#if helen of troy looked anything like her then i too would join the fight

[roaringroa]

just saw the most beautiful girl i’ve ever seen in my life like 10 minutes ago i am literally still shaking and i didn’t even interact with her

[ohbo-ohno]

A Helen of Troy-Esque Au where Soap is chosen by the gods to decide xyz thing and picks Ghost who promises to give him the most beautiful woman in the world and he ends up picking Reader. And now both of you are Ghost’s pets because he decides he likes you too much to let you go. :) or a Hephaestus/Aphrodite-esque au with horribly disfigured Soap who wants nothing more then the beautiful goddess who smiles at him from across the room. And one day he begs you to come to his forge, says he has a surprise for you, a beautiful golden throne he spent days making. Gold and iron and silver roses decorating it all around with the softest looking bear skin filled with cotton and wool to act as a cushion. Except when you sit on it and try to relax, suddenly cuffs come up from arms and keep you trapped. And they’re so strong threat no matter your kicking and squealing, you can’t get out. Can only cry as Soap licks up your tears, palming himself with one hand as the other gropes your tits. Guess Ares!Ghost will just have to come save you! (And end up joining in the fun) - 🕸

ok wait wait i see your aphrodite!reader idea but i think you've got it switched. i feel like ghost as hephaestus and soap as ares makes more sense

ghost, who's so ugly that he wears a fucking mask because he's tired of the pity he gets from the other gods. ghost, who's married to the goddamn goddess of beauty because of some sick cosmic joke (aka idk who hera would be)

consider: ghost who's never even met his wife. he has an image of her in his head already and he just can't imagine she's anything but a vapid, shallow bitch who wouldn't give him the time of day. giving incel vibes tbh

and reader, the goddess of love who's husband couldn't have less interest in her. hurts like hell, but eventually she decides Fuck That guy and finds her own love, with the charming-but-cocky god of war. #PowerCouple

and soap is like oh fuck yeah, a beautiful woman wants to be his and he gets to fuck with ghost at the same time? oh buddy things couldn't be going better for him. so he makes sure he's seen constantly with his pretty goddess, starts wars for her and fights in her honor, does absolutely everything in his power to make sure ghost sees that soap's the one with his wife on his arm

this could go a few ways but im thinkinggggg maybe ghost decided Oh Hell No. he may have always had a bit of a thing for that punk god of war, but he cannot let Johnny flaunt his wife all over olympus. so he starts a very slow (and frankly awkward) courting process with his own wife

and poor reader, she's so conflicted :( she's definitely in love with johnny, but the more her husband pursues her the more she feels for him, the more she really wishes their marriage was real

one day he lures her back to the forge with promises of gifts and, just like you said, locks her to his throne :(

hours, maybe even days later johnny storms into the forge, determined to drag his pretty pretty girl away from the asshole god of fire, only to find her naked and slick, tied to a stunning throne, with ghost knelt between her knees

and she cries out - in ecstasy or relief? - when she sees him, begs - for help or for more?

and she's truly convinced that johnny will help her, will tear her brute of a husband away so she can storm up to olympus and demand retribution

but instead he just moves forward and slowly sinks to his knees beside ghost, eyes locked on her cunt

(it can't be the worst thing to share, can it?)

[spiritualbambi]

pick a card: future partner's feelings for you channelled into messages

pile 1 -> pile 2 pile 3 -> pile 4

JOIN MY DISCORD

MASTERLIST

MY KOFI

INSTRUCTIONS: breath in, breath out and choose whatever picture that draws you in the most!

NOTE: it’s completely fine if you are attracted to more than one pile - the universe probably wants you to see some other messages. this is also general reading, not everything may resonate! enjoy!

PILE 1

"she is the light of my life. she is everything that i'm left with in this damned world. she is truth, she is justice, she is hope; my hope to do better, to love better."

"she motivates me to love the world more, to appreciate the little things, even the ones i hate. but i just want to love her more, i just want to love her more..."

"she is the world. she is my god. she is my religion. i look into her eyes, she smiles brightly. she doesn't know that now, in my mind, i'm kneeling in front of her, praying for her love. and i pray, i pray everyday for my god not to abandon me."

"her heart is pure, and i'm afraid to taint it. i'm afraid the world will taint it. i just want to protect her, protect from all the evils. just let me be your shield."

"my love for her is never-ending. i'll build a temple in her name, i'll build thousands of taj mahals. our love will be greater than all those magical indian tales."

"i know i'm not the best. i know i'm not the best she can get. she deserves so much more. i don't know why you chose me, but i won't dare to question my god's judgement. if she's happy, i am too."

PILE 2

"she is a cherry-blossom spring. my joyful dandelion, my precious daffodil, my untouched magnolia. she is my garden of eden."

"she tastes of the sweetest strawberry vanilla shortcakes, cherry cream eclairs and apple cranberry galettes. she is the finest china and softest silks; she is my marie antoinette."

"in her presence i hear the songs of angels - and, oh, i feel elated!"

"someone has gifted me her - there's no way she chose willingly to step into my life. and, oh, i'm so grateful."

"her heart of gold cherishes my miserable being. her touch can heal thousands of wounds; one word uttered from her lips, and i'll come back to life. ah, life is so easy with her."

"i hope this dream of ours never ends. it can't, it can't!"

"fuck orpheus and eurydice, fuck paris and helen of troy, fuck all of them - my love for her can't be even compared to these silly legends, it's greater than all of them combined!"

PILE 3

"my love is dangerous."

"she is a siren - a mind-blinding beauty, forever luring me into her traps."

"she is a mermaid - a mysterious enchanting creature, whom i'll wishfully follow to the depths of the bermuda triangle.

"she is a nymph - a childishly playful, lively lass, who, to my pleasant annoyance, loves to tease me till death."

"she is a succubus - oh, i won't tell the things she do to me..."

"she is my mischievous rusalka - an amazingly cunning but nurturing entity, who shines with her generous heart."

"she makes me feel trapped. i feel absolutely helpless, but i don't think i can even fight her powers. i surrender to her love, to her wishes, to her."

"and i worship her. i don't have a choice - i'm just that bewitched. there's no cure, and i would never search for it - this is my destiny."

PILE 4

"she is my angel of the whole universe. she is grand; she makes me feel like a king."

"her love is so sweet, she feels like a fantasy dream."

"she is my princess, my princess that hopefully needs to be saved from a dragon. i wish to be her knight in shining armour; i want to save her, to protect her and to love her eternally."

"i want to be her hero of the day. if she needs anything - i'm here by her side, patiently waiting for her orders."

"she can insult me, degrade me, betray me, and i'll still come back to her like a damn fool."

"she is one in a trillion, i'll never find anyone like her."

"every night stars whisper to me, saying that she is one of them, she is one of the stars. they whisper to forgive her no matter what, to understand her whimsical nature. and i dearly listen... and obey."

[streets-in-paradise]

Family Matters

Troy (2004) reader insert fanfiction - Part 5

The option to vinculate links on words is not working right now for me, i don’t know why. I will add the links to the previous parts later. For now, all can be found in the Troy (2004) tag of my blog. 

Word Count: 2.858

Characters: Agamemnon, Menelaus, Achilles, Myceneaean Princess Reader. 

Relationships: Family relationships of the House of Atreus, Agamemnon and Achilles’ rivality. 

Warnings: Agamemnon and Menelaus being dickheads, hints of casual sexism. 

Summary: Agamemnon finds out about his daugther’s new friendship and his brother tries to stop him from making a big deal about it. 

Disclaimers: As i explained before, i try to follow Troy’s characterizations of most of the characters as much as i can. The Atrides are going to be douchebags because that’s how the movie portrays them. I just discovered i have lots of fun writing about this two scumbags, this was super fun to write. I felt them like the fun kind of scumbags while doing this. 

Tags: @yerevasunclair​ @hrisity12​ 

Thanks for reading!! 

Once the celebrations concluded and the guests started to return to their homelands the princess of Mycenae begged her father to let her stay in Sparta for a longer while instead of returning with him to their kingdom. Agamemnon didn't find major inconvenients on her request. He seemed pretty pleased with the image of family unity that the friendship of his daughter and his sister in law was reflecting. As long as Menelaus could be able to keep her under his watch and bring her back when she would wish it, he didn't have issues against it. For once, he didn't have anything to criticize. 

They discussed the topic early because she wanted to make sure of having enough time to convince him in the case of getting a straight negatory as first reply. She did it shortly before saying goodbye to Odysseus and Penelope, so she would be able to count with her biggest supporters in case of need. Before leaving, the king of Ithaca reminded her in a teasing tone to keep going with the good behaviour. The queen showed her gratitude for the help she was providing to her cousin. She hugged both of them with a great amount of enthusiasm and love. 

The situation became more complicated a short while after. Achilles was leaving the same day, joining his friend in the first stages of his travel. Without any consideration and staying true to his carefree style, he personally greeted the princess in front of her father. 

It was then when the king found out about their meeting. 

" Odysseus introduced us." she tried to excuse herself after seeing the horrified expression in her father's face. Achilles was trying to act in a cautious way because he didn't want to upset her, but the gesture was enough to make Agamemnon's blood boil and it was visible in his reaction. " It was just a formal introduction, very brief."  she lied. 

" I imagined it was a possibility. I wonder why I wasn't informed about it?"  the king recrimined her, looking at her with a deadly serious stare. 

" We didn't consider it necessary. " Achilles added. " As she said, it was very brief. Although, i felt i needed to approach her for a proper goodbye." 

" Since when do you have good manners? You are a killer beast." 

" I can be nicer when i want to be." 

Anticipating a new fight, she interrupted them in an attempt to calm them down. 

" There is no need for hostilities." 

" I didn't give you permission to speak." her father shut her up.

" You should, your rulership would be more stable if you listened to her from time to time. She is very clever and she loves her country. She told me some very interesting things about it, her eloquence makes you feel curious. She does a better job than you in selling off your unity ideal. I have the feeling that she could rule the country better than you. '' Achilles mocked him. 

She wished she could laugh openly at the comment. 

" Like if you knew anything about rulership. You are nothing more than an insolent soldier!!!"  Agamemnon replied, emphasizing the last sentence.

Before the argument could start to escalate they were interrupted by Menelaus. She felt relieved because all the work would not rely on Odysseus again. 

" What's the problem, brother? He is just teasing you." the spartan king commented in a relaxed tone. " Great joke, very appropriate. Polite but innocent. I'm not entirely sure of which one of you is supposed to insult more."  

" Why would it be insulting to me? " she asked, trying to hide her annoyance. 

" Because it is so irrelevant that it's funny. '' Menelaus started to laugh." If he truly wanted to compliment you he should have said something about your face or your hair, he could have praised anything else instead of your talent with words. You are not a diplomat, you are a young princess. That's not how you talk to a girl, that's how you close a negotiation. If all he has to say about you is that you talk a lot then he doesn't have anything too valuable. If I was your father I would be very calm about it. " 

" To praise a woman's intelligence is like to value a bird for its feet, absolutely pointless." Agamemnon added. " I must assume he is in the mood for strange jokes. " 

" Take it as you prefer, but I wasn't talking to you. "  the warrior replied, as sharply as usual.

The girl felt touched by his implícit defense. 

" It was an honour and a pleasure to meet you. I wish you good luck and a safefull return to your home." 

" You don't need to worry for him, darling. Danger itself is afraid of him. " Menelaus joked , interrupting them again. 

" I'm as used to danger as your uncle is to chaze girls young enough to be your cousins. " 

Instead of taking him seriously, the king of Sparta laughed again.

" You are a madman, but you never fail to amuse me. I think that the real reason why you two don't get along is because my brother doesn't get your sense of humour. He is a very serious man, always has been. " 

His niece was very happy because she guessed Achilles said that sharp commentary as a hint for her. From the many they had over the week, at least he remembered their deepest conversation. He took the bother of acting as her voice, saying to Menelaus at least a bit of everything she wished she could yell at him. It was a beautiful, kind gesture, more than she ever expected of him. 

She would have shown herself in absolute awe if it wasn't for the rampant rage she felt after witnessing her uncle laughing at something that would have enraged him if it would have been said by her. Pretending to keep engaged in the conversation, she defended Agamemnon. She hated to do it, but it was necessary to look less partial. 

" The weight of the crown makes him more wary but he has his moments."  

" It is the first reasonable thing i heard from you so far." he replied, with a bit of sarcasm." Go with your aunt... NOW!!" 

The young lady obeyed because she had no other choice. Without daring to emit a single sound, her gaze followed Achilles's one last time in a silent goodbye. He smiled at her with the same intention.

 She had to stand a long nagging session afterwards. Once the public gaze was no longer a concern Agammenon was free to show all his disgust and disappointment, threatening about how he was going to drag her back to Mycenae and lock her in the palace until she learned how to behave. 

She barely listened to him, her focus was almost entirely centered in her happy thoughts about Achilles. She was thinking of his beautiful blue eyes, his sweet smile, how much she enjoyed his company and how amazing he was for defending her in front of the biggest authorities of the place. He was so subtle that neither Agamemnon or Menelaus noticed anything. It felt like a last secret gift from him, something only them understood. 

Nothing else  mattered anymore. Not in a hopeless way but in a happy one instead. She was there pretending to care while keeping the happiness in her mind. It was the strangest and most amazing sensation. 

Her uncle was trying to defend her, but that didn't matter as well. She knew he was doing it for his own selfish reasons. He needed her there so she could stay to keep Helen calm, helping her to adapt and teaching her to ignore how much she hated him. She was going to use him for her own reasons as well, making him believe she was helping him when in fact her only objective was to protect Helen from him.

" Look at how happy she is. I can't be more pleased, I would love to have her around some more time" Menelaus was claiming. 

" SHE SHAMED ME!!! DO YOU WANT TO PRAISE HER FOR WHAT SHE DID TO ME ??"  his brother complained, yelling annoyingly.  

" Achilles was going to find another way to laugh one way or another. That's how he is, you don't need to punish her for it. " 

" Can you stop protecting her? We always face the same situation. She does something wrong and you want me to ignore it. Why was she talking to Achilles in the first place???" 

" Because we were in a party, a place where it is expected for you to meet people, and we were introduced to each other? "  she answered, trying to reflect some logic. 

" An introduction shouldn't last more than the time and words required to say your name and rank." 

" I wanted to make you look good in front of him. As you always say, I'm representing you. You wouldn't have liked me to act rude, you say it looks terrible in a woman. Some casual talk is needed to keep the appearances. He is important to you, I needed to keep him happy. " she defended herself. 

" Circunstancies force me to need of him, he is not important. You don't have to make him feel important. It is the worst thing you can do. Do you have any idea of how hard it is for me to deal with his ridículous pretensions???? "

" You didn't give me proper instructions on what to do. I had to guess and I did what i would had done in any formal meeting. "

" YOU TREATED HIM LIKE A KING!! He is nothing but a soldier!! You don't owe him any sort of formality, kindness or attention. He is nothing to you, NOTHING!" Agamemnon  emphasized.

Menelaus did his best to soften his speech. 

" What your father tries to say is that he thinks a soldier, despite his fame and recognition, doesn't deserve the same treatment you would give to a royal. A lady of your position shouldn't bother with him, not even regarding positive impressions. That kind of behaviour, even with good intentions on your part, feeds his idea of considering himself higher and greater than his general and king. "  he explained to her in a condescending way, like if she was completely ignorant on the matter. " You can't treat him like you would treat Odysseus. It feeds his ego and that makes things harder for your father.”

" I just tried to be nice. I heard he is a bad tempered hero who gets easily offended. " she fakely apologised. 

Menelaus was smiling at her with his usual enthusiasm. It hurted her a bit to not be able to correspond it but, in her cheerful state, fake it was easier than ever. 

" I know, you did good." he praised her." It's not your fault, you weren't sure of how to react.  Nobody prepared you for it." 

" NOW IT IS MY FAULT??? WHY DID YOU HAD TO INVITE HIM???"  Agamemnon complained, hysterically. 

" Have you seen my wife? She is the prettiest thing i have ever seen. I wanted her to be seen by everyone, you can't blame me. I bet not even Achilles himself had a woman as beautiful as mine. I had to ask him myself." 

" Did you actually ask him? His niece questioned him, laughing a bit and hiding her awkward reaction. Something of that did make her laugh for sure. Both kings were talking of Achilles like if he was a nobody that didn't matter, yet Menelaus had the need of proving himself in front of him. He made him come to his wedding so he could satisfy his masculine needs using Helen as a symbol. He wanted to show off to a godlike handsome man desired by many women that he got a particularly splendid woman he could only be able to dream of having. She was very amused while hearing his response. 

" Sure i did. He had to recognize I was right. There is no woman on this lands as gorgeous as mine. We may have our differences but nobody denies that. It's the only fact every greek agrees with. " 

" A good symbol of unity, the best idea you came up with lately. " she added, keeping the facade of cheerful approbation. 

" You always get me so quickly. That's my girl!!" he replied, hugging her sideways.

" I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR PRETTY WIFE, MENELAUS! THAT'S NOT THE POINT NOW!!" Agamemnon kept shouting. 

" Brother, you know i follow and support all your choices but you don't need to question her now. She had good intentions. " 

" Intentions don't justify terrible results. MY DAUGHTER , OF ALL PRINCESSES, WAS THE ONE TREATING HIM WITH HONOURS!! " 

" I already told you i'm sorry. What do you want me to do? Insult him the next time I see him?" she joked, fed up of his stupidity. 

"Let's hope there will be no next time. " her father assured her. " I try very hard to gradually trust you in the spaces a woman of your age should start attending. I know it is important but you keep bringing me more headaches. You are my daughter, ACT AS SUCH!" 

" Ajax says I'm lovely." she excused herself. 

" I CAN'T GET YOU MARRIED TO A BRUTE FROM AN INSIGNIFICANT KINGDOM!!" 

That was all he seemed to care about, his only obligation as a father. She was so relaxed that she barely cared about the mention of that delicate issue. Her good mood was a good push to keep inventing excuses to delay the talk.

" You have plenty of time to think about it but the world is not going to be conquered by itself. Soon you will rule every corner, being crowned as the greatest emperor of our history. I will be swimming in a sea of suitors, maybe even bigger than Helen's. This little incident will feel funny, we will be so powerful that men would embarrass themselves in front of me to get my approbation regardless of my behaviour. "

" Did you hear that? She is proud of you" Menelaus teased. 

" Of course i am. My dear father is the greatest conqueror this world has ever seen. Free cities tremble to the mention of his name. " she exaggerated to flatter him. As always, she was going to get what she wanted with lies. " I know some people like to spread lies and exaggerations claiming that you would be nothing without Achilles but the truth is that he would be nothing without you. You made him who he is, that ungrateful bastard is becoming a legend because he is fighting for you."  She said exactly what he wanted to hear, knowing she would get a positive response. 

" That's what i always say but nobody listens!! Nestor and Odysseus expect me to stand back and accept his pressures, your uncle thinks everything is a joke. That man doesn't respect me, he never listens to me! He is a threat to my position as commander of the army, I can't allow him to do as he pleases. What kind of example is that to other soldiers? To the kings whose armies are under my command???" 

" A seed of rebellion, you can't hold a weapon you can't control. That's why you do your best to keep him at bay. " she reassured him. " I'm sorry if my intervention ruins your plans. I tried to be a pleasant company to show off and make you proud. "  

Agamemnon was backing off slowly. He never used to make his changes of mind evident. She noticed it because his expression, still severe, didn't show the same rage anymore. 

" I can let it pass... for now,"  he sentenced. 

She gave him her sweetest fake smile, pleased with the outcome of her manipulation. 

" You are the best." 

" Don't make me regret it. " 

" You never asked how the meeting with Achilles felt for me. '' she reminded him, trying to stay on his good side. " He is the most insufferable vain man I have ever met. He thinks he is the best thing that happened to mankind since the flame of Prometheus. I don't know how you stand him. I deceived him because making him feel important was all I could do to keep him calmed. " 

Her lie amused both kings and they laughed in approbation. 

The young lady considered the discussion concluded in her favour. Explicit recognition was impossible, but she read it in their attitudes. Usually, hostilities ceasing and the matter being dismissed was the clearest sign. Disengaging was their way of losing without admitting it. They simply changed the subject and continued as always. She didn't even need to ask again if she could stay in Sparta, the agreement was implicit between both brothers. 

She left the family meeting with airs of triumph, secure of her possibilities. She managed to deceive Agamemnon and Menelaus at the same time. Her ability to fake was intact after all. As she handled both sons of Atreus at once, she started to feel perfectly capable to keep doing it with just one of them for the sake of Helen's wellbeing.

[chroniclackofselfpreservation]

The Side Character

Summary: Bel-Imperia spends the evening with her friends. Or, a smattering of Early Modern characters meet up for drinks.

Word count: 1,353 AO3 link

Includes characters from: Hamlet, The Spanish Tragedy, The Merchant of Venice, and Doctor Faustus.

Note: Initially, I wrote this for my Early Modern English Literature class, and found it again going through my stuff. You don't necessarily have to have read the plays to understand what's going on, it just adds more context. It's more a commentary on the role of women in early modern literature.

Rain spattered the concrete with a heavy thrumming, soaking the hem of Bel-Imperia’s trench coat and the edges of the hood she’d thrown up over her auburn hair. Neon lights reflected off the oil-slick streets, and exhaust permeated the air.

The bar was only three blocks from her house and calling a cab seemed like a waste of money, even with the weather what it was. The crowds that usually shoved their way down to subway stations and across crosswalks had thinned somewhat in the cold wetness. Bel-Imperia could almost imagine she was alone. No ghosts. No blood spattered knives.

Just her and the pigeons.

She arrived at The Side Character far faster than she’d hoped. Her nose wrinkled at the face of the establishment, all peeling paint and greasy windows. Reaching out, Bel-Imperia grasped the rusted handle and tugged. The door’s loose hinges whined and wedged into the door frame, jamming it shut. The metal of the handle squealed and pulled free from the deteriorating screws. She stumbled back off the front step, looking at the rust-covered thing in her hand in exasperation.

She knocked and waited.

Before long, someone pressed their face to the warped glass set in the top half of the door and a smile broke over their face. It was Ophelia.

Bel-Imperia gave a half-hearted wave, feeling a bit too much like a wet dog waiting to be let inside.

Ophelia rammed her shoulder into the door and it popped open, hanging from the doorframe like a loose tooth.

“Hey, Bel! Glad you could finally make it,” she said, stepping aside and letting her enter. “Portia and Bassanio are already here,” she added in a hushed tone. Bel-Imperia shared her wary look for just a moment. They were fighting again, then. Not that she was particularly surprised. It was probably about that whole ring fiasco again.

The Side Character was as run down inside as out—creaky wood floors lacquered with spilled alcohol and the occasional vomit stain. Amber hanging lights swayed whenever the upstairs tenants plodded around. A small stage made of plywood and boxes crouched in the corner, supporting a glossy-eyed Helen of Troy at the microphone, crooning some nameless love song no one was really listening to. She recognized a few faces, but Ophelia tugged her out of the doorway before she could name them.

She led Bel-Imperia between the scattered tables to the corner-booth where Portia and Bassanio sat, pointedly not talking to each other. Ophelia scooted next to him and Bel-Imperia resigned to sit next to Portia. The woman was prickly on a good day and had already looked over her soaked outfit with a disgusted sniff.

“Um, hey Bel,” Bassanio said, closing a fist around the napkin he’d reduced to pulp with his fidgeting. “You look cold.”

“Why don’t you offer her your jacket?” Portia snipped.

Bassanio set his jaw. “We walked from the cab to the bar. You were outside for all of ten seconds.”

“You still could have offered.”

“I’m fine, Bassanio. Thanks,” Bel-Imperia said, shucking off her wet coat and placing it between her and Portia.

Polonius approached the table, a pad of paper in his hand.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ophelia groaned, burying her face in her hands.

“Greetings, random customers,” he said, wiggling his graying eyebrows. He looked to Ophelia and feigned surprise. “Daughter! What are you doing here?”

“Wishing I was dead already. Let the waiters do their jobs, Dad.”

“A father should relish the opportunity to serve his daughter and her friends. Such are the wild, wanton days of youth, right? That reminds me, Portia, I’ve something to say about you and Bassanio here—”

“Dad! Are you serious?”

“You’d do well to give this man your ear more than your mouth. Don’t be too hasty in turning your heart away, my dear.”

Portia bristled. “Excuse me?”

Bassanio began shredding another napkin.

“We’d like the Cajun fries, Dad. Okay? Can you do that?” Ophelia pleaded. Bel-Imperia glanced at Portia and, despite her dislike for the woman, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of empathy. She’d had old men tell her how to love properly too many times to count.

“I’m just giving some valuable advice, but fine,” Polonius said, then turned to Bassanio. “You tell me if Hamlet shows up, son. I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter.”

“We get it!” Ophelia cried, shoving her father away with an arm. “Sorry, guys,” she muttered, massaging her temples when he was finally gone.

“As if Hamlet would be caught dead in here,” Portia scoffed, picking at the paint on the table.

Ophelia lifted her face off the table, somewhat hopeful. “Do you guys want to go to The Heroes’ Tavern instead? Let’s go. Coming to my dad’s bar was a mistake.”

Bassanio looked up, panicked. Antonio worked there and had yet to find out that he’d gotten back together with Portia after their fling. Bel-Imperia shifted. “I don’t think that’s the best idea.”

“Yeah,” Bassanio muttered.

“Everyone knows The Heroes’ Tavern isn’t exactly female-friendly,” Bel-Imperia continued in a low voice. “We’re better off staying here.”

Ophelia looked around, realizing no one was on her side. “What? They don’t—I mean there isn’t anything stating that, is there?”

“Might as well,” Portia said.

Ophelia pouted. “Well, what about Helen? She’s been in there tons of times, I’m sure she could—”

“No,” Bel-Imperia said, and the table went silent. She’d spoken too harshly again, but she knew that the only reason Helen got inside was because Faustus liked her just a bit too much.

Portia fidgeted and changed the subject. “Me and Nerissa had to cross-dress just to get through the door.”

“You what?” Ophelia snorted.

Bel-Imperia forced a smile, also wishing the subject would change. “How’d they catch you?”

“Nerissa curtsied to the bartender.”

Laughter erupted across the table, and Bel-Imperia noticed Bassanio’s shoulders relax. Across the bar, Helen finished a song, met with a drone of chatter and laughter rather than applause. The woman readjusted the microphone with a slender hand, cuffed by a purple and gold band. She met Bel-Imperia’s gaze for a split second, and a ghost of a smile passed over her face at the laughter emanating from her table, but it disappeared instantly and she started the next song.

“Move over,” a voice hissed in her ear and snapped Bel-Imperia out of her thoughts. It was Wagner.

“Come on,” he said desperately. “I can’t handle the Disaster Duo and their never-ending stream of bad jokes.”

Bel-Imperia slid over. “Who, Robin and Rafe? I think they’re charming.”

Wagner slapped the table, the purple and gold cuff around his wrist jingling. “They want me to join their little comedy routine. No one takes me seriously around here.”

Portia cocked an eyebrow. “You’re a magician who performs party tricks.”

“I’m a sorcerer,” Wagner said, expression darkening.

“I’ve heard it both ways,” Portia said lightly, shrugging.

Bel-Imperia inspected the cuff on Wagner’s wrist. The letters CM were embossed on it in twirling capitals. The same as Helen, and Robin, and Rafe. All of Marlowe’s underlings wore them. The mark of entertainers and comedians, not to be confused with side characters, least of all heroes and protagonists. In the case of Marlowe’s men, however, no one envied his protagonist.

No one envied Kyd’s either, but at least he didn’t brand Bel-Imperia and the rest of her troupe with their status. She’d even managed to get into The Heroes’ Tavern once, but only because Hieronimo offered to sneak her in.

Reynaldo passed their table in a waiter’s uniform, dropping a plastic platter of Cajun fries between them all absently.

Bassanio sat up, hold a sagging fry up like a champagne glass. “Who needs those protagonists, anyway?” he said, then motioned for the rest to follow his lead. They all selected a fry.

“What’s a tavern without a woman?” he declared as someone would a wedding toast. Ophelia giggled as everyone tapped their fries together like fancy glasses.

A pretty successful one, by the looks of it, Bel-Imperia thought, making sure to keep the comment to herself.

[helenaspencer]

intro to helena

Is that HELENA SPENCER-MAY? Wow, they do look a lot like PHOEBE DYNEVOR. I hear SHE is an EIGHTEEN year old FRESHMAN who are studying HISTORY  at Luxor University. Word is they are an ARISTOCRAT student. You should watch out because they can be CHILDISH and SNOBBISH, but on the bright side they can also be GENEROUS and CHARMING. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself. [YUNI, 21, GMT, SHE/HER]

lord knows why i did this. im sorry.

01: basic information

Full Name: Lara Helena Spencer-May

Nicknames: Helena - she insists on being referred to only by her middle name.

Date Of Birth: August 12, 2002 (currently aged 18)

Zodiac: Leo sun, Leo ascendant, and Libra moon.

Place Of Birth: New York

Nationality: American and Swiss.

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Course: History (Freshman)

02: physical

Faceclaim: Phoebe Dynevor

Ethnicity: White (Swiss, English)

Height: 173cm (5′8)

Weight: 56kg (124lbs)

Eye Colour: Blue

Hair Colour: Blonde

Distinctive Features: a tangible air of disdain for anyone who earns less than 100k a year

Clothing Preference: Helena won’t wear anything which isn’t designer, but even then, she has her preferences. Perhaps stereotypically, she adores Chanel, closely followed by Versace. Her sense of style is fairly feminine, with a lot of dresses and skirts, and she wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of jeans.

03: personality

Overview

Positive Traits: Generous, charming, loyal, creative

Negative Traits: Childish, snobbish, insincere, judgemental

MBTI: ESTP

Religious Beliefs: Atheist

Description

Helena has pretty much the emotional maturity of Veruca Salt. Which is to say, she cares about one person in the world, and that is herself. She doesn’t make long term plans, instead pursuing short term happiness - which means that whatever she wants in that moment, she will go for. And if you stand between her and whatever she wants, no matter how dumb - whether it’s a bag or a college - she reacts dramatically. She’s not above throwing tantrums, literally stomping her feet and screaming, scratching, you name it, until she gets what she asked for. She once keyed an ex boyfriend’s car because he understandably refused to invite her to his sister’s wedding and Helena had already picked out her (white) outfit. In addition to this, Helena’s sheltered upbringing has made her extremely ignorant to the world as a whole. She fails to comprehend how anyone can not be rich, since it’s all she knows, and so she tends to assume that poor people are always lazy and unambitious. As a result, she refuses to associate herself with anyone who is a scholarship student or comes from a poor family, as she insists that mindset might be contagious and drag her down. Her mood can switch very rapidly - one minute she is being sweet and charming to you, and the next minute she is screaming and crying. She’s also extremely adept at crocodile tears, which she uses on everyone she wants something from, seeing no problem with manipulating others if it gets her what she wants. She generally has a very superior outlook on herself as opposed to others, hence why she just assumes she’s going to inherit the May family’s company, over her cousins.

04: past

Biography:

Lara Helena Spencer-May was born in New York to a Swiss father, Matteo May, and English mother, Margaret Spencer. Her father works for the family’s pharmaceutical company, her mother is from British landed gentry and works as a classicist for the British Museum. Helena spent the first few years of her life in New York, before moving back to Switzerland, although she continued to spend a lot of time in New York over the summer, where she would later meet Zander Driskell.

Although her first name is legally Lara, Helena forced everyone to call her by her middle name from the age of eleven. Firstly, she thought that Lara sounded common, and slightly too similar to her cousin Loren’s name, and secondly, as her classicist mother told her the story of Helen of Troy, who she had been named after - and there was nothing which sounded better in Helena’s shallow mind than being beautiful enough that men started wars over you.

Helena is her parents only child, and she was absolutely spoiled rotten from the moment she was born. Her father gives her anything she asks for, and pretty much dotes on her; her mother also treats her as if she’s the centre of the universe. As a result, Helena has become accustomed to never being told no, and has no idea of a good way to act if she is - hence her tendency to throw tantrums if she doesn’t immediately get what she wants. She’s far too used to being able to manipulate daddy with a few tears into giving her an extra 5k in her bank account.

From the age of six, Helena was sent away to attend Ecole des Roches, a prestigious boarding school in Paris. She would either come back to Switzerland over the summer, or spend summers in New York. One such summer was spent in Saratoga Springs when she was sixteen, where she met Zander Driskell - and who she began dating, with Helena deciding to stay in New York after summer ended to be closer. Despite this, their relationship quickly turned toxic, with Helena’s spoiled and selfish nature making it difficult for her to put up with Zander not giving her everything she wanted - they broke up and got back together multiple times over the course of the next year, before a particularly bad break up caused Helena to up and leave for Paris again, finally finishing her high school education in Paris.

Then came the time for college. To be honest, Helena has no actual interest in gaining a degree. As far as she is concerned, she is just going to get a degree for the sake of having one, as she is convinced she is going to inherit the family business. Still, she had ambitions to attend the  University of St Andrews  in Scotland, primarily because she knew Kate Middleton met Prince William there, and Helena would love to be a Queen one day. However, her grandparents instead gently pushed her to attend Luxor University, suggesting that Helena would benefit from some bonding time with her cousins. She instantly refused - and was thus incredibly shocked when for once, her father put his foot down, insisting that either Helena attend Luxor, or he would cut her allowance. No number of tantrums, screaming, threats to jump out of the window, or run away would work - Helena ended up at Luxor, much to her upset, surrounded by her dreaded scholarship students.

Timeline:

August 12 2002 - Helena is born in New York

2006 - Helena moves back to Switzerland

September 2008 - Helena is sent to Paris to attend boarding school. She returns to either Zurich or New York over the summers following.

Summer 2018 - Helena meets and begins a relationship with Zander Driskell. They have many fights and an on and off relationship.

December 2019 - After a particularly bad argument, Helena throws a tantrum and leaves New York, returning to Paris to finish her high school education.

September 2020- Helena begins attending Luxor University.... fashionably late.

05: other trivia

- Helena speaks fluent Swiss German, Swiss French, and English. In addition to this she is fluent in High French, since she attended school in Paris. Her accent when speaking English is sort of an amalgamation of American, English, and French due to her upbringing and her English mother, and it tends to change depending who she’s speaking to - if she’s speaking to someone English, for instance, it will be more on the English side as she subconsciously matches them, whereas if she’s speaking in English to a French person, it becomes more French.

- Adores the British monarchy. Especially Princess Diana. And yes, Spencer means she’s a distant relation. She won’t let you forget it.

- If you call her Lara, she will spit on you.

-She loves classical paintings, and collects art. Her dorm room walls are covered with paintings and reproductions of Greek tapestries. She dresses as Helen of Troy every. single. Halloween.

- She can play the piano, and the flute. She is constantly in a stage of quitting and rejoining the concert band though, as she joins, can’t take any criticism at all, quits, and then misses it and wants to rejoin.

- Massive fan of Lana Del Rey.

06: notable connections

Within Luxor:

- Friendships: ...

- Former Relationships: Zander Driskell

- Cousins: Loren Velazquez, Zelda Reese

NPCS

- Matteo May and Margaret Spencer May: Her parents, who she has wrapped around her little finger.

07: connection ideas/wcs

Friends

Although Helena is often too childish to hold friendships for long, she can be fun for a party, so I see her having a lot of friends who she just drinks with or parties with every once for a while, without any genuine connection going on or spending too much time together

Enemies

Maybe someone who is annoyed by her antics and has been on the receiving end of one of her tantrums and thus sees the immature side of her personality as an annoyance.

Hookups

As long as she doesn’t perceive you as poor (god forbid), she loves a good hookup or friends with benefits.

08: tl;dr

Helena is highly immature, childish, and spoiled. She is rich to the point of not being able to understand or appreciate anything cheap or anyone poor in life, and looks down on pretty much anyone who isn’t at her level of rich as a result, seeing them as lazy. She truly believes she is superior to her cousins and that she’s going to inherit their family’s company, purely because she wants it that way.

[blog-sliverofjade]

Of Doms & Subs 4: Bribery Will Get You Everywhere

Pairing: Angus Hopper x OFC

Summary:  What's a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?

Word count: 2315

Of Doms & Subs Master List

Sleeping in was something I used to enjoy.  Nestled in warm sheets while the world outside continued to turn, safe in a cozy cocoon.  After the Change, it was no longer so peaceful.  Although the house was decently soundproofed for humans, I could hear water running as someone showered.  The buzz of an electric razor.  Clinking of dishes in the kitchen.  After ten minutes of hiding with a pillow over my head, I gave up and burrowed out of the nest of blankets.  I was just pulling my shirt on when Mickayla knocked.  A thrill of pride ran through me for recognizing her scent.  I was getting better at this!

“Mornin’,” I called out and she came in at the tone of invitation in my greeting.

“How was your little adventure last night?” she grinned.

“Mortifying,” I grumped while tugging a brush through my hair.

“So if I tell you that there’s a betting pool on when you’d make a break for it we can see if werewolves die of embarrassment?”  Her grin deepened to flash a lot of pretty, white teeth.

“How about you give me a cut and I don’t throw my dirty, wet socks in your face?”  I started to reach for the duffel full of dirty clothes.  She laughed and handed me a couple of bills, which I stuffed into a pocket without counting.  “Next time let me know, I’m not above taking a fall.”

“There’s going to be a next time?”  A perfectly plucked eyebrow rose.

“Eugene and Seattle aren’t all that far.”  I turned away to wrestle my hair into a ponytail.  One look in the mirror confirmed that there was no hiding the marks from Angus’ bite, so might as well own it.  “I’m sure I could get a babysitter to come with.”  There, that barely had any bitterness to it.

“Don’t think of it that way,” she shook her head so that the blonde waves swayed back and forth.  “Think of it more like sexy bodyguards.”  I laughed in spite of myself.  “Speaking of which.”  There was a glint in her sea-blue eyes that suddenly made me very suspicious.  “You’ll want to swear off humans for awhile until you get used to your new strength.  Don’t want to break your toys.”

I stared at her in confusion until comprehension crashed over me, immediately followed by a furious blush.  “That is certainly not an issue.  Happily single since the divorce became final last year.”

“Ah,” said Mickayla knowingly, and I belatedly remembered with no small amount of chagrin that she was a therapist.  “That’s why you’re so determined to not get involved with a pack.  Too much commitment.”

“Ugh, it’s too early for psychoanalysis,” I groaned, rubbing at my face.

“Come on, cranky pants, let’s get you some breakfast.  New wolves are kinda like kids.  If they’re cranky, do they need food or sleep?  Antsy?  Then they need to go run off some energy.”  She linked her arm and in mine as we set off for the kitchen.

“Gee, thanks for that glowing comparison,” I said snidely.

“And in your case, maybe caffeine.”

“Give me tea and nobody gets hurt,” I pronounced solemnly.

“Threatening bodily harm before nine am, are you sure she’s submissive?” asked a man who had come out of a room behind us, also evidently on the hunt for breakfast.

“Watch this.”  Mickayla fixed me with a glare and before I even knew it my neck bent against my will till my throat was bared to her.  And she hadn’t even drawn on any power.  I glared at her from the corner of my eye and my face grew flaming hot.

“I wanna try,” he said.  I met his dark brown eyes with no small amount of anger that he thought he could control me so easily.  “How?  I’m more dominant than you,” he sputtered at Mickayla in confusion.  She laughed and wrapped an arm around each of our shoulders.

“She doesn’t know or respect you, Brian.  Neither her or her wolf are gonna roll over for some stranger unless he seriously pulls rank.  Do you think Alan would for just any old wolf?” she asked the somewhat forlorn wolf.

“Who’s Alan?”  At the stairs, Mickayla released us and led the way down with Brian in back so that I was sandwiched between them.  It seemed automatic, like their instincts to protect subtly guided their movements.

“Our submissive and resident quack,” Brian answered.  I automatically started to bristle at labeling any healer with such an epithet.  That thought was pushed out when it occurred to me that if they had both a submissive and a female, then they probably had no need of another.

“I’d like to see you call him that the next time he has to patch you up,” she said dryly.

The kitchen was sized and equipped to feed a small army.  Come to think of it, was there any difference between that and a pack?  People moved in vaguely organized chaos, piling plates with bacon, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, and various baked goods before moving to the dining room on the far side.  Mickayla reached around someone, who was busy wrestling the Danish that he wanted from the rest of the basket, grabbed two plates and handed one to me.  Being small meant I could easily dart around and through people to get in and out quickly, but I had no idea what the protocol was for seating arrangements so I stuck close to Mickayla and Matt, who’d joined us.

I had never seen a dining table so big, at least a dozen people were already sitting and there was room for more.  It was obviously custom made.  The kitchen also had a table that was pushed up against the main one so that everyone could be seated.  I gave Mickayla raised eyebrows in question.

“You get our fearless leader’s right hand side.  Normally that’s Tom’s, Angus’ second, but since he’s not here you get it as our honoured guest,” she said with only a hint of teasing.  I gave her a grateful look before taking the seat in question.  I stifled my surprise when she and Matt sat to my left.  Evidently they were high in the hierarchy to sit next to the second, which I thought was a silly term when Beta would have made much more sense.

“Shane and Matt will be ready to hit the road by 10:30,” Angus said casually after I’d made some headway into my meal, trying my best to ignore him.  Why he thought I’d be safer with two strange werewolves than on my own, I would never understand.  But Matt couldn’t be all bad if Mickayla had married him.

“So soon?” I asked just as casually as I liberally doused my hashbrowns with salt and pepper.  “I thought I might stick around and get to know ya’ll better.  If I have to give up my job, there’s not much of a reason to go back to Oregon right away.  Unless that would be an issue?”  Put two or more intelligent beings in a room together and politics could spontaneously erupt in a vacuum.  Visiting a pack in another state before even meeting the one back home could potentially cause more than an eruption.

The room went eerily silent as the others waited to see what their Alpha would say.  Most of them seemed to be mildly surprised and curious.  I was pretty sure they had all noticed the mark on my neck, but no one had said anything nor given it a second glance.  Despite the weird fluttery feeling of fear in my chest, I managed to actually look him in the face.  Not the eye, of course, but his strong chin, which was one of his few physical aspects that said Alpha.  Maybe that was because I always had trouble seeing men with weak chins as dominant.

“The Eugene Pack was hard-pressed to welcome you on such short notice, so no feathers will be ruffled.  And despite what that crazy lone wolf might have put in your head, you are free to travel.”  He gave a small smile that eased some of the tension that had somehow crept into my shoulders.  I was no Helen of Troy, but the apparent rarity of submissive females and the territoriality of werewolves could create a powder keg waiting to go off.  As much as I enjoyed yanking his chain, any fallout could affect both packs and they didn’t deserve that.

Mickayla made a “gimme” gesture at Brian, who sat a few seats down from her.  He sighed and handed her a twenty-dollar bill.  “Haven’t you learned not to bet against my mate yet?” Matt shook his head.

“Hey, didn’t she only go out with you because of a bet?” Brian retorted.

“Yeah, and even though I won, I still ended up losing,” Mickayla said with mock ruefulness.  The banter and round of chuckles said that it was an old joke.

“Speaking of sore losers,” I said to her with a pointed look, “I have some wet, dirty socks in dire need of a wash if there’s a washing machine I could use?”

“I’ll show you where we keep our poor beleaguered beast chained up in the basement,” Shane offered as he stood up with his empty plate.  I followed suit since I was done as well.  Mickayla surreptitiously slipped me a tenner as I passed, which immediately went into my back pocket.

“Don’t scare the poor girl!” someone called out.

“Eh, she’s seen your face and it hasn’t run her off yet.”  The teasing faded only slightly as I tagged along behind Shane.

“O captain, my captain,” Mickayla said without a trace of mockery.  There never was with her.  “If I may beg an audience?”  I nodded with a small smile that conveyed exactly what I thought of her false formality.

“Since it’s our duty to woo the new girl, some of us were thinking of showing her around town,” Mickayla said once we were ensconced in my office.  I had a suspicion that the others she was thinking of had no inkling of their implication in her plotting yet.

“Considering how she navigated rush hour traffic to evade Tom, I’d say she knows the area pretty well.”  Neither the wolf nor I liked the idea of Ellie leaving our sight.  I propped one hip on my desk without a care that it put my head slightly lower than if I were standing.  Like most of my wolves, she was taller than me anyway and she had never been anything other than proper.  Oh sure, she would skirt the bounds of propriety when the situation allowed for it, but never in a manner that would call my authority into question.

“It might be good for her to get out and see that we’re not as draconian as that John made us out to be.”  Translation: prove to her she’s not going to lose all of her freedom or she’ll bolt again.

“If you are going to manipulate me, you’re going to have to do a better job than that.”  While her point was valid, I was not about to let her think I would cave so easily.

“You can talk at her until you’re blue in the face, but she won’t understand the benefits of a pack until she sees it,” said Mickayla.  “She’s only staying because the evil that you know is better and partly to tweak your tail.”  I raised an eyebrow at that observation.  “Ellie’s a modern woman suddenly thrown into submissive wolf mentality and those instincts scare the daylight out of her.  So she’s going to make us all work for it before she settles down.”

“Dominance is dictated by a person’s nature before the Change,” I shook my head.  “She’s submissive because she was as a human.”

“I think her ex-husband did a number on her, or maybe John, or both,” she said with a small frown, which I mirrored at the thought of what might have happened to her.  “That’s why she’s so prickly with any male who tries to play power games with her, like verbally bitch-slapping the guys last night.  If she can relax where there aren’t so many wolves, she might tell me more.”

“What do you have in mind?” I asked after regarding her thoughtfully for several beats.  Part of that time was spent contemplating tearing apart Ellie’s ex.

“Hit Pike’s Place until she realizes she’s not ready for so much public.  One or two of us should be able to help her keep control.”  Mickayla’s smile was far too predatory to belong on the face of a therapist.

“One of the biggest tourist traps on a three-day weekend?” I asked in disbelief and gave her the look that idea deserved.

“She still thinks of herself as human and she’s likely to screw up pretty badly until she sees that.  The sooner we get that out of the way, the sooner she might calm down,” she pointed out.

“Take Matt and Shane with you,” I sighed and waved at her to go.  Not only were they good muscle, but they were both married, even if Shane’s wife was human.

“Technically this is pack business, especially since she would work well with Alan, both as a medic and a sub.”  If she’d said anyone other than Alan, my hackles would’ve gone up.  Their temperaments, although both being submissive, weren’t suited for mating.  And I got the feeling that Ellie liked her men dominant, despite what she may say.  I affected a much put-upon sigh, drew out my wallet, selected a credit card, and passed it to the blonde.  She accepted it with both hands, kissed the simple ring on my middle finger, then flashed a smile and a wink before dashing off to find her charge.

[7-wonders]

As Above, So Below Ch. 9

Summary: Your average, mundane life as a college student is flipped upside down when the man you thought you knew as your next-door neighbor turns out to be the God of the dead. When Michael lures you down to Hell, everything that you thought you knew about the world is proven wrong.

Word Count: 3183

A/N: This chapter’s extra long to make up for how shitty I’ve been with updating lately. Thanks for sticking around; feedback is always appreciated and my inbox is always open!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9: Ballroom Blitz | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

“I’m not wearing that.”

“You have to, it’s tradition!”

“Screw tradition, I’m not wearing it!”

You’re in a face-off with Madison, glaring fiercely at the woman while she clutches a corset in her hands. After Desa wasn’t able to convince you to wear it, she had gone to get Madison, which only agitated you more. You’re already nervous about seeing Michael tonight, as well as being in a room with a bunch of legendary gods and goddesses who are so much more worldly than you are. Your nerves are shot, and this is really not helping things right now.

Madison sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Why won’t you wear it?”

“Because it’s a sexist piece of clothing rooted in patriarchal values. They’re used specifically to make a woman ‘aesthetically pleasing,’ which is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” You explain your viewpoint.

“I...really hate that you’re right.” Madison concedes after a moment, causing you to smirk with pride. “Fine, don’t wear it. You’ll look great no matter what.”

Madison is already dressed, wearing a black strapless dress with sleeves that flow down to her elbows and a slit on the side of the fabric that shows off her long legs. Gold leaves accent the dress in just the right way, and the outfit is completed with a dainty diadem on her head. You can only imagine that every other woman who will be attending tonight will look just as ethereal as the woman in front of you.

“I’m not gonna be able to even stand next to you and all the other goddesses.” You chuckle, attempting to make light of your very real fear.

“Why not?”

“Look at you, and then look at me. There’s your answer.” Madison frowns, tossing the corset onto your bed and grabbing your shoulders to drag you towards the mirror.

“Why do you put yourself down so much? You do this whenever I dress you up.”

“I don’t know, it’s hard to not compare myself when I’m surrounded by all these perfect women. Plus, with social media you’ve got Instagram models and Facetune being shown to you everyday. It’s pretty much ingrained in our minds to compare ourselves and see how we can be ‘better.’” You cough, meeting Madison’s eyes through the mirror. “It’s just normal, I guess.”

“Beauty is very much a human concept. Even at the height of Greek civilization, mortals were fighting over what beauty truly was. Do you know what some of the greatest philosophers decided?” You shake your head, and she smiles. “They couldn’t come to a conclusion. Beauty’s subjective, and it’s often true that the most beautiful people carry their beauty within them.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Hush. You don’t know how beautiful you are, both on the outside and the inside. If the Greeks fought a war over Helen of Troy’s beauty, they’d fight ten wars over yours. You have the literal God of the Underworld head over heels for you, and not to mention all of the beings down here who are drawn to your inner beauty. I promise, you belong here. Besides, when you’ve been alive for as long as all of us have, judging people based on the symmetry of their face or how conventionally attractive their features are becomes very blasé and trivial.”

You attempt to desperately blink your tears away, not wanting to ruin the makeup Desa had so carefully helped you to apply earlier. First Michael’s declaration yesterday, and now Madison’s lecture/reminder today, and now you want to collapse into a puddle of tears and hug every person in sight. Madison senses this, and she rolls her eyes before sighing.

“Get over here and hug me.” She loses her balance slightly at the intensity of your hug, but quickly returns it.

“I knew you’d give into my hugs soon enough.” You mutter into her ear, feeling her shoulders shake with laughter.

“Don’t you dare tell anybody how much of a sap you’ve made me become.” She jokingly warns you.

“Your secret’s safe with me, I swear.”

“Alright, we’ve wasted enough time having a heart-to-heart chat, let’s get you dressed.” Madison snaps her fingers, and Desa appears with a dress in her hands.

Minutes later, you’re inspecting yourself in the mirror again, but this time with glee instead of criticism. The two women (your best friends here, if you’re being honest) picked out a dress made out of some flowy fabric--Organza? Chiffon? You wish you would have paid more attention to your grandmother’s attempts to teach you sewing--that falls down your body like water. The neckline is a deep V, almost reaching down to your waist. You’ve never been a fan of the color pink, but the pale pink color compliments you perfectly. Silver flowers wrap around your figure, which you’re sure is a deliberate choice on Madison’s part. Desa’s wrapped the same flowers throughout your hair. You look completely different while also looking the same as always, kind of like-

“A goddess.” Three sets of eyes go towards the door, where Michael now stands and watches you. You note with glee that fashion is, indeed, not lost on Greek gods. He’s wearing a velvet, blood-red jacket over a sharp black dress shirt, black slacks tucked into the red-bottom boots he’s fond of, and a red and black scarf tied around his neck. Red eyeshadow makes his cyan eyes pop even more than you thought was possible.

“Your hair!” You exclaim, choosing to focus on arguably the smallest detail. In your defense, his hair looks nothing like you’ve seen before; in the span of a day, his hair has grown down to his shoulders.

“You don’t like it?” He teases.

“No I do, I like it a lot, it’s just different. A good different, though.” You stutter out, blushing at how dumb you probably look right now.

“And you, my dear, look like a goddess.” Michael, ever the gentleman, kisses the back of your hand after he approaches you.

“See you out there.” Madison smirks, throwing a cheeky wink your way before sauntering out the door.

“Anything else, (Y/N)?” Desa asks.

“No, thank you Desa.” You smile at the handmaiden, who nods before disappearing. Suddenly it’s just you and Michael, which sends butterflies fluttering through your abdomen. Michael grins at you deviously before leaning in to kiss you.

“You should have started with that.” You giggle breathlessly as Michael places his large, ringed hands on your waist.

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time. Less compliments, more kissing.” He makes his point by kissing you again. “I meant what I said, though. You really do look like a goddess.”

“And I meant what I said, too. I really like the hair. You should consider keeping it like this.” You run a hand through his hair, relishing in the silky feeling.

“Hmm, I’ll consider it. For now, we really should be going. It’s not too good for the host and his lovely date to be late.”

“Wait!” You drag Michael to a stop, and he looks at you in confusion. “I forgot shoes.” You say sheepishly, letting go of his hand to grab the pair of (low) heels still sitting at the end of your bed. You shove them on as quickly as possible, holding Michael’s hands for balance so that you don’t fall.

“Are you ready now?” He asks, smiling fondly at you. With your nod, he lets you wrap your hand around his forearm again, leading you to the throne room.

He can sense how nervous you are as you stand in front of the closed doors, waiting for the butlers to open them and formally introduce Michael. Your grip on his arm keeps growing tighter, and you’re nervously shifting your weight back and forth between each foot.

“There’s no reason to be nervous, (Y/N). I’ve got you.” He reassures you.

“Just...don’t let go of me, okay?”

“Never.” You straighten up when you hear the faint voice of a man announcing “the arrival of his Majesty, King Hades, God of the Dead, Lord of the Underworld, accompanied by Lady (Y/N) (Y/L/N).” The doors swing open, and you stifle a gasp.

The throne room is beautifully decorated, looking every bit as rich and extravagant as you imagined a party thrown by Greek gods and goddesses would be. All eyes are on you and Michael as you descend down the grand staircase. You’re smiling, but on the inside you’re desperately repeating to yourself ‘don’t fall, don’t fall.’

“I’ve got you.” He repeats in your ear, hiding a smirk after hearing your terrified thoughts. At the bottom of the staircase, Michael commands all of the attention.

“Dear friends, thank you for joining us here in the Underworld tonight. Please, eat, drink, dance, and be merry.” You assume that this little speech is customary by the bored tone of his voice and the way everyone resumes their conversations the second Michael’s done talking.

“You did good.” You encourage, relaxing now that nobody’s looking at you.

“Funny.” He says dryly, smirking at you.

“I’m serious!” You bump shoulders with him playfully, enjoying the laugh you get from him. His smile quickly morphs into a frown, and you look around while trying to figure out what’s got him down.

“Here comes trouble.” He mutters before forcing a neutral look on his face. A small brunette with doe-eyes approaches, her gold dress trailing behind her. She smiles warmly, but you can see the hesitation in her eyes.

“Michael.” She greets warmly, hugging Michael quickly before pulling away.

“Sister.” He kisses both of her cheeks while you watch in bewilderment. Sister? “(Y/N), this is my sister, Hera.”

“I prefer to go by Violet nowadays.” She smiles at you, hugging you too. “It’s so nice to finally meet you (Y/N). After hearing my brother go on and on about you for months, I was beginning to think he’d never actually make a move.” You giggle as Michael grits his teeth.

“Violet.” He warns, but there’s no malice behind the ‘threat.’

“Ah, I was wondering where my darling wife had ran off too.” Violet stiffens, the atmosphere growing cold when a man with blonde curls (almost like Michael’s, you note) and dark eyes appears and places his hand on Violet’s shoulder. Your eyes widen when you realize that this must be the legendary Zeus.

“Tate.” Michael acknowledges Zeus’ presence with his modern name. Tate smiles coldly, dark eyes fixating on you.

“Is this the object of Michael’s affection?” Michael’s grip tightens protectively on your waist, pulling you closer to his side.

“This is (Y/N).” Tate holds out his arm, and you take his hand and let him kiss the back of it. It doesn’t feel nearly as nice as when Michael does it, and you take your hand back quickly from him.

“(Y/N). I’m Tate, Michael’s brother, brother-in-law, unwilling vessel used in his conception, you know.” You don’t know, but you nod anyways.

“It’s nice to meet you.” It’s a tense stare down between the two men, you and Violet looking at each other in worry.

“You’ll have to excuse us, Tate. As the host, I do have to greet the other guests.” Michael quips.

“Of course. Come, Violet.” Tate grabs Violet harshly, pulling her away as she waves ‘goodbye’ at you. When they’re far enough away, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“That was…”

“Horrible? Vomit-inducing?” Michael fills in.

“Quite the experience.” You finish, not wanting to be as cruel as Michael. “I see why you got so mad at our first supper, when I called him your brother? You handle yourself extremely well around him, though.” You smile at him, watching as the rage leaves his eyes.

“You’re the only person who can manage to calm me down so easily, you know that?” You shrug bashfully.

“One of my special talents, I guess.” Michael cocks his head to the side, listening to the song the band plays.

“Care for a dance?”

“Oh, I don’t know how to dance.” You explain. Michael smirks at you, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry, just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.” Your hand intertwines with his, the other resting on his shoulder while he keeps his on your waist. You stumble a bit, apologizing profusely when you step on his toes, but soon he’s swinging you around the room, grinning as you laugh. You watch the other couples whirl around you, smiling nostalgically.

“What?” Michael questions.

“This just reminds me of a movie I used to watch when I was little. Labyrinth?” You’re not surprised when he shakes his head to let you know he doesn’t understand. “Ah, well, there was a scene where the main characters are at a masquerade ball, and they’re dancing just like this. Just reminded me of home, I guess.”

Michael looks down at you, obviously thinking about something. “I’m not sure of the extent of, or if there even will be, any consequences, but maybe we could go up Above for a visit soon?”

“You’d do that?” You ask joyfully.

“Of course I would, I-” A shriek cuts Michael off as he stops you both. The band’s playing comes to a halt, and the lights flicker as more shrieks fill the room. The doors have been blown wide open, both hanging haphazardly off of the hinges. Guests move towards the back of the throne room, trying desperately to get away from whatever threat has invaded Hell. Michael stands in front of you, so you crane your neck to get a view.

A tall figure stands at the bottom of the stairs, his head brushing against the cavernous ceilings that are at least 10 feet above you. His entire body is coal-black and moves as though it’s made of smoke, raised etchings decorating what must be considered his skin. His eyes are burning embers, and the horns that top his head shine when hit with light. Michael steps forward, shocking you. Your shock only increases when he bows his head.

“Father.” You gasp at his greeting, screams surrounding you. His father? Who is his father? You’ve never really entertained the idea of Michael’s parents. Is this Cronus, the father of the 12 main Olympians that you were taught about during (frequently-wrong) elementary school lessons? Or is this Satan himself? Zoe and Madison appear next to you, each grabbing an arm.

“Take (Y/N) to my chambers, and don’t let her out of your sight until I’m there.” They nod in agreement while you try to fight them off.

“Michael!” You protest.

“Do as I say.” He commands, looking at you with what you realize is fear. You nod, and Madison transmutates the three of you out of the throne room. You yell out in frustration after you’ve safely landed in Michael’s office, Zoe and Madison securing the premises.

“Who the fuck was that?” You question, trying to calm down before you really get angry.

“It’s...difficult to explain, but I’ll try. Basically, the so-called ‘religions’ all got some things right, and some things wrong. Even though Michael is Hades, he’s also Satan’s son. I know that it’s confusing, trust me, I’ve tried to figure this out for thousands of years but I still don’t have it all worked out.” Zoe says.

“So that was Satan?”

“Yep.”

“Is Michael going to be okay?”

“There’s no way to know for sure right now. Satan doesn’t usually show up to these sorts of events; he hasn’t even been seen for the last five centuries. The only thing to do now is wait.”

You’ve always been impatient, whether it be with test scores, appointments, or just being told to wait. You attempt to pass the time by pacing back and forth, but after twenty minutes you realize you can’t keep this up. Switching to perusing Michael’s bookshelves, another two hours pass with no sign of Michael. Zoe and Madison have remained seated on one of the couches, watching you the entire time. At some point in the early hours of the morning, you fall asleep on Michael’s bed, fully clothed and with tears of worry making tracks down your face.

The feeling of somebody touching your feet has you jolting up in a panic, ready for a fight. If there’s one thing you hate more than anything, it’s people touching your feet.

“Hey, it’s just me! Please don’t kick me!” Your eyes adjust to the dimmed lighting, finally seeing Michael crouched down in front of you.

“What the fuck were you doing?” Your half-asleep brain doesn’t even realize what’s going on right now, you’re just mad that someone woke you up.

“Your shoes were still on, I was just trying to take them off for you.” You look around the room, noticing Madison and Zoe are both gone. It takes another moment for you to realize why you fell asleep in Michael’s bedroom before you leap off the bed and into his arms.

“Michael, I was so worried! Are you okay? What happened?” You bombard him with questions. He lifts you up like you weigh nothing, laying down on the bed with you.

“I’m fine, everything’s fine. My father just picked the wrong time to stop by for a visit.”

“‘A visit?’ Madison told me he hadn’t even been seen in five hundred years.” You look at him with a frown. His hair is disheveled, and his outfit is ripped to shreds. There’s blood all over him, but the wounds have already healed. “Jesus, Michael. What did he do to you?” Your hand touches his forehead, stroking the three streaks of blood where he had obviously been scratched.

“We just had a disagreement. He’s trying to convince me to turn my back on Olympus, overthrow the system and basically unleash the apocalypse so that he can rule on Earth. It’s a fight we’ve had off and on for years.” Your mind quickly connects the dots, and you sigh.

“That’s why you needed me out of there.”

“He gave me two choices: send you back Above and ‘hope’ the prophecy works and the end of the world happens, or kill you and set it off that way.” Your blood runs cold at Satan’s ‘options’ that he’s given to his son.

“So, is-”

“I managed to banish him to Tartarus. It’s not much, and it will only hold him for a couple of weeks, but by then Madison should have found the prophecy and we can have a more concrete plan.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You can hold me?” It’s a rare moment of vulnerability, but thankfully it’s a request that you can easily handle.

“Do you want to get out of those clothes, get cleaned up or something?” He shakes his head.

“I’m just tired. We can worry about that in the morning.” The battle with his father has obviously shaken him, so you wrap your arms around him and decide to worry about the mess that’s left behind in the morning.

Tag List: @nana15774 @sammythankyou @queencocoakimmie @let-me-try-mom @trimbooohgodplsnoooo @lichellaw @sebastianshoe @pastel-cloudz @ultragibbycentralworld @grim-adventures58 @dandycandy75 @alexcornerblog @dolceandchalamet @everything-is-awesomesauce @langdonslove @ccodyfern @henrycavillstalkingmustache @readsalot73 @jimmlangdon @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @hplotrfan @omg-hellgirl @gallxntdean

[gascon-en-exil]

Mercilessly Judging the Camus Archetype

Per request by Markoftheasphodel, here’s a bonus round of the Mercilessly Judging series, in which I’ll be using my discriminating taste and considerable experience with hot (and not-so-hot) gay sex to grade that most curious of Fire Emblem character archetypes, the Camus. What was probably intended to be written as a figure out of classical tragedy has instead morphed into an only occasionally tragic sex symbol, because that’s what you get when your namesake is the male equivalent of Helen of Troy. Since I like my men like I like my roux - rich, seasoned, and thick in just the right places - I’m especially well-equipped for this undertaking.

The Arbitrary Requirements

Slotting characters into FE archetypes can be a slippery business, and so to get that part out of the way first I’ve settled on the criteria I’ll be using to determine who will end up on this list. These guys must possess at least three of the following traits:

Unrecruitable, at least in the main game or the game/route in which they fulfill the Camus role

Unwavering loyalty toward his country and/or a major antagonist

Blond

Black armor/clothing

A legendary weapon

A paladin or other horse-mounted class

They must also be male, both because I am absolutely not the person to ask when it comes to judging women and because the female Camus, a.k.a. the Ishtar, comes with traits of her own, such as a greater predisposition toward magic and a romantic inclination toward the antagonist to whom she’s loyal. The latter trait is obviously absent from their male counterparts, except in Tellius because of course.

Camus/Zeke/Sirius - Camus classic

This man’s dick has caused world wars. It’s that amazing. Has identity issues that are only worsened by his roleplaying and use of aliases. Long-term value is questionable as he has a tendency to outlive the countries he serves...but hey, at least he has a long term unlike half the guys here.

9/10 - The greatest sex you will ever have, but loses a point because when it comes time to settle down it’ll be pretty low-rent.

Eldigan - Camus père

An idiot, but not as much of an idiot as his two college buddies. His sister wants to sleep with him. Is the only guy on this list to have spawned a little Camus of his own (Shiro and Siegbert don’t count.).

5/10 - Suffers from a short amount of screentime and loyalty to a mere arc villain, and not even an interesting one at that. Saved only by brother kink.

Ares - Camus fils

The aforementioned little Camus. Wishes he was as cool as his dad, but at least he’s recruitable. Has no sister to get all hot and bothered, but he’s got a first cousin for that as well as an orphaned prostitute dancer. 

7/10 - Actually gets to be a king in the end, but Naga help Agustria if he doesn’t have competent people supporting him. Also...cousin kink, maybe?

Reinhardt - magic Camus

So threatening as a boss that the only safe strategy for his map is apparently warpskipping. Does not want to bone his sister even though this is Jugdral, and he gets cockblocked by the setting equivalent of the Antichrist possessing the body of a teenage boy. Harsh.

4/10 - Too waifish for the role. Is much better in Heroes, or so I’ve heard.

Perceval - gay Camus

The smartest man on this list since he sees the wisdom in joining up with the fifteen-year old ginger with the inexplicably gigantic harem on the word of his boyfriend - or a prostitute dancer who happens to know his boyfriend, close enough. Is what Elffin will be coming home to after he’d done traveling the world doing Bard Things.

10/10 - FE6 needs a remake just for him. Who wouldn’t want to come home to such a devoted retainer?

Galle - flying Camus

Has the honorable but doomed soldier and tragic unattainable love interest parts of the role down pat, but kind of an outlier otherwise. He’s more like Arion redux, who’s not on this list because I kind of forgot about him. Oops.

3/10 - He and Arion have the option to not die, I guess? Kind of takes the wind out of the whole loyalty thing. A real Camus puts his loyalty to his nation above the needs of his dick, guys.

Murdock - roadblock Camus

See, now here’s an FE6 anti-villain Camus done right. Not very interesting, mind you, but he gets the point. To think that the entire game wouldn’t have happened if he’d just been a better babysitter.

4/10 - Too bulky, too purple, and too dead. More than two decades of service to wind up as the least engaging Camus is a game piled full of them. That’s his real tragedy.

Linus - ‘roid rage Camus

Allergic to shirts and seriously needs to calm down. He might look like perfect one-night stand material, but that’s not the Camus way.

6/10 - Misses the mark, but I wouldn’t kick him out of bed. Is very...attached to his brother. Best enjoyed as a pair.

Lloyd - goatee Camus

The least Asian swordmaster boss ever. Embraces tranquility in the face of death befitting of the archetype much better than his brother.

6/10 - Equally as hot in his own way, even if it’s still non-standard. His Heroes artwork is a new degree of heinous, though.

Bryce - old Camus

The Rider of Daein no one cares about, least of all Ashnard. At least he’s packing a legendary lance, the confusingly-named Wishblade. 

3/10 - Is not too likely to die since his boss has a much bigger movement range, but is also not too likely to have any kind of resolution. Might have been better in his prime.

Levail - uke Camus

His loyalty to a man who’s never going to give him the D is beyond reproach, mostly because that man is also a Camus dealing with his own cocktease situation. That’s just how Sephiran likes to keep his underlings in line.

4/10 - Very definitely a bottom. Presumably commits suicide if you kill Zelgius before him since he knows he’ll never get laid now.

Zelgius - dramatic Camus

Is Ike’s foil down to his having to choose between a bishonen caster and his faithful lieutenant, but Zelgius chose poorly in the end. Props for pulling off the Black Knight schtick with far more gravity than any Camus before or since. It’s hard to beat a concealed identity and a dramatic reveal. Or cold-blooded murder.

7/10 - Gets a sexy shirtless scene and numerous guys who want his cock (including Valtome, to everyone’s displeasure), but he remains true to his archetype in the end by standing by the one man who’ll definitely get him killed.

Yen’fay - Asian Camus

Asian racial stereotyping in a Japanese-made game...so confusing. He fights you in an active volcano, which is pretty badass. Also, his Spotpass recruitment doesn’t cancel out his death thanks to alternate universe shenanigans. Imagine that.

2/10 - Has non-sexy sister angst and...not all that much else, really. Since he’s a stereotype he presumably has a tiny dick.

Xander - woobie Camus

A sensitive soul carrying around a lot of familial trauma who longs for a loving father and a fabulous pink ensemble. Not psychologically cut out to be a Camus and he knows it, but funny what accidentally murdering your own sister will do for your motivation. Likes to spout contradictory ideas about the nature of justice to disguise his own fatalism...or because the writers were sloppy.

8/10 - Has way too many issues to be all that stable, but he’s undeniably hot and plays his part to a tee. Would ride his giant carrot any day.

Ryoma - shonen Camus

Blew off Camus class because it was too Eurocentric for him, so all he knows is how to be arrogant and dickish and then commit ritual suicide at exactly the right time to make you cry over how good and honorable he was. Would have been significantly more palatable if the story ever acknowledged that he’s kind of an asshole.

5/10 - Actually is the head of state during his tenure as a Camus, but he’s clearly been cast in the wrong role. In the endgame boss gauntlet ranks below the Obviously Evil minor villain duo...fail.

Berkut - psychotic Camus

First fully-voiced Camus, and he’s doing a lot better there than Zeke. Goes off the deep end in a terrible way, killing both his fiancée and his gay hanger-on in the process. Still has undeniable style and gravitas for a remake addition.

7/10 - The explicit afterlife redemption leaves a bit of a sour note, but it’s easy to see why Fernand wants him so badly. Let’s hope that his obvious inadequacy issues aren’t stemming from anything below the belt.

[5hfanfiction]

Through The Mist (Ch. 18)

Chapter XVIII: Waffles of Doom

–––

A/N: THIS IS EXTREMELY OVERDUE AND I APOLOGIZE. it’s been a long four months and i hate myself for taking so long.

even though school is over, i’m still overwhelmed by what i need to get done this summer since i’m becoming a senior. blame my anxiety and writer’s block for this late update.

congrats to 5H for winning #ChoiceMusicGroup, #ChoiceSummerGroup, #ChoiceSongGroup, and #ChoiceFandom – and to Camila for winning #ChoiceSongFemaleArtist, #ChoiceSummerFemaleArtist, #ChoiceFemaleHottie, and #ChoiceElectronicDanceSong on tonight’s TCAs. i love my five girls.

hope this 14.8k word chapter of camren and ot5 is enough to make up for lost time - it’s the second longest chapter i’ve posted. be sure to leave comments because i love your reactions ;) enjoy!

—

Previously on TTM,

With help from the Hunters of Artemis, the girls finally arrive in Denver, Colorado—the location where Artemis’ mystery friend resides. After Camila and Dinah reveal their romantic past, the other girls react indifferently, the past relationship having no impact on the group dynamic. The girls explore Cheesman Park in hopes of encountering the goddess, only for Dinah and Lauren to partake in a friendly snowball fight and for a stranger to hit on Camila but a jealous Lauren is quick to end the interaction.

After the girls’ sexualities are revealed—with a pansexual Normani flustering a polysexual Dinah—the demigods end up in the main pavilion of the park. They meet a cloaked stranger who turned out to be Harmonia, goddess of peace and harmony, and Artemis’ mystery friend. The goddess greets them joyfully, now referring to the five girls as Fifth Harmony.

Harmonia then weakly uncovers the truth about the prophecy line, “With sea and war battling chaos’ wrath,” after much insistence from the demigods. The girls will have to confront Harmonia’s godly aunt, Eris, who is looking for demigod blood - preferably Camila’s.

–––

“Wait,” Dinah interrupted loudly, raising her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. Her brows were scrunched in concentration as she dug through her limited knowledge of Greek mythology. “Who is Eris exactly?”

What if she’s the woman from my demigod dreams? Camila realized with a start, turning to Harmonia for more information.

A pair of dull blue eyes fell upon the Polynesian and Dinah swallowed hard at the shrouded pain behind those ancient orbs. To see an immortal in pain was such an incomprehensible concept to the half-bloods.

The goddess’s lips twitched into a small bitter smile. “Why am I not surprised that they do not teach you of the minor gods, even when they can cause as much damage as the pristine Olympians? Even with the agreement from four years ago, we minor gods are still underrepresented.”

Camila recalled what her half-sister Nyssa Barrera told her about the arrangement after the Second Olympian War. After declining the offer of becoming a god to stay with Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson made a request for the gods to claim their children by the age of thirteen and to respect the minor gods by allowing the construction of several cabins for the offspring of minor gods at camp.

Unfortunately, the promise was not always upheld since many of the newer demigods still lacked important knowledge of minor gods, which sometimes led to ignorance or the underestimating of either the minor gods or their children. Ironically, that is what caused many underappreciated half-bloods to join the Titans’ side in the Second Olympian War.

After hopefully surviving the quest, Camila would strive to include more minor gods in their Greek mythology classes and to assign their offspring larger roles at camp. Her argument was that everyone, regardless of power capability or godly parentage, should feel safe and valued at camp.

Harmonia leaned against the wall of the pavilion as support, her hollow gaze settling on the various mortals passing by them without any acknowledgment. Camila supposed that the goddess was using the Mist on their easily manipulated minds to remain inconspicuous to the human world.

“If I am to tell you of Eris, I should first tell you of my lineage. It would not make sense otherwise.” She offered the demigods a weak smile. “I am the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, a product of love and war.”

Dinah and Normani’s eyes widened at the announcement of their godly parents. The two girls gaped at the tired blonde immortal, who genuinely smiled at them, adding, “I’m relieved that neither of you represent either extreme. Obtaining a proper balance can be difficult when handling love and war.”

“But all’s fair in love and war, right?” the tallest demigod questioned.

“Nothing’s fair in any retrospect, especially in this day and age,” Harmonia clarified, quirking a brow. “As mortals, and as female minorities more specifically, I expect that you’d understand more than anyone.”

The quintet shared a low chuckle at the blunt realism. Beyond their demigod lives, the mortal world wasn’t as trusting and forgiving, because even that life contained horrifying monsters, and though they lacked the jagged claws and sharp teeth, some carried undeserving privilege and wealth as their advantage, making it difficult to get rid of them.

The goddess continued. “Well, Eris is the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and the twin sister of Ares—”

“Ares has a twin sister?” Camila exclaimed, shocked by the revelation. She couldn’t even begin to imagine a female version of Ares walking around, causing havoc left and right.

Harmonia nodded gravely. “She is the goddess of chaos, conflict and strife, and discord, which makes her my aunt and my power counterpart.”

“Family’s messy business,” Camila reiterated, referencing one of her demigod dreams that occurred during the train ride.

She must be the vicious female immortal from my dreams. All of the evidence matches up; she’s blunt, brutal, and very stand-offish. I’ve been having dreams of “chaos’ wrath” this entire time.

“Indeed,” the goddess agreed. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, the strands slowly regaining their usual shine. “She goes by a few other names—such as Enyo, goddess of destructive war and blood, or Erida, goddess of hatred and bloodlust—but she prefers Eris,” she added with a shrug.

“Why is she going against the Olympians, aside from the fact that she is unmentioned when speaking of Ares?” Normani inquired, curious of what Eris did to be unfavored by the Olympian Council.

Harmonia took a deep breath, her dim eyes flickering with old memories. “In simpler words, she caused the Trojan War.”

The five girls tensed, each knowing how devastating the incident was as it ripped both the mortal world and the Olympians into two sides; the Greeks versus the Trojans. The event also led to the downfall of one of the most memorable heroes, Achilles. They had no idea that the ordeal was because of one minor goddess.

The blonde immortal continued, “Since her nature was to cause strife, even among the gods, she was the only goddess not invited to the wedding of the hero Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis. In revenge, Eris threw a golden apple—the Apple of Discord—among the wedding guests, which had the inscription: ‘To the Fairest.’ Only three powerful goddesses dared to claim to be the fairest: Hera, Athena and Aphrodite.

“Their rivalry brought about the events leading up to the war. The quarrel led to Zeus sending the goddesses to a Trojan prince named Paris to judge the dispute. Paris foolishly awarded the apple to Aphrodite, who had promised him the fairest mortal to be his wife, which at the time was a married Queen Helen of Sparta.

“After Paris kidnapped Helen, King Menelaus of Sparta and his brother, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, declared a ten-year war on Troy because of Paris’ insult. Even the gods split up between the Greeks and the Trojans, increasing bloodshed on both sides. Many great heroes were lost due to the great conflict. The Greeks prevailed with Odysseus’ ruse of the Trojan Horse and burned down the city of Troy.

“All that death because of an apple,” Harmonia concluded sharply, crossing her arms over her chest. She had gained some of her glowing aura, though it wasn’t as warm and inviting as before.

Resentment was clear on her tight expression with her curled lip and hard gaze. It was understandable, seeing that she was the goddess of peace and concord. Violence made her recoil, frustrating her as it was unfortunately inevitable in human nature.

Everyone present knew that the war was preventable but no one came up to stop it, too caught up in their own egos to do anything.

“What happened to Eris?” Lauren finally managed to voice, fearful that the immortal would snap at them.

Harmonia grounded her jaw. “Before the Olympians could punish her, Eris fled Olympus right after the war. She claimed that the gods could not understand her hunger for chaos, and the fact that Ares received more recognition than her had always bothered her. The Trojan War was her final cry for attention and the last straw for the Olympians.

“Last I heard was that Nyx spoke out to her and persuaded her to become her ‘adoptive’ child. Eris was then ‘raised’ and influenced by Nyx, making her more ruthless than before,” the goddess supplied.

“So, Eris was mentored by the primordial goddess of the night,” Ally reiterated with wide eyes. “If she could cause the Trojan War by herself, I can’t even imagine what kind of destruction she’d be capable of now because of Nyx’s help.”

Like taking over the world once she dethrones all twelve Olympians?

Camila started to thoroughly analyze her demigod dreams in hopes of finding the missing piece of her complicated puzzle.

Harmonia hummed in agreement, propping herself off the pavilion wall. “The daughters of war and sea must conquer her wrath. You must face Eris in combat, most preferably alone and before you reach your final destination.”

“Where will we meet her?” Lauren asked, determination swirling in her vibrant green eyes. She squeezed Camila’s hand in reassurance but the fire-wielder was too deep in her own thoughts.

Baby blue orbs clashed with a spirited green and the goddess tilted her chin up. “Daughter of Poseidon,” she started slowly, her eyes flitting between the two Cubans with a knowing look, “Eris lies where the root of all evil is, biblically speaking of course.”

“The love of money or power?” Ally answered, her brows furrowing in thought until her brown eyes widened. “Las Vegas.”

Harmonia smiled warmly at the oldest demigod. “Chaos is known to grow from insatiable greed. Eris will be her strongest in Las Vegas so do not fall for any temptations or offerings. She is a goddess of war, act accordingly.”

“Uh, do you know where she would be specifically? Vegas is kinda big,” Dinah inquired sheepishly, quite aware that they have asked the kind goddess a multitude of questions.

The blonde immortal chuckled, the melodious sound easing the girls. “It will be obvious when you arrive, daughter of Ares. I cannot answer all your questions, godlings. I too must abide to certain rules—”

“I had dreams about her,” Camila blurted, her hazy brown eyes refocusing on the goddess. Her friends sent her worried looks but she simply ignored them. She had to get answers for her disoriented dreams.

I have questions for you.

Camila pressed her wrist to her right temple as she tried to sort out her jumbled thoughts. “Eris was in my demigod dreams, talking about the prophecy and how she wanted to kill us, but someone was with her. The man referred to her as ‘aunt.’ Do you have an idea on who he might be?”

Harmonia frowned. “That could the offspring of any of Zeus’s children. With such a broad parentage, it would be nearly impossible to figure out the identity of her mysterious partner.”

“Oh.” Camila’s spirit deflated as she hoped the immortal could at least give her a hint. This unknown man was the missing piece to the quest, she could feel it in her gut.

The goddess noted the fire-wielder’s slumped shoulders and sighed. “Do not despair, young hero. The time will come when all truths are revealed. Just remember that Eris and her partner are only disposable pawns of a larger cause.”

Camila pursed her lips.

Aren’t we all pawns?

Harmonia met her pointed stare. “There are times when a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king,” the goddess stated in Camila’s head. “You have yet to unlock your full potential. Keep your head high, daughter of Hephaestus.”

At the stressed mention of her father, Camila caught the blonde immortal pinching the main pendant of her beautifully wrought golden necklace. Camila didn’t notice the piece of jewelry earlier and it made her uneasy observing it. The mere sight of it made her gut clench with a silent warning.

It was such an exquisite ornament that the fire-wielder briefly wondered who crafted it.

“Your father,” Harmonia stated cautiously, as if reading her mind, “presented me this necklace at my wedding. Little did I know that he cursed it, damning my descendants, or whoever wore it, with horrible misfortune. He was so furious that his wife cheated on him with the god of war that he swore revenge on her offspring, that being me.”

Camila’s throat constricted at the confession and she felt a steady anger boil in her lower stomach. Her grip on Lauren’s hand tightened to prevent her hands from exploding into flames.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized roughly, knowing that words could not undo the past.

In her eyes, Harmonia didn’t deserve to bear a curse meant for her mother’s affair. It was completely unfair. There was a certain sadness in those clear blue eyes that made Camila overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow, making her chest burn with irritation.

The goddess shook her head, dropping her slender hand from the jeweled pendant. “Do not waste your breath on something that you were not apart of. I should pray for you, knowing that you too have been cursed by him.”

The two females exchanged a mutual look, both understanding the other’s situation with the god of fire and blacksmiths.

“Can goddesses pray?” Camila asked as an afterthought.

A low chuckle escaped Harmonia, her lips curling into the faintest smile. “We shall see, godling.”

The Latina managed a smile and nodded. “Well, I guess this is it. You told us everything you could.”

Ally stepped forward with a broad smile on her face. She had her hands clasped together. “Thank you so much for all of your help, Lady Harmonia. It is highly appreciated.”

The rest of the demigods smiled gratefully at Harmonia, allowing Ally to speak for them.

The minor goddess giggled at the sudden formality. Her baby blue eyes sparkled with mirth as her innocence slowly returned, restoring her godly beauty.

“There’s no need for the pleasantries, Allyson. I expect all good things from you, Fifth Harmony. After all, the fate of the world rests on your shoulders.”

Harmonia’s hand slipped into a pocket of her black trench coat, pulling out a white business card. She placed it in Ally’s hand. “Just in case you have a little trouble in Las Vegas,” she informed, adjusting her coat. “It’s always good to have connections.”

With a thankful smile, the daughter of Apollo pocketed the card, reminding herself to inspect it later.

Harmonia grinned widely at the young half-bloods and Camila couldn’t help but crack a small grin. The goddess’s youthful aura was contagious and filled her with a comforting warmth. “Then you’re all set. Good luck to you, Fifth Harmony. Now please, avert your eyes.”

The quintet did as they were told, turning their backs to the immortal. Sometimes—depending on the immortal—whenever a god was about to teleport, they would emit a blinding light that could render a mortal blind or worse. Camila could feel the immense heat radiate from the blonde’s presence, causing a tug in her gut.

Within a few seconds, the intense heat and bright light died down, and the girls opened their eyes to find that Harmonia had vanished.

The atmosphere became gloomy once more, sapped from its previous warmth. The mortals were aware of their existence since they sent them odd looks as the half-bloods just stood there, attempting to recompose themselves from their lengthy conversation with the goddess of peace and harmony.

Camila furrowed her brows at the recollection of their assigned team name.

You know, Fifth Harmony has a nice ring to it.

Ally fished out the business card the goddess gave her and examined it.

‘CHAOS HOTEL & CASINO’ was neatly engraved into the black card in a fancy golden font, along with a unique signature. On the back was the figure of a ying-yang symbol with the word ‘balance’ scrawled below it in Ancient Greek as isorropía.

“Clever,” the shortest girl exhaled, showing the card to the rest, earning light snorts at the awful irony. “I guess that’s where we’re staying when we get to Vegas.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Normani questioned, leaning toward the blonde Polynesian.

“I doubt it since she gave it to us in case we had a little trouble in Las Vegas, which is an expensive place for unemployed, underage demigods,” Ally countered, slipping the card back into her pocket. “This might be a free pass to stay in this hotel.”

“Well, if it’s free then we’re definitely using it,” Dinah exclaimed with a certain twinkle in her eye. “I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas, even if we have to confront an evil goddess afterwards.”

“I’m just glad we know who it is now,” Lauren stated with a sigh. Her green eyes locked onto the tall blonde with concern. “We have to be careful, Dinah. If she’s anything like Ares—”

Dinah raised a hand. “Lauser, have some faith. We’ll be fine. Besides, I don’t think Dad will mind if I fight my evil aunt.”

Lauren pursed her lips at the fact that she was interrupted. “That’s not what I meant. According to my brother Percy, her violent nature will allow our emotions to get the better of us so we have to stay level-headed, no matter how much she may taunt us.” She sent the warrior a pointed look.

The blonde’s eyes flew wide. “Are you saying that I can’t control my anger?”

Normani bit back a laugh at Dinah’s offended facial expression and hooked her arm around the younger girl’s toned one. She wove their fingers together, leaning into her. “Dinah, you have to admit that you’re a little hot-headed,” she insisted softly.

Dinah glanced down at the daughter of Aphrodite and faltered at the sight of her tender dark brown eyes and warm smile, framed by soft, curled locks of hair.

Dinah’s throat bobbed nervously as she struggled to come up with a snarky remark. With a squeeze of their joined hands, Dinah relented and her shoulders slumped.

“Okay, I get it,” she mumbled, looking at Lauren. “I’ll try my best to be keep my chill.”

Camila snorted lightly, raising a brow at the interaction between Dinah and Normani. She shook her head at the faint blush splayed across the Polynesian’s face.

Gods, she’s so whipped.

Lauren offered the taller girl a grateful smile. “That would be great.”

“Yeah, whatever, Ralph.”

Before Camila could tease her best friend, Ally cleared her throat to gain their attention. The daughter of Apollo managed a small smile, her nose pink from the chilling winds. “We should probably get going. Early dinner’s on me,” she added with a grin.

The introduction of food made Camila’s stomach growl with a desperate need. She quickly pushed up the sleeve of her sweatshirt to check her wristwatch, only to discover that it was a bit past four in the afternoon.

Gods, it’s still Tuesday? It feels like forever since we were at Artemis’s base.

Dinah instantly perked up at the “dinner’s on me” part. She eyed Ally with interest. “What kind of food are we talking about? I’m not picky, just curious, since you’re paying.”

Ally’s face lit up with child-like excitement. “My favorite place in the entire world… Waffle House!”

The four other half-bloods stared at her in surprise. They never would have guessed that the oldest among them would enjoy the southern chain restaurant, but then remembered that the archer was born in Texas.

“Do you know if there’s one around here?” Normani inquired. She wasn’t in the mood to go on another goose chase just to find a place to eat.

Ally rummaged through her backpack and pulled out the map she had been working on since the train ride from Washington D.C. to Chicago. She unraveled it and pointed to a location circled by a red marker. It was relatively close to their current position.

“Oh yeah, I made sure,” she assured her friends with a wicked gleam in her eye. Obvious hunger clouded her expression. “This has been on my bucket list since my last quest so we’re definitely going there.”

Camila blinked in surprise at the girl’s crafted smile and commanding tone. No one bothered to argue with her.

Gods, it looks like she’d kill someone for some Waffle House…

Like flipping a switch, Ally carefully slipped the map into her coat pocket and beamed at them. “Now, let’s go catch a bus,” she urged, leading the group out of the white marble pavilion and to the closest exit of the park.

Normani and Dinah followed right behind the daughter of Apollo with Camila and Lauren straggling in the back.

Moving closer to the fiery brunette, Lauren ran a hand through her tousled hair. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? We’re traveling across the country to save the god of the sun. Risking our lives, of course.”

The pyrokinetic’s first thought was, We’re demigods, risking our lives is an occupational hazard.

Camila’s lips twitched into a half-smile. “Not exactly how I wanted to explore the world but I’ll take it.”

Lauren’s green eyes brightened with interest. “Where would you want to go?”

“I’m not sure exactly,” Camila admitted. “I’ve always wanted to revisit Mexico, because of my Mexican stepfather and all. I went when I was ten and I love their culture so much, even though it technically isn’t my own.” Camila cracked a small grin. “I’m only half Cuban, half god.”

A low chuckle escaped Lauren. “Being half Cuban has its perks.”

Their eyes met and they exchanged lopsided smiles as if they were the only people present in the park. Heat crawled underneath Camila’s tan skin at their closing distance and at the strength of Lauren’s gaze.

She instinctively reached out and weaved their fingers together, pulling the slightly taller Cuban closer. Lauren ducked her head, hiding the tiny yet proud smile that formed on her face at her accomplishment. Camila hoped that her tinted cheeks would be mistaken for staying out too long in the cold.

Lauren was captivated by Camila’s warmth, squeezing her hand. The daughter of Poseidon briefly closed her eyes and imagined being curled up next to the pyrokinetic demigod on a cold, snowy day, having the brunette’s strong arms wrapped around her as she basked in the welcoming heat.

A subconscious smile curled Lauren’s soft lips at the thought of being lulled to sleep by Camila’s steady heartbeat and whispered corny jokes. She turned her bowed head toward the fire-wielder and silently counted their footsteps.

Camila kept her eyes forward but she couldn’t help the quick glances at the raven-haired girl. With every glimpse, she found something new to appreciate about the sea spawn. Her gut clenched at the thrill of observing the demigod at this proximity.

The winter setting complimented Lauren’s appearance, magnifying her ethereal beauty. Her pale skin appeared as flawless as the untouched fields of snow present in the park. Her rosy cheeks matched her full pink lips, adding color to the light tone of her face.

Her most striking feature, her emerald green eyes, would practically glow in their white surroundings, framed by long lashes. Soft waves of raven black hair cascaded down her back and the sides of her face, marking the distinction between her fair skin and the gentle snowfall around her.

In Camila’s eyes, Lauren was as stunning as a goddess and twice as captivating. And she was adorable in her oversized hoodie.

My gods, you look good today.

Russet eyes raked down the slope of Lauren’s nose to her tempting lips, halting at the sight. Camila felt her pulse quicken and she swallowed hard, shifting closer.

Look away, Mila. Look aw—

Piercing green orbs clashed against hers, making her breath catch in her throat. Lauren’s expression was undecipherable as she steadily regarded their situation, causing Camila’s body temperature to spike. Her grip on Lauren’s hand tightened unintentionally. She tried reading Lauren’s eyes but to no avail.

Their faces were so close that Camila could feel Lauren’s hot breath fanning on her face, on her eager lips. She’d never felt such a blistering heat on her body like Lauren’s soft exhales on her skin. It was like the heat of a thousand fires.

Camila swore that her mind was playing tricks on her as Lauren leaned toward her, her sea green eyes hidden by fluttering eyelids. Camila’s heart pounded in her chest, enabling her to hear her own racing pulse.

Closing her own eyes, Camila awaited to feel the older girl’s lips on her own but it never came.

“Guys, come on!”

The pyrokinetic’s eyes flashed open and she whipped her head forward, sensing Lauren’s full lips grazing the flushed skin of her cheek before she tore away from Camila as if she burned herself.

The thought made Camila’s stomach churn.

Their feet halted from walking as they reached the congested bus stop. The two girls quickly recomposed themselves, relieved that their friends were too occupied with trying to push their way through the crowd than catching them about to kiss.

Lauren didn’t meet Camila’s concerned gaze but her grip on Camila’s hand became firmer, assuring Camila that the failed kiss was not a figment of her imagination.

Camila sighed heavily, knowing that the discussion of their budding relationship would be put on a standstill until they managed to save the Sun Chariot. They couldn’t let their developing feelings jeopardize the fate of the world.

With much hassle and some curse words muttered at them, the five demigods made it to the front of the large pack of both locals and tourists, almost tumbling off the edge of the sidewalk. It reminded Camila of the bustling streets of New York, similar to rush hour. She supposed that everyone simultaneously wanted to rush home to a warm dinner.

Camila held Lauren close, unwilling to lose her in the sea of people. Dinah mirrored the action with Normani, repeatedly checking that Ally was directly in front of her. The short daughter of Apollo would either get lost or trampled in the crowd if left alone.

“The bus should be here soon,” Ally informed, shifting on either foot. She was prepared to fling herself through the bus doors if necessary.

The only thing standing between her and a delicious Waffle House meal were the mortals ready to board the bus, and she was not having it.

Dinah gripped Normani’s hand. “Well, we better bust ass and get on before we get run over then.”

“You’re a real poet, you know that, Xena.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Dinah replied with a cheeky grin.

Normani stifled a snort and shook her head, leaning her head onto Dinah’s shoulder.

Ally was about to comment when a public bus came into view in the near distance and slowed to a stop next to the small crowd. The people went silent as they waited for the moment that the doors would slide open. The demigods itched with anticipation to board the bus.

Worriedly, Camila noted that the vehicle was quite small compared to most buses she’s ridden and wondered if it could fit all of the passengers.

Gradually, the bus driver opened the doors, letting a few riders off before the crowd of people leaped to action, immediately swarming the single available entrance. The five demigods were nearly trampled as the mortals forcefully pushed past them in an attempt to reach the front of the clustered line.

When push comes to shove.

The daughter of Apollo charged forward as if she was on the battlefield, using her small height to her advantage as she easily snaked around people without them noticing. Ally was quick to burst through the open doors and pay her fare, leaving the rest of the half-bloods to work their way to the front.

Camila guided Lauren to the front of the subsiding crowd, following Dinah and Normani. Her hand tightened around Lauren’s. “C’mon, Lo. I got you.”

Lauren squeezed her hand in gratitude, remaining close to the fiery brunette, letting the “light” guide her.

Climbing up the low bus steps, Camila paid for their fees and continued behind their two friends, who were joining Ally in the back of the bus.

The oldest demigod wore a proud smile, her eyes shining in accomplishment. There was no stopping that woman in getting what she wanted.

While reaching the rear end of the bus, Camila looked around and realized that many of the seats were occupied, becoming scarcer the farther back you went, resulting with some of the mortals standing and holding onto the available metal railings.

She glanced at the amount of seats in the back of the bus and realized that Ally could only save the three remaining seats and there was four of them. Either her or Lauren wouldn’t have a seat as they the last ones of the group to climb onto the bus.

Camila swallowed hard at the two possible solutions she came up with and went with the solution that was beneficial to both of them.

Normani paired with Dinah on the opposing side of the bus while Ally held onto the last chair on the driver’s side. The group would be separated by the small aisle in between as it was a smaller public bus.

Lauren tugged on Camila’s arm once she noticed the seating problem. “Uh, Camz, how are we going to sit? I can stand if you want—”

Camila’s brows furrowed together. “In what universe would I ever let you stand, princess?”

The raven-haired girl bit her lip. “But I don’t want you to stand.”

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

Camila plopped down on the seat next to Ally, who was intently studying the map. Camila slid off her backpack and placed it on the ground, motioning Lauren to do the same with her bag, both items now resting on the floor.

Looking up at Lauren, Camila offered her an assuring smile and patted her thigh. “Just sit in my lap.”

Lauren’s eyes widened in blatant surprise, a light blush blooming on her pale complexion. She thought about denying the request when she lost herself in Camila’s soft, pleading eyes.

With her lower lip between her teeth, Lauren managed a quiet “Okay,” and slowly lowered herself onto Camila’s lap.

She was immediately enveloped with a familiar warmth as Camila’s strong arms circled around her waist. Lauren’s heart leaped up her throat when Camila leaned forward, pressing the side of her face against Lauren’s covered shoulder blade, nuzzling her nose into the soft fabric of her hoodie.

“See? Not so bad, huh,” the brunette mumbled, inhaling deeply. A slow smile pulled at her lips at Lauren’s faint scent. “We can both sit now.”

Lauren nodded curtly, her pulse racing in her neck. Camila was taking over the beat of her body.

The bus driver closed the doors and the loaded bus started forward with a slight jolt, merging into the moving traffic lane. The girls were on their way to Waffle House.

Camila’s hands slithered into the front pocket of Lauren’s hoodie, content with the seating arrangement as long as she was holding her down. Camila closed her eyes, concentrating on Lauren’s breathing, ignoring the active world around her.

All she could focus on was completing the quest and saving the older girl sitting in her lap.

It suddenly dawned upon Camila how close the daughter of Poseidon actually was to her and her pulse spiked. They had never been in such close proximity.

Swallowing thickly, the brunette gradually registered how soft and full Lauren’s body felt pressed against her. Her palms grew warmer when Lauren momentarily shifted in her lap, feeling her very ample bottom drag along her thighs.

Her heated hands curled into loose fists, shoving any thoughts of Lauren’s curves into the back of her mind. Camila leaned her forehead against Lauren’s back, staring intently at the dark fabric of the girl’s hoodie, attempting to clear her mind from any suggestive ideas. Her arms only seemed to tighten around Lauren’s waist.

Lauren bit her lip at the increased pressure around her midsection, leaning into Camila’s warm embrace. She pictured herself as a tree and Camila was a human-sized koala, possessively clinging onto her.

Tentatively, the daughter of Poseidon eased her hands into the pocket of her hoodie, settling her cooler palms on Camila’s warmer fists. She felt the girl sigh heavily against her.

“Hey,” Lauren whispered, turning her head to the aisle on her right, “are you okay?”

Camila moved her head toward Lauren’s right shoulder blade, eased by the gentle hands on her hot skin.

“I’m a little tired,” she confessed, though her physical body was thrumming with energy. It was her mind that was having difficulty catching up with reality.

“Yeah, that comes with your first quest. It’s a lot to take in.”

Camila’s brows scrunched together, remembering that Lauren’s first quest occurred last year and involved the god of thieves and messengers. “Your first quest was with Normani. Who was the third demigod?”

Lauren tilted her head to the side, her fingers tracing Camila’s knuckles. Her mid-length hair almost tickled Camila’s nose.

“The third person was Zendaya Coleman, a daughter of Athena. She had been at camp for half a year before we arrived. She’s a close friend.”

With gritty memory, Camila recalled the tall daughter of Athena who was quick and witty, both with her words and her sword. Anyone would rethink challenging her to a fight once she donned her infamous smirk and calculating eyes, as if she already knew how to take you down the second you stepped up to her.

Zendaya was unlike most of her blonde-haired, gray-eyed siblings due to her dark, curly hair and brown eyes but that was where the differences ended. She was just as intelligent and sophisticated as the rest of her cabin, and an excellent battle strategist, and she was just seventeen.

Camila thought that Zendaya would make an excellent head counselor of the Athena cabin once Annabeth Chase stepped down since she and second-in-command Malcolm Pace were always running between college and camp during given breaks.

“And the three of you retrieved Hermes’s caduceus,” the fire wielder finished with a proud smile. “Was it difficult?”

Lauren shrugged. “It’s not as complicated as this one, that’s for sure. It only took us a few days and a trip to West Virginia. Zendaya almost got into a fight with some locals for their blatant close-mindedness, and Mani barely fixed it with her Charmspeak.”

Chuckling, Camila unraveled her fists, allowing Lauren’s fingers to stroke her palm inattentively. She smiled against Lauren’s shoulder. “Well, at least you got out of it alive. Did you meet Hermes?”

The cool fingertips on Camila’s warm palm paused before resuming to outline the creases of Camila’s hand.

“Yeah, we did,” Lauren answered in a lower tone. “At first, I thought he would be intimidating but he’s a rather collected and reasonable god. He appeared to be an ordinary middle-aged man, with salt-and-pepper hair and everything.”

Camila blinked, taken aback by the god’s average sounding description. “How did he react to you guys returning his caduceus?”

Lauren’s eyes were downcast on their hands. She wondered how such warm, gentle hands could produce a wild inferno. “He thanked us and even offered us free shipping for the Hermes Express for a month, which we of course agreed to.”

She paused, gnawing on her bottom lip. “He did give Mani and I a weird look though, as if he knew we would embark on another quest. There was a hint of sympathy in his smile, as if he was actually worried for our safety.”

Weaving their fingers together, Camila squeezed her hand reassuringly as their linked hands rested on Lauren’s thighs. “Even gods aren’t completely certain of the future, Lo. We’ll just have to survive to prove them wrong.”

The older girl sighed. “We’ll be fine,” she affirmed softly. “Dinah is a great sparring partner so fighting Eris won’t be as challenging. I know she’ll have my back.”

At the thought of the future confrontation, Camila went silent, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Lauren noticed the unusual reaction and squeezed Camila’s hands, quietly coaxing her to speak.

“I just - I don’t want to stand on the sidelines while you take on a vengeful war goddess,” the pyrokinetic confessed, a lump forming in her throat. “I know you’re capable of taking her down on your own, but I just feel like I’m abandoning you if I let you two go on alone when there’s five of us.”

Lauren shifted in Camila’s lap so her back was to the window, her front facing the narrow bus aisle. Her right arm hooked around Camila’s shoulders, clutching the furthest one away from her. Leaning into Camila’s side, Lauren was perpendicular to Camila, her legs dangling over the walkway.

The raven-haired girl looked down at the younger girl, her green eyes immediately catching Camila’s dark ones. Her stare lingered on the opposing cheek that she knew donned three thin vertical scratches, cutting off at Camila’s prominent jawline. Her fingers itched to caress the marks.

“You can’t always put yourself in harm’s way,” Lauren murmured, her free hand dropping to Camila’s toned abdomen, carefully applying pressure to the wrapped injury. She could feel the girl slightly recoil at the touch, as if reliving the incident.

Lauren’s chest tightened at a vivid flashback of Camila bleeding out in her arms.

“Dinah and I can handle this,” Lauren reiterated, urging Camila to meet her gaze.

Conflicted pools of brown reluctantly met spirited green and Camila gave in with a curt nod, tightening her hold around Lauren’s waist. She should have faith that the girls could succeed.

Lauren’s eyes flitted to Camila’s midsection. “Does it bother you?” she questioned, referring to her bandaged wound.

She kindly rubbed over the area where the Manticore’s tail had pierced Camila’s back. Even with her black sweater and dark gray long-sleeved shirt on, Lauren could still feel how toned Camila’s abdominal muscles were. She nearly bit her lip at how the muscles jumped at her touch, tensing beneath her fingertips.

“Not really. With all of the Hunters’ medical help, I feel a lot better.”

The ends of Camila’s mouth twisted into a smirk as her dark eyes fell to Lauren’s hand on her stomach. “Uh, princess, you know that I only injured my back. The pincer didn’t go all the way through.”

Her gut tightened at the lulling pattern of Lauren’s curious digits on her clothed abdomen. A blazing fire flickered to life within Camila, its heat spreading throughout her body.

Lauren’s bright green eyes widened at the realization, her cheeks adopting a subtle rosy hue. Her gaze snapped over to Camila’s and lost herself in the amused brown orbs.

Before the older girl could even speak, Ally abruptly shot up from her seat, her hand straying near the already pulled stop request cord.

The bus slowed to a stop near a familiar black-and-yellow food establishment and opened its doors.

The shortest half-blood gave Camila and Lauren an incredulous look as they were a pesky obstacle between her and her waffles. “Girls, come on! This is our stop.”

Normani and Dinah were already halfway out the door, along with a few other passengers.

Lauren hopped off Camila’s lap and collected their bags from the floor, offering Camila hers with a shy smile. The fire-wielder slowly rose to her feet and accepted her backpack. She grinned at Lauren before nudging her forward, keeping her within arm’s reach.

Ally exhaled, “Thank the gods,” and joined them off the bus.

Stepping out into the outside world caused a shiver to run down Camila’s spine. For one, it exposed them to the colder weather, and two, being stuck in the bus gave the demigods a short opportunity to escape the responsibility of completing a dire quest.

Camila missed the slow pace.

“Alright ya’ll,” Ally started, her expression laced with excitement, “let’s go to Waffle House!”

The oldest half-blood led the group to the small twenty-four hour restaurant with a slight skip to her step. She was practically vibrating with glee.

Dinah and Normani were discussing possible orders while Camila and Lauren walked in silence, their fingers threaded together.

White, frosty air escaped Camila mouth, her eyes crinkling with delight. She adjusted the backwards snapback on her head, running her thumb over the back of Lauren’s hand.

The two girls exchanged smiles, their eyes never straying off each other’s. Camila felt her heart drumming loudly in her chest.

Nearing the establishment, Camila rushed to maintain the door open. “After you, princess.”

“Thanks, Camz.” Lauren offered her a warm smile before entering, Camila following in suit.

The smell of sizzling bacon and maple syrup clouded the friendly atmosphere. Camila’s stomach growled and she smiled sheepishly at those who heard it. Lauren squeezed her hand with a grin.

Ally dramatically held her chest, a grateful smile planted on her face. Her wide brown eyes shone with wonder, easily recognizing the signature design of Waffle House; the main countertop and the lone chairs accompanying the bustling kitchen, and the red booths placed within the perimeter of the small restaurant.

It all screamed “home” to the daughter of Apollo, filling her with nostalgia. It reminded her of a life where she wasn’t a demigod, where she didn’t lose her parents.

Swallowing hard at the sudden influx of memories, Ally led the four other girls to a larger booth near the counter and frowned at the inadequate space. It wouldn’t be able to hold five people comfortably.

With a twinkle in her eye, Ally snatched a nearby lone chair and placed it at the head of their table, allowing Camila and Lauren to take one side of the booth while Dinah and Normani occupied the other side. Ally slung her bag over her chair and sat down, smiling at her friends.

Camila and Dinah shot each other lazy grins from the inner seats of the booth while Lauren and Normani exchanged knowing looks from the outer seats, warning each other to keep an eye on the mischievous best friends. Ally occupied the remaining side of the table to keep them all in line.

After the other four girls situated themselves, a short, blonde-haired waitress strolled over and handed them the basic lunch-and-dinner menus. She looked to be in her mid to late thirties.

Camila glanced down and nearly drooled at the images of Waffle House delicacies, her stomach overcoming her mind. Her eyes roamed over the pictures on the menu, hoping that she would be able to narrow down her options.

With her notepad out, the waitress eyed the unusual seating arrangement but offered a courteous smile nonetheless. “Can I start ya’ll off with some drinks?”

Ally bobbed her head eagerly and read the simple messages displayed through the other girls’ eyes. “We’ll take five Cokes, please.”

The blonde employee hummed in reply, jotting that down. “I’ll be back with your drinks.” She headed to the kitchen.

Dinah scooted forward in her seat, looking at the menu as if she was interpreting an old fashioned route map. Her brows furrowed together. “Um, I can’t read this.”

It suddenly dawned upon all of the half-bloods that they were all dyslexic to some degree. The table broke out into laughter, earning a few pointed looks from other customers.

“I mean,” Lauren squinted at the bolded words, “some of it is manageable, even though it hurts my head.”

Camila lifted her menu to the light for a better inspection. “Does that say ‘anus burger’? Or is it ‘booger’?”

Dinah cackled loudly. “Why would it be ‘anus booger’?” She pointed at what appeared to be the Kids’ Menu section due the cartoonish smiley-face with two thumb-up. “Walz, you should get something from there.”

“Haha, real funny.” Camila stuck her tongue out at the Polynesian.

“Mila,” Normani scolded, her eyes flitting from the Cuban to the list of possible options. “Put your menu down. People are watching.”

Camila frowned but obliged, glaring at the small font of the meals and their descriptions.

Ally giggled at the interactions. “Don’t worry, ya’ll. I have the menu memorized.”

Four sets of eyes landed on her in surprise.

The oldest demigod shrugged. “I used to go here a lot,” was her simple explanation.

After Ally leaned forward and described the restaurant’s most popular dishes, most of the girls had an idea on what they were going to eat. Camila still stared at her menu in confusion.

The blonde waitress returned with their cold drinks and prepared to record their order. “So, what will you all be having?”

“Can I get the bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich on Texas toast with a side of hashbrowns?” Ally asked with a dazzling smile, eager to dig into her food. “Thanks so much.”

Their waitress nodded her head and waited for the rest of the girls to order. Normani requested a grilled chicken sandwich while both Lauren and Dinah ordered a variation of a cheeseburger, bacon and double angus, respectively. For each given order, a side of regular hashbrowns was added.

Once the Waffle House employee jotted the four orders down, her dark blue eyes fell upon Camila expectantly. “And what about you? What would you like?”

Dark russet orbs snapped up to the questioning waitress and smiled sheepishly once she felt the pointed stares of her friends. “I, uh, I’m not sure what to get,” she replied, looking back down at the provided menu, her eyes darting from image to image.

After several seconds of no response, Ally cleared her throat. “Mila, what do you refuse to eat?”

Camila unconsciously shot a quick downwards glance toward the daughter of Poseidon sitting beside her.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” she answered absentmindedly, her mind preoccupied with her food choices.

A sudden silence fell over the table. Dinah, who caught the brief interaction, cackled at the unexpected crude comment. Lauren’s eyes gleamed strangely, deep in thought as she drew in her bottom lip between her teeth. Normani rolled her eyes at Dinah’s loud reaction, a small smile inching onto her face.

Ally forced her lips into an apologetic smile, directing it at the waitress who had an eyebrow raised in mild amusement.

Camila’s eyes lit up, oblivious to what had just occurred at the table. She was too focused on selecting the best meal for herself. “I’ll take the bacon angus cheeseburger with jalapeño peppers and a side of peppered hashbrowns. Sorry it took so long.”

“It’s no problem,” their waitress reassured politely, collecting their menus. “I’ll be back soon with your orders.” The blonde woman left for the kitchen once again.

Dinah scooted up in her seat, her signature grin plastered over her face. “I see you still like spicy food.”

“Correction, I love spicy food. You should know that by now.”

“Oh, I know.” The Polynesian’s grin broadened. “It’s just kinda ironic, with your powers and all. You’re literally a spicy firecracker.”

The pyrokinetic snorted. “You bet I am.”

Dinah’s brow quirked. “Or do you prefer Fireball?”

Camila’s nose wrinkled distastefully at the old nickname. “Okay, no. Only your half-sister can call me that.”

“And why’s that?”

A smirk loomed over Camila’s face. “Because unlike you, Clarisse can actually kick my ass if I protested.”

Dinah’s jaw dropped in shock, her nostrils flaring. “You little piece of—”

“Okay,” Ally interrupted with a forced smile. “That’s enough, you two. There are mortal children present. Behave.”

The two best friends frowned and slumped in their seats, afraid to intentionally anger the daughter of Apollo.

Dinah kept glancing at Ally, who sipped at her drink. “Hey, Smallz, do you, like, have anything against Clarisse?”

Ally froze so Dinah continued, “Because whenever she’s with you, you two always argue. I’m just curious.”

Four pairs of eyes landed on the oldest demigod. It was clear that Ally and Clarisse la Rue had some kind of bad blood but they wanted to hear about it from Ally herself.

A deep sigh escaped Ally and she slowly met their expectant faces. She fiddled with her thumbs over the smooth surface of the table.

“It’s nothing, really, but we never talked it out so things just seem tense. We shared a satyr, Coach Hedge, but he always preferred me because of my late parents and it took away from the attention Clarisse got and it upset her. I don’t blame her either. We both lacked love and attention from our parents so we both made up for it in Coach Hedge.

“When he started to spend more time with me, it made her feel like he was abandoning her. I tried to talk to her about it but Clarisse was too stubborn and prideful. We never really resolved anything, and with her constant jabs toward my height or fighting ability, I didn’t bother reaching out to her.”

Ally held her face in her hands. “Gods, that sounds really childish out loud.”

Normani shook her head and laid her hand atop of Ally’s. “It’s not dumb, Ally. It’s understandable that you would fight over the only parental figure you both had. Just try to talk to her after the quest, okay?”

Dinah hummed in agreement, wanting her older half-sister and close friend to reconcile. “I don’t blame her for the short jokes though.”

“Dinah!” Normani scolded, smacking her arm. “You’re not making this any better.”

“What? Clarisse isn’t wrong,” Dinah argued, extending her hand out toward an unimpressed Ally. “Any shorter and she’d probably fade out of existence!”

Camila bursted out laughing, nearly choking on her soda. Lauren joined her with her head thrown back in laughter. Normani couldn’t help but snort and glared lightly at the smug Polynesian.

Before Ally could fling her tiny body over the table to confront Dinah, the blonde waitress returned with their meals, silencing the hungry half-bloods. The five girls nearly salivated as the Waffle House employee set the respective plates in front of the person who ordered it.

“Enjoy your meal, girls. Holler if you need anything else,” the waitress announced, walking away.

As soon as the blonde employee was a good five feet away, the half-bloods dug into their food, filling their eager mouths.

Ally clasped her hands together at the sight of her meal, unable to keep the excited smile from spreading across her face. She murmured a quick prayer to the gods and bit into one of the halves of her favorite sandwich. Ally closed her eyes in bliss, reliving old, joyful memories.

Dinah arched a brow at her. To test her theory of whether or not the girl was momentarily incapacitated because of food, she randomly asked, “Hey Smallz, why do we say we’re head over heels when we’re happy or in love? Isn’t that the way we normally are?”

“Mhm, Waffle House,” Ally answered without hesitation, nodding her head at no one in particular.

Dinah snorted loudly. “And she’s gone,” she claimed, amazed that no one else noticed. She then returned her attention to her cheeseburger.

Camila hummed appreciatively at the dull twinge of the jalapeños, the heat collecting in her mouth. She reached into her toolbelt and pulled out a bottle of Tabasco hot sauce, allowing a few red droplets to fall onto her already peppered sandwich. Her mouth watered at the fiery display.

“You’re going to turn into an actual dragon with all that spice,” Lauren commented with a soft smile.

Grinning, Camila brought up the cheeseburger to her mouth, inhaling the dangerously sweet aroma of the peppers. “That’s the plan, princess.”

“Hey Mila,” Normani called out, swallowing a bite of her food. “Can I get some hot sauce?”

Nodding, Camila passed the small bottle and Normani whispered her gratitude, adding more flavor to her grilled chicken sandwich and hashbrowns. Dinah used it next, returning the Tabasco bottle to Camila directly after. She returned it to her toolbelt, biting into her spicy burger.

“Ally,” Lauren started, taking a bite of her hashbrowns. “Thank you so much for taking us out to eat. It was your idea and we really appreciate it.”

The other three half-bloods voiced their agreements, directing thankful smiles toward the beaming daughter of Apollo.

Ally waved them off, halfway done with her sandwich. “Girls, it’s no problem. As the designated ‘mother’ of the group, I couldn’t just let my children starve,” she teased.

Camila grinned warmly at the shorter blonde. “Well, it’s a good thing you have a lot of money because we have big appet—”

A shiver ran down her spine, the small hairs on the nape of neck her rising in alarm. Camila swallowed thickly, her hand immediately traveling to the toolbelt pocket where her sword hid. She kept her face calm as she looked around the small establishment, scouring for whatever set off her honed survival instincts.

Her friends noticed the abrupt shift in the atmosphere and visibly tensed.

Camila’s dark eyes surveyed each occupied table until stopping at three women wearing identical jackets in different shades of green. The trio sat a few tables away from their own table and Camila’s jaw clenched when she found one of their keen gazes intent on her.

Her chest tightened with fear once the pair of eyes burned a menacing yellow.

On the verge of warning her friends of the impending attack, a flaming javelin suddenly slammed through the middle of the table. The small flames instantly grew in height, illuminating the shocked faces of the five demigods.

The people around them began screaming in horror, rushing to the exits while the group remained seated, knowing that a fight was inevitable and that it had to be quick. The authorities would soon be on their way and they couldn’t risk any more media exposure.

I wonder what the mortals were seeing. Did they see a poorly made Molotov cocktail instead of a flaming wooden staff?

Camila sprung to her feet and easily diminished the growing fire with a curling fist before it could set off the fire alarm. The embedded spear was still as intimidating. “We have to leave. Now.”

“Oh, no, half-bloodsss,” a raspy voice hissed. “We’ve only jussst begun.”

Lauren, Dinah, and Normani joined Camila on their feet, slipping out of the booth and faced the direction in which the hoarse voice came from.

Ally’s small body went rigid as she glared at her ruined, unfinished plate. Her sharp gaze snapped over to the approaching monsters. “Ya’ll are gonna regret messing with my Waffle House dinner,” she threatened lowly, rising from her seat.

The three matching women stood before them in their undisguised forms. From the waist up, the women appeared normal, except for the scaly green skin, piercing yellow eyes, and forked tongues. Below their waists were twin serpent trunks instead of legs. Each snake woman carried a pointed spear, their intentions clear.

The one Scythian dracaena holding a shield smiled cruelly, most likely the leader of the trio. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll make up your lossst mealsss with a quick death.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that Waffle House actually served waffles of doom,” Dinah quipped in an attempt to lighten the mood, only earning a stern look from Normani.

Camila gritted her teeth and brought out her magical torch lighter, activating it with the press of a button. The lighter elongated into a double-etched Celestial bronze sword that was perfectly weighted in her hand.

Her fingers tightened around the grip of her sword as she sized up her opponents, her eyes smoldering. A blazing heat coursed through her veins, her gut clenching with a familiar tug.

The lead dracaena grinned darkly at Camila. “Ah, your fire burnsss bright, young one. However, it will inevitably consssume you.”

Lauren glared at the snake woman, her sword raised toward the trio of monsters. She took a step closer to Camila. “Too bad you won’t live long enough to see anything happen,” she sneered, her jaw setting.

Dinah eased herself into a low stance, her magical spear in hand. Normani scowled at the monsters, holding her bronze dagger in front of herself. Ally stood tall with tightly wound fists, her face harboring a menacing expression.

Three sets of bright yellow eyes seared through the five half-bloods, making their breaths catch. That split second of hesitation was all the dracaenae needed to launch themselves toward the girls.

Before Camila could move a muscle, a sharp knife whizzed passed her ear, embedding itself into the chest of one of the dracaena. The snake woman screeched in pain, clawing at the prodding weapon until she disintegrated into a pile of yellow ash.

Camila craned her neck to gawk at a smug Ally, who was armed with another dagger.

It briefly reminded Camila of the time where Dinah doubted Ally’s fighting skills at camp and was nearly shot down with an arrow by an unimpressed Ally. Their ball of sunshine was not as innocent as she appeared to be.

“There’s more where that came from,” the daughter of Apollo taunted, stepping into the frontline.

“You will pay for that, half-blood,” the lead dracaena hissed.

Ally only chuckled and advanced toward the pair of monsters. “Never mess with a girl and her food,” she countered with a light glower.

The dracaenae snarled at her and the two remaining monsters surged forward for an offensive attack, their bodies slithering from side to side due to their legs being twin serpent tails.

Camila was about to step in to assist the older girl but halted when Ally met the snake women head on with a surprising speed, aiming for the weaker one. Her bronze dagger gleamed wickedly as Ally swung at the defenseless dracaena’s midsection, barely dodging the jabbing of the other one’s spearhead.

The monster let out a loud wail before vaporizing. Ally’s face shone with indifference as she turned her back to face the seething leader.

Two down, one more to go.

The rest of the demigods were rooted to the ground, astounded by Ally’s impressive fighting skills. Camila and Dinah’s mouths were agape as Ally casually wiped her knife on her jeans, barely glancing at the monster.

With a deep growl, the last dracaena thrusted the edge of her spear towards Ally’s shoulder but Ally quickly step-sided. Her eyes narrowed in an attempt to find a small juncture for her knife. It proved to be challenging as this dracaena held a shield, unlike the previous two.

Ally’s dark eyes flickered to the lone knife on the ground and hastily crouched to retrieve it, narrowly missing the wide arc of the monster’s spear. With two knives, Ally sprung to her feet, slashing at the dracaena’s exposed snake tails on her way up.

The monster cried out at the brief laceration, momentarily shifting her shield to the right, leaving more of her left side exposed. Ally instantly seized the opportunity and drove her dagger into the scaly flesh of the monster. Her nose was overwhelmed by scent of rotting carcasses and thick, iron-rich blood but she pressed forward, burying the blade deeper.

Furious yellow eyes pierced Ally’s dark brown as the dracaena dropped her shield. A wordless discussion passed through them before the monster disintegrated into nothing.

Ally wrinkled her nose at the lingering smell of sulfur. “Gods, I hate that.”

She shuffled back and her shoulders slumped, all of the tension draining from her body. “And that’s they get for messing with my Waffle House,” she exhaled quite loudly, eyeing the dust that littered the tile floor.

Camila’s eyes were wide, her jaw slack. She would definitely think twice about crossing Ally from now on.

“I didn’t know you could fight like that!” Dinah exclaimed, tearing through the silence.

Ally’s lips twitched into a small smirk as she turned to face the shocked Polynesian. “I may not have a bow but I still have the lethal precision of my arrows,” she stated simply, sheathing her daggers. “Now, get your things and let’s go.”

The other demigods snapped to life at her urgent tone and quickly gathered their belongings, concealing their bronze weapons. Ally, being generous as always, left a ten dollar tip on their table and led the girls out of the small Waffle House restaurant.

Camila slung the strap of her back over her shoulder and reached for Lauren’s hand, who immediately clinged onto it. Together, they exited the establishment and followed the rest of the group.

Suddenly, the distant cry of a familiar siren urged the girls quicken their stride to the point where they were currently running down the streets of Denver, Colorado. Camila made sure that Lauren was in front of her, refusing to leave her behind.

Ally pointed to a small complex with a large lot in the nearing distance. “Over there!” she called out, her short legs struggling to maintain the faster pace.

After several more agonizing seconds of running and Dinah barely avoiding a speeding taxi, the five girls navigated their way through the full parking lot and slowed to a stop, attempting to catch their breath. White puffs of frosty air escaped their mouths, fading into nothing.

Camila leaned her shoulders back, gathering Lauren’s hand in her own unconsciously. She peered up at the name of the low building and raised a brow. She could only make out the words “CAR” and “RENT” but it was enough to figure out their plan.

“Well, if we’re taking another car, I’ll let you and Mani do the honors.”

Ally shot her a small grin. “Of course. Come on, Manibear. We got some persuading to do.”

Normani squeezed Dinah’s hand and flashed her a reassuring smile. “Any preferences?” she asked Camila, knowing that she would be the main driver.

“Something like our old ride? Some legroom would be nice.”

“Got it.” Normani smiled at the rest of the girls. “One SUV coming right up.”

She followed Ally into the small car rental place while the other three demigods waited outside, attempting to appear inconspicuous.

Dinah released a long sigh and leaned against the wall of the rental building. She closed her eyes and curled her hands into fists. “I didn’t get to finish my hashbrowns…”

Camila chuckled at her dejected tone. “We can get some more food when we hit the road,” she promised. “I’ll even get you some Sour Patch and spicy Cheetos.”

A tiny smile spread across Dinah’s features and her eyes fluttered open, only to beam at the brunette. “That’d be great.” She then closed her eyes again and relaxed against the wall, humming a familiar tune.

Adjusting her snapback, Camila turned her head slightly to stare fondly at Lauren. She squeezed her hand. “And I’ll make sure to get you some donuts,” she murmured, her smile softening as Lauren’s face instantly lit up.

Their eyes met and they could only smile at each other, neither girl’s gaze faltering. Lauren leaned into the younger girl, her green eyes shining. “I look forward to it.”

Camila rubbed the back of Lauren’s hand with her thumb, lazily tracing patterns into the soft skin. Her mind wandered briefly and she found herself outlining the shape of the sun and its extended rays. One end of her mouth twitched into a knowing smile.

Suddenly, Normani and Ally slipped out of the building with laid-back grins. The taller girl dangled a pair of keys between her fingertips.

“Piece of cake,” Normani commented, tossing them to Camila. She was quick to rejoin Dinah’s side, a small smile curling the blonde’s lips as a result.

The Latina inspected the keys and nodded, tightening her hold on Lauren’s hand. “Great, let’s go.”

Ally led the group to the farthest end of the parking lot full of rental cars. She stopped at a ruby red Ford Expedition, its large size and vibrant color attracting Camila.

“Ta-da! Lots of legroom,” Ally stated, donning a pleased smile. “It has eight seats and a trunk.”

She sounds like an eager car salesman.

Camila arched a brow and unlocked the SUV with the key remote, receiving two beeps in response. Her body suddenly buzzed with excitement to be around more mechanical vehicles.

The quintet stepped closer, heading toward the back of the car.

The pyrokinetic eyed the bold color of the car and shrugged. “It’s not my favorite color but it’ll do,” she admitted out loud, opening the trunk of the SUV to pack their belongings.

“What’s your favorite color then?” Ally questioned, shrugging off her bag to set it down in the compartment space.

Camila paused, her eyes flitting over to Lauren, who made her way to the front passenger seat. “Green.”

She closed the trunk and offered Ally a half-smile. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

The daughter of Apollo nodded and joined Dinah and Normani in the back of the SUV.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Camila rolled her shoulders back in preparation for the long drive and entered the large vehicle. She closed the door and inserted the keys into the ignition, the engine rumbling to life.

A small smile formed on her face at the machine humming under her command. Her mind cleared, her senses sharpening. At that moment, she had everything under her control.

Camila glanced at the three girls in the back and then at Lauren, who provided a supportive smile. She couldn’t help but mirror it, taking off her black snapback and setting it on the medium between the two front seats. She ran a hand through her hair, untangling it with her fingers.

“Seat belts on?” she asked in confirmation, clicking on her own. It would be a shame for a demigod to die because of a simple car accident and not at a monster’s hand.

The girls voiced their okays and Camila eased her foot off the brake, the SUV beginning to move forward. With her foot on the gas, Camila began to drive away from the lot, her hands tight around the steering wheel.

The vehicle’s wheels glided easily over the smooth concrete of the road, reducing Camila’s anxiety of a sudden monster attack. The ambush at Waffle House left her a bit paranoid as it was out in the open, obviously increasing the danger to the bystanding mortals.

It was hard enough to defend yourself and assist your friends when you could, but to worry over the safety of random mortals at the expense of your own life was a bit difficult.

Relief flowed into Camila’s veins as they drove farther away from the park and the restaurant. Her muscles relaxed and she leaned back into the seat, a single hand maneuvering the steering wheel.

“So, where to?” she inquired, glancing at the rearview mirror to find Ally examining her map.

“You’ll have to go on the highway to go west on Interstate 70 until the nearest major city of Richfield, Utah,” Ally informed her, squinting at the map. “Then we can switch and I can drive the rest of the way.”

Camila whistled. “You better get some sleep then, Ally. You’re not taking the next shift sleep deprived.”

The daughter of Apollo nodded in agreement and huddled back into her coat with the broad hood obscuring her head. She curled up against the locked door of the SUV in an attempt to get some rest.

“Walz, turn on the radio and crank up the heater,” Dinah instructed tiredly, scooting closer to Normani. “Not all of us are walking furnaces.”

With a snort, Camila reached over to turn up the radio and set the heater at an adequate setting. She checked the clock, taking note of the time. It was a little past five in the afternoon.

From the rearview mirror, Camila caught Dinah and Normani pressed together with Normani’s head leaning on Dinah’s shoulder. Their hands were joined together, lying between them. Both girls appeared to be sleeping, their faces devoid of any emotion.

The sight brought a smile to the Cuban’s face.

Camila looked over at Lauren, her expression softening. “You should get some sleep, Lo.”

The green-eyed girl frowned at the suggestion. “I feel like I’m either sleeping or fighting monsters on this quest.”

“Isn’t that what a quest is?” Camila questioned, donning a teasing smile.

Lauren shrugged. “I just want to keep you company,” she admitted, her eyes running over the brunette’s side profile.

Ignoring how her heart hammered faster in her chest, Camila shook her head. “I’ll be fine. The last thing I want is to keep you up and deprive you of your precious beauty sleep.”

Lauren still appeared skeptical. “Are you sure? You’ll practically be by yourself for the next few hours—”

“Princess,” Camila interjected, reaching over to clasp Lauren’s soft hand. “Get some rest. If I need anyone to talk to, you’ll be the first person I wake up.”

The daughter of Poseidon finally relented and nodded, shuffling in her seat to get more comfortable. “Alright, but if you feel tired, pull over and ask Ally to take your place. I’d rather not die while taking a nap on the way to Las Vegas. Not really the most heroic way to go.”

Camila feigned hurt, reeling her hand back. “You have such little faith in me, Lauren. You seem to forget that I’ve always gone the longest with less sleep and I’m totally fine.”

Just a little fucked up inside.

Pushing the seat belt to the side, Lauren scoffed. “You also seem to forget that you’ve gotten injured the most.”

“I see no correlation between those two facts.” Camila bit her lip worriedly. “Are you sure you’ve been getting enough sleep?”

Lauren rolled her eyes, a small smile threatening to spread across her face. “Okay, smartass, I’m going to sleep now.”

“Thank gods. It’s been my goal since the beginning of this conversation.”

The raven-haired girl narrowed her eyes at a smug Camila before she curled up in her seat. “I’m only doing this because I’m tired and not because you told me to,” she mumbled, burrowing into her oversized hoodie.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, princess.” Camila spared a quick glance toward the older girl, her chest tightening at the adorable sight. “Sweet dreams, Lo.”

“Safe driving, Camz.”

A hush went over the SUV after their short partings. Camila settled into the comfortable silence, lowering the volume of the radio to an acceptable level. Her body slumped into her seat, any previous anxiety dissipating.

Staring ahead, Camila blinked at the mostly vacant highway, save for a couple of cars. She assumed that the roads were clearer than usual due to the unpredictable weather as it would typically be congested due to rush hour.

She sighed and increased her acceleration, careful to stay within a reasonable amount above the actual speed limit. What Ally didn’t know, wouldn’t kill her, Camila guessed, raising a brow at the speedometer.

The brunette bobbed her head unconsciously to the random pop song playing on the radio, her free hand tapping lightly on left side of the steering wheel. All she had as company were her thoughts and the light, airy snores of her friends.

Camila leaned her head back into the headrest, hoping that the ride would be unproblematic and somewhat simple to accomplish.

Almost two hours into the drive, her ADHD suddenly acted up, making her left leg jittery with continuous bounces. Her mind was growing tired after staying in the same position for a long time without something to keep her entertained, such as food or a changing environment, like in her former long distance shift.

Maybe she didn’t think this through, not that she’d admit that out loud, especially in front of Lauren. Gods knows she wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Biting her lip, Camila dug into her toolbelt for a snack and her hand curled around something cylindrical and cool to the touch. Her eyes widened in surprise, yanking the item out of a pocket.

She gaped at the fresh can of Red Bull in her hand, weighing it in her palm.

What else is stored in this toolbelt? …Note to self, conduct further research.

Camila eyed it warily before cracking the can open and taking a cautious sip of the energy drink. The tart, amber liquid slid down her throat, the sharp taste awakening her slow brain. She immediately drank the entire can, her brows knitting together at the intense flavor.

She blinked, noting that her mind was more responsive due to the sugary beverage. Camila smiled at the improvement and reached for another can. As long as something was busying her hyperactive mind, she was down.

One more can turned into two, which then became four.

Her body buzzed with a newfound energy, her eyes wide on the lane in front of her. A lazy smile stretched her face as she took in her unaltered surroundings.

Finishing another can, Camila glanced at the time and nearly choked. It was past eleven o’clock. She had been driving for six hours straight and she hadn’t even noticed.

“Camila?” a groggy voice called out from the back of the SUV.

The Cuban stole a peek at the rearview mirror, catching Ally tiredly rubbing her eyes.

“What’s up, sunshine?” Camila scrunched up her face at how loud her voice sounded.

“Take the next exit. Didn’t you see the red gas gauge? We’re almost out of gas.”

Camila’s eyes snapped to the LOW FUEL symbol glowing yellow. With a sheepish smile, she obliged, slowly decelerating, and took the nearest exit that had a list of possible gas stations. “I, uh, didn’t notice.”

She was embarrassed to acknowledge the fact that she probably would have kept driving until the vehicle gave up on her. She glared at the empty Red Bull can in her grasp.

Ally paused, staring blankly at Camila until her gaze lowered to the pile of empty cans stacked on the front center console of the SUV. Her bleary eyes widened in shock.

“Mila, how many cans did you drink?” she exclaimed, the high pitch of her tone wakening the rest of the half-bloods.

Dinah and Normani bashed their heads together as they were so close in proximity. The girls slouched over, groaning in pain. Somehow, the pair managed to send drowsy glares at the oblivious daughter of Apollo.

Lauren jerked, shooting upright until she clutched her head. Her eyes were clenched in discomfort at the sudden movement. “Camz drank what?” she rasped, starting to peer at a bashful Camila.

“What the hell, Walz? You drank like half a dozen Red Bulls.”

“Yeah, how have you not spontaneously combusted yet?”

Camila’s face felt hot. “I didn’t mean to! It just…happened? And I’m totally fine, okay? It’s not like I downed them all in ten minutes. I’ve been driving for like six hours.”

She could feel Lauren’s curious gaze burning holes into the side of her face but she ignored her in hopes of reaching their destination safely.

The brunette squinted at the dimly lit road signs and navigated to the closest gas station using her thermal vision. The SUV rolled into a mostly vacant Exxon gas station and shop, only a single pickup truck present. She parked the large vehicle next to the farthest fuel dispenser, cutting off the engine as she pocketed the keys.

“Where are we?” Dinah asked, stretching out her limbs.

“Uh, somewhere near Richfield, Utah? We passed the state border two hours ago,” Camila informed, lightly scratching her scarred cheek.

Tugging at the sleeves of her black sweatshirt, Camila reached for the door handle. “Alright, we’re taking a short break while I get gas, so buy some food and use the bathroom. We’re not stopping until we reach Vegas.”

The other four chorused their agreements, physically preparing themselves to leave the warm confines of the car. It wasn’t as cold as the east coast but it wasn’t nearly as warm as the inside of the SUV.

Camila gathered the empty Red Bull cans in her arms and pushed passed the car door. She mentally took note of which fuel pump they were at so she could pay for the required gasoline.

“Need some help?”

Her gaze snapped over to Lauren, her green eyes bright with mirth. The beginnings of a smirk ghosted over her pink lips.

“Nah, I’m good.”

Camila hobbled over to the recycling bin near the entrance of the small convenience shop and dumped all of the aluminum cans into it. She dusted off her hands on her jeans, fixing her sweatshirt.

She opened the door for the rest of the group before walking in. Dinah and Normani were quick to launch themselves into the building, heading to bathroom.

The gas shop was a standard convenience store, full of snacks and other basic necessities. There were two employees currently manning the front. Camila noted that it was oddly similar to a 7-Eleven but thought nothing of it.

There were two middle-aged men grabbing drinks from one of the freezers. They wore thick cargo pants and dark coats, one of them donning a black trapper hat. The men appeared harmless, most likely stopping by for some drinks from a late shift at work.

Camila’s eyes wandered the shop, wetting her lips at the grand display of junk food. It was one of the perks of traveling long distances.

Lauren easily slipped her hand into hers and pulled her forward, leading Camila to the chips. The two girls picked out a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and two bags of spicy Cheetos. At the last second, Camila snuck in a box of Skittles and a bag of Sour Patch, grinning widely at Lauren’s eyeroll.

On the way to the cash register, Camila stopped, suddenly remember something. She handed the items over to Lauren, flashing her a reassuring smile when she was met with a confused stare. “Get in line for me. I need to go get something.”

“Okay, but hurry back. There’s practically no line.”

Camila nodded and dashed off, subtly approaching the small aisle with pastries. There was a transparent case that contained a few baked goods and Camila hastily filled a small plastic bag with two glazed donuts, smiling proudly at herself.

She’s going to love this.

With the donuts in hand, Camila returned to the cash register, watching the cashier scan their items. She placed the bag on the counter and reached for Lauren’s hand, smiling when the older girl accepted it.

Lauren stilled, eyeing the bag of donuts. She whipped her head toward Camila, beaming at her. A shy smile formed on her face, her eyes shining brightly. “Thanks,” she murmured in a quiet, appreciate tone.

The softly spoken word caused Camila’s chest to constrict, butterflies erupting in her stomach. She willed herself to not bring the taller girl in for a crushing hug.

Instead, Camila waved her off, oblivious to the affectionate look. “It’s no problem, princess. Anything for you.”

She returned her attention to the abnormally tall employee, ordering a tank’s worth of gasoline. Her brows furrowed, realizing that the man’s image was shimmering.

The heavily built man grunted, punching buttons into the cash register to activate their fuel dispenser. He packed their items into two plastic bags, letting them rest on the counter as he calculated the total.

He glanced up the pair, his intense icy blue eyes startling Camila. “That’ll be—”

His nostrils instantly flared, his pupils dilating at the sight of the two girls, as if he was finally getting a good look at them.

The other three demigods were nearing the counter with their own snacks but faltered at the growing tension surrounding them.

Something tugged at Camila’s gut, her grip on Lauren’s hand tightening with a silent warning, who reciprocated the squeeze.

A wide grin washed over the man’s hard features, revealing yellow pointed teeth. “So it is true,” he marveled. “Half-bloods”—a violent shudder shot down Camila’s spine at the booming tone—“It’s been so long since half-bloods have stumbled into our store.”

Camila narrowed her eyes in concentration, finally seeing through the Mist.

She gaped at his incredible height. The monster was nearly three feet taller than her and had large muscles, bulging underneath his uniform shirt. Various tattoos curled around his toned, hairy arms. His blue eyes were wild and piercing, complimenting his shaggy black hair.

The other employee grinned wickedly at them, baring his yellow teeth. Unlike the other man, his hair was lighter, similar to a dirty blond, and his eyes were a dark brown. He began approaching his partner, pinning the demigods with their hungry gazes.

“Oh gods,” Ally muttered behind them. “Laistrygonian giants. I’ve never heard of any going this far south.”

The name of the monsters clicked in Camila’s head and she gulped hard when she remembered that the giants were cannibals who enjoyed feasting on demigods and humans alike.

“There was too much competition over the scarce number of mortals available in the north so we decided to head south. Our food supply doubled within a month,” the lead giant confessed with a dark smile. “Survival of the fittest, godling.”

Before Camila could react, Dinah shoved her junk food into Normani’s arms and unveiled her spear. “Unfortunately, we’re not on the menu,” she countered, inching closer to the monsters.

The blond giant sneered at the daughter of Ares. “We’ll see about that, half-blood.” He leaped over the wide counter and lunged at Dinah, the height difference boggling Camila as Dinah was the tallest out of the five.

The Polynesian grounded her jaw as she was thrown against a wall of chips, several bags falling to the tile floor. Luckily, the small bags cushioned her fall and she easily jumped to her feet, charging at the monster.

Due to the sudden commotion, the two mortal men dashed out of the convenience store, running for their lives with an armful of stolen drinks.

Smart move.

The remaining giant became fixated on Camila until Ally chucked a liter-sized water bottle at him, effectively snatching his undivided attention.

“Go,” Ally commanded the others, her dark eyes glued to the dark-haired monster.

Camila hurriedly collected their bags, dragging Lauren and Normani to the exit. Normani shoved their own junk food into the two bags, grabbing a hold of one with Lauren taking the other.

The fire-wielder pulled the car keys from her pocket and forced them into Lauren’s hand. “Go fill up the tank and start the car. I’ll take watch.”

The two older girls nodded, knowing that the other three could handle the two giants. The duo fled from the shop to complete their assigned objective.

Turning around, Camila spotted Dinah stabbing the blond giant with her spear, using its long range to her advantage. The monster disintegrated into a column of fire, the abrupt fire causing Camila’s gut to clench.

Dinah’s chest heaved as she staggered forward, adjusting her grip on the customized spear. “Gods, that bitch was strong,” she exhaled, cupping her side. She capped her weapon and shoved the lipstick tube into her pocket.

Her wild eyes flitted over to Ally, who was so tiny compared to the eight foot giant.

The daughter of Apollo was sprawled on the ground, her knife far from reach. The main counter and neighboring floor was a mess, with candy and magazines scattered everywhere.

The giant prowled closer to Ally, raising a heavy iron club above his head. “Here’s to a late night snack,” he grinned maliciously.

“This is the second time someone’s interrupted my meal today,” the oldest demigod growled, her dark eyes smoldering. “So there’s no way in Hades that I’m becoming one without having one.”

Ally scowled at the monster, swiftly avoiding the incoming club with a well-timed roll. She crawled on top of the counter to even out the height difference and grabbed the nearest heavy item, which somehow happened to be a bible.

Wait.

Gripping the holy book tightly, Ally impatiently waited for the giant to face her with his cold, frustrated eyes. He stalked closer, starting to lift his club once again.

“You need Jesus!” Ally exclaimed, bashing his face with the heavy book repeatedly.

Oh my gods.

Dinah and Camila gawked at the sight of the small demigod beating the cannibal with a bible, making him stumble backward in pain.

Unhooking her second knife from her hip, Ally pounced on the giant, sinking her bronze blade into his burly chest. The two collapsed on the cold tile floor.

The dark-haired monster roared in anguish, pushing the girl off as he gripped the handle of the dagger, yanking the blade out. Seconds later, he exploded into fire, smoke clouding the air. The bronze dagger clattered onto the ground.

Ally steadily rose to her feet and kicked at the pile of ash, sheathing both of her knives. Running a hand through her mussed hair, she turned to her shocked friends.

Dinah openly gaped at her, the term, “Allysin” slipping from her mouth.

Camila snorted at the new, fitting nickname.

A sly smirk twisted Ally’s lips, her dark eyes flashing. “Who said I was angel?”

Silence.

Simultaneously, the three demigods bursted out laughing before attempting to recompose themselves. The trio observed the mess around them due to the fight and shrugged helplessly. There were casualties to public monster fights and damaging their immediate setting would always be one.

Camila strolled over to the candy aisle and grabbed a Nutella & GO! snack from the shelf, acknowledging that Lauren only tolerated chocolate in a Nutella form. She also took a bar of Hershey’s special dark chocolate for herself.

“We should go before someone else comes,” Ally advised while snatching a packet of Oreos for herself.

Dinah nodded in agreement, now holding two cans of Arizona green tea. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Exchanging knowing looks, the three demigods exited the destroyed convenience store. They walked over to their now refueled SUV, both Lauren and Normani leaning patiently against it.

Lauren arched a brow at the stolen goods as the trio neared them. “I’m guessing that the giants are taken care of?”

Dinah grinned. “You bet, Lauser.” She handed one of the green tea cans to Normani, who smiled at the simple offering.

Normani circled her index finger over the top of the Arizona can, her brows furrowed in thought. “How did we not notice the monsters as soon as we stepped into the store?”

Ally sighed heavily. “As you travel farther west, the monster attacks become more frequent and the Mist grows denser. It’s all because of the lingering power of the Titan base. The west is dangerous for demigods.”

“Speaking of which,” Camila interrupted, glancing at her wristwatch. It was a little past midnight. “It’s time to go and it’s Ally’s turn to drive. I want to get some rest before we arrive in Las Vegas.”

The daughter of Apollo nodded and slipped into the driver’s seat, the keys already in the ignition. The front passenger’s seat held all the stolen snacks and two Red Bull cans, courtesy of Camila.

Dinah and Normani took up the second row of seats while Camila and Lauren occupied the very back of the SUV.

Ally adjusted the volume of the radio and the heater. She checked her map one final time before placing her hands on the steering wheel.

The vehicle rolled forward, departing from the abandoned gas station, on its way back to the interstate highway.

Camila passed the pack of Nutella sticks to Lauren, along with the two glazed donuts. “I believe these belong to you.”

Lauren smiled softly at her, her green eyes twinkling. “Thank you, Camz,” she murmured, kissing her cheek in appreciation, her lips lingering for a second too long.

Heat pooled in Camila’s face as she bashfully bowed her head, too exhausted to continue the light flirting. Lauren grinned at her reaction, happily biting into her donut.

Camila finished one medium-sized bag of spicy Cheetos and half the box of Skittles when her limbs became heavy. Her eyelids felt weighted with every tired blink.

She stifled a yawn, shifting in her seat to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Her brows scrunched together in frustration when she couldn’t relax, her neck aching in annoyance.

“Hey,” Lauren whispered, lightly tapping her arm. “Why don’t you lie down on my lap?”

Camila’s eyes flew open in surprise, her heart pounding faster in her chest. “Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”

The pyrokinetic contemplated the suggestion for a few moments until she lowered her head onto Lauren’s lap, curling up horizontally into the seats. She bit her lip at the soft cushioning of Lauren’s thighs, the pain in her neck no longer bothering her as much. Her eyelids drooped halfway at the achieved comfort.

Camila glanced up shyly at the daughter of Poseidon, only to receive a warm, grateful smile in return.

“Go to sleep, Camz. I’ll make sure nothing happens while you’re out. You can trust me.”

Camila exhaled and snaked her free arm around Lauren’s waist, holding her close. “I do trust you,” she admitted, her voice muffled by Lauren’s hoodie.

You always have my back.

Lauren’s face softened at the confession, beginning to gently weave her fingers through Camila’s hair. She tucked some strands back, her fingertips grazing the girl’s defined jawline. “I trust you too.”

And I’ll always have yours.

The younger girl released a content sigh, the stiff muscles in her body loosening. Her eyes fluttered shut at the soothing strokes of Lauren’s fingertips on her scalp. A pleased sound escaped her as she nuzzled her nose into the soft fabric of Lauren’s hoodie, taking in the girl’s calming scent. Her arm tightened around Lauren’s waist possessively, unwilling to let her go.

“Good night, Camz,” Lauren murmured with an affectionate expression.

Barely holding on to her consciousness, one corner of Camila’s mouth quirked up into a small smile. “Buenas noches, princesa.”

Camila then embraced the darkness of sleep, no longer fearing the uncertainty of the endless oblivion or the haunting demigod dreams as long as Lauren’s gentle hands delved into her long locks of hair.

Lauren was her light in the dark and she would fight like hell to keep that light burning.

–––

A/N: and that’s that, lmao. i hope ya’ll enjoyed those camren and ot5 moments. i think the chapter turned out pretty enough.

okay, so what do ya’ll think of fifth harmony’s new song and music video “angel”? your thoughts on camila’s songs “omg” and “havana”? personally, i liked and enjoyed all three, and felt attacked during the mv for “angel”.

don’t forget to buy 5h’s self-titled album and to support camila’s music! i’ll be doing both as soon as i get some money, lol. i love my five girls.

fun fact: this entire fic is now 146,868 words! it’s incredible that i’ve written so much for this pairing and girl group.

so, i don’t know when the next update will happen, seeing that it’s august and school’s about to start for me, meaning more work and college apps so i’ll try to update ASAP - hopefully twice before the year ends, since these chapters are really long and detailed. if anything else happens, i will alert you guys. hang in there. until then!

tumblr/wattpad: hellyeahfeels

[gennij]

Really long thing mostly for me

TFW you spend an hour researching and typing this when you were supposed to be studying for that biology test.

I was curious about the Diogenes club Mycroft attends so I looked it up.

Apparently, it was named so after the philosopher Diogenes, who was important but a right prat himself.

He pledged in a simple lifestyle, and that led to Cynicism and Stoicism.

But, he also criticized Plato, sabotaged Socrates lectures by eating loudly, and openly mocked Alexander the Great.

He was later captured by pirates, pirates, and sold into slavery.

His death is unclear but it was speculated that he either “held his breath”, “ate bad octopus”, or from “an infected dog bite”. Yeah.

Then there’s a whole thing about how he mocked people for treating the dead with respect. It comes with an excerpt about how people asked what he wanted to happen to his body after death, and he responded that he wished to be thrown out the city walls to be fed to the wild animals. He then specified that he’d like a stick along with him so he could fight off the animals. When questioned how he’d fight lacking awareness, he just straight up went “if I’m not aware, then why the fuck would I care what happens to my body.” (obvious paraphrasing)

He’s so connected with dogs there are literally too many things to name why.

(I mean, the word cynic even came from the word dog!!!)

P.S. There’s a Diogenes Syndrome, which doesn’t really have anything to do with Diogenes himself, but it’s characterized as a behavioral disorder wherein the person (usually an older male) has involuntary self-neglect and hoarding.

When looking up Diogenes (the philosopher) they also directly mentioned Sherlock stories, wherein the Diogenes Club hosts educated but untalkative and antisocial men.

K. So, I definitely didn’t detail this whole guy’s life but now I really want to make a comparison to the modern BBC Sherlock show.

So first of all, the Diogenes Club is actually called the Athenaeum Club, and it’s a standing club (that now accepts female members) wherein people with outstanding degrees may join.

Let me go from there, so from the name, Athenaeum, it comes from the Greek Goddess Athena, and I looked a bit more into Greek mythology to see if there could be any more connections. There were a few far-fetched ones, but let me start with the “similar” sounding one first: Anthea, Mycroft’s assistant. Surprisingly I expected her name to have come from Athena just because the letters can be rearranged. But, Anthea was actually an epithet (nickname) for the Greek Goddess Hera, which actually really baffled me. There had to be a reason for the writers to introduce a character with this name (especially since I could find no mention of her in the original novels by Arthur Conan Doyle). So I looked a bit more, and found that the meaning of Anthea is “flower” or “blossom”, and concerning the Hera part of the story, the only well-known myth including Athena is the story of Helen of Troy, better known as the Trojan War. In it, Athena, Aphrodite and Hera question Paris of Troy on who is the most beautiful and try to bribe him. Skipping past this, since it really does not seem relevant to any connections with Sherlock, I’ll just write that Hera “won” by promising Paris the “most beautiful woman on earth”, which was Helen. Blahblahblah. What I concluded were important parts, or at least connected enough to be introduced to Sherlock, is that the Goddess Hera is connected to women, marriage, and religion. But, she is also vengeful against Zeus’ (her husband) lovers and illicit children. She was actually raped by Zeus and persuaded to become his wife after the fact, but she still finds his infidelity unacceptable and rages. Then there’s the fact that in most statues of Hera she can be holding a pomegranate, emblem of fertile blood and death and a substitute for the narcotic capsule of the opium poppy. The drug. The drug that Sherlock (from the original Victorian era stories) used.

TLDR; Though Athenaeum seems a good connection to the character Anthea, I could not find any matching data besides loosely connected Greek mythology. Anthea comes from the Goddess Hera, and she is connected to bribery, manipulation, disguise, murder, and drugs. A good match for Anthea as a “tool” for Mycroft.

Let’s move on to Mycroft, because I just had to do a quick search on his name, especially as he was the “co-founder” for the Diogenes Club (my original topic that I have now gone totally overboard with). His name means “the mouth of the stream” and “land”. Which, though I may be overreaching, suit him exceptionally well. Everything about Mycroft (especially in the modern show) shows him to be in some major control of the British Government, which can be simply put, he is the land. The “mouth of the stream” is a bit harder, but again, as “he is the British Government” you would assume for him to have at least some control over the media and/or what gossip travels the country. Mouth of the stream, can thusly be “stream of consciousness” (thought process) or “stream of words”. Let me just add here for fun, connecting to Diogenes (the philosopher) we can believe Mycroft to be a stoic and cynical character (plus the whole eating food thing).

TLDR; Mycroft can literally be taken to mean the British country and all thought in it.

Okay, let me just jump into Sherlock now. He’s really why I wanted to connect to Diogenes by I got carried away with everything else… So, let me first say, how much does Diogenes sound like Sherlock? (or is it the other way around?) Either way, both men who feel as if they don’t uphold or support any certain government or country, they “want to live simply” (in different ways yes, but I’ll expand on that), and are right assholes about how they seem to present their opinions to others. For example, the whole thing about Diogenes criticizing all those other philosophers and disturbing their lectures through what seems to be a childish action (eating food loudly). I don’t think I need to explain Sherlock’s prattiness, but he also bulldozes over others opinions, “because they’re idiots”, and reacts childishly when not listened to.

Then there’s the whole dog thing with Diogenes, and though the fourth season of Sherlock may have made this a bit harder, Sherlock had thought to have a dog named Redbeard for many years before he went missing.

Third, the pirates. I’d say “do I need to say more” but I’m obviously going to. Diogenes was abducted by pirates and sold as a slave to a man named Xeniades. When asked his trade he was a smartass and said “nothing but governing men” and this Xeniades hired him, hired him, as a tutor for is children. Honestly, the only parts of that story that I can liken to Sherlock is that he had always wanted to become a pirate, and the snarky answer which inevitably gets him out of serious trouble.

Then there’s the whole similarity of how they perceive the dead.

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Titanomachy - Chapter 8

(( Camille belongs to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula belongs to @myzzy and @agenttwo​

Celestes belongs to @alpinesquid​

Telemachus, Julia Noh, Q, and others belong to me ))

I thought it wasn't a good time to be dreaming in the middle of a conflict, but it had to happen for a reason.

Camille wakes up again, personifying Princess Camilla again in Mythological Greece. She was finding herself in what appeared to be a training grounds in a wheatfield, taking a break from cutting down several straw-stuffed dummies. She felt angry, possibly coming from the fact that she killed Hippolyta during a hunt.

Athena can be seen leaning against a tree when Camille was resting. The wise goddess was watching her let out her rage for minutes now.

"You're angrier than uncle Poseidon," Athena teased.

Camille looked at her. "Athena... I didn't know you were watching."

"Still can't get over your decision to not claim the throne?" Athena asked.

Camille just couldn't get the picture of Sapphire getting her heart pierced by her arrow. She nods to Athena.

"Artemisia told me you would be here; You're supposed to be with her back in Amazonian lands, but I guess you have your reason to stay in Athens." Athena stops leaning against the tree and steps closer towards Camille. "And she said you refuse to become the Amazonian Queen because of what you did." Athena places a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let me take you to the Parthenon for lunch."

Athena was really kind to Camilla, and being in Camilla's shoes made me feel like I can be friends with Athena too even if it was a dream.

At the Parthenon, Athena and Camille were sitting at the edge of a ledge. Underneath them was an opening for a waterfall to continue flowing into a natural spring that's below. In front of them was the view of Athens, Athena's city, and only the sound of men preparing for war can be heard along with celebration.

Athena treated Camille to a sweet bread her maidens make all the time as offerings along with grape juice that was supposed to be aged into wine. The wise goddess told her one story about an admirer she accidentally blinded.

"I blinded the poor boy for stumbling into my bath, and I thought he was a peeping tom. The springs down there is where he found me. And what was worse was that his mother was there, and she was bathing with me." Athena took a bite of her sweet bread and talked with her mouth full. "And his mother was about to tell me the complicated relationship we were all in." She swallowed her food.

"Let me guess, the son loves you, you love the mother, and the mother wants you to love her son," Camille guessed.

Athena blushed a bit and looked away. "...You can say that."

Camille took a bite of her sweet bread. "Whatever happened to that boy?"

"His mother told me to fix the blindness but I can do nothing about it, so I gave him the gift of prophecy and begged for forgiveness." Athena looks down at the springs. "I don't know what else happened to him... he never spoke to me or even sent me letters since that incident. Same goes to the mother." She then grabbed her cup of grape juice to take a big gulp.

"But that wasn't the only time you did something terrible, right?" Camille asked.

Athena sighs deeply. "I bullied a weaver to the point of driving her to suicide... and I turned her into a pet spider... She forgives me now."

That explains why she even has one; that's my pet spider now.

Camille looked closely at the activity in the city, wanting to change the subject.

"Is there something special happening?" Camille wondered.

"The Athenians, my people, are joining the Spartans and other city states to attack the Trojans...," Athena replied, "Our friends were divided just as my family is divided."

"What happened?" Camille was now interested.

"That jerk Eris was finally invited at the last minute of the wedding, but she missed out on a lot. So at the reception, she tossed an apple into the center." Athena seemed embarrassed. "And I fought with my mom and my aunt over it."

What was so important about an apple?

"You?fighting over an apple with your mom and an aunt?" Camille questioned, "That sounds so--"

"It's not just an apple, it was a golden apple that's 'to the fairest'. It would've granted immortality to the first person that takes a bite out of it." Athena didn't sound like herself as the tone became a bit angrier. Father Zeus had  Paris of Troy make the decision, and he chose my aunt, Aphrodite."

"And how is this related to your city preparing for war?" Camille asked.

" Aphrodite pissed off a king, and that king is telling my people and others to march into Troy to 'save' his wife, Helen. Why did she have to pick a woman that's already married? I don't know," Athena's face was turning red.

And that... I’ve kept in mind. I would love to talk with Hephaestus about this when I have the chance.

"Who's are taking sides in your family?" Camille asked.

"My mom and I are siding with the Greeks. Poseidon and Triton, Hermes, Hephaestus, and Thetis decided to join in attacking Troy. Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Diana, and Leto choose to defend Troy and Paris's decision."

"What about Diana Artemisia?" Camille asked.

Athena anger was beginning to fade. ".....She chose Troy."

I didn't believe it when she answered, and I bet Camilla also felt her heart get torn that she was going to stand against Athena like this.

"Is that why I should be with her in Troy?" Camille was concerned.

"You're supposed to be my enemy." Athena quickly gets up. "...But it's not fair!" She looked at Camille. "Why are you even here!?"

Camille puts down her half-finished sweet bread and gets up. "Athena..... Diana is my goddess, but you're different from her. You're the only one I can call a friend!"

Athena didn't know how to respond to that and she was tearing up.

"Athena... " Camille was surprised to see her like this.

Athena steps closer to embraced Camille.

".....Camilla, I don't want you to go," she cried, "Please don't go."

And then I remember the visions that Nebula and I had during our sleepover. Camilla probably didn't want to go either, but what choice did she have?

Camille sighs and makes her let go so that they can look face-to-face. She remained calm during this heart-warming moment.

"Athena, I'm not going anywhere," Camille comforted, "And we're not going to war just yet. We still got time."

"...I guess you're right..." Athena smiles back. "...Shall we make these final days last then? As friends?"

"As friends." Camille hugs her.

After the dream was over, I return to reality and help fight Oceanus and Iapetus. I woke up and found myself on a chariot with Nebula.

Camille quickly wakes up from her dreaming sequence and finds herself on what is now Nebula's chariot. Nebula looks at her and smiles.

"Had a nice nap, Camille?" Nebula asked before pushing another bubble of ink at Oceanus's legs. "You almost fell into the ocean."

Camille slowly got up and noticed the chariot was being driven on the water. She quickly held onto Nebula with discomfort, yet the speed felt like she was driving her race car.

"Don't worry, we won't sink." Nebula was too busy throwing ink bubbles and brine at Oceanus.

".....I'm not even going to ask..." Camille prepared Athena's spear and activates Zeus's thunderbolt hidden inside it. "I hope they left a room for my spear because I'm going  to ram it into their stomachs and rip their [censored] spines!" She waves her spear and points it at Oceanus's head. Yet, no thunder came for the skies were clear.

Okay, I have to be honest that I didn't really ask Uncle Sev or anyone to help me research Athena or Zeus. But Nebula had studied, so she was prepared.

"Want me to brew up a storm?" Nebula offered.

"You can do that?" Camille looked at her.

"Triton's father does it all the time." Nebula tosses another bubble of ink at Oceanus. "But if I do, we'll be risking the fleet's safety."

"Then we'll just go and warn them!" Camille was noticing Iapetus making the Albatross-class Jets fall back.

Nebula twirls her trident, points it forward, and raises it up slightly. That caused a hill of water to rise and act like a ramp for the chariot. When the Neo-Squid Sisters were close enough, Camille called out to Telemachus and Celeste.

"Guys! Brace for a storm!" Camille shouted.

"In the Pacific?" Telemachus questioned as Moemura. "Is Nebula serious?!"

"It's either that or every ship in our fleet sinks to the bottom!" Camille was ready to strike lightning at Oceanus.

"Just make it quick!" Telemachus soon puts the undead back to rest. "Anteros is out of arrows and Iapetus is drawing closer and closer."

Nebula had an idea when Telemachus. She lets Camille control the horses and the chariot while she raises her trident up high. She waves it in a circular motion as clouds begin to gather, and the first drops of rain came falling down.

The crew members of The Great Unagi and the fleet, Julia, and Q were getting indoors, but Telemachus, Celeste, and Anteros remained outside. Anteros still has his pink umbrella, Celeste used Hestia's Heart to create a small igloo made of clay bricks for her and Telemachus to stay out of the rain.

Only Nebula and Camille were exposed to the rain, and Nebula is immune to the water and not melting into a puddle of ink. Camille didn't have anything to avoid dissolving in water and she tries to twirl and swing her spear to see what can happen. One twirl of her spear and a ballerina spin rewarded Camille a raincoat made of snake scales and she was free to adjust the colors like a chameleon.

Oceanus delivered a wave by slams one hand into the water, making a tidal wave in seconds. Nebula takes control of the horse and chariot again and calms the waves down to protect the fleet. Camille can finally deliver lightning at the titans, but before she can do so, Nebula gave her a warning.

"Camille, wait until Iapetus comes closer." Nebula then created a tidal wave of her own to hit Oceanus. She had the chariot circle Oceanus.

Iapetus passed by The Great Unagi and blocked the chariot's way, startling the horses.

Oceanus, recovering from the impact of Nebula's tidal wave, was ready to crush them with Iapetus's help.

Oceanus saw how strong Nebula can fight with the trident, but right now he was underestimating us on a chariot. And with Iapetus coming closer, I needed to bring in the thunder now!

Camille didn't want to wait for Iapetus and Oceanus to come together and destroy them and the chariot, so she raise her spear up high and points it at each of the titans several times. Lightning was striking the titans randomly and rarely hitting them with heavy damage.

"Camille!" Nebula quickly made the chariot turn and head back to the decks of The Great Unagi. "What were you thinking?!"

"They were drawing to close!" Camille argued. "They were going to sink us!"

"Well thanks to you, we need to get away fast!" Nebula stressed.

"It doesn't have to go as planned, you know?!" Camille kept arguing.

"But you don't have to be so careless with how you fight these--" Nebula was cut off when Oceanus scoops them up along with the horses and the chariot.

Oceanus laughs. "Look at them, brother. Arguing like Zeus argues and his brothers."

"They're worse than the Olympians before them!" Iapetus mocked.

"Here, allow me to keep them still." Oceanus drops the chariot and grabs an iceberg.

Camille and Nebula were stuck in the ice from the waste down along with the horses who had their legs stuck. They tried to struggle but to no avail. Their trident and spear were still in their hands.

Iapetus pulls a hunk of iron from behind his ribcage and molds it into a hammer. Telemachus and Celeste were still in the clay brick igloo, avoiding the rain.

Iapetus raises the hammer up high and was going to finish Camille and Nebula off with a splat.

However, Camille made a last-ditch effort of getting her and Nebula out of the iceberg. She raises her spear up and closes her eyes, focusing; lightning began striking her and then it's deflected at Iapetus's face.

While Iapetus was blind, Oceanus was about to pick the iceberg up so he can destroy them himself.

Nebula swings her Trident so that she can make waves that can push the iceberg towards the Great Unagi. The impact freed Camille, Nebula, and Poseidon's chariot and they waste no time in escaping and getting back on the deck.

When there is no more rain coming down, Celeste and Telemachus were able to help out.

"You guys deal with Iapetus!" Nebula shouted. "I'll deal with Oceanus!"

Nebula was going to fight Oceanus alone, furiously sending tidal waves at him and only him. She was too mad to even focus on Iapetus; she was just hitting Oceanus hard.

Camille wasn't hesitant to help, and she began flying around Iapetus and striking lightning on every part of the Titan's body. Celeste was kicking Hestia's heart around, creating clay bridges for her to cross. Telemachus followed Celeste, crossing the bridges, and keeping an eye on Camille in case she plunges into the ocean again. If she falls, he would be there to save her so that she can recover.

Iapetus assumed Celeste and Telemachus were trying to get around him and he turns. Camille took this chance to swiftly strike lighting while his back is turned. They kept at this until Iapetus realizes the strategy.

Iapetus punches the clay bridge and sends Celeste and Telemachus falling down.

"Camille!" Celeste screamed.

Camille quickly swoops down to grab their hands. Telemachus makes her let go and he recovers by using his own wings to fly. Camille carries Celeste back to The Great Unagi while Telemachus followed.

Afterward, Camille glared at Iapetus and takes off, flying towards him and ramming into his chest. The titan is staggered and Camille was swarming around him with high speed, piercing the armor with lightning-based strikes.

"Take this you giant roaming freak!" Camille then made a final blow to Iapetus by shattering the ribcage with one stab and pierces through the titan by literally breaking the spine.

And you can guess who escaped.

Iapetus had his hand on his chest, gasping and spewing ink and black, worm-like substances. He then falls apart into two pieces, sinking into the ocean. Oceanus, who was still enduring every attack that Nebula was throwing, took notice and had to disappear in one red lightning strike. He knew it was another failure for him.

And then Anteros left-- probably to spread the word about the victory to other gods.

But the victory was bittersweet.

Julia Noh and Q return and reported that The Great Unagi was slightly damaged. The fleet can now leave the Japan Trench and return to Inkopolis with a job well-done. Camille, Nebula, Telemachus, and Celeste were back in their Agent attire, but they didn't celebrate their victory.

As the fleet turns back, Nebula was at the stern, sitting with her back against the wall. She was curled up and glaring down at the floor. Camille approached her with concern.

"Nebula...?" Camille was looking down at her.

Nebula didn't respond.

"Nebula, you don't need to be mad," Camille stated, "At least we stopped another titan."

Again, Nebula didn't respond.

There were still two more titans to deal with, but I don't know we can cooperate further to stop them. I didn't mean to do this to Nebby; she just didn't want a plan to go wrong.

When they returned back to Inkopolis, the first thing Nebula did once she is back in the city is to run off. She turns into a squid and super jumps to the direction to the Alexandria district.

"Nebby!" Camille runs after her with Celeste and Telemachus following behind.

And I haven't seen her this upset.