#sadie. carter. take my hands. EYE understand you

[theycallme-ook]

Looking at kane chronicles posts online is sooo funny to me bc I didn't have any social media when I read them as a kid so now I can finally see all the ppl going "wooow isn't sadie and Carter's genetics thing crazy??? One looks one race and the other looks like a completely different race and they don't look mixed at all? Must be bc it's fiction" meanwhile my siblings are sitting there. White passing as fuck. And strangers just assume we happen to share the same name

[bookishgalaxies]

I have a fic request if you are comfortable with it. I was wondering if you could do a Carter Kane x GN! Reader where the reader has bad anxiety and always feels like their a burden. One day the reader completely breaks down and has a bad panic attack that Carter walks in on. This causes the reader to freak out more and Carter has to remind them that they are never a burden to him and it end really fluffy.

I'm sorry if that is to detailed and I completely understand if your not comfortable writing it.

Never stop writing!

"𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧?..."

summary: A mission didn’t go quite as planned. When you started to think back on it, negative feelings began to arise. Thankfully, a certain someone was there to help calm you down.

pairing: carter kane x gn! reader

type: oneshot, not proofread

warnings: overwhelmed reader, insecure reader, panic attack, mention of death

a/n: this took TOO LONG cause my ass was too scared to write carter kane-

Setting your staff down beside your bed, you sighed and flopped down onto the mattress face first. Laying with your face in your pillow, you thought back on the events that had happened later that day.

Sadie Kane taking a bad hit for you because you were too slow to catch it. It made you feel horrible to think back on it. What made it worse? She didn’t make a big deal about it at all. Taking the hit, continuing to fight, seeking medical assistance, and reassuring you that you two were still as chill as an ice cream cone.

You just couldn’t help but beating yourself up over it though. You were such a subpar fighter, and didn’t understand why the two siblings brought you along. Carter in particular always wanting to have you around.

The nerdy Kane sibling with pretty eyes and curly hair has your heart a little tied up. He was so smart and a bit too honest at times. You loved the way he would mumble random facts to you to calm you down. His hand reaching up to touch your shoulder as a way to ground you when your mind floated aimlessly.

You thought about about bad it would have been if something would have happened to Sadie. It would have been your fault. Carter could have lost his sister, his twin, because of your weaknesses.

God, why couldn’t you just be better?

Faster in combat, more magically adept, better educated on monsters? You were such a burden on the team, they really need to stop involving you in things.

You felt your throat tighten slightly as you thought of all the times in the past when you had fallen short, failed to block a hit for one of your friends, had to be healed immensely after a fight that should have been easy. Your mind becomes muddy with thoughts of how the team would be better off without you.

A year starts to run down your cheek, and a sob escapes your mouth. Before you know it, crystal clear droplets are falling from your eyes as you start to struggle to breathe.

Sinking down off your bed and onto the floor, you move into a position with your knees to your chest. Your body balled up as you panic. Panic about how something could happen at any moment, your friends could be in danger, and you would fail to protect them. You might have to watch your friends die before your eyes someday because you are too weak.

You start to have trouble breathing and can feel your throat closing up. Your face damp with fears and your struggle to breath becoming loud. Panicking even more at the fact that you can’t calm yourself down, you start to hyperventilate. Then, you feel a gentle hand touch your shoulder.

Jerking your head up towards the touch, you see in your blurred vision a familiar set of brown eyes.

“I, I’m sorry, I just-“ you choke out as you look up at him.

“Don’t apologize, you didn’t do anything.” He says calmly as he sits beside you, keeping his hand on your shoulder.

“Why, why are you, why are you here?” You barely are able to get the question out through your sobs.

“I came to check on you. You didn’t seem okay after the mission and, I just, I care about you and wanted to make sure you were well.” He confessed, using his other hand to scratch the back of his head, a small nervous gesture.

His voice combined with the hand on your shoulder seemed to help start and calm you down. He sat with you for a bit, helping you breathe to ensure you didn’t pass out. You laid on his shoulder for a bit while he told you about some of his favorite historical journals he had read recently. Before you knew it, you were breathing normally and no longer crying.

“Sorry you had to come in and see me like that.” You told him, sitting up and looking at him.

“Everyone has their moments, ask Sadie, I definitely have mine. You deserve to have someone to help you through them.” He reponded

“I really don’t mean to be such a burden all the time.” You mumble in a frustrated voice.

“Burden? I, uhm, well, I always thought your presence was quite calming.” He confessed, looking directly into your eyes with a small smile.

Your heart skipped a beat at the kind words. He was always so nice, you didn’t understand how he had gone all this time without having someone fall for him.

“I find your presence peaceful as well.” You respond to him, laying your head back on his shoulder.

You two sat there for Horus knows how long. He continued to ramble on about history and his adventures with his father. You felt your eyes growing heavy at his calm voice. Eventually drifting off to a calm sleep with your head rested on his shoulder.

thank you so much for reading !!

stay safe and hydrated !!

[thatartiststudios]

Been forever since I posted some of my fic since I've been working on another wip mostly, so here's another extra long snippet, as a treat!

   The playful banter continued, laughter filling the air as they learned not just about each other’s abilities but also about the trust and camaraderie that were slowly but surely growing among them.

   The group settled into a circle, their diverse backgrounds evident in the way they carried themselves. Carter, with his Egyptian heritage, admired the craftsmanship of Rayla’s Moonshadow Butterfly blades.  He pulled out his Khopesh, the curved Egyptian sword glinting in the sunlight, and examined the intricate carvings along its blade. 

   “Impressive blades you got there, Rayla. But there’s a certain elegance to the Khopesh,” he commented, a touch of pride in his voice.

   Rayla nodded appreciatively. “It certainly looks deadly. I’ve witnessed Callum forge his runes on the battlefield, and they possess a lethal grace of their own.”

   Callum shot a grin at Carter, recognizing a kindred spirit in their shared knowledge of their respective worlds.

   “You know, Carter, Xadia boasts a rich history of magical runes and spells. I’ve delved into ancient scrolls, deciphered forgotten tomes—” He was interrupted by an exaggerated eye roll from Rayla.

   Piper smirked at Rayla’s antics. “I suppose you could enlighten us about his research?”

   Rayla cast a playful sidelong glance at Callum. “Oh, can I ever,” she said, feigning a groan at her mage, who huffed in mock offense.

   “You say that as if you don’t enjoy it,” Callum retorted.

   “I didn’t say I don’t enjoy it,” Rayla replied, her tone teasing. “I’m merely pointing out that I only grasp about 40% of your ‘scholarly musings.’”

   Callum chuckled, his emerald eyes glinting with mirth. “Well, that’s 40% more than most people. Understanding runes is an art, after all.”

   Sadie, ever curious, leaned forward. “So, what kind of spells can you do, Callum? Anything impressive?”

   Callum exchanged a glance with Rayla, who shrugged nonchalantly. “Well,” he began, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, “I can summon lightning, create barriers, and even manipulate the elements to an extent. But my favorite spell? That’s tough to choose.”

   “Then just pick one to show us.” Jason suggested.

   Callum nodded as an incantation came to mind, “Alright, then,”

   Callum stepped forward, a determined glint in his emerald eyes. He set his mage staff down on the deck, taking several steps back to create distance. With a focused expression, he traced a blue rune in the air and stretched his hand forth and spoke the incantation, “Ventum Magneticus!”

   A whirlwind of air erupted from his outstretched palm, snaking its way towards his staff. The gust of wind enveloped the staff, lifting it off the ground, and drew it back to Callum’s hand with swift precision. His mage staff twirled gracefully in the air before landing securely in his grip.

   The group watched in awe, captivated by the display of Primal magic. Leo let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. 

   “That’s some handy magic you got there, Callum. Imagine the possibilities.”

   Piper grinned, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, “Can you use that spell on anything? Or is it just for your staff?”

   Callum nodded, a confident smile playing on his lips. “I can use it on various objects, as long as they’re not too heavy. It’s one of the basic wind manipulation spells for Sky magic.”

   Sadie leaned forward, intrigued. “Could you use it in combat?”

   Callum nodded again, his eyes alight with enthusiasm. “Absolutely. It’s great for disarming opponents or retrieving objects from a distance. The key is precision and timing.”

   Carter chimed in with his thoughts. “It’s impressive how you seamlessly blend magic and strategy. That’s a valuable skill to have.” The admiration in his voice was evident, a recognition of Callum’s prowess.

   Callum then decided to direct the spotlight to the Kane siblings, “What about you guys? You said you’re both magicians, right? Is that anything like a mage?”

   “Sort of. I certainly think that Egyptian magic is the closest to Primal magic, in terms of the glowing runes—Hieroglyphics, and having to speak the spell,” Carter replied.

   “Would one of you like to demonstrate for us?” Leo asked.

   A mischievous grin traced its way across Sadie’s face. “I could demonstrate—”

   But before she could speak the incantation, she was interrupted by a profuse “No!” from Carter.

   Sadie just rolled her eyes, “Honestly, brother, you didn’t think I’d actually do it, did you?”

   “I wouldn’t put it past you,” he huffed.

   “Like I’d try to blow up the ship we’re on.” She shot back.

   Sadie stood up and grabbed a teacup from one of the cupboards in the meeting room and brought it back on deck, letting it smash.

   “Hi-nehm,” she spoke, and small gold hieroglyphics appeared in front of her as the remains of the teacup reformed in her hands. The precision and finesse with which she performed the spell were impressive, leaving the others in awe of her mastery of Egyptian magic. Carter, despite his initial reluctance, couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride for his sister’s skill.

   “Now, that’s impressive!” Leo exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement. “Imagine fixing things that way!”

   Piper grinned, her curiosity piqued. “You think it’d come in handy during a combat situation?”

   Sadie tilted her head thoughtfully. “Huh, I’ve never thought about that. I suppose it could though.”

   “That sounds incredibly useful,” Callum remarked, clearly impressed by Sadie’s demonstration. “It’s amazing how different our magic systems are, yet they all have their unique strengths.”

   Jason spoke up, “How does Primal magic work, exactly? Is it like Egyptian magic?”

   “Actually,” Callum began, his voice carrying a sense of reverence, “in Xadia, there are six primal sources of magic. The Sun, The Moon, The Stars, The Sky, The Earth, and The Ocean. Each source is tied to a specific Arcanum, a kind of primal connection that allows us to harness its power.”

   He paused for a moment, his eyes distant as if recalling memories etched in magic. “So far, I’ve connected to three Arcanums. The Sky, which grants me access to Sky magic like my mage wings, The Ocean, which lets me control water and ice, and The Moon, which enhances my ability to see in the dark and allows me to perceive and cast illusions.”

   Curiosity flickered in Jason’s eyes. “Connecting to each of them must be hard, right?”

   Callum nodded, his expression thoughtful. “It’s not easy, as humans were never meant to do it. Each time I connected to an Arcanum, it was during a trial, a profound moment of understanding the secret of the primal. It’s about unlocking the knowledge of the primal source, learning its essence, and forging a connection. Only then can you wield that type of magic.”

   Piper chimed in, her interest piqued. “So, it’s not just about power, but understanding and respect for the primal sources?” 

   “Exactly,” Callum affirmed. “Primal magic isn’t just a tool; it’s a bond, a harmony between the mage and the essence of the world. To wield it responsibly, one must grasp the essence of the source and the balance it maintains in nature.”

Next Part

And that's the last of Chapter 2! Hope to post the first bit of Chapter 3 tomorrow, so stay tuned!

[lifeofroos]

A/N: Carter x Reader where reader is ill, requested by anon :)

AO3 - KoFi

A spell for health

‘You need to lay down.’ Carter put his hand on your forehead. ‘You’re not well.’

‘I’m fine,’ you said with a faint smile. When you tried to take a step, you tumbled forwards. ‘Owh…’

‘Come, come…’ Carter slid his arm through yours for support. 

‘I can’t sit here,’ you said, followed by a coughing fit. ‘This is the middle of the library…’ You gasped as Carter picked you up, bridal-style. ‘Wait!’

‘Horus helps me,’ Carter puffed.

With some trouble (Although he insisted it was nothing) Carter brought you to your room.

You huddled under your blankets. ‘I am not that sick,’ you mumbled one last time, before coughing again.

‘You have been coughing the whole day and your forehead is boiling.’ Carter fussed around the room, picking up a few extra pillows to make sure you were comfortable.

‘I will grab you something to eat,’ he said, before walking out.

‘Don’t fall down the stairs!’

‘Won’t!’ you heard, before he involuntarily skipped a few steps.

-

While Carter was gone, Sadie poked her head around the corner. You waved weakly from your pillow fort.

‘Are you alright?’

‘I am a little sick,’ you admitted. ‘My throat hurts.’ In fact, all of you hurt.

Sadie nodded. She didn’t come any closer. ‘You look pale. Make sure you get enough rest.’

‘You sound like Carter.’

She pulled a face. ‘Gross.’

‘I heard that!’ Your boyfriend came stumbling up the stairs.

You could already see by Sadie’s expression that he had to have a lot of food with him. And indeed. Carter came in with a tray filled with toast and honey, bananas, yoghurt, a pot of tea and honeydew melon. 

Despite not being all that hungry, you took a bit of melon. ‘Thanks.’ Really, you were. At least you wouldn’t have to worry about getting up for food. 

Sadie gave Carter a dissapproving look. ‘You are getting close to them, in this state?’

Carter looked over his shoulder. ‘Of course. They need care.’

Sadie took a step back. ‘You’re not allowed to enter my space anymore,’ she said as she dashed away.

Carter huffed. ‘We can’t exactly leave you to your own devices.’

You took another bite of honeydew. ‘I mean, it’s just a little cold…’

Carter shook his head. ‘You need care. I can see it.’

Your only response was a yawn.

‘And sleep.’ He stood up to turn off the lights.

‘Carter?’

‘Hm?’

‘I’ll really be okay, you know.’ Your eyelids were heavy, so, so heavy. 

Carter sat down next to you. ‘Of course. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to give you some special attention when you need it.’

You chuckled while you closed your eyes. Carter pressed a kiss to your forehead. ‘Sleep. It’ll help.’

-

You dreamed of ghosts, evil serpents and glaring red eyes. With a scream, you woke up. The world around you was dark and your covers were drenched with sweat.

A soft light went on. Carter put down his novel. ‘Come, come, oh…’ He grabbed your hands. ‘Bad dreams?’

‘I don’t know if they were regular bad, or if they meant something,’ you whispered. You really didn’t. The whole room felt as if it was filled with monsters. 

‘Do you feel nauseous?’

‘...no.’ Not yet.

‘Come, then.’ Carter helped you out of bed and onto his chair. ‘We have to change these sheets and get you some clean clothes.’

Your head was spinning. It seemed to take Carter forever to change the sheets, much less to find you fitting pyjama’s. 

After he was done, he helped you back into bed. Under the blanket, it was too warm, but sleeping without the blanket was too cold. A seperate duvet cover solved the issue.

He placed his hand on your forehead. You didn’t understand what he said, but it must have been a spell. Your muscles relaxed. Without issue, your eyelids shut.

‘Have I told you the story of how I befriended a pigeon once, when travelling with my dad?’

You didn’t have to reply.

‘It was during a dig. A pigeon landed next to me. I was small and my dad was somewhere on the other side of the site, so I began talking to it.’ Carter lightly squeezed your hand. ‘During lunch, I gave him some of my bread, and he followed me the whole time I was there. I gave him a name: Mister Peter. Sometimes I still think about him.’

If there was any more, you didn’t hear it. Yet, your dreams were filled with kind pigeons that night. 

-

The next morning, you already felt much better. Carter looked up from the chair with a tired smile.

‘Did you sleep at all?’

‘Of course, of course...’

‘Don’t lie!’

‘Do you feel better, darling?’

You nodded. ‘Yes. I think the spell helped, even if it was only a relaxation spell.’

Carter nodded too, while staring off into space.

You laughed. ‘Goof. Now you’re the one who needs rest.’

‘I’m fine…’

You took his hand and pulled him next to you in bed. ‘I am not that contagious.’

He huddled closer to you. ‘I will have caught it anyway at this point.’

You laid your head against his chest. ‘Sh. Sleep.’

‘Hm.’

Within moments, he was asleep. Poor Carter, he really must have been tired. Oh well, now you might as well stay in a little longer, right? 

A/N: I am working on everyone’s requests - it just takes slightly longer, that’s all. College ‘n stuff :).

[humbughana]

party’s over

Part Two of Second best

warnings: cursing per usual, mentions of sex, hidden feelings, bad writing (the horror), drinking. mean rafe once again.

words: like 2.5k

also this picture what the fuck I’m in love

I'm coming over.

 Rafe had sent the message ten minutes ago when Lola looked at her phone finally and her heart sank. And it only declined from there as both of them jumped slightly when her front door opened and slammed shut; her name bounced through the house. She looked at the boy in her bed with panic, jumping over him to grab a shirt that fell down to her thighs as she opened her bedroom door to see none other than Rafe Cameron stomping up the stairs and when he noticed her, “where the hell have you been?” 

She frowned, crossing her arms in front of her to try and figure out what his problem was, “I was here.” 

“And you couldn't answer your damned phone?”

Lola sighed deeply, rubbing her temples as she cut off his path to her occupied room, “get out.” she pointed back down the stairs and she swore there was a look of hurt on his face but it was replaced too quickly when there was a slight thud in her room. Lola cringed as rafe’s face was one of confusion, “what was that?”

Panic bubbled over in her chest as he pushed past her, “nothing rafe! It was nothing!” She pawed at his shirt to hold him back but when he opened the door, it certainly didn’t look like nothing. The low laugh that left him made her want to crawl up and die, “nothing lo?” the taunting in his voice as he looked from the half naked boy sitting up in her bed to her in only his shirt stung, “I get it now.”

“rafe-”

“this is why you had to leave last night, to fuck some guy you barely know? And you think I'm the problem? You're just a hypocritical whore-”

Someplace inside her stalled at the words while her mind refused to process them for a moment but Jack stood up, “easy,” he put himself between the two of them and Rafe snorted at the action, “calm the fuck down.” She swayed slightly in shock barely noticing Rafe give her one last look before walking away. Lola jumped when the front door slammed, her chest felt heavy as her eyes watered again. 

Jack pulled her into his chest when her palms went to cover her eyes before her first choked sob shook her shoulders.

She hated Rafe Cameron in this moment.

~

“Lola,” 

She looked anywhere but the blonde boy sitting across from her at the brunch restaurant he took her to, it had been a whole two days since her incident with rafe and still nothing had changed. Radio silence on both of their ends. So she looked up from her untouched plate of strawberry pancakes at last, “Topper,” 

“Whats going on?” he asked lightheartedly enough that she smiled a bit, “having breakfast with my favorite friend,” she grinned back and he only shook his head with a small smile. But it didn’t last long when Topper was involved, “I talked to Rafe.”

“Did you?” she mumbled, stabbing a piece of her food mindlessly. 

“He asked about high school.” Topper spoke as if he was also confused why his best friend had brought it up; to be fair Lola was even surprised Rafe did as she proposed.

“what did you tell him?” she asked looking up again. Topper shrugged, “the truth. He did have a tendency to leave us all behind for whatever girl he was seeing. You always got the worst of it, Lo” She swallowed, looking back down at a loss but Topper filled the silence, “he said you got into a fight too.”

A fight, Lola laughed slightly, “you mean, he stomped into my house and yelled at me? Called me whore?” she leaned back and observed Topper's surprised expression; apparently his best friend left out some details.

The sweet boy in front of her frowned as if angry at his friend. “I didn’t know, Lola. He didn’t tell me that.” She only shook her head and told him it was fine before stabbing a piece of her pancake and plopping it into her mouth. When she swallowed Topper was still staring at her and she sighed, “it’s okay, top. Let’s just enjoy our day.”

~

“this is ridiculous. let’s just go inside,” Sadie whined, looking at the crowded house party. Lola just stared at the house from the street, biting her nails anxiously, “who cares if he’s here! Let's just get shitfaced and forget about him.” 

Lola rolled her eyes finally, “a way with words, Sadie, really.” But nodded finally with a determined sigh, “let's do it.” 

The girls stayed true to their words evidently as Sadie and Lola danced on top of each other in the packed living room, laughing and singing at the top of their lungs.

“Look!” Sadie nodded somewhere behind Lola and when she turned around, there was an attractive dark haired boy watching her. He nodded at her slightly with a smirk when Lola met his eyes; she gasped and turned back around with wide eyes, “Sadie!” 

“Lola!” Her friend laughed, “He’s totally into you. Go talk to him.” 

“I can’t,” she shook her head but couldn’t help the feeling of a thrill that someone wanted her. There was no sign of her usual friends here and it was refreshing to not be watched, Sadie’s eyes softened slightly understanding her hesitation. So she let it go with a shrug, “Lets go get another drink?”

Lola nodded, pushing her hair away from her face and making her way to the kitchen, discreetly stealing seltzers from the fridge with a sign that blatantly said ‘do not enter.’ 

“Can I help you ladies with anything?” The same boy was now leaning against the door frame with a knowing smirk on his lips. Lola swallowed, feeling slightly caught but shook her head with a grin as Sadie popped the tab of her drink as the sound filled the room. 

He was roguishly handsome, his almost black hair slightly falling in his face, “Well, considering this is my house,” he trailed off, looking pointedly at Sadie who choked on her drink and the grin fell right off of Lola’s face.

“Fuck- sorry.” Sadie cringed slightly with a grimace and the boy just burst into laughter as the two girls still stood frozen. 

“Forget it, keep the drinks.” he looked Lola over once more before smiling at Sadie. Both of their cheeks slightly flushed, still confused. And Sadie, ever the loud mouth, “I’ve never seen you before. You said this is your house?” She asked maybe a little too aggressively and he raised his eyebrows at her brashness. Lola hissed her name slightly at the girl, embarrassed, “Sorry,” she sighed. 

He only shrugged, “We just moved here from the mainland.” It made sense, he knew a good amount of people but neither of them had met him before. Both of the girls nodded in understanding before Sadie smiled wide, “Welcome to the island then!” grabbing her stolen drink and walking past him, she clinked her can with his on the way out, leaving Lola alone with him. The wink Sadie sent over her shoulder had Lola burning up as the boy chuckled slightly, “I like her.”

“I’m sure she’d love to hear that.” Lola sipped her drink, anything to take the edge off as he watched her. She had flirted with boys before, hooked up with a few over the years but it had been awhile and to be honest; she had grown comfortable with Jack and her ongoing feud with Rafe.

So she would try, “What's your name? She asked sweetly and he cocked his head slightly, playing with her, “You come to my party and don’t even know my name?” 

She playfully rolled her eyes, “I’m Lola,” The corner of his mouth quirked up, “I know.” She frowned, feeling defensive all of the sudden and it must have displayed on her face because he pushed off the wall and walked fully into the kitchen, “Nothing bad,” He shrugged now right in front of her, “It’s hard not to hear about you when you’re with Cameron.” 

Lola nodded to herself, understanding how people knew her but it made her irrationally irritated in this moment, “I’m not with Rafe.” It might have come out too aggressively because he held up his hands in faux defense and an easy going smile, “That’s not what it looks like,” he shrugged and she grit her teeth.

“I’m. not.”

“Fair enough,” He watched her still and Lola shifted uneasily, “Aiden.”

“What?” her eyebrows furrowed.

He grinned, “My name. Aiden Carter.” 

She had heard of his last name here and there but nothing substantial, obviously his family was very well off just by looking at his house that rivaled her own. 

“Well, Aiden, as riveting as this has been, I'd rather get back to the party.” She copied Sadie on her exit and tapped her can on his with a playful eye roll, “See you around.” She added with a little smile over her shoulder. 

Lola sifted through the crowd until a body slammed into hers with a little squeal in her ear, “Lo! He’s so hot!”

“Jesus christ, Sades.” Lola laughed slightly, steadying the two of them. Sadie only giggled manically before pulling her towards the beer pong table that was set up as Lola groaned, they weren't necessarily bad at it but both of them always ended up belligerently fucked up. They took their drinks more seriously than others, sipping their drinks every time their opponent made a cup; as you should, Sadie always said.

So the two girls were thrown into a new game against two boys they went to school with that seemed to take the actual game way too seriously. And like clockwork, Lola and Sadie lost, stumbling away from the table both leaning against one another. 

“I need to pee!” Sadie spoke in her ear and Lola nodded but then groaned at the line to the downstairs bathroom, “Let's go upstairs.” Lola whispered with a sly smile and a finger over her lips, “Secretly!” Sadie giggled at the slurred words as both girls tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. 

“Third door on the right,” Lola gasped dramatically, turning around on the staircase and almost tumbling back down to see Aiden, “The bathroom.” he nodded, looking slightly concerned but was amused nonetheless. Lola saluted him as if they were on a mission as Sadie tugged them upstairs. 

“He’s nice.” Lola leaned against the sink as Sadie pulled down her skirt with a snort, “Yeah he probably wants to fuck you.” 

“Why wouldn’t he want to fuck you?” Lola cocked an eyebrow as Sadie scoffed but left it alone. Lola sighed, the room beginning to spin as she realized she definitely drank one too many and didn't realize it, “Oh god,” Her hand covered her mouth, Sadie now washing her hands looked at her with knowing concern. 

“Lo,” She murmured, “Just relax.” Her heavyweight best friend rested a hand on her back as Lola tried to breath through the feeling of impending doom as her stomach churned. Sadie only took the hair tie off her own hand and pulled Lola’s hair back in a low bun, “Just tell me what you want me to do. I can call Rafe or Topper or Kelce.” Lola’s head immediately shook back and forth but the movement sent her over the edge as Sadie helped her fall in front of the toilet as she threw up all of the alcohol.

“You’re getting better at this.” Sadie laughed as she tried to lighten the mood and Lola only groaned, leaning back on her heels, a sheen of sweat on her skin now. Lola sighed, still feeling sick, “I miss him.” Her lip wobbled slightly and her friend only sighed, pulling her hair back when she threw up again, “I know.”

Unbeknownst to Sadie, Lola had pulled out her phone and sent scrambled messages to Rafe, Topper, Eve, and Jack. She could barely read herself and just slid the phone back in her pocket before Sadie noticed.

A few moments later, Lola was laying on the cool ground, counting her breaths as Sadie continuously filled up the little paper cups that were in the bathroom with water and handed them to her, “I’m too drunk for this,” A knock at the door make Lola’s head pop up and Sadie turned to the door.

“Is everything okay?” Aiden’s voice sounded from the other side and Lola let out a soft groan as Sadie cracked open the door with a grimace, “I’m sorry,” The boy only pushed past her and they both looked down at Lola who laid a hand over her eyes, “Just kill me now. Leave me here to die.”

“Shut up,” Sadie kicked her leg in annoyance but Aiden just looked at both of them in exasperation, “Is someone coming to get you?” He asked, crossing his arms and Lola groaned again, “Don’t you dare call him, Sade. He hates me!” 

“Oh my god,” Sadie mumbled as she spotted a tear on her friend's cheek. Aiden still stood there and Lola looked up at him, “Can’t we stay here? This house is huge, don't be greedy with your rooms,” Aiden coughed out a slight laugh, “Yeah that’s fine.” He nodded, looking back and forth between the two of them.

“C’mon Lo,” Sadie bent down to help the girl sit up to no avail until Aiden bent down and grabbed her around the waist and over his shoulder. Lola let out a giggle as she saw Sadie upside down as they entered a new room with a huge bed. Her head ached when Aiden dumped her on the bed and she bounced, “Thanks,” She deadpanned rubbing her forehead. Sadie turned to the boy as Lola zoned out again, pulling out her phone to faintly see the messages coming through.

Her messages to Topper included,

Lo: Hi top! we can still be friends without rafe right? i love u

Top: of course, lo. where are you? 

Lo: party party

Top: call me

Lo: no xx

And then Eve who only laughed and asked for pictures. Jack had not responded just yet but her messages to Rafe made her sit up slightly, panic in her chest.

Lo: i miss u even tho you were so mean to me

Lo: are we even speaking? 

Rafe: what’s wrong with you

Her eyes welled up as her drunken mind took it the wrong way,

Lo: i miss you, asshole. 

Rafe: where are you?

Lola stalled as she looked at Sadie and Aiden still talking in the doorway but her phone began to ring in her hands. Her eyes widened as she saw Rafe’s contact pop up. Sadie narrowed her eyes but shrugged, “Answer it.” She pulled Aiden out of the room and closed the door behind her with a wink.

Lola hesitated before putting the phone to her ear, “Hello?” she mumbled, feeling shy all of the sudden. Rafe’s harsh voice boomed through the phone compared to her soft voice-

“Have you been drinking?”

Lola rolled her eyes at the only thing he said, “umm, yes, but-

Rafe cut her off, “Where are you?” the rustling around in the background made her uneasy

“Rafe-”

“What the fuck are you doing there?” He must have looked at her location that they shared with one another, Lola frowned, “Stop yelling at me,”

“I’m not yelling at you.” Rafe huffed and she heard the sound of his car starting, “I’m coming to get you,”

x

LOL so part three is the final part and is written as well. So we’ll see again :)

[hooprompts]

Missed you (Carter and Zia)

Carter rubbed his eyes and tried to focus through his bleary vision. He was attempting to make some last minute adjustments to the training schedule for that day but it was hard to think straight considering he hadn't slept at all.

Zia was returning to Brooklyn House in 10 short hours, and despite Carter's desire to be well-rested when she arrived, he couldn't manage to even doze off. Contrary to what he would tell Sadie later, it wasn't an upset stomach that kept him up all night but the thought of Zia returning.

She had been gone for an entire month on a secret assignment in San Francisco. Apparently there had been some concerning disturbances occuring a little too frequently in that region and Zia being Zia, was best equipped for the job. She seemed excited about the opportunity after being cooped up in Brooklyn House for months. So of course, Carter supported her decision to go wholeheartedly, even if it stung just a little to know how restless she had been. But gods, he missed her so much. He had spent the last month worrying about her and constantly checking his scrying bowl to see if she was trying to contact him. Everytime he did so Sadie would complain about how Zia wasn't even allowed to scry him on this mission but Carter wouldn't listen. Needless to say, Sadie was almost more excited about Zia returning than Zia's own boyfriend. There's nearly nothing Sadie hated more than being ignored and Carter was exceptionally good at it when he was rambling about all the things that could go wrong on Zia's assignment.

At that moment, Sadie popped her head into Carter's room and her smile turned into a grimace. "Gods Carter it smells awful in here, please tell me you're going to clean up a bit before Zia gets back," Sadie closed the door hesitantly behind her and plopped down next to Carter on the floor, ruining a pile of previously crisp papers.

Carter grunted in annoyance and continued to stare purposefully at the half-finished schedule in his lap.

"Hm, good talk. You need a shower," Sadie said matter-of-factly, pulling out a folded up paper from underneath her and examining it curiously.

"As much as I love having my personal hygiene questioned, the training schedule for today isn't finished and Felix will probably be up in less than-"

A crash resonated from below, followed by someone yelling "nothing happened!"

"Ok so he's up now."

Sadie snorted and re-crumpled up the paper in her hand before turning her attention back to her brother.

"What's wrong with what we did yesterday? Everyone did great," Sadie pointed out.

"Exactly, no one was challenged, there was no improvement," Carter said, grabbing a loose paper from the ground and writing clean up whatever Felix broke, in dark lettering.

Sadie rolled her eyes, "now you need two lists? Loosen up dude we don't need to be pushing everyone everyday. Anyway you need to spend today focusing on what to wear for Zia, not getting all sweaty in the training room, do you want her to break up with you?"

"Mmkay Sadie, well unlike you it won't take me 10 hours to take a shower and get ready," Carter retorted, returning to the training schedule and writing something about channeling the eye of Horus.

Sadie raised her eyebrows playfully, "so you're counting down the hours now?"

At that, Carter finally unglued his eyes from the schedule and blushed crimson.

"No I-" Sadie cut him off with her laugh.

"Kidding! Of course you are. But actually though, you need to get changed. Chill on the professor-vibes please? I mean I get that Zia is like, mature, but she doesn't deserve to date someone who dresses like a 50-year-old," Sadie giggled and got to her feet.

"I do not-" Carter began, only to be interrupted again by Sadie.

"We've been over this Carter, stop trying to deny it, just fix it."

"You're the worst," Carter said, standing up beside his sister with papers in hand.

"Aw but you love me," Sadie said playfully, snatching the training schedule out of his hands.

"We'll save this for later," She grinned and left the room before Carter could reply.

Sighing in exasperation, he sat down on his bed and eyed the rumpled covers enviously.

"I'm not that gross," he murmured quietly, tentatively raising his shirt collar to his nose.

"Oof ok, I do need a shower."

Hey, it wasn't his fault he spent sleepless nights pacing.

The day went by rather fast, but it was a lot to handle.

Sadie, of course, had to break her ankle by tripping over one of Felix's penguins the one week Jaz decided to visit some relatives. So of course, Sadie had to let her ankle mend the old-fashioned way. Walt/Anubis (Carter was still confused about that one) took over all of the training assigned to Sadie and, no offense Walt, it was hard to teach channeling your inner Isis when you were actually Anubis. Not to mention the out of control shabti one of the trainees made that destroyed half the library before it was...um...incapacitated. Godlings in this house are very confusing.

Anyway, Carter had managed to eat, shower, and even spend some extra time picking out an outfit that wasnt so..."middle-aged professor", as Sadie termed it.

A good 10 minutes before Zia was supposed to arrive, Carter was feeling clean, fresh, incredibly excited, and gods, so, so exhausted.

Sadie considered him a huge loser for it, but Carter could barely function on 5 hours of sleep let alone 0.

Despite wanting to pass out, Carter sat up on the roof in anticipation of Zia, who was supposed to be arriving on Freak the griffin.

Carter rubbed the palms of his hands off on his jeans, his nervousness probably the main reason he was still awake.

He scanned the skies expectantly, his heart racing at every airplane, helicopter, or bird he saw in the corner of his eye.

Finally, he caught sight of a large, winged figure flying towards him across the Brooklyn skyline.

Jumping to his feet Carter smiled widely and took his anxiety out on wringing his hands.

After what felt like ages, Freak landed on the Brookyln House roof, Zia jumping off his back and landing light on her feet.

For a moment, Carter's world stopped. He breathed in the sight of Zia's caramel skin, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, her dark eyes and the wide smile that graced her pale pink lips.

Carter rushed to meet her and Zia practically tackled him in a hug, her laughter like music to his ears.

Her clothes smelled faintly of cinnamon and her hair of coconut. The feeling of her in his arms made Carter never want to let go. He had missed this so much. Her soft skin on his, the light shine in her hair, the smooth golden hue of her eyes and the tangible passion in her voice. Everything about her was so perfect, Carter couldn't believe he was lucky enough to know her, let alone be her boyfriend.

"Oh gods how I missed your hugs," She giggled into his shoulder. Zia never giggled. Carter had that effect on her. With just a look he made her feel safe and, gods-forbid, giddy. Rarely did she show it, but Carter was the one person who could make her feel this way. Could make her giggle like she was some ditzy preteen. She was still the same independant, confident Zia, Carter just had the ability to make her show all her colors without even trying.

"I'm so happy you're home," Carter said through a smile, squeezing her briefly before finally releasing from the hug. He held her out at barely arms-length and looked at her. He couldn't even begin to describe how overrwhelmingly beautiful she looked it nearly hurt his eyes to stare. Sadie made fun of him for being a hopeless romantic when it came to Zia but there was no denying how true that was when you saw the way he looked at her.

Zia's heart fluttered and she cupped his face in her hands.

"Me too," she said with a smile before finally, finally, kissing him.

When they pulled away, Carter slipped his hand into Zia's. His face was crimson and a goofy smile graced his lips. Zia loved that about him, how he treated every kiss like their first. He was always nervous at first, but he quickly eased into it and made her feel so damn special.

"You wanna say hi to everyone?" Carter asked.

Zia bit her lip and shook her head with a smile. "I just wanna talk to you, I don't think I'm ready for all of them yet."

"Got it," he replied. Honestly he was so happy she had said that because all he wanted to do was talk to and be with just her for as long as he could.

He led her back into Brooklyn House and they stealthily made their way to his room.

Carter closed the door quietly behind them and they sat on the floor with their backs to his bed.

"So, how was was San Fransico?" Carter asked, pulling a blanket off the foot of his bed and draping it across their legs.

"It was..." Zia took a deep breath, "a lot."

"Yeah?" Carter frowned concernedly.

"But let's not talk about that right now, I mean, I'm gonna have to say everything again to Amos when he comes and-"

"No worries, I understand," Carter grinned.

Carter laced his fingers through Zia's and pulled her hand up to his lips.

The two spent the next hour talking about anything and everything, laughing together until their stomachs hurt and somehow always landing back on how much they had missed each other in the excruciating month they'd been apart.

Carter's eyelids gradually became heavier and heavier until each second he was fighting his hardest to keep thm open.

"Zia..." Carter began, "you know I love you super much...and you're so perfect, like, you dont even know." He mumbled, his words almost incoherent.

Zia resisted the urge to laugh at her half-asleep and practically delirious boyfriend. "Ok Carter."

"You're my favorite girlfriend," he said sleepily, his eyes were now closed and his head was drooping dangerously to one side.

"Ok Carter."

"You're so cute."

"Ok Carter."

Carter's breathing deepened and he slumped against the bed, practically passed out in exhaustion.

Zia chuckled and pulled the blanket across his shoulders before getting to her feet.

"You're adorable when you're half-asleep," She murmured, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

~~~~~

Hey so this took me way too long but yeah anyway here’s my first prompt sent in by @val160 hope u like it and I’m sry for the wait!

[sofiahahaaa]

Demigod Delinquents | Pt. 1 | A New Quest

| MASTERLIST |

Summary: Percy and Annabeth’s calm summer together gets interrupted when Chiron calls in with a quest for him.

Rating: Not really anything... I mean– kissing? Fluff? Lots of Percy and Annabeth being in love. You might die of cuteness?

A/N: Okay so big disclaimer– this blog is not, and will not, become a fanfiction blog, but I was reading some fanfiction and I felt inspired to post this story that I’ve been working on for a while now. 

I got the idea for this fanfiction from this post that you may or may not have seen about the trio of guys (Percy, Jason, Leo) where they go on a quest and are undercover in a prison. There’s really no time frame in which this could’ve happened, but we’re going to pretend there was. :p. Otherwise, could be in canon. 

I feel like this goes without saying, but I don’t own any of the Rick Riordan characters or the concept of Camp Half-Blood. You know that... okay. Let's start the story, no?

~~~

Percy’s POV ~

I looked in the mirror, admiring the new outfit Argus had gotten me. Orange jumpsuit, hair messy as ever– and, of course, that grin that everyone said made me look like a criminal. Fitting, for this quest.

Oh yeah, a quest. 

This was a pretty mild quest, just based on the past– you know... saving the world, defeating Kronos and Gaea, all that schist. But it was still a quest, and the boys needed some time alone. Pipes and Annabeth already had their turn, going down to defeat that giant, unleashing Phobos and Deimos. But the war was over, and I had not had any ‘chill time’ with the bros. You could call it bro-withdrawal. (I had to use a thesaurus for withdrawal, but it impressed Annabeth) I mean, sure, it’s a quest, and quests are not typically ‘lax, but I had a feeling this one would, at least for the most part. 

How bad could being a delinquent be? I practically am one… Actually, when I was twelve, my former evil Step-dad, Gabe, made sure to announce it on National TV. 

But he’s dead now. Whoops!

I flicked some dust off of my shoulder. I would be starting college at the end of the summer, so I couldn’t get myself killed or Annabeth would kill me. 

… You get the point. 

Annabeth and I had decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood for the summer, kind of like a break from reality and school. Leo had come back from the dead and everything with Calypso– something I still don’t understand– and Jason was here because he hadn’t started school yet. 

It was only a week ago when I had sent off Magnus Chase, Annabeth’s cuz, to stop Ragnarok. Or rather, the end of the world. Fun! 

He was a weirdo. All this stuff about Norse gods– it gave me a headache. And the fact that the Egyptian gods exist as well– I just couldn’t get my head around it. 

Anyways– I got off-topic. 

Um… oh, right. About a week ago, I got a call from Chiron. I was babysitting Estelle, my adorable, cutie-pie little sister, (half-sister, whatever) since my parents were out of town. They were in Orlando, Florida, having fun at the beach. Paul was excited because he got a bonus and... they totally needed time away from Estelle. Just for a little bit. It was kind of nice to have alone time with my little sister, especially because Annabeth was there, too. 

It was late into the night when Chiron called me about a quest– something about monsters being put into prison, like real people… causing havoc… etc, etc. Pretty basic. He thought that I could go with the boys, Jason and Leo. It was sort of awkward timing because Annabeth was there and I was supposed to be babysitting Estelle, but long story short, I said yes. I hung up and put my phone in my pocket. 

Estelle was napping, so it was silent. 

I kissed Annabeth’s forehead and she rested her head on my shoulder. Annabeth looked up at me. “Who called?” 

“Chiron. It’s a quest." I said. She looked a little pouty.

"It’s supposed to be our vacation.”

"I’m sorry, it’s just a small quest– it won’t take long.” I murmured sheepishly.

“What about Estelle? Don’t you have to babysit her?”

“Oh. Oh yeah… Oh no.” I started freaking out. I hadn’t thought it through. I fished my phone out of my pocket to call Chiron and go back on my plans– but Annabeth touched her hand to mine.

"It’s okay. I’ve got it covered.”

“Really?" I looked at her gratefully and she kissed my cheek. I put my phone back in my pocket, relieved.

“Yeah. Really, Percy.” She smiled up at me, her beautiful gray eyes sparkling. “Let me check on her.” She got up and went to my parents' room, where Estelle was sleeping. 

She came out with a peaceful looking baby and sat next to me. Estelle yawned and Annabeth cooed. She twirled Estelle’s wispy hairs gently and I had to smile. Annabeth would be a great mother. I thought, and then kind of sat in shock. 

“Percy?”

“Huh? What?” She laughed quietly.

“You’re supposed to be the babysitter.”

“Yeah… but... you’re so good with children." I shut my mouth in surprise.

“What?”

“Nothing. Sorry. Nevermind.” I let a small breath out, my throat hitching at the thought of my very own children.

“Here, take her for a moment." I let Annabeth give me Estelle, and she left the room. I couldn’t stop the thought from coming back. Of children. I love them, and Annabeth is so cute with Estelle… 

We could have children. 

The thought startled me. 

I tickled Estelle’s chin. She looked like me– like my mom– but some of her features reminded me of Paul. Her lips were thin and rosy, and drool bubbled out of her mouth. I kissed her forehead. The apartment was silent. 

I thought about Carter and Sadie Kane. I had thought about them a lot, recently. Maybe it was because of the sudden influx of deities that I wish didn’t exist. Greek came first. I got used to it. Then, all of a sudden, bam, my memory is gone and I’m shoved into a Roman reality of the world. And when I finally got used to that, I met Carter and Sadie, two magicians who kept the Egyptian gods in check. And without further warning, I met Magnus, Annabeth’s weird cousin. Now my mind was whirring, and I didn’t understand anything. Sadie… she had also made me think of children, and the thought hadn’t left my head yet. I stroked Estelle’s plump little cheek, hoping that she wouldn’t get involved in the craziness of my world. Maybe she would be immune to the gods like almost all other mortals.

Annabeth returned to the living room with a small package in her hand. It looked hastily wrapped, brown butcher paper crinkled around it in an odd shape, and a simple yellow string tied around it. “What’s in the package?”

“Birthday present,” Annabeth stated. I blushed. Had I forgotten my birthday again? I didn’t think it was already August… Annabeth seemed to read my face. “Don’t worry. It’s early. I just couldn’t wait– and I guess you might be away this year on the quest.” She handed me the package. I bounced Estelle on my knee, my left hand cradling her tiny head, and looked at the package.

To Seaweed Brain

From Annabeth

I love you.

I smiled. Annabeth played with a strand of her hair. I pulled the string, and the paper came loose. Inside of it was… pictures. I smiled wider as I flipped through them. Each one was of either Annabeth, me, or both of us. I wondered how she got so many. “Annabeth…" I gasped as I saw the last picture. It was the picture of her she had sent me, of her in front of the Lincoln Memorial, bandana around her forehead, looking pleased, as if she had designed the place herself. “You found this one?”

"I sent it by email, Seaweed Brain.” She smirked. As a 13-year-old kid, I had kept a picture– this picture, in my binder, to remind me that Camp Half-Blood was real, and not a dream. I wondered if Annabeth knew that. She locked eyes with me, a knowing smile playing at her lips. She probably knew.

“Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome, Perseus Jackson." I wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her. Then my eyes traveled to baby Estelle. She was so peaceful, sleeping there. 

But, as if I had jinxed it, her eyelids fluttered open and she sniffled, starting to cry. “Oh no, what happened, cutie?” Annabeth took Estelle from my arms, leaning against me. Her hair tickled my neck. I snaked my arm over her shoulder, holding her hand, and I put my other arm on Estelle’s belly. Estelle calmed down, her big brown eyes staring up at Annabeth, and I recognized the look. It was the look Annabeth gave my mom. Like another mother. Annabeth had told me. That was so cute, I felt my head throbbing like it was about to explode–

I snapped back to attention as a knock came from the door. “Percy? Let me in! I’ve been knocking for a while… you’re worrying me!" I frowned and rushed to open the door. Annabeth put her hands on her hips. " I came straight from archery. You should’ve been at the sword arena!” She paused, tucking a strand of her hair into her ponytail. She seemed to take in my ensemble. “What took you so long? And what’s with the outfit?” She looked a little disgusted with the fashion choice, to say the least.

"I was daydreaming.” She gave me a Look™. “And the outfit is for the quest. I think I look pretty awesome.”

"I don’t.” I moved to kiss her, but she planted her hand on my face. “Not in that outfit, Seaweed Brain.” I laughed and backed away playfully.

“Why’d you come?”

"I guess to see you off before you go on that quest… but maybe also to make sure you don’t get any ideas on the quest.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Like staying, you weirdo.” She kissed me softly. I pulled away, raising an eyebrow.

“What, you’re not proud of the essence I have? I’m practically a natural delinquent, don’t you think?”

“No. I don't.” She tugged on my collar. I gave up. I wanted to pick her up and tickle her, but I knew she would not appreciate that. She looked at me pointedly. I glanced at her, making sure not to catch her eye, and ran a hand through my hair. "I don’t think I want to know what’s going through your mind right now, Perseus Jackson.”

“Probably not.”

“Oh?” She teased. I tried to change the topic.

“Where’s Pipes?" I said with a moment of hesitation.

“Oh, she’s doing some serious renovation to the Aphrodite Cabin.” Annabeth scrunched up her nose. It made her look cuter if that was possible. I chuckled.

“What, trying to remove the permanent glitter Drew let loose while she was a counselor?" I tried to snake my arm around her waist, but she grabbed my arm. “Alright, fine.” I raised my hands over my head in submission. Annabeth pushed my shoulder and walked past me into my cabin, sitting down on my bed.

“That wasn’t as funny as you tried to make it. Don’t push yourself." I rolled my eyes. She pretended not to notice me, and instead eyed my untidy and unkempt room. “When was the last time you cleaned?” She asked, already starting to clean.

“Erm… about two weeks ago.”

“Disgusting. I don't understand how you can do this to yourself. And your cabin is so dark. When is Tyson visiting?”

“Come on, Annabeth. I’ll be leaving for the quest in…" I checked my watch. “Two hours. Tyson will visit sometime.” Annabeth glared at me. “And it’s not that dark.”

“You couldn’t even possibly read in here.”

"I don’t read.” She rolled her eyes, but a smile might’ve tugged at the corner of her mouth. The smile disappeared when she looked at the floor. Annabeth picked up a dirty pair of boxer shorts with one finger, holding her nose.

“Really?”

“Sorry, that was a mistake. I didn't remember those were there." I blushed.

“Uh-huh. Yuck.” She dropped them in the laundry pile, gagging audibly. “You are going to clean your room before you leave.” She commanded, and I looked at her, trying to do the puppy eyes. “Not going to work, Percy." I tried a different approach. I kissed her on the temple and then moved to kiss her on the mouth. She sighed and gave in, but when she pulled away, she still looked like she meant business.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Thank you.” She shut the door behind her, and I sat on my bed. I hadn't gone on a quest without Annabeth in ages, but I was a little excited, too. Like maybe she could use a break from me, too. I knew I would miss her, but then again, I wanted her to have free time. And Estelle. She would get to be with Estelle. Maybe it wasn’t so bad.

I started by opening the shades to windows I forgot existed. My cabin was pretty outdated, built a century or two ago, and the all-blue walls made Annabeth cringe, but I still thought it was homey. 

The floor had been replaced by Tyson– once ugly faux-tiles, Tyson had gone hay while I was gone and replaced it with dark, hardwood flooring. I couldn't see the floor right now, due to the trash littering it, but it was beautiful when it showed. 

The light flooding from the newfound windows made the cabin brighter than I thought possible, especially since there were no light fixtures besides my reading lamp in the whole room. (I did mention that it was built two centuries ago, right? So no fixtures. And not many people had occupied it since, so there had never been a change.)

I started to pick up candy wrappers and dirty clothing. Annabeth was right. These were not great living conditions. The difference was that I didn’t live with anyone, and therefore had no one to complain. (Besides Annabeth, but she didn’t technically live with me.) 

I made my bed and put all of the dirty laundry (a lot) into a big bag. Maybe I could take it to the communal laundromat. I hadn’t cleaned my laundry since I got here three or four weeks ago. 

I took a broom out from a small closet in the back of the cabin. Finally, when the trash had been cleared, you could see the floor. And the cabin looked nice– like it did when I arrived at camp. 

Every time Tyson came to camp, he would spruce up the cabin just a little bit more. Rainbows reflected off of the hippocampi dangling from the ceiling.

A new fixture on the wall was now noticeable, thanks to the light flooding through the windows. I hadn’t noticed it before.

A scene made of metal showed the Argo II, swooping through the sky. I noticed a knob on the far side of the piece. When I turned it, the oars on the Argo II rotated slowly, and the birds flew through the sky. It was beautiful.

I was really impressed with what Tyson had been working on. One of his prized swords hung over his bed, glittering, and the fountain had been fixed. (I had destroyed it a while ago, but that’s another story.) My cabin actually looked partially habitable. 

Yay! 

I moved to where my desk was and looked up to the pictures on the wall. I lightly touched the one of Annabeth and I, laughing in a canoe on the Canoe Lake. 

I shook my shoulders, loosening up, and walked outside.

I passed by some people on my way to the tree– Calypso was upset again, claiming she hadn’t come to the real world to hear about a stupid nymphs’ problems and not get paid. She was ranting to Piper especially, who just sat and listened– a trait of Pipers’ I appreciated myself. 

“Hey Lester!" I said to Apollo. (Who was in mortal form, thanks to Zeus) He scowled at me, trying to look intimidating, but it looked more like he was trying not to cry with his new pimply, no longer chiseled face. He had not yet mastered facial expressions. I felt a twinge of guilt. But only a twinge. "I’m sorry, I meant Apollo." I tried not to laugh.

“Bah.” He walked away, annoyed. Nyssa came out of the woods looking baffled. I decided not to get involved. Lou Ellen was cursing at a statue, for a reason unknown to me. Leo was nowhere to be seen, and the same for Jason. I wondered if they were already at the tree, waiting for the no-show. With that thought, I picked up my pace and ran to the top of Half-Blood Hill.

~~~

A/N: Oh dude I hope everyone likes the story... I’ll admit the wording feels a bit rushed and all over the place, but I hope it gets better! I’m going to upload the second part like... right now. :) I know I said this wouldn’t turn into a fanfiction blog, but please send me asks if you want to see something specific written. AHHH! Love y’all.

edit: grammar and sPeLLing

[donewithdisworld]

Day 11 - Whump

The soft beeps of Sadie’s heart monitor soothed Carter. In the past, he would’ve thought they would simply build his anxiety, but right now? They were what told him that his baby sister was still alive. That she wasn’t gone.

“She was so beautiful on that stage,” murmured Horus into Carter’s hair as he stared at the surprisingly small woman that he had watched give the best damn speech before she was shot.

“So proud of her,” agreed Percy with his hand on Carter’s back.

“Have the police said anything?” asked Nico, walking in with a vase of blue flowers.

Walt snorted. “Like they would tell us anything?”

And wasn't that the painful truth.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he forced himself to not think about what happened. How he almost lost his baby sister from a police officer thinking she was part of the group who was attacking the rally.

“...I’ll be right back,” said Carter, barely a whisper. He didn’t want to be louder than the heart monitor. He had to make sure he heard it. As he pulled out of Horus’ arms, he squeezed his boyfriend’s hand when Horus didn’t release him immediately.

Once he was out of the room, he walked toward the waiting area where he saw other families getting debriefed by the police.

Not a single officer near Sadie's room.

“Excuse me, sir?” he asked walking closer to an officer.

“Just a second.”

Carter waited until the officer finished speaking to the family, definitely regarding the same situation that had gotten Sadie shot. Five minutes later, the officer finally turned and addressed Carter.

“Can I help you, sir.”

“My baby sister, she’s down that hall, having been shot at today’s rally,” said Carter evenly, not out right stating that it had been an officer who shot her. He heard a few people around them gasp and another whimper, no doubt traumatized.

“I’m sorry to hear-

“Are you?” he interrupted. “One of your Boys in Blue shot her." Despite not wanting to talk about it, he couldn't help it. He didn't want false condolences or insincere words. He wanted answers. "Now, please. Please help me understand why she was shot when she did nothing? Help me understand why she was in the complete opposite direction than your supposed subjects that she was shot. The woman who had just given a speech in honor of the very rally we were celebrating?”

“Sir-

“Don’t interrupt me,” Carter spoke sternly, ignoring that Horus was at his back, a restraining hand on Carter’s chest. “My baby sister is in a fucking coma because you people are so fucking prejudiced.”

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to desist, or you will be arrested,” spoke the officer, taking a few steps back, one hand held forward and another resting on the gun on his hip.

“Arrest me? Don't you mean 'shoot me'?" he said almost hysterically. He'd already forgotten about those around them, not giving heir reactions to his words any thought. "Is my grief scaring you?” he continued as his tears began to fall unchecked. “Does my grief make you want to shoot me, too? Does it look like I’m going to endanger your life? It’s not my grief that you should be worried about. But the anger- the rage. The very rage that we’ve been forced to contain because we fear for our safety. You have taken our anger away from us. And now you want to take our grief? ”

Carter sobbed brokenly as all the strength in his legs left him.

“Shit!” cursed Horus, going down with Carter. He may not have been prepared for it, but he was quick to hold Carter close. “I got you, Carter. Cry, baby. I got you.”

[jflashandclash]

Traitors of Olympus IV: The Fall of the Sun

Twenty: Sadie

Distracting Gods 101

             The god, Set, took a step toward us.

           I had several choice words that I wanted to share with Carter’s and my old frienemy. Unfortunately, all I could do was go “MMMM!” and feel far more sympathetic to mummies than anyone ever should feel, Egyptian or otherwise. I squirmed in my wrapping but I knew it was useless.

           “Oh, I do suppose you’d like your mouth back, wouldn’t you?” Set asked in that uncomfortable double voice. Set—or really, the boy that Set was possessing—smiled wickedly as his dark eyes shared a knowing look with Leo. “She’s such an amusing chatter.”

           I appreciated that Leo attacked Set instead of agreeing with him. I didn’t appreciate that the demigod must have forgotten everything I told him on the flight over: Leo held a hand up and blasted a stream of fire at the god of disorder and storms that could control fire.

           As the flames enveloped the leather vest and burgundy dress shirt, Set laughed. “Oh, that tickles!”

           In retaliation, Set did something I wasn’t expecting. He bit his Egyptian battleaxe. A trickle of blood dripped down the boy’s chin as he spit the concoction of body fluids at the stream of flames. Gross and, I thought, ineffective.

           “K’aak’t; Elel chi’bal!” the first, high-pitched voice of the boy hissed.[1]

           My ears popped, like I was in Ra’s sun boat when it decided to take a nosedive off a waterfall.

           The flames touching Set rippled from orange to a vibrant, whirling turquoise. The effect started to spread—well—like a wild fire, infecting Leo’s flame until the attack reversed course and overtook Leo’s hand.

           Leo shrieked, his eyes widening with panic and disbelief. He dropped the sledgehammer in his other hand and slapped at his arm. “Ay! Oh—ow! Ow! Oh! Fire hot!”

           That wasn’t a standard Set move. And trust me, I knew Set, down to his secret name.

           I rolled my eyes. If I wasn’t in these blasted wrappings, I would have pat Leo’s back and said, “Ah, yes, fire is hot.”

           But then, I remembered why Leo had come: he was fireproof. Leo’s next comment drove the point home. “This is what burning feels like!?!” he yelped.

           “Nicely done, little Lapis,” Set bellowed with laughter.

           Lapis must have been the name of Set’s host body. Anytime Isis took over my head, we communicated through our weird mental bond, like polite members of society. Leave it to Set to be bombastic about it.

           From my memory of our homicidal enemy, he wasn’t the type to let a host talk, let alone compliment them sincerely. Uncle Amos was the most powerful magician in the world and he still struggled to control Set when they shared power.

           “Dude, not cool on the weird fire,” Leo said, glaring fiercely and nursing the scorch marks on his hand. “How did you burn me? The only flames that can burn Admiral Leo are the flames of love.”

           I wanted to ask Set the same question—about the flames, not about his love life—but all I could do was go “MMMM!” still and do my best attempts at the worm dance move.

           Despite discovering a new weakness, I had to give Leo some credit: his eyes were scanning our surroundings like he was examining the blueprints of a car, looking for something to help us.

           From what I understood of Leo’s powers, he needed to be near machinery to be properly useful. He had the tools in his belt, but there weren’t a lot of machines around. Meanwhile, as Leo had summed up from my lecture on the flight over, the desert was like a Cookie Mart of Evil for jerks like Set. If it came down to a Leo versus Set fight, Set was in his element.

           “Oh.” Set waved a hand. “As I learned from some of the other gods that played with Sadie’s friends, you can become much more versatile when you intermix and play nice with others. I may not fully understand the methods for illusion and alteration, but Lapis is quite the Mayan sorceress.”

           His face contorted into a scowl and his posture altered to shift his weight onto one foot. “Sorcerer, you over-inflated ball of hot air!” the boy snarled to himself.  

           This god-to-host-chat was weird and complicated to follow.

           Leo glanced down at me for answers. As my most valuable skill had been taken away from me—my ability to be a brilliant orator—I furiously nodded towards Set, wishing Leo and I had some telepathic link to chat.

           From Leo’s immediate understanding, he must have fought plenty of big-and-tough guys before. Or actually had telepathy.

           “Sadie said you’re supposed to be in the Duat!” Leo protested. He understood: when in doubt, keep the arrogant megalomaniacs talking.

           Lapis’ weight shifted back to two feet to indicate Set had regained control. His vocalpitch dropped. “A god of chaos ignoring the rules? Tsk, Sadie Kane.” Those darks eyes peered down at me with amusement. “I thought we were closer than that. You know there is so much fun to be had in the mortal world.”      

           Something seemed off. The thick rings of charcoal around the boy’s eyes and the wild wideness of them, as though startled, reminded me of someone, and not Set.

           I’ve made a lot of people miffed in my life—I’m quite skilled at it actually—and I found myself wondering where I knew this young magician from. Set had said, “Long time no see.” Maybe that wasn’t just Set talking.

           “What are you doing here?” Leo asked. “A god of deserts and storms in a desert without a storm, beating up tiny demigods. Sounds suspicious.”

           Set belted out a boisterous laugh. “I would never miss one of Eris’s parties! Oh, does that Greek know how to party!” He twirled the Egyptian battle axe in one hand like a staff and pointed it at the unfortunate pile of rocks nearby. “I heard we’re going to execrate a goddess of day and I’ll get to feed off her dying powers. I do love a good picnic on a nice day.”

           “You hid Hemera in Camel Dung Mountain?” Leo asked.

           Either Leo was going to keep surprising me with how much we thought alike, or he really was telepathic. Considering how often I thought about Walt playing basketball shirtless, I was uncomfortable with the latter possibility.

           Set folded his arms and pouted. “It does not look like that.”

           “It really does,” Leo countered.

           “It’s a beautiful desert feature.”

           “Of camel dung.”

           Set glanced down at me again. “Really, Sadie, your friends are so rude. Let’s give you one chance to speak up for them, and if you go to cast a spell, I’ll spill sand into your lungs so fast, you won’t be able to say the word, ‘asphyxiate.’”

           To my surprise, he snapped his fingers. The wrappings shrank away from my mouth. It took every milliliter of my willpower to avoid saying something about camel dung. Instead, I said, “Lapis! Set is using you. He always uses people and will take full control of their bodies at the first chance. Fight him!”

           A devilish half-smile slid onto Set’s countenance. In a two-toned voice, they said, “What makes you think I can’t be a team player?”

           “Um, because you’re Set, god of evil and rockin’ red reaping and white pawn-eating. Remember the whole ‘I don’t do second-in-command’ thing you said to Menshikov?” I said, though my voice seemed to be losing conviction. Funny when that happens.

           Set waved his hand.

           The boy shifted his weight back onto one foot, signaling Lapis was in control. He glared with those terrifying, startled eyes. “Arrogant, rule-poppin’ Kanes think only your stupid family and initiates can come to equilibrium with a god. I mean, Holy Hun-Batz, how many times did that lie-mongering snake, Isis, tempt you to backstab the Sun God and put your brother and Horus on the throne? You don’t think she’d try to take over if she thought she could?”  

           I was rather offended. My initiates may have followed Ma’at and order, but we were quite a mischievous bunch and I wanted to defend our willingness to break rules, not “pop” them like Tic Tacs. Well, except Carter. [Sorry, my dear brother, you’re quite hopeless in the rule-breaking department.]

           On account of Isis, I couldn’t do much to defend her. She, ehem, wasn’t always the most loyal to Ra, having once poisoned him and all that.

           “See?” this time, Set spoke. “I’m rather fond of this little Pax child. Lapis occasionally lets me filet people. A much more enjoyable host than your Uncle Amos.”

           Lapis’ voice resurfaced, fluidly slipping away from Set. I was quite appalled. No one could get along with the god of evil so well and not be evil themselves. “And I had real reason to be here, before that double-crossing Ajaxamamma neglected to protect Tuft Ears or Ajaxapax against Ares.” Lapis kicked at the ground in anger. A mini swirl of red sand whirled up from his foot and spiraled away in a tiny dust storm. If any ants were about, they would surely need to sound the alarm for a tornado warning.  

           “This is getting confusing. Can you please stop with the voice alteration and the nicknames?” Leo asked.

           Lapis scowled down as though he hadn’t heard him. “I just want the Paxes to stick together and maybe kill that tree-romping hippie, Euna. Now, Tuft Ears and Ajaxapax are fucked up and my littlest brother, Dart Face, is well on his way to becoming a sociopathic baby killer.”

           “Yea, you’re setting a great example for him,” Leo said. He took a small step towards my cocoon. I wondered if he had some kind of mythical blowtorch that could cut me out of here without making a roasted Sadie dog.

           Lapis half-heartedly pointed his crossbow at my cocoon and said, “I wanted to meet the stupid person whose cursed, dead-boy boyfriend killed my mom, but Ms. Kane Swaddles is a bit underwhelming in person.”

           To be clear, I am quite impressive, but presentation is a bit difficult when you’re rolled up like a burrito.  

           But, dead-boy boyfriend? That was clearly in reference to Walt and Anubis, unless there were a lot of other dead-boy boyfriends running around. [Jack wanted me to clarify that I was not talking about a bloke named Nico Di Angelo. Apparently the Greeks do have their own supply.]

           “Your mum?” I asked, baffled.

            Lapis’ startled eyes fell onto me. Looking more exhausted than angry, he said, “Sarah Jacobi.”  

           For an instant, I didn’t understand. Lapis’ skin was chocolaty, so much that I would think him a pale African or a tanned islander. To my disgust, I realized my moment of hesitation was the same one people experienced when they saw me with my Dad and brother, because I was so pale and my brother and father were so dark. All those times people thought I couldn’t be related to them. And here I was. I had no idea what her father looked like, but, just because Sarah Jacobi’s skin was milky pale didn’t mean that wasn’t this boy’s mother.

           Shame choked me.

           During the battle in the First Nome, Walt had mummified Jacobi while she was alive and dragged her into the Underworld. But Jacobi had a child? Someone had loved that schizophrenic Wicked Witch of the West enough to have a baby with her?

           Jacobi would have killed me if Walt hadn’t stopped her, but knowing we’d left someone motherless, like I had been motherless, didn’t settle well in my stomach.

           Lapis’ startling eyes were just like hers and I could almost hear Jacobi’s laugh, like metal scrapping through sand. Try to imagine that as a lullaby. No wonder Lapis was a bit mental.

           “Yep,” Leo said, “That’s another name that means nothing to me.” He sidestepped close enough that he could have nudged me with his foot.

           “Sorry,” I said, suddenly unsure of what to say.

           Lapis didn’t look mad at me. Just frustrated with the situation. Although I didn’t know much about it, from what he was saying and what I had gathered from Leo and Jason, he and his siblings lost a lot in the last few months. Weirdly, I found myself feeling sorry for this crazy bloke.

           “You know, rule-poppers—“

           “I am NOT a rule-popper!” I snapped, unable to take that slander any longer.

           “—I don’t even care about this Hemera or any of Eris’ stupid ‘not’ plans anymore,” Lapis muttered, almost to himself. His gaze peered through me, and I had a feeling he wasn’t peeking into the Duat.

           “Then maybe you could not try to kill us, Desert Dude?” Leo suggested. He was right beside me now, two fingers in his toolbelt, hopefully looking for a magical jigsaw to get me out of these stupid restraints.

           Lapis’ expression went blank. He studied us.

           Gods of Egypt, could something that simple have actually worked?

           Then Set took back over. “I have a splendid alternative. See, Lapis did promise I’d get a chance at eating the power of a primordial goddess.” He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s have a fun little gamble. If you can survive me for five minutes and get Hemera, then—ta da!—you win. We’ll even get you a ride to the closest active portal.”

           “Do we need that?” Leo asked, glanced down at me.

           “Em… I may have forgotten to mention that portals have a twelve hour cool down period,” I admitted, a minor overlook. Though there must have been another portal somewhere nearby. Everyone was so obsessed with Egyptian artifacts, I never worried about there being an obelisk or pyramid in proximity, even if it was just an oddly shaped ice cream truck.

           “And if we lose?” I asked.

           “Why, I get to rip you limb-from-limb of course,” Set said with a good-natured laugh. “Lapis can execrate Hemera and I’ll get to feed off her power as the goddess fades to nothing.”

           “So, you’ll try to dismember us either way?” Leo asked.

           “Exactly!” Set exclaimed.

           Leo knelt down beside me.  The wind kicked up sand around us, like a storm was approaching. I had an uncomfortable feeling that Leo and I would not be able to stall much longer.

           “You know why you Egyptian gods are just like Greek ones?” Leo asked, the Latino elf’s face crunching into a grin.

           Set smirked, putting his hands on his hips. He licked his lips, like he was considering switching Leo’s and my head like the tops of canopic jars. “We both have gambling problems?”

           Leo’s grin turned smug.

           “You both like to talk too much.”

           By now, the wind was whipping Leo’s hair all about his eyes and kicking sand into my nostrils. I assumed Set was getting ready to obliterate us, but Leo must have known what was about to happen instead.

           A tornado blasted horizontally through the broken section of the iron fence. Had I been a mortal, I might have thought it hit Set. Instead, through the swirls of dust and sand, I could see Jason Grace propelled at the end. His fist slugged Set’s face.

           Set flew backwards, knocking another hole through the iron fence on the other side. A whirl of red sand followed him. The crossbow clattered away. He skidded to a stop with one knee in the sand, the other leg posed to rise. From the expression, I guessed Lapis was the one glaring at Jason’s hovering form.

           Lapis wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. He smirked. “You’re mine, Pretty Boy.”

           The red sand around him thickened, until there was a swirling vortex of desert, debris, red sparks, and smatters of flame encasing the magician: Set’s combat avatar. Although I could barely make out the image of Lapis’s hands, he twirled the Egyptian battle axe around him.

           “Go get Hemera,” Jason ordered, scowling.

           The son of Jupiter didn’t have to tell us twice.

           Leo scrambled to heft me up into his arms as Set’s spitting red storm thundered into Jason’s white tornado.

 Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed! :D

 Footnote:

[1] “Roast the fire; burn with pain.”

[nessaiscute]

No one asked for this but.... Evil! Zia

One day Carter goes shopping and gets killed by a racist cop

Everyone takes it really hard

Sadie dosn’t know what to do with herself

Zia goes missing the day after she hears the news

Sadie tries to find her to no avail 

Walt/Anubis comfort Sadie as best they can and do really well eventually

they have a funeral and name their child Carter Kane II

Years pass

They still haven’t found Zia

Sadie worries what happened to her

Then on Sadie’s child’s fifth birthday 

an explosion destroyed   a police station and a figure was seen running away from the scene

Sadie refuses to believe that was Zia

she wouldn’t do that..

would she?

After that monsters start forming up and start devouring Mortals.

Mortals related to the cop that killed Carter

The cop by now has become the police chief

he orders a full investgation

he accuses Sadie of the crimes

but the mayor forces him to go into other avenues as they tracked her and know she didn’t do it

Sadie vows to look for Zia

She needs answers

then...

Sadie has a vison of Zia and Set

Set of all things

Zia is trying to bring back Set

the same god that ruined Carter and Sadie’s life

Sadie won’t rest till she finds Zia

She needs to answer for this

It dosn’t take long to find her

the masked figure is dragging the daughter of the police chief into a sacrificial pit 

“ZIA!” Sadie calls out.

The mask figure takes off her mask to reveal what Sadie already knew

“Sadie..... Im shocked you found out so soon” Zia mumbles

“What are you doing??” Sadie cried out, “You’re bringing back Set! Don’t know you know he did?”

“What he did??” Zia snapped, “Like what that cop did to Carter?! The same cop you’re now protecting as the chief of police!”

“But Carter-”

“DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME WHAT CARTER WOULD WANT!!” Zia roared, “Everyone.... will burn for what has happened. Blood can only be repaid with blood.”

Zia then grabs the daughter, “And I’ll keep the blood going with this parasite..”

Sadie fired a blast of magic that separated the two and the girl runs away crying

“Why are you... stopping me??” Zia cried out.

“Cause this isn’t the way. You want blood then go after the chief, its not like you to drag innocents.”

Zia’s eyes then flint murderously, “innocents?? They watched! They let it happen! If i can’t have the blood of that chief I’ll have the blood of everyone thats ever helped him commit that act!”

Sadie and Zia then fired magic at each other over and over

the forest itself bent to the will of their power

Zia was forced to retreat 

two years later and nothing came of it

until.....

an explosion erupted from the police chief’s home killing everyone in the house 

Zia finally got her blood.

Set was revived and terror reined though out the world 

Sadie and Walt/Anubis ran away from it all

The people cried to the gods for a savior

a call that was wasted.

Sadie could no longer hide

She went to find Set and Zia

by this point something changed in Zia

she looked weak and fragile 

“Has Set been using you as a host?” Sadie growled.

Zia then fell to her knees, “Finish it....”

Sadie’s eyes widened.

“What happened to you? You look.... almost dead.”

Set then approached, “Zia has lost her will. Killing her husband’s killer has earned her the hatred of the one she wanted to avenge. Carter now.... despises her. His ghost has even attacked her.”

“Bullshit.” Sadie snapped, “Carter would never lay a hand on her.”

“Death can change people, and now...”

Set ran Zia though, Sadie felt time slow down as Zia’s body was thrown at Sadie’s feet. Sadie laid Zia’s head on her lap.

“Why Zia.... why didn’t you come to me? I.... I had just a rough of time as you.”

“We aren’t the same Sadie.... My moon was gone. I.... i wanted blood. I couldn’t rest till i had blood. and now..... My moon...... won’t speak to me.”

Sadie felt the tears rushing down her face, “you tell him to forgive you or im coming up to kick his ass!!”

Suddenly the moon shined its light on the two off them

“The.. moon?” Sadie gasped

“Beautiful.....” Zia commented and she reached her hand to the light, the blood dripping off her fingers.

Sadie saw two spirt hands pull Zia up. 

Carter had forgiven her.

When Zia’s spirt passed into the moon they both gazed at each other awkwardly

“I.... I’m sorry! I....can understand if you can’t forgive me! I can understand if you want me to stay away and I can-”

“Zia?”

“Yes?” Carter then kissed his girlfriend’s lips just like she to him did all those years ago, “Shut up.”

[reynahc-blog]

my contribution to arellashid

- Reyna and Zia meet for the first time by accident on the NY subway

- They’re both just coming off of individual quests. Zia used a whole bunch of her fire magic to fight off a minor god, and she’s exhausted now, can barely see straight, is just trying to get back to Brooklyn House. Reyna just got out of some underground shit in the Labyrinth, and she’s lowkey hella sleep deprived & covered in dirt; she’s taking the subway back to a rendezvous with Frank or someone before they fly home to San Francisco

- It’s like 11:00 pm or some shit and it’s in that stage where everyone on the subway car is just trying to get home and the lights look kinda funky for no explainable reason and things feel just a bit unreal

- They’re sitting a few seats away from each other, not even noticing each other, just minding their own business

- But then some dude decides to go mess with Zia because he’s a creep and she looks like she’s drunk

- Really she’s just woozy from using so much magic, but the result is the same; she’s sitting and holding her head and trying not to vomit, and then here comes this guy to sit in the seat right next to her (which he doesn’t need to do, plenty of others are open) and make kissy noises and ask for her number, and usually she would fuckin blast him rather than put up with this, but she’s just fought off a god and she can barely keep her eyes open

- He keeps sitting there, boxing her in (cuz she’s got the corner seat) and not leaving her alone, getting bolder, acting more and more aggressive; she’s furious and humiliated and scared, and furious at herself for being scared, and it seems like everyone else in the car is just ignoring it, just doesn’t want to intervene

- But then some girl from a few seats over goes, “Dude, you dropped your wallet”

- It’s this really tired-looking chick in a purple hoodie, and she’s pointing to a spot just out of sight, like around a little corner

The dude gets up to go look for it, and while he’s doing that, Purple Hoodie Girl picks herself up and moves over and plops down right where he was sitting, next to Zia. Zia gives her a surprised sideways look, but the girl’s already leaned back and closed her eyes, like she plans to take a nap. She’s got dark brown skin, bags under her eyes, a bit of dirt in her hair, a tattoo on her forearm; she looks tough, and she also looks like she’s been in a fight recently. Meanwhile, the dude realizes his wallet’s been in his pocket the whole time, comes angrily back, “you took my spot!”

- Purple Hoodie Girl opens one eye and points at her own old seat. “There’s another one right there.”

- Dude gets angry and tells her to move, uses some language he shouldn’t, sticks a hand in his pocket - Zia tenses up without meaning to, wonders whether she can summon just one more fireball if things get ugly ...

- But then Purple Hoodie Girl opens both eyes and gives the guy the longest, blankest, most menacing stare you can imagine, and stands slowly up, and looks down at him. She’s taller. The guy freezes, and after a few seconds of tense eye contact, he seems to shrink a little. Quietly now, he goes and sits down elsewhere

- Purple Hoodie Girl sits back down like nothing even happened. She glances at Zia and mutters just a “you okay”

- Zia nods (even tho it makes her nauseous) “yeah, you?”

- “Oh, sure.”

- Purple Hoodie Girl proceeds to kind-of nap for a bit, while Zia slowly recovers her strength. Eventually Purple Hoodie Girl wakes up and starts digging through her pockets, looking for something; eventually she turns up some kind of empty food wrapper and just sits, looking at it sadly

- Zia remembers she’s got a Pop Tart in her bag, pulls it out and offers it to the other girl, gets declined

- “Dude, you might as well, I’m too nauseous right now to eat anything and I don’t like strawberry”

- “Thanks,” Purple Hoodie Girl says finally, taking it, acting reluctant but then basically wolfing it down

- exhausted greetings - “I’m Zia.” “Reyna.” “Thanks for - y’know.” “No problem. Thanks to you too.”

- Someone at the end of the car who is actually drunk starts yelling shit about immigrants or sth, and both of them just like sigh as one

- Zia pulls out some headphones to block out the bullshit, and on impulse hands one earbud to Reyna; the other girl takes it. Zia kinda nervously puts on some of her music - it’s mostly Sadie’s music, really; Zia never had much time to cultivate a musical taste of her own at the First Nome, so she just listens to the playlists Sadie makes for her - but to her relief, the first song makes Reyna grin a little, like she recognizes it. For the next several stops, they both just block everything out and listen to Zia’s music

- Then it’s Zia’s stop, and when she gets up, Reyna takes one look at the guy from earlier - who’s been glowering at them the whole time - and gets up with her. It’s close enough to her own stop. They leave the car together, not saying anything, just tired understanding. The guy isn’t stupid enough to follow.

- Outside the station - “You got a way to get home?”

- “Yeah. You too?”

- “Yeah.”

- “Take care, Reyna.”

- “You too, Zia.”

- Both of them think about asking for the other’s number, but are too exhausted to follow through. Besides, they’re probably never going to see this girl again, anyway. Each of them takes off thinking that they’ve just met an exceptionally cool mortal, and feeling a little angry that their respective demogodly/magicianly lives leave no time to explore a relationship like that

- They both go back to their hardass jobs and don’t see each other for several months, don’t think about each other except to wonder occasionally whether that one girl they met on the subway is doing ok

- But then finally Annabeth decides that it’s time for the Egyptians and the Romans to meet, and to know about each other. She’s a little wary about how it’ll start out, since there was the whole Egypt/Rome debacle back in Cleopatra times (way more potential for conflict there than there ever was for Romans and Greeks tbh but whatever @ Rick I’ll keep my mouth shut) but she thinks she can introduce them to each other in a way that won’t start a war

- Her biggest worry honestly is that maybe Reyna and Zia will clash, because they’re both strong personalities who don’t trust easily

- She arranges a meeting between Reyna & Frank and Carter, Sadie, Zia & Walt. She’s really on edge leading up to it, wondering how this will go down, getting ready with some fire extinguishers and that kind of shit; but as it turns out, she need not have worried. They all meet and get along just fine, even Reyna and Zia. In fact, Reyna and Zia both start grinning the moment they see each other, and the way they greet each other makes them sound almost like old friends ...

- (They’ve both got good enough poker faces that they don’t let on too much about having met before; they go through the whole diplomatic meeting and learn about the other camps and do their jobs)

- (But Annabeth is watching Reyna’s face, and she can tell her friend is smiling more than she usually would for something like this ... and Sadie likewise can tell that Zia’s a little distracted ...)

- Afterward they go up to each other and try to act casual, but they’re both secretly really pleased to see the other again - and they also both know a few things by now about fate. The odds that they would have met before are really slim, but they did ... and it looks like they will be seeing each other again, neither of them being quite as ordinary as they had originally believed ...

- And gee, wow, I guess it’s necessary to ask for your number, since our camps will have to be in contact in the future, damn what a hassle ...

- (Annabeth and Sadie are already in the background talking like “Do they ...? Is Reyna flirting ...? I’ve never seen her flirt before ... wow ... holy shit they just exchanged numbers ... This meeting went so much better than I could have expected, amazing, I’m a genius, see you at the wedding Kane”)

- years of lesbian asskickery ensue

[dailykanechronicles]

The Serpent's Shadow, Ch. 20 'I take a Chair'

This is the Shadow Execration quote right there in terms of what it does to someone it hits, it is agreeably a far more powerful version of the Execration spell with near-identical means of casting and far greater consequences for failure, you can put it on a Read More if you want.

I’m surprised the Wikia isn’t doing this either, this quote right there will help change their minds perhaps.

‘C A R T E R

20. I Take a Chair

LIKE I SAID, I’M NOT GOOD WITH INCANTATIONS.

Doing one right requires unbroken concentration, correct pronunciation, and perfect timing. Otherwise you’re liable to destroy yourself and everyone within ten feet, or turn yourself into some form of marsupial.

Trying to cast a spell with someone else—that’s doubly hard.

Sure, Sadie and I had studied the words, but it’s not like we could actually do the execration in advance. With a spell like that, you only get one shot.

As we began, I was aware of Bast and Bes battling the serpent, and our other allies locked in combat at different levels of the Duat. The temperature kept dropping. Crevices widened in the ground. Red lightning spread across the sky like cracks in a black dome.

It was hard to keep my teeth from chattering. I concentrated on the stone figurine of Apophis. As we chanted, the statue began to smoke.

I tried not to think about the last time I’d heard this incantation. Michel Desjardins had died casting it, and he had faced only a partial manifestation of the serpent, not Apophis at his full power after triumphantly devouring Ra.

Focus, Horus told me.

Easy for him to say. The noise, cold, and explosions around us made it almost impossible—like trying to count backward from a hundred while people scream random numbers in your ears.

Bast was thrown over our heads and landed against a stone block. Bes roared in anger. He slammed his club into the snake’s neck so hard, Apophis’s eyes rattled in his head.

Apophis snapped at Bes, who grabbed one fang and hung on for dear life as the serpent raised his head and shook his mouth, trying to dislodge the dwarf god.

Sadie and I continued to chant. The serpent’s shadow steamed as the figurine heated up. Gold and blue light swirled around us as Isis and Horus did their best to shield us. Sweat stung my eyes. Despite the frosty air, I began to feel feverish.

When we came to the most important part of the spell—the naming of the enemy—I finally began to sense the true nature of the serpent’s shadow. Funny how that works: sometimes you don’t really understand something until you destroy it. The sheut was more than just a copy or a reflection, more than a “backup disk” for the soul.

A person’s shadow stood for his legacy, his impact on the world. Some people cast hardly any shadow at all. Some cast long, deep shadows that endured for centuries. I thought about what the ghost Setne had said—how he and I had each grown up in the shadow of a famous father. I realized now that he hadn’t just meant it as a figure of speech. My dad cast a powerful shadow that still affected me and the whole world.

If a person cast no shadow at all, he couldn’t be alive. His existence became meaningless. Execrating Apophis by destroying his shadow would cut his connection to the mortal world completely. He’d never be able to rise again. I finally understood why he’d been so anxious to burn Setne’s scrolls, and why he was afraid of this spell.

We reached the last lines. Apophis dislodged Bes from his fang, and the dwarf sailed into the side of the Great Pyramid.

The serpent turned toward us as we spoke the final words: “We exile you beyond the void. You are no more.”

“NO!” Apophis roared.

The statue flared, dissolving in our hands. The shadow disappeared in a puff of vapor, and an explosive wave of darkness knocked us off our feet.

The serpent’s legacy on the earth shattered—the wars, murders, turmoil, and anarchy Apophis had caused since ancient times finally lost power, no longer casting their shadow across our future. Souls of the dead were expelled from the blast—thousands of ghosts that had been trapped and crushed within the shadow of Chaos. A voice whispered in my mind: Carter, and I sobbed with relief. I couldn’t see her, but I knew that our mother was free. Her spirit was returning to its place in the Duat.

“Shortsighted mortals!” Apophis writhed and began to shrink. “You haven’t just killed me. You’ve exiled the gods!”

The Duat collapsed, layer upon layer, until the plains of Giza were one reality again. Our magician friends stood in a daze around us. The gods, however, were nowhere to be seen.

The serpent hissed, his scales falling away in smoking pieces. “Ma’at and Chaos are linked, you fools! You cannot push me away without pushing away the gods. As for Ra, he shall die within me, slowly digested—”

He was cut short (literally) when his head exploded. Yes, it was just as gross as it sounds. Flaming bits of reptile flew everywhere. A ball of fire rolled up from the serpent’s neck. The body of Apophis crumbled into sand and steaming goo, and Zia Rashid stepped out of the wreckage.

Her dress was in tatters. Her golden staff had cracked like a wishbone, but she was alive.

I ran toward her. She stumbled and collapsed against me, completely exhausted.’ -The Serpent’s Shadow, Ch. 20: ’I take a chair’, Pg. 366-369

It’s the display of what Shadow Execration does, you wanna put it at a Read More if you accept the submission?

[annabethwisegirl-chase]

3, 28 & 35

3:  Talk about the person you've had the most intense romantic feelings for.

“At first I was just going to say that they are a complete seaweed brain.  But, then I realized how long I talked about Luke, and figured that might not be the most fair thing.  So... here we go.

“I know I said that I thought Luke was the best person I’ve ever known, but the person I’ve felt the most intense romantic feelings for is better than the best.  Ever since he fell into my life--quite literally, he passed out on the porch--he’s been making an impact on who I am and helping me shape the person I am now.  He supported me when I felt that no one else would, and has been there through literally everything.  Whatever I face, I know that I have someone else who will always be there.  He’s there to call me out when I’m being stupid and can’t recognize it for myself, but he’s also there to cheer me on through all of my successes.

“He’s my best friend, and my life would be so much different if I didn’t have him in my life.  And not in a good way.  When we were younger--gods, this is going to sound weird--I used to have these little ‘rules’ that I implemented around him.  You have to understand, I was determined not to like him, and was completely devastated when I realized that I did.  So, I set up these rules to try to keep myself in check.  Like, I couldn’t hug him for longer than three seconds, each compliment had to be followed almost immediately by an insult, and the only time it was ever even remotely acceptable for me to hold his hand was when we were in a dark place that looked like it was going to kill us.  I broke all of my rules when I kissed him.

“When I was younger, I didn’t know what it was like to really have a family or a stable home.  With him, I’ve always felt like I had a place to belong and I’ve always felt there was someone there who loved me.  He makes me feel safe and loved and wanted.  He makes me feel like I have a home.  

“Some people probably think that we’re too young to talk about and think about forever.  But, they don’t understand.  I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it, and I don’t even want to try to.  He’s more my family than anyone else in my life.  I’ve never been more certain of something than I am the fact that I’m meant to be with him forever.  I love him.  He’s my something permanent.”

28:  Talk about what you think death is like. 

“Death is different for different people.  That’s actually something I’ve only recently learned since getting back in contact with Magnus and meeting these two kids, Carter and Sadie, who live in Brooklyn.  But, I’m going to speak for the deaths that I know of.  After all, I’ve been to the Underworld, so I know what death could be like.  It could be just... nothing.  Just an eternity of standing around and taking in the Underworld, and moving through the paces, just like some people do in life.  And then, there’s the whole gated community thing, with barbecues and a really homey type setting.  It seems to be a really nice place.  And then there’s the eternity of hell.  I’ve already had a small piece of that, and I don’t ever want to experience that again.  I hope my death is at least the moving through the paces one, although I definitely wouldn’t turn down Elysium.  I’m not going to be naive enough to think I’d make it to the vacation get away of the Isle of the Blest, but it’d be nice to think about.”

35:  Talk about songs that remind you of certain people.

“I’m going to try to only stick to one per person, because I have so many songs that remind me of so many people in my life.

“Loathing” from Wicked reminds me of Rose, no question.  The entire song is about the relationship between two girls and how they basically cannot stand each other from the get go.  They list all the things that they hate about one another, and it definitely just feels like some sort of exchange that would occur between Rose and myself.

“Lightning” by Alex Goot reminds me of Thalia.  It starts out with “she’s staring me down with those electric eyes.”  Need I say more?

“I have so many songs that remind me of Percy, but I’m trying to stick to my rule of only mentioning the one.  So, I’ll go with “Home” by American Authors.  At least, it used to.  It’s all about this guy trying to get home to his “mama, who raised him up right” and also his “lady, he held every night.”  The chorus talks about how he’s not trying to stop a hurricane or shake the ground below, but he just wants to get home.  I’m breaking my rule and adding in a second song that reminds me more of him now: “Already Home,” by a Great Big World.

“Always Starting Over” from If/Then reminds me of Luke.  Well, I guess I should preface by saying that the lady singing it, is singing it to the grave of this guy who has passed on.  And it starts out with a ‘Thank you for finding me, and thank you for the care, and screw you for making me think that this life could be fair.’  Except, she doesn’t say screw.  She says another four letter word.  But, I don’t know.  The song then goes on to talk about how you feel like you make these connections with people, only to have them taken away from you, and you keep having to start over again.  And she thanks him for all the good he did in her life, and I don’t know... I guess it just kind of says a lot of the things I’d want to say to Luke, if I had the chance.

“Best Song Ever” by One Direction reminds me of Chris.  This one is probably my farthest cry for all of them, and it’s not even that the words remind me of him.  I just remember that the first time I heard it, I thought it was a lot of fun and really upbeat.  And my roommate, who was the one who played it for me, literally ended up singing and dancing by the end of it because she swore that it was a super contagious song.  And I feel like that’s true for Chris.  His energy is so contagious, that you just can’t help but feel like go along with it.”

[thatartiststudios]

First snippet of Chapter 4!

   Leo meticulously checked the controls and interface of the Argo II up on deck, ensuring that their course was on track to pass Malta within another day before taking to the air and proceeding to Rome. 

   Back in Rayla’s room, she stirred from her sleep and found Callum sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, clearly having stayed with her the entire night. 

   Of course he did, she thought, appreciating the unspoken comfort in his presence.

   Rayla got up and walked over to him, kneeling next to him and gently threading her hand through his hair. 

   “Wake up, sleepy mage,” she teased. 

   Callum blinked his eyes open, then focused on her right next to him. 

   “You slept alright?” he asked, his worry evident. She smiled, she was always his first concern.

   “Better than you by the looks of it,” she remarked, and Callum chuckled, “I can assure you the floor is very comfortable.”

   Rolling her eyes playfully, Rayla got up, saying, “Mmhmm, whatever you want to tell yourself.” 

   Callum stood as well, his caring gaze never leaving her. “You’re feeling okay? You haven’t had that dream in a while.”

   Rayla glanced downward, and Callum gently took her hand, “It’s the spell you cast yesterday.” 

   Confused, Callum asked, “What?”

   Sighing, Rayla explained, “The last time you cast that spell was right before…” They got captured by Finnegrin, Callum finished the thought in his head. 

   “Oh, Ray, if I’d thought about it-”

   “No, you did what you had to do and it worked. That’s all,” Rayla interrupted, stopping any self-blame in its tracks.

   Growing more concerned, Callum took both of her hands in his, “Look, Rayla,” he spoke softly, “I’m sorry, just let me say that for once, okay?” He understood her tendency to blame herself and wanted to offer her the comfort she deserved.

   Rayla looked into Callum’s earnest eyes, recognizing the sincerity in his apology. She softened, letting go of the weight she carried. 

   “Okay,” she replied, her voice reflecting a mixture of gratitude and acceptance.

   Callum pulled her into a gentle hug, reassuring her without words. “I’m here for you, Ray. Always,” he whispered, and she found solace in the warmth of his embrace.

   They lingered in that quiet moment, each understanding the unspoken connection that bound them together. Eventually, Rayla broke the embrace, giving Callum a small smile. “Thanks,” she said, appreciating his support.

   Callum returned the smile, but his eyes held a lingering concern. “If there’s anything you need, anything you want to talk about, I’m here,” he offered.

   Rayla nodded, grateful for his understanding. “I know, Callum.”

—

   With the key laid out before them on the deck, the group gathered for a discussion, each member bringing their unique skills to the table. 

   Callum, ever curious, attempted a revealing spell using Moon Magic, uttering, “Secretum Revelare.” However, the key remained unchanged, resisting the magical attempt to unveil its secrets.

   Sadie, not to be outdone, invoked a revealing spell of her own with a confident, “Sun-ah,” but like Callum’s attempt, it yielded no discernible results. Frustration and intrigue mixed on their faces as they grappled with the mystery surrounding the key.

   Carter studied the hieroglyphics inscribed on the key, his eyes narrowing in concentration. “‘Key of Egypt, Kingdom of the Golden Sands, Allow safe passage through The Ways,’” he mused. “It seems like a set of instructions, but the question is, what ways does it refer to?”

   Rayla furrowed her brows, a hint of frustration in her voice. “If this is supposed to be a key, shouldn’t it, you know, unlock something? Like a magical barrier or a hidden entrance?”

   Callum nodded in agreement. “I tried a revealing spell, but it’s like the key is impervious to Primal Magic.”

   Sadie, determined to contribute, tapped her staff thoughtfully. “Maybe it requires a specific incantation, something related to Egyptian magic. My spell didn’t do the trick, but we might need something with a deeper connection to this key’s origin.”

   Carter, looking at the hieroglyphics, added, “We should consider the context. ‘Key of Egypt, Kingdom of the Golden Sands’—it suggests more than a physical lock and key. Perhaps it involves traversing magical pathways specific to Egypt.”

   Leo, engrossed in the technical aspect, offered, “Maybe there’s some kind of mechanism or code. Like, you have to press it or say a specific phrase. I mean, it worked for the Doors of Death, right?”

   As the discussion delved deeper into their experiences in Egypt, Piper hesitated before bringing up Luxor. “Remember Luxor? The illusions there were intense, and they seemed to tap into your deepest fears.” she said, gesturing to The Kane siblings, “Do you think we’ll encounter something similar in Rome?”

   Sadie, considering the question, responded, “It’s a possibility. The Collector seems to revel in using our personal history against us. Luxor was unsettling, and I wouldn’t put it past him to tailor challenges to each of us based on our vulnerabilities.”

   Jason, who had been listening attentively, chimed in. “So, what could be waiting for us in Rome? What kind of trial might we face?”

   Carter pondered, “Well, Luxor was about facing our past, and each of us had to confront something personal. We can only assume Rome will be similar for you and Piper. It’s hard to predict, but being aware of our experiences in Egypt might give us some clues.”

   Piper added, “The Colosseum has a history of gladiator battles and public spectacles. Maybe we’ll be thrust into some sort of arena, facing not just physical challenges but emotional ones too. It could be about proving ourselves to the spectators—or The Collector.”

   Rayla, who had been relatively quiet, spoke up. “We need to be prepared for anything. The illusions in Egypt were disorienting, and we shouldn’t underestimate the psychological toll they can take. We’ll need to rely on each other and stay vigilant.”

   The group fell into contemplative silence, the weight of the upcoming trial hanging in the air. The Colosseum awaited, a looming arena that held mysteries yet to be unveiled.

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