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#Chiron x Dionysus
bugwolfsstuff · 21 hours
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*noises*
Something about how Chiron was litterally unwanted straight from birth and Mr D was fought for to be kept alive
But now Chiron is loved by the entire camp and the people who fought to keep Mr D alive are either dead or dont care and absouletly no one wants him around.
*noises*
Someone go in for depth about this i cant articulate my feelingd
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So, a note on the musical. We have the best fucking ships
Like, Clarisse and Annabeth have a song together. It's technically a fight song (it's for when capture the flag is happening) but like... It's so homoerotic
In the musical, Charlie cheats on Silena. So the Silena actor has devided that she gets together with Katie, one of the Demeter cabin girls. They gossip so much, and it's so cute
Most importantly, basically all of us (especially the actors) have decided that Chiron and Mr. D are dating. They're literally perfect together.
So yeah, these are like, otps now
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rocknroll7575 · 2 months
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Percy jackson au
Jaune: Are you sure we should be doing this here what if a camper forgot something here?
Hestia:....Jaune this is my Cabin there is literally no one would come in here. Unless of course we get to loud
Jaune: ....Someone is definitely going to hear us
Hestia: That gonna stop you?
Jaune: NOPE
Grover: Guys! I think there's a monster trapped in Hestia's Cabin!
Percy: What makes you say that?
Grover: Dude! I heard screaming coming from there!
Percy: Alright, let's go check it out then
Annabeth: I'm coming with
Bianca/Nico: So are we!
Thalia: ... Ah what the hell, might as well check it out
*The group walks over tothe cabin and does in fact hear screaming, so they call grab their weapons and quickly charge in only to see Jaune and Hestia going at it*
*Jaune and Hestia stop and quickly look to see the kids*
Jaune: What the-!? *Falls backward*
Hesita: *Quickly covers herself with a sheet*
Thalia: OH SHIT!
Bianca: *Covers Nico's eye quickly* Don't look!
Grover: BAHHHHH!!!
Annabeth: Oh sweet Athena! *turns around*
Percy: *Blocks his sight with his hand* I could have gone my whole life without seeing that!
Jaune: *Gets up and covers himself with a pillow* What the hell are you doing here!?
Percy: Grover heard screaming and thought there was a monster trapped in here!
Hesita: ... Was I truly screaming that loud?
Grover: No offence my lady, but I'm sure that Olympus and the underworld could have heard it
Hesita: *blushes* Oh my...
*Rhea, Chiron, and Dionysus come running in*
Rhea: We heard screaming, what is- Oh... *sees her daughter and Jaune* Atta girl
Chiron: By the gods what is- Oh sweet Hera! *Looks away*
Dionysus: What is all this racket abo- *Sees his aunt and Jaune* I... I wish I had a strong drink right now...
Jaune: CAN YOU ALL LEAVE PLEASE!!!
Thalia: If we do are you gonna get dressed and stop or continue...
Jaune: ...I'm not gonna answer that.
Annabeth: Good enough for me! *Leaves*
*Everyone leaves*
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Colour theory (fluff)
Luke Castellan x gn!reader fluff
Prompt: Luke comes into your cabin at night for some cuddles... and to discuss eye colours
My first PJO post, im excited and i hope you like it!
Requests are open, dont be shy :)
Masterlist
You drowsily blinked open your eyes, the moon light was shining into the cabin. It was late at night, noone was up yet. You could hear the soft breathing of your cabin mates. You turned around with a sigh and pulled the blanket over your shoulder, closing your eyes again.
There was a quiet knock on the window where your bed was placed under. You opened your eyes again and pushed yourself up from the matress. You huffed but leaned up to peak out of the window.
A soft smile grew on your face as you sat up on your knees to unlock the window and slowly open it to avoid making noises. After all, you didnt want to wake your cabin mates. Or attract any cantankerous harpies.
The window squeaked quietly when you slowly opened it. The window sill made a slight cracking noise when Luke stepped on it.
You offered your hand and he grabbed it tight when he carefully climbed into your cabin. He was just in his camp halfblood tshirt, grey sweatpants and socks, carrying his sneakers in one hand.
He gently stepped on your bed, holding your hand for support and put his shoes on the floor once he was inside. You leaned up to lean against his shoulders after he sat on your bedside.
"Hey." You murmured. You wrapped your arms around him and rested your head on his shoulder. He turned his head and kissed your nose. You scrunched it and Luke continued to pepper your face with kisses for a few moments which made you giggle. "Hey." He whispered back finally.
"Thought I would come around." He whispered and you lifted the blanket up for him to slip under it next to you. Luke fell onto the matress next to you and wrapped his arms around you. "Thats nice." You chuckled quietly as you rubbed your eyes.
You sunk back into your pillow with a heavy sigh and pulled Luke closer to you. He leaned up and rested his head on your chest.
You smiled widely and combed your hand through his hair, hair strands running between your fingers. "How are you?" You asked whispering. Luke only hummed and you thought he was too close to sleeping to give you a proper answer but then he whispered against your skin.
A warm summer breeze blew through the open window, carrying the smell of grass and salty water from the lake into the cabin. Luke sighed relaxed and inhaled the fresh air, his fluffy hair tingeling your chin.
"Tired." He grumbled softly. "How come?" You asked concerned while you brushed one of his curls from his forehead. Luke sighed slightly annoyed and buried himself deeper into your body. "Cabin is loud. We got a lot of newbies." He groaned quietly.
Luke often complained about the Hermes cabin being overcrowded. Which was true, it were too many people to an extend where you couldnt get out at night because the floor was covered in sleeping campers during the night.
Luke always got a lot on his plate with keeping his cabin in track, making sure they all arrive at the meals on time and finding a place for everyone to sleep. It got onto him sometimes, it wasnt a rare thing that he sometimes joined you in bed in the middle of the night. He was always craving your comfort and touch and sometimes it just got too much.
"Im proud of you, ya know?" You whispered while you gently rubbed Luke's shoulder muscles. The blond boy groaned in pain but leaned closer. You laughed quietly, massaging his hard muscles.
"Come on." You nudged his thigh with your leg and he pushed himself up to lay down between your legs to rest his head on your chest. You scooted a little more in the middle of the bed, which was barely enough for two people but it was sufficient. It was a good excuse to initiate some cuddling, when the two of you first started dating.
Your boyfriend exhaled calmly. "I like the kids. But sometimes its just too much." He whispered, you leaned down to see that his eyes were half-closed. He smiled at you lazily as you got back to rubbing his shoulder muscles.
"I know you like your kids. But you are allowed to feel overwhelmed. You got a lot to manage and you are doing a great job. Hell, i dont know how i would manage to make sure that a whole army of kids is kept fed." You chuckled into his hair. Luke leaned up to kiss your clavicel as it was right next to him.
"Thank you." He whispered back. There was a faint blush on Luke's cheeks and you took a moment to admire his beauty. His dreamy blue eyes were slightly glazed over but he smiled at you softly.
"I love your eyes." You whispered and leaned down to kiss his forehead. Luke smiled widely and propped his head up on his hands, looking up at you.
"One of the new kids said the colour is called 'old world blue' because it has a little yellow around the pupil." You hid your laugh behind your hand to not wake your cabin mates.
"I see. Maybe an Iris kid?" You suggested, still snickering lightly. Luke nodded eagerly. "Absolutly. She ran around the camp all day, telling people their eye colours. Did you know that Mr. D's eyes are not actually grape purple? They are indigo."
You smiled at Luke's excitement. "No, i was unaware." You chuckled. Luke layed back down and relaxed against your touch. His weight felt good on our body, it kept you grounded and helped you relax your own body. "You have to introduce me to her, i would love to find out what my eye colour is."
"I will. But no matter what colour it is, you are always beautiful." Luke whispered sheepishly. You laughed at how adorable he was behaving. "Thank you, my love." You snickered.
"Old world blue... that's my favorite colour ever now." You whispered into his hair. It was quiet for a few seconds before Luke mumbled back.
"I wonder what my new favorite colour will be."
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m3wm3wku · 5 months
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Hear me out,
MR. D X CHIRON.
Don't ask me why, It just makes sense to me and I love it.
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captainsophiestark · 11 months
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Happy Ending
Luke Castellan x Reader
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Masterlist - Join My Taglist!
Written for Fictober 2023!
Fandom: Percy Jackson
Day 22 Prompt: "Who takes care of you?"
Summary: What if Luke had come by to see Y/N, his pre-betrayal best friend and SO, instead of Annabeth between books 3 and 4?
Word Count: 4,189
Category: Angst, Fluff
A/N: I really loved the vibes of this post by @m4gp13 so this is very loosely inspired by it, even though the main body of the story doesn't have much to do with it lol
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
I sighed, staring at the piles of boxes on the floor of my dorm room. The spring semester of my second year of college was just coming to a close, and I still had a lot to do to be ready for everything after it finished. I was moving into my own apartment for the summer, and needed to move from the dorm room to my new apartment. As soon as that was over, I'd planned a visit to Camp Half-Blood, the training camp for heroes I kept going back to, even though I was technically an adult.
I needed to pack everything in my dorm, move it to my apartment, and then be able to unpack everything I'd need for a few weeks visiting camp. This packing job would need to be strategically worthy of Athena.
I'd just barely managed to psych myself up to get started when a knock came at my door. I huffed a sigh, but I really didn't mind the distraction all that much.
"Coming!" I called. I glanced out the peep hole, then froze solid when I saw Luke Castellan staring back at me.
My heart stopped dead in my chest. I looked again and saw he had no monsters with him, at least not visibly, but I couldn't understand why he would come here without them.
Luke had been one of my closest friends in the world since we met as kids, on the run together from our mutually shitty families. We'd met first, then found Thalia and Annabeth after. Luke and I were the same age, and we'd been thick as thieves since day one, Hermes pun intended. As we'd gotten older, a small crush I'd had on Luke had grown massive, and luckily for me he'd returned my feelings. We'd been happily dating and in love ever since, until two summers ago, when he'd betrayed me and every single one of our friends and joined Kronos.
I'd barely talked to him since. We only had contact once and a while, and every time, it went the same way. I was hurt, he was apologetic but not willing to change any of his decisions. Me and the rest of Camp fought him and his monsters, and I tried not to fall apart at the loss of the love of my life.
The distraction provided by college had been a serious, serious relief.
But now, Luke was here. In the middle of space where I very intentionally avoided thinking about him, on my doorstep for whatever reason. And I had no idea what to do.
"Y/N? I know you're in there. I'm here under a flag of truce. I just want to talk."
Just like that, any desire to duck and hide crumbled. The rational part of my brain screamed at me that he could be lying, that this might just be a trap, but I ignored it. After everything we'd been through, if Luke said he wanted to talk, I wanted to hear him out.
I opened the door, and Luke's shoulders sagged with relief when he saw me. I wanted to dart forward and wrap him in a hug, something I hadn't been able to do in two years, but I held myself back. Luke shifted a little from foot to foot, looking incredibly awkward, so after a second's hesitation I stepped to the side.
"Would you like to come in?"
He gave me a suspicious look, like he thought it was a trap or a trick or something. My heart shattered in my chest. How had things gone this wrong, that we stood on opposite sides of the door as basically strangers?
"My house is a mess, because I'm in the middle of packing up to move, but... if you want to talk, Luke, I feel like the hallway isn't gonna be the best place to do it."
He gave me a curt nod, not quite meeting my eyes as he walked past me into my apartment. I glanced down the hallway, taking one last look to make sure we didn't have any lingering monsters, but things were deserted. I sighed and went back into my apartment, closing the door behind me.
I found Luke hovering in the space between the kitchen and the living room, surveying things with a strange look on his face. I moved toward him carefully, not getting too close in case I spooked him.
"Do you want some tea or something? I haven't packed my electric kettle yet-"
"I think tea might take longer than the five minutes I promised."
I turned to look at Luke, raising one eyebrow in challenge, a little bit of our old rapport back. He shifted his weight around and glanced towards the door, then met my eyes again.
"Luke... is some giant monster going to burst through my door in five minutes? Or an army of small monsters, or anything under that general monster-army umbrella?"
"What? No, no, there's... no. I'm here under a flag of truce. There's nothing coming to hurt you, and when I leave... I'll leave."
"Okay then," I said, deciding not to comment on just how shaken and pale Luke looked, at least not right now. "Then I'm giving you a pass on the five minutes. And electric kettles take like two seconds anyway, seriously. They're magical."
Luke huffed, shaking his head as an incredulous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. My heart squeezed, but I made myself move towards the kitchen and act like things were normal.
"Take a seat, Luke. Or come pick your tea."
Luke took the second option, and my heart doubled its speed when I felt him hovering behind me, closer than we'd been in a long time if you didn't count combat. He leaned over my shoulder to point to the bag of black tea on my counter, and I nodded as I poured the hot water into our cups. I dropped two teabags in each of our drinks, then turned to Luke with a smile.
He stood a little more than a foot from me, and he took the cup from my hands carefully, like he didn't want this bubble of peace and normalcy to burst either. I stared into his beautiful, bright blue eyes, a smile growing on my face again despite myself. I'd missed this. A lot.
The moment lasted another few seconds, and then Luke cleared his throat and looked away. He took a tentative sip of his tea, then looked at me again, his face deadly serious.
"I don't know how to say this. I... I learned some things recently, about some plans I wasn't aware of before."
He paused and took another sip of his tea, and his hand shook a little as he brought the mug away from his lips. Shock coursed through my body as I realized Luke was scared.
"Kronos, he- he's going to use me. He's going to use me to take over the world. This summer... he's going to use me like a stepping stone, until he gets so much power he's unstoppable."
"Luke... what are you saying?"
His eyes had wandered to stare holes in the wall of my kitchen while he'd talked, but now they snapped back to me, wide and full of urgency.
"I'm saying I want to run away. I want us to run away, like the old days. Before... before he gets the chance to carry out his plan."
I stared at Luke for a few minutes, then shook my head, scoffing and pushing past him into the living room of my house. I paced a little, trying to make sense of what he'd just told me. What he'd just asked of me.
"Luke... I don't know what to say!" I finally admitted, completely honest as I turned back to him. He watched me, his expression guarded. "I don't... I don't think I can just run away. Not from the life I've managed to build, not from our friends still here and risking their lives!"
"So that's it, then?" he asked, taking a few steps forward, his tone angry. "Your answer's no?"
I huffed a laugh, staring at anything in the room except for Luke and trying to think. My brain was working a million miles an hour, but I still needed a little bit of time to think things through. But I wasn't sure I had time.
"Okay, Luke, can we sit down for a minute? Actually talk about this?" I said, taking slow steps towards him. I set my mug down on the nearest table, then reached out to gently rest my hands on his. A storm of emotions raged behind his eyes, but he didn't stop me or pull away. "This is a lot to take in all at once. Can we work through this together?"
His jaw worked like he was holding back some retort, but he let me pull him along towards the couch. Slowly, together, we sank down onto the cushions. I only pulled one hand back, and made sure our knees rested against each other, hoping it would do something to help keep Luke grounded.
"I don't want to run," I said simply, meeting his eyes. He opened his mouth, looking ready with an outburst again, but I continued before he could. "But Luke, think about it. Where are we gonna go that he doesn't find you, especially if he wants to? Monsters can sniff us out. We'd never, ever be able to live another day without looking over our shoulders."
Luke's shoulders sagged, and he shook his head miserably as he stared at the half-full mug in his hand.
"Then there's no hope."
"That's not what I said. And it's also not true." Luke scoffed, shooting me a look out of the corner of his eye. I looked right back. "If you don't want to follow through on what Kronos is asking of you, why not just come back with me? To Camp, to my somewhat normal life. I have an apartment with space for two. You could even enroll with me next semester, if you wanted to."
Luke shook his head. He pursed his lips as he raised his head to meet my eyes again.
"And let the Olympians continue exploiting us? Let them keep destroying people and lives because we don't matter to them?"
I huffed a sigh. "Look, I'm not their biggest fan either, but right now it seems like it's 'let Kronos kill you' or 'stop fighting the Olympians'."
Luke shook his head again, more energized this time, more angry. He stared at the wall ahead of us, the same hurt and bitterness I'd seen from him over the years burning in his eyes.
"It's just not right. There should be something we can do. Something that isn't Kronos, but isn't letting the Olympians win."
And just like that, a lightbulb went off in my head.
"Luke... what if there was a way we could do that?"
****************
That night, Luke and I stayed up until almost two in the morning brainstorming and working out the details of my plan. When we finally decided to get some sleep, he stayed with me, and curling up in the same tiny twin bed, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, had me more at peace and ease than I had been in a long, long time.
The next morning, we finalized a few things over breakfast. Then, there was nothing left to do but put our plan into action.
Luke stayed in the apartment, tasked with keeping his head down and finishing packing for me, since I had other places I had to be. Namely, Camp Half-Blood. A little earlier than I'd talked about with Chiron, and hopefully, before the place was crawling with campers for the summer.
Thankfully, it didn't take me too long to get to Camp. I arrived a little after lunch and found the place expectedly deserted. From the top of the hill, I could see some of the year-rounders moving around the lake. I tried to keep them from noticing me as I headed straight for the Big House.
I paused just outside the front door to steel my nerves one last time, then marched inside. I found Chiron and Mr. D sitting together, apparently deep in conference. They both looked up when they noticed me, matching looks of surprise on their faces (although Chiron's had a noticeably happier edge to it).
"Y/N! We weren't expecting you for another few weeks-"
"I'm not staying for long. Something just came up that I needed to talk to you about right away. To both of you, actually, especially Mr. D."
He raised a bored eyebrow in my direction but otherwise didn't move. Chiron motioned to a chair at the table.
"By all means, please."
"That's alright, I think I'll stand," I said. I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders and straightening my spine. I would not back down, wouldn't leave until I'd succeeded. Luke and I's future depended on it.
I took a moment to make very intentional, determined eye contact with Mr. D. His other eyebrow raised.
"I'm here to bargain for a pardon for Luke Castellan."
Silence. Both Chiron and Mr. D just stared at me for a few long moments, then turned to look at each other. Chiron looked concerned, but Mr. D burst out laughing.
"He's a traitor and an enemy of Olympus! This has all been very boring and ridiculous, and a waste of our time. Get out."
Mr. D's last word had a firey threat behind it, but I didn't flinch.
"You and the rest of the Olympians are perfectly aware what a threat Kronos presents. Everybody's getting scared, and they should be. He's got a plan for returning to his Titan form, the one he had before he was defeated the first time, before Zeus cut him apart and cast him into Tartarus. And it's a plan that he can definitely make succeed.
"Luke knows all about this plan. Obviously. And he's willing to defect and tell you all about it, so we can stop it before it happens. But you have to give him a complete pardon, sworn on the River Styx by Zeus."
Mr. D snorted again, this time raising from his chair and taking a few threatening steps towards me. I still didn't back down.
"Y/N, listen," Chiron interrupted, shuffling forward a little bit to stand partially in between me and Mr. D. "If you have information that could save Olympus and the camp-"
"Oh, I have some. Just like Chris Rodriguez had some. But Luke has all of it. And you're not getting any of it without giving him a pardon first."
"Or we could force it out of you before finding your little boyfriend and doing the same to him," said Mr. D, his tone light but his eyes blazing. Chiron started to step in again, but I spoke up before he got the chance.
"You haven't been able to find him this long, you won't be able to find him now. And anybody who knows anything about interrogations knows that torture just plain and simple doesn't work for getting information." Mr. D grunted, but we both knew I had him there. "Besides, if Luke gets his pardon, that means more than just getting all the information from Kronos' former right hand man. It also means that Kronos loses said right hand man, who's been organizing and leading a lot of the work so far."
Chiron and Mr. D shared a look, and I tried not to let it show just how much my heart was racing. For the first time since I'd walked in here, I actually felt a glimmer of hope that my plan might succeed. Chiron turned back to me, the worried look still on his face.
"Y/N... what makes you so confident that Luke wants to defect?"
"He sought me out," I answered simply, trying to dance around his location at least a bit. "He's realizing quickly just how bad Kronos would and could be, and he's scared. Terrified. He wants a way out, so when he found me, he asked me to run away with him. I suggested trying this plan first, mostly so I don't have to leave behind everyone else I love. But also because, this way, you might stand a chance against Kronos that you wouldn't have if we'd left without offering information."
The conversation continued for almost another hour, centered mostly around Mr. D making threats and, when I didn't back down, reminding me that I was trying to demand something of Zeus. He made plenty of good points, but I'd thought through all the ways this plan could go terribly, painfully wrong with Luke before I'd come here. I wasn't going to give in, for anything.
Finally, after restating my points and my argument a few times, Mr. D agreed to bring my request to Mount Olympus. I waited anxiously in the Big House with Chiron, whose brow remained deeply creased the entire time. I didn't engage, intentionally avoiding the conversation he looked like he wanted to have, but I saw him watching me out of the corner of my eye.
I started to get worried as the evening came, but finally, Mr. D reappeared. The first time he'd delivered his news, I honestly hadn't believed him. I asked him to repeat himself, which he rolled his eyes over, but the words were the same. Somehow, by some miracle, I'd managed to succeed.
Zeus was willing to give Luke his pardon in exchange for information and defecting.
I wasn't a complete idiot, so made sure the terms were clear when Mr. D brought me to Olympus to witness the oath. The words covered any retaliation, punishment, or harm that might come to Luke, and completely prevented it. Zeus spoke the words and the sky rumbled with lightning. I tried not to shake in relief or from the adrenaline dump as I bowed and promised he wouldn't regret his decision. Hermes shot me a grateful look on my way out, and I returned his nod. He'd been awful to Luke, but we were aligned in not wanting to see him dead, and I got the feeling Hermes had been helpful in pleading my case.
When we returned to the Big House, I headed for the door as quickly as possible, promising to bring Luke back with me in a week when I'd been planning to return anyway. I still had to move out and then move in to a new place again, and Luke had assured me that week of time wouldn't cost the war.
I raced back home, breaking almost every traffic law in the process, but I didn't care at all. I called out to Luke from the hallway, so he wouldn't be scared when I flung the door open, then rushed to wrap him in a giant hug. We sank to the floor together, crying in relief, and stayed like that for a long, long time.
The next week felt like a dream. Luke and I finished packing up my old apartment, then moved together into the new one, which we'd started calling 'ours'. We had to duck monsters a few times, and Luke was still in significant danger, but this time we were on the same side. As we settled into our new place on the last night before we were supposed to head back to camp, I quite literally couldn't have been happier.
It was a little strange returning to camp with Luke, but I quickly got over my own concerns when I saw how tense he was. I held his hand the whole way in, and thankfully, we'd still managed to get here before most of the summer campers. Luke and I sat shoulder to shoulder in the Big House while he told Mr. D and Chiron everything about Kronos and his operation. It took hours, and I could tell Luke struggled to get a lot of it out. But he did.
It had taken long enough that we decided to stay the night, even though I could see Luke clearly didn't want to. We stayed in the Big House, and the next morning, we finished the last of the intel-sharing before heading back home.
Chiron stopped Luke on the way out the door with a hand on his shoulder and said he was so happy to have Luke back. Luke just nodded, but I squeezed his hands as I noticed a single tear making its way down his cheek as we left.
"You know..." I said as we climbed in the car. I was driving, and Luke stared determinedly out the window. "Chiron's probably not the only one who'd be happy to have you back. There might be some apology tour type-stuff, but for the most part... I think you'd get a warm welcome home."
Luke just gave a noncommittal grunt, and I let it go. That was a bridge we could cross later.
For now, we still had one final part of our plan to put into action.
The reason Luke had joined Kronos in the first place was because he'd been neglected by his Olympic parent, especially since his mortal parent had been in such a bad place. He'd discovered the hard way that Kronos was no better alternative, but the fact remained that the gods used their mortal children at best, and at worst completely ignored them for their entire lives.
We needed to find a third option, some middle ground way to make things better. So, we decided to be the change we wanted to see.
As legal adults with a newly moved-in apartment that had a decent amount of space, we had the power to make our home a space for demigods who had nowhere else to go. If their immortal parents were neglecting them and things weren't good with their mortal parent either, they could come to us. For a little while, or to stay for good. We made our own little sanctuary, then shared it with all the kids like us who'd needed it.
Over time, the operation expanded, and we moved into a bigger apartment with more space. Thanks in part to Luke and I, Camp Half-Blood won the war, and we were able to do even more once Kronos stopped being a threat. What had started as not much more than a dream of doing good had turned into a loud, busy, happy house with people constantly coming and going.
Which is how we'd ended up in an alleyway talking to a scared teenager, after helping defeat a monster who'd been bearing down on him.
"Who takes care of you?" asked Luke, a sympathetic and understanding frown on his face as we stood a little ways from the kid. We didn't want to make him uncomfortable, but we'd gotten good at spotting the signs of a young Half-Blood in distress and helping them.
"I take care of myself," the kid spit. I tried not to glance at Luke.
"We used to do that, too," I said, moving a little closer to Luke. "We both ran away from home, survived on the streets, although I guess we really took care of each other."
"Now, we take care of people like you," Luke continued, right where I'd left off. "Do you know what you are?"
The kid hesitated, then half shook his head. He at least had some idea, then.
"You're a Half-Blood," I said. "Half mortal, half immortal Olympian god."
"...What?"
"Look, I know it's a lot to process," said Luke. "But the longer the three of us sit in this alley, the more likely it is another monster's gonna come and pick a fight."
We managed to get the kid up and moving, heading back for our apartment. On the way, we explained more about the Olympians, and told him about Camp Half-Blood.
"It's a good place to get training, and to meet other Half-Bloods like you," I said. "A place for heroes."
"It's only one option, though," Luke added. The kid nodded, looking a little overwhelmed but excited as we stopped outside our apartment door.
"And... what's the other option?"
Luke and I shared a smile, then he pushed open the door to our apartment.
Inside, we were immediately greeted with a wave of noise and excitement. We'd left Ethan Nakamura, one of the Half-Bloods Luke had met away from camp, in charge, and he'd been leading the rest of our group in basic combat lessons.
"What... what is this place?"
"A place for normal kids who need somebody to take care of them," Luke answered. "You'll still get training, since monsters will always be trying to kill you."
"But we won't ever ask anything of you, other than to do your own damn dishes," I said. "No dangerous quests, no tribute to the gods. Just our own little makeshift family going through life together."
Luke put his arm around me, pulling me into his side and kissing my temple as Ethan noticed our newcomer and waved him over to join in the fun. Luke and I stayed where we were, watching the bubble of happiness we'd made together with smiles on our faces. We'd gone through hell and back to get here, but as far as I was concerned, every moment of pain had been worth it for Luke and I's happy ending.
****************
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Percy Jackson Taglist: @valkyriepirate
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ch4singchase · 8 months
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The Ballad of Moths | LUKE CASTELLAN
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Summary: Eurydice Gaumont receives gifts from her father and one of these proves invaluable as her journey intersects with fellow demigods.
Word count: 4.9K
Warnings: Mentions of blood and Injury, violence, grief, ophidiophobia (since the monster in this chapter is a giant snake), mentions of death, mild language
chapter one, chapter two | series masterlist
chapter 02: I Defend A Bunch Of Kids From A Giant Snake
The rhythmic tap of rain against my bus window played a lullaby, coaxing me into a swift slumber.
Abruptly, I was no longer confined to the bus; the rain had transformed into the hushed serenity of a forest. This was no typical ominous woods of a horror story; its allure lay in a distinct kind of beauty.
Drawing near a tree, my fingers traced the rough texture of its trunk, relishing the tactile sensation. The leaves gracefully danced, swaying in a tranquil wind, as if encouraging a shared nap. Smiling up at them, I entertained the whimsical idea that the tree and its surroundings comprehended my thoughts.
A soft flap of wings echoed behind me, and there it was—the moth that helped me understand where I should go earlier.
This was the same moth, its wings a rich black with subtle brown accents, patiently awaiting my presence in a circular dance.
"Hello, buddy," I greeted cautiously, extending my hand to see its reaction, "How's it going?"
Predictably, the moth remained silent. It alighted on my fingertip and then took flight, leading me along a specific path among the trees, unveiling a concealed trail through the forest. Glancing at the shadows that enveloped the moth's chosen route, a fleeting doubt crossed my mind—was it truly wise to follow?
Without dwelling on the question, I pursued the enigmatic guide, allowing instinct to override rational contemplation.
As I ventured deeper into the forest, the canopy above formed a protective shield against the sporadic drizzle that started. The moth continued its dance ahead, weaving through the foliage with an innate knowledge of the path, as if the trees themselves whispered directions to their winged companion.
Moss-covered rocks and the scent of damp earth under foot marked my journey. The woods seemed to respond to my presence, embracing me in a mysterious symphony of rustling leaves and distant calls of unseen creatures. Nature itself had become my guide, and the moth, my silent escort through this living tapestry.
The path curved, revealing a hidden glade bathed in ethereal moonlight. In the center stood a peculiar tree, its silver bark shimmering in the celestial glow. The moth settled on a branch, and as if on cue, the air became charged with an otherworldly energy.
I looked around, confused. The wind gently brazed my cheeks, guiding some leaves with it and revealing what was hiding in the glade until now.
Moths. A bunch of moths. All joining the one guiding me into a beautiful dance.
Perhaps, when I was younger, I would be frightened, but instead, I was just stunned by it. They were gracious and in an infinity of colors, painting the air like a vivid rainbow in the middle of the night. Even some fireflies had heard their excitement and joined the party, lightning the night in a blink of an eye.
“She’s here, she’s here, she’s finally going home!” They all seemed to whisper, even if I couldn’t understand what they meant by it.
Where was here? Were they following me? Were they the ones who sent the moth to help me?
There were too many questions and no answers.
“No, no,” they all repeated to what sounded like a response, “Our friend did.”
“Yeah yeah,” others agreed, circling around me as they did so, “Your father.”
For the first time since I had seen the moth from before, I ventured to speak up.
“My father?” It was just me repeating what they had just said but, still, it had taken me some type of courage to say so, “He’s dead, how is that possible?”
“Dead?” most of them laughed, as if I had told them a joke, “That’s not possible; he is a god.”
What?
“You heard us,” it seemed like I hadn’t only questioned it in my head, “You’re the daughter of a god.”
I stood frozen for a couple of seconds. A god…?
I recalled what the Cyclops had called me, a Half-Blood. Cyclopes, chimeras, half-blood, all of them were characters that my mother had once told me were tales. Stories in Ancient Greece, myths. Nothing more but stories.
But stories don’t simply come to life. They have to have always been there.
If they were talking about gods, they could only be the Greek ones, right? The Olympian ones and so on.
“How...” I tried to ask... Anything, honestly. But I didn’t even know where I could start; in the end, I was talking to moths, what was crazier than that?
“We can’t tell you everything,” some of the moths mumbled.
“Yeah yeah, he had told us just to help you find your way but we couldn’t stop ourselves,” others complained.
“Once we heard you were still alive, we were so excited,” the moths giggled, holding back screams of joy.
“Yeah, even if one of us ended up saying something about the titan, we wanted to risk a chance,” one in a million of their siblings said, and if almost every one of them were speaking at the same time, I heard it.
Every single one, but one brought my curiosity, “Titan?”
It was all I needed to ask before they went into a deep silence.
The moths hushed as my question lingered in the night air. Their whispering dance seemed to still, and the anticipation was palpable. Then, one moth separated itself from the swirling mass and approached me.
It wasn’t the same one I was already familiar with compared to the others, but its wings fluttered with a measured elegance.
“We should not say anything about it,” the moth said, “It’s just a rumor, a cruel one”
“But the prophecy?” one of the others questioned, daring the one that was speaking for them, “The prophecy says…”
Most of them hushed the little one, giving voice to the same one of before, “As I said, it’s just a rumor. Some things are better left unknown, life must unfold naturally..”
“You said about a prophecy,” I tried to reason with it, approaching the moth, “What prophecy?”
The moth shook its little head, “You must go now, Eurydice Gaumont”
“No” I persisted, stomping my feet into the ground.
But it didn’t matter what I wanted, slowly the scenario around me started to go blurry and slowly the sound of rain tapping returned.
I protested, but the scene blurred, and before waking, I heard the words, "In shadows deep, a reaper's kid must tread..."
Then, I was back on the bus again. Alone.
I looked around, trying to look for something. But despite the sleepy sleepers who snored near me, there was nothing new after the dream. It was still dark, the first sign of sun daring to peek out of their hidden spot.
Sighing, I looked at the sky, searching for an answer. At that point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer came in the form of a god of the sun trying to mime what I should do next. Or sing—I didn’t know much about Greek gods at that time, but I was almost sure that the god of the sun in the stories also sang.
What was that I had heard? A reaper’s kid, right?
Now, what did that mean?
Sighing once more at the dawn of that day, every time it looked like things were making sense, my life would get twisted.
A sound of wings caught my attention when I looked at the empty seat by my side. The moth from the convenience store and my dream was my company once more. If it had a face, it would look like regret or shame.
It flapped its wings, as if to call my attention again.
“I’m seeing you, stupid,” It flapped its wings one more time, perhaps it didn’t like being called stupid, “You didn’t talk like your siblings at that forest right, I don’t remember hearing you”
And I truly didn't. For some reason, I could recognize each moth that had talked in that clearing, but none of them was the one that had been with me since Springfield.
This time, the moth flapped its wings twice.
"Alright," I scoffed, contemplating the sanity of conversing with a moth. "Enough beating around the bush; what do you want to tell me?"
Rather than flapping, the moth took flight, turning beneath my seat. I didn’t know how to curse, but what I thought was similar to a ‘what the fuck?’
Leaning forward, I peered beneath my seat, expecting to find the bags from the convenience store—snacks, sweets, water, a flashlight, and some change. Yet, unlike what I remembered, there was also a backpack.
Which, by chance, was not mine.
It reminded me of the backpacks I had seen at the store or some of the other people on that bus wearing, but I didn't have enough money to buy even a fanny pack.
Puzzled, I picked up the backpack and examined it. It seemed lost, probably belonging to another passenger. To my surprise, my name was on a sticker affixed to it.
Was it truly mine?
I opened the backpack, looking for what could be inside.
If my expectations were set on receiving a cellphone, all-star shoes, additional snacks, clothing, or perhaps a map, I would find myself in a perpetual state of hope until the arrival of the non-existent date of February 31st. Alas, none of those anticipated items were to be found.
What I found was, in fact, a leather wristband with a snap button closure, adorned with small stones. Accompanying it were a couple of coins, featuring a peculiar carving that deviated from any standard penny. Doubtingly, I reached in, confirming the wristband, coins… Plus a map.
At least that.
Exhaling deeply, I hoped my godly father, wherever he was, could hear me. Was this his gift? A questionable assistance from a man presumed dead.
Truthfully, I anticipated something more beneficial for survival, perhaps a letter explaining his whereabouts and the ongoing events. It was the least he could offer after all these years.
My mother had portrayed him as a soldier with a calm heart, unwilling to return to duty but aware of their need for a reminder of peace. How every end no matter how it began, would meet peace. She would always remind me that he would be the one to go down in a nonviolent way, with his hand laying on his chest, above his heart.
Would. She never said he was. Because he was a god, a greek god.
Knowing I was aware of his divine status, he chose to bestow upon me strange money, a wristband, and a map. Well, the map, at least, seemed somewhat helpful.
I stowed away the bags containing my purchases from Springfield into the backpack, arranging the snacks and supplies meticulously to avoid any mishaps during my travels—whether it involved catching the next bus or evading a new monster.
The coins and map found their place inside the backpack as well. However, before I could tuck away the wristband, curiosity got the better of me. It was a finely crafted leather piece, elegant and delicate.
Examining it closely, I wondered if my father had crafted it himself. The mere thought tightened my heartstrings.
Looking at the inside of the wristband, I frowned when I found something carved into the leather. Something was written into another language.
I turned the wristband and looked at it closely, words were always hard to me so if I wanted to understand what it meant, I would have to take my time.  If I intended to understand its meaning, patience would be crucial. Or so I thought.
As the letters began to weave into each other, a surprising clarity emerged. Instead of becoming a confusing jumble, they started to make sense.
Tenebris.
While it wasn't an exact match to what was written, it was undeniably the meaning it conveyed.
Latin, perhaps?
Gazing at the wristband once more, I opted not to return it to the backpack. Instead, I made the choice to wear it.
Perhaps my father had indeed crafted it. Wearing it became my silent expression of appreciation, a subtle invitation for him to emerge from his hidden shell.
Ultimately, it proved to be a beautiful wristband.
When I looked out the window again, the sun was already rising. We seemed to have arrived in New Haven, recognizable to me from a previous visit. It appeared we were near State St, very close to Yale.
There was a time when I thought I might study there, a distant dream from my younger self. Back then, despite never attending a real school, I held onto the possibility.
Revisiting the city at fourteen, a few years later, doubt crept in.
Knowing what I now knew, it wasn't hard to recognize that the odds were always against me. I never had the chance, not before, and certainly not now.
As soon as the bus stopped and the other passengers started to get off, I did the same. I picked up my backpack and put it on, following the others to the street, deciding to be the last one to get down.
For a moment, I waited a bit before finally getting off, looking inside the bus and waiting for the moth from earlier to appear and follow it. But, it didn't happen.
So, I went my way. If I remembered correctly, there shouldn't be another bus stop so far away, I could eat something on the way while I looked and hope my change would be enough for the next ticket. Or, hope they would accept my dad's weird coins.
As I strolled down the street, I seized the opportunity to approach strangers, concocting a flimsy tale about a new school on Long Island and my ailing parents unable to assist with transportation. However, as they began to provide directions, a sinking feeling crept in.
Clearly, I lacked the funds for the entire journey.
Faced with limited options, I considered potential avenues. One option involved seeking employment on the streets, donning a somber expression and appealing to tourists for financial assistance. Ironically, the more morally questionable choice proved to be the swifter means of acquiring funds.
Anyway, I tried to risk it, at least make it to the bus stop that supposedly was the cheapest one to my journey. Maybe, the driver could take some pity on me and take me to Pennsylvania. If not, I would have start to figure how to gain money for the whole trip, I wouldn’t dare to walk all the way to that fucking camp.
I walked, walked, walked and walked down State St. As I traversed the street, covering only a fraction of the distance, I encountered a Thai Restaurant. The sight of it made my stomach protest loudly; I hadn't eaten in a while, and the prolonged walking intensified my hunger.
However, there was no way I would eat in the middle of the street, under the scrutinizing gaze of strangers. That was out of the question.
Despite mustering all the courage, I hesitated to knock on the closed restaurant's door. Even if a waiter were to appear, what excuse could I possibly give for not wanting to dine outside?
So, I found an alternative. In less than a minute, I seated myself in an alley, extracting a snack from my backpack and indulging in it.
In fact, that was within question.
Ignoring the curious glances of passersby, I continued my impromptu meal. Candies followed, accompanied by sips of water. This brief moment of rest was crucial before resuming my walk under the scorching sun.
I just needed two minutes, or maybe ten… Honestly, a whole thirty minutes were enough for me to restore my energy.
As I rested, I took another look at the wristband I was wearing. The more attention I paid to it, the more I noticed a strange energy emanating from it. It was difficult to explain and even less tangible—an unknown aura surrounding something hidden inside the leather, beyond the engraved letters.
When I opened my mouth to express the feeling, the only thing that came to mind was the night of a day or two ago.
My mother was held in the air by the monster's hand, the only one watching her intensely and impatiently, while all she did instead of fighting was ask me to run. And run was what I did.
Until I heard her scream—a stunning, heart-wrenching scream that froze my feet in place, forcing me to witness her body flying to my side, blood overflowing from her mouth. Her torso seemed broken or twisted enough to inflict severe internal injuries.
Still, she had the strength to ask me to keep running. How could I? How could I run and leave her behind?
I couldn't do that. Instead, I stood beside her, ignoring the disturbing footsteps of the Cyclops approaching.
I held my mother's hands, hoping to somehow absorb her strength. Perhaps I did, for even though I didn't follow her request, it seemed to matter little to her. As if, in the end, she felt no pain.
Tears and sobs dampened my face, but I could swear she thanked me. Ridiculous, considering I should be thanking her for being an incredible mother, sacrificing everything for my safety. If only I had known sooner...
After that, everything was a blur, difficult to understand. Holding her hands, a strange sensation tingled down my spine, adrenaline coursing through my entire body. When I saw my mother attempting to say something but succumbing to exhaustion...
The Cyclops was already beside me, reaching to grab me.
Anything between that moment and the hospital was a haze. Fragments of memories. I recalled his hands trying to lift me off the ground, my palms facing his monstrously large fingers. Almost facing a 5-meter drop but feeling no pain.
When the ambulance arrived and I reached the hospital, attempting to explain what I had understood about the situation at the time, they were most surprised that I hadn't broken my legs or at least sprained an ankle. But I think my exhaustion and grief were enough for them to believe me.
I tightened my lips, holding back tears at the memory. What did my mother's death have to do with my father's gift?
Tenebris—was that really the only clue I had?
Gradually, a shift occurred in the air, and it didn't escape my notice.
Within moments, an unsettling realization dawned – something was amiss. The streets teemed with people running in the opposite direction of my intended path once I felt ready to resume my journey. Fear and confusion etched on their faces left me puzzled about the impending threat.
Swiftly, I rose, stowing away my belongings in my backpack and hoisting it onto my back. Approaching adults warned me of an out-of-control truck menacing pedestrians, urging me to find safety. Some chose the rational path, sprinting toward the police station for genuine assistance.
However, skepticism gnawed at me. It didn't ring true. Something felt off.
My eyes caught sight of the unfolding drama a few streets away, just beyond the dog park on the opposite side of my position.
Initially, I perceived three kids, one notably smaller than the others, sprinting from an unseen threat. The girl in black wielded a makeshift spear, while her companion brandished a golf club. How could such feeble weapons aid their escape from an out-of-control truck? Why weren't they going to a store or going to the sidewalk?
Then, I understood.
At first glance, the runaway vehicle resembled a refrigerated truck, careening down the road with a desperate screech. The driver, concealed behind black-tinted windows, eluded my view from this distance.
However, as I advanced, sidestepping the frantic adults, reality emerged.
It was no truck, but a snake. A giant fucking snake. There was no other way to describe it.
All the sense I was lacking suddenly decided to take control of my actions. My brain, which had previously been unable to muster the courage to stand at the door of a closed restaurant, had now regained enough courage to force my feet to run after that atrocity.
For no logical or plausible reason, from one moment to the next, my rationality  was replaced by stupidity.
The monstrous serpent pursued the kids, including the one almost the same age I was when I met Viola. It seemed absurd to consider intervening, given the potential to continue on my way or capitalize on the disturbance to pilfer from unsuspecting pockets. Yet, I couldn't turn away.
Just as I couldn't flee when my mother's cries pierced the air or when she tried to wrench me from Viola's grasp as the Chimera's stinger pierced her chest in the past.
Perhaps it was stubbornness, authentic courage, or sheer impertinence.
It remained unclear where my resolve originated as the idea of confronting a giant snake pursuing a group of children took hold.
The snake, swift and destructive, both hindered the children and itself. Exploiting that and my familiarity with the streets and their shortcuts, I discerned an opportunity to intervene.
I ran like I had rarely ran before, until the tips of the toes hurt. My sneakers had already gone belly-up to that moment, after all the running I have being doing in the past months.
I walked around the streets, without for a second taking my eyes off the scales of that thing. Entering some alleys and following the murmurs and exclamations of the children as they tried to formulate a plan, even though they were at a disadvantage.
Swallowing hard, I took advantage of the shelter outside some buildings to avoid the fragments of asphalt, cement, poles and benches flying everywhere. Gradually but quickly managing to reach that monster.
But that didn't mean I didn’t continue to run, attempting to maintain a good and safe distance between the giant snake and the peculiar trio.
"Hey, girl!" the older girl from the trio shouted, attempting to grab my attention. "Get out of here, it's not safe!"
She wore dark clothes that complemented her short, black hair and extremely light blue eyes. In addition to the makeup on her face, which was almost gone, having been worn away by time for a long time.
It didn't take long to notice her limp, a testament to an injured foot sustained during the chase – or even before.
I just smiled, hiding behind some trash cans and away from the giant snake's senses, hoping it would continue to pay all its attention to that bunch of kids. Which, to be honest, weren't much younger than me, except for the little girl.
"No, you guys go," I shouted back, "Head into the park and blend in with the crowd there. It'll be hard for them to believe that a truck would actually enter a park."
At least, that's what I thought at the time. Nowadays, I know that mundanes would still believe in the idea of an out-of-control truck wreaking havoc, even within a park.
They didn't follow my advice; instead, they halted their escape.
“Aegis,” the girl from before exclaimed, and her bracelet transformed into an incredible shield. She shielded her friends, positioning the protective barrier in front of them, waiting to see my next move. The boy behind her appeared both confused and scared, alternating his gaze between me and his friend as if awaiting an order.
At this point, I was hoping for one too. I had no idea what to do, and I didn't even have a weapon.
However, the giant snake paid no heed. I could distinctly hear its slithering and the destruction of cars in its path. I refused to let fear or my earlier stupidity show on my face.
Instead, I glanced at my wrist, the leather band my father had given me. For a moment, I wished it were a weapon, similar to the girl's shield bracelet.
Despite having the slightest idea of how to handle a weapon, I hoped for anything that could help me assist those three.
Timing couldn't have been worse for it to resurface, but as I looked at a trash can in front of me, the usual moth landed patiently, as if awaiting something.
Perhaps it shared the girl's curiosity about what I would do.
Then, I remembered—the sound of rain yesterday morning, at the funeral, and even at night on the bus, a hostage to "what ifs" that could have transpired instead of my current reality. I remembered the blood, dark red staining my hands and clothes, and how cold it felt against my skin. I didn't care, holding my mother's hands with all my might.
Just like I tried to hold Viola that day, attempting unsuccessfully to move her body away from the Chimera's sting.
The giant snake drew closer, its slithering growing clearer by the second.
Glancing at my wristband again, the carved words caught my eye.
Out of the corner, I saw the snake's scales and its wild eyes. Emerging from my hiding place, a word escaped my mouth like a battle cry before I fully comprehended my own line of reasoning.
"Tenebris!"
A blinding light filled the air, halting the giant snake and diverting its attention towards me. I closed my eyes, feeling the wristband transform within seconds.
Suddenly, something weighed down in my hand, like the sheath of a sword. Its dark sheath matched my wristband's leather, and its slightly curved blade, made of an uncanny bronze material, felt strangely familiar. Bronze. The sword's blade was made of bronze.
As quickly as the light appeared, it dissipated, replaced by a cloud of darkness covering my ankles and part of the street and alley.
The trio gaped at the spectacle. The older girl struggled to maintain her defensive stance, her injured foot hindering her movements. The younger one's wide and curious eyes betrayed a mix of fear and fascination, while the boy among them clutched his golf club with a determined expression that hinted at a desire to help.
Without giving the serpent a chance to recover from the blinding light from before, I surged forward, the newfound sword in hand. The blade cut through the air with a metallic hum, and I slashed at the serpent's scaly underbelly.
It hissed in pain, recoiling momentarily.
In the end, the wristband was a useful gift. I had to remind myself, one day, to thank my dad.
Seizing the opportunity, I circled the serpent, keeping it off balance, continuing to slash its scaly skin. It tried to knock me down with a movement of its body, but before that could happen, I dodged it, cutting its scales once again. But this time I made a point of sticking my sword in, hoping to hit some organ of his, then pulling the sword out.
The boy with black hair, recognizing an opening, sprinted to the serpent's other side, wielding his golf club like a hero facing a dragon from the tales. His fearless determination served as a distraction, affording me yet another chance to strike.
The girl, despite her injury, bravely stood her ground, using her shield to protect us and the little girl. While, said little girl, spurred by a sudden burst of courage, found a dagger in her pocket and joined the fray.
The serpent, now enraged, lunged at us with deadly precision. The older girl skillfully deflected its strikes with her shield, while the boy continued to harass it from the side. The younger girl and I coordinated our attacks, aiming for vulnerable spots between the scales.
As the battle raged on, I felt a surge of adrenaline, my movements becoming more fluid and instinctive. My sword seemed to respond to my will, enhancing my speed and strength. Each strike resonated with power, and the serpent's resistance weakened.
Finally, with a resounding clash, I drove the sword into the serpent's forehead, or what looked like its forehead. The creature convulsed, its massive form thrashing before collapsing to the ground. The dark cloud dissipated, leaving only the echoes of the intense battle.
Breathing heavily, I turned to face the trio, equally exhausted.
They, too, looked weary, particularly the girl nursing an injured leg. Despite their fatigue, they regarded me with awe, as if I had materialized from the pages of a fantastical tale. Given the circumstances, I couldn't blame them.
I didn't blame them, I really had appeared out of nowhere.
"I'm Thalia," the older girl introduced herself, leaning against a wall as her shield reverted to a bracelet. "That's Annabeth," she pointed to the younger dark-skinned girl, now displaying a hint of shyness.
"And I'm Luke," the boy interjected, assisting his friend to stand while keeping a watchful eye on me, still processing the surreal reality of our shared encounter with the monstrous serpent.
"I'm Eurydice," I replied, glancing at my sword and back at them. "It seems like you needed a little help."
“We did,” Luke agreed, looking at me from head to toe, but keeping his eyes on mine while talking to me, “And I think we still do”
Shifting his attention to his injured friend, he examined her leg, revealing a severe wound beneath her baggy jeans. Thalia attempted to whisper something to Luke, diverting his hands away from the injury.
Feeling lost and searching for a solution, my eyes wandered, and I spotted a parked car on a nearby sidewalk—doors open and windows relatively intact. It seemed like an abandoned vehicle amidst the chaos.
"I can drive," I offered, drawing the trio's attention. "I just need to know where we should go and someone who knows how to start a car without a key."
Luke sighed, helping Thalia walk toward me, followed by Annabeth.
"Lucky for you, I know both," the grin he flashed at me while uttering those words hinted at one unmistakable thing: trouble.
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queershippingpolls · 1 month
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Do you ship them?
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pjohoo-reclists · 1 year
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Good Luke Castellan Fic Recs
Request: Are there any good stories where Luke is either to protagonist or another good character? Like working for the Titan Lord but not being loyal to him, or if Annabeth helped him and he got out before BotL, or he survives etc. Or just anything else that puts him in a positive light but not his service to Kronos.
This was a pretty specific request. I found a few fics where Luke is a good person to Percy or other demigods while he's still a senior camper, a few where he works with Kronos but his loyalty/goals are to make life better for demigods, and a few time travel fix it fics. Enjoy!
We're all family here by loosingletters
G | 1.1k | Complete
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Luke is tired and trying, Genderfluid Percy Jackson, They're Greek of course they're all at least a little gay
“Okay, good. So first things first: what are your pronouns?” Percy's first day at camp is quite awful but a talk with cabin eleven's counselor improves it at least a bit.
brothership bracelets (don't take it off) by Nightingale231
T | 1.9k | Complete
Percy Jackson & Luke Castellan, Sally Jackson & Luke Castellan, Percy Jackson & Sally Jackson
AU - Brothers, Powerful Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan Needs a Hug
There's a new kid at camp, Luke hears. With green eyes like the ocean, depths crystal-clear like the ever deep river that runs through camp, and black hair like coal and hidden darkness.
oh I run to you love by Ghxst_Bird
T | 2.0k | Complete
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Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Luke Castellan Redemption, Percy is Luke's emotional support demigod, Angst with a Happy Ending
There are strict rules in place for Luke, and Luke has not broken one of them to date, has even gone out of his way to put more in place to make the other campers feel safer around him.   But Luke is also a Hermes kid, even if the mere thought of it burns and sloshes around in his head like acid.  --- aka. Luke thinks Percy got hurt and overreacts
can't gamble the future. by LovelyVerisimilitude
T | 3.0k | Complete
Percy Jackson/Annabeth Chase, Annabeth Chase/Connor Stoll
AU - Canon Divergence, Camp Half Blood, Fluff and Humor
“Wait,” Beckendorf says, confused. “What does Connor have over Percy?” Luke sinks back into his chair. “Well, where do I begin―” “Five drachmas he mentions that one time Annabeth hugged Connor,” Thalia mutters to Silena, tossing a few gilded coins onto the center of the table. “He never shuts up about it.” (CANON DIVERGENCE ― The senior counselors don’t bet on trivial matters like childish, puppy love romances. No. Not at all. Of course not.)
Now They Whisper It by Darkmagyk
G | 3.6k | Complete
Percy Jackson/Annabeth Chase/Luke Castellan, Luke Castellan & Hermes
Overthrowing the gods, Good Luke Castellan in that he is on Annabeth and Percy's side, Post-Canon
Luke steals Zeus master bolt again. Last time he did it out of hate. But this time, he does it out of love.
Time has passed us by (and going back is heaven and hell) by IzzyMRDB
T | 17k | Complete
Percy Jackson/Annabeth Chase, Luke Castellan & Annabeth Chase & Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson & Nico di Angelo
Time Travel Fix It, Father - Son Relationships, Hurt/Comfort
When a group of heroes wake up and realise they have a chance to fix everything - they grab that miracle with both hands, and will fight for it til they're bloody. Prophecy's are self-fulfilling and cursed, Free-Will breaks Fate everyday.
Broken Loyalty by punknerdmusings
T | 30k | Complete
Percy Jackson & Luke Castellan, Luke Castellan & Annabeth Chase, Luke Castellan & Kronos
AU - Canon Divergence, Dark Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan was Right
Luke Castellan has been at Camp Half-Blood for five years. New demigods arriving is old news at this point. He’s one of the most senior campers, after all. But this year’s arrival, Percy Jackson, is different. This year, the new camper promises to shake things to their very core. It doesn’t help that the gods are on the brink of war after Zeus’s master bolt was stolen by Luke himself, on a mission from Kronos to destabilize Olympus. But when Percy asks him to go on the quest, Luke finds himself both more and less dedicated to his goals than ever before. Part 1 of Son of Hermes
close to the breathing wave by poisedwalrus
G | 32k | Complete
Percy Jackson & Luke Castellan
Time Travel Fix it, Luke is either your murderer or your mom he hasn't decided yet
“Why are you looking at skateboards?” asks Luke. “Maybe Kronos wants us to get a skateboard.” Luke presses a hand on the top of Percy’s head and physically turns him away from the window display. “Does Kronos want us to get a skateboard,” he says. “…No.” Luke wants to know what the hell Percy thinks he’s doing. Percy wants Luke to trip and fall over the side of the yacht. They are, as always, at an impasse.
Haunted Past by punknerdmusings
T | 33k | Complete
Luke Castellan/Lee Fletcher, Percy Jackson & Luke Castellan, Luke Castellan & Annabeth Chase
AU - Canon Divergence, Luke Castellan Needs a Hug, Good Luke Castellan
The war Kronos wants draws closer, and Luke is being kept out of the loop more and more. Sure, it’s clear that the Titan has something in mind for him, but Luke’s apparently being kept on a need-to-know basis. And Kronos has determined that Luke needs to know very little. Plus, a new sword fighting teacher has arrived at camp, and Luke doesn’t trust him. There’s just something about the way the man acts that unsettles him. It’s probably the way Quintus is far too willing to let the campers get hurt in the name of training... Whatever. He has bigger fish to fry. Like going through the Labyrinth to save the only home he’s ever known from invasion. Part 1 of The Son of Hermes
Echoed Agony by punknerdmusings
M | 34k | Complete
Luke Castellan/Lee Fletcher, Luke Castellan & Thalia Grace, Luke Castellan & Percy Jackson
AU - Canon Divergence, Luke Castellan Centric, PTSD, Luke Castellan Needs a Hug
Luke’s best friend is no longer a tree. He’s finally convinced his problem child to stay at camp year-round, at least once. He even has someone closer to his own age to commiserate with in the form of one Lee Fletcher. But when Kronos orders him to fake being kidnapped and act as bait, he starts to wonder if his true loyalties are clearer than they might seem. He would have loved going the rest of his life without seeing that garden again, thanks. Part 3 of The Son of Hermes
Deceptive Empathy by punknerdmusings
T | 36k | Complete
Percy Jackson & Luke Castellan, Luke Castellan & Annabeth Chase, Luke Castellan & Thalia Grace
AU - Canon Divergence, Luke Castellan Needs a Hug, Good Luke Castellan
Typically, the summer at Camp Half-Blood was just naturally more hectic, but if you asked Luke, this year was a bit much. Monsters being able to cross the border, a tight deadline to save his friend’s memorial tree, and he’s forced to walk the knife edge of trying to double-cross a Titan on top of it all. Part 2 of The Son of Hermes
Trading Tomorrow by Darkmagyk, loosingletters
T | 44k | Complete
Percy Jackson/Luke Castellan, Percy Jackson/Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase
Time Travel Fix-It, Luke Castellan Redemption, Childhood Trauma
Percy Jackson arrives at Camp Half-Blood bruised and bleeding, with the knowledge that he's the son of a god and his mother is dead. His little display with the Minotaur has caught the attention of the camp. But he’s not sure it is good attention, yet. Only the Hermes Cabin's not-quite Co-counselor Theseus, ‘call me Theo,’ doesn't treat him like a fascinating zoo exhibit. Which would be a relief, except he looks exactly like Percy: same green eyes, same trouble making smile, same black hair. The only differences are the fact that Theo is six years older, covered in battle scars, and the black tattoo on his arm. A trident and the letters SPQR. Theo is eighteen, powerful, and unclaimed. And his resemblance to Percy could set a dangerous precedent.
Will of Our Own by Sand_wolf579
G | 50k | Complete
Percy Jackson & Luke Castellan, Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood
Canon Rewrite, Manipulation, Enemies to Friends, Developing Friendships
Percy understood why the master bolt needed to be retrieved, but if he was going to do it he was going to do it on his own terms. Percy was tired of everybody taking advantage of and using him, so when Annabeth volunteered to go with him on his quest just so she could prove herself, Percy said no.
Even The Thorns Have Roses by robindrake93
M | 172k | Ongoing as of 20/10/22
Percy Jackson/Luke Castellan, Percy Jackson/Michael Yew
Time Travel Fix it, Slow Burn, AU - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat
Percy Jackson thought he was done with quests when an old player to the game offers Percy the chance of a lifetime; to go back in time and save one demigod. Even though all Percy wants is to live at the bottom of the lake and be left alone, he can't pass up this golden opportunity to make things right. But this time things are going to be way different and Percy is going to save all of the demigods. No matter what it takes. The rewrite of an older work with the same title.
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i-creatied-au · 1 year
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Few sketches of my second favourite ship in pjo
Oh yeah Ariadne/Dionysus/Chiron
if anyone is interested, I have hc
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avaetin · 1 year
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New headcanons-
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bugwolfsstuff · 30 days
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might do a series/fic of my Chiron x Dionysus fankid oc (no mpreg was not involved. Gaia's fault)
@thel1ghtningthief @smileyalater
thoughts?
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Literally Piper only got through that battle with Mimas because of her love for Annabeth. Like, they kinda had sonething when they first met, but now? New otp.
Well, otp #2, I guess. Chiron x Mr. D will always be the #1 ship for this fandom
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rocknroll7575 · 8 months
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Knight of Olympus: Titans Lullaby - Chapter 2: Hard Lessons
Forgot to post this here yesterday!!! Sorry! But please enjoy Chapter 2!
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The next day, as the campers were eating Jaune was informed about what his duties would be as the new Combat Instructor. He was to train them on how to fight and use their weapons properly, that part was more for the new arrivals, as well as helping them learn strategy, work together, and so forth.
Jaune was a little nervous but he calmed himself and he walked over to the armory, where he found his set of armor, as well as the rest of his clothes, so he put on his old shirt, and then the rest of his armor, and once he was fully dressed, he walked over to the weapons and he found a whole bunch of swords, spears, daggers, bows, and shields.
Jaune sorted through a bunch of swords till he found the right one, the weight of it was good and the balance was perfect. It was no Crocea Mors, but it would have to do. He strapped the sword to his side and then looked for a shield, fitting each one around his arms until he found the right one, and it too felt perfect, it was a little too round for his taste but a shield was a shield.
He looked at his schedule and that's when he saw that he had 5 cabins after breakfast ended.
He was going to have the Zeus, Posiden, Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephestus cabins, which seemed like a lot at first till he remembered that Chiron had told him Percy and Thalia were the only children in the Zeus and Posiden cabins.
As he waited, he had come up with a rather interesting way to test his own strength against the campers as well as get a feel for where they were in terms of Combat, and later he'd just have to do what Ms. Goodwitch did and pit them against each other in one and one combat at determine who needed help and who was rather good, but could still use improvement.
Finally, the campers arrived at the Armory and Jauje smiled at them as they gathered around him, he, of course, saw Percy as well as Thalia.
Once they all were in their respective cabins, Jaune decided it was time for introductions.
"Hello everyone, my name is Jaune Arc, and I will be your new combat instructor,"
Quickly a hand rose for a question.
Jaune looked at them, "Yes...?"
"Drew Tanaka," Drew replied, "I was wondering what God is your parent?"
Jaune smiled awkwardly, "Well, truthfully, I don't have a godly parent, I'm fully human!" Jaune said with a smile.
"But then how are you in camp? Mortals can't pass through the barrier," came the voice of Clarisse.
"Well that's because I'm not from your world," Jaune replied. "I'm a human from a completely different world, kind of like those superhero comics where some are from a different universe,"
Every Camper was shocked and that's when the uproar began, as they all scrambled to ask him a million questions.
Jaune smiled, "Alright! Alright! Settle down now, I'll answer all your questions on one condition..." Jaune began with a smirk, "The best fighters of each Cabin have to knock me off the amphitheater," Jaune said.
"Why there?" Percy asked.
Jaune looked at him with a smile, "Because there's more to today's lesson than just trying to get answers outta me," He said, "Now all of you get suited up and meet me there," Jaune said as he walked away.
As the kids were getting ready, Jaune walked over to the amphitheater, and as he did, he couldn't help but think about his new position now, he was going to be training kids now, who her half his age. Not to mention he would also be accompanying them on a few adventures, so not only was he training them, but he would be responsible for their safety as well.
Was he truly up for the task?
Jaune groaned slightly, "Ugh, is this how Ms. Goodwitch felt about us?" He asked himself.
After a brisk walk, he arrived at the amphitheater and not too long after he arrived, so too did the cabins. Jaune asked them all to sit at the seats and he watched as they all sat down and faced him.
"Good, now that you're all here, I think it's time to tell you what the first part of the training exercise will be," Jaune told them. "So as I've already said, each Cabin will choose their best fighter, said fighter along with the other fighters from the other cabins, will have to work together to push me off the theater or to make me yield,"
Clarisse chuckled, "Sounds easy enough," She said.
Jaune smirked, "But there are rules during this fight," He said. "One, no powers. Two, I'll let you all formulate a plan of attack before starting. Three, and this is important, if either one of you is knocked from the amphitheater, then you all lose and will be forced into my position while another set of fighters will attack you, understood?"
There was silence but the most nodded in agreement and understanding.
Jaune nodded, "Good, now of course, Percy and Thaila are already chosen, as for Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephestus, please choose your best fighters to come up,"
Thalia and Percy got up on stage with their respective weapons and were waiting for the other cabins, but in an instant, it seemed that Ares already had their pick.
"We choose Clarisse!" Said one of the boys from her cabin.
Clarisse got on stage with her spear and had a smug look on her face as she stood next to Thalia and Percy, which Jaine noticed didn't make Percy too happy.
A minute later, Hephestus had their pick.
"Charles Beckendorf will represent us!" Said a girl.
Charles stepped forward, dressed in his armor with a large Warhammer, but it wasn't as big as Nora's.
Jaune smiled at the young man as he walked onto the stage and gave Percy a high five.
Finally, after a good minute, Aphrodite had their pick, which turned out to be Drew, as she stepped forward, daggers in hand and wearing some light armor.
Jaune looked at the five with a smile, "Alright, you guys got 10 minutes to figure out a plan of attack starting... now!"
The five grouped up and Jaune watched them, and he saw that out of all of them, it seemed like Clarisse was the one arguing the most, dismissing a lot of Percy or Thalia's plans, and seemed to be the most stubborn and hit headed one of them all and seeing this, Jaune knew he could use it to his advantage.
The group broke apart and they all took a fighting stance while forming a half circle around Jaune, which made the blond smile, knowing the plan, but wondering who would strike first.
Acting quickly, both Thalia and Clarisse charged forward and trusted their spears at him from opposite ends of the half circle. Jaune quickly backed up from their attacks and smirked.
"Come on, can't the daughter of the God of War do better than that?" Jaune asked as he looked at Clarisse.
Jaune then saw Drew slide under their spears and quickly get up and run toward him. Jaune blocked one stroke with his shield and another with his sword, leaving her open to a kick to the gut from Jaune that sent her on her back.
Then, rushing at him were Percy and Charles, Percy was the first to get close and quickly tried to slash at Jaune but Jaune blocked with his shield and pushed Percy's sword away and then used the shield to strike the young boy in the chest.
Charles then rushed in and raised his Warhammer over his head and brought it down, but Jaune sidestepped the attack and the Warhammer struck the ground, causing a few cracks. Jaune then kicked out Charles's leg, causing the large boy to fall backward hard.
Jaune then saw Thalia and Clarisse charged in once more. Thalia was first and she thrust her spear forward, but Jaune managed to deflect the attack with his shield and then struck Thalia in the gut with the pommel of his sword, causing her to heeld over, and when Clarisse charged in and thrust her spear, aimed directly at his chest, but Jaune sidestepped the attack, turned the blade around and just like with Thalia, he used the pommel to strike her in the chest, causing her to grunt in pain and kneel on the ground.
Jaune stood over the Demigods with a smirk, "Is this what you Demigods are capable of? I Gotta say, kind of disappointed, I mean, I'm just a regular human, I expected more," Jaune told them. 'Rile them up, see if they can keep their cool, mostly Clairesse, see if they can salvage this and devise a better plan,' Jaune told himself.
They all slowly got back up and Drew looked at Percy and Thalia, "Any ideas?" She asked.
"We need to-"
Clarisse got up and glared at Jaune, picking up her spear, "What we need to is simple... rip him to shreds!" She cried as she ran ahead.
"Clarisse! Wait!" Percy cried.
Drew rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Gods damn it!"
Jaune dodged an attack aimed for his head, then ducked under it as she swung, and he backed up, Clarisse pulled her spear back and aimed for his right foot, but Jaune saw this and raised his foot as she stabbed the ground and Jaune quickly broke the head of the spear off.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Clarisse cried as she looked at her 2nd broken spear.
Now that she was distracted, Jaune knocked the rest of the spear out of her hand and put his blade right in front of her face. Clarisse froze up and her eyes widened, while at the same time, the others didn't move, as they realized the situation they were in.
However, acting quickly, Thalia used her foot to kick up her spear, grab it, and throw it at Jaune. Seeing the flying weapon, Jaune was forced to back away, giving Clarisse the chance to back away as well as allowing Percy to charge at Jaune with Drew behind him.
Jaune prepared himself and when Percy came in and swung at Jaune, he blocked it with his sword then saw Drew coming in, so he pushed Percy away and turned to Drew and swung at her, but she managed to block it with her daggers, but Jaune then used his shield to jab her in her rib, and then he kicked her away again, he quickly turned back to Percy and saw him coming swinging at him again, but Jaune blocked it, and Percy pulled back to swing again.
the two were now locked into a duel, with each one simply hitting the other's sword, Jaune looked around him and noticed that he was close to the edge of the amphitheater and realized Percy had pushed him in this direction on purpose, and that was when he saw Charles coming in with his Warhammer and quickly blocked it with his shield, and the blow rattled Jaune's arm but he pushed it away just in time to block another of Percy's swings and pushed him away. 
Thalia then appeared and she thrusted her spear right at Jaune's chest, hitting him, but when she looked at his face, he seemed unfazed, which confused her. Jaune then smiled at her and he decided to drop his shield and grab ahold of her spear, pulling her in when she was close, he grabbed her by the collar of her jacket, and with all his strength he threw her toward the edge, causing her to roll on the ground and fall off the stage.
Seeing Thaila fall off, the others knew that they had just lost.
Jaune smiled as he walked over to the edge and saw Thalia getting up and dusting herself off. "You alright?" Jaune asked.
Thalia looked at him with a smirk, "You mean besides my shattered pride? I'm fine," she said.
Jaune nodded, "That's the spirit," Jaune told her as he held out his hand for her to take and help her get back on stage.
"Where'd you learn to fight like that, Jaune?" Percy asked.
Jaune turned around and looked at the son of Posiden with a smile, "My home world," Jaune replied.  "Where I come from, we are taught to fight more than one enemy, because the creatures we fight sometimes hunt in packs,"
"That's pretty cool," Percy said with a smile.
Thalia nodded, "But what I wanna know is why you seemed unfazed by my attack, I hit you square in the chest with my spear man," she said.
Jaune smiled, "That's because of my Aura," Jaune said, "It's a representation of my soul and also a shield, it protects me from from any physical harm as long as it's not too damaged and breaks, but it also heals some small wounds,"
"That's amazing!" Drew said. "What else can it do?" She asked.
"Well it also helps boost my physical strength, speed, and stamina," Jaune said, "Then, there's my Semblance-"
"Wait, you have a 2nd power?" Charles asked.
Jaune nodded, "Yeah, it's called a semblance," Jaine replied. "We have to unlock it but each one is different, mine, for example, boosts my Aura to a far higher extent than anyone else in my world," Jaune said.
Hearing all this Clarisse stepped forward with a scowl, "Didn't you say no powers!? How is it fair you were using yours!?" She asked.
Jaune looked at her with a smile, "Well, you see, I wasn't using my Semblance at all, and Aura is kind of instinctive, like breathing, you don't think, you just do," Jaune replied. "So my Aura just immediately turned on when I saw Thalia's hit coming and it protected me, plus the reason I said no powers for you is because I wanted to see what you can do physically, I was told Percy and Thalia both have powers, but I didn't know about the rest of you, so I wasn't gonna take the chance,"
Charles nodded, "Makes sense, but just so you know in the future, I don't have any powers like Percy or Thalia, I'm simply resistant to extreme levels of heat," Charles told him.
"Kind of the same for me," Drew said. "The most I can do is see through Illisions, what with my mom being the Goddess of Beauty, she can tell when someone or something is fake," Drew told him.
"As for Clarisse-" Percy began with a smirk.
Hearing him begin to talk and mention her name, the daughter of the god of war turned to the son of Posiden with a glare, "Watch it Prissy! You don't know if I have powers or not!" She growled.
"Do?" Jaune asked with a raised brow.
"...No,"
Jaune nodded, "Noted, anyway, now can any of you tell me what you did wrong? And I'd also love to hear an answer from those seated if they have one," Jaune said.
Charles was the first to speak, "We underestimated you," He said, "We thought we had the advantage with our large numbers and we assumed you weren't as strong or as skilled as us in combat since you were a human," Charles said.
"Very good, Charles," Jaune said with a smirk,
Hearing his full name, Charles got a bit embarrassed, "Uh... just Charlie please, it's what my friends call me," Charles said
Jaune nodded, "Right," he said, looking back at the rest, "Anything else?" He asked.
"We had a chance to regroup and figure out a new plan after you wiped the floor with us in the first part of the training exercise," Percy said.
Jaune nodded, "You did, but you wanna tell me why you didn't have the chance?" He asked.
"Because someone let their anger get to them," Thalia said, eyeing Clarisse.
Clarisse growled as she glared at the daughter of Zeus.
Jaune nodded, "Correct," He said as he turned to Clarisse, "You need to learn to control your anger, it can be a tool, but don't let it control you," He told her.
Clarisse glared at him, "And what would you know about that?"
Jaune looked at her with a small glare, "I let anger get the best of me and it nearly cost me a friend's life," Jaune told her. He then sheathed his sword and walked up to her and he saw her move back a little before he was right in front of her, "I'm going to let you know this now because you are a good fighter, Clarisse, and you still have room to grow, but never, never, think you are better than anyone else, because the moment you think you are, you lose," Jaune told her before turning away.
With that, the day continued, as Jaune forced the losers to fight against five opponents, and he watched as Clarisse was able to win, it seemed like she took what he said to heart, trying to stay calm while fighting multiple opponents.
Jaune also watched them and made sure they were staying safe and not going overboard and as he watched them, he failed to notice bright orange eyes that burned like the coals of a fire, and then there was a whisper in his ear.
"Tonight... come... dear knight..."
Jaune turned around quickly but he saw no one, just the still-burning embers of a dead fire. There was no one there, not a soul, at least, that's what most would think, but that was untrue... there was always someone there.
After all, there had to be someone kindling the fire...
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Later that night, Jaune sat with Chiron and Mr. D, who were playing a game of poker, one which the Centaur was losing terribly, Jaune looked at both of their cards and smiled, knowing that Chiron was in danger of losing a lot of money.
Trying to distract the god, Chiron turned to Jaune with a brow, "So, Jaune, how were the kids today?" Chiron asked.
Jaune shrugged, "Good, they all seem to be doing good, but I'll be honest, there are a few that need improvement, emotionally and mentally," Jaune replied. "But they all seem to be doing well, and a few surprised me that you never seemed to mention,"
"Oh?" The god asked, "Who may I ask?"
"Drew Tanaka, Charlie Beckendorf, Will Solace, The Stoll brothers, Katie Gardner, and... I think that about it," Jaune said, "They are pretty good fighters and with different talents, I mean, Drew can see through illusions, Will has great healing capabilities, and the Stolls are so smart that if they put their pranks to battle they'd be unstoppable, and Katie can control plants if trained right, they could be just as good as Percy and the others, I even offered them more training later tonight," He told them.
Chiron smiled, "That is good to hear, but I also have to ask, how are you adjusting here at Camp?" Chiron asked.
Jaune smiled, "Pretty good, and Annabeth and Percy have been informing me about your world, which is great honestly, there are a few similarities between Earth and Remnant, well, except you guys don't have Faunus walking around,"
"Faunus?" Mr. D asked.
Jaune chuckled, "I'll tell you about them later, but anyway, I think I got a few students who want some late-night training," Jaune said with a smirk.
Chiron chuckled and nodded, and Mr. D simply stared at his cards, waiting for Chiron to make the move. Jaune left the cabin, but once he did and the door closed behind him, he felt something was off in the air, and he looked around and that's when he saw her.
She had bright auburn hair and eyes that glowed like burning coals, for a split second, he could've sworn he had seen Cinder and was about to attack, however, the woman gave off a more... loving presence.
She wore a red flaming cloak and a white toga-like shirt that exposed a bit of her stomach and had gold designs as well, however, she also wore a white tube dress with similar golden designs on her shirt, she wore no shoes, leaving her feet exposed to the elements.
"Hello, Jaune Arc, a pleasure to see you again," She said.
Jaune was a bit confused as to who she was, "I'm sorry... but I don't think we've met," Jaune told her.
The woman smiled softly, "We have, I'm simply easy to look past," She said.
"Then forgive me for forgetting you," Jaune said. "I just can't believe I never saw someone as... well as beautiful as you," he said with a slight blush.
The woman chuckled with a soft smile, "You are not the first to say that, Jaune Arc," She said. "I am Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth and I have come to you, to see the fire I saw for only mere moments,"
Jaune was confused as to what she meant, "Excuse me?" He asked, "Fire?"
Hestia nodded, "Yes, a fire," She said as she closed the distance between them.
Jaune wanted to step back, afraid she might try something, however, he couldn't, not because she had some power over him or something, but because he sensed nothing but warmth, kindness, and love, radiating off of Hesita.
She grabbed him by the face and pulled him close, her burning eyes stared into his deep blue ones and that's when she saw it, the fire she had seen in his very soul.
"Such a beautiful flame," She said. "In all my years not once had I thought I'd see another flame... so similar,"
Jaune's brow raised in confusion, "A similar flame?" Jaune asked.
Hestia nodded, "Indeed," She replied. "You have a flame only I have, a flame of a protector, a flame that carries the burden of others, yes, a strong flame indeed, but so many little flames dancing around it, glowing bright with each emotion... oh my... how cruel,"
"What?" Jaune asked.
"Penny," Hestia said
Hearing her name, Jaune recoiled and looked at Hestia with wide eyes. "H-How do you know-?"
"The flame of guilt burns bright in you," She replied. "Do not fret, Jaune Arc, It was her choice,"
Jaune looked down with sadness, "And I was the only person who could help her make that choice... she didn't deserve to die..."
Hestia smiled, "Who said she is dead?"
Jaune looked up at her quickly, with confusion and wide eyes. "What!?" He asked.
"I sense the flame of every living being, Jaune Arc, and when two new and powerful flames appear so suddenly in my world, I am the first to know," Hestia said
Jaune was shocked, he couldn't believe it, there was no way, no way that Penny was alive... and yet, he had to take the chance.
"Where is she!? Is she safe!? How'd she get here!?" Jaune asked as he stepped toward the Goddess.
Hestia giggled, "Please, calm down, Jaune Arc," She said. "I only know that she is safe," She said.
Jaune looked at her, "And are you sure it's Penny?" She asked.
"She has hair like the color of bronze and eyes as green as emeralds," Hestia said. 
Jaune slowly nodded, sounding like Penny to him, but he began to wonder how she was alive, how she survived... what he did, but then he began to wonder if he even had the right to find her. Did she even want him to be the one to find her? He had taken her life... to him, it didn't matter if it was her choice or not... he had done the unthinkable.
But he still had to try.
"Where is she, Lady Hestia?" Jaune asked.
Hestia smiled and pointed behind him, "It seems you may get your answer,"
Jaune turned around only to see a floating corpse behind him and his body froze in shock as the body floated toward him, if Jaune remembered correctly, she was the Oracle, and it seemed that she had a prophecy for him.
Green mist spawned out of her mouth and in the mist, a shape appeared, he recognized the shape as none other than Cinder Fall. Jaune was stunned to see her very image in the fog and nearly charged at the image before remembering that it was simply fake, why the fog decided to take her image was unknown, but the faux Cinder began to speak.
"To the Knight, who bears a broken heart and two bloody hands"
"Come and fight, and seek the place with the whitest sands"
"Travel southwest, and you shall find the banished mother"
"Like all the rest, face to face with the one who shall become another,"
"Find the blade, and Hades will make you a deal,"
"Accept the trade, and two fates you shall seal"
"Atop the oldest mount, you will beat the mad titan bloody"
"12 by your count, and a king's name you shall muddy"
Hearing such a long prophecy, Hestia smiled, knowing the very long journey ahead of him. "It seems you have been given a quest, Jaune Arc," she told him.
The mock Cinder Fall burst apart and green mist receded into the Oracle and her body floated back up in the attic, and watching the whole thing from the front door was Chiron and Mr. D in shock.
"Well..." Mr. D began, "That was something new, never thought she could leave the attic,"
Chiron looked to Jaune, "She has given you a prophecy?" He asked.
Jaune nodded.
Chiron nodded, "Very well then, come inside and we shall discuss what she said, and tomorrow, we shall gather the head of the cabins and send you forth on your quest," Chiron told him.
Jaune nodded and he turned himself to speak with Hestia, but when he looked to where she once stood, she was gone, but then he heard a faint whisper.
"Gifts will come soon... my champion,"
Jaune was a bit unnerved by her disembodied voice, but he knew that she meant him no harm.
He turned back and walked toward the cabin with Chiron and the two, along with Mr. D, discussed the prophecy the Oracle had given him, however, unknown to the three adults, three others had overheard the Prophecy that had been spoken that night.
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It seems Hestia has taken an interest in our hero and he has been given a quest so early!? Wonder what is going to happen on this Quest and who might join him?
Better yet, what do you think the prophecy means?
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hanahaki-disease · 1 month
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Beyond the Farthest Reaches
Hell or High Water - Percy Jackson/DC cross over
“The Real Reason”
Summary:
A quest must appeal to both parties involved to be successful.
Notes:
Set after “Basking in the Solace of Regret”
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Percy closed the trap door to the attic after he got off the last rung of the ladder. Unseeing green eyes watching the floor pass beneath him as he made his way back down. Of all things to see in a strange camp made for demigods, the ghostly green visage of his dead brother and the Joker spouting the prophecy at him wasn’t one of them.
The oracle version his brother looked too much like the real one. Only green and made of smoke. The holes in his suit from where the crowbar had hit him were where they were supposed to be, as was the missing pieces of his domino and missing shoes. The busted lip he had bled that toxic color of the Oracle and mixed with the smoke that poured form his mouth as he recited his lines of the prophecy. The only thing different were the eyes.
There were no pupils in his smoky eyes. Nothing indicate that he was looking at Percy even though Percy could still feel his stare crawling over his skin. If he didn’t already have nightmares on the daily, he’d be sure that that would give him some.
He could hear Chiron, Mr D, and Grover in the main room from where he stood in the hall. Hushed whispers about him and of what the quest would entail. He can see in his head Grover’s face paling, reaching for a diet coke can to nervously chew on as Chiron listen all that could go wrong if he were to accept the quest. Does he want to accept the quest?
Because why should he go on a quest to help his father who has cursed him to a life of pain because he was born? Why should he help they guy who abandoned him and his brother to the slums of Gotham without mercy? Why help the guy who didn’t even bother to save his mother, to save his brother? A part of him wanted to be petty and decline the quest. To spend the summer in his cabin as its sole inhabitant, train to use his sword with Luke and keep his hand-to-hand from getting rusty by picking fights with the Ares cabin. He could use the time to master his newfound water powers too.
But if a war takes place then his mortal family will be at risk. Gotham is close to New York and it’s on the coast, a perfect place to get washed out by a hurricane from his father or a wild storm sent by his uncle. Zeus could decide to strike back at Percy by hurting his family and they would be none the wiser, they wouldn’t even know why or how or when the heavens decides to smite them.
Percy can see the headline now: Wayne Family Struck By Lightning, Fortune Up For Grabs!
Fuck. Why did he have to care so much?
He listened to the spiel Chiron and Mr D gave him. Pretended to think about his answer, put up a fake debate against him going, but he already knew the answer. Percy already knew he was going when they told him that he’d have to go to the Hades’s realm to confront him, and he was surprised that they were surprised at his lack of reaction. Did they forget who his dad was? Did they forget that Percy was raised by Batman and had access to files and videos of other planets and realms because Bruce was neurotic about everything and anything that could hurt him and his family?
Percy tuned them out when they began to talk about quest member. The underworld. The Land of the Dead. He was going to be in the same vicinity as his brother, as his mother. Maybe he could go and look for her, see what she looked like for the first time in his life. He could hear her voice and just talk to her. And maybe he could do what Orpheus couldn’t do for Eurydice, maybe Percy could find Jason in the Underworld (no doubt his big brother was in Elysium where all the heroes went) and bring him up to the surface to live again.
Then Bruce wouldn’t be as upset as he is now, he wouldn’t have to grieve and push Percy away. And Dick would come back from his mission in space sooner, the three of them could finally be brothers. Alfred could have his cooking buddy again and Jason could go to college like he wanted.
They could be happy again.
“So, Perseus,” He brought his attention back to Chiron in front of him. “Do you accept this quest?”
He looked at Grover once more, the goat boy one bite away from finishing the empty can of soda.
“I do.”
**************************************
I think this is how it’s play out instead of canon. Instead of Percy going to save Sally, he’s trying to save Jason. A fun lil’ twist.
Series Masterlist | Masterlist
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anticomedygarden · 1 year
Text
Happy 60th birthday, Percy!
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ao3 link
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Percy couldn't remember a time Camp Half-Blood had ever been so full.
Not even his first summer, back before the wars when the gods were so damn horny and irresponsible, were there so many people (and mythical beings) packed into the space, made even more impressive by the fact that everyone seemed to be outside on the grounds, and Percy absolutely loved it. He hadn't seen some of these people in years, maybe even decades; apparently, two half-bloods reaching 60 years old - the first in centuries if he didn't include Nico and Hazel - was a big deal.
Of course, a gathering this size was sure to attract more vile attention, and someone had already spotted a couple hellhounds prowling around the wards, but whatever. Somebody younger could deal with it, someone who didn't have creaky knees.
Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a bright blue streak racing toward the steps of the Big House.
"Grandpa!" little Clio yelled as she catapulted herself into Percy's lap. As the oldest child of Percy and Annabeth's youngest child, Clio was their second youngest grandchild at only three years old. He figured her little brother was probably being passed around somewhere in the throng of people which was how she'd managed to slip away from her moms.
"Hey, squirt," he said, spitting out a piece of her wavy black hair as she got herself situated. "Are you having fun?"
She nodded vigorously. "Aunt Clarisse showed me where to punch someone so they go to sleep, and Aunt Rachel gave me paint tattoos!" She thrust her arms out to reveal both hands covered in roses and vines, and he stifled a laugh. That was sure to go over well with both her parents.
"That's so cool, sweetie," he said while rooting around in his pocket. "Hey, guess what I have!"
Somehow, her big grey eyes lit up even brighter. "What?"
"Candy!" She shrieked  at the sight of the shiny red Kit-Kat wrapper - her favorite, a trick he had picked up from his mom. He quickly unwrapped it and broke it in half. It was his birthday, after all.
A few minutes later found them playing rock, paper, scissors, both of them with sticky hands from the half-melted chocolate bar.
She giggled when he lost the fifth round in a row. "You suck at this."
His mouth dropped open. "Where did you learn that word?" Honestly, Percy couldn't care less what words she used, but kids always loved it when they thought they got away with saying a bad word.
This time was no different. "Uncle Magnus," she said gleefully.
His eyes widened in mock surprise. "Did you get to see Uncle Magnus today?"
She smiled and nodded.
Before he could question her further, Lucy, their youngest daughter, appeared at the bottom of the steps. "Dad, have you seen - oh, there she is. Clio, what did I say about running off?"
Mischief danced in his granddaughter's eyes. "Uh oh."
He laughed, knowing full well that the little girl was allowed to go wherever she wanted at Camp since no matter where she went, there would be a demigod, nymph, or some other mythical being ready to lead her back to her parents.
Then, Lucy spotted the Kit-Kat wrapper. "Dad! She's already had three cupcakes today!"
He stared Clio right in the eyes. "Uh-oh." She giggled again, and he looked back at his daughter who was glaring at him fiercely with eyes that perfectly matched her mother's. "She's my granddaughter, and it's my birthday. I can give her as much candy as I want." He started tickling her then and said a silent thank you that she was still small enough to lay down on his lap even while convulsing with laughter.
"Speaking of your birthday, there are a ton of people who want to talk to you down there." Her hands were on her hips, a habit she still retained from childhood. Anytime she wanted him or Annabeth to do something, this was the exact stance they got: pointed look and hands on hips. He caved almost every time, but then again, Annabeth had always been stronger than him.
Now, though, there was another one on his lap, giggling and wanting something completely different from him. "They can wait a little bit longer."
Lucy huffed but didn't say anything, just sat in the chair opposite him. "Where's mom?"
"I think I saw her with Aunt Piper," he answered. "Speaking of, where is your other child? And your wife?"
She waved a hand. "With Grandma." Of course they were. At 78 years old, Sally Jackson was as spry and magnetic as ever.  
In fact, she was coming up the hill with an infant in her arms.
"Mom, how do you always have a kid?" he said, and was pleased to see Lucy stand up to make a seat for her grandmother.
"Oh, no, don't get up for me. I just wanted to pop up here with the baby to say hello." She waved his little arm. "And to answer your question, son, it's grandma powers."
Again, he didn't question her, though he thought quietly that Annabeth didn't seem to attract children the way his mother did.
"Nana, El!" Clio piped from her place on Percy's lap, hands stretching toward her great-grandmother. Ever since her little brother had been born, she had been fascinated with him, constantly wanting to hold him and play with him.
Lucy gave her a stern look. "What do we say?"
"Please!"
Sally gave Percy a knowing look. It hadn't been very long ago when Lucy's older brother had done almost the exact same thing.
Tamping down the odd, bittersweet feeling, he got Clio situated to hold the baby: sitting up on his thighs with his hands under hers, a watchful eye trained on them between her wild strands of dark hair. "Go ahead, mom."
Gently, Sally lowered the baby into their arms. When he was secure, Percy allowed himself to fully appreciate the moment with his family. Four generations of Jacksons, all on the porch of the Big House. One mortal, one demigod, and two legacies. He never thought he'd see the day.
Of course, this party really was special for his mother. Mortals normally weren't allowed inside the Camp boundaries, but an allowance was made for today, just for his and Annabeth's family.
Sally leaned against his chair. "I remember when you looked like that at your sister."
"Mom, I was 17 when Estelle was born."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "And? I had never seen you sit so still. You had that same look in your eyes when Paul handed her to you."
"Sure, mom." He knew she was right, but he would never reach an age where ribbing wasn't funny.
She squeezed his ear. "Hey, I wanted to tell you that we're probably not gonna stay super long."
He gave her an offended look. "It's barely even 2!"
"We are very old, son. Besides, we spent the whole day with you on Annabeth's birthday. This party is really for you demigods, anyway, and us old coots have to be in bed by 8."
So, maybe that was true. "Fine."
"Hey, I was wondering where you all were," Lucy's wife Gina said as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. With dark skin and mischief in her eyes, she was a very distant legacy of Mercury that Lucy had met at NRU in college. "Percy, Annabeth wants to talk to you."
"Excellent." If there was one person he would always get out of his chair for, it was her. "Where is she?"
Gina picked Elias up, and Percy set his granddaughter on the ground, grinning when she took off toward the crowd with barely a 'bye-bye.'
"Last I saw, she was at the desserts table."
"Thanks," he said and started heading down.
On his way, he was stopped no less than a dozen times by various people wishing him a happy birthday, some a happy 44th anniversary of the end of the Titan War.
Finally, he made it to Annabeth and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hey, wise girl."
"Seaweed brain!" She turned around in his arms and kissed him as if they hadn't seen each other less than a half hour ago.
"Really? In front of the food?" their oldest child Nathan asked. At 34, he had seen his parents kiss countless times yet always seemed to have the same reaction.
"Yeah, guys, come on, really?" the son of Hermes and hero of Olympus asked as he tore into a blue cupcake.
"Hey, Travis," Annabeth said, arms still around Percy's neck. Nathan had already disappeared to the gods knew where, maybe to go find his girlfriend of 10 years, and they probably wouldn't see him again for a while.
Travis waved his cupcake. "We're so old, you guys. We're all getting into our 60s! What the hell happened?"
Just as Percy was about to ask one of his oldest friends to take his crisis somewhere else, Connor popped up out of no where and said, "Okay, bro, let's go find Katie." He then led his brother away to presumably fall into hysterics in the safety of his wife's arms.
Percy and Annabeth looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Eventually, Annabeth sobered and said, "He's not wrong. When Leo asked Bianca-" Nico and Will's daughter "-to play 'Material Girl', she said, 'I'm not playing freaking Taylor Swift,' and kicked him off the stage." She gave him a pointed look. "We're old, babe!"
Percy laughed. "That was news, like, 8 years ago." It was also around that time he realized their one strand of grey hair had turned into several strands, and Shrek was considered a classic. "She might have a point about Taylor Swift, though."
Annabeth gave him her patented 'don't get me started' look, and he wisely shut his mouth.
"What did you need me for?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Oh, I just wanted you to see all this blue food!" She waved a hand toward it all, and he recognized at least a couple of his mom's dishes amidst the blue cookies, blue brownies, blue cakes and cupcakes, and blue pasta noodles. He was practically in heaven.
Annabeth handed him a cupcake and took one for herself, and soon they were walking hand in hand through the crowd that had somehow grown since he first stepped into it.
Most of the faces were vaguely recognizable, people they knew from being the two most famous and revered demigods of their generation. Others, he didn't know. He supposed they were the ones that wanted to see firsthand two demigods that had managed to live so long.
He really couldn't blame them for that.
The rest were people they knew well. Speaking of-
"Magnus, Alex! I'm so glad you guys could come," Percy said when he saw the young blond and his partner. Young was relative, of course. Chronologically, Magnus and Alex were only a couple years younger than him and Annabeth, but that was impossible to know just by looking at them. Both still looked the picture of 16.
There was something to be said there about their perpetual youth as a metaphor for the permanence of death while everyone else aged, but today wasn't the day to think about it. Besides, he liked to leave that kind of thing to Annabeth. Instead, he thought about the novel occurrence of Norse demigod einherjar in Camp Half Blood. There were some Egyptian magicians running around, too. Really put the whole Greek-Roman split fiasco in perspective.
"Yeah, we managed to slip down between meetings," Magnus said. Nearly 45 years later and the Chase Space was going strong, so strong, in fact, that they had opened up several more. It was wonderful, but it was also a lot of work. "Blitz is there now with Hearth."
"Ooh, where'd the blue cupcakes come from?" Alex asked.
Annabeth laughed. "Right over there in the pavilion."
Alex waved in thanks before dragging Magnus over to the food.
Percy turned to Annabeth. "You know what I just realized?"
"What?"
"I get a 10% discount at Burger King now." He was unreasonably excited for it.
She patted him on the back. "Good. You'll finally be able to join me."
If she thought that would rile him up, she was dead wrong. "Are you saying you want Burger King dates?"
"I'd go on a date anywhere with you." Somehow, she said it totally straight faced despite the cheesiness of the line. He appreciated it all the same. The next person they ran into was Grover.
"G-Man!"
"Percy! Annabeth!"
Man, had he missed Grover. The satyr was running an international project to get mythical creatures more involved in environmentalism, and they rarely had a chance to see each other anymore.
"How's the project going?" Percy asked.
Grover beamed. "It's going really well. We just finished planting a bunch of trees in France, and we're gonna go to Canada next to mess with hunters."
Not all of their business practices were strictly legal, but they didn't really need to be, anyway.
Annabeth laughed. "That sounds like a lot of fun."
Grover nodded.
They chatted for a bit longer until Juniper called him over to do something.
From there, they somehow made it to the activities section of Camp, and Annabeth dared him to race her up the climbing wall. She beat him, of course. Just like old times.
Next, they played a game of volleyball against some Roman legacies and won. The legacies were so excited to play with them that they didn't care a couple of 60 year olds beat them.
After that, they ran into Frank and Hazel.
"Hey, you guys," Hazel said. "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks, Hazel," Percy said. He wondered how many times he had heard that phrase today. "How are you?"
She smiled wide, exuberance only multiplied with age. "We're good. We're moving into the new house next week."
"Awesome," Annabeth said. "We'll definitely be there to help."
Hazel clapped. "Thank you so much! We'll do dinner or something, too, alright?"
At 56 and 58, Hazel and Frank were planning to retire in a few years and had recently bought a house right on the Tiber River in New Rome.
"Sounds good," Annabeth answered.
They moved on, mingling throughout the crowd. They talked to a few people, mostly the ones they knew well, and played some more games. Percy was beat badly by Clio at cornhole, but he took the loss like a champ.
Eventually, they made it to the beach, and Percy wasn't surprised to see a black haired man in a bright orange Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts holding a trident on the shore.
Before he could say anything, Annabeth said, "I'm gonna go see if I can find Thalia."
With that, she disappeared back into the crowd.
"Son," Poseidon started. "It is good to see you."
A warmth seeped through Percy's chest. He and his father certainly had one of the best relationships between a demigod and godly parent in the entire Greek pantheon, and, for that, he was forever grateful. It had actually been one of the reasons Zeus loosened the rules about God's visiting their children.
"Thanks, Dad." Percy waited a moment. "Any particular reason you're here?" As good as their relationship was, Poseidon was still a god.
"Can I not just say hello to my son on his birthday?"
Percy just looked at him.
"Fine, I did want to tell you something." Poseidon fidgets with his beard, clearly thinking deeply. "I would like to revisit the subject of your mortality."
Percy supposed he should have seen this coming. He is, after all, Poseidon's favorite son that also just so happened to be transitioning into his senior years, but ever since it became clear that he wasn't going to try to overthrow Olympus with his considerable power, he had gotten used to not being asked to become a god. It had been nice.
"Dad, I don't want to be a god-" he started.
Poseidon held up a hand. "Let me finish, son." He sucked in a breath. "You know that when you were born, it was a huge scandal."
Yeah, he knew. He still had nightmares about the Olympian council voting on whether or not to kill him.
"Despite that, you became a hero of Olympus many times throughout your life, and you have come to be my favorite son. I value your life, which is not something I say lightly."
"Gee, thanks, Dad," he said sarcastically. "I value your life, too."
Poseidon gave him an unimpressed look, then shook his head as if ignoring his son's poor attempt at lightening the mood. When he spoke, Percy was surprised to hear a quaver in his voice. "I find I am deeply saddened at the thought of your death."
And, okay, Percy wasn't expecting that one. Death had always been a constant in his life, something ever present and surrounding. If he hadn't become accustomed to the thought of it, his life would have been much harder. He wasn't looking forward to it, obviously, but he wasn't afraid. It was a miracle he had lived this long, actually.
"Listen, I know I'm getting up there, but I've lived this long. Mortals today can make it to over 100." He didn't need to mention that fighting was getting harder every day, or that his knees creaked and his back ached constantly. He and Annabeth would probably retire to New Athens soon, anyway.
"I am aware, but I just want you to know that when you do die, you and Annabeth both have a place in Atlantis."
A generous offer, but they had decided long ago that Elysium was the place for them. They didn't want immortality or godhood. The only thing they ever wanted was to live their lives, and they had done that, were still doing that. They would go to Elysium happy.
"Thanks, dad, really," he said. "I'll pass that along to Annabeth." He turned, unsure what to do next.
To his surprise, Poseidon pulled him into a bone crushing hug, one his now 60 year old body would take at least a few minutes to recover from.
Poseidon pulled away. "Go, be with your family." He looked down and rubbed an eye.
Percy has to admit that his eyes were getting misty at this point, too. "Love you, dad."
"I love you, too." Poseidon turned to gaze out at the glittering sea, so Percy started making his way back to the party.
Poseidon stopped him with a word. "Percy?"
"Yeah, dad?"
"Happy birthday."
-
A few hours later when the sky was dark and Artemis was high in the sky with her chariot, Percy sat in the stands at a campfire, Annabeth next to him. Most of the guests had left or retired to their cabins, having to put the kids to bed or comply with camp curfew.
Some, though, were still up, and Percy couldn't help but think they made a formidable crowd despite the average age.
Carter and Sadie Kane were seated right next to the fire, experimenting with spells to see which ones could influence the hearth's magic. The flames were already so high and vibrant from the party that their magic wasn't doing much, though.
Farther down the steps were Magnus and Alex who had decided to stay the night rather than go back to Boston. They were talking to the Stolls, Clarisse, and Katie Gardener, which could only bring trouble.
Thalia and Reyna were mingling around the crowd, looking young as ever, as was Apollo, surprisingly. Or not so surprisingly, considering his own adventures as a mortal. Meg McCaffrey was also walking around the fire, throwing things in to see how fast they would incinerate.
Piper and Shel - another mortal, he noted - were talking to Jason and Leo toward the middle of the stands, and Hazel and Frank were roasting marshmallows by the fire with Grover and Juniper.
Just behind Percy and Annabeth, Nico and Will were loudly discussing the latest Marvel movie with Rachel, a debate Percy and Annebeth would surely find themselves drawn into sooner or later.
For now, Percy took a moment to admire his wife. Annabeth, whose hair was more grey than blonde now, who had laugh lines and worry lines, who had never looked more beautiful. She wore all signs of her age like badges of honor - because they were.
He still couldn't believe they had made it this far.
A soft whoosh drew Percy's attention to his left. Beside them, the god of wine had formed out of nowhere, still in a leopard print shirt and looking the same as he did when Percy was 12.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" he said. Percy noticed that the cup in his hand didn't smell like alcohol despite his sentence having ended several years ago. "Mortals, Egyptians, Norse, Romans, and Greeks, all around Hestia's hearth. I never thought I'd see the day."
Percy and Annabeth exchanged an amused glance. "Hey, Mr. D."
"Yes, hello, Peter and Annabelle." He took a sip of whatever was in his cup. "I hope you realize the magnitude of what is in front of you."
Saving them from answering, Chiron trotted up next to his old colleague and said, "It truly is a wonder." He looked straight at Percy and Annabeth. "And it's because of you two."
Percy felt his face heat up, and one look at Annabeth showed hers doing the same.
It was true, though, he realized. None of these people would be here without them.
"I've been doing this for a very long time, and it is rare that any of my students live past their teen years, yet here we are in front of so many that have lived over half a century. I wonder - how long will this last?" Chiron shook his head. "I don't know, but I pray it is permanent."
Dionysus nodded. "Well said. I trust there is room in Cabin 1 for me?"
"Of course."
With that, he stood and walked down the steps of the amphitheatre toward the cabins, away from the fire and the remaining party.
The wine god had gotten much better since the wars and even sometimes acted like he cared, but there were still the rough edges. Percy found that he liked him much more, now.
He was leagues better than a lot of other gods.
Chiron continued. "I'll leave you to the party, but I want you to think about the impact you have had on our worlds." He looked at them sadly. "We will never forget you two."
Once again, Percy's eyes had gone a bit misty, as had Annabeth's. She squeezed his hand. "We're really lucky, you know."
"Yeah," he agreed. They were.
"Hey, I was waiting til the end of the night for this. Come here." She picked up his hand and dragged him to the bottom of the steps, right by the fire. He followed her curiously, sure what else could possibly be happening today. They'd already sung happy birthday, and presents had been sent to their apartment out of necessity for sheer volume.
She looked up at the crowd. "Hey, guys! It's time."
He looked at her, suddenly scared. "Time for what?"
She didn't answer, and he was forced to wait while all of their friends climbed down to the center of the amphitheatre looking way too excited.
Then, Clarisse came around from the side with a small blue cake that looked like a brick with a single candle stuck in it, and he knew exactly what was going on.
"Come on, guys, aren't we too old for this?" he said nervously, slightly afraid that if any of these 50-60 year olds attempted to carry them, they would throw out their backs.
"Nice try, Jackson," Clarisse said. She handed him the plate. "Make a wish."
Even the non Greeks and the rest of the Seven seemed to know what was going on.
"Yeah, Percy, we all wanna see you two get dunked,” Grover said.
Percy turned a betrayed look to him. "G-Man?"
Travis spoke up next. "C'mon, hurry up!"
"Yeah, let's go!" He wasn't sure which one said that.
He looked at Annabeth next. "You're okay with this?"
She smirked. "I organized it!"
Of course she did.
Percy threw his head back and laughed, then blew the candle out without thinking too much.
A cheer went up around the crowd. "To the lake!"
"Wooh!"
And that's how they found themselves being lifted up onto everybody's shoulders and thrown into the lake, having the second best underwater kiss ever.
Tomorrow, they would go home to their apartment in Queens and return to their everyday lives, but they always knew Camp Half Blood would be there to return to, because this place, more than anywhere else, was home.
They were home.
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