#want to talk octavian next

[tuxebo]

sometimes i want to get back to writing long fics, but then i remember i have mouths to feed (yes, you). anyways, i was talking about the viktors in my last post's tags and i wanted to elaborate on that.

okay, when i say rookwood is husband material, i never said he was good husband material. while the reason you relationship would work is because of small moments that are really sweet. you may think he's changed, but he'll act like it never happened right afterwards.

the way you meet is probably the most tragic part of it all and sets the tone of the rest of your abusive relationship. so, you happened to be a halfbreed (wizard x smth, most likely veela or siren) that he planned on selling but decided to keep for himself. alternatively, you could have been trying to protect some animals from poachers but he still took the animal and you. he's a greedy scoundrel.

he won't hurt you, per se, but he will trophy wife the life out of you. personally i wouldn't mind that, but i could see why many people would. this isn't your average trophy wife, this is something else. he brings you everywhere in a "buy animals or materials from me and you might bag yourself a beauty like this one" kinda way. at the same time, you would not be the beauty the customers bag because your his, gout a brand and all. mhm, he 100% puts his name on you somewhere.

now, you may be confused. that isn't husband like at all, and i agree. we need to look into the finer details here, my dears. in letters, on the rare occasion he doesn't bring you along as some marketing ploy, he writes your name like it is that of a saint's. you can see in each pen stroke, it is some of the most gentle movements your lover has ever made. after long days of hard work, yelling at his workers and standing around as they do all the work, he finally has time to think about you as he winds down.

he holds you all the same as well. like a creature he want's to be gentle with but has no clue how, so as a result he just watches from afar. you have your own room and he has his, objectively yours is just nicer, and you have people waiting on your every need and want. he won't bother you or talk to you the longer you are together, aside from times you'd bump into each other in his manor or stand face to face with only a bookshelf between you.

someone very similar is another viktor, viktor krum. now he is not abusive unlike someone we know, he's definitely a watcher as well. he shows his care and love with his eyes, and sure there's more as well.

now not entirely unlike rookwood, he will drown you in expensive things. look at him, he's been a professional quidditch player since before he even became an adult, he's a wealthy guy; by ethical means, i might add. he doesn't only lavish you in clothes or jewelry, but whatever hobby or career it is you have. you like astronomy? have a planetarium! you're a writer? have the entire library from beauty and the beast. your wish is his command.

which brings me to, he is so princess bride coded. if you take nothing from this post at all, take this one thing. he has a similar phrase to "as you wish" that he says whenever you tell him something, while it may seem like a "whatever, i'll just do what you say to get it over with" response, he actually means to say "i love you" each time he says it. it is rare that he goes out of his way to speak, even rarer that he outright says he loves you, but in his eyes and actions you know he means it.

krum is actually very smart loves, think about it. if you want to go on about a certain topic, he'll keep up just fine. for starter's, he's read the books he's seen you read in case you want to talk about it, also he's just a naturally intelligent guy. it's how he could keep up his grades and quidditch, a lot of things he just knows.

pause, he does that thing where he'd very, very gently bounce his leg while you're sitting on his lap and telling him something. vodka in one hand and a look in his eyes that one would have when look at their entire world. oh my, hand placement on the waist too, not even in that kind of way but he's just o perfect.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Study

Barcelona Femení x Teen!Reader

Summary: Doing schoolwork while the team is round is not a good idea

The sun patch you were lying in was delightful.

The noise around you, was not.

You opened your eyes blearily, narrowing them to slits in annoyance.

Lucy stared at you and then pointedly turned the tv up in volume, laughing at your disgruntled look.

"Turn it back down," You said.

"No."

"Lucy," You whined," Please turn it down."

"Sorry, kiddo," Keira said as she appeared," But the rest of the team are coming over soon and you've got an essay to write."

You groaned at the reminder but sat up. The whole reason you had taken a nap in the first place was to procrastinate about writing your essay.

"Keira..."

"No, y/n," She said," Part of the agreement we made with your parents was keeping your grades up. I won't make you sit at the kitchen table to write it while the team is round but you have to get it finished today."

You groaned again but relented, grabbing your laptop from where it was charging nearby and pulling up your plan.

Your teammates flooded in through the next hour.

Asisat tapped you on the head as she passed to get to the kitchen. "School work?"

You rolled your eyes. "What gave it away?"

She laughed. "The fact that you've been staring at the screen for nearly twenty minutes and haven't typed a thing."

You darted your eyes across the room to look at Keira, who clearly hadn't noticed. You sent an awkward smile Asisat's way. "Don't tell Keira?"

"Your secret's safe with me."

The more people that arrived, the less you wanted to write your essay. The whole apartment had filled up with noise and even if you wanted to start typing, you were much more interested in hearing Claudia talk about the date she went on with her girlfriend.

You start typing your introduction before deciding you really can't be bothered right now and switch to writing about how Mark Antony's relationship with Cleopatra was the worst thing he could have done from the perspective of other Romans.

You were mindlessly typing and deleting your work when Frido and Aitana joined you on the sofa.

"How is your studying?" Aitana's English was getting much better now that she came around routinely to learn from Keira while you were forced to sit at the table and do your science work.

You gave her a deadpan look. "Oh, just great."

Frido laughed at your sarcasm. "Anything we can help with?"

"Unless you understand the intricacies of Mark Antony and Octavian's war for power after Caesar's death, then no."

Frido pulled a face. "You're studying that?"

"In theory."

Marta and Caro joined a moment later with cans of lemonade and snacks. You snatched up a KitKat quickly, anything to distract you from your next paragraph about Octavian's slanderous propaganda against his rival.

"How is our little student faring?" Marta asked, peering at your screen where you had repeatedly typed out 'I hate this class so much, I wish I could drop out'.

"Not good by the looks of it," Caro said even though it was obvious," What even is this?"

"Ancient Roman politics," Frido replied," It looks very boring."

"It's interesting," You said," Until you have to start writing essays and decide which of these horrible men was better."

"Who is better?" Aitana asked.

"...Octavian, because he won," You replied," But not because he was a better person. This is Rome - if you're not a bad person then are you really an Ancient Roman politician?"

The little group around you burst into laughter and Marta ruffled your hair. "You'll get it finished," She said," You're a smart girl."

Team bonding happened around you for the evening as you mindlessly typed and typed and typed until you were finally finished with your essay.

You stretched out in delight and headed into the kitchen where a to-do list hung on the fridge.

Irene, Sandra and Mariona were already there, studying it curiously as you grabbed a pen from the top of the fridge (standing on your tiptoes to reach it) before you crossed off your Classical Civilisations essay.

"That's a lot of work," Mariona said," This is for the whole month?"

"This is for the week," You replied, taking in her shocked look at your words," But I'm nearly done." You crossed off the Physics homework you finished last night along with the Maths worksheet you got done before practice this morning.

"It gets this bad?" Irene asked," I worry about when Mateo starts school properly."

You frowned. "I'm pretty sure that Mateo getting homework will be doing a drawing rather than writing essays."

"Well, if it helps," Sandra cut in," At least you've finished your essay now! You're free!"

You shook your head and pointed to the only thing Lucy had contributed to your list.

FINISH YOUR FUCKING PSYCHOLOGY ESSAY

"It's about language development in infants," You said, opening the fridge and grabbing some more lemonade.

When you finally made your way back to the living room, your seat had been taken by some of the girls so you ended up sitting in front of the armchair that Ingrid and Mapi had taken refuge on.

Instantly, Ingrid's hands threaded through your hair, massaging your scalp before pulling strands out of your face and pulling them into an intricate braid.

Apart from ever so slightly making you move your head to different positions, you were left mostly alone as you typed away about more research studies using brain imaging.

Mapi shifted behind you and you could tell she was trying to read over your shoulder.

"Why do you need to learn this?" She asked.

"It's interesting," You replied," I thought about doing psychology at uni before Barca signed me. I just hate writing about it."

"It looks boring."

"It's not," You said. Ingrid tied off your new braid and you turned to look at Mapi with a wolfish smile. "Besides, is it boring for you because it hits too close to home? Since you're such a child?"

Mapi swatted at you jokingly, lightly kicking you in the back until you shifted away from her with your laptop.

You refuge came in the form of the pile on the floor in front of the tv. Bruna and Jana welcomed you into the group instantly and you found yourself sandwiched between Ona and Esmee, who were viciously going against each other in FIFA.

"Is your essay finished?" Esmee asked," Keira told me not to text you after practice because you were writing your essay."

"Nearly," You replied," I've just got one more paragraph and then the conclusion. Ona's about to score, by the way."

With your words, Esmee just managed to block the shot as Ona shoved you in annoyance.

Jana and Bruna broke into laughter and peered over your shoulder.

"You used the wrong word," Jana said, pointing to where you had been writing about Piaget.

"It's kind of embarrassing that you're correcting me on my own native language," You said to her even as you corrected yourself.

"Learn Spanish," Bruna said," She makes a lot of mistakes in that."

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"You so do," Ona said," And y/n, you've got your tenses wrong."

You hadn't even noticed that the match had ended and that Ona was studying your essay until she spoke. Esmee looked over it as well, pointing at another grammar mistake.

You slapped their hands away and pointed to each of you. "Stop it! It'll get spellchecked at the end! You're ruining my creative process!"

"What creative process?" Jana laughed," You're writing an essay!"

"I hate you!" You declared with a laugh," Each and every one of you!" You pointed at them each in turn.

"Don't lie!" Bruna said," You love us."

You bat your eyelashes at her. "Write my essay and you'll have my undying love!"

"No chance!"

You finished your essay soon after without any of their help (although you would be the first to admit that your conclusion wasn't exactly the best) and hurried to cross it off the list, snatching it off the fridge. You sought out Keira in a group of the older girls. You showed her the list.

"I'm done!"

She took it from you, looking it over sceptically.

"And your psychology essay?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Keira, promise!"

"She promises, Keira!" Patri mocked your tone with a smile as Claudia and Gemma laughed.

You were one second away from stamping your foot but you refrained because you would never live down the 'little kid' allegations from your teammates if you did so.

"Look at this face!" Gemma said, cupping your cheeks," How could you be mean to this one?"

Keira had a contemplative look on her face.

"Come on, Keira," Claudia said," It's the weekend. We have a match in two days. She's been doing her work since we arrived. Let her have this."

"She could have had it finished before you all arrived if she hadn't taken a nap after practice."

"She's a growing girl!" Patri declared," She needs her nap so she can be big and strong like me when she grows up!"

An arm was thrown over your shoulder and you bit back your retort that the world couldn't handle two versions of Patri.

"Oh...fine, then. y/n go let Narla out of your room and then you're free for the rest of the day."

"Yes!" You pumped your fist into the air and hurried off.

Narla had been shut into your room the moment you came home after Keira watched you play with the little dog instead of doing your homework so she seemed very happy to be free, leaping into your arms like a little princess and making you walk her into the living room.

Salma and Cata intercepted you on the way, cooing over Narla like they had never met her before even though they had.

"It's strange to see you without your laptop," Cata said to you as she tickled under Narla's chin," I thought that it was surgically attached to you or something."

You would have shoved her if you had access to your hands but you didn't so settled for an unimpressed eyeroll. "Ha, ha, very funny. Make fun of my massive workload. I don't see you studying while playing football!"

"You know," Salma said and you already knew she was going to say something to tease you," When I was your age, I didn't have to worry about deadlines because I just did my work the day it got set."

You scoffed. "You're only three years older than me!" You stuck your tongue out at her. "If you want to write my essays for me, Salma, you should have just asked."

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "That sounds like hell on earth."

You laughed all the way back to the living room, placing Narla on the floor and grabbing some snacks from the table when nobody was looking. You ended up on the floor for the most part, sat by Lucy's chair as the older woman sat above you, occasionally reaching down to feed you chocolate when she was sure Keira wasn't looking. But as it got later in the evening, you ended up migrating onto the sofa with Alexia.

"I heard you finished all your schoolwork for the week," She said as you lazed against her side, watching whatever Spanish soap opera Patri had forced onto the tv.

"Uh-huh." You were only half listening as you dozed off. Her nails scratched lightly at your scalp and the blanket that had been thrown over the pair of you made you feel all cosy and warm.

"Well done, y/n. I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you," You slurred slightly, head dropping to her shoulder as your vision got blurrier and blurrier.

"Are you tired, bebita?"

"No..."

Her chuckle jolted her body slightly but it was a little like the vibrations from being in a car so your eyes just drooped lower. "I think you are."

"Not...Not tired."

"You are. I think all that studying took it out of you."

"No..." You whined slightly and Alexia pulled you in a bit tighter. She manipulated your body in some way you didn't realise because you blinked and suddenly you were lying stretched out with your head in her lap. "I'm...I'm not tired."

You had already missed out on team bonding because of your studying. You didn't want to miss out on any more.

"You are very tired." Alexia's tone was firm but still somehow soothing and her nails drew patterns on your arm comfortingly. "You just need a little nap."

You tried to protest but Alexia's voice just got a bit firmer and a bit more like her captain voice so you knew that you couldn't argue back.

"Come on, bebita. It's nap time for good students like you. I'll wake you up when the food gets here."

[ilikepjo24]

On Octavian ruining Percy's panda pillow pet...

Now, I thought this wasn't even a serious thing that needs to be addressed but I just finished arguing with someone over this, so apparently it does need its own meta.

So, the take we're debunking today is "Octavian is mean/evil for ruining Percy's pillow pet".

The thing about this pillow pet is that Percy was homeless for six months, he had to steal to survive and fight off monsters every single day, a task that was getting harder and harder every day, all while he remembered nothing. He only had his name. He didn't have friends, a home, a family, a safe place, a purpose, something that can get people by so that they don't just give up when struggling every day for no known reason with no known end goal gets too much.

During those months, his panda pillow was the one single form of comfort and familiarity he was granted. A small mercy if you will, to help get him through this. Although many people downgrade, poke fun off, and affectionately ridicule his relationship with the panda pillow pet, it was definitely something meaningful. Like the first participation trophy you got for participating in a competition for fun, only to realize you really like that activity and get hooked on it. Sure, the trophy does not indicate any real talent or success in itself, but to you it's the starting line for something you genuinely love. And to Percy his pillow pet has value because of it's emotional worth.

Which is why it had to be sacrificed.

I'll explain why soon enough, but for now, hold that thought I put in your head just now while I add a second idea there too.

This isn't talked about in the books, but it's something Uncle Rick made sure to address in the show. As Chris Rodriguez worded it: The gods love the smell of beging.

In Camp Half-Blood, when meal time is over, demigods throw the remaining of their food into the fire as a sacrifice and pray to the gods. In the show it was specified that it's better to sacrifice a portion of your favourite food, because if the gods see that you're willing to sacrifice your own comfort (even if it's just in the form of your favourite food) just to please them, they are more likely to answer your prayer. Once again, as Chris said, they love the smell of begging. And the more you beg, the more you're willing to sacrifice, the further you're willing to go, the better.

So Greek gods like it when you pray by sacrificing your food, and to an extent, your comfort. And the Roman gods like it when you sacrifice a life.

Which is why auguries became a thing. Of course you're not gonna see the future in the guts of an animal just because. The gods will grant you spoilers for the next season if you kill the animal because it will make them feel flattered to see that you're so desperate for their help that you'd rip out the soul of a living being in their honor just to get their attention.

However, Rick is writing books for tweens and teens. He can't just have animals being slaughtered left and right, especially for the purpose of feeding the gods' narcissism. So what can he do to make the situation a bit more pg 13? Remove the slaughtering of animals. And how will auguries be performed then? By sacrificing something else that has value. Emotional value.

It's quite logical to assume that the stuffed toys Octavian uses in his auguries are really expensive or collector's edition or handmade or are someone's childhood companion that they donated. The gods wouldn't just let you have information about the feature when all you gave to them was a sacrifice worth 1$ that you could even fish out of the trash.

Now I want you to hold on to that too and knit it together with the other thought I told you to hold on to, got it? And if you do that part of the process properly you should get to the conclusion that the best sacrifice available at the moment to get the gods to tell you how they feel about Percy joined the legion was Percy's panda pillow pet that he is so deeply emotionally connected to.

Octavian did not ruin something Percy loved for kicks. He didn't even know him yet, there's no way he had any type of malicious feelings towards Percy yet. He was just doing his job. The job Reyna tasked him to and the job Hazel told him to do during their conversation. And that was to read Percy's augury (which wasn't an augury bc Octavian is a haruspex but that's irrelevant right now). He wasn't actively trying to soil Percy's mood and ruin his day just to be the evil villain. He was just doing his job.

Thus proven.

[starlightshadowsworld]

Heroes of Olympus except its not the leaders that are swapped but the Oracle and the Augur.

Octavian just embodies the vibe of "I'm surrounded by idiots." He is very much in need in caffeine and is just done with everything.

And yet very efficient and not one to take lightly.

Octavian has threatened to stab anyone who laughs at his teddy bear routine. Saying he'll get the next prophecy from using them as a sacrifice.

He's got a very dry sense of humour and in a way reminds everyone of Dionysius.

He's also nice under it all but if you say that he will stab you.

As for Rachel.

She's surrounded by a bunch of pretentious folk trying to tell her what to do.

It's like being back home all over again.

And frankly, she's over it.

Rachel has tried to explain that she cant just magic up a prophecy but no ones listening.

So she grabs a knife, some painting supplies and shuts herself up in her new quarters.

Doesn't come out until they'll listen to reason.

Rachel makes it clear she will do what she wants, whatever that is and is endlessly amused at how pissed that makes people.

She was born to cause chaos.

No one tells her what to do, no one.

Octavian and Rachel meeting after the exchange like "are you okay? What the fuck was that?"

They become good friends, talk shit about everyone.

Rachel has someone who is mortal and grew up in her world that has gone through a similar journey to her.

Octavian actually has someone to talk to about the visions he's getting from Gaea.

They unite the camps and get coffee afterwards.

[theprinceofdarknesssquad]

Give Him Space

A Solangelo Fanfiction

Summary: Nico and Will are good friends, and both of them like each other, but haven't confessed yet. One night, Nico has a nightmare.

Will Solace has always been a light sleeper. He would be woken up by the faintest of breeze, or the softest rustle of leaves beside Cabin 11. He had grown accustomed to the occasional snores of the Apollo kids, but other than that, even the smallest of noises could wake him up.

Including footsteps.

One night, Will heard hurried footsteps from outside the Cabin, and at first, doubted that it was probably just another camper who got hungry at night. But then, he succeeded in overthinking and decided to check it out instead.

Will got out of bed and the cabin, closing the door quietly behind him. He turned towards the Dining Pavillion but found no one upon reaching there. He strained his ear to hear any sound from the kitchens, but it was silent. Will blinked confusedly, looking around. Was he hallucinating? He was sure he heard footsteps.

Then, he saw it. It was a shadow, a shadow of someone heading towards the beach. There was only one person Will knew who was brave - and crazy - enough to go towards the beach at night. And his stealth, his stance was like that of a ghost.

Nico di Angelo.

Will didn't want to admit it out loud, but he liked Nico. Romantically. But he had never even given a thought to confessing his feelings to him. For one, he wasn't sure if Nico was over Percy Jackson, and second, he didn't know if Nico was ready to accept the truth about himself.

A lot of times, Will would get angry at Percy. He knew that it was unreasonable and that Percy was a great guy. But he was also one of the main reasons why Nico's feelings were in shambles, so Will couldn't control the bout of rage that would overcome him at times whenever he saw Poseidon's son.

Will wondered if he should follow Nico. He knew that it was crazy to do so, not because staying out of bed past curfew was dangerous, but mainly because Nico would go feral if he came to know that someone was following him.

But leaving someone alone in danger and worse, in pain was not in Will's nature nor in his ideals. So, he braced himself, took a deep breath and started following the son of Hades.

Will was stealthy, but not half as much as Nico. Nico moved smoothly and swiftly, not disturbing anything around him. He was like a shadow, which could mould itself compared to its surrounding. Will tried his best to keep track of him, but it proved to be difficult.

Nico was so skilled at hiding himself from everyone. He'd find comfort in confined spaces and darkness. He had learned how to smile at the darkness, and at one point, the dark smiled back. Nico was still a mystery to most, a mystery they would rather ignore than bother.

But Will was different. He knew that, deep inside, Nico was hurting. It did not take a genius to guess that. Being Apollo's kid, Will could detect easily if there was something with someone, and the moment he had first laid eyes on Nico, he had almost doubled over after sensing the hurt in his heart.

As he followed the boy towards the beach, Will wondered why he was awake. At the next moment, he understood how stupid he had been. Nico must be having nightmares, of course. Gaea, the battle, the giants, Octavian, they all frequented Will's nightmares. It was stupid to assume that they didn't Nico's.

And Nico...Nico had gone through Tartarus. All on his own. Will could not even imagine the horrors he must have faced. Will smiled sadly, Nico was so strong, so brave, even when he denied it.

Nico sat in the sand by the beach and looked at the sea. Will stayed back in the trees, thinking about what he should do. He wanted to surge forward and sit beside him, talk to him and console him. That was his first thought. He didn't want Nico to suffer alone, he had been doing so for too long.

But then, he paused. Nico had been alone for too long, so Will didn't know if he would welcome his presence or feel threatened by it. Instead of feeling better that someone was there for him, Nico might withdraw himself inwards even more. Will didn't want to make that mistake.

Nico and Will had become good friends. Will reminisced a fond memory and smiled to himself.

"I'm telling you, Solace. I'm fine!" Nico insisted. He was starting to get angry, he kept telling Will that he was fine. But Will knew better. Nico was just back from Camp Jupiter and looked more exhausted than ever. He must have shadow-travelled, given his drooping eyes and haggard face.

"Tell me, di Angelo, when was the last time you drank water?" Will asked, ignoring Nico's glare and thrusting a bottle of water in his hands. There was no one else in the infirmary, everyone liked Nico but avoided him nonetheless.

Nico gripped the bottle tightly, "None of your business. I'm fine." "You look anything but fine." Will said dismissively, "Let me check your blood pressure-"

Nico relented after a long argument. He slumped down on the bed and kept glaring at Will. Will kept checking his vitals and tried to hide the smile on his face. Nico attempted to look scary and menacing when he was glaring, and Will was not going to tell him how cute it made him look.

He didn't want to battle Ghostboy.

After he was done, Will expected Nico to storm out and throw the bottle in the trashcan, but none of that happened. He looked at Will keenly instead. "What?" Will asked.

"Nothing." He answered after a long time, "You're not afraid of me."

"It's not the same as before anymore, Nico." Will said softly, "You are one of us."

"Everyone says that," Nico murmured, "But I know they're afraid of me."

"Well, you are the son of Hades, you're mysterious, you have an obsession with McDonald's, you can talk to ghosts, you always wear black, even in the summer heat. But you must remember, you're not a fearsome monster or something." Will said. He looked away, trying to not blush. He cursed himself for spilling how much he observed Nico.

Nico chuckled. "Funny, Solace. But I will remember to bring you a burger the next time I got to McDonald's." He stood up and walked out of the infirmary. Will stared after him. Was he developing a crush on the boy?

Will gazed at the same boy. It was from that incident that their friendship grew. And now they were at a point where everyone could tell that there was something more between them. But Will didn't want to put a burden on Nico unless he was sure he reciprocated his feelings.

Will's heart ached to go forward and sit beside Nico. Granted, he was not the most talkative, or the most polite, or the most welcoming person, but Will liked him. For what he was. A hurt, lost boy with a kind heart, who only wanted good for the world, despite what the world had put him through.

So Will paused. Nico deserved his space, Will wasn't going to go and invade that. He stepped backwards and made a decision to go back to bed. The next morning, he'd ask Nico if he had gotten any sleep. He'd magically guess that Nico had nightmares and confront him about it. He'd then try to talk to him only if the son of Hades wanted to talk.

Tomorrow, he'd do everything for Nico.

But tonight, it was only required to give him space.

NOTE - This is my first Solangelo fanfic, so hope it was good. Thanks for reading!

[kekaki-cupcakes]

Hi uhm sorry if I bother you: could you please write Percy x daughter of Disciplina (minor Roman goddess of discipline) who’s very uhm well rules-oriented, similar to Jason and cold and military though secretly loves cute and chaotic things (though doesn’t partake) so it’s kind of a rival to lovers situation please? And they meet when Percy arrives at the camp Jupiter? Thank you so much and feel free to decline ofc! Bye bye! Ps: loved your Nike series and I can’t wait for the Hypnos piece too! Take your time though, ofc!

This was a cute idea <3 and I liked writing about Camp Jupiter I haven't had any roman demigod requests before! sorry it took so long I'm multitasking so much haha but this ended up as 2.1k words lol <3

rules orders kisses instructions---Percy Jackson x roman child of Disciplina

»»————-　★　————-««

-First of all, it wasn’t your fault that you managed to bring the most chaotic, rule breaking, cute, carefree, demigod into Camp Jupiter.

-You were posted just inside the borders, watching for monsters and the like, and though you’d never admit it, it was one of the quietest and therefore dullest spots for patrol. Nothing ever came through, and you spent most of your time sharpening your weapon and spotting cloud animals. Until something did come through, namely, the bane of your entire existence. 

-He came running over the hills with a panda pillow pet and a bronze sword, followed by a hoard of screeching monsters, telling ‘Perseus Jackson’ that today was the day he would die. At the time, rescuing this random demigod was the right thing to do, but looking back, if you had just let him be trampled by the contents of Tartarus, it would have fixed a lot of your problems. Instead you opened the gates to Camp Jupiter and let him in.

-Both of you stood beyond the gates, which were made out of some solid metal that the Trivia kids had installed. They had never disclosed what it was that vaporized the monsters the second they touched it. You should probably check in with that, now that you think about it. 

-Perseus had made quite the fuss when the first cohort and the praetors showed up, making giant hands out of one of the rivers that ran along the edge of the city and then being introduced by a god. He took it all in his stride, and even had the nerve to back-talk Octavian [something you’d never admit to wanting to do yourself]. 

-You hated him immediately.

-Well, maybe not hate, hate was a strong word for simple feelings. You would just rather if Percy [he had corrected the use of his name immediately. You were grateful. Perseus was a stupid name.] had a bit more respect for the way Camp Jupiter worked, and stopped teaching the younger soldiers swear words during meal times. 

-A few days into his stay, he approached you in one of the large canvas tents set up. You’d been mapping out which of the hills you were going to use as a base in the next war game with Dakota, when he tripped on his shoelaces and righted himself, grinning at both you and Dakota. 

-Apparently he wanted to thank you for not leaving him out the border to fight off the army of monsters on his tail, and volunteered to help out on your team during the war games in return.

-You told him you would consider once he learnt to tie his shoelaces properly.

-You’d then assumed that would be the last of it, thankfully, [although for some reason you’d scan the fifth cohorts section sometimes for a mess of black hair, but you were just trying to keep the younger soldiers vocabulary appropriate. Obviously.] and spent the rest of the day taking poisonous bows and quivers off the children of Mercury, and explaining to the daughter of Pluto that she wasn’t allowed to ‘have a go at summoning a horse skeleton for funsies’.

-Reyna marched between the canvas tents with her metal dogs, barking instructions and sending out a few Helios kids and legacies as medics.

-Ten minutes before the game officially started, when the opposite side were posted up too far away to see their silhouettes on the mountain ridge, and the children of Mars were untying the war elephant from its posts and readying it for battle, Percy burst back into the tent. One of the leopards getting a spiked collar attached to its neck growled, but settled back down when Dakota spoke sharply to it. Lavinia went to shoo Percy out, but something about the easy grin on his lips made you wave a hand, and Lavinia went back to instructing the Vulcan children. 

-Percy ran to you, and in quite the untimely fashion, kicked one of his feet up onto the battle plans, mud and dirt smearing across the maps and charts. Before you could yell at him, you spotted his shoes. 

-“How’s that for being allowed to fight?” Somehow, in the few hours he’d had spare, Percy had acquired a pair of purple velcro sneakers. 

-You stood there for a moment, and then narrowed your eyes at him, folding your arms as well, just to make your point. “If you left Camp Jupiter I will have to report you, you know that, right?”

-He just smirked. “You like me too much. And don’t worry, I traded Octavian's diary for them, some Venus legacy guy had a spare pair. Purple isn’t really my color, but watch!”

-Thankfully, he took his feet off the table, but a moment later he was running across the cramped tent, and threw his arms out for balance as small wheels popped out of the soles of his shoes. A coat of shields crashed to the floor, and the leopard in the corner jumped to its feet and scampered out. Someone yelled and Percy proceeded to spin in a circle and then slip and fall.

-For the first time, you became annoyed that your reflexes were so good, because Percy was sprawled out in your arms, which were under his, keeping him from becoming impaled by a stray electric spear. You held your breath for as long as you could, pulling your expression into one blank of emotions, but then you couldn’t hold it any longer. 

-You laughed.

-Pery turned around, pulling his shirt down and skidding a little on the floor. His green eyes you only just noticed were the same shade as the lake near the stables were wide, and he was slack jawed. 

-Your stomach started to hurt as you giggled, “what?”

-“You can laugh!”

-“Of course I can laugh, Perseus, I am a person.”

-“I didn’t know you could laugh. And it’s Percy, don’t make fun of me.”

-You went back to glaring at him quickly, and he visibly dulled. You just rolled your eyes and began brushing mud dewy grass of the battle plans. He peeked over your shoulder, hair tickling your neck, so you planted one of the little markers Dakota liked to use to show where people would be patrolling. 

-Percy pouted, and you quickly looked away from his mouth [why were you even looking at his mouth?], “can’t I be the horse?”

-“The Pluto girl is the horse, she’s making sinkholes along the tracks to our base, trying to dilute the flow of soldiers. You can be the dog, it’s cute.”

-“You think I’m cute?”

-His smile when he said that was in fact, cute, but you didn’t tell him that. Instead you picked up another of the little coloured markers, and moved it to where you’d initially put the dog. “Fine, you can be the toucan, because you’re an imbecile.” 

-“No wait, I wanna be the dog now... And what did toucans ever do to you?” 

»»————-　★　————-««

-You became quite accustomed to the sound of smooth clicking, a scrape, and then Percy yelping and bumping into the back of you over the next few days. 

To the north, beyond the gods, lies the legion's crown. 

Falling from ice, the son of Neptune shall drown.

-You didn’t see him off. 

-You knew it wasn’t polite, the entirety of the army stood on the shore as Percy, the Pluto girl, and the boy who cared for the war elephant waved them off. But you stayed at your post by the border instead, watching cloud animals and pretending not to see someone sinking to their death in each one.

-But the army didn’t sit with him at every meal because technically, you were a superior and didn’t have an assigned legion, you had just usually sat with Reyna or Jason. You’d eat the breads and nuts and fruits the satyrs and harpies brought while Percy ate everything in sight that was even slightly blue. 

-The army wasn’t given a daisy chain as a crown when you showed Percy through the gardens, the trees and flowers acting as borders to the paths leading across the city in the direction of the universities and shops. The army didn’t find an old basketball in the weapons shed and learn to play with Percy, because he couldn’t remember playing before, but he was good. 

-The army didn’t sneak him into the stables because really you weren’t allowed but somehow the rearing black stallions calmed him when his breathing got too fast and uneven. 

-The army didn’t sit at the edge of the river bed while he ducked under and splashed around like a happy duckling. That stopped when the prophecy was first spoken. Percy skirted around puddles on the last day.

»»————-　★　————-««

-There was blood. Lots of it. Smoke wafting from the scattered fires and screams piercing the muggy air. 

-You held your weapon tightly in your hand, back to back with Dakota as he brandished a baseball bat wound tight with thorny vines that curled and writhed like snakes. 

-Monsters crawled over the mountain ridge in waves, at least half of them squashed by the giant stomping in circles and roaring, creating miniature earthquakes with each step. Alcyoneus was forty feet tall, his skin a metallic sort of color that shone like the sun Helios was bringing into the middle of the stormy sky. 

-The fifth legion ran into places, maps and diagrams you’d drilled into them, finally being put to use as they worked effortlessly. The war elephant had doubled, somehow, and both charged at the violent giant currently ripping the roof off the stables, knocking him sideways.

-For a short moment, you assumed maybe a finger had been cut off from the monster, as a bronze sort of color streaked across the horizon, but then it came to a stop in front of Lavinia, who was dragging an unconscious demigod across the battlefield in the direction of the hidden medic base by the university. 

-Hazel, the Pluto girl [you’d finally learnt her name] sat atop a stallion, her cavalry helmet over her curly hair. You made eye contact, and her shoulder sunk, but you weren’t sure if it was with relief or disappointment. You couldn’t see her expression from across the bloodstained distance, but you could see the blue harpy foaming at the mouth behind her, talons outstretched. 

-You turned to Dakota, but he was already kneeling a little, bracing himself as you stepped on one of his hands, and then he launched you forwards and up, up into the smokey air filled with screams and wails. 

-Time slowed a little as you positioned yourself, wind whipping your eyes and making them sting. Hazel ducked as you flipped over her and landed on the Harpies back, rolling it away and further down the hill. Talons raked your cheek, and you whacked it over the head, hard.

-The bronze streak was gone already. Somehow the horse was running vertically up the side of the giant, and then began circling its neck.

-The sleeve of your purple shirt was ripped free and you held it to your face, the deep cuts dripping down your neck and already staining your skin in dark red blotches. Pain prickled, but you felt a chill down your spine, and by the time you had turned, the horned snake’s jaw was already unhinged, fangs dripping with something dark and oily and ready to bite.

-Your heart slowed, or maybe it sped up, all you knew was that it was the only thing you could hear.

-You held your arms in front of your scratched up face and tried to roll, but the snake's tail was already heavy across you, pining you to the blood stained cobblestone ground. You reached for where your weapon had been lost in the wrestle a moment before, but then there was a dragged out squelching sound and a ‘shing’. 

-The snake froze, and then its head slipped off its body, landing by Percy’s feet.

-He launched forwards as quickly as the snake had, only he pulled you from the cocoon of scales, panting. Your hands shook, and Percy’s eyes widened when he spotted the splatter of blood on your neck, his face going pale.

-You shook your head weakly, “just my cheek, it’s not bad.”

-He nodded, and then you were once again wrapped up tightly, this time by Percy’s arms. You noticed vaguely that he was actually pretty buff, but then you felt your eyes prickle with emotion.

-He stepped back quickly, ducking his head, “sorry, I..”

-“You didn’t drown.”

- “I technically did but it’s all good now-” 

-You cut him off with another hug, your face buried in his shoulder, probably covering him in your own blood as well, but Percy didn’t seem to mind when he hugged you back, chest heaving. You sniffed, trying not to cry, hands tight around his hoodie, “you smell like incense and hay.”

-“That, yeah that explains a lot of it actually.”

-“You don’t get to go on another quest without me, that’s an order.”

-“Yes please.”

»»————-　★　————-««

[knightofthenewrepublic]

Percy would have worked with Octavian, but the Augur never gave him a chance

(or Why Octavian's actions weren’t justified)

As people spend more and more time critically examining the Riordanvese (often to a fault, it must be said) one of the most common revisionist arguments is to try and absolve the mortal villains of the consequences of their action; usually by exaggerating their motivations. That includes the argument that Octavian was so quick to war partially because he was treated poorly by the Greeks. Particularly by Percy Jackson. 

But does that actually hold up?

People will argue that Octavian was not evil, because attacking Camp Halfblood was justified from his perspective; he thought they had broken a truce with New Rome and attacked it. And that would be a fair argument, IF that was the only bad thing Octavian had done, or even the worst thing. It wasn’t. And Octavian had begun trying to trigger conflict well before that. Percy, on the other hand, did his best to prevent it.

The first scene where Percy meets Octavian, is also the first time we see his sinister side. And that is of course when he tries to blackmail Hazel into supporting him for Praetor.

Now there is an aspect of the context of this scene that I think a lot of people overlook; their ages. Octavian is 18, or near enough, and Hazel is 13. This is a guy old enough to vote, (the only one of them who isn’t a child soldier) blackmailing a girl too young to get a learner’s permit. Just before this, Percy says Octavian reminds him of someone; which is obviously a reference to Luke Castellan. This type of nearly grooming behavior would have really reinforced that impression; which explains Percy’s hostile reaction to it.

Percy slipped his hand into his pocket, and grabbed his pen. This guy was blackmailing Hazel. That was obvious. One sign from Hazel, and Percy was ready to bust out Riptide and see how Octavian liked being at the end of a blade.

But Percy keeps these urges internal. He doesn’t voice his anger, and doesn’t give any visible reaction. The other two keep talking like he’s not there. This is a pretty good demonstration of Percy’s hard won self control; on his first day at Camp Half-Blood he doused Clarisse with toilet water for less, without even meaning to.

The next interaction he has with Octavian isn’t much better.

“Recruit,” he [Octavian] asked, “do you have any credentials? Letters of reference?” Percy shifted. “Letters? Um, no.” Octavian wrinkled his nose. Unfair! Hazel wanted to shout. Percy had carried a goddess into camp. What better recommendation could you want? But Octavian’s family had been sending kids to camp for over a century. He loved reminding recruits that they were less important than he was.  “No letters,” Octavian said regretfully. “Will any legionnaires stand for him?”

Now just asking this question is obviously standard practice, so Octavian isn’t wrong for that. It’s his condescending reaction that is the unsubtle putdown.

But then things come to a head very quickly, when that night’s game of capture the flag ends in a visit from the god Mars, and the command he delivers; a quest to retrieve the legion Eagle, and free Death.

Now what’s really important here is that, while people often think of Leo attacking Camp Jupiter as the point where Octavian turned against the heroes, THIS is the actual point. THIS is where he goes from being a nuisance to being an antagonist.

It starts in the Senate meeting the next day, when Percy tries to make sense of the situation:

“This Giant, the son of Gaea--he’s the one who defeated your forces thirty years ago. I’m sure of it. Now he’s sitting up there in Alaska with a chained death god, and all your old equipment. He's mustering his armies and sending them south to attack this camp.”

Percy is just repeating what Mars literally told them the night before. Octavian’s reasonable reaction to this is:

“Really?” Octavian said. “You seem to know a lot about our enemy’s plans, Percy Jackson.”

Him, and everyone else who was conscious at the end of the war games.

In spite of being almost outright accused of treason, Percy still keeps his cool. This shows a lot of growth on his part, compared to where he was in the second book of the previous series:

This was so completely unfair, I told Tantalus to go chase a donut, which didn’t help his mood.

After a bit more discussion, Octavian makes his move. First he gets in another insult. 

“Mars has clearly chosen the least likely candidates for this quest. Perhaps it is because he considers them the most expendable.”

And then he argues that the senate should not give any of the support that would normally be given to a quest. The odds of them succeeding are already so low; better to use their resources to protect the camp.

It’s pretty easy for us, the readers, to overlook what a dick move this really is. Of course WE know that the heroes are going to come back alive; but in universe, there is nothing to guarantee that. Even a small magical trinket could be the difference between life and death. And Octavian is trying to deny them that.

This could be understandable, if there was any sincerity to it. A sad but necessary sacrifice for the greater good, to protect the camp. But after arguing that all their resources have to be saved for the battle, Octavian proceeds to do nothing with them. When the giant’s army arrives, the legion simply marches out and fights them with conventional ranks and swords. Aside from a few roman scorpions (large crossbows), no specialized weapons are brought out, no magical items are used, they didn’t even build a wall or a trench. So there was no real reason not to give them anything; even if he sincerely believed the quest was doomed, that was all the more reason to help. The right magical tool might have at least given them the chance to get back alive. Depriving the questers served no purpose other than to make them fail.

You can also see this, in the fact that all Octavian’s stated reasons don’t actually win over the senate. 

The senators’ eyes moved back and forth between Octavian and Reyna, watching the test of wills. Reyna straightened in her chair. “Very well,” she said tightly. We shall put it to a vote.”

No one gives their support to Octavian before this. The senators are waiting to follow the person they see as more powerful, not the argument that was more convincing.

As for motivations, there is only one that Octavian could have; with the election just days away, he wants to prevent a rival for the praetorship.

Is the fulfillment of an epic quest a silly basis for entrusting someone with supreme executive power? Yes, in the real world, it is. But demigods don’t live in the real world; and in their world, everything revolves around quests. Quests drive every important event in the series, and are the ultimate standard by which the skill and power of a demigod are demonstrated. As Annabeth puts it in TLT:

“At camp you train and train. And that’s all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That’s where you learn whether you’re any good or not.”

If Percy returns from a land that wiped out half a legion of demigods, with the long lost legion Eagle, the mob that is Rome will raise him up on the fanciest shield they can find. And Octavian isn’t the only one who has put that together. The very next chapter sees Reyna tell Percy that he could stand for praetor if he succeeds; and we are reminded several times that Octavian is far more politically savvy than she is. If she’s put it together, you can bet that he has.

But going back to the senate meeting itself; we see another example of Percy choosing not to start a conflict with Octavian, even when he seems to be trying to get him killed. Instead, he focuses on the important issues:

Frank jumped to his feet. Before he could start a fight, Percy said, “Fine! No problem. but at least give us transportation.”

Percy is more concerned about succeeding in saving the camp than satisfying any grudges. Octavian is more interested in how many insults he can fit into one meeting.

“A boat!” Octavian turned to the senators. “The son of Neptune wants a boat. Sea travel has never been the Roman way, but he isn’t much of a Roman!”

(The insult proves to be quite a hypocritical one in BOO, when Octavian has boats built to surround Camp Half-Blood.)

Octavian’s next attempt to start a conflict with Percy is slightly more subtle.

They were only halfway across the forum when someone called, “Jackson!” Percy turned and saw Octavian jogging toward them.  “What do you want ?” Percy asked. Octavian smiled. “Already decided I’m your enemy? That’s a rash choice Percy. I’m a loyal Roman.” Frank snarled. “You backstabbing, slimy–” Both Percy and Hazel had to restrain him.

Why is Octavian talking about being enemies? It doesn’t say Percy asked angrily, or Percy growled, or Percy glared at him. It’s a very dramatic reaction.

And Percy has done nothing to suggest that he wants to be Octavian’s enemy. Sure he has grown to dislike the augur, as most people would with someone who insults them and blackmails children:

Nico put his finger to his lips. Suddenly all the lares went silent. Some looked alarmed, like their mouths had been glued together. Percy wished he had that power over certain living people . . . like Octavian, for instance.

But he’s been keeping those critical thoughts to himself. He even avoided arguing in the senate meeting so as not to escalate things. The worst thing he’s done was knocking Octavian out during capture-the-flag which was both a perfectly fair move and a good strategy. Hardly something to base a feud on.

Most likely, this is a freudian slip on Octavian’s part. He’s already started to see Percy as an enemy, for no other reason than he might be a rival. That, or it’s an attempt at gaslighting Percy into thinking he somehow provoked Octavian into trying to get him killed. In any case, the augur hardly seems unhappy to see him, and the two legionnaires at his side, go off to their deaths.

Octavian smiled wickedly. “The last person she [Reyna] had a private talk with was Jason Grace. And that was the last time I ever saw him. Good luck and goodbye, Percy Jackson.”

If he’s happy to see them go, he’s certainly not happy when they come back alive. 

The look on Octavian’s face was priceless. the centurion stared at Percy with shock, then outrage. Then, when his own troops started to cheer, he had no choice except to join the shouting: “Rome! Rome!”

Not the appropriate reaction when Percy is saving the city, not to mention Octavian’s own life. The auger doesn’t have a single kind word to say.

The Roman symbols burned into Percy’s arm: a trident, SPQR, and a single stripe. It felt like someone was pressing a hot iron into his skin, but Percy managed not to scream. Octavian embraced him and whispered, “I hope it hurt.”

Just before this, Octavian kills a teddy bear and reads the future from it, announcing:

good omens for the coming year–Fortuna would bless them!

It has been suggested that Octavian actually had a very different vision at this moment; that he saw the Argo II opening fire on New Rome, and kept that to himself, but turned against Percy and the other Greeks because of that. This doesn’t seem likely. It would serve his purposes better to share that information; and he would have seen that vision in front of hundreds of demigods hardwired to notice small details, none of whom notice him having any visible reaction to it. Besides which, this can’t be the point when he turns on Percy, since he’s already been trying to sabotage him for most of the book.

Now if there is some big conflict between Percy and Octavian, this is the time for Percy to win it decisively. To use his new power and authority to put the auger in his place.

But Percy doesn’t do that.

“Why should we trust these Greeks?” Octavian was saying. He’d been pacing the senate floor for five minutes, going on and on, trying to counter what Percy had told them about Juno’s plan and the Prophecy of Seven.

Rather than simply steamroll over the discussion, and try to use his authority to silence any opposition, Percy allows Octavian a reasonable amount of time to air his concerns, before finally stepping in with his counter argument.

When Percy lays out the details of why they must join the Greeks, Octavian never comes up with a logical counter argument. Instead, when a messenger reports the Argo II has been spotted, he resorts to paranoid rambling.

“Praetors!” The messenger cried. “What are your orders?” Octavian [who is not a praetor] shot to his feet. “You have to ask?” His face was red with rage. He was strangling his teddy bear. “The omens are horrible! This is a trick, a deception. Beware Greeks bearing gifts!” He jabbed a finger at Percy. “His friends are attacking in a warship. He has led them here. We must attack!”

Yesterday when he last read the entrails, Octavian said the omens were good. Now, they’re suddenly horrible. That pretty well justifies Percy’s growing disregard for Octavian’s auguries.

Not only that; he is accusing Percy of treachery, while at the same time suggesting they attack a ship that can be seen bearing a white flag.

And this is before a single shot has been fired on New Rome. That false-flag attack by Gaea can not be the inciting incident for Octavian’s hostility to the Greeks. Not if what he wanted to do before it happened is the same as what he wanted to do after it happened. The attack is just what incentives the rest of the camp to support him.

The last interaction between Percy and Octavian is pretty much the first two chapters of MOA, where Octavian does his best to offend the Greeks.

“You’re letting these intruders into the camp!”

When Reyna orders Octavian to go make a sacrifice to the gods, Percy adds:

“Good idea. Go burn your bears Octavian.”

An insulting way to put it; but no more so than calling the Greek ambassadors (including a Roman praetor and Percy’s own girlfriend) “intruders.” And no more harsh than the insults Octavian has used for legionnaires below himself, like Frank and Hazel. And Percy has been given enough reason not to trust Octavian’s auguries any more than he trusts him.

The last exchange between them is about the praetorship:

Octavian snorted. “Which means we have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two! “On the bright side,” Percy said, “both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up.” Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump.

I can only imagine how long Jason has been waiting for someone to say that to Octavian. It has been suggested this is an abuse of power on Percy’s part, but there is no reason to think so. They are surrounded by the senior officers of the legion, some of whom will be on Octavian's side, and no one raises an objection. And it's not like Octavian actually treats it like an order.

“I’ll step aside for Jason,” Percy said easily. “It’s no biggie.” “No biggie?” Octavian choked. “The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?”

No need to go into detail about how the rest of the series goes. Gaea triggers a war between the Greeks and Romans, and Octavian walks right into it. There is no reason to think he was working for her; but he was plainly looking for an excuse to start hostilities.

[muclunga]

Look, I like accurate casting as much as the next person but I just think its interesting how out of all the characters that were white in the books that are not white in the show, Annabeth is the only one getting hate. Not just casual hate…..hate hate. Annabeth, Grover, Clarisse, Luke, Chiron, Dionysus, Zeus and Hermes are all important characters that were white in the books. Yet the main heroine, deuteragonist and future love interest who went from being a tan blonde to being black is the only one yall are upset about…..interesting.

Oh actually wait, I have seen a few people complain about Clarisse not being white…

Clarisse….who happens to be the only other female on that list….

Very interesting indeed.

In fact, Grover is one of the main characters, part of the main trio, and i have never seen a white Grover anywhere other than the books. I have not, in the nearly 14 years since the movie’s release, seen or heard a single complaint about Grover’s race. Not in the movie, not in the musical, not in the show. But suddenly the blonde haired, grey eyed female protagonist is black and the world is ending? Yall are showing your ignorance.

Also side note- where are people getting this whole “underestimated dumb blonde” sub plot thing from? Percy makes a mental note of it once when he first meets her, then she plays into it when Octavian has her cornered in the Heroes of Olympus series. People are trying so desperately to say that this was an important aspect of her character now that she’s being portrayed by Leah, but i have no memory of it. Annabeth was far from underestimated and nobody has ever thought she was anything other than brilliant. She wants so badly to prove herself to her mom, but even Athena holds Annabeth in high regard. So what are people talking about???

[gatesofember]

hewwo I am rereading amau. I'm sure you've talked about this before but after Lee and Michael die will is technically next in line to inherit, right? but how does that work if he's already married off? does it go down to Austin?

get cozy and be ready for a bedtime story, because as usual, this answer got away from me

Will actually isn’t next in line! he and Austin aren’t able to inherit because they’re illegitimate. the duchy goes to Kayla. she thought about joining the sorority as a kid but fortunately had abandoned that idea by the time she became first in line.

Will and Austin could become next in line if Apollo legitimizes them (natural-born kids can be legitimized in a legal process; Aphrodite legitimized all her kids). but becoming the duke is Austin’s worst nightmare tbh and Will wouldn’t be able to take over the duchy while married to Nico.

if Kayla did decide to join the sorority, the duchy would go to the next person in line: everybody’s favorite guy, Octavian.

I did have the idea that Nico would offer to have the marriage annulled so that Will could take care of his family, since Austin had no interest in becoming the duke and Kayla (they thought) wanted to be a soror. of course this made Will angry:

Nico swallowed thickly.  “Perhaps...perhaps if it comes to that, you and I will have to...annul the marriage.”  Will, in the eyes of the Juvian Empire, was a Pluton now.  Only an annulment would change that.  And later, if Will became the duke, he would need an opposite-sex marriage to create a more legitimate heir than Octavian. Will rubbed his temple.  “No.  No, I...Nico, there will be another solution.” Nico nodded in silence.  He watched the curve of Will’s face and the occasional blink of his eyes as Will sat in deep, solemn thought.  He did not share those thoughts with Nico.

...

After several moments of silence fell between them, Nico cleared his throat.  “Have you given any thought to what I said last night? Will ground his teeth without replying.  He did not want to think of it. When Will gave no answer, Nico said, “Will, if it comes to it and you want an annulment, I would support you.” “We can’t,” Will said, just as he had the day before.   “I won’t allow it to come to that.” “But Will, if it’s best for Diana--” “What about what’s best for me, Nico?” Will interrupted softly.  “Had you thought of that?  Maybe an annulment wouldn’t be as hard for you as it would be for me.  You’re a prince; you could just find another duke’s bastard to marry.  But as for me?  I’ll find a wife — a countess, most likely.  Someone to build a family line with.  I’d never have a marriage as advantageous as this one.  I could never have a life like the one you’ve given me.  You could easily find someone as good as me to marry -- probably better.  But I would be forever miserable, knowing the life and the man I left behind.  How could I leave the palace and its wonders, or your sister and my dear Bonnie?  How could I abandon Pluto and the people I have adopted as my own?  How could I ever smile again?  How could I ever lie with anyone when I know what it’s like to lie with you?  I could never be so happy with anyone else -- yes, because of the things your status enables me to do and the people it lets me help, but also because of my love for you.” “Will--” “But by all means, if our marriage means so little to you, then perhaps an annulment would be best, should it come to that.” “Will, stop this.  I did not mean it that way and you are fully aware of it.” “Am I?  You suggested it so casually.” “Casually?  You think I am casual about the possibility of ending our marriage?” “It wouldn’t be the first time that our marriage meant less to you than it did to me.” “Will, I’m offering for you.  I suggested it not because our marriage means little to me, but because you mean more to me than our marriage.  If you needed it, I would make that sacrifice.  Do you truly believe that I could replace you so easily?  I wouldn’t see another suitor as long as I live.  You are the only one who wants me.” “You know very well that’s a lie--” “It isn’t,” Nico insisted.  “You were the only one who ever told me you wanted to see me again.  You were the only one to smile at me and the only one who always looked happy to see me.  No one wants me, Will.  I have a terrible temper, my father’s kingdom is in debt, and anyone who could possibly help would never agree to a marriage because I have nothing to offer but a name.  I was refused by everyone who I ever tried to court -- except you.”  Nico folded his arms in front of himself, looking very small and cold and afraid.  “I don’t want to marry anyone else.  Not when I know what it’s like to have someone as wonderful as you.  I am completely yours, Will.  I always will be.”

...

“I lost my brothers, Nico.  I cannot lose my husband, too.”

but Will did bring this up with his family later on while they were discussing what to do next:

Will took a breath.  “Nico and I have discussed annulling the marriage,” he said.  “Should Kayla join the Sorority, His Highness would be willing to part amicably.  I...I have told him no, but if it is what is best--” “Don’t be stupid, Will,” Kayla cut in.  “How could I ask that of you?  I will not be joining the Sorority.” “Kayla, it has been your aspiration for years--” “When I was a child,” Kayla said.  “This is my duty now.  Your duty is to your husband.”

however...the family thought there was another option:

“There won’t be any need for that,” Lou Ellen said quietly.  Will noticed her hands shaking.  “Lee and I planned to tell you that night.  I’m expecting a baby.”

Lou Ellen and Lee's baby would have had a better claim to the duchy than Kayla. so Will reported this to NIco:

“Lou Ellen is expecting,” Will said stiffly.   “She is?  Oh, Will, I--” “So you can forget all your ridiculous notions of annulling our marriage,” Will interrupted. “I already have,” Nico answered.

unfortunately, the baby was stillborn, so Kayla stayed next in line.

(the big am au file is so massive that the app kept crashing on my phone so I had to find all this on my computer)

some other excerpts from the "Will's brothers die and everything goes to shit" fic because I can't help myself I NEED someone to read this because I'm never going to get around to writing this:

(note that I wrote all this before deciding that Will was enby so if you see any mistakes, that's why)

“Will...” Nico started.  “If there is anything you need, ask for it.” “I need my brothers,” Will whispered. Nico closed his eyes.  He still remembered hearing about Bianca’s death.  He remembered the fear that rattled his body at the thought of succession.  He remembered the confusion, the anger, the guilt.... Truth be told, he still felt that way. Will blamed himself, Nico knew.  They had been the targets of the assassination, not Lee and Michael.  But Will and Nico had been off on their own, enjoying each other like two foolish young lovers. No, that wasn’t true.  It had been Nico -- Nico was the person who was meant to be assassinated, not Will.  Oh, how Will must despise him.... “Will, I....”  Nico did not know what to say.  An apology did not seem to suit the situation.  Will would not want an apology. “I would like to sleep in my own room tonight,” Will said softly.

...

Will hardly slept, but did not venture from his bed until after the sun had risen.  He felt terribly alone and for a moment, he regretted his decision to sleep by himself.  But no, he did not wish to burden his husband with his grief.  His restlessness would have kept Nico from sleeping. He pulled his dressing gown over his nightclothes and stepped into a pair of silk slippers before leaving his room.  He found his husband seated outside.  Nico rose to his feet when he saw Will, as though he owed Will that respect. “I was thinking of waking you,” Nico said.  “Chiron came by.  I told him we would take our breakfast here.  Would you prefer otherwise?” “No,” Will said without feeling, taking a seat on the couch by the fire.  “That will do, thank you.”  He realized he sounded as though he were dismissing a servant after the words left his mouth, but Nico did not appear to take offense.  He merely reclaimed his seat in silence, and they did not speak until their breakfast arrived. “I have no appetite,” Will said when Nico offered to fix him a plate from the tray of cuts. “Would you please try to eat?” Nico asked.  “At least a bit?” Will hesitated before nodding his consent.  Nico prepared him a plate and sat with him on the couch, where he cut Will’s meat for him and even brought it to Will’s lips like Will was little more than a helpless child. Will felt like a helpless child. “No more,” Will said a little while later, when Nico offered him another bite.  Nico nodded and took the plate away.  He did not get a plate for himself before sitting beside Will again, but Will did not have the energy to question him.

...

Will turned back to his father and stepmother and saw that their heads were bowed together, their fingers loosely linked between them.  He couldn’t recall ever seeing them be physically affectionate with each other, even in his childhood.  They avoided speaking to each other or even being in the same room if they were able to.  A part of him suspected that Kayla was natural-born, as well -- a child of Daphne and one of her favorites.  But it was not the time for questioning Kayla's legitimacy.  That time would never come.  If Kayla was natural-born, the secret would die with Daphne and Apollo.  Will turned away and left the room.

...

“Would you come to bed with me?” Nico asked, his hands shaking in his lap. “I would like to sleep alone,” Will said. Nico closed his eyes and forced himself to remain composed.  It was selfish of him to want Will to himself.  Will was hurting and Nico had no right to impose if he wasn't wanted.  And, after all, why would Will want him?  It was Nico's fault his brothers were dead.  “I...of course.  Of course.” Will remained still, his hands unmoving and his eyes unseeing, as Nico stood to retire to his bed. “Will, my love?” he said. Will glanced at him. “You must know that should you need me, my door is always open to you.” Will nodded in silence. “Sleep well, dearest,” Nico said.  He received no answer before he closed the door to his room.

...

“I would like to sleep in my own room,” Will whispered. Nico took a deep breath.  “Then may I join you?” he asked. He rarely stayed in Will’s room.  When they slept together, it was always in Nico’s.  It had become a habit; they naturally went to Nico’s room to sleep.  Nico had never questioned it before, but now he wondered why that was. Will stared at him without answering.  Nico said, “Never mind, my dear.” Nico turned to walk into his own room, but he heard Will stand and whisper, “Wait.” Nico turned back and Will dropped his gaze.  “Would you stay with me?” he asked softly. “Of course I will,” Nico answered.  “Anything you want.”

...

“I feel better when you hold me.” “Then why did you want to sleep alone?” At first, Will said nothing.  But then— “Because I didn’t want you to see me cry,” Will whispered.

...

“Are you angry?  Do you blame me?” Will’s arms tightened around Nico’s waist and he buried his face in Nico’s chest.  “I don’t want to,” he said softly. “But you do.” Tears stung Will’s eyes.  “I love you so much,” he said, his voice cracking with tears.  “I’m so sorry, Nico, I’m so sorry.  I shouldn’t blame you this way.” Nico kissed the crown of Will’s head.  “I blame myself, as well.” “I know,” Will said, his body starting to shake with sobs.  “I...I hate this, Nico.  I don’t understand any of it.  I wake up every morning and think about something I have to tell them, but they’re not here, or I think about how I will miss them when we go home, but I will miss them forever.” “Will--” “Gods above, don’t ever leave me, Nico.  Don’t ever make me feel this way.”

...

“I hate this, Nico.  I love you so much, but I can’t...I can’t even look at you without thinking that it’s our fault my brothers are dead.  They took my brothers from me.  They want to take you from me.  And I feel like they’ve torn this divide between us, like we were good and pure and they ruined it with stains of blood.  They’ve taken my family from me.  They’ve taken my love for you and twisted it into something so confusing I can’t make sense of it.”

...

“I think you should return to Pluto.” “Yes.” “And I will remain here.  Until things have begun to settle, I must stay with my family.  I will see Lou Ellen through her pregnancy and ensure the baby's health.” “Then I suppose we will not see each other for a very long time.” “No.  It may even take a year.” “It...it won’t be easy for me.” “It won’t be easy for me, either.  But perhaps it’s for the best.  Being apart...it will give me a chance to think this over.  I need time to mourn and heal with my family.” “And you’ll come back home to me?” “Yes,” Will said.  “I always will.  Do you trust me?” “Yes, of course.  But I’m still afraid.” “So am I.” “We’ll write to each other,” Nico said, lacing his fingers through Will’s.  “Just like when we were courting.” Will smiled.  But it wouldn’t be like when they were courting.  They both knew that. “Will you still love me when I see you again?” Nico whispered. “I don’t know what it’s like to not love you.” “Well, I hope you don’t learn.” “I don’t think I can.”

...

“Write to me.  Write to me whenever you are able.” “I will.” “And be there for me to come home to.” “I’ll be waiting.” “Give Bonnie my love.” “Always.” “And kiss your sister for me.” “Of course.”

...

“You have a son, Lou,” Will said.  “Would you like to hold him?” “I…” Lou Ellen stopped and sobbed, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.  “I don’t...I don’t know.  I don’t know.” Will tried to hold his tears back for Lou Ellen’s sake.  She didn’t need to see him cry.  “Would you like me to tell you about him?” he asked.  Lou Ellen nodded to that, still sobbing quietly into her hand. Will swallowed and looked down at the lifeless baby in his arms.  “He’s beautiful,” Will said.  “He has two eyes and ten little fingers.  He has your dark hair, but his complexion is more tan like Lee’s.  He looks so peaceful, Lou.”  Will had to stop talking to keep his voice from cracking.  He didn’t know what else to say.  How could he describe this wonderful, horrible gift? “May I hold him?” Lou Ellen asked shakily. “Of course,” Will croaked, going to her bedside and passing her the baby. Lou Ellen was silent for a long time.  She gently touched the curve of his cheek and ran her fingers over the thin hair on his head. “He looks like he’s sleeping,” Lou Ellen finally whispered.

...

The baby was stillborn, Will wrote.  I am coming home.  Lou Ellen will accompany me. He didn’t know what else to say, so he folded the letter in an envelope and sealed it.

...

“Will,” Nico whispered, not sure if he was welcome at all.  He wanted to cradle Will’s face in his hands, to brush his fingers over Will’s cheeks and memorize his lines again.  Had Will changed?  How much had he aged?  How much had Nico missed out on?  “I missed you.” It seemed like such an understatement.  Nico had felt like a part of himself was gone.  He’d felt hollow without Will.  His bed had been empty — no Will, no Asterion...Bonnie sometimes followed him to bed and spent the night with him, but more often than not, she stayed with Hazel. The corner of Will’s mouth quirked up so subtly that Nico would have missed it had he not been looking for it.  “I missed you,” he whispered back, and then suddenly they were both rushing across the room to hold each other.

...

“Will things ever be the same between us?” Nico asked in a whisper. “No,” Will answered.  “But I love you, Nico.  We will heal and grow, and you and I will become stronger than we ever were.” “Then you don’t hate me?” Nico asked, despising the pathetic taste of those words on his tongue. “Nico, my darling prince,” Will said, slowly turning to face him.  “Do you really believe that I could ever hate you?” Nico swallowed.  “I don’t know, Will.  I really don’t.  I don’t know anything anymore.” Will took Nico’s chin in his and tilted his head up, forcing Nico to meet his eyes.  “Well, I don’t hate you.  And I never will.  I will love you through anything, Nico.  Through the coldest of winters and the darkest of nights, through ridiculous arguments and petty misunderstandings, through the best days of our lives and through the worst.  I will love you when you are weak and when you are strong, when you are stubborn and obstinate and when you are sweet and kind.  I will love you when you push me off the bed in your sleep and I will love you when I wake up in your arms in the morning.”

[candyistoosweet]

Now since I see how much you're interested in hellcrew...Who's YOUR fav character???

Oh my fav hellcrew characters are A LOT! Almost all of them!! Well I just can't pick only one, so I'll just text it down with ranking◝(*'◡'*)◜

1. Kelly Duffy

2. Cian Lynch

3. Seamus Wrynn

4. Seraphina Shaw

5. Lucien Delaney

6. Sullivan Sweeney

7. Julius Doherty

8. Octavian Doherty

9. Devlin Doherty

10. Duvessa Doyle

11. Killian Lynch

...Haha, I'll explain in order! First off, Kelly is my fav cuz...I don't know I love his design so much! I love how he looks, and...the lack of infos or stories about him makes me feel more attracted to his mysterious aura I guess?

Next, Cian! Well, Cian is definetely at the top tier since he has so many best traits out of HC casts, don't you think? He's good with kids, cooking, social, looks handsome....so many great characteristics to tell! Definetely #1 or #2!

Seamus...I love himmm I love his aura, I really appreciate how he shows his personallity!! His face and hairstyle is also very calm and interesting...only if his way of describing 'love' as his photos weren't so twisted, I could've just gave him #2 tier, honestly.

Sera...Actually @gracilissart 's artwork of his characters and their introductions are favorite out of three creators' works in the Hellcrew project. I'm a straight girl and Sera makes me into lesbian time to time LOL🫣 I love her design!!! 8/10.

I can explain. I can explain about Lucien...I like the way how easy it is to say out his name. Lucien...And also, his job occupation is the same dream job I want! A pediatric psychiatrist! At least his JOB doesn't describe what he is like...does it? 5~6/10.

Sullivannnn!! His nationality reminds me of mine! He's part chinese, and my nationality is korean which kinda relates as the same asians. I also love how tanned his skin is compared to others, it gives unique vibe!! 7/10!

Despite how much fanarts I draw out of him, Actually Julius doesn't reaches to the highest tiers. I love his design, backstories or the way he kills, but maybe his personallity is the reason I'd say? I love him!

Octavian Doherty. Oh gosh, I won't lie, his first design before looked a lot alike Jason The Toymaker, the creepypasta. But since his design and settings changed a lot, I like this new version 10000 times better!! I just cannot understand what he talks when he texts, that's affecting his middle tier. 6/10!

Devlin? Oh he's nice...Yeah...But I don't like the way he've treated his girlfriends before, 4/10.

I don't know anything about Duvessa, just except that she's Killian's favorite woman, her hairstyle, and her eye color!! But at least she gets along with Sera and she's pretty so...I'll just place her above the worst fav tier. No rate comments yet since I don't know her yet!

Killian....Well, I know he's the best and all, but I just don't think he's my type character...Notvtrying to say he's bad character. He's still awesome, there're already too many characters who attracts me better than him, which shows him below them as the result...7/10!!!

Thereee's everything I'd say for now. I bet you guys have been shocked of how high rate I gave Lucien, but....🫠 I just admire his job. Don't blame me, it's one of my dream job ᕙ༼ ≖ᴥ≖༽ᕗ 

Characters:

Julius, Killian, Cian, Duvessa, Sullivan, Octavian, Kelly - @sanityshorror

Devlin, Lucien - @scarfaxia

Seamus, Seraphina - @gracilissart

[historical-kitten]

Once again inspired by @just-late-roman-republic-things.

Unarmed Ancient Romans in a Haunted House

(It's a good things swords aren't allowed.)

Octavian: He wasn't feeling well when this was proposed but insists on coming, then screams at the jump scares and somehow ends up hiding in a field next door.

Agrippa: He heads through and has no reaction at all to the scares. On the way through he sees a door hanging off its hinges and pulls out his all purpose tool to fix it. If Octavian is still hiding in the field when he exits, he goes to find him.

Mark Antony: He is laughing at most of the scares and chatting with the scare workers. If one manages to startle him, they get punched in the face, but they all go out for beers afterwards so it's cool. (If he gets outside before Agrippa, he goes to get Octavian out of the field with a big sigh. He does tease him about this.)

Lepidus: He is a cautionary tale and becomes the subject of local legends as he reluctantly went into the haunted house after Antony and Octavian told him to, but he never leaves. Some say on late nights, you can hear a voice crying in the night, "Why did I think we were a trio?"

Cicero: He explains to his group the psychology and special effects behind the haunted house as they go through it. Yes, he shrieks at a jump scare, but then immediately says, "Ah, see, the startle scare activates one's sympathetic nervous system and triggers an acute stress response that prepares the body to engage in either fight or flight." His group might not enjoy this, but Cicero does.

Dolabella: He is one of the scare actors and absolutely takes it too far with his act. He is the one punched by Antony.

Julius Caesar: Let's be honest, he just bought tickets for his friends and supporters who wanted to go... But if pressed, would absolutely be the guy talking about how it was not going to be scary in line so the scare actors decide to gang up on him throughout the entire thing and make his experience miserable.

Pompey: He boasts even louder than Caesar about how he is unable to be scared. That leads to a gang of scare actors picking on him as well until he runs out screaming, but once outside he pretends he was laughing the entire time.

Crassus: He stays outside and partners scared looking people with a group of large, brave people working for him for a nominal fee. Haunted house escort service. Not THAT kind. (That costs extra.)

Brutus: He manages to get through the house, finding the attitudes of Julius Caesar and Magnus Pompey as horrifying as anything inside the house. (Except for the clowns. They are admittedly worse.)

[newromesweirdest]

Octavian Relationship Headcanons - PJO/HoO

Yep, we're going *there*. I suddenly had some inspiration and decided to go for it. You can either interpret this as general headcanons or as a x reader, whichever you prefer!

Headcanons below the cut :)

Octavian has probably never been in a relationship, so once he does get into one.....oh boy......prepare for the awkwardness. He doesn't live under a rock so he knows how flirting works in principle, but he's rarely done it, so he's definitely awkward and I can almost guarantee that he stumbles over his words a LOT at first.

Has Octavian ever kissed anyone? Probably not, unless it was a game of Spin the Bottle and he entered on a dare or was forced to be there. Considering this, I feel like he would be over the moon when he finally gets to kiss his s/o for the first time. He is also probably bright red throughout the entire thing, but that has nothing to do with the kiss and it's obviously just due to the heat or the cold, or so he would say....

Once Octavian and his s/o have their first kiss, I feel like he goes a little feral. I'm talking constant kisses when they're in private. Octavian is in the temple and he has just finished reading the auspices when his s/o walks in? It's time for kisses with a side of polyester stuffing. Octavian and his s/o take a rare trip away from Camp Jupiter to go on a real date in Oakland? Citizens of Oakland, prepare to witness PDA. Octavian and his s/o find a moment of peace after a war game? Roman armor kisses.

However, does PDA occur in the eyes of Camp Jupiter? Absolutely not! I think that Octavian would be too skittish for that at first, and then soon it morphs into a habit, and later it becomes a sort of "professionalism" thing. However, Octavian totally goes to his s/o for comfort throughout the day, whether it be after a stressful Senate meeting or a draining prophecy.

A personal headcanon of mine is that Octavian occasionally sleeps in the temple, especially when New Rome is facing conflict and the prophecies and omens are rolling in. Octavian is essentially a divine mailman, and sometimes the mail gets a bit overwhelming, so I can totally see him camping out in the temple in case a late night "message" comes in.

After Octavian and his s/o have been together for a while, his s/o sometimes joins him in his "temple camping adventure." They probably store a few folding cots or an air mattress in a quiet corner of the temple, and they camp in the shadows close to the altar. His s/o definitely gets some weird looks from the other campers after that, so they had better be prepared to face the camp at the next meal or training exercise.

I feel like despite Octavian's wealth, he probably takes his s/o on "cheaper" dates (fast food, movies, beach trips, zoos). Octavian gave so much of his childhood to the legion, and I feel like he would yearn for "teenage" experiences, so he and his s/o go on a lot of cutesy, silly adventures.

However, if his s/o did want a fancier date, Octavian definitely knows the nicest restaurants in the area and will 100% book an expensive reservation at the drop of a hat.

I have a very specific idea of what Octavian would do for an anniversary, and I feel like he would take his s/o to a fancy restaurant, followed by something simpler like a trip to the San Francisco zoo. Fancy and simple! The best of the both worlds!

If they are both able to get away from their duties in New Rome, Octavian and his s/o occasionally borrow one of the legion's SUVs and go on a joy ride around Oakland. It drives Reyna up a wall, but she does allow it on occasion.

Overall, I think Octavian would be awkward but very sweet in a relationship. He can be a manipulative public speaker and a vicious politician, but he does have a heart and I think deep down he yearns to have someone who understands and truly supports him. Octavian is 100% a mushy romantic at heart and I will take no criticism on this one.

About a month into the relationship, Octavian is obsessively reading auspices while trying to figure out if he and his s/o are soulmates. 100% makes sacrifices to Venus before going on a date, and he's definitely putting all of his hope into this being a long-term thing.

Octavian believes in soulmates

[xtabithanala]

Headcanons for the mentors after the second rebellion

• The mentors that survived the second rebellion are Arachne, Livia, Vipsania, Diana, Persephone, Festus, Lysistrata, Clemensia and Pup

• Most of them got to escape due to their family members helping them. Plutarch and Fulvia were the main people to organise the safe escape to District 13

• After the rebellion, they all return to the Capitol and become neighbours, living next to each other in the old Corso area

• Whilst some of them live with their partner, Livia lives with Fulvia, Vipsania lives with Plutarch and Diana lives with her son Octavian (Otto)

• In memory of their classmates, they request Commander Paylor (now President Paylor) to build a memorial to honor these classmates

• Livia requests the old presidential palace to be destroyed and to have a park being built there instead

• All of them would frequently meet up, being closer than ever. With Panem now being free, they feel much more comfortable talking about things and they would often talk about their classmates, the 10th Hunger Games and their tributes

• Livia mostly overcame the effects of being hijacked despite she occasionally still has hallucinations. Her friends continue to play Real Or Not Real with her and she continues to attend therapy

• All of them deal completely different with their trauma - some are hiding their feelings behind jokes (Pup, Arachne and Festus), some openly show how they feel (Persephone, Diana, Lysistrata) and some struggle to express how they feel because they want to appear strong (Vipsania, Clemensia, Livia)

• They live a relatively good, happy life despite their experiences and trauma

[witchyleehibernates-fics]

Spoonful of Sugar (Or a Frozen Drink) To Cure a Fever

Summary:

“My first patient of my shift… is Octavian’s… fiance’s… baby sister… How old is she?” Will pushed himself up, walking over to Kayla and looking over her shoulder to the computer screen. The patient was four years old, and she’d been having a really high and strong fever and she’d not eaten for two days, and she wouldn’t take liquids for at least a day. “Damn, she’s pretty sick, huh?” Will’s brows furrowed. He glanced over to Octavian. “You want to take her as a patient instead?” If there was one thing that Will absolutely knew for certain, was that Octavian was protective of his family. He cared for his family in his own way, and Will could respect that. “No… the italian is bringing her in, and I can’t stand him, almost more than I can’t stand you or the Jackson boy.” Octavian rolled his eyes. “Luke’s worried about his sister, and… You are better with children than I am.” Octavian huffed. If Will didn’t know better, he would have thought that there was respect in Octavian’s voice.

Content Warning's/Trigger Warnings: Good Luke Castellan, Good Octavian, Luke/Octavian, Sick Children Characters, Sick Estelle

Characters: Nico Di Angelo, Estelle Blofis, Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan, Octavian, Kayla Knowles

Chapters: 1/1

Words: 2,967

Status: Complete

Fanfic Links:

|| Ao3 || Fanfiction Net ||

......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .........

Nico had hoped that with Estelle being sick, he’d be able to hide away inside with her until Percy got home later that night. He wouldn’t have to run any errands, since Percy did all that the day before while Nico was working, since Estelle had been with Luke and his fiance. He had wanted to see if Estelle would eat easier for him, since she’d not eaten at all the day before. But Percy had texted him to remind him that he’d set up a doctor’s appointment for Estelle, and that Nico had to take her that afternoon.

Nico sometimes wished that Percy wasn’t such a nice person, because Percy was almost always picking up other’s shifts when they needed him too. And currently, two of his workers were out from an accident from a few weeks prior. They’d be back the next week, which Nico was thankful for, and he knew Luke and Octavian would be too. Nico was often amused by the fact that Octavian hated Percy because of how nice he was.

He sighed as he walked from the kitchen to the living room, where Estelle was curled up on the couch with a pacifier in her mouth and a stuffed animal clutched to her chest. She was wrapped up in her favorite blanket and she looked exhausted, and in mild pain. His heart ached for her, and he knew Percy hated how many hours he was picking up. Percy would also never overwork his employees, but he would one hundred percent overwork himself.

“Hey, little star,” Nico hummed, watching as the four year old blinked tiredly as she looked over towards him. “How are you feeling?” He asked her, moving and sitting down on the couch nearby. Estelle made a noise, though he couldn’t quite tell if she was feeling better or not. It was a more neutral sound. He glanced at the tv and found that Percy had put on a movie list of her favorite Looney Tunes movies. He didn’t understand the show or connected movies to the franchise, but Estelle loved them.

“Would you be willing to eat a little? For me?” Nico asked, and Estelle made a face, her arms tightening around her stuffed animal. “Please? I made Alfredo with Chicken.” Alfredo was her favorite, and she loved chicken so combining them wasn’t that hard for NIco. Though he used his own recipe, that was passed down through his family for generations.

“O’tay.” Estelle’s voice was slurred, both from the pacifier and from her not really up for talking. She moved her arms, shivering hard once her arms left the blanket, and Nico moved to pick her up. She rested her head on his shoulder, and Nico rubbed her back as he walked them towards the kitchen. He’d already dished out his own plate of food, and Estelle perked her head up a little when she saw the garlic bread also sitting off towards the side.

“You want a small bit of garlic bread?” He asked, he felt Estelle nod as she rested her head back against his shoulder. He opened the cupboard and found one of the baby plates, one of the smaller ones, and pulled that down. She probably wouldn’t eat much, but it was progress that she was at least willing to try to eat today. “I’m gonna put you in your chair now, okay?” Nico asked. Estelle didn’t move, but she also didn't protest when he set her in the highchair, locking the plate in place in front of her.

“‘ater?” She asked as Nico dished a scoop of Alfredo and Chicken onto the baby plate. “‘ease?” Nico immediately reached for the cupboard again for a sippy cup for her, already debating on tap or iced, which they had already prepared in the fridge.

“Of course,” Nico responded, feeling much better about the upcoming doctor’s appointment. He set the sippy cup to the side, and grabbed a piece of garlic bread to break the crust off. Once her plate of food was ready, he grabbed her a fork that she could use and opened the fridge, looking for the water in there. He grabbed the jug, placing Estelle’s fork on her plate as he set the jug on the counter. He opened the sippy cup and filled the cup and put the jug away. He glanced over and found that Estelle looked sleepy, with her pacifier sitting in the cup part of her chair plate.

He put the cap back on the cup, grabbed her plate and walked over, humming as he set both items in front of her. He moved her pacifier onto the actual table before moving to grab his own plate. He sat beside her at the table, making sure that she was actually eating, or at least attempting to, as he ate his own food.

“Good?” Nico asked, looking towards the fridge contemplatively. He was thirsty, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to drink. He glanced back at Estelle to find her happily eating, but she was also looking more exhausted. Hopefully she’d be able to finish her food before she ended up falling asleep. He was pleased that he remembered the recipe, and it had turned out better than he had thought it would have.

“Done.” He glanced up, and found that she had eaten at least most of her food, and most of her water was gone too. He glanced at the time and nodded. He’d finish eating while she napped, and that would give him time to clean up and put leftovers in the fridge and then put together a bag for the walk to the clinic. He pushed his plate further onto the table, moving and setting Estelle’s plate and sippy off to the side, unclipping the table of her chair and picking her up. 

One trip to the bathroom later and Estelle was curled up back on the couch, wrapped up in her blanket with her pacifier and eyes closed for the most part. He would forever be thankful that Luke had taught Nico and Percy enough tips to manage their ADHD when it came to the common areas in their apartment since he had needed to restart her movie. The Christmas Looney Tunes was Estelle’s favorite, a by-product of Percy adoring Christmas since that’s when Percy got the excuse of spending all his time with family.

The movie would be a good timer for Nico, since they had to leave once it was over. It was a twenty minute walk, and he hoped that Estelle would sleep through most of it. But he needed to pack a bag to carry a few things for the journey. He would let them wait longer, but Percy’s car was in the shop, and Nico couldn’t be bothered to learn how to drive or get his own car. It was too much of a hassle, and Nico liked walking anyways. Most things were within walking distance, so he didn’t see the need to have a car.

Percy would say that Nico was crazy, because Percy’s walking distance and Nico’s were vastly different, but they made it work… somehow. And if they absolutely needed to, Luke always offered for Percy to borrow his car. There were times where Nico felt jealous that Percy had an older brother so willing to help. And then other times he was just thankful that Percy hadn’t had to shoulder everything that life had to throw at him alone. Who knows how differently Percy would have turned out otherwise.

He hummed as he moved towards the door, where his cross bag was hung up. He grabbed that and moved towards his room, eyes darting towards his journal and grabbing that. Normally his bag was already packed and he could just grab and leave, but he really had no intent of leaving the house. He grabbed his sketchbook, humming quietly as his coloring pencils were added next. He grabbed his jacket and moved back out to the kitchen so that he could finish eating. His stomach growled, to which he made a face. He set his bag on the table, moving towards the fridge and grabbing a soda before moving to his plate.

He was a little hungrier than he thought, and he would add a bit more to his plate before he sat and finished eating.

Will gave a displeased huff as he spotted Octavian walk into the breakroom, dressed as if he was coming in for a shift. Will knew for a fact that it was Octavian’s day off, and the only one that lined up with his fiance’s for at least the next two weeks.

“Why is he here?” He asked Kayla, a frown on his face as he set his thermos of coffee down. Kayla looked up, frowning as well as she spotted the blonde. “He should be at home with his fiance. Not here to bother us.”

“I’m here,” Octavian gave a look to Will, a glare that was filled with disgust as he walked over to them. “Because my fiance’s baby sister is coming in. And I want to be sure that she is okay. Especially since if what she has is contagious enough, my fiance will end up sick too.” He rolled his eyes. “His brother had errands, and the other one, the roommate, had work. Believe me, I don’t want to be here either.”

Will would have responded, but Kayla gave him a look, and he decided that he would listen to his sister. This time, at least. Since he was pretty sure he and Octavion would have another go at each other later. The two could not get along, and Will was sure that they would never get along.

Their team leader told them that their ‘rivalry’ was causing issues among their team, but Will was pretty sure the two just hated each other and he was waiting and counting up the days until one of them was assigned to an entirely different shift. He hoped it was himself, though his last request for it was denied.

“What’s her name, I’ll see who’s assigned to her.” Kayla offered. And while Octavian gave her a small look of disdain, which was much better than the disgust that Will usually brought out. He heaved a sigh as he pulled out his phone, like he was checking the name of his fiance’s baby sister. Will thought that he should know it, since he was getting his fiance’s last name.

“Estelle Jackson.” Will paused, raising an eyebrow. He recognized the last name, Jackson, though he didn’t quite remember where he’d heard it from. “The roommate is also, apparently, a cousin to the middle brother.” There was a level of disgust… but also a hint of fondness when he spoke of his fiance's brother. Will wondered what that was about, but he didn’t dare ask.

“Oh, that’s… She’s Will’s patient, in forty minutes it says.” Kayla spoke, eyes curious as she glanced over. Will froze, eyes darting up to stare at her.

“My first patient of my shift… is Octavian’s… fiance’s… baby sister… How old is she?” Will pushed himself up, walking over to Kayla and looking over her shoulder to the computer screen. The patient was four years old, and she’d been having a really high and strong fever and she’d not eaten for two days, and she wouldn’t take liquids for at least a day.

“Damn, she’s pretty sick, huh?” Will’s brows furrowed. He glanced over to Octavian. “You want to take her as a patient instead?” If there was one thing that Will absolutely knew for certain, was that Octavian was protective of his family. He cared for his family in his own way, and Will could respect that.

“No… the italian is bringing her in, and I can’t stand him, almost more than I can’t stand you or the Jackson boy.” Octavian rolled his eyes. “Luke’s worried about his sister, and… You are better with children than I am.” Octavian huffed. If Will didn’t know better, he would have thought that there was respect in Octavian’s voice.

“I’ll find out what’s wrong, she won’t be sick for much longer.” Will told him, his voice serious. Kayla hummed, her own brows furrowed.

“Is the other brother Percy?” Kayla asked, glancing towards Octavian who looked annoyed. But… Will glanced away before he was caught staring, because it looked like Octavian’s expression had softened.

“Yes, Luke’s brother is Percy. Too kind for his own good.” Octavian rolled his eyes, muttering that last part of his statement with a roll of his eyes.

“Oh! He’s where we get our coffee every morning! He wasn’t in this morning though,” Kayla frowned, and yeah… that was where Will remembered that last name. Handsome guy, but not quite Will’s type. “Annabeth was however, so that was something.” Kayla had a crush on Annabeth, which Will often teased her about with Austin.

“Yeah, home with his sister since Di Angelo was at his own job, some client was being pissy or something.” Octavian muttered, and there was another roll of his eyes. Will had to say something, he was being too nice otherwise.

“Roll your eyes anymore and you’ll lose them.” He turned and let Kayla out from behind the computer after she closed the appointments list. Octavian made a sound, not dissimilar to a cat hissing or growling at him. It only served to amuse Will and the reactions he got from the other blonde. Will moved back to his coffee, and his brownie that he got. It was his unhealthy choice for the week, because the Coffee Shop had some delicious treats, all of which he learned were recipes that came from Percy, or his cousin who liked to cook at home.

Will sighed, and instead of sitting in the break room, he moved to his examination room. He didn’t want to risk pissing Octavian off more than his general existence already did.

“Welcome to the Sunshine and Rose Cafe and Coffee House, what can I get start-” Percy looked up, eyes widening when he spotted Nico and Estelle. “Nico! Estelle!” His eyes lit up a bit, and then widened comically when Octavian walked in behind them.

“Just got here from her appointment, she’s going to be okay. I even got her to eat and drink today.” Nico boasted quietly, stepping up and letting Estelle wave at her brother. “He gave us a ride when he found out we were walking.”

“Your cousin also got the number of the doctor that helped Estelle.” Octavian rolled his eyes. “Espresso con Panna. Double shot.” Octavian ordered, which Percy jumped to put into the machine.

“Nico?”

“Uh, Cinnamon Mocha, and then a hot Chocolate freeze for Estelle.” Nico answered, patting Estelle’s side as she looked around the Coffee Shop. “By the way, there’s Alfredo and Chicken at home, for when you get off.” Nico informed him.

“Oh hell yes.” Percy cheered quietly, “Okay, I’m gonna go make those. Octavian, is Luke working tomorrow?”

“Yes, and he’s stopping in beforehand, so you better be here. Something about him having something for you.” Octavian answered. Percy made a noise of acknowledgement as he moved to the back to make their drinks. Nico noticed there was a certain tone in Octavian’s voice, like he knew exactly what Luke had for Percy.

He would have asked, but he would have been pushing Octavian’s generosity if he continued to push and ask. He was surprised that they hadn’t gotten into an argument yet. He actually liked the peace that was currently settling between them.

Ten minutes passed, and Percy was back with their drinks, though he had them wait and grabbed three brownies to pass to them too.

“New recipe, wanted to see your thoughts on them.” Percy explained, he cut one of the brownies in half, most likely for Estelle. He ate one half, but passed the three to Octavian, who had a free hand.

“What kind?”

“Dark Chocolate with Mint and Cinnamon.”

“Add another for Luke.” Percy rolled his eyes, most likely about to say something about ‘manners’, a common argument between the two. He stopped moments before he said anything, and nodded his head and grabbed another brownie to pass to Octavian.

Nico paid before Octavian could, something that would have made Nico uncomfortable.

“Did Luke want a coffee?”

“He will tomorrow.” Octavian snarked, and Percy rolled his eyes as Estelle giggled. That made Percy’s, and Nico’s, day. She’d been much too quiet recently with her being sick. The medication in his bag was surely going to help, as it seemed to be already. Doctor Solace had given her a dose to show Nico how to do it, and it was already taking effect.

“Alright, Estelle looks like she likes her brownie, and she looks a little tired.” Percy reached across and ruffled Estelle’s hair. She made a noise of discontentment, which Nico snorted at as Percy made an overexaggerated face of offense.

“Yeah, I’m going to get her home and down for a nap.” Nico told him, letting her hold her frozen Hot Chocolate as he grabbed his coffee.

“Already took one.” Estelle spoke up, smiling at her brother as she leaned her head against Nico’s shoulder.

“Yeah? Bet you're still tired though.” Percy waved at them as Octavian made a noise of impatience. He was getting impatient and most likely wanted to get home to his fiance. Nico didn’t really blame him.

“Yeah, alright, have a good shift, Perce, we’ll see you later.” Nico nodded, accepting his brownie from Octavian when it was offered. It was a very good brownie, Nico had to admit. And he would be relieved when he was home as well.

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Love is real I invented it -Danny Words: 2,241 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Crumbs' -by Belaganas

VIII: Somebody Sedate Me!

Ara is looking at her reflection in the mirror with tension. What was that outburst she had with Percy? It's like he and Lily pull a trigger in her that she's yet to find.

She wants them to be proud of what she's accomplished, so why can't they be glad for once? Having a child of Olympus on their side during the war with Kronos would've made all the difference, why are they so pressed about it now?

Learn the difference between concern and distrust, says Lily's voice in her head. 

Though they're not that different from each other. Both come from the same thought: This prophecy is beyond Ara's skills.

She brushes her damp hair (she took a shower to cool off), and puts on a camp half-blood shirt, then she grabs her cosmetic set and stares at it, she wears makeup when she needs to feel better. Now is one of those days.

When she arrives at the meeting, she's the only one who made an effort to look more than just well-rested and that cheers her up, Generals should look neater than their army.

It's the first time the seven gather with no one else around, except Ara and Coach Hedge. She makes her way to the head of the table and pulls back a chair at the same time Percy reaches for it. She looks at him thinking Are you kidding me?, but a second later her brother mumbles an apology and sits next to Annabeth.

Ara looks at the group trying to gather her thoughts. They do seem intimidating, but Ara's interacted with them in such domestic settings that to her they just look like kids. "Anything we should know about the expeditions?"

"Well, maybe the part where we ran into Nemesis," Hazel suggests.

Ara's got so many things in her mind she'd forgotten about Nemesis, but now that Hazel brought it up, she can feel the piece of paper the goddess handed to her burning through her pocket.

Leo and Hazel share their adventure, and Ara uttered no word. What she got out of that encounter is of no use to the others—and then Annabeth, Frank, and Percy talk about their quest, but nothing worth remembering comes out of it.

"So where to now?" Leo takes a bite of his pizza. "Ara and I did a quick repair job to get us out of the lake, but there's still a lot of damage. We should really put down again and fix things right before we head across the Atlantic."

"We need to put some distance between us and Camp Jupiter," Percy replies. "Frank spotted some eagles over Salt Lake City. We figure the Romans aren't far behind us."

"I don't suppose we should go back and try to reason with the Romans?" Piper offers. "Maybe—maybe I didn't try hard enough with the charmspeak."

"That won't cut it," Ara replies, perhaps too harshly. "For charmspeak to work, they have to find you appealing. I don't think they feel like cuddling us at the moment."

Jason tries to lift his girlfriend's spirits. "It wasn't your fault, Pipes. Or Leo's. Whatever happened, it was Gaea's doing, to drive the two camps apart."

"Maybe if we could explain that, though—"

"With no proof?" Annabeth raises a brow. "And no idea what really happened? I appreciate what you're saying, Piper. I don't want the Romans on our bad side, but until we understand what Gaea's up to, going back is suicide."

"She's right," Hazel speaks hoarsely. She's having the worst seasick case ever but tries hard to keep it together. "Reyna might listen, but Octavian won't. The Romans have honor to think about. They've been attacked. They'll shoot first and ask questions post-hac."

Ara plays with the last pieces of veggies on her plate. "Then we stick to our original plan, and we look for Nico."

Hazel's anxiety causes precious stones to gather around her plate. "Nemesis said we have only six days until Nico dies and Rome is destroyed."

"You mean Rome Rome, not New Rome?" Jason asks.

"I think, but if so, that's not much time."

"Why six days?" Percy questions. "And how are they going to destroy Rome?"

"July first," Ara comments like it's obvious.

"What?" Her brother stares at her blankly.

Ara rolls her eyes. "All the stuff that's happened, Gaea's done them on important dates of our calendars. The winter solstice, the feast of fortune... the Kalends of July is a special occasion because," she pushes a piece of broccoli forward. "In Rome, that day's dedicated to Juno. Which is weird, 'cause I feel like that should be during the Kalends of June, but whatever—"

"How do you know all this?" Percy frowns.

Ara eats the piece of broccoli and points at Jason with her fork. "He's been teaching me Roman history for the past six months."

"Okay... so that connects to Nico... in what way?" 

"We are six days away from July first," she frowns. "Nico's literal deadline lands on a big day for annoying people—the Romans—and Gaea likes to taint our big celebrations, so maybe she's using him as bait."

"I've been seeing some things in my knife," Piper blurts out of nowhere.

Frank gulps down his food with difficulty. "Things such as..?"

"They don't really make sense, just garbled images, but I saw two giants, dressed alike. Maybe twins."

"Twins, like in Ella's prophecy," Annabeth points out. "If we could figure out those lines, it might help."

"Wisdom's daughter walks alone," Percy recites. "The Mark of Athena burns through Rome. Annabeth, that's got to mean you. Juno told me... well, she said you had a hard task ahead of you in Rome. She said she doubted you could do it. But I know she's wrong."

"Reyna was about to tell me something right before the ship fired on us. She said there was an old legend among the Roman praetors—something that had to do with Athena. She said it might be the reason Greeks and Romans could never get along."

"Nemesis mentioned something similar," Leo says. "She talked about an old score that had to be settled—"

"The one thing that might bring the gods' two natures into harmony," Hazel quotes. "'An old wrong finally avenged.'"

"I was only a praetor for about two hours," Percy sighs, playing with his food like Ara does. "Jason, you ever heard a legend like that?"

"I... uh, I'm not sure," he says. "I'll give it some thought."

Percy and Ara both look at him with the same scowl. "You're not sure?" Percy repeats.

Ara could've pressured Jason into talking, but before she can, Hazel intervenes. "What about the other lines? Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death."

"Giants' bane stands gold and pale," Frank continues, "Won through pain from a woven jail."

"Giants' bane," Leo hums. "Anything that's a giants' bane is good for us, right? That's probably what we need to find. If it can help the gods get their schizophrenic act together, that's good."

"We can't kill the giants without the help of the gods," Percy muses.

"I thought you guys killed that one giant in Alaska without a god's help, just the two of you," Jason points to Frank and Hazel.

"Alcyoneus was a special case. He was only immortal in the territory where he was reborn—Alaska. But not in Canada. I wish I could kill all the giants by dragging them across the border from Alaska into Canada, but..." Frank sighs. "Percy's right, we'll need the gods."

"Oh!" Ara snaps her fingers, putting two and two together. "They took him!"

Frank frowns. "Come again?"

"Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death," Ara recites again, looking at her sister. "In your vision, were the twins guarding something?"

Piper tries to remember. "I think they were... pulling up a large vase from a pit?"

"Was it large enough to fit a thin person in it?"

"You're not saying..." Hazel starts fearfully.

Ara's gaze darkens. "Your brother was looking for the doors of death, maybe he found them and knows how to close them, but they caught him before he could tell us."

"Di Angelo," Percy groans in realization, running a hand over his face. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath..."

Ara nods. "If Nico's been captured because he found the doors, rescuing him has to be our priority."

"Which is going to take us straight to those twins," Annabeth points out.

"Whom we can't defeat unless we get the giant's bane beforehand," Percy adds. "Whatever that is."

"And we must get all that before the Kalends of July, or everything will go wrong," Ara concludes with a sigh. "I'm not loving the tight scheduling..."

They stay quiet for a moment, trying to think of a different meaning to those lines, but nothing comes to them. In any case, going to Rome is what they were supposed to do since the start.

"So..." Leo drags his chair back once he finishes his food. "First things first, I guess. We'll have to put down in the morning to finish repairs."

"Someplace close to a city," Annabeth says, "in case we need supplies. But somewhere out of the way, so the Romans will have trouble finding us. Any ideas?"

"Well," Piper leans on the table. "How do you guys feel about Kansas?" 

"Lights out! Settle down! Try to sneak out, and I'll smack you back to Long Island!" 

Ara opens her cabin door angrily. "Coach! If you don't stop yelling you'll finish the quest as a potted plant!"

"Who're you calling a potted plant, Jackson? I'm a carnivorous one!"

"Those can be potted too, you jacka—"

"Someone needs a nap!" Leo comes out of his room, which is right in front of Ara's—definitely on purpose—and stops her before she kills the satyr. "It's alright, Coach, we're all tucked in, stop yelling."

"I don't see you tucked in, Valdez."

"Hedge, I swear," Ara says through gritted teeth, but Leo stands between them.

"I'm wearing my finest PJs, man, c'mon, knock it out," he guides the satyr towards his cabin.

Hedge gives in, though he gives out warnings as he goes. He stops before entering his room and points at them squinting. "You two—straight to bed."

"Unbelievable," Ara mutters, re-entering her room and leaving her door open.

As expected, when Coach Hedge leaves, Leo goes to his door and closes it loudly from the outside, then slips into Ara's room as quietly as possible. Ara crawls under the covers of her bed and Leo sits at the foot of it, his right leg hanging from the side.

He's got his crooked smirk that unsettles adults on his face, but he won't do anything unless Ara lets him, and right now all she wants is sleep. She curls up and buries one hand under her pillow.

"Not bad for our first day, huh?" He says.

Ara chuckles. "Not what I had in mind, to be honest."

Leo squeezes her calf over the covers. "You handled it well. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," she yawns. "You were great too."

"If those lines in Annabeth's prophecy are about Di Angelo..." he starts carefully. "Isn't it a bad idea to play along?"

Ara frowns. "You think we shouldn't save Nico?"

"We don't know for sure he's been taken—"

"Exactly," she interrupts him. "We're going to Kansas first, we could find something there that proves my theory wrong."

Leo nods, he doesn't want to upset her, so he changes the subject. "Well... I don't know about you, but I'm not sleepy yet."

Ara laughs and quickly tries to cover the noise even though it isn't loud. She sits up to face him properly. "Just ask, Leo."

"Can I stay?" He scoots closer. "I'll behave, obviously, I don't want your brother to gut me..."

Ara presses a palm against his chest, and his heart races at her touch. She should tell him about the curse since it concerns him too, but his heartbeat is so fast and he glows golden so brightly... she doesn't want to ruin his happiness, at least not tonight.

"You know, I think I understand Echo," she whispers.

"Hm?" Leo struggles to focus on her words, even though his eyes are on her lips.

"You can love yourself a lot," Ara explains, "but if you're genuinely in love with someone, you'll stay beside them, even if they give you sorrows. Echo sees something worth saving in Narcissus because she loves him, and you can't listen to reason when that happens."

Leo leans his forehead on hers. "But he already died once and it did nothing to make him reconsider."

"He's been cursed," Ara's voice quivers. "He can't change his fate alone. You're right, Echo's very strong and brave for staying by his side, considering she has no powers, no..." she chokes a little. "No answers."

Leo moves to look at her. "You okay?"

Ara wraps her arms around Leo and buries her face on his neck. "I lied. I got scared when you attacked me—and my ribs still hurt, and I don't like Hazel, and Percy's mad at me..."

Leo's guts twist with guilt, and Ara feels it right away. "Crap, I'm so sorry—I should've—"

She pulls the emotion out of him with her empath touch. "I was scared for you, Leo, not me," the girl assures him. "I'm telling you this... because you said we could lean on each other. Please, don't forget it."

"I won't," Leo tilts his head, staring at her with soft, loving eyes. "Wanna lean on me first?"

Her soul-light brightens and she buries her face in his neck again. "Yes."

"Alright," Leo grins and kisses the top of her head. "You know... I wouldn't mind living through a thousand shitty days like this one if it meant I'd hold you like this every night."

Her heart squeezes with unease. "I know."

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @asnyox-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled

[anticomedygarden]

solangelo marching band au part 2

i'm not typing out the whole title

-

part 1 | ao3

this is drastically shorter than the first AND last chapter, but it wouldn't make sense plot wise to not break it up like this, so sorry about that. the next chapter will probably be much longer, and it was almost done, but for some godforsaken reason i decided to add a few scenes so that probably won't be up for a little bit. again, i'm sorry.

here you go

-

Four hours, 5 minutes since

The bus took off out of the highway rest stop the same way all buses do: jerkily, and with little regard for the safety of the students it contained. It was exactly how Nico felt as he held back tears.

He couldn't believe that he'd let Will get so close so fast that he'd actually considered telling him about Bianca. How fucking stupid.

He was just about to take his phone out of his pocket to ask his stepmom to pick him up so that he didn't have to deal with his friends when a shadow fell across his seat.

"Hey," Will said. "What the hell?"

Nico didn't even look up at him. "Go away."

"No, not until you tell me what's going on," Will said.

If he thought that would make Nico talk, he was sorely mistaken.

After a minute of silence, Will threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, what the hell! One minute we're having a good time, bonding and whatever, and the next, what, you hate me? What happened?"

Nico could have laughed at that. Who was Will to yell at Nico when the golden boy was only in it for a bet? Already, he'd had enough. "Is that what we were doing? Bonding?"

Will raised his hands in a yeah gesture. "I thought so."

"Then tell that to Octavian. Keep your position. I don't care." He turned back around to the window and stared unseeing at the dark trees whooshing by.

"What are you talking about?" Will said with enough consternation that Nico began to believe he didn't know what Nico was talking about.

"The bet you made with Octavian," he explained. "I know he bet you for section leader that you couldn't talk to me."

"What?" Will's mouth was gaping now, true confusion lining his face. "That definitely never happened."

At this point, Nico's head was really filling with uncertainty. "In the bathroom, two guys came in and said it."

Will looked down, brows furrowed. "I never..." He trailed off and muttered incoherently. "Wait." He looked up, realization dawning on his face. "The guys who went in after you-"

Jostling the entire seat, he shifted to his knees without finishing and turned toward the back of the bus. "Bryce!"

Nico immediately slunk down in his seat. This was exactly the kind of social situation he liked to avoid.

"Solace! How's the bet going?"

Nico felt more than saw Will's entire body tense up. "There is no bet! I would never associate with Octavian."

That was fair, though Nico thought the personal insult to himself was the greater offense here.

Or the fact that the section leader position couldn't just be traded away because of a student bet, not without Chiron or Mr. D signing off on it, yet both Nico and Bryce had been so quick to believe it. Was he really so self-destructive?

Yes, apparently.

"But I heard-"

"From who?"

Bryce didn't answer that time.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. And, hey, if you're so close with Octavian, you can tell him I said to go fu-"

"Hey!"

Nico was pretty sure that was Mrs. Knowles from the front of the bus because a second later, she said, "Actually, I don't care. Just don't start fighting."

"It's fine," Will responded, swiveling back around until his ass touched the seat once more. "I'm done."

As soon as he was down, he turned to Nico. "I'm so sorry, I would never-"

"I believe you." He said it with such certainty and vehemence that Will's mouth snapped shut. He even surprised himself a little bit, though he knew the words to be true (and he didn't want Will to start yelling again). There was no shred of doubt in his mind anymore that Will was telling the truth.

Will blinked. "Well, I'm still sorry that you had to hear it."

"I don't need pity," Nico snapped, practically on instinct. That's all people ever seemed to have for him, anyway. Pity and irritation. Even if the stuff about the bet wasn't true, this still was. Not even Will was exempt.

That wasn't fair. The other boy had been nothing but kind, even empathetic when Nico told him about his dad rather than pitying. Maybe he really did feel guilty. The thought was enough to make Nico a little guilty himself. "I'm sorry for believing it."

Will smiled and shook his head. "It's fine. I know you haven't had the best day."

Nico bristled, then narrowed his eyes at Will. Were his social skills really so bad that Will thought that, even when he was actually having a good time? "What?"

Will looked at him, seemingly confused. "You got up at 3:30 a.m. to sit on a bus for three hours, then got stranded at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, and you barely even got to see your friends all day."

Through special effort, Nico kept his mouth from dropping open in surprise at Will's perceptiveness. Everything he said was true, almost more so now. The rumors and emotional morning had run him ragged despite how much better the afternoon with Will had left him. Even so, he didn't like being so easy to read. With anybody else in his life, he wouldn't have this problem. It was something he prided himself on, his consolation prize for all the nights sitting alone in his bedroom.

"Plus, I don't know what happened, but I know something did because you've been avoiding your phone all day."

Nico's mouth really did drop open at that, though he refused to give Will the satisfaction. "Maybe I just didn't want it to die."

Will cocked his head, then shook it. "Is that why you told Percy to keep your friends from calling you and turned on 'do not disturb'?"

Nico really did start to get annoyed then because this was ridiculous, not least of all because Will was absolutely right. Something had happened, and it sucked, but that was none of Will's business.

Probably sensing Nico's uneasiness, Will held his hands up. "Hey, I'm not asking what it was, I'm just saying it's okay to be upset."

"I know that," Nico said hotly. He'd had a damn lifetime of being upset. The problem was that he didn't want to be anymore. "It's stupid."

"I doubt that."

He said it with such certainty, such abject belief, that Nico ripped his phone out of his pocket, opened his messaging app and clicked Jason's text chain, scrolled through the last 40 or so texts, and thrust his phone out to Will. "Here."

1 minute before

59 minutes into their three hour ride home, Nico's eyes were held open only by the feeling of the stiff, bumpy old leather seat of the school bus rattling under his sore ass. He'd tried playing on his phone to distract himself, but, like an idiot, he'd forgotten his earbuds. For now, he could watch the orange and yellow trees race by the cold, hard window.

A sign passed by, too fast for Nico to focus on. For all he knew, they were in Albany.

He rested his head in the corner where the window met the back of the seat. It made his temple hurt, but it was better than trying to stay awake.

His phone vibrated in his hand with a text from Jason. Without thinking, he clicked on it.

Jason

Hey, I know you hate this stuff, so I'll keep this short

You did great today, and I'm really proud of you for going for section leader. I'm gonna miss you a lot. Love you

That was it, just 35 words of kindness. It was too much, and for a moment, Nico just sat there, paralyzed. He couldn't think past the roaring in his ears.

I'm gonna miss you.

Because Jason was about to graduate. Because almost all of his remaining friends were about to graduate and leave him behind.

This felt too much like a goodbye.

Suddenly, the bus stopped, and Nico realized they'd pulled into a rest stop, forcing him to drag his attention to the front of the bus. Oh-no.

Thrusting his phone in his pocket, he sat up to see Mrs. Knowles standing by the driver. She turned. "Everybody out of the bus!"

Hushed murmurs grew into panicked chatter as all three dozen juniors filed through the narrow bus hallway and out the door, all the while Nico followed behind, not quite processing what was going on.

When he stepped out onto the pavement and saw the smoke coming up from the engine, his only thought was, It's cold.

4 hours, 11 minutes since

Nico watched nervously as Will read Jason's text, resisting the urge to rip the phone out of his hand.

Finally, he finished and handed the metal object back, and Nico waited for Will to tell him was being stupid and overreacting. Instead, he said, "Damn, that's a lot."

If literally anything else had come out of the blond's mouth right then, belittling, condescending, or an apology and asking if he was okay like Jason's last 40 texts and Nico probably would have exploded, jittery energy escaping his body like gunfire. As it was, laughter bubbled out of his mouth, surprise holding back nervous tears. He tried to form words, but the lump in his throat stopped him, and he just kept laughing.

Will made an odd noise. "What's so funny?"

Nico's fingers splayed on the seat and he clutched his stomach, laughter drying up. "I-" He stopped, then tried again. "That's been haunting me all day, and you just-" He gulped, unable to continue.

"I just what?" He sounded so confused, Nico laughed again. Alarmed, Will said, "What did I do?"

Damn, that's a lot, like this whole shitty situation could be summarized like that, like Nico hadn't been overwhelmed with what he was supposed to do with his life now that his friends were leaving all day long, like his problems could be sorted through if he let himself feel instead of avoiding everything and hiding like normal.

What did I do?

You did what you've been doing all day, Nico thought. You made it easier.

He scrubbed his wet eyes and looked back at Will. "You don't suck."

"Uh..." Will paused, blushing. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome."

After a moment, Will cleared his throat awkwardly. "You can talk to me, you know, about what's really going on."

Nico actually considered it but ended up shaking his head. He'd thought about it enough today. Instead, he asked something else that had been on his mind since they crashed at the rest stop. "Why me?"

"What?"

"Why did you hang out with me all day?"

"Oh, uh." Will's ears turned beet red, and he looked down. "I kind of, um, like you."

Nico almost choked. There was no way he heard that right. "Um. What?"

"Yeah, I've liked you pretty much since I first saw you," Will said, oblivious to Nico's growing panic. "But you're always with your friends, or it was a bad time, or something else, so finally today, I said I was just gonna do it, but then you were so upset, and then there was the whole thing with the bet, and I'm making a huge fool out of myself, aren't I? Oh my god, you think I'm insane. I'm gonna go. Yeah, I'm gonna go."

He started to rise, but in a move surprising himself most of all, Nico pulled him back down. "No! You should stay."

When Will continued to look embarrassed and vaguely shellshocked, Nico made a noise of panic. "What I mean to say is," he started, then stopped for a minute, thinking. "Do you remember the first time we saw each other?" Nico asked.

Will shook his head no.

"It was the day I moved to Olympus. Percy was showing me around, and we got into the band room, and I heard this horrifying squeaking noise. It was you. You must've still been learning the piccolo because it really sounded horrible." Will made a face, but Nico kept going. "I remember seeing you and thinking, 'Wow, he's gorgeous. I better not get attached or he'll just be another person to let me down.'" Nico hugged his knees closer to his chest. "So I spent the next two years talking to know one except my cousins and their friends even though I knew they would all leave before me and even though Hazel had her own circle and didn't need me. Because I wasn't ready for anything else. I wasn't ready for anybody to need me or expect things from me." He took a deep breath, thinking about Bianca. He'd spent so long wishing she were still here, obsessing over her death and thinking about how different he would be if he still had her, wondering if she would accept him. It never mattered, in the end. She was still gone, and he was alone, practically of his own volition. But he didn't have to be.

Slowly, he uncurled, sitting up and resting one foot on the floor with the other still folded beneath him. "I'm ready now."

In front of him, Will's blue eyes flashed in surprise, but he didn't resist when Nico leaned forward and pressed their lips together.

It tasted like chicken nuggets.

Six hours since

When they finally touched down in the band room around 7:30, it was dark outside. The temperature had dropped even further, too, and Nico pulled the sleeves of his under shirt over his hands to keep his fingers from freezing.

After he kissed Will over an hour and a half ago now, they'd pulled away quickly, hyper aware of being two boys on a high school bus.

They hadn't done nothing though. Afterwards, Will had given Nico a small smile and whispered, later, then pulled out his phone, handed Nico an earbud, and turned on Shrek.

Now, stepping into the band room, he took a deep breath. He wouldn't go as far as to say that it felt like coming home, but it felt pretty damn good.

The familiar blue carpet and red walls greeted him alongside the smell of sweat lingering in the air, even two hours after everyone had gone. Chiron could be seen in the office looking the same as he had the last time Nico saw him, though with a few more bruises under his eyes.

Then, of course, there was the tall blond with glasses barreling towards him, still wearing his bright orange band t-shirt and grey joggers.

"Nico!" Jason said, barely stopping within two inches. "Are you okay?"

Nico blinked. "You're still here?"

Jason frowned. "Of course I am. I'm your ride."

"Oh." He looked around to see if everyone else was still there. “Have you been here the whole time?” 

Jason shook his head. “No, I took Piper, Leo, and Hazel home, then came back about a half hour ago. Why did you tell Percy to tell us not to call you?”

Maybe he really should've texted his cousins back because this was going to get awkward fast. 

Will had already gone off to the instrument closet to put his piccolo away, leaving Nico to break the news to Jason that he was going home with Will (and probably spending the night, but that was besides the point).

Of course, at that very second, Will walked up behind them and said, "You ready to go?"

Jason raised an eyebrow, probably attempting to draw his own conclusions. "Is there something you wanna tell me?"

Nico didn't answer, but Will's face went suddenly blank. "Oh. Hey, Jason."

"Hi." The senior narrowed his eyes. "Are you taking Nico home?"

"Actually, we-"

"Yes! He is taking me home. We are going home." Before anyone could process his obvious lie, he took off towards the instrument closet, Will following behind, leaving Jason staring confused after them.

"Hey, just so we're on the same track, does that mean we're not telling people yet?" Will asked.

Nico paused to look at him, suddenly afraid he did something wrong. "I just kinda assumed."

Will nodded. "That's fine. We should probably talk, anyway, before anything else."

Thankfully, he didn't see Nico gulping because Jason came up behind them. "Hey, can I talk to Nico for a second?"

Will's face went pale again, and Nico realized he was actually nervous which was kinda ridiculous. Of all Nico's friends, Jason was not the one to be afraid of. "Yeah, I'll just...go put our uniforms away."

With one last nervous glance between Nico and Jason, he took Nico's uniform bag and walked away, leaving Nico alone with his cousin and what was sure to be a very unpleasant conversation.

"I feel like I freaked you out earlier, with the text," he said bluntly. Cutting right to the chase.

Nico didn't say anything. It didn't seem like Jason's words required a response, obvious as they were.

He was still holding his trombone, though, so he continued on to the instrument closet, and Jason kept pace with him.

"I hope you know that it's all true, and I wasn't trying to make you feel bad or anything." He was starting to sound rambl-y now, like he wanted to make Nico say something, but he wasn't sure how. He really should know by now that there was no point.

Anyway, Jason must've realized that, because the next thing he said was, "Please say something."

They reached the instrument closet, a square room the size of a small classroom lined with cubbies of different sizes. Nico's was on the far end in the back corner. He walked towards it. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, just..." He shrugged. "How do you feel about all this?"

Nico almost laughed. If Jason asked him that this morning, he certainly would have spiraled, caught up in his horrible feelings and catastrophizing about spending a year alone, but now? He didn't really feel anything. The idea of his friends graduating still scared him, yeah, but it didn't feel the same as it had just a few hours earlier. "I feel fine."

Jason gave him a disbelieving look, making Nico roll his eyes. "Really?"

The black haired boy threw his trombone in his cubby, and they walked back into the band room where Nico immediately found Will waiting by the door, still looking nervous. It made him smile, and he realized why he suddenly felt okay. Everything going on stopped feeling like an ending, but a beginning.

That thought in mind, he turned to Jason. "Look, I know you're all worried about me, but seriously, I'll be fine. It had to happen at some point. It's okay."

Jason still looked unsure but nodded anyway.

"Now go home. You've been up since like 3 this morning."

Jason studied him again but finally took his keys out of his pocket. "Fine. Are you going home?" He knew better than to assume Nico would actually go to bed, but it was a nice thought.

And he looked forward to blowing Jason's mind. "I think I'm going to Will's actually."

Jason's mouth dropped. "For real?"

Nico nodded. "Yes, now you can stop worrying about me."

"That's nice, but I'll never not be worried about you." He dodged Nico's punch and scurried to the door. "See ya!"

Shaking his head, Nico walked up next to Will. "You ready to go?"

Relief shone in Will's pretty eyes. "Yes."

Nico grabbed his hand, and together, they left the band room behind.