#and he couldn’t get it out while he was on Ogygia so he was dropping all these lines at Poseidon’s face???

[lyculuscaelus]

So that’s why there’s the tune of Not Sorry For Loving You in every line sung by Odysseus in this part—

So, uh, wild and sad. but "600 men strike" with the Odyssey in mind and instead of Odysseus hurting Poseidon, it's Calypso hurting Odysseus. Unwilling lover beside lover all too will weeping sweet life away?

[Calypso] All of the pain that I've been through

[Odysseus] Stop!

[Calypso] Haven't I suffered enough?

[Odysseus] Stop!

[this is technically Poseidon's line but it fits Odysseus with Calypso] You didn't stop when I begged youTold me to close my heart

Like?? um... it fits what was happening on Ogygia if you flip it. Calypso simply felt entitled, and did think she didn't deserve to have her "lover" taken away so the whole "all the pain" I've been through.

[buoyantsaturn]

I Feel a Little Lost in This World (3/5)

chapter title: Will Takes a Permanent Vacation

word count: 4,410

read on ao3

Will felt like...well, death was the only way he could think to describe it, but wherever he was, it was far too bright to be the Underworld - and he would know, having visited once a few years ago. He was pretty sure he’d been drifting in and out of consciousness for a little while, because he distinctly remembered being spoon-fed something that tasted a lot like his grandmama’s peach cobbler, except that the texture was off. It didn’t have the same crunch to it as it usually did.

Will forced himself awake the next time he had a brush with consciousness, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a pretty girl sitting near a small fire, and it looked like she was cooking something in the pot suspended above the flames. She looked like she could’ve been Will’s age, but something told him that that guess was wrong.

Rather than saying something sensible like, hello, or where am I?, Will sat up with a groan and said, “You’re not my grandmama.”

The girl looked over with a confused frown, and quickly made her way to Will’s side. “You should not be awake so soon. Your injuries--”

“I heal fast,” Will explained simply. “Um. Where am I?”

“You are in my home,” the girl replied, “on the island of Ogygia.”

Will repeated the name a few times in his head, knowing that it sounded familiar, though he couldn’t quite place it, until-- “Oh. You’re Calypso.”

She blushed. “You...have heard of me?”

“Yeah,” Will said, though he didn’t tack on, your Mythomagic card is basically useless. “Um. I’m a demigod. I’ve heard...stories.”

Calypso nodded. “Then you know that you are stranded here, at least until you’ve fully healed. Though I would assume that won’t be long, seeing as you are already awake. I’ve never met a demigod who could heal so quickly.”

Will shrugged awkwardly. “A good healer, that’s me.” He rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms over the thighs of his pants, just for something to do with his hands, but frowned when he realized he wasn’t wearing the jeans he thought he was wearing. “Um. Where are my clothes?”

Calypso gestured to the corner of the cave-like room they were in, where Will saw his jeans and camp shirt with tears and burns all across them, and he winced. “I thought I would have more time to repair them for you, but they are nearly destroyed. I thought you might be more comfortable in clean, more in-tact clothing.”

“Oh. Thanks,” Will said, nodding along in understanding, but when realization hit, he felt his face catch fire. “Wait-- You changed me?”  

Calypso blushed right back. “You were practically naked when you washed up on shore - would you have preferred I left you in those clothes?”

“Well, I--” Will’s arms flailed around, as if that would get his answer across. “Maybe? I don’t know!”

After the initial awkwardness, Will found that he got along with Calypso quite well. She knew a lot about traditional medicine - which plants to use to heal certain things - and Will traded her ancient knowledge for some of his own more modern techniques that he’d learned at camp. She tried to teach him how to cook, and they attempted to mend his damaged clothes before realizing they were beyond repair.

One night, Will found Calypso tending to her garden, which he thought was odd, considering he’d always known gardening as more of a daytime chore - though, he’d learned, the things that he’d considered chores all seemed to be things that Calypso enjoyed doing. Calypso requested some assistance in transplanting the moonlace flowers - which only bloomed in the dark and practically glowed under the light of the moon - and offered her opinions on his quest in return.

(The reminder of the quest had Will’s heart aching, though he knew he couldn’t leave yet. They both knew he wasn’t fully healed, even if he did have even more rapid healing abilities than other demigods. He just hoped that Nico would be able to sense that he was still alive.)

“Is something troubling you?” Calypso asked as she passed Will a clump of dirt containing the roots of another flower.

Will shook his head, and then seemed to disagree with himself. “It’s just...why help me with my quest when I probably won’t even get back in time to finish it? And...it almost seems like you’re trying to push me out, sometimes. Wouldn’t you rather I stay here, to keep you company?”

Calypso smiled sadly. “I know you won’t be staying. Your heart doesn’t belong here. But just like you, Will Solace, I’ve heard stories. I was alive when the Labyrinth was first built, you know. And I sometimes receive visitors who tell me about great quests. Why, just before you awoke, I had a visit from Lord Hephaestus, who told me that you’d been injured when those friends of yours destroyed one of his forges and caused a volcano to erupt.”

Will’s eyes widened. “Nico caused a volcanic eruption?”

“So Lord Hephaestus claims,” Calypso replied with a shrug. “He also told me once, very long ago, that a great inventor created an endless maze that would be impossible for even the gods to navigate.”

“Really?” Will asked. “Not even the gods?”

Calypso smiled knowingly. “Not all of them, at least. Many gods think too much, and end up confusing themselves. They simply need to clear their minds.”

Will frowned. “So, if we just don’t think about it, we’ll get where we need to go?”

“Not you, no,” she told him. “Even demigods, with eyes that can see more than most, are still somewhat clouded by the mist. You’ll need to find someone clever enough to see things as they truly are, and then you’ll have your guide to the maze.”

“A guide…” Will repeated softly, and then grinned. “Man, Annabeth is going to be so mad when she hears that we need a guide.”

“Annabeth,” Calypso whispered, “she is your…?”

“Friend,” Will answered quickly, truthfully. “It’s her quest, technically.”

Calypso nodded, seeming almost relieved. She scooped up another moonlace flower and rose to her feet. “Alright, let’s move these to the other garden.”

She found Will out on the beach the next day, squinting up at the bright sky with a deep frown on his face.

“Is something troubling you?” Calypso asked as she sat down beside Will in the sand.

“I can’t--” Will huffed, frustrated. “I can’t see the sun. Like, I know it’s there, obviously, but… I’ve never looked up at the sky during the day and not known where the sun is, you know? I mean, that’s my dad - and I’ve always sort of felt like he was watching over me, even if there’s no way he can really see me, but now… I can’t see him, so what if he can’t see me?”

Calypso laid a hand over Will’s where it was sitting in the sand. “You’re safe here, have I not helped you to see that?”

Calypso’s hand was warm - Will wished she would let go of his hand. “No, you have, it’s just…” He sighed and slipped his hand out of Calypso’s, crossing his arms over his knees and dropping his gaze to stare out at the endless ocean. “We both know how this is going to end, you know? Your curse…”

He knew the words were probably like a knife to Calypso’s heart, and as much as he didn’t want to hurt her, he knew the reminder was necessary. He kept his eyes on the water.

“I know you could never love me,” Calypso whispered, barely heard over the sound of the gentle tide, “but sometimes I think that an unrequited love would be better, just to have the company. Rather than spending the rest of eternity alone.”

“You can’t really think that,” Will scoffed.

“And why not?” she shot back. “I’ve hosted multiple heroes on this island, and even though it sometimes hurt to have them here - when they longed for their home or a lost love - it always hurt so much more to watch them leave. I’ve been abandoned here time and time again, so I don’t believe you have any right to blame me for wanting you to stay!”

Will flinched when she raised her voice, but he wasn’t going to back down so easily. “I just don’t think you understand--”

“I understand perfectly--”  

“You don’t know how it feels--”

“I know that I don’t want to feel like this--”  

“I know what it’s like when he doesn’t love you back!”

Will had only ever come out to two people - his mama and Lou Ellen. (He would’ve told Cecil, too, except he knew that Cecil couldn’t keep his mouth shut.) Not even Nico knew, despite being Will’s best friend, because Will knew he wouldn’t survive it if Nico wasn’t accepting - and considering his upbringing, Will didn’t have any idea how Nico would react.

Still, even though they knew Will was gay, he never had the courage to tell them anything more. He knew they had their suspicions, but Will had never come so close to admitting that he actually liked someone.

He buried his face in his arms, sure that he’d turned bright red, and afraid to see how Calypso would react. They were both trapped on that island - if things went south, neither of them had anywhere to run.

There were a few beats of silence where Will matched his breaths to the tide to ensure that he wasn’t on the verge of panic. Then, Calypso spoke. “I know you’ve read my story in your history books...but would you like to tell me yours?”

Will hugged his knees to his chest. “He’s my best friend. He’s saved my life more times than I can count, and I like to think that I’ve repaid the favor. We...we’ve been on so many quests together, and we spend so much time together - so much to the point that...I think it hurts more to be away from him than it does to know that he’ll never love me the way I love him.”

“Have you ever told him how you feel?” Calypso asked gently.

Will shook his head. “I don’t think he’d want to hear it.”

“How will you know unless you try?”

Will’s hands balled into fists. “Because it’s not normal! And… And then he’d hate me!”

“Not... normal?” Calypso repeated. “When is love ever normal? And remind me, you did say your father is Apollo, correct?”

He frowned. What did his dad have to do with any of this? “Yeah?”

“Meaning that the love your father shared with Hyacinthus wasn’t normal?”  

“That’s different,” Will argued. “He’s a god - there is no normal for gods.”

“But Hyacinthus wasn’t a god,” Calypso pointed out. “Neither was Commodus, as much as he liked to think he was.”

Will huffed in frustration. “Do you have a point to this?”

“I’m trying to show you how absurd your logic is! Men have loved other men - just as women have loved other women, I might add - for my entire existence! Which, might I remind you, is a very long time. I would argue that the concept of people loving people has always been normal.”

Will didn’t respond. He couldn’t think of another argument without knowing exactly how Calypso would shoot it down, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to accept her words, either. Each time he had come out, he’d hoped that saying the words would make him feel better about himself, but it only seemed to make everything worse - how could he tell Nico how he felt if he couldn’t even be happy about it himself?

“I’m sorry, that was harsh,” Calypso said. “May I try again?”

After a pause, Will nodded.

“Have you heard the story of the creation of humans?” she asked. “How they were originally such powerful beings that even Zeus himself feared their strength? He broke each being apart with his bolt, thus creating two halves of a whole - soulmates, I believe they’ve been called. So, if this boy is--”

“Nico,” Will whispered. “His name is Nico.”

“Nico,” Calypso repeated quietly. “If Nico is your other half, then does it really matter his gender?”

Slowly, Will nodded. “Thank you,” he said, “for talking through that with me. And I’m sorry for being such a brat. I… I wasn’t thinking about your curse, I was more focused on myself, and I’m sorry.” He turned toward her, finally reaching out for one of her hands to give it a comforting squeeze.

“Thank you, Will,” she replied, and drew him in for a hug. Just as he reached out to hug her back, Calypso gasped and pulled away, placing her hands on his shoulders with a look of disappointment. “I...I think that, maybe, what you needed wasn’t any sort of physical healing, but perhaps emotional.”

Will frowned. “Huh?” He followed Calypso’s gaze over his shoulder and watched as a wooden raft drifted to shore, lodging itself on the sand. “Oh.”

“You don’t have to leave,” Calypso reminded him, though he could tell by the tone of her voice that even she knew it wouldn’t change his mind. “You can stay here, hide away from quests and prophecies. You can be yourself here, and I promise you I won’t ever judge you for who you are.”

Will barely managed to tear his eyes away from the raft, as though it would vanish as soon as he looked away. “I’m sorry,” he said again, “I can’t put you through the pain that I’ve been feeling. And now...it’s like the Fates have given me another chance. Maybe… Maybe you’re right. Maybe I can tell Nico how I feel, and it’ll go better than I thought.”

She nodded. “I knew you couldn’t stay. It’s alright - in my heart, I knew I didn’t expect you to.” Calypso leaned in and gave Will a kiss on the cheek. “I wish you the best of luck, Will.”

“Thank you,” he said, “and I--” He stopped himself. What could he wish her luck on - that he curse would be broken? That some hero would finally decide to stay?

He pulled her in for another hug. “I’ll find some way to help you. I don’t know how, but… I’ll think of something. I’ll come back to visit, or--”

“No man ever finds Ogygia twice,” Calypso said, sounding rehearsed, like Will wasn’t the first to offer to return. She pulled back and got to her feet, offering her hand to pull Will up with her. “Come with me; I have one last thing for you.”

She started leading Will in the opposite direction of the raft, and his heart spiked. He tugged on her hand, but before he could speak, she assured him, “The raft won’t leave unless you tell it to. Now come, I’ll be quick.”

Calypso took Will toward the flowerbed where they’d transplanted moonlace flowers the night before. She dropped to her knees and carefully dug out one of the flowers, then held it up for Will. When he didn’t take it, she got back to her feet and tucked the flower into the chest pocket on his shirt, the dirt and roots feeling cool even through the fabric.

“Something to remember me by,” she told him.

Will frowned. “I don’t have anything for you.”

Calypso smiled sadly, shaking her head. “I won’t need anything to remember you by. Perhaps it’s part of my curse, or maybe these visits are always so memorable. Either way, I will be thinking of you, and praying to all of the gods for you to have a long and happy life.”

Will didn’t know what to say, so he hugged her again. Then he jumped back, afraid that he would crush the moonlace, and smiled at Calypso sheepishly.

She walked him back to the beach, to the raft, and waved to him from the shore as he set sail.

Will thought to go home, but he wasn’t sure whether “home” would mean camp or Texas, so instead, he asked to be sent to Nico.

He could only hope that nothing bad had happened to Nico, that he hadn’t gone to the Underworld for any reason. Or, at the very least, he hoped that the magical raft from the magical island would be able to take him to Hades.

He was surprised when the raft washed up at the Long Island Sound, and Will found himself walking onto the beach where he’d watched the Fourth of July fireworks with Nico the summer before. He continued further into camp, though he was confused when the place seemed almost abandoned. It was practically the middle of the day, so where was everybody?

Will wandered toward the cabins, hoping that he could catch Lee on a break from the infirmary. He swung by the Demeter cabin on his way, picking up one of the little, unused terracotta pots they kept outside, and he carefully removed the moonlace from his pocket to plant inside the pot. When he finished, he took the pot with him, about to head across the green to the Apollo cabin when he saw a little girl tending to the central hearth between the cabins.

“Excuse me,” Will said as he knelt down nearby, and the girl looked up with a smile. The fire reflected in her eyes in a way that it usually only did late at night - or maybe the fire was actually burning in her eyes. “Um, where is everybody?”

“Will Solace,” she said, which immediately set off Will’s nerves, “they’re waiting for you in the amphitheatre.”

“Uh.” Will blinked in confusion. “Thanks?”

He got back to his feet and started toward the amphitheatre, and as he walked, Will glanced back over his shoulder to see that the fire had gone out, and the little girl tending to it had disappeared.

Maybe she was a ghost, he thought, or maybe I’m dead.

Then, as he got closer to the amphitheatre, he heard voices. He heard Chiron, definitely, and then maybe Lee - though it was hard to tell when it sounded like he was on the verge of tears - and then, finally, Nico.

Will crested the hill and looked down into the amphitheatre just in time to watch Lee touch a torch to a golden shroud. There was silence as the fabric started to burn, and Will was starting to get a bad feeling in his gut about whatever was going on here - he’d never seen the camp look so... somber - so he walked up to the first person he could see and whispered, “Hey, uh, what’s going on?”

Katie Gardner’s head whipped toward him, and her eyes widened as she let out a scream. Will stumbled back on reflex, clutching at his potted moonlace protectively, until he saw his siblings rushing toward him. Will wouldn’t have been surprised if Michael ended up with a black eye from the force with which his head connected with Will’s shoulder when he hugged him. In seconds, Will was drowning in hugs - he even saw a flash of red hair from his newest little sister, Kayla, who he had only briefly gotten to meet before entering the Labyrinth - and he found himself knocked off his feet when Lee barrelled into him. (The moonlace was safe from harm, but Will’s ribs may have been lightly bruised.)

He couldn’t really hear any individual voices in the cacophony surrounding him, but he thought he heard, “We thought you were dead,” and “Where have you been?” more than a few times each. The only thing that seemed to break up the crowd and the noise was a single person pushing between people and suddenly shoving at Will’s chest.

“What the hell, asshole?” Nico shouted, giving another shove at Will’s chest, hard enough to make him stumble backwards. “Where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you call, or, or--” Another shove. “Why didn’t you leave? You were supposed to leave first, and instead--” One more push, weaker than the others before it, and Nico’s hands lingered at Will’s shoulders. “I couldn’t even tell if you were dead!”

When Will noticed the tears in Nico’s eyes, he stopped feeling the pain of being hugged and squeezed and pushed around, and instead, he pulled Nico into his arms, awkwardly pressing the pot into Nico’s back. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into the top of Nico’s head, “I’m so sorry. I missed you, too.”

Will half expected Chiron to call a counsellor’s meeting upon his return, but instead, he only gathered the questing party into the Big House’s living room so that they could discuss what had happened.

Will shared most of the details about his stay on Calypso’s island - though he didn’t share any of his or Calypso’s private conversations, especially not in present company - and kept drumming his fingers on the sides of the pot in his lap as he spoke. Nico had mostly calmed down after hearing Will’s explanation for why he couldn’t call (and now that Will thought about it, he was going to need a new cell phone, since his was either underneath Mount St. Helens, or in the pocket of his burnt jeans on Ogygia) but he still seemed upset. Will figured they just needed a little bit of alone time to talk, and Nico would feel better after that.

Percy described - in great detail - what had happened to the forge when they destroyed it, and how they had supposedly released some horrifying monster along with it, which didn’t make Will feel great. And Annabeth explained that, while they had made it back to camp by some miracle, they still weren’t able to navigate the maze.

“Oh, yeah!” Will said suddenly. “Calypso and I talked about that a little bit. She said something about how even demigods can’t fully see through the Mist, or something like that. The way she was talking about it reminded me of the way people tell you to look at those Magic Eye posters.”

Nico frowned. “Posters with...magic eyes?”

Will reached over and took his hand - it was cold, and callused from sword fighting, and it brought a smile to Will’s face - and said, “I’ll tell you later.”

“So, we need a clear-sighted mortal?” Percy asked. “Like my mom? She says that she can see through the Mist.”

“I didn’t know there were mortals that could see through the Mist,” Will commented.

Nico turned to Percy and asked, “Do you think that would explain Rachel?”

“Rachel?” Will and Annabeth asked at the same time, and Will hoped that the sound of Annabeth’s voice drowned out the tinge of jealousy in his own. Who was Rachel, and why hadn’t Nico ever told him about her?

Percy’s eyes widened. “Maybe! That would make so much sense. Do you still have her number?”

“I think so,” Nico said, the tips of his ears growing red, which only made Will frown.

“Well,” Chiron said suddenly, almost making Will jump, “it sounds like you all have a good idea of what your next steps are. Why don’t you all stay here again tonight, and you can set off again in the morning?”

“Thank you, Chiron,” Annabeth said, which seemed to be the ending of their little meeting. They all started back out of the house, though at the last second, Nico grabbed Will’s hand and pulled him up the stairs, checking over the railing once or twice to make sure Chiron didn’t catch them.

Nico shoved Will into one of the second-floor bedrooms and he shut the door behind them. Will felt his face heating up, and wondered if he could blame that on the fact that there was no air conditioning in the Big House.

Nico crossed his arms and stared up at Will. He felt his fingers start to tap against the pot again, unconsciously.

“I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me,” Nico said, and Will’s heart began to pound.

“Well, I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me,” Will shot back, a little bit nervously. How could he make it clear to Nico that he and Calypso had only talked about deeply personal things, without having to share what those personal things were?

Nico sighed and crossed the room, slumping onto his bed and sitting on the edge of the mattress. “I’m sorry. I promise, I had totally forgotten about Rachel, and--”

“Nico,” Will said, setting the pot on Nico’s nightstand and sitting down beside him, “it’s okay. I… I don’t care that you didn’t tell me about her, whoever she is. I just...got defensive. I thought… I thought you were going to get mad at me for getting close with Calypso.”

Nico frowned. “What? Why? She saved your life, didn’t she? I should be thanking her.”

Will blinked. Did Nico not know about Calypso’s curse? “I-- You’re not mad?”

“Oh, I’m mad,” Nico said, “but not about Calypso. I’m pissed that you didn’t leave that forge when I told you to. I thought I might die, and then when I couldn’t find you, and… And I couldn’t even feel whether you were dead or alive-- It was like you were just gone, and I--”

Nico choked on his next breath, and Will pulled him into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into Nico’s hair. “It’ll never happen again, I promise.”

Nico dug a knuckle in between Will’s ribs. “Damn right, it won’t.”

“Ow, hey! Haven’t I been through enough today?” Will asked, tugging at a bit of hair on the back of Nico’s neck, admittedly more forcefully than he should have.

“Ow! Haven’t I?” Nico shot back. He pulled away and got to his feet, tugging Will up by the hand to follow. “C’mon, I haven’t eaten in days because I was so worried about you, and now I’m starving. Let’s go see if the Stolls have any good rose from the dead discounts.”

“I wasn’t dead,” Will argued, but he let Nico lead him back out the door with a smile on his face.

He left the moonlace behind on Nico’s nightstand, right next to the window where it started to bloom right as the sun set.

thanks for reading!

buy me a coffee | more solangelo week stuff

[yoontothemoon]

kites and string

pairing: choi seungcheol x daughter of hecate. words: 1145. genre: percy jackson au.  summary: several demigods trapped on the island of ogygia sent to the dogs like maze runner, facing the dangers of the island. an instance in which seungcheol does what he can to keep his people alive until they are rescued. this is the story of the four times she touched him and the one time he touched her. yoon notes: i’ve had this in drafts... i’m trying to work through things. i’ve come back to writing because things in my life are not great right now. hi. ☽ probably viewed best on desktop.

there were moments where they expected to never make it out. never see what was beyond the borders of the island. borders of the little game that she decided to play. the island where calypso was banished to. ogygia. but to the lost it was hell and not just the island that they learned at camp or school.

the island where calypso had held odysseus captive for seven long years.  

one would have never expected this to exist, although none expected demigods to exist either. funny how this was part of it. this was a part of the danger that they experienced. they were stolen away and made to play a part in whatever whim the new owner of the island wished. they were her play things, children born of gods and mortals, much more pliable than mortals alone. they were just play things, but of course demigods weren’t the only ones.

there were monsters.

seungcheol thought it was hilarious, or rather he didn't. he found it almost strange in a way, outside of what he had known. sure, he admitted to learning first hand because he had to in this hellscape where there was danger at every turn.

when he first arrived on the island, it felt abnormal to him. it was like a nightmare come to life. the low tone voices in his head and the spread of dissent through the ranks because of his unknown parentage.

he was made to be a leader; the person who everyone turned to for answers. he fell into the position with a furrowed brow. he led the charge, he learned how to fight and lose people—to feel accountable to someone else aside from himself. he wished that half of them had survived.

but she survived.

a lone daughter of hecate on this messed up island. she was the one that everyone was scared of. the one that they called the ghost, but truly she was as lost as anyone else was. seungcheol knew and he knew that she was as terrified as anyone else. to seungcheol, she needed him like anyone else. and to that daughter of hecate, seungcheol needed her because she was constant.

i.

his head was turned, looking away as another kid dropped dead from the poisoned water. the kid had told him  that they had survived in a place like this, and seungcheol had stupidly trusted that—a mistake he would never make again, that he couldn’t make again. 

his voice is low, and rough. “we keep moving.” the kids in the small group he had taken on (they were new, and had coerced him into helping them when he was by now only wanting to keep himself and maybe a few others alive), horrified, slowly starting making their way forward, continuing on the path.

honestly, he had hoped that it wasn’t poison. he had expected there to be a kelpie dragging them under. it would have been less painful, less to witness as they trudged along the path. he has been here too long to hope for the best.

he counts the heads.

he stays behind, and faintly, he feels a light touch on his shoulder. she’s still with him, he realizes. she’s so quiet sometimes, and while he can feel her presence generally, it still surprises him.

slowly, the tension in his shoulders slinks off of him, and all that bravado comes out with a sigh. once he’s sure there’s a solid enough distance between them and the kids, but enough that he can still see them, they start walking again.

it’s the first time she’s ever done that. a part of him wishes he didn’t think it would be the only time.

ii.

she touches his back lightly as they look out over the land. the first time that they had climbed about the jungle. they were barely keeping afloat. there was a grimace too, he hates how it reminds him of all the exotic poisonous animals he learned about in school: pretty to look at, but poisonous. gods, he hated how everything was fucking poisonous.

they weren’t going to be here for long, but the break was needed. they had gone too far and too long for them to overcome this now.

it takes a lot of effort to keep his muscles from tensing when he feels her hand on his back—almost barely there. he wants to touch her back, but he knows that’s a lost cause in his heart.

so he lives in the moments. he closes his eyes and hopes for the best regardless of how exhausted they all were. at least they weren’t being hunted.

at least they had that.

iii.

some kid is taking them off the island. all of them, all of the ones that survived despite the circumstances. there are so many people he recognizes but doesn’t care for. instead of thinking of how fortunate it is that they’re all alive, or praying, the only thought running through his mind is that there’s too many people.

she could phase through the boat and get lost. so he makes sure to kick his feet up and let out a growl when people try to get too close.

faintly, he can feel someone squeeze his arm. he doesn’t have to look to know who it is, and he doesn’t hide the faint flicker of a smile.

iv. / v.

they got separated for a few days arriving at the camp. they made him go to the other camp for a while, to “sort out things” because of his parentage. mostly, he was just tense and ready to snap, especially so when people just tried to figure him out. he had spent too much time, too much energy on keeping people alive—so tightly wound. 

it was too much, all at once. he didn’t care that he was a son of zeus or that he was safe. he cared about other people. he cared about how long they had been abandoned and unheard.

they had told him that he had been gone for years.

they had been in a state of limbo.

it was fitting.

it felt like another thing to overcome. trauma. he needed to know where his people were. he needed to know that they were together and safe because they were the only ones that knew what they were going through.

he needed to know where she was.

when he finally gets back to camp she runs to him and hugs him so tightly. it’s so much contact for her, he’s worried for a brief moment that if he responds, she’ll disappear.

slowly, his arms find their way around her torso, and he hugs her. his eyes close and he memorizes how it feels to have her this close.

he feels grounded, no longer just floating in the wind. bloody and broken, she was the string that lead him home.

[jisungjuice]

fire has no shadow, but you have me

Leo is not hiding this personal moment with a mask of light-hearted comments or jokes. So Nico won't shy away from it, either.

"I'm glad you want to come back." He summons courage harder than it takes him to summon an army of skeletons, and he leans his head on Leo's shoulder.

They remain like that for a while, Leo's hand covering his and Nico's head resting on Leo, and Nico had never felt so safe outside of camp and he wonders if it can last.

It starts with a blinding flash of light. And at this point, Nico has seen enough of those to know that it can't be anything good.

And he couldn't be less prepared for it. He was just lying on the grass under the sun, getting more vitamin D on doctor's orders.

And of course, his doctor is right there next to him. Will insists Nico needs more sun, and Nico begrudgingly agrees because at least his skin color is returning to normal and he sleeps better at night. Not well, but better.

He feels warm and drowsy while Will's voice fills the silence by talking about music and bands. Nico hasn't really had time to listen to music in the last… decade. But he appreciates Will's suggestions, however disconcerting they may be.

And then he feels it. The sun's getting hotter, which doesn't make sense since it was supposed to be going down soon, and when he opens his eyes, it's there.

His senses heighten, every nerve suddenly into overdrive, and Will is already on his feet, hauling him up and dragging him away.

But it's too late, Nico thinks. It's coming way too fast.

He still runs, but not for long before the crash is heard. It's not as big as he imagined. It's not Armageddon, it's not the end of the world, but it is something.

Nico spins around, making Will stumble, but he's glad he did because he immediately recognizes something that makes his heart thud painfully.

A bronze wing.

He breaks free from Will's grip and runs back towards the mess of fire that's still burning in a big pile. Will yells out his name but then he and some others are right behind him, slow realization dawning on all the campers.

Even among the flames and smoke, Nico can see the broken-down body of Festus the dragon.

"Where's Leo?" Will asks and Nico was thinking the same thing but with each passing second his heart sinks more and more. Leo's fireproof, his mind supplies, and still the fear that he might have burnt to a crisp seems far more real.

Nico looks around wildly. "Can't anyone summon water?! Where's fucking Percy Jackson when you need him?!"

Everyone seems to click into motion, moving around to help. Nico focuses back on the fire. Perhaps he can make a hole on the earth below and pull Leo out?

He tries to feel the presence and a more sinister thought enters his mind. Maybe he was never alive. Maybe Festus just brought Leo's body here.

The fire is receding a bit, but it's still hard to see beyond the flames and reflective bronze. A moment later, three different people shout to make room. From the right, Chris Rodríguez and a bunch of dryads are bringing in buckets of water from the lake. From the left, Leo's siblings from the Hephaestus cabin are running with Harley at the front, all dressed up in a full metal welding suit that the others are still trying to attach to him.

And then, from very far away there's Paolo Montes waving a hose.

Harley gets there first, and he would have thrown himself on the fire if Nyssa Barrera hadn't stopped him.

"Wait! The suit is not sealed yet!"

And then it came. Nico gasps and almost stumbles backwards with the force of it and everyone looks at him, alarmed.

But Nico's eyes are fixed on the blazing heat.

The metal rumbles and pieces fall to the floor, and from the very center of Festus' belly, Leo Valdez's head pops up, his hair wild and moving along with the flames.

He looks around at the dozens of shocked faces and finally settles for a toothy grin.

"Hello. Bit hot today, no?"

This time Will had to stop Nico from jumping into the fire and slapping Leo in the face.

.

Nico had been spending some of his time hanging out in the infirmary since Will was there a lot, teaching healing practices to other campers because, in his words 'With the number of dangerous situations demigods get into, the Apollo cabin can't be the only ones who know basic first aid.'

And now he was there a lot because he was in charge of organising the queue to punch Leo and Leo was there getting patched up.

He had never been very close to Leo. At least not the way he was close to Hazel or even Percy at some point. But over their time aboard the Argo II, they had at least shared some kind of kinship a few times, especially when Nico realized how much of a seventh wheel Leo had been feeling, and how similar that was to how Nico himself felt in that ship. An eight wheel, to be precise.

And by Gods, did Nico want to hate him. He was insufferably obnoxious, always cracking stupid jokes, and with no shame whatsoever. Nico's worst nightmare.

Until Nico saw through all that for what it really was; Leo's way of keeping people at bay. Diametrically opposed to Nico's way, but a way nonetheless.

Plus, a few times Nico had walked in on Leo sleeping curled up next to the engine and it was hard to hate him after that.

"What happened to Calypso?" Nico asks one morning after the first shift of punchers. Leo had just finished explaining everything he went through, the physician's cure, the trip to Ogygia, rescuing the forgotten sorceress.

His face reddens somewhat. "I dropped her off inland in Europe. I think it was Croatia. She um… She wanted to see the world."

Nico doesn't want to push it if Leo's reluctant to discuss it but he had imagined that after all of that he and Calypso would be together.

Leo shrugs and then winces as his left shoulder is still injured from the fall. His skin was thankfully all untouched thanks to his abilities but his clothes all turned to ashes. That was the most awkward part of the rescue. "I get it. She was tied to that island for thousands of years, I can't blame her for wanting to be free and not tied to something or someone else now." He sounds sad, but also braver than Nico had ever seen him. "I promised to rescue her and I'm glad I did."

Nico nodded. He raised his hand, planning to pat Leo's shoulder but regretting it at the last second and landing awkwardly on the pillow next to him. "That's the demigod life."

Leo smiles one of his huge smiles and nudges Nico's hand with his shoulder. "That, and catapulting annoying augurs up in the sky. Tell me again how you launched Octavian up to meet me."

Nico rolls his eyes. "I didn't launch him."

.

Since communication was still down on all fronts, Leo couldn't let anyone at Camp Jupiter know that he hadn't actually died, so he decided to just make the journey.

Him and a few other campers sat at a table trying to figure out the best method to get him there.

"Festus would take at least a month to rebuild again," Leo sighs, genuinely depressed about the topic. "I can't let the others wait that long for Admiral Valdez's resurrection."

Everyone groans. Leo had been bragging for days about how he was basically the modern version of Jesus of Nazareth.

"What about a jetpack? My design is nearly ready!" Harley exclaims excitedly.

Leo ruffles Harley's hair. "Oh Harley, I'd rather let Zeus zoom me halfway across the globe again. I saw your designs and I think fuel tanks like those would send me on my way to an explosion even I couldn't survive."

"You could take a bus?" Kayla says. "Cheaper than an airplane."

"I will take you."

It almost takes Nico a second to realize the words came out of his mouth, especially when they all look at him like that.

"Nico, are you sure that's a good idea?" Will asks, his golden eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I shadow-travelled from Europe with a ten-foot statue and two others. I think I can handle Leo from here to California."

"I feel like that was a jab at my stature," Leo says into the silence.

Nico smirks.

.

The Hephaestus cabin organized a congratulations-for-not-being-dead/going-away campfire for Leo. Nico usually didn't attend campfires, but Will had dragged him to a couple and this one seemed to be more up his alley, with less corny songs and more people making fun of Leo.

Plus, Pollux had appeared with a few bottles of homemade wine and the results were entertaining.

Will was, no surprise, a very touchy drunk, which made Nico uncomfortable but not as much as he would have thought. He lets Will rest his head on his shoulder when he says that the world is spinning.

Leo chugs more wine and tells another joke and people laugh harder even though it makes no sense, and that's when Sherman Yang decides they've all had too much.

"Okay, let's pack it up, people. Leo has a long day tomorrow and we all have target practice."

Some groan, a few giggle, most don't react and just let themselves be dragged away after patting Leo on the back and wishing him luck.

No one tells Leo to leave, perhaps because after helping defeat Gaia, coming back from the dead, rescuing an unrescuable ancient sorceress and then surviving yet another explosion, no one felt like they had much authority over him.

Will, held by Kayla on one side, turns around to look at Nico. "Are you coming?"

Nico looks over at Leo, who chooses that moment to fall backwards from his log. "I think I'll stay and make sure he doesn't die."

Will smiles crookedly. "Aw, you're taking care of someone. I've taught you well."

"Shut up."

Leo manages to sit up and realizes he and Nico are alone, the fire slowly dying between them. "Are you cold? I can make more fire."

He opens his palms towards the flames but Nico rushes over and stops him. "No no. Don't drink and summon fire. Didn't you see the safety video on your first day here? Dionysus had a whole section about wine safety."

Leo snorts a laugh. "No. When I arrived everything was very rushed. I never met Mr. D"

Nico nods. Leo must have heard that name from Percy. Nico wonders if Percy got the letter they sent telling him that Leo was alive. It was Will's idea to use regular mortal mail, but even being in the same estate as Percy wouldn't guarantee that he'll receive the letter. Strange things happened to demigods' correspondence in the postal service.

"You know, this is the first time I drink wine." Leo waves his plastic cup, stained burgundy.

"Really?" Nico asks. "Not even sips as a kid?"

Leo shakes his head and his curls move with it. "Mexican moms don't really believe in that."

Nico had been drinking wine since he was very young. "I always used to have dinner with my family."

"Maybe that's why you're not drunk."

"Or maybe because I'm not eighty pounds and had ten glasses"

"Hey!" Leo protests and then he is silent as he sizes Nico up with a look that makes Nico wish he could blend in with the shadows. "How are you already taller than me? It's not fair."

That makes Nico smile. "Get used to it, Valdez."

They stay in silence for a while longer, which must be a record coming from Leo. He pulls out a small device from his pocket and starts to tinker with it, not even looking at it. He seems thoughtful, as though he's trying to figure out a different device than the one in his hands.

"I heard something from Drew yesterday," Leo says, a little too quiet to be the start of a joke. Nico's heart starts racing. He knew people would talk, and he knew Leo and all his friends would find out eventually, but he never thought Leo would want to talk to him about it.

He presents Nico with his closed fist as if he wanted Nico to bump it and Nico can only frown.

"This is for telling Percy he isn't your type. What a boss move."

It takes a second, but Nico throws his head back and laughs. The first time he's properly laughed in a long time, but it just takes him completely by surprise that this is what Leo has to say on the subject.

He bumps Leo's fist as his laughter dies down and he shakes his head in disbelief.

Leo can't seem to stop smiling, but in this drunk, lazy way that makes him seem a bit more down to earth.

This isn't a mask, Nico thinks.

Leo sways and his shoulder grazes Nico's. "If it makes you feel any better, I get it. Like, who hasn't thought Percy's hot? Like, objectively, you know? They're tall and conventionally attractive and stupidly heroic-"

"They?" Nico asks, not really wanting to interrupt Leo's tirade but confused by his wording.

"Percy and Jason. Everyone has crushes on them, right? And you kind of want to hate them because like, shit man, you look like that and you fly, and you're ridiculously friendly and like noble and stuff? Just stop it. You know? But you can't hate them because they're really nice to you and they don't deserve it. But it's nothing to be ashamed of, you know?"

Nico blinks a few times, Leo's confession of basically having a crush on Jason in particular, hitting him like an electrical shock that left him short-circuited. If Leo was sober he probably wouldn't have said anything, so Nico wonders if he should feel bad for letting Leo say something so personal in this state of vulnerability.

But he doesn't. Because it's the first time someone tells him they understand him and actually give reasons and examples why, not just an empty attempt at empathy. He hopes Leo doesn't regret telling him this.

"They are so stupidly noble. I hate that," Nico says.

Leo stands up on wobbly legs. "Oh look at me I'm the son of a famous, powerful God and I can control the elements and I have light-colored eyes and a dreamy smile. Who am I?"

Nico has to laugh again because Leo is pulling a full-on performance pretending to fly like Jason or raise the sea like Percy and it makes Nico feel lighter than he has in probably years. He can laugh about it now. He can let it go.

Leo stumbles around the fire and even though he'd be fine if he falls in, it still doesn't seem right to let him, so Nico grabs his arm and pulls him away from the danger zone as they both keep laughing.

They sit back down and their knees knock together and Nico doesn't mind.

"Some of that could also describe you," Leo says breathlessly. "Son of a major God. Powerful."

Nico nudges Leo with his arm in acknowledgement. "And you. You can control the elements." He nods towards the fire.

Leo seems relaxed in a way he hadn't seemed to be since he came back.

They remain like that for a while longer, watching the flames get smaller and sitting in comfortable silence. Nico's favorite kind of silence.

"We should probably get some sleep." Nico hates to be the one to say it, but shadow-travelling really is easier when he's rested.

Damn Will. He got inside Nico's head.

Leo lets Nico help him up and then Nico does something that he only does when someone is injured in battle; he wraps one arm around Leo's waist and helps him walk. Leo throws his arm over Nico's shoulders.

As they walk away from the campfire, Leo sighs happily. "Have you ever noticed that fire doesn't have a shadow?"

.

Nico was right when he thought that travelling with Leo would be less tiring than the last shadow trip he had done.

That didn't mean it was easier.

"Y'all should've told me we'd be coming here." Leo digs into his plate of ribs, sauce all over his face. "I'd've made some reservations."

Nico sends him a death glare. He's good at those.

Leo had decided to adopt a heavy southern accent ever since they landed in Oklahoma instead of Kansas like Nico had been planning. Nico's ears were going to bleed from over-stimulation.

The food was good, though.

Leo inhales deeply and sighs contentedly. "We're so close to Texas, I can feel it."

"We're always close to Texas. That state is inescapable. I think its gravity drew us off course."

Leo pulls out two wet hand towels from his magic pouch- as Nico has started to call it much to Leo's annoyance- and then he warms them up by heating his hands. He has a much more sophisticated control on his fire abilities than Nico remembered.

Leo hands one to Nico while he himself wipes basically his entire face and arms. "Well, we're here now so let's find a spot to sleep tonight. I hope you like camping, Neeks!"

Nico frowns. "You should know I don't. Also, stop it with the Neeks."

Leo smiles. "You have barbecue on your nose."

Nico groans and wipes it off.

.

They end up finding a not-so-terrible spot to spend the night, but the heat in this Hades-forsaken place was so insufferable that they decided not to use sleeping bags and instead hang hammocks, of which Leo procured two from his magic pouch.

"Why in the world do you have hammocks on hand?" Nico asks as he unsuccessfully attempts to tie his to a tree.

"Hammocks are an incredible feat of engineering. You need fabric and weaving that are strong enough to hold you but not so tough that it's hard to sleep. It minimises your travelling load while maximising sleeping space, and it works on all surfaces because it precisely keeps you away from surfaces." Leo comes over and ties Nico's hammock for him. "It also keeps you away from snakes."

Nico blinks at him. "You have a lot of feelings about hammocks."

"They are perfect and need to be more appreciated."

"I've never actually slept in one."

Leo's eyes seem to light up with fire. "Oh I can't believe you're a hammock virgin!"

"Please don't call it that."

"This is going to be great. Shed all your preconceived notions right now and prepare for the best sleeping experience of your life."

Nico would hardly call swinging in the air the best sleeping experience of his life, but considering the things he's been through, it also could be far, far worse.

Leo is too delighted with the swinging and even pushes off against the tree with his foot to go even faster, his hands busy with a mechanical box he's been tinkering with since West Virginia. The movement is making Nico slightly dizzy so he lies as still as possible until the soft swaying actually feels nice, and it seems to be lulling him to sleep faster than anticipated.

He's almost gone when Leo speaks into the silence.

"Nico?"

"Mm?" He opens his eyes and turns to see Leo still swinging madly, almost nervously, under the orange light of the lantern he hung on a branch above. Thank the Gods they're on different trees or the movement would rock Nico's hammock as well. He also decided to remove his t-shirt, which is fine by Nico because then all the mosquitoes would get Leo instead of him.

"You're fifteen, right?" Leo asks.

"Last I checked."

Another pause. "How did you, um… how did you know?"

It takes Nico's sleepy brain a bit to process the question but it still doesn't make much sense. "How did I know what?"

Leo keeps his eyes on his box. "You know… how did you know you… liked boys?"

Suddenly Nico is as alert as the day Leo came crashing down above them.

Usually, Nico would say something snarky and then refuse to discuss the matter entirely, possibly adding about a day's worth of brooding and death glares.

But this question seemed to be a lot less about prying into Nico's business and a lot more about something else.

Nico looked away from Leo nonetheless and kept his eyes on the dark canopy above. "It's kind of hard to ignore when you, you know… when you like someone and that someone is, well, a boy."

Leo's swinging sounds less intense. "Sure. I suppose when it's the only kind of attraction that happens to you, you can't really miss it, can you?"

"Nope," Nico confirms. He could see where Leo's mind was at. "But I guess that if someone was attracted to a lot of different people… it'd be harder to recognize."

"I guess so."

Nico thinks of all the things he wished someone had said to him when he was driving himself mad with questions and confusion, and out of everything, the thing that would have meant the most was very simple.

"And it'd be okay. It'd be more than okay, actually, it'd be great."

Nico can't see it, but he can hear the soft exhale that Leo does when he smiles. The rustling and thudding of his magic pouch follow and then the light is turned off.

"Thank you, Neeks."

"I'm going to murder you."

.

This was the first time in Nico's life that he has managed to leave a camp for more than five minutes without encountering a single being that wanted to kill him. He had been prepared for attacks from the get-go, especially since Leo literally couldn't go two breaths without doing something demigod-like such as warming up their chilaquiles with his bare hands or making weird artefacts appear as if out of thin air.

But this had been the most peaceful trip of his life and it almost felt akin to a vacation. Camping, taking dips in rivers and lakes, eating something different every day (Leo even agreed to go to McDonald's once) and keeping the worrying to a minimum.

It was even nice to be around Leo most of the time. Ever since the other night, he seemed to be making fewer jokes and nervous tinkering than usual. He still did it, because it's part of him, but he seemed more relaxed about it. It wasn't a necessity but a choice.

"What are you going to do once we arrive?" Nico asks one afternoon as they sit on top of a hill and take in the view. They're most likely just a jump away from getting to their destination, and in all honesty, Nico's rested enough that he could manage it that same day.

But he decided to drag this out a bit longer. They stopped just outside of San Francisco at some unknown mountains with enough trees to make it the perfect spot to tie hammocks and, damn it, Nico loves them by now, and he just wants another opportunity to use them while he's still with company. His return trip will be a lot lonelier.

Leo shrugs. "I don't know what Pipes and Jason might be up to. Jason had his plan to make shrines for all the Gods, so I might help him with that. But honestly, I wish they'd come back to Camp Half-Blood."

Nico raises his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Sure. It's the camp me and Piper were meant to be in, all my siblings are there, plus there's the bunker and Festus… I don't want to give it all up."

Nico feels a spark of hope in his chest. Perhaps he won't have to return alone. It's still bittersweet, though, because once Leo rejoins Piper and Jason, things will be different. Piper and Jason are very nice and all, and Nico gets along very well with Jason in particular, but he has a feeling Leo won't be the same with them around.

"And you're there, also," Leo adds.

Nico feels some heat rise to his cheeks and he tries to push it down.

Thankfully, Leo doesn't press it. "What about you? How do you decide which Camp to be in? You were in Camp Jupiter for a while, you have Hazel there, but you're originally Half-Blood and you have Will over there…"

"Will?" Nico asks, surprised that Leo would put him on the same level of importance to Nico as Hazel.

"Well, yes. I assumed you two-"

"Oh, no." Nico must be properly blushing now. "I mean, I don't know. But we're not. He's very nice and I'm glad to have a close friend there but…"

"Well okay, so you'll have two close friends there, then." Leo puts his hand over Nico's and it's the first time they're so purposefully touching like that.

Leo is not hiding this personal moment with a mask of light-hearted comments or jokes. So Nico won't shy away from it, either.

"I'm glad you want to come back." He summons courage harder than it takes him to summon an army of skeletons, and he leans his head on Leo's shoulder.

They remain like that for a while, Leo's hand covering his and Nico's head resting on Leo, and Nico had never felt so safe outside of camp and he wonders if it can last.

.

It turns out it can last. They manage to make it to Camp Jupiter without a single unpleasant encounter. And just when Nico thought they may break Percy's rule about feeling safe, they cross the gates and they are actually safe. Hazel sees them first. She's in full uniform and looking tiny but powerful as always, and her eyes go wide and shiny like dark gemstones.

She drops everything, her spatha, shield, and a book she'd been carrying and she sprints at them. She crushes Leo in a hug and starts weeping immediately.

"You! How? I was- Jason and Piper- ugh!" Each word is punctuated by a sob and a slap on Leo's chest.

Then there's Frank, who is so surprised that he turns into a ferret by mistake but then seizes the opportunity to climb onto Leo's head and claw at his hair with tiny, shrill yelps.

"I missed you too, buddy," Leo says, only grimacing slightly.

When he's back in human form, the bear hug is so engulfing that Leo almost disappears from sight.

Apparently, Piper and Jason are around somewhere but Hazel and Frank are too busy with their new duties that they can't keep track of them. Hazel summons Arion and writes a note, tying it around his neck.

"If you find Piper or Jason, get them here as soon as possible."

And off he goes.

Hazel spends a while telling Leo how much they looked for him the days after the battle back in Camp-Half Blood, which Nico had already done, but not in so much detail. Especially about the extent to which Jason and Piper in particular had driven themselves mad trying to find him, to the point where after weeks of futile search, Percy and Annabeth had to drag them back to camp and eventually convince them to come to California and get their minds off it.

Of course Nico wanted Leo to know they didn't give up on him, that he was missed, but he didn't want him to feel as guilty as he looks right now.

Other people also greeted them, including Reyna who Nico was glad to see. She was looking healthier than before.

Just as they were about to go to the Fifth Cohort to see if anyone knew about Jason or Piper, a loud zoom fills Nico's ears and a blurry second later, Leo is on the ground, tackled by Piper.

Arion neighs and stomps his front legs down before taking off again.

It takes about two minutes of Piper holding onto Leo and crying "I hate you!" before they can stand up. Leo's eyes and face are red too and he can't stop sniffling.

"Explain. Now," Piper orders him, wiping tears off her face.

"I thought we'd wait for Jason," Leo tells her.

Piper sighs. "He's been so moody lately I can't even tell you when he'd be coming back. He's been hard to read."

"Jason? Moody? Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"

Piper hits Leo.

And then, it happens again. This time is a whooshing sound that gets progressively louder and Nico barely has time to catch a glance of Jason flying at them at full speed before Leo is lifted off his feet and carried away.

Nico typically refrains from showing any emotion other than annoyance in front of others, but even he can't keep a straight face upon seeing Jason and Leo embracing up in the air, clearly crying and laughing at the same time as Jason slowly lowers them to the ground.

Everyone is at least tearing up by the time they make their way towards them, but Nico is okay with it. He's happy for Leo and he doesn't care who sees. Hazel grabs Nico's hand and he squeezes it.

"So," Leo says with a rough voice. "Ready to hear the Tales of Tio Leo?"

.

Nico hadn't realized how much he missed this camp, especially Hazel. He wishes he could be with her year-round or at least visit more often. There should be a faster way to get from one camp to the other.

Eventually, though, the time to return was drawing nearer and it was hard to acknowledge it. Nico still didn't know if Leo was coming back or not and he didn't want to ruin his reunion. He was still so happy to be around Piper and Jason.

Nico sits outside at a table after dinner. They all managed to squeeze in a dinner together before their respective duties took them in different directions. Of course, the only ones who didn't have anything to attend to were Nico and Leo, so it isn't a surprise when Leo returns to the table after saying goodbye to the others.

Leo plays with the candles there, lighting them on and then putting them out over and over. "I was wondering…" he begins and for some reason Nico's heart speeds up.

"Yeah?"

He lights the candles again. "Is Nico short for Nicholas? And if it is, can I call you Saint Nicholas?"

Nico kicks him under the table.

"Ow!"

"Is Leo short for Leonardo? And if so, can I call you Da Vinci?" Nico asks, trying to sound as stupid as Leo had.

"Definitely!" Leo answers, a big smile while still rubbing his leg. "Da Vinci works, though I think I look more like a Di Caprio."

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

Leo is still smiling even after a few seconds. "Da Vinci and Di Angelo. We should form a band."

"Over my dead body," Nico says, but he has to really bite back a smile.

Silence ensues and Nico thinks this would be the right moment to tell Leo that he plans to return the next day. He opens his mouth to speak but as it often happens with speaking, Leo beats him to it.

"So when do we leave, Hermano Hamaca?"

Nico is so confused by that last bit that he doesn't even process the first. "What?"

"Hammock Bro," Leo translates.

"Oh." Leo wants to go back with him? "I thought you'd want to stay with them a bit longer."

He shrugs. "Well, you're the shadow-travelling boss, but if it was up to me I could leave tomorrow. Piper and Jason are working on the shrines and they'll be at Camp Half-Blood soon. I can help from there. I'll miss Hazel and the big guy, but I'll see them again. Plus, it'd be nice to see Percy and Annabeth too, if they got the letter."

Nico nods. "Sure. We can leave tomorrow." He doesn't let it show how happy he is not to be travelling alone, but he still hopes Leo can see it a little bit.

"Hey," Leo puts out a candle with his right hand and lights up another with his left. "Thank you for bringing me here. I know it's a long road trip for something that could have been a phone call in normal circumstances. But even if I could have contacted them somehow, I think I needed to come. See them for myself. So, thank you."

Nico does smile then. "You're welcome. I know I would have liked to see you in person if you hadn't almost killed me on impact when you arrived."

"It's settled, then. We leave tomorrow. Maybe we can stop in Houston this time? I'll show you my mom's old repair garage and the best gorditas you'll ever have in your life."

"Sure," Nico agrees. It might take them a bit longer but it's not as if they have anything else to do. No prophecies to fulfill, no quests to carry out, no world-destruction to stop.

Leo puts his hand over Nico's again and this time Nico turns his hand over and laces their fingers together. Leo's hand is downright hot from playing with the candles so much, but Nico thinks it's nice.

As the candlelight dances in the wind along with Leo's hair, Nico realizes that even though he has always felt safest in the shadows, fire is not too bad either.

[spinningsidetable]

The Odd Couple: 1/?

Pairing: Octavian/Leo (leotavian)

Genre/Warnings: Canon Compliant to a Point, Canon Parallel AU, Octavian Lives, Soulbond, Soulmates, Some Depictions of Violence and Injury

Rating: Teen and Up

Leo could open his eyes before he could breathe.

His lungs were still stitching themselves back together, air couldn't push its way inside yet. Leo could see the sky around him, he could see his flesh rebuilding itself; scars vanished as new skin replaced the burnt remains of the old. Finally, air rushed in and he could breathe again. Panic had nearly set in, feeling like it was divine punishment for all of his misdeeds to die so soon after living again. Part of him thought he likely deserved it. As soon as Leo was well and able he turned to look at his surroundings better. Leo had no idea where he was, the sky gave no hints, all he managed to figure out was he was on the back of Festus. Then another gasp of air took him by surprise, and Leo all but spun in place to look behind him. There, a slumped over frame of someone else. Leo was pretty sure his vocal chords had rebuilt themselves at that point, but he couldn’t speak. Who the hell? The frame lurched up, head tipping backwards; Leo watched in morbid fascination as skin and hair recovered muscle and bone. The person blinked, blinked pale eyes at Leo. And then promptly punched Leo in the nose. Leo jerked backwards with a loud yelp, bringing his hands up to hold at his face. Admittedly, Leo’d been punched in the face much harder, but even a toddler hitting you in the nose still hurt. “You scum!” The other figure yelped out, looking at Leo like he was the source of all problems. Actually, he might have been. Leo recognized this guy, the pissy weird Roman. He was still toting purple robes and armor, but they were tattered and burnt. “...You!” Leo said, pointing a finger. “You’re…that guy! Uh…” “Octavian!” The blond yelled. “My name is Octavian, and you attacked my city! You attack us, and then you kidnap me?!” “Okay, calm down Draco Malfoy,” Leo glared. It was a bit of an insult to the fictional character. “I didn’t kidnap anybody, okay? I’m as shocked to see you here as you are me. Actually, correction, I’m more surprised, I literally just died and came back to life. I was kind of hoping the first people I’d see were my friends or a pretty girl. Not…this.” Leo waved a hand at Octavian’s stupid face which was twisted in anger and confusion. “Then what happened? Huh? Answer me, Graecus!” Octavian was ordering Leo around like he was…well, a rich white boy with a sense of entitlement, so, yeah no, that made sense. “I,” Leo started slowly with extra exaggeration. “I, was in the process of committing non-suicide to blow the earth lady back to the dirt she came from. Everything I did was part of the plan. You here, are not.” Octavian’s expression dripped condescension. “The dirt isn’t where she came from, she is the earth, you plebeian.” “Oh my God,” Leo said flatly. “That is so not the issue right now, like... what the fuck, why are you on my dragon?” It seemed Octavian hadn’t taken the time to notice that yet, and looked down, and immediately went white…whiter in the face. Leo wasn’t certain if he just realized he had been recently blown to smithereens or the fact they were thousands of feet in the air. “I-…I was about to fire an onager at the Earth Mother and you…and,” his face twisted in confusion. “I think I got caught up in it somehow…” Leo had very little sympathy at this point. Well, less so. Which seemed hard to do. “So, let me get this straight, you tried to legitimately murder me, and... accidentally fucked yourself over?” “You declared war on Rome,” Octavian said like it explained everything, excused everything. “I was protecting my people, from you, from the Earth Mother. I feel no guilt in my actions.” “Bullshit, you were protecting your reputation - oh gods, it feels good to cuss, I’ve been holding this in since Hazel’s whole 1940s thing.” Leo paused in the middle speaking as realization kicked in. Admittedly, not the best time for his ADHD to rear back up. Octavian didn’t look amused. But, then again, Leo was pretty sure Octavian was unable to be amused. Except by suffering. “Swearing is the first resort of the last to succeed.” “Okay, I’m done with you, I have no idea why you’re here, I’m guessing the Physicians Cure did double duty somehow, so I’m just going to drop you on the first piece of land I see-“ Leo was cut off but two arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him backwards in his seat until he was arching off in pain. “You will do nothing of the sort, or I will personally hold you here until the air leaves your…your...” The grip began to slip, and Leo decided it was time for payback and lit himself on fire. Or, tried to.  Nothing happened. The arms went limp regardless. “What the fuck?” Leo coughed and rubbed at his throat, but Octavian wasn’t looking at him, but down at his hands. “I couldn’t do it…” Octavian stared down at his palms like they betrayed him. “What is wrong with me? I couldn’t hold you…” Leo stared at him for a minute, absentmindedly rubbing at his neck, before snapping out of his surprise and reaching over to smack the man in the side of the head. Octavian seemed to snap out of it, and grabbed Leo’s hand before he could do it again. And then The Thing happened. An electric current, or that’s what it sort of felt like, ran down Leo’s spine; Octavian seemed to be much the same way, because they pulled back from one another at the same time. That was weird, Leo thought with a frown, but chose to ignore it. He was just dead 5 minutes ago, he’d dealt with weirder. The astrolabe on Festus began to whir, due to Leo’s modifications of course (they’re not known for moving on their own) and Leo turned away from the towhead to check. They were over Ogygia, Leo realized with some glee. Then it hit him that he’d have to introduce Calypso to Octavian and it just got really strange in his brain. “We’re going down,” Leo said, adjusting himself in his seat. “If you strangle me again, I’ll burn your ass.” Even if he couldn’t, Leo was all about finding ways in the impossible. “Going down?” Octavian looked around nervously, but like he was pretending not to be. “This piece of junk can’t hold us-“ Leo held up a hand on fire. “Do not. Ever. Call him a piece of junk.” Octavian looked at him like he was sizing him up, “or what, scum?” “Or I remove yours,” Leo said smoothly, and that got the reaction he wanted. “Good boy.” Octavian turned red, and opened his mouth to likely yell or probably throw racial slurs, Leo had no idea, but Octavian seemed the type to vote red. “Festus, not you, you’re an asshole. Festus is a good boy. Come on, buddy, let’s go get her.” “Get who?” Octavian hissed, looking around like a woman was just randomly floating around. “What monsters have you been cohabiting with?” “Calypso,” Leo said, “my girlfriend. I think. Probably?” “Not the…actual Calypso, surely?” Octavian looked horrified by the very concept. “Who else?” Leo rolled his eyes. “She’s great, you’ll hate her. Which makes her great.”

“Who el- I’m not the actual Octavian! It isn’t a strange question!” “…There was an actual Octavian? Two people chose a name that stupid for a baby?” “Gaius Octavianus, later known as Augustus, ushered in the Pax Romana, expanded his empire-“ Leo realized his mistake, as Octavian continued talking until they reached the soils of Ogygia, no matter how many times Leo told him to shut up in every language he knew. Calypso was waiting on the shore as they touched down, and opened her mouth to say something to Leo, before noticing Octavian sliding off of Festus. “Who is this?” “Sea Witch, I am Octavian of New Rome, Augur, Centurion.” Octavian introduced himself, but did not endear himself, as her eyes narrowed slowly. “If you attempt to sing your bewitching tunes, seductress, I will be forced to send you back to the pits of Tartarus.” Calypso looked accusingly at Leo who shrugged helplessly at her. “Not part of my plan. I hate him too, trust me. He’s tried to kill me like, what?” Leo looked back at Octavian who looked like he sincerely considered the question. “At least 5 times,” Octavian nodded to himself. “Yes, roughly 5, though the majority were one long sustained effort that you avoided. Leo gestured at Octavian, looking at Calypso, while making a few rude hand gestures towards the Roman. “So, I say we ditch him and go?” But Calypso was looking at Leo oddly, and then back to Octavian. There was a frown on her face, and a deeply sad one in her eyes. “Uh...Caly? Babe? Sunshine?” Leo stepped closer, and reached his hand out to touch her shoulder, but she pulled away.

“…Calypso?” “I see, well, it figures…The same thing always happens…” Calypso crossed her arms and took a few steps backwards. She was closing herself off, Leo didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that. Leo looked at her packed gear behind her, and took a step towards it. “Don’t,” Calypso warned, her eyes closed like she was in pain. “I’m not coming with you.” Leo stared helplessly, blinking hard. “W-what are you talking about? I…Come on, look we…don’t need to date, we never have to do anything like that, but-“ “Leo, I appreciate that, I really do. I care about you, truly. But…,” The girl turned away, tear streaks began to run down her face. “I’m sorry. Please leave.”

Leo felt nearly hysterical, looking between her, and Octavian who seemed more disgusted than confused. “I don’t understand, I just want to help, did I do something wrong-“ “Your fate is not mine, Leo. It’s tied to another.” Calypso’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I understand I can leave with you, right this moment. I do, but…after so long… I want someone to come for me whose fate is my own. I know you don’t understand, but maybe someday you will. Please.” Leo’s shoulders sagged, but as he looked at her he realized he couldn’t change her mind. It was like Echo all over again, but worse. He didn’t want her to be trapped here any longer. He didn’t care if she never loved him, Leo just didn’t want her to have to be alone. “I’ll make sure the Gods free you,” Leo said finally, voice thick with emotion. “If you won’t come with me, I’ll make sure you can leave when you want to. I won’t forget you. I will never forget you, Calypso, I swear on that.” Calypso smiled, tears in her eyes, taking a few steps closer to him to wrap her arms around his frame, kissing him on the cheek. “Go live your life, Leo. We’ll meet again, I’m sure. Goodbye, for now.”

“Goodbye, sunshine.” Leo whispered against her hair, and kissed the side of her head. “For now.” It was a promise.

When they left, he flew away without looking back. Octavian was quiet, for all of about 10 minutes. “You dated a monster?” Octavian’s voice was full of judgement, and Leo wasn’t having it right now. Leo could keep a lot of things bottled up, but just hearing Octavian speak was like nails on a chalkboard. So, he turned around and grabbed the blond by the shirt, pulling him forward to headbutt the Centurion in his stupid face. But, stopped short, as Leo’s body stopped moving against his will and he was left with his face just inches from Octavian’s who looked similarly shocked and disturbed. Leo realized Octavian had raised his own hands to push Leo away, but were just resting on Leo’s shoulders. Leo snapped back, the extent of the problem beginning to dawn in horror. “What the…why couldn’t I hit you?”

“Same reason I couldn’t hurt you, I’m guessing.” Octavian muttered. “Something strange is happening. “ “So we….can’t hurt each other?” Leo changed his mind drastically, because at the moment, he was actually thrilled for a new problem for his brain to focus on. It saved him from having to think about Calypso.

“I hit you in the nose, and you hit me back” Octavian said curiously. “So it appears some is fine.” Leo frowned, tapping against the bronze back of Festus in thought. “Was it though? Or was it surprise and shock more than an actual wish to injure? Try hitting me again.” Octavian looked baffled but pleased with the request. “You’re asking me to punch you?” It was like Christmas for creepy faced Romans, from the tone in his voice. Leo rolled his eyes. “Just do it already, dillweed.”

Octavian pulled his fist back for the wind up, and threw it forward in what would have likely broken his nose if it had actually made contact. But, it didn’t. Octavian’s fist stopped a few inches from Leo’s face. Octavian glared at his own hand, and tried again, and again, until it just looked sad and silly. “Okay, stop hitting the sky, big Z might take offense.” Leo sighed. Octavian tried again, and then muttered something about it being J not Z, but Leo ignored him. “It's the Physicians Cure. That’s the only reasonable explanation. “ Leo said his thought process out loud, pulling a small journal out of his belt and began to write down what they were noticing. “The what? You mentioned it before, what is it?” Octavian asked with clear annoyance in his voice as he leaned over Leo’s shoulder to see what he was writing. “Don’t call me that.” “Then don’t act like one,” Leo shot back and kept writing. “The Physicians Cure was what brought me, and I’m assuming you, back to life. It should have only been enough for one singular life, and yet here we are. My guess is something relating to that is the reason we can’t purposely injure one another.” Octavian scoffed at the thought. “How did someone like you get your hands on something like that? The Gods would never truly smile on a Graecus-“ “I made a bargain with a few, including Apollo, so, you know. Shut up.” Leo mumbled, still making notes, and not even glancing at the blond behind him. Octavian leaned back, and crossed his arms. He was used to people in New Rome expressing dislike and disrespect towards him, but at the very least they feared him in some manner. Leo Valdez did not fear, respect, or seemingly care about his existence in general; never even bothering to learn his name before he fired on his city. Octavian had been on the Argo when Leo attacked, appraising the vehicle and assessing the likelihood for warfare. Leo Valdez paid him little regard, acting like Octavian was more a piece of gum on his shoe than well known Centurion who had served Camp Jupiter for 7 years. All Octavian ever wanted was to raise New Rome to true glory, but few saw his vision. He had almost been thankful to the Greeks, a war was a good way to inspire people, but then that seemingly backfired. “We have to cross the ocean,” Leo said after a moment of calculating. It wasn’t just their physical situation he was thinking about, it was their location. They had left the space around Ogygia, but their place in the world was still a mystery until now. They were about where Leo had shown up before in Greece, maybe Festus went there on purpose. “What?” Octavian frowned, his own train of thought being cut off. “What ocean?” “The ocean is a big body of sea water, the blue one with all the fish, ever heard of it?” Leo sighed, grabbing up the astrolabe and turning his back to Octavian. Octavian wished more than ever he could spear him through. “Mediterranean, then we cross the Atlantic.” Leo announced, before beginning to chew on the tip of a pen Octavian had no idea where came from. “But, I think we might want to avoid the Atlantic as much as possible. It was not super chill last time we went over it, and there were more people and better provisions. I need to reroute our course.” “So we go north, or go south?” Octavian asked after a moment to think about the situation, and Leo looked at him with a bit of surprise. “Well, there are only two reasonable paths if we’re currently in the Mediterranean. We go north, and cross the UK and Greenland, and cross into the Northwestern Passage from there before heading south towards New York.” Octavian held up two fingers. “Or, alternatively, we cross into Africa and head south towards the West Coast, before crossing the closest point towards Brazil, before heading north through the Caribbean.” Leo continued to stare at blankly. “What?” Octavian seemed offended, but then again he always did. “I’ve already graduated from University with honors. You think me stupid?” “You said it, not me.” Leo said, reappraising Octavian. Sure, he hated him, but Leo could use brains right now. “You’re right though. I would figure Africa is the safest bet. You’d probably not survive the northern temperatures this time of year. I might be able to make my own warmth, but you can't. Of course, heading east and crossing the Pacific is a possibility, but not a good one. We have no idea what kind of monsters are over there, not to mention a much much longer flight across open ocean.” Octavian wasn’t entirely sure how to take that. He wasn’t really expecting the other boy to think of his general well being. He certainly didn’t return the favor. If Octavian could shove him from the dragon and commandeer it, he would in a heartbeat. “Plus,” Leo mumbled. “I am…sort of not on good terms with a very mean snow lady and her brothers in Canada. Probably not the best place to cross.” Octavian nearly felt a bit disappointed, though not surprised. It was good information however, any enemy of Valdez was a friend of Octavian. “Fine, a journey West then. How long will this take, anyway? Not too dreadfully long, I’d hope.” Leo burst out laughing, and just shook his head without answering.  “Oh my gods…” “I’ll take that as 'significantly longer',” Octavian sighed. “I was eager to get away from you, can you blame me?” Leo snorted, but didn’t seem to disagree. “You’re not the first, no, so the sensation has worn off by now.” Leo readjusted himself, cracking his knuckles. ”Better buckle up. You should have been able to tell our speed by now, honor student, we’ll probably take at least a week, and that is a conservative guess. Festus is fast, but not airliner fast, which means if we don’t just go across the Sahara, it’ll take most of the day to reach Morocco. Plus, I’d recommend taking a pitstop for a day before actually crossing the Atlantic, to see if we can find anything usable. We’ll need to strap ourselves in, because crossing is going to take close to 24 hours, and sleep is going to not be an option. And, that’s just the general shit, I’m not including everything else that will without a doubt happen.”

“Everything else?” Octavian was honestly confused by the statement, and Leo looked over his shoulder and grinned evilly. “Not been out of the country, huh? You’re not in San Fran anymore, bub, there be monsters here like you’ve never seen.”

And there were. They’d spent a number of relatively quiet hours flying to reach land, happily uninterrupted hours, but as soon as they reached the port of Alexandria in Egypt, everything went to hell in a hand-basket. They found themselves clinging onto the dragon while making some rather intricate moves to dodge some weird sphinx like monstrosity that attacked them. It had multiple wings, multiple faces, and a good portion of it was lion. “Curses!” Octavian hissed. “I don’t have a weapon, give me a weapon!” “I thought you didn’t curse?” Leo laughed, and tossed a fireball at the thing, but it didn’t do much. “I don’t think I trust you that much. You have tried to kill me, what was it, you said 5 times?” “Yes, but I can’t now!” Octavian yelled in frustration. “Just give me something! Why does it look more Babylonian than Egyptian, it makes no sense!” Leo handed him a letter opener. If Octavian was the one with fire powers, Leo’s head would have likely gone up in flames with the strength of his glare. He threw it anyway, and it pierced the head of the monster, which fell to pieces of sand. Leo’s jaw dropped, and Octavian preened. “Shit, that was pretty cool. You throw knives?” Octavian nodded proudly, but felt a weird sensation as he watched Leo’s face turn into a smile. Embarrassment? No, surely not. “Okay, still hate you, but cool. I’m pretty sure Will can’t do that.” “Will?” Octavian frowned. “Who is that? Another jilted lover?” Leo’s face immediately turned to displeasure. “I’m 15 dude, I don’t have any lovers...jilted or otherwise. Will is one of the sons of Apollo, so, like…your half brother. But, Greek. So, like you, but infinitely better and less of a douche.” “Except he can’t throw knives?” Octavian called back with a smirk, and Leo quirked a brow in amusement or something else. “He’s a healer. I’ll take someone who helps people over one who destroys any day of the week, man.” “Your powers are the very epitome of destructive,” Octavian reminded him, and Leo looked away without responding. “I’m going to land, I need to repair Festus.” Leo sighed, patting on Festus and they began to descend into the outskirts of the busy African city. “No pithy comment?” Octavian said after they landed, and Leo shot him a look. “No snark? No general idiocy your people are so fond of?” “Wow,” Leo shook his head with a laugh, “if you say, ‘your people’ again…” “You’ll what?” Octavian challenged, stepping forward to cross the distance between them. They were both slim, but Octavian was older and taller by quite a bit. He stared down at Leo. “What will you do? You’re nothing.” A small breathy noise startled Octavian, who jerked back as Leo looked down at the ground and wiped at his face. “Oh, by the gods, are you crying?” Octavian stuttered out, horrified. He was not good with crying. “I…I didn’t, I mean...I-“ Leo looked up with a grin and completely tearless eyes, “gotcha.” Octavian opened and closed his mouth, and Leo patted him on the shoulder. “Word of advice? Anything you say to me? I’ve heard it already five times over, probably from my own family. That crying schtick? A trick I learned… at roughly age 9 to trick the nice foster families into giving me shit I wanted. And, my best friend is a daughter of Aphrodite, Venus, whatever. I’ve learned from the best.” Leo shoved a finger into Octavian’s chest, ignoring their size difference completely. “I may be nothing, but guess what? We’re both nothing.” Leo looked him straight in the eyes.  “And, my guess? That bothers you a hell of a lot more than it bothers me.” Octavian said nothing as Leo stepped around him and moved to start fixing Festus. Didn’t say a word until night had fallen. But, then it was dark out, and Octavian realized he was hungry.  Leo was still working on the bronze dragon, and hadn’t stopped. The dragon, with the stupidest name he’d ever heard, watched Octavian with some suspicion. Probably well warranted by now, having threatened his owner repeatedly.

“Do you have money?” Octavian fumbled about before just hitting himself and asking. Leo paused and looked up. “Why?”

“I want to go into town and get food and provisions, if you were intelligent, you would have realized that by now, but I suppose your people aren’t-“ Leo stood up and glared him down. “See, the thing that bugs me when you say that is I have no idea if you mean Greek demigods or if you mean Mexicans. But, knowing you, it’s probably both.”

Octavian tipped his chin up to sneer down at the shorter boy. “You think me so petty? You realize I served under Reyna, do you not?” “Yes,” Leo said without a moment of thinking about it. “You tried to overthrow her too, remember?” “I’m not racist,” Octavian ignored everything Leo said. It was true, after all. “I just think-“ “Nope,” Leo shook his head. “Nope, nuh uh, not happening, shut up and don’t finish that thought process. I’ll make you food, just stop talking.” Octavian paused, and glared silently, his feathers well ruffled by now. Leo sighed in relief, before sitting down on the sands, and pulling random items out of his belt. They surely couldn’t have all fit, so it was most likely enchanted. “I’m not racist,” Octavian said after a moment, and Leo looked at him like he was above to shove a fork through his eye, or would if he was able.  “The man my mother married was a legacy of Mars, from Senegal. My half siblings are mixed race. You may think you know me, but you don’t.” “That doesn’t mean you’re not racist,” Leo said, chin in his hand, appraising Octavian. “But, I’m tired of arguing. What do you want to eat? Any food allergies? I’m curious if I can poison you.” “No,” Octavian rolled his eyes, and Leo snickered. “That,” Leo pointed. “Is the first time I’ve ever seen you act like an actual teenager.” “…I’m 18, I am an adult.” He’d waited long for the day, after all. To finally be respected as an adult, instead of a child. “No, you’re one cat away from being a movie villain.” Leo crossed his legs. “Maybe, if you were an actual teenager, you’d be less obsessed with glory and honor and all that and learn to have fun for once. 18 going on 68, more like.” “I have fun, and I want…,” Octavian nodded to himself in thought. “Yes, I’d like tacos. They’re a fun food, yes?” “Tacos? Man, you’re practically Latino now. l was so very wrong about you, Herr Octavian!” Octavian narrowed his eyes, “you realize that just means Mister or sir, right?” “I actually had no idea, I just wanted to imply you’re a Nazi.” Leo said happily. “Calm your tuts, I’ll make something good.” “It’s no surprise,” Octavian sniffed derisively, dusting away some sand from his tattered robes. “I’d imagine your education doesn’t go above elementary school.” “You’d be correct,” Leo smiled, he was visibly less amused and more visibly perturbed. “That’s what happens when you’re orphaned.” He started to mix ingredients in a bowl that Octavian was also not sure where came from. It didn’t seem like it could have been pulled from anywhere. The Greek held the bowl, with his hand lit in flames to cook it. When it was done, Leo handed over a steaming plate. It smelled good.

“I made paella. You good?” Octavian nodded, assuming he was asking if Octavian found the meal choice acceptable, and took a bite. It was very good. “It’s sad,” Octavian said after he was finished eating, and Leo looked at him tiredly as he was eating. “You Greeks, you have no support for one another.” “Remind me to spit in your food next time,” Leo looked exhausted, and put down the food he was eating. “It seems to me that the Romans are the ones who don’t give a shit the second someone starts thinking for themselves.” “You have no long term support systems for demigods,” Octavian ignored Leo, waving a finger as though he was scolding a child. “You have no businesses, no real communities that I could see. You’re a summer camp, no more, no less. What do you do for the children that have been orphaned?” “I don’t know, wasn’t at camp very long, ask Percy.” Leo looked away, thinking. “Why do you care?” “You’re, as much as I hate to admit this, a better chef than I was expecting, especially with no real cooking instruments. In New Rome, we would support these talents. Maybe, you could open a restaurant, or shop of some nature. But, what will you there, once you’re older? I noticed there were no demigods over the age of 25 that I could see. Do you all die? Pretend to be human, and live a constantly thre-“ “I don’t know!” Leo cut him off, looking quite angry. “I have no idea, okay? I wasn’t expecting to live this long.” “That’s the problem,” Octavian didn’t stop his lecture, standing up to pace. “None of you have any foresight. You’re hotheaded, idiotic, disrespectful, chaotic-” “I’m going to bed,” Leo stood up abruptly and walked around to the other side of Festus. Octavian rolled his eyes before he could catch himself. “Think about my suggestions,” Octavian called over before laying back on the warm sands himself, like he was doing Leo a favor.

“Get bit by an asp and go Cleopatra yourself, asshat.” Leo grumbled from his side, annoyance clear in his voice.

Octavian waited a moment, before speaking. “…It was actually an Egyptian Cobra, not the European Aspis. In fact, it was likely neither, but rather a respectable concoction of poisons. You should read more. It is a common, but still unacceptable mistake that uneducated individuals make. Building a library would be the first step-” Leo tossed a wrench at him, but it missed. Octavian was awoken in the early morning light by a foot prodding him in the stomach, it didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t a great way to wake up either. “You rude-“ “Save it, we need to get going. A storm is coming, and I really don’t want to get stuck with you any longer than possible.” Octavian stood up gingerly, and eyed Leo, who noticed and exhaled sharply. “What?” “I need to brush my teeth.” Leo threw him a small bottle of mouth wash and a tooth brush, and while Octavian was mildly disgusted, it was better than nothing. He’d never had a cavity before, his teeth were in his opinion, flawless. He didn’t want to ruin that now.

They set off once again, but could see clouds in the distance. They were dark reds and beige and gray, with bright flashes of gold. “Beautiful,” Octavian breathed out, as the wind began whipping. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” “Yeah, well, it shouldn’t be there,” Leo eyed the same clouds with some trepidation. He hadn’t seen any weather forecasts in town that mentioned anything like it. “Another monster?” Octavian asked, and Leo tilted his head and bit a worrying lip. “I honestly don’t know…but, something tells me it isn’t that simple.” They flew until night fall, but managed to reach Morocco. The storm they saw had vanished once they left Egypt, which made Leo all the more paranoid. He hadn’t stopped fidgeting and tapping the entire way, and it was driving Octavian up the metaphorical wall. “Do you think there are others?” Leo asked in a rare moment of openness, looking like an actual uncertain 15 year old, in a way that bothered Octavian for some reason. “Other what?” “Gods,” Leo answered. “We have…Greeks, Romans…but, are there more than us?” “Egyptians, you mean?” Octavian was easily able to piece together the source of the boys discontent and pondered the question for a moment. “It’s plausible. There are Roman gods that are not versions of Greek. Greek, that have no dual Roman forms. If there are entirely separate deities in those situations, then it is likely that there are others.” Leo looked at him seriously for once, eyes searching his face, his posture. “Doesn’t that scare you?” “No,” Octavian answered honestly. “It doesn’t. Gods are not my concern; Rome is, my people are.” Leo shook his head and looked away, “aren’t we all?” “What?” Octavian asked, confused. This Graecus was more confounding than Jackson had been, who was simply like a fly that he wished to swat. “Demigods,” Leo said, looking back at him. “Don’t we have more in common than we have different? Aren’t we all your people then? Shouldn’t we support one another? Support systems, like you said. Communities.” “I-“ Octavian wasn’t sure how to reply. In fact, he was mostly taken back by the fact Leo had evidently given his suggestions some consideration the night before. Leo seemed to realize what Octavian was thinking, “you were right, maybe not how you meant, but ...it's true. As much as I really hate you.”

Octavian was very conflicted now. “We have no way to help each other, not really, not at Camp Half Blood. A satyr either gets us to camp when we’re young, or they don’t.” Leo swallowed hard, looking off into the distance.  “Before that, we’re just…with our human families, or alone. There are probably more of us alone, than not.” “Or in foster care,” Octavian added, remembering what Leo had said the previous day. The curly haired boy looked back at him and nodded. “In foster care, or worse,” Leo said. “It isn’t fair to us, or our parents, to be so vulnerable. How many mothers, fathers, siblings, have been killed…because we’re demigods? How many kids around the world?” “I don’t know,” Octavian answered after a moment. “I don’t know. If the numbers are similar world wide, then…thousands? Hundreds of thousands, even.”

“I don’t like that,” Leo said firmly. “You can go back to New Rome, deal with your people, but like I said. You’re right. I think we should have support. Or, in another generation, once me and all my friends are long dead, we’ll get another Luke.” “Luke?” Octavian echoed, he thought he had heard the name before but wasn’t sure where. “Luke Castellan, I wasn’t around then either, but he was the one who started the Titan war.” Leo explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “One guy thinks the Gods don’t care, that’s fine, but when 50, 100, hundreds do…” Octavian hadn’t really experienced this before, being told he was right while being told he was wrong, feeling vindicated and chastised. “R-Rome can,” Octavian started shakily, jutting out his chin once again in a shadow of his more prideful boasts. “We can…support others. But, under our ways.” Leo sighed, shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath. “That isn’t support, it’s oppression. Have you ever considered that you only think your ways are the right ways because you were born to it?”

“That sounded very Disney-esque of you,” Octavian deflected, and turned away. “I’m going to get firewood.” Leo looked at him wearily as he left. “You…don’t need to,” Leo said to himself, rolling his eyes and moving back to Festus. “I’m literally made of fire. Fucking asshole.” The next morning, they spent their time flying closer towards the Horn, until touching down outside a Senegalese market.  Octavian actually seemed rather happy for once with this particular pitstop. Like, actually happy and not sneery smirky “happy”. It was odd for Leo to witness. “You actually like your stepfather, don’t you?” Leo asked curiously, after Octavian got done speaking to a shop owner. “He’s preferable to my mother,” Octavian answered. “They’re both doctors, but his work actually matters.” “Is there a doctor who does meaningless work?” Leo asked, laughing in astonishment. “Like, what does that even mean?”

“It means she’s a psychologist,” Octavian said with a huff and crossed arms. “My stepfather is a neurosurgeon. He saves lives, she talks.” Leo stared at him like he saw something particularly disgusting on the floor of a mens bathroom, brows together and lips drawn back into a frown. “Doesn’t she, I don’t know, help people with mental health problems?” Octavian scoffed at the very concept, and Leo threw his arms up and walked away. Later, Octavian showed back up with bags full of herbs and spices and what looked like a headband. “Ladies appreciated my skill in speaking their language, and gave me gifts.” Leo rolled his eyes, and muttered something about them probably trying to get him to leave. “What are you doing?” “Trying to contact my friends,” Leo said, looking disappointingly into the fountain they had met back up at. The water gave nothing back to him. “I’ve been trying, but I haven’t been able to get through by any means. I even used a phone booth. Just static. Nothing in Alexandria, nothing in Morocco, nothing here either. “ Octavian walked over and sat next to him and looked into waters. “Let me try, I’m an augur. I have a more natural line to the Gods, than someone like yourself who spits in the face of our customs and rules.”

It didn’t work for him either. “I need a live chicken,” Octavian glared into the fountain. “And a ceremonial dagger.” “Nnnope,” Leo stood up, drying his hands off on his shirt. “No blood sacrifices, I put my foot down at blood sacrifices.” “You’re being unreasonable,” Octavian followed suit in standing, attempting to use his height as an advantage once again. “I guess that shouldn’t be surprising given your people-“Leo grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him hard into the fountain. It didn’t hurt, there was no injury or pain involves in the matter, but he was now soaking wet. So Octavian rushed up and grabbed the other boy and hauled him in with him. It was childish, but they ended up shoving and splashing and just generally making idiots of themselves until Octavian noticed Leo was laughing. That was not what Octavian had intended, he was planning on more of a near-drowning. Then, he noticed they were very close, and Leo’s palm was on his chest and his own hand was on Leo’s waist and everything froze. Octavian swallowed hard, and Leo met his eyes curiously. Big, dark brown eyes. “Hey, you boys,” someone called to them and Octavian thanked every deity he could name that he was saved before losing composure. “You need to stop,” a young woman said in English with an accent. “I’m apologize,” Octavian said back, in Wolof. She looked surprised, but smiled. “I don’t mind,” she said in her own language, “but some others here might not approve of two boys doing that together. I think young love is precious.” Octavian felt bile in his throat. He glanced over at Leo, who was brushing a curl of wet hair out of his eyes. The warm mid day light hit the water just right and reflected sunlight back onto Leo’s stomach and cheeks. His normally loose dirty off white tank top was wet and clinging and very nearly see through. The reflections of water looked like soft gold on his skin. “Oh no,” Octavian whispered, and got a weary look from his forced travel companion. He was 15, Octavian told himself. 15 and Greek. It was extremely unsightly, inappropriate, not to mention possibly illegal to harbor unfortunate emotional attachments to- “What? That stick almost fall out of your ass after having fun for 5 minutes?” Leo grinned toothily, and Octavian realized that he did in fact hate Leo Valdez. "No? What a shame."

[fuckedupamericangirl]

All That is Love

Ocean Master X Reader 

I’m too lazy to make this a full-fledged story so I’m just going to do that thing where writers just outline the main aspect of the story and their personal headcanons.

~ Imagine being part of the extended Xebelian royal family and being sent to Atlantis with Mera at a young age as her companion because you're her favorite cousin.

~Meeting Prince Orm at the Conservatory of Magic and instantly becoming friends. You, Orm, and Mera were constantly training and practicing with each other. Mera learned to control her hydrokinesis while you learned to control your Chlorokinesis (the ability to control plants). You also took an interest in healing spells, charms, and potions because as good of a warrior as Prince Orm is today he didn’t start off that way and was constantly getting cuts and bruises while training.

~Orm always going to you when he got hurt because he trusted you not to judge him in his weakened state.  

~Orm tutoring you in combat training while you tutored him in magic so you’d be able to stay in the same classes.

~Imagine being there emotionally for Prince Orm when his mother gets sacrificed to the Trench. Telling him that second born or not he was still a Prince of Atlantis and as worthy to be on the throne as his brother.

~After years of being best friends Orm realizes that he loves you, but he doesn’t tell you anything because he knows his father would disapprove of a relationship between the two of you.

~Having your first kiss during a sparring session and avoiding each other afterward because the future king of Atlantis shouldn't be kissing what Orms father considered a low born Xebelian witch.

~Mera forcing the two of you to talk because she can't handle choosing between her two best friends. 

~Working it out and starting a secret relationship...eventually Mera finds out and she helps keep the secret. She always knew the two of you were made for each other.

~Constantly sneaking out of Atlantis and meeting up in a deserted island on the surface or sunken ships in the middle of nowhere to truly be together.

~Eventually your father and uncle arrange a marriage between you and a high born Xebelian scientist so you have to go back to Xebel.

~Being torn between your duty and your love for Orm.

~Orm offering to marry you so you wouldn’t leave, but you both know that has never been and will never be a possibility for the two of you.

~King Orm having two reasons for becoming Ocean Master: Stopping your wedding and Brining the wrath of the seven seas to the surface world. 

~Having that plan slightly backfire on him because King Nereus won't join his side unless he marries Mera.

~You end up marrying the Xebelian scientist slightly before Orms first fight with his brother. You end up not going back to Atlantis until after the battle because your father wants you to get to know your husband

~Your husband died during the battle with The Brine. He was aboard one of the Xebelian battleships because he designed and created most of the weapons on the ship.

~Queen Atlanta remembered your friendship and influence on Orm so she asks Arthur to let you visit Orm in jail. He agrees and you start visiting him almost daily.

~Orm asks if your husband knows you visit him almost every day and you realize you never told Orm your husband had died. Orm dropped the subject almost as soon as he brought it up because he noticed your reaction.

~One day Orm tells you that when he first found out about his older brother he couldn’t help but love him because his mother loved Arthur and how could he hate someone his mother loved so dearly.

~So he trained harder and focused more so that one day he could save his big brother from the surface world and bring him home to their mother.

~But his father found out and had his mom basically executed and that unconditional love slowly turned into unconditional hatred at his brother and the surface world for condemning his mother to death.

~Eventually Orm asks about your husband again and this time you tell him. 

~Orm apologizes and asks you to leave because A. you’re single and B. he basically killed your husband. He has to think about how he wants to approach the future of your relationship.

~Orm finally has that talk with his brother. 

~He renounced his claim to the throne in exchange for his freedom and the chance to marry you.

~Arthur tells him he can grant him his freedom, but anything concerning you wasn’t up to him.

~You end up not showing up to visit Orm after he asked you to leave.

~Mera eventually went to look for you so that she could ask why you hadn’t been visiting.

~She finally found you on a deserted Island named Ogygia alone walking along the seashore.

~When you asked her how she knew where you where she told you that she had followed you and Orm to this Island back when you two first started to sneaking around.

~Out of nowhere Arthur and Orm show up on the beach.

~It was a poetic irony that they chose to meet up on the island where Calypso, the daughter of Titans, was imprisoned and cursed for choosing her duty to her family instead of doing what was right. She was destined to fall in love with men who would always choose their duty over her. 

~Mera looked over at Arthur and then back at you and told you to talk to Orm.

~After Mera and Arthur leave Orm makes his way to you and for the first time in weeks your standing face to face.

“Do you regret loving me?”

“Orm...Love is something I could never regret.”

“How about me? Do you regret me?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“I renounced my claim to the throne so I could be with you.” 

THIS IS MY SECOND READER INSERT SO BE GENTLE GUYS AND I HOPE YALL LIKE IT.

[thelonelyrdr-blog]

Thoughts on the Heroes of Olympus series (Part 3)

(The ending is somewhat spoiled in this one, so if that bugs you, read with caution.)                      Apparently, yesterday was Percy Jackson's birthday. So he's a Leo. Makes sense, I thought, and set to integrating this piece of trivia with my mental image of Percy, but then I realized that I already knew it from the following exchange in The Blood of Olympus: "Like the zodiac sign?" Percy asked. "I'm a Leo." "No, stupid," Leo said, "I'm a Leo. You're a Percy." The bad puns in this series are so real, guys. Anyway, given that it was Percy's birthday, it would've been neat if I could've posted this review yesterday, but alas, I just didn't have the energy after work. But hey, my lateness won't stop me from tagging this post with #happybirthdaypercy in a shameless attempt to increase my readership. Happy Birthday, Percy! I know you won't mind my using your birthday as a marketing tool.   The Blood of Olympus  Reyna and Nico are by far my favorite parts of this book, both separately and as a pair, but especially as a pair. Both are characters with deeply traumatic pasts who feel a respect and kinship for one another that eventually evolve into familial affection. Hazel may be Nico’s sister in name, but Reyna seems closer to filling Bianca’s role as big sister to Nico: whereas, historically, Nico has had to protect and guide Hazel, Reyna is someone who will not only do the same for him, but who will also worry for him. She has the magical ability to literally empathize with his need, as a boy who has lost a mother and an older sister, to feel cared for and considered, and is therefore uniquely qualified to respond to it. Nico’s bonds with both Reyna and Hazel, though, are beautiful.  As for Reyna herself, as much as I love all of the female characters in both this series and the original, in my estimation, she's the best, simply by virtue of being the most complex. Riordan's skill with developing characters through their internal struggles shines in Reyna's chapters. Let's not kid ourselves like the other characters do: she killed her father, even if it was in self-defense and even if he'd degenerated into a mania, giving her what is certainly the darkest backstory of any character in this series and probably of any character in any middle-grade series ever. I'm surprised that the publisher didn't insist on cutting the murder, though Riordan does gloss over its moral ambiguity somewhat. Nico's pretty terrifying in that one scene, too, and in his case, Reyna and Coach Hedge fully acknowledge the immorality of his actions. You all know the scene I'm referring to, or will if and when you read this book. Can I get some Dark!PercyxDark!Nico fanfics in addition to the Dark!Percy ones I already tried to commission in my previous blog post? (Oh, and if you're wondering about my thoughts on Reyna's sexuality, as I know many have imagined her as gay or bisexual, I personally ship her with herself regardless of her sexual preferences. To be clear, I have nothing against either interpretation of her character, but I got a little disenchanted with every character being or wanting to be in a serious romantic relationship as the series progressed. There are single teenagers, you know. I was one of them.) Before I conclude my discussion of Nico and Reyna, though, I have to mention the scene where Nico finally confesses to Percy that he once had a crush on him. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one cheering for him and wishing that I could be that cool while simultaneously laughing at Percy’s confusion and Annabeth’s amusement. And oh man, that high five between Annabeth and Nico. Perfect.  But it's time that I commented on Leo’s happy ending, in which he fulfills his role in the prophecy by dying (but not really) and keeping his oath to Calypso to free her from Ogygia.  Their whole relationship is comprised of moments of subtle tenderness, but the line in the last chapter that struck me most was:  “Leo Valdez,” she said. Nothing else - just his name, as if it were something magical.  I fangirled when I read that line, and the entire last chapter, for two reasons. The first is that, no matter how I try to deny the tendency in myself, I’m a hopeless romantic (yes, I’m a hopeless romantic who doesn’t read straight romance and who wants to see more single characters in middle-grade and YA novels. Everyone has their contradictions) who was invested in this couple from the start. However, the second reason pertains to Leo’s character. He’s the “seventh” wheel of the group, who’s spent the whole series doubting his own merits and developing crushes on girls who either take no interest in him or take no interest in him and seem interested in one of his friends instead. To be fair, one of these girls is a villain anyway, but her rejection still validates Leo’s insecurities. Even Calypso herself has a history with another of the Seven (Percy) and initially reacts to Leo's arrival on Ogygia as though it were a cruel joke of the gods'. The fact that the other characters largely disregard Leo - even I've ignored him until now, ironically, despite how hilarious I found his dialogue and narration - is what makes Riordan’s positioning him as the hero of the series so emotionally and narratively satisfying. He forms a plan to defeat Gaea without even consulting the others (might it be said that his inherited tendency to work independently and in isolation, which he and dad Hephaestus both perceive as a flaw, is what enables him to save the world?); he breaks Calypso's curse without leaning on the gods or on Percy's bargain with them. He goes from being the most overlooked of the Seven to someone whose very name inspires awe (and you can't tell me that Calypso's awe results solely from romantic feeling - I'm sure that, when she utters that line, she's also thinking of how Leo is the first and only person to manage to free her, to even remember her after leaving Ogygia). His is an underdog story done right. Overall As I hope you've gathered from my individual comments on each book, there's a lot to appreciate in this series: it's by turns light and funny and dark and morally ambiguous; it's smart and subtly overturns stereotypes and prejudices; and, perhaps most importantly, it's full of likable, relatable characters who feel distinct and real. It's self-aware too: as in the original series, Riordan raises the question - here, most notably in Arachne's version of her myth - of whether the gods are truly good or merely better than the alternatives of Gaea and the Titans; whether theirs is the side the demi-gods would willingly choose or merely the one they happen to be on because of their parentage. It's not often in children's adventure stories that the heroes consider that the villains may have a valid moral point, and beyond that, one that invalidates theirs. Even the last two Harry Potter books don't go as far with humanizing and demonizing Voldemort and Dumbledore, respectively. Unfortunately, the narrative does not adequately answer this question or many of the others that it raises. Take, as another example, Percy's "fatal flaw," loyalty, which I noted in Part 1 of my review never seems to result in negative consequences for either the Seven or the quest, despite being talked up by both gods and monsters throughout the series. Were the repeated warnings about it supposed to be foreshadowing Percy's decision to fall into Tartatus with Annabeth? If so, that makes no sense, as at least one demi-god was needed on each side of the Doors of Death, anyway, and Percy and Annabeth were obviously more successful as a team than either would've been alone. Or, as is more likely, was Percy's "fatal flaw" part of a larger plot thread that was dropped due to time and space constraints? But if that's the case, then why couldn't the first two books in the series have been condensed into one, or the series extended to include six or seven books? Surprisingly, considering how tightly plotted the original series was, the plot in this series fizzles to near nonexistence by the end of The Blood of Olympus, the tension building inconsistently as the climax approaches. Compared to the final battle in The Last Olympian, which engrossed me even more than the Battle of Hogwarts did (fellow Harry Potter fans, you don't have to call me a traitor; I assure you, I already feel like one), the stakes in the battle against Gaea and her army seemed the equivalent height of those in a fight involving elementary school children wielding sticks. Riordan's failure to deliver in this respect was especially glaring considering that he'd promised readers not one major battle in The Blood of Olympus, but two. Instead we get a one-on-one fight between Reyna and Orion that feels more internally than externally resonant and forestalls Major Battle #1, the Roman attack on the Greeks, before it even begins; a fight with the earthborn during which no one but Jason is really needed, as he's shown to be tremendously overpowered; and a fight between Leo and Gaea, which should've been Major Battle #2 but which is over within a page or two. The characters reiterate throughout the series how powerful Gaea is and how much more substantial of a threat she is than the Titans, but even the lowest monster in Tartarus was scarier and took longer to defeat. Hell, the Minotaur in The Lightning Thief would've been a worthier opponent for our heroes. The only explanation I can think of for the disappointing finish to this series is, again, that Riordan must have run out of time or space to give readers a proper final battle (though he hinted at two, I would've settled for one). Or possibly steam.   Still, although the series as a whole has a rushed and sloppy quality to it, I would still highly recommend it, both for the reasons listed above and for its resemblance to fanfiction. Yes, sadly, only in fanfiction would I expect to read a continuation of Percy Jackson's story with as many minority as white demi-god protagonists, whose cultures, used respectfully by Riordan, inform rather than define their identities; a gay character who is revealed to be in love with the protagonist of the first series; and an emphasis on female empowerment and the glorification of the feminine. There’s even a character -  arguably the most physically attractive of the Seven, might I add - who discovers that he needs glasses! I was shocked, albeit pleasantly so, to find a published series containing all of these elements, and I'm not even gay or a minority. If you pick up these books for the representation alone, you won't regret it.     But that won’t be necessary: there are a multitude of other fun reasons. 

[jflashandclash]

Attrition of Peace

Seventeen: Leo

I Descend on a Disco Ball

             Leo figured people would get mad if he crashed the party with several tons of bronze dragon, so he parked Festus in sleep mode on the roof. He, Felix, and Calypso had an easy time breaking in through the roof entrance. He and Calypso talked about going through the front, but Felix seemed intent that the roof was the most direct route. That, and there were about a dozen monsters outside the front. Not the kind of place he’d want to charge in fists blazing.

           Felix, his other “dragon,”  tugged ahead on her leash. Well, she didn’t really look like Felix. Felix was supposed to be a silver dragon companion to Festus, and Calypso’s emergency search-and-ride if he and she ever got separated. Felix had been a beauty: all silver circuitry, with sapphire eyes, and lovely metal. Then Felix got blasted out of the sky by a discus and a Roman ballista when she was out on a rebellious stroll.

           Now Felix was a small, silvery work table. A bit of a downsizing, but Leo figured they’d manage until he could get her original body. It was all he had on hand to immediately insert her control disk into.

Turns out, when Leo programmed her, he hadn’t been specific enough. Who would have known search-and-rescue would be so close to search-and-destroy in the language of programming? And, he didn’t specify Calypso of Ogygia. So, Felix flew off from Calypso and Leo’s Garage and found Kalypso Cassand, the daughter of Apollo who happened to now be traveling with Kronos’s scythe.

As he predicted, as soon as Felix’s disc was inserted into one of the replacement Buford prototypes, Felix continued her last command: find Kalypso Cassand. Leo would worry about the destroy part later. However, he kinda hoped a demigod could take a work table if things got messy.

When they were flying to find Kally and the group that trashed their shack with a party, Felix had suddenly jerked her attention away from California and towards the East.

“You better hope she hasn’t completely malfunctioned,” Calypso had muttered at the sudden change in direction. Calypso had been jumpy since she’d found out about Kronos’s scythe two weeks ago, and—Leo suspected—since she realized their search would lead them towards New Rome or Camp Half-Blood. It worried Leo that Felix detected these people so close to his friends.

Leo didn’t want his friends to be attacked by a jerk wielding Backbiter, but he couldn’t hide his disappointment when they landed in a different part of the Big City other than Long Island or Manhattan. He could really go for some of Sally Jackson’s blue cookies, or for some dryad served brisket, or Coach Gleeson telling him to eat some beef to beef up his arms. Not the most conventional satyr wisdom.

When they landed on this rooftop, he could tell—his friends were close. And that wasn’t just because he heard a hoard of people shout, “Percy Jackson!” somewhere in the floors under him. He knew before he even entered. He liked to think his demigod senses were tingling.

That’s why he asked Calypso to wait on the roof to guard Festus. She seemed to get agitated every time he mentioned his old pals. Besides, several thousand years of isolation didn't make a great formula for an avid club go-er.

He opened the shockingly unlocked roof access and let Felix drag him forward. There was no way Leo could sneak in with Felix. The walking table sounded less like someone on a stealth mission and more like someone wearing rollerblades that tripped into his dad's tool shed. But, with how loud the music was, the noise didn't seem to matter.

The club's set up was weird--or at least Leo thought it was. He was sure Annabeth could say if it was up to code for a monster jam bar. He and Felix went through the doorway, almost fell down a ladder, and onto a metal catwalk. The hanging walkway swung violently as Felix thrashed to jump over the hand railing.

“Wow! Felix, I know you’re excited to search-and-destroy, but cool your jets! I haven’t even installed jets in you yet!” Leo struggled to keep both of them from plummeting to a demigod's-lamest-death: splat onto the disco floor of a monster club, or at least that’s what he guessed was under him.

Felix whined and creaked in protest. Leo could hear it now, But I want to kill nooowwwww.

The ceiling was bizarre. Either Hephaestus set up a Talos sized fog-machine and engineered a hundred tiny fireflies to dart around, or someone took a piece of the sky and tucked it into the top of this building.

Leo couldn't fully appreciate it. He was struggling too much not to fall to his death. He slipped to the floor grate when Felix next jolted forward, apparently thinking a suicidal hop off this catwalk was the fastest route for both of them. Leo skidded forward on his butt with Felix’s tugs and would have flipped right down to splat onto the dance floor had he not slammed his feet into the railing.  He dragged Felix back and restrained her. As quickly as he could, he jury-rigged a locking mechanism for Felix's chain leash. Normally, the average sentient table wouldn't pose too much of a threat of escaping, but Felix was a feisty one.

He just hoped Felix wouldn't bend the railing he tied her to.

From what Leo could see... well, he couldn't really see much. Just the dark fog, flashing lights below, and a few shapes fluttering through the mist. He was pretty sure there was a wall ten feet to his side, and—though he was disoriented—he'd guess this area would be on the right side of the club.

There wasn't much to work with up here. The catwalk made a solid square around a huge cage that dangled from four chains, one at each corner. There was a hole at the top of the cage, so—Leo assumed—the massive disco ball above could descend through the cage.

Leo was shocked Felix's clanking didn't attract any security guards. The music below was so loud though, Leo figured he could drop a screaming Coach Gleeson down there and no one would flinch.

Despite feeling an adrenaline rush at possibly seeing his pals for the first time in forever and getting totally pumped for a potential battle, Leo felt himself sway to the music. It was a club remix of some weird comedy song, and Leo could swear he recognized it, something with two guys singing, And I jizz in my pants, far too seriously.[1]    

Before he did anything else, he needed to take care of that cage. Those metal bars looked like bad news for a demigod—or a T-Rex, based off how big the cage was. Leo patrolled along the exterior, making quick locks to jam the pulley system to avoid any lowering.

Next, Leo needed to figure out how to get down. From the looks of Felix, Kalypso and her group must have been right under—

Someone, that sounded a suspicious amount like Annabeth, shouted in pain.

Leo needed to get down there now.

He made a quick remote for the last non-jammed pulley. "Sorry girl! I'll come back for you! And I promise to bring you a souvenir fit for your search and destroy setting," Leo said to Felix.

The table squirmed and creaked in protest.

Leo lunged at the wires above the disco ball, barely catching it. From his tinkering with the pulley, he knew the metal cords could hold him, but balancing on a shiny, reflective sphere? Not quite as much like riding a metal dragon as he hoped. Maybe he should complain to management to make a disco ball seatbelt.

One button click and he was descending through the fog and into the unknown. The further he got, the more lightheaded he felt. An odd sense of euphoria hit him. He was going to see his friends. He hadn't seen them since—

The fog broke and Leo realized riding a disco ball into the unknown might not have been the best idea. Kinda like riding a reflective shoot here sign. There were monsters everywhere. None of them seemed to pay him mind. Winged ones flapped past him in a crazed dance. One even waved a giant foam hand at him that read I love Eating Romans.

He really wished he could have Festus in here. Having a several ton dragon burst through the roof might have been safer.

But he was already halfway down. As he descended, he saw a small patio balcony lining the second story appear out of the Mist. He quickly recognized two people standing on it from his earlier security footage: a tall African boy with a black and red beanie and a black scarf and an Asian girl with a video camera recording something under him.

The tall boy with ebony skin had a golden bow in his hands. He looked horrified and leaned heavily on the railing of the patio, like he'd just shot Chiron in the butt before remembering that Chiron didn't always have the best sense of humor about being shot in the horsehind.

While the ball lowered, Leo nodded his head to the club beat of Jizz in my Pants and made eye contact with the girl. He could feel the presence of Kronos's blade on her belt. He couldn't remember her name, but gave her his best wait-until-I-get-off-this-disco-ball-look that he could muster.

Leo glanced down to see what she was recording.

What he saw underneath him made his jaw drop. "Holy Toledo..." Leo muttered.

More monsters were dancing below. What he assumed was Annabeth's frizzy, blond hair bobbed in and out of the monsters in a manic search for something she must have dropped on the ground. She didn't appear physically injured, but he had to wonder why she'd shouted in pain. Annabeth didn’t strike him as the type to freak out over losing a hair tie or something, but whatever it was must have been important for her to be sweeping the room in such a meticulous grid pattern.

His heart did a double thud. Piper and Hazel were standing nearby, seeming not to notice Annabeth's wondering. They cheered and danced. Something about their actions looked familiar. It kinda reminded him of when he'd met Dionysus' crazed fangirls, the Maenads.

Although he couldn't be sure, since the boy was half-covering his face, Leo thought Nico Di Angelo was standing beside Piper and Hazel. The boy looked gloomy and annoyed enough to be their resident goth.

There was a small stage directly under the disco ball's path, ending beside Hazel, Piper, and Nico. That's what made his jaw drop.

Excitement made him even more lightheaded. All his friends were here. Percy, Jason, Frank, and Will were on the stage, doing the electric slide and leading the monsters to clap to the beat.

When Jason spotted him, a cheer went up. The four boys jumped up and down. Percy pointed at Leo and shouted, "A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE RETURN OF LEO VALDEZ!" Leo couldn't really hear him over the throbbing subwoofers, but was able to read it off Percy's lips.

Leo didn't know how they knew he'd be here, but he felt honored that they'd prepared a dance number and a little confused why they'd planned it in a club full of monsters.

The disco ball touched the stage and Leo hopped off. This was definitely not what he'd expected to find. Before he could glance around to see if Kalypso or her other friends were in the crowd, or if the Asian girl had dashed off with Kronos's blade, the four boys were patting his back. Jason punched him in the shoulder.

Everyone was smiling. Some part of Leo whined to let this continue. They did care about him. He was important to the group, not just some junky mechanic comic relief. After months of being away, he missed these guys!

Leo tried to play it cool, but had trouble when Jason and Percy picked him up and threw him in the air. Once they caught him, Leo tried to shout, "Woo! Guys! We can party extreme later—we need to catch a person first!"

But no one seemed to hear him. To be fair, no one probably could over the music. He had to wonder where the sound booth was so he could mute it.

The monsters were shouting, "Dance! Dance!" in a throbbing beat of itself. Will motioned for him to take the center of the stage. Leo wasn't used to dancing like this, but—if one dance would get these guys to focus on their quest at hand—he figured he had to oblige.

The five male heroes of Olympus lined up on stage in just enough time to sing to the song's bridge: I jizz right in my pants every time you're next to me. Will and Jason were perfectly lined up with their significant others. Piper shouted out a giggled laugh as Jason winked at her and mouthed the words, And when we're holding hands, it's like having sex with me.

Nico looked like he wanted to kill someone, but what else was new? Or really, that he’d just resigned himself to the fact that the rest of the guys were being awesome.

Though… Jason’s behavior seemed a little… off? Leo hoped it was just because Jason was glad he was here, and not because he’d had another amnesia session.

Leo didn't care if he looked stupid while dancing. All five of them did. He kinda wished Calypso would be able to see this. She'd find it hilarious. He got giddy when he saw her walk up alongside Nico in the crowd. She must have found a way to come through the front.

Nico looked about ready to smash his face in with one of the nearby Scytherian Drycean's tails. He sighed and motioned to where Will had taken off his shirt and was swinging it around. Leo didn't care. That kid needed to learn to chill out anyway.

You say I'm premature? I just call it ecstasy. I wear a rubber around--all times it's a necessity.

Calypso, of course, also looked annoyed. Then paled upon noticing everyone else on stage.

Once the song came to an end, the five of them burst into laughter. Percy stumbled, knocking Will and he to the ground. They both giggled.

Nico visibly flinched and looked away. Calypso sighed and pointed at the floor offstage in a come right here Mister motion.

Then it hit Leo how bizarre it was that they were able to convince Frank to do this. Percy and Will? Definitely. Jason? Probably with enough coaxing. Frank...?

Frank seemed to snap out of his revelry. He glanced down at his feet in concern and confusion. Dread coated his expression as he scanned their surroundings.

The song melted into another one by the Chainsmokers. With this song, Leo could see Frank's look of horror spread. Hazel suddenly grabbed Piper, forcing her to stop dancing. Jason's eyes went wide with realization.

Maybe they hadn't planned a dance number for his arrival.

Frank and Jason nodded at each other. Jason grabbed Percy and Frank grabbed Will to drag them off stage. Leo figured he'd better follow close behind. The monsters and some stray demigods cleared space by the stairs for them. Hazel, Piper, Calypso, and Nico made their way to the stage’s exit.

The music clogged for a second and restarted, like it was changing stations. Everything quieted down to appropriate screaming level. As they hopped off stage, Leo could hear Piper gasp, "Oh gods. What just happened?!"

"Nice break dance," a Cyclops laughed, patting Frank on the shoulder. Frank winced, trying to keep his eyes down.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Yea, that was the best performance since the one with the goats!" a ghoul cheered and winked at Will.

Will fumbled to get his shirt back on. Nico walked over and broke the ghoul's hand. The ghoul whined but didn't dare raise a hand to the son of Hades. He crept away, sulking.

Nico gave Leo a weird grin. "Welcome back. I told everyone you weren't dead. And now you got to see the world’s dumbest stage performance."

As though no one had seen his grand entrance with the disco ball, a wave of excitement washed over the others.

"Leo!" Piper gasped. She wrapped him up in a hug. Over his shoulder, he could see Calypso scowl. Leo gave her a helpless shrug, then tightened his arms around Piper.

"Hey Beauty Queen. I missed you!"

Hazel hopped in to join the hug with a laugh and a quick peck on the cheek. "Leo! We're glad to see you're okay!"

Calypso would kill him for this later.

"You're really here!" Jason said. Once Piper and Hazel released Leo, Jason punched Leo's shoulder, like he didn't remember punching it the first time. "That's for freaking us out."

Jason, miraculously, hit him in the same spot as before. Leo grabbed his arm, scared it might fall off if his amnesiac friend forgot again.

Percy grinned broadly until he caught sight of Calypso. Both their faces fell. She looked away awkwardly and hugged herself.

He mouthed the word, "Oh," softly, having a hard time not staring.

Leo's heart sank a few hundred feet through the floor, maybe stopping close to Tartarus.

"You must have all been enchanted to dance," Calylpso shouted, breaking up their reunion revelry. "A child of Dionysus maybe?"

"Yea... enchanted..." Leo muttered. "That's the only way we could have all been dancing on stage."

"Shut up," Calypso snapped at him. He could tell that she knew he'd done that of his own free will. She looked so tense. Leo wanted to give her a hug, but—after all that hugging he'd done with Hazel and Piper—now might not be the time.

Will put an arm around Nico, seeming to want comfort more for himself than his... was Nico his boyfriend now? They looked kinda boyfriendish..? "Why weren't you affected?" Will asked.

"I don't dance," Nico growled with a blush. "But this girl is right. Calypso, I assume? Merry and her group disappeared. And I think we might want to leave now."

Leo remembered all the monsters around them. None looked ready to attack them. Most continued to dance with the music. Regardless, Frank and Hazel checked the weapons at their belts.

A Cyclops with a XXXXXXXL biker jacket put a large hand over Frank and Jason's shoulder, making both Romans jump in consternation. But the Cyclops just chuckled like they were old buddies. "We have orders not to attack you. Great dance. Can't wait to see it on Hephaestus TV."

"Hephasteus TV?" Frank repeated in horror. "You mean—”

"Yea, that'll broadcast at some point. We aren't killing you in exchange for the video footage. It's already downloaded onto the magical intersnar—”

"Internet," Piper supplied, looking queasy at the thought.

“Yes, the internet. Now this way, little demigods and Cyclops hugger,” he said. He ruffled Jason’s hair at the last part.

Leo glanced at Jason. “Cyclops hugger?”

Jason sighed, “Don’t ask.”

Percy glanced away from Calypso, touching his hands to his pockets like he didn’t know what to do with them. He jumped when he realized someone was missing. “Where’s Annabeth?” he asked, his eyes darting around.

He relaxed when he saw his blonde girlfriend crouched on the ground beside a harpy, scanning for something.

“Hey, Wise Girl—”

She raised her head, eyes distractingly searching the floor until she noticed Leo. “Oh! Leo, thank the gods you’re okay.” Annabeth stood up and stepped over to them. She tried to smile at him and look excited, but she looked agitated.

“Did you like Leo’s welcome home performance?” Percy asked. He still looked shaken by the sight of Calypso. He went to put an arm over Annabeth’s shoulder.

Annabeth stepped out of his reach. “Percy, I’m leaving you for a weasel. As soon as I can catch it.”

Leo coughed on a laugh. She’d said it so seriously. Everyone glanced at her, including the biker Cyclops.

“I didn’t think we danced that poorly,” Percy said lightheartedly.

“Don’t try to convince me otherwise. I know we’ve been through a lot, and I promise we’ll still be great friends—”

“Uh, Wise Girl—”

“But, I’ve made up my mind. I know this is sudden, but you can’t sway me from my new found love of this creature—”

Percy grabbed Annabeth’s arms, the pallor returning to his face. “Oh gods, you’re serious.” He searched the faces of everyone else in their group, most of which were holding off laughs, before landing on Piper. “What’s wrong with her?!” he demanded.

“Calex must have gotten her,” Piper said, mystified. She had a hand over her mouth to contain a smile. “I wonder if one of the others thought Merry’s powers wouldn’t work on Annabeth for some reason.”

“Whatever,” Percy said. “Fix it, Piper.”

Annabeth removed Percy’s hands with calm determination. “There’s nothing to fix, Percy. We’re through. That’s just that.”

Piper shrugged helplessly. “I… don’t think I can. Eros’ powers of love tend to be more powerful than Aphrodite’s. From what Calex said, I think you just need to wait for it to wear off.”

“And get teasing material for months in the meantime,” Leo cheered. He fumbled in his tool belt to see if he had a recorder. “Annabeth, in your most romantic words, can you describe this weasel to me?”

Annabeth and Percy both scowled at him.

Annabeth lifted her nose. “This is serious, Valdez.”

He was shocked Percy couldn’t find the humor in this. Everyone else looked ready to burst into giggles, even Frank. Well, one other person didn’t seem mirthful. Leo’s heart crumbled again when he noticed Calypso. She seemed near tears, still avoiding eye contact with any of them. Occasionally though, her gaze would slip up to Annabeth with a hateful sneer.

What would happen if Annabeth and Percy broke up? Not necessarily over a weasel, but—

“This way, little demigods,” the biker Cyclops cheered.

He rounded their whole group up, Hazel, Frank, Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Will, Piper, Jason, Calypso, and Leo, and directed them towards the exit. Leo stepped to be beside Calypso, but she wouldn’t look at him. He wanted to introduce her properly, but she didn’t seem to want that right now. Maybe it would be better outside of the club, where there was less imminent danger.

“Well…” Hazel said with a little blush, “That was… um… I didn’t know you could dance, Frank.”

Frank blushed. “Let’s never talk about this again.”

“Until it shows up on Hephaestus TV,” Jason groaned. “I wonder if we can find out when it’s airing and get the Stoll brothers to steal Dionysus’ TV that day.”

“I kinda wanna know how we looked,” Will said with a laugh.            Nico’s cheeks went a dark red. Leo had a feeling their son of Hades rather enjoyed how Will had looked while dancing. “Whatever, now we’ve lost our main lead on Kronos’s blade and the others. Unless Frank can sniff them out, they’re gone.”

Leo forced his mind away from what must have happened when Percy was on the island with Calypso, and gave everyone a broad grin. Everything would be fine. Annabeth wouldn’t really leave Percy. And Calypso loved him, right?

Besides, they had a job to do. “It’s okay, guys. The Leoman has that covered! Once Superman here flies me to the roof, we can catch a ride on Festus and, I can introduce you to Felix.”

“The dragon?” Frank asked hopefully.

“No,” Leo said with gusto, “The table.”

As they went into the night air, and the Cyclops demanded Jason give him a hug goodbye, Leo calmed down and genuinely smiled. All his friends started asking him the typical questions he’d guess they would ask. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Did you send a silver dragon to attack our camp?

They were excited to meet Calypso, though she seemed really reserved. Leo understood. This was a lot of new people at once. And Percy, but he was trying not to think about that. And the girl Percy left Calypso for that happened to be madly in love with a weasel at the moment.

Leo paused before Jason sky lifted him. “Wait—what weasel did Annabeth see?”

This scene was one of the reasons I wrote this book, s I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it XD Thanks for reading!

Footnote:

[1] I know Lonely Island put this song out eight years ago at this point… but it was still the most appropriate song for this scene.  Though “I just had sex” came as a close second.