to secure a “something blue”. He took it with great pride.

Aphrodite officiated the wedding as a favour to Piper.

Hephaestus being the god of creation, and the fact that they know all these insanely talented demigods- most of their wedding stuff was home-made and crafted by friends.

It was a BIG EVENT. Neither of them are particularly self-indulgent people, and this is the first time they ever get to do something just for themselves, so they go all out.

They’re also one of the first (if not the first) cross-pantheon couples to get married since the camps re-formed their divide, so their wedding was a big deal. They had an orange/purple colour scheme, everything was imperial gold and celestial bronze, they had Roman, Greek, and western wedding traditions. Multiple gods and goddesses were there, from multiple different mythologies. Even Hera/Juno was begrudgingly welcomed.

I wrote a lot of this and more into my Married Valgrace AU, which you can read here. (Shameless self-promotion, I know, but that fic is my baby and I love it so much).

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS:

⚒ HEPHAESTUS: God of Forges, Fire, Sculpture, Metalworking, Stone Masonry, Carpenter, Metallurgy, Artisan, and Volcanoes 🔥

author's note: I had a sudden idea about writing some headcanons Camp Halfblood demigods being claimed and what it's like for each respective god and cabin, followed by a small blurb afterwards. Thank you for reading and please like and reblog! The order is not in order of the cabin numbers. [PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS MASTERLIST]

When you get claimed, there are a bunch of cheers and impromptu fireworks from your half-siblings. You watch some unfortunate individuals near your siblings jump feet in the air with hands flying to their ears, and some people diving for the ground. 

When you get introduced to your new living arrangement, there is a spillover from the Cabin and the Forge & Armoury; where there are just random parts in the Cabin and cots and bedrolls next to the Furnaces. You didn’t know where the living quarters or the forges began and ended. 

There is an initiation at your cabin where you introduce yourself to your cabin mates with your craft. It could’ve been the first craft you ever made, your favourite invention, or make it an entirely new thing. 

You get your own little workspace and for some hint of cohesion, your workspace is assigned a category; based on your craft. If you’re an engineer, you’re put with the other engineers. If you’re an artisan, you’re put with the other artisans. 

You’re constantly surrounded by people sharing their ideas or inputting, even at dinner and during bed times. But careful saying which stuff out loud lest you get a complaint from Chiron when you and your siblings have a debate on the best way to make something.

Because of the furnaces, you are shown how to keep the furnaces running when it's technically bedtime; one the exceptions given to your cabin for curfew.  Because even though they have magical means, you can’t let the furnaces die out or you have to spend three days heating up the kiln all over again. And no, you’re not allowed to use Greek Fire or later, the dragon around Thalia’s tree to heat up the furnaces if they die out. Don’t ask why but all you know is the Ka-Boom incident. You can imagine why.  

A perk with being on duty is that you can stay up later than everyone else and get to sneak in some late night meals; your seniors treated you to stuff from s’mores, roasted potatoes, and other foodstuffs by using the furnaces. Just don’t make too much stuff or you’re going to have a bunch of campers at your cabin asking for goodies.

Work hazards are always around and while there are preventive measures in place, things happen. These range from inventions going haywire, exploding fire, or just normal accidents. Don’t feel bad if they happen, everyone immediately jumps in to help out. You learn how to move fast and think fast. 

Being a Child of Hephaestus and being part of the cabin have their overlaps with the Athena, Apollo, and Hermes cabin.

If you don’t have the power to manipulate fire, as a child of Hephaestus you still have a higher immunity of fire and heat. Paired that up with the engineering, your cabin is also the unofficial fire station. You jumped with the fire alarm went off in the cabin and everyone got up to grab gear to put out the fires at Camp.

There were exploding multicolour lights that were going off in the air. Some were like the regular fireworks you’ve seen, but then there were fireworks that reminded you of that scene in the Lord of the Rings movie: where the fireworks seemed to not only come alive but move like they were. The smoke of gunpowder filled the air and you coughed. Fireworks were still going off as the children of Hephaestus were still cheering.

You then saw a large burky boy step forward and you knew he was one of your half-siblings. He looked very imposing but as he looked at you with a smile, all initial fear disappeared and you saw the warmth behind his smile. He then grinned at you and held out his hand, “I hope you liked the fireworks, we do this all the time when we welcome those into Cabin 9. I’m Charles Beckendorf, Cabin Counselor.”

You took his hand to shake and you instantly could feel the calluses on his hand, and how comforting warm it was. He clapped you on the back as he led you towards your cabin, as the others followed.

[aristia-pjoheadcanons]

if ur okay with writing for luke castellan, can i request bf hcs for him pls?

luke castellan as your boyfriend

pairings: luke castellan x reader

warnings: none

->masterlist

divider from: saradika on tumblr

He would be the nicest guy ever, honestly. He is such a sweeheart.

Taking time to show you how to become a better demigod.

Giving you his notes but not letting you chea toff him because he wants you to do well on your own.

He is at camp all year round, being apart from you makes his heart ache so much.

But I do believe he is a schemer, so he might find a way out of camp just to see you.

He will show you precious things he has collected over the many years he has been at camp.

The beach is his favourite place since the fireworks can act as an excuse for a romantic date - kissing you there would be perfect.

He would hate his siblings if they bothered you too much.

He does not care about which godly parent you have.

He hates the fact he doesnt hav eprivacy in his own cabin or that he has his own room - hanging out everyone but there would be his go-to.

If you have siblings, he would come and visit when theyre not there. But the problem is that other campers cant just waltz into another cabin without a proper reason. So the strawberry bushes are a must.

He is a bit cheesy, sitting down on the grass putting his palm ontop of your hand and smiling in a cheeky way.

His hair gets a little darker in the autumn season, and he doesnt mind it if you touch his scars - but he got them on the jounrye to camp when he was young, which does not bring good memories.

He will talk about Thalia but keep things very short.

He is a great leader, and always makes an alliance with your house.

If he doesnt end up on the same team as you, he tries not to attack you but either way he has to win - so he would apologize later for being too rough.

When he had joined Kronos' army, I feel like his attitude somewhat turned strange. he was now a little more bold, dominant because he knew he didn't have much time and there was no turning back.

grabbing your chin and turning it, but not too harsh. just out of nowhere he would be more possessive, but he wouldnt be too "loud" about it, its just his hand placement would be different. instead of putting his hand on your back or shoulder, he puts it on your hip or waist.

[garvalhaminho]

ok pt 3 of my "pjo characters as mitski lyrics": puberty 2 version

thalia: "and then one warm summer night i'll hear fireworks outside/and i'll listen to the memories as they cry, cry, cry"

nico: "crack baby, you don't know what you want/but you know that you had it once/and you know that you want it back/crack baby, you don't know what you want/but you know that you're needing/and you know that you need it bad"

annabeth: "i think i'm finally worn/for you have a way of promising things/and i've been a forest fire, i am a forest fire/and i am the fire, and i am the forest/and i am the witness watching it/i stand in a valley watching it/and you are not there at all"

leo: "what do you do with a loving feeling/if the loving feeling makes you all alone?"

artemis: "and if you're going, take the moon/then maybe i will see; in the night i'll see you"

percy: "would you kill me, jerusalem/kill me, jerusalem/kill me, jerusalem/come, find me"

part 1, part 2

[princess-from-another-galaxy]

Finale!! Let’s go!! (Gonna write as I watch)

1)The scene with Luke was so cute but also a little creepy. What was up with that?? Also!! The initial narration of episode 1 is Percy quoting Luke?!?! My heart, I love them so much 🥺

2)Omg!! The fight was good af! Did... did Walker's eyes change color???? Not Ares trying to kill them with his " true form" as a last resort, sore loser.

3) mom??? Bro, you just saw her statue in the Underworld.... holy shit!!! Mrs. Dodds!!! The helm looks cool af ngl. Percy is so cool, like damn. Oh, yeah, the deadline passed, which means Poseidon & Zeus are definitely at war!!! That's what started WW2?!?! Gods being petty bitches... damn... He's done running from monsters 😭 (I love the implication that Zeus is a monster. You're right and you should say it.) Annabeth gave him her necklace 😭😭😭, that's so cute. An email, Grover 😂😂

4) That's one way to get Zeus's attention, damn. Just dropped the bolt in front if the doorman 😂😂. What do mortals see when they see the bolt??

5) Olympus looks cool af!! Oh, Luke & Percy again! Annabeth is terrified of spiders! Things that are small and scary get squished. Oh Luke is in his big brother mentor era!! Love to see it!

6) the council room!! The thrones look cool af, I can't wait to see all of the God's sitting on it! Oh, I have no idea how they're going to replace the actor, he is perfect as Zeus!! Yes!! Read him to filth Percy!!!! Holy shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Poseidon surrended for Percy 😭😭😭😭, I'm- Oh, Toby Stephens always eat. Omg!!! They're speaking Greek!! Is it Greek Greek or ancient Greek. Does anyone speak ancient Greek. Everyone?? What are Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus, and Demeter??? 😭

7) Percy and Poseidon!! Omg! Patrus 😭😭. Poseidon's smile about Sally... Bro... Ares is a moron 😂😂 (they've done the family vibe of the Olympians so well! 😂). Answer the question, Poseidon!!! Do you dream about her!?!?!

8) I wonder if thet planted that tree specifically to be Thalia's tree or if they just found a cool tree they liked lol. They hugged!! Holy shit, Clarisse is still here??? What is happening?!?!?

9) Luke being a responsible leader! We stan!! Annabeth being all cool, I see her!

10) fireworks! So cool!! The mommy issues in Luke are through the roof. Wait does Luke look like he's crying?? Wait what??? What do you mean she didn't???? Wait what?!?! Wtf. Luke?!?! No. LUKE SAY SOMEGHING! NOT THAT!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!?! HOLY SHIT. IM CRYING. NO.

Oh, he's making some good points. This are some valid points. Episode 1 Percy would be eating this up ngl. I mean, not to be a bitch, but like... Luke sounds like those girls that have been groomed... all like "he loves me! He's gonna take care of me!" Like... are you sure???

Are they trying their best Percy?? Are they really?? I'm not an expert, but maybe don't mention his dad to the kid you know has daddy issues, if you don't want him to kill you, just a thought. I kinda of want Percy to say he's and go apeshit on the Gods ngl. He apologized for hurting Luke 😭😭😭. Wait, what??? Annabeth!! No!! 😭😭😭 she heard everything, Luke's face, my heart 😭😭😭 I was not ready for all of this emotion

11) Armed escort lol. He doesn't want you dead, he wants you next to him. Very persuasive... sounds manipulative to me.... Mr D! He's funny af. I'm 90% sure it's Peter😂. I don't think so 😂. Kicking them all out, I can't, bro...

12) Annabeth is going to see her dad?!?! Omg her hair looks so cute!! Her talking to Thalia's tree is cute. Her dad is taking her to Disney world 😭😭. Percy telling her to be a kid 😭😭😭 Grover is gonna search for Pan!! Percy is gonna help him search the seas!! (The next one is called sea of monsters right?? Maybe that's the "main quest"???) The hug!!! 😭

13) I hadn't realized it earlier, the beach is Montauk!! Where his mom went missing! It's the beach house they came to. She's here!!!! Look at her!!!! 😭😭 hugging her baby boy 😭😭wait what??? No, Sally!! Where are you?!?! Wait, is that kronos?!?!??!?!?!?!?!? Is he sassying time itself?!?!!?! Bro.... 😭😂😭😂😂 what does he mean?!?!?! What?!?!

14) Sally!!!!!! She's here!!! The fact that he's only just starting 7th grade is wild... he's baby. Percy calling Kronos grandpa, I can't 😂😂. Sally is done with Percy's shit , I can't. "Kronos, Lord of the Titans, said that?" I love her 😂

15) blue pancakes?? They look good af ngl. It's a storm!! Poseidon is also there for Percy's first day of school 🥺. Didn't percy have a step-dad?? The asshole one? What happened to him??

16) oh, there he is. What an asshole. Sally changed the locks 😂. Good for her!! What a dick. Wait.. is that.... is that Medusa??? Omg! Holy shit!! That's hilarious!! 😂😂 good riddance!!!

I have no words. I need a new season now!!! This was by far my new favorite episode!! I love this so much!!! I'm heart broken. I need more!!!

[sainzstorms]

i love that the lighting for the 'betrayal' scene was from the fireworks that supposed to be a celebration on percy's quest, i love how it makes it look more dark and sinister, like worse things are coming (it will).

i love that annabeth went with them, she must've suspect that something was wrong (she threw her dagger, a gift from luke, at him!) it hurts to know that she knew the story first hard bc how much luke means to her. but maybe it was for the best for her.

i love that they made luke explain the things for him, that the god is his enemy. percy raised his sword to him but without the intend to fight him. luke got offensive when percy mentioned hermes that angers him enough to fight percy. it was clear the boy hates the gods, the demigods he only saw as pawns of the gods, which is why he's doesn't hesitate to charge.

the whole sequence is just perfect to me. it fits the narrative for now and the future. then the had to top it of with the trio making a patch in thalia's tree which is absolutely genius for what's going to happen in season 2.

[poseidonsdaughterthesiren]

You're Losing–You Lost Me

A/N: So uhhh this experiemental. I'm trying to create Della and Luke's past. So obviously for my nonbooker readers...Spoilers. Ummm So we drift from Della to Percy to Luke's POVS and they're not all linear. Think of them as if you're sporadically going through memories.

Della sits by the lake as fireworks and torches flicker across the waves. In the distance, she hears a splash of water. Clarisse and a bunch of other campers toss her brother and her best friend into the lake. 

It’s about dam time he told her. 

Della smiles but it crumbles when she thinks about what she’s been through the last year and a half.  Her memories had recently all been fixed thanks to the Hypnos kid Clovis. She takes a deep breath…and meditates for a moment

⬳

Della opened her eyes to a dimly lit room. She tried to yell for help but realized her mouth was gagged.

Where is she? How did–the battle with the manticore, Dr. Thorn came rushing back to her. She and Annabeth tackled the beast as it fell over the cliff. Shit, Percy was going to kill her–if whoever captured her didn’t first.

“Well, well if it isn’t Della Jackson,” a voice called

Della stilled at the voice. She knew that voice. Luke. 

Luke creeped out of the shadows into the light. He smiled but it made Della flinch in terror. 

He looked pretty beat up. Good. 

Luke crouched down in front of Della. 

Della tried to scoot back from him but didn’t get very far. The rope around her ankles and wrists was also bound to a pillar. 

“Hey,” he whispered, I won’t hurt you. Trust me.” 

Della narrowed her eyes at him. 

Luke moved forward and reached behind her head. He undid the knot holding her gag and removed it. 

Della tried to scream but Luke placed a hand over her mouth. 

“Hey, no, come on now, none of that,” he whispered, “Besides no one will be able to hear you.” 

Della leaned back and glared at him. 

“Where am I?”

“Safe,” Luke said.

“Pfft, not with you I’m not.” 

“Del–”

“No, only my friends call me Del.”

“We are friends–”

“We were, past tense.”

Luke grinned at her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“My offer still stands Del, you can be more–”

“No, no this isn’t you.” 

“Still don’t have your own opinion, still emersed in everything Percy believes.”

Luke leaned over maneuvered her ropes and pulled her towards him. He lifted her up and led her towards the darkness he emerged from.

“Come on,” he whispered in her ear, “time to see what we’ve been working on.”

Della felt shivers run down her spine. She hoped Percy would find her soon. 

⬳

Della and Annabeth were gone. They fell with the manticore–the only thing left of Della was Leda. Mom is going to kill him. 

Percy paced around as his thoughts tortured him. It had always been his job to protect her, and he failed. 

“Percy,” Grover said. He placed a hand on Percy’s shoulder. 

Percy shrugged the hand off. 

Thalia was pissed. She white-knuckled Annabeth’s Yankees cap.

“Percy, I’m sorry–” 

“No,” he snapped, “Don’t say you’re sorry for my loss. They’re not–She’s not dead.” 

“Percy,”  Grover said. There were tears in his eyes. “There’s no way they survived that and if they did, Luke–”

“No, they’re alive, I can feel it! They…can’t…she can’t be gone.” A tear escaped from his eye. 

No Della was alive. He couldn’t explain it–but he could feel it like a thread connecting them. And if Del was alive so was Annabeth.

“Percy Jackson,” Zoe Nightshade called, “Come with me Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee.” 

⬳

Luke leads Della up a dark hill. There was little to no light. It was black but there were whisps of blue light. Black charred ruins are scattered almost as if there had once been a battle here. 

Della felt like she was in a demonic episode of Scooby Doo. Doesn’t help that Luke led her on a rope like a dog. Bet Scooby never used a leash. 

Luke paused near the crest of the hill. He turned toward her. 

“What I am about to show you,” he said, “Is your fate if you don’t cooperate.” 

His face twitched and sniffed almost as if he were about to cry but he stopped himself. He turned back toward the hill and pulled her rope hard. 

Della glanced around when she felt the air leave her lungs–at the top of the hill was Annabeth holding up what appeared to be an invisible ceiling. 

“Annabeth!” Della screamed. 

Luke yanked her rope and pulled her against him. He used his free hand to angle her head at the sight. 

Della closed her eyes as Annabeth screamed for her. 

“See that could be you,” he whispered, “but I think I have better use for you.”

Della choked back a sob refusing to open her eyes. 

“Della,” Annabeth groaned, “No let her…go” 

“Say bye to Annabeth, Del,” Luke said, “We’ll see her later.” 

“NO! ANNABETH!” Della yelled. She struggled against Luke. 

“Aww,” Luke cooed, “come on Siren, we have more work to do.”

Della screamed as he picked her up and led her away from Annabeth. 

“LUKE! LUKE!” Annabeth shrieked. 

Della sobbed as Luke dragged her away from her best friend. She felt spots flood her vision before everything went dark.

⬳

` Percy sulked into his cabin and threw himself on his bed. He rolled onto his side to stare at Della’s empty bunk. Nestled in her blankets was a plush blue whale who’d seen better days. Mr. Finn. Della’s favorite stuffed animal. 

How could Mr. D refuse to search for her or Annabeth? 

Percy sighed slipped out of his bunk and grabbed ahold of the whale. Its big black button eyes stared up at Percy. He pulled it close to his chest and squeezed. After a moment he placed him in his bunk. 

He heard water running. He looked around before in the back of the cabin he spotted a new item. A fountain–obviously a gift from Poseidon. 

Percy made his way to it and noticed it was heated as it created a mist with tiny little rainbows. He looked at the bottom to see it was full of drachmas. He realized what this was for. It was a reminder to keep in touch with his family. 

Percy scooped a coin out and ran his fingers along it. 

“Iris, oh Goddess of the Rainbow,” he said, “please accept my offering.” 

He knew he should call mom and tell her what happened, but he wasn’t ready for that yet. Until he knew more about where she was he was going to hold off telling Mom. 

He could call Dad, he hadn’t talked to him in two years. But could you call a god or would that be an insult? Besides, he had a feeling Poseidon knew about what had occurred only a few hours ago. Hopefully, if she asked for help Dad would be there.

He suddenly knew exactly who to call. 

“Show me Tyson,” Percy said, “At the forges of the Cyclops.” 

The mist shimmered to show his half-brother Tyson surrounded by fire. Tyson was bent on an anvil, hammering a red-hot sword blade. There was a marble-framed window behind him, and it looked out onto dark blue water–the bottom of the ocean.

“Tyson,” Percy yelled. 

He didn’t hear Percy at first due to the hammering and roar of the flames. 

“TYSON!” Percy yelled again. 

He turned his one enormous eye brightened. His face broke into a crooked yellow grin. “Percy!” 

He dropped the sword blade and barrelled at Percy trying to hug him. Percy lurched back. “Hey, Big Guy, this is an Iris message, I’m not really there.” 

“Oh, yes I knew that,” Tyson said. He seemed embarrassed for a moment. He then looked around Percy. “Where’s Della?” 

Percy’s smile faded. “She’s not here right now buddy.” 

“Oh, tell her I say hi! Tell Annabeth I say hi!” 

“Okay, Buddy will do,” Percy swallows the lump in his throat. “Hey Tyson, do you hear from Dad?” 

Tyson’s smile fell a bit. “Not much. Daddy is busy. He is worried about the war.”

“What do you mean?” 

Tyson sighed and placed the sword out the window, where it erupted in a swirl of bubbles. When he brought the blade back in the metal was cool and silver. 

“Old Sea Spirits making trouble. Aigaios. Oceanus. Those guys. They’re protecting the bad boat.” 

“The Princess Andromeda? Luke’s boat?” Percy asked. 

“Yes. They make it hard to find. Protect it from Daddy’s storms. Otherwise, he would smash it.” 

“Smashing it would be good,” Percy agree. 

Just not with Della or Annabeth on board. 

“Yeah. Don’t worry about bad boat. It is going away.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Panama Canal. Very far away.” 

Why was Luke all the way down there? Last theyd seen he’d been near the East Coast recruiting demigods with grievances against their godly parents. 

“Well that’s good I guess. Hey tell Dad I–” 

Before he could finish the message dissolved leaving him alone in the cabin again. Percy sighed and shuffled back to his bunk. 

He slipped under the covers and held Mr. Finn close. 

“Where are you Del?” He whispered before drifting off. 

⬳

Della opened her eyes to see she was nestled in a makeshift cot. She was wrapped in a thick blanket. She glanced around to see she was in a dimly lit room. Not like the apocalypse she’d been in earlier. 

There was the cot she was in. A small chestnut drawer, a desk, and the door. Whoever’s room this was they were a very extreme minimalist. 

She sat up and stretched when she realized her hands were untied. She froze–where’s Luke?

The handle of the door jiggled and opened into the room. Revealing the man in question. 

Luke closes the door behind him. And tosses a map on the desk before he turns to Della. 

“Oh, good,” he said, “You’re awake.” He sat at the end of the bed. 

Della examined his face. He looked like he’d aged ten years since the last time they’d seen each other. There were heavy streaks of grey Della could hardly see his black hair. 

Luke’s eyes were examining her.. 

“What happened?” She asked. She glanced down at the floor. 

“You blacked out,” he said as if it were obvious.

“Doesn’t explain why I’m in your room.” 

“You really don’t get it?”

Della glanced up at him. Her eyes narrowed. 

“You’re here,” Luke said, “Because you’re the key to winning this damn thing!”

“What do mean I’m the key?” Della yelled at him. “I thought Percy was your Golden Boy.” 

“It has become quite clear your brother will not join me, but you,” Luke said. He reached out to touch her cheek. “You could counter the prophecy. You could be mine.”

Della flinched at the contact. 

“A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap–” 

“A single choice shall end his days. Olympus to preserve or raze,” Della finished. “I know but what that’s between you and Percy–”

“It would seem the fates have made it so, but with you by my side, it’d be an equal fight. Come on Del, I’ve seen how Percy treats you on quests.” 

“First,” Della said, “Quit calling me Del. Second, I’d never betray my brother. And Third, my brother loves me.” 

“Does he Della? I remember the last time I saw you two he treated you worse than the Cyclops.” 

Della looked down at her shoes. He had a point even on this last mission Percy had been a dick to her. 

Luke tucks a finger under her chin and makes her look at him. 

“It’d be you and I against the world.” 

Della doesn’t pull away this time. She’d always been attracted to Luke. The two of them against the world didn’t sound too bad. 

A loud ruckus stomped above them. Luke pulled back and growled in frustration. He then looks back at Della. “I’ll be back. There’s tea on the desk. He moved towards the door which clicked shut behind him.

Della sat up and on shaky feet grabbed the tea cup. She hobbled back into the cot pulled the blankets up to her chest and sipped her tea. 

What if she stayed? Switched teams. Maybe then people wouldn't doubt her ability. They’d always compare her to Percy she’d always known that. She’d finally get to be with Luke–then she thought about Annabeth in the invisible cavern–no she would never stay with him. 

The door opened again to reveal Luke. He didn’t look as pissed, but he certainly wasn’t pleased. “Change of plans I have a meeting to attend. But I’ll be back soon.” 

“Where–” 

“Doesn’t matter, but you’re going to stay here aboard the ship.” 

So she’s on the Princess Andromeda….her mind went fuzzy fast. Luke was just a blur when he left. 

“I’ll be back I promise Del.” 

⬳

“I should throw you in the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence,” the General said, “I told you to bring me the boy, not the scrawny Athena girl.” 

“But,” Thorn sputtered, “I brought you one of the Big Three’s children! I brought you the Daughter of Poseidon!”

“Hmmm,” the General nodded, “She may be useful…but right now she’s a prize to you Boy.” He looked straight at Luke. 

Percy felt his heart thrum in his chest. The girls were alive. What did he mean Della was a prize to Luke? 

He’d missed bits of the conversation when–

“Della will serve her purpose in time,” Luke said, “It just needs some pushing.” 

What the hell? I mean yeah Della was his twin but the prophecy referred to him–or at least they’d always assumed it was him–what was Luke doing to her? 

⬳

“Della, hey come on now Del,” a voice sighed. 

Della is met with the sight of Luke bending over worry evident on his face. 

He smiled a bit at her. “Hey Sleeping Beauty,” he cooed. 

Della grinned in response but then realized she didn’t remember falling asleep. “What time is it? I thought you just left–wait I’ve been asleep–what’ve you–” 

Luke’s face fell a bit as he tried to calm her. He pulled into him, 

“It’s okay, Della–hey it’s okay–”

“No!” she yelled. She pushed against him.  “What have you been doing–” 

Luke sighed he grabbed a bowl and passed it to her. 

“What is this?” 

“Oatmeal.”

“Is this magic oatmeal?”

“It’s apple-cinnamon.”

Della sniffed it and indeed it was apple-cinnamon oatmeal. She takes the spoon from Luke and eats a couple of spoonfuls. 

“There you go,” Luke said. He ran a hand through her hair. 

Whatever anger Della felt vanished. She couldn’t even remember why she was mad. She set the bowl down. 

“There you go Della,” Luke whispered. He took the bowl placed it on the floor and tugged her close to his chest. “I love you,” he murmured. 

⬳

“Ah, how touching,” A voice said. 

The group turned to see the General standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side was Luke and half a dozen dracaene bearing the sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke’s side. Her hands were cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, Luke held the point of his sword to her throat. 

Percy met her eyes seeking answers. The only message was clear RUN!

“Luke let her go,” Thalia growled. 

“That’s for the General to decide,” Luke smirked, “But it is good to see you again though Thalia.” 

Thalia spat at him.

Percy whipped his around and realized someone was missing. 

“Where’s Della? Where is my sister?” He yelled. 

A tear escaped Annabeth’s eye. 

“Where is she?!” 

Luke’s smirk disappeared a single tear dripped down his cheek. 

The General however laughed. “She’s alive Son of Poseidon, for now. 

More tears sprung from Annabeth’s eyes she shook in Luke’s grip. 

Anger bubbled in Percy’s veins and he unleashed Riptide. 

⬳

Luke looked over the railing at the sea. They were just a bit away from the camp’s borders. He stretched and felt his back protest. He sighed, fighting Thalia was not easy to come back from. But the plan had to go. The concoction of poppy seeds and a drip of Lethe to keep Della here worked too well. He knew she liked him but–he didn’t think he’d catch feelings for her. He has to get her out of here before Kronos makes him do something awful–or even worse kill her. 

He went below deck and opened the door to his room to see her asleep just as he’d left her. Luke picks her up bridal-style. He carries her up to the deck. 

He drops her into the water and watches as she sinks. The Old Sea Gods push her back into Poseidon’s territory. 

⬳

When Della came to she was no longer in Luke’s room, no instead she was–well–she had no idea where she was. 

She was situated in an actual bed, not a cot. The room reminded her of the cabin her mom rented every year. The room was in natural beach tones. She could see a window encrusted with sea glass that looked out into blue water–wait blue water? 

Della sat up and slid out of the bed. The floor was freezing but she didn’t care. She was almost positive she was close to her Dad or at the very least Percy. She stumbled for a moment not used to being on her feet. 

There were two double doors a few feet away. Della grabbed a handle and bolted from the room. 

The hallway was fancier than her room, but the architecture told her all she needed to know–she was at her Dad’s place.

Two mermaids spotted her and gasped. 

“Miss Della you should be in bed,” one of them chastised. She had a shimmering pink tail. 

“I’ll go inform Poseidon,” the other said. Her tail was multicolored like the rainbow fish book. 

Rainbow Fish swished back down the hall they’d come from. 

Pink Tail swam towards Della and placed a hand on her forehead. 

“Well, you definitely look better,” she said. “You looked like death when the patrol found you.” 

“What do you–”

“DELLA!” a familiar voice boomed. 

“Tyson?” Della asked. 

The Cyclops tackled her in a giant bear hug. 

“Wait till Percy hears you’re okay! He’s been worried.”

Della hugs her half-brother back.

Percy’s been worried about her? 

“He was so sad when they didn’t find you!” 

“Alright Tyson,” Let her breathe there Kiddo.” A masculine voice laughed. 

“Dad?” Della breathed. 

Tyson let go of her. And moved out of the way. 

At the end of the hallways stood her father Poseidon. He looked similar to the last time she’d seen him. Same fisherman’s getup, the same beard, the same everything really–except now he looked incredibly exhausted. 

She moved towards him but stopped just a few feet in front of him. She didn’t really know what to say to him. 

“Hello, Della,” He smiled. He and Percy shared the same smile. “You’ve been so brave.” 

“Not that I’m not happy to see you but why am I here? I don’t remember–”

Poseidon’s smile fell. “There is much to discuss but you need to get home to your mother and brother.” 

“But–”

“I am very proud of you Della,” Poseidon said. He pulled her into a hug. This was the first hug she’d ever had with her dad. He held her similar to Mom–a hand at the back of her head and the other between her shoulder blades. 

“Never forget little Siren, you are my daughter, not just Percy’s sister.” 

⬳

“The sword, Della,” Annabeth muttered, “Your sword…Hero…cursed blade…” 

Della and Percy looked at each other. Percy nodded at her. 

Della looked at Luke his lip trembled. 

“Del…please…I’ll be good I promise…” 

Della felt tears stream down her face. 

She raised her sword but then she looked back at Percy. 

“Together,” she said. 

“Together,” he said. 

They passed the blade to Luke together. 

Luke without hesitation snatched Leda and he undid his chest plate. He aimed Della’s sword under his left arm and he stabbed himself. 

Leda, Della’s sword clattered to the ground as Luke fell backward. 

Della caught him before his head could hit the hearth. She cradled his head in her lap. 

“Del…” 

“Hey, no none of that,” Della whispered.

Annabeth, Grover, and Percy surround them. They crouch over the pair. 

“I–I’m sorry Beth…” 

“Shh, you were a hero at the end, you’ll go to Elysium.” 

“Did you love me?” he asked looking at Annabeth. 

“At one time but…you were always a brother to me.” 

He nodded and coughed red painted his lips. His eyes gazed up at Della. 

“Del, no matter how much I hurt you…I want you to know I meant it when I said…I love you.” 

Della’s tears cascaded on his brow. She leaned over and kissed his brow. 

“It’s okay…” he said, “it doesn’t hurt.” 

“Luke I love you.” 

He smiled up at her. His eyes went to Percy. Luke brought himself up a smidge and gripped Percy’s sleeve. 

“Ethan. Me. The other unclaimed, don’t let it happen again.” 

“I won’t I promise,” Percy said. 

“Good,” Luke breathed. He fell back into Della’s lap and his hand went slack. 

Della choked on a sob. Grover closed Luke’s unseeing eyes. Annabeth clutched onto Percy’s shoulder. 

“Percy…Della,” Their dad called, awe in his voice, “what…what is this?” 

Percy turned and faced the Olympians. 

“We need a shroud,” he announced, his voice cracked. “We need a shroud for the Son of Hermes.” 

Della tried not to scream. 

[starrishly]

do you know why guitars cry?

Summary:

Thalia Grace was this close to blasting Percy with a lightning bolt. It was the first visit to Camp the Hunters were making in ages, and the two decided to place a bet. Given how competitive they both were, somebody probably should've stopped them. But, since no one did, the daughter of Zeus was stuck in a very annoying situation. or Thalia loses a bet and remembers an old talent.

my work for @rrversesummerbang 's event for @ssavinggrace !!

read on ao3

merry belated christmas and a happy new year !! i hope you like this <3

prompt: Thalia grace playing guitar

word count: 1,411

Thalia Grace was this close to blasting Percy with a lightning bolt.

It was the first visit to Camp the Hunters were making in ages, and the two decided to place a bet. Given how competitive they both were, somebody probably should've stopped them. But, since no one did, the daughter of Zeus was stuck in a very annoying situation.

Chiron gave the okay for a Capture the Flag game, news that spread like wildfire through the camp. Everyone started making alliances; the Hunters were part of Team Red alongside the Athena, Hades, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, Tyche, Nike, Nemesis and Hebe cabins.

Thalia couldn't deny that she was eager for the game to start. She was eating her lunch at the Hunters' table when Percy approached her, a grin etched on his face.

The girl raised a brow in question.

"I bet you anything we're going to win tonight," he challenged.

"As if. We always win."

"Nope, not this time," the boy replied, the grin still on his face. He was smart; he knew she wouldn't back down from a contest. 

The two stared at each other before the Hunter asked: "What are your terms?"

"The loser has to do anything the other says for the week." 

The girl's smile was now matching Percy's. "Oh, you're so losing this."

~

Team Red was currently strategizing in their tent, with 10 minutes until the start of the game.

Thalia's usual suggestion was to split in two- defense and offense- but Annabeth insisted on something more elaborate. Since she was the best strategist she knew, Thalia was content with letting her make a plan.

When the given time was over, the team was confident in their chances of winning. Thalia, Nico di Angelo, and some other Hunters would be the ones to capture the flag as the Ares and Aphrodite cabin distracted the others.

Annabeth assigned trap-setting duty to a few Hermes Cabin members while Cabin 6 would defend the flag. The remaining kids would divide, each protecting a border.

They all lined up in the middle of the forest. Annabeth was carrying their silver flag, which had laurels painted on it. It was made out of a shiny material that reflected the sunlight.

Team Blue kept it simple. The flag was cerulean, courtesy of Percy. Painted by every team member with various symbols, it was a cacophony of colors. Thalia's eyes hurt, but she had to admit they had a pretty good idea, letting everyone add something.

The Stolls were trying (and failing) to keep their laughter in. Annabeth just stared in shock. Someone from the Nemesis cabin asked: "Is that a carpet?"

The corners of Thalia's mouth turned up. They could see the flag from a mile away. This was going to be easy.

When everyone was aligned, Chiron blew the horn. In a split second, all campers ran off. Beside her, Vera and Macy, two Hunters, took their place. Nico di Angelo was somewhere behind. 

Their job was yet to begin. For now, the only thing they had to do was not get spotted.

Sometime later, as the group advanced through the forest, phase two of their plan started. The Ares cabin launched one of the emergency fireworks. 

That was their signal, meaning that the flag was unguarded. All they had to do was seize it.

The group ran as fast as they could. The few campers were easy to take down. Thalia almost reached the flag when she heard a scream behind her. 

Vera was caught in a trap. Thalia cursed, remembering Team Blue had the Hephaestus cabin on their side. With one look at Macy, they decided she would figure it out.

Nico suggested they should hurry since they could see the flag. Thalia agreed, but they were too late. She saw Jason and Percy carrying their flag and yelling.

When the boys stopped, Percy started to laugh. Thalia groaned in exasperation.

"How did we lose? Our defenses were so good!" Her tone betrayed confusion and annoyance.

"Well, I know your strategist a little too well." Percy turned towards his girlfriend with a cheeky smile.

Thalia turned to the girl, who gave her an embarrassed look. She sighed and shook their hands.

~

The stars shined brighter than usual that night, Thalia noticed. 

They were all gathered around the campfire. Tonight, it was vibrant yellow, reflecting the excitement of the winners.

Instead of sitting near her Hunters, the black-haired girl chose to sit near her little brother. She noticed Jason's teasing smirk as she sat down and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. 

Chiron finally arrived and took his place near the hearth. "Congratulations to tonight's winners! Until the next week, you are free from any chores." 

Team Blue cheered loudly. Meanwhile, most of Team Red groaned, knowing they had to clean bathrooms and wash dishes twice as much. While the Hunters didn't have chores, Thalia knew Percy hadn't claimed his prize. She was curious about what his first task would be.

Chiron stomped, bringing all attention to him again. 

"Now, the campfire activities may begin!"

The Apollo Cabin, as usual, took its place in front of the crowd. Instruments in hand, they followed the lead of Austin Lake. The boy wasn't the leader, but it was well known that the head counselor, Will Solace, couldn't sing to save his life.

Thalia would never admit that she enjoyed the light atmosphere or the songs about Grandma getting ready for war. It would bring endless mocking from her friends and wasn't in character. But she liked it anyway.

She allowed herself to relax a little until she caught Percy's eyes. The boy had that weird glint in his eye. He was up to something. She had a bad feeling it involved her.

As soon as the ongoing song ended, Percy walked over to Austin and whispered something in his ear. 

The son of Apollo listened, albeit a little confused. He glanced at her, his face scrunched up in thought, then turned towards the other and nodded. Percy grinned and started walking in Thalia's direction.

Not that she would show it, but she was panicking. When the boy got close enough, he began: "Thalia, my first task for you is...you have to play guitar!"

She stared at him for a moment, hoping he was joking. Thalia didn't even remember how to do that!

Okay, maybe she did. But she refused to do it. 

"Percy, what the hell," Thalia whisper-yelled. 

Unfortunately, she had no choice but to agree. The son of Poseidon looked overjoyed. Thalia wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid grin off his face. Nonetheless, she moved closer to the hearth.

Austin carefully gave her his guitar, making the Hunter promise she wouldn't break it. It was beautiful and well-kept. The wood shined brightly in the fire's light.

"What am I even supposed to play?" 

Everyone shrugged, so Thalia started playing the first song that came to her mind. It was nothing special, an old, sentimental song, but the girl knew it by heart. Her fingers moved from one fret to another, lightly strumming the chords. She closed her eyes and went on.

Almost magically, the scenery changed. Thalia wasn't at Camp Halfblood anymore. Around her stretched a deep forest. A small makeshift fire was lit in front of her. 

A younger Annabeth was wrapped in a sleeping bag, staring at the stars as she listened to her friend play. A different guitar, smaller but loved, was resting in her hands.

Behind her, the Hunter heard a familiar voice.

"That's it, Thals! You got it." 

A soft smile appeared on her face at the sound. It was Luke's voice, and Thalia finally remembered why she hadn't played in so long.

He was the one who taught her, little by little, the art of using a guitar. She remembers his hands guiding her, his comforting words when she got something wrong. 

Thalia misses it, misses him, but she learned how to move on. 

When she strummed the last chord, she opened her eyes. Percy was staring at her, slightly gaping but beaming. Thalia then turned to Annabeth, who had a nostalgic look in her eyes and lips curved up.

"Surprised, Jackson?" she questions.

The boy shakes his head: "Not at all."

She returned to her seat and gave Austin the guitar. When she sat and noticed Jason's starry-eyed look, Thalia decided that this was the only family she needed.

[wrenhavenriver]

Top 5 Dishonored missions (from all games including DLC)?

yeeeeees i'm always glad to answer dishonored asks!!! i've been asked this one a few times over the years and my answers shift slightly each time but there are a few common threads - basically any level that has a fuckton of ways to resolve things, any level featuring one of my Fave characters, or any level where the vibes/art design/dialogue/etc gives me the Shivers. off the top of my head right now i'm feeling:

high overseer campbell - the sheer variety of methods you can use to deal with campbell and/or save curnow is so fucking satisfying, my go-to is smashing the glasses in the meeting chamber, following campbell and curnow down to campbell's secret room, waiting for campbell to start sneaking up on curnow with blade in hand, then turning off the music that's playing so curnow is alerted and turns around and shoots campbell down himself. "now the rats can fight over your guts" is such a metal thing to casually say over the body of the guy who just tried to murder you? and speaking of great lines, this level also features one of my fave outsider shrine dialogues: "I'm older than the rocks this place is built on, and even I didn't see that coming."

lady boyle's last party - yeah we all knew this was coming, it's practically obligatory, right? the masquerade ball. the nobility being delighted that you're "dressed up" as the guy who's been killing them. the fireworks outside and that one weeper standing sadly staring at them through the gate. the sister you're targeting/their outfit colors changing with each playthrough. signing the guestbook. "drunkenly" confessing to the guard that you're an agent of the outsider. the "there's a hole in the world" graffiti which has become my singular defining personality trait/philosophy for the last ten years! that one guard getting pissed off at you for eating his apple. [stefon voice] this level has everything. will always regret the non-lethal approach was so fucken gross but even the devs acknowledge they fucked up on that one, so i guess that's some small comfort.

a captain of industry - the number of ways you can get into the slaughterhouse in the first place. billie's report about the man off the shore watching the place and her deeply sarcastic "if i weren't so young and pure of heart, i'd suggest he's up to no good." said man being reverently fearful of daud and very efficiently establishing that daud has a reputation as a fucking scary dude. abigail ames full stop - but especially her casually murdering rothwild with a screwdriver if you leave them alone. being able to mercy kill the poor whale - and blowing up the whole fucken place afterward to boot.

eminent domain - introducing thalia and roland, both of whomst i love. the beautiful genius of roland's revenge scheme, and the hilarity of the scene of timsh being arrested. the truly eerie speech thalia gives describing the séance. "i thought only the dead appeared at séances" is such an understated line but it inspires so much dread.

the good doctor - just feels like a massive level with all the floors and secret rooms and the partially flooded basement? and i'm a sucker for a good jekyll and hyde homage. most importantly tho: HYPATIA MY BELOVED. admittedly one major grievance: in the non-lethal route we literally just leave her sitting on the floor of her gore-stained laboratory in horrific shock, what the hell's up with that.

[andromythical]

PJO FINALE SPOILERS!!

"Look - You didn't ask to be a half-blood" OOH IM GAGGED. the swordfighting flashbacks??? "I warned you. If you're not careful, you'll find out who I am." OH THAT IS MY PERCY JACKSON RIGHT THERE!! THE WAVE GOING AROUND HIM????? HE SLASHED ARES' ACHILLES TENDON.... OH MY GODS. OHH HADES' HELM.. "tell Hades I expect him to do the same.... please." OHH THE ZEUS CONVERSATION IN THE CABIN ! "I'm done running from monsters. This is too important, I have to try." ANNABETH GIVIJG HIM HER NECKLACE IM SICKKK

"just to be clear, how sure are we we cant explain all of this in an email?" "Where's the glory in that? WOAH. OLYMPUS IS SO COOL???? I WOULD KILL TO LIVE THERE. ohh another Percy and Luke flashback.. THE SPIDER/DEMIGOD COMPARISON?? "Things that are small and scary.. get squished." HOLY SHIT. oh the council room is not at all as cool as I thought. r.i.p Lance Reddik, absolute legend 🫡 OHHH THIS IS SO GOOD THIS IS SOOOO GOOD. "BOY. the war proceeds, it ends with victory." oh wow. oh wowwee. "They obey, because theyre afraid." TOA REFERENCE?? OH MY GODS OH MU GODS POSEIDON SAVING PERCY IM THROWING UP IM ILL!! "Take your victory, just spare my son." number 1 dad alert?? THEY'RE SPEAKING ANCIENT GREEK??? WHAT?? THIS IS SO COOL??? "Make sure I never see this one again" uhm about that... "The sea does not like to be restrained" HE SAID THE LINE!!! HE SAID THE LINE!! ohh they both love Sally so much I'm dying. "Do you ever dream about mom?" ohhh I'm sobbing. THE LOOK ON PERCY'S FACE WHEN POSEIDONS HAND PULLS AWAY?? ARE THOSE THE STOLL BROTHERS?? OR CASTOR AND POLLUX?? ohh they're hugging. oooh they're strategizing. CLARISSE!! leave my girl ALONE!! "And you should be betrayed by one who calls you a friend" oh honeyyy :( HES FIGURING IT OUT. THE FIREWORKS LIGHTING LUKES SCAR?? "I didn't think you'd give them to Grover to wear." he likes Grover, he didn't want Grover to be hurt because he was his first proper protector, he lead him, Annie, and Thalia to safety, to camp, Luke DIDN'T WANT TO HURT GROVER. Ohh walker and Charlie's acting is insane... BACKBITER ??? ohh this is so good kid from the musical coded. "This isn't you!! 🥺🥺" Luke's face when Percy said he met Hermes is making me SOB. oh this fight scene is so sick... ANNABETH??? Luke's face?? HE WENT THROUGH THE GATEWAY?? I'm crying. "I don't think he does either, that's what scares me." OHHHH. "You are a leader in the eyes of your fellow half-bloods." HES TWELVE ??? 😭😭 "Percy?? That's your name??" Oh Dionysus I love you. ANNABETHS HAIR DEVOURED??? "And then some place like Disney world?" ANNABETHHH "just.. be a kid." OH MY GOD. GROVERS SEARCHING LICENCE?? "No ones bothered to check the seas!" WOO FORESHADOWING!! THE GROUP HUG :(( CRYING. SALLY!!!! the only mother and son duo ever. Ohh their acting is unreal. IT WAS A DREAM?? is that Kronos?? he's fucking ugly I can't even lie... OHH IT'S SALLY SHES REAL!! "grandpa:(" "don't call him that..." cry laughing. They're so precious to me :(((( BLUE PANCAKES!! I'm sick this is so perfect 😭😭 the brainrot is real.

[negative-speedforce]

how do your ocs ring in the new year? :)

Siv: goes to the top of the tallest building in Central City to watch fireworks

Jay: shares a new year's kiss and a toast of champagne with his fiancee

Hailey: goes to bed early

Cassandra: shares a kiss at midnight with Jay

Esme: midnight margaritas with her friends

Arya: blows up a toilet with fireworks to ring in the new year

Ember: goes to bed early

Gina: stays up late to watch the ball drop

Cat: leaks government documents to ring in the new year

Max: shoots off fireworks with Kyle

Kyle: shoots off fireworks and inevitably ends up getting arrested for shooting off fireworks

Eric: goes to bed early

Jacob: calls his kids to wish them happy new year

Antonio: goes to bed early

Rania: a toast with Eobard to ring in the new year

Ameerah: watches the ball drop

Cory: goes to the big Oregon New Year's Eve powwow (which is coincidentally where I am as I write this)

Reggie: stays up late

Meredith: goes to bed early

Director Hawke: has a glass of champagne while watching the ball drop

Onnie: goes to bed early

Pippa: watches the ball drop on TV

Jessi: is onstage for new year's in Times Square

Hyun-Ki: calls his mom and wishes her happy new year

Marie: toasts to the new year with her girlfriends

Liah: toasts to the new year with her girlfriends

Qiara: toasts to the new year with her girlfriends

Soraya: goes to bed early

Thalia: goes to bed early

Reyna: blows off fireworks and ends up lighting half the base on fire

Athena: has a passionate new year's kiss with Laila

Laila: is the one being kissed by Athena

Samira: watches the ball drop

Aldrich: surprises Samira with a midnight kiss

Sohelia: goes to bed early

Matt: prays blessings over the new year

Vanessa: watches the ball drop

Dolores: goes to bed early

Victorie: goes to bed early

[twoidiotwriters1]

Daughter of Olympus (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Here's the playlist for the fic, have fun -Danny Words: 2,642 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter / Next Chapter Listen to: 'She's So High' -by Castlecomer

VIII. I Commit a Hate Crime

Lily isn't happy about me leaving, but she isn't sad either. I have the irking suspicion that I'll be the one who calls first. Camp's where Thalia Grace is, so Lily will have someone to hang out with, they're both equally scary.

Before I leave, Lily gives me the Aphrodite figurine from her Mythomagic game, and she's blessed it, or at least that was her intention, that's what counts. It'll keep my spirits up when things get hard.

Tyson gives me a dove made of metal scraps, it's beautifully crafted, and I cry when I see it. The Stolls give me back my teddy bag—I didn't even notice it was gone!—fully stashed with candy and ambrosia for emergencies only.

"Your new mom will give you veggies and all that healthy food," Travis ruffles my hair. "We're making sure you get the good stuff as well."

"Hey, my mom gives me a balanced diet!" Percy exclaims. "She makes the best chocolate chip cookies!"

Lily holds my hands and squeezes them. "Always on the lookout."

We press the scars on our wrists together, like a high-five gesture. "Thank you for the figurine. I'll keep in touch."

"You better," she grins.

"Mom's here," Percy announces, then he pats Lily's shoulder. "Look after the camp for us, alright, Lily?" 

My friend blushes furiously, she mutters a reply and walks away. 

Leo's mood worsens after he checks Festus's circuits. "Not my fault. Festus, you're making me look bad."

"What's the matter?" Ara keeps her distance, but she's paying close attention to what he's doing. 

Leo opens the control panel and his shoulders fall. "Oh, Festus, what the heck?"

"What is it?" Ara presses anxiously. "What happened?"

"Everything's icy!" The boy complains. "All of it! This is nuts, it looks like Festus's been sleeping in a freezer!"

"Maybe Khione did it, she didn't seem to like us..." Ara climbs the dragon again, the purple cloak flies behind her as she moves. Leo can't help but notice how quick she is. "Can you fix it?"

"Can I fix a pretty girl's dragon? Yeah, but I'll be honest, one more of these godly stunts and Festus could be done for," he sighs, sitting back down and staring at the panel in defeat.

Ara kneels next to him, her face is so full of worry, that the boy's jealous of his own dragon. What did Festus do to make her love him this much?

"Hey, I'd build two Festus for you if I could, I'll try my best to keep him going," Leo tells her. "You care a lot, don't you?"

Ara caresses the dragon's head with a gentle hand. "I was the one who brought it back..."

"You?" Leo can't help feeling attracted to this girl, she's full of surprises. A well-made ten from head to toe. "Is he like your son?" He teases her, trying to get rid of the butterflies.

Ara wrinkles her nose, which makes it worse for him 'cause for a moment she looks even cuter. "You probably think it's obnoxious, considering I didn't build him—"

"You probably think I'm stupid for naming him," he replies. "You've known him the longest—"

"I just poked around until he woke. I was trying to save a friend and—"

Leo laughs. "Every time you tell me a story, they end or start with 'I was trying to save a friend'. Is that all you do?"

"Emphasis on trying," she replies, a tiny smile on her face. "When you're a demigod, it sort of becomes like second nature to step in when someone needs help."

Leo then hums and changes the subject because no, Leo never looked out for anyone but himself, so he can't relate to this. "Must be easy for you, you're a tiny wonder woman." 

Ara laughs and it's like fireworks go off in his mind. He can't stand how giddy she makes him.

"I wasn't always this strong, you know? Two years ago I was four feet tall, and as brittle as a feather."

"Now that's a story I wanna hear," Leo smirks.

So picture me on the first day of school, clutching onto Percy's worn-down hoodie as we walk into the building. He stops in front of my locker and places a hand on my shoulder, he's forgotten about my empath touch, and the worry and anxiety hit me double. 

"What's the plan?" He asks me.

"We eat together," I glance at the strangers around me. "If a kid makes eye contact for too long, I pretend I didn't notice..."

"Because..."

"It might be a monster, or I might get locked up in a janitor's closet."

"You're small, Ara, but you have charm on your side," he eyes me with concern. "Use it."

As a twelve-year-old who has lived years in a controlled environment, his behavior is confusing. "Aren't you supposed to tell me to have fun?"

Percy snorts. "It's a school, Ara. We don't have fun here."

I nod in agreement, he knows better, after all. 

We go our separate ways. The classes are dull, and I struggle with my dyslexia and ADHD but it's not the worst... then I meet the other kids. 

You see, demigods' rules work differently than the ones mortal kids have in public spaces. For example, at camp, you could almost kill someone during training, but that's alright cause they also tried to maim you so you're even.

Here is like they can't wait to be on the FBI's most-wanted list. I've seen students commit war crimes and the teachers don't bat an eye. The popular kids, dear Zeus, they'd make Adonis feel like a clown. One time I wore Percy's old basketball shorts to P.E. and I swear you would've thought I showed up covered in pig's blood.

Puberty's standing outside my window pointing a shotgun at me. My hair isn't soft enough, my eyes are too small, and my nose is too large for my face—but I'm not going to stand in the middle of my living room and whine about it.

I begged Percy to give me the shirts and hoodies he no longer wanted because I liked them. I even liked the things he didn't like. He'd gotten this sweater for Christmas that he absolutely despised and the next time Sally asked about it, he said that I had taken it hostage and "refused" to give it back. 

I think she knows he was lying, but Sally likes how our sibling dynamic bloomed so quickly. The three of us are amazing together, every Friday is movie night, every Sunday is game night, and sometimes Sally tucks us in—or just me, when Percy is feeling too grown up. I'm perfectly happy when I'm not reminded of my existence inside a human body. 

There is one event I remember vividly, and it reminds me that no matter how important I am at camp, in the mortal world, I'm still a nobody.

My first date ever.

Leo's glaring at the disk he's holding like it's the source of every single problem in his life.

"Sir, is that disk bothering you?" Ara nudges his shoulder. "Just melt it out of existence!"

His brows knit together. "Dude, don't even joke about it..."

Ara's intrigued by his reaction, and she cocks her head to the side. "What's on your mind?"

"Oof, let's not go there!" The boy makes a face. "Are you seriously not afraid?"

"Of you?" She smirks. "Leo, I know a guy that can raise the dead. I don't think your situation's that alarming—"

"What about that line in the prophecy? To storm or fire the world must fall."

"If I could get rid of the fates, I would," Ara groans. The sky thunders. "I said what I said!"

Leo gets up abruptly, staring at the mud with wide eyes. 

"You... You killed my mom."

"What?" Ara looks in the direction he's glaring at, but nothing's there. "Leo?"

He seizes a piece of plastic, throwing it into a puddle of waste. "Leave me alone!"

"Leo!" Ara gets up. "Who are you talking to?"

He looks at her with frantic eyes, but before he can reply, a loud crash comes from inside the building behind them. Ara draws out her sword and runs, Leo catches up quickly and almost leaves her behind, but Ara stops him from rushing into the place.

"Follow me, don't be a hero," she whispers.

As soon as they enter, the smell of something rotten makes her gag. Piper calls out to them, and Leo freezes. They hide and listen as a heavy voice speaks:

"Told you it was nothing."

Ara's knees buckle and she holds onto Leo. Piper's voice comes back, but they can see it's not coming from the girl. "Leo, help me! Help—" Then the creature changes its voice. "Bah, there's nobody out there. No demigod could be that quiet, eh?"

The boy shakes her shoulder with wide eyes, demanding an answer. Ara points to the logo on the wall and mouths: "Cyclops." 

"Probably ran away, if they know what's good for them. Or the girl was lying about the two other demigods. Let's get cooking."

Ara and Leo recoil closer together, she closes her eyes as an emergency light blinds her. Ara's nose to nose with Leo, and her heart flutters at the proximity. He smells just like the forges at camp, and that is weirdly comforting to her.

"First lesson for rookie demigods: Cooperation is the best tactic for survival," she whispers at him.

Jason and Piper are tied by the ankles with thick chains going all the way down to their necks. Piper's moving but Jason's limp, an ugly bump on his forehead tells Ara he's got a concussion. The girl's hand holds the hilt of her sword tightly. Three cyclops against two demigods. Not impossible, just challenging.

She crouches next to Leo again and lifts three fingers, trying to remain calm, and then points at his tool belt silently asking if he's got something there that could help. "We don't have to fight them." She thinks, hoping he understands. Leo rummages through the contents of his backpack. 

The boy works as quickly as his mind comes up with an idea. He's got a stack of tiny remote control units in his hands and locks eyes with her, pointing at the cranes. They'll have to be fast, so it's time to use one of her wildcards. 

She supports her forehead on the handle of her sword, praying with all her heart. "Lord Hermes, if you're listening... help." Ara opens her eyes and looks at Leo, the boy doesn't even question her actions, his mind already on the next thing. 

"Rarr! Don't try your pretty talk on me, girl! I'm Ma Gasket! I've eaten heroes tougher than you for lunch!" The female cyclops calls Piper a spawn of Venus after she tries to use charmspeak on them.

"Never fought a child of Olympus, though," Ara thinks with pride. Leo and she work in silence as if they've done this a thousand times before. The girl reaches out and he hands her wire, Leo holds out a hand and Ara gives him the screwdriver.

"What was that, you ingrate?" Ma Gasket snaps at one of her kids.

"Nothing, Ma. I said you got a soft heart. We get to work for you, feed you, file your toenails—"

"And you should be grateful! Now, stoke the fire, Torque! And Sump, you idiot, my case of salsa is in the other warehouse. Don't tell me you expect me to eat these demigods without salsa!"

"Yes, Ma," Sump replies. "I mean no, Ma. I mean—" 

"Go get it!" Ma hits him on the head, and Ara thanks her for disorienting the babies beforehand. Piper catches a glimpse of them and gasps. "What's the matter, girl? So fragile I broke you?"

"I think it's my ribs, ma'am. If I'm busted up inside, I'll taste terrible," she lies.

"Good one!" Ma chortles. "The last hero we ate—remember him, Torque? Son of Mercury, wasn't he?"

"Mercury!" Ara thinks with delight. It seems she made the right call when she prayed to Hermes, he'll definitely want to get even with these clowns.

"Yes, Ma. Tasty. Little bit stringy."

"He tried a trick like that. Said he was on medication. But he tasted fine!"

"Tasted like mutton. Purple shirt. Talked in Latin. Yes, a bit stringy, but good."

"Purple shirt? Latin?" Piper questions, having the same thoughts as Ara and Leo.

"Good eating," Ma hums. "Point is, girl, we're not as dumb as people think! We're not falling for those stupid tricks and riddles, not us northern Cyclopes."

"Oh, I've heard about the northern Cyclopes! I never knew you were so big and clever!"

"Flattery won't work either!" The monster says proudly. "It's true, you'll be breakfast for the best Cyclopes around."

"But aren't Cyclopes good? I thought you made weapons for the gods."

Ara can't help but think about her brother, Tyson. He's not really her brother, but he calls her sister because Percy does, and she doesn't mind adding him to her family tree.

"...Titans lost. No good! No more need for Cyclops weapons."

"Oh, no! I'm sure you made some amazing weapons."

"Squeaky war hammer!" One of Ma's babies picks up something and slams it against the floor. It sounds like a big angry duck.

"Terrifying," Piper approves.

"Not as good as the exploding axe, but this one can be used more than once." 

Leo gets impatient and a couple of wires spark in his hands. The young Cyclops reacts, throwing a huge truck in their direction. Ara and Leo roll to opposite sides, Ara runs towards the catwalk and as she does she prays to both, Hermes and Mercury. 

"I need to be faster!" She pants.

Almost immediately, her skin starts glowing green. Ara has Hermes's blessing now. Her feet move so fast that she's barely touching the floor, she reaches the catwalk as Torque flies up, and without thinking, Ara jumps and stabs him between the shoulder blades with her sword.

He turns to dust and therefore Ara has nothing to hold on to so she falls, but being the best climber in camp has given her the great skill to know how to land without hurting any of her soft spots. She gets up like it's nothing, still glowing as she moves towards Ma Gasket with her sword ready.

The girl sneaks between Ma's legs and slices one ankle, enraging the Cyclops and distracting her. Sump comes back. "Ma, I got the extra-spicy—" 

Leo moves the crane in time and slams the young Cyclops onto the ground with such force that he instantly turns into dust. "You busted my boys!" Ma Gasket shrieks. "Only I get to bust my boys!" 

"That's not something to be proud of," Ara lifts her sword again. "Get a parenting book!"

Leo tries to slam two cranes against Ma, but she breaks them easily. Ara's eyes wander up. "Leo, throw me to the engine block!"

"What?"

"Just do it!"

Ma Gasket throws the robotic arms toward Leo and he barely dodges them. Ara climbs the crane at the speed of light. "Any more tricks, demigods?" Ma Gasket growls.

"Heck, yeah, I got tricks!" Leo distracts her as Ara gets to the top. "Take one more step, and I'll destroy you with fire!"

"Would you? Cyclopes are immune to fire, you idiot. But if you wish to play with flames, let me help!" Ma Gasket laughs.

The monster throws hot coals at him and picks up a barrel of kerosene. Leo bursts into flames but as he does, the robotic arm where Ara's crouching Spider-Man style rises up. She jumps to the engine block. Leo is completely intact, holding the melted remote like it's Play-Doh.

"You live?" The monster gasps. "What are you?"

"The son of Hephaestus," he states proudly. "And I warned you I'd destroy you with fire." 

Ara holds onto the block and slashes the chain keeping it in place. She coughs as a cloud of golden dust puffs out from under the heavy block.

"Not immune to engines, huh?" Leo laughs. "Boo-yah!"

"You didn't destroy her with fire, though," the girl points out as she jumps off the block.

"Sunshine, you looked just as hot to me," he replies, looking at her with a huge smile.

Ara faints without warning.

Next Chapter ->

Taglist.

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