#solangelo week 2019

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #643

Top Ten by Daughter #1: “Top Ten Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus/Trials of Apollo/Magnus Chase characters(I would do Kane Chronicles but I’ve not read it yet) explained in great detail.”

Yes, it’s another one of those weeks; the weeks were, due to chronological happenstance, I turn my beloved listicle factory over to one of my precocious broodlings. This week: Daughter #1, the older one.

It’s of no surprise to anyone that’s encountered her in the last year that she’s chosen to focus on the works of one Rick Riordan. Mr Riordan is, for the uninitiated, the author of the book The Lightning Thief (2005) and its many subsequent follow-ups and spin-offs. In truth, Riordan has created a veritable shared universe starring contemporary demi-gods, factoring in pantheons of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. It’s a bold and impressive undertaking, and one that she's fully immersed herself in; it’s fair to say it’s become her “thing”, the way at various points in my childhood Transformers, Garfield, or (when I was only a little bit older than she is now) The X-Files was my own particular “thing”.

Anyway, I asked her to write a list, and she came up with this. What follows is all her own work; ten characters, drawn from the fevered imagination of Rick Riordan, and organised in such a way as to represent a preferential ordering. Words and music are my daughter’s own. I shall step away, the producer moving to the back of the auditorium better to witness the production’s unfolding. My eyes will partly be on the stage, partly on the audience. The only alterations I have made are to ensure grammar, punction, and overall formatting is in line with my own internal style guide; and to highlight the first appearance of the given characters. Other than that: Daughter #1.

Take it away.

Rachel Dare (The Titan’s Curse, 2007): she hits the Titan lord Kronos in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush. I think I’m in love.

Octavian (The Son of Neptune, 2011): I know he is technically a villain and does try to kill Percy and the others several times, but I have written him a backstory and everything. I will die on this hill.

Alex Fierro (The Hammer of Thor, 2016): it’s Alex Fierro. No more needs to be said.

Nico di Angelo (The Titan’s Curse, 2007): gay disaster boy oh Hades thank you for making this angel child I love him so much but he is so sad oh someone please give him a hug his sister is dead. Thank you for giving Will a hug though #relationshipgoals #solangelo

Will Solace (The Last Olympian, 2009): amazing golden retriever boy but like half his cabin is dead omg someone give him a hug as well thank you for giving Nico a hug #relationship goals #solangelo 

Apollo/Lester (The Titan’s Curse, 2007): he is so underrated but his character growth is amazing and his love for his children and Meg is so real.

Bianca di Angelo (The Titan’s Curse, 2007): my sweet child why did you have to die, you were only twelve, no now I’m crying. She was a hunter of Artemis.

Zoë Nightshade (The Titan’s Curse, 2007):  (I couldn’t put the little dots over the e in Zoe sorry [but I can, don’t worry – DH]) but she also died oh why “stars…I can see the stars again my lady” were her last words. No I’m not crying you are. Amazing girl also a hunter of Artemis, her lieutenant actually.

Lavina Asimov (The Tyrant’s Tomb, 2019): she is amazing and glorious and has pink hair. Beautiful.

Hazel Levesque (The Son of Neptune, 2011): my precious daughter of Pluto.

My personal takeaways from this – having not read the books but having seen the Disney+ series – is that Daughter #1 apparently doesn’t actually like Percy, the main character? Yeah? Is that right? Or Annabeth, his girlfriend? Or Grover, literature’s second-most-famous faun? Also, I can only assume that The Titan’s Curse is the most significant book in the entire saga.

Anyway, happy birthday, and see you all again next year.

[keiths-socks]

Solangelo Week, Day Three: God/Human

Will was many, many things. Equipped to deal with this situation, though? That wasn’t one of them.

“Nico di Angelo is a problem the likes of which we haven’t had from a demigod in a long time. He’s too powerful, and his emotions frequently cause problems in that regard. That is why, Will, we need you to retrieve him, and bring him to Camp Halfblood.”

“Lord Zeus, I mean no disrespect, but I am only a minor god of plants. Why must I do this quest, when Hades himself could be tracking down his—“

“Hades is too busy with the underworld to retrieve his son, and the rest of us don’t think it’s big enough to warrant one of us sent to get him. Now, are you accepting, or not?” The rest of the gods looked down on him from their thrones, and, not for the first time that evening, Will felt intimidated. It’s not like he could refuse, no, but if this di Angelo kid was really all that powerful, getting him to Camp Halfblood might be difficult.

Especially if he didn’t want to go.

“Of course, Lord Zeus. I will try my best,” Will agreed, meekly.

“Then go.”

-

“Hello, Nico.”

The point of the pitch–black sword was at Will’s neck before he really had a chance to stop it, and he raised his hands in defense. Nico, it would appear, wasn’t having the best of days.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

Nico...sounded young. Wait, how old was this kid? Sixteen? Seventeen?

“My name is Will. I’m here to take you to Camp Halfblood,” Nico visibly tensed at the mention of the camp, and the point of his sword dug further into Will’s throat. Golden Ichor dripped to the ground, and Nico looked up at Will, shocked.

“You’re a god!” He said, accusatory. Will nodded as much as he could.

“A minor on. I am a son of Apollo, and god of...Photosynthesis.” Nico cocked his eyebrow.

“Okay, sure. But I’m not going to Camp Halfblood. You’ll have to—“

“Please don’t make me force you. Really, that’s just inconvenient for both of us,” an oddly determined look set over Nico’s face. Ah, schist.

“Make me, plant boy.”

“Your choice,”

-

“Remember how you called me ‘plant boy’?” Will recounted, carding his fingers through Nico’s soft hair. Nico scoffed from his place on Will’s lap.

“Yeah, and then you did your weird plant thing. I wasn’t wrong,” Nico looked up at Will with sleepy eyes. Will smiled. He wouldn’t trade this in for the the world.

“Funny how that worked out, right?”

“You dork.”

“But I’m your dork,”

“Shut up.”

////

So, I’m probably gonna turn this into a whole fiction at some point, but after Solangelo Week. Also, look at me figuring out how to italicize on mobile. Be proud.

[parttimewriter-fulltimefangirl]

Solangelo Week Day Two: Fake Relationship

Nico has never been the best with feelings. That’s probably why he’s in this situation right now, facing his secret crush, Percy Jackson. He’s known Percy since he was a kid. The guy is only a couple years older than him, and now they’re in the same school. It’s not like he expected Percy to look his way now that he was in high school. He was only a freshman. Meanwhile, Percy would be graduating at the end of the year. Then, there’s also Percy’s girlfriend, Annabeth. She’s intimidating, but a very kind person. He’d never want to break them up. So, no, Nico had no plans of confessing his feelings to Percy. 

That didn’t stop the universe for making him not notice that the person he sent that long paragraph to was not his best friend, Reyna, but was in fact, Percy. 

You see, Nico may not be the best at talking about his feelings, but he’s not so bad when it comes to writing it, according to Reyna. She jokingly asked what he would say to Percy if he were to ever confess. He sent a very exaggerated paragraph of where he proclaimed his love to the oblivious boy, only to end up sending it to the oblivious boy himself. 

“Nico? It’s okay. I’m actually flattered that you ㅡ”

“It was about Will!”

Well, that certainly surprised both of them. 

Percy raises an eyebrow. “Will? As in Will Solace, my teammate?”

Actually that works. He remembers he called Percy handsome, passionate about swimming, and oblivious. That all fits for Will too. “Um, yeah, him. I have feelings for him. I just accidentally sent it to you instead.”

There’s a few seconds of silence. Percy seems to be taking all of this in. Nico just hopes he buys it. 

A smile breaks out across Percy’s face. “Nico, that’s great! I can totally help you out!”

He shakes his head. “No, don’t worry. That’s okay. I’ll just try to move on. I really doubt he feels the same way.”

Percy puts his hands on Nico’s shoulders, and he feels a tingle go up his spine at just his touch. “Look, I promise that I can help. Trust me, that boy will be falling head over heels for you. Just let me help.”

Woah. He’s pulling out the baby seal eyes. Those totally top that whole puppy dog eyes thing. It’s like he wants to take away Nico’s willpower. “Um, sure. I-I really appreciate it.”

Percy beams. “Great! So, are you free this Saturday?”

Nico just nods. He’s asking him to hang out. It’s not like they’ve never hung out before, but it was always with the group. It sounds like this might be one-on-one. Of course, he’s not naive enough to believe this could turn into something, but his heart can’t help but beat faster at the chance of hanging out with Percy. 

He tells him that he has to go to swim practice, but to meet him at Lovely Lattes, Piper’s mom’s cafe. He agrees, and Nico wants to believe that Percy will eventually let this go.

But, since when does Nico get what he wants?

****

Nico arrives a few minutes late to Lovely Lattes. Hazel says it’s a bad habit of his to always arrive late to things. It doesn’t really bother Nico that much. He’s learned to accept it. 

However, now he wishes he had gotten there a little earlier so that he could’ve had the chance to run out of there because Will Solace is staring right at him as soon as he walks in. 

He has to sit down because there’s no point in running. Will already saw him, and he’s sitting there with a bright smile at his face. The sun seems to want him, going through the wind and shining down on only him. They add a glow to his blond locks. His bright eyes are filled with excitement and a little bit of nervousness, which makes sense since Nico is just standing there, not saying anything. He didn’t even realize he had walked closer to the table. 

“Hey, Nico!” he says, with a cheery smile and a tone to match. 

Nico, on the other hand, is feeling anything but cheery. “Hi, Will.” Reluctantly, he sits down. “Um, I thought Percy was going to be here.”

Will’s smile gets a little smaller. “Well, he told me that he didn’t want to tell you because he didn’t think you’d come if you knew this was a date. He told me that he thought we’d make a good couple.”

So, his crush thinks he’d make a good couple with Will Solace. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. 

“And, I thought, why not? I really wouldn’t mind getting to know you a little better. I know that you’re Hazel’s brother and that you’re in my English class. I also know that you’ve known Percy for years. I only met him this year when I joined the team. He seems like a great guy. Very passionate about swimming. I have to admit, I like swimming, but not the way Percy does. I think it’d be cool if the school had archery. Now, there’s a sport I’d be passionate about. I’ve always loved it. My dad taught me. I also love music. Well, playing guitar and piano specifically. I need to work on my singing. It’s not awful, but it’s not the best either. I have a lot to live up to since my parents are singers and so are all my siblings. I actually have ㅡ”

“Will!” Nico says. The whole cafe looks at them, and he gets embarrassed.

Will rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly. “Sorry. I’ve been told that I ramble when I get nervous, and this is my first date.”

Nico winces. Great. He’s going to ruin his first date by telling him he doesn’t really see it as a date. “Will, there’s something I need to tell you. I don’t… I don’t actually have feelings for you.”

His smile starts to slip. “What are you talking about? Percy said ㅡ”

“Percy told you what I told him, and I only told him that because I didn’t want him finding out who I actually did have a crush on.”

Will looks at him, as if trying to figure something out. “You have a crush on Percy, don’t you?”

“Wh-what? N-no, I don’t. That’s ridiculous!”

He chuckles. “I don’t think you realize how many people have had a crush on the infamous Percy Jackson. Like, half of the guys on the swim team have a crush on him. I think half of the school has had a crush on him at some point.”

He’s got a point. “Okay, fine. I have a crush on Percy. But, you can’t tell anyone, especially him.”

He sighs. “Don’t worry. My lips are sealed. But, what should we say when he asks us how the date went?”

Nico knows Percy, and he knows that if he tells him the date went bad, he’ll insist on trying to find a way to help work things out, and he might get the group involved. So, he knows that telling the truth would be the right thing to do, but it would also be the mortifying thing to do, and he’s not prepared to mortified. “I know this is going to sound weird, but do you mind if we tell him that the date went really well and that we’re boyfriends now?”

Will blinks. 

Nico keeps going. “It’s just that, Percy is a very stubborn, loyal person. I’m sure you know this. He’ll try to be a good friend and help fix things if he thought something went wrong. He thinks I have very, very strong feelings for you, so he wouldn’t believe me if I said I simply didn’t like you like that anymore. All I’m asking is if we can fake date for a little bit. It’ll keep Percy off my back. After three weeks, we can fake break-up and say that it just didn’t work out as we had hoped and that we’re better off as friends.”

“Okay.”

“Wait, what?”

Will smiles. “I said, ‘okay.’ I’m down with the plan. On two conditions.”

Nico feels a bit of fear creep in. What could Will possibly want. “Which are?”

“I break up with you.”

Nico feels some of that fear wash away. “Okay, I’m fine with that. What’s your other condition?”

“I get to be the boyfriend.”

“… Did you just make a Drake and Josh reference?”

Will grins, which is answer enough. Suddenly, he grabs his hand from across the table. His hands are a little rough, but they still make Nico feel a certain way. A familiar way. 

However it makes him feel doesn’t matter. What he wants to know is why Will suddenly grabbed his hand and is looking at him like that. 

“So, how are you guys doing?” a suggestive voice asks. A very familiar voice. 

Nico turns and says, “We’re doing great. Thanks for setting us up, Percy.”

His crush smiles. “No prob, Nico. Glad I could help you two kids get together.”

***

It’s been two days since Will and him started their fake relationship. He’s never had a real one, let alone a fake one. He doesn’t know how to navigate this. Should he call him and further discuss the plan? Should they set rules? He remembers that movie that Hazel had him watch. It was a rom-com about this girl who sent out letters and started a fake relationship with one of the recipients. They had a whole contract to make sure each person was comfortable and got something out of it. Maybe he should so the same with Will. They had exchanged numbers before leaving the cafe, so he could text him and ask him if he wanted to meet up in the library before first period. 

“Nico, Frank is here!” Hazel yells from downstairs. 

Nico quickly goes downstairs. Hazel is still waiting down at the bottom of the staircase when he gets there. Her eyes widen at how quickly he gets down, but then she smirks. 

“I see someone is eager to see their boyfriend,” she teases. 

Nico, despite not actually dating Will, gets a little red. “Shut up.”

She giggles and starts towards the front door where her boyfriend, Frank Zhang, is waiting outside. He’s a year older than Hazel and two years older than Nico, so he already has a car. He actually just got his license two months ago. Most parents wouldn’t let their kids in the car of someone who just got their license, but this is Frank. He drives slower than a grandma and is the most cautious person he knows. He definitely is not what you’d expect when you first see him. 

Frank is adjusting his mirrors when they get to the car. “Oh, good morning, guys!”

Hazel gets in the front seat and leans over to give him a peck. Neither are too fond of PDA. Nico wishes he could say the same about some of the other couples at school. He’s noticed that a lot of other high schoolers can be pretty… hormonal.

“Morning, Frank,” Nico says. He actually likes Frank, and that’s saying a lot considering he has a general dislike for people. 

Frank turns in his seat and smiles. “Hazel told me you have a boyfriend now. Congrats!”

Of course, Frank already knows. He wouldn’t be surprised if the whole group knew now. Nico only told one person that this was fake and that was Reyna. (He double-checked that it was her name at the top this time). He would’ve told Hazel, but she’s not the best at keeping secrets. 

With anyone else, Nico would be more snappy, but he can’t with Frank. That, and he doesn’t have the energy this early in the morning. “Thanks, Frank.”

Frank hands him a coffee, which instantly improves his mood. Black, just the way he likes it. Plus, it provides some warmth. He can still see some remnants of snow on the ground. 

He takes out his phone to text Will. 

Nico: hey can we meet up at the library before first?

Will: Sure! 

Nico sits back, sipping his coffee. Hazel and Frank like quiet car rides. They never feel like they need to fill the silence, and Nico actually likes it like that too. It’s very peaceful and calm before the storm that is high school. 

***

Will is waiting there at one of the library’s tables, reading a book. Nico never took him for much of reader. It’s not because of those dumb jock stereotypes. He never really believed those. Percy may be oblivious, but he’s not stupid. It’s just that, he thought Will would be more into performing. He’s very vibrant and is the kind of person he thrives on being around people. He doesn’t seem like the type to be alone and reading. 

Nico sits down in front of him. “Hey.”

He looks up at him and smiles. It’s like this guy loves smiling. “Morning.”

Nico feels very awkward. He’s never one to initiate conversation. “So, I was thinking that maybe we should come up with rules.”

“Oh, like Lara Jean?”

Nico blushes a little. “Yeah, like her.”

Will giggles a little. “No need to be embarrassed. I personally loved that movie.”

Nico thinks for a second on how cute his giggle is, but then he pushes that out of his mind. Now is not the time for that. “Well, anyway, I was thinking that since we’re only going to be together for three weeks, there isn’t much to worry about. But, I’d feel better knowing what you’re comfortable with.”

Will shrugs. “I’m okay with hand-holding, hugs, kisses on the cheek. I don’t mind that much if we kiss on the lips, but I’d like to know beforehand.”

Well, that is definitely a lot more than Nico was anticipating. He was thinking that their relationship wasn’t going to further than hugging. “I’d actually feel better if we stuck with hand-holding and hugs. I’d rather save my first kiss.” Oh, shit, he did not just say that. 

“Your first kiss?”

Oh, shit, he did just say that. “Yeah, but don’t tell anyone.”

Will raises his hands. “Don’t worry, I won’t. It’s not like I’m very experienced either. I’m a freshman too, remember? The most action I’ve gotten is a peck on the lips. That’s what I meant by that.”

Nico lets out a breath. “Okay, good. N-not that you haven’t done more. I don’t care about that. And I don’t mean for that to sound mean or anything. I just meant good that you won’t tell anyone.”

Will smiles. “Nico, it’s okay. Don’t stress yourself out. We haven’t even gone to class yet.”

He almost smiles, but he doesn’t. Instead, he moves forward with what else he wanted to say. “So, how many dates should we go on, and should we post about it?”

“Well, I have a swim meet this Saturday. You can come cheer me on. We could go out afterwards too. Maybe Lovely Latte again?”

Nico nods. “Alright. Hazel has been bugging me to go anyway to support Percy. Also, we could go out the Friday after to see a movie. From then on, we can go on less dates to make it seem like we’re having relationship problems.”

“Okay, but what about social media? I wouldn’t mind, but I have my siblings on there. I don’t really feel like lying to them.”

Nico shrugs. “Well, Hazel, Frank, and Percy know, so it’s only a matter of time before word gets out. I don’t mind if you tell them as long as they keep it a secret.”

“In that case, I can post you coming to the swim meet and say how I have a supportive boyfriend.” Will looks at him a little bit differently in that moment. It’s almost like he’s trying to see through him. His eyes are very captivating. Nico finds it weird that he never noticed them before. 

The warning bell rings, snapping Nico out of his trance. “Y-yeah. A supportive boyfriend. Um, we should head to class.”

They get up, but before they make it out of the doors, Will grabs his hand.

And Nico can’t help but think of how perfectly their hands fit together for the rest of the day.

[solangelover]

So the Sun Loved the Moon

Solangelo Week 2k19: Day 1 – “Sun/Moon” @solangeloweek

A/N: I couldn’t shake this idea for the prompt, no matter how hard I tried soooo...

 Read on AO3 or FF.Net or Wattpad

Once upon a time, there was darkness.

Then, there was light.

It came suddenly, bright and full of life. Rays of sunshine fell upon the land, bringing new beginnings and warmth. The light chased away the darkness. All creatures of the earth loved the light.

The source of this light was the Sun, burning powerfully in the sky. The king of the Sun loved all the people his light touched. The whole earth was his kingdom. Just as all people loved the light, all people loved the king.

But the light could not banish the dark, and it could not burn eternally. When the light left, the dark came, and the people retreated from it. The light needed the dark, just as the dark needed the light. They worked in harmony, their existence made the other stronger.

And then came the Moon.

The Moon, which shone brightly in the darkness of night. It did not dispel the dark as the Sun did, but it accompanied it. This Moon had a king, and the people respected him. He helped them see in the dark.

It was believed that the Sun and Moon could not exist together. People thought that the kings hated each other.

The young princes felt otherwise.

The prince of the Sun was beloved by all, just like his father. His golden hair the color of the rays of sunrise, his eyes blue as the sky, his smile bright as the clouds. Empowered by his father, he roamed the earth, ensuring the life and happiness of those he touched. “The Golden Boy,” they called him, “Prince of the Sun, and of Life”.

The prince of the Moon was much different. His ebony hair black as night, his skin pale as moonlight, his eyes radiating fear – his own or of those who met him. Gifted by his father, he traveled the world showing the way for the lost and keeping back the darkness. People respected him, as they did his father, but they also feared him and his power. They called him, “The Prince of Darkness”.

The Sun prince heard about the other boy from those who compared the two of them. “Opposites,” they would say, “Like good and evil.” The prince of light believed them for some time. But his empathetic heart felt that it wasn’t right.

And then, they met.

As night fell, the Sun prince found himself lost in a dark wood. He was never meant to exist without sunlight. He felt weak and scared and hopelessly alone.

Then, there was light.

The white moon rose and cast a bright glow upon the woods. The prince of the Sun had never seen such light before. Instead of strong, warm rays of sunshine, this moonlight simply provided light, allowing the dark and light to both exist. It was fascinating.

Snap!

The prince turned, and out of the moonlight, through the branches, strode the Moon prince. He glowed beneath the stars, and his eyes met the blue of the Sun prince. In that moment, the prince of light both understood and could not comprehend what people had told him about the prince of darkness. He was full of darkness, but also full to bursting with light. His eyes were black as the night sky, but also filled with shining stars. They told of fear and pain, love and light. He was a guide to the lost and a powerful protector.

And he was so, so alone.

The prince of the Moon reached out, and the prince of the Sun made to grasp his hand. When their fingertips touched, light burst forth, mixing rays of gold and silver that lit up the entire forest. Their eyes reflected the dance of color as they gazed at each other once more.

Oh, how the Sun so loved the Moon.

Later, people began to notice something different. Sometimes, on a clear day, they could see the Moon. It hung in the background, watching as the Sun made its rounds. It was believed that the Sun and Moon could not interact, that they never saw each other. And perhaps, once upon a time, that was true. But not anymore.

Now, when the Moon was full and the Sun was bright, the two princes mingled together. They supported each other when the other was weak. They guided one another in their realm. At dusk and dawn, the prince of light could get a glimpse of the kingdom of darkness. It was vast and different, but no longer scary. He knew his lover, his Moon prince, was just as much a prince of light as he was. They both brought light into the world in their own way. Their powers were so different, but their purposes were the same. Their love united them, Sun and Moon, Light and Dark.

Oh, how their love lit up the world.

--

“That’s not what I said!”

Little Maria whined as her parents tucked her into bed.

“What?” Will asked innocently. “You asked for a love story.”

“I said tell me how you and papa fell in love!”

“And I told you!”

Nico scoffed. “That was super cheesy, Will.”

“And it was exactly how I remember it.” Will sniffed as he snaked an arm around his lover’s waist. “With a bit of Apollo flair,” he winked.

“Papa, why don’t you tell me?” Maria reached up and tugged at Nico’s hand with a frown.

He lightly laughed and pushed her back down into bed, sitting on the edge for a moment. “When you’re older, cara. Time to go to sleep. Ti amo.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and made way for his husband.

“Good night, princess.” Will lifted her hand and kissed it as his daughter giggled.

“G’night daddy, papa.” She smiled as she watched them quietly close her door. As she drifted off to sleep, she dreamt of princes and light, colored by the love of her fathers.

[dimmedluster]

pls let them be happy my precious bois

(click the images to see better quality!)

@solangeloweek

[solangeloweek]

Hi everyone! This is just a reminder that we have a discord that’s free for everyone to join, where we talk about solangeloweek, pjo, and our lives in general! Join to keep updated on all the news!!

LINK

[nicostolemybones]

Transitioning to Manhood

Will felt a strange nostalgia looking at the box his mother had sent him, although it wasn’t a bittersweet feeling. It was a twisting feeling in his gut, a horrible reminder that his mom was clearing the house of all reminders of her child, trying to get the child she thought she remembered to snap out of a phase and return home. He picked up a knitted hat, barely the size of his fist- he’d been born premature, and his grandmother had knitted the tiny pink hat as soon as she received news of his birth. It was a pale pastel pink, almost white, a pearly quality to the colour, but years of collecting damp in a cardboard box had tinged it a dusty, damp grey. There were photographs, and Will was bombarded with pigtails and frilly dresses and patent shoes buckled with bows. “I think I would have cried if I’d been put in that monstrosity,” Lou-Ellen said softly, pointing at the photograph Will was currently holding, featuring him in a pink frilly dress for a Church wedding, holding a basket of bright pink and red rose petals, bawling his eyes out and lifting up the hem of the skirt to wipe his face. He looked about five.

The next picture showed the same dress covered in mud, Will grinning like a maniac chasing the vicar’s daughter with a worm in his hands and one shoe missing, hair a tangled mess. Cecil snorted and laughed. “Please tell me you put that worm down the back of her dress!”

“Nah, she picked up a bigger worm and chased me with it instead. We were friends in kindergarten,” Will replied, pointing out a photograph of him in pink flowery dungarees sitting opposite the girl, who was wearing the same dungarees in blue. “We made mud pies and put them in her father’s shoes in that picture,” Will said sadly, “we got into trouble for boyish behaviour and making a mess.” Will unceremoniously shoved the photographs into the bottom of the box, taking a few deep breaths.

“Are you okay, Will,” Lou-Ellen asked gently, placing her hand on his back and rubbing small circles.

“Yeah,” Will sighed, staring emptily into the box before picking out his birth certificate and staring at it. “I don’t know,” Will amended, and Cecil took the certificate out of his hands.

“We should burn this,” Cecil announced, “it’s useless. If you end up needing it for anything, you can just get it re-printed at the register office. Although you might wanna make some changes to it first. Until you can do that legally, Connor and Travis owe me a massive favour, if you’d like.” Will let out a small laugh, burying his face in his hands.

“My whole childhood is in this box,” Will said quietly, “and my mom’s throwing away all of her favourite memories of me, and I can’t bring myself to look at them.”

“Hey,” Lou-Elllen began gently, “we’ll make new memories, new photographs.These aren’t your memories, they’re your mom’s ideal childhood for you, it’s all the parts she didn’t like taken out and the select few moments she did pruned carefully and displayed to be her image of perfection. You don’t have to keep any of this, because that’s not how your childhood felt to you. They aren’t pictures of you, they’re pictures of the child your mom wanted everybody to see, they aren’t pictures that truly represent your childhood. You aren’t obliged to hold onto somebody else's image of you.”

“We can burn all of it later, mate,” Cecil offered, “just us if you want. And Nico too, of course. Kayla and Austin too maybe, if they aren’t busy.”

“Yeah,” Will sighed, “shoot it with a burning arrow or something.”

“That’s the spirit,” Cecil grinned mischievously, taking the box from Will, “I’ll go take this to my cabin and get my siblings to thoroughly vandalise everything so before you burn it you can have a laugh.”

“Thanks,” Will laughed, and Lou-Ellen pulled him into her shoulder.

“I’ll see you later, dude,” Cecil smiled, “and you, my bi-hexual girlfriend!” He kissed Lou-Ellen’s cheek and jogged off.

“Do you wanna go find Nico?”

“He’s got training now,” Will replied, “but I wanna go talk to Clarisse, do you know where I could find her?”

“I saw her heading to her cabin before I came here,” Lou-Ellen replied, “I’m gonna go work on creating some more sigils, okay?” She kissed Will’s cheek before heading towards her cabin, and Will set out to find Clarisse. She wasn’t in her cabin, or in the armory- Will found her sitting outside the currently empty Aphrodite cabin, holding a pale green and cream chiffon scarf in her hands. Will sat beside her, bumping her shoulder.

“It was Silena’s,” Clarisse said gently, “her favourite hijab. She used to cover it with pins and I’d put flowers through the pins. After we burned her shroud, we uh… her parents invited me to her funeral, at the Masjid. The mosque, that is.”

“It’s beautiful,” Will said, “you should keep it. She’d want you to have it.”

“Yeah,” Clarisse sighed, “don’t tell anyone I went soft, you hear me, Solace?”

“Message received and understood,” Will smiled, and Clarisse punched him lightly in the arm.

“She taught me how to put on makeup,” Clarisse admitted, “she used to do it real subtle, so nobody would know. She’d contour my whole face and she’d put on neutral eye shadows and clear mascara, cherry chapstick muted with matte powder.”

“I never noticed you wearing makeup,” Will replied.

“That’s because that was the point. She made it look completely natural. I’m not exactly… feminine.”

“But she taught you how you could be butch and still be pretty, right?”

“Exactly,” Clarisse replied, “she helped me to pass.”

“A true ally,” Will smiled, resting his head on her shoulder, “how have you been recovering from surgery?”

“I’ve had worse pain,” Clarisse smiled, “I’m still getting used to the extra weight on my chest, but Chris likes them just as much as I do, I think.” Will chuckled lightly, and Clarisse put her arm around him. “Anyway, you look like shit, Solace, what happened?”

“My mom,” Will replied dejectedly, “she sent a box of stuff from my childhood. I’m gonna burn it all later. Cecil’s idea.”

“I’ll be right there with you,” Clarisse said, squeezing his shoulder roughly, “providing I can take a baseball bat to everything first.”

“You can rip the birth certificate before I shoot everything with a burning arrow” Will offered, and Clarisse chuckled lightly.

“That’s my boy,” Clarisse grinned, punching his arm lightly.

“The thing is… I don’t hate my childhood,” Will began honestly. “I didn’t always know I was trans, I didn’t always hate myself, I just couldn’t understand that weird out of place feeling, you know? I didn’t know why things made me uncomfortable. I only started figuring it out when I came to camp… and now, it hurts to look at all the pictures, because they… they don’t feel like I’m looking at photographs of me, and the more I tell myself that’s me, the more I can’t stand to look at them, because I look so female. But my childhood wasn’t a sad one, I… I was loved once, I used to pretend I had nightmares so my mom would give me these butter cookies with warm milk. She knew I was usually faking it, but she didn’t care as long as I smiled.”

“Tell me more,” Clarisse probed gently, before wrapping Silena’s scarf around his shoulders when she noticed a breeze, keeping her arm around his shoulder.

“She didn’t always have a lot of time for me, with the singing and all,” Will began, “but when she did have time for me, we always did something. She used to take me to my grandma’s farm a lot. The chickens didn’t like me much, but there was this baby calf my grandma let me name. Which was a terrible decision, I called it Dustbin Grass,” Will announced with a small laugh. Clarisse snorted, and Will continued. “Anyway, the calf used to come in through the back door and lay down in the middle of the sitting room, and I’d curl up next to the calf. We had a height chart on the wall, and I’d always compare my height with the calf every week. And other days, my mom would take me on day trips. Sometimes it was just to the local park or play area, we’d feed the ducks and sit in the sun with a picnic. I’d always go on the slide, although some days it was so hot the metal burned and I’d start crying. My mom always used to wrap me up in a warm hug and she’d tell me that it was all okay.”

“That sounds nice,” Clarisse said sincerely, and Will continued to share his memories.

“I wasn’t so good with all the school stuff. When I was a kid, I hadn’t been diagnosed with ADHD yet, or dyslexia, but I still struggled. I was behind everybody in the class on my reading and writing and my handwriting was always terrible. I used to get frustrated and walk out a lot. And after break time, I always had a hard time calming down, so I used to be super bouncy and I’d need something to fidget with. And of course, I was a kid, so the louder the better. I’d get into trouble a lot and get sent out of class. I used to cry because I thought I was dumb, but my mom always told me I was the smartest. She’d take me on nature walks, and she’d point out different trees and birds and insects and I’d tell her what they were. And at one point, I could identify native birds by their calls. My mom made me feel smart, and I didn’t feel smart again until I came to camp.”

“How the fuck did they think you were dumb?”

“Classism, sexism, and ableism. Anyway, my mom and I used to have pamper weekends, where we’d just sit out in the garden with bowls of cold water for our feet and face masks, and we’d watch the clouds if there were any. Mom never used to put enough sunscreen on herself and she used to end up looking like a lobster. We’d talk about how our weeks had been, and about my mom’s record deals and tours. She mainly toured the South, she didn’t usually go far out from Texas, but I’ve always been travel sick and I can’t really handle anything over half an hour, so it was always better to leave me at home with my grandma sometimes. My mom and I lived in the city in Austin, but my grandma lived on a ranch. She used to make me cookies all the time and she’d tell me stories of mom’s childhood and her childhood. She’d tell me how lucky I was. My grandma was a lesbian, but things when she were young were… well, worse than they are today, so… she married a man and had kids and buried who she was. She always told me that I couldn’t help who I was, and that if ever I figured myself out and I wasn’t straight, then it was okay and she’d love me just the same. The vicar used to sit and have tea with my grandma every day, because he had a gay son and he wanted her advise on how to support him.”

“Your gran is a legend,” Clarisse smiled, “is she still with us or…”

“I wish I knew,” Will sighed sadly, “grandpa died when I was six and the year after, my nan met a woman, and she moved away and my mom refused to let me have her address or contact her. Everyone always assumes my mom is kind and loving because I have such happy childhood memories. But when you have a child, if you can’t love your child unconditionally, then you never loved them at all. I grew up, knowing, just knowing… that one day, I’d do or say something and my mom would know I was bisexual and my mom wouldn’t love me anymore. Knowing that your own mother will stop loving you, for the very thing that gets you beat up in the playground, for the very thing that gets you harassed, knowing that your own mother believes with all of her heart that her child deserves to burn in hellfire and brimstone for eternity just for being attracted to somebody… from a young age I knew that my mother’s love was conditional. For years, I knew that I didn’t meet the conditions for my mother’s love. And then I stopped going home because I was scared and I wasn’t ready to be abandoned by the same woman who promised unconditional love. And then I came out as trans to her and… she sends me the box. And it’s not just a box to remind me of my childhood, it’s all her favourite memories. It’s the drawings she stuck to the fridge, the photos she showed guests, the things she was most proud of me for. It’s her way of telling me that she hates me so much that those memories are worthless to her. Happy childhoods are empty gestures when a parent’s love is conditional. And I have to face biphobia and transphobia every day of my life, but it’s worse knowing I don’t have a home. My home is a summer camp. I’m alone. If the woman who swore to love me unconditionally, swore by her bible to love me and protect me and fulfil her god given role as a parent, can cast me aside like I’m disgusting, then how am I ever meant to feel anything but wrong? How am I meant to convince myself I’m worthy of love? I can’t even use public restrooms without fearing for my safety, how am I meant to feel safe enough to trust anybody?”

“Hey,” Clarisse began, squeezing Will’s shoulder, “you’re never alone. No matter what, I’ve got your back. I’ll kick a transphobes teeth, you know I will. We have to stick together, we can’t let the community be divided, okay? We’ll look out for each other. You’re not unloved. I love you. My mom is your mom now, okay? Actually no, I’m your mom now, kiddo. And you have the best friends you could ask for, okay? Lou-Ellen can and will hex anybody who tries to put you down. Cecil’s always got your back, he pranked that Athena kid real good, remember? And you have Nico. You’re dating the Son of Hades. He can and will turn anyone into a ghost if they hurt you. That boy loves you, okay? Your self-worth is not defined by your mother’s prejudice. Nico’s friends- Jason, Percy, Frank, Hazel, Annabeth, Piper, Reyna, Leo- they’re all allies we can trust. You’re not a boy anymore, Solace, you’re a man now. You’re making your own way in a world where the odds are stacked against you. You just gotta keep going. People will hate you no matter what you do. So surround yourself with allies, keep going no matter how bleak, stay strong, and when you can’t stay strong, use your support network. We’ll both survive if we stick together. If you feel scared to go outside, come and find me. We’ll keep each other safe. And remember. You’re perfect, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Aphrodite would want you to respect yourself and love yourself. Your dad would want you to shine and spread light amongst the hate, to rise no matter how many times you’re pushed down. My dad would want you to fight back and never stop fighting for your rights, our rights, for what you believe in. And I’m sure most of the other gods support you too.”

“Damn girl, now I know why you’re in charge of motivational battle speeches,” Will smiled, and Clarisse ruffled his hair.

“Good boy. Now, you’re gonna get back to that infirmary, and carry on as normal, okay? And then we’re gonna burn your birth certificate and all the other stuff.”

“I had my T shot this morning,” Will stated with a small smile, “after a few months, people no longer misgender me when they hear my voice and for once in my life, I like how I sound. I feel like me. My dysphoria is… it’s so much less intense than it used to be. I feel safer in public, I feel confident enough to speak as loud as I want without fearing judgment or misgendering or violence.”

“You’re getting a bit of a fluffy mustache too there, Solace,” Clarisse teased light-heartedly, and Will laughed happily. “I’ve gotta go teach the Aphrodite girls some self-defence classes, you have to prepare for the influx of inevitable injuries because the Ares cabin and the Athena cabin are sparring in the arena.”

Will went about the rest of his day with his head held high. For once, he felt proud of who he was, of the man he’d become, of the way he hadn’t let the hate he’d heard turn him hateful, how he helped people, how he tried his best to make every camper feel like they had a safe space, a home. He never wanted anybody to feel the way he had for such a long time. He prided himself on his kindness, and he vowed never to lose it.

So later that day, the camp stood around a pit of flames at the beach, all turned out to show their solidarity bar a few. Will wore his flag as a cape, and everybody cheered when Clarisse marched in still in her armour from the day, with a ‘fuck the cis-tem’ jacket, and ripped up Will’s birth certificate. Will smiled as he threw the photographs into the flames, one by one, his friends all cheering and clapping. He watched every painful reminder, every perfect image of his mother’s ideal child- graffitied on with funny mustaches and devil horns on his mom, courtesy of the Hermes cabin- of conditional love and rejection, go up in flames. For once, Will wasn’t defined by his past, but rather by his future, one surrounded by allies and friends from all walks of life. People of many religions and races, sexualities, and genders. And even better, he received a loving kiss from his boyfriend in front of the crowd. For once, he didn’t look back.

@solangeloweek day 2, childhood/back story building

[tardytothepardy]

I'm having this weird crisis where I'm questioning if I even ship anyone.

When I was in the vld fandom, I shipped klance, but once I gave the series (and its fandom) some space, I realized that I didn't actually really ship them at all. I didn't really ship anyone in vld, as much as I liked the fanarts and other contributions in the fandom, I still didn't really see the pairing at all.

Another example, Entrapdak. I think it's nice, cute, has fantastic potential and possibly could mean a lot to some people. But I still can't really 100% say 'Yup I ship them'. It's almost more like 'I agree with what other people are saying about these two, but I don't see it myself'.

More recently (like in the last two weeks), I discovered the 2019 Moominvalley cartoon series, and I like it *very much*. The art style is so round and cute, and it is just so calm and nice, and just,, yeah. I like it. I became aware of the pairing between two of the main(ish) characters: Moomintroll and Snufkin.

And it's like the same thing. I watch animatics and absolutely love the energy that comes from them, of just these two characters that love each other so much in their own ways and it's all so sweet that it makes me want to cry myself to sleep because I've never experienced it personally.

But.... I don't actually see it within the show, as much as I might want to, even if it's just to join in on what seems to be a main, thriving part of the fandom.

To extend my point further onto what I consider to almost be the ship I fall back onto, Solangelo. At first, I just thought, "It's nice that Nico is in a relationship :) " but over time I've kinda come to the conclusion that I don't actually care about the fact that Nico's in a relationship; I care more about whether he's happy and healthy, especially considering all the bullshit that Rick dragged him through for the majority of the series.

Idk, I don't know if I'm wondering if there's something off about me, if all the flirty interactions(as I do think about things in terms of The Sims) and whatnot just don't register in my head, or what. But whenever I start thinking about it too hard, I kinda start freaking out a little.

[elie-lou]

For the Solangelo Week 2019, Day 1 : sun and moon.

I was inspired by these amazing drawings by Riu-Tsuki and decided to try my own take on the “matching sun and moon tatoos” concept. Finding the links took me hours seriously.

It was really fun to do and also and a good learing experience since it forced me to work on drawing hands. I had more ides, but some did not match solangelo as much and others did not match the sun and moon theme. Maybe I’ll do them later ...

I especially like the one where they have it on their finger rings. The designs are very minimalistics but the symbolism is beautiful.

And you ? What is your favorite one ? Which ideas does this concept inspire you ?

[significant-what]

ATTENTION EVERYONE

solangelo week 2019 has begun! click on the link above to check out my entries, and please follow on what everyone else is creating, too!

[keiths-socks]

Solangelo Week, Day Two: Secret Dating/Fake Relationship

“Will, you goblin, we’re going to get caught!”

Will huffed a laugh against Nico’s neck. Currently, he had Nico backed against a tree, in the middle of a capture–the–flag game. His (secret) boyfriend had been complaining about how they were losing the game, and Will decided he could be using his mouth for better things.

“This place is far enough out. Besides, you sound like a guy who hasn’t been kissed enough,” Will teased, and Nico visibly blushed, even under the pale moonlight filtering through the thick leaves of the trees above them.

“Will, we can’t get caught! Because—“

“I know, I know. In your own colorful words, “those smug stronzi would be too damn happy,”” Will pressed a kiss to Nico’s pulse, smiling at how noticeably heightened it was.

“You butchered that pronunciation. It’s ‘str–on–si’ not whatever the hell you just–Will! Careful, you can’t leave marks—“ Will laughed this time, loud enough that Nico hissed in warning. Will looked up from Nico’s neck, giving his boyfriend puppy–dog–eyes.

“Aw, you’re no fun. And hot. Have I told you you’re hot, recently? ‘Cause you are, it’s kinda distracting, actually,” Will refocused his attention to Nico’s neck, and he didn’t have to look up to see Nico’s blush to know it was there.

Will nipped at Nico’s earlobe, and the subsequent gasp was met with a smirk.

“Will, you jerk. You’re not playing fair,” Nico’s hands, which were previously pressed to Will’s sternum, came up to tangle in Will’s hair, and Will gasped quietly. He could hear Nico’s smugness.

“I’m not playing fair?” Will moved so that he was eye–level with Nico. Indeed, the son of Hades was smirking. “Says the guy who practically dragged me behind the weapons shed last—“

The press of Nico’s warm, chapped lips against his own surprised Will. Nico pulled away.

“You were saying something, Will–hmph!” It was Nico’s turn to be shocked, looking at Will with wide eyes. However, that quickly dissipated as Nico started melting into the kiss.

Unfortunately, it was cut short.

“Travis, look!”

As Nico would’ve put it, fanculo.

Will whirled around, shocked, as Travis and Connor Stoll looked at them in awe. They were all frozen in place as Nico stepped out from behind Will to look at what had happened, and—

“Travis, dear brother, I think it might be within our best interests to run!”

“You two get back here, now!”

—

So, unfortunately, I can’t figure out how to HeCKiNg italicize a n y t h i n g on mobile, so yeah. That’s why this looks weird.

Also, let’s see how many times I can say “smirk” in one fanfic.

Edit: I figured out how to italicize and now this looks so much better. Also, I edited out a lot of the “smirk”s. Bonus points for anyone who can guess how many there were pre–edit.

[parttimewriter-fulltimefangirl]

Solangelo Week Day 3: God / Human

Humans were strange. They always kept on changing, never satisfied with what they have. Then again, the same could be said about a lot of gods. Nico can’t remember the last time he didn’t hear some rumor about Zeus cheating on Hera. Again. Although, it’s not like he can judge too harshly. His father has cheated on Persephone many times. If he hadn’t, Nico wouldn’t have existed. 

Nico and his older sister, Bianca, were born in the 1930s. However, there were a lot of problems going on in the world that Nico was too young to understand. All he knew at the time was that it was scary, and the gods didn’t like it. Bianca and his mother ended up dying. To save his life, his father took him away. His original plan was to place him in the Lotus Hotel. Time passed by very slowly there. But then, it got destroyed by some demigods on a quest. Hades needed to keep his son somewhere safe. So, he took him to the Underworld.

Nico spent the next few years training in the Underworld. His only friend was Cerberus, who protected him fiercely. His father’s attendants were too scared to become friends with him. He tried finding Bianca, but his father warned him not to. He said that she was too young to be given the chance to be a hero, but she wasn’t evil either. She would be stuck in the Fields of Asphodel. That didn’t stop Nico from trying when he turned thirteen. He asked other ghosts if they had seen her, but none answered him, only aimlessly roaming the fields. He quickly grew frustrated until he noticed a certain soul sitting on the ground. 

It turned out that Bianca wasn’t the only sister he had in the Fields of Asphodel.

Hazel, his half-sister who did die heroically but acted too late, was sent to spend eternity there. Nico didn’t think it was fair, but she told him that it was okay. She was just happy that she’d have someone to talk to. From then on, Nico learned to move on from Bianca’s death, but he did get to know Hazel. She was always in the same spot, never feeling the need to leave it. It made him sad knowing that she could’ve had a different life, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn’t like he was a god.

Well, that is until the day he was. 

His father finally let him out of the palace on his fourteenth birthday. He knew how much Nico had trained and had more faith that he could protect himself. Neither expected him to run into a monster as soon as he felt. 

It was a rogue cyclops who rebelled against his brethren, believing he was meant for more than working in the forge. As a result, he hated the gods and their children. So, naturally, he tried to kill Nico, which meant that Nico had to kill him first. 

When Nico was done with him, he felt a rush. It was different than fighting underground against those who wouldn’t actually kill him. So, he decided that he would fight other monsters. Thus lead to him becoming a legend.

He never grew close to any of the other demigods he met along the way. He made sure that no one knew who his father was. But, word got around that there was a young demigod fighting monsters left and right. He’d swoop in, kill a few monsters that were about to eat some demigods, and then be on his way. It certainly confused everyone since most of them craved that glory of being a hero. Nico never really cared about all that.

One day, he did meet his doom. He was facing against the Gorgons. It was a fierce battle, but they managed to strike too many blows, and as he was lying on the ground, bleeding to death, he wondered how his father would feel knowing that the son he worked so hard to protect was dying at the age of fifteen. 

His father must’ve been keeping a closer eye on him that he thought because as he was taking in his last dying breath, he felt something overcome him. Suddenly, he was back in the Underworld, but he wasn’t dead. 

“Nico di Angelo,” his father’s voice boomed. All the servants were there in the throne room, along with Persephone. His father was at his throne, looking as regal as ever. 

Nico could tell something was going on, but he knew better than to just stand there like an idiot. He kneeled and said, “Yes, Father?”

“You have exhibited traits that are very worthy. You never sought glory or fame. You simply wanted to save others. You knew the dangers of going out into the world were much more difficult for you, and you knew that the other gods could find out you were my son. You nearly defeated the Gorgons, which is an incredible feat, along with all the other monsters you’ve killed and the lives you’ve saved. You, Nico di Angelo, will never again worry about the wrath of the gods for you will no longer be a demigod.”

Wait, what?

“You are now officially a god. You will be my right-hand, aiding me in controlling the Underworld. You are the God of the Fields of Asphodel.”

Nico felt that same feeling from before. He stayed kneeling, not daring to move.

“You may stand up and face your subjects.”

As Nico stood and looked out at the faces of his father’s loyal followers, he couldn’t help but think of how fucking lucky he is that he didn’t die. 

***

As the years went by, Nico worked hard to make the Fields of Asphodel a better place. His father told him that he didn’t have the power to bring anyone back to life, but he would be able to have control of what went on in the Fields of Asphodel. Hazel was very excited for him and for his plans. He created a community in the Fields of Asphodel. There were shops and buildings and events. Nobody ever remembered things for very long, but they walked around with smiles instead of blank faces. Hazel did remember, and she always had a smile on her face. Nico made sure that her spot was still only hers. There was now a chair with a cabinet with art supplies. She loved it. 

Nico sometimes wondered if he would run into Bianca when he roamed the fields, but he never thought too hard about it. He didn’t want to get his hopes crushed, so it was just better not to have them and accept that she was really gone. 

Now, it’s been so many years since Nico has been to the mortal world. He knows that demigods still talk about him, but now they know him as the son of Hades who became a god. Boy, did Zeus get pissed when he heard about that. There wasn’t anything he could do though since Nico wasn’t a demigod anymore. Also, everyone found out that he had a daughter named Thalia years later, so he had to get over it. 

Hazel is sitting in her chair, drawing a horse when Nico approaches her. She looks up and grins, “Hey, Neeks.”

He rolls his eyes. “You know I hate that nickname.”

“Yeah, that won’t stop me from calling you that. Sorry, Neeks.”

He huffs, pretending to be mad. He does have a reputation to uphold. “Well, that is certainly no way to speak to a god.”

She snorts. “A god who looks like a fifteen year old. You don’t even look that much older than me.”

He ignores her. “So, Father was saying that he thinks maybe I should head into the mortal world. He says that visiting Camp Half-Blood wouldn’t be such a bad idea either.”

She tilts her head. “That’s strange. What’s the occasion?”

Nico shrugs. “He says that there’s this demigod creating shrines for all of the gods. You remember Percy Jackson?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“Yeah, well, him and five other demigods had to come together and save the world again. One of those demigods is named Jason Grace, and he vowed to honor all the gods. I think Father wants me to ensure that he actually does that by making a shrine for me.”

“Do you think he will?”

“I mean, I honestly don’t care. It’s not like I have any kids or am going to have any of my own. Last I heard, men still can’t have babies.”

She giggles. “Imagine if they could.”

He cracks a smile. “I’m pretty sure there would be ATMs for birth control if that were true.”

She furrows his eyebrows. “ATMS? Oh, those are the machines that give you money, right?”

He nods. “Humans come up with the most interesting things.”

“Honestly. Speaking of which, don’t forget that you said you’d teach me how to do different hairstyles. You know, like the ones you saw on Yougram.”

“It’s called Youtube, Hazel.”

She smiles sheepishly. “You know what I meant.”

He nods. “I will. I’m going to head up now. Better to get it over with.”

She gives him one of her famous, warm smiles. “Who knows, maybe you’ll make a friend.”

Now, it’s his turn to laugh. “Yeah, I highly doubt that.”

***

Nico never intended to stay long at Camp Half-Blood. He only wanted to get in, talk to Jason Grace, and get out. He never meant to end up talking to any other demigods.

“So, are you new here? I’m Will Solace.”

Then again, he never intended to accidentally bump into a demigod either. 

“Um, nice to meet you,” Nico says. He can’t remember the last time he talked to a living human. Wow, that sounds so sad. 

“I know it can be a little scary coming to camp for the first time. I know that I was really scared. My dad’s Apollo. It’s not like I’m a son of the Big Three, but monsters can still catch my scent pretty easily. That’s why I usually stay here year-round. It’s also easier since my mom is usually on the road. She’s a country singer. Do you listen to country music?”

Nico only shakes his head and lets the demigod keep talking. There’s something about him that keeps Nico staying there, listening to things that don’t even pertain to him. 

“Yeah, it’s not the most popular genre nowadays. Well, that’s enough about me. Let me show you around camp.”

So begins Nico’s tour of the camp. Will points out all the cabins, including the ones currently being constructed. He shows him where the Golden Fleece is. He even brings him into his cabin to introduce him to his siblings. 

“Now, these are my brothers and sisters. Everyone, this is ㅡ oh, I’m sorry, I never asked you your name.”

“Um, Nico. Nico di Angelo.”

Suddenly, everyone is quiet. They all stare at him and his black clothes and take in the strange aura that radiated off of him when they first met him. He already knows how they’re going to react. They’re going to bow and fear him because they’ll know him as a god rather than another ordinary demigod.

Then, a boy who looks around Will’s age smacks Will upside the head. “Only you wouldn’t realize you were talking to a god this whole time.”

The boy blushes, making Nico feel a bit bad for him. So, he says, “It’s not his fault. I tried to make it seem like I wasn’t a god because I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself. I really just came to camp to see Jason Grace.” He turned to Will. “Actually, could you direct me to him?”

Will nods, still blushing. He starts walking out the door, leaving his snickering siblings. 

Nico sends them all a glare, which quickly shuts them up. 

He runs out to catch up with Will. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. You just seemed so eager and kind. Also, I’m not used to interacting with living demigods.”

Will’s shoulders are tense. He lets out a breath, causing his muscles to relax. “It’s alright. Let me show you where Jason is.”

“Wait, Will,” Nico says, feeling a little strange. “I did like talking with you. The tour was really nice. Please don’t feel bad.”

He sighs again. “That’s not why I was upset. I was, well, I was hoping to ask you out.”

“Oh.” 

He chuckles bitterly. “Yeah. Seems pretty ridiculous now. I really liked talking to you and I wanted to get to know you, and I just really felt like we were vibing.”

“Vibing? Oh, wait, that means connecting.”

Will smiles before letting it fall. “See! Even now, you’re hopelessly adorable. There’s no point, though. You’re a god. I’m human.”

“You’re a demigod.”

“Still more human than a god.”

Nico would be lying if he tried to say he isn’t attracted to Will. He has a very pretty face. High cheekbones, nice jawline, bright blue eyes, his lips… But, Will is right. He is a god and these types of relationships never last. It’s best if they don’t pursue it.

“Well, how about we just be friends? I could use some more time in the mortal world.”

Will doesn’t say anything for a while. When they reach what Nico presumes to be Jason Grace’s cabin, Will finally says, “Okay. I think we can be friends.”

Nico smiles, which doesn’t happen often, but he thinks that it will start to the more he interacts with Will. 

***

“I can’t believe you never watched Mean Girls.”

“Hey, I tried learning as much as I could about the modern world! Watching dumb high school movies wasn’t on my list of important things to learn.”

“Yet you managed to watch all the Marvel movies.”

“ …. Look, I think we can admit that the Marvel movies are iconic.”

“Okay, fair, but so is this movie!”

Two hours later, and Nico has come to the conclusion that humans are stupid.

“She doesn’t even go there! Why the fuck would she even be in the movie?”

***

“You’re dead, di Angelo!”

“As if, Solace!”

Nico hears Jason say to Kayla, Will’s sister, “They sure do love water balloon fights.”

She sighs. “Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that he’s a god.”

Nico ignores them and tries to find cover. He can’t let Will win. Again.

***

“Do you ever wonder what it’d be like if you were on the road with your mom?”

“Yeah, sometimes. I miss her a lot. But, it’s better this way. She gets to live out her dream, and I get to survive. I’d rather not put her in danger just by being around her. Besides, I get to see her during the holidays. Not every demigod can say that.” 

“That’s true.”

“Do you ever wonder what it’d be like if Bianca showed up at one of your cafes?”

“I’ve learned to accept the fact that I’m never going to see her again. It’s just the reality of the situation. I should just be thankful that I got to live with her for the first ten years of my life. She was a great sister and took care of me more than our own mother did. I never hated my mother for it. She just had a busy life and was the daughter of a diplomat. Her life was already complicated enough before we came along. But, it did lead to me as seeing Bianca as an authority figure in my life.”

“I think she’d be proud if she knew the person you’ve become.”

Nico looks at Will, who is suddenly a lot closer than he thought he was. “There are some moments where it passes my mind if she even knows what I’ve done with my life and who I’ve become.”

Will places his hand over his. “Even if she doesn’t know, she’d be proud if she knew.”

“How do you know?” Nico whispers, looking into Will’s eyes. Eyes that see him for him. Not the demigod who died and became a god. Not the son of Hades. Just him. Nico di Angelo.

Will leans closer, his lips barely an inch away from his face. He can feel his breath, which smell like mints. He can see the light freckles on his cheeks. He can hear the pounding of both of their hearts. “Who wouldn’t be proud of someone as amazing as you?”

Nico looks down at those lips. The lips that he noticed when he first visited camp all those months ago. He’s tempted to lean in and close the gap and finally find out what they taste like. 

Will looks down at his lips, and he smirks. He knows what he’s doing. That son of a bitch is doing all of this on purpose to unnerve him. Nico knows this.

That doesn’t stop him from crashing his lips against his, feeling the sweet taste of his lips completely take over his senses. All he knows, thinks, and feels is Will Solace, the boy he’s fallen madly in love with. 

***

“Father, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Hades looks across the table at his son, who is clutching the table napkin so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. “Yes, Nico?”

“I’ve fallen in love.”

“Oh? Is she a mortal?”

“He’s a demigod. Son of Apollo.”

Hades makes a face that he can’t quite decipher. “A son of Apollo. Why Apollo? I don’t think you realize how much he’s going to rub it in my face at the next meeting that his son captured your attention.”

Nico smiles softly. “It just happened. I didn’t for it to end up like this, but it did.”

Hades sighs. “Well, I don’t see why you felt the need to tell me. There’s no worry of you creating any demigods, and we know how these types of relationships work.”

Nico knows that this is the hard part. “We’ve been in a relationship for almost three years now, Father.”

“What?”

“I don’t know if you noticed, I’ve been changing my form to match his. I don’t have the body of a fifteen year old anymore. I made myself look different as he aged so that it would seem like I was aging too.”

“Well, how was I supposed to notice? You’re still small.”

“Yeah, it seems that even if I had stayed human and aged, I wouldn’t have gotten much taller. However, that’s not the point. The point is that I’ve realized that I want to spend the rest of my life with him, and he feels the same way. In fact, I plan on proposing to him next year. I even bought a ring.”

“You can’t marry him. He’ll be nineteen and still a demigod.”

“I want to propose, but I don’t want to get married when he is nineteen. I just want to be engaged. We can wait until he’s ready to get married.”

“That doesn’t take away the fact that he is not a god, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want to become one either. If Percy Jackson, who has suffered so much, didn’t want to become a god, why would he?”

“You’re right, he doesn’t want to be a god. He would rather age with his friends and family and live out his life to the fullest. What I want is to become a demigod again.”

Hades is rarley ever rendered speechless, but this is one of the few times where he is.

Nico continues with what he planned to say. “I know that it’s not typically done, but I believe it is possible. We’ve talked it over together, and he said that it’s my choice, and I want to, Father. I want to be with him. I can’t imagine living a life with him, aging with him, only to watch him die and live for eternity remembering him.”

Hades glares at him. “After everything I did to keep you alive, you repay me by becoming mortal for some boy who could break your heart at any moment. I cannot support this. I won’t!”

Yeah, Nico didn’t expect this to go well, so he’s not surprised at his reaction. “Father, I’m not asking for your permission. I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but this is how I want to live my life.”

“Oh, really? By the side of a boy who you say loves you?”

“I want to live my life by actually living it. With the boy who loves me.”

Hades stares at him for a few seconds before getting up, the back of his chair screeching against the hard floor. He leaves the dining room, not saying a word. 

Nico feels a lump forming in his throat, and his eyes begin to sting with unshed tears. He gets up out of his seat, and in the next second, he’s at Camp Half-Blood in Will’s cabin.

Luckily, Will walks in at that moment, looking as beautiful as ever. He’s smiling, but then he notices Nico’s expression, and he watches as that sunny smile disappears, replaced with a look of concern. He simply opens his arms, and Nico goes to him. As soon as his arms are wrapped around him, he lets the tears fall. 

***

It’s finally the day. The day that everyone has been waiting for, and a day that Nico never thought he would even get to have. 

Today is his wedding day. Today, he will be marrying Will Solace, the love of his life. 

The whole day is entirely chaotic. It’s short and simple since they don’t exactly have the money necessary for a grand wedding. Will is still in med school, and they’ve got to keep paying rent on their new apartment. Also, Will recently took in a stray dog who, according to him, “was too adorable to leave out in the streets.”

So, no, it’s nothing really big, but Nico likes it like that. He may have opened up more and made new friends, but he still doesn’t really have that many friends. It’s not like he really would’ve wanted to invite more people. He still thinks humans are pretty stupid. 

He probably shouldn’t say that since he gave up immortality months ago. Now, he’s a stupid human too. 

Nico gets ready to go out the doors. Will is currently waiting on the other side in his white suit. He doesn’t even have to look to know that he looks gorgeous in it. He wonders if Apollo showed up. They invited him, but he never confirmed. He knows that Naomi came since she was the one who walked him down the aisle. 

They sent an invitation to Hades. He also never confirmed whether he was coming or not, but Nico was pretty sure he wasn’t. He hasn’t spoken to his father since he told him about his relationship with Will. Still, a very small part of him was hoping he would come to walk him down the aisle and give him away. But, he has to be realistic. His father is not coming. So, with no parent to walk him down, he summoned someone else. 

“Nico, are you ready for this?” Hazel says, looping her arm through his, which passes right through.

He smiles at her. It took some work, but he isn’t called the Ghost King for nothing. She can only be here for a certain amount of time, so he’s glad he has family here with him today. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The doors open, and then, he hears a deep voice say, “Well, he is handsome, I’ll give you that.”

It’s Hades. He came. He actually came. “Father? I thought you weren’t coming.”

Hades sighs. “I may not understand why you gave up everything. But, I know that you’re a wise young man, and I should respect your choices. I can’t let my feelings of the situation get in the way of your wedding day.”

Hazel is practically jumping. “Father, you have made a very good choice.”

Nico almost doesn’t know where to hug him or cry. “Thank you, Father.”

Hades shows a hint of a smile, but quickly smothers it. “Now, let’s begin, shall we? I believe there is a young man waiting at the end of that aisle to marry you.”

Nico nods. With his sister on one arm (sort of) and his father on his other, he starts walking down the aisle towards the love of his life.

He feels … happy.

***

“Hey, Will,” Nico says, as he sways in Will’s arms. Everyone’s eyes are on them as they make their way through their first dance as husbands. 

Will takes his head off of his and looks down at him. “Yes, husband?”

Nico smiles softly. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“My father saved me from dying all those years ago. But, you made me start living.”

Will shakes his head slowly. “No, love, that decision was entirely yours.”

Maybe it was, but Nico still feels like Will was a big part of it. He’d rather not argue with him on it though. So, he tilts his head upwards and kisses his husband.

He’ll never get tired of the feeling of those sparks flying every time their lips meet. 

[keiths-socks]

Solangelo Week, Day Four: Crossover/AU

“So, witch, anything to say?”

“Go to hell.”

Nico di Angelo, for the first time in his life, was praying for a miracle.

The chains digging into his wrists were a painful reminder that he was helpless. They would light the stake soon, and unless he was able to pull of this little stunt of his, he was absolutely fucked. He looked up at the sun, and the cloudless sky above. He had delay the burning, otherwise this would be the last time he saw it.

“Wait!” He cried, just as the priest finished speaking. The townspeople looked at him, shocked.

“I wish for repentance before my death! Please!” He nearly gagged at the thought. Repentance. How smart of me, Nico thought.

“Re–repentance?” The priest asked, shocked. Nico fought back a grimace. Instead, he nodded, meek.

“Of course. I wish to ask...our savior...for mercy,” He did his best to look remorseful. Apparently, it worked, and the Priest nodded. At this, some of the townspeople cursed and booed, but the Priest ignored them.

Perfect. A shadow fell from where the stake and Nico stood in the town square.

“Actually, I’ve had a change in heart,” the Priest sputtered, “so, that being said, fuck you.”

“What—“

And with that, Nico melted into the shadows.

-

“Shh, shh.” A warm hand rested on Nico’s forehead, and Nico felt like he was floating. His head was pounding, and he felt hot all over.

Where am I?

Nico’s thoughts floated through his head like voices through summers mist, and everything felt cloudy. He cracked open an eye, blearily taking in something blonde and shiny hovering above him.

“Wha…” Nico mumbled intelligently.

“Are you awake?” The person asked. Nico’s vision cleared slightly, and he was met with startlingly blue eyes.

“Who...Who are you?” He mumbled, trying to sit up. He was pushed back down by gentle, but determined hands.

“My name is William. You...collapsed? Outside my cabin, after whatever weird, shadow–travel spell you cast,” the mention of magic was enough to make the fog clear from Nico’s head. He gasped, shooting up out of the bed, and sending the boy, William, toppling over in his chair. Pain shot up Nico’s spine, but he ignored it in favor of reaching for the knife he had concealed in his shirt.

The shirt which he was missing.

Oh, god.

“Christ, calm down! I mean you no harm, I’m a healer!” He shouted, putting his hands up defensively. Nico bared his teeth.

“Where is my knife?” He snarled as William stood up. The blonde shrugged.

“You’re not getting it back, and you’re not leaving. You’re injured, and tired,” he said, gesturing to the (now bandaged) wounds on Nico’s shoulders and chest. The Italian scoffed.

“I’m fine. Besides, you don’t want a witch in your home,” He said, trying to stand. Again, William pushed him down.

“No, you’re staying here. If I have to force you, I will.” Nico scowled.

“Try your best,” he taunted, and William frowned.

“I’m a witch, too. And, judging by the fact that you passed out after your spell, I’m much more experienced than you. You ought not test me,” William warned.

Nico felt quite tired all of the sudden.

“That’s it, lovely. Lie back down. You need rest,” Will cooed, his expression softening. Nico felt oddly compelled to listen to this boy.

It was a spell.

“Maybe when you wake up, we can have a good chat, yeah?” William brushed Nico’s fringe out of his face, and that’s what Nico fell asleep to.

Nico slept well.

////

So, I’m probably gonna turn this into a full blown fic, too. At the end of Solangelo Week, though, I’ll be posting all of these on my AO3 account (*cough*ruffledcrow*cough cough*) so.., thanks for reading

[keiths-socks]

Solangelo Week, Day Seven: Enemies/Lovers

Warning: Blood/Injuries mentioned ahead.

Nico di Angelo, if anyone were ever to ask him, would settle on, “vigilante”.

Will Solace, if asked, would say Nico (or, as Will knew him, The Ghost King) was a Criminal.

“Give up. It’s not worth it!” Will shouted, the damaged buildings around him making it echo. The man looked up, his domino mask and distance between them making him look expressionless. However, the blood running down the criminals chin and the slight wobbling of his knees gave Will some kind of sick satisfaction.

“Really?” The dark–haired man said, his amplified voice surprising Will. He never talked, outside of the grunts of pain Will was able to illicit, and it surprised him. The man sounded scarily like Nico…but Nico wasn’t a super. And there was no way that this villain was Will’s boyfriend.

No, the battle was getting to him.

“Shut up. Hurting people is never—“

“But hurting people who’ve hurt other people? How is that not justified?” Will’s eyebrows furrowed. No, this person wasn’t his Nico.

“No! That’s why we have a legal system—“

“That utilizes capital punishment,”

The dark haired man stood up straighter, darkness rolling off of him. “Your hypocrisy...you have been misled. You don’t need to be the government's pet! You can bring legitimate justice to people. You don’t have to live in fear of stepping out of line,”

“Shut up. Now.”

“Your mistake,”

Will shot toward his opponent, fists lighting up. A few more hits, and he knew this guy was down. Then he could see who this bastard really was.

The other man raised his hands in defense, shadows condensing in front of him, but the shield faltered. What glimpse of his expression Will caught, he could tell the guy knew he was done for.

A quick jab in the stomach, and he was down.

The other fell with a sickening thud, and Will tried to catch his breath. Dark hair splayed across equally dark asphalt, and…wow. Will had never been this close to the Ghost King, but holy shit. He did look like Nico.

However, a quick lift of the mask would confirm he wasn’t, right? Then he could turn this asshole in to the proper authorities…

Will moved forward, crouching by his unconscious enemy. The other man’s eyebrows were knit in pain, and Will gave a sympathetic wince. The hospital would have to treat him.

“Now, let's see who you really are,” Will whispered, hands prying under the mask. A gentle lift, and—

“Nico?!”

No. No. There was no way.

Because the boy who was looking back at Will with pained eyes was Nico.

Nico coughed. “Hey–hey, Will,” he greeted weakly. The blood that was dribbling out of his nose and mouth was suddenly much more concerning.

“What–what are you doing here? What...what is this?” Nico coughed again, closing his eyes.

“I...I didn’t mean for you to find out. I...I didn’t want this to happen,” Nico says, like it’s not obvious. Will splutters.

“Fuck. Shit, shit, shit!” Will looks down at his suit, praying that the body cam was already gone. It was, and any surveillance cameras in the area were destroyed.

“Can you walk?”

“No. You’re gonna want to call them here,” Nico said, looking up at the sky. Will paused.

“I’m not turning you in. But we need to talk,” Nico looked legitimately surprised at this, meeting Will’s eyes.

“...yeah. Yeah, okay. I’m just—“

“Nico, shh. We’ll talk about this at home,”

“Our home?”

“Yes, our home.” Was

////

Open endings, bc I’m sadistic.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, check out my AO3, Ruffledcrow

[keiths-socks]

Solangelo Week, Day Six: Secret Powers/Super Powers

Warning: Blood and Injuries mentioned ahead

“No!”

The blast sent Will flying seemed to also pause time. Nico was stuck, watching his lover fly through the air. The way Will collided with the ground drew a sickening laugh from Kronos, and it made Nico see red.

“This is pathetic. Give up now, and maybe I’ll spare him,” The criminal said, and Nico growled.

“Never,” he snarled, darkness seeping from his shaking form. Kronos chuckled, and Will twitched. Nico couldn’t tell if the lack of blood was good or bad.

“You do realize that it’d be pathetically easy to kill you both right now? You’re nothing. You’re mere bugs to me, and—“ the blast of pure, supernova heat was a surprise to both Nico and Kronos. Luckily, it was directed at Kronos, and the villian screamed in agony. He fell to the ground, unconscious, and Nico looked over to Will. The blond was panting, and—

“Thanks for the monologue, bastard.”

Will promptly passed out.

-

“Shh, shh. You’re safe now, amore. You’re safe,”

Will whimpered, clasping Nico’s band weakly. Nico hoped he didn’t notice how he was shaking, because by all standards, he was doing great. Sure, he had a few cuts, and maybe a minor concussion, but Will was bleeding. Heavily. He definitely had a concussion, and he was delirious. The hospital had done the best they could, but Will, being a super, would just have to wait the next few days out, his healing factor taking care of his injuries.

And Nico didn’t know if he could handle that.

Sure, they had patched each other up before after an intense battle, but Nico always got like this. He absolutely despised seeing Will in pain, especially when he was helpless to alleviate it. It made him feel useless and weak.

“Hurts,” Will slurred, eyebrows knitted together in pain. Nico worries his lips in between his teeth, gently rubbing circles into Will’s wrist.

“Silenzio, dolce bambino, sei al sicuro, amato. Silenzio, bel bambino, perché sei a casa.

Non temere la notte, perché il sole attirerà sempre l'oscurità…”

The lullaby rang softly throughout their bedroom, Nico doing his best to remember. God, he hadn’t heard it since Bianca died, and that was…

Not long enough ago.

Will cracked open an eye, gazing at Nico. Nico offered a strained smile in return, softly singing the next verse. Will’s eyes fell closed.

“Riposa, amore mio, perché io sono qui, e ti terrò al sicuro.

Sii confortato, amore mio, perché il sole terrà a bada la fredda luna.

Dormi, dolce amore e lasciati essere. Amore, mia cara, e lascia che le lotte svaniscano.”

The lullaby reminded him of late nights in front of a warm fireplace, and a calm, smooth voice that comforted him against the storm. He hoped that Will felt equally comforted, and that Nico was at least able to provide that.

When Will’s breathing became more even, in slow, deep inhales, Nico leaned close to him, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“Dormi, amore mio,”

////

God, I’m turning this out late. But hey, it’s only 9:30 here, so technically, it’s still Day six.

Also, the lullaby Nico sings? I had to come up with that shit myself. And crank this out in thirty minutes.

Ew.

Thanks for reading! If you like this, check out my AO3 account, Ruffledcrow!

[parttimewriter-fulltimefangirl]

Solangelo Week Day One: Sun / Moon

Nico was never really sure what to make of people who were so happy all of the time. 

It’s weird since he used to be like that before getting involved in all of this demigod craziness. He would go on and on about a stupid card game and bug everyone, but they were too nice to say anything to him. He knew he was a handful. Bianca was one of the people who didn’t care though. She would sit with him and play Mythomagic with him and they’d crack jokes. Nico may not remember his mother, but he always felt like he had a family as long as Bianca was around. 

That’s not to say he doesn’t have family now. Now, he has Hazel, the sister he didn’t expect but is glad that he found. She was meant for bigger things. She always was. 

And Frank is family too, he guesses. Nico has a feeling that they’ll last. They remind him a little bit of Percy and Annabeth in that way. 

Ahh, Percy. The look on his face when he told him that he wasn’t his type. It didn’t seem to register with him what he meant when he said that, but it did with Annabeth, which made it funnier. Nico always had this fear that she secretly knew about the feelings he had for him, but that fear is gone now. Everything is out in the open. He’s sure that most of the camp knows by now, which means the shock that the son of Hades, the one everyone feared, is gay. Well, almost everyone. Will doesn’t seem afraid of him at all.

He’s the one that started this whole train of thought. As Nico looks out over the camp from his cabin’s porch, he catches the setting sun creating a shadow over Will, who is currently placing a band-aid on a young camper’s knee. As the kid runs off after getting the okay from him, he turns around, startling Nico. He didn’t realize that he knew he was watching him. He didn’t mean it in a creepy way at all! It’s just that, well, Will confuses him. 

“Are you going to keep standing there, or are you going to join me?” Will shouts, heading towards a tree and sitting underneath its leaves. He leans back on his hands, not even looking to see if Nico is coming or not. 

Who does he think he is? He’s talking to the son of the god of the Underworld. He’s the Ghost King! Now see, this is why Will Solace is the most confusing demigod he has ever met. He seems to forget all the things that people say about him, and he treats him as if he’s anyone else. 

Will turns back around and smiles at him.

Nico walks towards him and sits down. 

It’s quiet for a moment until Will decides to break it. “So, how are you settling in?” 

He shrugs. “Okay, I guess.” Nico isn’t that great at conversations.

That doesn’t seem to deter Will. “If there’s anything you need, just let me know. I’m in that cabin over there.” He points at a very shiny cabin, the only one actually made out of gold. 

“That won’t be had to miss.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, well, that’s more Apollo’s style. Not really mine.”

“So, what is your style?”

He gestures towards the setting sun. “Something softer, like those colors. Still represents the sun, but less of a chance of hurting your eyes with its brightness. It’s a lot more gentle and warm, don’t you think?”

Nico nods. Even he can appreciate a nice sunset. “Maybe you could convince Chiron to let you change it. You are head counselor, and there’s going to be a lot of changes around here anyway.”

He looks at the sky as he says, “Yeah, Jason sure has a lot of work ahead of him. I saw how happy he was that you were staying at camp.”

Nico glances at him before directing his gaze back at the sky as well. “You saw that?”

“It’s not everyday someone hugs the son of Hades. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but that guy sure is quite the mystery.”

Nico almost smiles. “Well, I heard that now that he’s around, people will be able to get to know him better.”

Will stands up. “I don’t think he realizes that the only way for people to get to know him is if he lets them in.”

Nico looks up at him, confused. Why does he always act like he knows him better than he thinks? He doesn’t know him at all. 

“I’ll see you later, Nico.”

Will leaves before he can see the slight blush rise to Nico’s cheeks when he hears him say his name. 

Nico stays there until the sun is fully gone and the moon arrives, casting a different glow on the camp.