#General Pollux

[comma-tose]

I hope Fiona still has General Pollux's eye. I just think that'd be hilarious.

Whatever people she's with come across an old sealed Atlas facility with a retina scanner, they're all brainstorming ways that they can get inside when Fiona just perks up suddenly, reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small container with a perfectly preserved eye inside, while the others just stare at her in varying degrees of horror, and all they hear is "Greetings, General Pollux" as the door successfully slides open.

Bonus points if Athena is there and they get into a mini argument about Athena telling her to throw that thing away because it's weird and everyone else gets to discover she's been carrying it around for YEARS.

(I mean, it's Borderlands they probably have a way to preserve the eye forever right?)

[bodeyeen2132]

I’ve always loved how Dionysus has had the least amount of demigod children (besides the big 3 and chast gods) it shows how much he truly loves his wife, and when he does have kids I truly believe his wife loves them as well (and they’re mothers)

@half-shadowgalra @bugwolfsstuff @ottpop

[sunshinemage]

okay okay I can definitely see wayfarer pollux smooching oya on the cheek or the chin (chin bc pollux is short sjdjdjd)

tiny pollux is tiny 🥺🧡

oya loves him 🥰

[ilions-end]

i was wondering how and when the name teukros became teucer (specifically with an S sound) in english, because i don't know any other language that doesn't call him some variation of teukros/tevkros/teucro.

but of course it turns i can blame the romans! again!

[regheart]

Do you have personal headcanons on Callidora, Cedrella, and Charis?

hello! thank you so much for the ask

i don't have many specific headcanons, just more general ideas

i think the black family has lived exclusively in the london area for centuries and the house they lived in is from the tudor era and survived the great fire of 1666 through magic, becoming unplottable and invisible to muggles since then

the three were very close while growing up and got along with dorea the most out of their cousins because of the age proximity

theirs was probably the poorest branch of the family

being so distant from the heir line, the only expectation they had was to marry pure-blood wizards (or not marry at all)

callidora married a longbottom (i personally don't think she's directly related to frank and neville because i headcanon frank to be older than sirius iii and i always thought of augusta as being very old so the two of them would be closer in age), moved to lancanshire and had her three kids in the 40s

she spends many of her days at blackpool pier chatting with enid and augusta

cedrella followed the memo and married pure-blood septimus weasley, but her family was not pleased because the weasleys have gotten a worse fame of blood traitors after objecting to the pure-blood directory

she had four kids, all boys, and the youngest, whom she favors, is named castor (a star in the gemini constellation, twin to pollux). both castor and arthur got her blue eyes

charis married a crouch and i can't decide if she's the mother of barty sr. or not because to me he looks like the type to only have kids in their mid 30s after his carrier is solid and that doesn't align with her age

callidora and charis never stopped talking to their sister, but they can't pretend to like her children. callidora tolerates castor, and that's it

lysandra moved out of the house after arcturus died and cygnus and druella moved in with their daughters (they used to live with pollux in hampstead, in a house that would have been alphard's inheritance the way grimmauld place was passed down to walburga)

bellatrix, andromeda and narcissa got compared to them all the time because of the way they were always together

callidora cut ties with her family after the first war. not in a dramatic way, most of them were either dead or imprisoned, but she never went after arcturus, or pollux, or cassiopeia, anyone, she only spoke to cedrella

[undercoverangell]

getting an idea for western au helen and menelaus from. annie get your gun of all things.

[kismetmoon]

“All that I want is a pair of wings to fly, into the blue of the wide open sky.

Show me your scars, I’ll show you mine.

Perched out of the city on a pair of power lines”.

[ID: a digital painting of an original, stylised Flatland character named Pollux Codex.

Pollux is a blue hexagon with black limbs, two white and greyish-blue wings coming from his sides, a single eye in the centre of his body and a dark blue line along his bottom edge and right side.

He is posed as though floating in midair, his wings extended out behind him and his legs hanging down. His hands are held out in front of his body, with his left arm reaching out closer to the viewer than his right and both palms facing upwards. His eye is closed in a gentle expression.

The background is a sunset fading from burnt orange to pale yellow going from the bottom to the top of the image. There are some clouds around the edges and the sun is above Pollux, between his wings. There are power lines beneath him at the bottom of the image.

End ID.]

of course for @2d-dreams, with everyone’s favourite homosexual hexagon :D

also a close-up shot that i really like the framing of under the cut because why not

[ID: a close up of the above image, with Pollux’s body and wings shown in full - but the surrounding background has been cut out of frame. End ID.]

[uss-sonder]

Some of the best things I got from the incorrect quote generator:

[kashilascorner]

love the fact that Castor and Pollux were Argonauts but then they're also Helen and Clytemnestra's twin brothers because I always thought it was implied that the Golden Fleece expedition happened (almost) a generation ago, which means that either the argonauts had kids running around the ship or Helen is actually very old by the time the Trojan war happens

[svbhuman]

two friends said fratricide art no.2 is cool. im god

[justpollux]

I think my ADHD is so much more severe than I thought it was

[kittenscookie]

What Luke's funeral in the Modern Epic Au would look like

A third of the camp is crying, a third are in violent soul crushing sobs, and the last bit is holding back tears.

Annabeth: *Through Tears* We will miss him so much. He was so sweet—

Percy: *Nodding*

Chris: *Raises a brow*

Annabeth: Never mean—

Pollux: *Side Eye*

Ghost Castor: *Bombastic Side*

Dionysus: *Criminal Offense Side Eye*

Annabeth: Never angry.

Grover: ...Huh—?

Travis: *Leans in and whispers* Are we at the wrong damn funeral?

Connor: *Shakes his head and shrugs* I don't think so?

Annabeth: He always had a nice thing to say—

Everyone: *Nods and murmurs in agreement*

Annabeth: Never negative.

Percy: *Starts shaking his head at that, absolutely perplexed and wondering where she got that from*

Everyone in Hermes Cabin: *Genuinely looking at her like she's insane*

Annabeth: He was always so generous!

Clarisse: BULLSHIT!

Chris: Clarisse!

Clarisse: No! Because that mother fucker made me pay him ten drachmas and 40$ for a single six pack of beer once! GENEROUS MY ASS!

Connor: *Smiling wistfully and on the verge of tears* Yup, that was my brother...

[loveemagicpeace]

🏹Jupiter in Gemini🏹

Jupiter will move into gemini after 12 years.

Gemini is intellectual, expressive, questioning, dual, sociable, liberal. Gemini is a mutable sign and is adaptable. Gemini is the sign of communication and words. They always express themselves through words. They symbolize states of consciousness associated with intellectualization. Diseases associated with the sign of the baby are: asthma, bronchitis, inflammation of the chest and lungs. The bones associated with the sign of Gemini are the carpals and metacarpals, the humerus, the humerus, the scapula, the clavicle and the upper ribs.

Throughout history, the twin symbolizes Eros and Anteros. The two stars that exist in this sign are Castor and Pollux. There are supposed to be flames of fire around their heads and when this happens the storm on the sea dies down. The old Kop name for twins is supposed to be "Pri Mahi" - which means completely connected, united. Vows are associated with Gemini and Mercury.

The sign of Gemini is two-bodied and double. The twins do not hold hands, they are separate souls, they move from left to right. The sign of Gemini is difficult because of its dual nature. This is a multifaceted, changeable personality. Geminis are outspoken, arrogant, hyperactive. They are bright and good speakers. They like artificial gems. They can often be impatient with people because they are very quick-tempered and don't like things to go slowly. They are also very restless individuals and cannot stay in one room for long periods of time. They spend their whole lives searching for an ideal that they cannot see because it is right in front of them.

Best qualities: diversity, willingness to change. Cons: Lack of consistency across the board. They change quickly, as if they have two inner voices: one says do and the other says leave.

Jupiter represents optimism, wisdom, growth, learning, happiness, exploration, charity, compassion, inspiration, meaning, path and faith. It includes believers, rich people, employees, big banks, judges, fortune hunters. It is associated with the liver, bile. Jupiter rules blood, veins, arteries, thighs, hips.

Jupiter can bring the following things to the signs:

Aries Rising

You might become more involved in your community, or even take it upon yourself to learn something new for fun. It can bring more thinking, education in the mental field. You can travel short distances more. More interaction with siblings, relatives.If you are going to move somewhere, you can have better neighbors who are optimistic and friendly, even foreigners. You may accidentally meet some important people or people who will change your way of thinking. This house also represents the cause of the loss of property, the cause of moving away from home, long journeys of the spouse (the partner may travel somewhere).

Taurus rising

Many things can be related to finances, money (in general, property). Jupiter can give you great luck in money and comfort. You can live more luxuriously. You can find comfort in the smallest things. Much more enjoyment and great things. Maybe your inner feelings can start to change more.You can find yourself in areas that you weren't so familiar with before. Spend more time with family friends. Things can also be related to vocational education. Long journeys related to work. If you have a partner, there are also things related to the inheritance that you get from him. If you are going to travel long distances, it is good to take care of your health.

Gemini Rising

Jupiter will bring you a personality transformation. You may change your appearance and style - start looking at yourself and your body differently. You will be more open and direct and have strong opinions. It can also bring some insight about yourself (which you haven't figured out so far). Jupiter gives a deeper and more meaningful way of doing things. It can bring you certain types from your childhood and possibly dealing with it. Connects with the money of a friend and father (you can get money from them both). You can meet someone on a trip who you fall in love with and who awakens a different kind of love in you. You can also find a different love for yourself (in a deeper way).

Cancer Rising

During this time, you will delve more deeply into yourself and your subconscious, thinking more profound things. You will focus more on hidden things. You can meet someone who helped you through things (usually Jupiter brings mentors, teachers and people from whom we can learn). We can spend more time in institutions that are more isolating than hospitals, etc. If you are going through a difficult experience or illness, this is a sign that things will turn around for the better. Since this is also the house of the most difficult battles and tasks, you can fight with yourself a lot. Things that can also be related to secret enemies, residence in a foreign country, ways of release.You may have to let something go in order to move on.

Leo Rising

You will be more popular in society and among people. It is possible that you will meet more people and start socializing more with those who inspire you. You can start putting more on the dreams and goals you have, you can get a new interest in a new thing. You will be more dedicated to yourself and form your own opinion about society and maybe start participating more actively in it. You can buy more or give money more for personal interests. Your loved ones may be traveling for a long time. It can be the affective health of the uncle and aunt on the mother's side.

Virgo Rising

More luck based on your career. Lots of career opportunities and maybe a new path that will change your life. Also something bigger and new that you didn't expect to happen. More acquaintances, especially more interaction with older and authoritative people (more masculine energy). More connection with parents and father (father can help you more or give you money). You can meet more people who are destined to get to know them and get in touch with them. Jupiter can give you lucky coincidences with the people you need. Money can come from abroad and you can start earning abroad or get an opportunity there.

Libra Rising

You can decide to take a long plane trip or a spiritual journey that will give you a new perspective. You can decide on a higher education such as: philosophy, law, religion - or continue your studies / complete your studies. You can explore and investigate new things more than usual. You can think more about what you belong to and what belonging to someone means to you (what it means to you), you can also be more lucky in many things. You can gain a lot through spiritual experiences and psychic experiences. You can come to a greater awareness of yourself and what it means to you. You can take better care of your property and you can get back something you thought was lost a long time ago. There can also be connections with a parent of the opposite sex than yourself. You can do more sports or decide to be more dedicated to it and seek pleasure with one person.

Scorpio Rising

Jupiter will bring you an emotional transformation that will rebirth you and make you a better person. You can experience a deep connection with one person and have a deeper intimate relationship with them. Things can also be related to inheritance, you can get some property or something in you to your advantage. You can gain a lot from other people, especially money from other people is at stake here. Many opportunities and things can come through others. You can also get a lot of money from others and it is also good to invest money. You can gain a lot from a partnership or marriage. If you are involved in any lawsuits now, the outcome of them will be good.

Sagittarius Rising

Jupiter will bring you things related to others it mainly relates to the relationships you have with others (any). If you are already in a relationship, you can get married or get engaged (engagement usually happens under this aspect). You meet a lot of spiritual people who can help you and show you the way or someone who is more open, open-minded, you can get along better with friends. Jupiter represents marriage more, so this can be more in the foreground than the relationship itself (depending on the aspects). During this time, you can also attract someone who suits you more on a personal level. You can get to know your other side better and also notice what really suits you and what doesn’t. A friend with whom you are close can travel for a long time, or someone with whom you are closer.

Capricorn Rising

Jupiter can bring you more opportunities and new things related to your hobbies, entertainment and spending your free time. You can go into a more special relationship or fall in love with someone. You will want to express yourself in some way, and let the world see you. You can be more sociable and if single, meet new romantic partners. You could fall in love during this transit, but if there aren't any other grounding influences. it's most likely you'll just date a lot. You can also have someone who is not from your country or someone you meet on a trip. You can be more creative and do things related to creativity and you can also be more recognizable. A good time also for gambling or any related opportunities. Your passions for what you do will show more. Income can come from real estate and property. U can publish more things. This can also be a good period to have a child/get pregnant.

Aquarius Rising

Jupiter can bring you more joy. You can easily go more outside your comfort zone. You can focus on your routine or things related to you and your things. Artists of any kind are rewarded when they boldly fuel their creations with authenticity and freely express themselves. You will get prosperity and accomplishments with your ability to win over opponents. However, it can give expansion in loan and debt-related issues because of your ignorance. During this transit period, you will realize the value of the financial management.

Pisces Rising

you can go on a trip that will be longer and last longer. Your home can be somewhere else for a while and you might even find a place where you will feel the best. You can find a place that gives you a feeling of home and warmth. It can also mean finding a dream house or making wishes come true and also remodeling your home. You can feel better at home and have a better relationship with your parents (especially with mom). You can also better see things that ended and understand why they ended. Maybe you and your family can have some kind of family tradition about what you will do this time.

🎸For personal readings u can sign up here: https://snipfeed.co/bekylibra 🎸

-Rebekah🧚🏼‍♀️🌊🌙

[sparsilees]

the blacks aren’t an incestuous family

you can say sirius is rather unhinged and depressed from prolonged dementor exposure and the violent tragedy of betrayal and loss. you can say he’s traumatised by his upbringing and the first wizarding war. or that the horrors™ have done a real number on him. that bellatrix lestrange was too brilliant, too enchanted with the dark arts, or too broken from azkaban.

don’t blame it on ‘black family madness’, it doesn’t exist in canon. don’t blame it on inbreeding.

the pureblood families generally intermarried between ‘suitable’ bloodlines (sometimes they brought in halfbloods, too). the blacks are no exception—why marry your silly cousin when there’s a wider pool of eligible pureblood contenders? because according to the back family tree *checks note* walburga and orion are the only cousins known to have married in canon—specifically, they’re second cousins.

the black family tree roots are far-reaching and expansive. there’s always a black daughter that’s married into every other notable family—the burkes, the crouches, the lestranges, the longbottoms, the malfoys, the prewetts, the potters, and the weasleys—the wizarding world is built on the black bloodline.

everyone’s related in some capacity to the blacks, with certain individuals more closely than others, like how sirius black and arthur weasley are second cousins once removed, with their closest common ancestor being former headmaster phineas black.

the black family members featured in the books descend from either arcturus (the main branch) or pollux. this means that, due to their parents’ union, sirius and regulus have black, macmillan, and crabbe ancestry. whereas the black sisters are entirely removed from the heir line and share black, crabbe, and rosier bloodlines. sirius and regulus, and bellatrix, andromeda, and narcissa share exactly one set of grandparents and one set of great-grandparents.

(also, if you subscribe to the alternate canon that james’ parents are dorea and charlus, it means sirius and james are first cousins once removed; james and arthur are second cousins; and harry and ron are third cousins, placing them in the same generation as the black quintet and closer to phineas black than draco or tonks.)

canonically, it’s the gaunts who were “a very ancient wizarding family noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins”, and even nearly pulled off sibling marriage to continue their line.

unlike the gaunts, the blacks did not bring together first cousins into a union and added various bloodlines into the family, so the ‘black family madness due to incestuous practices’ theory doesn’t hold water, bye.

[ma1dita]

play pretend

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

words: 5.1k (holy shit)

summary: (established relationship…at the end of it lol) suggestive in nature but sfw , underage drinking what do you expect from a dionysus!kid, mentions of vomit The one where Mr. D catches you two in the act, but you and him aren't exactly together yet. Everyone knows you two are together except the both of you, apparently. It’s hard to not run away from something good. (luke castellan x dionysus!reader)

a/n: happy first i love you to you and luke! yall are together now! crazy! thanks for being patient during my lil vacay :)) its been a little over a month since i started the trouble!verse!! ilysm

(posted 2/23 betad by my one and only @mrsaluado )

—

There’s something you’ve always loved about mornings.

Waking up with the first rays of light peeking through your window, the sun’s arms stretched around your sleepy frame pressing warm, featherlike kisses across the expanse of your back.

It almost feels real. 

Apollo must be feeling generous today, the heat of a warm breath brushing against your neck, and your alarm sounding an awful lot like soft snores. You ought to get up and close the blinds; it’s too damn bright. But your weighted blanket feels immensely heavier this morning as it envelopes your senses—smelling of citrus, musk, and a tangible dream of last night that seems to have stayed in bed with you. As soon as you try to untangle your legs from below the covers, warmth presses you deeper into the mattress with a…familiar sigh.

Your eyes pop open.

Quick and calculated, your eyes survey the surroundings of your room—the mop of licorice tresses nestled against the crook of your neck, both of your clothes scattered on the floor, as well as the alarm clock and a few other things knocked off your nightstand from Luke’s enthusiasm. The quiet of the morning is quickly disrupted when you hear two pairs of little hands pounding on your door, and for a moment you wonder if this is one of those hyper-realistic dreams that you don’t want to wake up from.

“Sissy! You missed breakfast,” Pollux bellows as Castor continues to slap his palms on the wood like a bongo drum.

The sheets start rustling as you squirm out of Luke’s grasp, bumping against the muscular ridges of his torso which brings him back to consciousness.

“Be out in a minute!” you slur against his shoulder, and he opens his eyes blearily at the sight of you sprawled over him to try to reach the alarm clock on the ground. As his eyes focus he can’t help but admire the planes of your body, soft and pretty in the morning light like a painting come to life. Waking up in one’s company has never felt more right, even with the usual chatter of campers wafting through the open window. Here in the swaddle of pink and purple sheets, you two are something singular—not camp counselors with jobs to do, not demigods wanting to achieve glory, just your Angelface and his Trouble. 

It’s intimate, even if it doesn’t have a label, him and you.

His large hand catches you at the plush of your tummy when you almost topple off the bed.

“Shit. Shit! They’re not kidding—Luke, it’s 9:30!”

You fling yourself upwards and off of him, clambering to find clothes from your dresser and tossing him his from the day prior. His belt buckle almost hits him in the eye and he groans, flinching as it smacks him in the cheek.

“Gods, woman. You think camp will crumble because you slept in for once?” 

The glare you throw in his direction is his answer, so Luke slowly tugs his pants on–though he quickly gets distracted by a half-dressed vision of you rummaging around your room.

“Castellan.”

He grins like a little kid in a candy store, and to that, you throw his shoe at him. 

Idiot. 

Too bad you’re in deep shit for sleeping in.

“SISSY!!!” 

“IN A FUCKING MINUTE, THING ONE AND TWO!” 

Screaming at the closed door as you throw some shorts on, you spin around and bump into Luke who’s already got his hands around your waist as his nose nudges the space between your jaw and your neck.

“You were supposed to leave before daybreak,” you sigh, a smile creeping onto your lips, “if you did as you were told, I wouldn’t have slept in.” Fake annoyance leaks through your voice though he knows it not to be true, he wouldn’t be able to latch onto you like this if you were. His nose continues to graze up towards your ear as he presses a kiss behind it—like how you both deal with your feelings and the truth nowadays, a hidden secret kept for both of your eyes only.

“Dunno Trouble…I can get used to waking up next to you,” he mumbles. You can feel the imprint of his smile searing into your skin.

Is this what going into cardiac arrest feels like? Genuine question.

You’ve both been sneaking around for the past few weeks, but neither of you has made anything official. They say it’s easier to fall for a friend rather than a stranger—to know someone so intimately (and now in more ways than one) should make falling the easy part. 

But that’s kind of the problem. 

Luke is your best friend—both knowing how the other feels from a single glance, so pray tell to all the gods on Olympus, why has this boy not asked you out yet? Whether this is all for fun or anything resembling a four-letter word that makes your brain go fuzzy, you think you’d rather swim in the Styx instead of putting yourself at a disadvantage. Love is scary, even if it’s Luke. 

Especially since it’s Luke.

His words make you stop in your tracks and you can hear your heart pounding in your ears, so you’re not dead… But the noise turns out to be one of the twins banging on the door again, and now you look like an asshole for taking too long to respond. Luke’s awkwardly looking at you now, tongue in cheek.

“Last warning,” one of your brothers teasingly croons, before the other continues, “Dad’s almost at the door! Your boyfriend’s gotta go or he’s dead…”

Your eyes widen in fear and Luke loosens his grip on your waist, unsure if you look like you’ve seen a ghost at the thought of him being called your boyfriend or the very real possibility of getting caught by your dad.

What a way to go, you two.

“Get out. You gotta go now, out the window!” 

You start pushing him towards the windowpane, your palms pressing against his marked-up and very bare back. 

Holy shit, he still doesn’t have a shirt and he looks like he got mauled by a hellhound. 

You can practically see the grapevines start to flourish outside your window. 

He’s too close for comfort, way too damn close, you think, but can’t reason if you mean Luke or your dad.

“Seriously?” 

He straddles the open window, and Luke doesn’t know what to feel about you pushing him away—it’s a feeling that’s foreign to him since he’s always by your side. 

“Sorry. I’ll make it up to you later angelface,” you mumble, pulling him in for a mind-numbing kiss that almost makes him slip off the rain gutter, and by the time you’ve already closed the window he realizes he’s shirtless in broad daylight, feet hopping off the siding of the cabin.

This couldn’t get any worse (oh but it does in a second), and you’re definitely the asshole this time around.

Your dad barges into your room by the time you throw a shirt on.

“Kid, what the hell? You sick?” 

Mr. D furrows his brows at the sight of you, face flushed as you simper up a lie about your head hurting. It’s weak for an excuse and even if you usually don’t have a tell—he’s the master of this game, so he pretends to not notice you chuck a shirt out the window when you open it to make it less stuffy. 

He raises an eyebrow in disapproval when you both notice your shirt is too big on you.

Oh, he’s onto you, applying heat like a brand to make his only daughter squirm; Mr. D peeks out the window to see a certain Luke Castellan stomping across the path wearing your cropped camp tee—and concludes that if there’s anyone in hot water right now, Luke must be drowning in it.

—

Acting natural is a bit harder for you today, and it feels like a cruel and unusual punishment worth the deepest pit of the Underworld as you scribble words onto a page that won’t even be comprehensible once you read them after this meeting is over. You’ve been catching up on work all day (also known as the impossible task of avoiding Luke) to show your dad you haven’t been slacking off. But a late start meant you fumbled through your day and it was obvious to everyone that you were off your game. Archery ran into javelin throwing, capture the flag teams weren’t ready and had to be made on the spot, there were no new shipments delivered to the camp store, and the infirmary ran out of ambrosia— which were all things that you were expected to coordinate.

Gods, you’re getting too old for this shit.

And if you, the head counselor everyone depends on, is off her game, well—everyone’s on edge. The Stolls even dared to ask you if the world was ending today and you were less than impressed.

Being in love sure feels like it is.

The only thing left to get through is this counselor’s meeting before the party tonight at Fireworks Beach, and you’ll damn yourself to Tartarus if you can’t even get that right. You’re a Dionysus kid, so partying is in your blood. Party planning is your favorite hobby, and to be real, you deserve a drink after today.

Speaking of your father, he’s jabbering on about something you find yourself not particularly interested in, but well…someone’s gotta listen. Charles is dozing off at the table, and Lee jabs him in the side. You see Silena braiding Clarisse’s hair out of the corner of your periphery. And of course, out of all of them, there’s Luke who’s been trying to steal your attention for the past 30 minutes. Black ink smears across the page as you find yourself having every thought that ends supplemented with the memory of how Luke looked at you as he climbed out of your window this morning.

Could he actually want more? 

The all-star camper, Luke Castellan— camp’s best soldier who’s envied by many and admired by all…wants to wake up next to you. You, the camp director’s daughter who keeps everyone in line and is seen more as authority instead of a person with feelings. You’re not always feared, but in a camp for demigod kids who’d rather hone their powers instead of lose special privileges for skipping class, you’re not exactly their favorite either. Once, someone said they’d rather face Mr. D instead of you.

“That doesn’t make sense, we’re supposed to send in the next progress report to Olympus before the last day of the month. That’s Wednesday, D. So it should be by the Sunday before,” you butt in after a statement your dad makes about scheduling. 

All eyes are on you now— it’s the first time you’ve spoken up during tonight’s meeting which was out of character in itself, but your father catches you off guard when the sound of his booming laughter spreads across the room like dynamite tearing through a battlefield.

“Says who? We’ve got enough time,” The god remarks, a strange sheen in his eyes that reflects into yours. He’s on your ass a bit more today, pointing out your flaws from the day and making it his mission to get on your nerves. Few mortals would undermine a god, and though you do it daily to spite him for your existence, your confidence is lower today than it usually is—the reason being a boy with amber eyes boring into your soul from across the table. Everything else pales in comparison now, almost fading into the background, and even here in the hot seat you can’t help but think about if Luke could ever fall for someone like you.

You’re venturing into dangerous territory, you tell yourself, you’ve been hurt before.

It hurts less somehow when you’re cautious. To prepare oneself to be hurt is a defense mechanism ingrained in you—your mom raised you to always be ready for anything. Your self-identity has always been skewed by others’ perceptions. Mirroring the memory of your late mother’s ideals, exemplifying your actions through your immortal father’s personality, you find that fighting your bloodline is one of the most difficult things to come to terms with. A thought passes in your brain that you’ve taken after the worst of them—your mother’s ambition and your father’s unpredictability. 

And who would want to love someone so difficult? 

Tough love is the only way you know how to love. Perhaps someone as good as Luke deserves better than this.

“It’ll be less to worry about that way,” you swallow, and the other counselors sit back in their seats as tension fills the air, signaling another disagreement about to start between your father and you.

“Good thing you don’t have to worry about it since it’s my job, right, kid? Just because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed today doesn’t mean you can change things to better fit your schedule instead of the rest of ours.”

Mr. D scowls, and then again maybe you’re too much like your father—too brash, too mouthy, and self-serving, and your eyes meet Luke’s again as your mouth pulls into a bitter smile.

“It’s the first and last time it’ll ever happen. Gods know I don’t get sick days around here picking up after you,” you spit out harshly, words coming out like acid.

“Just saying kid. Haven’t seen you this careless in years— Maybe check yourself before telling us what to do, yeah?”

Your father’s words have a double meaning as he stares into your soul, glancing between you and Luke, who is none the wiser, still focused on you. Annabeth is holding his hand under the table as you watch his jaw flex. He can see right through the shoddy performance you put on of having it all together.

Does everyone know? 

Your lips pucker as you roll your neck from locking, and a humorless laugh slips from you. Everyone else’s eyes are on Luke, who looks like he’s about to jump across the table and wring a god’s neck. 

Fuck. 

“Whatever. I’m not doing this today,” you grumble, feeling overwhelmed. The chair screeches against the wood of the floor as you push yourself up, fists stained with ink and clenched in teenage angst as you walk to the door to make a quick escape. 

Your father crosses his arms smugly at the success of getting under your skin, and the last words you hear as you leave are, “You never want to hear the truth, kid. Must you always be so…. you?”

Your steps falter for a moment, feeling heavier knowing he’s right so you let go of the door to let it slam it behind you. There’s a commotion inside after you leave but you couldn’t be bothered to give a damn.

It’s time to party and you’re sure as hell getting drunk, high, or both tonight.

—

It takes about two cups of wine for the inebriation to start kicking into Luke’s system. He’d never been much of a drinker, but with the way you’re throwing your head back at Lee’s jokes as he plays the guitar, he thinks he should drink a bit more to forget the fear in your eyes this morning and how Lee keeps touching your waist.

He’s been suspended from counselor duties for the rest of the month for mouthing off at Mr. D in your defense, and even if Annabeth tells him he’s lucky to have not met a worse fate, the way things played out today makes him feel like the most unlucky guy at camp. Fuck the gods, or at least…fuck your dads (that doesn’t sound right, but he’s too busy watching the moonlight glint against your skin that whatever his ex is whispering next to him goes in one ear and out the other). 

“Lukey?” Skye mumbles against his neck, “I miss you…you’re always busy doing who knows what!”

Well… you have a name, Luke thinks, taking a big gulp of whatever’s left in his cup as his eyes follow you across the beach. You’re dancing around the bonfire spinning a tipsy Clarisse who laughs without a care in the world. He thinks you’re the best of your parents—determined to achieve your goals, selfless when it comes to others’ needs, and passionate about what you want. Mr. D will never get to see this side of you—the one you show your friends and this place you all call home. He’ll never be deserving of the work you put into Camp Half-Blood (and to some extent, Luke knows he doesn’t deserve you either).

A dejected sigh brushes warm air against his shoulder.

“You know, Castellan. I wish I met you first,” the blond daughter of Athena slurs with tears forming in her eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

“The two of you have always… it’s always been you and her. Even if you both don’t want to admit it. It’s not fair,” she hiccups. Luke pulls the cup out of his ex-lover’s hand and she shakes her head.

“Skye, you’re drunk. I’ll take you back to 6.”

“You really don’t see it do you?” Her hands grapple onto Luke’s shirt like she’s pulling him down and pleading for him to understand.

“That girl is in love with you. The both of you are meant for each other—and you’re both spending too much time trying to fight fate. The rest of us aren’t as lucky, but we sure as hell aren’t stupid.”

There’s a moment of clarity that hits as he looks into Skye’s eyes, and he scratches the back of his neck.

“You don’t mean that.”

“I meant what I said when we broke up a few years ago. You’re both always looking for each other, even if you don’t know it. Just meet in the middle already, for gods’ sake…I’ll be okay,” she sighs, sitting up on the log they were resting on. 

“Your girlfriend is sure as hell to give me a hangover worth her title of being Dionysus’ kid in the morning anyways,” she mutters, kissing Luke on his cheek as a farewell. But out of all of the things to catch your attention that night, Luke’s blush glows in the light of the fire, and he watches you frown and stomp off toward the forest.

For being the son of the god of luck, his dad really won’t give him a break.

It didn’t help that Skye suddenly started projectile vomiting seconds after you left (off of her only cup of wine; wonder how that happened).

—

Luke fights through his growing intoxication on the walk back towards the cabins, but boy are you difficult when you’re angry—you’ve always had a profound effect on his being, even more so with your powers. He makes a wrong turn somewhere through the woods, completely missing the cabins, which he doesn’t realize until he stumbles across the path leading to the Big House. When his eyes focus, he spots Mr. D sipping on a glass as he leans on the railing of the front porch. Be calm and don’t act drunk, Luke tells himself, but all of his concentration goes into not swaying in front of the god of wine that he can’t stop the words from coming out of his mouth.

“Good evening, um…sir.”

“Kid, it’s 3 in the morning. What the hell are you doing here? Gods know it’s not my window you’re trying to climb up. You’re a bit of a ways off.”

Now what the fuck was he supposed to say to that?

Luke freezes in his spot (in reality he bumps into the first wooden step and sticks a hand out to steady himself against the railing).

“Are you drunk?”

Mr. D looks at him knowingly like it’s almost funny to him, eyebrows furrowed and head quirked like he can sniff it off of him. He probably can, now that Luke thinks really hard about it.

“I’m not gonna answer that because I think you know the answer already,” the son of Hermes words carefully, but nothing smart can come of this. It’s like playing chess with checkers, and Dionysus of all gods would know—no breathalyzer needed.

There’s a beat of silence, before Mr. D says, “I’m gonna give you another chance to–”

“Yes, I’m drunk, but it’s not Trouble’s fault—it’s mine!” he blabbers, walking closer to your father. 

“She’s mad at me for defending her from you earlier besides the fact I act stupid around her and I only had a few cups, I swear, but she’s…your daughter is…extraordinary.”

“What?”

“Your daughter makes me feel drunk, sir. Even without the wine. I don’t know what to do with myself, just please don’t get mad at her. She has a lot more to lose…” He feels pathetic in all sense of the word, rubbing at his eyes until Mr. D snaps his fingers and the alcohol blanket lifts from his senses. Like a bucket of cold water splashed onto his spine, Luke is suddenly very awake, and all too embarrassed for the waterfall of words he’s told your father.

“Oh.”

“I didn’t know she knew how to do that yet. She’s learning quickly.” Mr. D looks out into the distance, the dim light of the cabins acting like a beacon of light in the middle of the campgrounds.

Luke wrings his hands, picking at his thumbs and he’s sure he’s about to get kicked out of camp for his behavior, much less the fact that he’s been fraternizing with the director’s daughter.

“Sometimes I think she knows too much.” He licks his lips, awkwardly standing next to the god and wondering if the dark liquid in his cup is wine.

“Do you think I don’t know that, Luke? Do you really think I don’t know about the parties? I let her have her fun too you know— I'm the one that keeps Chiron asleep. She doesn’t ask for much. I know I give her a hard time. I’m just….” 

There are a few things about Mr. D’s statement that surprise Luke: the fact that he actually knows his name, how he safeguards his daughter’s interests, and the possibility of a god actually knowing how to be a good parent. 

It still doesn’t take away from the countless times he’s seen you put yourself down because of your father, the inadequacy you feel from the responsibilities you take on, and how you’d do anything for simple applause. Tough love is still love with a heavy hand. And it leaves bruises, whether he meant it or not.

“Is that why you’ve never sent her on an actual quest? We all know picking up the twins doesn’t count in the grand scheme of things.”

“For what? To achieve glory? Recognition? I never understood why we Olympians do that. Send children off to their deaths to deserve a moment of their godrent’s time, or a gift to shut them up. I don’t need her to be a hero, she doesn’t have anything she needs to prove to me. I need her to be my daughter, and preferably alive. That’s enough for me.”

Luke takes a step back in disbelief. There’s something in his being that yearns to be loved like that, without having to prove it or needing to deserve it. It hurts almost, the way he wants to be loved like your family loves you. Your father, an Olympian, standing in front of him telling him that your existence is enough to be worthy of his presence. In the silence that follows, Luke wonders if he’ll ever have that.

“You should tell her that more often, sir.”

“Listen. She’s a good kid, I just give her a hard time because it’s hard to get attached to you mortals. Your lives are so short compared to the infinite timeline I live. I can do everything in my power to try to keep her safe, but I can’t stop her from leaving. So don’t blame me if I act needy if it’ll keep her here for a bit longer. I’ll take all the time I can get.”

“Then how do I tell her I love her with without either of us running away?”

Mr. D laughs loudly now, his wrinkles crinkling as liquid sloshes out of his cup. It turns out to be grape juice you left out for him before the party.

“Mortals always busy themselves with trivial things, like pride and sorrow. Pandora’s box left you humans with nothing but hope. I say you swallow the negative and just say it how it is. You’ll have a lot more time being happier together that way. I already lost my bet against some of the counselors anyway.”

“What bet?”

Your dad swats at Luke like he’s a dog to kick, and tosses his glass over his shoulder where it disappears in the night air.

“Get off my porch Castellan, and just know if you hurt her…” 

“I’d die before that happens, sir.”

“That would hurt her most of all. Think about what that means. For gods’ sake she’s left her light on for you, so go on before I set the harpies on you. And don’t call me sir, it freaks me out. You’re still not special to me.” Mr. D stalks back inside the Big House, and Luke takes that as his cue to leave. The cold night air pushes him back towards the cabins, the light in your window luring him in like a ship lost at sea.

—

“I know you’re still awake, Trouble.”

You hear him move closer to the bed as you keep your eyes shut, evening out your breaths, but you’re never able to hide anything from Luke anymore.

“I thought I closed that window,” you mumble, turning your face more towards your pillow.

“You didn’t.”

Of course, you didn’t. You were hoping he’d chase after you this time around, even if you made him drunk in more ways than one.

“Skye keep you busy?” you say nonchalantly, and you hear Luke laugh as he tugs your duvet off of you.

“Your dad did, actually,” he says grinning, watching your eyes pop open in confusion as you turn and face him, propping yourself up on your knees.

“What the fuck?”

“You could’ve gotten me kicked out y’know? Stumbled onto his porch telling him about how drunk you make me feel even without a drop of alcohol and how I don’t know what the fuck to do with myself when I’m around you.”

“You shouldn’t be so brave to fight gods like that for me. Even if it’s my dad, Castellan,” you whisper, and he kneels next to your bed so he can look at you in the eyes from an equal standpoint. Because that’s what the two of you are— equal, singular, one and the same. And he’s never made you feel less than, even if your brain tries to convince you of it.

“Stop that,” he scoffs, shaking his head as he grabs your hands, “stop calling me my last name like it detaches you from how you feel about me. I want you to stop pretending when it's just you and me,” he pleads, whispering your name so softly that the sound of it brushes against your lips.

There’s something more intimate in the way he looks at you now compared to when you were naked and nestled against him this past morning. The act of knowing that it’s you and him, no matter how hard you try to fight it.

His knuckle brushes against your jaw, pushing your eyes to look back into his, and you can’t deny him any longer.

“Hey. I love you, and I know you feel the same; I'm tired of you acting like you're not and I’m going crazy he—”

His words are halted by your lips surging forward to meet him in the middle. The culmination of years of friendship has brought you to this special moment frozen in time, and sure, demigods die young but this must be what he’ll see in Elysium. If there’s a single memory he can bring with him to his next life, he hopes it’s this one—the taste of you and how it feels to be loved like this, without question or reason. You pull away with a sweet smile and he feels drunk again.

“You’re my best friend, Angelface,” you mumble.

Okay, now that sobered him up faster than it should have.

Luke stiffens, his hands falling to your thighs as he starts to ramble, “If you’re actually friendzoning me right now I might just roll out of your window and feed myself to a harpy.”

The laugh that comes out of you booms across the room as you wrap your arms around him with a radiant smile. You always have so much to say, but right now only three words come to mind. Five vowels, three consonants, and the gravity of it pushes out of your mouth like there’s no better truth to tell.

“I love you. I think I’ve been in love with you even before I liked you and I’m sorry I’ve been too scared to say it. I’m not used to…”

Luke sighs in relief, as he presses his scarred cheek against your shoulder. 

“You think I’m not scared of us either, Trouble? I worship the ground you walk on, and everyone can see that.”

“Well I’m not a god, Luke,” you say tugging him up by his mop of curls as your legs wrap around him.

“Sometimes when I’m with you, I think you’re the closest thing to it,” he whispers, pulling your chin down for another kiss until you both get your fill. He thinks he can kiss you forever until the end of your short lives, until it’s senseless and maddening, like falling into a drunken stupor. Loving you is an experience he’ll never be able to rid himself of, heart stained with the best of you until both your fingertips are red and raw with the feeling.

You pull him back into your bed as your giggles fill the early morning air. He’s quickly becoming what you love most about waking up in the morning.

—

Chris Rodriguez wakes up to the sound of the morning birds and chattering children in the busy cabin 11. As he rubs at his eyes, ready to take on the day as an interim cabin counselor for the rest of the month because of Luke’s suspension, sunlight falls onto the one empty bunk in the corner of the room (Fact: There is never an empty bed in the Hermes cabin. Also a fact: he and Chiron will be able to cash in against the other counselors as fast as his feet can take him to the Big House).

—

“To love someone is firstly to confess; I’m prepared to be devastated by you.” Billy Ray Belcourt

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[helenofsparta2]

Can we talk about how interesting Percy’s dynamics with the Olympians actually is? Like, both on an individual and on a general level?

He and Ares have a rivalry. A genuine rivalry, based on mutual dislike. Frank described them in Son of Neptune as “two old war buddies talking trash” and Phobos described Percy in “Stolen Chariot” as a “sworn enemy” of Ares. That’s actually insane if you think about it. Those are the immortal god of war, and a sixteen-year-old teenager. Ares would have been fine with Percy becoming a god, because he looked forward to just fight with him or beat him up for eternity.

Percy is the only known male demigod Artemis respects, who won the friendship of not one but two of her lieutenants.

He is the demigod, who challenged Dionysus views on heroes as a whole, and that, as a son of Poseidon, half-brother to Theseus, the hero who betrayed and left Dionysus wife. The hero, who ignited Dionysus hatred of half-bloods in the first place. Still, Dionysus placed his trust in Percy to save both Olympus and Pollux in the Last Olympian.

He and Nico are the only two demigods to ever canonically acknowledge Hestia. Percy even sacrificed hope to her, which was probably the biggest sacrifice and the biggest sign of respect she ever received from a demigod.

Aphrodite takes a special interest in his love life.

Hermes and him are on pretty friendly terms. So far, that Percy even refers to him as a “friend” in the Staff of Hermes. He is also the only demigod to ever completely openly criticize him on how he handled Luke’s situation and doesn’t back down from a rather intense argument. At the end of the last Olympian, Hermes gives Percy a list of his children outside of Camp half-blood and asks him to personally escort them to safety.  

Despite Hades trying to imprison him and threatening him with death, Percy is, together with Nico, the reason why Hades and his children are accepted at Camp Half-Blood.

While Hera dislikes him, she still acknowledges Percy’s importance for her plans and describes him for one as “constant as a compass needle” when it comes to his friends, and also as someone who inspires loyalty in “Son of Neptune.”

Poseidon, centuries-old god of the ocean, who probably had thousands of children in his life called Percy his favourite son in Battle of the labyrinth. After a conversation about Antaeus, who, for over three thousand years has sacrificed people and monsters in honor of Poseidon. Still, it is Percy, who is his favourite son.

He is the only modern demigod to get offered godhood but chose instead to use their favor to create a better world for all demigods and to request forgiveness for the gods who fought on Kronos’ side, which changes some of the quintessential rules of their world.

Percy is blunt and not afraid to openly challenge them on their views and actions, but because he is probably the most powerful and accomplished hero to ever live, and because he has saved them and the world on numerous occasions, they can’t just ignore him or kill him off, and even have to listen to him on some rare occasions.

None of the other demigods really have that, at least to this scale.

It’s so interesting to me, how Percy’s relationship to the Olympians, both negative and positive, echoes more the relationship they would have to another god, than to a half-blood.