#it is really interesting to see which sides each of the Olympians took

[zazzander]

Hi heard you didn't know what to write about, so I have something

What do you think most of the god's thoughts and feelings were in terms of the war? Like, with the whole mix with Roman and Greek that would be interesting for sure!

We kinda know how Apollo feels/felt about it (I think but I'm not sure), but what about the others?

Thanks for the ask! This is an interesting topic.... I've been thinking about something similar and this reminded me of it.

Apollo

I'll start off with Apollo because we get some stuff from him and I think it’s good to mention.

It's hard to pin down how he felt during the war with the Romans, because as far as I can tell, he was working with the Romans up until the last minute. Post-war, I think he's main feeling is regret. A bit of denial and betrayal and self-blame thrown in there for good measure too. Example:

That stupid boy… it was his fault I was here. A voice whispered in the back of my mind. This time I thought it might be my conscience: Who was the stupid boy? It wasn’t Octavian.

But generally, Apollo doesn't talk much about the war. In the same way he doesn't talk much about Octavian. So, we know a lot less than we should about the topic!

Hera

Next up is Hera since she interferes with the Greeks and Romans the most in the series. Her focus is generally: Unite the camps via my chosen heroes, win the day!

We see her a lot in the first two books, as her plan comes together. She pushes both Jason and Percy into the roles of peacemakers.

“Together, you and Jason will unite the camps.”

But her plans go completely awry in Mark of Athena and she's forced to run from Olympus. The person who ultimately leads the parley between the two camps ends up being Annabeth. Not Jason and Percy. I

In many ways, I don’t even think Juno wanted Annabeth on the quest – she had to be included due to the mark of Athena.

That’s not to say Hera’s plan was perfect. I mean, she did vaporise Jason at one point. But the team certainly didn’t follow her plan in Mark of Athena, so we will never know if it would have worked.

Hera doesn’t show up again until Blood of Olympus. And while this was certainly a setback, she doesn’t blame the heroes. She hasn’t been talking to them because:

“I’ve been forced to hide from Jupiter, who searches for me in his misguided wrath, believing that I caused this war with Gaea.”

Ultimately, Hera does succeed through her Seven. And celebrates their victory:

“But my heroes… you have triumphed over the giants as I knew you would. My plan succeeded beautifully.”

For Hera, the war between the Greeks and Romans seems to have been a minor setback, one for her heroes to overcome. In true divine fashion, she does pretend it was all part of the plan and claims credit in the end. Still, I think we can agree that she was the biggest supporter of peace out of all the Olympians.

Ares

The same cannot be said for her son, Ares.

“Juno aims to unite the Greeks and Romans and send them against the giants. She believe it’s the only way to stop Gaia.” Mars shrugged, clearly unconvinced of the plan.

Overall, I think Ares sided with Zeus. We see him operate as Jupiter’s messenger in Son of Neptune, sending specific members on the quest. Mars chose Frank, yes, but not because he believed in Hera’s plan but because Frank is his son.

After MoA, it’s clear that Ares doesn’t mind the fighting, encourages it even. He’s a war god after all! Perhaps he even sensed that the war between the two camps was inevitable – hence the shrug earlier.

After all, Leo had started the war with Camp Jupiter by firing ballista into the Forum. Sure, he’d been possessed at the time, but still Mars demanded vengeance.

Still, I don't think Ares was on anyone's side in particular. Outside of just towing the party line with the closure of Olympus.

Athena

It’s been a while since I’ve discussed her involvement in the war. Personally, I think she’s super suspicious.

“That was my name,” the goddess said dreamily. “Before they sacked my city, took my identity, made me this.” She looked at her clothes in disgust. “I must return home.” […]

“Yes, my children will avenge me. They must destroy the Romans. Horrible, dishonourable, copycat Romans. Hera argued that we must keep the camps apart. I said, No, let them fight. Let my children destroy the usurpers.” […]

“They wish me to be their goddess? Then let them taste their own evil. Kill them, child.”

Athena / Minerva tells Annabeth these lines before Annabeth sails to New Rome on the Argo II. As you can see, Athena is probably the most pro-war of any of the Olympians.

I’m a child of Athena, she told herself. I have to stick to my plan and not get distracted.

She felt it again – that familiar shiver, as if a psychotic snowman has crept up behind her and was breathing down her neck. She turned, but no one was there. […] Annabeth wished she could pray to her mother for guidance, but that wasn’t possible now. Not after last month, when she’d had that horrible encounter with her mom and got the worst present of her life…

The cold pressed closer. She thought she heard a faint voice in the wind, laughing. Every muscle in her body tensed. Something was about to go terribly wrong.

Now, we could guess that the laughing voice is Gaea, absolutely. But I find it interesting that whenever she thinks of her mother, the presence grows stronger. With the context we have on Athena, it’s even possible that she controlled Leo, disguising her influence as that of an eidolon.

Regardless, Athena pushed Annabeth down a path of vengeance throughout the book.

Kill the Romans, she heard her mother urging. They can never be your allies.

It is only when Athena is returned “to the Greeks” that her presence becomes that of peace. Having been returned, she no longer drives the Greeks and Romans to war. Of course that also implies that she – at minimum – influences that into war in the first place.

Basically, even if Gaea did fire on New Rome, not Athena. It was Athena’s hatred for Rome that enabled such an act to work in the first place. Honestly of all the Olympians to blame – it has to be Athena. But her involvement is notably not addressed by Zeus (because she is the favourite, I presume).

Zeus

The solution that Zeus comes up with when faced with the threat of Gaea is to withdraw into Olympus. We learn in the Lost Hero this was a decision made out of fear. Furthermore, his choice to not aid the heroes is one made out of shame - Percy Jackson embarrassed him not long ago.

Ultimately, I think his hope was that the prophecy wouldn’t come true at all. If the seven don’t “answer the call” then the rest of the prophecy cannot come true.

Zeus turned on his wife. Thunder shook the Acropolis. “Hera, do not dare take the credit! You have caused at least as many problems as you’ve fixed.”

The queen of the heavens blanched. “Husband, surely you see now – this was the only way.”

“There is never only one way!” Zeus bellowed. “That is why there are three Fates, not one. Is this not so?” By the ruins of the giant king’s throne, the three old ladies silently bowed their heads in recognition.

To his credit, I think Zeus is partially right here. Hera orchestrated the seven’s involvement. And while they do succeed in the end, it is a touch-and-go issue. Ultimately, it is Hera who choose for the seven to be a mix of Roman and Greek, it was Hera who decided ‘foes’ meant the two different camps, it was Hera who picked out the ‘fire’ and the ‘storm’. And why? To heal her family, of course.

But by interfering with the status quo, by going behind her husband’s back, she not only gave Gaea the opportunity to start the war – she further strained her relationship with her husband. They were no longer a "united front".

Now, I’m actually pro-Hera when it comes to this situation. I think she deserves more credit than the fandom gives her, but Zeus does make an interesting point regardless!

Those are basically all the gods I can think who are involved and give actual opinions (outside the various minor gods who show up in the series). I’m definitely going to write more about Hera because I think she gets a bad rap.

[wallgirl]

The Little Nereid Part 16

Record of Ragnarok fanfiction

Poseidon x OC

Word count: 2,800

Dynamene, youngest of the 50 Nereids, has lived most of her adolescence as a servant alongside her sisters at Poseidon’s palace. But with her coming-of-age birthday and other developments, what she initially thought was just admiration of her master blossoms into something stronger and more passionate… and painful. Loving someone like Poseidon is not easy period, let alone as your first love. But Dynamene is young and naïve, and all she wants is a chance to be at the sea god’s side.

Categories and warnings: Romance, angst, unrequited love, coming-of-age, earn-your-happy-ending, slow-burn (ish); no sexual content. Graphic violence parts 15 and 16.

Updated regularly; will have about 20 parts total.

Edit AGAIN 9/16: Changed and added some text at the end, particularly with Poseidon. Didn’t save first time.

Violence and body horror throughout this chapter, largely unavoidable. It's too relevant to the plot. Not terribly graphic - more PG-13 than R - but it is disturbing, so be warned.

—

The prongs had completely passed through her body to the other end. Dynamene staggered backwards, her legs giving out. She opened her mouth to scream, to gasp, to make any sound, but was unable to. She brought her shaking hands up to her chest and stared as her lifewater began to drip from the punctures.

Poseidon's face turned to one of disbelief, then horror. The magic that had transformed her appearance melted away as her body began to weaken, revealing the petite girl's real form. He swallowed, pale hand clenching the trident, as he watched her stare at her chest in disoriented confusion. The silvery water that flowed was the blood of a Nereid, magic water in essence; something that could not be replicated.

"Dynamene," he whispered. "Dynamene." No. This can't be.

She looked up at him in a daze, eyes glazing over. The look of horror on his face seemed to register in her mind, and for a moment, she lifted one arm in his direction. Then her legs buckled and her eyes closed.

He removed the trident slowly, his knuckles white from the death grip. He dropped to one knee to catch her with his free arm as the prongs came loose. One hand went to her injuries, feeling the lifewater that seeped between his fingers. "Dynamene," he repeated hoarsely, commanding her to awaken. Her eyelids didn't even flutter.

It was then that the situation hit him entirely, and he grit his teeth. He tore part of the fabric off of his waist wrap and wrapped it about her chest deftly. She was still breathing, although each breathe was shallow and ragged. Time was of the essence, and he had to think fast.

Humans would not have survived such a blow, but Nereids were effectively shapeshifting ocean spirits that took a human form. Their bodies were made up of living water instead of flesh and organs, which rendered them impervious to most injuries. However, Poseidon's trident was able to harm any being regardless of body material, and Dynamene's body would begin to disintegrate from the trauma.

Lifting her up into his arms, he turned towards the doorway. There was no time to waste.

With improbable timing, he heard dozens of footsteps clamoring up the stairs, followed by worried shouts. "What's happened? What was that clamor? Lord Poseidon, are you okay?"

The other Nereids came bursting in with Actaea at the head. There was a moment of terrible silence as they took in the scene before them, then cries of disbelief.

"What... What have you DONE?!" Actaea screamed, lunging at Poseidon. Three other sisters quickly grabbed her by the arms, struggling to hold her back. "What did you do to her?!"

"There's no time to explain," Poseidon said coldly. "Don't give me a reason to hurt any of the rest of you."

"You monster! I'll kill you myself!" Actaea shrieked, yanking to get out of her sisters' grasp. Her pupils were full-blown in her rage, her steaming hair swirling angrily about her face. "How dare you hurt her! How could you?!"

Poseidon didn't let her words' effect on him show through in his expression as he looked coolly at the others. "Dynamene had magic used on her. It wasn't any power of the gods. Where might she have had access to this magic?"

The other Nereids backed away from him reproachfully, looking less and less human as their fury consumed them. One finally spoke up in a trembling voice. "Is... Is there not a witch that took up residence a few centuries ago not far from here?"

"How do you know that?" Another sister snapped back.

"A mermaid acquaintance of mine went to see her some time ago for help... She made a deal with her to solve a relationship matter. The deal wasn't much in her favor, unfortunately."

Poseidon's face darkened further. Would Dynamene really have made a deal with a witch?

Of course she would've... If it had meant being by my side. Foolish, silly, stupid-

He couldn't allow his thoughts to go any further, not when the subject of his berating was curled up limp in his arms. "Where is this witch?"

"Um... She lives in one of the deepest trenches, but I know little else..."

"Useless," Poseidon huffed. "Get out of my way." He stepped in front of the Nereids that continued to block the doorway.

There was a tense moment of defiance as the Nereids continued to stand in his way, unwilling to let him depart with their wounded youngest sister. His lip curled in outrage, and he began to raise his hand towards his discarded trident. Actaea, her expression now somber, spoke again in a defeated voice. "Let him pass... There's nothing we can do for Dynamene in this state. I don't want anyone else getting harmed." Her sisters listened, and reluctantly parted to allow him through. As he strode past, they got a closer look at their mortally wounded sister. Several of them broke out into wails and sobs.

Poseidon clenched his jaw and held the still Nereid closer to his chest. Save your mourning. She's not dead. Not yet.

Dynamene's body was beginning to dissolve. Drops of shimmering water began to fall from her fingertips and toes. She'd be dead before dawn if Poseidon didn't find a solution soon. But he was inexperienced with the concept of healing anything other than sea life; he pressed his hand against her torso, willing the bleeding to stop in vain. The liquid continued to flow.

It really had been her that sat across from him and confessed her love for him in tears. And what was his response? Gutting her like the monster everyone had warned her he was. He had messed up. It wasn't my fault, he told himself. She has no pulse. Her appearance was different. I could feel foreign magic about her. But then that led to the conclusion that he was able to be tricked by the power of lesser beings, and he found himself back at square one.

Enough. She will not die. She belongs to me. Her love for me is unconditional.

And when she wakes again, I will put an end to this chaos.

The wet sand crunched under his heavy boots. The dim starlight illuminated the surface of the ocean faintly before them. He would be able to seek the witch out with his abilities, but that would take time. He wasn't even sure what to look for, asides from a power with the same characteristics as the enchantment that Dynamene had. Time was fighting against him; a precious resource dripping through his grip like her blood onto the sand.

Without prelude, a sudden burst of light the size of a woman appeared in the shallow waves before Poseidon. The light dispersed gently in twinkles and stars, revealing the form of a woman. A faint heavenly glow emanated from her pale skin.

Aphrodite stared at him, her flawless face unusually somber. "Poseidon."

He narrowed his eyes. This was an unexpected development, and not a welcome one. "What the hell do you want? I'm short on time, if you haven't noticed."

She tilted her head, gaze flickering towards the still girl in his hold. "I know where you may find the witch you seek. If I have your guarantee that you won't harm me, I'll tell you."

Poseidon hissed, his clasp on Dynamene tightening. "Of course you would've had a hand in this. Meddling shrew. I should have known. Can  none of you Olympian cretins keep to your own business?" So you were the one to guide Dynamene to that witch. Selfish, narcissistic bitch. How else would you know where to find her?

"Your guarantee, Poseidon," Aphrodite pressed.

He grit his teeth. As much as he longed to rip her head from her body and watch her golden locks stream through the air, he needed her knowledge. "Fine."

Aphrodite stepped closer.

---

Miles away, deep in her underground lair, the witch sat at her table alone. She was aware of her impending fate. Her actions could only lead to this outcome. But she'd accomplished what she'd set out to do, so she was content.

Before her, pulsing gently with a sea-blue light, was a floating orb of liquid. The Nereid's heart. She was the only person to ever see one; perhaps it would remain that way even long after her death. It was a fascinating sight. The mass continued to live in its own way, even apart from its owner. Nereids truly were interesting creatures. She might've studied it, but there was no point now. Her journey was coming to an end.

She had no regrets. Her revenge was now sealed. Hera or Poseidon, it hadn't really mattered which. Fate had truly smiled on her the day before when that little nymph had appeared at her doorstep. So unexpected, but so welcome. She had waited centuries, honing her gifts in the dark, practicing them on others, so that she would be ready for this moment. The witch was not foolish enough to think she would be able to pull one over on both of the gods. Hera would've been best, but Poseidon would do just as well. He was partially to blame for her misfortune too. Now he would suffer, and she could die content.

It was a shame about the Nereid, though. Just a silly child chasing an impossible dream. The witch clicked her tongue sympathetically. Weren't we all, once?

A shudder echoed through the cave, and she heard the water at the entrance slosh with an unseen force. He was nearly here, and she stood patiently next to the table, awaiting his arrival.

Without any further warning, the water erupted upwards like a geyser. The sound was deafening, but the witch didn't even blink. Poseidon emerged from the upsurge, water dripping from his bangs before his enraged eyes. In his arms was the nymph; poor young Dynamene. She was deathly pale and had a ragged bandage wrapped about her chest. The witch tutted.

"Witch. You have something that belongs to me." Poseidon's eyes gleamed like a laser in the dim cavern, his chest heaving with barely-restrained wrath.

"It's here, Poseidon." The witch set her hand next to the shimmering orb. "The Nereid's heart. You won't have much use for it, though. I see she's already on death's door. Returning her heart will do no good. Replacing an organ is no help when the body is already shutting down."

"You will return it immediately. I will not repeat myself." Poseidon's trident materialized in his free hand as he shifted Dynamene into the opposite arm.

"Oh? Is there finally something the mighty sea tyrant cannot do?" The witch asked, feigning surprise. "Pathetic." Her tone flattened.

"Your enchantment," Poseidon stormed on. "What did you do to her?"

"I gave her what she desired. A chance to be with you. Oh, she just adores you. I'm sure that will have changed, though. Those wounds bleeding through the wrap look an awful lot like trident punctures to me. Weren't able to tell she was the real thing without that heartbeat to listen to, were you?"

Poseidon's eyes grew even wider as he realized the witch's plot. "You planned this."

"I did." The witch shuffled back around the table, gently taking Dynamene's heart into her hands. "Do you remember when we met, Poseidon? It was at some gathering of the gods, say, three or four hundred years ago."

Poseidon's face clenched further with anger at her idling, losing his patience rapidly. "I've never met a hag like you in my life."

"I wasn't like this when we met." The witch brought her hand to her white cheek with a wistful look. "I was beautiful. I came from a wealthy and powerful family with demigod blood. Hera made a deal with me, you see. If I successfully seduced you, she would shower me with blessings and gifts on our wedding day. She told me everything about you to give me a leg up. Even about your ability to hear certain heartbeats." Her hand dropped away. "But I failed, as I was guaranteed to, and she was thoroughly upset. I was turned into this. So here I've lived, all these years, cast away from society into these deep trenches, waiting.... for her." The witch smiled at Dynamene. "The perfect opportunity. Heaven sent, even." She sighed. "It's a shame. She's still so young, but..." The witch shrugged. "Cracking an egg, omelets, all that. Just someone caught in the peripheral."

"Enough with your monologuing, you insolent bitch!" The muscles on Poseidon's arm grew more defined and taut as he aimed his trident at her. His face was contorted with murderous intent. "Heal Dynamene, now!"

"I can't. What reason did I ever have to learn healing magic?" There was no regret in her milky eyes as she shrugged once more. "And even if I was knowledgeable in medicine, it would be no use. Nereids are so rare. Only fifty, as you know. Their anatomy is a mystery."

Poseidon's gaze sank down to Dynamene. Her breathes were many seconds apart now. There was no more time to waste. He held her more firmly against him and lowered his stance to steady his aim at the witch. "Then die now."

"Gladly. I knew this would be the price to pay for my revenge. For breaking the sea god's nonexistent heart. And to think that it was as easy as this." The witch broke into a laugh that grew until it boomed off the cavern's walls.

Without further ado, Poseidon rushed her.

And with a single swing, the witch's head left her body. The pale thing rolled until it hit up against the wall, still laughing. Her eyes rotated to look back at him with their blank gaze. "Don't worry, my lord. There's still forty-nine left, after all."

Without another word, the witch's voice died off and her face stilled.

Poseidon strode over to it and brought his boot down violently. The witch's skull shattered under his heel. He resisted the urge to continue stomping until nothing solid remained. Dynamene needed his focus now; he could vent his rage later. He wiped the sole of his boot off on the rug and carried her back to the entrance of the cavern.

Lying her next to the rippling pool, he retrieved her heart from where it continued to glow, unbothered, upon the table. It felt like cool gel in his hands with a definite pulse, one that was all too familiar to him. He returned to kneel beside her and, propping her back up with one arm, he undid the makeshift bandage.

Her body was nearly hollow where he had gored her. His lips parted in disbelief. Before his eyes, her flesh was turning to liquid that ran onto the cavern's rocky floor. Poseidon quickly pressed her heart into the hollow. It shimmered for a moment, the liquid solidifying and connecting with the open edges of her body, before its light sputtered out and the pulse stopped. Just like the rest of her, it started to melt away.

Poseidon swallowed hard now, his face stiff. It was time to face the gravity of the situation. Dynamene would not be waking up.

He turned his face away for a moment, unable to look at the wounds he had made on her slight body. She had trusted him. She had clung to his side despite the warnings of everyone else. And like a sick joke, their predictions had come true. Gutted just like Adamas, a voice whispered in the back of his head. He bit his lower lip until it bled. How was it that the mighty sea god, capable of stopping tsunamis and commanding schools of fish, was unable to save one girl?

This shouldn't be happening, his mind spun. This isn't happening. She can't die. I can save her.

No, I can't. I'm the one who killed her.

His throat was growing tight, an alien sensation. She can't die. She belongs with me. A thousand years spent living in the same palace flickered through his mind. From a shy little girl to a headstrong, passionate young woman, he had watched her life; he had watched as her world began to revolve around him without his meaning for it to. And without his permission, his world began to be colored by her as well. Perhaps it had been inevitable. She belongs with me. I don't want her to leave.

He held her closer to him, caressing her damp cheek with careful fingers. The silence that rung from her body made the stillness around them all the heavier. Her face was growing sunken, her cheeks almost gaunt. He wanted to see her eyes just one more time; wide pools of steel gray that reflected him amongst the stars in their depths, as if he was the only thing that mattered. Stay with me.

And as her body released its final breath, he slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

---

Author’s Notes: Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo Bids Juliet Farewell piece is so beautifully done. The first half sounds so remorseful.

I realized that, writing this chapter in particular, Poseidon seems less like canon RoR Poseidon. I was irritated about that at first, but then I realized that he's different because this story requires him to go through character development. That's important for a love interest. I'm not as frustrated anymore lol

[btsslowburnfic]

Chthonic Love Chapter 12

Summary:  A Greek Mythology AU featuring Yoongi/Suga as Hades and reader as Persephone. Olympian ruler Namjoon has delivered you, Persephone, as a gift for his brother, lord of Death, Yoongi

Chapter Summary: Your library date is interrupted, leaving you to question some things

AN: a tad angsty. Pain is a part of growing, yes?

Previous Chapter here

----------------------

The two of you had combed through the stacks quite thoroughly by the time lunchtime rolled around. You had acquired a few legal texts in addition to finding some interesting horticultural books. The books were sprawled out along a large wooden table on the first floor of the library. Most of the morning had been spent in comfortable silence with you and Yoongi each bringing books back to the table, looking for more, and continuing the process over and over again.

The door opened with Lethe and another woman carrying trays. “On the table please,” Yoongi mumbled from his seat, gesturing to an empty space next to him.

“Very well my Lord. Just so you know. Penthos was asking about you sir. He did not wish to disturb you, but he would like to speak with you.” Lethe sat the trays down, taking them from the other silent woman.

“Thank you Lethe,” He responded, not looking up from the book he was reading. The two women took their leave while Yoongi continued reading. Finished with the section, he tore off a piece of parchment and put it between the pages to mark where he had stopped. He ran a hand along his chin in thought. Most of the books had been vague and unhelpful. Not surprising since this wasn’t a law library. He looked at the trays of food. He often forgot to eat. As an Olympian he didn’t really need much in the way of sustenance, but he was fairly certain Earth deities required it.

“Persephone,” he lightly called out. He wasn’t sure where you had ended up. Not getting a response, he pushed back his chair and wandered over to the middle. THe library was big, but not so much that it would be difficult to find you. “Persephone.” He called once again, up the stairs.

 You looked up from your seat by the window. You had gotten lost in what you were reading. You looked at the page number, committed it to memory, and sat it down. You walked over to the railing and saw Yoongi near the main table. “Yes?”

“Lunch is here,” he gestured to the trays on the table.

“Oh. I didn’t even hear anyone come in.” You remarked as you descended the staircase. “Good. I’m starving.”

Yoongi smiled, pleased with himself that he guessed something right about you. He pulled out a chair for you, causing you to blush slightly. 

“Such good manners today. Are you trying to impress me?” You teased him.

“Something like that. Is it working?” He asked shyly, shaking his hair out of his face. He sat down across from you.

You laughed but didn’t give a response, instead you went for the food immediately. 

Yoongi took some food to be polite. “Did you find anything?” 

“No.” You paused while chewing. “I put like three legal  books in the stack and then I found a book about plants of the underworld and started to read it. Did you know the Underworld can actually support plant life? I mean, without me keeping it alive actively.”

“I didn’t. It was dead when I got here. There was the Sea, the Desert, the Caves, and the Mountains.”

“You sir are going to have to take a vacation and do some traveling. The book I read says that some of the mountains used to be volcanic and the resulting ash is actually a somewhat fertile soil base.” Your passion for plant life was clear as you shared these facts with enthusiasm.

“How old is this book you found?” Yoongi raised his brows in surprise.

“I don’t know, but I’m guessing it’s one of the few Underworld books you didn’t write. I’ll go grab it.” You started to get up.

“No, it can wait until after lunch. I’m curious but I’m not in a hurry.” He responded easily. “I guess I don’t know everything about the Underworld.”

The two of you heard a knock at the door. Yoongi straightened up. You hadn’t noticed how casual and relaxed he was while talking to you until you saw the stark contrast. “Enter.” He said, his voice monotonous and firm.

The doors opened, revealing Penthos on the other side. He walked into the library. You suddenly felt your heart rate speed up.

“My Lord. I finished my task from the other day and have news to report.” Penthos’ eyes swept over you for a brief second and then found their way back to Yoongi.

“Which task?” Yoongi asked boredly.

Penthos shifted uneasily on his feet. He looked over at you again. You raised an eyebrow this time, causing him to quickly avert his gaze. 

“Perhaps I should submit my report later.” Penthos said, starting to back out of the room.

Yoongi’s eyes opened wider, “No.” He paused and gestured across the table. “You interrupted me and Lady Persephone. You will give the report now.”

“I apologize my Lord, I had no idea Lady Persephone was in here or I would not have come to give you a report.” He responded quickly.

Ah. There it was. He didn’t want to say whatever he had to say in front of you. You smirked. You weren’t sure yet if Yoongi had put the pieces into place yet. You continued to watch the interaction play out. 

“And yet here you are. The. Report.” Yoongi repeated.

“Yes sir,” Penthos took a breath before beginning. “The catacombs remain intact. Arachne and her children guard the Eastern and Southern Caverns. The golems are mostly in working order. A few seem as though they have rusted over time. I recommend sending for Hephaestus to come and repair them. The timeline on this of course depends on if and when you think they would need to be used.” He paused and looked over at you for some reason. You continued to stare back. He looked away as he began to speak again. “Additionally, The Northern passage is in need of repair. Several natural cracks have begun to form over time. Something will need to be done to keep anyone from tunneling in from the North, under the mountains.” 

Yoongi had picked up a quill and taken a few notes while this was occurring. Meanwhile you were mulling over in your head why Penthos was reluctant to present a report on the Palace’s defenses. Oh. Right. He thought you were a traitor. The word played through your mind again and you found yourself growing more and more angry. Traitor Traitor Traitor.

Yoongi looked up from his paper and over to you for a moment. You felt his gaze on you and you looked away from Penthos for a moment. “Persephone, can you please go grab that book you were talking about?” He asked you quietly. It took you a few seconds to register he was speaking to you, his voice was much quieter and more delicate than it had been a moment ago.

You got up and headed up the stairs to get it.

Yoongi turned back to Penthos. “Very well. I will send for Hephaestus and the two of us will walk the catacombs tomorrow to see what there is to do about the Northern passage.” Yoongi paused and lowered his voice, “Do not interrupt me in the library again. Do you understand?”

Penthos pressed his lips together tightly, his fists balled up behind his back. “Yes sir.”

“You may leave.” Yoongi commanded. He quickly got up from his seat and headed up the stairs. He saw you standing over by the window and closed the distance between the two of you.

You turned around, slight panic in your voice. "I’m sorry, I couldn’t bring the book, I’m...” you opened up your hands which were covered in blood.

Yoongi sighed and reached out,“I know. You started to grow thorns out of your hands. Didn’t you notice?” He asked as he took your hands in his and started to wipe the blood off on the edge of his shirt.

You looked at him in shock. How had he noticed, but you hadn’t?  “Stop you’ll ruin your shirt.”

Yoongi looked at you concerned, “I have a million black shirts. It’s fine.” He continued to apply pressure. “Why isn’t it healing? Can’t you heal yourself?” He asked, examining the cuts.

“No.” You laughed dryly. “Isn’t that weird? I can bring animals and people back from almost being dead, but when I get hurt, there’s not a lot to be done. Why is this happening? " You don't really expect an answer. 

“You were angry at Penthos.” You can’t tell if it’s a question or a statement. You remain silent as Yoongi moves your hands slightly against a different part of his shirt. Your face reddens as you accidentally brush up against the skin of his stomach. “That’s why you grew the thorns. You were angry and staring at him.” Yoongi looked up from your hands, his almost black eyes softened as he said,” I don’t think your plant powers are meant to be weaponized, especially if you can’t control your powers.” 

You felt so stupid. What kind of goddess didn’t even notice that they had plants growing out of their body?  You felt like you were being scolded and you wanted to cry. “I know. I didn’t do it on purpose. Like I didn’t grow the vines on purpose. You added quietly, “My powers behave differently down here. This never happened back on Earth.”

 "We can figure it out." Yoongi said, his deep voice laced with worry. 

You frowned as you kept your eyes on your hands. You felt bad that you kept messing things up. Yoongi shouldn't have to deal with this. “Let’s just find a book that will send me home so I can stop messing everything up.” You removed your hands from Yoongi’s. “I’m Sorry.” You walked quietly down the stairs and out the door.

Yoongi stood there for a minute unsure of what had just happened. That’s not what he had meant at all. Shit. But if the Underworld was causing your powers to behave in a way that was hurting you and other people, maybe you should go back to Earth. Yoongi pouted. But he didn’t want you to leave. Don’t be selfish. She said she wants to go home. She only said that because she doesn’t want to hurt anybody. Yoongi felt the thoughts in his head going all over the place. Ugh. It was time for the afternoon reaping. He ran his hands through his hair and down the staircase.

He made his way out of the library. He didn’t see Lethe in the great hall. He walked over to one of the servants who was dusting a chair. A chair? Really? He thought. Oh well. “Excuse me?” The servant froze and then turned around. And then proceeded to do a 90 degree bow. Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Please find Lethe and tell her to check on Lady Persephone.”

The servant looked back up at him in silence. “Can you speak?” Yoongi asked. They nodded yes. “Ok. That’s all. Find Lethe and tell her that? Yes?”

The servant let out the tiniest “Yes sir.” ever. Good enough. He headed out the door and to the reaping.

----------

As soon as you got to your room you started to cry. You had done a really good job so far of taking all of this kidnapping in stride. You had even tricked yourself into thinking that maybe you could stay here for a while without anything growing wrong. Hell, an hour ago  you found a book saying that plants could grow here. And if plants could grow here, maybe you could survive here too. Maybe Yoongi would have let you stay. But you can’t stay if your powers couldn’t be controlled. You had already hurt Yoongi once and you hadn’t even noticed earlier when you had hurt yourself. If Yoongi hadn’t stopped you, you might have hurt Penthos as well. You started to breath faster, feeling panicked. What if you hurt Lethe? Or Yoongi again? You couldn’t forgive yourself.  Up until a few days ago you had never hurt anyone.

You paced in your room. Hoseok wasn’t going to do anything. Maybe you could just leave. You could transform yourself into a tree or a rock on the mortal realm where no Olympian could find you and live happily ever after. You scolded yourself, knowing that these plans were unrealistic and borderline crazy. You sighed and threw yourself down on the bed. You heard the door to your room open.

Lethe walked in, “Hello Persephone. Yoongi asked me to check on you.” She said quietly from the doorway. This caused you to cry even harder. 

“Oh dear.” She shut the door behind her and walked over. “May I?” She asked, gesturing to the bed. You let out a sad, strangled sounding affirmative sound and she sat on the bed next to you.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened. I mean...I’m nosey so I want to know. But you don’t have to.” She said as she ran her fingers through your hair. You let out a snot filled laugh.

“My powers keep hurting people.” You cried and held up your hands. They had stopped bleeding, but there were cuts and scabs all over your hands.

“Oh my. I’ll be right back,” She said. You assumed she went to get water and bandages. While she was gone you settled into more of a gentle cry than a sob. She returned and sat down the basin and rags on the nightstand. 

“What upset you today? When I was in the library everything seemed fine.”

“Penthos.” You responded, too upset to care about your manners. “He hates me. He thinks I’m a traitor. He didn’t want to say anything in front of me because he thinks I would give a shit about the defenses of the castle. I didn’t choose to come here. Why would I care? And I really like everyone here except him, so why would I do anything?” It all spilled out of you. “I keep messing up and hurting people.”

Lethe took a moment, washing your hands. “You’re a sweet girl [y/n] . You’re kind, and warm, and soft-hearted. The Underworld wasn’t created for sweet girls. It’s hard. And it’s dark.”

“See? I have to go home. I can’t stay here…” you sobbed.

“Wait wait. I wasn’t done.” Lethe continued over your crying. “But it just means you have to be strong. It’s hard to be the light in the darkness. It’s harder to react with kindness than with harshness. And that’s how I know you’re strong. You can blossom wherever you’re planted. You can control your powers if you just remember that you have a choice. There’s room for you in the Underworld if you choose to stay, I’m sure of it.”

Your crying had slowed down so you could listen to Lethe.

“And besides, Yoongi needs you here.” She added. 

You snorted. “Yoongi does not need me here. I tried to kill him the other day and now I’ve ruined one of his shirts with my blood and I almost ruined a priceless antique book as well.”

Lethe finished bandaging your hands and took a deep breath. “He likes you. You know that, right?” 

You don’t say anything at first. Did he like you? You hadn’t thought too much about it. You knew he was nice to you. “I don’t know.” You said quietly.

Lethe looked at you like you had two heads. “You two hold hands. On a regular basis almost.” She squeaked out.

You felt your cheeks grow red. Now that you thought about it, it had happened on a few occasions. “He’s just being nice.”

“Uhh….no. He’s nice to me. He like, likes you.” She rolled her eyes and moved the basin over to the dresser by the door. “I’m sure you two can figure out what’s going on with your powers. If you want to leave that’s understandable, but don’t let it be because of a miscommunication or something like that. I have to go and do laundry. Change out of that dress, it’s got blood on it. Come on...no more feeling sorry for yourself.” 

You appreciated that Lethe was acting more like a big sister or mother to you than a servant this afternoon. That’s exactly what you needed. You sniffled some more and headed behind your changing screen. You threw the dress over and onto the floor.

“There we go. Now get cleaned up and remember, everyone else loves having you here. Got it?”

“Yes,” you agreed begrudgingly. 

Lethe reached around the screen with a new dress in her hands. You took it. “And Yoongi likes you.” She added.

You remained silent.

“You don’t have to agree to make it true. I’ll be by later to check on your hands again.”

“Thank you,” you responded, grateful for the screen to hide your blushing. Did Yoongi like you? Like, like you? You wondered and found yourself replaying several of your interactions over the past few days. Maybe he did.  NEXT CHAPTER 

[sapphicambitions]

I started writing a post that said “The reason the Percy Jackson and the Olympians is better than Heroes of Olympus is because it understood simplicity and character development” and then accidentally wrote like 10 paragraphs. 

The reason the Percy Jackson and the Olympians is better than Heroes of Olympus is because it understood simplicity and character development.

The PJO series was so effective was because of the simplicity of it. It was a well written and interwoven story that took place over the course of many years, but it was never too complicated. Each book was a quest and each quest had a prophecy and each book built up to the final battle in the Last Olympian. You never felt lost, you were completely engaged. Plot points and characters were set up a book and a half in advance. It was an incredibly well developed world and I will never get over how excellent the payoff was in The Last Olympian. The Annabeth & Luke stuff is to this day one of the best payoffs I’ve ever witnessed in a series. The way everyone came together in the final battle, everyone that we’d met over the course of four books? Impeccable. The Hestia plot line was set up from Percy’s first moment at Camp Half-Blood.The character arcs were stunning and realistic and truly a coming of age story. 

The way the series itself developed from the happy go lucky cross country road trip in the Lightning Thief to the first death of the war with Bianca we witnessed in the Titan’s Curse to the serious tone and action picking up in the Battle of the Labyrinth to the fact that 75% of the Last Olympian was just the Battle of Manhattan and it worked. It payed off. Ten years after the final book was released and to this day I say it is one of the best written series ever and I will love it for the rest of my life.

And Heroes of Olympus kind of... fell flat. For me it was just too complicated. It had so many characters and plot lines that it was hard for me to keep track of it all. Specifically House of Hades and Blood of Olympus, every time we switched to a new perspective, I struggled to remember what had happened when last we left off. Things were kind of  set up a couple books in advance but there was so much going on that they’d mention a character or an object and I’d be like “Wait, what’s that again?” ESPECIALLY with all the giants and their names that I couldn’t remember. Blood of Olympus had no payoff for me. Like, where was Percy’s sacrifice that was so heavily hyped up? How did the characters grow and develop? Rick was trying to do a lot over the course of the series with all the different perspectives and introducing new characters and I kind of think he lost sight of what made the original series good. Yeah there was a big plot and war or whatever but the original series was about the characters. 

PJO was getting to watch Percy go from an idiot twelve year old to leading an army to save his home. Seeing Annabeth go from a stubborn little kid trying to prove herself to the Architect of Olympus. Grover went from a total dorky mess to the Lord of the Wild. Clarisse went from a bully to a drakon slaying hero. We got to see Luke’s whole journey in all of it’s ups and downs and understand his character better. PJO was always about the characters, no matter how cool the plot and action was. It was always about getting to grow up alongside them. Now one could make the argument that Heroes of Olympus wasn’t trying to be a coming of age story, it was trying to be a cool action adventure series, which is fair. But I think the characters suffered because of it.

Percy and Annabeth didn’t really change over the course of five books, they just got more trauma. Hazel and Piper got like, good at fighting and using their powers, which was kind of badass. Jason figured out his career, I guess. I refuse to acknowledge Leo’s arc because it’s dumb that it was tied to a girl and falling for her and not realizing how loved and valued by his friends. Frank got promoted and like, I don’t know, found his courage, which was nice. I really liked Reyna but we never properly got to know her. I know absolutely nothing about Octavian. The only character who got an ACTUAL arc and is, to be honest, the MAIN reason I’m glad this series was written at all was Nico. Nico got an ARC. Nico’s story of feeling like a hated outcast to a welcomed member of the family with a home and people who love and accept him is the BEST damn thing about Heroes of Olympus and you can quote me on that. 

I really enjoyed Mark of Athena (because it plays directly into my found family lives together in a personalized home doing adventures and eating meals together niche interest thank u 2012) and there were good parts sprinkled throughout the series and I do like the new characters. I did! I thought they were neat. I just felt like they weren’t given proper justice. We didn’t see anyone long enough to actually get to know them. I missed the side characters of the original series. Like, where was Grover the whole fucking time? Clarisse? Rachel? The Stoll Brothers? Why didn’t we get to see more of Thalia? Honestly I didn’t really care about the Romans as much, where were the characters I grew up with? 

I’m also not going to get into the whole “so many things that happened in the original series were swept aside for the sake of interesting plot development like the minor gods being important or whatever” because like we know and I don’t have the energy to be upset about that right now lmao.

Further, Percy Jackson and the Olympians was all building up to one moment specifically: Percy giving Pandora’s Jar to Hestia and the line “Hope survives best at the hearth.” It is the thesis of the series. I’ve posted about it at length before because it is what ties all the books together. The idea that we should place our hope in our loved ones, our friends and our family, and if we do that, we won’t be tempted to give up hope again. I’m crying just thinking about it! Literally! That one simple line is what made the series so powerful and it truly felt like every single line, every single moment was just building up to that specific moment and I will literally never get over it. I am not joking when I say I want that line tattooed on me. It’s iconic and i think about it daily.

Heroes of Olympus had uhhhhhhhh..... It had..... ummmm........

I shit you not, I finished reading the book for the second time less than 24 hours ago and I couldn’t tell you. What was that series about? What was the thesis? Did it have any iconic lines?What was it all building up to? A battle? Like, cool I guess? But how did the characters grow and develop? You know what even if they did, I’m not sure I kept up with it because there was so much going on all the time! and I got lost in it! I read the series when it first came out and then completely forgot everything that happened in it! It was too much!

The spirit of the original books was never in the action and the monsters and the gods. It was in the characters, and how they grew up. How they changed and developed and became better people. How they all loved each other. It was about the promise of family and of hope. And that’s why the original series will always be exponentially better and hold a special place in my heart.

[yridenergyridenergy]

Dir en grey’s lyrics have a lot of dark elements, it’s our signature. However, you know, what counts is what comes after all that. We see that the most in the case of live shows, it makes a lot of melancholic emotions come to the surface, some of the most disturbing feelings known to mankind. That’s one of our main concepts, but what comes afterwards can very well be described as a real ray of hope. Something positive, bright, like you said. We are also very mindful of the way our fans react during our shows. We don’t simply play sad songs, only to then let you return home. No. We’re cautious of the reactions, we interpret what we see, the feeling of the people.

Full English Translation: 

Die welcomed the JaME team backstage at the Élysée Montmartre in the moments leading to the law show of Dir en grey’s tour This Way to Self-Destruction

Located between the Sacré-Coeur and the bohemian boulevard de Rochechouart, the Élysée Montmartre is a majestic and romantic building of low height, with a century-old ballroom inside. Die, one of the band’s guitarists, is waiting for us backstage, temperately sat at a canteen table, a hesitant smile on his lips which relaxes along the way. Exhibiting an olympian calmness despite the countdown to the start of a sold out concert, he took the time to speak to JaME of his impressions on the tour, the creative process behind their latest album, the emotions he wishes to transfer to the fans and... his impressions of Paris and France! 

Today, it’s the last date of the European tour This Way to Self-Destruction. Do you want to tell us a bit about that experience? 

Die : So, our last European tour dated back to 2018 already. This year, we started with Russia and tonight is already the last show here in Paris. In each venue, we were received by many, many people, we were really well welcomed, it was a great tour. 

During this tour, you played mainly songs from the latest album, The Insulated World, released in 2018. It’s a heavier album compared to the previous albums, don’t you think? What’s the concept behind it? 

Die : When we started working on The Insulated World, our intention was really to break the rules, to sever the chains, everything that was holding us back before. It isn’t a mechanical process, nor just in terms of sound, it’s more complex than that. Since we began working on the artistic concept, the ideas we wanted to express through this album, our approach was really to put it all aside, in order to proceed in a simple fashion, directly, without thinking too much about it. That being said, I don’t see it as a very heavy album, or at least not really heavier than our previous albums. The heavy sound is intentional though, it isn’t a product of chance. 

On the topic of heavy sonority, Dir en grey is often described as a heavy metal band that expresses very dark themes. The Insulated World really illustrates that tendency well. And yet, your fans seem to find something positive from your compositions. Do you think it’s possible to say that metal has a bright side?

Die :  Of course! Dir en grey’s lyrics have a lot of dark elements, it’s our signature. However, you know, what counts is what comes after all that. We see that the most in the case of live shows, it makes a lot of melancholic emotions come to the surface, some of the most disturbing feelings known in the human condition [known to mankind]. That’s one of our main concepts, but what comes afterwards can very well be described as a real ray of hope. Something positive, bright, like you said. We are also very mindful of the way our fans react during our shows. We don’t simply play sad songs, just to let you return home. No. We’re cautious of the reactions, we interpret what we see, the feeling of the people. 

In this case, do you feel inspired by things that occur in real life? In your daily life, as human beings, in the books you read, the movies you watch... what happens? Where does your creativity come from?

Die : So, inspiration, inspiration... (hesitates) That’s a very tough question. I really struggle to discern some specific sources of inspiration, because in Dir en grey, our main taret is to create things that nobody else has created before. You know, when you listen to a song and that you think: “Oh, that sounds like this or that band?” That’s exactly what we want to avoid. As such, in terms of filters and inspiration, notably, we usually start with something complex, and then the process consists of simplifying. We spend a ton of time rearranging our songs to make them sufficiently accessible before releasing them on CD. It’s slightly the contrary of what many other bands do, I guess, we spend a lot of time simplifying our music in the hope of creating something that is Dir en grey. 

In your free time, do you also listen to dark music? Or other genres of music? 

Die : In fact, I listen to everything that’s new on Apple Music. I like listening to new releases, I like seeing how different bands evolve... You know, there are bands that change a whole lot, while others remain true to themselves, I find that interesting. 

Do you know and appreciate some French heavy metal bands? 

Die : French heavy metal bands... Oh, yes! Dagoba, we played with them in 2015. They are a very powerful and aggressive band. Otherwise, French fans, I’m open to suggestions! 

And surely we’ll advise you on new tunes to add to your playlist! And in conclusion, have you had time to visit Paris? What did you think of it? 

Die: Yes! I already visited before, but this year was the first time I climbed on the Sacré Coeur hill, where I suddenly found myself with this magnificent view of the city, it was awesome. I really love French bread too, the baguettes. It indeed is something simple for you guys, but I find it delicious! 

[greatneedtotakeanap]

i binge read

episode 5 - the last olympian

this one took me a bit longer than expected but BOY do I have some THOUGHTS.

I am legally obligated to always begin with Nico when applicable so I will. This boy’s perseverance was everything. Even after he sold Percy out, and Percy subsequently almost killed him - he never stopped trying to convince Hades, just followed him around like an annoying talkative shadow. We see glimpses of this through Percy’s dreams. He literally never stops talking, even after all three adults present make it clear they’re annoyed with him - and it works! Hades joins in at the end.

Also, I know this was kind of the point of the book, but the fact that forty teenagers (plus the Hunters) held down an entire city for that long, after repeated monster attacks, was incredible. It was simply fantastic to imagine. Manhattan isn’t small, too. They covered a lot of ground for such a tiny group of people, and they didn’t even have the Ares cabin.

(Side note on the Ares cabin. I think we can all agree that up until the very end Clarisse was being incredibly selfish - there is a WAR happening. People are dying and you’re worried about cabin recognition? You refuse to fight for your fellow campers’ lives because of CABIN RECOGNITION? It’s so childish I can’t even wrap my mind around this.)

Speaking of Ares - Silena Beauregard. She deserved better. It was genius, the way she dressed up as Clarisse to go against the drakon. Shame she had to die in the process. And speaking of Silena Beauregard, Charlie Beckendorf!! He was one of my favorite if not my favorite side character my first time reading the series. I cried when he died. It was the FIRST CHAPTER, just hit you out of nowhere. I get that was kind of the point, but still. Ouch.

Ethan Nakamura annoyed the hell out of me throughout both botl and this book, but I couldn’t help loving him at the end, even though the way he died was kind of stupid because he didn’t know where Kronos’ vulnerability point was so he just charged him for nothing lmao. Still. I couldn’t help feeling sad for him.

And now, the inevitable discussion of Luke Castellan. Half of this book, the quests Percy went on to May’s house and the dreams he had, was to humanize Luke. The point was to make the reader sympathize with him, and hooo boy did it work. I never liked Luke, not really, but I always pitied him. May makes me very sad though. Her story, the very specific way she went insane... it’s tragic. And the way it affected Hermes was well portrayed. He knew the whole time, but was forbidden to interfere. Luke did the right thing in the end, which was great I guess, and the way the prophecy came true was genius. I probably would have been a pretty hardcore Luke stan if it wasn’t for the whole Lukabeth side plotline. I know it’s been said, but their age gap heavily grosses me out. Like at the end while he was dying and he asked Annabeth if she loved him I was recoiling, because... why?? Brought the whole rating down a LOT.

Of course, I can’t talk about The Last Olympian without talking about Percabeth, so let’s get into it. Firstly - the scene at the River Styx. (Side note - is Percy still invincible?? He never reversed the curse.) But anyways. The thing I love most about Percabeth is that it’s a slow burn done right. In their every interaction you can see exactly how they feel about each other, from friendly banter in tlt to mutual comfort in som, to Percy going BALLISTIC in ttc while she was gone, etc etc. And I think it all came to a t in this scene in the River Styx. He had to hold one to the one thing that made him mortal, and he didn’t choose Annabeth. He didn’t specifically think of her before he went in - but she found him anyway. And this is the moment that I think he realizes exactly how he feels about her. This is a theme that comes back in this book (yay!), Annabeth being the thing tying him down to the mortal world, at the end when he makes the decision to give up immortality. That part is fairly obvious. She’s literally the thing keeping him there. The best part about the ending of this book, for me, was that I could see it in my head. Every single second. I could see them eating cake, their conversation, the kiss and everyone jumping them afterwards, Percy making a bubble at the bottom of the lake. It was all just so adorable. I know, I know, we all love Percabeth - but for good reason.

One last thing I just realized - the kids from hoo? Piper and Leo (and Hazel I think but I can’t quite remember)? They were unclaimed kids who never found their way to camp. They got to Camp Half-Blood as a DIRECT result of Percy’s decision at the end of this book. I didn’t even realize that until I read the scene where he gives up immortality over again. Pretty interesting.

First series is done. Two more series to go. Wish me luck!

[alextriestowritestuff]

Blood Of Olympus Read W/ Me

This was the worst book of the series by far. I almost didn’t finish it. I think my thoughts are going to be rather short but they’ll still be below the cut for spoiler reasons. There will also be Trials of Apollo spoilers so I highly suggest not reading this if you haven’t caught up with those books! Let’s get into it.

I’d like the start by saying what I like: Nico/Reyna POV. I loved their relationship (which I didn’t see coming at all) it was very big sis-little bro vibes. I love that Nico finally found a place and his budding relationship with Will. What’s funny is though I knew Will would be his love interest (You can’t avoid them in fanfic at all) I thought he’d be more like super sunshine/super happy and that would contrast with Nico’s emo nature. But he was just chill and was like Nico, stop being a dumbass, we’re friends. I think fanfic gave me a different impression of what he’d be like (Granted I never read the fics, just summaries) and I was surprised that he was not like that. It’s not bad or good, just pointing it out. 

Oh and Nico telling Percy he liked him and Percy just being like ‘say what?’ I didn’t expect Nico to actually fess up to that one but Percy’s reaction was gold. 

The best moment in this book is Reyna taking down Orion by herself. She was that BITCH. Correct me if I’m wrong but the only other person who defeated a giant by themselves was Percy right? In the Battle of Labyrinth when he fights Antaeus? I think Antaeus was a half-giant though because Percy, a demigod, managed to kill him without the help of a god. Anyway, Reyna was everything in that scene. Oh I lied, he took down Polybotes too. They’d be unstoppable together (though I love Percabeth). She was about to sacrifice herself too!! What a queen. I respect the crap out of her. UM Jason you really picked the wrong girl lmao. 

I appreciated the Thalia cameo (because again, I didn’t re-read the Lost Hero so I haven’t seen her since the last time I read the PJO series) and the mention of Zoe. I hope Kenzie didn’t really die though, I liked her. 

And that’s all the good I have to say about it. Now for the bad...so much bad.

So after thinking about it, I realize that what makes HoO so different from its predecessor series is that there’s no consequences. The closest we got to consequences was Annabeth and Percy falling into Tartarus because they weren’t saved in time. No one important (protagonist/good guys side) died. Leo was resurrected (And I looked it up and found out that he came to Camp in the Trials of Apollo series so everyone knows he’s alive). Even for the Tartarus one, we didn’t even get a PTSD arc. It would’ve been helpful to have Percy or Annabeth’s POV in this book to wrap up that subplot. Instead we get two lines about their time in Tartarus and when Percy brings it up, Annabeth tells him not to mention it. So no PTSD arc. Got it. But we can just casually mention that Octavian committed suicide (which I don’t care for that ending at all).  Right.

The HoO books are boring because there’s no consequences. I never felt true fear apart from Percy/Annabeth being in Tartarus. In the Last Olympian, mortals were put to sleep, Annabeth was gravely injured, Silena and Beckendorf died. Luke and Ethan died. There was no magical save for them. Blood of Olympus had NO stakes, coupled with a weak, slightly developed new characters made it a bad series imo. It also doesn’t deliver on the questions posed in the book.

Hazel’s curse is still active, no descendant of Neptune has taken it away. I read the wiki summary for every book of the Trials of Apollo (The last one isn’t out yet) and there’s no mention of her curse being lifted. I think Frank’s stick is resolved imo being that it’s safe in the fireproof pouch but for some readers, they don’t think that’s resolved. Kym told Percy he’d have to face his fatal flaw. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t feel as though he did. Percy also never helped Leo find Calypso but Ig that’s null because he never got the chance to. Also is Black Jack, Frank’s grandmother, Hylla okay? Orion said Hylla got away but I was hoping for another cameo. 

Let’s talk about the villains/the entire quest of the Seven. The quest was boring, Nico/Reyna/Hedge’s quest was 100x more interesting and they were transporting a freaking statue. The quest of the Seven was fight this minor god/villain who is working for Gaea who promised them something (Even Jason has a line where he makes fun of this), outsmart/fight them, get to Athens where all the monsters are. Percy and Annabeth’s blood awakens Gaea. The gods come down which makes me angry because most of them weren’t helpful throughout the series. Poseidon wasn’t in this series at all. He didn’t even send a symbol or talk to his son who went missing. I’m pissed that the battle against Gaea wasn’t even in Athens! I’m pissed that they got slapped to New York, like what? The gods really couldn’t poof them back there, they gave some excuse but it was still bs. But I guess Rick needed Argo II to get back to NY so Leo can turn festus back into a dragon. But anyway, the gods come down, the demigods work with to defeat the giants in less than two pages. The giants that were poised as a massive threat for four books straight. Defeated in mere minutes. We don’t even get a cool battle description, they just hack and slash at them and they’re dead. Huh? 

Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, and Frank were reduced to background characters and I understand they don’t have a POV but I never felt that characters who didn’t have a POV in a certain book were ever forgotten/not utilized. They didn’t really get to do anything. 

We also don’t really see the Roman and Greek gods all that much. I know they’re the same people, different Greek and Roman personalities. But like I thought their Roman side could be seen a bit more but they were having difficulty maintain one persona throughout the whole series. I can tell you what the Greek gods are like and how they interact w/ each other based on the throne room scenes/anytime they help demigods in PJO/HoO. But Roman gods as whole? I can’t tell you how they even interact with each other. 

But wait, it gets worse. There’s not even a formal recognition thing like there was at the end of the Last Olympian (where Percy is offered godhood and Annabeth is given position of architect) there’s a little meeting with the gods and the Seven in which Jason is like give minor gods shrine and the gods aren’t really all that interested in what he has to say. There’s no thank you demigods. No, thanks Annabeth and Percy for literally going through Tartarus and Hazel for sacrificing yourself at 13 back in the 1940s. And the rest of them sacrificed something too. Like damn, no wonder why Luke was always like the gods don’t care about their kids. 

Gaea was built up to be a big bad (honestly not really, she talked trash the entire time/sent people to do her work) and the woman is easily overpowered by the three demigods. She’s not even awake for 20 minutes and she goes down. WHAT?? 

Overall, it was anti-climatic and totally did a 180 on everything else established in this series-the fact that Gaea was such a major foe and turned out not to be (that SEVEN demigods had to take her down, not just 1 like Percy’s prophecy) and the giants were to be feared too but they get taken down. At 200 pages in, I dead ass wanted to DNF, it was so boring. I gave it a one star because although the good I mentioned was really great, it doesn’t save the book. So for me, this series had every book be 3 stars or under except House of Hades. 5 books and I only really was able to like one and get through it easily and it still had issues. Like what?

Lastly, I want to touch on Jason. I still think he’s bland though I appreciated him giving Nico a hug at the end there. Again from ToA/being spoiled over the years, I learned that Jason died and I won’t be reading ToA but I read the summary of the book where he died and um, wow. I don’t feel anything for his death but the fact that he and Piper broke up sent me into a laughing/anger rage. Laughing because they really said ‘I love you’ at the end of BoO and they didn’t even make it a year lmao. And the fact that PIPER, miss always insecure in her relationship with him, McLean broke up with HIM. WOOOOOW. But it made mad because I listened to her complain/fawn over Jason for 4 freaking books (not counting tSoN) for NO REASON cuz they ended up breaking up. Overall, I appreciated what Jason, Hazel, Frank, and Piper did in the HoO series because they were helpful but I couldn’t connect with their characters. I’ll admit that in BoO we got a little bit more bonding between characters which is what I asked for in my last read with me and I like the Percy/Jason scene underwater and Piper/Annabeth scene from the beginning. I do think some relationships were summarized when they could’ve been shown--i.e. Annabeth/Reyna/Piper friendship but they have potential. 

The bonding was good, it was just too late. It should’ve happened in MoA/HoH as well. Random but I also hate how Leo was treated (esp. by Jason and Piper) throughout the series and I’m glad he got out of that mess. He was reduced to a deus ex mechanic and that wasn’t cool. The Seven wouldn’t have been able to do this quest without him. 

Sooo I guess this is it. I don’t think I’m going to read another Rick Riordan book again unless I hear something drastic happens to Percy or Annabeth/Any of the PJO characters and Reyna. I’m strongly reconsidering removing him as my fav author. I still love the PJO series but this one was not it. I don’t know if Rick was on a tight deadline for these HoO books but it was just poorly executed. I don’t regret reading the series, I think reading HoH was worth all the time I spent reading this series. I wish I had just read a summary of tSoN and MoA, especially because I already read them years ago and knew I wasn’t into them from my first read. I wasted my own time by doing that. So if I had done that I would’ve gotten to just read HoH and then only be disappointed by BoO as opposed to three books. It is what it is. It’s nice to be in the loop because I always see these things about HoO characters and spoilers so now I know how it went down. 

But that’s it guys, thank you for reading this entire thread and the ones before it. I have a lot of opinions and I don’t think I’m in the minority by saying I didn’t like this series overall. I will get back to my writeblr content and I will leave you guys with my final ratings for the series (My rating system may seem generous compared to my read with me thoughts but I personally don’t give less than 3 stars to books that plot wise made sense. It may not be the most compelling plot or have the best characters but if it made coherent sense, I have to give it at least a 3.) :

The Lost Hero: This score is based off of my original reading in 2012/2013 and my thoughts on the main characters in that book, I give this a 3/5 stars

The Son of Neptune: 3/5

The Mark of Athena: 2/5

The House of Hades: 4.5/5

The Blood of Olympus: 2/5 

Worst book of the series: Mark of Athena (Blood Olympus is a close tie but the Nico/Reyna really saves it from this spot) and best book- House of Hades. 

[ichor-hunter]

Atlas

Atlas Blood Code Study- Yakumo Shinonome

"A blood code received from Yakumo. It holds his fervent willingness to risk his life fighting to protect those dear to him. This code allows for the use of heavy armor, making it excellent for enduring combat in close quarters. It also features Gifts useful for standing up against power threats."

Introduction to Blood Codes and Yakumo

Blood Codes are the abilities imbued within a Revenant's Blood. Each Blood Code is unique to each Revenant that resides within the Gaol of the Mist. Once a Revenant has awakened from their slumber after the BOR parasite has been placed in them, the blood takes on a Code which I believe derives from the characteristics of that Revenant.

Yakumo also awakened as a Third Generation Revenant. He cares about his teammates and still searches for his old comrades back from when he grew up at the orphanage.

Greek Mythology

Yakumo's Blood Code is based on the Greek God Atlas.

Atlas took part in the Great War that lasted for ten years. Titanomachy (Titan battle) was the name of that war. It was a feud between the Olympian Gods that were led by Zeus and the older generation of Greek Titans. Atlas was on the Titan’s side and was against Zeus. Eventually, Atlas became the leader of the rebelling side and commanded all of the Titans.

In the end, the Olympian side won the war, and Zeus imprisoned him and the other Titans. Zeus gave Atlas the cruelest punishment of holding up the sky for all eternity, keeping the Heavens and Earth apart.

Similarities between Yakumo and Atlas

Atlas fought in the war of Titanomachy and Yakumo fought in the battles against the Lost, even before he was turned into a Revenant. Both Yakumo and his Greek God counterpart were both fighting against new dangers. For Yakumo it was the Lost and for Atlas, it was the Olympians. We could also consider that the Lost is a subversion of Olympians or corrupted Olympians, but we can discuss about that in a future post when I have something more concrete to write about.

Louis’ blood code is Prometheus and Yakumo's is Atlas. Both Prometheus and Atlas are brothers in Greek Mythology. They both took different sides in the war of Titanomachy but in-game, they get along like bros.

"This code allows for the use of heavy armor, making it excellent for enduring combat in close quarters. It also features Gifts useful for standing up against power threats." If it takes a Titan all of his strength to hold the skies for eternity, then just imagine how strong he is when he isn't holding the skies. As a veteran from the Great War, Atlas had participated in countless battles against the Olympians. This also applies to Yakumo's fighting style and how he proceeds in killing the Lost. 

The part of the description that mentions: "It also features Gifts useful for standing up against power threats," links with the concept of the battles he faced during the war and the sky. The skies are powerful, therefore Yakumo would have an arsenal number of Gifts to support him holding up the skies if he were Atlas.

The skies could also be interpreted as the player character, since Yakumo is the main go-to support NPC for most of our battles because of his strong buffs of support. Either that or my current theory of how the MC is connected with Heracles. Heracles encountered Atlas in his eleventh labor. He was tasked to take Golden Apples from Zeus' garden. Prometheus, who was grateful to Heracles for killing the eagle, advised him to switch roles with his brother Atlas. Heracles would carry the skies for him while Atlas can retrieve the apples for Heracles.

When the MC arrived at Home Base for the first time and accepted Louis' offer to join the team, Yakumo tossed an apple towards the MC. It isn't golden and there was no grandiose task involving stealing apples (plus Yakumo doesn't trick MC in the end. Unlike his Greek God counterpart tricking Heracles to hold the sky after he retrieved the apples) but it's an interesting nod towards that part of Atlas's mythology.

Yakumo's life before joining Louis was just as punishing as Atlas’ eternal punishment. He grew up in the orphanage with his group of friends, only to be forced into war and then die. He reawakened as a Third Generation Revenant as we learn in Riki's memories, but was torn apart from his friends. In a similar fashion, Atlas is also separated from his comrades and family after taking on Zeus’ punishment.

Yakumo only has a photo as a reminder and an instrument to reconnect with his friends again. With both Yakumo and Atlas participating in the war, they were the leaders and inspiration to those who followed them. For Yakumo, he had Emily, Miguel, and Riki. Time and again, they never fail to mention how great importance Yakumo is to them. He is their strength, and he is also everyone else's strength back at Home Base.  

If we also consider the bad ending, we see he takes Emily's place in the Crypt thus becoming the new Successor and following the same cycle once more. Instead of the skies like Atlas, he's carrying the weight of the Relic. Knowing how dangerous they are as they can cause the Queen to revive, he has a part of the world on his shoulders.

Atlas’ Gifts

Resilient Focus- Increases the amount of focus gained by receiving damage.

Guard Drain Rating Up- Increases your drain rating when you guard an enemy's attack.

Dogged Fighter- Temporarily increases stagger resistance versus enemy attacks.

Guard Reversal- Temporarily enables you to deflect attacks and stagger opponents after guarding.

These gifts are a mixture of Atlas’ punishment and his exploits in the Great War. Atlas can endure so much pain by holding up the skies but he can also tolerate his battles wounds from the war and press forward since he is the leader. Resilient Focus is more of Atlas being used to pain since he has to carry a magnanimous burden on his shoulders and the rest is based on his experiences in battle.

-

Tormenting Blast- Leap forward and strike twice.

Flashing Fang- Increases the power of the next attack.

Strength Vitality Up- Increases strength and vitality.

Impact Wave- Temporarily adds a shockwave effect to strike attacks that deals additional damage.

Two-Handed Sword Mastery- Increases attack power when equipped with a two-handed sword.

These gifts are related to Atlas’ battles in the Great War. Since Atlas was the Titan that led the battles, he would portray strength greater than the rest of the Titans that fought by his side. Great strength comes with great power, which relates with his Strength Vitality Up and Flashing Fang. Tormenting Blast, Impact Wave and Two-Handed Sword Mastery are all valuable gifts that are wielded in battle.

-

Foulblood Barrier- Creates a single-use barrier around you and your partner that greatly reduces damage.

Firm Stand- Receiving fatal damage when your HP is over a certain amount will leave you with 1 HP.

These are Yakumo’s signature gifts. Both of these gifts display a heavy relation to the lore of Atlas. Foulblood Barrier reduces damage taken, and the shape of the gift is similar to the shape of the Earth, which is similar to Atlas holding up the heavens. In a sense, he’s protecting the Earth from the Heavens, making sure that the Heavens doesn’t fall. Firm Stand relates to the punishment Atlas received since no matter what happens, he must continue to hold up the heavens and skies for all eternity and he must take the weight of it all. Even now on Atlas’ breath, he can’t afford to let go or he’ll be crushed. I think this is a representation of his determination which is akin to Yakumo’s personality.

Concluding Thoughts

I'm actually really happy going through the lore of Atlas. As everyone knows, Yakumo is the best guy to bring with you into battle in the game. I think Atlas is a really excellent choice for Yakumo since he and Atlas relate so much to each other lore wise. Yakumo will always be there for MC and all of his friends. There's that essence of humanity and the significance of the onigiri that really makes you relate to him as a character. Going through the vestiges of Riki and Emily shows a lot on how dependable he is to everyone in the story. Yakumo has really grown on me now after doing his Blood Code analysis.

[roman-writing]

A Study in Hospitality (3/?)

Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses / Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Pairing: Hilda Valentine Goneril / Marianne von Edmund

Rating: T

Wordcount: 7,657

Summary: There’s a new student at camp half-blood. Hilda, daughter of Aphrodite, has been tasked with showing her around. A Percy Jackson and the Olympians AU

read it below the cut, or you can read it here on AO3

Hilda had a weird dream. Weirder than usual, that is.  

Normally, there would be flying, or all of her hair and teeth falling out, or being rushed to an event but not being able to find anything in her closet except piles upon piles of Doc Martens. You know. Nightmares. The fuzzy, barely half-remembered kind which she awoke from with a grumbled "- the hell?"

This dream had no fuzzy edges. It was crystal clear, like seeing through a fisheye lens. There was a vaulted stone crypt with an altar shaped like an empty bed, but there were no windows or doors along the walls. She stood in the middle of the room, and every breath was an icy mist, pale clouds from her mouth that faded into nothing. 

Hilda shivered. She blinked, and her mother loomed over her. Aphrodite was ten feet tall and utterly inhuman, with eyes like a meadow in spring. She was draped in a pale lilac dress that shimmered when she moved. 

"Tell me, darling," she murmured, and placed her hands upon Hilda's shoulders. Hilda had never felt so dwarfed in her entire life as she did in that moment. "How would you like to die?"

"What?" said Hilda, the single word accompanied by a plume of lung-warm mist. 

And then Aphrodite's hands were around her throat. She squeezed, and Hilda choked. Reaching up, Hilda tugged at her mother's wrists, but no amount of demigod strength could hope to contend with the real deal. 

"My little girl," Aphrodite smiled, and she sounded so soft, her hands like cold dark iron. "Off to be a big hero."

Hilda kicked her feet. She did not know when she had been lifted off the floor, until suddenly the ground was no longer beneath her, and her legs dangled. She gasped for air. Her head swam.

Her mother's voice was a whisper at her ear now. A golden curl of Aphrodite's hair brushed against Hilda's cheek. "Just remember: don't -"

Something knocked against the bed, and Hilda wrenched awake with a wheeze. Her vision still reeled. She clutched at her chest. In the middle of the night, she had tangled herself up in the blankets. Now, she kicked herself free. 

"Yo, wake up already," Sylvain said. He leaned a shoulder against one of the posts that held her bunk bed aloft. "Lorenz told me to tell you that this week's chores list are on the corkboard by the door."

Finally rid of the sheets, Hilda sank back down to her bed. Her heart was still racing. "Thank you," she gasped.

At that, Sylvain's eyebrows rose. "Thank you?" he repeated, incredulous. "Are you sure you're feeling okay there, Hilda? I think the last time you said 'thank you' to me when we traded duties for a week so you could get to second base with that blue-haired kid from Ares cabin."

Closing her eyes, Hida inhaled a deep breath. Air had never tasted so sweet. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just -" 

She waved at him to leave her alone. He shrugged, and sauntered off without another word. 

Dreams with gods weren't exactly uncommon, but Hilda was hard-pressed to remember the last time she'd had one. Most gods took a general disinterest in their half-mortal children. Aphrodite was no exception. Hell, Hida had only ever met her mother in person three times before, and that was considered a rarity even amongst this crowd. Most demigods were lucky to meet their divine parent once in their entire lives. Or unlucky, depending on the circumstances. 

Hilda had always considered herself fortunate to be so favoured. Being the favoured kid -- along with Holst -- had always been something to flaunt. After that dream however, she wasn’t sure she wanted to see dear old mom again any time soon. Even if it was just a dream. 

Which, of course it was. Just a dream. Just a really weird dream. 

With a groan, Hilda clambered out of bed. She yawned, and rubbed at her eyes as she dragged her feet over to the line of self-contained bathroom cubicles at the far end of the cabin. She shut and locked the door behind her. She already had her toothbrush in her mouth, when she caught sight of herself in the mirror, and froze. 

Her eyes widened. Toothbrush still sticking from the side of her mouth, Hilda leaned forward to more closely inspect her reflection.  

There were bruises at her throat. 

--

The bruises mostly vanished before breakfast. Being a demigod had its perks, like quick healing. But the bruises still managed to freak Hilda out in the meantime. 

Seriously. What the hell? Being a demigod was supposed to be about being near indestructible, having cool powers, and doing backflips with swords. Not whatever the fuck this was.

Before she could even reach the dining pavilion however, Hilda was assailed en route.

"Hey! Hilda! Wait up!"

She turned, irritated. The dining pavilion was close enough that she could smell breakfast. Plus, she'd had a pretty shit morning, all things considered. She wanted food.

"What now?" Hilda asked.

Claude jogged up to her. His usual bow was disguised as a garishly coloured headband. Somehow, he managed to make it work; he had enough confidence to pull off even the most outrageous outfits. If Hilda hadn’t known better, she might have thought they were partly related.

He stopped at a comfortable distance from her. "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Proving that it can even happen to the best of us." Hilda made a 'hurry up' motion with her hand. "Now, what's up? My stomach is angry today, so make it snappy."

If anything, Claude took on a more relaxed air. "Far be it from me to come between you and a meal. But I'll be quick. It's about Marianne -"

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Gods, not this again."

"Just hear me out." Claude raised his hands and then made a gesture as though parting a curtain for a grand finale. "Poseidon's daughter."

"Really?" Hilda said, her tone flat and completely unimpressed.

"Oh, c'mon! Think about it." He began to tick off items on his fingers. "Causes earthquakes. Loves horses. Suspiciously avoids going into water around others. The trident on the coin you were telling me about."

"A weird broken trident," Hilda corrected.

"Right. A trident. Also, you've got a lot of hickeys on your neck, just so you know."

Even the mention of the bruises fading at her throat made Hilda's blood run cold. She lifted the collar of her shirt, and grumbled, "Yeah. Thanks."

"I thought you weren't seeing anyone right now? The only person I ever see you hanging around with these days is -" And then Claude's eyes widened. "You're canoodling with the new girl?"

At that, Hilda let out a snort of laughter. It was so utterly ridiculous an idea, that it drove the recent memory of her nightmare right from her mind. She clapped him on the shoulder, and hung on as she continued to laugh. "Okay. Thank you. Really. I needed a good laugh."

"Well, if it's not her, then who is it?" Claude's mouth widened into a smirk. "I do see you being cornered by Seteth an awful lot. That would explain things."

Hilda shoved at his shoulder. "Ew! Gross! As if!"

He still managed to take the time to pat her on the back in a manner that was both friendly and patronising at the same time. It made her think of her brother. "It's okay. I get it. He's got the hot dad thing going for him. Some people are into that."

"Okay. I'm leaving," Hilda huffed, and -- true to her word -- spun around in her heel and marched off, nose in the air.

Claude called after her, "Just think about what I said! About Poseidon! And dad bods!!"

"No, thank you!" Hilda waved over her shoulder without looked back, then pushed past one of the draped banners that hung between the pillars of the pavilion.

The pavilion had no official entrances. Shaped like an ancient temple without walls, it could be entered on any side that had a gap between the pillars. The campers within were shielded from the elements by a mixture of magic and long lengths of cloth, each bearing the colours and emblems of the various gods and goddesses represented at the camp. When Hilda passed beneath the banner of Aphrodite, she could smell myrtle in spring, and feel the brush of dove's wings against her skin.

It was early enough in the morning that there were still quite a few people seated at their respective tables. That in and of itself earned Hilda a few curious turned heads and waves in her direction. Normally, she didn't wander into the dining pavilion until the very last second. She would laze around in bed, and then use a late breakfast as an excuse to stave off chores for as long as possible. 

Now, she waved back at one or two people. On the walk over to the Aphrodite table however, she paused. Lysithea was just finishing up scraping leftovers into the central brazier. The coals spat and popped, but nothing more. Just as Lysithea was setting down her plate and making to leave the pavilion, Hilda stepped in her path. 

"Good morning, Lysithea!" Hilda said, far more peppy than she actually felt, but needs must. "Aren't you looking scholarly today!"

Lysithea arched an eyebrow down at her. She was the youngest in their age bracket, but she was still taller than Hilda, which irritated Hilda to no end. "What do you want?"

Hilda tried for a look of wide-eyed innocence. "Do I need to want something from you? Can't a girl just be nice and say hello? And maybe flirt shamelessly a little?"

"I already have a girlfriend. So, I'm not interested. Thanks." And with that, Lysithea started walking away.

Hilda had to scamper to get back into her path and stop her from going too far. "Okay, okay!" Hilda said, her voice dropping back to its usual timbre. "I may have been hoping to ask you a few questions. But it's because you're soooo smart, and I was just wanting your opinion on something that's been bugging me lately."

Lysithea only squinted in reply.

"You don't belive me?" Hilda asked. And, okay, so maybe she added a little breathless quality to her voice. Some habits are hard to break, alright?

"No."

"Well, don't worry. You're very cute, but you and Edelgard are safe from my many charms."

Sighing, Lysithea checked her watch, which was turned inwards to her wrist. "You have three minutes. Don't waste them."

"Right. To business, then." Hilda squared her shoulders, and cleared her throat. Her voice dropped another note or two, until it more closely resembled comfortable, unaffected speaking range. Also so that other people couldn't overhear. "You know the new girl? In Demeter Cabin?"

"I know of her," Lysithea replied. She crossed her arms, already tapping her fingers. 

"Doesn't it seem strange? That she's in Demeter Cabin, I mean. She's not like any other Demeter kid I've ever met before."

"Not everything about the gods and their half-mortal children are as they seem to be," Lysithea said. "You, yourself, for instance seem the epitome of any child of Aphrodite, but people would be foolish to assume you are without cunning."

"Aww, I thought you said no flirting?" Hilda made sure her grin had a flash of dimples. 

At that, Lysithea's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, but her glare could cut glass. "Unless you want me to hex you three ways to Sunday, I suggest you continue with your line of questioning. Promptly."

“Geesh! You’re no fun!” Hilda made a face, sticking out her tongue. “Okay. Forreal, though, after that whole earthquake thing, I saw her talking to an owl, and I thought she might be, y'know, inclined towards your family.”

“That’s it? An owl?”

“Well, she can also use weird magic, too! Like you!”

Lysithea rolled her eyes. “Yes, because there is no variation of the skills within my half-siblings, whatsoever.” 

“Listen,” Hilda used her very best brook-no-nonsense tone, which was very no-nonsense-brooking to be honest. “She was talking with an owl. And I just want some answers. Don’t you want to know, too? I know you know that something’s weird here. And I know you know that I know that you like knowing things.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Lysithea sighed. “Not all gods have sacred birds. Obviously some of them do. But also some of them have very similar sacred birds. Hestia and Dionysus, for example, with the turtle-dove and dove respectively.”

“Yeah. Okay. But -”

Before Hilda could continue to pepper her with questions, Lysithea interrupted, “Are you sure she was actually talking to the owl?”

Hilda bristled. “I know what I saw!”

“I’m just offering up potential solutions to your problem. Maybe she was just talking to herself, and the owl happened to be there.”

“Both times? When I saw it, and when Raphael saw it?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think that’s too much of a coincidence?”

“No.”

“Not even just a teensy little bit?” Hilda held up her thumb and forefinger a hair’s breadth apart.

The muscles of Lysithea’s jaw bunched up. “No. Now, unless you have anymore questions -” 

“Well actually, I’m so glad you said that, because this paper Manuela gave us on the transformation of demigods into mythological Heroes is really tough, and I was hoping you’d explain to me how the god parent in question chooses their heirs to become -”

“Great. Bye.” Lysithea turned on her heel and stalked off before Hilda could squeeze another word in edgewise. 

“Hey! Wait!! Lysithea!” Hilda let her hand drop when it became imminently clear that Lysithea was not going to turn back around under any circumstances, short of a portal to Hell rupturing the earth in twain. Which was a shame, really. Hilda was actually curious about the answer to that question.

Sighing, Hilda shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts, and blinked in surprise. There was a piece of paper rustling against her fingertips. She pulled it out, curious as to what she had left in her pocket -- she didn't recall leaving anything in there. When she pulled it out and unfolded it however, she made a noise of exasperation. 

Claude's cramped handwriting read: 'find out more about our mystery girl. ps - give the Poseidon thing a chance. you know I'm right.'

Hilda threw the piece of paper towards the lake. It fluttered in the breeze, and landed against her shin. In a fit of frustration, she picked it up, crumpled it into a ball, and then chucked it again. This time it very satisfyingly landed into the lake, and sank beneath the surface of the water. 

When had he even managed to sneak that note into her pocket? It must've happened when they spoke this morning before breakfast. Bastard. 

Not that Claude didn't have a point. Poseidon did seem to be a good bet. Something about the idea didn't sit quite right in Hilda's mind, though. Then again, she had never met a child of one of the Big Three gods. So, maybe Claude's theory had merit. 

Midway through the week however, it became more and more evident that the last thing Marianne needed was scrutiny. She needed socialisation. At the very least she needed a hug. Though, Hilda was ninety-seven percent sure that Marianne would sooner crawl out of her own skin than let someone give her a hug. 

As usual, the two of them were forced to team together for chores throughout the week. On top of that, this week was all about paired activities. About having a buddy, and doing lessons and things with them. Things like: climbing a hundred foot wall in less than two minutes while your partner belayed for you, and canoeing in paired races across the lake, and sparring until either a) their muscles turned to mush, or b) first blood. 

You know. Good wholesome camp stuff.

The first day’s activity Hilda was sure they would win. She knew for a fact that some of the Athena and Ares kids had a deadly fear of heights, but Ingrid took the cake in that exercise, beating the rest of them by a good fifteen feet. The second day’s activity they also lost, which meant that Claude's Poseidon theory was looking thin. Hilda made silent faces at Claude across the beach until he shook his head and mimed a response at her. 

And the activity on the third day ended with Hilda moaning about being too delicate for this kind of strenuous exercise in the middle of the afternoon. It didn't matter that Marianne kept losing their sparring match on purpose, or that there was still a jagged patch of grey rock in the ground where the arena had been repaired earlier in the week. 

By the middle of the sparring lesson, Hilda leaned against her axe, and frowned. "Are you even trying?"

Marianne held her Celestial bronze sword loosely in one hand. Her form was atrocious, but in a way that belied an underlying understanding of swordsmanship itself. Only someone well-trained in the art could do something that terrible. It had to be on purpose.

"What do you mean?"

With one hand, Hilda pushed her sweaty bangs out of her face. "Well, you obviously know how to use that," she said, pointing towards the sword. "But you pretend that you don't. Are you trying to make me feel better by letting me win, or something?"

"No," Marianne mumbled.

"Because, trust me, my ego can take it. It's totally fine."

Marianne's fingers tightened into a fist around the sword hilt. "I never doubted that."

"So, what's the big deal?"

"You underestimate yourself," Marianne said. "You're very strong."

"Thanks. I know. Which is why you shouldn't feel like you need to hold back so much." Hilda lowered her voice slightly. "Didn't we talk about this in the woods the other day? I told you, I'm not made of glass. None of us here are. You're among people like you now, remember?"

Still, Marianne dropped her eyes and refused to meet Hilda's gaze. She nodded in silence, but said nothing. 

Hilda hefted her axe to her shoulder, shrugging against the weight as though the heavy Celestial bronze were as light as paper. "Well, come on, then. Hit me with your best shot." She said it in a sing-song tone, and bent her knees slightly as though in anticipation for a blow.

Marianne swallowed nervously. "I don't -" she started to say, but stopped. Her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip, before she continued, "I don't like hurting people."

"Who said I was going to get hurt, huh?"

After a long pause, Marianne lifted her sword once more. It was a half-hearted attempt at coming en garde, but at least her form was correct this time. Hilda used the flat of her axe to swat Marianne's sword aside. It did not fall from Marianne's hand, but it did leave her wide open for an attack. 

Hilda advanced a step forward, forcing Marianne to take a step back in order to keep distance. "Don't be like that. Hit me back. Make me work for it."

Rather than raise her sword, Marianne continued to retreat while Hilda walked towards her. "I thought you didn't like to work."

"Yeah, but there's something about you that makes me think putting in the effort isn't so bad."

Marianne blinked. "Why?"

"I don't know. It's weird. You’re weird. I kind of like it." Hilda shrugged, and swung her axe again. 

With movements sinuous as a shadow's Marianne slipped out of Hilda's range, easily dodging the blow. Her sword still hung at her side, held loosely in her hand. They were starting to circle around the other pairs of sparring partners now, moving to avoid anyone. Hilda darted forward, swiping at Marianne with her axe, attack after slashing attack, all of which met nothing but air. 

"You know," Hilda said, "Not all confrontation is bad. Sometimes sucking it up, and facing someone down really does make life materially better.” 

“I think you and I have had very different life experiences,” said Marianne. 

After basically chasing Marianne all the way around the area twice, Hilda could feel the sweat beginning to collect dust and grime from the arena. In stark contrast, Marianne hardly looked like she had done anything more than take a leisurely stroll. Her dark eyes were steady and unblinking, reading Hilda’s every movement with the familiarity of someone who had seen years of combat training. 

They had amassed a bit of a crowd. Some of the other campers had stopped their own sparring to watch. Hilda continued to chat casually, even as she swung her axe at Marianne, knowing that her attack would be dodged yet again.

"Have you considered a haircut?" 

Marianne stepped to the side, and circled around Hilda, forcing her to flail her axe in a broad horizontal sweep for the follow up attack. "No. Why?"

"No reason. I just think it would look good on you, is all."

"I like my hair long."

"That's fine. You can keep it long. I'm just thinking a trim. Your bangs are hiding your eyes. Bangs are supposed to be a framing device for your face! Not hide it!"

With a thoughtful hum, Marianne actually parried with her blade, but did not counter attack. "I'm not sure."

"I can show you later, if you want?" Hilda offered, while bringing her axe down so hard it buried itself into the arena floor. She had to tug it free with a grunt. "I think you'd look really cute."

"Oh. Well, I don't know about that." Marianne dodged the attempt at flattery with as much skill as she dodged everything else. 

"Do I look like I don't know what I'm talking about?"

"No. I think you look very stylish."

"Exactly. Which is why you should totally let me give you a makeover one of these days."

"Hmm," said Marianne dubiously. 

"That wasn't a 'no'," Hilda pointed out. She shortened her grip upon her axe to make smaller more controlled movements with it, none of which connected. "Tell you what. Let's play a game. If I can land a hit, then I give you a makeover. And if you disarm me, then you can -- I don't know -- push me into the lake."

"I don't want to push you into the lake."

"Then, what do you want?"

For a moment Marianne mulled that over. She tapped the flat of her sword against her thigh. "Sorbet."

Hilda grinned. "Deal!"

Marianne nodded, and agreed in a far softer tone, "Deal."

This time, when Hilda swung her axe, she feinted. She twisted her shoulders one direction, then changed her footing at the last second so she could bring her axe down to exactly where Marianne had moved. Except this time, Marianne's sword arced up in a gleam of bronze, expertly guided into the groove between axe and handle, so that when Marianne flicked her wrist with a twist, it wrenched the axe handle from Hilda's hands. 

Or at least, it would have, had Hilda not hung on to the axe for dear life. 

Eyes wide in surprise, Hilda stumbled forward. Faster than even the semi-immortal eye could follow, Marianne reached forward with her spare hand, grabbed the long-handled hilt of the axe above Hilda's own grip, and yanked. At the same time, she delicately planted her foot into the middle of Hilda's chest, and pushed. 

The next thing Hilda knew, the air had been knocked out of her, and she was flat on her back. 

A dark shape blotted out the sun, and for a moment it seemed that the shadow Marianne cast while standing over her extended across all the earth. She blocked the sun like the moon during an eclipse. It hurt to look at her. 

Then Hilda blinked, and the moment passed. 

“Sorry,” Marianne said. 

She extended her hand in a silent offer. It was the reverse of last week, when Hilda had helped her to her feet. Without thinking, Hilda reached out and grabbed hold of Marianne’s hand, allowing herself to be hauled upright. A few people were clapping and laughing on the sidelines.

“Are you alright?” asked Marianne. Her hand lingered for a second -- as frightfully cold as it had been the last time they had touched -- before she snatched it away. 

Hilda smiled. She brushed a hand down the front of her own clothes as if wicking off a bit of water, and in a flurry of magic all of the dirt and sweat melted from her, leaving her as clean and fresh as though she had stepped from a shower not five minutes ago.

"Never been better.” She bent down to pick up her axe from the ground, transforming it back into a pair of sunglasses, which she perched atop her nose to complete the look. “Looks like I owe you an ice cream. Or sorbet. Same difference. Want to leave early, and get some now?”

Marianne stared at her. "Was that -" she asked slowly, "- your plan all along? To leave early?"

"Why, are you accusing me of something, Miss Marianne?" Hilda gasped, feigning offence. Then, she lowered her sunglasses just enough to wink over them. "So. Sorbet?"

The corner of Marianne's mouth twitched, but that may have just been a trick of the light. “Yeah. Okay.”

--

If there was one single class that Hilda hated most, it was flying class. The act of flying itself wasn't a problem. In fact, she rather liked it. Especially as a means of convenient transport. Like airplanes. Or helicopters. Or maybe hot air balloons, but those were on thin fucking ice. 

Riding a pegasus, though? No thank you. She would rather wear gumboots and flannel to the Met Gala. 

When Hilda tried to slip away from the class however, she was cornered by Seteth, who was -- unfortunately -- the teacher for that day's lesson. 

"Going somewhere?" 

Hilda froze. She pretended to cough, and turned around, trying to look as haggard as possible. "Oh, Seteth. I'm so glad you asked. I just feel absolutely awful today. I really should sleep this bug off."

Seteth's ageless eyes never left her face. His expression remained fixed and stern, but in a way that somehow made it seem that he was an instant away from a knowing smirk. Like he could see right through her lies. Which, annoyingly, he probably could. 

Damn Titans. Damn pegasi. Damn flying class.

"Now, that is a shame," Seteth said. "Seeing as how, as far as we know, you are the only one Marianne is comfortable touching."

Hilda blinked. "I - uh -? I guess? And also I really don't see how that is relevant."

"Allow me to explain. We are pairing off in today's class, and training for aerial battle manoeuvres." He cocked his head to one side. "Seeing as it would be inhospitable to leave Marianne on the ground while everyone else participated, I was hoping you would do us the kindness of being her partner for this exercise."

"Oh. Well. That's - " Hilda floundered. But before she could even fumble out an excuse, Seteth continued speaking. 

"No matter. If you say you are ill, then you are ill."

Surprised and simultaneously suspicious, Hilda said slowly, "Yes."

"Which is why I must ask Mercedes to heal you. To ensure you are in top shape, of course."

At that, Hilda grimaced. Healing magic when you were actually sick or injured was all fine and dandy. But when you weren't actually sick or injured, it felt -- well, bad, to be perfectly honest. Not that it hurt, so to speak. Just that it felt like someone shoving a tube where it didn't belong in the search for whatever it was that acted as the source of your illness. 

"That won't be necessary -" Hilda tried to say, but Seteth was already turning to wave Mercedes over. In horror, she watched as Mercedes joined them with a concerned look on her face. 

"Mercedes," Seteth said. "Hilda isn't feeling so well, and I was hoping you might assist us, as I do wish for her to partake in today's activities."

"Of course!" Mercedes replied, as cheerful as ever to be helpful in any way. 

With a groan, Hilda allowed her face to be grasped between Mercedes' hands, and her vision was filled with white light. After a very uncomfortable moment, in which Hilda felt like a swarm of flies were crawling beneath her skin, Mercedes let her go. 

Smiling, Mercedes said, "There. Good as new."

"Gee. Thanks." Hilda had to swallow past the magically induced cotton-mouth. 

Mercedes turned to Seteth. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No. Thank you," Seteth said, looking every inch the smug bastard Titan that he was. He wasn't even trying to hide the little smile now. "That will be all."

Mercedes ducked her head in a nod, then trotted back over to the red-haired Athena girl, Annette, and the roan pegasus mare they were going to be riding together. Meanwhile, Seteth continued to watch Hilda. He gestured towards the line of yet unclaimed pegasi. "If you would be so kind."

Grumbling under her breath, Hilda stomped over to where he indicated. Marianne stood apart from the others. Most of the camp members had given up trying to interact with her after a few weeks of being met with awkward silences and constant apologies. When Hilda approached however, Marianne's head lifted. 

"Hi," she greeted with a little wave of her hand. "I thought you said you weren't feeling well?"

Hilda sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "Yeah. Well, Mercedes fixed me up, so now I'm back."

"Oh, good. I'm glad."

"Glad? Really?"

Marianne was wringing her hands together, and darting nervous glances at the other campers. "Well, I - one of the other campers came up to me and asked me to be his partner, and I was afraid Seteth would make me do it."

"Would that be so bad?"

Marianne refused to offer any further explanation. 

"Who asked you?" Hilda asked.

Marianne pointed, and Hilda followed where she indicated. Claude. Of course it was Claude. He saw them looking in his direction. He smiled and waved. 

"He's not so bad," Hilda assured her. 

"I'm sure he isn't. He seemed very nice, in fact."

"And?" 

"And -" Marianne continued at Hilda's urging. "- I don't like spending too much time around people."

Hilda sighed. "I see we're still not past that. Ah, well. Baby steps."

"What?"

"Nothing. Nevermind." Hilda looked down the line of pegasi, who were idly grazing while waiting to be approached by an assigned pair. "C'mon. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

"Alright."

Students were being herded towards the pegasi by Seteth and his daughter, Flayn. Pairs of campers had being to approach a pegasus, and some of the more animal-inclined members were already mounting. Hilda straightened her pink-lensed sunglasses upon her nose, and perused the quickly diminishing selection. 

Minty was unmistakable, with his ivory pale coat and black legs. Hilda made a beeline away from him. There was no way she was going to be saddled with that asshole. Before she could approach the nearest pegasus however, another pair swooped in beside it. 

"Hey!" Hilda said in outrage. "Find your own pegasus!"

Both Edelgard, the head of Athena cabin, and Lysithea gave her reproachful looks that were near identical. Followed by Lysithea saying, "I thought that was your pegasus."

She pointed at Minty. 

Hilda scrunched up her nose. "Ew! No way! What would give you that impression?"

"Because you are often seen talking to him at the stables?" Edelgard answered, as though that were obvious.

"Yeah. Sure, but that doesn't mean he's mine."

Edelgard and Lysithea shared a look, then a shrug. "If you say so," said Lysithea. 

"I just did!" 

Behind her, Marianne cleared her throat softly. "Um -? Hilda?"

Hilda turned. "What's up?"

"I think all of the other pegasi have already been taken."

Hilda looked around. Sure enough, Marianne was right. Swearing loudly, Hilda closed her eyes and tilted her head back to the sky. "Why me?" she groaned.

"I'm sorry -" 

"No, not you, Marianne." Hilda let out a long frustrated exhalation. Then, squaring her shoulders, she marched over to Minty, with Marianne drifting in her wake like a shadow. 

"Hey!" Hilda called out. "Future Glue!"

Two black-tipped ears swivelled at the sound of Hilda's voice, and Minty lifted his head. He was still chewing on a tuft of grass, when his voice filled their heads. "Well, if it isn't my old nemesis, What's-Her-Face. And -" Minty's nostrils flared. "- Carrot Girl."

Coming to a halt before him, Hilda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. We all have a mutual loathing of one another. What's new?"

"I don't hate you," Marianne said from beside Hilda. 

"That's nice," Minty replied. "But you didn't bring carrots this time."

"Uhm, no. Sorry."

He snorted, then lowered his head to keep eating, utterly disinterested in their presence. 

"Let me handle this," Hilda said to Marianne, then rounded on the pegasus. "Now, listen up. None of us want to be here. But we have to be, or else that guy -" she jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards where Seteth was helping a frantic-looking Hubert onto the back of a pegasus "- will get mad. So, unless you want to buy a one-way ticket to Horse Hell, or whatever, I suggest you cooperate for the next hour or two. Got it?"

The pegasus swished his dark glossy tail, and at the same time stomped one of his back hooves. After a long moment of grass-chewing and contemplation, Minty finally said, "Fine. Get on."

Well, that was easier than anticipated. Hilda didn't even have to wheedle, which was a shame, really. She felt like her wheedling skills were starting to get a bit rusty, and it was always good to practice on something that was immune to charmspeak. 

Hilda held out her hand in a gesture for Marianne to go first. Partly because she was trying to be nice. But mostly because she didn't want to be the one in control of a sentient magical animal. That sounded like way too much responsibility. She'd rather let someone else take the reins.

Not that there were actual reins. Pegasi didn't take very kindly to that kind of thing. They preferred their communication to come in the form of verbal or psychic. Or rude gestures. It really depended on what the situation called for. 

Hilda had expected to need to help Marianne up, but Marianne lifted herself atop the pegasus' back with a sudden surge of grace. She shifted slightly once on his back, tugging at her track pants a bit. She still wore Hilda’s ill-fitting clothes; Hilda would have to call up her brother to see what was taking him so long to send new clothes. 

At the added weight, Minty shuffled his wings, but otherwise remained still. He continued to eat. On the other hand, Hilda tried to haul herself into place twice before giving up. Being short and trying to mount a big horse creature was the bane of her existence. Marianne extended her hand, and pulled at Hilda's wrist, and Hilda nearly went careening over Minty's back onto the other side. She barely stopped herself, but only by grabbing onto Marianne's shoulders. 

Immediately, Marianne stiffened. Which meant Hilda stiffened, and jerked her hands away as if burned. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Marianne mumbled, but she kept her head ducked, and her eyes firmly fixed on the way her fists were clenched around great handfuls of Minty's dark mane.  

"Is it okay if I -?" Hilda held out her hands, but did not touch Marianne's waist. 

A moment of hesitation before Marianne nodded. Even so, Hilda did not immediately touch her. 

From the direction of the stables, Seteth's voice rang out. "Campers, you should now all have mounted your pegasi. I want you to do a lap to the dining pavilion and back, before getting into your pre-determined aerial formations over the lake."

He droned on and on with instructions. Hilda made a miming gesture with her hand that mimicked his incessant talking. Peeking over her shoulder, Marianne saw, and made a funny noise at the back of her throat, before quickly turning back around. 

"Don't fly over the forest," Seteth finished with the usual warnings. "And be back in no later than two hours. If you should need assistance, I will be riding behind you. Now, go."

The literal second he said 'go', Minty spread his wings. Previously Hilda had not properly admired the true breadth of his wingspan. He had always kept them neatly tucked up against his flank every time she had encountered him in the past. Now, seated atop his back, his wings spread a good fifteen feet in either direction, and all of a sudden Hilda felt quite small. 

When he lifted his head, and then reared up on his hind legs, Hilda wrapped her arms around Marianne's waist with a yelp. 

"Is that really necessary?" Hilda asked.

He did not answer. Instead, he charged forward to get a running start, and then his wings swept downwards. With a mighty gust, they were airborne. Air rushed past them as they gained altitude with every downward stroke of Minty's wings. 

Hilda kept her eyes squeezed shut. Her hands firmly grasped each other around Marianne's narrow waist, and she had the side of her face pressed against Marianne's back. She could feel the tense of muscle against her cheek, but Marianne did not try to shuffle away or tell her to stop. 

It wasn't until they started to travel in a horizontal line again that Hilda dared to open her eyes and lift her head. She nudged the side of her face against Marianne’s shoulder to straighten her sunglasses. They were midway along the pack of other campers, with more than enough room to spare between each pegasus. Hilda relaxed a bit, letting loose a breath she had been holding since they took off. 

"You don't like flying," Marianne commented, and it was not a question. 

"Not really, no," Hilda said. She looked down at the ground, and admired the view far below. "I mean, I like the act of flying itself. Heights aren’t a problem. If I were flying a plane, it would be totally fine. Or a creature that wasn't, you know, sentient. I just don't trust that a pegasus won't do something dumb just for the hell of it."

"Minty wouldn't do that," Marianne assured her.

"Yes, I would," said Minty. 

Hilda pointed at his tufted ears, which were angled back so he could eavesdrop. "Mind your business, asshole."

"You're on my back. You are my business."

"Whatever." 

They didn't even make it back from the pavilion for the first lap. As they flew over the lake, Minty glided downwards, drifting far below the other pegasi until they were just a meter or so above the water.

"Hey, uh -" Hilda said, peering up at the other paired groups far overhead. "Why are we flying so low all of a sudden? Not that I don't appreciate standing out from the crowd, but -"

Minty did not answer. Instead, he just kicked his back legs. Hard. Hilda, who had loosened her grip around Marianne's waist, was jostled so forcefully that she didn't have time to even scramble for a better hold. She just fell right off his back and into the water.

Hitting the lake was a cold shock. Hilda struck out at the water, and swam furiously back to the surface. She gasped for air, treading water. Her sunglasses had been dislodged, and she could see the faint glimmer of them sinking into the clear blue of the water below her.

Glowering at Minty, who was flapping his wings to hover in place over her, Hilda spat against the water lapping at her chin. "Oh, you're going to pay for that. Look at my hair! And my clothes! And you made me lose my axe! Do you know how much time I spent making -?"

Minty flapped his wings in such a way that the very tip of his longest flight feathers skimmed the surface of the water, and splashed her in the face.

"You -!" Hilda spluttered. "Asshole!"

She tried to splash him back, but missed wildly. He was too high up to reach. On the pegasus' back, Marianne was covering her mouth with one hand. She was holding back an odd, strangled noise. When it escaped from behind her hand, she quickly turned her head aside to hide her face.

She was, Hilda finally realised, laughing at her.

"Oh you think this is funny, do you?" Hilda asked.

It took Marianne a second to compose herself, and even then her answer sounded strained. "No. It's -” Marianne bit her lower lip, and her voice wobbled suspiciously. “It's terrible. What an awful thing to have happened."

"Uh-huh.” Hilda nodded at the pegasus, and said, “Minty, dump her.”

“What -?” said Marianne. 

If a pegasus could grin, then surely Minty was grinning right now. He dropped his back legs, and gave a single strong flap of his wings. Eyes wide, Marianne scrambled at his mane, but couldn’t hold on. She slowly slipped down his back, and plunged into the water a few meters away from Hilda.

Marianne’s head emerged from the water with a gasp. Her hair was plastered to the side of her face, the messy bun beginning to unfurl from its braid at the base of her neck. Hilda lifted a hand, and splashed her. Marianne sputtered. She tread water with the clumsiness of someone well and truly unaccustomed to swimming. Hilda smirked in triumph at the look of absolute shock on Marianne’s face. 

“Now who’s laughing? Huh, punk?” Hilda said.

Some indescribable expression crossed Marianne’s face. Hilda watched her go on a face journey -- bewilderment, irritation, amusement -- before landing finally on resolve. It was the most expressive Hilda had ever seen her. And it took Hilda utterly by surprise when Marianne actually splashed her back. 

“Oh, it is so on.” 

Hilda put a bit more force behind her next splash, spraying a broad stream of lake water right at Marianne’s head. Marianne’s high pitched squeak was well worth another faceful of water pushed back at her. Minty continued to hover and watch their fight until, with Marianne’s help, Hilda managed to grab hold of one hairy pastern and drag him half into the lake. He floundered like a cat in water, flapping wildly until he was in the air once more. But by that point Hilda was laughing so hard she inhaled water and started to cough, while Marianne patted her on the back. 

When they finally made it back to shore, they were panting slightly. Marianne clambered onto the beach and sprawled on her back, with Hilda doing the same beside her.  

Breathing heavily, Hilda said towards the sky, “I told you I would take you swimming in the lake.” 

Marianne laughed aloud, then quickly covered her mouth with her hands to stifle the noise. Her eyes were still crinkled at the edges. The sight hit Hilda like a blow to the chest. Or maybe that was just heat of the sun beating down on them high overhead. 

She looked away, and tried not to think about it too hard. 

The shadow of a pegasus drifted along the ground nearby, as Seteth landed on the beach. He dismounted, and walked over to them. Arms crossed, he tilted his head. “While I am glad to see you two having such a good time, I am hard pressed to condone skipping a lesson.”

Hilda pointed towards Minty, who had landed further along, and was shaking himself off like a dog. “It’s all his fault, Your Honour. I swear it.”

“Please, do not refer to me as such. That is a very particular title reserved for other deities far outside my jurisdiction.”

In response, Hilda lowered her hand so that it was a half-hearted salute by her head. “Understood, my lord.”

Marianne made that strangled sound again. Her hand was clapped over her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. 

With a sigh, Seteth shook his head. After they received a thoroughly tepid scolding -- which was just enough time for them to start to dry off beneath the noonday sun -- Seteth urged them back into the air to finish the lesson. Before that however, he had a few whispered words with Minty, which neither of them could overhear. Whatever he said must’ve worked though, because the pegasus behaved for the remaining hour or so.

It wasn’t until they were back at the stables that Marianne’s usual sombre air returned. It was incredibly out of place with her rumpled clothes, and the coils of hair that had slipped from their trappings and curled gently at the nape of her neck. Still, her dark eyes were warm when she offered Hilda a little wave of goodbye as they parted ways for the day. 

Hilda waved back, “See you tomorrow!”

Her hand was still held halfway in the air as she watched Marianne walk off towards the cabins. 

When someone clapped Hilda on the back, she nearly leapt out of her skin. Claude came up from behind, and draped his arm around her shoulders so they could watch Marianne glide away together.

“Good trick with the water,” he said, and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Now, we can cross Poseidon off our list.”

“Right,” she replied without any real feeling. Not once did she take her eyes off Marianne’s retreating form. “Yeah, I totally meant to do that.”

Hilda half expected Marianne to turn back, to steal a glance over her shoulder. She didn’t. 

[deliciousdetectivestranger]

Notes from the Winter Solstice Meeting

Phew! Just back from the winter solstice meeting on Mount Olympus. I promised you a report. I don’t have any solid news yet, sorry, but I did petition the gods directly, so we’ll see what happens! The transcript of my talk with the Olympians is below.

Notes from Winter Solstice Meeting 2019,

Mount Olympus

600th Floor, Empire State Building

New York City

 

INT. MOUNT OLYMPUS – THRONE ROOM

We see an aging mortal writer in the midst of a great chamber. He is dwarfed by a semicircle of giant thrones inhabited by the Olympian deities.

 

Rick Riordan: Thank you for seeing me, O great Olympians.

Zeus: We understand you want . . . (checks notes) a reboot. What is wrong with your present boots?

RR: No, Lord Zeus, a reboot adaptation of my books about Percy Jackson.

Zeus: I knew that. Percy . . . Yes, he’s a good lad. Those movies, though –

Ares: Oh, gods! No. Just NO. I wanted to KILL somebody.

Hermes: To be fair, Ares, you always want to kill someone.

Ares: THAT’S NOT THE POINT!

Athena: Mr. Riordan, we already rained fire and pestilence upon that studio.

RR: Yes, Lady Athena, and I appreciate that.

Athena: The particular division that made those horrendous adaptations has been dismantled. And the remainder of the company has been . . . (dramatic pause) acquired. (Glances at Zeus) Which corporate hydra did we send to devour it? Starbucks? Amazon?

Hephaestus: (grumpily) Disney. I made a very competitive bid with Hephaestus-TV, but I was rejected! Bah!

Athena: I remember now. The hydra of the Mouse God. A powerful force indeed! At any rate, Mr. Riordan, after your first movie experience, didn’t you swear on the River Styx that you would never go to Hollywood again?

RR: I may have made some rash statements to that effect.

Hades: We take oaths on the River Styx very seriously, Riordan. Don’t make me claim your soul before its time!

RR: No, Lord Hades. Of course not. I just thought . . . well, honestly, I’d be happy to just write books and ignore Hollywood forever, but my fans really, REALLY want me to try again, seeing as there are so many new opportunities now that Disney has acquired the rights –”

Artemis: I loved Frozen. Oh, gods. Elsa is Hunter Squad goals!!!

Ares: I preferred Mulan. The new live action version looks lit — like nuclear bomb lit.

Aphrodite: You are all silly. The Little Mermaid is the best. (sighs)

Poseidon: For once, I agree with you. (clears throat). But we’re getting off track. Riordan needs to appease his fans. That is something we gods can understand. What would you have us do, mortal writer person? A hurricane against Los Angeles? A tsunami? This is, after all, my son Percy’s reputation we’re talking about!

RR: No, Lord Poseidon, nothing so dramatic. The executives I have talked to so far have been interested. I think they’ve listened to me. But there are many people that must give their input. Many executives to speak with.

Hermes: True. The servants of the Mouse God are myriad.

RR: Right now, they are considering my words, and talking, and pondering.

Athena: That is wise. Such actions must be carefully considered.

Hermes: Ugh, but pondering, though. That could take months. Years. Decades.

RR: (sighs) True, Lord Hermes. It is a very long process. That’s why I was hoping you gods could give me your blessing. Perhaps send some good omens our way? Really, any support could help.

Zeus: (stroking his beard) We could get a hashtag trending on social media.

RR: Actually, my fans already did that, without me even asking. It shot to #1 worldwide on Twitter.

Demeter: (busily sorting different kinds of cereal in a large bowl) You could spend more time meeting with people in Hollywood.

RR: I have already done that. I’ve gone to L.A. twice this fall, each time for a full week of meetings.

Artemis: (winces) That is a lot of time in L.A.

Athena: Perhaps we could show Disney how beloved these books are. We could grant you tremendous success and years on the bestseller lists.

Hermes: (waves his hand impatiently) Guys, Riordan’s already got huge success. Those Percy books have been on the bestseller list for ten solid years. That should be a strong enough message!

Ares: Well, I suppose that leaves us no choice but a full frontal assault. I will summon the war chariots!

RR: That’s not necessary, Lord Ares! Just your blessings are all I ask. May I continue to negotiate and push for a new adaptation? Will you favor my efforts?

Poseidon:

Absolutely! Those books have brought me incredible publicity. Er, I mean, they’ve brought all of us incredible publicity.

Ares: Hmm. I didn’t come across as a very nice guy.

Silence.

Athena: Anyway, what would this new adaptation look like, Riordan?

RR: I have some very specific ideas, but it’s too early to say. We have to wait to see what the minions of the Mouse God are willing to consider. The most important thing is to do a faithful adaptation that makes the fans of my books happy. They’ve been waiting for over ten years, and I really don’t want to let them down.

Hermes: Yes, fine, but what’s our cut?

RR: Your cut? Um, well . . . you get lots of publicity. New readers hearing about you, learning your names and your deeds. I’ll even burn a sandwich in your honor.

Hermes: Peanut butter?

RR: Sure.

Hermes: You are a shrewd negotiator, Riordan. I will support you.

Zeus: Would you be willing to take some notes on the script, though? For one thing, I should be played by Brad Pitt.

Ares: No, I’m Brad Pitt!

Demeter: (looks up from her large bowl of cereal) No, Brad Pitt is mine! (blinks) Wait, what are we talking about?

Hera: (glances up from her Good Housekeeping magazine) Go back to sorting your Frosted Flakes, Sister. (narrows her eyes at Riordan) I always come off looking like the villain in your books, Riordan. Why is that? Why should I support you?

RR: Ah. Well, Lady Hera –

Zeus: Don’t be touchy, my dear. He took artistic liberties, that’s all.

Hera: Hmmm.

Zeus: Speaking of artistic liberties, what if – hear me out – what if we made Percy Jackson a teenaged vampire?

Poseidon: Never! But I think the story would work well if we made all the characters be in their early twenties. And we turned it into a sort of spy thriller meets romantic comedy.

Athena: Or perhaps you could just let the author do what his millions of fans want and be faithful to the source material.

Zeus: Well . . . I suppose you’re the goddess of wisdom for a reason.

Athena: Also, I want to be played by Brie Larson.

Hermes: Dibs on Benedict Cumberbatch.

Hades: I want Stan Lee to have a cameo.

Zeus: Stan Lee is dead; may the gods rest his soul.

Hades: You’re talking to the Lord of the Underworld, here.

RR: (under his breath) Suddenly an animated adaptation isn’t sounding so bad.

Aphrodite: I just want to know when the casting calls are.

RR: (confused) My lady?

Aphrodite: Well, I know I don’t have any acting experience, but I look perfect for the role of Aphrodite and my friends all tell me I’m very dramatic.

Artemis: You are Aphrodite, you nitwit.

Aphrodite: Don’t be rude! I just want an audition.

RR: Uh . . . okay. So then do I have your permission to keep pressing for a new adaptation?

Muttering and whispering among the gods.

Zeus: Very well, mortal writer person, but even with the gods on your side, this will be a difficult struggle, and it may be a long time before you get a clear answer. Unlike the Olympians, Hollywood does not work during the winter holidays. Everyone is out of the office until after New Year’s.

RR: Yes, Lord Zeus. But I must keep trying. For the fans! For the children!

Hera: (rolling her eyes) You’re as dramatic as Aphrodite. By the way, I expect my part to be played by Elizabeth Taylor.

RR: But she’s – (catches a warning look and a shake of the head from Zeus.) – I’ll see what I can do, Lady Hera.

Zeus: Excellent! Now if you’ll excuse us, Riordan. We have other business to attend to. These climate disasters aren’t going to create themselves.

 

Riordan exits, bowing and scraping.

 

Zoom out from Mount Olympus to an aerial view of Manhattan.

 

Fade to black.

[btsslowburnfic]

Chthonic Love Chapter 3

Series Summary: Greek AU Yoongi/Hades x You/Persephone.  The Olympic Lord, Namjoon kidnaps you as a "gift" for his brother, ruler of the Underworld. Lord of Death: Yoongi.

Previous Chapter: Chapter 2

“Dear Hoseok,

I am sure you are quite worried about me and so I firstly want you to know that, all things considered, I am ok. Zeus brought me to the Underworld and Lord Yoongi has been a very gracious host. I’ve heard you lost a bet? I need to know what in Olympus happened so I can disentangle myself from any terms you have entered me into. Maybe now you’ll listen to me when I tell you to stop messing with the Olympians.

--Persephone”

You folded the letter and looked around for an envelope. You didn’t see any on the desk so you left and walked over to the door. You opened it and poked your head out to see if Yoongi was out there, but he wasn't. Feeling disappointed and not really wanting to go back to your cold, boring chamber, you turned back into the office. It was much warmer there than the rest of the castle. You appraised the room once more; you tried to remember what all you had heard about Lord Yoongi before today and you realized: not a whole lot. He seemed nice enough, just lightly annoyed that you were here. But if someone had dropped a person off in your house unexpectedly you would also be irritated.

You walked along one of the many bookcases and pulled out a few different books, perusing their covers. Some seem to be journals and you put those back, not wanting to be rude. A few of them have musical notes written in them, you turned your head towards the back of the office, noticing the Lyre and Harpsicord one again. Yoongi must play at least one of them. You continue to browse the shelves, finally finding a small book labeled, “Underworld Compendium.” You take it over to the pile of furs you had made earlier and settle in for some reading.

In the beginning there was Darkness. Before the brothers were Kings of the Realm, they were slaves to their father: Cronus. Cronus, not wanting to share any of his power, swallowed each of his sons, keeping them in interminable darkness and pain. Finally, their mother was able to spare a child: Zeus. Zeus led the charge against Cronus and the other Titans, and in his surprise, the enslaved children were accidentally released. The Titan Wars were waged for decades: Olympians versus Titans. Finally, Cronus was destroyed. The realms were divided amongst those sons who fought in the Titan Wars. Namjoon, who the mortals worship as Zeus, wanted Olympus and ascended to his throne with great fanfare and a feast that lasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Jin, Poseidon, enjoyed splashing in the waves and playing with the animals of the sea. Yoongi, Hades, traveled down from Olympus, through the Earth, Through the sea, and arrived at the Underworld.

GEOGRAPHY

The Underworld is comprised of many subsections. At the center of it lies the Obsidian Palace. Hewn into the very core of the Underworld, it is a sight to behold, visible from Erebos all the way to Oceanus. Surrounding the Obsidian Palace is the Desert of Sorrow, bordered by the Stygian Sea to the South….

You yawned and sat the book facedown on the furs. You found the book interesting, you really did, but between the warm fire and the crying earlier, your eyelids grew heavy. You decided to lay down for just a moment and before you knew it, Hypnos was proverbially knocking on your door.

------------

Yoongi had left you to write your letter in private. He’d deliver it to Charon either tonight or tomorrow. To his surprise, he wasn’t as annoyed by your presence as he thought he would be. He started to wonder when the last time he had talked to a person? He occasionally would speak to Penthos, but considering every day was the same, there wasn’t really much to say.

He walked down the hallway and heard voices speaking in a hushed tone.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure she’ll be leaving soon. She seems so nice. I don’t know what your problem is.” It was Lethe.

“She just walks in and acts like she owns the damned place,” Yoongi heard Penthos harshly retort.

Lethe laughed, “She’s a Goddess. The fact she didn’t disembowel you for speaking to her without being spoken to is really something. It’s clear you've never served in any other courts before. While Lord Yoongi is a quiet God, he’s a million times better than most of them.”

Penthos sighed, “I suppose you’re right about that. I’ll see you later.”

Yoongi waited a few seconds and then rounded the corner, he put his hands on his hips, “Lethe, Just the person I wanted to see.”

Lethe froze at first, clearly surprised. After a few seconds, she turned around, bowing slightly, “Yes, my Lord?”

“What room did you end up taking Lady Persephone to?”

“Uh…” she faltered for a moment, wringing her hands.

“I know you didn’t actually put her out in the furthest corner of the palace. It’s fine.”

She let out a deep breath, “She’s staying in the room with the quicksilver door. And I’m sorry she wandered around the castle. I didn’t know if she was supposed to stay in her room or if I was supposed to lock her up. Even though I don’t have a key. I really should have asked first but I didn’t,” Lethe rambled.

“Lethe, it's OK . She’s not a prisoner here, it’s fine.” Yoongi gave a rare smile to reassure her.

“Ok, thank you sir.” she visibly relaxed. “Do you need anything?”

“Just make sure Lady Persephone is comfortable while she is staying here. I’m not sure how long she will be staying, but consider yourself her attendant while she is here.”

Lethe was visibly surprised, “Yes, m’lord.”

This is what I get for complaining that things were too boring. He thought to himself.I’m just glad she’s calmed down. Crying women terrify me. Yoongi continued down the hallway to the furthest wing of the castle. He approached a large set of Enchanted doors. He raised his hands to the sigils and unlocked them. You can’t be too careful. He crossed the antechamber, twisting through another hallway, and finally down a staircase he hadn’t used in decades. He conjured a blue flame to light his path. The air had turned heavy and acrid in the absence of any fresh air. He continued until he arrived at the bottom of the staircase where the floor was dirt. He took a few steps into the small room which connected to the catacombs through various tunnels. He waited several moments before he heard the scratching sound begin against the wall. The sound came closer, accompanied by a clicking noise.

A voice that sounded like something being stretched uncomfortably over a wringer called out in the darkness. “Lord Yoongi. It’s been so long. What does the Lord of the Underworld require?”

Yoongi looked almost bored as the creature climbed closer; its hundreds of black eyes reflected his blue flame.

“Hello Arachne. How are the catacombs?”

“Such a kind Lord. Asking Arachne about the catacombs. This is why you’re my favorite.”

“The catacombs?”

“Fine my Lord. You know we keep the others down here. Its is our privilege to serve the Underworld.” she replies in her raspy voice. Dozens of smaller spiders have started to enter the chamber. Arachne’s children crawl over the walls, eager to catch a rare glimpse of the ruler of the underworld.

Yoongi turned his gaze back to Arachne’s eyes, “Clothes, Arachne. I need dresses. Nice ones, suitable for a Lady.”

The creature let out a cacophonous sound like gnashing teeth. “Oh? Is there a Lady of the Underworld now? I haven’t sewn a wedding dress in centuries.”

Yoongi sighed. He hated dealing with Arachne. Being a gossip is what caused Athena to turn her into a spider in the first place. “No Arachne. Just a visiting Lady who didn’t pack enough. A few normal dresses. No wedding dresses.”

He heard a small wailing sound and watched her pincers quiver, “But I want to make beautiful clothes again. The Underworld needs a Lady for me to dress, and then children to dress. I’ve taught my children to sew, did you know that?” Arachne sounds almost human again as she becomes increasingly excited.

“No. No.” he holds his hand up, glad the darkness is hiding his red cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and anger coloring his face. He’s becoming sick of others telling him he needs a companion. “Just normal dresses. That’s all”

He heard a collective whining sound from all the spiders, “Very well Lord Yoongi, what colors should they be.”

Yoongi was already turning around and walking towards the door, “You’re the stylist not me. Nice normal dresses Arachne!” He went back up the stairs and straightened his jacket once he arrived on the other side of the locked doors. Arachne would have those clothes done in no time. The poor Spider-Woman had nothing else to do, just decorating the Underworld’s cave system with things people would never see. Yoongi had invited her to come up to the main part of the palace when she first arrived, but she had balked saying it was “too bright” and that “nobody wanted to see a monster.”

He wondered what you were up to. He imagined you had probably finished your letter and were poking your head around the castle some more. He found himself smiling as he walked up the staircase to his office. He opened the door and saw you fast asleep in front of the fireplace. He brought his hand to his mouth and entered the room as quietly as possible, not wanting this moment to end. He tried to decide if he should stay or leave. Instead he found himself just staring at you. You were very pretty. Not in an unnatural way like the other Goddesses he had met, just pretty. He walked across the room and saw You were clutching a book. He knelt down to see what book you had ended up with. Yoongi gently removed it from beneath your arm and ran a finger down the spine. “Underworld Compendium.” A good book. He should know, he wrote it. He grabbed a scrap of paper and marked where you had it open and sat it down next to you.

He walked over to his desk and saw the letter you had written your brother. He imagines that it said “Please come rescue me, I’m being forced to stay with a monster and pretend to be nice to him.” He really wanted to look but knew he shouldn’t. He heard you stir a little and watched you throw an arm over your eyes. Yoongi raised a hand towards the flames, dimming the lights in the room. He looked at the letter again and decided to read it. He took a breath and flipped it open. He read it quickly. It’s a very short letter. He propped his elbows on his desk and held his head in his hands for a moment. He was also eager to see what your brother’s response would be. He thought about writing his own letter but somehow “you fucked up and now I own your sister,” seemed like a bad idea. His nose twitched. He smelled a faint floral scent and looked up. Flowers had started to bloom in a bowl on his desk.

“What the hell is this?” he asked. He heard a faint moaning come from in front of the fireplace, another flower bud appeared. Yoongi felt his face grow warm. He tapped on his Hourglass, watching the sand swirl.

He pulled out one of his journals and began to write in it. He became lost in his own thoughts for a while, the crackling of the fireplace and your light breathing the only sounds. It was soothing in a way he had never felt before.

When he looked up again his desk was covered in flowers. He laughed lightly and heard you start to awaken.

You stretched your arms above your head. Where were you again? You felt the warm fire on your back and slowly opened your eyes. You saw Lord Yoongi sitting at his desk. His eyes flicked over towards you and you suddenly felt very embarrassed. “Sorry. I meant to just rest my eyes,” you said as you sat up. “I hope I didn’t snore too much.”

To your shock he laughs, his deep voice echoing. “Just a little bit. You did make quite the garden here though,” he gestures to his desk which is covered in chrysanthemums.

You blush “Sorry, it happens sometimes. My powers sometimes do their own thing when I'm sleeping or sick. Fortunately, other than making people sneeze, it’s not that bad.” He clearly doesn’t know the meaning behind flowers and you hope he doesn’t look it up any time soon.

You stood up, rubbing your hands up and down your arms at the loss of direct heat from the fireplace.

"it's fine I uh," he runs his tongue along his lower lip, "just didn't know flowers could bloom in the underworld. I've never seen them here."

You laugh a little, "Well apparently they can when the Goddess of Spring is here. Speaking of, when is the next time Charon will be arriving?"

Yoongi moved the hourglass on his desk and looked into it. To you it appeared as though nothing was happening, the sand suspended in between the top and bottom, but he appraised it carefully as though he was reading it.

"Soon," he stood up, pulling his shirt down straight. He pulled an envelope out of the desk drawer and placed your letter inside.

You walked over to the desk to gather the flowers. “Sorry, I’ll just--”

"No. Leave them." he said

You thought maybe he would say more about it but he doesn't. He walked to the back corner of the room and grabbed a cloak.

"Can I come with you?" you asked him

"You don't trust me to deliver it?" he responded harshly.

You feel sad that that's what he thought, your gaze traveled to the floor, "No. I just saw the sea earlier and it looked pretty. And I really don't want to be alone in this giant Palace."

His features immediately softened. "Oh. Ok. Hmm. Hold on." he walks over to you with his cloak and puts it around you, carefully fastening it below your neck. "Here. It's colder out there than it looks."

"Won't you be cold?" you asked in disbelief at how quickly his moods could change.

He shrugged and picked up your letter. "I'm used to it. Don't worry about me."

"I can just stay here…"

"No, let's go." he said and opened the door, motioning for you to go through it. 

 NEXT  CHAPTER

[king-ofthe-underworld]

The Primordial Gods

Gods that came into being at the beginning of everything. Primordial gods typically answer to no one, and are feared by many.

Hemera Scarlett Johansson

Goddess of the the Day, Hemera was the younger sister of the goddess Nyx, and close friend of Helios, who she worked in tandem with. Hemera’s job was to disperse the night’s mists, and allow the earth to be bathed in light again. While she was, technically ruled by Helios ins the same way that Nyx was ruled by Hala, the two are completely separate entities, and The Sun is not The Day’s source. She was said to have had beautiful wings, similar to that of an angel. She was murdered by Rhea.

Relationships Nyx: Hemera’s older sister. She absolutely worshiped Nyx, and did everything she told her to.  Nyx mourned her death for months before Kronos forced her into manacles.

Nyx Eva Green

Goddess of the night, and one of the only four remaining Primordial Gods. Nyx spawned a brood of dark spirits on her own, including Sleep, Death, Strife, and Pain. She and her husband, the primordial god Erebus, created the Fates. Nyx wore a black veil over her face that was scattered with stars, which shone like a halo around her head. When she removed the veil, night would blanket the world in darkness like a veil. It is said she once had beautiful black wings.

Relationships Erebus: Nyx’s husband, and one of the primordial gods. Erebus fought against the Titans, and was wounded by Kronos. To save him, Nyx banished him to Tartarus, where he would live until the end of time, unable to leave or see his wife again.

Hemera: Nyx’s younger sister. She was known as The Day, and worshiped her older sister. Hemera was murdered by Rhea, which affected all the gods. Nyx forced the world into a week long night that only ended when her son forced her into silver manacles, making her allow the sun to rise.

Helios Pedro Pascal

God of the sun, and a guardian of oaths, and the god of sight, Helios brought the light of the sun into the world to counter the darkness of Nyx and compliment the day, which Hemera brought to Mortals. Helios is crowned with the aureole of the Sun. He was brought into being at the exact same moment as his counterpart, Hala. It is believed that it’s because of this that the two are so close. Helios hid during the war of the Titans, with many of the others. However, he did not hide during Zeus’ war.  Helios is well known and feared by many of the gods, just like the others of his kind. He wears a bracelet of twisted silver and gold on his left wrist. 

Relationships Hala: The moon god, and Helios’ love. As punishment, the two are only allowed to see each other during full moons. Helios adores Hala and would give up anything just to look at him for even a minute.

Kore: A very powerful oracle. Helios feels like they have a strong connection, and likes to see her. He allows her to explore The Library on her own, due to the trust in her that he has.

Apollo: A sun god. Apollo is Helios’ complimentary god, and as an oracle, Apollo is granted access to the library that Helios guards. The two aren’t close friends, but they’re friendly enough, and Helios enjoys seeing him.

Hala Thomas Brodie Sangster

God of the moon, and a guardian of oaths, and the god of sight, Hala brought light into the darkness of the night, a complimentary god to Helios and Nyx. While she overtook her sister and brought night to Mortals, Hala rose and gave them some light to see by, as strong as the Sun, yet also more delicate. He was brought into the world at the exact same moment as Helios, giving the two a strong bond. He is crowned by the aureole of the Moon, and is a mute figure. Hala hid with Helios during the war of the titans, and the two fought side by side to help overthrow the Titans.  He, like his lover, is well known among the gods, though may be more feared, due to his quiet nature. He wears a bracelet that matches Helios’, a punishment from Zeus.

Relationships Helios: Hala’s lover, and daytime counterpart.  He only sees him during the full moon or council meetings, though the two can communicate from a distance telepathically.

Ouranos Sean Bean

Known as The Rainmaker, Ouranos was a minor primordial god. While Nyx gave birth to the king and queen of the titans and the fates, and Helios and Hala created the sun and moon to counter Nyx, Ouranos created the rains. He was also hailed as the Sky god, though he held no dominion over the skies. Ouranos took no part in the wars between the gods and titans, and was hidden away for many years, during which he created the goddess Aphrodite from sea foam. He only returned to the gods, with his new daughter, after Zeus had ascended. Ouranos, who had  presented himself to Zeus as having no god-like abilities, was not bound like the others, and was instead sent away, to roam the Earth.

Relationships Aphrodite: Ouranos’ daughter. He created her from sea foam while he was hidden away during the Titanomachy. Though no one knows when, exactly, she was created, the prevailing theory is that she is, at least, as old as Zeus.  Ouranos left her on Olympus when he was banished to the mortal world.

The Titans The Deities  that came before the Olympians. The Titans waged war against their own parents, only to have their children do the same.

Kronos Ralph Fiennes

King of the Titans and god of time as an all-devouring force. Kronos ruled the cosmos and killed rid them of the gods before him (with the exception of the four Primordial Gods who were able to hide themselves from him). He was feared by all. Kronos began to slowly lose his mind over time, due to being exposed to a prophecy that claimed his children would rebel against him and dethrone him, much as he had done to his father and the gods before him. Kronos devoured five of his six children before he was forced to release them from within him by his youngest child. Kronos lead the Titans in the ten year warm against the Olympians. He was eventually defeated, and Hades took his Scythe.

Relationships Zeus: Kronos’ youngest son. He did not know about his existence until Zeus had reached adulthood and took the Olympians to war. Zeus lied to his siblings, claiming he had cut Kronos into pieces and scattered them in Tartarus. However, he merely trapped Kronos in one of the many pits of Tartarus, a fact that he has kept secret from his siblings for many eons, as he doesn’t seem to understand how dangerous that really is...

Hades: Kronos’s middle son. Hades despises his father, though he is often reminded that he resembles him the strongest of any of Kronos’ other children. Hades claims ownership over his father’s scythe. He is not aware that his father is imprisoned deep within his own realm.

Rhea: Kronos’ beloved wife and half-sister. He loved Rhea more than anything before he lost his mind, and in his prison in Tartarus, he screams her name and rages that she remains “free” in the heavens.

Rhea Polly Walker

The original goddess of female fertility, motherhood, and generation. Rhea was the half sister and wife of Kronos. She was madly in love with her husband, and worried as she watched him slowly descend into madness. Rhea chose to ignore the prophecy, disappointed when Kronos lost his mind with fear. She fought to protect Hestia and Poseidon before Kronos devoured them, fighting her husband. She hid Hades from him for the first week of his life and Hera for the first four days. They were found by Kronos and devoured together. She didn’t fight him when he came for Demeter, but successfully hid and raised Zeus. Rhea took no part in the war of the Titans, but was still punished for her passivity. Though she lives, she lives in imprisonment.

Relationships Kronos: Rhea’s husband and half brother. Though they loved each other, Rhea could do nothing to help save him from insanity as the years went on and he heard of the prophecy. She mourned him when he was taken from her by her children.

Hesita, Poseidon, & Demeter: Three of Rhea’s children. They have no strong feelings towards her, despite her love for them.

Hades & Hera: Rhea’s two middle children. They were born within three days of each other, and devoured together. Hades harbors a deep resentment towards his mother for having allowed their father to devour him and his siblings, and is very vocal about feeling that she didn’t do enough to protect them, seeing as how she was able to hide Zeus until he was an adult. Hera hates her mother for this, as well as for not having prepared her for the abuse of her husband.

Atlas Gerard Butler

The bearer of the Heavens, Atlas bore the sky aloft. He is one of the strongest of the titans, and lead Kronos’ army in the battle against the Olympians. Atlas, with an unknown woman, had a daughter, a nymph, who eventually bore Hermes. It was not long after his daughter’s birth that he was found by Zeus, who sentenced Atlas for his assistance in the war. Atlas was made to hold the heavens on his shoulders, until the day upon which someone would help ease his burden.  Atlas taught the mortals to navigate by the stars before he was condemned.

Relationships Maia: The daughter of Atlas. Maia is a nymph. She was still very small when Atlas was taken away to carry the sky on his shoulders. She has no strong feelings towards him.

Hermes: Atlas’ grandchild. Hermes has met Atlas, but the two are unaware of their relationship. However, Hermes has always been drawn to Atlas.

Leto Emilia Clarke

The mother of Apollo and Artemis, Leto was one of the few titans who was spared during the war, though it’s believed that it’s only because she was too young to understand, and too beautiful for Zeus to kill. She was a goddess of motherhood and protector of the young. Leto was taken by Zeus after the war, and he got her pregnant, though it is said that Leto had no interest in Zeus, and allowed this only in the hopes that it would save her from being killed like her kin. Leto ran away while she was pregnant, in the hopes of avoiding Hera’s wrath and to protect her children from Zeus. She bore twins, who were taken from her by their father, and Leto was banished to live in the Mortal realm, never allowed to see her children.

Relationships Artemis & Apollo: The divine children of Leto. Apollo never knew his mother, though some believe that Artemis knew her, and helped her birth her twin, Apollo. The two know of her love for them, however, and Apollo has written songs and poems about her.

Zeus: The father of Leto’s children, Zeus spared Leto from death due to her beauty and innocence. Zeus, married already, took Leto for his own, getting her pregnant with the twins. Zeus banished her to the Mortal realm when she tried to hide his children from him.

The Children of Kronos & Rhea The first Olympians. The children of Kronos and Rhea would be the leaders of the war against the Titans, and would later bring their children into a post-titanomachy world. the youngest were still teenagers when they waged war on their parents.

Hestia Hayley Atwell

The oldest of Kronos & Rhea’s children. Hestia is the goddess of the Hearth and Home, as well as the sacrificial flame. She received a share of each God’s sacrifice from their followers. She was devoured first by her father, and freed last, and is known as both the eldest and youngest of the six Kronides. Hestia was pursued by her brother, Poseidon, who wished to make her his queen. Hestia refused him, and made the decision to remain an eternal virgin. She is a private person, though is always happy to see her family, and never misses a get together. She presides over many of the priestesses, who envoke her name before any other. Hestia rejects Aphrodite’s values, and is her chaste complementary. She cannot be bent or ensnared to Aphrodtie’s will.

Relationships x

Poseidon Christian Bale

The oldest of Kronos and Rhea’s sons, Poseidon is the god of the Sea, Earthquakes, floods, and drought. Poseidon was always the most laid back of his brothers, though he does take most things serious when needed. Poseidon won dominion over the seas when he and his brothers drew lots for the division of the Cosmos. Poseidon was often found in the Mortal realm after that, lounging on beaches and seducing women and Nymphs. It was during this time that he met and seduced the wife of King Pittheus, who was the mother of his favorite son, Theseus. Poseidon has a second home on one of the many beaches in the Mortal realm, though he refuses to say where in the hopes that no one will bother him there. He never misses an event or a party, though. He has been known to sent floods when in a foul mood.

Relationships Amphitrite: Poseidon’s wife. The two of them were in love for many years, and happy, until Zeus forced them to be married and Amphitrite ran away. Poseidon was lucky to have Delphin convince her to come back to him.

Theseus: one of many of Poseidon’s sons, but the oldest of his “mortal” sons. Poseidon treats him similar to how Zeus treats Hercules. The two are often found together at parties, causing trouble.

Hades Richard Armitage

The third born child of Kronos and Rhea, Hades is  God of the Dead, Wealth, and Hidden Riches. He presides over funeral rites and defended the right of the dead to due burial. He was born 3 days before Hera, and was able to live in the world for a week before his father found them and devoured them. Hades is a very private man, and has created a life for himself in the Mortal realm. He is a skilled business man, and is also known as somewhat of a trickster god. Hades often makes deals to get what he and someone else wants, ensuring that he won’t be screwed over by them. His “tricks” are more trials, meant to test those who deal with him.  Hades is known to be very loyal to those, though he can hold a grudge. He is often a very merciful god when judging souls, unless the soul presented to him has done something incredibly cruel. Ruling over The Underworld, Hades’ domain includes Tartarus & The Elysium fields, though things can also be hidden from him in the two other realms, such as his father, hidden in the depths of Tartarus. He is very serious about his job, and doesn’t let anyone get in his way of doing it.

Relationships Kore: Hades loves Kore to the very center of his being. He vaguely remembers a time when she was very very small, and he would play together in Athena & Artemis’ fields, though he’s not sure why she doesn’t remember. He can feel that there’s more to Kore than Artemis lets on.

Hera: Hades’ closest sister. The two, in their younger days, were hardly ever seen apart, and liked to cause mischief together. They became distant from each other after Zeus accused them of sleeping together and threatened to throw Hades into Tartarus for the rest of eternity.

Minthe: A nymph that Hades began dating. The two are a very toxic relationship. Minthe uses Hades to get whatever she wants. New purses, phones, clothes. Anything. She often uses Hades’ looks against him, reminding him how much he and Kronos look alike, which makes Hades a bit self conscious and more pliable. She’s manipulated him before into thinking the whole family hates him.

Hala: Hades has always looked up to Hala. He likes how quiet he is, and the relationship he has with Helios, and has always hoped to find something like that since he was very young.

Hera Rebecca Ferguson

The second born daughter and one of two middle children of Kronos and Rhea. Hera is the Goddess  of marriage, women, the sky, and the heavens, which earned her the title of Queen of the Heavens. She lived for 4 days before she and Hades were devoured. Hera wed her younger brother, Zeus, at his urging. Hera, though beautiful and powerful, is often made a fool by her husband, causing her to dislike most of his children. She had been abused by him for many centuries, as well as by her youngest son. Hera, however, keeps her head high and behaves as though her world and marriage were nothing less than perfect. She is known, amongst the gods, to typically be a fair woman, though she’ll do anything to get what she wants.

Relationships Zeus: Hera’s husband. She and Zeus, at one point, may have loved each other. At some point, he began sleeping with other women and abusing her, which turned their marriage sour. He rages when she does the same thing to him that he does to her. At one point, Hades hung Hera from the sky with anvils attached to her ankles and gold manacles around her wrists to punish her for the actions of her and Poseidon when they attempted to overthrow him once.

Ares & Hephaestus: The sons of Hera. While she adores Ares, Hera cannot stand Hephasetus. It’s said this is because of his ugliness when he was born. Other say it’s because of the abuse she has suffered at his hands.

Hades: Hera’s favorite of her brothers. The two were very close in their youth, often seen roaming Olympus together. Zeus, at one point, became jealous of their friendship. The two are no longer as close as they once were, though are still friends.

Demeter Lynn Collins

The goddess of grain, agriculture, and bread. She sustained mankind with the Earth’s rich bounty and presides over the foremost of the mystery cults, which promised its initiates the path to a blessed afterlife in Elysium. Demeter had always been hard headed and painfully aggressive, perhaps even more than her brothers. She had no children, but the children of the mortal realm, who she loves as her own. However, when crossed, she has been known to punish them, sending famine and allowing their crops and animals to die for their slights. She has the best garden in the little neighborhood they live in.

Relationships x

Zeus Hugh Jackman

The youngest of Kronos & Rhea’s children. Zeus is King of the Gods, and God of the sky, weather, law & order, Destiny & fate, and Kingship. He was the only one of his siblings to have lived their whole life outside, having been hidden by his mother from his father. Zeus believes he kickstarted the uprising against the Titans. Despite his brother being more the trickster god, Zeus tricked his brothers when they drew lots for dominions, making sure that he was granted the heavens. He rarely comes to the complex where the family lives, with the exception of when there are family events, such as parties. He is known as a severe womanizer, and is looked down on by most of the female gods, including his own daughters. He is a tyrant and more than once has threatened other gods with harm. Hades and Hera believe that, like their father, he’s losing his mind.

Relationships Hera: Zeus’ wife. The two may have been in love at one point, but over time, Hera has become embittered towards Zeus, and he hasn’t exactly been kind to her. 

Hercules: Zeus’ favorite son. Zeus is always talking about Hercules, and everything he’s done for him, despite not having really even done much to help him over the years. If you asked Zeus, he wouldn’t be able to tell you Hercules’ mother’s name.

Ares: One of Zeus’ sons. He often uses Ares against Hera, claiming that he is not his son, despite the visual similarities. Zeus has never treated Ares as one of his own, unless it was convenient for him.

Hermes & Dionysus: Two more of Zeus’ children. He often ignores Dionysus, who has always been a disappointment to him, despite the young god being loved by many of the other gods. Hermes isn’t quite as disliked as their brother, but they certainly aren’t respected by their father, who often calls them “it”, because he doesn’t know how to refer to them.

The Nymphs They tend to be flighty, and hardly ever know their children....

Amphitrite Amanda Seyfried

The Goddess-Queen of the sea, she is the oldest of the fifty Nereides, and the personification of the sea. She at first fled the advances of her husband when he sought her hand, and his herself in the ocean, near Atlas, at the far ends of the Earth. She was eventually tracked down, and convinced to marry Poseidon. She possesses all the same powers and abilities as her husband. Like her sister in law, Amphitrite can be jealous to a hellish extent, At one point, she sent a rival for Poseidon’s affections into a monster with six heads. She has child with Poseidon, though they’re not as close as he is with his bastard son. She isn’t quiet about her dislike for her brother-in-law.

Relationships Poseidon: Amphitite’s husband. She loved him for many years and the two often ran off together, much to Zeus’ annoyance. The rumor was that Zeus forced Poseidon to marry her, which caused her to flee. The two are very much in love, and though Poseidon has had his share of affairs, he has tried to be less overt than his brother about them, out of respect for Amphitrite. She really doesn’t care if he sleeps with others, so long as he tells her.

Zeus: She hates him. Absolutely hates him. Just like basically everyone else....

Triton: Aphitrite’s son. He is the god of the Sea, and resides in his parents’ golden palace on the bottom of the sea. He and his parents aren’t incredibly close.

Semele Anna Hustchinson

The mother of Dionysus by Zeus, Zeus found her one day while he was looking on as someone made sacrifice to him. Semele was nearby, and he fell in lust with her. He visited her numerous times after their initial meeting, and eventually she became pregnant. Zeus continued to visit her, until his wife discovered the affair. Semele, feeling dejected, asked Zeus for one last favor before he left her. Zeus took an oath on the River Styx to take their child to Olympus, but after his birth, pushed Semele into the River Styx, which claimed her for the Underworld. She lives, but she lives as a servant to the Underworld and the River.

Relationships Dionysus: Semele’s son. She has met him once, when he visited the Underworld to see Hades. However, he didn’t know she was his mother. She loves him from afar.

Zeus: Semele’s lover. She gave birth to his child, and now lives as a servant to the River Styx because he pushed her in after she she gave birth to their son.

Maia Viva Bianca

The oldest of the seven Nymphs of Pleiades, Maia was a beautiful, young, shy nymph who dwelt alone in a cave after the imprisonment of her father. She was found by Zeus one day when she stepped too far away from the cave. He descended from the heavens and took her against her will. Maia became pregnant with her son, Hermes, and was taken to Olympus, where she shared Zeus’ bed until Hermes was born. Hera sent Maia away, much to Zeus’ anger, and Maia returned to her place in the constellation Pleiades.

Relationships Hermes: Maia’s child. She left them in Olympus, hoping they’d have a better life with their father. The two have spoken, very briefly, and are on good terms, at least. When Hermes flies to make a delivery, he tries to take the time to fly by Pleiades.

Minthe Amy Adams

A nymph from the Underworld. Minthe is a guardian Nymph of the river Lethe. She has lured men to its banks. Some have been lucky enough to escape her clutch, but others have found themselves lost to the River Lethe. Minthe tries to take anyone who could be convenient to her, and has attached herself to Hades like a leech. Minthe is, in essence, a gold digger, like many other nymphs, and wants the prettiest, shiniest things, and knows how to get them.

Relationships Hades: Minthe’s boyfriend and God of the Underworld. Minthe is very manipulative towards Hades, and is taking him for all she can get. Hades will almost always give her what she wants, though if he refuses, she manipulates him until he does, typically telling him that no one else would ever have him, due to how closely he resembles the Titan, Kronos. She isn’t afraid to make Hades think that his whole family hates him, knowing full well how isolated he feels in the beginning.

Kore: Minthe hates Kore. She fucking hates her, and would literally murder her given the chance. The feeling is pretty mutual.

The Son of Poseidon One of many.

Theseus Travis Fimmel

The oldest of Poseidon’s mortal sons, and a Greek hero. Theseus is blessed by Athena with strategic battle wisdom. He was a friend of Hercules, and fought the Minotaur. Theseus lives somewhere in town, and has a pretty good relationship with his dad. They crash parties together all the time. Theseus still gets himself into trouble while traveling, though. He’s a nice guy, just...kind of a beach party dude. He works at a local country club. Usually, Theseus isn’t welcome at family gatherings, due to his half human status, but Poseidon brings him anyways. It annoys the shit out of Zeus, and he thinks it’s hilarious. Theseus saw the rise and fall of his kingdom when he was a young man, and despite being “mortal”, has lived for many years. He won’t tell anyone how old he is, but everyone is pretty sure he’s around Hercules’ age.

Relationships Antiope: One of Ares’ daughters, and Theseus’ on-again-off-again girlfriend. They met when they were both younger, and Theseus and one of his friends were playing a prank on them. Theseus “kidnapped” Antiope, while his friend went for Hippoltye. Since then, the two have been close friends but tend to be on and off with their dating, due to Antiope’s dad.

Hercules: A friend of Theseus’ from when he was younger. He doesn’t really see Hercules too much anymore, since Zeus doesn’t really allow him in Belus Court without his dad.

The Sons of Hera Gods who clash and are feared by many. One is much beloved by his mother.

Ares Joe Manganiello

The oldest of Hera’s sons. He is the God of War & Battlelust, courage, and civil order. He is the opposite of the goddess Athena. Though despised by Zeus, Ares was much beloved by his mother, and has been known to step between her and Zeus when the King becomes abusive towards her.  Ares has always been known as a ruthless warrior, willing to do anything to achieve victory. He has been present at every mortal war, and was supposedly seen on the battlefield of many historic military events. He is often antagonistic towards many of the other gods, with the exception of Aphrodite. Ares threatened war for Aphrodite, which Zeus solved by marrying her to Ares’ brother, which embittered the god towards him. Ares is often seen in some sort of Amry uniform, and will appear at the sides of many gods when they become angry or enraged, feelings that he feeds off of. He bares numerous scars from his battles. He is known, like his lover, to be a very jealous man, often acting out on that feeling. He is also quick to anger.

Relationships Aphrodite: Ares’ lover and the wife of his brother. Ares fell madly in love with Aphrodite the second he set eyes upon her, and the two were often together. Aphrodite was the only one who could keep him under control, though she sometimes provoked him before taking him to bed. Though wed to his brother, Aphrodite continues her affair with Ares, who would literally kill someone for her.

Hephaestus: Ares’ younger brother. He absolutely hates him for taking Aphrodite from him. He doesn’t know that Hephaestus beats his wife. If he did, Hephaestus would surely be dead. the brother, once, fought a duel for Aphrodite’s hand. Hephaestus won with the help of Zeus, almost mortally injuring Ares. 

Zeus: Ares’ father. Zeus despises his son, often questioning his true paternity, claiming that it was impossible that Ares could be his. Ares disapproves of how Zeus treats Hera, and has injured the King of the Gods before to stop him from laying hands on her. Zeus helped Ares’ brother cheat during a duel, wounding the god with lightning before his brother struck him with his smithing hammer. He laments often that he’s sorry the wound caused by them wasn’t fatal. Zeus only seems to treat Ares as his son when it suits him.

Hephaestus Dustin Clare

The second born son of Hera. It is said that he was born of Hera by spite. Hephaestus is the Olympian god of fire, smiths, craftsmen, metalworking, stonemasonry and sculpture. He was born deformed, his leg twisted, and became bitter. He was forced by Zeus to make the golden shackles and anvils that were used to imprison his mother. He makes all the weapons of the gods, from Zeus’ thunderbolts to Hades’ Bident and Helm. He has a rage that is only surpassed by that of his brother, and he often turns it upon his wife, Aphrodite. He is a jealous creature, loved by few and despised by many, due to his actions. 

Relationships Hera: Mother. Hephaestus was loved by her, despite the circumstances of his birth, until he crafted the shackles that hung her from the sky. After she rejcted him, Hepaestus crafted a golden throne for her, which she was unable to rise from unless released by her son. Hera can’t stand to look at him or even hear his name.

Aphrodite: Wife. The two were wed by Zeus, who believed that marrying the two would keep Ares from waging war against the other gods and humanity to take her for his own. Hephaestus often rages at his wife, and has beaten her before, which he believes she deserves for being unfaithful to him.

Ares: Older brother. Ares hates his brother for having taken Aphrodite from him, however the two still continue an affair under the smith’s nose. Ares would kill his brother if he knew that he laid hands on Aphrodite.

The Children of Zeus They are many. The children of Zeus are not always neglected by their father, but they aren’t exactly the centers of his world.

Athena Gwendoline Christie

The Olympian Goddess of wisdom, good council, war, the defense of towns, and heroic endeavor. She is the eldest of Zeus’ two daughters, and one of the most level headed of the Olympians. Athena has been known to make bad choices (such as changing Medusa into a Gorgon...), she is often kind and supportive. She has been known to be the one who often takes complaints and problems to Zeus, as she has no fear of him. She lives mostly in the complex, though is known to spend quite a lot of time in her & Artemis’ fields, with their archers and her lover.

Relationships Artemis: Athena’s lover. Despite their familial relationship, the two women grew very close in ancient times, and have been lovers for many centuries. Athena loves Artemis, but sometimes tries to be the voice of reason when it comes to her parenting...

Kore: Athena’s niece and “adopted” child. She has always presented as Kore’s other mother, and favors Kore over most others, including her archers. Athena tries, sometimes, to get Artemis to go easier on Kore, though when she doesn’t, Athena will sometimes do the opposite of what Artemis has said, and give Kore what she was asking for.

Artemis Lauren Cohan

The daughter of Leto and Zeus, Atremis is the goddess of hunting, the wilderness, wild animals, childbirth, and protector of girls up to marriage age, the same way her brother is the protector of boys until marriage age. Artemis is well known among the gods, and feared by some of them. She isn’t too overly fond or her family, thinking everyone is rather fucked up in their own ways, and has gone out of her way to keep Kore somewhat sheltered from them as much as she could. She is often called on when Athena and Apollo are being unreasnoable.

Relationships Athena: Artemis’ lover. They’ve been together for eons, and Athena was even there to help raise Kore.

Apollo: Artemis’ twin brother. The two are close, but don’t see each other all the time. Together, they are bringers of sudden death & disease, targeting their respective genders. They would both kill hoards of people for each other.

Kore: Artemis’ daughter with a “mortal” man, Artemis loves her very much, and has tried hard to protect her from the harsh realities of their family and the problems caused by Zeus.

Apollo Clive Standen

The son of Leto and Zeus. Apollo is the God of prophecy, oracles, music, song & poetry, archery, healing, plague & disease, and protection of the young. Apollo is known to be troublesome, and a bit of a party animal. He likes to watch the drama that occurs around his father. In ancient times, he had several lovers, though eventually met and fell in love with Hercules, his father’s favorite son. Apollo is often easy going and will go easy on everyone, his anger is usually hidden and he tends to come off more petty or passive aggressive. He is often called on to appeal to his twin sister when she is disagreeable.

Relationships Hercules: Apollo’s favorite and truest lover. He adores Hercules, and is known to be very faithful to him. Since the two became a couple, Eros has stopped fucking with Apollo, having a strange respect for Hercules.

Artemis: Apollo’s twin. He loves her more than anything, and would kill everyone if she was threatened. Together, they are brings of sudden disease and death.

Kore: Apollo’s niece. He adores Kore, and will sometimes sneak her little things here and there. He likes to think he’s the cool uncle, always willing to give Kore things she shouldn’t have. He’s been known to offer her wine before.

Dionysus & Hermes: Two of Apollo’s closest friends. Dy, Hermes, and Apollo often drink together in Dy’s vineyard. Hermes and Apollo will race often and Dy and Apollo are known to gossip together.

Eros: Eros and Apollo have a complicated relationship. Eros, jealous of Apollo’s lovers, has cursed Apollo more than once to pursue disastrous love, though it never lasts long. The two don’t exactly hate each other, but are known to butt heads.

Hercules Kellan Lutz

The favorite son of Zeus, Hercules is an immortal hero and was known far and wide for his divine strength. He was well loved by his mother and father, who even gave him his own home in Belus Court. Hercules is one of few bastards of the Gods that is allowed in Belus, under Zeus’ orders. He doesn’t really care too much about anyone but Apollo among the gods. There’s a small joke around Olympus that if you need something moved, you can easily call Hercules to carry it for you. He could probably carry all of Olympus on his back without breaking a sweat.

Relationships Apollo: Hercules’ boyfriend. They’ve been together for a long time, and Apollo doesn’t care about most of the gods except him and Zeus, really.

Zeus: Hercules’ father. He yearns for his approval, and looks up to him. While he is Zeus’ favorite, his father still, from time to time, passes judgement upon him and the things he does.

Dionysus Tom Payne

God of wine, vegetation, pleasure, polyamory, festivity, madness, & wild frenzy. Dionysus is one of the sons of Zeus, though his father often ignores him, just like he does Hermes, in favor of Hercules. Dionysus resides in a beautiful garden, the location of which is unknown, filled with satyrs, centaurs, maenads, and nymphs. He is often the host of orgies and parties, and is known to have several people in his bed. Dionyus is a friendly god, though he’s known to bring mortals to his realm, where they seldom return.  He hardly ever takes things seriously, but is still happy to come to council meetings. His realm is known for the creation of the Ambrosia of the Gods, though it’s forbidden for anyone, even him, to touch the Ambrosia, unless it’s a celebration day. Dionysus’ followers are often called “The Cult of Dionysus”, and he is known to provide them with wine, women, and wonderful vices. 

Relationships Hermes: Dionysus’ best friend. The two are the same age, and have grown together over the years. 

Hermes Erika Linder

God of travelers, hospitality, roads, trade, thievery, cunning, heralds, diplomacy, language, astronomy, and astrology. They are know as the messenger and herald of the gods, and is very protective over mortal herald and messengers. They are employed by Hades, as well, as a conductor of souls to the afterlife. Hermes often guides the souls of the dead to the ferry in the underworld. They are one of few gods who are able to move freely between the kingdoms of life, death, and the heavens. Hermes, like Dionysus, is incredibly friendly and is always ready for a good party. They are much more mischievous than their brother, however, and are known to play tricks and steal important items from other gods, hiding them until they get bored.

Relationships Dionysus: Hermes’ best friend. They’re the same age, due to their father being an insane manwhore.

Thanatos Michael Fassbender

Also known as Mors, Thanatos is the embodiment of non-violent death. His touch is gentle, almost like the touch of sleep. He has two sisters, who have domain over violent death, and a twin brother who’s domain is sleep (Hypnos). Thanatos is a quiet figure, and speaks very little, though he certainly speaks more than Hala. Thanatos roams the Earth, though he can be easily found in the Underworld, where he fell in love. It is said that, at one point, he had beautiful black wings like a raven, though he no longer does. Thanatos’ main job is to fetch the souls of mortals and bring them to the docks of the Underworld, though he is sometimes helped by Hermes.  He is said to be a fearsome sight, something which is easily dispelled by anyone who knows him.

Relationships Harmonia: One of the daughters of Ares & Aphrodite, Thanatos met her completely by coincidence. Thanatos feels different with her, and he thinks it could be love, though he’s wary, hoping that he isn’t being fooled by her brother.

Hades & Hecate: Thanatos’ closest friends. The three have always gotten on well since their creation. Thanatos and Hecate were both welcomed by Hades into the Underworld with open arms when Zeus turned them away. 

Hecate Sophie Turner

The goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy. Despite how sweet Hecate is, she is feared by some of the gods, due to her close connection with the dead, making her friendship with Hades and Thanatos very natural. She is a titan child, though no one knows the fate of her parents. She is known to find lost souls in the depths of the Underworld, guiding them through the darkness with bright torches. She has animal familiars who often search ahead of her in the underworld, a beautiful black dog named Hekabe, and a polecat named Galinthias. Hecate, teasingly, will ready tarot for the Gods. She likes to predict Zeus’ death the most.

Relationships Hades & Thanatos: Two other Underworld figures, and Hecate’s best friends. Hades was only a teenager when he took control of his domain, but still welcomed Hecate and Thanatos into his realm. The three spent plenty of time, sitting together. Hecate taught Hades to read Tarot, though he’s horrible at it, and can’t predict anything specific.

The Children of Ares & Aphrodite The beautiful children of Love and Rage.

Eros David Gandy

A mischievous god of love and constant companion of his mother, Aphrodite. He is a beautiful god, who doesn’t hesitate to mess with the others. Eros is known to change his appearance, based upon the beauty standards of the time. He is fiercly loyal to his mother, and has a strange disdain for his father. He lights the flame of love or lust in the hearts of men and gods. He has, once or twice before, fooled with the hearts of gods. He has had one of his arrows go awry before, causing chaos. He doesn’t tend to care much to deal with the chaos he creates, and allows things to fade away naturally, unless forced by his mother to fix it.

Relationships Psyche: A beautiful mortal woman. She was said to be more beautiful than Aphrodite, which angered Eros’ mother. Eros was sent to shoot her with an arrow and force her to fall in love with a monster, instead falling in love with her himself. He disguised himself as a monster and married her himself. Unfortunately, she was never allowed to see him. She stole a look at him, and he was forced to leave her. Eros constantly pines for Psyche.

Phobos & Deimos Greyston Holt & Ruby Rose

Deimos is the embodiment of terror and dread, and her brother, Phobos, is the embodiment of flight and rout. They accompany their father into battle, spreading fear in his wake. However, as they are the children of Aphrodite, they also, jointly, represent the fear of loss. The two are inseparable. Phobos, though the seems to be the more fearsome of the two, is known to be more gentle than his sibling, who presents a much more aggressive attitude. Phobos is known to be calculating and clever, known the escape routes, while Deimos is known to be clever and fearsome, easily able to instill the fear of her father in people. Their relationship is...strange.

Relationships Harmonia: Phobos & Deimos’ youngest sibling. They are very protective of her, as she is the exact opposite of her. Harmonia is never affected by them, and likes to spend as much time with them as their father will allow.

Harmonia Katherine MacNamara

The young goddess of Harmony and concord. She is a daughter of Aphrodite and Ares’ children, and as the product of their love, presides over marital harmony. She is known to soothe strife and discord, and presides over the harmonious actions of soldiers during war. She was born after Aphrodite was forced to go back to Hephaestus. Harmonia is very sheltered by her father, who has tried to protect her from the wrath of his brother. At one point, Harmonia was in love with a mortal man. He was killed by a gift from Hephaestus. Harmonia barely remembers.

Relationships Thanatos: Harmonia met Thanatos on accident one day when Harmonia snuck away to the Underworld with Hermes, curious about what was there. Harmonia fears what could happen to him if she was open with her feelings.

The Norse A god in a strange place at the right time.

Freyr Nikolaj Coster Waldau

The Norse god of fertility, the rain & sunlight, life, and Summer. He belongs to the Vanir tribe of Norse deities, though he is also hailed as one of the Aesir. He is one of the most widely and passionately celebrated of the Norse gods. He is well mannered and loves mortals. Freyr is often gifted with sacrifice to bless weddings and births. He met the Greek god Artemis at some point, and the two conceived a child, despite him having very very hazy memories of the event, hinting that he may have been under some sort of glamour. Freyr, in recent years, has disappeared from Asgard, as he has been in the mortal realm, serving as an art teacher in a high school under the name of Cassius.

Relationships Kore: Freyr’s daughter. He doesn’t know she is his, but he is a teacher at her school, and admires her greatly as his student. In Freyr’s mind, Kore is the perfect mortal.

Freyja: Freyr’s twin sister. Freyja is the Norse goddess of love, fertility, beauty, and fine things. The two are very close, and were very rarely seen apart before he left for the mortal realm. Freyja often visits him, trying to convince him to let go of his silly obsession with the mortals and come back to Asgard.

Freyja Katheryn Winnick

A member of the Vanior trive of deities, she, like her brother, is an honorary member of the Aesir. She is a goddess of love, fertility, beauty, and fine material possessions. She is often looked at like a party girl, almost. Unlike her brother, who specializes in earth magic, Freyja is a practitioner of seidr, a magic tied more to the fates of mortals. She was the first to bring this magic to the Norse gods, and even taught a select few mortals, similar to how the Greeks taught their oracles. She is known to manipulate the desires, health, and prosperity of others, and she’s not afraid to use this against other gods. She, unlike her brother, really doesn’t care too much about mortals.

Relationships Freyr: Freyja’s twin brother. They’re very close, and were rarely separated before Freyr left to explore the mortal realm. She often visits, trying to convince him to give up his obsession with the mortal realm and come home.

The Fates A group of three weaving goddesses, created by the union of Nyx and her husband, Erebus.

Clotho, The Maiden Spinner  Kaya Scoldario

The youngest of The Fates, Clotho spins the threads of life and makes major decisions, such as when a person is born. She is often seen as being in control of a person’s life. Her ability enables her not only to choose who is born, but to also decide when gods or mortals are to be saved or put to death. She is often called a daughter of necessity, as she must always continue to exist in some form or another. She carries a spindle or a ball of thread wherever she goes, in some form. Clotho is one of the Virgin Goddesses, and sports a white left eye (which she can hide, if she so chooses).

Relationships Lachesis: Her older sister. Though their bond is not maternal, it is often viewed as so by those outside of their close circle. Lachesis adores her sister.

Lachesis, The Mother Alloter Lucy Lawless

The middle of the fates, Lachesis measures the thread that Clotho spins, and determines how much life mortals will get. She is also a decider of destiny, and will often form small knots in Clotho’s threads, dictating important events and when they will occur, though she is unsure of which knot is was specific event. She is known as a director of fate, and is, possibly, the most out spoken of the fates. She has been known to raise conflict with the gods, such as Zeus, when they try to interfere., and likes to tease the mortals the most, often meddling in their lives, driving them towards destiny. She sports a white right eye. Lachesis often carries a rod to twirl the thread around.

Relationships Clotho: Her younger sister. Their bond, though non-maternal, is often viewed as if it was by those outside their close circle. Lachesis loves Clotho, despite how sheltered Atropos keeps the youngest.

Atropos, The Inflexible Crone Dianna Rigg

The oldest of the three fates, Atropos is also known as Morta. She is inevitable. Atropos chooses the mechanism and ends the lives of mortals by cutting their threads. She is the most feared of the fates, as she remains silent until the absolute end. She is known as the crone, and has a fierce hatred for Zeus, due to his constantly attempts to defy her.  Atropos visits Olympus alone often, and will sit in silence, watching the events that are occurring with her two white eyes. Atropos carries a pair of shears with her, which are her symbol.

Relationships Clotho: The youngest of the fates. Atropos is very protective of the young fate, and keeps her rather sheltered, though she tries to educate her on what she needs to know. Atropos does not allow her to live in complete naivety, however, as she believes that destiny can turn out poorly if one isn’t properly educated.

The Hybrid Primordial The only one of her kind, and the most powerful of all.

Kore Nina Dobrev

A beautiful young woman, Kore was believed to be mortal, or a very minor god, as she hadn’t displayed many abilities before her 18th birthday. Kore’s memory was very carefully cultivated, to protect her, as her mother feared that she may be terribly powerful, and could become dangerous. She does remember bits and pieces of things, here and there, but has trouble putting it all together. She began to display powers over nature, and eventually came into her powers as the true ruler of Olympus. It is said that Kore will lead Olympus into a new age, free of fear and of Zeus. Kore is a sweet girl and everyone adores her, even Zeus. No one really trusts him to be alone with her, however. She is a highschool student for now, but is destined for greater things in this world. Were she to become Hades’ queen, she would take on the responsibility of helping him judge souls. As ruler of Olympus, she would take on the powers and duties of Zeus, and then some.

Relationships Hades: The god of the Underworld, Hades easily fell in love with Kore, head over heels for her. She thinks maybe she’d seen him when she was younger. 

Artemis & Athena: Kore’s mothers. Athena has been around since before she was born. She loves them, but they tend to be a little overprotective of her. Artemis isn’t exactly happy about Kore’s relationship with Hades.

The Daughters of Ares

Hippoltye Odette Annable

The oldest of Ares’ two daughters. Hippoltye attended a local college, and was well liked and known. Hippoltye was a great academic, and the captain of her school’s Fencing and Volleyball teams. She had a belt that her father had gifted her that signified her authority and leadership, as he was very proud of her accomplishments. Hippoltye was out with her younger sister and Theseus before she disappeared. Hippoltye went off with some guy she had been showing interest in, and never came home. Hades has confirmed that she isn’t dead, but she certainly doesn’t want to be found, wherever she is. Theseus was worried at first that she had been abducted. Antiope is pretty sure that the reason Hippoltye left was all the pressure that was put on her, being the daughter of a god. She hasn’t tried to contact anyone but Antiope.

Antiope Adelaide Kane

A highschool student. Antiope is the youngest of Ares’ two mortal daughters, and is well liked by him. He tends to be a little protective over her, much like he is with Harmonia, though his reasons are vastly different. Antiope is part of the lacrosse team, and has been trying to convince her school to let her join the football team, though she considers cheerleading a possible backup, if they’ll have her. She was very badly affected by her sister leaving them. Antiope tries to usually stay upbeat around her dad and her siblings. Hippoltye calls her once a week, but she never answers.

Relationships Theseus: Antiope’s on-again-off-again boyfriend. They met when they were both younger and he and his friends played a prank on her and her sister. She really has only shown him how she really feels about her sister abandoning her.

The Muses Deities who bring inspiration to the world. They can often be flighty, much like nymphs.

Calliope Evan Rachel-Wood

The eldest of the muses, Calliope is often called the Superior Muse. She was known to accompany kings and princes in order to impose justice and serenity. She is the protector of Heroic poems and rhetoric art. Calliope inspired Homer to write Iliad and Odyssey. She, like her sisters, is also a music goddess, as well as being the goddess of eloquence. She isn’t as flighty as her youngest sisters, but is known to run off from time to time, touching the hearts of many mortals to inspire them. Calliope has a son, who’s father is unknown, and was forced to leave him behind by Zeus.

Relationships Orpheus: Calliope’s son. She had to leave Orpheus behind after his birth, though she checks on him from time to time. She has never had the chance to meet her son, but she still adores him from afar. Orpheus is possibly the son of a king, or the son of Zeus.

Clio Gal Gadot

The muse of history, Clio is often also known as the muse of heroes and heroic acts, and is often present to inspire heroes to their destiny. She is known to have made friends with and inspired Theseus in ancient times. She discovered the guitar and history, which is why history, at one point, was referred to as “kleos”. She is a little hot headed and likes to go on her own adventures when not inspiring heroes to their destinies.

Euterpe Mads Paige

The muse of music and lyrical poetry. Euterpe is the most promiscuous of her sisters. One man said that he recalled the muse whispering in his ear, draped over him, seductive words falling from her lips that he was inclined to write down.  Euterpe gets along best with Dionysus and Eros, and is often found hanging around with them in Dion’s garden. She discovered numerous musical instruments and dialects.

Melpomene &  Thalia Amy Lee & Emma Dupont

Melpomene is the muse of tragedy, while Thalia is muse of comedy. They are two halves of the same, and cannot exist without each other. Melpomene protects rhetoric speech and Melos. Thalia discovered comedy, geometry, architectural science, and agriculture. She protects Symposiums. Thalia is the more bright and chipper between her and her sister, often related to a pixie, though she has spells where she can come off as melancholic. Melpomene, however, is different from expected, often smiling and outgoing, despite her artistic sphere. 

Polymnia Jessica De Gouw

The muse of religious Hymns. She is the protector of divine hymns and mimic art. It is said that Polymnia invented geometry and grammar, and is typically depicted holding a lyre. Polymnia is a pious young woman, and will often come across to mortals as a religious person. She is modest and most well associated with the goddess hestia, though people often mistakenly associate her with Apollo, due to her lyre. She is sometimes singular minded, but a little less flighty than her sisters.

Erato Saiorise Ronan

The muse of love & love poetry. She is often present during the planning of weddings, creating a warm and loving atmosphere when needed. Similar to Eros, she is known to have a bow and quiver of arrows, though her’s don’t have the same effects as Eros’. Erato is a hopeless romantic, and will often be found roaming about, mooning over the last person she inspired. It does tend to annoy the other muses, but Calliope thinks it’s sweet.

Ourania Florence Pough

Muse of astronomy. Ourania is the protector of celestial objects and stars. She invented astronomy, and takes great pride in the constellations that she creates. Ourania is said to have galaxies in her eyes. Ourania typically inspires more scientific endeavors, and was absolutely enraptured with man’s journey into space. She gets very excited about everything to do with the stars, and can be found doodling new constellations. She can be somewhat absentminded, but knows how to focus when the situation calls for it.

Terpsichore Anya Taylor Joy

The muse of dance, Terpsichore is energetic, yet elegant. She invented many dances, the harp, and education. She was named because she was energetic and funloving. She is very light on her feet, and some have said that she often looks like she’s dancing, rather than walking. Terpsichore often provides entertainment for the gods when she’s not inspiring people, and is never seen without a smile on her face, unless she’s very focused on her footwork.

The Unlucky

Orpheus Jackson Rathbone

A handsome young musician. Orpheus is the son of a muse, and was abandoned by her when he was still an infant. Orpheus was raised with a love of music, and is very talented in both music and poetry, earning him the favor of Apollo. it is said that his talents can charm all living things and even stone itself. He often loses himself in his music, trying to express things with it that he struggles to express with his words.

Relationships Eurydice: Orpheus’ wife. She is a very talented dancer, and the light of Orpheus’ life. He was stricken with grief when she was taken to the Underworld, and has been trying to figure out how to bring her back.

Hermes: A good friend, Orpheus was given to Hermes as a baby for them to raise. Hermes treated Orpheus as their younger brother for many years, and the two are still close to this day.

Eurydice Willa Holland

A young nymph. Eurydice is rumored to be the daughter of Apollo, though he denies this, and a good majority of the gods chalk it up to nothing more than rumor. She is, however, homeless, and has traveled the world in the hopes of finding her place. She is friendly, though weary of most people, having been mistreated before. Eurydice is known for her dancing and her attitude of getting what she needs to survive, no matter how she gets it...

Relationships Orpheus: Eurydice’s husband. Orpheus, though loving and caring, often gets lost in his music. Eurydice loves this about him. Orpheus would do anything for his wife, and has been plotting to retrieve her from The Underworld, though he’s weary of being tricked by Hades.

Hades: Eurydice belongs to Hades. The story varies between Hades bought Eurydice when she was desperate for food and shelter, and owns her soul, and that Eurydice was poisoned by a man who was trying to claim her for himself, and now resides in Hades’ realm, waiting for her husband to come save her. Either way, it’s said that the two had a very brief romantic relationship when she first arrived in the Underworld. According to them both, it’s a lie.

[jflashandclash]

Tales From Mount Othrys

             The Versatility of a Guitar String

                                       I

 Warning: Depictions of Violence.

***

           “Forget your family.”

           Flynn’s melody murmured in my dreams like the silkiest spider threads rocking a slumberer’s hammock. “You deserve to enjoy this: the start of your new life. Let yourself forget.”

           Her words cradled my mind in a tranquilizing solace. At the time, the only response I could utter was, “What other family? You’re all the family I need.”

 --Memoirs of a Talking Head[1]

 ***

         When Jack agreed to tear down the gods, he didn’t think it would involve him snorkeling in a toilet.

         It did.

         Jack thrashed and twisted, barely getting a gulp of air before being submerged again. His orange converses squeaked uselessly against the bathroom’s floor tiles.

         The girl shoving his head into the water bowl was much stronger and larger than he, despite being several years younger. Between dunkings, her and her friends’ laughter reverberated off the walls.

         This, unfortunately, wasn’t the first time someone had forced Jack to be well acquainted with the most vital part of a restroom. Last time, Ms. Daisy Blackwell, one of the prettiest girls at his church, had taken Jack behind the church after his solo at one of their concerts. She had said she wanted him to sing to her. When Tommy Higgles, her boyfriend, found out that she asked Jack to do more than sing to her, he and his friends cornered Jack in the boys’ bathroom at school.

         Last time, Tommy had emptied all of Jack’s medication into the toilet bowl. “That straightening out your memory, freak!” Tom had shouted.

         This time, the water was cleaner. Or, at least, it wouldn’t give him an overdose as he choked on it.

         Last time, Jack had no idea it was going to happen. Ms. Blackwell had heard Jack “confused” things a lot, and that he was “confused’ about her relations with Tommy. But, afterwards, Ms. Blackwell wouldn’t acknowledge him in public, or that anything had happened between the two of them, like the other boys and girls that had taken an interest in Jack at his small high school.

         This time, Luke had warned Jack that it was a Camp Half-Blood hazing ritual, one from which Luke could not spare him. Jack had to either fight off a hulking daughter of Ares or get humiliated.

         Despite the warning, Jack felt himself thinking the same thing he had before: I’m going to drown.

         The water seeped into his lungs during his squirming. Pressure mounted in his chest. There wasn’t enough time to cough. Panic made his heartbeat thud inside his head. His head smacked into the toilet bowl with each thrash.

         The worst difference surfaced as he forced his limbs to stop fighting. Last time, Jack knew he would reach eternal salvation if he died the humiliating death of a toilet warrior. This time, as Jack willed his body to give up, he wondered, Do half-bloods even have souls?

         The fingers clenching his hair pulled his head back, stretching his body in a strained arch.

         He sputtered and coughed out the water.

         Clarisse La Rue’s sneer loomed in his peripheral. “Had enough of a swim?”

         At least there was a toilet directly in front of him, so no one would have to clean up the content of his lungs and stomach. That would be rude to any godly janitorial staff. He hacked, unable to talk for a moment.

         Clarisse released him.

         Jack barely missed cracking his head against the toilet bowl. Blurrily, he searched around, trying to prop himself up on the cool, slick floor.

         The laughter echoed around the room. The massive girl stood.

         “Why?” Jack finally choked out.

         “To show you the pecking order,” Clarisse said. She and her friends got up and left the bathroom stalls.

         Jack trembled. The first time he tried to get up, his legs felt like jelly. Finally, he got to his feet and stumbled to the sinks. He turned one on and dunked his head under, reminding himself that he was in control of the water rinsing him off.

         The monsters on the Princess Andromeda had been way nicer on his first day. They at least ignored him or said he smelled good.

         Someone shook Jack’s shoulder.

         He flinched.

         “Hey, we’re not really supposed to be in the girl’s bathroom.”

         Jack tried to look through the water at his escort: a thirteen-year-old child of Apollo named Ryan. He had tan skin and an athletic build. Once he got Jack’s attention, he crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.

         After a few more moments of feeling the water against the back of his head and his neck, Jack shut the sink off. He let his dripping bangs plaster onto his face and soak his flannel shirt. The top was already drenched. As it turned out, toilet water: not refreshing.

         “Why didn’t you help?” Jack asked. To still be there, Ryan must have stood by the entrance the whole time, watching.

         Ryan’s expression was skeptical. Like everyone else who had commented on how old Jack was, Ryan seemed disappointed by what he saw. “You think I can put a dent in a child of Ares?”

         Jack shrugged. “You could have run to get help.”

         “No one is going to help against Clarisse.”

         No wonder Luke hates Ares and his children.

         Although the room felt warm with the climate control, Jack hugged himself. It took every ounce of control not to tug at his hair and to, instead, dig his fingers deep into his ribs. He promised himself he wouldn’t mess this mission up and that meant acting as normal as possible.

Mission? Quest? Had Kronos called it a quest?

         This was the exact time Jack should be asking Ryan questions. Phil and Luke both said Jack was perfect for this type of quest, because he was so unassuming and genuinely curious when asking questions. Charming and harmless, as Ms. Blackwell had teased him.

         “Doesn’t that bother you?” Jack asked. “Were you dunked?”

         Jack tried to imagine coming in here as a young kid, before he met Flynn and knew Greek monsters were real. He would have thought this was whole place was a cruel prank or a bad dream.

         “All new people get dunked,” Ryan said. He looked impatient. “You get over it.”

         Jack felt like his tongue was four times too large. That didn’t seem right, but he doubted saying so would get him any points with Ryan.

         Only twenty-four hours, Jack reminded himself. Twenty-four hours before Luke, Lucille, Lou Ellen, and I need to get out. You can be normal for twenty-four hours.

         He hoped.    

Summer solstice was a day away. From what Luke got out of a quick Iris Message and a dream vision with Kronos, some kid named Percy Jackson should be starting some massive war with the gods. Percy should have been be dragged into Tartarus with something called the Master Bolt. Then, this camp wouldn’t be safe. It would crumble into a battlefield between the gods.

         “Just remember when Clarisse dunks you that she’ll be killed in the crossfire. I’ll make sure of it,” Luke had said.

         Jack didn’t want Clarisse and her friends to be killed in the crossfire. He just wanted her to be less mean. Seeing her in person, the former seemed much more likely.

         Ryan sighed. “Come on. Let’s see if you you’re as bad at horseback riding as you are with archery.”

         Jack shuffled forward. He guessed Ryan didn’t intend to sound so critical, but no one at camp could believe Jack had survived on his own for so long, being a son of Apollo. Although Phil immediately stated that Jack had been claimed—he hadn’t, whatever ‘claiming’ meant—whispers went around that maybe he was supposed to be in the Aphrodite cabin instead.

         “At least he’s good for the girls to look at. Don’t think he’ll do much in the coming war,” he had heard Lee Fletcher, his cabin counselor, muttering when Jack accidentally elbowed Chiron in the chest during their archery lesson.

         Jack knew he wouldn’t have survived on his own, but Luke had him under strict orders not to mention Flynn or Luke or anything about Kronos. As for that day, they didn’t know each other, which was a real shame. Jack wanted Luke to show him Thalia’s pine tree.

         The rest of the training was similar. Fortunately, his cabin mates—is that what they were called?—and Chiron were too distracted by the fights that kept breaking out between the children of Athena and Jack’s siblings. Something about Poseidon being in the right to take a stand against Zeus? Jack had only recently learned the gods and titans were real. He couldn’t keep the internal bickering straight.

         Most people were too distracted and tense to pay Jack much attention for the rest of training, which was a problem. That meant he couldn’t complete his mission either. He hoped Lucille was having more luck in the Aphrodite Cabin and Lou Ellen in the… where had Luke said she’d go?

         Luke’s words haunted him. “Either we turn them or we consider them sword fodder. Anyone on the Olympic side will need to die, so you’re doing them a favor if you can show them how corrupt the Olympians are.”

         Flynn, Jack’s girlfriend, understood immediately. That’s why Luke had sent her on a mission to a place called New Rome. Luke said that would be too difficult for Jack to tag along.

         This quest was a test for Jack, Lucille, and Lou Ellen: a way to prove they were worthy of Kronos’ next world.

         Like introducing people to Jesus, Jack mused. He remembered walking through the sterile halls of Botin’s Hill Hospital, how the sick welcomed him inside to hear him sing church songs. Pity he didn’t know any about our savor, Kronos.

Jack frowned. Luke and Phil kept saying he could heal people with his song. But, the sick people didn’t always get better when he sang. Sometimes…

         “Jake, right?”

         Jack flinched. The Apollo cabin was setting up for the campfire. He’d zoned out, watching as the Hephaestus campers stoked the flames. Everyone else referred to the cabins by numbers, but Jack couldn’t keep those numbers straight, so he tried to catalogue everyone by the few gods he did know.

         A friendly, blond nineteen-year-old stood beside him. The familiar scar made Jack grin, despite his feelings of being a failure. He shouldn’t want to talk to Luke. That would mean reporting that he’d had no luck converting any of his siblings, or even seeing if they could be converted down the road. The children of Apollo seemed to love their—his—dad wholeheartedly, though Jack hadn’t gotten any specific person’s story yet.

         Luke squeezed Jack’s shoulder. “How’s your first day going? You came in at a rough time.”

         Jack knew that Luke had to pretend they’d never met before, but the convincing, detached quality of Luke’s voice was demoralizing, especially with how he got his name wrong.

         Jack managed to nod at him. He hadn’t realized that, when he sat down on the log, he’d pulled his knees up and was rocking.

         Almost frantic, Jack straightened out his legs and stopped rocking. Normal for one day. Normal for one day. He repeated to himself. Then, he could tell Flynn that he’d done a quest, right? He could show Luke that he’d be worthwhile in his army. Besides, the campfire was all about singing. This is where Jack could shine.

         Jack gave Luke a much more confident smile.

         “Just keep it together, buddy,” Luke said, his grip on Jack’s shoulder becoming uncomfortable. “I’m sure the rest of your night will be a success—”

         Another camper, an Athena boy, raised his voice in middle of a discussion, drowning out Luke. “—maybe because someone needs to keep order in this camp—”

         “Oh, can it! You’re still pissy at Poseidon for a rivalry that you won. Get over it! There’s no reason you’d be on Zeus’ side otherwise!” one of Jack’s siblings shouted at the Athena camper.

         More shouts broke out. The campfire flickered uncomfortable, dark red. The flames looked too low on the wood to still be lit.

Jack felt like something was about to go wrong, something important.

         One of the Ares campers shoved the Athena kid—Malcolm? He stumbled, barely dodging around the fire. He slammed into another camper to keep his balance. And—

         The movement was too fast for Jack to dodge, not that he would have thought to.

         One of Jack’s siblings toppled backwards.

         Pain flared in Jack’s throat, as the kid’s—Will’s?—elbow smashed into Jack’s windpipe. Will hadn’t meant to, he’d been trying to pinwheel to keep his balance—

         Jack flopped backwards, clutching at his neck. He coughed. Each breath rasped painfully.

         Hands gripped Jack’s shoulders. They dug into his skin, dragging him away from the campfire. Another member of his cabin went to pummel Malcolm, even though the incident hadn’t been Malcolm’s fault.

         The yells were jumbled. The bodies crashed into a scuffle—they looked more like a random mob of strangers than cousins and siblings. All Jack could think was, My throat—Dear God—can I still sing?! What if they crushed it? What if they crushed my windpipe?

         A more logical part of him said that his windpipe would be fine. He needed a few minutes to recover. That would be it, right? What am I without a voice? That’s my only useful trait. Would Flynn want me anymore?

         He wheezed.

         Whoever was dragging him pulled him up onto his feet.

         The pain lessened, but the panic made Jack clutch at his neck. He tried to talk. His voice came out a squeaky rasp.

         He expected Luke to be his savor, to be chastising him for over-dramatics.

         The person beside him was a foot too short.

         “Come on. We have throat lozenges in the cabin,” Ryan said. He released Jack and started walking back towards the housing.

         Jack pointed frantically back to where the campfire had become a battle zone. The Ares and Apollo campers teamed up against Athena. A centaur already stood in the fray, pulling teenagers off each other.

         “Chiron will take care of it,” Ryan said, “We plenty outnumber Cabin Six and you’ll be in the way if you stay.” This time, the irritation in Ryan’s voice was unmistakable. “You’re really not cut out for this, are you? You had plenty of time to move.”

         Jack trembled. He reminded himself that Ryan, like other kids that had mocked him, was a child of God’s and that all God’s children were…

         Something flipped in Jack’s head. They weren’t equal, were they? And God—the gods—didn’t love them equally. Luke said that Percy Jackson—the son of Poseidon that Luke had framed for the thievery of the Master Bolt—that kid could control water. Thalia had been able to shoot lightning. These gods, the Greek gods, didn’t treat them as equal, else Thalia wouldn’t be a pine tree.

         By the time Jack got enough of his voice back to talk, they approached the golden exterior of Apollo’s empty cabin. “You seem like such a natural,” Jack said. His voice was raspy, but functional.

         A tightness squeezed Jack’s stomach when he examined his little half-brother. Throughout all the training that day, Ryan had excelled.

         Ryan sighed. Tension released from his shoulders as he opened the cabin door. He paused. After a moment, Ryan held the door open for Jack. “My mom told me I was a half-blood when I was very little. She knew Apollo was a god, so she set me up with archery lessons as soon as I could pull back a bow. She was a pediatrician and let me play with all of her college text books.” He shrugged. “The other campers think I’ll surpass Chiron with a bow one day, and I’m already a better healer than Will, but I had a head start.”

         This is was it! What Jack was supposed to be doing all day! Getting his new cabin mates to open up: about themselves, their feelings about being demigods, their opinions of their parents. For some reason, Jack didn’t feel better about the success. The tightness in his stomach squeezed until he felt his breath going short again. He wanted Ryan to shut up.

         “You knew the monsters were real,” Jack said. He hadn’t realized that would be an option. He stepped inside.

         “Well, yea, we all did,” Ryan said like it was obvious. The cabin door shut behind them. No one else was around. Ryan walked past the corner stacked with instruments to the medicine cabinet. He withdrew the lozenges and handed them to Jack.

         Jack frowned, examining the packaging: ambrosia coated. Even with simple things like pain killers, he always checked ingredients in case they conflicted with his medication. Jack popped one in his mouth and bit down hard.

         Everyone knew that you were supposed to suck on lozenges; but, Jack wanted a sharp sensation in his mouth. Cinnamon spiked his taste buds.

         Ryan gave Jack a wary look. “Listen, Jack, maybe you’d be better off at home with your mortal family,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t want you here, I just don’t know if this is the safest place for you with this war brewing. Tomorrow, Summer Solstice, this camp might be about to explode, and you’re not really trained for combat yet…”

         Ryan looked genuinely concerned. “We can loan you a weapon from the armory. Since you’ve made it so long without any help, I doubt your aura is that strong or ever will be strong enough to attract monsters. It’s not that we don’t want you here—or that Dad doesn’t want you here. I mean, he claimed you. That’s a big deal. It means he loves you and all, but—”

         Jack bit down harder on the lozenge, wanting to crush it. He hadn’t been claimed.

         “How soon were you claimed?” Jack interrupted. The twisting in his stomach kept getting tighter. He felt like he was on the cusp of something important and that something would make all the tension disappear. It had to do with what Ryan was saying, but he wanted the kid to stop talking.

         “As soon as I stepped foot into camp,” Ryan said. He rocked onto his tiptoes, like he was getting impatient to go back outside. His gaze shifted back to the door as though the eye motion could shove Jack back out.

         Jack hugged himself. “Apollo… Dad. You speak really highly of him.”

         Ryan glanced at the door again, then back at Jack. He sighed, rolling back onto his heels. “Yea… I—I owe Dad. He’s kinda awesome.”

         These campers seemed to know so much more about him. How could you say that a Dad you’ve never met was awesome? Had Ryan met him?

         At Jack’s silence, Ryan got a sad smile on his face. “I guess I can tell you about it. My mom never fell in love after him. She said it was impossible after she had a full summer with him—”

         A one night stand. A one night mistake, Jack remembered his mother assuring Steve about his conception, when Steven got nervous about the guy before him. They thought Jack hadn’t come downstairs for a nighttime snack. His Mom had never held that one night stand against Jack, had she?

         “—so I was raised with my cousins like they were my siblings. My older cousin, Cindy, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Mom and I prayed to Apollo every night and I sang to her every night for a week. She… she got better. Way faster than medicine by itself should have allowed—”

         The package slipped from Jack’s fingers.

         The individually wrapped lozenges scattered across the cabin floor.

         “Wow—you okay, dude? You look like you’re about to be sick,” Ryan said. The smile vanished from his face. He knelt down, plucking some lozenges from the ground.

         Jack should have apologized. He should have knelt down to help. Normal for one day, echoed in his mind. The thought couldn’t penetrate his other ones. It couldn’t stop his hands from clutching at his hair.

         What would it have been like? To grow up with a family that knew what was happening to him, to know he wasn’t crazy. Not to be medicated. Or outcast. No “you’re just confused, sweetie.” No, “All children are equal in the eyes of God.”

         In that instance, Jack realized something. People treated life like it was a living thing that chose to be fair or unfair. It wasn’t. It just existed. People were made unequal. They would be treated unequal. These gods, their gods, played favorites.

         “Ryan…” Jack whispered, trying not to hyperventilate. “You saved your cousin with your singing. Could you kill someone with your singing?”

         His vision had tunneled. All Jack could see was the smaller boy, crouched under the instrument table, gathering a lozenge from a guitar. There were spare strings on the table. When Ryan put his hand on the table for balance, he knocked them to the side.

         Then, Jack couldn’t see Ryan.

Shelby was the worst. Her body was sprawled in the middle of the hallway, on top of Charger, their German Sheppard. The other bodies—those Jack could easily pretend weren’t real. But, Shelby, had face-planted in a pool of her own vomit. The bile plastered her black hair around the wooden floor like a drowned victim’s hair splayed into a water halo… She was impossible to ignore. Jack had to carefully edge his way around her and Charger’s bodies, hoping the real one would show up and tell him to stop being silly, and terrified the real one would show up since they might increase his medication.

The day after they found his family, Jack had been too scared to tell Luke and Flynn why he thought their deaths were his fault.

He had been singing in the shower. He was thinking about how angry he was at his family while he sang. Then, they were dead, just like some of the patients at the hospital died as soon as he finished singing to them.

         Why could Ryan save people, his loved ones, with his voice, when Jack could kill?

         The pressure in Jack’s stomach made him feel like he’d throw up. That tension was wound so tightly, Jack knew it would snap. It was about to snap. He couldn’t stop—

“I guess, in theory,” Ryan said, beginning to rise from under the table, “I’ve never heard of someone—”

         There was a loud thwack.

         Jack didn’t know he’d cracked Ryan’s skull into the table. Not until the second time he did it. Ryan’s hair felt silky under his fingers. The head under his hand resisted the first time. Not so much the second.

         Jack’s heartbeat thudded in his head, deafening. He didn’t hear the noises Ryan made. He didn’t feel Ryan’s head slip from his hands or how Ryan kicked backwards—how Jack’s leg gave out under the kick so Jack was level with the instrument table.

         He saw Ryan’s mouth move, to sing to heal or call for help. Some autopilot took over, shut him up. Shut. Him. Up. We’ll make the two of us equal. We’ll play favorites the way that gods do.

         A dull ache nagged at Jack’s knee, where he’d collapsed behind his little half-brother. He fumbled for something in the room to gag Ryan. His fingers snatched up something thin, metal, and pliable.

         Jack didn’t remember shoving Ryan back to the floor; he must have. The intention was to wrap the guitar cord between Ryan’s teeth. Just to soften Ryan’s screams.

Then the metal cord pinched the skin around Ryan’s neck. The small kid bucked and thrashed. Ryan’s nails dug at metal. Those fingers fumbled backwards, swatting at Jack.

         None of his attempts reached Jack. Jack’s knee now pressed into the small of Ryan’s back. The guitar cord was long enough that Jack could pull it taught at such a distance that Ryan couldn’t touch him.

         The way Ryan squirmed, Jack’s own screams, the pain in his bruised knee as Jack simultaneously kneed the back of Ryan’s spine while jerking Ryan’s neck backwards: it felt distant, muffled.

         Until someone covered Jack’s mouth.

         “Be quiet!”

         The words brought Jack back into reality. So did the hands that dragged him backwards.

         “Holy Hera!” another familiar voice said.

         There was a clop of hooves on the wooden floor.

         Until that someone removed the hands from his mouth, Jack didn’t realize what he’d been screaming over and over.

Why does Dad love you more?

         Ryan wasn’t moving.

         Dad couldn’t love him now.

         Jack trembled. He stared at his hands. Cuts lined his palms, where he had wrapped the guitar string to anchor them. Bruising would follow. His breath tightened. That tension inside him had snapped. He didn’t have any energy left. No anger. Just a sense of queer calm.

         That same autopilot took control. Guilt nagged at his consciousness the same way pain nagged at his knee.

“No,” Jack said, “No—no. I—I’m sorry. I’m so sorry—”

“Shut up,” Luke repeated, slapping Jack upside the head. He sounded terrified.

Jack clutched at his hair. The strands felt slick with sweat. A sob caught his throat. What was happening to him? Had he just—

“Watch it, Luke.” Someone stepped around the two of them. Phil’s furry legs blocked off Jack’s view of Ryan’s body. “Flynn isn’t going to like it if she hears you’ve been smacking around her Jackie-boy. Now, let’s see. It’s been a long time since I needed to sneak a corpse out of a cabin. You sure like to keep me young and spry, don’t you, Jak-Jak?”

Phil’s comment was light.

No answer would come from Jack’s lips, at least, not beyond a whine.

Phil turned towards Jack and knelt down. Those dark eyes glittered with something that made Jack nauseous: compassion. He put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Kid, I need you with us. We gotta move fast. Which blanket won’t be missed if we wrap Ryan in it?”

*****

My betatester was very angry at me for the deficit of hugs and happiness for Jak-Jak. Don’t worry. Part II is more lighthearted. Okay, PHiL says it’s more lighthearted, though that guy could probably say that at a wax clown museum.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned next week for the last part of this short! I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween! :D

Footnote:

[1] I’m going to write this one day.

[olympivnshq]

congratulations kay ! as things get more intense and stressful in-game, we cannot think of a more perfect presence to add than HARMONIA ! the contrast between her and her parents is drawn out spectacularly and we eagerly await the new family dynamics. please join us with your first faceclaim choice: ANA DE ARMAS

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ  OOC INFO.

it’s kay again!! still 29, still living in arizona (mountain time), still a teacher. still very excited to be here!!

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ  DEITY  —  GENDER. AGE RANGE.

Harmonia – Female – 25-35

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ MORTAL NAME. JOB/OCCUPATION. BOROUGH/NEIGHBORHOOD.

Adelaide Devereux – Assistant to Scarlet Leclaire – Queens

☆ﾟ*・ HOW WOULD YOU PLAY THEM?

harmonia is the goddess of harmony and concord, although her beginnings are not at all what you would expect. she’s the daughter of aphrodite and ares, and neither of those gods are what you would call peaceful. then there’s the matter of being an illegitimate child, which doesn’t add to any peace in olympus. but despite all that, harmonia was born and she is passionate about maintaining peace among her family. that’s the stuff she got from her parents: passion, although you wouldn’t think it to look at her. harmonia isn’t loud or obnoxious, she prefers to work in the background and try to smooth things over. she spent a lot of time intervening in her parents’ lovers spats and trying to help them come to a peaceful arrangement. wherever she went in the mortal world, she brought a sense of calm and peace. she wants everything to go well and many times, she’ll give up her own desires in order to promote unity and  peace. harmonia seems a little out of place among her siblings, who all seem to more directly relate to one of their parents’ powers; it sets her apart but harmonia doesn’t mind. rather she sees her powers as a blending of her parents’. love and war coming together to make harmony; each softening the other and allowing the focus to turn from self so much to society as a whole. love to see what is best for everyone, war to bring the strength to fight for it. and that produces harmony.

in this form, addie had many similarities to harmonia. even when she was little, she was a peacemaker at home - her parents had to intervene many times to prevent her from giving up her toys or clothes to a sibling who asked (or demanded). addie didn’t see the problem, if someone else was happy; she didn’t mind giving up her stuff and she could always make herself happy in other ways. she did learn to stand up for herself at times but her default is still to give in to someone who is asking something of her - or anyone. she rarely was loud or the center of attention; she preferred to work behind the scenes in everything she did - from the time she helped manage the stage during her school play (and kept the lead actors from each others’ throats in the meantime) to her first jobs (where she mediated between fighting coworkers on a weekly basis). she was softspoken as well, and surprised people whenever she stood up for things she truly believed in - things that almost always maintained the peace, and rarely were for her own benefit. she channeled the desire to keep the peace into her university studies and earned a counseling degree, with grand plans to find a place to be useful. the move to new york seemed like a logical step, although she couldn’t explain why.

and then she got back her divine memories and knew the truth: she wasn’t adelaide devereux, but rather harmonia, goddess of harmony and concord. addie kept the truth to herself and focused on finding her family - most specifically, her mother. she needed to be near aphrodite - she had always been close to aphrodite, adored her mother and could most often be found with her during their time on olympus. now that everything had been thrown into chaos, addie needed to be near aphrodite again. she was not at all surprised to find her mother in scarlet, and spent a few weeks trying to find a job that she could do at a magazine, and then scarlet’s assistant opened up. addie threw herself at the job and managed to charm her way into it despite her lack of experience; she made up for that lack with her ability to handle scarlet and keep a level head, as well as her knack for smoothing over arguments among the other staff members (she resolved the first feud while waiting in the lobby for her interview, a minor miracle according to several onlookers). it took a lot of effort to keep her distance with scarlet but she manages it - and covers up any missteps with a (genuine) admiration of the woman. knowing only one other olympian with memories (for now), harmonia has directed her energies into trying to help her mother (and any other family members she finds) bring back their true selves so they can solve their current problem.

answer these questions: 1. would you like your character to be entering the roleplay at this stage in the plot, with or without their memories? i would like her to have her memories!! i think being a minor goddess and trying to find a way to help the other gods when she can do so little will be a really interesting take for her. it also provides a fantastic dynamic with both her parents - struggling to keep an appropriately distant relationship with her mother who is currently her boss, and having her father for support through all of that. 2. are they more likely to stand with the pantheon or against it? harmona will stand with her family, but especially her mother. aphrodite has her loyalty above almost everyone else (with the exception of her husband cadmus most of the time) so whatever aphrodite supports will also have harmonia’s support. she wants to see peace restored and the best way to do that is probably by resolving whatever made them mortal so she would probably side with them anyway. 3. what is their stand on mortals? honestly a bit detached?? harmonia likes them but doesn’t have the same sympathy or concern for them that some other gods might. she’s not as close to them, but she thinks they deserve praise and admiration for everything they do. however, aside from endeavoring to keep peace in the mortal world as much as she can (which is … not much), she doesn’t go out of her way for them either.

☆ﾟ*・ GIVE US A SAMPLE OF YOUR WRITING!

CHOOSE AT LEAST one OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: replying to Astraea’s starter (here) during her time at work, among the mortals, harmonia thought of herself strictly as addie. it was too complicated to do anything else - particularly when she worked so closely with her mother. she just wanted aphrodite to remember. she wanted her mother back. it had been much more difficult at the beginning of her time - only a couple of months now! it felt like so much longer and so much shorter at the same time - but now, harmonia had the trick down fairly well at all times. so it was a relief to spot astraea on the bench. as of yet, she was the only of the other gods that harmonia had discovered and been assured of her memories. she’d seen some of the others in passing - her father, for example, and that thrilled her as much as finding aphrodite had - but she had not tried to work out if they had their memories yet. not even ares. for the moment, she was happy just to know who he was and keep an eye on him. she’d established a time to go to his gym, however, and try to strike up more of a friendship with him and test the waters. approaching astraea, harmonia waited for the other goddess to notice her. blocking the light was not a purposeful decision and she let out a laugh as she realized what had happened. “oh - i’m sorry! i only wanted to see if you had a minute for me.” the amazing thing about mortals was their ability to strike up friendships with almost anyone. no one would be surprised to see the two of them spending time together; in their divine forms, it would have been a little more odd. the stress of maintaining her false identity was now a memory as harmonia sat even without waiting for an invitation. “how are you?”

☆ﾟ*・ ANYTHING ELSE?

pinterest board!!

[hayjeon]

Snow and Ice 01 [m] (ft. Jungkook)

→ friendswithbenefits!au with Snowboarder!JK and figure skater!reader during the Olympicssss!

→ 11.1k | part 2 (coming soon!)  

A/n: I know that winter olympics is exclusive to winter sports and vice versa with summer, but let’s ignore that for the sake of the fic ;) (ie. mentions of gymnasts) 

also this was meant to be a oneshot, but after getting somewhere around 18k...i decided to split into 2 parts! sorry, but hope you guys enjoy what I already have! :D not heavily edited sry but enjoyoyyyyoyyoy

“How fucking hard is it for the boys to seriously not sound like a bunch of monkeys at 3am in the damn morning?!” You grouch, stomping out of the restroom to Irene. 

She’s already dressed in her gym outfit, and tying her shoes. “God, I know,” she rolls her eyes. “I think they’ve made a bet or something to see who can make it the longest after bottomless drinking.” Stretching, she groans, “They were up even up til 5am I think, after you fell asleep.” 

You roll your eyes, slipping off your robe and pulling on a tight spandex pair of leggings and sports bra. You grab your water bottle and join your teammate as you walk down the hall of the rooming area and into the gym. “It would be nice for once to try and get a normal week of life before the games start. By the way, are we doing cardio today?” 

Irene nods, tying her hair up high. “Start off with 60 minutes running and then help me stretch? We’ll go practice on the rink later after lunch.” 

You nod and throw the towel on the handle as you step up onto a machine. It’s 6am, but already, dozens of other athletes are busy at work, pressing the weight machines and cardio machines to life. You can see that the gymnastics girls are taking up most of the easy weights, and the hockey players fiddling with the heavier weights. Seokjin, one of the guys from your university’s snowboarding team, walks up to you with a smile, starting up the running machine next to yours, and matching your brisk walk. 

“Good morning,” he grins, “How are you feeling?” 

You roll your eyes, cracking your neck. “God, Jin, I wanted to kill the guys on the fourth floor. Literally, they’re the loudest herd of chimpanzees when they’re drunk.” 

Seokjin laughs, upping his speed. “They made a bet to see who could drink the longest from the keg. It was interesting to watch but my coach would’ve killed me if she were here and saw me sleeping anytime past 1am. And even though our coaches can’t be here in the lodgings,” he shudders, taking a swig from his bottle, “I’d rather not find out what she’ll do to me if she ever knew the truth.” 

You laugh, increasing your speed and matching his long strides with quick ones of your own. “Good thinking, you’re smart.” 

He grins at you and the both of you ease into your daily routines. 

Everyday is like this, even when you’re not in the Olympic village. This is your second Olympics, and your second time representing your country for women’s figure skating. Being said, getting here meant that every day was a routine, just like today’s, monkey boys living a floor above you or not. 

Wake up at 5am, and cardio for an hour, stretch for 30, practice jumps on mats for 30, and then actually skating for another 2 hours, before returning to stretch out the sore muscles, and then finally getting to eat your first meal, which was probably a salad, chicken breast, and maybe a fruit smoothie if your morning cardio was more productive than usual. Then it was a bit of rest and loosening the muscles with a warm bath, and then back with weight training and more skating until it was night, and the lactic acid buildup was making your muscles all shaky and unsteady. Rinse, repeat. 

It’s easy to throw popcorn at your tv screen and sneer, “Idiots,” when a representative of the country makes a mistake during the games. Somehow, everyone sitting at home in front of their televisions, munching on their bottomless fried chicken and coke became masters at whatever sport they were watching this time of year. But becoming an olympian meant that this was your life: training, practicing, and winning. 

You amp up the speed on the machine into a full sprint as you think of the way you only got a silver medal the last time you competed. The bratty Jennie Kim had won the gold, and managed to shove it in your face every single time you two saw each other. She was here too, you could practically smell the hatred and the evil emanating off her skin whenever you were in a 50 mile radius of her. 

You sigh as your music lets you drift off into a place, a place where you don’t have to think about how sweaty and tired you are already. The music that you chose this year for your routine was classy, and so was the show that you prepared. 

It took months of training, and was also the reason you had to go so hard on cardio this year: there were four triple-axels, triple toe-loops you had to master during the routine, and that didn’t even include the two triple salchows towards the end of the routine. None other than Kim Yuna had attempted and succeeded at doing a routine like that completely without failing. 

All while looking like a complete goddess. 

Beethoven’s 9th symphony was a fairy-like, dainty work of art, with swells of the orchestra booming in the background to create an ominous feeling to it. To master this routine, you’d had to also go through hours of acting classes, to get “in touch with your deepest emotions,” like your coach Minho had convinced you. 

Your mother had gotten her hands on the most gorgeous outfit, a turquoise, shimmering deep blue-green that make your skin glitter and shine and complimented your eyes and matched incredibly well with the silver accents and accessories embroidered onto the dress. 

You don’t really remember how you got here. It just started as an innocent day at the rink, where you’d convinced your mother to let you do something more interesting than learning the piano or the violin, and she’d let you choose between gymnastics and figure skating. You were mesmerized by the pretty outfits as a little girl, so she’d taken you for lessons. 

And then the lessons slowly became rehearsals for the junior figure skating team, and then your coach labeled you as team captain, and then you were being sent off to do shows all around the country. You were then competing and winning gold medals as fast as ever, and at the ripe young age of 17, you were crowned as the next Female Figure Skating Olympian to join your country’s team, to train and compete in the next winter olympics. 

That was how you were thrust into this world of competing and working yourself to the bone at age 18. It just...sort of happened, and at one point in your little 18 year old life you did have a moment to turn around and survey how the hell you got here in the first place. But, it was too late, and you were way too invested, switching out hours of studying or playing video games or with dolls for training on the ice in your childhood to back out now. 

Your workout comes to an end and you’re already sweating bullets and chugging down buckets of water by the end. Irene finishes a couple of seconds before you do and waits for you as you cool down and step off. You both take a couple more minutes to towel off and cool before you step into the mirror room, and begin to stretch. You place your ankle on top of the poles for steadiness and begin stretching your upper body, cooling down in the air conditioned room. 

“Well if it isn’t y/n?” A voice sounds in the entrance of the stretching room and all the heads in the room turn to see who it is. 

You don’t even have to look to know who it is. 

He cockily wipes his face with a towel and throws it over his shoulder, spraying a steady stream of water from his bottle into his mouth as he saunters over to where you’re stretching. You roll your eyes and ignore him, switching sides and propping your other leg up 90 degrees as you curve your torso towards it with your hand stretched towards your toes. 

He walks up to you and in the mirror, you can see the other girls in the room whispering and giggling at the presence of the handsome Olympian. 

Jeon Jungkook. Age 22. Also his second time competing in the Olympics. Gold medalist if we’re talking about olympics, but all time World Champion in the Men’s Snowboarding medium and Guiness World Record holder for highest score last year, beating out previous record holders and his own best scores with the recent win. Endorses like a thousand snowboarding and athletic brands like Northface and Tim Burton. Also the owner of his own resort on the side. He was a celebrity within the Olympians, and also voted one of the hottest Olympians ever. 

“Looking good,” he rakes his eyes up and down your body, grinning sleazily. “How long has it been, 3 years? 4 years?” 

You huff as you take down your leg from the pole. “If you could ever for once figure out how to do math, you’d know that it’s been 4 years since the last olympics, Jeon Jungkook.” 

He smirks when you finally respond to him, walking over to lean against the pole as you sit down and begin stretching your hamstrings. “Congrats on your win during the World Championships, I watched and cheered for you during it.” 

You roll your eyes. “Are you here to make fun of my silver medal too? I have enough knowing grins from Jennie Kim to last me a lifetime.” You switch legs, leaning forward and pressing your knees against your chest. 

He laughs, “Hell no, I would never dare to make fun of the ice queen.” 

Straightening up, you narrow your eyes at him. He’s been calling you that since you can remember. “Get lost, Jungkook. Go do your weights or whatever.” You resume stretching, extending one leg far behind you as you sit comfortable in a split. 

He stands, watching you from above. “Suit yourself. Know I’ll be back though.” 

He walks cockily back, lifting the edge of his shirt to wipe at the sweat on his brow, which is completely stupid because he has a towel. It’s so obvious he does it to get a ruse out of the other gymnasts and skaters stretching in the room, which it does. 

Irene inches up to you and joins you in your stretches. 

“Don’t ask,” you groan and switch sides. 

She shrugs, laughing at you in the mirror. “Wasn’t gonna. That exchange spoke for itself. He definitely has the hots for you.” 

You roll your eyes and groan as you get up, and Irene joins you to help you stand and lift your leg up as high as she can reach, way up over your head. “Uh,” you cringe at the stiffness of your thigh muscles, “He does that to everyone. Seriously. I’ve seen him even give some of the referees sleazy looks. It’s just in his blood.” 

She whistles as you switch legs. “Well whatever his blood’s doing, I bet it’s working real hard.” 

“Ew!” You exclaim and laugh, letting her switch sides with you as you help her with her standing splits. “Never!” 

She laughs, finishing her other side. “Alright grumpy, let’s go get you some breakfast before you rip my head off and get even more hangry.” 

_____________________________________________________________________

You both get washed up and changed before heading over to the Dining Hall. It’s basically another stadium, with the lower levels transformed into a buffet style area and tables and chairs all looped together like high school all over again. 

Hoseok, one of the male figure skaters, joins your table and Seokjin appears a couple minutes after, his plate piled high with all the food he could find at the buffet. 

Hoseok cringes at the sight, “Jeez, dude, how many calories even is that thing?” 

You and Irene peer over to see a buttload of eggs, rice, noodles, meats, and salad piled onto his tray. The both of you sigh at the sight, watching dreamily as Seokjin shoves the food endlessly into his mouth. It was your own personal mukbang broadcast. 

“Uhhh two-touszhndf-mpmph” Seokjin mutters, and Hoseok glares again, cringing at the food that flies out of Seokjin’s mouth. 

“Two thousand?” You balk, resting your chin in your hand as you push a cherry tomato around on your plate with your fork. “Did you increase it since last time?” 

Seokjin nods, washing his huge mouthful down with a swig of orange juice. “I don’t know what it is about this weather, but I’m starving.” 

Irene sighs, setting down her cup. “God, I just wanna eat a big heaping bowl of french fries and a oozy, greasy cheeseburger right about now.” Hoseok nods in forlorn agreement and you nod too, pouting at the sad dressing-less salad in front of you. 

Seokjin talks again, food flying, “They have some! Over there! Can’t you sneak one? Our coaches aren’t even here.” 

Irene doesn’t even bother looking. She shakes her head. “No, it’ll affect our jumps. Really. Even the slightest bit of change in our weight will throw our center of gravity off. Plus, have you seen our outfits? They’re tight as fuck.” 

You nod, sighing as you swallow the last piece of cabbage. “Mine’s so tight I have to wear a stick-on bra instead of having it padded, like normal.” 

Hoseok cringes, “Hell ya, mine’s so tight I have to clench my ass cheeks everytime I do a sitting spin, or else the spandex gets too tight and gives me the absolute worst wedgie.” 

Seokjin rolls his eyes. “Guys, shut up. You know who has the worst, tightest outfits? The swim team.” 

The three of you stop talking, and burst in laughter as Seokjin rolls his eyes. You imagine the swim team in their tiny little speedos, junk squeezed tight and asses practically fighting to get out. You snort, “HAHA, don’t those guys ever like accidentally moon someone or like slip out of those things? I feel like they’re so small on their hips, it’ll fit around me.” You giggle, and Irene joins you, laughing at Seokjin’s disgusted expression. 

He’s about to respond when a voice interrupts. “Talking about the swim team’s speedos?” 

You all turn to see Park Jimin, captain of the Men’s Ice Hockey team turn up with a few of his teammates to your table. He sets his tray down next to yours, and laughs when Irene nods. 

Seokjin resumes, “Okay they’re not that tight, like I won’t lose any sperm because of it. They’re just...snug.” 

Irene cackles. “How do you even know?! You’re a snowboarder!” 

He shrugs, chewing thoughtfully. “Sometimes when you’re boarding you need a little extra waterproof protection.” 

The entire table explodes into laughter and disgust, and you join in, finally feeling a weight lifted off your shoulders. 

“Man, this makes me remember how it was in camp all those years ago, doesn’t it?” Jimin adds, and you guys all reminisce to the high school days, where athletes would attend a “athlete-morale” camp over the summer every year, which was just a sorry excuse for job-less coaches to shove down inspiring speeches and “team-building” activities down your helpless throats. 

A lot of you separate into your own conversations, launching into giggles and yells of memories you all shared together. That’s how you knew so many of the Olympians here. Even though you all had different schedules and different sports and areas of interest, somehow most of you had gathered at this camp every summer without fail. And every summer, the lot of you would suffer and bitch and complain together about how stupid and useless the lessons and activities were, and plot ways to escape your cabins at night to sneak away and do some drinking or exploring. Given, you drove your camp leaders crazy. They’d never seen a group of athletes like you guys, they said as they warily sent you home after a week of sleepless nights. 

Jimin nudges you. “How have you been?” 

You grin, turning to him, “Good, you?” 

“Same as ever,” he grins, smiling the sweet smile where his eyes would crinkle. 

“Actually you look a little different, you lost a lot of your baby fat.” You reach over and pinch his cheeks, and he frowns at you humorously as you laugh. “I remember we used to call you acorn because your face was so round.” 

He groans, “Seriously, I never forgave Yoongi hyung for coming up with that name.” 

You laugh, sipping your coffee. “I hear you and your team won silver in nationals, congratulations.” 

He sighs, “Thanks, y/n, but you know in our world, only the gold is worth congratulating for.” 

You nod, “I know how that feels.” Shrugging, he agrees with you, sending you a sad forlorn apologetic smile. He probably heard down the grapevine that you’d gotten silver.

“But at least this year, you’re gonna win gold right?” 

You shrug, picking at your cup. “I don’t know...the routine is really hard and I’m still jet lagged and not feeling my best. I’m getting nervous, and that anxiety was exactly why I stumbled a bit during my routine last year and lost the gold to Jennie.” 

“Ah Jennie,” he recalls, “Pretty, but sort of a bitch.” He shrugs, and Irene cuts in. “Sort of? Nope, she’s such a bitch.” 

The two conversations between yours and Jimin’s and Irene’s with Hoseok and Seokjin merge as Irene rolls her eyes. “Oh my god, it was ridiculous. Jennie’s routine wasn’t half as great as y/n’s but there was a slight stumble, which wasn’t even a stumble, and Jennie won. Which is ridiculous because Jennie actually tripped and had to leave out a spin on one of her turns to make sure she didn’t actually fall.” 

Hoseok tips his head. “Y/n, you stumbled?” 

Before you can even answer, Irene does it for you. “It was literally just a slight stumble, at most she switched her blade and landed with a bit more spark than usual.” 

You shrug, nodding at Irene to thank her for explaining it. You’d had to explain it way too many times now. “Whatever, it’s past now, and there’s not much I can do about it. We’re both here now, so it’s just important that I stay focused.” 

Seokjin nods. “Don’t worry, y/n. You’ll win. I’m sure of it.” 

Hoseok snorts, “How?” 

Seokjin makes a funny face, “Didn’t ya’ll know that I’m a genius and got voted the #1 most handsome face of the Olympians? If anyone knows things like that, it’s me.” He says, and everyone chuckles at it. Same ol’ Seokjin. 

“Speaking of which, here comes #1 most “daddy” Olympian.” Hoseok comments, glancing at the entrance of the dining hall. By instinct, you turn with Irene in your chair to see Jeon Jungkook sauntering in with the rest of his snowboarding team. 

The guys are gorgeous, with languid body movements, but strong bulky builds underneath all their protective waterproof jackets. Their jaws were chiseled and their looked rugged in that hot way. Jaebum, the one on Jungkook’s left was Irene’s favorite for a while, and was handsome and charming enough to even appear on a couple of variety shows and drama cameos. The snowboarders were actual celebrities back home.

You roll your eyes and turn back as quickly as possible, but not before Jungkook’s gaze settles on yours with a smirk. “I don’t even understand how that vote was even cast.” You grumble, sipping your coffee. “Seriously, out of all the other athletes, Jungkook? Gross.” 

Jimin laughs. “Well, who do you think would have been #1 then?” 

You groan, cringing. “To be honest, you or Seokjin.” 

All of you laugh as Seokjin pumps his fist, “Yes!” He cries out, food flying out of his mouth again, to Hoseok’s horror. “I knew it. Y/n think’s I’m hotter than Jeon Jungkook!” 

“Shut up!” you hiss, laughing as you try to get him to sit down, but it’s too late. At the sound of his name, Jeon Jungkook is drawn to your table like a fly to a light and grins as he walks over. “Incoming,” Irene hisses as she smiles up fakely at Jungkook. 

“I heard my name, are you guys talking about me?” He drawls, grinning as he perches a hand on the back of your chair. You ignore him and eat your yogurt. 

Jimin laughs, lifting a hand to shake hands with Jungkook. “’Sup dude, it’s been a while. Lookin’ good.” He smiles and you watch in disgust as Jungkook laughs, tainting Jimin’s innocent and beautiful presence with an entire bucketful of gross cocky frat-boy confidence. 

“I’ve been cutting a little bit, trying to not bulk too much these days,” Jungkook shrugs, flexing his arm a little to the delight of the gymnasts a few tables over. “I started getting a little less air once I started bulking up. But you’re lookin’ better bro, you guys training a lot?” 

Jimin nods, clapping the teammate next to him on a shoulder lightheartedly. He grins his charming smile again, his eyes crinkling on the sides. “Yeah, our couch has been pushing us real hard these days, but it’s been working. We’re all at our best weights of the season, and feeling real good for the upcoming games.” He smiles at you, glancing sadly at your poor little salad. “Y/n, you must be having a hard time recently too, right? Coach has us on a strict diet, but yours is probably stricter, isn’t it?”

You sigh, pushing around your cold chicken breast around on the plate for both guys to see. “I eat less than a thousand calories per day, all divided into six tiny meals. Helps keep off the weight so that I can jump higher. I can’t remember the last time I had an all-you-can-eat korean barbeque dinner. Maybe it was when I was in elementary school? Legit over a decade ago.” You shake your head as you picture the cold piece of meat as a sizzling hunk of delicious pork. 

It doesn’t help. 

Jungkook laughs, inviting himself to take the empty seat next to yours, his arm draped over the back. “Well, I for one, think you have an amazing body.” He winks at you and you pretend to gag as everyone chuckles at the table. 

“Gross!” you exclaim, pointing your fork menacingly at him. “Don’t you have some other girls to flirt with besides me? I’ve had enough fratboy for a day.” 

He grins, hand splaying across your back, warm against your skin. “Trust me, y/n, you’ll never have enough of me.” He winks and bids everyone a dumb cocky drawled “Later guys,” and walks off with his boy band team. 

Hoseok grins at you, “Was I high off my painkillers for a second or did Jeon Jungkook actually flirt with you and basically imply that he wanted to bang?” 

You choke on a piece of lettuce as everyone around the table nods, Irene and Seokjin chiming in with a simultaneous, “Totally.” Before turning to eachother with wide eyes and high-fiving. 

“Gross!” You exclaim again for the second time that morning, washing it down with a swig of water. “Me with Jeon Jungkook? I feel my ovaries shriveling up at the thought of sleeping with that frat-boy pig.” Jimin just watches you carefully.

Hoseok shrugs, “I bet if you sleep with him, it won’t just be your ovaries shriveling up. I hear he’s great in bed.” 

“Ugh! God Hoseok! Can you like not?” You cringe, and he laughs. 

“I can’t help it! He’s cute!! If he swung this way, I’d jump on that even before he could even know he was gay.” 

Everyone laughs and shakes their head at Hoseok’s blunt gayness, and you just grin uncomfortably as you turn back to your salad. You look up to see Jimin just watching you with a shy smile as he continues eating without a word. 

After breakfast, it was time to stretch a little more and actually start skating. You say bye to the rest of the crew and make your way to the gym again with Irene. You cringe, massaging your shoulder as you walk over. 

“Fuck,” you mutter, kneading the sore muscles. “My shoulder is all messed up...” 

Irene turns with a worried expression. “Oh shoot, I knew that not sleeping with a neck pillow would mess with your trap muscles. Did you bring your muscle cream with you?” 

Rummaging through your pack, you frown, “No...shit it really hurts though.” 

She pushes you towards the dorms. “Go and get it before we get on the rink, Coach’ll kill you if she finds out you didn’t treat it before getting on the ice. You know how she is. One little painful thing and she’ll go crazy on you and make sure you get it treated and ban you from the ice until it’s better.” 

You nod, biting your lip. “Don’t wait up for me!” You jog in the direction of the dorms. 

It’s a bit chilly, but the cardio helps a little as you make your way up the lavish road towards the towering buildings. The olympic villages...were always nice on the outside, but pretty dumb on the inside. 

Athletes were organized into country teams and shoved into tiny little apartments by gender, provided with college dormitory-style like rooms with two or three beds shoved into them with skinny little closets for your coats and stuff. You sigh as the dorm doors open to a rush of cold air, and scan your nametag before jogging over to the elevator, staring at your phone and logging your breakfast calories. 

The elevator opens and you nonchalantly walk inside, but right before the doors close, a hand comes in and slams the door crevice, forcing the doors to open automatically. You frown at the noise and look up to see who it is, and your jaw drops as you see Jungkook smirking at you as he steps in the elevator. You roll your eyes and drop your neck back to your phone as your typing fingers become a little harsher at the screen of your phone.

He grins at you, “Whatcha doin’?” 

“Trying to have some alone time,” you grumble, rolling your eyes at nothing in particular. He grins and somehow in his brain interprets it as an invitation to move closer and peer at your phone screen. “Sexting?” 

“No, god Jungkook,” you yelp, twisting the screen away from him, “You’re still super gross.” 

He laughs as the doors open and he trails after you. “This isn’t even your floor.” You grumble, walking down the hall towards your room anyway. 

“This isn’t even my building, but you knew that already.” He shrugs, grinning at you. He knew you too well, and he knew that too. God, you just wanted to strangle him in that pretty little neck of his. You unlock your door and he hovers, watching you rummage around your room for the bright blue container of your muscle cream.

“So, you have a thing with the hockey player?” He leans against your door, eyeing you with a cocky smirk.

You huff and drop your duffel, giving up on finding the muscle cream you were positive you packed. Hands on your hips, you face him with a glare.

“Just because I exchanged a couple of words with Jimin doesn’t mean I’m dating him, Jungkook. I’m not like you, fucking the first thing he sees.”

He hisses between his teeth, throwing his head back as he chuckles. “Oooo that burned. Straight from the ice princess. You really chose your sport didn’t ya? Double meaning and all.”

Glaring, you roll your eyes and turn back to digging through the drawers. “Why the hell are you here? I need to apply my muscle cream.”

Grinning, he produces a condom packet from his pocket. “Guess what? These are Olympic grade. I would hate to waste them when they’re giving ‘em away so freely.” Shrugging, he gestures between the both of you. “We can see if they work as well as they’re supposed to?”

When you don’t reply, he grins again, letting the door shut behind him and lock as he saunters over to you.

“So whaddyou say, for old times sake?” 

You groan, whirling around and facing him head on with a glare. 

“Jungkook,” you grit, “we slept together twice. Four years ago. There is no old time’s sake.” You wave your arms dramatically. 

He laughs, leaning back comfortably on your bed, and you groan. “Yeah it was four years ago, but equally as good. I mean,” he wonders, flipping the condom around in his fingers, “who knew that the goody little ice princess was actually such a freak in bed?” 

You finally find the annoying little blue container and spin at him with hands on your hips. “Stop talking about that night. It never happened, okay? No one can know.” You twist open the container and unzip your jacket to reveal your sports bra and turn away from Jungkook to apply it. 

He watches you struggle to reach the spot near your shoulder blade. “Need help?” 

You glare at him over your shoulder. “No.” 

He shrugs, “Your legs are flexible, but you know your arms not flexible enough to reach it and everyone’s out for training now. I’ll do it, no funny business.” He stands, and you glare at him but let him draw nearer as he takes the container from you. 

“Turn around,” he says gently, and begins to slather on the cream into your shoulder and neck, rubbing it in so that the stickiness is absorbed completely into your skin. You wince as he rubs too hard and he apologizes, setting the container down and concentrating on not rubbing too hard. 

“It wasn’t only four, you know,” he mutters, and you pause, frowning. “What?” 

“We slept together twice four years ago during the games, but we also slept together a couple more times after that. Just not at the games.” He stops rubbing, and you jerk your jacket onto your shoulder again, standing up from the bed with a glare as you pack your backpack. 

“Dont,” you warn, teeth gritted, “talk about that in front of anyone, ever. It could jeopardize our careers. Do you understand?! A few drunken nights together doesn’t mean anything! No matter how hot you think you are!” You storm off, jamming your shoes on and stomping outside. 

The only thing you hear before the door slams shut is his cocky voice calling out, “So you think I’m hot?!” 

Turn, Triple toe loop, land, Bielmann spin, stop, smile, turn again blade change.

You chant the routines in your head as you glide over the ice with the music. Although there were still 2 weeks left ahead of your actual performance, it was still crucial that you skated your program more than 10 times a day so that it was completely muscle memory by the time you stepped onto Olympic ice. 

Your teammates watch carefully from the sidelines with your coach, who’s carefully scrutinizing your every move. You finish with a flourish, chest heaving as the swell of music ends. 

Irene claps happily and Hoseok also joins her, cheering your name as you crumble over, hands on your knees as you heave with the effort of skating heavily for so long. Your coach steps onto the ice, patting your back as you put on your skate guards and take a seat. 

“Good job Y/N,” she nods, stepping aside to let other skaters take to the ice. “Why don’t you go home today and stretch a little? You’re looking a little stiff.” 

You nod, and on the corner of your eye, you see Jennie Kim step onto the ice. “Sure thing, coach, but let me stay behind and watch this one.” Coach Kim follows your gaze and softens. “Y/N,” she urges, “I don’t know if it’ll help you to watch her program.” 

“It’s fine!” You reassure her with a smile and join Hoseok and Irene on the benches as the music begins. 

Jennie was a phenomenal skater, everyone agreed. She was beautiful and thin and charming and knew exactly how to flirt on the ice. What you lacked in with performance skills, she excelled in with expressions and smiles, and what she lacked in technical jumps and clean cut programs, she excelled in making it look even more effortless and flirting with the audience enough to grant standing ovations and performing with a lot of emotion. 

As the three of you watch her run through her program, she completes jumps and spins that you never expected her to be able to complete. “How the hell did she learn to do the triple lutz triple toe loop combo?! I thought last show she had to cut it out of her program because she couldn’t land it properly!” You hiss, and Irene shrugs, her jaw hanging open too. “I don’t know...” she says lowly, watching Jennie glide over the ice as if she were weightless. “That...that’s impossible to do within what...six weeks? Even Rose couldn’t do it like that.” 

Hoseok gasps, “Oh my god, she faked that she couldn’t do it so she’d lower your expectations.” 

You frown and watch her finish her routine, one she stops and gets claps from other people also watching from the stands. Your coach pats you on the shoulder. “Although her routine is a lot more complex than we thought it would be, if you execute ours perfectly, you’re bound to get a hell of a lot more points than she can. Your training is gonna pay off, don’t worry about it.” 

Chewing on your lip, you nod, crossing your arms and worriedly walking out of the rink. 

Your steps are heavy as you head towards the gym. Jennie and you had once been peers, two young girls who began skating together for fun and ended up enjoying it and being actually good at it. But then, somehow, somewhere within all the competition, you both had stopped doing eachother’s makeup and hair between performances, and instead had resorted to smirks and jeers as you challenged eachother. 

Your gold medal or championship trophies matched the number of ones she had, and the both of you were neck to neck during every single match you could ever think of since you both became teenagers. 

This was probably going to be your final or second to last Olympics, and then you would end up doing promotions for companies or becoming a trainer for the rest of your life. If you wanted to live comfortably, you would have to skate like your life depended on it, and Jennie did too. Whatever medals the both of you won today would go down in history and determine the next years to come. If you didn’t win that gold medal this year, you were determined to just retire before it became even more embarrassing. 

The gym is full, with the sun high up in the air at 2pm. You can see a group of hockey players fiddling with the weights alongside the swimmers who were working the machines. The gymnasts and the female swimmers were already stretching in the padded room, and the running machines full of all types of athletes. Immediately, when you enter, the white shirt stretched over Jungkook’s back muscles is the first thing you see. 

Ignoring the clenching feeling of anxiety in your gut, you head over to the stretching area to begin cooling off. 

Feet out, leg as high up as you can, you coax yourself, mimicking what your coach would be telling you as of now. You can feel the stiffness, all the way back to your calves and the muscle cream from yesterday wasn’t helping all that much. Facing the mirror, you balance a hand on the beam and lean forward, lifting your leg up high far above your head as you balance on one foot, preparing for one of your spins. 

Through the mirror, you see him come in, his head swiveling as he surveys the myriad of other girls stretching and then smiling wide as he jogs over to you, throwing his sweaty towel around his neck. Gross. 

“So,” he says, leaning against the bar with a greasy smile. “Did you think about what I said?” 

You roll your eyes and continue stretching. “How many times did I tell you that there’s absolutely nothing to talk about?” 

“How many times after that night did you even have sex at all?” He scoffs, moving around to face you when you turn to switch sides.

“Did you like, even go out after that?” He prods, watching you stretch through the mirror. He wipes his sweat with the small hand towel, spraying some water from his bottle into his mouth and shaking out his sweaty bangs.

You switch legs, making another face when it strains a little. He notices, “oh, uh, do you need some help with that?”

You finally acknowledge him after twenty minutes of ignoring him. He was persistent, you had to give him that. Rolling your eyes you nod, “Do you remember how?”

“No,” he scoffs, but steps forward anyway, cradling your ankle in his larger hands. He’s hot, the cool temperature of the stretching area doing nothing to cool off his skin. He steps forward so the both of you are almost a hand width apart and places your ankle daintily on his broad shoulder. He then steps even closer, supporting your lower back with his hands and slowly pressing in to help stretch the calves and hamstrings.

You wimper a little because he’s almost an entire head and a half taller than your petite size and the leg on his shoulder is pressed almost to your chest. Squeezing your eyes shut you breathe in and out, the both of your bodies rocking slightly to accommodate the inflation of your lungs into your chest.

You can feel the heat emanating off his chest as he stands there looking down at you with the hardness of his body pressed up against the back of your thigh. It’s hard to not let your mind wander at that, flashbacks of drunken irresponsible high school days when you’d go to bed with him fucking you from behind and wake up to him kissing between your legs. And then you’d finish off with a nice hot bath and some good food. Back when you had no responsibilities, no worries, and no burdens on your shoulders.

The moment causes your mind to go a little hazy and in the fleeting few seconds of feeling vulnerable and the flood of hormones at the familIr feeling of his body against yours you whisper, “I haven’t” in response to his questions before. It’s too quiet to be heard over the high quality air conditioner whirring almost silently in the corner, but nonetheless his proximity lets him hear the two words.

He doesn’t say anything though, and lets your leg down from his shoulder and helps you get the other one onto his right shoulder. Rinse and repeat. But just as you open your mouth to say something more, a hand on the small of your back smooths over the curve of your hip and up your thigh and over to your ankle. Holding it delicately there, his hand grips it wth a firm and warm grasp, as he angles his head down to meet your questioning gaze.

“Me neither.” He whispers, and steps forward to press himself tightly against you. Your back presses against the bar and your hands flutter up from it to grip his forearms. You distinctly feel his hardness pressed against your belly. 

“Seriously? Don’t lie to me Jeon Jungkook. The last time we slept together was months ago.”

“I’m serious!” You give him a glare. 

“Do you…?” He trails off, and begins blinking like he does when he gets nervous.

The question lingers heavily over the hum of the running machines and air purifiers lining the training area.

His hands release your ankle and sets it gingerly on the ground, and he steps back, the warmth of his body and his chest and his hands and his breath leaving you all at once. You stumble a little back, your back resting on the bar.

Space, he was giving you space to decide.

You sigh, flexing your hands that are beginning to sweat. Your performance wasn’t for another two weeks. What did you have to lose?

Thinking about the way Jennie glided over that triple-toe-triple-lutz combination with no effort at all made you rage all the way inside, insides glowing hot from the annoyance of being fooled by her again. What was just one night of sex going to do? Your coach told you to relax and make sure you weren’t too stressed out and anxious...this...this was just an interesting way of doing it. What she didn’t know wouldn’t kill her.

“Fine,” you huff, stepping forward, gathering your things and heading out, as he jogs after you with a surprised look. “But on one condition, Jeon Jungkook. You cannot tell anyone. Are we clear?” 

He smirks, running a hand through his hair. “Clear as ice.” 

“Fuck,” you wimper as the the door slams shut behind you and Jungkook crowds your personal space. He’s breathing heavily, yanking harshly at your jacket zipper until it falls to the ground and your sports bra is all you’re wearing on top. He unzips that too and lets it fall to the ground, kissing you senselessly, lips moving against yours and drawing out your breaths and moans. 

“God I missed this,” he breathes, grabbing your waist and hoisting you up. Wrapping your legs around his waist you tongue at his neck as he sets you on his bed and strips off his jacket. “Did you miss me too?” He smirks as he sucks on your nipple crewdly and you moan in response, hips bucking up into his. 

“No--oh my god” you keen when he yanks down your legging and rubs at you through your underwear. Your hand flies down to grip his wrist, eyes squeezing shut at the sensation. “Oh-- fuck, please don’t stop.” 

He just chuckles and yanks your underwear band aside to reveal your dripping core, sliding his fingers in you with no obstruction at all. “Oh shit, Y/N, you’re so fucking wet,” he grumbles, nipping at your breast as you mewl and twist under the onslaught of sensations. 

“Take your pants off,” you breathe, panting harshly as he kneels up to peel his shirt off, revealing white milky skin, textured with taught lines and lean muscle. You help him untie the strings on his sweatpants, nimble fingers working desperately at the waistband until Jungkook gets impatient and just yanks it down his hips along with his boxers. 

While he grabs a condom, you yank off your panties, pushing him to sit up against the headboard of the bed. You straddle him, throwing a thigh over his hips and resting your hands on his shoulders for leverage. 

Were his shoulders always this broad? 

You shake away the thought as he grips himself and guides himself to your center, rubbing his sensitive tip against your wetness and smearing it around to make it more comfortable. You busy yourself with sucking a hickey against his collarbone, licking and biting until the clean flesh becomes red and inflamed and shiny with your spit. 

“Ready?” He breathes out, pupils blown out as he pants up at you. You nod and lower yourself on him slowly, and Jungkook moves his hand from gripping himself to settle and help you guide your hips down onto him. The both of you moan when you bottom out, panting and gripping each other desperately. When the stretch isn’t so bad, you rock your hips slowly back and forth, not yet bouncing up and down on him yet. 

The movement stimulates your clit against his pelvis and you moan, throwing your head back and looping your arms around his neck as you continue to swivel your hips on him. Jungkook sits there, eyes heavy lidded as he watches you with a slight smile on his lips. His hand raises to curl your hair over your shoulder, his hand following and resting on your neck as he leans down to kiss against your neck, tongue laving heavily, hot and wet against your skin as  you cling to him. 

He’s marking you too, focusing on the area right where your jawline meets your ear and nibbling against it, teeth scraping against the sensitive skin, making you moan. “Jungkook,” you whine, and he seems to understand what you’re asking for when his hand settles on your hips again and he begins to guide you up and down his length. 

The extra stimulation gets him going and he cringes. “Fuck, Y/N,” he grits his teeth and his hairline begins to dot with sweat at the effort. “I...I’m gonna cum s-soon.” 

“Already?” You gasp, opening your eyes to ask him. He nods, biting his lip as he groans, his jaw falling open. “I-it’s been a r-really long t-time. And you feel s-so fucking good. Hngh.” He groans as you squeeze around him in response to his praise. 

“Okay,” you breathe, “Just wait for me, hold on.” You reach down and rub your clit in wide circles, gathering the wetness from where you and Jungkook meet, and pressing into your clit with the pads of your fingers. Jungkook just buries his face into your neck, panting harshly against your collarbone as you continue to swivel your hips, moaning and rubbing like your life depended on it. 

With the feeling of Jungkooks lips on your nipples and his hands roaming your body, and his dick reaching parts of you that your fingers can’t even think of stimulating, and along with the 7-month-long hiatus from sex with him, you find yourself reaching the edge fairly quickly. 

“O-oh shit, Jungkook,” you whisper, letting him take over in rubbing circles on your clit, “I-I’m gonna---” You bite down on his shoulder, dampening the moans that tumble out of your mouth as you topple over the edge. At the sensation, Jungkook cums almost simultaenously as he finally lets himself go, and his moans spur you on as you quake over him and both your hips stutter at the overwhelming rush of pleasure. 

You pant and tremble as the sensations run through your entire body, your eyes rolling back as you moan and mewl and say whatever the fuck is coming out of your mouth right now at the feelings. But apparently it’s not completely and utterly horseshit that you’re muttering right now because Jungkook rocks up into you, riding out his own high and groaning your name loudly as his orgasm subsides. 

He laughs a little when he finishes, and the action makes him move a bit inside of you and you cringe, muttering a “ew you’re so sticky,” as you climb off of him. He stands after you, following you into the shower and flushing down the condom. Grinning and leaning against the doorway, he watches you climb into the shower and hose down your body. 

“How the hell were you hooked up with your own room? And bathroom?” You mutter, using the body wash there to clean off all the sweat. 

When he doesn’t respond, you turn, but a hand snakes around your waist. “Let me,” he murmurs, grabbing the soap from you and running along your back, his warm hands scratching over your skin. You let your head fall back at the sensation as he focuses a little too much on your breasts, swirling over the nipple with circular motions and gentle hands. “Again?” 

“Let’s save water,” he grins and you let him. 

You don’t save any water that day. It was 44 minutes too long. 

“Let’s go get some food,” Jungkook whines, as you both finish, collapsing on the bed with panting breathes as you come down from your high. His hands cradle your waist as you take a moment to gather yourself before you prop yourself up. 

“Huh?” You wrinkle your nose down at him, propping your arms on his chest. 

He laughs, sitting up and grabbing his shirt. “You said you were hungrier earlier. And we barely ate today, after gymming in the morning. I’m starving,” he whines, pouting at you and  you laugh, rolling off of his bed to grab your clothes. 

“I can’t,” you whine, pouting at your belly and poking the skin there. “If coach finds out I’m eating anything other than the diet we’re limited to, she’ll kill me.” 

He rolls his eyes, shrugging on a hoodie. “Oh god,” he groans, pulling on his baggy pants with easy. “You’re literally skinnier than some models that I’ve slept with.” 

You glare at him when he mentions the models and he laughs guiltily. “Sorry,” he grins, “But it’s true. You can afford to eat whatever you like. C’mon, just one meal won’t hurt.” 

You sigh, pulling on your leggings and a clean pair of underwear. Somehow...you ended up having a stash of underwear hidden deep within Jungkook’s drawers. 

“Fine,” you grumble, but the grin on your face says otherwise. It’d been ages since you ate anything other than the planned dietary foods prepared for you by your coach and  parents. This...this time wouldn’t be too bad. No one would notice. 

“Where’s my phone?” You grumble, digging through the bedsheets and your bag as you search for it. 

Jungkook shrugs, shaking out his hair. “I’ll meet you outside, gonna pee before we go.” 

You shrug him off and he leaves, and you finally find the device and slip it into your pocket. You also grab Jungkook’s really baggy hoodie and pull it over your thin workout spandex long sleeve and leggings, relishing in the way his smell floods your senses as the warm and soft fabric tumbles down your body all the way to your mid-thigh. Grinning, you turn to open the door, calling out, “Jungkook I--” 

Standing down the hall, with a packet of yogurt hanging from his lips and eyes as wide as yours, is Seokjin. His hand lingers on his doorknob, and he balks at you as you stand in Jungkook’s single room, in his clothes, and takes one glance at the messy room full of your stuff and mussed up bedsheets, and connects the dots immediately. 

“Seokjin...” you breathe, eyes darting to the main entrance. 

“What the fuck?” He sputters, pulling out the plastic packet from his mouth and stomping up to you. “You’re the girl that Jungkook’s been fucking?”

You bite your lip, trying to rack up any excuse, but you come up blank. “Oh my god, Seokjin, you can’t tell anyone! Not even Irene, if coach finds out she’ll kill me---” 

He whisper-yells at you. “Have you even met our coach? He’ll rip our balls off one by one if he knew Jungkook was slacking off in any way.” 

“Also,” he adds, frowning, “How dare you?! I thought you said he was gross.” 

You grin sheepishly. “It just happened...the stress and all, and there’s a lot of time in 3 weeks for 24 hours...” 

He shakes his head trying to get the image of you out of his head. “God,” he hisses, “I’ve been trying to set the two of you up for years! And all you two did was give me shit for it. Little did I know you two were already getting it on,” he glances behind him, to the vicinity of his room, whipping back around to you furiously. “And right next to my room?!” 

You sigh, gripping his arm. “C’mon Seokjin I know you won’t tell, but I need you to say it out loud. Please, promise me you won’t tell.” 

He sighs, groaning at you before relenting. “Alright, fine. But only because you gave me really yummy vitamins next week and medicine for my constipation.” 

You grin, reaching up to hug him. When he leaves for his room, Jungkook finally emerges from the restroom, grinning. “Whatcha two talkin’ about?” He grins, cocking his chin at Seokjin’s door. 

You march up to him, punching him hard. He doubles over, winded. “What the fuck Jungkook?!” you hiss, “I thought you said no one’s home before 3!” 

He winces, groaning and clutching his stomach. “Jeez woman,” he croaks, “Who the fuck taught you how to punch?” 

You smirk, “Get up. I’m hungry now.” He grins as he leads you to the front door. He reaches down and pulls the hood of his sweater up and around your head, bunching it low over your eyes. “Good,” he comments, doing the same to his own. “We can’t get caught sneaking out. I know of a way.” He winks and leads you down the elevator and towards the edge of the campus. 

“Where?” You hiss, jogging after him. 

He grins at you, pulling you alongside him with a warm hand that curls around yours. “Just trust me.” He walks straight for where the trash deposits are, and you wrinkle your nose at the smell of rotting food and boxes of cardboard strewn messily in the garage. But in the corner, you can clearly see a door marked with a red EXIT sign. 

“That’s the only one that doesn’t lock, all around campus,” he explains, slowly and gently opening it and glancing around to make sure the coast is clear before jogging out with you. “The others have cameras or guards, but this one I guess was forgotten with all the other construction that was going on.” 

You hmm in agreement and relish in the way Jungkook’s hand feels against yours. It’s a lot bigger, and his long fingers curl all the way to the middle of your palm, where his thumb strokes gently and warmly against your smooth skin. Feeling the way your hand is freezing cold, he pockets both your hands in his jacket pockets, nesting both your hands in the warm comforts of his down jacket. 

After a bit of walking, you make it to a decently crowded pedestrian area where he leads you to a corner of the street, where a tiny snack shop sits. Your mouth waters at the sight of a couple people inside, drinking hot soups and chowing down on instant ddukbokki’s and kimbap’s and ramen bowls that made your stomach churn with anticipation. 

“Oh my god,” you whisper, as Jungkook grins at you and leads you up to the stands, taking a seat in the corner. He still doesn’t let go, letting your intertwined hands rest on the plastic foldable table. “How did you find this place?” you whisper, after he orders a heaping pile of food for the both of you. 

“It’s a secret passed down through the snowboarding team for generations,” he winks, grinning when the cook brings over a steaming pile of rice cakes and korean pancakes and kimbap for you both to start on. You use the skewer to grab a piece and pop it into your mouth, humming and grinning at the wonderful taste of spicy and sweet that bursts within your mouth. Moaning at the sensation, you skewer a few more pieces into your mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he explains. 

“The hyungs would sneak out every chance we get. Our coach is a little...stiff and strict, but he lets us do this sort of in an apology for how strict he usually is.” 

You nod, chewing and washing it down with a sip of hot soup. “And does he come with you?” 

Jungkook shakes his head, using his free hand to grab a kimbap and chew on it. “Nope, he lets us have our thing. It’s like a tradition. I think this year, the team plans to come back here at least a few more times before we have to go back.” 

You grin, happily finishing up the plate of rice cakes. Staring at the empty bottom in horror you gulp. “Oh shit, when did I finish this whole thing?” You frown, trying to count the calories in your head. “Fuck, I’m screwed.” Dropping your skewer, you feel tears of shame brimming in your eyes.

Jungkook just frowns and shakes his head. He calls out for another order and you protest, but he just retorts, “Even the people with the best bodies let themselves have cheat days for goodness sake. You need this, Y/N. Don’t just de-stress with sex, rejuvenate with some food too.” 

You melt under his worried words and grin, sheepishly nodding when he hands you a new skewer. 

“Thanks Jungkook,” you whisper, taking another sip of the delicious ramen. “I love this place.” 

He grins, his hand curling around yours tighter. 

Once the both of you finish eating, he takes you around a bit more to explore, and then the both of you stumble back into his dorm. 

“Oh my god,” He mumbles into your neck as you unbuckle his jeans and slip a hand down his boxers. “Your hands are freezing,” he grits, licking and kissing at your neck as you pump him tightly in your fist. 

You giggle, letting him undo the zipper of your jacket and slide your jumper off of your torso. His hands fall heavily on your breasts, cradling them and letting their weight fall into his palms as he presses you into his warm bed. “Yours too,” you pant, the end of your declaration hitching up into a moan as he moves his mouth down to suck harshly at your nipple before tenderly running his warm tongue over it. 

“Let me warm you up,” he moans, and you remove your hand from his pants as he gets busy getting rid of yours. Once completely off and your leggings and panties thrown haphazardly over his shoulder, he hikes your thighs up over his shoulders and licks a warm stripe up your slit. 

Your head falls back onto the pillows, abs tensing as Jungkook gets to work, his warm mouth and tongue laving all over your lips and slit, maneuvering in patterns that make you twist and turn like putty under his hands. Your own hands are gripping at his forearms crossed over your belly, anchoring you to the bed, nails digging into his cold skin and scratching at the nape of his neck where you hold the strands of his hair tightly. 

“F-fuck,” you moan, hips jostling against his arms, “I-I can’t...Jungkook, just put it in...” you beg, core clenching as he boldly pushes you right up against the point of tipping over. But no matter how good you taste and how beautiful you sound and look right now, Jungkook also agrees that the best way to watch you cum is when you’re writhing underneath him. 

“Fine,” he mutters, rolling his eyes at you. 

So he licks one last cheeky stripe up against your clit, the rough pad of his tongue stimulating you enough to make you jump before he gets up, carding off his shirt and pants as he climbs up your body and meets you in the middle with a sloppy kiss. 

He hastily puts on the condom and slides into you with no intrusion, settling his warm weight on yours, chest against yours and hips gently rocking into your core. You moan and clutch at him desperately, throwing your arms around his neck and curling your legs around him like a vice. 

Jungkook lets out a strangled moan of your name, stuttering, “Sh-shit, don’t clench, y-you’re so fucking tight,” he grits, and when you see the way his jaw tenses in the effort to not cum too fast, you can’t help but lean up and nip teasingly at his ear and scrape your teeth against the sharp jawline. 

“C’mon,” you whisper, whining as he begins rutting into you faster, “Hurry,” you moan, and Jungkook leans up, detaching from your neck to sit up a bit better and piston his hips into you, angling himself just enough so the tip of his cock slides and taps right against the spot that has your toes curling and your eyes rolling into the back of your skull. You moan and pant and whine like an animal in heat as Jungkook wipes the sweat off his brow, and gets this steely look on his face as he drives home. 

The both of you finish, eachother’s names on the tip of your tongues and moans as you huskily whine and pant, bodies trembling with the overexertion of so much sex and the overwhelming pleasure of both your climaxes. 

Jungkook collapses on you, breathing heavily, and you let him stay there, kissing small innocent, apologetic kisses into the soft flesh of your chest as he comes down from his high. 

You begin giggling, as he does so, cringing a bit from the oversensitivity of the orgasm and laughing at the tickling feeling of his lips smoothing so softly over your skin. 

“One more time?” He asks, and he instantly feels the way your breath hitches and shudders at the suggestion. 

You smirk down at him, bringing him in for a kiss. 

“Of course,” you whisper against his lips, smiling as he grins and meets you halfway again. 

You didn’t go home at all that night. 

tbd! 

[greatneedtotakeanap]

i binge read

episode 9 - the house of hades

i don’t care what anybody says, hazel levesque was the main character in this book.

of course, all of the seven are the main characters, and all of them underwent a life changing journey in this book - Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus of course, Frank in Venice with all of the katoblepones and again in the House of Hades summoning the dead, Jason with his whole Cupid-Nico escapade, Leo meeting Calypso, and Piper fighting Khione. But Hazel’s journey was the most central to the plot. She actively chose the crossroads that would lead to the events of the whole book - Leo falling, Percy and Annabeth unconscious in front of the Doors, Frank wounded. Those were all events that she chose and events that came to pass. She, personally, led to pretty much everything that happened. She’s the most powerful of the seven imo, with all of the Mist manipulation and gem summoning - she easily possesses the most raw power.

Anyways. I’d have to talk about all of the Seven individually for this post to work. We’ve already covered Hazel so let’s start with Jason, because nobody ever does. I really wish this guy had more character, even just in his own chapters. I understand that he’s hella blunt and how helpful that is, and most of the time I appreciate it. But his main conflict in this book was belonging, in the Greek versus the Roman camps (which is something that Nico was also struggling with in a different way). I wish he’d explored that, the blending of Greek and Roman, within himself more. I think it’s a very important plot point that I as a biracial kid can relate to specifically - the feeling of coming from two different places, loving two different cultures, wondering to which you truly belong.

Next, Piper. We really didn’t see as much as I’d like to see of her in this book. She kind of just popped up whenever anybody needed a charmspeaking side character. Her big climax moment was fighting Khione, which was a pretty cool scene I must admit. I admired not only her quick thinking but her ability to accept that she was unable to think like Annabeth and her willingness to embrace her own way of thinking. That’s something that I don’t see as much as I’d like. Also I loved the little detail of her swordfighting lessons with Hazel. The girl power and camaraderie was strong and I appreciated that. It almost seems to me like she’s learning that she is like other girls--the narrative in her chapters was very different from in TLT.

Leo. If nobody ever shut me up, I could talk for days about Leo Valdez. Admittedly he pissed me off a bit sometimes - sometimes his jokes took things too far, especially when he picked on Frank. But this fifteen year old child built a HELICOPTER in MIDAIR. He just makes it so hard not to love him. The high point for him this book was, obviously, when he crashlanded on Calypso’s island. It was one of my favorite parts of the book, too, partially because it was one of those scenes I could just see in my head, every second. It made a pretty beautiful picture too. You could see both of them slowly falling in love - Jason says later that he was only in exile for five days, but Leo, on Ogygia, clearly experienced at least two weeks - one of them building a looking glass, the other building a boat with Calypso. It was interesting to see, through the other people’s eyes, how it changed him. And how he refused to talk about it. I love how his instinct, whenever he sees Gaea, is to just chuck the nearest object at her. In TLT, he sees her in face in the porta-potty sludge, and he chucks a toilet seat at her. In Calypso’s island, when she reappears, he just throws a pair of pliers at her. It’s just so hilarious to imagine--see Gaea, throw object. I have never felt prouder of him than I did when he chucked that screwdriver from across the room to press the button to let Percy and Annabeth out of that elevator. It was just a cinematic move.

Frank!! If Hazel wasn’t the main character, it definitely would have been him. His journey in this book was also quite cinematic. It was amazing to see how he’d changed, growing into his identity as a child of Mars. There were so many times I loved him so much--destroying every katobleps in venice, leading the team through the House of Hades. All while the two different sides of his dad were yapping away in his head. Takes some serious steel. I just feel like everyone always underestimates Frank Zhang. This dude, despite being the biggest pacifist of the Seven (besides possibly Piper), is just so freaking metal. I’m so incredibly proud of him and of his journey.

I intentionally left Percy and Annabeth for last because it’s gonna be hard to explain. Because I’d have to group them together mostly. I loved the way they were always working for each other, always looking out for each other. They saved each other’s lives dozens of times over. I know I’ve said it a thousand times but that’s my favorite thing about Percabeth. They’re best friends above all. From the very beginning, with the river, to Arachne, to the aria curses and so much more - they always, always had each other’s backs. I loved Bob the titan immediately. I can’t say I remember him, like, at all--despite the binge reading I did, I literally cannot remember Iapetus. Which book was he in? I’m assuming The Last Olympian. I knew Small Bob would be important in the end, and I knew the giant would come back - though it was quite sad, the ending. Especially Percy at the end telling Zoe that bob says hello. A lot of the scenes in Tartarus were difficult to imagine, though some were easier - for example, the defeat of Misery. I cheered when Percy took her down, I immediately hated her. Other Tartarus escapades were sad and painful, but I’m glad they got out.

Fourteen days until Gaea awakens and two demigods’ blood will water her soil. Tower of Nero is released today. I was hoping to finish all three series, short of the final book, by Friday. Can our heroes battle Gaea, fix things with the Romans, and save the world? Can I read the Blood of Olympus and the entirety of the Trials of Apollo within three and a half days? Probably not. Stay tuned for more.