#to drew becoming a demigod

[initialchains]

teenage dirtbag, baby! | luke castellan

pairing: luke castellan x fem!reader

summary: there is nothing more exhausting than being known as the picture perfect daughter of aphrodite… luckily, camp half-blood’s resident teenage dirtbag luke castellan can’t relate at all. fake dating him to piss off your siblings and mother could never go wrong, right? (based on 18 by anarbor)

wc: 6.5k

warnings: smoking, mentions of drinking, mentions of drugs, mentions of sex, implied sexual content, drew tanaka being a bitch, and kinda ooc luke bcs hes meant to be well … a teenage dirtbag.

a/n: its still valentine’s day for me sooo happy valentines 💌💗 !! in mexico valentine’s day is also known as the day of friendship so this one is dedicated to my favorite people ever: @emiliehornby @love-that-we-were-in and @kestisvrse <3 !! hope you enjoy it mwah !!

The sounds of campers laughing and gossiping in the dining pavilion are drowned out by your siblings and their annoyingly loud whispers about the allegedly cute (you’d beg to differ) son of Ares who joined camp less than twelve hours ago. Sure, he seemed like a nice guy even though he's a child of the god of war, but you were certain the only reason they kept bringing him up was because they wanted to set you up with him.

“And his arms, oh my gods! Have you seen them?” one of your brothers chimed in, trying to get you to agree with him, but all you could come up with was a hum and a polite smile. 

It pissed you off a bit, the knowledge of you never being able to go against your siblings' wishes.. the fear of disappointing them and your mother being all-consuming and blinding you with fear.

There were times you’d think about it if you’re being honest. Times where you would let yourself dream of doing something so stupidly reckless for once. Something that would stop your siblings from walking all over you and treating you like their personal lapdog. 

Not only was it tiring but it was also humiliating to a certain point. You were older than most of them and you were pretty sure you were the only one that took being a demigod seriously, even taking your time to strategize for Capture The Flag with Clarisse, and yet… you rejected Chiron when he asked you to be a counselor and told him to ask Silena instead. 

And you loved your family—you really did, but it was getting exhausting. Always having to be perfect was draining you and you were afraid of the kind of person you’d become if you allowed this to keep going. 

“He totally wants to ask you out,” Silena’s voice snapped you out of the daze you were trapped in. You turned your head to the right, facing your half-sister with a small frown on your face.

“You really think so?” you replied, trying your best to sound excited. 

“Oh, I know so,” she answered before going on a whole rant about how cute you’d look with the newly claimed son of Ares. A son of Ares—that you badly wanted to remind her—had only been in camp for less than twelve hours and you knew nothing about. 

You stayed in the dining pavilion with your siblings until you found the strength to tell them you were tired and wanted to go to sleep (an incredibly blatant lie but it didn’t look like they cared) and stood up, brushing the dust off your jeans.

“Wait, I’ll go with you!” Silena said with a smile, standing up and moving closer to you. 

“You don’t have to. You can stay with them if you want to, really—“ you were cut off by your half-sister with an exasperated sigh.

“I want to go with you. Plus, I can walk back here once I drop you off at the cabin,” she stated with a playful roll of her eyes.

The two of you walked back to the Aphrodite cabin in a comfortable silence. You liked being with Silena, she was a few years younger than you but she carried herself with so much grace and love it was hard to feel uncomfortable or weird whenever you hung out with her.

You kept your gaze on the sky, noticing that the moon was out by now. “Hey,” Silena whispered, trying to get your attention.

“You okay?” you answered. Your mind was practically hardwired to always look after your siblings, so your brain was unwillingly making you think of the worst-case scenario.

“What? Yeah, I am okay,” Silena was quick to reassure you, “I just wanted to talk to you about—“

“I swear to all the gods, Silena. If this is about that camper..” you replied with a small sigh. The two of you stopped walking when you reached your cabin, deciding to continue the conversation outside.

“He’s not that bad! He is a nice guy and the two of you would look really cute together,” she insisted.

“You don’t even know him.”

“Ugh, fine. Good thing is there are other cute campers we can introduce you to. I met one of Charlie’s brothers a few weeks ago and I think he’d—“

“I can’t do this tonight,” you replied in an exhausted tone.

“Wow, okay. No need to be mean about it,” Silena muttered.

“I’m sorry?”

“I’ve been trying to help you find a boyfriend for months now and you always shut me down. It was fine at first but now you’re just being mean,” she explained.

“Mean? Silena, you said it yourself. I’ve always shut you down because I’m not interested in getting one.”

“Whatever,” she replied bitterly before turning around and walking back to the dining pavilion, leaving you alone outside of your cabin. 

You stared at her back as she walked away, going through the last few minutes over and over in your head. Were you being mean? All you did was stick up for yourself. You didn’t understand why you were feeling bad for standing up against your siblings just for once.

A snort made you realize you weren’t alone. You turned your head towards the noise just to be met with.. oh.

Luke Castellan was leaning against the side of your cabin, carefully hidden under the darkness of the night and the shadows of the trees, he had a cigarette in his right hand and an obnoxious smirk adorning his even more obnoxious face. 

“Hope you enjoyed the show, Castellan.”

Luke raised his hands as if he had been caught and blew the smoke away, “I’m on your side, she was being a fucking bitch.”

“Don’t call her that, she’s just a kid.”

Luke raised a brow before taking another drag of his cigarette, “Do not call your sister a bitch after seeing her.. be a bitch to you?” he shook his head. “Oh, princess, you need to work on getting rid of that altruism.”

“Do you even know what that word means?” you snapped, not being in the mood to indulge in whatever it was he wanted to talk about.

“Why? You want to teach me?” He said with a smirk.

“Don’t even start with your annoying stuff, Castellan,” you muttered, running a hand down your face, clearly overwhelmed with everything that had happened. 

“Because you know you won’t want me to stop?” he pressed, but after a moment of silence his smirk fell and a frown took over his features. 

“Uh.. you want to...” he trailed off and cleared his throat, “you want to talk about it or something?” 

You squinted at him before eventually letting out a sigh and walking over to Luke, standing next to him with your back pressed against the wooden walls of your cabin. Luke extended his arm away from you to keep the smoke far from your face. 

“So, um... Silena wants to set me up with that new camper,” you started.

“Fuck. The Ares one?” Luke interrupted.

“Castellan.”

“Right, sorry. Please continue, princess.”

You decided to ignore the insufferable pet name he gave you and continued, “The thing is I do want a boyfriend, just not… him.”

Luke hummed before bringing the cigarette to his lips again and inhaling the smoke in, he kept his mouth closed as he thought of something decent to say before slightly tilting his head away from you and blowing out the smoke upwards. 

“Alright, and have you tried telling her to stop?” he cut himself off and shook his head. “Nope that was shitty advice, have you tried maybe describing your type or whatever it is you Aphrodite people say to describe the people you’re attracted to.” 

“My type?” you replied, almost offended by the statement.

“Yeah?” Luke answered as if it was the most obvious thing to do, “Just describe the type of guys you’re into and I’m sure that cult of yours you like to call siblings will be happy to help…” he trailed off when he noticed your gaze set on his right hand and your bottom lip in between your teeth as he flicked the cigarette, causing the ashes to fall into the ground. 

He looked up from his hand and burst out into laughter, shaking his head before whispering an amused fuck. 

“Oh?” Luke said with a bright smile and raised brows, “You find this attractive, angel?” 

“That thing is going to kill you,” you explained, “I’m not attracted to people that like to slowly kill themselves.” 

“Fucking bummer. I wanted to see you take a drag, that would’ve been really hot,” he said, his smile not wavering. “Next thing you’re going to tell me is that you don’t drink, right?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Look at you, being such a good girl,” Luke teased before throwing the rest of his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it. 

“Also, that thing you said about Silena being just a kid was really fucking stupid. She’s almost the same age as Annabeth and she doesn’t act like an asshole, I’m pretty sure your sweet little sister is just a bitch.” 

Annabeth. You forgot that even though Luke is an annoyance most of the time and prefers to stick to himself.. he still has a soft spot for the twelve year old daughter of Athena. It was kind of endearing. 

“Annabeth is a daughter of Athena, you can’t expect her to act—“

“You didn’t act like Silena when you were fourteen. You need to stop giving her excuses and allow yourself to get mad at her.” 

“I’d rather have my siblings get mad at me and just stop perceiving me as this perfect and weak person, maybe once that happens they’ll stop trying to mess with my life,” you explained, your gaze set towards the ground. 

Luke was about to open his mouth and try to come up with a funny one-liner to make you feel better, but he didn’t get to because you were quick to look up at him with a gasp and wide eyes.

“The fuck? Are you okay?” 

“I need you.”

“Shit, angel. Most girls say that after a few dates but I’m not against the idea,” he said with an amused look in his eyes. 

“Ew, no. I mean, I need to date you—fake date you.”

“I’m uh... not for sale?” Luke answered, clearly confused by the plan you were trying to explain.

“No, Castellan. Listen to me. My siblings despise you, I’m sure they’d set my bed on fire as a way of cleansing my soul from you if they find out we’re dating.”

Luke’s eyes got bright and his smile widened (if that was even possible), “Set your bed on fire? And what would we do in your bed for them to feel disgusted by its existence?”

“You’re disgusting. Anyway, if we fake date I’ll get to stop being perceived as their perfect sister and you’ll have bragging rights for dating an Aphrodite kid,” you said, moving your hands as you spoke. 

“I’m pretty sure Drew started the rumors about me having lice and smuggling coke into camp, are you sure you want to fake date me of all people?” Luke asked carefully, trying to make you think about what was at stake. He didn’t give a shit about staining his already nonexistent reputation, but he couldn’t have you ruin yours. 

“I am so sure, Castellan,” you reassured him. 

“You know, for a good girl I’m extremely surprised you never say please.”

“Please, Castellan. Could you please be my fake boyfriend so I can finally stop being seen as my siblings' personal toy?” you said with a fake smile while bringing your hands together as an exaggerated way of begging Luke to say yes. 

“You’re so cute when you beg. But you need to prove to me you’re serious about this fake dating thing. Meet me tomorrow at the bonfire, no bullshit.” 

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱

You had been on edge the entire day. Silena seemed to be past the argument, which made you feel better to an extent, but that didn’t seem to shake the uneasy feeling that settled in your gut because throughout the day you could feel someone staring at you. You could feel Luke staring at you.  

You were walking past the sword fighting arena with Katie Gardner from the Demeter Cabin the first time it happened. The feeling of a pair of eyes completely set on you. You turned your head to the right just to be met with Luke’s exhausted figure, he was sweating and panting, but that didn’t stop him from running his eyes up and down your figure and smiling at you. 

To say Katie was disgusted would be an understatement. A “Castellan is a dick, you should stay away from him,” was enough to stop you from staring at him and turning your head back to Katie. She went on to explain how Luke was a “real shitty person” and only hooked up with her as a way of getting her to grow weed in the back of the stables. 

It happened around eight times in the last two hours (not that you were counting) and it only got worse when the moon came up and everyone was making their way to the bonfire. You were walking next to Michael Yew when you felt a hand on your lower back. 

Luke’s hand on your lower back, to be exact. He left it there as he walked past you, only turning his head back to say “It’s adorable to see you together, are you two a couple?” 

You had to hold yourself back from strangling him when you heard his irritating laugh after he saw Michael’s reaction to his statement. Michael tried his best to be polite and tell him he was wrong, that there was nothing going on between the two of you. 

But his reply only seemed to fuel Luke’s actions even more because all he did was answer with a cocky “Oh, I know. Our princess here is only into... what was it? People that like to slowly kill themselves with cigarettes?” before walking away.

You were going to kill him.

Michael left your side as soon as you arrived, moving to sit with his siblings from the Apollo Cabin… leaving you with two choices: sitting with your siblings or sitting next to Luke (who for some reason always sat alone and spent the entire time listening to the music coming from the MP3 player he somehow managed to get into camp). 

So this is what Luke meant, you thought. This was the only way you could prove to him and everyone that you were serious about dating him—fake dating him—but it's not like they would ever know the truth.

You dragged your feet as you walked towards Luke, clearly having second thoughts about your plan, but there was no turning back now. You tried to ignore the confused look Drew was giving you and the gasps you could hear coming from your siblings. 

“I’m pretty sure Drew started the rumors about me having lice and smuggling coke into camp, are you sure you want to fake date me of all people?” You weren't so sure anymore but that didn’t stop you from taking a seat next to Luke Castellan, who took one of his earphones off and looked at you with a smile. 

“Happy now? I just proved how serious I am about this,” you whispered to him, trying your best to not let anyone hear you.

Luke nodded before saying, “You could’ve done better, but I’ll take it.”

“Done better? I just sat next to you in front of the entire camp, isn’t this good enough for you?” you asked, indignation evident in your tone. 

“Promise not to beat me up?” Luke said before pulling your arm and manhandling your body so you were on top of him, sitting on his lap. He placed his hands on your hips and looked up at you with stars in his eyes.

“Wow, Castellan. How scandalous, I’m sitting on your lap,” you deadpanned. 

He chuckled, bringing you closer to him and pressing his lips against yours. Luke’s hands felt like fire against your skin, all you could feel was a heat taking all over your body as he continued to kiss you, only pulling away to catch his breath before bringing you in for another one, this time he kissed you deeper and faster. 

Luke dragged you closer to him by pressing your hips against his and all you could do was melt into him and the feeling of his lips against yours. In the distance, you could hear gasps and people gagging, and you were pretty sure the campers from the Ares Cabin were cheering and whistling, but all your thoughts were on Luke Castellan and how good of a kisser he is.

You pulled away first this time, trying to steady your breathing as you looked into his eyes. He licked his lips before whispering “We should go.”

Your eyes widened as soon as he said that, the implications of what the sentence meant making you feel nervous. Luke was quick to reassure you, “If we leave, your siblings will be even more outraged. We don’t have to do anything, but they’ll think we are doing…some stuff. Just come to the woods with me for a little while.” 

You nodded and grabbed his hand as he guided you through the woods. You could hear Silena calling out your name and warning you about the consequences of your actions, but her voice was drowned out by the loud cheers coming from Clarisse.

Once the two of you were far enough from the rest of the campers, Luke let go of your hand and sat down by the lake, nodding his head as a way of asking you to join him.

You sat in silence for a few minutes until Luke spoke first. “How long do you think we should keep this thing up?”

“Valentina and Drew will want us to be over by tonight,” you said with a smile, a laugh escaping your lips. You didn’t notice how Luke’s eyes got brighter when he heard your laugh or how the melody that came out of your lips went straight through his heart and made him feel more alive.

“But I think a week should be enough. We can say we’ve been secretly dating for like... five months? That way it won’t be weird if we break up in a week,” you explained while your fingers played with your camp necklace. 

Luke nodded before going silent again, staring at the lake with a look you couldn’t quite comprehend. Your gaze was set on him, your eyes traveling from his toned arms, all the way to the scar that sat right below his right eye. 

“I know it’s awful, I can feel you staring at it,” he murmured. You could physically feel your heart sinking when he said it. You cleared your throat, “No, I… I think it’s beautiful. I think you’re—” Luke turned his head to face you, an inquisitive look in his eyes. “I think you’re really brave, Luke.” 

“Beautiful?” Luke asked, confusion written all over his face. “You should hear what your siblings say about it, then. I’m sure your opinion would change in a second.” 

“Being an Aphrodite kid means you see beauty everywhere,” you explained, “And I think your scar must be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Luke stared at you with an unreadable expression, making your heart almost beat out of your chest. 

“Are you flirting with me, angel?”

“Of course, you’d ruin the moment. Screw you, man.” You rolled your eyes. 

Luke threw his head back in a fit of laughter, it made you want to strangle him… again. “Did you just say screw you? Gods, princess, saying fuck won’t kill you.” 

“I don’t like to curse, thank you for pointing it out, Castellan,” you said, playfully shoving him, making him fake a gasp. 

“You went from trying to seduce me to trying to kill me, you’re so interesting, angel,” he said before letting out a sigh. “It, uh… It was really hard at first, getting used to the scar.”

“Having people call it all sorts of names, and looking at me with nothing but pity in their eyes was not easy to get used to. But after some time you just… stop caring. I mean, I’m not that big of an asshole to hold a grudge over a fucking scar, it even looks sick. But yeah, when it gets hard again all I can do is snort a line and move on.

“The coke smuggling was real?” you gasped, only focusing on the last sentence he said. Luke tried to keep a straight face but his facade fell the moment he noticed your wide eyes. Luke Castellan has the type of laugh that makes everything get fuzzy and makes you feel lightheaded, and all you wanted to do was to come up with bad jokes just for the sole reason of hearing him do it again. 

“Fuck, you really believe anything, huh?”

“Shut up, Castellan. I’ll literally stab you and let you slowly bleed to death,” you threatened, standing up from your place next to him. Luke followed you as you walked back to the cabins.

“You do know I’m the best swordsman in the last 300 years, right? Do you even know how to wield a sword?” he asked, matching your pace and walking next to you. 

“Low blow, just because I don’t like to indulge in violence it doesn’t mean I don’t know how to wield a sword,” you retorted. 

Luke snorted a laugh, “You don’t know, do you?”

“No, I don’t. Will you shut up now?”

“I only will if you accept to let me teach you how to fight tomorrow,” Luke said with a tilt to his head. He didn’t even give you a chance to answer because he walked away from you while saying a loud “Meet me tomorrow morning in the sword fighting arena.” 

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱

You were sure you were seconds away from passing out. It's been around two hours of sparring with Luke and your arms and legs were about to give out. The sun was starting to come out, which meant this torture was nearly over. At least that’s what Luke promised. “We’ll stop as soon as the other campers wake up, that way you won’t have to be embarrassed if they see your… skills.”

The two of you circled each other, your swords were raised and Luke’s blade was pointing straight at you. Luke took a second to study your stance before lunging forward, his sword meeting yours as you quickly blocked his attack. “Not too bad, huh?” Luke teased before trying to get another hit, his moves becoming more calculated the longer you kept blocking his advances. Proving he wasn’t called the best swordsman at camp for nothing. 

With a disarming maneuver you weren’t aware of, Luke was quick to throw your sword to the ground and have you stumbling back, not being able to regain your footing. Luke gave you a smirk when your body hit the ground with a small thud, “That was easy,” he said, “We should do this more often.” 

“Nope, this is a one-time thing, Castellan,” Luke rolled his eyes before bringing the blade of his sword closer to you, reaching for your chin with a glint in his eyes. The blade met your chin and Luke lifted it, making you meet his gaze as he slowly made you stand up by raising his sword even higher. 

The two of you stood still, staring intently into each other’s eyes until you heard it—the sound of the Ares Cabin making their way to the arena. Luke let out a surprised shit, dropped his sword to the ground, and walked closer to you, cupping your jaw with his right hand and kissing you. 

Your lips met in a hurried collision, causing the same fire from yesterday to set in your stomach. Your hands moved to Luke’s hair, softly pulling it as the kiss got heated. You knew this was fake, you knew this kiss meant nothing to him… but you didn’t want him to stop. “Holy fuck, are you two always sucking each other’s faces?” Clarisse’s voice cut through the moment, causing you to pull away from Luke, unable to meet his gaze. 

“Yeah, that’s what being in a relationship entails. I don’t think you’d know much about it, La Rue,” Luke breathes out.

“Don’t you have weed to sell or a cheap bottle of vodka to down, Castellan?” 

“Aw, you know me so well,” Luke answered before picking up both of your swords and grabbing your hand, walking away from the arena. 

The following days were (and you hated to admit it) filled with the most fun you’ve ever had. Luke would come up with some insane idea for a fake date and it would always end with one of you lying about seeing a camper or hearing Silena’s voice as an excuse to make out with each other. 

There was this one time the two of you were having a picnic by the strawberry fields and the day ended with the two of you hiding in the empty forge while making out, running your hands over each other’s bodies, and doing the normal stuff fake couples always do… it all happened because Luke swore he heard Valentina’s voice near the fields. (You were sure Valentina had been on the stables that entire day because she had cleaning duty, but why wouldn’t you play along with something you also wanted to do?)  

It was Sunday–the last day of your fake relationship–when Silena finally found the guts to talk to you about Luke. You even felt slightly bad for the girl because she was so nervous when she sat next to you in the dining pavilion. 

“I..um... I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” she began, “Well, there are lots of things for me to apologize for, but I think it’s pretty obvious what the main problem is.” 

“The way I’ve been treating you is not okay and I’m really ashamed of it. You shouldn’t have to feel pressured to be the person we want you to be, I used to see you as someone who couldn’t do things on her own and always needed someone to push her and help her handle everything… and now I see I was wrong,” Silena explained, running a hand through her hair. 

“It’s fine, Silena. I don’t mind.”

“Well, I do. You’re strong and more than capable of doing things on your own, and you don’t need me to try and help you or fix you.” She took a deep breath. “I didn't know you were dating Luke, and to be honest I didn’t even know he was your type. He is so… weird and I never would’ve guessed you were dating. I mean, Drew told me he does cocaine and—”

“He doesn’t,” you interrupted.

Silena raised a brow before continuing, “Anyway, I’m sorry if I ever made you feel bad for just... existing. And you always look so happy after hanging out with Luke, I truly hope the two of you stay together for a long time.” 

You didn’t even know how to explain the situation so you just blurted out “I broke up with him.” 

Silena looked shocked for a few seconds before letting out a deep breath, “Oh, thank the gods. Just because we trust you it doesn’t mean we trust him,” she spat the him with so much disgust it made you feel sick. “You deserve so much better.” 

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱

This is probably the first time you have ever felt ill at the thought of seeing Luke. Sure, you used to be annoyed by his presence before the whole fake dating situation even started, but at least you were a strange type of friends back then. Not really close but also not complete strangers. There were times you’d catch him hiding his secret stash of weed behind the stables and didn’t tell anyone, and he’d always pay you back by lying to Chiron about you practicing your sword skills with him. (You had only used a sword once and it was years ago when you were still a new camper, you had no idea why Chiron would ever believe him.)

Luke was sitting in his usual spot by the lake, a cigarette in his hand. It had become a tradition for the two of you to always meet up by the lake before curfew to talk about your day and practice your kissing so it wouldn’t look fake. 

“Hey,” you said, taking a seat next to him. Luke threw his cigarette to the ground, stepped on it, and almost instinctively wrapped an arm around your waist, kissing your temple. “Blink-182?” you asked, nodding at the MP3 he had on his lap. 

“The Smashing Pumpkins,” Luke answered, taking his earphones off. “Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness is one of the best albums ever made.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’ll take your word for it,” you said. Luke smiled and poked your side. 

“So, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” you began, but Luke held up his hand as a way to get you to stop.

“Can I say something first?” he asked, looking shy for probably the first time since the day you met him. 

You nodded and let him take the lead of the conversation. “Alright, so… I’m kind of shit with words so I’m sorry if this doesn’t make any sense but this past week has probably been the best week of my life. And I’m not even fucking around, I don’t have many friends–apart from Annabeth, and getting to be with you is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“Being your friend is the greatest gift the gods have ever given me, and sometimes I feel like I don’t even deserve it. I’m a mess of a person, and you’re well… you’re you,” Luke stared deeply into your eyes, “And I just wanted to let you know that—”

Luke didn’t get to finish his sentence because this time it was you who cut him off with a kiss. You could taste the cigarette on his lips as he brought you closer to him, running a hand down your back and deepening the kiss before pulling away and moving to kiss your neck. 

Luke began to trail kisses down your throat and only stopped to whisper a low “Look at you, what would Aphrodite say? I’m sure she’d be proud.”

Aphrodite.

You pushed him away the moment you remembered your mother. “Silena apologized. We can stop pretending now.”

Luke was silent and just stared at you, his fingers moving to fidget with the wire of his earphones. “Oh, right,” he cleared his throat. “It’s Sunday, I forgot.”

You knew he didn’t.

“Yup, so we can go back to normal now,” you said, looking away from his eyes because you knew it would only take one look into them for you to kiss him again.

“Good,” Luke stood up, not daring to even shoot you a glance, and walked away. Leaving you alone by the lake with the lingering smell of his cheap stolen cologne mixed with the cigarette he was smoking. 

It didn’t help that you were welcomed into your cabin with hugs and your siblings congratulating you for breaking up with the son of Hermes. Sure, you weren’t the perfect sister anymore because you dated Luke Friendless-Freak Castellan, but knowing they liked you just because you were with him and then broke his heart made you want to set the cabin on fire. 

The main rule of the Aphrodite Cabin was something your siblings were extremely proud of, but the thought of its existence made you want to storm into Mount Olympus by yourself and yell at your mother for putting all these useless ideas into their heads. 

For a child of Aphrodite to prove themselves, they must make someone fall in love with them and then break that someone's heart. 

Is it possible for the rule to backfire? For the child of Aphrodite to accidentally fall in love with someone and then break their own heart because of it? You didn’t even know if that was an option, but you were sure that’s exactly what you were going through right now. 

It was hard for you to go to sleep that night because your mind kept replaying the past week on a loop. Your conversation with Luke by your cabin. The night of the bonfire. The conversation by the lake about his scar. Sparring with him. Going on a million fake dates. The night on the forge. Your last conversation with him. 

“Look at you, what would Aphrodite say? I’m sure she’d be proud.” 

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱

You could feel Luke staring at you. Again. 

You were helping Annabeth strategize for Capture The Flag, because she had the brilliant idea to have the Athena cabin team up with Hermes and Aphrodite. You didn’t know much about fighting and spent most of the time sitting with your sisters during the game, but that didn’t mean you didn’t enjoy helping them come up with new plans. 

Once the three of you were done, Annabeth excused herself with an awkward “I think Malcolm wanted me to help him go through some maps. You two have fun… chatting!” and left as fast as she could, leaving you alone with Luke. 

You watched her leave the amphitheater and turned around to face Luke, “I can see why you like her. She’s so much like you.”

“Yeah, she’s like my little sister.”

The silence was so uncomfortable you almost broke down crying. You nodded and turned around, not being strong enough to face him, and walked away. You could hear him behind you, following you.

“Can we talk?” he pleaded.

You were about to open your mouth when Drew’s voice made you turn your head. “Gods, Castellan. It’s so embarrassing to still be hung up on your ex.” 

Luke sighed, “Hello to you too, Tanaka.” 

“Can you leave her alone? She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Drew said through a fake smile. 

“Oh, really? Did she tell you that?” Luke answered, tilting his head as he spoke and making eye contact with you. Wordlessly begging you to please talk to him. 

You stayed silent and looked away from him. Luke let out an incredulous laugh before nodding his head. “Good to know you’re back to being their little pet.” 

Drew rolled her eyes and walked away, shoving Luke as she walked past him. “So? You’re just not going to say anything?” Luke said. 

“What do you want me to say, Castellan?” 

“Tell me that last week didn’t mean anything to you,” Luke answered, his voice trembling. 

“Why do you care? I thought I was nothing but Drew’s little pet,” you replied, trying your best to not look weak in front of him.

Luke ran a hand through his hair and stepped closer to you, “I’m sure you’re thinking the exact same thing about yourself.” 

You hated that he was right.

The truth made your blood boil. “I don’t want any of your shit,” Luke let out a genuine laugh this time, a mocking look in his eyes. “Oh, so now she can curse?” 

You hated him for seeing the real you. You hated him for knowing the truth. You hated yourself for loving him.

“Fuck you, Castellan,” Luke hummed before stepping even closer to you and placing a hand on your waist, leaning to whisper in your ear. “I’m sure you’d love to do that again, right?” Luke’s smell was taking all over your senses and making your knees go weak. He continued, “Because even if we do it in the darkness of the Forge… it is still two friends fake dating because your mother might be watching.” 

You found the strength to press your hands against his chest and push him away, “Don’t talk to me ever again.” 

You spent the rest of the day with your siblings and friends, too afraid to leave their side because you didn’t trust yourself. Because you knew that if you were left alone for a second—you’d run straight to him. 

You sat next to Silena in the dining pavilion. Helped Katie and the Dyonisus cabin grow more strawberries by keeping them company. Walked with Michael to the bonfire, and stayed with Drew throughout the entire singalong. 

As always, Luke was sitting by himself, his MP3 player in his hand and his eyes were set on you. 

You walked back to your cabin when the singalong was over and helped your siblings get ready for bed. You were about to go to sleep when Valentina whispered your name, saying she had something for you.

“We found it last night under your bed, Drew wanted to give it to the harpies but I managed to take it away from her,” a frown made its way to your face.”What do you mean?”

“We found this,” She pulled out a badly wrapped gift from under her pillows. You were confused until she told you to open it.

 It was a bright pink MP3 player. 

“Oh,” you whispered, your hands shook as you stared at it. “I’ve got to—”

“It’s okay,” Valentina whispered. “He’s probably by the lake.”

You gave your half-sister a hug before running out of your cabin, and making your way to the lake. You could see Luke’s silhouette in the distance, and the sight only made you run faster.

You took a moment to catch your breath before saying, “The Smashing Pumpkins?”

Luke turned around at the sound of your voice. “Blink-182” he answered with a small smirk.

“Uh, of course,” you said as you walked closer to him. “Alright, listen. You were right.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Oh, fuck off,” you continued with a smile. “So, it turns out I may or may not be in love with this certain guy, and he may or may not be my type or whatever it is my siblings say.”

Luke took a step closer to you. “There’s a chance this guy thinks I’m going through a phase and only fake dated him to piss off my siblings and mother but the truth is… I don’t even care about them whenever I’m with him.” 

His hand moved to caress your cheek, “That’s cute and all but how does this guy know you truly mean that?” 

“I’m not going to make out with him at the bonfire, so I guess all he needs to do is believe me,” you whispered, your eyes moving from Luke’s eyes to his lips.

Luke smiled before answering, “Believe you? That’s alright with me,” and pressing his lips to yours.

Luke was right. Aphrodite would be proud. 

[love-that-we-were-in]

Let All Your Damage Damage Me

Pairing: Luke Castellan x Reader Summary: There's something to be said for patching up Camp Half-Blood, especially when you end up seeing more of Luke Castellan than you thought you ever would. Or 3 times Luke starts a fight and 1 time he doesn't. Word Count: 4.6k Warnings: smoking, mentions of low-grade drugs and underage drinking, implied sexual content and more teenage dirtbag luke because @initialchains was kind enough to let me steal him for evil!

a/n: this is the most brainrot i've ever brainrotted and again, all credit for this version of luke to noli. enjoy!!!

There’s this weight that carries the name Luke Castellan across Camp Half-Blood. Once, it was a new camper - years on the run with a young daughter of Athena and a fatality at the borders that drew interest. In the time since, it’s become something different, reshaped and frayed. A promising young demigod lingering on the outskirts where possible, creating his own tethers to the mortal world like it’ll detach itself from him if he doesn’t. 

It confuses new campers at first, the dichotomy between how Luke is spoken of and who he is. The best swordsman in almost three centuries, a once favorite son of Hermes. To look at him then, take in his scuffed shoes and the cigarette tucked behind his ear - it makes them wonder what it took for him to fall so far out of alignment. 

No one ever asks. 

1.

The conch sounds from your left and the rest of your campmates spread out across the land with a battle cry. You know how this evening goes, too many of them spent alone in the quiet of the med-bay. There’s three of you as it stands, all waiting for someone to show up with a cut to tend to as the game gets underway. Will stands outside, eyes wandering over the edges of the forest as if he can see through the trees to what’s happening within them. It’s his first summer, the thrill of camp yet to be lost on him, and you’re glad he can find excitement in being on the sidelines. Lee has already tucked himself into a corner, technically a part of the medical team but mostly waiting to tag into the game. A back-up player. 

You know that within the hour, you’ll likely lose both of them to the game. It’s not something you mind, dealing with the minor injuries alone. There’s an element of peace to it, tending to everyone else’s wounds and sending them on their way. It’s what you’re best at, a healed knife wound last year the reason you were claimed. Still, it makes capture the flag last for eons - every hint of action happening further than you can see, often too far away for you to even register until someone pushes their way through your door in need of help.

So you settle in, let the peace of the evening wash over you. When one of the younger Demeter kids rushes into the room, you observe Will treating the deep cut on her arm. Disinfectant, gauze, a small bandage. When he’s done, he looks at you and you’re all too familiar with it. The longing to be part of the action. At your nod, he takes off, hot on the heels of the young girl and into the thick of battle. 

Eventually one of Clarisse’s siblings bursts into the room, fire in his eyes and you can hardly blink before Lee is standing to attention. It’s the way of the game and you wave him off lightly, lowering yourself back into a chair and letting your head fall against the cool surface of the wall. 

Another hour. 

If you had to guess, you would say there’s less violence on the field today. It’s Annabeth’s first time leading a team, you know that, and you’re aware of the way her mind works - lower injuries, higher soldiers. There’s little doubt that she’s ran the numbers, with backup plans for her backup plans to find and steal the flag. You know you should be rooting against her, Apollo partnered with Ares this time around, but you want this victory for her. 

There’s a flurry of movement from outside moments later, a groan followed by a muttered “I’m fine, Annabeth” before the girl is in front of you, frown pulling across her features. 

Beside her, or rather resting his weight on her, is Luke Castellan, eyebrows scrunched together and arms covered in thin cuts. 

You don’t really have much of an opinion on Luke if you’re being honest. You know the basics - a crash course given to you by Silena when you arrived at camp, actual information littered between rumors. Son of Hermes, incredible swordsman. Snuck out of camp two years ago to get a tattoo because he was drunk. Bribed Katie to start growing weed in one of the rarely used greenhouses.

Now, faced with him in a bloodied camp t-shirt and lacking his usual cigarette, you sort of want to know what’s true. 

“What happened to him?” There should be more urgency to your actions, you know, but you help Annabeth guide him into one of the beds at the side of the room slowly. 

“He decided to pick a fight with a bunch of kids near the lake,” Annabeth says, rolling her eyes. Even as she does, there’s this adoration that seeps out of her, the same one you’ve always known her to carry where Luke is concerned. “Three on one.”

Luke groans as you shift his position, glaring at the girl in front of him. “They deserved it. The shit they were saying.” 

Part of you wants to ask, desperately. Annabeth chuckles, nudging his shoulder and says, “Yeah, I know. I already thanked you so stop fishing for compliments.” 

He laughs lowly and you almost forget that there’s a real reason Annabeth would’ve brought him here. You’ve only seen Luke in this room once, late last winter, so it’s odd that he’d be here now. He tilts his chin at her, and then at the door. “Go win that flag.”

She starts to protest, talking about having faith in her team and how making sure he’s safe is more important. Still, she glances towards the door. 

“He’s in good hands with me, Annabeth,” You say when she stops to breathe for a moment. She bites her lip. “I promise.”

“She promises,” Luke repeats from behind you and apparently, that’s all Annabeth needed. With a final glance between you, she retreats, working her way back into the game. “Just me and you now, Angel.” 

There’s some sort of shift with Annabeth’s absence, thicker in the air and not completely unwelcome. Maybe it’s the nickname, too familiar for people having their second conversation, but there’s this way Luke says it, no intention twisting around the letters but settling warmly into your system anyway. You ignore it. “Where are you hurt, Castellan?” 

He grimaces and it’s the first time you notice his hand clasped at his side. It drops and you take in the darker color of his camp t-shirt there, the way it sticks to the area damp with blood and probably a lot of sweat. 

“Holy shit.” 

“It’s not that bad,” he jokes and you raise an eyebrow at him. He shrugs. “I’ve had worse.”

You shake your head. “Come on then, let’s see it.” 

It’s something you don’t do often, this informality with a patient. Bedside manner means something in healing but right now, you can’t think of the right way to channel it. To be gentle with Luke would feel awkward, restrictive almost, and to be too formal would just be rude at this point. What you’re doing now seems to work, if the way he grins is any indication, and you excuse yourself to the supply cabinet as he does as requested.

When you turn back around, Luke has his shirt off, legs still hanging off the side of the bed. You almost want to tell him to lay down, for your own peace of mind. Make it so you can simply treat the wound without having to look at him properly. Because Luke is…

Luke is really fucking pretty. 

You’ve known he was attractive - everyone knew that. It wasn’t something openly spoken about, not with how he exists on the outskirts of camp most of the time, but it was mutually understood. For all his faults, Luke was incredibly attractive. 

Now, though, even with blood covering half of his torso, he’s really fucking pretty. 

“I’m just going to clean it first,” you say when you reach him and it comes out quieter than you intended. You stand in front of him and his head tilts back slightly to look at your face properly. “Do you mind if you just- I need to get a little closer to look at it.”

You expect him to turn to the side, let the wound face you a bit better. Instead, the space between Luke’s legs widens enough for you to take a step closer, almost like a challenge, and you take it anyway. 

You work on instinct, wiping the blood away, pressing gentle fingertips into the skin. Habits formed over months, usually steady hands shaking just slightly as you wipe the cloth against Luke’s torso, his even breaths hitting the side of your neck at this angle. 

It’s not as deep as you expected, the skin still open, completely raw but not as ugly as it could be. As what you expected it to be. Gently, you press the gauze to it, lifting your head to be met with Luke’s eyes. They’re brown. They’re brown and completely relaxed and you kind of really want to find out how wide they could get in the right situation. 

“I told you it wasn’t that bad,” Luke says and you feel it more than you hear it. It shoots through your veins and you distantly remember Silena telling you that she once caught him with a line of coke. They rattle together before falling silent and you can hear your own breathing again. Luke’s too, slower than yours but close enough that you can count the length of each one. 

“You still should’ve come to me when you got injured.” 

“I’ll remember that next time.” It drifts across your cheeks, warming the skin there and you look back down at your hand pressed against Luke’s side. Pulling the gauze away, you quickly replace it with a clean square, sticking it in place carefully.

You run a finger across the edges before muttering, “All done.” 

There’s a right thing to do. Take a step back, give Luke the privacy to redress and send him on his way with instructions for looking after the dressing. That’s what you’re supposed to do. It’s what your brain is screaming at you to do, actually, but Luke’s skin is still so warm under your palm and each breath makes you more aware of the dip in his collarbones and you can’t think of a single good reason to move away.

When his lips part, you think he’s going to give you one. Instead, he whispers, “Tell me no,” and it just makes more sense to meet him halfway than say yes. 

Turns out, Luke Castellan is a really good kisser. It matches him, the blase way he leans into the action, tilts his head and adjusts the pressure to match whatever you do. Distantly, you remember to move your hand, dropping it from the gauze and resting it on his thigh instead and there’s this noise Luke makes in the back of his throat as you do so that makes you want to do it again.

He breaks off in the end, drawing in deep breaths. To see him disheveled isn’t entirely new, not with the lack of care he puts into maintaining his camp uniform, but to see him like this - dark curls run through, cheeks flushed red and lips swollen - is something else entirely. Without thinking too hard, you dip your head and place a kiss to the skin where his neck meets his shoulder. He shivers and you take it as an invitation, pressing another to his shoulder and then one to his right collarbone. 

His loose grip on your hip tightens and you wonder how far you could take this before you would have to stop. Based on the low curse Luke lets out when you repeat the motions on the other side of his neck, it’ll probably take until another camper comes to find you. 

Dragging your gaze down Luke’s frame, you come to the reasonable conclusion that it’s a risk you’re just going to have to take. 

2.

You expect it to happen sooner, staring at the door each evening willing it to open. A week of counting the hours, locking the med bay every night and still no sign of Luke. He’s back from his quest - Will had rushed in with the news when he’d crossed the border back into camp - but you’re yet to see him at all. Silena tried to tell you about his quest, about his failure really, and you’d shut her down before she could give you anything more than that he’d been badly injured. 

Lee had been on duty the day he’d returned. Written the notes and left them filed away. 

Deep scarring on the face. Nectar and ambrosia required on arrival. Patient refused monitoring. 

He doesn’t offer any further insight when he catches you reading over them the next morning, just shrugs like he expected Luke to refuse his help. Like he’s surprised the other boy even showed up for treatment at all. It’s moments like that, where there’s this judgement surrounding Luke’s mere existence, that remind you of the weeks before his quest. The five hectic weeks of bruised knuckles and how soft they could be against your skin. Of how nice cigarette smoke could be coming from Luke’s lips instead of just lingering in the air. 

So it catches you off guard when the knock sounds on your door, the same familiar quick raps of knuckles on the wood that you grew accustomed to hearing late into the night. He’s there, when you pry the door open, and he’s nothing like you expected. 

He’s still Luke, from the ragged tee to staggered breathing, but there’s blood covering half of his face, dripping from the stretch of open skin running down his left cheek and a dip in his spine he never had before. 

“Do you want to berate me first or can I just come in?” 

Stepping out of the way, you gesture into the empty room. There’s a familiar routine to this now, despite the week without it, and Luke takes his usual path to the bed near the cabinets. It’s wrong, the way you attach yourself to the casualness of it, to the comfort of having him back in this space with you, instead of rushing to do your job. 

But it’s Luke, a little broken maybe, but still Luke. 

“Who’d you fight this time?” You ask as you dig through drawers for everything you might need. You tell yourself it’s to be prepared - you both know what it really is. “Don’t tell me the foxes are back.”

“If you think this is bad, you should see the other guy.” 

It’s a running joke, borne of concern the first time Luke showed up here after curfew with a cut on jaw and nose a little more crooked than before. Something to reassure you, to stop you shifting yourself into professional mode. A way of assuring you that there was no rush. 

“You didn’t have a healing scar before,” you mutter regardless, slotting yourself into the space between his legs like normal. There’s an overhead light and, from directly in front of him, you can make out the length of it, the shape of the raised skin. It’s still raw, a little puffy, but on the right track. “Or did you forget?” 

“It’s not exactly easy to ignore, is it?” He shrugs, sitting straighter. “Besides, Ares kids are never all that.”

Finally, you think, lifting your hand to touch the taut skin there, there’s the bitterness you’ve heard in his voice so many times before. It’s one of those things you’ve come to recognise in Luke’s tone, the cadence of it when he actually cares, pitching lower than usual, burying itself under nonchalance. 

He watches as your thumb swipes across his cheek, pulling back to observe the way it stains red. You’re used to seeing him a little damaged, easily put back together by your hand. This is something else, a reflection of how everyone else sees him - bloodied and broken and damn near unapproachable for fear of spilled blood - and you want to capture it in your brain for the future, maybe forever. 

“I’m starting to think you might like me,” Luke says, hands moving from where they sit on the bed to rest on your waist. Your eyes stay locked on the pad of your thumb, watching the blood begin to seep into your skin. A beat, the brush of his warm thumb against the skin on your waist, and then, “It doesn’t hurt that much.” 

It goes against so much of who you’ve always sworn to be, finding him so pretty in this moment. Taking in the red of his cheek, the way it stretches down his neck and drips onto his t-shirt. Short of taking a medical oath, you’ve promised yourself to heal. To mend. To treating the injured, regardless of your own feelings on the matter.

Of course it would only take Luke Castellan, dark eyes and tender hands, to challenge that. 

“Tell me if it does,” You whisper and he licks his lower lip as he nods, wiping away some of the blood staining it as he does. The end of his quiet “promise” catches itself between your lips, mingling with the metal on your tongue and making it sweeter than you could’ve ever anticipated. 

This part of Luke is all too familiar, the taste of him to the comfortable weight of yourself on him. You’d learnt on that first night what made him tick, what made its way through him and he would return to you tenfold. In the weeks since, you’ve studied them, picking them apart until there’s been nothing to do but follow them into freefall. 

Now, you use them to guide you. Those small hitches in his breathing, the clearing of his throat, the slip of his palm when you press your lips to the skin above his pulse on the left and let them stain the right to match. It’ll all fade when you come back to yourself, cleaning the wound and stitching him back up, but it’s there when you lean back to look at him again, the undeniable mark of you on Luke Castellan’s skin. 

“You’re really fucking pretty, you know that.”

Luke tilts his head, squinting a little to focus his gaze. It’s this thing he does whenever you get like this, observant and a tad shy, waiting for the ball to drop. You keep silent, arms still wrapped around his shoulders and knees digging into the mattress either side of his hips. It’ll pass, always. 

When it does, the air changes. Not quite the same heated urgency as before, less hazy and with Luke realising the inch he’s been given, taking the mile you’ve offered in the inbetween. He’s still broken, still stained despite your best efforts to remove it, and he settles a hand in the hair at the nape of your neck as you push closer to him. 

3.

Silena told you once that it only takes twenty-one days to form a habit. She was talking about finding cigarette ends scattered around the training centre, a sure sign of Luke’s presence there each day, and how his habits had become too ingrained in him after years for them to be broken. It wasn’t true, you’d known that much, but it stayed in the back of your mind with every new one you attempted to build - daily runs, the correct amount of sleep, offering help to someone you didn’t know too well at camp. None of them ever stuck, lasting a few days at most, but it strikes you again now, Luke pushing his way through your door.

Eight weeks. More than enough time to form an alleged habit. You think, observing the flex of his arm, the thin section of ink peeking out from under his camp tee when he does, that you’ve fallen into a habit with Luke Castellan. Possibly even the habit of Luke Castellan. 

It’s different this time, however. The lack of visible bruising on his own skin, for one. There’s hints of it, smatterings of black and purple stretching across his knuckles, the skin peeling slightly, but his face is unmarred save for his usual scar. You don’t often see Luke mean. Based on the clench of his fists, so tight you’re sure it must hurt, you’re not entirely sure you want to.

“Did you know that he was summoned?” He says through gritted teeth. Sometimes, you wonder if Luke knows how to start a conversation properly. It’s not something you’ve known him to do, never a hello or goodbye, just a topic spoken into the space around you both. Neverending. “Claimed while I was away getting my ass handed to me by a dragon and then summoned for a discussion with Hermes.” 

You understand, then, why his entire body is tense. A carefully curated reputation tumbling down around him after years. The fallen son of Hermes finally getting some comeuppance for his impudence. Being replaced, in spite of dedication given to people who couldn’t stand to be around him. It’s not the first time you’ve been upset for him, but it is the first time it’s made you ache for justice. 

“I heard he got back this morning.” 

Luke hums and you watch as his cheek hollows, knowing how his teeth are indenting on the skin inside. “Came to find me first thing. To tell me all about it.”

“He came to rub it in.”

“Good girl,” he smiles, the first since walking in, and the combination burns low in your gut. A habit takes twenty-one days to form and it took Luke seventeen to understand the effect those words had on you. “I swung for him before I even realised I was doing it.” 

You perch yourself on the edge of one of the beds, keeping careful track of his movements across the room. “This might be the first time you’ve come here and the other guy is actually going to look worse.” 

It does what you wanted it to, drags a chuckle out of him and releases the tension from his shoulders. “I bumped into Will on my way here. Sent him to patch him up and keep him far away from me.” 

“Are you telling me you planned to get me alone in the med bay, Castellan?”

His nose scrunches, stealing the last of his rage from the air and twisting it into something different. “You were already alone in the med bay. I just planned to take advantage of it.”

The change in dynamic isn’t lost on you, so unused to starting in these positions, but you let it linger for a moment anyway. Ground yourself in the knowledge that Luke knows you, knows your breathing and your movements and your heartbeat. It doesn’t take twenty-one days to build a habit, and you’re far from breaking this one.

“Tell me no,” Luke says and it echoes in a way it hasn’t before. Joins the dust in the air and settles in the sunlight from the high windows. You take a breath. He releases one. “Tell me yes.” 

It’s something you should think about more, letting him ingrain himself in your space the way you have been. Patching him up is one thing, borne from consideration and oath and demanded by a higher power than yourself. In the dark nights of camp, you can pretend the time you spend with him doesn’t count for much - that it barely exists if you want to. That’s how you’ve navigated it so far, pretending not to know the calluses on his hands during demonstrations, brushing it off when Silena points out how he’s been getting into more fights these past few months. 

You should leave Luke Castellan in the shadows, a boy mended in dim lighting and known through hushed conversations. 

But you know the taste of smoke from his lungs, the press of his lips on your skin. You know his blood and his sweat and his mumbled curses. You know more about him than anyone in this camp, maybe in this world, and you’re the only one who cares to trace it over again and again until you can recite him line by line. 

“Yes, Luke,” It comes out louder than intended, completely defined. “Please.” 

Whatever it is about it, the assuredness or the plea, it’s what he needs, crashing into you like it’s all he’s ever wanted to do. There’s an easy confidence to the way he touches you now, swallows the sounds you make to keep them for himself, keeps you half-hidden from the daylight peering in like it’ll protect you both. You bury yourself under his skin, nails and teeth and take parts of him with you when you let go. 

It’s risky, slightly too hurried for how important it feels, but it makes sense with each breath you share. Fits itself to the bitterness that frays your edges, hems them into something more palatable. Luke’s mumbles are half-formed against your skin and yours are incomplete in air and they stick together as something no one else could translate. 

You can’t define this, not with a theory or a diagnosis, but you think it could fall neatly into your notes as a categorised addiction. 

With Luke’s soft curls between your fingers, you kind of forget how to care.

+1

“You know, I could probably beat you in a fight.” 

Luke chuckles, flicking the ash from his cigarette to the ground behind your cabin. It’s a new thing, hiding yourselves away in new locations, and you’re sort of fascinated with the way he chooses where to go. No rhyme or reason. “You think?”

“I would bet so much money on it if we actually got paid here,” You nod, rocking back on your heels. He’s nicer like this, bathed in moonlight and at peace with his surroundings. It’s something you’ve become accustomed to, the casual dichotomy of Luke at night, unburdened by rumours. “I would bet your chain on it.” 

You’re not serious, he knows that - the silver necklace is one of the few things he actually treasures - but it’s funny to see his face lift in disbelief as you say it. He presses the end of his cigarette out under his shoe and you bite the inside of your cheek to stop the smile threatening to come out. 

“You really think you could beat me in a fight?” 

You take a step back with each one he takes forward, only to find yourself pressed against your cabin seconds later. Luke’s smile changes, twists a little more into a smirk, and you let yourself relax into it. Instead of an answer, you hum lightly. His hands land either side of your head and you feel yourself smile before you remember to stop it. 

“Take it back,” he whispers and it drifts across your cheekbones. You drop your gaze to the peek of silver above his camp shirt, curling a finger underneath the metal so the charm dangling from it drops into full view. You glance back at him, his gaze dropping from your face to hand on his chest. “Please.” 

Wrapping your hand around the cool metal, you tug him the short distance between you and it feels like the better response when Luke smiles against your lips.

[poppitron360]

Headcanon that there were a couple online chatrooms for new parents of demigods, so they can find a support network. (because chronologically speaking it was the 90s back when the Seven were born).

Sally meets this one woman from Texas, and they get to talking. She’s got a little boy, about a year younger than her Percy. They share stories about the constant anxieties of parenting a powerful demigod, the horrors of demigod pregnancy, the fears for their boys’ futures, the cute little moments when Percy drew his mommy as a mermaid. Esperanza is funny, and they become good friends despite the fact that they’d never met in person.

Eventually, though, school and work and Gabe all get in the way of things, and Sally and Esperanza lose touch. She still thinks about that woman, though, who was her only confidant in a freaky world. Her one place she could offload all the stresses of life. Her one… hope. She made Sally feel less like she was doing it all on her own. When she had to raise Percy all by herself, she was there. Their lives touched from across the country.

She tried to get back in contact, years later. No response.

She’s probably just not using that old messaging system anymore.

Sally wonders where she is now. She hopes she’s happy.

[blasphemousclaw]

What's crazy is that I think Messmer is technically the older brother so maturity just hit Rykard like a bus and made him look like a 40 year old man (Which brings up the question, since they're demigods, do they just stop aging at a certain point of their life?? Cause Morgott looks like he's in the later stages of his life but that could just be because he's an Omen)

it is kind of ambiguous how the demigods age but it seems like when they become adults they kind of stop getting visibly older? so Messmer doesn’t look too old despite being significantly older than the Carian kids…

the thing about Rykard is that people always try to claim that his hair is white or grey because he’s aging, but that actually makes no sense because neither of his parents nor his brother look significantly aged… so why would Rykard be the only one of his family to get old??? personally, I think he appears way older than he actually is because 1. he’s the only demigod with a beard, and 2. his face is like… kind of crazy looking. he has pitch black eye sockets, there’s a strange scaly texture around his beard (that kind of makes me doubt it’s fully made of hair), and he almost looks like he has flaps of skin around the sides of his mouth?? whatever’s going on with his face, I don’t think it’s natural at all.

but if you look past the weirdness of his face, I don’t think he actually looks much older than Radahn here?

anyway it’s definitely mostly the beard that ages him. so I drew something cursed

[foreficfandom]

POV: You Are Actually MUCH More Powerful Than Alastor (1/2)

(Alastor x Reader, g/n, queerplatonic/sex and romance favorable, fan theories, God!Reader)

Overlords are common sinners that boast many indentured servants to their name. Some also focus on physical territory. Some, like Alastor, don't bother. After all, radio knows little physical limitations.

Every Overlord had their own method of gaining prowess. Know one knows how Alastor became so dangerous. The strongest of the lords. Possibly stronger than some goetia royalty.

You weren't sure, either, but you had an inkling.

Because unbeknownst to anyone, you weren't some common sinner soul.

You were unique. A being originating far from this Christian realm of Heaven and Hell. You were undying, or a reincarnation, or a demigod. But you kept on the down low, 'cause attention would have meant trouble.

You could feel that Alastor's magic was a dark, bloody thing, nestled deep in his chest and hooked tightly like barbed wire. It tasted like sacrifices. It smelled like ultraviolet. And you knew it was borrowed, almost seeing the leash around his neck out of the corner of your eye.

Through a shared interest in the Hazbin Hotel, you and Alastor became acquaintances. Months later, you were proper friends. You could tell that Alastor valued the kind and pure of heart, even if he also believed them pitiful. Because they reminded him of a pleasant, happier life. A hidden part of him wanted to believe in their hope and love.

He thought you were just another sinner soul, and you didn't give him a reason to know any better. You had a job as part of the hotel staff. Their accountant, or security, or maintenance. Or their head concierge, guest service agent, auditor, what have you. Something vital to the business, but nothing glamorous. Labor has always been your most successful mask.

He was growing to love again. His mortal self might have been more recipient of affections and bonds, but decades living in hell has twisted him, and you could see him despair over the lump in his throat. His defeat at the hands of Adam proved his limits. You felt him writhe for weeks afterwards, and you let him reap what he sowed.

Curious, you sneaked away one evening and drew from your well of power to step through the fabric of time, finding yourself on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain to watch a young Alastor drink the blood from a bloody corpse, and spitting it over his shoulder. Some loa watched this bastardized libation from across the crossroads, but what answered was far more malevolent.

Alastor agreed to a very dangerous exchange. He now had hold over magic impressive enough for a mortal, but you knew it to be a relatively bum deal compared to true power. He would hunger constantly for flesh just to feed its energy, which was a cleverly hidden clause to curse him further through devilish consumption. His shadow sprouted antlers and a maw of sharp teeth.

For two decades, Alastor hunted and ate. Always male victims, usually white men, individuals some might damn as monsters themselves - the abusers, the genociders, the murderously entitled. What was once a scared young man grew hollow and fat on the power.

You've seen enough. Stepping through once more, you joined Alastor in cooking an orzo for shrove Tuesday. Sharpening your gaze, you watched his reflection on the shiny metal surface of a pot, and saw the stitches embedded in his face, pulling tight and vicious.

You nonchalantly asked, "How did you become so proficient at the kitchen knife?"

"Well, I was taught that one could eat, or they could eat well," he replied in a sing-song voice. "And practice makes perfect! Hunger is truly the best teacher."

The meat he was pairing was pork, but you knew he's served human flesh for dinner at least once before. You didn't say anything, because they'd grow suspicious at how you could possibly know from just the smell.

Alastor allowed only you to join him in cooking, partly because he favored you so much more, also because you were a right hand at making a meal. You didn't mention that millennia of existence made one a right hand at any skill.

And tonight, he would begin to see it.

Leaving the broth to simmer, you grabbed a small pairing knife and one of the tomatoes. Instead of simply coring and slicing, you inserted 0.013'' of carbon, chromium, and manganese right between where the molecular cells of epidermis ended at the pericarp. In a single momentum of both your knife and the tomato, the skin was perfectly peeled within two rotations.

Alastor wasn't even looking at you. But he froze over the cutting board, rictus smile sharp.

You haven't even used magic yet.

Both the tomato epidermis and its flayed flesh were completely free of any trace of the other, so in one hand, you ignited the skin to transmogrify into a tiny figurine made out of its glycerin wax. In the other, the tomato was sacrificed in a hole of light-bending void for its animal equivalent - the tiny heart of some small animal, possibly a bird or an amphibian, beating calmly as if alive.

Alastor slowly turned his head to watch as a miniature wax replica of himself held the heart in both shaking hands, before doubling over to devour it whole, its relative size and gore very reminiscent of a large, juicy tomato.

A picture perfect snapshot of his fifth or sixth murder while alive. Some world war veteran that still longed for the battlefield and had exercised his frustration upon his mother and younger siblings. The man might have been rotten, but his warrior's blood had burned hot and nourished Alastor's gaping void particularly well.

(NEXT)

[kastalani123]

Hey hey hey, remember how Drew (and Lacy) was mentioned as going to the same school as Sadie in The Serpent's Shadow? So it's like. Implied the two of them are a similar age, especially since they clearly interact plenty, with Sadie knowing her full name and such? I dunno about you, but I never interacted much with kids out of my age range at school, so it's basically implied they're close in age — when Sadie is thirteen (Lacy being said to be a year younger than her).

So, like. What if Drew's. Younger than Piper, actually? By like. A year or so, so she'd be fourteen, rather than the popularly accepted 16/17. I know The Lost Hero tries to say the oldest demigod at the cabin automatically becomes counselor unless challenged by someone who's been on more quests, but Annabeth was counselor at twelve, so I call bullshit and accept the demigod-that's-been-at-camp-the-longest rule as the one automatically takes the role when needed (also, there's nothing saying fourteen wouldn't be the oldest in the cabin post-war, anyways). So Drew could easily not be the oldest in the cabin, and still have to deal with suddenly being head of her family, on top of her older sister being revealed as a traitor, the grief of losing several siblings and friends, and the PTSD that comes with being a soldier.

I just think that'd be very fun for her <3

(And then just. Imagine Piper realizing that maybe she's the oldest, and her younger siblings took part in a war (that was arguably worse than the Giant War Piper was a part of), and maybe that's why Drew's a bit too much of a bitch sometimes, rather than just Girly Girls being automatically evil.)

[glittervame]

We'll find out soon enough

I think we've found out just how interested we are Pt.2

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an amber glow over the lush grass, teams of young demigods, their hearts racing with anticipation, gathered at Camp Half-Blood for the annual Capture the Flag competition. Luke Castellan, son of Hermes was a veteran of many at such events. The air crackled with tension as they both led their teams to their respective flags, readying themselves for the game to begin.

Luke, dressed in his red team uniform, stood at the edge of the field, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of the enemy. He adjusted his cap, making sure it was firmly secured on his head, before letting out a deep breath. He couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement building up inside him. This was his first time playing against Y/n, and he was determined to win. Not just for the glory and the prize, but because he was absolutely, completely, and utterly obsessed with her.

Y/n, on the other hand, was the captain of the blue team. She moved with a grace that belied her athletic prowess, her long, curly hair flowing behind her like a crimson cape. She glanced over at Luke, noting the way he watched her, and felt a blush creep up her neck. She'd had a crush on him for as long as she could remember, but she knew that today was not the time to dwell on her feelings. There was a game to be won, and she intended to lead her team to victory.

He glanced down at his hands, flexing them into fists. He'd never been one to back down from a challenge, especially when it came to physical activity. He let out a sigh, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up, before turning back to the girl. There was something about her that made him want to impress her, to prove himself to her. Perhaps it was the way she moved, or the authority she seemed to exude, but whatever it was, it had him feeling… strange.

The referee blew their whistle, signaling the start of the game. Luke's team spread out across the field, strategizing their plan of attack while the other team readied themselves at their flag. He spotted the girl at the center of her team, her eyes scanning the terrain, her focus unwavering. She was smart, he'd give her that, but he was sure he could outmaneuver her.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the woods into an eerie twilight, Luke squinted through the haze, searching for any sign of the enemy flag, crept silently through the undergrowth. His eyes darted left and right, searching for any signs of movement.

He could feel the weight of his team's expectations pressing down on him, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on his every move. And then, in the distance, he caught a glimpse of it: the blue flag, swaying gently in the breeze, just beyond the reach of his team. His heart raced as adrenaline surged through his veins.

His breath hitched as a cool breeze rustled the leaves above him. Suddenly, he heard a twig snap nearby, and he ducked instinctively into a nearby thicket. Peering through the dense foliage, he saw Y/n, her eyes glinting in the dim light, crouched just a few feet away. For a moment, they locked eyes, and Luke felt a strange thrill run through him.

The tension between them grew. They circled each other like predators, each time they crossed paths their movements becoming more aggressive. He knew they were supposed to be enemies, but there was something about her that drew him in. Maybe it was the way she moved so gracefully, or the way she seemed just as determined as he was to win this game. Whatever it was, he couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards her.

And then, it happened. Luke made a move for her flag, dashing through the trees with all his might. But she was faster, her agility unmatched, and she tackled him to the ground before he could reach it. The breath whooshed out of his lungs as they landed in a tangle of limbs.

For a moment, they were still, their bodies pressed together, their hearts racing. Luke could feel the heat emanating from her, could feel the rapid beat of her heart against his chest. He stared into her eyes, feeling a strange mixture of anger, desire, and admiration.

And then, without warning, she smiled. It was a slow, sensual curve of her lips that took him completely by surprise. Her gaze never left his, and Luke felt a shiver run down his spine. Suddenly, he realized that he was no longer angry with her. Instead, he was overcome with a desire to know more about her, to understand what made her tick. As their breathing slowed, she reached up and brushed a strand of hair from his face, her fingers grazing his cheek.

Luke's heart hammered in his chest, and for a moment, he couldn't think of anything but the feel of her skin against his. The air around them seemed to crackle with an electric energy, and he found himself wanting more. He leaned in closer, his lips just inches from hers, when she finally spoke. Her voice was soft and husky, and it sent a wave of heat through him.

"So," she said, her gaze still locked on his, "you're pretty good at this, huh?"

Luke couldn't help but smile back. "I've had my fair share of practice," he replied, feeling a sense of camaraderie begin to build between them. "But you're not so bad yourself."

Y/n blushed slightly at his compliment, her cheeks flushing in the dim light. "Well, thank you," she said, her voice still soft and alluring. "I've just always been good at strategy, I guess."

Luke chuckled. "Well, you've got me there," he admitted. "But you know what they say, right? Strategy alone won't win you a game. It's all about skill, too." He gestured to himself, as if to emphasize his point.

Y/n smiled back at him. "I'm not denying that," she replied, her green eyes sparkling in the dim light. "But there's something to be said for being able to anticipate your opponent's moves."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he asked, feigning mock surprise. "And how would you know what I'm going to do next?"

Y/n grinned, her teeth flashing in the dim light. "Oh, I have my ways," she said mysteriously. "But I suppose we'll find out soon enough, won't we?"

Just then a whistle rings out through the woods and then a cheer quicky follows after it, the blue team had won, Y/n's team had won. Luke sighs softly as he and Y/n break apart, each standing to their feet. Her eyes meet his once more, and then she turns away from him and walks into the trees.

He watches her go, feeling a strange mixture of emotions swirling inside him. On one hand, he's disappointed that they lost, but on the other, he can't help but feel a sense of relief that they're no longer so close to each other. He wipes the sweat from his brow and takes a deep breath, trying to clear his head.

As he walks back towards the group of people who had been cheering for them, Luke can't help but glance back in the direction she went. He's not sure why he's so drawn to her, but there's something about her that he just can't shake off. Maybe it's her confidence, her intelligence, or even the way she moves. Whatever it is, it's strong, and it lingers in the air around him like a phantom.

He tries to focus on the task at hand: leading his team back to the starting point. They exchange words of encouragement and congratulations, but Luke can't help but feel disconnected from them all. His thoughts keep drifting back to Y/n, wondering what she's thinking, what she's feeling. He wishes he could just approach her again, to learn more about whatever it is that makes her tick.

As they near the camp, he sees her talking animatedly with a group of her teammates. She's gesturing wildly, her eyes shining with intensity. Luke can't help but be drawn to her, even from a distance. There's something so captivating about her presence, it's as if she's lit up the night sky.

He walks over to where she's standing, feeling a nervousness in his stomach that he can't quite explain. "Hey, Y/n," he says, trying to sound casual. "Good game out there."

She glances up at him, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Thanks, Luke," she replies. "You did a good job too." There's a pause, and then she adds, "I mean, you lost, but still." She laughs lightly, and it's contagious, he cracks a grin.

"Thanks," he says, feeling a little more at ease. "I guess we'll have to try harder next time." He gestures around them.

Y/n nods. "Oh, don't worry too much about it," she says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's not like there's any real prize for winning or anything." Her voice is teasing, but there's an undercurrent of something else there. Luke can't quite put his finger on it.

He chuckles, feeling a warmth spread through his chest. "Well, maybe there should be," he says with a shrug. "It'd give us something to aim for." They stand there in silence for a moment, the sounds of the woods and the camp around them filling the air. Luke can't help but feel drawn to her, even though they're not from the same team.

He steps a little closer to her, his face closer to her. "So, what do you think the prize should be?" he asks, his voice low and husky. He can feel the heat emanating from her body and it makes him want to step even closer.

Y/n looks up at him, her eyes meeting his. There's a sparkle in them that he hasn't seen before, and it takes his breath away. "Oh, I don't know," she says, playing with a strand of hair that has fallen out of place. "Maybe the losers have to do something embarrassing?" She tilts her head to the side, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Luke feels a shiver run down his spine at her words. He's not sure if she's teasing him or if she's serious, but either way, he likes the idea. "Oh, really?" he says, feigning surprise. "And what kind of embarrassing thing do you have in mind?" He takes a step closer to her, his heart racing in anticipation of her reply.

She tilts her head back slightly, her eyes never leaving his. "Oh, I don't know," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe the losers have to wear something…ridiculous?" She pauses, a sly grin spreading across her lips. "Or maybe they have to dance for the winners?"

Luke feels a mixture of anticipation and nervousness surging through him. He knows he's playing with fire here, but he can't help himself. "That sounds intriguing" he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

There was a pause.

His lips brush against hers, soft and gentle at first, before he deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding against hers in a dance of desire. He can feel her respond, her arms wrapping around his neck as she presses herself closer to him.

As their lips move together, he can taste the sweetness of her mouth, the softness of her skin. He's lost in the sensation, the way her body fits so perfectly against his own. He's never felt anything like this before, and he knows he doesn't want it to end.

Y/n moans softly into his mouth, her hands fisting in his shirt as she pulls him closer. He can feel her warmth, her energy, surrounding him like a blanket on a cold night. He wants nothing more than to explore every inch of her, to lose himself in the heat of this moment. He gently kisses his way to her collar.

As he nuzzles against her neck, he can feel her pulse racing beneath his lips. The sound of it, the rhythm, is intoxicating. He presses another soft kiss to her skin, his teeth grazing ever so slightly against it, and she lets out a small gasp, her hands tightening their grip on his shoulders.

He pulls back just enough to look into her eyes, their pupils dilated, their gazes locked. "I think I'm starting to understand what you meant," he whispers, a wicked grin spreading across his lips.

She bites her lower lip, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath. "And what is that?" she asks, her voice barely more than a hoarse whisper.

Luke steps back, his hands moving to her hips, and then sliding up her sides, over her ribs and finally cupping her breasts through the fabric of her shirt. He can feel her nipples harden against his palms and a shiver runs down his spine. "Well," he says, leaning in close to her ear, his breath hot against her skin, "I think it means that we're both really competitive…and maybe just a little bit interested in each other."

Her eyes widen, and for a moment he thinks she's going to pull away. But then she takes a deep breath, and her hands slide up his chest, over his shoulders, and around his neck, pulling him closer. She presses her body against his, their hips grinding together in a slow, sensual dance. "Maybe you're right," she whispers, her lips brushing against his ear. "Maybe we should find out just how interested we are."

[iwannakisskissyoureyesagain]

will solace headcanon time i love my boy

- casual stoner. when he gets breaks from the infirmary, he and drew get weed from behind the dionysus cabin and smoke together. they like to do it on the big house porch because dionysus couldn’t care less—the only reason he doesn’t do it with them is because he’s not sure if it goes against his punishment from zeus—or behind the apollo cabin when chiron’s around. piper has a cart and the two of them take hits from it and talk shit whenever she comes to visit. he doesn’t really smoke around nico though, just because he’s said he doesn’t like the smell (nico doesn’t really care otherwise, since it helps with will’s anxiety), and definitely not around percy because of everything that happened with gabe

- he’s started talking to dionysus about his anxiety, imposter syndrome, and seasonal depression. dionysus wants to talk to him about testing him for mild ocd

- his hair looks like a renaissance painting of patroclus, just blond

- loves his friends so much. he’s their biggest supporter in the entire world and if they didn’t all live at camp, he’d probably try to convince them to all live in a giant house together

- he’s very casually affectionate. he says i love you a lot, but he always means it. hugs and kisses his friends on the cheek. physical touch is his giving love language (he always makes sure he has consent, first, obviously)

- his receiving love language, however, are words of affirmation. he needs to verbally hear that he’s doing a good job—as a friend, as a boyfriend, as a healer, as a son, just in life

- he’s trained himself to be a light sleeper after years of working in the infirmary and becoming head counselor. sometimes his body just wakes himself up in the middle of the night and he has to sit in the infirmary until he’s positive that everything and everyone is fine and he’s literally the only one awake

- similarly, he has a crazy sixth sense of knowing when his stop is if he ever dozes off on public transport, and always wakes up two stops before. he thinks it stems from spending his a lot of his formative years traveling around with his mom while she toured, constantly waking up in new cities

- he iris messages his mom every night and tells her every single detail of his day

- being both a true crime junkie and a medic at a demigod camp, gore has absolutely no affect on him. this boy delivered a baby and has reattached countless limbs; he falls asleep listening to podcasts where twenty-something women talk about serial killers so notorious they have to give a content warning. a Saw trap isn’t going to faze him

- he met maren morris when he was younger and his mom opened for her. he got her signature and is still planning on getting it tattooed, he just hasn’t had a chance

- he has a very high pain tolerance and has a lot of stick-n-pokes, some of which he did himself, including a wonky-looking star that he let nico do and woobeewoo from Adventure Time

- his favorite music artists include kasey musgraves, taylor swift, leith ross, baby fisher, gracie abrams, fiona apple, fleetwood mac, dolly parton, carrie underwood, and troye sivan

- “ribs” by lorde makes him cry

- so does “the bug collector” by haley heynderickx

- he’s terrified of spiders

- he cries when anything at all happens to a dog in a movie. he watched All Dogs Go to Heaven with nico and was a such disaster by the time the credits rolled that the two of them had to sit there for half an hour until he calmed down. he has a core memory of watching Bolt with his mom when he was little and sobbing into her arms at the end. his siblings have expressly forbidden him from ever watching A Dog’s Purpose, for fear that it would literally send him into a deep depression

- kayla literally bought him cargo pants because she was so sick of him wearing shorts in the middle of winter. he’ll never admit it, but they’re his favorite pants he owns

- his fictional crushes are rodrick heffley, both marceline and marshall lee, jennifer check, edward cullen, alice cullen, ella of frell, prince char, nefara de nile, and jade west

- his mom took him to to see a free, outdoors production of Romeo and Juliet when he was twelve and he really liked it. he hates reading, and the combination of dyslexia and shakespeare is interesting to say the least, but he woke up one night missing his mom a lot, and found a copy of the play on one of his siblings’ nightstands, and decided to try reading it for nostalgia’s sake. that lasted about ten minutes. kayla woke up at the crack of dawn to go practice archery alone and found him in the empty infirmary, where he went so he wouldn’t wake anyone up with his glowing, sound asleep in a chair with the book still open in his lap

- it’s easy to forget he’s from texas when you hear his voice after years of living at camp, but a soft southern drawl slips out when he says certain words, and especially when he sings

- his favorite taylor swift eras are debut, fearless, and lover

- he knows how to shoot a gun and has insane aim, much better than when he shoots a bow and arrow. because of this, he feels very strongly about mandating gun laws and safety regulations because he knows firsthand just how dangerous they are. nico has no idea and will’s just waiting for the moment he can surprise him with it

- he has perfect pitch and lowkey doesn’t even realize it

- his handwriting is so atrocious he can’t even read it himself. one time he enlisted nico to take notes for him in the infirmary, but nico’s cursive was almost harder to read than will’s chicken-scratches

- caffeine has almost no affect on him, except maybe spiking his anxiety, but he’s gaslit himself into thinking it keeps him alert

- he’s extremely empathetic, just knows how to put on a brave face

- he has literally no idea how to ask for help. my boy is so used to taking care of everyone that people have to literally beg him to let them help him with work or console him

- he desperately wants a cat

[srvbryn]

I can ask for something like Luke x reader where during the mission there are many romantic moments.[ In one of those moments Luke wants to buy something for reader with his savings from other missions] ❤️💘 please I just want my addiction.

Luke Castellan. You and I are meant to be

Luke Castellan X gn!reader (no specific godly parent)

Summary: sweet moment with Luke Castellan during a quest

Warning: none! Just fluff<33 this one is very short 😓

A/n: I'M 100% SUPPORTING YOUR ADDICTION, don't forget to tell me what gender you want <3 and also which gods you want to be the godly parent!

i. You're smarter than me and yet you still fell

An unsuspecting rock caught your foot and caused you to stumble. Before embarrassment could set in, a strong hand reached out to steady you. It was Luke Castellan, smirking.

"Smooth move there," he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

Blushing, you shot him a mock glare. "Thanks for the rescue, Captain Obvious."

Luke chuckled, "Anytime. Wouldn't want my partner to get taken down by a mere rock."

As the laughter died down, Luke extended his hand to help you up.

The contact lingered for longer than necessary, with a gentle warmth passing between you. You couldn't help but smile, grateful for the unexpected help and shared amusement.

"Careful, (name)," Luke grinned, "I'd hate for my heroic moment to go to waste."

ii. I'm sorry for letting you get hurt

Luke gently guided you into the small clearing in the forest, concerned on his face. "Easy there, (name) Let's get you seated."

You winced as you sat in a worn-out chair, the aftermath of the dangerous situation still coursing through your veins.

Luke knelt beside you and retrieved a makeshift first aid kit.

"Okay, deep breaths," he reassured, his fingers deftly working to inspect your injuries.

You couldn't help but chuckle weakly. "I always knew doing a quest with you was a risky business, but I didn't expect to become a demigod pin cushion."

Luke shot you a sympathetic smile, "Well, you can thank the monsters for that. But don't worry, I've got this."

His touch was gentle, and the soft exchange of words set a relaxing rhythm.

"You know," Luke mused, "I didn't sign up to be a nurse, but I guess it comes with the territory of saving demigods."

You smirked, "Who knew being a hero came with perks like this?"

"Better?" he asked, finishing the last bandage.

You nodded, grateful for both his skills and his company. "Much better, thanks to you."

Luke's eyes met yours, a warmth in their depths. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to my favorite quest partner."

A blush crept onto your cheeks, and you playfully nudged him. "Careful, Castellan. You might be getting soft on me."

iii. You said you're not cold and yet you're in my arms

"It's peaceful out here," Luke remarked, his eyes fixed on the stars.

You nodded, "Yeah, a nice break from the chaos. Almost makes you forget we're on a quest."

As the temperature dropped, shivers ran down your spine. Luke noticed and instinctively drew you close. "Getting cold, (Name)?"

You smiled, enjoying the warmth radiating from his presence. "A little. But I can handle it."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Stubborn as always. Come here." He opened his arms, inviting you into a gentle embrace.

Leaning against him, you felt the comforting heat as he wrapped his jacket around both of you.

"You know," Luke began, his voice soft, "I didn't expect to find moments like these on a quest."

You chuckled, "Well, life's full of surprises, especially when you're in danger most of the time."

His fingers absentmindedly traced patterns on your arm. "True, but I'm not complaining. It's nice to have someone to share these moments with."

"You ever wonder what's out there beyond the stars?" Luke mused.

You followed his gaze, "Sometimes. But right now, I'm just happy to be here with you."

iv. You said you're tired so I let you sleep on my laps

"Sit down for a moment, Luke," you said, finding a comfortable vantage point.

He nodded, grateful for the chance to rest, and settled against a tree. You joined him, the coolness of the night settling around you.

Luke's exhaustion was palpable, his eyes heavy with the weight of the challenges ahead.

"You've been pushing yourself hard," you remarked, concern evident in your voice.

Luke ran a hand through his disheveled hair, a tired smile on his lips. "It's the nature of the quest, (Name). No time for breaks."

You leaned back against the tree, allowing him to rest his head in your lap.

The simple gesture elicited a content sigh from Luke. The soft rustle of leaves and the distant sounds of the camp formed a gentle backdrop as you gently stroked his hair.

"Close your eyes," you suggested, "I'll keep watch for a while."

The quest could wait; the exhaustion in his bones demanded this pause.

You smiled down at him, "Sometimes, all we need is a moment to rest and recharge. We can't save the world if we're running on empty, right?"

Luke chuckled softly, "You're wise beyond your years, (Name)"

Hours passed, and you remained steadfast in your position, unwilling to disturb Luke.

Occasionally, he would shift, seeking a more comfortable position, and you adjusted accordingly.

As dawn approached, the first light of the day painted the sky pink and orange. Luke stirred, blinking his eyes open.

"Thanks, (Name)," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that mirrored the rising sun. "I needed that."

v. You should be glad I'm not stealing it

Luke subtly excused himself, claiming to be scouting the area. Unbeknownst to you, he had another mission in mind.

With a determining glint in his eyes, Luke slipped away. Not so carefully because he keeps accidentally tripping over a rock.

While you and the others were setting up camp, Luke disappeared and made his way to a nearby town.

"I hope I can find something special here" Luke said with a sigh. The market appears to be nothing special - a small rundown market in the middle of nowhere. What did he expect to find there? Nothing.

The distant sounds of your camp echoed in his ears as he entered the quaint marketplace, determined to find the ideal materials for the bracelet.

Luke conversed with the shopkeeper while carefully selecting sparkling beads.

"I need something special, something that reflects the night sky," he explained, his eyes betraying a hidden motive.

The shopkeeper, unaware of the quest taking place in the woods, enthusiastically assisted Luke.

"Ah, a night sky-inspired piece, what an excellent choice! Is it for someone special?" they asked.

Luke, maintaining his secrecy, simply grinned. "You could say that."

Back at camp, you were wondering about Luke's - it had been 30 minutes and you were concerned! "Where's Luke?" you asked the others.

"He said he's scouting deeper into the forest," one of your half-siblings replied with a shrug.

Meanwhile, in the marketplace, Luke happily received the carefully wrapped bracelet from the shopkeeper. "I hope it brings luck to your journey, whoever it's for," the shopkeeper said with a knowing smile.

As he approached the camp, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

When he returned, you greeted him with a curious smile. "Find anything interesting?"

Luke's eyes flickered as he handed you the wrapped package. "Maybe I did," he said, trying to hide the anticipation in his voice.

As you unwrapped the bracelet, Luke couldn't help but catch his breath.

Your face lit up with a genuine smile as the beads glinted in the firelight. "Luke, this is incredible! Where did you find it?"

He chuckled, grateful that his secret mission had been a success. "Just stumbled upon it. Thought it might bring you a bit of luck on our quest."

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

A short list of things I would have changed in HoO

It takes place ten ish years after the end of PJO. Percy and Annabeth aren’t a part of the seven but instead appear as cool older mentors to help out the Lost Hero trio. They both have careers and live in New York and go to Sally’s house for dinner every weekend.

Caleo isn’t a thing. In fact, let’s not even mention Calypso. At most we mention she was freed after the last war as idk proof demigods have some power or something.

More than 1 Asian character. Give this one ADHD and dyslexia bc shocker Asian kids can be disabled as well.

For that matter a properly disabled character. I have a deaf OC I would use if I rewrote the series.

Leo is aroace. His arc is about learning that his self worth doesn’t have to be tied to the people around him and his friends love and care about him and he doesn’t need romance to be complete. His flirting is overcompensation bc he doesn’t feel romantic or sexual attraction and is afraid he’ll be alone forever.

Drew and Piper become friends. Drew’s mean girl bullshit is outdated and boring and it would have been a lot cooler to see her icy exterior thaw and her help Piper with her charmspeck (explaining how Piper learned how to use it to begin with) and take on an older sister role

Neither Leo nor Piper become head councilors to their cabins because that’s dumb

Keep the chapter title style from PJO. It was so fun and one of the highlights of the series for me. The relatable nature of PJO in general was kinda lost in HoO and it’s a shame bc there was such a variety of characters for people to identify with there.

Give Reyna a girlfriend or at least a homoerotic friendship that can become an actual relationship in the next series or something

Frank is 14 and he and Hazel aren’t dating, they just have mutual baby crushes on one another.

For that matter what the fuck was ‘Frank is magically not fat due to Mars’s blessing’ bullshit? Frank is a fat character who stays fat but learns to be confident in himself and his body type.

Stop The Adultification of Hazel 2k23. Hazel is 13, she’s the youngest member of the seven and despite her trauma I think that should be obvious. I think emphasizing her relationship with Nico could be fun here - he’s in his 20s so him taking a more ‘that older sibling who toes the line between parent and sibling’ role here could be fun.

Also, I don’t want Hazel to have Hecate’s blessing or whatever. Between her being a magical horsegirl and the daughter of Pluto there’s already a lot of room to expand on her powers that was never used - I think doing more with her cursed jewels and metals powers and her learning the other aspects of her powers, like Shadow Travel, would be fun.

Instead I think having a daughter of Hecate as a part of the Seven would be cool, because we could still have a witchy character with mist manipulation and magic powers.

Give Jason an actual personality, please. Bro’s been a child solider practically since age 2 and has spent his whole life with the weight of other teenagers’ lives on his shoulders as praetor - give him perfectionism issues and anxiety. We’re told that he’s spent his whole life helping others compromise instead of being his own person - show that. Let his arc end with him deciding to try and live a mortal life and find out who he is beyond being a war general.

Show us that Octavian’s a piece of shit, don’t just tell us.

Leo and Piper are the ones who fall into Tartarus. Nothing romantic ever happens but we get heavy emphasis on their friendship and we get to see their grief over Leo’s mom and Piper’s grandfather respectively

Piper’s grandfather has died a few months ago and she cut her hair herself when her dad didn’t want to let her due to that (correct me if I’m wrong but it’s a tradition in Cherokee culture to cut your hair when a loved one dies, correct?), which is why it’s all uneven. A lot of her insecurities stem from going from growing up in rural Oklaholma (not in a reservation bc there aren’t any there) without much money to suddenly being catapulted into a millionaire Hollywood lifestyle and having everyone criticize everything about her and be really racist, all while her Dad drew farther away from both her and her grandfather. Her arc would be reconnecting with both her culture and Dad and learning to find who she is and her self worth again.

They defeat Gaea in a way that isn’t so anticlimactic and fucking stupid

[lilislegacy]

So a lot of people talk about Percy becoming darker and crossing lines in Tartarus but I think a less talked about moment is when Percy got Bob to “kill” Hyperion. One of the reasons this moment is so startling is not just because we don’t view it from Percy’s perspective but because of how much a similar path Percy has been taking to Luke recently.

One of the reasons I think Percy really hates Luke for most of the first series despite I think mostly agree with him is that from his perspective Luke was the type of person to use his relationships with people as leverage. Annabeth, Thalia, Silena, even Percy. He was willing to use people’s trust and affection as a tool to further his goals. And Percy who values loyalty above all else, finds that to be a evil trait of his.

I don’t think in the end Percy hated Luke but that was the aspect that he may have unconsciously drew between them.

Then in Tartarus we have Percy using his friendship with Bob to manipulate him to “killing” a relative while hiding info from him.

It’s a really dark turn that I sure wish was addressed or followed up on!

The poison control is whatever, but this is the real moral tightrope.

this is really interesting

and i agree! i’ve always thought the reason percy hates luke so much, and hates being compared to him, is because luke betrays and manipulates people who trust him. percy himself, who’s defining trait is loyalty, thought luke was the first person in the demigod world to be his true friend. and then found out luke’s generous “gift” to him was meant to drag him down to the darkest pits of hell. that’s… pretty extreme betrayal. then to find out luke willingly poisoned the entire camp - his former home, his family’s home - is beyond percy’s understanding. then not to mention everything he did to annabeth, and thalia, and grover… luke is a traitor, which is the exact opposite of percy’s moral structure. hence percy never wanting to be compared to him.

but like you said, percy is a lot like luke in many ways, whether he likes it or not. however, i will say that when luke asks others to do things for him, it’s for his own personal agenda. but percy asking bob to kill hyperion was so that way percy and annabeth could make it out alive and save the world. so i have to give credit where credit is due. percy had overall good intentions.

BUT, as much as people don’t like to admit it, percy can be a real asshole. the fandom likes to make percy into this sensitive, emotional, defenseless little girly pop who’s favorite activity is braiding hair. (they also make him dumb). and as much as i do love sensitive guys like that, it’s not canon percy at all. percy is usually a sweetheart, it’s true. he’s a gentleman; very kind, funny, and reliable. but percy is also a tough ass dude. he’s rough around the edges. that was the whole point of seeing him from other POVs in HoO: percy’s view of himself is NOT how anyone else sees him. he grew up in freaking new york city. he skateboards and gets into fights and cusses like a sailor. he has an unpredictable temper, sarcastic humor, and doesn’t put up with anyone’s shit. he’s the reckless, quick-to-anger, super powerful half-god son of poseidon, and he’s done some really harsh things. there’s a reason people find him intimidating as hell. and as loyal and kind as he is, and as much of a mama’s boy that he is, he can also be really insensitive to other people’s emotions. remember how he treated upset annabeth in BotL? remember how he treated nico… many times? remember how he was an asshole to leo? and to jason? it’s just that sometimes when others are going through hard things, percy kinda seems to have a “ok and? we all go through unfair shit” mindset, or just doesn’t even think about it. he does realize this about himself in tartarus, which is why he feels so bad for using Bob in the past, and being unappreciative of Nico. as percy grows, he becomes a better man. but he’s still not the sensitive and emotional type, and can be really damn ignorant.

so i definitely think you’re onto something when you talk about how he used bob. and while i don’t think it’s the same as luke, percy has done things - harsh and insensitive things - similar to luke. a realization that would probably send percy into a dark place.

[shrug-s]

random pjo/toa headcanons lets gooooo:

-after trials of apollo, if a demigod doesn’t get claimed after a while he straight up claims them and addresses them as his child

-since nico was stuck in the lotus casino, he doesn’t know a lot of stuff was invented,he looked at will’s nintendo 3DS and went “what in the gods name is that.”

-alternatively both nico and hazel were shocked when they were told left handed people could exist in peace

-clovis pollux malcom clarisse and drew are all one friendgroup. no i won’t elaborate

-whenever they take estelle out in her stroller people always assume annabeth and percy are their parents

-there’s a panic room in the big cabin and only dionysus chiron and argus know about it

- at some point drew and piper reconcile after a long personal talk and even become friends and have weekly sessions to update each other on their lives

- there’s a random vending machine right next to the big cabin that dispenses strictly diet coke and mr. D cherishes it like his own child

-the camp holds weekly support groups to help the campers deal with all the stuff they’ve been through

-for each bead a camper gets, they get a day of their choice where they don’t have to attend any activities to clean up their cabin or anything of the sorts

[darodeer]

Godrick The Grafted! by me :) this is finally at a point where i’m happy with it,, this is another elden ring boss, one that, at least in my interpretation as someone who hasnt really looked into his lore, has a very opposite vibe to the last one i drew.. (margit the fell)

to me, Godrick is a demigod which, while one day might have been a majestic deity, has clearly fallen far, far from grace, he’s a shell of a man who doesn’t see his own deterioration, he sees himself as an adored demigod, when he’s now a hated ruler, who’s body has been allowed to become an abomination of grafted flesh from his poor subjects, in a vein attempt to regain a fraction of power…

(like i said, i’m sure this is likely **completely** incorrect, but the point of this exercise i’ve done with these two bosses is trying to depict my understanding of these characters based only on the vague clues you’re given when meeting them,, not based on the actual lore,, :3

[rocknroll7575]

Knight of Olympus: Titan's Lullaby - Chapter 5: Jaune Gets Jumped

Sitting in the white desert on a lawn chair, was a woman who appeared to be in her late 50s maybe early 60s, and behind her was a large tent, and inside the tent, a female figure slept peacefully in the tent.

The older woman's skin was a light tan color, she had raven black hair that was tied into long braids that rested on each side of her shoulders, and a golden headband around her head, her eyes were a piercing gold color, but you would have to look past her light purple circle sunglasses. Around her neck was a gold necklace with the peace sign on it, she wore a white sundress with grape vines on it for the designs, and around her waist was a golden belt, and finally, she wore a pair of black gladiator sandals.

Sitting next to her were two large lions, and in her hand was a book, however, there was no title on the cover, but she seemed to be lost in the world of the book.

However, she was taken out of her reading when she felt something appear not too far away from her, the presence of two gods, and with them was the presence of three demigods, however, there was something else, something that didn't belong and felt...Powerful.

Instantly, she knew what- Who it was, and a smile graced her face. She got up and set her book on her chair before looking at her two lions with a soft smile, "Come boys, we have guests," She said as she began to walk away.

The two lions got up, stretched, and yawned, before following their owner, wondering where she would be leading them, and they left the sleeping figure alone in the tent, as they dreamed about a knight...

XXX

XXX

XXX

EARLIER THAT DAY:

"So let me get this straight," Thalia began as she looked at Jaune from the passenger seat. "Because you entered our world, the laws of the ancient Greek world are slowly crumbling away, and not only are the laws being broken and disappearing, but the gods are slowly... dying," Thalia said.

The group had arrived in New Mexico, and currently, they were still driving toward White Sand National Park.

All three Demigods said was a miracle that they had driven on the open road for so long without any Minster attacks, and Jaune couldn't help but agree, as he had heard it was usual for monsters to get in the way of Demigod's quests, yet, the only thing that had happened to them was Theia's attack at the start.

Jaune nodded, answering Thalia's question, "Yeah... but I don't think the gods are dying," He replied softly

"What else would you describe what Apollo called what he was feeling?" Drew asked with a raised brow.

Jaune shrugged, "I don't know... He said he felt more Human," Jaune replied. "Could it be they're just losing their immortality?" Jaune asked.

Will slowly nodded, "Maybe," Will replied, "Dad's been human plenty of times, but always regained his immortality afterward, maybe this time it's just more permanent," Will said.

Jaune could tell Will was only agreeing with him because the young boy didn't want to believe his father was dying, and Jaune didn't want to believe it either as Apollo seemed like a good God, and if he was dying... then so was Hestia.

Jaune didn't want that to happen to her. Yes, he had met her for a brief moment, but it had left a mark on him. He looked at the gifts he had been given by the Goddess and he thought back to her.

Her bright auburn hair and coal-burning eyes would forever be in his memories, and that loving presence she gave off was something that Jaune had never felt, it was as if his heart and soul were being warmed by her loving fire.

"If this is all true and if the Gods are either dying or becoming human, then does that mean the Titans are feeling the same?" Drew asked.

Jaune thought about it and slowly nodded, "I think so, it wouldn't make sense just to affect the Gods," Jaune said. "Apollo also mentioned that all of this could be because of people called Protogenoi, who are they?" He asked.

Hearing this, the two younger Demigods were shocked.

"Apollo thinks the Primordials are involved!?" Drew cried.

"Primordials?" Jaune and Thalia asked.

Will sat forward as he looked at the two, "Primordials are beings that surpass the Titans, and unlike the Titans and the gods, they are essentially sentient aspects of the universe itself and have absolute and total control over it, so they can never truly be killed, Gaea and Ouranos are two examples, there's a few more such as Tartarus and Nyx but the oldest and most ancient one would be Chaos," The son of Apollo informed them. "If Dad thinks that they are behind this then something big is going on, something that we don't have the answers to just yet..." Will said.

Hearing this, Jaune wondered just what these Primordials could do, if Will was right and they were all powerful beings that couldn't die like the Titans Or Gods, then surely they were a force that one did not want to mess with.

The conversation ended there for the time being as they continued to drive toward their destination, their minds back on the task that lay before them.

After another 30 minutes or so of driving, they had finally arrived at White Sand National Park. Even from the Entrance, they could see the White Sands, and Jaune had to admit, the Oracle's Prophecy was right, it was the whitest sand he had ever seen. They bought tickets to enter the park and when they saw the National park's white sand, the 3 demigods were shocked, as while they did have deserts in the US, nothing could compare to what appeared to be a vast landscape of the whitest sand they had ever seen.

"You know... I bet Annabeth would know so much about this place," Will said.

Drew nodded in agreement, "Yep, her and her monuments and parks," Drew chuckled.

Thalia looked at the two with a raised brow, "Is she really that obsessed with Monuments and Parks?" She asked.

Drew nodded, "Trust me, every time we visit New York and see an old building or statue, she knows who built it, the year, why it was built, everything," She told the Daughter of Zeus.

Thalia nodded and felt a little sad that she didn't know about Annabeth, but a part of her said she couldn't blame herself since the whole Tree thing. Thalia had hoped that when they arrived back at Camp, she could spend more time and catch up with Annabeth.

After buying a ticket, they drove in and around, before finding a secluded spot where they finally parked the Van and got out before huddling up to come up with a plan.

Once out of the Van, Will looked at Jaune with a raised brow, "So, now what?" Will asked.

"We look for a camp, Chiron said that some Titans and Titaness have been calling this place home for a good while," Jaune said.

"So we're looking for a camp... great," Thalia said with sarcasm, "At a place like this, it's gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack!" She cried.

Jaune couldn't help but agree, the amount of campers here was to be expected, and it didn't make their job any easier. "I know, but we're gonna have to do it," Jaune said.

"How do we even know the camp when we find it?" Drew asked.

Jaune opened his mouth to answer her only to realize that he had no idea.

"You have no idea, huh?" Thalia said.

Jaune nodded with a sigh, "Yeah..." He replied.

Drew chuckled, "Guess we're just gonna have to start looking, huh?" He said.

Jaune nodded, however, before they could do anything, they heard the the sound of a motorcycle closing in, and that's when the whole group felt something wrong. The Demigods felt waves of power hitting them, and it sent shivers down their spine, and they froze in place, unable to move out of sheer fear. Jaune quickly turned around when he heard the sound right behind a dune and that's when he saw the Motorcycle fly up in the air, and was about to crash right down atop of them, and thinking quickly, Jaune grabbed all three teens and jumped out of the way, helping the Demigods avoid the near-death experience.

When the three came to their senses they looked at the bike with shock as they and Jaune got to their feet, and looked at the bike along with its driver.

Jaune looked at the man and saw that he looked like the stereotypical biker, bald head, sunglasses, leather jacket, ripped jeans, and black boots. However, what stood out was the greatsword strapped to his back, one that looked too well crafted for some random warrior or a monster.

Jaune had only seen him once, but he knew who he was, he could feel the bloodthirstiness radiating off this man, and for a brief moment, Jaune was reminded of a certain Scorpian Faunus.

"Ares...?" Jaune asked with confusion and shock.

Ares got off his bike and turned to the knight and the three Demigods with a sinister smirk, "Hey punks," He said.

"Lord Ares? What brings you here?" Will asked with a raised brow.

"I'm here for him," Ares said, pointing at Jaune. "See, he's been causing some problems for us Gods that we can't let slide," He said.

Jaune grits his teeth, realizing that somehow, Ares knew about what his presence was doing to their world. "How do you know about that?" Jaune asked.

"Doesn't matter," Ares said. "I've been given permission to kill you, and that's what I'm gonna do," Ares told him with a smirk.

The young knight glared at the god of war, "Who gave you permission?" Jaune asked.

Ares continued to smirk and Jaune could have sworn he saw an orange glow behind those shades, "My father," Ares said.

Hearing this, Thalia glared at her half-brother, "No Way!" She cried.

"Yes, way!" Ares said with a laugh. "Now, why don't the rest of you lil brats runoff, or else,"

Will stood next to Jaune with his bow at the ready, "Or else what? Are you going to kill us? If you couldn't kill Percy, what makes you think you stand a chance against three of us?" Will asked.

Hearing about his previous loss to the son of the sea God caused Ares to growl in anger, "I'd watch that tongue of yours, kid," Ares told Will, "Jackson got lucky," Ares snarled.

'Percy fought Ares and won!?' Jaune asked himself.

Suddenly, they heard the hoot of an owl and Ares smiled smugly at the group. "Besides, I'm not alone this time," He told them.

Before they could ask what he meant, there was a flash of light for a brief second before appearing right next to him was Athena, all dressed and ready to fight.

"Lady Athena!?" Drew cried in shock.

Thalia was shocked to see the god of wisdom standing next to Ares, and Thalia had a gut feeling she wasn't there to help them. "What are you doing here?" Thalia asked.

Ares chuckled, "She's here to help me," Ares said.

Hearing that, the Demigods were shocked, after all, the two were bitter rivals and could hardly stand each other.

Athena looked at Jaune with her cold grey eyes, "I'm afraid that it has come to this, I would have loved to hear about your world and learn of it, however, your presence can no longer go on," Athena told him, "For balance to be restored, you must die,"

Thalia quickly summoned her shield and spear and stood next to Jaune, ready to fight, "Bring it on," she seethed.

"You're off limits, Thalia Grace," Athena told her.

"Dad said not to harm a hair on your pretty little head," Ares said with an amused tone before he set his sights on the other two Demigods, "But if you two decide to jump in, you're free game,"

Jaune quickly took a step forward as he glared at the god of war, "You're not touching them," Jaune told him.

"Let us kill you and they'll be sparred," Ares said. "Make this difficult, and I'll shove my sword through one of the brat's chests," Ares told him with a small chuckle.

Jaune's anger boiled over as he quickly activated Beauté brûlante and the shield. "The three of you stay out of this for now," Jaune told them, before turning his head to them, "Wait for an opening, Will, then fire, understood?" Jaune asked with a whisper.

Will looked at him and nodded.

Jaune nodded back, "Now get as far as you can, gain some distance away from them, if any of them get near you, they could use you as a hostage," Jaune told them again in a whisper.

Thalia wanted to argue and help him fight but realized that if she stuck with Will and Drew and either Ares or Athena tried to nab one of them, she could step in and fight, as they'd be forced to hold back in fear of hurting her. The three Demigods rushed to gain distance from the two gods, and as they did, Ares and Athena took fighting stances, and both realized what Jaune was making them do, realizing what he had whispered to them.

'Interesting, he very much knew what he might do should Ares or I get ahold of Apollo and Aphrodite's children,' Athena thought, 'But does he truly believe he can hold both of us off? If he does, he's a fool, and my plan should work, that is if Ares doesn't do anything stupid,' Athena thought.

Ares smirked at Jaune, "Ready to die?" He asked.

Jaune glared at him as he took a fighting stance, "Let's just get this over with," He said bluntly.

Ares didn't wait a second longer as he charged in first, closely followed by Athena, and when Ares was closed in Jaune quickly blocked him with his shield and then pushed him away before quickly deflecting Athena's jab with her spear. Jaune then backed up and saw the two try to attack once again, however, when Ares slashed at him again, Jaune simply used his shield to strike him in the rib causing the god of war to lose all the air in his lungs, and Jaune used his shield to bash him in the face.

As Ares stumbled backward, Athena charged in and jabbed her spear at Jaune multiple times but Jaune dodged and deflected each of her jabs, before his back struck the side of the van, and it was here that Athena thought she had him as she pulled her spear back and thrust forward, but Jaune moved his head to the side as the spear pierced the side of the van, and before she could pull it out, Jaune raised his right foot up and then kicked her in the gut, sending her back without her spear.

As the two Gods regained themselves, Jaune looked at them and twirled his sword. "Come on," Jaune seethed, "I'm not done with you,"

Ares stopped and glared at the mortal as he gripped his sword tighter, "Don't get cocky, mortal!" Ares cried as he charged in again.

Ares pulled his blade back and swung at Jaune, but Jaune blocked it with his sword, and then pushed his blade away, before he swung back at the God, however, Ares blocked the attack with his blade, and the two locked blades and glared at one another.

Athena quickly thrust her spear at Jaune's face, and sensing this coming, Jaune backed away, causing Ares's blade to strike the sand and Athena's spear to miss.

"Damn it!" Ares cried. "Stay still you mongrel!"

Jaune glared at them, "For a couple of all-powerful beings, your skill in combat is lacking," Jaune said. "You haven't fought in years have you? Haven't had a single person challenge you in a long time, huh?"

Ares growled, and even Athena glared at him, both unwilling to admit that he was right, and their skills were lacking for a long time, since for the longest time, they had no need to fight.

"I don't care about you trying to kill me, but you threatened the lives of my campers, you threatened the lives of innocent kids, and that pisses me off," Jaune said. "Fotiá,"

Flames burst out of the blade and the two gods were shocked, and both could swear that they could feel the heat from where they were.

"I'll give you one chance, walk away, or I will kill you," Jaune told them as if stating a fact.

Athena glared at him, "You believe you can kill a god?" She asked. "We're immortal you fool, we can not die, not by monsters, demigods, and surely not by the likes of you, human," She seethed.

"Are you sure about that?"

Hearing a new voice, all three turned their heads to the source of the voice only to see the old woman and her two lions, and with her were Thalia, Will, and Drew.

Ares glared at the older woman, "Who the hell are you!?" Ares asked.

The woman smiled at him softly, "Ah, I suppose none of you have ever really seen me before," She said. "Well, firstly, a pleasure to meet you, my grandchildren," She said softly.

Jaune was confused, 'Grandchildren?' Jaune asked himself.

Hearing this old woman call them grandchildren, Ares and Athena froze as their eyes widened in absolute horror, as they realized whose presence they stood in. The Demigods themselves looked at the older woman with raised brows at first before coming to the same realization as the two Gods and they quickly bowed on one knee.

The woman looked at the demigods and giggled softly, "Please, there is no need to bow, be at ease, children, we are family, are we not?"

Hearing this, the Demigod children seemed to relax and stand up, and as they did, Ares and Athena also seemed to relax, and when they did, the woman's head snapped toward them and her eyes glowed gold, "Did I say you could be at ease?" She asked.

Athena and Ares once again stiffened as they looked at her, and Jaune swore the two were sweating and breathing rapidly, which made Jaune wonder just who this old woman was.

The woman's eyes dimmed and returned to normal and walked toward the two gods still smiling softly, however, Jaune had seen a smile like that before, on his very own mother, when she was about to be strict and scary, but still kept that sweet and loving expression, which was the scariest thing to all the Arc children.

"Athena, Ares, would you kindly explain to me why you are here, and why you are trying to kill Jaune Arc?" She asked.

Athena looked at her, "You must understand, Jaune Arc is-"

The woman's eyes glowed golden once more as she turned her head to the Goddess of wisdom, "I asked for an explanation," She sternly said. "Not an excuse,"

Athena gulped, "Ares and I came here to kill Jaune Arc because he poses a threat to the order of all things," Athena said. "Father and Hera agreed to this as well,"

The woman's eyes returned to normal, and she let out a sigh, "Of course they did," she said as she closed her eyes. "Leave," She told them.

Ares glared at her, and he took a step forward toward the woman, "Wait a damn-!"

However, before he could say more, one of the Lions pounced on the God of War and snarled at him, bearing its fangs and ready to bite him when given the order.

"Leave," The woman repeated, this time in a more stern tone, one befitting a mother.

Athena nodded quickly and flashed away and the lion got off of Ares and the god of war quickly stood up and did the same as his sister, flashing away along with his bike.

The woman let out another sigh and shook her head slowly, "Ugh, why must my children make everything so difficult?" She asked herself.

"Um... excuse me?"

The woman turned to Jaune with a raised brow, "Yes, Jaune?" She asked.

Jaune looked at her, wondering how she knew his name, but there was a more important question on his mind. "Who... Are you?" the young knight asked.

Hearing this question, the woman realized she had forgotten to introduce herself to the man from another world and a bashful smile graced her lips, "Oh, how careless of me, please forgive this old woman for forgetting her manners," She began. "I am Rhea, Queen of the Titans and mother of the gods, a pleasure to meet you,"

XXX

XXX

XXX

Back at Rhea's little camp, Jaune, Thalia, Will, and Drew, sat in lawn chairs with Rhea, who had them gather around a dead campfire. Rhea sat and petted her lions as she looked at the group with a loving smile.

"It's been so long since I've crossed paths with Demigods, one who happens to be my grandchild and two who are my great-grandchildren!" Rhea said joyfully. "Ah, the fates have blessed me today,"

Thalia smiled at her grandmother, which felt weird to say, "It's great to finally meet you, Lady Rhea," Thalia said.

Rhea chuckled, "Oh no need for formalities, my dear Thalia, Grandmother is more than fine, I'd prefer it," She said with a bright smile.

Thalia nodded, "Of course, Grandma," Thalia replied.

Rhea's smile widened, "Ah, you are so cute! You have your father's eyes! Tell me, have any boys proposed to you yet?" Rhea asked.

Thalia blushed furiously as she looked at her grandmother, "I-I'm only fifteen!" Thalia cried.

Rhea chuckled, "I know, I know, just a little jest," She said. Rhea then turned to Will and Drew, "Now, how have you two been?" She asked.

"I'm doing well, Grandma," Will replied with a bright smile.

Drew nodded in agreement, "Same for me," She replied.

Rhea nodded, "Good to hear, haven't been doing anything too dangerous, I hope?" She asked.

Drew nodded, "Nope," She replied, however, the daughter of Aphrodite remembered something, "Well, except for that little run-in with Theia,"

Hearing her sister's name, Rhea sighed, "Ah, poor Theia," She said. "Please, forgive my sister, she has... not been the same since the passing of her children," Rhea said sadly.

Thalia rolled her eyes, "I'd forgive her when she apologizes for trying to kill us and curing Jaune," Thalia said.

Hearing this, Rhea turned to the older blonde, "Theia cursed you?" She asked.

Jaune nodded, "Yes," He replied. "She cursed me with seeing ghosts of my past," Jaune replied.

"How did she do it?" Rhea asked with a raised brow.

Jaune blushed a little and he could hear Will and Thalia holding back their laughter. "She... uh... well she kissed me," Jaune replied.

Rhea's eyes widened with shock before a small smile graced her lips, "I see... that is, one way to curse a person," She replied.

The dam broke as Thalia and Will began laughing loudly at how their grandmother was also shocked by how Jaune was cursed.

Jauen groaned as he looked to the Queen of Titans, "Is there a way you can remove the curse?" Jaune asked.

Rhea sighed, "Afraid not," She replied. "Only my sister can release the curse, be that by her own volition or her death," Rhea told him.

Hearing this, Jaune let out a heavy sigh as he looked to the ground.

"But I believe you didn't come here just to chat with an old woman, now did you?" Rhea asked.

Jaune looked back up at the Titaness and nodded, "Yeah," he told her. "I was sent here by the Oracle, but I... I don't know why," He told her.

Rhea smiled, "I know why," She said. "You're here for answers as to what is going on and why your mere presence is affecting our world... and you came for her," Rhea told him.

Jaune nodded and when he heard the last part of Rhea's sentence, he looked at her with a confused face, "Her?" He asked.

Rhea nodded, "Yes,"

Before Jaune could ask who the Titan Queen was referring to, he heard yawning coming from the tent and heard someone cry out, like a baby would try calling out to a mother without actually using words.

"I'm out here, dear," Rhea said with a smile.

"Oah!" Cried the person inside the tent.

The flap opened up fully and the person inside stepped out of the tent and revealed themselves to the rest of the group, the moment they showed who they were, Jaune stood up quickly in shock, knocking over his chair in the process.

Standing barefooted before the young knight, in nothing but a long white nightgown was Penny Polendina, who looked as cheerful as she always had before.

Penny's eyes landed on Jaune and a bright and big smile graced her features as she rushed over to him and leaped toward him. Jaune was in shock but quickly caught her as she wrapped her arms around her.

"Oah! Oah!" Penny cried as she held him tighter.

Jaune was shocked that she was hugging him, but he began to wonder why she was speaking like someone who could formulate words or speak any language, his eyes fell on the Queen of Titans and he looked at her with a questioning look.

"What... happened to her?" Jaune asked.

Rhea sighed, "You may want to pick up that chair of yours, Jaune Arc," Rhea began, "You are gonna need it," She told him, looking at him with her golden eyes, which now looked sad.

XXX

XXX

XXX

I am sickened guys, I'm absolutely disgusted! You know why!? Because Warner Bros. fucking shut down RT meaning RWBY, RvB, and Gen:Lock is in Limbo! That just fucking blows!

But no! Not only did I learn RWBY was now in Limbo waiting to be bought for god knows how long, no I learned that Akira Toriyama had passed! Like what the fuck!?

This week has just not been my week... This is also why I'm also choosing to torture you guys as well. (It was part of my plan for the story anyway~)

Hey! You agreed to be a part of the ride the moment you began reading and made it this far, don't back out now!

Anyway, Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I know you'll be back for the next one, after all, how can you leave now with this major cliffhanger~?

[applecidersstuff]

My not so close to cannon hc is that, after getting into college, Clarrise gets a car somewhere.

Some people assume she got it from her mom, or that Chris stole it for her, but the truth is she actually got it from Ares. Which means you can pretty much imagine what kind of car that is. It’s also unconfirmed but some of her brothers insist the car is magical in some way. Leo tried many time to convince her to let him see what the cars system is like on the inside, but was turned down in a not very nice way.

Very quickly she becomes the ‘carpool friend’ and also the one Chiron tasked with picking up demigods who go to school in NY at the end of semester and get them to CBH, there’s very few of them so she doesn’t mind, +some of them are mortified at the thought of getting in Clarrises car because of how fast she drives. The fist time Percy and Annabeth asked her for a ride, Percy said he was glad Ares didn’t offer to drive them to Vegas that one time, and Annabeth asked if the car really is magical, because she was convinced they should’ve crashed like ten times.

The only two people who will get in the car willingly and without any reason are Chris and Drew. Clarrise picks Drew up from school on regular basis whenever she comes to NY, and they just drive around. One time Sadie saw Clarrise picking Drew up and was convinced Drew was being kidnapped, the only reason she didn’t call the police was because she was stopped by Annabeth who introduced her to Clarrise.

[zph1nx]

City of angels

That's what they call us right?

____________________________________

________________________________________

Recreyo Percy Jackson au again baby!!

So yeah after that definitely not horrible time at summer camp I got a lil inspired and literally made a whole new pjo au,I kinda hated the first one since I made that one before I reread the og series—I still didn't read the HoO series since I don't have the books yet— but here have this one since I thankfully brought my entire lightning thief series to camp (without my parents knowing) to keep me distracted.

Info:

[Cabin 12 ]:

Den or Denise is the demigod daughter of Dionysus and is the current head counselor of cabin 12 after her half brother pollux resigned the title a while after Castor's death. she is one of the oldest campers at camp, she was brought to camp by her adoptive mortal parents after monsters kept attacking her at the age of 5, there she was immediately claimed by her father and became one of the 3 members of the Dionysus cabin.

_________

[Cabin 7 / Cabin 8 ]:

Chilly and Ivan are technically dizygotic—half siblings, chilly was born a day before Ivan. although they don't share mortal parents.

Chilly is a demigod daughter of Apollo and a huntress of Artemis, she came to camp at the age of 6 along with her younger half brother ivan, the two met after their father pulled some devine strings to get them to camp, during where they met the trio: Luke castellan, Thalia grace and Annabeth chase.

Ivan like his sister is also a demigod, a son of Apollo and is the co counselor of the Apollo cabin, reining along side his younger half brother will solace. Before the Apollo cabin was leveled down to only 3 surviving campers (+ 2 since chilly and Ivan)—during Manhattan, Ivan was one of the few Apollo cabin members that worked as the medics of camp (before getting replaced by will solace).

_________

[Cabin 6 ]:

Curt is the current head counselor of the Athena cabin (sorry malcom) and came to camp before the start of the lightning thief. like all children of Athena, curt is a prodigy, smart enough to become head counselor and becoming one of the 6 demigods in the "prophecy of 6" hes also a roman legacy of Pluto/hades.

[Cabin 4 ]:

Kristine is a demigod daughter of Demeter although most campers would sometimes mistake her as a demigod of the Hermes cabin do to her personality, which isn't as far off as like Curt she is also a legacy, a legacy of the god Hermes, although unlike the son of Athena, she is a Greek legacy, not a roman. Kristine is also one of the newer campers at camp half blood, coming to camp only a month after the battle of Manhattan.

[cabin 10 ]:

Christian is a son of the goddess of beauty herself Aphrodite and is the co counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, ruling besides his half sister Drew tanaka (like I said, I haven't read heroes of Olympus so yeah, no piper yet) he's also one of the 'rare' kind of demigods of the Aphrodite cabin, being gifted with charmspeak he mostly uses the gift to mess with the other cabins and pull pranks on each cabin without ever getting caught.