#creeeeepy flirting

[jflashandclash]

Attrition of Peace

Thirty-Four: Ajax

Still Not the Creepiest Way I’ve Been Hit On

             Getting hit by a car wasn’t originally on Pax’s bucket list, but he decided to add it and a happy checkmark on his mental record.[1]

           He had run away from the fight, leaving the steam, flames, and storm behind. Percy and Leo were too enraptured to notice him. Well, Percy probably noticed, but whole flaming taco torpedoes deal was a bit distracting for him.

           Flaming Taco Torpedoes: a great name for a band, and a great name for both the best food experience and worst bathroom experience of your life.

That’s when the Paxmobile sidelined him, taking him off his feet and onto the pavement. Breaks squeaked. A familiar voice shouted, “Cho!” from an open window. [2]

           Pax wanted to wallow in misery and whine, “Ow!” loud enough for Croesus’s son to hear, but got a half a second of wallowing before almost getting stomped.[3] Pax rolled to the side to avoid a golden hoof. He found himself between the Paxmobile’s front and a distressed automaton donkey’s rear. One definitely ready to kick.

           “Holy Titans—Ajax! Help!” a voice called beside him. Jack was trying—unsuccessfully—to scoot away from the hooves using his jaw.

           For an instance, Pax didn’t feel like he could move again. Weirdly, hit by a vehicle wasn’t in his repertoire of things he was mentally prepared to handle. He snatched Jack’s head by his hair and rolled them away from Luke the Donkey’s shuffling feet, hearing a pancake-smashing pang from where his head had been.

Pax stayed crouched on the ground panting as Jack blathered, “—barely hit us. How am I supposed to write a sonnet about that?”

           The driver’s side door slammed shut and Axel took two long strides to them.

           “Ajax—that—that is you,” he said.  

           Axel knelt beside Pax and cautiously ruffled his hair, which showed a strange amount of resistance. Pax didn’t understand Axel’s confusion until the caramel locks fell all over his arms and shoulders.

           He was still Calypso.

Pax opened his mouth to speak but felt like his words were made of too many marshmallows—normally an awesome problem if he wasn’t struggling to express himself. Finally, he managed, “I think I look like a pretty princess.”

           “Yea,” Jack complained, “And like someone I used to bang. It’s weird and uncomfortable for everyone.”

           Pax tried to laugh that off. He knew he should change back, but the thought of it made him tremble. How easy would it be someone else forever? To walk away and create a new identity, complete with a cool back story and costume change.

           A chilly breeze wafted the scent of flames to him. Trees had collapsed. Windows on nearby houses had shattered. Panels had ripped off. Shingles were aflame. Pax hoped their cab driver had gotten out of here okay and wasn’t a sizzling pile of demigod collateral.

           “I wish I could make rainbows appear,” Pax said. He stared through Axel’s firm expression. He thought about the tears that spilled down Leo’s cheeks, the ones that evaporated immediately into the night air, about how Leo had screamed in pain. “Or be really awesome at weaving. Or make people want to party. I—I h—hate being… I hate being able—”

           Axel pulled Pax into his shoulder with one arm.

           Pax choked on a sob and clutched at his brother. As he wailed, he felt the hair along his shoulders recede, becoming lighter until his normal jagged length returned. The cute work jacket morphed into a sweater and bronze breastplate. He was him again. Just a stupid, horrible godly thing that… that was meant to…

           To hurt those I love the most.

           No wonder Axel was going to play pin-the-dagger-in-the-demigod with Pax’s hand.

           “Aw, my boys just need to hug it out. Axel, Ajax, pull me up against your shoulders to simulate cuddling,” their decapitated friend requested.

           “Nope, we’re good,” Axel answered.

Pax had to agree. As desperate as he was, he just found his line on where he’d go for affection: corpses or undead things.  

Axel withdrew, making Pax want to cry more. He ruffled Pax’s hair again, puffed up his cheeks, and popped them.

           “Why did you hit me with your car? Was it because of the Reyna-condom thing?” Pax asked. As far as he was concerned right now, there were plenty of other reasons to hit him with a car, but he figured that’s the most likely one for Axel. After all, Axel was too awesome a driver to do so on accident without some major distractions.

           Pax glanced over Axel’s shoulder towards the van, noticing how a stalk of corn had sprouted through the open driver door.

           “Euna—” Axel started uncertainly, apparently willing to overlook the Reyna-condom thing in Pax’s current pathetic state.

           “—turned into corn,” Pax finished for him.

           “Something is wrong with her,” he said.

           “I’d be upset too if I were turned into corn. That would be like reverse engineering for our people.”

           Axel scolded. Before Pax could dodge, Axel snagged his ear and twisted it.

           “Aye! Okay! No mercy for the sacrilegious!” Pax whined. His voice almost sounded normal again, only cracking once with physical pain instead of emotional.

           “We need to get out of here to meet up with Calex and Merry—before others come for us,” Axel said, “It shouldn’t take too long to get to camp since we can use… donkey travel.” Axel looked annoyed at having to say it.

Although Pax knew Axel was trying to distract him, he wondered how often Axel said stuff like that to distract himself.

Not that someone like Axel would ever need to pretend everything was okay since he could warp reality with his sheer awesomeness… but in a universe where Axel was less perfect, Pax wondered how often Axel kept a poker face when he felt like the world was crumbling.

           Axel shifted like he was going to throw Pax over his shoulder. From the way Axel’s arms shuddered, Pax had a strange feeling Axel would struggle to lift a kitten right now due to battle exhaustion.

           “Don’t try to pick us up. You’ll kill all three—“ Pax paused to stare at Jack. “Two of us? Jack, are you dead? Should I consider you dead again?”[4]

           “I don’t know,” Jack admitted, then proceeded to use that grating gurgle of a voice to sing the lyrics to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. If Jack had shoulders, Pax knew he’d have shrugged.

           The Pax brothers helped each other stand up. Pax felt sore from the car hit, but not Hercules-punched-me-sore. It was more like a little car love tap. Something Pax felt like Hephaestus would do to Aphrodite if he could.

Axel hesitated, then picked up Jack by his dirt-smeared red hair.

They needed to build Jack a carry case. Or at least a towel. Pax could imagine it now. “Nice pet carrier. Is that a cat inside?”

At least they’d have the best Halloween prop ever.

           They shuffled towards the back of the van, listening to Jack as he supplied some entrance music.

           Before Axel opened the doors, Pax could hear Euna’s icily tight voice, “—to wear off by now. It won’t stop though. It’s so loud—it’s too loud—”

           When Pax saw the inside, he gasped.

           The far corner of the interior, behind Axel’s driver seat, looked beautiful, or as beautiful as a beat up utility van’s interior could look. The carpeting near Euna’s feet was covered in mosses, ferns, and flowers. Vines had wrapped wildly about her legs, torso, and Backbiter’s scabbard, like nymphs had given her a makeover. Pax couldn’t tell that Euna was sitting on a bench until she slammed her fist into the frame with a solid crunch. Some of her moss indented to show where she’d damaged metal structure under the cushions and plants.

Her legs were pulled up against her chest. Her other hand covered her ear. There were pieces of bent precious metal littering the moss in a circle around her. Her black hair trembled with each of her twitches.

           Kally was in midstep towards her, one hand clutched tight to her chest, like Euna had tried to bite it when Kally reached out.

           The look on Alabaster’s face said he’d slap Kally if she tried to pet another rabid demigod. Well, he would, if his hands weren’t decorated in the world’s most expensive blocks.

           Relief washed over his and Kally’s faces when they saw Pax, making Pax feel the tiniest bit fuzzy and less dead on the inside.

           “Ajax, rouge satchel. Vial seven,” Alabaster instructed before the fuzziness could fully settle.

           Pax’s muscle memory kicked in before his brain did. As he hopped into the van, he could envision the Witch Boy’s ingredient cabinets at Camp Othrys. All the powders, preserved skins, miscellaneous liquids, and bones had been color and shape coordinated since his little half-Mayan lab assistant could barely write his own name let alone read Latin nomenclature. Back when Pax had a place in life, had a full family, and all he had to worry about was how he and Matthias were going to prank Prometheus when the Titan kept predicting every whoopee cushion and paint bucket that they set up.

When Pax regained focus of the present, he had his hand in one of the satchels around Alabaster’s neck, and was withdrawing a rounded vial with two dots and a bar along the side.

           A vial of pills.

           Pax stepped towards the trembling daughter of Demeter. “Euna, these will make you feel better.” He paused. “Or kill you.” Pax glanced back at Alabaster. “These are going to make her feel better, right?”  

           “Ajax,” Alabaster growled.

           “Right, question after potential crisis.”

           A vine snaked from Euna’s leg to snatch the vial away from Pax. Apparently, she was on the act now, think later train with whatever was “too loud.”

The vine squeezed the vial until it shattered into her palm. She caught some of the raining pills.

           “Only take two,” Alabaster snapped.

           Pax hoped she’d heard before she tossed her head back. No water necessary.

           The pills worked fast.

           Euna went rigid for a moment. Then her eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed back into the plant-filled bench, her black hair spilling across her face. Her skin seemed to glow dimly in the van’s yellow light.

           Kally hesitantly took a step closer to Euna, putting a hand up to Euna’s forehead.

           At Kally’s worried glance, Alabaster said, “They’re a derivative of the formula I use for Ajax’s sleep darts. I’ve been using them for my studies on the effect of lucid dreaming on prophetic dreams, so I can immediately plunge into uninterrupted REM sleep for an hour. Think demigod-powered Nyquil.”

           “So, this is the best time to draw on her face?” Pax asked, knowing this was an opportunity he should not take lightly.

           “Ajax,” Axel snapped from outside.  With a much more inclusive and less chastising tone, he added, “We need to leave. Everyone settle in.”

           Pax wanted to ask about the urgency, but he could hear what Axel meant. The steam, flames, and hurricane had stopped behind Alabaster’s house. Everything had gone quiet.

           “Vroom vroom,” Jack agreed. Although he couldn’t turn to see, his eyes darted in the direction. “I call shotgun.”

           As Axel slammed the back door shut, Kally stared after them. She took a seat on the tiny part of the bench still poking out of Euna’s plants. Her movements were slow, like she’d tried to carrying a grizzly bear before realizing grizzly bears weren’t for bench pressing.

           “Why is he still with us?” she asked softly. She bent down to pull something out of her messenger bag. From the slow movement, Pax guessed she’d gotten the coolest injury someone could get from a battle: a pulled back muscle.

           When Kally withdrew a medical kit that Will must have given her, her eyes watered. “I saw what he did to Annabeth and Piper when I dragged Frank and Jason over—“

           The driver’s door shut. From over the seats, Pax watched Axel set Jack’s head in the passenger seat, then paused to debate on a seatbelt.

“Please, it was only mono for Annabeth,” Jack said from the other side of the seat. “It looked like you’ve been healing people though. So you are one of my siblings—”

           “Jack,” Axel growled, deciding against the seatbelt.

           Although Axel feigned mild irritation, Pax knew how scary Jack’s awareness was. It made Pax want to hug Kally and make her a safety bubble of teddy bears and a soundproof safe room.[5]  That was probably the only thing the Fates had left to dangle in Pax’s face. Please don’t hurt my not-girlfriend, Pax thought. She was the only one remotely adjusted in the group and they needed someone who was properly freaked out by a talking head.

           “I can behave myself. She’s a friend or a lover or something, right?” Jack asked.

           “Flash,” Alabaster said softly, “If you do anything to her, I’ll bring your punishment from Tartarus here.”

           Jack made a choking sound.

           As though Alabaster hadn’t threatened him with whatever his eternal nightmare was, he continued, “Kally, you said Euna had droplets that invoke godly powers?” Alabaster went from looking like he wanted to strangle Jack to his I’m-fascinated-at-the-expense-of-my-life face. Pax loved that face. It meant he could get away with stupid stuff. “I’m impressed how her mind and body can handle that. I wonder if she’s acclimating.”

           “Acclimating?” Kally echoed, eyes widening with alarm. She withdrew ambrosia squares from her messenger bag and some unicorn draught from New Rome, handing a cube to Pax and painfully leaning forward to give one to Axel. She pointedly ignored Jack, who was now humming Hysteria.

           “She said it wore off faster last time,” Alabaster said with a shrug. His hands and feet were still encased in metal. His shoulders were slumped with exhaustion and—although Alabaster tried to hide it—confusion. Pax knew Alabaster well enough to see that he hadn’t had enough time to process everything, from the Pax brothers being alive, to why Jack wasn’t dying, to going towards Camp Half-Blood… which Alabaster probably didn’t realize yet.

           Pax was very willing to not point out their destination. As the van began to accelerate, Pax flopped down onto the bench beside Alabaster, aware Alabaster would be too tired to move away when Pax nudged him with his knee.    

           Pax set Nietz’s cage on the ground and opened it, hoping the weasel would frolic out. Instead, Baller scrambled over, evoking a soft call of delight from Pax.

           The weasel hopped around Pax’s feet once, then dove after Nietz, nipping and biting at his unconscious brother’s ear to no avail.

           “Nietzsche…” Alabaster frowned in concern.

           When it became clear that Nietz was nonreactive, Baller bit him and dragged him across the van floor towards Pax and Axel’s trunk by the front seat. Beside it, Pax could see Axel’s surplus army jacket was on the floor, with Hunnie curled in the center. Baller deposited Nietz next to the other unconscious sibling.

           “I don’t have enough energy to help them…” Alabaster muttered.

Kally’s teary eyes were scanning all of them, either taking inventory of who was the most injured, or trying to figure out which of the Triple A Chimera was the hottest. Clearly Axel.

“You’re doing that thing,” she said, examining him, “You… Pax?”

Pax jumped. The end of that first sentence was, “where you stare really seriously.” He couldn’t have people taking him seriously. He’d start crying. His cheeks would puff up and he wouldn’t look nearly as adorable.

“So, you evaporated Hazel. That was cool,” he said to Alabaster, keeping his voice even. Ways to distract both of them!

“I banished new shadows from appearing on or near my property. She needed to either fight us without feet, or she had to completely shadow travel away,” he explained robotically, “I almost performed a similar spell to keep Lamia’s essence from reforming, so I already had the mechanics of the incantation worked out.”

Kally paused when she went to hand Alabaster an ambrosia square and realized he didn’t have mobile fingers to take it from her. Alabaster glanced over at the movement and saw the problem. Kally blushed; Alabaster looked puzzled.

Pax thought about the two of them sitting at a café in some fancy European town, sipping tea while Alabaster circled mistakes in a scientific journal and Kally hashed out the details of a chapter.

Pax reached out for Kally’s wrist and pulled her carefully into his lap.

Old people¸ he thought while trying to work around her injured back.

“Pax—” Kally protested. Her blush intensified when she was unable to catch her balance.

“What are you doing?” Alabaster asked, annoyed at the invasion of personal space on the bench.

Once Pax had Kally comfortably against him, he nuzzled into Alabaster’s shoulder. “It’s called sharing,” he said. All he’d wanted all night was a hug from someone that didn’t try to kill him in dream land. This would suffice. “Didn’t either of you go to kindergarten? Besides, at this rate, you’ll both scream in horror the first time you accidentally hold hands. And it will be an accident. It’ll be worse than that time I told Morpheus to give Axel a sex dream with Reyna.”

They were entering a highway. Axel missed a gear shift, the van jerked, and Pax could smell burnt clutch from the back. “You asked him to do that?!” he demanded.

“Yep,” Pax said, trying to sound proud instead of numb. “For your birthday.”

“Wow—Axel,” Jack piped up, “Alabaster’s dream was right? Ramirez? And you never told me? Have you two—”

“No,” Axel snapped, scowling at Pax in the rearview mirror. Pax forced as much of an impish smile as he could manage. “We’re not talking about this, and you’re never to talk about Reyna like that, and it doesn’t matter anyway because it’s over.”

Jack laughed. “All that time of you rejecting girls, boys, monsters, and gods I sent your way? Na-uh. Our chaste warrior falls to the sweet blessing of Eros’ kiss, and you think I’m going to but bite mine tongue at such a celebration?”

“Jack, I’ll throw your head out the window.”

“No, you won’t. You missed me too much.”

“I’ll find Matthias’ playlist and play dubstep the entire way back to camp.”

“You wouldn’t dare, foul demon.”

While the two in the front argued, Alabaster had leaned down and bit the ambrosia square out of Kally’s fingers. If Pax had to guess, purely to spite him.[6]

In an attempt not to evolve the art of embarrassment into a new, more powerful emotion, Kally went to work cutting Alabaster’s sleeve off so she could attend to his wound. Although Pax’s presence made the process slower, they worked around him without complaint. Whether from exhaustion or kindness, Pax was happy for the proximity.

Pax waited patiently to see which of them would break first.

It was Alabaster. Pax could see him become conscious of how close he was sitting to Kally and Pax before he asked, “Wait—mono? You had the opportunity to kill Annabeth, and you gave her the kissing disease?” He looked at the seemingly empty passenger seat for distraction.

Instead of singing to heal where Hazel had slashed Alabaster’s arm, Kally very pointed started to stitch him up. Not gently either.

Yea, their whole group needed some real talk time about the whole killing Percy and Annabeth thing.

“I’m not gonna kill Luke’s creepy crush,” Jack chastised, “Besides, it’s like a two for one deal. A few months from now, Percy will be obnoxiously exhausted and sick. And—if recent Tartarus fanfiction is correct—so will Jason.”

“Oh, Percy and Jason are not a thing.” Pax felt bad ruining Jack’s plan, but he figured Jack ought to know now. “I once smacked Percy’s ass when I’d morphed into Jason and you could tell he wasn’t into it.”

“Ajax—why—” Alabaster started to ask. He shook his head in disgust. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It did make sense at the time,” Kally meekly assured, finishing up the stitch. She put some gauze and medical tape over the wound. “I’ll sing over what’s left once I’ve attended to everyone else and rested a little from healing…”

She trailed off. Pax knew she was going to say Frank and Jason. The thought of her trying to ignore Frank’s nudity should have brought cupcakes and happiness to Pax’s heart.

Kally glanced down at Pax, frowning.

Pax forced himself to give that devilish smile and wink. “I can take off my clothes if you need to do a full body exam.”

Kally blushed, probably thinking about the time he streaked through New York, then shook her head. “Will everyone be okay?” she asked, standing up from Pax’s lap.

Reluctantly, he let her get to her feet. Kally stretched, wincing.

The pain Pax and Leo shared kept threatening to resurface. That kid of Hephaestus deserved a medal, not a child of Strife rooting around in his head. “Does ‘okay’ include future therapy, hours of hug sessions, and a lifetime of regression on self confidence? Because if it does, then maybe. With 65% in the positive direction,” Pax said, puffing up his cheeks and popping them.

Quieter, she asked, “Are you okay?”

He knew she wasn’t asking if he was injured.

If they were alone, Pax would have burst into tears right there, curled up in her lap—an impressive feat considering their current placement—and begged her to hold him. He was pretty sure he’d never screwed up more than he had tonight.

But he didn’t want Alabaster to claim he was faking it, and he didn’t want to explain to Jack why he’d rather curl up with Kally—a hot chick that wasn’t a decapitated corpse—and he didn’t deserve to have Kally touch him.

Alabaster saved him from turning into a puffer fish of sobs. “Why did you leave the protective barrier around the house?” Alabaster asked. The tone wasn’t angry. More the I’m not mad, I just want to know how you did it, that he used when Matthias and Pax broke into the laboratory for prank supplies. “Does it have to do with that mark on your neck?”

Mark? Pax followed Alabaster’s glance and touched the bruise on his neck. Whatever it was hadn’t healed yet, even with his extra godly blood.

           Icy fingers slipped over his.

           Pax almost screamed, thinking the abominable snowman had somehow snuck up on a moving vehicle and bust through the wall in the stealthiest explosion possible.

           Then he felt the warmth of a blanket settle over his legs, one composed of newspaper articles about world catastrophes. The article on his left knee showed a picture of a dead baby panda at some zoo.

           Pax felt like someone had scooped out his heart and crushed it. Well, the tiny reserve of his heart that hadn’t been crushed by the rest of the night. He opened and closed his mouth.

           Alabaster yelped in alarm when something slipped between him and Pax.

           “Have you heard about how Zeus hung Hera over the pit of Khaos, when he learned of her attempted treachery? Even the gods fear the abyss of nothingness and nonexistence,” a familiar voice cooed like a lullaby.

           Pax choked on his own breath—a stupid feat, but impressive within the world of stupidity.

           A girl leaned forward off their bench, one hand stretched back along Pax’s shoulder and one to Alabaster’s, so she wouldn’t fall forward, though it looked more like she was suspended by two chains. Those black locks—streaked with white, red, and purple—were shorter and jagged again, twisting back in chaotic spirals. She wore a leather jacket. A crowbar and a sledge hammer appeared at her feet.

           Atë ignored both of them, her face angled at the slumbering form of Euna.

           Euna mumbled in her sleep. The vines wrapped around her legs unraveled and lifted, hovering like charmed snakes between the daughter of Demeter and the Goddess of Mischief and Ruin.

           “Atë,” Kally hissed. She snatched one of Axel’s throwing sticks off the wall and aimed it at the goddess. “What do you want?”

           “Wow—Kally, put the stick down,” Pax said, his voice coming out a whisper. “Axel will hurt you way more than Atë ever could if you break that thing.”

           Atë shrugged listlessly and tugged Pax’s hand so she could sit upright. Alabaster flinched and scowled as she did the same to him. Smoke still curled off her from her little appearing trick. “Euna asked a question while she was sleeping. It would have been rude not to answer.”

           “I can’t see!” Jack complained, “Is the intruder hot?”

           “It’s Atë,” Axel growled, glaring at her in the rearview mirror.

           “That didn’t answer the question,” Jack grumbled.

           Atë released Pax’s hand and shoulder, sliding her fingers down his bronze breastplate and under the blanket. She dug her nails into his knee. “Don’t go to Camp Half-Blood,” she said, “Lapis sent me. She said you and Axel shouldn’t go back. A chicken lizard told her—”

           “Kukulkan,” Axel snapped.[7]

           Pax wasn’t sure what to expect from Atë. Maybe a, “Sorry for using you to kill Will, cause massive chaos, and trap Nico. Here’s a Reese’s Stick.” That would have been nice. He hadn’t expected her to act as a convoy for his siblings.

           “So, Lapis gave you a stickynote, a high five, and you poofed? No strings or massive chains attached?” Pax asked. “Just out of the goodness of your… whatever organs you have?”

           Atë turned to Pax and stared at him with those blank, red eyes. If she hadn’t… acted how she had earlier, he might have thought he’d stunned her into silence. “She traded the favor for information,” she said.            

           Pax was scared of what kind of information Lapis would have that Atë might want, other than Axel’s workout schedule. She could get a lot of money for that from the nymphs at Camp Half-Blood.

           “Let me take a guess: your mom doesn’t want any of us to go back to Camp Half-Blood?” Kally asked. She took a step back towards Euna, and Pax saw her glance at Backbiter’s scabbard. She was probably debating if she could get it to use Atë’s choker as a cut here line.

           “No.” Atë tilted her head to one side and Pax could feel some of her hair tickle his ear. Part of him really wanted to shove her off the bench. Part of him wanted to cry and whine a, I thought you liked me! and knew pushing a goddess was a bad idea.

           Pax went to shove her off the bench.

           Atë caught his hand. Without revealing any strain, she continued, “Python would be disappointed if you weren’t there, Kally. Euna needs to come to camp. If rumor is correct, she’ll find the answers to some of her questions at Hera’s temple. Jack can come. You can roll his head into Cabin Seven and see who sings the last note. But… Alabaster…”

           She turned towards him. “Are you excited to sit outside the camp that has banned you for having thoughts and for wanting to teach others how to have thoughts?”

           Although Pax couldn’t see Alabaster with Atë between them, he could envision his friend tensing. Atë leaned forward to tap her nails in a walking motion along Alabaster’s restrains. As the goddess’s fingers left the metal, the material tarnished, cracked, and fell away.  

           She continued, “You and the rest of Chimera could go on a play date while you’re waiting. I’m sure there are some nymphs you can hunt down to gather ingredients.”

           “The Association Against Sorceral Subjugation banned nymph poaching in the 1980’s,” Alabaster said evenly. Pax could see Alabaster flex his freed fingers.

           “As they should have,” Axel said sternly from the front.

           Pax would rather fall on another nail than hear that argument again.

“Now, Atë, I want you out of my car,” Axel growled.

           She kicked her feet out, letting her ankles crack against the base of the bench on the backswing. “You are almost at camp. I should leave. After all, children of Strife always hurt those we love the most, especially the more we’re around them.” She frowned and stared at the floor.

           Pax wanted to ask her if she wanted some polish and a rag to rub it in more. He already knew how much he’d hurt his friends.

           Instead, she leaned over and kissed Pax where she’d bit him previously. When Pax gasped, he found himself inhaling her smoke as she poofed away.

           In her place, there was a small box wrapped in her newspaper blanket. It rattled with something inside.

           They sat in stunned silence for a moment, the van’s interior feeling too exposed. Pax wished he had a magical poof ability to avoid unwanted, inevitable questions. Kinda like those trap doors evil villains always kept in offices.

           “Um, Pax, isn’t she your sister?” Kally asked. She set Axel’s throwing stick back on the wall. Her tone was too careful.

           “She’s only my half-sister,” Pax mumbled, pulling at the sides of the newspaper blanket. Maybe he could hide under it.

           “We’re only half-siblings,” Axel said, giving him a concerned glance in the thin slit of the mirror.

           Pax sighed. “I want to wink at you so desperately as a joke, but it just feels too weird.”

           “Ajax, I consider myself a very patient and understanding man when you consider our upbringing,” Axel said, “But, if you ever wink at me in that context, I will beat the incest out of you.”

           “You didn’t—” Alabaster started.

           “Nope. I said nope,” Pax said quickly, opening the box to keep from looking at everyone. “I was a good little boy and told her she had no manners since she hadn’t brought me—”

           Inside, there were pastry sweets. Pax puffed up his cheeks and popped them: they were from his Chiich’s pastry shop. He’d recognize the smell anywhere. Beside them were a bundle of black orchids, the flower his father used to keep all over the club as a reminder of their home country. Lastly, there was a tiny ball of poof staring up at him with panicked, beady eyes. The furry black thing dashed out of the box, fumbling onto the floor.

           Baller’s head popped up from his nest. He dashed after the new intruder.

           They bolted around the van.

           “What is that?!” Kally demanded, scrambling back onto the bench beside Euna.

           “It’s a chinchilla,” Pax explained numbly, “She even gave me a live one.”

           Alabaster pulled his knees up to sit pretzel style on the bench beside him. Cautiously, he withdrew a note from inside. “That’s a low bar, Ajax,” he pointed out before opening the card.

           A voice recording played of Atë saying, “Lo siento muchísimo.”[8]

           Pax flinched at the apology. He reached over and opened and shut the front a few times, making it go, “Lo s-L-L-Lo sient—”

           Alabaster batted him away. He made a face and went to shut the card.

“What does it say?” Pax asked.

Alabaster frowned, glanced at Axel’s seat, then back at the card. He bit his lip. “I wanted to stitch the recorder inside the chinchilla, like one of those Build-A-Bear toys, but Lapis said you would like this more.” He swallowed. “Now you can open this each time I hurt you. And… and it has a heart with her name beside it.”

Pax tried to respond. He wanted to get excited about naming the chinchilla something awesome or about having a tasty piece of home to eat and visualize the way his Chiich would scold them for swiping sweets from her stand.

But he felt too nauseous to eat.

All he could do was pull his legs up against his chest. He thought about how easily Atë restrained his hand when he tried to push her off the bench. He clutched at the sweater under his armor, the one depicting weasels eating humans.

           Maybe Atë was once like him. But everything kept going wrong, over and over, and she stopped feeling like she was made out of cuteness and fluff and forgot how to give others her cuteness and fluff.

           Maybe he deserved to be with someone like her.  

           Warmth encased his side.

           Pax wanted to squeal until he smelled the smallest hint of eucalyptus and mint—Kally’s shampoo. She squeezed onto the bench beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Although she was trying to be sneaky, Pax felt her other hand slip along his back to tug on what was left of Alabaster’s sleeve.

           Pax could feel her tears when she nuzzled into him.

           Alabaster’s fist crushed around the card. Pax wanted to yip in protest—that had been a gift. But the crumbled paper was already on the ground, giving another obstacle for the weasel and chinchilla to dart around.  

           Pax really hoped Baller was trying to say, hi and not nice night for a snack.

           Alabaster shoved the box down afterwards, shaking up the flower and pastry arrangement. “Hades damn it all,” he grumbled. When he leaned forward, putting an arm around Pax and Kally and his chin on Pax’s head, Pax could feel how he fumed and trembled with anger.

           “You know you can’t kill the chinchilla, right?” Pax squeaked. “It’s not Harvey’s fault that Atë chose it for a gift.”

           “We can get one of the satyrs to give it a nature’s blessing to assure it returns home safely,” Kally suggested.

           “Most animals raised in captivity will die in the wild,” Alabaster pointed out.

           “I’m sure some younger cabin members will take care of… Harvey,” Kally said.

           Listening to them talk around him eased some of the tension in Pax’s stomach. He didn’t realize how tightly he’d clenched into a ball, but tried to become less ball-like by snuggling more into them. After a moment, he managed a smile and said, “You know, Atë gave me the sweater I’m wearing too. Are you going to undress me with the power of teamwork?”

           The van decelerated to a stop. At first, Pax thought Axel was parking to hop in the back and yank his ear off.

           Instead, Axel opened his door and paused. Pax could hear him sniff the chilly early morning air as it drifted into the car. Then he popped his cheeks.

           “What is it?” Jack asked.

           Alabaster and Kally sat up. Even Euna stirred.

           Axel inhaled deeply and sighed. When he glanced over the seat rest, Pax could see how exhausted he looked. “It’s Reyna. She’s here. And so are the Romans.”

 Thanks for reading guys! At least you now know Pax survived >>’’ We’ll get to Percy and Leo’s side a little later.

Also! Excitement on this front! For those of you who aren’t on a website that says how many chapters there are: I’m writing the last one this weekend! :D There will be 43 in Attrition of Peace, though I’m hoping to keep the word count below Blood of a Mayan. (It’s already too long T.T) Once that’s done and I finish some school application stuff (*cries* real life), I’m going to hash out some of my writing requests (don’t think I forgot you Calex-meets-his-awesome-step-mother-request :D)! Thanks for sticking with me so far guys!

Footnotes:

[1] The original start for this chapter was in Axel’s point of view with,        When they slid into the Paxmobile, Axel still wasn’t sure they’d made the right choice.

           When a talking head and demigod slammed into the hood of the car, he knew, regardless of the rightness of the choice, at least it didn’t result in Pax’s death.

[2] I am so tired of doing exposition and character building scenes in the Paxmobile. That’s why it disappeared for a full book. I’m straight up going to blow the damn thing up soon. Say goodbye to your home weasels! MUAHAHHA!

[3] His most famous son is deaf.

[4] A question I often get from friends and family when I get into writing moods.

[5] “Preferably covered in pictures of scantily clad Alabaster and Pax boys. You know. In case she gets bored.”

[6] Jokes on Alabaster. You know Pax has no problems with polygamy.

[7] This is hinted at in the second book. Lapis is the only Pax other than Ajax that can call upon the Vision Serpent. More on this—in proper mythological context—in the Pax family’s standalone story.

[8] I’m so sorry.

[aliensandidentity-sp22]

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing

Queen Isobel is free from the glowing egg pod and she isn’t an amnesiac! LOVE testing unknown “cures” on friends and family! Isobel hates Donald!!!! She really is the best of the best. “This is bathtub gin and anything can happen.” Max quit being so obviously thirsty! Isobel is fun when she’s not all murderous or serious or dying. Jenna crashing that gross couple moment makes me like her very much. Michael and Alex, junkyard flirting. Alex is a nice person, apple fell miles away from the homophobe tree. “Freaky Interplanetary STDs” would be a REALLY interesting topic for coming seasons. Max quit being all fake towards Jenna. Maybe you’re just being embodied by a mediocre actor, but it seemed condescending and disingenuous. Kyle leave yo momma alone, you’re not being rational and I hate you. Michael has a fun lil craft shop! Racist Hank and Racist Wyatt are apropos nicknames for those two 1960′s Mississippian wannabes. Noah just pulling a gun in the living room!??!?! “I saw you in an egg, so I freaked out and bought a gun.” Reasonable I guess. Noah is still sus after those sweet moments, I don’t care what Isobel thinks. More Kyle moments, blegh. Racist Hank is a major tool, he makes Max look like a gentleman! Isobel and Noah should know that no picnic goes well if there is no cheese. Flashbacks and context, YAYYYYYY!!! Snow in New Mexico, I didn’t know that could happen! Maria.......................................... uh oh. Isobel threatening Liz is great. NOAH GOT SHOT! Alex I like that you are getting involved but if you could exclude Kyle that would be much appreciated. Is “Magoo” meant to be an endearing nickname? Max banging on doors during an active shooter emergency is really the dumbest thing that incredible moron has ever done. Who’s this dude smashing shit up!?!? I kinda like Evil Isobel. Maria being a good friend! That lab got f-ed up big time. Of course Isobel is innocent, we knew that already! Evil Isobel is creeeeepy. Dude the killer is totally Noah I mean COME ON!! Good episode. Isobel continues to shine. 

[noonachronicles]

Billion Dollar Man

Kwon Jiyong/ G Dragon X Reader

Word Count: 7.1k

Warnings: Smut

Authors Note: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Moodboard by @memoiresofaneternaldreamer

When you originally pulled the invitation from your mailbox you thought it had been yet another wedding invitation from one of your college friends. The elaborate gold writing on the black envelope, wrapped in actual lace. It was easy to assume from its elegance that it would be something like that.

Finally sitting down on the couch ciphering through bills and junk mail you saw it again. You flipped it over in your hand trying to find a return address, to find an address at all. There wasn’t one. You pulled the black envelope from its lace sheath and found that it was sealed with wax. A golden glob of wax imprinted with the form of a dragon.

The letter was obviously hand delivered, it had to have been. You wondered if it was even for you. Maybe they got the apartment number wrong. You didn’t want to open it if it wasn’t even for you. You debated with yourself for some time. Placing the envelope on the coffee table and then picking it back up several times. Finally you decided just to open to see if there were some answers inside. There were only more questions as you pulled the invitation from the envelope and started to unfold the thick cardstock.

There were six panels in total. The first one was an image of a gold embossed masquerade mask.

For one night…

Forget who you are…

All that’s required…

Is a mask.

The last panel was a date, time, and an address which was unfamiliar. You flipped the invitation over several times certain you had missed something but there was nothing else. You grabbed your phone and put out a call out on your Facebook page asking who sent you vague party invitation and asked if you needed to bring a gift. No one admitted to it but everyone said you were more than welcome to get them gifts. It was less than helpful.

The mysterious party was set for a week away. You weren’t sure if you should go. You still weren’t sure the invite was for you. The more you thought about it the less convinced you became that it was. None of your friends would have the kind of money needed to buy elaborate invitations like that. If they did get the invitations they wouldn’t be able to afford a party to match.

You brought the invitation with you everywhere while you debated. At work, you flipped it over and over in your hands until finally you decided it wasn’t for you. You dropped it in the trash can by your desk, and then quickly picked it back out. You groaned and tucked it back in your purse. Ten minutes later you dropped it back on the top of your trash. It was then there was a ding from your phone. A text notification.

Unknown 2:30pm - You’ll be coming won’t you?

You 2:30pm - Who is this?

Unknown 2:31pm - You’re the only gift I require.

You 2:32pm -So we’re friends?

Unknown 2:33pm - I’d like to be. I’d like to be more than that.

You racked your brain trying to think of who could be doing this but came up short. No one had even close to flirted with you since your ex-boyfriend and the two of you had broken up months ago. You bit your lip.

Unknown 2:40pm - Tell me you’ll be there.

Unknown 2:40pm - I promise to make all your fantasies come true.

You 2:42pm - Who says I have fantasies?

Unknown 2:45pm - Everyone has fantasies.

You 2:45pm - Well, my fantasy is to know who this is.

Unknown 2:47pm - Then take the invitation out of the trash and meet me this weekend.

Your eyes popped up immediately. It was someone at work. Suddenly you reached the same dilemma you had before. Sure your job was well paying but no one here would make enough money for a fancy party. Unless…

You searched the office until you found him. The CEO of the company you worked for, Kwon Jiyong. Your crush on him was pretty severe but that was true of every woman who worked there, some of the men as well. Barely in his late twenties he was already a billionaire. He also happened to be incredibly handsome. He’d done modeling and worked in high fashion when he was younger and from the fortune he made with that created his own company. His hair always seemed professionally crafted and his strong jaw clean shaven. Most of the time his lips would curve into a slight pout. You thought he looked spectacular in suits but he could also wear the hell out of a sweater and jeans on casual Fridays.

He was in the meeting room in the center of the office. The room was made completely out of glass and you couldn’t see his phone on him. He didn’t even have a computer. He was just sitting cross legged at the head of the table listening to one of the upper level managers give a presentation, nodding occasionally.

Unknown 2:55pm - Well?

It couldn’t have been him then, you’d been watching him the whole time. He hadn’t moved an inch. You couldn’t help but laugh, of course it wasn’t him. You weren’t even sure he knew you worked for him. Sure you sat in the same meeting room as him once a week but it wasn’t as if you often spoke up about your ideas or as if he ever even looked in your direction. You often felt like you were far from the most beautiful girl in whatever room you were in at any given moment. There was no way it was him, you had to move on from the idea. Your eyes wandered the office in search of who else it might be.

Seungri was standing by the printer, it could be him. He didn’t have the money to throw a party like that but he was notorious for partying. Maybe it wasn’t his party, just one he’d invited you to. He looked up and smiled at you. You smiled back and grabbed your phone.

You 3:00pm - Why me?

Unknown 3:01pm - You’re beautiful.

It wasn’t Seungri, he had been struggling to remove a paper jam when the message came. He was still struggling when you received the next one.

Unknown 3:03pm - I also think you’re incredibly intelligent and very funny.

Unknown 3:04pm - And no, this is not Seungri.

You 3:05pm - I figured… thanks.

You 3:05pm - You’re really not going to tell me are you?

Unknown 3:06pm - Take the invitation out of the trash. Meet me at the party. I promise not to disappoint.

You 3:06pm - How will I know who you are?

Unknown 3:08pm - Trust me. You’ll know.

You walked around work the next several days on high alert. It was someone there you just couldn’t figure out who. You felt like an actual crazy person as you questioned everyone. From people standing at the coffee pot to people walking out of the bathroom. No one you talked to had even received an invitation to a party. Several of your female coworkers were jealous that you had and they hadn’t, but that was as far as you got for information.

During your weekly meeting with Kwon Jang-nim you couldn’t help but wish it was him. You stared at him even more than you usually did. His thin, long fingers, wrapped around his Mont Blanc. His face strong and serious as your direct manager went over the numbers for your team. You caught his eye for the briefest moment or you thought you might have. He could have been looking right through you if you were being completely honest with yourself. He gave off no indication he was interested in you or that he saw you at all. None of the higher ups in the room did. 

Finally it was Friday. You had one night to decide what to do. You had become obsessed and stressed over the whole ordeal so you invited your neighbor Daesung over and told him you’d buy pizza if he brought beer. You sat on the couch in your sweatpants and a shirt as the two of you ate and talked.

“Isn’t it a little creepy?” He asked finally after a sip of beer. “I mean, it’s super stalkerish. How’d he find out where you lived? Why was he reading your Facebook? And then to top it off he’s watching you at work.”

“I thought so too. It’s definitely not a normal way to ask someone out. If that’s even what this is.”

“At the same time, the invitation is really nice. I bet there’s going to be an open bar.”

You rolled your eyes, “Okay, so what’s your vote? Yes or no? Skip it and avoid being butchered and worn like a meat suit or go and get drunk and then be butchered and worn like a meat suit.”

He shrugged, “I’d go, but I’m more adventurous than you.”

“Ouch.” You grabbed your chest, “I’m adventurous.”

“I literally don’t think I’ve seen you leave your apartment for anything other than work since Youngbae left.” He said grabbing another beer.

You frowned. He was right, you went to work and then on the weekends you ordered take out and watched Netflix. You quickly wondered when your life had become so sad and how had you not noticed it before.

“I don’t even have anything to wear.”

As if on cue there was a knock at the door. Daesung smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at you. He was too excited about the entire situation, “Creeeeepy.”

“Shut up.” You laughed and pushed yourself off the couch.

It was creepy. It was a delivery man with a large black box with a big, gold, silk ribbon wrapped around it. You’d seen the movies, you knew it was a dress. It had to be.

“Who sent this?” You asked as the delivery man handed you the clipboard to sign that you’d received the package.

“I don’t know.”

“What’s in the box?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know anything?” You asked harshly.

“Listen. I know that I was told to deliver this box to this address and to have that form signed by you. Please just sign the form.”

You did and let the poor delivery man go. Shutting the door with your foot you walked back to the couch.

“I bet a million dollars it’s a dress.” Daesung said rubbing his hands together.

“I’m not taking that bet.” You said grabbing your phone.

You 10:05pm - This is creepy. You know this is creepy right?

Pulling the lid off the box you looked down at an intricately designed masquerade mask. It was gold plated adorned with three detailed sirens across the top, and crashing waves on the sides. Seemingly sporadically placed diamonds only enhanced the design.

Underneath it was a neatly placed dress, of course. It was a shimmering gold colored little number. The straps were thin gold chains and the front hung loosely while the back was nonexistent. The skirt was long and you were already wondering how you’d walk around without tripping over yourself.  Not to mention the slit up the side that would reach closer to your hip than your knee.

“Well, the man does stick to a theme.” Daesung said admiring the dress, “Go put it on.”

You couldn’t help yourself but to be excited. You’d never worn anything as fancy as the dress in your hands in your life. You weren’t at all surprised when it fit your body like a glove. In an instant you felt like a goddess. You spun around in front of your mirror and sighed. You could have cried. You’d never felt as beautiful as you did in that moment.

“Woah.” Daesung breathed as you walked back into the living room. “You have to go to that party.”

“It’s creepy though, isn’t it? It fits perfectly. How did he know my size?”

“Obviously we’re dealing with an eccentric gazillionaire that doesn’t know how to function like a normal human being. It’s fine. You’ll be fine. Or you’ll be murdered, but if you’re murdered it will be worth it because when you are you’ll look like a million bucks.”

You changed back out of the dress and left it hanging up over your closet door. Back in your sweats and shirt you felt frumpy. You missed the dress already. You grabbed your phone and another beer before crashing back down on the couch.

Unknown 10:11pm - Does it fit?

You 10:30pm - You knew that it would.

Unknown 10:33pm - I hoped that it would.

Unknown 10:33pm - Will I get to see you in it?

You 10:35pm - Are you going to murder me?

Unknown 10:40pm - Is that really what you think of me?

You 10:41pm - I don’t think anything of you. I don’t know you. I just want to know if I try to find out who you are if it’s going to get me killed.

You 10:42pm - You know everything about me apparently and I know nothing about you. Can you at least kind of understand where I’m coming from?

Unknown 10:45pm - I can understand. I’m not sure how to assure you that my intentions are good, that I would never hurt you.

Unknown 10:46pm - I’ll only ask one more time, please come. I won’t bother you again but I do hope to see you tomorrow night.

You tossed your phone on the cushion more confused than before. Daesung stayed a little while longer until the pizza and beer ran out. His opinion of the party stayed. He thought you should go, but continued to make jokes about your death. He was a terrible friend but he was the one you had and you loved him for it.

You tossed and turned on your mattress. You were excited and nervous at the prospect of the party. You weren’t sure why, maybe just because you felt like it, you wanted to trust the stranger. Looking over at your dress you made a decision. You grabbed your phone off the night stand.

You 1:30am - I’ll go.

Unknown 1:34am - I’m glad.

You 1:34am - That’s it? You’re glad?

Unknown 1:35am - It’s 1:30 in the morning. Go to bed, beautiful. I am very much looking forward to seeing you tonight.

You blushed reading that he’d called you beautiful and then you groaned, annoyed with yourself for being so easily flattered. The smile snuck its way back onto your face before you finally fell asleep.

It was late morning by the time you’d actually rolled out of bed. As you munched on some toast and sipped your coffee you thought about the things you should be doing like taking a shower, shaving your legs, spending too much time curling your hair and then deciding to put it up in a bun. Doing your makeup and then smearing your makeup up and having to do it again. If it was anything like you imagined it would be very eventful. With a yawn you shuffled back to bed and collapsed on the mattress. You could always get started later. Pulling your phone from the nightstand you already had an awaiting message.

Unknown 11:30am - Be ready at noon. There will be a car downstairs.

You 11:45am - The party isn’t for 8 more hours…

Unknown 11:45am - It’s not for the party.

You 11:46am - Is it you? Am I meeting you?

Unknown 11:46am - Not me. I won’t see you until tonight. Just trust me.

You 11:47am - You just expect me to have limitless amounts of blind faith don’t you?

Unknown 11:50am - :)

You rolled your eyes and got out of bed again. this time throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater.  Part of you was incredibly happy that he, or she, or whoever they were had finally showed an inkling of a personality with the smiley face. You threw on a hat before walking downstairs to find a sleek black car sitting in front of your building. When he saw you the driver opened the backdoor for you.

“This is for me?” You asked, he nodded with a smile, “Do you know where we’re going?”

He chuckled, “I am the driver, ma'am.”

“Oh, duh.” You sighed and slipped into the leather seat.

“Where are we going?” You asked after a few minutes of silent driving.

“Gangnam, ma'am.”

“What for?”

“Not sure, ma'am.”

“Who do you work for?” You asked curiously, this time he didn’t respond except for with a smile. “He told you not to tell me. Is he cute? Has he ever murdered anyone? Is he going to murder me?”

“No ma'am, the boss is a good man.”

“Did he pay you to tell me that?” The driver chuckled lightly at your questioning. You patted the tops of your thighs anxiously and sighed again wondering where the hell you were headed.

The drive wasn’t too long, only about a half hour which was good time from your place to anywhere in Gangnam. Especially on a Saturday when the bridge was usually pretty busy. The driver parked in front of a sleek looking building. You watched as he walked around and opened the door for you.

“What do I do now?”

He nodded towards the door where there was a woman in a black dress smiling brightly at you, “I think you should follow her.”

“I guess so.” you blushed, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome ma’am. I’ll be back to pick you up later.”

You walked nervously over to the woman who was still holding the door open for you. “Welcome, Y’N, we’re happy to have you.”

“Uh…” you smiled as politely as you could considering how strange all this was. “Where am I exactly?”

“The salon ma’am. Sir has requested the luxury package for you but he said that you’re welcome to any of the amenities we offer and you don’t have to do anything that might make you uncomfortable.” She smiled brightly opening yet another door that opened to a very tranquil salon.

There was a waterfall against one of the walls, soft music was playing from speakers that were hidden away. The whole place smelt like lavender and you already felt tired.  

“Um…” You shook your head to wake yourself up, “What do you mean make me uncomfortable? What’s the luxury package?”

She offered you a leather bound booklet and a glass of champagne.

“Take a seat,” she said motioning towards an oversize, overstuffed chair. “Take a look at what we offer. Check the things you would like us to do for you and leave the things you’d prefer not to have unchecked.”

You opened the booklet and read down the list. The Luxury Package offered everything. Full hair and makeup, full body massage, waxing…waxing everywhere, “Hot Spring” soak, mud bath.Of course this was the kind of place that didn’t put prices down. Taking a deep breath, you went for it and checked everything, even the waxing. Then the real fun began.

Most of the afternoon you spent either naked or in a silk robe. While at first the nakedness was quite strange and uncomfortable for you, you quickly got over it. You were incredibly relaxed and you couldn’t remember a time when you had ever felt so beautiful. The only thing that ruined the mood was seeing the time once your makeup was done. It was getting late. You still had to get home and get dressed. As if understanding your concern the sweet woman who had done your make up lead you to a dressing room where your dress was hanging. You thought about asking how they got it but decided against it. No matter what they said it would be weird, you had become quite accustomed to that fact.

Alongside the dress was a pair of lacey black panties and a pair of strappy gold heels. Both fit perfectly, of course. Your mask was there as well sitting next to a black velvet covered box.

“You have to be fucking kidding me.” you whispered to yourself before lifting the lid from the box.

Your eyes grew wide at the sight of the most mesmerizing diamond necklace you’d ever laid eyes on. It came with a matching bracelet and earrings. You could only imagine that the jewels in the box cost more than your life. Searching the room you found your phone inside of a small clutch purse that matched your dress. This was all becoming far too much. Grabbing your phone you tried calling the unknown number only to have it hang up on you immediately.

You 7:15pm : This is rental jewelry, right? I can’t keep this. It’s too much.

Unknown 7:16pm: Do you not like it?

You 7:16pm : I love it, it’s beautiful, but it’s more than I would ever need. I can’t accept this.

Unknown 7:17pm: Well, you’ll have to. I bought it for you. This is all for you.

You 7:18pm: Why? I don’t understand why! I don’t deserve all this.

Unknown 7:19pm: That’s up to me to decide. Now get dressed and go downstairs before you’re late.

You 7:20pm: Yes, Sir.

Pouting slightly you did as you were told. Everything slipped over your body so easily, the panties sat snug on your hips, the dress draped over your frame. The jewelry hung beautifully against your skin. You were thankful for all the waxing as you eyed the slit that nearly went to your hip. You weren’t entirely sure you would be able to help it if you flashed someone the goods tonight. You grabbed your clutch, mask and phone and went down to the car that was waiting, just like the driver said he would be. There was a message waiting on your phone.

Unknown 7:22pm: Good girl.

Nerves bundled up in your stomach as the car drove further and further outside of the city. You had asked where you were going and he said to the party which was in Yangpyeong. The car pulled up to a huge mansion and your eyes grew wide at the sight of it. The driver pulled around a large fountain and behind another black car that was letting out its passengers. Both of the occupants dressed to the nines with their masks on. As the driver got out you quickly slipped the mask over your face. Stepping out of the car you took a deep, relaxing breath. This was it.

“Is this his house?” you asked the driver as he shut the door behind you.

“Not exactly, ma’am. He lives in the city. This, I believe, is a family home. Enjoy your evening.” He said with polite bow.

You took another deep breath before walking towards the door, your heels clacking against the cobblestone drive. Everyone was in masks, even the staff that held the door and offered you wine or champagne and horderves. All the guests were so beautifully dressed. Some in huge ball gowns, others in dresses as slinky as yours. Your cheeks burned red as you noticed many of them looking at you as you passed. Men with suggestive smirks and women with jealous sneers. You sipped your drink and wondered if you should pull out your phone and ask him where he was. Then you felt it. He was there, he was watching you. You didn’t know how you knew but you could feel it, feel his presence. Turning quickly you bumped into the shoulder of a tall man in a joker’s mask. He looked down at you and offered you his hand, which you took.

“Seunghyun. You are stunning.”

“Are you…him?” you asked curiously.

He shrugged, “I can be whoever you want me to be tonight.”

You sighed disappointed, it wasn’t him.  It was then you felt a finger drag across the top of your hand. You looked down at the tingling skin and then back up. How, in just that brief second, you could have missed him you didn’t understand. There was no one obviously walking away, no one looking at you. Your heart was pounding in your chest. That was him, he had touched you. He was so close.

“Looking for someone?”

“Huh?” you asked looking back at Seunghyun.

“I asked if you’re looking for someone.” he repeated.

“Kind of. I just don’t know who.” you frowned.

“Well, if you don’t find him, I’ll be around. I gotta find a bathroom though.” he said and excused himself.

Turning slowly on your heel you searched the room. You wondered if he had left the room. You could still feel him though and you were sure if he’d found you he wouldn’t just disappear. Almost resorting to your phone to ask him once and for all where he was, you found him. Completely black outfit, slick black hair. Leaning against the bar with a cut crystal glass with a dark amber liquid in one hand. His mask was a skull, the top adorned in gold with an elaborate design, even his mouth was covered in something designed to look like ivory bone. It was impossible to tell who he was. All you could tell was that his dark eyes were not moving from you and your body was already responding to his entire aura.

Biting your lip, all you did was stand and watch him, completely unsure of what to do next. Were you supposed to go over to him, would he come to you? He tilted his head while he watched you, curiously, and you could tell that he was smiling beneath that mask. With a smirk you decided to play. With a small nod in his direction, you dipped behind one of the taller guests and slinked out of the main room and into the hall. The whole bottom floor was packed with people in masks. No matter where you went you were pretty well hidden. You chose one of the open doors and found the study. Couples were sitting on the fancy leather furniture laughing and drinking. A woman was laughing obnoxiously loud as she sat on the large polished oak desk, her drink sloshing in her hand. Slipping your hand over the books on the shelf you peeked over your shoulder and found him leaning against the door frame watching your every move.

Walking behind the desk you found a glass door hidden behind a set of drapes. You slipped your hand over the door handle and it popped open with ease. With a tiny wave towards your stalker you slipped behind the drapes and outside. There wasn’t really anyone out there and you knew you wouldn’t have much time if he followed you out the same way. Luckily there was another door nearby that opened to what could only be described as a ballroom. You slipped inside quickly and slithered between the throng of guests. Sneaking another peek over your shoulder to see if he had come inside as well, you didn’t notice that you were walking right into group of people doing an old English country dance. Someone grabbed your hand and pulled you into the dance. You stumbled slightly before understanding the steps and once you did you started to laugh, fully enjoying yourself. You’d even forgotten about your game of cat and mouse. That was until you switched partners once more and looked up to see the skull mask with the ivory mouth.

His gaze devoured you completely and you sucked in a deep breath. He pulled you away from the group and the music changed suddenly to a waltz. Placing a hand on your hip he brought you closer. The hand you placed on his shoulder was trembling, mostly because as the two of you moved across the floor his eyes never left yours and his other hand was holding yours so tightly. Not painfully tight, but just tight enough. You searched his eyes for any kind of clue as to who he was, but you couldn’t figure it out. The waltz turned into something slower and he pulled you even closer, his fingers tracing light designs over your bare back. You wrapped an arm over his shoulder as you panted, your whole body practically shaking beneath his gentle touch.

You slipped your hand slowly up his back until you were cupping his neck. You paused for a moment before reaching up into his hair. Finally your fingers were wrapped around the string holding his mask, all you had to do was pull. His fingers wrapped around yours and you pulled back. He shook his masked face and you dropped your hand back to his shoulder.

“When?” You asked. He still didn’t say anything. He only stood there watching you with dark eyes. You leaned forward, lips pressed against his ear and whispered, “Please.”

You left a quick kiss against his neck and before pulling away you could hear him suck in a deep breath. He lifted his hand to your cheek, running his thumb over your lips. Then as if there wasn’t an electric current passing between you two he dropped his arms and walked away. Your mouth fell in confusion as you watched him leaving. He didn’t turn back so you followed. In the hall he moved to the bottom of the stairs, where he paused. Even then you weren’t sure he was looking at you. You stepped towards him, towards the stairs, and he began to climb. You quickly made your way through the crowd of people and followed him. When you reached the top of the staircase you just barely caught glimpses of his foot disappearing into a room to your left.

The room was a dream. This whole night was a dream. You found yourself questioning if this was actually how the wealthy lived. The room was decorated in Victorian fashion. Four post bed, roaring fireplace with a gilded mantel. It was dimly lit. The only sources were the fireplace and two bedside lamps. The only problem was that he wasn’t in there. You thought you’d gotten the room right but this one was empty. A small gush of air brushed your bare back and you looked over your shoulder to find him closing the door.

“Would it make you uncomfortable if I locked the door?”

Your heartbeat quickened. His voice from behind the mask was both familiar and completely unknown to you. “No. You can lock it.”

He locked the door and turned to you, his eyes glistening, the dancing flames in the fireplace reflected in them. He stepped closer to you. His hands grabbing onto your waist and pulling you close. His chest pressed against your back and you could feel his breath on your neck. A shiver shot up your spine.

“May I kiss you?” He asked against your ear.

“You’ll have to take off the mask first…” you noted.

He removed one hand. The other keeping you in place. In just a few seconds time he held his hand out over your shoulder and you took his mask from his hands. You tried to turn your head but his fingers caught your chin. You gasped as his soft lips pressed against the skin of your neck.

His hand gripped your hip tighter as he inhaled your scent. His nose running gently across your skin. Your hands shook as he licked you, and sucked the skin into his mouth.

“Jesus Christ.” You panted.

“No,” he said quietly against your back, “not quite.”

You let out a deep breath, “Do I at least get to know who you are before you fuck me?”

“Who said I was going to fuck you?” He chuckled, lips still dancing over your skin. The fingers of one of his hands pulled the ribbon of your mask and he handed that to you as well.

“I mean…” you actually felt disappointed at the idea that this guy was not going have his way completely with you. You gulped, “You are…aren’t you?”

“Would you like that?” He asked sliding his hand to your stomach, pulling you even closer. You could feel his erection against your back and gasped relief. He was definitely going to fuck you.

“I would, but what I really want is to know who you are.” You responded shakily.

“Soon” He said whispered against your cheek and then suddenly you felt something soft fall over your eyes, a blindfold, or a tie, something soft like silk and pitch black.

He slipped a hand up your neck and pressed his palm against your cheek turning your face towards him. You gasped once more as his lips finally captured yours. With one hand cupping your cheek, the other one slipped inside of the slit in your dress and between your thighs. Your gasps turned quickly to moans as he sucked your tongue between his lips. His hands were chilly, especially in comparison to how warm it was between your thighs, but his fingers were long and that only excited you further. You blindly reached back to cup his neck to pull him in closer to the kiss. You couldn’t help but whimper into his mouth as his fingers danced over the moistened lace.

It wasn’t until he groaned against your lips that your thighs tremble beneath you. You threw your head back against his shoulder with a full groan yourself as he slipped his fingers under the panties and between your slick folds.

“Oh, fuck.” you said unashamedly as he slipped his long fingers inside of you. “Who are you? Who do I thank?”

He chuckled as his fingers continued to pump inside of you. He sucked and nibbled at the skin of your neck and shoulder. “Those little noises you’re making are thanks enough.”

At that you gasped again, tightening around his fingers as you got closer. The natural reaction of your hips was to grind against his hardworking fingers. You let another long, slow moan. “Oh, yes. Yes. Please, please. Fuck.”

“Hold on baby, you can do it.” he encouraged you as your fingers tightened around his hair. “Fuck you’re so close. Come on, baby.”

You whimpered and shook as your orgasm dripped down your thighs but he held you close and steadied you. With your head leaning against his shoulder he rubbed his wet fingers against your lips until you opened them and then you sucked his fingers clean.

“Tell me who you are…”  you said exhausted already.

“In a little bit.” he said simply. “I’m going to undress you, okay?”

You only nodded eagerly. He removed the thin gold chain straps from your shoulders. From there the dress slipped easily down your body until it was pooled at your feet. His fingers hooked into your panties and he dragged those down as well until you were completely naked save for the diamonds and heels. He grasped your hand in his and walked you forward.

After several steps he grabbed your shoulders and turned you before he demanded that you sit. Beneath you was the soft cushion of the mattress. “Lay back.”

You laid back let out a deep breath. At no other point had you cared so little about knowing who the man behind the mask was. All you really cared about was his hands pushing your legs open. He knelt before you and you could feel the bare skin of his arms on your calves. He’d taken his jacket and shirt off. Your heart was pounding relentlessly in your chest. You whimpered again as his lips pressed against your thighs. Then he nibbled on them, then he sucked on the skin so close to your core that you wanted to scream in agony.

“Please don’t tease.” you begged. He flicked your swollen clit with his tongue and then nothing so you groaned loudly.

“What do you want?” he asked kissing your thighs once more.

“Kiss it.” you whispered, “Taste me.”

You fisted the blankets next to your head as his tongue explored between your thighs. He didn’t leave an inch untouched. You could have easily pulled the blindfold from your eyes if it weren’t the last thing on your mind.  He lifted your leg over his shoulder to get you at a better angle. After just a moment he hissed as your heel dug into the skin of his back but he didn’t stop, he didn’t move your leg or push you away, he just kept going. You cried out from the pleasure of it not caring if anyone heard you, doubtful that they would.

“Jesus, fuck!” you gasped as you circled your second orgasm. You were sure he couldn’t breath as you tighten your thighs around his head, but he still didn’t stop until you came, your legs dropping to his sides.

You bit your lip, trying to catch your breath. Then the bed dipped beside you and his lips were on yours. His one hand running gently moving over your stomach as the other removed the blindfold.  His lips were so soft. His tongue brushed against your lips and you invited him in. The kiss was strong, but still gentle. All you had to do was open your eyes but you couldn’t. Your eyes refused to open, because if they opened the kiss would be over and you wanted to die just like this.

“Open your eyes,” he whispered against your lips.

You lifted your eyelids slowly, scared that knowing who he was would ruin this moment. When his face became clear you felt everything all at once. There was a storm in your stomach.

“Kwon Jang-nim…” your mouth fell in shock, “I…”

He smirked, “No need to be so formal. Call me Jiyong, please, and you don’t have to say anything.”

“It’s just I didn’t think you’d ever noticed me.”

“How could I not?”

Your forehead creased in confusion, “Because I’m nobody.”

“Nobody?” He said with a sadness, “Tell me you don’t really feel that way about yourself.”

“I just mean, to someone like you…”

He shook his head, “To someone like me you are someone. You are someone whose smile could light up an entire city. You are someone whose laugh should be played in symphony halls. You are someone whose opinions should be written down and declared law. You are someone who has clearly never been treated the way she should be because if you had, you would know you’re someone.”

You had to let out a small giggle to keep from crying. It didn’t seem real. No one had ever said anything like that to you before and it warmed your heart until it was on fire. “No one… talks like that.”

“I do.” he said leaning in to kiss you again.

“Jiyong…” you muttered against his lips. He hummed into your lips as acknowledgement. “Lay down.”

He pulled away slowly and with an evil grin. As he laid back on the pillows you moved down the bed between his legs. He threw his arms behind his head as he watched you unbuckle his belt and unbutton his black dress pants. His tongue slipped over his bottom lip as you pulled his pants down.

“What are you staring at?” You asked when you were done.

“Just… Those diamonds look good on you.” he said taking a deep satisfied breath.

“I bet you’d like me better in pearls.” you said gripping him in your hand and running your slick tongue over his erection.

“Oh Jesus.” he gasped as your tongue rolled over the tip.

“No, not quite.” You grinned before taking him into your mouth.

He made a noise between a laugh and a groan.  He was trembling beneath your touch in no time at all.

“Stop.” He practically begged after just a few minutes, his chest heaving, “Get up here.”

Wiping your lips you crawled up the bed, straddling his hips. You held him in your hand, positioning him and then sunk down with a groan. He grabbed onto your hips and your palms spread out over his chest.

“You’re so warm and wet, fuck.” he grunted, thrusting up into as much as you were riding him.

It couldn’t have been more than a couple minutes before you felt your third orgasm building. Nothing had ever hurt so much but also felt so good at the same time. Jiyong leaned his head back and you stared down, appreciating the beauty of him. The way his adam’s apple protruded from his elongated neck. How flawless his skin was, his perfect cheeks, and even the angelic look his smooth eyelids gave off. His forehead creased as he got closer to his own orgasm, his lips parted just slightly.

“I’m c-c-cumming.” you whimpered as you pulsed around him. He lifted up his knees, forcing you down onto his chest as he pumped himself into you until he reached satisfaction.

He didn’t make you move, so you just laid on top of him while you caught your breath and collected your thoughts. He dragged his hand over your back sending tiny shivers down your spine with every pass.

“Why the secrecy?” you asked quietly lining his collarbone with kisses.

“People treat me differently because they know I’m-”

“Their boss?” you interrupted.

He laughed and shook his head, “I was going to say because they know I’m a billionaire.”

“Oh, right. That.” You said and rolled off of him and off of the bed.

“I’ve never actually flirted with an employee before.” he admitted sitting up.

You grabbed your dress and panties from the floor and walked back to the bed with a raised eyebrow. “Is this what you call flirting?”

“What would you call it?” he asked putting his boxer briefs on and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Overwhelming.” you answered, sitting next to him. “You could have just sent me an email and asked me to dinner.”

“Would you have said yes?” he asked, watching, waiting for a genuine answer.

“Yes.”

“Because you wanted to or because you felt obligated to?”

“Both.” you answered honestly. “You’re handsome and you’re smart which is why I’ve had a crush on you since day one, but your success and wealth is intimidating. I don’t feel like I have all that much to offer you to be honest.”

He let out a frustrated sigh, “We have to work on that self degradation problem you have.”

“We?” you asked, a blush growing in your cheeks.

“If you’d like.” he answered simply.

“Well,” you took a deep breath and smiled over at him, “what do we do now?”   

[thealogie]

Also creeeeepy?? when they don’t know that Arthur and morgana are related so everyone insinuates they’re gonna get married and they keep bicker-flirting.....like ew

Really really creepy that both Arthur and morgana have mad sexual tension with mordred in later seasons when you learn they first met him WHEN HE WAS A FUCKING CHILD???