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queen-scribbles · 11 months

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The Long Burning Torch ch 8

Alright, here we go, continuing what might be (rip) the longest day of Xaeryn's life for my @shepherds-of-haven 20's AU. (And a big thanks to @emeraldgreaves for code diving for me again <3)

Wordcount: 8,350~

---

Xaeryn's knee-jerk instinct was to correct 'abducted, not kidnapped'. As if that made a lick of difference to the fact Red was gone because someone had taken him.

Closely on its heels came Sun above, this is my fault. It wasn't as if Red was involved with anything else that had even a sliver of a chance to put him in danger; it had to be the research he was doing for her, or something else related to the case.

She shook off both thoughts and made herself focus. Panic wouldn't help Red. Her detective skills might. Would. "Could I see his office?"

Pan gave her a concerned look--probably heard the slight break in her voice. "Xaer, are you...?"

"Crying about it won't find him any faster," she said brusquely, squaring her shoulders. "But if those responsible" --for abducting him--"left any clues, especially if there's something I could use to help scrying..."

He nodded, an understanding gleam in his eye. "I think security's done and didn't find anything to make them suspicious, but you deal with this sort of thing more than they do, so if you wanna take a gander..."

He gestured toward the office, then followed a pace or two behind her, hands shoved in the pockets of his trousers. He didn't say anything and let her take in the scene.

It looked the same, roughly, as the last time she'd visited, just sans one tall, charming headmaster to greet her with an easy smile and warm green eyes. It almost offended her that Red's office looked the same without him in it, which was silly.

But it looked the same. There were no signs of a struggle or a fight.

Xaeryn traced a finger along the edge of the desk, smiling slightly at the trio of books half on top of each other, the stack of six more haphazard next to the chair, the charcoal grey suit jacket hanging off one corner of the chairback. It was the sort of space she could guess belonged to Red Antiqua without ever seeing him in it.

The books open on the desk were familiar ones; Jalis desert tribes, pre-Castigation artefacts. The research he'd offered to recompile for her. She stared at the desk and chairs for a long moment.

"... a girl does need a job eventually, and I’ve always loved a good mystery.”

“Or even a bad one..."

She didn't like how hard it was to focus on the task at hand; she was behind the eight ball enough without getting distracted by their bull sessions here over the past sennight--

She straightened.

"Ryn? You need to leave?" Pan asked.

Xaeryn shook her head. "I'm fine," she said, voice steady. "There are books on the chairs."

"Yeah, that's Red for you." Pan shot her a questioning look. "You know the man's borderline incapable of putting away books he 'might need later', even if later turns out to be two months down the road."

She couldn't help a small laugh. "No, I do know that. The books are still on the chairs. Whoever took him didn't try to be chummy and draw out their visit. When he has company that's staying, he moves the books so they have somewhere to sit. So this was quick in and out, no signs of struggle, and they didn't try to play coy. This was a mission."

God help her, it was hard to stay and sound detached about this.

"Well, night watchman says he didn't hear or see anything odd and he's always been honest and faithful in doing his rounds. He does stay on the first floor, though, as there's no other access to up here than the lobby, and there's another watchman outside." Pan crossed his arms, looking thoughtfully around the office. "So either they knew his schedule, got blazing lucky, or... didn't come through downstairs."

"If they didn't come through downstairs, maybe they had a Traveler," Xaeryn mused. "But it would be a gamble to translocate into an unfamiliar space as small as an office." She frowned.

"Maybe they just scaled the outside of the building," Pan suggested. "Wouldn't take more than an hour of waiting to gauge the outside watchman's rounds."

"And figuring out which window would be unlocked?" Xaeryn countered, just to see how far they could follow this possibility.

Pan's eyes narrowed, and he swore under his breath before darting down the hall. She arched a brow at the abrupt departure and resumed examining the room until he returned.

"The corner office," he said, scowling. "It's unoccupied right now, so we use it when we need a break. Sela's always smoking charch in there, and then Bart opens the window to get the smell out but he never remembers to close it all the way. And if the door's mostly shut, you wouldn't see it from the hall. Hael."

"Even if we accept that theory for how they got in, how would they make a clean sneak with Red?" she pointed out. "He'd either be struggling or..." she wrinkled her nose at the phrasing even as she said it. "...dead weight."

Pan ran a hand through his hair, rubbed the back of his neck, and eventually shook his head. "Search me."

Xaeryn mulled it over for a bit, looking at the other books on Red's desk, smiling at the scraps of paper sticking out to mark pages. "What if... both idea are right? They came in through the window, but translocated out? Their hideout would be a familiar destination, thus safe to Travel to. It's an effective way to get an... unwilling or unconscious companion somewhere without much fuss."

"That means there probably were only one or two of them..." Pan sighed, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. "I offered to help him. With getting things together for you. I already know some of the details and I can keep my mouth shut. He said it was fine; this sort of thing is fun. B'sides, it wasn't like he minded doing it for you--"

Her heart squeezed. "He said that?"

"No, but, Xaer" --Pan arched a brow at her-- "I know both of you well enough to read between the lines."

She couldn't argue that. "How many times do I have to remind you you can call me Red?"

"Anyway, if I'd stayed, and there were only a couple of these toughs, maybe... maybe it would be an attempted kidnapping."

Xaeryn shook her head. "Depends how badly they wanted him." Her conversation with Briony and Darius was too fresh in her mind. "You might also be hurt or dead, and that's the last thing he'd want. Or that I want."

"Good point." He sucked the inside of his cheek. "Why would someone want Red that badly, Xaeryn? Is this... because of your case?"

"I think so." She winced. "I just don't know what part of his involvement would make him an appealing target." She hugged her arms in close against her chest. "If it was something specific or just because we were seen together and the people I'm after thought taking him would... hurt me."

They weren't wrong.

"I don't want to know all of what's going on, Ryn," Pan sighed, "but if that's the case, these sound like some pretty nasty brunos to mess with."

"They are." No point sugarcoating it.

Pan didn't reply, just leaned against the wall sucking his teeth as he watched her.

Xaeryn circled the desk again, hoping desperately for something that would be a clue or--

A curling corner of notebook paper peeked out from under one of the open books on the desk. She shifted the tomes aside and found a whole sheaf, covered front and back in sprawling notes. He'd even written in their shorthand, which made a small smile tug her lips despite the circumstances.

"He got a lot down," she muttered under her breath, the familiar shorthand making something twist in her chest. I hope you're okay.

"Yeah, I think he foisted his class on someone else so he could just work on this all day." Pan pushed off the wall and approached. "Not a shocking twist."

Xaeryn looked up from the paper, brow furrowed but didn't rise to the bait.

Pan, however, was undeterred. He sat back on the edge of the desk, giving her a skeptical look. "You two have always been thick as thieves, but it made him a special kind of dizzy to have you come waltzing back into our lives, y'know."

The twist in her chest went tighter. "I didn't know, actually. But it's always wonderful to reunite with old friends."

"Uh-huh. Old friends." Pan studied his nails a moment, then looked back at her with brows arched. "And what happened between you old friends the night of the gala to make him not say a gods-blessed word the whole way back to the hotel?"

Her fingers tightened, crinkling the paper. "That doesn't seem like a relevant line of inquiry, Panrachus," she said, gaze fixed on the page before her.

"It is to me," he countered with a knowing smile. "Maybe something in there relates to why he got nabbed."

She didn't like that thought. Even more than she disliked Pan's prying. "Nothing happened at the gala."

"And after?" Pan asked pointedly.

"...I might do something dreadfully improper."

"Also nothing." It came out sharper than intended. Thanks to your timing. Xaeryn cleared her throat. "Beyond what you already knew; I got jumped on my way back and Red helped patch up the result of defending myself." She waved the bandaged hand as proof. "I'm glad he was there; it would've been a nightmare to do alone."

"Mm-hm."

She shot him a narrow-eyed look. "Why do I feel like you don't believe me?"

"I dunno." Pan gave her a look that spoke volumes. "Do you feel like part of it shouldn't be believed?"

She looked him dead in the eye. "Nothing. Happened."

"Alright, I believe you," he shrugged. A beat. "Did you want it to?"

The whole messy torrent of emotions she been damming up since that night surged in her chest. God help me, yes.

She was saved from a moment of naked vulnerability by something gleaming on the desk, down among the books and paper. She dug for it and came up with an earring, amber bead transfixed on a small gold hoop.

"Hello there," she murmured, cradling the jewelry in her palm. "Last I checked, Red wasn't one for earrings."

Pan shook his head. "And he's the only one who's been in this office since we got back from Haven..."

There was always the chance it came from a student who'd visited prior to that, but it was the only lead she'd found. Xaeryn did not want to dwell on what she'd do it it was a dead end. If it was her fault he'd been abducted, the least she could do was save him, too.

No time like the present, she told herself, and with a deep breath sat in Red's chair. Part of her would rather have her full focus for a scry, but she didn't want to wait the two hours it would take to drive home. There was a driving, itching need to do something now. She pulled out the small bronze dish from her handbag. Scrying with so small a focus would give her a fearsome headache, but she didn't care if it let her find Red.

Pan watched from the other side of the desk, lapsed into anxious silence.

Alright, you bastard. Her hand curled around the earring. Where are you?

Scrying on the present was like sticking her head in a shallow pond to see what was on the bottom--blurry or shadowed at the edges, but she could pick up the detail she was after.

This time, however, was like trying to dive into a frozen lake.

She could see the potential for a vision, but slammed into something that blocked her from reaching it. Dead air.

Xaeryn broke the attempted scry, heedless of the dull ache starting at her temples. "No, no, no..." she mumbled, looking around the room.

"Xaer?"

"It didn't work," she said sharply. At least that confirmed the earring didn't come from a random Solhadur student, but that wasn't worth beans if she couldn't use it to find him.

Her gaze lighted on the jacket hanging off his chair and she seized it, fingers curling in the charcoal grey fabric as the smell of dusty books and his cologne filled her nose. She stared fiercely at the scrying focus, daring it not to work.

Dead air, again.

Her heart lodged in her throat and she tried to push it back down. Think this through logically, Xaeryn. It can't be coincidence, this implies it is indeed the people who have the Torch--Kaza and his allies--who took Red. They clearly have a VERY good Binder laying wards. Maybe Neon would know something; Pan said he's working in Haven now, I could ask--

"-ryn." From Pan's tone he'd repeated her name a few times at this point.

"I can't see him, either," she admitted, numb at having to say the words aloud.

"So... what next, then?"

What, indeed. There had to be something else. Something she could do, someone she could talk to. She couldn't be powerless, not now, not for this. She fought the desperation tightening her chest. Calm. Panic will only cloud your mind, and how will you help if you aren't thinking straight? It took a few moments of sitting in silence, absently rubbing the fabric of Red's jacket between her fingers as she forced herself to follow her advice.

"Well," she finally began, "given I got the same result attempting to look for Liefred or the earring's owner as I do for Solimer's Torch, it's likely they're together. It's the only times I've had this happen when I scry, so I feel it's a logical assumption. I have Thieves Guild in Haven keeping an eye out for unusual activity in Ashtown--the most likely hiding place for these hooligans. I can see if they noticed anything since I last spoke to them. Having a..." Hostage? prisoner? "...person to stash in the same building might've stirred some some activity."

"All the way back in Haven?!"

"That is where my prime suspect currently resides," she pointed out. "And I have an appointment with a pair likewise working against him; maybe they saw something helpful if the Guild didn't."

Pan sucked his teeth a moment, then cracked a small, wry smile. "Red would have a heart attack if he knew you'd made a deal with a Thieves Guild."

"He can fuss over my choices til he's blue in the face, long as it means he's safe," she retorted, pushing to her feet. "I'll ring with updates, do you have a direct number?" She scribbled it sideways up Red's notes as Pan rattled it off, collected her scrying focus to tuck that and the earring in her handbag. Maybe later she'd have better results than just a headache.

"Maybe I should come with you. Just back to Haven."

Xaeryn shook her head, resting a hand on Pan's arm. "Just in case the security teams figure something important, if you're here you can pass it along."

His expression said he saw through the excuse to keep him somewhere safe, but he nodded. "Fine."

"I'll be in touch," Xaeryn promised. She hesitated to return the suit jacket. "Do you think he'd mind if I keep this? To try again later."

"Not a drop," Pan said, shaking his head. "Find him, Xaer. And be safe, huh? I don't want to lose one friend, let alone two."

She nodded, not pointing out those request may well turn out mutually exclusive, and headed for her car.

---

Her head was awhirl the whole drive home, but she didn't have time to puzzle it out--or speak to Thieves Guild--when she got back. She was cutting it close on making her meeting with Briony and Darius. One-God willing, they'd know something that would help tie King Kaza to Red's abduction, or at least gotten something pointing to where he had stashed the Torch.

Xaeryn parked, made a brief visit to her office to lock the notes and earring in her desk, and headed briskly for the meeting. She turned the corner just in time to catch a flash of green hair as Darius ducked into the curiosities shop.

While smart not to visit the café so soon, especially since he and Briony rather stood out as customers, it made Xaeryn wish she'd warned them of the shop proprietor's eccentricities. Chandry was harmless but... off-putting to some, and Darius didn't seem the type to handle off-putting well.

But she had bigger concerns now. Xaeryn took a deep breath as she pulled open the door, but there was only so much her nerves were willing to ease.

Darius wasn't immediately visible when she entered, but he found her quickly enough. "You look riled, miss lady detective."

Xaeryn flashed a flat look for his tone. "It's warranted. Where's Briony?"

He craned his neck to look around the store. "Either on her way, or I guess she couldn't breeze on his majesty." His eyes narrowed. "You don't look happy 'bout that. What's tricks?"

She looked down, pretending to browse the curiosities on offer. "A friend of mine was abducted. I'm of a mind it's connected to our... suspect; this friend was helping me with research on the Torch."

Darius frowned, playing with a dinged up first aid kit. "That's the only connection?"

"I don't need anything else," Xaeryn hissed. She dropped the charch pipe she hadn't really been looking at. "He's a professor, for Heaven's sake! The only thing remotely dangerous he's tied to is this!" She gestured between them. "I wanted to ask Briony if she'd noticed anything in King Kaza''s behavior or visitors that might help me narrow down when he was... taken."

"We need to find the Torch," he growled in an undertone, "not your sweetheart."

"Friend," Xaeryn corrected tartly--and far too quickly, even she heard it.

"Can I help you find anything?" Chandry's arrival had been so quiet it made Darius flinch, whatever remark he was about to make lost in staring at the garishly made up--or painted, Xaeryn had never decided which side of the line it occupied--face of the shop's owner and namesake.

"Not today, Chandry," she said with a small shake of her head. "Just browsing."

"In that case... make sure you look at the new arrivals," Chandry said, patting the rolled up rugs on a nearby table. "And, smart as you are, maybe you can help me with something." He leaned forward, elbows braced on the topmost rug.

It was the fastest way to get their relative privacy back, and he had saved her from a rather embarrassing turn of conversation, so Xaeryn indulged him. "Oh?"

Chandry grinned. "I've been having a wonder this morning. Which streets," he began conspiratorially, " would have the most ghosts on them, do you think?"

Xaeryn pretended to mull it over, though the answer was obvious, even tapping her finger to her chin dramatically. "I guess it would be... dead ends?"

He all but clapped in his enthusiasm. "Correct!" A flourishing bow. "I shall leave you to your shopping." He bounded off.

"Took long enough," Darius grumbled.

"Chandry's not so bad," Xaeryn said defensively. "You just need to know how to talk to him." There are benefits to being on his good side. But they were here for a purpose. "Back to the matter at hand, I am aware of your deadline; I'm fairly sure my friend's being held in the same place as the Torch."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I can't scry on him, either!" She bit her lip. "It's the same dead air feeling as trying to do so with the Torch, and it's something I've never encountered before, so it seems a logical conclusion."

"Hm," Darius grunted. "Y'know, if Jarkyth sent the brunos who grabbed your friend, there might not be anything to glean from Ackshin."

"I thought about that. D'you know if either of them employ Diminished? Aside from Briony."

"A few, I think," he shrugged, "but you'd have to ask Bry for specifics. What about your friend; he a Mage? Put up a fight?"

"He is, but his specialization is Conjuring, translocation, not combat."

"If he's a Traveler, why-"

Xaeryn held up a finger to cut him off. "I'm trying not to think about that. None of the answers that spring to mind are pleasant, especially in relation to my best friend."

Something glittered in Darius' eyes but he didn't pursue the thought. "Didja learn anything new before you got distracted?"

She had to grit her teeth not to snap Red being abducted wasn't a distraction. Instead of giving him the satisfaction of getting under her skin, she relayed her deal with Thieves Guild and plan to talk to them when this appointment was done. "And you? Did your behind the scenes snooping turn up anything?"

"Yes and no." Darius did a double take at a fishbowl--complete with fish--before pulling himself back to the conversation. "I tailed one of Ackshin's toughs, all the way to blazin' Ashtown, but she gave me the slip." He scowled. "Felt like we were close to where she was goin', too."

Xaeryn stiffened. "What part of Ashtown was this in? I can have the Guild look more closely."

"South-eastern, I guess I'd call it," Darius said after a moment. "Almost plastered against the outer wall."

It made sense for them to be away from the main drag, though she wouldn't have expected quite that far. Unless they knew of some way out through or under the walls.... For now the important thing was having a smaller area for search.

"Alright," she murmured, half to herself, "I can work with that, provided the Guild will play ball."

"Don't suppose you have anything more actionable for me, miss snooper?" Darius interrupted her train of thought.

Xaeryn grimaced and shook her head. "No, just the deal with Thieves Guild. I'm afraid I've been a bit preoccupied by the abduction today. So unless them making a bolder move helps you in some way, I don't."

He grunted and glared at a table of kitchen paraphernalia. "Gods damn this twisted up kn-"

The door jangled forcefully as it swung open to admit a new arrival, familiar pink ponytail swishing as she looked around.

Briony's eyes flashed when she saw them and it clearly took effort to act nonchalant on her way in their direction. She called a polite response to Chandry's greeting without even looking, dodged a small table, and finally reached Xaeryn and Darius. "Glad I didn't miss you," she murmured, examining a display of commemorative playbills and paintings. "Kaza had a couple meetings where he wanted a show of strength an' I think someone might've been tailing me--"

"And you still came?!" Darius hissed. Xaeryn couldn't disagree; it seemed a terrible risk.

"I lost them first!" she retorted, flicking him an annoyed look. "I've been doing this as long as you, Darius Torren, I know how to lose a tail!"

"Oh, but they're so useful for swatting flies, why would you want to lose a tail if you had it?" Chandry interjected, and Briony looked briefly taken aback by both his sudden presence and appearance.

At least she recovered faster than Darius, showing a warm smile. "Oh, I mean a much less useful kind of tail."

Chandry shrugged at the explanation and disappeared between shelves once more.

"All else aside, I am glad you made it," Xaeryn said to steer them on track. She had to take Briony's word she'd truly shaken the tail. "Any developments for you?"

"Jarkyth came by for a bit before lunch," Briony said, after a quick glance to assure Chandry was moved off and there were no other customers in the store. "They shut themselves in the sitting room for near an hour. They're planning something with the Torch, and I feel like--"

"Any other visitors or messages this morning?" Xaeryn interrupted. "Perhaps that evoked a change in demeanor?"

Briony gave her a curious look but nodded. "He got a message during breakfast that prompted a very smug smile." Her brow furrowed. "Come to think, he did say something to the messenger that I didn't catch. Wonder if that's what made Jarkyth come over; they've been really careful about appearances. Why?" She crossed her arms. "You're being sort of intense, Xaeryn. It's scaring me."

Xaeryn explained the circumstances. Again. "And with what you say occurred, I think it's a safe bet our friends are responsible."

Briony's expression shifted aghast and she reached over to squeeze Xaeryn's shoulder comfortingly. It was a surprisingly hefty squeeze. "Are you doing alright?"

Xaeryn nodded. "Don't have the luxury to be otherwise."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, yes. Do you know of any other Diminished among King Kaza's entourage?"

Briony's face screwed in thought. "That came along? Just a few. It's funny; he's superstitious as hael, likes to flaunt me at every opportunity, but he's also nervous about trusting in magic too much. There's a Binder, to do his protective wards. Shy little redhead, I've never heard her speak and don't even know her name," she said regretfully, twirling her ponytail as she continued. "Heron's Ket, mostly here for his skill with battle magic, but he's a fair hand at conjuring--"

"Traveing?" Xaeryn's brows arched.

"He... probably could if he had to," Briony nodded, then gave a small gasp. "You think he's the one who took your friend?"

"Seems likely," Xaeryn said. If he was a full-blood Ket he could do it single-handed. "Are they the only ones?"

"For Ackshin, yeah. Jarkyth has a few 'judiciously placed servants' he's alluded to. Mostly things like Binding or Seer, useful but not dangerous if they decide to turn on him. Has a Shifter Heron won't stop nattering about." She smirked. "I think he's stuck on her."

Darius snorted. "Not important, Bry."

"You never know, D." She shrugged and turned to Xaeryn. "So, why do they want your friend?"

"I've been trying to figure that," Xaeryn sighed, trailing her fingers over a dark lantern. "Even from unpleasant angles. If they know I'm on their trail and want to keep me in the dark, I've already learned--and written down--near everything about the Torch, and there are... more final ways to remove him as a source.

"If they want to use him as leverage to make me dust on the case, you'd think they'd be more blatant or would have left a note-"

"Unless they're countin' on your big brain to fill in the blanks," Darius interjected sardonically. "An' you knowin' without them sayin' serving to make you more suggestible."

"Such a ray of sunshine, D," Briony groused, elbowing him sharply.

"He has a point," Xaeryn said, gritting her teeth at the thought. "But they'll be quite disappointed if that's their goal."

Briony flashed a fierce smile as she shifted to a shelf of knick knacks. "So, what's our plan, then?"

"Darius mentioned trailing one of the king's people to Ashtown. I'll have Thieves Guild watch the area more closely if they're amenable" --and she'd sweeten the deal if that's what it took to make them amenable--"you and Darius keep an eye for our friends' behavior so we can act swiftly if they do anything hinky." She tapped a finger to her lips. "I hate being stuck in so reactive a course, but I fear it's where our options lay."

Though if opportunity presented itself she would seize it with both hands.

"I guess you're righ- Oh, this is adorable!" Briony gave a delighted (and distracted) squeal as she snatched a small ceramic ahfuri off the shelf. It was adorable, but-

Xaeryn cleared her throat.

"I'll keep eyes peeled," Briony promised, cradling her find.

"How're we passing along anything we see?" Darius asked.

"Telephone or wire, I suppose," Xaeryn replied.

"Right." Briony nodded, wiggling slightly as she glanced toward the counter. "I'm gonna go pay for this." She darted across the store.

Darius fixed Xaeryn with a steady look. "You will tell us if you learn anything, right, miss snooper? Before you go harin' off after your friend alone?"

"Have you decided to worry about me in his absence?" Xaeryn said dryly.

He just arched a brow.

"I promise to pass along anything I learn, I don't promise to wait before acting on it."

Darius chuckled and glanced at Briony, who was chatting up Chandry with another warm smile as she paid. "Don't s'ppose I can blame you for that." He tugged on his cap. "See you soon, lady detective."

Briony noted him leaving and darted after him, barely remembering to grab her purchase.

Xaeryn smiled and browsed a few more minutes before heading for the door herself.

A hand on her arm stopped her just before she exited. "One moment," Chandry chirped, pressing something into her palm. "Don't forget your prize."

Xaeryn blinked at the bronze sun brooch. "Prize-?"

The riddle.

"To the victor go the spoils," Chandry proclaimed, releasing her arm to give another bow, and then ducked away. Rather than drag things out by protesting or trying to insist on paying--experience said he wouldn't take a danar--Xaeryn slipped the brooch in her handbag and headed for her office.

---

It hit her like a thunderbolt halfway up the steps--it was midafternoon and she'd not eaten since breakfast. As if summoned by the realization, her stomach cramped and her knees bobbled on the next step.

Xaeryn scowled at the reminder she needed to eat. There was too much to do, she needed to talk to Thieves Guild, she needed to poke around, she needed to find Red before--

Her stomach growled loudly.

I think there's still my half a sandwich left from yesterday, she surrendered--reluctantly--to her body's urging. After all, she wouldn't get much done if she fainted from hunger. The half sandwich. Perhaps an apple. Ten minutes to eat. She could spare that. Red would fuss if he knew she wasn't taking care of herself.

Xaeryn smiled wryly as she unlocked the door. That was better motivation than anything. She checked the back of the door as she closed it; no sigil showing, so no break-in attempt. She collected the sandwich and apple, opting to sit at her desk and review notes while she ate. Maybe there was something helpful she'd missed.

There was quite a bit to review, though less than it appeared by page count given Red's sprawling shorthand. He didn't doodle like she did, instead filling the page edge to edge. It didn't look like he'd found anything new while getting this together and it was easy to skim.

As she tucked the papers back in the drawer her gaze landed on the earring. She set down the small remaining portion of her sandwich and stared.

Couldn't hurt to try again...

She removed the earring, fetched her scrying disk, and cleared her mind to focus. The disk's surface clouded, cleared, and gave her nothing but the same dead air.

Xaeryn growled and glared at the earring. "Where is he?!"

She'd run into protective wards or sigils before blocking scries. This was different; just empty not blocked, and it kept happening on this case--

The telephone rang. She very seriously considered not answering. She needed to get to Ashtown. But that would be unprofessional, and what if it was Pan? Or Darius, or Briony, though this would be awful quick for one of them. So she sighed and picked up the receiver. "Xaeryn Shrike Investigations." Please be quick.

"Finally!" Ms. Aerin huffed on the other end. "I've been trying to reach you for hours, Miss Shrike!"

Really should get a secretary... "Apologies, there was a development and I was out of office." She ran a hand down her face.

"From your tone, I'd reckon this is not a positive development in the direction of recovering the artefact and arresting the thieves?"

"It might lead there," Xaeryn acknowledged. "But the actual occurrence is not. They abducted my friend who'd been helping with research."

"Ah. My condolences, Miss Shrike. Is there any chance of them learning compromising details?"

"Not if I've followed the trail to correct suspicions, no. He knows the history and legend around the Torch, but not the current state of my investigation." She shifted her grip on the telephone. "And my suspect is already familiar with all of that."

"Ah, so you do have a firm suspect."

"Mm." The brooch slid out of her handbag when she nudged it aside, and Xaeryn picked it up to toy with as she talked. "I was pretty firmly on his scent after the gala, but I met a couple... inside men, shall we say, who confirmed my suspicions. So I've found the man, I believe, I just need to find where he's stashed the artefact" --and Red--"and proof of his complicity in the matter."

"Excellent! Mr. Syndran told me you had some promising leads from the gala, I'm glad to hear one of them panned out," Ms. Aerin said. "The case has felt... treading water too long."

"Oh, yes, I suppose those developments did occur after we talked," Xaeryn murmured, tracing the bronze sun's rays.

"Talked?" There was a frown in her voice. "Miss Shrike, I wasn't there."

Something cold skittered down Xaeryn's spine to swirl in her gut. "What? I grant that it was a full night, but I distinctly remember talking to you."

"Then apparently I have a doppelganger," Ms. Aerin said tartly. "I didn't go, Miss Shrike. I was dealing with the effects of a traitorous sandwich at lunch."

Food poisoning?? "Then who..." The nagging sensation of just missing something was back. Followed like a bucket of ice water by the thought of the conversation she'd just had.

There's a Shifter working for Jarkyth.

"Did you inform Mr. Syndran you wouldn't be attending?" Xaeryn asked, willing her voice to stay level as her mind raced to incorporate this twist.

"Of course. I called the office." A pause. "I was honestly surprised to learn he attended without me. But the Hall is an important enough contract, I suppose it makes sense..."

Xaeryn shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. "Ms. Aerin, to all appearances, he attended with you."

There was a long silence as the other woman processed her words, followed by a snort. "Do you expect me to believe some impersonator managed to fool Riel Syndran into thinking she was me for several hours?!?!"

"Not for hours," Xaeryn corrected. "A few minutes for the drive to the gala, and then a short chat every so often throughout the evening. Mingling's the point of such an event, from my understanding. And at one point when I was chinning with him he mentioned 'you' were bustling about as if the gala was your responsibility instead of the museum's."

"That is the sort of thing I would do," Ms. Aerin sighed. "Still, I wonder how she pulled it off. And why."

"Information would be my guess," Xaeryn said. She idly clipped the brooch to her blouse and pulled out her notepad to page through. "My chief suspect is the king of Elinden, who has cultural and religious motives if he is indeed responsible, and at least a few high-placed political connections who could hire or employ someone skilled at disguise. The only motive I could imagine would be nosing around to see if there's information they missed. Or something they need that I have, or if there was worry I was too close on their trail." She flexed her bruised hand, evidence of the answer to that.

"And what would they have learned from your chat with her?"

"From me? That I had talked to Miss Aescar about people who tried to buy, claim, or steal the Torch. And that my notepad had been stolen. Nothing they didn't know already."

"They knew about the notepad?" Ms. Aerin said, arched brow in her voice.

"Oh, right." Xaeryn explained the reasoning behind that belief, the words trailing off as she reached a particular note from her inaugural meeting with Briony and Darius. She stared at it a moment, then decided to take a shot in the dark. "Ms. Aerin, did you go to the museum to oversee the arrival of the artefacts?"

"That was the plan," Ms. Aerin replied. "However, there were a couple... issues that arose requiring my attention, so I had to leave before they were done."

Got you. Despite the nagging sensation still growing at the base of her skull, Xaeryn smirked. "Thank you. Enlightening as this conversation has proven, was there a reason you were trying to reach me? I have a couple time-sensitive angles to investigate..."

"Just looking for an update; we hadn't heard from you yet today and Mr. Syndran is getting restless at how long things are dragging out."

"Believe me, I share his disapporval of that," Xaeryn said, running a finger over the notepad page. "I'm highly motivated to change it, and hopeful one of the new angles will bear significant fruit."

"Very well then, I'll leave you to it. Good day, Miss Shrike."

"Good day." The nagging grew stronger as she dropped the telephone back in its cradle. She was missing something, something right in front of her, and she couldn't help but feel it was something vital.

Deep breath and half a step back, she told herself. If Ms. Aerin hadn't stayed to oversee the whole delivery at the museum, and she knew from Darius and Ferrin's accounts nothing happened to the couriers' caravan on the way through the city, then it seemed clear the Shifter masqueraded as her to get access once the delivery arrived but she'd left. Xaeryn pulled out the photograph of Solimer's Torch. It wasn't even the size of her palm; easy to conceal in a handbag or pocket--or your blouse if you were feeling bold.

I know how they did it. The adrenaline rush at that victory was somewhat dulled by knowing these people--smart, bold, and desperate--had Red.

The Shifter had probably been emboldened by her success at the delivery--faking bad humor so people were glad to be rid of you was one off the oldest tricks in the book. Enough to attempt something more daring, like copying Aerin again for the gala--

Xaeryn sat bolt upright in her chair, the nagging turned to gut-wrenching revelation as pieces clicked. There was one more thing the Shifter had learned from her at the gala.

Red was the only other person who could read her shorthand.

Nausea twisted and she almost tasted her lunch again. It really was her fault. She'd relayed the damning information to the culprits with blithe ignorance.

And now that she knew, and was recalling the encounter with a more critical eye, all the clues seemed blatantly obvious. The chillier manner, the repeated 'Detective Shrike' rather than 'Miss', the vague prodding at topics they had already discussed.

Self-flagellation later, tracking down Red now, she scolded. The one silver lining to realizing her gaffe was that if they had abducted Red for such a purpose, they'd need him alive, conscious, and (mostly) unharmed.

The swift counter to that--and extreme incentive to hurry--was she had no idea how far they'd go to make him cooperate. Or what they wanted from her notes. Or if they would believe what he claimed about their contents.

There was not, however, any doubt in her mind what would happen once they had what they wanted.

She needed to talk to Thieves Guild. Now.

Xaeryn pushed away from the desk with vigor, only just remembered to lock up the case paraphernalia, and headed out the door, determined steps carrying her toward Ashtown.

---

She'd wound her way through the streets and was just in sight of the cat graffiti outside the Guild's warehouse when movement raked her peripheral vision and a lanky figure dropped off a low roof nearby.

"You're sure gettin' easy with navigating our streets, Miss Shrike," Chase said with a grin, shoving his hands in his pockets. Dust or dirt smeared the sleeve and front of his dark red shirt, and his green eyes twinkled as he examined her. "Quite the skill for a proper lady to develop; people will talk."

"An excellent memory is actually quite a useful skill to refine as a detective," Xaeryn corrected. "I need to speak with you."

"Oho, straight to the point." He was still grinning. "This about the deal you made with Ari?" One hand came out of the pocket to gesture toward the warehouse door.

"Yes." She gripped her handbag tightly more out of urgency than concern. "I wanted to talk about the terms."

"Changing them on us already?" Chase made a tsking sound as he turned into a room, smaller than where they'd spoken before, more of an office. "Not wise to play around with Thieves Guild, sunshine."

Xaeryn grit her teeth. Miss Shrike. But it wasn't worth it. "Not... changing in any way meant to be detrimental or unfair to you," she said, taking a seat when he offered. "You know I'd asked your people to keep an eye for anything hinky. I was wondering what the trade off would be for more closely examining a smaller area."

"So, rather than a general 'let me know if anything weird happens on your turf', you want us to poke around part of it for something specific?" Chase sat behind what approximated a desk as he spoke--planks balanced atop crates--and put his feet up.

"Yes. What change would that bring to our bargained price?"

He smirked and played with one of his rings, studying her face with a keen look in his eyes. "Well, seeing as we've already made a pretty lyss off you, which I'm sure you'll at least partly claim as a business expense, so Merchants Guild foots the bill" --he gave a Cheshire grin at the thought--"I don't want any more of your money."

She arched a brow. "No?" The hair prickled at her nape.

Chase slid a knife free of its boot sheath and stared at the blade nonchalantly. "No, I think for this I want a favor." His eyes flicked to hers. "Regardless of if we find what you're after."

"Accepted, but I won't do anything illegal," Xaeryn said without a beat of hesitation.

"Darling, this is Thieves Guild," he drawled, his grin unwavering under piercing green eyes.

"And I"m certain there's at least a few legitimate things you can think of to ask me," she countered. "Nothing. Illegal." She'd square anything else between her and the One-God, but she wasn't going to jeopardize her livelihood doing something that would turn the police fully against her. She was already sort of a grey area to them. If push came to shove, she'd look for Red and the Torch herself.

"If it has to be on the up, then two favors," Chase said. He was studying her with narrowed eyes and it made her wonder what he saw.

She didn't feel like playing games to get an answer out of him, however. "One regardless, two if you're successful. I'm interested now in just the south-eastern quarter, near the wall in particular. Looking for a building that's being used to stash at least one stolen artefact and a... captive. But before you shift into that, did your people see anything from the more general assignment?"

"Twiggy blonde in the northeast part of the district, just hanging around." He waggled his brows. Xaeryn knew as well as he did people did not loiter in Ashtown for their health. "But she didn't do anything much; lingered and left, so I'd wager she got dusted on by whoever was s'pposed to meet her."

It didn't seem relevant, but she filed it away nonetheless. "Thank you. I'll be checking soon to see if you've found anything with the narrowed area."

"Anxious, are we?" Chase said with a knowing smile. "And could I get a description of this 'captive'? In case we see them, we should know if it's the right person, wouldn't you say?"

"He's tall, red hair, green eyes, street clothes sans jacket and perhaps tie." He didn't always wear one. "I'm not sure how they've been treating him, so he might be roughed up." She stood. "And this is a time-sensitive case that has already drug out longer than desired, so perhaps I am a bit anxious for its conclusion."

"Hopefully we'll find something that can help with that goal." He swung his feet down. "Be seein' you, Miss Shrike."

"You certainly will, Chase." She made her way outside, blinked through the dim-to-bright shift again, and briefly considered poking around herself before deciding to return to her office. Perhaps scrying on Red directly would work this time... If she could just see him, it would help the worry gnawing in her chest. No matter how dire the straits.

---

It did not work. Still nothing. Xaeryn hated feeling powerless at the best of times, not being able to do anything now, with Red in harm's clutches, was pure torture. It was getting harder and harder to fight off the frantic, paralyzing dread as each avenue she explored dropped a dead end in her path. She even got desperate enough to poke around the king's hotel, but that, too, came up empty.

She wasn't truly hungry, but when dinner time came she didn't have anything else to do except pray and go over notes again. Wait for Briony or Darius to reach out, if they would have cause. So she fixed something small and made herself eat. She didn't taste a bite.

To keep herself from pacing a hole in the floor, she decided to give scrying with the earring one more shot. Third time's the charm, wasn't that the saying?

Yes, she was getting a headache from scrying so much in one day. (Or trying to.) No, she didn't care if it would let her find Red before something happened to him.

There was a sense of last-ditch finality to this attempt as she prepared. Logic would dictate giving up if it failed to produce result again. Xaeryn wasn't sure she could be logical about this.

She pinched the earring between her thumb and first two fingers, focused on the bronze scrying disk, and sent up a prayer. One-God, please.

The surface wavered, clouded, cleared on an image. A lightning bolt of desperate relief seared through her and she almost lost the scry before focusing greedy attention on what she could see. A tall man, well built, with silvery-white hair. She strained her concentration until pain lanced her temples and could make out the Ket tattoo on his wrist and earring the match of the one she held in his ear. The background was fuzzy, but she got the sense of generic grandeur, like a ritzy hotel. Another figure stepped into the bounds of her scry--King Kaza Ackshin.

Xaeryn struggled to keep her breathing steady as hope nipped at her soul. A solid connection.

There was another silhouette at the edge, just a shadow, but it might've been Briony. The posture and ponytail looked right.

Her subject--Heron, she'd guess--and King Kaza were exchanging words, which the silent nature of scries meant she didn't catch, and their positioning made it hard to read lips. But it was clear from body language they were preparing to leave. The toll was too much and the scry faded as the figures headed out of the room.

Xaeryn's heart pounded with adrenaline and exertion in equal share as she sat back.

A lead. Oh, blessed God above, she had a lead. They were heading somewhere, the gamble was if it was where she wanted to find or something unrelated.

She was on her feet and halfway across the room before she remembered her promise to Darius. If Briony was with King Kaza, did that count as one of them knowing? Did she really have time...

Xaeryn groaned, turned back the desk, and called the place Darius had said he was staying. No, "Mr. Thrace" wasn't in, did she want to leave a message for him? Deep breath through her nose. "Tell him to meet his snooper friend by the Ashtown gate. She's not going to wait for him long." She hung up before the desk clerk could respond.

If she hustled, she could pick up the king's entourage at the gates and follow. If that's where they were going. If it wasn't, she'd be out of the office, should anyone try to reach her, and miss a vital update.

She had to follow this. To be so close, have this dropped almost literally in her lap...

What she'd seen of King Kaza's expression was eager--he was looking forward to wherever this would lead. That thought alone tipped the balance. There was only one course of action for her and she knew it.

Xaeryn didn't even bother with a hat this time. She only grabbed her handbag because it held her dagger, and if she'd chosen correctly, she would likely need it.

Please let me be right. Please let him be alright. There was no way to ensure someone knew what she was doing--she really should get a secretary--so she'd just have to hope. Hope Briony was truly along, or Darius wasn't out long to get her message, or something. This might very well be the culmination of her case, and all she cared about was saving her friend.

"Nothing. Happened."

"Did you want it to?"

Her hands were shaking as she locked the drawer, locked the door, and hurried toward the Ashtown gates, thoughts on Red and a fervent prayer in her heart.

#queens fic #shoh #shepherds of haven #xaeryn shrike #liefred antiqua #panrachus #briony stormbreaker #chase trinaeste #tlbt #ryn/red

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esta-elavaris · 11 months

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Part Eleven [2,619 words] ~ James Norrington/OC

An AU of my completed, 400k+ word fanfic Catch the Wind [AO3], in which Elizabeth, not James, is the one to discover Theodora Byrne after she crash-lands into the world of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Page breaks by cafekitsune.

Also now on AO3 and FF.net.

Masterpost - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten - *Part Eleven* [you're here!]

Tag list [let me know if you want to be added!]: @missfronkensteen @teawithshakespeare @dancerinthestorm

Notes: I'm sorry I'm not digging into that glorious, excruciating slow burn shit that I did in CTW (and am currently doing in my Boromir fic), but my thinking here is that it would but way too much rehashing of the OG fic, and I'm not willing to turn this into another 400k word event – so certain amounts of glossing need to be done. There still isn't going to be an easy road by any means, because I cannot imagine a world where Norrington has the intended reaction to Elizabeth's prodding at whatever it is going on between he and Theo, but I'm just having to scale down the really drawn out pining a tiny bit.

From then on, things formed a routine that was as nice as it was unexpected. But the unexpected things did have a habit of being the nicest, didn't they? Theo, when she sought a bit of solitude – and when she worried she was hanging around the Swanns too much, like some strange Irish ghost haunting their home – would go down to what she was quickly growing to think of as her spot, books in tow…and more often than not, Captain Norrington would join her.

She didn't go every day, the last thing she needed were whispers that she'd come here and immediately started flirting with all of the military men here like something out of Pride and Prejudice – and Norrington didn't join her every day, for he was a busy man…and he likely had just as much distaste towards all of the potential rumours as she did.

But…he did join her. More often than not. Sometimes pausing as he walked across the docks, as though struggling to decide whether he would or not, but then the deliberations always ended in her favour. Or- well, in favour of accompanying her for a bit. And she found she didn't even resent the interruption. With each occasion that passed, his greetings became a little less awkward and stilted. "Good morning, Miss Byrne, are you well?" shifted into "what section have you reached now?" – which, by the standards of these times, was like a bro-hug back home.

Although if she tried that with him, he'd probably have a heart attack. Instead, she continued to supply the sandwiches. He'd even grown less wary of accepting the half she'd begun to habitually leave for him – but he was still a little shy about it. Theo found that oddly adorable. Oh, his motives weren't entirely innocent, she wasn't an idiot, she knew that part of him (and likely a rather large part) was doing this to fish for more information about her. Nothing made someone keeping secrets slip up half so quickly as camaraderie did.

That was understandable. It was fine, even. And it was a good distraction from how quickly she found herself growing fond of him – because that fondness also offered her an utter inability to stop noticing how handsome he was. Devastatingly. Because it wouldn't do to get attached to anybody here, least of all him.

If only he would go back to making that a bit easier for her.

When a knock sounded at the front door, Elizabeth largely ignored it, save to note that a servant had indeed gone to answer it. She had no social engagements today, and more often than not it was merely business concerning her father – or worse, more dreaded paperwork for him to attend to. For his sake, she hoped it was not the latter in this case.

But then she heard a very distinct voice and stilled. It was that of Captain Norrington's. He would not be here for her, not without any present to chaperone such a meeting, but unease still filled her. It wasn't his fault, of course, and it wasn't even that he wasn't a good man. But if anything, that made it worse. There was always bound to be awkwardness with any when there was a…disparity in enthusiasm, but his very goodness made it worse still, for she had no wish to see him disappointed.

Straightening where she sat, she listened carefully.

"I believe that Miss Byrne is not present at the moment…"

Miss Byrne? Was she in trouble? No, that made little sense. Had there been some problem, Captain Norrington would have come to speak to Elizabeth's father on the matter, rather than Theo herself.

"No, Captain Norrington, I'm afraid she isn't," the footman answered.

"No matter, I only wish to leave this here for her."

Elizabeth was up in the blink of an eye, for this she could not miss. Her footsteps against the marble floor were unmistakeable, and both men paused as she neared.

"Captain Norrington?"

If a painting was ever rendered that hoped to perfectly capture the image of a man who had been caught out, it would resemble the captain's face perfectly when he noticed her standing there.

"Miss Swann," he greeted. "I was just…that is, I only came here to…"

She'd already heard precisely what it was only came here to do, but she was curious to see whether he'd lie or not, and so she waited patiently, one eyebrow twitching upwards. The conclusion was a foregone one – she saw him make that realisation, for he'd already been speaking to the footman who answered the door, and he could not expect her own servants to lie for him.

"I brought a book," he said finally. "For Miss- for your friend."

"She's out walking."

"I suspected as much," he said, his lips thinning when her brow rose higher still, "and so I sought to leave it here for her, instead."

"Thomas, you may leave us," she said to the footman.

He did so with a bow, and Elizabeth waited until the sound of his footsteps faded before she spoke.

"A book?" she enquired, accepting it from him and glancing at the cover. "Seneca?"

In all the years she'd known him, she had rarely seen anything make Captain James Norrington squirm. Seeing him do so now should not have been half so entertaining as it was. Perhaps it would not have been, were it not over Theo. But it was, and that? That was intriguing.

"She is…surprisingly well-read. This would interest her, and I thought that it may be a nice gesture of civility. In light of what you shared with me."

"I see."

So why did he look so guilty, then? Captain Norrington shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clasping his hands behind him, readying to take his leave. Elizabeth wasn't willing to let him go so easily.

"I'm pleased to see that such amicability has been built between the two of you."

"Yes. Well. I am not so stubborn as to be unable to concede that you were correct, Miss Swann. Your guest has more amiable qualities than I first realised."

At first, Elizabeth was surprised he would admit such a thing. After but a moment's thought, however, it became less surprising – for he didn't say it to extol Theo's virtues, but more to tell Elizabeth herself that she'd been right. Theodora was not the direct recipient of his praise here. But…perhaps she could be.

"Oh?" she enquired.

If he did not elaborate, his words would have the sound of mere lip service. Of a lie. And Captain Norrington would never stand for that.

But that didn't mean he had to like the corner she'd boxed him into, either.

"As I said, she is surprisingly well-read," he said, and upon seeing that she was still waiting for more, he sighed. "And her understanding of said reading material has proven to be insightful. She has proven to be an interesting conversationalist. And…she can even be rather humorous."

"Humorous?"

"At times."

She'd have an easier time drawing his teeth from his mouth than these compliments, but this was far more amusing.

"I see."

There had been rumours of the two spending more time together, but Elizabeth had thought it little more than that. Mindless gossip by the women who had decided to dislike Theodora before even meeting her. Elizabeth knew her, after all – and therefore knew that she was not some sort of scheming demon of desire. If anything, it might be rather funny to see her face should she find out that any man here had indeed set his sights upon her, and whatever response followed would likely not be fit for repeating.

Apparently, gossip was not all it was. And that was very, very interesting. But she wouldn't bring that up – not her interest, beyond what she already had, nor the rumours. For she knew Norrington, and if she pressed this matter too hard he would run for the hills before she could even lend coherent words to the thoughts slowly turning in her mind. Which would not do.

"Very well, Captain," she said brightly – before he could read too deeply into her reaction thus far. "I admit, it warms me to see this change. I shall pass the book along to Theo."

At first, she worried he might be too suspicious, but his desire to get away as quickly as possible won out, and he bid farewell and took his leave, hastily striding down towards the mansion's gates as if he feared she might give chase.

Elizabeth smiled at his retreating form.

Ordinarily, when Elizabeth suggested a turn about the gardens after dinner, Theo was all for it. More often than not, the sunsets out here were beautiful, and she always did better being on the move than she ever would sitting around a drawing room. But today when she made the offer, there was a distinct gleam in her dark eyes. That spelled trouble.

That suspicion only rose when she waited until they were well clear of the mansion before she hooked her arm in hers, and began speaking.

"Captain Norrington called today."

And here she thought she'd gotten her too early for phone calls to be a thing.

"Oh?"

At first, she wondered if he'd shown up to make some sort of romantic overture. Elizabeth had known well enough that he had a thing for her before he proposed, and surely – prim and proper as the time was – it wasn't merely a case of a few vague interactions and then bam, proposal. But Governor Swann had been working all day, in fact he'd yet to return, so she thought not.

Theo chose to entirely ignore the part of her that was oddly relieved when she came to that final conclusion. It was common courtesy, that was all. He'd been kind to her, and she had no wish to see him rejected by the woman he was madly in love with.

"He was looking for you."

"I doubt that."

"All right, perhaps he wasn't seeking you out directly. But he did leave a gift for you."

"A gift?"

"A book. The Dialogues of Seneca."

"Ah."

"That doesn't surprise you, then?"

"He's…loaned me some before. As a peace offering. I suppose he saw that I'd almost finished Meditations and planned accordingly," she said. "It was nice of him."

"It was, indeed. You never mentioned it."

Theo breathed a laugh.

"I know I'm a bit of a hopeless case around here, Elizabeth, but I didn't think I was quite so bad that we needed to celebrate every time somebody didn't hate me."

It had taken a while before she was this comfortable being so casually sarcastic to her new friend, her closest friend here, and even now she found herself sighing in relief when Elizabeth laughed rather than taking offense.

"No," she squeezed her arm, "you are far from a hopeless case. Captain Norrington even appeared, dare I say, fond of you."

They drew to a stop at the end of the gardens – in part because it offered a gorgeous view to the ocean, situation so high up on the hill as it was, but also because Theo had no desire for any of the servants (nor anybody else, for that matter) to overhear this sheer insanity.

Theo groaned. "You've been listening to Amelia's spin factory, then."

"My dear Theodora, I have been listening to the words from the man in question's very lips."

"Sure."

"I have! He all but extolled your virtues today."

"Sure he did."

"Don't tell me you dislike him, still?"

"What's there to dislike?" Theo snorted – although not half as sarcastically as before. "He's clever, he's good – which is rare, by the way, and he's funny."

"Funny?"

"Funny. Believe it or don't."

While she liked to think she'd gotten used to the absurdity of her current situation, dressed like something out of a period drama and surrounded by people who were supposed to be fictional characters. But now, standing here, overlooking the sunset that cast glorious shades of orange, red, and pink about them – reflected almost perfectly by the still waters, too, which doubled the effect, standing and listening to Elizabeth try to claim there was anything between Norrington and herself other than mild tolerance on his part was…well, it was unbelievable. Theo was certain she'd wake up any second now and be completely unable to so much hear the Pirates theme music without wincing.

"I'll trust your word on the matter. Many of the women here find him rather handsome, you know."

"Many of the women here happen to have eyes."

And ears. Because he could be a toad and the voice would still redeem it all. As it was, it just added to the overall package in the end.

"You're blushing."

"Oh, I am not."

"Hm. I see."

"What do you see, Emma Woodhouse?"

"You know, Theo, there'll come a day when I understand one of your unique little references and I shall be very insulted."

"Maybe then you'll stay out of my love life."

"So you're in love with him?" Elizabeth gasped with a great deal of faux excitement.

Theo groaned aloud, even as the other woman dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"Come, Theo, I'm only teasing. Be a good sport."

"I'm not sure you are," she griped.

"You have to admit, you'd be a good match. I never would have concluded so on my own, I'll admit that much, but after all of the information I've gathered over the course of this day, I can see it now."

"Uh-huh."

"You would be! I think you'd make a fine pair."

"I'll just take him back home with me, then, will I?"

"Do you have a plan to return home?"

Not one she could share with Elizabeth, that was for damn sure.

"…irrelevant," she argued with a huff.

"It's entirely relevant. Reason dictates that if you're not leaving, you're staying. A…a secondary course of action would not be a bad thing."

"James Norrington would make eyes at Blackbeard before he glanced in my direction."

"A worrying prospect, for Blackbeard is dead."

"Blackbeard's corpse, then," she replied stubbornly.

Elizabeth hummed, and Theo thought she was entirely free from this conversation…until Elizabeth squeezed her arm again, took in a deep, wistful sigh and said softly.

"He's usually rather precious about his library, you know."

Oh, Jesus Christ.

#catch the wind #ctw #james/theodora #james and theodora #fallen through time esta-elavaris #ftt #james norrington/oc #james norrington x oc #pirates of the caribbean fanfic #pirates of the caribbean fanfiction #james norrington fanfic #james norrington fanfiction

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 years

Text

Ghost Story - Chapter 23

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 2930

Warnings: Swearing, implied sex

Summary: No one will miss a ghost. It'd been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember, something Ghost herself started, and she always said it with a smile on her face or with mirth in her voice. The untouchable stealth pilot in every sense of the word, no one could've predicted the depth of her turmoil over recent events, nor the extremes she would go to in order to protect the man she loved, not even those closest to her. Now, all that was left of the young aviator for Maverick, Hangman, and Rooster were the memories of the past, which would slowly fade with time. She'd come into their lives and made an unforgettable impression, and then, like a ghost, she was gone... Then again, ghosts can't die a second time.

Notes: The chapters/large parts in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Take My Breath Away Need You Now In Case You Didn't Know

****

Rooster

Seeing Ghost and Bryn walk out of the warehouse arm-in-arm sent a surge of relief through his veins. Neither girl needed him, but they needed each other. Both had a connection with a shared life experience that bonded them: the death of their fathers. Rooster had lost his too, but his grief was different. He hardly had any memories of Goose save for the grainy home videos and photos Maverick and his mom had saved. Rooster rarely watched them, however, the pain of longing to know his dad but understanding it would never happen too acute to handle.

As the evening progressed and dusk turned to night, Rooster noticed Ghost became less and less talkative. Her gaze rested on whoever spoke, and she would smile and laugh at all the right times, but Rooster saw the distant look in her eyes, as if she wasn't focusing on the conversation but unconsciously following the cues from everyone else on how to act. Add in the bouncing leg and her fiddling with her dog tags, Ghost's attention evidently resided in a darker place elsewhere and not on the current conversation. Rooster needed to do something to ground her again before Ghost got too wrapped up in her head. But how? He just wanted to pull her close and hold her while she spilled what was going on inside her head, but she hadn't done that since their argument when he'd thrown her feelings in her face like an immature child. So why would she trust him with her thoughts now?

Rooster couldn't sit back and do nothing while Ghost quietly stressed about something, but what? He sat clear across from her, so it's not like he could put a comforting hand on her leg or arm around her shoulders. Besides, Ghost probably wanted him to steer clear of her. Their conversations earlier had been small talk, and the smile she gave him earlier was a one-off. They meant nothing.

Penny came to the rescue, if not inadvertently, by saying, "It's getting chilly. What do you say we head in and watch a movie?"

A chorus of 'yeses' rose from the Daggers. Maverick offered to set up the projector, and Fanboy and Fritz assisted him. A drunk Omaha and Bob offered to make popcorn and bring over some more snacks. Phoenix and Halo decided to supervise, concerned the boys might accidentally break or burn something, specifically themselves. Bryn and Payback collected the remaining dirty plates and picked up the general area, making it look less like the aftermath of a packed night at the Hard Deck and more like civilized people had been there. Hangman, Coyote, Harvard, and Yale moved the couches and chairs back inside. Ghost, at Rooster's request, helped inflate some of the air mattresses, both having a sneaking suspicion that at least half their group would be falling asleep during whatever movie they chose to watch. As they were blowing up the first mattress, Ghost's phone rang. She glanced at the screen, brow furrowing. Turning to Rooster, she asked, "Hey, I need to take this. Are you okay setting this up?"

"Yeah, I got it," he assured. Ghost smiled appreciatively at him and scurried off, but not before Rooster overheard her say, "Hey, Mom."

Rooster kept a watchful eye on her, attempting to gauge the tone of the conversation from afar. From what he could tell, Ghost and Charlie were still at odds with each other, and while Ghost appeared to be mostly enjoying herself tonight, he worried her mom might spoil her daughter's fun, even if unintentionally.

Bryn came over to assist Rooster. Noticing Ghost outside, she inquired quietly, "Is she okay?"

"I don't know. It's her mom calling, so this could go either way."

"Either way, especially if it goes badly, be there for her. I think my conversation with her earlier made her open a little more to the idea of fixing things with you."

Rooster smiled appreciatively at Bryn and thanked her. He should've been upset over losing out on a future with a girl as wonderful as Bryn Kazansky, but he felt nothing other than friendship toward her. Rooster cared for her, but he didn't love her. Not the way he loved Ghost. She consumed his thoughts more than he cared to admit, more than any person should, but they'd always had a connection, even when they despised each other initially.

Ghost slowly walked up and down in front of the warehouse, far enough away from the entrance that no one passing could eavesdrop. Ten minutes passed before the conversation ended, and Ghost stopped pacing, staring at her phone contemplatively. Then, hesitantly, she shoved her phone into her back pocket and returned to Rooster's side.

"Everything okay?" Bryn queried while fighting with the air pump to get it into the air mattress hole.

"Uh, yeah. My mom just apologized for what she said last week," Ghost replied, evidently confused by Charlie's words. "I'm not complaining by any means, but something brought on that apology. Mom doesn't do things out of the blue. Gave me no explanation like 'I thought about it' or 'Wolfman pointed out.' Nothing. My mom and I don't always get along, but I know when something's off.

"Maybe it was one of those one-off times where it really was out of the blue," Bryn suggested, finally winning the battle with the air pump.

Ghost shook her head. "Trust me, Charlotte Blackwood does not change. I just need to figure out what the ulterior motive is, but I won't drag y'all down with this any further."

"We're always here for you. Don't forget that."

Ghost smiled appreciatively at her friend and said nothing more other than she needed the bathroom, that she'd be right back, and to save a spot for her on the couch. Rooster promised he'd do this. Ghost's eyes flicked over to Bryn with hesitance, but a silent understanding must've passed between the girls because Ghost thanked Rooster rather than rejecting his offer.

Swiftly inflating the other mattresses and placing them on the floor in front of the projector, Rooster then snagged two spots on the couch for himself and Ghost. Phoenix took the third. However, Hangman had other plans, and before Rooster could place his legs in Ghost's spot to reserve it for her, the cocky pilot plopped down instead, much to Rooster's dismay and annoyance. Shaking his head, he ordered, "No, on the floor, Seresin."

Hangman gave him a cocky grin. "Nah, I'm comfortable here. You can move, though. Roosters like the ground anyways."

Out of his peripheral, Rooster saw Ghost approaching. No one else, save for Maverick, seemed to notice her, judging by the thinly-veiled smirk on the captain's face. She eyed Hangman mischievously. Without a sound, she snuck up behind him, slipped her hands to his side, and whispered, "Move." Hangman leaped up and grabbed his ass like something had bitten him. Ghost hopped over the back of the couch with a triumphant grin, settling into her spot. Hangman, refusing to accept defeat and determined to get a place on the sofa, finagled himself between his ex and Phoenix. Having to slide over to give Jake more room, Ghost ended up pressed right up against Rooster's side. Bradley wasn't going to complain, and to make it more comfortable for her, he slipped his arm around her shoulders. Ghost snuggled closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Rooster couldn't help the small smile on his face at the contact. He wanted to rest her cheek atop her head, but that would undoubtedly cause speculation about a non-existent romantic relationship, even though Bradley still desperately wanted one.

Maverick, confirming everyone was settled in, hit play on the movie. Fanboy had picked it out, and naturally, it was Star Wars. This sparked an intense discussion of who was the best pilot in the film: Hangman, Coyote, Omaha, Bryn, and Ghost were on the side of Anakin; Rooster, Bob, Halo, and Fritz chose Luke. Phoenix, Harvard, Yale, Fanboy, and Payback argued for Han.

However, one by one, everyone fell asleep, including Rooster. The last thing he remembered was Han charging like a madman after the stormtroopers, his cheek resting atop Ghost's head. Therefore, when he woke and found Hangman slumped over onto his arm instead of Ghost, Rooster was more than a little confused. He sleepily scanned the group, seeing everyone passed out except for the stealth pilot. Where had she gone? Surely she hadn't left?

Careful to avoid waking Hangman and stepping on Bob, Rooster got up from the couch and went outside. Ghost's bike was still there, so she had to be around here somewhere, and he had an idea. Going back into the warehouse, he beelined for the kitchen, which had been partially hidden by one of the P-51s. Sitting on the floor with her back against the cabinets, Ghost mindlessly shoved globs of ice cream while staring pensively into the massive tub.

"Is there any left to share, or should I start on another dessert?" Rooster inquired, slowly shuffling towards her. Despite their closeness earlier, that'd been in the company of everyone else. Now, with their friends asleep, it was just the two of them, and Rooster couldn't predict how she would act toward him.

Ghost froze at his words, a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and looking like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. She quickly swallowed the mouthful and cringed, probably from brain freeze. She smiled through the pain and asked, "Did I wake you?"

"Nah, woke up by myself and realized Hangman was sleeping on me instead of you." Rooster gave an over-exaggerated shudder, causing Ghost to chuckle. "Figured I'd come find you, but I can leave you be with the ice cream. Looks like it's quite the affair between you two."

"Shut up," Ghost snapped airily, chucking her plastic spoon at him. Rooster caught it, grabbed another one from the counter, and then sat down beside her.

Bradley scooped a bit of ice cream into his mouth. "So, why are you awake?"

"Woke up and needed the bathroom, and then was wide awake and knew I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, so I chose to eat ice cream before a hungover Hangman got to it in the morning."

"Speaking of which, what did you do to him on the couch earlier?"

Ghost smirked. "Hangman claims he's not ticklish, but that's not entirely true. There is one place I know of, so all I did was pinch his sides, and as he jumped up from that, I pinched his ass to give him an extra boost up. I'm going to pay for it in the morning, most likely. He knows as well as everyone else that I'm ticklish, so he'll try and get his revenge. Especially once he figures out all the ice cream is gone."

"Just hang near me. I'll protect you," Rooster told her, taking a scoop of ice cream. Ghost smiled but said nothing. Silence fell over them, and after two weeks of not speaking, Rooster finally found the opportunity he'd been waiting for: the chance to apologize. He took it. Quietly but full of sincerity, Rooster said, "What I said during our fight... it was uncalled for and out of line. I was angry at myself and took it out on you, and in doing so, nearly ruined our already strained friendship, and words cannot fully express how sorry I am for what I said, but I am sorry Ghost. I'm sorry for what I said, for how I treated you during the fight, and for not having the guts to ask you out sooner. I understand if you still want to keep me at a distance-"

"I don't," Ghost interrupted gently, leaning her head against the cabinet to look at him. "I've missed you, even if I haven't acted like it. I accept your apology, and I have one to make of my own."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Rooster said firmly. "You didn't tell me to go fuck my ex, nor were you being a dick to me."

"No, but I also could've said something sooner to you about my feelings."

"You loved Hangman, and he broke your heart after years of dating," Rooster replied with a shrug. "Plus, you don't do long-distance relationships."

Ghost cringed. "That's- that's, uh, not true. That was a lie I told you when I didn't want you to know I liked you. I was surprised you believed it, to be honest. Being in the Navy, all my relationships will be long-distance at some point."

"I'm glad you think I'm that smart, but you're giving me way too much credit," he joked, bumping her shoulder with his. "I'm the best of the best in the air, not when it comes to picking up hints that you're interested in me."

Rooster went to scoop another glob of ice cream, but emptiness met his spoon. Peering over the container, he discovered the dessert wholly gone. Disappointed and craving something sweet, he queried, "Do we have any more ice cream?"

"Sadly, no," Ghost replied. "There are other desserts, though. We have cake, cookies, your pick."

Rooster stared at her, mulling over his options. He zeroed in on a streak of ice cream on the top of her lip. "You got a little-"

Ghost moved to wipe her mouth, but Rooster beat her to it, capturing her lips with his own instead. Everyone Rooster knew had always told him time stopped and that you saw stars when kissing the one you loved, that they lost themselves when kissing the love of their life, but for him, he'd never been more hyperaware - the smell of her expensive Jo Malone perfume tainted by the faint presence of jet fuel, the softness of her lips tinged with the slight taste of Moose Tracks ice cream, and the featherlight touch of her fingertips brushing the underside of his chin.

"Did I get it?" Rooster asked huskily, only stopping the kiss to catch his breath and to give Ghost an opportunity to back out of this. He gingerly braced his forehead against hers, aching to touch her but not wanting to push his luck more than he had without her permission.

"No," Ghost answered breathlessly. "No, I think there's still-"

That's all Rooster needed to hear, and his lips were once more on hers. All the bottled-up emotions- the years of longing, the past two weeks of desperation to solve things, to be near Ghost again- came crashing down upon him in one fell swoop. Rooster cupped her cheek with one hand and slipped his other arm behind her waist, using it to urge her onto his lap. Ghost needed no encouragement, straddling his lap without breaking the kiss. Her hands couldn't decide between weaving themselves in his hair and cradling his face, constantly moving between the two until she finally decided to hook an arm around his neck and leave one hand in his hair.

They only broke apart to get air, both dizzy from the sudden, passionate makeout. Their heavy breathing, harsh in the quiet of the hangar, must've prompted Ghost to whisper, "Someone's going to catch us if we keep this up."

"You want to take it somewhere else?" he asked, eyes tracing the features of her face, memorizing the sharpness of her black winged eyeliner, the tiny tears in her lips from her biting them, and the green flecks in her blue eyes that he never noticed before.

"Where did you have in mind?"

"I mean, the Bronco isn't just great for car rides."

"Oh, really?" Ghost said in mock disbelief. "I'm not sure I believe you. I think you're going to have to prove it."

"Follow me." Beaming, the two of them got up, swiftly and silently making their way out of the hangar and into the cool night. Rooster grabbed some extra blankets from the front seat to make the bed of his truck a little more comfortable. When Rooster finished setting it up, he lifted Ghost into the back. The second they settled in, their lips were once more on each other's, but unlike the passionate session before, this time, the kiss was so slow and deep, the two pilots savoring the moment and the feel of each other. This time, neither was inebriated or in the heat of the moment. Both were wholly aware of every single thing they were doing with full ability to stop and turn back, but neither did. Ghost and Rooster had finally gotten onto the same page, and how long that would last, Bradley had no idea, but for now, he planned on showing her how much he loved her, how much he missed her, and how well he knew every inch and curve of her body.

"Fuck," Ghost breathed when Rooster trailed kisses down her neck, across her chest, and back up the other side.

"Fuck what?" Rooster asked, nipping her bottom lip.

"Me." Lying on her back, she cupped his face, her thumbs grazing up and down his cheekbones. "Rooster, you big stud?"

He bit back a grin. "That's me, baby."

Ghost kissed him long and slow before responding, "Take me to bed or lose me forever."

"I'd ask you to show me the way home-" Rooster brushed a piece of hair out of her face- "but with you, I'm already there."

After that, nothing more was said. Nothing needed to be.

****

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halothenthehorns · 1 year

Text

Chapter 12: I GO SNOWBOARDING WITH A PIG

Nico's hands were shaking as he took the book, his stomach burned so bad he didn't know what was going to come up if he puked from stress right now. Last time he'd had this thing Percy had nearly killed them all again, which wasn't strictly his fault. Anybody could have gotten the chapter over Annabeth in this circle, but he was still being a naïve child on some level thinking it wouldn't come around again. Just like Bianca wanted, and the more he tried to let go of his anger about her the less he knew how to feel. How was it every time he got this stupid book it was worse than the last-

A warm brush against his shoulder chased away the cold dread. He didn't think much of it as he exhaled in relief to see the blurry words finally come into focus. He read the new, strange as usual chapter title with a hysterical sounding laugh of relief. Bianca hadn't been killed by a pig, he still had a little more time...and no escape plan in sight...

It was Thalia who went ghastly pale and leaned back in her seat. Percy had called her out right after this incident. They would know, and the teasing would never end.

"Question," Jason asked politely, "does the pig snowboard on two feet or all fours?"

"No, the real question is, is Percy better or worse than the swine?" Alex snickered.

"I've never been snowboarding," Magnus said, it was always something he heard snooty rich people talking about like the snow in Boston wasn't good enough for them. "Is a pig the judge we should be using skill level, or Percy?"

"Can't be to much worse than a skateboard?" But Percy sounded no more convinced this was something he shouldn't be concerned about as he looked from the book to Thalia with one of those uneasy feelings again. Whatever her problems with Apollo's bus seemed to have been a one time thing, but she'd been under a near constant state of distress same as him between Annabeth, Luke, and him. Gods he wished he could do anything to give her a break.

Nico was still licking his lips and hesitating to start, Will was making some joke about Miss Piggy nobody seemed to get but was keeping attention. Percy asked as quietly as he could to her, "want to take a break?" Wondering if she'd said no last time because he'd put her on the spot.

"No," she said again, but she breathed just a smidge easier as she grinned at him again for the offer. "Just, just want to get through this." Percy took every jab about his genius-dumbass with a smile. Percy had never said another word about her fear, he'd even gone out of his way to help her avoid it later, but she didn't have the same hope about the others. Jason would laugh himself stupid when she told him the truth and claim there was no way possible they were related when he heard this. Magnus, for as much as he looked like his cousin, would tell her that made no sense given her parentage. Alex's nose might fall off she'd start laughing so hard. And oh Gods, Will and Nico were going to go tell everybody at Camp, she'd never be able to show her face there again. She didn't really know Rachel that well, but the mortal Oracle would probably think it just as weird a demigod even had a flaw.

Jason was threatening to wrap the book in bacon though if they didn't all get on with it. Nico looked no more pleased than her to turn to the words, so hopefully he'd read quickly and just get it over with.

We'd arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pine trees loomed over the valley,

"Did seeing those make you homesick?" Percy smirked at Thalia.

"Do you want a fish shoved up your nose?" She asked back pleasantly.

casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny.

Even with my lion-skin coat, I was freezing by the time we got to Main Street, which was about half a mile from the train tracks. As we walked, I told Grover about my conversation with Apollo the night before—how he'd told me to seek out Nereus in San Francisco.

Grover looked uneasy. "That's good, I guess. But we've got to get there first."

I tried not to get too depressed about our chances. I didn't want to send Grover into a panic, but I knew we had another huge deadline looming, aside from saving Artemis in time for her council of the gods. The General had said Annabeth would only be kept alive until the winter solstice. That was Friday, only four days away. And he'd said something about a sacrifice. I didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Do multiple motivations help get you there faster?" Magnus asked uneasily. He'd settle for some woodland magic from Grover or Apollo breaking the laws of dimension again to get there already.

"Unified goal," Thalia nodded.

We stopped in the middle of town. You could pretty much see everything from there: a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.

"Great," Thalia said, looking around. "No bus station. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" said Grover.

"Yes," Zoe said. "Coffee is good."

"How old is coffee?" Rachel asked in surprise. "I'm just imagining her calling our version that we drown in sugar and creamer weak."

"I have no idea," Thalia admitted, "15th century or something? She drank it black." The Hunters still offered a moment of silence to her and all their fallen sisters every full moon over a steaming hot cup.

Percy would swear his ear twitched over something. Zoe speaking in her gruff way again, even something they could all agree on, coffee was good. It was just so different from the way she'd spoken in his dream. That must be why Thalia's words rung strangely in his head.

"And pastries," Grover said dreamily. "And wax paper."

Thalia sighed. "Fine. How about you two go get us some food. Percy, Bianca, and I will check in the grocery store.

Percy arched a curious brow about that for reasons unknown to him. Something about her had been clicking in the back of his mind like an annoying pen, and Nico making strange tongue tied faces every time she was didn't help at all to figure out why he still swore he vaguely recognized them. They'd yet had a chance to continue their peculiar conversation from the train where apparently she found subways popping up.

There was no obvious link except Bianca was who Thalia would soon be, but he hoped she shared with them what other line he was trying to draw.

Maybe they can give us directions."

We agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes. Bianca looked a little uncomfortable coming with us, but she did.

Nico tried not to let himself puzzle at that. He felt like he never knew his sister well enough to understand anything about her. Did the uncomfortableness come from Percy, and she already hated males? Was it Thalia, and Zoe's dislike of her rubbed off already? She hadn't much to do on this quest so far except help them escape the helicopter. It's not like he had any way of guessing if she was missing him at all.

Inside the store, we found out a few valuable things about Cloudcroft: there wasn't enough snow for skiing,

"So the pig is going to have to work for it, got it," Alex snorted.

the grocery store sold rubber rats for a dollar each,

"The highlight of the town I'm sure," Jason said with a cheerful smile for this small town economy.

and there was no easy way in or out of town unless you had your own car.

Percy was rubbing his forehead in exhaustion, but he knew he'd never get any decent sleep so long as Annabeth was in danger. "This is one of those towns I can't imagine growing up in, it's so isolated and creepy."

"New York Pride Cap aside, I am with Percy," Thalia sighed. She felt like a serial killer or a monster could make that town vanish in five minutes.

"You could call for a taxi from Alamogordo," the clerk said doubtfully. "That's down at the bottom of the mountains, but it would take at least an hour to get here. Cost several hundred dollars."

The clerk looked so lonely, I bought a rubber rat.

Which caused multiple laughs around Percy who grinned indulgently.

"I hope your mother never gives you pocket change, you'd go broke walking around Central Park," Rachel chuckled.

"No, no, we encourage this behavior," Alex nodded. "I will make all the rubber rats you like Percy!"

"If I wake up with a rat in my bed tomorrow Alex, you'll find it in your nightmares," Percy promised.

Then we headed back outside and stood on the porch.

"Wonderful," Thalia grumped. "I'm going to walk down the street, see if anybody in the other shops has a suggestion."

"But the clerk said—"

"I know," she told me. "I'm checking anyway."

I let her go. I knew how it felt to be restless. All half-bloods had attention deficit problems because of our inborn battlefield reflexes. We couldn't stand just waiting around.

Also, I had a feeling Thalia was still upset over our conversation last night about Luke.

"Look at Percy getting a gold star," Thalia gave him a friendly enough smile now and he grinned back in relief. He hoped her good mood with him again didn't stem from him getting turned into a pig.

Bianca and I stood together awkwardly. I mean... I was never very comfortable talking one-on-one with girls anyway, and I'd never been alone with Bianca before. I wasn't sure what to say, especially now that she was a Hunter and everything.

"Nice rat," she said at last.

"Now there's a compliment you just don't get to hear very often," Magnus chuckled.

I set it on the porch railing. Maybe it would attract more business for the store.

"Pretty sure that's the opposite of how that works," Will told him in concern. "Is it a New York staple to see rats and want to go there?"

"It was a very cute rubber rat," Percy said with a straight face. "Great attention to detail."

"So... how do you like being a Hunter so far?" I asked.

The question felt strange coming off of Nico's lips. He'd never gotten the chance to ask her that. He hesitated reading the next sentence because his mind was floundering if he'd get a different answer than she'd give Percy. Which was the lie and truth?

She pursed her lips. "You're not still mad at me for joining, are you?"

"Nah. Long as, you know... you're happy."

"I'm not sure 'happy' is the right word, with Lady Artemis gone. But being a Hunter is definitely cool. I feel calmer somehow. Everything seems to have slowed down around me. I guess that's the immortality."

Jason ruffled uneasily as Nico swallowed. That didn't feel like a great answer to him either, watching Thalia nod in agreement. Diana was a just goddess and cared about her followers, but Bianca hadn't known her long enough to be more than told this, let along grasp it herself. Something in him struggled with her blind faith, and yet sympathized with it.

I stared at her, trying to see the difference. She did seem more confident than before, more at peace. She didn't hide her face under a green cap anymore. She kept her hair tied back, and she looked me right in the eyes when she spoke. With a shiver, I realized that five hundred or a thousand years from now, Bianca di Angelo would look exactly the same as she did today. She might be having a conversation like this with some other half-blood long after I was dead, but Bianca would still look twelve years old.

Thalia had wrestled with this aspect, her salvation and disconnection. Annabeth would forever age past her, happy with Percy while she'd gotten her own family in the Hunters. Now Jason would too. She did not regret her choice, she knew if she'd even been told Jason were still out there before Artemis had accepted her vow she would have gone through with it and taken her place to heart that day on the Solstice. She would not be the child of the prophecy.

But what if she'd known the moment she fell out of the tree? Any time she was on the run? Would she have been able to make the same choice as Bianca and hope Jason would still be fine without her, the potential child of the Prophecy himself just to save herself from that choice? It was a question that had no answer, but she longed more every passage to speak to a Hunter sister she'd never properly gotten to know. Bianca was truly a girl who could have understood so much of her life like no other.

"Nico didn't understand my decision," Bianca murmured. She looked at me like she wanted assurance it was okay.

Nico somehow went even more flummoxed at that. Should he want Percy to be angry on his behalf again, or defend Bianca's choice too like he was trying to come to terms with now. He was starting to get such a splitting headache the words were blurring right off the page.

"Nico?" A soft, gentle voice said right beside him. It wasn't Bianca's, but it had the same soothing way about it he hadn't heard in a very long time now. He wasn't even sure if some of those memories were fake or real. "Did you want a break?"

Will watched in concern as Nico dragged his eyes to look at him. Will wished he could just say Nico could read this to himself, but that wouldn't be fair to Percy, this was his memory, they were just visiting. This was so personal to both of them. If he could just get a spare moment where everybody broke off he could ask if Nico and Percy wanted to read this part by themselves, Will would find a way to make that happen.

Nico very much wanted to say yes. He wanted another fruitless search about this place to try and get out again. He wanted to bury this book six feet deep before he had to hear what had happened to his sister in explicit detail, but he wanted to stop sitting around waiting on tenterhooks for that pain to drop more.

Then the pity would come, and maybe Percy would try to talk to him. Percy honestly didn't know if Annabeth was alive right now, it would be the most grounded conversation they'd ever have.

"No," Nico answered quickly, trying to clear his throat and not show how tired of this he was.

Nico still didn't seem to notice how the darkness got a little more depth around him every time he said his sisters name, a black hole slowly but steadily opening in the wall.

"He'll be all right," I said. "Camp Half-Blood takes in a lot of young kids. They did that for Annabeth."

Nico's scoff was painful to his own ears. Now even Percy was drawing lines between him and Annabeth, as if he could ever be anything like that golden girl.

Bianca nodded. "I hope we find her. Annabeth, I mean. She's lucky to have a friend like you."

"Lot of good it did her."

Nico couldn't stop himself glancing up at Percy, a cautious hopeful feeling they could talk about this too. Their guilt. It wouldn't erase it, but Percy had been carrying that on him this whole time and understand Nico's own grief he hadn't been there in the one moment where it mattered most.

Percy was looking right through him, as usual, even while holding the book. Nico was even quite proud of himself now looking back that hadn't been bothering him yet, always fidgeting with his pen and watching Thalia while only glancing at the book. The purple spine. Not him. He tried to take comfort in that, surely if Bianca's death was coming any time soon Percy would have some lingering memory to keep an eye on him?

"Don't blame yourself Percy. You risked your life to save my brother and me. I mean, that was seriously brave. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have felt okay about leaving Nico at the camp. I figured if there were people like you there, Nico would be fine.

Nico's laugh was a little more harsh than he'd mean it to be, and the joke was only funny to him. Was he fine? Objectively not, roaming the world and contemplating going into Tartarus to find a goal in life. The fact that she'd factored this at all though was a kindness he hadn't expected. Better than just not caring at all.

It was a strange thing to laugh at to anyone else, who as usual just seemed to think Nico odd.

Except Will, who was probably growing to nosy levels of curiosity wanting to ask. Crap, he needed a medical text book to keep him distracted, he was starting to become a little obsessed wondering at every single reaction of his.

You're a good guy."

The compliment took me by surprise. "Even though I knocked you down in capture the flag?"

She laughed. "Okay. Except for that, you're a good guy."

"Seconded," Rachel laughed, and he tried to kill her when they first met.

"Eh," Thalia smirked, "you're not the worst boy I've met." Her smirk grew as she put an eerie, Zoe like accent on use of the word boy.

"Why thank you," he told them both with a surprised smile, he wasn't used to getting so many compliments. "I hope I hold to that standard."

A couple hundred yards away, Grover and Zoe came out of the coffee shop loaded down with pastry bags and drinks. I kind of didn't want them to come back yet. It was weird, but I realized I liked talking to Bianca. She wasn't so bad. A lot easier to hang out with than Zoe Nightshade, anyway.

Nico let out a spluttered noise that might have been a laugh if he'd stop trying to smother it. Oh the irony, Percy couldn't stand him, but his sister was okay!

Percy watched him now, in concern what that noise was, while Will bit his lip to hide a smile. He didn't add that to his list of times he'd heard Nico laugh though, it held to much self deprecation in it.

"So what's the story with you and Nico?" I asked her. "Where did you go to school before Westover?"

Nico decided he'd rather eat this book page by page than keep reading, his hands were now visibly trembling in frustration of how she was about to answer that. The false memories, the cloudy haze of feelings that had lingered in shadowed faces he couldn't remember but knew were there. Nightmares that had started that first night at camp and chased him to this day. He knew his mothers face now, her voice, but his dreams kept forgetting.

"Sorry Nico," Percy's voice still stunned him through the heart, but it was more of a jolt than a whole band number when he looked around.

"You were curious," he said, trying his hardest to keep the defensiveness out of his voice. "If Bianca's okay answering, so am I."

Will was waiting for it now and felt the icy chill blast through the room, as everybody else shivered and looked at Percy but he still saw Nico's shadow flutter. Percy, Bianca, Will tugged nervously on his ear and started to get a concrete theory about Nico he was beginning to suspect the guy himself had never confronted.

She frowned. "I think it was a boarding school in D.C. It seems like so long ago."

"It always does," Magnus agreed with a wince. It scared him how the mundane of shuffling around town looking for something to sustain him all blurred together, he'd go days without remembering his mothers voice before it was punched into his ear by any innocent person on the street saying the randomest things.

"You never lived with your parents? I mean, your mortal parent?"

"We were told our parents were dead. There was a bank trust for us. A lot of money, I think. A lawyer would come by once in a while to check on us. Then Nico and I had to leave that school."

"Why?"

She knit her eyebrows. "We had to go somewhere. I remember it was important. We traveled a long way. And we stayed in this hotel for a few weeks.

Nico's voice quivered, just a slight pitch up and down that could pass as him catching his breath. It only confirmed something Will had guessed at when Percy traveled through Vegas, and his plans to burn down that place only solidified.

And then... I don't know. One day a different lawyer came to get us out. He said it was time for us to leave. He drove us back east, through D.C. Then up into Maine. And we started going to Westover."

It was a strange story.

"Understatement," Rachel promised, but her tone was all open curiosity to hear more. She'd been following Chiron around near constantly while at Camp asking him to start transcribing all stories of who passed through. She was whittling him down bribe by bribe on upgrades via Dare Enterprise. Those new saddle bags should arrive by the time they got back and she was sure he'd say yes this time.

Then again, Bianca and Nico were half-bloods. Nothing would be normal for them.

"So you've been raising Nico pretty much all your life?" I asked. "Just the two of you?"

She nodded. "That's why I wanted to join the Hunters so bad. I mean, I know it's selfish, but I wanted my own life and friends. I love Nico—don't get me wrong—I just needed to find out what it would be like not to be a big sister twenty-four hours a day."

She'd never said that to him. She'd go on and on about what things he should and shouldn't be watching, eating, which kids at school he should talk to. He'd never asked her to do all that, all she would have had to do was say she wanted some space!

"Breathe Nico," a quiet voice said beside him.

He did out of shock, the breath shuddering out of him as his ears popped. He'd almost forgotten where he was. He'd been so lost he'd been convinced for a moment his sister was back and actually explaining herself to him. A rush of gratitude had him smile at Will for just a moment before just as quickly looking away. He wished he were alone for this, but his presence didn't feel intruding. He was just used to being alone.

I thought about last summer, the way I'd felt when I found out I had a Cyclops for a baby brother. I could relate to what Bianca was saying.

Percy had been ashamed of Tyson until he lost him. Nico really hoped it hadn't taken his sister her last breath to decide she should still want something to do with him.

"Not like that Nico," Percy's voice made him jump. He looked around in surprise what he'd done to get his full attention, and felt his stomach plummet to see the apology on his lips. He didn't want to imagine the look that had been on his face to earn that again.

"I know," Nico brushed off. "All siblings are different, whatever." Percy hadn't abandoned Tyson at camp when he could have. Maybe that was finally it, she was ashamed of him. She'd always called his game dumb and lame. 'Look at me now Bianca, all grown up,' he mentally scoffed for her.

"Zoe seems to trust you," I said. "What were you guys talking about, anyway— something dangerous about the quest?"

"When?"

"Yesterday morning on the pavilion," I said, before I could stop myself. "Something about the General."

"I'm with Alex on this very important point," Thalia snorted. "You have no filter. Who admits to ease dropping?"

"Worth it if she answers?" Percy said without thinking.

"If I ever catch you ease dropping on me I'll pin your feet to the floor," she promised.

"Seconded," Alex needlessly added, but her name had been invoked in the conversation, which was enough of an excuse for her.

Her face darkened. "How did you... The invisibility hat. Were you eavesdropping?"

"No! I mean, not really. I just—"

I was saved from trying to explain when Zoe and Grover arrived with the drinks and pastries. Hot chocolate for Bianca and me. Coffee for them. I got a blueberry muffin, and it was so good I could almost ignore the outraged look Bianca was giving me.

That caused some mild spluttering laughter from them to Percy's chagrin, especially when Rachel asked, "still enjoy talking to her now?"

"I'll get back to you on that," Percy said without much regret.

"We should do the tracking spell," Zoe said. "Grover, do you have any acorns left?"

"Are they special acorns from a sacred grove watered with the tears of unicorns?" Magnus asked in a resigned tone.

"You say that like it's not going to be done by a satyr," Thalia shrugged in answer. "Even half-bloods can't fully wrap their minds around how woodland magic works."

Jason always looked just as confused as Magnus whenever they were mentioned, and Thalia deeply wondered at that. Where exactly had he been where monsters and gods didn't phase him but the good creatures that assisted their camp didn't strike his past?

"Umm," Grover mumbled. He was chewing on a bran muffin, wrapper and all. "I think so. I just need to—"

He froze.

I was about to ask what was wrong, when a warm breeze rustled past, like a gust of springtime had gotten lost in the middle of winter. Fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine. And something else—almost like a voice, trying to say something. A warning.

"Is the God of pigs going to show up and give you a ride next?" Alex asked eagerly. This sounded like some serious mojo going on, and the warning hadn't been mentioned as good or bad.

Zoe gasped. "Grover, thy cup."

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away—a flock of tiny doves. My rubber rat squeaked. It scampered off the railing and into the trees—real fur, real whiskers.

Grover collapsed next to his coffee, which steamed against the snow. We gathered around him and tried to wake him up. He groaned, his eyes fluttering.

"Hey!" Thalia said, running up from the street. "I just... What's wrong with Grover?"

"I don't know," I said. "He collapsed."

"Uuuuuhhhh," Grover groaned.

"Well, get him up!" Thalia said. She had her spear in her hand. She looked behind her as if she were being followed. "We have to get out of here."

Percy didn't need to ask, his hands were already in motion to grab Grover before his mind caught up with his body and his best friend wasn't at his feet.

Thalia was smiling and gave him a friendly nudge. "At least that lack of thinking comes in handy when we need it."

"Here to help," he chuckled.

We made it to the edge of the town before the first two skeleton warriors appeared.

"I'm curious what they plan to do with you if they'd killed you," Alex admitted. "They don't feed you to a pig to hide the evidence do they?"

"I didn't stop to ask," Percy told, and he was holding to that now by refusing to let himself wonder what the hell Alex meant by that.

They stepped from the trees on either side of the road. Instead of gray camouflage, they were now wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms, but they had the same transparent gray skin and yellow eyes.

They drew their handguns. I'll admit I used to think it would be kind of cool to learn how to shoot a gun, but I changed my mind as soon as the skeleton warriors pointed theirs at me.

For the first time in these horrible about to die situations, Percy took a moment to thank whoever cared to listen to his prayer his mother wasn't here. She wouldn't have been any happier about monsters nearly killing him every other chapter, but there was something so, modern about a gun being pointed at him. A childhood fear he'd never experienced but had seen plenty of stories about. A weapon he'd always thought of in the hands of cops and mortals first instead of zombies, that now made his mothers troubled blue eyes come clearly to mind.

Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn't flinch. Their glowing yellow eyes bored right into me.

"That was terrifying," Will whispered, and it wasn't a joke. He meant every word. Any creature that didn't flinch from that made him wish for an endless amount of Greek fire.

I drew Riptide, though I wasn't sure what good it would do against guns.

Zoe and Bianca drew their bows, but Bianca was having trouble because Grover kept swooning and leaning against her.

"If I wasn't so worried about him I'd smack him myself," Percy groaned his best friend wouldn't stop the gawking now.

"Back up," Thalia said.

We started to—but then I heard a rustling of branches. Two more skeletons appeared on the road behind us. We were surrounded.

Jason let out a string of swears that didn't need translation. "They're intelligent!"

"Percy makes good plans and we don't call him intelligent," Thalia sighed.

"Can we mock me after we're done almost dying?" Percy asked without any hope.

Which Rachel aptly delivered. "That's never."

I wondered where the other skeletons were. I'd seen a dozen at the Smithsonian. Then one of the warriors raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it.

Except he wasn't speaking. He made a clattering, clicking sound, like dry teeth on bone.

Nico felt Percy's eyes on him again. The intensity, the way the water moved around them again as he tried to connect a dot.

He just didn't care right now as he wondered again about his sister. Had she understood what they said and been freaked out? It took a bit of practice to understand perfectly, but if she'd gotten even an inkling of an idea she was the only one, what could he even hope for anymore? That she was freaked out at these crazy powers and anything associated with them, like him? That she'd used it to try and help save Percy?

Suddenly I understood what was going on. The skeletons had split up to look for us. These skeletons were now calling their brethren. Soon we'd have a full party on our hands.

"It's near," Grover moaned.

"It's here," I said.

"No," he insisted. "The gift. The gift from the Wild."

"A wild, pig?" Alex asked in confusion. It really was nice to see everyone as confused about this as Percy for once, even Thalia who still wasn't really sure how Pan had come to the conclusion he had sending that beast.

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I was worried about his condition. He was in no shape to walk, much less fight.

"Goaty-back ride," Will said with a straight face. "Leave no man behind."

"I don't intend to," Percy agreed confidently, something he and Zoe actually had in common.

"We'll have to go one-on-one," Thalia said. "Four of them. Four of us. Maybe they'll ignore Grover that way."

"Agreed," said Zoe.

Percy and Thalia fist bumped. Percy was even about to make the ardent comment to tell her to thank Zoe for him for a moment before his stomach curdled. The silver circlet on his friends head so like Zoe's held his tongue. It didn't seem likely when Thalia had joined Zoe had just casually stepped down from her position, so it might be a sore subject.

"The Wild!" Grover moaned.

"Better than moaning about food again," Magnus said in concern how often this poor guy was left on the verge of passing out.

A warm wind blew through the canyon, rustling the trees, but I kept my eyes on the skeletons. I remembered the General gloating over Annabeth's fate. I remembered the way Luke had betrayed her.

And I charged.

"Well those zombies are dead," Jason said casually.

"I'd almost feel bad for them if they weren't hell bent on killing you guys," Alex nodded with a still curious pucker to her lips. "Do they have souls? Like how sentient are these killing machines? Should I feel bad?"

"No," Thalia answered darkly before Nico could impulsively answer. The level threat in her voice against the skeletons made their worry go up another notch, that they hadn't even seen the beginning of how bad these murderous attempts would go.

The first skeleton fired. Time slowed down. I won't say I could see the bullet, but I could feel its path, the same way I felt water currents in the ocean. I deflected it off the edge of my blade and kept charging.

Nico choked on his words by the end, still shamefully etching that into his mind with the usual rise and fall of awe and then disgust at himself. He knew he didn't have a chance and he still couldn't help panting over every single thing Percy did like a child.

"That was seriously badass Percy," Will told him in the same kind of adoration. "Please tell me you saved that bullet and carved your name into it, there's space in your cabin to frame it."

"I will not be doing autographs at this time," Percy said with one of those cheeky grins that made the whole campfire burn bright white with laughter and reach to the stars. Nico usually backed away as fast as possible from the crowds reverence of him, convinced someone would spot his otherness in his false chuckle, but he couldn't do that in here.

"Well at the very least promise to have this in your next reenactment," Will insisted.

"What reenactment?" Percy asked, his confidence clearly slipping. "Please tell me you're joking about those Will!"

Thalia swiftly cut in as the snickers subsided, "if Chiron hears of any of you even thinking of bringing a gun to camp to try he'll pin a tail on all of you."

"Not a real gun," Will looked offended at the assumption while Nico harshly cleared his throat to try and keep going. At least the blush had left his face.

The skeleton drew a baton and I sliced off his arms at the elbows. Then I swung Riptide through his waist and cut him in half.

"Gruesome," Jason said complimentary. He didn't even know if he had any sword fighting capabilities, but he really wanted to test that theory on a mock battle with Percy to find out.

His bones unknit and clattered to the asphalt in a heap. Almost immediately, they began to move, reassembling themselves. The second skeleton clattered his teeth at me and tried to fire, but I knocked his gun into the snow.

I thought I was doing pretty well, until the other two skeletons shot me in the back.

"Percy!" Thalia screamed.

Thalia's heart still skipped a beat. She still heard the cry ripped from her throat as every emotion fractured through her to fast. Her guilt, she'd wanted him gone, but not like this. She hadn't been fast enough. Her horror, there would be so much blood, she'd have to find a way to wrap his body in a shroud fast. Her pleading words to Annabeth all as useless as the next to try and explain what had happened and maybe Annabeth would cry all night on her shoulder this time, or blame her-

I landed facedown in the street. Then I realized something... I wasn't dead. The impact of the bullets had been dull, like a push from behind, but they hadn't hurt me.

The Nemean Lion's fur! My coat was bulletproof.

Thalia charged the second skeleton.

She'd been in motion before she'd even realized that was him sitting up, not even dazed as he spat out snow and looked on in surprise at that goofy brown duster. Only vengeance had been in her heart to fell this one threat, do this one thing and dismantle that skeleton every bone at a time for daring to make her think the worst, lose another friend again. By the time she'd realized he didn't have a scratch on him she was to busy trying to calm her racing heart he wasn't a new skeleton warrior himself as they were being chased up a hill by a pig, and he'd in turn saved her own life. It's just how they were.

Zoe and Bianca started firing arrows at the third and fourth. Grover stood there and held his hands out to the trees, looking like he wanted to hug them.

"Wouldn't be the first time, but even an Aphrodite kid wouldn't stop in the middle of a fight to flirt," Rachel shook her head in unease where this was going.

There was a crashing sound in the forest to our left, like a bulldozer. Maybe the skeletons' reinforcements were arriving. I got to my feet and ducked a police baton. The skeleton I'd cut in half was already fully re-formed, coming after me.

There was no way to stop them. Zoe and Bianca fired at their heads point-blank, but the arrows just whistled straight through their empty skulls. One lunged at Bianca, and I thought she was a goner, but she whipped out her hunting knife and stabbed the warrior in the chest.

The whole skeleton erupted into flames, leaving a little pile of ashes and a police badge.

Percy shivered slightly at the look that had been on her face. Just for a brief moment as her reflexes went in for a killing blow. Something in the grim set of her mouth that made a hazy vision of a dark throne room try blossoming to mind.

Alex's eyes instantly gleamed with want, even Magnus and Jason looked equally impressed as they were confused.

"Where do I get one of those?" Alex demanded.

"Why did you not lead with those?" Jason asked.

Thalia kept her hunting knife sheathed and her smile flippant as she laughed off, "it would ruin our brand to start with the short range weapon," while Percy was once again looking as close to seasick as he could get studying Nico. He had the book so close to his face it looked like he was trying to implant the words into his nose.

"How did you do that?" Zoe asked.

Their confusion overruled their interest though as they realized Zoe, and maybe even Thalia didn't know how Bianca had done that. Which certainly made that, strange. Even by these books standards.

"I don't know," Bianca said nervously. "Lucky stab?"

"Well, do it again!"

Bianca tried, but the remaining three skeletons were wary of her now. They pressed us back, keeping us at baton's length.

"Plan?" I said as we retreated.

Nobody answered. The trees behind the skeletons were shivering. Branches were cracking.

"A gift," Grover muttered.

And then, with a mighty roar, the largest pig I'd ever seen came crashing into the road.

"Well that's one way to keep attention off a skeleton for a moment," Magnus muttered.

It was a wild boar, thirty feet high, with a snotty pink snout and tusks the size of canoes. Its back bristled with brown hair, and its eyes were wild and angry.

"I would be too if I walked in on this mess in my backyard," Jason frowned.

"Excuse me while I faint for a moment," Magnus shuddered head to toe. His mom had told him about wild pigs and how vicious they were. The normal ones.

"REEEEEEEEET!" it squealed, and raked the three skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great, they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere.

"I always wanted to sing the bone song, I bet these guys would make great background noise," Will said while still batting his eyes at the abrupt change.

Then the pig turned on us.

Thalia raised her spear, but Grover yelled, "Don't kill it.'"

The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.

"I think the boar agrees," Alex mock whispered.

"That's the Erymanthian Boar," Zoe said, trying to stay calm. "I don't think we can kill it."

"Zoe still keeping up with the positive note," Nico sighed.

"It's a gift," Grover said. "A blessing from the Wild!"

The boar said "REEEEEEET!" and swung its tusk. Zoe and Bianca dived out of the way. I had to push Grover so he wouldn't get launched into the mountain on the Boar Tusk Express.

"Yeah, I feel blessed!" I said. "Scatter!"

"Why is this par for the course of every gift I get?" Percy demanded. "Every single thing a god has given me has nearly killed me!"

"Ares's backpack, the wind thermos, now this guy," Jason agreed as he ticked off on his fingers, and for once Percy didn't even roll his eyes as he gestured at him in thanks for proving his point. "Everything except from Neptune, and I'm kind of withholding judgment on the fountain to see if he wants anything from you."

"Thanks," Percy sighed, almost wishing somebody had argued with him.

"Tyson was a gift from your dad too, kind of," Will reminded, "and he never tried to kill you."

"Okay, with the major exception from my dad," Percy reluctantly amended.

We ran in different directions, and for a moment the boar was confused.

"It wants to kill us!" Thalia said.

"Of course," Grover said. "It's wild!"

"My favorite thing is Grover being offended at you guys," Alex admitted.

"Then we will never disappoint at least you," Thalia sighed.

"So how is that a blessing?" Bianca asked.

It seemed a fair question to me, but the pig was offended and charged her.

"The boar clearly doesn't agree with you," Nico told Alex with a very put off scowl. Percy felt bad for the guy, it couldn't be fun for him to sit over there and hear in detail all the times his sister had almost died while he'd barely been able to help her, let alone keep his promise on her being safe.

She was faster than I'd realized. She rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind the beast.

It lashed out with its tusks and pulverized the WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT sign.

"I bet it cost their whole town budget to fix that," Rachel said with one of those strange looks in her eyes that meant a charity drive was going to be formed soon. Percy found the look endearing for the split second he noticed, but he was to amped up to even think to ask.

I racked my brain, trying to remember the myth of the boar. I was pretty sure Hercules had fought this thing once, but I couldn't remember how he'd beaten it. I had a vague memory of the boar plowing down several Greek cities before Hercules managed to subdue it. I hoped Cloudcroft was insured against giant wild boar attacks.

"They probably are against bears," Nico offered, he'd wound up in one to many insurance offices for his liking to know small towns usually went big on wild animals that were often mistaken for monsters anyways.

"Probably not against you guys though, so lets lead it away from town," Rachel unhelpfully reminded.

"Keep moving!" Zoe yelled. She and Bianca ran in opposite directions. Grover danced around the boar, playing his pipes while the boar snorted and tried to gouge him. But Thalia and I won the prize for bad luck.

"Typical," they said together in the exact same tone.

When the boar turned on us, Thalia made the mistake of raising Aegis in defense. The sight of the Medusa head made the boar squeal in outrage. Maybe it looked too much like one of his relatives. The boar charged us.

"Would Grover eat an animal that tried to kill you? I'm thinking bacon and ham sandwiches the rest of the trip," Alex said with pretty high confidence they were going to use this things weight against it and trick this boar.

"I doubt it," Percy shrugged, while beside him Thalia was slowly but steadily turning the color of that snow. Percy shifted uneasily towards her in fear that thing had nearly killed her, he very much doubted her dad would bless the same miracle twice, or that the pine trees would miraculously try to save her.

We only managed to keep ahead of it because we ran uphill, and we could dodge in and out of trees while the boar had to plow through them.

"Eh," Alex looked like she vaguely approved of their plan at least.

"He hasn't used The Phrase yet," Magnus said with mild hope, "hopefully this is the extent of defeating the monster for once."

"It worked on Echidna," she agreed halfheartedly.

On the other side of the hill, I found an old stretch of train tracks, half buried in the snow.

"This way.'" I grabbed Thalia's arm and we ran along the rails while the boar roared behind us, slipping and sliding as it tried to navigate the steep hillside. Its hooves just were not made for this, thank the gods.

Ahead of us, I saw a covered tunnel. Past that, an old trestle bridge spanning a gorge. I had a crazy idea.

"Yes!" Alex cheered, clearly the only one excited.

"Nope, there it is," Magnus face palmed.

"I was starting to get worried you were going to stay on the bunny course," Rachel laughed. Gods forbid they got away from this to easily.

Percy gave a sarcastic laugh for them while Thalia was taking painful sounding breaths, he'd swear he could hear her lungs pop as she went deathly still, like the more words that poured out of Nico's mouth were sucking the life out of her.

"Follow me!"

Thalia slowed down—I didn't have time to ask why—but I pulled her along and she reluctantly followed. Behind us, a ten-ton pig tank was knocking down pine trees and crushing boulders under its hooves as it chased us.

Thalia and I ran into the tunnel and came out on the other side.

"No!" Thalia screamed.

She'd turned as white as ice. We were at the edge of the bridge. Below, the mountain dropped away into a snow-filled gorge about seventy feet below.

"Oh crap!" Jason yelped, though only Thalia had noticed he'd gone weirdly quiet this last page.

Her eyes were glassy, she looked very much like she actually wanted to never see the light of day again her lip was trembling so much, as if on the verge of screaming at them or just in general.

Nico couldn't believe what he was seeing for a moment, looking from the book back to her with the same confounded expression as if somebody had told him to sing on the spot. Thalia, daughter of Zeus, looked scared. He didn't know if he was supposed to keep going, if his assumption had been wrong and Bianca had somehow died at the bottom of this gorge.

Percy got up with a resilient look on his face, pen in his less dominant hand but still for all the world looking ready to stab someone to take the book away for whatever it was doing to her.

"Don't," she gasped what could have been her last breath, but she wouldn't chicken out of this. The veritable list of reasons why she should sprawled out before her; Jason would know how pathetic she was, she'd never hear the end of the laughing, but dammit she was doing this for Percy and Nico. They were stuck here and she wasn't going to pretend she alone shouldn't have to bear her worst moments.

Percy wavered but ultimately sat back down beside her. The room was the kind of deathly quiet that never proceeded anything good as they all found themselves holding their breath to find out what horrors awaited at the bottom.

The boar was right behind us.

"Come on!" I said. "It'll hold our weight, probably."

"I can't!" Thalia yelled. Her eyes were wild with fear.

The boar smashed into the covered tunnel, tearing through at full speed.

"Now!" I yelled at Thalia.

She looked down and swallowed. I swear she was turning green.

Thalia had her boots planted very firmly on the ground in here, her blue eyes were a fog of the room as she tried to convince her heart not to pound out of her chest, not to let that feeling take over her now. The sense of nothingness beneath, that she'd fall forever as the world spun sickeningly around her making everything seem wrong side up so she didn't know which way was down.

Luke wasn't here to grab her hand and ground her to that tree they'd climbed up in a panic to escape some evil mole looking creatures. The first time she'd ever been so high up and saw how thinly they were connected to the world by only a hop away from the earth.

Percy slung his arm over her shoulder. The pressure and weight of him again like he was about to push her over that cliff so they could slide to safety was an annoying reminder, but her flinch wasn't for him. It was seeing this room settle again, and be grateful it was Poseidon who had kidnapped them. Her father would probably dangle her over Olympus laughing until she got over it if he heard this.

The white noise in her ears faded somewhat as her friend stayed close beside her and Nico finished pausing for breath before finishing.

I didn't have time to process why. The boar was charging through the tunnel, straight toward us. Plan B.

"Gods forbid you ever get to plan C," Magnus said. Most of Percy's crazy ideas worked on the first try, mass chaos might ensue if he even got close to D.

"You're assuming he ever makes plans," Alex corrected.

I tackled Thalia and sent us both sideways off the edge of the bridge, into the side of the mountain. We slid on Aegis like a snow-board, over rocks and mud and snow, racing downhill. The boar was less fortunate; it couldn't turn that fast, so all ten tons of the monster charged out onto the tiny trestle, which buckled under its weight. The boar free-fell into the gorge with a mighty squeal and landed in a snowdrift with a huge POOOOOF!

Thalia and I skidded to a stop.

"So, did the pig win the race?" Will asked lightly.

"Nobody ever said what the prize was," Nico shrugged as he looked away from the last page. His sister hadn't been squashed under that boar, everybody was alive, he could spare a smile. "Shouldn't the fun they had be the prize?"

Will's whole body glowed when he laughed like that. "That's camp lesson 101, you sound like head councilor material."

Nico rolled his eyes and turned back away, but nobody could miss his little smirk.

Thalia was still rubbing her chest and watching them suspiciously to finish the rest of this disaster. Glad it was all fun and games to them, for now. She alone knew the next catastrophic thing to happen on this quest, and it wasn't her senseless fear.

We were both breathing hard. I was cut up and bleeding.

Thalia had pine needles in her hair. Next to us, the wild boar was squealing and struggling.

All I could see was the bristly tip of its back. It was wedged completely in the snow like Styrofoam packing. It didn't seem to be hurt, but it wasn't going anywhere, either.

"Your concern is touching," Rachel told him sincerely. "I'm sure Grover will be thrilled."

Percy didn't answer as he kept his eyes on Thalia, his mouth twitching as he studied his friend.

I looked at Thalia. "You're afraid of heights."

Nico snapped his mouth shut like he'd said a dirty word and looked around with a wild apology. "Sorry! I didn't mean to say, I should have, sorry!" He'd been the one to tell her she didn't have to reveal personal stuff and here he was, blurting it out.

Thalia kept her eyes on the ceiling and said in an eerie resemblance to Artemis's smooth, candid way of speaking, "I made the decision I don't care who knows."

"The bus!" Alex realized. "Oh honey," she said it with a strange maternal accent Magnus could never have imagined coming from her, but seemed to suite her.

"I commend you for dealing with that like you have been," Magnus agreed, he knew he never acted so calm whenever a wolf was even mentioned.

Jason was still watching her like he was waiting for her to deny it. Percy had that same stupid look on his face like he had at the time, the adrenaline coming down, his mouth spewing words while he brushed off their nearest death experience with that wild smile.

She brushed her hands violently through her hair like she still expected to feel pine needles tickling down her neck, her skin felt on needles waiting for the surprise to wear off and the laughter to kick in. It didn't dislodge Percy's arm, and he didn't pull away. "Can we move on?" She demanded.

Now that we were safely down the mountain, her eyes had their usual angry look.

"Don't be stupid."

"That explains why you freaked out on Apollo's bus. Why you didn't want to talk about it."

She took a deep breath. Then she brushed the pine needles out of her hair. "If you tell anyone, I swear—"

"Sorry," Percy said with his own uneasy look around. "I, um-"

"Trust me, you didn't ask your dad to do, this to you," she gestured at all of him. His past being reveled through a book, his impulsive mouth. The entire group looking at the pair of them waiting for a fight to start. "Can't be mad at you for this Perce."

Percy stared at her with those eerie green eyes and seemed to realize something she hadn't meant to spoil, his arm did slide away as he swallowed. She'd been with the Hunters for some time after these events. She was older, not as angry, more at peace with her own life.

He turned back to the book, and she silently cursed. The one time she hadn't threatened to beat him to a pulp, and this is what it got her.

"No, no," I said. "That's cool. It's just... the daughter of Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights?"

"I don't see what that has to do with it," Jason said candidly. "Are Ceres's children not supposed to be afraid of venomous snakes just because those are sacred to her? Are Pluto's children not suppose to fear being buried alive because he masters the riches in the earth?"

"It's ironic," Percy insisted, but also relented, "but it's not like I didn't squeal for my life when that shark nudged up to me my first time in the ocean, still scared the piss out of me."

"Fear's aren't rational, no matter who your parents are," Rachel agreed with a shrug.

Thalia was tempted to take her boots off and make sure somebody hadn't swapped her feet around she felt so wrong footed. She'd known her best friend in here wouldn't dwell on it, but the other's not even hinting at a chuckle made one escape past her lips. Maybe she'd been spending to much time around her Hunters, expecting the worst from all these boys.

Her eyes lingered on Jason as she bit her lip with guilt. That was one excuse she could cross of delaying telling him. She was looking forward to the next book least of all, hearing Percy's first hand account of what he found in that golden sarcophagus. Maybe she could try talking the others into reading one of those other books to try and get a hint of Jason's backstory after all.

She was about to knock me into the snow when, above us, Grover's voice called, "Helloooooo?"

"Down here!" I shouted.

A few minutes later, Zoe, Bianca, and Grover joined us. We stood watching the wild boar struggle in the snow.

"Didn't even consider putting the poor animal out of its misery?" Alex asked in what she clearly thought was an impression of Grover. "Just going to sit and watch it suffer?"

"It was going to come out," Percy promised, "and Grover summoned the thing! If he was going to want it dead, he'd say so."

"A blessing of the Wild," Grover said, though he now looked agitated.

"There it is!" Alex cackled. "Everybody on the same page now!"

"Guess the wow factor wears off when he's not half-passed out and it nearly kills them all," Magnus agreed.

"I agree," Zoe said. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia said irritably. She still looked like she'd just lost a fight with a Christmas tree.

"It was the perfect look on you," Percy said innocently, "you could dress up every year for Halloween like that and everybody would get the joke! A few ornaments, a star on your head you could light up yourself- ouch!"

Sparks were still flying from her finger as she raised it threateningly again. Percy had the good sense to shut his mouth though.

"Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover looked over, distracted. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

"No," Will admitted. "Why does he?"

"The pig's bragging about it?" Percy answered blankly.

"He knows every myth associated with animals," Thalia said only a smidge more confidently.

"Fun," I said. "Like... pig cowboys."

"Oink, oink," Magnus snickered.

"We're going to get through the whole farm if this book keeps up," Alex agreed proudly.

Grover nodded. "We need to get aboard. I wish... I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

"What's gone?"

Grover didn't seem to hear me. He walked over to the boar and jumped onto its back.

"Now you know he's in a bad mood," Will winced, "I've never heard him ignoring you."

"He gets pretty focused," Percy agreed, a forlorn smile showing he wasn't hurt in the slightest. Grover had come on this quest to find some sort of sign for a blessing of the Wild, and Percy got the hint much faster this time that's what his best friend must have felt.

Already the boar was starting to make some headway through the drift. Once it broke free, there'd be no stopping it. Grover took out his pipes. He started playing a snappy tune and tossed an apple in front of the boar. The apple floated and spun right above the boar's nose, and the boar went nuts, straining to get it.

Magnus raised his hand with a blank face. "What possible other uses does that spell have? How often do you need to levitate fruit for this to be a thing? Is it just an apple? Can he levitate anything like that?"

"None of us have grown hooves yet," Percy reminded. "I will gladly introduce you when we get out of here so you can ask him yourself."

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great."

She trudged over and jumped on behind Grover, which still left plenty of room for the rest of us.

Zoe and Bianca walked toward the boar.

"Wait a second," I said. "Do you two know what Grover is talking about—this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoe said. "Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong... I never thought I would sense that presence again."

"What presence?"

She stared at me like I was an idiot.

"Missing Annabeth slightly less yet?" Thalia snorted.

Okay, so Percy had gotten it a few minutes earlier than last time, but he was still proud of himself enough he just gave her a light shove.

"The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."

"Chapter's over," Nico said, his voice so tense it almost didn't sound like English for a second. Then he did trail off into mutters of another language only Thalia clued into was Italian. She watched Will ignorantly reach for the book with his own little surprised stare with a lump in her throat as her eyes flinched from Percy and back to the only child of Hades.

To warn him would tip off her friend, but to say nothing would leave the poor kid blindsided. He knew his sister hadn't come back, but she felt obligated not to make him think it wasn't near.

There was just no way possible Nico could hide that reaction from Percy, he wouldn't not notice.

To say nothing to Nico felt like the easy way out, her hands wouldn't be free of blame when she could have done something.

The weight of her roll in here settled on her back as she told Will to wait a moment before he could start, trying to gauge the pressure this prison could take. Who was her greater priority?

Her best friend who couldn't know, or the kid who had lost to much?

PJOPJOPJO

You guys have no idea how much I'm looking forward to this chapter in the upcoming show. Like, all evidence to the contrary, and the rest of it is terrible and only chugs along to this exact spot and gets dropped, I will be front and center watching these scenes play out with bated breath because it is everything I love. Percy and Bianca's talk, Thalia screaming Percy's name in fear if she just witnessed him die, Bianca's badass Hades power getting their first hint, snowboarding on Aegis, the pig going poooof into the snow, Thalia covered in pine needles while Percy smiles like a dope and promises he won't tell her secret, Percy understanding Thalia's every move, these two being such a damn good team! I will have every detail and background Easter egg of this etched into my memory and replay it so many times (part two) the show will have no choice but to continue if I'm the last one standing.

Which I doubt, but is not the point right now.

#pjo #percy jackson #thalia grace #jason grace #will solace #nico di angelo #alex fierro #magnus chase #rachel elizabeth dare #the titan's curse #fanfiction #fierrochase #solangelo #percabeth

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unlockthestars · 1 year

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Emotional Intimacy & Pillow Talk // Accepting

@hopeandharmonizing asked: ❝ we really should have done that sooner, huh? ❞ (dealer's choice, doesn't have to be referring to lewd!)

It had been a long time since Aster had sung for anyone else, and an even longer time since he'd played the piano. But once Briar had found out that he'd considered being a musician, once upon a time, even though he'd ended up pursuing other avenues, she'd been encouraging him to sing for her.

They'd been spending some time together, ever since his first foray into her space, where she'd managed to pull him out of his own melancholy and almost effortlessly into her performance. It had been easy to talk to her, and he very much enjoyed getting to know her.

Which meant that, the next time they met up, before the club was really open, just the two of them and a couple of employees getting the place ready, he decided that he was going to sing for her. It wasn't anything special, not as far as he was concerned; just a little something he'd written a long time ago, when he'd still been young, had thought that love was easy. Aster loved people so quickly and it had backfired on him so much over the years that it was probably one of the reasons he'd stopped doing much with music. If he focused on helping other people, on being professional, then there wasn't time to worry about much of anything else.

He sat down at the piano, playing a few chords, remembering the feeling of the keys, even as his tail swept gently behind him, curling one way and then the other.

Aster took a deep breath and let it out slowly, starting into the intro of the song, letting the sound of the piano and the memory of the music wash over him, getting lost into it.

"In every heart, there is a room A sanctuary safe and strong To heal the wounds from lovers past Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones You answered me with no pretense And still I feel I said too much… My silence is my self-defense"

His voice had started out almost tentative, as though he was remembering how to sing after a long time…., which wasn't that far off. But he continued, his voice got stronger, more sure, until he was pouring himself into the song, his voice stronger or softer when the music called for it.

"And every time I held a rose It seems I only felt the thorns and so it goes, and so it goes and so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave Then that would be my worst mistake So I will share this room with you And you can have this heart to break"

He's focused on the keyboard in front of him, of making sure his chords are right, that the music supports his voice.

And as he keeps playing, as he sings, even though she doesn't know the words, he hears Briar jump in, adding harmony to his voice. He smiles up at her, their voices blending, rising and falling, until he plays the final chord. And for a long moment, he doesn't move, just lets the chord fade away, lets the sound resolve into silence.

"We really should have done that sooner, huh?" Briar asked, and Aster couldn't help the soft laugh that left him, even as a slight flush coloured his cheeks.

"You're right," he murmured, offering her a smile. "It had just….been a while. I'd forgotten how much I loved it." He'd always loved music, but making it was something entirely different. Maybe he'd get back to making more…., and maybe he'd even share it again.

#hopeandharmonizing #★ aster winton || answered ★ talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish #★ aster winton || ic ★ i want to help leave this world better than i found it #★ aster winton ★ || verse . doing the best he can #[I picked this song cause it's one of the B.illy J.oel songs that is mostly just piano and voice]#[and also because P.eter H.ollens did a cover of it]#[so YEAH]#[I had this idea and ran with it. ^^]#[I took some liberties so if any of those aren't okay pls let me know!]#[and I'm apparently just going to keep throwing Aster everywhere. XD]

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mythvoiced · 2 years

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@wellfell | the GBEP

---

Would Karube be granted even a minute insight into her thoughts, he'd probably and relatively begrudgingly - while feigning the opposite - have to tell her that as of right now, the very moment her voice cuts through the evening again and he pretends he hadn't been hyper-fixating on the sound of her footfall on the pavement along him, he feels no reason to smile.

Not anything boisterous or cocky, a brand of smile so easy to offer especially if it's all people expect from you.

And nothing of the privacy he doesn't know she sees in other smiles of his - to think she spends any amount of time wondering his smile, not something he's quite ready to entertain anyway.

Karube does think about death more than what some consider should be the regular amount.

He thinks about his own death and the death of those he holds dear. He thinks about what he'd do, if left stranded in life by some accident or the other that had claimed his friends - and he scolds himself for those thoughts, opens a can of beer and pretends he cares less than he does.

He thinks about if his friends will stick to the slums of society for long enough for them all to stick together when the old age variant hits them.

And he thinks about how many people would mourn if he died tomorrow and how many would be better off with one Karube Daikichi-shaped entry in their list of concerns less.

But he never thinks about Akina's death.

The choice is semi-conscious.

It's semi in the part of him that halts in his steps when she breaches the topic, looking even more like the ghost of herself that had approached him tonight, as though her fingers had begun shaking too strongly to keep the puppet-case she'd wrapped around herself intact, as if this was closer for Akina to being Akina than what Fumiko and Emi constantly try to tell him.

The conscious is in the pretending he doesn't notice himself, doesn't notice the look in her eyes or the brushing of their hands, the conscious that always works hard to keep all the unhappy, the tragic possibilities of whatever was happening around them away from him.

Akina often feels as though death follows her like a stray cat she's fed one too many times. An extra layer to her shadow, maybe, a glisten of a different shade of black in her hair or someone else's reflection staring back at him when he gets lost in the pits of her eyes.

He doesn't feel like smiling, no. He doesn't even really feel like turning to face her.

But he does anyway because he always does.

He turns with a pinched expression on his face that he tries to mask with a confused frown and a tilt of his head. He tries to keep the grimace locked behind his teeth by darkening his gaze, hardening his jaw, keeping what he feels at bay until he figures out what the hell this is and where it's coming from.

He doesn't think about Akina's death.

He thinks about it too much.

Thinks about it because some part of him knows he'll lose her before she loses him, he just doesn't know how yet.

Some of the dam breaks, shows cracks in the deep chest-rattling sigh that slips him when he runs a hand across his face. He doesn't want to appear annoyed. But there's a lot he wants he feels he must chew into to get it anywhere near himself.

His teeth are starting to hurt.

His hand drops at his side.

She's serious.

She's serious but not in that deadly charming way that promises him harsh consequences if he fucked with her plans or strategies or ideas or whatnot. It's not like her anger.

And she looks so much smaller than usual.

"I promise. If you promise to let me know ahead of time if you're gonna die, so I can make sure it doesn't happen."

Keep them or sell them or give them to someone.

She's wickedly smart, can she truly not know that he'd cut his chest open and stuff all that was hers into every space left free by his bleeding organs? That he'll have her poking out through the stitches over his heart, breaking free through his ribcage, coated in the liver he's busting?

#wellfell #death tw #gore tw #scandalous how the world thinks itself capable of holding you back;akina mori #good lord how to find salvation when i'd give up redemption for your flavour of damnation;akina & daikichi #hey nassy why must you hurt me this way why must akina's life be so painful and stressful

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wcrstarter · 3 years

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meta headcanons: Sonja and Materialism

Sonja was raised in a time where to show one’s wealth, it was custom for husbands and fathers adorned their wives and daughters in fine jewels, furs, silks, and fabrics. Given that vampires possess eternity to collect and hoard wealth if they should choose, means among vampires this practice was brought to a new level.The daughter of a vampire Elder who ruled as a sort of King over all the kingdoms, considered a high ranking Warlord over the Maygar Empire to which many local barons and lower ranked lords paid tithe to each month--Sonja had much of what was considered to be the finest in the lands to show just how wealthy and powerful her father was. As his sole child, she was heavily doted upon and wanted for nothing.

However she has never cared for the pomp and circumstance of the court and ‘higher’ society, her concern over the quality of an object lies solely in how strong and durable it might be. Will she have to replace it before the next season comes, or will it be easy to maintain it’s upkeep to have it remain in her possession for years to come? A a result, she tends to ignore fine silks and satins (their dyes fade overtime, especially after the 19th century) in favour of having linens, wools, leathers, and furs to clothe herself with.

Up until the modern era and the dawn of the twenty first century, she continued to wear obsidian plate armour in battle. Afterwards, she favoured thick woolen and leather armour, before turning to kevlar and similar textile fabrics to allow her to be protected in combat but be unburdened by the heavy weight of the black plate and silver chainmail she once wore. In modern times it’s easy enough to find a few fine silk dresses in her wardrobe for special occasions; with the rest being leather jackets, fine woolen sweaters, coats, and cardians, and soft stonewashed linen clothing of varying weights for the bulk of her wardrobe.

She has no place for gold in her personal belongings, due to how fast the metal fades and how soft and delicate it is--easily dented and scratched by daily wear. Nor does she have much gemstone jewelry in her jewlery box, she does not care if the gems are of the actual stone or merely paste--if they were gifted to her by someone she cared about then she will keep them with her wherever she goes, and upon the rare occasion when the need for it is called she will adorn herself with it.

Her most prized pieces of jewelry is the brass pendant (that truthfully is one of two keys) with a piece of polished malachite in its centre, something given to her by her father under the belief it belonged to her mother Illona; the other is a simple brass ring she keeps on a length of oiled leather, a ring forged by her beloved lucian to mark their union to one another. The brass necklace can be found around Sonja’s neck, whereas the brass ring can be found coiled and tied onto her wrist as a bracelet (often hidden beneath long sleeves to avoid attention towards it due to her private nature).

Sonja’s residence is never anything grand, usually she finds a spacious apartment that possesses a nice windowed view so she might freely look out at the moon and the stars without having to climb up onto the roof. Sometimes this means she resides in the penthouse suite that has roof access, other-times its the apartment with the largest balcony so she can go out to lean against the railing and stargaze.

The one constant in every single one of the places Sonja calls home for any large stretch of time, is that the bathroom always has a large soaker tub she can relax inside. Her one true vice is having a long hot bath, modern plumbing is a marvel to her for this used to be a rarer treat--a true display of wealth to be able to have the bath basin filled to the brim with steaming hot water to lounge comfortably in. She collects perfumed bath oils, dried flowers, and scented bath salts from across the globe in her travels and enjoys them at least once a week.

In addition, even though the modern convenience of electricity makes it so that she is not entirely dependant upon candle light to see; her home is usually outfitted with various sconces, lanterns, candelabras, and candle holders to provide the option to go by candle light if she chooses. Though to human eyes the candle light might seem far more dim to them as it does to her, given Sonja is capable of seeing perfectly in the dark.

Her choice of furniture might strike guests as rather spartan and minimalist, though the few pieces she have are usually of excellent quality and handmade from centuries past from master craftsmen that caught her eye--allowing her to forgo having to replace anything as the decades fly on by. But it does present a unique problem should she need to get something repaired, as finding a craftsman to do so means she runs the risk of a museum curator contacting her in the hopes of getting her to surrender the piece for their collection. Everything has a place and a purpose, but its not uncommon to find odd little trinkets scattered across her home.

Little gifts or items that were either gifted to her, or remind her of a loved one in her life or from her past. If you were to crack open the massive oaken chest that sits in the corner of the living room; you would find stacks upon stacks of well loved leather bound books, letters from friends and lovers alike, portraits and photographs and scrapbooks of memories of loved ones from Sonja’s life, including her original set of armour from her Deathdealer days and the silver sword Lucian forged for her. Anything gifted to her or that sparks a deep enough memory of someone she loves, is usually gifted and found a place within her home to keep with her and her journeys throughout eternity.

Despite the scarcity of furniture and the trinkets decorating the tables and shelves, Sonja’s home has a welcoming atmosphere and often is bathed with the soft light of candle flame and strongly scented of incense burning somewhere nearby. Fine cashmere blankets or soft fur pelts are thrown over the chairs and the sofa, making it more comfortable to sink into and relax in her space. Rugs will cover most of the flooring, but shoes are never permitted beyond the threshold of the door.

There is the occasional piece of macabre decor she will collect around October, to lightly poke at the fact the average person expect’s a vampire liar to be something terrifying to behold, even if her space is a sanctuary away from the world and the drama of the covens she has to deal with. Sonja’s home is where she retreats to get away from the world, somewhere she can freely be herself and not have to act human when she is not. The same rules apply to any guests of hers, there is never a need to hold up a front in her home or worry for someone watching through the windows. Even if they were to try to, she has had the windows tinted to block out UV rays and thick curtains she can draw shut to keep out peeping toms.

She might keep almost every gift she is given (some become lost to time or damaged in her travels and force her to let go of them), but its not often for her to gift something to anyone. The gifts she herself will give are few in number, but always with careful thought and consideration towards that friend or loved one’s needs and desires. Sonja has an abundance of time on her hands, and will use it to observe and collect the occasional gift to surprise others with. Some are done by complete impulse when out, she sees something that she knows they will like and she simply purchases it. When you’ve had as many centuries as she has, the price of an object is hardly an obstacle from the money you’ve had sitting in various banks or safes over the years.

A material possession is a rare gift, usually only being handed over during a holiday (either one of her own that she has always celebrated such as the harvest festival days or solstices, or that of the other party’s belief system), but gifts such as experiences or a favoured food or drink will be freely given whenever she has the chance to do so. It’s not uncommon to open Sonja’s fridge or pantry doors to find the favoured food, snacks, or drinks of those she holds dear to her heart even if she is incapable of consuming any of it herself.

#--&;I'm not a hero or a martyr;think I'm the villain of the story(headcanons)#rpcdev #she doesn't really participate in materialism outside of spoiling her loved ones #having artists you enjoy/craftsmen you like be mortal is a pain in her ass because if they die and she hasn't found a suitable replacement #she will be grouchy as hell about having to get something else made by someone else that she might not trust the same #but its a big part of why she keeps such few custom pieces and looks after them extremely well #museums would kill to get her to surrender half her furniture as they're probably half as old as her #modern furniture would absolutely enrage her #she'd always be concerned about breaking it and probably would just offer to get you something more sturdy made up #she absolutely has a mini library full of books shes collected over the years some are first editions others are secondhand ones shes found #in thriftshops #brand names mean absolutely nothing to her unless its one she knows a friend/lover/loved one likes #if you ask her for something specific she will get it for you. sometimes she might judge it a little but she will get it for you #long post for ts

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thehoundwrites · 2 years

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Hi! Can I ask for some Sevika x sick reader, I’m not feeling the greatest atm and would love some comfort. Thank you <3

Yess thats cute!! I'll try my best 💕 Get better soon!!

MDNI 18+

CW: Food, Sick reader, Fluff, Domestic

You had to call out of work today, usually even with the illness you'd have, you could still bring yourself out of bed. But not today it felt like a weight on your chest and ringing in your head. Sevika had already left for work by the time you woke up. Although you did fall back to sleep right after calling out.

You weren't sure if Sevika would be home at a reasonable time tonight so you didn't wanna bother her by asking her to bring stuff to help. Hopefully when you woke up you'd have slept off the worst of it.

But no. You woke up to a small shifting of your bed, eyes opening slowly, painfully, as you craned you neck to see what it was. The room was dark, so it was probably night time. And you smelled soup, next you you was a large frame combing some stray strands of hair out of your eyes.

"You look like shit, angel." She had to tease you, huh? Sevika had a crooked grin on her face but her eyebrows were furrowed a bit in concern. Her body turned.

"Sit up, I made you some soup baby."

She tried to help you up a bit, even with your protests. It's not like you were dying, but still she'd always treat you like you're fragile, like she could break you if she was too rough. Especially when you were sick, or sad or any type of off.

She kept one hand on your waste and grabbed a spare throw pillow to place on your thighs.

"Its just microwave soup, you don't mind right?"

You smiled lightly at her, one hand holding your bowl the other letting its knuckles brush against her glowing scars.

"Thank you Sevvy" you spoke mouth so dry skin was sticking to skin. She noticed the weird speech and grabbed a water bottle from the floor.

"You gonna fight me about drinking water now angel?" You rolled your eyes taking the water bottle she offered.

"Not right now" you teased, and began to eat , she leaned against the head board softly not to disturb you. She would never let on but she loved being able to take care of you. That you could be weak around her and she could support the both of you. That's a big part of what helped her open up to you.

"Its good" you began to reach over her legs to put the bowl on your nightstand and she took it for you. "So what's wrong with you, baby? Headache? Stomach?"

"I'm not sure" you whimpered as she got up. "I got some meds, but I'm not sure what to give you. Maybe we should just rest up tommorow."

"Dont you have to go to work?" You asked softly lying back down and turning so your back was facing her, you felt the bed shift again as you heard her fumbling around. And felt her hard body pressed to your back, large arm thrown over your side. She was warm.

"No one's got the sack to bitch at me if I don't show up" she tried to reassure you in her own rough way. You felt cold plastic touch your arm.

"Drink your damn water, it helps when your sick."

"Do I have to?" You whined closing your eyes.

"Yes."

You sighed and chugged the water, she was right but you weren't gonna say it.

"Happy?" You whined voice a bit weak.

"Brat."

#what im saying is water will help you #arcane #sevika #arcane sevika #sevika fanfic #sevika x you #sevika arcane #sevika x reader #arcane fic #arcane sevika x reader #arcane headcanon #sevika x y/n

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225s · 3 years

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Sancho angst pls

supercut (jadon sancho)

I hope you like this one anon! I guess it's more just sad stuff than angst though, sorry <3

You're five years old when you fall in love with the curly haired boy from down the street.

You're not even sure what love is, really, you just know it's something special, a feeling that you won't have for everyone you'll ever meet. Your grandma had told you earlier that summer that she knew she was in love with your grandpa because she'd have sweaty palms and butterflies in her stomach whenever he'd look at her. You had frowned at her when she said this, thinking being in love must suck if it makes you feel like this, but she'd just laughed at you and told you that someday you would understand.

And that day comes by sooner than both of you would've guessed, on the last Saturday of summer break, the nervousness about starting year 1 coursing through your veins. You're sitting with your legs criss-cross on the curb in front of your apartment block, surrounded by colourful crayons as you concentrate on your artwork, doing a pretty good job at ignoring the excited screams of a bunch of boys playing football, until something hits you right in the head.

"Jeez, are you okay?"

There's a pair of hands on your shoulders helping you up from the warm concrete, warm brown eyes looking into yours with a hint of concern, only breaking eye contact once to glare at the group of giggling boys behind you. "Shut up, you idiots!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," you mumble, even though it feels like your brain is trying to break free from your skull and you kind of want to cry, but all those thought leave your head when his eyes find yours again, smile warmer than the August sun as he offers you his hand.

"Sorry for kicking a ball in your face," he grins, scratching the back of his neck. "Some lemonade to make up for it?"

You're seventeen when you learn that love doesn't always last forever, that it's a floating feeling that'll creep up to you every now and then before suddenly disappearing overnight. You probably should've known this already from the time your best friend had sobbed in your arms because her parents were getting a divorce, but you'd just figured they'd never really loved each other to begin with. And even though that might've been the case, you now know it also takes a lot of love to let someone go.

"So, this is it."

Truth is, it's been 'it' for a long time already, but it's easier to blame it on the 300 miles that'll soon be between you than on the distance that's already been there for the past couple of months, just like it's easier to claim you'll call, only to send a message when the other one's already asleep, saying you've been busy with school or training and that you'll talk tomorrow - an endless cycle of missed calls and copy-pasted excuses wearing you down.

"This is it," you breathe out, eyes fixed on your hands, tugging on a loose fingernail. You don't want to meet his gaze, because every single time you look into his eyes you let yourself believe you're still as in love with him as 12 years ago, starting to think of ways to fix something that's not necessarily broken, just not meant to be used anymore.

"I'm proud of you, you know that, right?"

"Thank you." Jadon can't remember how many people have said this to him the past few weeks, but you're the only person he wanted, needed, to hear this from. "I'm proud of you, too. I'm sorry I can't be there at your graduation."

You smile, nudge him with your elbow. "That's fine. Just don't forget about me when you're hanging out with Neymar and Messi in a couple of years."

"How could I?"

It's impossible to forget you. Everywhere he goes, Jadon thinks he catches a glimpse of you, until you turn around and end up being a stranger. Every time he scores a goal, he finds himself searching for you in the stands before it hits him that you haven't been to his games in ages, that the heart he makes with his fingers doesn't belong to you anymore.

"I really loved you, you know."

He still can't believe his eyes when he sees you sitting on his sofa, so close to him that he could take your hands in his if they weren't so clammy from the nerves.

You can't help but smile at his words, so genuine that it makes your heart ache a little. "I loved you too. Still do, sometimes," you admit, voice quiet.

A silence falls upon you two as you both wish you could choose your feelings, make them stay forever.

"It's weird how feelings can go away, but kind of remain at the same time, isn't it?" Jadon chuckles softly, barely even understanding his own words, but you know exactly what he means. "Sometimes I'm so sure I'm still in love with you, that we just weren't thinking straight back then, you wouldn't believe how many times I've stared at your phone number at three in the morning thinking of a reason to get back together, but I never came up with one."

You hold up the glass of wine he'd handed you an hour ago, forgotten in the whirlwind of emotions and memories, neither of you in need of the liquid courage as your thoughts slipped from your lips easily, words dying to be heard, and softly let it touch his glass, a silent toast to love.

"Maybe someday we'll find a reason. Until then, just don't forget about me."

Jadon smiles, tears burning in the corner of his eyes, sight too foggy to see yours sparkle as well. "How could I?"

#jadon sancho blurbs #jadon sancho #jadon sancho imagine #jadon sancho imagines #jadon sancho blurb #footballer imagines #jadon sancho x reader #jadon sancho one shot #jadon sancho angst

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honestgrins · 3 years

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i have a prompt request if can do it so basically the nola gang are trying to talk klaus out of something (maybe stop him from getting revenge yk) and they really tried with camille until rebekah and hayley get the idea to ask caroline to go to nola because she'd talk him out of worse stuff and then when she gets there she managed to talk him out his plans almost immediately

Wiles || Klaroline

Caroline squinted as her head cocked to the side. "Yeah, I'm not drunk enough for this, which is not at all what I was promised for spring break in New Orleans." Finishing off her drink, she stole his scotch. "Explain it again."

A fond sigh escaped Klaus, and he signaled Cami for another round. "As pleased as I am that you're here, sweetheart, I would have much preferred it not to be on my sister's errand. Your very human abhorrence of my tactics has already been noted."

"In a general sense, sure," she agreed with a careless shrug. "But let's talk specifics. This witch--"

"Davina."

"--won't do the spell you need her--"

"She's the only one with the power to pull it off alone."

"--to do in a timely fashion--"

"With your lot destroying the Other Side, my mother needs to be found and contained now."

"--because you're openly at war with the vamp that saved her from her own coven? Gee, hard to see why she won't play ball."

Lips curling, Klaus fought for patience. "I don't have time for the teasing, love, nor are you the first to have this conversation with me. Unless you have a better idea--"

"Than killing her friends and trying to kidnap her from the only person who's kept her safe?"

"--please feel free to sit this one out. Go back to Mystic Falls and focus on those plans you told me about. I assure you, I had no hand in Rebekah calling you to fight her battles."

Caroline scoffed, unimpressed. "Like she'd give me the credit. But I've heard you catch more witches with money than vinegar, and you have to have a witch bribe fund by now. Why do they need me to convince you to use it?"

A hand scrubbed over his face. "Davina's young, something about morals and the principle of doing the right thing. She won't accept the generous scholarship or home I've offered her, not when I deserve everything dear Mother decides to throw at me." With a sardonic grin, his eyes blaze into hers. "Teenagers, you know."

"Oh." Her mouth puckered around her straw as she furrowed her brow. "She is young. Have you tried...forbidding her? Tell her she can't do it, that Esther would absolutely use her and kill her when she's through. It's probably true anyway." Shrugging, Caroline seemed unsure. "It can't come from you, though. If you have any pull with the vampire friend, they're the best voice for that message. Frame it around concern for her, not yourself." Her smile turned mean, but her eyes were bright with mischief. "I know that's hard for you."

"As hard as it must be for you to advise my dastardly plans," he conceded. Leaning his elbows on the table, he pinned her with a curious gaze. "You're good at this."

She propped her chin in her hand, just tipsy enough to inch closer to him. "I am. But my wiles don't come cheap, or else your sister would call me for every bad idea you ever have."

"So...never? A shame for me, to not see you nearly as often."

Her grin widened. "You should still give Davina that scholarship. And the house." She bit her lip in thought. "Well, once the spell is finished."

He always did admire her practicality. "Of course, love," he promised. "Whatever you say."

#klaroline #klaroline mini drabble #fic: wiles #to rely on the kindness of strangers #anon anon #thanks for the prompt!#i hope you like it!

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givemethatgold · 3 years

Text

Fix’er Upper - Pt 15

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Talk of past abusive relationship, swearing

Length: 1.2k

Notes: Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’, keep the story rollin’. More plot, lack of smut, surprise guests, it’s all coming together now I promise. Since tags don’t work for me, like AT ALL, I’m going to attempt a posting schedule! Which is laughable if you know how I story-board. Every Tuesday night at 7pm MDT

Series Masterlist

You needed to get laid.

No, not just laid. You needed to get fucking dicked down.

You needed it so hard and rough that you couldn't walk the next day.

It had been seven weeks. Seven weeks without an orgasm.

Sure, you'd tried to get off on your own fingers but after the delicious stretch from manual-labour-thickened digits how could yours ever compare? You had gone so far as to order a vibrator, something you’d never even consider for fear of getting caught, but your body always stalled out just on the cusp of an orgasm.

You needed Frankie and you were going to get him,

Date night was back on the table, and hopefully, you'd be getting railed on said table before the end of the night. Frankie had been very reserved when you'd brought up the idea of a sleepover for Annie, but once Jacquie had assured him for the fifth time that she knew how to take care of children, seeing as she had four of them herself, he had agreed.

The scheduled day had arrived, legs were shaved, an amazing meal was cooked, and a sweet little babydoll dress was purchased that you knew would drive him crazy. You even went the extra mile and set up your old record player and had Johnny Cash crooning at you from the living room.

Finishing the final touches, you surveyed the table setting, trying to decide between using your nice plates to complete the aesthetic or just putting down plastic so you could sweep the table clear and mount your boyfriend on it without fear of broken ceramic.

Finally deciding on the first option, presentation is everything after all, you were digging through your china cabinet when the doorbell rang. How formal of him, you thought to yourself, glad he was playing along with the unspoken mood you'd set for the night.

Opening the door, your gaze widened a comical amount and your jaw went slack. There was nothing in the world that could have prepared you for this.

"Close your mouth dear, before the flies get in."

"MOM?!"

It really shouldn't have shocked you, knowing the woman as well as you did, that she would show up unannounced like this. Ever since you'd let it slip that you and Frankie were in a relationship she'd been dropping hints that a visit was due, and you, not wanting to deal with her, had been blatantly changing the subject every time.

Then, Frankie had to go and tell her that an adorable little girl was now involved? That's not something she could ever resist, even if it wasn't exactly being offered to her.

Finally coming to terms with the fact that you weren't going to get railed tonight, and instead would be spending your week fending off your mother's well-meaning but entirely outdated advice, you opened the door wider and welcomed her into your home.

"Where's Dad?" You ask, glancing behind her onto the porch, noting a distinct lack of other vehicles. "Did you get a cab here?!"

"Sweetie, honestly, you know I don't like to drive and he doesn’t like to leave home," came her answer from your dining room where she was already adjusting your place settings to her standards. "Besides I wasn't sure how long you'd need me here for so I decided to fly and will just borrow your truck if need be."

So matter-of-fact, as if it was the simplest notion in the world, and said with such nonchalance, your mouth was back to hanging open again from the sheer audacity of the woman.

"Mom, no, wait, what?" You were floundering, completely at a loss for words. "Why would I need you here right now? I needed you when I was young, dumb, and blindly in love with Brad. I needed your guidance and concern when I was being manipulated-"

"Oh come on-" she tried to interrupt you with a wave of her hand.

"No! You keep trying to tell me he wasn't that bad but you weren't there. You didn't hear how he talked to me, how he treated me." You were over your shock, residual hurt and betrayal were now rearing their ugly heads. "Don't you shake your head at me! How dare you chose his side over mine! I was your daughter, your little girl," the words were getting stuck in your throat now, burning so hot with emotion you could almost see the pain they were inflicting as they landed on her ears. "and you chose to ignore the signs, the cries for help. You were only there for me when he died, but even then it was just to send your regards!"

"We really didn't know..." she answered in a small voice, so quiet it barely registered through the roaring in your ears.

"Denial, maybe? I don't think we could bear the thought of anything but a fairytale being true, so we willfully ignored the signs." She waited for a beat, probably giving you time to yell back at her but when you stayed silent she continued, "I don't think it truly sank in just how badly you'd been treated until you moved away. We thought quitting college was you just deciding you wanted to start a family. Then when you stopped calling friends and family, we hoped it was because you were making new ones. Then your weight loss and depression we blamed on infertility, and then again from the grief of his death." Lifting your head up and wiping away the tears that had streaked your cheeks, she smiled sadly at you while tears fell from her own eyes. "I'll never forgive myself."

"How could you not?" You sobbed, letting yourself sink onto a dining room chair.

Your mom tentatively made her way over to you, wrapping her arms around your shoulders and hugging your head to her stomach.

"Oh, Mom," you couldn't finish the sentiment, but you didn't need to. Springing up, you enveloped each other in a tight hug and rocked back and forth until the tears dried and your breathing was almost back to normal, save for the occasional hitch and sniffle.

Breaking apart, you were just about to ask if she wanted some tea when the front door flew open.

"Where's my pretty pus- oh! Oh."

"Frankie," you said calmly while your eyes screamed ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME at him, "this is my mother."

"So this is the handsome face behind that gruff voice!" God bless Margot and her ability to ignore the obvious, sometimes it actually came in handy. "And I suppose he's the second place setting for a lovely night I seem to have interrupted."

"Oh, no, Mom it's okay-"

"Nonsense! I'll check myself into the sweet little bed and breakfast I've booked for the week and see you both tomorrow!"

"It is nice to see you, Mom," you admitted, finding yourself meaning the words more than you expected to. "I'll meet you in town tomorrow and show you around?" Maybe having her here for a while would be nice, if the week went as well as tonight had, your relationship with her would be salvaged.

"You really don't need to do that, you just got here!" Frankie tried to reassure her, having noticed the red, swollen, tear-streaked faces and assuming there was unfinished conversation to be had.

You knew your mom was immovable once she had made up her mind, however, so you just followed her to the door and handed her her coat and your truck keys.

"Marvelous!" She pats your hand in thanks before a sly smile quirks her mouth up to the side and she winks, "Have a good night, Pretty Pussy!"

Part Sixteen

#frankie morales x f!reader #frankie morales x fem!reader #fankie catfish morales x f!reader #frankie catfish morales x fem!reader #frankie morales x you #frankie morales fanfic #fix'er upper

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starlessskies94 · 3 years

Text

Consequence (Joel Miller x OC)

Summary: What if Joel survived his injuries from the Abby and Fireflies attack but ends up with really bad amnesia. He can’t remember his wife, Ellie, or the Outbreak; only before. How will his family bring back the man they once knew?

Pairing: Joel Miller x OC

Notes: I wanted to apologise for a stupid mistake I made in the last chapter, I mentioned that Ada fixed Joel's injury with no medical knowledge; only to remember weeks later that she's a vet as part of her character skills and I completely overlooked it while writing the last chapter so I'm sorry for that. And sorry to my lovely Adaline; because it makes total sense that she would be able to tend to his wound rather easily so I hope that doesn't spoil that last flashback too much my bad hehe

Also I apologise that it's been a while since my last chapter, I'm not going to lie this one has been a bitch to write and I'm still not 100% happy with it so I just sincerely hope it doesn't disappoint.

Chapter Twelve

Ada didn't remember falling asleep. But she certainly felt it when she woke up. Her joints cracking and popping from the curled up position she was laid in all night. Everything ached from her shoulders, to her back and her toes.

The last of her dreams faded as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. A quick glance at the clock telling her that she had slept through the better part of a day and half and although she had slept; she didn't feel rested in the slightest. The memories came flooding back, bringing with it that weight that pushed against her chest so tightly until she could barely breathe. Everything that had happened the day before felt like a bad nightmare, where her fears and worries had all come true. Joel hated her. Had more or less disowned her and Ellie. And it was her fault. The sadness and the tears were gone leaving her numb. All she had left was anger.

Yes she had made the wrong call leaving Joel as she had but it was Tommy who had thrown her under the bus. Not giving her the time she had needed to explain. It had all happened so quickly it had made her head spin. It wasn't fair.

There was no logic or reason in leaving her home and storming through the town to find her brother in law. There was no reason to slug the poor man in the face with a swift right hook either but that still didn't stop Ada from doing it away when she saw him.

The world only came back into focus when Maria had restrained her; her vision finally clearing to see Tommy holding his bloody nose.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Ada?!" Maria cried in shocked anger. "What has gotten into you?!"

"Let me go, Maria!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on!" The blonde demanded, holding Ada's arms behind her back: her grip getting tighter the more she struggled. Tommy stumbled forward still holding his nose, spitting a mouthful of blood by his feet before looking up at his wife.

"Maria it's okay...let her go." He asked woefully. Maria just scoffed in disbelief at his request, as if it was the most crazy thing in the world. She attempted to argue but the younger Miller just waved a dismissive hand at her words; his other pinching the bridge of his nose in a bid to stop the bleeding, that was now staining it's way down the front of his shirt. The townspeople were beginning to gather, a rumble of murmurs breaking out amongst the crowd at the sight of their leader being injured by one of their own.

That still didn't stop Ada from taking another swing at Tommy. Only this one didn't make contact as Maria stopped her, twisting her arm and pinning it to her back again.

"That is enough!" She roared, staring down both her husband and her sister in law. "Now you two had better tell what in the hell is going on!"

Tommy winced against the pain shooting through his nose and jaw; turning to look at the crowd staring with wide eyes. His own falling to the floor, not quite able to look at both women in front of him.

"Maybe we'd better go inside to talk." He suggested quietly; making his way back towards his home with Ada and Maria following behind. The brunette struggled her way out of Maria's grip and reluctantly she gave in and let go; turning on her heel and barking orders at the crowd to disperse and get back to whatever it was they were doing before. They did eventually albeit hesitantly. Ada glanced over her shoulder and watched them go as she made her way towards Tommy's; her brain quickly catching up with her actions. God... what they must think of her now. She was just grateful Ellie hadn't seen it; just as grateful as she was that the teen had chosen to stay with Dina the day before. Heaven only knew what she would've thought had she heard Joel's cold words when he'd left. She tried not to think about it as she looked down at her shaking hands; her right now turning red and swelling slightly. The shame engulfed her almost as rapidly as the anger had. And now she had to face the consequences of that anger.

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"...And after that he just left? You didn't even try to stop him?" Maria asked sadly as she poured Ada another whisky into her glass. She didn't waste any time downing the brown liquid as quickly as she did her first; coughing slightly as it burned her throat.

"What would've been the point? I tried to explain things and he made it perfectly clear that he wasn't in the mood to listen."

The nausea had come back; whether it was caused by the whiskey on an empty stomach or the stress of retelling what had happened between her and Joel yesterday, Ada wasn't sure. Though she guessed it was probably the former, if her headache was anything to go by. She slumped further into her chair as a deep sigh left her lungs; everything was such a mess and she was tired of feeling so hopeless. She turned the empty glass along her hand that grasped it, her eyes red and raw from the tears and the worst night of sleep she'd had in weeks. "Maybe Joel is right." She wondered aloud. "Maybe this is all my fault and I deserve this. I'd hate me too."

Maria shook her head defiantly at Ada's words, reaching over to take the glass from her and placing it back onto the coffee table between them. "Joel doesn't hate you. And as far as blame goes...I'd say we're all at fault for how we handled this. Some of us more than others." She stated bitterly, her blue cold eyes glaring at her husband sitting across from her on the living room couch. A small rag of wrapped ice held to his face. The man rolled his eyes and scoffed, pulling the ice pack from his nose and resting it by his knee as he leaned forward.

"I already told you that I was sorry. I don't know what else you want me to say."

"And I told you to keep that damn ice on your nose to take down the swelling." She berated without taking a breath. "You had no right to go behind Ada's back like that! And Joel didn't deserve to find out the way he did either!"

She was right. Tommy knew she was right. Always was. He owed his brother a hell of a lot more than yelling the truth at him like he had. But he had just been so angry. So frustrated; it had come out before he could stop it and then it had been too late to take it back. He honestly hadn't expected Joel to react the way he did. So cold and harsh with the way he'd shouted at Ada...Tommy knew how much his brother loved her. And yet he'd all but ambushed the poor woman to get answers. He uttered another apology and sat back with the ice cooling his throbbing nose that was now beginning to bruise. He didn't blame Ada for hitting him either; he'd definitely deserved it. There were a lot of things all of them wished they could've done differently. Hindsight was a nice thing in theory but now it was proving to be painfully useless once the damage was already done.

His sister in law rose from her seat and as he watched her pace about the room, the more his guilt niggled at him. She ran her hands through her greying roots and down through the fading brunette locks that cascaded down her back, they were still shaking as she moved to rest them on her neck while she continued pacing.

"Ada..." He tried cautiously." Ada..."

"You shouldn't blame Tommy for this Maria, this is my fault." She interjected and paused looking down at the blonde who could only give the woman a look of pity in return. "I mean it, Joel was right with everything he said. I'm a fucking coward!" The couple shared a look as Ada laughed bitterly at her words. "I was too afraid to deal with what happened so I left. Because I was terrified that if I had stayed...If I had tried to help him remember, forcing him to live with a damn stranger; he'd eventually decide that life was better without me. It's stupid and it's selfish..." her voice quivered as she held back tears, her arms falling from her neck to hold herself. "...but there it is."

Maria was quick to reassure her; rushing to her feet and pulling her into a hug. Ada pulled back as she was offered an old handkerchief from the other woman's pocket. Her sniffles subsiding as she was encouraged to sit down again.

"Ada, Joel loves you. He might not remember that but it doesn't just go away. You still have a chance to fix things."

Ada scoffed out a wet sob and shook her head. "No...it's over Maria. As far as he's concerned; I'm just the coldhearted bitch that abandoned him."

"Wait...Joel actually said that?" Tommy asked aghast, his eyes wide. The woman just shrugged dismissively. "He didn't have too...Though it's nothing less than I deserve.

Tommy wished she would stop being so hard on herself. He understood her guilt more than most and he hadn't even agreed with the plan in the first place. It just hadn't sat right with him to lie to Joel about his family. But then he'd spoken to his brother and realized just how much of his memory had been lost. And it seemed that he was losing himself in it. Joel was becoming angry and bitter at the world for taking something from him, for harming him in a way he hadn't been able to control. It was eerily similar to the darkness he'd descended into when he'd lost Sarah. When he'd lost all hope for happiness and decency. There was no mercy or love. It was just a means to an end in order to survive. That wall that Joel had built around himself to keep the world out. To keep emotions just out of reach. And Tommy feared his brother falling into it again. Ellie and Ada had pulled him out of it once, he had hoped they would've been able to do it again. Now he was starting to worry he'd been wrong.

He pulled back the rag and thankfully it seemed as though his nose had stopped bleeding. He discarded the spoiled cloth on the coffee table; taking in the silence that had fallen in the room. Both his wife and sister in law sat quietly with the same tired looks and stern frowns upon their faces. No one had the answers anymore, no matter how much they pretended they did.

"Ada..." his voice was quiet but it caught her attention as she glanced up at him. "I'm sorry."

She nodded meekly and smiled. "Me too. I'm sorry I punched you in the face." He laughed; waving his hand coolly as he shrugged. "Nah, don't worry about it. I mean I'm pretty sure you broke my nose but ya know...we're good sis." Ada laughed as Maria jokingly rolled her eyes at her husband's dramatics. It was badly bruised at best, both they and Tommy knew that. But Ada appreciated him trying to lighten the mood. It was the first time in a long time that she'd truly laughed since Joel's attack. And it was nice to feel something other than grief for even a second.

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Ellie tried to keep up with the rushing of her mind the quicker her pace picked up. She'd already been home to find the place empty, the only other place she could think to check would be Tommy and Maria's to find her mother. Her sneakers skidded slightly against the porch wood when she stopped to tap on the door. Her surrogate aunt greeting her with a warm smile as she opened the front door.

"Is my mom here?" The teen asked softly. Maria simply nodded, letting the young girl inside and following her into the living room. She walked in to find her mom and Tommy sat together chuckling lowly at their shared stories and fond memories. A half emptied bottle of whiskey sitting between them, with three half drunk glasses on the table. Ellie figured the three of them must've been here most of the day. Her mom shifted when she noticed her daughter, scooting along the couch to make room for her. Ellie made her way around the coffee table towards them, wincing when she saw the state of Tommy's face. "Jeez what the fuck happened to you?" She asked in concern. But Tommy just snorted a laugh. "It's a long story, don't worry about it."

The girl scoffed, a sarcastic smile spreading across her face as sat down.

"Is everything okay?"

She couldn't stop herself from fidgeting at her mother's question, instantly going back to her nervous habit. Her fingernail beds were already sore from the hours she'd spent picking at them. "I uh...I can't find Joel. I wanted to talk to him. I stopped by the house but he wasn't there." Stunned silence filled the room at Ellie's admission, Tommy's face full of confusion when he glanced at her beside him.

"Why'd you want to talk to him?" He asked. She took a moment before answering, looking to her mom with sadness in her eyes.

"I heard what happened between you two yesterday. I know what he said about us."

"Oh sweetheart, come here." She didn't say anything as Ada pulled her into her arms, instead just snuggled further into her warmth. Her head leaning against her shoulder. Hands once buried inside her jacket sleeves.

"I just thought maybe I could try talking to him...maybe if I tell him everything he'd understand or he'd forgive us for leaving." She explained." This is my fucking fault! This happened to him because of me; because of what he did to protect me...I need him to know I'm sorry...that I'm trying to fix things. That I'm trying to make it better and when we find them we can--"

"Wait, hold on, find who?"

Oh shit now Ellie had done it. She pulled back from her mother's arms, a look of guilt pulled at her brows as she chewed nervously at her lip. She tried to avoid eye contact but was only greeted with more accusing stares from Maria and Tommy.

"Ellie.." Maria uttered disapprovingly. But she didn't answer once again, attempting to avoid the eyes staring at her.

"Ellie what aren't you telling us?"

"Promise you won't get mad?" It was a big ask. Ellie knew that when she finally took the chance to look her mother in the eye, hoping that she'd soften even just a little bit. But all she saw was worry and that only made her feel worse for lying to her.

"Ellie." She warned sternly and the girl knew she had to come clean. She took a deep breath, her head falling in defeat as she finally gave in.

"Okay...I lied before. I wasn't staying at Dina's the last couple of days...we've been staying at one of the outposts outside of town tracking the fireflies...or what was left of them from Abbey's group."

"I'm sorry you've been doing what?!" "Are you insane?!" She flinched at both her mother and Maria's outbursts that echoed together in the heavy silence of the room. She shared a look with Tommy as he flashed her a small smile of gratitude but it flickered away as quickly as it came when both women rose to their feet in a rush of anger and frustrated annoyance.

"Ellie, we've talked about this and we agreed to leave it alone."

"No you fucking decided!" The teen challenged as she snapped to her feet, her face snarling into a roaring temper that could easily rival her mother's. "Those fuckers could come back! They already found us once, what's stopping them coming back to finish what they started?!"

Ada scoffed at Ellie's argument throwing her hands up, exasperated they were having this argument yet again! She understood her daughter's worries but she was certain the Fireflies had no reason to come back. They thought Joel was dead and she was determined to keep it that way. They'd had this same conversation again and again and yet every time Ellie would always push back.

"She's right."

The girls all fell silent to the single voice that spoke up, as all eyes turned to Tommy. Maria seething at her husband and Ada downright irritated that he'd shamelessly encourage this reckless behaviour. Ellie just appreciated having Tommy on her side at least.

"Tommy..." Maria warned, her eyes pleading him to stop.

"Well she is! Do you really wanna live the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders?! Just hoping to God that those bastards don't come back. Yeah they think Joel is dead but for how long? They already managed to get word he was living in Jackson in the first damn place...what do you think they'll do when they realise that he's not quite as dead as they thought?" He paused, stopping to look at Ada as she held back her tears, her bottom lip quivering and he was quick to her side. His hand resting on her shoulder.

"Look I'm sorry... I know this is not what you want to hear right now but Ellie has a point. We can end this. If it were any of us, Joel would be halfway there already."

She shook her head, her breath catching in her throat. "No he wouldn't." She argued.

"He absolutely fucking would!" Ellie shouted. Her words stopped them all dead. Knowing looks exchanged between the adults before walking to huddle by the table. They knew Ellie was right. If any one of them in that room had been attacked; Joel would be doing everything he could to get them the justice they deserved. He'd never lay down and let them get away with it. Ada let out a sigh of defeat as she looked back to Ellie, gesturing for her to sit back down. She did, though moved hesitant at first. Ada sat silent, her mind clearing and calculating for a second as she sat with her hands rested against her mouth before she eventually lowered them to speak. "So...you were tracking those bastards...did you find any?" She asked apprehensively. Ellie swallowed hard and cleared her throat, sitting up in her seat before nodding.

"Yeah...Dina and I watched the area for hours. Most of the group left but a couple stayed behind at the hunting lodge. Two of them...I don't know their names. They were packing up their stuff. We followed them out when they went hunting for food. Managed to lure some infected on the way back..." Ellie didn't realise she was shaking as she spoke until her mother took her hand and squeezed it gently. "We stood and watched as the clickers tore those fuckers apart.."

"Good riddance." Tommy stated bitterly.

"I came back to tell you what happened but then I heard the neighbours gossiping about what happened between you and Joel, all that stuff he said. I thought I could fix it. But when I went to the house he wasn't there. So I sent Dina to ask around town if anyone had seen him and I came here." Adaline nodded slowly, taking everything in. She looked at Tommy and Maria both sharing the same lost look on their faces. They all knew what they needed to do next. It was just a case of whether they had any strength left to do it.

Though Ada never got the chance to answer; instead their heads turned to the direction of stomping footsteps and the door bursting opening to a breathless Dina, panting as she almost slipped on the doormat under her boots. Ellie flew to her feet and darted to her girlfriend, asking her what was wrong.

"It's Joel!" She gasped. "He's gone..."

#the last of us #Joel Miller #joel and ellie #the last of us part 2 #joel miller x oc #the last of us part ii #ellie williams #fanfiction #tlou #joel miller #starlessskies writes

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blindingdutchy · 3 years

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lamentation | FOUR

{peter parker x fem!reader AU}

based on All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

SERIES MASTERLIST

word count: 3,907

warnings: angst, talk of death/tragedy, a little fluff

18+!!! minors stay away

At school the following week you were more than a little embarrassed. Peter Parker had seen you outside of school twice, and both times you'd been a crying, hysterical mess. Granted, you were a hysterical mess all the time anymore, but you usually kept that very well suppressed. Then along came Peter, and suddenly there was another person outside of your family who knew just how messed up you were.

He didn't mention it, which you were thankful for. You could see that he was concerned, though, with the way his eyes seemed to linger on you during every silence. His worry and pity only made you more resentful of the things you had shown him.

You'd shown up to school the morning after he showed up in your room, and you weren't at all surprised to see him lingering by your locker with an antsy jitter as he rocked back and forth on his feet. What had surprised you, though, was the fact that once he saw you were present he simply nodded at you and walked away. Was that his idea of a truce? An understanding?

Whatever it was, you had been thankful for it. The last thing you had wanted that morning was to talk to Peter, knowing he'd certainly want to talk about the events of the night, and you were relieved to get a little break from his constant presence. He still sat by you in classes, but he didn't pester with you his usual chatter, nor did he follow you to your locker even once.

The trend had continued for most of the week, and you had to admit you were starting to feel a little more isolated without his overbearing company. It was strange--you almost, emphasis on almost, missed him. You'd grown used to ignoring his borderline stalker-like tendencies, and now without him around to ignore, you felt lonely. Lonelier than you already had been, anyways.

At home, things were just as cold and distant. Your mother was in a slump again following your outburst at dinner, and you were beating yourself up over it endlessly. She'd been doing good, finally, and you'd just had to have gone and ruined all of her progress.

She'd been holed up in her bedroom ever since that evening. Not even your father was able to get her to let him in, and in turn he was banished to the sofa night after night. As such, you were feeling the ice from your mother and your father alike. You couldn't blame him, really, because the sofa was definitely not the most comfortable for sleeping.

It felt a little like your life was falling apart all over again since your birthday. The childish, bitter part of you wanted to blame Peter, because it would have been so easy to blame the only thing that had changed in your life, but you knew better. It was you. You were the cause for everything that was going wrong, and you didn't know how to stop it.

Why couldn't you just be better? The whole world was moving on, making progress, and yet you were stagnant. You didn't understand why you couldn't let go of all the heavy things holding you down, holding you back, but you just couldn't. Grieving her wasn't getting easier, and you didn't know how to try and make that change.

"Are you alright?"

Startled by the sudden return of Peter's voice, you jumped in your seat and blinked at him in surprise. It had been such a long week of near radio silence from him that you were shocked to be acknowledged by him, despite the fact that you'd been sitting beside him for the entirety of your Speech class. You'd almost started to wonder if maybe he was ignoring you, though you didn't exactly try to talk to him either.

Quietly, you mumbled, "Not really, but that's normal these days."

It was only then that you realized class was over, students packing up and filing out of the classroom eagerly in anticipation of the weekend. You'd been far more spaced out than you had thought--it felt like just moments ago you were sitting down and waiting for class to begin. You awkwardly began to pack up your untouched classwork and Peter did the same, neither of you quite sure what to say to the other.

Ever since she died, you had an uncanny ability to make any and every situation uncomfortable without really trying. It started with your inability to contain your emotions in response to the thousands of condolences you received over those first few days, and then the more you secluded yourself it only got worse. People looked at you strangely and whispered when they thought you couldn't hear them. They thought you were a ticking time bomb, and in a sense they were correct.

Maybe that was the reason you weren't quite as adamant about pushing Peter away as you were others. He didn't look at you that way, nor did he whisper hushed words about you that would surely make your ears burn when you overheard. Both times that he had seen you in a horrible state, he'd only looked at you with concern and worry. Not once had you seen him give you those all too familiar apprehensive stares, and you were grateful for it.

Realizing you were moving at a strangely slow pace, and Peter was anxiously waiting for you to finish, you cleared your throat and muttered, "Do you want to start the project tomorrow? Or tonight, if you're not busy."

"Um," Peter stammered, not bothering to hide his surprise at your offer, "sure. Tonight is fine if--if that's okay with you."

The two of you stared at each other in silence for a moment, neither of you quite comfortable with the sudden change in atmosphere. Zipping your backpack, you stated, "Yeah, great."

"Great!" Peter echoed, and you both turned and hurried away from each other in discomfort.

When you told your father that Peter Parker was coming over that night you weren't entirely sure what to expect. The reaction you received, however was so far off your radar it scared you a little. He'd nearly wept with joy, kissing your cheek and saying he was proud of you for making friends again, to which you retorted Peter wasn't your friend.

He could tell it was a lie, despite the fact that under normal circumstances Peter definitely wouldn't have been considered a friend. For you, now and after everything you'd been through, he was the closest thing you had to a friend, though. So, you resisted the urge to fight your father on the premise and let him run off to boast to your mother about it.

Even if you felt like you weren't making progress, it couldn't hurt to let your parents think that you were. You were trying, anyways, so you didn't feel quite as guilty about letting them read too much into things. You just hoped that they didn't get their hopes up too high, because there was still time for you to mess things up like you always did.

You spent the afternoon cleaning your room and wallowing in your anxiety. The project was something you were dreading starting, mostly because you knew it would bring up all sorts of negative memories and emotions for you, but also because you feared what Peter would think of you. Would he judge you for your opinions? Would he think you were bitter and ridiculous?

For awhile you contemplated all the ways you could try and lie to appease him, thinking of ways to keep your composure well enough to debate on behalf of superheroes. In the end, though, you knew it was impossible. Arguing against the Avengers was going to be hard enough in itself, let alone trying to pretend you were in favor of them. Was it too late to ask for an alternate assignment?

Peter Parker: hey i'm on my way

Peter Parker: if that's okay. if you're busy that's fine too

It was definitely too late to ask for an alternate assignment, and as you typed out your response you decided it was time for you to finally start trying to do better. You'd wished for things to be easier, to be better, for so long, yet you'd never put in any of the work to make it happen. It was time for that to change. You were going to do the project, fight your stance to Peter, and try your best to not ruin his opinion of you completely in the process.

You: yeah that's fine

You: my mom says you can stay for dinner

You: if you want... if not that's cool you probably have other things to do

Okay, you were definitely biting off more than you could chew. Reading over your awkward texts to Peter made you cringe in a bad way, and you felt nauseous with embarrassment. It was so, so unbelievably hard trying to be approachable after you'd spent the past year pushing everyone away. The fear of him rejecting you was sending shockwaves through your entire body, tingling your skin all the way to the tips of your toes.

To your relief, Peter responded to let you know he was okay with staying for dinner, and informed you that he was on his way. You shot off a remark about using the door this time, and then promptly threw your phone away in shame. What if he thought you were being rude instead of joking? Or worse, what if he knew you were joking and thought it was stupid? Socializing was a real drain on your energy.

By the time Peter arrived with a timid knock on your bedroom door, followed by your mother's coo, "Oh, honey, just go on in. She's never doing anything," you had successfully stressed yourself into oblivion. You were so consumed by your thoughts you almost didn't notice her throwing open your door with a beaming grin, but the sound of Peter's uncomfortable laughter snapped you out of your daze.

"Uh, hi." you squeaked, suddenly extremely self conscious of your bedroom. He'd seen it before, obviously, but this time it was actually swathed in lamp light and the evening sun. "You can sit."

Peter stood in silence, studying your room with an indecipherable look on his face for a long moment. "It's nice in here." he finally stated, dropping his backpack and letting that easy grin slip across his lips for the first time in the past week. It was incredibly relieving to see it, and you even found yourself relaxing a little.

He sat on the edge of your bed and both of you turned to your mother curiously as she continued to stand in your doorway with a tearful smile. Jumping in shock, she gasped, "Oh, right, right. I'll just be downstairs if you need anything. It was lovely to meet you, Peter."

With one last lingering gaze, your mother backed out of the room and shut the door. That was how you knew this was a special occasion in her eyes--what sane mother would ever shut her teenage daughter in a bedroom with a teenage boy willingly? It had been a long while since you'd genuinely felt embarrassed, but you couldn't help but to groan and cover your face at the whole situation.

Peter, however, seemed thoroughly amused by everything. "Your mom is a lot like my Aunt May." he mused, twinkling brown eyes trailing over every inch of your room, "Your room is huge. I think I could fit my entire bedroom in here three times and still have extra space."

"I used to share it with my sister."

He paled at your statement and stuttered, "Oh, shit, I'm so--I'm so sorry. I didn't know--"

"Peter, it's fine." you interrupted his frantic apology, and for what felt like the first time ever, you meant it.

It was fine. You didn't feel angry or bitter about the reminder of her disappearance from your life, and it was strange to you. You liked it, though, and it felt nice to talk about her without being bogged down by thousands of horrible thoughts and feelings.

Relaxing only slightly at your reassurance, Peter looked at you wearily as if he expected you to start crying or lash out at him. To his, and your own, surprise you gave a small smile. That still felt wrong; it didn't come very naturally to you anymore, but Peter seemed mesmerized by it none the less.

The sight of your permanent frown disappearing from your face gave him the confidence to move on from the uncomfortable topic, it seemed, because he grinned back and moved to unzip his backpack. "Okay, so, first thing's first--have you read the outline for the project? It's ridiculously broad and I've been struggling to think of any ideas to make our speech unique." he rambled, rifling through the crumpled mess of papers he retrieved from his bag until he finally found what he was looking for.

You slid your smooth, unwrinkled copy across the bed and asked, "Shouldn't we start with which stance we're taking?"

Peter blinked at you, and you tensed in preparation for the argument that was about to ensue. "What do you mean? I thought it was just a given that we were arguing in favor of the Avengers?" he questioned, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone is going to."

"I wanted to argue in opposition, actually." you muttered, pursing your lips. "That could be what makes ours stand out, you know?"

His lips opened and closed like a fish for a few moments as he clearly struggled to formulate words, but eventually he sputtered, "Is that the only reason why? I don't know if I can argue against myself, considering I kind of am an Avenger."

You chewed at the inside of your cheek, already wishing the ground would open up and swallow you whole. Letting Peter into your space, into your life, was already hard enough--adding conflict into the mix only made your heart rate pick up and your hands start to sweat. "I don't agree with the Avengers, no, but I have reasons. So, maybe you feel weird arguing against yourself, but I feel just as weird arguing in favor of something I don't agree with." you finally explained, and Peter's eyes widened incredulously.

"Why don't you like the Avengers?"

You nearly scoffed at the way he posed the question, as if he were asking you why you weren't a fan of a specific sports team. "I don't agree with them, there's a difference." you stated bluntly.

Peter wiped his palms on his jeans tensely, just as you did the same, and repeated, "Why, though? What's not to agree with? They--they've saved the world over and over again, isn't that impossible to not agree with?"

"At what cost, though?" you retorted, "Have you paid any mind to all the things they've destroyed? How many lives they've ended, or destroyed, in the midst of their heroic deeds?"

He seemed to get riled up by the bitter way you spat out the word heroic and scoffed, "Okay, but that doesn't just happen with the Avengers. The police do all of that and more on a much more frequent basis."

You raised your eyebrows challengingly, though you had to admit it was a fair counter argument. Clicking your tongue, you rebutted, "That's true, but at least sometimes there are consequences for that! With people like the Avengers there are no consequences. There's no justice, no opposition, nothing! They can do whatever they want, whenever they want, no matter who gets hurt in the process."

Peter stood from your bed abruptly, raking a hand through his hair and pacing around your room with red cheeks. You could tell very well that he was trying to control his temper, though he was about as intimidating as a mouse, and you took deep breathes yourself. The last thing you wanted to do was to make him angry with you, but you weren't willing to back down about how you felt.

Inhaling slowly, he turned to you once again and said, "There are consequences. Don't you remember the Sokovia Accords? That whole fiasco was because of people who felt like you do."

The Sokovia Accords were a sham in your eyes. You remembered well when they had come about, and it seemed that they had changed nothing. For awhile most of the Avengers had gone off the grid, choosing to be international fugitives rather than sign, until the world needed them again. When Thanos had tried to wipe out half of all life in the universe they'd all come out of the woodwork again to save the day, and afterward it seemed as if all was forgotten.

There was no punishment for Captain America, Black Widow, none of them. They stopped another world ending event, causing plenty of damage in the process, and in turn were regarded as godly heroes once again. You sometimes wondered if the Accords were even a thing anymore.

"They felt that way for good reason!" you snapped before clearing your throat and trying to calm down again, "The Avengers have caused just as much devastation as they've prevented, maybe even more."

Peter jumped at your loud tone and snapped back, "What would you even know about it? I see it first hand every time, remember, so I know what happens! What do you know?"

"They killed my sister, did you know that?" you shouted, and he froze in place with wide eyes and parted lips, "Yeah, you know what happens, right? Well then you should know that I know damn well the damage the Avengers can do."

He sat back down on your bed wordlessly, watching you hesitantly as you tugged at a loose thread on your blanket anxiously. "I didn't know that, (Y/N)," he sighed, "I'm really sorry."

You didn't say anything for a long while, not trusting your voice to come out steady as you tried to hold back tears and also keep your temper in line. Talking about your sister's death wasn't something you really did, mostly because you knew it would cause you to break down. It hurt too much to think of it, let alone speak the words out loud.

But, as Peter continued to watch you as if expecting you to explode, you tried your best, "It was my fault. If it weren't for me we wouldn't have been at the park, and she--and she wouldn't have had to wait for me."

Peter reached out and gripped your hand firmly in his, causing you to momentarily short circuit in shock. You internally battled the conflicting urges to pull away or cling to him, but eventually you relaxed into the contact. Gently grasping his hand back, you let out a shaky breathe you hadn't realized you'd been holding.

It was grounding having his hand in yours. You didn't feel like you were at risk of drifting away into the void like you usually did; with his hand touching you, it felt as if you had a secure connection to the world again. It was a feeling you never wanted to lose again.

"It wasn't your fault, (Y/N)," he soothed, but you shook your head stubbornly.

Your eyes burned as you continued, "It was! She wanted to go shopping but I begged her to come to the park with me instead. I wanted to take some photos, and she'd argued with me for so long until she finally caved. A little bit after we got there we heard this really loud explosion, and I just--I just froze, and I..."

The words seemed to lodge in your throat, and your voice came out hoarse as you forced them out, "I froze staring up at Iron Man blasting some alien through the air, so stupidly shocked I didn't notice the building collapsing until she pushed me out of the way. I tried to grab her, but it was too late! A bunch of bricks hit her and--"

"Hey, hey, you don't have to tell me." Peter hushed you, gripping your hand tighter and scooting so close to you that his leg was pressed up against yours. Somehow the increased contact and warmth caused you to break, and suddenly you were crying in front of Peter Parker for the third time. You were three for three on crying in his presence, a thought that made you cry harder in embarrassment.

He didn't seem to care at all, though, as he took you by surprise and hugged you. "He just flew right by us. He didn't even stop when I screamed for help." you croaked, clutching Peter's shirt tightly in your fists as he held you, "I hate them. I hate them so much because it should be their fault, but I just keep blaming myself!"

You really hoped your mother wasn't eavesdropping, because she'd surely have wanted to talk to you about everything later. In all the time that had passed since your sister's death, you hadn't once retold the events of that day. You'd never spoken a single word about it, not even to the police who questioned you following the incident.

No matter how hard your parents had urged you to talk about it, or your therapist, you hadn't ever budged. It was your burden to bear, and you had never felt the desire or the strength to impart that load unto anyone else. Peter somehow broke down all of your walls without even trying, though, and it felt like a breathe of fresh air to finally get it all off of your chest.

There was no explanation for why he seemed to get you to do all the things you swore you never would without a word. It made no sense at all, and it scared you a lot, but you liked it. You craved the connection he gave you. Already, after such a short amount of time, you needed it. It would surely have crushed you if he decided not to care.

As your crying slowly subsided, Peter rubbed your back timidly and comforted, "It wasn't your fault, (Y/N), I mean it. It was just a freak thing, and you couldn't have done anything to stop it--sometimes bad things just happen, and they're inevitable."

"But, if I had just--"

He cut you off, "No, no buts. It wasn't your fault and you couldn't have prevented it. Trust me, I know exactly how you feel, okay? It wasn't my fault, and it wasn't your fault either."

You wanted to ask him how he could possibly know what you felt, or what he meant by saying it wasn't his fault, but it wasn't the right time. Pulling away and wiping your eyes, you sniffled, "I really need to stop crying in front of you. You're like an onion, you know? I just can't stop crying when you're around me."

Peter laughed loudly at your weak joke, and you couldn't fight back the quiet giggle the escaped your lips too. You hadn't laughed, genuinely laughed, in so long. "I like your laugh," he breathed, and your stomach erupted in the strangest fluttery sensation, "I like it a lot. You should never stop laughing."

SERIEST TAGLIST {ask to be added}:

@msmimimerton @zendayasfwb @sweet-symphony

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halothenthehorns · 1 year

Text

Chapter 11: GROVER GETS A LAMBORGHINI

"Did Grover win the lottery?" Percy asked swiftly this time when Rachel read the new one, getting his guess in first. At least if this was a game he wasn't getting out of he might as well play, and for once it wasn't about him.

"And buy a gas guzzling vehicle that's destroying his precious environment?" Alex looked at him blankly. "You really are the worst at these Perce."

"The obvious answer is he gets a magic lamb and names it Genie," Magnus nodded sagely.

Thalia busted out laughing, not having trusted herself to offer up a solution this time since she vividly remembered what led them all into those cars. It was hard to even pretend be mad at Apollo when he flirted with the rest of the hunters when she remembered him in that grimy look.

We were crossing the Potomac when we spotted the helicopter. It was a sleek, black military model just like the one we'd seen at Westover Hall. And it was coming straight toward us.

"They know the van," I said. "We have to ditch it."

"And walk the whole way?" Jason asked dubiously.

"I was going to stop and ask them for directions," Percy said with the pen in his hand. He still remembered from the last book something about Annabeth and a helicopter. That horrible premonition had come to pass, but it still lingered in his mind. If he had to get kidnapped to get to her faster-

Thalia socked him on the shoulder however to show how she felt about that plan, so he instead sighed and tried another answer. "I vote train again," he said wistfully, remembering Annabeth falling asleep on her bag, her fair hair falling into her face. Nothing bad had happened to him on one of those yet.

Then he grunted in pain and pressed a hand to his temple, glaring at his nose in betrayal. How did everything come back to smite him?!

Rachel started reading very fast to help alleviate that look away.

Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully.

"The military probably thinks it's one of theirs," I said. "How can the General use mortals, anyway?"

"Mercenaries," Zoe said bitterly. "It is distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid."

"But don't these mortals see who they're working for?" I asked. "Don't they notice all the monsters around them?"

"Exactly how do you think the Mist works?" Rachel asked in confusion, rather than trying to call Percy an idiot. She really didn't know, she'd never been fooled by it.

He had been called that enough times he insisted, "they'd see strange things they couldn't explain and ask questions!" He'd heard the implied part of her question too and couldn't figure out why he was the only one ever concerned with that when it could fool half-blood's as easily as mortals about what was going on. Tyson had been under the Mist for a whole school year, half his child hood was filled with unexplainable things the Mist had disguised, but he'd always seen just enough to make him scared of the monsters until his mother brushed his tears away with a too understanding smile.

"If you pay a man enough he'll walk barefoot into hell,"* Will quoted from one of his favorite shows with one of those sad smiles that never quite reached his eyes.

Nico watched him critically for a moment, and Will whispered at once, "show on an old VHS tape hidden in the break room behind the orientation film."

Nobody had ever shared a secret like that at camp with him before, and Nico found an easy smile come out erasing entirely his unease that wasn't a crack at him.

It was the only answer Percy was going to get, and he didn't think much of it.

Zoe shook her head. "I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters."

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than we were through D.C. traffic.

Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?"

But the sky stayed gray and snowy. No sign of a helpful thunderstorm.

"Did you expect anything else?" Percy asked harshly. His ire stemmed from a sudden certainty that lightning bolt was delivered, that Zeus favored his daughter when his dad couldn't bother to send him more than a stupid two word letter for communication.

Thalia gritted her teeth and forced herself not to say anything back. It would come out all wrong. That she still wasn't sure some days if it had been Zeus to try and strike her out of the sky and grant her prayer days later on Mount Tam. Percy had no idea how lucky he was his dad had ignored him instead.

"There!" Bianca said. "That parking lot!"

"We'll be trapped," Zoe said.

"Trust me," Bianca said.

Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river.

Jason puzzled over that critically for a moment. Zoe at least trusted her fellow Hunters to take blind orders from. If she was helping the other side she could be doing more to delay getting caught. He felt he had no choice but to scratch her off the list, it no longer seemed likely if the General had offered her Artemis in exchange for Bianca it would happen.

That left him no more answers how Luke and the General had just appeared in DC with them, and it left him feeling queasy like nothing of this strangely parallel world ever did who the real stranger in the midst could be. Nobody at Camp had known they'd be stopping at that museum, so it must be the simplest solution that they'd just been followed the moment they left the magical boundary and Luke with his cronies had met them there too fast, somehow. Luke had once used Backbiter to open a portal, it was the last rational conclusion he had.

We left the van and followed Bianca down some steps.

"Subway entrance," Bianca said. "Let's go south. Alexandria."

"Anything," Thalia agreed.

We bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking behind us for any signs of pursuit. A few minutes later we were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C.

As our train came above ground, we could see the helicopter circling the parking lot, but it didn't come after us.

Grover let out a sigh. "Nice job, Bianca, thinking of the subway."

Bianca looked pleased. "Yeah, well. I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it, because it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C."

Nico's smile was darker than usual. The smirk was really only for him. They'd been to young and stupid to put the pieces together subways didn't pop up like that, but maybe coming back had forced Bianca to keep thinking about it, start questioning things that distracted her, causing...

Grover frowned. "New? But that station looked really old."

"I guess," Bianca said. "But trust me, when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway."

Thalia sat forward. "Wait a minute. No subway at all?"

Bianca nodded.

Now, I knew nothing about D.C., but I didn't see how their whole subway system could be less than twelve years old. I guess everyone else was thinking the same thing, because they looked pretty confused.

Which matched, as usual, pretty well in here except the three Greek kids suddenly avoiding each others eyes. Percy and Jason were glaring at Nico more than ever, and he couldn't keep waving off how he got his memories restored while being a freak out of time forever if they started asking questions.

"One story at a time guys," Will swiftly said into the awkward silence. "I promise it is less confusing that way. You should never ask Connor and Travis for a story, they bounce around from end to middle to start and try throwing in three others, it's a mess."

"Right, yeah," Jason reluctantly agreed, but he again couldn't help but wonder how Nico knew of his home if his own past had so many questions splashed on it. He said the problem had already been resolved, but then what was he looking for in California while stumbling across another camp?

Percy nodded and turned back quickly though. Annabeth would have solved this puzzle by now if she'd been here while rattling off fun-facts about the subway again.

"Bianca," Zoe said. "How long ago..." Her voice faltered. The sound of the helicopter was getting louder again.

"We need to change trains," I said. "Next station."

Over the next half hour, all we thought about was getting away safely. We changed trains twice. I had no idea where we were going, but after a while we lost the helicopter.

Unfortunately, when we finally got off the train we found ourselves at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks.

"I'm vaguely concerned they just let a bunch of kids get off there alone," Magnus muttered. It sounded like only the kind of place somebody would go to get away from the world and wouldn't be surprised if Percy came across a few people wrapped in ratty clothes and garbage bags out there. He didn't really want to know what new comments would be made about it.

And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here. I was glad for my new lion's fur coat.

We wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. We must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!"

Percy's smile as all sympathetic and sad though. He told them with the same catch in his voice as he always spoke about his mom, "he seemed familiar, I don't know why. Like someone my mom would have given an extra free sample too and he tipped her a secret twenty in a stack of ones." Like a memory he shouldn't have just from her describing it, but one he'd swear he knew.

"We all find hope in the strangest places," Thalia's tone was much more quiet, pulled back in time. This was not the first homeless person who had taken pity on a group of kids she'd known. The last time she'd huddle around a fire was with Luke smooth talking his way into being the center of attention while Annabeth had both of their coats on and had been clinging to his leg. Thalia has used the distraction for a few extra sparks to help feed the flames. None of the homeless people had batted an eye, they'd seen stranger things, like the monster that had chased them away only a few hours later.

We huddled around his fire, Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said, "Well this is g-g-ggreat."

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Feet," I corrected, for the sake of the homeless guy.

"Not the strangest thing a homeless person had heard," Alex assured. She was pretty sure even if she did go back and tell this story, some other guy at the soup kitchen would find a stranger one about the DMV he believed just as much.

"Maybe we should contact camp," Bianca said. "Chiron—"

"No," Zoe said. "They cannot help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves."

"I'm not even sure what else he could do," Will agreed with all the miserable energy of wishing that would change. "By the time he found out where you were to send another bus, it would be to late to make the trip."

"You need to keep moving," Rachel agreed with her own restless energy. Percy had always been great at that, but she smiled to herself as she realized this was a problem she couldn't have thrown money at to fix and help. You couldn't offer to buy the homeless guys car to get out of this. Her kind of problem she wished she had been there to help solve.

I gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A doomsday monster was on the loose. And we were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless persons fire.

"Thank you for that summary," Nico said sullenly, biting back the rest of the words that was the last good one he'd probably get. He knew Bianca hadn't made it to California.

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends." His face was grimy and his beard tangled, but his expression seemed kindly. "You kids need a train going west?"

"God," Alex muttered at once, not loud enough Percy could hear, but with her usual confidence. Now the question was which one, and what did they want for this ride he should know nothing about.

"Yes, sir," I said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand.

Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"Apollo!" Jason yelped in surprise. Percy groaned and fisted his hand in his hair, but he felt that pain in his gut telling him the right answer had just been shouted near his ear.

Thalia smacked Jason and scolded, "thanks, we got that," while Rachel read faster.

"That's... convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh..."

She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him.

Will had never been very good at suppressing his good mood, he'd never tried, but he did with all his might now as he turned his face away and buried his mouth into his shoulder to pretend muffle coughs so Percy wouldn't see him swallowing laughter. He knew his dads touch when he heard it, and he didn't want to give Percy more of a headache by lingering on this.

He'd unintentionally turned his face right towards Nico, the two were practically nose to nose for a second as Nico's dark brown eyes glimmered right along with his. He'd clearly caught onto the joke and it took Rachel reading after his false fit was done to remind himself to turn away.

An hour later we were rumbling west.

Jason was still looking blearily at the book like he was waiting for the trick though. Yet another god had interfered on this quest. No angle? Didn't even appear as himself? Not even an offering in that trash can fire to summon him?

There was no problem about who would drive now, because we all got our own luxury car. Zoe and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini.

There was at lest a friendly chuckle circling the room for such a mild use of the chapter title not apparently having bad consequences on anyone for once.

And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt-rock stations from D.C.

"Now there's a useful skill," Alex nodded along.

"The one thing I missed about school, access to good music," Thalia grinned. She even risked wearing headphones now to stay up to date on new tunes when they weren't actively hunting.

"Join you?" I asked her.

She shrugged, so I climbed into the shotgun seat.

"What were you going to do if she said no?" Jason asked cautiously.

"Stand there awkwardly until she changed her mind," Percy shrugged with no real clue. Thankfully she wasn't that mad at him then or now as she rolled her eyes at the two.

The radio was playing the White Stripes. I knew the song because it was one of the only CDs I owned that my mom liked. She said it reminded her of Led Zeppelin. Thinking about my mom made me sad, because it didn't seem likely I'd be home for Christmas. I might not live that long.

Melancholy floated into the room like an extra wave for a moment as Rachel hesitated to long and swallowed that. Not one of them besides Percy could claim to have even had a good Christmas in recent times.

It didn't help it was the same time of year up there, and all Rachel could think was if her dad would bother to leave a meeting if he found out she was missing from school. He'd probably just think she reneged on their deal and was ditching.

Will had a smile as bright as any star though as he said, "well obviously you did live through it, but I can still say you haven't lived until you've had Christmas at Camp. Mr. D put's this massive tree in the center on Christmas Eve, he claims it's to annoy us and be in everybody's way, but then the kids that are there split off to decorate it all with anything we can get our hands on before midnight and Chiron lets us play songs on his radio, it's a lot of fun. Last year Selina somehow coaxed a reindeer into Camp and Connor tried to strap a rocket to it."

Talking about orphans having fun was still pretty depressing, but Will really made it seem like they'd forget that while being there.

"Nice coat," Thalia told me.

I pulled the brown duster around me, thankful for the warmth. "Yeah, but the Nemean Lion wasn't the monster we're looking for."

"Not even close. We've got a long way to go."

"Whatever this mystery monster is, the General said it would come for you. They wanted to isolate you from the group, so the monster will appear and battle you one-on-one."

"He said that?"

"Well, something like that. Yeah."

"That's great. I love being used as bait."

"I can see you now wiggling on a hook like a good worm," Alex snorted Thalia was more likely to shove that hook in Luke's eyeball.

"Glad you know me so well," Thalia nodded along.

"No idea what the monster might be?"

She shook her head morosely. "But you know where we're going, don't you? San Francisco. That's where Artemis was heading."

I remembered something Annabeth had said at the dance: how her dad was moving to San Francisco, and there was no way she could go. Half-bloods couldn't live there.

"Why?" I asked. "What's so bad about San Francisco?"

"The Mist is really thick there because the Mountain of Despair is so near. Titan magic—what's left of it—still lingers. Monsters are attracted to that area like you wouldn't believe."

Jason felt such a sharp electric tingle race down his spine he expected it to be Thalia shocking him for some reason. Glancing down he even saw his hair was standing on end, and that had nothing on the throbbing in his temple. He was convinced he could go slam his head against the wall to make it feel better if his legs wouldn't stagger him over to it.

Thalia did look over at him, all of them did which meant a sharp hiss of noise must have escaped, but there was nothing but concern on their face again for him. A stranger in every way. There was something about that making his mind fracture more, on a foggy peak where so many looked to him and his voice didn't croak, the speech he used to rally them came from Jupiter speaking through him-

"Jason?" Thalia had tried to shock him apparently, her choppy black hair was standing on end along with everybody else's as the static in his mind faded. He thought she'd just over done it like everyone else. He oddly didn't hurt though. Maybe he was in shock at such a vivid, specific memory he didn't know how to connect with anything.

Except she hadn't, Jason had been making such a painful noise in the back of his throat she'd merely touched his shoulder and felt the energy course through her and seep out like a conductor.

There was no doubt left in Thalia's mind as she flexed her hand and checked the souls of her boots while waving Rachel on.

She couldn't tell him now. Not when he was fighting the same memory glitches as Percy. She couldn't imagine guessing what right or wrong thing to say to him to help, she was barely making it with the friend she knew. She didn't know how he was even alive, let alone why such a place should have meant his death.

Jason was smoothing down his hair with troubled eyes on the book for more now that he'd stopped torturing himself, and she couldn't begin to find the words right now for her little brother in the flesh as her traitorous hand still longed to reach out and touch his face lest he vanish again. It wasn't possible.

But here he was.

"And Uncle Fredrick knew that!" Magnus sounded just as frustrated as Jason looked examining his own hands, if for an entirely different reason. "He wanted to just pack up and move her to a place she'd somehow be attacked even more often?!"

Thalia's grim expression only made it all worse as she silently wondered how Jason had survived there so long. Annabeth's fretting and worry in their dorm as she'd vented about her dad doing this to spite her, how Thalia had sat beside her on those beds and comforted her it was all for his work and Athena probably admired his dedication, but Annabeth didn't have to go with him.

She hadn't readily agreed with Annabeth's curiosity to join the Hunters to escape the constant disappointment of their life, but she hadn't been as vocal turning it down as she'd once been all those years ago when she'd first met Zoe. Annabeth was old enough to make that decision for herself where she wanted to spend the majority of her time.

Percy looked from Thalia to Magnus feeling as useless as usual as he wondered what other parts of Annabeth's life he had no idea about. She'd rather join the hunters because her own dad cared more about his work than her?

"What's the Mountain of Despair?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know? Ask stupid Zoe. She's the expert."

She glared out the windshield. I wanted to ask her what she was talking about, but I also didn't want to sound like an idiot. I hated feeling like Thalia knew more than I did, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Argh!" Magnus flopped so hard into his seat in exasperation it moved back a few inches. "I'm going to bash both of your heads together and suffer the consequences!"

"Come give it a shot man," Percy raised a challenging brow and a playful smirk, even beckoning him over with his own sign he knew quite well with his four fingers. "See if that'll knock the memories in faster."

"What do I get out of this head trauma?" Thalia asked, her mind clearly else where and distant in the halfhearted tone.

"Peace of mind?" Magnus groaned, though he obviously wasn't moving anywhere.

Thalia gave a hollow laugh. Considering her first priority when getting out of here was confronting Zeus and Hera to find out what the hell had been done to her little brother, she didn't think she'd ever get that again.

"I don't think the best brain surgeons in the world have figured that out yet, but let me know if it works," Will chuckled.

The afternoon sun shone through the steel-mesh side of the freight car, casting a shadow across Thalia's face. I thought about how different she was from Zoe—Zoe all formal and aloof like a princess, Thalia with her ratty clothes and her rebel attitude. But there was something similar about them, too. The same kind of toughness. Right now, sitting in the shadows with a gloomy expression, Thalia looked a lot like one of the Hunters.

"Literal foreshadowing going on there," Rachel busted out laughing and even applauded him.

"Maybe the homeless guy slipped something in that fire I was inhaling," Percy shrugged as he still glanced worriedly at her silver jacket. It caused a larger rock in his throat every time he pictured Annabeth in the same. The pensive, tight look on her face like she was studying a gravestone in the cracks in the ground only convinced him all the more she just wasn't telling him that part had come to pass.

Then suddenly, it hit me: "That's why you don't get along with Zoe."

Thalia frowned. "What?"

"The Hunters tried to recruit you," I guessed.

Her eyes got dangerously bright. I thought she was going to zap me out of the Mercedes, but she just sighed. "I almost joined them," she admitted.

Nico gave a sardonic laugh. "It's almost easy to forget sometimes you weren't always a Hunter, it's how I've always known you."

Thalia's bow appeared in hand, and Nico's heart skipped a beat in shock for a moment before she merely began twisting the silver wood about in the faint light. She twanged the string and murmured to Rachel to keep going, clearly this wasn't a memory she wanted to share anymore than necessary.

"Luke, Annabeth, and I ran into them once, and Zoe tried to convince me. She almost did, but..."

"But?"

Thalia's fingers gripped the wheel. "I would've had to leave Luke."

She wasn't getting a choice though as the smell of that bog came back, the broken branches snapping loud in her ear, pain flaring sharp in her arm that could have been their doom.

The Hunters had shown up just as conveniently as they did years later, silver arrows heralding their arrival and disposing of Lamia conveniently after Luke had nearly fallen victim to her seduction.

He had tried to win them over with his charming wit, but Zoe had been immune and pushed Luke aside to heal Thalia's broken arm that had stopped her summoning Aegis. Annabeth had been fascinated with them and been gung-ho to join, until she found out what it meant too.

Then she'd brought her knife out on them, making the two smile like proud parents as the child of Athena told Zoe where she could shove her answer.

Zoe had tried to insist on reasons to at least take Annabeth somewhere safe, the fight had almost become physical until Phoebe had stepped in and promised it wouldn't come to that. Zoe's parting words hadn't phased Annabeth, but the lieutenant had looked right at Thalia when she promised, "he'll let you both down some day."

Percy's were the first words she'd heard upon waking up that day. Annabeth's broken answer of what Luke had done were the last before she moved into her own Cabin, Zoe's vow keeping her awake all night.

"Oh."

"Zoe and I got into a fight. She told me I was being stupid. She said I'd regret my choice. She said Luke would let me down someday."

I watched the sun through the metal curtain. We seemed to be traveling faster each second—shadows flickering like an old movie projector.

"That's harsh," I said. "Hard to admit Zoe was right."

"She wasn't right! Luke never let me down. Never."

Percy swallowed the harsh words Luke had done plenty to Annabeth, just because she wasn't around to see it didn't mean it hadn't happened.

"We'll have to fight him," I said. "There's no way around it."

"This boy!" Alex made a motion like she wanted to claw her own face off with frustration. Or his. "Can you not speak every thought!"

"I cannot not," Percy fibbed, apology clear in his tone for his friend.

Thalia just looked miserable. That day on Mount Tam had helped her to see there was no saving him. She'd spent that trip west convinced she'd be able to save her family, and Percy would finally take a hint he wasn't needed. Nothing had come back as planned.

Percy wished more than anything he could do something for her, but he had no idea what had ultimately come to pass. What he could say that would make it better or worse.

Thalia didn't answer.

"You haven't seen him lately," I warned. "I know it's hard to believe, but—"

"I'll do what I have to."

"Even if that means killing him?"

The expression that flashed across her face made Percy brace himself to have an electric eel around his throat any second and still have time to wonder if he'd be immune to that before a shaky breath passed her lips and it faded back. Her bow was flickering in her hands, making a cracking noise threatening to break the blessed weapon.

She hadn't killed Luke, she hadn't been there when it happened.

But for one horrible moment, she'd thought she had, and that had never left her to this day.

That she didn't regret it.

That she'd do it again and hate herself for it every time.

"Do me a favor," she said. "Get out of my car."

I felt so bad for her I didn't argue.

As I was about to leave, she said, "Percy."

When I looked back, her eyes were red, but I couldn't tell if it was from anger or sadness.

'Both,' Jason knew from seeing that in here now. He didn't know who exactly Luke was to her, friend or more. He did know he'd personally stab him in the face right now just for making that look flash across Thalia's face again.

Finally, a fact about himself he was sure of.

"Annabeth wanted to join the Hunters, too. Maybe you should think about why."

Before I could respond, she raised the power windows and shut me out.

Rachel winced, and said in a breathy voice, "I'll pause for your excellent use of props there." Her uneasy voice was all for fearing Thalia was about to storm out of here from all of this being shoved in her face, but it suited Rachel well to keep Percy just as on edge about the answer to that.

Thalia's point about his blunt words didn't concern Percy so much as the idea of being a guy. Was Annabeth unhappy? Felt unloved, without any true friend or family? He didn't know if he'd been enough for her.

Thalia remained in her seat though, swallowing it all down as her past fought to keep rearranging itself like a thread that wouldn't stop unwinding, one the fates kept tightening around her neck.

Luke brushing tears off her face as she cried on her brothers birthday.

Her brother beside her, alive and no idea who she was.

I sat in the driver's seat of Grover's Lamborghini. Grover was asleep in the back. He'd finally given up trying to impress Zoe and Bianca with his pipe music after he played "Poison Ivy" and caused that very stuff to sprout from their Lexus's air conditioner.

"Can he do Firework on command too?" Alex asked eagerly.

"I didn't have a spare car to ask," Percy shrugged.

As I watched the sun go down, I thought of Annabeth. I was afraid to go to sleep. I was worried what I might dream.

"Oh, don't be afraid of dreams," a voice said right next to me.

I looked over. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to find the homeless guy from the rail yard sitting in the shotgun seat. His jeans were so worn out they were almost white. His coat was ripped, with stuffing coming out. He looked kind of like a teddy bear that had been run over by a truck.

"If he was going for a look Zeus finally wouldn't look twice at, I guess he found it," Nico said in quite a bit of admiration a god had lowered himself to such a state.

"Let's hope he never shows up to Camp like that," Will kept blinking in concern his dad was still going around in that getup and it was hurting his head more than if the sun were in his eyes.

"If it weren't for dreams," he said, "I wouldn't know half the things I know about the future. They're better than Olympus tabloids." He cleared his throat, then held up his hands dramatically:

"Dreams like a podcast,

Downloading truth in my ears.

They tell me cool stuff"

"The god of Prophecy gets his knowledge from dreams?" Magnus asked in concern.

"If they're anything like mine where I'm battling a tick in a forest of fur, he can keep his future to himself," Alex nodded, and those were her light dreams. Loki's made her dread sleeping every night.

"Apollo?" I guessed, because I figured nobody else could make a haiku that bad.

"Your stellar deduction skills are at it again," Jason snickered.

He put his finger to his lips. "I'm incognito. Call me Fred."

"A god named Fred?"

"You know a cyclops named Tyson and you mom's dating a guy named Blowfish," Magnus said with a shrug.

"What are names but a choice of who we are," Alex agreed.

Will snorted and said, "say all the wise wisdom you like you two, I will not stop laughing at my dad, Fred the God."

"Eh, well... Zeus insists on certain rules. Hands off, when there's a human quest. Even when something really major is wrong. But nobody messes with my baby sister. Nobody."

Percy felt a bit chuffed at that news. He forgot sometimes that the gods, as unhelpful, useless, and even cruel as they felt to him, were a family. Maybe not a great one to their kids, but at minimum to each other. They argued and clearly didn't always like each other, but he found himself smiling all the same Apollo spoke of Artemis as he would of Thalia.

"Can you help us, then?"

"Shhh. I already have. Haven't you been looking outside?"

"The train. How fast are we moving?"

Apollo chuckled. "Fast enough. Unfortunately, we're running out of time. It's almost sunset. But I imagine we'll get you across a good chunk of America, at least."

A cold sweat broke out on the back of Nico's neck, his stomach churning already. The last time a God had helped Percy across the country he'd wound up in Vegas. A sure enough land without rain, the very same? Was it coming already? No, he had to have more time, more words, more pages...

"But where is Artemis?"

His face darkened. "I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don't know that. She's... clouded from me. I don't like it."

The enormity of the situation gave them all a chill in place. If any of them would have hoped a god going missing would have kicked Zeus's butt into gear, pitching his own battle and stopping this war in its tracks, it was dashed. The Gods couldn't find her, the rest probably wouldn't even know to look for her until it was to late.

"And Annabeth?"

He frowned. "Oh, you mean that girl you lost? Hmm. I don't know."

Percy tried not to let his resentment spike to high. He wasn't like Luke. He knew the gods weren't like this on purpose. They cared just enough it would get him to the end of this quest and survive another day, a lesser of two evils than Kronos who had taken Annabeth away and was using her for a pillar in his weird cave, bait, and anything else he could want.

I tried not to feel mad. I knew the gods had a hard time taking mortals seriously, even half-bloods. We lived such short lives, compared to the gods.

"And dogs live such short lives compared to us," Rachel sighed, "but we still love them every day of theirs."

"I think this is him throwing you a bone," Jason muttered, but his eyes were closed and he was kneading his forehead. Apollo was the one name he hadn't flinched and done a double take over in this Greek pantheon, and yet to hear all this still made his brain feel on fire.

"What about the monster Artemis was seeking?" I asked. "Do you know what it is?"

"No," Apollo said.

"Does he know anything to help you guys out?" Alex asked with plenty of frustration. Here was an actually helpful god, wallowing around with the best of them, and still not able to answer a single question. She could paint that annoyed pucker between Magnus's eyes all day onto herself.

"But there is one who might. If you haven't yet found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea.

Jason shivered, the name nagged sharply in his mind, even more painfully than Hylla's had. Like someone he might actually know in person?! His attention was riveted, he couldn't wait for Percy to wind up there now!

Both Thalia and Nico watched him with great confusion why he'd know of some old sea God.

He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle."

"I have so many questions about that entire info dump," Magnus said with a concerned look around. "Is he related to Poseidon? Is Percy going to start spouting prophecies? He's not going to show up down here is he?"

"No, no, and no," Percy said with whatever confidence he could, which admittedly wasn't a lot. He just hoped those were the answers.

"But it's your Oracle," I protested. "Can't you tell us what the prophecy means?"

Apollo sighed. "You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search."

"That's a really fancy way of saying get wrecked," Alex nodded, "might have to borrow that."

"He'll be glad to sign whatever you like as long as you credit him as saying it first," Rachel chuckled, they had a lot of pleasant conversations that ended this way.

"In other words, you don't know."

Apollo checked his watch. "Ah, look at the time! I have to run. I doubt I can risk helping you again, Percy, but remember what I said! Get some sleep! And when you return, I expect a good haiku about your journey!"

"I would reread all of these books before I turn in homework given to me by Apollo," Percy said nauseously.

"I volunteer," Rachel offered with delight.

I wanted to protest that I wasn't tired and I'd never made up a haiku in my life, but Apollo snapped his fingers, and the next thing I knew I was closing my eyes.

In my dream, I was somebody else. I was wearing an old-fashioned Greek tunic, which was a little too breezy downstairs, and laced leather sandals.

Alex gave him a catcall whistle while Percy was looking a little flush and mercifully running his hand down his actual pants.

The Nemean Lion's skin was wrapped around my back like a cape,

"Oh gods, you don't dream of all the trophies you get do you?" Magnus asked with whole new concern. "Is that why Annabeth gave up that scarf? Do you dream of the minotaur?"

Percy opened his mouth. He wanted to say it was just a coincidence, but the words wouldn't come out. These dreams always meant something to his quest.

and I was running somewhere, being pulled along by a girl who was tightly gripping my hand.

"Hurry!" she said. It was too dark to see her face clearly, but I could hear the fear in her voice. "He will find us!"

Rachel was really good at infusing dread into her voice like that. Percy wasn't even the one in danger for once and he still shivered and wondered if she'd ever done any acting.

It was nighttime. A million stars blazed above. We were running through tall grass, and the scent of a thousand different flowers made the air intoxicating. It was a beautiful garden, and yet the girl was leading me through it, as if we were about to die.

"The prettiest scenery in the world doesn't stop death," Nico agreed morbidly.

"I'm not afraid," I tried to tell her.

"Well we have confirmation this guy isn't you Percy, maybe just a reincarnation," Will snorted. "Same death defying stunts, you just admit to nearly pissing yourself when it happens."

"Thank you," Percy said, puzzled if that was a real compliment or not.

"You should be!" she said, pulling me along. She had long dark hair braided down her back. Her silk robes glowed faintly in the starlight.

We raced up the side of the hill. She pulled me behind a thorn bush and we collapsed, both breathing heavily. I didn't know why the girl was scared. The garden seemed so peaceful.

"Have you ever read Alice in Wonderland?" Alex scoffed. "Hell, I bet you've seen Avatar, I can list a million more examples. The pretty worlds are the deadliest."

"Remind me to never go to the Demeter cabin again," Percy nodded.

And I felt strong. Stronger than I'd ever felt before.

"There is no need to run," I told her. My voice sounded deeper, much more confident.

"No, no, there's our real proof," but Thalia's smile was as strained as it had been for hours now. She'd never wanted to hear of this in such detail. This was not a memory any other Hunter should have to hear if Zoe hadn't wished to share it. The cold girl who had sneered at Thalia for trusting Luke had never really seen Luke standing there.

"I have bested a thousand monsters with my bare hands."

"That's more terrifying than impressive," Jason shook his head. Hands were capable of both creating and destroying, but the tools were an extension. Someone bragging about doing that with just raw power felt unnatural.

"Not this one," the girl said. "Ladon is too strong. You must go around, up the mountain to my father. It is the only way."

The hurt in her voice surprised me. She was really concerned, almost like she cared about me.

Percy started shifting around uncomfortably in his seat, touching his ear and studying the book with a nauseous feeling. That voice, he knew that voice, but he'd never heard her speak in such a way, didn't think she was capable of it before now...

"I don't trust your father," I said.

"You should not," the girl agreed. "You will have to trick him. But you cannot take the prize directly. You will die.'"

I chuckled. "Then why don't you help me, pretty one?"

"I... I am afraid. Ladon will stop me. My sisters, if they found out... they would disown me."

"Then there's nothing for it." I stood up, rubbing my hands together.

"Wait.'" the girl said.

She seemed to be agonizing over a decision. Then, her fingers trembling, she reached up and plucked a long white brooch from her hair. "If you must fight, take this. My mother, Pleione, gave it to me. She was a daughter of the ocean, and the ocean's power is within it. My immortal power."

The girl breathed on the pin and it glowed faintly. It gleamed in the starlight like polished abalone.

"Take it," she told me. "And make of it a weapon."

I laughed. "A hairpin? How will this slay Ladon, pretty one?"

"It may not," she admitted. "But it is all I can offer, if you insist on being stubborn."

The girl's voice softened my heart. I reached down and took the hairpin, and as I did, it grew longer and heavier in my hand, until I held a familiar bronze sword.

Magnus shivered uncomfortably as Percy grew more pale. These dreams were never described for anything good, and there was a pit in Magnus's stomach this could be what Annabeth could be going through, some horrible mind game with intoxicating flowers where she was destined to keep getting hurt over and over to save a hero.

"Well balanced," I said. "Though I usually prefer to use my bare hands. What shall I name this blade?"

"Anaklusmos," the girl said sadly.

The name of that sword had been mentioned to many times to be anything else, Percy's death grip on it now only drove the point home as he looked like he'd been punched in the face. Chiron had warned him this sword had a past, Mr. D had said much the same. It was an answer he still had no idea what to do with.

"The current that takes one by surprise. And before you know it, you have been swept out to sea."

Thalia swallowed the snide comment how a son of Zeus would dare use such a weapon associated with Poseidon. Whether Hercules had been loyal to anybody but himself was not an ancient question she cared to think on.

Before I could thank her, there was a trampling sound in the grass, a hiss like air scaping a tire, and the girl said, "Too late! He is here!"

I sat bolt upright in the Lamborghini's drivers seat. Grover was shaking my arm.

Percy gazed at nobody in here as he tried for a strained smile, his groggy thought that had come and gone to slow back then. Grover would wish for the dream he had, and it rivaled all of the horrors of that cyclops cave.

"Percy," he said. "It's morning. The train's stopped. Come on!"

I tried to shake off my drowsiness. Thalia, Zoe, and Bianca had already rolled up the metal curtains. Outside were snowy mountains dotted with pine trees, the sun rising red between two peaks.

I fished my pen out of my pocket and stared at it. Anaklusmos, the Ancient Greek name for Riptide. A different form, but I was sure it was the same blade I'd seen in my dream.

And I was sure of something else, too. The girl I had seen was Zoe Nightshade.

"Whoa," Alex said softly, pity in her voice for how that must have turned out.

"I guess she did have her own past with a guy before turning on all of them," Magnus agreed with an uneasy wince.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

I know, big revelation in the middle of the chapter, but Jason had to react to that the same way Thalia couldn't keep denying who this guy is, it just wouldn't make sense any other way. I cannot wait to keep going with these two, even if I have to keep putting them on pause.

*If you know what Will is quoting then you have the same love of an old TV show I do. I still rewatch it once a year.

#pjo #Percy Jackson #reading the books #fanfiction #thalia grace #jason grace #alex fierro #magnus chase #nico di angelo #will solace #Titan's Curse #percabeth #solangelo #fierrochase

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